tism the necessary thing, as the end and measure of their knowledge. He that hath knowledge enough to cause him to thirst, may come and drink of the waters of life. (Rev. xxii. 17.) And he that hungereth and thirsteth after righteousness shall be satisfied; and he that cometh to Christ, he will in no wise cast out.

And the Apostles baptized so many thousands in a short time, that they could not examine each person about a more particular knowledge and belief; (Acts ii. &c.;) nor do we read in Scripture of such particular large professions, as go much beyond the words of baptism. And though, no doubt, they did endeavour to make the ignorant understand what they professed and did, and so had some larger creed, yet was it not all so large, as the short creed called the Apostles' now is; several of its articles having been long since added.

I have spoken all this, not only to ministers, who have the keys of admission, but especially for the religious persons' sakes, who are too much inclined to place godliness in words and ability to speak well, in prayer or conference, or answering questions, and that make a more distinct knowledge and profession necessary than God hath made: yea, if all the articles of the creed are professed, when the understanding of them is not clear and distinct, they deride it, and say, a parrot may be taught as much; and they separate from those pastors and churches, that receive such to their communion. Many do this of a godly zeal, lest ignorance and formality be encouraged, and the godly and ungodly not sufficiently distinguished: but their zeal is not according to knowledge, nor to the holy rule; and they little know how much pride often lurketh unobserved, in such desires to be publicly differenced from others, as below us, and unmeet for our communion and less know they how much they injure and displease our gracious Lord, who took little children in his arms, and despiseth not the weak, and carrieth the lambs, and refuseth no one any further than they refuse him.

I tell you, if you see but true love and willingness in a diligent, reformed, pious and righteous life, there is, certainly there is, saving knowledge and faith within; and if words do not satisfactorily express it, you are to think that it is not for want of the thing itself, but for want of use and exercise, and for want of well studied notions, or for want of

natural parts, education or art to enable them to act that part aright. But if God know the meaning of Abba, Father, and of the groans of the Spirit, in his beloved infants, I will not be one that shall condemn and reject a lover of God and Christ and holiness, for want of distinct particular knowledge, or of words to utter it aright.

CHAP. VIII.

Inference 4. The aptness of the Teaching of Christ, to ingenerate the Love of God and Holiness.

If love be the end and perfection of our knowledge, then hence we may perceive, that no teacher that ever appeared in the world, was so fit for the ingenerating cf true saving knowledge as Jesus Christ; for none ever so promoted the love of God.

1. It was he only that rendered God apparently lovely to sinful man, by reconciling us to God, and rendering him apparently propitious to his enemies, pardoning sin, and tendering salvation freely to them that were the sons of death. Self-love will not give men leave to love aright a God that will damn them, though deservedly for sin. But it is Christ that hath made atonement, and is the propitiation for our sins, and proclaimeth God's love, even to the rebellious: which is more effectually to kindle holy love in us, than all the precepts of naturalists without this could ever have been. His cross, and his wounds and blood were the powerful sermons, to preach God's winning love to sinners.

2. And the benefits are so many and so great which he hath purchased and revealed to man, that they are abundant fuel for the flames of love. We are set by Christ in the way of mercy, in the household of God, under the eye and special influence of his love; all our sins pardoned, our everlasting punishment remitted, our souls renewed, our wounded consciences healed, our enemies conquered, our fears removed, our wants supplied, our bodies, and all that is ours under the protection of Almighty Love; and we are secured by promise, that all our sufferings shall work together for our good. And what will cause love, if all this will not? When we perceive with what love the Father hath loved us, that of

enemies we should be made the sons of God, and of condemned sinners we should be made the heirs of endless glory, and this so freely, and by so strange a means, we may conclude that this is the doctrine of love, which is taught us from heaven by Love itself.

3. And especially this work of love is promoted, by opening the kingdom of heaven to the foresight of our faith; and shewing us what we shall enjoy for ever; and assuring us of the fruition of our Creator's everlasting love; yea, by making us foreknow that heaven consisteth in perfect, mutual, endless love. This will both of itself, draw up our hearts and engage all our reason and endeavours, in beginning that work which we must do for ever, and to learn on earth to love in heaven.

4. And besides all these objective helps, Christ giveth to believers the Spirit of love, and maketh it become as a nature in us; which no other teacher in the world could do. Others can speak reason to our ears, but it is Christ that sendeth the warming beams of holy love into our hearts.

