Ver. 7. the ][.th Chapter bf St. JO H N. 37 tan never be good that is ignorant of the Truth, and poifoncd With Error : tthere may be Sùperttition, which is but a Ballard Religion; there may be a góod Life; btu there cannot be a good Heart, no true Comfort, and true Grace. ,ifnüna, qua k Deo forni- cata efi, cafta e non poteft. He that belïeveth ill, can never live well. Grace and Truth are Twins, that live and die together. Moral Vertue is very defective in it Pelf. Sapientia eorum plerumque abfcondit vitia, non abfiindit, All their Craft was to hide a Lu(t, not to root it out. 3. That they have not a found apprehenfion of Truth, that have no Grace. There may be a naked and unaaive Apprehention, that is not accompanied with Power ; they learn Truth by rote, and ref( in a vain Speculation, but have no frength to per- form their Duty. 2 Tim. 3. g. compared with Ram. 2.20. What in one place is called a Form of Godlinefs, is in the other called a Form of Knowledg. Poor flight and fu- perficialApprehenfions of the Truth; they take up Truth, not upon any Divine Tetti- mony, or Evidence of the Spirit, but upon the Credit and Authority of Men, the Pra &ice and Profeffion of the Nation, or the Injunctions of a Civil State. This is the account of moti Mens Truth and Faith. Alas, Truth thus received, entreth not upon the Heart. Men gain but a difciplinary Knowledg; a literal Knowledg and a fpiritual Knowledg differ. Ephef. 4.21. If fo be that ye have heard of him, and have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Jefus. When a Man receiveth it out of the Hands of the Spirit of Chrift, it frameth and difpofeth the Heart to Godlinefs. So, Col. E. 6. Since ye heard of it, and (new the Grace of God in truth. The tatting of a Thing, excelleth the reading of it; the true, inward, powerful affeaionate Knowledg affeaeth the Heart, and altereth and changeth it. A Man knoweth no more of Chrift, than he va- lueth, efteemeth and affeaeth, and which puts the whole inward' Man into an holy fpiritual Frame. Good Principles, if heartily embraced; will breed a good Converfa- tion. The Point needeth to be heeded in tefe Times,, when Knowledg is increafed, but pratice and firilnefs, fuffereth an abate ent and decay ; Boni efe definunt, poi - quam dofli evaferint. What Strength and Power of Religion poffefies the Heart ? When you know the Truth, dolh it carry you to God and Godlinefs ? 4. They that are above Scriptures, have no true Holinefs. God fanaifleth by the Truth. It is ((range, how Charity over reacheth to faint Antifcripturs, and Men above Ordinances ; whereas it is the true Ground and Reafon of Sanaification. As Bernard faith of fome, That whit they plead for the Salvation of Heathens, faree ¡hew themfelves Chriians : So I am afraid our exceffive Charity to Men, argueth little Affe- aion to God. God accepteth no Holinefs, but Word- Holinefs, and worketh Holi- nefs no other way. I doubt, they that defpife Prophefying, quench the Spirit When Men neglea and contemn the Word of, God, they damm up the Fountain of Ho- linefs. g. What is the true Witnefs of the Scripture's Certainty ? not the Teftimony of the Church, but feeling the fanhitying virtue of it. It is good to take the Tefimony of the Church at firft, as we take a Medicine from others upon their Experience, but we mutt not refi in it. r Theff t. g. For our .Gofpel came not unto you in Word only', bet alfo in Power, and in the Holy Ghofi, and in mach AJfrsrance a this .giveth Certainty. At fieft we believe upon the Church's Saying, as the VVoman commended Chrift to het Citizens ; John to. 42. Now we believes not becaufe of thy Saying, for we have heard him our fives, and (now that this is indeed the Chrift, the Saviour of the World. There is a preparative humane Faith a as in taking Pills, we do not chew them, but fwallow them. It is notgood to be difputing away our Hopes. But we fhould not reft in this, but la- bour to get an Experience of the Power of the Truth upon our Hearts. 6. The difference between Civility and Sanaification. Civility is wrought by weer moral Education, according to natural Principles, without any Knowledg, or fo much as a delire to be acquainted with the Word of God. Thus many are careful of com- mon Honefty in Matters of Trafñck and Commerce; obedience to Civil Laws, being retrained from grofs Enormities, but have no true Grace a but in true Holinefs we are inclined by the Word. r Pet.2.2. As new-born Babes defre the fincere Mil( of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. This is true Holinefs, when we conform and fübjea our felves in Heart and Practice to the Will of God, revealed in the Word. The Word of God mull be Reafon, and Rule : Reafön, t Theff. q. 18. This is the Will of God concerning you : and Rule, Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule,, !cave be on them; Why do you do this ? as the Children mutt ask their Patents; Why do ye keep the Paffe- Over
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