little illumination in some greater matters, which in gross ignorance they did not understand; they presently think that all things should be now plain to them. It is the ruin, or dangerous perverting, at least, of many young zealous professors, that formerly lived in great ignorance and ungodliness; that when God hath showed them their error, and brought them to see the excellency of a holy life; the new light seems so glorious to them that they think they know all things, and need but little more and now they are illuminated by the Spirit of God, they think that they should understand all truths at the first hearing, and see through all difficulties at the first consideration; little knowing how much lamentable ignorance doth yet remain in them; and how much more glorious a light is yet before them; and how little they know yet, in comparison of that which they do not know. So that it is the nature of the ignorant, especially half-witted men, that have some little knowledge which may puff them up, to think they have that which indeed they have not; and so to have this arrogancy of understanding, and speak against the darkness of truth, when they should lament the darkness of their own understandings; and to think the candle is put out, or the sun is darkened, because this web is grown over their eyes.

12. Moreover, infidelity is a natural, deep-rooted, obstinate sin; and, therefore, no wonder if it be hardly overcome, and will be striving in us to the last. The first sin of man, in believing the serpent before God, hath left a vicious habit in our nature. Man is now so estranged from God, that he is the less acquainted with his voice, and the more distrustful of him. We are so much in the dark, that we are the more diffident. When a man knows not where he is, or who is near him, he is still fearful; when he knows not what ground he stands on, whether firm, or quick-sands, he is naturally apt to distrust it an unknown God will not be well believed. Were it easy to cure infidelity, all other sins would be of much more easy cure. He is a conqueror indeed, that thoroughly conquers his unbelief: but the most are captivated by it to their perdition.

13. And it somewhat addeth to this disease, that man is conscious of deceitfulness in himself, and from thence is apt to suspect all others. Because he finds himself both fallible and fallacious, he is ready to think that God himself is so too: for corrupt man is prone to question whether there be any higher virtue than he hath experience of in himself.

14. Also, it is a great occasion of this sin of infidelity and

arrogancy, and questioning all that men do not understand, that they know not the true nature of the christian state and life, and build not in the order that Christ hath prescribed them. Christ's method is this: that they should first understand and believe those essentials of Christianity, without which there is no salvation, and then engage themselves to learn of him as his disciples; and so to set themselves to school to him, and live under his teaching, that they may know, by degrees, the rest of his will: and his teaching is jointly by his word, ministers, and Spirit, Men must first lay the foundation in an explicit faith, and hold to those fundamentals as of infallible certainty, and not expect to know the rest in a moment, nor without much diligence and patience, but wait on Christ in the condition of disciples, to learn all the rest. All this is expressed in Christ's commission to his apostles, (Matt. xxviii. 19-21,) where he first bids them disciple the nations; which contains the convincing them, at age, of the fundamentals, and procuring their consent; and then to baptise them, that they may be solemnly engaged; and then teach them to observe all things whatsoever he commandeth them; and this must be the work of all their lives.

Now, here are two gross errors, contrary to this established order of Christ, which professors do often run into, to their own perdition. The one is, when they do not first lay the fundamentals as certainties, but hold them loosely, and are ready, on all occasion, to reduce them to doubtful and uncertain points ; or to question them, though their evidence be never so full, because of some defect of evidence in other points.

A most foolish and perverse course, which will hinder any man that useth it, from the true understanding of any science in the world; for in all sciences there are some undoubted principles, which must be first laid, and it must not be expected that all points else should be of equal necessity or evidence as they: but if we should meet with never so much doubtfulness in any of the superstructure, yet these principles must still be held ast; for he that will be still plucking up his foundation, upon every error in the building, is never like to perfect his work.

The second common error is, that as professors do not lay the foundation as certain, so they do not unfeignedly set themselves in the true posture of disciples or scholars, to learn the rest, but think themselves past scholars when they have gone to school, and engaged themselves to Christ, their teacher. This is the undoing of the greatest part of the visible church.

If they come to the congregation, it is not as scholars to

school, but as judges to pass sentence of the doctrine of their teachers, before they understand it; and if they read the Scripture, it is in the same sort. When they are at a loss, through any occurrent difficulty, they do not go to their teachers, as humble scholars, to learn the true sense of the word and the solution of their doubts, but they go as confident censurers, and as boys that will go to school to dispute with their masters, and not to learn; and, therefore, no wonder if they turn self-conceited heretics or infidels; for Christ hath resolved that the most learned and worldly-wise, if they will come to school to him as his disciples, must come as little children, conscious of their ignorance, and humble enough to submit to his instructions, and not proudly conceited that they are wise enough already; and they must wait upon his teaching, year after year, and not think that they are capable of a present understanding of each revealed truth.

15. Lastly, besides all the former causes of this sin, some men are judicially deserted, and left to the power of their arrogancy and infidelity. When God hath showed men the light of fundamental verities, and, instead of hearty entertaining and obeying them, they will imprison them in unrighteousness, and receive not the truth in the love of it, that they may be saved, God often gives them over to believe a lie, and to reject that truth which would have saved them, if they had received it.

