OP SPIRITUAL 1FIINDLDNESSa 305 thereon discovers the excellency of his person, and the glory of his mediation, will both love him, and on his believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. So is it in all other instances; the more steady is our view by faith of spiritual things, the more firm and constant will our affections be in cleaving to them. And wherever the mind is darkened about them by temptation or seduction from the truth, there the affections will be quickly weakened and impaired. Wherefore, Thirdly. Affections thus led to, and fixed on, spirit- ual and heavenly things, under the light and conduct of faith, are more and more renewed, or made in them- selves more spiritual and heavenly. They are, in their cleaving to them, and delight in them, continually changed and assimilated to the things themselves becoming more and more to be what they are, namely, spiritual and heavenly. This transformation is wrought by faith, and is one of the most excellent faculties and operations; see 2 Cor. iii. 18; and the means whereby it works herein, are our affections. In them, as we are carnal, we are conformed to this world : and by them, as sanctified; are we transformed in the renewing of our minds, Rom. xii. 2. And this transformation is the introdu.c tion of a new form or nature into our souls; diverse from that wherewith we were before endued. So is it described, Isaiah xi. 6 -9. A spiritual nature they were changed into. And it is two-fold. First: Original and radical as to the substance or essence of it, which is the effect of the first act of divine grace upon our souls, when we are made new creatures. Herein our affections are passive, they do not transform us, but are transformed. 26*
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