may say Through the Grace of God I can say I am most fearful to sin and to do any thing that 's displeasing to God and when so O especially then when I am least fearful to be punished and plagued for it The less I have of the fear of hell and damnation and the more I have of a holy confidence towards God that I shall be everlastingly saved the more am I fearful with a holy filial fear to do any thing that may be displeasing to my God here 's the well-grown Faith and it argues much feebleness in the Faith of a Christian and it gives occasion to sometimes to question the truth of it When persons upon the apprehension of their justified state they are ready to take liberty to sin You know how the Apostle argues against this Shall we continue in sin because Grace hath abounded God forbid Nay the Faith of a Beleever well improved will fortifie his spirit against such a temptation and against the assaults of the Devil and corruption and say Seeing the Grace of God hath appeared to me and magnified it self upon me in a pardoning way in a renewing way that Grace I reckon upon as that that shall abide upon me and shall ingage it self to perfect all the concerns Justification Sanctification everlasting Salvation this makes a holy fear to flourish in my soul that I may not in any thing carry it unbecomingly and unsutably to such a state This is the well-grown Faith that we should press after Yet further when I press you to a growth in Grace and especially in the Grace of Faith thus you shall be able to judge of it We should endeavour to be of such a growth as that whatsoever Grace is implanted in us and to what degree soever whatsoever our accomplishments are in the renewed state and according to the new creature whatsoever there is of inherent Grace and of gracious abilities yet we can so look upon our inherent Graces and spiritual Abilities as to keep off from placing any confidencee in them but still keep a full relyance upon the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our duty that whatsoever is of Grace inherent in us yet that it be not trusted unto Grace in the soul is but a creature 't is one of the best pieces indeed of all Gods creation that ever were made by him yet it is but a creature and being a creature it is not to be trusted A man must not trust in his trust he must trust with his Faith but he must not trust to his Faith he must not trust to any spiritual strength or abilities that he hath in him but still keep a dependence upon Christ reckon upon Christ as the strength that will be sufficient for him It was the answer that was given to Paul when he was under those sore buffetings saith he Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee Paul's Grace was not sufficient any further than it was made sufficient by Christ's Grace It is not the water in the Cistern that will serve the turn but the water in the Fountain dependance upon the Cistern will be found to be a vain thing the Cistern may be exhausted but the Fountain cannot You know how it was with Adam when he had the Grace of Creation it fail'd him Peter when he was strong in himself you know what his confidence in himself issued in and therefore I say such confidences even in our own Graces are to be accursed the Lord rejects such confidences and so should we We should use our Graces but trust not to them but still keep a dependance upon the Lord Jesus according to the Apostles charge to Timothy Be thou strong in the Grace that is in Christ Iesus And truly this is that that will not be performed but by a well-grown Faith when we can thus do see the Grace of God in us prize it bless him for it imploy it make use of it and yet notwithstanding keep hands off from it from trusting upon it and keep a full dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ that 's another thing Again grow in Grace grow in Faith 't is your duty and to what purpose to such a purpose that while we do and perform duties with greatest delight as indeed Faith will carry us to that it will make a man delight in the Law of God and in the waies of Holiness and performance of holy duties account it meat and drink to be in the practice of them yet while we are in the performance of duty that even then when we have done to lay them by and say this is not my foundation O Lord I have done thus and thus It may be much in preaching much in prayer much in alms much in acts of mortification much in such and such services I but Lord when I have done all I do profess that I have done nothing to purpose nothing to my justification I so do duties as if I were to be justified by them yet I so trust upon Christ as if I were not to meddle with my duty at all O this is precious Faith and well-improved Faith when we can do service and duty to God and yet when we have done all we can take off from all lay all at the foot of Jesus and say O Lord this shall never be my Righteousness I will endeavour to be as righteous and holy and gracious as I can but Lord when I have done all I can I am resolved to lay all by and will make mention of thy righteousness and of thine only and I am resolved I will never plead any righteousness of my own any duties and services of my performance I will never plead them before thee as my Righteousness I may plead them as evidences as Hezekiah doth Remember Lord how I have walk'd before thee in truth and with a perfect heart but I will never plead them as my righteousness which I will stick to and bear upon them before the tribunal of God no I will throw them all away when they offer themselves to come in upon such an account Alas poor weak Beleevers O how apt are they to keep hands upon their duties and services and when a day of temptation and dissertion and perplexity begins to seize upon them they begin to turn their eyes to what they have been and done I but the Faith of a Beleever when it comes to its due growth will otherwise carry the soul and make it to keep its dependance upon the Lord Jesus Again your duty is to grow in Grace and especially in Faith and such a growth as that while you give attendance upon an Ordinance you can see the authority of God stamp'd upon it and upon the account of that authority which is stamp'd you give the attendance and you reckon upon it as a blessed expedient which God hath provided for your souls advantage and you reckon upon gracious communications from God by it as by such an expedient of his own
put upon the serious consideration of their dying day and having a dissolution made between soul and body Whence is this but either from the total want or a very great weakness that is in their Faith either their want that they have none at all and then no marvel that the thoughts of Death be terrible to them why they are under the guilt of sin and they must go to Hell when they dye O it 's a sad thing and I would there might be a fixedness of heart upon this it is a sad thing to think of it that there should be nothing but a little breath between a poor creature and eternal destruction and if that be but with-held for a quarter of an hour the soul goes down to eternity if God take away their breath they dye and return to dust and when they dye they dye in a state of guilt and so damn to eternity Now no marvel that such persons cannot indure to meditate such terror And then others that are weak in their Faith and are not comfortably setled in their confidence concerning the Grace of Christ in them and their reconciled state No marvel if they be shaken and perplexed about it when they come to have the thoughts of death Now Faith improved to a good degree will inable a soul to meditate this terror to think of it I with a holy rejoycing and content to think that a day will come that will make a dissolution between the soul and body that so upon that dissolution there may be a more full injoyment of the Lord Jesus according to what the Apostle speaks in Phil. 1. having a desire I desire to depart when a mans Faith will inable the soul to this to look upon death as a thing to be desired not only as that which there is a necessity lying upon the creature to undergo not only so there is a necessity lies upon me it being enacted so that a soul dies out of a necessity he cannot help it if he could help it he would be glad with all his heart to keep off the stroke of death but he dyes out of choice this is the Faith that we should press after and this is that that Faith well improved will inable to meditate this terror and to bear up under the apprehensions of it reckoning upon this That as to live is Christ so to dye it will be gain as the Apostle speaks and therefore he professeth that he has a desire rather to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And then again there is a terribleness in judgement so it is called in 2 Car. 5. The terror of the Lord the day which is appointed wherein God will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained even the Lord Jesus And all the Sons and Daughters of Adam that ever were from the beginning of the Creation to the time of that appearing of his shall all be convented and made to stand before his Judgement-seat and we that are here this morning shall all stand before this Judgement and shall give an account to God of our preaching and bearing and how we have carried our selves in the Assemblies and under the dispensations of the Ordinances when there shall be an appearing before the great Judge of all the World Truly this day is a terrible thing and it is called as I said The terror of the Lord. Now I say this is a terror that a Faith-less soul will not be able to meditate he is not able to bear up under the thoughts of it and therefore doth all that it can to drive them away black melancholy thoughts thoughts of death and of judgement Such thoughts as these cannot be indured to set a foot over the threshold nor to come under the roof of the house no we will have nothing to do with such black thoughts And then those that are weak in Faith they are ready to be startled at the apprehensions of this It 's a terror to them to think of a day of Judgement I but I say that a well-improved Faith a Faith that is of a good growth it will inable to meditate this terror and to bring the soul to the free usage and possession of this blessed priviledge that belongs unto Beleevers A person of a well-grown Faith will be able to think of this with joy and gladness be glad to think of the day wherein the Lord Jesus shall appear in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ A man of a well-grown Faith will be able to meditate this terror and to rejoyce at the thoughts of it It is the day of his gladness therefore to this purpose our Saviour saith when these and these things shall come do you lift up your â—…eads When mens hearts shall fail them with looking after those things that shall come upon the earth and when others shall cry out with Balaam Alas who shall live what will become of us now It is an amazing thing to think when the Heavens shall be raised and the Lord shall appear with his mighty Angels to think what startling there will be and running this way and that way O! what a dreadful day is this I am not able to stand before this Judge of all the World O it 's an amazing thing to think what skreeking and crying there will be on the part of ungodly sinners that are strangers to Christ and Grace But a poor soul that is well improved in Faith and Grace he will be able to bear up with boldness and our Saviour speaks to that purpose when mens hearts shall fail them and grow dead as a stone within them and they shall be fall of astonishment upon the appearing of the Lord Jesus Then lift up your heads with joy the day of your Redemption draweth nigh So that this is another thing that a well-grown Faith will inable to To meditate terror the terror of God The terror of the Law The terror of Death The terror of Judgement O beloved this is the Faith that we should press to and this growth in Faith that you may be inabled to have the free usage of this blessed priviledge and that when others shall be over-whelmed in their spirits you may be able to bear up with comfort You hear of this as that wherein we are to evidence a growth in Faith when we are able to meditate Terror Lastly This I would only say such a Faith we should press to such a growth in Faith and that we may be aâ—… not only to look for but to long after the serious appearing of Christ which follows upon the former O it is not every Faith that will inable to this to be in holy longings after the coming of the Lord Jesus Yâ—…u come behind saith the Apostle in no gift waiting for that coming of Christ waiting for it and hastening to it It is that
World there are many they will be rich in the World and they decree and resolve upon it that they will be rich I sometimes whether God will or no. They carry the matter as if they would be rich whether God will or no. They would be rich rich in the World and they have no warrant for God hath not required this of any man that they should grow rich in the World He requires they should do their duty and if he will come in with a blessing so they ought to be thankful but he doth not command them to be rich in the World but there are that will be rich and resolve to be rich and so they run themselves into snares and temptations and many hurtful and noysome lusts that drown mens souls in destruction I but here 's the Grace of God to his poor servants His will is that they should be rich in Grace and he doth encourage thereunto by promising that he will prosper you in your way He hath given you such a stock he will give you more provided that you do but your duty and it is his mercy that he hath made it the matter of your duty to grow in Grace 2. And then reckon upon this for your encouragement and the quickening of you in your endeavours this way To be sure grow as much as you can you will never grow too good for God you can never have too much Grace you can never have too much Faith nor Love nor Holiness Godliness knows no bounds You can never have too much of God and Christ and Holiness When the foolish Virgins saw themselves at a loss as touching their oyle and come to the wise to buy of them nay say they spare us there we have none to part withal we will keep what we have gotten lest we should not have enough for us and you And so make account of this that when you have grown as high in Grace as you can you will have no over-pluss you will have none to spare SERM. VIII IT is God's great mercy that there are any in the World which have any Grace in them and that God should make such a pleasant and precious plant to take root and spring up in such a soyl as the soul is so barren of all good and so unapt to receive any good Now as it is God's mercy that any have Grace so it is their duty that have it for to grow in it and this duty you have been over and over charged with But I shall now come to what remains to be spoken concerning this Argument which I shall give a brief account of and then come to what follows in the Text. 2. The further encouragements unto the lively and vigorous prosecution of this matter a strenuous endeavour to grow in Grace the incouragements they are very great and I desire that you may know the force and power and vertue of them in your own hearts 3. If so be that you do indeed make it your business and do endeavour this to grow in Grace and shall do so as you are very like to do it if you endeavour after it you will have this advantage you will not be altogether so apt to be unsetled in your apprehensions concerning your state you will not be so much upon the questioning point concerning the truth and reality of the Grace of God in you as many are when you come to be of some considerable growth in Grace when you come to have much Faith and much Love and much Holyness much of the Fear of God you will not be so apt to be questioning the point and fluctuating in your souls concerning your Grace but you will be able to bear up against temptations of that kind and ready to make your confident avouchments and say if you be questioned about your Faith Yea Lord thou knowest I do believe Be questioned about your Love as Peter was Simon lovest thou me Yea Lord thâ—…u knowest I love thee And truly this is a great advantage that will come over to us by improvement in Grace for the truth and soundness of Grace it doth appear by its growth it is a clear demonstration that a plant lives wâ—…n it grows it may live and yet there be no discovery of its growth but when there is a growth there is a plain demonstration that the plant is alive and this benefit will come over by growing in Grace And while poor weaklings in Grace that are of low attainments and are apt to please themselves in their lower measures will be apt to be shaken by every wind of temptation and be put upon the questioning point upon every occasion whether there be any Grace in them yea or no. They that have but a little Faith a little Grace they will be apt ever and anon to be fluctuating in their spirits and doubting within themselves whether there be any thing of God and Christ and Grace in them Well-grown Christians will be able to bear up with a holy confidence that of a truth the Grace of God is in them 4. This incouragement we have to endeavour a growth in Grace God will be the more glorified Christ will be the more magnified the Gospel will be the more credited the more we have of Grace we shall be able to quit our selves honourably in our way of duty in our way of suffering Herein is our Father Glorified that we have much fruit and bring forth much fruit 5. God will glory in such and make his boast of them as he did of Iob Do'st thou not see my servant Iob that there is not a man like him in the earth an upright and a perfect man one that seareth God and escheweth evil The Lord doth make a holy boast of his eminent servant that was so raised up in Grace and Holyness And you know what our Saviour speaks concerning the woman of Canaan O woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou will Truly there is very much in that to consider of men and women of advanced Faith and Grace O! how Christ doth Glory in them and what is it that he can deny them Be it unto thee even as thâ—…u wilt draw thy requests and I will under-write them I will say amen to them what can God deny a soul that is improved in Grace of all others such are like to have the highest communications from God for this we may well think that God will order out his communications of mercy and comfort to his people according to their capacities the larger the vessel is the more liquor it takes in and accordingly the more shall there be communicated unto it Narrow hearts are like to have but little because they can receive but little they are little in capacity and are like to be accordingly but little in the communication that shall be made unto them 6. This will be our encouragement to endeavour a growth in Grace we shall by this means credit
