RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS.
PART
1.
CONCERNING THE NATURE OF THE AFFECTIONS AND THEIR
IMPORTANCE IN RELIGION.
1 Peter 1:8: Whom having
not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
In these words, the apostle
represents the state of the minds of the Christians he wrote to, under the
persecutions they were then the subjects of. These persecutions are what he has
respect to, in the two preceding verses, when he speaks of the trial of their
faith, and of their being in heaviness through manifold
temptations.
Such trials are of threefold
benefit to true religion. Hereby the truth of it is manifested, and it appears
to be indeed true religion; they, above all other things, have a tendency to
distinguish between true religion and false, and to cause the difference between
them evidently to appear. Hence they are called by the name of trials, in
the verse nextly preceding the text, and in innumerable other places; they try
the faith and religion of professors, of what sort it is, as apparent gold is
tried in the fire, and manifested, whether it be true gold or no. And the faith
of true Christians being thus tried and proved to be true, is "found to praise,
and honor, and glory," as in that preceding verse.
And then, these trials are
of further benefit to true religion; they not only manifest the truth of it, but
they make its genuine beauty and amiableness remarkably to appear. True virtue
never appears so lovely, as when it is most oppressed; and the divine excellency
of real Christianity, is never exhibited with such advantage, as when under the
greatest trials: then it is that true faith appears much more precious than
gold! And upon this account is "found to praise, and honor, and
glory."
And again, another benefit
that such trials are of to true religion, is, that they purify and increase it.
They not only manifest it to be true, but also tend to refine it, and deliver it
from those mixtures of that which is false, which encumber and impede it; that
nothing may be left but that which is true. They tend to cause the amiableness
of true religion to appear to the best advantage, as was before observed; and
not only so, but they tend to increase its beauty, by establishing and
confirming it, and making it more lively and vigorous, and purifying it from
those things that obscured its luster and glory. As gold that is tried in the
fire, is purged from its alloy, and all remainders of dross, and comes forth
more solid and beautiful; so true faith being tried as gold is tried in the
fire, becomes more precious, and thus also is "found unto praise, and honor, and
glory." The apostle seems to have respect to each of these benefits, that
persecutions are of to true religion, in the verse preceding the
text.
And, in the text, the
apostle observes how true religion operated in the Christians he wrote to, under
their persecutions, whereby these benefits of persecution appeared in them; or
what manner of operation of true religion, in them, it was, whereby their
religion, under persecution, was manifested to be true religion, and eminently
appeared in the genuine beauty and amiableness of true religion, and also
appeared to be increased and purified, and so was like to be "found unto praise,
and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” And there were two
kinds of operation, or exercise of true religion, in them, under their
sufferings, that the apostle takes notice of in the text, wherein these benefits
appeared.
1. Love to Christ:
"Whom having not yet seen, ye love." The world was ready to wonder, what
strange principle it was, that influenced them to expose themselves to so great
sufferings, to forsake the things that were seen, and renounce all that was dear
and pleasant, which was the object of sense. They seemed to the men of the world
about them, as though they were beside themselves, and to act as though they
hated themselves; there was nothing in their view, that could induce them thus
to suffer, and support them under, and carry them through such trials. But
although there was nothing that was seen, nothing that the world saw, or that
the Christians themselves ever saw with their bodily eyes, that thus influenced
and supported them, yet they had a supernatural principle of love to something
unseen; they loved Jesus Christ, for they saw him spiritually whom the world saw
not, and whom they themselves had never seen with bodily
eyes.
2. Joy in Christ.
Though their outward sufferings were very grievous, yet their inward
spiritual joys were greater than their sufferings; and these supported them, and
enabled them to suffer with cheerfulness.
There are two things which
the apostle takes notice of in the text concerning this joy. 1. The manner in
which it rises, the way in which Christ, though unseen, is the foundation of it,
viz., by faith; which is the evidence of things not seen: "In whom, though now
ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice." 2. The nature of this joy;
"unspeakable and full of glory." Unspeakable in the kind of it; very different
from worldly joys, and carnal delights; of a vastly more pure, sublime, and
heavenly nature, being something supernatural, and truly divine, and so
ineffably excellent; the sublimity and exquisite sweetness of which, there were
no words to set forth. Unspeakable also in degree; it pleasing God to give them
this holy joy, with a liberal hand, and in large measure, in their state of
persecution.
Their joy was full of glory.
Although the joy was unspeakable, and no words were sufficient to describe it,
yet something might be said of it, and no words more fit to represent its
excellency than these, 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 brightness, and their natures exalted and
perfected. It was a most worthy, noble rejoicing, that did not corrupt and
debase the mind, as many carnal joys do; but did greatly beautify and dignify
it; it was a prelibation of the joy of heaven, that raised their minds to a
degree of heavenly blessedness; it filled their minds with the light of God's
glory, and made themselves to shine with some communication of that
glory.
Hence the proposition or
doctrine, that I would raise from these words, is this:
DOCTRINE. True religion,
in great part, consists in holy affections.
We see that the apostle, in
observing and remarking the operations and exercises of religion in the
Christians he wrote to, wherein their religion appeared to be true and of the
right kind, when it had its greatest trial of what sort it was, being tried by
persecution as gold is tried in the fire, and when their religion not only
proved true, but was most pure, and cleansed from its dross and mixtures of that
which was not true, and when religion appeared in them most in its genuine
excellency and native beauty, and was found to praise, and honor, and glory; he
singles out the religious affections of love and joy, that were
then in exercise in them: these are the exercises of religion he takes notice of
wherein their religion did thus appear true and pure, and in its proper glory.
Here, I would,
1. Show what is intended by
the affections.
2. Observe some things which
make it evident, that a great part of true religion lies in the
affections.
1. It may be inquired, what
the affections of the mind are?
I answer: The affections are
no other than the more vigorous and sensible exercises of the inclination and
will of the soul.
God has endued the soul with
two faculties: one is that by which it is capable of perception and speculation,
or by which it discerns, and views, and judges of things; which is called the
understanding. The other faculty is that by which the soul does not merely
perceive and view things, but is some way inclined with respect to the things it
views or considers; either is inclined to them, or is disinclined and
averse from them; or is the faculty by which the soul does not behold
things, as an indifferent unaffected spectator, but either as liking or
disliking, pleased or displeased, approving or rejecting. This faculty is called
by various names; it is sometimes called the inclination: and, as it has
respect to the actions that are determined and governed by it, is called the and
the will: and the mind, with regard to the exercises of this faculty, is
often called the heart.
The exercise of this faculty
are of two sorts; either those by which the soul is carried out towards the
things that are in view, in approving of them, being pleased with them, and
inclined to them; or those in which the soul opposes the things that are in
view, in disapproving of them, and in being displeased with them, averse from
them, and rejecting them.
And as the exercises of the
inclination and will of the soul are various in their kinds, so they are much
more various in their degrees. There are some exercises of pleasedness or
displeasedness, inclination or disinclination, wherein the soul is carried but a
little beyond the state of indifference.—And there are other degrees above this,
wherein the approbation or dislike, pleasedness or aversion, are stronger,
wherein we may rise higher and higher, till the soul comes to act vigorously and
sensibly, and the actings of the soul are with that strength, that (through the
laws of the union which the Creator has fixed between the soul and the body) the
motion of the blood and animal spirits begins to be sensibly altered; whence
oftentimes arises some bodily sensation, especially about the heart and vitals,
that are the fountain of the fluids of the body: from whence it comes to pass,
that the mind, with regard to the exercises of this faculty, perhaps in all
nations and ages, is called the heart. And it is to be noted, that they
are these more vigorous and sensible exercises of this faculty that are called
the affections.
The will, and the affections
of the soul, are not two faculties; the affections are not essentially distinct
from the will, nor do they differ from the mere actings of the will, and
inclination of the soul, but only in the liveliness and sensibleness of
exercise.
It must be confessed, that
language is here somewhat imperfect, and the meaning of words in a considerable
measure loose and unfixed, and not precisely limited by custom, which governs
the use of language. In some sense, the affection of the soul differs nothing at
all from the will and inclination, and the will never is in any exercise any
further than it is affected; it is not moved out of a state of perfect
indifference, any otherwise than as it is affected one way or other, and acts
nothing any further. But yet there are many actings of the will and inclination,
that are not so commonly called affections: in everything we do, wherein
we act voluntarily, there is an exercise of the will and inclination; it is our
inclination that governs us in our actions; but all the actings of the
inclination and will, in all our common actions of life, are not ordinarily
called affections. Yet, what are commonly called affections are not essentially
different from them, but only in the degree and manner of exercise. In every act
of the will whatsoever, the soul either likes or dislikes, is either inclined or
disinclined to what is in view: these are not essentially different from those
affections of 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 same
thing with the affection of love; and that disliking and disinclining, if in a
greater degree, is the very same with hatred. In every act of the will for, or
towards something not present, the soul is in some degree inclined to that
thing; and that inclination, if in a considerable degree, is the very same with
the affection of desire. And in every degree of the act of the will, wherein the
soul approves of something present, there is a degree of pleasedness; and that
pleasedness, if it be in a considerable degree, is the very same with the
affections of joy or delight. And if the will disapproves of what is present,
the soul is in some degree displeased, and if that displeasedness be great, it
is the very same with the affection of grief or sorrow.
Such seems to be our nature,
and such the laws of the union of soul and body, that there never is in any case
whatsoever, any lively and vigorous exercise of the will or inclination of the
soul, without some effect upon the body, in some alteration of the motion of its
fluids, and especially of the animal spirits. And, on the other hand, from the
same laws of the union of the soul and body, the constitution of the body, and
the motion of its fluids, may promote the exercise of the affections. But yet it
is not the body, but the mind only, that is the proper seat of the affections.
The body of man is no more capable of being really the subject of love or
hatred, joy or sorrow, fear or hope, than the body of a tree, or than the same
body of man is capable of thinking and understanding. As it is the soul only
that has ideas, so it is the soul only that is pleased or displeased with its
ideas. As it is the soul only that thinks, so it is the soul only that loves or
hates, rejoices or is grieved at what it thinks of. Nor are these motions of the
animal spirits, and fluids of the body, anything properly belonging to the
nature of the affections, though they always accompany them, in the present
state; but are only effects or concomitants of the affections that are entirely
distinct from the affections themselves, and no way essential to them; so 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 united to a
body.
The affections and passions
are frequently spoken of as the same; and yet in the more common use of speech,
there is in some respect a difference; and affection is a word that in its
ordinary signification, seems to be something more extensive than passion, being
used for all vigorous lively actings of the will or inclination; but passion for
those that are more sudden, and whose effects on the animal spirits are more
violent, and the mind more overpowered, and less in its own
command.
As all the exercises of the
inclination and will, are either in approving and liking, or disapproving and
rejecting; so the affections are of two sorts; they are those by which the soul
is carried out to what is in view, cleaving to it, or seeking it; or those by
which it is averse from it, and opposes it.
Of the former sort are love,
desire, hope, joy, gratitude, complacence. Of the latter kind are hatred, fear,
anger, grief, and such like; which it is needless now to stand particularly to
define.
And there are some
affections wherein there is a composition of each of the aforementioned kinds of
actings of the will; as in the affection of pity, there is something of
the former kind, towards the person suffering, and something of the latter
towards what he suffers. And so in zeal, there is in it high approbation of some
person or thing, together with vigorous opposition to what is conceived to be
contrary to it.
There are other mixed
affections that might be also mentioned, but I hasten to,
II. The second thing
proposed, which was to observe some things that render it evident, that true
religion, in great part consists in the affections. And
here,
1. What has been said of the
nature of the affections makes this evident, and may be sufficient, without
adding anything further, to put this matter out of doubt; for who will deny that
true religion consists in a great measure, in vigorous and lively actings of the
inclination and will of the soul, or the fervent exercises of the
heart?
That religion which God
requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless wishes,
raising us but a little above a state of indifference: God, in his word, greatly
insists upon it, that we be good in earnest, "fervent in spirit," and our hearts
vigorously engaged in religion: Rom. 12:11, "Be ye fervent in spirit, serving
the Lord." Deut. 10:12, "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of
thee, but to fear the Lord the God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him,
and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul?" and
chap. 6:4, 6, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy might." It is such a
fervent vigorous engagedness of the heart in religion, that is the fruit of a
real circumcision of the heart, or true regeneration, and that has the promises
of life; Deut. 30:6, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise 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 mayest live."
If we be not in good earnest
in religion, and our wills and inclinations be not strongly exercised, we are
nothing. The things of religion are so great, that there can be no suitableness
in the exercises of our hearts, to their nature and importance, unless they be
lively and powerful. In nothing is vigor in the actings of our inclinations so
requisite, as in religion; and in nothing is lukewarmness so odious. True
religion is evermore a powerful thing; and the power of it appears, in the first
place in the inward exercises of it in the heart, where is the principal and
original seat of it. Hence true religion is called the power of godliness,
in distinction from the external appearances of it, that are the form
of it, 2 Tim. 3:5: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
of it." The Spirit of God, in those that have sound and solid religion, is a
spirit of powerful holy affection; and therefore, God is said "to have given the
Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind," 2 Tim. 1:7. And such, when
they receive the Spirit of God, in his sanctifying and saving influences, are
said to be "baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire;" by reason of the power
and fervor of those exercises the Spirit of God excites in their hearts, whereby
their hearts, when grace is in exercise, may be said to “burn within them;" as
is said of the disciples, Luke 24:32.
The business of religion is
from time to time compared to those exercises, wherein men are wont to have
their hearts and strength greatly exercised and engaged, such as running,
wrestling or agonizing for a great prize or crown, and fighting with strong
enemies that seek our lives, and warring as those, that by violence take a city
or kingdom.
And though true grace has
various degrees, and there are some that are but babes in Christ, in whom the
exercise of the inclination and will, towards divine and heavenly things, is
comparatively weak; yet everyone that has the power of godliness in his heart,
has his inclinations and heart exercised towards God and divine things, with
such strength and vigor that these holy exercises do prevail in him above all
carnal or natural affections, and are effectual to overcome them: for every true
disciple of Christ “loves him above father or mother, wife and children,
brethren and sisters, houses and lands: yea, than his own life." From hence it
follows, that wherever true religion is, there are vigorous exercises of the
inclination and will towards divine objects: but by what was said before, the
vigorous, lively, and sensible exercises of the will, are no other than the
affections of the soul.
2. The Author of the human
nature has not only given affections to men, but has made them very much the
spring of men's actions. As the affections do not only necessarily belong to the
human nature, but are a very great part of it; so (inasmuch as by regeneration
persons are renewed in the whole man, and sanctified throughout) holy affections
do not only necessarily belong to true religion, but are a very great part of
it. And as true religion is of a practical nature, and God hath so constituted
the human nature, that the affections are very much the spring of men's actions,
this also shows, that true religion must consist very much in the
affections.
Such is man's nature, that
he is very inactive, any otherwise than he is influenced by some affection,
either love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, or some other. These affections we
see to be the springs that set men agoing, in all the affairs of life, and
engage them in all their pursuits: these are the things that put men forward,
and carry them along, in all their worldly business; and especially are men
excited and animated by these, in all affairs wherein they are earnestly
engaged, and which they pursue with vigor. We see the world of mankind to be
exceeding busy and active; and the affections of men are the springs of the
motion: take away all love and hatred, all hope and fear, all anger, zeal, and
affectionate desire, and the world would be, in a great measure motionless and
dead; there would be no such thing as activity amongst mankind, or any earnest
pursuit whatsoever. It is affection that engages the covetous man, and him that
is greedy of worldly profits, in his pursuits; and it is by the affections, that
the ambitious man is put forward in pursuit of worldly glory; and it is the
affections also that actuate the voluptuous man, in his pursuit of pleasure and
sensual delights: the world continues, from age to age, in a continual commotion
and agitation, in a pursuit of these things, but take away all affection, and
the spring of all this motion would be gone, and the motion itself would cease.
And as in worldly things, worldly affections are very much the spring of men’s
motion and action; so in religious matters, the spring of their actions is very
much religious affection: he that has doctrinal knowledge and speculation only,
without affection, never is engaged in the business of
religion.
3. Nothing is more manifest
in fact, than that the things of religion take hold of men's souls, no further
than they affect them. There are multitudes that often hear the word of God, and
therein hear of those things that are infinitely great and important, and that
most nearly concern them, and all that is heard seems to be wholly ineffectual
upon them, and to make no alteration in their disposition or behavior; and the
reason is, they are not affected with what they hear. There are many that often
hear of the glorious perfections of God, his almighty power and boundless
wisdom, his infinite majesty, and that holiness 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 goodness and mercy, and hear of the
great works of God's wisdom, power and goodness, wherein there appear the
admirable manifestations of these perfections; they hear particularly of the
unspeakable love of God and Christ, and of the great things that Christ has done
and suffered, and of the great things of another world, of eternal misery in
bearing the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and of endless blessedness and
glory in the presence of God, and the enjoyment of his dear love; they also hear
the peremptory commands of God, and his gracious counsels and warnings, and the
sweet invitations of the gospel; I say, they often hear these things and yet
remain as they were before, with no sensible alteration in them, either in heart
or practice, because they are not affected with what they hear; and ever will be
so till they are affected.—I am bold to assert, that there never was any
considerable change wrought in the mind or conversation of any person, by
anything of a religious nature, that ever he read, heard or saw, that had not
his affections moved. Never was a natural man engaged earnestly to seek his
salvation; never were any such brought to cry after wisdom, and lift up their
voice for understanding, and to wrestle with God in prayer for mercy; and never
was one humbled, and brought to the foot of God, from anything that ever he
heard or imagined of his own unworthiness and deserving of God's displeasure;
nor was ever one induced to fly for refuge unto Christ, while his heart remained
unaffected. Nor was there ever a saint awakened out of a cold, lifeless flame,
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 anything considerable brought to pass in the heart or life of
any man living, by the things of religion, that had not his heart deeply
affected by those things.
4. The holy Scriptures do
everywhere place religion very much in the affection; such as fear, hope, love,
hatred, desire, joy, sorrow, gratitude, compassion, and
zeal.
The Scriptures place much of
religion in godly fear; insomuch, that it is often spoken of as the character of
those that are truly religious persons, that they tremble at God's word, that
they fear before him, that their flesh trembles for fear of him, and that they
are afraid of his judgments, 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
because the fear of God is a great part of true godliness, hence true godliness
in general, is very commonly called by the name of the fear of God; as
everyone knows, that knows anything of the Bible.
So hope in God and in the
promises of his word, is often spoken of in the Scripture, as a very
considerable part of true religion. It is mentioned as one of the three great
things of which religion consists, 1 Cor. 13:13. Hope in the Lord is also
frequently mentioned as the character of the saints: Psal. 146:5, “Happy is he
that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God."
Jer. 17:7, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope
the Lord is." Psal. 31:24, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your
heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." And the like in many other places.
Religious fear and hope are, once and again, joined together, as jointly
constituting the character of the true saints; Psal. 33:18, "Behold, the eye of
the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy." Psal.
147:11, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in
his mercy." Hope is so great a part of true religion, that the apostle says, "we
are saved by hope," Rom. 8:24. And this is spoken of as the helmet of the
Christian soldier. 1 Thess. 5:8, "And for a helmet, the hope of
salvation;" and the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, which preserves it
from being cast away by the storms of this evil world.” Heb. 6:19, "Which hope
we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth
into that within the vail." It is spoken of as a great fruit and benefit which
true saints receive by Christ's resurrection: 1 Pet. 1:3, "Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy,
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead."
The Scriptures place
religion very much in the affection of love, in love to God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, and love to the people of God, and to mankind. The texts in which
this is manifest, both in the Old Testament and New, are innumerable. But of
this more afterwards.
The contrary affection of
hatred also, as having sin for its object, is spoken of in Scripture as
no inconsiderable part of true religion. It is spoken of as that by which true
religion may be known and distinguished; Prov. 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to
hate evil." And accordingly the saints are called upon to give evidence of their
sincerity by this; Psal. 97:10, "Ye that love the Lord hate evil." And the
Psalmist often mentions it as an evidence of his sincerity; Psal. 2, 3, "I will
walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before
mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside." Psal. 119:104, "I hate
every false way." So ver. 127. Again, Psal. 139:21, "Do I not hate them, O Lord,
that hate thee?"
So holy desire, exercised in
longings, hungerings, and thirstings after God and holiness, is often mentioned
in Scripture as an important part of true religion; Isa. 26:8, "The desire of
our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." Psal. 27:4, "One thing
have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and
to inquire in his temple." Psal. 42:1, 2, "As the hart panteth after the water
brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God; my soul thirsteth for God, for the
living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psal. 63:1, 2, "My soul
thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where
no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the
sanctuary." Psal. 84:1, 2, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My
soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my
flesh crieth out for the living God." Psal. 119:20, "My soul breaketh for the
longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times." So Psal. 73:25, and
143:6, 7, and 130:6. Cant. 3:1, 2, and 6:8. Such a holy desire and thirst of
soul is mentioned, as one thing which renders or denotes a man truly blessed, in
the beginning of Christ’s sermon on the mount, Matt. 5:6: "Blessed are they that
do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." And this
holy thirst is spoken of, as a great thing in the condition of a participation
of the blessings of eternal life; Rev. 21:6, "I will give unto him that is
athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely.”
The Scriptures speaks of
holy joy, as a great part of true religion. So it is represented in the text.
And as an important part of religion, it is often exhorted to, and pressed, with
great earnestness; Psal. 37:4, "Delight thyself in the Lord; and he shall give
thee the desires of thine heart." Psal. 97:12, “Rejoice in the Lord, ye
righteous." So Psal. 33:1, "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous." Matt. 5:12,
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad." Phil. 3:1, “Finally, brethren, rejoice in the
Lord." And chap. 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice." 1
Thess. 5:16, “Rejoice evermore." Psal. 149:2, "Let Israel rejoice in him that
made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their king." This is mentioned
among the principal fruits of the Spirit of grace; Gal. 5:21, "The fruit of the
Spirit is love," &c. The Psalmist mentions his holy joy, as an evidence of
his sincerity. Psal. 119:14, "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as
much as in all riches."
Religious sorrow, mourning,
and brokenness of heart, are also frequently spoken of as a great part of true
religion. These things are often mentioned as distinguishing qualities of the
true saints, and a great part of their character; Matt. 5:4, "Blessed are they
that mourn; for they shall be comforted.'' Psal. 34:18, "The Lord is nigh unto
them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
Isa. 61:1, 2, "The Lord hath anointed me, to bind up the broken-hearted, to
comfort all that mourn." This godly sorrow and brokenness of heart is often
spoken of, not only as a great thing in the distinguishing character of the
saints, but that in them, which is peculiarly acceptable and pleasing to God;
Psal. 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Isa. 57:15, "Thus saith the high and lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy
place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble 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 affection often
mentioned, as that in the exercise of which much of true religion appears, is
gratitude; especially as exercised in thankfulness and praise to God.
This being so much spoken of in the book of Psalms, and other parts of the holy
Scriptures, I need not mention particular texts.
Again, the holy Scriptures
do frequently speak of compassion or mercy, as a very great and essential thing
in true religion, insomuch that good men are in Scripture denominated from
hence; and a merciful man and a good man are equivalent terms in Scripture; Isa.
57:1, "The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men
are taken away." And the Scripture chooses out this quality, as that by which,
in a peculiar manner, a righteous man is deciphered; Psal. 37:21, "The righteous
showeth mercy, and giveth;" and ver. 26, "He is ever merciful, and lendeth." And
Prov. 14:21, "He that honoreth the Lord, hath mercy on the poor.” And Col. 3:12,
"Put ye on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies," &c.
This is one of those great things by which those who are truly blessed are
described by our Savior; Matt. 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy." And this Christ also speaks of, as one of the weightier matters
of the law; Matt. 23:23, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for
ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier
matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." To the like purpose is that,
Mic. 6:8, "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justice, and love mercy, and walk humbly with thy
God?" And also that, Hos. 6:6 "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice." Which
seems to have been a text much delighted in by our Savior, by his manner of
citing it once and again, Matt. 9:13, and 12:7.
Zeal is also spoken of, as a
very essential part of the religion of true saints. It is spoken of as a great
thing Christ had in view, in giving himself for our redemption; Tit. 2:14, "Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." And this is spoken of, as the
great thing wanting in the lukewarm Laodiceans, Rev. 3:15, 16,
19.
I have mentioned but a few
texts, out of an innumerable multitude, all over the Scripture, which place
religion very much in the affections. But what has been observed, may be
sufficient to show that they who would deny that much of true religion lies in
the affections, and maintain the contrary, must throw away what we have been
wont to own for our Bible, and get some other rule, by which to judge of the
nature of religion.
5. The Scriptures do
represent true religion, as being summarily comprehended in love, the chief of
the affections, and fountain of all other affections.
So our blessed Savior
represents the matter, in answer to the lawyer, who asked him, which was the
great commandment of the law Matt. 22:37-40: "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets." Which last words signify as much, as that these two
commandments comprehend all the duty prescribed, and the religion taught in the
law and the prophets. And the apostle Paul does from time to time make the same
representation of the matter; as in Rom. 13:8, "He that loveth another, hath
fulfilled the law." And ver. 10, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." And Gal.
5:14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself." So likewise in 1 Tim. 1:5, "Now the end of the
commandment is charity, out of a pure heart," &c. So the same apostle speaks
of love, as the greatest thing in religion, and as the vitals, essence and soul
of it; without which, the greatest knowledge and gifts, and the most glaring
profession, and everything else which appertains to religion, are vain and
worthless; and represents it as the fountain from whence proceeds all that is
good, in 1 Cor. 13 through out; for that which is there rendered charity,
in the original is agaph, the proper English of
which is love.
Now, although it be true,
that the love thus spoken of includes the whole of a sincerely benevolent
propensity of the soul towards God and man; yet it may be considered, that it is
evident from what has been before observed, that this propensity or inclination
of the soul, when in sensible and vigorous exercise, becomes affection, and is
no other than affectionate love. And surely it is such vigorous and fervent love
which Christ speaks of, as the sum of all religion, when he speaks of loving God
with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds, and our
neighbor as ourselves, as the sum of all that was taught and prescribed in the
law and the prophets.
Indeed it cannot be
supposed, when this affection of love is here, and in other Scriptures, spoken
of as the sum of all religion, that hereby is meant the act, exclusive of the
habit, or that the exercise of the understanding is excluded, which is implied
in all reasonable affection. But it is doubtless true, and evident from these
Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in
this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which
is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists
the whole of religion.
From hence it clearly and
certainly appears, that great part of true religion consists in the affections.
For love is not only one of the affections, but it is the first and chief of the
affections, and the fountain of all the affections. From love arises hatred of
those things which are contrary to what we love, or which oppose and thwart us
in those things that we delight in: and from the various exercises of love and
hatred, according to the circumstances of the objects of these affections, as
present or absent, certain or uncertain, probable or improbable, arise all those
other affections of desire, hope, fear, joy, grief, gratitude, anger, &c.
From a vigorous, affectionate, and fervent love to God, will necessarily arise
other religious affections; hence will arise an intense hatred and abhorrence of
sin, fear of sin, and a dread of God's displeasure, gratitude to God for his
goodness, complacence and joy in God, when God is graciously and sensibly
present, and grief when he is absent, and a joyful hope when a future enjoyment
of God is expected, and fervent zeal for the glory of God. And in like manner,
from a fervent love to men, will arise all other virtuous affections towards
men.
6. The religion of the most
eminent saints we have an account of in the Scripture, consisted much in holy
affections.
I shall take particular
notice of three eminent saints, who have expressed the frame and sentiments of
their own hearts, and so described their own religion, and the manner of their
intercourse with God, in the writings which they have left us, that are a part
of the sacred canon.
The first instance I shall
take notice of, is David, that "man after God's own heart;" who has given us a
lively portraiture of his religion in the book of Psalms. Those holy songs of
his he has there left us, are nothing else but the expressions and breathings of
devout and holy affections; such as an humble and fervent love to God,
admiration of his glorious perfections and wonderful works, earnest desires,
thirstings, and pantings of soul after God, delight and joy in God, a sweet and
melting gratitude to God, for his great goodness, a holy exultation and triumph
of soul in the favor, sufficiency, and faithfulness of God, his love to, and
delight in the saints, the excellent of the earth, his great delight in the word
and ordinances of God, his grief for his own and others' sins, and his fervent
zeal for God, and against the enemies of God and his church. And these
expressions of holy affection, which the psalms of David are everywhere full of,
are the more to our present purpose, because those psalms are not only the
expressions of the religion of so eminent a saint, that God speaks of as so
agreeable to his mind; but were also, by the direction of the Holy Ghost, penned
for the use of the church of God in its public worship, not only in that age,
but in after ages; as being fitted to express the religion of all saints, in all
ages, as well as the religion of the Psalmist. And it is moreover to be
observed, that David, in the book of Psalms, speaks not as a private person, but
as the Psalmist of Israel, as the subordinate head of the church of God, and
leader in their worship and praises; and in many of the psalms speaks in the
name of Christ, as personating him in these breathings forth of holy affection;
and in many other psalms he speaks in the name of the
church.
Another instance I shall
observe, is the apostle Paul; who was in many respects, the chief of all the
ministers of the New Testament; being above all others, a chosen vessel unto
Christ, to bear his name before the Gentiles, and made a chief instrument of
propagating and establishing the Christian church in the world, and of
distinctly revealing the glorious mysteries of the gospel, for the instruction
of the church in all ages; and (as has not been improperly thought by some) the
most eminent servant of Christ that ever lived, received to the highest rewards
in the heavenly kingdom of his Master. By what is said of him in the Scripture,
he appears to have been a person that was full of affection. And it is very
manifest, that the religion he expresses in his epistles, consisted very much in
holy affections. It appears by all his expressions of himself, that he was, in
the course of his life, inflamed, actuated, and entirely swallowed up, by a most
ardent love to his glorious Lord, esteeming all things as loss, for the
excellency of the knowledge of him, and esteeming them but dung that he might
win him. He represents himself, as overpowered by this holy affection, and as it
were compelled by it to go forward in his service, through all difficulties and
sufferings, 2 Cor. 5:14, 15. And his epistles are full of expressions of an
overpowering affection towards the people of Christ. He speaks of his dear love
to them, 2 Cor. 12:19, Phil. 4:1, 2 Tim. 1:2; of his "abundant love," 2 Cor.
2:4; and of his "affectionate and tender love," as of a nurse towards her
children, 1 Thess. 2:7, 8: "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse
cherisheth her children; so, being affectionately desirous of you we were
willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own
souls, because ye were dear unto us." So also he speaks of his "bowels of love,"
Phil. 1:8, Philem. 5, 12, and 20. So he speaks of his "earnest care" for others,
2 Cor. 8:16, and of his "bowels of pity, or mercy towards them, Phil. 2:1; and
of his concern for others, even to anguish of heart," 2 Cor. 2:4: "For out of
much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears; not that
you should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more
abundantly unto you." He speaks of the great conflict of his soul for them, Col.
2:1. He speaks of great and continual grief that he had in his heart from
compassion to the Jews, Rom. 9:2. He speaks of "his mouth's being opened, and
his heart enlarged" towards Christians, 2 Cor. 6:11: "O ye Corinthians, our
mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged." He often speaks of his
"affectionate and longing desires," 1 Thess. 2:8, Rom. 1:11, Phil. 1:8, and
chap. 4:1, 2 Tim. 1:4. The same apostle is very often, in his epistles,
expressing the affection of joy, 2 Cor. 1:12 and chap. 7:7, and ver. 9.
16. Phil. 1:4, and chap. 2:12, and chap 3:3. Col. 1:34. 1 Thess. 3:9. He speaks
of his "rejoicing with great joy," Phil 4:10, Philem. 1:7; of his "joying and
rejoicing," Phil. 2:1, 7, and "of his rejoicing exceedingly," 2 Cor. 7:13, and
of his being "filled with comfort, and being exceeding joyful," 2 Cor. 7:4. He
speaks of himself as "always rejoicing," 2 Cor. 6:10. So he speaks of the
triumphs of his soul, 2 Cor. 2:14, and of his glorying in tribulation," 2 Thess.
1:4, and Rom. 5:3. He also expresses the affection of hope; in Phil.
1:20, he speaks of his "earnest expectation, and his hope." He likewise
expresses an affection of godly jealousy, 2 Cor. 11:2, 3. And it appears
by his whole history, after his conversion, in the Acts, and also by all his
epistles, and the accounts he gives of himself there that the affection of
zeal, as having the cause of his Master, and the interest and prosperity
of his church, for its object, was mighty in him, continually inflaming his
heart, strongly engaging to those great and constant labors he went through, in
instructing, exhorting, warning, and reproving others, "travailing in birth with
them;" conflicting with those powerful and innumerable enemies who continually
opposed him, wrestling with principalities and powers, not fighting as one who
beats the air, running the race set before him, continually pressing forwards
through all manner of difficulties and sufferings; so that others thought him
quite beside himself. And how full he was of affection, does further appear by
his being so full of tears: in 2 Cor. 2:4, he speaks of his a many tears;" and
so Acts 20:19; and of his "tears that he shed continually night and day," ver.
31.
Now if anyone can consider
these accounts given in the Scripture of this great apostle, and which he gives
of himself, and yet not see that his religion consisted much in affection, must
have a strange faculty of managing his eyes to shut out the light which shines
most full in his face.
The other instance I shall
mention, is of the apostle John, that beloved disciple, who was the nearest and
dearest to his Master, of any of the twelve, and was by him admitted to the
greatest privileges of any of them; being not only one of the three who were
admitted to be present with him in the mount at his transfiguration, and at the
raising of Jairus's daughter, and whom he took with him when he was in his
agony, and one of the three spoken of by the apostle Paul, as the three main
pillars of the Christian church; but was favored above all, in being admitted to
lean on his Master's bosom at his last supper, and in being chosen by Christ, as
the disciple to whom he would reveal his wonderful dispensations towards his
church, to the end of time; as we have an account in the Book of Revelation; and
to shut up the canon of the New Testament, and of the whole Scripture; being
preserved much longer than all the rest of the apostles, to set all things in
order in the Christian church, after their death.
It is evident by all his
writings (as is generally observed by divines) that he was a person remarkably
full of affection: his addresses to those whom he wrote to being inexpressibly
tender and pathetical, breathing nothing but the most fervent love; as though he
were all made up of sweet and holy affection. The proofs of which cannot be
given without disadvantage, unless we should transcribe his whole
writings.
7. He whom God sent into the
world to be the light of the world, and head of the whole church, and the
perfect example of true religion and virtue, for the imitation of all, the
Shepherd whom the whole flock should follow wherever he goes, even the Lord
Jesus Christ, was a person who was remarkably of a tender and affectionate
heart; and his virtue was expressed very much in the exercise of holy
affections. He was the greatest instance of ardency, vigor and strength of love,
to both God and man, that ever was. It was these affections which got the
victory, in that mighty struggle and conflict of his affections, in his agonies,
when "he prayed more earnestly, and offered strong crying and tears," and
wrestled in tears and in blood. Such was the power of the exercises of his holy
love, that they were stronger than death, and in that great struggle, overcame
those strong exercises of the natural affections of fear and grief, when he was
sore amazed, and his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. And he also
appeared to be full of affection in the course of his life. We read of his great
zeal, fulfilling that in the 69th Psalm, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me
up," John 2:17. We read of his grief for the sins of men, Mark 3:5: "He looked
round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts;"
and his breaking forth in tears and exclamations, from the consideration of the
sin and misery of ungodly men and on the sight of the city of Jerusalem, which
was full of such inhabitants, Luke 19:41, 42: "And, when he was come near, he
beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are
hid from thine eyes." With chap. 13:34, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest
the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have
gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings,
and ye would not!" We read of Christ's earnest desire, Luke 22:15: "With desire
have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer." We often read of
the affection of pity or compassion in Christ, Matt. 15:32, and 18:34. Luke
7:13, and of his "being moved with compassion," Matt. 9:36, and 14:14, and Mark
6:34. And how tender did his heart appear to be, on occasion of Mary's and
Martha's mourning for their brother, and coming to him with their complaints and
tears! Their tears soon drew tears from his eyes he was affected with their
grief, and wept with them; though he knew their sorrow should so soon be turned
into joy, by their brother's being raised from the dead; see John 11. And how
ineffably affectionate was that last and dying discourse, which Jesus had with
his eleven disciples the evening before he was crucified; when he told them he
was going away, and foretold them the great difficulties and sufferings they
should meet with in the world, when he was gone; and comforted and counseled
them as his dear little children; and bequeathed to them his Holy Spirit, and
therein his peace, and his comfort and joy, as it were in his last will and
testament, in the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John; and concluded the
whole with that affectionate intercessory prayer for them, and his whole church,
in chap. 17. Of all the discourses ever penned, or uttered by the mouth of any
man, this seems to be the most affectionate and affecting.
8. The religion of heaven
consists very much in affection.
