Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Secondly, I shall in a word say somewhat to their Allegations: they say, That the Scriptures are but the Christians Alphabet, and for beginners only. But let us remember, the spirit which is in believers in an ordinary way, was in the Penmen of Scripture in an extraordinary; I was in the spirit, saith St. John, Rev. 1.10. he saith not, the spirit was in me, but I was in the spirit, as a vessel in the sea, every way surrounded and overruled by it. And who can believe that the spirit in its ordinary way should exceed it self in its extraordinary; that in believers it should utter high mysteries, which in Prophets and Apostles gave out only an Alphabet? If it be no more, I dare say, no man, no not the most perfect Disciple of God on earth ever throughly understood his Alphabet, no mans knowledge ever dived into the bottom of Scripture, no mans holiness was ever parallel to its precepts, nor no mans faith ever traced the unsearchable riches of grace there unto the uttermost, and shall we say, it is only an Alphabet for beginners? Is it not the wisdom of God in a mystery? is it not able to make the man of God perfect? hath St. Paul milk only and not strong meat? was St. Peter to seed the lambs only, and not to feed them into sheep, ⟨p. 65⟩and when they were such? doth St. John write only to the little children, and not to the young men and fathers also? He writes to them all, plainly showing, that no man, of what stature soever in grace, did ever outgrow the Scripture.

Secondly, I shall in a word say somewhat to their Allegations: they say, That the Scriptures are but the Christians Alphabet, and for beginners only. But let us remember, the spirit which is in believers in an ordinary way, was in the Penmen of Scripture in an extraordinary; I was in the spirit, saith St. John, Rev. 1.10. he saith not, the spirit was in me, but I was in the spirit, as a vessel in the sea, every way surrounded and overruled by it. And who can believe that the spirit in its ordinary way should exceed it self in its extraordinary; that in believers it should utter high mysteries, which in Prophets and Apostles gave out only an Alphabet? If it be no more, I dare say, no man, no not the most perfect Disciple of God on earth ever throughly understood his Alphabet, no mans knowledge ever dived into the bottom of Scripture, no mans holiness was ever parallel to its precepts, nor no mans faith ever traced the unsearchable riches of grace there unto the uttermost, and shall we say, it is only an Alphabet for beginners? Is it not the wisdom of God in a mystery? is it not able to make the man of God perfect? hath St. Paul milk only and not strong meat? was St. Peter to seed the lambs only, and not to feed them into sheep,