Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Fifthly, The mere notional knowledge gathered in by reason puffeth up, as if some of the Serpents poison were in it, it blows up the heart into proud reflexes. Bonaventure to keep his mind from swelling, used to sweep rooms and wash vessels. I suppose it was, lest his School-notions should swell and make a tumour in his heart. But the light of faith is an humbling thing. If it enter in within the veil, and see God on his Throne, it cries out as the Prophet Isaiah, Woe is me, I am undone. If it fly up to Sinai, and sense the thunders and lightnings of the fiery Law, it puts the soul into a trembling sit. If it go a pilgrimage to Calvary, and there take a view of Christ crucified, it is greatly abasive, bowing the heart down under the conscience of sin. If it look inwardly into the heart, and there see the filthy and nasty corruptions in every corner, it will far more humble then Bonaventures sweeping and washing. And the reason of this difference is, mere notions are but the progeny and issue of our own reason, and therefore we are apt to be fond and fall a cockling of them. But supernatural ⟨p. 28⟩light comes from above, and is ushered in with a kind of majesty, and therefore humbles and makes us fall down and say, God is in it of a truth.

Fifthly, The meer notional knowledge gathered in by reason puffeth up, as if some of the Serpents poison were in it, it blows up the heart into proud reflexes. Bonaventure to keep his mind from swelling, used to sweep rooms and wash vessels. I suppose it was, lest his School-notions should swell and make a tumor in his heart. But the light of faith is an humbling thing. If it enter in within the vail, and see God on his Throne, it cries out as the Prophet Isaiah, Wo is me, I am undone. If it fly up to Sinai, and sense the thunders and lightnings of the fiery Law, it puts the soul into a trembling sit. If it go a pilgrimage to Calvary, and there take a view of Christ crucified, it is greatly abasive, bowing the heart down under the conscience of sin. If it look inwardly into the heart, and there see the silthy and nasty corruptions in every corner, it will far more humble then Bonaventures sweeping and washing. And the reason of this difference is, meer notions are but the progeny and issue of our own reason, and therefore we are apt to be fond and fall a cockling of them. But supernatural ⟨p. 28⟩light comes from above, and is ushered in with a kind of majesty, and therefore humbles and makes us fall down and say, God is in it of a truth.