The Incomprehensibleness of Imputed Righteousness, Half title – To the reader
THE Incomprehensibleness OF Imputed Righteousness, BY HUMAN REASON, &c.
BOOKS Published by the same AUTHOR, and Sold by Tho. Cockerill.
1. A Sermon at the Funeral of the late Reverend Divine, Mr. Edward West.
2. A Discourse of Regeneration, Faith, and Repentance.
3. A Discourse of Christian Religion, in Sundry Points.
THE Incomprehensibleness OF Imputed Righteousness, FOR JUSTIFICATION, BY HUMANE REASON, Till Enlightned by the SPIRIT of GOD.
Preached in TWO SERMONS at the Merchants-Lecture in Broadstreet.
By THOMAS COLE, Minister of the Gospel in London.
And Published at the Instance of many who heard Them.
London; Printed for Tho. Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, over-against the Stocks-Market. 1692.
TO THE Christian READER.
'TIS a dangerous thing to stumble in Sion, by taking offence at the Mystery of our Redemption by Christ, because we cannot comprehend it by our own Reason: We are commanded to believe it, without consulting flesh and blood about it, but humbly waiting for that anointing from the Holy One, that teaches us of all things, and is truth, and no lie, 1 Joh. 2. 20, 27. Such blindness is hapned to us since the Fall, that we cannot discern the deep things of God, 'till we are spiritually enlightned; yet how many are there, in this disputing Age, who leaning too much to their own Understanding, decry all Supernatural Illumination, as mere Enthusiasm, counting Faith it self a blind irrational thing, a bare act of the Will, to which the Understanding contributes nothing, as if Believers had no real knowledge, or inward evidence of the things they believe? Therefore to stop the mouths of Gain-sayers, who discover their deplorable Ignorance of the Mystery of Faith by their frequent Mutterings, artificial Reasonings, and Sophistical Cavills against it; I shall plainly declare what I believe to be true in this Case, viz. That Supernatural Illumination which I affirm as absolutely necessary to a saving knowledge of God in Christ, is a divine Light let down from Heaven into the Soul, by which the mysterious Truths of the Gospel are made manifest to the eye of our Understanding; as by the light of the Sun, things bodily, are made manifest to the eye of our Body (so says Paul Baines on the Ephesians) This Supernatural Light, is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ, Eph. 1. 17, 18. given to the Saints to instruct them in all Gospel Mysteries: We may know this spiritual Illumination, to be a true heavenly Light, because it agrees in all things with the Word of God, the same Spirit of God shining in our hearts, that shines in the Word: Should any pretend by a supposed inward Light, to be wise above what is written, and to know what is not revealed in the Scripture, this were Enthusiasm indeed; therefore to the Law, and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because they have no light in them, Isa. 8. 20. We must not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world: hereby we know the Spirit of God, every one who confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, 1 Iohn 4. 1, 2. They who thus confess Christ, i. e. do from their hearts own and acknowledge both the Person and Doctrine of Christ to be Divine, being inwardly perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel, and brought under the power of it, not by the wisdom of man, or by the strength of human reason, but by the inward demonstration of the Spirit, enlightning the mind, and leaving it under the evidence of things not seen, nor understood by humane reason, but plainly discerned by this higher light of Faith; can such a Faith be the effect of blindness? Can such a Faith be Enthusiasm? A Faith grounded upon the Word of God, and acting from the highest Wisdom, the surest Knowledge, and most undeceivable light that man can walk by; if this be a blind belief, then there is nothing reasonable in the whole world; if this be a delusion, where are we? What can we trust in, if not in that which we so know, and are upon infallible grounds perswaded is truth, and no lye? That which renders Believers suspected by carnal men, is because they cannot communicate that light to the hearts of others, by which they themselves do see. 'Tis true, all have not Faith; and 'tis as true, that some have Faith; pray, whence should such a Persuasion come? How should such a Faith be wrought in any?—I must come either from our selves, from the Devil, or from God.
From our selves it cannot come; because Gospel-Truths are above our. Reason, contrary to our Lusts, and to all the Inclinations of corrupt nature in fallen man, who cannot by his own power dispose himself to believe the Gospel.
From the Devil it cannot be, as any delusion of his; we call not that a delusion which is above man's reason, but that which is quite beside the Word of God, or contrary to it; and no man in his right wits can suppose the Devil either able or willing to instruct men in the Saving Knowledge of Gospel-Truths, which are as contrary to him, as they are to a natural man; 'tis his interest to suppress them, and he doth his utmost to blind the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. Is not the whole Bible from one end to the other, written against the Devil, representing him as an adversary, a hater, and destroyer of mankind, laying open his devices and stratagems against us; exhorting us to resist him, to trample him under our feet, to figbt against him where-ever we meet him in any temptation; and can we think that Satan is so divided against himself, as to promote the knowledge of that among men, which is so much to his disadvantage?—Whence I infer, If Faith be not of our selves, nor from the Devil, it must be from God, and God owns it to be his work, his Operation, his Gift; therefore let men have a care they don't blaspheme this work of the Holy-Ghost in the hearts of the Saints, setting up their own natural reason in the room and place of supernatural Illumination, without which the Mysteries of the Gospel can never be rightly understood.
Christian Reader, Having detained thee thus long from the ensuing Discourse, I recommend both It and Thee to the Blessing of God.
T. C.