First Epistle of John Applied Part 1, Lecture 28
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. JOHN.
CHAP. 2. VERS. 20.
But yee have an unction from the holy One, and yee know all things.
THE Chriſtian Religion, as it impoſeth difficult precepts, ſo it propoſeth pretious pr… miſes, and though it put the Profeſſors of it upon frequent dangers, yet it withall aſſureth them of glorious priviledges. Among thoſe many Promiſes and Priviledges, none of more ſpecial concernment than this of the Holy Unction, the Spirits Donation by which wee are enabled to all duty, and confirmed againſt all perils. There are two things eſpecially, by which the Chriſtian Church, and her members are endangered, namely, violent Perſecutions, and virulent Hereſies, theſe corrupt our mindes, thoſe perplex our hearts, theſe cheat us of, thoſe affright us out of truth; but this spiritual Unction is both our conſolation and illumination, the latter of which it is that our Apoſtle acquaints us with in the Text, But you have, &c.
The ſecond part of this verſe, is that which I am now to handle, namely, Beneficii illatio, the Benefit conferr'd on all true Chriſtians, by vertue of this Unction, as it is ſet down in thoſe words, And you know all things. For the fuller diſcuſſion whereof, bee pleaſed to conſider it both abſolutely and relatively, incluſively and excluſively; by the one wee ſhall ſee the Nature of the benefit, wherein it conſiſts, how far it reacheth, and by the other, its Original whence it floweth, and on what it dependeth, namely, the Holy unction.
1 Begin wee with the abſolute conſideration of the benefit, and inquire what is involved in this, You know all things. There is ſome little difference in the reading of one word in this clauſe, which would not bee omitted,Syr. The Syriack reads it as if it were foreign, you know all men, and ſo the benefit here intended, is that which is called by S. Paul, diſcerning of spirits, foreign, ſaith Theophilact, 1 Cor 12. 10. Vide Theoph. ibid.foreign, that is, to know who is ſpiritual, and who is not, who is a Prophet, and who is a deceiver; nor is this reading here unſuitable▪ becauſe the Apostle juſt before ſpeaketh of Antichriſts, between whom and the Orthodox S. John might look upon the Chriſtians, to whom hee wrote, as able to judge. Now this gift in the primitive times was double, The one more special, onelyonly conferred by the Spirits extraordinary unction upon ſome eminent perſons, whereby they were able to dive into the very hearts of men, and could poſitively conclude them (as the Apostle Peter did Simon Magus)Act. 8. …3 to bee in the gall of bitterneſſe, and bond of iniquity, notwithſtanding their fair profeſſions, and ſpecious pretences. The other more general, and to which all Chriſtians by vertue of this unction were enabled, namely, to know all men by their fruits, according to that rule our Saviour giveth concerning falſe Teachers, who beingMat 7. 16. ravenous Wolves, came in ſheeps clothing, by their fruits, (that is, by their works and converſation) or rather by their fruits, (that is, by their doctrins and poſitions) you ſhall know them. A gift, which if every Chriſtian might not in ſome meaſure attain to, that counſel of trying the ſpirits, which our Apoſtle giveth in this very Epiſtle, would bee in vain.
But the Greek Lection is our beſt rule, which is foreign, and accordingly our Engliſh verſion is moſt genuine, you know all things; for the fuller opening of which, take notice of the extent of the Object, All things, and the intent of the Act, You know.
1 Begin wee with the extent of the object, and this is ſet down in a word of the utmoſt latitude, all things, but yet a limitation muſt bee annexed to this latitude, and this univerſal particle restrained. It is the obſervation of aDr. Donne. Learned Divine, that God admits into his own names and attributes, that addition of univerſality, omne, as though hee would eſpecially bee known by that; thus he is ſaid to bee omnipreſent, omniſuſſicient, omnipotent, and omniſcient; and indeed as an ubiquitary exiſtence, illimited fulneſſe, infinite power; ſo an univerſal knowledge is reciprocal with the Deity, and therefore incommunicable to any creature, ſo that though there be not expreſſed, yet it muſt bee ſupplied, a qualifying word. They are quaedam omnia, ſome certain all things, which Chriſtians do know by vertue of this unction.
