The Spirits Touchstone, Part 5
What things more peculiarly the Spirit teacheth.
1. Thou canſt not know God aright without the Spirits teachings.Malè vivitur, ubi de Deo non benè creditur. A childe of God may know more of God in one Chapter of the Book of God, which is the minde of the Spirit, than all the writings of all the men in the world are able to ſhew forth without this word of God. It is the Spirit alone that can raviſh our hearts to the love of God in Jeſus Chriſt.1. Gods love. That can make us ſee the heighth, depth, and breadth of Gods love unto us. Who would ever have thought that apoſtates, rebels, enemies, ſhould ever have become the ſonnes of God, heirs, joynt-heirs, and coheirs with Jeſus Chriſt, but that the Spirit hath made it clear? Behold with what manner of love hath the Father loved us, that we ſhould be called the ſonnes of God. Philoſophers could tell you that the Being of beings, the firſt mover, the firſt Cauſe of all cauſes, muſt be infinite, juſt, mercifull, and the like; but that God through Jeſus Chriſt ſhould finde out ſuch a way of reconciliation, that ſinners ſhould be called the ſonnes of God, and that they ſhould be one with the Father, and with the Son Jeſus Chriſt, and that they ſhould have communion with him for ever and ever, this only the Spirit teacheth.
It is the Spirit only which ſheweth the moſt holy nature of God.2. The holy nature of God. 1 Joh. 1.5. In God is light, and in him there is no darkneſs. He is holineſs it ſelf, therefore ſaith God, Be ye holy, as I am holy. We are apt to think that God is ſuch an one as our ſelves, that he mindes not our iniquities, that he walks aloft in the heavens, and cares not for the things which are done upon the earth, but the Spirit hath declared unto us, Hab. 1. That God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Pſal. 5. The fooliſh ſhall not ſtand in thy ſight, thou hateſt all the workers of iniquity. I have read of ſome Nations, that becauſe they have thought their Gods to have delighted in ſome vice, therefore they have addicted themſelves in the imitation of their Gods to the ſame vice: Some have thought their Gods delighted in uncleanneſs, ſome in drunkenneſs, others in cruelty, and therefore they have been drunken, unclean, and cruell; but we have learned God otherwiſe by the mind of the Spirit, that there is no iniquity in the God of Iſrael: Mercy and truth goes before his face, juſtice and judgement is the habitation of his Throne.
The Spirit alone hath ſhewed us the exact juſtice of God againſt every ſinne,3. The exact juſtice of God. that the leaſt ſinne unrepented of, and not waſhed away by the blood of Chriſt, though it be but an evil thought, or an idle word, ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction. Origin with ſome others have thought that it could not ſtand with the mercy of God to puniſh a ſinner everlaſtingly in hell, and therefore they have jumpt in with the Popiſh purgatory, thinking that after the ſoul hath been puniſhed ſo many years in hell fire, it ſhall be releaſed and ſet at liberty. But this is contrary to the Spirit of God in many places of Scripture.
2.The myſtery of the bleſſed Trinity. The Spirit only hath ſhewed us the myſtery of the bleſſed and incomprehenſible Trinity. That there ſhould be three perſons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, and yet theſe three but one God. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghoſt, and theſe three are one. All the great Rabbies of the world will never attain this myſtery; it is only the Spirit that teacheth it.What Pla. to writes of the bleſſed Trinity, it is ſuppoſed he had it out of Moſes his writings or elſe ſome other way. This doctrine of the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, that there ſhould be three perſons and but one God. and one God and yet three perſons, that the Father ſhould be God, the Son ſhould be God, and the holy Ghoſt ſhould be God, it is a doctrine of faith, and not of reaſon, a doctrine which ought to be beleeved, becauſe the Spirit hath revealed it, and therefore not to be diſputed of. The Schoolmen whoſe fooliſh hearts are darkned, have become vain in their imaginations, concerning this tranſcendent and exceeding great myſtery.
3. It is the Spirit alone that teaches us the great myſtery of the incarnation of Chriſt; that there ſhould be two natures, the humane and the Divine united together, and yet but one perſon,The union or the two natures in Chriſt, is … by a fiery flaming ſword, or rather by the ſimilitude of a branch engrafted into a ſtock of another tree, where there is not a mixture of the nature of theſe trees; nor a conſtitution of a …hird out of them, but a drawing of one of them into the others ſubſiſtance. Dr Field. this is the myſtery of myſteries. And without controverſie great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God manifeſted in the fleſh; juſtified in the Spirit, ſeen of Angels, beleeved on in the world, and received up into glory, John 1.14 The Word was made fleſh and dwelt amongst us, and we ſaw the glory, as the glory of the only begotten Sonne, full of grace and truth.
