PART II. to difiinguifh Affec`ios. pounced *, Hell gaping, Devils coming, and the like ; not to con- vince Perfons of Things that are true, and revealed in the Word of God, but to lead them to vain and groundlefs Determinations ; as that their Day is pall, that they are reprobated, that God is implaca- ble, that he has come to a Refolution immediately to cut them off, &c. And the Terrors which fume Perfons have, are very much owing to the particular Conftitution and Temper they are of. Nothing is more manifeft, then that fome Perfons are of fuch a Temper and Frame, that their Imaginations are more ftrongly imprefs'd with eve- ry Thing they are affe&ed with, than others ; and the Impreflion on the Imagination re-aas on the Affeaion, and raifes that Rill higher ; and fa AffreEtion and Imagination adt reciprocally, one on another, till their Affedtion is rais'd to a vast Height, and the Perfon is fwal- lowed up, and loofes all Pofteflion of himfelf. II. And fome fpeak of a great Sight they have of their Wickednefs, which really, when the Matter comes to be well examin'd info and thoroughly weighed, are found to have Iittle or no Convicions of Confcience. They tell of a dreadful hard Heart, andhow their Heart lies like a Stone ; when truly they have none of thofe Things in their Minds or Thoughts, wherein the Hardnefs of Men'sHeart does really confift. They tell of a- dreadful Load and Sink of Sin, a Heap of black and loathfome Filthinefs within them ; when, if the Matter he carefully enquired into, they han't in View any Thing wherein the Corruption of Nature does truly confift, nor have they any Thought of any particular Thing wherein their Hearts are finfuily dcfeelive, or fall Ihort of what ought to be in them, or any Exercifes at all of Corruption in them. And many think alto they have great Convic- GG The Way of the Spirit's Working, when it does convince GG Men, is by enlightning naturalConfcience. The Spirit. does 44 not work by giving a Teftimony, but by affifting natural " Confcience to do its Work. Natural Confcience is the In- " firument in the Hand of God, to accufe, condemn, terrify, " and to urge to Duty. The Spirit of God leads Men into '" the Confideration of their Danger, and makes them to be af- felted therewith ; Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of Man is the CG Candle of the Lord, fearching all the inwardParts ofthe Belly". Stoddard's Guide to Chrifl, p. 44 II " The famous Mr. Perkins diftinguifhes between thofe Sorrows 44 that come thro' Convictions ofConfcience, and melancholic Payions 46 riling only frommeerlmaginations, Jirongly conceived in theBrain " which hePays, ufually come on a fudden, like Lightning into a " Houfe ". Vol. i . of his Works, p. 385. ' Eons.
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