5ó{ dBLfiC OF T1Ìr PASSIONS IN RELIGION opinion M the strength or weakness of them, for they judge merely by their affections. Let us watch against this danger, and rernembee that though the passions are of excellent use in re1i.. gion, yet they were never designed tostand in the place of reason and judgment, or to supply the room of an enlightened un- derstanding, a sanctified will, and a conversation attended with all the fruits Of holiness. Thus Í have tirjished what I designed to say concerning the abuse of the passions in religion, The remarks which I shall make mi this head of discourse are these three : I. n Those christians are best prepared for the useful and pious exercises of their passions in religion, who have laid the foundations of it in a regular knowledge of the things of God." Let your understanding therefore be fully persuaded of the ne- cessity and excellency of religion, of the duties you owe to God, as your Maker and Governor let all your reasoning powers be convincedof the evil of sin, of the holiness and justice of God, pf the danger of eternal death, of the retie: and hope that is held forth in the gospel of Christ, of the necessity of faith and holiness, in order to eternal happiness ; and amidstall the work- ings of devout affections, maintain a constant exercise of your reason and judgment. The scripture itself was not given us to wake the use of our reason needless, but to assist its operations, and to render it more successful in our enquiries into the things of our everlastingwelfare. Knowledge and affection should go hand in hand, in all the affairs of religion : The more we know of God, and the things of the upper world; we shall have the stronger spring for our holy passions, and a more sërcure guard against any excesses and irregularities in the exercise of them. II. As it is the business of a preacher to assist the de- vout passions, so it is part of his work to guard his hearers against the abuse of them. We have granted and maintained that itis thebusiness of every sacred orator, to raise the affec- tions of men toward the things of God Let 'him therefore Manage his divine arguments, in such a manner, as to awaken the fears, the hopes, the desires, the penitent sorrows, and the pious joys of the whole assembly, in a sublime degree ; but, in order to secure them from excesses and irregularities of every . kind, let him lay the foundations of their religion in clear ideas of divine things, and in a just andproper explication. of the holy scriptures. When he has a mind to lead his hearers into any particular religious sentiments, which he firmlybelieves to be true, and Which he supposes useful to their edification, let him not begin Withtheir passions, and address himselfto them in the first place : Ile must not artfully practise upon these warm and animal powers, before he has set these doctrines or sentiments of his, in ;zt fair and convincing light) before the eye of their understanding,
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