The Arraignment of Error, Text (6 of 9)

The Arraignment of Error · Text (6 of 9)

p. 2031. Either falſe comfort, a painted, no reall comfort.

2. Or the comfort is but the comfort of his naturall conſcience, in being true to his opinion, not the comfort of God. The Papiſts may finde ſome comfort in their way, but either, it is a deluded comfort, or the comfort which ariſeth from being honeſt to a deluſion. There is no queſtion, but there is fear, and comfort in the Turkiſh Religion; when they do not walk according to their principles received, they may be troubled, and when they doe, poſſibly they may have comfort: The ground of this is this, becauſe they walk anſwerable to their principles, and then nothing within will check a man, all is at quiet within: this is but the quiet of a naturall conſcience. Naturall conſcience will tell them there is a God, and that this God is to be worſhipped, but it cannot direct the way; now being either inſtructed, or brought up and educated in this or that way, he takes it for a truth, though perhaps it be an errour, and walking anſwerabl… to it, for want of further light, his conſcience is quiet; he hath comfort of thoſe principles he hath, when he hath been true to them; yet this is but falſe comfort. Certainly, if you have any comfort of God,

It is either, 1. Comfort in an errour, but not from an errour: or it is comfort from your graces, not from your errour. Your graces may afford you comfort, viz. your ſincerity, but your errour affords none.

2. Many errours that may have ſome mixtures of truth in them, and then your comf…rt is not from the errour, but from truth mingled with it.

A man perhaps hath been in ſome trouble, and his trouble aroſe from want of an evidence of his ſincerity: now it may be there is ſome opinions abroad, which a man may cloſe withall, as perſecuted truths, though they are but cenſured, condemned errours; and in this act he gets comfort, perhaps he hath the evidence of his ſincerity, that he is willing to cloſe p. 204with a perſecuted truth, which may afford ſome comfort, though the thing cloſed withall be an errour. And I beleeve that many doe cloſe with opinions upon this ground, as perſecuted truths, and thereby evidence their ſincerity, which perhaps if they ſhould not, they would be troubled, and could not be able to doe. Indeed it were an honourable and deſirable thing to ſuffer upon good grounds, ſuffering for Chriſt is deſirable; he who knows the emptineſſe of theſe things, and what theſe things are in compariſon of eternity, would be glad and rejoyce to part with any thing for Christ. Indeed it is not too dear to purchaſe and maintain a truth with the hazzard and loſſe of all, yet who would be at this coſt for an errour? There is none that are godly, but would be content to maintain a truth, and ſuffer truth to live upon them, upon their eſtates, comforts, &c. but who would doe this for an errour? I only ſuggeſt this to you, it may be you take in an opinion, you receive it for a truth: But take heed you be not deceived: It may be that opinion may coſt you your eſtate, your liberty, &c. and therefore you had beſt conſider well before you entertain, leſt you be at this coſt to maintain an errour, in ſteed of upholding a truth.

All is not too good to part withall for a truth, but nothing but is too good to give for an errour. There is nothing which a good heart doth entertain, but he entertains it under this notion, to maintain it, he takes it int… his houſe, his heart, with a purpoſe to maintain it; wicked men receive opinions to live on them; but a good heart receives an opinion, that it may live on him: a corrupt heart entertains an opinion, that it may maintain him; but an honeſt heart, that he may maintain it. A bad heart takes in an opinion, as his ſervant, which he makes to ſerve him, els he will not own it; but a good heart entertains it, as his Maſter, which ſhall rule all, and dispoſe of all; if it ſay, it muſt have his pains, his eſtate, &c. to maintain it, to promote it, to advance it, he is not maſter of any thing he hath, but all muſt go to ſerve it.

And therefore ſeeing it is thus, you had need to look ſtrictly what you take into your heart; you had need to know what you give entertainment to, ſeeing you muſt give maintaining p. 205to it alſo, and it may coſt all you have. I only ſay thus much, all thou haſt is not too dear for a truth, too good for a truth: But there is nothing ſo little, but is too much for an errour.

And therefore take heed you be not deceived.

And thus much ſhall ſerve for the demonſtration of the falſe marks: we ſhall now come to the ſure marks and characters, whereby truth and errour may be evidenced. You have ſeen hitherto, though ſome of theſe which have been laid down, may be ſaid to be probable ſignes, yet none of them can be ſet down for concluſive evidences. We are now to deal with ſuch, viz. to lay down infallible and undeceiveable evidences of divine truth. And this is the firſt and main Character.

Divine truth is word-revelation; Truth proceeds from God, Chara. 1 and is revealed in the Word to us. All Scripture (ſaith the Apoſtle,**foreign. 2 Tim. 3.16. It is given by inſpiration of God; and in the 2 Pet. 1.21. The prophecies came not in any time by the will of man, Conſul. Morton. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9 Rom. 11.4Rom 11:4but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt. The Word of God it is the r…vealer of all divine truth: if you would know what is truth, your way lies clear; enquire not ſo much what this man ſaith, or what that, For all men are lyars, but ſearch and enquire, what ſaith the anſwer of God.Non deb… mus attendere quia alij ante nos, ſed quid Chriſtus ante omnes dixit. We are not to attend what others before us, but what Christ before all hath ſpoken, the truth is in Jeſus, Epheſ. 4.21.

The Word is nothing elſe but a beam of that eternall Sun, but a ray of divine, of God-communication.

It is called the Word of truth, nay, truth it ſelf, Joh. 17.17. Sanctifie them with thy truth, thy Word is truth; and this makes the leſt ſyllable in the Word to be more firm for a ſoul to reſt on, then all the protestations of men or Angels; they though true, yet they are not infallibly true, they are not immutably true, but God is, and his Word is a beam of this truth, a ray proceeding from this Sun; and therefore ſaith the Prophet, Iſa. 40 8. The graſſe withereth, the flower fadeth, Iſa. 40.8. 1 Pet. 1.25▪ Mat 5.18.Isa 40:81 Pet 1:25Matt 5:18but the Word of our God ſhall ſtand for ever, 1 Pet. 1.25. Nay, heaven and earth ſhall paſſe away, before one iota, one title of the Word ſhall fail, Matth. 5.18. It is truth, it is immutable, it is infallible truth, and divine truth is Word-revelation.

p. 206The Scripture is not only the revealer of divine truth, but of all divine truth: not that there is no more divine truth then what is revealed in the Word, but that there is no more for us, there is no more to be believed and obeyed, then what God hath revealed in his Word.

It is the boundary of doctrine, and the adequate meaſure of all divine truth, Deut. 4.2. and therefore God ſends us thither, as to the place where we ſhould finde all doctrine to be believed and obeyed, and as to the touchſtone whereby we ſhould try all Doctrines, Iſa. 8.20. To the Law and to the testimonies, if they speak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no light in them. And the Apoſtle would have you know, that Word-revelation is a ſurer way to evidence truth, then a revelation from heaven, as hee tells us, 2 Pet. 1.16, 17, 18. where having been ſpeaking of a revelation from heaven, and the cleareſt that ever was revealed in the transfiguration of Chriſt, the Apoſtles themſelves were eye-witneſſes thereof, and heard that voice from heaven, This is my well-beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleaſed, yet (ſaith he) verſ. 19. We have a more ſure Word of prophecie, foreign, meaning Word-revelation; not that this is a more ſure revelation then that was, but that this is ſurer to us: Word-revelation is more ſure to us, then a revelation from heaven; God would have us to know truth by Word-revelation; divine truth is Word-revelation. And that is the firſt Character, which yet for fuller and clearer conception, I will branch forth into three particular maximes.

Max. 1 What ever the Word of God doth plainly and evidently hold forth, that is infallibly truth: the Word of God, or God in the Word doth give out all Doctrine to be believed and obeyed; and whatever the Word holds forth, what ever hath a bottom and firm footing in the Word, that is undoubtedly truth. All is divinely true which the Word holds forth, but all is not morally and practically good. All is to be believed which the Word holds forth, but all is not to be obſerved: what ever is in the Word is the object of our faith, but what ever is in the Word is not to be the rule of our life.

There are no proviſoes to be laid down in point of faith, all p. 207is truth, and we muſt believe all:Fides non eligit objectum. faith doth not ſingle …ut it's object, it doth not pick and chuſe, but believes all which God hath ſpoken: but there muſt be ſome proviſoes in matter of practice; though all to be believed, yet all is not to be obſerved, unleſſe,

1. It be of common equity, and not of peculiar ingagement, intereſt, priviledge.

2. Unleſſe it be of perpetuall right and obſervance,Ʋniverſalis & perpetui juris. and not temporary and for a time only.

There were many things which the Word gave out to the Nation of the Jews to be obſerved, which ſince Chriſt are as Statutes now repealed; they were not of common and generall equity, nor were they to be of perpetuall and everlaſting obſervance, and therefore are not to be obſerved by us, though believed of us: what ever the Word gives out, is to be the object of our faith, but not to be the rule of life. I come to the ſecond maxime.

What ever may be collected by way of manifeſt conſequence, Max. 2 or made out by evident deductions from the Word, is certainly true. This is the ſecond maxime.Morton. Apol. Cat. p 2. l. 5. c 9 Though a Doctrin aſſerted be not in totidem verbis, as we ſay, expreſſed in Scripture, yet if it may bee made out of Scripture by manifeſt and undeniable conſequence, this is certainly a truth: there are many precious truths, which are not yet in diſtinct words expreſſed in the Scripture: For example: if a man hold forth this doctrine, that it is poſſible for a man to come to the knowledge of his renovation, or his own condition: This is a truth: but where do we finde it in theſe distinct words in Scripture? and yet it may be ſoundly collected, from ſuch Scriptures as theſe, Examine, prove, try your ſelves, know you not your own ſelves? All which imply, that upon tryall a man may be able to come to the knowledge of himſelf: and the like may be ſaid of many other points, which though in terminis are not contain'd in Scripture, yet may be made out by manifeſt conſequence, and evident deduction, and therefore are truths. So that I ſay, what ever may be made out of the Word by evident deduction, is to be received as a truth.

But here I muſt lay down three Cautions.