There is doubtless true
religion in heaven, and true religion in its utmost purity and perfection. But
according to the Scripture representation of the heavenly state, the religion of
heaven consists chiefly in holy and mighty love and joy, and the expression of
these in most fervent and exalted praises. So that the religion of the saints in
heaven, consists in the same things with that religion of the saints on earth,
which is spoken of in our text, viz., love, and "joy unspeakable and full of
glory." Now it would be very foolish to pretend, that because the saints in
heaven be not united to flesh and blood, and have no animal fluids to be moved
(through the laws of union of soul and body) with those great emotions of their
souls, that therefore their exceeding love and joy are no affections. We are not
speaking of the affections of the body, but of the affections of the soul, the
chief of which are love and joy. When these 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 mightily affected and moved, or, which is the same thing,
has great affections. It is true, we do not experimentally know what love and
joy are in a soul out of a body, or in a glorified body; i.e., we have not had
experience of love and joy in a soul in these circumstances; but the saints on
earth do know what divine love and joy in the soul are, and they know that love
and joy are of the same kind with the love and joy which are in heaven, in
separate souls there. The love and joy of the saints on earth, is the beginning
and dawning of the light, life, and blessedness of heaven, and is like their
love and joy there; or rather, the same in nature, though not the same with it,
or like to it, in degree and circumstances. This is evident by many Scriptures,
as Prov. 4:18; John 4:14, and chap. 6:40, 47, 50, 51, 54, 58; 1 John 3:16; 1
Cor. 13:8-12. It is unreasonable therefore to suppose, that the love and joy of
the saints in heaven, not only differ in degree and circumstances, from the holy
love and joy of the saints on earth, but is so entirely different in nature,
that they are no affections; and merely because they have no blood and animal
spirits to be set in motion by them, which motion of the blood and animal
spirits is not of the essence of these affections, in men on the earth, but the
effect of them; although by their reaction they may make some circumstantial
difference in the sensation of the mind. There is a sensation of the mind which
loves and rejoices, that is antecedent to any effects on the fluids of the body;
and this sensation of the mind, therefore, does not depend on these motions in
the body, and so may be in the soul without the body. And wherever there are the
exercises of love and joy, there is that sensation of the mind, whether it be in
the body or out; and that inward sensation, or kind of spiritual sense, or
feeling, and motion of the soul, is what is called affection: the soul when it
thus feels (if I may say so), and is thus moved, is said to be affected, and
especially when this inward sensation and motion are to a very high degree, as
they are in the saints in heaven. If we can learn anything of the state of
heaven from the Scripture, the love and joy that the saints have there, is
exceeding great and vigorous; impressing the heart with the strongest and most
lively sensation of inexpressible sweetness, mightily moving, animating and
engaging them, making them like a flame of fire. And if such love and joy be not
affections, then the word affection is of no use in language. Will any
say, that the saints in heaven, in beholding the face of their Father, and the
glory of their Redeemer, and contemplating his wonderful works, and particularly
his laying down his life for them, have their hearts nothing moved and affected
by all which they behold or consider?
Hence, therefore, the
religion of heaven, consisting chiefly in holy love and joy, consists very much
in affection; and therefore, undoubtedly, true religion consists very much in
affection. The way to learn the true nature of anything, is to go where that
thing is to be found in its purity and perfection. If we would know the nature
of true gold we must view it, not in the ore, but when it is refined. If we
would learn what true religion is, we must go where there is true religion, and
nothing but true religion, and in its highest perfection, without any defect or
mixture. All who are truly 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 heavenly birth, is a heavenly
nature, they receive an anointing from above; that principle of true religion
which is in them, is a communication of the religion of heaven; their grace is
the dawn of glory; and God fits them for that world by conforming them to
it.
9. This appears from the
nature and design of the ordinances and duties, which God hath appointed, as
means and expressions of true religion.
To instance in the duty of
prayer: it is manifest, we are not appointed in this duty, to declare God's
perfections, his majesty, holiness, goodness, and all-sufficiency, and our own
meanness, emptiness, dependence, and unworthiness, and our wants and desires, to
inform God of these things, or to incline his heart, and prevail with him to be
willing to show us mercy; but suitably to affect our own hearts with the things
we express, and so to prepare us to receive the blessings we ask. And such
gestures and manner of external behavior in the worship of God, which custom has
made to be significations of humility and reverence, can be of no further use
than as they have some tendency to affect our own hearts, or the hearts of
others.
And the duty of singing
praises to God seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious
affections. No other reason can be assigned why we should express ourselves to
God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music but only, that such is
our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our
affections.
The same thing appears in
the nature and design of the sacraments, which God hath appointed. God,
considering our frame, hath not only appointed that we should be told of the
great things of the gospel, and of the redemption of Christ, and instructed in
them by his word; but also that they should be, as it were, exhibited to our
view, in sensible representations, in the sacraments, the more to affect us with
them.
And the impressing divine
things on the hearts and affections of men, is evidently one great and main end
for which God has ordained that his word delivered in the holy Scriptures,
should be opened, applied, and set home upon men, in preaching. And therefore it
does not answer the aim which God had in this institution, merely for men to
have good commentaries and expositions on the Scripture, and other good books of
divinity; because, although these may tend as well as preaching to give men a
good doctrinal or speculative understanding of the things of the word of God,
yet they have not an equal tendency to impress them on men's hearts and
affections. God hath appointed a particular and lively application of his word
to men in the preaching of it, as a fit means to affect sinners with the
importance of the things of religion, and their own misery, and necessity of a
remedy, and the glory and sufficiency of a remedy provided; and to stir up the
pure minds of the saints, and quicken their affections, by often bringing the
great things of religion to their remembrance, and setting them before them in
their proper colors, though they know them, and have been fully instructed in
them already, 2 Pet. 1:12, 13. And particularly, to promote those two affections
in them, which are spoken of in the text, love and joy: "Christ gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; that the body of Christ might be edified in love," Eph. 4:11, 12, 16.
The apostle in instructing and counseling Timothy concerning the work of the
ministry, informs him that the great end of that word which a minister is to
preach, is love or charity, 1 Tim. 3, 4, 5. And another affection which God has
appointed preaching as a means to promote in the saints, is joy; and therefore
ministers are called "helpers of their joy," 2 Cor. 1:24.
10. It is an evidence that
true religion, or holiness of heart, lies very much in the affection of the
heart, that the Scriptures place the sin of the heart very much in hardness of
heart. Thus the Scriptures do everywhere. It was hardness of heart which excited
grief and displeasure in Christ towards the Jews, Mark 3:5: "He looked round
about on then, with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." It
is from men's having such a heart as this, that they treasure up wrath for
themselves: Rom. 2:5, "After thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up
unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God." The reason given why the house of Israel would not obey God,
was, that they were hardhearted: Ezekiel 3:7, "But the house of Israel will not
hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of
Israel are impudent and hard-hearted." The wickedness of that perverse
rebellious generation in the wilderness, is ascribed to the hardness of their
hearts: Psal. 95:7-10, "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart,
as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when
your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work: forty years long was I
grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their
heart," &c. This is spoken of as what prevented Zedekiah's turning to the
Lord: 2 Chron. 36:13, "He stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from
turning to the Lord God of Israel." This principle is spoken of, as that from
whence men are without the fear of God, and depart from God's ways: Isa. 63:17,
"O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways and hardened our heart from
thy fear?" And men's rejecting Christ, and opposing Christianity, is laid to
this principle: Acts 19:9, "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but
spake evil of that way before the multitude." God's leaving men to the power of
the sin and corruption of the heart is often expressed by God's hardening their
hearts: Rom. 9:18, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will he hardeneth." John 12:40, "He hath blinded their minds, and hardened
their hearts." And the apostle seems to speak of "an evil heart that departs
from the living God, and a hard heart," as the same thing: Heb. 3:8, "Harden not
your heart, as in the provocation," &c.; ver. 12, 13, "Take heed, brethren,
lest there be 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; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." And that great work of God in
conversion, which consists in delivering a person from the power of sin, and
mortifying corruption, is expressed, once and again, by God's "taking away the
heart of stone, and giving a heart of flesh," Ezek. 11:19, and chap.
36:26.
Now by a hard heart, is
plainly meant an unaffected heart, or a heart not easy to be moved with virtuous
affections, like a stone, insensible, stupid, unmoved, and hard to be impressed.
Hence the hard heart is called a stony heart, and is opposed to a heart
of flesh, that has feeling, and is sensibly touched and moved. We read in
Scripture of a hard heart, and a tender heart; and doubtless we are to
understand these, as contrary the one to the other. But what is a tender heart,
but a heart which is easily impressed with what ought to affect it? God commends
Josiah, because his heart was tender; and it is evident by those things which
are mentioned as expressions and evidences of this tenderness of heart, that by
his heart being tender is meant, his heart being easily moved with religious and
pious affection: 2 Kings 22:19, "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast
humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this
place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation
and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard
thee, saith the Lord." And this is one thing, wherein it is necessary we should
"become as little children, in order to our entering into the kingdom of God,"
even that we should have our hearts tender, and easily affected and moved in
spiritual and divine things, as little children have in other
things.
It is very plain in some
places, in the texts themselves, that by hardness of heart is meant a heart void
of affection. So, to signify the ostrich's being without natural affection to
her young, it is said, Job 39:16, "She hardeneth her heart against her young
ones, as though they were not hers." So a person having a heart unaffected in
time of danger, is expressed by his hardening his heart: Prov. 28:14, "Happy is
the man that feareth alway; but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into
mischief."
Now, therefore, since it is
so plain, that by a hard heart, in Scripture, is meant a heart destitute of
pious affections, and since also the Scriptures do so frequently place the sin
and corruption of the heart in hardness of heart; it is evident, that the grace
and holiness of the heart, on the contrary, must, in a great measure, consist in
its having pious affections, and being easily susceptive of such affection.
Divines are generally agreed, that sin radically and fundamentally consist in
what is negative, or privative, having its root and foundation in a privation or
want of holiness. And therefore undoubtedly, if it be so that sin does very much
consist in hardness of hearts and so in the want of pious affections of heart,
holiness does consist very much in those pious affections.
I am far from supposing that
all affections do show a tender heart: hatred, anger, vainglory, and other
selfish and self-exalting affections, may greatly prevail in the hardest heart.
But yet it is evident, that hardness of heart and tenderness of heart, are
expressions that relate to the affection of the heart, and denote the heart's
being susceptible of, or shut up against certain affections; of which I shall
have occasion to speak more afterwards.
Upon the whole, I think it
clearly and abundantly evident, that true religion lies very much in the
affections. Not that I think these arguments prove, that religion in the hearts
of the truly godly, is ever in exact proportion to the degree of affection, and
present emotion of the mind: for undoubtedly, there is much affection in the
true saints which is not spiritual; their religious affections are often mixed;
all is not from grace, but much from nature. And though the affections have not
their seat in the body; yet the constitution of the body may very much
contribute to the present emotion of the mind. And the degree of religion is
rather to be judged of by the fixedness and strength of the habit that is
exercised in affection, whereby holy affection is habitual, than by the degree
of the present exercise; and the strength of that habit is not always in
proportion to outward effects and manifestations, or inward effects, in the
hurry and vehemence, and sudden changes of the course of the thoughts of the
mind. But yet it is evident, that religion consists so much in affection, as
that without holy affection there is no true religion; and no light in the
understanding is good, which does not produce holy affection in the heart: no
habit or principle in the heart is good, which has no such exercise; and no
external fruit is good, which does not proceed from such
exercises.
Having thus considered the
evidence of the proposition laid down, I proceed to some
inferences.
1. We may hence learn how
great their error is, who are for discarding all religious affections, as having
nothing solid or substantial in them.
There seems to be too much
of a disposition this way, prevailing in this land at this time. Because many
who, in the late extraordinary season, appeared to have great religious
affections, did not manifest a right temper of mind, and run into many errors,
in the time of their affections, and the heat of their zeal; and because the
high affections of many seem to be so soon come to nothing, and some who seemed
to be mightily raised and swallowed up with joy and zeal, for a while, seem to
have returned like the dog to his vomit; hence religious affections in general
are grown out of credit with great numbers, as though true religion did not at
all consist in them. Thus we easily and naturally run from one extreme to
another. A little while ago we were in the other extreme; there was a prevalent
disposition to look upon all high religious affections as eminent exercises of
true grace, without much inquiring into the nature and source of those
affections, and the manner in which they arose: if persons did but appear to be
indeed very much moved and raised, so as to be full of religious talk, and
express themselves with great warmth and earnestness, and to be filled, or to be
very full, as the phrases were; it was too much the manner, without further
examination, to conclude such persons 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, instead of esteeming and
admiring all religious affections without distinction, it is a thing much more
prevalent, to reject and discard all without distinction. Herein appears the
subtlety of Satan. While he saw that affections were much in vogue, knowing the
greater part of the land were not versed in such things, and had not had much
experience of great religious affections to enable them to judge well of them,
and distinguish between true and false: then he knew he could best play his
game, by sowing tares amongst the wheat, and mingling false affections 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 wilderness, and by and by, to bring all religion into
disrepute.
But now, when the ill
consequences of these false affections appear, and it is become very apparent,
that some of those emotions which made a glaring show, and were by many greatly
admired, were in reality nothing; the devil sees it to be for his interest to go
another way to work, and to endeavor to his utmost to propagate and establish a
persuasion, that all affections and sensible emotions of the mind, in things of
religion, are nothing at all to be regarded, but are rather to be avoided, and
carefully guarded against, as things of a pernicious tendency. This he knows is
the way to bring all religion to a mere lifeless formality, and effectually shut
out the power of godliness, and everything which is spiritual, and to have all
true Christianity turned out of doors. For although to true religion there must
indeed be something else besides affection; yet true religion consists so much
in the affections, that there can be no Hue religion without them. He who has no
religious affection, is in a state of spiritual death, and is wholly destitute
of the powerful, quickening, saving influences of the Spirit of God upon his
heart. As there is no true religion where there is nothing else but affection,
so there is no true religion where there is no religious affection. As on the
one hand, there must be light in the understanding, as well as an affected
fervent heart; where there is heat without light, there can be nothing divine or
heavenly in that heart; so on the other hand, where there is a kind of light
without heat, a head stored with notions and speculations, with a cold and
unaffected heart, there can be nothing divine in that light, that knowledge is
no true spiritual knowledge of divine things. If the great things of religion
are rightly understood, they will affect the heart. The reason why men are not
affected by such infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful things, as
they often hear and read of, in the word of God, is undoubtedly because they are
blind; if they were not so, it would be impossible, and utterly inconsistent
with human nature, that their hearts should be otherwise than strongly
impressed, and greatly moved by such things.
This manner of slighting all
religious affections, is the way exceedingly to harden the hearts of men, and to
encourage them in their stupidity and senselessness, and to keep them in a state
of spiritual death as long as they live, and bring them at last to death
eternal. The prevailing prejudice against religious affections at this day, in
the land, is apparently of awful effect to harden the hearts of sinners, and
damp the graces of many of the saints, and stun the life and power of religion,
and preclude the effect of ordinances, and hold us down in a state of dullness
and apathy, and undoubtedly causes many persons greatly to offend God, in
entertaining mean and low thoughts of the extraordinary work he has lately
wrought in this land.
And for persons to despise
and cry down all religious affections, is the way to shut all religion out of
their own hearts, and to make thorough work in ruining their
souls.
They who condemn high
affections in others, are certainly not likely to have high affections
themselves. And let it be considered, that they who have but little religious
affection, have certainly but little religion. And they who condemn others for
their religious affections, and have none themselves, have no
religion.
There are false affections,
and there are true. A man's having much affection, does not prove that he has
any true religion: but if he has no affection it proves that he has no true
religion. The right way, is not to reject all affections, nor to approve all;
but to distinguish between affections, approving some, and rejecting others;
separating between the wheat and the chaff, the gold and the dross, the precious
and the vile.
2. If it be so, that true
religion lies much in the affections, hence we may infer, that such means are to
be desired, as have much of a tendency to move the affections. Such books, and
such a way of preaching the word, and administration of ordinances, and such a
way of worshipping God in prayer, and singing praises, is much to be desired, as
has a tendency deeply to affect the hearts of those who attend these
means.
Such a kind of means would
formerly have been highly approved of, and applauded by the generality of the
people of the land, as the most excellent and profitable, and having the
greatest tendency to promote the ends of the means of grace. But the prevailing
taste seems of late strangely to be altered: that pathetical manner of praying
and preaching, which would formerly have been admired and extolled, and that for
this reason, because it had such a tendency to move the affections, now, in
great multitudes, immediately excites disgust, and moves no other affections,
that those of displeasure and contempt.
Perhaps, formerly the
generality (at least of the common people) were in the extreme, of looking too
much to an affectionate address, in public performances: but now, a very great
part of the people seem to have gone far into a contrary extreme. Indeed there
may be such means, as may have a great tendency to stir up the passions of weak
and ignorant persons, and yet have no great tendency to benefit their souls: for
though they may have a tendency to excite affections, they may have little or
none to excite gracious affections, or any affections tending to grace. But
undoubtedly, if the things of religion, in the means used, are treated according
to their nature, and exhibited truly, so as tends to convey just apprehensions,
and a right judgment of them; the more they have a tendency to move the
affections the better.
3. If true religion lies
much in the affections, hence we may learn, what great cause we have to be
ashamed and confounded before God, that we are no more affected with the great
things of religion. It appears from what has been said, that this arises from
our having so little true religion.
God has given to mankind
affections, for the same purpose which he has given all the faculties and
principles of the human soul for, viz., that they might be subservient to man's
chief end, and the great business for which God has created him, that is, the
business of religion. And yet how common is it among mankind, that their
affections are much more exercised and engaged in other matters, than in
religion! In things which concern men's worldly interest, their outward
delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural relations, they have
their desires eager, their appetites vehement, their love warm and affectionate,
their zeal ardent; in these things their hearts are tender and sensible, easily
moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, very sensibly affected, and greatly
engaged; much depressed with grief at worldly losses, and highly raised with joy
at worldly successes and prosperity. But how insensible and unmoved are most
men, about the great things of another world! How dull are their affections! How
heavy and hard their hearts in these matters! Here their love is cold, their
desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and
hear of the infinite height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of
God in Christ Jesus, of his giving his infinitely dear Son, to be offered up a
sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of the innocent, and
holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in his dying agonies, his bloody sweat,
his loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to
redeem them from deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and
everlasting joy and glory; and yet be cold, and heavy, insensible, and
regardless! Where are the exercises of our affections proper, if not here? What
is it that does more require them? And what can be a fit occasion of their
lively and vigorous exercise, if not such a one as this? Can anything be set in
our view, greater and more important? Any thing more wonderful and surprising?
Or more nearly concerning our interest? Can we suppose the wise Creator
implanted such principles in the human nature as the affections, to be of use to
us, and to be exercised on certain proper occasions, but to lie still on such an
occasion as this? Can any Christian who believes the truth of these things,
entertain such thoughts?
If we ought ever to exercise
our affections at all, and if the Creator has not unwisely constituted the human
nature in making these principles a part of it, when they are vain and useless;
then they ought to be exercised about those objects which are most worthy of
them. But is there anything which Christians can find in heaven or earth, so
worthy to be the objects of their admiration and love, their earnest and longing
desires, their hope, and their rejoicing, and their fervent zeal, as those
things that are held forth to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ? In which not
only are things declared most worthy to affect us, but they are exhibited in the
most affecting manner. The glory and beauty of the blessed Jehovah, which is
most worthy in itself, to be the object of our admiration and love, is there
exhibited in the most affecting manner that can he conceived of, as it appears,
shining in all its luster, in the face of an incarnate, infinitely loving, meek,
compassionate, dying Redeemer. All the virtues of the Lamb of God, his humility,
patience, meekness, submission, obedience, love and compassion, are exhibited to
our view, in a manner the most tending to move our affections, of any that can
be imagined; as they all had their greatest trial, and their highest exercise,
and so their brightest manifestation, when he was in the most affecting
circumstances; even when he was under his last sufferings, those unutterable and
unparalleled sufferings he endured, from his tender love and pity to us. There
also the hateful nature of our sins is manifested in the most affecting manner
possible: as we see the dreadful effects of them, in that our Redeemer, who
undertook to answer for us, suffered for them. And there we have the most
affecting manifestation of God's hatred of sin, and his wrath and justice in
punishing it; as we see his justice in the strictness and inflexibleness of it;
and his wrath in its terribleness, in so dreadfully punishing our sins, in one
who was infinitely dear to him, and loving to us. So has God disposed things, in
the affair of our redemption, and in his glorious dispensations, revealed to us
in the gospel, as though everything were purposely contrived in such a manner,
as to have the greatest possible tendency to reach our hearts in the most tender
part, and move our affections most sensibly and strongly. How great cause have
we therefore to be humbled to the dust, that we are no more
affected!
PART II.
SHOWING WHAT ARE NO CERTAIN SIGNS THAT RELIGIOUS
AFFECTIONS ARE GRACIOUS, OR THAT THEY ARE NOT.
If anyone, on the reading of
what has been just now said, is ready to acquit himself, and say, "I am not one
of those who have no religious affections; I am often greatly moved with the
consideration of the great things of religion:" let him not content himself with
this, that he has religious affections: for as we observed before, as we ought
not to reject and condemn all affections, as though true religion did not at all
consist in affection; so on the other hand, we ought not to approve of all, as
though everyone that was religiously affected had true grace, and was therein
the subject of the saving influences of the Spirit of God; and that therefore
the right way is to distinguish among religious affections, between one sort and
another. Therefore let us now endeavor to do this; and in order to do it, I
would do two things.
I. I would mention some
things, which are no signs one way or the other, either that affections are such
as true religion consists in, or that they are otherwise; that we may be guarded
against judging of affections by false signs.
II. I would observe some
things, wherein those affections which are spiritual and gracious, differ from
those which are not so, and may be distinguished and
known.
First, I would take notice
of some things, which are no signs that affect titans are gracious, or that they
are not.
It is no sign one way or the
other, that religious affections are very great, or raised very
high.
Some are ready to condemn
all high affections: if persons appear to have their religious affections raised
to an extraordinary pitch, they are prejudiced against them, and determine that
they are delusions, without further inquiry. But if it be, as has been proved,
that true religion lies very much in religious affections, then it follows, that
if there be a great deal of true religion, there will be great religious
affections; if true religion in the hearts of men be raised to a great height,
divine and holy affections will be raised to a great
height.
Love is an affection, but
will any Christian say, men ought not to love God and Jesus Christ in a high
degree? And will any say, we ought not to have a very great hatred of sin, and a
very deep sorrow for it? Or that we ought not to exercise a high degree of
gratitude to God for the mercies we receive of him, and the great things he has
done for the salvation of fallen men? Or that we should not have very great and
strong desires after God and holiness? Is there any who will profess, that his
affections in religion are great enough; and will say, "I have no cause to be
humbled, that I am no more affected with the things of religion than I am; I
have no reason to be ashamed, that I have no greater exercises of love to God
and sorrow for sin, and gratitude for the mercies which I have received?" Who is
there that will bless God that he is affected enough with what he has read and
heard of the wonderful love of God to worms and rebels, in giving his only
begotten Son to die for them, and of the dying love of Christ; and will pray
that he may not be affected with them in any higher degree, because high
affections are improper and very unlovely in Christians, being enthusiastical,
and ruinous to true religion?
Our text plainly speaks of
great and high affections when it speaks of "repining with joy unspeakable, and
full of glory:" here the most superlative expressions are used, which language
will afford. And the Scriptures often require us to exercise very high
affections: thus in the first and great commandment of the law, there is an
accumulation of expressions, as though words were wanting to express the degree
in which we ought to love God: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." So the
saints are called upon to exercise high degrees of joy: "Rejoice," says Christ
to his disciples, "and be exceeding glad," Matt. 5:12. So it is said, Psalm
68:3, "Let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice before God: yea, let them
exceedingly rejoice." So in the book of Psalms, the saints are often called upon
to shout for joy; and in Luke 6:23, to leap for joy. So they are abundantly
called upon to exercise high degrees of gratitude for mercies, to "praise God
with all their hearts, with hearts lifted up in the ways of the Lord, and their
souls magnifying the Lord, singing his praises, talking of his wondrous works,
declaring his doings, &c."
And we find the most eminent
saints in Scripture often professing high affections. Thus the Psalmist speaks
of his love, as if it were unspeakable; Psal. 119:97, "O how love I thy law!" So
he expresses a great degree of hatred of sin, Psal. 139:21, 29: "Do not I hate
them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with them that rise up
against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred." He also expresses a high degree
of sorrow for sin: he speaks of his sins "going over his head as a heavy burden
that was too heavy for him: and of his roaring all the day, and his moisture
being turned into the drought of summer," and his bones being as it were broken
with sorrow. So he often expresses great degrees of spiritual desires, in a
multitude of the strongest expressions which can be conceived of; such as "his
longing, his soul's thirsting as a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, his
panting, his flesh and heart crying out, his soul's breaking for the longing it
hath," &c. He expresses the exercises of great and extreme grief for the
sins of others, Psal. 119:136, "Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they
keep not thy law." And verse 53, "Horror hath taken hold upon me, because of the
wicked that forsake thy law." He expresses high exercises of joy, Psal. 21:1:
"The king shall joy in thy strength, and in thy salvation how greatly shall he
rejoice." Psal. 71:23 "My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee."
Psal. 63:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, "Because thy loving kindness is better than life; my
lips shall praise thee, Thus will I bless thee, while I live: I will lift up my
hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my
mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and
meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help; therefore
in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice."
The Apostle Paul expresses
high exercises of affection. Thus he expresses the exercises of pity and concern
for others' good, even to anguish of heart; a great, fervent, and abundant love,
and earnest and longing desires, and exceeding joy; and speaks of the exultation
and triumphs of his soul, and his earnest expectation and hope, and his abundant
tears, and the travails of his soul, in pity, grief, earnest desires, godly
jealousy, and fervent zeal, in many places that have been cited already, and
which therefore I need not repeat. John the Baptist expressed great joy, John
3:39. Those blessed women that anointed the body of Jesus, are represented as in
a very high exercise of religious affection, on occasion of Christ's
resurrection, Matt. 28:8: "And they departed from the sepulcher with fear and
great joy."
It is often foretold of the
church of God, in her future happy seasons here on earth, that they shall
exceedingly rejoice: Psal. 89:15, 16, "They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of
thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy
righteousness shall they be exalted." Zech. 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh," &c. The same
is represented in innumerable other places. And because high degrees of joy are
the proper and genuine fruits of the gospel of Christ, therefore the angel calls
this gospel, "good tidings of great joy, that should be to all
people."
The saints and angels in
heaven, that have religion in its highest perfection, are exceedingly affected
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 greatness and
strength of their joy and gratitude: their praises are represented, "as the
voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder." Now the only reason
why their affections are so much higher than the holy affections of saints on
earth, is, they see the things they are affected by, more according to their
truth, and have their affections more conformed to the nature of things. And
therefore, if religious affections in men here below, are but of the same nature
and kind with theirs, the higher they are, and the nearer they are to theirs in
degree, the better, because therein they will be so much the more conformed to
truth, as theirs are.
From these things it
certainly appears, that religious affections being in a very high degree, is no
evidence that they are not such as have the nature of true religion. Therefore
they do greatly err, who condemn persons as enthusiasts merely because their
affections are very high.
And on the other hand, it is
no evidence that religious affections are of a spiritual and gracious nature,
because they are great. It is very manifest by the holy Scripture, our sure and
infallible rule to judge of things of this nature, that there are religious
affections which are very high, that are not spiritual and saving. The Apostle
Paul speaks of affections in the Galatians, which had been exceedingly elevated,
and which yet he manifestly speaks of, as fearing that they were vain, and had
come to nothing: Gal. 4:15, "Where is the blessedness you spoke of? For I bear
you record, that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own
eyes, and have given them to me." And in the 11th verse, he tells them, "he was
afraid of them, lest he had bestowed upon them labor in vain." So the children
of Israel were greatly affected with God's mercy to them, when they had seen how
wonderfully he wrought for them at the Red Sea, where they sang God's praise;
though they soon forgot his works. So they were greatly affected again at mount
Sinai, when they saw the marvelous manifestations God made of himself there; and
seemed mightily engaged in their minds, and with great forwardness made answer,
when God proposed his holy covenant to them, saying, "All that the Lord hath
spoken will we do, and be obedient." But how soon was there an end to all this
mighty forwardness and engagedness of affection! How quickly were they turned
aside after other gods, rejoicing and shouting around their golden calf! So
great multitudes who were affected with the miracle of raising Lazarus from the
dead, were elevated to a high degree, and made a mighty ado, when Jesus
presently after entered into Jerusalem, exceedingly magnifying Christ, as though
the ground were not good enough for the ass he rode to tread upon; and therefore
cut branches of palm trees, and strewed them in the way; yea, pulled off their
garments, and spread them in the way; and cried with loud voices, "Hosanna to
the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, hosanna in
the highest;" so as to make the whole city ring again, and put all into an
uproar. We learn by the evangelist John, that the reason why the people made
this ado, was because they were affected with the miracle of raising Lazarus,
John 12:18. Here was a vast multitude crying Hosanna on this occasion, so that
it gave occasion to the Pharisees to say, "Behold, the world has gone after
him," John 12:19, but Christ had at that time but few true disciples. And how
quickly was this ado at an end! All of this nature is quelled and dead, when
this Jesus stands bound, with a mock robe and a crown of thorns, to be derided,
spit upon, scourged, condemned and executed. Indeed, there was a great and loud
outcry concerning him among the multitude then, as well as before; but of a very
different kind: it is not then, Hosanna, hosanna, but Crucify,
crucify.
And it is the concurring
voice of all orthodox divines, that there may be religious affections, which are
raised to a very high degree, and yet there be nothing of true
religion.
II. It is no sign that
affections have the nature of true religion, or that they have not, that they
have great effects on the body.
All affections whatsoever,
have in some respect or degree, an effect on the body. As was observed before,
such is our nature, and such are the laws of union of soul and body, that the
mind can have no lively or vigorous exercise, without some effect upon the body.
So subject is the body to the mind, and so much do its fluids, especially the
animal spirits, attend the motions and exercises of the mind, that there cannot
be so much as an intense thought, without an effect upon them. Yea, it is
questionable whether an imbodied soul ever so much as thinks one thought, or has
any exercise at all, but that there is some corresponding motion or alteration
of motion, in some degree, of the fluids, in some part of the body. But
universal experience shows, that the exercise of the affections have in a
special manner a tendency to some sensible effect upon the body. And if this be
so, that all affections have some effect upon the body, we may then well
suppose, the greater those affections be, and the more vigorous their exercise
(other circumstances being equal) the greater will be the effect on the body.
Hence it is not to be wondered at, that very great and strong exercises of the
affections should have great effects on the body. And therefore, seeing there
are very great affections, both common and spiritual; hence it is not to be
wondered at, that great effects on the body should arise from both these kinds
of affections. And consequently these effects are no signs, that the affections
they arise from, are of one kind or the other.
Great effects on the body
certainly are no sure evidences that affections are spiritual; for we see that
such effects oftentimes arise from great affections about temporal things, and
when religion is no way concerned in them. And if great affections about secular
things, that are purely natural, may have these effects, I know not by what rule
we should determine that high affections about religious things, which arise in
like manner from nature, cannot have the like effect.
Nor, on the other hand, do I
know of any rule any have to determine, that gracious and holy affections, when
raised as high as any natural affections, and have equally strong and vigorous
exercises, cannot have a great effect on the body. No such rule can be drawn
from reason: I know of no reason, why a being affected with a view of God's
glory should not cause the body to faint, as well as being affected with a view
of Solomon's glory. And no such rule has as yet been produced from the
Scripture; none has ever been found in all the late controversies which have
been about things of this nature. There is a great power in spiritual
affections: we read of the power which worketh in Christians, and of the Spirit of God
being in them as the Spirit of power, and of the effectual
working of his power in them. But man's nature is weak:
flesh and blood are represented in Scripture as exceeding weak; and particularly
with respect to its unfitness for great spiritual and heavenly operations and
exercises, Matt. 26:41, 1 Cor. 15:43, and 50. The text we are upon speaks of
"joy unspeakable, and full of glory." And who that considers what man's nature
is, and what the nature of the affections is, can reasonably doubt but that such
unutterable and glorious joys, may be too great and mighty for weak dust and
ashes, so as to be considerably overbearing to it? It is evident by the
Scripture that true divine discoveries, or ideas of God's glory, when given in a
great degree have a tendency, by affecting the mind, to overbear the body;
because the Scripture teaches us often, that if these ideas or views should be
given to such a degree as they are given in heaven, the weak frame of the body
could not subsist under it, and that no man can, in that manner, see God and
live. The knowledge which the saints have of God's beauty and glory in this
world, and those holy affections that arise from it, are of the same nature and
kind with what the saints are the subjects of in heaven, differing only in
degree and circumstances: what God gives them here, is a foretaste of heavenly
happiness, and an earnest of their future inheritance. And who shall limit God
in his giving this earnest, or say he shall give so much of the inheritance,
such a part of the future reward as an earnest of the whole, and no more? And
seeing God has taught us in his word, that the whole reward is such, that it
would at once destroy the body, is it not too bold a thing for us, so to set
bounds to the sovereign God, as to say that in giving the earnest of this reward
in this world, he shall never give so much of it, as in the least to diminish
the strength of the body, when God has nowhere thus limited
himself?
The Psalmist, speaking of
the vehement religious affections he had, speaks of an effect in his flesh or
body, besides what was in his soul, expressly distinguishing one from the other,
once and again: Psal. 84:2, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts
of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." Here is a
plain distinction between the heart and the flesh, as being each affected. So
Psal. 63:1, "My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and
thirsty land, where no water is." Here also is an evident designed distinction
between the soul and the flesh.
The prophet Habakkuk speaks
of his bodies being overborne by a sense of the majesty of God, Hab. 3:16: "When
I heard, my belly trembled: my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness enter into
my bones, and I trembled in myself." So the Psalmist speaks expressly of his
flesh trembling, Psal. 119:120: My flesh trembleth for fear of
thee."
That such ideas of God's
glory as are sometimes given in this world, have a tendency to overhear the
body, is evident, because the Scripture gives us an account, that this has
sometimes actually been the effect of those external manifestations God has made
of himself to some of the saints which were made to that end, viz., to give them
an idea of God's majesty and glory. Such instances we have in the prophet
Daniel, and the apostle John. Daniel, giving an account of an external
representation of the glory of Christ, says, Dan. 10:8, "And there remained no
strength in me; for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and I retained no
strength." And the apostle John, giving an account of the manifestation made to
him, says, Rev. 1:17, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead." It is in
vain to say here, these were only external manifestations or symbols of the
glory of Christ, which these saints beheld: for though it be true, that they
were outward representations of Christ's glory, which they beheld with their
bodily eyes; yet the end and use of these external symbols are representations
was to give to these prophets an idea of the thing represented, and that was the
true divine glory and majesty of Christ, which is his spiritual glory; they were
made use of only as significations of this spiritual glory, and thus undoubtedly
they received them, and improved them, and were affected by them. According to
the end for which God intended these outward signs, they received by them a
great and lively apprehension of the real glory and majesty of God's nature,
which they were signs of; and thus were greatly affected, their souls swallowed
up, and their bodies overborne. And I think they are very bold and daring, who
will say God cannot, or shall not give the like clear and affecting ideas and
apprehensions of the same real glory and majesty of his nature, to any of his
saints, without the intervention of any such external shadows of it.
Before I leave this head, I
would farther observe, that it is plain the Scripture often makes use of bodily
effects, to express the strength of holy and spiritual affections; such as
trembling, groaning, being sick, crying out, panting, and fainting. Now if it be supposed, that
these are only figurative expressions, to represent the degree of affection: yet
I hope all will allow, that they are fit and suitable figures to represent the
high degree of those spiritual affections, which the Spirit of God makes use of
them to represent; which I do not see how they would be, if those spiritual
affections, let them be in never to high a degree, have no tendency to any such
things; but that on the contrary, they are the proper effects and sad tokens of
false affections, and the delusion of the devil. I cannot think, God would
commonly make use of things which are very alien from spiritual affections, and
are shrewd marks of the hand of Satan, and smell strong of the bottomless pit,
as beautiful figures, to represent the high degree of holy and heavenly
affections.
III. It is no sign that
affections are truly gracious affections, or that they are not, that they cause
those who have them to be fluent, fervent, and abundant, in talking of the
things of religion.
There are many persons, who,
if they see this in others, are greatly prejudiced against them. Their being so
full of talk, is with them a sufficient ground to condemn them, as Pharisees,
and ostentatious hypocrites. On the other hand, there are many, who if they see
this effect in any, are very ignorantly and imprudently forward, at once to
determine that they are the true children of God, and are under the saving
influences of his Spirit, and speak of it as a great evidence of a new creature;
they say, "such a one's mouth is now opened: he used to be slow to speak; but
now he is full and free; he is free now to open his heart, and tell his
experiences, and declare the praises of God; it comes from him, as free as water
from a fountain;" and the like. And especially are they captivated into a
confident and undoubting persuasion, that they are savingly wrought upon, if
they are not only free and abundant, but very affectionate and earnest in their
talk.
But this is the fruit of but
little judgment, a scanty and short experience; as events do abundantly show:
and is a mistake persons often run into, through their trusting to their own
wisdom and discerning, and making their own notions their rule, instead of the
holy Scripture. Though the Scripture be full of rules, both how we should judge
of our own state, and also how we should be conducted in our opinion of others;
yet we have nowhere any rule, by which to judge ourselves or others to be in a
good estate, from any such effect: for this is but the religion of the mouth and
of the tongue, and what is in the Scripture represented by the leaves of a tree,
which, though the tree ought not to be without them, yet are nowhere given as an
evidence of the goodness of the tree.
That persons are disposed to
be abundant in talking of things of religion, may be from a good cause, and it
may be from a bad one. It may be because their hearts are very full of holy
affections; "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh:" and it
may be because persons' hearts are very full of religious affection which is not
holy; for still out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is very
much the nature of the affections, of whatever kind they be, and whatever
objects they are exercised about, if they are strong, to dispose persons to be
very much in speaking of that which they are affected with: and not only to
speak much, but to speak very earnestly and fervently. And therefore persons
talking abundantly and very fervently about the things of religion, can be an
evidence of no more than this, that they are very much affected with the things
of religion; but this may be (as has been already shown) and there be no grace.
That which men are greatly affected with, while the high affection lasts, they
will be earnestly engaged about, and will be likely to show that earnestness in
their talk and behavior; as the greater part of the Jews, in all Judah and
Galilee, did for a while, about John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, when
they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light; a mighty ado was made,
all over the land, and among all sorts of persons, about this great prophet and
his ministry. And so the multitude, in like manner, often manifested a great
earnestness, a mighty engagedness of spirit in everything that was external,
about Christ and his preaching and miracles, "being astonished at his doctrine,
anon with joy receiving the word," following him sometimes night and day,
leaving meat, drink, and sleep to hear him: once following him into the
wilderness, fasting three days going to hear him; some times crying him up to
the clouds, saying, "Never man spake like this man!" being fervent and earnest
in what they said. But what did these things come to, in the greater part of
them?
