Some

wards the same persons, at different times.
persons evidence great love to men, as it respects
their temporal welfare, but appear to have no
concern for their spiritual and everlasting happi-
ness. Others, on the contrary, pretend to have
great love for the souls of men, while they have
no concern for their temporal comfort. The ap-
pearance of great concern for the souls of men
costs nothing; but in order to promote their ten-
poral ease and comfort, it is necessary to part with
money. But true Christian love to the brethren
extends both to their spiritual and temporal inter-
ests; and in this it resembles the love and com-
passion of Jesus Christ. He showed mercy to the
souls of men by preaching the gospel to them,
and to their bodies by going about doing good,
healing all manner of sickness and disease among
the people. We have a remarkable instance of
his compassion to the souls, and the bodies of men,
shown to the same individuals: "And Jesus, when
he cane out, saw much people, and was moved
with compassion toward them, because they were
as sheep not having a shepherd; and he began to
teach them many things, Mark, vi 34, &c In
the sequel, we have an account of his compassion
to their bodies. They had been a long time with-
out food, and he fed five thousand of them with
five loaves and two fishes--Now if the compas-
sion of professing Christians, does not operate in
the same ways, it is evidently not true Christian
compassion.

Further, it is an evidence that our affections are not evangelical, if we appear to feel much for the imperfections of our fellow professors, as their lukewarmness, &c. but are in no proportion sensible of our own. A real Christian may be affected by the lukewarmness of other saints, and may

mourn over it; but at the same time he will feel so much for the imperfections of others, as for those of his own. The latter are most in view, and of those he is most ready to complain. A less degree of spiritual influence will lead a person to pity himself, than what would induce him rightly to feel the calamities of others; and if men have not the inferior degree of gracious influence, we may at once infer, that they do not possess the greater.

And here I would observe,--and the observation may be regarded as a general criterion,That if persons pretend to high attainments in religion, but do not appear to have arrived at certain lower attainments, it is an evidence that their profession is of no value. For example, if they profess to be greatly affected by the wickedness of their own hearts, but are not affected by the obvious violations of the commands of God in their practice; or if they profess to venture their souls upon Christ, trusting the faithfulness of God in his promises, for their eternal welfare; but at the same time have not confidence enough to trust him with a small part of their property, devoted to pious and charitable purposes;-under these circumstances, their professions are manifestly of no value.

What has been observed of the affection of love, may be also observed of all the other affections, in their reference to religion. When they are genuine, they extend, in a proportionate degree, to all the various things which form their proper objects; but when they are spurious, they are in general strangely disproportionate. It is thus

with religious desires; in the saints, they have respect to all those things in general which are spir. Stual and excellent, and that in proportion to their

excellency or importance; but in false professors, the case is often quite otherwise. The latter pursue with impatient vehemence, something of small importance, while they treat with coldness and indifference, other things of far greater consequence. Thus, for instance, some persons have a strong inclination to declare to others what they experience, and perhaps to exhort them; while at the same time they possess no proportionate inclination to other duties, to which true religion has even a more powerful tendency; such as pouring out the soul before God in earnest, secret prayer and thanksgiving.

As to hatred and zeal, when they spring from right principles, they are exercised against all kinds of sin in proportion to the degree of their turpitude: "I hate every false way," Psa. cxix. 104. But false hatred and zeal against sin, are exercised against some particular sins only. Thus some persons are very zealous against profaneness, and pride in dress, who themselves are notorious for covetousness, and perhaps for backbiting, envy, turbulence of spirit, and hatred towards those who have injured them. False zeal is exercised against the sins of others only; but truly Christian zeal, chiefly against our own. Some profess to abhor their own sins of heart, and exclaim much against their inward corruption; and yet make light of sins in practice, and seem to commit them without much restraint or remorse.

As there is a much greater disproportion in the exercises of false religious affections, than of true ones, as to different objects, so there is also as to different times. For although true Christians are not always alike, yet there is not that instability in them, as in false professors. The righteous man is said to be one whose heart is fixed, trust

ing in God; to have his heart established with grace; and to hold on his way, Psa. cxii. 7. Heb. xiii. 9. Job, xvii. 9. If therefore persons are religious only by fits, it is evident that their relig ious affections are unsound. They are like certain waters, which in the time of a shower flow abundantly, but are afterwards soon dry. A real saint on the contrary, is like a stream flowing from a perpetual spring; though it may be greatly increased by a shower, and decreased by drought, it yet constantly runs. "The water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life," John, iv. 14. Many hypocrites are like comets, which appear for a while with a great blaze; they are very irregular, and unsteady in their motion, and are therefore called wandering stars, Jude, 13. But real saints are like the fixed stars, which though they rise and set, and are often obscured by clouds ; are yet stedfast in their orbits, and may be truly said to shine with a constant light.

And as there is a great disproportion in false religious affections as to different times; so there often is as to different situations. Some are greatly affected in company, but quite otherwise in private meditation, and in secret converse with God. A true Christian undoubtedly delights in religious fellowship, and finds much to affect him in Christian conversation; but he also delights to retire for the purpose of holding communion with God in private. See Gen xxiv. 63. How often do we read that Jesus Christ retired into solitary places for holy converse with his Father! It is difficult to conceal strong feelings, but gracious affections are of a less obtrusive nature than those that are counterfeit. The gracious mourning of true penitents, at the beginning of the latter-day glory, is

represented as being so secret, as to be hidden from the companions of their bosoms: "And the Land shall mourn, every family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart," &c. Zech. xii. 12-14. The saints mourn in secret for the sins of others: "If ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive," Jer. xiii. 17. Gracious joy is also of a retired nature: "My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches, Psa. Ixiii. 5.

The most eminent divine favours which the saints have enjoyed, according to what we read in scripture, were enjoyed in their retirement. The principal manifestations which God made of himself, and of his covenant mercy to Abraham, were made when he was alone, apart from his numerous family. Isaac received that special gift of God to him, Rebecca, when walking alone, meditating in the field. Jacob was retired for prayer, when he wrestled with the Angel of the covenant, and obtained the blessing. God revealed himself to Moses in the bush, when he was in a solitary place in the desert, in mount Horeb; and afterwards, when he was admitted to the closest communion with God which he ever enjoyed, he was alone in the same mountain, where he continued forty days and forty nights. God held communion with those great prophets, Elijah and Elisha, and conversed with them freely, chiefly in their retirement. When Jesus Christ had the greatest prelibations of bis future glory, it was not when he was with the multitude, or with the twelve disciples, but when retired in a solitary place, with only Peter,