4 The Nature of PART I. their Religion appeared to be true and of the right Kind, when it had it', greateflr Trial of what Sort it was, being tried by Perfecution as Gold is tried in the Fire, and when their Religion not only proved true, but was moil pure, and cleanfed from it's Drofs and Mixtures of that which was not true, and when Religion appeared in them moil; in it's genuine Excellency and native Beauty, and was found to Praife, and Honour, and Glory; he fingles out the religious Affections of Love and ;toy, that were then in exercife in them : There are the Exercifes of Religion he takes Notice of, wherein their Religion did thus appear true and pure, and in it's proper Glory. Here I would, I. Shew what is intended by the flfeftions, 10 II. Obferve fome Things which make it evident, that a great Part of true Religion lies in the Affec`lions. I. It may be enquired, what the Aff aions of the Mind are ? I anfwer, The Affeaions are no other, than the more vigorous and fenfible Exercifes of the Inclination and Will of the Soul. God has indued the Soul with two Faculties : One is that by which it is capable of Perception and Speculation, or by which it dif- cerns and views and judges of Things ; which is called the Under- ftanding. The other Faculty is that by which the SauI don't meerly perceive and view Things, but is tome Way inclin'd with refpedl to the Things it views or confiders ; either is inclined to 'em, or is dif- inclined, and averfe from 'em ; or is the Faculty by which the Soul don't behold Things, as an indifferent unaffected Speaator, but either as liking or difliking, pleas'd or difpleas'd, approving or re- jeaing. This Faculty is called by various Names : It is fometimes called the Inclination : And, as it has refpedl to the Aaions that are determined and governed by it, is called the Will : And the Mind, with regard to the Exercifes of this Faculty, is often called the Heart. The Exercifes of this Faculty are of two Sorts ; either thofe by which the Soul is carried out towards the Things that are in view, in approving of them, being pleafed with them, and inclined to them ; or thofe in which the Soul oppofes the Things that are in view, in difapproving them, and in being difpleafed with them, averle from them, and rejeaing them. And as the Exercifes of the Inclination and Will of the Soul. are various in their Kinds, fo they are much more various in their Degrees. There are fome Exercifes of Pleafednefs or Difpleafednefs, Inclination or Difinclination, wherein the Soul is carried but a little beyond a State ofperfea Indifference. And there are other Degrees above this, wherein the Approbation or Diflike, Pleafednefs or Averfion, are ftronger ; whereinwe may rife higher and higher, 'till the Soul comes to
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