·VireBiom for ycung (hriftians. How rheSPiP"· 5· But you'l ask, lf/bJt then i1 the Illumination of the Spirir, and enligbtenhtt, the mind, which the ritdo•h tl:u- Sctiptttre ofcribetb to the ff,ly Gbojl? H.:Jtb not our underjtanding need of the Spirit for lighr, as n-·tll as t~e Heart or Will for Lift? An[w. Yes no doubt:. and it is a great and \'vonderful mercy:. and 1'1 tell you what it is. 1 • The Holy Spirit by immediate infpirarion revealed to the Apoftles the doctrine of Chrifi, and eaufed rhem i~fallibly to indite the Scriptures. (But this is not that way of ordinary illumination now. ) 2: ~fhc Holy Spirit affitleth us ill: our he~ring, reading and .{tttdying the Scriptures~ that w_e may come by dthgence to the true underf\andmg of 1t; but doth not gtve us that underfiandmg, without hearing reading or fiudy. Faitb conzeth by hearing, Kom. Io. It bleffeth the ufe of means ro us, -but blefferh us not in the neg.Je& of means. 3. The Holy Spirit doth open the eyes and heart of a !inner who hath )1Card and notionally underfiood the fubfiance of the Gofpel, that he may know that piercingly and effectually, and practically, which before he knew but notionally and unclfeCl:ually: fo that rh~· knowledge of -the {Jme truth, is now become powerfuY, and as ir were of another kind. And this is the SpiritJ JimWjjing of the mind, and principal work of faving WuminatioJt: Not by caufing us to khow any_ thing of G~d, or Chrifi, or Ht:aven with?ut means :But by op:ning the h:arr, thacthrollgh the mcannt may take m that knowledge derply, wh1ch others have but nouonaVy,and m a dead opinion; and by making our knowledge clear, and quick., and ptJwerful, to affeCt the heart, and rule the life. 4· Tl'ieHoly Spir\t fanelijitlh all tna! ~totional ~nowledge which men had before their renovation: All their learning and parts are now made fubfervient to Chrifi, a11d to rhe right End, and turned inro their proper channell. 5· And the Holy Ghofi doth by fanCtifying the heart, po(Tcfs it with fi1ch aL(}ve to God, and Heaven, and Holinefs, and Truth, as is a wonderful advamage tO us in our fiudies for the attaining of further knowledge. Experience telleth us, how great a help it is to knowledge, to have a con(lant lvve, delight and defire to the thing which we would know. All thcfe wayes the Spi· rit is the enlightner of belieVers. The not obferving this Direction, will have direful effells; which I will name, that you may fee the necetfity of avoiding them. Tf)e~anger of §. 6. 1. H you imagine that you areprefeutly men of great underfianding, and abilities, and holi~ <lvervaluing nefs, while you are young btginnerr, and but new born babtJ, you are entring into the fnare anJ, con~ ~~~~_young demnation of the Dwil, even into the odious lin of Pride: yea, aPride of thofe [piritu.:~l gifts which gr~~~'2 or are moft contrary to Pride : yea, and a Pride of that whi"h you have not, which is mofi foolijh Pride. Mark the words of Paul when he forbids to choofe a young beginner in Religion to the Minillry, . . . r Tim. 3· 6. [Not a Novice (that is, a young raw Chrifiian) /rj! bei11g lifted up (or bcfotted) witb fi!-~1 ~&Jpu- pride, he {a~ into the condemnation. of the pevil. J W~yareyoung beginners more in_dange_r of this, than 1 r tm & other Chn(hans? One would thmk their Infancy lhou\J. be <=onfclot.\c of its own m6J.:mtty. But Paul ~oa:~~l'e~~~~ knew what he faid. It is 1. Partly becaufe thefmidemrefs of their ch:mge, coming out of da.rknefs, adverfo flumi- into a light which they never faw befere d?th amazo them, and tranfp_orr them~ and make them think ne n:t\'igzt, they are almofi ic Heaven, and that there IS not much more to be atramed. L1ke the Beggar that had ~lpentem_nu7" an hundred pound given him ( having never feen the hundredth part before) imagined that he had as ::,'~ c:~~Ji;, much money as the King. 2· And it is _partly becaufe they have not k,.now/edge eno11g/' to k~ow how hotlem docec, many things there arc, tha_r re.t they are Jgnorant of: They l~Cver heard of the Scnpture·dliliculties, PttrttTch. Dial. and rhe knocs in School~divlmty, nor the hard cafes of Confc1ence: Whereas one feven years painful 4l. li. z., fiudics, will tell them of many hundred difficulties which they never faw: and forty or fifty years lludy more, will clothe them with fhame and humiliry in the fenfe of their lamentabledarknefs. 3· And it is alto becaufe the Devil doth with greatell indufiry, lay this Net to entrap young Converts, it be~ ing the way in which he hath the greateft hope. :2· Your hafiy conccits of your own goodnefs or ability, will make you prcfurnptuous of your own fircngth, and fa to venture upon dangerous temptations ; which is the way to ruine. Yoq will think you arc not fo ignorant, but you may venture into the company of Papilts, or any Hereticks or deceivers, or rea4 their Books, or be prefcnt at their Wor{hip. And I confefs )'ou may fcape: but it may be otherwifc:, and God may leave you, to {hew you aU that Wtll in your hearts, as it isflid of Htzekjab, 2 Cbro1t. 32· 31, 25,26. 3. And your overvaluing your firft grace, will make you too fecure, when your fouls have need of holy awfulnefs and care, to work out· your falvation with fear and trembling, Phit. z. 12. and to [crve God acceptably witb reverence and godly fear, arl{.-.Iowing tbat he il a confomingfire, Heb. I:t.. 28, 29. And [tcurity is the fore-runner of a fall. 4 . lt will make you neglell the due labour and p1tience in the ufe of means for further knowledge Be2~us efl cui and increafe of grace, while you think you are fo well already. And fo you will be worfethan thofe vel mf~ne~u~ that are ever learning, and ,ever come to any ripe Jtnowledge :._ for you will think you are fit eo be ~~ f:n~~~;i~~ ""eachcrJ, when you have need to be taught thlt which you wilt not fubmit to learn. And then ver:!que opi- [ 1-Yben for the time ye ought to have been 'teacber.r, yore will bave need to be catechized, or taught agai,t ni~"'' <onCe· which be the firjl principles ofthe Oracles ofGod, as having need ofmill(., and not of jlrong meat. ] Mark q': 11 po~r.. here how the Holy GhoH maketh 1'ime and exercife necetfary to fuch growth as mufl t:nable you to be """ aef,•· Teachers, Heb. 5• 12, 13, '4· Therefore he adderh [ ButJlrong meat belongeth to them that are of fuU age tho[t who by rea[on •f ufe have their [tnfes exercifed to difcern both good and evil ] Mark here how wifdom and llrength is to be expected. 5· This over~hafiy conceit of your own ability, will tempt you to run into Controverfies, and mat.. ters that you are not fit for ; and fa divert you from neceffary and feafonable fludies. , 6. It will make you over confident of all your own opinions, and lliff in all your own conceits: · To~
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