.·t . _1~ 7o' Tf)e·efpecial Principle of Obedience· ·~ut as-tfaidthefe things are not Chrifl:, nor is he any way €Oncerned in them. · ::z • . I acknowledge there have been great pretences of fuch a Love unto Chrifl: as cannot be jufl:ified. Suchis that which. fonie of the Devotioniil:s oftheRoman·church, have endea· voured rather to exprefs out of their fancy, than declare out of :t}feir experie~ce. Raptures; Fxtajies, Selfannihilations, im.· mediate Adhijions andEn}oymbits-, without any all of the tin– ,derjlanding, and with_a mul.titude of other fwellirig words 'of vanity, they labour to fet off what they fancy to be Divine Love. But there wapts not Evidences of Truth, fuffici· ent to defeat thefe Pretenc~s, oe tliey never fo fpeci6us or glorio_us. For, . · . I · ~· As it is by tllem.defcribed, ·it excee'detE all Scr-ipture ' Pr~fidents. · For men to affume unto themfelves; an ap· ' prehenfion tli~t they love Chrifl: in another ri?-anner and1 \ind, in ari Higher degree at leafi, and thence to ·ehjoy more iptl~~cr, with him, ~ore . love from hi~? than did any of ,t~e A-Rofiles, John, or Pa·ut, ~~ P.e:er,_or any o,ther of ~h~fe .holy ~n~~! whofe lo~e ~mt-o . h1m 1s reco:.~ed 1p th~ Scnp– ture, 1s mtollerable 'pamty and prefumptlOn· But no fuch 'things· as thefe De·voto' s. pretend unto, .ar~ rp.'entibned, or-in the leafl: intimated concefning them, and their love to their ..L9rd ·and Mailer. No man will 'pretend<unto more love than they pad, tut fuch as have hone at al~. , . 2 . It is- no<way dir-etted, .warranted, appr9ved by any ·Command, Promife; or Rule of the Scripture. As it is with· · out Prejiclent, [o it is without P:ecept. And hereby whether we will or no, all our Graces- and Duties mufl: be tried, as un– to.any acceptatimrwith:God; Whatever pretends to exceed the DireB:ion, ofthe \Valid, may fafely be rejected, cannot £-J.fely be admitted. . \Vhatever Enthujiafms or pretended In· fnir2tions may be _P.leaded, for the fingular · pr~Etice- of wh~t !S-.
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