OUR Saviour Christ having made use of many old things of the Creation, to repre­sent and insinuate many new things of the Rege­neration, he infers a posi­tion [Page 2] from his practice; therefore everie Scribe which is instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven, Matth. 13. is like unto a man that is an Housholder, which brin­geth forth out of his trea­sure things both new and old.

Whosoever then would expresse the best chara­cter of an heavenly Scribe, from whence should hee rather take it, than from the best patterne, lively set forth by the best and highest Teacher, who was that which hee described, and described that which hee was? And whereas [Page 3] our actions must be gui­ded by rules, he doth just­ly draw rules from his owne actions.

Having then so abso­lute, both a Patterne and a Teacher, let us boldly frame the character of our heavenly Scribe, to the shape both of this chiefe Doctor, and of his Doctrine. Accordingly wee will commend to our Scribe things both new and old (but the old first, because they are first) and after him who is Truth, will lay downe this true position; That toward the making of a learned [Page 4] Scribe, there is a great ad­vantage to be gained by the gathering of old things into his treasurie. The Scribe that wil be learned, may be a gatherer of old things; and so let him be. Let him gather into his treasurie the things of Nature, yea gather a stock of them, and lay them up for his use, when he comes to the new. Let him know in a competent measure what is to be found a­broad in the old Creation; yea, let him learne what is copied out of it by art and industrie, to serve him in the things of Regenera­tion: [Page 5] and if in this search he meet with the learning of the Aegyptians, he may carrie their jewels into his treasurie. Let an Heathen Logician or Philosopher, be his Gibeonite to cleave wood, and to draw water for his service in the San­ctuarie. Let the one di­vide, define, and order; and the other draw secrets from the depths of Na­ture, to serve the Lords servants in the Taberna­cle. Let the precept and patternes of vertues, ga­thered from their do­ctrines and stories, serve for spurs and incentives to [Page 6] grace, to goe beyond the effects of Nature; and for exprobrations when shee doth it not. And let the languages both of the Un­beleever, and Mis-belee­ver, serve for keyes to o­pen to new men, those mysteries which the old men see not, neither doe open to themselves, though the keies be in their hands.

Such old things as these are earthly needles, that may draw in heavenly truths: They are earthly glasses, that may help our eyes to a clearer discer­ning of heavenly images: they may help to illu­strate, [Page 7] to insinuate, to con­vince, and to gaine. By them the new man may be a Grecian to the Gre­cians, to gaine and con­vince the Grecians; and a Jew to the Jewes; to gaine or convince the Jewes; and all things to all men, to win some. And accor­dingly the most laborious Scholler of the greatest Master, though sometime rapt up into the heavenly Schoole, yet when hee is among the Jewes, he con­vinceth them by the Pro­phets Acts 26. 22. received of the Jewes; and when he is at Athens among the Greci­ans, [Page 8] hee convinceth them also by their owne Pro­phets; even learned Hea­thens, Acts 17. 28. by their Heathen Poet.

Lastly, this Scribe in the lower Academie, may improve the abilities of Nature, given him by the first and old creation. For these old things will grow by use and exercise, and likewise become excellent instruments in the new e­state; there being no little use of understanding, me­morie, & elocution, when they shall become new, and new things shall be ad­ded to them.

[Page 9] And thus the Scribe having gained in the low­er Academie a large pro­vision of these old things, hee commends the use of that Academy, which fur­nished him and his trea­surie with this provision: and himselfe is to be com­mended for one part of a perfect, and well instru­cted Scribe. And though there remaine yet a more excellent part, yet even to this part there wants not an excellencie, and consequently a great de­gree of praise and com­mendation.

THe learned Scribe being thus furnished with old things in the lower Academie, it re­maines that he adde Docens omnem hominem in omni sapientia, tam ex­terna, quam di­vina: ve­luti vir quidam fortis & strenuus bellator ambidexter, per utramque eruditionem in adversarios sese armans, per utramque disciplinam vincit reluctantes. Greg. Nyss. in Basil. fratris laudem. new things to the old, so to be perfectly instructed ac­cording to the character stamped by our Saviour. To get these new things [Page 11] hee must ascend up, and get him into a new Aca­demie; even to that Tea­cher of soules, whose chaire is in Heaven: for this highest Teacher both sheweth and giveth us many new things in this highest Academie. A­mong them wee will first take notice of a new knowledge, given by a new light and sight, crea­ted in the soule. For cer­tainly, whatsoever wee may thinke of our skill and knowledge in other arts, gotten by the old and naturall understan­ding; yet if wee rest in [Page 12] this old and naturall un­derstanding, wee are still short of the true and kindly Una­quaeque forma in­dita rebus creatis à Deo, habet efficaciam, respectu alicujus a­ctus determinati, in quem potest secundùm suam proprietatem, ultra autem non potest nisi per aliquam formam superadditam, sicut aqua non potest calefacere nisi calefacta ab igne. Sic igitur intellectus humanus habet aliquam formam, scilicet ipsum intelligibile lumen, quod est de se sufficiens ad quaedā in­telligibilia cognoscenda, ad ea scilicet, ad quorum noticiam per sensibilia possumus de­venire. Altiora verò intelligibilia intellectus humanus cognoscere non potest, nisi sortiori lumine perficiatur (sicut lumine gratiae vel prophetiae) quod dicitur lumen Gratiae, in quantum est Naturae superadditum. Aquin. 1. 2. ae. quaest. 109. A. 1. Qui sine lumine super­naturali Scripturas se intelligere arbitratur, sine alis & pennis volare contendit. Savana­rola de Simplic. Vit. lib. 5. Qui ad lectionem sacrarum Scripturarū accedit sine lumine su­pernaturali, seipsum impediat, & irrideat; quia leget, & non intelliget, quod est frustra tere­re tempus. Naturales enim scientiae, per lu­men naturale rationis, quod omnibus [...]est, intelligi possunt: At scientia divinitus in­spirata, non nisi divino lumine poterit appre­hendi. Id. pr [...]em. Expos. 1. in Orat. Dominica. Docet Spiritus Sanctus, non externo clamore vocis, sed interna inspiratione & illuminatio­ne cordis; scribit enim Legem in corda nostra. Igitur cum non alius Doctor & Rector Eccle­siae à Christo datus sit quam Spiritus San­ctus, consequitur, quod hi soli vere docti sunt, qui Spiritum sanctum habent. F [...]rus in Ioan. 14. Mentem Sancto Spiritu non reple­tam Deum videre non posse: nisi quis cum prolixa Dei gratia intellige [...]e coeperit dicta & facta Prophetarum, nihil ei proderit, quod videatur voces eorum & opera proferre. Iust. Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. Acutum ingenium non conducit ad melius & facilius creden­dum fide divina—Nam actus ejusmodi fi­dei est supernaturalis etiam quoad substan­tiam—Noster intellectus non elicit ejus­modi actū, nisi juxta quantitatē & proportio­nem luminis infusi, Gonz. in 1. DIsp. 72. n. 12. knowledge of Divinitie. Divinitie is a [Page 13] supernaturall science, and therefore a supernaturall [Page 14] light is needfull to the right discerning of it. He that seeth the things of Divinitie onely with a naturall light, doth not see divine things in the true, but false shapes: for these things have one shape in themselves, and another in him that thus doth see them. The fa­cultie by which wee will truly and kindly behold an obj [...]ct, must have a fit­nesse and capacitie proper and agreeable to that ob­ject. There must be some kindred and proportion betweene them; and that which seeth, and that [Page 15] which is seene must be connaturall. Accordingly if we will discern colours, we use sight; if savours, smelling; if sounds, hea­ring. And for things of the second intention, to discerne them, we ascend above Sense unto Rea­son, and see them with our Understandings. And now proportionably if wee ascend higher to di­vine, heavenly, and spiri­tuall mysteries, wee must have a divine, spirituall, and heavenly knowledge, whereby to discern them. For the Quando anima nostra in­tellectualibus operationibus ad intelligibilia movetur, superflui quidem sunt sensibilium sensus; sicut & intellectuales virtutes quan­do anima Deiformis facta, per unctionem ig­noti, inaccessibilis lucis lumini se immittit. Dionys. Areop. de divin. nom. Lect. 9. Intel­ligibiles virtutes nstrae naturalis rationis superfluunt, quando anima nostra Deo con­formata immittit se rebus divinis, non immis­sione oculorum corporalium, sed immissione fidei; scilicet per hoc, quod divinum lumen ignotum & inaccessibile seipsum nobis unit & communicat. Aquin. in Areop. locum. Omnis virtus creatae naturae habet terminos suos. Non enim potentia visiva potest aliud cogno­scere quam lucem & colores; nec auditiva praeter sonos; nec intellectus noster potest naturaliter aliud intelligere quam naturalia, & ea quae per naturalia quoquo modo cogno­sci possunt. Sicut ergo potentia visiva, de so­nis nullum potest dare judicium, nec audi­tiva de coloribus, ita nec homo animalis, nec carnalis, qui caret lumine supernaturali, po­test de spiritualibus certū judicium dare—Quia autem spiritualis habet lumen, quo su­pernaturalia cognoscuntur, potest de eis re­ctè judicare. Savanar. de simpl. vit. lib. 3. con. 6. naturall under­standing [Page 16] [Page 17] doth perceive them no better than the eare doth the reason of sounds, or the nose the reason of smels; and sum­marily, than the senses do the things of the second intention. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Surely the eye hath not seene, nor hath the eare heard these hea­venly things: that is, nei­ther meere naturall see­ing, nor meere naturall hearing, can give us the true knowledge of them. Yea, Vers. 14. the heart of man, that is, the naturall reason of a naturall man, doth not rightly discern them. But to know the things of [Page 18] God, there must bee a mind given from God; even a spirituall mind to discerne spirituall things. If a learned Mathematici­an will teach a child the secrets of his skill, hee must not onely give him his rules, but his under­standing. Now there is infinitely more odds be­tween the great Teacher of Heaven and the most rationall man on earth, than betweene the most learned teacher on earth and the lowest learner. Neither in this heavenly schoole, between the su­preme Teacher and his [Page 19] earthly sehollers, is one­ly a difference of de­grees, which I call a dif­ference of quantitie, but also a difference of quali­tie. For sithence the fall of man, the knowledge of man is growne carnall: his wisdome is a fleshly wisdome, and his under­standing is growne hete­rogeneall, and of a diffe­rent nature and temper; yea; not onely different and strange, but crosse to the divine wisedome and the mysteries thereof. Therefore the great Tea­cher of soules, seeing our need, according to that [Page 20] need, gives his Learners and Disciples a Novo oculo, no­va aure, novo cor­de, quae­cunque videri, & audiri possunt, sunt per fidem & intelli­gentiam compre­hendenda, spitualiter dicenti­bus, audi­entibus, a­gentibus, Domini discipulis. Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 2. Caput Christus est; per illum enim videmus, audimus, & loquimur. Iren. lib. 5. cap. 17. new and heavenly understanding, to discerne; and discer­ning to approve as most true and reall, divine and heavenly objects. With giving us the things of God, hee gives a spirit to discerne and savour the things given us of God: with the things of Christ, hee gives us the mind Nos spirituales sensum Christi habemus, id est, participes facti sumus scientiae Christi, per acceptionem Spiritus sancti; & ideo anima­les homines, vel Pseudo-Apostoli, nos judica­re non possunt, qui sensum Domini habemus, quem illi ignorant. Anselm. in 1 Cor. 2. A sancto Spiritu procedens illuminatio, quem qui possident, possunt cum Paulo dicere, nos mentem Christi habemus. Basil. in Psal 48. of Christ. And [Page 21] now having gotten spiri­tuall understandings, spi­rituall things appeare to us in their right shapes, & seeme such as they are. And while to those whose teaching doth not ascend above the earthly Acade­mie, spirituall things are things not scene, their in­ward as well as their out­ward eye not discerning them; to the spirituall man taught of God in the higher Academie, they are seene spiritually; and hee seeth not onely that [Page 22] they are, but what they are, and they are truly that which he seeth them to be.

