from a general and calls that Scripture that comes by a clear consequence from it It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And Further our Saviour sticks not to say It is written And him onely thou shalt serve Though it be but implied in that place of Moses Spanhem Dub. Evang Par. 3. D. 65. p. 292 For indeed the very nature of the subject spoken of implies a peculiar reference unto God alone Because those things such as worship and fear which are due unto God as God are due onely unto God with whom no creature can claim a partnership in Divine Adoration without great Sacriledge and none can be admitted to it without gross Idolatry Argum. 2. If the necessary requisites of the proper object of Adoration be onely in God then Adorability is proper onely unto God For how can that be the object of Divine Worship which is not qualified with those properties and attributes that are necessary for its constitution in such a capacity but in God alone are those requisites found Which are these three Frist Omniscience that hee that is worshipped should know all our wants our sighs and groans and know the deepest secrets of the most retired thoughts of our hearts As true Worship may inwardly be performed many times by the secret thoughts of the mind so it is necessary that hee that is thus worshipped should have a peircing and omniscient eye to have a clear and full view of those very thoughts For otherwise hee may be worshipped and hee not know it And then what small comfort would it be for the most spiritual worshippers to serve him with their hearts who unless hee be omniscient would be ignorant whether they worshipped him or no. Secondly Omnipotency that hee should be able to help us in our wants and give in a supply suitable to our greatest grievances and necessities Why should I worship one that is not able to help mee or why should I not worship and adore any thing else besides God if that were as able to supply my wants and relieve mee in any kinde of misery as God is who is Omnipotent Thirdly Omnipresence that hee should every where hear our prayers and answer our requests This was one great peece of unreasonableness in the worship of the Heathens that they made choice of such Gods to worship which they themselves acknowledged were confined to particular places and so could not be present to help them under any sudden emergency and because they wanted power their worshippers would remain helpless still though they were present in their very Temples the places of their confinement Now God the God of Israel the Onely Being in the world that is both Omniscient Omnipotent and Omnipresent and therefore Adorability is proper onely to him § 3. This Proposition being thus proved it may easily be improved to convince the Papists of grievous Idolatry in worshipping those things with a Religious Worship which are not proper objects of Adoration as Images Saints and the like As also to condemn the Socinians those great Patrons of Reason of their gross absurdity and unreasonableness in devesting Christ of his Divinity and yet of attributing Divine Worship and Adoration to him notwithstanding hee is held but a Creature But I had rather prevent a mistake and miscarriage amongst ordinary Christians than stand to confute those that are visibly the Disciples of Antichrist as the former or those that have really forfeited the very name of Christians as the Latter The mistake is this when Christ our Mediator God and Man is propounded in Scripture as the Object of our Religious Worship and Adoration less wary minds may be apt to terminate their Worship upon his humane nature When as 't is evident the humane nature and flesh of Christ is not God though it be the flesh of God viz. of God the Son and personally united to him But the personal union of the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ the Mediator doth neither destroy nor confound the proprieties of either but leaves them entire as they are in themselves And Adorability is no less a propriety of the Divine Nature than Omniscience Omnipotence Omnipresence and Eternity are God therefore manifest in the flesh is to be worshipped with a Religious Worship but his flesh ought not thus to be worshipped As the King may be civilly worshipped who wears a Crown or Diadem upon his head and bears a Scepter the emblem of Majesty in his hand yet neither Crown nor Diadem nor Scepter can be said to be honoured with a civil worship And the godly are then said to have worshipped Christ when they knew clearly his Divinity that hee was God as well as Man As the blinde man made whole when Christ had told him hee was the Son of God that cured him Then hee said Joh. 9.37 38 Lord I beleeve and hee worshipped him Thus those that saw Christ walking upon the Sea and quieting of it Mat. 14.33 Then they that were in the Ship came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the Son of God See also the example of Peter Luke 5.8 And the Women that sought Christ in the Sepulchre Matth. 