Gospel Holiness, Part 1 · Sermon 2
SERMON 2.
Iſaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have ſeene the King, the Lord of Hoſts.
YOu remember the Leſſon that God taught us from theſe words the laſt day; that,
The Saints have a peculiar priviledge above all others, that they can even in this world ſee God. They can ſee God in Jeſus Chriſt.
I did open this, as farre as I could dive into the ſcriptures unto you, and proved it, and made ſome Uſes of it. There is ſomewhat yet remaines of it, which I ſhall indeavour briefly to goe through, and then we ſhall come to the next poynt, which is, that,
A right ſaving ſight of God, of the glory of God in Jeſus Chriſt, is the way to true Goſpell humiliation.
We have made 3. uſes of the former point.
Firſt, to ſhew the priviledge of the Saints, that they, and they only can ſee God.
Secondly, that the ſight of God ſhould humble the Saints for their ſins.
Thirdly, it ſhould teach us to priſe the preaching of the word, whereby this glorious priviledge is diſcovered, and wherein this excellent treaſure is contained.
There are two things that I ſhall endeavour this day, as the Lord ſhall help me in this great miſterie, to make out to you.
The one is, ſeeing there is ſuch a glorious priviledge to be had, and bleſſed is the man that hath it, as I told you; Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. Purity of heart is the qualification, and ſeeing of God is the reward, the higheſt ſtep of it. And ſeeing there is ſuch a Curſe to a man that ſees not God, how ſhall we know whether ever we had this priviledge? whether God hath vouchſafed to us this peculiar ſight of him? I have ſeene the King, the Lord of Hoſts.
Then ſecondly, if I have it not, what courſe I ſhal take to attaine it? I ſhall ſpeak of theſe two things only this day.
Concerning the former; I need not give you This peculiar fight of God knowne.ſignes, or marks, to know whether a Drunkard, or a Whoremonger, or a blind carnall creature, that knows nothing of the will of God; whether any of theſe ſee God.
But the buſines comes to this: Seeing there is a Goſpell enlightning, or illumination; ſeeing there is a kind of ſight of God in Chriſt, that an Hypocrite hath, and yet it is not the glorious ſight that the Saints have; the queſtion wil be, how we ſhall know the one from the other? And then there will be a light whereby a ſinner, a carnall man may know his eſtate; that will flow from the other: For, if wee diſcover the one, it will be eaſie by that light to diſcover the other.
For your information in the former (according as I underſtand by conſidering of the Scripture, and ſeeking the Lord, and ſearching mine owne heart) I ſhall reduce all to theſe 3 heads: You may know it 3 wayes.
Firſt, by your apprehenſions of it.
Secondly, by the impreſsions that this hath upon you.
Thirdly, by the Expreſsions or Effects that it workes.
I ſhall endeavour to cleare theſe three things to you.
Firſt, I ſay by your apprehenſions. That is, by 1 By our apprehenſion of God which are.the manner of your apprehending God in Chriſt. Becauſe (that I may ſpeake punctually in the language of the Scriptures) though another man may be ſaid to ſee God, and to know God, yet he apprehends not God, or Chriſt, or any thing that belongs to either in that way and manner that an Elect Saint doth.
Now there are theſe 3 things in the apprehenſions of a Saint that ſees God aright.