A person may be over full of
talk of his own experiences; commonly falling upon it, everywhere, and in all
companies; and when it is so, it is rather a dark sign than a good one. As a
tree that is over full of leaves seldom bears much fruit; and as a cloud, though
to appearance very pregnant and full of water, if it brings with it overmuch
wind, seldom affords much rain to the dry and thirsty earth; which very thing
the Holy Spirit is pleased several times to make use of, to represent a great
show of religion with the mouth, without answerable fruit in the life: Prov.
25:24, "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds and wind without
rain." And the apostle Jude, speaking of some in the primitive times, that crept
in unawares among the saints, and having a great show of religion, where for a
while not suspected, "These are clouds (says he) without water, carried about of
winds," Jude ver. 4 and 12. And the apostle Peter, speaking of the same, says, 2
Pet. 2:17, "These are clouds without water, carried with a
tempest."
False affections, if they
are equally strong, are much more forward to declare themselves, than true:
because it is the nature of false religion, to affect show and observation; as
it was with the Pharisees.
It is no sign that
affections are gracious, or that they are otherwise, that persons did not make
them themselves, or excite them of their own contrivance and by their own
strength.
There are many in these
days, that condemn all affections which are excited in a way that the subjects
of them can give no account of, as not seeming to be the fruit of any of their
own endeavors, or the natural consequence of the faculties and principles of
human nature, in such circumstances, and under such means; but to be from the
influence of some extrinsic and supernatural power upon their minds. How greatly
has the doctrine of the inward experience, or sensible perceiving of the
immediate power and operation of the Spirit of God, been reproached and
ridiculed by many of late! They say, the manner of the Spirit of God is to
co-operate in a silent, secret, and undiscernable way with the use of means, and
our own endeavors; so that there is no distinguishing by sense, between the
influences of the Spirit of God, and the natural operations of the faculties of
our own minds.
And it is true, that for any
to expect to receive the saving influences of the Spirit of God, while they
neglect a diligent improvement of the appointed means of grace, is unreasonable
presumption. And to expect that the Spirit of God will savingly operate upon
their minds, without the Spirit's making use of means, as subservient to the
effect, is enthusiastical. It is also undoubtedly true, that the Spirit of God
is very various in the manner and circumstances of his operations, and that
sometimes he operates in a way more secret and gradual, and from smaller
beginnings, than at others.
But if there be indeed a
power, entirely different from, and beyond our power, or the power of all means
and instruments, and above the power of nature, which is requisite in order to
the production of saving grace in the heart, according to the general profession
of the country; then, certainly it is in no wise unreasonable to suppose, that
this effect should very frequently be produced after such a manner, as to make
it very manifest, apparent, and sensible that it is so. If grace be indeed owing
to the powerful and efficacious operation of an extrinsic agent, or divine
efficient out of ourselves, why is it unreasonable to suppose it should seem to
be so to them who are the subjects of it? Is it a strange thing, that it should
seem to be as it is? When grace in the heart indeed is not produced by our
strength, nor is the effect of the natural power of our own faculties, or any
means or instruments, but is properly the workmanship and production of the
Spirit of the Almighty, is it a strange and unaccountable thing, that it should
seem to them who are subjects of it, agreeable to truth, and not right contrary
to truth; so that if persons tell of effects that they are conscious to in their
own minds, that seem to them not to be from the natural power or operation of
their minds, but from the supernatural power of some other agent, it should at
once be looked upon as a sure evidence of their being under a delusion, because
things seem to them to be as they are? For this is the objection which is made:
it is looked upon as a clear evidence, that the apprehensions and affections
that many persons have, are not really from such a cause, because they seem to
them to be from that cause: they declare that what they are conscious of, seems
to them evidently not to be from themselves, but from the mighty power of the
Spirit of God; and others from hence condemn them, and determine what they
experience is not from the Spirit of God, but from themselves, or from the
devil. Thus unreasonably are multitudes treated at this day by their
neighbors.
If it be indeed so, as the
Scripture abundantly teaches, that grace in the soul is so the effect of God's
power, that it is fitly compared to those effects which are farthest from being
owing to any strength in the subject, such as a generation, or a being begotten,
and resurrection, or a being raised from the dead, and creation, or a being
brought out of nothing into being, and that it is an effect wherein the mighty
power of God is greatly glorified, and the exceeding greatness of his power is
manifested; then what account can be
given of it, that the Almighty, in so great a work of his power, should so
carefully hide his power, that the subjects of it should be able to discern
nothing of it? Or what reason or revelation have any to determine that he does
so? If we may judge by the Scripture this is not agreeable to God's manner, in
his operations and dispensations; but on the contrary, it is God's manner, in
the great works of his power and mercy which he works for his people, to order
things so as to make his hand visible, and his power conspicuous, and men's
dependence on him most evident, that no flesh should glory in his
presence, that God alone might be
exalted, and that the excellency of
the power might be of God and not of man, and that Christ's power
might be manifested in our weakness, and none might say mine own
hand hath saved me. So it was in most of those
temporal salvations which God wrought for Israel of old, which were types of the
salvation of God's people from their spiritual enemies. So it was in the
redemption of Israel from their Egyptian bondage; he redeemed them with a strong
hand, and an outstretched arm; and that his power might be the more conspicuous,
he suffered Israel first to be brought into the most helpless and forlorn
circumstances. So it was in the great redemption by Gideon; God would have his
army diminished to a handful, and they without any other arms than trumpets and
lamps, and earthen pitchers. So it was in the deliverance of Israel from
Goliath, by a stripling with a sling and a stone. So it was in that great work
of God, his calling the Gentiles, and converting the Heathen world, after
Christ's ascension, after that the world by wisdom knew not God, and all the
endeavors of philosophers had proved in vain, for many ages, to reform the
world, and it was by everything become abundantly evident, that the world was
utterly helpless, by anything else but the mighty power of God. And so it was in
most of the conversions of particular persons, we have an account of in the
history of the New Testament: they were not wrought on in that silent, secret,
gradual, and insensible manner, which is now insisted on; but with those
manifest evidences of a supernatural power, wonderfully and suddenly causing a
great change, which in these days are looked upon as certain signs of delusion
and enthusiasm.
The Apostle, in Eph. 1:18,
19, speaks of God's enlightening the minds of Christians, and so bringing them
to believe in Christ, to the end that they might know the exceeding greatness of
his power to them who believe. The words are, "The eyes of our understanding
being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power," &c. Now when the apostle speaks of their being
thus the subjects of his power, in their enlightening and effectual calling, to
the end that they might know what his mighty power was to them who believe, he
can mean nothing else than, "that they might know by experience." But if the
saints know this power by experience, then they feel it and discern it, and are
conscious of it; as sensibly distinguishable from the natural operations of
their own minds, which is not agreeable to a motion of God's operating so
secretly, and undiscernably, that it cannot be known that they are the subjects
of the influence of any extrinsic power at all, any otherwise than as they may
argue it from Scripture assertions; which is a different; thing from knowing it
by experience.
So that it is very
unreasonable and unscriptural to determine that affections are not from the
gracious operations of God's Spirit, because they are sensibly not from the
persons themselves that are the subjects of them.
On the other hand, it is no
evidence that affections are gracious, that they are not properly produced by
those who are the subjects of them, or that they arise in their minds in a
manner they cannot account for.
There are some who make this
an argument in their own favor; when speaking of what they have experienced,
they say, "I am sure I did not make it myself; it was a fruit of no contrivance
or endeavor of mine; it came when I thought nothing of it; if I might have the
world for it, I cannot make it again when I please." And hence they determine
that what they have experienced, must be from the mighty influence of the Spirit
of God, and is of a saving nature; but very ignorantly, and without grounds.
What they have been the subjects of, may indeed not be from themselves directly,
but may be from the operation of an invisible agent, some spirit besides their
own: but it does not thence follow, that it was from the Spirit of God. There
are other spirits who have influence on the minds of men, besides the Holy
Ghost. We are directed not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits,
whether they be of God. There are many false spirits, exceeding busy with men,
who often transform themselves into angels of light, and do in many wonderful
ways, with great subtlety and power, mimic the operations of the Spirit of God.
And there are many of Satan's operations which are very distinguishable from the
voluntary exercises of men's own minds. They are so, in those dreadful and
horrid suggestions, and blasphemous injections with which he follows many
persons; and in vain and fruitless frights and terrors, which he is the author
of. And the power of Satan may be as immediate, and as evident in false comforts
and joys, as in terrors and horrid suggestions; and oftentimes is so in fact. It
is not in men's power to put themselves in such raptures, as the Anabaptists in
Germany, and many other raving enthusiasts like them, have been the subjects
of.
And besides, it is to be
considered that persons may have those impressions on their minds, which may not
be of their own producing, nor from an evil spirit, but from the Spirit of God,
and yet not be from any saving, but a common influence of the Spirit of God; and
the subjects of such impressions may be of the number of those we read of, Heb.
6:4, 5, "that are once enlightened, and taste of the heavenly gift, and are made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, and taste the good word of God, and the power of
the world to come;" and yet may be wholly unacquainted with those "better things
that accompany salvations" of spoken of ver. 9.
And where neither a good nor
evil spirit have any immediate hand, persons, especially such as are of a weak
and vapory habit of body, and the brain weak and easily susceptive of
impressions, may have strange apprehensions and imaginations, and strong
affections attending them, unaccountably arising, which are not voluntarily
produced by themselves. We see that such persons are liable to such impressions
about temporal things; and there is equal reason, why they should about
spiritual things. As a person who is asleep has dreams that he is not the
voluntary author of; so may such persons, in like manner, be the subjects of
involuntary impressions, when they are awake.
V. It is no sign that
religious affections are truly holy and spiritual, or that they are not, that
they come with texts of Scripture, remarkably brought to the
mind.
It is no sign that
affections are not gracious, that they are occasioned by Scriptures so coming to
mind; provided it be the Scripture itself, or the truth which the Scripture so
brought contains and teaches, that is the foundation of the affection, and not
merely, or mainly, the sudden and unusual manner of its coming to the
mind.
But on the other hand,
neither is it any sign that affections are gracious, that they arise on occasion
of Scriptures brought suddenly and wonderfully to the mind; whether those
affections be fear or hope, joy or sorrow, or any other. Some seem to look upon
this as a good evidence that their affections are saving, especially if the
affections excited are hope or joy, or any other which are pleasing and
delightful. They will mention it as an evidence that all is right, that their
experience came with the word, and will say, "There were such and such sweet
promises brought to my mind: they came suddenly, as if they were spoken to me: I
had no hand in bringing such a text to my own mind; I was not thinking of
anything leading to it; it came all at once, so that I was surprised. I had not
thought of it a long time before; I did not know at first that it was Scripture;
I did not remember that ever I had read it." And it may be, they will add, "One
Scripture came flowing in after another, and so texts all over the Bible, the
most sweet and pleasant, and the most apt and suitable which could be devised;
and filled me full as I could hold: I could not but stand and admire: the tears
flowed; I was full of joy, and could not doubt any longer." And thus they think
they have undoubted evidence that their affections must be from God, and of the
right kind, and their state good: but without any manner of grounds. How came
they by any such rule, as that if any affections or experiences arise with
promises, and comfortable texts of Scripture, unaccountably brought to mind,
without their recollection, or if a great number of sweet texts follow one
another in a chain, that this is a certain evidence their experiences are
saving? Where is any such rule to be found in the Bible, the great and only sure
directory in things of this nature?
What deceives many of the
less understanding and considerate sort of people, in this matter, seems to be
this; that the Scripture is the word of God, and has nothing in it which is
wrong, but is pure and perfect; and therefore, those experiences which come from
the Scripture must be right. But then it should be considered, affections may
arise on occasion of the Scripture, and not properly come from the Scripture, as
the genuine fruit of the Scripture, and by a right use of it; but from an abuse
of it. All that can be argued from the purity and perfection of the word of God,
with respect to experiences, is this, that those experiences which are agreeable
to the word of God, are right, and cannot be otherwise; and not that those
affections must be right, which arise on occasion of the word of God coming to
the mind.
What evidence is there that
the devil cannot bring texts of Scripture to the mind, and misapply them to
deceive persons? There seems to be nothing in this which exceeds the power of
Satan. It is no work of such mighty power, to bring sounds or letters to
persons' minds, that we have any reason to suppose nothing short of Omnipotence
can be sufficient for it. If Satan has power to bring any words or sounds at all
to persons' minds, he may have power to bring words contained in the Bible.
There is no higher sort of power required in men, to make the sounds which
express the words of a text of Scripture, than to make the sounds which express
the words of an idle story or song. And so the same power in Satan, which is
sufficient to renew one of those kinds of sounds in the mind, is sufficient to
renew the other: the different signification, which depends wholly on custom,
alters not the case, as to ability to make or revive the sounds or letters. Or
will any suppose, that texts or Scriptures are such sacred things, that the
devil durst not abuse them, nor touch them? In this also they are mistaken. He
who was bold enough to lay hold on Christ himself, and carry him hither and
thither, into the wilderness, and into a high mountain, and to a pinnacle of the
temple, is not afraid to touch the Scripture, and abuse that for his own
purpose; as he showed at the same time that he was so bold with Christ, he then
brought one Scripture and another, to deceive and tempt him. And if Satan did
presume, and was permitted to put Christ himself in mind of texts of Scripture
to tempt him, what reason have we determine that he dare not, or will not
be permitted, to put wicked men in the mind of texts of Scripture, to tempt and
deceive them? And if Satan may thus abuse one text of Scripture, so he
may another. Its being a very excellent place of Scripture, a comfortable and
precious promise, alters not the case, as to his courage or ability. And if he
can bring one comfortable text to the mind, so he may a thousand; and may choose
out such Scriptures as tend most to serve his purpose; and may heap up Scripture
promises, tending, according to the perverse application he makes of them,
wonderfully to remove the rising doubts, and to confirm the false joy and
confidence of a poor deluded sinner.
We know the devil's
instruments, corrupt and heretical teachers, can and do pervert the Scripture,
to their own and others' damnation, 2 Pet. 3:16. We see they have the free use
of Scripture, in every part of it: there is no text so precious and sacred, but
they are permitted to abuse it, to the eternal ruin of multitudes of souls; and
there are no weapons they make use of with which they do more execution. And
there is no manner of reason to determine, that the devil is not permitted thus
to use the Scripture, as well as his instruments. For when the latter do it,
they do it as his instruments and servants, and through his instigation and
influence: and doubtless he does the same he instigates others to do; the
devil's servants do but follow their master, and do the same work that he does
himself.
And as the devil can abuse
the Scripture, to deceive and destroy men, so may men's own folly and
corruptions as well. The sin which is in men, acts like its father. Men's own
hearts are deceitful like the devil, and use the same means to
deceive.
So that it is evident, that
any person may have high affections of hope and joy, arising on occasion of
texts of Scripture, yea, precious promises of Scripture coming suddenly and
remarkably to their minds, as though they were spoken to them, yea, a great
multitude of such texts, following one another in a wonderful manner; and yet
all this be no argument that these affections are divine, or that they are any
other than the effects of Satan's delusions.
And I would further observe,
that persons may have raised and joyful affections, which may come with the word
of God, and not only so, but from the word, and those affections not be from
Satan, nor yet properly from the corruptions of their own hearts, but from some
influence of the Spirit of God with the word and yet have nothing of the nature
of true and saving religion in them. Thus the stony ground hearers had great joy
from the word; yea, which is represented as arising from the word, as growth
from a seed; and their affections had, in their appearance, a very great and
exact resemblance with those represented by the growth on the good ground, the
difference not appearing until it was discovered by the consequences in a time
of trial: and yet there was no saving religion in these affections.
VI. It is no evidence that
religious affections are saving, or that they are otherwise, that there is an
appearance of love in them.
There are no professing
Christians who pretend, that this is an argument against the truth and saving
nature of religious affections. But, on the other hand, there are some who
suppose, it is a good evidence that affections are from the sanctifying and
saving influences of the Holy Ghost.—Their argument is that Satan cannot love;
this affection being directly contrary to the devil, whose very nature is enmity
and malice. And it is true, that nothing is more excellent, heavenly, and
divine, than a spirit of true Christian love to God and men: it is more
excellent than knowledge, or prophecy, or miracles, or speaking with the tongue
of men and angels. It is the chief of the graces of God's Spirit, and the life,
essence and sum of all true religion; and that by which we are most conformed to
heaven, and most contrary to hell and the devil. But yet it is in arguing from
hence, that there are no counterfeits of it. It may be observed that the more
excellent anything is, the more will be the counterfeits of it. Thus there are
many more counterfeits of silver and gold, than of iron and copper: there are
many false diamonds and rubies, but who goes about to counterfeit common stones?
Though the more excellent things are, the more difficult it is to make anything
that shall be like them, in their essential nature and internal virtues; yet the
more manifold will the counterfeits be, and the more will art and subtlety be
displayed, in an exact imitation of the outward appearance. Thus there is the
greatest danger of being cheated in buying of medicines that are most excellent
and sovereign, though it be most difficult to imitate them with anything of the
like value and virtue, and their counterfeits are good for nothing when we have
them. So it is with Christian virtues and graces; the subtlety of Satan, and
men's deceitful hearts, are wont chiefly to be exercised in counterfeiting those
that are in highest repute. So there are perhaps no graces that have more
counterfeits than love and humility; these being virtues wherein the beauty of a
true Christian does especially appear.
But with respect to love; it
is plain by the Scripture, that persons may have a kind of religious love, and
yet have no saving grace. Christ speaks of many professing Christians that have
such love, whose love will not continue, and so shall fail of salvation, Matt.
24:12, 13: "And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Which latter
words plainly show, that those spoken of before, whose love shall not endure to
the end, but wax cold, should not be saved.
Persons may seem to have
love to God and Christ, yea, to have very strong and violent affections of this
nature, and yet have no grace. For this was evidently the case with many
graceless Jews, such as cried Jesus up so high, following him day and night,
without meat, drink, or sleep; such as said, "Lord, I will follow thee
whithersoever thou goest," and cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David."
The apostle seems to
intimate, that there were many in his days who had a counterfeit love to Christ,
in Eph. 6:24: "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in
sincerity." The last word, in the original, signifies incorruption; which
shows, that the apostle was sensible that there were many who had a kind of love
to Christ, whose love was not pure and spiritual.
So also Christian love to
the people of God may be counterfeited. It is evident by the Scripture, that
there may be strong affections of this kind, without saving grace; as there were
in the Galatians towards the Apostle Paul, when they were ready to pluck out
their eyes and give them to him; although the apostle expresses his fear that
their affections were come to nothing, and that he had bestowed upon them labor
in vain, Gal. 4:11, 15.
VII. Persons having
religious affections of many kinds, accompanying one another, is not sufficient
to determine whether they have any gracious affections or
no.
Though false religion is
wont to be maimed and monstrous, and not to have that entireness and symmetry of
parts, which is to be seen in true religion: yet there may be a great variety of
false affections together, that may resemble gracious
affections.
It is evident that there are
counterfeits of all kinds of gracious affections; as of love to God, and love to
the brethren, as has been just now observed; so of godly sorrow for sin, as in
Pharaoh, Saul, and Ahab, and the children of Israel in the wilderness, Exod.
9:27, 1 Sam. 24:16, 17, and 31:21, 1 Kings 21:27, Numb. 14:39, 40; and of the
fear of God, as in the Samaritans, "who feared the Lord, and served their own
gods at the same time," 2 Kings 17:32, 33; and those enemies of God we read of,
Psal. 66:3, who, "through the greatness of God's power, submit themselves to
him," or, as it is in the Hebrew, "lie unto him," i.e., yield a counterfeit
reverence and submission. So of a gracious gratitude, as in the children of
Israel, who sang God's praise at the Red Sea, Psal. 106:12; and Naaman the
Syrian, after his miraculous cure of his leprosy, 2 Kings 5:15,
&c.
So of spiritual joy, as in
the stony ground hearers, Matt. 13:20, and particularly many of John the
Baptist's hearers, John 5:35. So of zeal, as in Jehu, 2 Kings 10:16, and in Paul
before his conversion, Gal. 1:14, Phil. 3:6, and the unbelieving Jews, Acts
22:3, Rom. 10:2. So graceless persons may have earnest religious desires, which
may be like Baalam's desires, which he expresses under an extraordinary view
that he had of the happy state of God's people, as distinguished from all the
rest of the world, Numb. 23:9, 10. They may also have a strong hope of eternal
life, as the Pharisees had.
And as men, while in a state
of nature, are capable of a resemblance of all kinds of religious affections, so
nothing hinders but that they may have many of them together. And what appears
in fact, does abundantly evince that it is very often so indeed. It seems
commonly to be so, that when false affections are raised high, many false
affections attend each other. The multitude that attended Christ into Jerusalem,
after that great miracle of raising Lazarus, seem to have been moved with many
religious affections at once, and all in a high degree. They seem to have been
filled with admiration, and there was a show of a high affection of love, and
also of a great degree of reverence, in their laying their garments on the
ground for Christ to tread upon; and also of great gratitude to him, for the
great and good works he had wrought, praising him with loud voices for his
salvation; and earnest desires of the coming of God's kingdom, which they
supposed Jesus was now about to set up, and showed great hopes and raised
expectations of it, expecting it would immediately appear; and hence were filled
with joy, by which they were so animated in their acclamations, as to make the
whole city ring with the noise of them; and appeared great in their zeal and
forwardness to attend Jesus, and assist him without further delay, now in the
time of the great feast of the Passover, to set up his kingdom. And it is easy,
from nature, and the nature of the affections, to give an account why, when one
affection is raised very high, that it should excite others; especially if the
affection which is raised high, be that of counterfeit love, as it was in the
multitude who cried Hosanna. This will naturally draw many other affections
after it. For, as was observed before, love is the chief of the affections, and
as it were the fountain of them. Let us suppose a person who has been for some
time in great exercise and terror through fear of hell, and his heart weakened
with distress and dreadful apprehensions, and upon the brink of despair, and is
all at once delivered, by being firmly made to believe, through some delusion of
Satan, that God has pardoned him, and accepts him as the object of his dear
love, and promises him eternal life; as suppose through some vision, or strong
idea or imagination, suddenly excited in him, of a person with a beautiful
countenance, smiling on him, and with arms open, and with blood dropping down,
which the person conceives to be Christ, without any other enlightening of the
understanding, to give a view of the spiritual divine excellency of Christ and
his fullness; and of the way of salvation revealed in the gospel: or perhaps by
some voice or words coming as if they were spoken to him, such as these, "Son,
be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee;" or, "Fear not, it is the Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom," which he takes to be immediately spoken
by God to him, though there was no preceding acceptance of Christ, or closing of
the heart with him: I say, if we should suppose such a case, what various
passions would naturally crowd at once, or one after another, into such a
person's mind! It is easy to be accounted for, from mere principles of nature,
that a person's heart, on such an occasion, should be raised up to the skies
with transports of joy; and be filled with fervent affection, to that imaginary
God or Redeemer, who he supposes has thus rescued him from the jaws of such
dreadful destruction, that his soul was so amazed with the fears of, and has
received him with such endearment, as a peculiar favorite; and that now he
should be filled with admiration and gratitude, and his mouth should be opened,
and be full of talk about what he has experienced; and that, for a while he
should think and speak of scarce anything else, and should seem to magnify that
God who has done so much for him, and call upon others to rejoice with him, and
appear with a cheerful countenance, and talk with a loud voice: and however,
before his deliverance, he was full of quarrellings against the justice of God,
that now it should be easy for him to submit to God, and own his unworthiness,
and cry out against himself, and appear to be very humble before God, and lie at
his feet as tame as a lamb; and that he should now confess his unworthiness, and
cry out, "Why me? Why me?" (Like Saul, who when Samuel told him that God had
appointed him to be king, makes answer, "Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest
of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the
tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?" Much in the language
of David, the true saint, 2 Sam. 7:18, "Who am I, and what is my father's house,
that thou has brought me hitherto?") Nor is it to be wondered at, that now he
should delight to be with them who acknowledge and applaud his happy
circumstances, and should love all such as esteem and admire him and what he has
experienced, and have violent zeal against all such as would make nothing of
such things, and be disposed openly to separate, and as it were to proclaim war
with all who be not of his party, and should now glory in his sufferings, and be
very much for condemning and censuring all who seem to doubt, or make any
difficulty of these things; and while the warmth of his affections lasts, should
be mighty forward to take pains, and deny himself, to promote the interest of
the party who he imagines favors such things, and seem earnestly desirous to
increase the number of them, as the Pharisees compassed sea and land to make one
proselyte. And so I might go on, and
mention many other things, which will naturally arise in such circumstances. He
must have but slightly considered human nature, who thinks such things as these
cannot arise in this manner, without any supernatural interposition of divine
power.
As from true divine love
flow all Christian affections, so from a counterfeit love in like manner
naturally flow other false affections. In both cases, love is the fountain, and
the other affections are the streams. The various faculties, principles, and
affections of the human nature, are as it were many channels from one fountain:
if there be sweet water in the fountain, sweet water will from thence flow out
into those various channels; but if the water in the fountain be poisonous, then
poisonous streams will also flow out into all those channels. So that the
channels and streams will be alike, corresponding one with another; but the
great difference will lie in the nature of the water. Or, man's nature may be
compared to a tree, with many branches, coming from one root: if the sap in the
root be good, there will also be good sap distributed throughout the branches,
and the fruit that is brought forth will be good and wholesome; but if the sap
in the root and stock be poisonous, so it will be in many branches (as in the
other case), and the fruit will be deadly. The tree in both cases may be alike;
there may be an exact resemblance in shape; but the difference is found only in
eating the fruit. It is thus (in some measure at least) oftentimes between
saints and hypocrites. There is sometimes a very great similitude between true
and false experiences, in their appearance, and in what is expressed and related
by the subjects of them: and the difference between them is much like the
difference between the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler and baker; they seemed
to be much alike, insomuch that when Joseph interpreted the chief butler's
dream, that he should be delivered from his imprisonment, and restored to the
king's favor, and his honorable office in the palace, the chief baker had raised
hopes and expectations, and told his dream also; but he was woefully
disappointed; and though his dream was so much like the happy and well boding
dream of his companion, yet it was quite contrary in its
issue.
VIII. Nothing can certainly
be determined concerning the nature of the affections, by this, that comforts
and joys seem to follow awakenings and convictions of conscience, in a certain
order.
Many persons seem to be
prejudiced against affections and experiences that come in such a method, as has
been much insisted on by many divines; first, such awakenings, fears, and awful
apprehensions, followed with such legal humblings, in a sense of total
sinfulness and helplessness, and then, such and such light and comfort; they
look upon all such schemes, laying down such methods and steps, to be of men's
devising; and particularly if high affections of joy follow great distress and
terror, it is made by many an argument against those affections. But such
prejudices and objections are without reason or Scripture. Surely it cannot be
unreasonable to suppose, that before God delivers persons from a state of sin
and exposedness to eternal destruction, he should give them some considerable
sense of the evil he delivers from; that they may be delivered sensibly, and
understand their own salvation, and know something of what God does for them. As
men that are saved are in two exceeding different states, first a state of
condemnation, and then in a state of justification and blessedness: and as God,
in the work of the salvation of mankind, deals with them suitably to their
intelligent rational nature; so its seems reasonable, and agreeable to God's
wisdom, that men who are saved should be in these two states sensibly; first,
that they should, sensibly to themselves, be in a state of condemnation, and so
in a state of woeful calamity and dreadful misery, and so afterwards in a state
of deliverance and happiness; and that they should be first sensible of their
absolute extreme necessity, and afterwards of Christ's sufficiency and God's
mercy through him.
And that it is God's manner
of dealing with men, to "lead them into a wilderness, before he speaks
comfortably to them," and so to order it, that they shall be brought into
distress, and made to see their own helplessness and absolute dependence on his
power and grace, before he appears to work any great deliverance for them, is
abundantly manifest by the Scripture. Then is God wont to "repent himself for
his professing people, when their strength is gone, and there is none shut up or
left," and when they are brought to see that their false gods cannot help them,
and that the rock in whom they trusted is vain, Deut. 32:36, 37. Before God
delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, they were prepared for it, by
being made to "see that they were in an evil case," and "to cry unto God,
because of their hard bondage," Exod. 2:23, and 5:19. And before God wrought
that great deliverance for them at the Red Sea, they were brought into great
distress, the wilderness had shut them in, they could not turn to the right hand
nor the left, and the Red Sea was before them, and the great Egyptian host
behind, and they were brought to see that they could do nothing to help
themselves, and that if God did not help them, they should be immediately
swallowed up; and then God appeared, and turned their cries into songs. So
before they were brought to their rest, and to enjoy the milk and honey of
Canaan, God "led them through a great and terrible wilderness, that he might
humble them and teach them what was in their heart, and so do them good in their
latter end," Deut. 8:2, 16. The woman that had the issue of blood twelve years,
was not delivered, until she had first "spent all her living on earthly
physicians, and could not be healed of any," and so was left helpless, having no
more money to spend; and then she came to the great Physician, without any money
or price, and was healed by him, Luke 8:43, 44. Before Christ would answer the
request of the woman of Canaan, he first seemed utterly to deny her, and humbled
her, and brought her to own herself worthy to be called a dog; and then he
showed her mercy, and received her as a dear child, Matt. 15:22, &c. The
Apostle Paul, before a remarkable deliverance, was "pressed out of measure,
above strength, insomuch that he despaired even of life; but had the sentence of
death in himself, that he might not trust in himself, but in God that raiseth
the dead," 2 Cor. 1:8, 9, 10. There was first a great tempest, and the ship was
covered with the waves, and just ready to sink, find the disciples were brought
to cry to Jesus, "Lord save us, we perish;" and then the winds and seas were
rebuked, and there was a great calm, Matt. 8:24, 25, 26. The leper, before he is
cleansed, must have his mouth stopped, by a covering on his upper lip, and was
to acknowledge his great misery and utter uncleannesss by rending his clothes,
and crying, "Unclean, unclean," Lev. 13:45. And backsliding Israel, before God
heals them, are brought to "acknowledge that they have sinned, and have not
obeyed the voice of the Lord," and to see that "they lie down in their shame,
and that confusion covers them," and "that in vain is salvation hoped for from
the hills, and from the multitude of mountains," and that God only can save
them, Jer. 3:23, 24, 25. Joseph, who was sold be his brethren, and therein was a
type of Christ, brings his brethren into great perplexity and distress, and
brings them to reflect on their sin, and to say, We are verily guilty; and at
last to resign up themselves entirely into his hands for bondmen; and then
reveals himself to them, as their brother and their
savior.
And if we consider those
extraordinary manifestations which God made of himself to saints of old, we
shall find that he commonly first manifested himself in a way which was
terrible, and then by those things that were comfortable. So it was with
Abraham; first, a horror of great darkness fell upon him, and then God revealed
himself to him in sweet promises, Gen. 15:12, 13. So it was with Moses at Mount
Sinai; first, God appeared to him in all the terrors of his dreadful Majesty, so
that Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake," and then he made all his
goodness to pass before him, and proclaimed his name, "The Lord God gracious and
merciful," &c. So it was with Elijah; first, there is a stormy wind, and
earthquakes and devouring fire, and then a still, small, sweet voice, 1 Kings
19. So it was with Daniel; he first saw Christ's countenance as lightning, that
terrified him, and caused him to faint away; and then be is strengthened and
refreshed with such comfortable words as these, "O Daniel, a man greatly
beloved," Dan. 10. So it was with the apostle John, Rev. 1. And there is an
analogy observable in God's dispensations and deliverances which he works for
his people, and the manifestations which he makes of himself to them, both
ordinary and extraordinary.
But there are many things in
Scripture which do more directly show, that this is God's ordinary manner in
working salvation for the souls of men, and in the manifestations God makes of
himself and of his mercy in Christ, in the ordinary works of his grace on the
hearts of sinners. The servant that owed his prince ten thousand talents, is
first held to his debt, and the king pronounces sentence of condemnation upon
him, and commands him to be sold, and his wife and children, and payment to be
made; and thus he humbles him, and brings him to own the as whole of the debt to
be just, and then forgives him all. The prodigal son spends all he has, and is
brought to see himself in extreme circumstances, and to humble himself, and own
his unworthiness, before he is relieved and feasted by his father, Luke 15. Old
inveterate wounds must be searched to the bottom, in order to healing: and the
Scripture compares sin, the wound of the soul, to this, and speaks of healing
this wound without thus searching of it, as vain and deceitful, Jer. 7:11.
Christ, in the work of his grace on the hearts of men, is compared to rain on
the new mown grass, grass that is cut down with a scythe, Psal. 72:6,
representing his refreshing, comforting influences on the wounded spirit. Our
first parents, after they had sinned, were first terrified with God's majesty
and justice, and had their sin, with its aggravations, set before them by their
Judge, before they were relieved by the promise of the seed of the woman.
Christians are spoken of as those "that have fled for refuge to lay hold on the
hope set before them," Heb. 6:18, which representation implies great fear and
sense of danger, preceding. To the like purpose, Christ is called "a hiding
place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, and as rivers of water in a
dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land," Isa. 32 at the
beginning. And it seems to be the natural import of the word gospel, glad
tidings, that it is news of deliverance and salvation, after great fear and
distress. There is also reason to suppose, that God deals with particular
believers, as he dealt with his church, which he first made to hear his voice in
the law, with terrible thunders and lightning and kept her under that
schoolmaster to prepare her for Christ; and then comforted her with the joyful
sound of the gospel from Mount Zion. So likewise John the Baptist came to
prepare the way for Christ, and prepare men's hearts for his reception, by
showing them their sins, and by bringing the self-righteous Jews off from their
own righteousness, telling them that they were "a generation of vipers," and
showing them their danger of "the wrath to come," telling them that "the axe was
laid at the root of the trees," &c.
And if it be indeed God's
manner (as I think the foregoing considerations show that it undoubtedly is),
before he gives men the comfort of a deliverance from their sin and misery, to
give them a considerable sense of the greatness and dreadfulness of those evils,
and their extreme wretchedness by reason of them; surely it is not unreasonable
to suppose, that persons, at least oftentimes, while under these views, should
have great distresses and terrible apprehensions of mind; especially if it be
considered what these evils are that they have a view of; which are no other
than great and manifold sins, against the infinite majesty of the great Jehovah,
and the suffering of the fierceness of his wrath to all eternity. And the more
so still, when we have many plain instances in Scripture of persons that have
actually been brought into great distress, by such convictions, before they have
received saving consolations: as the multitude at Jerusalem, who were "pricked
in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do?" And the apostle Paul, who trembled and was
astonished, before he was comforted; and the gaoler, when "he called for a
light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
From these things it appears
to be very unreasonable in professing Christians to make this an objection
against the truth and spiritual nature of the comfortable and joyful affections
which any have, that they follow such awful apprehensions and distresses as have
been mentioned.
And, on the other hand, it
is no evidence that comforts and joys are right, because they succeed great
terrors, and amazing fears of hell. This seems to be what some
persons lay a great weight upon; esteeming great terrors an evidence of the
great work of the law as wrought on the heart, well preparing the way for solid
comfort; not considering that terror and a conviction of conscience are
different things. For though convictions of conscience do often cause terror;
yet they do not consist in it; and terrors do often arise from other causes.
Convictions of conscience, through the influences of God's Spirit, consist in
conviction of sinfulness of heart and practices and of the dreadfulness of sins
as committed against a God of terrible majesty, infinite holiness and hatred of
sin, and strict justice in punishing of it. But there are some persons that have
frightful apprehensions of hell, a dreadful pit ready to swallow them up, and
flames just ready to lay hold of them, and devils around them, ready to seize
them; who at the same time seem to have very little proper enlightenings of
conscience really convincing them of their sinfulness of heart and life. The
devil, if permitted, can terrify men as well as the Spirit of God, it is a work
natural to him, and he has many ways of doing it, in a manner tending to no
good.
He may exceedingly affright
persons, by impressing on them images and ideas of many external things, of a
countenance frowning, a sword drawn, black clouds of vengeance, words of an
awful doom pronounced, hell gaping, devils coming,
and the like, not to convince persons of things that are true, and revealed in
the word of God, but to lead them to vain and groundless determinations; as that
their day is past, that they are reprobated, that God is implacable, that he has
come to a resolution immediately to cut them off, &c.
And the terrors which some
persons have, are very much owing to the particular constitution and temper they
are of. Nothing is more manifest than that some persons are of such a temper and
frame, that their imaginations are more strongly impressed with everything they
are affected with, than others; and the impression on the imagination reacts on
the affection, and raises that still higher; and so affection and imagination
act reciprocally, one on another, till their affection is raised to a vast
height, and the person is swallowed up, and loses as possession of
himself.
And some speak of a great
sight they have of their wickedness, who really, when the matter comes to be
well examined into and thoroughly weighted, are found to have little or no
convictions of conscience. They tell of a dreadful hard heart, and how their
heart lies like a stone; when truly they have none of those things in their
minds or thoughts, wherein the hardness of men's heart does really consist. They
tell of a dreadful load and sink of sin, a heap of black and loathsome
filthiness within them; when, if the matter be carefully inquired into, they
have not in view anything wherein the corruption of nature does truly consist,
nor have they any thought of any particular thing wherein their hearts are
sinfully defective, or fall short of what ought to be in them, or any exercises
at all of corruption in them. And many think also they have great convictions of
their actual sins, who truly have none. They tell how their sins are set in
order before them, they see them stand encompassing them round in a row, with a
dreadful, frightful appearance; when really they have not so much as one of the
sins they gave been guilty of in the course of their lives, coming into view,
that they are affected with the aggravations of.
And if persons have had
great terrors which really have been from the awakening and convincing
influences of the Spirit of God, it doth not thence follow that their terrors
must needs issue in true comfort. The unmortified corruption of the heart may
quench the Spirit of God (after he has been striving) by leading men to
presumptuous, and self-exalting hopes and joys, as well as otherwise. It is not
every woman who is really in travail, that brings forth a real child; but it may
be a monstrous production, without anything of the form or properties of human
nature belonging to it. Pharaoh's chief baker after he had lain in the dungeon
with Joseph, had a vision that raised his hopes and he was lifted out of the
dungeon, as well as the chief butler; but it was to be
hanged.