28.9 And the Apsstles that were gathered together in the Mount when Christ took his leave of them Vers 17. When they saw him they worshipped him whom they knew now to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead § 4. Before I pass to the next Proposition wee may here from this first learn a true account why Heathenish Worshippers would never admit the Worship of the True God of Israel under the Old Testament or of Jesus Christ revealed under the New Testament dispensation but would willingly entertain the Worship of all other Gods whatsoever One would have thought the True God who truly is the proper object of Adoration might as well have been entertained as any of the false and fained Deities The reason was this because it was very indifferent to Satan after what manner hee was worshipped so hee was but worshipped at all hee could easily admit a multiplicity of Gods But The God of Israel and Jesus Christ when they are worshipped they must be worshipped alone they and none other all else must be excluded it being the first and chiefest of all Gods Commands Thou shalt not have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any other Gods before my face But the Worship of false Gods did not at all hinder but that worship might be given to other Idols so that the kind and degree of it peculiar to each Idoll was but distinguished by their Disciples § 5. Propos 2. Actual Adoration or Worship is due to God from all intelligent creatures by the obligation of nature Actual Adoration and the formal exhibition of Worship is neither essential to God to have it or to the creatures to give it Not to God to have it because God was before there were any creatures to worship and adore him And it
I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever In this full place God hath joyned his Spirit and his Word together God hath left the footsteps of his bounty every where for the advantage of the Church yet no greater than this to have his Word and Spirit to guide them unto Heaven The Spirit is joyned with the Word because without the Efficacy and Presence of the Spirit the Word preached would be unprofitable And the Word too must be joyned with the Spirit because as one observes Calvin in Locum Est Satanae spiritus qui divellitur a verbo it is no better nor worse if worse could be than the Spirit of the Devil that is separated from the Word of God Wee may have the Devil deluding but no promise of Gods teaching when the Spirit is pretended without the Word Now where are wee to have this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In thy mouth Spoken to the Prophet implying a Ministry of the Word under the Gospel to hold this out God might indeed speak to us immediately from Heaven or use the Ministry of Angels But God consulting with our weakness useth the Ministry of Man rather like our selves to deliver his mind to us that by that means wee may the more familiarly be drawn unto him In vain do any boast that they obey God when they reject his Ministers If they obey God why not in Gods way who hath appointed Gospel-Ministers to hold out his Word and hath promised the Presence of his Spirit to beat us off from such fancies and delusions which would make us gape after revelations without and many times contrary to the Word of God § 3. Another place of the same Prophet Isa 54.13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. God is wont to teach his children two waies by the outward Word preached and by the secret revelation of his Spirit working by the Word Now which is meant here the Evangelist John Joh. 6.45 shews us The Father draws souls to Christ But how It is written they shall be all taught of God All Gods children shall be clearly taught by the Spirit of God The elect ones that are drawn home to Christ are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God not in opposition but in subordination to the Word 'T is not to deny the Ministry of the Word but to assert the essicacy of the Spirit Mares L. Com. Lo. 1. ss 51. For as one well observes wee are said to be taught of God in that place of Joh. 6.45 So far as that the Doctrine which outwardly sounds in the Scripture and Ministry of the Word is imprinted in our minds by the Spirit of God not as if wee should receive new revelations without the use of these outward means Wee must so distinguish the Ministry of the Word and the teaching of the Spirit so as not to give the efficacious teaching of the heart unto man who preaches the Word For so the Prophet sayes the Sons of the Church of Christ are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God And as Augustine Augustinus Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet Hee that teaches the heart is Doctor of the Chair in the New Jerusalem Yet wee must not divide and separate them as if Gods teaching and the Spirits teaching in Gospel-times were without the Word preached The Spirit of God teaches in the Church and Ordinances there Discipuli sunt Diaboli non Dei Calvinus in Isa 54.13 qui ordinem a Deo institutum repudiant They are the Devils Scholars and none of Gods Disciples who do reject that order that God hath appointed Wee see these joyned together the Children of the Church and taught of God so that they are not the Disciples and Children of God that will not be taught in the Church § 4. Another place is that of St. Paul to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4.9 As touching Brotherly Love I need not write unto you for yee are all taught of God to love one another The meaning is I need not now use many words to you to treat at large about brotherly Love A word is enough to the wise You that are made wise by the Spirit of God know at first what the duty means an admonition is enough God teaches you by the Word and you know what that is by the Spirit Hee doth not so speak as if they that were taught of God had no need of the Word But onely thus much hee intends that when once the Spirit teaches in the Word there is less labour on the Ministers parts to teach than where the Spirit hath not taught at all And truly woful experience doth demonstrate this A gracious heart that is taught by the Spirit in the Word apprehends a Divine Truth or Gospel-duty at first mentioning As the Thessalonians that were taught of God needed onely the very mentioning of the duty of Brotherly Love But what ado have wee to beat a Gospel-Truth into the head or heart or memory of a carnal wretch Gospel-Truths are hidden Mysteries dark sayings obscure