The firſt is this, theſe apprehenſions of him, they 1 Cleare apprehenſions.are cleare apprehenſions of him; the Hypocrites apprehenſions, they are darke and doubtfull, they are myſty; I ſay the apprehenſions of a Saint they are cleare. I doe not meane by cleare, that they are full: For, I told you before, as the Apoſtle ſaith, why doe What meant by it.we yet hope, if we ſeen that is, if wee did fully ſee. Neither doe I meane by cleare, that they are alwayes conſtant, that we have them without any doubts, or darkneſſe, or miſts: eſpecially in the old Teſtament, the Saints were many times eclipſed, and God hid his face, and they were at a loſſe, they knew not where to ſee him; in the morning he was ſeene, and he was gone at night; and ſo for a little moment (as it is ſaid) he would come, and then be gone againe, that is not the meaning. But when I ſay they are cleare, as it is, 2 Cor. 3. We all with open face, behold the glory of God. With open face; that is, we doe not ſee God, as a man ſees through a handkerchiefe, or through a Sieve, or through a Skarfe, or a Cloud; but with open face; we ſee him clearly, our apprehenſions are cleare; that is, there is an aſſurance going Aſſurance in the Saints apprehenſions.along with your apprehenſions, that doth certifie your Soules, and aſſure your ſoules, that it is God that you ſee, it is a ſight of God. For as in naturall things, you know, that by the ſame light whereby I ſee the Sun, by the ſame light I know that I ſee him: So there is in the very manifeſtation of God to the ſoule, it carries a witneſſe in it ſelf, it is ſo cleare, that when I have it, though I never had it before, and I cannot demonſtratively ſpeak a word what it is, yet I know as it is Gods ſight, ſo I know I ſee him. A Saint knows ſo ſurely, and certainly, as that there is not the leaſt doubt to his ſoule of that ſight. As in 1 Cor. 2. (which is worth obſerving) you ſhall find that there is a great myſtery that Paul ſaith that a Saint ſees, that a carnall, naturall man cannot perceive; there be the deep things of God; and one of them he ſaith is Chriſt Jeſus: for the Phariſees, the Princes of the world did not know him, they did not know, him and the Father to be one, as it is Joh. 14: Now in that miſticall knowledge in that 1. Cor. 2. obſerve two things.
Firſt, you ſhal ſee that there is a miſtery in knowing A miſterie in the manner of the Saints knowledge.theſe things: Not in the knowing of the things for the matter, I told you they are not miſticall in the matter; for they are nothing but the death of Chriſt, and the power of his reſurrection, and the like, that he calls, the deepe things of God, that Chriſt dyed for us, &c. But the depth is in the manner of the knowing of them; they that are Hypocrites know them for the matter; they know Chriſt from top to toe, they ſee him dead and buried, and put in the Grave, and the like, but they doe not ſpiritually know them.
So alſo, the other myſterie of that ſpiritual knowledge The Saints know that they know the things of God.is in the knowing that they did know: It is one thing to believe, and another thing to know that I doe believe; and it is one thing to know ſpirituall miſteries, and another thing to know that I doe know them.
Now when the Apoſtle had done with the former, he comes to the latter, and tels them that they had a light, whereby they knew the things that were freely given them of God: As he ſaith, no man knoweth the things of a man, but the ſpirit of a man that is in him. So I have the Spirit of God, that I know the things, and I know that I know them. So the myſterie of ſpirituall knowledg is to know heavenly things in a ſpirituall manner, and then to know that I know them. It is one thing to know ſpirituall things, and it is another to know that I know them. It is one thing for God to give heavenly things, and it is another to know that God hath given them. This is the meaing of it, when I ſay that the people of God have a ſight of God, and it is a cleare ſight; that is, it carries ſuch a kind of evidence to the ſoule, that thou knoweſt aſſuredly, as thou knoweſt any thing in the world, that thou ſeeſt God in Jeſus Chriſt.
Therefore it was a knowne caſe among them in the old Teſtament (and much more muſt it be in the new) it was ſo certaine, that if God were away but for a moment, they preſently miſſed him, and they cryed, Thou haſt hid thy face, and when wilt thou come againe? and over night he would be gone, and they were troubled, and they knew him as ſoone as he came, and they miſſed him when ever he went. Now when thou haſt but a blind confuſed apprehenſion of God, and it is but thinking, and hoping, and thou miſſeſt God, and thou knoweſt not what is become of him, nor thou lookeſt not after him, ſuſpect thy apprehenſion of him, that it is not right: for if it be a right knowledge, it is as cleare as the Sun, though it be not fully cleare, yet it is ſo cleare, that thou knoweſt that thou haſt God; and thou doeſt miſſe him if he be gone but for a time: That is one thing.
