occasion to handle at large Having now thus distinguished them let us see how these effects are appliable to their Causes the Word and the Spirit the dependance is thus 1. Common illumination and the naturall movings of the Will that follow thereupon are the effects of the ordinary grace of the Spirit in the ministerie of the Word preached 2. Proper illumination with the Spirituall affections thence arising are the Effects of the Speciall Vertue of the Holy Ghost in the ministery of the Word regenerating the Soule But we must goe further yet and whereas the Word and Spirit are both joyned together in this worke of regeneration wee must carefully see what belongs to one what to the other Wherefore we are to distinguish betweene the 1. Instrument For whatsoever can be ascribed to the Word agrees to it but only as it is an instrument of the power of Gods Spirit Now instruments are either Cooperative or Passive and the word must be one of the two Cooperative it is not moving and working on the soule by any inward force of it selfe For it cannot bee declared what operative force there should be in the bare Declaration of Gods Will to produce the reall effect of Sanctification in the unregenerate heart It is therefore in it selfe a Passive instrument working only Per modum Objects as it containes a Declaration of the Divine will and as it proposeth to the understanding and will the things to be knowne beleeved and practised Now 't is well knowne that no Object whatsoever hath any Active power per se to worke any thing upon the Organ but is only an occasion of working which some Force in or about the Organ makes use of But whence then hath the word its effect from the 2. Principall Agent the Spirit of God who by his immediate and proper vertue workes upon the Vnderstanding and Will causing in that a thorough apprehension of the things proposed and in this a cheerefull obedience to the things so understood The Object of this worke of the Holy Ghost is not the Word as if the Holy Ghost did infuse into it any speciall Vertue wherby it should worke together with himselfe as a partiall Coordinate efficient cause in our Coaversion the Word working one part the Holy Ghost another as the Arminians vainely dispute Act. Synod Defens Act. 4. p. 136. But the object of this Worke is the Soule of man whereinto this vertue of the Spirit is Infusa or Affusa or rather whereabout this Vertue is imployed quickening changing renuing the Faculties of the Soule with such spirituall strength and holinesse that so it may performe what the Word declares is to be done Which effect of Regeneration though properly it commeth only from the Sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost yet by a cōmon Metonymie it is ascribed also to the Word and for that cause wee are said to be borne againe by the Word 1 Pet. 1. 23. to get Faith by Hearing Rom 8. to bee begotten by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 4. 15. to be sanctified by the truth id est the Word Ioh. 17. 17. and hence such proporties as these are ascribed to the Word that it is the Power of God to Salvation Rom. 1. that it is mightie in operation sharpe as a two edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. that it is a Sword Eph. 6. 17. Revel 19. 15. that it is Fire and a Hammer to breake the Rocke Ier. 23. 29. that it is Powerfull to cast downe all strong bolds of Mans proud imagination 2 Cor. 10. 4. with many the like which though they properly belong to the invisible power of the Holy Ghost giving effect unto his owne Word yet are figuratively attributed unto the Word it selfe which he useth as his visible Instrument I cannot better expresse the manner how the Holy Ghost useth the Word in the worke of Sanctification than by a Similitude or two Christ meeting a dead Coarse in the Citie of Nain touches the Beare and utters these words Yongue man I say unto thee arise Heare the Command and that given to a dead man But could these words doe any thing to raise him No t was Christs invisible power that quickened the dead not his words which only declared what hee meant to doe by his power Againe to the sicke of the Palsie Hee saith Arise take up thy bed and walke Here 's the Command given to a sicke man But was it the vertue of these words that heald him No 't was that secret vertue which went from Christs Deity which did the Cure His words declared what that should bring to passe So in this matter of our Conversion Christ bids us Awake wee that sleepe and stand up on our feet he bids us Beleeve repent obey turne unto him c. But all these commands worke nothing of themselves but take effect by the only Power of God working upon the Heart In which case the Word is truly the Voice of God not of man Now Gods Voice is not a bare sound or word carrying such or such a meaning with it and no more as mans doth but it is Verbum factivum as well as significativum it deeth and really brings to effect that which it commands to bee done it makes a world when it bids a world to be made it raises us when it bids us arise it awakens us when it bids us awake it workes faith in us when it commands us to beleeve it gives repentance when it bids us repent it makes us holy when it commands us to be so According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. The weapons of our warfare are mighty but it is through God and that in Esa. 59. 