to do with souls, and are not blinded with a sevenfold veil of prejudice, must know that the Spirit is so exceedingly 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 in the directions we give to others, is the nature of the effect that God has produced in the soul. As to the steps which the Spirit of God took to produce that effect, 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 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 is 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.

Mr. Shepard, speaking of the soul closing with Christ, says, "As a child cannot tell how his soul comes into it, nor it may be when; but afterwards it sees and feels that life, so that he were as bad as a beast, that should deny an immortal soul; so here."-Parable of the Ten Virgins, Part II. p. 176.

"If the man do not know the time of his conversion, or first closing with Christ, the minister may not draw any peremptory conclusion from thence, that he is not godly."-Stoddard's Guide to Christ, p. 83.

"Do not think there is no compunction, or sense of sin, wrought in the soul, because you cannot so clearly discern and feel it; nor the time of the working, and first beginning of it. I have known many that have come with their complaints, that they were never humbled, they never felt it so; yet there it hath been, and many times they have seen it, by the other spectacles, and blessed God for it."-Shepard's Sound Believer, p. 38.

CHAPTER IX.

It is no certain sign that the Religious Affections 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, been looked upon of late, 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 very much in such religious exercises. True grace had this effect on Anna the prophetess-" 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 -" 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-" Evening, morning, and at noon will I pray." Grace makes the saints delight in singing praises to God: "Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant." And, "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, and makes the feet of those who publish these good tidings to be beautiful: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings!" &c. It makes them love God's public worship: "Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth." "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." "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 an 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: every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand."

But yet, on

This is the nature of true grace. 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 that have no grace. many 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." So it was

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with the Pharisees; they "made long prayers, and fasted twice a-week." False religion may cause persons to be loud and earnest in prayer: "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: "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: "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. So it was with others of his hearers; "for a season they rejoiced in his light." So the stony-ground hearers heard the word with joy.

Experience shows, that persons, from false religion, may be inclined to be exceedingly 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 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 to one another,) and had much opportunity daily to observe him; who appeared to me the most devout person that ever I 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.

CHAPTER X.

Nothing can be certainly known of the nature of Religious Affections, that they much dispose persons with their mouths to praise and glorify God.

THIS indeed is implied in what has been observed, of abounding and spending much time in the external exercises of religion; but because many seem to look upon it as a bright evidence of gracious affection, when persons appear greatly disposed to praise and