But if comforts and joys do
not only come after great terrors and awakenings, but there be an appearance of
such preparatory convictions and humiliations, and brought about very
distinctly, by such steps, and in such a method as has frequently been
observable in true converts; this is no certain sign that the light and comforts
which follow are true and saving. And for these following
reasons:
First, As the devil can
counterfeit all the saving operations and graces of the Spirit of God, so he can
counterfeit those operations that are preparatory to grace. If Satan can
counterfeit those effects of God's Spirit, which are special, divine and
sanctifying, so that there shall be a very great resemblance, in all that can be
observed by others; much more easily may he imitate those works of God's Spirit
which are common, and which men, while they are yet his own children, are the
subjects of. These works are in no wise so much above him as the other. There
are no works of God that are so high and divine, and above the powers of nature,
and out of reach of the power of all creatures, as those 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 such resemblances of
these as have been spoken of, without doubt he may of those that are of an
infinitely inferior kind. And it is abundantly evident in fact, that there are
false humiliations and false submissions, as well as false comforts. How far was Saul brought,
though a very wicked man, and of a haughty spirit, when he (though a great king)
was brought, in conviction of his sin, as it were to fall down, all in tears,
weeping aloud, before David his own subject (and one that he had for a long time
mortally hated, and openly treated as an enemy), and condemn himself before him,
crying out, "Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good,
whereas I have rewarded thee evil!" And at another time, "I have sinned, I have
played the fool, I have erred exceedingly," 1 Sam. 24:16, 17, and chap. 26:21.
And yet Saul seems then to have had very little of the influences 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 affection, was brought to humble himself so low before a subject that he
hated, and still continued an enemy to, there doubtless may be appearances of
great conviction and humiliation in men, before God, while they yet remain
enemies to him, and though they finally continue so. There is oftentimes in men
who are terrified through fears of hell, a great appearance of their being
brought off from their own righteousness, when they are not brought off from it
in all ways, although they are in many ways that are more plain and visible.
They have only exchanged some ways of trusting in their own righteousness, for
others that are more secret and subtle. Oftentimes a great degree of
discouragement, as to many things they used to depend upon, is taken for
humiliation: that is called a submission to God, which is no absolute
submission, but has some secret bargain in it, that it is hard to
discover.
Secondly, If the operations and
effects of the Spirit of God, in the convictions, and comforts of true converts,
may be sophisticated, then the order of them may be imitated. If Satan can
imitate the things themselves, he may easily put them one after another, in such
a certain order. If the devil can make A, B, and C, it is as easy for him to put
A first, and B next, and C next, as to range item in a contrary order. The
nature of divine things is harder for the devil to imitate, than their order. He
cannot exactly imitate divine operations in their nature, though his
counterfeits may be very much like them in external appearance, but he can
exactly imitate their order. When counterfeits are made, there is no divine
power needful in order to the placing one of them first, and another last. And
therefore no order or method of operations and experiences is any certain sign
of their divinity. That only is to be trusted to, as a certain evidence of
grace, which Satan cannot do, and which it is impossible should be brought to
pass by any power short of divine.
Thirdly, We have no certain rule to
determine how far God's own Spirit may go in those operations and convictions
which in themselves are not spiritual and saving, and yet the person that is the
subject of them never be converted, but fall short of salvation at last. There
is no necessary connection in the nature of things, between anything that a
natural man may experience while in a state of nature, and the saving grace of
God's Spirit. And if there be no connection in the nature of things, then there
can be no known and certain connection at all, unless it be by divine
revelation. But there is no revealed certain connection between a state of
salvation, and anything that a natural man can be the subject of, before he
believes in Christ. God has revealed no certain connection between salvation,
and any qualifications in men, but only grace and its fruits. And therefore we
do not find any legal convictions, or comforts, following these legal
convictions, in any certain method or order, ever once mentioned in the
Scripture, as certain signs of grace, or things peculiar to the saints; although
we do find gracious operations and effects themselves, so mentioned, thousands
of times. Which should be enough with Christians who are willing to have the
word of God, rather than their own philosophy, and experiences and conjectures,
as their sufficient and sure guide in things of this
nature.
Fourthly, Experience does greatly
confirm, that persons seeming to have convictions and comforts following one
another in such a method and order, as is frequently observable in true
converts, is no certain sign of grace. I appeal to all those
ministers in this land, who have had much occasion of dealing with souls in the
late extraordinary season, whether there have not been many who do not prove
well, that have given a fair account of their experiences, and have seemed to be
converted according to rule, i.e., with convictions and affections, succeeding
distinctly and exactly, in that order and method, which has been ordinarily
insisted on, as the order of the operations of the Spirit of God in
conversion.
And as a seeming to have
this distinctness as to steps and method, is no certain sign that a person is
converted; so a being without it, is no evidence that a person is not converted.
For though it might be made evident to a demonstration, on Scripture principles,
that a sinner cannot be brought heartily to receive Christ as his Savior, who is
not convinced of his sin and misery, and of his own emptiness and helplessness,
and his just desert of eternal condemnation; and that therefore such convictions
must be some way implied in what is wrought in his soul; yet nothing proves it
to be necessary, that all those things which are implied or presupposed in an
act of faith in Christ, must be plainly and distinctly wrought in the soul, in
so many successive and separate works of the Spirit, that shall be each one
plain and manifest, in all who are truly converted. On the contrary (as Mr.
Shepard observes), sometimes the change made in a saint, at first work, is like
a confused chaos; so 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 mysterious and unsearchable; we, as it were, hear the sound of it, the
effect of it is discernible; but no man can tell whence it came, or whither it
went. And it is oftentimes as difficult to know the way of the Spirit in the new
birth, as in the first birth; Eccl. 11:5, "Thou knowest not what is the way of
the Spirit, or how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even
so thou knowest not the works of God, that worketh all." The ingenerating of a
principle of grace in the soul, seems in Scripture to be compared to the
conceiving of Christ in the womb, Gal. 4:19. And therefore the Church is called
Christ's mother, Cant. 3:11. And so is every particular believer, Matt. 12:49,
50. And the conception of Christ in the womb of the blessed virgin, by the power
of the Holy Ghost, seems to be a designed resemblance of the conception of
Christ in the soul of a believer, by the power of the same Holy Ghost. And we
know not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow, either in the
womb, or heart that conceives this holy child. The new creature may use that
language in Psal. 139:14, 15, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous
are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid
from thee, when I was made in secret." Concerning the generation of Christ, both
in his person, and also in the hearts of his people, it may be said, as in Isa.
53:8, "Who can declare his generation?" We know not the works of God, that
worketh all. "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing" (Prov. 25:2), and to
have "his path as it were in the mighty waters, that his footsteps may not be
known;" and especially in the works of his Spirit on the hearts of men, which
are the highest and chief of his works. And therefore it is said, Isa. 40:13,
"Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught
him?" It is to be feared that some have gone too far towards directing the
Spirit of the Lord, and marking out his footsteps for him, and limiting him to
certain steps and methods. Experience plainly shows, that God's Spirit is
unsearchable and untraceable, in some of the best of Christians, in the method
of his operations, in their conversion. Nor does the Spirit of God proceed
discernibly in the steps of a particular established scheme, one half so often
as is imagined. A scheme of what is necessary, and according to a rule already
received and established by common opinion, has a vast (though to many a very
insensible) influence in forming persons' notions of the steps and method of
their own experiences. I know very well what their way is; for I have had much
opportunity to observe it. Very often, at first, their experiences appear like a
confused chaos, as Mr. Shepard expresses it: but then those passages of their
experience are picked out, that have most of the appearance of such particular
steps that are insisted on; and these are dwelt upon in the thoughts, and these
are told of from time to time, in the relation they give: these parts grow
brighter and brighter in their view; and others, being neglected, grow more and
more obscure: and what they have experienced is insensibly strained to bring all
to an exact conformity to the scheme that is established. And it becomes natural
for ministers, who have to deal with them, and direct them that insist upon
distinctness and clearness of method, to do so too. But yet there has been so
much to be seen of the operations of the Spirit of God, of late, that they who
have had much to do with souls, and are not blinded with a seven-fold vail of
prejudice, must know that the Spirit is so exceeding various in the manner of
his operating, that in many cases it is impossible to trace him, or find out his
way.
What we have principally to
do with, in our inquiries into our own state, or directions we give to others,
is the nature of the effect that God has brought to pass in the soul. As to the
steps which the Spirit of God took to bring that effect to pass, we may leave
them to him. We are often in Scripture expressly directed to try ourselves by
the nature of the fruits of the Spirit; but nowhere by the Spirit's method of
producing them. Many do greatly err in
their notions of a clear work of conversion; calling that a clear work, where
the successive steps of influence, and method of experience are clear: whereas
that indeed is the clearest work (not where the order of doing is
clearest, but) where the spiritual and divine nature of the work done,
and effect wrought, is most clear.
IX. It is no certain sign
that the religious affections which persons have are such as have in them the
nature of true religion, or that they have not, that they dispose persons to
spend much time in religion, and to be zealously engaged in the external duties
of worship.
This has, very unreasonably
of late, been looked upon as an argument against the religious affections which
some have had, that they spend so much time in reading, praying, singing,
hearing sermons, and the like. It is plain from the Scripture, that it is the
tendency of true grace to cause persons to delight in such religious exercises.
True grace had this effect on Anna the prophetess: Luke 2:27, "She departed not
from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." And
grace had this effect upon the primitive Christians in Jerusalem: Acts 2:46, 47,
"And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising God." Grace made Daniel delight in the duty of prayer, and solemnly to
attend it three times a day, as it also did David: Psal. 55:17, "Evening,
morning, and at noon will I pray." Grace makes the saints delight in singing
praises to God: Psal. 135: 3, "Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant."
And 147:1, "Praise ye the Lord; for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for
it is pleasant, and praise is comely." It also causes them to delight to hear
the word of God preached: it makes the gospel a joyful sound to them, Psal.
89:15, and makes the feet of those who publish these good tidings to be
beautiful: Isa. 52:7, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that
bringeth good tidings!" &c. It makes them love God's public worship: Psal.
26:8, "Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine
honor dwelleth." And 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I
seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." Psal. 84:1, 2,
&c. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea,
even fainteth for the courts of the Lord.—Yea, the sparrow hath found a house
and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine
altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy
house: they will be still praising thee. Blessed is the man in whose heart are
the ways of them, who passing through the valley of Baca—go from strength to
strength, everyone of them in Zion appeareth before God." Ver 10, "A day in thy
courts is better than a thousand."
This is the nature of true
grace. But yet, on the other hand, persons' being disposed to abound and to be
zealously engaged in the external exercises of religion, and to spend much time
in them, is no sure evidence of grace; because such a disposition is found in
many that have no grace. So it was with the Israelites of old, whose services
were abominable to God; they attended the "new moons, and Sabbaths, and calling
of assemblies, and spread forth their hands, and made many prayers," Isa.
1:12-15. So it was with the Pharisees; they "made long prayers, and fasted twice
a week." False religion may cause persons to be loud and earnest in prayer: Isa.
58: 4, "Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to cause your voice to be heard on
high." That religion which is not spiritual and saving, may cause men to delight
in religious duties and ordinances: Isa. 58:2, "Yet they seek me daily, and
delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the
ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice: they take
delight in approaching to God." It may cause them to take delight in hearing the
word of God preached, as it was with Ezekiel's hearers: Ezek. 33:31, 32, "And
they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people,
and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they
show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And lo, thou art
unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play
well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." So it was
with Herod; he heard John the Baptist gladly, Mark 6:20. So it was with others
of his hearers, "for a season they rejoiced in his light," John 5:35. So the
stony ground hearers heard the word with joy.
Experience shows, that
persons, from false religion, may be inclined to be exceeding abundant in the
external exercises of religion; yea, to give themselves up to them, and devote
almost their whole time to them. Formerly a sort of people were very numerous in
the Romish church, called recluses, who forsook the world, and utterly abandoned
the society of mankind, and shut themselves up close in a narrow cell, with a
vow never to stir out of it, nor to see the face of any of mankind any more
(unless that they might be visited in case of sickness), to spend all their days
in the exercise of devotion and converse with God. There were also in old time,
great multitudes called Hermits and Anchorites, that left the world to spend all
their days in lonesome deserts, to give themselves up to religious
contemplations and exercises of devotion; some sorts of them having no
dwellings, but the caves and vaults of the mountains, and no food, but the
spontaneous productions of the earth. I once lived, for many months, next door
to a Jew (the houses adjoining one to another), and had much opportunity daily
to observe him; who appeared to me the devoutest person that I ever saw in my
life; great part of his time being spent in acts of devotion, at his eastern
window, which opened next to mine, seeming to be most earnestly engaged, not
only in the daytime, but sometimes whole nights.
X. Nothing can be certainly
known of the nature of religious affections by this, that they much dispose
persons with their mouths to praise and glorify God. This indeed is implied in
what has been just now observed, of abounding and spending much time in the
external exercises of religion, and was also hinted before; but because many
seem to look upon it as a bright evidence of gracious affection, when persons
appear greatly disposed to praise and magnify God, to have their mouths full of
his praises, and affectionately to be calling on others to praise and extol him,
I thought it deserved a more particular consideration.
No Christian will make it an
argument against a person, that he seems to have such a disposition. Nor can it
reasonably be looked upon as an evidence for a person, if those things that have
been already observed and proved, be duly considered, viz., that persons,
without grace, may have high affections towards God and Christ, and that their
affections, being strong, may fill their mouths and incline them to speak much,
and very earnestly, about the things they are affected with, and that there may
be counterfeits of all kinds of gracious affection. But it will appear more
evidently and directly, that this is no certain sign of grace, if we consider
what instances the Scripture gives us of it in those that were graceless. We
often have an account of this, in the multitude that were present when Christ
preached and wrought miracles; Mark 2:12, "And immediately he arose, took up his
bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they were all amazed, and
glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." So Matt. 9:8, and Luke
5:26. Also Matt. 15:31, "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the
dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see:
and they glorified the God of Israel." So we are told, that on occasion of
Christ's raising the son of the widow of Nain, Luke 7:16, "There came a fear on
all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us;
and, That God hath visited his people." So we read of their glorifying Christ,
or speaking exceeding highly of him: Luke 4:15, "And he taught in their
synagogues, being glorified of all." And how did they praise him, with loud
voices, crying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; hosanna in the highest; blessed is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord," a little before he was crucified! And
after Christ's ascension, when the apostles had healed the impotent man, we are
told, that all men glorified God for that which was done, Acts 4:21. When the
Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia, heard from Paul and Barnabas, that God would
reject the Jews, and take the Gentiles to be his people in their room, they were
affected with the goodness of God to the Gentiles, "and glorified the word of
the Lord:" but all that did so were not true believers; but only a certain elect
number of them; as is intimated in the account we have of it, Acts 13:48: "And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the
Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." So of old the
children of Israel at the Red Sea, "sang God's praise; but soon forgat his
works." And the Jews in Ezekiel's time, "with their mouth showed much love,
while their heart went after their covetousness." And it is foretold of false
professors and real enemies of religion, that they should show a forwardness to
glorify God: Isa. 66:5, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word.
Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let
the Lord be glorified."
It is no certain sign that a
person is graciously affected, if, in the midst of his hopes and comforts, he is
greatly affected with God's unmerited mercy to him that is so unworthy, and
seems greatly to extol and magnify free grace. Those that yet remain with
unmortified pride and enmity against God, may, when they imagine that they have
received extraordinary kindness from God, cry out of their unworthiness, and
magnify God's undeserved goodness to them, from no other conviction of their ill
deservings, and from no higher principle than Saul had, who, while he yet
remained with unsubdued pride and enmity against David, was brought, though a
king, to acknowledge his unworthiness, and cry out, "I have played the fool, I
have erred exceedingly," and with great affection and admiration, to magnify and
extol David's unmerited and unexampled kindness to him, 1 Sam. 25:16-19, and
26:21, and from no higher principle than that from whence Nebuchadnezzar was
affected with God's dispensations, that he saw and was the subject of, and
praises, extols and honors the King of heaven; and both he, and Darius, in their
high affections, call upon all nations to praise God, Dan. 3:28, 29, 30, and
4:1, 2, 3, 34, 35, 37, and 6:25, 26, 27.
XI. It is no sign that
affections are right, or that they are wrong, that they make persons that have
them exceeding confident that what they experience is divine, and that they are
in a good estate.
It is an argument with some,
against persons, that they are deluded if they pretend to be assured of their
good estate, and to be carried beyond all doubting of the favor of God;
supposing that there is no such thing to be expected in the church of God, as a
full and absolute assurance of hope; unless it be in some very extraordinary
circumstances; as in the case of martyrdom; contrary to the doctrine of
Protestants, which has been maintained by their most celebrated writers against
the Papists; and contrary to the plainest Scripture evidence. It is manifest,
that it was a common thing for the saints that we have a history or particular
account of in Scripture, to be assured. God, in the plainest and most positive
manner, revealed and testified his special favor to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses, Daniel, and others. Job often speaks of his sincerity and uprightness
with the greatest imaginable confidence and assurance, often calling God to
witness to it; and says plainly, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I
shall see him for myself, and not another," Job 19:25, &c. David, throughout
the book of Psalms, almost everywhere speaks without any hesitancy, and in the
most positive manner, of God as his God glorying in him as his portion and
heritage, his rock and confidence, his shield; salvation, and high tower, and
the like. Hezekiah appeals to God, as one that knew that he had walked before
him in truth, and with a perfect heart, 2 Kings 20:3. Jesus Christ, in his dying
discourse with his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of
John (which was as it were Christ's last will and testament to his disciples,
and to his whole church), often declares his special and everlasting love to
them in the plainest and most positive terms and promises them a future
participation with him in his glory, in the most absolute manner; and tells them
at the same time that he does so, to the end that their joy might be full: John
15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full." See also at the conclusion of his whole
discourse, chap. 16:33: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the would ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world." Christ was not afraid of speaking too plainly and
positively to them; he did not desire to hold them in the least suspense. And he
concluded that last discourse of his with a prayer in their presence, wherein he
speaks positively to his Father of those eleven disciples, as having all of them
savingly know him, and believed in him, and received and kept his word; and that
they were not of the world; and that for their sakes he sanctified himself; and
that his will was, that they should be with him in his glory; and tells his
Father, that he spake those things in his prayer, to the end, that his joy might
be fulfilled in them, verse 13. By these things it is evident, that it is
agreeable to Christ's designs, and the contrived ordering and disposition Christ
makes of things in his church, that there should be sufficient and abundant
provision made, that his saints might have full assurance of their future
glory.
The Apostle Paul, through
all his epistles speaks in an assured strain; ever speaking positively of his
special relation to Christ, his Lord, and Master, and Redeemer, and his interest
in, and expectation of the future reward. It would be endless to take notice of
all places that might be enumerated; I shall mention but three or four: Gal.
2:20, "Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me;" Phil.
1:21, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain;" 2 Tim. 1:12, "I know whom
I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed unto him against that day;" 2 Tim. 4:7, 8, "I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give me at that day."
And the nature of the
covenant of grace, and God's declared ends in the appointment and constitution
of things in that covenant, do plainly show it to be God's design to make ample
provision for the saints having an assured hope of eternal life, while living
here upon earth. For so are all things ordered and contrived in that covenant,
that everything might be made sure on God's part. "The covenant is ordered in
all things and sure:" the promises are most full, and very often repeated, and
various ways exhibited; and there are many witnesses, and many seals; and God
has confirmed his promises with an oath. And God's declared design in all this,
is, that the heirs of the promises might have an undoubting hope and full joy,
in an assurance of their future glory. Heb. 6:17, 18, "Wherein God, willing more
abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was
impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for
refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us." But all this would be in vain, to
any such purpose, as the saints' strong consolation, and hope of their obtaining
future glory, if their interest in those sure promises in ordinary cases was not
ascertainable. For God's promises and oaths, let them be as sure as they will,
cannot give strong hope and comfort to any particular person, any further than
he can know that those promises are made to him. And in vain is provision made
in Jesus Christ, that believers might be perfect as pertaining to the
conscience, as is signified, Heb. 9:9, if assurance of freedom from the guilt of
sin is not attainable.
It further appears that
assurance is not only attainable in some very extraordinary cases, but that all
Christians are directed to give all diligence to make their calling and election
sure, and are told how they may do it, 2 Pet. 1:5-8. And it is spoken of as a
thing very unbecoming Christians, and an argument of something very blamable in
them, not to know whether Christ be in them or no: 2 Cor. 13:5, "Know ye not
your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" And
it is implied that it is an argument of a very blamable negligence in
Christians, if they practice Christianity after such a manner as to remain
uncertain of the reward, in 1 Cor. 9:26: "I therefore so run, as not
uncertainly." And to add no more, it is manifest, that Christians' knowing their
interest in the saving benefits of Christianity is a thing ordinarily
attainable, because the apostle tells us by what means Christians (and not only
the apostles and martyrs) were wont to know this: 1 Cor. 2:12, "Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God." And 1 John 2:3, "And
hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." And verse 5,
"Hereby know we that we are in him." Chap. 3:14, "We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we love the brethren;" ver. 19, "Hereby we know
that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him;" ver. 24,
"Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." So
chap. 4:13, and chap. 5:2, and verse 19.
Therefore it must needs be
very unreasonable to determine, that persons are hypocrites, and their
affections wrong, because they seem to be out of doubt of their own salvation,
and the affections they are the subjects of seem to banish all fears of
hell.
On the other hand, it is no
sufficient reason to determine that men are saints, and their affections
gracious, because the affections they have are attended with an exceeding
confidence that their state is good, and their affections divine. Nothing can be certainly
argued from their confidence, how great and strong soever it seems to be. If we
see a man that boldly calls God his Father, and commonly speaks in the most
bold, familiar, and appropriating language in prayer, "My Father, my dear
Redeemer, my sweet Savior, my Beloved," and the like; and it is a common thing
for him to use the most confident expressions before men, about the goodness of
his state; such as, I know certainly that God is my Father; I know so surely as
there is a God in heaven, that he is my God; I know I shall go to heaven, as
well as if I were there; I know that God is now manifesting himself to my soul,
and is now smiling upon me;" and seems to have done forever with any inquiry or
examination into his state, as a thing sufficiently known, and out of doubt, and
to contemn all that so much as intimate or suggest that there is some reason to
doubt or fear whether all is right; such things are no signs at all that it is
indeed so as he is confident it is. Such an overbearing,
high-handed, and violent sort of confidence as this, so affecting to declare
itself with a most glaring show in the sight of men, which is to be seen in
many, has not the countenance of a true Christian assurance: it savors more of
the spirit of the Pharisees, who never doubted but that they were saints, and
the most eminent of saints, and were bold to go to God, and come up near to him,
and lift up their eyes, and thank him for the great distinction he had made
between them and other men; and when Christ intimated that they were blind and
graceless, despised the suggestion: John 9:40, "And some of the Pharisees which
were with him, heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?" If they
had more of the spirit of the publican, with their confidence, who, in a sense
of his exceeding unworthiness, stood afar off, and durst not so much as lift up
his eyes to heaven, but smote on his breast, and cried out of himself as a
sinner, their confidence would have more of the aspect of the confidence of one
that humbly trusts and hopes in Christ, and has no confidence in
himself.
If we do but consider what
the hearts of natural men are, what principles they are under the dominion of,
what blindness and deceit, what self-flattery, self-exaltation, and
self-confidence reign there, we need not at all wonder that their high opinion
of themselves, and confidence of their happy circumstances, be as high and
strong as mountains, and as violent as a tempest, when once conscience is
blinded, and convictions killed, with false high affections, and those
forementioned principles let loose, fed up and prompted by false joys and
comforts, excited by some pleasing imaginations, impressed by Satan,
transforming himself into an angel of light.
When once a hypocrite is
thus established in a false hope, he has not those things to cause him to call
his hope in question, that oftentimes are the occasion of the doubting of true
saints; as, first, he has not that cautious spirit, that great sense of
the vast importance of a sure foundation, and that dread of being deceived. The
comforts of the true saints increase awakening and caution, and a lively sense
how great a thing it is to appear before an infinitely holy, just and omniscient
Judge. But false comforts put an end to these things and dreadfully stupify the
mind. Secondly, The hypocrite has not the knowledge of his own blindness,
and the deceitfulness of his own heart, and that mean opinion of his own
understanding that the true saint has. Those that are deluded with false
discoveries and affections, are evermore highly conceited of their light and
understanding. Thirdly, The devil does not assault the hope of the
hypocrite, as he does the hope of a true saint. The devil is a great enemy to a
true Christian hope, not only because it tends greatly to the comfort of him
that hath it, but also because it is a thing of a holy, heavenly nature, greatly
tending to promote and cherish grace in the heart, and a great incentive to
strictness and diligence in the Christian life. But he is no enemy to the hope
of a hypocrite, which above all things establishes his interest in him that has
it. A hypocrite may retain his hope without opposition, as long as he lives, the
devil never disturbing it, nor attempting to disturb it. But there is perhaps no
true Christian but what has his hope assaulted by him. Satan assaulted Christ
himself upon this, whether he were the Son of God or no: and the servant is not
above his Master, nor the disciple above his Lord; it is enough for the
disciple, that is most privileged in this world, to be as his Master.
Fourthly, He who has a false hope, has not that sight of his own
corruptions, which the saint has. A true Christian has ten times so much to do
with his heart and its corruptions, as a hypocrite: and the sins of his heart
and practice, appear to him in their blackness; they look dreadful; and it often
appears a very mysterious thing, that any grace can be consistent with such
corruption, or should be in such a heart. But a false hope hides corruption,
covers it all over, and the hypocrite looks clean and bright in his own
eyes.
There are two sorts of
hypocrites: one that are deceived with their outward morality and external
religion; many of whom are professed Arminians, in the doctrine of
justification: and the other, are those that are deceived with false discoveries
and elevations; who often cry down works, and men's own righteousness, and talk
much of free grace; but at the same time make a righteousness of their
discoveries and of their humiliation, and exalt themselves to heaven with them.
These two kinds of hypocrites, Mr. Shepard, in his exposition of the Parable of
the Ten Virgins, distinguishes by the name of legal and
evangelical hypocrites; and often speaks of the latter as the worst. And
it is evident that the latter are commonly by far the most confident in their
hope, and with the most difficulty brought of from it: I have scarcely known the
instance of such a one, in my life, that has been undeceived. The chief grounds
of the confidence of many of them, are the very same kind of impulses and
supposed revelations (sometimes with texts of Scripture, and sometimes without)
that so many of late have had concerning future events; calling these impulses
about their good estate, the witness of the Spirit; entirely misunderstanding
the nature of the witness of the Spirit, as I shall show hereafter. Those that
have had visions and impulses about other things, it has generally been to
reveal such things as they are desirous and fond of: and no wonder that persons
who give heed to such things, have the same sort of visions or impressions about
their own eternal salvation, to reveal to them that their sins are forgiven
them, that their names are written in the book of life, that they are in high
favor with God, &c., and especially when they earnestly seek, expect, and
wait for evidence of their election and salvation this way, as the surest and
most glorious evidence of it. Neither is it any wonder, that when they have such
a supposed revelation of their good estate, it raises in them the highest degree
of confidence of it. It is found by abundant experience, that those who are led
away by impulses and imagined revelations, are extremely confident: they suppose
that the great Jehovah has declared these and those things to them; and having
his immediate testimony, a strong confidence is the highest virtue. Hence they
are bold to say, I know this or that—I know certainly—I am as sure as that I
have a being, and the like; and they despise all argument and inquiry in the
case. And above all things else, it is easy to be accounted for, that
impressions and impulses about that which is so pleasing, so suiting their
self-love and pride, as their being the dear children of God, distinguished from
most in the world in his favor, should make them strongly confident; especially
when with their impulses and revelations they have high affections, which they
take to be the most eminent exercises of grace. I have known of several persons,
that have had a fond desire of something of a temporal nature, through a violent
passion that has possessed them; and they have been earnestly pursuing the thing
they have desired should come to pass, and have met with great difficulty and
many discouragements in it, but at last have had an impression, or supposed
revelation, that they should obtain what they sought; and they have looked upon
it as a sure promise from the Most High, which has made them most ridiculously
confident, against all manner of reason to convince them to the contrary, and
all events working against them. And there is nothing hinders, but that persons
who are seeking their salvation, may be deceived by the like delusive
impressions, and be made confident of that, the same way.
The confidence of many of
this sort of hypocrites, that Mr. Shepard calls evangelical hypocrites,
is like the confidence of some mad men, who think they are kings; they will
maintain it against all manner of reason and evidence. And in one sense, it is
much more immovable than a truly gracious assurance; a true assurance is not
upheld, but by the soul's being kept in a holy frame, and Grace maintained in
lively exercise. If the actings of grace do much decay in the Christian, and he
falls into a lifeless frame, he loses his assurance: but this kind of confidence
of hypocrites will not be shaken by sin; they (at least some of them) will
maintain their boldness in their hope, in the most corrupt frames and wicked
ways; which is a sure evidence of their delusion.
And here I cannot but
observe, that there are certain doctrines often preached to the people, which
need to be delivered with more caution and explanation than they frequently are;
for, as they are by many understood, they tend greatly to establish this
delusion and false confidence of hypocrites. The doctrines I speak of are those
of "Christians living by faith, not by sight; their giving glory to God, by
trusting him in the dark; living upon Christ, and not upon experiences; not
making their good frames the foundation of their faith:" which are excellent and
important doctrines indeed, rightly understood, but corrupt and destructive, as
many understand them. The Scripture speaks of living or walking by faith, and
not by sight, in no other way than these, viz., a being governed by a respect to
eternal things, that are the objects of faith, and are not seen, and not by a
respect to temporal things, which are seen; and believing things revealed, that
we never saw with bodily eyes; and also living by faith in the promise of future
things, without yet seeing or enjoying the things promised, or knowing the way
how they can be fulfilled. This will be easily evident to anyone who looks over
the Scriptures, which speak of faith in opposition to sight; as 2
Cor. 4:18, and 5:7, Heb. 11:1, 8, 13, 17, 27, 29, Rom. 8:24, John 20:29. But
this doctrine, as it is understood by many, is, that Christians ought firmly to
believe and trust in Christ, without spiritual sight or light, and although they
are in a dark dead frame, and, for the present, have no spiritual experiences or
discoveries. And it is truly the duty of those who are thus in darkness, to come
out of darkness into light and believe. But that they should confidently believe
and trust, while they yet remain without spiritual light or sight, is an
anti-scriptural and absurd doctrine. The Scripture is ignorant of any such faith
in Christ of the operation of God, that is not founded in a spiritual sight of
Christ. That believing on Christ, which accompanies a title to everlasting life,
is a "seeing the Son, and believing on him," John 6:40. True faith in Christ is
never exercised, any further than persons "behold as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, and have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," 2
Cor. 3:18, and 4:6. They into whose minds "the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, does not shine, believe not," 2 Cor. 4:5. That
faith, which is without spiritual light, is not the faith of the children of the
light, and of the day; but the presumption of the children of darkness. And
therefore to press and urge them to believe, without any spiritual light or
sight, tends greatly to help forward the delusions of the prince of darkness.
Men not only cannot exercise faith without some spiritual light, but they can
exercise faith only just in such proportion as they have spiritual light. Men
will trust in God no further than they know him; and they cannot be in the
exercise of faith in him one ace further than they have a sight of his fullness
and faithfulness in exercise. Nor can they have the exercise of trust in God,
any further than they are in a gracious frame. They that are in a dead carnal
frame, doubtless ought to trust in God; because that would be the same thing as
coming out of their bad frame, and turning to God; but to exhort men confidently
to trust in God, and so hold up their hope and peace, though they are not in a
gracious frame, and continue still to be so, is the same thing in effect, as to
exhort them confidentially to trust in God, but not with a gracious trust: and
what is that but a wicked presumption? It is just as impossible for men to have
a strong or lively trust in God, when they have no lively exercises of grace, or
sensible Christian experiences, as it is for them to be in the lively exercises
of grace, without the exercises of grace.
It is true, that it is the
duty of God's people to trust in him when in darkness, and though they remain
still in darkness, in that sense, that they ought to trust in God when the
aspects of his providence are dark, and look as though God had forsaken them,
and did not hear their prayers, and many clouds gather, and many enemies
surround them, with a formidable aspect, threatening to swallow them up, and all
events of providence seem to be against them, all circumstances seem to render
the promises of God difficult to be fulfilled, and God must be trusted out of
sight, i.e., when we cannot see which way it is possible for him to fulfill his
word; everything but God's mere word makes it look unlikely, so that if persons
believe, they must hope against hope. Thus the ancient Patriarchs, and Job, and
the Psalmist, and Jeremiah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, and the
Apostle Paul, gave glory to God by trusting in God in darkness. And we have many
instances of such a glorious victorious faith in the eleventh of Hebrews. But
how different a thing is this, from trusting in God, without spiritual sight,
and being at the same time in a dead and carnal frame!
There is also such a thing
as spiritual light's being let into the soul in one way, when it is not in
another; and so there is such a thing as the saints trusting in God, and also
knowing their good estate, when they are destitute of some kinds of experience.
As for instance, they may have clear views of God's sufficiency and
faithfulness, and so confidently trust in him, and know that they are his
children; and at the same time, not have those clear and sweet ideas of his love
as at other times: for it was thus with Christ himself in his last passion. And
they may have views of much of God's sovereignty, holiness, and all sufficiency,
enabling them quietly to submit to him, and exercise a sweet and most
encouraging hope in God's fullness, when they are not satisfied of their own
good estate. But how different things are these, from confidently trusting in
God, without spiritual light or experience!
Those that thus insist on
persons living by faith, when they have no experience, and are in very bad
frames, are also very absurd in their notions of faith. What they mean by faith
is, believing that they are in a good estate. Hence they count it a dreadful sin
for them to doubt of their state, whatever frames they are in, and whatever
wicked things they do, because it is the great and heinous sin of unbelief; and
he is the best man, and puts most honor upon God, that maintains his hope of his
good estate the most confidently and immovably, when he has the least light or
experience; that is to say, when he is in the worst and most wicked frame and
way; because, forsooth, that is a sign that he is strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and against hope believes in hope. But what Bible do they learn this
notion of faith out of, that it is a man's confidently believing that he is in a
good estate? If this be faith, the
Pharisees had faith in an eminent degree; some of which, Christ teaches,
committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. The Scripture represents
faith as that by which men are brought into a good estate; and therefore it
cannot be the same thing as believing that they are already in a good estate. To
suppose that faith consists in persons believing that they are in a good estate,
is in effect the same thing, as to suppose that faith consists in a person's
believing that he has faith, or believing that he
believes.
Indeed persons doubting of
their good estate, may in several respects arise from unbelief. It may be from
unbelief, or because they have so little faith that they have so little evidence
of their good estate: if they had more experience of the actings of faith, and
so more experience of the exercise of grace, they would have clearer evidence
that their state was good; and so their doubts would be removed. And then their
doubting of their state may be from unbelief thus, when, though there be many
things that are good evidences of a work of grace in them, yet they doubt very
much whether they are really in a state of favor with God, because it is they,
those that are so unworthy, and have done so much to provoke God to anger
against them. Their doubts in such a case arise from unbelief, as they arise
from want of a sufficient sense of, and reliance on, the infinite riches of
God's grace, and the sufficiency of Christ for the chief of sinners. They may
also be from unbelief, when they doubt of their state, because of the mystery of
God's dealings with them; they are not able to reconcile such dispensations with
God's favor to them; or when they doubt whether they have any interest in the
promises, because the promises from the aspect of providence appear so unlikely
to be fulfilled; the difficulties that are in the way are so many and great.
Such doubting arises from want of dependence upon God's almighty power, and his
knowledge and wisdom, as infinitely above theirs. But yet, in such persons,
their unbelief, and their doubting of their state, are not the same thing;
though one arises from the other.
Persons may be greatly to
blame for doubting of their state, on such grounds as these last mentioned; and
they may be to blame, that they have no more grace, and no more of the present
exercises and experiences of it, to be an evidence to them of the goodness of
their state: men are doubtless to blame for being in a dead, carnal frame; but
when they are in such a frame, and have no sensible experience of the exercises
of grace, but on the contrary, are much under the prevalence of lusts and an
unchristian spirit, they are not to blame for doubting their state. It is as
impossible, in the nature of things, that a holy and Christian hope be kept
alive, in its clearness and strength, in such circumstances, as it is to keep
the light in the room, when the candle is put out; or to maintain the bright
sunshine in the air, when the sun is gone down. Distant experiences, when
darkened by present prevailing lust and corruption, never keep alive a gracious
confidence and assurance; but that sickens and decays upon it, as necessarily as
a little child by repeated blows on the head with a hammer. Nor is it at all to
be lamented, that persons doubt of their state in such circumstances: but, on
the contrary, it is desirable and every way best that they should. It is
agreeable to that wise and merciful constitution of things, which God hath
established, that it should be so. For so hath God contrived and constituted
things, in his dispensations towards his own people, that when their love
decays, and the exercises of it fail, or become weak, fear should arise; for
then they need it to restrain them from sin, and to excite them to care for the
good of their souls, and so to stir them up to watchfulness and diligence in
religion: but God hath so ordered, that when love rises, and is in vigorous
exercise, then fear should vanish, and be driven away; for then they need it
not, having a higher and more excellent principle in exercise, to restrain them
from sin, and stir them up to their duty. There are no other principles, which
human nature is under the influence of, that will ever make men conscientious,
but one of these two, fear or love; and therefore, if one of these
should not prevail as the other decays, God's people, when fallen into dead and
carnal frames, when love is asleep, would be lamentably exposed indeed: and
therefore God has wisely ordained, that these two opposite principles of love
and fear should rise and fall, like the two opposite scales of a balance; when
one rises the other sinks. As light and darkness necessarily and unavoidably
succeed each other; if light prevails, so much does darkness cease, and no more;
and if light decays, so much does darkness prevail; so it is in the heart of a
child of God: if divine love decays and falls asleep, and lust prevails, the
light and joy of hope go out, and dark fear and doubting arises; and if, on the
contrary, divine love prevails and comes into lively exercise, this brings in
the brightness of hope, and drives away black lust, and fear with it. Love is
the spirit of adoption, or the childlike principle; if that slumbers, men fall
under fear, which is the spirit of bondage, or the servile principle; and so on
the contrary. And if it be so, that love, or the spirit of adoption, be carried
to a great height, it quite drives away all fear, and gives full assurance;
agreeable to that of the apostle, 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casts out fear." These two opposite principles of lust and holy
love, bring hope and fear into the hearts of God's children, in proportion as
they prevail; that is, when left to their own natural influence, without
something adventitious, or accidental intervening; as the distemper of
melancholy, doctrinal ignorance, prejudices of education, wrong instruction,
false principles, peculiar temptations, &c.
