56. Would they know more than others? then God must reveal himself more to them than he does to others

then you must have God reveal himself more to you than he does to others.

Man does not first come to God that he might be taught; but he is first taught, that he might come to God. Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. God gives, and then we know. When he opens our eyes, then we can see;—when he loosens our tongues, we can speak;—when he says, Come forth, we live;—and when he commands us to be of good comfort, we can rejoice. God is first in all the works of creation and providence. He is all in nature, all in grace, and all in glory. Without me, ye can do nothing.

Thus—if you would deny yourselves, pray, resolve, love, believe, or know more than others—it can only be by the gracious revelation of God to your mental powers. All the difference that exists between man and man, is only from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel. You may cast the net on any side of the ship of eminence or religious excellence, but he only can enclose it with blessings. Thus you may be taught to acknowledge who he is, rest on what he does, and finally be with him where he is; and though your journey be attended with bitterness, yet he shall soon crown you with eternal blessedness.

A SERMON.

GENESIS ii. 18.

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the Man should be alone; I will make him a Help meet for him.

HUMAN misery is to divine mercy, as a black foil to a sparkling diamond, or as a sable cloud to the sun-beams. Psal. 84, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him! Man is,

In his creation, angelical; in his corruption, diabolical; in his renovation, theological; in his translation, majestical.

1. An Angel in Eden.

2. A Devil in the World.

3. A Saint in the Church.

4. A King in Heaven.

There were four silver channels in which the crystal streams of God's affection ran to man in his creation.

1. In his Preparation.

2. In his Assimilation.

3. In his Coronation.

4. In his Association.

1. In his Preparation: Other creatures received the charter of their beings by a simple fiat; but there was a consultation at his forming, not for the difficulty, but for the dignity of the work. The painter is more studious about his masterpiece. The four elements were taken out of their elements, to make up the perfection of man's complexion; the fire was purified, the air was clarified, the water was purged, the earth was refined: when man was moulded, heaven and earth were married; a body from the one was espoused to a soul from the other. 2. In his Assimilation: Other creatures were made like themselves, but man was made like God, as the wax hath the impression of the seal upon it. It is admirable to behold so fair a picture on such coarse canvas, and so bright a character on such brown paper.

3. In his Coronation: He that made man and all the rest, made man over all the rest; quantillum dominum posuit Deus in tantum dominum. He was a little lord of great lordship; this king was crowned in his cradle.

4. In his Association: Society is the solace of humanity: the world would be a desert without a consort.

Most of men's parts are made of pairs; now he that was double in his perfection, must not be single in his condition: And the Lord God said, &c.

These words are like the iron-gate that opened to Peter of its own accord, dividing themselves into three parts.

1. An instruction, And the Lord God said.

2. An assertion, 'Tis not good that man should be alone.

3. A determination, I will make an help meet for him.

In the first, there is a majesty proposed.

In the second, there is a malady presented.

In the third, there is a remedy provided.

Once more let me put these grapes into the press.

1. The sovereignness of the expression, And the Lord God said.

2. The solitariness of the condition, It is not good, &c.

3. The suitableness of the provision, I will make, &c.

In the first, there is the worth of Veracity.

In the second, there is the want of Society.

In the third, there is the work of Divinity.

Of these in their order. And first of the first.

First, The sovereignness of the expression, And the Lord God said.

Luke i. 70, As he spake by the mouth of his prophets. In other scriptures he used their mouths, but in this he made use of his own: they were the organs, and he the breath; they were the streams, and he the fountain. How he spake, it is hard to be spoken, whether eternally, or internally, or externally, Quomodo non est quod quæremus, sed potius quid dixerit intelligamus: we are not to inquire into the manner of speaking, but into the matter that is spoken; which leads me like a directing-star from the suburbs to the city, from the porch to the palace, from the founder of the mine to the treasure that is in it, It is not good, &c.