1st, Faith doth see Christ in a spiritual manner. Humane reason, with the Gospel before it, may gather up a notion of Christ, but it doth not of it self spiritually discern him. A notion may be gathered up out of the words and sentences in Scripture, but a spiritual discerning there is not. This is clear upon a double account. The one is this: In fallen man, no natural faculty (unless elevated by a grace proper to it) doth act spiritually; the Understanding, ⟨p. 165⟩the supreme faculty in man (unless enlightened by the Spirit) doth not do so; it acts upon Christ, as upon other objects in a natural way only. The other is this: To a spiritual discerning there is requisite a due proportion between the object and the faculty: such a proportion there is between Christ, an object supernaturally revealed, and a mind supernaturally enlightened; there the Holy Spirit is on both hands; I mean, outwardly revealing the object in Scripture, and inwardly enlightening the mind to make it fit for the object; but between Christ a supernatural object, and a natural mind, there is not such a proportion; the Holy Spirit is but on one hand, revealing the object; but on the other, there is only the humane Spirit; which without inward illumination, doth not spiritually discern the things of God. If a mere natural mind might spiritually discern them, there would need no opening of eyes, no renewing in the spirit of the mind: the new Creature would be new but in part; the old understanding (though that faculty first erred in the fall) might serve the turn. Faith, as far as it is in the Intellect, would not be the Gift of God, but of our selves; the external proposal of the object (which is what grace Pelagius allowed) would be ⟨p. 166⟩enough. But such things as these being never to be admitted, it is evident, that spiritual discerning is not a thing common to Reason, but proper to Faith; which, having a divine Light in it, doth elevate the mind above it self, and make it apt to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner.
1st, Faith doth see Christ in a spiritual manner. Humane reason, with the Gospel before it, may gather up a notion of Christ, but it doth not of it self spiritually discern him. A notion may be gathered up out of the words and sentences in Scripture, but a spiritual discerning there is not. This is clear upon a double account. The one is this: In fallen man, no natural faculty (unless elevated by a grace proper to it) doth act spiritually; the Understanding, ⟨p. 165⟩the supreme faculty in man (unless inlightned by the Spirit) doth not do so; it acts upon Christ, as upon other objects in a natural way only. The other is this: To a spiritual discerning there is requisite a due proportion between the object and the faculty: such a proportion there is between Christ, an object supernaturally revealed, and a mind supernaturally inlightned; there the Holy Spirit is on both hands; I mean, outwardly revealing the object in Scripture, and inwardly inlightning the mind to make it fit for the object; but between Christ a supernatural object, and a natural mind, there is not such a proportion; the Holy Spirit is but on one hand, revealing the object; but on the other, there is only the humane Spirit; which without inward illumination, doth not spiritually discern the things of God. If a meer natural mind might spiritually discern them, there would need no opening of eyes, no renewing in the spirit of the mind: the new Creature would be new but in part; the old understanding (though that faculty first erred in the fall) might serve the turn. Faith, as far as it is in the Intellect, would not be the Gift of God, but of our selves; the external proposal of the object (which is what grace Pelagius allowed) would be ⟨p. 166⟩enough. But such things as these being never to be admitted, it is evident, that spiritual discerning is not a thing common to Reason, but proper to Faith; which, having a divine Light in it, doth elevate the mind above it self, and make it apt to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner.