More particularly, there is a threefold limitation of this all things.
1 All divine things. We are not to imagine that this unction maketh all Chriſtians acquainted with the ſecrets of Nature, Myſteries of Trades, Axiomes of Arts, Idioms of Languages, for then every Christian ſhould bee an Orator, Philoſopher, Artificer, expert in all manner of knowledge. Indeed, if the Spirit pleaſed, hee could inspire ſuch a knowledge into the minds of beleevers, and wee finde particular inſtances of thoſe to whom he hath extraordinarily given knowledge in humane things, when it hath been in ſubſerviency to ſome divine ends. So Bezaleel is ſaid to bee filled with the Spirit, and skilled to doExod. 31. 3 the work of the Sanctuary, thus the illiterate fiſher-men were furniſht with the gift of tongues, to ſpeak to the people in their ſeveral Languages, the myſteries of the Gospel; but yet this is not the Spirits ordinary way, who leaveth humane knowledge to the acquiſition of humane induſtry, and conſequently it is onelyonly the knowledge of divine things, which is here meant.
2 All divine things revealed. That ſpeech of Moſes, ſecret things belong to God, revealed things to us and to our Deut. 29. 29children, plainly intimateth, that there are ſome things which God in wiſdome keepeth hid from the ſons of men; and as hee in Plutarch, anſwered the man which asked him, why his basket was covered? becauſe he ſhould not look into it; ſo hath God therefore concealed thoſe things, that wee ſhould not pry into them. It was the fault of our firſt Parents, that they deſired to know more than God would have them; as wee do not, ſo wee muſt not deſire to know hidden myſteries. Indeed, the Pſalmiſts expreſſion is, The ſecret of the Lord is with them that Pſal. 2… ▪ …3fear him, but what that ſecret is, appeareth in the very next verſe, hee will ſhow them his Covenant, which is revealed in his word, and is onelyonly ſecret, becauſe hid from them that periſh. True it is, where this unction is extraordinarily conferred upon Prophets and Apoſtles, they have been ſo inſpired, as to diſcern, and accordingly to utter ſtrange things, ſuch as were to come to paſs many ages after, but ſtill the ordinary influence of this unction enableth only to know thoſe things which God hath revealed in his word.
3 All Divine things revealed, that are neceſsary to bee known, Omnia neceſſaria cognoſcendis antichriſtis, et cavendis illorum inſidiis, ſo Beza and Grotius, All things neceſſary Beza in loc. Grot. in loc.for diſcovering theſe Antichriſts, and avoiding their ſnares; Omnia quae ad ſalutem pertinent▪ ſo Bernard and Ferus, All things which are neceſſary to ſalvation. We areFer. in loc. Bern. Serm. 2. de pentecoſt. not to imagine, that this unction inlightneth every Christian to underſtand the whole Scripture, ſo far as to interpret its dark ſentences, aenigmatical phraſes, abstruſe prophecies; but …o far as is needful in order to preſerve us from damnable Hereſies, and the attaining of eternal ſalvation, this Unction enableth to apprehend the will of God, revealed in his word.
