3. These things premised, I come to answer the case in some PROPOSITIONS; of which the first shall be this :

PROPOSITION I. That, supposing it were certainly defined, how much knowledge, and the knowledge of what truths, were sufficient to salvation; yet no man, that is in a capacity of getting more knowledge, ought to acquiesce in just so much. -" Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required." (Luke xii. 48.) For the more full understanding of this proposition, take these following rules :

RULE 1. By how much the better means men have for the getting of knowledge, so much the more they ought to know.-There is more knowledge required in them that have more means, than in them that have less. Every servant's improvement is to be according to his talent; and the gain of one is not sufficient for him that hath received five, nor the gain of five for him that hath received ten. According to the means [which] men have, so their duty is to be judged of, and their accounts will be expected. I suppose it can scarce be doubted but that,

(1.) They that live under the gospel since Christ's coming in the flesh, ought to abound more in spiritual knowledge than they that lived before his coming. And that for this very reason, because the means of knowledge have been greater since his coming than before it, not only as to the extensiveness of them in the publication of the truth in those places where it was not heard before, but as to the efficacy of the means themselves, and the more clear revelation of the will of God in some things, which were formerly, but less clearly, revealed. The pouring out of the Spirit was not only for the further spreading of the truth, but for the more plain and full manifestation of it. The great mysteries of religion, which under the Old-Testament dispensation were more obscure, (as being wrapped up in types and figures, which were, though a shadowing of them out, yet a kind of covering to them,) are now under the gospel more clearly set forth without those veils, in their native lustre and · brightness. What was then future, is now come to pass. What then was prophecy, is now become history: so that there being, as to the means, more advantages for our knowledge than there was for theirs who lived in those ages, we are engaged to labour after more. excepting prophecies and immediate revelations, I see no reason why vulgar saints may not now know more than patriarchs did then; and if they may, I dare say they should.

And,

(2.) They that live in the Reformed world, in this age of light, should abound more in knowledge, than they that lived before the Reformation in the darkness of popery.—A little knowledge might have gone further then than a great deal more now. The means of knowledge are now much greater, than three or four hundred years ago they were. There is not only more human learning abroad in the world, than then there was; but the original languages in which the Scriptures were written, are better known. The word is more soundly and powerfully preached, controversies in religion are more thoroughly discussed, more good books are written, more cases stated, more errors detected, and, in a word, many truths (which though always to be found in scripture, yet were almost lost in the world in the ignorance of those ages) are anew discovered.

(3.) They who live under better means of instruction now, should ordi

narily be more knowing than such as have not the like means.-They that have the word preached to them more plainly, powerfully, frequently, should know more than they who sit under an idle, ignorant ministry; they that may hear a sermon every day, if they will, than they that can scarce hear one sermon in many months. And so should they likewise, who live in religious families, where God is daily worshipped, children and servants daily instructed, know more than they who live under profane or ignorant masters or parents.

RULE II. They that have more time for the gaining of knowledge, are concerned to know more than they that have less time.-Not only by how much the longer men enjoy such means, the more they should know; (and more than such as have lived a less season under them: upon which account the apostle blames the Hebrews, because, "when for the time they ought to be teachers, they had need that one should again teach them which were the first principles of the oracles of God;" Heb. v. 12; and, in 2 Tim. iii. 7, he speaks of some that were ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth;") but likewise, by how much more leisure men have for studying the scriptures, and attending on the means of grace, while they do enjoy them, so much the more proportionably they should know. They that have plentiful estates, easy employments, few avocations, may and therefore ought to seek after a greater measure of knowledge than they who, by reason of more burdensome callings, a lower condition in the world, and the necessity of providing for themselves and their families, are not in a capacity of spending so much time in attending on those means whereby a greater proportion of knowledge might be gained. They that have their time lying on their hands, and know not how to fill it up, but with inquiring after news and fashions, studying pleasures and diversions, how much knowledge might they arrive unto, if they spent but half that time in studying the truth, and inquiring after the things of God!

RULE III. By how much the better capacities men have for the receiving of knowledge, so much the more, cæteris paribus, they are to know. They that have riper parts, quicker apprehensions, stronger memories, a deeper reach, should know more than they that are naturally more weak, and less capable of learning. Although I suppose there be none that have the use of their reason, but they are capable of understanding so much of the things of God as is absolutely needful to salvation, and may be sufficient for the salvation of them, in their circumstances; yet there is a vast difference between the abilities of several persons: and therefore men are not to take their measures for their inquiries after spiritual things merely by the necessariness of the things themselves, but likewise by the abilities [which] God hath given them. So that, upon the whole, the better means and advantages in any kind men have for the gaining of knowledge, so much the more knowledge is required to be in them.

