may meet with some knots in Religion fome knotty Disputations he may meet with some Objections that he doth not know how to answer as Saint Austin said That original sin was propagated to the Soul I know it certainly but how it is propagated I cannot tell A man may meet with some Objections that he cannot answer however he will not be overswayed so as to forsake the Truth because he cannot answer some Objections Thirdly When I speak of this full assurance of understanding or knowledg in the mysteries of our Salvation this Caution likewise must be remembred That though it is true that God doth bestow it upon those that do his will yet it is not gained only by doing the will of God but it is gained especially by the gift of the Spirit of God When Saint Peter made that excellent confession of Christ when our Saviour asked his Disciples But whom say ye that I am he answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Matth. 16.15 16 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven It is the Spirit of God that leads us into all Truth Fourthly When I speak of a certainty of Knowledg you must remember that it is not a common gift of the Spirit of God but it is a saving gift of the Spirit of God for so saith our Saviour Matth. 13.11 12 13 To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to others it is not given for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath therefore speak I to them in Parables because they seeing see not and hearing they heart not neither do they understand This same certainty of Knowledg therefore is not attained by any natural qualification it is not a Knowledg that can be gotten or learned in Natures School it is not gotten by Art or Industry or reading of Books neither is it gotten by Tradition The Gentiles had a Natural knowledg of God Rom. 1.21 Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God They knew God by a Natural light but it is a Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God and therefore the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him Ephes 1.17 Fifthly Take this Caution this assurance of Knowledg is gradual that is it hath different degrees in some it is more and in some it is less some are but Babes in Christ others there are that are strong men some are weak in the Faith Rom. 14.1 Others are rooted in Christ and built up in him and stablished in the Faith Col. 2.7 This certainty of understanding at the first is but very weak as the Disciples of Christ in the great Point of the Resurrection at the first they were not clear in their knowledg of it Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been him which should have redeemed Israel beside all this to day is the third day since these things were done so that now our hope is almost at an end in the great business of our Saviours Resurrection they were not cleat at the first A man that hath this certainty of Knowledg may have but a weak beginning at the first and yet notwithstanding it will encrease more and more like the morning light that shines more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So that a man will at last come to be grounded and stablished in the truth he will be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult He will be stablished in Christ and grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. ult Secondly Let me give you some Distinctions of Knowledg that you may be the better able to find it out Knowledg you must know is twofold there is a Natural and a Supernatural Knowledg First Natural Knowledg which is ingraven in the Soul of man by Nature as the Gentiles by Nature knew God Rom. 1.21 That is a Natural knowledg that is gotten by Art and Industry as the knowledg of Astronomy is and the like Secondly Supernatural Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God Now the Supernatural Knowledg is twofold First It is either common Or secondly It is saving There is a common Supernatural Knowledg that is common to the Reprobates as well as to the Elect for Reprobates who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost they are enlightned with a Supernatural light Every thing that is Supernatural is not Spiritual the Devils they have a Supernatural light and yet it is not a spiritual nor sanctifying light and therefore they that sin the sin against the Holy Ghost have common light which is Supernatural the Text saith They have received the knowledg of the truth Heb. 10.26 Secondly There is a saving Supernatural light viz. that which is infused into the Souls of the Regenerate by the saving work of Gods holy Spirit Now this supernatural saving light that is again twofold First It is either mediate that is that which is acquired by means as Reading Hearing and Praying waiting upon God in the use of his Ordinances according as God told Saint Paul in the preaching of the Word Mens eyes should be opened and they should be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 Secondly Or else it is immediate and this is that light which is darted into the Soul without the use of means Saint Paul for example he was enlightned miraculously by a Revelation from Heaven Acts 9. And so in the Conversion of the Jaylor how wonderfully was he enlightned on a sudden Acts 16. And the Conversion of the Thief on the Cross it was done immediately by the Spirit of God Now when I am speaking of this certainty of Knowledg I speak not of a Natural but of a Spiritual Knowledg neither do I speak of a common Supernatural Knowledg but of the sanctifying and saving gift of the Spirit of God neither do I speak of the immediate without the means but I speak of the mediate in the use of means therefore to come to the third thing that is to give you the Description of this certain and assured Knowledg and the Description is this Certainty of Spiritual Knowledg it is a saving work of the Spirit of God whereby a Believer receives satisfying light and doth give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him There are these five things to be noted in this Description First I say it is a saving work of the Spirit of God It is not the knowledg of Devils the Devils have a Supernatural Knowledg neither is it the knowledg of Hypocrites such a knowledg as they that sin the sin against
