But how is he himself to obtain the knowledge of it ?—
[He must " receive it, not from the spirit of the world, but from the Spirit of God." It is itself altogether foreign to all that the world either cultivates or admires. It is not within the power of human intellect to comprehend it ; or of human investigation to search it out ; or of human wisdom to impart the knowledge of it. The Spirit of the living God alone can convey it to the mind.
If it be asked, How are we to account for this ? I will con- fess, that the statement, by which persons very generally en- deavour to account for it, I greatly disapprove. We are told in the words following my text, that "the natural man I'eceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiri- tually discerned'^." Hence some imagine that a distinct sense must be given to us, without which we can no more discern the truths of the Gospel, than a man can discern the objects of sight, or smell, or taste, whilst he has not the organs proper for the perception of them. But, were this the case, a man would be no more blameable for his ignorance of divine things, than a man who was born deaf or blind would be for not per- ceiving objects by his eyes or ears. A juster view of the case, I apprehend, is this. The word is that seal which the Spirit of God uses for the stamping of the Divine image upon man ; and the heart of man is the wax, which is ordained of God to receive the impression. But the wax is hardened by sin; so liardened, that not even the word of God himself can make any impression on it. Hence it resists the word, even as stone or iron would the action of a seal upon it. Thus is man's ignorance to be ascribed, not less to the hardness, than to the blindness of his heart ^. Nor is this all. Man does not only withstand the word, as stone or iron would the impression of a seal, but as a spring would resist it. In a spring there is a re-action, proportioned to the force which acts upon it : and this is the kind of resistance which the heart of man gives to the word of God. Man's heart rises in opposition to the word, and with all its power repels it. The Jew rejects it as *' a stumbling-block ;" and the Greek despises it as " foolisli- ness." And hence it is, that no power but that of the Spirit of God can overcome the obstinacy of man's resistance to the word.
And how does the Spirit of God produce this effect? It operates as fire on the wax. Our Lord has said, that he will " baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire ;" that is, with
''- vex. 14. '' Eph. iv. 18, TrwpwfTn-. See the marginal version.
1941.]
INFLUENCES (5f THE SPIRIT. 91
the Holy Ghost, who shall operate as fire. And when that divine Agent applies the word to the soul, he humbles tlie soul, and softens it, and renders it susceptible of that very impression which the word is intended to make upon it. And this is the very account which St. Paul himself gives of the process, when he says, " Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you ;" or, as it should rather have been translated, " Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, into which (as into a mould) ye were delivered^."]
The dependence of a minister on the Spirit of God for the instruction of his own mind shews, 11. How alone his efforts can be made effectual for the salvation of his hearers —