eth in Christians *, and of the Spirit of God being in them, as the Spirit of power †, and of the effectual working of his power in them ‡, yea, of the working of God's mighty power in them §. But man's nature is weak: flesh and blood are represented in scripture as exceeding weak; and particularly with respect to its unfitness for great spiritual and heavenly operations and exercises, Matth. xxvi. 41. 1 Cor. xv. 43. and 50. The text we are upon speaks of joy unspeakable, and full of glory. And who that considers what man's nature is, and what the nature of the affections are, can reasonably doubt but that such unutterable and glorious joys, may be too great and mighty for weak dust and ashes, so as to be considerably overbearing to it? It is evident by the scripture, that true divine discoveries, or ideas of God's glory, when given in a great degree, have a tendency, by affecting the mind, to overbear the body; because the scripture teaches us often, that if these ideas or views should be given to such a degree, as they are given. in heaven, the weak frame of the body could not subsist under it, and that no man can, in that manner, see God and live. The knowledge which the saints have of God's beauty and glory in this world, and those holy affections. that arise from it, are of the same natute and kind with what the saints are the subjects of in heaven, differing only in degree and circumstances: what God gives them here, is a foretaste of heavenly happiness, and an earnest of their future inheritance. And who shall limit God in his giving this earnest, or say he shall give so much of the inheritance, such a part of the future reward, as an earnest of the whole, and no more? And seeing God has taught us in his word, that the whole reward is such, that it would at once destroy the body, is it not too bold a thing for us, so to set bounds to the Sovereign God, as to say, that in giving the earnest of this reward in this world, he shall never give so much of it, as in the least to diminish the strength of the body, when God has no where thus limited himself?

The Psalmist speaking of vehement religious affections he had, speaks of an effect in his flesh or body, besides what was in his soul, expressly distinguishing one from the other, + Eph. iii. 7, 20.

Eph. iii. 7. $ Eph. i. 19.

+ 2 Tim. i. 7.

42

once and again, Psal. lxxxiv. 2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Here is a plain distinction between the heart and the flesh, as being each affected. So Psal. Ixiii. 1. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Here also is an evident designed distinction between the soul and the flesh.

The prophet Habakkuk speaks of his body's being overborne by a sense of the majesty of God, Hab. iii. 16. When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself. So the Psalmist speaks expressly of his flesh trembling, Psal. cxix. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee,

That such ideas of God's glory as are sometimes given in this world, have a tendency to overbear the body, is evident, because the scripture gives us an account, that this has sometimes actually been the effect of those external manifestations God has made of himself, to some of the saints, which were made to that end, viz. to give them an idea of God's majesty and glory. Such instances we have in the prophet Daniel, and the apostle John. Daniel, giving an account of an external representation of the glory of Christ, says, Dan. x. 8. And there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength. And the apostle John, giving an account of a like manifestation made to him, says, Rev. i. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. It is in vain to say here, these were only external manifestations or symbols of the glory of Christ, which these saints beheld: for though it be true, that they were outward representations of Christ's glory, which they beheld with their bodily eyes; yet the end and use of these external symbols or representations, was to give to these prophets an idea of the thing represented, and that was the true divine glory and majesty of Christ, which is his spiritual glory; they were made use of only as significations of this spiritual glory, and thus undoubtedly they received them, and improved them, and were affected by them. According to the end for which God intended these outward signs, they received by them a great and lively apprehension of the real glory and majesty of God's nature, which they were signs of; and thus were greatly affected, their souls swal

lowed up, and their bodies overborne. And I think they are very bold and daring, who will say God cannot, or shall not give the like clear and affecting ideas and apprehensions of the same real glory and majesty of his nature, to none of his saints, without the intervention of any such external shadows of it.

Before I leave this head, I would farther observe, that it is plain the scripture often makes use of bodily effects, to express the strength of holy and spiritual affections; such as trembling *, groaning †, being sick ‡, crying out , panting, and fainting ¶. Now if it be supposed, that these are only figurative expressions, to represent the degree of affection; yet I hope all will allow, that they are fit and suitable figures to represent the high degree of those spiritual affections, which the Spirit of God makes use of them to represent: which I do not see how they would be, if those spiritual affections, let them be in never so high a degree, have no tendency to any such things; but that, on the contrary, they are the proper effects, and sad tokens of false affections, and the delusion of the devil. I cannot think, God would commonly make use of things which are very alien from spiritual affections, and are shrewd marks of the hand of Satan, and smell strong of the bottomless pit, as beautiful figures, to represent the high degree of holy and heavenly affections.