is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus That he hath had a deep experience of prayer and of the difficulties of it and temptations which the soul is subject to meet withal in the management of prayer all this is known to Christ So far as a holy nature could have personal experience of such difficulties and such temptations so far hath our Lord Jesus in his own person experimented this matter concerning prayer Now the knowledge of this the well digested knowledge of this That Christ was a man of prayer and that he hath had experience of prayer and knows what there is of difficulty in prayer and what sore temptations hang upon prayer and what a desperate enemy the Devil is to prayer he knows all this and he hath a sense upon his heart and a knowledge of all the strugling and wrestling in the hearts and spirits of his praying People here upon earth This is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ he hath a deep sense of all the strugglings and wrestlings of the spirits of his People here on earth and is perfectly knowing of all the opposition which they meet withal in the way of prayer and supplication and how the Devil doth set himself against his Saints and what incounters they meet withal from unbelief and the corruptions that are within how apt to fall under deep discouragement and despondency of spirit He knows all this and to this purpose that he might pity and compassionate his People O this is that which is to be known concerning Jesus Christ in Heaven and even now he is in glory that he hath a sense of all this upon his spirit and is privy to every prayer that his poor humble broken-hearted conflicting people do make up to God and is at Gods right hand ingaged to stand their prayers in stead and to promote the success of them and to take them from their hands as the blessed high-priest of their profession and to perfume them in his golden Sencer with his odours the odours of his intercession This is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and O how doth this knowledge well digested a soul being well advanced in it how will it find this Knowledge largely contributing to the promoting of this Duty Do but weigh these things in your Consciences whether this 〈◊〉 not be a very great conducement to the more lively managing of our prayers and that we would not trifle with God when we are exercised in such a Service And then again for that noble Gospel-Service and Duty of Praise and Blessing of God The more the soul doth improve and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the more vvill there be of loveliness and activity and inlargedness for the management of that Truly Brethren it is that vvhich vve have all cause to be deeply humbled for That God blessed for ever hath not more large returns for his People of praise and thanks and blessing for all that Grace that he hath made to appear unto them O hovv little is it that is done to purpose in such a service And vvhat 's the reason that vve are not more lively to such a purpose that our hearts are not more inlarged to God in a vvay of blessing and praising and thanksgiving to him We may vvell reckon it to this That vve are not more in the Knovvledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for this Knowledge of Christ our Lord and of the Mysteries concerning him this is the Knowledge that will make the soul to be upon the wing mounting up with all inlargements of thankfulness and praise unto God The more the soul is taken up with the apprehensions of the Mysteries of the Gospel concerning the Lord Jesus the more will it be in admirings of Grace the more will it be in magnifyings of the God of all Grace Consider This Knowledge it is such Wine as will make the lips of them that are asleep to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that expression which we have in Cant. 7. he spâ—…ks there concerning our Saviour that is soâ—… and 〈◊〉 that it would make the lips of them that are asleep to speak Oh! The Doctrine concerning our Lord Jesus if it were better known it would spirit the soul and make it to be most active to such a purpose You here have an account concerning the Angels There was upon the birth of Christ an heavenly Hoste and they were singing praises unto God Glory be to God on high Upon what account upon the account of Jesus Christ and the knowledge they had of Jesus Christ and of that glorious Mysterie concerning Jesus Christ the Angels were not able to contain themselves The Virgin Mary in Luk. 2. when she comes to have an account of the Mysterie concerning her Lord Jesus Christ and the Grace of God through him How doth she break out with all inlargement My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and so all along O what blessing and praising of God was there on the part of a People that were well instructed in the first establishing Apostolical constitutions O what inlargements were there in praising God and magnifying him And why Upon the account of the Knowledge that they had of the glorious Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the account that was given in the primitive Persecutions concerning the Christians That they would be in their early singings and praisings of God This was the account of the Christians under dreadful persecution in the dayes of Trajan the Emperor That they would be early in the morning singing and praising and blessing God And upon what account Upon the account of this great and glorious Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. O! this is that that would fill the mouth with Arguments and it would wisely contribâ—…te to the promoting of ability sutable to such Arguments wherein to inlarge in blessing and praising God our hearts would not lye so dead upon us we would be more lively than we are in exalting God magnifying his Name did we but know more of our Lord Jesus of the Mysterie which hath been kept secret from Ages and Generations but because we do but sip of the Cup have a little smattering Knowledge and no well digested Knowledge and not duly improved we come off so poorly as we do O consider the spirit of the Apostle Paul how excellently it discovers it self as in the beginning of his Epistle to the Ephesians Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ blessed be God that hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ In Christ So the Apostle Peter O blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hath begotten us unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away and all by the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus the Knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ O it will spirit the soul and make it lively to the uttermost in publishing the praises of the most high God I instance only in Eph. 3. what the Apostle is praying on their behalf That they might be able to comprehend with all Saints the height and depth and breadth and length and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fulness of God And then mark what follows Now saith he unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus thâ—…ughout all ages world without end Amen Paul 〈◊〉 not hold his spirit was so full he was like a vessel that must either have a vent or burst it self O he being upon the meditation of this glorious Mysterie concerning Christ and the Doctrine of Christ why saith he Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly O how his heart was filled with praises and admirings of God upon the account of Christ. And there is one thing more now comes to mind wherein you may see the spirit of a Saint in the proper frame of it when there comes to be a due improvement of the Knowledge of Christ when the Apostle Paul in 1 Tim. 1. had been making mention of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and comes to express his knowledge and sense of that Grace according to what you have exprest and held forth in that Chapter saith he The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Iesus and so he goes on This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life Paul had been thus upon the serious meditation of this knowledge concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark you now what his spirit rises up unto in the close of the Chapter Now saith he unto the King eternal having but made mention of Christ and spoken something concerning Christ and given some account of his knowledge of the mystery concerning Christ Mark how he breaks out into this acknowledgment Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen and this comes in only occasionally in the way of a digression For he intermits the prosecution of the Argument he had in hand and falls upon this by way of a digression as if he should say O I cannot fall upon the mention of our Lord Jesus and of the mystery concerning him I cannot be upon the meditation of that knowledge which is to be had of Christ Jesus our Lord but saith he my heart must be breathing out in a way of praise and blessing of God admiring the riches of his Grace And thus would it be Brethren if we were but set to it to advance in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O it would inlarge our hearts as unto prayer so unto thanksgiving and blessing of God I add yet further O this knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it is a knowledge that Christians should endeavour to grow and advance in for it is by great growth in this they will come to be the more happily accomplished for the performing of the service of Preaching and Hearing I joyn these two together Preaching and Hearing of the Word of God And you may consider how a well-improved knowledge of our Lord Jesus would conduce most strongly to the provoking both of ministerial Preaching and likewise of Christian Hearing and attending upon the Doctrine which is to be made known unto us according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God For Preaching work O consider now that the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that knowledge that is to be had of him well advanc'd and improved will contribute exceedingly to the most lively management of this service Alas it 's accounted in the World but a low service and many times with too much lowness of spirit performed by those that profess to be called to the performance of it O but whence is it but from the want of a well-grown knowledge of our Lord and Saviour For consider Brethren this is that that we are to know concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that the Word and Gospel which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing I joyn these two together Preaching-work and Hearing-work Now the word which is the subject matter of a Ministers Preaching and of a Beeleevers Hearing This word it comes out of the very heart of God out of the blessed bosome of the Eternal God And as a precious token of that love and respect that he bears to his Son he hath given out this word out of his own breast and bosome he hath given it and committed it as a trust unto his Son Will you consider this That this everlasting Gospel this word of Salvation which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing it is given as a testimony of the Fathers Love it is given to Christ observe that expression in Joh. 17. in the Prayer that our Saviour makes unto his Father saith he ver 8. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest unto me thou gavest the words to me first and then saith Christ I have given these words unto them our Lord professeth before all the World he makes this open profession saith he my Doctrine is not mine 'T is not mine considered as Mediator but it is the Doctrine of my Father which my Father hath given me and which he hath intrusted me with to make known unto the World and to communicate to my Disciples that by them the World may have the Knowledge of him Consider this that God the Father the Great Jehovah He gives this Word this Doctrine unto his Son Jesus Christ. Well this is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ that the Words and Doctrine is that which is given as a gift by the Father unto him and so likewise you have it in Rev. 1. the Revelation of Jesus Christ how came it to be his Consider that it 's resolved thus which God gave unto him to shew unto his Servants which must shortly come to pass and then he sent and signifyed by his Angel unto his servant John I but Christ hath a Revelation who gave it him God gives it him God hath given Christ all the whole plat-form and frame of Doctrine that concerns the Church of God his elect ones and called ones from the beginning unto the end of the World God the Father hath given this to the Son 2. This is that that is
And it is a duty that is incumbent upon all that are gracious They that are Babes they must grow that so they may come to be strong men They that are strong men they must grow still that they may come to be stronger and stronger that the feeble according to that expression in the 12th of Zechariah may be as David and that David may be as the Angel of God this is that that is required of us Weak Believers they must grow grow strong Believers Strong Believers must labour to grow still grow stronger and stronger in their believing Christians Professors duty is to grow strong in grace and not only so but Ministers the dispensers of the Mysteries of God it s as much their duty as the duty of the Professors to be upon their growth in grace Give diligence saith the Apostle to Timothy 1 Ep. 1. 