the assurance that his prayers are accepted, and the light of God's countenance shining on him, would not be better to him than any recreation, or any pleasure the earth affords? Ask any man at the hour of death, that is not a block, Whether now the knowledge of his salvation would not be better and more pleasant to him, than all the lust, or sport, or honours of the world.

4. The knowledge of the best and most joyful matters must be the best and most pleasant knowledge. And nothing can be better than God and glory. Nothing can be sweeter than salvation; and therefore this must be the sweetest knowledge. I had rather have the pleasure of one hour's clear and lively knowledge of my salvation, and of the special love of God, than to be exalted above the greatest prince, and to have all the pleasures that my senses can desire. The delights of the flesh are base and brutish, and nothing to the spiritual, heavenly delights of the renewed mind.

5. The manner of our holy knowledge maketh it more delightful. 1. It is a certain and infallible knowledge. It is not a 'may be,' or bare possibility. It is not, 'It is possible there may be a heaven and happiness hereafter.' But it is as true as the word of God is true. We have his own hand, and seal, and earnest for it. Even his precious promises, and oath, confirmed by miracles, and fulfilled prophecy, and bearing his own image and superscription, and shining to us by its own light. We have in our hearts the spirit which is God's earnest, by which we are sealed up to the day of our final full redemption. And if the soul yet stagger at the promise of God through the remnants of unbelief, that shall not make the promise of God of none effect; but his foundation shall still stand sure. His word shall not pass till all be fulfilled, though heaven and earth shall pass away. A message by one that were sent to us from the dead, were not more credible than the word of God. And this certainty of holy faith and knowledge is a very great contentment to the soul. When the glory of the saints is a thing as sure as if we saw it with our eyes, and as sure as these things which we daily see, it is a great pleasure to the soul, when it can but apprehend this joyful certainty.

2. And that there is a certain easiness and plainness in the great and necessary points of faith, as to the manner of revelation, doth add much to Faith's satisfaction and delight.

The points that life and death lie on, are not left so obscure as might perplex us, lest we did not know the meaning of them. But they are so plain, that he that runs may read them; and the simple, that are but honesthearted, may certainly understand them. Which quiets, and pleaseth, and satisfies the mind.

3. And yet there is an exciting difficulty in many things, that are offered to our knowledge, which doth but make our holy studies the more delightful. If the word of God were so plain and obvious to all, that it might be all understood at the first reading, the plainness would bring our sacred knowledge into contempt, as being an easy, common thing. Things common and easily got are little set by. But when the plainness is such as may prevent our despair and dissatisfaction, and yet the difficulty such, that it may hold us in study, and prevent our contempt, it makes the most delightful knowledge. It is pleasant to find some daily addition to our light, and to be on the gaining and thriving hand, and this upon our diligent search. Successes are as pleasant as a present fulness of supplies. The daily blessing of God upon our studies, and humble learning, addeth to our delight. So that all this set together, may shew you how pleasant a thing it is to have the knowledge of a saint.

Especially if you add that he hath an experimental, and so a sweeter knowledge than the most learned men have that are ungodly. He hath tasted that the Lord is gracious, and he hath tasted the sweetness of his love, and of all the riches of his grace in Christ, and of his full and precious promises, and of the inward powerful workings of his spirit. His experimental knowledge is the most delightful knowledge.

The pleasure of natural knowledge is great, but the pleasure of saving knowledge is much greater. I do not believe that ever any of the ambitious troublers of the world, that let go heaven that they may rule on earth, have half the pleasure in their greatness and usurped dignities, as an honest student hath in his book, and studious exercises and successes. But if you compare the pleasures of their greatness and commands with the pleasure of a true believing soul, in his life of faith, and sweet forethoughts of his heavenly inheritance, I must plainly tell you that we disdain the comparison. Again I say, that if you will compare the drunkard's, the fornicator's, or the ambitious or covetous man's delight, with

the solace that I find in my retired studies, even about natural common things, I disdain the comparison. But if you compare their pleasure with that little, alas too little pleasure that find in the believing thoughts of life eternal, I do not only disdain your comparison, but detest it.

Were I minded to be long, I would shew you from these twelve particular instances, the abundant pleasure of holy knowledge.

1. What a pleasant thing it is to know the Lord, the eternal God, in his blessed attributes! The most dim, glimmering knowledge of God is better than the clearest knowledge of all the mysteries of nature.

2. How pleasant is it to know the works of his creation! How, and why, and when he made the world, and all that is therein!

3. How pleasant is it to know the blessed Son of God, and to behold the face of his Father's love that is revealed in him as his fullest image!