III. It it no sign that affections are truly gracious affections, or that they are not, that they cause those who have them, to be fluent, fervent, and abundant, in talking of the things of religion.

There are many persons, who, if they see this in others, are greatly prejudiced against them. Their being so full of talk, is with them a sufficient ground to condemn them, as Pharisees, and ostentatious hypocrites. On the other hand, there are many, who if they see this effect in any, are very ignorantly and imprudently forward, at once to determine that they are the true children of God, and are under the saving influences of his Spirit, and speak of it as a great evidence of a new creature: they say, they say, "Such an one's

• Psal. cxix. 120. Ezra ix. 4. Isa. lxvi. 2, 5. Hab. iii. 16. † Rom. viii. 26. Cant. ii. 5. and v. 8. | Psal. lxxxiv. 2. § Psal, xxxviii. 10. and xlii. 1. and cxix. 131. Psal. lxxxiv. 2, and cxix. 81.

"mouth is now opened: he used to be slow to speak; but now he is full and free; he is free now to open his "heart, and tell his experiences, and declare the praises of "God; it comes from him, as free as water from a foun"tain ;" and the like. And especially are they captivated into a confident and undoubting persuasion that they are savingly wrought upon, if they are not only free and abundant, but very affectionate and earnest in their talk.

But this is the fruit of but little judgment, a scanty and short experience; as events do abundantly shew: and is a mistake persons often run into, through their trusting to their own wisdom and discerning, and making their own notions their rule, instead of the holy scripture. Though the scripture be full of rules, both how we should judge of our own state, and also how we should be conducted in our opinion of others; yet we have no where any rule, by which to judge ourselves or others to be in a good estate, from any such effect: for this is but the religion of the mouth and of the tongue, and what is in the scripture represented by the leaves of a tree, which, though the tree ought not to be without them, yet are no where given as an evidence of the goodness of the tree.

It may

That persons are disposed to be abundant in atlking of things of religion, may be from a good cause, and it may be from a bad one. be because their hearts are very full of holy affections; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: and it may be because persons hearts are very full of religious affection which is not holy; for still out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is very much the nature of the affections, of whatever kind they be, and whatever objects they are exercised about, if they are strong, to dispose persons to be very much in speaking of that which they are affected with: and not only to speak much, but to speak very earnestly and fervently. And therefore persons talking abundantly and very fervently about the things of religion, can be an evidence of no more than this, that they are very much affected with the things of religion; but this may be, (as has been already shown), and there be no grace. That which men are greatly affected with, while the high affection lasts, they will be earnestly engaged about, and will be likely to shew that earnestness in their talk and behaviour; as the greater part of the Jews, in all Judea and

Galilee, did for a while, about John the Baptist's preaching and baptism, when they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light: a mighty ado was made, all over the land, and among all sorts of persons, about this great prophet and his ministry. And so the multitude, in like manner, often manifested a great earnestness, a mighty engagedness of spirit, in every thing that was external, about Christ and his preaching and miracles, being astonished at his doctrine, anon with joy receiving the word, following him sometimes night and day, leaving meat, drink, and sleep to hear him; once following him in to the wilderness, fasting three days going to hear him; sometimes crying him up to the clouds, saying, Never man spake like this man! being fervent and earnest in what they said. But what did these things come to, in the greater part of them?

one.

A person may be over-full of talk of his own experiences; commonly falling upon it, every where, and in all companies; and when it is so, it is rather a dark sign than a good As a tree that is over-full of leaves seldom bears much fruit; and as a cloud, though to appearance very pregnant and full of water, if it brings with it over-much wind, seldom affords much rain to the dry and thirsty earth: which very thing the Holy Spirit is pleased several times to make make use of, to represent a great shew of religion with the mouth, without answerable fruit in the life, Prov. xxv. 14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds and wind without rain. And the apostle Jude, speaking of some in the primitive times, that crept in unawares among the saints, and having a great shew of religion, were for a while not suspected, These are clouds, says he, without water, carried about of winds, Jude, ver. 4, 12. And the apostle Peter, speaking of the same, says, 2 Peter ii. 17. These are clouds without water, tarried with a tempest.

False affections, if they are equally strong, are much more forward to declare themselves, than true: because it is the nature of false religion, to affect shew and observation ; as it was with the Pharisees *.

That famous experimental divine Mr Shepard, says, "A Pharisee's trumpet shall be heard to the town's end; when simplicity walks through "the town unseen. Hence a man will sometimes covertly commend himself, (and myself ever comes in), and tells you a long story of conversion; and "an hundred to one if some lie or other slip not out with it. Why, the se