Was made fleſh.] This deſtroys the Hereſie of the Marcioniſts, who ſaid that Chriſt was not made fleſh,foreign Eſt articulus demonſtrativus, notans ipſum verbum fieri carnem, foreign indefinite ſumitur fine ullo articulo, inde notans eum accepiſſe totam noſtram naturam. and that he was not, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary, but that he paſſed through the womb of the Virgin, as water paſſeth through a Conduit. And dwelt amongſt us.]foreign. Greek, Had his Tabernacle among us.
There are many other duties which only the Spirit teacheth, as juſtification by faith alone, the doctrine of the reſurrection, of the immortality of the ſoul, of the happineſs of the Saints in heaven, and of the future torments of the wicked in hell. The Schoolmen with their fine-ſpun diſtinctions and criticall queſtions, do rather darken the minde of the Spirit in theſe waies, than adde any further light unto them. Their teachings are like the way of a ſerpent upon a ſtone, very ſlippery and uncertain.
4.The evil nature of finne. The Spirit alone hath ſhewed unto us the evil nature of ſinne. It condemns an evil look, a malitious thought, Mat. 5. He that looks upon a woman to luſt after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Eph. 5.4. foreign, urbanitas, apud Spiritum eſt vitium, upud Ariſtoteleus est virtus. 1 Theſſ. 5.He that h…ttih his brother in his heart is a murderer. It condemns jeſting and evil ſpeaking. It is to be obſerved that that very word which Ariſtotle cals a vertue, the Spirit of God terms a vice. Jeſting with Ariſtotle is a vertue, with the Spirit of God it is a vice. We are commanded to abſtain from all appearance of evil. To hate the very garments ſpotted with the fleſh. To reſiſt the firſt motions and allurements to ſinne: Rom 7. I had not known ſinne but by the Law, for I had not known luſt, except the Law had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not covet. Unleſs the Word of God had told us, and the Spirit of God had ſet down this for a certain truth, that theſe motions to ſin are ſin, we ſhould never have known it or beleeved it. Theſe firſt motions were never counted for ſinnes by any of the Heathen Philoſophers, or by the more refined wits of the Schoolmen, only the Spirit hath pricked them down for ſinnes. That they are ſinnes,☜ appears by this, becauſe they tempt a man to ſinne. If concupiſcence were not a ſinne, it would never tempt a man to ſinne, for nothing bringeth forth ſin formally, but ſinne. Luſt when it conceiveth it bringeth forth ſin, and ſin when it conceiveth it bringeth forth death.
Ob. The wages of ſin is death, now if luſt were a ſinne, it would bring forth death, how then is it ſaid that luft when it conceiveth bringeth forth ſin, and ſin when it conceiveth bringeth forth death?
Reſp. St James in this place diſtinguiſheth the ſeverall ſorts of ſinnes. There are ſome ſinnes conſummated and finiſhed, and thoſe bring forth death, but it followeth not that other ſinnes bring not forth death, but that they do not bring forth death to the ſame degree as thoſe ſinnes do, for there are diverſities of torments in hell, and the beſt place in hell is very lamentable. As he that cals his brother fool is worthy of hell fire,Raca, i.e. a fellow of no worth, from the word Rik ovacuare. yet it will not follow that he that cals his brother Raca is unworthy of it, but that he is not worthy of it in the ſame degree and meaſure. Luſt it bringeth forth death, but not to the ſame degree that ſin conſummated doth. God judgeth the ſecrets of mens hearts, that ſecret wickedneſs which is within us, and reproves it and makes it manifeſt to our conſciences.Rom 2.16 In the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of mens hearts, according to my Goſpel. It is only the Spirit that condemneth heart-wickedneſs. So ſaith Peter to Simon Magus, Pray to God that the thought of thy heart might be forgiven thee. The Laws of man do not reach to the conſcience, to heart wickedneſs, to the ſecret inward abominations to which God and thy own conſcience are conſcious to. Only the Law of the Spirit doth reprove this heart wickedneſs. The Spirit of God it condemns hypocriſie, when men will ſeem religious, and would be counted true Chriſtians, though their hearts runne whoring after their baſe luſts: When like a man at Oars, they will row one way and look another: Pretend for God and for Gods cauſe, when their deſign is to carry on the intereſt of the fleſh, and of the devil. When they will worſhip God and ſpeak him fair to his face, and give him a parcell of good words, in a few formall words, and in an externall lip-ſervice, when malice and covetouſneſs, and carnall luſts are in their hearts. Matth. 23. How many woes hath Chriſt denounc'd againſt hypocrites! Wo to you Scribes and Phariſees hypocrites. Externall worſhip is ſufficient in mans ſight, but God requireth the heart and the whole heart:Matth. 