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Well then, canst thou not readily suppose, others may have as full assurance of things that thou art ignorant of? Or wilt thou, because thou knowest a little, restrain wisdom to thyself? Believest thou not, that the world by wisdom knows not God? Hast thou not read of Christ's manifesting himself unto his followers, in a degree that he would not manifest himself unto the world? He surely does so in our day, and thou hast no better grounds to gainsay it, than the Indian had to deny the revolution of the earth. Thy modicum of learning and know edge, no more constitutes thee a competent judge in divine things, than the Indian's notions and reasonings could make him a philosopher or astronomer. Thy wisdom is tl at very thing that God determines to hide divine things from, though he reveals them unto babes. Indeed, in regard to many natural truths, it is not only what is commonly deemed ignorance and rusticity, that opposes and has opposed them; the wise and learned have made the most objections of any, to certain truths, unquestionably ascertained. What a noise did the great wisdom, and learning, and religion of this world make, against the doctrine of the antipodes, on the first discovery thereof! Was it not considered to be an unphilosophical and even heretical notion? Did not learning and reason, (so esteemed,) level against it, and against the sagacity that discovered it, all their weapons? Did not professed zeal for the glory of God and honour of religion, exclaim against it, with all the eloquence of bigotry and superstition? And might not many other instances be adduced, wherein great learning and capacious natural endowments have conspired together, in rejection of, and the most zealous opposition to, some of the most ingenious discoveries, which the most enlightened sons of science have ever made, in natural philosophy, in astronomy, hydraulics, anatomy, medicine, &c. &c.

Hence, if it be possible, let the wisdom of this world learn not to vaunt; let philosophy acknowledge her proper limitations; let all human penetration perceive, and with due humiliation on all occasions allow, that all rational ability is finite. Man is a very short-sighted being; the tree of knowledge seems to be his delight, and yet in the midst of exultation, and when ⚫ he just begins to imagine he has almost explored the secret VOL. II.-38

spring of nature, and found out her most hidden properties, motions, and causes, he is, in many respects, still wrapt. in ignorance and error, still involved in deception and uncertainty; still blunders on, though with ever so great confidence and assurance, through a labyrinth of perplexity and confusion. Some few truths, and perhaps very few, he is indeed at length enabled to investigate, and to settle with tolerable clearness and precision. But, alas! how many more escape his observation and elude his utmost exertion, his deepest penetration! How then shall this frail child of the dust, by all the exercises of such contracted and fallible abilities, attain to the knowledge of God, or acquaint himself with the infinite Jehovah? Indeed he can never, by thus searching, find him out, or by all his reasonings unveil, or approach his presence; and yet our happiness depends upon knowing him. "Acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace." Job xxii. 21. Oh! this is the proper work, the true wisdom and dignity of.man! But this is only attained to in silence and inward attention. Hence he himself, who knows how he must be revealed to us, in great condescension points out the way; and, with all the goodness and authority of heaven, invites and enjoins our observance of it, saying, “Be still, and know that I am God." Psalms xlvi. 10. He well knows this is the way for us to hear distinctly, so as to understand and improve, by the still small voice, wherein and whereby in the shinings of his own light, he reveals himself to the attentive soul. And as he knows this is the way whereby he is known unto, and so exalted in man, he immediately adds to the foregoing injunction of stillness, the following promissory and glorious assertion: "I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Indeed hereby it is, that his exaltation comes to be effected in us. For coming, through this stillness to know that he is God, there is such infinite goodness, purity, and perfection thereby discovered in him, that all that is creaturely bows before him, and he is exalted over all. But those who will be forming images of him, in their own ideas, and falling down in adoration before an image of their own fabricating, the work of their own hands, are by him in just judgment left to the chambers of their own imagery; and his

exaltation over all in them, as to a sensible experience in life, power, and government in their souls, is thereby prevented; for "he will not give his glory to another, nor his praise to graven images," however refined, embellished, or specious in speculation, the image thus formed may be.

An image has no life. And what passes current, among many Christian professors, for the knowledge of God, being but an image formed in the mind, by the willings, runnings, and conceivings of the creature, in the exercise of that wisdom which knows him not, which cannot know him, and which has, in all ages, been toiling in vain, hewing out cisterns, and forming creeds and conclusions respecting him, which have darkened counsel with words, thoughts, and reasonings, without knowledge therefore, it is, that what thus passes for the knowledge of God, has no life in it.

