Table of Contents
Introduction 9
Preface 13
Part 1 The nature of emotions and their importance in Christianity 17
1 Opening remarks about emotions 19
2 What ate emotions? 21
3 True religion consists mainly in emotions 22
4 "The different emotions 24
5 True religion is summed up in love 27
6 David, Paul, John and Christ as examples of holy emotion 28
7 Emotions in heaven 30
8 Emotions and our religious duties 31
9 Emotions and hardness of heart 32
10 What lessons about emotion can we learn from all this? 33
Part 2 Things which do not prove that our emotions come from a true experience of salvation 37
1 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if they are strong and lively 39
2 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual for unspiritual, if they produce great effects on the body 41
3 It does not prove that our emotions ate spiritual, or unspiritual, if they produce a great warmth and readiness to talk about Christianity 43
4 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if we did not produce them by our own efforts 44
5 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if they come to us accompanied by a Bible verse 47
6 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if there seems to be love in them 49
7 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if we experience many lands of them 50
8 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if comforts and joys seem to follow in a certain order 52
9 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if they cause us to spend much time in the outward duties of Christian worship 57
10 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if they cause us to praise God with out mouths 58
11 It does not prove that our emotions are spiritual, or unspiritual, if they produce assurance of salvation 59
12 We cannot know that someone's emodons are spiritual, or unspiritual, just because he gives a moving account of them 65
Part 3 The distinguishing signs of true spiritual emotions 69
Opening remarks 71
1 True spiritual emotions arise from spiritual, supernatural and divine influences on the heart 72
2 The object of spiritual emotion is the loveliness of spiritual things, not our self-interest 80
3 Spiritual emotions are based on the moral excellence of spiritual things 86
4 Spiritual emotions arise out of spiritual understanding 88
5 Spiritual emotions bring a conviction of the reality of divine things 92
6 Spiritual emotions always exist alongside spiritual humiliation 97
7 Spiritual emotions always exist alongside a change of nature 101
8 True spiritual emotions differ from false ones, in promoting a Christ-like spirit of love, humility, peace, forgiveness and compassion 102
9 True spiritual emotions soften the heart, and exist alongside a Christian tenderness of spirit 106
10 True spiritual emotions, unlike false ones, have a beautiful symmetry and balance 108
11 True spiritual emotions produce a longing for deeper holiness, but false emotions rest satisfied in themselves 110
12 The fruit of true spiritual emotions is Christian practice 113
13 Christian practice is the chief sign to others of a convert's sincerity 120
14 Christian practice is a sure sign of conversion to a person's own conscience 122
Conclusion 131
