4 T'he Life of GOD feverity; whofe fierce wrath and bitter . ' rage aga1nl1 their enemies, mull: be called holy .zeal; whofe petulancy towards their fupenors, or rebellion againfi: their gover– nors, 111ufl: have the name of Chrifl:ian courage and refolution. "'<!ilh 1• But certainly rdig:ion i·s q. uitc n at re 1· • ._, givn is. another thmg; and they who are acquainted with it, will en– tertain far different thoughts, and difdain all thofe ihadows and falfe imitations of it, They know by experience, that true reli– gion is an union of the foul with God, a real participation of the divine na,ture, the very image of God drawn upon the foul; or, in the Apoftle's pht~afe, it is Chrifl firmed within us. Briefly, I know not /how the nature of religion can be n1ore fully expreifed than by calling it a di,..uine life. And under th.efe terms I ihall dicourfe of it; ihewing firfi: how it is called a lije, and then how it is termeq divine. Tt I chufe to exprefs it by the · ~ s permar f n~ncy _and name of life; firfl:, becatuc o !lability.. its permanency and fi:ability. Religion is not a fudden ~art, or p~ffion of the; 111ind ; not though 1t ihould nfc to the heioht of a rapture, and feen1 to tranf– port a ~1an to exttaordinary peformances. There are few but have conviet:ions of the · heceffity
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