RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
IV. Gracious
affections do arise from the mind's being enlightened, richly and spiritually
to understand or apprehend divine things.
Holy affections are not heat without light; but
evermore arise from the information of the understanding, some spiritual
instruction that the mind receives, some light or actual knowledge. The child
of God is graciously affected, because he sees and understands something more
of divine things than he did before, more of God or Christ, and of the
glorious things exhibited in the gospel; he has some clearer and better view
than he had before, when he was not affected: either he receives some
understanding of divine things that is new to him; or has his former knowledge
renewed after the view was decayed: 1 John 4:7, "Everyone that loveth,
knoweth God." Phil. 1:9, "I pray that your love may abound more and
more in knowledge, and in all judgment." Rom. 10:2, "They have a
zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." Col. 3:10, "The new
man, which is renewed in knowledge." Psalm 43:3, 4, "O send out thy
light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy
hill." John 6:45, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be
all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the
Father, cometh unto me." Knowledge is the key that first opens the hard
heart, and enlarges the affections, and so opens the way for men into the
kingdom of heaven; Luke
11:52
, "Ye have taken away the key of
knowledge."
Now there are
many affections which do not arise from any light in the understanding. And
when it is thus, it is a sure evidence that these affections are not
spiritual, let them be ever so high.[52]
Indeed they have some new apprehensions which they had not before. Such is the
nature of man, that it is impossible his mind should be affected, unless it be
by something that he apprehends, or that his mind conceives of. But in many
persons those apprehensions or conceptions that they have, wherewith they are
affected, have nothing of the nature of knowledge or instruction in them. As
for instance, when a person is affected with a lively idea, suddenly excited
in his mind, of some shape or very beautiful pleasant form of countenance, or
some shining light, or other glorious outward appearance: here is something
apprehended or conceived by the mind; but there is nothing of the nature of
instruction in it; persons become never the wiser by such things, or more
knowing about God, or a Mediator between God and man, or the way of salvation
by Christ, or anything contained in any of the doctrines of the gospel.
Persons by these external ideas have no further acquaintance with God, as to
any of the attributes or perfections of his nature; nor have they any further
understanding of his word, or any of his ways or works. Truly spiritual and
gracious affections are not raised after this manner; these arise from the
enlightening of the understanding to understand the things that are taught of
God and Christ, in a new manner, the coming to a new understanding of the
excellent nature of God, and his wonderful perfections, some new view of
Christ in his spiritual excellencies and fullness, or things opened to him in
a new manner, that appertain to the way of salvation by Christ, whereby he now
sees how it is, and understands those divine and spiritual doctrines which
once were foolishness to him. Such enlightenings of the understanding as
these, are things entirely different in their nature from strong ideas of
shapes and colours, and outward brightness and glory, or sounds and voices.
That all gracious affections do arise from some instruction or enlightening of
the understanding, is therefore a further proof, that affections which arise
from such impression on the imagination, are not gracious affections, besides
the things observed before, which make this evident.
Hence also it
appears, that affections arising from texts of Scripture coming to the mind:
are vain, when no instruction received in the understanding from those texts,
or anything taught in those texts, is the ground of the affection, but the
manner of their coming to the mind. When Christ makes the Scripture a means of
the heart's burning with gracious affection, it is by opening the Scriptures
to their understandings; Luke 24:32, "Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the
Scriptures?" It appears also that the affection which is occasioned by
the coming of a text of Scripture must be vain, when the affection is founded
on some thing that is supposed to be taught by it, which really is not
contained in it nor in any other Scripture; because such supposed instruction
is not real instruction, but a mistake and misapprehension of the mind. As for
instance, when persons suppose that they are expressly taught by some
Scripture coming to their minds, that they in particular are beloved of God,
or that their sins are forgiven, that God is their Father, and the like, this
is a mistake or misapprehension; for the Scripture nowhere reveals the
individual persons who are be loved, expressly; but only by consequence, by
revealing the qualifications of persons that are beloved of God: and therefore
this matter is not to be learned from Scripture any other way than by
consequence, and from these qualifications; for things are not to be learned
from the Scripture any other way than they are taught in the Scripture.
