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SECTION III.

A third cause of errors in conduct, is being ignorant or unobservant of some things, by which the devil has special advantage.

AND here I would particularly notice some things with respect to the inward experiences of Christians themselves; and something with regard to the external effects of experiences.

I. Inward experiences. There are three things I would notice with regard to the experiences of Christians, by which the devil has many advantages against us.

1. The first thing is the mixture there oftentimes is in the experiences of true Christians; whereby, when they have truly gracious experiences, and divine and spiritual discoveries and exercises, they have something else mixed with them besides what is spiritual. There is a mixture of that which is natural and that which is corrupt, with that which is divine. The great imperfection of grace, the feebleness and infancy of the new nature, and the great remains of corruption, together with our circumstances in this world, where we are encompassed with what tends to pollute us, expose to this. And, indeed, it is not to be supposed that Christians ever have any experiences in this world that are wholly pure, entirely spiritual, without any mixture of what is natural and carnal. The beam of light, as it comes from the fountain of light upon our hearts, is pure; but, as it

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is reflected thence, it is mixed. The seed, as sent
from heaven and planted in the heart, is pure; but,
as it springs up out of the heart, is impure: yea,
there is commonly a much greater mixture than per-
sons, for the most part, seem to imagine. I have
often thought that the experiences of true Chris-
tians are very frequently as it is with some sorts of
fruits, which are enveloped in several coverings of
thick shells or pods, that are thrown away by him
that gathers the fruit, and but a very small part of
the whole bulk is the pure kernel that is good to

eat.

The things, of all,which there is frequently some mixture with gracious 'experiences, yea, with very great and high experiences, are these three: human or natural affection and passions; impressions on the imagination; and a degree of self-righteousness or spiritual pride. There is very often with that which is spiritual, a great mixture of that affection or passion which arises from natural principles; so that nature has a very great hand in those vehement motions and flights of the passions that appear. Hence the same degrees of divine communications from heaven shall have vastly different effects, in what outwardly appears, in persons of different natural tempers. The great mixture of that which is natural with that which is spiritual, is very manifest in the peculiar effects that divine influences have in some certain families, or persons of such a blood, in distinguishing the operations of the passions and affections, and the manner of their outward expressions. I know some remarkable instances of this. The same is also evident by the different effects of divine communications

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on the same person at different times, and in different circumstances. The novelty of things, or the sudden transition from an opposite extreme, and many other things that might be mentioned, greatly contribute to the raising of the passions. And sometimes there is not only a mixture of that which is common and natural with gracious experience, but even that which is animal, what is in a great measure from the body, and is properly the result of the animal frame. In what true Christians feel of affections towards God, all is not always purely holy and divine; every thing that is felt in the affections does not arise from spiritual principles, but common and natural principles have a very great hand; an improper self-love may have a great share in the effect. God is not loved for his own sake, or for the excellency and beauty of his own perfections, as he ought to be; nor have these things, in anywise, that proportion in the effect that they ought to have. So, in the love true Christians have one to another, very often there is a great mixture of what arises from common and natural principles, with grace. Selflove has a great hand; the children of God are not loved purely for Christ's sake, but there may be a great mixture of that natural love which many sects of heretics have boasted of, who have been greatly united one to another, because they were of their company, on their side, against the rest of the world; yea, there may be a mixture of natural love to the opposite sex, with Christian and divine love. So there may be a great mixture in that sorrow for sin which the godly have, and also in their joys; natural principles may greatly contribute to what is

felt, a great many ways, as might easily be shown. There is nothing that belongs to Christian experience more liable to a corrupt mixture than zeal. Though it be an excellent virtue, a heavenly flame, when it is pure; yet, as it is exercised in those who are so little sanctified, and so little humbled, as we are in the present state, it is very apt to be mixed with human passion, yea, with corrupt, hateful affections, pride and uncharitable bitterness, and other things that are not from heaven, but from bell.

Another thing often mixed with what is spiritual in the experiences of Christians, are impressions on the imagination; whereby godly persons, together with a spiritual understanding of divine things, and conviction of their reality and certainty, and a deep sense of their excellency or great importance upon their hearts, have strongly impressed on their minds external ideas or images of things. A degree of imagination, in such a case, is unavoidable, and necessarily arises from human nature, as constituted in the present state; and often is of great benefit. But, when it is in too great a degree, it becomes an impure mixture, that is prejudicial. This mixture very often arises from the constitution of the body. It commonly greatly contributes to the other kind of mixture mentioned before, namely, of natural affections and passions; it helps to raise them to a great height.

Another thing that is often mixed with the experiences of true Christians, which is the worst mixture of all, is a degree of self-righteousness, or spiritual pride. This is often mixed with the joys of Christians. Their joy is not purely the joy of faith,

or a rejoicing in Christ Jesus, but is partly a rejoicing in themselves. There is oftentimes in their elevations, a looking upon themselves, and a viewing their own high attainments; they rejoice, partly because they are taken with their own experiences and great discoveries, which makes them, in their own apprehensions, so to excel; and this heightens all their passions, and especially those effects that are more external. There is a much greater mixture of these things in the experiences of some Christians than others; in some, the mixture is so great, as very much to obscure and hide the beauty of grace in them, like a thick smoke that hinders all the shining of the fire.

These things we ought to be well aware of, that we may not take all for gold that glitters, and that we may know what to countenance and encourage, and what to discourage; otherwise, Satan will have a vast advantage against us, for he works in the corrupt mixture. Sometimes, for want of persons distinguishing the ore from the pure metal, those experiences are most admired by the persons themselves and by others, that are not the most excellent. The great external effects, and vehemence of the passions, and violent agitations of the animal spirits, is sometimes much owing to the corrupt mixture, (as is very apparent in some instances,) though it be not always so. I have observed a great difference among those of high affections, and seem disposed to be earnestly talking to those about them. Some insist much more, in their talk, on what they behold in God and Christ-the glory of the divine perfections -Christ's beauty and excellency, and wonderful con

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