God, and in conformity to the will of God; exactly similar are the effects of that love which one man may bear to another. But yet the conceptions which the saints have of the loveliness of God, and that kind of delight in him which they experience, are quite peculiar, and entirely different from any thing which a natural man can possess, or of which he can form any proper notion. And even in those circumstances which seem to be common, there is something peculiar; both spiritual and natural love produce desires after the object beloved; but they are not the same kind of desires: there is a sensation of soul in spiritual desires which is very different from all natural desires. Both spiritual and natural love are attended by delight in the object beloved; but the sensations of delight are not the same, but exceedingly different. Natural men may have conceptions of many things about spiritual affections; but still there is something in them of which they can form no proper notion.

(2.) On the other hand, a natural man may have religious apprehensions and affections which, in many respects, are quite new to him; and yet what he ex periences may not be the exercise of a new principle, nor the sensations of a new spiritual apprehension. His affections may be quite new, through the influence of natural principles, arising from some powerful influence of Satan, or some kind of strong delusion.

Upon the whole, I think it clearly evident, that all truly gracious affections arise from the special and peculiar influences of the Holy Spirit; producing those sensible effects in the souls of the saints which are entirely different from all that a natural man can possibly experience, not only in degree and circumstances, but in the whole of their nature. A natural man not

only cannot experience that which is exactly the same, but he cannot experience any thing but what is exceedingly different, and immensely inferior.

I have insisted largely on this matter, because it is of great importance, in order to discover and exhibit the delusions of Satan in various kinds of false religious affections, by which many persons are deluded; and in order to determine and settle many points of doctrine respecting the operations of the Spirit of God, and the nature of true grace.

I therefore now come to apply these things to the purpose of this discourse.

From hence it appears, that the impressions which are made on the imaginations of some persons, or the conceptions which they have of God, of heaven, and of other things belonging to religion, possess nothing truly spiritual, of the nature of real grace. Though what is spiritual may attend such impressions, and be mixed with them; yet in themselves they possess nothing that is spiritual, nor are they any part of gracious experience.

Many persons who have had powerful impressions upon the imagination, have very ignorantly supposed them to be of the nature of spiritual discoveries. They have had lively ideas of some well proportioned figure or beautiful form of countenance; and this they call a spiritual sight of Christ. Some have had impressed upon their minds the idea of a great light; and this they call a spiritual view of the glory of God. Some have been impressed with an idea of Christ hanging on the cross, and of his blood flowing from his wounds. and this they call a spiritual sight of Christ, and of the way of salvation. Some have imagined that they saw him with his arms extended, ready to embrace them

and this they call a spiritual discovery of the sufficiency of his grace, and a certain proof that he loves them. Some have had lively ideas of heaven, and of Christ on his throne there, surrounded by saints and angels; and this they call a spiritual view of heaven. And in like manner, the imaginations of some persons have been impressed with ideas of hearing. They have imagined that Christ was speaking to them in the language of comfort and encouragement. These things they have denominated the inward call of Christ, having the witness of the Spirit, a testimony of the favor of God, &c.

Persons of little information, and who are not accustomed to reflect, more readily conclude that these things are spiritual, because spiritual things being invisible, we are obliged to use figurative expressions in speaking of them. Thus we call a clear apprehension of spiritual things by the name of light; and the conviction of the judgment, and the persuasion of the will, when produced by the word and Spirit of God, we denominate spiritually hearing the call of Christ. Some persons upon hearing these expressions often used, and having the necessity of their eyes being opened, of their having a discovery of spiritual things, &c. urged upon them, ignorantly expect some such discoveries and views as have been spoken of; and when these are obtained, they are confident that their eyes are now opened, that Christ has now manifested himself to them as their Savior; and hence they are exceedingly affected by their supposed deliverance and privileges, and thus many kinds of affections are immediately and powerfully excited.

But it is very evident that such discoveries have nothing in them really spiritual and divine: they are in no respect of such a kind as to be entirely, and in the

whole of their nature, different from all that natural men can possibly experience, so that in order to possess them, we must have a new spiritual and divine principle communicated. A natural man is as capable of having a lively idea of shapes, and colors, and sounds, in reference to absent objects, impressed upon his mind, as a regenerate man. And it is ascertained by abundant experience, that it is not from mental cultivation that persons are rendered more liable to such lively ideas; but that, on the contrary, the weakness of the body and of the mind conduces very much to this susceptibility.

These ideas, though the manner in which they are impressed is sometimes extraordinary, are no better on that account: they are still not of a different kind from what men obtain by their senses. For instance, the conception which an unregenerate man has of Christ hanging on the cross and shedding his blood, is no better in itself than the conceptions which the Jews, his enemies, had, who stood round his cross, and witnessed his crucifixion. Yea, if men should actually receive such ideas by the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, unaccompanied by a gracious change of disposition, they would not be spiritual, they would be nothing more than the common work of the Spirit of God. Balaam had impressed on his mind, by divine influence, a clear and lively representation or idea of Jesus Christ, as the star rising out of Jacob, when he heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, and saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance. Numb. 24: 16, 17. Notwithstanding this he had no spiritual discovery of Christ; that Day-star never spiritually arose in his heart.

And as these ideas have nothing spiritual in their

nature, nothing but what natural men, without any new principles, are capable of-so there is nothing in their nature which requires that gracious influence of the Spirit of God which is necessary to the production of true grace. There appears nothing in them above the power of Satan. The Devil can no doubt suggest ideas, otherwise he could not tempt men to sin. They may be raised merely by impressions made on the body, by moving the animal spirits, and impressing the brain. Experience abundantly shows that changes in the body often exert a palpable effect upon the mind.

But it is also evident that the devil not only can, but that he often has excited such ideas. This appears from the dreams and visions of the false prophets of old, who were under the influence of lying spirits. See Deut. 13:1; 1 Kings, 22 : 22; Isaiah, 28: 7; Ezek. 13:7; Zech. 13: 4. And if Satan, or any created being has power to impress the mind with ideal representations, then no particular kind of such representations can be any evidence of a divine and gracious influence, for no higher kind of power is required to form in the brain one shape or color than ancther. It is evident therefore, that if it is in the power of the Devil to produce any kind of impression on the imagination, he may produce all kinds.

From hence it also appears that nothing of this kind is spiritual and divine, in the sense in which it has been proved that all gracious experience is. And though, in some degree, such ideas attend gracious experience, yet they are no part of that experience. Owing to our infirmities in the present state, and especially to the weak constitution of some persons, gracious affections, when very strong, undoubtedly excite lively ideas in