The place of Scripture, or that Word from whence the deductions Cau. 1 p. 208are made, muſt not be miſtaken. The Phariſees read in Scripture that Chriſt ſhould be a King, and thence they made theſe deductions, that certainly Jeſus was not the Chriſt, here was a miſtake of the place. The Diſciples had read in the Law, that Chriſt ſhould live for ever, and thence they made theſe deductions, that Chriſt ſhould not die, We have read in the Law that Chriſt ſhall live for ever, how ſaieſt thou then, that thou must die? here was a miſtake of the place. So the Apoſtles, they preached Chriſtian liberty, and had ſaid that Chriſt had purchaſed and inſtated all believers into a bleſſed freedome, which they were to maintain againſt any who went about to defraud them of it: But now, if they or others, ſhould take this Chriſtian freedom to conſiſt in exemption from all laws, both of God and man, here were a great miſtake, farre from the Apoſtles thoughts; and thoſe deductions are a building without a foundation, and cannot ſtand.

Cau. 2 2. The deductions muſt be rightly gathered, they muſt naturally ariſe from the Scripture. There are many falſe deductions made, and I may ſay ſo many errours founded upon the Word of truth. Take an inſtance or two: you have here a Scripture, Take heed that no man deceive you, for many ſhall come in my name, &c. when a man ſhall gather from thence, that the Saints may be ſeduced and carried away with damnable errours, this is a falſe deduction, the 24. verſe doth plainly ſhew us that, where it is ſaid, They ſhould deceive, if it were poſſible, the very elect; by which is implyed, the elect cannot be deceived: So we have another Scripture, where it is ſaid, Keep me from preſumptuous ſins; and now when from this a man ſhall gather ſuch a doctrine as this, that the Saints may ſin preſumptuouſly, this is a falſe collection, and contrary to that Scripture, in Rom. 6.14. Sinne ſhall not raign in you, for you are not under the Law, but grace, &c. The like may be ſaid of that Scripture, Let him that ſtands, take heed leſt he fall; when a man ſhall inferre thence, that the Saints may fall totally and finally; this is a falſe inference, and contrary to the expreſſe Word of God, and his own Covenant, which is, Jer. 32.40. I will make an everlaſting Covenant, and I will never depart from you from doing you good, but I will put my p. 209fear in your heart, you ſhall never depart from me. We read alſo of ſuch a Scripture as this, You would not come to mee, that you might have life: when a man ſhall draw ſuch concluſions as theſe from it, that it is in the power of man of himſelf to come over to Chriſt; it is a falſe deduction: So we read ſuch an expreſſion as this, Work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling; and when thence we ſhall gather, that no man can be aſſured of his condition, this is a falſe deduction. Many more might be named, but theſe ſhall ſuffice; by which you ſee what need we have of adding this caution, viz. That the deductions be rightly gathered; we will come to the third.

3. Thoſe Deductions they muſt agree with the harmony of Cau. 3 Scripture: it may be there may be deductions made, and thoſe rightly gathered, nay and the place be rightly underſtood too, and yet thoſe deductions may be erroneous,Nihil ſerè in Scripturis obſcurū eſt, quod nō alibi planiſſimè dictum reperiatur. Au. Scriptura eam ſtudioſè perſcrutantibus, eſt ſui interpres. Mort. Ap. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. c. 9, 10, &c. becauſe they agree not with the harmony of Scripture: Truth is not ever found by one place; what is ſpoken in one place may be repealed in another, and therefore we muſt conſult with the harmony, ſee the agreement how one place doth bear witneſſe to another: though you look upon ſome places, and ſee them diſagreeing, yet there is a ſweet harmony and agreement in all, like Nathan and Bathſheba they ſpeak the ſame thing; aſſure your ſelf it is none of the leaſt of the noble works of the Miniſters of Chriſt, to ſtudy the harmony of Scripture, and ſee how they doe mutually give hands and bear witneſſe one to another; it is the fault of ſome, the better to ſtrengthen their opinions, to ſet one Scripture at difference with another; it is our work to ſearch the agreement, and diſcover how in their diſagreements they are yet ſerviceable one to another, and to the purpoſe of God in the ſaving them that doe believe. It was Pauls courſe you ſee in his whole Epiſtle to the Hebrews, Whit. cont 1. q 5. c 9. p. 361. … medijs inveniendi Scripturae ſenſum.not to decry the old Teſtament, which indeed was but the Goſpel vailed, but to take the vail off, which was upon thoſe places, and upon their eyes in the reading of them, as he tells them, and ſhewd them that all this was but Chriſt in figure, all this was but Chriſt in type, they were but the figure of thoſe things that were to come. I am confident that the want p. 210of ſtudy, and endeavour to ſeek to preſerve the harmony of Scriptures, is the great ground of many errours among us: thoſe deductions are not ſafe, which overthrow the harmony and agreement of Scriptures, the Word of God. And thoſe are certainly true, with which the whole harmony of Scripture doth agree: and ſo much for the third Caution and ſecond particular.

Max. 3 What ever may be made evident to be conſonant to Gods minde, or the main end of God in Scripture, though there be not a particular place for it, yet doubtleſſe it is a truth: there are many precious truths, which yet would puzzle to finde a particular place upon which they may be fully eſtabliſhed, which yet agree with the generall drift, and main end of God in the Scripture. The great end of God in Scripture is to bring us out of our ſelves, and to bring us up to him; to render all the world emptineſſe, and diſcover fullneſſe alone in himſelf; to bring us to believe, and cloſe with Chriſt, and give up our ſelves to him in waies of love and obedience: and what ever doctrine doth truly ſerve for theſe ends, what ever drives on this deſign, is undoubtedly a truth, though it be not contain'd in expreſſe words in Scripture.

And ſo much ſhall ſerve for the firſt Character, by which many errours are ſtruck down; we come now to the ſecond. And,

Chara. 2 2. The ſecond Character of truth is this: That which doth really and truly advance all God in Chriſt, is certainly a truth of God. All truth, as I told you, was divine Revelation, and it is the end of all divine revelation to advance and ſet up God in Chriſt: it is the great deſign, the great end which God doth aim at in all his Word-revelation, to ſet up himſelf, to advance the riches of his grace in Jeſus Chriſt. And therefore that which doth really and truely advance all God in Chriſt, is certainly a truth of God.

For our better and clearer conception, we muſt take this Character in pieces, and ſhew you how it contains four conditions, or there are four qualifications requiſite to evidence any doctrine to be a truth of Chriſt.

1. It muſt advance God.

p. 2112. All God.

3. All God in Christ.

4. It muſt doe all this really.

1. Divine truth it doth [advance] God; it ſets up God, and layes man low, it raiſeth up God upon the ruines of ſelf and ſin, it makes God great, and man little, God all, and man nothing, it empties man of himſelf, and makes him ſeek his fullneſſe in God; and that which doth thus hath a good evidence it is a truth of God.

Errour may advance the creature, it may advance a mans ſelf, but it doth not advance God; nay, errour may ſeek God in the creature, but it cannot ſeek it ſelf in God; it may give to the creature that which is Gods, but not give to God that which is the creatures; it may take from God to give to the creature, but it doth not take from the creature to give to God: And errour may leſſen it ſelf to make the creature great, but it cannot make it ſelf nothing to make God great, you ſee this, in Coloſ. 2.18. Some in a voluntary humility did worſhip Angels: here man leſſens himſelf to make a creature great, but he doth not make himſelf nothing, to make God great: Here he takes from himſelf and from God, to give to a creature, but he doth not take from the creature, from himſelf, to give unto God. This is a genuine property of truth, it advanceth God, it makes God all, and it ſelf nothing, it empties it ſelf of it's ſelf, and ſeeks alone it's fulneſſe in God: that can be no truth, that draws not up the heart to God, and brings the ſoul to live in him, as it's utmoſt happineſſe; and that which doth thus, muſt needs make all things little, and God great, and be content to loſe it ſelf in God and for God, that it may finde it ſelf in God.

Now if you ſhould examine ſome opinions by this;

1. There is an opinion, that man hath ability to cloſe with the tenders and offers of grace, he hath power in his pure naturals to come over to Chriſt. This opinion advanceth man, but doth not advance God, it ſets up the will of man againſt the will of God, it is an opinion againſt Word-revelation; we are ſaid to be dead in ſin, and dead men cannot move; Chriſt tels us, Without him we can doe nothing, Joh. 15.5.

p. 2122. Divine truth it advanceth [all] God.

1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God.

2. It doth advance the will of God.

3. It doth advance the waies of God.

1. It doth advance the nature and attributes of God. 1. The Wiſdome of God. 2. The Mercy. 3. The Justice. 4. The Power. 5. The Immutability of God. 6. The Holineſſe of God.

There are ſome opinions which may ſeem to advance ſome of God, but not all of God: Some that may ſeem to advance his mercy, but not his juſtice; ſome his grace, but not his holineſſe; ſome his power and his wiſdome, but not his truth: that opinion which doth not advance the juſtice, as well as mercy, the holineſſe, as well as the grace of God, certainly it is no truth of God; God hath ſet himſelf to be wholly advanced in all his attributes, and you doe not advance any of God, if you doe not advance all of God.

To inſtance for illustration in a few particulars.

1. Ther… is an opinion that Chriſt came to ſave all: here is an o…nion that doth advance the mercy, but not the truth of God: You know the Word tells us, that he came to ſave them who ſhall believe in him; now certainly, if he came to ſave all, then all believe; but the Apoſtle tells us, that all men have not faith; therefore ſurely the death of Chriſt, is no further to be extended then his prayer, and his prayer is not for all, as you may ſee, Joh. 17.9.Joh. 17.9.John 17:9 I pray not for the world, but for them thou haſt given me.

2. So ſecondly, there is an opinion that Chriſt merited no love or mercy at his Fathers hands for us, God loved us from everlaſting, and ſay they, How can Chriſt be ſaid to merit that which we had already? Now would you know whether this is a truth, or an errour? You may examine it by this: ſee, doth it advance all God? indeed this doth advance the love, the mercy of God, but not the juſtice of God; it is indeed a wrong to his juſtice, for Gods juſtice is no way advanced, unleſſe there be ſatisfaction made to it; all the mercy that God beſtows on ſinfull men, it is in relation to his precedent ſatiſfaction:Eph. 4.13.Eph 4:13 hence Chriſt is ſaid to bear ſinne, to ſatisfie for p. 213ſin, &c. and God for Christs ſake is ſaid to pardon ſinne, Epheſ. 4.32.

