spiritual knowledge

the practical (or spiritual) knowledge rests not entirely in the head, or in the speculative ideas of things; but the heart is concerned in it: it principally consists in the sense of the heart. the mere intellect, without the will or the inclination, is not the seat of it. and it may not only be called seeing, but feeling or tasting. thus there is a difference between having a right speculative notion of the Doctrine contained in the word of God, and having a due sense of them in the heart. in the former consists the natural knowledge, in the latter consists the spiritual or practical knowledge of them. neither of these is intended in the doctrine exclusively of the other: but it is intended that we should seek the former in order to the latter. the latter, or the spiritual and practical, is of the greatest importance; for a speculative without a spiritual knowledge, is to no purpose, but to make our condemnation the greater. yet a speculative knowledge is also of infinite importance in this respect, that without it we can have no spiritual or practical knowledge.


- jonathan edwards (christian knowledge)