The saints dignitie and dutie·: Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. / Delivered in severall sermons: by that reverend divine, Thomas Hooker, late preacher in New-England.

Culpable Ignorance, OR, The danger of Ignorance under Means.

SERMON VI.

ISAI. 27.11.

For it is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour.

IF you cast your eyes, my brethren, upon the beginning of this Chapter, you shall ob∣serve, that when the Prophet had discover∣ed the fierce dealing of God with the ene∣mies of his people, vers. 1. he doth from the second verse to the words of the Text, and so afterwards make known Gods gra∣cious affection towards his own faithfull servants, as also his dealing with those cursed Hypocrites, that live in the bosome of the Church. In a word (that I may not be long before I come to that which I desire to deliver to you) in the discove∣rie of the Lords dealing, first with his own people, and then with others that live in the bosome of the Church, to whom he communicateth his ordinances, there are three things ob∣servable.

The first is Gods speciall care of, and his tender love and fatherly affection to those that love and fear his Name, that

labour to approve their hearts and waies to him, that are called to the profession of his truth and walk answerably thereunto; and that continueth to the seventh verse, name∣ly, That the Lord will keep them, and water them every mo∣ment, that he will keep them night and day, &c.

Secondly, As the Prophet expresseth Gods speciall care of his servants, so withall he manifesteth a secret kind of dis∣pleasure that was in God, even toward those that belong un∣to him, because of the carelesness, and fruitlesnesse that was among them, therefore he was pleased to lay his correcting hand upon them, yet still in measure, with abundance of pati∣ence, and in much compassion towards them; and all for their special good, not to confound, but to humble and better them. And this we have from the 7^th to the end of the 9^th verse, where the Prophet, sheweth, what is the fruit of affliction to those that belong unto God By this therefore shall the iniqui∣ty of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin: As if he should say, Howsoever the Lord loveth his vineyard, yet he will prune it, not to destroy it, but to make it the more fruitfull: He onely will take away the superfluous branches, those inordinate lusts that appear in the lives of his servants. This is the main issue and speciall benefit of afflicti∣ons to the godly, to subdue their corruptions, to purge them, to make them walk more circumspectly before God.

Thirdly, the Prophet having thus declared Gods care of his own people, and his fatherly chastisement of them, in the last place, from the 9^th verse to the end of the 11^th, he decla∣reth his proceedings also against the cursed Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church, against those that have a form of godlinesse onely, but deny the power thereof, that pre∣sent themselves before the Lord, and appear in his Sanctuary, as if they would doe great matters for him, yet their hearts are naught, and the Lord seeth them, and threatneth to deal with them accordingly, and in conclusion denounceth an ut∣ter overthrow, an universall ruine, and confusion unto them, so as that their estates shall be altogether helplesse; for their defenced Cities shall be desolate, and their habitations for∣saken,

and left like a Wildernesse; Yea, so helplesse shall they be, that if a poor silly woman come by, shee shall spoil them; The women come, and set them on fire. Now if it be asked, Why the Lord doth deal thus fiercely with carnall sinful men, seeing though they have no strength of grace in their hearts, yet they are his creatures; The Reason is rendred in the words of the Text, For it is a people of no understanding, there∣fore he that made them will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour. As if he should say, Doe yee inquire the reason why the Lord is so deeply displeased with Hypocrites that live in thee bosome of the Church, and why he threatneth to proceed so severely with them? Alas, it is no wonder, for they are a people of no un∣derstanding, what shew soever they make, though they enjoy the Ordinances, yet they are no way fit for Gods spirituall building, they are onely fit for the fire of his wrath, though they are in the Church, yet they are not of the Church; there∣fore he that made them will shew them no mercie, and he that formed them, wil not vouchsafe to bestow any favour upon them.

In the words there are two things observable: First, the judgement of God denounced against this people; Secondly, the cause of that judgement: Or thus, First, the sin of this people; Secondly, The judgement of God because of that sin. The sin of the people is, They have no understanding: The judgement of God because of that sin, Therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. First, you see the people of∣fending; they want sanctifying and saving knowledge, they are a people of no understanding. You see again the Lord ob∣serving this, and proceeding severely against them because of this; Therefore he that made them, will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour.

First of the former, touching the sin of the people. I will not stand long in the opening of the words: Onely thus much observe briefly, It is a people that have no understanding: What kind of people was it? Even those that lived under the means of grace, that enjoyed all the helps and incourage∣ments

that a people could desire, that had an outward call, and were counted the people of God, those were a people of no understanding. Howsoever the Lord was pleased to inlarge himself toward them to bestow many outward Pri∣viledges upon them, to suffer them to enjoy many singular helps, howsoever they were those to whom were committed the Oracles of God, and means of life and salvation, yet they remained unfruitfull and unprofitable, they were a people of no understanding, they had no depth of reach in spiritu∣all things. The point observable from hence is thus much, That,

People may enjoy the means of knowledge, of life and salvation, and yet not withstanding in the mean time not profit by them, but remain void of the knowledge of God.