3. There is an opinion that the Saints may fall from grace; and they ſay, this opinion doth much advance Gods juſtice: but how that can be, I cannot diſcern, when I ſee it ſo evidently contrary to his truth, to his promiſe and covenant he hath made with us, as you ſee, Jer. 32.40. certainly, though the life of a Chriſtian be a ſecret life, it is hid, yet it is a ſafe life, it is hid in Chriſt. Beſides theſe there are many opinions which would ſeem to advance the grace of Chriſt, and the mercy of God, which yet are enemies to the juſtice and holineſſe of God. Certainly faith and holineſſe ever goe together, even as heat and light in the Sunne, &c. And that opinion which doth not advance all God, is certainly an errour. If you ſingle out ſome attribute… …nd tell us, this or that opinion is for the glorie of them, if yet it be inconſistent with other attributes of God, certainly, it is no truth of God. All divine truth hath not only a conſiſtency with, but tends to the advancement of every attribute of God. That a man ſhould be juſtified and ſaved by Chriſt, here is the grand truth, and here all the attributes of God meet; here is wiſdome, mercy, juſtice, truth, power, grace, holineſſe: all meet in this, as lines in the Center, as beams in the Sunne, as Rivers in the Sea, God and all God is advanced in the juſtification and ſalvation of poor miſerable man. So much for the firſt.

2. As truth doth advance the nature and attributes of God, ſo it doth advance the will of God; by this doth Chriſt evidence, that his words were true, Joh. 5.30. Therefore my judgement is just, becauſe I ſeek not mine own will, but the will of him that ſent me. If Chriſt, who was truth eſſentiall, doth evidence the truth of his Doctrine thus, how much more may we evidence the doctrine of truth by this, that it advanceth the will of God: It ſets up Gods will above the will of the creature: it ſets up his revealed will above all the authorities of men, above all traditions what ever.

Now if we ſhould examine opinions by this.

1. There is an opinion that man hath freedom of will to ſpirituall good.

p. 214Is this a truth, yea or no? Why here you may be ſatisfied, this tells you, it is an errour, becauſe it advanceth not the will of God, but the will of man; I ſay, it advanceth mans will, but not the will of God; it is a doctrin overthrows all the counſels of God: if this were ſo, where were election, reprobation? then the will of the creature ſhould rule the will of God. And as this opinion is contrary to Gods ſecret, ſo this opinion is repugnant to the revealed will of God, he tells us, that it is God that worketh the will and the deed, and that without him we can doe nothing, that it is not in him that willeth, or in him that runneth, but in God that ſheweth mercy. So that this opinion is oppoſite both to Gods ſecret and his revealed will, both to his decree and to his Word.

3. Divine truth as it advanceth the attributes, the will of God, ſo it doth advance the waies of God.

It advanceth obedience, exact obedience, it advanceth duty and exactneſſe in duty, though it ſet not duty above Chriſt, nor in oppoſition to Chriſt, though it ſet not up obedience above faith, nor in oppoſition to faith, yet it advanceth duty in Chriſt, and obedience with faith; the obedience of faith justifies our perſons, but the obedience from faith doth juſtifie our faith.

There are many opinions which cry up grace, but de-cry holines, that advance faith, but cry downe obedience, that ſet up Chriſt, but cry downe the Law. Indeed we all cry them downe in oppoſition to Chriſt and grace, but we ſet them up in ſubordination. And indeed there is a ſweet ſubordination between the Law and the Goſpell, Chriſt and obedience. The Law ſends us to the Goſpel, and the Goſpel having juſtified us, ſends us to the Law as the rule of our obedience. I ſay, the Law ſends us to the Goſpel, for it cannot juſtify, it cannot ſave. Indeed it ſaith, Doe this and live: But not that we ſhould doe, and live by doing, for God hath appointed another way; but it ſaith, Do this and live, to empty us of our ſelves, and bring us over to the Goſpel that we might live and doe. There may be a fault to put men to doing, before they put them to beleeving, or to put them to doe, that they may be enabled to beleeve, for faith is the riſe and ſpring of action, p. 215all action muſt begin from faith, and by faith we are enabled to obey, as it was ſaid of Abraham, Heb. 11. by faith Abraham obeyed: and we are ſaid to be created in Chriſt to good works: there can be no doing without ſtrength, no ſtrength but from Chriſt, nothing from Chriſt but by union, no union but by faith, therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, He that hath the Sonne, hath life, and he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life: all which ſeemes to ſpeake plainly, that it is no good way to turne men to obeying, before they put men to beleeving, nor to put men to obeying, that they may be enabled to beleeving. But yet though we are not to put men to duty to enable them by any power in thoſe duties to beleeve, yet may we, muſt we put men upon faith to enable them to obey; though we may not ſubſtitute faith to obedience, yet we ought to ſubſtitute obedience to faith. And indeed it is the nobleſt piece of faith, that it doth enable us to ſervice. The excellency of faith is not in this only, that it juſtifies us, but puts us into a capacity, and gives us ability to ſerve God.

And he that lookes not upon faith, as that wherein it's excellency doth greatly conſiſt, that it doth enable us to duty, that it ſtrengthens us to ſervice; he doth not yet know what Chriſt and faith is—he hath only a faith in notion, but knows not faith in truth and power. And ſo much for the ſecond; divine truth it advanceth all God, the nature and attributes of God, the will of God, the wayes of God. We come to the third.

Thirdly, It doth all this in Chriſt, I ſay, divine truth it advanceth all God in Chriſt: God hath ſet himſelfe to be advanced and glorious to the creature to all eternity, but in Chriſt. Indeed all God is no other way to be advanced, but in Chriſt; nor hath God ſet himſelfe to be wholly advanced any other way of the creature, but in Chriſt. Something of God is to be ſeen in every creature, and ſomething of God to be advanced in them, much of God is to be ſeen and advanced in the whole creation, the Heavens they declare the wiſedome, the power of God: and he ſets himſelfe to be advanced in them, the law declares the juſtice, holines of God.

But now Chriſt declares all God, you may ſee God in all p. 216his dimenſions of glory in Chriſt: In him hath God ſet himſelfe to be viſible in all his glory to the Saints. In him dwels all the fulnes of the godhead bodily: fulnes, all fulnes, all the fulnes of the godhead, and all this dwells in him: it is in him primarily, originally, it is in him as the proprietary, as the Lord and maſter to diſpoſe of it, &c. It is in him perpetually, there it dwells, and dwells for ever. And in Chriſt hath God ſet himſelfe to be ſeen in all his glory, his wiſedome, his power, his mercy, his juſtice, &c. This is the rock, into which we with Moſes muſt get, if we would ſee the glory of God; God might have advanced his juſtice, his power, out of Chriſt in our condemnation; but he hath alone ſet himſelfe to be advanced in his glory, to all eternity in his Sonne, and that which advanceth God in Chriſt, is certainely a truth of God. I come now to the fourth.

Fourthly, That which doth really doe all this: that I ſay, which doth really advance all God in Chriſt, is certainely a truth of God. I ſay [really] there are many opinions which advance our ſelves, not God, and perhaps ſome which ſeeme to advance ſome of God, not all of God, and ſome which may advance all God in Chriſt ſeemingly, but yet not really, not truly, they may ſeemingly advance Gods glory, and yet really be deſtructive and oppoſite to the glory of God.

It is ſaid of the Chymickes, that they will ſo counterfeit gold that no touchſtone can diſcover it, though you goe to the touchſtone to try it, yet you ſhall not be able to diſcerne whether it be true gold or no, there is no way to try it, but by the fire, and the fire that will purify that which is good, and render it more excellent, but that which is counterfeit will evaporate into ayr and ſmoake, it is not able to abide the tryall.

Chriſtians ī there are many ſubtle opinions, many that have a great deale of Chymiſtry in them, they are good it may be at the touch, but yet are naught at the teſt; they may paſſe the touch here, and not be diſcerned, but the teſt ſhall diſcover them, the fire ſhall try them; how ever they may paſſe mans judgement, yet at that great burning day they ſhall be diſcovered, when that which is ſubstantiall ſhall alone continue, p. 217and that which hath been counterfeit ſhall evaporate into air and ſmoak; the Apoſtle ſeems to imply this, in the 1 Cor. ….12, 13, 14, 15. If any man build upon this foundation, gold, ſilver, precious ſtones, wood, hay, ſtubble: Every mans work ſhall be made manifeſt, for the day ſhall declare it, becauſe it ſhall be revealed by fire, and the fire ſhall try every mans work of what ſort it is; where the Apoſtle tells us, that there ſhall be a triall, though opinions and doctrines may paſſe the touch, yet they ſhall not paſſe the test, this triall ſhall be by fire; If his work abide, he ſhall receive reward; if be burned, he ſhall ſuffer loſſe, but hee himſelf ſhall bee ſaved, yet ſo as by fire.

Now then would you know what is truth in thoſe many opinions which are held forth? ſee whether they be Word-revelation; ſee whether they, 1. Advance God. 2. All God. 3. All God in Chriſt: and, 4. whether they doe all this really, that which doth really advance all God in Chriſt, is certainly a truth of Chriſt: and ſo much for the ſecond Character.

We are come to the third Character, which is this.

Charact. 3. That which doth really advance the whole Chara. 3 work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints, that is certainly a truth of God.

There are three eminent diſcoveries of truth.

1. Truth may be diſcovered from the ſeat of it.

2. It may be known by the qualities of it.

3. It may be diſcerned by the operations and workings of it.

By theſe three eminent Characters I have endeavoured to evidence truth.

1. From the ſeat of truth, **Eph. 4.21.Eph 4:21It is in Jeſus, and that was our firſt Character, Divine truth is Word-revelation.

2. From the qualities of it; and the ſecond Character was one of the moſt maineſt can be laid down, viz. Truth doth really and truly advance all God in Chriſt.

3. We are now upon the third, which is to diſcover truth by the operations and workings of it: and here I tell you, That truth doth really advance the whole work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints.

p. 218And when I have done this, I hope there will be ſufficient ſpoken to evidence truth from errour unto you.

Now for our fuller and clearer proceeding upon this, wee muſt give you out this Character in four particulars.