NEither is there onely a new knowledge gi­ven us in the heavenly schoole, by which wee may truly and rightly see the things of God, but there is a new vertue infu­sed to us, by w ^ch we may [Page 23] receive and enjoy them. If onely a light and sight had beene given us, by which wee may clearely see and know the excel­lent things which God hath prepared, but had no power to receive them, our sight & know­ledge of them, might serve as a light, whereby to see their excellencie, and our owne miserie. For then should we only see an happinesse, from which our selves are ex­cluded. But God, rich in mercie, and who wor­keth his works from end to end, teacheth the will [Page 24] to receive, as well as the understanding to see. He gives not onely an eye to behold, but a hand to re­ceive celestiall riches. It is a poore and beggerly speculation, to know the richnesse of Mines, the preciousnesse of jewels, the value of pearles, and in the meane time, by ha­ving none of them, to suf­fer extremities of penu­rie and want. But our highest Teacher not only sheweth us the treasures of his Kingdome, but tea­cheth us to take them, and so maketh us truly and re­ally rich. As they are [Page 25] not in themselves meere words, and bare imagi­nations, but Prov. 3. 14. Prov. 8. 18, 19. & vers. 21. [...], Sub­stantia perma­nens. realities, en­during riches, true and so­lid substance, which the heavenly Teacher by a new light discovereth to us: so neither are they presented to us as bare sights, shewes, and specta­cles, but they are really made ours, by his teach­ing of our wils and affe­ctions to apprehend and receive them. Christ Je­sus the precious Pearle of the Gospel, in whom are hid al treasures of blessed­nesse, anoynting our eyes with his oyntments, ap­peares [Page 26] to us as the fairest of men; and annoynting our hearts with his oynt­ments, fills our hearts with such love of him, that we are drawne to run after him; and running after him, wee overtake him, and overtaking wee are married to him: And being married to him, Christ our Well-beloved is ours; and if Christ be ours, all things with him are ours also. In him we have blessings of the highest nature, and more immediately flowing in­to us from the Creator: remission of sins, peace [Page 27] with God, communion with God, conformitie to God, a spirituall sonship, an inhabitation of the Spirit, an earnest of an e­ternall inheritance, a joy unspeakable and glorious, a power of godlinesse, the hidden Manna, fore-tasts of blessednesse, the kisses of Christ Jesus. Such invaluable treasures, and glorious riches are taught us, & given us by teaching, when God is our Tea­cher, & we are taught of God. Whiles he calls on us without with his out­ward word, to open our mouths wide, hee calls, [Page 28] moves, and teacheth us within with his opera­tive word, so to open them, that they are filled with these good things; yea with Himselfe, who is Goodnesse it selfe.

This is a lesson which is onely taught in the hea­venly schoole; For none can come to Christ, but hee whom the Father drawes by his heavenly teaching: if wee ascend not up to the Heavenly Academie, and get up a­bove the teaching of men, unto the teaching of God, our hearts will ne­ver thorowly learne this [Page 29] lesson of happinesse. The besenesse and sensualitie of mans heart will lye downe below the due e­stimation, price, and love of these pearles; and not suffer it to open it selfe, though it be to a Saviour bringing blessednes with him. It will not give a messe of temporall profit, preferment, or pleasure, for an heavenly birth­right, and a glorious in­heritance. It will account it the chiefe learning, to learne some new promo­tions, lands, and lordships: and no wonder, for it takes onely visible things [Page 30] for realitie, though these be but temporall, and pe­rish with the using; and though the things not seene are an enduring sub­stance for all eternitie. But the schollers taught in the schoole of Christ, account it their chiefe learning to learne, and by learning to receive Christ with his blessings and blessednesse; whom the more they thus learne, the higher are they estee­med and placed by their Master, who is Truth it selfe, in the schoole of blessednesse.

THere is yet another eminent, and trans­cedent learning given us by our heavenly Teacher in his highest schoole, and that is, a mysterious and secret, yet an assured, evi­dent, and exceeding dele­ctable knowledge, ari­sing from experience and taste. By the first teaching, we rightly saw the things of God presen­ted to us by God. By [Page 32] the second wee were taught to receive and pos­sesse them. By the third, after we have tasted those heavenly things whereof we were possessed, from this taste there ariseth a new, but a true, lively, and experimentall knowledge of the things so tasted. And indeed this is a knowledge Sicut mellis na­tura non adeò verbo persuaderi iis, qui minimè sunt experti, quantum in ipso gustu cognosci po­test; sic nec coelestis verbi suavitas clarè praeceptis, aut doctrinis tradi poterit. Non enim nisi veritatis dogmata, penitus proban­tes propria experientia, Domini bonitatem deprehendere possumus. Basil. in Psalm. 33. Accipe quod sentitur, antequam discitur; nec per moras temporum longa agnitione colligitur, sed compendio gratiae maturantis hauritur. Cyprian. Epist. 1. Non potest aliter affectio cognosci, quàm experimentaliter, ab eo qui pet eam afficitur; quam experimenta­lem affectionis cognitionem, non potest eam habens, in alterum verbis quibuslibet infun­dere, nisi similiter affectus sit alter ille, Quo­niam solus novit (prout in Apocalypsi scribi­tur) qui accipit. Propterea vocatur Manna absconditum. Exemplis est perspicuum, in illo qui novit dulcedinem mellis solùm per doctrinam, sicut Medicus sanus infirmitatis dolorem. Haec autem dulcedo à gustante, hic dolor ab aegrotante, aliter & longè plenius cognoscuntur. Gerson. de medit. cordis, cap. 4. Primitias Spiritus habentes, quid sit hoc ab­sconditum Manna ignorare non possunt, quia hoc gustando, potiùs quàm legendo vel audi­endo, didicerunt. Thom. Camp. Ep. 1. which no [Page 33] art, eloquence, or expres­sion of man can teach us. For even in naturall fruits there are certain rellishes, and, as I may call them, Idaea's and characters of tastes, which nothing but [Page 34] the taste it selfe can truly represent and shew unto us. The West-Indian Pi­ney cannot be so expres­sed in words, even by him that hath tasted it, that he can deliver over the true shape and character of that taste to another that hath not tasted it. And yet have we other fruits, that by some kindred may seeme to counterfeit some lineaments of that taste. But no earthly things can in any degree give us the true taste of the heavenly; but the heavenly are left to bee knowne by their owne [Page 35] taste. The Scripture therefore useth earthly things, that by them wee may ascend above them; and that not finding in earthly things what the heavenly things are, wee may ascend up to the hea­venly things themselves, by tasting truly to know them. In one place we are told, That Christs love is pleasanter than wine; and in another, That the Lawes of God are plea­santer than honey: Here by the pleasantnesse of wine wee doe not learne the true shape of the pleasure of Christs love: [Page 36] for this is another kind of pleasure, than the plea­santnesse of wine: Neither in the sweetnesse of ho­ney doe wee truly see the sweetnesse of Gods Law; for it is a different kind of sweetnes which the soule tasteth in the Law, and the body tasteth in ho­ney. Yea, the verie Man­na it selfe which was visi­ble, doth not give the true taste of the hidden & invisible Manna; but it is still hidden, except it bee knowne by Gusta­te, inquit, & videte. Profectò qui sacrosancta divinarum rerum disciplina initiantur, permagnificas ipsarum recognoscent gratias: & excellentissimam celsitudinem ac magnitudinem participatio­ne speculantes, coelestia Divinitatis beneficia gratè laudabunt. Dionys. Areop. Hier. Eccles. cap. 3. Quare autem hoc nomen nemo scit ni­si qui accipit? Videlicet, quia nominis hujus scientiam, non alienum extrinsecus documen­tum, sed proprium intrinsecus essicit experi­mentum. Inflati & tumidi sciant, ut sibi sci­re videntur, quantum volunt, sive quantum possunt, hujus tamen nominis scientiam con­sequi non possunt: Scriptū estenim; Haec co­gitarunt, & erraverunt, excoecavit enim il­los malitia illorum, & nescierunt sacramenta Dei. Nemo ergo scit dignitatem, sive inge­nuitatem nominis hujus, quo nominamur, vel sumus filii Dei, quantumcunque sciat, sive buccis sonantibus perstrepat (ut ille Aristote­les, sive omnes Aristotelici) relationem pa­tris ad filium, sive filii ad patrem, nisi quem spiritus adoptionis regenerando Filium Dei Patris effecerit, & ipsa regeneratione, scien­tem hujus rei, doctumque suo tactu perfece­rit. Rupert. in Apoc. cap. z. tasting, as [Page 37] the new name is not knowne, but by him that hath it. Therfore the joy of the Holy Ghost is in­deed [Page 38] unspeakable as well as glorious; because hee that hath it cannot so ex­presse it, that another who hath not felt it, may learn and know it. There is a taste in the grace and love of God, which no man can see but by tasting; and by tasting it may be seen. There is a peace of God, which passeth all under­standing; which though the understanding of him that hath it doe not fully comprehend, yet it doth in some measure appre­hend and know the sweet­nesse of it by tasting it. But the true knowledge [Page 39] hereof cannot be delive­red Ea quae in con­templati­one sancti viri intu­entur & gustant, nec scribi possunt. Savanar. Prooem. Expos. 4. in orat. Dom. Nunquā aliquis intelliget verba Apostolorum & Pro­phetarum, quantumcunque illa refonet ex­terius, si non imbiberit affectum scriben­tium. N [...]que enim aliter conceptus corum verborum in animo generabit. Gerson. de Theol. Myst. Innumerae sunt assertiones ta­lium concordissimè dicentium Theologiam mysticam per experientiam intimam colligi, eam quo (que) longè sublimiorem, & ultra quam dici valeat, jocundiorem, sapidiorem, & per­spicaciorem existere supra caeteras cogitatio­nes ab extrinse co venientes. Id. ib. over by the greatest Doctor on earth in pi­cture and representation. Therefore the high and heavenly Teacher (by the Psalmist) first calls on us to taste, and after to see, even to get that sight and knowledge which is got­ten onely by tasting. By [Page 40] tasting the things them­selves, God teacheth us to know what the things are; and the more wee know them, the more we shall love them; and the more wee love them, the more we shall taste them; and the more wee taste them, the more wee shall know them. And thus shal we run on in an Ettra­dit prius mensura­tam clari­tatem, po­steà illis sicut gustantibus lumen, & magis desideranti­bus magis seipsum immittit, & abundanter su­perfulget, quoniam dilexerunt multum; & semper extendit ipsas ad anteriora. Dionys. Areop. de Divin. Nom. Lect. 4. Sic quaedam circultio attenditur, dum ex lumine crescit luminis desiderium, & ex desiderio aucto cre­scit lumen. Circulatio autem, secundùm suā naturam, perpetua est; & sic semper divinum lumen extendit animas ad anteriora. Aquin. in locum Areop. endlesse [Page 41] circle of tasting, loving, and knowing, which growes still greater the more we round it.

Let it also be observed, that this knowledge thus taught of God, doth give such an assurance of un­derstanding, concerning the things thus knowne, and doth so seale upon the soule the truth and ex­cellencie of them, that all objections, trialls, and tentations, cannot blot out the stamp and charac­ter of this seale; but the soule will still answer, That against taste there is no dispute. And with [Page 42] the Apostles; wee cannot but testifie what we have seene, and knowne by ta­sting.

