is in their hearts while they liveg." But of the Lord's people, how ignorant soever they may be of other matters, it may be said, as on this very ground it was said of the Jews of old, " Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people11."]
2. As instructed by God himself —
[This also is peculiar to them, and abundantly vindicates their title to the character given them in the text. To them universally, and to them exclusively, does that promise belong, " They shall all be taught of God1." They are taught of God, who by his Spirit has "opened the eyes of their understanding15," and " brought them out of darkness into the marvellous light of his Gospel1." To them he has given a spiritual discern- ment, whereby they are enabled to discern the things of the Spirit"1. He has given to them such views of Christ as "flesh and blood could never have revealed to them "." " Wonderful things are they enabled to behold in God's law0." They see — what others have no conception of — the spirituality of that law, extending to every thought and desire of the heart. They see in that glass the unsearchable wickedness of their own heartsp; their just desert of God's wrath and indignation; their utter need of a Saviour; the suitableness of Christ to their extreme necessities, and his sufficiency for all their wants. " They have an understanding given them to know Him that is true ; and, in consequence of that, they are in Him that is true, even in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal lifeq." To them are made known things which from all eternity were hid in God; and things which the natural man, whatever be his endowments, cannot receive or knowr: yea, though they be in every other respect mere " babes, to them God has revealed what he has hid from the wise and prudent s :" so that, whilst the man of learning, that is wise in his own conceit, looks down upon them with con- tempt as weak and foolish, they see the vanity of all his boasted wisdom, and they pity the blindness of his deluded mind. See how strongly all this is asserted by the Apostle Paul : " He that is spiritual (however destitute he may be of human learning) judgeth all things: yet he himself is judged of no man : (he estimates rightly the state of others, whilst they can form no just estimate of his:) for who (what carnal man) hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him ? But we (we who are taught of God) have the mind of
b Eccl. ix. 3. h Deut. iv. 6. ' John vi. 45.
k Eph. i. 17, 18. '1 Pet. ii. 9. m 1 Cor. ii. 9—12.
n Matt. xvi. 16, 17. ° Ps. cxix. 18. P. 1 Kings viii. 38.
q 1 John v. 20. r 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8,14. s Matt. xi. 25.