The Treatise 6 Spiritually enlightening the eyes to understand the Scripture is to open the eyes. Psalm 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law, which argues that the reason why the same was not seen in the Scripture before was that the eyes were shut. which would not be the case if the meaning that is now understood was not there before, but is now newly added to the scripture by the manner of the scriptures coming to the mind. This making a new manner to the scripture is the same thing as making a new scripture. It is an adding to the word which is threatened with so dreadful a curse. Spiritually to understand the scripture is to have the eyes of the mind open. To behold the wonderful spiritual excellency of the glory of things contained in the true meaning of it, and that always were contained in it, ever since it was written. To behold the amiable and bright manifestations of the divine perfections, and of the excellency and sufficiency of Christ, and the excellency and suitableness of the way of salvation by Christ, and the spiritual glory of the precepts and promises of the Scripture, and so on. which things are and always were in the Bible, and would have been seen before if it had not been for blindness, without having any new sense added, by the words being sent by God to a particular person, and spoken anew to him with a new meaning. As to a gracious leading of the Spirit, it consists in two things, partly in instructing a person in its duty by the Spirit, and partly in powerfully inducing him to comply But so far as the gracious leading of the Spirit lies in instruction, it consists in a person's being guided by a spiritual and distinguishing taste of that which has in it true moral beauty. I have shown that spiritual knowledge primarily consists in a taste or relish of the amiableness and beauty of that which is truly good and holy. This holy relish is a thing that discerns and distinguishes between good and evil, between holy and unholy, without being at the trouble of a train of reasoning. As he who has a true relish of external beauty knows what is beautiful by looking upon it, He stands in no need of a train of reasoning about the proportion of the features, in order to determine whether that which he sees be a beautiful countenance or no. He needs nothing but only the glance of his eye. He who has a correct musical ear knows whether the sound he hears be true harmony. He does not need first to be at the trouble of the reasonings of a mathematician about the proportion of the notes. He that has a healthy palate knows what is good food as soon as he tastes it, without the reasoning of the physician about it. There is a holy beauty and sweetness in words and actions, as well as natural beauty in countenances and sounds and sweetness in food. Job 12.11. Does not the ear cry words, and the mouth taste as meat? When a holy and amiable action is suggested to the thoughts of a holy soul, that soul, if in the lively exercise of its spiritual taste, and what sees a beauty in it, and so inclines to it and closes with it. On the contrary, if an unworthy, unholy action be suggested to it, its sanctified eye sees no beauty in it, and is not pleased with it. Its sanctified taste relishes no sweetness in it, but on the contrary, it is nauseous to it. Yea, its holy taste and appetite leads it to think of that which is truly lovely, and naturally suggest it, as a healthy taste and appetite naturally suggest the idea of its proper object. Thus a holy person is led by the Spirit, as he is instructed and led by his holy taste and disposition of heart. whereby, in the lively exercise of grace, he easily distinguishes good and evil, and knows at once what is a suitable, amiable behavior towards God and towards man, in this case and the other, and judges what is right, as it were spontaneously and of himself, without a particular deduction, by any other arguments than the beauty that is seen, and goodness that is tasted. Thus Christ blames the Pharisees that they did not even of their own selves judge what was right without needing miracles to prove it. Luke 12.57 The Apostle seems plainly to have respect to this way of judging of spiritual beauty in Romans 12.2 be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. There is such a thing as good taste of natural beauty, which learned men often speak of, that is exercised about temporal things, and judging of them, is about the justness of a speech, the goodness of style, the beauty of a poem, the gracefulness of deportment. A late great philosopher of our nation writes thus upon it, to have a taste is to give things their real value, to be touched with the good, to be shocked with the ill, not to be dazzled with false lustres, but in spite of all colors and everything that might deceive or amuse, to judge soundly. Taste and judgment, then, should be the same thing, and yet it is easy to discern a difference. The judgment forms its opinions from reflection. The reason on this occasion fetches a kind of circuit to arrive at its end. It supposes principles, it draws consequences, and it judges, but not without a thorough knowledge of the case, so that after it has pronounced, it is ready to render a reason of its decrees. Good taste observes none of these formalities, or it has time to consult. It has taken its side as soon as ever the object is presented, the impression is made, the sentiment formed. As the ear is wounded with the harsh sound, as the smell is soothed with an agreeable odor, before ever the reason have meddled with those objects to judge of them, so the taste opens itself at once and prevents all reflection. They may come afterwards to confirm it and discover the secret reasons of its conduct, but it was not in its power to wait for them. Frequently it happens not to know them at all, and what pain soever it uses cannot discover what it was determined it to think as it did. This conduct is very different from what the judgment observe in its decisions, unless we choose to say that good taste is, as it were, a first motion. or a kind of instinct of right reason, which hurries on with rapidity and conducts more securely than all the reasoning she can make, it is a first glance of the eye which discovers to us the nature and relations of things in a moment. Now as there is such a kind of taste of the mind as this which philosophers speak of, whereby persons are guided in their judgment of the natural beauty, gracefulness, propriety, nobleness, and sublimity of speeches and action, whereby they judge, as it were, by the glance of the eye, or by the inward sensation and the first impression of the object, So there is likewise such a thing as the divine taste, given and maintained by the Spirit of God in the hearts of the saints, whereby they are in like manner led and guided in discerning and distinguishing the true spiritual and holy beauty of actions, and that more easily, readily, and accurately is they of more or less of the Spirit of God dwelling in them. And thus the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God in their behavior in the world. A holy disposition and spiritual taste, where grace is strong and lively, will enable the soul to determine what actions are right in becoming Christians, not only more speedily, but far more exactly, than the greatest abilities without it. This may be illustrated by the manner in which some habits of mind and dispositions of heart, of a nature inferior to true grace, will teach and guide a man in his actions. For instance, If a man be a very good-natured man, his good nature will teach him better how to act benevolently amongst mankind, and will direct him on every occasion to those speeches and actions which are agreeable to rules of goodness. Then the strongest reason will a man of morose temper. So if a man's heart be under the influence of an entire friendship, and most endured affection to another, though he be a man of an indifferent capacity, Yet this habit of his mind will direct him far more readily and exactly to a speech and deportment which shall in all respects be sweet and kind, and agreeable to a benevolent disposition of heart than the greatest capacity without it. He has, as it were, a spirit within him that guides him. The habit of his mind is attended with a taste by which he immediately relishes that air and mane which is benevolent, and disrelishes the contrary. It causes him to distinguish between one and the other in a moment, more precisely than the most accurate reasonings can find out in many hours. The nature and inward tendency of a stone or other heavy body that is let fall from a loft shows a way to the center of the earth more exactly in an instant than the ablest mathematician without it could determine by his most accurate observations in a whole day. Thus