What this knowledge is, and the nature of it, I will open unto you afterward, onely thus much take along with you for the present, That by knowledge here, I mean saving know∣ledge. Knowledge, no doubt, this people had, and happily a great measure of understanding, they might know many things that belonged to grace and salvation; yet for the main, for the substance and truth of it, it was not the knowledge of God, it was not saving knowledge. A people may be in the bosome of the Church, live under the means of grace, and partake of the Ordinances of God, and yet notwitstanding all this, be void of the saving knowledge of God. This is a Point that ariseth clearly and evidently from the Text: These peo∣ple of whom the Prophet speaks, were in the Church of God, lived under the Ordinances, and enjoyed all the out∣ward priviledges of the people of God, yet, he saith of them, they are a people of no understanding; they knew nothing of God and salvation in a sanctifying and saving manner. It is easie to confirm the truth of this Doctrine, by other places of Scripture. The Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses chair, and were the teachers of others, and therefore (one would thinke) should have understanding themselves, yet our Saviour saith, Matth. 13.14. That in them was fulfil∣led

the prophesie of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing yee shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing, yee shall see, and shall not perceive. It was not any want of means, they could alledge, or that they lacked the Ordinances; for they were alwaies hearing and hearing, they had all the light that could be afforded them to guide their feet into the way of peace, and no question but they waited upon those means, and yet they were not informed, yet they were not inlightned; to know the things that concerned the glory of God, and their own peace in a saving manner; they heard, but understood not; they saw, but perceived not. In the like manner Isai. 42.19. the Lord complaineth of his own servants, those that should have been neer to him indeed, Who is blinde, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind, as he that is perfect, and blind, as the Lords servant: Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the eares, but he heareth not: It is generally conceived, that this is spo∣ken of those that drew neer to God even in the Ministery and Priesthood, and were brought up especially for this ser∣vice; yet notwithstanding, who so blind as they were? and who so ignorant as the Messengers he sent? It was also the Apostles complaint of the Hebrews, that whereas for the time they might have been teachers of others, they had need to be taught again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God, Heb. 5.12. Having so long a while injoyed the means of grace and salvation, and under the light of the Gospel, and had so many gracious instructions and reproofs, surely they might have been in the highest Form in the School of Christ, they might have been guiders and teachers of others: yet notwithstanding they had need themselves to be taught the very first Rudiments, the very A, B, C. of Religion, they remained ignorant of the first principles of the Oracles of God, and were fitter to be fed with milk, than with strong meat. In the prophecie of Jeremy, the Lord sendeth the dull and heavie hearted Jews as it were to school to the creatures; The Storke in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow, observe the time

of their coming; but my people know not the judgement of the Lord, Jer. 8.7. So Isai. 1.3. The Oxe knoweth his owner, and the Asse his masters crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. The people of the Jews, Gods own people, enjoyed more means then ever any peo∣ple besides: They had line upon line, and precept upon pre∣cept, Isa. 28 10.13. From the thirteenth yeer of Josiah, (saith the Prophet Jeremie) even unto this day (that is, the three and twentieth yeer) the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early, and speaking, but ye have not hearkned. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets, rising early and sending them, but yee have not hearkned nor enclined your ear to hear, Jer. 25.3, 4. They had the means of grace you see, yet they were unpro∣fitable under the means; they had helps for knowledge, yet grew not in knowledge. The point then is clear, That, The People may enjoy the means, and yet remain void of the knowledge of God. No more therefore for the proof thereof.

For the ground of the point a little. You will ask, Is it it possible that there should be such sencelesse ignorance in the hearts of men that live in the bosome of the Church, and that any who partake of the Ordinances, and the means of salvation, should yet remain a people of no understanding?

Alas, my brethren, the truth is, it is too too evident. We can speak of great matters, and (as the Apostle saith) we thinke we know something, but this I am sure of, that though wee have lived long under the means, and have enjoyed abun∣dance of light, yet notwithstanding if a man should go from house to house, even in this City where the means of know∣ledge are more then ordinary, he should find a marvellous poor deal of sanctifying and saving knowledge, yea, I doe assure you, of any reasonable common knowledge in matters of Religion. If you ask, What is the ground of all this? I will answer briefly in two or three words.

The first cause why men get no more knowledge, notwith∣standing they have the means of knowledge, I take to be the

blindnesse of their mindes, the weaknesse of their judgements, the ignorance that is in their understanding. Though they have all the outward helpes that any people have under heaven, yet having a want in themselves, and a weaknesse in their own powers and naturall principles, it is impossible that ever they should receive any good by those meanes. This is the very cause which the Apostle Paul alledgeth, Ephes. 4.18. why the Gentiles were estranged from the life of God, namely, because their understandings were darkned, and because of the ignorance that was in their mindes, and the blindnesse of their heart. It skilleth not how bright and clear the Sunne shineth, if in the mean time the visive faculty be wanting; if a man have no eyes to see, he is never the better for the greatest light in the world: So it is here; as long as men are full of blindnesse and igno∣rance in their understandings, though the light of the Gospel shine in their very faces, it is no mervail they benefit not thereby, for alas they have no eyes. The fault is not in the Gospel; for that is light: but the fault is in their own souls; their understanding is darkned, the scales of ignorance are grown over the eyes of their mind, they want an inward principle of spirituall sight, and so they are not able to reap any benefit by the most excellent meanes in the world as they should doe. That is the first Reason.

