Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

170 ,The fourth Sign PART III. Thews what Propofitions are hid in thefe Paffages. And many Men can explain thefe Types, who have no fpiritual Knowledge. 'Tis poffible that a Man might know how to interpret all the Types, Parables, Enigmas, and Allegories in the Bible, and not have one Beam of fpiritual Light in his Mind ; becaufe he mayn't have the leaft Degree of that fpiritual Senfe of the holy Beauty of divine Things which has been fpoken of, and may fee nothing of this Kind of Glory in anyThing contained in any of theeMyf'teries,or any other Part of the Scripture. 'Tis plain, by what the Apoftle fags, that a Man might underftand all finch Myfteries, and have no laving Grace ; >i Cor. 13. 2. !Ind tho' I have the G ft of Prophecy, and underfand all My series, and all Knowledge, and have not Charity, it profateth me no- thing. They therefore are very foolifh, who are exalted in an O-, pinion of their own fpiritual Attainments, from Notions that come into their Minds, of the myftical Meaning of there and thofe Paffages of Scripture, as tho' it was a fpiritual Underffanding of thefe Paffages, immediately given 'em by the Spirit of God, and hence have their Affehlions highly raifed : And what has been Paid Thews the Vanity of fuch Affeaions. From what has been laid, it is allo evident, that it is not fpiritual Knowledge, for Perfons to be informed of their Duty, by having it immediately fuggefted to their Minds, that fuch and fuch outward Ahtions or Deeds are the Will of God. If we fuppofe that it is truly God'sManner thus to fignify hisW ill tohisPeople,by immediate inward Suggeftions, fuch Suggeftions have nothing of the Nature of fpirituu Light. Such Kind of Knowledge would only be one Kind of doc- tsrinal Knowledge: A Propofition concerning the Will of God, is as properly a Doctrine of Religion, as a Propofition concerning the Na- ture of God, or a Work of God : And an having either of thefe Kinds of Propofitions, or any other Propclìtion, declared to a Man, either.by Speech, or inward Suggeftion, differs valtly from an having the holy Beauty of divine Things manifefted to the Soul, wherein fpiritual Knowledge does molt effentially confift. Thus there was no fpiritual Light in Balaam ; tho' he had the Will of God immedi- ately fuggefted to him by the Spirit of God from Time to Time, concerning the Way that he Ihould go, and what he fhould do and fay. 'Tis manifeff therefore, that a being led and direéted in this Man- ner, is not that holy and fpiritual Leading of the Spirit of God, which is peculiar to the Saints, and a diftinguifhing Mark of the Sons of God, fpoken of Ram. 8. 1.4. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God. Gal. 5. i 8. But if ye be led by the Spirit, e are not tinder the Law. And

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