it is that a spiritual disposition and taste teaches and guides a man in his behavior in the world. So an imminently humble or meek or charitable disposition will direct a person of mean capacity to such a behavior as is agreeable to Christian rules of humility, meekness, and charity. far more readily and precisely than the most diligent study and elaborate reasonings of a man of the strongest faculties, who is not a Christian spirit within him. So also will the spirit of love to God, and holy fear and reverence towards God, and filial confidence in God, and a heavenly disposition, teach and guide a man in his behavior. It is an exceedingly difficult thing for a wicked man, destitute of Christian principles, and is hard to guide him. to know how to demean himself like a Christian, with a life in beauty and heavenly sweetness of a truly holy, humble, Christ-like behavior. He knows not how to put on these garments, neither do they fit him, Ecclesiastes 10, 2 and 3. A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left. Yea, also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. With, verse 15, the labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. Proverbs 10 32 The lips of the righteous know not what is acceptable. Chapter 15 2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. In chapter 16.23, the heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. The saints, in thus judging of actions by a spiritual taste, have not a particular recourse to the express rules of God's word, with respect to every word and action that is before them, the good or evil of which they thus judge. But yet their taste itself, in general, is subject to the rule of God's word, and must be tried by that, and a right reasoning upon it. as a man of a healthy palate judges of particular morsels by his taste, but yet his palate itself must be judged of, whether it be healthy or no, by certain rules and reasons. But a spiritual taste of soul mightily helps a soul in its reasonings on the word of God and in judging of the true meaning of its rules. For it removes the prejudices of a depraved appetite and naturally leads the thoughts in the right channel. It casts a light on the word of God and causes the true meaning most naturally to come to mind. Through the harmony there is between the disposition and relish of a sanctified soul and the true meaning of the rules of God's word. Yea, this harmony tends to bring the texts themselves to mind on proper occasions, as a particular state of the stomach and palate tends to bring such particular meats and drinks to mind as are agreeable to that state. Thus, the children of God are led by the Spirit of God in judging of actions themselves, and in their meditations upon and judging of and applying the rules of God's holy word. And so God teaches them His statutes and causes them to understand the way of His precepts, which the psalmist so often prays for. But this leading of the Spirit is a thing exceedingly diverse from that which some call so, which consists not in teaching them God's statutes and precepts that He has already given, but in giving them new precepts of immediate inward speech or suggestion, and has in it no tasting the true excellency of things, or judging or discerning the nature of things at all. They do not determine what is the will of God by any taste or relish, or any manner of judging of the nature of things, but by an immediate dictate concerning the thing to be done. There is no such thing as any judgment or wisdom in the case. Whereas in that leading of the Spirit which is peculiar to God's children is imparted that true wisdom and holy discretion so often spoken of in the word of God, which is high above the other way, as the stars are higher than a glow-worm. Balaam and Saul, who sometimes were led by the Spirit in that other way, never had it, and no natural man can have without a change of nature. What has been said of the nature of spiritual understanding is consisting most essentially in a divine supernatural sense and relish of the heart, not only shows that there is nothing of it in this falsely supposed leading of the Spirit, but also shows the difference between spiritual understanding and all kinds and forms of enthusiasm, all imaginary sights of God and Christ in heaven, all supposed witnessing of the Spirit and testimonies of the love of God by immediate inward suggestion, and all impressions of future events and immediate revelations of any secret facts whatsoever, all enthusiastical impressions and applications of words of Scripture, as though they were words now immediately spoken by God to a particular person, in a new meaning, and carrying something more in them than the words contained as they lie in the Bible, and all interpretations of the mystical meaning of the Scripture by supposed immediate revelation. None of these things consist in a divine sense and relish of the heart of the holy beauty and excellency of divine things. nor have they anything to do with such a sense, but all consist in impressions in the head, all are impressions on the imagination, and consist in the exciting of external ideas in the mind, either of outward shapes and colors, or words spoken, or letters written, or ideas of things external and sensible belonging to actions done, or events accomplished, or to be accomplished. An enthusiastical supposed manifestation of the love of God is made by the exciting an idea of a smiling countenance, or some other pleasant outward appearance, or by the idea of pleasant words spoken, or written, or excited in the imagination. or by some pleasant bodily sensation. When persons have an imaginary revelation of some secret fact, it is by exciting external ideas, either as some words implying a declaration of that fact, or some visible or sensible circumstances of such a fact. So the supposed leading of the spirit to do the will of God is either by exciting the idea of words, which are outward things in their minds, either the words of Scripture or other words which they look upon as an immediate command of God, or else by exciting and impressing strongly the ideas of the outward actions themselves. So when an interpretation of a scripture type or allegory is immediately, in an extraordinary way, strongly suggested, it is by suggesting words, as though one secretly whispered and told a meaning, or by exciting other ideas in the imagination. Experiences and discoveries such as these commonly raise the affections of such as are deluded by them to a great height, and make a mighty uproar in both soul and body. And a very great part of the false religion that has been in the world, from one age to another, consists in such discoveries as these, and in the affections that flow from them. In such things consisted the experiences of the ancient Pythagoreans, among the heathen, and many others among them who had strange ecstasies and raptures, and pretended to a divine athletis, an immediate revelation from heaven. In such things as these seem to have consisted the experiences of the Essenes, an ancient sect among the Jews, at and after the time of the Apostles. In such things as these consisted the experiences of many of the ancient Gnostics, Demotonists, and many other sects of ancient heretics in the primitive ages of the Christian Church. In such things as these consisted the pretended immediate converts with God and Christ and saints and angels of heaven of the monks, anchorites, recluses that formerly abounded in the Church of Rome. In such things consisted the pretended high experiences and great spirituality of many sects of enthusiasts that swarmed in the world after the Reformation, such as the Anabaptists, Antinomians, and and followers of Nicholas Storch, Thomas Munser, John Bacold, Henry Pfeiffer, David George, Caspar Swinfield, Henry Nicholas, Johannes Agricola Eilbius, and the many wild enthusiasts that were in England in the days of Oliver Cromwell, and the followers of Mrs. Anna Hutchinson in New England, as appears by the particular and large accounts given of all these sects by that eminently holy man, Mr. Samuel Rutherford, in his display of the spiritual Antichrist. And in such things as these consisted the experiences of the late French prophets and their followers. And these things also seem to lie the religion of the many kinds of enthusiasts of the present day. It is chiefly by such sort of religion as this that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. And it is that which he has ever most successfully made use of to confound hopeful and happy revivals of religion from the beginning of the Christian church to this day. When the Spirit of God is poured out to begin a glorious work, then the old serpent, as fast as possible and by all means, introduces this bastard religion and mingles it with the