Fear is cast out by the
Spirit of God, no other way than by the prevailing of love; nor is it ever
maintained by his Spirit but when love is asleep. At such a time, in vain is all
the saint's self-examinations, and poring on past experience, in order to
establish his peace, and get assurance. For it is contrary to the nature of
things, as God hath constituted them, that he should have assurance at such a
time.
They therefore do directly
thwart God's wise and gracious constitution of things, who exhort others to be
confident in their hope, when in dead frames; under a notion of "living by
faith, and not by sight, and trusting God in the dark, and living upon Christ,
and not upon experiences;" and warn them not to doubt of their good estate, lest
they should be guilty of the dreadful sin of unbelief. And it has a direct
tendency to establish the most presumptuous hypocrites, and to prevent their
ever calling their state in question, how much soever wickedness rages, and
reigns in their hearts, and prevails in their lives; under a notion of honoring
God, by hoping against hope, and confidently trusting in God, when things look
very dark. And doubtless vast has been the mischief that has been done this
way.
Persons cannot be said to
forsake Christ, and live on their experiences of the exercises of grace, merely
because they take them and use them as evidences of grace; for there are no
other evidences that they can or ought to take. But then may persons be said to
live upon their experiences, when they make a righteousness of them, and instead
of keeping their eye on God's glory and Christ's excellency, they turn their
eyes off these objects without them, on to themselves, to entertain their minds,
by viewing their own attainments, and high experiences, and the great things
they have met with, and are bright and beautiful in their own eyes, and are rich
and increased with goods in their own apprehensions, and think that God has as
admiring an esteem of them, on the same account, as they have of themselves:
this is living on experiences, and not on Christ; and is more abominable in the
sight of God, than the gross immoralities of those who make no pretenses to
religion. But this is a far different thing from a mere improving experiences as
evidences of an interest in a glorious Redeemer.
But to return from this
digression, I would mention one thing more under the general head that I am
upon.
XII. Nothing can be
certainly concluded concerning the nature of religious affections, that any are
the subjects of, from this, that the outward manifestations of them, and the
relation persons give of them, are very affecting and pleasing to the truly
godly, and such as greatly gain their charity, and win their
hearts.
The true saints have not
such a spirit of discerning that they can certainly determine who are godly, and
who are not. For though they know experimentally what true religion is, in the
internal exercises of it; yet these are what they can neither feel, nor see, in
the heart of another. There is nothing in others,
that comes within their view, but outward manifestations and appearances; but
the Scripture plainly intimates, that this way of judging what is in men by
outward appearances, is at best uncertain, and liable to deceit: 1 Sam. 16:7,
"The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but
the Lord looketh on the heart." Isa. 11:3, "He shall not judge after the sight
of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears." They commonly are but poor
judges, and dangerous counselors in soul cases, who are quick and peremptory in
determining persons' states, vaunting themselves in their extraordinary faculty
of discerning and distinguishing, in these great affairs; as though all was open
and clear to them. They betray one of these three things: either that they have
had but little experience; or are persons of a weak judgment; or that they have
a great degree of pride and self-confidence, and so ignorance of themselves.
Wise and experienced men will proceed with great caution in such an
affair.
When there are many probable
appearances of piety in others, it is the duty of the saints to receive them
cordially into their charity, and to love them and rejoice in them, as their
brethren in Christ Jesus. But yet the best of men may be, when the appearances
seem to them exceeding fair and bright, as entirely to gain their charity, and
conquer their hearts. It has been common thing in the church of God, for such
bright professors, that are received as eminent saints, among the saints, to
fall away and come to nothing. And this we need not wonder
at, if we consider the things that have been already observed; what things it
has been shown may appear in men who are altogether graceless. Nothing hinders
but that all these things may meet together in men, and yet they be without a
spark of grace in their hearts. They may have religious affections of many kinds
together; they may have a sort of affection towards God, that bears a great
resemblance of dear love to him; and so a kind of love to the brethren, and
great appearances of admiration of God's perfections and works, and sorrow for
sin, and reverence, submission, self-abasement, gratitude, joy, religious
longings, and zeal for religion and the good of souls. And these affections may
come after great awakenings and convictions of conscience; and there may be
great appearances of a work of humiliation: and counterfeit love and joy, and
other affections may seem to follow these, and one another, just in the same
order that is commonly observable in the holy affections of true converts. And
these religious affections may be carried to a great height, and may cause
abundance of tears, yea, may overcome the nature of those who are the subjects
of them, and may make them affectionate, and fervent, and fluent, in speaking of
the things of God, and dispose them to be abundant in it; and may be attended
with many sweet texts of Scripture, and precious promises, brought with great
impression on their minds; and may dispose them with their mouths to praise and
glorify God, in a very ardent manner, and fervently to call upon others to
praise him, crying out of their unworthiness, and extolling free grace. And may,
moreover, dispose them to abound in the external duties of religion, such as
prayer, hearing the word preached, singing, and religious conference; and these
things attended with a great resemblance of a Christian assurance, in its
greatest height, when the saints mount on eagles' wings, above all darkness and
doubting. I think it has been made plain, that there may be all these things,
and yet there be nothing more than the common influences of the Spirit of God,
joined with the delusions of Satan, and the wicked and deceitful heart.—To which
I may add, that all these things may be attended with a sweet natural temper,
and a good doctrinal knowledge of religion, and a long acquaintance with the
saints' way of talking, and of expressing their affections and experiences, and
a natural ability and subtlety in accommodating their expressions and manner of
speaking to the dispositions and notions of the hearers, and a taking decency of
expression and behavior, formed by a good education. How great therefore may the
resemblance be, as to all outward expressions and appearances, between a
hypocrite and a true saint! Doubtless it is the glorious prerogative of the
omniscient God, as the great searcher of hearts, to be able well to separate
between sheep and goats. And what an indecent self-exaltation and arrogance it
is, in poor, fallible, dark mortals, to pretend that they can determine and
know, who are really sincere and upright before God, and who are
not!
Many seem to lay great
weight on that, and to suppose it to be what may determine them with respect to
others' real piety, when they not only tell a plausible story, but when, in
giving an account of their experiences, they make such a representation, and
speak after such a manner, that they feel their talk; that is to say, when their
talk seems to harmonize with their own experience, and their hearts are touched
and affected and delighted, by what they hear them say, and drawn out by it, in
dear love to them. But there is not that certainty in such things, and that full
dependence to be had upon them, which many imagine. A true saint greatly
delights in holiness; it is a most beautiful thing in his eyes; and God's work,
in savingly renewing and making holy and happy, a poor, and before perishing
soul, appears to him a most glorious work: no wonder, therefore, that his heart
is touched, and greatly affected, when he hears another give a probable account
of this work, wrought on his own heart, and when he sees in him probable
appearances of holiness; whether those pleasing appearances have anything real
to answer them, or no. And if he uses the same words, which are commonly made
use of, to express the affections of true saints, and tells of many things
following one another in an order, agreeable to the method of the experience of
him that hears him, and also speaks freely and boldly, and with an air of
assurance; no wonder the other thinks his experiences harmonize with his own.
And if, besides all this, in giving his relation, he speaks with much affection;
and, above all, if in speaking he seems to show much affection to him to whom he
speaks, such an affection as the Galatians did to the Apostle Paul; these things
will naturally have a powerful influence, to affect and draw his hearer's heart,
and open wide the doors of his charity towards him. David speaks as one who had
felt Ahithophel's talk, and had once a sweet savor and relish of it. And
therefore exceeding great was his surprise and disappointment, when he fell; it
was almost too much for him: Psal. 55:12, 13, 14, "It was not an enemy—then I
could have borne it; but it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and mine
acquaintance: we took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God
in company."
It is with professors of
religion, especially such as become so in a time of outpouring of the Spirit of
God, as it is with blossoms in the spring; there are vast numbers of
them upon the trees, which all look fair and promising; but yet many of them
never come to anything. And many of those, that in a little time wither up, and
drop off, and rot under the trees; yet for a while look as beautiful and gay as
others; and not only so, but smell sweet, and send forth a pleasant odor; so
that we cannot, by any of our senses, certainly distinguish those blossoms which
have in them that secret virtue, which will afterwards appear in the fruit, and
that inward solidity and strength which shall enable them to bear, and cause
them to be perfected by the hot summer sun, that will dry up the others. It is
the mature fruit which comes afterwards, and not the beautiful colors and smell
of the blossoms, that we must judge by. So new converts (professedly so), in
their talk about things of religion, may appear fair, and be very savory, and
the saints may think they talk feelingly. They may relish their talk, and
imagine they perceive a divine savor in it, and yet all may come to
nothing.
It is strange how hardly men
are brought to be contented with the rules and directions Christ has given them,
but they must needs go by other rules of their counsels which Christ ever
delivered more plainly, than the rule. I know of no directions or councils which
Christ ever delivered more plainly, than the rule he has given us, to guide our
judging of others' sincerity, viz., that we should judge of the tree chiefly by
the fruit: but yet this will not do; but other ways are found out, which are
imagined to be more distinguishing and certain. And woeful have been the
mischievous consequences of this arrogant setting up men's wisdom above the
wisdom of Christ. I believe many saints have gone much out of the way of
Christ's word, in this respect: and some of them have been chastised with whips,
and (I had almost said) scorpions, to bring them back again. But many things
which have lately appeared, and do now appear, may convince that ordinarily
those who have gone farthest this way, that have been most highly conceited of
their faculty of discerning, and have appeared most forward, peremptorily and
suddenly to determine the state of men's souls, have been hypocrites, who have
known nothing of true religion.
In the parable of the wheat
and tares, it is said, Matt. 13:26, "When the blade was sprung up, and brought
forth fruit, then appeared the tares also." As though the tares were not
discerned, nor distinguishable from the wheat, until then, as Mr. Flavel
observes, who mentions it as an
observation of Jerome's, that "wheat and tares are so much alike, until the
blade of the wheat comes to bring forth the ear, that it is next to impossible
to distinguish them." And then Mr. Flavel adds, "How difficult soever it be to
discern the difference between wheat and tares; yet doubtless the eye of sense
can much easier discriminate them, than the most quick and piercing eye of man
can discern the difference between special and common grace. For all saving
graces in the saints, have their counterfeits in hypocrites; there are similar
works in those, which a spiritual and very judicious eye may easily mistake for
the saving and genuine effects of a sanctifying spirit."
As it is the ear of the
fruit which distinguishes the wheat from the tares, so this is the true
Shibboleth, that he who stands as judge at the passages of Jordan, makes use of
to distinguish those that shall pass over Jordan into the true Canaan, from
those that should be slain at the passages. For the Hebrew word Shibboleth
signifies an ear of corn. And perhaps the more full pronunciation of Jephthah's
friends, Shibboleth, may represent a full ear with fruit in it, typifying the
fruits of the friends of Christ, the antitype of Jephthah; and the more lean
pronunciation of the Ephraimites, his enemies, may represent their empty ears,
typifying the show of religion in hypocrites, without substance and fruit. This
is agreeable to the doctrine we are abundantly taught in Scripture, viz., that
he who is set to judge those that pass through death, whether they have a right
to enter into the heavenly Canaan or no, or whether they should not be slain,
will judge every man according to his works.
We seem to be taught the
same things, by the rules given for the priest's discerning the leprosy. In many
cases it was impossible for the priest to determine whether a man had the
leprosy, or whether he were clean, by the most narrow inspection of the
appearances that were upon him, until he had waited to see what the appearances
would come to, and had shut up the person who showed himself to him, one seven
days after another; and when he judged, he was to determine by the hair, which
grew out of the spot that was showed him, which was as it were the fruit that it
brought forth.
And here, before I finish
what I have to say under this head, I would say something to a strange notion
some have of late been led away with, of certainly knowing the good estate that
others are in, as though it were immediately revealed to them from heaven, by
their love flowing out to them in an extraordinary manner. They argue thus, that
their love being very sensible and great, it may be certainly known by them who
feel it, to be a true Christian love: and if it be a true Christian love, the
Spirit of God must be the author of it: and inasmuch as the Spirit of God who
knows certainly, whether others are the children of God or no, and is a spirit
of truth, is pleased by an uncommon influence upon them, to cause their love to
flow out, in an extraordinary manner, towards such a person as a child of God;
it must needs be, that this infallible Spirit, who deceives none, knows that
that person is a child of God. But such persons might be convinced of the
falseness of their reasoning, if they would consider whether or no it be not
their duty, and what God requires of them, to love those as the children of God
who they think are the children of God, and whom they have no reason to think
otherwise of, from all that they can see in them, though God, who searches the
hearts, knows them not to be his children.
If it be their duty, then it
is good, and the want of it sin; and therefore surely the Spirit of God may be
the author of it: the Spirit of God, without being a spirit of falsehood, may in
such a case assist a person to do his duty, and keep him from sin. But then they
argue from the uncommon degree and special manner, in which their love flows out
to the person, which they think the Spirit of God never would cause, if he did
not know the object to be a child of God. But then I would ask them, whether or
no it is not their duty to love all such as they are bound to think are the
children of God, from all that they can see in them, to a very great degree,
though God, from other things which he sees, that are out of sight to them,
knows them not to be so. It is men's duty to love all whom they are bound in
charity to look upon as the children of God, with a vastly dearer affection than
they commonly do. As we ought to love Christ to the utmost capacity of our
nature, so it is our duty to love those who we think are so near and dear to him
as his members, with an exceeding dear affection, as Christ has loved us; and
therefore it is sin in us not to love them so. We ought to pray to God that he
would by his Spirit keep us from sin, and enable us to do our duty: and may not
his Spirit answer our prayers, and enable us to do our duty, in a particular
instance, without lying? If he cannot, then the Spirit of God is bound not to
help his people to do their duty in some instances, because he cannot do it
without being a spirit of falsehood. But surely God is so sovereign as that
comes to, that he may enable us to do our duty when he pleases, and on what
occasion he pleases. When persons think others are his children, God may have
other ends in causing their exceedingly endeared love to flow out to them,
besides revealing to them whether their opinion of them be right or no: he may
have that merciful end in it to enable them to know their duty, and to keep them
from that dreadful infinite evil, sin. And will they say God shall not show them
that mercy in such a case? If I am at a distance from home, and hear, that in my
absence my house is burnt, but my family have, in some extraordinary manner, all
escaped the flames; and everything in the circumstances of the story, as I hear
it, makes it appear very credible, it would be sin in me, in such a case, not to
feel a very great degree of gratitude to God, though the story indeed be not
true. And is not God so sovereign, that he may, if he pleases, show me that
mercy on that occasion, and enable me to do my duty in a much further degree
than I used to do it, and yet not incur the charge of deceitfulness in
confirming a falsehood?
It is exceeding manifest,
that error or mistake may be the occasion of a gracious exercise, and
consequently a gracious influence of the Spirit of God by Rom. 14:6: "He that
eateth to the Lord he eateth, and giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not to
the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks!" The apostle is speaking of
those, who through erroneous and needless scruples, avoided eating legally
unclean meats.—By this it is very evident, that there may be true exercises of
grace, a true respect to the Lord, and particularly, a true thankfulness, which
may be occasioned, both by an erroneous judgment and practice. And consequently,
an error may be the occasion of those true holy exercises that are from the
infallible Spirit of God. And if so, it is certainly too much for us to
determine, to how great a degree the Spirit of God may give this holy exercise,
on such an occasion.
This notion, of certainly
discerning another's state, by love flowing out, is not only not founded on
reason or Scripture, but it is anti-scriptural, it is against the rules of
Scripture; which say not a word of any such way of judging the state of others
as this, but direct us to judge chiefly by the fruits that are seen in them. And
it is against the doctrines of Scripture, which do plainly teach us, that the
state of others' souls towards God cannot be known by us, as in Rev. 2:17: "To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him
a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving
he that receiveth it." And Rom. 2:29, "He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose
praise is not of men, but of God." That by this last expression, "whose praise
is not of men, but of God," the apostle has respect to the insufficiency of men
to judge concerning him, whether he be inwardly a Jew or no (as they could
easily see by outward marks, whether men were outwardly Jews), and would
signify, that it belongs to God alone to give a determining voice in this
matter, is confirmed by the same apostle's use of the phrase, in 1 Cor. 4:5:
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the heart:" and then shall every man have praise of God. The
apostle, in the two foregoing verses, says, "But with me it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not
mine own self. For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but
he that judgeth me is the Lord." And again, it is further confirmed, because the
apostle, in this second chapter to the Romans, directs his speech especially to
those who had a high conceit of their own holiness, made their boast of God, and
were confident of their own discerning, and that they knew God's will, and
approved the things which were excellent, or tried the things that differ (as it
is in the margin), ver. 19: "And were confident that they were guides of the
blind, and a light to them which are in darkness, instructors of the foolish,
teachers of babes; and so took upon them to judge others." See ver. 1, and 17,
18, 19, 20.
And how arrogant must the
notion be, that they have, who imagine they can certainly know others'
godliness, when that great Apostle Peter pretends not to say any more concerning
Sylvanus, than that he was a faithful brother, as he supposed! 1 Pet. 5:12.
Though this Sylvanus appears to have been a very eminent minister of Christ, and
an evangelist, and a famous light in God's church at that day, and an intimate
companion of the apostles. See 2 Cor. 1:19, 1 Thess. 1:1, and 2 Thess.
1:1.
PART III.
SHOWING WHAT ARE DISTINGUISHING SIGNS OF TRULY GRACIOUS
AND HOLY AFFECTIONS.
I COME now to the second
thing appertaining to the trial of religious affections, which was proposed,
viz., To take notice of some things, wherein those affections that are spiritual
and gracious, do differ from those that are not so.
But before I proceed
directly to the distinguishing characters, I would previously mention some
things which I desire may be observed, concerning the marks I shall lay
down.
1. That I am far from
undertaking to give such signs of gracious affections, as shall be sufficient to
enable any certainly to distinguish true affection from false in others; or to
determine positively which of their neighbors are true professors, and which are
hypocrites. In so doing, I should be guilty of that arrogance which I have been
condemning. Though it be plain that Christ has given rules to all Christians, to
enable them to judge of professors of religion, whom they are concerned with, so
far as is necessary for their own safety, and to prevent their being led into a
snare by false teachers, and false pretenders to religion; and though it be also
beyond doubt, that the Scriptures do abound with rules, which may be very
serviceable to ministers, in counseling and conducting souls committed to their
care, in things appertaining to their spiritual and eternal state; yet it is
also evident, that it was never God's design to give us any rules, by which we
may certainly know, who of our fellow professors are his, and to make a full and
clear separation between sheep and goats; but that, on the contrary, it was
God's design to reserve this to himself, as his prerogative. And therefore no
such distinguishing signs as shall enable Christians or ministers to do this,
are ever to be expected to the world's end: for no more is ever to be expected
from any signs, that are to be found in the word of God, or gathered from it,
than Christ designed them for.
2. No such signs are to be
expected, that shall be sufficient to enable those saints certainly to discern
their own good estate, who are very low in grace, or are such as have much
departed from God, and are fallen into a dead, carnal, and unchristian frame. It
is not agreeable to God's design (as has been already observed), that such
should know their good estate: nor is it desirable that they should; but, on the
contrary, every way best that they should not; and we have reason to bless God,
that he has made no provision that such should certainly know the state that
they are in, any other way than by first coming out of the ill frame and way
they are in. Indeed it is not properly through the defect of the signs given in
the word of God, that every saint living, whether strong or weak, and those who
are in a bad frame, as well as others, cannot certainly know their good estate
by them. For the rules in themselves are certain and infallible, and every saint
has, or has had those things in himself, which are sure evidences of grace; for
every, even the least act of grace is so. But it is through his defect to whom
the signs are given. There is a twofold defect in that saint who is very low in
grace, or in an ill frame, which makes it impossible for him to know certainly
that he has true grace, by the best signs and rules which can be given him.
First, a defect in the object, or the qualification to be viewed and examined. I
do not mean an essential defect; because I suppose the person to be a real
saint; but a defect in degree: grace being very small, cannot be clearly and
certainly discerned and distinguished.
Things that are very small,
we cannot clearly discern their form, or distinguish them one from another;
though, as they are in themselves, their form may be very different. There is
doubtless a great difference between the body of man, and the bodies of other
animals, in the first conception in the womb: but yet if we should view the
different embryos, it might not be possible for us to discern the difference, by
reason of the imperfect state of the object; but as it comes to greater
perfection, the difference becomes very plain. The difference between creatures
of very contrary qualities, is not so plainly to be seen while they are very
young; even after they are actually brought forth, as in their more perfect
state. The difference between doves and ravens, or doves and vultures, when they
first come out of the egg, is not so evident; but as they grow to their
perfection, it is exceeding great and manifest. Another defect attending the
grace of those I am speaking of is its being mingled with so much corruption,
which clouds and hides it, and makes it impossible for it certainly to be known.
Though different things that are before us, may have in themselves many marks
thoroughly distinguishing them one from another; yet if we see them only in a
thick smoke, it may nevertheless be impossible to distinguish them. A fixed star
is easily distinguishable from a comet, in a clear sky; but if we view them
through a cloud, it may be impossible to see the difference. When true
Christians are in an ill frame, guilt lies on the conscience; which will bring
fear, and so prevent the peace and joy of an assured hope.
Secondly. There is in such a case a
defect in the eye. As the feebleness of grace and prevalence of corruption,
obscures the object; so it enfeebles the sight; it darkens the sight as to all
spiritual objects, of which grace is one. Sin is like some distempers of the
eyes, that make things to appear of different colors from those which properly
belong to them, and like many other distempers, that put the mouth out of taste
so as to disenable it from distinguishing good and wholesome food from bad, but
everything tastes bitter.
Men in a corrupt and carnal
frame, have their spiritual senses in but poor plight for judging and
distinguishing spiritual things.
For these reasons no signs
that can be given, will actually satisfy persons in such a case: let the signs
that are given be never so good and infallible, and clearly laid down, they will
not serve them. It is like giving a man rules, how to distinguish visible
objects in the dark; the things themselves may be very different, and their
difference may be very well and distinctly described to him; yet all is
insufficient to enable him to distinguish them, because he is in the dark. And
therefore many persons in such a case spend time in a fruitless labor, in poring
on past experiences, and examining themselves by signs they hear laid down from
the pulpit, or that they read in books; when there is other work for them to do,
that is much more expected of them; which, while they neglect, all their
self-examinations are like to be in vain if they should spend never so much time
in them. The accursed thing is to be destroyed from their camp, and Achan to be
slain; and until this be done they will be in trouble. It is not God's design
that men should obtain assurance in any other way, than by mortifying
corruption, and increasing in grace, and obtaining the lively exercises of
it.—And although self-examination be a duty of great use and importance, and by
no means to be neglected; yet it is not the principal means, by which the saints
do get satisfaction of their good estate. Assurance is not to be obtained so
much by self-examination, as by action. The Apostle Paul sought assurance
chiefly this way, even by "forgetting the things that were behind, and reaching
forth unto those things that were before, pressing towards the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus; if by any means he might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." And it was by this means chiefly that
he obtained assurance: 1 Cor. 9:26, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly." He
obtained assurance of winning the prize, more by running, than by considering.
The swiftness of his pace did more towards his assurance of a conquest, than the
strictness of his examination. Giving all diligence to grow in grace, by adding
to faith, virtue, &c., is the direction that the Apostle Peter gives us, for
"making our calling and election sure, and having an entrance ministered to us
abundantly, into Christ's everlasting kingdom;" signifying to us, that without
this, our eyes will be dim, and we shall be as men in the dark, that cannot
plainly see things past or to come, either the forgiveness of our sins past, or
our heavenly inheritance that is future, and far off, 2 Pet. 1:5-11.
Therefore, though good rules
to distinguish true grace from counterfeit, may tend to convince hypocrites, and
be of great use to the saints, in many respects; and among other benefits may be
very useful to them to remove many needless scruples, and establish their hope;
yet I am far from pretending to lay down any such rules, as shall be sufficient
of themselves, without other means, to enable all true saints to see their good
estate, or as supposing they should be the principal means of their
satisfaction.
3. Nor is there much
encouragement, in the experience of present or past times, to lay down rules or
marks to distinguish between true and false affections, in hopes of convincing
any considerable number of that sort of hypocrites, who have been deceived with
great false discoveries and affections, and are once settled in a false
confidence, and high conceit of their own supposed great experiences and
privileges. Such hypocrites are so conceited of their own wisdom, and so blinded
and hardened with a very great self-righteousness (but very subtle and secret,
under the disguise of great humility), and so invincible a fondness of their
pleasing conceit of their great exaltation, that it usually signifies nothing at
all to lay before them the most convincing evidences of their hypocrisy. Their
state is indeed deplorable, and next to those who have committed the
unpardonable sin. Some of this sort of persons seem to be most out of the reach
of means of conviction and repentance. But yet the laying down good rules may be
a means of preventing such hypocrites, and of convincing many of other kinds of
hypocrites; and God is able to convince even this kind, and his grace is not to
be limited, nor means to be neglected. And besides, such rules may be of use to
the true saints, to detect false affections, which they may have mingled with
true; and be a means of their religion's becoming more pure, and like gold tried
in the fire.
Having premised these
things, I now proceed directly to take notice of those things in which true
religious affections are distinguished from false.
I. Affections that are truly
spiritual and gracious, do arise from those influences and operations on the
heart, which are spiritual, supernatural and divine.
I will explain what I mean
by these terms, whence will appear their use to distinguish between those
affections which are spiritual, and those which are not
so.
We find that true saints, or
those persons who are sanctified by the Spirit of God, are in the New Testament
called spiritual persons. And their being spiritual is spoken of as their
peculiar character, and that wherein they are distinguished from those who are
not sanctified. This is evident, because those who are spiritual are set in
opposition to natural men, and carnal men. Thus the spiritual man and the
natural man are set in opposition one to another, 1 Cor. 2:14, 15: "The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto
him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he
that is spiritual judgeth all things." The Scripture explains itself to mean an
ungodly man, or one that has no grace, by a natural man: thus the Apostle Jude,
speaking of certain ungodly men, that had crept in unawares among the saints,
ver. 4, of his epistle, says, 5:19, "These are sensual, having not the Spirit."
This the apostle gives as a reason why they behaved themselves in such a wicked
manner as he had described. Here the word translated sensual, in the
original is yucikoi [psychikoi], which is the
very same, which in those verses in 1 Cor. chap. 2 is translated natural.
In the like manner, in the continuation of the same discourse, in the next verse
but one, spiritual men are opposed to carnal men; which the connection plainly
shows mean the same, as spiritual men and natural men, in the foregoing verses;
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you, as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal;" i.e., as in a great measure unsanctified. That by carnal the apostle
means corrupt and unsanctified, is abundantly evident, by Rom. 7:25, and 8:1, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 13, Gal. 5:16, to the end, Col. 2:18. Now therefore, if by
natural and carnal in these texts, be intended unsanctified, then doubtless by
spiritual, which is opposed thereto, is meant sanctified and
gracious.
And as the saints are called
spiritual in Scripture, so we also find that there are certain properties,
qualities, and principles, that have the same epithet given them. So we read of
a "spiritual mind," Rom. 8:6, 7, and of "spiritual wisdom," Col. 1:9, and of
"spiritual blessings," Eph. 1:3.
Now it may be observed, that
the epithet spiritual, in these and other parallel texts of the New
Testament, is not used to signify any relation of persons or things to the
spirit or soul of man, as the spiritual part of man, in opposition to the body,
which is the material part. Qualities are not said to be spiritual, because they
have their seat in the soul, and not in the body: for there are some properties
that the Scripture calls carnal or fleshly, which have their seat
as much in the soul, as those properties that are called spiritual. Thus
it is with pride and self-righteousness, and a man's trusting to his own wisdom,
which the apostle calls fleshly, Col. 2:18. Nor are things called
spiritual, because they are conversant about those things that are immaterial,
and not corporeal. For so was the wisdom of the wise men, and princes of this
world, conversant about spirits, and immaterial beings; which yet the apostle
speaks of as natural men, totally ignorant of those things that are spiritual, 1
Cor. chap. 2. But it is with relation to the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of God, that
persons or things are termed spiritual in the New Testament. Spirit, as the word
is used to signify the third person in the Trinity, is the substantive, of which
is formed the adjective spiritual, in the holy Scriptures. Thus Christians are
called spiritual persons, because they are born of the Spirit, and because of
the indwelling and holy influences of the Spirit of God in them. And things are
called spiritual as related to the Spirit of God; 1 Cor. 2:13, 14, "Which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." Here the apostle himself
expressly signifies, that by spiritual things, he means the things of the Spirit
of God, and things which the Holy Ghost teacheth. The same is yet more
abundantly apparent by viewing the whole context. Again, Rom. 8:6, "To be
carnally minded, is death; to be spiritually minded, is life and peace" The
apostle explains what he means by being carnally and spiritually minded in what
follows in the 9th verse, and shows that by being spiritually minded, he means a
having the indwelling and holy influences of the Spirit of God in the heart:
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, it so be the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
The same is evident by all the context. But time would fail to produce all the
evidence there is of this, in the New Testament.
And it must be here
observed, that although it is with relation to the Spirit of God and his
influences, that persons and things are called spiritual; yet not all those
persons who are subject to any kind of influence of the Spirit of God, are
ordinarily called spiritual in the New Testament. They who have only the common
influences of God's Spirit, are not so called, in the places cited above, but
only those who have the special, gracious, and saving influences of God's
Spirit; as is evident, because it has been already proved, that by spiritual men
is meant godly men, in opposition to natural, carnal, and unsanctified men. And
it is most plain, that the apostle by spiritually minded, Rom. 8:6, means
graciously minded. And though the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, which
natural men might have, are sometimes called spiritual, because they are from
the Spirit; yet natural men, whatever gifts of the Spirit they had, were not, in
the usual language of the New Testament, called spiritual persons. For it was
not by men's having the gifts of the Spirit, but by their having the virtues of
the Spirit, that they were called spiritual; as is apparent by Gal. 6:1:
"Brethren, if any man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness." Meekness is one of those virtues which
the apostle had just spoken of, in the verses next preceding, showing what are
the fruits of the Spirit. Those qualifications are said to be spiritual in the
language of the New Testament, which are truly gracious and holy, and peculiar
to the saints.
Thus, when we read of
spiritual wisdom and understanding (as in Col. 1:9, "We desire that ye may be
filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding"), hereby is intended that wisdom which is gracious, and from the
sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God. For, doubtless, by spiritual wisdom
is meant that which is opposite to what the Scripture calls natural wisdom; as
the spiritual man is opposed to the natural man. And therefore spiritual wisdom
is doubtless the same with that wisdom which is from above, that the Apostle
James speaks of, Jam. 3:17: "The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle," &c., for this the apostle opposes to natural wisdom,
ver. 15: "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual"—the
last word in the original is the same that is translated natural, in 1
Cor. 2:14.
So that although natural men
may be the subjects of many influences of the Spirit of God, as is evident by
many Scriptures, as Numb. 24:2, 1 Sam. 10:10, and 11:6, and 16:14, 1 Cor. 13:1,
2, 3, Heb. 6:4, 5, 6, and many others; yet they are not, in the sense of the
Scripture, spiritual persons; neither are any of those effects, common gifts,
qualities, or affections, that are from the influence of the Spirit of God upon
them, called spiritual things. The great difference lies in these two
things.
1. The Spirit of God is
given to the true saints to dwell in them, as his proper lasting abode; and to
influence their hearts, as a principle of new nature or as a divine supernatural
spring of life and action. The Scriptures represent the Holy Spirit not only as
moving, and occasionally influencing the saints, but as dwelling in them as his
temple, his proper abode, and everlasting dwelling place, 1 Cor. 3:16, 2 Cor.
6:16, John 14:16, 17. And he is represented as being there so united to the
faculties of the soul, that he becomes there a principle or spring of new nature
and life.
So the saints are said to
live by Christ living in them, Gal. 2:20. Christ by his Spirit not only
is in them, but lives in them; and so that they live by his life;
so is his Spirit united to them, as a principle of life in them; they do not
only drink living water, but this "living water becomes a well or fountain of
water," in the soul, "springing up into spiritual and everlasting life," John
4:14, and thus becomes a principle of life in them. This living water, this
evangelist himself explains to intend the Spirit of God, chap. 7:38, 39. The
light of the Sun of righteousness does not only shine upon them, but is so
communicated to them that they shine also, and become little images of that Sun
which shines upon them; the sap of the true vine is not only conveyed into them,
as the sap of a tree may be conveyed into a vessel, but is conveyed as sap is
from a tree into one of its living branches, where it becomes a principle of
life. The Spirit of God being thus communicated and united to the saints, they
are from thence properly denominated from it, and are called
spiritual.
On the other hand, though
the Spirit of God may many ways influence natural men; yet because it is not
thus communicated to them, as an indwelling principle, they do not derive any
denomination or character from it: for, there being no union, it is not their
own. The light may shine upon a body that is very dark or black; and though that
body be the subject of the light, yet, because the light becomes no principle of
light in it, so as to cause the body to shine, hence that body does not properly
receive its denomination from it, so as to be called a lightsome body. So the
Spirit of God acting upon the soul only, without communicating itself to be an
active principle in it, cannot denominate it spiritual. A body that continues
black, may be said not to have light, though the light shines upon it: so
natural men are said "not to have the Spirit," Jude 19, sensual or natural (as
the word is elsewhere rendered), having not the Spirit.
2. Another reason why the
saints and their virtues are called spiritual (which is the principal thing) is,
that the Spirit of God, dwelling as a vital principle in their souls, there
produces those effects wherein he exerts and communicates himself in his own
proper nature. Holiness is the nature of the Spirit of God, therefore he is
called in Scripture the Holy Ghost. Holiness, which is as it were the beauty and
sweetness of the divine nature, is as much the proper nature of the Holy Spirit,
as heat is the nature of fire, or sweetness was the nature of that holy
anointing oil, which was the principal type of the Holy Ghost in the Mosaic
dispensation; yea, I may rather say, that holiness is as much the proper nature
of the Holy Ghost, as sweetness was the nature of the sweet odor of that
ointment. The Spirit of God so dwells in the hearts of the saints, that he
there, as a seed or spring of life, exerts and communicates himself, in this his
sweet and divine nature, making the soul a partaker of God's beauty and Christ's
joy, so that the saint has truly fellowship with the Father, and with his Son
Jesus Christ, in thus having the communion or participation of the Holy Ghost.
The grace which is in the hearts of the saints, is of the same nature with the
divine holiness, as much as it is possible for that holiness to be, which is
infinitely less in degree; as the brightness that is in a diamond which the sun
shines upon, is of the same nature with the brightness of the sun, but only that
it is as nothing to it in degree. Therefore Christ says, John 3:6, "That which
is born of the Spirit, is spirit;" i.e., the grace that is begotten in the
hearts of the saints, is something of the same nature with that Spirit, and so
is properly called a spiritual nature; after the same manner as that which is
born of the flesh is flesh, or that which is born of corrupt nature is corrupt
nature.
But the Spirit of God never
influences the minds of natural men after this manner. Though he may influence
them many ways, yet he never, in any of his influences, communicates himself to
them in his own proper nature. Indeed he never acts disagreeably to his nature,
either on the minds of saints or sinners: but the Spirit of God may act upon men
agreeably to his own nature, and not exert his proper nature in the acts and
exercises of their minds: the Spirit of God may act so, that his actions may be
agreeable to his nature, and yet may not at all communicate himself in his
proper nature, in the effect of that action. Thus, for instance, the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters, and there was nothing disagreeable to his
nature in that action; but yet he did not at all communicate himself in that
action, there was nothing of the proper nature of the Holy Spirit in that motion
of the waters. And so he may act upon the minds of men many ways, and not
communicate himself any more than when be acts on inamimate
things.
Thus not only the manner of
the relation of the Spirit, who is the operator, to the subject of his
operations, is different; as the Spirit operates in the saints, as dwelling in
them, as an abiding principle of action, whereas he doth not so operate upon
sinners; but the influence and operation itself is different, and the effect
wrought exceeding different. So that not only the persons are called
spiritual, as having the Spirit of God dwelling in them; but those
qualifications, affections, and experiences, that are wrought in them by the
Spirit, are also spiritual, and therein differ vastly in their nature and
kind from all that a natural man is or can be the subject of, while he remains
in a natural state; and also from all that men or devils can be the authors of.
It is a spiritual work in this high sense; and therefore above all other works
is peculiar to the Spirit of God. There is no work so high and excellent; for
there is no work wherein God doth so much communicate himself, and wherein the
mere creature hath, in so high a sense a participation of God; so that it is
expressed in Scripture by the saints "being made partakers of the divine
nature," 2 Pet. 1:4, and "having God dwelling in them, and they in God," 1 John
4:12, 15, 16, and chap. 3:21; "and having Christ in them," John 17:21, Rom.
8:10; "being the temples of the living God," 2 Cor. 6:16; "living by Christ's
life," Gal. 2:20; "being made partakers of God's holiness," Heb. 12:10; "having
Christ's love dwelling in them," John 17:26; "having his joy fulfilled in them,"
John 17:13; "seeing light in God's light, and being made to drink of the river
of God's pleasures," Psal. 36:8, 9; "having fellowship with God, or
communicating and partaking with him (as the word signifies)," 1 John 1:3. Not
that the saints are made partakers of the essence of God, and so are
godded with God, and christed with Christ, according to the
abominable and blasphemous language and notions of some heretics: but, to use
the Scripture phrase, they are made partakers of God's fullness, Eph. 3:17, 18,
19, John 1:16, that is, of God's spiritual beauty and happiness, according to
the measure and capacity of a creature; for so it is evident the word
fullness signifies in Scripture language. Grace in the hearts of the
saints, being therefore the most glorious work of God, wherein he communicates
of the goodness of his nature, it is doubtless his peculiar work, and in an
eminent manner above the power of all creatures. And the influences of the
Spirit of God in this, being thus peculiar to God, and being those wherein God
does, in so high a manner, communicate himself, and make the creature partaker
of the divine nature (the Spirit of God communicating itself in its own proper
nature); this is what I mean by those influences that are divine, when I say
that "truly gracious affections do arise from those influences that are
spiritual and divine."
