DISCOURSE V. 587 Ihave been told bow,they cut and burn and destroy their fellow- christians, animatedby a supposed zeal for God and his church, Ibless God that I have been taught bettermethods of expressing any devout affections. Conte not, O my soul, into their secrets, to their assemblies be thou not united; Gen. xlix. 6. Nor let my religion make me sou and unsociable; not let me indulge awkward gestures, or put on a distorted countenance, nor appear with any unmanly or unbecoming airs, to express the inward workings of my heart. I am afraid of all those outward forms which would turn piety into contempt, before an ungodly world who take all occasions to ridicule things sacred. " I would remember that religiondoes not consist in a warm flash of affection, or in sudden efforts of devout joy, where holi-, ness has no settled root in the heart, nor any visible fruits in the conversation. Let me be all of a piece, and if my christianity raises my pious passions in the church, or in the closet, may the same christian spirit be found in all my daily behaviour: May it regulate my words and adorn my actions, that God, angels, and men may see the golden thread of religion running through my heart and life, in an uniform manner, in all times, places, ,and stations. Never let my devotions break in upon any part of other necessary duties which I owe to God or man : The great God does not permit sacrifice to stand in the room of works of mercy, nor will he allow of robbery for a burnt-offering. Re- member this, O my soul." "Help me, O my God, to keep up my pious affections to their own character, and let them not degenerate into a vicious or criminal temper of mind. Suffer not my zeal against error to turn into fury against a mistaken brother. Teach me to pity the man while I endeavour to cure his unhappy mistakes by the only methods which Christ has appointed by gentle reasoning, by 'arguments drawn from scripture, by the winning arts of love and goodness, andby earnest prayer for his recovery from the error of his way. Let me watch against every instance whereinholyaffections inay becorrupted andturned intoviceorfolli. " Though I desire to have my passions deeply tinctured by the things of God, yet I would not live entirelyby the efforts of devout passion, nor judge of my state and frame merely by these sorts of emotion. It is possible that sudden flashes of affection may sometimes deceive our judgment, andmake us determine suddenly and unjustly, concerning ourselves and our state god- ward. Let my religion and love to God be deeply rooted in the mind, and in the principles of solid knowledge ; let my will be strongly and unchangeably inclined towards God and things hea- venly; and let my love and hope, my desire, my sorrow, and my joy, be all awake and engaged, in proper seasons, to promote the divine work within me, and make blessed advances daily toward the world of perfection." Amen.
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