Part II, III: That They Cause Those Who Have Them to Be Fluent and Fervent in Talking of Religion

It is no sign that affections are truly gracious affections, or that they are not, that they cause those who have them, to be fluf;nt, fervent, and abundant, in talking of the things of religion.

There are many persons who, if they see this in others, are

■j- Psal. cxix. 120. Ezra ix. 4. Isa. lxvi. 2. 5. Ilnb. iii. 16. t Rom. viii. 26. § Cant. ii. .5. and v. 8.

II Psal. lxxxiv. 2. H Psal. xx.wiii. 10. and xlll. 1. and cslx. 131.

If Psal, lxxxiv 2. and cxix, 81. H greatly prejudiced against them. Their being so full of talk, is witl) them a sufficient ground to condemn them as pharisees and ostentatious hypocrites. On the other hand, there are many who, if they see this effect in any, are very ignorantly and imprudently forward at once to determine, that they are the true children of God, and are under the saving influences of his Spirit, and speak of it as a great evidence of a new creature: they say, “such an one’s mouth is now opened: he used to be slow to speak; but now he is full and free: he is free now to open his heart, and tell his experiences, and declare the praises of God; it comes from him as free as water from a fountain;” and the like. And especially are they captivated into a confident and undoubting persuasion, that they are savingly wrought upon, if they are not only free and abundant, but very affectionate and earnest in their talk.

But this is the fruit of but little judgment, a scanty and short experience, as events do abundantly show, and is a mistake persons often run into, through their trusting to their own wisdom and discerning, and making their own notions their rule, instead of the holy scripture. Though the scriptures be full of rules, both how we should judge of our own state, and also how we should be conducted in our opinion of others; yet we have no where any rule by which to judge ourselves or others to be in a good estate from any such effect: for this is but the religion of the mouth and of the tongue, and what is in the scripture represented by the leaves of a tree, which, though the tree ought not to be without them, yet are no where given as an evidence of the goodness of the tree.

That persons are disposed to be abundant in talking of things of religion, may be from a good cause, and it may be from a bad one. It may be because their hearts are very full of holy affections; for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh:” and it may be because persons’ hearts are very full of religious affection which is not holy; for still out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is very much the nature of the affections, of whatever kind they be, and whatever objects they are exercised about, if they are strong, to dispose persons to be very much in speaking of that which they are affected with; and not only to speak much, but to speak very earnestly and fervently. And, therefore, persons talking abundantly and very fervently about the things of religion, can be an evidence of no more than this, that they are very much affected with the things of religion; but this may be, (as has been already shown) a«d there be no grace. That which men are greatly affected with while the high affection lasts, they will be earnestly engaged about, and will be likely to show that earnestness in their talk and behaviour, as the greater part of the Jews in all Judah and Galilee, did for a while, about John the Baptist’s preaching and baptism, when they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light; a mighty ado was made all over the land, and among all sorts of persons, about this great prophet and his ministry. And so the multitude, in like manner, often manifested a great earnestness, a mighty engagedness of spirit in every thing that was external, about Christ and his preaching and miracles, “being astonished at his doctrine, anon with joy receiving the word,” following him sometim.es night and day, leaving meat, drink and sleep to hear him; once following him into the wilderness, fasting three days going to hear him; sometimes crying him up to the clouds, saying, “Never man spake like this man!” being fervent and earnest in what they said. But what did these things come to in the greater part of them?

A person may be over-full of talk of his own experiences; commonly falling upon it, every where, and in all companies; and when it is so, it is rather a dark sign than a good one. As a tree, that is over full of leaves, seldom bears much fruity and as a cloud, though to appearance very pregnant and full of water, if it brings with it over-much wind, seldom affords much rain to the dry and thirsty earth: which very thing the Holy Spirit is pleased several times to make use of, to represent a great show of religion with the mouth, without answerable fruit in the life. Prov. XXV. 14. “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds and wind without rain.” And the apostle Jude, speaking of some in the primitive times, that crept in unawares among the saints, and having a great show of religion, were for a while

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not suspected, “These are clouds (says he) without water, carried about of winds.” Jude, ver. 4 and 12. And the apostle Peter, speaking of the same, says, 2 Pet. ii. 17. “These are cloud*
without water carried with a tempest.”

False affections, if they are actually strong, are much more forward to declare themrflves, than true: because it is the nature of false religion to affect show and observation, as it was with the pharisees.f