PART IL to diflinguifh 1,ffeaions. 37 have in the Prophet Daniel, and the Apoftle yohn. Daniel giving an Account of an external Reprefentation of the Glory of Chrift, lays, Dan. r o. 8. find there remained no Strength in me, for my Comelinefs was turned into Corruption; and I retained no Strength. And the Apoftle john giving an Account of a like Manifeftation made to him, faye, Rev. 1.17. Adwhenlfaw him,lfell at his Feet as dead. 'Tis invain to fay here,thefe were only externalManifeflations orSymbols oftheGlory of Chrift, which thefe Saints beheld : For tho' it be true, that they were outward Reprefentations of Chrift's Glory, which they beheld with their bodily Eyes ; yet the End and Ufe of thefe external Sym- bols or Reprefentations, was to give to thefe Prophets an Idea of the Thing reprefented, and that was the true divine Glory and Majefty of Chriff, which is his fpiritual Glory ; they were made Ufe of only as Significations of this fpiritual Glory, and thus undoubtedly they re- ceived them, and improved them, and were affedled by them. Ac- cording to the End, for which God intended thefe outward Signs,they received by them a great and lively Apprehenfion of the real Glory and Majefty of God's Nature, which they were Signs of ; and thus . were greatly affe&ed, their Souls(wallowed up, and their Bodies over- born. And I think,they are very bold and daring, who will fay God cannot, or (hall not give the like clear and affecting Ideas and Appre- henfions of the fame real Glory and Majefty of his Nature, to none of his Saints,without the Intervention of any fuch externalShadows of it. Before I leave this Head, I would farther obferve, that 'tis plain, the Scripture often makes Ufe of bodily Effeas,to exprefs the Strength of holy and fpiritual Affections ; fuch as trembling,* groaning,-{- being ftck,11 crying out,t panting,§ and fainting.[`] Now if it be fuppofed, that thefe are only figurative Expreflions, to reprefent the Degree of Affe6tion ; yet I hope all will allow, that they are fit and fuitable Fi- gures to reprefent the highDegree of thofe fpiritual Affedtions,which the Spirit of God makes Ufe of them to reprefent. Which I don't fee how they would be, if thofe fpiritual Affeaions, let them be in never fo high a Degree, have no Tendency to any fuch Things ; but that on the contrary, they are the proper Effeas, and fad Tokens of falle Affections, and the Delufion of the Devil. I can't think, God would commonly make Ufe of Things which are very alien from fpiritual Affections, and are lhrewd Marks of the Hand of Satan, and fmell ftrong of the bottomlefs Pit, as beautiful Figures, to repre- fent the high Degree of holy and heavenly Affeaions. Pfal. 119. 120. Ezra 9.4. Ifa. 66. 2,5. Hab. 3.16. Rom. 8. 26. li Cant. 2. 5. and 5. 8. $ Pfal. 84. 2. § Pfal. 38. 10. and 42. 1. and 119. 131. [ *] Pfal. 84. 2. and 119.. 81. D 3 III. 'Tis
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