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A
TREATISE
Concerning
Religious Affections,
In Three Parts 5
Part I. Concerning the Nature of the AffeSlions, and their Importance in Religion.
Part II. Shewing what are m certain Signs that re- ligious AffeSlions arc gracious, or that they ire not.
Part III, Shewing what are dijlinguijhing Signs of truly gracious and holy AffeSiions.
By Jonathan Edwards^ a . m.
And Paftorof the firft Church in Ntrihamptm.
Levit. ix. ult. and X. I, 2. And then came a Fire cut frm before the
L^'d^-j-upm the Altar ; ^Mch vihen all the People faw, they
Jhjuted ondfellon their Faces. And Nadab and Abihu -- W,r?d grange Ftre before the Lord, which he commanded them n,t : And then "thTurd" '^""' "" ^'"^' <">d devoured them, and the, died before
Cant. ii. ,2,3 Tl>e Flower, appear ,n the Earth, the Time of the btng,ng of Birds ,s come, and the Voice of the Turtle is heard in our W the F,g-treeputteth forth her green Figs, and the Vmts with the Stff "^''{"Tr ^fjri''^- Ver. ij. Tesie us the Fo.es, the
_ MtU Foxes, which fposl the Ftnesfg^ our Fines have tender Grapes.
^ B 0 S T O N:
Printed for S. Kneeland and T. Green in ^een- Jtreet, over againft the Prifon. 1746.
THE
PREFACE.
HERE is no Queftion whatfoever, that is of greater Importance tb Mankind, and that it more concerns every individual Perfon to be well refolved in, than this, What are ihediJihguiJhing^alificMtions of ihofc thai are in Favour with God, and entitled to his eter- nal Rewards f Or, which comes to the fameThing, PVhat is the Nature of true Religion ? and wherein do lie the diftinguijhing Notes of that Vertue and Holinefs, that is acceptable in the Sizhi of God, But tho' it be of fuch Importance, and tho we have clear and abundant Light in theWord of God to direft us m this Matter, yet there is no one Point, wherein profefTing Chnftians do more differ one from another. It would be endlefs to reckon up the Variety of Opinions in this Point, that divide the chriftian World ; making manifcft the Truth of that of our Saviour, Strait is the Gate^ and narrow is the Way, that leads to Life, and few there be that find tt.
The Confideration of thefe Things has long engaged me to attend to this Matter, with the utmdft Diligence and Care, and Exaanefs ot Search and Enquiry, that I have been capable of: It is a Subjeft on which my Mind has been peculiarly intent, ever fmce 1 hrft entred on the Study of Divinity.— But as to the Succefs of my Enquiries, it mult le left to the Judgment of the Reader of the following Treatifc.
I am fcnfible it is much more difficult to judge impartially of tha^t which is the Subjed of this Difcourfc, in the midft of the Dult ana Smoke of fuch a State of Controverfy, as this Land is now m, about Things of this Nature : As it is more difficult to write impartially, ^
A ?.
" 1'he PREFACE.
It is more difficult to read impartially.— Many will probably be hurt in their Spirits, to find fo much that appertains to religious Aft'et^ion, here condemned : And perhaps Indignation and Contempt will be ex« cited in others, by finding fo much here juftified and approved. And It may be, fome will be ready to charge mc with Inconfiftence with my felf, in fo much approving fome Things, and fo much condemning others ; as I have found, this has always been objeded to me by fome, ever fince the Beginning of our late Controvcrfies about Religion. 'Tis a hard Thing to be a hearty zealous FrienTofwhat has h^tugood and glorious, in the late extraordinary Appearances, and to rejoice much in it ; and at the fame Time, to fee the evil and pernicious Tendency of what has been bad, and earneftly to oppofe that. But yet, I am humbly^ hut fully perfwaded, we fhall never be in the Way of Truth, nor goon in a Way acceptable to God, and tending to the Advancement of Ohrift's Kingdom, 'till we do (o. There is indeed fomething very myfterious in it, that fo much Good, and fo much jBad, fhould be mix*d together in the Church of God : As 'tis a myfte- rious Thing, and what has puzzled and amazed many a good Chrif- tian, that there ftiould be that which is fo divine and precious, as the faving Grace of God, and the new and divine Nature, dwelling in the fame Heart, with fo much Corruption, Hypocrify and Iniquity, in a particular Saint. Yet neither of thefc, is more myfterious than real. And neither of *em is a new or rare Thing. 'Tis no new Thing, that much falfe Religion fhould prevail, at a Time of great reviving of true Religion ; and that at fuch a Time, Multitudes of Hypocrites fhould fpring up among true Saints. It was fo in that great Reformation, and Revival of Religion, that was in Jofiah^s Time ; as appears by Jcr. 3. 10. and 4. 3, 4. and alfo by the great Apoftacy that there was in the Land, fo foon after his Reign. So it was in that great Out-pouring of th*; Spirit upon the JewSy that was in the Days oijohn the Bapt'yi ; as appears by the great Apoftacy of that People, fo foon after fo general an Awakening, and the tempo- rary religious Comforts and Joys of many ; John 5. 35. Teivere wil- ling^for a Seafon^ to rejoice in his Light. So it was in thofe greatCom- motions that were among the Multitude, occafion'd by the Preach- ing of Jefus Chrift : Of the ?riany that were then called, but few were chofen ; of the Multitude that were roufcd and aft'c<Slcd by his Preaching, and at one Time or other appeared mightily engaged, full of Admiration of Chrift, and elevated with Joy, but few were true DifcipleSjthat ftood thcShock of the great Trials that came afterwards, and endured to the End : Many were like the ftony Ground, or thorny Ground ; and but few, comparatively, like the good Ground : Of the whole Heap that was gathered, great Part was ChafF, that the Wind afterwards drove away ; and the Heap of Wheat that was left, WM comparatively fmall ; 'm appears abundantly, by the Hiftory of
the
T:hi PREFACE, iii
the new Teftament. So it was in that great Out-pouring of the Spi- rit that was in the Apoitlc's Days ; as appears by Matth. 24. lO, 1 1, 12, 13. Gsil. 3. I. and 4. II, 15. PhiL 2. 21. and 3. 18, 19. And the two Epiftles to the Corinthians, and many other Parts ot the new Teftament. And fo it was in the great Reformation UomVc^ pcry.— It appears plainly to have been in the vifible Church of Uod, in Times of great reviving of Religion, from Time to Time, as it is with the Fruit Trees in the Spring ; there are a Multitude of blol- foms ; all which appear fair and beautiful, and there is a promihng Appearance of young Fruits ; but many of *em arc but of fhort Con- tinuance, they foon fall ofF, and never come to Maturity.
Not that it is to be fuppofed that it will always be fo : For tho' there never will, in this World, be an entire Purity ; either in par- ticular Saints, in a perfea Freedom from ^Mixtures of Corruption ; or in the Church of God, without any Mixture of Hypocrites^ with Saints, and counterfeit Religion, and falfc Appearances of Grace, with true Religion and real Hoi inefs : Yet, 'tis evident, that there will come a Time of much greater Purity in the Church of God,than has been inAgespaft ; it is plain by thofeTexts of Scripture, Ifat.s^^'i' Ezek. 44. 6, 7, 9. >/3- 17- ^^^^- H- ^i- />/• 69. 3^^ 35. 3^- Ifai, 35. 8, 10. Chap. 4. 3» 4- ^^^^- ^o. 38. PM-Tr 9^ »0; '^' IQ. And one great Reafon of it will be, that at that Time, God will aivc much greater Light to his People, to diftinguiih between true Relirrion and its Counterfeits ; Mai. 3. 3. And he Jhall fit as a Refimr, andKrifier of Silver -, and he fhall purify the Sons ofhtvx and purge them as Gold and Silver ; that they may offer to the Lord an Offering tn Righieoufnefs. With Verfe 18, which is a Continuation of the Pro- phecy of the fame happyTimcs, thenfhallye return, and difcern between the Righteous and the lacked, between him that ferveih God, and htm that ferveth him not,
'Tisby the Mixture of counterfeit Religion with true, not dif- cern'd and diftinguiflied, that the Devil has had his grcateft Advan- tacre againft the Caufe and Kins^dom of Chrift, all along, hitherto. 'fis plainly by this Means, principally, that he has prevaiPd againft all Revivinrrs of Religion, that ever have been, fincc the firft founding of the chriftian Church. By this, he hurt the Caufe of Chriftianity, in, and after the apoftolic Age, much more than by all the Ferfccu- tions of both Jews and Heathens : The Apoftles, in all their Fpiltles, ihew thcmfclves much more coBcerncd at the former Mifchief, than the latter. By this, Satan prcvaiPd againft the Reformation, begun by Luther, Zuinglius, &c. to put a Stop to its Progrefs, and bring itintoDifgrace; ten Times more, than by all thofe bloody, cruel, and before, unheard of Perfccutions of the Church oi Romt. aj
IV The P R E F AC E.
this principally, has he prevail'd againft Revivals of Religion, that have been in our Nation fince the Reformation. By this he prevailed a- gainft New- England^ to quench the Love, and fpoil the Joy of her Efpoufals, about an hundred Years ago. And 1 think, I have had Opportunity enough to fee plainly, that by this, the Devil has pre- vail'd againft the late, great Revival of Religion in New- England , fo happy and promifing in its Beginning : Here moft evidently has been the main Advantage Satan has had againft us ; by this he has foil'd us ; 'tis by this Means, that the Daughter o(Zion in this Land, now lies on the Ground, in fuch piteous Gircumftanccs, as we now behold her } with her Garments rent, her Face disfigur'd, her Nakednefs exposed, her Limbs broken, and wcltring in the Blood of her own Wounds, and in no wife able to arifc j and this, fo quickly after her late great Joys and Hopes : Lam. i. 17, Zion fpreadeth forth her Hands ^ and there is none to comfort her : I'he Lord hath commanded con-- cernwg]a.cob,that hisJdverfariesJhali be round about him : Jerufalem » mafnenJiruousfVoman among them, I have obferv'd theDevil prevail the fame Way, againft two great Revivings of Religion in this Countryo — Satan goes on with Mankind, as he began with them : He pre- vail'd againft our firft Parents, and caft 'em out of Paradife^ and fud- denly brought all their Happinefs and Glory to an End, by appearing to be a Friend to their happy Paradifaic State, and pretending to ad- vance it to higher Degrees. So the fame cunning Serpent, that be- guiled Eve thro' his Subtilty, by perverting us from the Simplicity that is. ip Chrift, hath fuddenly prevail'd to deprive us of that fair Profpedl, we had a little while ago, of a Kind of paradifaic State of the Church of God in New- England,
AfterReligion has revived in theChurch of God, & Enemies appear. People that are engaged to defend it's Caufe, are commonly moft ex- pofed, where they are leaft fenfibleof Danger. While they arc whol- ly intent upon theOppofition that appears openly before 'em, to make Head againft that, and do negle6^ carefully to look all round 'cm, the Devil comes behind *em, and gives a fatal Stab unfecn j and has Op- portunity to give a more home Stroke, and wound the deeper, bc- caufe he ftrikes at his Leifurc, and according to his Plcafure, being obftru<Sled by no Guard or Rcfiftance.
And fo it is likely ever to be in the Church, whenever Religion re- vives remarkably, 'till wc have learned well to diftinguifh between true and falfc Religion, be;wecn faving Aflcd^ions and Experiences, and thofc manifold fair Shews, and gliftering Appearances, by which they are counterfeited ^ the Cunfcquences of which, when they are not diftinguiftied, are often incxprcfTibly dreadful. By this Means^ the Devil gratifies himfcir, by bringing it to pafs, that That fhould be of- fered
The P R E F A C E. v
fered to God, byMultitudes, under a Notion of a pleafing acceptable Sacrifice to him, that is indeed above all Things abominable to him. By this A^eansy he deceives great Multitudes about the State of their Souls J making them think they are fomething, when they arc nothing ; and (o eternally undoes 'em : And not only fo, but efta- blifhesmany, in a ftrong Confidence of their eminent Holincfs, who are in God'sSight, fome of the vileft of Hypocrites. By tb'uMeans^hz many Ways, damps and wounds Religion in the Hearts of the Saints, obfcures and deforms it by corrupt Mixtures, caufes their religious AfFedtions wofully to degenerate, and fometimes for a confiderable Time, to be like the Manna^ that bred Worms and ftank ; and dread- fully enfnares and confounds the Minds of others of the Saints, zrA brings 'em into great Difficulties andTemptations, and entangles 'em in a Wildernefs, out of which they can by no Means extricate them- fclves. By this Means ^ Satan mightiiy encourages the Hearts of open Enemies of Religion, and flrengthens their Hands, and fills them with Weapons, and makes ftrong their FortrefTes ; when at the fame Time, Religion and the Church of God lie expofed to 'em, as a City without Walls. By this Means ^ he brings it to pafs, that Men work Wickcdnefs under a Notion of doing God Service, and fo fm without Reftraint, yea with earneft Forwardnefs and Zeal, and with all their Might. By this Meansy he brings in, even the Friends of Religion, infenfibly to themfelves, to do the Work of Enemies, by deftroying Religion, in a far more efFedual Manner, than open Enemies can do, under a Notion of advancing it. By this Means the Devil fcatters the Flock of Chrift, and fets 'em one againft another, and thafe with great Heat of Spirit, under a Notion of Zeal for God ; and Religion by Degrees, degenerates into vain Jangling ; and during the Strife, Sa- tan leads both Parties far out of the right Way, driving each to great Extremes, one on the right Hand, and the other on the Left, accor- ding as he finds they are moft inclined, or moft eafily moved and fway'd, 'till the right Path in the Middle, is almoft wholly negledled. And in the midft of this Confufion, the Devil has great Opportunity to advance his own Intereft, and make it ftrong in Ways innumera- ble, and get the Government of all into his own Hands, and work his own Will. And by what is feen of the terrible Confequences of this counterfeit Religion, when not diftinguifhed from true Religion, God's People in general have their Minde unhinged and unfettled, in Things of Religion, and know not where to fet their Foot, or what to think or do ; and many are brought into Doubts, whether there be any Thing at all in Religion 3 and Herefy, and Infidelity and Atheifm greatly prevail.
Therefore, it greatly concerns us to ufe our utmoft Endeavours, clearly tQ difgern, and have it well fettled and eft^iblifhed, wherein
true
VI
The PREFACE,
true Religion does confift. 'Till this be done, it may be expc^cd that great Revivings of Religion, will be but offhort Continuance* 'Till this be done, there is but little Good to be expelled, of all our warm Debates, in Convcrfation and from the Prefs, not knowing dearly and diftinitly, what we ought to contend for.
My Dcfign is to contribute my Mite, and ufe my beft ( however feeble ) Endeavours to this End, in the enfuing Treatife : Wherein it muft be noted, that my Dcfign is fomewhat diverfc from the Defign of whati have formerly publifhed, which was to (hew tht difiingmjhing Marki of a IVork of the Spirit of God, including both his common, and faving Operations ; but what I aim at now, is to fhew the Nature and Signs of the gracious Operations of God's Spirit, by which they arc to be diftinguifhed from all Things whatfocver that the Minds of Men arc the Subjects of, which are not of a faving Nature. If I have fuccccdcd in this my Aim, in any tolerable Meafure, I hope it will tend to promote the Intereft of Religion. And whether I have fuc- cceded to bring any Light to this Subjc«5t, or no, and however my At- tempt may be reproach'd, in thefe captious, cenforious Times, 1 hope in the Mercy of a gracious and righteous God, for the Accep- tance of the Sincerity of ray Endeavours, and hope alfo, for the Can- dor aid Prayers of the true Followers of the Meek and charitable Lamb of God.
THE
PART I.
Concerning the Nature of the AfFedions, and their Importance in ReHgion.
SM<3
I PETER i. 8.
JVhom havt7ig not feen^ ye love : hi whom^ though ?tow ye fee hi??z not^ yet believiftg^ ye rejoice with Joy imfpeakabky and full of Glo?y.
C^%P^%p%^ N thefe Words, the Apoftle reprefents the State ot
ifciiSb'^&ifyS^ ^^^ Minds of the Chriftians he wrote to, under the
:t. :S: 'Y •^- -t: I'erfecutions they were then the Subje^s of. Thefe
^|-!l^i.^i-|^ Perfecutions are what he has Refped to, in the two
^.S^®'^1^^?^S? preceeding Verfes, when he fpeaks of the Trial .of
'MQi^<">6^6W^6M^ ^^^^^' -^'^'^^^» 2"^ of their king in Hcavinefs through -.-;,. .«. -^ .«. .«. ,,^^„/^,/,/ r(7?iptatiom.
Such Trials are of threefold Benefit to true Religion : Hereby the Truth of it is manifefted, and it appears to be indeed true Religion : They, above all other Things, have a Tendency to diftinguifli be- tween true Religion and falfe, and to caufe the Difference between them evidently to appear. Hence they are called by the Name of Trials^ in the Verfe nextly preceeding the Text, and ' in innumera- ble other Places : They try the Faith and Religion of ProfefTors, of what Sort it -is, as apparent Gold is tried in the Fire, and manifefted,
B whether
2 T*be Nature and Importance PxVrt I.
whether it be true Gold or no. And tlie Fairli of true Chriftians being thus tried and proved to be true, h found to Pi'a'ijc^ and Honour^ and G toy ; <\s in that precccding Vcrfc.
And ilicn, 7"here Trials are of further Ijcncfit to true Religion ; they not only manifcft tlie Truth of it, but they make it's genuine Beauty and Amlalkmfs reniarkably to appear. True Vertue never ;ippears fo lovely, as whfn it is molt opprefled : And the divine Ex- cellency of real Chriflianity, is never exhibited with fuch Advantage, as wl;en under the greatefi 7>ials : Then it is that true Faith appears jiiuch more precious than Gold \ and upon thi^ Account, is found to Praife^ and Honour^ and Glory.
And ao-ain. Another Benefit that fuch Trials are of to true Rcli- jgion, i?, that they purify and increafe it. They not only manifeft it to be true, but alfo tend to refine it, and deliver it from thofe Mix- tures of that which is falfe, which incumber and impede it; that no- thing may be left but that which is true. They tend to caufe the Aniiablenefs of true Religion to appear to the beft Advantage, as was before obfervcd ; and not only fo, but they tend to increafe it's Beauty, by efrablifhing and confirming it, and making it more lively and vigouious, and purifyirig it from thofe lliings that obfcured it's Lull re and Glory. As Gold that is tried in the Fire, is purged from it's Alloy, and all Remainders of Drofs, and comes forth more folid and beautiful ; fo true Faith being tried as Gold is tried in the Fire, becomes more precious; and thus alfo is found itnto Praife, and Ho- nour ^ and Glcry. The Apofile feems to liave Refpeft to each of thefe •Benehti, that Perftcutions are of to true Religion, in the V^erfe pre- ceeding the Text.
And in the Text, the Apoftle obferves how true Religion operated in the Chriftians he wrote to, under their Perfecutiuns, whereby thefe B.;nefits of Perfecution appeared in them ; or what mnnner of Oilcrntion of true Religion, in them, it wa?, whereby their Religion, under Perfecution, w-as manifefled to be true Religion, and eminent- ly appeared in the genuine Beauty and y'lmiahUnrfs of true Religion, and alfo appeared to be incrcajcd and purifud.^ and fo w?.s like to be fdunil unto Pra'ije^ and Honour ^ and Glory^ at 'the appearing of f^^fus Chrift. And there were two Kinds of Operation, or Exercife oj true Religion,, in them, under their Suffering?, tiiat the Apolllc takes No- tice of in the Text, wherein thefe Benefits appeared.
i. Lovi to Cbr'ift ', Tl%r,m having ywt f cm ^ ye hve. The AVorld was ready to wonder, what (trange Principle it was, that influenc'd them to txpofe themfelves to fo great Siffeiings, to forfake the Things that were fccn, and renounce all that was dear and pleafant, v^hich was the Objcdl of Senfe : They fecnvd to the Men of 'the World about them, as though they were befidc ihcmfclveF,
and
Part I. of religions AffeBiom. *', j
and to atSl as tho' they hated themfclves ; there was nothing in theiv View, that could induce them thus to fufter, and fupport them un- der, and carry them thro' fuch Trials. But altho* there was nothing that was feen, nothing that the World faw, or that the Chriitians themfclves ever iaw with their bodily Eyes, that thus influenced and fupported 'em ; yet they had a fupernatural Principle of Love to fomething ?^;7/^^// ; they loved Jefus Chrift, for they faw him fpiritu- ally, wiiom the World faw not, and whom they themfclves had never {q.k:\\ with bodily Eyes.
2. Joy In Chrij}. Tho' their outward Sufferings were very grie- vous, yet their inward fpiritual Joys were greater than their Sufter- ing?, and thefe fupported them, and enabled them to fufter with Chearfulnefs.
There are two Things which the Apoftle takes Notice of in the Text concerning this Joy. i. The Manner in which it rifes, the Way in which Chritt, tho' unfeen, is the Foundation of it, vit.* By Faith ; which is the Evidence of Fhings not feen ; hi whom^ though 710W ye fee h'un not^ j^/.beleiving, yc rejoice-—. 2. The Nature of this Joy; unjpeakahle^ and full of Glory, Unfpcnkohle'm the Kind oi it; very different from worldly Joys, and carnal Delights ; of a vaftly more pure, fublime and heavenly Nature, being fomething fuperna- tural, and truly divine, and fo ineffably excellent ; the Sublimity, and cxquifite Sweetnefs of which, there were no Words to fet forth. Unfpeakable alfo in Degree ; it pleafmg God to give 'em this holy Joy, with a liberal Hand, and in large Meafurc, in their State of Pcrfecution.
Their Joy v^zsfullof Glory: Altho' the Joy was unfpeakable, and no Words were fufficient to defcribe it ; yet fomething might be faid of it, and no Words more fit to rcpiefent it's Excellency, than thefe, that it was full of Glory ; or, as it is in the Original, glorified Joy. In rejoicing with this Joy, their Minds were filled, as it were, with a glorious Brightnefs, and their Natures exalted and perfected : It was a moft worthy, noble Rejoicing, that did not corrupt and de- bafe the Mind, as many carnal Joys do ; but did greatly beautify and dignify it : It was a Prelibation of the Joy of Heaven, that raifed their Minds to a Degree of heavenly Blefledncfs : It fill'd their Minds with the Light of God's Glory, and made 'em themfclves to fhine with fomc Communication of that Glory.
Hence the Propofition or Dodrine, that I would raife from thefe Words is this,
DOCT. True Religion^ in great Part^ confijh in holy Jffe^iom. We lee that the Apoftle, in obferving and remarking the Opera- tions and Exercifes of Religion, in the Chriftians he wrote to, wherein
B 2 their
4 ^he Nature of Part I.
their Religion appeared to be true and of the right Kind, when it had it% greateft Trial of what Sort it was, being tried by Perfecution as Gold is tried in the Fire, and when their Religion not only proved true, but was moft pure, and cleanfed from it's Drofs and iVIixturea of that which was not true, and when Religion appeared in them moll: in it's genuine Excellency and native Beauty, and was found to Praifc, and Honour, and Glory; he fmgles out the religious Affections of Love and Joy, that were then in exercife in them : Thefe are the Kxercifes of Religion he takes Notice of, wherein their Religion did thus appear true and pure, and in it's proper Glory.
Here I would,
I. Shew what is Intended by the Affe5iions^
II. Obferve fomc Things which make it evident, that a great Part of true Religion lies in the Aff"e6lions.
I. It may be enquired, what the Affections of the Mind are ?
I anfwer. The Affedlions are no other, than the more vigorous and fenfible Exercifcs of the Inclination and Will of the Soul.
God has indued the Soul with two f^aculties : One is that by which it is capable of Perception and Speculation, or by which it dif- cerns and views and judges of Things ; which is called the Under- ttanding. The other Faculty is that by which the Soul don't mcerly perceive and view Things, but is fome Way inclin'd with refpeCl to the Things it views or confiders ; cither is inclined to V/«, or is> dif- inclined,and averfe/r^;;^ '^w ; oris the Faculty by which the Soul don't behold Things, as an indifferent unaffctSted SpeiStator, but either as liking or difliking, pleas'd or difpleas'd, approving or re- jecting. This Faculty is called by various Names : It is fometimes called the Inclimiton : And, as it has refpeCt to the Adtions that are determined and governed by it, is called the JV'ill : And the Aiind, with rceard to the Fxcrcifes of this Faculty, is often called the Heart.
The Exercifcs of tiiis Faculty are of two Sorts ; either thofe by whif-h the Soul is carried out towards the Things that are in view, in approving of them, being pleafed with them, and inclined to them ; or thofe in which the Soul oppofcs the Things that are in view, in difapprov'wp; tlvjm, and in being difpleafed with them, averfe from them, and rcj cling them.