Adde hereunto in the second place, that as they have blind∣nesse in their mind, and ignorance in their judgement, so they are meer naturall men: and no further then God is pleased by a supernaturall work of the spirit to goe along with men in the use of the meanes, is it possible that they should be effectuall. Naturally men are carelesse and negligent to attend and wait upon God with faithfull painfulnesse in the use of the meanes, and so they will continue, till God put another spirit into them, and work that in them which will enable them to doe what nature never can doe: And hence it commeth to passe, that so long as they continue meet na∣turall men, they are not able to receive that sweetnesse, nor reap that benefit, that otherwise they might from the

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Word of God: they have no mind to it, they hear, it may be, but they are not whether they hear or no. Job telleth us, that wicked men say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes, Job 21.14. It is a place worthy some observation; They say unto God, Depart from us; How doth a man say to the Almighty, Depart from me? I doe not conceive, that a company of men will be so desperate, as openly to out-face God in his Ordinances, and bid him depart from them, or openly to professe it to all the world, that they desire not the knowledge of God, nor of his wayes: But they said it in their hearts, and professed it in their lives, being carelesse of God, and regardlesse of the meanes of life and salvation. When the Word came with counsell, with reproofe, with admonition, and the like, alas they flighted it, they made no regard of it, they neglected it; and as they behaved themselves toward the counsels and admonitions of the Word, so they are said to have behaved themselves towards God. And, my brethren, it is all one, if hearing the Minister speak unto you the word of God, and bring home to you the reproofes, and admonitions, and coun∣sels thereof, you kick his Word from you, and happily take up armes against him; it is all one (I say) as if you take up armes against God and despised him: It is a plain case; our Saviour himselfe hath said it, He that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me, Luke 10, 16. And so those men Job speaketh of, because they manifested a carelesse esteem of the ordinances, are said to bid God depart from them, and to professe, they desired not the knowledge of his wayes: as if they should say, it is a tedious thing to us to be convinced out of the Word; we doe not desire to be perswaded to doe this or that; we have no heart to heare such things as these. This is a generall fault among most that live in the bosome of the Church, to manifest a want of desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God. How many severall passages are continually extended to men in the preaching of the Word, both counsels and reproofes? some whereof it may be they receive: but such

as crosse their dispositions, and thwart them in any pleasant or profitable course of sinne, oh how tedious are they to their hearts? how unwilling are they to be informed of them? how willingly doe they reject those blessed meanes that God, would put into their hands to helpe them to salvation? Fa∣mous it that place 2 Pet. 3.5. Those mockers there spoken of, that should come in the last dayes, saying, Where is the promise of his comming? the Apostle saith of them, This they are willingly ignorant of, that the Heavens were of old by the Word of God, &c. They are willingly ignorant; as if he should say, they are ignorant because they will be ignorant; they doe nto desire to know that which might convince and reforme them. Look how it is with a truant Scholler; though the Master be never so carefull in his teaching, and take never so great paines with him, yet it is impossible that he should thrive in his learning; for happily he comes one day to Schoole, and withdraweth himselfe a week after, and loseth more in two dayes then he can get in four: And you that are Tradesmen know, that a runnagate Apprentise cannot possibly be informed in his trade, so as to behave himselfe skilfully for his Masters profit for the present, or his own benefit and comfort afterwards: So the truth is, if you ask me the cause, why so few men are savingly inlightned and informed in the wayes of life and salvation, notwithstanding the abundance of meanes that they injoy; Oh it is because we have so many truant Schollers in Gods Schoole, so many runnagate Apprentises from the meanes of salvation; this is the cause that howsoever there be meanes and teaching enough, yet men are not gainers by these good occasions and opportunities, which God is pleased to put into their hands. This, I say, is the very reason. Let a Minister presse a man that is somewhat loose in his life, to the performance of good duties, urge him to prayer with his family, to the sanctifying of the Lords day, to leave his swearing, and his vain company, or the like, he will turn the deafe eare to you, and though happily he will not presently flie in the face of the Minister, yet he will slight all that he saith; he for his part hath other

businesse in hand: no wonder, my brethren, this man pro∣fiteth not by the Word, seeing his heart is not set thereunto, seeing he intendeth it not, hath no mind nor desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God.

The last and indeed the main reason why in this last age of the world, wherein the light of the Gospel shineth so bright, yet men sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and remain stark blind in heavenly things, and though wa∣ters are hard by us, yet we continue like a dry and thirstie wildernesse, is, The corruption of mens hearts, in which they are setled, and in which they are resolved to continue, come what will to the contrary. A setled and secret resolution that harboureth in the souls of men, to maintain some pri∣vate lust or other, is I say, a speciall reason why the mindes of men are no more inlightned, nor themselves informed in the waies of life and happiness. Mark it, I beseech you; It is a thing that we may easily find to be true in our own experience: The retaining of any private lust, alwaies hin∣ders a man from attaining to saving knowledge. Look how it is with the bodie of a man, if one have a foul stomack, full of very bad and noisome humors, commonly it breedeth a rheumatick eie, and a sleepie and drowsie head; Just so it is also with the soul; if a mans heart harbour any noysome lusts, if any sinfull corruption lodge there, the truth is, it al∣waies breeds a blear-eyed judgement, it sendeth up such streams and mists into the understanding as quite dazeleth it, so that it cannot discern the truths of God; and hence it cometh to passe, that the soul being setled on its dregs, speak as long as you will, perswade as much as you can, yet there is no way to prevail, further then God is pleased by a migh∣tie hand, to break open the heart of a man, and to enlighten it, whether he will or no, as a man may say. 2 Tim. 3 6, 7. this is observed to be the main cause why men are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; They are very good Churchmen (as they say) often in the Church, alwaies hearing, and yet notwithstanding remain as poor, ignorant, silly sots in the main things of life and salva∣tion,

