brain, it cannot be received; and therefore those perfons must be importune and troublesome to faften their notions upon unwilling receivers. Take it for granted, no wife man is fond of any notion, nor given up to any persuasion, so as not willingly to hear of any thing to the contrary. And really, it doth not become any of us to be fond of any notion that we have received, or to be under the powTM er of any perfuafion, fo as not to be willing to fubmit it to examination, and to offer it to fevere and impartial fearch; for we are all finite and fallible, and we ought to think we are short and may be mistaken; and if I receive that for truth, which is not so, I am deceived, and brought into a fool's paradise, and can lay no stress upon it; or if I do, it will fail me. But all truth is connatural, and of some use and advantage to the foul of man; but if it be a lie, and false, which I took for truth though I may be faved by the substantial truths that otherwife I received; yet fo far forth as I am miftaken fo far forth fhall I be fruftrated, and never the better. Juft as in the cafe of which the apoftle speaks, 1 Cor. iii. 12. They that build upon the foundation, wood, hay, stubble, &c. may be faved, because upon the foun dation; but their works fhall fufferlofs. But why should I not have my understanding be a receptacle for truth? Why should I have any thing that is false there, when I shall never be the better for it? The most I can expect is, that God will excufe me, because I am honeft-minded. But it becomes me, if I will do hanour to God, and right to my own foul, impartially to examine whatfoever I receive as true in matters of

religion;

religion; and to commit it to serious and impartial judgment: And I leave it with you, That no wife man, nor truly good man is fond of any opinion, or addicts himself to any persuasion, but hath this in the resolution of his mind, that if any opinion be made known to him to be a mistake, he will leave it; and this is inherent to all those that are of fober, modeft, meek, and gentle fpirits. But those that are haughty and arrogant think too fondly of themfelves, and believe that every body ought to receive their dictates from them: they are indeed too full of themselves, ever to be wife; they think they have attained, and fo are beyond the apostle, who when he had profefs'd his faith of the refurrecti on, faith, not that I have already attained, not that I am already perfect, not that I have already apprehended.

I know there is a great allowance to be given to men's fuppofitions that which a man hath long thought, and imagined, and hath been brought up in, and often put in his prayers, and often proposed to others; it is a hard matter for him to call this into queftion. But if we confider that we may be miftaken, being finite and fallible; it becomes us, at the leaft, to be enquirers after truth, and to have an ear open after information, and to be refolved to follow truth whenever it may appear. But on the other hand, there is no fuch troublesome converse in the world, as the company of one that bolsters himself up with the opinion of his religion; but indeed knows not himself. To conclude, the right believer, is most modeft and humble; lefs rigid, and cenforious; lefs captious and given to take exception

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exception; and fo his converse and fociety is lefs offenfive and burdenfome. So far is true religion from doing any harm, or making any disturbance in the common-wealth of mankind; for it is indeed the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which in the light of God is of great price. Pet. iii. 4. And this for the application, where our apostle professeth in a high degree his faith of the refurrection, and his refolution to fubdue and fubordinate all things thereunto; for he faith, If by any means I may attain the refurrection of the dead, there he doth immediately fubjoin the expreffions of his humility; the deepest fenfe he hath of his own fhortnefs and fallibility; Not as if I had already attained, or were already perfect not that I think I have already apprehended. How carefully doth he avoid all commendation of himfelf; how doth he decline pride and arrogancy, how far is he from felf-conceitednefs and proud reflection upon himself, from all haughtiness and self-affuming? Where is the most of God there is leaft of felf. This is the firft. Where he doth profefs his faith, there he teftifies his bu mility. Now to the cafe itself, not that. I have already attained, or ikat I am already perfect, or that I have apprehended. In the fpiritual state there is more or lefs of ftrength, but not more or lefs of truth; for the truth of things confifts in an indivifible point; either a man hath true grace, or he hath no grace at all; either he hath real goodness, or no goodness at all; either truly in the ftate of grace or not at all in it; either he hath a true intention, or he doth not mean at all in religi

on:

on: The profane do not come near to religion, they do not pretend to it, but difclaim it, and in practice renounce it; and the hypocrite he doth but pretend to it; for religion is only with the honeftbearted, with him that fincerely means and intends. Therefore the gracious and merciful God whom we adore and worship, in whom we have our confidence, his goodness is fo great, that he will indulge to us human infirmities, and bear with us in our miftakes; but he is fevere and impartial concerning our honeft meaning and true intention: He that doth not truly mean and intend, is nothing at all in religion. So that though in the way of goodness, there may be more or less strength, yet not more or less of truth: there is perfection of parts, not of degree; there is truth of intention, tho' not fulness of performance, there is intention of all duty; there is a voidance of all known evil, and care of coming to the knowledge of the truth. Thefe things are necef fary; for God doth give an abatement for ignorance in fome things, where we have not had opportunity to know; for furprifals now and then; for fhortnefs and frailty; for cafes of temptations, and fudden affaults, or indifpofitions of mind: but if here be a failure in thefe, it is expected, that at fome distance of time there fhould be a recovery; and thofe failings are matter of great grief and offence, and a provocation to after-care and diligence; and therefore these confift with the ftate of grace and regeneration; and God gives an allowance and pardons us in these cases; if in some particulars we are ignorant, when we are defir

ous

ous to know, but have not had opportunity to en quire; or where there have been fudden furprizals, violent affaults; for being out of frame and temper, at times: But in these cases 'tis expected, that at fome diftance, we recover ourfelves, blush before God, and be ashamed for our former distemper, and that it be matter of grief and displeasure to us, and afterwards it prove an argument to us of greater care and watchfulness. Thefe things are confiftent with the regenerate state. But it is unnatural to this ftate, for any one to commit a known fin deliberately, or willingly to omit known duty for we must be honeft-hearted, and fincerely intend to please God, and do that which is acceptable in his fight and this is that which St. Jahn fpeaks of, He that is born of God doth not commit fin; for the feed of God abideth in him. I John. iii. 9. It is indifpenfably neceffary that we be fincere, and honeftly mean, and truly intend: but in this ftate we are fhort, and in fome particulars fail; in fome things we are ignorant, incogitant, and fometimes are furprised; and for these things the apoftle faith, Not that I have already attained, not that I am already perfect; and I account not my self to have apprehended. But in refpect of fincerity, honeft-heartedness, and good intention, there is no allowance, not the leaft difpenfation for a failure in those particulars. And thus I have given you an account of the first thing, where the apoftle expreffeth his faith of the refurrection, there he teftifieth his humility.