3. Because the least of Christ that is made known to the soul is made known by the Spirit ; even common illumination, any slight taste of the doctrine of life, it cometh from the Spirit. Those that apos- tatised afterwards are said, Heb. vi. 4, to be ' made partakers of the Holy Ghost.' A historical persuasion of the truth of the articles of religion flows hence. There are some things like this inward effectual revelation in the hearts of wicked men, namely, some notional irra- diations and illuminations in many profound mysteries of the scrip- ture. In this sense is that place to be understood : 1 Cor. xii. 3, ' No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed ; ' and that, ' No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost' Even their common illumination and profession that Jesus is the Lord was from the Holy Ghost. And so that. Mat. xvi. 16, 17, ' Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Je^us answered, Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' He did not learn this from nature, but from a revela-
212 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPOK [ISA. LIII. 1.
tion. Even, I sav, a notional apprehension of these truths, without any fiducial assent given to them, is from the manifestation of the Spirit, and, therefore, much more is this the cause of believing.
4. Because there is so much corruption in a man that hindereth the soul from believing in Jesus Christ, that it cannot be done away without the Spirit's manifestation. There is a double seat of this cor- ruption— the mind and the heart. First, In the mind there is igno- rance and unteachableness. Secondly, In the heart there is obstinacy and carelessness : which things cannot be conquered any otherwiiie than by the Spirit of Grod. Let us look Uf)on these things severally. Con- sider a man naturally as he is : —
[1.] In his mind; and so —
(1.) There is ignorance ; he hath no savoury apprehension of the truths of Grod : 1 Cor. iL 14, ' The natural man receiveth [not the things of the Spirit of Grod, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' There is no suitableness between the heart and the things of Christ ; and, there- fore, though they understand the words, they have confused appre- hension of the thing, and cannot tell what to make of them for their comfort and peace. These sottish conceits in the minds of men pre- possess them against the receiving of Jesus Christ. They are like leaky vessels that cannot hold this precious liquor ; the cockleshell of their brains cannot empty this ocean. A natural man hath abundance of confused, indistinct, indefinite conceits of Jesus Christ Festus said, Acts XXV, 19, That the Jews and Paul had ' a controversy about their own superstitions, and of one Jesus, that was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive ;' as if it were no more. And the like conceits are to be found not only in him but in all natural men. They do but look upon him as Austin in his infancy said he did upon God, To.nquo.m aliquem magnum — as some great remedy against all evils. Now these conceits, though they be a little rectified in some by pregnancy of wit, ripeness of experience, and industrious meditation, yet no savoury knowledge, nor wisdom to salvation, can be fetched out of these divine truths but by the Spirit We cannot learn Christ, as the apostle speaketh. A man may know Christ, but he hath not learned Chri.st, Eph. iv. 20. That supposeth a teacher, which is the Spirit of God : John vi. 45, ' They shall all be taught of God.' The Spirit teacheth us Christ, so as to have communion and fellowship with him — to fetch comfort out of him ; and this helpeth our natural light, and doth indeed set off Christ to us : Job xxxii. 8, ' There is a spirit in man, and the inspira- tion of the Almighty giveth them understanding.' Then we begin to look upon Jesus Christ with a true and distinct eye. A man may have eyes, but if he have not liglit he cannot see well, nor discern the distinct shape of things. Light must come to light ; — first the light of the sun or candle to the light of the eye. Thus our reason must V*e helped to fasten upon divine truths so as to fetch comfort out of them. Thus ignorant men cannot tell what to make of the promises of the gospel or the commandments of the gospel, what to think of Christ or what to Wlieve. Therefore, it is said, 1 Cor. ii. 10, ' The deep things of God ' are ' revealed to us by his Spirit ; ' that giveth us the knowledge of the truth and worth of them.
ISA. LIII. 1.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 213
(2.) Uuteachableness. We are not only in the dark, but blind ; we have not only lost the use, but the faculty : 1 Cor, ii. M, ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fool- ishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spirit- ually discerned.' AVe have no spiritual eyes, and therefore we cannot see spiritual things. Things are apprehended by us according as they carry a proportion and suitableness to our hearts. Now our hearts are so gross that we cannot measure truths by them. This uuteach- ableness remaineth in the soul till the Spirit disposes it to knowledge ; and therefore St Paul prayeth, Eph. i. 17, 18, ' That God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and open the eyes of their understanding' — take away the scales. And so you read, Luke xxiv. 29, That Christ ' opened their understanding ;' i.e., made it teachable. The word is not only proposed to them to rectify their apprehensions of Christ, but their minds are opened ; which implieth, that as they had no light, so they had closed eyes, a wicked mind as well as a weak mind, a mind disaffected, prejudiced, full of corrupt principles and reasonings that are advanced the truth.i