There is yet another knowledge taught by God in his heavenly schoole, which though it arise not from the verie taste of spirituall things, yet it ariseth from the soule, having soundly ta­sted of Gods Spirit, and being thorowly affected with it. When the soule is inwardly bedewed, and (as it were) written upon by the Spirit, there will arise from this writing, and the vertue of this hea­venly [Page 43] dew, an unknowne kind of knowledge, which cannot be taught by man; yea Attende in spiritu­ali matri­monio duo esse genera pariendi: & ex hoc etiam diversas soboles, sed non adversas; cum sanctae matres aut prae­dicando animas, aut meditando intelligentias pariant spirituales. In hoc ultimo genere in­terdum exceditur, & seceditur etiam a corpo­reis sensibus, ut sese non sentiat, qui verbum sentit. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 85. Affectus cha­ritatis Deo indissolubiliter inhaerens, & de vultu ejus omnia judicia sua colligens, ut a­gat vel disponat exterius, sicut voluntas Dei bona, & beneplacens, & perfecta dictat ei in­terius, &c. Idem de Nat. & Dign. Amor. Di­vin. cap. 8. Quanquam illi ipsi sancti aliquan­do inter disputandum aliter locuti sunt, sicut video omnibus accidisse, ut alii sint dum ver­bis aut disputationibus intenti sunt, & alii dum affectibus & operibus. Illic dicunt ali­ter quam affecti fuerunt ante; hic, aliter af­ficiuntur quam dixerunt ante. Ex affectu verò potiùs quàm ex sermone metiendi sunt homines, tam pii quàm impii. Luther. de Serv. Arb. cap. 53. the man himselfe [Page 42] [...] [Page 43] [...] [Page 44] that knowes it, cannot teach it to himselfe be­fore he knowes it; but ra­ther knowes it first with­out himself, & then teach­eth it to himselfe by this knowing it. The soule being steeped and affe­cted by the Spirit, this affection doth eruct, deli­ver, and speake to the soul hidden truths, which before shee saw not, nor could see by the meere magisterie of man with­out, no not of her owne man within. Yea, this reaching of the affection is sometimes so pregnant and powerfull, that [Page 45] though the head being captivated by humane reason subject to errour, or by the prejudice of e­ducation, doe hold and maintaine an evill tenet, yet the heart shall even then, by the Spirit, endite a good matter, contrarie to that evill errour which the head maintaineth. And no wonder; for if by the first writing in the heart at the Ethnici non cre­dendo credunt. Tertull. de Carne Christi, cap. 15. Magistra natura, anima discipula; quicquid aut illa edocuit, aut ista perdidicit, à Deo traditum est, Magistro scilicet ipsius Magi­strae. Tertull. de Testim. Animae, cap. 5. Lucre­tius oblitus quid assereret, & quod dogma de­fenderet, hos versus posuit: Cedit item retrò de terra quod fuit ante In terram: sed quod missum est ex aetheris oris, Id rursus coeli ful­gentia templa receptant. Quod ejus non erat dicere, qui perire animas cum corporibus dis­serebat. Sed victus est veritate, & imprudenti ratio vera surrepsit. Lact. Instit. lib. 7. cap. 12. creation (though now much blot­ted [Page 46] by the fall) yet there are still some parcells of an inward teaching, con­trarie to that which the head or wit of man, mis­led by outward teaching, doth maintaine: Then much rather in the new­writing of Regeneration may be impressions of truths, which may breathe, break, and speak out when the soule is strongly heated, affected, and animated by the Spi­rit. [Page 47] And thus may arise up a new discoverie of truths not known before; yea, perchance contrarie to that which before was thought to bee knowne and accordingly belee­ved. And these doctrines of the Spirit in our selves and others, should be care­fully noted, and gathered into a treasurie, by all that receive the love of the truth. For even among those that erre, such truths being found, they are pre­cious in themselves; and withall of undeniable au­thority against the In omni fere con­troversia ab his ego provoco ad hos; sed ut illa mulier à Caesare dormiente ad Caesarem experre­ctum—Illic veritatem oppugnare isti vo­luerunt: hîc, veritas voluit se ipsa defendere. Episc. Mort. Apol. part. 1. Lect Cathol. Cum in quibusdam improbant, quod in aliis appro­bant, in his accusantur, in illis contra se te­stimonium dicunt. Aug. contr. Episc. Parmen. lib. 3. cap. 4. errors [Page 48] of those, by whom they were uttered. And indeed it may bee, the truths which some inwardly know and beleeve, may be imputed to them, ra­ther than the errours w ^ch they outwardly recei­ved, and doe outwardly, and in a kind of externall ignorance maintaine. But howsoever, verie preci­ous they are wheresoe­ver they are found; and [Page 49] verie often oraculous Decisions and Resoluti­ons; and may adde to the stock of knowledge in the lower schooles, who cannot give this know­ledge, but may receive it from the higher. For in­deed, not so much man doth teach this know­ledge as God; who not onely teacheth man with­out man, but sometimes more than without him, because against him.

THere is yet a fourth excellence of the highest Academie, and it is this; That the Doctor of that Chaire teacheth men best to bee the best Teachers. And this be­ing the scope of most of those that study Divinitie in the lower Academies; for this should they chiefly, though making use of the lower, passe up and ascend to the higher: [Page 51] for the higher hath here­in divers advantages a­bove the lower.

Toward a generall dis­coverie hereof, wee may take notice, That Christ Jesus when hee ascended up on high, and received from his Father all power both in Heaven and earth, did undertake the buil­ding of his own Church. Ephes. 4. 7, 8, 11, 12. And for the perfecting of this holy building hee sent downe gifts unto men, 1 Cor. 3. 9, 10, &c. by which they were made able and skilfull Builders. And no doubt these are the best & most able Teachers, whom [Page 52] Christ the great Lord of the building doth enable to teach, and to build by teaching. And indeed if Christ hath enabled that number, which hee hath deputed for this building, how can any man thinke that hee is a fit and kindly builder, except hee be of that Tremo potiùs quam dico, ne in immensam abyssū abeat na­vicula, & desit spiritus. Da enim mihi navim vacuam, gubernatorem, nautas, funes, ancho­ras, omnia disposita, & nusquam esse spiritum venti, nonne tardat, omnis quantuscunque est apparatꝰ, si desit operatio Spiritꝰ? Ita fieri so­let, licet sit sermonis ampla supellex, & mens profunda, & eloquentia, & intelligentia, & non adsit Spiritus sanctꝰ, otiosa sunt omnia. Chrys. de Spir. sanct. In Theologicis veritatibus sci­endis & colligendis, duo genera gratiarum per Christum agnoscere debemus: unum quidem quod per merita & gratiam ipsius ha­buerimus principia nostrae fidei, ex quibus il­las veritates colligeremus: alterum, quod ex illis recta ratiocinatione procedentes, myste­ria nostrae fidei explicemus, & defendamus, & inde veritates Theologicas ad aedificationem Ecclesiae probemus. Et haec est gratia per Christum, de qua loquitur Paulus ad Ephes. 4. Dedit alios Pastores & Doctores. Haec au­tem gratia dicitur à Paulo, donum prophetiae, 1 Cor. 14. cum appellat Prophetas eos qui mysteria interpretantur. Vasquez 1. 2 ae. Disp. 188. cap. 2. number whom [Page 53] Christ hath thus ena­bled? The gifts which Christ gave, Ephes. 4. 12. are those that should perfect the Saints, fulfill the worke of the Ministerie, and edi­fie the body of Christ. Wherefore the Giver of those gifts being gone up on high, let men also lift up their eyes on high for [Page 54] those gifts. And as the Disciples stayed in Hie­rusalem, untill they were endued with the power of teaching from on high: so let men that stay in the lower Academie, in their stay, earnestly seeke to receive a power from on high. Let them not wholly look downward, as if from thence they could receive the gifts that are given from above. Indeed looking downe, they may see the gifts that are come down upon others (though not upon themselves) and they may pick up the [Page 55] crums that fall from the tables of these Masters: and making up these in­to loaves, they may give them to the hungrie. But it must needs be confes­sed, that this is a lower kind of abilitie in teach­ing, seeing that which lends to this must needs be the higher; the bor­rower here also being a a servant, and therefore inferiour to the lender. And it seemes, that not so much these, as they that received those gifts from on high, doe build by these. But those that re­ceive gifts from on high, [Page 56] either take not all at the second hand, but some­what at the first; or if they make use of things for­merly taught by the gifts of others, they doe (as it were) quicken and enlive them by their owne gift, and so send them forth newly animated by the same Spirit which spake them. Yea, by this Spi­rit they often make them not onely to live, but to grow to a greater mea­sure of light or heat, by enlarging them unto more instruction, or kind­ling them unto a more in­centive excitation.

[Page 57] But if we will yet take a more punctuall notice of the excellencies of this heavenly teaching of Teachers, wee may take a more particular survey of some eminent abilities gi­ven with the gifts of the highest Teacher.

A first is, a spirituall and divine Ut in Solis ra­diis, tenuiores, limpidioresque substantiae pri­mae, influente luce replentur, sicque exupe­rantem lucem in subsequentes Solis vice transfundunt: ita non sine periculo divinis in rebus quibusque, se aliis Ducem praestare praesumit, qui non per omnia evaserit similli­mus Deo, & ab inspiratione judicioque divi­no fuerit gubernator declaratus. Dionys. A­reop. Eccles. Hier. cap. 3. Sanctis Doctoribus ea quae in sacra pagina continentur occulta, primùm per divinam gratiam aperiuntur, quae postmodùm sive per ipsos, sive per alios, populis manifestè praedicantur. Richar. de Sancto Victore in Apoc. lib. 7. cap. 10. Et nunc & semper adhibendus sit Spiritus, per quem solùm Deus & intelligitur, & exponitur, & auditur. Greg. Naz. Apol. Fug. light, given [Page 58] commonly in an eminent and more than ordinarie measure, to those that are enabled and taught from above to bee spirituall Teachers. 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse, shines in their hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ. They receive light, that they may turne others from dark­nesse to light, and shew them the way of peace, [Page 59] which by this light they have discovered. They have an Urim from on high; and a spirituall light and sight, by which they become eyes to the blind, and a light to them that sit in darknesse. The great Shepherd of soules, and Master of the highest schoole, doth not send out from his schoole the blind to guid the blind, that both may fall into the ditch, but hee makes shining & burning lights, that they which see them may not onely rejoyce in their light, but bee led by it to the enjoying of [Page 60] the supreme & soveraigne light, in the vision of whom is perfect blessed­nesse. And hee that hath this light hath the key of knowledge, by which he can open the mysteries of salvation, and discover the counsells of God, and see the mind of Christ, and find out wonders in Gods Law. He pierceth into the inward veine of the word, and (as it were) lets it bloud, and causeth to spring from it a floud of doctrine: whereas the same word to another that hath not this light, seemes like the Rocke [Page 61] whereof it was said; Shall I fetch you water out of this Rock?

And the Multò nobilior est illa doctrina, quae de sursùm ex divina in­fluentia manat, quàm quae labo­riose ac­quiritur humano ingenio. Thom. Camp. de Imit. Christ. lib. 3. cap. 30. Item cap. 44. Ego sum qui do­ceo hominem scientiam, & clariorem intelli­gentiam parvulis tribuo, quàm ab homine possit doceri. Cui ego loquor, citò sapiens e­rit, & multum in Spiritu prosiciet—Ego sum qui humilem in puncto elevo mentem, ut plures aeternae veritatis capiat rationes, quàm si decem annis studuisset in scholis. doctrine flowing from this light of the Spirit, is most fit for spirituall building; 1 Cor. 2. 13. spiri­tuall things being fittest for spiritual, because most connatural; yea, because it flowes from an infused gift (in a spirituall sense) it may be said to be most [Page 62] Qui gratiâ Dei & charitate plenus est, si verba sua pro­fert ab il­la forma, id est, à gratia & charitare submi­nistrantur, dicitur loqui à Spiritu Dei, non artificialiter. Sed si careat gratiâ & charitate, & verba justorum in medium proferat, artificiosè dicitur potiùs loqui quàm ex Spiritu Dei. Item, si artifices possent sua artificialia opera facere naturalia, non est dubium quod hoc facerent. Unde vide­mus quòd conantur abscondere artem.—Oratores & Poetae, qui artem sequuntur pa­rum orando prosunt: similiter Praedicatores qui arte utuntur, nullum fructum faciunt. Sed Apostoli & alii Praedicatores, qui verba protulerunt per Spiritum Dei, totum mun­dum converterunt. Savanar. de Simp. vitae, lib. 3. concl. 1, & 2.naturall; and because most naturall, most effe­ctuall.