If the love of God and holiness were no better than common philosophical speculations, then Aristotle, or Plato, or such other masters of names and notions, might compare with Christ and his apostles, and Athens with the primitive church; and the schoolmen might be thought the best improvers of theology. But if thousands of dreaming disputers wrangle the world into misery, and themselves into hell, and are ingenious artificers of their own damnation; if the love of God and goodness be the healthful constitution of the soul, its natural content and pleasure, the business and end of life, and all its helps and blessings, the solder of just societies, the union of man with God in Christ, and with all the blessed; and the foretaste and firstfruits of endless glory; then Christ the Messenger of love, the Teacher of love, the Giver of love, the Lord and commander of love, is the best promoter of knowledge in the world. And as Nicodemus knew that he was a teacher come from God, because no man could do such works unless God were with him; so may we conclude the same, because no man could so reveal, so cause, and communicate love, the holy love of God and goodness, unless the God of love had sent him. Love is the very end and work of Christ, and of his Word and Spirit.

CHAP. IX.

Inference 5. What great Cause Men have to be thankful to God for the Constitution of the Christian Religion: and how inexcusable they are that will not learn so short and sweet, and safe a Lesson.

So excellent and every way suitable to our case is the religion taught and instituted by Christ, as should render it very acceptable to mankind. And that on several accounts.

1. The brevity and plainness of Christian precepts, greatly accommodateth the necessity of mankind. I say his necessity, lest you think it but his sloth. Ars longa, vita brevis,' is the true and sad complaint of students. Had our salvation been laid upon our learning a body of true philosophy, how desperate would our case have been! For, 1. Man's great intellectual weakness: 2. His want of leisure, would not have allowed him a knowledge that requireth a subtle wit and tedious studies.

1. Most men have wits of the duller sort: such quickness, subtlety and solidity as is necessary to great and difficult studies, are very rare: so rare, as that few such are found even among the preachers of the Gospel; of a multitude who by hard studies, and honest hearts, are fit to preach the doctrine of salvation, scarcely one or two are found of so fine and exact a wit as to be fit judiciously to manage the curious controversies of the schools. What a case then had mankind been in, if none could have been wise and happy indeed, but these few of extraordinary capacity! The most public and common good is the best. God is more merciful than to confine salvation to subtlety of wit: nor indeed is it a thing itself so pleasing to him as a holy, heavenly heart and life.

2. And we have bodies that must have provision and employment: we have families and kindred that must be maintained: we live in neighbourhoods and public societies, which call for much duty, and take up much time. And our sufferings and crosses will take up some thoughts. but poverty alone, how much of our time will it alienate from contemplation! Whilst great necessities call for great care, and continual labour; can our common, poor labourers,

Were it

(especially husbandmen) have leisure to inform their minds with philosophy or curious speculations?

Nay, we see by experience, that the more subtle and most vacant wits, that wholly addict themselves to philosophy, can bring it to no considerable certainty and consistency to this day, except in the few rudiments or common principles that all are agreed in. Insomuch that those do now take themselves to be the chief or only wits, who are pulling down that which through so many ages, from the beginning of the world, hath with so great wit and study been concluded on before them; and are now themselves no higher than new experimenters, who are beginning all anew again, to try whether they can retrieve the errors of mankind, and make any thing of that which they think the world hath been so long unacquainted with: and they are yet but beginning at the skin or superficies of the world, and are got no further with all their wit, than matter and motion, with figure, site, contexture, &c. But if they could live as long as Methuselah, it is hoped they might come to know that besides matter and motion, there are essential virtues called substantial forms, or active natures, and that there is a 'vis motiva,' which is the cause of motion, and a 'virtus intellectiva,' and wisdom, which is the cause of the order of motion, and a vital will and love, which is the perfection and end of all: in a word, they may live to know that there is such a thing in the world as life, and such a thing as active nature, and such a thing as sense and soul, besides corporeal matter and motion, and consequently that man is indeed man. But, alas! they must die sooner, perhaps before they attain so far, and their successors must begin all anew again, as if none of all these great attempts had been made by their predecessors, and so, by their method, we shall never reach deeper than the skin, nor learn more than our A BC. And would we have such a task made necessary to the common salvation, even for all the poor and vulgar wits, which is so much too hard for our most subtle students?

2. And Christianity is as suitable to us, in the benefit and sweetness of it. What a happy religion is it that employeth men in nothing but receiving good to themselves, and in doing good to themselves and others. Whose work is only the receiving and improving of God's mercies, and loving and delighting in all that is good, rejoicing in the