5. Spiritualise every outward advantage, so as to raise your hearts in the contemplation of God. As when we observe the wisdom of a father, or the bowels of a mother, let us take occasion to exalt the love and care of God. As from a mother's bowels: Isa. xlix. 15, ' Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea, they may forget ; yet will 1 not forget thee.' From the wisdom of a father: Mat. vii. 11, ' If ye then, being- evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him ? ' Tarn 'pater nemo, iam pius nemo. So the centurion men- tions his own command and government when he desires Christ to put forth his power : Mat. viii. 8, 9, ' Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me ; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth it.' As if he should say, All sicknesses are at thy beck, as well as these' soldiers at mine. In your carriage to your children, and theirs to you, you may sublimate your thoughts to consider of that commerce be- tween you and God. So in the work of your callings ; a little is use- ful for bringing great matters to pass ; think of providence. I press this, because it will be a double advantage ; it will keep the heart heavenly, and you will serve faith out of common experiences, and so it will help us in our notions of God ; for if limited creatures go thus far, how much more excellent is God !
6. Purge your heart more and more from carnal affections ; these are the clouds of the mind, as in fenny countries the air is seldom clear : ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,' Mat. v. 8. We usually look upon God through the glass of our own humours. Carnal men fancy the eternal essence as one of their society, and misfignre God in their thoughts.
7. The last is, in the ])rogrcss of knowledge, or search of truth, beware of novelism : 2 Tim. iii. 14, ' Continue thou in the things thou.
VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. l47
hast learnt and been assured of, knowing from whom thou hast learned them.' Tliere is as great care to keep what we have, as to gain more knowledge. The devil taketh advantage of our changes ; when we renounce old errors, he bringeth man to question truth ; as in public changes, when men shake off the ordinances of men, he stirreth up others to question the ordinances of God. And I have observed that some, out of a pretence of growing in knowledge, put themselves upon a flat scepticism and wary reservation, holding nothing certain for the pre- sent, but waiting for new light ; such as these the apostle intendeth, 2 Tim. iii. 7, ' Ever learning, and never coming to the knowledge of the truth ; ' they make profession of being studious in sacred things, but never come to any settlement, and are loath to hold to any prin- ciples, lest they should shut the door upon new light. New light is become a dangerous word, especially now in the latter times ; now we have a promise that ' knowledge shall be increased,' Dan. xii. 4. Aims at knowledge is the dangerous snare of these times, as the Gnostics pretended to more knowledge. This is a great snare. Satan promised more knowledge to our first parents : Gen. iii. 5, ' God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil ; ' which example the aj^ostle setteth before our eyes, 2 Cor. xi. 3, ' But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ/ And he telleth us, 'Satan turneth himself into an angel of light,' ver. 13, 14. Now for your direction know : —
1. Progress in knowledge is rather in degrees than parts ; not in new ti'uths, but greater proportions of light. Light respecteth the medium, truth the object. I say, it is rather, not altogether. A man may walk in present practices which future light may disprove and retract ; but usually the increase of a christian is rather in the mea- sure of knowledge than difference of objects. Our old principles are improved and perfected : Pro v. iv. 18, ' The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.' To know God more, and Christ more, to be more practically skilful in the word of righteousness : Heb. v. 14, ' Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil'
2. That fundamentals in the scripture are clear and certain. God hath not left us in the dark, but pointed out a clear way to heaven, of faith and good works : Eph. ii. 10, ' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.' It is a disparagement to the word to make it an uncertain rule. The way to heaven is beaten, and we may ob- serve the track and footprints of the flock. It is a good observation of Chrysostom, that the saints do not complain of the darkness of the scripture, but of their own hearts : ' Open thou mine eyes,' not, ' Make a new law.'