Chap. XIL Of H EAVE ,N flames the AffeCtions. ~s :the l~f.1lmifl: . expreffes hi.~'ft:lf~ . My Heart WM .hqt w~thin . me; rvhile [was '""fing, the Frre burned. Heave~ is a. FeliCity fo g;~orious. and a~~ra.(b_ve, that if duly confidered, no Man can poilibly refufe rt: and Hell iS a Mlfcry fo e_xrr~am and fearful, that if ferioufly laid to heart, none can poilibly chufe rt. 1 he _lafl End J> w be conceived under the Nouon of an mfimte Good~ wnhout the lcaft mtxr.ure ot. Evtl; to which the humane Will fwayed by the invincible Impreflwn of Nature h~s~ tendency.- The Liberty of Indifference rs with refpeB: to fome part!culai· good Tlungs, wlJtch may be varioufly reprefentcd, fo as rocaufelnclinationor A1•erGon. That Men who believe Eternal Lite is rbe Reward of Holinefs, yet wrth a carelefs Inadvertency negleB: theirDuty; nod that Eternal Death is tl~e \V ages of Sin, yet fecurely 'continue i~ i_r; is more wonderful than to fee Martyrs Gng m the Flames; and the great Caufe of rr rs the neg, leB: of Confiderarion. This rs alligned to be the Caufe of tha r.unnatural and aftonifbing Rebe\lir n of Jfr.el againf1: God their Father and Sovere rgn: Heir, 0 Hea'1Jens, andgi'11e ear, 0 Earth, for the Lord bath JPoken, l!M'11< nourifhed and bro ught '!f Chi/dren, .andthey. h•'1Je rebelled agamjl me. The Ox knows hu Owner, and the Aft h, .Mitjler's C~tb :. put Ifrael doth not know, my People doth not confider, Ifa. I· 2, 1: . , - . · . , This Duty, as it is of admirable Advantage, fo 'us umverfally . nct:effary ;. fOr all .are equally cohcern'd, and it is within the Po:ver of all to perform. ~Tho Men carino~~onvert :~~:~~~v!'!i10;,~1~;:clfn~~~ ~f~fe:~";;~~t [a)';~,It3'~jdko Conver.~o? .. F.~~ the :Vt!Lmay· I will briefl y fhew the Nature of this Duty, and how to ma~age it for fpiritual Profit,• and thofe ObjeB:s fi·orrt whence our Thoughts denve vrgour -fo r t_he fwaymg of the Will, and the ConduB: of the Lrfe. J ,,. " ,·' • • 1. The Nature of Confideration is difcovered by its End,, whi ch is t.his.; That the Mind being farisfied in the jufl Reafons upon which rheChoic~ · of HeaveJJ. is to be made,> the Will and AffeB:rons may be engaged m an earnef1:, JOyful . and conflant punftur df it. And in this refpeB: it differs from fimple Knowledg, and nake d Speculation; tl!at informs the Mind, withoutlnfluenceand Efficacy upon the Heart :. Lrk e a Garla~d of Flowers,tlrat adorns the Head; without any benefit and refrefhmg to hrm th at wears tt. And praB:ical Meditation differsfrt>m the f1:udy of Divine Things in order !O the inf1:ruB:ing of others. That is like a Merchant's buying of Wine for Sale, this like providing it for our owrl ufe;. That the Confideration df Eterhal Thin$s may be .'aeauai, it r\mf1: be, . . ' · Serious and deliberate. For the Affair is great in reality ab ove all pofiible Concep.: ~;ai~~~~~.lri~o~~ralf.\1 ~~r; ~~~l~,gir:~tn~~~~~ti~i~le 6~"~:.ii~ll~h~~~e~:;ti.:t o:i thing is neceffary: Maryh.rh chofen the better part, that fhaU not b e taken from her; What Inf1:ance can be of equal moment with that of entertaining the Son of God? Yet a ferious attention to the Words of Eternal Life dropping from his Lips, was more neceffary than making provifionfor him. The greatef1: and mofl weighty Affairs in the World are but ~;ainA~~~~J;::~~~~~~"Jl~~·~(-t~~\J~~is'ri~~:~~ir.~~ c~:~~d:c~~~~ ~~rM~n~lv:~~ ing~ge the Will for Heaven. 'Tis very obfervable that Errors in Jud~ent and Choice fpnng from the fame Caufes, the not fincere and due werghmg of Thmgs. In the deci. lions of Q!eflions, Truth is difcovered by comparing, with an equal ftaid Attention, the Reafans of the one and the other part. But when fome vicious AffeB:ion contradi/J:s the Truth, it fills tbe Mind with Prejudices, that it cannot impa rtially fearch into Things and is deceived \vith fpetious Fallacies, with the Image of Ttu th. For ac~ording ro the' prefent application of the Mind 'ris determined, and Paffion ftr ongl y applies it ro confidei·. that which is for the Carnal Intereft, and confequently Inclin atror1, hot Reafon; is. th<i Principle of the Perfwafion. And this is more ei11dent in Me ns foolrfl1 Choice : As the Eyecannot.fee but what is viGble, nor the. Underf1:~nding con.ceive what is ilof iritelligi, ble, the Wtll cannot love and chufe wHat rs not amrable, at lea f! m fhcw; If the Devil qid appear without a Difguife, he would have no Power to per!wade; but in all his Temptations there is the mll<ture of a Lie to make it plcafant. He prefents a falfe Per. fpeElive, to make what is but fuperficial, appear folid and fu bflantial. And the carnal Heart turns the Thoughts to what is grateful, without ferioufl v confiderincr what is infinrtely better, and accordingly chufes by the Eye of Senfe; th e happiriefs oY this •World. Therefore till Eternal Things are open'd in the vlew of Confci ente; and the Mind calmly con~ders by the Light of Faith their ·Reality and Grearnefs; no right va luation; nor wife cho1ce can be made.
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