22.37. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy ſoul, with all thy might, and with all thy ſtrength. Hypocriſie is no ſinne in the worlds account, but a criminall fault, a crimſon ſinne in the ſight of God. Doſt thou think to mock God, and to put him off with ſhadows in ſtead of ſubſtance, with thy formality in ſtead of ſincerity?Gal. 5. Be not deceived, do not deceive your ſelves, and think to put off God with any thing; the heart of man is full of deceit, deceitfull above all things and deſperately wicked. Why be not deceived, why? I will tell you, for what a man ſoweth, that ſhall he reap; if ye ſow chaff, you ſhall reap chaff; if you ſow wheat, you ſhall reap wheat. Hypocriſie is an epidemicall ſinne in this profeſſing age. Conſider againſt this ſinne,Cor ſecundum Auagramma eſt Camera omnipotentis Regis. The heart is the ſeat of the great King of heaven and earth, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. God hath two places wherein he moſt eſpecially is reſident, the higheſt heaven, and the loweſt heart. In heaven he is by his glorious preſence: In an humble heart by his gracious preſence. 1. That all thy endeavours will be utterly loſt, unleſs thou haſt an upright heart; if thou praieſt never ſo much, if thy heart be not perfect with thy God, all thy prayers will do thee no good. As good not at all, as never a whit the better. 2. Conſider, that God judgeth a man and eſteemeth of him according as his heart is; if that be ſincere, thou art a ſincere Chriſtian, but if that be rotten, thou art unſavory in the ſight of God. 3. God anſwereth a man according to what is in his heart, not according to what is in his lips, when he praieth to him. Thou art a drunkard or a whoremonger, or a covetous wretch, or an extortioner, &c. and thou comeſt as Gods people do, and ſitteſt before him, and praieſt unto him: Why God will not anſwer thee according to thy prayer, for it is but lip-ſervice, but according to the Idol that is in thy heart.Ezek. 14. In ſtead of pardoning thy ſinnes, he will give thee more liberty to gratifie thy luſts. God will anſwer thee, but it ſhall be with a curſe rather than with a bleſſing. Sinne it is filthineſs in the ſight of God: Ezek. 36. I will pour clean water upon you, and purge you from all your filthineſſeſs. Saith God, remove this abominable thing out of my ſight which I hate. As it is ſpoken in reference to Idolatry, ſo it may be applied to all manner of ſinnes. Remove this abominable thing, to wit, ſinne, either in generall,Jer. 44.4. or this particular ſinne out of my ſight. Rebellion is as the ſinne of witchcraft.1 Sam. 15.23. He that ſinneth hurteth his own ſoul. Every ſinne properly is a deſtruction to the ſoul: Iſa. 59 2. Your finnes have ſeparated between you and your God, and he hath hid his face and will not hear. 2 Cor. 6.15. Sin it defaceth the beauty of the ſoul,It is a fretting leproſie, which only the blood of Chriſt can purge away. The deluge which drowned ſo many ſinners, was not able to waſh away the leaſt ſinne. Sin it is the greateſt evil, becauſe it is worſe than the devil, for it made him to be ſo. 'Tis worſe than hell, that is but oppoſite to the good of the creature, this of the Creator. And if the greatneſs of the malady may be judged by the coſt and difficulty of the cure, it will eaſily appear that no evil is ſo great as this, becauſe nothing could ſerve for the remedy of it, but the infinite precious blood of Jeſus Chriſt. 'Tis ſo great an evil, that there can be no greater puniſhment of i…, than by it ſelf: When God would deal with man as a moſt deſperate enemy, he gives him up to ſin. There can be no worſe Epithete for it than it ſelf. When the Apoſtle would ſpeak the worſt of it as he could, he cals it by his own name, Rom. 7.13. Sinfull ſin. Dr. Wilkins in his Diſcourſe concerning the gift of prayer. it is a leproſie which infects the whole man, it is that which makes the inhabitants of the earth to ſtink and be corrupt in the noſtrils of God. It is that which is the greateſt evil, becauſe it is oppoſite to the greateſt good, God bleſſed for ever, and brings the greateſt evil upon creatures, the privation of Gods glorious preſence for ever: 1 Cor. 6.9. Neither fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankinde, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor reyilers, nor extortioners ſhall inherit the Kingdom of heaven. The Moralliſt defines ſin after this manner, Vitium eſt quod à mediocritate deflectit, vel in exceſſu, vel in defectu. Actuall ſin according to the Schoolmen is thus defined, Peccaium actuale eſt actus indebito modo circumſtantionatus, the circumſtances are theſe, Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando.