Secondly, from this higher Academie comes that abilitie of teaching, which teacheth by do­ing. There is a teaching by word, and a teaching [Page 63] by conversation; and if this latter be required of women, much more of those men, who are the Teachers and Fishers of men. 1. Pet. 3. 1. They that teach by word onely, seeme to build with one hand one­ly; they that teach by word and example, build with two hands; but they that teach by word, and destroy by example, doe build with one hand, and pull downe with the other. And certainly, if they destroy what they build, they are great tre­spassers, and foolish buil­ders. St. Paul shewes [Page 64] himselfe a wise Master­builder, while hee makes himselfe a patterne of his owne doctrine; and be­ing a follower of Christ, calls upon his flock to fol­low him, as hee followes Christ. Hee calls upon them to do, not only what they have heard, but what they have seene in him: Phil. 4. 9. and see what fol­lowes such teaching, and such learning; The God of peace shall bee with you.

And this teaching by patterne doth he deliver over to his spirituall po­steritie; for he calls upon [Page 65] Timothy his son (and by him upon his sons sons, even all the sons of Timo­thy) to bee a walking Word, and a visible Do­ctrine; 1 Tim. 4. 12. even a patterne of Beleevers, 2 Tim. 2. 2. both in word and conversation.

True it is, that the peo­ple should doe as the Teachers say, and not as they doe, when they say Christs spirituall words, and doe their owne car­nall works. But such is the corruption of fallen man-kind, both in sight and affection, that in sight it rather lookes on out­wardly-visible workes, [Page 66] than inward, invisible, and spirituall words, and in aff [...]ction it is more apt to follow carnall examples than heavenly rules. And this being a pestilence, wherewith man-kind is apt to bee infected to death, how fearefull is it to bring such a plague in­to a flock?

But on the contrarie, a holy life joyned to sound doctrine, is a continuall testimony and martyr­dome of the doctrine. Such a life commends the doctrine to the beleefe and love of men. It per­swadeth a possibilitie, and [Page 67] sheweth a facilitie of do­ing it. What we see done, we thinke may be done, and when wee see a pat­terne before us, we doe it much the more easily and perfectly. Now that Teachers may bee such patterns of light, inward­ly burning, & outwardly shining, let them repaire to the Father of lights; who from this higher A­cademie, baptizeth with that fire which not onely kindleth light in the souls of his Messengers, but makes his Ministers a flame of fire. And, if thus kindled from above, [Page 66] [...] [Page 67] [...] [Page 68] with holy Barnabas, they be good men, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, that which followed then, may bee hoped will fol­low now; Acts 11. 24. Much people shal be added to the Lord.

Thirdly, the highest Schoole, and no other, teacheth the Art of Ex­perimentall Divinitie, which being learned, doth give an excellence and Crowne to the abilitie of teaching. There is great oddes betweene an expe­rienced, and a meerely-contemplative Captaine. And if the great Captaine of our salvation learned [Page 69] experimentall obedience by the things which hee suffered, and by his suffe­rings experimentally ta­sted and knowne, knowes how to take due notice, consideration, and com­passion of those that suf­fer; how much advan­tage may we thinke is ad­ded to his Under-Cap­taines, by their experi­ence in the Christian war­fare? An heavenly Tea­cher, with St. Paul, ha­ving run the race of Chri­stianitie, 2 Cor. 6. 8, 9. through honour and dishonour, through evill and good report; as unknown, & yet known; [Page 70] as dying, and yet living; as sorrowfull, and yet al­wayes rejoycing; as ha­ving nothing, and yet pos­sessing all things: such an one (I say) when he meets with soules in the like e­states of honour, or dis­honour, and the other differences incident to a Christians life, he can pre­sently out of his owne experience draw forth lessons of direction, re­proofe, or consolation: yea, out of his owne ex­perience hee can almost fore-prophesie events, and fore-tell issues out of tentation. And indeed, as [Page 71] in other states of soule, so especially in the case of a broken spirit, expe­rimentall Teachers have an high & eminent advan­tage. For such an one lookes back to his owne soule, and there reads the storie of it imprinted by experience, and from thence tells the distressed soule, both the crosse which shee endures, and the joy set before her. Hee talks with the trou­bled soule in her owne language, having thorow­ly learned it in this high schoole of experience: and when the grieved [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] soule doth but heare the Teacher speaking this language, she is received: yea, when she heares him speake so truely of the griefe, shee beleeves it is possible, and perchance likely, that there may bee truth in his comforts: yea, it is no small comfort to the distressed soule, by such infallible and evi­dent descriptions, to find and heare one that hath beene in the like distresse wherin shee is now affli­cted. For one of their greatest terrours ariseth hence, that none was ever in their case; and that [Page 73] the Almightie hath sin­gled them out from all the world, to be the ve­rie marks of his arrowes. Besides, when these men bring consolations for tribulations, they bring sure and sound ones; for they bring everie one of them with a Probatum. They can name the man that was cured by them, and say with the Psal­mist; This poore man cryed unto the Lord, and thus was heard, comfor­ted, and healed. With St. Paul, they comfort others with the verie same consolations where­with [Page 74] with themselves have beene comforted of God. Thus this skill of experi­mentall Divinitie gives an advantage of know­ledge, and not of know­ledge onely, but of confi­dence to the Teacher; for he sayes what he knowes: and on the other side, it gives an advantage of trust and comfort to the hearer.

But the inexperienced man, when he comes to a soule set on the rack of a tortured conscience, and there uttering the feare­full expressions of a terri­fied mind; this distressed [Page 75] soule is a Barbarian to him, and he is a Barbarian to her. She speakes what hee understands not, and he cannot speake to her in a language which she can comfortably understand. But this Teacher is often of the same opinion con­cerning this troubled soule, which Christs car­nall kinsmen had concer­ning him; Mark. 3. They sent out to lay hold on him, say­ing; Hee is besides him­selfe. And no wonder, for they never saw sin in the true ugly shape of it; they were never upon mount Sinai, neither did [Page 76] they there heare the thunders and lightenings of the Law against sin; and therefore they are not like Moses, who did quake and tremble. Yea, this quaking and trem­bling is so strange to them, that they aske with wonder of these amazed soules: Why did ye skip as Rams, and tremble as little Lambs? To whom it may bee answered: It was at the presence of God on Sinai.

Againe, on the other side, when the time is come, wherein God calls out; Comfort yee, com­fort [Page 77] yee my people: there is no balme in their Gilead, there is no oyle of joy in their lamps: they have not had the fore-going tribulations, nor the following conso­lations: Therefore if they would give consolations, they must bee borrowed ones (like the axe of the the young Prophet) and not the verie same by which themselves have beene comforted of God. Yea, commonly for want of experience, they know not the Crisis of a soule, nor when the soule is vp­on a turne, and is come to [Page 78] the season of receiving consolation. They know not the houre of our Sa­viour, when hee is ready to turne the water of tears into the wine of consola­tion. And therefore such an one often misplaceth his spirituall physick, and gives restoratives to a soule not thorowly pur­ged from the love of sin, or while the fit is upon the soule; when it were more fit to weepe with them that either doe, or should weepe; and by that agreement in wee­ping, to draw the mour­ning soule to a second [Page 79] agreement, even to re­joyce with him that re­joyceth. For this is the wisedome of a Teacher, experimentally taught from above; and this wisedome is justified, and in high estimation with all her children.

Fourthly, from the heavenly schoole de­scends a mightie, active, and maine advancement of teaching, and that is, a storge, or naturall affecti­on, given to a Teacher. There is a gift of love in­fused by God into the heart of a Teacher, by which hee is taught of [Page 80] God to love his Flock; and this love inflameth, constraineth, and teach­eth him to teach. In St. Paul we see deep impres­sions, and powerfull ex­pressions of this love: yea, we see him as a man all on fire with this love; so that for the love of soules, 2 Cor. 11. 23, &c. wearinesse and watching, hunger and thirst, cold and nakednes, perils and persecutions, are all but as stubble in his way; and the fire of love, w ^ch hath eaten him up, consumes them also, and turnes them into no­thing. He feeds his sheep [Page 81] sometimes at his owne costs, and with an holy symony buyes the work of his owne ministerie, and straines for an argu­ment to approve it. For whereas hee might call 2 Cor. 12. 14. himselfe a Labourer, and so might plead for the wages due to his worke, hee calls himselfe a Fa­ther, that thence hee may fetch a reason of provi­ding for his children. Yea, he doth not expresse his love onely under this title of a Father, (though that character being well stamped on a Pastor, with the affections belonging [Page 82] to it, would make him a­ctively and industriously carefull for the good of the flock) but he descends into the lownesse, and (as it were) the fondnesse of a Nurse: 1 Cor. 3. 1, 2. He softly han­dles and dandles, Hebr. 5. 11, 12. as a Nurse her children, 1 Thess. 2. 7, 8. and speakes halfe-words, low doctrines to them, when he sees they are not gone beyond milk, nor come to the digestion of stron­ger meat. Yea, hee is so fervently affectionate to them, that hee is willing to have imparted to them, not the Gospel of God onely, but his owne [Page 83] soule. And hee addes the reason; Because they were deare unto him. Hence we learn, That it is the dearnesse of the flock, which is the maine spring that sets all on working. This is it which imparts the Gospel willingly, and not for constraint and lu­cre: This is it that makes a Teacher instant in sea­son, and our of season: Briefly this is it which makes him with pleasure to undergoe all labours, even from the watching of one houre, to the im­parting of his soule or life. So that if you exhort [Page 84] a Pastor to visit the sick, you exhort him but to one dutie; if you incite him also to comfort the weake-hearted, you invite him but to two; but if you could give him love, you give him a Spring and Incentive, that would move him to these, and all other good duties. And this love is taught by the highest Teacher: for hee is Love in the Fountaine, and all Love besides himselfe, is a streame of this Foun­taine.

But on the other side, where this Love is wan­ting, [Page 85] du [...]ies are not done at all, or they are done by pieces and starts; or they are done dully and cold­ly, and the doers of them are like the wheeles of Pharaohs chariots in the the red sea, they move verie heavily. The fire of love is out, by which being enflamed them­selves, they should im­part heat unto others; and the zeale is wanting, by which they should pro­voke many. They have not in them the affections of Fathers, and therefore their flocks appeare to them in the shape of [Page 86] bastards, and not of sons. Accordingly they often set them our, as some doe their base children to wanderers, and such as will take them best cheap: or if they give them any food, their hearts goe not with it, neither doe they care whether it doe them good, or they doe grow and prosper by it. And though perchance one of these may act the part of a Lover, yet commonly it will shew like an artifi­ciall Scene; that only be­ing for the most part pro­portionable, durable, and serious, which is naturall.

[Page 87] Therefore take such an one as Timothy, Phil. 2. 19, 20. that na­turally (and not artifici­ally) cares for the Church, and there is no artificiall man that is like minded to him: for he takes care not only for some pieces, but for the whole estate of the Church. And hee works not pieces of Gods worke, but the whole work of the Lord; yea, hee works it, 1 Cor. 16. 10. as St. Paul did; and how hee did it, wee have seene before. And if you will see the root of it, looke into his inside, and there you shall see the bowells of Phil. 1. 8. [Page 88] Christ Jesus. Phil. 1. 8. The bow­ells of Christ Jesus, that often would have gathe­red Jerusalem, as a hen gathereth her chicken: the bowells of Christ Je­sus, that accounted the gaine of soules to be his meat and drink: the bow­ells of Christ Jesus, that have in them the greatest love to the flocke: for greater love hath no man, than he that layeth down his life for his flocke. These bowells are in St. Paul: and therefore no wonder, if having recei­ved the bowells of Christ, by the spirit of [Page 89] Christ, hee walke in the steps of Christ, while he walketh by the same spi­rit of Christ.