With theſe limitations, wee may very well enlarge the all things, to God, Chriſt, our Selves, Sin, Satan, the Law, the Goſpel, Grace, and Glory; Chriſtians know God his unity and Trinity, his Mercy and Faithfulneſſe, Power and Wiſdome, Juſtice and Goodneſſe; they know Chriſt, his Perſon, his Nature, his Offices, his Benefits, and that Love of his, which paſſeth knowledge; they know themſelves, how Wretched, and Miſerable, Poor, Blinde, and Naked; they know the ſinfulneſſe of ſin, the devices of Satan, the deceitfulneſſe of their own hearts; they know what it is God requireth of them, and what hee hath promiſed to them; they know the things that are freely given them of God, and the things that are mercifully prepared for them; in a word, whatever things pertain to Life and Godlineſſe, …o Glory and Happineſs, are in ſome meaſure made known to them; and thus you have a ſhort account of the large extent of this object, paſs wee on to the
2 Intent of the act, you know. Now that knowledge which this unction effects in the mindes of beleevers, hath theſe three properties, it is
1 Certain and eſtabliſhing, it is not a conjectural opinion, but a Confident perſwaſion, which Chriſtians have of divine truths, Non levi quâdam et perfunctoriâ, ſed ſolid â cognitione rerum imb…ti eſt is, ſo Grotius gloſſeth; it is not aG…t. in los. ſleight, and perfunctory, but a ſolid and evident knowledge; ſo that neither the ſubtilties of Antichriſtian Teachers, nor the violences of Antichristian perſecutours, can withdraw ſuch an one from the truth hee hath embraced. Wee beleeve, and are ſure, (ſaith S. Peter, in the name of himſelf, and the reſt of the Diſciples) That thou art that Joh. 6. 69.Chriſt the ſon of the living God. Indeed there are different degrees of this certainty, according to the different diſpenſation of this unction, but every one who is taught of God, and annointed with the Holy Ghoſt, hath ſome meaſure of certainty, as to fundamental verities: when perhaps his head is too weak to grapple with ſome kinde of heretical Arguments, yet his heart is ſtrongly reſolved to hold faſt the Evangelical Doctrines, and though hee cannot dispute, yet hee will beleeve; and though they bee things not ſeen by ſenſe or reaſon, yet his faith beingHeb. 11. 1. built on a divine Testimony, maketh them clear and evident, ſo as hee dares venture his ſoul on them.
2 Savoury and reliſhing. Hee that hath this unction, ſo knoweth, as to taſte a ſweetneſſe and excellency in divine things, inſomuch that with St. Paul, hee accounts all other things as dung and loſſe in compariſon of the excellency of this knowledge. There is a great deal of difference between that knowledge a man hath of Countries, by a map▪ and that which he attaineth to by travels. It is one thing for a man to hear a diſcourſe of the beauty of Colours, or the ſweetneſſe of honey, and another for a man to ſee the one, and taſte the other. Oh taſte and ſee (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) that the Lord is Good; ſo doth every Chriſtian, Pſal. 34. 6his knowledge in Divine things is like the eye to colours, and the taſte to meats; hee ſo ſeeth, as to bee enamoured with the beauty, hee ſo taſteth, as to bee well pleaſed with the ſweetneſſe of them. The needle which is tou…hed with the loadſtone, doth not more naturally move towards the pole, than a ſoul touched with the bleſſed Spirit moveth towards heavenly objects. In one word, this knowledge, like the Light, not of the Moon, but Sun is ever attended with heat, and ſo doth not onelyonly inlighten the minde, but inliven and inflame the affections.
3 Operative and transforming. Wee all (ſaith the Apoſtle) with open face beholding as in a glaſs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame image; in other ſciences 2 Cor. 3. 18.a man may bee exact at the theory, and unskilful in the practick, but in Divinity, that onelyonly is the right knowledge, which mouldeth a man into the frame of what hee knoweth. We read of Jacob, that upon the agreement between him and Laban, Hee took rods of green poplar, and the haſel, and cheſnut-tree, and peeled white ſtrakes in them, and made the white appear that Gen. 30. 37, 38, 39.was in the rods, and ſet them before the flocks, in the gutter, in the watering troughs, when the flock came to drink, and conceiving before the rods, they brought forth ring-ſtriked, speckled and spotted; the like efficacy, hath a true ſight and apprehenſion of Evangelical truths upon every Chriſtian, inabling him to turn words into works, and ſhow forth a conformity to them in his life; hee knoweth God and Chriſt, ſo as to truſt in, and become like to them; the precepts, ſo as to obſerve and obey them; ſin and hereſies, ſo as to abandon and abhor them; for which cauſe perhaps it is that the Gospel is called a doctrin according to godlineſs, not onelyonly becauſe it teacheth godlineſs, but being rightly known, it enableth men to live godly. E…napi…, in the Life of Porphiry, ſpeaking of his maſter Longinus, ſaith, that hee was foreign ▪ a living library, a walking ſtudy; ſo is the annointed Chriſtian, having digeſted the ſenſe of Scripture into vital blood, and commenting upon Scriptural Doctrin by a practical converſation.
