Sermon XXIV (continued, part 2)
original is; as if he should say, the tabernacle and the bodies of men, of ordi
nary men, though the one made by man and the other made by God, yet they are a more slight, a more ordinary kind of work. But, saith he, this
372 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXV.
body of Christ is made without hands ; that is, it is not of this creation, it is
not of the old creation, it is of a more transcendent creation. And so is
grace.
I backed this interpretation with Acts vii. 48, compared with Isa. Ixvi.
1, 2. In Acts vii. 48, Stephen proveth that God will not dwell in temples made with hands. Saith he, Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in
temples made with hands ; as saith the prophet, now mark what the pro
phet saith, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool ; what house
will ye build me, saith the Lord of hosts? or what is the place of my rest? Therefore man s hands cannot make him a house good enough. Nay, heaven and earth, the old creation, is not good enough for him ; for,
saith he, Hath not my hands made all these things ? Well, what is it that
he will have now to dwell in, that both exceedeth all the houses man can
build, and exceedeth the house that himself hath made, if you take the
material heavens, and the earth that is his footstool 1 Look in Isa. Ixvi., you
shall find that it is a gracious heart, that is a thing made without hands ; that is not of this ordinary creation of God, for it is spoken in opposition to
things made with hands. All these things, saith he, hath my hand made ; he slighteth them so, these are but an ordinary sort of works, I will
* but to him will I look that is poor and of a contrite
not dwell in them ;
spirit, and trembleth at my word, so it is ver. 2. So that now, to have the least spark of grace begun in a man s heart is a work made without hands, in comparison. It is of a higher kind of work
than all the works of men and angels yea, than the works of the first
creation. These things hath mine hand made ; but I will dwell in a circum
cised heart made without hands ; that is not of this creation, that is of a
higher creation than all this. And so much for the general, That the putting in of grace into the heart is a matter of more transcendent power than the
first creation was.
Now, my brethren, as I shewed you in particulars the power of God in
destroying what opposeth ; I went over the understanding, shewed what
opposeth there, what a mighty power went to destroy the strongholds there ; I went over the will and affections, shewed you what opposeth there like
wise self-love, and all inordinate affections and love of pleasures, and the
like ; as I did this in the negative part, in the destructive part, so I will do
the same also in this positive part. And I will shew you, this is the scope, that for God to work grace in your understandings, to know things aright, which you think is most easy, there is an exceeding greatness of power going to it, no less than went to the first creation ; yea, much more ; it is not of
this creation : so likewise to put in holy principles into your will and affec
tions. Therefore, all that goeth to frame a Christian from first to last must
needs be an exceeding greatness of power. I am forced thus to repeat things, that I may clear my method as I go along.
And, first, What God doth upon your understandings ivhen he doth con
vert you. Why, it requireth an exceeding greatness of power, though you
little think it, to believe : Who believe, saith the Apostle, according to
the working of his mighty power. I will not run over all things that may be said of believing, but I will speak of spiritual knowledge, to know things
spiritually and aright as Christians do, that it requireth an exceeding
-greatness of power to work it. I shall demonstrate this unto you, in the
first place, in a more general way ; and, secondly, more particularly by two
things.
In the first place, in the general. For to make a soul to take a thing
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 373
npon God s bare authority, and therefore to believe it, is as great a work as
any God doth ; and it requireth as much power, mark what I shall say to
you, it requireth as much power to work faith in the heart to believe God
will do such a thing, as it is for God to do it. For instance, to explain myself, though I shall not follow my instance
in the opening of it, but ,for illustration s sake, this is my meaning
: at the latter clay, God will raise up all our bodies from the dust to glory. To
believe this spiritually and aright, and to work your hearts to believe it, re
quireth as much power as for God to do it, when he cometh to do it. So
you have my meaning.
