Several duties which the mysterious nature of the gospel imposes on believers 1/3

   Use Second. Several duties pressed upon the saints, who are instructed in the mystery of the gos­pel, by way of exhortation.

1. Duty.  Be thankful that ever God revealed it to thee.  O what a mercy this is, that thou hast ‘life and immortality brought to light,’ that thy ears hear this joyful sound!  Never came such joyful news to town as the gospel brings.  What a poor nation was this of ours before the gospel day broke among us! Bless God thy lot is cast where this sun is up.  The gospel indeed was early preached in the world.  Adam had it soon after his fall; but a short gospel, a mystery, indeed, to him, wrapped all up in one promise, and that a dark one.  But now that one wedge of gold is beaten out into the whole Bible—a gospel written at length, and not in figures.  You hear the gospel not preached in law terms, as the Jews did under Moses’ pedagogy; but gospel in gospel language.  The veil is taken off which hid the beauty of gospel truths from their face.  You hear it after it hath been rescued out of Antichrist’s hands, by whom for many ages it was kept prisoner.  You live not in those dark times when gospel truths were embased with the mean alloy of schoolmen’s subtleties and superstitious vanities —when more stones were given to break the teeth, than bread to feed the souls, of people.  The conduit of the gospel now runs with wine, not twice or thrice a year, on some gaudy festival day, but constantly. Every Sabbath‑day you have your fill of its sweetest truths.  Were it not sad, if they should be found to have been more thankful for the little drawing of gos­pel light which then but peeped forth, than you for its meridian light, who live to see the Sun of righteous­ness with his healing wings spread forth upon you? But especially bless God for any inward light and life thou hast received from this gospel.  God hath done more for thee in this, than for thousands thou livest among, and those no means ones either.  To this day God hath not given thy carnal neighbours eyes to see, nor hearts to perceive, that mystery which is unfolded unto thee.  Are you thankful to him that hath taught your worldly trade, by which you pick a small liveli­hood for your body?  O what praise then dost thou owe to thy God, who, by instructing thee in this mys­tery, hath learned thee as art for saving thy soul! Trumpeters delight to sound where they have the best echo; God delights to give his mercy to those that will most resound his praise.
2. Duty.  The gospel is a mystery, therefore rest not in thy present attainments; either in thy knowl­edge, as it is a mystery of faith, or thy practice, as it is a mystery of godliness.

           (1.) Rest not in thy present knowledge.  It is like thou knowest much to what once thou didst; but thou knowest little to what thou mayest.  Some books are learned at once reading, but the gospel is a mystery that will take up more than thy lifetime to understand it.  Mysteries are here sown thick; thou diggest where the springs rise faster upon thee the further thou goest.  God tells not all his secrets at once—‘here a little, and there a little;’ ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased,’ Dan. 12:4.  The merchant’s ship takes not all in her lading at one port, but sails from one to another for it; neither doth the Christian enrich himself with this heavenly trea­sure all at one time or in one ordinance.  The true lover of learning gives not over his chase and pursuit for a little smattering knowledge he gets, but rather, having got the scent how sweet learning is, puts on with fuller cry for what he wants. The true doctor studies harder than the freshman, because, as he knows more of learning, so by that knowledge he un­derstands his own deficiency better; for the higher he ascends the hill of learning, the more his prospect en­largeth, while the other, standing at the bottom, thinks he knows all in his little.