Affections really
arise from ignorance, rather than instruction, in these instances which have
been mentioned; as likewise in some others that might be mentioned. As some,
when they find themselves free of speech in prayer, they call it God's being
with them; and this affects them more; and so their affections are set agoing
and increased; when they look not into the cause of this freedom of speech,
which may arise many other ways besides God's spiritual presence. So some are
much affected with some apt thoughts that come into their minds about the
Scripture, and call it the Spirit of God teaching them. So they ascribe many
of the workings of their own minds, which they have a high opinion of, and are
pleased and taken with, to the special immediate influences of God's Spirit;
and so are mightily affected with their privilege. And there are some
instances of persons, in whom it seems manifest, that the first ground of
their affection is some bodily sensation. The animal spirits, by some cause
(and probably sometimes by the devil) are suddenly and unaccountably put into
a very agreeable motion, causing persons to feel pleasantly in their bodies;
the animal spirits are put into such a motion as is wont to be connected with
the exhilaration of the mind; and the soul, by the laws of the union of soul
and body, hence feels pleasure. The motion of the animal spirits does not
first arise from any affection or apprehension of the mind whatsoever; but the
very first thing that is felt, is an exhilaration of the animal spirits, and a
pleasant external sensation it may be in their breasts. Hence through
ignorance the person being surprised, begins to think, surely this is the Holy
Ghost coming into him. And then the mind begins to be affected and raised.
There is first great joy; and then many other affections, in a very tumultuous
manner putting all nature, both body and mind, into a mighty ruffle. For
though, as I observed before, it is the soul only that is the seat of the
affections; yet this hinders not but that bodily sensations may, in this
manner, be an occasion of affections in the mind.
And if men's
religious affections do truly arise from some instruction or light in the
understanding; yet the affection is not gracious, unless the light which is
the ground of it be spiritual. Affections may be excited by that understanding
of things, which they obtain merely by human teaching, with the common
improvement of the faculties of the mind. Men may be much affected by
knowledge of things of religion that they obtain this way; as some
philosophers have been mightily affected and almost carried beyond themselves,
by the discoveries they have made in mathematics and natural philosophy. So
men may be much affected from common illuminations of the Spirit of God, in
which God assists men's faculties to a greater degree of that kind of
understanding of religious matters, which they have in some degree, by only
the ordinary exercise and improvement of their own faculties. Such
illuminations may much affect the mind; as in many whom we read of in
Scripture, that were once enlightened; but these affections are not spiritual.
There is such a
thing, if the Scriptures are of any use to teach us anything, as a spiritual,
supernatural understanding of divine things, that is peculiar to the saints,
and which those who are not saints have nothing of. It is certainly a kind of
understanding, apprehending or discerning of divine things, that natural men
have nothing of, which the apostle speaks of, 1 Cor. 2:14: "But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned." It is certainly a kind of seeing or discerning spiritual
things peculiar to the saints, which is spoken of, 1 John 3:6: "Whosoever
sinneth, hath not been him, neither known him." 3 John 11, "He that
doeth evil, hath not seen God." And John 6:40, "This is the will of
him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may
have everlasting life." Chap. 14:19, "The world seeth me no more;
but ye see me." Chap. 17:3, "This is eternal life, that they might
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
Matt. 11:27, "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any
man the Father, but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal
him." John 12:45, "He that seeth me, seeth him that sent me."
Psal. 9:10, "They that know thy name, will put their trust in thee."
Phil. 3:8, "I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:"--ver. 10, "That I may know
him." And innumerable other places there are, all over the Bible, which
show the same. And that there is such a thing as an understanding of divine
things, which in its nature and kind is wholly different from all knowledge
that natural men have, is evident from this, that there is an understanding of
divine things, which the scripture calls spiritual understanding, Col. 1:9:
"We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you may be filled
with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding." It has been already shown, that that which is spiritual,
in the ordinary use of the word in the New Testament, is entirely different in
nature and kind, from all which natural men are, or can be the subjects of.