I shall give you a place of Scripture for it, and it is in Mark ix. 21, 22. There is a poor man cometh to Christ to have a miracle done for him ; what doth he say to Christ ? If thou canst do anything, saith he, wilt thou heal my son, and throw the devil out of him ? If thou canst do anything ; so he saith to Christ. Then mark what Christ saith to him :
* Jesus said unto
him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. To open these words a little. You see when the man said, If thou canst do
anything, help my child ; saith Christ again, If thou canst believe, all things are possible. He makes it of equal possibility for him to do the thing, and
for the man to believe. It was as hard a matter for the man to believe this, and required as much power to work faith in him, as it was for Christ to
effect it. Therefore our Saviour addeth, To him that believeth, all things are possible, for faith commandeth all the power in God ; as if he should
say. There is as great an infinity of power required to work faith in thee to
believe it, it is all one, and to do the thing. So far as anything is possible, so far it is credible, it is believable. Let me put you a supposition. If God should reveal by me infallibly, as he did speak by the prophets and apostles, that he would make a new world to-morrow, it were as hard a thing for God to work this faith in you, as for him to make this world ; he might make this world upon the same
rate as he would work this faith in your hearts. To believe a thing upon divine authority doth require an omnipotent power. To believe things upon
* The fool believeth everything, saith Solomon
slight grounds, that is easy ;
in the Proverbs ; but to believe this in earnest is a work of an almighty power.
And so much in general, that the power of God in doing anything for us
is but proportionable to the working of faith in us that he will do it, or that he is able to do it ; yet you think this is easy, and yet you see what the
Scripture saith.
To come now particularly to shew you what a mighty power goeth to work faith and spiritual knowledge ; and it is but to believe the thing, not
to believe that it is yours ; but to believe the thing in a spiritual manner
requireth an exceeding greatness of power. I shall shew you it by two
things
: The first is, to work a principle of faith. You know I told you in the
last discourse that this new creation, much of the power of it was spent in
working habits as we call them, that is, inward abilities, to work a formal
principle, such as is to work sight in a blind eye. You know there is the
act of seeing, or seeing itself, and there is a principle of seeing, a power to
see ; a framing of an eye and of a soul to see, as I may so express it, or of a
faculty of seeing. Now in the understanding, to understand things spiritually and aright, there must be an almighty power go to it, to put a new principle in you, to make you capable to believe and know spiritual things.
374 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXV.
I remember in the last discourse, when I shewed what expressions the Holy Ghost useth to express the work of conversion, I quoted Rom. xii. 2, where it is called a transformation, an altering the form of the mind, the
shape of the mind ; it is a metamorphosis, as I then expressed it, and indeed the word is so in the Greek. Now the transformation there, what is it
applied unto ? It is applied unto the understanding of a man, it is but the
changing of the understanding that that word is used of. You think that to believe and to know spiritual things is no great matter, and that all the
difficulty lies in doing of them, and in being affected with them. But the
Apostle saith plainly, that you may know things aright, that you may approve of them in a spiritual way, of their goodness and excellencies ; you must be metamorphosed, saith he, in your minds, you must have a new form come in to your understanding ; so the word signifieth. He useth two words there :
< Be not conformed to the world, saith he ; and the word he useth for that is trutf^/sfrar/^wdw ; it signifieth an outward
form, an artificial form ; for the world is but an empty show, an empty shape, as the Apostle calleth it: The fashion of the world passeth away; it is the same word. But when he speaks of the other, the transformation of the understanding, the word is fAerapotyovoQui it signifieth an inward
cause, such as the soul is to the body, a natural form, not an artificial ; an inward one, not an outward one.
So that now, for a man to approve of spiritual things in a spiritual manner, look as if he would make a beast understand as a man, you must bring a new soul, a new form : so if you will make an unregenerate man understand
spiritual things aright, you must bring a new form, a new soul, as it were, into his understanding. The Apostle expresseth it, 1 John v. 20, He hath given us an understanding that we may know him : not but the same for substance, the same natural power of understanding, is in a wicked man and in a godly man ; but there is a new ability, a new principle, a new quality put in that fits him to understand spiritual things, which the other cannot do.
To illustrate this further unto you, and to shew you that to work this requireth no less power than in the creation. Look first into 1 Cor. ii. 14. I shall tell you to what purpose I quote that by and by. The natural man, saith he, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned ; but he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. To open these words : by a natural man he meaneth a man that is not regenerate, that is not born again, for he doth oppose him to a spiritual man ; a man that hath no other principles in him in respect of grace than what he brought into the world; he hath the same natural understanding he had without any spiritualness put upon it by the Holy Ghost. This is a natural man. Now, saith he, this man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; nay, saith he, he cannot know them. But he that is spiritual is both able to receive them, and he can know them ; so the opposition runneth. And all cometh to this, that there must be a new principle put into the understanding of a man ; not only a new light come in, but a new principle, if you would have this man understand spiritual things aright. And that is the scope I quote this place for that the understanding must be altered, a new principle must be put into it, a new habit as we call it. All the expressions do carry it to that sense.