Behold then here the most excellent way, even the way of love, which teacheth the Teacher, & directs him into all the wayes of profiting his flock. And this teaching love is it selfe taught by the highest Teacher, 1 Joh▪ 4. 16. whose name, and nature, & verie being is love; and by whom men are taught to love one another; He it was, that did put an earnest care of the Church 1 Thess. 4. 9. into the heart of Titus; & [Page 90] therefore hee it was also, 2 Cor. 8. 16. that did put the bowells of love into him, 2 Cor. 7. 15. from which issued this care. And if thou hast the same bowells, thy flocke will be thy children, and thou wilt be a father to them: in their reigning, thou shalt reigne; they will be thy joy and thy crowne now, and thy great rejoy­cing hereafter in the day of the Lord Jesus. Thou shalt come to him, and say; Behold, I and the children whom thou hast given me. And hee shall say to thee; Well done, good and faithfull ser­vant, [Page 91] because thou hast fed, and loved these my lambs, thou hast loved me; and because thou hast gained many, rule thou over many Cities.

BY that which hath been said it appeares, that there is a higher A­cademie as well as a low­er; and that the higher hath some excellencies a­bove the lower. True it [Page 92] is, that though there be a difference, yet there must not necessarily follow a division: yea, much ra­ther there should follow a conjunction; and hee that is in the lower, should strive to bee in both at once. And indeed this is a maine businesse of this worke, to con­joyne things which God hath not separated; and not to diminish, but to advance the lower, by lif­ting it up to the higher.

Now to ascend from the lower to the higher, there are certaine staires and steps, by which men [Page 93] usually goe up, and be­come Disciples and Pu­pills of the heavenly Teacher. A first step is that which should ever bee first in intention, though last in assecution; A right end. When wee come to God to bee taught, we must propose an end worthy of God; And surely none but God is an end worthy of God. A most perverse and base disorder it were, to make man the end of God; and much more confused and disorderly were it, to make God to serve man, in his service of some base [Page 94] lust: for then may he not only say, Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins; but, thou hast made me to serve thy sins. Thou put­test God below thy sins, and puttest thy sins to be thy gods. And how canst thou expect that God should by his teaching give thee an excellence above others, when thou by his owne gifts doest intend to put, either his creature which hee hath made, or sin which hee made not, above him; and him infinitely below himselfe. Wherefore let not ambition make [Page 95] Non co­gito in Ecclesia­sticis ho­noribus ventosa tempora transige­re; sed cogito me Principi Pastorum omnium rationem de com­missis ovi­bus reddi­turum. Aug. E­pist. 203.worldly pomp (which thou hast renounced in thy Baptisme) nor the pride of life, and out­ward preferment, thy end; but account and propose God himselfe before thee, as thy highest pre­ferment, exceeding great reward, and all-sufficient end. Neither make earth the end of Heaven, nor put the god Mammon in the place of the true God, neither seeke the gifts of his Spirit, that thou mayest make money of them. This is a right, and withall a most base sy­mony, and therefore pre­pare [Page 96] thy selfe to receive the answer which was made unto Simon thy fa­ther; Thou art in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquitie; and thou art verie unfit for a part and fellowship a­mong the Disciples of the heavenly Teacher. Know that this high A­cademie is not a place for Prentices, therein to learn a trade and occupation for worldly gaine; but the Teacher being the King of Heaven, hee tea­cheth his Schollers to be Kings; even first to seek, and at last to attaine an [Page 97] heavenly Kingdom. And earthly things are promi­sed to be given as atten­dants upon this heavenly Kingdome. Therefore as as the Heaven is high a­bove the earth, so let it be in thy thought and inten­tion: make God thy end, who makes Heaven by his presence to be Hea­ven. Desire his gifts, to glorifie the Giver by thē here, and to be glorified by him hereafter eternally in his heavenly Kingdom. But if thou make earth thy heaven, and this world thy god; this false heaven, and false god af­ter [Page 98] a while will forsake thee, and the true Hea­ven, and true GOD, whom thou hast despi­sed, will not receive thee. In the meane time expect no gift from God, except such as the Quailes, which perchance may bring some food to thy lust, but leannesse and judgement to thy soule. If with Ba­laam, thou lookest out for prophecies, that by them thou mightst gaine the wages of unrighte­ousnesse, though thou fall into a trance, and art en­lightened, to make others see by thy light; yet [Page 99] thou thy selfe art still a child of darknesse, and by thy light encreasest thy owne stripes; and being in the way of Balaam, art likely to come to his wayes end, even a death among the unrighteous.

Yea, seeke not the gifts themselves for them­selves, neither make them their owne end. It is a pleasant thing for the eye of the body to be­hold the light of the Sun; but to behold a spirituall light, which shineth from the highest light, is farre more pleasant to a spirit: yet must a reasonable spi­rit [Page 100] know, that to behold the highest Spirit him­selfe, is the highest plea­sure; and therefore these lower gifts of the Spirit are far more valuable, for shewing us by their light the way to the sight of the highest Spirit, than for the light it selfe by which they shew it.

Wherefore it remaines still, that God be propo­sed as the end of his gifts, whereof hee is the begin­ning. God was his owne end in the giving of them, and it is both thy dutie, wisedome, and benefit, to have the same end which [Page 101] he hath. If thou joyne with God in his end, it is most likely he will joyne with thee in the meanes, and in the increase of them toward his owne end. For God will not be wanting to his owne end, which were to bee wanting to himselfe. Therefore enlarge thy selfe as much as thou canst, in this intention of making God thy end, wherein the more thou increasest, the more it is likely he will increase his teaching of thee, and the degrees of his gifts in thee. And according to [Page 102] thy degrees of grace, shall be thy degrees in glorie: as thou hast sought him much in the gifts of his grace, so by them shalt thou find him much here, and much enjoy him hereafter in glorie.

HE that will ascend up to the heavenly Schoole, there to bee taught of God, must leave mans carnall wit and wisedome behind him, as Abraham left his Asses at [Page 103] the foot of the mount. The wisedome of man, saith St. Paul, is foolish­nesse before God; and the naturall man discer­neth not the things of God: therefore if thou endevourest by thy na­turall wit to discerne the things of God, thy labor is employed rather not to discerne them: thou mayest perchance conceive, and after per­ceive, bastard, mis-begot­ten, and false shapes of them; but the things themselves, in their true shapes, thou doest not see and perceive. The car­nall [Page 104] wit seeth the shapes which it selfe puts upon spirituall things, and not what they themselves do beare, and indeed appeare in, to a spirituall eye. And surely if mans wit see, and by seeing teach it selfe truly the things of God, what need were there of an heavenly Tea­cher? But because thou art naturally blind to the things of God, and they are onely spiritually to bee discerned, therefore must thou goe up to a spirit, to give thee a spi­rituall eye-sight, that so thou mayest spiritually [Page 105] discerne them. And when thou goest up, to get a spirituall mind of the great Father of Spirits▪ remember to put off thy carnall wit and wisdome, which must be stript off before thou canst put on the other. The keeping of thy naturall and carnall wit, is the keeping of thy folly; and this folly will cast her owne colour on the things of God, and make them seeme folly to thee, or onely wise in that colour which that casts upon them. And this is a reason why the greatest wits doe stumble [Page 106] so often at the wisedome of God, upon which they behold the shape of folly, of their owne setting on; and why they fall into er­rours, thinking to mend Gods wisedome by their wits; and why them­selves, though professing themselves wise, yet re­maine fooles; even be­cause they think and pro­fesse themselves to bee wise. While they think their owne wits to be fit instruments for the dis­cerning of Gods wise­dome, they not finding his, wisedome to be wise­dome by their wits, they [Page 107] censure it to bee folly; and therefore goe about to correct it, which is in­deed to pervert it. In the meane time it is the grea­test folly, which puts the shape and title of folly upon the greatest wise­dome, and goes about to amend wisedome with folly. And thus are these wise men taken in their owne wisedome; for their owne wisedome be­comes a snare to them, and makes them first, and after takes them as fooles. Yea, miserie and folly are met together in them, and that in a highest degree, [Page 108] while they see not, but censure and reject the most wise mysteries of God, which offer and present to them salvation, and eternall felicitie.

Therefore let the hea­venly Scholler put off his owne earthly and carnall wisedome, and goe up to God for a new Principle, even a new mind, by which hee may truly see and know the things of God. The new world of Divinitie must be begun in a man, as God began the old world, it must have nothing for a foun­dation; and when man [Page 109] is nothing in himselfe, then God will begin to create, and make him something. This is that which St. Paul saith: Let him bee a foole, that hee may be wise. For indeed, that which thou thinkest to be thy wisedome, thou must put off, and make it vanish into nothing, being a foole in regard of that wisedome; and so thou shalt be made wise in the true wisedome. But this is not perfected at once. Therefore, as at thy first entrance into the heaven­ly Academie, thou must begin a deniall, and anni­hilation [Page 110] of thy owne wit and wisedome, so after thou art entred, thou must strive to continue and in­crease this deniall: for though thou doe in will and purpose put it off, and deny it wholly at first; yet in act it is not wholly put off, it being part of the remaining body of sin, which hangeth so fast on, that it cannot wholly bee put off, untill man be dis­solved. But thou must strive to get ground of it while thou livest; and the greater thy naturall wit is, the more must thou strive. For the greater it [Page 111] is, the more apt will it be to see reasons by it selfe, and without Gods teach­ing, which will fall out too often to bee reasons against Gods reasons, and wit against Gods wise­dome. And the admission of humane wit, against Gods wisedome, by some great wits, (that per­chance first in purpose or profession submitted to the wisedome of God) hath beene the cause of many dangerous errours in the Church. I say, A mixture of mans wit with the Divine Word, hath bred Mules in Divinitie, [Page 112] even confused, foolish, and mishapen errours. But let the learner in this high Academie lay aside his owne sight, which is blind­nesse, and get from his Teacher that eye-salve, which may give him spi­rituall discerning. Let him keep his wit in a per­petuall captivitie, and pas­sivenesse to the Spirit of God; and beware that by no meanes hee make that portion of Spirit which is in him, to suffer under the activitie of his owne carnall wit. But having received an eye from God, let him see [Page 113] Gods matters with Gods eye, and so shall hee keep himselfe safe from error, and shall bee led into the truth. For a mind given of God, doth approve onely the truth of God. And though in this life of imperfection, no man have so much spirituall light, as to discerne all truth; yet the spiritu­all light, which every spi­rituall man that is taught of God receiveth, is suf­ficient for the discoverie, or discerning of so much truth, as may lead him like a streame to the O­cean and fulnesse of truth [Page 114] and blessednesse. And for a preparation toward this fulnesse, let him work out, and endevour to perfect his owne emptinesse: for the more degrees hee gaines of this emptinesse, the more degrees shall he receive of Gods fulnesse; even of his teaching grace here, and his crow­ning grace for ever here­after.

LIkenesse drawes love, and love causeth a [Page 115] communication of coun­sells: yea, love it selfe is a likenesse to him who is Love, and thus love from love drawes a partaking of secrets: when the heart and wayes of man are In quan­tum ad puritatem conscien­tiae perve­nit, quan­tumcun­que vo­luntatem suam mor­tificando animae conjun­xit, seque vnū cum Deo fecit, in tantum spiritualia cognoscit, & Dei vo­luntatem intelligit. Rich. de Sanct. Vict. in Cantic. cap 7. a­greeable to Gods heart, then the heart of God is (as it were) great with that affection which longs to communicate. Shall I hide the thing that I doe from Abraham (saith the Lord) seeing Abraham both keepes the wayes of the Lord, and will teach his children to keep it? The Psalmist also profes­seth, that hee got many [Page 116] degrees of wisedome, by his walking with God in the Lawes of God, even by the conformitie of his heart and wayes to the heart and will of God. Thereby (saith hee) I am wiser than mine enemies, wiser than old men; yea, wiser than my Teachers. No doubt he had obtai­ned his prayer of God; Lighten mine eyes, and I shall see wonderfull things in thy Law.