And as the Exercifcs of the Inclination and Will of the Soul are vp.rious in their Kmds^ fo they arc much more various in their Degrees. There arc fume Exercifcs of Plcafcdncfs or Difplcafcdnefs, Inclination or Dilinclination, wherein the Soul is carried but a little beyond a St:Ue of pcrfcCt Indiff'ercnce. And there are other Degrees above this, w'herein the Approbation or D Hike, Pleafednefs or Averfion, are llrongcr i wtocia we may rife higher and higher, 'till the Soul comes
to
Part L the Affe6lmiu 5
to 2(St vigoroufly and fcnfibly, and the Adings of the Soul are with thiit Strength that ( thro' the Laws of the Union which the Creator has fix'd between Soul and Body ) the Motion of the Blood and ani- mal Spirits begins to be fenfibly alter'd ; whence oftentimes arifes fome bodily Senfation, efpccially about the Heart and Vitals, that are the Fountain of the Fluids of the Body : From whence it comes to pafs, that the Mind, with regard to the Exercifes of this Faculty, perhaps in all Nations and Ages, is called the Heart. And it is to be noted, that they are thefe more vigorous and fenfible Exercifes of this Faculty, that are called the Affe^ians.
The JVill^ and the Aff'e^ions of the Soul, are not two Faculties.; the Affedlions are not eiFentially diftincl from the Will, nor do they differ from the meer A£lingsof the Will and Inclination of the Soul, but only in the Livelinefs and Senfiblenefs of Exercife.
It muft be confefTed, that Language is here fomewhat impcrfcdl", and the Meaning of Words in a confiderablc Meafure loofe and un- fixed, and not precifcly limited by Cuftom, which governs the Ufe of Language. In fome Senfe, the AfFedlion of the Soul differs no- thing at all from theWill and Inclination, and theWill never is in any Exercife any further than it is offered ; it is not moved out of a State of perfect Indifference, any otherwife than as it is offered one Way or other, and ads nothing voluntarily any further. But yet there are many Adlings of the Will and Inclination, that are not {o com- monly called Affe£liom : In every Thing we do, wherein we a<51: voluntarily, there is an Exercife of the Will and Inclination, 'tis our Inclination that governs us in our Actions : But all the acSlings of the Inclination and Will, in all our common Actions of Life, are not ordinarily called AfFe61:ions. Yet, what are commonly called Affec- tions are not eiTentially different from them, but only in the Degree and Manner of Exercife. In every A£l of the Will whatfoever, the Soul either likes or diflikes, is either inclined or difmclined to what is in view : Thefe are not effentially different from thofe Affections oi Love and Hatred : That Liking or Inclination of the Soul to a Thing, if it be in a high Degree, and be vigorous and lively, is the very fame Thing with the Affedion of Love : And thatDifliking and Dilinclining, if in a great Degree, is the very fame with Hatred. In every Adl of the Wiliy^^r, or towards fomething not prefent, the Soul is in fome Degree inclined to that Thing ; and that Inclination, if in a confiderable Degree, is the very fame with the AfFedion of Defire. And in every Degree of the Acfl of the Will, wherein the Soul ap- proves of fomething Prefent, there is a Degree of Pleafednefs ; and that Pleafednefs, if it be in a confiderable Degree, is the very fame with the Affeaion Q^Joy or Delight. And if the Will dldipproves of what is prefent, the Soul is in fome Degree difpleafed, and if that Difpleafednefs be great, 'tis the very fame with the Affcdion of Grief or S 07 row, B 3 Sucis
6 The Nature of Part I.
Such feems to be our Nature, and fuch the Laws of the Union of Soul and Body, that there never is in any Cafe whatfoever, any hvcly and vigorous Exerclfe of the Will or Inclination of the Soul, without fome Effect upon the Body, in fome Alteration of the Motion of it's Fluid-', and efpecially of the animal Spirits. And on the other Hand, from tlie fame L?.ws of the Union of Soul and Body, the Conftitution of the Body, and the Motion of it's Fluids, may promote theExcrcife of the Affections. But yet, it is not the Body, but the Mind only, that is the proper Seat of the Affcdions. The Body of Man is na more capable of being really the SubjecSt of Love or Hatred, Joy or Sorrow, Fear or Hope, than the Body of a Tree, or than the fame Body of Man is capable of thinking and underftanding. As 'tis the Soul only that has Ideas, (o 'tis the Soul only that is pleafed or dif- pleafed with ii's Ideas. As 'tis the Soul only that thinks, fo 'tis the Soul only that loves or hates, rejoices or is grieved at what it thinks of. Nor are thefc Motions of the animal Spirits, and Fluids of the Body, any thing properly belonging to the Nature of the Affecti- ons; tho' they always accompany them, in theprefent State ; but are only Effc£ls or Concomitants of the Afft6lions, that are entirely diftind from the Affcdlions themfelves, and no Way cffential to them J fo that an unbodied Spirit may be as capable of Love and Hatred, Joy or Sorrow, Hope or Fear, or other Affections, as one that is un ted to a Body.
The Ajfe5liom and Pajfions are frequently fpoken of as the fame ; and yet, in the more common Ufe of Speech, there is in fome Refpeft a Difference ; and Ajfe^lion is a Word, that in it's ordinary Signifi- cation, feems to be fomething more extenfive than Pajfion \ being ufe-d for all vigorous lively A£lings of the Will or Inclination; but Paffion for thofe that are more fudden, and whofe EffeCls on the ani- mal Spirits are more violent, and the Mind more ovcrpower'd, and lefs in its own Command.
As all the Exercifes of the Inclination and Will, are either in ap- proving and liking, or difapproving and rejecting ; fo the AffcClions are of two Sorts j tliey are thofe by which the Soul is carried out to what is in view, cleaving to it, or fee king it; or thofe by which it is 2iWcv(tifrom it, and oppofes it.
Of the former Sort are Lcve, Defirc^ Hope, Joy, Gratitude^ Com- placence. Of the latter Kind, are Hatred^ Fear, Anger, Griefs and fuch like ; which it is needle fs now to (land particularly to define.
And there are fome Affections wherein there is a Compofition of each of the aforementioned Kinds of ACtings of the Will ; as in the AffeCtion of Pity, there is fomething oi\hc former Kind, towards the Pcrfon fuffcring, and fomething of the Loiter, towards what he fuffcrs. And ^o in '/.eal, there is in it high Apprcbation of fome Perfon or Thing, together with vigorous Oppofition to what is conceived to be contrary to it. There
Part I. the AffeBiom. 7
There are other mixt AfFcdions that might be alfo mcntion'd, but I haften to the
lid. Thing propofed, Which was to obfervc fome Things that render it evident, that true Religion, in great Part, confilts in the Af- fe<Slions. And here,
I. What has been faid of the Nature of the AfFedlions, makes this evident, and may be fufficient, without adding any thing further, to put this Matter out of Doubt : For who will deny that true Reli- gion confifts, in a great Meafure, in vigorous and lively Actings of the Inclination and Will of the Soul, or the fervent Exercifes of the Heart,
That Religion which God requires, and will accept, don*t confift in weak, dull and lifelefs Wouldings, raifing us but a little above a State of Indifference: God, in his Word, greatly infifts upon it, that we be in good Earneft, fervent in Spirit^ and our Hearts vigoroufly engaged in Religion : Rom. 12. ir. Be ye fervent in Spirit, ferving the Lord. Deut. 10. I2. And now Ifrael, What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thv God, to walk in all his H ays^ and to love him, and to ferve the Lord thy God, tvith all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul F And Chap. 6. 4, 5. Hear, O Ifrael ; the Lord our God is one Lord ; and thou Jhalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Might. 'Tis fuch a fer- vent, vigorous Engagednefs of the Heart in Religion, that is the Fruit of a real Circumcifion of the Heart, or true Regeneration, and that ^as the Promifes of Life; Deut. 30. 6. And the Lord thy God ivill circumcife thine Heart, and the Heart of thy Seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, that thou mayeji live.
If we ben't in good earneft in Religion, and our Wills and Incli- nations ben't ftrongly exercifed, we are nothing. The Things of Religion are fo great, that there can be no Suitablenefs in the Exer- cifes of our Hearts, to their Nature and Importance, unlefs they be lively and powerful. In nothing, is Vigour in the A6lings of our Inclinations fo requifite, as in Religion ; and in nothing is Lukewarm- nefs fo odious. True Religion is evermore a powerful Thing ; and the Power of it appears, in the firft Place, in the inward Exercifes of it in the Heart, where is the principal and original Seat of it. Hence true Religion is called the Power of Godlinefs, in Diftin^lion from the external Appearances of it, that are the Form of it, 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a Form of Godlinefs, but denying the Power •( it. The Spirit of God, in thofe that have found and folid Religion, is a Spirit of powerful holy Affcdlion ; and therefore, God is faid to have given them the Spirit of Power, and of Love, and of a found Mind, 2 Tim. i. ■ 7, And fuch, when they receive the Spirit of God, in his fan(5lifying . B 4 aii(i
8 Religion conjijls much Part I.
and faving Influences, are faid to be baptized with the Holy Ghoji^ and with Fire ; by reafon of the Power and Fervour of thofe Exercifes the Spirit of God excites in their Hearts, whereby their Hearts, when Grace is in exercife, may be faid to burn within them ', as is faid of the Difciples, Luke 24. 32.
Tiie Bufinefs of Religion is, from Time to Time, compared to thofe Exercifes, wherein Men are wont to have their Hearts and Strength greatly exercifed and engaged ; fuch as Running, Wreftling or Agonizing for a great Prize or Crown, and Fighting with (hong Enemies that feek our Lives, and Warring as thofe that by Violence take a City or Kingdom.
And tho* true Grace has various Degrees, and there are fome that are but Babes in Chrift, in whom the Exercife of the Inclination and Will towards divine and heavenly Things, is comparatively weak ; yet every one that has the Power of Godlinefs in his Heart, has his Inclinations and Heart exercifed towards God and divine Things, with fuch Strength and Vigour, that thefe holy Exercifes do prevail in him above all carnal or natural AfFedlions, and arc efFe6lual to overcome them : For every true Difciple of Chrift, loves him above Father or Mother, l-Vife and Children y Brethren and Sijlers, Houfes and Lands ; yea, than his own Life, From hence it follows, that wherever true Religion is, there are vigorous Exercifes of the Inclination and Will, towards divine Objeds : But by what was faid before, the vigorous, lively and fenfible Exercifes of the Will, are no other than the Affec- tions of the Soul.
2. The Author of the human Nature has not only given Affe^Ions to Men, but has made 'cm very much the Spring of Men's Adtions. As the Affections do not only neceffarily belong to the human Na- ture, but are a very great Part of it ; fo ( inafmuch as by Regenera- tion, Pcrfons arc renewed in the whole Man, and f\r.clified thro'out) holy Affcclions do not only neceffarily belong to true Religion, but arc a very great Part of that. And as true Religion is of a pradlical Nature, and God hath fo conftituted the hum:in Nature, that the Af- fections are very much the Spring of Men's Anions, this alfo flicws, that true Religion muft conlilt very much in the Affcdlions.
Such is Man's Nature, that he is very unadtive, any otherwifc than he is influenc'd by fome Affection, either Love or Hatred, De- fire, Hope^ Fear or fome other. I'hefe Aiic6\ions we fee to be the Springs that fet Men agoing, in all the Affairs of Life, and engage them in a!l their Purf lits : Thefe are the Things that put Men for- ward, and carry 'em along, in all their worldly Bufinef. ; and efpe- rially are i\Ien excit^^d and animated by thefe, in all Affairs, wherein rhey are carneftly engaged, and which they purfue with Vigour. ^Ve fee th? W^orld of Mankind to be exceeding bufy and active ;
and
Part I. /;/ holy JiffeBions 9
and the Affections of Men are the Springs of the Motion : Take a- way all Love and Hatred^ all Hope and Fcar^ all Avger^ V^cal and afFedtionate Deftre^ and the World would be, in a great Aieafure, molionlefs and dead ^ there would be no fuch Thing as Adivity a- mongft Mankind, or any earneft Purfuit whatfoever. 'Tis Affec- tion that engages the covetousMan, and him that is greedy of worldly Profits, in his Purfuits ; and it is by the Afftclions, that the ambi- tious Man is put forward in his Purfuit of wordly Glory ; and *tis the AfFcdlions alfo that actuate the voluptuous Man, in his Purfuit of Pleafure and fenfual Delights : The World continues, from Age to Age, in a continual Commotion and Agitation, in a Purfuit of tliefe Things ; but take away all Affection, and the Spring of al' tliis Mo- tion wtHilJ be gone, and the Motion it fclf would ceafe. And as in worldly Things, worldly Afi^'eCtions are very much the Spring of Mens Motion and AiSlion ; fo in religious Matters, the Sprir.g of tlieir Adlions are very much religious AfFecSlions : He that has doc- trinal Knowledge and Speculation only, without Affection, never is engaged in the Bufmefs of Religion.
3. Nothing is more manlfeft in Fa5i^ than that the Things r f Religion take hold of Men's Souls, no further than they offeH them. There are Multitudes that often hear the Word of God, and there- in hear of thofe Things that are infinitely great and important, and that mofl nearly concern them, and all that is heard feems to be wholly ineffe£lual upon them, and to make no Alteration in their Difpofition or Behaviour ; and the Reafon is, they are not affected with what they hear. There are many that often hear of the glo- rious Perfections of God, his almighty Power, and boundlefs Wif- dom, his infinite Majefty, and that Holinefs of God, by which he is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and cannot look on Iniquity, and the Heavens are not pure in his Sight, and of God's infinite Good- nefs and Mercv, and hear of the great Works of God's Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs, wherein there appear the admirable Manifef- tations of thefe PerfecStions ; they hear particularly of the unfpeakable Love of God and Chrift, and of the great Things that Chrift has done and fuffer'd, and of the great Things of another World, of eternal Mifcry, in bearing the Fiercenefs and Wrath of almighty God, and of endlefs Bleffednefs and Glory in the Prefence of God, and the Enjoyment of his dear Love; they alfo hear the peremptory Commands of God, and his gracious Counfels and Warnings, and the fweet Invitations of the Gofpel ; I fay, they often hear thefe Things, and yet remain as they were before, with no fenfible Alte- ration on them, either in Heart or Practice, becaufe they are not af- fe(5led with v/hat they hear ; and never will be fo 'till they arc af- fected. I am bold to aflcrt, that there never was any confiderable
Change
10 Religion conji/ls much Part I.
Change wrought In the Mind or Converfation of any one Perfon, by any thing of a religious Nature, that ever he read, heard or faw, that had not his AfFcdions mov'd. Never was a natural Man en- gaged carneftly to feek his Salvation : Never were any fuch brought to cry afterVVifdom, and lift up theirVoice forUnderftanding, and to wrcrtle withGod inPrayer forMercy ; and never was one humbled, and bro't to the Foot of God, from any thing that ever he heard or ima- gined of his own Unworthinefs and Defervings of God's Difpleafure v nor was ever one induced to fly for Refuge unto Chrift, while his Heart rcmain'd unafFeded. Nor was there ever a Saint awakened out of a cold, lifelcfs Frame, or recovered from a declining State in Religion, and brought back from a lamentable Departure from God, without having his Heart affected. And in a Word, there never was any Thing confiderable brought to pafs in the Heart or Life of any Man living, by the Things of Religion, that had not his Heart deeply affedcd by thofe Things.
4. The holy Scriptures do every where place Religion very much in the Affections ; fuch as Fear, Hope, Love, Hatred, Defire, Joy, Sorrow, Gratitude, CompafHon and Zeal.
The Scriptures place much of Religion in godly Fear ; infomuch that 'tis often fpoken of as the Character of thofe that are truly re- ligious Perfon?, that they tremble at God's JVord^ that they fear before h'lm^ that their Flejh trembles for Fear of him ^ and that they are afraid ef his fudgments, that his Excellency makes them afraid^ and his Dread falls upon them ; and the like : And a Compellation commonly given the Saints in Scripture, is, Fearers of God ^ or they that fear the Lord, And becaufe the Fear of God is a great Part of trueGodlinefs, hence true Godlinefs in general, is very commonly called by the Name of the Fear of God ; as every one knows, that knows any thing of the Bible.
So Hope in God and in the Promifes of his Word, is often fpoken of in the Scripture, as a very confiderable Part of true Religion. 'Tis mention'd as one of the three great Things of which Religion confifts, I Cor, 13. 13. Flope in the Lord is alfo frequently men- tioned as the Character of the Saints : Pfal. 146. 5. Happy is he that hath the God of }2.zoh for his Hclp^ luhofe Hope is in the Lord his God. Jcr. 17.7. Blefjed is the Man that trufleth in the Lord., whofe Hope the Lord is. Pfal. 31. 24. Be of good Courage.^ and he Jijalljhengthen your Hearty all ye that Hope in the Lord. And the like in many other Places, Religious Fear and Hope are, once and again, joined toge- ther, as jointly conftituting the Character of the true Saints. Pfal. 33. 18. Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that Fear him^ upon them that Hope in his Mercy, Pfal. 147. 11. The Lord taketh Plea- Cure in them that Fear /;/>//, in thofe that Hope in his Mercy, Hope is
Part I. in holy AffeBiom. i x
fo great a Part of true Religion, that the Apoftle fays we arc favcdhy Hcpc^ Rom. 8. 24. And this is fpokcn ol as the Helmet uf the chrif- tian Soldier, i 7 hef. 5.8. And for an Helmet^ the Hope of Stihation ; and the fiire and ftedfalt Anchor of the Soul, which prefervcs it from being call- away by the Storms of this evil Woild, Heb. 6.19. lyhich Hope ivc have, as afi Anchor of the Soul, both fur e and Jhdfaji ^ and which enireth into that luithin the Fell. 'Ti« fpolcen of as a f>,rcat Fruit ana Benefit which true Saints receive byChriiPs Rcfurrtdlion, i Pet. j.3. Bleffcd be the God and Father of our Lordjefus Chriji, zvhich according to his abundant Mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope, by the Refurre^ion of fefus Chrijl from the Dead.
The Scriptures place Religion very much in the Affcdlion of Love, in Love to God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, and Love to the People of God, and toMankind. TheTexts in which this is manifeft, both in theOld Teftament, and New, are innumerable. But of this more afterwards.
The contrary Affection oi Hatred SSo, as having Sin for itsObjecl, is fpoken of in Scripture, as no inconfiderable Part of true Religion. It is fpoken of as that by which true Religion may be known and diftinguiflied, Prov. 8: 13. The Fear of th£ Lord is to hate Evil. And accordingly the Saints are called upon to give Evidence of their Sin- cerity by this, Pfal. 97. 10. Te that fear the Lord hate Evil. And the Pfalmifl often mentions it as an Evidence of his Sincerity ; Pfal. 101.2,3. / will walk within my Houfe with a pcrfe^ Heart ; I ivill fet no wicked Thing before mine Eyes : I hate the U'ork of them that turn afide. YiA. \\(^. \o\. 1 hate every falfe Way. SoV'errei28. Again Pfal. 139. 21. Do 1 not hate them, O Lord^ that hate thee.
So holy Deftre, excrcifed in Longings, Hungrings and Thirftings after God and HolineO, is often mention'd in Scripture as an impor- tant Part of true Religion ; Ifai. 26. 8. The Dcfire of our Soul is to thy "Name, and to the Remembrance of thee. Pfal. 27. 4. One Thing have I defired of the Lord, and that will 1 fesk after ; that I may dwell in the Houfe of the Lord, all the Days of my Life, to behold the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple. Pfal. 42. 1,2. As the Heart pan- ieth after the TVater- brooks, fo panteth nry Soul after thee, O God', My Soul thiifleth for God, for the living God: IVhen fhall I come and appear before God? Pfal. 63. I, 2. My Soul thirjleih for thee \ my Flejh long- eih for thee^ in a dry and ihirjly Land, ivhcre no Water is, to fee thy Power and thy Glory, fo as I have feen thee in the SanSluary. Pfal. 84. 1,2. Hoiv amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hojis ! My Soul longeth.^ yea, evenfaintcth, for the Courts of the Lord \ my Heart and my Flejh crieth out for the living God. Pfal. 119. 20. My Soul breaketh for the Longing it hath unto thy Judgments, at all Times. So Pfal. 73. 25. and 143. 6, 7. and 130. 6. Cant. 3. i, 2. and 6. 8. Such a holy De- •fire i^nd ThirftofSoul is menticgned^ as one of thofe great Things
which
12 Religion co?iJiJis much Part I.
which renders or denotes a Man truly blefled, in the Beginning of Chrift's Sermon on the Mount, Matth. 5. 6. BlcJJed are they that da hunger and thirji after Right eoufnefs, for they jhall be filled. And this holy Thirft is fpoken of, as a great Thincr in the Condition of a Par- ticipation of the Bleffings of eternal Life, Rev. 21. 6. 1 will give unto him that is athirj}^ of the Fountain of the ll'ater of Life freely.
The Scriptures fpeak of holy Joy^ as a great Part of true Religion. So is it reprefented in the Text. And as an important Part of Re- ligion, it is often exhorted to, and prefs'd, with great Earneftnefs ; Pfal. 37. 4. Delight thy f elf in the Lord^ and he fijall give thee the De- fires of thine Heart. Pfal. 97. 12. Rejoice in the Lord ^ ye Righteous, So Pfal. 33. I. Rejoice in the Lord ^ O ye Righteous. Matth. 5. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Phil. 3. i. Finally Brethren^ rejoice in the Lord. And Chap. 4. 4. Rejoice in the Lordalway, and again I fay rejoice. 1 Thef. 5. 16. Rejoice evermore. Pfal. 149. 2. X^/ Ifrael rejoice in hijn that made him \ let the Children of Zion be joyful in iheir King. This is mention'd among the principal Fruits of the Spirit of
Grace, Gal. 5. 22. The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, See. The
Pfahnift mentions his holy Joy, as an Evidence of his Sincerity, Pfal. 119. 14. I have rejoiced in the Way of thy Tefiimonies, as much as in all Riches,
Religious Sorrow, Mourning, and Brokennefs of Heart, arc alfo frequently fpoken of as a great Part of true Religion. Thefe Things are often mentioned as diftinguifhing Qualities of the true Saints, and a great Part of their Character ; Matth 5.4. Blejfed are they that mourn \ for they Jhall be comforted. Pfal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken Heart, and faveth fuch as be of a contrite
Spirit. Ifai. 61. I, 2. The Lord hath anointed me to bind up the
Broken-hearted, to comfort all that mourn. This godly Sorrow, and
Brokennefs of Heart is often fpoken of, not only, as a great Thing in the diftinguifhing Chara6ler of the Saints, but that in them, which is peculiarly acceptable and pleafing to God ; Pfal. 51. 17. The Sa- crifices of God are a broken Spirit ; a broken and a contrite Heart, O God^ ihou wilt not defpife. Ifai. 57. 15. Thus faith the high and lofty One that inhabit eth Eternity, whofe Na?ne is Holy : / dwell in the high and holy Place, with him alfo that is of a humble and contrite Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the Humble, and to revive the Heart of the contrite ones. Chap. 66. 2. To this Man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite Spirit.
Another AffecSlion often mentioned, as that in the Exercife of which much of true Religion appears, is Gratitude , efpccially as exercifed inThankfulnefs and Praifc to God. Tliis being fo much fpoken of in the Book of Pfiims, and other Parts of the holy Scriptures, I need not mention particular T(xts.
Again,
Part I. in holy AJecilom. 13
Again, The holy Scriptures do frequently fpeak of Compaffwi or AUrcy^ as a very trrcat and cflentiul Thin^ in true Religion ^ info- much that good Men are in Scripture deiioniinatcd from hence ; and a merciful Man, and a good A4an, are equivalent Terms in Scripture , Ifai. 57. I. The^'x^^t^ous perijheth^ a};:l 710 A'ian Ia\ctf) it to Heart ; and merciful Men are taken away. And the Scripture choofes oat this Quality, as that by which, in a peculiar Manner, a ri^ihteous Man in dec)pher'd ; Pfal. "^7.21. The K\2\\izous fievjcih Mercy y and ^i- veth ', and Ver. 26. H^ is ever r\\cvL\k\\^ ami Icndcth. And Frov. 14. 3. He that honoureth the Lord^ hath Mercy on the Poor. And Col. 3. 1 2. Put ye ouy as the EUH of God^ Holy and Beloveds, Bov/els of Mer- cies, ^\. This is one of ihofe great Things, by which thofe who are truly Blefl'ed are defcribcd by our Saviour, M^atth. 5. '] . Bleffcd are the Merciful^ for they Jhall obtain Mercy. And this Chriit aifo fpeaks of, as one of the weightier Alatters of the Law, Matth. 23. 23 IVo unto you Scribes and Phari fees., Hypocrites-, for ye pay Tythe of A^j/int, and Annife^ and Cummin ^ and have omitted the lueightier Matters of the Law ^ Judgment^ Mercy, and Faith. To the like Purpofe is that, Mich. 6. 8. He hath /hewed thee, O Man, what is ^ood: Jnd what doth the Lord reguire of thee, but to dojujlice, and love Mercy, andimlk humbly luith thy God? And alfo that, Hof. 6. 6. For I dc fired Mexcy, and not Sacrifice. Which feems to have been a Text much delighted in by our Saviour, by his Manner of citing it once and again i Matth. 9. 13. and 12. 7.
Zeal is alfo fpoken of, as a very elTcntial Part of the Religion of true Saints. 'Tis fpoken of as a greatThing Chrift had in view,in gi- ving himfelf for our Redemption ; Tit. 2. 14. IFho gave hi mf elf for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar People, zealous of good Works. And this is fpoken of, as the greatThing wanting in the luke-warmL^^<3^;V^^«j, Rev. 3. 15, 16, 19.
