ever, it seems you will allow us tutors in human learning. Hath not God made men to be helpful to one another, and communicative of their knowledge? If these wise objectors knew not of any place or country in the world, but what themselves have seen, or of any actions in former ages, or later, but what they were eye witnesses of, what moles would they be? You may next persuade us to creep into our mothers' wombs again, and refuse human help to come forth. If you will read or talk with travellers, to know what is in other parts of the world; and read history to know what is in other ages of the world: why may not we read and hear philosophers, to know what they have found out about the nature of the creatures?

If you would never know any thing in physic by any books or teachings of those before you, that have learned more than you, but every man must begin all again himself, how many would such physicians murder; and what sots would they be! If you knew no more in astronomy, about the motions of the sun, moon, &c., the times and seasons, than you can find out yourselves by the observation of the heavens, what wise astronomers would you be! What forgetful men are our enemies to human learning, that think the Spirit enough without it; that yet they will every year buy a new almanac! Away with them hereafter, or else away with your folly; for, certainly, almanacs are certain parcels of the most aspiring, human learning, such as they are.

16. Consider whether, under pretence of magnifying the Spirit, you do not bewray most notorious pride in the magnifying of yourselves, and the contempt of those whom you are bound to learn of. Is it not palpable pride for you that never bestowed the twentieth part of the study and pains, as the ministers of the Gospel have done, to understand the Scripture, to be conceited that you understand it as well as they? Is it a knowledge that comes irrationally into man, he knows not how, when he never mindeth it? Is not the Spirit and diligent study together, like to do more for increase of knowledge than the Spirit will do without such studies? Why should you, in proud censoriousness, think that godly teachers have not the Spirit as well as you? They value it as much; they pray as hard for the Spirit; they confess the need of it as much as you; they have the same God, the same Christ, and the same promise as you; they show forth the fruits of it in holiness as much as you; and yet proud men dare lift up themselves in boasting of the Spirit, and despising their godly, painful teachers, as being without the Spirit:

not only saying, as Korah and his conspirators, Ye take too much upon you; are not all the Lord's people holy?' but also saying, 'It is only the people that are holy, and the priests are unholy.' And when all is done they can give no other proof of it, but either some common, human frailties, or the falls of some few, or the wickedness of the ungodly ones whom their faithful teachers are as willing to cast out as they, and whom they disown as well as they do. You will confess that a man that hath studied physic all his days, is likely to be a better physician than you that never studied it; and a man that hath studied law, is likely to be a better lawyer; and that he were a proud man that would say, 'Though I never studied these things, yet by the Spirit I know them as well as you.' And you would see your pride as well in this case of theology, if you did but know and consider that the Spirit worketh by means and man's industry; and that the gift of interpretation, understanding languages, and the creatures, is not a gift of sanctification, but such as is common to unsanctified men, and especially to make men useful to others, and publicly serviceable to the godly where they live.

17. It is God's command that ministers should study to show themselves workmen that need not be ashamed, and to divide aright the word of truth. (1 Tim. iv. 15.) And give themselves wholly to these things. (2 Tim. ii. 15.) And all Christians that will have knowledge must "apply their heart, and incline their ear to it; they must cry after knowledge, and lift up their voice for understanding: they must seek her as silver, and search for her, as for hidden treasure; and then, in this way. they shall understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God for the Lord (thus) giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Prov. ii. 2 -6.) It is the description of the godly blessed man, (Psalm i,) that he doth meditate in God's law day and night; and therefore he doth not expect, that the Spirit should teach it to him, or give him the fruits of it, while he is at no labour to procure it, but forgetteth or neglecteth it: and for the study of the holy languages, and God's works, I have proved it our duty before. So that you may see, that they who pretend the Spirit as sufficient without hard studies and learning, they contradict the Scriptures which the Spirit did endite, and so make the Spirit contrary to the Spirit. But we will believe the Spirit in the word, rather than that in them.

18. The Scriptures plainly tell us, that there are several ages of men in Christ, some babes, some young men, and some fathers; (1 John ii. 12, 13; 1 Cor. iii. 1;) and that they are to grow by degrees, according to their time and standing in the church, from one age to another, and from lesser knowledge unto more. "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe; but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Heb. v. 12-14.) Note here, First, That there are some truths hard, and some easier; some called strong meat, and some called milk. Secondly, That many may understand the easy principles, and feed on the milk, who yet understand not the harder truths; and yet both these sorts have the same Spirit: and therefore all that have the Spirit, understand not hard truths. Thirdly, Nay, these babes that have the Spirit, are said to be dull of hearing, and to have been long hearing from their teachers, and yet understand not; so hardly did they learn, though they had both Spirit, word, and teachers. Fourthly, Note, that these young Christians, though they had the Spirit, must still live under men's teaching, for further knowledge. Fifthly, Specially note, that it was expected that they should have grown in knowledge, according to, first, their time, and standing in the church ; secondly, and according to their use and exercise of their senses to discern. So that for all men have the Spirit, yet God expecteth not that they should be strong men in knowledge the first day; nor understand hard truths, till they had time, teaching, and exercise; yea, and oft they come short after all this, for want of their own use and exercise with diligence.

