And there is nothing more effectual to commend knowledge to us than this, that it is a means to work a holy and heavenly disposition and temper in us, especially if it be spiritual. And let us meditate upon what we seem to know and are persuaded of; let us dwell upon things still, to work them upon the will and aftections ; let us dwell upon them till our hearts be warmed well with the things known, and that we profess ourselves to be persuaded of.
And join with it an inquiry upon the soul. Are these things so ? Do I know these things ? and am I persuaded of these things that they are so ? How is my disposition answerable then ? am I so affected as I should be ? Is my love so hot, and my joy so working, and spiritly,t and quick as it should, or no ? And hereupon take occasion to stir up ourselves, and to check our own souls : Al;is ! that I should have such things discovered, and that I should see such things, in such a strong persuasion in the book of God, and profess myself to be persuaded of these things, and yet be so dead at all times.
And if we find our affections anything working, that we are disposed to embrace these things, then we cannot but be in an excellent temper, and bless God that vouchsafed, together with the excellency of the things them- selves, to shew us our portion by his Holy Spirit, to enlighten our under- standings, and to persuade us. Let us bless God for this, for it is a work above nature.
* Qu. ' enjoying '?—G. f Qu. ' sprightly ' ?—G.
FAITH TRIUMPHANT. 445
And withal, because the soul cannot close with and embrace these things but it must let loose other things (for, you know, in embracing there must be a letting go of those things that were formerly within the grip), if we would grip these things in our affection and will, %ve iniist have them only ; we must not think to grasp the world and them together, the things here below and them together ; as we shall see after in that point, ' they accounted themselves strangers ' to earthly things. Therefore this is one way to come to this embracing, to come to the sight of the vanity and in- sufficiency of all things in comparison of Christ, and the happiness we have by Christ. To see in matter of judgment the insufficiency of works and merit, and such like, in the matter of justification, the insufficiency of all such trash as the popish religion abuseth the world withal. And so in matter of conversation, to see the insufficiency, and emptiness, and vanity, yea, the vexation of all things besides these good things here offered. The good things that God's Spirit offers to the eye of our souls, that he offers to our wills and affections, what are all to these ? And effectually think so, think what should draw a man's affections after it. Beauty or strength I Consider what will become of these ere long.
And then withal consider the excellency of the estate of the body and soul in heaven, if we carry ourselves as we should do, and preserve our- selves in our spiritual condition. Let us lay these things together, and then we shall see how infinitely the one is beyond the other. If it be for honour and favour of the world, consider the vanity of them and how short a time we may enjoy them, and the things themselves are subject to alteration. And withal consider the constant excellency of the favour of God in Christ Jesus, which will comfort us in life, in death, and for ever. And so for riches and possessions in this world, consider how soon all here must be left, and how the soul is larger than all these things, if we had a thousand times more abundance than we have ; and that our souls that are more large and more excellent, they are not made for these things, but for better ; and what use we shall have of better things when these fail, the soul being immortal and eternal. This will make us let go earthly things in our affections, and hold them in their place, in a secondary place, as things serviceable in the way to heaven, and not to grasp them in our affections, for then they pierce the soul to death and damnation.
And if we would be affected as we should be to good things, let us keep our affections tender, and keep them clear from the guilt of any sin that may work fears and doubts, for together with sin goes fears and doubts. They are bred in sin naturally ; therefore if we would maintain this embracing, oh let us keep our souls ! As we keep our understandings clear, so keep our affections tender by all means, and keep our consciences unspotted, that so our affections of joy, and delight, and love, may be ready pressed to good things, even to the best things.
Another way is in particular to meditate of the love of Christ, the love of God in Christ, and of his embracing of us; for we must know that our embracing is upon persuasion of God's embracing of us. We embrace not the promises of Christ as a man embraceth a dead post, that cannot return embraces to him again. This embracing of Christ and heaven, it is a mutual embracing ; and it is a second, reflexive embracing. Wo embrace God and Christ, because we find God in Christ embracing our souls first in the arms of his love ; therefore we embrace him again in the arms of our affections, because we find Christ embracing us in the arms of his affections.