as if they had lived all their dayes in the West-Indies. What is the reason and ground of this? The Apostle com∣plaineth there of a certain company of widdows, that were ever learning, certainly then you would thinke that they were good Schollars, no, that they were not. What was the cause, what? alwaies learning, up early, and down late, and yet never come to the knowledge of the truth? What is the cause? The Apostle telleth you in the sixt verse, They are laden with sins, and led about with divers lusts; And vers. 8. They are of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith, or (as it is in the Margent of your Bibles) of no judgement concerning the faith: Mark, like unto these carnall hearted widdows, there is a sort of men in the Church of God, that carry the cloak of profession upon them, and will run to every Lecture, and take hold of every occasion to hear a Sermon, and yet alas know nothing, but are as silly and ignorant in the main grounds of Religion, as blind in the things of God, as any in the world: Will you know the reason why they thrive not? Observe it; They are laden with lusts, and led about with divers pleasures; their hearts cleave close to some cor∣ruption, they harbour some bosome lust in their souls; they have a form of godliness, but they take not up the power of Religion, because it would remove and dis-place those lusts that they love so well. I beseech you observe that place, Isa. 6.9, 10. When the Lord had a purpose to overthrow the people, and to bring a desolation upon them for their obsti∣nacie, he biddeth the Prophet go and preach to them; but to what purpose? Not to doe them any good, for he would not save them. Well, what course then must the Prophet take? Goe (saith God) and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but un∣derstand not; and see yee indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavie, and shut their eyes; least they see with their eyes, and hear with their cares, and understand with their heart, and convert, and bee healed. I beseech you observe this Text: If they did see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand 〈…〉〈…〉 God would heal them: But

God in his just judgement will not have them see, nor hear, nor understand, that they might not convert, and be healed, and he will accomplish this work by the Ministerie of the Prophet, and therefore he sendeth him to harden them by his preaching, and how? Make their hearts fat, and then (as it followeth) their ears will be heavie, and their eies will be shut. Now (observe) what makes an heart fat? First, continuall glutting of ones self with diet, with immoderate eating and drinking; and then secondly, continuall idenesse; these two make men fat: Just so it is with the soul of a sinner: When as the heart of a man cleaveth to a cor∣ruption, when as a mans affections are glued unto it, so that he takes delight in it, let it be what lust so ever it will be, you shall ever finde him feeding upon it. The proud man continually feeds himself upon his pride, his minde is ever taken up with the thoughts of this or that fashion, with this or that way of attiring, and adorning himself; The A∣dulterer is still feeding on the pleasures of his lust, alwaies contemplating on those cursed delights. The covetous man, meet him where you will, assoon as he is up in a morning, presently he is talking of buying and selling, of bargaining and match-making; So the drunkard and the rest of sinners; the meat is never out of their mouthes, their hearts are con∣tinually set upon those sinfull corruptions to which they are addicted. And withall (mark) as there must bee feeding, so there must be resting; for daily exercise and labour spend∣eth a man; and therefore we know those that will feed any creature fat, put it up. So when a man is resolved to conti∣une in that course wherein he is, is setled on his lees, hath set up his staffe, he will go no further, but there he will stay; such a mans heart is fat, and what followeth? his eyes will be blind: Whatsoever shall come from the Minister to thwart that sinfull disposition of his, to crosse that lust which lieth in his bosome, any way to disease him, or stir him off his dregs, though it be never so clear and plain, and delivered with never so much evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God it self, yet he cares not for it, he is resolved to do what

he pleaseth, and to take his own course, let them all say what they will. Hence it cometh to passe, that in these daies of light, wherein the means of knowledge run through the greatest part of the land, and abound as the rivers from the sea, and yet men remain stark blind in the mysteries of salva∣tion, and altogether unreformed in their lives. Doe but ob∣serve a little the temper of mens spirits, and you shall finde it generally to be this: Those truths out of the word of God which they conceive to crosse their quiet, and disturbe their peace, they will not indure: Their heart is resolved to be at peace, and at libertie, come what come will; and therefore whatsoever truth it be that causeth any disquiet∣ness or disturbance in them, away with it; Oh (say they) I will have none of that, I have done with that point. Surely it is no marvell that such men are not informed, seeing they have shut their eies, and will not see: Oh (say they) I see no reason for this, I understand not why I may not doc such and such a thing: Yea, you will not understand it, you will not be informed, because it will trouble and disquiet your hearts. There is many a man, my brethren, who if he might have his libertie in sinfull courses allowed him, and might injoy his credit, and contentment, and ease in the world, together with the Gospel, would take up many truths that are now despised by him; but the main ground of his con∣tempt lies here, he must have his sin, he will take his liber∣tie, he will enjoy himself what ever is said to the contrary. And hence it is that God in his just judgement, seeing that such men will not entertain the truth in the ••ove there∣of; that they might be saved; they should be given up to strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie, that they all might be damned, who beleeved not the truth, but had plea∣sure in unrighteousnesse. Their heart being resolved which way to walk, it is just I say with the Lord to give them up to blindnesse of minde, to dulnesse of spirit, to ignorance and error, that they may be hurried on in the waies of destruction for ever; It is Gods own word, 2 Thes. 2.10. Because men received not the truth (the whole truth of God) in the love

