this knowledge in his disciples as also why the world is destitute of it speaking concerning the spirit saying whom the world cannot receaue because it sees him not neither knowes him but yee know him because he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you Iohn 14 17. This place being conferd with the former two teacheth us 3 speciall things touching the estate of a true Christian The 1 is that they are not ignorant of the things of God nor of any grace or blessing spirituall given them by God in Christ the 2 is That all this knowledge is taught thē by the spirit of God which is given them remaines within them The 3 that both the gift of this spirit and knowledge by him proceedes from this that God hath not left us in the world nor in the estate of servitude bondage but hath taken us out of the world and by reconcyling us to himself in Christ hath made us his friends as Abrahā was The use of this is to convince the doctrine of the papisticall church of falshood whereby they maintaine that a Christian truely called can haue no certaine knowledge whether he bee in the estate of grace or not for if the Apostle urge the Corinthians by this speciall knowledge of their owne being in the faith and of Christs being in them to bee witnesses of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them it must necessarily follow that both they and all others called as they were must haue vndoubted knowledge of themselves that they are in the faith and Christ in them otherwise Christs argument before alleadged could not bee true when he saith that his disciples did know the spirit of truth because he dwelt with them and should be in thē which argumēt teacheth us thus much that the saints cannot bee ignorant of any gift or grace of God which dwelleth with them and is in them so that wee may Iustly concluded that a Papist houlding the former position for a truth must bee both faythles and gracelesse seing if eyther faith or grace were in them they could not be ignorant of them neither can they haue anie evasion by their old argument of the necessitie of some speciall revelation from God For this which we haue said before compared with the words of Iohn doth fully answer them saying If we receive the witnes of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnes of God which he testifieth of his sonne He that beleeveth in that sone of God hath witnes in himselfe By which words we are plainly taught that faith can never be without the testimonie both of those three which beare record in heaven to wit the Father the Word and the Holy-ghost nor of these three witnesses which beare record in earth viz. The spirit the water and the bloud and therefore that it must follow that everie true beleever hath a most undoubted revelation of his salvation and blessed estate in grace and on the contrarie that whosoever hath not this vndoubted warrant is faithles indeed seeing as saith the Apostle whosoever beleeveth in the sonne of God hath this witnes of the Father of the Word and of the Holy ghost which are in heaven of the spirit and of the water and of the blood which are in earth then which there can be no revelation of greater force to confirm the certaintie of ones salvation For if according to Gods owne law at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shal be established how much more must a true beleeving christian know the certaintie of his salvation who hath it witnessed vnto him and that within himself by those sixe witnesses before mentioned of which none can lye and this is so much the clearer by that which Iohn in the same place speaketh ver 13 saying these things haue I written unto you who beleeve in the name of the sonne of God that ye may knowe that ye haue eternall life Whereby he utterly annulleth that blind argument of the Papists seing it enforceth thē eyther to confesse that they know they haue eternal life or then plainely to confesse that they beleeue not in the sonne of God for faith and knowledge of salvation are two unseparable adjuncts and ever such knowledge as is not builded upon a doubtfull opinion or conjecture but which is buylt upon the unfallible testimony of the six witnesses mētioned before Wee conclude therefore this point with the confortable use thereof to all true beleeving Christians viz. that they rejoyce always I say againe with the Apostle that they rejoyce always seeing their salvation is sure and that it s given unto them to knowe that it is sure Thus much for the Apostles argument for remooving of all pretence of ignorance Now followes the 2 point of tryall which is whether Christ bee in them or not but it s propounded in another manner then the first for touching faith he willd them to try if they were in it but this last he propounds as a thing which he would haue them undoubtedly to acknowledge and no marveil for the effects are more easie to be known then their causes now Christ he dwells in our hearts by faith and therefore wee can never have a true evidence that we beleeue untill we find that Christ is assuredly within us for this cause wee said before that this 2 point of tryall was the meane to know the former Moreover the Apo. subjoins this point unto his former argument whereby he remooves all pretence of Ignorāce purposely to teach us both whē and wherein it is that a Christian comes to know himself to bee in the faith and so receaves experiēce of the power of Christ in the ministry of the Gospell to his salvation whereof before wee spake