RULE IV. By how much the more use men have for their knowledge, and by how much the more good they may do with it, so much the more knowledge will be expected of them. That knowledge which might do well in a private Christian, yet is not ordinarily sufficient for a minister. That which would be much in the one, might be but little in the other. And that which might do well in a child, would not be sufficient in a parent

or master of a family.

They that are to instruct others in the knowledge

of God, ought themselves to be more abounding in it.

PROP. II. Men should in their seeking knowledge first study those truths which are most confessedly necessary to salvation, and before those which are apparently less necessary.—And so principles before controversies, things essential before such as are only circumstantial. And, indeed, by how much the nearer any truth is to the foundation, so much the more they should labour after the knowledge of it: as, for instance, men should acquaint themselves,

1. With the being and attributes of God:-As the foundation of all service yielded to him, and expectations of rewards from him. (Psalm xiv. 4.) He that knows not God to be holy, how can he know that God requires holiness? (Heb. xi. 6.) And then how can he himself be holy? How can a man trust God, if he know him not to be wise, powerful, faithful? or love him, if he know him not to be good? or fear him, if he know him not to be just? And it will easily follow, that he who knows not God, as he can never worship him while he lives, so he can never expect that he should save him when he dies.

2. With the doctrine of the Trinity.-Three persons in the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Spirit; each person having his proper part in the salvation of sinners: the Father as the original and fountain of it, (John vi. 57,) the Son as the manager, (John xiv. 16,) and the Holy Ghost as the applier. (John xv. 26.)

3. With their own natural state and condition. Their being by nature in a state of sin and misery; as having sinned against this holy, righteous, powerful God, and thereby exposed themselves to his wrath and curse. (Eph. ii. 1—3.) They that would be delivered from the curse, must know themselves to be obnoxious to it. They that would not perish, must know themselves to be in danger of it. Men are not

likely to enjoy God's favour, unless they know that they have lost it. (John xvi. 8.)

4. With the doctrine of a Redeemer.—And that both,

(1.) As to the person; who he is.-That the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, is the Redeemer of sinners, (Matt. xx. 28,) and the only one; (Acts iv. 12;) that God hath not left all mankind to perish in their sin and misery, but hath, out of his abundant mercy and free grace, found out a ransom for them, a Saviour to deliver them; and that the Lord Jesus Christ is he, and none beside him so that it is in vain to seek for salvation in any else, seeing he alone hath the words of eternal life. (John vi. 68.) He that knows nothing of a Saviour, knows nothing savingly; nor can any man partake of redemption without some knowledge of the Redeemer. They can never come to God that know not by whom to come.

:

(2.) And as to the way of his working that redemption.

(i.) That he did, in order to the salvation of sinners, take the nature of man upon him; (John i. 14; iii. 13;) was both God and man in one person, and still continues so to be. He had those natures united in himself, which he was to reconcile to each other.

(ii.) That not only he was able as being God, fit as being man, to satisfy divine justice for the injury sin had done it; (Rom. iii. 24-26;) but

that by his obedience and death he did it to the full. (Rom. v. 10.) He that knows God to be infinitely just, and himself to be a sinner, had need know something of a sacrifice for sin, or he can never have any well-grounded hopes of escaping the hands of such a God. (1 Tim. ii. 6.)

(iii.) That Christ, being raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven, sits at the Father's right hand, and, by his intercession there, is now making application of the redemption [which] he wrought on earth. (Rom. viii. 34; Mark xvi. 19.) "He ever liveth to make intercession." (Heb. vii. 25.) Men would be in an ill condition, if redemption were wrought, and there were none to apply it; if Christ had died for them, and left them to intercede for themselves.

5. Men should acquaint themselves with the doctrine of justification by Christ. That sinners must be justified by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus imputed to them, if ever they be justified at all. He is "the Lord their righteousness." (Jer. xxiii. 6.) They are "accepted in the Beloved;" (Eph. i. 6;) "found in Christ, not having their own righteousness, &c., but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Phil. iii. 9.) All their own righteousness inherent in them, and wrought by them, even after regeneration, and by the help of the Spirit of grace, being finite, imperfect, short of the law, and due to it.

