54C) TIIE USE OF THE PASSIONS IN ,RELIGION. argument, and at the same time finds his soul touched inwardly with an emotion of the livelypassions, he isawakened and surpris- éil with an awful concern about his past neglects, and a holy fear Of divine anger ; he is struck to theheart with sentiments of piety, he is grieved and ashamed at his folly, he is filled with zeal and holy purposes : Pray whichof these two will have the discourse dwellmost upon their hearts ; which is like to remember this ser- mon longest, andwhich is most likely to put it in practice ? This leads me to the third particular. III. " All the duties of holiness are renderedmuch easier, and temptations to sin much weaker, when religion bath taken hold of the heart, and the passions of the soul are engaged in it." Passion animates all the inferior powers of nature, and strength- ens them all in their operation. It is a sort of life and fire with- in the hearts ofmen, which God the Creator bath ordained to be ever ready there, to give force and spirit for present action. Ile knew our nature wanted this spur, this inward spring of activity. Suppose we had been left merely to the exercise ofour rea- son and judgment, to inform us when it was proper to eat and drink, without having any- such appetites as thirst and hunger : It is possible indeed that life might have been maintained, but we should havebeen often ready to neglect the proper seasons of food, and nature would have been supported but in a feeble and lan- guishing manner, without such regular and, constant nourishment as we want, and that too without any sensible delight. But the keen appetites of hunger and thirst are implanted in our veryna- tures, to awaken ùs to take our solid and liquid food; and that with constancyand natural pleasure. It is for the same end that allthe passions were wrought into our constitution, by our great Creator, that we might have some more vigorous principles than the mere powerof reasoning, to animate us to activity on all just and proper occasions. Suppose I were told that my house was a-fire at midnight, and my cold reason informed me,,that in a little time I andmy goods might be consumed, it is probable I should think of using some method tosave myself : But the passion of surprize and fear exerts itself in a moment, and hurries me out to make an immediate escape. Fear was wrought into human nature for such purposes as these. In such a fright we can almost move mountains, and perform wonders,; to the utmost limits of the strength of man, in order to save. ourselves.or our dear relatives from the flames. Cold reasoning without passion, would have no such sovereign and powerful effects. Thus it is in things of religion. A cold- information that miserywill be the consequent of sin, or even a rational conviction of the distant danger, of hell, without the passion of fear, would never animatethe man to cry out with suchimportunate enquiries;
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