were like the Ground which the Rain falls oft upon that nevertheless brings forth Briars and Thorns and no good Fruit. 8 thly There is one thing particularly noted by the Apostle concerning these Hebrew Christians which they had and which the other had not therefore not gracious Persons See ver 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work of Faith and Labour of Love which ye have shewed toward his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister 1. This he mentions as a Reason of his good Opinion of them and why he was so perswaded of them and which was better than all those high Attainments of which he speaks concerning such that are in danger of Final Apostacy Love to the poor Saints in ministring to them for the sake of Christ or because they are the Members of his Body is more than all those five Attainments mentioned in the 4 th 5 th and 6 th Verses Now also let it be considered that if this Fruit of true and saving Grace I mean Charity or Love to the poor Saints as such had been in the Persons he speaks of who were in danger of falling finally how then could this be an Argument of such Confidence in Paul concerning them or of Comfort to those Saints he wrote unto Alas what are common Illuminations What is it to have some transit taste of the Heavenly Gift or to be made Partakers of the common Operations of the Spirit in Convictions of Sin or of Duty to the Inhabitation of the Spirit or unfeigned Love to Christ and to the Children of God Or what is it to have some taste of the good Word of God to a spiritual feeding and digesting it or to be affected with the powerful Doctrine of the Gospel in respect of the World to come or with the Resurrection of the Dead and last Judgment to the gracious Experience of the Power of Christ's Resurrection and so feel in our Souls a Discharge from the Judgment of the Great Day through Faith in Jesus Christ 2. The Apostle was perswaded concerning these Hebrew Christians that they had such things in them that did accompany Salvation that is such things that are inseparable from Salvation i. e. such who have them shall certainly be saved He describes such who are sincere Christians by the Fruits and Effects of true Grace namely the Work of Faith and Labour of Love by which their Obedience unto God did appear 1. He notes the Principle from whence they acted in their Duty to God 2. The Constancy of their Obedience they continued in bringing forth of that good Fruit they had ministred to the Saints and still did minister to them 3. He takes notice of the Principle from whence they acted or did what they did viz. they ministred to the Saints in Love to God and to Jesus Christ it was Love shewed to his Name 4. He adds that in their Preservation in their happy State the Faithfulness of God God is not unrighteous to forget your Work of Faith c. which comprehends his Covenant and Promise to them which for their farther Comfort he enlargeth upon ver 13 to ver 19. to which he subjoins the Promise and Oath of God made to all that are sincere Believers or Heirs of the Promise But to proceed to speak to those five Qualifications or Attainments of the Perso she speaks of in our Text who may fall away and finally perish for ever First The first is their being once enlightned They might be instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel beyond many or be illuminated not only by learning the literal Knowledg of the Gospel as Men learn Philosophy but also may attain to some supernatural Light by the common Illuminations of the Spirit and may understand many profound Mysteries of the Gospel yet remember Knowledg puffeth up they might have knowing Heads but graceless Hearts Note from hence Doct. 2. That it is a high Privilege and an Attainment for Men to be enlightned with the Knowledg of the Gospel yet nevertheless Men may attain to much Light therein and yet not be savingly enlightned but may finally fall away and perish notwithstanding at last First I shall shew you what the common Illuminations of the Spirit are that Men may fall from Secondly Shall shew you what the saving and special Illuminations of the Spirit are and how they differ 1 st Common Enlightnings of the Word and Spirit may tend to convince the Conscience of a Sinner of Sin 1. As to the horrid Guilt thereof as it exposeth the Soul to God's Wrath Thus was Judas enlightned his Conscience was convinced that he had betrayed the Innocent Blood Thus also Felix was enlightned under Paul's preaching 2. From these Convictions they may also with much horror confess their Sins Cain Judas and many others did this 3. From these Illuminations and Convictions they may reform their Lives and do many things like as Herod did upon his hearing John the Baptist 4. Nay common Illuminations may discover to the Sinner much of that Evil that there is in Sin that God abhorreth it and that it is contrary to his Nature as well as a violation of his Holy Law and this Light they may receive from what God declares concerning Sin and of his abhorrence of it in his Word as also by those fearful Judgments which he inflicteth upon and pronounceth against such that sin live in Sin and make a Trade of it Likewise by the Knowledg they may attain concerning Christ's suffering for Sin and by