Page:Bangorian Sermon.djvu/12

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8
A SERMON Preach'd

before Him, which every sincere Mind ought to have. But the same Word, by the help of Men, and voluminous Rules of Art, is come to signify Heat and Flame, in such a manner, and to such a degree, that a Man may be in the best Disposition in the World, and yet not be devout enough to Pray: and many an honest Person hath been perplex'd, by this Means, with Doubts and Fears of being uncapable of Praying, for want of an intenseness of Heat, which hath no more relation to the Duty, than a Man's being in a Fever hath, to the Sincerity of his Professions, or Addresses to any Earthly Prince.

Once more, the Love of God, and of our Saviour, was at first, in his own Words, and those of St. John, many times repeated, the keeping his Commandments, or doing his Will. Joh. 14. 15, 21, 23. ch. 15. 10. 1 Joh. 2. 5. ch. 5. 3. II Joh. 6. But the Notion of it was, it seems, left very jejune; and so hath been improved by his later Followers, till the same Name, still kept up in the Language of Christians, is far removed fromthe