21. My word saith God shall abide in you but this cannot be till he have first put his Spirit within our hearts Wherefore where this vertue of the Spirit is wanting as it is in most there the Word hath no other vertue than to bee as a faire Mappe presented to the eye wherein are described many matters of excellent knowledge which the unregenerate may gaze upon in a kinde of shallow heartlesse speculation which will differ asmuch from good knowledge as the knowledge of a Countrie by the Mappe and by the eye in travelling it And this is the Sentence of the Orthodox Church touching the Nature and distinction of these two Callings Inward by the worke of the Spirit Outward by the voyce of the Word The Arminians are of another opinion whose judgement about this matter is thas The Word say they and the Spirit alwayes goe together and wheresoever either the Law or Gospell is preached there and then the Quickening power and effectuall vertue of the Holy Ghost is present in all even those that are unregenerate untill such time as by Contumacy and Rebellion against the Spirit they have made themselves unworthy of further helpe But now what is this effectuall power according to the Arminians and what doth it in all men It doth say
Gods frowning countenance fly with speed into the bosome of Christ hang upon him and most importunately sues to be taken into his protection Now one favourable looke from him is worth a thousand worlds and if he will but say unto it I am thy salvation it will not exchange the comfort of that word for all the kingdomes of the earth Wherefore the soule now thinkes of nothing but Christ to live or die Christ is all in all with it him it followes with all strong cries and teares for mercie and comfort in him it apprehends plentifull redemption and all sufficiency of salvation and therefore having once laide hand fast upon him to die for it no force shall make him loose his hold This worke of Faith as it doth greatly glorifie God by ascribing the whole honour of our Salvation unto his only free Grace in Iesus Christ so God againe is pleased highly to honour it above all its fellow Graces by making it the blessed instrument of all the comfort we enjoy in this present world thereby giving us assurance of our Iustification in his sight by Christs righteousnesse Whereupon followes in their times a double comfort unto the soule 1. Peace of Conscience resting it selfe secure upon the stability of Gods promise It hath now what to oppose against the severity of Gods justice and the accusations of the Law even an All-sufficient Righteousnesse in Christ able to satisfie them both to the full whereupon it s quieted and injoyes abundance of sweetest peace being freed from those terrors which before compassed it about on every side 2. That kinde of Fiducia which wee call assurance and full perswasion of the pardon of our sins This is a fruit of that other Fiducia or Trusting unto the promise it selfe wherein stands the proper act of justifying faith And it followes it not alwayes presently but after some time haply a long time after much paines taken in the exercise of Faith and other graces For how many faithfull soules are there who stedfastly beleeve and rest themselves only upon Christ for their salvation who yet would give a world to be assured of Gods favour and fully perswaded that their sinnes are pardoned yet aske them in their sorrowes and feares can you beleeve in Christ committing your soules unto him depending only upon him and no other They will answer yea I cast my selfe upon him let him doe with me as he pleaseth while I live I le trust in him But now this although it should yet will not satisfie them they want joy in the Holy Ghost there 's no testimony of the Spirit in them they have no peace no sense and inward feeling of Gods love and therefore they cannot be assured that their sinnes are pardoned and that they be in Gods favour Whereupon they 'le be ready to fall backe and tell you they doe not nor can beleeve in Christ at all A great mistake and that which casteth many a Conscience upon the racke tormenting it with unsufferable feares where there is no cause They have no justifying faith Why Because they want full assurance of the pardon of sinnes A false argument Iustifying Faith is not to be assured of pardon But to trust wholly upon the promise for pardon Which point duly considered would helpe us to a singular remedy for the consolation of consciences distressed about point of their salvation who whilst they eagerly labour and I cannot blame them for an experimentall and sensible assurance of Gods favour doe too too much neglect that comfort which their faith would afford them in that notwithstanding their feare they are able still to commit their soules unto God as to their faithfull Creator and Redeemer These men should doe with their soules as David did with his in the like temptations Why art thou cast downe my soule why art thou disquieted within me Here was little peace and joy doubts still arising which causeth him to aske the question once againe and a third time But see how he still answers Wait on God wait on God and againe wait on God for I will yet give him thankes who is my present helpe and my God Psal. 42. 5. 11. and 43. 5. See when hee hath no comfort here 's his comfort even his faith that he can still depend upon God for comfort The further explication of this point depends upon the resolution of that practicall Syllogisme whereby certainty of Salvation is concluded which is this Whosoever beleeveth His sinnes are pardoned and hee shall be saved But I beleeve Ergo My sinnes are pardoned and I shall bee saved The Major here is of Faith The Minor of Sense and Experience The Conclusion is of both but chiefly of Faith as it followes on the premisses by infallible argumentation and partly of sense as it is founded on the inward experience of Gods grace working upon our soules Wee may take comfort in this conclusion as we are assured of it by faith even when experience and sense it selfe failes But of this more when we shall speake of the fruits and consequents of Faith FINIS Zach. 6. 