4. Give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine that thy profiting may appear to all But what are the requisites of this growth That I shall speak to in a few words what a growth it must be 1. It must be a perceivable growth It should be so The growth of a Saint in grace it should be a perceivable growth a visible growth a growth that may be perceived and apprehended a Judgment may be made upon it Such a growth the Apostle speaks of in that place I mentioned Give attendance to these and these courses that thy profiting may appear to all Why truly the growth or a Believer in grace we should endeavour that it may be a perceivable growth As a man by observation can say I set such a plant in my Garden or Orchard and I do perceive that within such a time it is grown so much higher and stronger And so for children there is a perceivable growth in them you may observe how they grow in process of time Such a growth we should endeavour after that it may be perceived by others by our selves that we may be able to give an account of it and say as David speaks In the day whereon I did call uprn thee thou didst answer me and thou didst strengthen me with strength in my soul. 2. As a perceivable growth so it should be a proportionable growth If we will approve our selves in this matter our growth in grace it must be a proportionable growth proportionable to time which God affords us What! so long under the Ministry of the Gospel and in the profession of godliness so long standing proportionable to the time of our standing should be our increases Why then we should be of a greater growth than others that are but of a later Plantation The Apostle speaks to that purpose in Heb. 5. For the time saith he you might have been teachers of others you might have come to this to have been fit to feed upon stronger meat But saith he you had need to be taught the very first principles and to be fed nith milk And this he speaks to their shame and in a way of blame And then secondly A proportionable growth there must be in grace proportionable to the means that God hath been pleased to afford Such and such large allowances and not answer them Why it will turn to the shame and reproach of a Professor let him be what he will 〈◊〉 if his improvements do not hold some proportion to his enjoyments If he do not in some measure answer his growth to the time and the means it turns to his dishonour And Thirdly If it be right it must be a fructifying growth a growth with fruit so as still we must grow more and more fruitful fruitful in all the duties of godliness that as we get more in saith more in love increase more in holiness and in spiritual strength so we are the more in spiritual fruitfulness do more for God Would it be to the satisfaction of an Orchard Planter to have a tree that when it was young and of lesser growth bring forth it may be twenty Apples in a year and when it comes to be of seven years growth more to bring forth no more Apples this-will not be to his satisfaction So for a Christian that is but of a younger Plantation to bring forth such and such fruit and then when he hath been seven and seven years longer in the profession of Christianity to viâ—…ld as little nay it may be less fruit to God then he did in his beginning Truly this is not well there must be fruitfulness and a growth in fruitfulness And then it must be a lasting and continuing growth I tell you Brethren think of it how we will the truth is if it be well with us we must grow as long as we are on this side Heaven but that indeed is no place of growth Mark that when once a Saint comes to Heaven he comes to his perfection he comes to have a consistency then he shall be as good as God would have him to be and as good as his heart can desire to be But while we are on this side Heaven there must be growing or else it is not right with us You see I have endeavoured with as much plainness as possibly I can to settle this upon your hearts concerning growth in grace That it is a duty Of what interpretation it is And what a growth it is that God requires Now for the Reasons of it Grow in Grace Why it must needs be so Why Brethren how else will God be glorified by us how can persons that have grace think that they can glorifie God if they do not grow in it I tell you Believers and Saints they are Gods children they are children of Gods begetting they are begotten of an immortal seed through the Word as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1. Why now consider is it for the honour of a Father to have a child begotten by him that proves a very dwarf abides and continues in the same proportion and stature that he was born in there 's no increase either in understanding or in stature or in strength but a poor creature a very Babe so born and so continues Is it for the honour of God to have such kind of children To beget children to himself by Grace and to have them stand at a stay and to have no growth Believers are the planting of the Lord Observe that place in the 61. of Isai. ver 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me c. And he hath anointed me To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the Oyl of Joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called Trees of Righteousness The Planting of the Lord that he might be Glorified Mark here they are the planting of the Lord and plants being planted there is such a course taken with them that they may come to grow to bulky-trees That they may be Trees of Righteousness that God may he glorified
out of their Religion and make a very mock of Godliness and upbraid the Servants of God with their hopes and expectations Now upon this account it is most rational that the Apostle should thus give in charge That Professors look to their growth in Grace that they may be able being well improved in the Grace that is bestowed upon them they may be enabled to bear up against all the scorns and scoffs and derisions that they may meet withal from men of prophane spirits lest otherwise through want or weakness in Grace they bedasht out of countenance and so either desert their cause or act unworthily in the management of it that 's a second thing Truly it s a great tryal the tryal of mocking and scoffing When men shall meet with such kind of dealing at the hands of prophane wretches when they shall flout and jeer at them for their profession and for the hopes that they bear upon truly its a great tryal and it requires a considerable strength of Grace to be able to bear up under such a tryal Well may the Apostle therefore charge this upon Christians and Believers that they look to their growth in Grace because there are last times and because there will come scoffers in those last times 3. Consider this withall That these scoffers they are such as shall walk after their own lusts And Lusts they are violent where they have their predominancy and carry on in a very sharp impetuous manner and if so be there be not a considerable improvement in Grace an advance in Grace Professors if they be but weaklings will not be well able to stand before the violence of ungodly men that are under the power of their own lusts 4. Consider That in these last dayes there shall be scoffers walking after their own Lusts that shall ingage to a dispute against that great Promise of the coming of the Lord Jesus That Promise which is one of the main foundations whereupon Believers have to bottome and found their hope and confidence towards God Ho disputes there are against the promise of the coming of the Lord Jesus and there will be an endeavouring to invalidate the promise and to shake the hope and the faith and confidence of Believers concerning this promise of his coming Now upon this account in the next place It is most rational that the Apostle should press upon Believers a care of growth in Grace that so they may be able in the strength of that Grace which they have received and which is well improved in them to hear up against all the shakings and that they may be able for to break the force of whatsoever Argument may be urged against this blessed promise 5. The Apostle gives us an account concerning most stupendious providences stupendious and amazing providences that should be ordered out For saith he The Heavens shall pass away with a noise the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the Earth with the works therein shall be burn'd up Now upon this account it is most properly chargeable upon Believers that they look to their Grace and to their growth in Grace that being corroborated and well strengthened in the Grace which they have received they may be inabled to bear up under the most astonishing and stupendious providences that when others shall say as Balaam speaks Alas who shall live when God doth this who shall live why a Believer a Saint of God being well grown having his Grace well improved may be able to say I doubt it not but by the help of the Grace of God in Christ I shall be able to bear up and lift up my head with joy and stand with boldness before God when others may fall under deepest despondences and be under the power of astonishment upon the account of such stupendious providences 6. I add That the Apostle gives an account concerning a promise which shall be assuredly performed in due time of having new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness And forasmuch as there is such a promise which is of surest accomplishment truly it is very requisite that Believers that were planted under the hope and expectation of having such a promise performed that they should look unto their growth in Grace that they come to be so improved in their Faith and Godliness that they may carry a suitableness unto such a time and such a state as that That they may be able for to bear up under the contemplation of the Glory that shall shine forth from these new heavens and this new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnes You must think that a little small inconsiderable portion of Grace will not be so answerable unto such a time and such a state as God hath by promise ingaged himself for to advance his people to so that in that respect the Apostle doth most fitly press this growth in Grace 7. God though he have made promises of his coming and his coming to make a new heaven and a new earth wherein Righteousness shall dwell yet notwithstanding he hath put a long date upon these promises and it will be long before such time as these promises shall have their accomplishment Why God is not slack concerning his promise but yet for all that he takes a long date and so it appears for it is now about 1600 years since this Epistle was written and these things communicated to the Churches and Saints for the benefit of their souls Now in this regard well might the Apostle require on the part of Believers and Saints a growth in Grace that they may be inabled patiently to wait upon God and to run through all the varieties of providences which should be ordered out upon them and undergo all the difficulties and hardships which they were or are to be put upon in order to the injoyment of the promises which God hath made which will not well be done without a considerable growth in Grace so that let that be considered of that this growth in Grace it is most properly chargeable upon Believers upon this account that God is pleased for to take a long day and to hold his people long in expectation of the accomplishment of the promises that he hath made And then 8. I add this That as in all times there have been so there will be in these latter times such as shall have their errors dangerous errors errors that are proper for wicked men Errors of the wicked by means of which errors the Saints may be brought into great danger of falling from their own steadfastness according to what the Apostle doth also express towards the latter end of this Chapter and as I have discours'd largely upon There will be errors of the wicked which will indanger the Saints as to their steadfastness and upon this account the Apostle doth most fitly injoyn this duty of growth in Grace So that now these 8 things being duly weighed and considered of we may clearly see how properly the Apostle
everlasting Covenant which is ordered in all things and sure when it is not penn'd up but hath scope in our understandings when we can take in this mysterie of the new Covenant in the proportions of it this is the business of Faith but it is that which will not be performed to any good purpose unless there be some considarable improvement and growth in Faith and therefore it is that the Apostle doth so earnestly pray on the behalf of the Church of Ephesus in Eph. 1. saith he I cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers that the God of 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give 〈◊〉 yâ—… the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of blâ—… the eyes of your understandings being inlightned that yâ—… may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the 〈◊〉 of the Glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exeeceding greatness of his power to us ward who beliâ—…e according to the working of his mighty power O how earnest was the Apostle in the behalf or the Ephesians to this purpose and Chap. 3. ver 14. sâ—…th he I bâ—…v my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he could grant unto you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith and saith he that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all the fulness of â—…d Two passages they are of Scripture which are most proper for beleeving souls to be well studied in that part which I read to you out of the first Chapt. and this in the third I say they are of some proper cognisance â—…r men and woman that being brought over to the Faith of the Gospel are studious of approving themselves unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they may answer their duty concerning these things that are here made mention of that there might be not only as I said before a weak and dim and dark apprehension of the mysterie of the Gospel the mysterie of Christ the mysterie of the hope of Glory but that there might be a comprehension that the mysterie may stand full and as much as may be compleat in us in all the proportions of it that the Gospel might not be streightned in our understandings Truly friends this is a great matter if you would but set your hearts upon it and seriously weigh and ponder what I drive now Alas how little is there of the mysterie of the Gospel that our hearts have already received how little of it And by this means God is scanted and shortened in the love praise and honour that is due to him and which our hearts would be inlarged to yield up if we were but more careful to answer our duty this way I do profess this morning to you that are partakers of the Faith of Gods Elect that are able to give any account of any saving work upon your hearts and that you have any thing of the Faith of the Gospel in you I do profess here and testifie to you in the Name of the Lord that this doth more neerly concern you for to look unto that these two Scriptures may be better answered by you that you do not please your selves in that streightness of spirit that is in you and discovers it self but that you be so heightned that there be such an inlargement of heart in believing that you may take in the mysterie in the Glories of it or else you will not so duly answer that which is required of you as touching your growth in Faith and Grace Think what you will of it this I am sure is a duty that lyes upon Beleevers to perform that they be of comprehensive spirits and that they labour to work out to a more inlargedness of heart that they may be so inabled to comprehend with all the Saints the height and depth and breadth and length or else you will never be able to give that glory to God and honour to Christ never be so much in admirings of the glorious mysterie of the Gospel as otherwise you would I would you would a little think of this point and for my part I do profess I know nothing that is more proper for a Minister of the Gospel a Dispencer of the Mysteries of God to be more earnest in pressing and urging upon Beleevers than this very thing is But alas how low spirited are most Beleevers Beleevers that it may be have got as much Faith as wil secure them from Hell and bring them to Heaven But as for the mysteries in the glories of it in the dimentions of it in the latitude of it O how uncapable of a due apprehension of it Will you therefore but consider of this this is one thing I it is it is that which doth mainly concern those that have any thing of the Faith of the Gospel in them for to be very solicitous about and studious to be answerable to I leave it with you but know that the great God of Heaven and our Lord Jesus hath laid this burden upon you and me this morning As many of us as are able to give an account of the Faith of the Gospel the Lord Jesus laies this burden upon you this morning that you look to it that there be a comprehensiveness of spirit concerning the mysterie of the Gospel which is Christ in you the hope of Glory And so I let it pass I leave it with you to be studied and pondered upon and as you will answer it to Christ another day Take heed that this particular among the rest be not slightly passed over Again your duty is to grow in Grace and Faith and so will you make it appear that you do grow When you come to have such a Faith as is not only a living Faith but a lively Faith an active stirring Faith within you when you come to have such a Faith as that you do not only live by it but that you live richly by it there 's many a man that lives and gets a livelyhood he hath bread for the day he hath to supply his necessities but he lives at a low poor rate he is not able to rise up to those expences that others are able to bâ—…ar So there are I say many Beleevers they live they gâ—…t bread for the day they get a subsistence by their Faith but they live poorly at a low rate they do not keep a good house they do not spend like rich men There are that are rich in Faith as the Apostle uses the expression in the second Epist. of James that are rich in Faith that 's it that we should press to to such a growth in Faith that we may live like