I do to be saved So that this Text tells you and describes to you the Jaylors carriage when God first struck his heart and gave him a sight of himself and of his sins and in this carriage of the Jaylor there are these three things very observable His Perplexity his Courtesie his Question his Perplexity in verse 29. His Courtesie and Question in verse 30. First His Perplexity He called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Secondly His Courtesie the Text says He brought them out Thirdly His Question Sirs What must I do to be saved It is the first of these I principally aim at namely the Jaylors Perplexity Then he called for a light darkness now was a terrour to him because he was a terrour to himself He was a Magor Missabib a terrour round about Jer. 20.3 And he sprang in that is he rush'd hastily into the Prison and like a man distracted knew not what to do nor which way to turn himself he came trembling being stricken with inward horror and terror of Conscience and pray observe it well There is not the stoutest man breathing upon Earth but if God set his Conscience against him like a Dog to fly in his face it will pull him down and lay him flat and fill him with that inward horror and terror and perplexity that he will be more afraid of himself than of all the world besides Thus it was with the Jaylor here when God came nigh him and awakened his conscience he fell down before Paul and Silas God had given him a sight of his sins and of the invisible Majesty of Christ that was in those his precious Servants Paul and Silas whom before he look'd upon as a couple of Rogues and that the Whip and the Stocks were good enough for them but now he reverenceth them and respects them and falls down at their feet Thus you see what his Perplexity was My purpose is not to insist upon every particular but to pitch upon that which is principally held forth in the words observe therefore when God was about to work the great work of saving Faith and sound Conversion in the heart of this Jaylor and by Faith in Jesus Christ to bring him to Salvation what is the first thing that he does First he humbles him and strikes him down and lays him flat he doth awaken and shake his conscience this unbroken Sinner is now amazed and perplexed and astonished and he knows not which way to turn himself So then the observation I would commend to you from the words is this Doct. Sound Humiliation is a necessary Antecedent or Fore-runner to Faith and Salvation Would you have it plainer then take it thus Those whom God intends to make true Believers and Heirs of his Everlasting Kingdom they are first soundly humbled and made sensible of their own dangerous and damnable condition Look as a Timber-tree that a man intends for building first he hews it down and then he fits it and squares it for the building so that Sinner whom God intends to frame for himself and build up by Faith to Salvation God first casts down to the ground and lays him flat and makes him sensible of his own lost and dangerous and damnable estate Look into the Scripture and you shall find that this is Gods Method and Jesus Christs and the Holy Ghosts Method First This is Gods Method and this course he took with our first Parents he arraigned them and past a sentence upon them and pronounced a curse against them before ever he brings them to the knowledg of a Saviour before ever he made that Promise that The seed of the woman should break the Serpents head Remarkable is that Scripture Job 33.21 22 it describes the manner of Gods converting a Sinner verse 14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not God calls and cryes and knocks and tries this way and that way and the other way to bring the Sinner in to bring him home by Conversion but all will not do what doth he then Read verse 21 22. God humbleth the Sinner to the very dust His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out his soul draweth near unto the Grave and his life to the destroyers His meaning is this He is made a very Anatomy and God brings him to the very gates of Hell and what follows Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom So this was the Method of Jesus Christ this course he took with St. Paul before he was converted he unhorst him and humbled him and struck him blind and all this while St. Paul must steep himself in sorrow before Ananias comes to him and speak words of comfort Acts 9. Christ would have us weary and heavy laden Matth. 11 weary with the work of sin and heavy laden with the weight of sin before he will give us ease he will have the Soul thirsty before he gives it the water of life Isa 55 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters that is to be sensible of the want of Christ and the worth of Christ before he gives the Soul to taste of the water of life and he will have the Soul sick of sin before the Physician comes to it The whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick Matth. 9.12 He will have the Sinner sick of his sin before he will cure him And this is the Holy Ghosts Method too for you shall read the Spirit of God first convinceth of sin before he convinceth of righteousness John 16.8 First The Spirit of God convinceth of sin for humiliation before he convinceth of righteousness for Justification And this hath been the Method of all Master-builders John Baptist he comes levelling of Mountains and casting down proud Sinners before they come to Christ and St. Peter he prick'd his Hearers to the heart before he gave them any hope or comfort by a Saviour Acts 2. He let them blood at the heart before he directed them how to be saved But now because this is a weighty Truth and it may please God to do good to some of you all the days of your lives to know the Method and manner of bringing Jesus Christ and the Soul together for this is all the work we Ministers have to do let me speak to it by way of Explication and shew you three things First What this Humiliation is Secondly Whether the like measure of Humiliation be wrought in all that are brought home to Jesus Christ or no Thirdly Why God is pleased to take this course to fit men for Faith and Salvation thus first to humble them First What this Humiliation is Divines describe a twofold Humiliation 1. A Passive Humiliation 2. An Active Humiliation The Passive humiliation is that whereby God humbles the Sinner in the