But the Word of God cals ſin foreign, Sin is the tranſgreſſion of the Law. Every deviation from the perfect Law of God, in the leaſt punctillo of it, though but in a thought, in a word, or in one particular action, it is a ſin. Regula eſt judex ſui & obliqui. And the Law of God, it not only ſhews what is good, what is right, and what is juſt, but what is evil, what is unjuſt, becauſe it ſhews us all our obliquities and defects from it.
5. None can teach us to underſtand the Word of God, but the Spirit of God. The Word of God it remains alwaies the ſame, and it is a clear and a plain way in it ſelf: Till the Spirit removes the ſcales from our eyes, ſuch ſcales as fell from Pauls eyes, we cannot underſtand the minde of the Spirit. We may prove the Word of God to be the Word of God by reaſon, for unleſs we go by reaſon, we ſhall never be able to convince an Infidell or a Pagan that the Seriptures are the Word of God. But to make a man underſtand it, is the work of the Spirit. What is the reaſon that having been ſo much verſt in the word, we remain ſo ignorant of the minde of the Spirit? Why, it is becauſe thou art void of the Spirits teachings. The word it is not written upon thy heart by the finger of God, but as faſt as it comes in at one car it goes out at another, and the devil comes and ſteals the word out of thy heart. I tell thee thou maieſt have the whole Word of God by heart, and yet farre to ſeek in the right knowledge of it.Scriptura omnibus acceſſibilitis, pauciſſimis penetrabilis. Aug. Act. 8. We reade the ſtory of Philio and of the Eunuch; The Eunuch was reading a place of Iſaias, He was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, and as a lamb before the ſhearer opened he not his mouth. Philip comes to him and ſaid, Ʋnderſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? ſaid the Eunuch again, How can I? except ſome man guide me: Then Philip expounded the place unto him. But what ſet Philip a work to go to the Eunuch? The Spirit ſaid unto Philip, Go near and joyn thy ſelf to his Chariot. So I may ſay to a poor man when he reads the Word of God, Underſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? Doſt thou know the minde of the Spirit in that place? and he may anſwer me, How ſhould I? unleſs the Spirit teacheth me, or ſome body whom the Spirit ſets a work for that end. Beleeve it,☜ When ſenſual men that have not the Spirit, let them be never ſo book-learned, or head-learned otherwiſe, ſpeak of the things of God, they ſpeak as ſome Geographers write of other Countries, who never were there themſelves to ſee the ſituation or the ſertility of them, they travell by other mens eyes, and ſee with other mens light; and what they write for the moſt part of it they take up on truſt and record, and have but an opinionative knowledg of them, if I may ſo ſpeak, and mix many errors with little of truth. So Learned men void of the Spirit, the greateſt part of their knowledge they have upon truſt, and upon the record of men like Auguſtine, who as he before his converſion ſaid, I beleeve ſo, becauſe the Church ſaid ſo, ſo they beleeve ſo, becauſe the fathers of old ſaid ſo, or becauſe ſuch and ſuch perſons whom they eſteem ſay ſo, not conſidering the light of the Spirit, which is greater than the light of reaſon, or any other light whatſoever. But the ſpiritual man ſpeaks experimentally what he ſe… by the light of the Spirit within him. Every ſpiritual man can ſay, and only he can ſay ſo, I know what I ſpeak; I beleeved, therefore have have I ſpoken. My record is true, becauſe I have the record of the Spirit. What I have heard; ſeen and felt of the word of life, that I ſpeak, Rom. 9. and 'tis a certain truth, that a godly poor man, let him be unskilfull in humane Learning, yet if he hath but that unction of the Spirit that St John ſpeaks of, he is able to diſcourſe of the things of God more ſavingly, experimentally and powerſully than the greateſt Clerks and Rulers of the world: 1 Cor. 1.20. Not many mighty, not many wiſe, not many noble are called, but God hath choſen the baſe things of the world to confound the honourable, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. God did chuſe for his diſciples, not the learned Rabbies of the world, as the Scribes and Phariſees were, but a poor company of Fiſher-men and Tent-makers, delivered this Book unto us. God called Amos from following the ſheep, to go and Propheſie to Amaziab. And this God did to ſtain the pride of worldly wiſdom, ſhewing, that he ſtood not in need of an arm of fleſh to accompliſh his deſign upon the earth, but that by weak and inconſiderable means in themſelves, he was able to bring about the greateſt deſignes. What is the reaſon that the