6. With the way of their being made partakers of this righteousness.— That it should be received by faith alone, as the means God hath appointed for their being interested in it. "God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood;" (Rom. iii. 25 ;) and therefore they that are justified, must be "justified by faith." (Rom. v. 1.) All the holiness any saint could ever arrive unto in this life, would never entitle him to Christ's righteousness, if faith were wanting.

7. With the nature, properties, and fruit of that faith. That it must be an effectual, lively faith; (James ii. 17;) not only an assent of their minds to the truth of the scripture, but the consent of their hearts to the terms of the covenant; a receiving whole Christ, with an eye to all the good things he offers there, and for all those holy ends and purposes for which he is propounded to them. (John i. 12.) In a word: they are to look upon faith as the principle of their obedience and walking with God, according to that rule of righteousness [which] God hath given them.

8. With the doctrine of sanctification.-That God is wont to fit and frame men's hearts at first to the duties of obedience [which] he requires of them, by the work of the Spirit upon their hearts, changing them, regenerating them, and causing "old things" to pass away, and "all things" in them to "become new;" (2 Cor. v. 17;) and further to increase that fitness for and readiness to spiritual things, by his guiding, assisting, and quickening them in those holy ways into which he hath brought them, and by those ordinary means (the word and ordinances) which he hath appointed for the working and improving of their graces.

9. With the reward God promiseth to their faith and obedience.-In the blessedness of their souls at the end of this life, and of their whole man after the resurrection, in their being for "ever with the Lord;" (1 Thess. iv. 17;) when the unbelief and disobedience of others will be

punished with everlasting torments inflicted by him. In a word: whoever "cometh to God must believe," not only "that he is," but "that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him." (Heb. xi. 6.) Men ought in the beginning of religion to look to the end of it; have some sight of the goal, when they enter upon their race; know their wages, when they set about their work. The doctrine of rewards furnisheth men with the greatest incentives to holiness. Ignorance or unbelief of future recompence must needs make men negligent of present service. Take away the knowledge of heaven and hell, and ye take away all care and thoughts of religion.

These things I lay not down as an enumeration of fundamentals, or complete scheme of religion; it is sufficient for my purpose that they are some of the most necessary and substantial truths, wherein the generality of Christians are concerned; which they are therefore, especially and in the first place, to acquaint themselves with, and before those things which are less necessary to salvation, as being further from the foundation. And, indeed, this is the very method of nature: men usually seek those things first which are most necessary, and other things afterward; they first lay their foundation, and then set up their superstructures. Principles must be known before conclusions can be drawn from them. Those doctrines of religion must be first known from whence others are to be deduced, and without the knowledge of which others can be but confusedly and darkly known. This seems to have been the apostle's method, Heb. vi. 1; where he speaks of some truths, (which they are in particular, I stand not to dispute,) which were "principles," and first learned; others, as conducing to the "perfection" of the saints, unto the knowledge of which he would therefore have them go on. "He that knows not those things which must be known, knows nothing yet to any purpose."*

PROP. III. Men should labour after such a knowledge of the truth, as that they may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them." (1 Peter iii. 15.)-To show on what ground they stand, what is the foundation of their faith and hope; that the religion they profess is indeed the true religion; and that the doctrines they own are really founded upon the scripture of truth; (Dan. viii. 16; xii. 4;)† and, in a word, they should be able to give a reason why they believe rather thus than otherwise, and hold such doctrines rather than the contrary. They should labour after such a grounded knowledge of the truths of the gospel, as that they may be able to say of them, as well as of the duties of it, that they are "fully persuaded in their own minds," (Rom. xiv. 5,) and do not take-up things upon trust, or believe the truth upon the credit of others. It is a shame for professors to be merely believers upon tradition, to see with other men's eyes, or be like the heathen idols, that "have eyes and see not." They are men, and have reasonable powers; and ought to make use of them even in the things of God, so far as they are revealed and subjected to their judgment. The spiritual man "judgeth all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Cor. ii. 10, 15.) Though they are to submit their understandings to God, yet they are not • Ο μη ειδως άπερ ειδέναι χρη, ουδεν οιδε. CHRYSOSTOMUS. here is Dan. xvi. 2; which is manifestly erroneous.-EDIT.

+ The reference