6. The word presseth all this with such a majesty and power, that it astonisheth the conscience, and maketh the hearts and souls of men to quake within them. Felix trembled at the mention of judgment to come. There is so much of God in the word, that if it dotii not renew men, it doth restrain them, maketh them tremble ; where it hath least force, it cometli with a manifestation of divine authority upon the con- science. Lactantius saith, Nih il ponderis hahent ilia prcacepia, quce sunt
VeR. 17.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 425
humana. There is no such majesty in human precepts. Nemo credit, quia tarn se hominem pictaf esse qui aicdivit quam ilium qui jrrcedicat. Man is not astonished by man. Verba dedi, verba reddidi. But now the word of God searcheth the heart, pincheth the conscience, and where it worketh least it maketh men to quake within themselves. It is said, Mat. vii. 28, 29, ' The people were astonished at Clirist's doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.' God's word cometli with evidence and conviction upon the conscience, that they admire the power of it ; there is a sovereign majesty in it, the draught is like the author. Thus you see what a ])owertul instrument the word is, even in a moral way ; therefore the tittest means whereunto God should join his assistance to work on the heart of man.
Use 1 . Of information.
1. It informeth us ^vhat a treasure truth is, and what a value we should put upon it. There are two things in the world that God is very tender of — his truth, and his saints. In the controversy about toleration, men, on the one side, have urged the danger of meddling with saints ; on the other side, others have urged the value of truth. If the whole controversy did depend upon this issue, which are to be most respected, the truth or the saints, since God is tender of both, it would soon be decided ; for besides this, that it is strange that they only who are called saints should be afraid of a vigorous prosecution and defence of the truth, it is clear truth must have the pre-eminence, for it is truth that maketh saints, and we had need be more tender of the root than of the branches.
2. It informeth us that out of the true religion there is no salvation, because there is no true holiness, and without holiness no man shall see God : Heb. xii. 14, ' Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God.' It is not without peace ; the necessity is not laid upon that, but holiness ; for peace is often broken for strictness' sake. A man that is faithful and sincere may have little of the world's respect ; but now without the true religion there is no holiness, that is clear. Hence it is said, ' Sanctify them by thy truth.' There may be civility, and the exactness of a moral course, counterfeit grace ; but there can be no true sanctitication, because the heart can never be good that is ignorant of the truth and poisoned with error. There may be superstition, which is but a bastard religion ; there may be a good life, but there cannot be a good heart, no true comfort, and true grace. Anima, que a Deo fornicata est, casta esse non i^otesL He that believeth ill, can never live well. Grace and truth are twins, that live and die together. Moral virtue is very defective in itself. Sapientia eorumplerumque abscondit vitia; non abscindit — All their craft was to hide a lust, not to root it out.
3. That they have not a sound apprehension of truth that have no grace. There may be a naked and inactive apprehension that is not accompanied with power ; they learn truth by rote, and rest in a vain speculation, but have no strength to perform their duty : 2 Tim. iii. 5, compared with Eom. ii. 20. What in one place is called ' a form of godliness,' is in the other called ' a form of knowledge.' Poor, slight, and superficial apprehensions of the truth ; they take up truth, not
426 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [Ser. XXVII.
upon any divine testimony or evidence of the Spirit, but upon the credit and authority of men, the practice and profession of the nation, or the injunctions of a civil state. This is the account of most men's truth and faith. Alas ! truth thus received entereth not upon the heart. Men gain but a disciplinary knowledge ; a literal knowledge and a spiritual knowledge differ: Eph. iv. 21, ' If so be that ye have heard of him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.' When a man receiveth it out of the hands of the Spirit of Christ, it frameth and disposeth the heart to godliness. So Col. i. 6, ' Since ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.' The tasting of a thing excelleth the reading of it ; the true, inward, powerful, affec- tionate knowledge affecteth the heart, and altereth and changeth it. A man knoweth no more of Christ than he valueth, esteemeth, and affecteth, and which puts the whole inward man into a holy spiritual frame. Good principles, if heartily embraced, will breed a good con- versation. The point needeth to be heeded in these times, when know- ledge is increased, but practice and strictness suflfereth an abatement and decay. Boni esse desimmt, postqiiam docti evaserint. What strength and power of religion possesses the heart ? When you know the truth, doth it carry you to God and godliness ?