The meaning is this▪ as if he should have said, Oh Lord, I know, that the way to sanctify them, the way to increase grace and holiness in their hearts, is to reveal more truth to them; now, Lord, I beseech thee, reveal thy Word to them; for thy Word is that truth, teach them to know thy Word, acquaint them with it more and more; for by that means they shall get grace and sanctification. So then, if you would receive the strength of the Covenant, you must labour to grow in knowledge, labour to understand it more and ⟨p. 205⟩more: for, beloved, this is a very sure rule, there is not a new notion that a man gets, there is not a beam of truth, of new truth, there is not a further enlargement of knowledge, and illumination, but it brings some riches of grace with it, it comes not empty, but it comes loaded with something, it hath some power, and strength, and it gives a new vigour to the inward man; and therefore if thou wouldest abound in grace, study the Scriptures, much attend to them, much meditate in them day and night, labour still to get some new spark of knowledge, some new light out of them, and thou shalt find this, that grace will follow, as it is the Apostles exhortation to Timothy, saith he Give attendance to reading, and to learning, so thou shalt save thy self, and shalt be able also to save others. The meaning is, the way to get that grace that will save a man, is to give much attendance to reading and to learning: for, beloved, whatsoever it is that begets a man, the increase of that likewise edifies and builds him up further. First, we are begotten by the word of truth, it is the revelation of the truth of GOD to a man at the first, that renews him in the spirit of his mind, it changeth his judgement, it makes him think all things in a clean other fashion then he was wont to do: thus he is begotten to God, and he is made a new man, a new creature: now the increasing of the same truth, that is it that builds us up further: for whatsoever begets, the increase of that also edifies; and ⟨p. 206⟩hence it is that Solomon so exceedingly magnifies wisdom and knowledge: above all getting, saith he, get that. There are many things that are precious in the world, Pearl, Gold, and Silver, but this is beyond them all. Why do you think the Wise man would magnify wisdom so much? Because this wisdom brings grace with it;
The meaning is this▪ as if he should haue said, Oh Lord, I know, that the way to sanctifie them, the way to increase grace and holinesse in their hearts, is to reueale more truth to them; now, Lord, I beseech thee, reueale thy Word to them; for thy Word is that truth, teach them to know thy Word, acquaint them with it more and more; for by that meanes they shall get grace and sanctification. So then, if you would receiue the strength of the Couenant, you must labour to grow in knowldge, labour to vnderstand it more and ⟨p. 205⟩more: for, beloued, this is a very sure rule, there is not a new notion that a man gets, there is not a beame of truth, of new truth, there is not a further enlargement of knowledge, and illumination, but it brings some riches of grace with it, it comes not empty, but it comes loaded with something, it hath some power, and strength, and it giues a new vigour to the inward man; and therefore if thou wouldest abound in grace, study the Scriptures, much attend to them, much meditate in them day and night, labour still to get some new sparke of knowledge, some new light out of them, and thou shalt finde this, that grace will follow, as it is the Apostles exhortation to Timothie, saith he Giue attendance to reading, and to learning, so thou shalt saue thy selfe, and shalt be able also to saue others. The meaning is, the way to get that grace that will saue a man, is to giue much attendance to reading and to learning: for, beloued, whatsoeuer it is that begets a man, the increase of that likewise edifies and builds him vp further. First, we are begotten by the word of truth, it is the reuelation of the truth of GOD to a man at the first, that renewes him in the spirit of his minde, it changeth his iudgement, it makes him thinke all things in a cleane other fashion then he was wont to doe: thus he is begotten to God, and he is made a new man, a new creature: now the increasing of the same truth, that is it that builds vs vp further: for whatsoeuer begets, the increase of that also edifies; and ⟨p. 206⟩hence it is that Salomon so exceedingly magnifies wisdome and knowledge: aboue all getting, saith he, get that. There are many things that are precious in the world, Pearle, Gold, and Siluer, but this is beyond them all. Why doe you thinke the Wiseman would magnifie wisdome so much? Because this wisdome brings grace with it;