1. I ſay, Truth doth advance the work of grace.

2. It doth advance the whole work of grace.

3. It doth advance the whole work of grace in heart and life.

4. And it doth all this really. We ſhall ſpeak to theſe particulars briefly, and then ſumme them up, and ſpeak to them all joyntly, as they are compriſed in the Character.

1. Firſt, Truth doth advance the work of grace. In the former Character I had to doe with truth, as it advanced grace in God: here I have to doe with it, as it doth advance grace in us. In the firſt, I had to doe with it, as a divine affection and diſpoſition in God: here I have to doe with it, as a divine quality implanted into us; the firſt hath respect to grace without us; this ſecond hath reſpect to grace within us, inherent and imparted grace, our holineſſe; and therefore I call it here the work of grace.

2. Truth doth advance the whole work of grace. It doth not only advance ſome, but the whole work of grace. There may be ſome opinions which may ſeem to advance ſome part of the worke, but they carry not on the whole worke of grace in a ſweet and even proportion; you have many opinions which may ſeem to be ſerviceable to the advancement of ſome graces, but not of all; they may ſeem helpfull to ſome particulars, but yet are not ſerviceable to the whole frame. It is the nature of truth to ſerve the advancement of the whole work of grace. Indeed it is true, there bee ſome truths that have a more proper and peculiar influence upon one, then upon another, and may be ſerviceable to one, more then to another grace; but yet there is no truth that is diſſerviceable to any, nay no truth, but is helpfull to all Truth advanceth the whole work of grace.

3. It advanceth the whole work of grace, both in heart and life; not but that which doth the one truly, doth the other as really; but becauſe many will pretend the advancement of the work of grace in the heart, when there is no ſuch thing p. 219ſeen in the life, therefore I put them both together, and ſay, Truth advanceth the whole work of grace, both in heart and life. Truth doth not onelyonly help your comforts, but they help your ſervice, not only your graces, but your duties; it doth not only relieve your faith, but your obedience alſo: though indeed ſome truths that may be more naturally and immediately ſerviceable to one, then to the other.

Some truths may be ſaid to be cordials, others phyſick, and others food, ſome that are more proper for comfort, others for purging, and others for ſtrength and enablement: but though one truth may have a more proper influence into ſuch a work then another, yet you may ſuspect that from being a truth, which doth not all; that is no good cordiall which is not phyſick, and food too here. There is nothing doth comfort, but it doth nouriſh and purge the heart alſo. Free grace is the beſt cordiall to a poor ſoul, and is not to be given to faintings in comfort, as men give ſtrong-water to men in a ſwoon, but it is to be given to faintings in duty: many have been afraid to preach the doctrine of free grace, and many afraid to hear it, they think it is only to be uſed as a cordiall to poor, fainting, dejected ſouls. But it is not only a Cordiall, but it is the beſt phyſick too, nothing more ſerviceable to the purging of our hearts, 2 Cor. 7.1. Having therefore ſuch precious promiſes, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and spirit. Nay, and it is the beſt food you can feed upon, to ſtrengthen and enable you to all duty and obedience. It is not onelyonly ſerviceable to faintings in comfort, but faintings in duty. Indeed that hath been no good help to your comfort, that hath not been ſerviceable to your obedience alſo; if it have relieved thy faith, it hath relieved thy obedience; if it have been ſerviceable to the work of grace in the heart, it hath been helpfull to the work of obedience in thy life, otherwiſe thou may well ſuſpect that comfort.

4. Truth doth all this really. It doth really (I ſay) advance the work of grace, both in heart and life; it doth it not apparently onelyonly, but really; not in ſhew onelyonly, but in truth. Some opinions there are which ſeem to doe it, but doe it not really; they ſeem, as if they would hold up grace, when they p. 220are destructive to grace; they cry up grace without them, but never minde grace within them; they are all for comfort, nothing for duty; all for cordials, but they neglect food. Certainly you may ſuspect that from being a truth, which is not as really ſubſervient to the work of God without you, as to the work of God within you, and to your duties, as to your comforts. Thoſe are no right conceptione of grace, which beget not awe, as well as love, fear, as well as faith, and ſerves obedience as well as comfort. Thus having ſpoken a little to this Character aſunder, I ſhall now ſpeak to it entire. Truth doth really advance the whole work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints.

As there is a great agreement between errour and ſin, not only, as they are both children of the ſame Father, but as one is ſerviceable and helpfull to the other; Sinne in the affection hath much dependance upon errour in the underſtanding, and a corrupt head is greatly ſerviceable to a corrupt heart: There is ſuch an agreement between errour and ſinne, that wee may ſafely ſay, what ever doth tend to the advancement of ſinne, to the fuelling of corruption; what ever affords ſubſidies, ſuccours, contributions, encouragement and ſtrength to ſinne, that is doubtleſſe an errour: So there is a great agreement between grace and truth; they have alſo both one Father, even the Father of light, and they are both ſerviceable one to another. Truth is ſerviceable to grace, as errour is to ſinne, and we may as ſafely ſay, what ever it is that ſerves to advance the work of grace in the hearts and lives of Saints, that is certainly a truth of God.

As we ſay of falſe comforts, that they will never inable to Gods ſervices: So we may ſay of falſe notions, they will never work Gods motions in us. As that cannot be truth, which is naturally ſerviceable to ſin: ſo that cannot be errour, which is naturally ſerviceable unto holineſſe.

Indeed the beſt comforts, and ſo the moſt precious truths of God may be made ſerviceable to the advancement of ſin, but yet they doe not this naturally and directly, but occaſionally and by accident. It is one thing what a truth may doe by accident, or occaſionally, another what it doth naturally and p. 221truly. The advancement of ſinne is not the work of truth, but it is the fruit of our own corrupt and ſinfull hearts, which Spider-like doe ſuck poyſon and venome out of the choiſeſt ſweet, even the beſt of truth, and the beſt of comforts; in which regard we ſay, truths are more infallibly known by their revelation, then by their operations; but yet there may be enough in the operations of opinions to diſcover them truth or errour to a mans ſelf, though not to others. All truth it works like it ſelf; it is holy, and it works holily; it is pure, and it works purely; it is spirituall, and it works spiritually; it came down from the Father of light, and it carries the ſoul to the place whence it came. In which regard we may ſay, that the operations and workings of opinions, being received and entertain'd into the heart, may be good characteristicons of the truth, or falſhood of them; if not to others, to whom the workings are not ſo obvious, yet to a mans ſelf, to whom they are apparent, if we will not wilfully ſhut our eyes, and obſcure what is evident.

And that it may be more evident to all, I will here lay down 5, or 6. ſpeciall operations that truth hath upon the ſoul, where it is entertain'd; by which you may be able to evidence, whether the opinions you have entertain'd be truth or errour.

1. The firſt and great operation which truth hath upon the Oper. 1 ſoul, where it is faithfully entertain'd, it is this: it humbles the ſoul; Truth where it comes, it hath a ſoul-humbling power; diſcoveries doe humble men, truth is a diſcovery from God to the ſoul, it is a beam of light darted from the Father of light, who if he doe but dart one beam of himſelf into the heart, it humbles the ſoul, and laies it in the duſt before him: the nearer you come to God, and God to you, the more you ſee the diſtance between God and you: and hence it is that the greateſt ſoul-abaſements doe ever follow the greateſt God and Christ-manifeſtations: You ſee this plain in thoſe three famous examples of Job, of Iſaiah, of Agur: I have heard of thee (ſaith one of them) by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee, wherefore I abhorre my ſelf in duſt and aſhes, Job 42.5, 6. Another cries out, Wee is me, for I am a p. 222man undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips—for I have ſeen the Lord of hoſts, Iſa 6.5. A third hee cries out, Surely I am more brutiſh then any man, I have not the underſtanding of a man, Prov. 30.1, 2. who was yet a man of choice, high and excellent revelations; but he ſaw God, and looking upon himſelf in oppoſition to him, hee was humbled, hee was laid in the duſt before him. And this is a naturall and genuine property of truth rightly entertain'd, it humbles, it empties a man, it makes man nothing, and God all. None are more humble, more ſweet, then thoſe who are the children of the truth: what S^t. James ſaith of wiſdom, which is from above, It is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of meeknes, Jam. 3.13, 17. the ſame may I ſay of truth, which comes from the ſame place; it is not only pure, but peaceable, it is gentle, full of meekneſſe, full of humility: it is ſo farre from ſwelling, that it empties a man, makes him nothing; ſo farre from exalting, that it laies a man low, and raiſeth up God upon the ruines of pride and ſelf in him.

Indeed we read of knowledge that puffeth up; but ſurely it is not the knowledge of divine truths, but of naturall things, which indeed are apt to ſwell a naturall man; or it is not the knowledge of divine truths divinely. A man may know heavenly things as a man, yet not as a Chriſtian, hee may know them rationally, yet not spiritually; the one begets pride and vain-glory, but the other, humility and ſelf-deniall. A man may have a rational knowledge of ſpirituall and divine things, and yet be puffed up with it; but certainly, where there is a ſpirituall conception and underſtanding of the things of God, the ſoul is much humbled and emptied, and none are more humble, more little then thoſe, who are the right-born children of truth.

Obj. But you will ſay, you ſee many who are humble in an errour, and others, who are proud in the truth, and therefore there is no evidencing of truth or errour by this Character.

Anſw. For the anſwer of this, which ſeems to overthrow all J have ſaid; you ſee it is made up of two parts, 1. Men may be humble in an errour. 2. Again, men may p. 223be proud in the truth. For anſwer to the firſt.

1. That humility that men may have in a way of errour, it is not a grace, but a naturall temper, a ſmoothneſſe and naturall plauſibleneſſe of diſpoſition, which may render a man gratefull to men, though not acceptable to God; we ſee many who are men to men, but devils to God, they are plauſible to men, but act their contrariety, and oppoſition to God; the greateſt spirituall pride, may lurk under the moſt eminent naturall ſweetneſſe: the ſmootheſt waters are oftentimes the deepeſt; and the faireſt dispoſition to men, may be the perverſeſt diſpoſition to God.