to Heaven without company and I tell you that this is an argument of a well-improved Faith When our Faith it goes abroad our solicitousness it is not only for our selves but others when our Charity goes out of doors and we are now projecting and casting about how we may promote others eternal welfare when Paul could say I am perswaded that neither Height nor Depth nor Angels nor Principalities nor Life nor Death nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus when Paul comes to this Plerophoria when he comes to be thus improved in his Faith saith he in Rom. 9. Brethen I would have you to know that I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavyness and continual sorrow in my heart Why what man Did'st thou not write but just now that thou wast perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. should be able to separate from the Love of Christ Jesus our Lord Why Paul will you speak to such a purpose as this then that you have great heaviness and continual sorrow in your heart Why you should be full of joy who should rejoyce in all the World if they do not nor should not that have a confident perswasion that they shall go to Heaven and be eternally blessed with God and live in everlasting communion with him Do you say you have great heaviness and continual sorrow in your heart Why the business of Faith is to fill the soul with joy and peace in beleeving and do you talk of sorrow and heaviness in your heart why what should be the matter O Brethren he had now a well-grown Faith his Faith was improved exceedingly that he was now sure that all was well between God and him he was sure to go to Heaven himself and that nothing should be able to separate And now his heart begins to turn upon his poor Brethren I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart I profess saith he I could set down so far as it might be without sinning against God yea I could be contented to be cut off from the comfortable and rejoycing part of Salvation I could be contented even to be cut off from the comfortable communion not that he would be in a state of guilt and sin and wrath and under the hatred of God But I could be contented saith he to be even cut off from that sweet injoyment that Saints have in their glorified estate for my Brethrens sake according to the flesh Now saith he it 's the sorrow of my heart while I am full of joy and comfort in respect of my own condition I am full of heaviness and continual sorrow there is upon me that my Brethren that are the seed of Abraham that they should be strangers to this Grace and like to be shut out from the Salvation which I am now sure of and then is the Faith of a Beleever a well-grown Faith when it comes to be solicitous of others wellfare And for those that are brought over to Faith but are weaklings in Faith when there is a bearing with their weaknesses and infirmities a studying to please them in all things for their profit and a friendly deportment when there is not a grâ—…ng upon them nor a galling of them by any unbecoming carriage Saith the Apostle in Rom. 15. We that are strong that are strong in Faith ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves for let let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fall on me We that are strong we that come to have a well-grown Faith we should look with a tender and comâ—… eye and heart upon tender Brethren 〈◊〉 not so much insist upon what will be to the â—…ing of our selves but what will be to the pleaâ—… of our weak Brethren so far as is consistent 〈◊〉 their profit and the edification of our souls 〈◊〉 thus with Christ and it should be thus with 〈◊〉 this will be a proof of our growth in Faith Further our duty is to grow in Grace and to grow in Faith and such a growth should we press after that we may be able for to use and enjoy the World and the good things of it with heavenly minds so as that we come to value our selves not so much by what we are in the World as by what we are in in the Covenant and by what estate we have in the Covenant not to make so much matter of it that we are able to give an account of such and such an estate in Land and Houses and worldly Possessions but to valew our selves upon this accout that we are able for to make out an estate in the Covenant and that all our outward enjoyments are held by a Covenant and that 's it that gives us the comfort of our enjoyments Such an estate I have I but blessed be God I have it by a spiritual title Christ is mine and I am Christs and so all things become mine I have a spiritual title and I hold all by virtue of a Covenant in Christ. I would not valew the World I would not value my outward condition my riches if they be thousands and ten thousands in the World I should look upon them but as a beggerly portion if I had them not upon a spiritual account and upon the account of an interest in Christ O God that hath given me Christ he hath given me with him all these things When a man can look upon his estate be it never so large and copious to look upon it as that which his heart would be dead to if it were not that he could look upon these things that he doth injoy as upon a Covenant Conveyance And when a soul comes to this to use the World with a heavenly mind manage the affairs of the World I but with dependance upon God When a man in the way of his Calling and management of his affairs here below goes on with diligence and care I but with a humble dependance upon God and while he doth his duty he can trust God with the success Let the times be hard and trading dead and little in-comes no matter I 'll open my shop and I 'll attend the providence of God and whether little or much come in I am not solicitous about that I am resolved upon this I will do my duty and wait upon God and I know it must be his blessing must be the portion for me to live upon And it is not the in-come of the World that I set my heart so much upon but I 'll do my duty and leave the success to God There are two or three things more but for the present only
weigh what hath been said and consider that I have been speaking to you to this purpose that you that are the Sons and Daughters of Faith look to it that there be a growth in Faith And such a growth as that the mysterie of the everlasting Gospel stand fast in you that you may be able to comprehend with all the Saints the height and depth and length and breadth That you may grow up to such a Faith no that you may not only live by it but live at a high rate that you may not only live by it but live honourably that you may fare deliciously every day Such a Faith as is not only a conflicting but a conquering and triumphing Faith Such a Faith as brings you off more from self and makes you seek God more his Glory more Such a Faith as makes you to be studious not only of your own eternal wellfare but of the well-fare of others Such a Faith as makes you to value your selves not according to your worldly injoyments but that you value what you injoy according to a Covenant of Grace and your self according to that account And this way truly you may give good proof that you are persons that answer the duty in the Text which the Apostle requires That we grow in Grace SERM. VI. I Shall only add a Particular or two about Growth in Faith Your duty is to endeavour to such a growth in Faith that you may be able to meditate Terror It is one thing for to be possest with terror to be apprehensive of terror and to be amazed and astonished through terror upon us another thing to be able to make terror the matter of our meditation One thing for to be apprehensive of that which is matter of terror and to be affrighted with it and ready to sink under the apprehensions of it another thing for to have not only the apprehensions but to have the heart bearing up with a holy confidence without being in the least discomposure to have a fixedness of soul a setledness of heart and not to be startled and to be ready to run this way and that way and even to be at our wits ends not knowing in the World what course to take Now this is one of the great priviledges which belongs to Beleevers and to the Saints of God to be able to meditate terror you have the expression in Isa. 33. 18. There it 's held forth unto us as a Saints and Beleevers priviledge that hearts shall meditate terror And it is not every Faith that will bring a Saint into the actual possession of free usage of this priviledge I would you would labour to have a fixed heart now upon what I speak and be in a due composure I say this It is not every degree of Faith that will bring the soul into the actual and free possession and usage of this priviledge that I now speak of For to make that which is matter of terror and amazement that which is apt to sink and swallow up the hearts and spirits of others to make it the matter of our joyful and comfortable meditation 't is not every Faith every degree of Faith 'T is true indeed every Faith in the lowest degree hath a tendency to it every Faith doth more or less make proposition to a carnal and slavish fear But it is found in experience that where Faith is but low and weak it is apt to be over-top'd and over-powred by base carnal slavish fear it is found in common experience But it must be a well-improved Faith a Faith well grown that inables the soul to bear up boldly and resolutely when there is matter of fear before it The Prophet speaks in Psal. 112. concerning the righteous man That he hath his heart fixed he is so advanced in his Faith as that he is come to a fixedness his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. And then it follows He shall not be afraid for any evil tydings that that is matter of terror and astonishment to others he can with a sweet composure of spirit meditate of muse upon and be in the thoughts of this is a great matter and a lovely priviledge and that which we should set our hearts upon Such a Faith of such a growth we should endeavour after that we may be able to meditate terror There is a terribleness in God in his Name The Lord is of terrible Majesty Terribleness in his presence when that Proclamation was made in Isa. 6. Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts the Prophet cryes out now Woe is me When there was a Proclamation of God upon Mount Synai in thunder and lightning When there was that dreadful voice O the people cry out let us hear no more the voice of God left we die Now a well-improved Faith will be able for to meditate of this terror I and to dwell with that God in holy meditation and to converse with that God that is of such terrible Majesty Who shall dwell with devouring fire who shall dwell with everlasting burnings that is as terrible as devouring fire as dreadful as everlasting burning who shall dwell with him who shall be able to bear up at the thoughts of him why a soul that is well improved in his Faith will be inabled so to do Such a Faith of such a growth we should endeavour after as that we may be able thus to meditate the terror of God not be affraid of him True it is it is a duty that is incumbent upon us to have our hearts in a holy awe but withal to bear up in a holy boldness and not to be swallowed up with fear upon the manifestations of the terribleness of God So there is a terribleness in the Law in the Covenant of works that God made and which he made a dreadful discovery of upon Siâ—…ai A fiery Law it is and so called in Deut. 33. It 's a terrible Law that flashes fire and vengeance in the face of an ungodly sinner of a guilty wretch I but now the Faith of a Beleever well improved will inable him for to meditate with sweet composure of spirit upon this terrible Law and with a rejoycing spirit think of the ridgedness and sevear requiries of it knowing that it hath taken sanctuary at a Covenant which is full of mercy and comfort and doth sweetly revive and succour the soul under the dreadfullest representations that can be made to it of its own guilt There is a terribleness in Death and it is called the King of Terrors And how many are there that are not able to bear the thoughts of it not able to stand before the thoughts of their dying I how many are there poor creatures that when the thoughts of Death do but arise in them they are ready to be swallowed up of it and they do all that ever they can to fortifie themselves against those thoughts as 't is a common thing for persons to do they cannot indure to be
which a well-grown Faith will inable to and such a degree of Faith our duty is to endeavour after that we may be able to say with the Spouse even so come Lord Jesus come quickly And thus I have spoken to you concerning Faith when the Apostle calls upon us to grow in Grace I have prest the duty with respect to this particular Grace of Faith and this know as I said in the beginning of the discourse That truly the growth of other Graces doth very much depend upon the growth of Faith and the reason why we are so low and poor in other Graces it is because our Faith is not better improved and raised up to a higher pitch But yet I would speak something concerning two or three other Graces and so endeavour to fasten this charge of the Apostle upon you Your duty is if you have Grace to grow in Grace do but think of it seriously and study to answer the duty of the Text Grow in Grace Grow in Faith I and know that it is your duty to grow in Love In Love to God in Love to Christ in Love to the Truth in Love to the Saints in Love with Heaven this is that that you should set your hearts unto Have you any thing of the Love of God in you If you know that it 's your duty to improve in that Love as you are taught of God to Love so you are taught of God to increase and abound in Love If there be a spark of Love in you to God you should labour to bless God for that but labour withal that that spark may be blown up into a flame Are you able to say with Peter if the question should be put to you as it was to him Simon Son of Jâ—…nah Lovest thou me You should be thinking with your selves if Christ should put such a question to you such a one Thomas John Brother Sister dost thou love me that you may be able to say without check of conscience Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee It were very good for every one of us to be putting this question to our own hearts O my soul dost thou love God indeed art thou able to make a bold profession of thy love to God Doth not thy conscience tell thee that thou lyest when thou sayest thou lovest him and his Christ and his Spirit and his waies Dost thou indeed love him If we can say with boldness and without check and controul of conscience Lord thou knowest that I love thee Then I would say this to thee Dost thou love him O labour to love him more and more to love him with a more intire love with a more intensive love Love him with such a love that whatsoever duties he requires of thee thou mayest cheerfully apply to them O Lord I love thee and I so love thee that I think nothing too much to do for thee so love thee as that I think nothing too much to suffer for thee If thou call me to duty O Lord I love thee so dearly that I stick at nothing of duty O Lord I love thee with such an intire and an intensive love that I think nothing too much to suffer for thee such a love we should press to and improve to such a flame that we may be able to say all this is come upon us as the Church speaks in Ps. 44. yet have we not departed from thee noâ—… have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant this is the Love a flaming Love to God to Christ to the Truth to waies of Holyness such a Love as no waters may be able to quench And then thirdly Grow in Grace in what Grace O Christians if so be that you have any Fear of God in you look to it that that fear be a growing Fear I speak now of a holy fear a child-like fear a fear of Reverence a fear that is consistent with love The Fear of God it is a Grace which you should endeavour to grow in that it may be said of you that you Fear God I you fear God above many It 's an excellent testimony that 's given concerning one in the book of Neh. The testimony is given of him that he feared God and he feared God above many Now such a fear that we may go beyond others in their fear others have a fear of God to such or such a degree I but the fear in such a one is far passing the fear of others Such a fear of God we should endeavour to come to that when a temptation comes upon us and it comes with the greatest advantages consider of it and we have the fairest opportunities to commit the sin that we are tempted to such a fear we should endeavour to be possest withal that we may break the force and power of the temptation that it may not in the least fasten upon us Such a fear there was in Ioseph when the temptation was upon him só strong and comes upon him with so much advantage the fear of God was so strong upon his heart that he was inabled to bid defiance to the temptation and to quit himself in an honourable manner Such a Fear of God so improved and grown up to such a degree that when there are difficult duties before us to perform and such duties as we shall be in danger by performing of them to fall into deep and dreadful sufferings Such a Fear as let the danger be what it will that I may expose my self to in case I perform the duty yet the Fear of God is so strong upon my heart as that notwithstanding all the danger the duty shall be done This was the case of Obadiah there was a duty incumbent upon him and which he had opportunity to perform concerning the Prophets of the Lord He takes 100 of them and gets them into a Cave and there he feeds them by 50 in a Cave this was a very difficult and a dangerous duty it was as much as his life amounted to in case that Iezabel should have come to the knowledge of it I but notwithstanding the difficulty and the danger such was the fear of God in him that he was inabled to the performance of this duty and therefore he could speak boldly to Eliah in 1 Kin. 18. I thy Servant fear the Lord and that with such a fear thot when Iezabel slew the Prophets of the Lord I hid 100 of them by 50 in a Cave Such a fear we should labour to be possest withal as that when we are apt to be insnared and inslaved by the fear of men the fear of God may break the force of that fear Solomon tell us In the fear of man there is a snare and how apt are people to be ensnared by it I but now if the Fear of God were but well improved it would break the snare and swallow up the fear of man In the fear of man there is a snare But in the fear of the Lord there
