712 A Difcoarfe concernwg ----------------------- to have fufficiently~·difchargcd his D~ty, that {hould only in t~e genera l Preach~ That we :1re all ::imncrs:, that Chnfr t he Son of God came mto the Wo rld to fave us; that the Glory of Heaven, and the Torments of Hell, th.all be the Rewards of Obedience, o r Difobcdicncc? If thefe few abfolutcly necclfary and fundamental Truths were :1 \1, you migh t well tbink the Miniftry to be a very eafie, or a very ncedlef:, Office. lf then it is onr Duty to rc\' eal to you the whole Counfcl of God aml to w~th-hold nothiu~ from. you.of all thofe Myfterics which the Scripr'ure contaiUs, whereof iome ~we L1fe, others Light, fame arc Vital, others Ornamental; you qnnot with Rcafon but conclude, that if we are obliged ~o Teach thefc Thi ngs, you alfo arc obliged to Learn and know them. ~~hirdly , It IS a mofl: dcfl:J:utlive Principle r_hat many have through Sloth and Lnu1~fs taken up, Th:lt a httk Knowledge will fuffice to bring them to HcJveu. ~er~amly God. w_ould never han ~cvealed fo many deep and profound Myftcries 111 h1s Word, xf 1t were not nccc!luy they fuould be known and believed. Shall we think all the rcfi: of the Bible fnpcrftuous, except a few plain prafrical Texts? What God hath recorded in the Scripture, is written for our lnfl:ruCl:ion. 'Tis ~rue if we have no~ the mea ns of lnfi:ruCl:ion, nor arc i_n a poilibility. of attaining 1t, a lcfs meafure ot Knowledge, anfwered by a Confc1enuous Pra(hce may fuffi cc for our Salvation. But for us who have Line upon Line, and Precept upon Precept, for us to fatisfie our felves with a few of the common Principles, flighting the reft as nice and unneceffary Points, for us to negleCt Knowledge, argues de. feft of Grace. For whercfoever true G race is, there will be a mofr earneft En:' dcavour to grow da il y in both; and yet Multitudes every where, even of thofe w~o abhor grofi~r Sins, as ~w.earing, Drunken.nefs, and the like, y~t take up w lth a few Notions of Rehp;10n that all are Smners and all mufr pcnfh, unleJS Chrift favc them, &c. This they knew, as foon as they knew any thing; and more that~ this, .they will not know.: They wi~l no~ trouble the~rHeads with any further D1fcovencs, nor look deep 111 t? the Myfrcnes of Godlmefs;. content ing themfdves that they have, as they rhmk, Knowledge enough to bnng them to Heaven. Let me tell them, That though where there is not Means qf Knowledge, a little may fuffice for Salvation ; yet where God doth aftbrd plenti~ ful means, the Knowledge of thefe very Things becomes neceJfary to them, wh ich others might fafely be ignorant of. This is in Anfwcr to the Fourth Objection . Fifthly, Some may object that they have found by Experience, that the Study of Scripture hath many times made them the worfe, it hath alarmed their Lufl:s, and pnt them in an Uproar. Such and fuch Sins were quiet, till they read in the Word a Command againft them ; therefore they are difcouraged and think it befr to forbear the ftudy of the Scripture, fince they find that hy forbidding Sin, it only rouzeth and awakens i(.' Firft, 1 anfwer, Firft this was St. Paul's very Cafe, Rom. 7· 8. Sin taking occajiou by the Command, wrought iu me all manuer of Concupifceuce ; now this eftCCt is meerly accidental, and is not to be imputed unto the Holy Word of God, but to the wicked Heart of Man , which takes an Hint ( fo defperately corrupt is it) from God's forbidding Sin, to put it felf in mind of corn.. mitting it. Secondly, Thou complaineft that the Word exciteth to Corruptions, but it cloth it no otherwife than the Sun draws Smoak and Stink out of a Dunghil. lt cloth not incrcafe but unhappily excite them. The very fame Lufrs lay hid in their Hearts before. There t,hey lay like fo many Vipers and Serpents afleep till the Light and Warmth of the Word made them ftir and c.rawl about. And this Advantage thou mayeft make of it, that when thy Corruptions fwarm thick about thee, upon the difrlll'bance the Law of God bath made among them, thou may'fi: thence fee what a wicked Heart and Nature thou hafr, how much Filth and Mud there licth at the bottom of it, which prcfenrly rifeth upon the firfr itirring. 1' his may make thee vile in thine own Eyes, and deeply humbled und er the fad and fcri· ous Confidc ration of thy indwelling Sin. ' Tis the ver y ufe the Apofrle makes in the fame Cafe, Rom. 7· 2+ 0 rvutched M an that I am, who/hall deliver me f rom the Body af this J)eath! When Humors are in Motion, we foon perceive what is the ftate
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