For, first, he saith, otherwise, if he be not made spiritual he cannot receive uritual things; that is, he wants a capacity. It is such a phrase, as if you would speak to a deaf man, you will say he cannot receive what you say, for
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 375
he wanteth a faculty of hearing. If you bring a blind man into the sun, he
cannot receive the light of it, for he wants a natural faculty so to do. He
expresseth it in a way of nature ; he is not capable of it, which argueth, I
say, a want of a principle whereby to do it. And not only so, but he saith in the following words, he cannot know
, he wants a dwapig, a power; ou dvvarai yvuva/, a them, he wants a dwapig, a power; ou dvvarai yvuva/, a potentia, as the
philosopher calleth it ; for the Apostle speaks suitably here to philosophical
principles ; that, as we say in philosophy, nothing can work but it must
have a principle of working, a man cannot see without the faculty of seeing :
so this man wants a faculty of knowing spiritual things, therefore he cannot know them.
Thirdly, the reason he giveth evidenceth this ; for what is the reason why
a natural man cannot know them 1 Because, saith be, they are spiritually
discerned. He speaks just like our school-men, for we use to express in a
way of distinction, in a spiritual manner, that is, spiritually. The meaning
is, to see it in its own spiritual nature, abstracted from all considerations
besides, so he cannot see it; that is the meaning of this, he cannot discern
it spiritually. If he would know it aright, he must know it as it is in itself; now so he hath not a principle suited and fitted to this object as it is spiritual
in itself, he may know it otherwise in other considerations, but take it as it
is spiritual and he cannot know it.
As, for example, it is as if he should say, the mind of a man, or the eye
of a man rather, cannot see an angel. Why ? For an angel is spiritually
discerned. One angel can see another ; but take an angel merely as he is a
spirit, let him not take a shape, take him in his spiritual nature, and the
eye of man cannot see him. Why? For he is a spirit, and he must be
discerned spiritually. Just so it is here. Take spiritual things in their own
nature, and he wants a faculty, a spiritual principle, to see them with, to
know them with.
Therefore, in the fourth place, which is a fourth reason why that the
Apostle here would have a spiritual, a new principle to go to help a man to
see spiritual things spiritually; this is a fourth reason, in that he calleth him
that discerneth, a spiritual man. He that is spiritual, saith he, discerneth
all things. What doth he mean by a spiritual man ? You have it inter
preted John iii 6, That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. What is it
that is born of the Spirit ? It is not an act of knowing, but it is a principle
of knowledge ; for always that which cometh by birth is nature, it is natural
dispositions that are derived to us by our birth; therefore we use to say of
what is a man s disposition, he hath it by nature. Therefore now his
meaning is this : he is a spiritual man, he is regenerate, he hath a new under
standing, a new principle put into him, a quickness, a disposition of under
standing, which a carnal man wants, and therefore he is not fitted to know
spiritual things as he is. You shall find in 1 Cor. xv. 44, that the Apostle
saith, There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body; they are the
same terms in the Greek that are used here, a natural man, and a spiritual man. Now by spiritual body there, what is meant ? Spiritual endowments;
as to shine like the sun, to have agility and nimbleness to move as an angel,
to have all such spiritual endowments put upon it; herein lieth the spiritual-
ness of the body, in opposition to this natural body of ours. So a spiritual
understanding lieth in having new endowments, which enableth a man to know spiritual things in such a manner as no natural man in the world can know them.
Well then, this is the scope of this place, and so I will leave it : That if
376 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXV
you desire to know spiritual things aright, you must have as great a change
wrought in your minds to make them spiritual, as your bodies one day shall
havelo make them spiritual at the resurrection ; new qualities and endow
ments put upon your understandings, new forms, so the Apostle expresseth-
it to be transformed in the renewing of your minds to know him in that
12th of the Eomans. Now then, to gather up this first head, this must necessarily be done by a creation, no less power than went to create at first. Nay, it is not of thi&
creation neither.