wee will first somewhat consider the order of the Apostles words Wee see that in the first place he puts them to the tryall of their faith as being the evidence of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them to their salvation 2. In this examination he brings them to the acknowledging of themselves as the proper effect of true faith in all true beleevers 3. He brings thē to the acknowledgment of Christs presence in their hearts as the onely true testimony of the first proper matter of the 2. For if any man thinks he beleeves not having Christ within him he is miserably deceaved and if any man think he knowes himself to bee the child of God except he find himself and Christ united by faith pittifully abuseth himself by his owne judgment This order therefore of the Apostles proceeding teacheth us this lesson what way and by what meanes it is that wee come to the knowledge of the mighty power and outstreched arme of God in the ministry of his word to our salvation in the which 3 things are principally to be marked Our faith our selvs and that in our selves which makes us know our selves by faith to bee
often wanting in the greatest both of knowledge and eloquence and oft yea most times accompanieth the most simple delivery of the truth in men having far lesse measure of the aforesaid gifts And this tryall taken from the power of the word heard must needs force every maÌ„ back to himself to examine himself if he will know how to judge aright of the preacher seeing his hart soul is the subject wherein the vertue efficacy of all preaching is to bee found For he is the most powerfull preacher who most stirrs and mooves the hart of the hearer unto faith and obedience so that a man needs not to go out of himself to looke to anie thing but that that 's in himself whereby to discern whether Christ speak or not in the preacher whom he heareth even as it s not so much colour or tast of the wine or matter of the cup whereout we drink as the felt virtue in our spirits refreshed thereby wherby the valour and vertue of wine is discerned both colour and tast though in a golden cup deceiving us As in matereall temples built of stone the more the windowes be painted the lesse is the light So in the true spirituall Temple of Christ those that are the lights thereof the more their preaching be painted with the intising words of humane wisdom and eloquence the lesse solid light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus is ministred by them to the harts of their hearers And thus much for the first point sett down by the Apostle Now followes the second vizt Touching those things wherein the Corinthians were to try and examine themselvs which are two First their faith 2. Christs being in them this last being the evidence of the first It is true that the words may be taken two manner of waies For these words If ye be in the faith may be either the condition required in those that shall try themselvs concerning the power of Christ in â—â—e ministry of those who teach â—â—em or then it may be takâ—n for the matter it self wherâ—â— they are to find out the evidence of Christs power in their â—â—achers In what sence soeâ—er we take it it servs for the â—postles purpose and yeelds â—â— great instruction In the â—â—â—st sence it teacheth us that â—hich is most true viz. That â—ntill a man beleeve hee can â—â—ue no right judgment of spiâ—â—tuall things it being faith â—â—â—ely that purifies the heart â—â—om all sinne and filthines â—esides that it remaines sure which the Apostle saith That â—he naturall man comprehends not â—â—e things of the spirit of God for â—â—ey are foolishnes unto him beâ—ause they are spiritually discerned â—ut the spirituall man discerneth all things Now no man can be a spirituall man but he that beleeveth Therefore justly doth the Apostle call faith the evidence of things that are not seen So that before a man can be able to perceave the spiritual power of Christ in anie manâ— preaching he must haue this faith else how can he perceavâ— or apprehend that which is invisible of which nature this power is Hereby we learne that it is no wonder that the Word of the crosse is foolishnes iâ— most part of men yea to all that perish as saith the Apostle For the arme of the Lord therein is not revealed unto them because they beleeve not the report of Gods messengers as saith the Prophet Esa For beleife and knowledg of the power of God in preaching are never seperate for which cause Christ himself giving the reason that â—is disciples loved him sayth â—hat they belieued that the was â—ome out from the father And â—gaine when in his prayer to the â—â—ther he hath set downe divers â—â—asons why he recommended â—hem to the father as that he â—â—d declared his name unto them â—ut they had kept his word that â—â—ey knew that all things which â—â— father had given him was â—â—m the father that he had given â—â—to them the words which the â—â—her had given him that they â—â—d receaved them and that they â—â—ely knew he was come out from â—â— father he subjoynd as the â—â—und and foundation of all â—s their knowledge that they â—â—eued that the father had sent â—â— The use hereof is first to â—â—ch us that faith is the only eie of the soule whereby its ablâ— truely to discerne the nature oâ— all spirituall heavenly things 2. It lets us see the miser able â—â— state condition of all infidels who are utterly deprived of aâ— ability to know or rightly tâ— perceaue the nature of God oâ— Christ of his