From hence it may
be surely inferred wherein spiritual understanding consists. For if there be
in the saints a kind of apprehension or perception, which is in its nature
perfectly diverse from all that natural men have, or that it is possible they
should have, until they have a new nature; it must consist in their having a
certain kind of ideas or sensations of mind, which are simply diverse from all
that is or can be in the minds of natural men. And that is the same thing as
to say, that it consists in the sensations of a new spiritual sense, which the
souls of natural men have not; as is evident by what has been before, once and
again observed. But I have already shown what that new spiritual sense is
which the saints have given them in regeneration, and what is the object of
it. I have shown that the immediate object of it is the supreme beauty and
excellency of the nature of divine things, as they are in themselves. And this
is agreeable to the Scripture; the apostle very plainly teaches, that the
great thing discovered by spiritual light, and understood by spiritual
knowledge, is the glory of divine things, 2 Cor. 4:3, 4: "But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world
hath blinded the 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;" together with ver. 6: "For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." And chap.
3:18, preceding: "But we all 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." And it must needs be so, for, as has been
before observed, the Scripture often teaches that all true religion summarily
consists in the love of divine things. And therefore that kind of
understanding or knowledge, which is the proper foundation of true religion,
must be the knowledge of the loveliness of divine things. For doubtless, that
knowledge which is the proper foundation of love, is the knowledge of
loveliness. What that beauty of divine things is, which is the proper and
immediate object of a spiritual sense of mind, was showed under the last head
insisted on, viz., that it is the beauty of their moral perfection. Therefore
it is in the view or sense of this, that spiritual understanding does more
immediately and primarily consist. And indeed it is plain it can be nothing
else; for (as has been shown) there is nothing pertaining to divine things
besides the beauty of their moral excellency, and those properties and
qualities of divine things which this beauty is the foundation of, but what
natural men and devils can see and know, and will know fully and clearly to
all eternity.
From what has
been said, therefore, we come necessarily to this conclusion, concerning that
wherein spiritual understanding consists, viz., that it consists in "a
sense of the heart, of the supreme beauty and sweetness of the holiness or
moral perfection of divine things, together with all that discerning and
knowledge of things of religion, that depends upon, and flows from such a
sense."
Spiritual
understanding consists primarily in a sense of heart of that spiritual beauty.
I say, a sense of heart; for it is not speculation merely that is concerned in
this kind of understanding; nor can there be a clear distinction made between
the two faculties of understanding and will, as acting distinctly and
separately, in this matter. When the mind is sensible of the sweet beauty and
amiableness of a thing, that implies a sensibleness of sweetness and delight
in the presence of the idea of it: and this sensibleness of the amiableness or
delightfulness of beauty, carries in the very nature of it the sense of the
heart; or an effect and impression the soul is the subject of, as a substance
possessed of taste, inclination and will.
There
is a distinction to be made between a mere notional understanding wherein the
mind only beholds things in the exercise of a speculative faculty; and the
sense of the heart, wherein the mind does not only speculate and behold, but
relishes and feels. That sort of knowledge, by which a man has a sensible
perception of amiableness and loathsomeness, or of sweetness and nauseousness,
is not just the same sort of knowledge with that by which he knows what a
triangle is, and what a square is. The one is mere speculative knowledge, the
other sensible knowledge, in which more than the mere intellect is concerned;
the heart is the proper subject of it, or the soul, as a being that not only
beholds, but has inclination, and is pleased or displeased. And yet there is
the nature of instruction in it; as he that has perceived the sweet taste of
honey, knows much more about it, than he who has only looked upon, and felt of
it.
The
apostle seems to make a distinction between mere speculative knowledge of the
things of religion, and spiritual knowledge, in calling that the form of
knowledge, and of the truth in the law, Rom.
2:20
, "Which hast
the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law." The latter is often
represented by relishing, smelling, or tasting 2 Cor. 2:14, "Now thanks
be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ Jesus, and maketh
manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place." Matt. 16:23,
"Thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those things that be
of men." 1 Pet. 2:2, 3, "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk
of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord
is gracious." Cant. 1:3, "Because of the savour of thy good
ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love
thee;" compared with 1 John
2:20
, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One,
and ye know all things."
