Page:On Science, its Divine Origin, Operation, Use and End.pdf/18

14 activity. This is remarkably the case with spiritual and celestial science, or that science of faith and charity on which depend man's salvation and eternal life For unless this science be well distinguished, by arranging it under its proper genera and species, it supplies man with little or no strength against his spiritual adversaries, the devil, the world, and the flesh; but in proportion to its arrangement it becomes impregnable, and administers to man also the heavenly power of victory, whereby he is enabled, if he be so disposed, to tread all enemies under his feet, and through the divine aid to rise in the eternal world as a mighty conqueror and triumphant hero.

The ascent of science is not to be estimated merely by its elevation from one degree of natural knowledge to another, not yet by its elevation out of a natural degree into a spiritual and celestial one, for it is possible that in each of those degrees the science may below, degraded, and depressed. But the ascent of science is to be estimated by the degree in which it is conjoined with a pure and holy love; and is thus elevated out of all that defiled and unholy love in which it is by nature, and admitted to a blessed communication and conjunction with the God of peace and purity. For, according to the proper and genuine idea of ascending, nothing can be said to do so, but in proportion as it moves towards the Great Father of the universe, and His heavenly