The true saints only have
that which is spiritual; others have nothing which is divine, in the sense that
has been spoken of. They not only have not these communications of the Spirit of
God in so high a degree as the saints, but have nothing of that nature or kind.
For the Apostle James tells us, that natural men have not the Spirit; and Christ
teaches the necessity of a new birth, or of being born of the Spirit, from this,
that he that is born of the flesh, has only flesh, and no spirit, John 3:6. They
have not the Spirit of God dwelling in them in any degree; for the apostle
teaches, that all who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them, are some of his,
Rom. 8:9-11. And a having the Spirit of God is spoken of as a certain sign that
persons shall have the eternal inheritance; for it is spoken of as the earnest
of it, 2 Cor. 1:29, and 5:5, Eph. 1:14; and a having anything of the Spirit is
mentioned as a sure sign of being in Christ, 1 John 4:13: "Hereby know we that
we dwell in him, because he hath given us of his Spirit." Ungodly men not only
have not so much of the divine nature as the saints, but they are not partakers
of it; which implies that they have nothing of it; for a being partaker of the
divine nature is spoken of as the peculiar privilege of the true saints, 2 Pet.
1:4. Ungodly men are not "partakers of God's holiness," Heb. 12:10. A natural
man has no experience of any of those things that are spiritual: the apostle
teaches us, that he is so far from it, that he knows nothing about them, he is a
perfect stranger to them, the talk about such things is all foolishness and
nonsense to him, he knows not what it means; 1 Cor. 2:14, "The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." And to the
like purpose Christ teaches us that the world is wholly unacquainted with the
Spirit of God, John 14:17: "Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him." And it is further
evident, that natural men have nothing in them of the same nature with the true
grace of the saints, because the apostle teaches us, that those of them who go
farthest in religion have no charity, or true Christian love, 1 Cor. chap. 13.
So Christ elsewhere reproves the Pharisees, those high pretenders to religion,
that they "had not the love of God in them," John 5:42. Hence natural men have
no communion or fellowship with Christ, or participation with him (as these
words signify), for this is spoken of as the peculiar privilege of the saints, 1
John 1:3, together with ver. 6, 7, and 1 Cor. 1:8, 9. And the Scripture speaks
of the actual being of a gracious principle in the soul, though in its first
beginning, as a seed there planted, as inconsistent with a man's being a sinner,
1 John 3:9. And natural men are represented in Scripture, as having no spiritual
light, no spiritual life, and no spiritual being; and therefore conversion is
often compared to opening the eyes of the blind, raising the dead, and a work of
creation (wherein creatures are made entirely new), and becoming new-born
children.
From these things it is
evident, that those gracious influences which the saints are subjects of, and
the effects of God's Spirit which they experience, are entirely above nature,
altogether of a different kind from anything that men find within themselves by
nature, or only in the exercise of natural principles; and are things which no
improvement of those qualifications, or principles that are natural, no
advancing or exalting them to higher degrees, and no kind of composition of
them, will ever bring men to; because they not only differ from what is natural,
and from everything that natural men experience, in degree and circumstances,
but also in kind; and are of a nature vastly more excellent. And this is what I
mean, by supernatural, when I say that gracious affections are from those
influences that are supernatural.
From hence it follows, that
in those gracious exercises and affections which are wrought in the minds of the
saints, through the saving influences of the Spirit of God, there is a new
inward perception or sensation of their minds, entirely different in its nature
and kind, from anything that ever their minds were the subjects of before they
were sanctified. For doubtless if God by his mighty power produces something
that is new, not only in degree and circumstances, but in its whole nature, and
that which could be produced by no exalting, varying, or compounding of what was
there before, or by adding anything of the like kind; I say, if God produces
something thus new in a mind, that is a perceiving, thinking, conscious thing;
then doubtless something entirely new is felt, or perceived, or thought; or,
which is the same thing, there is some new sensation or perception of the mind,
which is entirely of a new sorts and which could be produced by no exalting,
varying, or compounding of that kind of perceptions or sensations which the mind
had before; or there is what some metaphysicians call a new simple idea. If
grace be, in the sense above described, an entirely new kind of principle, then
the exercises of it are also entirely a new kind of exercises. And if there be
in the soul a new sort of exercises which it is conscious of, which the soul
knew nothing of before, and which no improvement, composition, or management of
what it was before conscious or sensible of, could produce, or anything like it;
then it follows that the mind has an entirely new kind of perception or
sensation; and here is, as it were, a new spiritual sense that the mind has, or
a principle of a new kind of perception or spiritual sensation, which is in its
whole nature different from any former kinds of sensation of the mind, as
tasting is diverse from any of the other senses; and something is perceived by a
true saint, in the exercise of this new sense of mind, in spiritual and divine
things, as entirely diverse from anything that is perceived in them, by natural
men, as the sweet taste of honey is diverse from the ideas men have of honey by
only looking on it, and feeling of it. So that the spiritual perceptions which a
sanctified and spiritual person has, are not only diverse from all that natural
men have after the manner that the ideas or perceptions of the same sense may
differ one from another, but rather as the ideas and sensations of different
senses do differ. Hence the work of the Spirit of God in regeneration is often
in Scripture compared to the giving a new sense, giving eyes to see, and ears to
hear, unstopping the ears of the deaf, and opening the eyes of them that were
born blind, and turning from darkness unto light. And because this spiritual
sense is immensely the most noble and excellent, and that without which all
other principles of perception, and all our faculties are useless and vain;
therefore the giving this new sense, with the blessed fruits and effects of it
in the soul, is compared to a raising the dead, and to a new
creation.
This new spiritual sense,
and the new dispositions that attend it, are no new faculties, but are new
principles of nature. I use the word principles for want of a word of a more
determinate signification. By a principle of nature in this place, I mean that
foundation which is laid in nature, either old or new, for any particular manner
or kind of exercise of the faculties of the soul; or a natural habit or
foundation for action, giving a personal ability and disposition to exert the
faculties in exercises of such a certain kind; so that to exert the faculties in
that kind of exercises may be said to be his nature. So this new spiritual sense
is not a new faculty of understanding, but it is a new foundation laid in the
nature of the soul, for a new kind of exercises of the same faculty of
understanding. So that new holy disposition of heart that attends this new sense
is not a new faculty of will, but a foundation laid in the nature of the soul,
for a new kind of exercises of the same faculty of will.
The Spirit of God, in all
his operations upon the minds of natural men, only moves, impresses, assists,
improves, or some way acts upon natural principles; but gives no new spiritual
principle. Thus when the Spirit of God gives a natural man visions, as he did
Balaam, he only impresses a natural principle, viz., the sense of seeing,
immediately exciting ideas of that sense; but he gives no new sense; neither is
there anything supernatural, spiritual, or divine in it. So if the Spirit of God
impresses on a man's imagination, either in a dream, or when he is awake, any
outward ideas of any of the senses, either voices, or shapes and colors, it is
only exciting ideas of the same kind that he has by natural principles and
senses. So if God reveals to any natural man any secret fact: as, for instance,
something that he shall hereafter see or hear; this is not infusing or
exercising any new spiritual principle, or giving the ideas of any new spiritual
sense; it is only impressing, in an extraordinary manner, the ideas that will
hereafter be received by sight and hearing.—So in the more ordinary influences
of the Spirit of God on the hearts of sinners, he only assists natural
principles to do the same work to a greater degree, which they do of themselves
by nature. Thus the Spirit of God by his common influences may assist men's
natural ingenuity, as he assisted Bezaleel and Aholiab in the curious works of
the tabernacle: so he may assist men's natural abilities in political affairs,
and improve their courage and other natural qualifications, as he is said to
have put his spirit on the seventy elders, and on Saul, so as to give him
another heart: so God may greatly assist natural men's reason, in their
reasoning about secular things, or about the doctrines of religion, and may
greatly advance the clearness of their apprehensions and notions of things of
religion in many respects, without giving any spiritual sense. So in those
awakenings and convictions that natural men may have, God only assists
conscience, which is a natural principle, to do that work in a further degree,
which it naturally does. Conscience naturally gives men an apprehension of right
and wrong, and suggests the relation there is between right and wrong, and a
retribution: the Spirit of God assists men's consciences to do this in a greater
degree, helps conscience against the stupifying influence of worldly objects and
their lusts. And so many other ways might be mentioned wherein the Spirit acts
upon, assists, and moves natural principles; but after all it is no more than
nature moved, acted and improved; here is nothing supernatural and divine. But
the Spirit of God in his spiritual influences on the hearts of his saints,
operates by infusing or exercising new, divine, and supernatural principles;
principles which are indeed a new and spiritual nature, and principles vastly
more noble and excellent than all that is in natural men.
From what has been said it
follows, that all spiritual and gracious affections are attended with and do
arise from some apprehension, idea, or sensation of mind, which is in its whole
nature different, yea, exceeding different, from all that is, or can be in the
mind of a natural man; and which the natural man discerns nothing of, and has no
manner of idea of (agreeable to 1 Cor. 2:14), and conceives of no more than a
man without the sense of tasting can conceive of the sweet taste of honey, or a
man without the sense of hearing can conceive of the melody of a tune, or a man
born blind can have a notion of the beauty of the rainbow.
But here two things must be
observed, in order to the right understanding of this.
1. On the one hand it must
be observed, that not everything which in any respect appertains to spiritual
affections, is new and entirely different from what natural men can conceive of,
and do experience; some things are common to gracious affections with other
affections; many circumstances, appendages and effects are common. Thus a
saint's love to God has a great many things appertaining to it, which are common
with a man's natural love to a near relation; love to God makes a man have
desires of the honor of God, and a desire to please him; so does a natural man's
love to his friend make him desire his honor, and desire to please him; love to
God causes a man to delight in the thoughts of God, and to delight in the
presence of God, and to desire conformity to God, and the enjoyment of God; and
so it is with a man's love to his friend; and many other things might be
mentioned which are common to both. But yet that idea which the saint has of the
loveliness of God, and that sensation, and that kind of delight he has in that
view, which is as it were the marrow and quintessence of his love, is peculiar,
and entirely diverse from anything that a natural man has, or can have any
notion of. And even in those things that seem to be common, there is something
peculiar; both spiritual and natural love cause desires after the object
beloved; but they be not the same sort of desires: there is a sensation of soul
in the spiritual desires of one that loves God, which is entirely different from
all natural desires: both spiritual love and natural love are attended with
delight in the object beloved; but the sensations of delight are not the same,
but entirely and exceedingly diverse. Natural men may have conceptions of many
things about spiritual affections; but there is something in them which is as it
were the nucleus, or kernel of them, that they have no more conception of, than
one born blind, has of colors.
It may be clearly
illustrated by this: we will suppose two men; one is born without the sense of
tasting, the other has it; the latter loves honey, and is greatly delighted in
it, because he knows the sweet taste of it; the other loves certain sounds and
colors; the love of each has many things that appertain to it, which is common;
it causes both to desire and delight in the object beloved, and causes grief
when it is absent, &c., but yet that idea or sensation which he who knows
the taste of honey has of its excellency and sweetness, that is the foundation
of his love, is entirely different from anything the other has or can have; and
that delight which he has in honey is wholly diverse from anything that the
other can conceive of, though they both delight in their beloved objects. So
both these persons may in some respects love the same object: the one may love a
delicious kind of fruit, which is beautiful to the eye, and of a delicious
taste; not only because he has seen its pleasant colors, but knows its sweet
taste; the other, perfectly ignorant of this, loves it only for its beautiful
colors: there are many things seen, in some respect, to be common to both; both
love, both desire, and both delight; but the love and desire, and delight of the
one, is altogether diverse from that of the other. The difference between the
love of a natural man and a spiritual man is like to this; but only it must be
observed, that in one respect it is vastly greater, viz., that the kinds of
excellency which are perceived in spiritual objects, by these different kinds of
persons, are in themselves vastly more diverse than the different kinds of
excellency perceived in delicious fruit, by a tasting and a tasteless man; and
in another respect it may not be so great, viz., as the spiritual man may have a
spiritual sense or taste, to perceive that divine and most peculiar excellency
but in small beginnings, and in a very imperfect degree.
2. On the other hand, it
must be observed that a natural man may have those religious apprehensions and
affections, which may be in many respects very new and surprising to him, and
what before he did not conceive of; and yet what he experiences be nothing like
the exercises of a principle of new nature, or the sensations of a new spiritual
sense; his affections may be very new, by extraordinarily moving natural
principles in a very new degree, and with a great many new circumstances, and a
new co-operation of natural affections, and a new composition of ideas; this may
be from some extraordinary powerful influence of Satan, and some great delusion;
but there is nothing but nature extraordinarily acted. As if a poor man that had
always dwelt in a cottage and, had never looked beyond the obscure village where
he was born, should in a jest be taken to a magnificent city and prince's court,
and there arrayed in princely robes, and set on the throne, with the crown royal
on his head, peers and nobles bowing before him, and should be made to believe
that he was now a glorious monarch; the ideas he would have, and the affections
he would experience, would in many respects be very new, and such as he had no
imagination of before; but all this is no more than extraordinarily raising and
exciting natural principles, and newly exalting, varying, and compounding such
sort of ideas, as he has by nature; here is nothing like giving him a new
sense.
Upon the whole, I think it
is clearly manifest, that all truly gracious affections do arise from special
and peculiar influences of the Spirit, working that sensible effect or sensation
in the souls of the saints, which are entirely different from all that is
possible a natural man should experience, not only different in degree and
circumstances, but different in its whole nature; so that a natural man not only
cannot experience that which is individually the same, but cannot experience
anything but what is exceeding diverse, and immensely below it, in its kind; and
that which the power of men or devils is not sufficient to produce the like of,
or anything of the same nature.
I have insisted largely on
this matter, because it is of great importance and use evidently to discover and
demonstrate the delusions of Satan, in many kinds of false religious affections,
which multitudes are deluded by, and probably have been in all ages of the
Christian church; and to settle and determine many articles of doctrine,
concerning the operations of the Spirit of God, and the nature of true
grace.
Now, therefore, to apply
these things to the purpose of this discourse.
From hence it appears, that
impressions which some have made on their imagination, or the imaginary ideas
which they have of God or Christ, or heaven, or anything appertaining to
religion, have nothing in them that is spiritual, or of the nature of true
grace. Though such things may attend what is spiritual, and be mixed with it,
yet in themselves they have nothing that is spiritual, nor are they any part of
gracious experience.
Here, for the sake of common
people, I will explain what is intended by impressions on the imagination and
imaginary ideas. The imagination is that power of the mind whereby it can have a
conception, or idea of things of an external or outward nature (that is, of such
sort of things as are the objects of the outward senses) when those things are
not present, and be not perceived by the senses. It is called imagination from
the word image; because thereby a person can have an image of some external
thing in his mind, when that thing is not present in reality, nor anything like
it. All such things as we perceive by our five external senses, seeing, hearing,
smelling, tasting, and feeling, are external things: and when a person has an
idea or image of any of these sorts of things in his mind, when they are not
there, and when he does not really see, hear, smell, taste, nor feel them; that
is to have an imagination of them, and these ideas are imaginary ideas: and when
such kinds of ideas are strongly impressed upon the mind, and the image of them
in the mind is very lively, almost as if one saw them, or heard them, &c.,
that is called an impression on the imagination. Thus colors and shapes, and a
form of countenance, they are outward things; because they are that sort of
things which are the objects of the outward sense of seeing; and therefore when
any person has in his mind a lively idea of any shape, or color, or form of
countenance; that is to have an imagination of those things. So if he has an
idea, of such sort of light or darkness, as he perceives by the sense of seeing;
that is to have an idea of outward light, and so is an imagination. So if he has
an idea of any marks made on paper, suppose letters and words written in a book;
that is to have an external and imaginary idea of such kind of things as we
sometimes perceive by our bodily eyes. And when we have the ideas of that kind
of things which we perceive by any of the other senses, as of any sounds or
voices, or words spoken; this is only to have ideas of outward things, viz., of
such kind of things as are perceived by the external sense of hearing, and so
that also is imagination: and when these ideas are livelily impressed, almost as
if they were really heard with the ears, this is to have an impression on the
imagination. And so I might go on, and instance in the ideas of things
appertaining to the other three senses of smelling, tasting, and
feeling.
Many who have had such
things have very ignorantly supposed them to be of the nature of spiritual
discoveries. They have had lively ideas of some external shape, and beautiful
form of countenance; and this they call spiritually seeing Christ. Some have had
impressed upon them ideas of a great outward light; and this they call a
spiritual discovery of God's or Christ's glory. Some have had ideas of Christ's
hanging on the cross, and his blood running from his wounds; and this they call
a spiritual sight of Christ crucified, and the way of salvation by his blood.
Some have seen him with his arms open ready to embrace them; and this they call
a discovery of the sufficiency of Christ's grace and love. Some have had lively
ideas of heaven, and of Christ on his throne there, and shining ranks of saints
and angels; and this they call seeing heaven opened to them. Some from time to
time have had a lively idea of a person of a beautiful countenance smiling upon
them; and this they call a spiritual discovery of the love of Christ to their
souls, and tasting the love of Christ. And they look upon it a sufficient
evidence that these things are spiritual discoveries, and that they see them
spiritually because they say they do not see these things with their bodily
eves, but in their hearts; for they can see them when their eyes are shut. And
in like manner, the imaginations of some have been impressed with ideas of the
sense of hearing; they have had ideas of words, as if they were sunken to them,
sometimes they are the words of Scripture, and sometimes other words: they have
had ideas of Christ's speaking comfortable words to them. These things they have
called having the inward call of Christ, hearing the voice of Christ spiritually
in their hearts, having the witness of the Spirit, and the inward testimony of
the love of Christ, &c.
The common and less
considerate and understanding sort of people, are the more easily led into
apprehensions that these things are spiritual things, because spiritual things
being invisible, and not things that can be pointed forth with the finger, we
are forced to use figurative expressions in speaking of them, and to borrow
names from external and sensible objects to signify them by. Thus we call a
clear apprehension of things spiritual by the name of light; and a having
such an apprehension of such or such things, by the name of seeing such
things; and the conviction of the judgment, and the persuasion of the will by
the word of Christ in the gospel, we signify by spiritually hearing the call of
Christ: and the scripture itself abounds with such like figurative expressions.
Persons hearing these often used, and having pressed upon them the necessity of
having their eyes opened, and having a discovery of spiritual things, and seeing
Christ in his glory and having the inward call, and the like, they ignorantly
look and wait for some such external discoveries, and imaginary views as have
been spoken of; and when they have them are confident, that now their eyes are
opened, now Christ has discovered himself to them, and they are his children;
and hence are exceedingly affected and elevated with their deliverance and
happiness, and many kinds of affections are at once set in a violent motion in
them.
But it is exceedingly
apparent that such ideas have nothing in them which is spiritual and divine, in
the sense wherein it has been demonstrated that all gracious experiences are
spiritual and divine. These external ideas are in no wise of such a sort, that
they are entirely, and in their whole nature diverse from all that men have by
nature, perfectly different from, and vastly above any sensation which it is
possible a man should have by any natural sense or principle, so that in order
to have them, a man must have a new spiritual and divine sense given him, in
order to have any sensations of that sort: so far from this, that they are ideas
of the same sort which we have by the external senses, that are some of the
inferior powers of the human nature: they are merely ideas of external objects,
or ideas of that nature, of the same outward, sensitive kind: the same sort of
sensations of mind (differing not in degree, but only in circumstances) that we
have by those natural principles which are common to us with the beasts, viz.,
the five external senses. This is a low, miserable notion of spiritual sense, to
suppose that it is only a conceiving or imagining that sort of ideas which we
have by our animal senses, which senses the beasts have in as great perfection
as we; it is, as it were, a turning Christ, or the divine nature in the soul,
into a mere animal. There is nothing wanting in the soul, as it is by nature, to
render it capable of being the subject of all these external ideas, without any
new principles. A natural man is capable of having an idea, and a lively idea of
shapes, and colors, and sounds, when they are absent, and as capable as a
regenerate man is: so there is nothing supernatural in them. And it is known by
abundant experience, that it is not the advancing or perfecting human nature,
which makes persons more capable of having such lively and strong imaginary
ideas, but that on the contrary, the weakness of body and mind, and distempers
of body, make persons abundantly more susceptive of such impressions.
As to a truly spiritual
sensation, not only is the manner of its coming into the mind extraordinary, but
the sensation itself is totally diverse from all that men have, or can have, in
a state of nature, as has been shown. But as to these external ideas, though the
way of their coming into the mind is sometimes unusual, yet the ideas in
themselves are not the better for that; they are still of no different sort from
what men have by their senses; they are of no higher kind, nor a whit better.
For instance, the external idea a man has now of Christ hanging on the cross,
and shedding his blood, is no better in itself, than the external idea that the
Jews his enemies had, who stood round his cross, and saw this with their bodily
eyes. The imaginary idea which men have now of an external brightness and glory
of God, is no better than the idea the wicked congregation in the wilderness had
of the external glory of the Lord at Mount Sinai, when they saw it with their
bodily eyes; or any better than that idea which millions of cursed reprobates
will have of the external glory of Christ at the day of judgment, who shall see,
and have a very lively idea of ten thousand times greater external glory of
Christ, than ever yet was conceived in any man's imagination: yea, the image of Christ,
which men conceive in their imaginations, is not in its own nature of any
superior kind to the idea the Papists conceive of Christ, by the beautiful and
affecting images of him which they see in their churches (though the way of
their receiving the idea may not be so bad); nor are the affections they have,
if built primarily on such imaginations, any better than the affections raised
in the ignorant people, by the sight of those images, which oftentimes are very
great; especially when these images, through the craft of the priests, are made
to move, and speak, and weep, and the like. Merely the way of persons
receiving these imaginary ideas, does not alter the nature of the ideas
themselves that are received; let them be received in what way they will, they
are still but external ideas, or ideas of outward appearances, and so are not
spiritual. Yea, if men should actually receive such external ideas by the
immediate power of the most high God upon their minds, they would not be
spiritual, they would be no more than a common work of the Spirit of God; as is
evident in fact, in the instance of Balaam, who had impressed on his mind, by
God himself, a clear and lively outward representation or idea of Jesus Christ,
as "the Star rising out of Jacob, when he heard the words of God, and knew the
knowledge of the Most High, and saw the vision of the Almighty, failing into a
trance," Numb. 24:16, 17, but yet had no manner of spiritual discovery of
Christ; that Day Star never spiritually rose in his heart, he being but a
natural man.
And as these external ideas
have nothing divine or spiritual in their nature and nothing but what natural
men, without any new principles, are capable of; so there is nothing in their
nature which requires that peculiar, inimitable and unparalleled exercise of the
glorious power of God, in order to their production, which it has been shown
there is in the production of true grace. There appears to be nothing in their
nature above the power of the devil. It is certainly not above the power of
Satan to suggest thoughts to men; because otherwise he could not tempt them to
sin. And if he can suggest any thoughts or ideas at all, doubtless imaginary
ones, or ideas of things external, are not above his power; for the external ideas men
have are the lowest sort of ideas. These ideas may be raised only by impressions
made on the body, by moving the animal spirits, and impressing the
brain.—Abundant experience does certainly show, that alterations in the body
will excite imaginary or external ideas in the mind; as often, in the case of a
high fever, melancholy, &c. These external ideas are as much below the more
intellectual exercises of the soul, as the body is a less noble part of man than
the soul.
And there is not only
nothing in the nature of these external ideas or imaginations of outward
appearances, from whence we can infer that they are above the power of the
devil; but it is certain also that the devil can excite, and often hath excited
such ideas. They were external ideas which he excited in the dreams and visions
of the false prophets of old, who were under the influence of lying spirits,
that we often read of in Scripture, as Deut. 13:1., 1 Kings 22:22, Isa. 33:7,
Ezek. 13:7. And they were external ideas that he often excited in the minds of
the heathen priests, magicians and sorcerers, in their visions and ecstasies,
and they were external ideas that he excited in the mind of the man Christ
Jesus, when he showed him all the kingdoms of the world, with the glory of them,
when those kingdoms were not really in sight.
And if Satan or any created
being, has power to impress the mind with outward representations, then no
particular sort of outward representations can be any evidence of a divine
power. Almighty power is no more requisite to represent the shape of man to the
imagination, than the shape of anything else: there is no higher kind of power
necessary to form in the brain one bodily shape or color than another: it needs
a no more glorious power to represent the form of the body of a man, than the
form of a chip or block; though it be of a very beautiful human body, with a
sweet smile in his countenance, or arms open, or blood running from the hands,
feet and side: that sort of power which can represent black or darkness to the
imagination, can also represent white and shining brightness: the power and
skill which can well and exactly paint a straw, or a stick of wood, on a piece
of paper or canvass; the same in kind, only perhaps further improved, will be
sufficient to paint the body of a man, with great beauty and in royal majesty,
or a magnificent city, paved with gold, full of brightness, and a glorious
throne, &c. So it is no more than the same sort of power that is requisite
to paint one as the other of these on the brain. The same sort of power that can
put ink upon paper, can put on leaf gold. So that it is evident to a
demonstration, if we suppose it to be in the devil's power to make any sort of
external representation at all on the fancy (as without doubt it is, and never
anyone questioned it who believed there was a devil, that had any agency with
mankind): I say, if so, it is demonstrably evident, that a created power may
extend to all kinds of external appearances and ideas in the mind. From hence it
again clearly appears, that no such things have anything in them that is
spiritual, supernatural, and divine, in the sense in which it has been proved
that all truly gracious experiences have. And though external ideas, through
man's make and frame, do ordinarily in some degree attend spiritual experiences,
yet these ideas are no part of their spiritual experience, any more than the
motion of the blood, and beating of the pulse, that attend experiences, are a
part of spiritual experience. And though undoubtedly, through men's infirmity in
the present state, and especially through the weak constitution of some persons,
gracious affections which are very strong, do excite lively ideas in the
imagination; yet it is also undoubted, that when persons' affections are founded
on imaginations, which is often the case, those affections are merely natural
and common, because they are built on a foundation that is not spiritual; and so
are entirely different from gracious affections, which, as has been proved, do
evermore arise from those operations that are spiritual and
divine.
These imaginations do
oftentimes raise the carnal affections of men to an exceeding great
height: and no wonder, when the
subjects of them have an ignorant, but undoubting persuasion, that they are
divine manifestations, which the great Jehovah immediately makes to their souls,
therein giving them testimonies in an extraordinary manner, of his high and
peculiar favor.
Again, it is evident from
what has been observed and proved of the manner in which gracious operations and
effects in the heart are spiritual, supernatural and divine, that the immediate
suggesting of the words of Scripture to the mind has nothing in it which is
spiritual.
I have had occasion to say
something of this already; and what has been said may be sufficient to evince
it; but if the reader bears in mind what has been said concerning the nature of
spiritual influences and effects, it will be more abundantly manifest that this
is no spiritual effect. For I suppose there is no person of common
understanding, who will say or imagine that the bringing words (let them be what
words they will) to the mind is an effect of that nature which it is impossible
the mind of a natural man, while he remains in a state of nature, should be the
subject of, or anything like it; or that it requires any new divine sense in the
soul; or that the bringing sounds or letters to the mind, is an effect of so
high, holy, and excellent a nature, that it is impossible any created power
should be the cause of it.
As the suggesting words of
Scripture to the mind, is only the exciting in the mind ideas of certain sounds
or letters; so it is only one way of exciting ideas in the imagination; for
sounds and letters are external things, that are the objects of the external
senses of seeing and hearing. Ideas of certain marks upon paper, such as any of
the twenty-four letters, in whatever order, or any sounds of the voice, are as
much external ideas, as of any other shapes or sounds whatsoever; and therefore,
by what has been already said concerning these external ideas, it is evident
they are nothing spiritual; and if at any time the Spirit of God suggests these
letters or sounds to the mind, this is a common, and not any special or gracious
influence of that Spirit. And therefore it follows from what has been already
proved, that those affections which have this effect for their foundation, are
no spiritual or gracious affections. But let it be observed what it is that I
say, viz., when this effect, even the immediate and extraordinary manner of
words of Scripture's coming to the mind, is that which excites the affections,
and is properly the foundation of them, then these affections are not spiritual.
It may be so, that persons may have gracious affections going with Scriptures
which come to their minds, and the Spirit of God may make use of those
Scriptures to excite them; when it is some spiritual sense, taste or relish they
have of the divine and excellent things contained in those Scriptures, that is
the thing which excites their affections, and not the extraordinary and sudden
manner of words being brought to their minds. They are affected with the
instruction they receive from the words, and the view of the glorious things of
God or Christ, and things appertaining to them, that they contain and teach; and
not because the words came suddenly, as though some person had spoken them to
them, thence concluding that God did as it were immediately speak to them.
Persons oftentimes are exceedingly affected on this foundation; the words of
some great and high promises of Scripture came suddenly to their minds, and they
look upon the words as directed immediately by God to them, as though the words
that moment proceeded out of the mouth of God as spoken to them: so that they
take it as a voice from God, immediately revealing to them their happy
circumstances, and promising such and such great things to them: and this it is
that effects and elevates them. There is no near spiritual understanding of the
divine things contained in the Scripture, or new spiritual sense of the glorious
things taught in that part of the Bible going before their affection, and being
the foundation of it. All the new understanding they leave, or think they have,
to be the foundation of their affection, is this, that the words are spoken to
them, because they come so suddenly and extraordinarily. And so this affection
is built wholly on the sand! Because it is built on a conclusion for which they
have no foundation. For, as has been shown, the sudden coming of the words to
their minds, is no evidence that the bringing them to their minds in that manner
was from God. And if it was true that God brought the words to their minds, and
they certainly knew it, that would not be spiritual knowledge; it may be without
any spiritual sense: Balaam might know that the words which God suggested to
him, were indeed suggested to him by God, and yet have no spiritual knowledge.
So that these affections which are built on that notion, that texts of Scripture
are sent immediately from God, are built on no spiritual foundation, and are
vain and delusive. Persons who have their affections thus raised, if they should
be inquired of, whether they have and new sense of the excellency of things
contained in those Scriptures, would probably say, Yes, without
hesitation: but it is true no otherwise than thus, that then they have taken up
that notion, that the words are spoken immediately to them, that makes them seem
sweet to them, and they own the things which these Scriptures say to them, for
excellent things and wonderful things. As for instance supposing these were the
words which were suddenly brought to their minds, Fear not, it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom; they having confidently
taken up a notion that the words were as it were immediately spoken from heaven
to them, as an immediate revelation that God was their Father, and had given the
kingdom to them, they are greatly affected by it, and the words seem sweet to
them; and oh, they say, "they are excellent things that are contained in those
words!" But the reason why the promise seems excellent to them, is only because
they think it is made to them immediately; all the sense they have of any glory
in them, is only from self-love, and from their own imagined interest in the
words; not that they had any view or sense of the holy and glorious nature of
the kingdom of heaven and the spiritual glory of that God who gives it, and of
his excellent grace to sinful men, it offering and giving them this kingdom, of
his own good pleasure preceding their imagined interest in these things, and
their being affected by them, and being the foundation of their affection, and
hope of an interest in them. On the contrary, they first imagine they are
interested, and then are highly affected with that, and then can own these
things to be excellent. So that the sudden and extraordinary way of the
Scripture's coming to their mind is plainly the first foundation of the whole;
which is a clear evidence of the wretched delusion they are
under.
The first comfort of many
persons, and what they call their conversion, is after this manner: after
awakening and terror, some comfortable sweet promise comes suddenly and
wonderfully to their minds; and the manner of its coming makes them conclude it
comes from God to them; and this is the very thing that is all the foundation of
their faith, and hope, and comfort: from hence they take their first
encouragement to trust in God and in Christ, because they think that God, by
some Scripture so brought, has now already revealed to them that he loves them,
and has already promised them eternal life, which is very absurd; for every one
of common knowledge of the principles of religion, knows that it is God's manner
to reveal his love to men, and their interest in the promises, after they have
believed, and not before, because they must first believe before they have any
interest in the promises to be revealed. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth
and not of lies: he does not bring Scriptures to men's minds, to reveal to them
that they have an interest in God's favor and promises, when they have none,
having not yet believed: which would be the case, if God's bringing texts of
Scripture to men's minds, to reveal to them that their sins were forgiven, or
that it was God's pleasure to give them the kingdom, or anything of that nature,
went before, and was the foundation of their first faith. No promise of the
covenant of grace belongs to any man, until he has first believed in Christ; for
it is by faith alone that we become interested in Christ, and the promises of
the new covenant made in him: and therefore whatever spirit applies the promises
of that covenant to a person who has not first believed, as being already his,
must be a lying spirit, and that faith which is first built on such an
application of promises is built upon a lie. God's manner is not to bring
comfortable texts of Scripture to give men assurance of his love, and that they
shall be happy, before they have had a faith of dependence. And if the Scripture which
comes to a person's mind, be not so properly a promise, as an invitation; yet if
he makes the sudden or unusual manner of the invitations coming to his mind, the
ground on which he believes that he is invited, it is not true faith; because it
is built on that which is not the true ground of faith. True faith is built on
no precarious foundation: but a determination that the words of such a
particular text were, by the immediate power of God, suggested to the mind, at
such a time, as though then spoken and directed by God to him, because the words
came after such a manner, is wholly an uncertain and precarious determination,
as has been now shown; and therefore is a false and sandy foundation for faith;
and accordingly that faith which is built upon it is false. The only certain
foundation which any person has to believe that he is invited to partake of the
blessings of the gospel, is, that the word of God declares that persons so
qualified as he is, are invited, and God who declares it, is true, and cannot
lie. If a sinner be once convinced of the veracity of God, and that the
Scriptures are his word, he will need no more to convince and satisfy him that
he is invited; for the Scriptures are full of invitations to sinners, to the
chief of sinners, to come and partake of the benefits of the gospel; he will not
want any never speaking of God to him; what he hath spoken already will be
enough with him.
As the first comfort of many
persons, and their affections at the time of their supposed conversion, are
built on such grounds as these which have been mentioned; so are their joys and
hopes and other affections, from time to time afterwards. They have often
particular words of Scripture, sweet declarations and promises suggested to
them, which by reason of the manner of their coming, they think are immediately
sent from God to them, at that time, which they look upon as their warrant to
take them, and which they actually make the main ground of their appropriating
them to themselves, and of the comfort they take in them, and the confidence
they receive from them. Thus they imagine a kind of conversation is carried on
between God and them; and that God, from time to time, does, as it were,
immediately speak to them, and satisfy their doubts, and testifies his love to
them, and promises them supports and supplies, and his blessing in such and such
cases, and reveals to them clearly their interest in eternal blessings. And thus
they are often elevated, and have a course of a sudden and tumultuous kind of
joys, mingled with a strong confidence, and high opinion of themselves; when
indeed the main ground of these joys, and this confidence, is not anything
contained in, or taught by these Scriptures, as they lie in the Bible, but the
manner of their coming to them; which is a certain evidence of their delusion.
There is no particular promise in the word of God that is the saint's, or is any
otherwise made to him, or spoken to him, than all the promises of the covenant
of grace are his, and are made to him and spoken to him; though it be true that some
of these promises may be more peculiarly adapted to his case than others, and
God by his Spirit may enable him better to understand some than others, and to
have a greater sense of the preciousness, and glory, and suitableness of the
blessings contained in them.
But here some may be ready
to say, What, is there no such thing as any particular spiritual application of
the promises of Scripture by the Spirit of God? I answer, there is doubtless
such a thing as a spiritual and saving application of the invitations and
promises of Scripture to the souls of men; but it is also certain, that the
nature of it is wholly misunderstood by many persons, to the great ensnaring of
their own souls, and the giving Satan a vast advantage against them, and against
the interest of religion, and the church of God. The spiritual application of a
Scripture promise does not consist in its being immediately suggested to the
thoughts by some extrinsic agent, and being borne into the mind with this strong
apprehension, that it is particularly spoken and directed to them at that time;
there is nothing of the evidence of the hand of God in this effect, as events
have proved, in many notorious instances; and it is a mean notion of a spiritual
application of Scripture; there is nothing in the nature of it at all beyond the
power of the devil, if he be not restrained by God; for there is nothing in the
nature of the effect that is spiritual, implying any vital communication of God.
A truly spiritual application of the word of God is of a vastly higher nature;
as much above the devil's power, as it is, so to apply the word of God to a dead
corpse, as to raise it to life; or to a stone, to turn it into an angel. A
spiritual application of the word of God consists in applying it to the heart,
in spiritually enlightening, sanctifying influences. A spiritual application of
an invitation or offer of the gospel consists, in giving the soul a spiritual
sense or relish of the holy and divine blessings offered, and the sweet and
wonderful grace of the offerer, in making so gracious an offer, and of his holy
excellency and faithfulness to fulfill what he offers, and his glorious
sufficiency for it; so leading and drawing forth the heart to embrace the offer;
and thus giving the man evidence of his title to the thing offered. And so a
spiritual application of the promises of Scripture, for the comfort of the
saints, consists in enlightening their minds to see the holy excellency and
sweetness of the blessings promised, and also the holy excellency of the
promiser, and his faithfulness and sufficiency; thus drawing forth their hearts
to embrace the promiser, and thing promised; and by this means, giving the
sensible actings of grace, enabling them to see their grace, and so their title
to the promise. An application not consisting in this divine sense and
enlightening of the mind, but consisting only in the word's being borne into the
thoughts, as if immediately then spoken, so making persons believe, on no other
foundation, that the promise is theirs, is a blind application, and belongs to
the spirit of darkness, and not of light.