parables to natural hearts They cannot apprehend what they mean and whither they tend ordinarily Or suppose a Minister hath been beating a long time upon such Truths possibly a carnal mans understanding may under the preaching of the Word obtain the common work of Illumination and hee may know many things yea but what is this all this while to the reformation of the heart to the working upon the affections this must be by the teaching of the Spirit of God in his Ordinances Mans preaching may fill the head full of notions but the Spirits teaching must fill the heart with real notions of grace and goodness towards God As long as you hear onely with the hearing of the ear the Word preached profiteth not but when you are taught of God by his Spirit then the Word gets within you into your very hearts § 5. Look also into that place of John It is the Spirit that quickeneth Joh. 6.63 the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life The Disciples thought it an hard saying Vers 55. My flesh is meat indeed Though it was not the saying but the hardness of their hearts that made it so But Christ here answers The flesh profiteth nothing that is my Humane Nature without the Spirit without my Divine Nature can never obtain you life All that I have done or suffered in the flesh is worth nothing to purchase life and salvation unless I were God as well as man 'T is the Spirit that quickeneth my Deity as I am God that makes mee capable of obtaining life for souls by offering my flesh a sacrifice to Divine Justice And the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life
chief matter is Gods Omnipotency and his Immensity or Omnipresence Consider these joyntly so they are a solid foundation for that Religious Worship that is due to God for both Omnipotency and Omnipresence are necessarily required in the proper object of Religious Adoration as is more fully shewn c. 4. § 2. C. 4. § 2. And Gods Omnipresence considered singly by its self and abstractly from the other is presented as a necessary Caution to less wary minds to secure them from all those unworthy thoughts that may any waies derogate from the Infiniteness of his Essence when they shall see a discovery made of Gods special Presence in the places of his Publick Worship under the Gospel For Gods special manifestation of himself either in Heaven or in the Temple of old or in his Church and faithful Servants now a daies as places of his peculiar residence is no waies inconsistent with his natural Immensity and being every where present as I shall more fully declare in the sequel of this ensuing Discourse § 4. If wee do again consider the manner of discovery of these two fore-mentioned Attributes viz. that it is by the very light of nature and by the improvement of right reason and understanding that common benefit that Christ enlightens every one withall that comes into the world Joh. 1.9 Quakers This may let that fond generation of people know who are so hugely enamoured with and do so superstitiously dote upon their so much admired and adored notion of A Light within That there is other work that God hath designed that inward Light for than by its native strength lustre and radiancy infallability to guide us if faithfully followed as they no less prophanely than ignorantly do imagine to the place of bliss and eternal happiness For consider this inward Light in its speculative part wee see in some measure what useful discoveries it may accommodate us withall by what hath been before mentioned And look upon it again in its practical office as it sparkles in mans natural conscience so it may be very serviceable to the design of Christianity when inward convictions of many gross sins repugnant to the very dictates of natural light do render us restless in our spirits till wee have found a more spiritual conviction of sin by the Law of God revealed in his Word and a conversion from them unto God through Christ by the Holy Spirit according to the tenour of the New and Gospel Covenant But that this Inward Light which the Wise man stiles the Candle of the Lord and at the best Pro. 20.27 burns but in the socket of a corrupt mind with very much dimness should ever discover the right and ready way to the New Jerusalem is the product onely of mens foolish fancies their pride and ignorance Would not from hence a strong impeachment of the Divine Wisdome be raised that hee should send Christ into the world to purchase salvation for lost and fallen man when by this inward Light hee might have obtained it well enough before § 5. Having thus briefly hinted the benefit of Self-Reflection and the true use of in Inward Light which as it is common to all men so it is but of common concernment in order to salvation of which more 〈◊〉 its proper place ch 12. § 8 9 I shall now in the close pursuit of my present intendment betake my self to Divine Revelation And what Caution I before handled from the light of nature is as necessary in the first place to be shewn from Divine Revelation in the Holy Scriptures viz. That God is every where present filling all places and spaces both real and imaginary by his Immensity 1 King 8.27 Behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee Psal 139.7 8 9 10 Isa 66.1 Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I cannot see him do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Scripture doth not onely barely assert but with strength of Argument prove Gods Omnipresence Act. 17. Act. 17.27 28 Hee is not far from every one of us for in him wee live and move and have our being For indeed wee cannot otherwise know the presence of a Spiritual Being than by its operations And it seems no less impossible for one to produce any thing immediately where hee is not than when hee is