What truths a Christian is to treasure up.

The second head of Directions, is to Descend more particularlie to give some instructions, what the Christian is to treasure up. In opening the Doctrine I told you, he is to treasure up these four rich commodities, wherewith he may furnish his inward-man: Viz.

1.Truths.#

2.Graces.#

3.Experiences.#

4.Comforts. I shall resume a discourse of these, and give you a particular account of something in all these, wherewith the bosome of a Christian is to be filled and furnished.#

1.For the first, A Christian is to store up all truths, the filings of gold are precious, the least star in the Firmament hath some influence, so all truths have their peculiar preciousness and efficacie: Truth is a sacred Depositum which God hath committed into the hands of Ministers and People, [Note 1] which must not be lost at any hand, for all the world cannot give a price proportionable to the least truth: for to this end was Christ born, yea, and shed his dearest blood, even to bear witness to the truth, and to purchase the publication of it: 'Tis very dangerous to be carelesse of lesser truths, for there's nothing superfluous in the sacred Canon, [Note 2] and things comparativelie little may be great in their sphear, season, and consequences, and 'tis sad to break the golden chain of truths: yet we are especially to treasure up fundamental and seasonable truths; Doctrines that we are to venture our soules upon, and such as we may have a peculiar use of, truths suitable to the day we live in: hence it is that the Apostle would have Believers established in the present truth, 2 Pet 1:12. i.e. Say some, the Doctrine of the Gospel which was at this time newly revealed: Or else (as others interpret it) such truths as are most opposed, and contradicted: For we finde that every Church, and Age hath its present errours, whereby false Teachers seek to undermine the Truth, and seduce the professors of it, therefore should every soul be well stored with such truths as may antidote him against present prevailing corruptions in Principle or Practice,#

There are four sorts of divine Truths that I would councel all Christians to get their heads and hearts well stockt with, which are these: Viz.

1.Doctrinal Truths.#

2.Disciplinary Truths.#

3.Practical Truths.#

4.Experimental Truths.#

1.Doctrinal Truths, 2 Tim 1:13. Hold fast the form of sound words. This word [ὑποτύπωσις] signifies a Model or Plat-form, a mould or frame of words, or things, methodically disposed, as Printers set and compose their Characters or Letters in a Table: thus Gospel-doctrine is the Mould, and Hearers are as the mettal which takes the Idea & impression that into which it is cast: [Note 3] A Christian is to get the body of Divinite incorporated within him: 'tis not below the most able, knowing, and judicious person to read, yea and commit to memoric Catechisms, and Systems of Divinitie. I beseech you lay this good Doctrinal foundation, and you'l finde infinite advantage by it, through-the whole course of life; this will teach you to discourse distinctly, hear profitablie, and read Scriptures, and good books with judgment, being able to try all things, and reduce every thing to its proper place: Take a taste and touch of this sort of truths in these general Heads,#

1.That the holy Scriptures are of divine Authority.#

2.That Gods word is the only compleat Supreme Judge of all controversies:#

3.That God is an infinite, simple, and immutable Spirit.#

4.That there are three glorious Persons in the unity of the God-head.#

5.That all things depends upon Gods eternal Decrees:#

6.That man was created in perfect holinesse and happiness.#

7.That all mankind is polluted and ruined by Adams Apostacy.#

8.That Christ, God-man is the only Mediator betwixt God and man:#

9.That Christ by doing, enduring, dying, hath satisfied Justice, and justified sinners:#

