A discourse relating to the much-lamented death and solemn funeral of our incomparable and…

Therefore the making of such Spirits perfect, must be understood, in greatest part, to consist in restoring the Order of their Faculties towards each other; which was broken by the Apostasy to that degree, and they so debilitated, and become so languid, so impotent, and enfeebled, that neither could the one Faculty lead, nor the other follow. Whence Light, even about the most practical, and the most important Matters imaginable, true Notions, right Sentiments, signified no more to command, to govern, to form and direct the Inclinations and Motions of the Soul, than if, as to all its Sentiments about these Matters, you did put false instead of true, wrong instead of right, most absurd, most impossible, instead of most congruous, most necessary. Take, for instance, the Idea of God. Let it be supposed to comprehend (as every one grants it doth, whether he acknowledge his Existence or no) all conceivable, all possible Excellencies; that it means an infinite, eternal, everliving, self-subsisting Being, most perfectly intelligent, wise, true, holy, righteous, powerful, and blessed; the Original ⟨p. 25⟩of Life, Being, and Blessedness to the Creation, according to the several Kinds, Natures, and Capacities of his Creatures; the Supreme and Sovereign Lord of all, to whom it belongs to govern and dispose of what he hath made; of most immense and abounding Goodness and Benignity, most bountiful to the indigent, compassionate to the miserable, reconcilable to the guilty, propitious to the penitent, most complacentially kind, with highest delight, to the holy and the good, severe only to the obstinately impenitent and implacable, that will by no means or methods be reclaimed.

Therefore the making of such Spirits perfect, must be understood, in greatest part, to consist in restoring the Order of their Faculties towards each other; which was broken by the Apostacy to that degree, and they so debilitated, and become so languid, so impotent, and enfeebled, that neither could the one Faculty lead, nor the other follow. Whence Light, even about the most practical, and the most important Matters imaginable, true Notions, right Sentiments, signified no more to command, to govern, to form and direct the Inclinations and Motions of the Soul, than if, as to all its Sentiments about these Matters, you did put false instead of true, wrong instead of right, most absurd, most impossible, instead of most congruous, most necessary. Take, for instance, the Idea of God. Let it be supposed to comprehend (as every one grants it doth, whether he acknowledg his Existence or no) all conceivable, all possible Excellencies; that it means an infinite, eternal, everliving, self-subsisting Being, most perfectly intelligent, wise, true, holy, righteous, powerful, and blessed; the Original