Spiritual
understanding primarily consists in this sense, of taste of the moral beauty
of divine things; so that no knowledge can be called spiritual, any further
than it arises from this, and has this in it. But secondarily it includes all
that discerning and knowledge of things of religion, which depend upon and
flow from such a sense. When the true beauty and amiableness of the holiness
or true moral good that is in divine things is discovered to the soul, it as
it were opens a new world to its views. This shows the glory of all the
perfections of God, and of everything appertaining to the divine Being. For,
as was observed before, the beauty of all arises from God's moral perfection.
This shows the glory of all God's works, both of creation and providence. For
it is the special glory of them, that God's holiness, righteousness,
faithfulness, and goodness, are so manifested in them; and without these moral
perfections, there would be no glory in that power and skill with which they
are wrought. The glorifying of God's moral perfections, is the special end of
all the works of God's hands. By this sense of the moral beauty of divine
things, is understood the sufficiency of Christ as a mediator; for it is only
by the discovery of the beauty of the moral perfection of Christ, that the
believer is let into the knowledge of the excellency of his person, so as to
know anything more of it than the devils do; and it is only by the knowledge
of the excellency of Christ's person, that any know his sufficiency as a
mediator; for the latter depends upon, and arises from the former. It is by
seeing the excellency of Christ's person, that the saints are made sensible of
the preciousness of his blood, and its sufficiency to atone for sin; for
therein consists the preciousness of Christ's blood, that it is the blood of
so excellent and amiable a person. And on this depends the meritoriousness of
his obedience, and sufficiency and prevalence of his intercession. By this
sight of the moral beauty of divine things, is seen the beauty of the way of
salvation by
Christ;
for that consists in the beauty of the moral perfections of God, which
wonderfully shines forth in every step of this method of salvation, from
beginning to end. By this is seen the fitness and suitableness of this way:
for this wholly consists in its tendency to deliver us from sin and hell, and
to bring us to the happiness which consists in the possession and enjoyment of
moral good, in a way sweetly agreeing with God's moral perfections. And in the
way's being contrived so as to attain these ends, consists the excellent
wisdom of that way. By this is seen the excellency of the word of God. Take
away all the moral beauty and sweetness in the word, and the Bible is left
wholly a dead letter, a dry, lifeless, tasteless thing. By this is seen the
true foundation of our duty, the worthiness of God to be so esteemed,
honoured, loved, submitted to, and served, as he requires of us, and the
amiableness of the duties themselves that are required of us. And by this is
seen the true evil of sin; for he who sees the beauty of holiness, must
necessarily see the hatefulness of sin, its contrary. By this men understand
the true glory of heaven, which consists in the beauty and happiness that is
in holiness. By this is seen the amiableness and happiness of both saints and
angels. He that sees the beauty of holiness, or true moral good, sees the
greatest and most important thing in the world, which is the fullness of all
things, without which all the world is empty, no better than nothing, yea,
worse than nothing. Unless this is seen, nothing is seen that is worth the
seeing; for there is no other true excellency or beauty. Unless this be
understood, nothing is understood that is worthy of the exercise of the noble
faculty of understanding. This is the beauty of the Godhead, and the divinity
of divinity (if I may so speak), the good of the infinite fountain of good;
without which, God himself (if that were possible) would be an infinite evil;
without which we ourselves had better never have been; and without which there
had better have been no being. He therefore in effect knows nothing, that
knows not this; his knowledge is but the shadow of knowledge, or the form of
knowledge, as the apostle calls it. Well therefore may the Scriptures
represent those who are destitute of that spiritual sense by which is
perceived the beauty of holiness, as totally blind, deaf, and senseless, yea,
dead. And well may regeneration, in which this divine sense is given to the
soul by its Creator, be represented as opening the blind eyes, and raising the
dead, and bringing a person into a new world. For if what has been said be
considered, it will be manifest, that when a person has this sense and
knowledge given him, he will view nothing as he did before; though before he
knew all things "after the flesh, yet henceforth he will know them so no
more; and he is become a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all
things are become new;" agreeable to 2 Cor.
5:16
, 17.
