It is said here, that God stabhsheth us. The same God that stablisheth us, must give us faith whereby we are stablished, and he must give us knowledge. Beg of God that he would vouchsafe us his Spirit. When we read the Scriptures, beg of God that he would open our understanding by his own Spirit, that as there is light in the Scriptures, so there may be in us.
You know an eye must have light before it can see the light. Light is full of discovery of things in itself. I can see nothing except there be light in my eye too. There must be a double light. So there must be a Spirit in me, as there is a Spirit in the Scripture before I can see anything. God must open our eyes, and give us spiritual eye-salve, to see, and then the light of the Scripture, and our light together, is sufficient to found a saving faith, as stablishing faith, on.
What is the reason that a Christian stands to his profession, though he be weak, when the greatest learned men in the world flinch in persecution ? The knowledge of the one is spiritual and heavenly : he hath light in him ; the other hath no divine, spiritual hght. When light is joined with light, the light in the soul with the light in the Scrip tm*e, it makes men wondroHS confident.
1. To this end, labour to he acquainted with God's word. Study the Scrip-
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 21. 435
tures and other treatises of that kind, that you may he able to hold fast the truth, that it be not wrung from you upon any occasion. And in read- ing, it is a good course to observe the main, principal, undeniable truths, such dogmatical truths as are clear and evident, and to lay them upj and oft make queries to ourselves, Do I understand this or no ? Yes, I do, this I know is true. Build on it then, and bottom the soul upon it. And so if it be matter of promises ; these promises are undeniable true, I will stay my soul upon them. And so when we meet with plain evidences in the Scriptures that cross our corruptions, that meet with our known sins, then consider of those places as jewels, and lay them up that you may have use of them as occasion serves.
AH things have not an equal certainty in Scripture to us ; some things we may have an implicit faith in ; but the main we must have a clear apprehension of. There are some things that concern teachers more to know than others, by reason of their standing in the church. It is sufficient that in preparation of mind we be ready to embrace further truths that shall be discovered ; but in fundamental truths it is not so. We must have our hearts stablished upon them, that as they are certain in themselves, so they may be certain to us. And often let us examine ourselves, would I die in this, and for this ? would I stand in the defence of this against any ? This will make us make much of so much truth as we know, and labour to grow in truths in that kind.
2. And tahe no scandal'''' to hear that any shrink from the jjrqfession of the truth, and the maintaining of it, tliat arc of great reputation. Was Christ the worse for Judas betraying of him, and for Peter's denying of him ? was Paul's truth the worse because he had many enemies, Elymas the sorcerer and others ? Is the truth the worse because there are many that have carnal outward dependence, that seem to shrink when they should stand out ? The truth is not the worse. It is the same truth still. Truths are eternal in themselves, and in the good they bring, if they be believed. The word of God endures for ever. It is not variable, as man is. And there- fore be not discouraged, though men discountenance it ; remember whose truth it is, and for whose good it is given. The word of God, it is a soul- saving truth.
3. And retain the truth in lore. Love is an affection with which we should receive the truth ; or else God will give us over to uncertainties. They in 2 Thess. ii. 10, had the truth, ' but because they received not the love of the truth,' therefore God sent them ' strong delusions,' that they should believe a lie. Oh, how lovely is the truth ! The certainty of our estate in Christ ; the glorious privileges that come by him ; that the gifts of God are without repentance ; that God looks on us, not for foreseen faith or works, but such as he had decreed to work himself, — how comfortable ! how lovely are these truths, being the word of God, notwithstanding some seek to shake them ! These very truths should be retained in love. And indeed, the truth is not in its own place, till it be fixed in the heart and aflfections, and in a good conscience, which St Paul makes likewise the vessel of the truth ; and those that care not for that, they make shipwreck of the truth.