gospell or hiâ— ministers yea also of themselves in any spirituall thing Lastâ—â— it teacheth us not to stumble â— the base account and contemâ—â— of the Gospell and ministeâ— thereof in the most part â—â— men in this age seeing pooâ— blind wretches being destituâ— of faith are not able to knoâ— these things nor to give aâ— right judgment of them or themselvs this either having or wanting of fayth in men the very cause of all differeâ— judgment of all things in religion and specially of things indifferent as may be perceaved by the Apostles words to the Romans Cap. 14 saying One man beleveth that he may eat al things and another which is weake eateth hearbs againe I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing uncleane of it self but to him that judgeth ought uncleane to him it is uncleane and againe hast thou faith haue it with thyself before God blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth but he that doubteth is condemned if he eate because he eateth not of faith and what soeuer is not of faith is sinne in all which words the Apostle attributeth knowledg and full perswasion of the indifferent use of all externall things as meat drink c. unto fayth and ignorance doubting to infidelity or weaknes of faith which giues us a cleare light to discern betwixt man and man in their judgment touching things indifferent in their use where it may be without scandall And abstinence from them where the use is scandalous for undoubtedly true faith where it is giues a man knowledg and full perswasion that ther is no difference betwixt one meate one garment or oneday and another c. in themselvs but where one day one meate one garmeÌ„t c. is esteemd above another or where ther is doubting of their indifferency and equall law fulnes in use as before there must needs be weaknes of faith which is a faith accompanied with much infidelity But leaving this sence of these words notwithstanding that it may be probably taken to be the Apostles meaning wee come to the other sence as being in most mens judgment the true meaning of the Apostle taking the words as a declaration of that wherein they shall try themselues viz. whether they be in the fayth or no according to which
A FRVITFVLL SERMON Made by the Reverend and Learned Mr. IOHN FORBES Pastour of the English Company of Merchants adventurers at Delft Published by some of his flock out of sincere affection for common good AT AMSTERDAM Printed by Richard Plater 1626. Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber A fruitfull Sermon upon 2. Cor. Cap. 13. vers 5. Proue your selves if ye be in the faith examine your selves know ye not your owne selves that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates IT is no vvonder that in all ages and especiallie in this sinfull profane age wherein wee now liue there hath beene and now is so great and universall a contempt of the blessed ministrie of Christ as of a base and Contemptible thing when an Apostle and such an Apostle as Paule had so much a doe to vindicate his ministrie from the Contempt base account therof amongst the Corinths notwithstanding that they had beene converted thereby and the sygnes of an Apostle had bene so powerfully wrought by him amongst them For if the weakenes and infirmitie of his flesh and outward estate worldlie did so blind the Corinthians eys that they could not perceave the divine power of Christs spirit in so weake a vessell what marveil is it that succeeding ages and this present fleshlie age judging according to the flesh of such as are far inferiour to Paule in grace doe not behould that heavenlie power which accompanyeth their ministrie The grief of this vanitie were easie to be borne if it were onelie the profane worldlings that did so seing no natural mā is able to discern the things of Gods Spirit But it s a more lamētable error when it falleth in such as profes the trueth and doe vphold this ministrie and reape the sweet and vnspeakeable fruits thereof to esteeme so baselie of that which is the power of God to their salvation if ever they be to be saved Yet this example of that church which was not inferiour in anie thing to other churches by the Ap. Paules paines amongst them so comtemptiblie speaking of him who was not in anie thing inferiour to the verie chief Apostles that his presence was base and weake and his speach of no value may serve to teach al ministers patience under the like crosse but withall as Paule who was glad when he was weake and they were strong did play the foole in boasting of him self for the defence of his authoritie power of his ministrie not because of anie ambitious desire of vaineglorie but onelie to procure their edification that by their contempt of his ministrie they should not frustrate themselves of the blessed fruit thereof even so the faithfull ministers of Christ in this age haue more then just cause with Paule to speake somewhat for themselves not vainelie for their owne creditie sake but onelie to prevent the like dāger in their hearers upon the like contempt of their ministrie knowing that the same causes still produce the like effects In doeing this as it is necessarie so it shal be sufficient to use no more Apollogie then is contained in this one verse of this text As being the strongest argument whereby not onelie Paule forced the Corinthians to confesse the mightie strength of Christ in his ministrie towards them but also whereby all true and faithfull Pastors must convince the conscience of their