And
besides the things that have been already mentioned, there arises from this
sense of spiritual beauty, all true experimental knowledge of religion, which
is of itself as it were a new world of knowledge. He that sees not the beauty
of holiness, knows not what one of the graces of God's Spirit is, he is
destitute of any idea or conception of all gracious exercises of the soul, and
all holy comforts and delights, and all effects of the saving influences of
the Spirit of God on the heart; and so is ignorant of the greatest works of
God, the most important and glorious effects of his power upon the creature;
and also is wholly ignorant of the saints as saints, he knows not what they
are; and in effect is ignorant of the whole spiritual world.
Things
being thus, it plainly appears, that God's implanting that spiritual
supernatural sense which has been spoken of, makes a great change in a man.
And were it not for the very imperfect degree, in which this sense is commonly
given at first, or the small degree of this glorious light, that first dawns
upon the soul; the change made by this spiritual opening of the eyes in
conversion, would be much greater and more remarkable every way, than if a
man, who had been born blind, and with only the other four senses, should
continue so a long time, and then at once should have the sense of seeing
imparted to him, in the midst of the clear light of the sun, discovering a
world of visible objects. For though sight be more noble than any of the other
external senses, yet this spiritual sense which has been spoken of, is
infinitely more noble than that, or any other principle of discerning that a
man naturally has, and the object of this sense infinitely greater and more
important.
This
sort of understanding or knowledge, is that knowledge of divine things from
whence all truly gracious affections do proceed; by which therefore all
affections are to be tried. Those affections that arise wholly from any other
kind of knowledge, or do result from any other kind of apprehensions of mind,
are vain.
From
what has been said, may be learned wherein the most essential difference lies
between that light or understanding which is given by the common influences of
the Spirit of God, on the hearts of natural men, and that saving instruction
which is given to the saints. The latter primarily and most essentially lies
in beholding the holy beauty that is in divine things; which is the only true
moral good, and which the soul of fallen man is by nature totally blind to.
The former consists only in a further understanding, through the assistance of
natural principles, of those things which men may know, in some measure, by
the alone ordinary exercise of their faculties. And this knowledge consists
only in the knowledge of those things pertaining to religion, which are
natural. Thus for instance, in those awakenings of the conscience, that
natural men are often subject to, the Spirit of God gives no knowledge of the
true moral beauty which is in divine things; but only assists the mind to a
clearer idea of the guilt of sin, or its relation to punishment, and
connection with the evil of suffering (without any sight of its moral evil, or
odiousness as sin), and a clearer idea of the natural perfections of God,
wherein consists, not his holy beauty and glory, but his awful and terrible
greatness. It is a clear sight of this, that will fully awaken the consciences
of wicked men at the day of judgment, without any spiritual light. And it is a
less degree of the same that awakens the consciences of natural men, without
spiritual light in this world. The same discoveries are in some measure given
in the conscience of an awakened sinner in this world, which will be given
more fully, in the consciences of sinners at the day of judgment. The same
kind of sight or apprehension of God, in a less degree, makes awakened sinners
in this world sensible of the dreadful guilt of sin, against so great and
terrible a God, and sensible of its amazing punishment, and fills them with
fearful apprehensions of divine wrath, that will thoroughly convince all
wicked men, of the infinitely dreadful nature and guilt of sin, and astonish
them with apprehensions of wrath, when Christ shall come in the glory of his
power and majesty, and every eye shall see him, and all the kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of him. And in those common illuminations which are
sometimes given to natural men, exciting in them some kind of religious
desire, love, and joy, the mind is only assisted to a clearer apprehension of
the natural good that is in divine things. Thus sometimes, under common
illuminations, men are raised with the ideas of the natural good that is in
heaven; as its outward glory; its ease, its honour and advancement, a being
there the object of the high favour of God, and the great respect of men, and
angels, &c. So there are many things exhibited in the gospel concerning
God and Christ, and the way of salvation, that have a natural good in them,
which suits the natural principle of self-love. Thus in that great goodness of
God to sinners, and the wonderful dying love of Christ, there is a natural
good which all men love, as they love themselves; as well as a spiritual and
holy beauty, which is seen only by the regenerate. Therefore there are many
things appertaining to the word of God's grace delivered in the gospel, which
may cause natural men, when they hear it, anon with joy to receive it. All
that love which natural men have to God and Christ, and Christian virtues, and
good men, is not from any sight of the amiableness of the holiness, or true
moral excellency of these things; but only for the sake of the natural good
there is in them. All natural men's hatred of sin, is as much from principles
of nature, as men's hatred of a tiger for his rapaciousness, or their aversion
to a serpent for his poison and hurtfulness; and all their love of Christian
virtue, is from no higher principle, than their love of a man's good nature,
which appears amiable to natural men; but no otherwise than silver and gold
appears amiable in the eyes of a merchant, or than the blackness of the soil
is beautiful in the eyes of the farmer.
