Chapter 22: The Necessity of Divine Teaching Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. John 16:7-13.
The doctrine of the necessity of Divine Influence, to enlighten and sanctify the minds of men, is very abundantly taught in the Bible, and is generally maintained, as a matter of opinion at least, in all orthodox churches. But, as a matter of fact, there seems to be very little available knowledge of the gospel among mankind; so little that it exerts comparatively little influence. The great ends of the gospel have hardly begun to be realized, in the production of holiness on the earth. It is a grand question, whether we do need Divine Influence to attain the ends of the gospel; and if we do need it, then in what degree do we need it, and why? If our minds are unsettled on this question, we shall be unsettled on all the subjects that practically concern our sanctification.
In discoursing on this subject tonight, I design to pursue the following order:
I. Inquire how far the reason of man, unaided by Divine illumination, is capable of understanding the things of religion.
II. Show wherein the reason of man is defective, in regard to the capacity of gaining any available knowledge of the gospel.
III. That the spirit of God alone can supply the illumination that is needed.
IV. That every one may have the influence of the Spirit, according to his necessities.
V. The reasons why any individual fails to receive this divine aid to the extent of his necessities.
VI. That men are responsible for the light which they might have, as well as for that which they actually enjoy.
I. I shall inquire how far the reason of man, unaided by Divine illumination, is capable of apprehending the things of religion.
1. The mind of man is capable of understanding the historical facts of religion, just as it comprehends any other historical facts.
2. It is capable of understanding the doctrinal propositions of the gospel.
That is, it can understand those abstractions which make up the skeleton of the gospel; such as the being and character of God, the divine authority and inspiration of the scriptures, and other fundamental doctrines which make up the framework of the gospel.
That is, it can understand them as propositions, and see the evidence that supports them as true, just as it can understand any propositions in science.
For instance, to enter a little into detail A man, by his reason, may understand the law of God. He can understand that it requires him to exercise perfect love towards God and all other beings. He can see the ground of his obligation to do this, because he is a moral