PART IIí, /gracious 4ed ons. generation, and what is the Objea of it. I have fhown that the im- mediate Objc& of it is the fupream Beauty and Excellency of the Nature of divine Things, as they are in thenhlelves. And this'is a- greable to the Scripture : The Apnffle very plainly teaches that the great Thing difcovered by fpirtuai Light, and underftood by fpiritual Knowledge, is the Glory of divine Things, 2 Car. 4. 3, 4. But if our Gopel be hid, it is hid to them that are 12/1 ; in Whom the God of this World bath blinded the Minds of them that believe not; 1 fi the Light of the gloriousGolpel ofGhr:W,who is 'theImage ofGod, fhould'Line unto th, m : together with Ver. 6. For God who commanded the Light to trine out of Darknefs, hash / ined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Know- ledge of the Glory of God in the Face of j efss Crri : And Cl,. p. 3. 18. proceeding, But we all, with open Face, beholding as in a Glafs, the Glory ofthe Lord, are changed into the game ]aaage, t om Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the .[.ord. Art t r mLlf ii °ed ' for as has been before obiorved, r c. Scripture cftt.n teaches that all Religion fummarily conf its in the Love of divine Things, And therefore that Kind of Underfftanding; or Knowledge, which is the proper Foundation of true Religion, muff be the Knowledge of the Lovelinefs of divine Things. For doubtlefs, that Knowledge which is the proper Foundation of Love, is the Knowledge of Lovelinef. What that Beauty or Lovelinefs ofdivine Things is, which is the pro- per and immediate Objeél of a fpiritual Senfe of Mind, was `sewed under the hit Head infitted on, viz. That it is the Beauty of their moral Perfedtion, Therefore it is in the View or Senfe of this, that fpiritual Underflanding does' more immediately and primarily confiff. And issdeed it is plain it can be nothing elf! ; for ( as has been thewn ) there is nothing pertaining to divine Things betides the Beauty of their moral Excellency, and thofe Properties and Qtalities of divine Things which this Beauty is the Foundation of, but what natural Men and Devils can fee and know, and will know fully and clearly to all Eternity. From what has been faid, therefore, we come neceffarily to this Conclufion, concerning that wherein fpiritualUnderftanding confifis ; viz. That it confifts in a Senfe ofthe Heart, of the fupreamBeauty and Sweetnefs ofthe Holine s or moral Perfettion of divine Things, together with all that Pile'erning and Knowledge of Things of Religion, that de- pends upon, and f onusfrom fuch a Senfe. Spiritual Underflanding confiffs primarily in a Senfe ofHeart ofthat fpiritual Beauty. I fay, a Senfe of Heart ; for it is not speculation meetly that is concerned in this Kind of Underfianding : Nor can there be a clear Diftiní`tion made between the two Faculties of Un- derftanding and Will, as acing diflinEtly and feparately, in this Mat- ter. When the Mind is fenfsble of the fweet Beauty and Amiable- nefs of aThing, That implies aSenfrblenefs of Sweetnefs andDelight in M2, the
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