From
what has been said of the nature of spiritual understanding, it appears that
spiritual understanding does not consist in any new doctrinal knowledge or in
having suggested to the mind any new proposition, not before read or heard of;
for it is plain that this suggesting of new propositions, is a thing entirely
diverse from giving the mind a new taste or relish of beauty and sweetness.[53]
It is also evident that spiritual knowledge does not consist in any new
doctrinal explanation of any part of the Scripture; for still, this is but
doctrinal knowledge, or the knowledge of propositions; the doctrinal
explaining of an part of Scripture, is only giving us to understand what are
the propositions contained or taught in that part of Scripture.
Hence
it appears, that the spiritual understanding of the Scripture, does not
consist in opening to the mind the mystical meaning of the Scripture, in its
parables, types, and allegories; for this is only a doctrinal explication of
the Scripture. He that explains what is meant by the stony ground, and the
seed's springing up suddenly, and quickly withering away, only explains what
propositions or doctrines are taught in it. So he that explains what is
typified by Jacob's ladder, and the angels of God ascending and descending on
it, or what was typified by Joshua's leading
Israel
through
Jordan
, only shows what
propositions are hid in these passages. And many men can explain these types
who have no spiritual knowledge. It is possible that a man might know how to
interpret all the types, parables, enigmas, and allegories in the Bible, and
not have one beam of spiritual light in his mind; because he may not have the
least degree of that spiritual sense of the holy beauty of divine things which
has been spoken of, and may see nothing of this kind of glory in anything
contained in any of these mysteries, or any other part of the Scripture. It is
plain, by what the apostle says, that a man might understand all such
mysteries, and have no saving grace, 1 Cor. 13:2: "And though I have the
gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing." They therefore are very foolish,
who are exalted in an opinion of their own spiritual attainments, from notions
that come into their minds, of the mystical meaning of these and those
passages of Scripture, as though it was a spiritual understanding of these
passages, immediately given them by the Spirit of God, and hence have their
affections highly raised; and what has been said shows the vanity of such
affections.
From
what has been said, it is also evident, that it is not spiritual knowledge for
persons to be informed of their duty, by having it immediately suggested to
their minds, that such and such outward actions or deeds are the will of God.
If we suppose that it is truly God's manner thus to signify his will to his
people, by immediate inward suggestions, such suggestions have nothing of the
nature of spiritual light. Such kind of knowledge would only be one kind of
doctrinal knowledge; a proposition concerning the will of God, is as properly
a doctrine of religion, as a proposition concerning the nature of God, or a
work of God; and a having either of these kinds of propositions, or any other
proposition, declared to a man, either by speech, or inward suggestion,
differs vastly from a having the holy beauty of divine things manifested to
the soul, wherein spiritual knowledge does most essentially consist. Thus
there was no spiritual light in Balaam; though he had the will of God
immediately suggested to him by the Spirit of God from time to time,
concerning the way that he should go, and what he should do and say.
It
is manifest, therefore, that a being led and directed in this manner, is not
that holy and spiritual leading of the Spirit of God, which is peculiar to the
saints, and a distinguishing mark of the sons of God, spoken of, Rom.
8:14
: "For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God." Gal.
5:18
, "But if ye be
led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
And
if persons have the will of God concerning their actions, suggested to them by
some text of Scripture, suddenly and extraordinarily brought to their minds,
which text, as the words lay in the Bible before they came to their minds,
related to the action and behaviour of some other person, but they suppose, as
God sent the words to them, he intended something further by them, and meant
such a particular action of theirs; I say, if persons should have the will of
God thus suggested to them with texts of Scripture, it alters not the case.
