1. Because all external arguments, without the light of the Spirit, work but a human faith. He that inspired the scriptures must open our eyes to know them, and incline our hearts to believe them; other- wise we shall look upon them but as a traditional report ; Isa. liii. 1, ' Lord, who hath believed our report ? ' The church maketli report ; what is the reason wicked men do not entertain it ? 1 John ii. 20, ' Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.' Men may speak of Christ by hearsay, as a parrot talks after a man ; but it is the Spirit only that must reveal him to the heart. The dis- ciples, themselves knew not the truth of the gospel so much by Christ's outward ministry as by the inward illumination of the Spirit. So Christ himself saitli, John xvi. 13, * Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he shall guide you into all truth.' Christ had brought it out of the bosom of the Father, and had taught them by an external ministry ; but the Comforter was to bring it into their hearts, to lead them into all truth. Therefore though carnal men may have a rational conviction, and may be so overpowered with reason that they cannot contradict the word, and so far understand it as to be condemned by it, yet they have not an absolute assurance ; it is accompanied with atheism, doubts, and dissatisfactions.
2. Because tho Spirit worketh not by way of certioration and full assurance, but where he sanctifieth. And therefore the apostle saith, 1 Thes. i. 5, ' Our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.' It cleanseth and sanctifieth the heart. And in the text it is said, * Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy word is truth,' Wherever there is an inward plenary conviction, there is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of God
436 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIL [SeR. XXVII.
works, he changeth the heart. It is true a wicked man, remaining carnal, may have common gifts from the Spirit : Heb. vi. 4, ' They may be enlightened, and taste of the heavenly gift, and be made par- takers of the Holy Ghost, and taste the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.' They may be able to make use of the model and form of knowledge that is in the brain ; but there is not an absolute assurance. This partial conviction is soon lost ; it is led in by man, and led off by man. A natural man, being in the church, may have great presumption and probability ; he may know nothing to the contrary why it is not God's word ; nay, he may in braveiy die for his profession ; but he dies in his own quarrel, and for his own humour, not for the love of the truth ; because it is his, not because it is God's, because his own profession may not be disparaged ; but a true certainty they cannot have, such as is affective, transforming, settled.
Use 1. To wicked men, that stagger about the truth of the scrip- tures, and are haunted with a spirit of atheism and continued doubts.
1. Wait upon common grounds, consent of the church, and pro- bable arguments. You ought out of respect to search into it, whether it will be found to be the word of God or no. You read in Judges, when Ehud said to Eglon, Judges iii. 20, ' I have a message from God unto thee, he rose out of his seat.' If a king's letter, threatening great peril, were brought to a man, he doth not know whether it be the king's letter or no, but because the peril is great, he will inquire fur- ther into the matter. So when the word of God is brought unto you, propounding everlasting hope, threatening everlasting death, this should make you wait, inquire, and see if it be the word of God or no. We venture far for great gain upon a probable hope. If there were but a loose probability of having a great prize for a shilling, a man would venture upon that probability. Now here is not only a possi- bility of gaining, but you are threatened with horrible torments, ever- lasting death and horror, more than is propounded in any religion. Do not think this is a foolish credulity : ' The simple believeth every word ; ' there is none more foolishly credulous than the atheist and the antiscripturist, who withhold their assent from the word of God upon very slight reasons, and venture their salvation upon them.
2. Do not in such a matter rest upon the credit of any man, but seek to have a firm ground in your consciences, an inward certioration from the Spirit of God: Phil. i. 9, 'This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in judgment,^ alaOy'^aei, in all sense. Wait till you have an inward feeling. He that is led by a man into the acknowledgment of the truth will be led off again by men. There will be no stability till you have an inward assurance : 2 Peter iii. 16, ' Beware, lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness,' J'Stoy a-Ttjpty/j.ov. Every child of God should have some ballast in his own spirit, some ground and experience upon which he durst venture his soul. Labour for this proper ballast and steadfastness of your own. And for "your comfort let me tell you, if you, with a humble and pious mind, wait upon God, you will not want it long. He that with a sincere mind, and studiousness of his own salvation, desires to find out the truth of the scriptures, certainly God will settle him.