o window in them. Corrupt
affections keep that garrison against the power of the gospel. That light
hath no heat of love, or warmness of affection with it, which showeth that
it is not a ray or beam of the Sun of righteousness, which is both
beautiful for light, and beneficial for influence, on the cold, and dead,
frozen hearts of mankind, and by its approaching, makes a spring-time in
the heart.

But all men pretend to know God. Such is the self love of men's hearts,
that it makes them blind in judging themselves, therefore the Holy Ghost,
as he designs a Christian by the knowledge of God, so he characterizeth
knowledge by keeping the commandments. "Hereby we know," &c. So that
religion is not defined by a number of opinions, or by such a collection
of certain articles of faith, but rather by practice and obedience to the
known will of God; for, as I told you, knowledge is a relative duty, that
is, instrumental to something else, and by anything I can see in
scripture, is not principally intended for itself, but rather for
obedience. There are some sciences altogether speculative, that rest and
are complete in the mere knowledge of such objects, as some natural
sciences are. But others are practical, that make a further reference of
all things they cognosce upon, to some practice and operation. Now,
perhaps some may think that the scripture, or divinity, is much of it
merely contemplative, in regard of many mysteries infolded in it, that
seem nothing to concern our practice. I confess much of that, that is
raised out of the scriptures, is such, and therefore it seems a deviation
and departure from the great scope and plain intent of the simplicity and
easiness of the scriptures, to draw forth with much industry and subtilty,
many things of mere speculation and notion, dry and sapless to the
affection, and unedifying to our practice, and to obtrude these upon other
men's consciences, as points of religion. I rather think, that all that is
in the scriptures, either directly hath the practice of God's will for the
object of it, or is finally intended for that end, either it is a thing
that prescribeth our obedience, or else it tends principally to engage our
affections, and secure our obedience, and so those strains of elevated
discourses of God, his nature and properties, of his works, and all the
mysteries infolded in them, are directed towards this end, further than
mere knowing of them, to engage the heart of a believe