6o Of the Creaturer, and the Condition ~ the SpiritUal makes it effeClually beyond what the Moral or Rational fore~ BooK Jl. that is in it, can fet it on. If we be Comforted from any figns, the Spirit ~ gives a Light of Revelation to call the Ballance,andwit1u§etl.i with ourSpirits, as Rom. 8. t6, beyond the power of the fign, If we read the Scriptures, and to get the meaning of them, obferve the C{lnnexion-of one thing with an other by Reafon; yet there comes often a Light of the Spirit ; beyond the bight of Reafon; which by that Obfervation of the Connexion ; feals up this to·be the Holy Gho1l's meaning: So as the H~ly Gho1l is to Faith 1lill his own Interpreter. For elfe the Sc~ipture. were of private I~terpretation; which it is not, z 'Pet. I. 20. Forfuch1s Ratto humanato the Spmt. · Yet as the Holy Gho1l , in writing the Scriptures, writ them in a Rational way, becaMe unto Men Reafonable ; fo in giving us Light to Under1land them, he ufeth Reafon, bur joyns a Light beyond it. Some btlieve, fays Chri1l toThomtu, ihat have not fun: And though God ufed Se(lfe to confirm hts Fatth; yet bts Fait!i was a Light beyond the Light of Senfe or Reafon from thence, And 2ly, That this Light of Faith is above that of Reafon ret!iflcd, •P'· pears in this, That it depends not on the natural way of M~n·s Undcrl\anding neceffarily, but often proceeds above it. We fee thofe that have low Undcr– fianding•, little Reafon in them, and are ignorant of the Notional Connexi– on of one Truth with another ; cannot difpute for it, yet fee further into things heavenly; fee more in them than the greatefi Dotlors,What is the Rea– fen? A Supernatural Light of Faith, a higher Light abounds in them. And beingaLight above the way of Nature and Reafon, reveals things to them beyond the power of Reafon. Yea, we may all fee it in our felves, at feveral times, That the fame Reafons, Motives, and Signs, confidered by us at one time, perfwade us not, as at another time they do, by reafon of a fuperadded Light of Revelation that cafis the Ballance: So that as the Light of Vifion in Heaven is argued to lie Supernatural, becaufe it depends not on the Light of Nature, or power or firength of Reafon , but takeing the lowefi, meanel\ Idiot, raifcth and elevateth his mind above one of a larger Underl\anding naturally to fee God more in Heaven ; becaufe the Light there, is above the Light of Nature,.and proceeds without it; it raifeth notthe Mind , according to the proportion of its Underftanding , but according to the meafure of its Light received, which is fo glorious, as it wraps up the meane1l Under{\anding to the higheft Inton· tion. Yea, Natural Underfianding contributes no advancement unto it, but only an Obediential Faculty; fo the Light of Faith alfo dorh in a proportion: And that argues it fupernatural. Strength of Natural Principles, and of R.ea– foa, may help forward that Knowledge, which is of its own Sphere noti– onal and rational; And in a Believer, it may help to advance Knowledge of Spiritual things in a Rational way; ll\lt it contributes nothing to the Light of Revelation by the Spirit, who works, how much, and when he pleafeth. But in Adam's Children, their Light and knowledge of God, being natural, would have been proportioned to the firength ,of inbred Light and Reafon, fo as fironger Souls would have had more, and weaker lcfs; for it ran in a natu· ral way , but not fo here. The third Particular propounded, was this, wherein our Knowledge cf God, (!Se, excels that of Adam's, and fo is fupernatural to it, is the man– ner or way of knowledge : This third lllows from the former, The Light of Faith is more intuitive, and fo more comprehcnfive: But the way of Adam's Knowledge was difcourfive, by way of gathering one thing from another, which is more imperfetl, and further about, and more at fecond hand. The perfetlion of the Angels Knowledge of things , is cx– preffed above that of Man's , in this, That theirs is Intuttive ; they ufe not Reo.fon to gather one thing from another; So much Intuitive (fay fome ) as they fee at once the EffeCl: and the Caufe together , therefore called l 11telli· gentit£. The one is as knowing of a Man by his Works arid hear-fay of him, whereby 'the mind gathers what an one he is by way of Difcoud'e: So did ./idamwhat God was by his Works, and Vitions, and Revelations made : But this is the Beholdil'l, the Glory of the Lard; John 6. 40. Seeing the Son and
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