true, which has from time to time soon brought all things into confusion. The pernicious consequence of it is not easily imagined or conceived of, until we see and are amazed with the awful effects of it and the dismal desolation it has made. If the revival of true religion be very great in its beginning, yet if this bastard comes in, there is danger of its doing as Gideon's bastard Abimelech did, who never left until he had slain all his threescore and ten true-born sons, excepting one that was forced to flee. Great and strict, therefore, should be the watch and guard that ministers maintain against such things, especially at a time of great awakening. For men, especially the common people, are easily bewitched with such things, they having such a glaring and glistering show of high religion. The devil hides his own shape and appears as an angel of light, that men may not be afraid of him, but adore him. The imagination or fancy seems to be that wherein are formed all those delusions of Satan, which those are carried away with who are under the influence of false religion, and counterfeit graces and affections. Here is the devil's grand lurking place, a very nest of foul and delusive spirits. It is very much to be doubted whether the devil can come at the soul of man at all to affect it. or to excite any thought or motion, or produce any effect whatsoever in it, any other way than by the fancy, which is that power of the soul by which it receives ideas of outward and sensible things. As to the laws and means which the Creator has established for the intercourse and communication of unbodied spirits, we know nothing about them. We do not know by what medium they manifest their thoughts to each other, or excite thoughts in each other. But as to the spirits that are united to bodies, those bodies are their medium of communication. They have no other medium of acting on other creatures, or being acted on by them, than the body. Therefore, it is not to be supposed that Satan can excite any thought, or produce any effect in the soul of man, any otherwise, and by some motion of the animal spirits, or by causing some motion or alteration in something which appertains to the body. There is this reason to think that the devil cannot produce thoughts in the soul immediately, or in any other way than by the medium of the body, that he cannot immediately see or know the thoughts of the soul. It is abundantly declared in the scripture to be peculiar to the omniscient God to do that. But it is not likely that the devil can immediately produce an effect which is out of the reach of his immediate view. It seems unreasonable to suppose that his immediate agency should be out of his own sight, or that it should be impossible for him to see what he himself immediately does. Is it not unreasonable to suppose that any spirit or intelligent agent should, by the act of his will, produce effects according to his understanding or agreeable to his own thoughts, and that immediately, and yet the effects produced be beyond the reach of his understanding, or where he can have no immediate perception of them? But if this be so, that the devil cannot produce thoughts in the soul immediately, or in any other way than by the animal spirits or by the body, then it follows that he never brings to pass anything in the soul but by the imagination or fancy, or by exciting external ideas. For if we know that alterations in the body do immediately excite no other sort of ideas in the mind, but external ones, or those of the outward senses, as to reflection, abstraction, reasoning, and though thoughts and inward motions which are the fruits of these acts of the mind, they are not the nearest effects of impressions on the body, so that it must be only by the imagination that Satan has access to the soul to tempt and delude it, or suggest anything to it. Anthony Burgess wrote on Original Sin in 1659, quote, The imagination is that room of the soul wherein the devil doth often appear. Indeed, to speak exactly, the devil hath no efficient power over the rational part of a man. He cannot change the will. He cannot alter the heart of a man. So that the utmost he can do in tempting a man to sin is suasion and suggestion only. But how doth the devil do this, even by working upon the imagination? He observeth the temper and bodily constitution of a man, and thereupon suggest to his fancy, and injects his fiery darts thereinto, by which the mind will come to be wrought upon. The devil then, though he hath no imperious efficacy over thy will, yet he can thus stir anew thy imagination. and thou being naturally destitute of grace, canst not withstand these suggestions, hence it is that any sin in thy imagination, though but in the outward works of the soul, yet doth quickly lay hold on all, and indeed by this means do arise those horrible delusions that are in many erroneous ways of religion, all is because their imaginations are corrupted. Yea, how often are these diabolical delusions of the imagination taken for the gracious operation of God's Spirit? It is from hence that many have pretended to enthusiasms. They leave the Scriptures, and wholly attend to what they perceive and feel within them. The great Francois Turretin, speaking on that question, What is the power of angels, says, As to bodies, there is no doubt but that they can do a great deal upon all sorts of elementary and subliminary bodies, to move them locally, and variously to agitate them. It is also certain that they can act upon the external and internal senses to excite them or to bind them. But as to the rational soul itself, they can do nothing immediately upon that, for to God alone who knows and searches the hearts, and who has them in His hands, does it also appertain to bow and move and whithersoever he will. But angels can act upon the rational soul only immediately by imaginations." And this seems to be the reason why persons that are under the disease of melancholy are commonly so visibly and remarkably subject to the suggestions and temptations of Satan, that being a disease which peculiarly affects the animal spirits, and is attended with weakness of that part of the body which is a foundation of the animal spirits, even the brain, which is, as it were, the seat of the fancy. It is by impressions made on the brain that any ideas are excited in the mind by the motion of the animal spirits, or any changes made in the body. The brain being thus weakened and diseased, it is less under the command of the higher faculties of the soul, and yields more easily to intrinsic impressions, and is overpowered by the disordered motions of the animal spirits. And so the devil has greater advantage to affect a mind by working on the imagination. And thus Satan, when he casts in those horrid suggestions into the minds of many melancholy persons in which they have no hand themselves, he does it by exciting imaginary ideas, either of some dreadful words or sentences, or other horrid, outward ideas. And when he tempts other persons who are not melancholy, he does it by presenting to the imagination in a lively and in a lowering manner the objects of their lusts, or by exciting ideas of words, and so by them exciting thoughts. or by promoting an imagination of outward actions, events, or circumstances. Innumerable are the ways by which the mind may be led on to all kinds of evil thoughts, by the exciting of external ideas in the imagination. If persons keep no guard at these avenues of Satan, by which he has access to the soul to tempt and delude it, they will be likely to have enough of him. and especially if, instead of guarding against him, they lay themselves open to him and seek and invite him, because he appears as an angel of light, and counterfeits the illuminations and graces of the Spirit of God by inward whispers and immediate suggestions of facts and events, pleasant voices, beautiful images, and other impressions on the imagination. There are many who are deluded by such things, and are lifted up with them, and seek after them, that have a continued course of them, and can have them almost when they will, and especially when their pride and vainglory have most occasion for them to make a show of them before company. It is with them something as it is with those who are professors of the art of telling where lost things are to be found, by impressions made on their imaginations. They lay in themselves open to the devil. He is always on hand to give them the desired impression. Before I finish what I would say on this head of imaginations, counterfeiting spiritual light and affections arising from them, I would renewedly, to prevent misunderstanding of what has been said, desire it may be observed that I am far from determining that no affections are spiritual which are attended with imaginary ideas. Such is the nature of man that he can scarcely think of anything intensely without some kind of outward ideas. They arise and interpose themselves unavoidably in the course of a man's thoughts, though oftentimes they are very confused and are not what the mind regards. When the mind is much engaged and the thoughts intense, oftentimes the imagination is more strong and the outward idea more lively, especially in persons of some constitutions of body. But there is a great difference between these two things. Lively imaginations arising from strong affections, and strong affections arising from lively imaginations. The former may be, and doubtless often is, an accompaniment of truly gracious affections. The affections do not arise from the imagination, nor have any dependence upon it. But on the contrary, the imagination is only the accidental effect or consequent of the affection through the infirmity of human nature. But when the latter is the case, as it often is, and the affection arises from the imagination and is built upon it as its foundation, Instead of a spiritual illumination or discovery, then is the affection, however elevated, worthless and vain, and this is adrift of what has now been said of impressions on the imagination. Having observed this, I proceed to another mark of gracious affections. 