Chapter VI (continued, part 2)
that casts the balance. So that, as the light of vision in heaven is argued to be supernatural, because it depends not on the light of nature, or power or strength of reason, but taking the lowest, meanest idiot, raiseth and
elevateth his mind above one of a larger understanding naturally, to see God more in heaven ; because the light there is above the light of nature, and proceeds without it, it raiseth not the mind according to the proportion of its understanding, but according to the measure of its light received, which is so glorious, as it wraps up the meanest understanding to the highest intention. Yea, natural understanding contributes no advancement unto it, but only an obediential faculty ; so the light of faith also doth in a propor tion. And that argues it supernatural. Strength of natural principles and of reason may help forward that knowledge, which is, of its own sphere, notional and rational ; and in a believer, it may help to advance knowledge of spiritual things in a rational way ; but it contributes nothing to the light of revelation by the Spirit, who works how much and when he pleaseth. But in Adam s children, their light and knowledge of God, being natural, would have been proportioned to the strength of inbred light and reason, so as stronger souls would have had more, and weaker less, for it ran in a
natural way ; but not so here.
3. The third particular propounded was this, wherein our knowledge of
God, &c., excels that of Adam s, and so is supernatural to it, in the manner
or way of knowledge. This third flows from the former. VOL. VII. E
66 OF THE CREATURES, AND THE CONDITION [BOOK II.
The light of faith is more intuitive, and so more comprehensive. But
the way of Adam s knowledge was discursive, by way of gathering one
thing from another, which is more imperfect and further about, and more
at second hand. The perfection of the angels knowledge of things is
expressed above that of man s in this, that theirs is intuitive : they use not
reason to gather one thing from another ; so much intuitive, say some, as
they see at once the effect and the cause together, therefore called intelli-
genticc. The one is as knowing of a man by his works and hearsay of him,
whereby the mind gathers -what an one he is by way of discourse. So did Adam what God was by his works, and visions, and revelations made. But this is the beholding the glory of the Lord, John vi. 40 ; seeing the
Son, and believing on him ; and, 1 Cor. xiii. 12, though it be but darkly, and in a glass, yet it is said,
* we see as in a glass. So 1 John iii. 6, the
* He that sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him ; that is, not known him with this knowledge of sight. And thus
like phrase is used :
faith is a knowledge of God, as he is in himself, though in the face of
Christ, and the glass of the gospel. But Adam s was but in his works by
collection. They gathered Hercules by his footsteps ; so Adam collected God s power, &c., from the works of creation. But this is the presenting God himself, though as in a glass, in the gospel. So it is not knowing God ex alio, by collection from another thing, but knowing God himself
in alio, in another thing, wherein by his own light he presents himself, as a man doth in a glass.
The difference may be expressed by way of similitude, by the several
ways of assurance of God s love. Look what difference there is between
: this is know
that way, when we know God s love to us but by signs only
ing and gathering his love ex alio, by effect, collecting it from another
thing, and so is but discursive ; as when the cause is known by the effects,
though the Spirit secretly joins a testimony in the conclusion ; and that
other which comes from an immediate light of the Spirit s sealing up that
light, and the taste of it, and revealing God s heart and mind in itself towards us. This is so transcendent, as it works joy unspeakable and
glorious ; it is intuitive ; not so the other : such difference is there between Adam s knowing God and ours. Or to set out the difference by another
instance. When Job at last, in the winding up of God s dealings with
him, had a more distinct intuitive representation of God to his faith, com
paring it with many of his former apprehensions wrought, Job xlii. 5, he
* by the hearing of
compares them to second-hand knowledge, a hearsay,
* mine eyes have seen him. How distinct and differing is sight to hearsay
* but now, says he,
the ear ;
! And it may be, that hearsay knowledge Job meant was, that knowing God by the works of creation and provi dence, and by visions, &c. He may compare that way of knowledge which was familiar in those times even to believers, God training them up, though they had a principle of faith beyond it, in the elements of the world
before the law, to study him in his works and ordinary visions, which is
called comparatively but the hearing with the ear ; both because the man ner of the godly then was to talk together of God out of his works, and communicate such observations. And, as I find some interpreters observe on chap, xxxvi. 24, where Elihu, going about to instruct Job with a sense
of the greatness of God s majesty, he calls upon him to look into his works which men have sung ; so Sanctius renders it. He minds him of
the common songs men made of the works of God ; or else, because the
heavens, and day and night, are said to have a voice, and utter speech,
ClIAP. VII.J OF THEIR STATE BY CREATION. 67
Ps. xix. 1, 2, as man an ear to hear their sound, to declare the glory of God, to whose voice Job had lent his mind to study God out.