Thirdly An obedient Christian shall know truths more transformingly that is he shall be transformed into the very Image of those truths that he knows 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord That is we are changed from one degree of grace unto another by the Spirit of God That is an excellent knowledg that is a transforming knowledg that makes a Christian have a heart framed into the Word of God that is cast into the Mould of the Doctrine of the Word of God made like unto it as Lead that is melted and cast into a Mould is of the shape of the Mould Rom. 6.17 But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you or into which ye were delivered or cast Fourthly An obedient Christian shall know truths more powerfully than he did before that those truths which he knows shall over-awe his heart that he dare do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have heard and seen It was an excellent speech of Saint Hierom I can die for the truth but I cannot deny the truth nor be silent whereas another man it may be he can oppose the truth and the ways of truth though he knows he ought not to do it it may be another man can break his Vows and Covenants and Promises and Protestations although he knows the sin of Covenant-breaking is a grievous sin and shall be severely punished as appears by that remarkable Scripture Ezek. 17.15 16 Where it is testified of Zedekiah that after he had made a Covenant with Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled against him and saith God Shall he prosper he that doth such things as these are shall he prolong his days He hath broken his Covenant saith God shall he be delivered As I live saith the Lord he shall die in that Land for his Covenant-breaking So I say a man may have so much knowledg that he knows such and such things are sin and he may know the Judgment of God that they that do such things are worthy of death yet they do it and take pleasure in them that do it For example They know that Whoredom is a sin and a damnable sin that carries thousands to Hell Stollen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell Prov. 9.17 18. Those works of darkness are pleasant for a while but the Devils banquet shall have the Devils shot Though a wicked man knows that whoredom is a sin yet his knowledg is so weak that it hath no powerful influence upon his heart and life but now an obedient Christian he shall know truths so powerfully that they shall have an awe upon his Soul Thus was it with the Prophet David Psalm 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart stands in awe of thy Word That is the fourth an obedient Christian knows truths more powerfully Fifthly He that doth the will of God for the manner of his Knowledg shall know truths more satisfyingly to oversway all Objections that are made against him and all discouragements that he meets with in the way of holiness Saint Paul tells us how it was with him in this regard Gal. 1.15 16 When it pleased God to reveal Jesus Christ in me That phrase in me is very remarkable A man may have Jesus Christ revealed to him and yet not revealed in him but when God revealed Christ in me immediately I consulted not with flesh and blood but this Knowledg did preponder and out-weigh all Objections that could be made against it Another man that hath but a weak and feeble knowledg it may be he takes check at the ways of holiness and what says he If I walk in a strict way and am circumspect and careful in ordering my conversation I shall be scorned and opposed and contemned and these his Objections prevails with him A man now on the other side that is taught of God is able to answer all these Objections and to pass through good report and ill report This is the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded But how comes it to pass that obedient Christians shall know more than others For answer to this I shall give you these four Reasons for it First Because God hath promised the Holy Ghost to them that obey him Acts 5.31 32 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him You must understand it aright God doth not promise the Holy Ghost for our obedience but in a way of obedience now if God give his Spirit to them that obey him then they shall have more knowledg they shall know more of his will for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of light and opens our understanding The Spirit of God is a teaching Spirit and they that are taught by the Spirit of God shall certainly come to Jesus Christ John 6.45 All thy children shall be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Isa 54.13 And the Spirit of God is a leading Spirit The Spirit will lead you into all Truth the Spirit will not only take you by the hand but lead you in the way that you should walk in As you lead your children when you teach them to go so the Spirit will lead you into all truth that man to whom the Spirit of God is given must certainly needs know more of the Mystery of Salvation Secondly A second Reason is this Because God hath made many Promises to the obedient how many precious Promises have you in that one Scripture Deut. 28 If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandements then the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee blessed shalt thou be in the City and in the Field and in the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and an the fruit of thy Cattel and thy Kine and the Flocks of thy Sheep and blessed shall be thy basket and thy store blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and when thou goest out c. There are blessings of all sorts promised and among others this is one for saith our Saviour To him that hath shall be given and it is twice repeated in one Evangelist in Matth. 13.12 and Matth. 25.29