13. Hist l. 6. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Heb. 6. 7 8. AElian Vat. hist. l. 1. c. 17. * shew much love nâ—rans * Whereof yet many as left unto us as the Cananites among the Israelites Acâ—â— 27. 〈◊〉 A clean heart a right spirit * Therefore it is our body of death which yet hath many earthly members The new man is created a perfect man though but an infant * As infidelity of our corruption Gal. 5. 22. As the Will renued is at once disposed to love our neighbour as well as to love God c. * So Tilenus with others generally makes Faith to be the instrument of Instification and Sanctification with this difference Fides Iustificationem percipit Sanctificationem etiam efficit In the one faith is an instrument only in the other an efficient cause also Tylen Syntag. part 2. disp 45. thes 41. Ob. * As who should say a dead man must first see speak and goe before he have life in him Sol. Eph. 1. 22. 4. 15. Gal. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 6. 17. None can call Christ Lord but by the holy Ghost Rom. 10. 20. Christ is made unto us life righteousnesse c. Vnlesse we will maintaine the Popish Limbus He hath loued vs and chosen vs c. Deut. 7. 7. 8. 10. 15. 1. Ioh. 4. 19. 1. Pet. 1. 3. Tit. 3. 5. 7. Eph. 1. 4. 9. 2. Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 11. 5. 9. 11. God so loved the world c. Col. 1. 13. Ioh. 6. 29. and 1 Cor. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 102. 2 23 1 Pet 1. 28. The loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Col. 2. 9. Act. 10. 38. 1 Cor. 3. Ioh 9. 25. Anat. Armin. For in him we liue and move c. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Psal. 115. 8. Psal. 116. * Iphicrates Arist Rhet. l. 1. cap. 9. * Rom.
whom it is once implanted So that hee who is once converted cannot so shake off the grace of his first that hee should need a second conversion and a sinner once raised from death through the infusion of spirituallife like unto Christ he dyes no more but lives for ever to the glorie of God The reason is strong from that of the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 1. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is this Seed by which we are borne againe It is not the Word eyther alone or principally considered because that is but an instrument and arbitrary too the force whereof so depends on the chiefe agent the power of the Spirit that without it is but a dead sound And the reason why the word Lives endures for ever is only because the power of the H. Spirit w ch gives it its effect is everlasting Well then this Seed is the power or vertue of the H. Ghost so called by similitude because that as of Seed the Conception is formed so by the power of Gods Spirit immediatly the New man or graces of Sanctification are begotten in us But why is this Divine vertue the seed of our regeneration called Incorruptible seed is it in regard of it selfe or in respect of the fruite For it selfe t is most true that as the Person so the Power of the Holy Ghost is eternall and incorruptible But hee is wilfully blinde who sees not that in this place it is so styled in relation to the effect it workes in us quatenus Semen as it is seed incorruptible producing fruit like to it selfe incorruptible and immortall And the opposition here made is manifest We are not borne of corruptible Seed for that perisheth and so what is borne of that must needs be corruptible but wee are borne of incorruptible seede which lives and endures for ever and therefore what is born of that must needs be incorruptible This is plain then that this Quickening Power of Gods Spirit whereby we be regenerate lives for ever not only in it self but in us also supporting and sustaining our soules for ever in their spirituall life of grace once infused into them And if any will cavill St. Iohn puts all out of doubt when speaking of every regenerate person he saith that this Seed remaineth in him and so that cannot sinne 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his Seede remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne because hee is 〈◊〉 of God And this for the Habit of grace the Constancy whereof no desperate defender of the Saints Apostasie bee hee Papist or Arminian shall bee ever able to shake In the next place touching the Operations of Grace which we performe by the ayde of the Spirit there is not such Constancy to be found in them as in the former For the Holy Ghost doth not at all times alike either stirre up the faculties of the Soule by holy motions or assist their endevours in performance of Good desires Some presumptuous Sinne against Conscience some Pride in our owne strength some neglect of pious duties especially Prayer and spirituall Meditation some Carelesse entertainment of the blessed motions of Grace some Security through long enjoying of heavenly comforts some such or other offence may Quench the Spirit and cause him to withdraw from our Soules all Sense of his comfortable presence and assistance for a time And then the Soule being destitute of this actuall concurrence of the good Spirit falls a Languishing bewrayes presently its naturall impotency like hot water taken off the fire begins to returne to its first coldnesse and for a time corruption prevailes against Grace that which is naturall against that which was but