PART III. of ° gracious Aje ions. 279 holy Pra&ice, they deny the Power of Godlinefs, tho' they have the Form of it. Indeed the Power of Godlinefs is exerted in the firft Place within the Soul, in the fenfible, lively Exercife of gracious Af- feétions there. Yet the principal Evidence of this Power of Godli- nefs, is in thole Exercifes of holy Affeaions that are practical, and in their being practical; in conquering the Will, and conquering the Lulls and Corruptions of Men, and carrying Men on in the Way Hof Holinelfs, thro' all Temptation, Difficulty and Oppofition. Again, The Reafon why gracious Affections have their Exercife and Effect in chriftian Pra&ice, appears from this (which has allo been before obferved) that the fifi objeeîive Groundof gracious "Ita- lians, o is the tranfcendently excellent and amiable Nature of divine Things, as they are in themfelves, and not any conceived Relation they bear to Self, or Self- Inter. This thews why holy Affections will caufe Men to be holy in their Practice univerfally. What makes Men partial in Religion is, that they feek themfelves, and notGod, in their Religion, and clofe with Religion, not for its own excellent Nature, but only to ferve a Turn. He that clofes with Religion only to ferve a Turn, will dole with no more of it than he imagines ferves that Turn : But he that doles with Religion for its own excellent and lovely Na- ture, doles with all that has that Nature : He that embraces Religion for its own Sake, embraces the Whole of Religion. This alto thews why gracious Affections will caufe Men to praaice Religion perfe- veringly, and at all Times. Religion may alter greatly in Procefs of Time, as to its Confiftence with Men's private Intereft, in many Refpects ; and therefore he that complies with it only from felfith Views, is liable, in Change of Times, to forfake it : But the excel- lent Nature of Religion, as it is in it felf, is invariable ; it is always the fame* at all Times, and thro' all Changes ; it never alters in any Refpeet. The Reafon why gracious Affections iffue in holy Praaice, alto further appears from the Kind of Excellency of divine Things, that it has been obferved is the Foundation of all holy Affection, viz, their moral Excellency, or the Beauty of their Holinefs. No wonder that a Love to Holinefs, for Holinefs Sake, inclinesPerfons to praaice Holi- nefs, and to praaice every Thing that is holy. Seeing Hoiinels is the mainThing that excites,draws& governs all graciousAffections,n©won- der that all fuch Affections tend to Holinefs. That which Men love, they defire to have and to be united to, and poffeffed of That Beauty which Men delight in, they defire to be adorned with. Thofe Acts which Men delight in, they neceffarily incline to do And what has been obferved of that divine Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God, which there is in gracious Affections, thews theRea- fon of thisTendency of fuchAffections to an univerfally holy Praaice. For as has been obferved, the Spirit of God in this his divine Teach-- T 4 ing
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