The soul cannot do otherwise when it is convinced supernaturally. The same Spirit that discovers better things opens the soul to follow them. It is so with every soul that hath the true work and stamp of the Spirit in it. It is set upon heavenly things. It saith with St Paul, 'I account all dung and dross in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ,' Phihp. iii. 8, There is an attractive, a drawing, magnetical power in heavenly things when they are propounded to the soul by the Spirit, to draw the affections, and to make us spiritual like themselves.
Let us therefore labour more and more to have our affections wrought upon. As we are in our affections, we are in religion.* It is impossible that a Christian should be spiritually convinced that there are such excel- lent things belong to religion, and that he hath his part and portion in them, and not be transformed to a spiritual state and frame of soul, to love and delight in holy things, and to despise that which is contrary.
And when he is in such a state, what is all the world to him ? What cares he for riches, or pleasures, or honours, when the soul sees incom- parable better things ? ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and what do I desu-e on earth in comparison of thee ? saith David, Ps, Ixxiii, 25, when
* Cf, Edwards's Treatise of ' The Religious Affections,' which is only a splendid expansion of this sentiment, as developed in the sequ&l,— G,
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he had a little meditated of the vanity of earthly things, and saw the goodness of God to his children. * It is good for me to draw near unto God,' Ps. Ixxiii. 28. It is a speech of conviction. The soul is convinced that it is good and best to draw near to God in holy means, and in holy duties to keep close to him, and then it cries out, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? '
Therefore let us never rest in such a knowledge of holy things as doth not convince us of the goodness of them, and of our interest in them, so far as may draw and work upon our affections to embrace those things.
When we find our hearts and affections wrought on, that holy things, as they are excellent in themselves, so they have an answerable place in our hearts, that as they are holy, and high, and best, so they have a high place in our hearts, then a man is in the estate of a Christian, or else a man may very well doubt of his estate, when he can hear of heaven, and happiness, and of the excellency of the children of God, that they are heirs of heaven, &c., and his heart be not aflected with these things. He may well ques- tion himself, Do I believe those things? Here are rich and precious promises, but where is my precious faith to close with and to embrace these things ? Do I believe them ? If I do, how is it that I am no more affected with them ? And so let us stand in the meditation of the excel- lencies of religion so long till our hearts be affected and warmed- with them. This will follow affections, a desire to think oft of them ; as David joins both together : * Oh, how do I love thy law ! it is my meditation continually.' That that a man loves he oft thinks of. That stirs up love, and love makes him oft consider of it; and when it is thus with a man, he is in such a condition as these holy patriarchs, fit to live and die by his faith. ' They saw them, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.'
Therefore, I say, we may know whether we have this spiritual light, whether we have true faith or no, if we have these embracings. If we be so persuaded of them that we embrace them with delight, and desire, and love, and joy ; if we make choice of them, and esteem them highly, and cleave constantly to that which is revealed to us : then it is a divine light and persuasion, because we embrace them.
Certainly there is nothing in religion divine, unless the affections be carried with it. True faith carries the whole soul, to whole Christ, out of a man's whole self. It carries the understanding to see, and the will to choose and to cleave ; it carries the'affections to joy and delight and love ; it carries all. Therefore, those that when holy things are discovered they have not a high esteem of them ; that they prize them not above earthl}' things ; that they cleave not to them with a disesteem of other things ; that thej' joy not in them as their best portion ; that they do not embrace them : there is no true faith at all, for where there is true faith there is this embracing.
God hath made the soul, as I said, for these heavenly things ; and when the soul and they close together, there is a sweet embracing. Then the soul is raised above itself; the soul is quieted, and stilled, and satisfied. There is nothing in the world else will better the soul but the embracing of these things ; nothing else will beautify and adorn the soul in God's sight. Our souls are made for them, our desires are made to embrace them, our love and our joy to delight in them, our wills to cleave to them and make choice of them above other things.