And as likenesse is it selfe a reason, that moves God to be thy Teacher, so it carries with it a se­cond reason: Where is [Page 117] likenesse and conformitie to God, there is also a covenant with God: where the Law of God is so written in the heart, that by this writing the heart is framed accor­ding to Gods heart, Jerem. 31. 33, 34. there is covenant be­tweene God that wrote this Law, and him in in whom it is written. God is his Pater vos non docuit, quo modo potestis me agno­scere? o­mnes re­gni illius homines docibiles Dei erunt, non ab hominibus audi­ent; Et si ab hominibus audiunt, tamen quod intelligunt, intus datur, intus coruscat, intus revelatur. Aug. in Ioan. 6. Tract. 26. Father and Teacher, and he is Gods Son and Disciple. Hee saith plainly, thou art his son, and hee saith truely, [Page 118] (his promises are Yea & Gal. 4. 7, 24. Amen) that thou art his Disciple, Esa. 54. 13. for he pro­miseth, that thou shalt be Joh. 6. 45. taught of God. And Da­vid upon triall, acknow­ledgeth the truth of this teaching, when hee saith; The secret of the Lord is Psal. 25. 14. with them that feare him; and his covenant, to make them to know it. Hee hath not onely made a covenant with them, but hee makes them to know it; he doth both give it, and teach it.

Thirdly, there is a friendship between those that are conformed unto [Page 119] God, and God to whom they are conformed. A­braham, the father of the faithfull, was called the friend of God; and the faithfull children of A­braham are also called his friends. God is no com­plementer, and therefore if hee allow them the terme, hee allowes them also the truth of this friendship. Joh. 15. 15. Yee are my friends (saith our Savi­our) if yee doe whatsoe­ver I command you. Now wee know that a friend will tell a friend his counsells. So saith our Saviour, Because yee are [Page 120] my friends, therefore whatsover I have heard of the Father, I make knowne unto you.

Fourthly, there is a marriage between Christ and his Church, the Church in this marriage is one spirit with him, as in naturall marriages two are one flesh. And if there be such a marriage, there is also a marriage-love betweene them. Now marriage-love doth communicate counsells: and it is so hard, if not im­possible, for marriage-love to deny such a com­munication, that the wo­man [Page 121] who could onely make her challenge upon a counterfeit shape of marriage, yet thinks it fit to object this question: How canst thou say that thou lovest me, when thy heart is not with mee? And why is not his heart with her; Because hee doth not tell her his counsells? even such counsells, as being told, may endanger his libertie and life. But Christ, the best husband, having gi­ven his life for his Spouse, and himselfe to his Spouse in a sacred union, how shall hee not [Page 122] with his life and himselfe give her his counsells al­so? It is his owne word: If the wives be ignorant or doubtfull, let them aske their husbands. Herein hee implyeth, That if the wives doe ask their husbands, they be­ing asked should be wil­ling to reach their wives. Surely, if Christ require this willingnesse to teach in lower and meaner hus­bands, whose knowledge, yea whose love cannot be here in perfection, will not this husband, who is light it selfe and love it selfe, teach his owne wife [Page 123] by this most perfect light, and from this most perfect love? Yea cer­tainely, in the bed of love he will not onely tell her the words of his coun­sells; 1 Joh. 2. 20, 27. but by a sacred un­ction (being one spirit with her) hee will make her to see the counsells of his words: hee will give her an inward and spiri­tuall eye, to see the in­ward riches and realities of his counsells. So that whereas the world can­not see the wisedome of God, and the precious things contained in it, for the mysterie; the Spouse [Page 124] by this new light, loo­king within the veile of Ephes. 1. 18, 19. the mysterie, shall see the wisedome of God, and most excellent treasures contained in it, presented and offered by it.

Wherefore that God in Christ may bee thy Teacher, study this con­formitie to God, which by likenesse, by covenant, by friendship, by marri­age-love, may draw him to teach thee: And first put off the old man, cor­rupt with deceivable lusts, which cause in thee a deformitie, yea, an en­mitie against God. The [Page 125] uncircumcision of the flesh hath in it a contrari­etie to God and his wise­dome, and makes thee ad­verse to Gods teaching, and God unwilling to teach thee. It is also a veile upon the eye of thy soule, & hides thy sight from his light, & his light from thy sight. And un­till a spirituall circumcisi­on doe take off this veile, thou art in the schoole of the Prince of darknesse, and art not yet teachable by the Father of lights. But if this veile of the old man be first removed by mortification, & thou [Page 126] shalt in the second place put on the new man, wherein is the image of God (light agreeable to his light, and a love of him who is Love, and of that which hee loves) then God will delight in thee, as a father in the son that resembles him; and as a father his son, he will de­light to teach and nurture thee. If thou keep this image cleare, that God may see his face in it, he will therein also see his covenant, and seeing his covenant, hee will take thee for his friend, yea, for his spouse; and by all [Page 127] these, as by so many cords of love, hee will be drawne to teach thee. Being thus pure in heart, thou shalt see God: thou shalt see him here guiding and teaching thee, and hereafter in presentiall vi­sion eternally blessing thee.

HEE that will bee taught of God, must [Page 128] come Deus Trinitas, Pater, & Filius, & Spiritus sanctus veniunt ad nos, dum veni­mus ad eos. Veni­unt subve­niendo, venimus obedien­do; veni­unt illu­minando, venimus in [...]uendo; veniunt implendo, venimus capiendo, ut sit no­bis non extraria visio sed interna: & in no­bis eorum non transitoria mansio, sed aeterna. Aug. in Ioan. Tract. 76. diligently to his Teacher, and meet him, where & when he useth to teach. Now he teacheth both publikely in the great Assemblies, and pri­vately in the little Tem­ples and Sanctuaries. In the great Congregation his Spirit meets thee in the ministerie of the Word, and in the seales of that Word, and offers to write that Word in thy heart; so that thou mayst see it plainly to be the wisedome of God, and mayst see in it the [Page 129] wonderfull things of God. Thou shalt see in the Word, Gal. 3. 1. the mysteries which hee teacheth thee; yea, thine eyes in it shall see Sermo­nem con­stituens vivificato­rem, quia spiritus & vita sermo, eundem etiam carnem suam di­xit; quia & sermo caro erat factus; proinde in causam vitae appetendus, & devorandus auditur, & ruminandus intellectu, & side di­gerendus. Tertull. de Resurrect. carn. cap. 37. Quibus tantum manifesta facta est passio e­jus me praedicante, ut eum ante oculos ve­stros pendere putaretis. Primas. in Gal. 3. Hoc quod modo loquimur carnes sunt verbi Dei, &c. Ubi enim mysticus Sermo, ubi dogmati­cus & Trinitatis side repletus profertur ac so­lidus, &c. haec omnia carnes sunt verbi Dei. Origen. Homil. in Num. 23. Illuxit ergo in cordibus nostris, ut & nos luceamus vobis, ad hoc ut percipiatis illuminationem scientiae claritatis Dei, in facie, id est, cognitione Jesu Christi; quia per faciem unusquisque cogno­scitur. Anselm. in 2 Cor. 4. the Teacher him­selfe; for therein shalt [Page 130] thou see Christ lively set forth, and offering his flesh, his humani­tie, yea himselfe, both God and man, unto thee. Such sights mayst thou see in this great Schoole of God, being enlighte­ned and taught by his Spirit, which Spirit is a companion of the Word, by the vertue of the New Covenant; and by this Covenant we may claime and expect it from God. Therefore is the New Covenant called, The Ministerie of the Spirit, in an excellencie above the Law, which was called, [Page 131] The Ministerie of the Letter. And it is such indeed as it is called: for while St. Peter taught the word to Cornelius and his friends, the Spirit accom­panied the Word, and fell on them that heard it. St. Paul also calls up the experience of the Gala­tians for a witnesse of this truth; Gal. 3. Received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith prea­ched? And indeed if this truth thus covenan­ted by God, and actually made good by him, were accordingly beleeved, re­sted [Page 132] on, thirsted after, and expected, God should bee more often heard speaking spirit and life with his Word, in the in­ward eare; and the Word should not dye so often in the outward eare, or carnall heart for want of this Spirit. It is an unva­luable losse, that men doe so much divide the out­ward Teacher from the inward, & rest on the for­mer, without respect to the latter. Whereas when wee goe to the outward Teacher, which is man, wee should set our eyes and hearts chiefly on the [Page 133] inward Teacher, which is God: wee should chal­lenge him upon his cove­nant and promise, saying and praying; Remember thy promise to thy ser­vant, wherein thou hast made him to hope. And therefore speake Lord, that thy servant may heare; for without thy speaking, thy servant cannot heare. Hee may heare the outward Possunt quidem verba so­nare, sed spiritum non con­ferunt: pulcherrimè dicunt, sed te tacente cor non accendunt. Literas tradunt, sed tu sensum aperis. Mysteria proferunt, sed ture­seras intellectum signatorum. Mandata edi­cunt, sed tu juvas ad persiciendum. Thom. Camp. De lmit. Christ. lib. 3. cap. 2. sound of the Word in his eare: [Page 134] but he cannot heare the inward sense and power in his heart. The out­ward Israel had seene the great wonders of God upon Aegypt, they heard the thunders on mount Sinai; Deut. 29. 1, 2, 3. yet neither did they see those wonders, nor heare those thunders. And Moses tells them how it came to passe, when hee saith; The Lord hath not given you eyes to see, and eares to heare untill this day. They thought their own eyes sufficient to see, Esa. 42. 19, 20. and their own eares to heare; and resting in this insuffi­cient [Page 135] sufficiencie, God left them to it; and so they did neither see nor heare: for Gods works, wonders, and voyce, can onely kindly and truely bee seene and heard, by eyes and eares given of God from Heaven.

Know therefore thy owne insufficiencie, yea, the insufficiencie of the best Teacher in the world (for who is sufficient for these things?) to teach thee inwardly, what hee teacheth thee outwardly; 2 Cor. 2. 16. and know that the suffici­encie 2 Cor. 3. 5, 6. of inward teaching comes onely from God.

[Page 136] Therefore while thy out­ward eare expects the outward word of the outward Teacher, let thy inward eare expect the inward teaching of the inward and highest Teacher. 1 Cor. 3. 6, 7. For Intuere quam cautè il­lum de se humilia sentire moneat. Non ait, Ne fortè possis: sed quid? Ne fortè det illi Deus resipiscere; ut si quid fiat, ad Dominum cuncta referantur. Tu plantas, tu rigas, Ille seminat, & fructus parere facit, atque ad Incrementum perducit: Nunquam igitur ita simus affecti, ac si ipsi cuiquam persuaserimus, etiamsi ille nobis obaudiat; sed ad Deum referamus omnia. Chrysost. in 2 Tim. 2. thus on­ly may the planting, though of Paul himselfe; and the watering, though of Apollos, be made some­thing, even when God gives an increase, which [Page 137] otherwise are nothing. And being thus inwardly taught to profit and in­crease, thou art taught ac­cording to the New Co­venant; for thou art taught of God. Come therefore diligently to this schoole of his, where hee useth thus to teach, beleeve his Covenant, and take it by beleeving.

And secondly, That thou mayest the better beleeve and take it, hee hath given thee seales of the New Covenant, by which the New Cove­nant is presented unto thy faith, sealed and con­firmed. [Page 138] By this confir­mation and sealing, thy faith should be increased, and by the increase of thy faith, thy union with Christ Jesus, the Media­tour of the New Cove­nant, will bee increased; and by the increase of this Union there will bee an increase of the Spirit (the promise of the New Covenant) which know­eth the things of God, and which will shew them more unto thee, the more it is in thee. When thou wast baptized into Christ, thou didst put on Christ; and when thou [Page 139] eatest the spirituall meat, and drinkest the spirituall drinke in the Eucharist, thou doest put him on more and more. Thy be­ing in Christ, even thy new being, which thou receivedst before, thou doest now feed and nou­rish, and bring forth into manhood. And as thou growest into manhood, thou knowest by the A­postles reason, Heb. 5. 12, &c. thou art enabled to grow in know­ledge, to be more skilfull in the word of righteous­nesse, better to discerne good & evill, & to digest the stronger meat of di­vine [Page 140] mysteries. As wee grow up in our stature in Christ Jesus toward a perfect man, we leave our childish knowledge be­hind, Ephes. 4. 14. and grow up to him in all things (& therefore in knowledge) which is the head, even Christ. The head is Wisedome it selfe, and they that grow in him growe [...]n wisdome, and still take higher de­grees in the heavenly Schoole, under this high­est and most heavenly Teacher.

