PART II. to difinguifh lett'ons. 33 'Tis often foretold of the Church of God, in her future happySea -- fons here on Earth, that they íhall exceedingly rejoice ; Pfal. 89. 15, 15. They (hall walk, O Lord, in the Light of thy Countenance : In thy Name fall they rejoice all the Day, and in thy Righteoufnefs Jhall they be exalted. tech. 9. 9. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion, /Lout, O Daughter of Jerufalem ; Behold thy King con &c. The fame is reprefented in innumerable other Places. And becaufe high Degrees of Joy are the proper and genuine Fruits of the Gofpel of Chriff, therefore the Angel calls this Gofpel, good l ydings of great Jov, that fnould be to all People. The Saints and Angels in Heaven, that have. Religion in it's higheff Perfehion, areexceeeiingly affected with what they behold and contemplate, of God's Perfect±ions and Works. They are all as a pure heavenly Flame of Fire, in their Love, and in the Greatnefs and Strength of their Joy and Gratitude : Their Praifes are repre- -fented, as the Voice ofmany Waters, and as the Voice of agreat Thunder., Now the only Reafon why their Afelions are fo much higher than the holy Affeaions of Saints on Earth, is, they fee the Things they are affeaed by, more according,to their Truth, and have their Af- feaions more conformed to the Nature of Things. And therefore, if religious Affections in Men here below, are but of the fame Na- ture and Kind with their's, the higher they are, and the nearer they are to their's in Degree, the better ; becaufe therein they will be fo much the more conformed to Truth, as their's are. From thefeThings it certainly appears, that religious Affeaions be- ing in a very high Degree,is noEvidence that they are not fuck as have the Nature of true Religion. Therefore they do greatly err, who condemn Perfons as Enthufrafls, meerly becaufe their Affeaions are very high. And on the other Hand, 'Tis no Evidence that religious Affeai- ons are of a fpiritual and gracious Nature, becaufe they are great. 'Tis very manifeft by the holy Scripture, our lure and infallible Rule to judge of Things of this Nature, that there are religious Affections which are very high, that are not fpiritual and laving. The Apoftle Paul fpeaks of Affeaions in the Galatians, which had been exceeding- ly elevated, and which yet he manifeflly fpeaks of, as fearing that they were vain, and had come to nothing, Gal. 4.. 15. Where is the Ble f dnefs you fpake of ? For I bear you Record, that if it had been pof- fible, you would have plucked out your own Eyes, and have given them to me. And in the it tit Verfe he tells them, he was afraid of 'em, left he had bowed upon them Labour in vain. So the Children of Ifrael were greatly affeaed with God's Mercy to 'em, when they had feen how wonderfully he wrought for them at the Red Sea, where they fang God's Praife ; tho' they loon forgat his Works. So they were greatly affeaed again, at Mount Sinai, when they faw the marvelous Manifeflations
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