not at all in being Now wee living and moving and having our being in and by God it must necessarily follow that God is present with us and every thing that either lives moves or hath a being § 6. But though God be every where present and so with every creature equally in regard of his Infinite Essence and of his Immensity Yet as to the Specialty and peculiar Efficacy of his presence hee is not with all either things or places and persons after the same manner present For it hath been observed that the Scriptures do evidently set out divers degrees of Gods special presence The first and chiefest Gods Presence 1 Of union is with the humane nature of Christ which God the Son the second person of the Trinity hath hypostatically united to himself and really taken into the unity of his own person Whence God is said to be made man the Word to be made flesh Joh. 1.14 This is the sublimest mystery in the world that two natures should be so united as to become one person And the highest and most wonderful degree of Gods presence that ever was A second degree and the lowest 2 Of Providence is that God is present with all his creatures as the preserver guider and governour of them A third degree is 3 Of Glory that God is present with the Glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven whom hee doth not only uphold in their Being but peculiarly vouchsafes to them the solace and sweetness of never fading bliss and happiness A fourth degree is 4 Of Grace Gods special Presence with his own people whose temporal life hee doth not onely preserve and sustain but also by his grace prepares them for life eternal This Special Presence of God is that which is promised to Gods people in his Church 2 Chron. 15.2 in his Ordinances Thus Azariah told Asa and Judah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while yee be with him The presence of Gods Grace and his singular Favour is assured to those that continue in Gods waies Thus David in banishment earnestly and importunately breathes after the enjoyment of God in his Church and Ordinances Psa 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God David knew that God who was every where could not but be present with him in his exile But his desire here is for Gods special presence in his Church He acknowledges therefore Pareus Advers that there is a very great use of Publick Holy Assemblies and that there is none so holy and perfect but that stands in need of
the place where Cain was but also the state and condition that hee was in is hinted to us by that expression the Land of Nod which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vagari Thus the learned Bochartus renders it Bochart Geog. Sa p. 57 Junius Anal in Gen. T. 1. Terra Nod est terra exilii quia ibi exulavit Cain The Land of Nod is the Land of Banishment because Cain was banished there And likewise Junius Terra Nod est terra vagationis erroris The Land of Nod is the Land of wandring and error yet hee there geographically describes the Country So that the meaning of it seems to be this That Cain was in a wandring unsettled condition when once hee left Gods presence Not but that hee was fixed in a place for the next verse tells us hee built a City But as Luther well observed hee was without Gods promise and Gods protection hee was upon the Devils ground when hee had left Gods Worship Sine certa Regula tum vivendi tum moriendi Hee had no fixed rule either for holy living or happy dying § 5. Having thus cleared the difficulties of this place I shall in one word or two shew the usefulness and subserviency of it to my present design which may easily be seen in a double corallory which naturally flows from it That the place of Gods Worship Cor. is the place of Gods singular presence And if any think this to be a truth appropriate onely to the Sanctuary and Temple-service and to the Ceremonial Worship of God under the Law Let such seriously consider that though the phrase be borrowed from Gods manifesting of himself in the Sanctuary yet Moses was directed by the Spirit of God to apply it to Gods Worship in that time which was a long while before any Ceremonies were instituted or commanded by God as Ceremonies Though some things were then in use which afterwards were incorporated into the body of the Jewish Ceremonies But the Gospel closing with and owning this Truth as proper to its dispensation after the coming of the Messiah wee have no reason but to own it as a sober Truth pertinent to the Worship and Service of God in all ages and to the divers dispensations that the Church lived under Though wee easily grant it to be more visibly exemplified under that dispensation which was chiefly Ceremonial Of which more afterwards c. 4. §. 14 2 Cor. That they which voluntarily leave Gods Instituted Worship and his commanded Ordinances put themselves into a wandring condition The first of these Conclusions I intend chiefly to prosecute and build upon it as the main basis and ground-work of my present discourse CHAP. IV. Adorability proper unto God Mat. 4.10 Expl. Socinians Papists and others mistaken Why the Heathen never admitted the Worship of the true God All intelligent creatures obliged to Actual Adoration The Angelical Worship how performed Man being of a mixt nature bound to time and place in his Worship The Original of the Sabbath The necessity of Publick places and conveniency of Churches Set places for Worship some commanded some approved The Tabernacle The Temple The use difference and original of Proseucha's and Synagogues Gods Symbolical presence in the Old Testament The Schecinah Ceremonial Holiness of places removed Difference 'twixt the Temple and our Churches § 1. BEfore I come to the full prosecution and clear demonstration of the