world is in darkness. "Darkness covers the earth, and "thick darknefs the people," Ifa. Ix. 2. It is the kingdom of Satan filled with darkness and confufion. Superftition, idolatry, lying vanities, wherein men know not at all what they do, nor whither they go, fill the whole world; even as it is at this day. And the minds of men are naturally in darkness; there is a blindness upon them that they cannot fee nor difcern fpiritual things, no not when they are externally propofed unto them, as I have at large evinced elsewhere. And no man can give a greater evidence that it is fo, than he who denies it fo to be. With respect unto both thefe kinds of darknefs the Scripture is a light, and accompanied with a spiritual illuminating efficacy, thereby evidencing itself to be a divine revelation. For what but divine truth could recall the minds of men from all their wanderings in error, fuperftition, and other effects of darkness, which of themselves they love more than truth? All things being filled with vanity, error, confusion, mifapprehenfions about God and ourselves, our duty and end, our mifery and bleffedness; the Scripture, where it is communicated by the providence of God, comes in as a light in a dark place, difcovering all things clearly and fteadily, that concern either God or ourselves, our prefent or future condition; caufing all the ghosts, and false images of things which men had framed and fancied unto themselves in the dark, to vanish and disappear. Digitus Dei! there is none other but the power of God. denceth this its divine efficacy, by light, which it conveys into and implants on the minds of believers. Hence there is none of them who have gained any experience by the obfervation of God's dealings with them, but fhall, although they know not the ways and methods of the Spirit's operations by the word, yea can say with the man unto whom the Lord Jefus reftored his fight, "One thing I know, that whereas I was born blind, now "I fee." This power of the word, as the inftrument of the fpirit of God for the communication of faving light

But principally it evithat fpiritual saving

and knowledge unto the minds of men,the apostle declares, 2 Cor. iii. 18. chap. iv. 4, 6. By the efficacy of this power doth he evidence the Scripture to be the word of God. Those who believe, find by it a glorious fupernatural light introduced into their minds, whereby they who before faw nothing in a distinct affecting manner in fpirituals, do now clearly discern the truth, the glory, the beauty, and excellency of heavenly myfteries, and have their minds tranfformed into their image and likeness. And there is no perfon who hath the witnefs in himself of the kindling of this heavenly light in his mind by the Word, but hath also the evidence in himself of its divine original.

3. It doth in like manner evidence its divine authority by the awe which it puts on the minds of the generality of mankind unto whom it is made known, that they dare not abfolutely reject it. Multitudes there are unto whom the word is declared, who hate all its precepts, defpife all its promises, abhor all its threatnings, like nothing, approve of nothing of what it declares or proposes, and yet dare not abfolutely refufe or reject it. They deal with it as they do with God himself, whom they hate alfo, according to the revelation which he hath made of himself in his word. They wish he were not, fometimes they hope he is not, would be glad to be free of his rule, but yet dåre not, cannot abfolutely deny and difown, him, because of that teftimony for himself, which he keeps alive in them whether they will or no. The fame is the frame of their hearts and minds towards the Scripture, and that for no other reafon but becaufe it is the word of God, and manifefteth itself fo to be. They hate it, wif it were not, hope it is not true, but are not by any means able to shake off a difquiet in the sense of its divine authority. This testimony it hath fixed in the hearts of multitudes of its enenemies; Pfal. xlv. 5.

4.

It evidences its divine power in adminiftering ftrong confolations in the deepeft and most unrelievable diftreffes. Some fuch there are, and fuch many men fall into, wherein