hearers that they are not reprobate Pastors The maine scope and force of the Apostles argument being punctuallie taken up is this You Corinthians must eyther acknowledge the divine vertue force of my ministry or thē ye your selvs must be reprobates but wee trust yee are not reprobates neither will ye have us think so therefore yee must acknowledge the vertue of our ministry Thus doth he reduce them to a necessitie eyther of acknowledging him not to be a reprobate minister but such an one in whom Christ did speake or then of acknowledging themselves to bee reprobate Christians without faith and without Christ the evidence of the truth and soundnes of his argument wee shall God willing manifest in the particular opening thereof For the cleare vnderstanding of the Apostles meaning wee are first to consider what hath gone before and how this verse dependeth or cohereth with the former Two arguments have beene used by the Apostle to shew why he behooved to manifest to the Corinthians the authority of his ministry in not sparing them at his comming againe The first was because they were lawfullie convinced of obstinacie having bene now twice or rather thrice admonished and therefore he behooved to proceed against them with sharpnes if they did not now repent before his comming even according to the law of God which ordaineth that in the mouth of two or three witnesses everie word shall stand The second argument was this They who having felt Christ to be mighty in them by my ministrie doe yet seeke a proof of Christ speaking in me must needs haue it in sharpnes to make them know me to be an Apostle of Christ But ye Corinthians do yet after your conversion seeke an experience of Christ speaking in me Therefore you must haue a sharper proof seeing ye acquiesse not in that which ye haue alreadie and reverence not my admonitions given you upon that proof which ye haue of Christs power in me To shew yet farther the equity of this threatning upon this ground he layeth downe an assertion of the power of Christ in his ministrie towards them affirming that Christ in his ministrie towards them was not weak but mighty in them and therefore this their doing was nothing but a tempting of Christs power in him even as the people of Israel in the wildernes after sufficient proof of the mighty power of God in Moses by the miracles wrought in Egipt by leading them safely through the redd sea which overwhelmed their enemies by the waters given them out of the Rock c. did notwithstanding of all these and much more tempt the Lords power desiring yet a farther evidence thereof by covering them a table in the wildernesse and giving them flesh to eate as though all the preceding wonders had been no sufficient proofe of Gods almighty power Even so the Corinthians having had sufficient evidence and testimonie of Christ speaking in Paul by his mighty working in thēselvs yet for all this did esteeme Paul but base and weak and his words of no value and so forced him to giue them a sharper experience of Christ speaking in him to their farther grief if upon this evidence past they would not reverence his words nor obey his warnings but would yet tempt Christ in him for a farther proof of his power Now before the Apostle prove this which he hath affirmed touching the might of Christ in them by his ministry perceaving the chief ground and cause of this their foolish judgment to be the weaknesse and poore estate of the Apostle in the flesh he first removed this
the Lord walk in him rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith In like manner the scripture speakes of loue of patience of hope of holynes of righteousnes and all other christian vertues The reason of this forme of speache in scripture is because of the double use and benefit both of Christ himself and all other spirituall graces in him The first use is of practise the second of preservation For the first these graces are necessarie to be in us to enable us to all christian duties who of ourselvs are not sufficient as of ourselves to doe so much as think any good according to that of Christe speaking of himself without me ye can doe nothing And touching faith it s said of the Apostle That without faith its impossible to please God Heb. 6. So that neither we ourselvs nor anie of our actions can be acceptable to God even although they be the actions commaunded by God unlesse beleeving we doe them by â—aith yea not onely are they not acceptable but it is impossible to us to haue any strength or ability to doe them according to Gods will without faith for that mighty power of God through Christ whereby we are made able to doe all things is not in any but in those that beleeve According to that saying of the Apo. praying for the Ephesians That the eies of their understanding might be enlightened that they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards us that beleeve cap. 1. v. 18 19. And again speaking to the Colossians he saith Wee are buried together with Christ in baptisme in the which we are also raysed together with him through the faith of the effectuall operation of God who hath raysed Christ from the dead cap. 2. ver 12. And therefore Iohn in his first epistle doth attribute our victorie over the whole world onely to our faith saying All that are born of God overcommeth this world and this is the victorie that hath overcome the world even our faith For who is it that overcommeth this world but he that beleeveth that Iesus is the sone of God 1 Ioh. 5. 