Add unto this that phrase used in that 38th chap. ver. 25, when Elihu
calls upon Job to see God s greatness in his works, which Sanctius makes
the beginning of that song which Elihu minds Job of, that holy men did
sing. Every man may see what is the work of God. Man beholds afar
: that is, God afar off in his works. It is a
off; so it is in the original
remote, and but an obscure knowledge, and yet how great doth it argue him ! So it follows,
* Behold, God is great, and we know not ; or, but
little of him thus by his works. And therefore, Rom. i. 19, 20, that
knowledge gotten by the works of God Paul calls rb yvuctrov TOU 0soD,
something that may be known of God, rather than the knowledge of him
in himself, as indeed it is not. And though the godly then had faith, as
well as we now, yet the covenant of works and nature being more predo minately the dispensation under the law of nature, they were in that very
first infancy of the world very much kept to that school, at least in that form.
As the conclusion of this discourse, because I would not maintain a dis
pute against a multitude of divines who are of another mind in their
writings, if we will grant and suppose that there was such a light of faith vouchsafed to Adam as was superior to the law of nature specified (whereby he knew God in his works, and such revelations as externally carried their own evidence with them), even unto natural faith, and to have been as
supernatural as ours, yet still the assertion I aim at will hold true, that a
believer s knowing of God, and enjoying of him, doth infinitely transcend
that of his in many respects.
For, 1. If we consider the uses of his faith then to him, and of ours to us now, there is a vast difference, for even the apostle lived not always* by
faith, as a Christian, Gal. ii. 20, The life I now lead is by faith, &c. And Heb. x. 38, the just are said to do so. And it is spoken of a Christian, in
opposition to a legal life, as appears by the coherence, ver. 19, of that
Gal. ii., I am dead to the law, &c. So not all, or the most of Adam s
knowledge or enjoyment of God came in that way ; but the ordinary way he lived, knew, and enjoyed God by, was by that sanctified light of nature,
joined with observation out of his works. And, therefore, although he
might have another principle of faith, for particular occasions extraordi
nary, to know God s mind by, whenever God would now and then commu
nicate himself to him ; as also in case of temptation, when any part of God s will was questioned, or reasoned against, as it was by Satan to Eve, then there was use of faith above reason to stick to the word ; but still he walked by nature s light, not that of faith ; whereas the apostle says of us, that we walk by faith, not sight, 2 Cor. v. 7. Faith was then (whatever it was, whether natural or supernatural) but a private grace, which at times he had use of, as he had of the rest ; but now to us it is a general grace. All knowledge is let in by it ; every truth is sealed by it ; it is advanced to the supreme office, to be the general instructor ; whereas the
light of nature and sanctified reason was then the predominant principle
for reason is predominant in man s nature as he is a man, as faith is in a Christian. The just now lives by faith ; not so Adam then. Again, faith is now the bond of the covenant between God and us, because it is a
receiving grace, Rom iv. 13, 14, 16. But love and obedience from man was then the bond of his covenant, because the covenant was founded upon what man returned to God, and continued upon his doing homage. In a * Qu. lived always ? Ed.
68 OF THE CREATURES, AND THE CONDITION [BOOK II.
word, faith was then (supposing him to have had the same principle with
us) but as sense and joy in the Holy Ghost is now to believers. It is true, such a communion a believer hath with God at times, when God will
appear to him in an extraordinary manner ; but he ordinarily lives by faith, without such sense. So Adam, whereas he lived in the works of God,
studying God in them, conversing with God in them, his task being, by
observation, to till the seeds of light sown in his mind, as well as to till
the earth, ordinarily thus knowing and enjoying God but by the light of
nature, and accordingly obeying and loving of him, God did now and then make an apparition to utter some word to his faith. Now, therefore, if the
comparison be made between his estate and ours (if it be granted he had
like faith with us), it must withal be granted, that the difference is as great as between a man that once a-week makes a meal of more than ordinary
fare, and a king that fares deliciously every day ; for we ordinarily do, or
might (if the fault were not our own) live by the faith of the Son of God, in the revelations of the word, as our proper element : he ordinarily, but
in the works of God, and his own works. What was extraordinary in him
is ordinary with us ; his exceedings, our commons ; which if it were com
plete, and sin and unbelief fully subdued, how happy must it make us above him ! Look what difference there may be conceived now in the
estate of grace, in respect of happy communion with God, between the
present comfort of a believer, that always lives in joy unspeakable and glo
rious, and another that wants it, and lives merely by faith. Such, if not
more, will be found to be in Adam, who lived ordinarily by the light of
nature, and but sometimes had a revelation by faith, and us, who live all our lives by faith, and communicate with God wholly by the light thereof.
