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
Because mens hearts are naturally rebellious against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab Hebraico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reâ—ellis Is Casauh Exer. 16. ' § 23. For so a learned Author derives the word for Foolish from an Hebrew word which denotes rebellious When the Word of God Preached should command our hearts they rebelliously do rise against it and so condemn it as folly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen con Cels P 12. ed. Cant. Rom. 3.3 4. Well! let carnal hearts and deluded souls think and say what they will this foolishnesse of Preaching God hath appointed to save those that do beleeve When many hear the word Preached and few there are that are saved what is the reason is it in the Word No 't is in themselves because they do not beleeve Deus vult omnes salvos fieri sed non vult omnes salvos facere sed solum credentes God would have all men that hear the Word to be saved but he will actually save those onely that do beleeve Mans unbeleef does not make the Word of God of no effect The Presence of God is sufficiently discovered to bee with his Word in that some by it do beleeve and are saved If God and the Gospel yea if God in the Gospel be hid to any 't is onely to those that are lost 'T is neither Gods nor the Words fault but their own if any hearers of the Word are not saved So that it may bee truely said of those that perish under the means of Grace Yee have destroyed your selves To clear this further take that full place of St. Paul I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeves to the Jew first and also to the Greek Understand hear the Gospel read preached meditated upon So 't is the Power of God not his essential but instrumental power which effectually moves the hearts of Gods elect ones helps to convey the Holy Spirit to stir up faith to the obtaining Righteousnesse and Salvation through Christ Gods Power and Gods Presence is abundantly manifested by the Gospel in mens salvation Calvin And they do plainly set Gods Power at defyance who do withdraw themselves from the preaching of the Gospel The Arm of the Lord is ordinarily revealed in the conversion of souls not in any secret revelations but in the open preaching of the Word This is the power of God unto salvation and a convincing argument of Gods Presence with his Word § 2. 2. Gods Presence is discovered in his Word in that it reaches to the very heart It is Gods priviledge to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a knower and searcher of the heart And if at any time the heart bee troubled and affected with the Word of God must wee not needs say of a truth 1 Cor. 14.24 25. God was present with his Word 1 Cor. 14.24 25. If all Prophesie that is those that are in Office and appointed by others for that purpose which is clear from 1 Cor. 12.28 29. And there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned hee is convinced of all hee is Judged of all vers 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth This is the work of the Word of God Preached to convince mens hearts to judge them for their sins and those thus wrought upon must acknowledge Gods special Presence in his Ordinances such will say God is in you of a truth No greater sign of a barren fruitlesse and senselesse heart in the things of God than to condemn the Word Preached as barren and unfruitful When any have been carelesse and did not profit under the means they have sadly and uncharitably judged the Word it self carnal and unprofitable when alas Lapwing-like they keep far enough off from the eggs of iniquity that are hatching within they look not to their own hearts where all the fault lyes Oh! what thin Congregations should wee have throughout this Nation if all should throw off Ordinances or bee compelled to leave them that never yet profited by them How much better were it to sit down and mourn over those wretched base and rebellious hearts of ours that have been the cause of all our fruitlessenesse under the powerful Preaching of the heart-searching and soul-risling Word of God Let us be sure to look well to the Word what it is in it self and not what it proves by reason of our corruption if ever wee would have right apprehensions of the Preaching of the Gospel and not undervalue and sleight the publick means of Grace because some men either have not been bettered or do not at present profit under them § 3. But I shall further evidence that the Word reaches to our hearts upon this four-fold consideration 1. The VVord doth discover mens very thoughts take them in the fullest latitude all sorts of thoughts Have you not been sometimes at a Sermon where you have plainly heard those very things that have been formerly working in your thoughts Nay have you not sometimes foolishly suspected that some one or other hath told the Preacher your very state and condition or else hee could never have spoke so closely distinctly and directly to it Lay by all such fond jealousies and foolish suspitions for the future and know 't is the VVord of God that is preached to you and this reaches to your very thoughts without the help of humane information It is a discerner of the thoughts Heb. 4.12 2. The VVord discovers the most secret sins of mens hearts Hath not the VVord told