To make that plain to you, that a man cannot know spiritual things, cannot have this principle of knowledge unless he be made a new creature ;
it must be a creation that must do it. For this I do quote 2 Cor. v. 16, 17. Eead what the Apostle saith there ; he speaks of the different knowledge he had when he was an unregenerate man, and a regenerate man. See how he
* Wherefore, saith he, henceforth,
1 a--6 roD wv, that is, hence from the time of my conversion, for indeed a Christian reckoneth his life from his conversion ; Wherefore henceforth, that is, from the time of my
expresseth it.
conversion, know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known
Christ after the flesh, from henceforth know we him no more. He speaks of knowledge, you see, and of such a knowledge as he had wrought in him from the time and instant of his conversion, differing from that before.
Before, I knew men after the flesh. That phrase, after the flesh, referreth both to the things known ; that is, I valued all men and things as they were
in the flesh : if I looked upon a man that was rich and honourable, I valued him by his riches and honours, and what he was in fleshly things, by this I did set my esteem upon men, and accordingly upon things also ; and this was
all the understanding I had both of things and persons. Or the phrase referreth unto his manner of knowing, or notes out the principle by which he knew them ; knew them after the flesh, saith he, that is, from carnal
principles ; my understanding was nothing but flesh ; that which is born of the flesh is flesh. And so was my understanding, like the things I valued, suited to them ; as the things were fleshly, so I valued them as such, by reason of my fleshly understanding
: and so the Apostle useth the phrase, Rom. viii. 5, They that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh ;* that is, the disposition of the mind, and the things, are suited each to other, as a natural object and the faculty, as the eye in the body and corporeal
objects. A man that is nothing but of a fleshly understanding, all hia
delight, and knowledge, and approbation of things is according to the flesh. As on the contrary, in the same place, he that is after the Spirit, he savoureth and knoweth the things that are after the Spirit; valueth them
according to what they are in God s Book, at a spiritual rate.
Now, saith he, when I was thus carnal, I knew all things thus after the
flesh; I counted myself, saith he in Phil. iii. 5, 6, to have these and these pri
vileges ; I was a Benjamite, a Hebrew, touching the law a Pharisee, concern
ing the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. He was a scholar, and
profited more than his equals ; and these things he valued himself and others
by. And the truth is, a carnal man, take him practically, and thus ho knoweth and esteemeth of things. Yea, saith he, I knew Christ after the flesh. It is the highest instance that can be. One would think, that if he should know anything spiritually, he should know Christ spiritually, if he knew him at all ; for there is no carnal comeliness in him to desire him ; that
object is so spiritual as is not capable of fleshly knowledge. Yes, saith
he> I knew Christ after the flesh ; for the truth is, when he was a Pharisee, he
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 377
thought the Messiah would have been a great king, and should have come in pomp and state to deliver his nation, as you know the opinion of the Jews-
was, Luke xvii. 20, The kingdom of God cometh riot with observation, or with pomp, for so good interpreters render it, and the opposition in the 21st
* The kingdom of God is within you, it is spiritual. Now, as the rest of the Jews, so I valued the Messiah thus, and I thought thus carnally of him ; but, saith he, when I came to be converted, from
verse makes for it :
henceforth, from the time I was converted, I knew him so no more. I saw then the Messiah to be such a one as the 14th and loth verses hath de
scribed him ; not one that should come with pomp, but one that should be
crucified, and die, and rise again, and thereby take away our sins, for so in the
14th verse he is described, which is the occasion of this speech. This wasthe Messiah I began to know when I was converted, and I valued him ac
cording to pardon of sin and working grace in me. He came to know this Messiah spiritually, and after another manner.
Well now, to draw up to that I aim at : how came the Apostle, or what was the reason the Apostle, after his conversion, should have this change in
his knowledge, that before he should know all things after the flesh, and now he knoweth all things in another manner ?
Read the next words, Therefore, or, as the word UGTS will bear, There
fore, because, (so Piscator renders it, and says it is an illative particle put for a rational, or the reason of what went before, wherefore , or because, ) he that is in Christ is a new creature : old things are passed away ; behold,
all things are become new. As if he should have said, Will you have the reason why that I know nothing any more after the flesh ; no, not even Christ himself ? It is because I am a new creature, that is the reason of it. I have had a new principle wrought in my understanding, by which all my thoughts are turned ; all my former thoughts perish, as a man s doth when he
dieth. I do not set a value upon men for honour and riches, and for their comforts in this life. I set that value once upon Christ himself, and judged of him; but now I judge of men and things in a spiritual way, according to what
they arc in holiness and the world to come. I judge by God s books, and not what they are in men s books or in the world s books. You see that which caused this was a new creation. Old things are passed away j behold, all
things are become new.
