Direffiom for a Jvell grounded Fait/,. to b~ ig~orant for want of Rcvil~tio~, when our [etvu are the hin~erers of that revelation, or the mentonous cJu~e ~hat we w~nt, ll, JS our fin;. B.ecaufc though that 1gnorancc be immediately Jteceff,;~ ry, and lJ•potbmca~y, yet orizmaLy and rcmJtely lt IS Frci and VoluntaY)'• So as ro tht Habits and Difpolitions-of the intellect: le is no fin to want thofe which mansV· dcrftauding in its entire and primitive Natur~ was w~t.hout. (As not to be able to k~ow without :~ obJeCt, or to know an unrevealed or roo dtfiant objtC\"; or actually to know all thmgsknowableat once. ) But there arc d,feU; or pl difpofitiom that ar'e {infuUy contru[luJ,; and though thcfc are now immrdiatei)•natur.1l and mcrff,zr)', yet beingOl'igilzally and remotely voluntmj c,r free, theyare partici~ H:n;.m:t pm pativety finf~tl: Such is the nat1tral manJ difabiliJy nr undi[pfcdnc.Jf to ktt0W the thing>of tlle Spi– ~~nr:u·~~tb- rit, when t~1e W~rd rcvea.kth them. This Jreth riot in the "':ant_ of a J!l.1tm~t fac~t)' to know tl~em, ~· ~.J~ but r. Radically m the ntU: 2. And thence m contrary falfe apprehenlions w 1ch the IntdleC'r is pre- ~0,.~~'~"·111• poffdfed with, which rcfljfing tbe truth, may be called, its blindmfs or impotency to know them And 3. In a ft.~ange;tcfs of the mind to thoff! fpiritual things which it is utterly unacquaiored with. ~qtc; here, I · That the will may be guilty of the tmderftandingJ i£norance two wayes: either by Pofitip_e at•erfcucfi prilhibitiltg or divel"ting it from beholding the evidence oftruth : Or by a Privatim. and fvrbeatance of that comntJIJd, or exci.tatio1t which is necdfary to the cxcrcife of the a{if ofthe ttH· dcrjf.mding. This J:ifi is the commoncfi way of rhe fin in the underfianding; and that may be tru– ly called Voluntary which is from the wiUt neglect of i!S office, or fufpenlion of i!S act, though there be no aCftul Vv/itio;z or Noliti~n. 2 . That the wiUmay do more in caujinga difeafe in the underftanding, than ir can do in cmiJig it. 1 can put out a mans eyes, but I cannot refiore them. 3· Th" yet for all that, God bath fo ordered it in his gracious difpenfation of the grace .of the l~c:dee~cr, ~hat cenain means are appointed by him, for man to ufe in or.der to _rhe obtaining of his grace for h1s own recovery; And fo though grace cure not the undc:rfiandmgof.ns primitive 1 tat 11 ral we,1k.,ntji, yet it cunth it of its comrHCfcd weab,..mfi, which was voltmtary in its Original, but neccffa,y being contraClcd. And as the J.)'iU had a hand in ~he caujing of it, fo muH ir have (in the Volun– tary ufe of the forclaid means) in the Cure of it. So much to 0Jew you how the Vnderftanding is guilty of fin. The operati- §. 4· Though no all:ual knowledge be fo immediate as to be without the Mediation of the finfi ons and m:~.la- and famajie, yet [uppofing tbe[e, Knowledge is difiingui{hcd into Immediate and Mediate. The Im– ~JcsJlo~ the mediate is when theBeing, ~alit)', &c· of a tbing, or the Trutb of a propofition is known immedi– mre e · ately in it felf by irs proper evidence. Mediate k,.fflJwledge is when the Being ofa thing, or the truth of a propofitio1l is knOW!J by the means of fornc other intervenient thing or propofition, whofe evidence af· fordeth us a light to difccrn ir. :he underftanding is much 1:-aore fat;~fi~d \yhen it can fee Thing~ and T'ruJIJJ immediately in the1r proper evidc;zce. 8ut when1t cannot, HIS g1ad ofany mtam to help 1t. The further we go in the feries of Meam ( knowing one thing by anorher, and that by another, and fo on) the more ttnfatiJjitd the underllanding is, as apprehending a puf!ibility of mijlal;,e,- and a difficulty in efcaping mijla~c in rh: uf: o~ fo mally media'J• . . when rhe evideuu of one rhmg m ItS proper nature Cheweth us another, this JS to know by mc:er difcourfc or argument. when the ft!Itdium of our knowing one thing, is the Credibility of a1wthcr mam report that know.. cth it,this is(though a di{courfe or argument too,yet) in fpecial~alled, Btlicf: which isftrongor weak, certain or :mccrtain, as the evidence of rhe reporters Credibility IS certain or unccrtai;z, and our appre– henfion of it {i-rong or wea~ In both cates the um:krjfandingJ fault is either an utter ptivation of the aU (or difpofition to it), or elfe a priv.atio~t of the rcflitude of the a[/. When it. fhould know b~ th~ proper tvidrnce of the Thin~, the pnvatton of ItS ad: lS called Ignorance or Nefcunce, and the pJ:lvauon of Jts reliztude IS called, Error ( which differ as not-feeing and fering-faljly): When it fl10uld ~!,now by '1rjlim"ry, the privation of its act is fimple unbelief, or not-believing, and the privation of its re&itude is either Dif– beJiuJ, (when they think the reporter erreth ), or Mifbelirf, when it believeth a Tefiirnony that is not to be believed. So that you fee by what is faid , r.hat the difeafes of the Mind to be cured, are J. Mur ignor;;~cr, 2. Error, thinking truth to be fallhood, and fal!hood truth. 3• Unbelief : 4· Disbelief: and 5· Misbelief. But as the Goodnrji is of chief regard in the object; fo the difcerning ofthe Truth about Goodand Rom.8. 5> 6 ·7· Evil is the chiefeft office of the underfiandit;'•. And therefore its Di[tjlecm ofGod, and Glory, and Gra;,, and its Mifejltum of the fleOsly p\eafur), 0 and worldly profperity, wealth and honour, i• the principal malady of the mind. , . . §. 5· 2• The difeafes of the JViHarcin its ~nclin:ztion and HS A~J: r.An inordinat~ Incli1Jatton to the pleafing of the fiufhly appetite and fantafie, and to a\I Carn~l b~1tJ and Temporal thmgs, that rend to pleafe it; and inordinate alh ofdefire accm.dingly. 2· An lrtational bac~warditcfs to God, and grac:, and fpiritual good, and a Rcfufal or Nolitio~tin act accordingly. T?efe are in the will, 1. B:caufe lt is become much [ubjeq to the fenfitive a~·petite, and hath debafed It felf, and contrall:ed by Its finful all!, a fenfu~l mclmatlon, the fle!h havny~ the donumon 111 a corrupted foul. 7• Becaufe rl1e Imel– leG! being a\lo corrupted, oft times mif·l)oadeth it, by over-valmng tranfient thmgs. 3· Becaufe~~~~
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