greateſt Scholars are moſt to ſeek in the things of God, eſpecially in thoſe things which accompany ſalvation? Why, as Solomon ſpeaks, they leaning to their own underſtandings, and exalting themſelves in the pride of their parts and abillities, do juſtly cauſe God to leave them to themſelves, and in the dark, becauſe they ſeek not after the Spirit of God, which is the chief thing to be deſired, if they will know the will of God. We uſually ſay, that he that made the Laws can beſt tell how to interpret them; ſo the Spirit of God which made the Word of God (for holy men of God ſpake as they were inſpired by the Spirit) knows beſt how to explain it. We are to compare ſpirituall things with ſpirituall, and the Spirit of God ſpeaking in one place, with the Spirit ſpeaking in another, if we would know the ſcope and intent of the Word. No man can ſay Jeſus is the Chriſt, but by the Spirit. Saith Chriſt to Peter, when he confeſſed him to be the Chriſt, Bleſſed art thou Simon Bar-Jona, for fleſh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Now the Father, as it is clear from Epheſ. 3.5. declared this myſtery by the Spirit, Which in other ages was not made known unto the ſons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Prophets and Apoſtles by his Spirit.
As for practicall duties, 'tis the Spirit only that inflames the heart, enlightens the minde, breeds compunction, and brings ſundry comforts. That teacheth us to deſpiſe earthly things, to leath things preſent, and to ſeek after things eternall, to fly honours, and to ſuffer ſcandals, and to place our hope and confidence in God. That teacheth us that great duty of mortification (If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the fleſh) to ſubdue our luſts, to overcome the world, to live a life of faith, and not of ſenſe, to endure afflictions, and to reſiſt temptations.
The Spirit helpeth us to pray, We know not how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by making interceſſions for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. He helpeth together with and over-againſt us:foreign, collaborantes adjuvat. The originall word imports as when another man ſets his ſhoulder to bear a part with us in the lifting up of any burden. The Spirit of God removes thoſe clogs and weights which be upon our ſpirits, and puts life into the Chariot wheels of our ſouls, by raiſing up our affections, by ſtirring up the gift of God that is within us, that we may pray with readineſs of minde. And maketh intexceſſion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. Not that the holy Spirit is a Mediator of interceſſions, that is properly the office of the Sonne, who is therefore ſtiled, our Advocate, 1 Joh. 2.1. But becauſe the Spirit of God doth ſtirre up our hearts to prayer, and infuſe into us holy deſires, ſtirring us up and inſtructing us in this duty, therefore he is ſaid to intercede for us. The Spirit likewiſe, by cauſing us to groan and ſigh for our ſinnes, is ſaid to make interceſſion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. It is the Spirit alone that muſt convince us of our ſinnes: When the Spirit ſhall come be ſhall convince the world of ſinne, Joh. 16.8. foreign, corripio, pervim demonſtrationis.of righteauſneſs and judgement. The Spirit convinceth plainly by a demonſtration, ſhewing, Thou art the man, as Nathan ſaid to David, and powerfully to the conſcience. It is the Spirit that unites us to Jeſus Chriſt, he is the bond of our ſpirituall union. He that hath not the Spirit of Chriſt is none of his. It is the Spirit that quickens: The Spirit quickneth, Joh. 6.63.the Word profiteth nothing. It is the Spirit that ſanctifieth, and that regenerates the hearts of beleevers.1 John 5.18. He that is born of God ſinneth not, i.e. he that is born of the ſanctifying Spirit of God ſinneth not that great ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, which is unpardonable. It is the Spirit that is the true Comforter: Hence he is called by way of eminency,John 16. The Comforter: The earneſt of our inheritance, Eph. 1.14.becauſe of his inward teſtifying act upon our ſpirits, that we are Gods children. It is the Spirit that driveth out that ſlaviſh fear out of our hearts, making us to come with boldneſs and with confidence to God: Pſal. 51. Ʋphold me with thy free Spirit. It is the Spirit that juſtifies; 1 Cor. 6.10. But ye are juſtified in the Name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that preſerves the faithfull from falling away, by his preventing and eſtabliſhing grace, from that hope that is within them, unto the day of their appearance before Jeſus Chriſt. Phil. 1.6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jeſus Chriſt.