8 Religion Confafls much PART I. and laving Influences, are Paid to be baptized with the Holy Ghft, and with Fire ; by reafon of the Power and Fervour of thofe Exercifes the Spirit of God excites in their Hearts, whereby their Hearts, when Grace is in exercife, may be faid to burn within them ; as is Paid of the Difciples, Luke 24. 32. The Bufinefs of Religion is, from Time to Time, compared to thofe Exercifes, wherein Men are wont to have their Hearts and Strength greatly exercifed and engaged ; fuch as Running,Wreflling or Agonizing for a great Prize or Crown, and Fighting with ffrong Enemies that Peek our Lives, and Warring as thofe that by Violence take a City or Kingdom. And tho' true Grace has various Degrees, and there are fome that are but Babes in Chritf, in whom the Exercife of the Inclination and Will towards divine and heavenly Things, is comparatively weak ; yet every one that has the Power of Godlinefs in his Heart, has his Inclinations and Heart exercifed towards God and divine Things, with fuch Strength and Vigour, that thefe holy Exercifes do prevail in him above all carnal- or natural Affeaions, and are effenual to overcome them : For every true. Difciple of Chriff, loves him above Father or Mother, Wife and Children, Brethren and Sifters, Houfes and Lands; yea, than his own Life. From hence it follows, that wherever true Religion is, there are vigorous Exercifes of the Inclination and Will, towards divine Obje&s : But by what was Paid before, the vigorous, lively and fenfible Exercifes of the Will, are no other than the Affec- tions of the Soul. 2. The Author of the human Nature has not only given AffeEions to Men, but has made 'em very much the Spring of Men's Anions. As the Affeaions do not only neceflàrily belong to the human Na- ture, but are a very great Part of it ; fo ( inafmuch as by Regenera- tion, Perfons are renewed in the whole Man, and fanaified thro'out) holy Affedions do not only neceffarily belong to true Religion, but are a very great Part of that. And as true Religion is of a pra&ical Nature, and God hath fo conflituted the human Nature, that the Af- feaions are very much the Spring of Men's Anions, this alto fhews, that true Religion muff confiff very much in the Affeaions. Such is Man's Nature, that he is very unaaive, any otherwife than he is influenc'd by fome Affeaion, either Love or Hatred, De- fire, Hope, Fear or fome other. Thefe Affe&ions we fee to be the Springs that fet Men a going, in all the Affairs of Life, and engage them in all their Purfuits : Thefe are the Things that put Men for- ward, and carry 'em along, in all their worldly Bufinefs ; and efpe- cially are Men excited and animated by thefe, in all Affairs, wherein they are earneffly engaged, and which they purfue with Vigour. We fee the World of Mankind to be exceeding bufy and ac`ive and.
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