thereof; M••••y are loth to have some points to be true, as that a man ••hould exactly observe the Sabbath; it is just with God to give such up to a profane spirit, to deny the Sabbath; Others are loth to have this true, that they must pray duly every morning and evening in their family; it is just with God to give such up to a sottish and stupified course, that they can be contended to goe to bed like beasts. The like I may say of many other duties: The Lord calleth for fasting and prayer, and would have his people humble themselves and seek his face: now because the duty is te∣dious, and happily the world crosseth it, therefore many will fall out with the Ordinance, reject it, have nothing to doe with it; they will have their ease and their quiet; their hearts are grown fat, and if any thing crosse their corruptions, they will not hear with that eare. It is fearfull what the Lord speaks against these, Rom. 1. 28. and my heart trembleth to think of the hideous cur••e of God against such courses, and his severe indignation against such persons: It is said there, that because the Heathen delighted not to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to doe those things which are not convenient. Mark; As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge; as who should say, Must my mind be inlightned? must I be convinced and perswaded, that I must lay aside my self, and be content in uprightnesse of heart to imbrace every truth of God, though it be with the losse of ease, and credit, and estate, yea, and of life it self? must I doe this? well, I doe not like it, I will not beleeve it, all the world shall never perswade me to it. And why? Because you have taken a sleepy pillow before-hand, you have been resolved to keep those things that these truths crosse. It is just with God, when men doe not love and like to retain the truth he affordeth them, to give them up to a reprobate mind, that is, to a mind void of judgement, not knowing the truth, not approving the Word. And you shall see these men in all their courses and opinions vanishy; Why? Because the Lord hath given them up to a reprobate mind, a mind not able to observe what he revealeth, and a

heart not willing to entertain what he discovereth to be good.

Gather up these things. This is the last and most speciall argument, why the hearts of most men are estranged from God and his truth, because they harbour many lusts in their soules; and cleave close to some or other corruptions. It is a passage worthy observation, that is recorded Jer 43. The people that were left behind in the land, when the King of Babylon had carried the rest away captive, were resolved to goe down into Aegypt; but they would first goe to the Prophet, and take his advise, and he must goe to the Lord, and whatsoever the Lord should declare to them by the Prophet, that they would doe, be it good, or be it evill: Here was a very fair pretence. But their hearts were fully resolved betore to goe down into Aegypt; and therefore when the Prophet brought them the answer of God, that they should not goe, but that they should remain in the Land; Thou speakest fatsly, say they unto him, the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Goe not into Aegypt to sojourn there; but Baruch the sonne of Neriah setteth thee on against us. So they obeyed not the voyce of the Lord, to dwell in the sand of Judah. As if they should have said, we had thought thou wouldest have perswaded us, that it was lawfull for us to goe down into Aegypt, and if thou hadst done so, we would have hearkened to thee; but because what thou sayest is not as we would have it, because it doth not fit us, nor stand with that course we are resolved to take, we will not yeeld to it, whether it be truth that thou speakest or no. I wish this were not so amongst many of us, I doe not say, carnall and profane ones; the world is full of those, and their spirits are too too manifest: but I say, I wish it were not a fault even amongst many, that in some measure love and fear the Lord. We are grown sick of our peace, and we must have our quiet, and ease, and contentment, therefore though we should ap∣pear to be sincere before God in all things, and zealous for the cause of the Lord of Hosts, we will shuffle in divers practises, rather then be disturbed and troubled in that

course that we have set to our selves. Now, I say, gather up these, and I think the point is clear: If it be so that men are blind in their mindes, and cannot know the Word, if so be they are carelesse and doe not attend to the Word, nay, if so be they be setled in their sinnes and corruptions from which they will not part, it is no wonder, that though they have means, yet they are not savingly informed in the truth of God, answerably to those meanes which are bestowed upon them.

Let me adde now but one thing for the full clearing of the Doctrine. You will say, we see the quite contrary: For it is cleare and evident, that there are many that live in the bosome of the Church, that have a great measure of under∣standing, yet are not such as God hath wrought upon effectu∣ally; yea, the Devill himselfe hath knowledge enough, and many a man that is nought and carnall, hath an abundant measure of understanding, happily much more then some godly and holy men can attain to.

To answer this in two or three words. It is true I con∣fesse, there is many a cursed hypocrite that hath a great mea∣sure of knowledge; and yet in very deed hath no true un∣derstanding at all. For the knowledge whereby such men are inlightned, differs much from that information and un∣derstanding which the Saints of God have. For look as there is wild thime and garden thime, both of the same name, and both growing after the same manner, yet very different in their nature and qualities: so it is with knowledge; there is a gracious and a sanctifying knowledge, garden knowledge, as I may say; and there is a wild and a common knowledge. I will open it a little, in two or three words. If you goe no further, but consider the understanding of both barely, you shall cleerly perceive a main difference, between a Saint of God and an Hypocrite.

