PART III. ofgracious Ajeaions. 197 1. There is aDegree ofConvié}ion oftheTruth of the great Things of Religion, that arifes from the common Enlightnings of the Spirit of God. That more livelyand fenfibleApprehenfionof theThings of Reli gion, with Refpea to what is natural in them, fuch as natural Men have who are under Awakenings and common Illuminations, will give fome Degree of ConviIion of the Truth of divine Things, be- yond what they had before they were thus enlighten'd. For hereb they fee the Manifeftations there are, in the Revelation made in thf- holy Scriptures, and things exhibited in that Revelation, of the natu- ral Perfections of God ; fuch as his Greatnefs, Power, and awfil. Majefly ; which tends to convince the Mind, that this is the War, of a great and terrible God. From the Tokens there are of Gods: Grcatnefs and Majefty in his Word and Works, which they have great Senfe of, from the common Influence of the Spirit of God, they may have a much greater Conviaion that thefe are indeed the Word and Works of a very great invifible Being. And the lively Ap. prehenfion of the Greatnefs of God, which natural Men may have tends to make 'em fenfible of the great Guilt, which Sin againft fuch a God brings, and the Dreadfulnefs of his Wrath for Sin. And thi tends to caufe them more eafily and fully to believe the Revelation the Scripture makes of another World, and of the extream Mifery it threatens, there to be infliaed on Sinners. And fo from that Senfe of the great natural Good there is in the Things of Religion, which is fometimes given in common Illuminations, Men may be the more induced to believe the Truth of Religion. Thefe Things Perfons may have, and yet have no Senfe of the Beauty and Amiableuefs of the moral and holy Excellency that is in the Things of Religion ; and therefore no fpiritual Convidtion of their Truth. But yet fuch Con viaions are fometimes miítaken, for Paving Conviaions, and the Af- fections flowing from 'em, for faving Affections. 2. The extraordinary Imprefiîons which are made on the Imagina- tions of fome Perfons, in the Vifions, and immediate ftrong Impulfe> and Suggeftions that they have, as tho' they faw Sights, an had Words fpoken to 'em, may, and often do beget a ftrong Perfwafion of the Truth of invifible Things. Tho' the general Tendency of fuch Things, in their final Iflùe, is to draw 1VIen off from the Word of God, and to caufe 'em to reject the Gofpel, and to eftablifh Unbelief and Atheifm ; yet for the prefent, they may, and often do beget a confident Perfwafion of the Truth of fome Things that are revealed in the Scriptures ; however their Confidence is founded in Delufion, and fo nothing worth. As for Inflance, if a Perfon has by fome in- vifible Agent, immediately and ftrongly impreffed on his Imagination, the Appearance of a bright Light, and glorious Form of a Perfori feated on a Throne, with great external Majefty and Beauty, utter.- 0 3 ing
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