Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

PART III, of gracious. Afe tionsti 155 and to the Word of God, and your Joy in them, and alfa your Love to the People of God, . and your Defires after Heaven ; whether they be from a fupream Delight in this Sort of Beauty, without being primarily moved from your imagined Interef} in them, or Expedtations from 'em. There are many high Affedtions, great feeming' Love and rapturous Joys, which have nothing of this holy Relifh belonging to 'em. Particularly, By what has been Paid you may try your Difcoveries of the Glory of God's Grace and Love, and your Affections arifing from them. The Grace of God may appear lovely two Ways ; either as Bonum Utile, a profitable Good to me, that which greatly ferves my Intereft, and fo fuits my Self-Love ; or asBonumformofum, a Beautiful Good in itfelf, and Part of the moral and fpiritual Excel- lency of the divine Nature. In this latter Refpect it is that the true Saints have their I-I'earts affected, and Love captivated by the , free Grace of God in the firít Place. From the Things that have been faid, it appears, that if Perfons have a great Senfe of the natural Perfedtions of God, and are greatly affected with them, or have any other Sight or Senfe of God, than that which confifts in, or implies a Serife of the Beauty of his moral Perfedtions, it is no certain Sign of Grace : As particularly, Men's having a great Senfe of the awful Greatnefs, and terrible Majfly of God ; for this is only God's natural Perfedtion, and what Men may fee, and yet be entirely blind to the Beauty of his moral Perfedtion, and have nothing of that fpiritual Tatte which relifhes this divine Sweetnefs. It has been flown already, in what was laid upon the firft diflin- guifhing Mark of gracious Affedions, that that which is fpiritual; is entirely different in its Nature, from all that it is poffible any grace- lefs Perfon fhould be the Subjedt of, while he continues gracelefs. But 'tis poflib.le that thofe who are wholly without Grace, fhould have a clear Sight, and very great and affedtingSenfe of God'sGreat- nefs, his mighty: Power, and awful Majefty ; for this is what the Devil's have, tho' they have loft the fpiritual Knowledge of God, confifting in a Senfe of the Amiablenefs of his moral Perfedlions ; they are perfedtly deftitute of any Senfe or Relifh of that Kind of Beauty, yet they have a very great Knowledge of the natural Glory of God (ifI may fo (peak) or his awful Greatnefs and Majefty ; this they behold, and are affedted with the Apprehenfions of, and there- fore tremble before him. This Glory of God all (hall behold at the Day of Judgment ; God will make all rational Beings to behold it to a great Degree indeed, Angels and Devils, Saints and Sinners : He will manifeft his infinite Greatnefs, and awful Majefty to every One, in a moft open, clear and convincing Manner, and in a Light that none can refit±, when be Jhall come in the Glory of his Fdther, -and

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