Christiani ty an greatly dishonoured, so therein the devil hath his end; who is not anxious how much God is acknowledged in words, provided himself be but always served; he matters not how great and high speculations the natural man entertains of God, so long as he serves his own lusts and passions,and is obedient to his evil suggestions and temptations. Thus Christianity is become as it were an art, acquired is beby human science and industry, like any other art come or science; and men have not only assumed the art, acquired by huname of Christians, but even have procured them- man selves to be esteemed as masters of Christianity by certain artificial tricks, though altogether strangers to the spirit and life of Jesus. But if we make a right definition of a Christian, according to the scripture, That he is one who hath the Spirit, and is led by it, how many Christians, yea, and of these great masters and doctors of Christianity, so accounted, shall we justly divest of that noble title? sci ence and industry. If those therefore who have all the other means of knowledge, and are sufficiently learned therein, whether it be the letter of the scripture, the traditions of churches, or the works of creation and providence, whence they are able to deduce strong and undeniable arguments, (which may be true in themselves,) are not yet to be esteemed Christians, according to the certain and infallible definition above mentioned; and if the inward and immediate revelation of God's Spirit in the heart, in such as have been altogether ignorant of some, and but very little skilled in others, of these means of attaining knowledge, hath brought them to salvation; then it will necessarily and evidently follow, By revelathat inward and immediate revelation is the only tion is the sure and certain way to attain the true and saving ledge of knowledge of God. But the first is true: therefore the last. Now as this argument doth very strongly conclude for this way of knowledge, and against such true know God. as deny it, so in this respect it is the more to be regarded, as the propositions from which it is deduced are so clear, that our very adversaries cannot deny them. For as to the first it is acknowledged, that many learned men may be, and have been, damned. And as to the second, who will deny but many illiterate men may be, and are, saved? Nor dare any affirm, that none come to the knowledge of God and salvation by the inward revelation of the Spirit, without these other outward Abel, Seth, means, unless they be also so bold as to exclude instanced. Abel, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Job, and all the holy patriarchs from true knowledge and salvation. Noah, &c. § IV. I would however not be understood, as if hereby I excluded those other means of knowledge from any use or service to man; it is far from me so to judge, as concerning the scriptures, in the next proposition, will more plainly appear. The question is not, what may be profitable or helpful, but what is absolutely necessary. Many things may contribute to further a work, which yet are not the main thing that makes the work go on. The sum then of what is said amounts to this: That where the true inward knowledge of God is, through the revelation of his Spirit, there is all; neither is there an absolute necessity of any other. But where the best, highest, and most profound knowledge is, without this, there is nothing, as to the obtaining the great end of salvation. This truth is very effectually confirmed by the first part of the proposition itself, which in few words comprehendeth divers unquestionable arguments, which I shall in brief subsume. I. II. III First, That there is no knowledge of the Secondly, That there is no knowledge of Thirdly, That by the Spirit, God hath always revealed himself to his children. IV. V. Fourthly, That these revelations were the And Lastly, That the same continueth to be the object of the saints' faith to this day. Of each of these I shall speak a little particularly, and then proceed to the latter part. proved. V. As to the first, viz. That there is no knowl- Assert. 1. edge of the Father but by the Son, it will easily be proved, being founded upon the plain words of scripture, and is therefore a fit medium from whence to deduce the rest of our assertions. For the infinite and most wise God, who is the foundation, root, and spring of all operation, hath wrought all things by his eternal Word and Son. This is that WORD that was in the beginning with God, John i. 1, and was God, by whom all things were made, and with- 2, 3. out whom was not any thing made that was made. This is that Jesus Christ by whom God created all things, Eph.iii. 9. by whom, and for whom, all things were created, that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, Col. i. 16. who therefore is called, The first born of every creature, Col. i. 15. As then that infinite and incomprehensible fountain of life and motion operateth in the creatures by his own eternal word and power, so no creature has access again unto him but in and by the Son, according to his own express words, No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Mat. xi. 27. Luke x. 22. And again, he himself saith, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me, John xiv. 6. Hence he is fitly called, The Mediator betwixt God and man: for, having been with God from all eternity, being himself God, and also in time partaking of the nature of man, through him is the goodness and love of God conveyed to mankind, and by him again man receiveth and partaketh of these mercies. Assert. 2. proved. Hence is easily deduced the proof of this first assertion, thus: If no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, then there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son. But, no man knoweth the Father but the Son. Therefore there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son. The first part of the antecedent are the plain words of scripture: the consequence thereof is undeniable; except one would say, that he hath the knowledge of the Father, while yet he knows him not; which were an absurd repugnance. Again, if the Son be the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man cometh unto the Father, but by him; then there is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son. But the first is true: therefore the last. The antecedent are the very scripture words: the consequence is very evident: for how can any know a thing, who useth not the way, without which it is not knowable? But it is already proved, that there is no other way but by the Son; so that whoso uses not that way, cannot know him, neither come unto him. § VI. Having then laid down this first principle, I come to the second, viz. That there is no knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit; or, That the revelation of the Son of God is by the Spirit. Where it is to be noted, that I always speak of the saving, certain, and necessary knowledge of God; which that it cannot be acquired otherways than by the Spirit, doth also appear from many clear scriptures. For Jesus Christ, in and by whom the Father is revealed, doth also reveal himself to his disciples and friends in and by his Spirit. As his manifestation was outward, when he testified and witnessed for the truth in this world, and approved himself faithful throughout, so be of God are of God. ing now withdrawn, as to the outward man, he doth teach and instruct mankind inwardly by his own Spirit; He standeth at the door and knocketh, and whoso heareth his voice and openeth, he comes in to such, Rev. iii. 20. Of this revelation of Christ in him Paul speaketh, Gal. i. 16. in which he placeth the excellency of his ministry, and the certainty of his calling. And the promise of Christ to his disciples, Lo, I am with you to the end of the world, confirmeth the same thing; for this is an inward and spiritual presence, as all acknowledge: but what relates hereto will again occur. I shall deduce the proof of this proposition from two manifest places of scripture: the first is, 1 Cor.ii.11, 12. Proof I. What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so the things of God The things knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have known by received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which the Spirit is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God. The apostle in the verses before, speaking of the wonderful things which are prepared for the saints, after he hath declared that the natural man cannot reach them, adds, that they are revealed by the Spirit of God, ver. 9, 10. giving this reason, For the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God. And then he bringeth in the comparison, in the verses above-mentioned, very apt, and answerable to our purpose and doctrine, that as the things of a man are only known by the spirit of man, so the things of God are only known by the Spirit of God; that is, that as nothing below the spirit of man (as the spirit of brutes, or any other creatures) can properly reach unto or comprehend the things of a man, as being of a nobler and higher nature, so neither can the spirit of man, or the natural man, as the apostle in the 14th verse subsumes, receive nor discern the things of God, or the things that are spiritual, as being also of an higher nature: which the apostle |