under high affections. For if there isn't, it will become natural and
social worship. This should not be allowed. I know it will be said that in some cases, when people are exceedingly affected, they cannot help it; and I believe so too. But then I also believe, and I know by experience, that there are several things that contribute to that inability, besides merely and absolutely the sense of divine things they have on their hearts. Custom and example, or the thing being allowed, have such an influence that they actually help to make it impossible for people under strong affections to avoid speaking. If it was disallowed, and people at the time they were disposed to break out, had this apprehension that it would be a very unbecoming and shocking thing for them so to do, it would be a help to them, as to their ability to avoid it. Their inability arises from their strong and vehement disposition; and so far as that disposition proceeds from a good principle, it would be weakened by this thought coming into their minds: "What I am going to do, will be to the dishonor of Christ and religion:" And so that inward vehemence that pushed them forward to speak, would fall, and they would be enabled to avoid it. Experience confirms this.
2. There ought to be a moderate restraint on how loud people talk under high affections. For if there isn't, it will become natural and unavoidable for people to grow louder and louder, without any increase of their inward sense — until in the end, it becomes natural for them to scream and halloo to almost everyone they see in the streets, when they are greatly affected. But this is certainly a very improper thing, and it has no tendency to promote religion. The man Christ Jesus, when he was on earth, doubtless had as great a sense of the infinite greatness and importance of eternal things, and the worth of souls, as any have now-a-days. But there is not the least appearance in his history, of his taking any such course or manner of exhorting others.
3. There should also be some restraint on the abundance of a person's talk under strong affections. For if people give themselves unbounded liberty to talk as much as they feel inclined to, they will increase and abound more and more in talk, beyond the proportion of their sense or affection — until at length it becomes ineffectual on