10.That such as sincerely repent and believe, are justified and accepted:#

11.That Baptisme and the Lords Supper, are seals of the Covenant of Grace:#

12.That there shall be a general Resurrection and Day of Judgment.#

2.Disciplinary truths, these in their kind and sphear are to be stored up, and contended for: 'tis true, these are not so fully laid down in Scripture, nor is there so much stress laid thereupon, as on Doctrinal truths, at least as to every Punctilio relating to circumstantials, which hath occasioned many hot disputes among the strictest Christians: yet withal, the essentials of Discipline are of great use and in a sort necessarie, if not to the being, yet to the well-being of the Church; [Note 4] our Lord Jesus is faithful in his House, and hath not left every thing to humane prudence, though possibly something may be said for a prudential application of general Rules to particular Cases: 'tis lost labour to enter into Controversies here, much precious time and pains have been wasted herein, yet Mr. Hooker acknowledgeth, that although there be no necessity it should prescribe any one particular form of Church government, yet touching the manner of governing in general, the Precepts which the Scripture setteth down are not few: and the examples many which it proposeth, for all Church-governours, even in particularities to follow: yea, that those things, [Note 5] finally, which are of principal weight in the very particular form of Church polity, are in the self-same Scriptures contained: So he. Neither are these truths to be slighted, but we are to be attentive to them, and observant and retentive of them: hence when the Gospel-Church is described. God saith, Ezek 40:4. Behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine eares, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee: Under correction, I conceive such disciplinary truths as these are not obscurely delivered by God; As,#

1.That upon Christs shoulders lyes the government of his Church.#

2.That Scripture-Precepts and Presidents, are are the rule of Church-administrations:#

3.That Church-Officers are to be duely qualified and called to their work:#

4.That Christs own Officers have power to dispense Word and Censures:#

5.That holy things are for holy men, Ordinances must be kept from pollution:#

6.That visible, credible Profession is the ground of Church-communion:#

7.That Admonition must precede Rejection and Excommunication:#

8.That Heretical Persons, and disorderly walkers are to be censured:#

9.That evidence of Repentance pleads for re-admittance:#

10.That Magistrates duty is to cherish, defend, and propogate the Church, Ministers to oversee, and Members to watch over, and admonish one another:#

11.That at least there may be Associations of Churches by their Officers, for mutual communion and consultation:#

12.That Synods and Councels consulting about Church-affaires, are but companies of men subject to error, are not to have dominion over mens faith, or Lord it over consciences, &c.#

3.A third sort of truths to be stored up are practical truths, fundamental truths of practical concernment, are in a sort the life of Religion. Our Religion is not a Notion, Christianity lies much in the Heart and Life: the young Candidate's question in the Gospel, [Note 6] had mainly reference to practice; Good Master, saith he, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Socrates is accounted the wisest man, because he applied his studies and knowledge to the moral part, the squaring and ordering of mens Lives: Saith Dr. Hammond, and quotes an ancient saying, [Note 7] The end of Christian Philosophy is to make them better, not more learned, to edifie, not to instruct: The truth is, conscientious Practice is both the end of Knowledge, and the means of further knowledge; If we live up to his Will known, wee shall know more of his Will that's to be done: if we give up our selves to truth, we shal be made free by truth. Truths of a practical import, [Note 8] to deliver the soul from the bondage of sin, and deliver up the soul into the liberty of the Sons God, and makes him account Gods service perfect freedome: Some truths are to be believed, others to be lived upon, others to be lived up to, and so are more practical: such as these;#

1.That all creatures are made for the glory of God.#

2.That the covenant of Works cannot be kept by any meer man since the fall.#

3.That true faith closeth wholly with a whole Christ.#

4.That none can expect pardon without a sincere Gospel-repentance.#

5.That good works are the fruits, and evidences of a lively faith.#

6.That those are only good works that have a right root, rule and end.#

7.That mans best duties are imperfect, and merit no good at Gods hands.#

8.That the moral Law is a Christians rule of obedience.#

9.That God alone is to be worshipt, and that according to his Will.#

10.That the observation of a Sabbath is a moral and perpetual Duty.#

11.That Magistrates are to be honoured, and their lawfull commands obeyed.#

12.That every man is to attend upon and act, by vertue of his general or particular Calling.#

4.Sort of truths to be hoarded up, are experimental truths, which are vital, and vivifical, that beget and maintain good blood (as it were) in the soul: these are the sweetest solace to a sound Believer, these reach and teach the very heart, bow the will, ravish the Affections, awaken the Conscience, and influence the whole conversation, the delightful rowling of these divine truths in the minde, help the soul to walk in the sweetest Paradise of Contemplation; these mysterious marrowie truths are like that Song that none could learn but the hundred and forty and four thousand that are redeemed from the earth. Rev 14:4. Or like that new Name which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it, Rev 2:17. Such truths are better felt then spoken sooner experienced then exprest, indeed like those [ἄρρητα ῥήματα] unutterable words that Paul heard in Paradise, 2 Cor 12:4. Such truths as are hid from the wise and prudent, but revealed them unto babes, Matt 11:25. This is a right knowing of the truth as it is in Jesus, a lying under the power and impression of divine Revelations, without this Experience, Knowledge is a cold, [Note 9] dull, Moon-light Speculation, without the clear quickening heat of the Sun of Righteousnesse; nay, the choicest truths of the Gospel cannot be discerned but by Experience. Divinitie is not a speculative, but affective knowledge: Treasure up such truths as these.#

