Imatges de pàgina
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VOL. to be ashamed of faying he is fo, who is not fo in

I.

reality. But I fay further,

(6.) THAT this fame accufation is hypocritical. It carries the most palpable hypocrify in it; for it is manifeft that fuch perfons do only pretend to be angry at the pretence of love to GOD; when it plainly appears they are angry that the love of GOD fhould really be in any one. And this is easy to be made out. For do not all men generally profefs love to GOD? Now they are not angry at those that profess, but love him not. But what religion is there without love? and whoever profeffes religion, does confequently profefs love to God. But let them make it appear by their practice, that their profeffion is but a mockery, that they do but fay, hail! and strike at the divine majesty at the fame time; let them I fay with their pretence of religion, or love to Go D, but join fome practical fignification that they are not in good earneft, and they please well enough, no fault is found with them.

So that it is very plain the fault they are bent against is not hypocrify, but fincerity. They are angry that there is any fuch thing as fincere love to GoD in the world. Therefore as Plato faid to the Cynick, who trod upon a fine bed of his, and cried out, "I tread on Plato's pride," that he the Cynick difcovered greater pride by this action; fo we may fay to thefe men who accufe profeffors of love to GOD with hypocrify, that it is with more hypocrify. It is not the mere pretence of love to GOD, that they intend to accufe, as fuppofing it falfe, or that there is no fuch thing, but because they really fufpect it is true. They

think that fuch men have that in them, which they SER M. have not, and therefore they pass a kind of judge- .XII. ment upon them in their own confciences. This they cannot indure; and fince they would fain malign them in their report, therefore they would do it as plausibly as they can, and are more witty than to fay, they cenfure them for loving truly, but for pretending to it falfely. But then again

2. THE affection of this kind is by fome charged with enthusiasm." If (say they) there be "any fuch affection, it is altogether enthusiastick. "It owes itself intirely to the phantastical repre

fentation of the object, and fo can have nothing "fincere, or genuine belonging to it." To this, I fay

(1) WHY fo? why muft it needs be thought enthufiaftical? What! because it is more than ordinary vehement or fervent? as if no fober exercife or expreffion of love to GOD could be fo. And we know too, though I lay very little stress upon it,

(2) THAT the name of enthusiasm hath sometimes had a gentler found than now it hath; fince the 'Eus, and phrases fignifying inspiration from Go D, are fo frequently to be found in the writings of Plato, and others of the philofophers. And yet they were never twitted as enthusiasts, nor treated as if that name carried any thing of evil fignification, or the import of a bad character in it. But

(3) WHY fhould it be wondered at that there fhould be expreffions of love to GOD which im

VOL. port great fervour and intenseness; fince we know I. that such as have been profeffedly related and devoted to GOD heretofore, and of whom Scripture-records give us an account, have been all along very full of fuch expreffions? What would they think of fuch expreffions as these of David? I opened my mouth, and panted; for I longed for thy commandments". My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times 1. Ob bow love I thy holy law! As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O GOD. Yea we find that there have been fuch appearances, and expreffions obvious to view, of this divine fpiritual affection, that have incurred the cenfure of infanity; and yet they have been reckoned a glory. Thus it was with David, who when he was cenfured for dancing before the LORD, anfwers, I will play before the LORD, I will yet be more vile, &c. And fays the Apostle, Whether we be befides our felves it is to GOD; or whether we be fober it is for your caufe: for the love of Chrift conftraineth us". It is very likely he speaks here with reference to the cenfure of thofe falfe teachers, with whom you find him conflicting in that very chapter; as very frequently he does in both the epiftles to the Corinthians, and alfo in others. They perhaps went about to reprefent him as a wild enthusiast; as one that was acted by an enthufiaftical fury. Therefore he speaks according to their sense.

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XII.

Admit it, be it fo; If I be really befides my felf SERM, as they talk; it is the love of Chrift which conftrains me! He thinks himself not at all disparaged in the cafe. But I further fay,

(4) I make little doubt but many do attribute too much to rapture, and the ecstatick motions and transports of otherwife pious love. I refer therefore to what was faid under a foregoing head, especially to that distinction which was given you of the act, and of the paffion of love, which are not only distinguishable, but fometimes plainly feparable things. There may be very intense love, very strong and mighty love, where there is nothing of paffion felt. This is a thing altogether accidental to the nature of love, which may be diverse and diftinct from paffion; otherwife there would be no fuch thing as loving GoD at all in any other way. And we muft further fay,

(5) THAT no doubt it is a very great fault to frame representations and ideas of Go D, and of divine things in our minds by the use of a liberty indulged to our own fancy and imagination, if therein we go beyond, or befides the warrant of his own revelation. And even there too we must be very careful, when we find Go D reprefenting himself, or other matters of a divine and fpiritual nature under borrowed expreffions or fimilitudes, that we mind the thing that is to be represented, and held forth to us, and that we drain and defecate it from all the dregs of materiality, which belong to the metaphor; otherwise

we

I.

VOL. we may be greatly injurious, more than we are aware of, both to the divine honour, and to our felves.

Too many do greatly gratify the luxury of their fancies in fuch cases. We read of one, but very likely there may be more inftances than one, I fay we read of one, a popish female faint, who pretended in vifion to fuch a communion with our Saviour, that forfooth fhe took upon her to describe him; what fort of eyes he had, and what kind of features; and pretended to be most paffionately enamoured of him. And perhaps there are too many over-prone to frame imaginations concerning the Deity, altogether unworthy of, and disagreeable to that glorious and everbleffed Being; and having thereupon formed fuch and fuch ideas of him in their own minds, are variously affected according to the import of the idea about him. For instance, thofe of very melancholy tempers are apt to frame ideas altogether unlike GOD, and fuch as render him in their eyes a dreadful, and a hateful object. Or if the idea be fuch as imports loveliness; yet if it be phantaftical, and an affection of love be raised thereupon, it is moft plain and evident that fuch a perfon is all the while but hugging his own fhadow, and entertaining himfelf with an empty cloud, or an idol of his own forming. And I do not know wherein he is lefs guilty, than in falling down before an image. When we do in our own fancies create a GoD to our felves, and an extraordinary motion of affection is working towards

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