fore-mentioned Conclusion I shall endeavour to prepare my way and to make it clear by premising and making good these seven Propositions Propos 1. That God ought to be worshipped is essential to the Divine Nature By Worship in the general I mean the performance of respect unto any thing or person according to the estimation and dignity thereof In regard of its object it may be either Civil or Divine Worship Divine Worship usually is called Adoration which is that whereby the mind yeelds due reverence and respect unto God owning of him as the Supreme Soveraign of the world and depending upon him as the bestower of all good and preserver from evil Now this Adoration or Religious Worship is essential unto the Divine Nature God having that in his most perfect Nature which necessarily calls for it at the creatures hands To avoid all mistakes take the Proposition thus Adorability is proper onely unto God This Adorability or Inward Worship in God in its formal notion seems not to be placed in that Transcendent Excellency in that singular and independent Majesty of the Eternal Deity whereby God is infinitely above every creature But it doth most specially denote his Spiritual Dominion over intellectual creatures and thus God ought to be worshipped by them in Spirit as hee is the Father of Spirits For John 4 24 Heb. 12.9 although Adorability be conceived to be in God from all Eternity yet it cannot so much as be imagined or conceived by us but as a relative and respective Attribute of God which wee conceive of in God in order to the creatures some Action of theirs interposing so that in Gods Knowledge of Vision Deus adorabilis adorans creabilis adorationis actio possibilis wee must necessarily suppose these three things to be together God Adorable One adoring Creable and the Action of Adoration possible Neither is God said to be adorable with a respect had to every creature indifferently For there are but two created natures onely viz. that of Men and of Angels in reference to which God is said to be adorable and ought to be worshipped by them § 2. Having thus briefly opened the terms of Worship Adoration and Adorability I shall now prove the Proposition by these Arguments 1. Either Spiritual Worship and Adoration is necessary and naturally due unto God and proper unto him alone or else our Saviours weapon was but weak that he used to repel one of Satans principal temptations To undervalue the skill of Christ our Captain in the managing of spiritual weapons against the Devil is both blasphemy against God and undermining of the Gospel and the greatest injury to our own Faith But the very strength and force of our Saviours answer to the Devil is couched in this That Spiritual Adoration is proper onely unto God It is written Mar. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve It is written Our Saviour to instruct us uses nothing but Scripture Arguments And where is this written Deut. 6.13 In Deut eronomy wee finde it But the words are thus Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him Our Saviours Argument is never the worse nor the weaker in that hee takes the sense and meaning of the place though hee doth not exactly tye himself to the words To fear God is a more general term and includes Worship under it and when our Saviour is to deal with Satan that would have Worship given to him hee deems it a solid way of reasoning to infer a particular
is not in every man by Nature but conveyed onely to some by the Spirit of God who is called the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1.17 Gospel Light in the soul that leads to salvation is the benefit of Christs Redemption and not of our Creation Therefore when Christ is spoken of to come into the world as Mediator to him is attributed this light of salvation The people that walked in darknesse have seen a great light Isa 9. Avenari Lex Hebr. Mal. 4 2. they that dwell in the Land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Some observe that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shine hath great affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heal It holds true here the light of the Gospel is an healing light where ever it comes All men lye sick in sin and ignorance till this light recover them No soundnesse in the Faith without a clear discovery of this light And it is worth our observation Luk. 4.18 that healing of the broken hearted and recovering sight to the blind are both joyned together and both as the effect of Christs undertaking his mediatory work If Christs as God enlightens every man that comes into the world with the light of reason yet we must not therefore beleeve that Christ enlightens every one by saving Grace as he is Mediator 'T is true all that are savingly enlightened are enlightened by Christ and his Spirit yet there are many that are never enlightened Yea and of all those that are thus savingly enlightned time was that wee might say of them Yee were sometimes darkenesse § 9. What hath been said may sufficiently serve to answer any that would bee satisfied about that inward Light so much spoken of now adayes of which I shall only propound these four things First Every man in the world hath an inward light of nature or light of reason call'd in Scripture Prov. 20.27 the candle of the Lord. According to which every man hath some seeds of the knowledge of good and evil This is the light of mans natural Conscience Rom. 2.14 15. This light serves to many good uses but not to bring Souls to Heaven Secondly Every true Saint one that is regenerated truly by the Word and Spirit hath an inward light of the Spirit the light of Grace This is light in the Lord. According to this Ephes 4.8 a Saint hath his Conscience savingly enlightned This light is not onely