To ſhut up this firſt conſideration in a double meditation.
1 How glorious a priviledge is it to bee a Chriſtian, and partake of the Unction; what is more valued by a rational creature than knowledge? and by vertue of this unction wee attain the knowledge of all things; I mean thoſe all things which are the onelyonly things, and without which he that hath the tongue of men and Angels, and hath the exactest inſight into Arts and Sciences, may yet be ſaid to know nothing, nothing of that which he ought chiefly to know, and which every true Christian in ſome meaſure attaineth to. How clear and quick-ſighted is a ſpiritual inlightened eye? it ſeeth not onelyonly things that are neer, but a far off, preſent, but future, things below, but above, looking even within the veil, into the Holy of Holies. The Chriſtian knoweth thoſe things which others are meer ſtrangers to, hee knoweth thoſe things hee did before, after another and a better manner. That blaſphemous expreſſion of the Familiſts, that a Christian is Deified, may in ſome ſenſe receive a fair conſtruction, whileſt every Chriſtian hath a kinde of omnipotency and omniſciency, thePhil. 4. 13. former is by St. Paul aſſerted of himſelf, I can do all things, to wit, through Chriſt that ſtrengtheneth me, and the other is here affirmed by S. John of the Chriſtians, You know all things, to wit, having received the unction.
2 How great will the capacity of our knowledge bee when we come to Heaven? what a ſurpaſſing brightneſſe ſhall then encompaſſe our ſouls, when wee ſhall ſee all truth in him who is truth it ſelf? That phraſe of St. Paul, We know in part, ſeemeth directly oppoſite to1 Cor. 13. 9 this of St. John, You know all things, but yet they are eaſiy reconciled, by obſerving St. Pauls ſcope in that place, which is to compare our knowledge for the preſent, with that which we ſhall have hereafter; in reference to which the largeſt meaſure of knowledge we attain here is but a narrow ſcantling; the knowledge we have here is an integral knowledge, extending it ſelf to all things neceſſary, as a childe is an integral man, having all the faculties and members of a man, and therefore truly ſaith our Apoſtle, You know all things; but yet with all it is a gradual knowledge, riſing by degrees, as a childe groweth ſtronger and taller, and is ſo imperfect, that in compariſon of that knowledge wee hope for, juſtly ſaid St. Paul, We know in part; indeed our preſent knowledge is but ſci…tilla futur… lucis, a ſpark to that flame, a drop to that floud, a beam to that ſplendor we ſhall then enjoy; ſo that though in it ſelf it be an extenſive, yet in this reſpect it is a defective knowledge which wee now attain; Then, and not till then, it is that wee ſhall know all things which a rational creature is capable of, wee ſhall ſwim in a vaſt Ocean of divine knowledge, wee ſhall be ſurrounded with ſuch a glorious Light, whereby wee ſhall exactly, perfectly know what ever may conduce to make us happy; Oh! how few are the all things wee ſee now, in reſpect of the all things wee ſhall behold then? how many things are now hid from us, which ſhall then bee diſcovered to us? and ſurely that little taſte wee have now of divine knowledge, cannot but make us long for that ſtate wherein wee ſhall have our full draught.