You ſee many of the Heathens, who excelled in this ſweetneſſe of naturall temper, that yet were oppoſite enough to God: and the greateſt acts of cruelty have been acted by thoſe who have had the moſt ſweeteſt tempers of nature.Sueton. in Tito. Titus ſonne to Veſpaſian, who was called, Deliciae humani generis, the darling of mankinde, the Paragon of nature,Joſeph. l. 7 bel. Iud. cap. 17.Judg 17 yet he acted the greateſt cruelties againſt the people of God (which ſhews the greater wrath poured on them, that ſo milde a temper ſhould act it) by fire, famine and ſword hee put to death eleven hundred thouſand of the Jews.

2. But ſecondly, That humility men have in errour, if not their naturall diſpoſition, yet it is but the keeping and improving, or the concealing and amending of nature by humane precepts, morall rules and induſtry. Socrates was a man of an auſteer, crabbed, wrathfull and wicked diſpoſition by nature, as he aſſents to him who reads his Phyſiognomy; but (ſaith he) I have corrected that by Ethicks (that is, by morall ſtudies, rules and principles) which I was by nature. Many by induſtry and morality may correct a naturall diſpoſition, when yet the temper is not changed; they may be mended by this, but not new made, and ſo their humility is not a grace, but a vertue, and ſuch a vertue as is but a tree without a root, till they be ingraffed into Chriſt: all grace is from Chriſt, and no grace from Chriſt till we come to be in Chriſt: the Apoſtle ſaith, Wee are his workmanſhip created in Chriſt to good works.

3. Men may be humble in a way of errour, becauſe it may p. 224be they have not thoſe occaſions and provocations which may draw out their pride and ſelfiſhneſſe: the ſtream may runne ſtill enough, if it meet with no ſtones, but then it will ſwell and roar: ſo many may be humble and calm enough, while they meet with no oppoſition; but oppoſitions and provocations will diſcover men.Natura vexata prodit ſi ipſam. Wee uſe to ſay, nature being vexed doth diſcover it ſelf: the devil could ſay of Job, that hee was patient, becauſe hee had nothing that might occaſion or draw forth his impatiency, and therefore hee deſired God, that hee would give him leave but to ſmite him, and then hee ſhould ſee, that he that was now ſo patient, would curſe him to the faces there is a great deal of truth in this argument, that there could be no judging of Jobs patience, ſo long as there was nothing to provoke and draw forth his impatience: and there was a great deal of grace in Job, that notwithſtanding all theſe provocations, he was yet patient and ſilent to Jehovah.

Men are often patient becauſe they are not provoked; while Jonah had the gourd, he was calm enough, but when the gourd was eaten up, he grew as hot as the Sunne which ſhone upon him. It is no judging of mens humility, of mens meekneſſe, when they have no provocation to the contrary; and there is a great deal of allowance to be afforded to them which have all provocation: Oppreſſion makes a wiſe man mad, ſaith Solomon.

4. That humility that men have in a way of errour, may be, it is but a counterfeit, no true and reall humility, it is but the viſour of it, not that in truth, there may be ſmooth language, and yet a ſtormy heart; many may have the voice of Jacob, but the hands of Eſau, and a milde countenance, yet a proud and perverſe ſpirit; this is like Goliahs ſword cover'd over with a linen Ephod; beſides men may put on a ſmooth garment to deceive, as the Prophet ſaith, that is, that they may advantage their deceit, and ſeek to procure the more facile reception of their errours, by the counterfeit ſhew of humility; and abundance of examples, if needfull, might be alledged for this; he that doth but peruſe the Stories of times, will ſee this abundantly true.

5. But fiftly, we anſwer, If men are truly humble, and yet p. 225in a way of errour, then their humility is not the reſult of their errours, but of their graces: all errours are not damning and undoing errours, though all are ſinfull and defiling errours. It is poſſible many errours may conſiſt with grace, and therefore there may be humility, and yet men may be led away with errours; but then that humility is not the reſult of their errors, but the effect of their graces. And that ſhall ſuffice to anſwer the firſt part of the Objection: wee will now come to the ſecond part. As there are many humble in errour, ſo many, you will ſay, are proud in the truth; and therefore wee cannot evidence truth by this operation, that it hath an humbling power upon them who entertain it.

Anſw. Now for the anſwer of this, where you ſay, that many are proud in the truth. It would be conſidered,

1 Whether you are not mistaken; many there are who miſtake magnanimity, and true nobleneſſe of ſpirit for pride, as they doe baſeneſſe for humility. Gods people are often charged with raſhneſſe, choler, pride, impatience, when it is but their courage, zeal, and magnanimity of ſpirit for the truth of God. Gods people are nothing, when they are to deal with God, but they are ſomething, when they are to deal for God: they are little, when they are to deal with men, even with the leaſt of men in their own cauſe, but they are great, when they are to deal with the greateſt of men in the cauſe of God. Luther cals a gracious ſpirit, Spiritus principalis, a princely ſpirit, though it be an humble, yet it is a Prince-like humility, and not a Vaſſal-like baſeneſſe: this is one piece of the royalty of a gracious ſpirit, hee is not too high to ſtoop to the meaneſt ſervices, and yet too high to ſtoop to the leſt ſin; he is not too big to ſtoop to any condition without ſin, nor ſo little as to yeeld to the leſt ſin, upon the greateſt tenders or terrours; look upon the Story of the three children. I ſay, hee is nothing, when hee is to deal with God, but ſomething, when he is to deal for God. You ſee John Baptiſt how little hee was, when hee was to deal with God, I am not worthy, ſaith hee of Chriſt, to unloſe his ſhoe-lachets; yet you ſee how great when he was to deal for God; ſee how he chargeth the Scribes and Phariſees, Mat. 3. O generation of vipers; how he reproveth p. 226Herod for his inceſt; this was not pride, but magnanimity and noblenes of ſpirit.

And Moſes, how little was hee in his own cauſe, and how nothing when hee was to deal with God? hee is ſaid to bee the meekeſt man upon the earth: yet in the cauſe of God hee ſhews himſelf; there hee ſtands upon his terms to the utmoſt, and would not yeeld to Pharaoh to leave a hoof behinde; the like of Abraham, when hee was to deal with God, how little was hee? I am but duſt and aſhes: yet when to deal with the King of Sodom, which had reſpect to Gods providence, and his glory, he would take nothing from him, not a ſhoe latchet, no, ſaith he, It ſhall not be ſaid that the King of Sodome hath made Abraham rich. So Paul, though he was humble, and nothing when he was to deale with God, yet he was ſomething when he was to deal for God, he could ſpare none in Gods cauſe, if Peter walk doubly, he will withſtand him to the face, as you ſee.

And it is remarkable what is ſpoken of the Church of Epheſus, in the 2. Revel. 2. I know thy patience, and how thou canſt not beare with them that are evil; one would thinke thoſe two to be ill coupled together, patience, and yet cannot beare: wherein doth patience lye but in bearing? therefore theſe are ſtrangely coupled, but they agree well in a gracious ſpirit, there is patience in our own cauſe, impatience in Gods; patience in our own cauſe is a vertue, but in Gods it is a vice, it is not patience, but cowardize, but puſillanimity: to be little in our own cauſe is commendable, but to be little in Gods, argues lownes of ſpirit. And therefore you muſt take heed of miſtaking magnanimity for pride. That is the firſt.

Oper. 2 But ſecondly, It is confeſſed there is too much pride and ſelf even in the children of truth, in the maintaining of it, and it is a fault they are to be humbled for: how doe men act themſelves in all their actings for God, expreſſe their heats, more then Gods? doe we not ſee in all undertakings, what a deale of pride, what a deale of paſſion? how doe men ſwell one againſt another? ſet their paſſion inſtead of their reaſon one againſt another? inſomuch that that which ſhould be the ſoader of accord, becomes but the bellows of ſtrife, and all means of union becomes means of diſ-union, and all reaſons for accord prove but arguments of further diſtance.

p. 227And this ariſeth, firſt either from the crookednes and crabbednes 1of their naturall tempers. Grace though it alt…r nature, yet it doth not aboliſh nature; though it doe much correct and amend naturall tempers, yet it doth not altogether, either rectifie, or free us of them.

The apple doth retaine the taste of the ſtock into which it is ingraffed; though there be a great alteration, yet there may be ſome taſte. Grace is ingraffed upon the stock of nature, and though it may much alter our tempers, though much amend naturall diſpoſition, yet there will be a taſte of them, there will be a reliſh of them. It is a hard task when a man is not onelyonly to deale with a corrupt affection, but with a naturall conſtitution. A little humility in ſome natures may ſhew more then abundance in another. But that is grace indeed, which is gotten upon the conqueſt of contrary tempers and diſpoſitions.

2. It ariſeth from weaknes of judgement: weaknes of 2judgment is often joyned with strength of will: none have more ſtrong paſſions, then they who have the weakeſt reaſon. Or it may be men may have ſtrong affections to a way, and may be ingaged for an opinion, which perhaps they want judgement and ability to maintaine againſt oppoſition; and this cauſeth them to fall into heats and paſſions; and ſo much of paſſion, ſo much of nothing to the purpoſe; there reaſon, as one ſaith, spends upon a falſe ſent, and forſakes the queſtion ſtarted.

3. It ariſeth from the heat of oppoſition, which may much irritate and provoke; the beſt of men are but men, and have their humana quaedam, they have their imperfections, they have their corruptions; and oppoſition will tempt and draw forth that corruption: we uſe to ſay, one froward man makes another; With the froward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelfe froward, Pſal. 18.26. It is ſpoken of God, it is true of man. One pasſion calls in another, as deep calls in for deep; pride occaſions pride, and paſſion, paſſion, which make men ſometimes ſadly think how in moſt disputes and contendings for the truth, men are rather Satans then Saints one to another, rather tempters of their ſins, then helpers of their graces.

3. Thou ſayeſt men are proud in the truth. Why? but though p. 2283grace doe not expell pride, yet it doth humble them for it: though it doe not empty them of pride, yet it empties and humbles them for it. Grace and truth, if it be not a bridle, it will be a whip; if not a curb, it will be a ſcourge; if it be not directive, it will be afflictive; if you doe not learn your duty from it, it will chaſtiſe you for the neglect of it, and ſo in the iſſue it humbles men, it makes them nothing for their being ſomething: the higher the flood hath been, the lower is the ebb: the more ſinfully they exalted themſelves, with the more ſhame and ſorrow they humble themſelves before God: they are as little before God, as bigg with men. This is the nature of truth, where it is entertained, either it will inable you to be humble, or humble you for your pride, it will worke one way; either it will empty of pride, or empty for pride: if you have ſwelled, thoſe ſwellings are breathed out in ſighes: the ſighes of the cloſet doe abate the ſwellings of the chayre; and if it work either way, notwithſtanding this objection, this operation may be a good evidence of truth, that truth doth humble thoſe who entertaine it; and ſo much for the firſt eminent operation of truth. I ſhall be briefer in the reſt.