Oh! the absurd conclusions and assertions, which this wisdom has, with great confidence, through ages, been endeavouring to establish as truth,-in particular respecting God! Hence what massacres, what rivers of blood have flowed, because conscience was too much alive and awake in thousands, to allow them to subscribe to opinions and systems, which they could not believe; indeed, which could not possibly be true. How has learning, good sense, and even religious sincerity, been shamefully debased in the attempt to reconcile the most glaring inconsistencies, in regard to what is called the trinity, predestination, transubstantiation, and many other abstruse subjects! What shifts and artful evasions; what perversions of scripture, reason, and common sense, have multitudes descended into, who, but for this foolish zeal for establishing and enforcing doctrines and systems without a foundation, or none but a sandy one, might have shined had they attended to the light that makes manifest, as stars in their day and generation!

All this toil, labour, and imagery is the direct opposite to that stillness, wherein God is known and exalted over all in man. And as sure as the true stillness leads to this real knowledge and exaltation, the opposite, willing and running, framing systems, and hewing out cisterns, in the dark conceivings of man, will lead to, and land in confusion, contradiction, and idolatry.

Cease, therefore, thou who desirest the knowledge of God, and of his will concerning thee, from all expectation of attaining it, but by the revelation of his spirit that is in thee-by the openings of his divine light. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. iv. 6. This is the only possible way of knowing him, or his glory, or knowing thy duty to him; and it is clear by this passage, that he really does cause his light to shine in the hearts of those who have not received this knowledge, for this shining is here expressly declared to be, in order "to give the light of the knowledge."

There is this light shining in the hearts of thousands, “as in a dark place," " and the darkness comprehendeth it not." John i. 5. It shineth in order to make manifest, and if attended to, will more and more reveal the will of God, and give the knowledge of his glory; and when this is obtained it affords a very great increase of light; hence it is called "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God." This knowledge of God and increase of light, could not have been attained, had not God first shined, by his light, in our otherwise dark hearts.

It is preposterous to suppose the light is the privilege of believers only; for none could ever have been believers, had not the light first shined to give knowledge, as the text plainly showeth. Hence the propriety of our saviour's injunction, "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." John xii. 36. He knew there was no other way for them to become children of the light. He did not tell them, ye are the children of light and therefore you have the light, but pressed it upon them, who were not yet children of it, for their own souls' sakes, to believe in the light, which they had previous to their being children of it, in order that they might become such.

Can any thing more plainly evince that it is the light which shines in the hearts of the wicked, and that only, which can give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, and make them children of the light, than these two passages?

I am not able to conceive how any that believe the scriptures

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can reasonably gainsay it, or pretend they have this knowledge, whilst they professedly reject that light which shines for the purpose of giving it to mankind. Could man attain it any other way, he were more excusable in neglecting the light; but seeing nothing else "can make manifest ;" seeing these things are only spiritually discerned;" seeing "the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God," 1 Cor. ii. 11; seeing" he revealeth them unto us by his spirit," as that only which can search. them; it is a matter of indispensable necessity to all that would truly know God and their own duty to him, to take heed unto this light thus shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in their hearts." 2 Peter i. 19. Nothing else can assure them of the truth of Christianity, give them a certain evidence that they rightly understand the scriptures, or that what they are doing, as duty to God, is pleasing in his sight or not. What certainty is there in visions, voices, or even miracles, without the sanction and evidence of divine light upon the soul, seeing, whatever makes any thing manifest is and must be light?

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Did the Jews know Christ? Did they not pronounce him a blasphemer and mad? Did they not say he had a devil, and cast out devils by Beelzebub? See of how little avail is the marvellous display of divine power, even in the working of miracles, towards the conviction of those "who rebel against the light;" and how can it be otherwise, since nothing else can manifest the difference between divine power and the power of darkness?

Rebelling against the light, "they know not the ways thereof." Job xxiv. 13. How then can they judge whether a miracle be according to its "ways," or not? How could Pharaoh and the Egyptians, by any natural ideas, or by mere human understanding, know whether the signs and wonders wrought among them, through the power and by direction of the Almighty, were really any more than the effects of magic art? It is true, Moses and Aaron did some things which the magicians could not do. But as they had done much, in imitation of what divine power effected, it was natural to suppose, that after a little more trial and experience, they would be able to equal all that the servants of God

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