When persons have their
affections raised after this manner, those affections are really not raised by
the word of God; the Scripture is not the foundation of them; it is not anything
contained in those Scriptures which come to their minds, that raise their
affections; but truly that effect, viz., the strange manner of the word's being
suggested to their minds, and a proposition from thence taken up by them, which
indeed is not contained in that Scripture, nor any other; as that his sins are
forgiven him, or that it is the Father's good pleasure to give him in particular
the kingdom, or the like. There are propositions to be found in the Bible,
declaring that persons of such and such qualifications are forgiven and beloved
of God: but there are no propositions to be found in the Bible declaring that
such and such particular persons, independent on any previous knowledge of any
qualifications, are forgiven and beloved of God: and therefore, when any person
is comforted, and affected by any such proposition, it is by another word, a
word newly coined, and not any word of God contained in the Bible. And thus many persons are
vainly affected and deluded.
Again, it plainly appears
from what has been demonstrated, that no revelation of secret facts by immediate
suggestion, is anything spiritual and divine, in that sense wherein gracious
effects and operations are so.
By secret facts, I mean
things that have been done, or are come to pass, or shall hereafter come to
pass, which are secret in that sense that they do not appear to the senses, nor
are known by any argumentation, or any evidence to reason, nor any other way,
but only by that revelation by immediate suggestion of the ideas of them to the
mind. Thus for instance, if it should be revealed to me, that the next year this
land would be invaded by a fleet from France, or that such and such persons
would then be converted, or that I myself should then be converted; not by
enabling me to argue out these events from anything which now appears in
providence, but immediately suggesting and bearing in upon my mind, in an
extraordinary manner, the apprehension or ideas of these facts, with a strong
suggestion or impression on my mind, that I had no hand in myself, that these
things would come to pass: or if it should be revealed to me, that this day
there is a battle fought between the armies of such and such powers in Europe;
or that such a prince in Europe was this day converted, or is now in a converted
state, having been converted formerly, or that one of my neighbors is converted,
or that I myself am converted; not by having any other evidence of any of these
facts, from whence I argue them, but an immediate extraordinary suggestion or
excitation of these ideas, and a strong impression of them upon my mind: this is
a revelation of secret facts by immediate suggestion, as much as if the facts
were future; for the facts being past, present, or future, alters not the case,
as long as they are secret and hidden from my senses and reason, and not spoken
of in Scripture, nor known by me any other way than by immediate suggestion. If
I have it revealed to me, that such a revolution is come to pass this day in the
Ottoman Empire, it is the very same sort of revelation, as if it were revealed
to me that such a revolution would come to pass there this day come twelvemonth;
because, though one is present and the other future, yet both are equally hidden
from me, any other way than by immediate revelation. When Samuel told Saul that
the asses which he went to seek were found, and that his father had left caring
for the asses and sorrowed for him; this was by the same kind of revelation, as
that by which he told Saul, that in the plain of Tabor there should meet him
three men going up to God to Bethel (1 Sam. 10:2, 3), though one of these things
was future, and the other was not. So when Elisha told the king of Israel the
words that the king of Syria spake in his bed-chamber, it was by the same kind
of revelation with that by which he foretold many things to
come.
It is evident that this
revelation of secret facts by immediate suggestions, has nothing of the nature
of a spiritual and divine operation, in the sense forementioned; there is
nothing at all in the nature of the perceptions or ideas themselves, which are
excited in the mind, that is divinely excellent, and so, far above all the ideas
of natural men; though the manner of exciting the ideas be extraordinary. In
those things which are spiritual, as has been shown, not only the manner of
producing the effect, but the effect wrought is divine, and so vastly above all
that can be in an unsanctified mind. Now simply the having an idea of facts,
setting aside the manner of producing those ideas, is nothing beyond what the
minds of wicked men are susceptible of, without any goodness in them; and they
all, either have or will have, the knowledge of the truth of the greatest and
most important facts, that have been, are, or shall be.
And as to the extraordinary
manner of producing the ideas or perception of facts, even by immediate
suggestion, there is nothing in it, but what the minds of natural men, while
they are yet natural men, are capable of, as is manifest in Balaam, and others
spoken of in the Scripture. And therefore it appears that there is nothing
appertaining to this immediate suggestion of secret facts that is spiritual, in
the sense in which it has been proved that gracious operations are so. If there
be nothing in the ideas themselves, which is holy and divine, and so nothing but
what may be in a mind not sanctified, then God can put them into the mind by
immediate power without sanctifying it. As there is nothing in the idea of a
rainbow itself that is of a holy and divine nature; so that nothing hinders but
that an unsanctified mind may receive that idea; so God, if he pleases, and when
he pleases, immediately, and in an extraordinary manner, may excite that idea in
an unsanctified mind. So also, as there is nothing in the idea or knowledge that
such and such particular persons are forgiven and accepted of God, and entitled
to heaven, but what unsanctified minds may have and will have concerning many at
the day of judgment; so God can, if he pleases, extraordinarily and immediately,
suggest this to, and impress it upon an unsanctified mind now: there is no
principle wanting in an unsanctified mind, to make it capable of such a
suggestion or impression, nor is there anything in it to exclude, or necessarily
to prevent such a suggestion.
And if these suggestions of
secret facts be attended with texts of Scripture, immediately and
extraordinarily brought to mind, about some other facts that seem in some
respects similar, that does not make the operation to be of a spiritual and
divine nature. For that suggestion of words of Scripture is no more divine, than
the suggestion of the facts themselves; as has been just now demonstrated: and
two effects together, which are neither of them spiritual cannot make up one
complex effect, that is spiritual.
Hence it follows, from what
has been already shown, and often repeated, that those affections which are
properly founded on such immediate suggestions, or supposed suggestions, of
secret facts, are not gracious affections. Not but that it is possible that such
suggestions may be the occasion, or accidental cause of gracious affections; for
so may a mistake and delusion; but it is never properly the foundation of
gracious affections: for gracious affections, as has been shown, are all the
effects of an influence and operation which is spiritual, supernatural, and
divine. But there are many affections, and high affections, which some have,
that have such kind of suggestions or revelations for their very foundation:
they look upon these as spiritual discoveries, which is a gross delusion, and
this delusion is truly the spring whence their affections
flow.
Here it may be proper to
observe, that it is exceedingly manifest from what has been said, that what many
persons call the witness of the Spirit, that they are the children of God, has
nothing in it spiritual and divine; and consequently that the affections built
upon it are vain and delusive. That which many call the witness of the Spirit,
is no other than an immediate suggestion and impression of that fact, otherwise
secret, that they are converted, or made the children of God, and so that their
sins are pardoned, and that God has given them a title to heaven. This kind of
knowledge, viz., knowing that a certain person is converted, and delivered from
hell, and entitled to heaven, is no divine sort of knowledge in itself. This
sort of fact, is not that which requires any higher or more divine kind of
suggestion, in order to impress it on the mind, than any other fact which Balaam
had impressed on his mind. It requires no higher sort of idea or sensation, for
a man to have the apprehension of his own conversion impressed upon him, than to
have the apprehension of his neighbor's conversion, in like manner impressed:
but God, if he pleased, might impress the knowledge of this fact, that he had
forgiven his neighbor's sins, and given him a title to heaven, as well as any
other fact, without any communication of his holiness: the excellency and
importance of the fact, do not at all hinder a natural man's mind being
susceptible of an immediate suggestion and impression of it. Balaam had as
excellent, and important, and glorious facts as this, immediately impressed on
his mind, without any gracious influence; as particularly, the coming of Christ,
and his setting up his glorious kingdom, and the blessedness of the spiritual
Israel in his peculiar favor, and their happiness living and dying. Yea,
Abimelech, king of the Philistines, had God's special favor to a particular
person, even Abraham, revealed to him, Gen. 20:6, 7. So it seems that he
revealed to Laban his special favor to Jacob, see Gen. 31:24, and Psal. 105:15.
And if a truly good man should have an immediate revelation or suggestion from
God, after the like manned concerning his favor to his neighbor or himself; it
would be no higher kind of influence; it would be no more than a common sort of
influence of God's Spirit; as the gift of prophecy, and all revelation by
immediate suggestion is; see 1 Cor. 13:2. And though it be true, that it is not
possible that a natural man should have that individual suggestion from the
Spirit of God, that he is converted, because it is not true; yet that does not
arise from the nature of the influence, or because that kind of influence which
suggests such excellent facts, is too high for him to be the subject of; but
purely from the defect of a fact to be revealed. The influence which immediately
suggests this fact, when it is true, is of no different kind from that which
immediately suggests other true facts: and so the kind and nature of the
influence is not above what is common to natural men, with good
men.
But this is a mean, ignoble
notion of the witness of the Spirit of God given to his dear children, to
suppose that there is nothing in the kind and nature of that influence of the
Spirit of God, in imparting this high and glorious benefit, but what is common
to natural men, or which men are capable of, and be in the mean time altogether
unsanctified and the children of hell; and that therefore the benefit or gift
itself has nothing of the holy nature of the Spirit of God in it, nothing of a
vital communication of that Spirit. This notion greatly debases that high and
most exalted kind of influence and operation of the Spirit, which there is in
the true witness of the Spirit. That which is called the
witness of the Spirit, Rom. 8, is elsewhere in the New Testament called the seal
of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13, and 4:13, alluding to the seal of
princes, annexed to the instrument, by which they advanced any of their subjects
to some high honor and dignity, or peculiar privilege in the kingdom, as a token
of their special favor. Which is an evidence that the influence of the Spirit,
of the Prince of princes, in sealing his favorites, is far from being of a
common kind; and that there is no effect of God's Spirit whatsoever, which is in
its nature more divine; nothing more holy, peculiar, inimitable and
distinguishing of divinity: as nothing is more royal than the royal seal;
nothing more sacred, that belongs to a prince, and more peculiarly denoting what
belongs to him; it being the very end and design of it, to be the most peculiar
stamp and confirmation of the royal authority, and great note of distinction,
whereby that which proceeds from the king, or belongs to him, may be known from
everything else. And therefore undoubtedly the seal of the great King of heaven
and earth enstamped on the heart, is something high and holy in its own nature,
some excellent communication from the infinite fountain of divine beauty and
glory; and not merely a making known a secret fact by revelation or suggestion;
which is a sort of influence of the Spirit of God, that the children of the
devil have often been the subjects of. The seal of the Spirit is a kind of
effect of the Spirit of God on the heart, which natural men, while such, are so
far from a capacity of being the subjects of; that they can have no manner of
notion or idea of it, agreeable to Rev. 2:17: "To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it."
There is all reason to suppose that what is here spoken of, is the same mark,
evidence, or blessed token of special favor, which is elsewhere called the seal
of the Spirit.
What has misled many in
their notion of that influence of the Spirit of God we are speaking of, is the
word witness, its being called the witness of the Spirit. Hence they have
taken it, not to be any effect or work of the Spirit upon the heart, giving
evidence, from whence men may argue that they are the children of God; but an
inward immediate suggestion, as though God inwardly spoke to the man, and
testified to him, and told him that he was his child, by a kind of a secret
voice, or impression: not observing the manner in which the word witness, or
testimony, is often used in the New Testament, where such terms often signify,
not only a mere declaring and asserting a thing to be true, but holding forth
evidence from whence a thing may be argued, and proved to be true. Thus Heb.
2:4, God is said to "bear witness, with signs and wonders and divers miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Ghost." Now these miracles, here spoken of, are called
God's witness, not because they are of the nature of assertions, but evidences
and proofs. So Acts 14:3: "Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the
Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and
wonders to be done by their hands." And John 5:36: "But I have greater witness
than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the
same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent of me."
Again, chap. 10:25: "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness
of me." So the water and the blood are said to bear witness, 1 John 5:8, not
that they spoke or asserted anything, but they were proofs and evidences. So
God's works of providence, in the rain and fruitful seasons, are spoken of as
witnesses of God's being and goodness, i.e., they are evidences of these things.
And when the Scripture speaks of the seal of the Spirit, it is an expression
which properly denotes, not an immediate voice or suggestion, but some work or
effect of the Spirit, that is left as a divine mark upon the soul, to be an
evidence by which God's children might be known. The seals of princes were the
distinguishing marks of princes: and thus God's seal is spoken of as God's mark,
Rev. 7:3: "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads;" together with Ezek. 9:4,
"Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that are done in the midst thereof." When God sets his seal on a
man's heart by his Spirit, there is some holy stamp, some image impressed and
left upon the heart by the Spirit, as by the seal upon the wax. And this holy
stamp, or impressed image, exhibiting clear evidence to the conscience, that the
subject of it is the child of God, is the very thing which in Scripture is
called the seal of the Spirit, and the witness, or evidence of the Spirit. And
this image enstamped by the Spirit on God's children's hearts, is his own image;
that is the evidence by which they are known to be God's children, that they
have the image of their Father stamped upon their hearts by the Spirit of
adoption. Seals anciently had engraven on them two things, viz., the image and
the name of the person whose seal it was. Therefore when Christ says to his
spouse, Cant. 8:6, "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine
arm;" it is as much as to say, let my name and image remain impressed there. The
seals of princes were wont to bear their image; so that what they set their seal
and royal mark upon, had their image left on it. It was the manner of princes of
old to have their image engraven on their jewels and precious stones; and the
image of Augustus engraven on a precious stone, was used as the seal of the
Roman emperors, in Christ's and the Apostle's times. And the saints are the
jewels of Jesus Christ, the great potentate, who has the possession of the
empire of the universe; and these jewels have his image enstamped upon them by
his royal signet, which is the Holy Spirit. And this is undoubtedly what the
Scripture means by the seal of the Spirit; especially when it is stamped in so
fair and clear a manner, as to be plain to the eye of conscience; which is what
the Scripture calls our spirit. This is truly an effect that is spiritual,
supernatural and divine. This is in itself of a holy nature, being a
communication of the divine nature and beauty. That kind of influence of the
Spirit which gives and leaves this stamp upon the heart, is such that no natural
man can be the subject of anything of the like nature with it. This is the
highest sort of witness of the Spirit, which it is possible the soul should be
the subject of: if there were any such thing as a witness of the Spirit by
immediate suggestion or revelation, this would be vastly more noble and
excellent, and as much above it as the heaven is above the earth. This the devil
cannot imitate; as to an inward suggestion of the Spirit of God, by a kind of
secret voice speaking, and immediately asserting and revealing a fact, he can do
that which is a thousand times so like to this, as he can to that holy and
divine effect, or work of the Spirit of God, which has now been spoken
of.
Another thing which is a
full proof that the seal of the Spirit is no revelation of any fact by immediate
suggestion, but is grace itself in the soul, is, that the seal of the Spirit is
called in the Scripture, the earnest of the Spirit. It is very plain that
the seal of the Spirit is the same thing with the earnest of the Spirit, by 2
Cor. 1:22: "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts;" and Eph. 1:13, 14, "In whom, after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until
the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory." Now
the earnest is part of the money agreed for, given in hand, as a token of the
whole, to be paid in due time; a part of the promised inheritance granted now,
in token of full possession of the whole hereafter. But surely that kind of
communication of the Spirit of God, which is of the nature of eternal glory, is
the highest and most excellent kind of communication, something that is in its
own nature spiritual, holy and divine, and far from anything that is common: and
therefore high above anything of the nature of inspiration, or revelation of
hidden facts by suggestion of the Spirit of God, which many natural men have
had. What is the earnest, and beginning of glory, but grace itself, especially
in the more lively and clear exercises of it? It is not prophecy, nor tongues,
nor knowledge, but that more excellent divine thing, "charity that never
faileth," which is a prelibation and beginning of the light, sweetness and
blessedness of heaven, that world of love or charity. It is grace that is the
seed of glory and dawning of glory in the heart, and therefore it is grace that
is the earnest of the future inheritance. What is it that is the beginning or
earnest of eternal life in the soul, but spiritual life; and what is that but
grace? The inheritance that Christ has purchased for the elect, is the Spirit of
God; not in any extraordinary gifts, but in his vital indwelling in the heart,
exerting and communicating himself there, in his own proper, holy, or divine
nature; and this is the sum total of the inheritance that Christ purchased for
the elect. For so are things constituted in the affair of our redemption, that
the Father provides the Savior or purchaser, and the purchase is made of him;
and the Son is the purchaser and the price; and the Holy Spirit is the great
blessing or inheritance purchased, as is intimated, Gal. 3:13, 14; and hence the
Spirit often is spoken of as the sum of the blessings promised in the gospel,
Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, and chap. 2:38, 39, Gal. 3:14, Eph. 1:13. This inheritance
was the grand legacy which Christ left his disciples and church, in his last
will and testament, John chap. 14, 15, 16. This is the sum of the blessings of
eternal life, which shall be given in heaven. (Compare John 7:37, 38, 39, and
John 4:14, with Rev. 21:6, and 22:1, 17.) It is through the vital communications
and indwelling of the Spirit that the saints have all their light, life,
holiness, beauty, and joy in heaven; and it is through the vital communications
and indwelling of the same Spirit that the saints have all light, life,
holiness, beauty and comfort on earth; but only communicated in less measure.
And this vital indwelling of the Spirit in the saints, in this less measure and
small beginning is, "the earnest of the Spirit, the earnest of the future
inheritance, and the first fruits of the Spirit," as the apostle calls it, Rom.
8:22, where, by "the first fruits of the Spirit," the apostle undoubtedly means
the same vital, gracious principle that he speaks of in all the preceding part
of the chapter, which he calls Spirit, and sets in opposition to flesh or
corruption.—Therefore this earnest of the Spirit, and first fruits of the
Spirit, which has been shown to be the same with the seal of the Spirit, is the
vital, gracious, sanctifying communication and influence of the Spirit, and not
any immediate suggestion or revelation of facts by the Spirit.
And indeed the apostle, when
in that, Rom. 8:16, he speaks of the Spirit's bearing witness with our spirit
that we are the children of God, does sufficiently explain himself, if his words
were but attended to. What is here expressed is connected with the two preceding
verses, as resulting from what the apostle had said there as every reader may
see. The three verses together are thus: "For as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God: for ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father: the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the
children of God." Here, what the apostle says, if we take it together, plainly
shows that what he has respect to, when he speaks of the Spirit's giving us
witness or evidence that we are God's children, is his dwelling in us, and
leading us, as a spirit of adoption, or spirit of a child, disposing us to
behave towards God as to a Father. This is the witness or evidence which the
apostle speaks of that we are children, that we have the spirit of children, or
spirit of adoption. And what is that but the spirit of love? There are two kinds
of spirits the apostle speaks of, the spirit of a slave or the spirit of
bondage, that is fear; and the spirit of a child, or spirit of adoption, and
that is love. The apostle says, we have not received the spirit of bondage, or
of slaves, which is a spirit of fear; but we have received the more ingenuous
noble spirit of children, a spirit of love, which naturally disposes us to go to
God as children to a father, and behave towards God as children. And this is the
evidence or witness which the Spirit of God gives us that we are his children.
This is the plain sense of the apostle; and so undoubtedly he here is speaking
of the very same way of casting out doubting and fear and the spirit of bondage,
which the Apostle John speaks of, 1 John 4:18, viz., by the prevailing of love,
that is the spirit of a child. The spirit of bondage works by fear, the slave
fears the rod: but love cries, Abba, Father; it disposes us to go to God, and
behave ourselves towards God as children; and it gives us clear evidence of our
union to God as his children, and so casts out fear. So that it appears that the
witness of the Spirit the apostle speaks of, is far from being any whisper, or
immediate suggestion or revelation; but that gracious holy effect of the Spirit
of God in the hearts of the saints, the disposition and temper of children,
appearing in sweet childlike love to God, which casts out fear, or a spirit of a
slave.
And the same thing is
evident from all the context: it is plain the apostle speaks of the Spirit, over
and over again, as dwelling in the hearts of the saints as a gracious principle,
set in opposition to the flesh or corruption: and so he does in the words that
immediately introduce this passage we are upon, ver. 13, "For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the flesh, ye shall live."
Indeed it is past doubt with
me, that the apostle has a more special respect to the spirit of grace, or the
spirit of love, or spirit of a child, in its more lively actings; for it is
perfect love, or strong love only, which so witnesses or evidences that we are
children as to cast out fear, and wholly deliver from the spirit of bondage. The
strong and lively exercises of a spirit of childlike, evangelical, humble love
to God, give clear evidence of the soul's relation to God as his child; which
does very greatly and directly satisfy the soul. And though it be far from being
true, that the soul in this case, judges only by an immediate witness without
any sign or evidence; for it judges and is assured by the greatest sign and
clearest evidence; yet in this case the saint stands in no need of multiplied
signs, or any long reasoning upon them. And though the sight of his relative
union with God, and his being in his favor, is not without a medium, because he
sees it by that medium, viz., his love; yet his sight of the union of his heart
to God is immediate: love, the bond of union, is seen intuitively: the saint
sees and feels plainly the union between his soul and God; it is so strong and
lively, that he cannot doubt of it. And hence he is assured that he is a child.
How can he doubt whether he stands in a childlike relation to God, when he
plainly sees a childlike union between God and his soul, and hence does boldly,
and as it were naturally and necessarily cry, Abba,
Father?
And whereas the apostle
says, the Spirit bears witness with our spirits; by our spirit here, is meant
our conscience, which is called the spirit of man, Prov. 20:17, "The spirit of
man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly." We
elsewhere read of the witness of this spirit of ours: 2 Cor. 1:12, "For our
rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience." And 1 John 3:19, 20, 21:
"And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before
him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all
things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards
God." When the Apostle Paul speaks of the Spirit of God bearing witness with our
spirit, he is not to be understood of two spirits that are two separate,
collateral, independent witnesses; but it is by one that we receive the witness
of the other: the Spirit of God gives the evidence by infusing and shedding
abroad the love of God, the spirit of a child, in the heart, and our spirit, or
our conscience, receives and declares this evidence for our
rejoicing.
Many have been the mischiefs
that have arisen from that false and delusive notion of the witness of the
Spirit, that it is a kind of inward voice, suggestion, or declaration from God
to man, that he is beloved of him, and pardoned, elected, or the like, sometimes
with, and sometimes without a text of Scripture; and many have been the false
and vain (though very high) affections that have arisen from hence. And it is to
be feared that multitudes of souls have been eternally undone by it. I have
therefore insisted the longer on this head. But I proceed now to a second
characteristic of gracious affections.
II. The first objective
ground of gracious affections, is the transcendently excellent and amiable
nature of divine things as they are themselves; and not any conceived relation
they bear to self, or self-interest.
I say, that the supremely
excellent nature of divine things, is the first, or primary and original
objective foundation of the spiritual affections of true saints; for I do not
suppose that all relation which divine things bear to themselves, and their own
particular interest, is wholly excluded from all influence in their gracious
affections. For this may have, and indeed has, a secondary and consequential
influence in those affections that are truly holy and spiritual, as I shall show
how by and by.
It was before observed that
the affection of love is, as it were, the fountain of all affection; and
particularly that Christian love is the fountain of all gracious affections: now
the divine excellency and glory of God and Jesus Christ the word of God, the
works of God, and the ways of God, &c., is the primary reason why a true
saint loves these things; and not any supposed interest that he has in them, or
any conceived benefit that he has received from them, or shall receive from
them, or any such imagined relation which they bear to his interest, that
self-love can properly be said to be the first foundation of his love to these
things.
Some say that all love
arises from self-love; and that it is impossible in the nature of things, for
any man to have any love to God, or any other beings, but that love to himself
must be the foundation of it. But I humbly suppose it is for want of
consideration that they say so. They argue, that whoever loves God, and so
desires his glory or the enjoyment of him, he desires these things as his own
happiness; the glory of God, and the beholding and enjoying his perfections are
considered as things agreeable to him, tending to make him happy; he places his
happiness in them, and desires them as things, which (if they were obtained)
would be delightful to him, or would fill him with delight and joy, and so make
him happy. And so, they say, it is from self-love, or a desire of his own
happiness, that he desires God should be glorified, and desires to behold and
enjoy his glorious perfections. But then they ought to consider a little
further, and inquire how the man came to place his happiness in God's being
glorified, and in contemplating and enjoying God's perfections.—There is no
doubt but that after God's glory, and the beholding his perfections, are become
so agreeable to him, that he places his highest happiness in these thinks then
he will desire them, as he desires his own happiness. But how came these things
to be so agreeable to him, that he esteems it his highest happiness to glorify
God, &c.? Is not this the fruit of love? A man must first love God or have
his heart united to him, before he will esteem God's good his own, and before he
will desire the glorifying, and enjoying of God as his happiness. It is not
strong arguing, that because after a man has his heart united to God in love, as
a fruit of this, he desires his glory and enjoyment, as his own happiness, that
therefore a desire of this happiness of his own must needs be the cause and
foundation of his love; unless it be a strong arguing, that because a father
begat a son, therefore his son certainly begat him. If after a man loves God,
and has his heart so united to him, as to look upon God as his chief good, and
on God's good as his own, it will be a consequence and fruit of this, that even
self-love, or love to his own happiness, will cause him to desire the glorifying
and enjoying of God; it will not thence follow, that this very exercise of
self-love, went before his love to God, and that his love to God was a
consequence and fruit of that. Something else, entirely distinct from self-love,
might be the cause of this, viz., a change made in the views of his mind, and
relish of his heart; whereby he apprehends a beauty, glory, and supreme good, in
God's nature, as it is in itself. This may be the thing that first draws his
heart to him, and causes his heart to be united to him, prior to all
considerations of his own interest or happiness, although after this, and as a
fruit of this, he necessarily seeks his interest and happiness in
God.
There is such a thing as a
kind of love or affection that a man may have towards persons or things, which
does properly arise from self-love; a preconceived relation to himself, or some
respect already manifested by another to him, or some benefit already received
or depended on, is truly the first foundation of his love, and what his
affection does wholly arise from; and is what precedes any relish of, or delight
in the nature and qualities inherent in the being beloved, as beautiful and
amiable. When the first thing that draws a man's benevolence to another, is the
beholding those qualifications and properties in him, which appear to him lovely
in themselves; and the subject of them, on this account, worthy of esteem and
good will, love arises in a very different manners than when it first arises
from some gift bestowed by another or depended on from him, as a judge loves and
favors a man that has bribed him; or from the relation he supposes another has
to him, as a man who loves another, because he looks upon him as his child. When
love to another arises thus, it does truly and properly arise from
self-love.
That kind of affection to
God or Jesus Christ, which does thus properly arise from self-love, cannot be a
truly gracious and spiritual love, as appears from what has been said already:
for self-love is a principle entirely natural, and as much in the hearts of
devils as angels; and therefore surely nothing that is the mere result of it can
be supernatural and divine, in the manner before described. Christ plainly speaks of
this kind of love, as what is nothing beyond the love of wicked men: Luke 6:32,
"If ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those
that love them." And the devil himself knew that that kind of respect to God
which was so mercenary, as to be only for benefits received or depended on
(which is all one), is worthless in the sight of God; otherwise he never would
have made use of such a slander before God, against Job, as in Job 1:9, 10:
"Doth Job serve God for nought? Has not thou made a hedge about him, and about
his house," &c. Nor would God ever have implicitly allowed the objection to
have been good, in case the accusation had been true, by allowing that that
matter should be tried, and that Job should be so dealt with, that it might
appear in the event, whether Job's respect to God was thus mercenary or no, and
by putting the proof of the sincerity and goodness of his respect upon that
issue.
It is unreasonable to think
otherwise, than that the first foundation of a true love to God, is that whereby
he is in himself lovely, or worthy to be loved, or the supreme loveliness of his
nature. This is certainly what makes him chiefly amiable. What chiefly makes a
man, or any creature lovely, is his excellency; and so what chiefly renders God
lovely, and must undoubtedly be the chief ground of true love, is his
excellency. God's nature, or the divinity, is infinitely excellent; yea it is
infinite beauty, brightness, and glory itself. But how can that be true love of
this excellent and lovely nature, which is not built on the foundation of its
true loveliness? How can that be true love of beauty and brightness which is not
for beauty and brightness' sake? How can that be a true prizing of that which is
in itself infinitely worthy and precious, which is not for the sake of its
worthiness and preciousness? This infinite excellency of the divine nature, as
it is in itself, is the true ground of all that is good in God in any respect;
but how can a man truly and rightly love God, without loving him for that
excellency in him, which is the foundation of all that is in any manner of
respect good or desirable in him? They whose affection to God is founded first
on his profitableness to them, their affection begins at the wrong end; they
regard God only for the utmost limit of the stream of divine good, where it
touches them, and reaches their interest; and have no respect to that infinite
glory of God's nature, which is the original good, and the true fountain of all
good, the first fountain of all loveliness of every kind, and so the first
foundation of all true love.
A natural principle of
self-love may be the foundation of great affections towards God and Christ,
without seeing anything of the beauty and glory of the divine nature. There is a
certain gratitude that is a mere natural thing. Gratitude is one of the natural
affections of the soul of man, as well as anger, and there is a gratitude that
arises from self-love, very much in the same manner that anger does. Anger in
men is an affection excited against another, or in opposition to another, for
something in him that crosses self-love: gratitude is an affection one has
towards another, for loving him, or gratifying him, or for something in him that
suits self-love. And there may be a kind of gratitude, without any true or
proper love: as there may be anger without any proper hatred, as in parents
towards their children, that they may be angry with, and yet at the same time
have a strong habitual love to them. This gratitude is the principle which is an
exercise in wicked men, in that which Christ declares concerning them, in the
6th of Luke, where he says, sinners love those that love them; and which he
declares concerning even the publicans, who were some of the most carnal and
profligate sort of men, Matt. 5:46. This is the very principle that is wrought
upon by bribery, in unjust judges; and it is a principle that even the brute
beasts do exercise; a dog will love his master that is kind to him. And we see
in innumerable instances, that mere nature is sufficient to excite gratitude in
men, or to affect their hearts with thankfulness to others for kindnesses
received; and sometimes towards them, whom at the same time they have a habitual
enmity against. Thus Saul was once and again greatly affected, and even
dissolved with gratitude towards David, for sparing his life, and yet remained a
habitual enemy to him. And as men, from mere nature, may be thus affected
towards men; so they may towards God. There is nothing hinders but that the same
self-love may work after the same manner towards God as towards men. And we have
manifest instances of it in Scripture; as indeed the children of Israel, who
sang God's praises at the Red Sea, but soon forgot God's works: and in Naaman
the Syrian, who was greatly affected with the miraculous cure of his leprosy, so
as to have his heart engaged thenceforward to worship the God that had healed
him, and him only, excepting when it would expose him to be ruined in his
temporal interest. So was Nebuchadnezzar greatly affected with God's goodness to
him, in restoring him to his reason and kingdom, alter his dwelling with the
beasts.
Gratitude being thus a
natural principle, it renders ingratitude so much the more vile and heinous;
because it shows a dreadful prevalence of wickedness, when it even overbears and
suppresses the better principles of human nature: as it is mentioned as an
evidence of the high degree of the wickedness of many of the heathen, that they
were without natural affection, Rom. 2:31. But that the want of gratitude, or
natural affection, is evidence of a high degree of vice, is no argument that all
gratitude and natural affection has the nature of virtue, or saving
grace.
Self-love, through the
exercise of mere natural gratitude, may be the foundation of a sort of love to
God many ways. A kind of love may arise from a false notion of God, that men
have been educated in, or have some way imbibed; as though he were only goodness
and mercy, and not revenging justice; or as though the exercises of his goodness
were necessary, and not free and sovereign; or as though his goodness were
dependent on what is in them, and as it were constrained by them. Men on such
grounds as these, may love a God of their own forming in their imaginations,
when they are far from loving such a God as reigns in
heaven.
Again, self-love may be the
foundation of an affection in men towards God, through a great insensibility of
their state with regard to God, and for want of conviction of conscience to make
them sensible how dreadfully they have provoked God to anger; they have no sense
of the heinousness of sin, as against God, and of the infinite and terrible
opposition of the holy nature of God against it: and so, having formed in their
minds such a God as suits them, and thinking God. to be such a one as
themselves, who favors and agrees with them, they may like him very well, and
feel a sort of love to him, when they are far from loving the true God. And
men's affections may be much moved towards God, from self-love, by some
remarkable outward benefits received from God; as it was with Naaman,
Nebuchadnezzar, and the children of Israel at the Red Sea.
Again, a very high affection
towards God may, and often does, arise in men, from an opinion of the favor and
love of God to them, as the first foundation of their love to him. After
awakenings and distress, through fears of hell, they may suddenly get a notion,
through some impression on their imagination, or immediate suggestion with or
without texts of Scripture, or by some other means, that God loves them, and has
forgiven their sins, and made them his children; and this is the first thing
that causes their affections to flow towards God and Jesus Christ: and then
after this, and upon this foundation, many things in God may appear lovely to
them, and Christ may seem excellent. And if such persons are asked, whether God
appears lovely and amiable in himself, they would perhaps readily answer, yes;
when indeed, if the matter be strictly examined, this good opinion of God was
purchased and paid for before ever they afforded it, in the distinguishing and
infinite benefits they imagined they received from God: and they allow God to be
lovely in himself, no otherwise than that he has forgiven them, and accepted
them, and loves them above most in the world, and has engaged to improve all his
infinite power and wisdom in preferring, dignifying, and exalting them, and will
do for them just as they would have him. When once they are firm in this
apprehension, it is easy to own God and Christ to be lovely and glorious, and to
admire and extol them. It is easy for them to own Christ to be a lovely person,
and the best in the world, when they are first firm in it, that he, though Lord
of the universe, is captivated with love to them, and has his heart swallowed up
in them, and prizes them far beyond most of their neighbors, and loved them from
eternity, and died for them, and will make them reign in eternal glory with him
in heaven. When this is the case with carnal men, their very lusts will make him
seem lovely: pride itself will prejudice them in favor of that which they call
Christ: selfish, proud man naturally calls that lovely that greatly contributes
to his interest, and gratifies his ambition.
And as this sort of persons
begin, so they go on. Their affections are raised from time to time, primarily
on this foundation of self-love and a conceit of God's love to them. Many have a
false notion of communion with God, as though it were carried on by impulses,
and whispers, and external representations, immediately made to their
imagination. These things they often have; which they take to be manifestations
of God's great love to them, and evidences of their high exaltation above others
of mankind; and so their affections, we often renewedly set
agoing.
Whereas the exercises of
true and holy love in the saints arise in another way. They do not first see
that God loves them, and then see that he is lovely, but they first see that God
is lovely, and that Christ is excellent and glorious, and their hearts are first
captivated with this view, and the exercises of their love are wont from time to
time to begin here, and to arise primarily from these views; and then,
consequentially, they see God's love, and great favor to them. The saint's affections
begin with God; and self-love has a hand in these affections consequentially,
and secondarily only. On the contrary, those false affections begin with self,
and an acknowledgment of an excellency in God, and an affectedness with it, is
only consequential and dependent. In the love of the true saint God is the
lowest foundation; the love of the excellency of his nature is the foundation of
all the affections which come afterwards wherein self-love is concerned as a
handmaid: on the contrary, the hypocrite lays himself at the bottom of all, as
the first foundation, and lays on God as the superstructure; and even his
acknowledgment of God's glory itself depends on his regard to his private
interest.
Self-love may not only
influence men, so as to cause them to be affected with God's kindness to them
separately; but also with God's kindness to them as parts of a community: as a
natural principle of self-love, without any other principle, may be sufficient
to make a man concerned for the interest of the nation to which he belongs: as
for instance, in the present war, self-love may make natural men rejoice at the
successes of our nation, and sorry for their disadvantages, they being concerned
as members of the body. So the same natural principle may extend further, and
even to the world of mankind, and might be affected with the benefits the
inhabitants of the earth have, beyond those of the inhabitants of other planets,
if we knew that such there were, and how it was with them. So this principle may
cause men to be affected with the benefits that mankind have received beyond the
fallen angels. And hence men, from this principle, may be much affected with the
wonderful goodness of God to mankind, his great goodness in giving his Son to
die for fallen man, and the marvellous love of Christ in suffering such great
things for us, and with the great glory they hear God has provided in heaven for
us; looking on themselves as persons concerned and interested, as being some of
this species of creatures so highly favored: the same principle of natural
gratitude may influence men here, as in the case of personal
benefits.
But these things that I have
said do by no means imply, that all gratitude to God is a mere natural thing,
and that there is no such thing as a spiritual gratitude, which is a holy and
divine affection: they imply no more, than that there is a gratitude which is
merely natural, and that when persons have affections towards God only or
primarily for benefits received, their affection is only the exercise of a
natural gratitude. There is doubtless such a thing as a gracious gratitude,
which does greatly differ from all that gratitude which natural men experience.
It differs in the following respects:
1. True gratitude or
thankfulness to God for his kindness to us, arises from a foundation laid
before, of love to God for what he is in himself, whereas a natural gratitude
has no such antecedent foundation. The gracious stirrings of grateful affection
to God, for kindness received, always are from a stock of love already in the
heart, established in the first place on other grounds, viz., God's own
excellency; and hence the affections are disposed to flow out on occasions of
God's kindness. The saint, having seen the glory of God, and his heart being
overcome by it, and captivated with love to him on that account, his heart
hereby becomes tender, and easily affected with kindnesses received. If a man
has no love to another, yet gratitude be moved by some extraordinary kindness;
as in Saul towards David: but this is not the same kind of thing, as a man's
gratitude to a dear friend, that his heart was before possessed with a high
esteem of, and love to; whose heart by this means became tender towards him, and
more easily affected with gratitude, and affected in another manner. Self-love
is not excluded from a gracious gratitude; the saints love God for his kindness
to them: Psal. 116:1, "I love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my
supplication." But something else is included; and another love prepares the
way, and lays the foundation for these grateful
affections.