The ſecond great operation of truth is this.

Secondly, Truth hath a heart-changing, a heart-transforming power. I put them both together, becauſe I would draw up all as cloſe as I can. It hath I ſay a heart-changing power. Paul had no ſooner ſeen that great truth, Jeſus was the Chriſt, but he became another man, of a wolfe he is now a lambe, of a ſinner a Saint, of a perſecutor he becomes a Preacher. So the Jaylor, what an eminent change did the receiving of the truth make in him? he that before was ſo cruell and inhumane to them, how gentle, how tender, how ſweet was he now?

Truth makes ſuch a change upon the ſoul, that this worke is called a new Creation, and the man upon whom it is wrought is a new creature, he hath a new judgement and notions of things, a new heart and affections to them, a new life and converſation in them; he is a man who differs as much from himſelfe, as before he did from another man, head, and heart, and life, and all are changed. And this change is not a morall, a partiall, a p. 229formall change, but a thorow, univerſall and spirituall change, they are ſanctified by truth, Joh. 17.17. And therefore I ſay it doth not onelyonly change, but it transformes, it hath a ſoul-tranſforming power: truth doth transform the ſoul into the nature of truth, it makes the ſoul holy, as it is holy; pure, as it is pure, ſpirituall, as it is spirituall; it makes a man like unto it ſelfe. Be but at the paines to peruſe two places for this; the firſt is 1 Jam. 21. where the word is called an ingraffed word, which indeed changeth the ſtock into the nature of it ſelfe. As you cut off the boughs and branches of a crab-ſtock, that you may ingraff the better fruit into it: ſo the Apoſtle he bids us there, to lay apart all filthineſſe, and ſuperfluity of naughtines, which are the corrupt branches, in which a corrupt ſtock doth abound, and ſaith he, receive with meeknes the ingraffed word, which as it is able to ſave your ſouls hereafter, ſo now to change the whole ſtock into its own nature: the ſecond place I would preſent to you, is the 2 Cor. 3 18. While looking upon him as in a glaſſe, we are changed into his own image, from glory to glory; truth hath this transforming power, where it is entertayned: ſuch as mens notions are, ſuch are their ſpirits: ill precepts beget ill principles, corrupt doctrines, corrupt hearts. A mans heart carryes a conformity with his notions and principles: there is a great agreement between what is entertained into the underſtanding, and what is wrought in the heart; the worke of the heart is but the births of the underſtanding, the iſſue begotten upon the heart, by the power of the notions in the minde: never face anſwered face more exactly in the water, then the heart anſwers the head, where truths are of divine reception: you may receive truths partially, and as men onelyonly, and yet be never the better for them: there may be truth in the head, and a lye in the heart: but if you receive truth fully and as Chriſtians, as the wax takes the impreſſion of the ſeale, ſo doth the heart of truth: and principles are bred in you, ſuitable to thoſe notions you have truly received: truth where it is entertained in truth, it hath a heart-changing, and a heart-transforming power.

It makes you like it ſelfe, holy as it is holy, pure as it is pure, ſpirituall as it is ſpirituall.

p. 230And when men are not ſo, one of theſe two muſt ſurely follow.

1. Either that is not truth which you have received.

2. Or elſe you have not received it truly, either that is not a good word which is ingraffed, or that good word was never yet ingraffed into you; Certainely where that is ingraffed, both ſtock and fruit are changed. And ſo much for the ſecond.

Oper. 3 A third operation that truth hath upon the ſoul where it is entertained: It hath a ſinne-ſubduing power, truth is of a purging, healing, purifying, and commanding nature. Where truth is received in power, nothing is in power beſides it, where it commands in the ſoul, the ſoul is under no other command but truth, where it is truly a Maſter, (and it is not there truly, where it is not a Maſter) there nothing rules but truth: what the Apoſtle ſaith of the ſpirituall man, I may ſay of truth, which is a great part of him. It judgeth all, and is judged of none, and it commandeth all, and is commanded of none. Truth was never there in power, where lust hath power, nor never had command in that ſoul, where corruptions beare ſway. Indeed ſin may dwell where truth doth dwell, but ſin doth not command where truth doth reign. No man can be under the reign of truth, and under the power of luſt, a ſervant to truth, and a vaſſall to his corruptions, truth hath a ſin-ſubduing power; it can pull downe ſtrong holds, cast downe high imaginations, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Are you then under the authoritative power of any corruption, are you under the command of any luſt, luſts of the underſtanding, luſts of the heart, or luſts of life. Know this, either that is not truth which you have entertained, or you have not entertayned truth in the power of it.

Oper. 4 Fourthly, A fourth operation that truth hath upon the ſoul, where it is entertayned; It hath a heart-quickning power; as the main truth did raiſe us up from death, and beget life in us at the firſt, for every truth, in its meaſure and proportion, is ſerviceable to cheriſh and quicken life begotten in us.

Truth and life alwayes goe together, truth alwayes carries life with it, and life is ever the companion of truth; Chriſt is p. 231called truth, and he is called life too, Joh. 14.6. I am the truth and the life; hee could not bee the one, if hee had not been the other. Now as all light is in the body of the Sunne, yet every ray, every beam carries light with it: So all life is in Christ, who is the great truth, and yet every truth is a beam from this Sunne; and great truth it carries life with it, it is therefore called the light of life, Joh. 9.5. You can have no communication of truth, but there is a conveyance of life with it; every notion will beget motion, every beam of light will be a ſtream of life, and carry you on with power to the obedience of truth revealed; the ſame ſpirit which is the spirit of truth, is the spirit of life and of power, and where hee is a ſpirit communicating light and truth, there he a ſpirit conveying life and power to the ſoul alſo. To conclude this then, you have entertain'd ſome opinions for truth, but are they ſoul-quickning truths? are they helpfull to the life of God, and to the life of grace in you? Tell me, doe they dead you, or doe they quicken you more? and doe they quicken your graces, or ſtirre up your corruptions? Are they ſerviceable to grace, or are they helpfull to ſinne? It is the nature of truth to quicken our graces, but to dead our corruptions; and this is the nature of errour, to provoke our luſts, but to dead our graces.

A fifth Operation of truth where it is entertain'd, it hath a Opera. 5 heart-inflaming power. Truth is a beam of that Sun, which doth not only enlighten, but heat and warm us.Claritas in intellectu parit arderem in affectu. Light in the underſtanding begets heat in the heart, the underſtanding is as the medium between the heart and Chriſt, and ſerves as the burning-glaſſe to the heart, whereby the heart is ſet on fire with thoſe notions which are carried from Chriſt by the understanding to the ſoul: hee that is baptized with the holy Ghost, the ſpirit of truth, is baptized with fire,Fulget cherub intelligentia luce, ardet Seraph charitatis igne. Pic. Mirand. de dig. hom. his affections are inflam'd with the love of it.

He that like the Cherub doth ſhine with light and truth, like the Seraph burns with heat and love. Truth hath an heart-enamouring power, could wee but ſee it in it's beauty, as the Philoſopher ſaid of vertue, I may of truth, we could not chuſe but be in love with it; and that which doth enamour the heart, muſt needs enflame the heart; that which p. 232takes the heart, muſt needs ſet the heart on fire, either with deſire to enjoy it, or with love in the enjoyment of it.

Indeed it is true, many are too hot in an errour, and others are too cold in the truth; and it is the ones ſinne, and the others ſhame; the one is the fruit of the partiall reception of truth, they take it into the head, not into the heart, Th…y receive not truth with the love of it, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Theſſ. 2. and the other is the fruit of the blinde entertainment of errour; they have light without heat, and thou haſt heat without light; their light is a falſe light, becauſe it is not joyn'd with heat, and thy heat is a falſe heat, becauſe it is not joyn'd with light. And yet I confeſſe many are zealous in a way of errour, when the beſt are too cold in the truth; it is our ſhame, as their ſinne. But here is the comfort, a little true heat is worth a great deal of falſe fire, a little zeal acted with grace, is worth a great deal ſpirited with corruption. Men in ignorance are like thoſe under the frigid zone, they are cold and frozen, and have no heats or affections in them. Wee may love things we have not ſeen, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.8. Whom having not ſeen, Ignoti nulla cupid…; Inviſa poſ. ſumma amare, incognita ne quaquam.yet you love, but wee cannot love things wee have not known; and men in errour are like men under the torrid zone, who burn with a falſe heat; but men in the truth, they are like thoſe who live under the temperate zone, whoſe heat is comfortable and makes them fruitfull: or if you will take it in another compariſon; men in ignorance they are like dead men, altogther cold, and have no heat in them. Men in errour are like men in a fever, whoſe heat is their diſtemper: but men in the truth they are like unto men in health, whoſe heat is their health, and enables them to action, and reſiſteth corruption. And that is a fifth operation of truth where it is entertain'd, it hath a heart-warming, a heart-inflaming power. We come to the laſt.

Oper. 6 Sixthly and laſtly, Truth hath a heart-raiſing and ſpiritualizing property: where it comes into the heart with power, it doth raiſe and ſpiritualize a man: indeed, the naked knowledge of truth doth no more raiſe the heart, then the ſight of the Sunne doth lift a man up to heaven, but when truth comes into the heart in it's power, it carries the ſoul thither whence it p. 233came. All truth as it came from God, ſo it carryes the ſoule to God, it rayſeth and spiritualizeth a man; it doth spiritualize and rayſe his understanding, his notions and conceptions of things; it doth spiritualize a mans heart, a mans affections, a mans actions, it makes him a ſpirituall man, 1 Cor. 2.15. Men are much according to their notions of things, men of low conceptions, are men of low ſpirits, men of higher and more ſpirituall notions, are men of finer tempers, of more refined ſpirits: ſo farre as truth is received, ſo farre it doth refine a man: if it enter the head, a man is part refined, but if it be received into the heart, the whole man is ſpiritualized. A mans head may be refined, and yet he may have a groſſe heart; as Chriſt ſaith, Make their hearts groſſe, that ſeeing they might not ſee, they did ſee in the head, and that was refined, but they did not ſee in their heart, and therefore that was ſtill groſſe; but if the heart once be ſpiritualized with truth, then the whole man is made ſpirituall, for truth is of a ſpiritualizing nature. And ſo much ſhall ſerve for the operations of truth, and this third and laſt Character, viz. Truth doth advance the whole worke of grace, in the hearts and lives of Saints.

