Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

PART I. in holy 4 e Lions 9 and the Affections of Men are the Springs of the Motion : Take a- way all Love and Hatred, all Hope and Fear, all Anger, Zeal and affeétionate Defire, and the World would be, in a great Meafure, motionlefs and dead ; there would be no fuch Thing as Activity a- mongft Mankind, =or any earneft Purfuit whatfoever. 'Tis Affec- tion that engages the covetousMan, and him that is greedy of worldly Profits, in his Purfuits ; and it is by the Affeétions, that the ambi- tious Man is put forward in his Purfnit of wordly Glory ; and 'tis the Affections alto that actuate the voluptuous Man, in his Purfuit of Pleafure and fenfual Delights : The 'World continues, from Age to Age, in a continual Commotion and Agitation, in a Purfuit of thefe Things ; but take away all Affe&ion, and the Spring of all this Mo- tion would be gone, and the Motion it felf would ceafe. And as in worldly Things, worldly Afeaions are very much the Spring of Mens Motion and AE}ion ; fo in religious Matters, the Spring of their Actions are very much religious Affections : He that has doc- trinal Knowledge and Speculation only, without Affection, never is engaged in the Bufinefs of Religion. 3. Nothing is more manifeft in Fact, than that the Things of Religion take hold of Men's Souls, no further than they afett them. There are Multitudes that often hear the Word of God, and there- in hear of thofe Things that are infinitely great and important, and that moft nearly concern them, and all that is heard feems to be wholly ineffeaual upon them, and to make no Alteration in their Difpofition or Behaviour ; and the Reafon is, they are not affected with what they hear. There are many that often hear of the glo- rious Perfections of God, his almighty Power, and boundlefs Wif- dom, his infinite Majefty, and that Holinefs of God, by which he is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and cannot look on Iniquity, and the Heavens are not pure in his Sight, and of God's infinite Good- nefs and Mercy, and hear of the great Works of God's W ifdom, Power and Goodnefs, wherein there appear the admirable iVlanifef- tations of thefe Perfections ; they hear particularly of the unfpeakable Love of God and Chrift, and of the great Things that Chrift has done and fuffer'd, and of the great Things of another World, of eternal Mifery, in bearing the Fiercenefs and Wrath of almighty God, and of endlefs- Bleffednefs and Glory in the Prefence of God, and the Enjoyment of his dear Love; they alto hear the peremptory_ Commands of God, and his gracious Counfels and Warnings, and the fweet Invitations of the Gofpel ; I fay, they often hear thefe Things, and yet remain as they were before, with no fenfible Alte- ration on them, either in Heart or Practice, becaufe they are not of fected with what they hear ; and never will be fo 'till they are af- fected. I am bold to affert, that there never was any confiderable Change

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