x. 28. which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul; but rather fear him who is able to deftroy both foul and body in hell. And St. John gives the fame precept concerning the world: Love not the world, neither the things of the world: and backs it by the fame reafon; for the world passeth away, and the luft thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. That is, the world can at beft but gratify for a moment the appetites of the body, or the defires of a fenfual fancy; therefore love it not; but love the Father, who, after the diffolution of the vital union betwixt foul and body, is able to confer life and happiness on both to all eternity.

Thus I have confidered the characters of illuminating truths. And the whole of what I have faid amounts to these two things. 1. There are truths of very different kinds truths that are of no use; fuch are those which are either trifling or merely notional, and can have no influence on human life: truths that are of ill ufe; fuch are thofe of which confifts the arts of fenfuality, avarice, vanity, and ambition: thefe are to be detefted, the former to be contemned by all that feek after true wisdom. Again, there are truths of an inferior ufe; fuch as concern our fortunes, our relations, our bodies; and thefe may be allowed their proper place, and a reasonable value.

But

But the truths which concern the peace and pleasure, ftrength and liberty of our fouls; which procure us the favour of God, and the grace of his fpirit; the truths, in a word, which fecure our temporal and eternal happiness; these are illuminating truths, thefe have a tranfcendent worth, and inestimable excellence, or usefulness, and consequently can never be too dear to us. 2. Since the great_characters of illuminating truths do exactly fit the gospel of Jefus, 'tis plain, that this is that fyftem of knowledge, which we are to ftudy day and night; this is that divine philofophy, whofe principles and laws we muft inceffantly res volve and ponder. 'Tis not without reafon, that the Pfalmift beftows fuch glorious elogies upon the word of God, Pfal. xix. and elsewhere: that he magnifies one while the intrinsick excellence and beauty, another while the force and efficacy of it; and ever and anon enlarges himself upon the advantages, the unfpeakable advantages which reward the meditation and practice of it. Of all Perfections I have Jeen an end; but thy commandments are exceeding broad. They are pure, they endure for ever; they enlighten the eyes, and rejoice the heart. Moreover by them thy fervant is warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward. That is, by them we are preserved from all real evil, and put in poffeffion

poffeffion of, or entitled to all real good. How well did St. Peter anfwer, when our Lord asked his disciples, will ye alfo go from me? Lord, whither shall we go? Thou haft the words of eternal life. And how wifely did St. Paul refolve, to know nothing but Chrift. Jefus and him crucified? For he is the way, the truth, and the life; and in him are hid all the treafures of wisdom and knowledge.

But after all, as there is a form of godlinefs, fo there is a form of knowledge, without the power of it. The knowledge of the fame truths, as I obferved in the beginning, in different perfons, may be very different, as meeting with a very different reception. Our conceptions may be more clear or confused, more lively or faint, more perfect or maimed: and our affent may be stronger or weaker. In fome they may only float fuperficially, in others they may penetrate deeper: and the degrees of their influence and operation will be certainly proportioned to the different manner of their reception. For this reafon it will be neceffary to the right understanding of a state of illumination, to discourse,

2. Of the nature of that knowledge we must have of the former truths; to fhew, what fort of conception we must form of them, and what kind of affent we must pay them, and what kind of confideration we must employ about them. As I have there

fore

fore laid down the properties of thofe truths, fo will I now lay down the properties of that knowledge of them, which is effential to illumination.

1. Illuminating knowledge must be deeply rooted, This our Saviour has taught us in that parable, wherein he has obferved to us, that the feed which had not depth of earth, as it foon sprang up, fo it foon withered and dried away. We often know (or pretend to do fo) the rudiments of our religion, without the grounds and foundation of it. We embrace conclufions, without examining the principles from whence they flow; and contrary to the advice of the apostle, we are unable to give a reafon to any one that asketh us of the faith, aud the hope that is in us. And then ours is not properly knowledge, but opinion; 'tis not faith but credulity; 'tis not a firm perfuafion, but an eafy customary affent. And this is overthrown by every temptation; defaced or much blurred by every atheistical fuggeftion or prophane objec tion. Does the world or our luft tempt us, as the devil did our firft parents, ye shall not furely die? How eafily is that faith fhaken, which is no better founded? How eafily is a man induced to hope, that fin is not very fatal and pernicious, that God will eafily be prevailed with to pardon it, that the flames of hell are metaphorical, and its eternity a mistaken notion and groundless

fancy,

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fancy, if he be ignorant of the true reafons of God's wrath and indignation, which are founded in the very nature of God and fin? Whereas on the other hand, he that well underftands both thefe; the deformity and tendency of fin, and the holinefs and the purity of the divine Nature, cannot but difcern an irreconcileable oppofition between them; and be convinced, that were there no tribunal erected for the finner, yet would fin be its own punishment; and that an intolerable bell, confifting in the diforder of nature, an exclufion from God, &c. would be the natural and neceffary iffue of it. The fum of this argument is, that knowledge, which has no deep root, is fubject to be overthrown by every blaft: that faith which is little more than credulity, does very feldom ftand against any very rude shock. Now the grounds of our faith and duty are fully and clearly expounded in the gofpel and bere especially we must seek them. When I fay this, I reject no collateral arguments, I refuse no foreign aids, which contribute any thing to confirm and fortify our belief of gospel truths. The faith of St. Thomas did, in part at least, depend upon the evidence of fenfe, Thomas, because thou hast seen thou haft believed, John xx. 29. And fo did that of the reft of them, who were eye-witnesses of

the