100 Thefir/t Sign Mind has, or à Principle of new Kind of Perception or fpiritual Senfation, which is in its whole Nature different from any former Kinds of Senfation of the Mind, as Tafting is diverfe from any of the other Senfes ; and fomething is perceived by a true Saint, in the Exercife of this new Senfe of Mind, in fpiritual and divine Things, as entirely diverfe from any Thing that is perceived in them, by na- tural Men, as the fweet Tafte of Honey is diverfe from the Ideas Men get of Honey by only looking on it, and feeling of it. So that the fpiritual Perceptions which a frnEiified and fpiritual Perfon has, are not only diverfe from all that natural Men have, after the Man- ner that the Ideas or Perceptions of the fameSenfe may differ one from another, but rather as the Ideas and Senfations of different Senfes do differ. Hence the Work of the Spirit of God in Regeneration is often in Scripture compared to the giving a new Senfe, giving Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear, unftopping the Ears of the Deaf, and open- ing the Eyes of them that were born Blind, and turning from Dark- nefs unto Light. And becaufe this fpiritual Senfe is immenfely the molt noble and excellent, and that without which all other Principles of Perception, and all our Faculties are ufelefs and vain ; therefore the giving this new Senfe, with the bleffed Fruits and Effects of it in the Soul, is compared to a railing the Dead, and to a new Creation. This new fpiritual Senfe, and the new Difpofitions that attend it, are no new Faculties, but are new Principles of Nature. I ufe the Word Principles, for want of a Word of a more determinate Signifi- cation. By a Principle of Nature in this Place, I mean that Foun- dation which is laid in Nature, either old or new, for any particular Manner or Kind of Exercife of the Faculties of the Soul ; or a nata- ralHabit orFoundation forA6-tion,giving aPerfon Ability &Difpofition to exert theFaculties inExercifes of fuck a certainKind ; fo that to ex- ert theFaculties in thatKind of Exercifes,may be Paid to be hisNature. So this new fpiritualSenfe is not a newFaculty of Underftanding,but it is a new Foundation laid in theNature of the Soul, for a newKind of Exercifes of the fame Faculty of Underftanding. So that new holy Difpofitions of Heart that attends this new Senfe,is not a new Faculty of Will, but a Foundation laid in the Nature of the Soul, for a new Kind of Exercifes of the fame Faculty of Will. The Spirit of God, in all his Operations upon the Minds of natural Men, only moves, impre ffes, ailifts, improves, or fome Way ae-ts up- on natural Principles ; but gives no new fpiritual Principle. Thus when the Spirit of God gives a natural ManVifions, as he did Balaam, he only imprefles a natural Principle, viz. the Senfe of feeing, imme- diately exciting Ideas of that Senfe ; but he gave no new Senfe ; nei- ther was there any Thing fupernatural, fpiritual or divine in it. So if the Spirit of God impreffes' on a Man's Imagination, either in a Dream, PART III;
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