Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A30898
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The possibility and necessity of the inward immediate revelation of the spirit of God towards the foundation and ground of true faith, proved in a letter write [sic] in Latine, to a person of quality in Holland; and now also put into English. By R.B.
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Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing B732; ESTC R214887
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15,587
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34
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GOD speaking to the mind of Man is a supernatural Beeing and stirreth up in us a supernatural Idea by which we clearly know that inward Voice to be the Voice of GOD and not the voice or operation of another or of any evil Spirit or Angel because none of these has a supernatural Idea as the Voice of GOD and his Divine Operation hath for it is full of Vigour Virtue and Divine Glory as saith the Psalmist who had often experience of it and we also in our measures are witnesses thereof for the Voice of GOD is known to be his by its Divine Virtue Seventhly The senses are either Outward or Inward and the Inward senses are either Natural or Supernatural We have an example of the Inward Natural Sense in being Angied or Pacified in Love and Hatred or when we perceive and discern any Natural Truth such as the Natural Maxims to wit That the whole is greater then the part or when we deduce any Conclusion by the strength of Natural Reason that Perception also in a larger sense may be called an inward Sense But an Example of an Inward supernatural Sense is when the Heart or Soul of a pious Man feels in it self Divine Motions Influences and Operations which sometimes are as the voice or speech of GOD sometimes as a most pleasant and glorious Illustration or visible Object to the inward Eye Sometimes as a most sweet Savour or Taste sometimes as a Heavenly and Divine Warmness or so to speak Melting of the Soul in the Love of GOD. Moreover this Divine and supernatural Operation in the Mind of a Man is a true and most glorious Miracle which when it is perceived by the Inward and supernatural Sense divinely raised up in the Mind of Man doth so evidently and clearly perswade the Understanding to assent to the thing revealed that there is no need of an outward Miracle for this Assent is not because of the thing it self but because of the Revelation proposing it which is the Voice of GOD For when the Voice of GOD is heard in the Soul the Soul doth as certainly conclude the truth of that Voice as the truth of GOD'S Beeing from whom it proceeds These things being thus premised I now proceed to a direct Answer For what is said that GOD cannot make a contingent Truth to become a necessarie Truth I agree But when any Contingent Truth is manifest to us by the Immediat Revelation of GOD There is in it two things to be considered to wit the thing revealed which is Contingent And the Revelation it self which upon the Supposition that it is a Divine Revelation is no contingent Truth but a most Necessarie Truth And this all mankind will say that this Proposition Every divine Revelation is necessarly true is as clear and evident as that Proposition That every Whole is greater then its Part. But thou wilt say how knows thou that a Divine Revelation is a Divine Revelation I answer how knows thou that a Whole is a Whole and a Part is a Part Thou wilt say by the natural Idea excited in me of a Whole and of a Part. I answer again even so a Divine Revelation is known to be such by a Supernatural Idea of Divine Revelation stirred up in us and that by a Divine Motion or Supernatural Operation But it is no wonder that Men who have no Experience of Supernatural Ideas or at lest do not heed them doe deny them which is as if a man naturally blind denyed Light or Colours or a deaf man Sounds because they experience them not Therefore we cannot dissemble that we feel a fervent Zeal even Divinely kindled in us against such an absurd opinion as affirms That God cannot ascertain us of his will in any contingent Truth but by proposing it to the outward Senses This Opinion does in a manner turn Men into brutes as if Man were not to believe his GOD unless he propose what is to be believed to the outward Senses which the beasts have common with us yea it derogats from GOD's Power and imputes weakness to him as if he could not do that which not only both good and evil Angels can doe but which the meanest Creatures can doe and the most unsensible As for instance the heat of the fire the coldness of the Air Water worketh upon us yea if a Pinn prick us we feel it that by the outward Sense because the Objects are outward and carnal But since GOD is a most Pure and Glorious Spirit when he operateth in the Innermost parts of our Minds by his will Shall not he and his will be clearly felt according to his Nature That is by a spiritual and supernatural Sense For as the Nature of GOD is so is the Nature of his will to wit purely spiritual And therefore requireth a Spiritual Sense to discern it which Spiritual Sense when it is raised up in us by a divine Operation doth as clearly and certainly know the voice or revelation of the will of GOD concerning any thing which GOD is pleased to reveal however Contingent as the outward Sense knows and perceives the Outward Object And it is no less absurd to require of GOD who is a most pure Spirit to manifest his will to Men by the outward Senses else not to be credited As to require us to see sounds and hear Light and Colours For as the Objects of the outward Senses are not to be confounded but every Object is to have its proper Sense So must we judge of inward and spiritual Objects which have their proper Sense whereby they are to be perceived And tell me how God doth manifest his will concerning matters of Fact when he sends his Angels to men since Angels as is commonly received have not outward Senses or at least not so gross ones as ours are Yea when Men dye and apear before the Tribunal of GOD whether unto eternal Life or Death how can they know this having laid down their bodies and therewith their outward Senses And nevertheless this Truth of GOD is a Truth of Fact as is the historicall Truth of Christs Birth in the Flesh. And which is yet more near how do good and holy Men even in this Life most certainly know that they are in Favour and Grace with GOD No Outward Revelation doth make this known unto them but the Spirit as saith the Apostle beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of GOD. For the meer Testimonie of a human Conscience without the inward Testimonie of the holy Spirit cannot beget in us a firm and immoveable Testimony of our Sonship because the Heart of Man is deceitfull and if the Testimony thereof were true at most it is but a Human Testimonie which begetteth in us only an human Faith But that Faith by which holy Men believe they are the Sons of GOD is a Divine Faith which leans upon a Divine Testimony of the holy Spirit witnessing in them that they are the Sons
