concerns them actually to be, while they are only SER M. fo in their own fancies and imaginations.

II. I Now come to the next fort, namely, those who are apt to judge themselves wholly deftitute of fincere love to GOD, because they do not find those paffionate motions of it towards him, as they do towards many inferior objects. And there are fundry confiderations, which will be very requifite to be weighed inthis cafe too. As,

1. THAT certainly the actual exercife of love towards GOD may be often intermitted, when an habitual propenfion of heart towards him doth remain. The foul may frequently be put befide the direct acts, and exercife of this duty; and yet that virtue and principle, which hath touched their hearts, and by gracious vouchfafement is feated there, may still habitually incline them the fame way. As the needle touched with the load-ftone, is frequently diverted from its direct tendency towards the north; for being moved it shakes and quavers, and hath its various vibrations this way and that, yet there is a virtue in it that will bring and reduce it to the right point again. Therefore it is not this, or that act of love towards GOD, that gives the denomination; but the habitual propenfion, and bent of the heart. A man then is to be esteemed a lover of GOD, according as his heart stands habitually propense to him. But if the denomination depend upon this, or the other act;

then

XI.

I.

VOL. then a man would cease to be a lover of GOD, as often as he loveth, or thinketh of any one else, or is diverted from it by this or that though never so neceffary an occafion. And again,

2. It is very neceffary, that we confider the act and the passion of love as very distinguishable, or different things. The act of love in a reafonable intelligent creature, is nothing else but the complacential motion of the will towards this or that object, that is apprehended amiable, or worthy to be loved. The paffion of love is the impreffion made by an object, upon the animal and vital spirits of the brain and heart, which, being sensible, are reflected upon, and by many are taken notice of (through a great mistake) as if the very notion and being of love was placed there. Whereas the whole entire nature of divine love is feparable from that paffion, and may be without it; otherwise if paffion were of the effence of love, it were altogether impoffible, that the separate foul fhould be capable of loving GOD, or any thing else. This is a mere accident to our love, and a refult that depends upon our present union with the body; which body is effentially neceffary, neither to our foul, nor to our love, for both may be without it. And I add,

3. THAT those acts which are performed, as I may call it, in the upper region of the foul, and which are more peculiar to its intellectual nature, are as truly difcernible, as the paffions are which rebound upon, and affect the body. The acts

of

of the mind, and of the will, are no more im-SERM, perceptible than the paffions; and it is as poffible XI. for me to be able to discern and feel the former, as the latter. Cannot I as well tell that I think fuch a thought, if I do think it; that I intend and purpose fuch a thing, if I do really enter tain in my heart fuch a refolution, as that I feel the motions that affect my outward man? If therefore a perfon with a practical judgement efteems the Bleffed GoD to be his highest and best good, and accordingly chooses him as such, and fettles this refolution in his own foul, faying, "This GOD fhall be my GoD, my best and "fupreme good, here will I feek my felicity, "and take up my reft, and to him will I be an "entirely devoted one for ever;" In this perfon certainly lies the fubftance and effence of love. And is not this perceptible? are not such acts as these capable of being reflected on, and taken notice of, if men would but more frequently turn their eyes inward, and habituate themselves to converse with themfelves? But I further add,

4. THAT most certain it is, that during our abode in the body, the affections of the foul have more intimately an influence upon it. Such is the close and mysterious union between these two natures of flesh and fpirit; that the influences between the one and the other are reciprocal. And therefore it is that the very temper or com plexion of our fouls doth so naturally, fome way or other, reprefent it self in the outward man, as that it is very difficult, almoft impoffible, to

VO L. hide and conceal what are the

I.

spirits upon certain occafions.
grown into a maxim, that the

fentiments of our Whence it hath face is the cha

racter of the mind *. How hard is it for a man not to betray guilt in his countenance, if he has the sense of it in his own mind and heart +! And therefore we should confider with our felves, how our affections work towards God; even according to the ufual way, wherein human affections are wont to fhew and difcover themselves. For I add,

5. THAT even spiritual, holy affections, such as respect the invifible GoD, and other invisible objects, do frequently fo work in those pious fouls in whom they are, as to make very great and deep impreffions upon the body, and are accompanied with fuch paffionate expreffions, as are difcernible, even to the inferior fenfes which belong to the animal nature. Let paffages of Scripture to this purpose be looked into. How was the Pfalmift affected and wrought upon by one affection towards GOD, when he tells us, My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. There is a proportion between fear and love, in this cafe. As for love, the fame devout Pfalmift fays, My foul thirfteth for thee, Q GOD! yea my flesh longeth for thee. And again, My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living GOD". Now these are not to be understood as mere rhetorical strains;

*Vultus eft index animi.

Heu, quam difficile eft crimen non prodere vultu !
Pf. cxix. 120. 1

LXIII. I.

!

m LXXXIV. 2.

for

for indeed they are not fo, but do plainly carry this fignification with them, that though the flesh be more immediately incapable of desire, of thirsting, and longing after Go D, whereof the foul alone is primarily capable, yet, mediately, the flesh partakes thereof. That is, the heart and foul did fo much long after Go D, that the flesh was affected and bore the impreffion of that vehement defire, which was in the foul, as in its original and proper feat. We are therefore to confider, that even the more paffionate workings of love towards GoD are very agreeable to that kind of affection, which in refpect to the object, and principle of it, is fpiritual and divine. And therefore,

6. IT muft further be added, that if perfons be very, apt to be paffionately affected in other kinds, and towards other objects, but do always find themselves dull, and infenfible of fuch motions towards GoD and invifible things, they have a great deal of reafon to fufpect themselves to be under a very bad diftemper. Indeed, when perfons are equally, and alike, unapt to feel fuch paffionate refentments in their hearts towards any kind of objects, the matter is quite otherwife. But if they can ordinarily fay, "“ I "feel my love to work towards the creature, a

SERM.

relation, or other amiable object in this and "that paffionate manner; but I can feel no love "working towards GoD," they are far from being in a good condition. They have, at least, a good deal of reason to fufpect, that a diftemper prevails

XI.