2. In a gracious gratitude
men are affected with the attribute of God's goodness and free grace not only as
they are concerned in it, or as it affects their interest, but as a part of the
glory and beauty of God's nature. That wonderful and unparalleled grace of God,
which is manifested in the work of redemption, and shines forth in the face of
Jesus Christ, is infinitely glorious in itself, and appears so to the angels; it
is a great part of the moral perfection and beauty of God's nature. This would
be glorious, whether it were exercised towards us or no; and the saint who
exercises a gracious thankfulness for it, sees it to be so, and delights in it
as such: though his concern in it serves the more to engage his mind and raise
the attention and affection; and self-love here assists as a handmaid, being
subservient to higher principles, to lead forth the mind to the view and
contemplation, and engage and fix the attention, and heighten the joy and
love.—God's kindness to them is a glass that God sets before them, wherein to
behold the beauty of the attribute of God's goodness: the exercises and displays
of this attribute, by this means, are brought near to them, and set right before
them. So that in a holy thankfulness to God, the concern our interest has in
God's goodness is not the first foundation of our being affected with it; that
was laid in the heart before, in that stock of love which was to God, for his
excellency in himself, that makes the heart tender and susceptive of such
impressions from his goodness to us. Poor is our own interest, or the benefits
we have received, the only, or the chief objective ground of the present
exercises of the affection, but God's goodness, as part of the beauty of his
nature; although the manifestations of that lovely attribute, set immediately
before our eyes, in the exercises of it for us, be the special occasion of the
mind's attention to that beauty, at that time, and serves to fix the attention,
and heighten the affection.
Some may perhaps be ready to
object against the whole that has been said, that text, 1 John 4:19: "We love
him, because he first loved us," as though this implied that God's love to the
true saints were the first foundation of their love to
him.
In answer to this, I would
observe, that the apostle's drift in these words, is to magnify the love of God
to us from hence, that he loved us, while we had no love to him; as will be
manifest to anyone who compares this verse and the two following with the 9th,
10th, and 11th verses. And that God loved us, then we had no love to him, the
apostle proves by this argument, that God's love to the elect is the ground of
their love to him. And that it is three ways.—1. The saints' love to God is the
fruit of God's love to them, as it is the gift of that love. God gave them a
spirit of love to him, because he loved them from eternity. And in this respect
God's love to his elect is the first foundation of their love to him as it is
the foundation of their regeneration, and the whole of their redemption. 2. The
exercises and discoveries that God has made of his wonderful love to sinful men,
by Jesus Christ, in the work of redemption, is one of the chief manifestations,
which God has made of the glory of his moral perfection, to both angels and men;
and so is one main objective ground of the love of both to God; in a good
consistence with what was said before. 3. God's love to a particular elect
person, discovered by his conversion, is a great manifestation of God's moral
perfection and glory to him, and a proper occasion of the excitation of the love
of holy gratitude, agreeable to what was before said. And that the saints do in
these respects love God, because he first loved them, fully answers the design
of the apostle's argument in that place. So that no good argument can be drawn
from hence, against a spiritual and gracious love in the saints, arising
primarily from the excellency of divine things, as they are in themselves, and
not from any conceived relation they bear to their
interest.
And as it is with the love
of the saints, so it is with their joy, and spiritual delight and pleasure: the
first foundation of it is not any consideration or conception of their interest
in divine things; but it primarily consists in the sweet entertainment their
minds have in the view of contemplation of the divine and holy beauty of these
things, as they are in themselves. And this is indeed the very main difference
between the joy of the hypocrite, and the joy of the true saint. The former
rejoices in himself; self is the first foundation of his joy: the latter
rejoices in God. The hypocrite has his mind pleased and delighted, in the first
place, with his own privilege, and the happiness which he supposes he has
attained to, or shall attain to. True saints have their minds, in the first
place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with the sweet ideas of the glorious
and amiable nature of the things of God. And this is the spring of all their
delights, and the cream of all their pleasures: it is the joy of their joy. This
sweet and ravishing entertainment they have in the view of the beautiful and
delightful nature of divine things, is the foundation of the joy that they have
afterwards, in the consideration of their being theirs. But the dependence of
the affections of hypocrites is in a contrary order: they first rejoice and are
elevated with it, that they are made so much of by God; and then on that ground
he seems, in a sort, lovely to them.
The first foundation of the
delight a true saint has in God, is his own perfection; and the first foundation
of the delight he has in Christ, is his own beauty; he appears in himself the
chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. The way of salvation by Christ
is a delightful way to him, for the sweet and admirable manifestations of the
divine perfections in it: the holy doctrines of the gospel, by which God is
exalted and man abased, holiness honored and promoted, and sin greatly disgraced
and discouraged, and free and sovereign love manifested, are glorious doctrines
in his eyes, and sweet to his taste, prior to any conception of his interest in
these things. Indeed the saints rejoice in their interest in God, and that
Christ is theirs: and so they have great reason, but this is not the first
spring of their joy. They first rejoice in God as glorious and excellent in
himself, and then secondarily rejoice in it, that so glorious a God is
theirs.—They first have their hearts filled with sweetness, from the view of
Christ's excellency, and the excellency of his grace and the beauty of the way
of salvation by him, and then they have a secondary joy in that so excellent a
Savior, and such excellent grace are theirs. But that which is the true
saint's superstructure is the hypocrite's foundation. When they hear of the
wonderful things of the gospel, of God's great love in sending his Son, of
Christ's diving love to sinners, and the great things Christ has purchased and
promised to the saints, and hear these things livelily and eloquently set forth;
they may bear with a great deal of pleasure, and be lifted up with what they
hear; but if their joy be examined, it will be found to have no other foundation
than this, that they look upon these things as theirs, all this exalts them,
they love to hear of the great love of Christ, so vastly distinguishing some
from others; for self-love, and even pride itself makes them affect great
distinction from others. No wonder, in this confident opinion of their own good
estate, that they feel well under such doctrine, and are pleased in the highest
degree, in hearing how much God and Christ makes of them. So that their joy is
really a joy in themselves, and not in God.
And because the joy of
hypocrites is in themselves, hence it comes to pass that in their rejoicings and
elevations, they are wont to keep their eye upon themselves: having received
what they call spiritual discoveries or experience, their minds are taken up
about them, admiring their own experiences; and what they are principally taken
and elevated with, is not the glory of God, or beauty of Christ, but the beauty
of their experiences. They keep thinking with themselves, What a good experience
is this! What a great discovery is this! What wonderful things have I met with!
And so they put their experiences in the place of Christ, and his beauty and
fullness; and instead of rejoicing in Christ Jesus, they rejoice in their
admirable experiences; instead of feeding and fasting their souls in the view of
what is without them, viz., the innate, sweet refreshing amiableness of the
things exhibited in the gospel, their eyes are off from these things, or at
least they view them only as it were sideways; but the object that fixes their
contemplation, is their experience; and they are feeding their souls, and
feasting a selfish principle, with a view of their discoveries: they take more
comfort in their discoveries than in Christ discovered, which is the true notion
of living upon experiences and frames, and not a using experiences as the signs
on which they rely for evidence of their good estate, which some call living on
experiences; though it be very observable, that some of them who do so are most
notorious for living upon experiences, according to the true notion of
it.
The affections of hypocrites
are very often after this manner; they are first much affected with some
impression on their imagination, or some impulse which they take to be an
immediate suggestion or testimony from God of his love and their happiness, and
high privileges in some respect, either with or without a text of Scripture;
they are mightily taken with this as a great discovery, and hence arise high
affections. And when their affections are raised, then they view those high
affections, and call them great and wonderful experiences; and they have a
notion that God is greatly pleased with those affections; and this affects them
more; and so they are affected with their affections. And thus their affections
rise higher and higher, until they sometimes are perfectly swallowed up: and
self-conceit, and a fierce zeal rises withal; and all is built like a castle in
the air, on no other foundation but imagination, self-love, and
pride.
And as the thoughts of this
sort of persons are, so is their talk; for out of the abundance of their heart
their mouth speaketh. As in their high affections they keep their eye upon the
beauty of their experiences, and greatness of their attainments; so they are
great talkers about themselves.—The true saint, when under great spiritual
affections, from the fullness of his heart, is ready to be speaking much of God,
and his glorious perfections and works, and of the beauty and amiableness of
Christ, and the glorious things of the gospel: but hypocrites, in their high
affections, talk more of the discovery, than they do of the thing discovered;
they are full of talk about the great things they have met with, the wonderful
discoveries they have had, how sure they are of the love of God to them, how
safe their condition is, and how they know they shall go to heaven,
&c.
A true saint, when in the
enjoyment of true discoveries of the sweet glory of God and Christ, has his mind
too much captivated and engaged by what he views without himself, to stand at
that time to view himself, and his own attainments: it would be a diversion and
loss which he could not bear, to take his eye off from the ravishing object of
his contemplation, to survey his own experience, and to spend time in thinking
with himself, what a high attainment this is, and what a good story I now have
to tell others. Nor does the pleasure and sweetness of his mind at that time
chiefly arise from the consideration of the safety of his state, or anything he
has in view of his own qualifications, experiences, or circumstances; but from
the divine and supreme beauty of what is the object of his direct views without
himself; which sweetly entertains, and strongly holds his
mind.
As the love and joy of
hypocrites are all from the source of self love, so it is with their other
affections, their sorrow for sin, their humiliation and submission, their
religious desires and zeal: everything is, as it were, paid tail beforehand, in
God's highly gratifying their self-love, and their lusts, by making so much of
them, and exalting them so highly, as things are in their imagination. It is
easy for nature, as corrupt as it is, under a notion of being already some of
the highest favorites of heaven, and having a God who does so protect them and
favor them in their sins, to love this imaginary God that suits them so well,
and to extol him, and submit to him, and to be fierce and zealous for him. The
high affections of many are all built on the supposition of their being eminent
saints. If that opinion which they have of themselves were taken away, if they
thought they were some of the lower form of saints (though they should yet
suppose themselves to be real saints), their high affections would fall to the
ground. If they only saw a little of the sinfulness and vileness of their own
hearts, and their deformity, in the midst of their best duties and their best
affections, it would knock their affections on the head; because their
affections are built upon self, therefore self-knowledge would destroy them. But
as to truly gracious affections, they are built elsewhere; they have their
foundation out of self in God and Jesus Christ; and therefore a discovery of
themselves, of their own deformity, and the meanness of their experiences,
though it will purify their affections, yet it will not destroy them, but in
some respects sweeten and heighten them.
III. Those affections that
are truly holy, are primarily founded on the loveliness of the moral excellency
of divine things. Or (to express it otherwise) a love to divine things for the
beauty and sweetness of their moral excellency is the first beginning and spring
of all holy affections.
Here, for the sake of the
more illiterate reader, I will explain what I mean by the moral excellency of
divine things.
And it may be observed, that
the word moral is not to be understood here according to the common and
vulgar acceptation of the word when men speak of morality, and a moral behavior;
meaning an outward conformity to the duties of the moral law, and especially the
duties of the second table; or intending no more at farthest, than such seeming
virtues, as proceed from natural principles, in opposition to those virtues that
are more inward, spiritual, and divine; as the honesty, justice, generosity,
good nature, and public spirit of many of the heathen are called moral virtues,
in distinction from the holy faith, love, humility, and heavenly-mindedness of
true Christians: I say, the word moral is not to be understood thus in
this place.
But in order to a right
understanding what is meant, it must be observed, that divines commonly make a
distinction between moral good and evil, and natural good and evil. By moral
evil, they mean the evil of sin, or that evil which is against duty, and
contrary to what is right and ought to be. By natural evil, they do not mean
that evil which is properly opposed to duty; but that which is contrary to mere
nature, without any respect to a rule of duty. So the evil of suffering is
called natural evil, such as pain and torment, disgrace, and the like: these
things are contrary to mere nature, contrary to the nature of both bad and good,
hateful to wicked men and devils, as well as good men and angels. So likewise
natural defects are called natural evils, as if a child be monstrous or a
natural fool; these are natural evils, but are not moral evils, because they
have not properly the nature of the evil of sin. On the other hand, as by moral
evil, divines mean the evil of sin, or that which is contrary to what is right;
so by moral good, they mean that which is contrary to sin, or that good in
beings who have will and choice, whereby, as voluntary agents, they are, and
act, as it becomes them to be and to act, or so as is most fit, and suitable,
and lovely. By natural good, they mean that good that is entirely of a different
kind from holiness or virtue, viz., that which perfects or suits nature,
considering nature abstractly from any holy or unholy qualifications, and
without any relation to any rule or measure of right and
wrong.
Thus pleasure is a natural
good; so is honor, so is strength; so is speculative knowledge, human learning,
and policy.—Thus there is a distinction to be made between the natural good that
men are possessed of, and their moral good; and also between the natural and
moral good of the angels in heaven: the great capacity of their understandings,
and their great strength, and the honorable circumstances they are in as the
great ministers of God's kingdom, whence they are called thrones, dominions,
principalities, and powers, is the natural good which they are possessed of; but
their perfect and glorious holiness and goodness, their pure and flaming love to
God, and to the saints and to one another, is their moral good. So divines make
a distinction between the natural and moral perfections of God: by the moral
perfections of God, they mean those attributes which God exercises as a moral
agent, or whereby the heart and will of God are good, right, and infinitely
becoming and lovely; such as his righteousness, truth, faithfulness, and
goodness; or, in one word, his holiness. By God's natural attributes or
perfections, they mean those attributes, wherein, according to our way of
conceiving of God, consists, not the holiness or moral goodness of God, but his
greatness, such as his power, his knowledge, whereby he knows all things, and
his being eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, his omnipresence, and his
awful and terrible majesty.
The moral excellency of an
intelligent voluntary being is more immediately seated in the heart or will of
moral agents. That intelligent being, whose will is truly right and lovely, is
morally good or excellent.
This moral excellency of an
intelligent being, when it is true and real, and not only external or merely
seeming and counterfeit, is holiness. Therefore holiness comprehends all the
true moral excellency of intelligent beings: there is no other true virtue, but
real holiness. Holiness comprehends all the true virtue of a good man, his love
to God, his gracious love to men, his justice, his charity, and bowels of
mercies, his gracious meekness and gentleness, and all other true Christian
virtues that he has, belong to his holiness. So the holiness of God in the more
extensive sense of the word, and the sense in which the word is commonly, if not
universally used concerning God in Scripture, is the same with the moral
excellency of the divine nature, or his purity and beauty as a moral agent,
comprehending all his moral perfections, his righteousness faithfulness, and
goodness. As in holy men, their charity, Christian kindness and mercy, belong to
their holiness; so the kindness and mercy of God belong to his holiness.
Holiness in man is but the image of God's holiness; there are not more virtues
belonging to the image than are in the original: derived holiness has not more
in it than is in that underived holiness which is its fountain: there is no more
than grace for grace, or grace in the image, answerable to grace in the
original.
As there are two kinds of
attributes in God, according to our way of conceiving of him, his moral
attributes, which are summed up in his holiness, and his natural attributes of
strength, knowledge, &c., that constitute the greatness of God; so there is
a twofold image of God in man, his moral or spiritual image, which is his
holiness, that is the image of God's moral excellency (which image was lost by
the fall), and God's natural image, consisting in man's reason and
understanding, his natural ability, and dominion over the creatures, which is
the image of God's natural attribute.
From what has been said, it
may easily be understood what I intend, when I say that a love to divine things
for the beauty of their moral excellency, is the beginning and spring of all
holy affections. It has been already shown, under the former head, that the
first objective ground of all holy affections is the supreme excellency of
divine things as they are in themselves, or in their own nature; I now proceed
further, and say more particularly, that that kind of excellency of the nature
of divine things, which is the first objective ground of all holy affections, is
their moral excellency, or their holiness. Holy persons, in the exercise of holy
affections, do love divine things primarily for their holiness: they love God,
in the first place, for the beauty of his holiness or moral perfection, as being
supremely amiable in itself. Not that the saints, in the exercise of gracious
affections, do love God only for his holiness; all his attributes are amiable
and glorious in their eyes; they delight in every divine perfection; the
contemplation of the infinite greatness, power, knowledge, and terrible majesty
of God, is pleasant to them. But their love to God for his holiness is what is
most fundamental and essential in their love. Here it is that true love to God
begins; all other holy love to divine things flows from hence: this is the most
essential and distinguishing thing that belongs to a holy love to God, with
regard to the foundation of it. A love to God for the beauty of his moral at
tributes leads to, and necessarily causes a delight in God for all his
attributes; for his moral attributes cannot be without his natural attributes:
for infinite holiness supposes infinite wisdom, and an infinite capacity and
greatness; and all the attributes of God do as it were imply one
another.
The true beauty and
loveliness of all intelligent beings does primarily and most essentially consist
in their moral excellency or holiness. Herein consists the loveliness of the
angels, without which, with all their natural perfections, their strength, and
their knowledge, they would have no more loveliness than devils. It is a moral
excellency alone, that is in itself, and on its own account, the excellency of
intelligent beings: it is this that gives beauty to, or rather is the beauty of
their natural perfections and qualifications. Moral excellency is the excellency
of natural excellencies. Natural qualifications are either excellent or
otherwise, according as they are joined with moral excellency or not. Strength
and knowledge do not render any being lovely, without holiness, but more
hateful; though they render them more lovely, when joined with holiness. Thus
the elect angels are the more glorious for their strength and knowledge, because
these natural perfections of theirs are sanctified by their moral perfection.
But though the devils are very strong, and of great natural understanding, they
be not the more lovely: they are more terrible indeed, but not the more amiable;
but on the contrary, the more hateful. The holiness of an intelligent creature,
is the beauty of all his natural perfections. And so it is in God, according to
our way of conceiving of the divine Being: holiness is in a peculiar manner the
beauty of the divine nature. Hence we often read of the beauty of holiness,
Psal. 29:2, Psal. 96:9, and 110:3. This renders all his other attributes
glorious and lovely. It is the glory of God's wisdom, that it is a holy wisdom,
and not a wicked subtlety and craftiness. This makes his majesty lovely; and not
merely dreadful and horrible, that it is a holy majesty. It is the glory of
God's immutability, that it is a holy immutability, and not an flexible
obstinacy in wickedness.
And therefore it must needs
be, that a sight of God's loveliness must begin here. A true love to God must
begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other
attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this, and no otherwise
than as (according to our way of conceiving of God) it derives its loveliness
from this; and therefore it is impossible that other attributes should appear
lovely, in their true loveliness, until this is seen; and it impossible that any
perfection of the divine nature should be loved with true love until this is
loved. If the true loveliness of all God's perfections arises from the
loveliness of his holiness; then the true love of all his perfections arises
from the love of his holiness. They that do not see the glory of God's holiness,
cannot see anything of the true glory of his mercy and grace: they see nothing
of the glory of those attributes, as any excellency of God's nature, as it is in
itself; though they may be affected with them, and love them, as they concern
their interest: for these attributes are no part of the excellency of God's
nature, as that is excellent in itself, any otherwise than as they are included
in his holiness, more largely taken; or as they are a part of his moral
perfection.
As the beauty of the divine
nature does primarily consist in God's holiness, so does the beauty of all
divine things. Herein consists the beauty of the saints, that they are saints,
or holy ones; it is the moral image of God in them, which is their beauty; and
that is their holiness. Herein consists the beauty and brightness of the angels
of heaven, that they are holy angels, and so not devils. Dan. 4:13, 17, 23;
Matt. 25:31, Mark 8:38, Acts 10:22, Rev. 14:10. Herein consists the beauty of
the Christian religion, above all other religions, that it is so holy a
religion. Herein consists the excellency of the word of God, that it is so holy:
Psal. 119:140, "Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it." Ver.
128, "I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate
every false way." Ver. 138, "Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are
righteous, and very faithful." And 172, "My tongue shall speak of thy word; for
all thy commandments are righteousness." And Psal. 19:7-10, "The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise
the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is
clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous
altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey, and the honey comb." Herein does primarily consist the
amiableness and beauty of the Lord Jesus, whereby he is the chief among ten
thousands, and altogether lovely, even in that he is the holy one of God, Acts
3:14, and God's holy child, Acts 4:27, and he that is holy, and he that is true,
Rev. 3:7. All the spiritual beauty of his human nature, consisting in his
meekness, lowliness, patience, heavenliness, love to God, love to men,
condescension to the mean and vile, and compassion to the miserable, &c.,
all is summed up in his holiness. And the beauty of his divine nature, of which
the beauty of his human nature is the image and reflection, does also primarily
consist in his holiness. Herein primarily consists the glory of the gospel, that
it is a holy gospel, and so bright an emanation of the holy beauty of God and
Jesus Christ: herein consists the spiritual beauty of its doctrines, that they
are holy doctrines, or doctrines according to goodness. And herein does consist
the spiritual beauty of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, that it is so holy
a way. And herein chiefly consists the glory of heaven, that it is the holy
city, the holy Jerusalem, the habitation of God's holiness, and so of his glory,
Isa. 63:15. All the beauties of the new Jerusalem, as it is described in the two
last chapters of Revelation, are but various representations of this. See chap.
21:2, 10, 11, 18, 21, 27, chap. 22:1, 3.
And therefore it is
primarily on account of this kind of excellency, that the saints do love all
these things. Thus they love the word of God, because it is very pure. It is on
this account they love the saints; and on this account chiefly it is, that
heaven is lovely to them, and those holy tabernacles of God amiable in their
eyes: it is on this account that they love God; and on this account primarily it
is, that they love Christ, and that their hearts delight in the doctrines of the
gospel, and sweetly acquiesce in the way of salvation therein revealed.
Under the head of the first
distinguishing characteristic of gracious affections, I observed, that there is
given to those that are regenerated, a new supernatural sense, that is as it
were a certain divine spiritual taste, which is, in its whole nature, diverse
from any former kinds of sensation of the mind, as tasting is diverse from saint
in the exercise of this new sense of mind, in spiritual and divine things as
entirely different from anything that is perceived in them by natural men, as
the sweet taste of honey is diverse from the ideas men get of honey by looking
on it or feeling it. Now this that I have been speaking of, viz., the beauty of
holiness, is that thing in spiritual and divine things, which is perceived by
this spiritual sense, that is so diverse from all that natural men perceive in
them; this kind of beauty is the quality that is the immediate object of this
spiritual sense; this is the sweetness that is the proper object of this
spiritual taste. The Scripture often represents the beauty and sweetness of
holiness as the grand object of a spiritual taste and spiritual appetite. This
was the sweet food of the holy soul of Jesus Christ, John 4:32, 34: "I have meat
to eat that ye know not of—My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to
finish his work." I know of no part of the holy Scriptures, where the nature and
evidences of true and sincere godliness are so much of set purpose and so fully
and largely insisted on and delineated, as the 119th Psalm; the Psalmist
declares his design in the first verses of the Psalm, and he keeps his eye on
this design all along, and pursues it to the end: but in this Psalm the
excellency of holiness is represented as the immediate object of a spiritual
taste, relish, appetite, and delight of God's law; that grand expression and
emanation of the holiness of God's natures and prescription of holiness to the
creature, is all along represented as the food and entertainment, and as the
great object of the love, the appetite, the complacence and rejoicing of the
gracious nature, which prizes God's commandments above gold, yea, the finest
gold, and to which they are sweeter than the honey and honey comb; and that upon
account of their holiness, as I observed before. The same Psalmist declares,
that this is the sweetness that a spiritual taste relishes in God's law: Psal.
19:7, 8, 9, 10, "The law of the Lord is perfect; the commandment of the Lord is
pure; the fear of the Lord is clean; the statutes of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;—the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous
altogether; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey, and the honey comb."
A holy love has a holy
object. The holiness of love consists especially in this, that it is the love of
that which is holy, as holy, or for its holiness; so that it is the holiness of
the object, which is the quality whereon it fixes and terminates. A holy nature
must needs love that in holy things chiefly, which is most agreeable to itself;
but surely that in divine things, which above all others is agreeable to a holy
nature, is holiness, because holiness must be above all other things agreeable
to holiness; for nothing can be more agreeable to any nature than itself; holy
nature must be above all things agreeable to holy nature: and so the holy nature
of God and Christ, and the word of God, and other divine things, must be above
all other things agreeable to the holy nature that is in the
saints.
And again, a holy nature
doubtless loves holy things, especially on the account of that for which sinful
nature has enmity against them; but that for which chiefly sinful nature is at
enmity against holy things, is their holiness; it is for this, that the carnal
mind is at enmity against God, and against the law of God, and the people of
God. Now it is just arguing from contraries; from contrary causes to contrary
effects; from opposite natures to opposite tendencies. We know that holiness is
of a directly contrary nature to wickedness; as therefore it is the nature of
wickedness chiefly to oppose and hate holiness; so it must be the nature of
holiness chiefly to tend to, and delight in holiness.
The holy nature in the
saints and angels in heaven (where the true tendency of it best appears) is
principally engaged by the holiness of divine things. This is the divine beauty
which chiefly engages the attention, admiration, and praise of the bright and
burning seraphim: Isa. 6:3, "One cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." And Rev. 4:8, "They
rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was,
and is, and is to come." So the glorified saints chap. 15:4, "Who shall not fear
thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art
holy."
And the Scriptures represent
the saints on earth as adoring God primarily on this account, and admiring and
extolling all God's attributes, either as deriving loveliness from his holiness,
or as being a part of it. Thus when they praise God for his power, his holiness
is the beauty that engages them: Psal. 98:1, "O sing unto the Lord a new song,
for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm hath gotten
him the victory." So when they praise him for his justice and terrible majesty:
Psal. 99:2, 3, "The Lord is great in Zion, and he is high above all people. Let
them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy." Ver. 5, "Exalt ye the
Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy." Ver. 8, 9, "Thou
wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their
inventions. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill: for the
Lord our God, is holy." So when they praise God for his mercy and faithfulness:
Psal. 97:11, 12, "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright
in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance
of his holiness." 1 Sam. 2:2, "There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none
besides thee; neither is there any rock like our God."
By this therefore all may
try their affections, and particularly their love and joy. Various kinds of
creatures show the difference of their natures, very much in the different
things they relish as their proper good, one delighting in that which another
abhors. Such a difference is there between true saints, and natural men: natural
men have no sense of the goodness and excellency of holy things at least for
their holiness; they have no taste for that kind of good; and so may be said not
to know that divine good, or not to see it; it is wholly hid from them; but the
saints, by the mighty power of God, have it discovered to them; they have that
supernatural, most noble and divine sense given them, by which they perceive it;
and it is this that captivates their hearts, and delights them above all things;
it is the most amiable and sweet thing to the heart of a true saint, that is to
be found in heaven or earth; that which above all others attracts and engages
his soul; and that whereby above all things, he places his happiness, and which
he lots upon for solace and entertainment to his mind, in this world, and full
satisfaction and blessedness in another. By this, you may examine your love to
God, and to Jesus Christ, and to the word of God, and your joy in them, and also
your love to the people of God, and your desires after heaven; whether they be
from a supreme delight in this sort of beauty, without being primarily moved
from your imagined interest in them, or expectations from them. There are many
high affections, great seeming love and rapturous joys, which have nothing of
this holy relish belonging to them.
Particularly, by what has
been said you may try your discoveries of the glory of God's grace and love, and
your affections arising from them. The grace of God may appear lovely two ways;
either as bonum utile, a profitable good to me, that which greatly serves
my interest, and so suits my self-love; or as bonum formosum, a beautiful
good in itself, and part of the moral and spiritual excellency of the divine
nature. In this latter respect it is that the true saints have their hearts
affected, and love captivated by the free grace of God in the first
place.
From the things that have
been said, it appears, that if persons have a great sense of the natural
perfections of God, and are greatly affected with them, or have any other sight
or sense of God than that which consists in, or implies a sense of the beauty of
his moral perfections, it is no certain sign of grace; as particularly men's
having a great sense of the awful greatness and terrible majesty of God; for
this is only God's natural perfection, and what men may see and yet be entirely
blind to the beauty of his moral perfection, and have nothing of that spiritual
taste which relishes this divine sweetness.
It has been shown already,
in what was said upon the first distinguishing mark of gracious affections, that
that which is spiritual, is entirely different in its nature, from all that it
is possible any graceless person should be the subject of, while he continues
graceless. But it is possible that those who are wholly without grace should
have a clear sight and very great and affecting sense of God's greatness, his
mighty power, and awful majesty; for this is what the devils have, though they
have lost the spiritual knowledge of God, consisting in a sense of the
amiableness of his moral perfections; they are perfectly destitute of any sense
or relish of that kind of beauty, yet they have a very great knowledge of the
natural glory of God (if I may so speak), or his awful greatness and majesty;
this they behold, and are affected with the apprehensions of, and therefore
tremble before him. This glory of God all shall behold at the day of judgment;
God will make all rational beings to behold it to a great degree indeed, angels
and devils, saints and sinners: Christ will manifest his infinite greatness, and
awful majesty, to everyone, in a most open, clear, and convincing manner, and in
a light that none can resist, "when he shall come in the glory of his Father,
and every eye shall see him;" when they shall cry to the mountains to fall upon
them, to hide them from the face of him that sits upon the throne, they are
represented as seeing the glory of God's majesty, Isa. 2:10, 19, 21. God will
make all his enemies to behold this, and to live in a most clear and affecting
view of it, in hell, to all eternity. God hath often declared his immutable
purpose to make all his enemies to know him in this respect, in so often
annexing these words to the threatenings he denounces against them: "And they
shall know that I am the Lord;" yea he hath sworn that all men shall see his
glory in this respect: Numb. 14:21, "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be
filled with the glory of the Lord." And this kind of manifestation of God is
very often spoken of in Scripture, as made, or to be made, in the sight of God's
enemies in this world, Exod. 9:16, and chap. 14:18, and 15:16, Psal. 66:3, and
46:10, and other places innumerable. This was a manifestation which God made of
himself in the sight of that wicked congregation at Mount Sinai; deeply
affecting them with it; so that all the people in the camp trembled. Wicked men
and devils will see, and have a great sense of everything that appertains to the
glory of God, but only the beauty of his moral perfection; they will see his
infinite greatness and majesty, his infinite power, and will be fully convinced
of his omniscience, and his eternity and immutability; and they will see and
know everything appertaining to his moral attributes themselves, but only the
beauty and amiableness of them; they will see and know that he is perfectly
just, and righteous, and true, and that he is a holy God, of purer eyes than to
behold evil, who cannot look on iniquity; and they will see the wonderful
manifestations of his infinite goodness and free grace to the saints; and there
is nothing will be hid from their eyes, but only the beauty of these moral
attributes, and that beauty of the other attributes, which arises from it. And
so natural men in this world are capable of having a very affecting sense of
everything else that appertains to God, but this only. Nebuchadnezzar had a
great and very affecting sense of the infinite greatness and awful majesty of
God, of his supreme and absolute dominion, and mighty and irresistible power,
and of his sovereignty, and that he, and all the inhabitants of the earth were
nothing before him; and also had a great conviction in his conscience of his
justice, and an affecting sense of his great goodness, Dan. 4:1, 2, 3, 34, 35,
37. And the sense that Darius had of God's perfections, seems to be very much
like his, Dan. 6:25, &c. But the saints and angels do behold the glory of
God consisting in the beauty of his holiness; and it is this sight only that
will melt and humble the hearts of men, and wean them from the world, and draw
them to God, and effectually change them. A sight of the awful greatness of God,
may overpower men's strength, and be more than they can endure; but if the moral
beauty of God be hid, the enmity of the heart will remain in its full strength,
no love will be enkindled, all will not be effectual to gain the will, but that
will remain inflexible; whereas the first glimpse of the moral and spiritual
glory of God shining into the heart, produces all these effects as it were with
omnipotent power, which nothing can withstand.
The sense that natural men
may have of the awful greatness of God may affect them various ways; it may not
only terrify them, but it may elevate them, and raise their joy and praise, as
their circumstances may be. This will be the natural effect of it, under the
real or supposed receipt of some extraordinary mercy from God, by the influence
of mere principles of nature. It has been shown already, that the receipt of
kindness may, by the influence of natural principles, affect the heart with
gratitude and praise to God; but if a person, at the same time that he receives
remarkable kindness from God, has a sense of his infinite greatness, and that he
is but nothing in comparison of him, surely this will naturally raise his
gratitude and praise the higher, for kindness to one so much inferior. A sense
of God's greatness had this effect upon Nebuchadnezzar, under the receipt of
that extraordinary favor of his restoration, after he had been driven from men,
and had his dwelling with the beasts: a sense of God's exceeding greatness
raises his gratitude very high; so that he does, in the most lofty terms, extol
and magnify God, and calls upon all the world to do it with him; and much more
if a natural man, at the same time that he is greatly affected with God's
infinite greatness and majesty, entertains a strong conceit that this great God
has made him his child and special favorite, and promised him eternal glory in
his highest love, will this have a tendency, according to the course of nature,
to raise his joy and praise to a great height.
Therefore, it is beyond
doubt that too much weight has been laid, by many persons of late, on
discoveries of God's greatness, awful majesty, and natural perfection, operating
after this manner, without any real view of the holy majesty of God. And
experience does abundantly witness to what reason and Scripture declare as to
this matter; there having been very many persons, who have seemed to be
overpowered with the greatness and majesty of God, and consequently elevated in
the manner that has been spoken of, who have been very far from having
appearances of a Christian spirit and temper, in any manner of proportion, or
fruits in practice in any wise agreeable; but their discoveries have worked in a
way contrary to the operation of truly spiritual
discoveries.
Not that a sense of God's
greatness and natural attributes is not exceeding useful and necessary. For, as
I observed before, this is implied in a manifestation of the beauty of God's
holiness. Though that be something beyond it, it supposes it, as the greater
supposes the less. And though natural men may have a sense of the natural
perfections of God; yet undoubtedly this is more frequent and common with the
saints than with natural men; and grace tends to enable men to see these things
in a better manner than natural men do; and not only enables them to see God's
natural attributes, but that beauty of those attributes, which (according to our
way of conceiving of God) is derived from his holiness.
IV. Gracious affections do
arise from the mind's being enlightened, richly and spiritually to understand or
apprehend divine things.
Holy affections are not heat
without light; but evermore arise from the information of the understanding,
some spiritual instruction that the mind receives, some light or actual
knowledge. The child of God is graciously affected, because he sees and
understands something more of divine things than he did before, more of God or
Christ, and of the glorious things exhibited in the gospel; he has some clearer
and better view than he had before, when he was not affected: either he receives
some understanding of divine things that is new to him; or has his former
knowledge renewed after the view was decayed: 1 John 4:7, "Everyone that loveth,
knoweth God." Phil. 1:9, "I pray that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge, and in all judgment." Rom. 10:2, "They have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge." Col. 3:10, "The new man, which is renewed in
knowledge." Psalm 43:3, 4, "O send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead
me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill." John 6:45, "It is written in the
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me." Knowledge is the key that
first opens the hard heart, and enlarges the affections, and so opens the way
for men into the kingdom of heaven; Luke 11:52, "Ye have taken away the key of
knowledge."
Now there are many
affections which do not arise from any light in the understanding. And when it
is thus, it is a sure evidence that these affections are not spiritual, let them
be ever so high. Indeed they have some new
apprehensions which they had not before. Such is the nature of man, that it is
impossible his mind should be affected, unless it be by something that he
apprehends, or that his mind conceives of. But in many persons those
apprehensions or conceptions that they have, wherewith they are affected, have
nothing of the nature of knowledge or instruction in them. As for instance, when
a person is affected with a lively idea, suddenly excited in his mind, of some
shape or very beautiful pleasant form of countenance, or some shining light, or
other glorious outward appearance: here is something apprehended or conceived by
the mind; but there is nothing of the nature of instruction in it; persons
become never the wiser by such things, or more knowing about God, or a Mediator
between God and man, or the way of salvation by Christ, or anything contained in
any of the doctrines of the gospel. Persons by these external ideas have no
further acquaintance with God, as to any of the attributes or perfections of his
nature; nor have they any further understanding of his word, or any of his ways
or works. Truly spiritual and gracious affections are not raised after this
manner; these arise from the enlightening of the understanding to understand the
things that are taught of God and Christ, in a new manner, the coming to a new
understanding of the excellent nature of God, and his wonderful perfections,
some new view of Christ in his spiritual excellencies and fullness, or things
opened to him in a new manner, that appertain to the way of salvation by Christ,
whereby he now sees how it is, and understands those divine and spiritual
doctrines which once were foolishness to him. Such enlightenings of the
understanding as these, are things entirely different in their nature from
strong ideas of shapes and colors, and outward brightness and glory, or sounds
and voices. That all gracious affections do arise from some instruction or
enlightening of the understanding, is therefore a further proof, that affections
which arise from such impression on the imagination, are not gracious
affections, besides the things observed before, which make this
evident.
Hence also it appears, that
affections arising from texts of Scripture coming to the mind: are vain, when no
instruction received in the understanding from those texts, or anything taught
in those texts, is the ground of the affection, but the manner of their coming
to the mind. When Christ makes the Scripture a means of the heart's burning with
gracious affection, it is by opening the Scriptures to their understandings;
Luke 24:32, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the
way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?" It appears also that the
affection which is occasioned by the coming of a text of Scripture must be vain,
when the affection is founded on some thing that is supposed to be taught by it,
which really is not contained in it nor in any other Scripture; because such
supposed instruction is not real instruction, but a mistake and misapprehension
of the mind. As for instance, when persons suppose that they are expressly
taught by some Scripture coming to their minds, that they in particular are
beloved of God, or that their sins are forgiven, that God is their Father, and
the like, this is a mistake or misapprehension; for the Scripture nowhere
reveals the individual persons who are be loved, expressly; but only by
consequence, by revealing the qualifications of persons that are beloved of God:
and therefore this matter is not to be learned from Scripture any other way than
by consequence, and from these qualifications; for things are not to be learned
from the Scripture any other way than they are taught in the
Scripture.
Affections really arise from
ignorance, rather than instruction, in these instances which have been
mentioned; as likewise in some others that might be mentioned. As some, when
they find themselves free of speech in prayer, they call it God's being with
them; and this affects them more; and so their affections are set agoing and
increased; when they look not into the cause of this freedom of speech, which
may arise many other ways besides God's spiritual presence. So some are much
affected with some apt thoughts that come into their minds about the Scripture,
and call it the Spirit of God teaching them. So they ascribe many of the
workings of their own minds, which they have a high opinion of, and are pleased
and taken with, to the special immediate influences of God's Spirit; and so are
mightily affected with their privilege. And there are some instances of persons,
in whom it seems manifest, that the first ground of their affection is some
bodily sensation. The animal spirits, by some cause (and probably sometimes by
the devil) are suddenly and unaccountably put into a very