Hence it is, that when Paul giveth direction, what kind of persons should be ordained bishops, he saith, "Not a novice, (that is, a late convert, or young Christian) lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." (1 Tim. iii. 6.) It is here a matter well worthy your observation, 1. That young converts are not expected to have that measure of grace, as old, exercised Christians. 2. That young converts or novices, are far more apt and more likely to fall into the condemnation of the devil, by being lifted up with pride, than old, ex

perienced Christians are. These things are not spoken in vain by the Spirit; and these times have sadly manifested the truth of them, among us. The Lord teach young Christians to lay them seasonably to heart.

Nay, further, note this, if it were the work of the Spirit to give so full a measure of knowledge at the first to every one that hath it, as these think, then how could any of those Scripture passages be true, that tell us the saints do grow and increase, and that it is the nature of grace so to do; that at first it is as a grain of mustard seed: and we are commanded "To grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. iii. 18.) Doth not all this plainly show, that grace is usually least at first, and must be still on the thriving hand; and so must our knowledge. How, then, can young, inexperienced Christians think, that because they have the Spirit, they must know as much as their teachers, who have had longer time, and greater helps and studies.

19. Consider, also, that so great is the deceitfulness of the heart of man, and so cunningly doth the devil transform himself into an angel of light, to deceive men, that it is the easiest matter in the world for a man to be confident that he hath the Spirit of God, when it is only his own proud imagination, or a spirit of delusion. The multitudes of heretics in the first ages of the church, did seem to have much of an extraordinary spirit, but it proved a wicked spirit, by their wicked doctrines and lives, even from Simon Magus, their leader, to many generations after him. Those men have not most of the Spirit that boast most of it; nor are they ever the more likely to have it, for quick concluding that other men are without it, whose hearts they know not. It is the easiest matter in the world to boast of the Spirit, and reproach another as carnal; but it is those that have the Spirit indeed, who have the fruits of the Spirit, and those have the greatest measure of it, that abound most in these; they that have the most effectual apprehensions of the greatness, and goodness, and wisdom of God; of their own sin, and the need of Christ and grace; of the truth and excellency of the life to come, and the vanity of this life: they that are most conformed to Christ in humility, meekness, and lowliness of mind, esteeming others above themselves, and serving one another in love; that have most hatred to sin, and care to subdue it, and victory over it, and can most deny the flesh its unjust desires; that are mean in their own eyes, and seem fitter

to themselves to learn than to teach, in honour preferring one another; that are most sensible of the excellency of the unity of the church, and Christ's order therein; and therefore most abhor division and unjust separations; and that most willingly obey their overseers in the Lord, and submit to their just guidance, and love one another; that have the sweetest and most serious use of God's ordinances, and the greatest delight in God himself, and readiness to die; these are they that have most of the Spirit: but, alas! most that now boast of it, to the contempt of their guides, how far are they from this state! What railing accusations do they fill their writings and speeches with, most unlike to the language of the Spirit of Christ. What impotent slaves are they to their passions; and what proud boasters, and what despisers of government, unruly and disobedient.

20. Lastly, consider whether it be not a most vile abuse of the Spirit of God, to make it a patron and shelter of idleness; besides the other fore-mentioned evils. God sets men to search the Scriptures, to seek, and cry, and dig for knowledge; to inquire of teachers and one another; to meditate and study the Scripture day and night, that their profiting may be known to all and these wretched souls will not only disobey God, and indulge their flesh by ease and idleness, thinking these laborious studies too dear a price to pay for knowledge, or too hard a means to use in subserviency to the Spirit; but besides this carnal contempt of the light, they will reproach those that are more diligent and studious than themselves, and most impudently lay their own fault on their teachers; calling them, 'Lazy drones and idle;' because they spend their life and strength in most laborious studies, and searching of the Scripture, and because they do not leave this work to go to thresh or plough, as if that were the harder and more needful work for them that have set their hands to the plough of Christ: and, yet, which is the very top of their wickedness, they dare father all this upon the Spirit; as if labour and study were needless, because they have the Spirit. Is it not enough for you to despise God and his word by your fleshly ease and idleness, refusing to study and meditate on Scripture day and night, but you must also blame them that are at more pains than yourselves; yea, impudently blame them for your fault of idleness; yea, and pretend the Spirit for all this wickedness. No wonder if God be avenged on such dealings, by giving you up to a spirit, that