(2.) It is granted that sundry things in the promises of the Holy Ghost were peculiar unto the apostles, and had their accomplishment on the day of Pentecost, when he descended on them in that glori- ous, visible manner, Acts ii. 1-4; for as they were commanded by our Saviour to wait for this his coming before they engaged in the
1 44 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
discharge of that office whereunto he had called them, Acts i. 4, so now they were fully empowered and enabled unto all that belonged thereunto. But their peculiar interest in these promises respected only things that were peculiar unto their office; such that men- tioned in this place is not.
(3.) It is not an external guidance into the truth by the objective revelation of it that is intended, for such revelations are not granted unto all believers unto whom this promise is made, nor are they to look for them ; and the revelation of truth, in the ministerial pro- posal of it, is common unto all the world unto whom the word is preached, and so is not the subject of an especial promise.
(4.) Wherefore, it is the internal teaching of the Holy Ghost, giving an understanding of the mind of God, of all sacred truths as revealed, that is intended: for, — [1.] It is the same with that other promise, " They shall be all taught of God ;" for we are thus taught of God by the Spirit's leading us into all truth, and no otherwise. [2.] This the word enforceth. " The Spirit of truth hhnyfan v.uag, shall lead and guide you in the right way to the knowledge of the truth." So when Philip asked the eunuch whether he understood the things which he read out of the prophet Isaiah, he replied, " How can I, lav M tic, bbrtyyjsri /xs, ' unless one lead me' to the sense of it?" — that is, " by his interpretation give me an understanding of it," Acts viii. 31. Thus the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, by giving us that understanding of it which of ourselves we are not able to attain. And other interpretations the words will not admit. It is, therefore, his work to give us a useful, saving understanding of all sacred truth, or the mind of God as revealed in the Scripture. All spiritual, divine, supernatural truth is revealed in the Scripture. Herein all are agreed. The knowledge, the right understanding, of this truth as so revealed, is the duty of all, according unto the means which they enjoy and the duties that are required of them. Neither can this be denied. Unto this end, that they may do so, the Holy Spirit is here promised unto them that do believe. His divine aid and assist- ance is, therefore, necessary hereunto. And this we are to pray for, as it is promised. Wherefore, of ourselves, without his especial assistance and guidance, we cannot attain a due knowledge of and understanding in the truth revealed in the Scripture. As unto the especial nature of this assistance, it shall be spoken unto afterward.
This is again affirmed concerning all believers, 1 John ii. 20, 27, " Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you : but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in it."
CHAP. III.] SPIRITUAL ILLUMINATION PROVED FROM SCRIPTURE. 145
1. That by the unction and anointing in this place, the Spirit of God and his work, with respect unto the end mentioned, are intended, is not questioned by any that are conversant about these things with sobrietjr. And it is plain in the text; for, — (1.) That the Holy Spirit in his especial operations is called an unction, or is said to anoint us, is evident in many places of the Scripture : see Heb. i. 9 ; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Neither is a spiritual unction ascribed unto any thing else in the whole Scripture. (2.) That expression, " Which ye have from the Holy One" (Acts iii. 14, Rev. iii. 7), that is, Jesus Christ, doth expressly answer unto the promise of Christ to send his Holy Spirit unto us, and that for the end here mentioned, — namely, to teach us, and lead us into all truth ; whence he is called " The Spirit of the Lord," or " of Christ," 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18; Rom. viii. 9; Phil. i. 19, etc. (3.) That, also, of his " abiding in us" is nothing but an expression of the same promise of Christ that he shall " abide with us for ever," John xiv. 1 6. (4.) The work here assigned unto this unction is express- ly assigned unto the Holy Spirit: John xvi. 13, " The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth." (5.) What is said of it, — namely, not only that it is true, and not false, but that it is " truth, and is no lie," — doth plainly intimate his essential verity. And I cannot but wonder that any persons should, against this open and plain evidence, ascribe the things here mentioned unto any thing else, and not exclusively unto the Holy Ghost; for so do some contend (Episcop. in loc. after Socin. on the same place), that by this unction the doctrine of the gospel only is intended. It is true that the doctrine of the gospel, in the preaching of it, is the means or instrumental cause of this teach- ing by the Holy Ghost ; and on that account what is spoken of the teaching of the Spirit of God may be spoken, in its place, of the doc- trine of the gospel, because he teacheth us thereby. But here it is spoken of objectively, as what we are to be taught, and not efficiently, as what it is that teacheth us. And to say, as they do, " It is the in- struction which we have by the gospel that is intended," is to assert the effect only, and to exclude the cause; for that signifies no more but the effect of the unction here ascribed unto believers, as that which they had received from the Holy One. Didymus, an ancient learned writer, interpreteth this unction to be the illuminating grace of the Spirit, and the Holy One to be the Spirit himself, lib. ii. de Spir. Sane. But the other interpretation is more proper and conso- nant unto the use of the Scripture. The expression is taken from the institution of God under the Old Testament whereby kings and priests were anointed with oil, to signify the gifts of the Spirit com- municated unto them for the discharge of their office ; and thence believers, who are real partakers of the internal unction in the graces and gifts of the Holy Ghost, are said to be " made kings and priests