5. Truly gracious affections are attended with a reasonable and spiritual conviction of the reality and certainty of divine things. This seems to be implied in the text that was laid as the foundation of this discourse. Whom have ye not seen, ye love? In whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory? All those who are truly gracious persons have a solid, full, thorough, and effectual conviction of the truth of the great things of the gospel. I mean that they no longer halt between two opinions. The great doctrines of the gospel cease to be any longer doubtful things or matters of opinion, which, though probable, are yet disputable. But with them they are points settled and determined, as undoubted and indisputable, so that they are not afraid to venture their all upon their truth. Their conviction is an effectual conviction, so that the great spiritual, mysterious, and invisible things of the gospel have the influence of real and certain things upon them. They have the weight and power of real things in their hearts, and accordingly rule in their affections, and govern them through the course of their lives. With respect to Christ being the Son of God and Savior of the world, and the great things He has revealed concerning Himself and His Father and another world, They have not only a predominating opinion that these things are true, and so yield their assent, as they do in many other manners of doubtful speculation, but they see that it is really so. Their eyes are opened so that they see that really Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And as to the things which Christ has revealed of God's eternal purposes and designs concerning fallen man, and the glorious and everlasting things prepared for the saints in another world, they see that they are so indeed, and therefore these things are of great weight with them, and have a mighty power upon their hearts and influence over their practice in some measure answerable to their infinite importance. That all true Christians have such a kind of conviction of the truth of the things of the gospel is abundantly manifest from the Holy Scriptures. I will mention a few places of many. Matthew 16, verses 15 to 17. But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, my Father which is in heaven hath revealed it unto thee. John 6.68-69 Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. John 17.6-8 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. Acts 8 37 If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. 2 Corinthians 4 11-14 We which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake. Death worketh in us. We have in the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken. We also believe, and therefore speak. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. Verse 16 For which cause we faint not. In verse 18 While we look not at the things which are seen. In chapter 5, 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God. In verses 6, 7, and 8. Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. II Timothy 1.12—For the rich cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hebrews 3.6—Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end? Hebrews 11.1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Together with that whole chapter, 1 John 4.13-16, hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believe the love that God hath to us. 5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is a victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 6 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 7 Thus are truly gracious affections attended with the conviction and persuasion of the truth of the things of the gospel, and assidued their evidence and reality, as these and other scriptures demonstrate. There are many religious affections which are not attended with such a conviction of the judgment. There are many apprehensions and ideas which some have that they call divine discoveries, which are affecting but not convincing. Though for a little while they may seem to be more persuaded of the truth of the things of religion than they used to be, and may yield a forward assent, like many of Christ's hearers who believe for a while, yet they have no thorough and effectual conviction. There is no great abiding change in them in this respect that, whereas formerly they did not realize the great things of the gospel, now these things with regard to reality and certainty appear new to them, and they behold them quite in another view than they used to do. There are many persons who have been exceedingly raised with religious affections and think they have been converted, but they do not seem to be any more convinced of the truth of the gospel than they used to be, or at least there is no remarkable alteration. They are not men who live under the influence and power of a realizing conviction of the infinite and eternal things which the gospel reveals. If they were, it would be impossible for them to live as they do. Their affections, because they are not attended with a thorough conviction of the mind, are not at all to be depended on. However great a show and noise they make, it is like the blaze of tow or crackling of thorns, or like the forward-flourishing blade on stony ground that has no root nor deepness of earth to maintain its life. Some persons, under high affections and a confident persuasion of their good estate, have that which they very ignorantly call a seeing of the truth of the Word of God, but which is very far from it. They have some text of Scripture coming to their minds in a sudden and extraordinary manner. immediately declaring unto them, as they suppose, that their sins are forgiven, or that God loves them and will save them. And it may be have a chain of scriptures coming one after another to the same purpose, and they are convinced that it is truth. They are confident that it is certainly so, that their sins are forgiven and God does love them. They say they know it is so, and when the words of Scripture are suggested to them, and as they suppose immediately spoken to them by God, they are ready to cry out, Truth! Truth! It is certainly so! The word of God is true. And this they call a scene the truth of the word of God, whereas the whole of their faith amounts to no more than only a strong confidence of their own good estate. and so a confidence that these words are true, which they suppose tell them they are in a good estate, when indeed, as was shown before, there is no scripture which declares that any person is in a good estate directly, or any other way than by consequence. So that this, instead of being a real sight of the truth of the word of God, is a sight of nothing but a phantom, It is wholly a delusion. Truly to see the truth of the word of God is to see the truth of the gospel, which is the glorious doctrine the word of God contains concerning God and Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation by Him, and the world of glory that He has entered into and purchased for all them who believe, and not a revelation that such and such particular persons are true Christians and shall go to heaven. Therefore, those affections which arise from no other persuasion of the truth of the word of God than this, arise from delusion and not true conviction, and consequently are themselves delusive and vain. But if the religious affections that persons have do indeed arise from a strong persuasion of the truth of the Christian religion, their affections are