useful but necessary to all true Christians in their life here as Christians and will bring them to Heaven at the last Thirdly There is a middle light betwixt the light of Nature and the saving light of Grace that is the common work of the Spirit called illumination too which many in the visible Church do enjoy and yet are reprobates According to this Heb. 4.6 men may have an awakened conscience This light may bee useful to others but it will not advantage a wicked man at all if hee go no further than this common work Fourthly No man that receives inward saving light of the Spirit but was first in great spiritual darkenesse Thus S. Paul saith of the Ephesians Ye were sometimes darkenesse but now are yee light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 So that it must needs bee a very grosse mistake to think that any a far greater to assert that all are born with this inward saving light And our Saviour was much overseen in sending Paul to open mens eyes and to turn them from darkenesse to light Acts 26.18 by preaching of the Gospel if so be they had this Light by Nature Wee grant you see and if need were would sufficiently prove with undeniable Arguments a Light within yet not such as many ignorantly enough plead for Vide Fr. Junium de Theol. vera c. 16. expl ss 32. T. 1. p. 1414. Let others therefore sit down and embrace that so much admired Darling of an Inward Natural yet saving Light in all wee know 't is but a Changeling and not the genuine off-spring of the Spirit of God Much like that Strumpet-Goddesse of the men of Ephesus Great is Diana of the Ephesians But in St. Pauls Language it proved a great cry about nothing For saies hee Wee know that an Idoll is nothing § 10. IV. The Spirit of God teaches Corroborando by strengthening the mind and understanding The mind of man is full of weakness as well as darkness The Spirit of God in his teaching brings not only light but also strength to the souls of Gods Children Paul prayes that they may be strengthened Eph. 3.16 with might by his Spirit in the inward man The inward man the soul of a Saint is the chief object of the Spirits care For the outward man that is many times weak and vile but the Spirit comes by his teaching to renew and streng-then the inward man that though the outward man decay yet the inward man may be renewed strengthened and confirmed day by day And if any shall enquire how God by his Spirit doth strengthen the minds of his Children Fr. Junius de Th. vera c. 12. p. 1403. T. 1. A learned and judicious Divine gives this solid satisfaction to his inquiry Whatsoever power is implanted in man by nature to apprehend that God by the power of his Spirit doth so possess that to those gifts of nature hee conjoyns the gifts of his grace that are answerable to them For to the Principles that are naturally placed in the understanding hee super-adds the Principles of Grace To Reason that arises out of those Principles hee conjoyns the increase of his Divine Light To the Conclusions and Determinations which reason hath attained to by the most imperfect light of nature hee super-adds supernatural and most perfect Demonstrations out of which heavenly Knowledge may be raised in the minds of godly men To conclude hee propounds heavenly objects to be apprehended by the mind and will after an heavenly manner and also raises the will to the apprehension of those objects that are propounded § 11. V. And lastly Recolligendo The Spirit teaches by raising and recollecting fallen Truths Mans memory is very slippery especially as to Divine Truths very apt to let them slip and leak thorow Therefore wee ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that wee have heard lest at any time wee should let them slip Heb. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest wee let them run out as leaking Vessels are wont to do Or the Metaphor may be taken from Paper that lets letters sink in and the Ink run abroad that they cannot be distinctly read Thus Divine Truths either leak out or run abroad that they prove useless to souls at the greatest need Now the Spirit recollects and brings in Divine Truths upon several occasions as may be most for the souls advantage Hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance what-ever I
have said to you Joh. 14.26 Here is one admirable advantage of Gods teaching by his Spirit that when the Word comes onely to the outward ear in hearing yet Gods Spirit can set it home afterwards and make it effectual for comfort or counsel or quickening as his Children want it The Apostles heard our Saviour himself preach yet our Saviours words without his Spirit would work no comfort or benefit to their souls Again the Spirit shall teach and be their remembrancer yet observe it our Saviour sticks close to the Word Whatsoever I have said unto you V. Chamier L. C. l. 1. c. 7. in fine that the Spirit shall teach you again If any will pretend that they are taught by the Spirit of Christ and yet will not stick closely to the words of Christ this very place will prove that 't is but a delusion CHAP. XIII Quest What are the qualifications of the Spirits teaching Answ Hee teaches fully pleasantly seasonably certainly 1 Cor. 2.4 expl Profitably in that hee teaches practically and particularly Gradually The Spirits gradual teaching brings in no New Lights objective The remarkable Vision of five Lights noted § 1. I Now proceed to the second Question propounded to clear the Spirits teaching Quest 2. What are the qualifications of the Spirits teaching The full answer to this I shall give in in these seven following particulars 1. The Spirit teaches fully Gods Spirit never teaches fouls that hee undertakes with half teaching Hee does not make men to be almost onely but altogether