to God's

From all then that hath been mentioned concerning this promife, and these words of Chrift, it will follow, that Chriftians are always to be led inwardly A perpetual and immediately by the Spirit of God dwelling in ordinance them, and that the fame is a ftanding and perpetual church and ordinance, as well to the church in general in all people. ages, as to every individual member in particular, as appears from this argument:

The promises of Chrift to his children are Yea and Amen, and cannot fail, but muft of neceffity be fulfilled.

But Chrift hath promifed, that the Comforter, the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of truth, fhall abide with his children for ever, fhall dwell with them, fhall be in them, fhall lead them into all truth, shall teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance:

Therefore the Comforter, the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of truth, his abiding with his children, &c.' is Yea and Amen, &c.

Again: No man is redeemed from the carnal mind, which is at enmity with God, which is not fubject to the law of God, neither can be: no man is yet in the Spirit, but in the flesh, and cannot please God, except he in whom the Spirit of God dwells..

But every true Chriftian is in measure redeemed from the carnal mind, is gathered out of the enmity, and can be fubject to the law of God; is out of the flesh, and in the Spirit, the Spirit of God dwelling in him.

Therefore every true Christian hath the Spirit of God dwelling in him.

Again: Whosoever bath not the Spirit of Chrift, is none of his; that is, no child, no friend, no difciple of Chrift.

But every true Chriftian is a child, a friend, a difciple of Chrift :

Therefore every true Christian hath the Spirit of Christ.

More

Object.

Anfw.

Arg. I.

Moreover: Whofoever is the temple of the Holy Ghoft, in him the Spirit of God dwelleth and abideth.

But every true Chriftian is the temple of the Holy Ghost:

Therefore in every true Chriftian the Spirit of God dwelleth and abideth.

But to conclude: He in whom the Spirit of God dwelleth, it is not in him a lazy, dumb, useless thing; but it moveth, actuateth, governeth, inftructeth, and teacheth him all things whatfoever are needful for him to know; yea, bringeth all things to his remembrance.

But the Spirit of God dwelleth in every true Chriftian:

Therefore the Spirit of God leadeth, inftructeth, and teacheth every true Chriftian whatsoever is needful for him to know.

§. XI. But there are fome that will confefs, That the Spirit doth now lead and influence the faints, but that he doth it only fubjectively, or in a blind manner, by enlightening their understandings, to understand and believe the truth delivered in the fcriptures; but not at all by prefenting those truths to the mind by way of object, and this they call Medium incognitum affentiendi, as that of whofe working a man is not fenfible.

This opinion, though fomewhat more tolerable than the former, is nevertheless not altogether according to truth, neither doth it reach the fulness of it.

I. Because there be many truths, which, as they are applicable to particulars and individuals, and moft needful to be known by them, are in no-wife to be found in the fcripture, as in the following propofition fhall be shewn.

Befides, the arguments already adduced do prove that the Spirit doth not only fubjectively help us to discern truths elsewhere delivered, but also objec

tively prefent thofe truths to our minds. For that which teacheth me all things, and is given me for that end, without doubt prefents thofe things to my mind which it teacheth me. It is not faid, It fball teach you how to understand those things that are written; but, It shall teach you all things. Again, That which brings all things to my remembrance, must needs present them by way of object; else it were improper to fay, It brought them to my remembrance; but only, that it helpeth to remember the objects brought from elsewhere.

My fecond argument fhall be drawn from the Arg. 2. nature of the new covenant; by which, and those that follow, I fhall prove that we are led by the Spirit both immediately and objectively. The nature of the new covenant is expreffed in divers, places; and

First, Ifa. lix. 21. As for me, this is my covenant Proof 1. with them, faith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. By the The leadlatter part of this is fufficiently expreffed the per- Spirit. petuity and continuance of this promife, It fhall not depart, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. In the former part is the promise itself, which is the Spirit of God being upon them, and the words of God being put into their mouths.

ings of the

Firft, This was immediate, for there is no men- 1. Immedi tion made of any medium; he faith not, I fhall by ately. the means of fuch and fuch writings or books, convey fuch and fuch words into your mouths; but My words, I, even I, faith the Lord, have put into your mouths.

Secondly, This must be objectively; for [the words 2. Objecput into the mouth] are the object prefented by him. tively. He faith not, The words which ye fhall fee written, my Spirit shall only enlighten your understandings

to

Proof 2.

The diffe

rence be

to affent unto; but pofitively, My words, which I have put into thy mouth, &c. From whence I argue thus:

Upon whomfoever the Spirit remaineth always, and putteth words into his mouth, him doth the Spirit teach immediately, objectively, and continually.

But the Spirit is always upon the feed of the righteous, and putteth words into their mouths, neither departeth from them.

Therefore the Spirit teacheth the righteous immediately, objectively, and continually.

Secondly, The nature of the new covenant is yet more amply expreffed. Jer. xxxi. 33. which is again repeated and re-afferted by the apoftle, Heb. viii. 10, 11. in these words, For this is the covenant that I will make with the houfe of Ifrael; after thofe days, faith the Lord, I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they fhall be to me a people. And they fall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man bis brother, faying, Know the Lord; for they fhall all know me, from the leaft to the greatest.

The object here is God's law placed in the heart, and written in the mind; from whence they become God's people, and are brought truly to know him.

In this then is the law diftinguished from the tween the gospel; the law before was outward, written in outward and tables of stone, but now is inward, written in the inward law. heart: of old the people depended upon their priests

for the knowledge of God, but now they have all a certain and fenfible knowledge of Him; concerning which Auguftine fpeaketh well, in his book De Litera & Spiritu; from whom Aquinas first of all feems to have taken occafion to move this question, Whether the new law be a written law, or an implanted law? Lex fcripta, vel lex indita? Which he thus refolves, affirming, That the new law, or gofpel, is not properly a law written, as the old was, but

Lex indita, an implanted law; and that the old law was written without, but the new law is written within, on the table of the heart.

How much then are they deceived, who, inftead of making the gofpel preferable to the law, have made the condition of fuch as are under the gospel far worse? For no doubt it is a far better and The gofpel difpenfation more defirable thing to converfe with God imme- more glodiately, than only mediately, as being an higher and rious than more glorious difpenfation: and yet thefe men law. acknowledge that many under the law had immediate converfe with God, whereas they now cry it is ceafed.

Again: Under the law there was the holy of holies, into which the high priest did enter, and received the word of the Lord immediately from betwixt the cherubims, fo that the people could then certainly know the mind of the Lord; but now, according to these men's judgment, we are in a far worfe condition, having nothing but the outward letter of the fcripture to guefs and divine from; concerning the fenfe or meaning of one verfe of which scarce two can be found to agree. But Jefus Chrift hath promised us better things, though many are fo unwife as not to believe him, even to guide us by his own unerring Spirit, and hath rent and removed the veil, whereby not only one, and that once a year, may enter; but all of us, at all times, have accefs unto him, as often as we draw near unto him with pure hearts: he reveals his will to us by his Spirit, and writes his laws in our hearts. These things then being thus premifed, I argue,

Where the law of God is put into the mind, and written in the heart, there the object of faith, and revelation of the knowledge of God, is inward, immediate, and objective.

But the law of God is put into the mind, and written in the heart of every true Chriftian, under the new covenant.

that of the