Thirdly, seeing God teacheth thee by his Spi­rit, and he is the Giver of [Page 141] the Spirit, by which hee teacheth thee; goe to the Giver himselfe for this gift. Goe to him by prayer, and goe to him publikely in the house of prayer, and there joyne with the Church in pray­er, for the Spirit which hee hath promised to his Church. The uniting of many hearts and voyces in one petition, makes it the stronger and more powerfull with God. And it may well be, that when thou joynest with the Congregation in prayer, thou mayst joyne with some, who shall not [Page 142] only double the strength of thy prayer, by an e­quall strength of Spirit added to thine, but by a double portion of Spirit, exceeding thine. And so by this joyning of stocks in publike prayer, thou mayest bee a double gai­ner, both while thou art a partaker of many pray­ers, and while thou art partaker of some more powerful than thine own. And indeed Christ would not have spoken of two or three gathered toge­ther in his Name, except there had beene some be­nefit and advantage in this [Page 143] gathering together, and in two or three above one. Therefore let us especi­ally expect him as hee hath promised, to be pre­sent where two or three are gathered together. Now wee know that Christ is present with his Church by his Spirit, even that Comforter which leadeth into all truth. Acts 4. 31. And accordingly wee find, that when the Church was united in prayer, they were filled with the Holy Ghost. And because Christ is present with his Church by this Spirit, to the end [Page 144] of the world, illumina­ting and teaching both Pastours and people; our Church prayeth for the Pastours, That God would illuminate them with true understanding and knowledge of his Word: and for the peo­ple, That God, who taught the hearts of faith­full people, by the light of the Holy Spirit, may give us by the same Spirit, to have a right judgement in all things. Joyne then with the Church, in the offering up, and receiving downe of such petitions; and doe not by dividing [Page 145] thy selfe from the offe­ring, divide thy selfe also from the receiving. But for so precious a gift as the Spirit, make thy pray­er as powerfull as thou canst; and more power­full mayst thou make it, if thou get more power joyned together by a Communion of Saints.

Seeke God also by pri­vate prayer for this gift of the Spirit, which Christ himselfe hath taught, yea proved by undeniable arguments, Luk. 11. 13. that God will give to them that aske it. And the experimentall truth [Page 146] of this saying of our Sa­viour, many excellent Saints have found and ac­knowledged, professing that they received some­times by prayer more light for the clearing of darke places, than by stu­dy and reading. Oremus Dominū,—ut in Spiritu Sancto conside­rantes quae per Spiritum scripta sunt, & spiritalibus spiritalia comparantes, dignè Deo, & Sancto Spiritui qui haec inspiravit quae scripta sunt, explice­mus. Orig. sup. Numer. Homil. 16. Et nunc & semper adhibendus sit Spiritus, per quem so­lum Deus & intelligitur, & exponitur, & auditur. Greg Naz. Orat. 21. Assit Domi­nus; assit & viribus & mentibus nostris. Aug. in Psal. 147. At tu votis & precibus tibi ante omnia lucis portas aperiri opta. Neque enim ab aliquibus perspiciuntur atque intelligun­tur, praeterquam si cui Deus & Christus ejus concesserint intelligentiam. Iustin. Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. And therefore wee shall find [Page 147] that the Fathers in their Homilies and Expositi­ons, doe often interrupt their preaching with praying; and in prayer seeke to bee enabled by the Spirit for preaching. Matth. 22. 22. But come to God with faith; for the promise runs thus, That whatsoe­ver we aske beleeving, we shall receive: Come also with fervencie; for Christ hath taught us, Luk. 11. 8. That what friendship cannot doe, yet importunitie may ob­taine: And it hath beene tried by the Canaanitish woman, and many others since her time, That [Page 148] where a denial will not be taken for an answer, there the answer hath been tur­ned into grant. And the more to encourage us to importunitie, for the ob­taining of this grant of the Spirit, let us take no­tice first, That God doth chiefly like those prayers that are made for the Spi­rit. God is a Spirit, and as, because hee is a Spirit, hee likes best that wor­ship, and those prayers, which are made by the Spirit, so doth he highly love those Prayers which pray for the Spirit, by which such agreeable and [Page 149] acceptable prayers are made. Secondly, God hath abundance of Spirit, and this abundance and fulnesse of Spirit hath he delivered over to his son Christ Jesus, whose hu­manitie is Uber Deitatis, The Brest of the Deitie. And as wee all must re­ceive from the fulnesse of this Brest, so this Brest being full, is most apt to give, and therefore most willing to meet with those, that are most desi­rous, and thirstie to re­ceive. It delights to bee drawne, yea, to be pressed by importunitie, and is [Page 150] not onely pleased, but (as it were) eased, when hee meets with an hungrie soule, and a mouth ope­ned wide, that hee may fill it.

Lastly, joyne Legendo & rumi­nando, si e­tiam purè Dominū largito­rem bono­rum om­nium de­preceris, omnia quae cog­nitione digna sunt, aut certè plu­rima, ipso magis in­spirante, quam ho­minum a­liquo commo­nente, perdisces. Aug. Ep. 120. medi­tations with thy prayers. As prayers sometimes do kindle thy meditations, so sometimes meditations may kindle thy prayers. While I mused (saith the Psalmist) my heart wax­ed hot: For meditation doth stir, and blow away the ashes, even earthly and carnall thoughts, and kindles the fire of the Spirit. The soule of a [Page 151] Saint is a little Sanctua­rie, or Temple, where God dwells by his Spi­rit; and this Spirit being sought to in this Temple by the servants of God, hath given them many times divine answers and resolutions. So hath this little Temple beene tur­ned into a Schoole, where the soules of men enligh­tened have seen more than seven men upon the Watch-Tower of hu­mane speculation. And when thou goest to this Schoole, let meditation purge thy soule from car­nall drossinesse, and fire it [Page 152] into a spirituall puritie. Let this spirituall fire burne away that corpore­all grossenesse, which en­tertaines and makes Beata anima, quae est instar do­mus Jaco­bi, in quâ nulla simulachra, nulla effigies vanitatis. Ambr. de Fuga Seculi, cap. 5. Quante fois qu'il se resouviendra de Dieu autant de fois estant libre & deschargé de formes de toutes crea­tures, il pourra legerement monter, au Coeur Haut, comme la Meiche d'une chandelle en­cores fumante, quand elle est presentee au dessous de celle qui est allumee, la flamme descendant incontinent au long de la fumee, s'attache a la Meiche encores tiede, & l'allu­me. Harph. Theol. Myst. lib. 3. part. 2. chap. 9. Sentio per occultas gratiae rimulas, quia ta­lis, & talis est anima tibi intimè unita; & sie ei locutus es. Illa tacer ab omnibus sensibili­bus, & tu loqueris ei in Spiritu de invisibili­bus. T. Camp. Solil cap. 10. Eripe distractum & captivum animum ab omnibꝰ concupiscen­tiis & corporalibus imaginibus, ut teipsum in meipso illuminata ratione inveniam, qui me ad tuam pretiosam & incorruptibilem fe­cisti imaginem. Idem de Discip. Claustr. l. 4. c. 3. car­nall [Page 153] and bodily images. Let the glasse of thy soule bee cleansed, and made spiritually pure, that it may be fit to entertaine a pure spirit, and those spi­rituall sights, which the Spirit shall present unto it. And being thus pure in heart, thou shalt see God in thy soule. Hee who is light shall shine into thy soule, and by this light the face of thy soule shall shine, as the face of Moses on the mount. In his light thou shalt see light, and by this light shalt thou see that which all the naturall light in the [Page 154] world cannot shew thee. God who commanded light to shine out of dark­nesse, will give thee the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And when the light of this knowledge doth appeare, then know that thy Tea­cher is neare. Then stand on thy Watch-Tower, and heare what hee tea­cheth thee, and see what hee sheweth thee. A les­son of this Si tam magnum est, tam (que) jucundum (ut exper­ta loqua [...]) spiritales viros audi­re, & do­ctos adeo Doctores Veritatis habere, quantò majus, quantóque jucundius ab ipso Deo quotidie discere, quotidie didi­cisse? Beatus homo quem tu erudieris, Do­mine, & de Lege tua docueris eum. Rich. de Sanct. Vict. Serm. de Spiritu Sancto. Teacher, and [Page 155] of this teaching is the best learning, and makes the best Schollers, be­cause taught in Gods, that is, in the best Academie. Yea, sometimes in a mi­nute thou shalt see that by this teaching, which thou canst not attaine in many yeares by humane teaching, or thy owne study, labour, and indu­strie. Therefore whatso­ever time thou bestowest in study, be sure to set a­part some time, wherein to study the Holy Ghost, who sitting in his chaire of grace, teacheth his Schollers inwardly to see [Page 156] those divine and heaven­ly truths, which may ad­vance thee in the way to heavenly glorie.

THe excellencie, ne­cessitie, and utilitie of the Heavenly Acade­mie being discovered and seene, the judgement is easily led to give sen­tence, That it is good for us to be there. And it is a good ambition, not to stint & stop our selves in the lower Academie, but [Page 157] to ascēd by it to the high­er. It is a good ambition, because a spirituall one, which desires to get up to the highest Teacher, who is also the highest Spirit, and who alone tea­cheth his Schollers to see spirituall truths, with a spirituall eye. Yea, hee not onely makes the eye to see spirituall things, but gives to his Disciples the excellent spirituall things which they see: And then also by giving them to be tasted and en­joyed, they are yet bet­ter knowne and seene, even so seene as no man [Page 158] can see, but hee that hath them, and hath tasted them. Hee also teacheth his Schollers to bee the best Teachers; and which is best of all, he teacheth them to attaine a King­dome; and which is the Crowne of this King­dome, to see the Teacher himselfe in a beatificall and eternall vision.

Strive therefore to get up to this Heavenly Aca­demie, and as seriously as thou intendest it, so dili­gently use the meanes that advance thee to it, and in it. Let him who is thy Beginning be also thy [Page 159] End; and propose not thy selfe as thy own end, much lesse that which is inferiour to thee; neither make base creatures the end of thy selfe, and of thy highest Creator, and heavenly Teacher. Get out also from thine owne wisedome (a verie bad Teacher of heavenly things) and give thy selfe wholly from it, unto that Teacher who is Wise­dome it selfe. And that thy heavenly Teacher may delight to teach thee, get and encrease that likenesse to him, and con­formitie with him, which [Page 160] may make a love and friendship betweene him and thee. Come often to his Schoole, and wheresoever thou hast newes of his teaching, there desire to meet him with thy learning. Though Martha bee troubled with many things, many businesses, yea, many humane Tea­chers; yet with Marie doe thou chuse the better part, and desire to sit at the feet of thy heavenly Teacher. And if any thing hinder thee for a while (for sometimes the the gathering of fruit [Page 161] may deferre the dressing of the root) yet returne eftsoones to thy Teacher, and meet him in some of his Schooles. And what­soever hinder thee, take heed that it bee not care­lesnesse of thy Teacher, nor a fulnesse of his tea­ching; for if thus thou withdraw thy selfe from him, thou wilt fall back in thy learning, and not be­ing watered by the dew of his teaching, thou wilt grow drie in the root, and therefore must needs wi­ther and decay in thy fruits.