Christians Should the Spirit of God open one eye onely and leave the other blinde the Devil would have great advantage hee would alwaies strike men on the blinde side Now the Spirit of God teaches all fully as to necessary Truths for salvation There is no one Truth the Devil can tell a Childe of God hee is so wholly ignorant of that the ignorance of it will cause his eternal damnation This is the great work of the Spirit of God to make the soul acquainted with the deep things of God which are kept hid from the world and worldly men 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12 None but the Spirit of God is fully acquainted with those Truths that concerns our salvation and therefore the Spirit alone can fully discover them to the soul § 2.2 The Spirit of God teaches pleasantly Matters of Divine sense and feeling carry much of a secret pleasure with them No such real and solid pleasure in all the world as that which a gracious soul findes in the experimental discoveries of Gospel-Truths 'T is sensual and swinish pleasure which men take in following sinful waies But the onely solid pleasure is in Divine Experiences It is a pleasure worthy a rational soul to be ravished with the love of Christ and to be enamoured with that commanding beauty that the waies of holiness do afford A tincture of pleasure carries the soul far in its operations Men would never run on headlong in waies of wickedness were not pleasures laid as the bait to allure them Now what is it makes many souls to quit their comforts in this life their friends their estates their liberties yea their lives themselves rather than part with those Truths the Spirit hath taught them Onely this they apprehend a greater pleasure in owning them and sticking close to them than in all other things in the World What makes Duties and Ordinances irksome and tedious to carnal hearts but delightful to gracious souls 'T is the pleasure the Spirit gives in to the one and not to the other that makes the difference A man may know much of the spirituality of his heart towards God and that hee is under the teachings of Gods Spirit by that pleasure and delight and content hee takes in the Ordinances of God Gracious souls cry oh let us go up into the house of God when will Sabbaths and Sermons and Ordinances come that our souls may be refreshed with them But worldly minded men cry out as they did when will the Sabbaths and New Moons be over when will Sermons and Prayers and Reading be done Alas they take no pleasure at all no delight and therefore care not whether they enjoy these mercies or no or if out of formality they wait upon the Ordinances they care not how soon they are done Custome carries sinners upon duties conscience puts the Saints upon them Formality and Hypocrisie makes the one true delight and pleasure makes the other go thorow with them Moses when hee came out of the Mount from God his face did shine Thus when gracious souls come from Gospel-duties their hearts shine they are filled with unspeakable joy and pleasure § 3.3 The Spirit teaches clearly Christ spake while hee was upon the earth in parables and proverbs but after his Ascension and the Spirit was poured out Job 16.25 hee then teaches plainly and clearly Spiritual teaching is the plainest and clearest teaching in the world According to the diversity of Lights there is a great difference of sight in point of clearnesse One man sees an object by the Moon-light another by a Candle-light but hee sees most clearly that takes a view of his object by the light of the Sun when it is riding in its noon-day glory A true Christian sees divine things not onely by the dimme light of nature nor meerly by the light of the Word but by the bright and clear light of the Spirit which manifests things to the soul A clear light discovers all even the smallest objects which otherwise would not be seen So doth the Spirit of God discover those Truths and Divine Mysteries to a beleevers soul without whose light they would be wholly undiscerned The words of our Saviour in the fore-cited place are very remarkable The time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly Schmidius N Animad in N. T. as one observes it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a discovery of all things q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things by the Spirit are manifested even the most hidden things of God Three things go to a clear discerning the Object the Visive faculty that is stated in the eye and the Medium or mean thorow which wee see all must be clear and then there is a clear discovery made Thus the Holy Spirit plainly reveals the counsels of God in the Word there 's the Object then opens the Judgement to discern it then clears all the Mediums the Means for conveyance of those objects to us And because a due distance is required in spiritual as well as bodily seeing the Spirit brings Divine Objects home to the soul in particular and so they are the plainer and clearer to the understanding Thus the Spirit of God is a clear instructor no man need be taught more clearly § 4.4 The Spirit teaches seasonably The wisdome