Accidentall Such Cessations or Interruptions of grace as these are all men grant and all good men feele but yet though the act faile the Habit ceaseth not nor is the ground straitway barren because it misseth a Season or two They are but chastisements for negligence past and admonitions to ensuing industry both ending in a large augmentation of all comforts when upon submission God is intreated againe to cause the light of his Favour to shine upon us â—…s much touching the second Circumstance about our Conversion viz. the maner how t is wrought I should proceed to the third viz. the Subject of it but I should vtterly weary you who by this time cannot but desire to be rid of mee Pardon me yet a small trespasse upon the time and your patience that I may conclude all in a word or two of application to our practice Yee have heard touching our conversion that the cause of it is Gods free love without our worth before we were that the manner of it is by the grace of the Holy Ghost without our helpe when wee were weake and of no strength Let the serious thought of these things breed in our hearts a double grace 1. Of Thankfulnesse 2. Of Humility Le ts joyne both together for they are twins of one birth and as you shall never see a proud man thankfull either to God or man so you shall never behold an humble minde but it will alwayes appeare in the most gratefull acknowledgement and confession of the least good turn We shal see how great cause there is in this businesse of our conversion that wee should empty our selves of all proude imaginations and fill our hearts and tongues with the Praises of Gods rich grace and free Mercy if wee will enforce upon our dull heartes the powerfull meditation of these foure points 1. The Desperate and forlorne estate of an unconverted person 2. The Impossibilitie of our recovery out of this damnable condition by any strength of our owne or other creature whatsoever 3. The admirable Graciousnesse of Almighty God in providing the meanes and by them effectually working our full deliverance from the power of Sinne Damnation 4. Lastly the blessed estate of Grace whereto hee hath now brought us and wherein hee preserves us under the hope and expectation of eternall glorie I beseech you that among the multitude of your thoughts and studies you would be pleased to make these things the subject of your best advised meditation Hold me for ever guiltie of a damnable lye if you finde not by experience how forcible this course will be to take downe our foolish haughtinesse and swelling conceits of our own sufficiencie and to inlarge the heart in sweetest songs of thanksgiving to him that hath done so great things for our soules My brethren slight it not t is a matter of greatest consequence and touches us neerely Doe but conceive with me How horrible that thought is and ful of unspeakeable terrour when the conscience freed from the clamours of ill companie cooled after the heate of wine and fulnesse of bread retyred from the distracting businesse of our Callings and stilled after the rage of some furious passtons or glut of pleasures shall in silence turne in upon it selfe and falling upon the inquirie
basest ranke mistaking the manner of this Service falling from that Spirituall service which by the lawes of Creation was onely required to a thousand carnall outward Ceremonies and observations of their foolish devising some ridiculous and senselesse some strange cruell and horrible against all good nature and humanity some furious madde and drunken some obscene and beastly all superstitious and divellish mistaking lastly the time of this service in appointing a number of Festivalls but neglecting utterly the Sabbath the knowledge whereof was quite worne out among the Gentiles Which particulars are all manifest by records of old and experience of latter times in those places where the Gospell hath not beene yet preached A reason of this generall corruption in the whole frame of Gods worship we may conceive to be this The worship of God that man was to performe in his innocency was wholly Spirituall not consisting in outward Ceremonies Ordinances and Observations according as the same shall againe bee performed by us in Heaven hereafter Such was the perfection of Adams nature that he being fully replenished with the love of his Creator did alwaies more cheerfully delight himselfe in the contemplation of his excellency and obedience to his commands without such externall helpes True it is that to Adam in his innocency was prescribed the observation of the Sabbath and two Sacraments of the Tree of Life and Knowledge of good and evill But for these Sacraments the latter was rather of Abstinence than Action a triall rather than a helpe of his obedience the former was a pledge of his happinesse if hee stood but no meanes of his upholding and so both of them mainely differing from all Sacraments afterwards given unto the Church for the support of our infirmities Likewise the Sabbath was then to bee spent in exercises meerely Spirituall not in any such outward bodily observations as since the Fall have beene instituted by God in regard of our weaknesse And though God alwaies required to bee worshipped in spirit and truth yet since the Fall there have beene certaine externall rites added thereunto which were not needefull in time of innocency Now then this whole frame of the outward and instituted worship of God man once corrupted could not so much as ghesse at God therefore revealed it from time to time in the Old and New Testament and that with many straight prohibitions of adding or altering any things out of our