duty that yet lies hidden, upon the first discovery; that is here the genuine voice of a repentant sinner: What I see not, teach thou me, &c.

This is a very necessary suit, even for the most discerning and clearest-sighted penitent, both in reference to the commandment and rule for discovering the general nature and several kinds of sin; and withal, for the application of this general light to the examen of a man's own heart and ways, that so he may have a more exact and particular account of his own sins.

The former is the knowledge of the laws of God, and rule by which a man is to try and to judge himself. The most knowing are not above the need of this request, yea, I am persuaded, the most knowing know best how much they need it, and are most humbled in themselves in the conscience of their ignorance and darkness in divine things, and are most earnest and pressing in this daily supplication for increase of light and spiritual knowledge from him who is the fountain. of it: What I see not, teach thou me. On the other side, the least knowing are often the most confident that they know all, and swelled with a conceited sufficiency of their model and determination of all things, both dogmatical and practical; and therefore are the most imperious and magisterial in their conclusions, and the most impatient of contradiction, or even of the most modest dissent.

The wisest and holiest persons speak always in the humblest and most depressing style of their own knowledge, and that not with an affectation of modesty, but in the real sense of the thing as it is, and the sincere account they give of it, and that commonly when they are declaring themselves most solemnly, as in the sight of God, or speaking in supplication to him with whom they dare least of all dissemble. Whosoever he was that spake these words, Prov. xxx. 2, 5, sure he was a man of eminent wisdom and piety, and yet begins thus: Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the

holy. And though he was so diligent a student, and so great a proficient in the law of God, yet how importunate a petitioner is he, for the understanding of it, as if he knew nothing at all! Besides the like expressions in other psalms, in this one psalm, (Ps. cxix.,) that being of such length, hath nothing but the breathing forth of his affection to the word and law of God, how often doth he in it reiterate that, "Teach me thy statutes"! so often, that a carnal mind is tempted to grow weary of it, as a nauseating tautology; but he made it still new, with the freshness and vehemency of his affection. "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts; give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; and open thou mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy law; unseal mine eyes," as if still veiled and dark. These are the earnest and nobly ambitious desires that daily solicit holy hearts, and stir them to solicit the teacher of hearts, to be admitted more into the secrets and recesses of divine knowledge, not those abysses that God intends should be secret still, and from which he hath barred out our curiosity, as the forbidden tree of knowledge-those secrets that belong to himself alone, and concern us not to inquire after; and certainly to be wading in these deeps, is the way to be drowned in them. The searcher of majesty shall be oppressed with glory; yet, there is in man a perverse, preposterous desire, to pore upon such things as are on purpose hidden that we should not inquire after them, and to seek after useless, empty speculations of them, which is a luxury and intemperance of the understanding, like unto that, and springing from that, which at first undid us in the root. These are times full of those empty, airy questions, and notions in which there is no clearness nor certainty to be attained, and if it were, yet would serve to little or no purpose, not making the man that thinks he hath found them out, one jot the better or holier man than he was before. What avails it, says that devout author, to dispute and discourse high concerning the Trinity, and want humility, and so displease

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that Trinity? The light of knowledge, suited according to the intendment of this copy, is of another nature, such as purifies the heart and rectifies the life. "What I see not, teach thou me," that is, of such things as may serve this end; "that if I have done iniquity I may do it no more." This is sound and solid knowledge, such a light as inflames the heart with the love of God, and of the beauties of holiness; and still, as it grows, makes those to grow likewise. Such are still, we see, David's multiplied supplications in that psalm; not to know reserved and unuseful things, but Hide not thy commandments from me. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.' Now, what is that thy creature and workmanship begs of thee? What is that which will complete my being, and make me do honour to my Maker? This is it; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments." You that would be successful supplicants in this request, wean your hearts from this vanity of desire: such knowledge is as the cypresstrees, fair and tall, but fruitless and sapless. Apply all you know to the purging out of sin, and intend all the further knowledge you desire to that same end. Seek to be acquainted with higher rules of mortification and self-denial and charity, than yet you have either practised, or, possibly, so much as thought on; that by these, your affections and actions may be advanced to greater degrees of purity, and conformity with the holiness of God. And for this end, beg of him to teach you what you see not in the exactness of the law and rule; and withal, which is the other thing in this world, that, what you see not in the application of it and search of yourself, he would likewise shew you; for in that, we are commonly as undiscerning and dim-sighted as in the other, even where men have some notion of the rule and their duty; yet they perceive not their own, even their gross recessions and declinings from it. Love is a blinding thing, and above all love, self-love; and every man is naturally his own flatterer; he deals not faithfully and sincerely

