230 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
ment about spiritual things among those who are really sanctified and believers.
A brief answer unto both these exceptions will lead this discourse unto its close. I say, therefore, to the first: — 1. That there are in the declaration of the mind of God in the Scriptures sundry things that are common unto other writings, both as to the matter of them and the maimer of their delivery. Such are the stories of times past therein recorded, the computation of times, the use of words, phrases of speech, figurative and proper, artificial connections of dis- course, various sorts of arguments, and the like ; all which persons may come to the understanding of, and be able to make a right judgment concerning, without any especial assistance of the Holy Spirit, the things about which they are conversant being the proper object of the reasonable faculties of the mind, provided there be a common blessing on their endeavours and exercise. 2. The main doctrines of truth declared in the Scripture are proposed in such distinct, plain enunciations, in propositions accommodated unto the under- standings of rational men, that persons who, in the use of disciplinary and ecclesiastical helps, attend unto the study of them without pre- judice, or prepossession with false notions and opinions, with freedom from the bias of carnal and secular interests and advantages, and from the leaven of tradition, may learn, know, and understand the sense, meaning, and truth of the doctrines so proposed and declared unto them, without any especial work of saving illumination on their minds. The propositions of truth in the Scripture, — I mean those which are necessary unto the great ends of the Scripture, — are so plain and evident in themselves, that it is the fault and sin of all men endued with rational abilities if they perceive them not, and assent not unto them upon the evidence of their truth, or of the mind of God in those places of Scripture wherein they are declared; which is the substance of what we plead concerning the perspicuity of the Scripture against the Papists. 3. Considering the natural vanity of the mind of man, its proneness to error and false imaginations, the weakness of judgment wherewith it is in all things accompanied, whatever it attains in the knowledge of truth is to be ascribed unto the guidance of the Spirit of God, although not working in it or upon it by a communication Qf saving light and grace ; for, 4. The knowledge of truth thus to be attained is not that illumination which we are inquiring after, nor doth it produce those effects of re- newing the mind, and transforming it into the image of the things known, with the fruits of holy obedience, which are inseparable from saving illumination.
In answer unto the second pretended consequence of what we have discoursed, I say, — 1. That the promise of the Spirit, and the
CHAP. IX.] MEANS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF GOD. 231
communication of him accordingly, to teach, instruct, guide, and lead us into truth, is suited unto that great end for which God hath made the revelation of himself in his word, — namely, that we might live unto him here according to his will, and be brought unto the enjoy- ment of him hereafter unto his glory. 2. That unto this end it is not necessary that we should understand the direct sense and mean- ing of every single text, place, or passage in the Scripture, nor yet that we should obtain the knowledge of every thing revealed therein. It sufficeth, in answer to the promise and design of the work of the Holy Ghost, that the knowledge of all truth necessary to be known unto that end be communicated unto us, and that we have so far a right understanding of the sense of the Scripture as to learn that truth by the use of the means appointed unto that end. 3. We are not hereby absolutely secured from particular errors and mistakes, no more than we are from all actual sins by the work of the Spirit on our wills; that of both kinds, whilst we live in this world, being only in a tendency towards perfection. There is no faculty of our souls that is absolutely and perfectly renewed in this life. But as the wills of believers are so far renewed and changed by grace as to preserve them from such sins as are inconsistent with a holy life ac- cording to the tenor of the covenant, which yet leaves a possibility of many infirmities and actual sins; so their minds are so far renewed as to know and assent to all truths necessary to our life of obedience and a right understanding of the Scripture wherein they are re- vealed, which yet may be consistent with many mistakes, errors, and false apprehensions, unto our great damage and disadvantage. But withal this must be added, that, such are the teachings of the Spirit of God as to all divine truths whatever, both in the objective revela- tion of them in the word, and in the assistance he gives us by his light and grace to perceive and understand the mind and whole counsel of God in that revelation, it is not without our own guilt, as well as from our own weakness, that we fall into errors and misapprehensions about any Scripture proposals that concern our duty to God. And if all that believe would freely forego all pre- judices or preconceived opinions, and cast off all impressions from worldly considerations and secular advantages, giving themselves up humbly and entirely to the teaching of God in the ways of his own appointment, some whereof have been before insisted on, we might "all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," Eph. iv. 13. And these things may suffice to illustrate the work of the Holy Ghost in our illumination, with respect unto the external objective cause thereof, or the holy Scrip- ture itself.