The suggestion being accompanied with an apt text of Scripture, does not make
the suggestion to be the nature of spiritual instruction. As for instance, if
a person in New England, on some occasion, were at a loss whether it was his
duty to go into some popish or heathenish land, where he was like to be
exposed to many difficulties and dangers, and should pray to God that he would
show him the way of his duty; and after earnest prayer, should have those
words which God spake to Jacob, Gen. 46, suddenly and extraordinarily brought
to his mind, as if they were spoken to him; "Fear not to go down into
Egypt; for I will go with thee; and I will also surely bring you up
again." In which words, though as they lay in the Bible before they came
to his mind, they related only to Jacob, and his behaviour; yet he supposes
that God has a further meaning, as they were brought and applied to him; that
thus they are to be understood in a new sense, that by
Egypt
is to be understood
this particular country he has in his mind, and that the action intended is
his going thither, and that the meaning of the promise is, that God would
bring him back into
New England
again. There is
nothing of the nature of a spiritual or gracious leading of the Spirit in
this; for there is nothing of the nature of spiritual understanding in it.
Thus to understand texts of Scripture, is not to have a spiritual
understanding of them. Spiritually to understand the Scriptures, is rightly to
understand what is in the Scripture, and what was in it before it was
understood: it is to understand rightly, what used to be contained in the
meaning of it, and not the making of a new meaning. When the mind is
enlightened spiritually and rightly to understand the Scripture, it is enabled
to see that in the Scripture, which before was not seen by reason of
blindness. But if it was by reason of blindness, that is an evidence that the
same meaning was in it before, otherwise it would have been no blindness not
to see it; it is no blindness not to see a meaning which is not there.
Spiritually enlightening the eyes to understand the Scripture, is to open the
eyes: Psal. 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 Scripture's coming to
my mind. This making a new meaning to the Scripture, is the same thing as
making a new Scripture; it is properly 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 opened, to behold the wonderful spiritual excellency of
the glorious 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, &c., 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.
And
as to a gracious leading of the Spirit, it consists in two things: partly in
instructing a person in his duty by the Spirit, and partly in powerfully
inducing him to comply with that instruction. 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 rectified 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
rectified palate knows what is good food, as soon as he
tastes it, without the reasoning of a physician about it. There is a holy
beauty and sweetness in words and actions, as well as a natural beauty in
countenances and sounds, and sweetness in food: Job
12:11
, "Doth not the
ear try words, and the mouth taste his 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, at once 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 suggests it; as a healthy
taste and appetite naturally suggests 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 behaviour 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
Rom.
12:2: "Be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and perfect, and acceptable 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, in judging of them, as about the
justness of a speech, the goodness of style, the beauty of a poem, the
gracefulness of deportment, &c. A late great philosopher of our nation
writes thus upon it:[54]
"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,
out in spite of all colours, 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; ere 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,
ask no more of it. As the ear is wounded with a harsh sound, as the smell is
soothed with an agreeable odour, 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 pains soever it
uses, cannot discover what it was determined it to think as it did. This
conduct is very different from what the judgment observes 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 reasonings she could 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 inward
sensation, and the first impression of the object; so there is likewise such a
thing as a 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, as they have 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 behaviour 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 and 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. As 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, than the strongest reason
will a man of a morose temper. So if a man's heart be under the influence of
an entire friendship, and most endeared 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, or manner of
behaviour, 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 mien
which is benevolent, and disrelishes the contrary, and 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. As the nature and inward
tendency of a stone, or other heavy body, that is let fall from aloft, shows
the way to the centre 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 behaviour in the world. So an eminently
humble, or meek, or charitable disposition, will direct a person of mean
capacity to such a behaviour, 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 has
not a Christian spirit within him. So also will a 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 behaviour.