4. 5. And the Apostle to the Hebrewes chap. 11 attributeth all the strength of all the children of God in doing good and obaying God onely to their faith through which faith as saith the Apostle they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obtayned the â—romise stopped the mouthes of â—yons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the â—rmies of the aliants the women â—eceaved their dead raysed to life other also were racked and would not bee delivered that they might â—eceaue a better resurrection and others haue beene tryed by mockings â—nd by scourgings yea meorover by bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen a sunder they were slaine with the sword they wandred up and downe in sheepes skins and in goats skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented all which they did endure and suffer onely by faith by which they all obtayned good report It is clear therefore for such practises and all other obedience whatsoeuer it is necessary that a Christian haue faith in him without which he hath no strength eyther to doe oâ— suffer any thing to the glory of God his owne salvation 2. It s expedient that as he must haue faith in him for practice so he must be in the faith for his preservation for as nothing can enable him to doe good but faith so nothing can preserve him from all evill unto salvation but faith onely within the compasse limits whereof except he remaine enclosed he cannot avoyd evill therefore is it that the Apostle chargeth every one in the house of God that no man presume to bee wise aboue that which is meete but that every man bee wise unto sobriety as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith this measure of every mans faith being unto him the onely rule and just measure both of his actions and sufferings seeing whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne for which cause the Apostle defines the life of a Christian to bee the life of faith in the sonne of God Galatians 2. 20. Therefore for the better keeping our selves from all the assaults of sathan wee are commanded to put on as an armour given us from God these Christian vertues truth righteousnes peace hope and aboue all faith whereby wee may be able to quench all the siery darts of the diuell to stand against all his assaults Ephesians 6 10 11. And in another place wee are exhorted by the Apostle as the elect of God holy and belooved to put on the bowells of mercies kindnes humblenes of mind meekenes long-suffering loue c. And finally whatsoeuer wee shall doe in word or deed to doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus which is asmuch as to will us to doe al in faith Colossians 3 12 c. For as God doth not exercise his power in us to the prastise of good but by faith So doth he not imploy his power to keepe us unto salvation but by faith also as is plaine by the words of Peter saying that wee are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Ep. 1 5. Thus faith is both the power of God within us to strengthen us to all goodnes and the armour of God upon us to keepe and couer us from all evill For which cause as wee must abide in Christ and Christ must abide in us unto salvation So must wee also abide in faith and faith in us since Christ is neither in us nor wee in him nor liue wee in him nor he in us neither keepeth hee us nor wee him except by faith aloue Now the reason why the Apostle doth not will us to â—ry if faith be in us but rather if wee bee in the faith is not because both bee not necessary or that the one can possibly bee without the other seeing the union betwixt us and the graces of God in Christ is like to our communion with Christ himself for as he is in us and we are in him so are wee in his graces and gifts and they are in us even as he is in the father and the father in him but the cause moouing the Apostle to speak so is this because our finding of our selves in the faith is the most cleare evidence of the power of Christ in the ministry to our salvation for then it is effectuall when not onely it doth work faith in our hearts but also doth make us walke in it so that as in our knowledge will or affection inwardly even so in our deeds externally we manifest this faith Not going in any thing beyoÌ„d the measure of that faith which God hath given us and to speake the truth it is a wofull error in many Christians to satisfie themselvs with a conceyt that they beleeue
without marking or once considering whether they haue put on this faith as a garment to walk in and as an armour to fight in that they may see themselves in it cloathed both as their garment and adorning them and as an armour defending them for its manyfest by the doctrine of Iames that many boast they haue faith who yet doe not walke in it nor use it as a shield against sin and sathan therefore wee are never to esteeme the ministry of the Gospell to bee the power of God to our salvation for any light or perswation it worketh in our hearts inwardly excepte likewise it make us put on that light to walke in it as the children of light and arme us with it to fight against the prince of darknes and all his works For scripture and experience teach us that manie haue the lighte of the knowledg and truth of God within them boasting of it in words who yet in their deeds deny it doing as the Apo. speaks of the gentils who held and detained the truth in unrighteousnes and supprest it in their hearts because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull Rom. 1. 