I$ c(ioUo . attw C H A P. II. Of the fpecial nature of Faith, and here of Spiritual Illumination, the fill ingre- dient therein. What it is , with the necety thereof unto Faith , demon frated. H E next thing is to confider Faith in its fpecial nature ; and here the fir ti thing in order, is fupernatural ilr'umination : touch- ing which, I [hall firft thew what that is, and then demonftrate the neceflity of it to Faith. And firft, what it is, it is God fhining into the heart, and lighting our candle, to make us dif- cern divine things in a fpiritual way. It is an il- lumination above nature fubjeaively , and not objeaively only; it is a thing above reafon and all its improvements made upon external ob- jeas ; reafon may be taken in a double pofture, either fitting with the glafs of the creatures be- fore it, and fo it is meerly the light of nature, or elfe fitting with the glafs of the Scriptures before it, and fo it is a notional knowledge of Divinity ; but this fupernatural light is above reafon in both thefe poftures : Firfr, take rea- fon with the creature -glafs before it, and this fupernatural light is much above it. And here I might [hew, how much the Scripture-glafs excells that of the creature: the divine words there
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