1. An Hypocrite, and a carnall man, like Judas, may thus farre have his understanding inlightned, concerning all the truths of life and salvation, that are either discovered or made known out of the Book of God, as to perceive the sense of

the words that are set down, and understandingly to discourse of the meaning of the Scripture, and reason of the points therein contained, and that more freely and abundantly in outward appearance, then many of the deare Saints and Ser∣vants of God are able to doe: and yet all this is but that which the Apostle Paul cals a form of knowledge, Rom. 2.20. Such an one hath onely got religion by rote, as we use to say; like a child, that happily may be taught a sillogisme, or some forme of an argument, he may say it without book, but understands it not: so hypocrites may have a form, and as it were, an outside of knowledge, but there is something in the bottome concerning the savingnesse and holinesse of knowledge, which they can never attain unto. For certain it is, there is never a carnall person under heaven, howsoever he can talk of God, and of Christ, and of Faith, that either knoweth God in the works of his wayes toward him, or hmselfe in the works of his duty toward God. That is a strange passage concerning Hazael, 2 Kings 8, When the Prophet Elisha setled his countenance upon him, and wept, Hazael said, Why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, Be∣cause I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou stay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with childe: And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog that he should doe this great thing? He thought that there was no such matter in himselfe, he perceived not the corruption of his nature. And truth it is, that as it was with Hazael, so it is with every wicked man under heaven, further then God is pleased to awaken him, he neither knowes what he is himselfe, nor what God is; talk of it he may, but cannot apprehend it in truth; in the the generall he may speak of it, but in his own particular he cannot.

2. For the further proof of this point, That there is a main difference between a child of God and an hypocrite, in their very knowledge: though I know it is the judgement of many, and those holy and godly too, that wicked men, in matters of

knowledge, may go as far as any Saint under heaven, yet I take it they are deceived: for no sanctifying work of the holy spirit of God is common to those that are wicked and repro∣bates; but the work of saving understanding and illumi∣nation, is a work of sanctification: and to prove that, goe no further but to the naked consideration of a mans bare understanding. When the Lord is pleased to work effectu∣ally upon the soule, there is a sanctifying work on the under∣standing as well as on the will. Now that work which is upon the understanding of a servant of God, as truly differs from the inlightning of a carnall hypocrite, as the heart of a Saint from the heart of a man not sanctified: As the Spirit of God, I say, hath a proper and peculiar work of sanctifica∣tion upon the will of Gods children, so also hath he upon their mind and understanding; therefore of necessity, wicked men having no work of sanctification, the children of God must needs differ from them in this particular of knowledge. Again, the Apostle is clear enough, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natu∣rall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Before a man can discern spirituall objects, he must have spi∣rituall light; therefore wicked men being (as all hypo∣crites are) but bare nature, and wanting spirituall light, are not able to perceive and discern the things of God. So you see there is a plain and broad difference between the Saints of God, and carnall hypocrites in the point of know∣ledge and understanding.

Now then for the point it selfe, That there is such a know∣ledge as is peculiar to the Saints; take it, my brethren, thus: The godly doe not onely apprehend the meaning of the words in the Scripture, and are able to discourse of the reasons there∣in contained, but they discern also the spiritualnesse of the work of grace, that is discovered in the same. Observe it: There being, first, the Word of God set down in his book, and then reasons that goe along with it, and lastly, a spirituall work of grace, that God hath made known in those reasons; the Saints of God alone see the spiritualnesse of the work

that is manifested and communicated in that reason there set down. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psal. 25.14. wicked men may know repentance, but there is a secret of repentance which the godly onely have: Wicked men may pray, but there is an inward spiritualnesse and closing with the Lord, a secret humbling of the soule before the Lord, which the godly onely have: wicked men, I say, can pray, and hear, and discourse of repentance, and of faith, and the like, but there is a secret in all these, and a spi∣rituall work derived into the soule, thorough the knowledge of all these, which the Saints onely apprehend and under∣stand. Take but an Apple, there is never a man under hea∣ven can tell what tast it is of, whether sweet or soure, untill he have tasted of it; he seeth the colour and the quantity of it, but knoweth not the tast: so there is no man under hea∣ven discerneth more of grace then he findeth in himselfe. A carnall man may talk of repentance, and faith, and obedience, yet notwithstanding, there is a sappinesse, which I call the spiritualnesse in these blessed works, that no man can tell and understand, but onely those that indeed have found by expe∣rience the work in themselves. We use to say, and we say truly, that no woman knoweth the nature of a mother, be∣fore she hath been a mother: So it is here; first, a man must have the work of grace in himselfe, before he can rightly un∣derstand the nature of it. No man knoweth what it is to be the child of God, or what it is to have a child-like affection toward God, but so farre forth as he findeth and feeleth this in some measure wrought in himselfe by the operation of the Spirit. I will not dispute that text, Rev. 2.17. I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it: but I take this to be the main thing intended there, which makes for my present purpose: Name there signifies Adoption; and the white stone, Absolution: the Lord will absolve and acquit him of all those sinnes that he is guilty of, and withall, he will give him the name of a sonne. The Lord sealeth to the soule of a Christian man, that he is God reconciled to him:

Now when the soul findeth this, and the like, and withall hath an inward work, which, though happily he cannot discover the manner and order thereof, nor expresse it to others, yet he knows more thereof then any man under heaven. Ask a child, How doe you know such a man is your father? A∣las, he cannot tell you, yet he hath a strong affection toward him above all others, and feels in himself such a leaning in his affection towards him, as another feels not. So the mother of the child that was brought before Solomon, had no Argu∣ment in the world to prove the child to be hers, but the yerning of her bowels, and relenting of her spirit toward the child, proved it sufficiently. So there is in a Saint of God an inward tenderness of affection, a leaning of his soul to∣wards God, which no man knowes but he that hath it.

