Uncovering Divine Light

It is interesting to see how Edwards goes through great lengths to specify what is and what is not considered divine light. The main point that he emphasized throughout the passage is the fact that we as humans are naturally void of divine light. Divine light comes solely from God. Although we are actively involved in the implementation of this gift, there is nothing we can do to produce divine light on our own.
Edwards states that this light does not entail being inspired to develop new truths, but rather developing wisdom to understand the Bible on a new level. This new level gives us a true conviction of who God is rather than just simply knowing and regurgitating what we have been told about God. To have divine light means to have a genuine sense of love and zeal for God rather than just knowing who He is. Edwards also makes a metaphor of divine light to natural light. It is understood that the brighter the sun shines upon the earth, the more clearly and easily we are able to see things. In the same way, the more divine light we are exposed to, the more elementary it becomes for us to have a true visualization of God’s nature and His excellency.
Perhaps what Edwards is ultimately targeting is to let the common folk know that it is not exclusively trained philosophers and religious leaders who are able to see and understand God’s excellency. When he noted that the twelve disciples, ordinary and many of them unlearned, were called the most blessed, it became evident that anybody could receive God’s divine light. It is a condition of the heart rather than an achieved level of mental sophistication. It is not by reason that one attains divine light, but rather by a humbling of the heart and a genuine pursuit of God.