not the better unless their persuasion be a reasonable persuasion or conviction. By a reasonable conviction, I mean a conviction founded on real evidence, or upon that which is a good reason or just ground of conviction. Men may have a strong persuasion that the Christian religion is true when their persuasion is not at all built on evidence, but altogether on education and the opinion of others, as many Mahometans are strongly persuaded of the truth of the Mahometan religion because their fathers and neighbors and nation believe it. The belief of the truth of the Christian religion, which is built on the very same grounds with the Mohammedan's belief of the Mohammedan religion, is the same sort of belief. And though the thing believed happens to be better, yet that does not make the belief itself to be of a better sort. For though the thing believed happens to be true, yet the belief of it is not only to this truth, but to education. And as the conviction is no better than the Mohammedans conviction, so the affections that flow from it are no better in themselves than the religious affections of Mohammedans. But if the belief of Christian doctrines be not merely from education, but indeed from reasons and arguments which are offered, it will not from thence necessarily follow that their affections are truly gracious. For in order to that, it is requisite not only that the belief which their affections arise from should be reasonable, but also a spiritual belief or conviction. I suppose none will doubt but that some natural men do yield a kind of assent to their judgment to the truth of the Christian religion from the rational proofs or arguments that are offered to evince it. Judas, without doubt, thought Jesus to be the Messiah from the things which he saw and heard, but yet all along was a devil. So in John 2, 23-25, we read of many that believed in Christ's name when they saw the miracles that He did, whom yet Christ knew had not that within them which is to be depended on. So Simon the sorcerer believed, when he beheld the miracles and signs which were done, but yet remained in the gull of bitterness and bond of iniquity. Acts 8, 13 and 23. And if there is such a belief or assent of the judgment in some natural men, none can doubt that religious affections may arise from that assent or belief, as we read of some who believed for a while, that were greatly affected, and anon with joy received the word. it is evident that there is such a thing as a spiritual belief, or conviction of the truth of the things of the gospel, or a belief that is peculiar to those who are spiritual, or who are regenerated, and have the Spirit of God in His holy communications, and dwelling in them is a vital principle. So that the conviction they have does not only differ from that which natural men have in its commitments, and that it is accompanied with good works, but the belief itself is diverse. The assent and conviction of the judgment is a kind peculiar to those who are spiritual, and that which natural men are wholly destitute of. This is evident by the Scripture, if anything at all is so. John 17.8 They have believed that thou didst sin me. Titus 1.1 According to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. John 16.27 the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 1 John 4 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 5 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is a Christ, is born of God. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath a witness in himself. for the continuation of the religious affections. What a spiritual conviction of the judgment is, we are naturally led to determine from what has been said already under the former head of a spiritual understanding. The conviction of the judgment arises from the illumination of the understanding. The passing of a right judgment on things depends on having a right apprehension or idea of things, and therefore it follows that a spiritual conviction of the truth of the great things of the gospel is such a conviction as arises from having a spiritual view or apprehension of those things in the mind. And this is also evident from the scripture, which often represents that a saving belief of the reality and divinity of the things proposed and exhibited to us in the gospel is from the Spirit of God's enlightening the mind and causing it to have right apprehensions of the nature of those things. And so, as it were, unveiling things, or revealing them, and enabling the mind to view them and see them as they are. Luke 10, 21 and 22. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. John 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. Where it is plain that true faith arises from the spiritual side of Christ, In John 17 6-8 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee, for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. Christ manifesting God's name to the disciples, or giving them a true apprehension and view of divine things, was that whereby they knew that Christ's doctrine was of God. And the Christ himself was of him, and was sent by him. Matthew 16 verses 16 and 17 Simon Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. Galatians 1.14-16 Being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my fathers, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. If it be so that that is a spiritual conviction of the divinity and reality of the things exhibited in the gospel, which arises from a spiritual understanding of them, I have shown already what that is, a sense and taste of the divine, supreme, and holy excellency and beauty of those things. so that then is a mind spiritually convinced of the divinity and truth of the great things of the gospel when that conviction arises either directly or remotely from such a sense or view of their divine excellency and glory as is there exhibited. This clearly follows from things that have already been said. And for this the scripture is very plain and expressed. 2 Corinthians 4 3-6 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds, of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Together with the last verse of the foregoing chapter, which introduces this, But we are with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Nothing can be more evident that a saving belief of the gospel as here spoken of by the Apostle is arising from the mind's being enlightened to behold the divine glory of the things it exhibits. The Religious Affections gracious affections are attended with evangelical humiliation. Evangelical humiliation is a sense that a Christian has of his own utter insufficiency, despicableness, and odiousness, with an answerable frame of heart. There is a distinction to be made between a legal and evangelical humiliation. The former is what men may be the subjects of, while they are yet in the state of nature and have no gracious affections. The latter is peculiar to true saints. The former is from the common influence of the Spirit of God, assisting natural principles, and especially natural conscience. The latter is from the special influences of the Spirit of God, implanting and exercising supernatural and divine principles. the farmer is from the minds being assisted to a greater sense of the things of religion as to their natural properties and qualities, and particularly of the natural perfections of God, such as His greatness and terrible majesty, which were manifested to the congregation of Israel and given the law at Mount Sinai. The latter is from a sense of the transcendent beauty of divine things and their moral qualities. In the former, a sense of the awful greatness and natural perfections of God and of the strictness of His law convinces men that they are exceedingly sinful and guilty and exposed to the wrath of God, as it will convince wicked men and devils of the day of judgment. But they do not see their own odiousness on account of sin. They do not see the hateful nature of sin. A sense of this is given in evangelical humiliation by a discovery of the beauty of God's holiness and moral perfection. In a legal humiliation, men are made sensible that they are little and nothing before the great and terrible God, and that they are undone and holy and sufficient to help themselves, as wicked men will be at the day of judgment. But they have not an answerable frame of heart, consisting in a disposition to abase themselves and exalt God alone. This disposition is given only in evangelical humiliation by overcoming the heart and changing its inclination by a discovery of God's holy beauty. In illegal humiliation, the conscience is convinced as the consciences of all will be most perfectly at the day of judgment. But because there is no spiritual understanding, the will is not bowed, nor the inclination altered. This is done