you of that many times which you thought none in the world knew you were guilty of Have you not sometimes heard those secret sins and miscarriages reproved in publick that you have been guilty of in private and you thought till you heard it reproved that none was ever guilty of such sins but your self As I have known a very gracious Christian when he heard fearfulnesse of the Devil in secret Prayer reproved as a great peece of our unbeleef and that some were so fearfully miscarrying as to this that they would sometimes start aside and look behind them to see whether the Devil were not really present there or no hee told the Minister that this was his very miscarriage and withall thought that none had ever been thus foolishly fearful and guilty of that but himself VVhat made Felix to tremble when hee heard Paul discourse of Temperance Righteousnesse and Judgement to come VVhy 't was the VVord of God that hee heard preached that came close to his conscience and told him of his intemperance and unrighteousnesse that caused this collick in the conscience that produced this Aguish sit of trembling in the Noble Vice-Roy VVhen the VVord powerfully rifles a mans conscience and sets his bosome sins in order
their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall wee do § 10. Quer. 4. What makes the same Preacher successeful at one place and not at another Onely this that God accompanies his Word with his Spirit at one place and not at another Wee may suppose the same Word Preached to a different people to a very different event The one mock raile revile The other prove humble meek yea true converts The Word is the same all men by nature have the same vilenesse in their hearts and opposition to the Word and truths of the Gospel The difference then lyes in the presence of the Spirit of God And now that God is not alwaies present by his Spirit to set home the Word upon all This should not make us sleight and neglect hearing but make us more diligent in praying that the Spirit may alwaies bee present with the Word to render that which wee hear truly and really effectual to our souls § 11. Quer. 5. What makes the same truths heard by the same man at several times produce different and several effects Is it not wholly from the Spirit of God One hath often heard of Christs death and passion and sufferings for mankind of his tendernesse love and compassion for the good of lost and undone souls And this perhaps hee hath not onely once or twice but many times heard and yet no profit Hee can still boldly sleight Christ carelessely neglect his soul and highly contemn the Gospel that offers him Christ and salvation by Christ At another time perhaps this makes him quite another man Is Christ dead for mee and my sins and shall I love sin more than my dear Saviour Did Christ bleed to cure the wounds of my Soul and shall I wound Christ again by my cursed lusts Did Christ descend from Heaven to save mee out of Hell and shall I sleight his infinite condiscension of love follow sin and vain lusts upon the earth and sink into Hell and ruine at the last What makes this great change upon hearing the same truth is it not Gods Spirit The same truth hath no life at one time no effect upon the soul At another Oh! the most precious truth in the world the Soul would not part with such a truth such a promise for all the world when the spirit sets it home upon the heart Thus 't is in reading we sometimes reap much benefit from that portion of the Word when God sets it home which we often read before in the Bible and found no comfort from it took no notice of it at all § 12. Quer. 6. What makes the same passages delivered at the same time to men of the same profession temper and opinion produce differenteffects That the one is affected the other not the one trembles the other not the one is converted by it the other not The Word is the same and the parties supposed the same as to temper education profession and the like Yet the Spirit works on the one and not on the other and that makes the difference § 13. Quer. 7. What makes men of the same age living under the same powerful ministry to bee converted and brought home at divers years distance Is it not because the Spirit sets home the Word betimes on some and not on other mens souls Conversion when ever it is wrought is the irresistible work of the Spirit of Grace it is the gift of God when ever effected Yet the Holy Spirit that bloweth where hee listeth bloweth also when he listeth on some sooner on others later § 14. Quer. 8. What makes the same truths working conversion in diverse persons work not one and the same way But in one it causes many terrours and in another sweet Gospel meltings of Soul and both by it are brought home to Christ It is certainly to bee resolved into the Spirits arbitrary working upon the soul in order to conversion Conviction of sin is necessary to every mans conversion but terrours are not The spirit works the former more or lesse in all But the terrours of conscience and ratlings of the chains of Hell are not alike in all And the same spirit may use the same truths in a different manner to bring home diverse souls to God Great sinners have oftentimes the greatest terrors Yet the spirit of God may use the same Gospel truths to bring home some to God by strong terrours and others by a Gospel sweetnesse