.-_.y.._.._,,. PART II, to difinguJh Ape ions. 6 rejoiced in his Light ; John 5. 35. So the flony-groundHearers heard the Word with 'joy. Experience thews that Perfons, from falleReligion, may be inclined to be exceeding abundant in the external Exercifes of Religion ; yea, to give themfelves up tothem, and devote almoft their whole Time to them. Formerly a Sort of People were very numerous in the Ro- mijh Church, called Reclufes ; who forfook the World, and utterly abandon'd the Society of Mankind, and shut themfelves up dole, in a narrow Cell, with a Vow never to Mr out of it, nor to fee theFace of any of Mankind any more ; (t.inlefs that they might be vifited in Cafe-Of Sicknefs) to fpend all their Days in the Exercifes of Devotion and Converfe with God. There were allo in old Time, great Mul- titudes called Hermits and Anchorites, that left the World to fpend all their Days in lonefome Defarts, to give themfelves up to religious Contemplations and Exercifes of Devotion ; fome Sorts of them ha- ving no Dwellings, but the Caves and Vaults. of the Mountains, and noFood, but the fpontaneous Productions of the Earth. ---I once lived, for many Months, next Door to a yew, (the Houfes adjoining one to another) and had much Opportunity daily to obferve him ; who ap- peared to me the devòuteft Perfon that ever I taw in my Life ; great Part of his Time being fpent in Acts of Devotion, at his eaflern. Win- dow; which open'd next to mine, Teeming to be molt earnestly en- gaged, not only in the Day-time, but fometimes whole Nights. X. Nothing can be certainly known of the Nature of religious Af fections by this, that they much difpofe Perfons with their Mouths to praife and glory God. This indeed is implied in' what has been ju+ now oblerved, of abounding and fpending muchTime in the external Exercifes of Religion, and was alto hinted before ; but becaufe many feem to look upon it as a bright Evidence of gracious Affeaion ,when Perfons appear greatly dilpofed to praife and magnify God, to have their Mouths full of his Praifes,-and affectionately to be calling on o- thers to praife and extol.him, I thought it deferved a more particular Confideration. No Chriffian will make- it an Argument againft a Perfon, that he 'teems to have fí!ch a Difpofition. Nor can it reafonably be look'd upon as an Evidence for a Perfon, if thole Things that have been al- ready ohferved and proved, be duly confidered, viz. that Perfons, without' Grace, may have high Affections towards God and Chrifi, and that their Affections, being ffrong, :may fill their Mouths, and in- dine them to fpeak much, advery about the Things they are affe&ed with, and that there may be Counterfeits of all Kinds of gracious Affection. But it will appear More evidently and dire&ly, that this is no certain Sign of Grace, if we confider what Inflances the Scripture gives us of it in thole that were gracelefs. We often F have
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