VOL. that they have none of this divine affection, beI. cause they do not perceive it to work towards

GOD, as their love does towards other objects. Finally, there are others again, who are very prone to cenfure thofe that fpeak of more paffionate workings of affection to GOD, as mere hypocrites for this pretenfion. For fince they experience nothing of fuch workings on their own hearts, they think it impoffible there should be any fuch thing at all in the world. There are therefore three forts of perfons that our prefent discourse must have reference unto.

I. SUCH ignorant and careless fouls as do, at random and without ever confidering the matter, pronounce concerning themselves, that they are lovers of GOD; though if the matter be ftrictly looked into, they have no fuch thing as a motion of love in their heart to GoD at all.

II. THOSE that are prone to fufpect, and conclude themselves to have no love to GoD at all, because they do not find this affection to work with that fervor and conftancy, that they think it should, and which they perceive on other occafions.

III. SUCH as are very apt to suspect, and accufe others of hypocrify or folly, who seem to express the most paffionate and fervent love to Go D, and think that fuch an affection towards him cannot have place in a human breast. What therefore is pretended to be of a spiritual and holy kind, must be refolved, they imagine, wholly

XI.

wholly into enthusiasm; or be attributed to the SER M. power of fancy, or imagination; or to the temper, and difpofition of the bodily humours, and the various ftructure and fabrick even of the inferior parts of the body it self. of the body it felf. To each of these forts, reference must be had in what is now to be difcourfed upon at this time.

I. As to those who confidently give out themfelves to be lovers of GOD, though they never felt any motion of love to him at all in their hearts, fuch things as thefe it would be very fit for them to confider.

1. THAT it is a very rafh and unreasonable, as well as dangerous prefumption, for them to conclude there is that in them which they have never perceived at all. For what might not one imagine, or fancy upon fuch a pretence? Suppofing it poffible, muft I believe every thing to be true which is barely poffible to be true? How many abfurd things fhould I then believe! For there are many things that poffibly may be, which yet it would be a very great abfurdity to believe are in reality. It is a known rule, that of things that appear not, nor exist, the same esteem is to be had. If then it no way appears, or however appears not to me, that I am a lover of GOD; with what confidence can I pretend to it, or fay that I am fo?

2. IT is to be confidered that it is a moft natural thing to men to be very indulgent to themfelves, and to think that of themfelves, which

I.

VOL. none would think or imagine but themfelves. It is natural to every wicked man to flatter himself in bis own eyes, until his wickedness be found out to be bateful. Thus fays the Pfalmist, The transgreffion of the wicked faith within my heart, that is, fuggests to me, that there is no fear of GoD before his eyes. And truly this does as effectually speak or declare, that he hath not the love of God in him; yet at the fame time he flatters himself, as it there follows, in his own eyes, till the matter comes to be plainly observable to every eye. Hence it may be very well understood, how it comes to pass that men are so apt to judge themselves any thing, which it would be horrid for them not to be thought to be, only from the kindness they have to themselves. For how horrid is it for any man to admit himself to be no lover of GOD! Therefore he must needs think himself fuch, or affirm that as true, which it were a horrid thing to confefs and avow to be falfe. And fo, upon the matter, their love to GOD depends upon, and runs into nothing else, but a partial and fond love to themselves.

3. THEY fhould confider how obvious the miftake is, to take a conviction of confcience in this cafe for an affection of the heart. That is, because they are convinced that it is a very reafonable and fit thing to love GoD, therefore they But how moft

conclude, that they do love him.

irrational is the conclufion! They may as well conclude their approbation of any thing elfe, to

be

Pf. xxxvI. 2.

i Ver. 1!

be the poffeffion of the thing it felf. For in- SẼ RM, ftance, that they are rich, because they approve XI. of riches; or that they are in very good health, because they approve of a found habit of body, It is plain that this is all which the most can say, as to the bottom of their pretence. They have nothing at all in them, like the love of GoD, but only this conviction of confcience, that it is fit he fhould be loved. Of this there is a neceffary and unavoidable approbation imposed upon their judgment, from the evidence of the thing it felf. And as all men are convinced, that the obligation is indifpenfible, therefore they are willing to take it for granted, that they have the love of GoD in them.

4. It follows, as another thing to be confi dered, that if the love of GOD in it felf be really a distinct thing, and different from such a conviction, then their love to him is reduced to nothing: For it is really nothing, diftinguished from fuch a conviction, or apprehenfion in their own minds. And under a notion of its being an affection of a finer kind and nature than to be obvious to common obfervation, they have refined. it quite away, even into a mere nothing. For doth not every man's own fenfe tell him, that the love of this or that thing, is quite another thing than a mental approbation of it? Or may not I be convinced in my judgement of the excellencies of one, to whom I have yet a fettled averfion in my heart? How many cannot indure fuch perfons, of whom upon conviction they

I.

VOL. cannot say they are not excellent men? And certainly it will put every fober confiderer of this ftate of the cafe upon quite new thoughts, when he shall find he is not able to tell, what the thing is, that he calls love to GoD, if it must be diftinguished from the mere conviction of the reafonableness of it.

5. IT is alfo to be confidered, that fince love to Go D, if it be any where, is to be difcerned and felt, and must be a ruling principle; it is then a most abfurd imagination, that fuch a principle should be in men, of which they have no perception. For is it not abfurd, that a principle, which is to have the conduct of a man's life, and so very great power in and over him in his whole course, should yet be neither difcernible, nor felt? Indeed there are many thoughts and motions that stir in our minds, of which we take very little notice; nor can we in a little time say pofitively, whether we had fuch a thought or no. But that a principle, which runs through the univerfal courfe of a man's life, and which of all things fhould moft frequently come under his notice, fhould yet be neither felt nor perceived by him, is the most unimaginable of all things we can conceive of. Therefore those who have fo haftily pronounced themselves to be lovers of GOD, and yet never felt any thing by which this love is to be difcerned, are befought to think again, to allow the caufe a rehearing, to take it into new confideration, and not run away with a groundless conceit that they are what it fo much

concerns