cording as the word of God shall discover them to be.

SECT. 2. Reasons why so few come to the clear knowledge of their Interest in CHRIST.

The fourth thing to be premised is, although the matter of a man's interest in Christ be of so great importance, and the way to attain to the knowledge of it so plainly held forth in the scriptures, vet there be but few who reach the distinct knowledge of it. And that this may not discourage any person from attempting it, I shall hint some few reasons why so few come to the clear knowledge of it; which will also prepare the way for what is to be spoken afterwards.

The first thing which doth hinder many from the knowledge of their interest in Christ, is their ignorance of some special principles of religion; as (1.) That it was free love in God's bosom, and nothing in man, that moyed him to send a Saviour to perfect the work of redemption, John iii. 16. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." Men are still seeking some ground for that business in themselves, which leads away from suitable and high apprehensions of the first spring and rise of God's covenant favour to his people, which hath no reason, cause, or motive in us; and so they cannot come to the knowledge of their interest."

(2.) They are ignorant how that love doth effectually discover itself to a man's heart, so as he hath ground to lay claim to it, viz. That ordinarily it doth, 1st, discover his broken state in him

self, because of sin and corruption defiling the whole man, and any thing in him that might be called a righteousness; "All these things are loss and dung," Philip. iii. 6, 7, 8. 2dly, It discovereth Christ as the full and satisfying treasure above all things; "The man finds a treasure, for which with joy he selleth all," &c. Matth. xiii. 44. 46. 3dly, It determineth the heart, and causeth it to approach unto a living God in the ordinances; Psal. lxv. 4. "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts," and causeth the heart to wait upon him, and him alone; Psal. lxii. 5. "My soul, wait thou only upon God." Thus having dropped in the seed of God in the heart, and formed Christ there, Gal. iv. 19. the heart is changed and made new in the foresaid work. Ezek. xxxvi. 26.; and God's law is so stamped upon the heart in that change, Jer. xxxi. 33. that the whole yoke of Christ is commended to the man without exception; Rom. vii. 12. 16. The law is acknowledged good, holy, just, and spiritual. Upon all which, from that new principle of life, there flow out acts of a new life, Gal. v. 6. "faith. worketh by love ;" Rom. vi. 18. 22. and the man becometh "a servant of righteousness unto God," which doth especially appear in the spirituality of worship, John iv. 24. Rom. vii. 6.; men then "serve God in spirit and truth; and in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter;" and tenderness in all manner of conversation; the man then "exerciseth himself

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how to keep a conscience void of offence towards, God and towards men," Acts xxiv. 16. Now this way doth the love of God discover itself unto man, and acteth on him, so as he hath ground of laying some good claim to it; so as he may justly think that the love which sent å Saviour had respect that such a man as hath found these things made out unto him. Surely ignorance in this doth hinder many from the knowledge of their interest in Christ; for if a man know not how God worketh with a person, so as he may justly lay claim to his love, which was from eternity, he will wander in the dark, and not come to the knowledge of an interest in him.

(3.) Many are also ignorant of this, that God alone is the hope of his people: he is called "the hope of Israel," Jer. xiv. 8. Although inherent qualifications are evidences of it, yet the staying of the heart upon him as a full blessing and satisfying portion is faith; 1 Peter i. 21. "The faith and hope must be in God;" and the only proper condition which giveth right to the saving blessings of the covenant; Rom. iv. 5. "To him that worketh not, but believeth-faith is counted for rightcousness." Indeed, if any person take liberty here, and turn grace into wantonness, there is without doubt in so far a delusion; since there is mercy with him, upon condition that it conciliate fear to him," Psal. cxxx. 4. Yea, hardly can any man who hath found the foresaid expressions of God's love made out upon him, make a cloak of the covenant for sinful

liberty without some measure of a spiritual conflict; in this respect," he that is born of God doth not sin;" and, "he who doth so sin, hath not seen God," 1 John iii. 6. 9. I say, God is the hope of his people, and not their own holiness. If they intend honesty, and long seriously to be like unto him, many failings should not weaken their hope and confidence, for it is in him "who changeth not," Mal. iii. 6.; "and if any man sinneth, he hath an advocate," 1 John ii. 1. Now, when men place their hope in any other thing beside the Lord, it is no wonder they be kept in a staggering condition, according to the changes of the thing which they make the ground of their hope, since they give not to God the glory due to his name, and which he will not give to another. Compare Psal. ix. 10. "They who know thy name, will put their trust in thee,' with Isaiah xlii. 8. My glory will I not give to another; I am the Lord, that is my name.

(4.) Many are ignorant of the different ways and degrees of God's working with his people, and this doth much darken their knowledge, and reflex acts of their interest in him. This ignorance doth run mainly on three heads, (1.) They are ignorant of the different degrees and ways of that law-work which ordinarily dealeth with men, and of the different ways how the Lord bringeth home people at first to Christ. They consider not that the jailer is not kept an hour in bondage, Acts xvi. Paul is kept in suspense three days, Acts ix. Zaccheus not one moment, Luke xix. (2.) They are ignorant of, at least they do not consider how different the degrees of sanctifica.

tion are in the saints, and the honourable appearings thereof before men in some, and the sad blemishings thereof in others. Some are very blameless, and more free of gross out-breakings, adorning their profession much, as Job, chap. 1. and Zecharias, Luke 1. These are said to be "perfect and upright, fearing God, and eschewing evil; righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless:" others were subject to very gross and sad evils, as Solomon, Asa, &c. (3). They are ignorant of the different communications of God's face, and expressions of his presence. Some do walk much in the light of God's countenance, and are much in sensible fellowship. with him, as David was; others are "all their days kept in bondage through fear of death," Heb. ii. 15. Surely the ignorance of the different ways of God's working and dealing with his people doth very much darken the knowledge of their interest in him, whilst they usually stint the Lord to one way of working, which he doth not keep, as we have shewed in the former examples.

The second thing which doth darken men about their interest in Christ is, there is one thing or other wherein their heart in some respect doth condemn them, as dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God. It is not to be expected that these can come to clearness about their interest whose heart doth condemn them for keeping up some known transgression against the Lord, which they will not let go, neither are using the means which they know to be appointed by God for