If a curious workman after he hath made a clock or a watch, shew the frame thereof to a man ignorant of that Art, and declare to him the manner of making it, happily he will conceive his words, and his reasons, and perceive that he saith truth, but he cannot make such another, because he hath not the Art it self of clock-making: My brethren, so it is here, There is a curious frame in the soule of a Christian, of grace, of faith, of repentance, of holinesse, of love, patience, and the like; a blessed disposition of heart, whereby the soul runneth right toward God and every holy dutie, and strikes right (as I may say) in all holy obedience to God; this is a frame reared up by the hand of the Spirit of God alone, in the heart of a Christian. Now the Apostle Paul, who had such a work as this wrought in him, can tell the nature of hope, and of faith, and of repentance; but I that read what he hath written of these things, being a naturall man, though happily I understand the sence, and apprehend the meaning of the words, yet the true knowledge of the nature of repentance, or faith, or hope, I cannot possibly attain to, so long as I remain a meer naturall man: Even as an ignorant man cannot conceive the Art of Watch-making, in that manner as the Artist himself understands it; so can∣not I discern the nature of this spiritual frame in the heart,

further then God is pleased to teach me this skill by the work of his Spirit within my self. When I finde my own heart wrought upon, then I can best discover it to another, then doe I know that which before I never understood; though happily I could discourse something concerning such things, and understand the outside as it were, yet that was all, I never knew the bottom, as I doe now. You see then the difference between the knowledge of Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church, and the knowledge of Gods Elect, or saving knowledge. Now for the Use of all in a word or two.

If this be so, that men may live in the Church of God, and enjoy the means of grace, and yet be a people of no under∣standing, have no saving knowledge, then my brethren, here is a word of reproof to check all those conceits, and pull down all those silly imaginations of poor, ignorant, carnall crea∣tures, that live here among us in the bosome of the Church, who because the Lord hath been pleased to put them into a place where the truth is plainly taught and preached, pre∣sently perswade their own souls, that they have wise dome and knowledge enough to bring them to life and salvation. If happily you come to any of these men and tell them, that they ought to be inlarged in those duties God requireth of his children, that they should be able to catechise their fami∣lies, to pray with them, to instruct them, that they should be skilfull in the art of humbling their souls before God, in pri∣vate conversing, and spirituall communion with him; Alas, they will answer you, that for the present, they are too weak and unable for such things as these: Well, but prove them again afterwards when they have continued a longer time under the means, and demand of them how they have bette∣red themselves, what strength of grace they have attained un∣to; By no means you must meddle with them: What, they have not lived so long in a good Parish under a panfull Mi∣nister, and gone so often to Church, but surely they have suf∣ficient to bring them to heaven; and although they cannot doe so, and so, though they cannot give you a reason of the

hope that is in them, yet they make no question but to speed as well as the best. Men think it enough to be good Church∣men, to have and injoy the helpes God vouchsafeth and be∣stoweth upon his people, to be often hearers of the Word read and preached; and so rest themselves contented, and there set up their staffe, though in the mean time they remain as blind, and ignorant, and as carnall as ever. My brethren, be not deceived, the Lord will not be mocked. It is not suf∣ficient to salvation, for a man to be an often hearer, to have his heart now and then inlarged, to give assent to the truths delivered, to conceive the grounds of them, or to be able happily to discourse of some points of religion. Oh look further, he that hath saving knowledge indeed, goes farre be∣yond all this. You that are tradesmen, or you that have children, will any man say, my child is a good Schollar, for he hath gone so long to schoole; or, my Apprentise hath good skill in his trade, because he hath served me so many yeares? It is true, he ought to be so: but it doth not follow, that because he hath had such and such helps, and lived so long under them, that therefore he is so. So it is here: there is no reason for any man to ground his assurance of salvation on his injoyment of the meanes, or to imagine that God hath wrought mercifully for him in the matter of knowledge, which accompanieth life and happiness, because of his long living under a good ministry: no, it is not enough to have the preaching of the word among us, and to have the meanes and helps of saving knowledge; you may have all these, and yet remain ignorant and blind, and be a people of no under∣standing.

Secondly, this is a word of instruction to us. We are hence given to understand the sinfulnesse of our nature, and the blindnesse of our mindes, seeing a man may have all the means under heaven, and yet all prove unprofitable to him; may injoy all the helpes that God hath set up in his Church for the good of peoples soules, and yet receive no good by them. What a strange heart is ours? Yet so it is even a∣mongst many of us in this place, and I wish it were not so

