mh_parser/vol_split/58 - Hebrews/Chapter 5.xml

<div2 id="Heb.vi" n="vi" next="Heb.vii" prev="Heb.v" progress="76.64%" title="Chapter V">
<h2 id="Heb.vi-p0.1">H E B R E W S.</h2>
<h3 id="Heb.vi-p0.2">CHAP. V.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Heb.vi-p1">In this chapter the apostle continues his
discourse upon the priesthood of Christ, a sweet subject, which he
would not too soon dismiss. And here, I. He explains the nature of
the priestly office in general, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.1-Heb.5.3" parsed="|Heb|5|1|5|3" passage="Heb 5:1-3">ver.
1-3</scripRef>. II. The proper and regular call there must be to
this office, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.4-Heb.5.6" parsed="|Heb|5|4|5|6" passage="Heb 5:4-6">ver. 4-6</scripRef>.
III. The requisite qualifications for the work, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.7-Heb.5.9" parsed="|Heb|5|7|5|9" passage="Heb 5:7-9">ver. 7-9</scripRef>. IV. The peculiar order of the
priesthood of Christ; it was not after the order of Aaron, but of
Melchisedec, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.6-Heb.5.7 Bible:Heb.5.10" parsed="|Heb|5|6|5|7;|Heb|5|10|0|0" passage="Heb 5:6,7,10">ver. 6, 7,
10</scripRef>. V. He reproves the Hebrews, that they had not made
those improvements in knowledge which might have made them capable
of looking into the more abstruse and mysterious parts of
scripture, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.11-Heb.5.14" parsed="|Heb|5|11|5|14" passage="Heb 5:11-14">ver.
11-14</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Heb.vi-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5" parsed="|Heb|5|0|0|0" passage="Heb 5" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Heb.vi-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.1-Heb.5.9" parsed="|Heb|5|1|5|9" passage="Heb 5:1-9" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Heb.5.1-Heb.5.9">
<h4 id="Heb.vi-p1.8">The Priesthood of Christ. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Heb.vi-p1.9">a.
d.</span> 62.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Heb.vi-p2">1 For every high priest taken from among men is
ordained for men in things <i>pertaining</i> to God, that he may
offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:   2 Who can have
compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way;
for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.   3 And
by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself,
to offer for sins.   4 And no man taketh this honour unto
himself, but he that is called of God, as <i>was</i> Aaron.  
5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest;
but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten
thee.   6 As he saith also in another <i>place,</i> Thou
<i>art</i> a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.  
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and
supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able
to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;   8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which
he suffered;   9 And being made perfect, he became the author
of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p3">We have here an account of the nature of
the priestly office in general, though with an accommodation to the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are told,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p4">I. Of what kind of beings the high priest
must be. He must be taken from among men; he must be a man, one of
ourselves, bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh, and spirit of our
spirits, a partaker of our nature, and a standard-bearer among ten
thousand. This implies, 1. That man had sinned. 2. That God would
not admit sinful man to come to him immediately and alone, without
a high priest, who must be taken from among men. 3. That God was
pleased to take one from among men, by whom they might approach God
in hope, and he might receive them with honour. 4. That every one
shall now be welcome to God that comes to him by this his
priest.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p5">II. For whom every high priest is ordained:
<i>For men in things pertaining to God,</i> for the glory of God
and the good of men, that he might come between God and man. So
Christ did; and therefore let us never attempt to go to God but
through Christ, nor expect any favour from God but through
Christ.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p6">III. For what purpose every high priest was
ordained: <i>That he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for
sin.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p7">1. That he might offer gifts or free-will
offerings, brought to the high priest, so offered for the glory of
God, and as an acknowledgment that our all is of him and from him;
we have nothing but what he is pleased to give us, and of his own
we offer to him an oblation of acknowledgment. This intimates, (1.)