the Punishment of the Damned in Hell and no doubt but the Devils know the great Evil of Sin in all these respects But pray observe that although these Persons may know that Sin is against God contrary to his Holy Nature and that he doth abhor it yet this Light and Knowledg they have never brings them to loath and abhor it in themselves because of the evil Nature of it and as it is against God 2 dly They also by these common Illuminations may come to know that God is Man's chiefest Good The Heathen found this out by the Light of Nature considering in themselves that nothing in this World could satisfy the Soul c. But these Persons attain unto a farther Sight and Knowledg of it by the Word in a supernatural manner but yet remember that the Light they have never leadeth them to make choice of God as their chiefest Good and only Happiness 3 dly They may attain unto the Knowledg of all the great and essential Principles of the Christian Religion and be able to dispute and contend for them also against Opposers nay may be able Preachers of that Holy Doctrine Have we not prophesied in thy Name c. No doubt but Judas was a great Preacher as well as Peter Yet observe and note it well they may be utter Strangers to that Grace Faith Love and Regeneration which they may open explain and press upon others
his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ without Works Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness 'T is not because we are righteous in our selves therefore we are justified no but being justified by the Righteousness of Christ we are declared righteous in him and this is wholly by God's free Grace 4. Faith is a Grace or a Gift freely given to all that believe To you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but to suffer for his sake For by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God 5. Repentance is of Grace Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel c. God in the New Covenant promises to take away the Heart of Stone and to give a Heart of Flesh that is a broken tender and a repenting Heart If God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging the Truth If God will give them a Power and an Heart to repent it is his own free and gracious Gift to poor Sinners 6. Forgiveness of Sin is also freely given of God it is of Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ So that it appears Eternal Life from the first to the last is wholly of Grace both the Author of it the Means of it and the End thereof all is of Grace Heaven it self is the Gift of Grace Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom The Crown of Glory is the Gift of Christ Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Take the Water of Life freely buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Salvation was contrived by Infinite Grace and all things that do concur or accompany it are freely given Bread of Life and Water of Life is freely given A new Heart will I give them and a new Spirit will I put into them To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Thirdly To proceed to the Grounds of the Point I shall give you the Reasons why Eternal Life is the Gift of Christ or of the free Grace of God 1. It is because Sin and Death cannot be removed out of the Way to Life but only by Jesus Christ and so by Grace only The Law of God is broke and Justice calls for Wrath and Vengeance to be executed upon the Transgressor Justice must be satisfied but Man cannot make a Compensation for the Violation of God's Holy Law nor will God acquit the Sinner unless that be done the Law is but an Impression of God's Holy Nature it resulted not from a bare Act of his Sovereignty but from his Holiness and perfect Rectitude of his blessed Nature If Man could have attained to Life by any Works of Obedience done by him Christ died in vain and if it had consisted with the Wisdom and Holiness of God to have accepted of imperfect Obedience provided it had been sincere he could at first have given Man such a Law and so have saved the Life of his Son For any therefore to affirm that God accepteth sinful Man for the sake of his imperfect though sincere Obedience it is to assert in effect that he accepted of some sinful and polluted Acts as a Recompence and Satisfaction for other sinful Acts and Deeds of Darkness for all our best Services are unclean in themselves Paul accounted all his own Righteousness but Dung c. Besides the Obedience under the Gospel which God requires is to be performed in the highest perfection imaginable Be ye Perfect as your Father in Heaven is Perfect The Law of the Gospel is the same in Nature with the Moral Law therefore if it may be called a Law it is a perfect Law we are still commanded to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts with all our Souls and with all our Strength yea and to live and sin not Little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not Our Faith Love and Patience c. ought to be perfect the Law or Commands of the Gospel know no Bounds nor Limits Vntil we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ It would therefore be a Work becoming the New-Lawyers to shew where the Commands lie in the Gospel that God's Law only requires sincere Obedience unto the Law certainly loses