4. How pleasant is it to know the law and Gospel, the matter and the method, the literal and spiritual sense; to see there the mind and will of God, and to see our charter for the heavenly inheritance; and read the precepts, and the promises, and the examples of the faith and patience of the saints!

5. How pleasant is it to know the heavenly operations of the Holy Ghost, and the nature and action of his several graces, and the uses of every one of them to our souls; and especially to find them in ourselves, and to be skilled in using them!

6. How pleasant is it to know the nature and frame of the church of Christ which is his body, and to know the difference and use of the several members! To understand the office of the ministry, and why Christ hath set them in the church, and how much love he hath manifested therein; that they should preach to us, and offer us reconciliation in his name and stead (2 Cor. v. 19.), and marry us unto Christ in baptism, receiving us in his name into the church and holy covenant; and that in his name and stead they should deliver us his body and blood, and absolve the penitent sinner from his sins, and deliver him a sealed pardon, and receive the returning, humbled soul into the church of Christ, and communion of his saints.

7. How pleasant is it to know the nature and use of all Christ's ordinances. The excellencies of his holy word; the use of baptism, and the refreshing, strengthening use of the supper of the Lord; the use and benefit of holy prayer, and praises, and thanksgiving, and church order, and all parts of the communion of the saints!

8. Yea, there is a holy pleasure in knowing our very sin and folly. When God bringeth a sinner to himself, though his sin be odious to him, yet to know the sin is pleasant; and therefore he prayeth that God would shew him the bottom of his heart, and the most secret or odious of his sins.

9. And it is pleasant to a Christian to know his duty. It very much quieteth and delighteth his mind, when he can but know what is the will of God. When the way of duty is plain before him, how cheerfully can he go on, whatever meets him! and how easy doth it make his labour and his suffering!

10. Yea, it is pleasant to a believer to understand his very danger. Though the danger itself be dreadful to him, yet to know it, that he may avoid it, is his desire, and his delight.

11. And how pleasant is it to understand all the helps, encouragements, and comforts, that God hath provided for us, in our way! and how many more are for us, than against us!

12. But above all, how pleasant is it to know by faith, the life that we must live with God for ever, and what he will do for us to all eternity, in the performance of his holy cove

nant!

I do but briefly name these instances of delightful knowledge, which are sweeter to the holy soul than all the pleasures of sin to the ungodly. Do you think that any of you hath such solid pleasure in your sins, as David had in the law of God, when he meditated in it with such delight, and faith. "How sweet is it to my mouth! even sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb." Surely you dare not compare with him in pleasures.

II. Another part of holiness that is pleasant in the nature of it, is that which is subjected in the heart and affecAnd here is the chiefest of its sweetness and de

tions.

lights. 1. The very compliance of the will with the will of God,

་

and its conformity to his law, doth carry a quieting pleasure in it. That soul is most happy that is nearest God, and most like him; and that soul may well be fullest of delights that is most happy. And that soul is nearest and most like unto God, whose will is most conformed to his will. The trouble of the heart is its unsettledness, when it is not bottomed on the will of God. When we feel that God's will doth rule and satisfy us, and that we would fain be what he would have us be, and rest in his disposing will, as well as obey his commanding will, this gives abundant pleasure and quietness to the soul.

2. The holy workings of charity in the soul, are exceeding pleasant. All the acts of love to God and man are very sweet. This is the holy work, that is its wages.

1. The love of God is so sweet an exercise, that verily, my soul had rather be employed in it with sense and vigour, than to be lord of all the earth. O could I but be taken up with the love of God, how easily could I spare the pleasure of the flesh! Might I but see the loveliness of my dear Creator, with a clearer view, and see his glory in his noble works; might I but see and feel that saving love which he hath manifested in the Redeemer, till my soul were ravished and filled with his love, how little should I care who had the pleasures of this deceitful world! Had I more of that blessed Spirit of adoption, and more of those filial affections to my heavenly Father, which his unutterable love bespeaks; and were I more sensible of his abundant mercy, and did my soul but breathe and long after him more earnestly, I would pity the miserable tyrants of the world, that are worse than beggars while they domineer, and taste not of that kingdom of love and pleasure that dwelleth in my breast. All the pleasures of the world are the laughing of a madman, or the sports of a child, or the dreams of a sick man, in comparison of the pleasures of the love of God.

2. And the love of holiness, the image of God hath its degree of pleasure. And so hath the love of the holy servants of the Lord. There is a sweetness in the soul in its goings out after any holy object, in spiritual love. Yea, more, our very common love of men, and our love of enemies, hath its proportion of pleasure, far better than the sensual pleasure of the ungodly. To feel so much of the operations of grace, and to answer our holy pattern, in loving