16e The fourth Sign PART Il. his Natures ; nor have they any further Underflanding of his Word, or any of his 'Ways or Works. Truly fpiritual and gracious Affec- tions are not raifed after this Manner : Thefe arife from the enlight- ning of the Underftanding to underffand the Things that are taught of God and Chrift, in a new Manner, the coming to a new Un- derftanding of the excellent Nature of God, and his wonderful Per- fections, fome new View of Chrift in his fpiritual Excellencies and Fulnefs, or Things open'd to him in a new Manner, that appertain to the Way of Salvation by Chrift, whereby he now fees how it is, and underftands thofe divine and fpiritual Doctrines which once were Foolifhnefs to him. Such Enlightnings of the Underftanding as thefe, are Things entirely different in their Nature, from ftrong Ideas of Shapes and Colours, and outward Brightnefs and Glory, or Sounds and Voices. That all gracious Affections do arife from Tome Inftruction or Enlightning of the Underftanding, is therefore a fur- ther Proof, that Affections which arife from fuch Imprei^n ,.3n the Imagination, are not gracious Affections, befides the Things obfer- ved before, which make this evident. Hence alto it appears, that Affections arifing from Texts of Scrip- ture coming to the Mind are vain, when no Inflruction received in the Underftanding from thofe Texts, or any Thing taught in thofe Texts, is the Ground of the Affection, but the Manner of their coming to the Mind. When Chrift makes the Scripture a Means ofthe Heart's burning with gracious Affection, 'tis by opening the Scrip- tures to theirUnderflandings ; Luke 24.32. Did not our Heart burn with- in us, while he talked with us by the TUay, and while he opened to us the Scriptures 2 It appears alto that the Affection which is occafioned by the coming of a Text of Scripture muff be vain, when the Affection is founded on fomething that is fuppofed to be taught by it, which really is not contained in it, nor in any other Scripture; becaufe fuch fuppofed InftruCtion is not real Inftruction, but a Miftake, and Mifapprehenfion of the Mind. As for Inffance, when Perfons fup- pole that they are exprefly taught by fome Scripture coming to their Minds, that they in particular are beloved of God, or that their Sins are forgiven, that God is their Father, and the like : This is a Mif- take or Mifapprehenfion ; for the Scripture no where reveals the in- dividual Perfons who are beloved, exprefly ; but'only byConfequence, by revealing the Qualifications of Perfons that are beloved of .God : And therefore this Matter is not to be learn'd from Scripture any other Way than by Confequence, and from thefe Qualifications : For Things ben't to be learn'd from the Scripture any other Way than they are taught in the Scripture. Affections really arife from Ignorance, rather than Inffruction, in Inftances which have been mention'd ; as likewife in fome others that might be mention'd. As fome when they find thele-
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