S

all means and hopes of relief may be utterly removed and taken away. So is it when the miferies of men are not known unto any that will fo much as pity them, or with them relief; or if they have been known, and there hath been an eye to pity them, yet there hath been no hand to help them. Such hath been the condition of innumerable fouls, as on other accounts, fo in particular under the power of perfecutors; when they have been fhut up in filthy and nafty dungeons, not to be brought out but unto death by the most exquifite tortures that the malice of heil could invent, or the bloody cruelty of man inflict. Yet in these and the like diftreffes doth the word of God, by its divine power and efficacy, break through all interpofing difficulties, all dark and difcouraging circumftances, supporting, refreshing, and comforting fuch poor diftreffed fufferers, yea commonly filling them under overwhelming calamities" with joy unfpeakable and full of glory." Though they are in bonds, yet is the word of God not bound; neither can all the power of hell, nor all the diligence or fury of men keep out the word from entering into prifons, dungeons, flames, and to adminifter strong confolations agaiaft all fears, pains, wants, dangers, deaths, or whatever we may in this mortal life be expofed unto. And fundry other inftances of the like nature might be pleaded, wherein the word gives evident demonitrations unto the minds and confciences of men of its own divine power and authority; which is the fecond way whereby the Holy Ghost its author gives teftimony unto its original.

But it is not merely the grounds and reasons whereon we believe the Scripture to be the word of God, which we defigned to declare. The whole work of the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe them fo to be was propofed unto confideration. And beyond what we have infifted on, there is yet a further peculiar work of his, whereby he effectually afcertains our minds of the Scriptures being the word of God, whereby we are ultimately established in the faith

thereof. And I cannot but both admire and bewail that this fhould be denied by any that would be esteemed Chriftians. Wherefore if there be any neceflity thereof, I fhall take occasion, in the fecond part of this difcourfe, further to confirm this part of the truth thus far debated, namely, That God by his Holy Spirit doth fecretly and effectually perfuade and fatisfy the minds and fouls of believers in the divine truth and authority of the Scriptures, whereby he infallibly fecures their faith against all objections and temptations whatfoever; fo that they can fafely and comfortably difpofe of their fouls in all their concernments, with respect unto this life and eternity, according unto the undeceivable truth and guidance of it. But I fhall no further infift on thefe things at prefent.

CHAP. VII.

References from the whole.-Some objections answered.

THREE things do offer themselves unto confideration

from what hath been difcourfed.

1. What is the ground and reason why the meaneft and moft unlearned fort of believers do affent unto this truth, that the Scriptures are the word of God, with no lefs firmnefs, certainty, and affurance of mind, than do the wifeft and most learned of them. Yea oft times the faith of the former fort herein is of the best growth, and firmest confiftency against oppofitions and temptations. Now no affent of the mind can be accompanied with any more affurance than the evidence whofe effect it is, and which it is refolved into, will afford. Nor doth any evidence of truth beget an affent unto it in the mind, but as it is apprehended and understood. Wherefore the evidence of this truth, wherein foever it confifts, muft be that which is perceived, apprehended and understood, by the meaneft

and most unlearned fort of true believers.

For, as was faid, they do no lefs firmly affent and adhere unto it, than the wifeft and most learned of them. It cannot therefore confist in such fubtil and learned arguments, whofe sense they cannot understand or comprehend. But the things we have pleaded are of another nature. For thofe characters of divine wisdom, goodness, holiness, grace, and fɔvereign authority, which are implanted on the Scripture by the Holy Ghost, are as legible unto the faith of the mean ́eft, as of the most learned believer. And they also are no lefs capable of an experimental understanding of the divine power and efficacy of the Scriptures, in all its spiritual operations, than those who are more wife and fkilful in difcerning the force of external arguments and motives of credibility. It must therefore of neceffity be granted, that the formal reason of faith confists in those things, whereof the evidence is equally obvious unto all forts of believers.

2. Whence it is that the affent of faith, whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the word of God, is ufually affirmed to be accompanied with more affurance than any affent which is the effect of fcience upon the most demonftrative principles. They who affirm this, do not confider faith as it is in this or that individual perfon, or in all that do fincerely believe; but in its own nature and effence, and what it is meet and able to produce. And the schoolmen do diftinguish between a certainty or an affurance of evidence, and an affurance of adherence. In the latter they fay the certainty of faith exceeds that of fcience; but it is lefs in respect of the former. But it is not easily to be conceived how the certainty of adherence should exceed the certainty of evidence, with refpect unto any object whatsoever. That which feems to render a difference in this cafe is, that the evidence which we have in things fcientifical is fpeculative, and affects the mind only; but the evidence which we have by faith effectually worketh on the will alfo, because of the goodnefs and excellency of the things that are believed.