with himself in the search of his own evils. Now, this we are to intreat of God, to be led into ourselves, and be applied to the work of self-searching, by his own hand, not only to have a right apprehension of the law given us, but a true sight of ourselves. O! how many hidden, undiscerned, yea, unsuspected impurities and follies are there in the hearts of those that are most diligent in this inquiry, much more in the greater part, even of such as cannot absolutely be denied the name of good men! Some honest intentions and good desires there are in them; but they are slothful, and unwilling to go to this painful business of trying and judging themselves; and when they set to it, many secret corners, and in those many latent inordinacies, do escape their search. "Cleanse me from secret faults," says David; that is, not only those hidden from men, but even from myself, as is clearly his meaning, by the words preceding-" Who knows the errors of his life?" Therefore it is necessary that we desire light of God. "The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord," says Solomon," searching the innermost parts of the belly;" but it is a candle unlighted when he does not illuminate it for that search. Oh! what a deal of vanity and love of this world, envy and secret pride, lurks in many of our hearts, that we do not at all perceive, till God causeth us to see it, leading us in, as he did the prophet in the vision, to see the idolatry of the Jews in his very temple, by which they had provoked him to forsake it, and go far from his sanctuary; and having discovered one parcel, leads him in further, and makes him enter through the wall, and adds often, "Son of man, hast thou seen these? I will cause thee to see yet more abominations, and yet more abominations." Thus is it within many of us that should be his temples; but we have a multitude of images of jealousy, one lying hid behind another, till he thus discover them to us. Oh! what need have we to intreat him thus: "What I see not, teach thou me"!

Now, in both these, both in the knowledge of our

rule and of ourselves, though there may be some use. ful subserviency of the ministry of men, yet the great teacher of the true knowledge of his law, and of himself, and of ourselves, is God. Men may speak to the ear, but his chair is in heaven that teaches hearts; cathedram habet in cœlo. Matchless teacher! that teacheth more in one hour than men can do in a whole age! that can cure the invincible unteachableness of the dullest heart, give understanding to the simple, and open the eyes of the blind. So, then, would we be made wise, wise for eternity, learned in real living divinity, let us sit down at his feet, and make this our continual request" What I see not, teach thou me."

And if I have done, &c. That is, "any iniquity that I yet know not of, any hidden sin, let me but once see it, and I hope thou shalt see it no more within me; not willingly lodged and entertained.” This speaks an entire, total giving up all sin, and proclaiming utter defiance and enmity against it; casting out what is already found out without delay, and resolving that, still in further search, as it shall be more discovered, it shall be forthwith dislodged, without a thought of sparing or partial indulgence to any thing that is sin, or like it, or may any way befriend it, or be an occasion and incentive of it. This is that absolute renouncing of sin, and surrender of the whole soul and our whole selves to God, which, whosoever do not heartily consent to and resolve on, their religion is in vain, and (which is here the point) their affliction is in vain whatsoever they have suffered, they have gained nothing by all their sufferings, if their hearts remain still self-willed, stubborn, untamed, and unpliable to God. And this makes their miseries out of measure miserable, and their sins out of measure sinful; whereas, were it thus qualified, and had it any operation this way towards the subjecting of their hearts unto God, affliction were not to be called misery, but would go under the title of a blessedness; "Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest him out of thy law." That suiting with this, here desired,