Secondly, theſe apprehenſions, as they are cleare, 2 Precious apprehenſions.ſo they are precious; they are ſweet apprehenſions to thy ſoule. Thou accounteſt one thought of God, one right apprehenſion of God, in Jeſus Chriſt, worth a whole world; therefore we ſee in Pſal. 137. 17. The Prophet David, (who was well acquainted with God; ſaith he, how precious alſo are the thoughts of thee O God! how great is the ſumme of them; if I account them they are more in number then the ſands: when I awake, I am ſtill with thee. They are many then; and that is a ſhame for us in the New Teſtament, that they had ſuch apprehenſions, and we ſhould have ſo few. And how precious are they! ſaith he. As if he had ſaid, I love my Wife well, and my Husband well, and I love to have things about me; and to have health after ſicknes: But Lord, how precious are the thoughts of thee O God! how rich is one thought of God! What a rich man am I, when I have one thought of God: Now theſe apprehenſions are precious in theſe 3 reſpects.
Firſt, they are precious, becauſe every one of thoſe 1 They ſatisfie the Soule.thoughts fully ſatisfy the ſoule. Take any thing in this world, as it may be thou haſt an eſtate, or thou haſt ſuch friends, or thou haſt ſuch comforts: Take any thing whatever thou canſt, there is an emptines left ſtill in ſome corner of the ſoule, it is not filled. A man may ſay when he is higheſt in the comforts of the world, I am not fully ſatisfied, there is ſome diſquiet in my Spirit; there is ſomwhat, whatſoever it is, behind the back of that comfort that I look for. But when a man hath thoughts and apprehenſions of God aright, they ſatisfie the ſoule, and fill it with ſuch contentedneſſe, that a man can ſay, I have enough; and he can ſay with Peter, when he ſaw the glory of God. It is good to be here; though he had neither meat nor drink, but were upon a mountaine; only he ſaw the glory of God; and ſaith he, It is good to be here. Therefore we might ſee, in divers places that I could reckon in Scripture, as in Pſal. 17. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteouſneſſe, (I will behold thee in Chriſt) and when I awake, I ſhall be ſatisfied with thine Image: I ſhall be ſatisfied ſaith he. So alſo in Pſal. 63. 3, 4, 5. I ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſſe, and that is a choice thing in this world, though it come farre ſhort of this. And ſo Paul, Phil. 3. I account all Dung for the precious and excellent knowledge of Chriſt: As if he had ſaid, I would be ſatisfied with this, though I had not a penny in the world. Now it is not ſo with an Hypocrite (therefore examin your heart, and look upon Apprehenſions of Hypocrits ſatisfie not.it) an Hypocrite, when he is enlightned, he may have ſome ſweetnes, and there is ſome pleaſure; as when his gifts are enlarged; or when ſpiritual things eſpecially when new notions come in his minde for ever the knowledge of new things is pleaſant, both naturall, and ſpirituall: Yet notwithſtanding an Hypocrite is not ſatisfied, with the ſight of God in Chriſt, he cannot ſay I deſire no more; but he ſaith, I will be Rich for all this, I will cozen, and cheat for all this: Therefore I have alway obſerved, that the beſt of wicked men, thoſe that we have reaſon to ſuſpect, that they are not right, and they may have a great deale of joy, and ſuch like; yet they are as greedy and griping after the world, and as proud and vain as others, and that is an argument that they are not ſatisfied. Another poore Chriſtian, though he make not ſuch a blaze with gifts, and expreſsions, yet he ſees God, now and then, and he can tread and trample upon the world, he can deſpiſe pleaſures, and friends, and honours, and riches, and can look on them as crucified things, as Paul did, and can ſay, I remember, in ſuch a Countrey, in ſuch a Chamber, in ſuch a place, where God ſhew'd himſelf to me, and I was ſatisfied; I ſaw every thing vaniſh before me, and I deſired nothing but that, and I could deſire to change, my wealth, and all for that, ſo that might be continued, and enlarged: That is one thing.
