ticular sort of them. Many who own this general prineiple, when they are considering the union between the soul and body, do not seem to advert to the plain consequences of it, when they are considering devout affections. It is proper, therefore, to observe some evident consequences of it, which are of use to prevent mistakes on that important subject.

In the first place, if this sympathy between soul and body, be a general common property, of all the affections of human nature, it is unreasonable to look on it as a distinguishing character of the devout affections of self-deceivers, or impostors.

No doubt, the affections of such mens' souls, in devotion, and in other cases, have an influence on their bodies, and that influence is reciprocal. But seeing this is by no means peculiar to them, but common to the affections of the best and of the worst of men; it is a thing of no use, in stating the differences between true holiness, and false appearances of it, or between true and false pretences to the divine Spirit. If this sympathy take place in the most corrupt, or most artificial affections, of persons who are impostors, in devotion, or in other things; it takes place also, in the exercise of mens' best affections towards their fellowcreatures, towards their families, their friends, or their country; and there is no reason for excluding it from the vigorous exercise, of the best affections towards God. No doubt, there is a great difference between even the bodily effects of irregular violent passions, and the effects of these good affections, which tend to true serenity, and tranquillity of soul. Yet, the greatest serenity of soul, does not impair its union with the body; but has a very desirable influence on it.

It would not be needful, to insist so much on these things, were it not that in considering devout affections, men suffer themselves to be more easily misled, by confused and undetermined notions, than on other subjects of less importance. Because, these properties of lively affections, which result from the union of soul and body, are no proofs of sincerity or of true ho liness, some people seem to consider them rather as

objections against it. Whereas, indeed, to suppose such things, proofs of sincerity or objections against it, are extremes equally unreasonable. It is proper to observe, that the affections of the soul, have a real influence on the body, when they do not produce such sorts of outward natural signs of inward emotion, as are more remarkable, such as weeping or shedding tears, whether for joy or sorrow. Some good and strong affections may be of such a nature, as even to hinder such external signs. Yet, where such signs take place, they are far from being just objections against the excellency of the inward affections, whence they proceed. Thus, when Jacob wept and made supplication; when rivers of tears were shed by David for his own sins, and the sins of others; when Peter wept bitterly; when Paul besought men with tears, inculcating upon them things of infinite importance; when the spirit of grace and supplication, fulfilling the divine promise, makes sinners mourn for their sins, as one mourns for a first born; when Jesus wept at La-. zarus's tomb, and wept over Jerusalem; it is evident, that in these, and the like cases, there behoved to be such a mutual sympathy between soul and body, as was mentioned above; and, it is no less evident, that this is no objection against these affections, which produced such bodily signs, as if they were not therefore truly excellent and holy, and did not proceed from the Holy Ghost.

These things, and the things formerly observed, concerning the union between soul and body, shew the necessity of guarding against the ambiguity of words, and its bad tendency, in speaking of animal passions, or affections in devotion; seeing all the affections of the soul, in its present embodied state, are the affections of a rational animal. When people speak of ani'mal passions, or affections in devotion, they do not mean such affections as have for their objects, the concerns of animal life. They mean either such affections, or emotions of affections in the soul, as produce certain natural effects on the body; or, these effects in the body, which are produced by such affections in the

'soul, and have a reciprocal influence on them. When people incline to use the term animal affections, in this manner, it is evidently necessary to observe, the great and essential difference between the affections excited in the soul, and the bodily effects of them: which difference, is suitable to that between the soul and the body. When, by animal affections, are meant the affections in the soul, which have an influence on the body, this is a property, which agrees to the best affections, of which the soul is capable, as well as to the worst. According to this meaning of the word, when animal affections are said to be of little or no importance, without restriction or exception, nothing can be more opposite to truth, and to piety. The more needful it is to state aright the differences between devout affections that are of importance, and these that are not; the more care is requisite, against confounding these differences between them, with the general. properties of human affections, that are common to both. If such confounding of things be a preservative against placing much of religion in affections, that are useless or inconsiderable; it has a tendency to exclude those that are of the greatest excellency and importance, by begetting a contempt of all vigorous devout affections in general. When people entertain strong prejudices against the most useful things, it is, as was formerly observed, by confounding them with other things, and by misimproving, for that purpose, some general resemblances, that are really consistent with a very essential disparity. And as such confusion, is indeed, the worst confusion that sophistry or inadvertence can introduce into mens' thoughts, it is of so much the greater importance, to avoid even such ways of speaking, as have a tendency to it.