no part of its Sanction by the Gospel that is as Holy Just and Good as ever and a perpetual Rule of Life and Obedience Therefore as a reverend Person Notes either the Gospel-Law or Law of Faith must require Perfection of Obedience in these Duties or some other Divine Law or else God would become an indulger of Sin by Law if it be by another Law viz. the Moral that requires perfect Obedience and this sincere only then these Laws differ but in Degree not in Specie or Kind because both require the same Duties or Works and so this Gospel-Law would be no distinct Law but only the Measure of sincere Obedience would receive a new use which we own it has to wit to be an Index and Mark of our Justification tho we cannot own that use of its giving Right c. But to proceed saith he a distinct Law they must hold or quit their Cause or this Foundation of it for the Text sets the Law of Faith down as an opposite Law to that of Works and that they hold Then if it be a perfect Law requiring perfect Obedience there is no possibility of Justification in this Life Poppius the Arminian grants the Conclusion that our Obedience must be consummate before our Assurance and others distinguish between a compleat and partial Justification the former is not they say until the Day of Judgment But this is not all the Difficulty for it 's the adding a Load to a Burden Is this Gospel to a Man that is unable to perform the least part of the Moral Law to tell him that God or the Mediator requires perfect Obedience to it for the future and another too Or is this Gospel to say you shall perish eternally and have the Fire of Hell seven times heated if you obey not this Gospel It 's indeed a conditional Hell but it is more dreadful than the Fire of Hell and the Condition is more impossible because we have less power to shun this Difficulty of two perfect Laws Mr. Bull owns no other perfect Law but this Gospel since Man fell but by shunning one Difficulty he falls into two as great 1. Then the Moral Law is abrogated besides the falsness of the Doctrine it self for it is impossible that should cease to be
loved his Sheep his People his Spouse as himself above himself Mary loved him so as to wash his Feet with her Tears but he loved Mary so and all his Elect Ones as to wash their Souls in his own most precious Blood Jacob loved Benjamin David loved Absalom but David said Jonathan's Love to him was wonderful passing the Love of Women But what is a Bubble to the Ocean a Spark of Fire to a Furnace or a finite Love to an infinite Love What is all Love to Christ's Love 5. Christ's Love to his Sheep to his Elect is wonderful because it passeth knowledg That ye may know the Love of Christ that passeth Knowledg 1. It passeth the Knowledg of the Natural Man What can he with all his natural and acquired Parts find out as to the greatness and wonderfulness of Christ's Love 2. It passeth the Knowledg of the Moral Man What can the Natural or the Moral Philosopher do as to the comprehending finding out or demonstrating the Nature of Christ's Love Can he sound the Depth of the Sea Can he measure the Breadth of the Heavens Can he account the Length of Eternity Besides here is a Height that their Art discovers not the Mathematicks teacheth not this Mystery That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length the Depth and Height and to know the Love of Christ that passeth Knowledg 3. It passeth the Knowledg of the Spiritual Man he cannot arrive to a full and perfect understanding of it 4. Nay it passeth the Knowledg of the Holy Angels their Wisdom and Understanding no doubt is wonderful but here they are at a loss they stand in amaze looking into and admiring with astonishment this Love to see him that is God become Man to save such a Vile and Sinful Creature to love and delight in him that was so great an Enemy 5. It is wonderful because a whole Eternity will be but little enough to let out to Believers the Love of Christ It will never be fully known it cannot be comprehended all above and all below are at a loss they are all at a nonpluss and astonished at it Thirdly Christ's Love therefore to his Sheep to his Saints is an immense incomprehensible or an infinite Love as the Wrath and Anger of God and the Lamb when kindled and let out is inconceivable so is his precious Love to his People this Breadth Length Depth and Height doubtless refers to the unsearchable Greatness and Immensity of God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection Canst thou come to the uttermost of what God is Canst thou find out the inmost Recesles or Secrets of God's Heart of Christ's Heart Hast thou seen what is laid up in the inner Chambers of his Spirit then thou mayst know his Love for it is like himself God is Love Love is his very Nature It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hell what canst thou know longer than the Earth broader than the Sea Many Wits as one notes run Riot in Geometrical Notions about Moral Dimensions and whereas Naturalists give us but three Dimensions of a Body Longitude Latitude and Profundity the Love of Christ Brethren hath Altitude added which is a Fourth Doubtless all these Dimensions are mentioned only to set forth the Immensity of Christ's Love 1. Christ's Love is broad enough