18. 21. And thus much for the first point of the tryall we should now speake of the second but that the Apostle doth stay us with an argument preventing an objection before he specifieth the second point of tryall which is the mean to know the former for they might haue said how shall we be able to know these things which thou willest us to try either that which goeth before viz. Whether we be in the faith or that which followeth viz. whether Christ be in us The Apostle to take away this pretence of ignorance and so to enforce them to acknowledg by this tryall of themselvs the power of Christ in his ministry towards them doth use this argument You must eyther by tryall perceave these things in your-selvs being christians or then ye knowe not your selves but its absurd that you Christians should not know your selves therefore you may easily try these things in your selves Of argument wee haue no more set downe but the second part yet so as in the manner of speech he leadeth us to the collection and gathering of the rest the words being these know ye not your selves as if he would say this wherein I will you to examine your selves cannot be hid from you if ye know your selves which knowledge of themselves he inforceth upō them by this his interrogation which implyeth as much as that it was not only a shame to thē but also an impossible thing not to know themselvs so insinuateth the conclusiō to wit that therefore they behooved to know these things where in he willd them to try themselves In this forme of the Apostles proceeding wee haue first to learne what backwardnes and untowardnes lurks in our nature stil in that wee are loath to acknowledge any thing whereby wee ourselvs may be convinced except confession bee wrested from us by forcible and unresistable argument wee being still inclind to use all sort of pretences to excuse and amongst the rest ignorance rather then by simple acknowledgment of the known truth to condemne our selves in any thing This vice did evidently appeare in Cain when God inquired where his brother Abell was who although he knew perfectly he had kild him yet used a shifting answere to the Lord first pretending ignorance and then bringing in an argument to convince God of unrighteousnes in requiring such a-thing at his hand in that he said he was not his brothers keeper the like wee see also in Saul when he was accused by Samuell for sparing Agag the King of Ameleck in strongly affirming he had performed the will of the Lord notwithstanding that he knew that the preserving of Agag aliue and reserving of the best of the spoile was direct contrary to the direction of the Lord whereby he was commanded to smite Ameleck and to destroy all that pertained unto them but to stay both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both Camell and asse 1. Samuel 15. The same also is cleerly to bee marked in Annanias and Saphira Acts. 5. And this same infirmity appeareth here in the Corinthians although not in the same manner nor measure of inquity In Cain Saul Ananias and Saphira it proceeded from profane and unsanctified hearts filled with malice pride and coveteousnes but in the Corinthians as in other Godly men it falleth through infirmity and negligence but never of obstinate malice or contempt yet still to bee acknowledged a great weakenes having always mixt with it some selfloue of our selvs which makes us rather to dissemble a knowne truth then to disgrace our selvs in any sort but leaving this wee come to thosethings which principally are to be marked in this argument of the Apostle which yealds us two things to our consideration the first is that a Christian who is caled out of darknes to the marvelous light of God hath amongst all others this great blessing that his eies are open to know himself which no man can doe till he be effectually called of God and haue receaved the spirit of truth whereby he is made able to discerne all things this knowledge of our selvs was known to bee a great vertue amongst the very heathen and was propounded to be followed as a singular vertue by the philosophers but never any of thēselves could ever attaine to it it being the speciall prerogative of those who are taught by the truth of God revealed in his word to haue this grace to know themselves according to that saying of Iohn wee know that wee are of God this whole world lyeth in wickednesse Iohn 1 Epist 5 19. And therefore is it that the same Apostle sayth concerning the elect that the annointing which they haue receaved of the father dwelleth in them and that they need not that any man teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them of all things and it is true and not lying The 2. thing which hereby wee learne is this That the calling of God to the knowledg of his truth giues to men in the knowledg of themselves the sight and knowledge of all graces that are given them of God according to that saying of the Apostle speaking of the unsearchablenes of the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him but saith he God hath reveyled them unto us by his spirit for wee haue not receaud the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are given us of God 1 Corint 2 10 12. Therefore is it that Christ calles his disciples no more servaunts but friends because as he saith the servant knoweth not what his master doth but vnto them he had made known all things which he heard of his father Iohn 15 15. And in another place hee shewes the reason of