Lastly, Satan by his temptations and suggestions doth variously affect the minds of men, hindering them from discerning the mind of God as revealed in the Scripture: " The god of this world blindeth the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," 2 Cor. iv. 4. The ways and means whereby he doth so, — the instruments which he useth, the artifices and methods which he applieth unto
184 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
his ends, with his application of himself unto them according unto all occasions, circumstances, opportunities, and provocations, in great variety, — were worth our inquiring into, but that we should too much digress from our present design.
I have but mentioned these things, and that as instances of the true original causes of the want of understanding and misunderstand- ing of the revelation of the mind of God in the Scripture. Many more of the same nature might be added unto them, and their effec- tual operations unto the same end declared; but the mention of them here is only occasional, and such as will not admit of a farther discussion. But by these and the like depraved affections it is that the original darkness and enmity of the minds of men against spi- ritual truth and all the mysteries of it do exert themselves; and from them do all the error, superstition, and false worship that the world is filled withal proceed: for, —
Whilst the minds of men are thus affected, as they cannot under- stand and receive divine, spiritual truths in a due manner, so are they ready and prone to embrace whatever is contrary thereunto. If, therefore, it be the work of the Spirit of God alone, in the renovation of our minds, to free them from the power of these vicious, depraved habits, and consequently the advantages that Satan hath against them thereby, there is an especial work of his necessary to enable us to learn the truth as we ought. And for those who have no regard unto these things, — who suppose that in the study of the Scripture all things come alike unto all, to the clean and to the unclean, to the humble and the proud, to them that hate the garment spotted with the flesh and those that both love sin and live in it, — they seem to know nothing either of the design, nature, power, use, or end of the gospel.
The removal of these hinderances and obstacles is the work of the Spirit of God alone ; for, —
1. He alone communicates that spiritual light unto our minds which is the foundation of all our relief against these obstacles of and oppositions unto a saving understanding of the mind of God.
2. In particular, he freeth, delivereth, and purgeth our minds from all those corrupt affections and prejudices which are partly inbred in them, partly assumed by them or imposed on them; for the artifice of Satan, in turning the minds of men from the truth, is by bringing them under the power of corrupt and vicious habits, which expel that frame of spirit which is indispensably necessary unto them that would learn it. It is, indeed, our duty so to purify and purge ourselves. We ought to cast out " all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness," that we may " receive with meekness the ingrafted word/' James i. 21 ; to " purge ourselves from these things, that we
CHAP. V.] CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE. 185
may be vessels unto honour, sanctified and meet for our Master's use, and prepared unto every good work," 2 Tim. ii. 21. If it be not thus with us, let the pride and folly of men pretend what they please, we can neither learn, nor know, nor teach the mind of God as we ought. And what men may do without giving glory unto God, or the bring- ing of any spiritual advantage unto their own souls, we inquire not, seeing it belongeth only equivocally unto Christian religion. But although it is our duty thus to purge ourselves, yet it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit that we do so. Those who, under a pretence of our own duty, would exclude in any thing the efficacious operations of the Holy Ghost, or, on the other hand, on the pretence of his grace and its efficacy, would exclude the necessity of diligence in our duties, do admit but of one half of the gospel, rejecting the other. The whole gospel asserts and requireth them both unto every good act and work. Wherefore, the purging of ourselves is that which is not absolutely in the power of our natural abilities ; for these cor- rupt affections possess and are predominant in the mind itself, and all its actings are suited unto their nature and influenced by their power. It can never, therefore, by its own native ability free itself from them. But it is the work of this great purifier and sanctifier of the church to free our minds from these corrupt affections and inveterate prejudices, whereby we are alienated from the truth and inclined unto false conceptions of the mind of God; and unless this be done, in vain shall we think to learn the truth as it is in Jesus. See 1 Cor. vi. 11; Tit. iii. 3-5; Rom. viiL 13; Eph. iv. 20-24.