2 Having diſpatched the abſolute, paſs we on to the relative conſideration of this benefit, as it is an effect of that unction mentioned in the former clauſe, and that ſuch an effect, as can flow from no other cauſe, ſo that the affirmation intendeth a negation, and when it is ſaid, you have an unction, and know all things, it▪ implyeth, that without this unction you cannot know any thing, to wit, of thoſe things, and with that knowledge which is here intended, and hath already been unfolded.
Indeed, as to corporeal ſight, there are among others two things eſpecially required, to wit, an eye within, and a Light without, and therefore if either adest lumen, et deſunt oculi, light bee preſent, but the viſive faculty abſent, or adſunt oculi, et deeſt lumen, the viſive faculty be preſent, but the light abſent, there can bee no ſight: ſo is there required to spiritual knowledge, an external revelation, and an internal illumination, the one whereof ſets the object before us, and the other elevateth the underſtanding within us, and both of thoſe are from this unction.
1 By the extraordinary unction of the Holy Ghoſt, the Apoſtles were inſpired to reveal, both by their Tongues and pens, Evangelical Doctrin, and had there not been this Revelation of it, wee could never have known it. It is not once, but often that the Goſpel is called, a myſtery, yea, ſaith S. Paul, without controverſy it is a great myſtery. Now a myſtery, as S. Chryſoſtome well obſerveth, is foreign, ſomething unutterable, Chryſoſt in 1… Cor. Hom. 7.admirable, and unconceivable, ſo that it could never have been found out by us, had it not been made known to us from above. As for Humane & Natural things Reaſon is converſant about them, and yet ever in theſe it is many times nonplus'd, as being not able to fathome the depth of them; but as to Divine things, Reaſon is not onelyonly dimme, but blinde. Indeed, there are foreign, ſome common Principles of Divinity, and Morality, Religion, and Honeſty, ſtill remaining in our Nature, but Evangelical verities, are ſuch as Reaſon could never have prompted to us, ſo that what our Saviour ſaid to Peter concerning the particular Article of hisMatth. 16. 17 being the Son of the living God, fleſh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, may bee aſserted of all the Doctrins of the Gospel, they are ſuch as Natural reaſon could never have revealed to us. True it is, reaſon, that Candle of the Lord, as Solomon calls it, affords ſo much light, even to Pagans, as will render them inexcuſable, ſince their not walking according to Reaſons dictates ſhall beProv. 20. 27 their condemnation, but it is Christ, The Sun of Righteouſneſſe, as Malachy calls him, who giveth us that light, Mal. 4. 2by following of which, wee may attain ſalvation, for no man knoweth the Father (whom to know is eternal life)Matth. 11. 27 but the Son, and him to whom the Son revealeth him. But this is that truth, which is agreed to on all hands, even Pelagians, and Socinians, acknowledging the neceſſity of Divine Revelation in order to the acquiſition of Happineſs.
Bee pleaſed therefore to know further, that by the ordinary unction of the Spirit, which is conferred on every Chriſtian in ſome degree or other; there is a spiritual illumination of the minde, whereby Natural Reaſon is elevated to a right apprehenſion of Evangelical doctrines, and this is no leſſe needful than the former; to which purpoſe is that gloſs of Calvin upon the Text, Non acumine Calv. in loc.proprii ſenſus rectè ſapiunt homines, ſed illuminatione Spiritus. It is not by the ſharpeneſſe of our own underſtanding, but by the inlightning of the Spirit, that wee ſavour divine things.
To this Truth S. Paul giveth a moſt clear and full evidence, where hee ſaith in expreſſe words, But the natural 1 Cor. 2. 14man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can hee know them, becauſe they are spiritually diſcerned; where the chief queſtion to bee reſolved in order to the genuine Interpretation of the words, is, who is the foreign, Natural man, concerning whom this is ſaid, that he receiveth not, and cannot know the things of the Spirit of God.
