ty, though he hath a course to pass through time. Therefore he doth need higher accomplishments. than what belong to this prefent ftate. If he hath no better accomplishments than thefe, when he comes to die, he may be as much at a lofs as the great emperor Adrian was, 0 my foul, the happy companion of my body, that hath kept my body alive, and by whom I have fo many enjoyments, what will become of thee when thou shalt depart from my body. For these three reasons we must not fit down in these kind of accomplishments; because they are inadequate, and not proportionate to our capacities, because they hold no farther than the prefent ftate, and because man ist intentionally born to eternity.

III. Divine wisdom, the knowledge of God and divine things, things every way worthy, things that are every way in conjunction with eternal life, Ta know thee, the only true God, and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent, John xvii. 3. Life and immortality is brought to light by the gospel, that is, made fairly know→ able and well affured and afferted. Knowledge in fcripture-fense, is an effectual principle, and refts not in any notion of the head, or in any fimple apprehenfion for this is a rule that divines go upon and understand in fcripture; there is a pregnancy in the language and phrase of scripture. Words of fense and understanding in fcripture, do fuppofe the concomitant affection and the confequent effect; fo that when you are called upon to know God, you are required to love and delight in him, which are affections connatural to the knowledge and perception of God; and you are commanded to obey him, which

:

is a proper and confequent effect: and thus you are to understand scripture; in things that are of the fame nature and order, the fcripture puts one, and means all. Scripture often speaks of faith, meaning also repentance in conjunction ; fometimes repentance alone, and faith is not excluded: for this is an usual figure in fcripture, in faving things, name one and mean all, because they are all of the fame nature, stand and fall together. Just as the philofopher says of his virtues, "all true virtues are in a conjunction, because they are all united in prudence :" fo all graces, and gifts, and good affections, they are united in a renewed fanctified temper, reconciled to the nature, mind and will of God, and the rule of righteousness. Wherefore, where there is one, there is all. And this is the knowledge that the fcripture lays ftrefs upon for the truth is, if I have knowledge of God without affection, and if it doth not produce obfervance of him; it would be for our condemnation, not for our juftification. And therefore God doth never mean that any one doth understand or believe, if he doth not fo receive as to admit it to be an over-ruling commanding principle: and we understand ourselves fo; for if a man fwear he believes fuch a thing, yet we should not think fo, if he do the contrary. man can believe that a man thinks a thing to be poifon, if he himself drinks it; or that this is a hazardous precipice, if he throws himself head-long; or that water will drown him, if he flings himself into it. For things are better affured by concomitant affection and by confequent effects, than by bare pretenfions in the notion. For Ariftotle tells us very well

No

that

that bare fpeculation, knowledge and notion, is very little in the way of virtue, unlefs it be favory knowledge, or knowledge with a fenfe, when a man hath the guft of the thing as well as a precife feparate abftract notion of it.

Now this fame knowledge of divine and heavenly things, is of a double fort. Those things that are knowable by natural light, as the moral part of religion, the principles of God's creation; as that we are under obligation to good felf-government, to live according to rules of reason, modefty, fobriety, purity, temperance; that in our converfe one with another, and in our carriage and behaviour in the family of God, we ought to maintain brotherly love, and to act with all calmnefs and gentleness; to do according to the measures and rules of right, and equity and fairness and due confideration; and that in refpect of God there be all reverential regard, all fubmiffion and humble deprecation, all due acknowledgements, all ingenuous returns, all pious devotions and affections, all reverence and fubmiffion to his will. These are the principles of God's creation, and to these God made man, and we are naturally under the obligation of them: these are the great materials of natural knowledge; and if any man fay he doth not know these things, I will tell him he hath lived downward, backward; he hath lived to make himfelf lefs; he hath lived idle in the world; he hath neglected God's foil, he hath fown no feed, and therefore hath no hopes of any crop for all men univerfally are under obligation in these matters; and men of any education, even the heathens themselves, VOL. IV.

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have

have acknowledged these. The other notices of divine revelation, are as knowable and intelligible as thefe; that God doth pardon fin upon Chrift's mediation and interceffion, upon the terms of the covenant of grace, that is, that he will certainly pardon fin to all that repent and believe the gospel, and that he will accept of their weak and imperfect obedience, and will take it in good part, and accept them to all intents and purposes, as much as if a man were invested with full power of man in the moment of his creation, and that he did compleatly and exactly fulfil all righteoufnefs. And though fome men do pretend that religion is not intelligible, they dishonour God for that which God hath now revery much; vealed, is as plain and as intelligible as any other matter the mysteries of religion were the fecrets of his will before they were revealed, but after they are told us, they cease to be myfteries. And it is no more a mystery that God (in and through Chrift) will pardon fin to all that repent if they have done amiss, than it is a mystery that a man that is rational and intelligent ought to live foberly, righteously and godly and I do understand it as well that I ought to repent and believe the gofpel, as I understand that I ought to love and fear God. All religion is now intelligible the moral part of it was intelligible from the creation that which was pure revelation by the gofpel, is intelligible ever fince, and not a myftery. Therefore we be-fool ourselves to talk that religion is not knowable, and we cannot understand it for understand it we may, if we will; for if it be revealed, it is made intelligible; if not intelligible,

it is not revealed. We are now come to that which is the true excellency and glory of man; and that wherein a man may have hearts eafe, quiet and fatisfaction but yet give me leave to interpofe, that though this be in itfelf a true excellency, a high perfection, and far tranfcends all other perfections, yet there are three confiderations require of us a modeft and humble sense, even in respect of this knowledge. 1. That we are lefs beholden to ourselves for it. 2. That it is more imperfect than it might be. lefs effectual than it fhould be.

3. That it is

1. That we are lefs beholden to ourselves for it. For if every good and perfect gift comes from above, then this being a gift of a spiritual nature, God is to be thanked for it; and it becomes every one of us to afk this queftion, who made us to differ? And what have we that we have not received? Now the inspiration of the almighty gave us this knowledge and understanding; it is given to us from above, to be wife in this fenfe; that confideration will make us modeft and humble; and to rejoice and receive inward confolation, yea alfo to be thankful.

2. It is more imperfect than it might be: for we have not, as we might, awakened our faculties by meditation, mental confideration and searching of fcripture; we can hardly acquit ourselves in discharging ourselves fully and worthily, according to the weight and confideration of the matter, concerning the employing of our faculties of mind and underftanding in meditation and mental confideration, that fo we might attain as much of this knowledge as might be we have not been fo much of the Bereans