and pouring in much comfort at first conversion § 15. Qu. 9. What makes the Gospel Preached to bee a savour of life unto some and a savour of death to others in the same Congregation perhaps in the same seat 'T is because some are left to the hardnesse of their own hearts and the Spirit comes powerfully with the Word unto the hearts of others In a plain and powerful Sermon Christ stands at the door and knocks at the hearts of all that hear it in a Congregation Now the Spirit that hath the Key of mens hearts in his hands opens some and lets others alone lockt fast up in their impenitency and unbeleef Thus God opened the hearts of Lydia and the Jaylour And others again go to Hell unconverted perhaps unconvinced from under powerful Preaching Of whom I say as St. Paul did If our Gospel be hid 2 Cor. 4.3 it is hid to them that are lost § 16. Qu. 10. What makes diverse truths set home upon diverse men produce one and the same effect Is it not from the Spirit of God that different truths should bee set home in order to Conversion If in the Word onely why not the same portion of it alwaies a means of conversion But wee see one place for one and another place for the conversion of another Fr. Junii viâ—â— p. 11. c. 2. Junius reports it of himself that hee was converted by reading the beginning of the first chapter of St. Johns Gospel Austin after his hot fits of Lust Hears an Eccho sounding in his ears Tolle lege tolle lege Take up the Book and read Hearing a voyce but seeing no Person he presently takes up the New-Testament Reads Rom. 13. Not in Rioting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonnesse and by this Scripture brought home to God Luther was first wrought upon by Rom. 1.17 Therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith This now must needs bee the work of the Spirit which can produce one and the same effect on diverse Subjects by different Truths CHAP. XII Quest How does the Spirit teach Removendo Removing impediments unwilling to bee taught Fleshly lusts Pride Curiosity Five waies Satan promotes Curiosity Suggerendo Suggesting Gospel Truths to the Soul 1. John 2.27 John 16.13 Expl. Illuminando By enlightning the mind Ephes 5.8 Opened Inward light of the Saints stated Corroborando By strengthening the Soul Recolligendo By raising Truths Heb. 2.1 John 14.26 Explained § 1. HAving shewed by Scripture
to turn them to vain inquiries and curious speculations that so if they will be knowing hee may keep them busied about unprofitable curiosities contrary to the saving knowledge taught by the Holy Spirit of God § 6. Five waies Satan promotes Curiosity to prevent saving knowledge First By putting us upon inquiring after those things which God hath not revealed It might prevent many miscarriages in inquisitive curious minds if they had often such handsome jerks as St. Aust in gave him that would needs know what God was doing of before hee created the World hee told him hee was making Hell for such curious inquirers into Gods secrets Secret things belong to God yet the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Labour to fear God and all those secrets that are for our advantage shall be known It 's the greatest folly in the world to endeavour to be wise beyond Gods revealed will Secondly By making us industrious to inquire after those things that nothing concerns us As when any are busying themselves about the Apostasie of the Angels and searching after reasons of the irrecoverableness of their fall and in the mean while neglect salvation offered by Christ for their own lost and undone souls Thirdly By putting us upon the studying after the knowledge of things less necessary As when one should devote and immerse himself wholly in the searching into the circumstances of Worship and the ceremonies of the Church and in the mean while neglect the studying the very Articles of the Covenant of Grace Fourthly By putting us upon studying the more difficult places of Scripture neglecting those that are most for edification When one reads the Revelations of St. John more than his plain Epistles The Devil knows hee is no loser and the curious soul but a little gainer if hee can but perswade him to be alwaies poring upon Daniels Prophesies with a neglect of Davids Psalms If hee can but put him upon reconciling difficult Scriptures and neglect mortifying unruly lusts and the quickening his affections by the plainest Truths Fifthly By making souls not to rest barely in Gods revealed Will without a reason of it and for it How far this Curiosity-hath driven those of the Socinian perswasion may easily be seen by those many gross opinions that are extant in their writings which make many for-bear to own them as Christians It is a very gross failing in the studying of things of God to bring all things down to the measure of humane reason There is reason for us to beleeve it if God sayes it and to practise any thing if wee are assured that God commands it And yet Christianity is so far from stripping men of their reason that no Profession doth put any upon so true an use of it and doth so ennoble the rational faculties of man as the Christian Religion doth The Spirit of God in teaching souls effectually the things of God for their salvation removes this gross impediment of a curious mind and makes plain necessary and most edifying Truths