the Holy Ghost may have but it is that Knowledg that is darted into the Soul by the Holy Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The Apostle speaks it of the Kingdom of Grace as well as of the Kingdom of Glory Man doth not know the work of the Spirit of Grace upon the heart but saith he in the words following God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And it is the Spirit of God that is said to guide us into all truth John 16.13 That is the first thing in the Description it is a saving work of the Spirit of God Secondly It is a Knowledg whereby a Believer hath received satisfying light First A Believer hath received light The truth is none doth know the Truth aright but he that believes it therefore believing and knowing the Truth are joyned together 1 Tim. 4.3 Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Thirdly I note this whereby a Believer receiving satisfying light But what is that light may be some of you will say that may be called satisfying light I answer and shall give you an account of it in these five particulars First That is a satisfying Light that is joyned with a powerful Conviction upon the Conscience when the Spirit of God doth eonvince us of sin and of Righteousness and Judgment John 16.8 That is a satisfying Light when the Spirit of God breaks in upon the Soul with such an irresistible Light that a man cannot gainsay it or withstand it for example When the Sun is risen in the morning a man then knows it is day and if a thousand should say to the contrary he would say I know it is day Such is the light of the Spirit of God it is an irresistible light it breaks in upon the heart with that power that the heart cannot gainsay it Secondly That is a satisfying Light which settles and stablisheth a man in the present Truth that he will not be removed from it When a man is rooted in the Faith setled and stablished in Jesus Christ then he hath received a satisfying Light Thirdly That is a fatisfying Light when a man can act Faith upon that light he hath received and make bold adventures for the Truth that he hath embraced when he can act Faith upon it so did those three Worthies in Daniel 3.17 they had received such satisfying Light that God was the true God and his Worship the true Worship that they ventured a Furnace for it say they If it be so Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King but if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy Golden Image which thou hast set up Fourthly That is a satisfying Light which will enable a man to discern between Truth and falsehood though Errour be masked with never such fair pretences yet notwithstanding a man shall be able to discover that Errour and abhor it and though Truth be eclipsed with never so many false Glosses and Interpretations and never so much opposed yet a man can discern it and close with it and cleave to it Fifthly This is a satisfying Light that will enable a man to reconcile some seeming differences that are in the Scriptures Let me give you an instance in one or two those two places compared together Gen. 6.6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart but in Numb 23.19 it is said God is not as man that he should lye neither the Son of man that he should repent Now a man that hath this satisfying Light he knows how to reconcile these two places thus Repentance in God is not a change of his Will but of his Work God is said to repent after the manner of men because he doth those things that man doth when he repents Let me give you another instance Saint Paul tells us Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law But Saint James he tells the quite contrary James 2.25 Ye see then how by Works a man is justified and not by Faith only Now a man that hath satisfying Light he reconciles these two thus Saint Paul he speaks of justification before God and Saint James he speaks of Justification before men We are justified before God by Faith only we are justified before men by works Again they may be reconciled thus Faith doth justifie our Persons but good works doth justifie our Faith Good works are no part of our Justification but only a proof of our Justification Lastly In the Description I say this A Believer having received a satisfying Light gives up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him But you will say When doth a man give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths revealed to him I will tell you First When he is resolved to part with every sin that the Word of God disallows and condemns though it be as dear to him as his right hand or his right eye and when he can practice every Duty that the Word of God commands though it be never so difficult As for Example the duty of Mortification and Self-denyal and contempt of the World when he can purifie his heart by believing and obeying the Truth 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit And it is said of many of the Priests that they were obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 And St. Paul said Acts 26.19 that he was not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision Secondly A man gives up his understanding resolvedly to the truth when he can plead for the truth and not plead against it Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Doctor Taylor the Martyr in Queen Maries days he laid down his life for this truth That it was lawful for Ministers to marry I know said he that it is not a fundamental truth but because I know it is the truth of God rather than I will part with any truth I will part with my life So then when a man can thus resolvedly give up his understanding to the truth that he will part with his life rather than part with the truth then hath he attained to this certainty of Knowledg indeed And thus you see the Description of it and have the Point opened now let me make Application of it Vse 1. If this be a certain truth That they that do the Will of God shall not only know more of Gods