's a Mystery which God was pleased to keep secret in his own bosom for many thousands of years some little whispering there was of it upon the fall of Man The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head And what a pittance was here Though infinite mercy appeared in making this little appearance The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Then afterwards a little more of this but a Mysterie and still a Mysterie and an unsearchable Mysterie a Mysterie which they that are most insighted in will have cause to say Alas how little a thing is known of him and what a depth is here and how scant and short is our line that we are not able to fathom the depth O it is such a Knowledge the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as that all those Dimensions are most properly reckoned to it heights and depths and breadths and lengths and yet it is a Knowledge that passeth knowledge Such is the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We had need then to be endeavouring a growth in it and to resolve thus I have not attained nor know nothing as I ought to know I am not yet sufficiently skill'd in this Mysterie If Paul that was such a knowing man were alive at this day he would be still pursuing after this Knowledge the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I but what account is to be given of this Knowledge that we should be so set to endeavour a growth in it Consider besides that that I have now spoken as touching the smallness of that measure attained Consider yet further First of all There is great reason that Christians and Believers should endeavour a growth in this Knowledge First It is the most excellent Knowledge that ever was discovered to the World and you have the Apostles word for it who was able to make a Judgment of Knowledge and Knowledge Phil. 3. 8. O saith he I do here give my Judgment and saith he This is my standing Judgment I am an Hebrew of the Hebrews of the seed of Abraham I am an Israelite of the Tribe of Benjamin as touching the Law a Pharisee And he was a man that could speak with Tongues more than all the Apostles And he was a man of profound Knowledge Though I be rude in speech yet not in knowledge Why he had a vast portion of Knowledge yet when he comes to compare one thing with another For my part saith he I account all things but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord. All but lâ—…ss and dung such an excellency there is in the knowledge of Christ and truly all other knowledge may well be lookt upon as inconsiderable knowledge and all other Injoyments in the World but even accounted as loss and dung compared with the Knowledge of Christ. Consider the Subject of this Knowledge Christ himself Consider him in his Person The brightness of his Father's Glory the express Image of his Person one that was in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Consider him yet notwithstanding this account of him as one that hath a transcendent love to his Father love to the World that he was most willing to comply with his Fathers pleasure in taking upon him the nature of Man The Lord to become a Servant the Prince of Life to become subject to Death O the blessed and only Potentate to be made a Curse he that knew no sin becomes willing to be made sin he that was the Lord of all to become a Servant of all What shall I say The consideration of the subject of this Knowledge it commends it to us as the most excellent Knowledge that ever was communicated to the World And then consider but this Lord Jesus Christ as in his Person so in his Qualifications in his Love in his Meekness in his Fatience in his Humility in his Gentleness in his Holiness and Righteousness in every respect Consider him in his Office such a Priest such a Prophet such a King as the World never had the like Consider him in his Actions and Performances consider him in his miraculous Actions in his moral Actions consider him in his military Actions and Performances such a Saviour of such wonderful power And of such Aâ—…chievements and Accomplishments as the like was never heard of in the World that he should rout Hell it self all the Devils in Hell It was a great matter in David to come into the Camp and to get the Victory over a Gyant a Goliah that was yet but a man But for this Captain this noble Souldier to come into the Camp and to ingage against all the powers of Hell and Darkness all the Devils in Hell that were all of them in Arms against him and yet he routs them and makes a spoyl of them and leads them a company of base slaves after him he makes a shew of them openly and triumphed over them in his Cross he gets a Conquest This is the most noble Captain and the most worthy Souldier that ever the World had Consider him I say in those military Performances moral Performances miraculous Performances the wonderful cures that he wrought such a Physitian that the World never had the like could Cure with a look with a word with a touch he could cure Bodies Souls There 's never a Physitian in the World could purge a sin out of a mans Conscience I but Christ can purge the Soul from sin Now Brethren I can at present but name these things and then to come to tell you what an excellent Knowledge the Knowledge of Jesus Christ is As in respect of the subject of it so in respect of the benefit and usefulness of it never any knowledge in the World will profit like unto this knowledge Here I have many things to say but I only at present give you but a little touch of them The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ O it is the most profitable and useful and beneficial Knowledge Mark by the Law comes the knowledge of sin So the Apostle in Rom. 7. I had not known sin except the Law had said thus and thus I but when a man comes to know his plague and disease what is he the neerer if he doth not know his remedy If you should now be tryed as indeed it is necessary you should if you have not been brought to it If you should be brought to know what vitious natures you have what cursed corruptions made to see what deep and dreadful guilt you have contracted upon you if you should come to have the discovery made as those that God hath a favour to they have such disâ—…overies made to them the spirit of God comes 〈◊〉 as a convincing spirit if you should come to have the knowledge of your sins O now I am made to see and know that I am a vile damned wretch I come to know my sin and I know no more
our Improvement in the knowledge of Christ truly we walk unworthy of this provision if we do not put on with all industriousness to such a purpose that we may grow in the Knowledge of God Let me but express my self thus If so be you have a Vessel moving upon the waters if the water be shallow and it be a low water the Vessel is ready to touch upon the ground but if so be the water grow higher and higher and the Tyde comes in and springs up then the Vessel rises higher and higher So should it be with the souls of Believers being that God hath made a stream come in more strongly and the Tyde to rise higher as he hath done in the course of holy Scripture truly the endeavour of a Christian should be sutable to such provision he should endeavour to be upon his Improvements and to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. These things being thus accounted to you in order to your convincement that we should endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour I should now come to tell you what this Knowledge is for the nature of it I must tell you this That truly there are many have the Knowledge of Christ and are grown up to a great measure of it and yet for all that their Knowledge will be their confutation at last I must tell you this That howsoever we may be apt to lift up our selves in high conceits of our Knowledge yet the very Devils are exceeding much in their Knowledge of Christ We know thee who thou art The holy one of God I tell you There 's never a Devil that 's now under the chains of darkness but they can speak most learnedly concerning the Lord Jesus concerning his Person concerning his Nature concerning his Office And how many learned men are there that are able to discourse concerning Christ concerning his Incarnation and concerning his Death and Resurrection and Ascension and this and that and are able to inlarge themselves this way and yet they do many of them go down with their Knowledge to Hell Therefore it is necessary for us to be well instructed in this Point that we may know what this Knowledge is I would have spoken something to it only thus It is not a notional Knowledge Take heed of a notional historical Knowledge a Knowledge that you attain unto meerly by common report and by a common eradiation of the Understanding but look to it that it be a Heart-knowledge a cordial Knowledge a practical Knowledge such a Knowledge as is a transforming Knowledge For the truth on 't is If any man think he knows any thing of Christ he knows nothing as he ought to know if his Knowledge don't transform him This is the ruine of souls They know much of Christ they are able to discourse of the Doctrine of Justification and Sanctification and of Adoption and other Mysteries of the Gospel and all lies floating in the brain and that 's nothing of its effectual operation upon the heart and conscience of a sinner This is that that I would a little further speak to you about that so we may not mistake our selves and go with a Knowledge that lies dead upon our hands and so come to fall under the deep and most dreadful ruine SERM. XI I Was speaking concerning this Knowledge for the kind of it Now I would strengthen this cause I have in hand concerning the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I would strengthen the cause what I could and I shall do my best endeavour that you may be as fully convinc'd as may be How much it concerns Believers and Saints to grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Besides all that hath been already spoken to the purpose which indeed doth carry very convincing light with it and is beyond all gain-saying There is besides all that hath been already spoken some things further to be held forth unto you whereby you may yet stand more fully convinc'd of it That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus is a Knowledge that we should vigorously endeavour a growth and Improvement in As now to instance Having spoken the last time of things that concern us in reference to Christ so I shall now further communicate those things to you that concern this matter in reference to our selves If so be we be but that we profess to be if we be such as have the faith of the Gospel and are planted under the hopes of the Gospel truly it doth very much concern us in respect of our selves to endeavour vigorously a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that in these several respects which I would intreat you seriously to weigh and consider As First Our Duty is to endeavour a growth in th Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. First That we may be men and women of more able Judgments be more Judicious and able to manage our Judgment of things 2. That we may have the more benefit and comfort of our Consciences and with respect to our consciences our duty is to endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 3. With respect unto Gospel-grace and that there may be an increase in it 4. With respect unto Gospel-priviledges and Benefits and Comforts 5. With respect to Gospel-duties 6. With respect unto a Gospel-conversation In the general these things I now do further offer to your consideration and shall endeavour to give some insight into them and what they do import that so if the Lord will please to prosper my endeavours among you that you may come to set on more strenuously with strength and endeavour after a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Consider first It is required of us such as profess Godliness and the Faith of the Gospel that they be a wise judicious and understanding People Be not saith the Apostle unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is 'T is that which hath been earnestly prayed for So David Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding How earnest was Solomon in that behalf that he would give him a wise and an understanding heart How earnest was Paul with God on the behalf of the Church of the Ephesians That their understandings might be enlightned God would have his People to be like himself he is a judicious God a God of Judgment and he would have his People to be an understanding and judicious People of discerning spirits able to make a right Judgment of persons and persons of things and things This is the Will of God Now consider There is no Knowledge in all the World that contributes so much to this that we may come to be a wise understanding and judicious People as the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ doth I remember what Moses speaks in Deut. 4. That they should be acknowledged upon the account
of those Laws and Statutes and Testimonies which were given them they should be acknowledged to be a wise and an understanding People Why Truly they were of high accomplishment as touching their wisdom and understanding and judgment and that upon the account of those Revelations that God did make to them O but how much higher will the advance be of a People in wisdom and understanding and judgment that are well instructed in and acquainted with the Mysteries of Christ and the things that are to be known concerning him Consider now What was the teaching of the Old Testament to the teaching that was to be had under the New Testament the Gospel-teaching when the time came that the Mysterie which had been kept secret from Ages and Generations should be broken open and laid out to the full of it Oh what an advantage was there then for a People to come to good judgment and understanding No Knowledge in all the World I say contributes so much to the purpose of making Men and Women wise and judicious as doth the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By this Knowledge well improved for I speak of that I speak of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ considered as well improved when there is a considerable growth and increase in it I speak of this Knowledge in the improvement and increase in it as the most pretious Knowledge most beneficial to such a purpose for to accomplish men and women for being a judicious understanding People of discerning spirits Consider First of all By the means of this Knowledge we shall be the better able to make a judgment of ourselves our persons and conditions and states Alas beloved What woful mistakes are we apt to run upon concerning our conditions God-ward How many are there that think themselves to be something when they are nothing at all judge themselves to be of a right Gospel-spirit when they are nothing so at all How many are there that account themselves to be right in point of Religion and Godliness well accomplisht and that they are such as will pass in account with God for good and sound and upright men right in the Mysterie of the Gospel whom God will reject and protest against and profess of them that he hath no pleasure in them Then on the other hand There are many poor souls that pass a very sad judgment upon themselves and are apt to give themselves for stark naught that they are not to be accounted of with God that have deserved rather to be rejected of him when yet for all that they are in his account no other than noble Vines a holy a right seed as the Prophet Jeremiah useth the expression Now the reason of these mistakes in point of Judgment concerning our selves and Estates it must needs arise eâ—…pecially either from the total want or from a great deficiency in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For mark you You must know that we are never so well able to judge of the Writing as when we are well knowing of the Copy after which the Writing is to be drawn We can never so well make a Judgment of the fashion of a thing unless we know the due pattern after which it is to be cast they that see the Copy will be the better able to judge of the Writing that is to be drawn after the Copy they that understand the state of the Mold will be the better able to judge of the Vessel whether it be right cast and fashioned sutable to the Mold Now consider thus Our Lord Jesus Christ he is the Copy after which a Believer a Christian is to be drawn up He is the Mold into which a Christian is to be fashioned The Apostle tells us in Rom. 8. That those whom God hath predestinated he hath predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethren Thus it is it is the great design of God concerning all his People that he will own that they be conformed and fashioned according to Christ And such as is the constitution of Christ such must be the constitution of a Christian Now when we come to know and to know to good purpose the things that concern Christ when we come to be made able to answer the Mysteries of the Gospel concerning Christ what a Christ he is of what a make and constitution Pray consider well The more we know of this Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the better able shall we be to make a Judgment of our selves and to escape those dangerous mistakes concerning our condition and state which we are apt to run upon when we come to know and to know to some good degree what Christ is what he is for his Nature and Disposition and Qualifications and Constitution and that he is not made after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life That he is constituted a Priest after such a manner and so a Prophet a King When we come to know this to some purpose the Constitution of Christ what make he is of how God hath ordered him who is the Pattern and the Copy after which a Christian is to be drawn up the more we understand and know of this the better able shall we be to make a Judgment of our selves and states when we come to compare our selves with our Saviour Jesus Christ when we can find that as in the Print there is letter for letter there is Grace for Grace there is stamp for stamp Impression for Impression when we can find this when we come to know the original Copy and then come to compare our selves with the Copy the Writing that is drawn up in our own hearts when we come to understand what Constitution Christ is of and understand that to some purpose and then come to consider how it is vvith our selves then shall vve be the better able to make a Judgment of our condition and state and to say I knovv that my heart is right I knovv that my state is good I am able to avouch it I can give a Judgment of my self upon this account because I find the conformity to Christ my Head I see there is an ansvvering to the Copy and that I am dravvn up according to the Pattern O Brethren consider vvell of this We are said to be made Kings and Priests unto God our Father Why novv Kings and Priests vve are such as Christ vvho vvas a King and a Priest not after the Lavv as I said before of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life when we come to find the power of an endless Life in us a sutableness unto Christ when it 's otherwise it is but a pretence As it may be said according to that in Rev. 2. They say they are Iews and are not they are of the Synagogue of Satan and so will many be found