Some affirm the Natural man to bee the weak beleever, but how weakly, will appear, if wee obſerve the oppoſition of foreign, which is not to foreign, one who is perfect, but foreign, every one who is spiritual, which though it bee more eminently true of the ſtrong, yet it is verified of every true Chriſtian, hee is one who hath not received the ſpirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God, and ſo is among the number of the we Verſ. 12mentioned in the twelfth verſe of that Chapter. And which fully cleareth it, that the foreign here cannot be the weak Chriſtian, is, that the things of the Spirit are ſaid to bee fooliſhneſs to him, which cannot bee affirmed of any true Christian, though never ſo weak, who hath Learned to adore and admire thoſe divine mysteries, which hee cannot apprehend; Suitable hereunto it is, that the Apoſtle in the eighteenth verſe of the former Chapter,1 Cor. 1. 18 ſaith, The Preaching of the Croſſe is fooliſhneſſe, foreign, to them that periſh, whereas the weakeſt Chriſtian is among the number of the foreign in the latter clauſe of that verſe, them who are ſaved, to whom therefore it is impoſſible that the things of the Spirit ſhould bee fooliſhneſse.
Others there are who by foreign underſtand the man who is altogether deſtitute of the helps of ingenuous education, and Divine Revelation, whereas our Apoſtle plainly tells us in the former chapter, that they were the wiſe Disputers of the World, to whom Evangelical doctrin (when revealed) did ſeem no other than folly, and therfore when Paul Preached at Athens, a place of literature andAct. 17. 18. Knowledge, Arts and Sciences, the cry of thoſe Sophies is, what will this babler ſay?
Once again, Some there are who interpret this foreign, to bee one who is given to ſenſual luſts, and ſo hath his Reaſon clouded by carnal affections; but it ſhould then have been foreign not foreign, between whichSuidas in voce foreign Iſſid. P…luſ. l. 4. ep. 127. Suidas and Iſidore Peleuſiota (from whom probably the other borrowed it) make this distinction, that the Carnal man is one who ſerveth the fleſh, and ſuffereth himſelf to bee guided by his corrupt affections, and the natural, or animal man, one who builds upon humane Reaſon, thinking by his ra…i…cinations, disputations, and ſyllogiſmes, to finde out what is juſt and profitable, not craving, or admitting the influence of the Spirit.
The foreign then here mentioned, is every man who (though otherwiſe well furniſhed with intellectuals and morals, having all thoſe improvements of Reaſon which all kinde of Philoſophy can afford him) is yet altogether deſtitute of the inlightening and renewing grace of the Holy Spirit; nor is this my diſtinction, but St. Judes, who in the Characters hee giveth of thoſe falſe Teachers, puts theſe two together, foreign, explaining the former by the latter, and letting us ſee that all ſuch who have not the Spirit are meer Natural men.
Of this Natural man St. Paul plainly and poſitively aſſerteth, hee receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, indeed there are foreign ſome things of God, which a natural man may know, but foreign, the things of the Spirit of God, to wit, the truths which are purely Evangelical, hee receiveth not, nor is it ſaid, foreign but foreign, he doth not finde them out, but when they are found out and revealed to him, hee doth not receive them; nor is it only a reception of them into his will, but underſtanding which is intended, for it followeth, hee cannot know them; nor is it onelyonly ſaid, hee doth not, but hee cannot, it being impoſſible for him meerly by the help of natural reaſon to attain the knowledge of them, and this becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, that is, the Spirit of God which revealeth them muſt alſo inable to diſcern them. Indeed, Socinus would explain the foreign by foreign, hee receiveth not, that is, hee findeth not out the things of the Spirit of God; but this notion of the word findeth no parallel in the New Teſtament, nay, is againſt the nature of the thing, for receiving ſuppoſeth ſome thing offered, which when it is applied to Doctrins, the offering is the revealing them; nor is it leſſe incongruity to interpret this of St. Paul, hee receiveth not, that is, hee findeth not out, than if one ſhould expound that of S. James, receive the ingrafted word, James 1. 21.that is, finde it out, which will ſo much the more appear, if you obſerve the reaſon annexed, why the natural man receiveth them not, to wit, becauſe they are fooliſhneſſe to him, and if theſe things were to bee found out, how could the natural man apprehend them to bee fooliſhneſſe? I have been ſo much the longer in the Explication of this Scripture, becauſe it is an explication of the Text, and the truth in hand.