Well then, you ſee there are many opinions abroad, Ʋſe. and it may be ſome of you have given entertainment to ſome of them, I doe not ſay, that they are all of them erroneous, but many are, others have much errour mingled with ſome truth. I have given you three touches, whereby you may be able to judge of them: three Characters, whereby you may be inabled to diſcover truth from errour. And doe you try your opinions by them? ſee, are they ſuch as are word-revelation? doth the word plainly, and evidently hold them forth? or are they deductions drawne from the word? But ſee, is not the place miſtaken? are the deductions rightly gathered? are they conſonant to the harmony of Scriptures? doe they ſuite with Gods maine end in Scripture? By theſe you may be able to diſcover them.

Again, the opinions which are held forth, or you have entertained, doe they I ſay advance God? doe they advance all God? all the Attributes? all the will of God? all the wayes of God? and doe they advance all God in Chriſt? And doe all this not ſeemingly, but really? Certainely if ſo, they are truths p. 234of God. Beſides you that have entertayned and cloſed with any opinions, tell me, let conſcience ſpeake, haſt thou found them to be ſerviceable, to advance the whole work of grace in thy heart and in thy life? What operations have they had upon thee? have they humbled thee? quickned thee? made thee more holy? more exact in thy walking? &c. Indeed its true, truths are more infallibly known in their eſſe, then in their operari, in theſi, then in praxi, in their revelation, then in their operations; But yet they may be diſcerned by their operations alſo, becauſe all truth workes like unto it ſelfe, its holy, and it worketh holily, pure, and it workes purely, ſpiritually, and it workes ſpirituall: many who know not the ſimples of things as they grow, that yet know them by their operations, and many who know not a truth in its eſſe and being, who yet know it in its operations and workings; they know not truth as it is in Ieſus, but they know truth as it workes like Jeſus; they cannot evidence truth ſo fully in its being in the word, as they can in its operations upon the heart; many that know it better by experience, then they can evidence it by arguments. And you ſhall be able to judge of moſt opinions, if you doe but look upon them in their operations upon the heart. Certainely that which doth humble us, quicken us, make us more holy, &c. it cannot likely be an errour: if an opinion hath theſe influences and operations upon the heart, it is ſurely a truth. And on the contrary, if an opinion doth make us more proud, ſelf-conceited, uncharitable, leſſe exact in our walking, &c. it is not probable to be a truth, truth is holy, and it works like to it ſelf, holily. If a man had received a pill, and he ſee it worke kindly upon the humours, he concludes it is good and proper: but if inſtead of working upon them, and emptying the body of malignant humours, it doth ſwell a man, &c. he will preſently conclude it is poyſon. So when you have entertayned an opinion, and you finde it workes kindly upon your corruptions, it doth humble you, purge you, and is helpfull to your graces, it doth quicken you, and make you more holy, you have ſome comfortable evidence that this is a truth, it workes like truth. But on the contrary, if we finde an opinion doth ſwell us up with pride, make us proud, and cenſorious, and uncharitable, p. 235deads our hearts to duty, ſlackens the hand to the exerciſe of godlines, and you ſee this not onelyonly the fruit, but the proper effect of the opinion, you may be ſure that opinion is an errour.

Chriſtians, you are fallen into thoſe times wherein errours doe abound; as ſome truths are diſcovered, ſo many errours are revealed: you need to take heed you be not deceived, eſpecially ſeeing every opinion doth language it ſelf unto you in the words of the text, Loe, here is Christ.

And me thinks I did not need to ſay any more, that which I have ſpoken might be ſufficient, to diſcover errour, and to confirme you in the truth.

But yet in regard there are ſo many opinions abroad, and many of thoſe ſo dangerous, ſo ſubtle, ſo ſeductive, I ſhall in the concluſion of this Queſtion adde a few particulars, which may ſerve inſtead of a fence to preſerve you from errour, and a ſtarre to guide you in the wayes of truth. And I ſhall branch this diſcourſe into theſe two generall heads. 1. Cautions 2. Directions.

1. Beware of being too credulous, of taking all upon truſt, and drinking in all you heare: many men whoſe ſouls are but like to blanke paper, fit for any to ſcroll upon, or like to ſoft wax, ready to receive what impreſſion men will stampe in them.

Wee are commanded to examine, to try, to prove all things, as I have ſhewed at large:Non opus eſt virilis intelligentiae, ſed puerilit inſcitiae. therefore hath God given you the light of reaſon, as you are men, the light of grace, as you are Christian men, that you might prove and examine doctrines. If we were to take all on truſt, there were no need of the understanding of men, the ſimplicity of children would ſerve the turne for that.

Now I finde there are three great grounds why men are ſo apt to take opinions upon truſt.

1.aaQualitatem docentium, non doctrinae. One is becauſe they come handed to us by the beſt men.bbNon perſonis fides probanda eſt, ſed potius ex fide perſona. Men examine more the quis then the quid: the quality of the doctor, more then the nature of the doctrine which is held forth: if they ſee an opinion handed to them by holy men, and learned men, they preſently receive it even as Goſpell, without p. 236any ſcruple, or any doubt of it: and thus oftentimes though they thirſt after truth,Quamvis evangeliū ſitiunt, venenum hauriant. Conſul. Morton. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. p. 421. Hoc lantū ſcio, quod nihil ſcio. Conſul. Mort. Apol. Cath. p. 2. l. 5. cap. 12. Eſtote probait numularij, ſiquis num…aus fit adulterus, & figurā Caeſaris non habeat, nec ſignatus fit moneta publica, reprobetur Morton. yet they drinke in errour—you had need to take heed of this in theſe dayes. I have told you, the best of men are but men, and being men they may be deceivers, though they are not willing to deceive; the Apoſtle tells us We know but in part. And this is not the leaſt part of our knowledge, to know that our knowledge is imperfect.

2. A ſecond ground men are ſo apt to take an opinion upon truſt is, becauſe an opinion comes languaged under the moſt recept…ble termes, it is conveyed to them under the higheſt notions, perhaps it may ſpeake the language of the Text, Loe, here is Chriſt. And indeed if you looke abroad, you ſhall ſcarce ſee any opinion that will stoop to ſeek its entertaynment, or procure its reception upon lower termes, then as the minde of Chriſt: every opinion pretends Chriſts commiſſion for its paſſe, and will carry as bigg a ſaile as truth it ſelf. And though this prevaile much with men, to give up their underſtandings, and ſubject their hearts to ſuch an opinion, either they feare to reject it, or for the very name ſake they embrace it, yet certainely all is not truth that goes under that name: too many doe ſtamp Chriſts image upon their own coyne. To diſcover ſome of thoſe opinions to you, which goe under that name, you may take in theſe few particulars.

1. Certainely that opinion which ſuits not with the minde of Chriſt, though it ſay, Loe, here is Chriſt, yet it is an errour, not a truth of Chriſt.

2. That opinion which ſuites not with the nature of Chriſt, who is pure and holy, though it ſay, Loe, here is Chriſt, yet believe it not, it is an errour, and no truth of Chriſt.

3. That opinion which ſuites not with the life of Chriſt, which was exact, holy, humble, &c. though it hold forth, Loe, here is Chriſt, yet it is none of Chriſts.

4. That opinion which obſcures and robbs Chriſt of his glory and gives to man that which is due alone to Chriſt, though it ſay, Loe, here is Chriſt, yet it is an errour, and no truth of Chriſt.

5. That opinion which breeds a diſtance, and eſtrangement between Christ and the ſoul, that interrupts the ſoule in p. 237communion with Chriſt, either in believing or obeying, that draws the ſoul either frō the obedience of faith, or the obedience to the command, though it ſay, Loe, here is Chriſt, yet it is an errour, and no truth of Chriſt. By theſe touches you may diſcover many opinions to be errours that goe under that name, which ſhews you the danger of drinking in all opinions, that language themſelves unto you under the name of Chriſt.

A third ground why men are ſo apt to take opinions on truſt, is, becauſe, beſides all this, they may carry ſome fair and lovely aspects, which may render them lovely and deſirable, as if they were truth it ſelf; many men are tempted into an opinion, rather then perſwaded into it; they are led rather by affection, then by judgement; the benigne and fair aſpects, which an opinion may carry, may much take men, and prevail with them for the entertainment of it. It was our fall at firſt, the lovely aſpects which the fruit did bear; and it is many an ones fall ſtill, even the fair and lovely aſpects which an opinion ſeems to carry with it. I have told you the Prince of darkneſſe may transform himſelf into an Angel of light, and he may convey errour to you, not only under the notion, but under the habit of truth it ſelf, and render an errour every way as lovely, deſirable and acceptable as the truth it ſelf.

And therefore there being ſo much danger, dealing with ſo ſubtle an adverſary; we had need to beware what we entertain, and ſift it to the bottome, before ever wee give it welcome into our hearts. And that's the firſt Caution. I will be brief upon the reſt.