to be most acceptable § 7. II. Suggerendo The Spirit teacheth the Soul by suggesting Gospel Truths unto the soul When the Spirit of God teaches any in order to make them new men it brings new Truths into the minds of men All Old things are done away and all things become new These are called new Truths in regard of the subject receiving of them not in regard of the Spirits suggesting of them for the same Truths are alwaies taught by the Spirit now as were formerly nor in opposition to the Word for so they are not new Truths but such as of old were revealed and declared in the Word The very office of the Spirit in suggesting Truths is restrained by Christ himself to those Truths which our Saviour had formerly taught us I shall shew further from John 14.26 § 11. There may be new suggestions of the Spirit in setting home Divine Truths upon the mind and these are really new to the soul that receives them but they are old Truths of the Word and not new Revelations that the Spirit teaches to beleeving souls and in this sense we are to understand those Scriptures which speak of the teaching of the Spirit of God Yee need not that any man teach you 1 John 2.27 but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth Not that we need not a Ministry but he speaks comparatively you shall not be so helped by any instructions without the Spirit as with the Spirit The Spirit shall declare the Truth as it is in Jesus The Spirit this Holy unction shall teach the Saints all things not all things knowable that is impossible for finite creatures to attain to But The Spirit teaches 1. All things needful for salvation of the Soul 2. All things needful to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.3 3. All things needful to our places callings and ages 4. All things needful to preserve us in the way of Gospel Truth against errour and seducers which is the main thing St. John hints at in that expression So also in the Gospel of St. John When the Spirit of Truth is come he shall guide you into all truth John 16.13 This promise primarily belongs to the Apostles Secondarily to all Beleevers Three things promised to the Apostles First immediate illumination by the Spirit of God Secondly A full knowledge of all those Truths belonging to their Apostle-ship necessary Truths for them at that juncture of time and as to their Office Thirdly Absolute infallibility as to matter of Doctrine Three things also promised to all Beleevers First Mediate illumination teaching Truths by the Spirit of Truth in the use of the means of Grace Secondly Knowledge of all Truths necessary to salvation Thirdly Infallibility too so far forth as they adhere to the spirit teaching in the Word otherwise Gods dearest Children may be overtaken with errours § 8. III. Illuminando By enlightening the mind There must not onely be an object presented and the light of truth without but a light also within for the mind to see objects that are presented All the light in the world is never able to make us see Divine Truths savingly till wee are enlightened of the Lord. Yee were sometimes darkenesse but now are yee light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 The Ephesians while unregenerate were meer darkenesse but after conversion they are truly enlightned their eyes are cleared their minds are rightly informed so that now they may be rightly called light in the Lord. This is a light within that wee must own and commend to all viz. Light in the Lord. Light that comes in after darknesse that speaks unregeneracy is expelled wee must walk as Children of this light Light in the Lord None truly enlightned but those that are in Christ Out of Christ the highest light is meer darknesse There is no true light that leads to salvation but what comes from Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse And this
and goodness of the Spirit of God is much discerned in his seasonable teaching of souls To speak in season is an high peece of wisdome words spoken in season are like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver His goodness appears too in that hee helps when there is most need How suitable is a refreshing promise in the time of desertion a word of comfort in the time of affliction a word of establishment in the time of tentation And even thus seasonably is Gods Spirit wont to apply himself unto souls Sometimes the Spirit of God directs the Preacher from his Text to send some seasonable Truth home to a soul As I have read of St. Augustine as hee was preaching hee was suddenly carried from his Text hee knew not how to speak against the Manichees A little after one meets him and thanks him for that discourse of his it was a means of reclaiming him from those errors hee was preaching against And it hath been the experience of some good men that those Truths that have been suggested to them in preaching beyond their ordinary meditation have had some good effect and they have heard souls to be more affected with those than with other Truths delivered at the same time A digression in a Sermon sometimes proves a diversion in some mens thoughts which may help forward the conversion of some soul or other in the Auditory I have sometimes thought those affectionate Parentheses of the Spirits suggesting in preaching of Sermons well digested otherwise before-hand are much like that most