only in evangelical humiliation. In legal humiliation, men are brought to despair of helping themselves. In evangelical, they are brought voluntarily to deny and renounce themselves. In the former, they are subdued and forced to the ground. In the latter, they are brought sweetly to yield and freely, and with delight to prostrate themselves at the feet of God. Legal humiliation has in it no spiritual good, nothing of the nature of true virtue, whereas evangelical humiliation is that wherein the excellent beauty of Christian grace does very much consist. Legal humiliation is useful as a means in order to evangelical, as a common knowledge of the things of religion is a means requisite in order to spiritual knowledge. Men may be legally humbled and have no humility. As a wicked at the day of judgment will be thoroughly convinced that they have no righteousness, but are altogether sinful, exceedingly guilty and justly exposed to eternal damnation, and be fully sensible of their own helplessness without the least mortification of the pride of their own hearts. But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such a humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a disposition of grace. It is a man's mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious, attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory. This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel and everything appertaining to the new covenant, in all God's dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass its effect in the hearts of men. They that are destitute of this have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and how high soever their religious affections may be. Habakkuk 2.4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the judge shall live by his faith. He shall live by his faith on God's righteousness and grace, and not by his own goodness and excellency. But God has abundantly manifested in His Word that this is what He has a peculiar respect to in His saints, and that nothing is acceptable to Him without it. Psalm 34 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and save as such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 51 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 138 6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. Proverbs 3 34 He giveth grace unto the lowly. Isaiah Thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 66 1 and 2 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Micah 6.8 He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Matthew 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18, 3 and 4 Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Mark 10.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. The centurion spoken of in Luke 7 acknowledged that he was not worthy that Christ should enter under his roof, and that he was not worthy to come to him. See the manner of the woman's coming to Christ that was a sinner. Luke 7.37 And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought in alabaster box of ointment. and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head. She did not think the hair of her head, which is the natural crown and glory of a woman, 1 Corinthians 11.15, too good to wipe the feet of Christ withal. Jesus most graciously accepted her and said to her, Thy faith has saved thee. Go in peace. The woman of Canaan submitted to Christ in his saying, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs, And did as it were own that she was worthy to be called a dog. Whereupon Christ said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Matthew 15 26-28 The prodigal said, I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, Father, I ascend against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. Luke 15.18 and so on. See also Luke 18.9. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. The publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Matthew 28 9 and they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him Colossians 3 12 put you on is the elect of God Ezekiel 20.41-42 I will accept you with your sweet favor, when I bring you out from the people, and so on. And there shall you remember your ways and all your doings, wherein you have been defiled, and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evils that you have committed. A new heart also will I give unto you, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame. When I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God, Job 42.6, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. As we would therefore make the Holy Scriptures our rule in judging of the nature of true religion, in judging of our own religious qualifications and state, It concerns us greatly to look at this humiliation as one of the most essential things pertaining to true Christianity. Calvin in his Institute says, quote, I was always exceedingly delighted with that saying of Chrysostom, the foundation of our philosophy is humility, and yet more pleased with that of Augustine, as the orator, when he asked, What is the first precept in eloquence? Answered, delivery. What is the second? Delivery. What is the third? Delivery. So if you ask me concerning the precepts of the Christian religion, I will answer first, second, and third, humility. This is a principal part of the great Christian duty of self-denial. That duty consists in two things. First, in a man's denying his worldly inclinations, and in forsaking and renouncing all worldly objects and enjoyments, and secondly, in denying his natural self-exaltation and renouncing his own dignity and glory, and in being emptied of himself, so that he does freely and from his very heart, as it were, renounce himself and annihilate himself. This decretion does an evangelical humiliation, and this latter is the greatest and most difficult part of self-denial. Although they always go together, and one never truly is where the other is not, yet natural men can come much nearer to the former than the latter. Many anchorites and recluses have abandoned, though without any true mortification, the wealth and pleasures and common enjoyments of righteousness. They never denied themselves for Christ, but only sold one lust to feed another, sold a beastly lust to pamper a devilish one, and so were never the better, but their latter end was worse than their beginning. They turned out one black devil to let in seven white ones that were worse than the first, though of a fairer countenance. Expressable and almost inconceivable how strong a self-righteous, self-exalting disposition is naturally in man, and what he will not do and suffer to feed and gratify it, and what lengths have been gone in the seeming self-denial in other respects by Essenes and Pharisees among the Jews, and by Papists, many sects of heretics and enthusiasts among professing Christians, and by many Mahometans and Pythagorean philosophers and others among the heathen, and all to do sacrifice to this moloch of spiritual pride or self-righteousness, and that they may have something wherein to exalt themselves before God and above their fellow-creatures. That humiliation which has been spoken of is what all the most glorious hypocrites, who make the most splendid show of mortification to the world in high religious affection, do grossly fail in. Were it not that this is so much insisted on in Scripture, as a most essential thing in true grace, one would be tempted to think that many of the heathen philosophers were truly gracious, and him was so bright in appearance of many virtues, and also great illuminations, and inward fervors, and elevations of mind, as though they were truly the subjects of divine elapses and heavenly communications. Theophilus Gale, in his Court of the Gentiles in 1672, writes, albeit the Pythagoreans were thus famous for Judaic mysterious wisdom and many moral as well as natural accomplishments, Yet were they not exempted from boasting and pride, which was indeed a vice most epidemic and, as it were, congenial among all the philosophers, but in a more particular manner among the Pythagoreans, who abounded in the sense and commendation of their own excellencies? Thus indeed does proud nature delight to walk in the sparks of its own fire. And although many of these old philosophers could, by the strength of their own lights and hearts, together with some common elevations of spirit, peradventure, from a more than ordinary, though not special in saving assistance of the spirit, abandon many grosser vices, yet they were all deeply immersed in that miserable cursed abyss of spiritual pride, so that all their natural and moral and philosophic attainments did feed, nourish, strengthen and render most inveterate this hell-bred pest of their hearts. Yea, those of them that seem most modest is the academics who profess