to be so that do not correspond to Christ and do not answer Christ as the Pattern This is that therefore that we are to know and consider That it is necessary that Believers and Saints should be well acquainted with the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because by that Knowledge we are to regulate our Judgments concerning our own persons And so the Church as in Rev. 2. before-mentioned And so again The like is to be said concerning Doctrines and concerning Worships concerning the Doctrines that are held forth and concerning the Worships that are performed Why Brethren there are many Doctrines preach'd in the World that are no better than chaff to the Wheat and no other than dross to the Gold What is the chaff to the wheat as the Prophet Ieremiah speaks And what is the dross to the Gold Now how should we judge but by the help of the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The more we improve in that Knowledge the better able shall we be to make a Judgment of Doctrines And so likewise of Worships Such Worships as shall have acceptance vvith God Why they must be Worships that are according to Christ and the more vve improve in the Knovvledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the more able shall vve be to make a Judgment of these things O! Christ he is a spiritual Christ Though we have known him saith the Apostle after the flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more He was made after the power of an endless Life and not after the Law of a carnal Commandment and his Worship is drawn up not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life sutable to himself O consider of this and take heed of carnal hearts and of carnal Services that hold no correspondency with our Lord Jesus Christ so that upon this account you may see and stand convinc'd of it That it concerns us very much to endeavour a growth and increase in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because by the means of that Knowledge we are inabled to make a Judgment of Churches and their Constitutions we are inabled to make a Judgment of Doctrines and of Worships which are to be performed 〈◊〉 Yet further The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Knowledge that Christians and Believers should endeavour a growth in and that as with respect unto their Judgments that they may come to be well accomplisht and to become a judicious People So likewise 2ly In regard of their Conscience Conscience truly it is a great word and I wish that the interpretation of it were better known The interpretation of Conscience I tell you Brethren That every man and woman hath a Conscience within them and this Conscience is either his cordial Friend or it will be his dreadful Enemy it will either be a Friend or a Fury either his best Friend on earth or his greatest Enemy on earth Conscience will be a Friend if it be right but God is a greater Friend Conscience will be an Enemy I but God is a greater Enemy If our heart condemn us faith the Apostle God is greater than our heart and he knows all things But on earth there is not a greater Friend nor is there a greater Enemy than a man's Conscience I tell you this That your Consciences when you come to know them and to be acquainted with them and when they come to be awakened and set on work your Consciences will either create a Heaven within you or else they will create a Hell within you Truly Conscience will do thus It will either make your life to be a Heaven or else it will make it to be a Hell I 'le give you two Instances and I think that more remarkable Instances cannot be given To instance in Paul and Iudas There was never man I think in the World that was able to speak more from experience concerning his Conscience and how it befriended him than Paul was never man better studied in Conscience never man more befriended by Conscience and he knew the benefit of it and was exceedingly rejoyced in it And there was never man that was more terrified by his Conscience I think than Iudas was and no man more able to speak to the terror of his Conscience than he was Paul makes his boast of his Conscience This is our rejoycing The testimony of our Conscience And Men and brethren I have lived in all good Conscience And still upon every occasion My Conscience bears me witness O this Conscience of Paul it sung within his bosom like a bird of Paradise O this good Conscience of Paul notwithstanding all the troubles and persecutions he meets with his Conscience befriends him and doth keep him up in heart and he is cheered with it under all the troubles and disquietments that he meets with in this World Thus it was with him as to his Conscience And as for Iudas his Conscience was a Fury within him when he came to be awakened and had the guilt of blood upon him O how Conscience rages it creates a Hell within him and he is in Hell before he comes there as many are and will be when God comes to awake their Consciences Now thus it was with Iudas and he was so hurried and agaster'd and amazed and afrighted that he was a Magor-missabib a terror to himself Thus it was with Iudas and that by reason of his awakened Conscience labouring under the guilt of his iniquities and impieties that he had committed Well this is Conscience the best friend on Earth or the greatest and dreadfullest enemy on Earth A man had better have all the World against him than have his Conscience against him and if all the World be against a man yet if his Conscience be for him if his Conscience will befriend him it will inable him to bear up with comfort notwithstanding I but now consider that it is by the well-improvement of the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it is by the well-improvement of that knowledge and by endeavouring an advance and a growth and increase in that this is the thing that I drive at it is by this means and upon this account that the Conscience comes to be set to rights and is inabled to do the part of a dear and cordial Friend which it will never do upon other tearms I 'll tell you what your Consciences will never do the part of a friend to you to any purpose but rather storm against you and make you to become as Magor-missabibs terrors to your selves unless you be well instructed in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Men and women may daub with their Consciences and sooth up themselves and lay their Conscience upon a pillow when it 's sick and distemper'd and ill at ease and would be breaking out men may take this and that course to still their Conscience for
more labouring under the apprehension and the representation of their former sins they would have been made perfect and would have had no more Conscience of sin But saith he every time they come to offer these Sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins Why Why because the knowledge of all this the performance of all this would not answer the exigency of the Conscience and lay a foundation for the Conscience to bottom upon But saith he Christ He comes in and He by one offering of Himself by the shedding of his own blood once He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now the Conscience comes to be quiet O this is the knowledge will quiet the Conscience Therefore now judge with your selves whether there be not infinite cause that professors that mind their souls and the peace of their hearts and the comfort of their Consciences whether it doth not infinitely concern them to endeavour an increase and growth in the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus That so when Conscience would be upon stirring and startling and stumbling the soul being well versed in the mysterie and understanding to good purpose what the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is the soul may be able to relieve it self Well be it what it will let Devils charge and let men charge let them charge to the full I bless God I have the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I understand the mysterie concerning my Lord Jesus I have endeavoured to make a good progression in this knowledge and to accommodate it to my purpose I know who Christ was what a Priest he was and what blood he shed and what a sacrifice he offered and I know that the Infinite Justice of God is not able to make any exception against this sacrifice and blood God hath rescued me well may my Conscience rescue me God is satisfied well may my Conscience be satisfied Well now for my part I know not what in all the World to preach to you that is more material and momentous than these things And these two things that I have laboured about this morning as touching a Christians accomplishment for being wise and judicious and that is by a due improvement in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And likewise concerning the Conscience and how that comes to be rectified and set to rights and to stand a mans Friend in every time of need and that he may sweetly injoy himself and come to have a Rock to repose upon in a storm and tempest how a soul may come to find a rest for it self in all the tossings and turmoylings in the World and that it is the knowledge or improving in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I say these are momentous things and we should well consider of it that of all knowledge there is none that we should endeavour a growth and increase in as the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. SERM. XII I Shall now proceed unto some other things which will yet more fully evidence it to us that it doth very much concern beleeving souls to endeavour a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The third thing according to this order which I propound is That by growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we shall be advantaged for a growth in Grace It seems and to me it more than seems to be implyed in the Conjunction of these two Requiries Grow in Grace grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It seems to imply thus much as if so be the Apostle should have said Grow in Grace and that you may do so see that you grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are never like to come to any eminency in Grace and to make any considerable advance 〈◊〉 Grace that make little or no progress in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And they that in uprightness of soul do make it their business to incease and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are the most likely persons for to make the most considerable advantage in the Graces of the Spirit of God There is something in it that the Spirit of God by the ministry of his Apostle Peter should propound these two requiries in this Conjunction one with another Require a growth in Grace and in order thereunto a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now here first of all I shall speak a little more generally and that but in a touch And then shall endeavour to evince this by giving an account of this in a more particular way You are to know that the first plantation of Grace in the soul it is made in the way and by the means of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ communicated to the soul through the Spirit there can be no Grace in the heart where there is no Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the Knowledge of Christ and of the Gospel and of the Gospel-mysteries concerning Christ by the means whereof Grace comes to be planted in the soul. The Prophet in Psal. 19. gives us this account of the Law of the Lord that it is a perfect Law converting the soul. What Law is this understand it of the Law of Grace and Faith Not of the Law of Works and there by Law you are to understand the Doctrine of God concerning Christ held forth in the Gospel in the Scriptures of Prophets and Apostles And he saith that it is the Law of God this Law of Faith this Gospel-Law which is the blessed Instrument of converting the soul. Before Conversion there 's no Grace when Conversion is wrought then Grace takes place in the heart an unconverted person is a graceless person let him be what he will for his moralities and plausible conversation when once Conversion is wrought then Grace comes to be in the soul and this Conversion is not brought about but by the Gospel which holds forth unto us the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let a man preach moral Duties never so clearly and plainly moral Duties all the Duties of the moral Law considered as it holds forth a Covenant of Works as it holds forth a Duty to God Duty to Man I say let a man preach never so clearly and plainly man's Duty he will never be able to convert the soul that is not the converting Ministry no it is not 't is not the quickning Ministry I remember how the Apostle argues to the Galatians Received ye the Spirit saith he which Spirit is a Spirit of Grace by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith That is the Doctrine of Faith Why saith he you did never receive the Spirit which is a Spirit of Grace by the works of the Law and by the hearing of the Law but you received the Spirit by
way soever it turns Truly so is this gift of Knowledge wâ—…re it 's given of special Grace when it is not a notional Knowledge but a heart-Knowledge for such a Knowledge I speak of such a Knowledge as the Covenant of God's Grace makes a conveyance of For alas I and others may preach a great deal of light into your heads and you may come to have the notions of these things and be never the nearer but we speak of a heart-Knowledge of God in Christ Jesus according to what the Covenant makes conveyance of as I said And I say thus That where there is heart knowledge given it is such a gift as prospers which way soever it turns O the blessed benefit that comes over by the heart-knowledge of our Lord Jesus especially when there comes to be a due improvement of it as in the other respects so in respect of meekness humility of spirit Alas meekness and humility it 's a lovely Grace but where doth it appear we are lofty and are far from a disposition that way which should discover it self What 's the reason Because of a defect in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For thus Had we but more of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus there would not be that frowardness and perversness and unto wardness and swelling of heart that commonly discovers it self if we had but a well improved and a well digested Knowledge of our Lord Jesus For consider What is there to â—…e known of Christ Why he is another manner of Christ than we take him to be than we know him to be or have a mind to know we do not know what a Christ he is he is another manner of Christ than you think he was He was not a proud Christ he was not a lofty spirited Christ he was meek and gentle and lovely and of a most humble frame of a most graciously condescending spirit Learn of me saith he Mat 11. I am meek and lowly And he gave most convincing proof and demonstration of it all along in his course and conversation in the World Did we but know this and had but a more through knowledge of what a kind of Christ he is it would conduce to the meeking and humbling of our hearts and spirits and make us to argue thus What a meek and humble Christ and I a proud swelling-hearted Wretch why how will this consist with my Profession I profess the Name of the Lord Jesus and discover little or nothing of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Surely Brethren this would conduce much to the meekning and humbling of our hearts And so for Patience That 's another Grace which we should not only have but have it in the increases and the improvements of it and yet how littlâ—… discovers it self how proud and passionate and waspish and froward are we What 's the reason of this Because we know no more of Christ we have not this heart-knowledge of Christ to such a degree as we should press after Did we but know what a patient Christ he is O! when he was reviled he reviled not again and when he was reproached he bore it patiently and he was led as a Lamb before the Shearer dumb and opened not his mouth Why did we but advance more in the hearty knowledge of our Lord Jesus it would conduce very much to the working of our hearts to patience and to a good degree of Patience This Knowledge of our Lord Jesus it would influence the Grace of Patience that we should be more conformable to Christ. And the Apostle in Heb. 12. he propounds this very consideration