That all we bring to God must be free and not forced; it must be a
gift; it must be given and not taken away again. (2.) That all we
bring to God must go through the high priest's hands, as the great
agent between God and man.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p8">2. That he might offer sacrifices for sin;
that is, the offerings that were appointed to make atonement, that
sin might be pardoned and sinners accepted. Thus Christ is
constituted a high priest for both these ends. Our good deeds must
be presented by Christ, to render ourselves and them acceptable;
and our evil deeds must be expiated by the sacrifice of himself,
that they may not condemn and destroy us. And now, as we value
acceptance with God and pardon, we must apply ourselves by faith to
this our great high priest.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p9">IV. How this high priest must be qualified,
<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.2" parsed="|Heb|5|2|0|0" passage="Heb 5:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p10">1. He must be one that can have compassion
on two sorts of persons:—(1.) <i>On the ignorant,</i> or those
that are guilty of sins of ignorance. He must be one who can find
in his heart to pity them, and intercede with God for them, one
that is willing to instruct those that are dull of understanding.
(2.) <i>On those that are out of the way,</i> out of the way of
truth, duty, and happiness; and he must be one who has tenderness
enough to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and
misery, into the right way: this will require great patience and
compassion, even the compassion of a God.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p11">2. He must also be compassed with
infirmity; and so be able from himself feelingly to consider our
frame, and to sympathize with us. Thus Christ was qualified. He
took upon him our sinless infirmities; and this gives us great
encouragement to apply ourselves to him under every affliction; for
in all the afflictions of his people he is afflicted.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p12">V. How the high priest was to be called of
God. He must have both an internal and external call to his office:
<i>For no man taketh this honour to himself</i> (<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.4" parsed="|Heb|5|4|0|0" passage="Heb 5:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), that is, no man ought to do it,
no man can do it legally; if any does it, he must be reckoned a
usurper, and treated accordingly. Here observe, 1. The office of
the priesthood was a very great honour. To be employed to stand
between God and man, one while representing God and his will to
men, at another time representing man and his case to God, and
dealing between them about matters of the highest
importance—entrusted on both sides with the honour of God and the
happiness of man—must render the office very honourable. 2. The
priesthood is an office and honour that no man ought to take to
himself; if he does, he can expect no success in it, nor any reward
for it, only from himself. He is an intruder who is not called of
God, as was Aaron. Observe, (1.) God is the fountain of all honour,
especially true spiritual honour. He is the fountain of true
authority, whether he calls any to the priesthood in an
extraordinary way, as he did Aaron, or in an ordinary way, as he
called his successors. (2.) Those only can expect assistance from
God, and acceptance with him, and his presence and blessing on them
and their administrations, that are called of God; others may
expect a blast instead of a blessing.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p13">VI. How this is brought home and applied to
Christ: <i>So Christ glorified not himself,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.5" parsed="|Heb|5|5|0|0" passage="Heb 5:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>. Observe here, Though Christ
reckoned it his glory to be made a high priest, yet he would not
assume that glory to himself. He could truly say, <i>I seek not my
own glory,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:John.8.50" parsed="|John|8|50|0|0" passage="Joh 8:50">John viii.
50</scripRef>. Considered as God, he was not capable of any
additional glory, but as man and Mediator he did not run without
being sent; and, if he did not, surely others should be afraid to
do it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p14">VII. The apostle prefers Christ before
Aaron, both in the manner of his call and in the holiness of his
person. 1. In the manner of his call, in which God said unto him,
<i>Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee</i> (quoted from
<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.2.7" parsed="|Ps|2|7|0|0" passage="Ps 2:7">Ps. ii. 7</scripRef>), referring to his
eternal generation as God, his wonderful conception as man, and his
perfect qualification as Mediator. Thus God solemnly declared his
dear affection to Christ, his authoritative appointment of him to
the office of a Mediator, his installment and approbation of him in
that office, his acceptance of him, and of all he had done or
should do in the discharge of it. Now God never said thus to Aaron.
Another expression that God used in the call of Christ we have in
<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p14.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.110.4" parsed="|Ps|110|4|0|0" passage="Ps 110:4">Ps. cx. 4</scripRef>, <i>Thou art a
priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p14.3" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.6" parsed="|Heb|5|6|0|0" passage="Heb 5:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. God the Father appointed
him a priest of a higher order than that of Aaron. The priesthood
of Aaron was to be but temporary; the priesthood of Christ was to
be perpetual: the priesthood of Aaron was to be successive,
descending from the fathers to the children; the priesthood of
Christ, after the order of Melchisedec, was to be personal, and the
high priest immortal as to his office, without descent, having
neither beginning of days nor end of life, as it is more largely
described in the seventh chapter, and will be opened there. 2.
