hard to make them eat poison for sugar ; they are not swayed hy principles of their own, but hy others ; the child reads, construes, and learns his lesson as his master saith, and thinks it therefore right. Thus poor creatures that have little knowledge of the word themselves, they are easily persuaded this or that way, even as those of whom they have a good opinion please to lead them ; let the doctrine be but sweet, and it goes down glib ; they, like Isaac, bless their opinions by feeling, not by sight : hence many poor creatures applaud themselves so much of the joy they have found since they were of this judg- ment, and that way, not being able to try the comfort and sweetness they feel by the truth of their way from the word, they are fain to believe the truth of it by their feeling, and so, poor creatures, they bless error for truth. Thirdly, they are such as are unstable, 2 Pet. ii. 14 : ' beguiling unstable souls,' such as are not well grounded and principled. The truth they profess hath no anchor- hold in their understanding, and so they are at the mercy of the wind, soon set adrift, and carried down the stream of those opinions which are the favourites of the present time, and are most cried up, even as the dead fish with the cur- rent of the tide.
Thirdly, We are to endeavour after an established judgment in the truth, because of the universal influence it hath upon the whole man. First, upon the memory, which is helped much by the understanding. The more weight is laid on the seal, the deeper impression is made on the wax. The memory is that faculty which carries the images of things. It holds fast what we receive, and is that treasury where we lay up what we desire afterwards to use and con- verse with. Now, the more clear and certain our knowledge of anything is, the deeper it sinks, and surer it is held by the memory. Secondly, upon the affections : truth is a light, the more steady and fixed the glass of the undei-- standing is through which its beams are darted upon the affections, the sooner they take fire. ' Did not our hearts burn,' said the disciples, 'within us, while he opened to us the Scriptures ?' Luke xxiv. 32. They had heard, no doubt, Christ preached much of what then he said before his passion, but never were they so satisfied and confirmed as now, when Scriptiu'es and understanding were opened together, and this made their hearts burn. The sun in the firma- ment sends his influence where he doth not shed his beams, I mean, into the bowels of the earth ; but the Sun of Righteousness imparts his influence only where his light comes ; he spreads the beams of truth into the understanding to enlighten that ; and while the creature sits under these wings, a kindly heart- quickening heat is begot in its bosom. Hence we find, even when the Spirit is promised a-i a Comfoi'ter, he comes as a Convincer, John xvi. 13 ; he comforts by teaching. And certainly the reason why many poor trembling soids have so little heat of heavenly joy in their hearts, is, because they have so little light to understand the nature and tenure of the gospel-covenant. The further a soul stands from the light of truth, the further he must needs be from the heat of comfort. Thirdly, an established judgment hath a powerful influence upon the life and conversation. The eye directs the foot ; he walks veiy unsafely that sees not his way ; and he uncomfortably, that is not resolved whether right or wrong. That which moves, must rest on something that doth not move : a man could not walk if the earth turned muler his feet. Now the principles we have in our understanding, are, as it were, the ground we go upon in all our actions ; if they stagger and reel, much more will oiu- life and practice. It is as impossible for a shaking hand to write a straight line, as an unfixed judg- ment to have an even conversation. The apostle joins stedfastness and vmmovableness with ' aboimding in the work of the Lord,' 1 Cor. xv. rjS. And if I mistake not, he means chiefly in that place, stedfastness of judgment in that truth of the resurrection which some had been shaking ; it is not the many notions we have, but the establishment we have in the truth, makes us strong Christians; as he is a strong man whose joints are well set together and knit, not he who is spun out at length, but not thickened suitable to his height. One saith well, men are what they see and judge ; though some do not fill up their light, yet none go beyond it. A truth under dispute in the understanding, is, as I may so say, sto])ped in the head : it cannot conunence in the heart, or become practicable in the life : but when it passeth clearly there, and upon its commendation is embraced in the will and affections, then it is held fast, and
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2j[g HAVING YOUR LOINS