to spread over and cover like a Mantle all the Sins of his Elect and also to hide them from Satan's Rage and Fury His Love is long enough to reach us with his Arm of Affections where-ever we are or whatever our Wants be Christ's Love is deep enough to find us out and relieve us under all depths of Afflictions Despondency or Distress of what sort soever Christ's Love has a Height in it enough to defend us like a high Wall against all the Assaults of those Enemies that are in high Places and above us we cannot see them As-Satan is a Spirit he has the Advantage of us such is his Nature he is said to be in high Places he is the Prince of the Power of the Air. But God is above him Christ is in a higher Sphere his Love hath a Height in it so that neither Height nor Depth can separate us from his Love as well as it cannot separate us from the Love of the Father 2. Christ's Love is an infinite or an immense Love as appears because it is without beginning it is from Eternity before ever the Earth was That which was before the World was is without beginning but the Love of Christ to his Elect was before the World was even from Everlasting Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love 3. Christ's Love to his Sheep to his Saints is an infinite or immense Love doth appear because his Love to them is as that Love the Father hath to him As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you Though as may not be a Note of Comparison in every Sense yet it doth signify the Truth Firmness and Greatnese of Christ's Love The Father loveth Christ with an eternal immense immutable constant free full and perfect Love so doth Jesus Christ love every one of his Elect Ones Again saith Christ to his Father that the World may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me He would have all know how he loves his People or such that were given to him 4. It appears to be an infinite Love because it cannot be found out defined or comprehended it passing all Understanding as also by the glorious and amazing Effects thereof which are apparent to all 5. Because it is without ending all those that Jesus Christ doth love or hath set his special Affections upon he loveth to the End his Love is not only from Everlasting but also to Everlasting he abides in his Love notwithstanding all the Weakness Frailties or Decays of Love in his People towards him He heals and with a Nevertheless will heal their Back slidings and love them freely Fourthly The Love of Jesus Christ to his Saints is a Conjugal Love it is an Espousal Love Though I purpose to speak to the Nature of that blessed and mystical Union which is betwixt Christ and every Believer under a distinct Argument yet let it be considered here that the consideration that Christ's Love is such as that he doth espouse every Godly Soul and marry it to himself this must needs be one of the highest Arguments that can be produced to prove their final Perseverance because Espousal Love is the Sweetest the Firmest and most abiding Love especially the Love of Christ's Espousal I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in loving Kindness and in Mercy I will even betroth thee unto me in Faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. What words can more fully express the Firmness of
this Marriage-Contract or Espousal Love of Christ to his true Israel This Conjugal Love of Christ is that never-exhausted Fountain of all our spiritual and eternal Comforts all Mercies like Streams which never fail flow to all Believers from hence Can a Man shew greater Love to a Woman than to espouse her to be his Wife This is beyond the Love of Parents to Children Christ bestows himself on us and all he hath nay and that he might do this he bought or purchases us Christ bought his Spouse none ever gave such a vast Sum for a Wife as Jesus Christ hath done and shall any think he will lose her after all this if he is able to help it How can that enter into any Man's Thoughts Will a faithful Husband a tender Husband suffer his most dear and beloved Wife that he hath such Affection to to be torn from him and be abused and pulled into pieces and he look on If he hath Power in his Hand will he not rescue her nay die upon the Spot before he will see this done But alas ala what is the Love of any mortal Man to his Spouse to his Wife when compared with the Love of Christ to his Saints who loved his Church and gave himself for her and whose Love is as you have heard so wonderful infinite and inconceivable Moreover I hope none doubt of his Power Others may see their Wives ravished and torn in pieces before their Eyes and cannot help it they are not able to help and save them but Christ wants no Power as he wants no Wisdom Care or Affections Now what are the Enemies the most dangerous Enemies of the Spouse of Christ Is not Sin the chief Sin the World the Devil c. Will he then think you let Sin prevail Satan prevail so far as to deflour murder and destroy that precious Soul he thus loves and hath espoused to himself Those who assert final falling from a State of true Grace must say he doth thus viz. He suffers Sin to destroy his Spouse even to put out the Eyes deflour strip wound and murder the Soul he has espoused whilst he stands by and looks on and can but