3. He implants in our minds spiritual habits and principles, con- trary and opposite unto those corrupt affections, whereby they are subdued and expelled. By him are our minds made humble, meek, and teachable, through a submission unto the authority of the word, and a conscientious endeavour to conform ourselves thereunto.
It was always agreed that there were ordinarily preparations re- quired unto the receiving of divine illuminations; and in the assig- nation of them many have been greatly deceived. Hence some, in the expectation of receiving divine revelations, have been imposed on by diabolical delusions; which by the working of their imagina- tions they had prepared their minds to give an easy admission unto. So was it among the heathen of old, who had invented many ways unto this purpose, some of them horrid and dreadful ; and so it is still with all enthusiasts. But God himself hath plainly declared what are the qualifications of those souls which are meet to be made par- takers of divine teachings, or ever shall be so; and these are, as they are frequently expressed, meekness, humility, godly fear, reve- rence, submission of soul and conscience unto the authority of God, with a resolution and readiness for and unto all that obedience which
186 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
he requireth of us, especially that which is internal in the hidden man of the heart. It may be some will judge that we wander very far from the matter of our inquiry, namely, How ive may come unto the knowledge of the mind of God in the Scripture, or how we may aright understand the Scripture, when we assign these things as means thereof or preparations thereunto ; for although these are good things (for that cannot be denied), yet " it is ridiculous to urge them as necessary unto this end, or as of any use for the attaining of it. Learning, arts, tongues, sciences, with the rules of their exercise, and the advantage of ecclesiastical dignity, are the things that are of use herein, and they alone/' The most of these things, and sundry others of the same kind, we acknowledge to be of great use unto the end designed, in their proper place, and what is the due use of them shall be afterward declared ; but we must not forego what the Scripture plainly instructeth us in, and which the nature of the things them- selves doth evidence to be necessary, to comply with the arrogance and fancy of any, or to free ourselves from their contempt.
It is such an understanding of the Scripture, of the divine revela- tion of the mind of God therein, as wherein the spiritual illumination of our minds doth consist, which we inquire after ; such a knowledge as is useful and profitable unto the proper ends of the Scripture to- wards us, that which we are taught of God, that we may live unto him. These are the ends of all true knowledge. See 2 Tim. iii. 14-17. And for this end the furnishment of the mind with the graces before mentioned is the best preparation. He bids defiance unto the gospel by whom it is denied. " God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." "Whatever be the parts or abilities of men, Avhatever diligence they may use in the investigation of the truth, whatever disciplinary knowledge they may attain thereby, the Spirit of God never did nor ever will instruct a proud; unhumblecl sold in the right knowledge of the Scripture, as it is a divine reve- lation. It is these gracious qualifications alone whereby we may be enabled to " cast out all fUthiness and superfluity of naughtiness," so as to " receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save our souls."
Our blessed Saviour tells us, that " except we be converted, and become as little children, we cannot enter into the kingdom of hea- ven," Matt, xviii. 3. We cannot do so unless we become humble, meek, tender, weaned from high thoughts of ourselves, and are purged from prejudices by corrupt affections; and I value not that knowledge which will not conduct us into the " kingdom of heaven," or which shall be thence excluded. So God hath promised that " the meek he will guide in judgment; the meek he will teach his way. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him ; and he will show
CHAP. VI.] THE SPIRIT'S WOPvK IN THE COMPOSING OF SCRIPTURE. 187
them his covenant." " What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way/' Ps. xxv. 9, 12, 14. And so we are told plainly that " evil men understand not judgment ; but they that seek the Lord understand all things," Prov. xxviii. 5.
Now all these graces whereby men are made teachable, capable of divine mysteries, so as to learn the truth as it is in Jesus, to understand the mind of God in the Scriptures, are wrought in them by the Holy Spirit, and belong unto his work upon our minds in our illumination. Without this the hearts of all men are fat, their ears heavy, and their eyes sealed, that they can neither hear, nor perceive, nor understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
These things belong unto the work of the Holy Spirit upon our minds (as also sundry other instances might be given unto the same purpose) in our illumination, or his enabling of us rightly to under- stand the mind of God in the Scripture. But whereas whoever is thus by him graciously prepared and disposed shall be taught in the knowledge of the will of God, so far as he is concerned to know it in point of duty, if so be he abide in the ordinary use of outward means, so there are sundry other things necessary unto the attaining of farther useful degrees of this knowledge and understanding, where- of I shall treat afterward.