It
is an exceedingly difficult thing for a wicked man, destitute of Christian
principles in his heart to guide him, to know how to demean himself like a
Christian with the life and beauty, and heavenly sweetness of a truly holy,
humble, Christ like behaviour. He knows not how to put on these garments,
neither do they fit him: Eccl. 10:2, 3, "A wise man's heart is at his
right hand; but a fool's heart is at his left. Yea also, when he that is a
fool walketh by the ways his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to everyone that
he is a fool;" with ver. 15, "The labour of the foolish wearieth
everyone of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city." Prov.
10:32, "The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable." Chap.
15:2, "The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; but the mouth of
fools poureth out foolishness." And chap.
16:23
, "The heart of
the righteous 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 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 rectified palate
judges of particular morsels by his taste; but yet his palate itself must be
judged of, whether it be right or no, by certain rules and reasons. But a
spiritual taste of soul mightily helps the soul in its reasonings on the word
of God, and in judging of the true meaning of its rules: as it removes the
prejudices of a depraved appetite, and naturally leads the thoughts in the
right channel, 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 the 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, by 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;
and that which Balaam and Saul (who sometimes were led by the Spirit in that
other way) never had, and no natural man can have, without a change of nature.
What
has been said of the nature of spiritual understanding, as 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, which has been now spoken of; but also shows the difference between
spiritual understanding, and all kinds and forms of enthusiasm, all imaginary
sights of God, and Christ, and 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 contain as they lie in the Bible; and all interpretations of the
mystical meaning of the Scripture, by supposed immediate revelation. None of
these things consists 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 consists in impressions in the head; all are to be referred
to the head of impressions on the imagination, and consist in the exciting
external ideas in the mind, either in ideas of outward shapes and colours, 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, excited in
the imagination, or some pleasant bodily sensation. So when persons have an
imaginary revelation of some secret fact, it is by exciting external ideas;
either of 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, in outward behaviour, 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 the meaning, or by
exciting other ideas in the imagination.
Such
sort of experiences and discoveries 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
afflatus, and immediate revelations 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, and the Montanists, and many
Other sects of ancient heretics, in the primitive ages of the Christian
church. And in such things as these consisted the pretended immediate converse
with God and Christ, and saints and angels of heaven, of the Monks,
Anchorites, and 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 Familists, the followers of N.
Stork, Th. Muncer, Jo. Becold, Henry Pfeiser, David George, Casper Swenckfield,
Henry Nicolas Johannes Agrcola Eislebius; and the many wild enthusiasts that
were in
England
in the days of
Oliver Cromwell; and the followers of Mrs. Hutchison 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 in these things seems to lie
the religion of the many kinds of enthusiasts of the present day. It is by
such sort of religion as this, chiefly, 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 fly. 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; and the devil biding his own shape, and appearing as an
angel of light, that men may not be afraid of him, but may adore him.
The
imagination or phantasy 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, the 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 phantasy; which is that
power of the soul, by which it receives, and is the subject of the species, or
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 spirits that are united to bodies, those bodies God has united them to,
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, than by some motion of the animal spirits, or by
causing some motion or alteration in some thing which appertains to the body.
There is this reason to think that the devil cannot produce thoughts in the
soul immediately, or any other way than by the medium of the body, viz., 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 or discerning at all? But if this be so, that the devil cannot
produce thoughts in the soul immediately, or 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 phantasy, or by exciting
external ideas. For we know that alterations in the body do immediately excite
no other sort of ideas in the mind, but external ideas, or ideas of the
outward senses, or ideas which are of the same outward nature. As to
reflection, abstraction, reasoning, &c., and those thoughts and inward
motions which are the fruits of these acts of the mind, they are not the next
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.[55]
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 the fountain of the animal spirits, even the brain, which is, as it were,
the seat of the phantasy. 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 the
more easily to extrinsic impressions, and is overpowered by the disordered
motions of the animal spirits; and so the devil has greater advantage to
affect the 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 alluring 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, circumstances, &c.
Innumerable are the ways by which the mind might be led on to all kind of evil
thoughts, by exciting 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 has 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 laying 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 viz., lively imaginations arising from strong affections, and
strong affections arising from lively imaginations. The former may be, and
doubtless often is, in case 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, that 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 the drift of what has been now said, of impressions on the
imagination. Having observed this, I proceed to another mark of gracious
affections.
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