in order thereunto saith he Let us â—…n with patience the race that is set before us And that we may do so Let us look unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross despised the shame He indured the contradiction of sinners against him Lest saith he you be wearied and faint in your minds Look to this Jesus know the temper of his Spirit and what a patient Christ he was and what a heavenly Spirit he discovered And so I say That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus would contribute most strongly to such a purpose 7. And so for Heavenly-mindedness What 's the reason that we are so apt to dote upon the World and upon these lying and vexing vanities here below Why because we know no more of Christ If we were but more advanced in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we should be â—…ch helped against earthly-mindedness and improve more in a heavenly frame of heart and live above the World Why do not you know what a Christ he was what a heavenly Spirit he had how he lived in the World as a stranger He set not his heart upon this and that pleasure and profit but minded his business and he had an eye to the glory that was to be revealed and so he made it his great design that he might improve his time and honour his Father And he was at length able to give this account Ioh. 17. Father I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do And now further Glorifie me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Father I have liv'd in the World not so much by choice as upon the account of Duty and my heart is with thee and my longing's after Heaven Father glorifie me with thy self and bring me to thy Glory and thus Christ's heart was carried out Now had we but a well improved Knowledge of this it would contribute much to the promoting of a heavenly mind in us and make us to think with our selves Do I know this to have been the gracious frame and spirit of my Lord Jesus whom I make a Profession of And doth it not concern me to endeavour conformity to him that I may express the like heavenly-mindedness that Jesus Christ did I might yet speak of other Graces As 8. Fear and Reverence of God It 's a precious Grace which receives much increase by a well improved Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let me but give an instance of that in Psal. 2. where there is an account given of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ That God the Father hath set his Son upon his holy hill of Sion That he hath given the Heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession That he hath given him a rod of iron with which he will break in pieces his rebellious enemies like a Potters vessel This is the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This Knowledge when persons come to be well advanced in and there comes to be a due improvement of it will contribute very largely to the promoting of a holy Fear and Reverence of God according to that which follows Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Iudges
of the earth serve the Lord with fear rejoyce ye with trembling Kiss the Son Kings and Princes and great Men are very apt to forget themselves as if so be that there were none above them as if so be there were none to check and controul them You know how Pharaoh carryed himself Who is the Lord Ah! but there is a Lord above all Lords there is a King above all Kings even the Lord Jesus Christ whom God hath set to be King upon his holy hill of Sion And the right Knowledge of Christ the well improved and advanced Knowledge of Christ it will promote a holy fear and awe and reverence of him and of the great God who hath constituted and appointed him Lord and King I might speak largely to this Particular but I 'll pass it by Thus I have endeavoured to make it appear to you in these Particulars How the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus well improved how it doth contribute to a growth in Grace I would now tell you this further That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it is such a Knowledge as is most beneficial to us in respect of Gospel-Duties and Services and doth contribute very much to the lively management of them And therefore it may well be required of Christians and Believers that they grow in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and that upon this very account Because I say that the more we know of our Lord Jesus Christ the more shall we advance in the lively performance of Gospel-worships and Duties and Services which the Lord requires of us Alas Brethren it is that which may well be matter of shame and mourning to think how low we are as in Graces so in gracious Performances and in holy Services What 's the account that is to be given of our daily Services that we perform Sabbath-worships and Duties Alas what kind of Sabbaths do we keep and what kind of Prayers do we perform and offer up to God what kind of Worships are they that we present before the Lord O! if we would but take an account of our selves we might see cause enough to fall a weeping over every Dâ—… we perform When we come to attend the Ministry of the Word and to do our Service to God it appears by mens carriages what a loosness of spirit there is an unfixedness of spirit on God and there is not the breathing after the enjoyments of God in the way of his Ordinances And so for Prayer and other Services What may be the reason of this We may well reckon upon this It is because we are not more advanc'd in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we have not heart-Knowledge so duly improved as it should be concerning our Lord Jesus For Brethren this is 〈◊〉 that we should know concerning Christ That his heart was upon his Work and business and when he prayed he prayed as one that was in Heaven And O what wrestlings of spirit was there on his part with God! He prayed most earnestly and O how intent upon the Duty of Prayer when he had to do that and when he was to Preach O with what intention of soul was that Service performed And when he had the last 〈◊〉 to keep O with desire have I desired to keep this Passâ—… O Father it is meat and drink to 〈◊〉 to do thy Wâ—… Thus it was with Christ Now if we had but a well-digested Knowledge of this it would make us ashamed of our selves and make us put on with more activity and vigour of spirit thinking with our selves what a pattern we have in Christ. And then if we did but consider That Christ is the great High-priest of our holy 〈◊〉 and that he hath ingaged himself on the behalf of his People both to procure their acceptance and to vouâ—…hsafe them assistance Now consider but this And these things we ought to know concerning Jesus our Lord That it is his undertaking to procure acceptance and to give assistance for now he hath all power in his hands The power of the Spirit to give strength to his People to inable them to make their prayers and supplications and to perform their Worships and Services I will strengthen thee I will help thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness my Grace is sufficient for thee Thus Christ hath signified concerning himself for the comfort and incouragement of his People And then withal this is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus That he appears in Heaven before his Father to promote their acceptance and to plead their Cause and as the High-priest to present their Services and to sprinkle them with his own blood and to desire the Fathers acceptance of them Now if this were but duly known concerning Christ and we had but a well improved and digested Knowledge concerning this that now I give you an account of O how much would it conduce to the quickning up our hearts to a lively performance of our Services when we shall consider what an example we have in Christ of Duty and Service to God And then that he hath undertaken to afford assistance and to procure acceptance this would make us go on with more life and vigour in the wayes of Godliness And then I would have told you farther That there is all the reason in the world Christians should endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Because as this Knowledge well improved conduces to a judiciousness and to a well ordering of the Conscience and to the increase of all the Graces and to the promoting of our Duty so by a well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus we shall come to have the more kindly relish of Gospel-priviledges and suck the sweet of them and come to know what there is of comfort and soul-rejoycing to be found in these Priviledges And then this Knowledge well improved O how will it conduce to bear afflictions to the incountering temptations and inable the Soul to the well ordering of a Gospel-conversation to the glory of God SERM. XIV I Shall pass by what was the last Day hinted to you only now suggest some few Particulars more which if we were but acquainted with the Knowledge of we should quit our selves better than we do in this Gospel-worship and service of Prayer As now Did we but know and seriously ponder upon this That Christ himself was very much in this Service that he was a constant practiser to his very Death of this Duty of Prayer If this were but well considered that Christ was very much given to prayer and if he could not have opportunities in the day time he would fetch it out in the night and be in the night season pouring out his soul before his Father Thus it was with Christ he was given to Prayer and his last breathings were breathings in a way of prayer into his Father's bosom And then consider this this is that that
but a well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to know that sin and corruption it is one of the great enemies that he came into the World to encounter withâ—…l and to set it under his fear and he was manifested upon this account according to that of the Apostle in 1 Joh. 5. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil He was nail'd upon the Cross that he might have our old man crucified with him Why if we had but a well digested Knowledge of these things concerning our Lord Jesus it would facilitate the business and make us set upon it with activity and inlargement of soul. And so for that great Gospel-Service of resisting the Devil That 's another great work that 's required of Believers Now if we had but a well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ O how would it conduce to the lively management of that great service and make us not to be afraid to look all the powers of darkness in the face Did we but know that our Lord Jesus hath conquered the Devil the Prince of the World he hath led him after as a slave he hath the Devil in a chain and all the powers of darkness at command therefore upon the knowledge of this how resolute may a Christian be to make opposition to the Prince and powers of darkness knowing that the Lord Jesus hath spoyled Principalities and Powers And then for that great Gospel-Service of yielding up in the subjection to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the thing that the world doth so much stick at and make opposition to and say We will not have this man to rule over us No let us rather break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us Oh but Brethren this well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it would facilitate this great Service and make the heart free to come up to it willing to give its neck to Christ and to subject to his yoke and Government When we shall come to know this concerning Christ That God the Father hath anointed him and set him as King upon his holy hill of Sion and that there 's a Kingdom appointed to him and the day will come when in despight of Princes and Powers and Rulers and all the mighty ones in the World though they combine themselves together yet God will give the Kingdom to his Son The time will come when the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever This is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord shall rule and reign and all his enemies shall be made his footstool Now if this were well digested it would make the heart to be free to yield up it self to him O this is the King that I would yield subjection to but not in a way of rejecting of Kings and Governours O but Christ is my King and God hath set him at his right hand and all his enemies shall be made his footstool Now I say the well digested knowledge of these things would contribute exceedingly to every Gospel-Duty O how would this Knowledge of Christ be as oyle to the wheels to make them run most swiftly and speedily in the wayes of God There are other things that I would have spoken to to which I would fain have given a dispatch Though indeed we are bucketting-up out of a full Fountain the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O it 's the pretious Knowledge that our souls should be delighted to be acquainted with O how will it conduce to help in suffering and resisting of temptations and afford comfort in all our priviledges As Justification That 's one of the great priviledges of the Gospel Now alas we lose much of the comfort of it by reason of our not being throughly acquainted with the Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ because we have not a well improved Knowledge of Christ. O did a soul but know this That its Justification did depend upon the Justification of Christ if he be justified you shall be such to be justified and if he be not justified you will never be justified your Justification will come to nothing Now the Knowledge of this concerning our Lord Jesus Christ that he is perfectly justified and according to a legal Justification Here 's the comfort of it That Christ is justified with a legal justification God according to the strictness of his Justice hath given up a Justification of his Son according to that expression Isa. 50. It is God that justifieth me And God justifies Christ with a legal Justification and gives him a full acquittance and gives this account of him That he hath fulfilled all righteousness Now Believers Justification which is of Grace depends upon Christ's Justification which is according to the Law or of his having a Justification according to the Law upon the account of his fulfilling of all righteousness Now if the soul comes to know this That Christ is fully justified with a legal Justification O how will this make a Believer to say with triumphing of soul I know whom I have believed I have believed on him who is justified with a legal Justification SERM. XV. HAving in the close of the last Argument begun to speak concerning Gospel-priviledges and how much our growth in the Knowledge of Christ will promote the comfort of those Priviledges I shall now proceed a little further with you in that Argument in making it more fully clear to you That as ever we desire to suck the sweet of Gospel-Priviledges to have our souls refreshed with them as with breasts of consolation that we may find them to be as streams from Lebanon as wine that 's able to make the lips of them that are asleep to speak It concerns us exceedingly for to endeavour and advance in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall never be able so fully justly to value the Priviledges of the Gospel nor so kindly to relish the comforts of these Priviledges if we do not well understand the Mysterie concerning growth in Grace and be well improved in the Knowledge of Christ. I toucht a little upon that great benefit that comes over to us of Justification That great Priviledge indeed such a benefit as is beyond all valuation O that we would but make it our work and business to search into it to labor that we may understand it what is the proper interpretation of the Justification of a sinner the Scriptures speak of it and they invite us to be well studied in it for a sinner a guilty sinner chargeable with a world of wickedness lyable to a hell of wrath and vengeance deserving to be everlastingly cursed of God and to be cast under everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power A poor guilty soul that
