The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

2. It produces the most sincere and lasting pleasure. As the taste is to meat, to allure us to feed for the support of our bodies; that is delight to Knowledge, to excite the mind to seek after it. But its vast capacity can never be satisfied with the knowledge of inferior things. The pleasure is more in the acquisition, than in the possession of it. For the mind is diverted in the search, but having attained to that knowledge which cannot fill the rational appetite, 'tis disgusted with the fruits of its travel, and seeks some other object to relieve its languor. From hence it is, that variety is the spring of delight, and pleasure is the product of novelty. We find the pleasure of the first taste in learning something new, is always most sensible. The most elegant compositions, and excellent discourses, which ravished at the first reading, yet repeated often are nauseous and irksome. The exercise of the mind on an object fully known, is unprofitable, and therefore tedious: whereas by turning the thoughts on something else, it may acquire new knowledge. But the Apostle tells us that the Mystery of our Redemption contains all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge, to intimate their excellence,¹ and abundance: the unsearchable riches of Grace are laid up in it. There is infinite variety ⟨p. 119⟩and perpetual matter for the inquiry of the most excellent understanding: no created reason is able to reach its height or sound its depths: by the continual study, and increase in the knowledge of it, the mind enjoys a persevering pleasure, that far exceeds the short vehemence of sensual delights.

2. It produces the most sincere and lasting pleasure. As the taste is to meat, to allure us to feed for the support of our bodies; that is delight to Knowledge, to excite the mind to seek after it. But its vast capacity can never be satisfied with the knowledge of inferior things. The pleasure is more in the acquisition, than in the possession of it. For the mind is diverted in the search, but having attained to that knowledge which cannot fill the rational appetite, 'tis disgusted with the fruits of its travel, and seeks some other object to relieve its langour. From hence it is, that variety is the spring of delight, and pleasure is the product of novelty. We find the pleasure of the first taste in learning something new, is alwayes most sensible. The most elegant compositions, and excellent discourses, which ravisht at the first reading, yet repeated often are nauseous and irksome. The exercise of the mind on an object fully known, is unprofitable, and therefore tedious: whereas by turning the thoughts on something else, it may acquire new knowledge. But the Apostle tells us that the Mystery of our Redemption contains all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge, to intimate their excellence,