"6 SERMONS upon Serni. 3, formeth us to it. Regeneration is nothing but a transforming Light, or such an Illu- mination as changes the Heart. 2 Cor. 3. r 8. We all with open Face beholding, as in a Glaf, the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of our God. EpheC 4. 23, Be renewed in the Spirit of your Minds. ft maketh our Notions of God and Chrift to be a &ive and effe&ual. The Force of the new Nature is firft upon the Mind; it taketh Sin out of the Throne. God, in the order of Grace, followeth the Order which he bath eftablifhed in Nature. Reason and Judgment is to go before the Will. 2. The Increafe of it is by Knowledg. a Pet. 3. 18. But grow in Grace, and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour fefus ChrJ. The more thou gr./Swell in Knowledg, the more thou groweft in Life. An the gradual Progrefs and Increafe of the Spiritual Life, is by the increafe of Light ; 2 Pet. I. 2. Grace be multiplied unto you, by the know- ledg of God, and Jefas Chrift our Lord. Heat doth increafe by Light, as a Room is warmer at high Noon, than in a chill Morning. I confers, through corruption and literal airy Knowledg, Men grow more carnal and careless, as new Light quencheth old Heat ; but by the Light of the Spirit the Heart is more quickned and enlivened ; and as the Judgment is made folid, fo the Heart is more gracious. 3. The Perfe&ion of it is by Knowledg. Pfal. 17.15. When 1 awake, I shall be fa- tùfied with thy Likenefr The Heaven of Heavens, is to fatisfy the Underflanding with the knowledg of God. One great end of our going to Heaven, is to better our No- tions and Apprehenfións. While the Soul is Prifoner in the Body, we have but low and dark Thoughts ; but there, we are illuminated on a fudden. One glympfe of God in Glory, will inform us more than the Rudy of a thoufand Years. Vfe t . Is to {hew us the fad eflate, i. Of Men without knowledge. Prov. 19.2. 11fo that the Soul be without Know - ledg, it is not -good. Fruit that hath but little Sun, can never be ripe. Men will fay, we are ignorant, but we hope we have a good Heart. You can as well be without the Sun in the World, as without Knowledg and Light in the Heart. In all the Com- munications of Grace, God beginneth with the Under(tanding ï as ftrength to bear Affiaions : Jer. 31. i ..lfter I was inflruCled, I fmote on my Thigh, and was *anted, yea, even confounded, becaufe I did bear the reproach of my Tooth. James a. 5. If any of you lack Wifdom, let him ask it of God. It is the Perfe &ion of the prefent Life, and the Foundation of the next. It is the Perfe &ion of the prefent Life, the excellency of a Man above the Beath. The more Knowledg, the more a Man; and the more Igno- rant, the more Brutish. Pfal. 49.20. Man that is in Honour, and underflandeth not, is like the Beafls that perish. Job 35. r i. Who teacheth us more than the Beafls of the Earth, and maketh es wrfer than the Fowls of Heaven. If a Man would glory in any thing, it should be in the Knowledg of God; Jer. 9. 24. Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he underflandetb and !¿noweth me. 2. Of thofe that have only a wafhy weak Knowledg, not a living Light and Know - ledg, that is rooted in their own Hearts; they talk like Parrots : like the Moon, they are dark themselves, though from others they fhine to others : like Vintners, that keep Wine, not for ufe, but for fale : The Cellar may be better bored, but it is for others. 2 Pet. I. 8. For if theft thing; be in you, and abound, they make you that you (hall be nei- ther barren, nor unfruitful in the /;nowledg, of our Lord ye fits Chrifi.. It is a disparagement to know Chrift, and never be the better for him. Thefe are like the Noble -man of Samaria, dig fawthe plenty of Samaria, but could not tafle of it. Surely there are not greater Athei{ls in the World thanCarnal Scholars, that have a great deal of Light, but no Grace : It is fad to hear of fuch a Chrift, and feel nothing. John 17. 17. San- Iffy them through thy Truth, thy Word is Truth. They who are able to underhand the Word, but to no purpofe, mull needs doubt of the Truth of it. Z1 fe 2.To preis Chriftians to grow in Knowledg,that they may enter upon Eternal Life , by degrees. Ho f6.3. Follow on to know the Lord. There is a growth in Knowledg, as well as Graces í is not fo fenfible in the very increafe and progrefs, as that of Grace is ; becaufe growth in Grace is always cum lucïx, withfome (trite ; but the Work upon the Underhanding is more (fill and filent. Draw away the Curtain, and the Light cometh in, and our Ignorance vanifheth filently, and without fuch (lrife as goeth to the taming of Lulls and vile Affe &ions; yet afterwards it is fenfible that we have grown : Te were Darknefs, but now are ye Light in the Lord, Ephef 5. 8. as a Plant in- creafeth in length and Dature, though we do not fee the Progrefs. We read of Jeff's Chrift,
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