That religion which God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak and lifeless inclinations, raised but a little above a state of indifference. God, in his word, insists upon it that we should be in earnest, "fervent in spirit," Rom. 12: 11, having our hearts vigorously engaged in religion: "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him; and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul." Deut. 10: 12. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." chap. 6: 4, 5. It is such a fervent, vigorous engagedness of the soul in religion, which is the fruit of regeneration, and which has the promise of everlasting life: "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." Deut. 30: 6.

If we are not in earnest, and our wills and inclinations strongly exercised, we are nothing as to religion. The things of religion are so great, that there can be no suitableness in the exercises of our hearts, to their nature and importance, unless those exercises are lively and powerful. In nothing is vigor in the actings of our inclinations so requisite as in religion; and in nothing is lukewarmness so odious. True religion is always a powerful principle; and this power, in the first place, is exercised in the heart, the principal, and original seat of it. Hence true religion is called the power of godliness, in opposition to the external appearance, or the mere form of it: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." 2 Tim.

Affections.

2

35. The Spirit of God, in those who possess real religion, is a spirit of powerful, holy affection; and therefore God is said to have given them a "spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:7. And such, when they receive the Spirit of God, in his sanctifying and saving influences, are said to be 66 baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire," Matt. 3: 11; in consequence of the power and fervor of those exercises which the Spirit of God excites in their hearts. Their hearts, when grace is in exercise, may be said to burn within them, like those of the disciples mentioned in Luke, 24: 32.

Religion is frequently compared to those exercises in which the mind and strength are usually very much engaged and exercised; such as running, wrestling, and fighting.

And though there are different degrees of grace, and some Christians are but babes in Christ, in whom the exercise of the inclination and will toward divine and heavenly things is comparatively weak; yet every one who possesses the power of godliness in his soul, has his inclination and will exercised toward God and divine things, with such strength and vigor,that those holy exercises prevail in him above all carnal and natural affections; for every true disciple of Christ loves him above father or mother, wife or children, brethren or sisters, houses or lands, yea, above his own life. From hence it follows, that wherever true religion exists, there are vigorous exercises of the inclination and will toward divine objects; but agreeably to what was said before, the vigorous and lively exercises of the will, are in reality the affections of the soul.

2. The Author of human nature has not only communicated affections to men, but has made them very

much the spring of their actions. As the affections necessarily belong to human nature, so holy affections not only necessarily belong to true religion, but constitute a principal part of it. And as true religion is of a practical nature, and God has so constituted the human frame that the affections are the chief spring of men's actions, this also shows that true religion must consist very much in the affections.

Such is the nature of man, that he is quite inactive any farther than as he is influenced by some affection. The affections are the springs which set us to work in all the affairs of life, and stimulate us in all our pursuits, especially in all affairs pursued with vigor. Take away all love and hatred, all hope and fear, all zeal and affectionate desire, and the world would, in a great measure, be lifeless: there would be no such thing as activity amongst men-no earnest pursuit of any description. It is affection which engages the covetous, the ambitious, and the voluptuous in their various pursuits. The world continues from age to age in a perpetual commotion and agitation; but take away all affections, and the spring of all this activity would be broken, and the agitation itself would cease. And, as in worldly things, worldly affections are very much the spring of action; so in spiritual things, spiritual affections are also very much the spring of action. He who possesses doctrinal knowledge only, is never seriously and earnestly engaged in the business of religion.

3. Nothing is more manifest than that the things of religion take possession of the minds of men no further than as they affect them. There are many who often hear the word of God, and therein hear of those things which are infinitely important, and which most

intimately concern them; but all that is heard seems to be wholly ineffectual, and to make no alteration in their disposition and behavior: the reason is, they are not affected with what they hear. There are many who often hear of the glorious perfections of God, particularly of his unspeakable love in Christ, of what Christ has done and suffered, and of what relates to another world-eternal misery, and everlasting felicity; they also hear the immutable injunctions of the law, and the gracious warnings and invitations of the gospel; and yet remain as they were before, without any sensible alteration either in heart or practice, because they are not affected with what they hear. There never was any considerable change wrought in the mind, or in the deportment of any individual, by any thing of a religious nature, which did not move his affections. Never was any one humbled, and brought to the throne of grace, by any thing he ever heard, or imagined, respecting his own unworthiness, and his exposure to the wrath of God, nor induced to flee for refuge to Christ, while his heart remained unaffected. There never was a saint recovered from a declining state in religion, without having his heart affected; and, in short, there never was any thing considerable brought to pass in the heart or life of any man, by the things of religion, until the mind was deeply affected by those things.

4. The Holy Scriptures every where place religion very much in the affections: such as fear, hope, love, hatred, desire, joy, sorrow, gratitude, compassion, and zeal.

The Scriptures place much of religion in godly fear: so much that it is often spoken of as the character of those who are truly religious, that they tremble

at the word of God; that they fear before him; that their flesh trembles for fear of him; that they are afraid of his judgments; that his excellency makes them afraid; that his dread falls upon them, &c. In Scripture the saints are called fearers of God, and are often distinguished by the term-they that fear the Lord. And as the fear of God is a great part of religion, true godliness in general is very often called by the name of " the fear of God:" every one knows this who knows any thing of the Bible.

Hope in God, and in the promises of his word, is also often spoken of, in the Scriptures, as a very considerable part of true religion. It is mentioned as one of the three great things of which religion consists. 1 Cor. 13: 13. It is often mentioned as one of the characteristics of the saints: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God." Psalm 146: 5. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Jer. 17:7. "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Psalm 31 24. In scripture, religious fear is sometimes united with hope in descriptions of the saints: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy." Psalm 33: 18. "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." Psalm 147 11. Hope is so great a part of religion, that the Apostle says, we are saved by hope." Rom. 8 : 24. It is spoken of as the helmet of the Christian soldier. “And for an helmet, the hope of salvation;” (1 Thess 58.) and as the sure and stedfast anchor of the soul, which preserves it from being cast away by the storms of this evil world: "Which hope we have as an