So that for a man to have true spiritual knowledge, which yet men are
apt in their thoughts to slight, and think to be the least of all tilings to be
wrought, it must have no less power than what went to the creation, it must have the exceeding greatness of the power of God to go to it. So much for the first particular, the work on the understanding. Now then, secondly, when this new creature is wrought, that is, when a man hath a new eye given him, there must be another creation before a man
will know anything actually, before he will see it. This new creation, this new understanding gives him a new eye, a capacity indeed which a natural man hath not ; the other is blind, he hath an eye. But still his eye will not
help him to see ; this new understanding will not see, except God doth somewhat more, it will not see aright and spiritually. You will ask, what is
it that is further required ?
As great a thing as the former. It is this : it is for the Holy Ghost to create in your understandings a new image of things, a new species or repre sentation of things, such as never any carnal man in this world had ; and this must go to spiritual knowledge, or you will never know things aright ; you all come easily by it, but this power goeth to work it. It is the point in
378 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SEEMON XXV.
hand. You shall find, too, that an act of faith is expressed by an act of
: He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, that is the expression of Christ, John vi. 40. There is such a sight of God and of Christ, by the
sight
understanding of a man renewed, when he doth know them, when his niind works upon them spiritually, there is such a sight wrought in his mind of them as all the men in the world have not, nor are any way capable of. If
all the angels in heaven mark what I say should go and describe God and
Christ upon their own knowledge, and all their excellences ; they saw Christ
upon earth, they see him now he is heaven ; and if a man should go and
quicken up his understanding and natural parts, yea, and have the utmost
assistance of the Holy Ghost, so as not to renew his understanding ; all
these will but raise up a shadow of Christ, in comparison of what a godly man hath of him in his heart. It will be but a (paivopsvov, it will be but as we call a false sun. You know there are sometimes more suns than one
appear in the clouds ; look what that is in comparison of the true sun, such
will all that knowledge be that a man hath that is merely a natural man. Take a man in nature, raised never so high, all his knowledge is but a false Sun of righteousness in comparison of what a godly man seeth; because the Holy Ghost createth in him, stampeth upon his mind another manner of
image and representation of him, than he doth in the heart of the most en
lightened men in the world.
To open this unto you a little.
I told you even now of raising up a false sun, and seeing the true sun ; they are like you know, but they are mighty vast, wide, different things. Saith the Apostle, Eph. iv. 21, when he exhorteth them to put off the old man, and to put on the new : If so be, saith he, ver. 20, that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus : that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, &c. These words, If so be ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in
Jesus, are a correction of himselfin what he said before. All Christians, saith
he, are taught not to walk as the Gentiles walk ; Ye have not so learned
Christ; but yet, because many Christians do learn Christ, and know Christ, and yet do otherwise, he correcteth himself, If so be/ saith he, ye have heard, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. If you have seen him in truth, saith he, if you have seen the true Jesus as he is in himself, if you have seen spiritual Jesus spiritually ; then, saith he, it will have this
fruit upon you, that ye will put off the old man, and put on the new ; it is
impossible it should be otherwise.
The thing I gather from hence is this : the Apostle, you see, distinguished the knowledge of Christians ; all have learned Christ in the outward learn
ing of him ; but there is, saith he, a learning of him in the mind, as the truth is in Jesus. There is a false knowledge, a knowledge of a false
Jesus, but of an appearance of him, a shadow of him, which all carnal men that live under the preaching of the gospel have ; but if you have seen Jesus in truth, this followeth upon it, you will put off the old man, and put on the new. So that from hence it is evident that there is such a knowledge of Christ, which a man is taught, and hath wrought in his heart by the Holy Ghost, such an image and representation of him which is in truth, and in
comparison of which other knowledge is a false knowledge. My brethren, shall I shew you the difference wherein this lieth ? All the world yieldeth that the difference of men s knowledges ariseth from the different image or picture of things, if you will so call it, which the mind takes in. That you will easily grant. If you take two men, and the
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 379
one sees the picture of a man, and the other sees the man himself, he that
hath seen the man himself hath such a knowledge of him as he that hath
seen but the picture hath not, nor cannot have, except he see the man him
self. Why ? Because there is a different image begotten in the mind and
fancy of him that hath seen the man, and him that hath only seen the pic
ture. Hence ariseth different knowledges. Here then is the thing I infer : that the Holy Ghost, when he reneweth
the understanding of a man, doth beget in him by his almighty power an
other representation of Christ and of God, and of all spiritual things in their
spiritual nature ; whereas other men have but the pictures of them, they do
not know them as the truth is in Jesus, as I said even now.