owne invention for who can or could tell with what outward things God would be pleased but he himselfe So that the Heathen being destitute of this light it was no marvell if they became vaine in their imaginations and in this point sought out unto themselves many strange inventions They found by experience how needfull it was by some outward services to give testimony that they beleeved and worship ped a God whom else they might seeme to deny in regard of their monstrous impieties but in what manner to doe this they knew not Onely this you are to observe that the whole world almost retained the custome of sacrificing unto their gods which you must not thinke was a thing learned from the light of Nature for what ground in reason had they to imagine that the wrath of God against a man for sinne should bee appeased with the slaying of a beast but it was a practice received by tradition from the beginning of the world this custome of Sacrificing being the most eminent and principall outward service of God commanded first to Adam and by his precept and practice delivered to posterity Who retaining the outward worke and ceremony as mans corrupt nature is ceremonious enough but forgetting the mystery and signification did quickely pervert that sacred institution in all abominable Idolatry and esteemed the Numen or Deity offended to bee directly pacified by that which in its Originall was onely a figure of that propitiatory sacrifice of Iesus Christ. 2. Let us in the next place enquire of the meere Naturall mans practice as it concerneth man in all Morall duties of the second Table wherein hee will goe much further than in the former So that there is scarce any sin therein forbidden which the Heathen have not condemned or duety commanded which some of them have not praised and practised Instances might be shewed in those many excellent patternes of vertue whose lives have been left registred unto us by the Ancients and hardly is there any man so bad in whom wee shall not finde some one or other eminent part of goodnesse But in this point touching the Vicious or Vertuous practices of the Heathen you are to observe two things wherein the Naturall man will alwaies discover his ignorance and error 1. In determining the right cause and Originall of sinne whence all this disorder which is evidently perceived in mans nature had its beginning and how it came into the world Here the Naturall man is at a stand and cannot possibly ascend so high as to finde out the fall of Adam in his Sin Gods Curse thereupon to discover the fountaine of all our uncleannesse and wretchednesse So that every Naturall man would upon examination of this matter easily fall into that opinion of some that there were Duo principia the one summum Malum the cause of all Evill the other summum Bonum the cause of all Good Wee not much wonder that the remembrance of so memorable an accident as Adams fall should quite bee lost in his posterity seeing that Adam himselfe having that Fact of his in horror and detestation whereby he made himselfe and all the world miserable was not willing to publish his owne shame but rather conceale it from his children as hee would have done from God and as for the most part of his posterity they little heeded to know that whereof they cared not to repent 2. In judging aright of the Nature of sin either in regard of the Punishment of it or in regard of the Evill of it For the Punishment of it though the Heathen had a grosse apprehension of Gods wrath against wicked persons in this life and some kind of punishments they should feele afterwards in Hell yet they never could come so far as to see that all men were in one condition under the Curse of God subject to everlasting damnation in body soule without speciall grace shewed from God And for this cause that knowledge of the Law which the Gentiles had could not worke in them that effect as in the Iewes and Christians it doth These it drives unto Christ to seek after a Saviour from the curse and punishment which the Law threatens them withall but in the Gentiles who apprehend not this Curse it cannot take any such effect Againe for the Evill and Vitiousnesse of sinne they never conceived of it according to the full extent of it They knewit to be bad but not so bad as to deserve such horrible punishment as the Scriptures tell us to be due unto it
at all or Nothing else but that Habituall Faith which wee maintaine to be given us as a principall part of our regeneration These mistakings of the Nature of our Conversion hath utterly confounded our Adversaries in their opinions and writings about this point They speake of Sufficiency of Grace to produce the acts and operations of Faith and other vertues when the Question is meant of the Sufficiencie of Grace in producing the Habit of all Inherent Holinesse Now as in the former example of the sicke man it is one thing to enquire whether the Health and strength Christ gave him was sufficient to cause him to walk another thing to demand what vertue of Christ was sufficient to give him that health and strength so in this case t is one thing to aske whether the grace of Spirituall health or Sanctification be sufficient for the producing of the actions of a Sanctified man another thing to aske what grace is sufficient to worke in the soule the grace of Sanctification it selfe Wherefore in this matter we affirme that as Health when it is in a man is sufficient to every Naturall action though alwaies it be not effectuall because wee make not use of our strength at all times but to worke Health in a sicke man no vertue is sufficient but that onely