The Almoft-Chriftian Di[covercd, may work terrors and horrors, where the Spirit of God never wrought true faving Grace. · , Thirdly, As to the AjfoOiom: There may be AffeClions and fweet Motions of the Heart, which are oftentim~s relycd on as certain evidences of true Grace· yet alfo may be in a carnal and natural Man, Mat •. 13. 10. Some recth.Jed the word nith joy, &c. So ']oh. S· Chrift cells the 'Jews, they did for a feafon rejoyce in the DoCtrine and Preaching of 'John the Baptift. Thus Herod is faid to hear 'John gladly, fo that you fee the AftCCHons in holy Duties and Ordinances may be with joy, ~venin ~hofe that ~ave no t~ue ~race at all in them. As there may be thofe affeCtiOns of JOY and delight, fo hkewtfe of farrow for fin, fo we ha\re it, Mat. 27. 3· It is fa id of ']udM, he repented himfelf, and Ahab's humiliation was fo fo great, that God t akes fpccial notice of him, r Kings 21. Behold how Ahab lmmbleth himfelf, &c. Now all thefe affeCtions are but temporar y and \'anilhing, which may be excited, even in carnal Men, from feveral advantages that things have to commend themfelvcs, to their judgments and to their hearts. Firft, Sometimes the very novelty, and the ftrangenefs of them may affeCt them: lYovt:lty ufually breeds delight, which ·longer cuftom and acquaintance doth abate and this may be given as a reafon, why foon after converfion the new Converts af~ fecl:ions are drawn forth more ftrongly in the ways of God, more than afterwards when they grow fettled and !table Chriftians; the reafon is, bccaufe of the very novelty of that courfe and way they have now entred into, which affeCts them with delight, bclides the real defirablenefs which is in thofe ways themfelves; the very novelty doth affect them, and this tco may fatisfie us, that though many are turned afide from the truth as it is in Jefus Chrift, and from the way of Worfhip which God bath appointed us, that have boafted, that they have found more comfort, and more fw.cet affet\:ions than ever, in thofe new. ways after which they have gone; yet tt Is not becaufc thofe ways have any t htng m them, that might yield tl~em m~re comfort and dcli_ght, but only ~ecaufe they arc new ways, and all new thtngs wtll for the prcfent fbr up the affeChons, but after fomc continuance in thofe ways, they find their joy and their delight to flag; then they feck out other new ways, and commend them as much; and no wonder, for new ways will ftir up new affeCtions; that may be one Reafon, why affections may be itirred up, cve11 in the unregenerate and mcer carnal Men, as to the things of God, even from the meer novelty of them. Secondly, Good atfe(\:ions may be ftirred 11p in Men, from the very af{erfivg nature of fpiritual Objea.s themfelves; for fpiritual Objcet"s may aftCCl: us in this natural way. Who can read the HiftQry of Chrift's Paffion, without being affeCted with farrow, for all the farrow he underwent? He bath a heart harder than Rocks, that can hear of the Agonies, and Scourg,es, and cruel Indignities offered to fo innocent and excellent a Perfon, as Chrijt was, that fufi'er'd even for Sinners, and not be moved thereby to grief and compaffion; and yet poffibly thefe affe8:ions may be no other than fu~h as would be .excited from vs, at the reading of fome Tragedy in a Romance or fetgned Story, Thirdly, Affc8:ions may be moved by the Artijic;at Rhctorick of others, by the great abilities of the Minifters whom we hear. God tells the Prophet Ez..el.:iel, Chap. 33· 32. Thou art to them ar a very lo'!Jeiy fong. They may fometimes have their judgments pleafed, wirh the Learning fuewn in a Sermon, and their aftCB:ions excited by the Oratory, and powerful utterance of it; but thefe though they are very good helps to excite our affeCtions, yet they are not true tefi:s of fpiritual affections in us. Fourthly, Pride and fclf-feeking may in the performance of Duties excite our affed-ions. Men may be much deceived in this particular, for inftance, in Prayer, they may think they are affeCted with the things they pray for, when pollibiy their affe...Cl:ions may be moved only with the words themfelves fpoken, with the copious, free and admirable inventive way that they pray in: Whereas the contrite broken Spirit, who is only moved with truly fpiritual affcttions, may not be fo large, and fo copious in his expreffions of them. A true Chriftian may groan out a Prayer, that cannot compofe and make a Prayer, that bath a fententious Coherence one part with another. As the Ground that is full eft of precifJuJ Jll/ine; bath leaft grafs growing upon it; fo fometimes in holy Duties, when the heart is molt full of Grace, _there may be leaft flourifhing of exprellions: You cannot gather the truth of faving
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