2. Beware of prejudice: look not prejudicially upon an opinion. As wee are not to look upon an opinion with affection, and ſo give up our hearts to it, before wee have tried it: ſo wee muſt not look upon it with diſaffection, and ſo ſet our hearts againſt it, before wee have examined it. Indeed there are ſome opinions not worthy tryall. Some are to bee lookt upon with abhorrency, as ſuch which are deſtructive to faith and godlineſſe; when I ſay you are not to look upon opinions with prejudice, I mean, not theſe, for thoſe you are to look upon with abhorrencie; but I mean, ſuch as are controverted p. 238among the godly themſelves, and ſuch as may conſist with all holineſſe of life and converſation, of theſe I would be underſtood to ſpeak, when I ſay, look not with prejudice againſt any way: men, when they receive prejudice againſt a way, either they will not ſearch at all, or, if they doe, they will not know. As aff…ctions to a way doth hasten the understanding to know, and the heart to embrace it: ſo diſaffection to a way doth hinder the underſtanding from knowing, and hold off the heart from embracing. It is a hard thing to perſwade that man, whoſe heart is either ingaged to a contrary way, or his understanding prejudiced to this way: Such a man may bee convinced, but it is hard to perſwade him, his affections and ingagements act againſt all that light, that he will not ſee, he will not know; it muſt be our work, if wee will finde out truth, to beware of prejudice. You know it was that which hindered the Jews from cloſing with Chriſt, who was the great truth, and it will be that will hinder you from embracing of leſſer truths. Formerly the novelty of a way, the paucity of profeſſours, the meannes of their condition, the weakneſſe of their parts and abilities, the bad entertainment a truth had in the world, were the great ſtumbling blocks or prejudices to the entertainment of truth. It was ſo in the Goſpel, as you all know, and it is well if the prejudices be not turn'd the other way, and that the ancientneſſe of an opinion, the multitude of profeſſours, the quality of them, the greatneſſe of their learning and parts, the favour it may finde in the world, be not the great prejudices which may hinder from the cloſing with it. God hath often times in providence ſmiled upon an errour, and diſcountenanced a truth, and he may pleaſe to let the truth finde favour, and errour bee diſcountenanced. Wee look for thoſe daies, when God ſhall make Kings nurſing Fathers, and nurſing Mothers to his Church, when the Kingdoms of the earth ſhall become the Lords and his Chriſts: this is promiſed, and therefore this ſhould bee no prejudice, when God doth bring it about, to hinder us from the entertainment of an opinion. If you would finde out truth, beware of prejudice on any ſide, and look ſingly upon the opinion without any other respects at all.

p. 2393. Beware of being byaſſed with carnall and corrupt affections; moſt men of the world are carried with byaſſes, rather then with principles; they are moved rather by affections then judgement, by things without them, rather then principles within them.

There are four great Byaſſes which carry moſt men in the world.

1. The firſt Byas is, the love of the world, which is a ſtrong byas. There are too many that ſtand as the people in the Market-place, who would not goe into the vineyard, till they were hired: ſo they are not willing to entertain an opinion, embrace a way, till they can ſee what it can doe for them; they muſt be hired with filthy lucre, and will doe nothing till they ſee what will be moſt advantagious: God keep us from ſuch a ſpirit! He who doth not ſee truth all riches, ſhall never be the poſſeſſour of it, ſuch a man will ſee nothing to be truth or errour, but what may ſtand with his own ends, his ſecular advantages. As they uſed to ſay of a corrupt Judge, he had Bos in lingua, he had money in his tongue, and being bribed would ſay any thing: So J may ſay of a worldly man, he hath bos in corde, the world in his heart, and hee will not cloſe with, or embrace any thing, but what may ſtand with his advantages; where there is the love of the world,Caeterae cupiditates ingenti cupiditati ſubſervient. there is deſire to get the world, and fear to loſe the world, and ſuch a man will make all to ſerve his main corruption. You ſee the deſire of gain, it made Judas to ſell Chriſt, Demas forſake Chriſt, he forſook Chriſt, and did cleave to this preſent world. Hence Chriſt ſaith, Joh. 5.44.Joh. 5.44.John 5:44 How can you believe, ſo long as you ſeek honour one from another, and doe not ſeek that honour, which is from God only? And the fear of loſing the world made the Jews deny Chriſt, and reject him: If wee entertain him, ſay they, the Romans will come and take away our place and Nation. Men that love the world they will doe any thing to get, and any thing rather then hazzard and loſe that they love ſo dearly. Hence, Jam. 4.4. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you; he that will be a friend to the world is an enemy to God, and it is upon this ground, becauſe if ever God and the world come in competition, he p. 240will forſake God and cleave to the preſent world.

2. A ſecond byas, is popular applauſe: men naturally love to be ſome body, there is no man that would willingly ſtand as it were for a Cipher. Every man, with Simon Magus, would be given out to be ſome great one: and when men cannot be taken notice on in a crowd, they will be ſingular. As this may be a ground, why many doe deliver an opinion to difference themſelves from others in eſteem, by differing themſelves from others in judgement: So it may be a ground why others entertain and receive an opinion, to difference themſelves from others by their practice, to be thought more ſingular, more holy, more conſcientious; they are men only accounted conſcientious which differ from others, alas they think that others take all upon truſt, and are of the State-religion, and cloſe with any way; and therefore thinke they, if J will be accounted ſingular, if J will be esteemed indeed conſcientious and religious above others, I muſt difference my ſelf from others, and oftentimes where there is leaſt holineſſe, they will be moſt, forward to goe this way, to gain an esteem of holineſſe; men that cannot get an eſteem of holineſſe by their practice; they may labour to get an eſteem by their opinion; J doe not ſay any doe ſo, but certainly men may doe ſo, which is a fearfull ſpirit: theſe make but Religion ſerviceable to worldly ends; Godlineſſe advantagious to their own gain; which certainly is the worſt of ſpirits: and that is the ſecond.

A third byas which carries many, and of which you had need to beware is,

3. Compliancies correſpondencies, or engagements to friends, who are this or that way, or of this or that opinion. And we know by experience that this hath been a ſtrong byas. As diſaffection to perſons, hath wrought a diſtance and diſlike of the opinions they hold, and the waies they walk in: ſo affection and love to perſons, hath too much perſwaded with many to the entertainment and embracing of their opinions alſo. A man looks upon ſuch and ſuch friends, ſuch to whom he ſtands thus and thus related, it may be a father, a ſonne, a brother, a husband, a wife, &c. or ſuch to whom he is ſo and p. 241ſo engaged, or ſuch upon whom he hath ſuch and ſuch dependences, and they are of this or that opinion; and this comes in, either as a great motive to cloſe with the ſame, that ſo they may be rendered more acceptable and gratefull to them, or it ſtands as an obſtacle to hinder their cloſings with what is contrary to them. We ſhould not indeed know either father or mother, husband or wife, ſonne or daughter in the cauſe of God.

As we are to ſleight all intereſts and relations, if they ſtand not with God, if they walk in a way of errour: our engagements to God muſt drown all other engagements, our relations to him muſt ſwallow up all other relations to the creature: though they are dear, yet God is dearer: ſo we are to wave all intereſts and relations in the finding out and entertainment of truth. It was Davids ſpirit,Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, magis amica veritas. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and in earth I deſire in compariſon of thee? We are neither to be frighted into errour, nor bribed into truth, we ſhould take in our opinions by judgement, not by affections; by revelation from God, not by relation to the creature: if our intereſts, or relations, or engagements and dependencies, doe come in, while we are in the diſquiſition and ſearch of truth, we ſhall finde them great byaſſes, either to carry us to the embracing of errour, or rejection of truth, or if neither of them, yet to the blinde reception of truth: the Apoſtle tels us, he did not conſult with fleſh and bloud, but was obedient to the heavenly viſion, implying, that if he had conſulted with fleſh and bloud, he had not been obedient: ſo, if you conſult with your fleſh and bloud, with your relations, friends, ingagements, either you will not be obedient, or you will yeeld a blinde obedience to the heavenly viſion; a man may entertain an errour honestly, and receive truth corruptly; he that entertains an errour ſingly and ſimply, without being byaſſed with corrupt affections, doth entertain it honeſtly; but he that receives a truth, being byaſſed with intereſts and engagements, &c. doth receive it corruptly.

If you would finde out truth, beware of being byaſſed by friends, relations, dependencies, ingagements in the diſquiſition and ſearch of it; let your relations to truth ſwallow up p. 242all other relations, otherwiſe you will ſinfully embrace an errour, or blindely and corruptly entertain a truth. It will be ten thouſand times better for him, who is honeſt in an errour, then for thee, who art corrupt in the truth.

4. A fourth great byas, which is all the reſt in one, is ſelf. Self is not only the principle which worketh in moſt men, but it is alſo a byas in working. It is a maſter wheel to ſet men on work, and it is as oyl to the wheels to keep on working: it was the great prayer of Auguſtine, A me ipſo me libera, Domine.Good Lord deliver mee from my ſelf, and it may well be ours; if ſelf interpoſe, you will never finde out errour, nor diſcover truth. Self-aims, ſelf-ends, ſelf-advantages will blinde our eyes from beholding truth or errour: if ſelf reign in any man, truth ſhall never command there, becauſe the laws of truth, and the ends of ſelf are inconſiſtent one with another: if ſelf keep the door, it will admit and let in nothing that may be d…ſtructive to it. It will doe by opinions, as men doe at the gates of a City, enquire whether they be friends or enemies, before they let them in; and if upon enquiry they be found to be ſuch, as will not correspond with their ſelfiſh ends and principles, they will do by them, as Eliſha did by Ahabs meſſenger, ſhut the door, and hold them faſt there, becauſe they apprehend the ſound of the Maſters f…et behinde; they apprehend that the entertainment of ſuch a truth, will be destructive to their ſelfiſh aims and ends. If ever you would finde out truth you muſt learn to deny your ſelves, you muſt be content to ſacrifice all to the obedience of truth, you muſt be content to give up your ſinnes, as a ſnare, and your ſelves as a ſacrifice for the enjoyment of it: he that ſees not truth more riches then all riches, he that prizeth not truth above riches, friends, the world, he ſhall never be a true owner of it: Indeed he may own it, but never be true owner of it; he may own it as a ſervant, and make uſe of it ſo farre as it may be ſerviceable, but he will never own it as a Maſter, to which he makes all ſerviceable. Many love to command truth, but few to be commanded by truth; many love to be maſter of it, but they will not be maſtered by it: they look upon truth, as we look upon fire and water, to be good ſervants, but bad Masters; and therefore as they entertain p. 243it, when it may ſerve them; ſo they can diſclaim it, when they are to ſerve it. I ſee a deal of ſelf in the world, both in the ſetting on foot, and in the entertaining and maintaining of opinions: nothing would be ſo great a check to errour, nor open ſo free a courſe for truth, as the removing of this great obstacle of ſelf out of the way, let it be all our prayers (we had never more cauſe) Good Lord deliver us from our ſelves. Let not ſelf interpoſe it ſelf either in the venting, the ſearching, the entertainment, or rejecting of opinions, leſt we cloſe with errours, and deny the truth. And ſo much ſhall ſerve for the third Caution: I will be brief in the reſt.