All knowledge is either per species acceptas d, rebus, when we take the
images off from the things themselves ; as when we see a man himself, or when I take the image of him at second-hand from something that representeth him. Now herein lieth the difference of the knowledge of a godly man and others, that the Holy Ghost createth proprias species, a proper likeness and representation of spiritual things, of God and Christ ; whereas
all men else know him at second-hand, they hear of him, and have been
taught by him, but not as the truth is in Jesus.
Hence is that phrase of the Apostle in 1 Cor. ii. 9. I take it, that which
I am now handling openeth that phrase, and is pertinent to the meaning of
it. Saith he, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into
the heart of man that is, a natural man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him ; but God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit. I plainly take the meaning to be this. There are
such revelations, so the Apostle here calleth them, such images, such repre sentations of spiritual things begotten in a godly man s heart, as never entered
into the heart of any carnal man in the world, and that is the reason why he cannot know them. Now Jesus Christ, you know, is absent ; in whom,
though we have not seen, saith he, we believe ; he is in heaven. And God is absent ; he is a thing not seen : you hear his word and see his works ; but beyond all these, the Holy Ghost begetteth in your minds an image of God and Christ, makes him real to you, makes him subsist ; makes God
that is absent, present, Christ that is absent, present. Therefore it is called
a sight, so the Scripture expresseth it. He that seeth the Son, and be-
lieveth on him ; therefore, Heb. xi. 1, where there is a description of faith, he calleth it the substance of things hoped for ; they have a substantial
image of the things begotten in them. It is not a mere notion.
Now, my brethren, this is the highest art, the greatest power consider what I say to beget a real and substantial notion and image of God, and
of Christ, and of any spiritual thing, in the mind and heart of a believer, and is more than to create a world. Why 1 The excellency of any creature
lies in this, in its ability to represent God to a man ; therein lay the ex
cellency of the creation at first, that it declareth God and his glory, and
sheweth forth his handiwork, as the Psalmist saith.
Now the image that the Holy Ghost begetteth in a man s heart of him
self, of God and Christ, and of all spiritual things, doth more lively repre
sent God to a man than all the Scripture, simply, or than all the works of
God, yea, than it was done to Adam. For, saith he, the eye hath not seen,
neither hath the ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man from
the beginning of the world, (so it is in Isa. Ixiv. 4,) no, not into the heart of Adam himself.
This all divines acknowledge, that faith is a knowledge of God in se, not
380 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXV.
of God by his works at second-hand, but a knowledge of God in himself, as when you know the sun by a beam of himself; and this is the knowledge that the Holy Ghost works, and therefore there is required as much to it and
more, than to create a world.
To give you a scripture for this, and that pertinent and proper to the
thing in hand. It is in 2 Cor. iv. 6. The Apostle there compareth the
spiritual knowledge which was in his own heart, and which by his ministry the Holy Ghost had begotten in the heart of others, he compareth the very
knowledge of it to no less than the creating light out of darkness at first. Eead the scripture
: For God, saith he, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He compareth, I say, the knowledge which God wrought in his own heart being converted, and which by his means, being an apostle, was begotten in the heart of
others, to that great work of creating light out of darkness. Saith he, the
God, the same God that commanded light to shine out of darkness, the same God hath caused us to have the knowledge of God ; and, mark it, why doth he add, in the face of Jesus Christ ? The word in the original is, in the
person of Jesus Christ, sv r& xgoffuztf). It is a personal knowledge, it is a real
knowledge of God ; that knowledge I have described all this while, it is not
a notional knowledge, it is the knowledge of his person brought down into our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is an artifice that transcendeth the
power of any creature ; it is peculiar to the Holy Ghost to give a subsistence
of Christ to a man s soul.