with most that live in the Church at this day. I fear me, that if a man should goe from heart to heart, and observe every ones particular temper, he should find this that I say, to bee too too true. What is the reason else you will not suffer a good Minister to follow you home, to search your soules, but take pet at such a man presently? what is the cause of this? Surely your wayes are naught, your mindes are blinded, your hearts are hardned under the means. Men are loth to let others see what they are, because they are not as they should be; they are like dull-headed Schollars, to whom it is death to be posed. But I say, observe therefore the mervailous deadnesse and weaknesse, the strange besotted dulnesse of our natures to good, that when we have all the incourage∣ments and meanes that may be, yet we get no benefit, we reap no profit by them. If a man should have a tree in his garden, that all the dunging, and pruning, and dressing that he can use, will doe no good of, nor make it bring forth any fruit, certainly he would think that tree to be of a strange temper: so here, let us see, and wonder when we see, that the Lord hath bestowed so much cost upon us, made his judge∣ments come home even to our very doores, powred his mer∣cies on us in abundance, yet we are not provoked, nor quick∣ned, nor inlarged in the wayes of life; that though wind and tide be both with us, yet we make no progress in good∣ness, but he that was ignorant is ignorant still, and he that was filthy is filthy still. That we may therefore shame our selves, humble our soules, and bemoan our estates before the Lord, consider, I pray you, but these two things; The variety of helps that God vouchsafeth us, and the success those helps find in our hearts. When all the fire in the town cannot warm a man, how cold is he? When all the perswa∣sions under heaven cannot work upon a man, oh how flinty is he! How graciously, my brethren, hath the Lord dealt with you that live in this place? How many helps hath he put into your hands? you have prayers, and sermons, and exhortations, and instructions, and admonitions, and com∣forts,

forts, and all things that are available to bring a man to life and happiness: Now he that groweth not under this means, he that thriveth not with this food, he that is not heated by this fire, he that is not quickned by this dew of heaven, let him take notice of the strange distemper of his own heart, and the deadnesse of his spirit. I know not what to say to you: Certainly, had the Devill himselfe but any hope of receiving mercy, the sermons that are made in this City, were able even to melt his heart, (as it were) and to bring him to consider, and repent of the sinnes he hath committed a∣gainst Almighty God: but because he hath no hope of mer∣cy, he remaineth in a forlorne and desperate condition. Yet the Apostle saith, Jam. 2.19. The Devils also beleeve and tremble; that is, they know all things contained in Gods Word are true, they beleeve them, and assent to them, and are perswaded, that God will one day make all his threat∣nings good upon them, and upon the hearts of all the damned for ever, and that they together shall be wholly deprived of all those mercies that God hath propounded in his Word, and they tremble at it. Look now into your own hearts, and see what kind of temper they are of; when notwith∣standing the many judgements that have been threatned, the many woes that have been denounced, yet, most either turn their back upon the Church, or turn a deaf eare to what they hear, and cast the Commandements of God behind them, and rather fleer in the face of the Minister, and contemn what he saith, then be any wayes humbled for their sinnes, or tremble at the Word of God, and the threatnings denounced out of it. My brethren, think of it for the Lords sake, reason a little with your selves, and consider, and say, Lord, what a wicked heart, and what a wretched disposition have I? the Sea is troubled, the Mountains quake, and the earth sinketh, when the Lord speaks and uttereth his voice, nay, the Divels beleeve and tremble: but oh! what terrors and woes have I heard out of the Word, against my pride, my covetousness, my swearing, my drunkenness, my profaning of the Sabbath, yet none of them stirre me one jot. I have had the fire full

in my face, yet remain as ycie, and cold, and frozen as ever: I have had many a heavenly dew upon me, many a silver drop, yet continue a dry and barren Wilderness. Oh what a heart have I! Surely, my brethren, such a case as this is very despe∣rate and deplorable; think of it betime; in vain it will be for you to put it off. You dream, and have conceits of know∣ledge, and imagine that you have faith and repentance, where∣as, alas! you have little or none of these graces; I pray there∣fore consider it now, and now hear and tremble, least you tremble afterwards, when you are sunk down in the pit for ever: When you are in hell, you shall feel another manner of trembling then now is expected from you; for it shall be farre greater, and altogether without hope of remedy. Where now are all those professed enemies and rebels against God? where is Nimrod? where is Pharaoh? where is Sennache∣rib? are they not in hell, and there left to perish for ever? Reason the case therefore seriously with your selves, to the end that now you may be humbled, and brought to tremble at the Word of God, least hereafter you tremble when all hope is past. To move you the more, consider how graci∣ously the Lord hath been pleased to work upon others: They have heard the Word, and have lived under the light of the Gospel, and they have received benefit by it, they have attained to good measures of saving knowledge. Are there not some that live neer thee, of whom thou mayest say, such a man I know, and I thought my selfe once to have had as much under∣standing in religion as he, I made account I had as much ability to doe God service as ever he had. But now the case is alte∣red; he is able to discourse savourly and feelingly of the things of God, to pray sensibly and spiritually, to reason of the mat∣ters of salvation profitably, farre beyond that which I can doe, and yet I have had as many helpes, I have heard as much, and understood as much as he. O Lord, what a case is my soule in? what a sinfull creature am I? Here is a drunkard con∣verted, there is a profane swearer and a Sabbath-breaker wrought upon; my next neighbour, that happily was as bad as I, hath his soule humbled; many a gain-sayer of the Gospel,

the Lord hath made him come crying to him for the forgive∣nesse of his sinnes, begging pardon for such and such rebelli∣ons, especially for his refusing of the offers of mercy made in Jesus Christ: and all this while I stand it out! What a strange heart have I? That drunkard, that profane person, that swea∣rer, that covetous wretch is brought home by the Word, and yet my soul is not inlightned to know God, and to un∣derstand the things of his kingdome! Now the Lord of hea∣ven open your eyes, and have mercy upon your poor soules, and give you the knowledge of his truth, that you may be saved.

FINIS.