Secondly, they are precious, becauſe he is not ſatisfied. 2 There is a deſire of more.This is no contradiction though it ſeeme to be one. My meaning is this, that wherever there is this apprehenſion of God, though it ſatisfie in reſpect of luſt, and ſin, and the world, and the Devill; yet it creates, and begets in the ſoule a greater thirſt for more of that apprehenſion. Therefore we ſee clearely, Phil. 3. where Paul runs a race (as it were) after the knowledge of God in Chriſt: See what the Apoſtle ſaith. I account all as Dung, and Droſſe, for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt my Lord, for whom I have ſuffered the loſſe of all things, and account them Dung; I have loſt all, and I am not ſorry for it: And why is all this? That I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection. Now Paul was a Preacher, and did he not know Chriſt? there had been a blind Preacher. He was an Apoſtle, and Doctor of the Gentiles; and did he not know the reſurrection? Yes, but the meaning is this, He forgate that which was behind, as we ſee after; that is, all that apprehenſion he had of God in Chriſt, he forgate it, in regard of the affection to deſire more, he did not eye what he had: Therefore ſaith he, I ſay, not as though I apprehended; but I deſire to apprehend him, by whom I am comprehended, to ſee the glory of God, that comprehends me in Jeſus Chriſt. I ſpeake not (ſaith he) as though I had attained; as if he had ſaid, I know nothing in compariſon of the inſatiable deſire I have to know more.
And that is the reaſon why Hypocrites are very loath to dye, when danger and death approacheth; Hypocrites loath to dye, Why?whereas a right Saint is wondrous deſirous to dye; Why ſo? Saith the Apoſtle, That I may be with Chriſt. Phil. 1. Whereto compare that in Joh. 17. that I may ſee God, and have the ſame glory with Jeſus Chriſt.
Therefore thou mayeſt trie thy ſelfe by this: if thou haſt ſomething that is like the apprehenſion of God (I ſpeak not to dull creatures that are altogether in the world, all the yeare long) but if God work on thee in his word, and there is ſome light come in, and ſome ſweetneſſe, yet if thou be glutted with this, and when thou commeſt home thou throweſt God away, and thou lookeſt after thy luſt, and after thy ſin, thou never yet hadſt a right appreſion of God: For, if thou ſee God aright, thou wilt looke for more, and more, and for ought I know, thou wilt have more, and more, world without end.
Thirdly, and laſtly; theſe apprehenſions are precious, 3 They are accompanied with tranſcendent joy.becauſe there is a tranſcendent ſuper-excellent, exceeding joy and delight, in the enjoyment of them, Abraham ſaw my day, and rejoyced, ſaith Chriſt: He did not ſee his day as an animate creature; but he ſaw the miſterie of God that ſhould be fulfilled in thoſe dayes, that is the meaning; ſo Araham ſaw my day, and rejoyced. So there is a very pregnant word concerning this, in Iſa. 35. The Deſart ſhall rejoyce, and the VVildernes ſhall be glad. By the Wilderneſſe and Solitary place, is meant the barren Soule, the Wildernes of thy heart, where God will dwell. The VVildernes ſhall be glad, and the Deſart ſhall rejoyce. O! that God would make it ſo to us. It ſhall bloſsome abundantly, and rejoyce with ſinging, The glory Lebanon ſhal be given unto it, &c. Why is all this? They ſhall ſee the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. This makes, the ſad Soule rejoyce, and makes the barren heart, bloſſome as a Roſe, when they ſee the glory of the Lord, and the Excellency of our God. Nay, it is ſuch a joy, as he ſaith after, that, The Eyes of the blind ſhall be opened, and the Eares of the deafe ſhall be unſtopped; then the lame Man ſhall leap, and the Tongue of the dumb ſhall ſing. It is ſuch joy as will make a dumb man ſing; it will make a mellancholy, heavy, mopiſh creature, that naturally never ſmiled; God manifeſted in Chriſt, will make him ſing, and the lame man to leap for joy; it is a tranſcendent, exceeding high joy, and this joy, it will be the ſame joy Joy of Heaven, What?in Heaven, that we had on Earth. It is not Eating, and Drinking, and Marrying, and Buying, and Selling, that will be the joy in Heaven, but the great joy will be, the beholding the Glory of God in Chriſt; that will be the great Joy.