1.That by nature we are averse to good, and prone to evil.#

2.That we have no free-will to saving good, but are passives in conversion.#

3.That regeneration is a through change of the whole man, in heart and life.#

4.That faith and repentance are the gifts of Gods free-grace.#

5.That a sinner is justified only by Christs merits imputed, not by works.#

6.That conformity to God is an inseparable companion of communion with God.#

7.That every childe of God hath the spirit of adoption, to help to pray.#

8.That the best Saints in this life are sanctified but in part.#

9.That a Christians best and bravest life is a life of faith.#

10.That sincere Saints may be assured of the truth of grace, and title to glory.#

11.That a justified person cannot totally and finally fall away.#

12.That some spiritual good is exhibited in, and conveyed through the seales of the covenant.#

Such precious truths as these, Christians, you are to gather, and seal them up among your treasures, and you wil finde that such a treasure wil furnish your mindes with saving knowledge, fortifie your hearts against errours and oppositions, satisfie your spirits in all doubts, and objections; teach you to profit by Gods verbal and real dispensations, and prepare you for fiery trials, and hottest persecutions: you cannot stand for truths you know not, and you wil not stand for those truths that you are not for, and look not upon as your treasure: you must hold fast what you have received, and therefore must you receive that you may retain, and lay up that you may live up to, and live upon them in an evil day: as a Minister, so a member of the Church must hold fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught—Titus 1:9. He must maintain truth with all his might, struggle and contend for it, fight and die in the defence of it, truth and our souls must be married, and never divorced, there are truths that we may venture our souls upon, and must venture our lives for: that's an Atheistical speech of some, that the Martyrs in Queen Mary's daies died o'th pet, and were too prodigal of their blood, and that God requires no man to be cruel to himself for his sake: but the Saints have otherwise learned Christ, than to denie him, or his truths before men, lest they be denied by him another day: [Note 10] they have not otherwise learned to love him than to lay down their lives for him, if he call them to it: and thus by being overcome they do overcome, as their Saviour before them: and as 'tis on record, Rev 12:11. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death; it is the dutie of every Christian to lay up such truths in the close Cabinet of his heart, as he may live and die by and adhere closelie and constantlie unto: we must do by truths, as Caesar by his books, who being to swim through a River to escape the furie of his enemies, [Note 11] carried his books above water with his hand, but lost his robe, so though we should be put to swim through a Sea of trouble in following the Lamb, yet must we keep the Lords Depositum, though we should lose our Garments of earthlie emjoyments, yea our lives themselves, rather than part with the sacred and saving truths of God contained in this blessed book of books, the holie Scriptures, which are to be our treasures: hence saith the wise man, [Note 12] take fast hold of instruction; let her not go, keep her, for she is thy life: hence some good souls have been willing to be burnt themselves, rather than willinglie to burn their Bibles, and have been rackt in pieces, rather than suffer themselves to be rent from truth: it is our great dutie to hold fast, and hold forth the word of truth, to be witnesses to the truth activelie, and for the truth passivelie, and if we maintain it, it shal maintain us, Rev 3:10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation—The word of his patience may be taken either effectivelie, for such a word as works a quiet, composed, submissive frame of spirit, or eventuallie, for that word that may put a man upon the exercise of patience, so that he may suffer great hardships for it, and lay down his life, as a sacrifice on the behalf of it, yet must not a Christian flinch back, but in the strength of God run the greatest hazard for approved experienced truths of God: I know there is a difference in truths, and the value we are to set upon them, as in coines, saith a reverend Divine, [Note 13] whereof one piece is a farthing another no less than a pound; onlie take this rule in general, despise not the meanest truth, prove all things by Scripture-rules, lay up and hold fast what is consonant thereunto, but above all lay the greatest stress upon fundamental points of Religion, and be not beat from your hold, through fear or favour.

So much for treasuring up Scripture-truths.