Christ is here preferred to Aaron in the holiness of his person.
Other priests were to offer up sacrifices, as for the <i>sins of
others, so for themselves,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p14.4" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.3" parsed="|Heb|5|3|0|0" passage="Heb 5:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. But Christ needed not to offer
for sins for himself, <i>for he had done no violence,</i> neither
was there <i>any deceit in his mouth,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p14.5" osisRef="Bible:Isa.53.9" parsed="|Isa|53|9|0|0" passage="Isa 53:9">Isa. liii. 9</scripRef>. And such a high priest became
us.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p15">VIII. We have an account of Christ's
discharge of this his office, and of the consequences of that
discharge, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.7-Heb.5.9" parsed="|Heb|5|7|5|9" passage="Heb 5:7-9"><i>v.</i>
7-9</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p16">1. The discharge of his office of the
priesthood (<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.7" parsed="|Heb|5|7|0|0" passage="Heb 5:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>):
<i>Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and
supplications,</i> &amp;c. Here observe, (1.) He took to him flesh,
and for some days tabernacled therein; he became a mortal man, and
reckoned his life by days, herein setting us an example how we
should reckon ours. Were we to reckon our lives by days, it would
be a means to quicken us to do the work of every day in its day.
(2.) Christ, in the days of his flesh, subjected himself to death;
he hungered, he was a tempted, bleeding, dying Jesus! His body is
now in heaven, but it is a spiritual glorious body. (3.) God the
Father was able to save him from death. He could have prevented his
dying, but he would not; for then the great design of his wisdom
and grace must have been defeated. What would have become of us if
God had saved Christ from dying? The Jews reproachfully said,
<i>Let him deliver him now, if he will have him,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p16.2" osisRef="Bible:Matt.27.43" parsed="|Matt|27|43|0|0" passage="Mt 27:43">Matt. xxvii. 43</scripRef>. But it was in
kindness to us that the Father would not suffer that bitter cup to
pass away from him; for then we must have drunk the dregs of it,
and been miserable for ever. (4.) Christ, in the days of his flesh,
offered up prayers and supplications to his Father, as an earnest
of his intercession in heaven. A great many instances we have of
Christ's praying. This refers to his prayer in his agony (<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p16.3" osisRef="Bible:Matt.26.39 Bible:Matt.27.46" parsed="|Matt|26|39|0|0;|Matt|27|46|0|0" passage="Mt 26:39,27:46">Matt. xxvi. 39, and <i>ch.</i> xxvii.
46</scripRef>), and to that before his agony (<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p16.4" osisRef="Bible:John.17.1-John.17.26" parsed="|John|17|1|17|26" passage="Joh 17:1-26">John xvii.</scripRef>) which he put up for his
disciples, and all who should believe on his name. (5.) The prayers
and supplications that Christ offered up were joined with strong
cries and tears, herein setting us an example not only to pray, but
to be fervent and importunate in prayer. How many dry prayers, how
few wet ones, do we offer up to God! (6.) Christ was heard in that
he feared. How? Why he was answered by present supports in and
under his agonies, and in being carried well through death, and
delivered from it by a glorious resurrection: He <i>was heard in
that he feared.</i> He had an awful sense of the wrath of God, of
the weight of sin. His human nature was ready to sink under the
heavy load, and would have sunk, had he been quite forsaken in
point of help and comfort from God; but he was heard in this, he
was supported under the agonies of death. He was carried through
death; and there is no real deliverance from death but to be
carried well through it. We may have many recoveries from sickness,
but we are never saved from death till we are carried well through
it. And those that are thus saved from death will be fully
delivered at last by a glorious resurrection, of which the
resurrection of Christ was the earnest and first-fruits.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p17">2. The consequences of this discharge of
his office, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p17.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.8-Heb.5.9" parsed="|Heb|5|8|5|9" passage="Heb 5:8,9"><i>v.</i> 8,
9</scripRef>, &amp;c.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p18">(1.) By these his sufferings <i>he learned
obedience, though he was a Son,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p18.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.8" parsed="|Heb|5|8|0|0" passage="Heb 5:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>. Here observe, [1.] The privilege
of Christ: <i>He was a Son;</i> the only-begotten of the Father.