But that thou mayest [Page 162] not be mistaken, concer­ning the true heavenly teaching, nor the use of it, take with thee some cautions. First, do not mi­stake a teaching of thine owne for an heavenly tea­ching; neither set thine owne imagination in the Celestiall Chaire. This hath mis-led many into many and great errours, whiles being taught by the strength of their own imaginations, they have thought themselves to be taught of God. And in­deed many times, as er­rours do thus come from the strength of humane [Page 163] apprehension, so their prosecution doth savour of this strength, and shewes from whence they come; for too often opinions are headily nur­sed into schismes and di­visions, as they were hea­dily brought forth; Jam. [...]. 13, 15. the same flesh that was the mother, being also the nurse. But the wisdome from above being first pure, and then peaceable, Vers. 17. such are they also, who are kindly taught by that wisdome. Wherefore to trie thy teaching, whe­ther it bee of God, first try whether it bee pure, [Page 162] [...] [Page 163] [...] [Page 164] that is, agreeable to the Word, Psal. 12. 6. which (the Psal­mist saith) is pure. Esa. 8. 20. For if it agree not with the te­nour and frame of this Word, there is no true and kindly light in it. Marke also and consider, whether it doe not savour of love, and agree with that meeke and quiet spi­rit, which of God is much esteemed. 1 Thess. 4. 9. For the right Disciples of God are taught to love, Rom. 14. 17, 18, 19. and the God of peace doth fill them with the peace of God. 1 Thess. 5. 23. True it is, 2 Cor. 13. 11. that if by the evident light of the Word, 2 Thess. 3. 16. there is some­what [Page 165] discovered that beares the true shape of the doctrine of the Nico­laitans, and thou seest that God hates it, this mayest thou also hate: but even the desire and love of peace must not goe out of thy heart; yea, the love of peace must manage thy warre with errour, and even by op­pugning it, thou must fol­low peace and ensue it. And still take heed that thou doe not make little errours great, nor con­demne the wheat for the tares, nor seeke to amend lesser errours by a greater [Page 166] fault of schisme and divi­sion.

Secondly judge right­ly of thy owne measure, and measure thy selfe rightly by it. And when thou hast first measured thy selfe aright, then also measure thy actions and undertakings by it. St. Paul will have everie man to keep in, Rom. 12. 3. and bound his thoughts concerning himself, by the measure of faith given him of God. Strive what thou canst to increase thy measure, yet use it as it is, and neither thinke of thy abilitie be­yond that which it is, nor [Page 167] thinke to produce effects beyond the cause; which is indeed to make some­thing out of nothing. Make use of that which thou hast, which will not onely increase the fruits of thy gift, but increase the gift it selfe, and turne two talents into foure. But if thou goest beyond thy gift, in thy opinion of it, thou goest from truth into errour, from sobrie­tie into presumption and pride. If thou goe be­yond thy gift in thy pra­ctice, thou goest beyond strength to weaknesse, be­yond that which is, to [Page 168] that which is not, and doest not advance, but lessen thy owne end. For beyond thy sight thou canst not see; neither canst thou finish the house, for the building whereof thou hast not the costs. In the meane time, if thou have a willing mind, God accepts thy doing out of that which thou hast, and expects it not out of that which thou hast not. And if thou bee faithfull in that (though little) which thou hast, God will make thee Ruler o­ver much. It hath beene a fault in divers, though [Page 169] well-meaning soules, sometimes to undertake that which they are not enabled to effect; some­times to condemne that which they are not ena­bled to comprehend; and sometimes to approve what they doe not attaine and understand. Job 42. 3. I utte­red, saith Iob, that I un­derstood not, things too wonderfull for me, which I knew not: but Iob be­ing taught by God, lear­ned a remedie for this disease, even a cure by contraries; a cure of inor­dinate speech, by an or­derly silence. Job 40. 5. Once have [Page 170] I spoken, but I will not answer: yea twice, but I will proceed no further. Therefore if something bee revealed to a second, 1 Cor. 14. 30. which was not to the first, let the first hold his peace. Silence is his first part, who sees not what he should say, and hearing his second. Phil. 3. 15, 16. Therefore according to that which wee have attained, let us walke and speake; and leave that to which wee have not attained, to those that have, untill God shall reveale it. And let those that have a grea­ter measure, help those [Page 171] that have the lesser, not despising their lesser mea­sure, because it is lesser; but even therefore strive to increase it. 2 Cor. 8. 14. For thus, in some sort, that equalitie of Manna may bee kept, while the abundance of one supplyes the want of another, and the lesser is filled up by the grea­ter. And let the greater know, that to whom much is given, of him much shall be required; and if a man have recei­ved five talents, the pro­portion of gaine retur­ned, is expressed to bee five; and not two, as for [Page 172] two. And if thou hast gained many, thou shalt rule over many Cities.

Thirdly, (as before of the measure so now) judge aright of the kind of thy gift. True it is, that all those that are taught of God according to the promise of the New Covenant, are all taught the Law of faith, and the Law of love. They shall all know me, Ier. 31. 34. saith the Lord, Joh. 6. 45, 47. from the greatest to the least; Joh. 17. 2, 3. e­ven according to that knowledge which is life eternall. And this must needs bee the knowledge [Page 173] of faith; Eph. 2. 8. 1 Thess. 4. 9. for by faith are we saved, even that faith which is the gift of God. Joh. 13. 34, 35. The Disciples of God are also taught to love one another; and by this love are they knowne to be Disciples. And thus by faith have they unitie with the Head, and by love with the Body. Yet is it also true, that the Spirit which gives the light of faith, gives also to divers of the Faithfull divers other powers and operations of light. To one is given wisdome to governe; to another, judgement to decide con­troversies, [Page 174] doubts, and difficulties; to another, a sharp sight of secrets and mysteries. One ex­cells in contemplative a­bilitie, another in practi­call. One knowes best how to give advice, ano­ther knowes better how to obey and follow. Let everie man therefore find out his different abilitie and excellencie, and with his greatest abilitie let him make his greatest traffick. As everie man hath received the gift, so let him exercise and di­spence it, as a good Stew­ard of the manifold grace [Page 175] of God. 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11. The grace of God is therefore divers and manifold in many, that in many his manifold grace may more evident­ly & gloriously appeare; and that each having need of other, Sermo divinus humanam naturam supergre­ditur, nec potest to­tum & perfectū anima concipe­re. Iccir­co & tan­tus est nu­merus Prophetarum, ut multiplex divina sa­pientia per multos distribuatur. Unde & ta­cere praecipitur primo in prophetia loquenti, si secundo fuerit revelarum. Firmil. apud Cyp. Epist. 75. there may be a mutuall help from each to other, as from the members of one body. Therefore if thou art a foot, doe not strive to doe the work of an hand, but help the worke of an hand, if thou mayest by [Page 176] the worke of a foot. For a foot may indeed thus have a part in the worke of an hand, while in the worke of a foot it sup­ports and carries the hand to the worke of an hand. Bee then chiefly tha [...] which God would have thee to be; and what by his gift hee hath shewed thee thou shouldest bee. Keep thou especially in thine owne line, neither trouble thy selfe (much lesse boast) for the line of another. When Christ speakes to thee to follow him one way, thou maiest not with Peter make [Page 177] quarrells and questions concerning Iohns other way; for so mayest thou receive Peters answer from the Master: What is that to thee? follow thou mee. It is the Ma­sters part to allot the way and worke of his Disciples; and therefore let both Peter and Iohn walke that different way, to which their Master hath differently directed them. A contrarie course is a meere confusion, and therefore agrees not with him, who is the God of order, and not of confusi­on. And as it brings all [Page 178] out of order, so it brings all to nothing. For while that gift is neglected, by which some good may be done, and that gift is affe­cted, by which (not being attained) no good can be done; Gods work is ei­ther undone, or ill done. Therefore use thine own gift, according to the will of the Giver, and so shall it goe on in the right way, to thy brothers profit, thine owne re­ward, and thy Lords glorie.

Lastly, for thy hea­venly teaching, and all the knowledge taught by [Page 179] it, take no glorie to thy selfe, but give it whole and entire to thy heaven­ly Teacher. If flesh and bloud have not taught thee, but the Father in Heaven, let not flesh and bloud, but the Father in Heaven, have all the glo­rie of his owne teaching. If thou hast nothing in this kind, but what thou hast received, and much receiving causeth much owing, how canst thou glorie in the increase of thy receits, except thou wilt also glorie in the in­crease of thy debts? But indeed the more thou hast [Page 180] received, the more thanks and glorie shouldst thou returne to the Giver. And surely, God hath a plot of glorie in the dispensa­tion of his teaching. For to make safe his glorie to himselfe, hee often leaves the wise and great of the world to the blindnesse of their naturall wise­dome, and takes the mean and despised ones of the world, even babes, and things that are not, and gives them his teaching. And this hee doth, That no flesh may rejoyce in his presence; but that all glorying may be exclu­ded [Page 181] from man, and kept wholly for himselfe. Then doe not thinke it safe to rob God of his glorie, which he hath thus plotted and contrived. Know that to rob God of his glorie, is a high­est kind of sacriledge: And not so onely, but it is also a highest kind of ingratitude, to take from God because he hath gi­ven to thee. Yea rather, because hee hath beene large in his grace to thee, bee thou enlarged in thy returne of thankes and glorie to him. This plen­tifull returne of glorie to [Page 182] God, is the best way to get an increase of that grace, for which thou gi­vest him glorie. Yea, to take all glorie from thy selfe, and to give it to God, is the way to re­ceive true and solid glorie from God. For God will honour those that honour him; and so shall it bee a most gainfull course for thee, while by putting from thee a glo­rie that belongs not to thee, God will freely give thee a glorie, that shall by this gift truly belong un­to thee. And whereas that would be but a false, [Page 183] guiltie, and transitorie glorie, which man would give unto himselfe, this shall be a pure, true, and eternall glorie, which shall bee given by God unto man. Doe not then make thy selfe vain, and sinfull, and miserable, by stealing glorie from God to thy selfe; 2 Thess. 1. 12. but make thy selfe happie by glorifying him, and being glorified of him.

Neither doe thou glo­rifie him onely in words, but in works; let it ap­peare in the excellence of thy works, that thou hast had an excellent Teacher. [Page 184] Let the light of thy works so shine before men, that they may glo­rifie God the Father of this light. Christ tells his Disciples, that by bringing forth much fruit his Father is glo­rified. Let therefore both the plentie and the excellencie of thy fruit, gaine glorie and praise to the heavenly Husbandman. And in­deed Christ our Ma­ster, punctually and ex­pressely doth call for ex­cellent fruits of his Di­sciples. Hee thinks it not enough for his glorie, if [Page 185] his Schollers, being taught of God, bring forth onely the fruits of such as are taught by men. Therefore hee rai­seth them up to a higher kind of fruitfulnesse, by this question: What ex­cellent thing doe yee? Matth. 5. 47. He expecteth fruits of an eminent vertue beyond others, who beyond o­thers have had an emi­nent teaching and Tea­cher. Doe then some excellent things, yee that have so excellent a Ma­ster; and glorifie your Master, by doing things more excellent than the [Page 186] meere Schollers of earth­ly Teachers. To this end, let your fruits issue from the new man, which is taught of God; and not from the old man, which came in by the teaching of Satan. Let the excel­lent & unmatchable oint­ments of Christ Jesus give an excellent savour to your works, and let the house of the Church be filled with the savour of these oyntments. Let the sweetnesse thereof so ravish & overcome men, that they may bee forced to confesse, That God is in you of a truth, and that [Page 187] you have beene taught of God. And to this God, which is in you, and hath taught you to excell in vertue, let them give all the glorie.

And thus after you have a while advanced the glorie of your Tea­cher, your Teacher shall advance you into the sight of his glorie. These drops and dewes of grace, by which you are now taught, shall bring you to the sight and fruition of the Teacher himselfe, who is an ever-flowing Fountaine, and boundlesse Ocean of light, wisdome, [Page 188] grace & glorie. Then the most glorious Sun-light and influence of Gods presence, irradiating and overflowing thee, and so more than fully teaching thee, shall drowne the Star-light of this teach­ing, which thou recei­vedst here below. Yet shalt thou magnifie this lesser teaching, because it hath brought thee to this great and glorious Tea­cher, whose light shall give thee the sight of the highest wisdome; whose presence shall in­ebriate thee with the ful­nesse of joy, whose right [Page 189] hand shall give thee the pleasures of eternitie. And in these eternall plea­sures shalt thou eternally glorifie thy supreme Tea­cher, who hath taught thee to a Kingdome, and that not an earthly, fa­ding, and vanishing King­dome, but to a Kingdome of Heaven that cannot be shaken, a Kingdome of blisse that hath no end, a Kingdome wherein the Righteous shall for ever shine in the glorie of their Father: for the Lord shall be their everlasting light, and their God their glo­rie.