they knew nothing. and the cynics, who greatly decried, both in words and habits, the pride of others, yet even they abounded in the most notorious invisible pride. So conatural and morally essential to corrupt nature is this envenomed root, fountain, and plague of spiritual pride, especially where there is any natural moral or philosophic excellence to feed the same. once Augustine rightly judged all these philosophic virtues to be but splendid sins." It is true that many hypocrites make great pretenses to humility as well as other graces, and very often there is nothing whatsoever which they make a higher profession of. They endeavor to make a great show of humility in speech and behavior, but they commonly make bungling work of it, though glorious work in their own eyes. They cannot find out what a humble speech and behavior is, or how to speak and act so that there may indeed be a savor of Christian humility in what they say and do. That sweet, humble air and mien is beyond their art, being not led by the Spirit, or naturally guided to a behavior becoming holy humility by the vigor of a lowly spirit within them. and therefore they have no other way, many of them, but only to be much in declaring that they be humble, and telling how they were humbled to the dust at such and such times, and abounding in very bad expressions which they use about themselves, such as I am the least of all saints. I am a poor, vile creature. I am not worthy of the least mercy, or that God should look upon me. Oh, I have a dreadful, wicked heart. My heart is worse than the devil. Oh, this cursed heart of mine, and so on. Such expressions are very often used, not with a heart that is broken. not with spiritual mourning, not with the tears of her that washed Jesus' feet, not as remembering and being confounded and never opening their mouth more because of their shame when God is pacified, as the expression is, Ezekiel 16.63, but with a light air, with smiles in the countenance, with a Pharisaical affectation. And we must believe that they are thus humble, and see themselves so vile upon the credit of their saying so. For there is nothing that appears in them of any savour of humility in the manner of their deportment and deeds that they do. There are many that are full of expressions of their own vileness, who yet expect to be looked upon as imminent. in bright saints by others, as there do, and it is dangerous for any so much as to hint the contrary, or to carry it towards them any otherwise, and if we looked upon them as some of the chief of Christians. There are many that are much in exclaiming against their wicked hearts and their great shortcomings and unprofitableness, and speaking as though they looked on themselves as the meanest of the saints. Who yet, if a minister should seriously tell them the same things in private, and should signify that he feared they were very low and weak Christians, and thought they had reason solemnly to consider of their great barrenness and unprofitableness, and falling so much short of many others, it would be more than they could digest. They would think themselves highly injured, and there would be a danger of a rooted prejudice in them against such a minister. There are some that are abundant in talking against legal doctrines, legal preaching, and a legal spirit, who do but little understand the things they talk against. A legal spirit is a more subtle thing than they imagine. It is too subtle for them. It lurks and operates and prevails in their hearts, and they are most notoriously guilty of it at the same time as they are unveiling against it. So far as a man is not emptied of himself and of his own righteousness and goodness of whatever form or shape, so far is he of a legal spirit. A spirit of pride, of man's own righteousness, morality, holiness, affection, experience, faith, humiliation, or any goodness whatsoever is a legal spirit. It was no pride in Adam before the fall to be of a legal spirit because of his circumstances. He might seek acceptance by his own righteousness. But a legal spirit in a fallen sinful creature can be nothing else but spiritual pride. And reciprocally, a spiritually proud person has a legal spirit. There is no man living that is lifted up with the conceit of his own experiences and discoveries, and upon the account of them glistens in his own eyes. but what trusts in his own experiences, and makes a righteousness of them. However, he may use humble terms, and speak of his experiences as of the great things God has done for him, and it may be calls upon others to glorify God for them. Yet he that is proud of his experiences arrogates something to himself, as though his experiences were some dignity of his. And if he looks on them as his own dignity, he necessarily thinks that God looks on them so too, for he necessarily thinks his own opinion of them to be true, and consequently judges that God looks on them as he does, and so unavoidably imagines that God looks on his experiences as a dignity in him, as he looks on them himself, and that he glistens as much in God's eyes as he does in his own. and thus he trusts in what is inherent in him to make him shine in God's sight and recommend him to God and with this encouragement he goes before God in prayer and this makes him expect much from God and this makes him think that Christ loves him and that he is willing to clothe him with his righteousness because he supposes that he is taken with his experiences and grace and this is a high degree of living on his own righteousness and such persons are on the high road to hell. Poor deluded wretches, who think they look so glistering in God's eyes, when there are smoke in His nose, and are many of them more odious to Him than the most impure beast in Sodom that makes no pretense to religion. To do as these do is to live upon experiences according to the true notion of it, and not to do as those who only make use of spiritual experiences as evidence of a state of grace, and in that way receive hope and comfort from them. There is a sort of man who indeed abundantly cry down works and cry of faith, and opposition to works. and set up themselves very much as evangelical persons in opposition to those that are of a legal spirit, and make a fair show of advancing Christ and the gospel in the way of free grace, who are indeed some of the greatest enemies to the gospel way of free grace, and the most dangerous opposers of pure, humble Christianity. There is a pretended great humiliation in being dead to the law and emptied of self, which is one of the biggest and most elated things in the world. Some there are who have made great profession of experience of the thorough work of the law on their hearts, and have been brought fully off from works, whose conversion has savored most of the self-righteous spirit of any that ever I had opportunity to observe. and some who think themselves quite emptied of themselves, and are confident that they are abased in the dust. are full as they can hold with the glory of their own humility, and lifted up to heaven with a high opinion of their own abasement. Their humility is a swelling, self-conceited, confident, showy, noisy, assuming humility. It seems to be the nature of spiritual pride to make men conceited and ostentatious of their humility. This appears in that firstborn of pride among the children of men that would be called His Holiness. Even the man of sin that exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped, he styles himself servant of servants, and to make a show of humility washes the feet of a number of poor men at his inauguration. For persons to be truly emptied of themselves and to be poor in spirit and broken in heart is quite another thing, and has other effects than many imagined. It is astonishing how greatly many are deceived about themselves as to this matter, imagining themselves most humble when they are most proud, and their behavior is really the most haughty. The deceitfulness of the heart of man appears in no one thing so much as this of spiritual pride and self-righteousness. The subtlety of Satan appears in his height, in his managing of persons with respect to this sin. And perhaps one reason may be that here he has most experience. He knows a way of its coming in. He is acquainted with the secret springs of it. It was his own sin. Experience gives vast advantage in leading souls, either in good or evil. But though spiritual pride be so subtle and secret and iniquity, and commonly appears under a pretext of great humility, yet there are two things by which it may, perhaps universally and surely, be discovered and distinguished. The first thing is this. He that is under the prevalence of this distemper is apt to think highly of his attainments in religion as comparing himself with others. It is natural for him to fall into that thought of himself, that he is an eminent saint, that he is very high amongst the saints, and has distinguishingly good and great experiences. That is the secret language of his heart. Luke 18.11 God, I thank thee that I am not as other men. And Isaiah 65.5 I am holier than thou. Hence such are apt to put themselves forward among God's people, and, as it were, to take a high seat among them, as if there was no doubt of it, but it belonged to them. They, as it were, naturally take the highest room, which Christ condemns, Luke 14 7. This they do by being forward to take upon them the place and business of the chief, to guide, teach, direct, and manage. They are confident that they are guides of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes. It is natural for them to take it for granted that it belongs to them to do the part of dictators and masters and matchers of religion. And so they implicitly affect to be called, of men, rabbi, which is by interpretation master, as the Pharisees did in Matthew 23, 6 and 7, i.e., they are yet apt to expect that others should regard them and yield to them as masters in matters of religion. Thomas Shepherd says, There be two things wherein it appears that a man has only common and no inward principle. 