2. Consider that yet in respect of the objects of his knowledge and ours
whereby God was known to him and to us, we infinitely transcend him and
his way, if our faith were made complete. For, first, the things revealed to him and to his faith were but some matters of precepts and duty, which
being for the most part positivi juris, arbitrary, and so were not so clearly written in his heart, as that of the Sabbath ; and about the tree of life
(which was a sacrament, and so must be instituted, and else he had not a second commandment), so it was to be known by revelation necessarily, neither could more have been revealed than was necessary, and what could be known no other way. But still all the knowledge he was to have of God
himself, and what a God he was, &c., which is the knowledge wherein
happiness lies, this was still left to be obtained in that natural way forementioned. We read not of any descriptions God made of himself to Adam, as to us and Moses. For what might be known more clearly by natural
light out of the works or written in his heart, God revealed not to faith. But we know all these attributes by revelation unto faith ; and so in a
clearer, distincter, and indeed a more immediate manner we take in by faith that description which God makes of himself, and hear what him
self says of himself, and this by the light of faith ; whereas he had the
knowledge of these attributes no such way but from the light of nature, to be improved out of the works of God, as God had manifested himself therein.
Again, secondly, consider that all that he knew whatsoever by such a
natural light, or by faith either, whether of the nature of God or the love
of God in his heart, we know it all by faith ; and so to have the know
ledge of all he had, in an higher way than he, and so more evident and clear, whereas he had the knowledge of faith but about some few particulars. And
the reason why we know all by faith, which he any way knew, is because
CHAP. VIII.] OF THEIR STATE BY CREATION. 69
those things of God and the law which he knew by inhred light, that light being now extinct in us, it is necessary to be revealed by revelation, and so
to be let in by faith. First, he by natural inbred light knew that there was a God, but we by faith believe that God is, Heb. xi. 6, and a rewarder of them that seek him. And so all that theologia naturalis, that natural
divinity to pick God out of his works, and to see how the works of creation and providence shew God forth and argue him and his attributes, the rules hereof we have now revealed and written. The book of Job and the Psalms teach us how to fetch God out of the creation and to praise him, so as God reads to us his own logic, and a lecture on his own works ; whereas Adam was left to study the bare text but by natural light, yea, and
this lecture is read to faith, a higher principle, more capable than nature
is, God teaching us by faith how to interpret his works. So as out of the
word, if we had faith enough, might we learn more of God, even in his
works, reading the text with that God s own comment, than Adam ever could have done by his plodding and poring on them, and using his reason and natural light.
3. By natural light he knew out of the creatures that God made the
world, Bom. i. 20. But we know it by the light of faith and revelation from God how it was, &c. Heb. xi. 3,
* By faith we understand the worlds were made by the word of God. He, for aught we read, knew but of a new world made, that which he saw ; and whether he should ever have heard of heaven or angels is a question ; but we understand the worlds were made, the heaven of heavens, and this visible world.
4. And then, last of all, add unto all that we have over and above what he had, a new edition of God and all his attributes, and all his mind bound
up in one volume in Christ ; and the revelation of the gospel, the mystery of his will, the least tittle whereof Adam should never have known. Faith
brings us into another world, and the things of it infinitely transcending Adam s, and revealing more of God in the least creature of it than is in all his
volume, and is as much vaster than his as heaven is above earth ; as much exceeds it as the second Adam, Christ, doth him, who was the epitome of
his world, as Christ is of ours. We have the addition of new objects, and those glorious, heavenly, wholly supernatural. In Christ, a new Indies is
discovered, a new treasure broken up which Adam should never have heard of.