ners with the importance of the things of religion, and to stir up the minds of the saints, by often bringing these things to their remembrance. Preaching is particularly intended to promote the two affections mentioned in the text-love and joy: "And he" (Christ) 66 gave some apostles, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers-for the edifying of the body of Christ-in love." Eph. 4: 11, 12, 16. The apostle instructing Timothy concerning the work of the ministry, informs him, that the great end of that word which a minister is to preach, is "love, or charity.” 1 Tim. 1: 3, 4, 5. Another affection for the promotion of which God has appointed preaching, is joy; and therefore ministers are called helpers of our joy. 2 Cor. 1:24.

10. It is evident that true religion, or holiness, lies very much in the affections, because the Scriptures place sin very much in hardness of heart. It was hardness of heart which excited grief and displeasure in Christ toward the Jews: "He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." Mark, 3: 5. The reason given why the house of Israel would not obey God, was, that they were hard-hearted. Ezek. 37. The wickedness of that perverse, rebellious generation, in the wilderness, is ascribed to the same cause. Psalm 95: 7-10. This is spoken of as what prevented Zedekiah's turning to the Lord: "He hardened his heart." 2 Chron. 36: 13.* The rejecting of Christ, and the opposing of Christianity, are ascribed to this principle, Acts, 19: 9. When men are left to the power of their depravity and sin, they are mentioned as having their hearts hardened. Rom. 9: 18. The apostle speaks of an evil heart that departs from the living God, and a hard

heart, as the same thing. Heb. 3: 8, 12, 13. And that great work of God, conversion, which consists in delivering a person from the power of sin, is often mentioned as the taking away of the heart of stone, and as the giving of a heart of flesh. See Ezek. 11: 19, and 36: 26.

Now, by a hard heart, is undoubtedly meant, a perverse, unaffected heart; a heart not easily moved by virtuous affections, but, like a stone, insensible and difficult to be impressed. Hence the hard heart is called a stony heart, and is opposed to a heart of flesh. We read, in Scripture, of a hard heart, and a tender heart; and doubtless we are to understand these as contrary to each other. But what is a tender heart, but a heart easily affected with what ought to affect it? God commends Josiah, because his heart was tender; and it is evident from what are mentioned as expressions and proofs of this state of mind, that by his heart being tender, is meant its being easily moved by religious and pious affection: "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord; hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord." 2 Kings, 22 : 19.

It is very evident, that in some texts, by hardness of heart, is meant a heart void of affection. Of the ostrich it is said, "She hardeneth her heart against her young ones, as though they were not hers." Job, 39: 16. So a person unaffected in time of danger, is said to harden his heart. Prov. 28: 14.

Now, since it is evident that by a hard heart, in Scripture, is meant a heart destitute of pious affections; and since also the Scriptures so frequently denominate our sin and depravity by the terms "hardness of heart," it is evident that grace and holiness

înust, in a great measure, consist in our being easily susceptible of such affections. Divines are generally

agreed, that sin radically and fundamentally consists in what is negative or privative-in a privation, or want of holiness. And therefore, undoubtedly, if sin very much consists in hardness of heart, and so in the want of pious affections, holiness must consist very much in those pious affections.

I am far from supposing that all affections show a tenderness of heart: hatred, anger, &c. may prevail in the hardest heart. Yet, it is evident, that hardness of heart, and tenderness of heart, relate to the affections, and denote a mind susceptible, or insusceptible, of certain emotions.

Upon the whole, I think it abundantly evident, that true religion consists very much in the affections. I do not, however, think, that religion in the hearts of the truly godly, is ever in exact proportion to the degree of affection and present emotion of the mind; for undoubtedly there is much affection in real saints which is not spiritual. Their religious affections are often mixed; all is not from grace, but much from nature; and though the affections have not their seat in the body, yet the constitution of the body may very much contribute to the present emotion of the mind. The degree of religion is rather to be judged of by the fixedness and strength of the habit, than by the degree of the present exercise; and the strength of that habit is not always in proportion to the outward effects and manifestations, or to the hurry, vehemence, and sudden changes of the course of the thoughts. But yet it is evident, that religion consists so much in the affections, that without holy affection there is no religion. No light in the understanding is good, which

does not produce holy affection in the heart; no habit of mind is good which has no such exercise; and no external fruit is good which does not proceed from this principle.

Having thus considered the evidence of the propo sition laid down, I proceed to some INFERENCES.

1. We may hence learn how much those persons err who wish to discard all religious affections.

There seems to be too much of a disposition of this kind prevailing at this time. Because many in the late extraordinary season who appeared to have great religious affections, did not manifest a right temper of mind, and in the heat of their zeal ran into many errors, and because the high affections of some appear to have entirely subsided, and others, who were evidently filled with joy and zeal for a while, seem to have returned like a dog to his vomit; hence religious affections in general are grown out of credit with many persons, as though true religion did not at all consist in them. Thus we easily run from one extreme to another. A little while ago we were disposed to regard all high affections about religion as eminent exercises of true grace, without inquiring into the nature and source of those affections, and the manner in which they arose. If persons did but appear to be very much moved and raised, so as to be full of religious talk, and expressed themselves with great warmth and earnestness, it was too much the custom, without further examination, to conclude that such persons were full of the Spirit of God, and enjoyed eminent experience of his gracious influence. But of late, instead of admiring all religious affections, we have been much more disposed to reject and discard all, without

distinction. Herein appears the subtlety of Satan. While he saw that religious affections were much thought of, and that people in general were ill informed upon this subject, he knew that he could best accomplish his ends by sowing tares amongst the wheat, and mingling false affections with the work of the Spirit of God. He saw that this was a likely way to ruin many souls, and to entangle the saints in a perplexing wilderness, and in a short time to bring all religion into disrepute. But now, when the consequences of these false affections appear, and it has become very apparent that some of those emotions which made a fine show, and were by many persons greatly admired, were in reality nothing, the devil sees it to be his advantage to go another way to work, and to endeavor, to the utmost of his power, to propagate and establish a persuasion, that all affections and emotions of the mind, with respect to religion, are to be disregarded, or rather opposed, as having a pernicious tendency. This he knows is the likeliest way to re duce all religion to a mere lifeless formality, and effec · tually to banish the power of godliness and every thing that is truly gracious. For although, in true religion, there is something more than affection, yet it consists so much in the affections, that there can be no true religion without them. He who has no religious affection is in a state of spiritual death, wholly desti. tute of the powerful, quickening, saving influences of the Spirit of God upon his heart. As there is no true religion where there is nothing else but affection, so there is no true religion where there is no religious affection. As, on the one hand, there must be light in the understanding, as well as warmth in the affections, for where there is heat without light there can be