will not help nor deliver her because the Soul is bliaded by some Lusts or drawn away by an Enemy therefore they say he will not He that can believe such a Doctrine let him But Fifthly Christ Love hath an attracting and a retaining Quality in it It draws the Soul to Christ and it keeps it close with Christ when it hath received and imbraced him it draws nay constrains the Soul to love Christ We love him because he first loved us And no Man or Woman that loves Christ sincerely but they hate Sin it constrains the Soul to return Love for Love Christ's Love is like Elijah's Garment that he cast upon Elisha who immediately run after Elijah and said Let me I pray thee kiss my Father and Mother and then I will follow thee And be said Go back what have I done unto thee Thus doth Christ's Love to the Soul in all that feel its Influences they follow him cleave to him and also keep with him for like as the Fear of God so the Love of God is put into our Hearts if we are sincere Christians and we shall not cannot finally depart from him Sixthly Christ's Love is a free Love as nothing did purchase it so nothing can nor shall lose or forfeit it I will love them freely From the whole I infer If the Love of Jesus Christ is an early Love a Love of Complacency if it be a wonderful and amazing Love if it be an immense infinite and incomprehensible Love if it is a conjugal Love an attracting and retaining Love a free and abiding Love which he hath to every Believer then he will not ever let go that hold he hath of every one of them so as to suffer them to fall from him as eternally to perish But such is the Nature of the Love of Jesus Christ therefore he will never so let go that hold he hath of every Believer as to suffer them to fall so as eternally to perish Brethren such is the Love of Christ to his Saints as that he gives them special Tokens and Assurance of his Eternal Favour Some of them are these following 1. He calls them with an effectual and special Calling 2. He renews them and stamps his own Image upon them 3. He puts his Holy Spirit into them 4. He justifies them freely by his own Grace giving them his own Robe of Righteousness which is beyond a Garment of Cloth of Gold 5. He sanctifies them and endows them with Power to mortify Sin and when they fall he helps them up again by his right Hand 6. He seals his Love to them with the Kisses of his Mouth or by his most sure and precious Promises 7. He commands his Holy Angels to attend them and to administer to them and keep them in all his Ways 8. He leads feeds and preserves them under all Trouble Temptation and Afflictions and sympathizes with them 9. He sets them as a Seal upon his Heart as a Seal upon his Arm they are engraven on the Palms of his Hands he hath sworn that his loving Kindness shall never be taken away from them As I have sworn that the Waters of Noah should no more go over the Earth so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my Kindness shall not depart from thee c. 10. He puts his Law into their Hearts that none of their Feet should slide APPLICATION First To close with this O see you that are Believers that you strive after the Knowledg of Christ's Love Motives 1. It is the highest Ingratitude not to desire after the Knowledg of such Love Shall a Beggar be beloved by a Prince and she not be affected with it nor inquire after it 2. Because you are the Objects of this Love of this Affection doth it not seem an amazing Consideration to you May be you can't soon believe it because you see no worth in your selves Ah saith the Soul Christ loves me thus What such a poor sorry and filthy Wretch Wonder O Heavens be astonished O Earth The more you know it the more you will love your Blessed Saviour He loved me not a righteous Person but me a Sinner a loathsom Sinner when in my Blood and Filth 3. This will make you little in your own Eyes the more we know of God and of Christ and of his Love the more we shall loath and abhor our selves O that ever I should grieve him as I have done How did the sense of God's Love and Goodness to David humble him Who am I O Lord and what is mine House that thou hast brought me hitherto And yet is this a small thing in thine Eyes O God
stead Legal Convictions discovered only to them under the Law who saw no further that the Life of the poor Beasts went for Sin but Evangelical Convictions shew that nothing can atone for our Sins and satisfy God's Justice but the Life of the Son of God not the Blood of Bulls or Lambs no it must be the Blood of the Lamb of God 7. Common Illuminations are a Man's Torment and Affliction and fain he would be eased and freed of them and of the smart thereby but the special ones tend to make a Man fear that he is not troubled enough he would be searched thorowly Search me and know my Heart try me and know my Thoughts see if there be any evil Way in me O lance my Soul Lord lay open my Sore let me not be slightly healed The one would fain shake the Trouble off he thinks it is enough nay too much the other would have it lie faster on O let not my Sore be skinned over The Devils cried Why dost thou torment us before the Time So unsound Persons would not be tormented but Conscience hath got hold of them and they cannot get out of its Hand But one truly enlightned