to the parables of our Lord, Luke xi. 8. and xviii. 5. and the darles of the apostle, Theff. v. 17. And whoever confiders buman nature well, and remembers how foon pious motions vanish, and how little they effect, will difcern a plain reafon, both for vehemence and perfeverance in prayer for vehemence, that the foul may be deeply impreffed by pious paffions; for perfeverance, that fuch impreffions may not be effaced and obliterated. Nor let any one fancy, that prayer thus qualified has not a better influence upon God, as well as upon our felves: 'tis true, God is void of the painfulness and defects of buman paffions, but not of the Perfection of divine ones. Woe were to us, if God were an inflexible, inexorable Deity, and incapable of being wrought upon by the inceffant importunity of his poor creatures: woe were to us, if the foftness and the tenderness of the divine Nature did not infinitely exceed the little resemblances of it in man. If, in a word, God did not abound in goodnefs, mercy, and compaffion, more eafily to be moved and excited than thofe human paffions that bear fome analogy to them. Next to converfation with God by prayer, the converfation of good men does wonderfully contribute to the building us up in faith and virtue. How does the fense and experience of fuch as deferve Our our esteem and affection, fettle and establifh our judgment when they concur with us! how does their knowledge enlighten us, their reason ftrengthen our faith, and their example inflame us with emulation! A pious friendship renders religion it felf more engaging: it fanctifies our very diverfions and recreations, and makes them minister to virtue; it minds us when we are forgetful, fupports and encourages us when we faint and tire, reproves and corrects us when we give back, and recalls us into the right path when we go out of it. This is, or this fhould be, the business of converfation, the end and advantage of friendship: we fhould be often talking together of the things of God, communicating and laying open the ftate of our fouls, our fears, our hopes, our improvements, and defects; we fhould watch over one another, comfort and Jupport one another; our difcourfe fhould always minifter new warmth, or new ftrength to our holy faith and love. But among all the means of grace, there is no one does fo much corroborate and nourish the foul of man as the Holy Eucharift. How many wife and impartial reflections does the preparation for it occafion? What unfeigned humility, and what a profound awe of the divine Majefty, does a previous felf-examination beget in us? What a tender fense of the I 4 divine divine Love does the contemplation of the whole mystery inkindle? What firmness and refolution do we derive from fresh vows and repeated engagements; and these offered up with fo much folemnity? And how much, finally, is the habit of holiness improved by that fpiritual pleasure, which the fenfible affurances of grace and falvation work in us, by that awe and holy fear which the whole action leaves behind on our minds, and the zeal, vigilance, and circumfpection it obliges us to for the time following? Not to mention here, how the participation of this holy facrament obliges us to a moft folemn exercise of repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jefus, of brotherly love and charity, and the hope of immortality and glory. Here, in a word, we prepare to meet God, as we would do in death and judg. ment; here we make an open profeffion of our holy faith, renounce the world and flesh, all our finful or vain defires; devote our felves to the fervice of Jesus; and learn to expect happiness from nothing elfe, but the merits and the imitation of his Crofs. So profound is the wisdom of this inftitution, that it evidently fpeaks God the author of it, and proclaims the too common neglect of it in moft parts of this nation, an inexcufable fin and folly. 3. A 3. A third end of inftrumental duties of religion, is the raifing and keeping up holy and devout affections. I know not why paffion is fo commonly undervalued and difparaged in religion, unless they, who thus treat it, mean nothing by it, but a fhort-lived and fuperficial commotion of the mind, which leaves no print or relish behind it, and is prefently fucceeded by fin and folly. Holy paffion is the vigour and ftrength of the foul; 'tis the ftate and frame of the mind when it is thoroughly moved and affected. And therefore to form to one's felf religion deftitute of paffion, is little better than to content one's felf with one that is lazy, lukewarm, and lifeless. And tho' there be fome tempers very unapt to be moved, yet 'tis hard to imagine how even these can be wrought up to a refolution, or that refolution be fupported and continued without their being affected fo thoroughly, as to feel either a real paffion, or fomething very nearly approaching one. 'Tis an excellent frame of fpirit, when the foul is eafily elevated and tranfported into holy paffion: and I find that all thofe virtues, or rather acts of virtue, which are defcribed to the life, and which are by all judged moft perfect and lovely, have most of paffion in them. How warm and paffionate was the love of David for his God! what flame, what vehemence vebemence of defire was he moved by, when he cries out, Pfal. xlii. 1, 2. As the bart panteth after the water-brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God: my foul thirfteth for God, for the living God. What awful concuffions and agitations of fpirit did he feel, when he thus defcribes his fear! My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments, Pfal. cxix. 120. What afflictions of foul, what tenderness of heart do we meet with in the repentance of St. Peter, when he went forth and wept bitterly! of Mary Magdalen, or whoever that woman in Luke vii. was, when he wafbed the feet of our Saviour with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her bead! and of the royal Pfalmift, when he watered bis couch with his tears, Pfal. vi. 6. Nor were the pleasures of affurance less sensible and vehement than the forrows of repentance, when the firft Chriftians rejoiced with joy unSpeakable, and hopes full of glory. Shall I here add that holy indignation against fin, that vehement defire of making fome reparation for it, which is the effect of godly forrow, that zeal and fervency of spirit in the fervice of God, which is the highest character of Perfection it felf? Shall I call thefe paffions? I muft not; for tho' they have the heat and agitation of paffion, they have in them the firmness and steadiness of an babit. And I wish with all my heart, |