And that the Apostle speaks here of a mighty power that works this
knowledge is evident in the next words ; for going on in the next verse, he
saith, We have this treasure in earthen vessels. That we should have such a knowledge in us, and be able to convey it to others, it is a treasure indeed
this gift, and it is in earthen vesssels. To what end ? That the excellency of power hyperbole that the greatness of the power may be of God, may be ascribed to him that thus createth by an almighty power the light of the knowledge of the person of Christ in the heart of a man.
So that now you see, that the working of knowledge, I do not tell you
of all the great difficulties, for to draw a man to believe in Christ, and to lay hold on Christ, and to love Christ, all which require the same power ; but 1 1
speak simply of spiritual knowledge, to believe the things themselves in a
true, real, substantial manner, this is from an almighty power. That ye may know, saith he,
l what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-
ward, who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. To work
faith in the very understanding of a man, all this is required. So much now for the first part
: that to believe, to have spiritual knowledge wrought in a man, requireth exceeding greatness of power. I could not have made
this plain under less time than what I have now spent upon it, and faith, you
see, is in the text ; for it is to us-ward who believe; I have therefore a little
larger insisted upon it.
I come now, in the second place, to the will of a man ; I will be brief in
it ; and that which is put in there too it requireth an exceeding greatness of power to make that holy, to make a man conformable to the things he know-
eth. I will instance but in one thing
: That the will of man should be raised up to aim at God s glory in all that he doth, and to make God the chiefest good, it must be an almighty power that must put this principle into a man s heart, a higher power than simply was in the first creation, to do it as believers are enabled to do it. Go, take
EPH. I. 10, 20.] TO THE EPHE3IANS. 381
all creatures that were made by God s almighty power; take men, take
beasts ; they have nothing of this in them at all, not of holiness to aim at the glory of God ; take nature simply considered in itself, as man hath it
now, there is no such thing in him, nor in all the creatures besides man ; but angels that had it created in them at first after the image of God that
created them, indeed they had it, and Adam had it so too. To put there
fore such a principle as this is into a man, that his spirit shall love God
naturally as now he loveth himself, and subordinate himself unto God, and
herein lieth holiness, my brethren, this is the greatest work in the world. You may easily know the greatness of the work from the excellency of the
thing. This putteth down all creatures; it makes a man differ from other men, as a man doth from a beast. A man hath three lives that he liveth : the life of a plant, the life of a beast, and the life of reason ; here is a fourth
life, to aim at the glory of God. It is called the light of life, John viii. 12. My brethren, this is bringing in a new form indeed, a new soul indeed, to
put this principle into a man s heart ; this is transformation indeed. Why ?
It bringeth a new end into a man s heart ; and idem est finis in moralibus, quod forma in naturalibus, and so quod anima nova; that is, what the form
is to natural things, that is, what the soul is unto a man s body, that is a man s end to his soul when he is converted. It is the best definition I ever heard of conversion, that it is the change of a man s utmost end, and upon that a man s soul is turned to God. A man was before for himself, and so
long as himself is his end, let him have never so many changes, yet still he
turneth upon himself. Now, do but put holiness into him, to aim at God in
all things, it changeth the whole man presently ; it changeth all his course, all
his affections, everything in him. It is a new loadstone, it will make him
sail after another compass. Now, to work this, to make a man s heart to be
for God as he is naturally for himself, it requireth a mighty power of God to do it. Saith the Apostle in 2 Peter i. 3, According as his divine power hath given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Hast thou any
godliness in thy heart ? a principle of godliness to aim at God ? for that pro
perly is godliness, to set him up. It must be a mighty power that must do
it ; according, saith he, to his divine power ; it is a power that only belong ed to God to do this.
Aquinas saith well, elevat hominem, saith he; when a man hath grace to aim at God, it raiseth a man up above all the being and power of nature.
Therefore it is more than all the creation of nature simply considered ; it is
called, therefore, a divine nature. My brethren, you may know the great power that goeth to work this from
the excellency of it ; for the more excellent a thing is in being, certainly the more power goeth to work it. This excelleth all beings, raiseth a man
beyond all beings ; for it raiseth a man up to live the life of God. A man
liveth the life of a beast when he liveth in pleasures ; of a man, when he
liveth in honour and in things the reason is capable of ; but all this while he
is a stranger to the life of God. But to add to the life of a beast the life of
reason, and to the life of reason the life of God, you will say that there must
be an exceeding greatness of power to do this. To make a man to aim at God and his glory, is more than to make a man, or beast, or stocks, or stones, or worlds. Saith the apostle James, chap. i. 17, 18, Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.
