212 The fixth Sign PART HI. and exempt Inftance ; for he fees only the outfide ofother Chriftians, but he fees his own infide. Here the Reader may poffibly objeE, that Love toGod is really in- creafed, in Proportion as the Knowledge of God is increafed ; and therefore how fhould an Increafe of Knowledge in a Saint, make his Love apear lefs, in Comparifon of what is known ? To which I anfwer, that altho' Grace and the Love of God in the Saints, be an- fwerable to the Degree of Knowledge or Sight of God ; yet it is not in Proportion to the Objedt feen & known. The Soul of a Saint, by having fomething of God open'd to Sight, is convinced ofmuch more than is feen. There is fomething that is feen, that is wonderful ; and that Sight brings with it a ftrong Conviction of fomething vaftly beyond, that is not immediately feen. So that the Soul, at the fame Time, is aftonifhed at it's Ignorance, and that it knows fo little, as well as that it loves fo little. And as theSoul, in a fpiritual View, is convinced of infinitely more in the Objet, yet beyond Sight ; fo it is convinced of the Capacity of the Soul, of knowing vaffly more, if Clouds and Darknefs were but removed, Which aaufes the Soul, in the Enjoyment of a fpiritual View, to com- plain greatly of fpiritual Ignorance, and Want of Love, and long and reach after more Knowledge, and more Love. Grace and the Love of God in the molt eminent Saints in this World, is truly very little in Comparifon of-what it ought to be. Be- esufe the higheft Love, that ever any attain to in this Life, is poor, eoid, exceeding hew, and.not worthy to be named in Comparifon of what our Obligations appear to be, from the joint Confideration of thefe two Things ; viz. r. The Reafon God has given us to love him, in the Manifeftations he has made of his infinite Glory, in his Nord, and in his Works ; and particularly in the Gofpel of his Son, and what he has done for finful Man by him. And 2. The Capaci- ty there is in the Soul of Man, by thofe intellectual Faculties which God has given it,of feeing and underltanding thefe Reafons,whichGod has given us to love him. How finall indeed is the Love of the molt eminent Saint on Earth, in Comparifon of what thefe Things jointly confidered do require ! And this Grace tends to convince Men of; and efpecially eminent Grace : for Grace is of the Nature of Light, and brings Truth to View. And therefore, he that has much Grace, apprehends much more than others, that great Height to which his Love ought to afcend ; and he fees better than others, how little a Way he has rifen towards that Height. And therefore, eftimating his Love by the whole Height of his Duty, hence it appears aftonifh- ingly little and low in his Eyes. And the eminent Saint, having inch a Conviction of the high De- gree in which he ought to love God, this Thews him, not only the Littlenefs of his Grace, but the Greatncfs. of his remaining Corrupti- or;
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