pp. 35–385 passages
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
MAN in his natural estate is represented in Scripture as utterly depraved, dead in trespasses and sins. He is blind, and in darkness. And it may be thought that he is incapable to see the gloriousness of God, until there be first an habitual change in his understanding; but if we examine the word of God, we may find plain intimations, that this light doth precede the habitual change. ⟨p. 36⟩Joh. 5.25. The time is coming, and now is' when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. Hearing the voice of Christ is antecedent to their living: It is in that way that life enters into them. 2 Cor. 3.18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image: Before they are changed into Gods image, they do behold his Glory. This makes it evident, that men are capable to behold the glory of the Lord before the habitual change. God discovers his Glory, and that inclines him to assent and draws forth an actual assent. Which may be further considered by these considerations.
Arg. 1. Man in his corrupted estate has his natural faculty of understanding. He hath the faculty of understanding in his corrupted estate, and in his renewed estate. A godly man has not two faculties of understanding, one whereby he knows God, and another whereby he knows other things; but by the faculty of understanding he knows God and Christ, and the truth of promises, and likewise rules of art, the motions of the Sun and Moon, and the natural causes. Where there is a natural understanding, endued with literal knowledge, and assisted by the Spirit of God, there is a power to know God: In that case there is nothing wanting in order to the spiritual knowledge of God. Men need no other faculty in order to spiritual ⟨p. 37⟩knowledge provided it be duly enlightened▪ To imagine that there needs any other lower is to fancy the need of another faculty, or a faculty in a faculty, in order to the knowledge of God; as if we understood the creature by one faculty, and God by another. A faculty of understanding instructed and assisted by the Spirit, must needs enable men to know God.
Arg. 1. Man in his corrupted estate has his natural faculty of understanding. He hath the faculty of understanding in his corrupted estate, and in his renewed estate. A godly man has not two faculties of understanding, one whereby he knows God, and another whereby he knows other things; but by the faculty of understanding he knows God and Christ, and the truth of promises, and likewise rules of art, the motions of the Sun and Moon, and the natural causes. Where there is a natural understanding, endued with literal knowledge, and assisted by the Spirit of God, there is a power to know God: In that case there is nothing wanting in order to the spiritual knowledge of God. Men need no other faculty in order to spiritual ⟨p. 37⟩knowledge provided it be duly inlightned▪ To imagine that there needs any other lower is to fancy the need of another faculty, or a faculty in a faculty, in order to the knowledge of God; as if we understood the creature by one faculty, and God by another. A faculty of understanding instructed and assisted by the Spirit, must needs inable men to know God.
Arg. 2. An habitual change in the understanding, don't give men a power to know God. It must be acknowledged, that there is such a thing as an habitual change in the understanding: Godly men have a sanctified mind; they have a principle put into them, that leads them to judge aright concerning God and Christ; and a principle of Faith to receive the testimony of God: But habits don't give men a power to know. We must carefully distinguish between a faculty of power and an habit: An habit is only an inclination to do a thing; an habit fits a man to do a thing with more facility and dexterity. Habits are not faculties; they don't enable men to do what they could not do before; they dispose and incline the heart that way. A natural man has a prevailing inclination to judge wrong concerning God, and an opposition to believe right concerning God; his mind is averse to the reception of those doctrines that the Scripture teaches concerning God; but yet he has the faculty or power to judge ⟨p. 38⟩aright when he is assisted. And the godly man having received habitual light, has an inclination to judge aright of God and spiritual things.
Arg. 2. An habitual change in the understanding, don't give men a power to know God. It must be acknowledged, that there is such a thing as an habitual change in the understanding: Godly men have a sanctified mind; they have a principle put into them, that leads them to judge aright concerning God and Christ; and a principle of Faith to receive the testimony of God: But habits dont give men a power to know. We must carefully distinguish between a faculty of power and an habit: An habit is only an inclination to do a thing; an habit fits a man to do a thing with more facility and dexterity. Habits are not faculties; they don't enable men to do what they could not do before; they dispose and incline the heart that way. A natural man has a prevailing inclination to judge wrong concerning God, and an opposition to believe right concerning God; his mind is averse to the reception of those doctrines that the Scripture teaches concerning God; but yet he has the faculty or power to judge ⟨p. 38⟩aright when he is assisted. And the godly man having received habitual light, has an inclination to judge aright of God and spiritual things.
Arg. 3. This actual light which men receive from the Spirit of God, doth beget habitual light. It is in this case as in many others; a man that has had experience of the sweetness of honey, is inclined thereby to judge so from time to time: He that has had experience of the saltness of the sea, is inclined to judge it so: And he that has understood the gloriousness of God, is prepared and disposed thereby to judge so from time to time. This discovery leaves such a sense and impression on the heart, as inclines it for ever to judge so concerning God: They never forget what they have seen, and so are inclined to judge after the like manner. And the more frequently they have eminent discoveries of God and Christ, the more strongly they are inclined to judge so, and to reject the contrary temptations. Repeated discoveries strengthen the habit, and dispose them with more readiness to judge so. The inclination to judge aright of God is a rational inclination, flowing from a conviction of the gloriousness of God.
Arg. 3. This actual light which men receive from the Spirit of God, doth beget habitual light. It is in this case as in many others; a man that has had experience of the sweetness of hony, is inclined thereby to judge so from time to time: He that has had experience of the saltness of the sea, is inclined to judge it so: And he that has understood the gloriousness of God, is prepared and disposed thereby to judge so from time to time. This discovery leaves such a sense and impression on the heart, as inclines it for ever to judge so concerning God: They never forget what they have seen, and so are inclined to judge after the like manner. And the more frequently they have eminent discoveries of God and Christ, the more strongly they are inclined to judge so, and to reject the contrary temptations. Repeated discoveries strengthen the habit, and dispose them with more readiness to judge so. The inclination to judge aright of God is a rational inclination, flowing from a conviction of the gloriousness of God.
