CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN.. 481 . tials of Christianity, but he bath a clear, delightful sight of .those useful truths, which are the integrals of Christianity, and are ;built upon the fundamentals, and are the branches of the master points of faith. Though he see not all the lesser truths, (which are branched out at last into innumerable particles,) yet he seeth the main bodyof sacred verities, delivered by Christ for man's sancti- fication ; and seeth them methodically in their proper ,places ; and seeth how one supports another, and in how beautiful an order and contexture they are placed. And as he sticketh not in the bare principles, so he receiveth all these additions of knowledge, not notionally only, but practically, as the food on which his soul must live; Heb. v. 13, 14. vi. 1, 2., &c. Matt. xiii. 11. Eph. i. 18. iii. 18, 19. John xiii. 17. 2. A'weak Christian, (in knowledge,) besides the, principles,or essentials of religion, doth know but a few disordered, scattered truths ; which are also but half known, because while he bath some knowledge of those points, he.is ignorant of manyothers, which are needful to the supporting, and clearing, and improvingof them ; and because he knoweth them not in their places, and order, and relation and aspeet upon other truths. And, therefore, if tempta- tions be strong, and come with advantage, the weak Christian, in such points, is easily drawn intomany errors ; and thence into great confidence and.conceitedness in those errors ; and thence intosinful, dangerous courses in the, prosecution and practice of those errors. Such are like " children tossed up and down, and carried to and fro by every wind of doctrine, through the cunning sleight and subtilty of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Eph. iv. 14. 2 Cor. xi. 3. Cola ii. 4. 2 Tim. iii. 7. 3. The seeming Christian, having no saving, practical knowledge of the essentials of Christianity themselves, doth, therefore, either neglect to know the rest, or knoweth them but notionally, as com- mon sciences, and subjecteth them all to his worldly interest; and, therefore, is still of that side or party in religion, which, upon the account of safety, honor, or preferment, his flesh commandeth him to follow. Either he is still on the greater, rising side, and of the rulers' religion, be it what it will ; or, ifhe dissent, it is in pursuit ofanother game, which pride or fleshlyends have started. 2 Pet. ii. 14. Gal. iii. 3. John ix. 22. xii. 42, 43. Matt. xiii. 21, 22. IV. 1: The Christian indeed bath not only reason for his re- ligion, but also bath an inward, continual principle, even the Spirit of Christ, which is as a new nature, inclining,and enlivening him to a holy life ; whereby he mindeth and savoreth the things of the Spirit. Not that his nature Both work blindly, as nature doth in the irrational creatures ; but at least it much irnitateth nature as it is found in rational creatures;where the inclination is necessary, but VOL. I. 61
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