exquisite story of the woman that had a bloody issue whose Faith made her whole that is inserted in the passage of Jairus his Daughter being healed of our Saviour Luke 8.41 The Evangelist sets down the beginning of that passage about Jairus the Ruler of the Synagogue as our Saviour was going to cure his Daughter the woman meets him in the way and hee cures her first and then raises Jairus his Daughter that was dead Thus the Spirit of God doth sometimes direct the Minister to such a subject that may raise a dead soul that may quicken dead affections but by the way hee meets with a soul that hath a bloody Issue of sin some reigning lusts or other here may be some Truths seasonably suggested to cure his soul and then hee is directed forward to raise and quicken those that may be overtaken with deadness and dulness This occasional and providential discovery of Truths that come close to the soul that receives them speaks very much the seasonable teachings of the Spirit of God As some by an occasional reading of such a place of Scripture or such an ones writings or such an one they have perhaps heard occasionally preach and such Truths have dropped into the soul so suitably as if God had immediately spoken from Heaven this must be resolved into the work of Gods Spirit that directs all for the best advantage of Gods Children § 5. 5. The Spirit of God teaches certainly A Childe of God is not lead by meer conjectures about the things of God that hee is taught The highest the Saints can arise to ordinarily is but a conjectural probability according to the Papists so that they may give some probable conjectures at their good estate But the Spirit of God where it comes and teaches leaves not the soul at such uncertainties How could St. Paul have bid the Corinthians examine themselves whether were in the Faith or no 2 Cor. 13 5 unless they could have known this certainly What made Calvin and Perkins and many others lay down the very nature of Justifying Faith in full assurance and certain perswasion Was it not their certain experience of it that made them oppose the Papists mainly who would lay it onely in a bare assent Though the middle way be the truest to hold out Justifying Faith as an act of recumbency yet the experience and certainty those good men arrived to made them the more violent in their opposition When the Spirit comes to teach the soul it comes in a demonstrative way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. â— and of Power The plainest language is most peircing when the things of God are to be treated of the reason is because the Spirit sets it home with power Men must use flourishes of Rhethorick to perswade when matters of humane concernment are treated of they have then their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasives but when Gods Spirit comes with the Word hee brings his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 down-right demonstrations Thus when Celsus objected against the Christians the barbarousnesse of their original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rig con â—els p. 5 â—d Cant. Origen tells him by way of answer that the Christian Religion hath a demonstration peculiar and proper to it self of a diviner strain than that of the Greek Philosophers and this the Apostle calls the demonstration of the Spirit and power Demonstrations are the most certain kind of syllogismes with Logicians Aristotle tells us that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it produces knowledge that goes upon the most certain grounds it hath an insight into things by their causes Thus Gods Spirit works in a most certain kind of way in the Soul that few or none but do or at least may know it if they are careful A Woman with Child hath such qualmes and distempers that she certainly knows it So they that have had the breeding of the Spirit in their hearts they know by the motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God within that they are those that are taught by the Spirit of God § 6. 6. The Spirit teaches profitably Let the Minister speak never so powerfully and plainly yet the heart of man cannot discern it and profit by it unlesse the Spirit strike in with it wee shall do little good This is the dexterity of the Spirit that hee tells you what use to make of such a Scripture such a Truth such a Providence such an affliction Isa 48.17 I am the holy one of Israel that teacheth you to profit Men are naturally ignorant and unprofitable they are all the Sons of Belial that is as the Hebrew derivation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth imply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any profit at all unprofitable wretches good for nothing ignorant wretches that know nothing Now when the Holy one of Israel takes men in hand to teach them hee teaches them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to profit Men that before were good for nothing neither profitable to themselves or others when he teaches them by his Spirit he makes them profit for their souls good and eternal welfare and most times they are made very profitable unto others The Spirit of God teaches profitably in that First He teaches practically The Spirit in his teaching directs souls to happiness now one part of a Christians happinesse here on earth lyes in this that hee learns his