I have m.entioned but a few Texts, out of an innumerable Multi- tude, all over the Scripture, which place Rehgion very much in the AfF^iflions. Bat what has been obferved, mav be fufficient to fhew that they who would deny that much of true Religion lies in the Af-- fedtions, and maintain the Contrary, mult throw away what we have been wont to own for our Bible, and get fome other Rule, by which to judge of the Nature of Religion.
5. The Scriptures do reprefent true Reliction, as beine fummarily comprehended in Love, the Chief of the AfFc^lions, and Fountain of all other Affcdions.
So our blellcd Saviour reprefents the Matter, in anfwer to the Law\er, who afked him, which was the great Commandment of the Law, Mitth. 22. 77, 38, -^9,40. Jefus faid unto him. Thou Jhalt lovi the Lord tlyy Qod^ vjitb all thy Hearty and with all thy Soul, and
with
14 Religioft conjifts much Part I.
with all thy Mind '. This ii the firft^ and great Com^nandmcnt \ and the fecond is like unto it, ThouJJjalt love thy Neighbour as thy felf. On ihefe two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Which laft Words fignifv as mucli, as that thefe two Commandments compre- hend all the Duty prefcribcd, and the Religion taught in the Law and the Prophets. And the Apoftle Paul docs from Time to Time make the fame Reprefentation of the Matter ; as in Rom. 13. 8. He that loveth another ^ hath fulfilled the Lazv. And Ver. 10. Love is the fulfilling of the Laiv. And Gal. 5. 14. For all the Laiv is fulfilled in '{/Ne JFord^even in this^ThcuJlmlt love thy Neighbour as thy frlf. b"o like- wife in 1 Tim. i. 5. Now the End of the CG?nmandmeni is Charity^ out of a pure Heart, Skc, So the (lime Apoftle fpeaks of Love, as the greateft Thing in Religion, and as the \'itals,Eirence and Soul of it ; without which, the greateft Knowledge and Gifts, and the moft glaring ProfeOipn, and every thing elfe which appertains to Religion, are vain and worthless ; and reprefents it as theFountain from whence proceeds all that is good, in i Cor. 13. thro'out ; for that which Is there rendred Charity^ in the Original is aya^r, the proper Englifh of wliich is Love.
Now altho' it be true, that the Love thus fpokcn of, includes the whole of a fmcerely benevolentPropenfity of theSoul, towards God and Man ; yet it may be confidered, that it is evident from what has been before obferved, that this Propenfity or Inclination of the Soul, when in fenfible and vigorous Exercife, becomes Jfie^^ion, and is no other tlian afFcclionate Love. And furely it is fuch vigourous and fervent ,Love which Chrift fpeaks of, as the Sum of all Religion, when he fpeaks of Loving God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Minds, and our Neighbour as ourfelves, as the Sum of all that was taught and prefcribcd in the Law and the Prophets.
Indeed it cannot be fuppofed, when this AfFeclion of Love is here, and in other Scriptures, fpoken of as the SCim of all Religion, that hereby is meant the Act, exclufive of the Habit, or that the Excrcffe of the Underftanding is excluded, which is implied in all reafonable Affcdtion. But it is doubtlcfs true, and evident from thefe Scrip- tures, that the Rfjence of all true Religion lies in holy Love ; and that in this divine Aft'c6tion, and an habitual Difpofition to it, and that Light which is the Foundation of it, and thofc Things which are the Fruits of it, conlifts the JVholc of Religion.
From hence it clearly and certainly appears, that great Part of true Religion confifts in the Affections. For Love is not only one of the AfictStions but it is the firft and chief of the Aftc<fHons, and the Fountain of all theAfte6>ions. VxctmLove ^iuk^Hafred of thofeThings which are contrary to what we love, or which oppofe 5c thwart us in thofe Things that we delight in : And from the various Exercifes of Love and Hatred, according to the Circumftances of the Objects af thefe
Aftedlions,
Part I. in holy Ajjcciions. 15
A£rc6lion?, as prefent orabfent, certain or uncertain, probable or im- probable, arife all thofc other AfFe6iions of Defivc^ Hopc^ Fcar^ Joy\ Griefs Gratitude^ Jnger^ he. From a vigourous, aif.ctionatc, and fervent Love to God^ will necefTarily arifc otiier religicia Afivdlions : hence will arife an intcnfc Halrtri dnd Abhorrence of Sin, Kv/rofSin, and a Dread. of God's Difpleafure, Grr.tJtude to God for hisGoodneb, Co7npIaconcc and Joy in Cyod when Cjod is gracioully and fcnfibly prefent, and Gr/V/'when lie is abfcnt, and a joyful Hcpe when a fu- ture Enjoyment of God is expedted, and fervent 'Zcnl for the CTlory of God. And in like ?vlanncr, from a fervent Lonje to AJcn^ wili i> rifc all other vertuous Affections towards Men.
6. The Religion of the moft eminent Saints we have an Account of in the Scripture, confifted much in holy Affcdi'ions.
I (hall take particular Notice of three eminent SaiiUs, which have exprefs'd the Frame and Sentiments of their own Hearts, and fo de- fcribed their own Religion, and the Manner of their Intercourfe with God, in the Writings which they have left us, that are a Pait of the facred Canon.
. ThQ firj} Inllance Ifliall take notice of, is Da-vid^ that Man after Gcd's civn Heart ; who has given us a lively Portraiture of his Reli- gion, in the Book of Pfalms. Thofe holy Songs of bis, he has there left us, are nothing elfe but the ExpreiTions and Breathings of devout arid holy Affct/tiom \ fuch as an humble and fervent Love to God, Admiration of his glorious Perfections and wonderful Works, earnefi: Deftrei^ Thirftings and Pantings of Soul after God, Delight and Joy in. God, a fweet and melting Gratitude to God for his great Good- nefs, an holy Exultation and Triumph of Soul in the Favour, SufHci- ency and Faithfulnefs of God, his Love to, and Delight in the Saints the excellent of the Earth, his great Delight in the Word and Ordi- nances of God, his Grief ior his own and others Sins, and his fervent T.eal for God, and againft the Enemies of God and his Church. And theleExpreflions of holyAffedion, which thePfalms of David zre every where full of, are the more to our prefent Purpofe, bccaufe thofc Pfalms are not only the ExpreiTions of the Religion of fo eminent a SiintjthafGod fpeaks of as fo agreeable to hisMind ; but were alfo,by the Dircdion of the Hcly Ghoff, penn'd for ti^e Ufe of the Church of God in its publick Worfhip, not only in that A»e, but in after Ages ; as being fitted to exprefs theReligion of all Saints, in all Ages, ;is well as rhe Religion of the Pfalmilh And it i? moreover to be ob- ferved, that David., in the Book of Pfalms, fpeaks not as a private Perfon, but as the t^falmijl of 1 pad., as the fubordinate Head of the Church of God, and Leader in their Worlhip and Pr.iifes ; and in many (^f the Pfalms, fpeaks in the Name of Chrifi:, as perfonatin? him m thcfe Breariiiiies torth of holy Aff.dion, and in many other Pfalms, he fpeaks in the Nume of the Church, Another
i6 Religion confifls vmch Part I.
Another Inftance I fhall obferve, is the Apoftle Paul ; who was, in many RefpccSls, the Chief of all the Minifters of the Ncw-Tefta- ment ; being above all others, a chofcn Veilel uptoChrirt, to bear his Name before the Gentiles, and made the chief Inftrumcnt of propa- gating and efhblifhing the chriftian Church in the World, and of dillindly revealing the glorious Myfteries of the Gofpel, for the In- j{ru6lion of the Church in all Ages ; and (as has not been improbably thought by fome) the moft eminent Servant of CliriO-, that ever lived, received to the higheit Rewards in the heavenly Kingdom of his Matter. By what isfaid of him in the Scripture, he appears to have been a Perfon that was full of AfFedion. And 'tis very manifeff, that the Religion he exprefies in his Epiftlcs, confiftcd very much in holy Affections. It appears by all his Exprcfiions of himfeif, that he was, in the Courfe of his Life, enflamed, actuated and entirely fwai- lowed up, by a moft ardent Love to his glorious Lord, efteeming all Things as Lofs, for the Excellency of the Knowledge of him, and efteeming them but Dung that he might win him. He reprefents himfeif, as overpower'd by this holy Affe6lion, and as it were com- pelled by it to go forward in his Service, thro' all DifHcultics and Suf- ferings, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. And his Epiftles are full of Expreftions of an overflowing Aft'ecfion towards the People of Chrift : He fpeaks oi \\\s dear Love to them, 2 Cor. 12. 19. Phil. 4. i. 2 Ti?n. i. 2. Of his abundant Love, 2 Cor. 2. 4. And of his affeSiionate ami tender Love, as of a Nurfe towards her Children, i Thef. 2. 7, 8. But we •were gentle among you ; even as aNurfe chcrijhetb her Children ; fo being af- fe5lionatcly defirous of you, we were tvilling to have impai'ted unto you, not the Gofpel. of God only, but alfo our oivn Souls, hccaufe ye were dear unto us. So alfo he fpeaks of his Bowels of Love, Phil. i. 8. Philem. v. 12, and 20. So he fpeaks of his earneji Care for others, 2 Cor. 8. 16* and of his Bowels of Pity or Mercy towards them, Phil. 2. i. and of his Concern for others, even to Anguijh of Heart, 2 Cor. 2. 4. For out of much Affli^ion,and Anguijlo of Heart, I wrote unto you, with many Tears', not that ye Jhould be grieved ; but that ye might hioiu the Love which I have more abundantly unto yon. He fpeaks of the great Confix of his i)Oul for them, Col. 2. i. He fpeaks oi great and continual Grief th^t heh2id in his Heart from CompaJ/ion to the Jews, Rom. 9. 2. He fpeaks of his Mouth's being open^l, and his Heart enlarged towards Chriftians, 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ^r Corinthians, our Mouth is open unto you, our Heart is enlarged I He often fpeaks of his affccliouate and long- ing Dcfires, I Thef. 2. 8. Rom. i. 11. Phil. i. 8. and Chap. 4. i. 2 Tim. I. 4. The fame Apoftle is very often, in his Epiftles, expref- iing the Aftcction oVJoy, 2 Cor. i. 12. and Chap. 7. 7. and V. 9, and 16. Phil, i. 4. and Chap. 2. i^ 2. and Chap. '^. 3. Col. i. 24. I Thef 3. 9. Hb fpeaks oHiis rejoicing with great foy, Phil. 4. 10. Philem* l,J* Qi bis Joying and rejoicing, Phil. 2. i, y,dndo(\ns rejoicing
exceedingly^
Part I. in holy AffcBiom, 17
exceedingly y 1 Cor. 7. 13. And of his being filled with Cornfort^ and being exceeding joyful^ ?. Cor. 7. 4. He fpcaks of himfelf as always rejoicing, 2 Cor. 6. 10. So he fpeaks oi the Triu/nphs of his Soul, 2 Cor. 2. 14. And oi his glorying in Tribulation, 2 "I'hef. i. 4. and Rom. 5. 3. He alfo expreffcs the AfFccSlion of Hope ; in Phil. i. 20. he fpeaks of his carncjl ExpeiJation, and his Hope. He iikcwifc cxprefTcs an Affection of Godly Jealoufy, 2 Cor. 11.2,3. ^^^ '^ appears by his whole Hiftory, after his Converlion, in the ASls, and alfo by all his Epi/iles, and the Accounts he aives of himfelf there, That the Affedlion of Zeal, as having the Caufe of his Mafter, and the Intereft and Profperity of his Church, for its Obje6l, was mighty in him, continually inflaming his Heart, ftrongly engaging to thofe great and conftant Labours he went through, in inftrucling, exhort- ing, warning and reproving Others, traveling in Birth with them ; confli6ling with thofe powerful and innumerable Enemies who continually oppofed him, wreftling with Principalities and Powers, not fighting as one who beats the Air, running the Race fjt before him, continually preiling forwards through all Manner of D ffi- culties and Sufferings ; fo that others thought him quite befide himfelf. And how full he was of Afte6lion, does further appear by his being fo full of Tears : In 2 Cor. 2. 4. he fpeaks of his many Tears, and fo jI^s 20. 19. And of his Tears that he filed continually. Night and Day, V. 31.
Now if any one can confider thefe Accounts given In the Scripture of this great Apoftle, and which he gives of himfelf, and yet not fee that his Religion confifted much in AfFe<£i:ion, muft have a ftrange Faculty of managing his Eyes, to fhut out the Light which (hines moft full in his Face.
The other Inftance I fhall mention, is of the Apoftle John, that beloved Difciple, who was the neareft and deareft to his M ifter of any of theTwelve, and was by him admitted to the greateft Privileges of any of them : Being not only one of the three who were admit- ted to be prefent with him in the Mount at his Transfiguration, and at the raifing oVJairus's Daughter, and whom he took with him when he was in his Agony, and one of the three fpoken of by the Apoftle Paul, as the three main Pdlars of the chriftian Church ; but was fa- vour'd above all, in being admitted to lean on his Mafter's Bofom, at his latt Supper, and in being chofen by Chrift, as theDifciple to whom he would reveal his wonderful Difpenfation towards his Church, to the I^nd of Time ; as we have an Account in the Book of Revelation : And to fhut up the Canon of the New-Teftament, and of the whole Scripture ; being preferved much longer than all the reft of the Apo- files, to fet all Things in Order in the chriftian Church, after their Death.
C It
1 8 Religio7i confijls much Part I.
It is evident by all his Writings, (as is generally obfervecl by Di- vines) that he was a Perfon remarkably full of Affc6lion : His Ad- drefl'ts to thofe whom he wrote to, being inexprtfTibly tender and pathetical, breathing nothing but the molt feivenr Love ; as tho' he were all made up of fweet and hcdy Aftldion. The Proofs of which can't be given without Difadvantage, unkfs we fliould tranfciibe his whole Writings.
y. He whom God fent into the World, to be the Li^rht of the World, and Head of the whole Church, and the perfect Example of true Rtligion and Vertue, for thelmitation of all, the Shtpiierd whhm the whole Flock (hould follow wherever he goes, even the Lord Je- fus Chrifl-, was a Pcrfon who was remarkably of a tender and iifFcc- tionate Heart ; and his Vertue was exprefs'd very much in the Exer- cifes of holy Affc(5lions. He was the greattfl Inrtance of Ardency, Vigour and Strength of Love^ to both God and Man, that ever was. It was thefeAffe6lions which got theVidfory, in that mighty Struggle and Conflict of his AfFccSlions, in his Agonies, when he prayed more earmjily^ and offered jiro?ig Cry'nig and T ears ^ and wreftled in Tears and in Blood. Such was the Power of the Exercifcs of his hoi; Love, that they were ftronger than Death, and in that great Struggle, overcame thofe ftrong Exercifes of the natural AfFc6tions of Fear and Grief, when he was fore amazed, and hisSoul was exceeding forrowful, even unto Death. And he alfo appear'd to be full of AfFi(5tion, in the Courfc of his Life. We re:jd of his great ZW, fulfilling that in the 69th Pfalm, The Zeal of thine Hcuje hath eaten me up ^ John 2. 17. We read of his Grief ioT theSins of Men, Mark 3. 5. He looked round about on them with Anger , being grieved for the Hardnefs of their Hearts. And his breaking forth in Tears and Exclamations, from the Confi- deration of the Sin and Mifcry of ungodly Men, and on the Sight of the City oi Jerufalcm^ which was full of fuch Inhabitants, Luke ig. 41 , 42. And when he was come near^ he beheld the City^and ivept over it, fo}ing. If thou had ft known, even thou, at leaji in this thy Day, thelhings which belong unto thy Peace ! but nciu they are hid f rein thine Eyes With Chap. 13. 34. O jerufalem, Jerufulem, which killcji the Prophets, and Jloneji them that are fent unto thee. How often would I have gathered thy Children tc get her, as a Hen doth gather her Brood under her JP ings, and ye would not ! We read of Chrift's earneft Defire, Luke 22. 15. JPith Dcfirc have I dcfircd to cat this Paffovcr with you^ before I fuffer. We often read of the AfFtdion of Pity or Ccinpaffion in Chrilt, JVJatth. 15. 32. and 18. 34. Luke 7. 13. and of his being moved ivith Com- paffsoTi, Matth. 9. 36, and 14. 14. and Mark 6. 34. And how ren- der did his Heart appear to be, on occafion of AJary^s and Martha's Mourning for their l^rothcr, and coming to him with theirCompiaints iwid Tears : 'I'hiir I'cars foon drew I'cars from his Eyes : He was
aftcded
Part I. in holy JlffcBions. 19
afFc(£led with their Grief, and ivept with them ; tho' he knew their Sorrow fhould fo foon be turned into Joy, by their Brother's being raifed from the Dead ; fee 'John 1 1. And how ineffably aff(.6li(>nate was that laft and dying Difcourfe, which Jefus had with his eleven Difciplcs tlieEvening before he was crucified ? wht-n he told them he was going away, and foretold tliem the great Difficulties and Suffer- ings they fhould meet with in the World, when he was gone ; and comforted and counfeled 'em, as his dcarlittle Children, and bequeath- ed to them his holy Spirit, and therein his Peace, and his Comfort and Joy, as it were in his laft Will and Teftament, in the 13th, J4th, 15th, and 1 6th Chapters o{ John ; and concluded the Whole with that affedionate jnterceffory Prayer for them, and his whole Church, in Chap. 17. Of all the Difcourfes ever penn'd, or utter'd by the Mouth of any Man, this feems to be the moft affcdionate, and affecting.
8. The Religion of Heaven confifts very much in Affe£lion. There is doubtlefs true Religion in Heaven, and true Religion In it's utmoft Purity and Perfedion. But according to the Scripture Rcprefentation of th^ heavenly State, the Religion of Heaven confifls chiefly in holy and mighty Love and Joy^ and the Expreffion of thcfe in moft fervent and exalted Praifes. So that the Religion of the Saints In Heaven, confifts in the fame Things with that Religion of the Saints on Earth, which is fpoken of in cur Text, viz. Love^ and Joy unfpcakable^ and full of Glory. Now it would be very foolifh to pretend, that becaufe the Saints in Heaven ben't united to Flefh and Blood, and have no animal Fluids to be moved, ( through the Laws of Union of Soul and Body ) with thofe great Emotions of their Souls, that therefore their exceeding Love and Joy are no Afte6lions.
We are not fpeaking of the Affections of the Body, but of the
Affedions of the Soul, the chief of which are Love and Joy. When thefe are in the Soul, whether that be in the Body or out of it, the Soul is affected and moved. And when they are in the Soul, in that Strength in which they are in the Saints in Heaven, the Soul is migh- tily affccEled and moved, or, which is the fame Thins, has great Affc6tion?. 'Tis true, we don't experimentally know what Love and Joy are in a Soul out of a Body, or in a glorified Body ; /. c, we han't had Experience of Love and Joy in a Soul in thefe Cir- cumftances ; but th'e Saints on Earth do know what divine Love and Joy in theSoulare,& they knowwhatLove^cJoy are of the fameKind, with the Love and Joy which are in Heaven, in feparatc Souls there. The Love and Joy of the Saints on Earth, is the Beginning and Dawning of the Light, Life, and Bkffednefs of Heaven, and is like their Love and Joy there ; or rather, the fame inNature, tho' not the •fame with it, or like to it, in D''p;ree and Circumftances, This is
C 2 evident
20 Relight cofififts much Part I.
evident by many Scriptures, as Prov, 4. 18. John 4. 14. and Chap. 6. 40,47,50, 51, 54, s8. I John 3. 15. 1 Cor. 1 3. 8, 9, jo, 1 1, 12. 'Tis unrcafonable therefore to fuppofe, tliat the Love and Joy of the Saints in Heaven, not only difFcr in Degree and Circumftances, from the holv Love and Joy of the Saint? on Earth, but is fo entirely different in Nature, that they are no AfF^dlions ; and meerly becaufe the) have no Blood and animal Spirits to be fet in Motion by them, W'jiich Morion of the Blood and animal Spirits is not of the Eflence of thefe AfFc^lions, in Men on the E-.rth, but the EfFcd of them ; altho' by their Reaction they may make fome circumftantial Diffe- rence in theSenfation of the Mind. There is a Senfation of the Mind which loves and rejoices, that is antecedent to anyEff^ds on theEluids of the Body; and this Senfation of theMind, therefore don't depend on thefeAlotions in theBody, and fo may be in theSoul without theBody, And wherever there are the Exercif'^s of Love and Joy, there is that Senfation of the Mind, whether it be in the Body, or out ; and that inv^'ard Senfation, or kind of fpiritual Scnfe, or Feeling, and Motion of the Soul, is what is called Aftcdion ; The Soul when it thus feels, ( if I may fo fay ) and is thus moved, is faid to be afPedled, and efpe- cially when this inward Senfation and Motion, are to a very high De- gree, as they are in the Saints in Heaven. If we can learn any thing of the State of Heaven from the Scripture, the Love and Joy th.it the S.iincs have there, is exceeding great and vigorous ; imprcf- fing the Heart with the ftrongeft and mod lively Senfation, of inex- pr-lTible Sweetnefs, mightily moving, animating, and engaging them, m king them like to a Flame of Fire. And if fuch Love and Joy ben't Affwdions, then the Word Affe5lion is of no Ufe in Language.
Will any fay, that the Saints in Heaven, in beholding the Face of
their Father,, and the Glory of their Redeemer, and contemplating his wonderful \Vorks, and particularly his laying down his Life for them, have their Hearts nothing moved and affeded, by all which they behold or confider ?
Hence .therefore the Religion of Heaven., confifting chiefly in holy Love and Joy, confifts very much in Affcdion : And therefore un- doubtedly, true Religion confifts very much in AfFedlion, The Way to learn the true Nature of any Thing, is to go where that Thing is to be found in it's Purity and Pcrfedion. If wc would know the Nature of true Gold, we muft view it, not in the Oar, but when it b icfincd. If we would learn what true Religion is, we muft go where there is true Religion, and nothing but true Religion, and in it's higheft Perfcdion, without any Defed or Mixture. All who arc truely religious are not of this World, they are Strangers here, and belong to Heaven ; they are born from above. Heaven is their native Country, and the Nature which they receive by this hea- venly Birth, is an heavenly Nature, they receive an Anointing from A- Iqv€ i that Principle of true Religion which is in them, is a Commu- nication
Part I. i?j holy Affedliojis, ii
nication of the Religion of Heaven; their Grace is tl.e Dawn of Glory ; and God fits them for that World by conforming them to it.
9. This appears from the Nature and Dcfign of the Ordinances and Duties, which God hath appointed, as Means and Expreflions of true Religion.
To inftance in the Duty of Prayer : 'Tis manifcft, we are not ap- pointed, in this Duty, to declare God's Pcrfedions, his Majefly, Ho- linefs, Goodnefs, and Alifufficiency, and our own Mcannefs, Empti- nefs, Dependence, and Unworthinefs, and our Wants and Defires, to inform God of thefc Things, or to incline his Heart, and prevail with him to be willing to fiicw us Mercy ; but fuitably to afFc6t our own Hearts with the Things we cxprefs, and fo to prepare us to receive the Bleffings we afk. And fuchGeftures, and Manner of ex- ternal Behaviour in the Worfliip of God, which Cuftom has made to be Significations of Humility and Reverence, can be of no further Ufe, than as they have fome Tendency to affect our own Hearts, or the Hearts of others.
And the Duty of finging Praifcs to God, fccms to be appointed wholly to excite and exprefs religious Affe6lions. No other Reafon can beaffigned, why we fhould exprefs our fclves to God in V^erfe, rather than inProfe, and do it withiVIufick, but only, that fuch is our Nature and Frame, that thefe Things have a Tendency to move our AfFc-aions.
The fame thing appears in the Nature and Dcfign of the Sacra- ments, which God hath appointed. God, confidering our Frame, hath not only appointed that we fhould be told of the great Things of the Gofpel, and of the Redemption of Chrift, and inftru6\ed in them by his Word j but alfo that they fiiould be, as it were, exhi- bited to our View, in fenfible Reprefentations, in the Sacraments, the more to afFeft us with them.