"Avuo iv sffn, it is from above, wholly from above; those gifts that are good, xar sjc^y, by way of eminency, are wholly from above, they are wholly by a divine power. He speaks of grace, read the words after : he hath begot-
382 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXV.
ten us again according to his will, that we should be the first-fruits. And he speaks of grace before, as well as in the words after ; it is a thing wholly from above, no power can do it. I told you before that the phrase, made without hands, noteth out a transcendency of working; it is applied to Christ s body, and to the glory of heaven. "Well, this phrase, avvQeV) from above, is applied to none but Christ, and it is to argue the excellency of Christ above all others. Read John iii 31. When John would prove Christ to be greater not only than himself, but greater than all, what saith he ?
He that cometh from above, saith he he useth the same phrase that the
Apostle doth here of grace is greater than all ; so here, Every good gift
is from above, it is wholly divine, and cometh from the Father of lights. For a man to aim thus at God, I say it cometh wholly from him.
I will shut up this point only with this. Do but now look into your
hearts; have you any of this perfect gift that is thus wholly from above, and draweth you up to above, to aim at God more than yourselves, and that that
steereth your course 1 My brethren, to be thus turned to God is to have a new end, it throweth the soul upon new hinges, it toucheth the soul as a loadstone that toucheth the knife, draweth it toward God in everything. There is nothing of it in nature, no disposition of it, there is nothing of it in
all the creature. Go, take man as simply considered, as reasonable ; and take beasts, and all this inferior world, there is no such thing. There is a world indeed, a being, where there are those that aim at God. But take
this world, all the creatures, sun, and moon, and stars, take all the sons of
men, they have not such a principle as this. It is a higher principle than reason itself, it is the life of God ; the other is but the life of reason, or the
life of beasts. Do but examine now whether you have any such thing in
you, if you would know whether the exceeding greatness of his power hath
wrought in your hearts or no.
I may compare a man that is turning to God to one that is going with full
sail to such a country or port, and hath taken in lading fitting and suitable to that country, and he hath a compass to guide him thither ; he hath the wind fair for him. By nature a man loadeth himself with a world of vani
ties ; he is shipped for this world, and that is it which his eye aimeth at, to make himself happy in the world in some thing or other. Now, my brethren, God meets with him by the way, takes him off from all his ends that were
for himself, putteth in a new pilot, setteth up a new loadstar, giveth him a new compass, sendeth his blessed Spirit into his heart, that as a wind bloweth him clean another way; all the lading he hath by nature he cannot vent any of those commodities, he throweth them all overboard. Thus God dealeth with a man when he turneth him.
Paul was a ship richly laden. I was a scholar, saith he, and profited in the Jewish language more than all my teachers ; I had much to boast o God comes, and he throweth them all overboard ; I count all things but as dross and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Christ, &c. What made Paul do this ? God had touched his heart with this loadstone, to the direc tion of which all must be conformed. He turneth out all old commodities, putteth in a new rudder, a new pilot, a new compass ; and now, saith he, I must needs aim at God s glory in all things. My brethren, herein lieth the work of conversion; wherein lieth it else ? Then it lieth in this, or it lieth in
nothing. Now to work such a work as this in a man, to touch a man s heart thus, is as much as to throw the earth off its centre. Take the earth, if it move as some suppose it doth, if it move still upon its centre, this is no
great matter ; but if you should see the earth go off his centre, and fix itself
EPH. L 19, 20. J TO THE EPHESIANS. 383
in the same sphere with the sun, and go along with the same pace and with
the same motion, you would think an almighty power must go to do all this.
This God doth. A man moveth himself; move him which way you will, if
you will move him to God, as self-love will sometimes do, yet still he is
upon his own centre, all is for himself. God cometh and turns him off his own hinges, takes him from his own bottom, placeth him in the same sphere with himself, makes him aim at him in all things. This is holiness ; and to
put this principle into a man s heart, nothing but the almighty power of God
can do it. It is above all the creation.
384 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXVI.