Edwards on religious affections and how they are raised

A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections continues to be a challenging read and yet is an endeavour that is very profitable. I have really enjoyed my times of engaging the text in a more serious manner of inquiry.

I appreciated what Edwards had to say about the enlightening of our understanding in regards to spiritual affections:

Truly spiritual and gracious affections are not raised after this manner; these arise from the enlightening of the understanding to understand the things that are taught of God and Christ, in a new manner, the coming to a new understanding of the excellent nature of God, and his wonderful perfections, some new view of Christ in his spiritual excellencies and fullness, or things opened to him in a new manner, that appertain to the way of salvation by Christ, whereby he now sees how it is, and understands those divine and spiritual doctrines which once were foolishness to him. Such enlightenings of the understanding as these, are things entirely different in their nature from strong ideas of shapes and colours, and outward brightness and glory, or sounds and voices. (3.iii)