DISCOURSE VI. 597 to stir up our drowsy affections, and engage them in divine things that we may live in the pleasures of godliness as well as in the power of it, and have our hopes rising high and approaching to the joys ofheaven, while we dwell here on earth. What these proper methods arc, whereby the devout passions may be raised will be the subject of our nextenquiry. Meditation." It is strange that any person should cavil. against the exercise of the warmest affections of man in the things that relate to the great God, and in matters of our own immortal interest. It is strange to hear any dispute arise against the en- gagement of our strongest and most sprightly powers in the ser- vice of the best of beings, and our eternal friend. O may I know him, and love him, and fear him, and delight in him, as becomes a creature to fear and to love a God, that is, in a supreme degree. Invain shall the world assault me with their keenest reproaches, in vain shall a bantering and godless age at- tempt to laughme out of countenancefor indulging the divine sensations of religion. Let them tell me, " It is mere animal nature and thecaprices of flesh and blood," let them charge me with enthusiastipal folly and feverish heats of religion, I dare pronounce boldly in the face of ridicule and scandal that the pru- dent affectionate christian in his devoutest hours does nothing beneath the dignity of reason, nor unbecoming the character of the,wisest of men. I have David and the prophets, I haveChrist and his apostles engaged on this side of the questionby their own practice, and I shall count it my honour to be a humble imitator of such blessedpatterns. " O may I find the secret joys of religious retirement, joys which a stranger intermeddles not with ! May I feel some pious affection animating me to all theduties of the christian life ! May I see myself rising high above earthly things with holy contempt, mounting as on eagles wings toward heaven ; and then I shall not be frighted nor discouraged at all the arrows df reproach that are shot against me. The affectionate christian has much more reason on, his side than all those indolent worshippers, those dry and joyless creatures, those cold pretenders to religion, who have renounced their affections in the thingsof God, and creep on at a low and groveling rate, feeding only on somenatural truthsand speculations without life, power, or pleasure. " But if I find mynatural temper has very little of the pa- thetic composition in it, and that myaffections by nature are not so vigorous as those of my neighbour : if I feel the more vehe- ment efforts of love and fear and holy sorrow, andpious pleasure sink and decline, through the decay of natureor growing age, I will comfort myself withthis, that it is the desire of my soul to have all its powers and passionsengaged for God in their most vital and active exercises. r p 3
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