ved an infinite power he could not conceive, which
surprised his soul with such unexpected matter of wonder, as made him fear
and tremble at the thought of it,--I say, when the generation of a poor
creature hath so much depth of wisdom in it, how canst thou think to
understand that everlasting wonder of angels, the birth and conception of
that eternal wisdom of God? And if thou canst not understand from whence
the wind comes, and whither it goes, or how thine own spirits beat in thy
veins, what is the production of them, and what their motions, how can we
then conceive the procession of the holy Ghost, "which eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to consider it?"

Sermon II.

1 John i. 1.--"That which was from the beginning," &c.

Things are commended sometimes, because they are ancient, especially
doctrines in religion, because truth is before error, and falsehood is but
an aberration from truth and therefore there is so much plea and
contention among men, about antiquity, as if it were the sufficient rule
of verity. But the abuse is, that men go not far enough backward in the
steps of antiquity, that is, to the most ancient rule, and profession, and
practice of truth in scripture, to Christ and his apostles, but halt in
their grandfathers' tombs. But sometimes things are commended, because
new. The nature of man being inclined to change and variety, and ready to
surfeit and loath accustomed things, even as the stomach finds appetite
for new and unusual diets, so the mind of man hath a secret longing after
new doctrines and things. Now we have both these combined together in this
subject, which makes it the more excellent and wonderful,--antiquity, and
novelty, for antiquity, it is that which was from the beginning, and which
was with the Father, and that is before all antiquity, even from eternity,
not only from the beginning of time, but before all time, before all
imaginable beginnings. He, of whom he speaks, Christ Jesus, the Father's
Word, was with the Father from the beginning, with the Ancient of days who
infinitely and unmeasurably antedates all antiquity, to whose endurance
all antiquity that is renowned among men, is but novelty, to whom the
world is but as of six days standing, or but as of yesterday, if we
consider that infinite, beginningless, immeasurable endurance of God,
before this world, what a boddom(227) or clew is that, that can never be
untwined