1. These gifts ever puff up and make a man something in his own eyes, as the Corinthian knowledge did, and many a private man thinks himself fit to be a minister." Shepherd's Parable of the Ten Virgins, p. 287. But he whose heart is under the power of Christian humility is of a contrary disposition. If the Scriptures are at all to be relied on, such an one is apt to think his attainments in religion to be comparatively mean, and to esteem himself low among the saints, and one of the least of them. There are some persons that naturally think highly of their experiences, and they do often themselves speak of their experiences as very great and extraordinary. They freely speak of the great things they have met with. This may be spoken and meant in a good sense. In one sense, every degree of saving mercy is a great thing. It is indeed a thing great, yea, infinitely great, for God to bestow the least crumb of children's bread on such dogs as we ourselves are. And the more humble a person is that hopes that God has bestowed such mercy on him, the more apt will he be to call it a great thing that he has met with in this sense. But if by great things which they have experienced they mean comparatively great spiritual experiences, or great compared with other experiences, or beyond what is ordinary, which is evidently oftentimes the case, Then for a person to say, I have met with great things, is the very same thing as to say, I am an imminent saint, and have more grace than ordinary. For to have great experiences, if the experiences be true and worth the telling of, is the same thing as to have great grace. There is no true experience but the exercise of grace. and exactly according to the degree of true experience is the degree of grace and holiness. The persons that talk thus about their experiences, when they give an account of them, expect that others should admire them. Indeed, they do not call it boasting to talk after this manner about their experiences, Nor do they look upon it as any sign of pride, because they say, they know it was not they that did it, it was free grace. They are things that God has done for them. They would acknowledge the great mercy God has shown them, and not make light of it. But so it was with the Pharisees that Christ tells us of. Luke 18. He in words gave God the glory of making him to differ from other men. God, I thank thee, says he, that I am not as other men. Calvin in his Institute says, speaking of this Pharisee, in his public confession, he acknowledges that the righteousness that he has is a gift of God. But because he trusts that he is righteous, he goes away out of the presence of God unaccepted and odious." Their verbally ascribing it to the grace of God that they are holier than other saints does not hinder their forwardness to think so highly of their holiness as a sure evidence of the pride and vanity of their minds. If they were under the influence of a humble spirit, their attainments in religion would not be so apt to shine in their own eyes, nor would they so much admire their own beauty. The Christians that are really the most eminent saints, and therefore have the most excellent experiences, and are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, humble themselves as a little child. Matthew 18, 4, because they look on themselves as but little children in grace, and their attainments to be but the attainments of babes in Christ, and are astonished at, and ashamed of the low degrees of their love, and their thankfulness, and their little knowledge of God. Moses, when he had been conversant with God in the mount, and his face shone so bright in the eyes of others as to dazzle their eyes, wist not that his face shone. There are some persons that go by the name of high professors, and some alone themselves to be high professors, but imminently humble saints that will shine brightest in heaven are not at all to profess high. I do not believe there is an imminent saint in the world that is a high professor. Such will be much more likely to profess themselves to be least of all saints, and to think that every saint's attainments and experiences are higher than his. Luther, as his words are cited by Rutherford in his Display of the Spiritual Antichrist, says thus, quote, So is the life of a Christian that he that has begun seems to himself to have nothing, but stries and presses forward that he might apprehend. Whence Paul says, I count not myself to have apprehended, for indeed nothing is more pernicious to a believer than that presumption that he has already apprehended and has no further need of seeking. Hence also many fall back, and pine away in spiritual security and slothfulness. So Bernard says, to stand still in God's way is to go back. Wherefore this remains to him that has begun to be a Christian, to think that he is not yet a Christian, but to seek that he may be a Christian, that he may glory with Paul. I am not, but I desire to be. A Christian not yet finished, but only in his beginnings. Therefore he is not a Christian that is a Christian, that is, he that thinks himself a finished Christian, and is not sensible how he falls short. We reach after heaven, but we are not in heaven, or to him that is wholly renewed, that is, that thinks himself to be so. That man, without doubt, has never so much as begun to be renewed, nor did he ever taste what it is to be a Christian." Such is the nature of grace and of truth, sir, to lie that they naturally dispose of saints in the present state to look upon their grace and goodness little, and their deformity great. And they that have the most grace and spiritual light of any in this world have most of this disposition, as will appear most clear and evident to any one that soberly and thoroughly weighs the nature and reason of things, and considers the things following. That grace and holiness is worthy to be called little, that is little in comparison of what it ought to be. And little it seems to one that is truly gracious. For such an one has his eye upon the rule of his duty, and conformity to that is what he aims at. It is what his soul struggles and reaches after, and it is by that that he estimates and judges of what he does and what he has. to a gracious soul, and especially to one imminently gracious, that holiness appears little, which is little of what it should be, little of what he sees infinite reason for and obligation to. If his holiness appears to him to be at a vast distance from this, it naturally appears despicable in his eyes, and not worthy to be mentioned as any beauty or amiableness in him. for the like reason, as a hungry man naturally accounts that which is set before him but a little food, a small matter not worth mentioning, that is nothing in comparison of his appetite. Or as a child of a great prince, that is jealous for the honor of his father, and beholds the respect which men show him, naturally looks on that honor and respect very little and not worthy to be regarded. which is nothing in comparison to that which the dignity of his father requires. But that is the nature of true grace in spiritual life, that it opens to a person's view the infinite reason there is that he should be holy in a high degree. And the more grace he has, and the more this is open to view, the greater sense he has of the infinite excellency and glory of the divine being. and of the infinite dignity of the person of Christ, and the boundless length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ to sinners. Please go to cassette 7 at this time.