Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

.PART III, of religious Aileaio7rs. 103 delicious Tafle not only becaufe he has fe'en it's pleafant Colours, but knows it's Tweet Tafle ; the other, perfeély ignorant of this, loves it only for its beautiful Colours : There are many Things feem, in fome Refpea, to be common to both both love, both defire, and both delight ; but the Love, `and Defire, and Delight of the one, is altogether diverfe from that of the other. The Difference between the Love of a natural Man and fpiritual Man is like to this ; but only it muff be obferved, that in one Refpca it is vaftly greater, teiz. that the Kinds of Excellency which are perceived in fpiritual Obje&s, by there different Kinds of Perfons, are in themfelves vafily more di- verfe, than the different Kinds of Excellency perceived in delicious Fruit, by a tailing and a taflelefs Man ; and in another Refpe& it may not be fo great, viz. as the fpiritual Man may have a fpiritual Senfe or Tafle, to perceive that divine and molt peculiar Excellency, but in, fmall Beginnings, and in a very irrrperfe& Degree. 2: On the other Hand, it muff be obferved, that a natural Man may have thole religious Apprehenfions and Affections, which may be in many Refpeds very new and furprifing to him, and what before he did not conceive of ; and yet what he experiences be nothing like the Exercifes of a Principle of new Nature, or the Senfations of a new fpiritual Senfe : His Affeaions may be very new, by extraordinarily moving natural Principles, in a very new Degree, - and with a great many new Circumflances, and a2new Co- operation of natural Affec- tions, and a new Compofition of. Ideas ; this may be from fome extra-, ordinary powerful Influence of Satan and fome great Delufi'on ; but there is nothing hutNat.ure extraordinarily ailed. As if a poorMan, that had always dwelt in a Cottage, and had never looked beyond the obfcure Village where he was born; fhould in a Jeff, be taken to a magnificent City and.Prince's Court, and there arrayed in princely Robes, and fet in the Throne, with the Crown Royal on his Head, Peers and Nobles bowing before him, and fhould be made to believe that he was now a glorious Monarch ; the Ideas he would have, and the Affeaions he would experience, would in many Refpec`Is be very new, and fuch as he had no Imagination of before ; but all is no more, than only extraordinarily railing and exciting naturalPrinciplés, and newly exalting, varying and compounding fuch Sort of Ideas, as he has by Nature ; here is nothing like giving him a new Senfe. Upon the Whole, I think it is clearly manifefl, that all -truly gra- cious Affeaions do arife from fpecial and peculiar Influences of the Spirit, working that fenfible. Efea or Senfation in the Souls of the Saints, which are entirely different from all that it is poffible a natu- ral Man fliould, experience, not only different in Degree andCircum- ffances, but different in its whole Nature : So that a natural Man not only cannot experience that which is individually the fame, but can't experience any thing but what is exceeding diverfe, and im- H 4 menfely

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