144 the fecond Sign. PART III. the truce Saint's Superflructure, is the Hypocrite's Foundation. When they hear of the wonderful Things of the Gofpel, of God's great Love in fending his Son, of Chrift's dying Love to Sinners, and the great Things Chrift has purchafed, and promifed to the Saints, and hear thefe Things livelily and eloquently fet forth ; they may hear with a great deal of Pleafure, and he lifted up with what they hear : but if their Joy be examined, it will be found to have no other Foun- dation than this, that they look upon thefe Things as their's, all this exalts them, they love to hear of the great Love of Chrifl fo vaffly diftinguifhing fome from others ; for Self- love, and even Pride itfelf, makes 'em affect great Diflinction from others : No Wonder, in this confident Opinion of their own good Eflate, that they feel well under fuch Doctrine, and are pleafed in the higheft Degree, in hear- ing how much God and Chrift makes of 'coi. So that their Joy is really a Joy in themfelves, and not in God. And becaufe the Joy of Hypocrites is in themfelves, hence it comes to pals, that in their Rejoicings and Elevations, they are wont to keep their Eye upon themfelves ; having received what they call fpiritual Difcoveries or Experiences, their Minds are taken up about them, admiring their own Experiences : And what they are princi- 6,6 íC Mind, which is the firft Subject 'affected with it, proceeds not fo far, as to give it Delight, Complacency and Satisfac- tion in the lovely fpiritual Nature and Excellencies of the Things revealed unto it. The true Nature of faving Illu- mination confifls in this, that it gives the Mind fuch a direé intuitive Infight and Profpedl into fpiritual Things, as that in their own fpiritual Nature they fuit, pleafe, and fitisfv it ; fo that it is transformed into them, call into the Mould of them, and rafts in them ; Rom. 6. 17. Chap. 12. 2. x Cor. 2. 13, r q... 2 Cor. 3. 18. Chap. 4. 6. This, the Work we have infifted on, reacheth not unto. For notwithftanding any Difcovery that is made therein of fpiritual Things unto the Mind, it finds not an immediate, direc'I, fpiritual Excel- lency in them ; but only with Refpea unto fome Benefit or Advantage, which is to be attained by Means thereof. It will not give fuch a fpiritual Infight into the Myftery ofGod's Grace by Jefus Chrift, called his Glory fhining in the Face Of Chrifl, 2 Cor. 4.`6. as that the Soul, in its firfl direst View of it, fhouid, for what it is in itfelf, admire it, delight in it; approve it, and find fpiritual Solace, with Refrefhment, in it. But fuch a Light, fuch a Knowledge, it communicates, as that a Man may like it well in its EffeSts, as a Way of Mercy and Salvation. " pally
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