And the imprclTing divine Things on the Hearts and AfFc^ions of Men, is evidently one great and main End for which God has ordain- ed, that his Word delivered in the holy Scriptures, fliould be opened, applied, and fet home upon Men, in Preaching. And therefore it don't anfwer the Aim which God had in this Inititution, meerly for Men to have goodCommcnfaries and Expofitions on theScripture, and other good Books of Divinity ; becaufe, altho' thcfe mav tend, as well as Preaching, 'to give Men a good doftrinal or fpeculative Un- derftanding of the Work of God, yet they have not an equal Ten- dency to imprefs them on Men's Hearts and Affcflions. God hath appointed a particular, and lively Application of his Word, to Men, in the Preaching of it, as a fit Means to afFc6l Sinners, with the Im- portance of the Things of Rcl gion, and their own Mifery, and Ne- • ce/Tity of a Remedy, and the Glory and SuiEciency of a Remedy
C 3 provided ;
2^ Religion conjlfls much Part I.
proviJed ; and to ftir up the pure Minds of the Saint?, and quicken t.'ieir Aff.(5lions, by often bringing the great Things of Religion to \\-\i\T Remembrance, and fetting them before them in their proper Coburs, tho' they know them, and have been fully inftrucled in them already; 2 Pet. i. 12, 13. And particularly, to promote thofe two AiF.dtions in tliem, wliich are fpoken of in the Text, Love and ^Joy : Chri/f gave feme ApojUes^ and fome Prophets., and fo?ne Evan- geli/is., and feme Pajhrs and Teachers., that the Body of Chriji might be cdifji'd in Love, Eph. 4. 1 1, 12, 16. The Apoftle, in inltrucSling and Cwunfeiling Timothy., concerning the Work of the Miniftry, informs him that the great End of that Word which a Minilter is to preach, is Love ox Charity., i Tim. 1.3,4,5. And another Affe6tion which God has appointed Preaching as a Means to promote in the S.iiiits, is Joy J and therefore Minillers are called Helpers of their Joy^ 2 Cor. I. 24.
10. 'Tis an Evidence that true Religion, or Holinefs of Heart, lies very much in the Affe6lion of the Heart, that the Scriptures place the Sin of the H^art very much in Hardnefs of Heart. Thus the Scrip- tures do every where. It was Hardnefs of Heart, which excitedGrief and Difpleafure in Chrift towards the feivs., Mark 3. 5. He looked rvAnd about on them with Anger., being grieved for the Hardnefs of their Plearts. It is from Men's having fuch a Heart as this, that they trea- fare up Wrath for themfelves. Rom. 2. 5. After thy Hardnefs and impenitent Heart., treafurefl up unto thy felf iVrath., again/} the Day of JVrath., and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God. The Reafon given why the Houfe of //r^?^/ would not obey God, was that they were hard-hearted, Ezek. 3. 7. But theHoufeoflfrzel will not hearken unto thee ; for they will not hearken unto me : For all the Houfe ij/'Ifrael are impudent and hard-hearted. The Wickednefs of that perverfe re- bellious Generation in the Wildernef<?, is afcribed to the Hardnefs of their Hearts ; Pfil. 95. y,— .jq. To Day^ if ye will hear my Voice., ^irden «;/ your Heart., as in the Provocation., and as in the Day of Temp- tation in the IP'ildernefs \ when your Fathers tejnptedme., proved me., and ! iw my I fork : Forty Years long was I grieved with this Generation,and I ud it is a People that do err in their Heart, &:c.— This is fpoken of ;'..i wh.it prevented Zedekiah's turning to the Lord, 2 Chron. 36. 13. He /lijfemd his Neck, and hardned his Heart, from turning to the Lord (fcd 5/" Ifracl. This Principle is fpoken of, as that from whenceMen arc without the Fear of God, and depart from God's Ways: Ifdi. 63. 17. O Lord, why hnfi thou made us to err from thy Uays, and hard- ned our Heart from thy Fear ? And Men's rejed-ng Chriit, and op- pofing Chrilt.ani'y, is Kii 1 to this Principle ; Aas 19. 9. But when drjers were hardned, and hcUevcd not, but f pake Evil of that JVay before
:!'(,• Multitude -, God's leaving Men to the Power of the Sin and
Corruption
Part I. in holy JlffcBiom 2
.>
Corruption of the Heart, is often exprefs'd by God*s hardening their Hearts; Rom. 9. 18. therefore hath he Mercy on wh^m he will have Mercy ^ and tvhom he lu'dl he hardeneth. John 12. 40. He hath Llmdcd their Mind<^ and hardened their Hearts. Ar;d tie Apoltle fcen-is to fpeak o^ an evil Hearty that departs from the living God^ and a hard Heart .^ as the fame Thing:, Hcb. 38. Harden not your Hearty as in the Frovocation^ &CC. Verfe 12, 13. Tah heed Brethren, leji there I c in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God ; but exhort one another daily .^ while it is called to Day ; leji any of ycu be hardened through the Deceit fulnefs of Sin. And that great Work of God in Converfion, which conhfis in dcHvering a Perfon from the Power of Sin, and mortifying Corruption, is cxprcls'd, once and a- gain, by God's taking away the Heart of Stone, and giving an Heart of Flejhy Ezek. 11. 19. and Ch?.p. 36. 26.
Now by a hard Heart, is plainly meant an unafF: (Sled Heart, or a. Heart not eafy to be moved with vertuous Affcdlions, hke a Stone, infcnfible, ftupid, unmoved and hard to be imprcTfcd. Hence the hard Heart is called -Ajlony Heart, and is oppofcd to an Heart cf FleJJ?^ that has feeling;, and is fenfibly touch'd and moved. We read in Scripture of a hard Heart, and a tender Heart : And doubtlefs we are to underhand thefe, as contrary the one to the other. But what is a tender Heart, but a Heart which is eafily imprefTed with what ought to afFe£l it ? God commends Jofiah, becaufe his Heart Wi)s tender ; and 'tis evident by thofe Things which are mention'd as Expreffions and Evidences of this Tendernefs of Heart, that by his Heart being tender is meant, his Heart being eafily moved with religious and pious AfFc6lion ; 2 Kings 22. 19. Becaufe thine Heart was tender^ and thou hajl humbled thy felf before the Lord., when thou heard]} what I fpake againj} this Place, arid againji the Inhabitants thereof^ that they fiould become a Defolation, and a Curfe, and haji rent thy Clothes, and haft wept before me ; I alfo have heard thee, faith the Lord. And this is one thing, wherein it is necefTary we fhould become as little Chil- dren, in order to cur entring into the Kingdom of God, even that we fhould have our Hearts tender, and eafily iifFedted and moved in fpi- ritual and divine Things, ashttle Children have in other Things.
'Tis very plain in fome Places, in the Texts themfelves, that by Hardnefs of Heart is meant a Fleart void oS. AfFccSlion. So to fignily the Oflrich's being without natural Afi\6lion to her Young, it isfaid, Job 39. 16. She hardeneth her Heart againji her young Ones, as though they were not hers. So a Perfon having a Heart unafFt£ted in Tin.e of Danger, is exprefs'd by his hardening his Heart, Prov. 28. 14* Happy is the Man that fear eth alway ; but he that hardneth his Heart fhall fall into Mi f chief
Now therefore fmce it is fo plain, that by a hard Heart, in Scrip- ture, is meant a Heart deftitute of pious Affe6lions, and fmce alfo
C 4 the
24 Religion confijls much Part I.
the Scriptures do fo frequently place the Sin and Corruption of the Heart in Hardnefs of Heart ; it is evident, that the Grace and Holi- nefs of the Heart, on tJie contrary, muft, in a great Mcafure, confift in its having pious Affcdllons, and being eafily fufceptive of fuch Af- fe<5lion. Divines are generally agreed, that Sin radically and funda- mentally confids in what is negative, or privative, having its Root and Foundation in a Privation or Want of Holinefs. And therefore un- doubtedly, if it be {o that Sin does very much confifl in Hardnefs of Heart, and fo in the Want of pious AfFe6lions of Heart i Holinefs does confift very much in thofe pious Affcolions.
I am far from fuppofmg that all AfFcdions do fhew a tendcrHeart : Hatred, Anger, Vain-glory, and other felfiQi and felf-exaltincj Affec- tions, may greatly prevail in the hardeft Heart. But yet it is evident that Hardnefs of Hearty and Tendermfs of Hearty are ExpreHions that relate to the Aftedtions of the Heart, and denote the Heart's being fufccptibie of, or fhutup againlt, certain Jjfe^ions, of which I fhall have Occafion to fpcak more afterwards.
Upon the Whole, I think it clearly and abundantly evident, that true Religion lies very much in the AfFecftion^. Not that I think thef^ Arguments prove, that Religion in theHearts of the trulyGodly, is ever in cxadl Proportion to the Degree of Affection, and prefent Emotion of the Mind. For undoubtedly, there is much AfFedlion in the true Saints which Is not fpiritual : Their religious AfFe6tions are often mixed ; all is not from Grace, but m.uch from Nature. And tho' the Affections have not their Seat in the Body, yet the Conftitu- tion of the Body, may very much contribute to the prefent Emotion of the M'md. And the Degree of Religion is rather to be judged of by the Fixcdnefs and Strength of the Habit that is exercifed in Affec- tion, whereby holy Affc61:ion is habitual, than by the Degree of the prefent Exercife : And the Strength of that Habit is not always inPro- portion to outward EfFc(fl:s and Manifcflations, or inward PJtFeds, in the Hurry and Vehemence, and fuddcn Changes of the Courfe of the Thoughts of-the Mind. JJut yet it is evident, that Religion confifts fo much in Afl^cdtion, as that witlioutholy Affedion there is no true Religion : And no IJght in the Underftanding is good, which don't produce holy Af}l6lion in the Heart j no HMt or Principle in the Heart is good, wliich has no fuch Exercife ; and no external Fruit is good, which don't proceed from fuch Exercifes.
Having thus confidcrcd the Evidence of the Propofition laid down, I proceed to (omc. Inferences.
I. Wc may hence lenrn how great their Error is, who are for difc.-.rdin^ all religious Affcdtions, as having nothing folid or fubftan- tial in them.
There
Part L in holy Affcdionu 25
There feems to be too much of a Difpofition tliis Way, prevailing" in this Land at this Time. Becaufe many who, in the late extraor- dinary Seafon, appeared to have great religious AfFc£^ions, did not manifcll a ri2;ht Ttmpcr of Mijid, and run into many Errors, in The Timeof thtir Affcclion, and tiie Heat of their Zeal ; and becaufe ihc highAfFe«5tions of many feem to be fo foon ccme to nuthir.g, and feme who feemed to be miglitiiy raifed and fwallowed witii Joy and Zeal, for a While, feem to have returned like tiie Dog to his Vomit : Hence religious Afte6lions in general arc grown out of Crcdir, with great Numbers, as tho' true Religion did not at all conlHl: in them. Thus we eaiily, and naturally run from one Extreme to another. A little while ago we were in the other Extreme ; there was a preva- lent Difpofition to look upon all high religious Affections, as eminent Exercifcs of true Grace, without much inquiring into the Nature and Source of thofe Affections, and the Manner in which they arofe : If Perfons did but appear to be indeed very much moved and raifed, fo as to be full of religious Talk, and exprefs themfelves with great Warmth and Earneftnefs, and to be fill d^ or to be very full^ as the Phrafes were ; it was too much the Manner, without further Exami- nation, to conclude fuch Perfons were full of the Spirit of God, and had eminent Experience of his gracious Influences. This was the Extreme which was prevailing three or four Years ago. But of late, inftead q{ efieeming and admiring all religious Affections ^ without Dif- iinSfion, it is a Thing much more prevalent, to rejet^ and difcard all without DiftinSfion. Herein appears the Subtllty of Satan. While he Hiw that Jffe^ions were much in Vogue, knowing the greater Part of the Land were not verfed in fuch Things, and had not had much Experience of great religious Affe5lions^ to enable them to judge well of 'em, and diftinguifli between true and falfe ; then he knew he could beft play his Game, by fowing Tares amongft the Wheat, and mingling falfe AffeSfions with the Works of God's Spirit : He knew this to be a likely Way to delude and eternally ruin many Souls, and greatly to wound Religion in the Saints, and entangle them in a dreadful Wildernefs, and by and by, to bring all Religion into Dif- repute. But now, when the ill Confequences of \hc{t falfe JffeJlions appear, and 'tis become very apparent, that fome of thofc Emotions which made a glaring Shew, and were by many greatly admired, were in RealityNothing ; the Devil fees it to be for his Intercfl to go another Way to work, and to endeavour to his utmoft to propagate and cftablilh a Perfwafion, that all Affections and fenfible Emotions of the Mind, in Things of Religion, are nothing at all to be regarded, but are rather to be avoided, and carefully guarded againff, as Things of a pernicious Tendency. This he knows is the Way to bring all Re- ligion to a meer lifelefs Eormality, and effedually fliut out the Power ■ of Godlinefs, and every Thing which is fpiritual, and to have all true
Chriftianity
26 Religion conftjls much Part I.
Chriftlanlty turn'd out of Doors. For altho' to true Religion, there muft indeed be fomethlng elfe befides AfF^diion ; yet true Religion confifts fo much in the AfFcdtions, that there can be no true Religi- on without them. He who has no religious AfFc6lion, is in a State oF fpiritual D^ath, and is wholly deftitute of the powerful, quicken- ing, favjng Influences of the Spirit of God upon his Heart. As there is no true Reli<iion, where there is notliing elfe but Aff-6lion ; fo there is no true Religion where there is no religious AjfeStion. As on the one Hand, there muft be Light in the Underftanuing, as well as an afcSicd fervent Heart, where there is Htat without L'ght, there can be nothing divine or heavenly in that Heart ; fo on the other Hand, where there is a Kind of Light without Heat, a Head ftored with Notions and Speculations, with a cold zwA unafFc6lcd Heart, there can be nothing divine in that Light, that Knowledge is no true ipiritual Knowledge of divine Things. If the gr?at Things of Re- ligion are rightly underftood, they will afFc£t the Heart. The Rea- fon why Men are not affeded by fuch infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful Things, as they often hear and read of, in the Word of God, is undoubtedly becaufe they are blind ; if they were not fo, it would be impoffible, and utterly inconfiftent with hu- man Nature, that their Hearts fhould be otherwife, than ftrongly im- prefs'd, and greatly moved by fuch Things.
This Manner of flighting all religious AffeSllons^ is the Way ex- ceedingly to harden the Hearts of Men, and to encourage 'em in their Stupidity and SenfelefTuefs, and to ketp 'em in a State of fpiri- tual Death as long as they live, and bring 'em at laft to Death eternal. The prevailing Prejudice againft religious AffeSiions at this Day, in the Land, is apparently of awful EffecSt, to harden the Hearts of Sinners, and damp the Graces of many of the Saints, and ftund the Life and Power of Religion, and preclude the EfFedl of Ordinances, and hold us down in a State ofDulnefsand Apathy, and undoubtedly caufes many Perf jns greatly to offend God, in entertaining mean and low. Thoughts of the extraordinary Work he has lately wrought in this Land.
And for Perfons to defpife and cry down all religious AffeBions^ is the Way to fhut all Religion out of their own Hearts, and to make thorough Work in ruining their Souls.
They who condemn hi2,h Affedions in others, are certainly not likely to have high Affections thcmfelves. And let it be confider'd, that they who have but little religious Affection, have certainly but little Religion. And they who condemn others for their religious Af- feSlions^ and have none themfclves, have no Religion.
There are falfe AjfcSlions^ and there are true. A Man's having much AffeSiioriy don't prove that he has any true Religion : But if he has no AffeClton^ it proves that he has no true Religion. The right
Way,
Part L m holy jlff'e^fioJis, 27
Wav, is not to reject: all AfFcdIons, nor to approve all ; but to di- ftinguifh between Aftections, approvin": Tome, and rtjicling others i feparating between the Wheat and iheChafF, the Gold and the Drof^j the Precious and the V^ile,
2. If it be {o^ that true Religion lies much in the jlffe^lons^ hence we may infer, that fuch Means are to be dtfired, as have much of h Tendency to move the AfFeiSlions. Such Books, and fuch a Way of Preaching the Word, and Adminiftration of Ordinances, and luch a Way of worfhipping God in Prayer, and Tinging Praifes, is much to be defired, as has a Tendency deeply to afftd the Hearts of thofe who attend thefe Means.
Such a Kind of Means, would formerly have been highly approved of and applauded by the Generality of the People of the Land, a.*^ the moft excellent and profitable, and having the greatefl: Tendency to promote the Ends of the Means of Grace. But the prevailing Tafie feems of late ftrangely to be alterM : That patheticalManner of Pray- ing and Preaching, which would formerly have been admir'd and ex- toll'd, and that for this Reafon, becaufe it had fuch a Tendency to move the AfFetSlions, now, in great Multitudes, immediately excites Difguft, and moves no other Affedlions, than thofe of Difpleafure and Contempt.
Perhaps, formerly the Generality (at leafl of the common People) were in the Extreme, of looking too much to an afFectionateAddrefs, in puhlick Performances : But now, a very great Pi^rt of the People, feem to have gone far into a contrary Extreme. Indeed there may be fuch Means, as may have a great Tendency to ftir up the Pafllonv of weak and ignorant Perfons, and yet have no great Tendency to Benefit their Souls. For tho' they may have a Tendency to excite Affections, they may have little or none to excite gracious Affection.'^, or any Affections tending to Grace. But undoubtedly, if thcThings of Religion, in the Means ufed, are treated according to theiifNaturc, and exhibited truly, fo as tends to convey juft Apprehenfions, and a right Judgment of them ; the more they have aTendency to move the Affections, the better.
3. If true Religion lies much in the Affections, hence we may learn, what great Caufe we have to be afhamed and confounded be- fore God, that we are no more affected with the great Things of Religion. It appears from what has been faid, that this arifes from our having fo little true Religion.
God has given to Mankind Affe£lions, for the fame Purpofc which he has given all the Faculties and Principles of the human Soul for^ viz that they mioht be fubfervient to Man's chief End, and the great Bufiiiefs fur which God has created him, that is the Bufine/s of Reli- gion,
2^ Rcligicn co?i/ijls much Part I.
gfon. And yet how common is it among Mankind, that their Affec- tions are much more exercifcd and engaged in other A4atters, than in Rehgion ! In Things which concern Men's worldly Intereli, their outward Djlights, th-ir Honour and Reputation, and their natural Relations, tiiey have their Defires eager, their Appetites vehement, their Love warm and afFj<a:ionate, their Zeal ardent ; in thefe Things their Hearts are tender and feniible, eaiily moved, deeply imprefs'd, much concerned, very fenfibly yfFeded, and greatly engaged ; much deprefs'd with Grief at worldly LofTes, and highly raifed with Joy at worldly SuccefTes and Profperity. But how infcnfible and unmovM are moft Men, about the great Things of another World ! How dull are their Affections ! How heavy and hard their Hearts in thefe Mat- ters ! Here their Love is cold, their Defires languid, their Zeal low, and their Gratitude fmall. How they can fit and hear of the infinite Height and D.-pth and Length and Breadth of the Love of God in Chrift Jefus, of his giving his infinitely dear Son, to be offered up a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men, and of the unparallel'd Love of the in- nocent, holy and tender Lamb of God, manifefted in his dying Ago- nies, his bloody Sweat, his loud and bitter Cries, and bleeding Heart, and all this for Enemies, to redeem them from deferved, eternal Burn- ings, and to bring to unfpeakable and everlafling Joy andGlory ; and yet be cold, and heavy, infeufible, and regardlefs ! Where are the Exercifes of our Affections proper, if not here ? What is it that does more require them ? And what can be a fit Occafion of their lively and vigorous Exercife, if not fuch an one as this ? Can any Thing be fet in our View, greater and more important ? Any Thing more wonderful and furprifing ? Or more nearly concerning our Interefl ? Can wc fuppofe the wife Creator implanted fuch Principles in the hu- min Nature as the Affections, to be of Ufe to us, and to be exercifed on certain proper Occafions, but to lie Itill on fuch an Occafion as this ? Can any Chriftian, who believes the Truth of thefe Things, entertain fuch Thoughts ?
If we ought ever to exercife our Affections at all, and if the Crea- tor han't unwifcly confhtuted the human Nature, in making thefe Principles a Part of it, when they are vain and ufelcfs ; then they ought to be exercifed about thofe Objects which are mofi worthy of them. B'jt is there any Thino;, which Chriftians can find in Heaven or Earth, fo worthy to be the Objects of their Admiration and Love, their earneft and longing Defires, their Hope, and theiiRcjoicing, and their fervent Zeal, as thofe Things that are held forth to us in the Gofpel of JcTus Ciiiift ? In which, not only are Things declared moft worthy to aff"Ct us, but they are exhibited in the molt aff ctingMan- ner. The (jlory and Beauty of the blcffcd Jehovah, which is molt worthy in it felf, to be theObject of ourAJmiration and Love, is there exhibited in the moft affecting Manner that can be conceived of, as
it
Part I.
/;/ holy Affcdions,
it appears fbinlng in all its Lurtre, in the Face of an Incarnate, infi- nitely loving, meek, compaflionatc, d}ing Redeemer. All the Ver- tuesofthc Lamb of God, his Humility, Patience, Meeknefs, Sub- miflion. Obedience, Love h CompafTion, are exhibited to ourView, in a manner the moft tending to move ourAffccrions, of any that can be imagined ; as they all had their greattft Trial, and their highelt Exercife, and {o their brighteft Manifeftation, when he was in the moft affecting Circumffances ; even when he was under his lafl Sufferings, thofe unutterable and unparalkl'd Sufferings, he endured, from his tender Love and Pity to us. There alfo, the hateful Nature of our Sins is manifeftcd in the mofl affecting Manner pofTible ; as we fee the dreadful Effects of them, in what ourRedecmer, v/ho un- dertook to anfwer for us, fuffcrcd for them. And there we have the moft affecting Manifeftations of God's Hatred of Sin, and his Wrath and Juftice in punifhing it ; as we fee his Juffice in the Strictnefsand Inflexiblenefs of it, and his Wrath in its Terriblenefs, in fo dreadfully punifhing our Sins, in One who was infinitely dear to him, and luviiip; to us. So has God difpofed Things, in the Affair of ourRedemption, and in his glorious Difpenfations, revealed to us in the Gofpel, as tho' every Thing were purpofely contrived in fuch a Manner, as to have the greateft, poiTible Tendency to reach our Hearts in the moft tender Part, and move our Affections moft fenfibly and ftrongly. How great Caufe have we therefore to be humbled to the Duft, that wc are no more affected !
PART
3°
What are no Signs
Part II
P A Pv T
Shewing what are no certain Signs that re- ligious AffeEiions are truly gracious^ or that they are not.
&,'^/'0ikW§f?$§^§ F any one, on the Reading of what has been juff " '^ 15fl^/''i^>'':§^% now faid, is ready to acquit himfelf, and fay, '•' I
am not one of thofe who have no rehgious Af- fections ; I am often greatly moved with the Confideration of the great Things of Reli^i-
'•'• on ; " Let him not content himfelf with this, that he has religious Affections. For ( as was ob- fcrved before ) as wc ought not to reject and condemn all AfFedlions, as tho' true Religion did not at all confift in Affection ; fo on the o- ther Hand, we ought not to approve o^ all, as tho' every one that was relizioufly affected, had true Grace, and was therein the Subje(ft of the favir.g Influences of the Spirit of God : and that therefore the right Way is'to diftinguifh among religious Affe6tion?, between one fort and another. Therefore let us now endeavour to do this : And in order to it, I would do two Things.
I. I would mention fome Things, which are no Signs one Way or the other, either that Affections are fuch as true Rt-ligion confifts in, or that they are otherwife ; that we may be guarded againft judging of Affections by falfe Signs.
II. I would obfcrve /bmc Things, wherein thofc Affections which are fpiritual and gracious, differ from thofc which are not fo, and may be diftinguilhed and known.
FIRST,
Part II. to diftinguiffj jj^cBions, 3 1
FIRST, I would take Notice of feme Things, which arc no Signs that Affections arc gracious, or that they are not.
I. 'Tis no Sign one Way or the other, that rehgious Affections are very great, or raifcd very higli.
Seme are ready to condemn all high Affections : If Perfons appear to have their religiousAffectionsrais'd toan extraordinary Fitch, *hey are prejudiced again(t them, and determine that they are Delufions, without further Enquiry. But if it be as has been proved, that true Religion lies very much in reli^^ious Affections, then it follows, that if there be a great deal of true Religion, there will be great reli:'i(us Affections ; if true Religion in the Hearts of Men, be raifed to a great Height, divine and holy Affections will be raifed to a great Height.
Love is an Affection ; but will any Chriftian fay, Men ought not to love God and Jefus Chrift in a high Degree ? And will any fay, we ought not to have a very great Hatred of Sin, and a very deep Sorrov/ for it ? Or that we ouglit not to exercife a high Degree of Gratitude to God, for the Mercies we receive of him, and tlie great Things he has done for the Salvation of fallen Men ? Or that we fhould not have very great and ftrong Defires after God and Ho- linefs ? Is there any who will profeis, that his Affections in Religion are great enough ; and will fay, *' I have no Caufe 'o be humbled, " that I am no more effected with the Things of Religion than I *' am, I have no Reafon to be afhamed, that I kave no greater Ex- *' ercifes of Love to God, and Sorrow for Sin, and Gratitude for " the Mercies which I have received ? " Who is there that will go and blefs God, that he is affected enough with what he has read and heard, of the wonderful Love of God to Worms and Rebels, i:i giving his only begotten Son to die for them, and of the dying Love ofCiirifl: ; and will pray that he miyn't be affected with them in any higher Degree, bccaufe high Affections are improper, and very un- lovely in Chriftians, being enthufiaftical, and ruinous to true Religion ?