of GOD. Moreover when a good Man feels in himself that undeclarable Joy of the holy Spirit concerning which the holy Scripture speaks and which is the common Priviledge of the Saints how or whence feels he this Joy Truely this Argument concludes no less against this Heavenly Spiritual Joy which is begotten in the Souls of the Saints by the holy Spirit then it does against the immediat Revelation of GOD for there is no natural Idea in Men of this spiritual Joy else meer natural Men yea such as are prophane and ungodly would feel it as much as the Godly But because it is a Supernatural thing Therefore it can have no true Idea but what is Supernatural Moreover whence is it that prophane Men feel sometimes in themselves the Wrath of GOD as Fire when all things as to the outward go as prosperously with them as with the Godly and oftentimes more prosperously For there is no natural Idea in Men of this inward Wrath of GOD There is also an inward Grief oftentimes raised up in Wicked Men from the sense of this Wrath of GOD which very much vexeth and tormenteth their Minds and nevertheless this Grief hath no natural Idea in us For oftentimes wicked Men feel not this Sorrow for God sometimes is as it were silent while the Wicked sin as in Psalm 50. All which things do most clearly demonstrate that there are in Men Supernatural Ideas of supernatural Beeings which Ideas are nevertheless not perceived by us unless they be stirred up by some Supernatural Operation of GOD which raiseth up in us Supernatural and Spiritual Senses which by their Nature are as distinguishable from the natural Senses whether inward or owtward as the natural Senses are distinguished one from another by their specifick Difference Of which Spiritual Senses the Scripture speaks frequently as Heb. 5. and 14. Where is spoken of the Spiritual senses in general by which the spiritual Man hath the discerning of Good and Evil which Good is of a spiritual Nature and conduceth to feed in us a Spiritual and Divine Life And the Evil is of that kind by which the spiritual Life is in us hurt To wit Sins whether carnal or spiritual All which cannot be discerned but by such who have Spiritual Senses stirred up in them as saith the Apostle In other places the Scripture also speaketh of these Spiritual senses in particular as of the Spiritual seeing Ps 34.9 Of the spiritual Hearing Ps 85. and 9. Of spiritual Tasting Ps 34.8 Of Spiritual smelling Cant. 1.3 of Spiritual touching Acts 17 8. and in many other places of Scripture we read of those Spritual Senses in particular Yea it is the Promise of the Gospel that The glory of GOD shall be seen of holy Men such as are clean of Heart even in this Life Isa. 33.17 Mat. 5.8 Which were fulfilled in the primitive Christians see John 1.14 1 John 1.1 2 3 4. 2 Cor. 3.18 and Chap. 4.6 But what is this Vision of GOD and Divine Glory which the Soules of the Saints enjoy in this Life which is only as the Earnest or first Fruits of that more abundant glorious Vision in the Life to come concerning which the Scripture so much declareth which is the highest happiness of the Immortal Soul For this Argument seemeth to doe no less Injury to the Saints then to rob them of this most glorious Treasure both in this Life and that to come For there is in us no Natural Idea of this Divine Glory as there is not of GOD himself which is any wayes proportionable unto so great Happiness which the Scripture so much declareth of by which the Godly are rewarded partly in this Life and plenarly in that which is to come We confess indeed there is in all Men as well the Godly as ungodly some sort of Idea of GOD as of a most perfect Beeing and that therefore this Proposition There existeth a most perfect Beeing doth as clearly appear to Human understanding as that the whole is greater then the part And therefore this proposition That a most perfect Beeing existeth ought to be numbred among the Principalls that of themselves are manifest But this Idea of God is as manifest to Ungodly as to Godly Men yea is as clearly perceived by the Devill as by the most holy Angels for all the Devills know that GOD is But yet how blind is the Devill and all wicked Men as to the Vision of GOD which is the chief reward of the Saints There is then either no such Vision of GOD neither in this Life nor in that to come or there is a Supernatural Idea of GOD in us by which we are made capable of this Vision Which Supernaturall Idea of GOD differeth much from that Natural Idea of GOD which Cartesius and his followers so much talk of albeit others long before Cartesius did observe this Natural Idea of GOD and spoke of it But the happiness of the Saints consists not in contemplating this Naturall Idea of GOD Else the wicked would be as happy as the Godly yea the very Devill as the most holy Angel Since as is said both the Devill and most wicked Men doe as clearly perceive this Natural Idea of GOD as the most holy Men or Angels If the Scriptures then be true there is in Men a Supernatural Idea of GOD which altogether differs from this naturall Idea I say in all Men Because all men are capable of Salvation and consequently of injoying this Divine Vision Now this capacity consisteth herein that they have such a Supernatural Idea in themselves For if there were no such Idea in them it were impossible they should so know God For whatsoever is clearly and Distinctly known is known by its proper Idea nether can otherways be clearly and distinctly known For the Ideas of all things are Divinly planted in our Souls for they are not begotten in us by outward objects or outward causes As the better Philosophy teacheth but only are by these outward things excited or stirred up And this is true not only in Supernatural Ideas of GOD and things Divine and in Natural Ideas of the naturall Principals of Human understanding and conclusions thence deduced by the strength of human reason but even in the Ideas of outward objects which are perceived by the outward Senses As that noble Christian Philosopher Boetius hath well observed to which also the Cartesian Philosophie agreeth For when I see any outward object whether it be a Man or Horse or Bird the outward object does not treat in my eye nor yet in my mind the Idea of those things For the outward object does nothing but Imprint in our sensible Organs a Corporall motion Now there is nothing in a Corporall motion that can form in us the Ideas of those things For all Ideas are of a Spiritual Nature Now nothing that is Corporall can produce that which is Spirituall because the less excellent cannot produce the more excellent Else the effect would