which being applied proves effectuall to restore it So where Sanctification is it is alwaies sufficient to every gracious action if it be duely exercised thereabouts but may sometime bee ineffectuall through our default in not applying it aright but now to worke Sanctification in the heart that hath it not there is no other gift whatsoever sufficient but the onely vertue and power of the Holy Ghost the immortall seede of our Regeneration and wheresoever this onely and all-sufficient vertue worketh in the heart of any man there it is alwayes infallibly effectuall To dreame of any other inherent quality in the soule given to man as sufficient to Sanctifie the soule and yet after t is given ineffectuall to performe it is a fancy never thought of till of late times wherein mens hearts are strangely embittered in fierce opposition against the glory of Gods free Grace This of the first Conclusion the second followeth and it is this That sufficient grace for Sanctification is not given unto all This is a necessary consectary of the former for seeing Sufficient and Effectuall are all one in this case seeing t is apparant that this grace is not Effectuall in some who are never Sanctified it follows necessarily that such Sufficient grace is not given unto all This were enough to have beene said against this opinion of Sufficiency of Grace given to all within the Church But yet ex abundanti for our better satisfaction I desire your patience and attention in the further examination of this second Conclusion The truth of it will be cleered by considering what the grace is which is given to those that are within the Church Now this grace is twofold 1. The Externall Declaration of Gods will made unto all men in common by the Preaching of the Word the ordinary consequent whereof is Knowledge or Illumination And this is termed our Externall Vocation by the Word 2. The Inward gracious worke and vertue of the Holy Ghost immediately exercised upon the Vnderstanding Will Affections and whole Man The constant effect whereof is Regeneration And this is called our Internall Vocation by the Spirit In the explication of the Nature Distinction and Sufficiency of these two unto the worke of Sanctification consists the further cleering of this troublesome controversie The Orthodoxe sentence which hath beene held touching this matter agreeably to the Scriptures is this There are two things which are ordinarily wrought in men living under the Ministery of the Word 1. Illumination of the Vnderstanding 2. A touch or motion of the Will and Affections These two because they are the fountaine of all Outward actions we onely consider in this businesse letting passe such effects as are visible in mens conversations Now both these are each of them of two different sorts Illumination is either 1. Common and Naturall when a man in hearing or reading conceives the litterall sense and meaning of the Scriptures in most points of Christian Religion so that he is able to discourse dispute and write of them I call this knowledge Common because t is bestowed on reprobates as well as others I call it also Naturall because although the object thereof bee Supernaturall and Divine nor could be knowne but by revelation yet being revealed the manner of apprehending it in such a one is meerely Naturall and Carnall and that light which the Spirit affords to such a one is but some more eminent degree of that common assistance which hee gives to all that seeke after knowledge in any learning for a publicke benefite For the case is plaine enough a learned Schollar unregenerate knowes and studies Divinity in the same manner as he doth any other Art and as in them so in this hee may attaine excellent knowledge by a speciall but no sanctifying gift of the Spirit perfecting his Naturall reason but not making it Spirituall 2. Proper and Spirituall when a man by a singular gift of the Spirit of grace is inabled to judge of Heavenly things in a Spirituall manner according to their truth and goodnesse represented to the understanding in their native beauty and excellency I call this Proper because it belongs onely to the Elect and Spirituall because the Sanctified understanding judgeth of them Spiritually Thus for knowledge next touching the Motions which are wrought in the Will they are likewise double 1. Naturall when upon the understanding of threatnings or promises the Will is touched with some kinde of affections towards those things as they which are naturally hurtfull or beneficiall to it as to love hope desire feare or hate such or such a good or evill thing spoken of in the Word I terme these affections Naturall being proportionable to that first sort of knowledge that bred them For when an unregenerate man shall heare it plainly and amply declared what happinesse belongs to the Saints what comfort is in Gods favour what glory in heaven what horrour in Hell and a bad conscience hee will be easily stirred up with many desires of enjoying the one and escaping the other But this he doth in no other manner than as every man by instinct of Nature will wish and seeke for that good which he knoweth to be proportionable to his nature and also shunne the Contrarie 2. Spirituall when upon the thorough apprehension of all Spirituall Good and Evill known beleeved by Faith the Will is strongly inclined with all Constant and Vehement affections of Love and Hatred earnestly to embrace the one and detest the other above all things else whatsoever How great difference there is betweene these Illuminations and Motions in the regenerate and unregenerate I shall by Gods grace shortly have