Our Text plainl) fpeaks of great and high Affections, when it fpeaks of rejoicmg with Joy uvfpcakahle and full of Glory : Here the moit fuparlative Expreffions are ufed, which Language will afford. And the Scriptures often require us to exercife very high Aff-ctions : Thus in the firff- and great Commandment of the Law, there is an A'^cumulation of Ex'prefllons, as tho' Words were wanting to ( xprefs the Degree, in which we ought to love God ; ^[hmjlmlthveihe Lord thy God^ with all thy Hearty with all thy Soul, with all thy A'Jind^ and with all thy t^trength. So the Saints are called upon to exercife high Degrees of Joy : Rejoice, fays Chrift to his Difciples, and be <?.v- ceeding glad, Matth. 5. 12. So it is faid, Pfal. 68. 3. Let the -.Righteous be glad y let them rejoice before God ', yea^ let them exceedingly
rejoice.
■> ? IFbat are no Sig?is Part. II.
mjoice. So In the fame Bock of Pfalms, the Saints are often called upon toJJ?cut for Joy ; and in Luke 6. 23. to hap for Joy. So they ure abundLintly called upon to exercife high Degrees of Gratitude for Mercies, \.o Fraife God with all their Hearts^ with Hearts lifted up in the f fays of the Lord y ar.d their Soids magnifying the Lcrdffrging his F}-ai/'tSy talking of his luondrous Works ^ declaririg his Doings^ &c.
y\nd we find the mol! eminent Saints in Scripture, often profefTing high AftVctions. Thus the ^{■^m\{\ f peaks of his Love, as if it were wifpeakahle \ Pfal. i ig. 97. Oh how love I thy Law I So he exprefTes a great Degree of Hatred of Sin ; Pfal. 139. 21, 22. Do I not hate thein^ O Lord-, that hate thee ? And ain I not grieved with ihon that rife up ogainfi thee ? I hate them with perfa^t Hatred. He ?.iro exprefles a liio-h Deforce of Sorrow for Sin : He fpeaks of his '^im^ going over his Llead^ as an heavy Burden^ that zvas too heavy for hi?n ; and of his rear- ing all the Day^ and his Moijlure's being turned into theDroiight of Surn- 77ier^ and his hones being as it were broken with Sorrow. So he often expreffes great Degrees of fpiritual Defires, in a Multitude of the llrono;eft ExprefTions which can be conceived of; fuch as hisLonging^ his Souls thirjling as a dry and thirjly Land where no IVater is, his Pant- ing, his Flejh and Heart crying out, his Soul's breaking for the Longing it hath, he. He exprefles the Exercifes of great and extreme Grief for the Sins of others, Pfal. 119. 136. Rivers of IVater rundown mine Eyes, becaufe they keep not thy Laiv. And Verfe 53. Horror hath taken , hold upon ?ne, becaufe of the Wicked that for fake thy Laiu. He exprefTes high Exercifes of Joy, Pfal. 21. i. The King f mil joy in thy Strength \ and in thy Salvation, how greatly /hall he rejoice ! Pfal. 71. 23. My Lips /hall greatly rejoice, when I fing unto thee. Pfal. 73. 3--- 7. Be- caufe thy loving Kijidnefs is better than Life, my Lips fmll pra'ife thee. Thus will I blefs thee, zvhile I live : I will lift up my Hands in thy JSIame : My Soul /hall be fatisfed as ivith Marrow and Fatnefs, and my Mouth /hall praife thee with joyful Lips : If hen I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the Night Watches ; becaufe thou hajl been viy Help, therefore in the Shadow of thy Wings will I rejoice.
The Apoftle Paul exprefles high Exercifes of Affection. Thus he exprefTes the Exercifes of Pity and Concern for others Good, even to Angui/h of Heart ; a great, fervent and abundant Love, and earnejl and longing Deftres, and exceeding Joy ; and fpeaks of the Exultation and Triumphs of his Soul, and his earneft Expe^atlon and Hope, and his abundant Tears, and the Travails of his Soul, in Pity, Grief, earneft Dcfires, godly Jealoufy and fervent Zeal, in many Places that have been cited already, and which therefore I need not repeat. John the Bapti/l cxpref^Ld great Joy, ]o\m 2- 39. Tho fe ble fTed iVomen that anointed the Body of Jefus, arc repiefcnted as in a very high Exercife of religious Affection, on Occafion of ChrifPsRefurrection ; Matth. 28. 8. And they departed from the Sepulchre, with Fear and great Joj.
'Tis
Part II. to dijlinguijld AffeBlons. 33
'Tis often foretold of the Church of God, in her future happySea- fons here on Earth, that they (hall exceedingly rejoice ; Pfal. 89. 15, 16. They Jhall walk ^ O Lord, in the Light of thy Countenance : In thy Namejhall they rejoice all the Day^ and in thy Right eoufnefs Jlmll they he exalted. Zech. 9. 9. Rejoice greatly^ O Daughter of Xiou^ Jhout^ O Daughter of Jcrufalem ; Behold thy King cometh, &c. The fame is reprefented in innumerable other Places. And becaufe high Degrees of Joy are the proper and genuine Fruits of the Gofpcl oi ChrifK therefore tlie Angel calls this Gofpcl, gocd Tydings of great Joif, that JJmdd be to all People.
The Saints and Angels in Heaven, that have Religion in it's highert Perfedion, are exceedingly aftliSled with what they behold and contemplate, of God's Perfections and Works. They are all as a pure heavenly Flame of Fire, in their Love, and in the Greatnefs and Strength of their Joy and Gratitude: Their Praifes are repre- fented, as the P^oice of many l^atcrs^ and as the Voice cf a great Thunder. Now the only Reafon why their Aff^dtions are (o much higher than the holv Affedions of Saints on Earth, is, they fee the Things they areaffedled by, more according to their Truth, and have their At- fe£lions more conformed to the Nature of Things. And therefore, if religious Affedions in Men here below, are but of the fame Na- ture and Kind with their's, the higher they are, and the nearer they are to their's in Degree, the better ; becaufe therein they will be fo much the more conformed to Truth, as their's are.
From thefeThings it certainly appears, that religious Affi-dlion'^ be- ing; in a very high Degree, is noJEvidcnce that they are not fuch as have the Nature of true Religion. Therefore they do greatly err, who condemn Perfons as Enthufiafts, meerly becaufe their AfF-.iStions are very high.
And on the other Hand, 'Tib no Evidence that religious AfF.ai- oils' are of a fpiritual and gracious Nature, becaufe they are great. 'Tis very manifeft by the holy Scripture, our fure and infallible Rule to judcrc of Things of this Nature, that there are religious Affections which are very high, that are not fpiritual and faving. The Apcftle Paul fpeaks of Aftedlions in the Galaiians, which had been exceeding- ly elevated, and which vet he manifeftly fpeaks of, as fearing that they were vain, and had come to nothing, Gal. 4. 15. Ji'here is thg Blejfednefsyoufpakeof? For I bear you Record, that if it had been pof- ftble, you ivould have plucked out your own Eyes., and have given them to me. And in the i ith Verfe he tells them, he ivas afraid of'em^ leji he had hejiowed upon thcjn Labour in vain. So the Children of Jfrael were greatly af?"c£ted with God's Mercy to 'cm, when they had leen how wonderfully he wrought for them at the Rid Sea, where tiity fang God'i PraiJ'e ; the' they foon forgat his Works. So they were ■greatly afTvdled again, at Mount Sinaiy when they faw the marvelous
D Manifeftation.s
34 TPljaf are no Signs Pap.t. II,
Manlfedlations God made of himfelf there ; and feemed mightily en- gaged in their Mind.^, and with .great Forwardnels made Anfwer, when GoJ propofcd his holy Covenant to them, faying, All that the Lord hathfpoken will wc ch^ and be chcdient. But how foon was there an ErtJ to all this mighty Forwardnefs and Engagcdnefsof Aftcftion ? How quickly were they turned afide after other Gods, rejoicing and fhouting around their golden CaU"? So great Multitudes who were afFo£l-d with the Miracle of railing Lazarus from the Dead, were elevated to a high Degree, and made a mighty aco, when Jefus pre- fently after cnter'd into ycrufalem^ ex'ccedin£!;ly magnifying Chrili, as tho' the Ground were not good enough for the Afs he rode to tread upon ; and therefore cut down Branches of Palm-trees, and ftrawcd them in the Way ; yea pull'd off their Garments, and fpread them in the Way ; and cried with loud Voices, Llofarma to the Sen ofTX^i.- vid, Blejfed is he tha^ ccmeth in the Name of the Lord^ Hojanna in the Higheji ; fo as to mike the wholeCity ring again, and put all into an Uproar. We learn by the Evangelift John, that the Rcafon why the People made this ado, was b^caufe they were affc^led with the Mi- racle of raifmg Z^z^^r//^ ; John 12. 1 8. Here was a vaft Multitude cryina; Ho/anna on thi^ Occafi >n, fo that it gave Occafion to the Pharifees to fay, Behold the World is gone after him, John I2. 19. but Chri(t had at that Time but few true Difciples. And how quickly was this ado at an End ? All of this Nature is quell'd and dead, when this J^fus ftands bound, with a mock Robe and a Crown of Thorns, to be derided, fpi^ upon, fcourg'd, condemned and executed. Indeed there was a great and loud Out- cry concerning him, among fhe Multitude then, as well as before ; but of a very different Kind ; 'Tis not then, Hojanna^ Hofanna, but Crucify, Crucify.
And it is the concurring Voice of all orthodox Divines, that there mav be religious AfFciftions, which are raifcd to a very high Degree, and yet there be nothing of true Religion, -f
II. 'Tis- no Sign that Affi^lions have the Nature of true Religion, or that they have not, that they have great Eff^l-dls on the Body.
All Affc-(£lions whatfoever, have in fome Rcfpcil or Degree, an EfT ct on th: Body. As was obferved before, fuch is our Nature, and fuch arc the Laws of Union 0^ Soul and B >dy, that the Mind can have' no lively or viiTorout Exercife, without fome EfFcl upon the Body. So fubjt6^ is the Body to the Mind, and fo much do its Fluids, cfpccially the animal Spirits, attend the Motions rmd Exer- cifes of the Mind, that there can't b^ fo much as an intenfe Thought,
Air. Stf.ddird ohferves, That cofnmm ^fTi^ioni are fome t'im>i Jhonger than faving. Guide to Clirill. p. 21.
widiout
Part II. to dijiingmjh jiffeBiom, 3jj
without an Effe6l upon them. Yea, 'tis quefiionable, whether an embodied Soul ever fo much as thinks one Thought, or has any Exer- cife at all, but that there is Tome correfponding Motion or Alreration of Motion, in fome Degree, or the Fluids, in fome Part of the Body. But univerfal Experience (hews, that the Exercife of the AfF<6lions, have in a fpecial Manner a Tendency, to fome fenfible Eftc6t upon the Body. And if this be fo, that all AfFecStions have fome Effc<5l on the Body, we may then vvull fuppofe, the greater thofe Afi'c6lions be, and the more vigorous their Exercife ( other Circumflances being equal ) the greater will be the EfFedl on the Body. Hence it is not to he wondered at, that very ^reat and firong Exercifes of the Af- teclions, fhould have great EfFe£ls on the Boo) . And thertf(^.rc, feeing there are very great AfFtdlions, both common and fpiritual ; hence it is not to be wondered at, that great Efft6ls on the Body, fbould arife from both thefe Kinds of Affections. And confequently thefe EfFc6fs are no Signs, that the AiFections they arife from, are of one Kind or the other.
Great EfFc6ls on the Body certainly are no fure Evidences that Affections are fpiritual j for we fee that fuchEffefts oftentimes arife from great Affections about termpoml Things, and when Rcl gicn is no Way concerned in them. And if great Affc6tions about fecular Things, arc purely natural, may have thefe Eff 6ts, I know not by what Pvule we fhould determine, that high Affe6tions about religious Things, which arife in like Manner from Nature, can't have the like Effea
Nor on the other Hand, do I know of any Rule any have to de- termine, that gracious and holy Aff^ftions. when raifcd rs hi:h as any natural Affections, and have equally flrong and vigorous Ex-r- cifes, can't have a great Effect on the Body. No fuel Rule can be drawn from Reafon : I know of no Reafon, why a being affected with a View of God's Glory fliould not caufe the Body to faint, as well as a being affected with a View of Solo?r:c?i's Glory. And no fuch Rule has as yet been produced from the Scnpture : Nc ne has ever been found in all the late Controverfits which have been i.bout Things of this Nature. There is a great Power in fpiritu.il Affec- tions ; we read of the Power which vvorketh in Chriftians, * and of the Spirit of God being in them, as the Spirit of Pcwer, f and of the effectual working of his Power in them j; yea of the working of God's mightv Power in them. || But Man's Niture is weak : Flefh and Blood are reprcfcnted in Scripture as exceeding weak ; rnd par- ticularly with Rcfpect to it's Unfimefs for great Spiritual and hea- ven!) Operations and Exercifes, Matth. 26. 41. i Cor. 15. 43, & 50.
Eph. 3. 7. f 2Tim. r. 7. t "^IVd v. 7. Ibid. v. 19. |( Eph. i ^q, D 2 The
^6 ^^h^i ^r^ ^^ Signs Part II.
The Text we are upon fpeaks of yoy unfpenkabky and full of Glory, And who that confiders what Man's Nature is, and what the Nature of the Affections are, can reafonably doubt but that fuch unutterable and e,lorious Jovs, ma)' be too great and mighty for weak Duft and A{hes, fo as to be confiderably overbearing to it ? It is evident by the Scripture, that true divine Difcoveries, or Ideas of God's Glory, when given in a great Degree, have a Tendency, by afftding the Mind, to overbear the Body; becaufe the Scripture teaches us often, that if thefe Ideas or Views fhould be given to fuch a Degree, as they are given in Heaven, the weak Frame of the Body could not fubfift under it, and that no Man can, in that Manner, fee God and live. The Knowledge which the Saints have of God's Beauty and Glory in this World, and thofe holy Affedtions that arife from it, are of tlie fame Nature and Kind wiih what the Saints are the SubjecEls of in Heaven, differing only in Degree and Circumftances : What God gives them here, is a Foretafte of heavenly Happinefs, and an Earneft of th;ir future Inheritance. And who fliall limit God in his giving this P^arncft, or fay he fhall give fo much of the Inheritance, fuch a Part of the future Reward, as an Earneft of the Whole, and no more ? And feeingGc'd has taught us in hisWord, that the wholeReward is fuch, that it would at once deftroy the Body, is it not too bold a Thing for us, fo to fet B.^unds to the fovercign God, as to fay, that in giving the Earneft of this Reward in this XVorld, he fliall never give fo much of it, a*^ in the lead to dmiinifh the Strength of the Body, when God has no where thus limited himfe'f r
The Pfalmill fpeaking of vehement religious Affections he had, fpeaks of an Effect in his Flefli or Body, befides what was in his Soul, exprefly diftinguifliing one from the other, once and again, Pfal. 84. 2. A'ly Scul longcib^ yea even faint eth for theCouris of the Lord, my Heart and my Flcfh cr'ieth out for the living God. Here is a plain Diftinc- tion between the Heart and the Flefh, as being each affected. So Pf<d. 63. I. My 'So\i\ ihiyjhth for thce^ my V\^^\ longcth for thee, in a dry and ihirjly Land, where no JTatcr is. Here alfo is an evident delifrned Diftinction between the Soul and the Flefli.
The Prophet Ha l/a k kuk fycuks of his Body's being over-born, by a Senfe of the Majcily of God, Hab. -?,• 16. IP hen /heard, 7ny Belly iremhlid, my Lips quivered at theVoiee, Rcttefmefs entered into my Bones, and I trembled in m^fclf. So the Pfalmift fpeaks exprefly of his Flefli tremblinrr, Pfal. 119. 120. My Flefli tremhleih for Fear of thee.
That fuch IJeas of God's Glory, arc fometimes given in this World, have a Tendency to over-bear the Body, is c^'ident, becaufe the Scripture gives us an Account, tiiat this has fomjtimes adlually been the Effcdl of thofe external Manifeftations God has made of liim- fclf, .to fome of the Saints, which were made to that End, vi-z, to give them an Idea of Gcd's Mujcfty and Glory. Such Inflanccs we
have
Part II. to dlflinguip Jffcctlom. yj
have ill the Prophet Dan'id^ and the ApoHlc Jchti. Daniel oivin^ an Account of all external Rtprcfenration of" (he (tIotv ofClriit, fa)?, ]).in. 10. 8. j^>id thn'c remmncd no Strength in me ^ for my Ccinelaief uns iurvcd into Corruption^ ar.d I retain id no ^ire^igth. And the Ap< file y^/;;/ giving an Account of a like Manifeftition made to him, fajs, Rev. I . I y . And when I f aw him^l fell at his Feet as dead. 'Tis in vain to fav hcre,thcrc were only extcrnalManifeftations orS)'mbolsof thcGlcry ofChrift, wlich thefe Saints behfld : For the' it be true, that thev were outward Rcprefcntations of Ctiriit's Glory, which they beheld with their bodily PJves ; yet the End and Ufc of thefe external Sym- bols or Reprefentations, was to give to thefe Prophets an Idea of the Thing reprefented, and that was the true divine Glory and Majeity of Chrift-, which is his fpiritual Glory ; they were made Ufe of only as Significations of this fpiritual Glory, and thus undoubtedlv they re- ceived them, and improved them, and were afFc6ted by them. Ac- cording to the End, for which God intended thefe outward Sio;ns,thcy received by them a great and lively Apprehcnfion of the real Glcry and Majefty of God's Nature, which they were Sio:ns of; and thus were greatly afFcdted, their Souls fwallowed up, and their Bodies over- born. And I think, they are very bold and daring, v^ho will fay God cannot, or (liall not give the like clear and afF^ 61 ng Ideas and Appre- henfions of the fame real Glory and Majefty of his Nature, to none of his Saints, without the Intervention of any fuch externalShndows of it. Before I leave this Head, I would farther obferve, that 'tis plain the Scripture often makes Ufe of bodily Efft <5ls,to exprefs the Strength of holy and fpiritual AftVftions ; fuch as trc?nhHng^'^ groaning^f being fick,\\ crying out.X p^nting^^ and/^/;z//V;^.[*] Now if it be fuppofcd, that thefe are only figurative ExprefTions, to reprefent the Degree of AffecSiion ; yet I hope all will allow, that they are fit and fuitable Fi- gures to reprefent the highDegrec of thofe fpiritual Af}-'6lions, which the Spirit of God makes Ufe of them to reprefent. Which I don't fee how they would be, if thofe fpiritual Affections, let them be in never fo high a Degree, have no Tendency to any fuch Things ; but that on the contrary, they are the proper EffecSls, and fad Tokens of falfe Affections, and the Delufion of the Devil. I can't think, God would commonly make Ufe of Things which are very alien from fpiritual Affedions, and are fhrewd Marks of the Hand of Satan^ and fmell ffrono; of the bottomlefs Pit, as beautiful Figures, to repre- fent the high Degree' of holy and heavenly Affections.
P^^l- T19. 120. Ezrao.4. Ifa.66. 2,5. Hab. 3.16. tRom.8. 26. II Cant. 2. 5. and 5. 8. | Pfal. 84. 2. § Pfal. 38. 10. and 42. I. and 119. 131. [-*] Pfal. 84. 2. and jio. 8i\
D 3 III. 'Tis
3S What are no Sig??s Part II.
III. 'Tis no Sign that AfF dions are truly ?rac'ou? Aff. dions, or that they are not, that they ciufe-thofe who have them, to be flaent, fervent and abundant, in rulkingof the Tluiigs ofRrligic^n.
There are many Perf;>n?, who if tlity fee this in others, are greatly prej'iiiccd aguinft them. Their being fo full of Talk, is with them, a (ufScient Ground to condemn them, as Pharifees, and o(tcntatioiis Hvpv)criies. On the other Hand, there are many, who if they fee this Effj6l inany, are very ignorantly and imprudently forward, at once to determine that they are the true Children of God, and are un- der the faving Influences of 1 is Spirit, and fpeak of it as a great Evi- dence of a new Creature : • They fay fucb an one'sMouth is now cpen'd : He ujed to be jhiv to fpeak \ but now he is full and free : He is free noiu to open his Hearty and tell his Experiences^ and declare the Fraifes of Gcd -J it comes from him ^as free as J Vat er from a Fountain^ and the like. And efpecially are they captivated into a confident and undoubting Perfwahon that they are favingly wrought upon, if they are not only free and abundant, but very afl' 6lionate and earncft in their Talk.
But this is the Fruit of but little Judgment, a fcanty and fliort Ex- perience ; as Events do abundantly (hew : and is a Miftake, Pcrfons often run into, through their trufting to their own VVifdom and Djf- cerning, and making their ov/fi Notions their Rule, inftead of the holy Scripture. Tho* the Scripture be full of Rules, both how we fho jld judge of our own State, and alfo how we fhould be condu6led v\ c'ur Opinion of others; ; yet we have no where any Rule, by which to judge ourfelves or others to be in a good Eftate, from any fuch Ef- fect : For this is but the Religion of rhe Mouth and of the Tongue, and what is in the Scripture reprefcnted by theLeaves of a Tree, which tho' the Tree ought not to be without them, yet are no where given as an Evidence of the Goodnefs of the Tree.
That Perfons are difpofcd to be abundant in talking of Things of Religion, may be from a o;ood Cauie, and it may be from a bad one. It mav be becaufe their Hearts are very full of holy AfFe(5l!ons ; for out of the Abundance of the Hearty the Mouth fpcaketh : Atid it may be becaufe Perfons Hearts are very full of religious AfFe6lion which is not holy i for ftill out of the Abundance of the H.-art the Mouth fpeakc^h. It is very much the Nature of the AfFedions, of what- ever Kind th.ey be, and whatever Obji'6ls they are cxercifed about, if they are I'trong, to difpofe Perfons to be very much in fpcaking of that which they are aftc61;cd with ; and not only to fpeak much, but ta fpeak verv earneftly and fervently. And therefore Pcrfons talking a- biwdantly and very fervently about the Things of Religion, can be an Evidence of no more than this, that they are very much affccSled with the Things of Relig-on ; but thi'; may be, (:is has been already (liown) and there be no Cjracc. That which Men are greatly afi->6led with, while the hi^h Afi'cdion lalts, they will be carnf;ltly engaged
about.
Part IL to dljlinguijh JffcBiom. 3 9
about, and will be likely to fliew that E.rnennefs in their Trli: nnd Behaviour ; as the greater Prrt of the ^cws^ in all "Jvdca and Gaf.leey did for a while, about John the Bapti/t's Preachrng and Baptirnr^,when they were willing for a Seafon to rejoice in his Light : A mighty ado was made, all over ihe Land, and among ?dl forts of Pcrfons, about this p/eat Prophet and his Miniflry. And fo ih.e Multitude in like- Manner, often manifeiled a great Elarncftnefs, and mighty Engaged- nefs of Spirit, in every Thing that was external, about Chrift and his Preaciiing and Miracles, being ajiomjhed at his DoSlrine, anon ivlthjcy rcceivirig the IVord^ following him, fomctimes Night and Day, leaving Me:Vt, Drink and Sleep to hear him ; once following him into the Wilviernefs, fafiing three Davs going, to hear him ; fumetimes crying him up to the Clouds, faying. Never Man fpake like this Man ! being fervent and earneft in what they faid. But what did thcfe Things come to, in the greater Part of 'em ? "
A Perfon may be over-full of Talk of his own Experiences ; com- monly falling upon it, every where, and in all Companies ; and witeii it is (o^ it is rather a dark Sign than a good one. As a Tree that is over-full of Leaves feldom bears muchFruit : And asaCloud, tho' to Appearance verv pregnant and full of Water, if it brings with it overmuch Wind, fcddom affords much Rain to the dry and thirfty Earth : \Vhich very Thing the holy Spirit is plcafcd feveral Times to make ufe of, to rep-refenta great Shew of Religion with thcMouthj without anfwerable Fruit in the Life: Prov. 25. 14. IVhofo hoajleth himfclf of a falfe Gift^ is like Clouds and Wind without Rain. And the Apoftle Jude^ fpeaking of fome in the primitive Times, that crept in unawares among the Saints, and having a great Shew of Religion, were for a While not fufpe£led, Thefe are Clouds ( fays he ) without IVater^ carried about of Winds., Jude v. 4, and 12. And the Apoftlc Peter ^ (peaking; of the fame, fay$, 2 Pet. 2. 17. Ihefe are Clouds ivithout Water ^ carried with a Tempejl,
F^alfe AfFedtions, if they are equally ftrong, are much more forward to declare themfclvcs, than true. Becaufe 'tis the Nature of {alf^; Religion, to affedl Shew and Obfervation ; as it was with the Pha- rifees. f
IV. 'Tis
t That famous experimental Divine Mr. Shepard, fays, " A " Pharifje's Trumpet fliall be heard to the Town's End ; *' when Simplicity walks thro' the Town unfeen. Hence a '' Man will fometlmes covertly commend himfelf ( and nr.fef «' ever comes in ) and tells you a long Story of Convcriiuii : " And an hundred to one if fome Lie or other flip not out with ** it. Why the fecret Meaning is, J pray admire me. H.-nce D 4 '* conipLin
40 TVhat are no Signs ' Part. II.
IV. 'Tis no Sign that AfFe£tions are gracious, or that they are otherwife, that Perfons did not make 'cm themfjlves, or excite 'em of their own Contrivance, and by their own Strength.