As the use of words is arbitrary, people cannot be charged with wong principles, merely for giving wrong names to things. When people give the name of animal affections, to all the affections of the soul, which have an influence on the body, they express a property of human affections, in which there is some reality, and which it is useful to consider.

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But they

express it in such a manner, as, by the force of custom, or of the association of ideas, has a bad tendency. By the force of custom, the names of animal af- · fections, and passions, carry a low meaning, and raise ideas of affections, relating to the concerns of animal life. By this means, such ways of speaking, tend to make men confound things, between which there is the greatest difference, and to make them despise things which should be the objects of their high esteem.

When people understand by animal affections, not the affections of the soul, which produce certain effects in the body; but these bodily effects themselves, it is easy to observe, how we ought to judge of the importance of animal affections, according to this meaning of the expression. When people attain to the most desirable exercise of the best affections, such as divine love, and joy; it is the good affections excited in the soul that men are chiefly to prize; their good effects on heart and life, and not any immediate natural effects of them on the body, which admit of so great diversity, according to diversity of constitution. It is needful to caution men against over-valuing any bodily effects, or signs of inward affections; but this is abundantly practicable, without ways of speaking of so bad a tendency, as these in view. If the Author of our nature has so contrived it, that the best and most useful affections of the soul, should have certain natural effects on the body, we should avoid giving such names to these things, as tend to inspire a contempt of the effects of supreme wisdom. It is an incontested effect of the union of soul and body, that a right disposition of the one, is subservient to the best, and most useful operations of the other. Even they who love to philosophize about animal affections, own, that the bodily effects of the best dispositions and affections of the soul, are subservient to the strength and continuance of these affections, and to that application and attention of mind, which is so helpful to them. And, if this indeed be the case, it is evident, that animal affections without restriction, are far from being just objects of contempt.

From what is said, it is evident, that when people affect the above-mentioned ways of speaking, about animal affections in devotion, it has a tendency to mislead and seduce men, by confused notions of things, and in a special manner, to prepossess them against the vigorous exercise of the best affections. But it is proper to observe, that the manner in which some people love to subtilize on these things, tends, not only to encourage hypocritical formality in devotion, but also to lessen the guilt of self-deceit, and of enthusiasm, in false and presumptuous pretences, to divine commu. nications. It tends to excuse such false pretences, when they are ascribed too much to bodily causes, and mens' ignorance of their own constitution, not only in the case of distemper of mind, but in all other cases in general.

In considering the causes of false pretences to the Holy Ghost, and to true holiness itself, it was observed, that such self-deceit, in ordinary cases, is chiefly to be ascribed to other causes than bodily constitution, or want of philosophy. Pride, self-flattery, inexcusably false and partial notions of religion, inconsiderateness about the word of God, mens' neglecting to search and try themselves impartially, and to compare heart and life, and their various attain`ments in devotion, with that divine standard, with the like culpable causes of practical error, are the things that are chiefly to be blamed as the causes of self-deceit, in false pretences to the divine Spirit, or to the divine favour and image. Bodily constitution, may indeed have a considerable influence on these devout attainments, which men over-value in ascribing them to sanctifying grace. But ofttimes it may happen, that these attainments themselves, may be things useful, for which men are not to be blamed: they may be, in themselves, things of a good tendency. It is the self-flattery, by which men lay more stress one them than they ought, to which mens' delusion is chiefly to be imputed. There is sincerity and hypocrisy, and there are true and false pretences among persons of all sorts of constitutions; of which more afterwards.