I have noted many professors that have lived in pride, fleshpleasing, or secret filthiness, or unrighteousness, or worldliness, and would not see, nor forsake, their sin, but hold on in their professions and their lusts together, that these are most commonly given over to gross heresies or infidelity; for when they are once captivated to their fleshly lust and interest, and yet read and know the damnableness of such a state, they have no way left to quiet their conscience but either to believe that Scripture is false (and then they need not fear its threatenings) or else to leave their sins with confession and contrition, which their carnal hearts and interest will not permit.

Use. From what hath been said already in the opening of this point, we may see what a corrupt and froward heart is in man, as to the matters of God and his own salvation; three notable corruptions are together comprehended in the distemper, which we have here described and expressed in the common, incredulous questioning, "How can these things be?"

First, you may hear in this question, the voice of ignorance:

men have lost the true knowledge of God, and of his works, especially in spirituals. "The natural man discerneth them not, for they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. ii. 14.) We are as blind men groping in the dark, at a loss upon every difficulty that occurs; evidence of truth is no evidence to us, because our understandings are unprepared to receive it, and be shut against it. When we should love the truth, we cannot find it; when we should glorify the God of truth, we know him not, but in our hearts say as Pilate, "What is truth?" and as Pharoah, "Who is the Lord?" We are grown strangers to the way that we should go home in; and strangers to the voice that should tell us the way, and to the hand that should guide us in it; and strangers to the everlasting home that we should go to; so that instead of a cheerful following of our guide, we are crying out at every turn, "How can these things be?"

2. And here is comprehended, and manifested also, the perverseness of man's understanding, that will needs begin at the wrong end of his book, and will read backwards; and when he should be first inquiring, Whether these things be so, or not?' he will needs be first resolved, 'How they can be so.' And he will not believe that they can be so, till he knows how they can be so; whereas common reason would teach us, in other things, to know first whether it be so or not, before we come to the 'How can it be so?' we may easily be certain of the being of a thousand things, when we cannot be certain how they be.

3. And, lastly, here is manifested, also, the irreverent arrogancy of man, that will presume to call his Maker to account, and to know of him the reasons of his works, and how they can be, before he will believe them; and so he will needs question the very power of God; for to say, 'How can it be?' is as much as to say, 'How can God do it?' as if we were fit judges of his ways, and able to comprehend his infinite power, and the several paths of his unsearchable counsels. "He is great in counsel, and mighty in work." (Jer. xxxii. 19.) "He made the heaven and the earth by his great power, and nothing is too hard for him." (Ver. 17.) The prophet Isaiah's answer should suffice to all such incredulous questions: "This cometh from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working." (Isai. xxviii. 29.)

Hence also we see what unteachable scholars Christ hath in his school, and, consequently, how patient and gracious a mas

ter he is. When we should be submissively inquiring, we are incredulously disputing; and we will needs be wiser than our master, and question whether he teach us right or wrong. It is a wonder of mercy, that he should pardon so great dulness and unprofitableness in us; and shall we after this be so insensible of that sin of ours, and of that grace of his, as to fall a questioning of him, and his truth, and lay the blame on him from ourselves?

Object. But we must not believe all things; and, therefore, we must inquire, and try the spirits, whether they be of God, or not, even the Spirit of Christ himself.

Answ. The Spirit of Christ fears not a just trial: had not Christ brought sufficient evidence of his truth, he would not have condemned the unbelieving world for not receiving it. I have showed already how fully he hath sealed his testament, and with what attestations he hath delivered his doctrine to the world. But why do you not acquiesce in these confirmed verities? When once Christ hath given sufficient proof of his doctrine, must it be questioned again, because it is wonderful; and because that the manner of it is beyond your reach? Inquire, first, whether it be a revelation from God, or not: and if it had no divine attestation, or evidence that it is of God, then you might reject it without sin or danger, when you find it to contain things so far beyond your reach; but when God hath put his seal upon it, and proved it to be his own; if after this you will be questioning it, because of the seeming contradictions or improbabilities, you do but question the wisdom and power of the Lord; as if he had no more wisdom than you can reach and fathom; yea, than you can censure and reprove; or, as if he could do no more than you can see the way and reason of, and are fit to take an account of.

I do, therefore, exhort all that fear the great name of God, and love their own souls, that they take special heed against this dangerous sin; think not the proved, sealed word of God is ever the more to be suspected, because that the matters in it do seem strange, and unlikely to their reason. And think not that you should comprehend the mysterious counsels and ways of God. Let your understandings meditate on Scripture difficulties, that you may learn to resolve them; but suffer not the apprehension of those difficulties to make you once question the truth of God; but abhor such a thought as soon as it ariseth, and cast it with detestation out of your hearts.