Therefore, thou mayſt know by this; it may be thou haſt a little joy: Thou rejoyceſt in the hearing of the Word; but is there not ſome other Joy that thou preferreſt? Art thou not more glad when thou haſt a good bargaine; or when thy affaires Pſal. 137.goe on in the World? What is thy chiefe joy? As David ſaith; If I prefer not Hieruſalem to my chief joy. If this apprehenſion worke in thee a joy, tranſcending all the joy in the world, and make all other joyes to vaniſh, it is a right apprehenſion. So you ſee theſe apprehenſions are:
Firſt, cleare Apprehenſions.
Secondly, precious Apprehenſions.
Thirdly, they are Perpetuall; they are laſting Apprehenſions▪ 3 Perpetuall apprehenſions.By that, I doe not meane that they are laſting alwayes, but that they may be ſomtimes dimme and ſometimes darke; but I meane they goe not utterly out; as it is ſaid, Job 21. How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out? The Candle of the Hypocrite goeth out, it may be he hath a little apprehenſion of God, and then it is out, it may be for half a yeare, and in time it infallibly goes quite and cleane out: Therefore in Heb. 6. the Hypocrite (for the Apoſtle lays down there the eſtate of Hypocrites) after they were enlightned, &c. they fell away. The light was gone, it only blazed a while, and there was an end of it: But it is not ſo with a Saint, though God may for a moment hide his face; yet as Mr. Calvin ſaith, that light that came firſt into the ſoule of a Saint, that that came firſt, it leaves ſuch a ſent, and a ſavour, that a man can never forget it; it is never quite out. He may forget that he hath done naturall things: We may forget what wee did twenty or thirty yeares agone; we may forget where we were, and may forget our Friends, &c. But when God reveales himſelfe firſt to the Soule: If a man could live in this World a thouſand yeares, the apprehenſion that he had of God at the firſt, it would be as freſh as ever it was; becauſe it is an eternall thing, it is a thing that we ſhall have more, and more in Heaven, it is not crruptible; Triall of apprehenſions. by their laſting.and therefore it goes not out.
Now it may be thou haſt been a Profeſſor before, and God hath ſtamped a great deale of joy on thee, and now it is gone, and thou art poor wretch, a poore drie creature; as drie as a Chipp, and a man can ſcarce ſee any thing in thee, to diſtinguiſh thee from a carnall man; trie thy ſelf by this: Theſe apprehenſions if they be right, they are perpetuall, and conſtant in a ſenſe; Therefore it is ſaid, Joh. 14. 21. If you keep my Commandements (ſaith Chriſt) I will manifeſt my ſelf to you,. Saith Judas, not Iſcariot, Lord how is it that thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelf unto us, and not unto the VVorld? Saith he, I, and my Father will come, and wil dwell with you, and abide with you. As for the world, God paſſeth by, as a wayfairing man that tarries but for a night, but I, and my Father, will come and dwel with you. Therefore in 1. Joh. 4. Seeing of God, & dwelling in God are Sinonomies, one, and the ſame thing; God dwelling in us, or we in God, or ſeeing of God, they are the ſame: Becauſe, whereſoever God is ſeen rightly, and truly, it brings God by his Spirit to dwell in the Soule. That is one thing you may know it by, by your apprehenſions.
Secondly, you may know it by the impreſsions 2 By the impreſſions theſe apprehenſions worke.that thoſe apprehenſions have upon your hearts; there will be a twofold impreſſion upon thy ſoule, when thou doſt ſee God aright.
