Christ to be a heaven unto me. Oh, but now all that notional know- ledge, that speculative knowledge, that leaves a man on this side sal- vation, never affects the heart ; it never draws it, it never endears the heart to Christ, or to the precious things of Christ. Hence it is that such men, under all their notions, under all their light and knowledge, have no affection to Christ, no delight in Christ, no workings of heart after Christ.
Well, reader ! remember this, if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart, it will at last with a witness afflict thy heart ; if it doth not now en^Jear Christ to thee, it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee ; if it doth not make all the things of Christ to be very precious in thy eyes, it will at last make thee the more vile in Christ's eyes. A little knowledge that divinely affects the heart, is infinitely better than a world of that swimming knowledge that swims in the head, but never sinks down into the heart, to the bettering, to the warming, and to the affecting of it. Therefore strive not so much to know, as to have thy heart affected with what thou knowest ; for heart-affecting know- ledge is the only knowledge that accompanies salvation, that will pos- sess thee of salvation.
(5.) The fifth property. That knowledge that accompanies salvation, is a world-despising, a world-crucifying, and a world-contemning knowledge} It makes a man have low, poor, mean thoughts of the world ; it makes a man slight it, and trample upon it as a thing of no value. That divine light that accompanies salvation, makes a man to look upon the world as mixed, as mutable, as momentary ; it makes a man look upon the world as a liar, as a deceiver, as a flatterer, as a murderer, and as a witch that hath bewitched the souls of thousands to their eternal overthrow, by her golden offers and proffers. Divine knowledge put Paul upon trampling upon all the bravery and glory of the world, Philip, iii. 4-9. I shall only transcribe the seventh and eighth verses, and leave you to turn to the rest. ' But what things were jgain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung' (ffxi/CaXa, dog's dung or dog's meat, coarse and con- temptible), ' that I may win Christ.'^ Divine knowledge raises his heart so high above the world, that he looks upon it with an eye of scorn and disdain, and makes him count it as an excrement, yea, as the very worst of excrements, as dogs' dung, as dogs' meat. Of the like import is that of Heb. X. 34, 'For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.' Divine knowledge will make a man rejoice, when his enemies make a bonfire of his goods. This man hath bills of exchange under God's own hand, to receive a pound for every penny, a million for every mite, that he loses for him. And this makes him to rejoice, and to trample upon all the glory of this world, as one did upon the philosopher's crown, Mat. xix. 27-30.
It was heavenly knowledge that made Moses to disdain and scorn the
• 2 Cor. V. 16. Divine knowledge made the apostle easily overlook all the world, as' a man do:h easily overlook other things, that looks to find a jewel, a pearl of price, &c. > 'if xviat [iaKnf, DicuntuT qyuui', ff»ip>itXa, miccB qux canibus projiciuntur.
440 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
pomp and pleasures, the bravery and glory, the riches and advantages of Egypt and Ethiopia too, as some writers observe, Heb. xL 24-26.' So when a beam of divine light had shined upon Zaccheus, Oh, how doth it work him to part with the world, to cast off the world, to slight it and trample upon it, as a thing of nought ! ' And Zaccheus stood and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord ! the half of my goods I give to the poor ; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is the son of Abraham,' Luke xix. 2-10. Before the candle of the Lord was set up in Zaccheus's soul, he dearly loved the world, he highly prized the world, he eagerly pur- sued after the world ; he would have it right or wi'ong, his heart was set upon it, he was resolved to gather riches, though it was out of others' ruins. Ay, but when once he was divinely enlightened, he throws off the world, he easily parts with it, he sets very light by it, he looks with an eye of disdain upon it. His knowledge lifts him up above the smiles of the world, and above the frowns of the world ; the world is no longer a snare, a bait, a temptation to him. He knows that it is more to be a son of Abraham, that is, to be taken into covenant with Abra- ham, to tread in the steps of Abraham's faith, as children tread in the steps of their fathers, and to lie and rest in the bosom of Abraham, as sous do in their fathers' bosoms, than to be rich, great, and honourable in the world, Rom. iv. 12, 16, and ix. i.^ And this made him shake hands with the world, and say to it, as he to his idols, ' Get you hence, for what have I more to do with you '? Isa. xxx. 22 ; Hos. xiv. 8. Verily, that light, that knowledge, will never lead thee to heaven, it will never possess thee of salvation, that leaves thee under the power of the world, that leaves thee in league and friendship with the world, 1 John ii. 15 ; James iv. 4. If thy knowledge doth not put the world under thy feet, it will never put a crown of glory upon thy head. The church hath the moon under her feet. Rev. xii. 1, that is clothed with the sun, and that hath a crown upon her head.
Ah, knowing souls, knowing souls ! do not deceive yourselves ! Verily, if you are clothed with the comeliness and righteousness of the sun, which is Jesus Christ, and have a crown of victory and glory upon your heads, you will have the moon under your feet, you will tread and trample upon the trash of this world ; all the riches, glories, and braveries of the world will be under your feet, in respect of your non-subjection to it and your holy contempt of it. If thy knowledge doth not enable thee to set thy feet upon those things that most set their hearts on, thou art undone for ever ; thy knowledge will be so far from lifting thee up to heaven, that it will cast thee the lower into hell. Therefore let no knowledge satisfy thee, but that which lifts thee above the world, but that which weans thee from the world, but that which makes the world a foot- stool. This knowledge, this light will at last lead thee into everlasting light.
(6.) The sixth property. That knowledge that accompanies salvation is soul-abasing, soul-humbling knowledge. It makes a man very, verj
* Greek, fiiyat ytti/ntac, ' grown a great one.'