There are many in thefe Days, that condemn all Affedlons which are excited in a Way that theSubjc6ts of 'cm can give noAccount of, as not feeming to be the Fruit of any of their own Endeavours, or the natural Confcquence of the Faculties and Principles of human Na- ture, in fuch Circimfta'ices, and under fuch Means ; hut to be from the Influence of fome cxtrinfick and fupernatural Power upon their Minds. How greatly has the DoiSlrine oi the inward Experience or fenfible Perceiving of the immediate Power and Operation of the Spirit of God, been reproach'd and ridicul'd by many of late. They fay the Manner of the Spirit of God, is to co-operate in a filent, fe- cret and undifccrnable Wa\', with the Ufe of Means, and our own Endeavours ; fo that theic is no diftinguiftiing bv Si^nfe, between the Influence' of the Spirit of God, and the natuial Operations of the Faculties of our own Minds.
And it is true, that for any to expedl to receive the favingTnflucnces of the Spirit ofGod, while they negle(5i: a diligent Improvement of the ap- pointed Means ofGrace, is unrcafonablePrcfumption. And to expert that the Spirit of God will favingly operate upon their Minds, without the Spirits making Ufe of Means, as fubfervient to the EfFe6l, is en- thufnftical. 'Tis alfo undoubtedly true, that the Spirit of God is very various in the Manner and Circumftances of his Operations, and that fomctimes he operates in a Way more fecret and gradual, and from fmaller Beginnings^ than at others.
*' complain of Wants and^Weaknefles ; pr^y think what a bro- *' ken hearted Chrijlian I am, " Parab. of the ten Virgins, Part I. Page 179, 180.
And holy Mr. /7«W fays thus, «' O Reader, if thy Heart " were, right with God, and thou didft not cheat thy fclf with *' a vain Profeflion, thou would'ft have frequent Bufinefs with *•* (jod, which thou would'ft be loth thy deareft Friend,, or the '« Wife of thy Bofom fhould be privy to. Non cjl Religio, ubi ^^ onvu a patent. Religion doth not ly open to all, to the Eyes ^^ ofxVlen. Obferved Duties maintain out Credit ; but fecret *' Duties maintain our Life. It was the Saying of an Heathen, *' about his fecret C.orrefpondenc\' with his Friend, IVhat need ' ' the JVorld he acquainted with it F Thou and I are Theatre " enough to each other. There are cnclofed Plcafures in Reli- *•' gion, which none but renewed fpiritual Souls do feelingly <' underftand. " Flavel'i Touch-]ftone of Sincerity, Chap. II. Sea. 2.
But
Part II. to dijiingiiijh Jfccllom. 4^
But if there be indeed a Power, entirely different from and bcvond our Power, or the Power of all Menns and Infiruments, and nhovc the Power of Nature, which is requifitc in order to the Produdlion offaving Grace in the Heart, according to tl:e general ProfciTion of the Country ; T^hen certainly, it is in no wife unrcafonable to fup- pofc, that this EffccSlflioukl very frequently be produced ?.fier fcch a Manner, as to make it very maniftft, apparent, and fcriible that it is fo. If Grace be indeed owing to the powerful and cfficaciou- Opera tion (^^ an cxtrinfick Agent, or divine Efficient out of our fjve'-, why is it unreafonable to fuppofe, it fliould feem to be ft), (o il;un who are the SubJ^-^cfts of it r Is it a fi range Tliing, that it (liould ftcni to be as it is r ^V]len Grace in the Heart, indeed is not produced by our Strength, nor is the Effcd of the natural Power of our own Fa- culties, or any Means or Inftruments, but is properly the Wctrkman- fhip and Production of the Spirit of the Almighty, Is it a (1 range and unaccountable Thing, tliat it fliou'd feem to them who are Subjo<fl:i of it agreaj^le to Truth, and not right contrary to IVuth, {o that if Pcrfons tellofEffecSls that they are confcious to in their own Minds, ihat feem to them not to be from the natural Power or Operation ^^i their Aduids, but from the fupernatural Power of fome other Agcnl, it fhoulJ at once be look'd upon as a furc Evidence of their being under a Delufion, becaufe Tlwngs feem to them to be as they are ? For this is the Objedion which is made : 'Tis look'd upon as a clear Evidence that the Apprehenfions and Affcdlions tiiat many Perfons have, are not really from fuch a Caufe, becaufe they feem to thrm to be from thatCaufc : They declare that what they are confcious of. feems fo them evidently not to be from themfelves, but from the mighty Power of the Spirit of God j and others from hence condemn 'em, and determine what they experience is not from the Spirit of God,- but from themfelves, or from the Devil. Thus unreafonably are Multitudes treated at this Day, by their Neighbours.
If it be indeed {o^ as the Scripture abundantly teaches, that Grace in the Soul, is fo the Effect of God's Power, that it is fitly compared to thofe Effcds, which are fartheft from being owing to any Strength in the Subject, fuch as a Generation^ or a being begotten, and Refurree- tiony or a being raifed frofn the Dead, and Creation, or a bcihg brought out of nothing into Being, and that it is an Effe6l wherein the mighty Power of God is greatly glorified, and the exceeding Cjreatnefs of his Power is manifeded ;-f then what Account can be given of it, that the Almighty, in fo great a Work of his Power, fhould fo carefully hide his Power, that the Subjects of it ihould be able to difcern nothing of it r Or what Reafun or Revelation have ar.y to determine tliat he
t Eph, I. 17, 18, 19, 20.
does
42 IVljaf are no Signs Part II.
does f) ? If we may judee by the Scripture, this is not.-^greable to God's Manner, in his Opv^rati^-iiii and Difpciifations ; but on tht- con- trary, 'tis God's Manner, in the greatWorks of his Power and Mercy which he works for hh People, to orderThings To, as to make hibH.ind vifible, and his Por/cr confpicMOus, and Aden's Dependance on him moft evi lent, that no Flefh (hould glorv in his Prefencc, % that God alone migiit be cxalce J,* and ihit the Excellency of the Power m'ght be of G-)d an J not of Min,j| and that Chrifl's Power might be niani- feiled in our Weaknefs, § and none mig-bt fay mine own Hand hath fav^ed me. ** Sa.it was in moft of ihofe temporal Salvations which God wrought for Ifrael of old, which were Types of the Salvation of God's People from their fpiritual Enemies. So it was in the Re- demption of Ifrael^ from their Egyptian Bondage ; he redeem'd th^m with a ftrong Hand, and an cutltretched Arm ; and that his Power might be the more confpicuous, he fuffer'd Ifrael firft to be brought into the moft hclplefs and forlorn CIrcumftances. So it was in the great Redemption by Gideon ; God would have his Army dimi- niftied to a Handful, and they without any other Arms, than Trum- pets, and Lamps, and earthen Pitchers. So it was in the Delive- rance of Ifrael from Goliah. by a Stripling, with a Sling and a Stone. So it was in that great Work of C^od, his calling the Gentiles^ and converting the heathen World, after Chrift's Afccnfion, after that the World by Wifdom knew not God, and all the Endeavours of Philofophers had proved in vain, for" many Ages, to reform the World, and it was by every Thing, become abundantly evident that the World was utterly helplefs, by any Thing elfe, but the mighty Power of God. And fo it was in moft of the Converfions of particular Perfons, we have an Account of in the Hiftory of the new Teftament : They were not wrought on in that filent, fecret, gra- dual and infenfible Manner, which is. now infifted on ; but with thofe manifeft Evidences of a fupern?tural Power, wonderfully and fuddenly caufmg a great Change, which in thefe Days are looked upon as certain Signs of Delufion and Enthufiafm.
The Apoltle in Eph. r. i8, ig. fpeaks of God's enlightning the Minds of Chriftians, and fo bringing them to believe in Chrift, to the End, that they might know the exceedmg Greatnefs of his Power to them who believe. The Words are, The Eyes of your Under jland- ing being enlightned^ that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Ghry of his Inheritance in the Saints, and whgt is the exceeding Greatnefs of his Power to us-ward, who believe, ac cording to the I far king of his mighty Power, &c. Now when the
X I Cor. I. 27,28,29. ^ Iflu. 2. ii,---!;. II 2 Cor. 4. 7. § 2 Cor. 12. 9. ** Judg. 7. 2.
Apoftle
P.'.RT II. to dijiinguijjj AfftBlo7ts, . 43
An'>f^]<' rppaks of their being; thus the Subj\'6ls of his Power, in their enhLnunine: and (fF.cSlaal Calling, to the End, that they mi^ht Icdow vh.it his mighty Power was to them wiio believe, he can mean no- ticing elfe, than that they might know by Experience. But it the S.wntv kn^)W this Power by Experience, then thty feel it, and dKcern it, and arc confcious of it ; as fenlibly diftinguifhable frcm the natural Operanons of their own Minds, which is not iigreable to a Not>^ n of God's operating fo ncretly,and undifcernablv, that it can't be krown that they are the Subjects of the Influence of any cxtrinfick Powtr nt all, any otherwife than as they may argue it from Scripture Afierti- ons ; which is a different Thing from knowing it by Experience.
So that it is very unreafonable and unfcripturrd, to determine that Affections are not from the gracious Operations of God's Spirit, be- caufe they are feniibly not from the Perfons thtmfelve?, that are the SubJLcSlb of them.
On the other Hind, it is no Evidence that Aff clions are gracious, that they are not purpofely produced by thofe who are the Subjt<5ls of them, or that they arife in their Minds in a Manner thc\ can't ac- count for.
There are fome whomake this an Argument in their own Favrur, when fpeaking of what they have experienced, they fay, " 1 rm lure «' I did not make it myfelf: It was a Fruit of no Contrivance or " Endeavour of mine ; it came when I thought nothing of it ; If I " might have the World for it, I can't make it again when I plcafc.'* And hence they determine, that what they h-ive experienced, mult be from the mighty Influence of the Spirit of God, and is of a faving Nature ; but very ignorantly, and without Grounds. What they have been the Subj^dls of, may indeed, not be frcm themfelves di- redlv, but may be from the Operation of an invifible Agent, fome Spirit befides their own : But it does not thence follow, that it was from the Spirit of God. There are other Spirits who have In- fluence on the Minds of Men, befides the Holy Ghcfh We are di- re(5led not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits, whether they be ot God. There are many fal(e Spirits, exceeding bufy with Men, who often transform themfelves into Angels of Light, and do in many wonderful Ways, with great Subtilty and Power, mimick the Opera- tions of the Spirit of God. And there are many of Satan's Opera- tions, which are very dilfinguifhable from the voluntary Exercifes of Men's own Mui .'s. They are fo, in thofe dreadful and horrid Sug- geltions, and blifphemnus Injections with which he follows many Perlons ; and in vain and fruitlefs Frights and Terrors, which he i:; the Author of. Anrj the Power of iiatafi may be as immediate, and as evi-'ent in falfe Comforts and Jovs, as in Terrors and horrid Sug- geftions j and oftentimes is lo in Fad. 'Tis not in Men's Power (.0
44 What are 7W Sigfis Part II.
put theiiift'Ives into fuch Raptures, as the Anahapt'ifts in Ger?nany^ and many ot\\^r r.iviiig Enthuliafls lik<^ them, have been the Subjects of.
And bcfklcs, it is to be confider'J, that Per Tons may have thofc Imprcffions on tiieir Minds, which may not be of their own produ- cing;, nor from an evil Spirit, but from the Spirit of God, and yet not be from any faving, but a common Influence of the Spirit of God : And the Subjects of fuch Jmpreffions, may be of the Number of thofe we read of, Heb. 6. 4, 5. That are once enlightned^ and tajh of the heavenly Gift^ and are mads Partakers of the Holy Ghojl^ and tajle the good II 'ord of God^ and the Poiver of the JVorld to co?ne ; and yet may be wholly unacquainted with thofe better Things that accompany Sal- ivation, fpoken of ver. 9.
And where neid^.er a good nor evil Spirit have any immediate Hand, Perfons, efpeceially fuch as are of a weak and vapoury Habit of Body, and the Brain weak, and eafily fufceptive of Impref- fions, may have Grange Apprehenfions and Imaginations, and ftrong Affections attending th.^m, unaccountably arlfmg, which are not vo- liintarily produced by themfelves. We fee that fuch Perfons are lia- ble to fuch Impreflions, about temporal Things ; and there is equal Reafon, why they Ihould about fpiritual Things. As a Perfon who is afleep, has Dreams, that he is not the voluntary Author of; (o many fuch Perfons, in like Manner, be the Subjeds of involuntary Impreflions, when they are awake.
V". 'Tis no Sign that religious Affecfiions are truly holy and fpi- ritual, or that they are not, that they come with Texts of Scripture, remarkably brought to the iVJind.
'Tis no Sign that Affections are nbt gracious, that they are occa- fion'd by Scriptures io coming to Mind ; provided it be the Scripture itfelf, or the Truth which the Scripture fo brought contains and teaches, that is the Foundation of the Affection, and not meerly or mainly, the fudden and unufual Manner of it's coming to the Adind.
But on the other Hand, neither is it any Sign that Afftclions are gracious, that they arife on Occafion of Scriptures brought fuddenly and wonderfully to the Mjnd ; whether thofe Affeclions be Fear, or Hope, Joy, or Sorrow, or any other. Some feem to look upon this, as a good Evidence that their Affections are faving ; efpeciallv if the Aftc(5lions excited are Hope or Joy, or any other which are pleaf- ing and delightful. They will mention it as an Evidence that all is right, that their Experience came with the l^ord, and will fay, * 'There " were fuch and fuch fweet Promifes brought to my Mind : They " came fuddeidy, as if they were fpoke to me : I had no Hand in *' bringing fuch a Text to my own Mind ; I was not thinking of *' any Thing leading to it ; it came all at once, io that I was furprl- *' fed. I had not thought of it a longTime before; I did not know
«« at
Part IL io diftinguip AffeBions. 4^
*« at firft that it was Scripture j I did not remember that ever 1 had " read it." And it may be, they will add, " One Scripture came *' flowing in after another, and fo Texts all over the Bible, the moft " fweet and pleafant, and the moft apt and fuitable, which could <« be devifed ; and fill'd me full as I could hold : I could not but «' ftand and admire : The Tears flow'd ; I was full of Joy, and «« could not doubt any longer." And thus, they think they have undoubted Evidence, that their AfFecStions muft be from God, and of the right Kind, and their State good : But without any Manner of Cirounds. How come they by any fuch Rule, as that if any Af- fedions or Experiences arife with Promifes, and comfortable Texts of Scripture, unaccountably brought to Mind, without their Rccol- ledlion, or if a great Number of fweet Texts follow one another in a Chain, that this is a certain Evidence their Experiences are faving ? Where is any fuch Rule to be found in the Bible, the great and only fure Diredory in Things of this Nature ?
What deceives many of the lefs underftanding and confiderate Sort of People, in this Matter, feems to be this ; That the Scripture is the Word of Godj and has nothing in it which is wrong, but is pure and perfect : And therefore, thofe Experiences which come from the Scripture muft be right. But then it fhould be conlidered, Affc6lions may arife on occafion of the Scripture, and not properly Qomcfrc?}i the Scripture, as the genuine Fruit of the Scripture, and by a right Ufe of it ; but from an Abufe of it. All that can be argued from the Pu- rity and Pcrfedlion of the Word of God, with Refpedl to P^xperi- ences, is this, that thofe Experiences which are ogreable to the VVord of God, are right, and can't be otherwife ; and not that thofe Af- fc£tions muft be right, which arife on Occafion of the Word of God^ coming to the Mind.
What Evidence is there that the Devil can't bring Texts of Scrip- ture to the Mind, and mifapply them, to deceive Perfons ? There feems to be nothing in this which exceeds the Power of Satan. 'Tis no Work of fuch mighty Power, to bring Sounds or Letters to Per- fons Minds, that we have any Reafon to fuppofe ; nothing fhort of Omnipotence can be fufFicient for it. If iiaian has Power to bring any Words or Sounds at all to Perfons Minds, he may have Power to bringWords contained in thcBible. There is no higherSort ofPower re- quired inMen.to make theSounds which exprefs theWords of aTcxt of Scripture, than to make the Sounds whicH exprefs the Words of an idle Story or Song. And fo the lamePower \x\Satan^vj\\'\Qh is fufficient to re- new one of thofe Kinds of Sounds in the Mind, is fufficient to re- new the other : The different Signification, which depends wholly on Cuftom, alters not the Cafe, as to Ability to make or revive the Sounds or Letters. Or will any fuppofe, that Texts of Scripture are fuch facred Things, that the Devil durft not abufe them, nor touch them ? In this alfo they are miftaken, He who was bold
enough
46 What are no Sig?n Part IL
enough (0 lay hoU on Chrlft himfelf, and carry him hiiher and thither, into the Wildernefs, and into an high Mountain, and to a Pinnacle of the Temple, is not afraid to touch the Scriptuic, and abufe that for his own Purpofts : As he fhew'd at the fame Ti ne that he was fo bold with Chrift, he then brought one Scripture and another, to deceive and tempt him. And if Satan did prefume, and was permitted, to put Chrill; himfelf in Mind of Texts of Scripture to tempt ///>//, what Reafon have we to determine, that he dare not, or will not be permitted, to put wicked Men in mind of Texts of Scripture, to tempt and deceive ihetnf And if Satan may thus abufe one Text of Scripture, fo he may another. It's being a very excellent Place of Scripture, a comfortable and precious Promife, alters not the Cafe, as to his Courage or Ability. And if he can bring one comfortable Text to the Mind, fo he may a Thoufand ; and may choofe out fuch Scriptures as tend moft to ferve his Purpofe 5 and may heap up Scripture Promifes, tending, according to the per- verfe Application he makes of them, wonderfully to remove the rifmg Doubts, and to confirm the falfe Joy and Confidence of a poor deluded Sinner.
We know the Devil's Inftruments, corrupt and heretical Teachers, can and do pervert the Scripture, to their own and others Damna- tion ; 2 Pet, 3. 16. We fee they have the free Ufe of Scripture, in every Part of it : There is no Text fo precious and facred, but they are permitted to abufe it, to the eternal Ruin of Multitudes of Souls : And there are no V/eapons they make Ufe of with which they do more Execution. And there is no Manner of Reafon to determine, that the Devil is not permitted thus to ufe the Scripture, as well as his Inftruments. For when the Latter do it, they do it as his Inftruments and Servants, and thro' his Inftigation and Influence : And doubtlefs he docs the fame he inftigatcs others to do : The Devil's Servants do but follow their Mafter, and do the fame Work that he does himfelf.
And as the Devil can abufe the Scripture, to deceive and deftroy Men, fo may Men's own Folly and Corruptions, a- well. The Sin which is in Men, afts like it's Father. Men's own Hearts are de- ceitful like the Devil, and ufe the fame Means to deceive.
So that 'tis evident, that Perfons mav have high Affections of Hope and Joy, arifmg on occafion of Texts of Scripture, yea pre- cious Promifes of Scripture coming fuddenly and remarkably to their Minds, as tho' they were fpoke to them, yea a great Multitude of fuch Texts, following one another in a wonderful Manner, and yet all this be no Argument that thcfe Affections arc divine, or that they are any other than the Effects of Satan^s Delufions.
And I would further obferve, that Perfons may have raifed and joy- ful Affections, which may come with the Word of God, and not only fo, but from the Word, and thofe Affections not be from Satan,
nor
Part II. to dijlingiiijlo AffeBiom, :;47
nor vet properly from the Corruptions of their own Hearts, but from feme Influence of the Spirit of God w th the Word, and yet have nothing of the Nature of true and faving Religion in them. Tlius tlie ftony-ground Hearers had great Joy from the Word ; yea which is reprefcnted as arifing from the Word, as Growth from a Seed ; and their Affections had, in their Appearance, a very great and ex- act Refcmblance with thcfc rtprefented by the Growth on the good Ground, the Difrcrence not appearing, 'till it was difccvered bv the Confequenccs, in a Time of Trial : And yet there Vr-as no faving Rehgion in thcfe Affections. ||
VI. 'Tis no Evidence that religious Affections are fa,ving, c- ti^^" they are otherwife, that there is an Appearance of Love in th,.].:.
There are no profefHng Chriflians who pretend, that this is an A. gument againit the Truth and faving Nature of religious AfTcctior?. But on the other Hand, there are fome who fuppofe, it is a good E- viJence that Affections are from the fandlifying and faving Influences cf the Holy Ghoff-. Their Argument is, that ^aian cam\ot Love i this Affc(5lion being dire(5lly contrary to the Devil, whcfe very Nature- is Enmity and Malice. And it is true, that nothing is more excel- jent, heavenly and divine than a Spirit of true chriitian Love to God and i^.Ien : 'Tis more excellent than Knowledge^ or Prophecy^ or Mi- racles^ QT fpeaking zvith the Tcngue of Men and Angels, 'Tis the chief of the Graces of God's Spirit, and the Life, Eflence and Sum of all true Religion ; and that by which we are moft conformed to Heaven, and moft contrary to Hell and the Devil. But yet it is ill arguing from hence, that there are no Counterfeits of it. L may be cbfcrvtd, that the more excellent any Thing is, the more will be the Counter- feits of it. Thus there are many more Counterfeits of Silver and Gold, than of Iron and Copper: There are many falfe Diamonds and Rubies, but who goes about to coumerfeit common Stones? Tho' the more excellent Things are, the more difficult it is to make any Thing that (hall be like them, in their effential Nature and in- ternal Virtue ; vet the more manifold will the Counterfeits be, and the more will Art and Subtilty be exercifed and difplayed, in an ex.61 Imitation of the outward Appearance. Thus there is the
Mr. Stoddard^ in his Guide to Chrift^ fpeaks of it as a common '^hing^ for Perfons while in a natural Condition, and before they have ever truly accepted of Chriji^ to have Scripture Promifes come to them, with a great deal of Refre/hing -, which they take as To- kens of God's Love^ and hope that God has accepted them ; and fo are confident of their good Eliatc, Pape 8, 9. Imprcifion
'ireatcit
4^ What are 7io Signs Part II.
greateft Danger of being cheated in buying of Medicines that are moft excellent and fovereign, thd' it be moft difficult to imitate 'em, with any thing of the like Value and Virtue, and their Counterfeits are good for nothing when we have them. So it is with chriftiDn Vertues and Graces ; the Subtilty of Saian^ and Men's dt-ceitful Hearts, are wont chiefly to be exercifed in counterfeiting thofe that are in higheft Repute. So there are perhaps no Graces that have more Counterfeits than Love and Humility ; thefe being Vertues wherein the Beauty of a true Chriftian does efpecially appear.
But with Refped to Love j it is plain by the Scripture, that Per- fons may have a Kind of religious Love, and yet have no faving Grace. Chrift fpeaks of many profeffing Chriftians that have fuch Love, whofe Love will not continue, and fo (hall fyil of Salvation, Matth. 24.12, 13. J^nd bccaufelmqinty Jhall abound, the Love ofinany ihall wax cold. But he that Jhall endure unto the End. the fame Jhall be faved. Which latterWords plainly fhew,that thofe fpoken of before, whofe Love fhould not endure to the End^ but -wax cold, fliould not be faved,
Perfons may feem to have Love to God and Chrift, yea to have very ttrong and violent Affcdions of this Nature, and yet have no Grace. For this was evidently the Cafe with many gracelefs JewSy fuch as cried him up fo high, following him Day and Night, without Meat, Drink or Sleep ; fuch as faid, Lord I ivill fellow thee zvhitherfo- ever thou goeft., and cried Hofanna to the SonofD'dvid. f
The Apoftle feems to intimate, that there were many in his Days, who had a counterfeit Love to Chrift, in Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jefus Chriji in Sincerity. The laft Word, in theOriginal, fignifies in Incorruption ; which fhews that the Apoftle was fenfible that there were many who had a Kind of Love to Chrift, whofe Love was not pure and fpiritual.
So alfo chriftian Love to the People of God may be counterfeited. ^Tis evident by the Scripture, that there may be ftrong Affe6lions of this Kind, without faving Grace ; as there were in the Galatians to- wards the Apoftle Paul^ when they were ready to pluck out their Eyes and give 'em to him j although the Apoftle exprefles his Fear
Agreable to this Mr. Stoddard ohkrves^ in his Guide to ChriJl, TJiat fome Sinners have Pangs of jiffe^iion^ and give an Account that they find a Spirit of Love to Gody and of their aiming at the Glory of God, having that which has a great Refcmblance of faving Grace, and i\\d.t fom€ti?ncs their common Affe^ions arc jlronger than faving. And fuppofcs that fometimes natural Men may have luch violent Pangs of falfe Affection toGod, that they may think them- fclva u'illing to he damned. Page 21, and 65.
that
Part II. to dijlinguijl) AffeBtom. 49
that their AfFcdlions were come to nothing, and that he had bcftowed upon them Labour in vain, Gal, 4. ii, 15.
VII. Pcrfons having religious AfFcdlions of many Kinds, accom- panying one another, is not fufficient to determine whether thcv have any gracious Affections or no.
