TART III. ofgracious ..elfeaions. 255 Confidence enough in God, to dare to truft himwith a little of their Eftates, bellowed to pious and charitable Ufes : I fay, when it is thus with Perfons, their Pretences are manifeftly vain. He that is in a Journey, and imagines he has got far beyond fuch a Place in his Road, and never yet came to it, muff be miftaken ; and he is not yet arrived to the Top of the Hill, that never yet got half-way thither% But this by the Way. The fame that has been obferved of the AffeStion of Love, is allo to be obferved ofother religiousAffeaions. Thofe that are true, ex- tend in fome Proportion, to the various Things that are their due and proper Objeas : But when they are falfe, are commonly firangely difproportionate. So it is with religiousDefires andLongings : Thefe in the Saints, are to thofe Things that are fpiritual and excellent in general, and that in fome Proportion to their Excellency, Importance or Neceffity, or their near Concern in them : But in falfe Longings, 'tis often far otherwife. They will ftrangely run, with an impatient Vehemence, after fomething of lefs Importance, when other Things of greater Importance are negle&ed. Thus for Inftance, Some Per- fons, fromTime to Time, are attended with a vehement Inclination, . and unaccountably violent Preffure, to declare to others what they experience, and to exhort others ; when there is at the fame Time, no Inclination, in any Meafure equal to it, to other Things, that true Chri(fianity has as great, yea, a greater Tendency to ; as the pour- ing out the Soul before God in fecret earneft Prayer and Praife to him, and more Conformity to him, and livingmore to his Glory, &c. We read in Scripture of Groanings that cannot be uttered, and Soul- breakingsfor the Longing it bath, and Longings, Ibiings, & Pantings, much more frequently to thefe latter Things, than the former. And fo as to Hatred and Zeal ; when thefe are from right Princi- ples, they are againft Sin in general, in fome Proportion to the De- gree of Sinfulnefs ; Pfal. 1.19. 104. I hate everyfalfe tray. So Ver. 128. But a falfe Hatred and Zeal againft Sin, is againft fome par- ticular Sin only. Thus fome feem to be very zealous againft Pro- phanenefs, and Pride in Apparel, who themfelves are notorious for Coveteoufnefs, Clofenefs, and it may be Backbiting, Envy towards Superiours, Turbulency of Spirit towards Rulers, and rooted Ill -will: to them that have injured them. Falle Zeal is againft the Sins of o- thers, while Men have no Zeal againft their own Sins. But he that has trueZeal, exercifes it chiefly againft his own Sins : Tho' he Thews allo a properZeal againft prevailing and dangerous Iniquity in others. And fome pretend to have a great Abhorrence of their own Sins of Heart, and cry out much of their inward Corruption ; and yet make light of Sins in Pradtice, and feem to commit them without much Reftraint or Remorfe ;. tho' thefe imply Sin, both in Heart and Life. As;
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