saith with David I will be sorry for my Sin I chuse it I desire it The one desires to be freed from the Effects of Sin from the Pain and Punishment thereof but the other cries out to be delivered from the Sin which is the Cause of all Pain and Punishment The one is like the Swine who likes not the Whip yet loves the Mire they like not the Lash of the Law but hate to come under the Yoke of the Gospel The one cries out for a Plaister to ease his Conscience may be he is willing to let some Boughs and Twigs be lop'd off but the other would have the Ax laid to the Root of the Tree he would have the Body of Sin as well as the Branches to be destroyed he is for cutting off the right Hand Lusts of Profit and for pulling out the right Eye Lusts of Pleasure The unsound Soul is like Saul for sparing some of the Fat of the Cattel and Agag the King I mean his chief and beloved Lusts but a sincere Christian is for yielding up all to the Sword of the Spirit 8. Common Enlightnings work Terror which may be at last drive the Soul further from God as it is said of Cain He went out from the Presence of the Lord But special and saving Convictions cause the Soul to draw nearer to God in Jesus Christ The one is like a Slave under the Rod fain would get away from his Master the other is like a Child under the Rod that desires to see and behold his Father's reconciled Face and Favour The common Illuminations wound but the Soul sees not the Way of Cure nor will he bear the Instrument which would let out the Life and Power of Sin but perhaps catches up some thing or another to apply to his Sore may be his changed Life his Duties and good Deeds from hence he hopes that his State is good he being as he thinks not the Man he once was But as he who is under special Illuminations comes to be wounded by beholding a bleeding Saviour which is the alone way of Cure so he chiefly desires that Faith that Grace which will destroy the Life and Power of all Sin and thorowly cleanse and purify his Soul Brethren the Spirit of a Sinner may be torn into pieces by legal Terror the Heart of Stone may be broken and yet no Heart of Flesh be given the Ground may be plow'd up in part yet the Seed of Grace not sown in the Heart Sensuality saith one may be kept down by a Spirit of Bondage when it is not cast out by the Spirit of Adoption They have the Law to convince them but not Grace to renew them it is not being once enlightned that is sufficient unless truly enlightned it is not great Knowledg unless it be sanctified it is not the fair Fruit of Reformation nor Oil in the Lamp of the outward Life and visible Profession of Religion it is not your seeming pious Duties nor legal Convictions that discover you to be a true Christian no nothing short of Union with Christ and Faith that works by Love avails any thing Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature 9. Common or Legal Illuminations doubtless flow from a sense of God's Power who is able to punish and reward the Creature according to his Work not that they would be like God but can't alas get out of the Hand of God But true spiritual Enlightnings rise from a sense of God's Holiness by beholding the Excellency of it and seeing a necessity of a Conformity thereunto the Convictions of the one at the best is at a stay they do not grow however they never terminate in Conversion the Effect cannot exceed the Cause they only tend to reform the Life and oft-times such return with the Dog to his Vomit again but the Path of the Just in spiritual Convictions is as a shining Light that shineth more and more to a perfect Day Spiritual Enlightnings lead the Soul to Christ the Spirit in them doth not only convince of Sin but also of Righteousness such see all their old Props and Supports to fail them 't is Christ now and none but Christ the World is nothing to them a Name is of no worth to them Knowledg and Gifts without Grace will not satisfy them they see the Vanity of the Creature and the Fulness of the Mediator Christ is the chiefest of ten thousand to all such Others may see some things Christ hath purchased that may affect them but these see an Excellency in his Person To you that believe he is precious He is an Honour or honourable Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee These have their Eyes opened to see the Nature of God the Holiness of the Law the Weakness of the Creature the Sinfulness of Sin and the Sufficiency of Jesus Christ Others are convinced of many Sins and of some degree of Evil in Sin but these see that Sin is exceeding sinful and that no Sin is so odious as the Sin of Unbelief in which respects common Convictions fail Now considering what Enlightnings Men may have and yet not be savingly enlightned what little reason is there for any to conclude that the Persons in our Text were sanctified holy and true Christians because the Holy Ghost says they were once enlightned They may have or attain unto a great Change but not a true and thorow Change and they may be such who arrive to Light in spiritual Things above thousands nay may be exceed many true Christians in Knowledg Abilities Gifts and in their Lives and Conversations too in some respects and may not doubt of the Goodness of their State nay and may suffer for Religion yea give