One would have thought this might have exempted him from suffering,
but it did not. Let none then who are the children of God by
adoption expect an absolute freedom from suffering. <i>What Son is
he whom the Father chasteneth not?</i> [2.] Christ made improvement
by his sufferings. By his passive obedience, he learned active
obedience; that is, he practiced that great lesson, and made it
appear that he was well and perfectly learned in it; though he
never was disobedient, yet he never performed such an act of
obedience as when he became obedient to death, even to the death of
the cross. Here he has left us an example, that we should learn by
all our afflictions a humble obedience to the will of God. We need
affliction, to teach us submission.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p19">(2.) By these his sufferings he was made
perfect, and became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey
him, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p19.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.9" parsed="|Heb|5|9|0|0" passage="Heb 5:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. [1.]
Christ by his sufferings was consecrated to his office, consecrated
by his own blood. [2.] By his sufferings he consummated that part
of his office which was to be performed on earth, making
reconciliation for iniquity; and in this sense he is said to be
<i>made perfect,</i> a perfect propitiation. [3.] Hereby he has
become the author of eternal salvation to men; he has by his
sufferings purchased a full deliverance from sin and misery, and a
full fruition of holiness and happiness for his people. Of this
salvation he has given notice in the gospel; he has made a tender
of it in the new covenant, and has sent the Spirit to enable men to
accept this salvation. [4.] This salvation is actually bestowed on
none but those who obey Christ. It is not sufficient that we have
some doctrinal knowledge of Christ, or that we make a profession of
faith in him, but we must hearken to his word, and obey him. He is
exalted to be a prince to rule us, as well as a Saviour to deliver
us; and he will be a Saviour to none but to those whom he is a
prince, and who are willing that he should reign over them; the
rest he will account his enemies, and treat them accordingly. But
to those who obey him, devoting themselves to him, denying
themselves, and taking up their cross, and following him, he will
be the author, <b><i>aitios</i></b>—the grand cause of their
salvation, and they shall own him as such for ever.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Heb.vi-p19.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.10-Heb.5.14" parsed="|Heb|5|10|5|14" passage="Heb 5:10-14" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Heb.5.10-Heb.5.14">
<h4 id="Heb.vi-p19.3">The Priesthood of Christ. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Heb.vi-p19.4">a.
d.</span> 62.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Heb.vi-p20">10 Called of God a high priest after the order
of Melchisedec.   11 Of whom we have many things to say, and
hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.   12 For
when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one
teach you again which <i>be</i> the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat.   13 For every one that useth milk <i>is</i> unskilful
in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.   14 But
strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, <i>even</i>
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p21">Here the apostle returns to what he had in
<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p21.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.6 Bible:Ps.110.4" parsed="|Heb|5|6|0|0;|Ps|110|4|0|0" passage="Heb 5:6;Ps 110:4"><i>v.</i> 6 cited out of Ps.