and prophaneness See 2 Pet. 1. vers 4 5 6. Those that are made partakers of the Divine Nature have escaped the pollution of the world they add to their virtue knowledge to their knowledge temperance c. The Spirit changes the garments of those he takes to be his Scholars hee throws off the raggs of their old sins and puts on the Robes of Christs Righteousness and upon those Robes hee places this Golden Chain of Graces as an Ornament to him being under the guidance and teaching of the Spirit of God This Chain is made up of many links Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly Kindness Charity Hee that hath all these is truly knowing vers 8. Hee that wants these is stark blinde vers 9. § 4. Rule 3. Hee is taught by the Spirit that hath the sweetness and comforts of Gospel-Truths made out seasouably to the soul Thus may a Christian know that a promise is set home by the Spirit when it comes in to the upholding of the soul under grievances and afflictions at present incumbent on the soul or for the mortification of sin which is his great burden and trouble of his life Where our own strength and parts fail there the Spirit of God ordinarily comes in with a supply When wee know not in what box our evidences our comfort our quickening our strength lyes then the Spirit of God comes in and opens the promise to us and such places of the Word as are both suitable and seasonable for us § 5. Rule 4. Hee is taught of the Spirit that is impartial in his desires of and endeavours after knowledge What-ever concerns either the Glory of God or the welfare of his soul hee labours to have that made known to him Partiality makes men act onely to have so much knowledge as to have their tongues by it tipt with the language of Canaan when in the mean while they look not at the ordering of their lives as becomes an Israelite indeed The language of Cornelius to Peter is that which well becomes a true Disciple of Christ Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 Nay be they never so bitter things yet a gracious heart desires to know the worst as well as the best of himself what makes most against him as well as what makes most for him As it was with Eli 1 Sam. 3.17 hee urges Samuel to let him know all that was the mind of God be it never so bitter It is contrary with carnal hearts if any thing cross their lusts or go contrary to their carnal designs they care not for knowing of it Herod cast John into prison because hee told him it was not lawful for him to have his Brothers Wife Mark 6.18 Thus ungodly hearts rise against the Word when it would part them from their sins and ascribe a close and convincing Sermon rather to the envy of the Teacher than to the teaching of the Spirit of God § 6. Rule 5. Hee receives the Truths of God with much humility Paul was desperately proud whilst a Pharisee ignorant of the spirituality of the Law but very humble when hee became a sincere Christian Act. 20.19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind Sincere souls like the lowest valleyes are very fruitful whilst proud hearts like the lofty hills are barren and unprofitable See the deportment of Agur I am more brutish than any man p. 0.30.2 3 I have not the understanding of a man Yet hee exhorts his Scholars to fetch their knowledge from the High One. The Holy Spirit seeing so deep a Self-denial and Humility in him ranks his wisdome with Solomons and his Proverbs and the Wise mans are both joyned together Rule 6. Hee that is taught by the Spirit by that knowledge is carried out to purifie himself from sin 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Where the Spirit teaches purity of life is one main lesson The very office of the Spirit is to sanctifie the soul Act. 15.9 Impurity of life is no Livery for the Disciples of Christ to wear 1 John 3.3 Rule 7. Knowledge taught by the Spirit speaks the soul under the influence of the Spirit both before and after his teaching First Antecedently The Spirit puts the soul to pray earnestly for his saving discoveries of Gospel-Truths Luke 11.13 How much more shall the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it The Spirit here is further discoveries of the Spirit And hee that goes in the sense of his darkness and ignorance seldome comes away without an answer to his prayer Secondly Consequently hee is carried out to praise God for the communication of saving knowledge and teachings of his Spirit Carnal hearts ascribe all to their own parts and industry Gracious souls own Gods Spirit in all their discoveries and do desire to improve all to his glory and praise § 7. II. Hence arises matter for Exhortation If the Spirit be present to teach us wee should easily be exhorted to own the Spirit as our grand Teacher In that it is both our greatest wisdome and chiefest comfort so to do First It is our greatest wisdome Learners if wise make choice of the ablest Masters to teach them There is none better nor abler to teach thee than the Spirit of God Best of men have their imperfections in point of Knowledge and so are but imperfect Teachers But the Spirit of God as hee is omniscient and knoweth all things so hee is infinite and able to teach us all things Job 14 26 Hee that teacheth you all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach is oftentimes accommodated in the New Testament to the Articles of Faith in the Gospel and then the meaning is the Spirit teacheth us all things necessary to salvation Is it not our wisdome now to have an Omniscient and Infinite Teacher Other Teachers though never so well accomplished are not able to teach an Art or Science if they meet with an unfit subject A dull Scholar is many times a discredit to an ingenious and very good Master yet the reason is not because the Master wants skill to teach but because the Scholar wants parts to learn Now the Spirit of God either findes or makes men fit to be taught If men want parts hee enlarges the abilities of their minds if they have natural parts hee sanctifies them And indeed in this sense hee findes none but makes all fit to be taught for none hath the least degree of saving and fanctifying knowledge but what comes from the Spirits teaching Secondly It will bee our chiefest comfort One dram of knowledge from the Spirit of God goes further than a thousand notions from natural and meer humane teaching in point of comfort What comfort will the most