First, In that spiritual Revelation and Illumination or opening of the eyes, whereby the mind understands and perceiveth the things of God. The word is compared to light, only God by this works above all light. For the Sun, though it gives light, yet it doth not give a blind man eyes. He that cannot see the Sun, the Sun (though never so visible) will not give him eyes: But now God by the Word, doth not only propound light, but gives inward light: That the soul crieth out with more joy, then that blind man cured by Christ. For now, it knoweth what it did not know: Now he seeth terrible objects before his eyes, as Balaam at last did. If he had gone further, he had perished in the pit irrecoverably. A greater work then it is, and mighty from God the Father of Spirits, when a man can say, O Lord, I was as blind, as senseless, as obstinate as any! Yet, Oh! the glorious light of the Gospel, that hath shined in my dark heart! This then, is a part of Divine Increase, when God maketh the morning Star to rise in thy soul. Thou that once didst not perceive thy own misery, or Gods mercy. Thou didst not either know thy Disease, or the Remedy; Hast now found God saying, Let there be light, upon the dark confusion of thy soul. Should thou hear a thousand and thousand of powerful Sermons, yet thou perceivest, knowest, and understandest nothing at all experimentally, till God give this seeing eve. Therefore you must know, the Scripture speaks a strange Paradox to humane reason: Having eyes, they see not; ears, they hear not; hearts, they perceive not. That which the Scripture attributes to dumb Idols, it applieth to every natural man. Hath God given thee a spiritual sight? Art thou not rather like the Owl, that seeth in the night, but not in the day? Thou hast understanding in worldly earthly things: Thou canst tell how to make thy wealth and earthly advantages to good, but thou hast no knowledge in spiritual things. Who would think it possible, under so many Instructions, Informations, Convictions, that thou shouldst be so blind, so sottish? but God hath not given any Increase to thee. Oh! though God give thee outward increase; he maketh the Lands, and the Cattle, and the Corn to yield increase, but if not the Ministry to be ⟨p. 91⟩likewise so to thee, though thou blessest thy self, yet God curseth thee!
First, In that spiritual Revelation and Illumination or opening of the eyes, whereby the mind understands and perceiveth the things of God. The word is compared to light, only God by this works above all light. For the Sunne, though it gives light, yet it doth not give a blind man eyes. He that cannot see the Sunne, the Sunne (though never so visible) will not give him eyes: But now God by the Word, doth not only propound light, but gives inward light: That the soul cryeth out with more joy, then that blind man cured by Christ. For now, it knoweth what it did not know: Now he seeth terrible objects before his eyes, as Balaam at last did. If he had gone further, he had perished in the pit irrecoverably. A greater work then it is, and mighty from God the Father of Spirits, when a man can say, O Lord, I was as blind, as senseless, as obstinate as any! Yet, Oh! the glorious light of the Gospel, that hath shined in my dark heart! This then, is a part of Divine Increase, when God maketh the morning Starre to rise in thy soul. Thou that once didst not perceive thy own misery, or Gods mercy. Thou didst not either know thy Disease, or the Remedy; Hast now found God saying, Let there be light, upon the dark confusion of thy soul. Should thou hear a thousand and thousand of powerfull Sermons, yet thou perceivest, knowest, and understandest nothing at all experimentally, till God give this seeing eve. Therefore you must know, the Scripture speaks a strange Paradox to humane reason: Having eyes, they see not; ears, they hear not; hearts, they perceive not. That which the Scripture attributes to dumb Idols, it applieth to every natural man. Hath God given thee a spiritual sight? Art thou not rather like the Owle, that seeth in the night, but not in the day? Thou hast understanding in worldly earthly things: Thou canst tell how to make thy wealth and earthly advantages to good, but thou hast no knowledge in spiritual things. Who would think it possible, under so many Instructions, Informations, Convictions, that thou shouldst be so blind, so sottish? but God hath not given any Increase to thee. Oh! though God give thee outward increase; he maketh the Lands, and the Cattell, and the Corn to yeeld increase, but if not the Ministry to be ⟨p. 91⟩likewise so to thee, though thou blessest thy self, yet God curseth thee!
