The Godly Man's Picture

Narrat Cassianus ^†de Theodoro quodam, qui notitia Scripturarum praeclare emicuit, quam ei non tam studium lectionis contulerat, quàm Spiritus Sancti Gratia; siquidèm vix ipsius Graecae Linguae perpauca verba vel intelligere poterat, vel proloqui, quae Sancti Patris Oratio (inquit Acosta) non eò pertinere putanda est, ut studium humanum floccipendamus, sed ut hoc nobis eluoeat, Divini Spiritus dono interdùm fieri, ut homo plura de Sacris Scripturis Saluificè intelligat vel nuda lectione, quam magna vallatus copia commentariorum alioqui assequi possit.

1. †Lib. 3. Constit. Mon, Cap. 33.

We may have excellent notions in Divinity, but the Holy Ghost must enable us to know them after a spiritual manner: A man may see the Figures upon a Dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the Sun shine. We may read many Truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly till ⟨p. 27⟩Gods Spirit doth shine upon us, 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. The Scripture discovers Christ to us, but the Spirit reveals Christ in us, Gal. 1. 16. The Spirit makes known that which all the world cannot do, namely, the sense of Gods love.

We may have excellent notions in Divinity, but the Holy Ghost must inable us to know them after a spiritual manner: A man may see the Figures upon a Dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the Sun shine. We may read many Truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly till ⟨p. 27⟩