Tho' falfe Religion is wont to be maimed and monftrous, and not to have that Entirenefs and Symmetry of Parts, which is to be {z^vi in true Religion ; yet there may be a great Variety of falfe Affections together, that may refemble gracious Affections.
'Tis evident that there are Counterfeits of all Kinds of gracious Af- fections ; as o^ Love to God^ and Love to the Brethren^ as has been juft now obferved : fo o^ godly Sorrow for Sin, as in Pharaoh, oaul^ and Ahab, and the Children of Jfrael in the WilJernefs ; Exod, 9. 27. I Sam. 24. 16, 17. and 26. 21. i Kings 21. 27. Numb. 14.. 39, 40. and of the Fear of God, as in the Samaritans, who feared the Lord, and ferved their own Gods at the fame Time ; 2 Kings 17. 32, 33. and thofe Enemies of God we read of Pfal. 66. 3. who through the Great' nefs of God's Power, fubmit themf elves to him, or, as it is in the He- brew, lie unto him, i. e. yield a counterfeit Reverence and SubmifTion : fo of a gracious Gratitude, as in the Children of Jfrael, who fang God's Praife at the red Sea, Pfal. 106. 12. and Naaman the Syrian^ after his miraculous Cure of his Leprofy, 2 Kings 5. 15, &c.
So offpiritual Joy, as in the ftony-ground Hearers, Matth. 13. 20^ and particularly many o^John theBaptiJl'sl{t?iXcxs,John^.^^.'S)0 o'iZeaU as in Jehu, 2 Kings 10. 16. and in Paul before his Converfion, Gal, I. 14. Phil. 2-6. and the unbelievingj^wx, J<^s 22.3. Rom. 10.2. So gracelefs Perfons may have earncfl religious Defires, which may be like Balaam'?, Defires, which he exprelfes under an extraordinary View that he had of the happy State of God's People, as diftinguifhed from all the reft of the World, Numb. 23. 9, ro. They may alfo have a ftrong Hope of eternal Life, as the Pharifees had.
And as Men, while in a State of Nature, are capable of a Refem- blance of all Kinds of religious AffeCtions, fo nothing hinders but that they may have many of them together. And wha^ appears in FaCl does abundantly evince that it is very often fo indeed. It feems com- monly to be fo, that when falfe Affedlons are raifed high, there are many falfe Affeftions attend each other. The Multitud^e that atten- ded Chrift into Jerufalcm, after that great Miracle of raifing Lazarus feem to be moved with many religious Affeaions at once, and all in a h.gh Degree They feem to be filled with Admiration, and there was a Shew of an hjgh Affedion of Love, and alfo-of a great Degree o{ Reverence, XX. the.r laying their Garments on the Ground, for Chnft to tread upon ; and alfo of great Gratitude to him, for the great and good Works he had wrought, praifing him with loud Voices
^ for
50 What are no Signs Part II.
for his Salvation ; and earneft Defires of the Coming of God's King- dom, which they fuppofed Jefus was now about tofet up, and (hewed great Z/?/)^; and raifed Exped^ations of it, expiring it would immedi- otely appear^ and hence were filled with Joy^ by which they were fo animated in their Acclamations, as to make the whole City ring with the Noife of them ; and appear'd great in their Zeal and Forward- nefs to attend Jefus, and aflift him without further Delay, now in the Time of the great Feaft of the Pajfover^ to fet up his Kingdom. And it ib eafy, from Nature, and the Nature of the AfFedlions, ta give an Account why, when one AfFedlion is raifed very high, that it Ihould excite others ; efpecially if the AfFe6lion which is raifed high, be that of counterfeit Z<9z;^, as it was in the Multitude who cried Hofanna. This will naturally draw many other AfFe<Slions after it. For, as was obferved before. Love is the Chief of the Affc<5tions, and as it were the Fountain of them. Let us fuppofe a Perfon who has been for fome Time in great Exercife and Terror thro' f^ar of Hell, and his Heart weaken'd with Diftrefs and dreadful Apprehenfions, and upon the Brink of Defpair, and is all at once deliver'd, by being firmly made to believe, thro' fome Delufion of Satan^ that God has pardon'd him, and accepts him as the Objedl of his dear Love, and promifes him eternal Life : as fuppofe thro' fome Vifion, or ftrong Idea or Imagination, fuddenly excited in him, of aPerfon with a beau- tiful Countenance, fmiling on him, and with Arms open, and with Blood dropping down, which the Perfon conceives to be Chrift, with- out any other Enlightning of the Underftanding, to give a View of the fpirltual divine Excellency of Chrift and his Fulnefs, and of the Way of Salvation reveal'd in the Gofpel j or perhaps by fome Voice or Words coming as if they were fpoke to him, fuch as thofe, Son^ he ef good Cheer ^ thy Sins be forgiven thee^ or. Fear not, it is the Father* s good PUafure to give you theKingdom^ which he takes to be immediate- ly fpoken by God to him, tho' there was no preceeding Acceptance of Chrift, or clofmg of the Heart with him : I fay, if we (hould fup- pofe fuch a Cafe,v/hat variousPaftions would naturally croud at once, or one after another, into fuch a Perfon's Mind ? It is eafy to be ac- counted for, from meer Principles of Nature, that a Perfons Heart, on fuch an Occafion, fhould be raifed up to the Skies with Tranfports of Joy, and be fill'd with fervent Affection, to that imaginary God or Redeemer, who he fuppofes has thus refcued him from the Jaws of fuch dreadful Deftrudlion, that his Soul was fo amazed with the Fears of, and has received him with fuch Endearment, as a peculiar Favourite ; and that now he fhould be fill'd with Admiration and Gratitude, and his Mouth fhould be open'd, and be full of Talk a- bout what he has experienc'd ; and that, for a while, he fhould think and fpeak of fcarce any Thing clfc, and fhould feem to magnify that God who te done fo mucii for him, and call upon others to .rejoice
with
Part II. to dljlingnfjl: JffcBiom, ^i
with him, and appear with a cheerful Countenance, and talk with a loud Voice : and however, before his Deliverance, he was full of quarrellings againft the Juftrce of Gc^d, that now it (hould be eafy for him to fubmit to God, and own hisUnworthincfs, and cry out againft himfelf, and appear to be very humble before God, and lye at h\t Feet as tame as a Lamb ; and that he fliould now confefs his Unwor- thinefs, and cry out, IVhy me P Why me ? (Like SauJ^ who when Samuel told him that God had appointed him to be King, makes an- fwer. Am not la Benjamite, of the ffnalleji of the Tribes /if Krsit], aJid my Fa?nily the leajl of all the Families of the Tribe of Benjamin ? Wherrfore then fpeakeji thou fo to?ne? Much in the Language of Da- vid^ the true Saint, 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am /, and what is myFather's Houfe^ that thou hajl brought me hitherto ! ) Nor is it to be wonder'd at, that now he fliould delight to be with them who acknowledge and applaud his happy Circumftances, and fhould love all fuch as e- Iteem and admire him and what he has cxperienc'd, and have violenr Zeal againft all fuch as would make nothing of fuch Things, and be difpofed openly to feparate, and as it were to proclaim War with all who ben't of his Party, and fhould now glory in his Sufferings, and be very much for condemning and cenfuring all who feem to doubt, or make any Difficulty of thefe Things ; and while the Warmth of his Aff^c£lions laft, (hould be mighty forward to take Pains, and deny himfelf, to promote the Intereft of the Party who he imagines favour fuch Things, and feem earneftly defirous to increafe the Number of them, as the Pharifees compafled Sea and Land to make one Profc lyie f. And fo I might go on, and mention many other Things, which will naturally arife in fuch Circumftances. He muft have but flightly confider'd human Nature, who thinks fuch Things as thefe can't arife in this Manner, without any fupernatural Interpofition of divine Power.
As from true divine Love flow all chriftian AfFevElions, fo from a counterfeit Love in likeManner, naturally flow other falfe AfFeilions. In both Cafes, Love is the Fountain, and the other AfFeftions are the Streams. The various Faculties, Principles and AfFedions of the human Nature, are as it were many Channels from one Fountain : If there be fweetWater in theFountain, fweet Water will from thence flow out into thofe various Channels ; but if the Water in the Foun-
*' AfTociating with godly Men don't prove that a Man has *' Grace : Ahithophel was David's Companion. Sorrows for *< the Aflfli6lions of the Church, and Defires for the Converfion <« of Souls, don't prove it. Thefe Things may be found in V carnal Men, and fo can be no Evidences of Grace ". Stod- dard'j Nature offavtng Converftcn^ p. 82.
E 2 ^^'»
52 What are no Signs Part II,
tain be poifonous, then poifonous Streams will alfo flow out into all thofe Channels. So that the Channels and Streams will be alike, correfponding one with another -, but the great Difference will lye in the Nature of the Water. Or, Man's Nature may be compared to a Tree, with many Branches, coming from one Root: If theSap in the Root be good, there will alfo be good Sap diftributed thro'out the Branches, and the Fruit that is brought forth will be good and wholefome ; but if the Sap in the Root and Stock be poifonous, fo it will be in many Branches, (as in the other Cafe) and the Fruit will be deadly. The Tree in both Cafes may be alike ; there may be an exi£l Refemblance in Shape ; but the Difference is found only in eat- ing the Fruit. 'Tis thus (in fome Meafure at leaft) oftentimes, be- tween Saints and Hypocrites. There is fometimes a v&ry great Si- militude between true and falfe Experiences, in their Appearance, and in what is exprefTed and related by the Subjefts of them : and the Difference between them is much like the Difference between the Dreams of Pharaoh*^ chief Butler andBaker ; they feem'd to be much alike ; infomuch that when Jofeph interpreted the chief Butler's Dream, that he fhould be delivered from his Imprifonment, and re- ftor'd to the King's Favour, and his honourable Office in the Palace, the chief Baker had raifcdHopes and Expedations, and told hisDream alfo ; but he was wofully difappointed ; and tho' his Dream was fo much like the happy and, well-boding Dream of his Companion, yet it was quite contrary in its iffue.
VIII. Nothing can certainly be determined concerning the Nature of the Affections by this, that Comforts and Joys feem to follow A- wakenings and Convi6lions of Confcience, in a certain Order.
Many Perfons feem to be prejudiced againft AffecSlions and Expe- riences, that come in fuch a Method, as has been much iniifted on by many Divines ; firft, fuchAwakenmgs, Fears and awful Apprehenfions followed with fuch legal Humblings, in a Senfe of total Sinfulnefs and Helplefnefs, and then, fuch and fuch Light and Comfort : they look upon all fuch Schemes, laying down fuch Methods and Steps, to be of Men's devifmg : And particularly if high Affections of Joy follow great Diftrefs and Terror, it is made by many an Argument againft thofe Affe£lions. But fuch Prejudices and Objections are without Reafon or Scripture. Surely it can't be unreafonable to fuppofe,that before God delivers Perfons from a State of Sin and Expofednefs to eternal DeftruCtion, he fhould give them fome confiderable Senfe of the Evil he delivers from ; that they may be deliver'd fenfibly, and undcrftand their ownSalvation,and know fomething of whatGod does does for tfteni. AsMen that are faved are in two exceeding different States, firft a State of Condemnation, and then in a State of Juftifica- tion and Blcffcdnefs -, ^sid as God in the Work of the Salvation of
Mankind^
Part IL to diJlingniJJ: JffeBions. 53
M.inkind, deals with them fuitably to their intelligent rational Na- ture ; fo it feems reafonable, and agreeable to God's Wifdom, that Men who are fwcd, fliould be in thcic two States fenfibly, firlt, that they fliould fenfibly to themfelves, be in a State of Condemnation, and fo in a State of woful Calamity and dreadful Mifery, and fo afterwards fenfibly in a State of Deliverance andHappinefs ; and that they fhould be firft fenhble of their abfolute extreme NeceHity, and afterwards of Chrift's Sufficiency and God's Mercy thro' him.
And that it is God's Alanner of dealing with Men, to lead ihan in- to a fFildcrncfs^ before he /peaks comfort ably io ihem, and fo to oider it, that they fliall be brought into Diitrefs, and made to fee their own Helplefnefs, and abfolute Dependancc on his Power and Grace, be- fore he appears to work any greatDeliverancc for them, is abundantly manifeft by the Scripture. Then isGod wont to repcf7t hwifclf for his profcjfwg People y when their Strength is go?Je^ a?id there is none Jhut up or Uft^ and when they are brought to fee that their falfe Gods can't help them, and that the Rock in whom tliey truftcd is vain ; Dcut. 32. 36, 37. Before God delivered the Children of Ifrael oxxt of Egypt^ they were prepared for it, by being made toy^^ that they were in an evil Cafe^ and to cry unto' Gcd^ hecaufe of their hard Bondage ; Exod. 2. 23. and 5. ig. And before God wrought that great Deliverance for them at the Red Sea, they were brought into great Diftrefs, the IVildernefs had Jhut them in, they could not turn to the right Hand nor the \th^ and the Red Sea was before them, and the great Egyptian Hoil behind, and they were brought to fee that they could do nothing to help themfelves, and that if God did not help them, they fhould be immediately fwallowed up ; and then God appeared, and turn'd their Cries into Songs. So before they were brought to their Reft, and to enjoy the Milk and Honey of Canaan^ God led them through a great and terrible IVildernefs, thai he might humble ihetn, and teach them what was in their Heart, and fo do them Good in their latter End ; Deut, 8. 2, 16. The Woman that had the Ifllie of Blood twelve Years, was not deliver'd, 'till fhe had Rrii fpent all her Living on earthly Phyficians, and could not be healed of any, and fo was left helplefs, having no m.ore Money to fpend ; and then flie came to the great Phyfician, without any Money or Price, and was healed by him ; Luke 8. 43, 44. Be- fore Chrift would anfwer the Requeft of the Woman of Canaan, he firft fcem'd utterly to deny her, and humbled her, and brought her to own herfelf worthy to be called a Dog ; and then he fhcwed her Mercy, and received her as adearChild ; Matth, 15. 22, &:c. The Apoftle Paul, before a remarkable Deliverance, was preffed cut of Mcafure, above Strength, infcmuch that he defpaired even of Life ; but had the Sentence of Death inhimfelf, that he might not truji in himfelf, but in God that raifcth the Dead', 2 Cor. i. S, 9, lO. There was fiirft a great Tempeft, and the Ship was covered v/ith the Waves, and
K 3 juft
54 JVhaf are no Signs Part. II.
juft ready to fink, and the Difciple" were brought to crv to Jcfus, Lord^fave us^ vje perifo ; and then the Winds and Seas were rebuked, and there was a great Calm ; Matth. 8. 24, 25, 26. The Leper, before he is cleanfed, muft have his Mouth (top'd, by a covering on his upper Lip, and was to acknowledge his great Mifery and utter Uncleannefs, by rending his CJoaths, and crying. Unclean^ unclean : Levit. 13.45. And backfliding //rW, before God heals them, are brought to acknowledge that they have finned, and have not obeyed the Foice of the Lord^ and to fee that they ly down in their Shame, and that Confufion covers them^ and that in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills^ and from the Multitude of Mountains, and thatGod only canfave them ; Jer. 3. 23, 24, 25. Jofeph, who was fold by his Brethren, and therein was a Type of Chrilt, brings his Brethren into great Per- plexity and Diltrefs, and brings them to refle6l on their Sin, and to fay we are verily guilty ; and at laft to refign up themfclves entirely into his Hands for Bondmen ; and then reveals himfelf to them, as their Brother and their Saviour.
And if we confider thofe extraordinary Manifeftations which God made of himfelf to Saints of Old, we fliall find that he commonly firft manifefted himfelf in a Way which was terrible, and then by thofe Things that were comfortable. So it was v^'iih Abraham ; firft a Hor- ror of great Darknefs fell upon him, and then God revealed himfelf to him in fweet Promifes ; Gen. 15. 12, 13. So it was with Mofes at Mount Sinai ; firft, God appeared to him in all the Terrors of his dreadful Majefty, (o that Mofes faid, 1 exceedingly fear and quake, and then he made all his Goodnefs to pafs before him, and proclaimed his Narne, the Lord God gracious and merciful, 5cc. So it was with Elijah', firft, there is a ftormy Wind, and Earthquake, and devour- ing Fire, and then a ftill, fmall, fweetVoicc ; i Kings 19. So it was with Daniel ; he firft faw Chrift's Countenance as Lightning, that terrified him, and caufed him to faint away ; and then he is ftrength- ened and refreftied with fuch comfortable Words as thefe, O Daniel, a Man greatly beloved, Dan. 10. So it was with the Apoftle John, Revi I.. And there is an Analogy obfervable in God's Difpenfations and Deliverances which he works for his People, and the Manifefta- tion which he makes of himfelf to them, both ordinary and extraor- dinary.
But there arc many Things in Scripture which do more directly fhcw, that this is God's ordinary Manner in workingSalvation for the Souls of Men, and in the Manifeftations God makes of himfelf and of his Mercy in Chrift, in the ordinary Works of his Grace on the Hearts of Sinners. The Servant that owed his Prince ten thoufand Talents, is firft held to his Debt, and the King pronounces Sentence of Condemnation upon him, and commands him to be fold, and his Wife and Children, and Payment to be made ; and thus he humbles
him.
Part II. to diJlingiiiJJj AffeBiom, ^^^
him, and brings him to own the whole Debt to be juft, and then for- p;ivcs him all. The prodigal Son fpends all he lias, and is brought to (ee hinifelf in extreme Circumftanccs, and to humble himfclF, and own his (Jnworthineis, before he is rcliev'd and feafted by his Father ; Lirkt: 15. Old inveterate Wounds muft be fearched to the Bottom, in order to Healing : And the Scripture compares Sin, the Wound of the Soul, to this, and fpeaks of healing thisWound without thus fearch- ing of it, as vain and deceitful j Jcr. 8. 1 1. Chrift, in the Work of his Grace on the Hearts of Men, is compared to Rain on the mown Grafs, Grafs that is cut down with a Scythe, Pfil. 72. 6. reprefent- ing his refrelhiiig, comforting Influences on the woundcdSpirit. Our firlt Parents, after they had finned, were firft terrified with (jod's Mcijefly and Jultice, and had their Sin, with its Aggravations, fct bs- fore them by their Judge, before they were rcliev'd, by the Promifc of the Seed of the Woman. Chriflians are fpoken of as thofe that have fi I'd for Refuge^ to lay hold on the Hope fct before ihem^ Heb. 6. 18. which Reprefentation implies great Fear, and Senfc of Danger pre- ccedin-i;. To the like Purpofe, Chrift is called a hiding Place from the IVind^ and a Covert from the Tempeji^ and as Rivers ofJVaier in a dry Place.) and as the Slmdow of a great Rock in aweary Land -^ Ifai. 32. at the Beginning. And it fcems to be the natural Import of the Word Gofpel^ glad Tydings, that it is News of Deliverance and Sal- vation, after great Fear and Diftrefs. There is allReafon to fuppofe, lb It God deals with particular Believers, as he dealt with his Church, which he firft made to hear his Voice in theLaw, with terribleThun- dcrs and Lightnings, and kept her under that School Maftcr, to pre- pare her for Chrift ; and then comforted her with the joyful Sound of the Gofpcl from Alount Sion. So likewife John the Baptiji came to prepare the Way for Chrift, and prepare Men's Hearts for his Re- ception, by {hewing them theirSins,and by bringing the felf- righteous Jews off" from their own Righteoufnefs, telling tliem that they were a Generation of Vipers^ and fhewing them their Danger of the Wrath to come^ telling them that the Ax was laid at the Root of the Trees^ Sic.
And if it be indeed God's Manner (as I think the foreofoinp- Con- fiderations fhcw that it undoubtedly is) before he gives Men tliC Comfort of a Deliverance from their Sin and Mifery, to give them a confiderablc Senfe of the Greatnefs and Dreadfulnefs of thofe Evils, and their extreme Wrctchednefs by Reafon of them ; furely it is not unreafonable to fuppofe, that Perfons, at leaft oftentimes, while under th'wfe Views, (hould have great Diftrefs and terrible Apprehenfions of Mind : Efpccially if it be confider'd what thefe Evils are, that they have a View of; which are no other than great and manifold Sins, againft the infinite Majefty of the great Jehovah, and the Suffering of the Fierccnefs of his Wrath to all Eternity. And the more (o fliJI, when we have many plain Inftances inScripture, of Perfons ihnf have
E 4 aclually
56 JFhaf arc 770 Stgus Part II.
actually been brought into extreme Diftrcfs, by fuch Convictions, before they have received faving Confolations : As the Multitude at Jerufakm^ who were pricked in their Hearty and fa id unto Peter, and \he rejl of the Jpoflles^ Men and Brethren^ What Jhallwe do ? And the Apoitle Paul^ wiio trembled and ivasafionijhed, before he was comfort- ed ; and the Jailor^ when he called for aLight^ and f prang in^ and came tremblings and fell down before Paul and Silas, and faid^ SirSy IV hat mufi I do to he faved P
From thefe Things it appears to be very unreafonable in profefHng Chriftians, to make this an ObjecSlion againft the Truth and fpiritual Nature of the comfortable and joyful AfF.^Slions which any have, that they follow fuch awful Apprehenfions and DiftrefTes, as have been mentioned.
And on the other Hand, It is no Evidence that Comforts and Joys are right, becaufe they fucceed great Terrors, and amazing Fears of Mell +. This feems to be what fome Perfons lay great Weight upon ; cftceming great Terrors an Evidence of a great Work of the Law wrought on the Heart, well preparing the Way for folic! Comfort : Not confidering that Terror, and a Conviction of Con- fcience, are different Things. For tho' ConviClions of Confciencc do often caufe Terror ; yet they don't confift in it ; and Terrors do often arife from other Caufes. Convictions of Confcience, thro' the Influences of God's Spirit, confift in ConviCtion of Sinfulnefs of Heart and Practice, and of the Dreadfulnefs of Sin, as committed againft a God of terrible Majefty, infinite Holinefs andHatred of Sin, and ftriCt Juftice in punifhing of it. But there are fome Perfons that have frightful Apprehenfions of Hell, a dreadful Pit ready to fwallow them up, and Plames juft ready to lay hold of them, and Devils around them, ready to feize them j who at the fame Time feem to have very little proper Enlightnings of Confcience, really convincing them of their Sinfulnefs of Heart and Life. The Devil, if permitted, can terrify Men as well as the Spirit of God: 'Tis a Work natural to him, and he has many Ways of doing it, in a Manner tending to no Good. He may exceedingly affright Pcrfon?, by imprefTingon them m^ny external Images and Ideas, of aCountenancc frowning, aSword drawn, black Clouds of Vengeance, Words of an awful Doom pro-
f Mr. 5A^^r^ (peaks of Men's <' being caft down as low as Hell *' by Sorrow, and lying underChains, quaking in Apprehenfion '« of Terror to come, and then raifed up to Heaven in Joy, " not able to live ; and yet not rent from Luft, and fuch are << Objects of Pity now, and are like to be tlie ObjeCts of Terror '< at the great Day ". Parable of the ten Virgins^ P. I. p. J ^5
flounced.
Part II. to dljlingwjh Jffc^tons. ^*f
nounced *, Hell gaping, Devils coming, and the like ; not to con- vince Perfons of Things that are true, and revealed in tiie Word of God, but to lead them to vain and groundlefs Determinations ; as that their Day is paft, that they arc reprobated, that God is implaca- ble, that he has come to a Refolution immediately to cut them off".
And the Terrors which feme Perfons have, arc very much owing to the particular Conftitution and Temper they arc of. Nothing is more manifcft, then that fome Perfons are of fuch a Temper and Frame, that their Imaginations are more firongly imprefs'd with eve- ry Thing they are affef^ed with, than others ; and the Imprcllion on the Imagination re-ads on the Affection, and raifes that fiill higher ; and (o AfFe£^ion and Imagination adl reciprocally, one on another, till their AfFedion is raised to a vaft Height, and the Perfon is fwal- lowed up, and loofes all Pofleflion of himfclf jj.
And fome fpeak of a great Sight they have of their Wickednefs, which really, when the Matter comes to be well examin'd into and thoroughly weighed, are found to have little or no Convidions of Confcience. They tell of a dreadful hard Heart, and how their Heart lies like a Stone -, when truly they have none of thofe Things in their Minds or Thoughts, wherein the Hardnefs of Men'sHeart does really confift. They tell of a dreadful Load and Sink of Sin, a Heap of black and loathfome Filthinefs within them ; when, if the Matter be carefully enquired into, they han't in View any Thing wherein the Corruption of Nature does truly confift, nor have they :any Thought of any particular Thing wherein their Hearts are fmiully defedive, or fall fhort of what ought to be in them, or any Exercifes at all of Corruption in them. And many think alfo they have great Convic-
* " The Way of the Spirit's Working, when it does convince " Alen, is by enlightning naturalConfcience. The Spirit does '« not work by giving a Teftimony, but by afTifting natural <« Confcience to do its Work. Natural Confcience is the In- *« ftrument in the Hand of God, to accufe, condemn, terrify, *« and to urge to Duty. The Spirit of God leads Men into '' the Confideration of their Danger, and makes them to be af- *' fcded therewith; Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of Man is the *' Candle of the Lcrd^ fcarching all the inward Parts of the Belly^\ Stoddard'j Guide to Chriji^ p. 44.
