because without right thoughts of Chrift, there is no right thoughts of God; and without the knowledge of Chrift, there is no true knowledge of God. God is an invifible God, and Chrift only is the image of the invisible God, Col. i. 15. There are three ways to know, fee, and comprehend God: one is, by the creatures he hath made; "The invifible things of God are clearly feen from the creation of the world, even his eternal power and Godhead," Rom. i. 20. Another is by the fcriptures, for they make God known: but the third and only faving way of knowing and apprehending God, is by Chrift. Now, the knowledge of God, that we have by the creatures, is like the knowledge we have of a man by his workmanship, which he hath wrought; if the workmanship be rare and excellent, fuch as hath required great art and ftrength, then we conceive the man that hath done it, hath been a wife man, a ftrong man, and the like, according to the nature of the workmanship fo, when we know God by the creatures, we conceive that the God that hath made them, must be a great God, a wife God, a powerful God. But next, the knowledge that we have of God by the fcriptures ; I mean, the literal knowledge, is like that knowledge that one gets of a famous learned mån, by reading what he writes; if in his writing he hath discovered much learning, vaft fenfe, and folid judgment, accordingly we conceive him to be a fenfible, judicious man: fo, by reading the word, we conceive of God's excellency, as we do of a man by his writing; but the knowledge of God, that we get by Christ, is like that knowledge which one gets of a king, by having feen his image, or rather his fon, who is as like him as he can look. Now, Chrift is like the Father, and fo truly and really his image, that though blind Arians cannot fee the ef fential glory of the Father in him, yet he fays to Philif, John xiv. 6. He that bath feen me, bath seen the Father. Now, in the book of the creature, we may fee the being of God; in the book of the fcripture, the will of God but above all thefe, we have another book written, as it were, with the rays of the fun, even CHRIST, whom we may call a book, for he is ftillo A205 T5 C£5, VOL. III. t Y ος The the Word of God, Rev. xix. 13.; but he is not made with ink and paper, he is a living book, a living picture and reprefentative of the Father; the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, Heb.i. 3. The faving knowledge of God is by Chrift, John i. 18. and in Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 6. And again, hence, 2. This question, What think ye of Chrift? is put, becaufe, without right thoughts of Chrift, there can be no religion, and confequently no falvation. There is no coming to God, but in Chrift; I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me, John xiv. 6. Without believing thoughts of Chrift, then, we cannot worship God aright, or acceptably; for, Without faith it is impoffible to please God, Heb. xi. 6. And I have faewed you already, that right thinking is believing; and without believing in him, there is not falvation: He that believes not shall be damned; for, there is no other name given under heaven, whereby we must be faved neither is there falvation in any other, Acts iv. 12. A man, that cannot think of Chrift as he should, cannot perform a religious action as he ought: as the evil man, out of the evil treafure of his heart, brings forth evil things; fo a good man, out of the good treafure of his heart, brings forth 'good things, Matth. xii. 35. Now, Chrift in the heart, by his Spirit, is indeed a good treafure: and as natural thoughts produce natural actions, carnal thoughts, carnal actions; fo fpiritual thoughts bring forth fpiritual actions, and Chriftian thoughts Chriftian actions. True religion begins and advances with the right thoughts of God. I defy a man that knows the Lord, to pray or worship God comfortably, without fome due apprehenfion of Chrift: for, as in Chrift alone God is well-pleafed; fo it is in the view of Chrift, or of God in him, that the foul is well-pleafed. 4. This queftion, What think ye of Chrift? is put, because it is the beft rule of felf-examination, feeing, as mens thoughts of Chrift are, fo is their ftate; as men think in their heart, fo are they, Prov. xxii. 9. If a man be rifen with Chrift, then his thoughts and affections are fet on things above, where Chrift fits on the right-hand of God, Col. iii. 1, 2. If you be Chriftians indeed, then you you have Chrift in you, the hope of glory, Col. i. 27.; and if Chrift be in you, he will have a high room in your thought and efteem: and therefore it is laid down as the beft rule of examination, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourfelves, whether you be in the faith; prove yourselves, know ye not your own felves, bow that Chrift Jefus is in you, except you be reprobates, doo, UNAPPROVED, OF REJECTED? If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, be is none of bis, Rom. viii. 9. Now, they that have the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit, the things of God, and particularly the CHRIST of God. 4. This question, What think ye of Chrift? is put, be caufe this queftion comprehends all other queftions in religion. After the Pharifees had done with asking their difficult questions about the law, Chrift propofes a queftion, which fwallows up all their queftions, and comprehends all that is neceffary to be known; and if 'we could answer this queftion to purpofe, we would be in cafe to answer all the queftions that concerns both the law and the gofpel; for, Chrift is the end of the