Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

iòz 'heffirf Sign PART III, But here two Thingstauft be obferved in order to the right Under- flanding of this. . On the one Hand it muff be obferved, that not every Thing which in any Refpea appertains to fpiritual Affe&ions, is new and entirely different from what natural Men can conceive of, and do ex- perience ; fome Things are common to gracious Affeaions with o- ther Af#ec`tions ; many Circumftances, Appendages and Effeas are common. Thus a Saint's Love to God has a great many Things appertaining to it, which are common with a Man's natural Love to a near Relation : Love to God makes a Man have Defires of the Ho- nour of God, and a Defire to pleafe him ; fo does a natural Man's Love to his Friend make him defire his Honour, and defire to pleafe him : 'Love to God caufes a Man to delight in the Thoughts of God, and to delight in the Prefence of God, and to defire Conformity to God, and the Enjoyment of God ; and fo it is with a Man's Love to his Friend ; and many other Things might be mention'd which are commcin to both. But yet that Idea which the Saint has of the Love- linefs of God, and that Senfation, and that Kind of Delight he has in that View, which is as it were the Marrow and Qiintefl'ence of his Love, is peculiar, and entirely diverfe from any Thing that a natural Man has, or can have any Notion of. And even in thofel'hings that Teem to be common, there is fomething peculiar : Both fpiritualLove and Natural, caufe Defires after the Objea beloved ; but they bent the fame Sort of Defires there is a Senfation of Soul in the fpiritual Defires of one that loves God, which is entirely different from all na- tural Defires : Both fpiritual Love and natural Love are attended with Delight in the Objea beloved ; but the Senfations of Delight are not the fame, but entirely and exceedingly diverfe. Natural Men may have Conceptions of many Things about fpiritual Affeaions but there is fomething in them which is as it were the Nucleus, or Kernel of them, that they have no more Conceptions of, than one born blind has of Colours. It may be clearly illuffrated by this We will fuppofe two Men; one is born without the Senfe of Tailing, the other has it; the latter loves Honey, and is greatly delighted in it becaufe he knows the fweet Taffe of it ; the other loves certain Sounds and Colours : The Love of each has many Things that appertain to it, which is common; it caufes both to Defire and Delight in the Objea beloved, and caufes Grief when it is abfent, &c. - -- : But yet, that Idea or Senfation which he who knows the Tafle of Honey, has of its Excellency and Sweet - nefs, that is the Foundation ofhis Love, is entirely different from any Thing the other has or can have ; and that Delight which he has in Honey, is wholly diverfe,from any Thing that the other can conceive of; tho' they both delight in their beloved Objcas. ,So both thefe Perfons may in fome Refpects love the fame Obje6} : The one may love a delicious Kind of Fruit, which is beautiful to the Eye, and of a delicious

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