For the prevention of thoſe Objections which may bee made againſt, and the further confirmation of this poſition, be pleaſed to know, that,
1 The Reaſonable Creature is the ſubject of Evangelical Doctrin, this Spirit doth not bestow his Oile upon Trees and Plants, Beasts, or Birds, nor doth hee raiſe up of ſtones, and blooks, children to Abraham; all Divine knowledge is grafted upon the ſtock of Natural Reaſon.
2 By that Native light of reaſon within us, wee may attain the knowledge of many things delivered in the Goſpel, thoſe I mean which are common to the Holy Scripture with other writings. How many things Hiſtorical, Moral, Speculative, Practical, are there in the ſacred books, which wee meet with in Heathen Authors? Our gracious God would not ſo over-whelm humane infirmity in the patefaction of Evangelical myſteries, that there ſhould bee nothing for reaſon to fix upon, and yet withall hee would not have all things ſo ſuitable to reaſon, that there ſhould be no need of faith.
3 The litteral ſenſe of the Scripture words may through industry bee attained to by the help of Reaſon. Skill in the Tongues, though it was for a time immediately and extraordinary conferred upon illiterate perſons by the Holy Ghoſt, yet is ſuch a gift as may bee attained to by common helps, and the ſame industry which renders a man expert in giving the Grammatical ſenſe of other Authors, may no doubt inable him to do the like, in reading the books of the ſacred Pen-men, nay more, the Spirit of God in Scripture, doth not affect that obſcurity of Language which ſome other writers do, and ſo the ſenſe of it may more eaſily bee gathered.
4 The Spirit of God inlightening us to underſtand thoſe truths which are purely Evangelical, maketh uſe of Reaſon, this foreign, flower of the ſoul is not blaſted, but rather the more opened by the blowing of the bleſſed Spirit; when a man commeth to bee initiated into the School of Chriſtianity, hee is not commanded to throw away his Reaſon, onelyonly to ſubjugate it. Indeed, every Chriſtian muſt deny his Reaſon, but that is, as hee muſt deny his affections; as it is not the extirpating, but the moderating of his affections, ſo it is not the casting away, but the captivating of his Reaſon to the obedience of faith, which Christian Religion requireth. In one word, whileſt the Spirits grace is acknowledged to bee principium, the principal efficient cauſe, I ſhall not deny Reaſon to bee instrumentum, an instrumental cauſe, whereby wee come to the knowledge of Divine things.
5 And therefore laſtly, this ſtill remaineth as a ſure maxim, That Natural Reaſon, by what helps ſoever improved, is altogether inſufficient, without the Spirits grace, to the ſavoury apprehenſion of thoſe ſupernatural and purely Evangelical verities, which are revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It is not unfitly obſerved, that as nature hath its Secrets, and Arts their crafts, ſo all Religions have their mysteries, which are not known but to them who are brought up in them. It were eaſy to inſtance in the Perſians, Indians, Syrians, Grecians, Egyptians, Romans, who had their myſterious rites, which the Devil taught them, and accordingly were taken up in imitation of the true Religion, which both in the Jewiſh and Chriſtian Church, never wanted its myſteries, ſuch as none can comprehend, neither can any apprehend, but thoſe who are taught by the bleſſed Spirit.
