146 Thefrond Sign PART III. of Talk about the great Things they have met with, the wonderful Difcoveries they have had, how Pure they are of the Love of God to them, how fafe their Condition is, and how they know they fhall go to Heaven, &c. A true Saint, when in the Enjoyment of true Difcoveries of the fweet Glory of God and Chriff, has his Mind too much captivated and engaged by what he views without himfelf, to Rand at that Time to view himfelf, and his own Attainments : it would be a Di- verfibn and Lois which he could not bear, to take his Eye off from the ravifhing Object of his Contemplation, to furvey his own Experi- ence, and to fpend Time in thinking with himfelf, what an high Attainment this is, and what a good Story they now have to tell others. Nor does the Pleafure and Sweetnefs of his Mind at that Time, chiefly arife from the Confideration of the Safety of his State, or any Thing he has in View of his own Q alifications, Experiences, or Circumftances ; but from the divine and fupream Beauty of what is the Object of his direct View, without himfelf ; which fweetly entertains, and ífrongly holds his Mind. As the Love and Joy of Hypocrites, are all from theSource of Self- Love ; fo it is with their other Affections, their Sorrow for Sin, their Humiliation and Submiflion, their religious Defires and Zeal : Every Thing is as it were paid for before-hand, in God's highly gratifying their Self-love, and their Lufts, by making fo much of them, and exalting them fo highly, as Things are in their Imagination. 'Tis eafy for Nature, as corrupt as it is, under a Notion of being alrea- dy fome of the higheft Favourites of Heaven, and having a God who does fo protect 'em and favour 'em in their Sins, to Iove this imagi- nary God that fuits 'em fo well, and to extol him, and fubmit to him, and to be fierce and zealous for him. The high Affections of many are all built on the Suppofition of their being eminent Saints. If that Opinion which they have of themfelves were taken away, if they thought they were fome of the lower Form of Saints, (tho' they fhould yet fuppofe themfelves to be real Saints) their high Affections would fall to theGround. If they only faw a little of theSinfulnefs and Vilenefs of their ownHearts,& theirDeformity,in the midit of their beft Duties and their heft Affections, it would knock their Affections on the Head ; becaufe their Affections are built upon Self, therefore Self-knowledge would deftroy them. But as to truly gracious Af- fections, they are built elsewhere : they have their Foundation out of Self, in God andJefus Chrift ; and therefore aDifcovery of themfelves, of their own Deformity, and the Meannefs of their Experiences, tho' it will purify their Affections, yet it will not destroy them, but in fome Refpects fweeten and heighten them. III. Thofe
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