Firſt, as I told you before, when a Saint ſeeth 1 Suitable to that they ſee in God.God, you are to underſtand, that he ſeeth al in God with redundance; he ſees his love, his goodneſſe, his power, his faithfulneſſe, his mercy, his juſtice. Now the ſame apprehenſion of theſe things, have ſuch impreſſions upon thy heart, that thou mayeſt clearely diſcerne, if thy ſight be right; that is, if every one of theſe doe worke upon thy heart, a proportionable fitneſſe, or ſuitableneſſe, to that that is in God. As for inſtance, when thou lookeſt on God, and thou ſeeſt his goodnes; there is a ſweet impreſsion of love: Thou ſeeſt the Juſtice, and Righteouſneſſe of God, it works an impreſsion, not a blaze that goes out; but an habituall impreſſion, of pleaſing God, and of fearing God. And ſo when thou ſeeſt his faithfulneſſe, it works an impreſsion of truſt; that thou wilt truſt him though he kill thee: and ſo all that is in God will ſinck into thy heart, and worke ſuitable to that that is in God.
As to give you one inſtance (for as it will doe by one, ſo it will doe by all) In Heb. 11. 27. It is ſaid, By faith Moſes forſook Aegypt, not fearing the wrath of the King: For he endured, as ſeeing him who is inviſible. Moſes had a ſight of him who is inviſible: Therefore he forſook Aegypt, and feared not the wrath of the King. What is the meaning of that? The meaning of it, is this; he ſaw the King of Aegypt to be a great King, a powerfull King: But becauſe he had ſeene God, who is inviſible; that is, he had ſeene the Power of God, and the Greatneſſe of God, and that put ſuch an impreſsion on him, that he did not feare Pharaoh. And God had promiſed to doe him good, and having ſeene the faithfulneſſe of God, he forſooke Aegypt.
So it will be with thee, if thou ſee the Grace of God in Chriſt, there will be an impreſsion of love upon thy Soule: If thou ſee the Greatneſſe of God, there will be Reverence imprinted upon thy heart: or if thou ſee the Faithfulneſſe of God, there will be an impreſſion of Truſt upon thy heart. But now if thou ſee God in Chriſt; and ſee his goodneſſe and mercy, and grace, and there be no ſuch impreſsion; no love to God; no delight in God; no care to pleaſe him, or to attend upon him; thou haſt not ſeene God aright.
Beloved, theſe impreſsions, you ſhall know them by theſe things; in three words, from any thing that is like the impreſsions of God upon you.
Firſt, they are reall.
Secondly, they are through.Impreſſions of ſeeing God upon Saints are,
Thirdly, they are univerſall.
Firſt, they are reall: By reall, I meane this; they 1. Reall.are not idle ſpeculations of God, as a bare ſeeing of God, and no more, but only a meere contemplation; but they are ſuch reall impreſſions upon the heart, as that they can bare up the Soule in any outward reall miſerie: As for inſtance, you know the miſeries of the world are reall: When a man comes to Priſon, there is reall trouble, and reall loſſe, and Miſeries of this life reall.reall hunger, and he is a Reall man, that is the Keeper of the Priſon. Now an Hypocrite with all his ſpeculations, when he comes to a reall night of miſerie for God, all his knowledge of God proves a meere ſpeculation, and vaniſheth into Ayre, and there is no reality in it. Now the other which is a true Saint, let him be put into the worſt condition, let it be Reall; put Bolts on his heeles; let there be VVounds, and Sores, and Hunger, and Thirſt, that he feeles, & beholds with his eyes; yet he hath a thing in his Soule, that is as real as the things that he feeles: Therefore it is ſaid, in 1. John. 1. where he ſpeaks of Fellowſhip with God, and walking in the light, and ſeeing of God; ſaith he, Thoſe things that wee have ſeene, and heard, and felt. He makes the apprehenſion of God in Chriſt, as reall as things that are ſubject to ſenſe, as the things that we ſee, and heare, and ſmell, and feele.