This is expreſly aſſerted by Chriſt himſelf, when hee ſaith to his Diſciples, It is given to you to know the myſterys of the Kingdome, vobis datum, non vobiſcum natum, thisMat. 13. 11. knowledge is not born with you, but given to you; if then innate reaſon were ſufficient, what need it bee given? nor is it onelyonly by outward revelation, for ſo it was to thoſe Scribes and Phariſees, the wiſe and prudent, from whom yet thoſe things are ſaid to bee hid, to wit, becauſe their eies were not spiritually inlightened to diſcern them; if you would know what it is that was given to theſe Diſciples, let one of them, the beloved Diſciple, inform you, and that in this very Epistle, where hee ſaith, The Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true; ſo that not onelyonly the Revelation of that we are1 Joh. 5. 20 to know, but the foreign underſtanding it ſelf, whereby wee know, was given by Chriſt, and this as a peculiar grace conferred on ſome, whileſt its denied to others.
To this purpoſe tend thoſe metaphors of opening the eies, Act. 26. 18. 16. 14and opening the heart; plainly intimating, that in the work of Converſion, there is not onelyonly an outward, but an inward work; nor are Evangelical truths onelyonly revealed by the Word, but the rational faculties are rectified by the Spirit; what more pregnant inſtance of this truth, than Nicodemus, to whom the Evangelical Doctrin of Regeneration Joh. 3. 5was preached by Chriſt himſelf, and yet by whom it was not underſtood for want of the Spirits illumination? no wonder if Gods Promiſe to his people runs, I will give them an heart to know mee; without which, thoughIerem. 24. 7 hee had ſhowed his Word and Statutes to them, they would ſtill have continued ignorant, as to any spiritual and ſaving knowledge. It is a known Axiome in Philoſophy, that there muſt be a due proportion between the faculty and the object, and therefore as ſenſe cannot apprehend the things of reaſon, ſo neither can reaſon the things of the Spirit; there being no proportion between natural Reaſon and spirtual verities. Indeed, Reaſon in it ſelf is a thing spiritual, as spiritual is oppoſite to material, but not as it is oppoſed to natural; and it muſt bee a ſpiritual, that is, a ſupernatural quality infuſed by the Spirit, which can inable us to apprehend ſupernatural objects; ſuitable hereunto is that diſtinction in the Schools, of a three-fold light, of Nature, of Grace, of Glory, one whereof is far ſhort of the other, and as the light of Grace is not proportionable to thoſe beatifical objects of Glory, ſo neither is the light of nature to the spiritual objects of grace, and therfore moſt juſtly is this affirmative, You have an Unction, and know all things, conſtrued, as including the negative, if you had not this Unction, you could not know any thing.
To conclude then, let the conſideration hereof learn us a double leſſon, to wit, of Humility and Prayer.
1 Let it abaſe us in our own estimation, notwithſtanding our choiceſt natural or acquired abilities; vain man (ſaith Eliphaz) would bee wiſe, though hee bee born like a Job 11. 11.wilde Aſſes colt; men would bee Maſters, not onelyonly of natural, but Divine Knowledge, but they become vaine in their Imaginations. In reaſon, as corrupted, there is a direct enmity againſt the Gospels ſimplicity, yea, the line of reaſon at the beſt, is too ſhort to fathome the depth of evangelical 1 Cor. 3. 18.myſteries, and therefore if any one would bee wiſe (let him according to S. Pauls Counſel) become a fool, that hee may bee wiſe; he only is in a fit capacity for divine knowledge, who humbly acknowledgeth his own inability of himſelf to attain it.
2 As wee deſire to know all things needful to ſalvation, pray wee for the Spirits Illumination; it is strange, and yet true, to conſider how ſimple Idiots are able more divinely to diſcourſe of Goſpel verities, than ſome learned Clerks, and whence this, but from this ſpecial Unction of the renewing Spirit? and when wee hear wicked Chriſtians ſometimes fluently uttering divine knowledge, whence is it but from the common Unction of the illuminating Spirit? There is no unfolding Samſons riddle, unleſſe wee plow with Samſons Heifer; no understanding the things of the Spirit, but by the grace of the Spirit, and therefore I ſhall end my diſcourſe with the beginning of that excellent Hymn.
Oh Holy Ghoſt, into our wits, ſend down thy heavenly light
Kindle our hearts with ſervent love to ſerve God day and night.
Amen.