purpose and yet not know to such a degree as they ought to do and so are culpable as not answering the duty of the Text which requires a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You may be able to make a Judgment by the things that have been so largely handled in the Doctrinal part of this Text Much hath been spoken according to what my line would reach to concerning the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And here now is this to consider of whether we be not deserving blame upon this account that though we know something and it may be something to good purpose in the saving knowledge of Christ yet we have not set our hearts to make the advance in this knowledge and that progress and to come to such a measure and degree in knowledge as we ought and might have done according to time and means and truly I think that there is none of us but we may find this cause to complain Ah sweet Saviour how little do I know of thee I remember how that holy Agur doth bemoan himself even upon such a like account Prov. 30. Surely I am more bruitish than any man I have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Thus he bemoans himself O surely surely we may most complain and say O sweet Saviour how little a matter do I know of thee Some little smatterings there are but alas it 's nothing to what might be known and apprehended concerning thee And what 's the fruit of this That Believers holy Persons such as have the grace of God in truth have not more advance in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Mysteries of his Kingdom what are the consequences and truly the consequences are the evidences that there is not that advance and that growth in this holy Knowledge How sad are the consequences that Christians know no more of God are not more insighted in the Mysteries concerning Christ. 1. Whence it comes to pass That we advance no more in faith for undoubtedly if we grow more in Knowledge we should grow more in Faith Did we but more clearly apprehend and understand the Mysteries of the Gospel concerning our Lord Jesus what a curious cast there is in the business of salvation by Jesus Christ did we but more clearly understand and apprehend and know the continuance of that Mysterie it would most largely contribute to the promoting of a Beleevers faith and the unbelief would fall flat down on its face before this Knowledge if so be it were but duly improved 2. Again This is the consequence We love the Lord Jesus with a poor inconsiderable degree of love Why Because we know but little little of his excellencies little of that pretiousness that is inhim and as our knowledge is so will our love be much knowledge much love little knowledge little love Surely if we had but more through acquaintance with Christ we should come to have our hearts more fired with the love of Christ our hearts would burn within us if so be that we had but more intimate acquaintance with him and had but a more clear understanding of the Mysteries of the Gospel 3. And so for Desire O if so be there were but that advance in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus our desires would sparkle and flame out most strongly after this desirable Christ. When the Spouse had informed the Daughters of Ierusalem what a choice one what an incomparable one he was then they cry out O thou fairest among Women tell us whither thy Beloved is gone that we may seek him with thee 4. Whence is it that there is so much straightheartedness to the pretious priviledges of the Gospel that we do not prize them more that we do not set our hearts more upon them That great priviledge of Justification of Adoption of access to God of acceptance with God and that God should not be ashamed to be called our God to which I spake the last day Whence is it that we be not taken more with holy admirings of these great and glorious priviledges but because we are not more insighted in the Mysterie of the Gospel concerning Christ. Whence is it that we do not make more account of Justification forgiveness of sins which is a most pretious mercy We do not know Christ as we should and what it cost him to bring over to us the forgiveness of our sins 5. Whence is it that we are so apt to be tampering with that accursed thing with sin that we are so apt to be upon complyance with it and upon gratifications of it and of the lusts of it We know not Christ did we know Christ what he suffered that he might satisfie the Justice of God for the sins of his People what soul-conflicts he had and how he was pressed under the burden of the wrath of God that he might deliver his People from the everlasting Curse and Condemnation it would make us fear and tremble and take heed how ever we deal with that accursed thing and throw away that bloody knife that cut the very throat and stabb'd the very heart of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 6. Whence is it that we are so apt to be meddling with the World and apt to have our hearts set upon these beggerly vanities here below Whence is it but because we know not our Lord Jesus Christ as we ought to know Did we but know what a pretious Christ he was we would set light by the World and account nothing of it in comparison of the Lord Jesus 7. Whence is it that poor souls are so apt to be tossed with every wind of Temptation and to be unsetled upon every occasion as touching their peace and inward comfort but because they are very short in the knowledge of the Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the riches of Grace that discovers it self in him As let the guile be what it can be that may be represented to the Conscience the Conscience may yet upon the true knowledge and apprehension of the Grace of God in our Lord Jesus bear up with boldness and make a challenge unto men and devils and say Who shall lay any thing unto our charge when we know that concerning Christ concerning his Death concerning the merit of his Sacrifice concerning his Acceptance with the Father concerning his pleading in the behalf of his People at his Father's right hand We have that knowledge of the Lord Jesus that we bear up with glorious confidence and with blessed boldness and we are not afraid to look men and devils in the face we know who it is that is once for all entred into the holy place that is not made with hands and appears before God in heaven representing the merit of his Sacrifice and for our parts we now can triumph with a holy boldness and say Who shall lay any thing to our
charge We have no conscience of sin though we make conscience of sinning yet we have no conscience to charge against us O this would be our fruit of the well advanced and improved knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. These things Brethren would be considered of by us and to close up this part of the Discourse I have only this to say That if so be that any of us do think in our consciences that we deserve to come under this lash of reproof and that this Complaint may be justly taken up against us That we have not so minded as we ought the knowledge of Christ and have not set our endeavours as we should that we may come to grow in this knowledge Then to close up all for I would willingly give a dispatch to this part of the Text I would only speak a few words in a way of Exhortation and I would thus perswade in the Name of the Lord That as it is the duty of the Text so it may be the matter of your practice for to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And here you must consider that this knowledge as also the Grace that God gives so the knowledge that you may have and are to have of Christ it comes not in all at once Shall I express my self thus if it may not be too low for the Argument The Lord in managing of his Trade with his People he doth not deal by whole-sale but rather by retale he doth parcel out and give by parcels dispences by parcels now a little and then a little now a little Grace then a little more now a little light and then a little further improvement The Sun it gives not out its full light at once so Christ and therefore it is that there is a growth in Grace and a growth in Knowledge and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus So then reckon upon it we are but in the way and so we know but in part and prophesie but in part and we are not comprehensaries we come not to the full of that which is to be known press on and after and increase in the Knowledge of Christ. I need no other Arguments than vvhat have been already presented to you in the Doctrinal part It is the most excellent Knovvledge It is the most beneficial Knovvledge in all respects according to vvhat hath been accounted to you Novv there are but these three things vvhich I shall dispatch in fevv vvords First I vvould have you to consider vvhat knovvledge of the Lord Jesus Christ it is that you are to grovv in not a notional knovvledge not so much in that so as you should rest in a bare notional knovvledge and a form of knovvledge but you must knovv this That the Knovvledge of our Lord Jesus vvhich you are to endeavour a grovvth in it is a spiritual Knowledge an inward spiritual Knowledge a heart Knowledge it is not a knowledge of Christ after the flesh no not in that sense which the Apostle may mean in the second of the Corinthians We have known Christ after the flesh that is they knew him and they knew him so as to see him with their bodily eyes 't is not this Knowledge of Christ though if you have this spiritual Knowledge you will in due time have this knowledge and sight of him but now we know Christ no more so as he saith there Though we have known Christ after the flesh as he was known to the Disciples when he was here in the state of humiliation and conversant in the World We have known Christ after the flesh but henceforth know we him so no more Nor is it any carnal Knowledge but to increase in the Knowledge of Christ according to the Mysterie which is Christ in you the hope of Glory You should labour to increase in the Knowledge of him which answers his Constitution who was made a Priest Prophet and King not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless life as in Heb. 7. You are to endeavour increase in the Knowledge of Christ which is a confiding knowledge and a conforming Knovvledge such a knovvledge of him as is a fiducial knovvledge such a knovvledge as that by knovving him to come to be more and more inabled to rest and rely upon him that you can say I knovv so much of the Lord Jesus that I can sit dovvn and look no further I have enough I have the desire of my heart here I can boldly trust here I can fix and stay vvithout any misgivings I know this foundation is strong enough to bear up the whole weight of my soul. And then you are to indeavour to grow in that Knowledge which is a conforming knowledge that knowledge by which you come to be molded into a conformity to the Lord Jesus so as what you know of his Wisdom and Meekness and Patience and Humility and Heavenly mindedness you know him in these things so as that you come to grow up into conformity to him This is the Knowledge or else your light will be darkness and your knowledge will be found to be ignorance And then I press upon you that you would endeavour to grow in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now what especially of the Knowledge of Christ would you have us to grow in I 'll only mention two things briefly First That you would labour to grow more and more in the Knowledge of the infinite fulness and sufficiency and power of our Lord Jesus Christ that you may know what a powerful Christ he is what an able Christ he is how able to do exceeding abundantly above all you ask or think I reremember it was the blessing of Judah that his hand should be sufficient for him Deut. 33. Christ is the head of Judah he is the Lord of Judah's Tribe and to be sure this blessing rests upon his head his hand shall be sufficient for him to remove Mountains to break gates of brass to cut in sunder bars of iron he is able to do all that concerns his Church and every Saint that belongs to him and that the Father hath given him he is present to go through his work and he will not leave any part nor parcel of it undone O this is pretious knowledge which we should endeavour to advance in that we may come to be more full in the apprehensions of the fulness of sufficiency of the power of our Lord Jesus that whatsoever work lyes upon his hand to perform he will be found all-sufficient to accomplish and bring to pass he is sufficient to present all that the Father hath given him without spot and blame before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy and though there be the power of Devils and World and Corruption that may labour for to wrest a soul out of the hands of Christ why saith he None shall be ever able to pluck them out of my hands And then
above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all ages world without end Amen In 1 Tim. 1. we have the Doxologie formed thus Now unto the king eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen In the Epistle of Iude we have the Doxologie formed thus Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen And in the Text thus To him that is to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To him him be glory both now and for ever Amen These are the Scripture Doxologies some of them which I have now referr'd you to And you may observe there is something of variation in words and terms and whereas in the other Doxologies the glory is ascribed and voted up unto God by Jesus Christ in the Churches here the Doxologie is made to refer unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and so the Apostle carries it in reference unto Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen You must not think that Peter was more devoted to the promoting of the honour of Christ than of the Father and of the Spirit nor that he doth exclude the Father and the Spirit the eternal Father and the eternal Spirit from out of the bounds of this Doxologie or that he hath not an holy aim at the Glory of the Father and of the Spirit as well as at the Glory of the Lord Jesus the second Person no nothing less than so The truth is no man can honour the Son but in honouring him he honours the Father and the Spirit too no person can give glory to Christ but he must give glory to the Father and to the Spirit too but the wisdom of the Spirit appears in this and his direction that sometimes the Doxologie should in terms be referred unto God Father Son and holy Spirit sometimes it should be so formed as to have a reference unto the second Person considered as Mediator and so in the Text And there may be some reason why the Apostle Peter should refer this Doxologie unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not mentioning in terms the Father or the Spirit and putting it in the ordinary form To God only wise To the great God be glory for ever But thus To him who is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be glory now and for ever There may be this apprehension that the Apostle Peter minding and remembring the great disservice that he had done to Christ when he was under his abasing and what dishonour was done to him by his threefold shameful denying of him he would now leave the best Testimony behind him that he could of his devotedness to the exalting of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he would leave the best Testimony to all Posterity that he could And so in this Epistle and in this closing Doxologie he makes mention of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ voting and wishing up making this application to him praying this and wishing this and voting this unto him that Glory may be unto him both now and for ever Amen And so you have this more general account concerning these words Where you have some matter To him be glory To him to whom To our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be Glory a Duty or a Vote an Apprecation that is a praying unto him A fit word to be used the sense whereof is as I say an Apprecation a praying up to Christ a praying over to Christ a voting over to Christ To him be glory This is the Apprecation And then there is the Time To him be Glory Now Now let him have Glory now while there is time while time continues and as long as there is any time as long as there is a Now as long as we can say Now why so long let glory be to him To him be glory Now now in this present time and as long as time shall continue as long as there is but a nick of time if there be but a Now of time one now even now and in this present time be glory to him And then For ever not now only but let it be for ever let it be a standing business let there be acknowledgment of honour and glory to Christ Now I and when there shall be no more time even in Eternity let there be an acknowledgment of Glory to Christ Jesus Now and for ever in the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the day of Eternity Now and unto the day of Eternity to him be Glory to him be Glory now and to him be Glory In diem eternitatis â—…en to the day of Eternity Such a day there 〈◊〉 come and it will be such a day as will swallow up Time that came out of the womb of Eternity before Time was and Time shall be swallowed up of the Eternity that shall follow when Time shall be no more and that shall be a standing and lasting day a day that shall know no night and a day that shall know no limits and bounds but it shall be a lasting day and a day of Eternity Such a day there will be which shall be a dreadful day unto wicked ones that live and die in unbelief and impenitency they shall have a day or rather a night of eternity a black burning night that will never have a dawning morning no never have a dawning morning But then there will be a bright and lightsom Sun-shine day that shall never have a cloud upon it a day of Eternity and in this day of Eternity this work is to be performed and this Glory in this long day of Eternity is appointed and voted up to the Lord Jesus To him be Glory both now and to the day 〈◊〉 Eternity And then we have the confirmation of all Amen O let it be so Amen O so it shall be unto this Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be Glory for ever Amen O be it so Amen O it shall be so I thus the Apostle shuts up this pretious Doxologie this blessed Epistle which I have treated of so long Now what are we to gather from hence This is the only thing that remains to be done which is to give you an account of this one Point from the Text. That they that are acted by a Gospel Spirit have any saving Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are and will be most strongly devoted to the Glory of Jesus Christ to have Glory given to Jesus Christ. This is the Doctrine and consider of it well Now and for ever and will come in with their vote and say Amen This is the thing that I offer There was never since the Gospel sounded in the World never any