Therefore ſee whether theſe impreſſions of God on thy ſoule be reall, or no? Doeſt thou finde when thou commeſt to reall miſerie, that there is reall comfort to hold thee up; and not only imagination, and vaine Speculations: As you may obſerve, many brave glorious Profeſſors in the time of Peace, that out ſtrip all their Brethren, and their expreſsions Why many Profeſſors ſhrinke in Trouble.are better then others, & they carry it gloriouſly, and yet you ſhall have ſome poor creatures that can hardly ſpeake to God in Prayer, and can hardly remember any thing of the VVord, and yet when they come to ſuffer, there is a reall thing that holds them up, though it may be it be but a poore little Boy, or a VVench, when you ſhall ſee thoſe Brave glorious Profeſſors, that becauſe they have no Reality, they flee away, and turne to the World.
Therefore pray to the Lord that theſe impreſsions may be reall: That as the miſeries wee meet withall, are reall; ſo the impreſsions of his bleſſed Majeſty may be be reall: Saith God to the Hypocrites, Mal. 1. If I be a Father, where is my Honour? If I be a Maſter, where is my feare? You talke that I am your Father, and your Maſter; but there is no deepe impreſsion of it upon your Soules.
Secondly, as they are reall; So they are thorow, 2 They are thorow.they fall not upon the heart of a Saint, as they doe upon an Hypocrite. The apprehenſions of God fall upon an Hypocrite, juſt like a little ſhower of raine, upon the ſandy ground; there is ſome little impreſsion, but in two or three houres all is gone, it never ſoaks to the root of the graſſe: An Hypocrite hath a root of bitterneſſe in his heart, and all the Dew of Heaven, never ſinks ſo deep as to come to that root. Therefore as it is ſaid, in 1. Joh. 3. A man that is borne of God cannot ſinne, Why? Becauſe the Seed of God abides in him; he hath a root in him: So on the other ſide, an Hypocrite, he can doe nothing to purpoſe, becauſe there is a ſeed of ſin in him, there is a root, there is a Coare at the heart, that the Dew of Heaven never toucheth: Therefore it is a ſigne that thou ſeeſt God aright, when the impreſſions of it in thy Soule, goe through, and through, that they ſoak into thy very ſoule (as I may ſay) and fetch out thy inward luſts.
Thirdly, and laſtly; (and there I ſhall leave at 3 They are univerſall.this time) theſe impreſsions are univerſall: An Hypocrite, or a wicked man in time may have ſome impreſſions upon his ſoule, of ſome one thing of God, or ſome few things. As for inſtance, Judas had an impreſsion upon his heart, and a ſad one too, of the Juſtice of God, it made him goe and hang himſelfe: And ſo Saul, and Pharaoh, and others; but that was but of one thing. But now a Saint, he hath impreſſions of all that is in God; that is, there is nothing in God, but he hath a heart to anſwer it, he hath (as it were, to ſpeak with reverence) a Coppy of God written on his ſoule; he hath an impreſſion of the love of God, as well as of the feare of God; of delight, and truſt in God, and the like. This is the difference betweene a Saint of God and an Hypocrite: Therefore in Exod. 34. When Moſes was ſo deſirous to ſee God; O Lord (ſaith he) let me ſee thy glory. God revealed his glory; and told him his name: The Lord God, the Lord, mercifull, gracious, long ſuffering, abundant in mercy, keeping mercy for thouſands: Forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſsion, and ſin; and that wil not cleare the guilty; viſiting the ſins of the Fathers upon the Children. God tells him of viſiting of wicked People; What was this to Moſes? God would not tell him halfe his name, but all: Therefore he tells him, what he was to the Saints, The Lord, gracious, and mercifull, long ſuffering, abundant in goodneſse, and truth, keeping mercy for thouſands. And then he tels him, what he would be to the wicked; he would have the impreſſion of the whole name of God upon Moſes. It is a ſigne thy apprehenſions of God are true, though they be weake, and ſmall; when they be reall, and thorow, and univerſall. The third thing is;
The Expreſsions, or Effects of it: but that I muſt leave till another time.