cx.</scripRef>, concerning the peculiar order of the priesthood of
Christ, that is, the order of Melchisedec. And here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p22">I. He declares he had many things which he
could say to them concerning this mysterious person called
Melchisedec, whose priesthood was eternal, and therefore the
salvation procured thereby should be eternal also. We have a more
particular account of this Melchisedec in <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p22.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.7.1-Heb.7.28" parsed="|Heb|7|1|7|28" passage="Heb 7:1-28"><i>ch.</i> vii.</scripRef>. Some think the things
which the apostle means, that were hard to be uttered, were not so
much concerning Melchisedec himself as concerning Christ, of whom
Melchisedec was the type. And doubtless this apostle had many
things to say concerning Christ that were very mysterious, hard to
be uttered; there are great mysteries in the person and offices of
the Redeemer; Christianity is the great mystery of godliness.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p23">II. He assigns the reason why he did not
say all those things concerning Christ, our Melchisedec, that he
had to say, and what it was that made it so difficult for him to
utter them, namely, the dulness of the Hebrews to whom he wrote:
<i>You are dull of hearing.</i> There is a difficulty in the things
themselves, and there may be a weakness in the ministers of the
gospel to speak clearly about these things; but generally the fault
is in the hearers. Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel a
difficult thing, and even many who have some faith are but dull
hearers, dull of understanding and slow to believe; the
understanding is weak, and does not apprehend these spiritual
things; the memory is weak, and does not retain them.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p24">III. He insists upon the faultiness of this
infirmity of theirs. It was not a mere natural infirmity, but it
was a sinful infirmity, and more in them than others, by reason of
the singular advantages they had enjoyed for improving in the
knowledge of Christ: <i>For when, for the time, you ought to be
teachers, you have need that one teach you again which are the
first principles of the oracles of God,</i> <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p24.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.12" parsed="|Heb|5|12|0|0" passage="Heb 5:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>. Here observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p25">1. What proficiency might have been
reasonably expected from these Hebrews—that they might have been
so well instructed in the doctrine of the gospel as to have been
teachers of others. Hence learn, (1.) God takes notice of the time
and helps we have for gaining scripture-knowledge. (2.) From those
to whom much is given much is expected. (3.) Those who have a good
understanding in the gospel should be teachers of other, if not in
a public, yet in a private station. (4.) None should take upon them
to be teachers of others, but those who have made a good
improvement in spiritual knowledge themselves.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p26">2. Observe the sad disappointment of those
just expectations: <i>You have need that one should teach you
again,</i> &amp;c. Here note, (1.) In the oracles of God there are
some first principles, plain to be understood and necessary to be
learned. (2.) There are also deep and sublime mysteries, which
those should search into who have learned the first principles,
that so they may stand complete in the whole will of God. (3.) Some
persons, instead of going forward in Christian knowledge, forget
the very first principles that they had learned long ago; and
indeed those that are not improving under the means of grace will
be losing. (4.) It is a sin and shame for persons that are men for
their age and standing in the church to be children and babes in
understanding.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Heb.vi-p27">IV. The apostle shows how the various
doctrines of the gospel must be dispensed to different persons.
There are in the church babes and persons of full age (<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p27.1" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.12-Heb.5.14" parsed="|Heb|5|12|5|14" passage="Heb 5:12-14"><i>v.</i> 12-14</scripRef>), and there are in
the gospel milk and strong meat. Observe, 1. Those that are babes,
unskillful in the word of righteousness, must be fed with milk;
they must be entertained with the plainest truths, and these
delivered in the plainest manner; <i>there must be line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little,</i>
<scripRef id="Heb.vi-p27.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.28.10" parsed="|Isa|28|10|0|0" passage="Isa 28:10">Isa. xxviii. 10</scripRef>. Christ
despises not his babes; he has provided suitable food for them. It
is good to be babes in Christ, but not always to continue in that
childish state; we should endeavor to pass the infant state; we
should always remain in malice children, but in understanding we
should grow up to a manly maturity. 2. There is strong meat for
those that are of full age, <scripRef id="Heb.vi-p27.3" osisRef="Bible:Heb.5.14" parsed="|Heb|5|14|0|0" passage="Heb 5:14"><i>v.</i>
14</scripRef>. The deeper mysteries of religion belong to those
that are of a higher class in the school of Christ, who have
learned the first principles and well improved them; so that by
reason of use they have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil, duty and sin, truth and error. Observe, (1.) There have
been always in the Christian state children, young men, and
fathers. (2.) Every true Christian, having received a principle of
spiritual life from God, stands in need of nourishment to preserve
that life. (3.) The word of God is food and nourishment to the life
of grace: <i>As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word
that you may grow thereby.</i> (4.) It is the wisdom of ministers
rightly to divide the word of truth, and to give to every one his
portion—milk to babes, and strong meat to those of full age. (5.)
There are spiritual senses as well as those that are natural. There
is a spiritual eye, a spiritual appetite, a spiritual taste; the
soul has its sensations as well as the body; these are much
depraved and lost by sin, but they are recovered by grace. (6.) It
is by use and exercise that these senses are improved, made more
quick and strong to taste the sweetness of what is good and true,
and the bitterness of what is false and evil. Not only reason and
faith, but spiritual sense, will teach men to distinguish between
what is pleasing and what is provoking to God, between what is
helpful and what is hurtful to our own souls.</p>
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