Ij " The famous Mr. P^r/fw diftinguifhes between //;^y^ 6'^n-<;zt^^ '* that come thro' Convi^ions cf Confcience^ and melancholic Pafficns *' r///«^ only from meer Imaginations ^Jhongly conceived in the Br am ; «' which he fays y ufually come on a fudden, like Lightning into a " Houfe ". Vol. I. of his Works, p. 385.
tions
58 What are no Slg?n Part II.
tions of tb.cir n6lual Sins, who truly have none. They tell how their Sins are fet itiOrder before 'em,they fee 'cm (fand encompafTing them round in a Row, with a dreadful frightful Appearance j when really they have not fo much as one of the Sins they have been guilty of in the Courfc of their Lives, coming into View, that they are afftdled with the Aggravations of.
And if Perfons have had greatTerror, which really have been from the awakening and convincinglnfluences of the Spirit of God, it don't thence follow that their Terrors mult needs iflue in true Comfort. The unmortify'd Corruption of the Heart may quench the Spirit of God (after he has been ftriving) by leading Men to prefumptuous, and felf-exalting Hopes and Joys, as well as otherv.'ife. 'Tis not e- very Woman who is really inTravail, that brings forth a real Child 5 but it may be a monflrous Produ6lion, without any Thing of the Form or Properties of human Nature belonging to it. Pharaoh's chief Baker, after he had lain in the Dungeon with Jofeph^ had a Vi- fion that raifed his Hopes, and he was lifted up out of the Dungeon, a5 well as the chief Butler ; but it was to be h.angcd.
But if Comforts and Joys do not only come after great Terrors and Awakenings, but there be an Appearance of fuch prepaiatory Convi6lions and Humiliations, and brought about very di(Hn6lly, by fuch Steps, and vn fuch a Method, as has frequently been obfervable in true Converts ; this is no certain Sign that the Light and Comforts which follow are true and faving. And for thefe following Reafons,
//>j,/?, As the Devil can counterfeit all the faving Operations and Graces of the Spirit of God, fo he can counterfeit thofe Operations that are preparatory to Grace. If Satan can counterfeit thofe Effeds of God'sSpirit which are fpecial, d-rine and fan6tifying ; (o that there fhall be a very great Refemblance, in all that can be obferved by o- thers ; much more eafily may he imitate thofe Works of God's Spi- rit which are common, and which IVlen, while they are yet his own Children, are theSubjeds of. ThefeWorks are in no wife fo much a- bove him as the other. There are no Works of God that are {o high and divine, and above the Powers of Nature, and out of the Reach of the Power of all Creatures, as thofe Works of his Spirit, whereby he forms the Creature in his own Image, and makes it to be a Partaker of the divine Nature. But if the Devil can be the Author of fuch Refemblances of thefe as have been fpoken of, without doubt he may of thofe that are of an infinitely inferiourKind. And it is abundantly evident in Fad, that there are falfcHumiliations, and falfeSubniiflions, as well as falfc Comforts *. How far was Saul brought, tho' a very
wicked
* The venerable ^/^^d^rt/Y/ obferves, *' A Man may fay, that now *' hecanjultify God however he deals vviih him, and not be
i' b; ought
Part II. to dijlinguijh Affeclions. 59
wicked Man, and of a haughty Spirit, when he (tho* a great King) was brought, in Conviction of his Sin, as it were to fall down, all in Tears, weeping aloud, before Z)^i;/V/ his own Subject, (and one that he had for a long Time mortally hated, and openly treated as an E- ncnu) and condemn himfelf before him, crying out, 1 hou art more Righteous than I. T hcu hajf rewarded me Good, zvhereas I have re- vjardedihee Evil? And at another Time, I have finned, I have played the Fool, 1 have erred exceedingly^ i Sam. 24. 16, 17. and Chap. 26. 2 1. And ytiSaul fecms ti^cn to ha\e had very little of thelnflucnces of the Spirit of God, it being after God's Spirit had departed from him, and given him up, and an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him. And if this proud Monarch, in a Pang of AfFedlion, was brought to humble himfelf fo low, before a Subje<Sl that he hated, and ftill con- tinued an Enemy to ; there doubtlefs may be Appearances of great Convidion and Humiliation in Men, before God, while they yet re- main Enemies to him, and iho' they finally continue fo. There is oftentimes in Men who are terrified thro' Fears of Hell, a great Ap- pearance of their being brought off from their own Righteoufnefs, when they are not brought off from it in all Ways, altho' ihey are in many Ways that are more plain and vifible. They have onl}* tx- chang'd fomc Ways of trufting in their own Rightcoufnefs, for others that are more fecret and fubtil. Oftentimes a great Degree of Dif- couragement, as to many Things they us'd to depend upon, is taken for Humiliation : And that is called a SubmiiHon to God, which is no abfolute Submiffion, but has fome fecret Bargain in it, that it is hard to difcover.
Secondly, If the Operations and Effe£ls of the Spirit of God, in the Convidtions and Comforts of true Converts may be fophifticated, then the Order of them may be imitated. If Satan can imitate the Things themfelves, he may eafily put them one after another, in fuch a cer- tain Order. If the Devil can make A, B, and C, 'tis as eafy for him to put A firft, and B next, and C next, as to range 'em in a contrary Order. The Nature of divine Things is harder for the Devil to imi- tate, than their Order. He can't exaSlly imitate divine Operations in their Nature, tho* his Counterfeits may be very much like them in
" brought off from his ownRighteoufnefs ; and that fomeMen '' do juftify God, from a partial Conviction of the Righteouf- *« nefs of theirCondemnation ; Confcience takes notice of their " Sinfulnefs, & tells them that they may be righteoufly damn'd ; «' as Pharaoh, who juftified God, Exod. 9. 27. And they give " fome Kind of Confcnt to it, but many Times it don't con- «' tinue, they have only a Pang upon them, that ufually dies a- <' way after a little Time ", Guide to Chrijl, p. 71.
extern*!
6o What are ?io Signs . Part II.
cxternalAppearance ; but lie can cxa6tly imitate theirOrder. When Counterfeits are made, there is no divine Power needful in order to the placing one of them firrt, and another laft. And therefore no Order or Method of Operations and Experiences, is any certain Sign of theirDivinity. That only is to be truitcd to, as a certain Evidence of Grace, which Satan cannot do, and which it is impofTible fhould be brought to pafs by any Power fhort of divine.
Thirdlyy We have no certain Rule to determine how far God's own Spirit may go in thofe Operations and Convidions which in themfelves are not fpiritual and laving, and yet the Perfon that is the Subje6l of them, never be converted, but fall fliort of Salvation atlaft-. There is no necefiary Conne6lion in the Nature of Things, between any Thing that a natural Man may experience, while in a State of Nature, and the faving Grace of God's Spirit. And if there be ncr Connection in the Nature of Things, then there can be no known and certain Connedlion at all, unlefs it be by divine Revelation. But there is no revealed certain Conne£lion between a State of Salvation, and any Thing that a natural Man can be the Subjc6l of, before he believes in Chrift. God has revealed no certain Connection between Salvation, and any Qualifications in Men, but only Grace and its Fruits. And therefore we don't find any legal ConviClions, or Com- forts following thofe legal Convictions, in any certain Method or Or- der, ever once mention'd in the Scripture, as certain Signs of Grace, or Things peculiar to the Saints ; altho' we do find gracious Opera- tions and EfFedts themfelves, fo mention'd, Thoufands of Times. W'hich fhould be enough with Chriflians, who are willing to have the Word of God, rather than their own Philofophy, and Experiences, and Conjectures, as their fufHcient and fure Guide in Things of this Nature.
Fourthly^ Experience does greatly confirm, that Pcrfons feeming to haveConviCtions & Comforts following one another infuchaMethod and Order, as is frequently obfervable in trueConverts,is no certainSign of Grace f. I appeal to all thofe Miniflers in this Land, who have had much Occafion of dealing with Souls, in the late extracrdinarySeafon, whether there han't been many who don't prove well, that have given
Mr. Stoddard^ who had much Expeiicncc of Things of this Na- ture, long ago obfervcd, that converted and unconverted Men can't be certainly diltinguiOicd by the Account they give of their Experience : Hie fame Relation of Experiences beifig cormnon to loth. And that ?nany Pcrfom have given a fair Account of a iVork of ConverfioUy that have carried zvell in the Eye of the iVorld for fe- ver al Tears^but have not proved well at IjJ}, Appeal to thcLearn- ed, p. 75, and ;6.
a
Part II. to dijlingiiijlo Jlffc5liom. bi
a fair Account of their Experiences, and have feem'd to be converted according; to Rule, z. e. with Convictions and AfFcrCtions, fuccecding diltin6\ly and cxadly, in that Order and Method, vi'hich has been or- dinarily infilled on, as the Order of the Operations of tlve Spirit of God in Converfion.
And as a Seeming to have thlsDiftindlnefs as to Steps and Method, is no certain Sign that a Perfon is converted ; fo a being without it, is no Evidence that a Perfon is not converted. For tlio' it might be made evident to a Demonftration, on Scripture Principle?, that a Sinner c.in't be brought heartily to receive Chrift as his Saviour, who is not convinced of his Sin and Mifery, and of his own Emptinefs and Helplefnefs, and his juft defert of eternal Condemnation ; and that therefore fuch Convidirnsmuft be fomeWay implied \n what is wro*t in his Soul ; yet nothing proves it to be neceflary, that all thofe Things which are implied or prefuppofed in an Adl of Faith in Chrift mull be plainly and diOinc^ly wrought in the Soul, in fo many fuc- CclTive and feparate Works of the Spirit that (hall be, each one, plain and manifeft, in all who are truly converted. On the contrary, (as Mr. Sht'pard oh(cTves) fometlmes the Change made in a Saint, at firft Work, is like a, confufed Chaos ; fo that the Saints know not what to make of it. The Manner of the Spirit's proceeding in them that are born of the Spirit, is very often exceeding myfterious !k unfearch- able : We, as it were, hear the Sound of it, theEfFt6l of it is difcern- able ; but noMan can tell whence it came, or whither it went. And 'tis oftentimes as difficult to know the Way of the Spirit in the new Birth, as in the firft Birth : Eccl. il. 5. Thou knoivej} not ivhat is the IVay of the Spirit, or how the Bones do grow in the JVomh of her that is with Child : Even fo thou knoweji not the JVork cfGcd, that worheth alL The ingenerating of a Principle of Grace in the Soul, feems in Scrip- ture to be compared to the conceiving of Chrift in the Womb; Gal. 4. 19. And therefore the Church is called Chrift's Mother, Cant, 3. II. And fo is every particular Believer, Matth. i2. 49, 5c. And the Conception of Chrift in the Womb of the blefted Virgin, by the Power of the holy Ghoft, feems to be a defigned Refemblance of the Conception of Chrift in the Soul of a Believer, by the Power of the fame holy Ghoft. And we know not what is the Way of the Spirit, nor how the Bones do grow, either in the Womb, cr Heart that conceives this holy Child. The new Creature may ufe that Language in Pfal. 139. 14, 15. 1 am fearfully and ivonderfuUy made. Marvellous are thy Works : And that my Soul knoweth right well. M^ Subjlance was not hid from thee, when I was made in fecret. Concern- ing the Generation of Chrift, both in his Perfon, and alfo in theHearts of his People, it may be faid, as in Ifai. 53. 8. JVho can declare his Generation. We know not the Works of God, that worketh all.
'JiitheGloryof Gcdtoiom^ala Things (Prov. 25. a.} and to have
his
62 What are no Sio-m ' Part II.
6'
his Path as it were in the mighty fVaters^ that his Foot/leps may not he known : And efpecially in the Works of his Spirit on the Hearts of Men, which are the higheft and chief of his Works. And there- fore it is faid, Ifai. 40. 13, fVho hath dire^ed the Spirit of the Lord^ or being his Counfellor hath taught him. 'Tis to'be feared that feme have gone too far towards direding the Spirit of the Lord, and mark- ing out his Footfteps for him, and limiting him to certain Steps and Methods. Experience plainly fhews, that God's Spirit is unfearch- able and untraceable, in fome of the beft ofChriftians, in the Method of his Operations, in their Converfion. Nor does the Spirit of God proceed difcernably in the Steps of a particular eftablifhed Scheme, one half fo often as is imagined. A Scheme of what is necefTary, and according to a Rule already received and eftablifhed by common O- pinion, has a vaft (tho' to many a very infenfible) Influence in form- ing Perfons Notions of the Steps and Method of their ovvnExperiences. I know very well what their Way is ; for I have had muchOpportu- nity to obferve it. Very often, at firft, theirExperiences appear like a confufed Chaos^ as Mr. Shepsrd exprefTcs it : But then thofe Paf- fages of their Experience are pick'd out, that have moft of the Ap- pearance of fuch particular Steps that are infifted on ; and thefe are dwelt upon in theThoughts, and thefe are told of fromTime toTime, in the Relation they give : Thefe Parts grow brighter and brighter in their View ; and others, being neglected, grow more and more ob- fcure : And what they have experienc'd is infenfibly ftrain'd to bring all to an exadl: Conformity to the Scheme that is eftablifhed. And it becomes natural for Minifters, who have to deal with them and di- Te<Sl: them that infift upon Diftindlnefs and Clearnefs of Method, to do fo too. But yet there has been fo much to be feen of theOperations of the Spirit of God, of late, that they who have had much to do with Souls, and are not blinded with a feven-fold Veil of Prejudice, muft know that the Spirit is fo exceeding various in the Manner of his ope- rating, that in many Cafes it is impoflible to trace him, or find out his Way.
What we have principally to do with, in our Enquiries Into our own State, or Directions we give to others, is the Nature of the KfFeft that God has brought to pafs in the Soul. As to the Steps, which the Spirit of God took to bring that EfFe6l to pafs, we may leave tliem to him. We are often in Scripture exprefly di reeled to try our felves by the Nature of the Fruits of the Spirit ; but no where by the Spirit's A/^/W of producing them *. Many do greatly err
m
* Mr. Shepard, fpcaking of the Soul's doling with Cnrif^, fays, *' As aChild cannot tell how hisSoul comes into it,nor it may be
" when ;
Part II. , to dljlbigiujl^ JffeStiom, 6j
in their Notions of a clear Work of Converfion ; calllnpj that a clear Work, where the fuccciTivc Steps of Influence, and IVIcthod of Ex- perience is clear : Whereas that indeed is the clcarcft Work, (not where the Order of doing is clcareft, but) where tiic fpiritual and divine Nature of the Work done, and EfFedt wrcught, is moll clciir.
IX. 'Tis no certainSign that the religious AfFc£lions which Perfoiis have arc fuch as have in them the Nature of true Religion, or that tlicy have not, that they difpofe Perfons to fpend much Time in Rcligicn, and to be zealoufly engaged in the external Duties of Worlhip.
TJiis has, very unreafonably, of late been looked upon as an Argu- ment againft the religious AfFe<Slions which fome have had, that they fpend fo much Time in reading, praying, fmging, hearing Sermons, and the like. 'Tis plain from the Scripture that it is the Tendency of true Grace to caufc Perfons very much to delight in fuch religious Exercifes. True Grace had this Effcd on Anna the Prophetcfi) ; Luke 1.37. She departed not from the Temple ; but ferved Gcd tuith FaJ tings and Prayers, Night and Day. And Grace had this Eft^'tcSt upon the primitive Chriftians in Jeriifalem ; Ads 2. 46, 47. And they ccntimi- ingdaih, with one Accord in the Temple, and breaking Bread from Houjj to Houfe, did eat their Meat with Gladnefs, and Singlenefs of Heurt, praifing God. Grace made Z)^«/>/ delight in the Duty of Prayer, raid folemnly to attend it three Times a Day : As it alfo did David ; Pfal. 55. 17. ' Evening, Morning and at Noon will I pray. Grace make? tl.e Saints delight in fmging Praifes to God: Pfal. 135. 3. Sing Pra:/-. unto his Name, for it is plea f ant. And 147. i. Praife ye the Lord, fcr it is good to fng Praifes unto our God, for it is plea f ant, and Praife r. comely. It alfo caufes them to delight to hear the Word of God
'« when ; but afterwards it fees and feels that Life ; fo that he *' were as bad as a Beaft, that fhould deny an immortal Soul i <« fo here ". Parable of the ten Virgins, Part IL p. 171.
*' If the Man do not know the Time of his Converfion, or <« firft clofmg with Chrift ; The Minifter may not draw any <' peremptory Conclufion from thence, that he is not godly ". Stoddard^ Guide to Chrift, p. 83.
'* Do not think there is no Compundion, or Senfe of Sin, *' wrought in the Soul, becaufe you cannot fo clearly difccrn " and feel it; nor the Time of the Working, and firft Begin- " ning of it. I have known many that have come with their <' Complaints, that they were never humbled, they never felt it '''' fo\ yet there it hath been, and many Times they have k^n «' it, by the other Spedacles, and blefsM God for it '\ She- pard'ii found Believer, p, 38. The late LnprclBon in Bojlon.
preached :
64 TVIoat are 720 Signs Part. II,
preached : It makes the Gofpel a joyful Sound to them ; Pfal. 89.15. And makes the Feet ofthofe who publifh thefe good Tidings, to be beautiful ; Ifai. 52. 7. How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings^ &c ! It makes them love God's publick Worfhip ; Pfal. 26. 8. Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy Houfe, and the Place where thine Honour dwelleth. And 27. 4. One Thing have I defired of the Lord, that will I feek after ^ that I may dwell in the Houfe of the Lord, all the Days of my Life -, to behold the Beauty of
the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple. Pfal. 84. 1,2, &c. How
amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hojls I my Soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the Courts of the Lord. --- Tea the Sparrow hath found an Houfe, and the Sivallozv a Ne/l for her f elf, where Jhe may lay her 7'oung, even thine Alters, O Lord of HoJls, my King and ?ny God. Bleffcd are they that divell in thine Houfe, ; they zvill be flill praifing thee. BlefTed is the Man in whofe Heart are the IVays of them, who paffing through the
Valley o/'Baca, go from Strength toStrength, every cne of them inZlon
appear eth before God. Ver, io» A Day in thy Courts is better than a
thoufand.
This is the Nature of true Grace. But yet, on the other Hand, Perfons being difpofed to abound and to be zealoufly engaged in the external Exercifes of Religion, and to fpend much Time in them, is no fure Evidence of Grace ; becaufe fuch a Difpofition is found in many that have no Grace. So it was with the Ifraelites of old, whofe Services were abominable to God ; they attended the new Moons, and Sabbaths, and calling of Affemblies, and fpread forth their Hands, and made many Pra)ers ; Ifai. i. 12,-15. So it was with the Pharifees ; they made hig Prayers, andfajled twice a M'eck. Falfe Religion may caufe Perfons to be loud and earneft in Prayer : Ifai. 58. 4. Te fhall not fajl as ye do this Day, to caufe your Voice to be heard on high. That Religion which is not fpiritual and faving, may caufe Men to delight in religious Duties and Ordinances : Ifai. 58. 2. Tet iheyfeek ??ie daily, and delight to knew my Ways -, as a Nation that did RighteoufneCs, and for f 00k not the Ordinance of their God. They afh of me theOrdinances of Juflice,they takeDelight in approaching toGod.h may caufe them to take Delight in hearing the Word ofGod preached ; as it was with Ezekiel's Hearers, Ezek. 33. 31, 32. And they come unto thee as my People cometh, and they fit before thee as ?ny People, and they hear thy fVcrdi ; but they will not do them : for with their Mouth they fhew much Love ; hut their Heart gocth after their Covetoufnefs^ And loy thou art unto them, as a very lovely Song, of one that hath a plcafantVoice., and can play well on an Injhument : For they hear thy JVords, but they do them not. So it was with Flerod ; he heard John the Baptift gladly : Mark 6. 20. So it was with others of his Hearers,/?r a Seafon, they
rejoycei
Part II. to dijlinguip AffcBtons. 65
rejoiced in his Light ; John 5. 35. So the itony-groundHe?.rcrs heard the hVcrd with Joy.
Experience Ihcws that Pcrfons, from falfcReliiLion, may be inclined to be exceeding abundant in the cxtcrnul Excrcifcs of Rchgion ; yea, to give themfclvcs up to them, and devote almoft their whole Time to ihcm. Formerly a Sort of People were very numerous in the Rb- ;/;//Z? Church, called /vfc-/.vyr.f ; who forfook the World, i^nd utterly abandon'd the Society of A4ankind, and fhut themfelves up clufe, in a narrow Cell, with a Vow never to f^-ir out of it, nor to fee th.cFacc of any of IMankind any more ; (unlefs that they might be vilitcd in Cafe ofSicknefs) to fpend all their Days in the Exercifes of Devotion and Converfe with God. There were alfo in old Time, great Mul- titudes called Hermits and Anchorites., that left the World to fpend all their Days in lonefome Defarts, to give themfelves up to religious Contemplations and Exercifes of Devotion ; fome Sorts of them ha- ving no Dwellings, but the Caves and Vaults of the Mountains, and noFood, but the fpontaneous Produftions of the Earth.— 1 once lived, for many Months, next Door to a JeWy (the Houfes adjoining one to another) and had much Opportunity daily to obferve him ; who ap- peared to me tbiC devouteft Perfon that ever I f;iw in my Life ; great Part of his Time being fpent in Ac^s of Devotion, at his eaftern Win- dow, which cpen'd next to mine, feeming to be moft earneftly en- gaged, not only in the Day-time, but fometimes whole Nights.
X. Nothing can be certainly known of the Nature of religious Af- fetStions by this, that they much difpofe Perfons with their Mouths to praife and glory God. This indeed is implied in what has been juft now obferved, of abounding and fpending much Time in the external Exercifes of Religion, and was alfo hinted before ; but becaufe many feem to look upon it as a bright Evidence of gracious AfFctSiionjWhen Perfons appear greatly difpofed to praife and mngnify God, to have their Mouths full of his Praifcs, and afFcdtionatcly to be calling on o- thers to praife and extol him, I thought it deferved a more particular Confideration.
No Chriftian will make it an Argument againft a Perfon, thnt he feems to have fuch a Difpofition. Not can it reafonably be look'd upon as an Evidence for a Perfon, if thofe Things that have been al- ready obferved and proved, be dulv confidered, viz. that Pcrfons, without (jrace, may have high Affe£lions towards God and Chrifi", and that their AfFcclions, being l^rong, may fill their Mouths, and in- cline them to fpeak much, and very earneftly, about the Things they are afFc(Sled with, and that there may be Counterfeits of all Kinds of gracious Affedion. But it will appear more evidently and directly, that this is no certain Sign of Grace, if we confider what Inftances the Scripture gives us of "it in thofe that were gracelefs. We often • F have
66 What are no Signs Part II.
have an Account of ihls, in the Multitude that were pre fen t when Chrirt preached and wroughtAliraclcs ; iVlark 2. 12. And immediately he aroje^ took up his Bed, and ivent forth before them all : Info?m<ch that they were all amazed^ and glorified God, faying, IVe never faw it on this Fajhion ! So Matth. 9. 8. and Luke 5.26. Alfo Matth. 15. 3r. Lijomiuh that the Adultitudc wondred, when they faw the Dumb to jpcak^ and the Mai?ncd to be zvhole, the Lame to walk, and the Blind to fee \ andtheyglGrifirdtheGodGf\{\2.t\. So we are told, that on Occafion of Chrift's raifing the Son of the Widow of Nain, Luke 7.16. 7 here came a great Fear on all ; and they glorified God, faying, that a great Pro- phet is rifen up among us, and that God hath vifited his People. So we read of their glorifying Chrift, or fpeaking exceeding highly of him, Luke 4. 15. And he taught in their Syj.agcgues, being glorified of ail. And how did thev praife him with loud Voices, crying, Hofannu to the Son i?/ David, Hofanna in the Higheji. Bleffcd is he that eometh in the Name of the Lord, a little before he was crucifi'.d ! And after Chrift's Af- cenlion, when the ApofHes had heal'd the impotent A4an, we are told, that all Men glorified God for that which was done. Acts 4.21. When the Gentiles in Antioch of Pifidia, heard from Paul and Barnabas, that God would reje6l the fews, and take the Gentiles to he his People in their Room, they were afte(Sled with this Gc-odnefs of Cjod to theC^w- tiles, and glorified the Word of the Lord'. But all that did fo were not true Believers ; but only a certain ele£l Number of them ; as is inti- mated in the Account we have of it, Afts 13. 48. And when theGtn- tiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the JVord cf the Lord', and as many as were ordained to eternal Life, believed. So of Old, theChil- dren (^( Ifrael at the Red Sea, fang God's Praife ; but foon for gat his fl'orks. And the fews in EzekieVs Time, with their Mouth Jhewed much Love, while their Heart went after their Covetoufnefs. And 'tis foretold of falfe FrofcfTors, and real Enemies of Religion, that they (hould (hew a Forwardnefs to gl.^ifyGod ; Ifai. 66. 5. Hear ye the Ji'ordofthe Lord, ye that tremble at his IVord : Your Brethren that hated you, that cajl you out for my Name's Sake, faid. Let the Lord be glorified. 'Tis no certain Sign that a Perfon