CASE S

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CONSCIENCE.

CASE

I.

How shall we distinguish between the Workings of natural Affection, and the real Exercife of Grace, in religious Duties?

HIS ferious Queftion lately came into.

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my Hands in thefe very Words; and, upon reading it, I could not but fee that it contained a Query of the greatest Importance, and therefore thought it might be very proper to take it into Confideration, and give it as clear a Solution as lay in my Power.

I confess it to be a very close and interesting Inquiry, fuch as requires fome Skill to answer it, but much more fpiritual Skill to apply it to our own Hearts and Cafes. You will eafily fee both the Importance and Difficulty

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of the Question, by a free and familiar ftating it, after this Manner.

There are many that go to and come from Gospel Ordinances intirely ftupid, careless, and unaffected, having no real Regard for the Power or Spirit of Religion, and aiming at no more than the Form of it. To fuch as these the present Query is an indifferent Matter; and their very Indifference is an evident Proof, that the State of their Persons, or the Frame of their Hearts, is really fad and deplorable, though they know it not, or are utterly unconcerned about it.

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There are others, who, when they attend upon or engage in religious Duties, fuch as Reading, Hearing, Singing and Praying, have their Affections ftrongly moving; fo that thefe Perfons can, and do frequently, weep under Ordinances for Grief or Joy: They often attend the Means of Grace with much Pleasure in their Countenances, and many Tears in their Eyes. Thefe Appearances, I profefs, are very pleafing and promifing in an Affembly, and fometimes indicate that the Spirit of God is at work in their Hearts: And many Chriftians, are ready to take it for granted, that thofe Ordinances are truly beneficial, where the Paffions are thus agitated, and to esteem those loft Opportunities, where this is not the Cafe.

But here I muft obferve, that we have great Reafon to be fufpicious of ourselves, and fhould not make this the Rule to judge of the Usefulness of an Ordinance by; but make a farther Inquiry, whether these Motions within us, or thefe Impreffions upon us, are the Workings of natural Affection only, as they certainly may be, or the real Exercife of fpiritual Grace?

And this is the very Queftion under Confideration. Many, I fear; are awfully deceived with the mere Work

ings of Nature, by thinking them fufficient Evidences of the Prefence and Bleffing of God in his own Inftitutions; while, on the other hand, many are groundlefly difcouraged, because they do not feel such strong Emotions as others do; thinking that this is an evident Token of the Barrenness and Uselessnefs of Ordinances. ›

That we might not be either deceived, or unreafonably discouraged, by these Means, let me therefore now attempt a ferious and plain Solution of this Query, looking up to the Divine Spirit to make the whole clear to your Understandings, and to apply it close to your Confciences.

I would offer the following Confiderations as preparatory to a direct Anfwer, and then proceed to the Solution itself:

Obferve I. The Affections of the Mind may be excited in a merely natural Way under divine Ordinances. The Proof of this Point will be beft introduced by endeavourto fet before you some of those Ways, in which mere Nature may be impreffed and raised under the Means of Grace. 1. The Affections of the Mind may be excited by a natural Impreffion. Thus, when a Perfon is attending upon the Miniftrations of the Word, he may find himself moved only by the Beauty of the Stile, or the Propriety of the Language, or by the Loudness or Tuneableness of the Preacher's Voice, or the appa→ rent Fervency of his Addrefs. Such Circumftances as these may move the Affections in a Way purely mechanical, without being attended with any spiritual or fav ing Effects; for hereby only animal Nature is touched, or the fpeculative Powers employed, in a pleasing or difagreeable Way. This feems to have been the Cafe. with the Hearers of the great Prophet Ezekiel, as mentioned Ezek. xxxiii. 32. Lo, thou art unto them as a A 2

Very

very lovely Song of one that has a pleasant Voice, and can play well on an Inftrument; for they hear thy Words, but do them not. Let not any therefore conclude, that Ordinances are profitable to them, merely because they are pleafing and delightful to their Ears; for the Manner of the Preacher's Address may make a natural Im→ preffion upon his Hearers, without having any fpiritual or useful Effect. 2. The Affections may be fometimes raised by a natural Sympathy; which Sympathy regards not merely the Manner of the Preacher, but the Matter alfo, which he delivers. If the Preacher himself appears very earnest in his Address, and very much affected with what he delivers, this does often effectually work upon the natural Affections of his Hearers by way of Sympathy. If he appears concerned, they feel a fympathetic Concern along with him: If he seems raised and delighted, they by Sympathy partake of his Pleasure to fuch a Degree, as actually to weep and rejoice with him. Again, if the Minifter be fetting forth fomething, that is in its own Nature very affecting, in expreffive Language, here the Power of Oratory produces in the Minds of the Hearers a Sympathy with that which he is relating or describing. Thus, if the Minifter be fetting forth in very mournful Strains the Sufferings and Agonies of Chrift, his Relation of these tragical Occurrences may move the Affections of the People merely in a fympathetic Way, without making any faving or fpiritual Impreffions on their Hearts; and there may be no more in these Workings of Affection, than what moft Perfons, I believe, are obliged to feel, when attentively reading that memorable Hiftory of Jofeph and his Brethren, whereby the Affections of Joy and Sorrow, Refentment and Pleasure, are alternately excited in a Way purely natural. 3. The Affections

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are fometimes raised under Ordinances from a purely › natural or notional Inclination. A Perfon may meet with that in a Sermon, which fuits his Tafte, or falls in with his previous Sentiments: And as it is natural for us to be pleased with and to be fond of our own Opinions, therefore, whenever we meet with what correfponds thereto, we are neceffarily pleafed and delighted. If what is advanced in a Sermon ftrongly confirms or beautifully illuftrates what we believe, this will certainly draw forth the pleasurable and agreeable Affections of the Mind: But let us not conclude from hence, that we have received any spiritual Advantage, or that there has been any Thing more than the natural Effect of a natural Caufe; for in all this Satisfaction there may be nothing spiritual or evangelical, even though what we are pleased with be Gofpel Truth.

On the other hand, we may meet with fomething in a Sermon that may difguft or difplease us; and this may excite answerable Affections; and thefe Affections we may be ready to esteem a true Zeal for the Truth, in Oppofition to Error; yet, after all these Emotions of Mind, there may be nothing spiritual or favoury brought home to our Hearts, nor any Working of true Grace in the Soul. Once more; 4. The Affections being raised. more or less, may very much depend upon our natural Conftitutions. For we know that fome are of a more foft, tender, and affectionate Difpofition than others; and these are more eafily touched and moved by what. occurs in an Ordinance than others, and are more fre quently melted into Tears. This therefore must not al-. ways be ascribed to a greater Degree of the Spirit's Operations, fince it may be frequently accounted for from a Cause that is merely natural. Thus we see how natural Impreffions, natural Sympathy, natural Inclination,