Religious Affections

Sit under this for a bit. It is from Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards.

"When there are many probable appearances of piety in others, it is the duty of the saints to receive them cordially into their charity, and to love them and rejoice in them, as their brethren in Christ Jesus. But yet the best of men may be deceived when the appearances seem to them exceeding fair and bright, even so as entirely to gain their charity and conquer their hearts. It has been a common thing in the church of God for such bright professors, that are received as eminent saints among the saints, to fall away and come to nothing. And this we need not wonder at, if we consider the things that have been already observed (earlier in the book) what things it has been shown may appear in men who are altogether graceless. Nothing hinders but all these things may meet together in men, and yet they be without a spark of grace in their hearts. They may have religious affections of many kinds together; they may have a sort of affection towards God, that bears a great resemblance of dear love to Him; and so a kind of love to the brethren, and great appearances of admiration of God's perfections and works, and sorrow for sin, and reverence, submission, self-abasement, gratitude, joy, religious longings, and zeal for religion and the good of souls. And these affections may come after great awakenings and convictions of conscience; and there may be great appearances of a work of humiliation. Counterfeit love and joy, and other affections, may seem to follow one another, just in the same order that is commonly observable in the holy affections of true converts. And these religious affections may be carried to a great height, and may cause abundance of tears, yea, may overcome the nature of those who are the subjects of them, and may make them affectionate, and fervent, and fluent in speaking of the things of God, and dispose them to be abundant in it; and may be attended with many sweet texts of Scripture and precious promises, brought with great impression on their minds; and may dispose them with their mouths to praise and glorify God in a very ardent manner, and fervently to call upon others to praise Him, exclaiming against their unworthiness, and extolling free grace. They may, moreover, dispose them to abound in the external duties of religion, such as prayer, hearing the word preached, singing, and religious conference; and these things may be attended with a great resemblance of a Christian assurance in its greatest height, when the saints mount on eagles' wings above all darkness and doubting. I think it has been made plain that there may be all these things, and yet there be nothing more than the common influences of the Spirit of God, joined with the delusions of Satan and a wicked and deceitful heart. To which I may add, that all these things may be attended with a sweet natural temper, and a good doctrinal knowledge of religion, and a long acquaintance with the saints' way of talking, and of expressing their affections and experiences, and a natural ability and subtlety in accommodating their expressions and manner of speaking to the dispositions and notions of the hearers, with a taking decency of expression and behaviour formed by a good education. How great therefore may the resemblance be, as to all outward expressions and appearances, between a hypocrite and a true saint! Doubtless it is the glorious prerogative of the omniscient God, as the great Searcher of hearts, to be able well to separate between sheep and goats. And what an indecent self-exaltation and arrogance it is, in poor fallible dark mortals, to pretend that they can determine and know who are really sincere and upright before God and who are not!"