law, and the fum of the gospel. They that know Christ, they know where to find all the righteoufnefs that the law requires, and all the grace that the gospel promifes: and fo this queftion is the compend of the Chriftian catechifm, and that not only with refpect to knowledge, but alfo with refpect to practice and experience. Chrift is the fum of practical godlinefs; for, Without him you can do nothing; and by him ftrengthening you, you can do all things. And Chrift is the fum of experimental religion alfo: that experience is not worth much, that hath not Chrift for the fum-total of it; for, it is out of his fulness we receive grace for grace: and when a man can fay, Beholding his glory, I have been changed into the fame image, it is a rich experience. In a word, all queftions that relate to Christian experience, may be reduced to this one, What think ye of Chrift? If the queftion be, what know ye of conviction? what know ye of converfion? what know ye of illumination? what know ye of regeneration? what know ye of juftification? what know ye of fanctification? what intereft have ye in Chrift? what part and portion have ye in the Son of Jeffe? what fhare Y 2 have have ye of his grace? and what hope of his glory? All fuch queftions may be answered with the anfwer of this, What think ye of Chrift? 5. This queftion, What think ye of Chrift? is put, because he would, by this, put a stop, and give a check to all unneceflary curious queftions. They were but curious queftions at beft, that the Sadducees and Pharifees had afked of Chrift; but here Chrift gives a check to them, by a queftion of everlafting moment. Some that are but fenfelefs profeffors, fhew a deal of curiosity in fome of their queftions, fuch as, Who was Melchizedeck's father? and the like: but, O here is a more neceflary queftion, Who was Chrift's Father! What think ye of Chrift? and whofe Son is be? Here is an ocean of wisdom, that you may profitably dive into, and yet never get to the bottom of it; for, who can answer that queftion about Chrift's Father, What is his name, and what is bis Son's name, if thou canst tell? Prov. xxx. 4. 6. This queftion, What think ye of Chrift? is put, becaufe our thoughts are but loft, if they be not bestowed upon him. Till we be brought to think of Chrift duly, all our thoughts are but loft thoughts, and vain thoughts; O Jerufalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, bow long fhall vain thoughts lodge within thee? The Lord fees the thoughts of men to be but vanity: our thoughts are like birds flying from mountain to mountain, and fkipping from place to place; and like the children running after butterflies, or fuch like trifles, their pains are loft, and fo are our thoughts loft, while they are not terminate upon Chrift. 7. This question is put, What think ye of Christ? because there are fo many miftaken thoughts of Christ in the world: He is defpifed and rejected of men: the world is filled with prejudice againft him, faying, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Therefore we ought to come and fee, and confider what he is, and whofe Son he is, that we may not run into the fame common mistake with the reft of the world, and that we may not take him for a root out of a dry ground, having no form or comeliness, Ifa. liii. 2. 8. This question is put to us, What think ye of Chrift? because because we have miftaken thoughts of other things, while we have not right thoughts of Chrift. The Pharifees had miftaken thoughts of God and his law, because they had not right thoughts of Chrift; therefore Chrift propofes the queftion. And indeed, Sirs, we miftake God, we miftake the law, we mistake the gofpel, we mistake ourfelves, we miftake our duty, we miftake every thing, as long as we have wrong notions of Chrift. A man may miftake fo far, as to think that he is about his duty to God, and yet may be fighting against God, while Chrift is not known or thought upon; Acts xxvi. 9. I verily thought, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of fefus of Nazareth, fays Paul; and accordingly he was perfecuting Chrift in his members: yet he thought he was doing God fervice, till Chrift difcovered himself, and cried to him, faying, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? Then he began to think of Chrift, faying, Who art thou, Lord? Why, I am fefus whom tbou perfecuteft. Whenever he began to think duly of Christ, then he faw he had been in a mistake. People may think, verily they ought to do this and that against fome of God's children; but, if they had other thoughts of Chrift, they would have other thoughts of their duty, and would fee that verily they ought not to do so.Again, Paul thought his own righteousness gain, before he knew Chrift; but then he thought it lofs: What things were gain to me, thefe I counted lofs for Chrift. 9. This question, What think ye of Chrift? is put, because thus you may come to underftand what are his thoughts of you. It is true, "His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor his ways our ways; for, as the heavens are higher than the earth, fo are his thoughts higher than our thoughts:" and hence he may have thoughts of mercy towards a poor foul, that thinks there is nothing but wrath in his heart against it. But this I fay, that as to your knowing and understanding of his thoughts towards you; as, on the one hand, a man, in a naturalftate, cannot have high, believing, and becoming thoughts of Chrift, and fo cannot conclude that Chrift hath any favourable thoughts of him, while he remains thus in unbelief and defpifing of Chrift; nay, he may Y 3 know |