be judg'd by the sentient and vital Faculties, and not by the noetical Exercises of speculative understandings: And upon the whole, I believe infinitely that the Divine Spirit affords its sensible presence, and immediate beatifick Touch to some rare Souls, who are divested of carnal self and mundane Pleasures, abstracted from the Body by Prayer and holy Meditation; spiritual in their Desires, and calm in their Affections; devout Lovers of God and Vertue, and tenderly affectonate to all the World; sincere in their aims, and circumspect in their Actions; inlarged in their Souls, clear in their Minds: These I think are the dispositions that are requisite to fit us for Divine Communion; and God transacts not in this near way, but with prepared Spirits who are thus disposed for the manifestation of his presence and his influence: And such, I believe, he never fails to bless with these happy foretastes of Glory.
But for those that are passionate and conceited, turbulent and notional, confident and immodest, imperious and malicious; that doat upon trifles, and run fiercely in the ways of a Sect, that are lifted up in the apprehension of the glorious prerogatives of themselves and their Party, and scorn all the World besides; For such, I say, be their pretentions what they will, to divine Communion, Illapses, and Discoveries, I believe them not; their Fancies abuse them, or they would us. For what Communion hath Light with Darkness, or the Spirit of the HOLY ONE with those whose genius and ways are so unlike him? But the other excellent Souls I described, will as certainly be visited by the Divine Presence, and Converse, as the Chrystalline Streams are with the beams of Light, or the fitly prepar'd Earth whose Seed is in it self, will be actuated by the spirit of Nature.
So that there is no reason to object here the want of Angelical Communications, though there were none vouchsafed us – since good Men enjoy the Divine, which are infinitely more satisfactory and indearing.
And now I may have leave to proceed to the next Objection, which may be made to speak thus:
