insomuch that they groaned under it and cryed out unto God Pharaoh played the Tyger-like Tyrant over them and made them weary of their lives so do the affections tyrannize over a man that is carnall and earthly they do so besot him and befool him that he knows not how to come out of his sins they do so harden him and obdurate him that no preaching nor counsell can convert him they do so occupie and task him and busie him that he can finde no while to save his own soul or bethink himself of escaping of hell and damnation he is in hell before ever he thinks on it seriously they plague him like Tantalus sayes he and leave his soul in the lurch after all his vain hopes he can never be free for God The Apostle speaking of the lust and affections of the world how they allure men into vanity he sayes they promise men liberty but they are the servants and slaves of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 19. A man would wonder how one should be in bondage with a pot or a pipe with a bowl or a game with a carnall friend or an use he hath gotten but so it is that nor Minister nor Sermon nor warnings from God nor any thing can free him still he is enthralled Now consider are our affections such tyrants when they be set upon the things of this life O let us set them upon God If they can captivate us to God and bring us into a golden bondage with grace and with goodnesse we are happy Seest thou how the wicked are tyed to their sins and their lusts so if thine affections were set upon God thou wouldest be tyed unto God O it 's an admirable tye this to be tyed unto God This is it that the wisest man in the earth adviseth us to My son sayes he keep thy fathers commandments binde them continually upon thy heart and tye them about thy neck Pro. 6. 21. Thine affections are these stay-bands and these typers if thine affections be set upon the Word they will tye it to thy soul if they be set upon grace and love to Gods Ordinances his Sabbaths and his waies they will tye them to thy heart if thou wilt not set thine affections upon God thou art a very slave a very slave unto Satan and to sinne thou art not only in a wofull condition as thou art but they tye thee fast to it and if God may not be so much beholden to thee for thine affections to him-ward he will intrap thee and take thee by them as a Bare is taken by a Collar and hale thee to judgement Thou hast little affection or none at all to the Word may be thou comest not to be reproved and amended by the Word but thou comest to have some knowledge and some pretty sentence to talk on or some fine story or passage to speak on As I live saith the Lord I will answer thee according to thy thoughts may be thou comest that thou mayst scrape up some hopes to have mercy and heaven at the last may be thou comest to snatch up some sentence or other that may secure up thy conscience if there be ever a passage of mercy that thou wouldest fain have As I live saith the Lord I will answer thee according to thy thoughts and thine own vain heart that which thou camest for in the Word as I live saith the Lord thou shalt have it Thou dost not come to learn how to be holy and be stricter then thou art but though thou beest no stricter then thou art already yet to have some hopes to be saved for all that FINIS Doctr. What the â—ffections â—re 1. The affeâ—â—ions are â—otions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 6 de vero cultu cap. 17. By faith Noah warned of God moved with fear c. Hâ—b 11. 7. 2. The affections are motions of the Will Stoici vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simolicius in Epictetum 3. They are forcible motions of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est impetus ut Salmâ—sius vertit Motio animi quâ— ad aliquid fertur sive sponte sive aliunde incitata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voâ—atur Stoicis 4. They are the sensible motions of the heart 5. They are such motions as are according to the apprehension of good or evil Iudith 16. 9. Gen. 37. Reasons The Affections are the wings of the soul Affections not subdued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simplicius in Epictetum Aâ—sâ—lâ—us They are the Inclinations of the Soul 3. They are the passions of the Soul Elias was â—uâ—ject to like passiâ—ns as we are Jam 9. 17 That is subjeâ—â— to like afâ—ctions with us 4. They are the perturbations of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The heart is enticed and allured by them 3. The heart is somewhat bowed by them 4. The heart is stolen away with them 4. The heart is enflamed by them 6. The heart is overturned from what it was before Job 10. 10 7. The heart is engaged for God 8. The heart is glued to a thing by them De vita Pythag. The heart is quite given up to that which it affects The affection may be thus raised 1. By the sparks of right reason that regulate the affections Lib. 2. Eth. cap 6. 2. By knowledge out of the word that raiseth up the affection 3. By knowledge and conscience quickned Eâ—estro 4. By a deep apprehension of the horrour of their estate Mal. 2 13. 5. By self-love Which may First make a man be loth to commit sinne In vitus feci as â—e said in the Comedy And vomit up a dear sin committed by himself and be sorry that others should commit it 3. And not dare to venture upon a sin though he lose by it 4. And to be forward in Religion run to persecution 5. And to be ravished with the joys of the Spirit Reasons 4. 1. The carnal mans affections are not kindely wrought on 2. They are not judiciously wrought on 3. They are not regularly wrought on 4. They are not wrought on universally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies the Text. We must therefore examine our selves especially those That think their affections are set on God 1. He that truly affects grace affects nothing so much as grace Vers 23. 2. He must needs have expressions of grace Proverb 3. He is troubled with any interruption Aristot 4. He hath his conversation in heaven whence grace descends Hereby only are we marriageable to Christ l. de sacrif Abel Cain 2. Hereby only doth the soul set favourites in the heart 3. Hereby the soul is converâ—ible and reconcileable to God Râ—et c. 1. 4. The affections are the hands of the soul Mat. 22 1â— 5. The affections are the handles of our hearts Epist 6. Affections are the souls stomack L. 3. ad Nico. c. 3. 7. Affectioâ—s are the main mâ—tter of â—race Arist 8. Affections are arguments what we be It is a Christians duty to set his affections upon God 1
but my hearing is dead I see my corruptions abundance of vanity in my heart abundance of vanity in my thoughts abundance of vanity in every thing that I doe and I am so dead Lord what shall I doe Dead art thou and dost thou wonder thou art dead thou wilt not labour to be quickned thou art loth to be at the pains to be quickned thou goest idlely to work Otium mors est vivi hominis Sepultura as Seneca speaks Idlenesse is death idlenesse is the burying of a man alive Thou art idle and wilt not labour with God to be quickned When David was poring and blundring and looking upon the vanity of his minde O he was as dead as a timber-log it deaded his soul quite and clean to see his corruptions but what does he do he laboured with God against it he laboured with fasting and meditating and praying again and again that the Lord would be pleased to quicken him nine times in one Psalm Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in one verse Quicken me according to thy iudgements in another verse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement in another verse Quicken thou me according to thy loving-kindeness Again Quicken thou me after thy loving-kindnesse Again Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in another verse He never would let his heart alone till he had gotten life and spirit and quickning again As long as thou art lazy in good duties no wonder though thou be dead labouring and striving in good exercises will heat a mans soul and make it more zealous The third means is keeping good company as Cleopas was heated by being in Christs company Did not our hearts burn within us sayes he while he talk twith us in the way Luk. 24. 32. As the bawdy Poet said of his sweet-heart Accede ad ignem hanc Come to this fire a whore inflames an adulterer one wicked man heats another unto lust and to sinne So every childe of God is a fire for to heat thee Wouldest thou be zealous sort with Gods people keep company with the Saints and such as excell in grace and vertue Two are better then one for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up Again if two lie together saies the Wise man then they have heat but how can one be warm alone Eccl. 4. 9 10 11. Dost thou complain I have no zeal I would be glad to be zealous but I am exceedingly lukewarm do what I can so I am and so I am likely to be alas dost thou ever look to be otherwise as long as thou canst company with vain persons such as may be will talk of heaven now and then but there is no heat nor warmth in their speeches they are dead-hearted themselves and so are their speeches dead and without life O but I live in a place that is wicked and there 's scarce one godly man in the house where I dwell and I can finde none for to warm me Dost thou so so did Obadiah in Ahabs Court there was never a good Courtier to converse with and therefore what did he do he made use of Gods Prophets in private 1 Kin. 18. 4. and though he might not be seen in their company for fear of losing their lives he bid them in a cave and there he would have a bout with them in secret Thou which neglectest the society of the Saints never expect to be zealous Thomas was very faithlesse and full of his doubtings One reason was this the Disciples of Christ had meetings together and Thomas was not with them sayes the Text Ioh. 20. 24. The coals that lie together in the hearth you see how they glow and are fired while the little coals that are fallen off and lie by separate from their company are black without fire If ever thou desirest to be zealous make much of the fellowship of the Saints thou canst hardly come where two or three Saints are met together but thou shalt finde Christ in the midst of them The fourth means is Shunning the occasions of sin Moses would not leave so much as a hoof behinde him in Aegypt Exod. 10. 26. that there might be no occasion for the people to turn back into Aegypt had he left but a hoof behinde there that were an occasion to go thither to fetch it Abraham would not take so much as a thread or a shoe-latchet of the King of Sodom when he offered him lest there should be any hint to the flesh to distrust in God Thou canst never be zealous unlesse thou shun the occasions of sin If the heart have but an occasion once to be vain it 's a thousand to one but so it will be deadnesse will steal on 't upon the least occasion Give a theef but an occasion of having a booty his fingers cannot hold When David had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Lord told him he would punish him 2 Sa. 12. 14. Why because if they had but an occasion they would be sure for to take it Let no man put an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14. 13. Alas if the flesh have no occasion it will lay hold on it it is not enough to keep out of a sin but thou must go far from it not only from sin but also from all occasions of sin Keep thee far from a false matter Exo. 23. 7. One thinks I may go so farre and not sinne Thus far I may do and so far is this lawfull but let me tell thee if thou goest so far thine own heart will have occasion to go further and then thou art undone Nimiâ licentiâ sumus omnes deteriores sayes Terence We are all the worse for taking too much liberty if once it be an occasion to the flesh thou art gone Zeal cannot abide the occasions of evil the least occasions will choak it The fifth means is to eschew the beginnings of sin Peter did but begin to rebuke Christ Master spare thy self he began to rebuke him sayes the Text Mat. 16. 22. but Christ did so hate the very beginnings of that sin that he said Get thee behinde me Satan The devil was in that beginning of sin The Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying Who is this that speaks blasphemies And Jesus condemned these beginnings of reasonings Luk. 5. 21. Those that were invited to the Feast in the Gospel they came not but fell to excuses and were cast into utter darknesse for their labour But how came they to fall into that sinne the Scripture shews plainly because they did not eschew the beginnings of the sinne they all with one consent began to make excuse Luk 14. 18 principiis
thou must never do good to others ibid. Nor encourage the Ministers of God ibid. Nor can you be excellent ibid. Zeal makes us like Angels ibid. Zeal as fire against coldnesse and lukewarmnesse ibid. Seven motives to set your affections on God 175 A TREATISE OF THE AFFECTIONS The I. Sermon COLOS. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above and not on things which are on the earth THe subject of the Text and this Treatise is the affections shewing the right use and ordering of them which is a thing of continual and great concernment for they will never be idle but still running out and bringing into the soul either healing or hurtful objects and so authours either of our woe or welfare and certain signs either of our happinesse that we are risen with Christ or misery that we are still dead And concerning these the Apostle First Implies a disease and distemper that they are disjoyned from God and that desperately Secondly Applies a medicine a way to cure them to bring them back and place them upon their first and right object God and things above The first he intimates to us in three things First By calling them inordinate affections and such as can never be set right without they be mortifyed Mortifie your earthly members Fornication Vncleannesse Inordinate affection c. ver 5. He terms them inordinate and masterlesse affections and he commands us to mortifie them Secondly By shewing they are buried in the things of the world and never can be raised up again but only by the power of the resurrection of Christ If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above ver 1. Ye can never be able to make your affections seek upwards unlesse ye be risen with Christ Thirdly By supposing they are naturally as Solomon saies of a fools wrath as heavy as a stone the affections are so naturally as heavy as a stone which fals down to the earth and cannot ascend except it be heaved up Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth They naturally sagge downwards on things that are earthly but let them not doe so no heave them up and set them upon things that are heavenly If you be risen with Christ These words are to be construed with all the exhortations Saint Paul doth here give If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above If ye be risen with Christ set your affections on things that are above If ye be risen with Christ mortifie your earthly members and your inordinate affections c. If ye be not risen with Christ it is but a folly for me to bid you do this ye cannot mortifie your affections nor raise up your affections to God ye cannot possibly do this except ye be risen with Christ The point then is this which I will handle by way of coherence A natural man cannot set his affections upon God or upon things above For our more intelligible proceeding in this Doctrine as likewise in the whole treatise of the affections which I desire to goe through let me tell you First What the affections be The affections are the forcible and sensible motions of the heart or the will to a thing or from a thing according as it is apprehended to be good or to be evill There be four things to be considered herein First The affections are motions They are the motions of the heart The motions of sinne saies Saint Paul Rom. 7. 5. that is the affections of sin for so it is in the original so that then are a mans affections set upon God when the heart hath its out-goings to God and therefore the Scriptures call the affections the feet of the soul for as the body goes with its feet to that which it loves so the soul goes out with its affections to that which it loves I thought upon my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psal 119. 59. that is I turned mine affections to thy Testimonies Look to thy feet when thou comest into the house of the Lord. I have refrained my foot from every evil way Psal 119. 101. Their feet are swift to shed bloud Rom. 3. 15. The Soul hath no other way to come at that which it loves but only by its affections can the muck-worm bring his bags and his coffers to his Soul can the voluptuous man bring his dogges and his hounds and his bowls to his Soul No though his Soul loves such vanities as these it cannot move to them but only by its affections Currui similes sunt equis pernicibus affectus saies Lactantius The affections are the Souls horses that draw her as it were in a Coach to the thing that she affects a man is moved by his affections By Anger he moves out to revenge by Desire he moves out to obtain by Love he moves out to enjoy by Pity he moves out to relieve the affections are the motions of the Soul When the unbeleeving Jews had an affection of envy at Saint Paul the Text saies They were moved with Envy Act. 17. 5. so the Soul of the godly is moved with affection to God This is the first thing the affections are motions Secondly As the affections are motions so they are the motions of the will I know Aristotle and most of our Divines too doe place the affections in the sensitive part of the Soul and not in the will because they are to be seen in the beasts But this cannot be so for a mans affections do most stirre at a shame or disgrace which could not be if the affections were in the unreasonable sensitive part the unreasonable sensitive part of a man is not sensible of credit or esteem call the desires of the appetite greedy and gluttonish the appetite is senselesse of any disgrace and therefore the affections must needs be in the heart the Scripture places the affections in the heart or the will Being affectionately desirous of you we were willing 1 Thes 2 8. Saint Paul couples his affections and his will together in one and his affection that he had to the Thessalonians he seats in his will How could the Apostle command us to set our affections on God and the things that are above if the affections were in the sensitive and unreasonable part can a man make his material stomack to hunger after God or the thirst of his sentitive appetite to thirst after Christ alas the sentitive part is not capable of a command or precept No if the affections were only in the sensitive and material part of the soul then how could they be in the Angels the good Angels have affections all the essential parts of the affections and so have the bad The good Angels Which things the Angels desire to look into 1 Pe. 1. 12. The evil Angels or Devils The Devils beleeve and tremble Jam. 2. 19. I confesse there be certain animal and analogical affections that are
whether Brutus were not a block or a brute because he had no affection at all to his own children whom he could see murthered before him with dry eyes The Lord himself counts that man a very block that hath no affection in his heart Have ye no regard all ye that passe by behold and see if there were any sorrow like my sorrow Lam. 1. 12. q. d. What are ye such blocks and stupid stocks that ye can shew no affections at my sorrow And therefore it 's reckoned among the symptomes of a heart that is desperately hardned not to be affected with any thing to hear the Word and not to be affected therewith to pray unto God and not to be affected with Gods presence to be in affliction and not to be affected with remorse I say this is a symptome of a hard heart And therefore it is a blessing of God that a man hath affections within him Secondly because as Plutarch the very Heathen observes were it not for our affections our nature would be lazy and idle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like a Pilot at sea without winde alas the ship would goe slowly were there no windes stirring to drive it So the affections saies he are to the soul as the winde to the sails of the ship as the ship could not sail apace without windes so the soul would go slowly about any thing if the affections did not carry it When Davids affections were hampered about with worldly fears fears of his enemies and griefs at his persecutions which he suffered he went slowly on in obedience but as soon as his sails were up then he ran like a ship in the sea with a great winde I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart Psa 119. 32. As soon as God would help him to spread the sails of his heart and enlarge his affections then he would run like a Fleet pinnace in the Seas I will then run the way of thy Commandments saies he this is an infinite mercy of God who seeing how dull we are unto good how slack to good duties how slow to holy performances vouchsafes us these windes and these sails for to carry us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies the same Philosopher The affections are like wheels and like Chariots unto reason If a mans reason be never so good he knows he is bound to repent and be godly and obey yet if he have no affections thereto he goes like a chariot without wheels he goes without force he cannot go at all but if he have affections thereto the affections are like wheels and like horses to carry him amain Draw me saies the Christian soul unto Christ draw me and I will run after thee Can. 1. 4. She praies that Christ would draw her by the affections of love for she speaks of love the virgins love thee saies she ver 3. Draw me with thy love too and then I shall run after thee like the Chariots of Aminadab that is drawn by quick Horses she would run as with wheels unto Christ if her affections did once carry her As Cicero saies of the affections of anger it is cos fortitudinis it is the whetstone to valour so I may say of all the affections they are all whetstones to good if a man have any grace Hast thou love It is a whetstone to obedience hast thou grief It is a whetstone to repentance hast thou anger it is a whetstone to zeal c. What is the reason men come so slowly on unto good the reason is this because their affections stand another way Men repent but slowly and amend their lives but slowly encrease in grace but slowly why this is the cause their affections are to the world they run on in their pleasures and their vanities they run on in their earthly employments and businesses why their affections are thereto O beloved it is an infinite mercy of God that we have affections given us of God for these may quicken our dulnesse unto grace Thirdly Because the affections are good channels for grace to run downin Be there never so full a fountain of good water yet if it have not a channel to run all along in the fountain may be ever a bubling but it choaketh it self for want of a channel So though God should put never so much grace into thy heart yet if it should have no channel to run down in it would smother it self Now God hath given thee affections like channels for grace to run down in Art thou covetous and full of desires what a fine channel is that for grace to run down in it is the easier for thee to covet the best things art thou of a cholerick and angry constitution what a fine channel is that for zeal to Gods glory to run down in it is the easier for thee to be zealous in Gods worship art thou melancholy and of a sad disposition what a fine channel is that for repentance to run down in it is the easier for thee to despise the vain pleasures of the world and to sorrow for sin art thou merry and of a cheerful nature what a fine channel is this for delight in the Lord to runne down in it is the easier for thee to joy in the holy Ghost art thou fearful and of a timorous spirit what a fine channel is that for fear of Gods judgements and truth to runne down in it is the easier for thee to tremble before God and fear to offend him Solomon was full of the affections of love it is true he let lust after women and uncleannesse a while run down in that channel but when grace and repentance recovered his soul what an excellent channel was it for love unto Christ to run down in Never was there such a lovesong to Christ as the Canticles since the creation of the world to this day and therefore it is called Canticum Canticorum The Song of Songs Cant. 1. 1. Certainly Ieremy was a man of a sad constitution but see what an advantage this bent of affection was to him it was a channel for spiritual sadnesse to run down in Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears to weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people Jer. 9. 1. The woman in the Gospel which was a sinner a whore in plain terms one bewitched with the affections of love to her lovers as soon as ever any grace did look into her heart see how these affections of love did advantage her She loved our Saviour more affectionately then Saint Peter himself She loved much saies the Text Luk. 7. 47. Before no question but she was full of her whorish and strumpet-like tears now the channel was turned she washt Christs feet with her tears and wipt them with the hair of her head and she loved much saies the Text. It is such an admirable advantage to be full of affections that the
preaching will not work on mens affections their affections are bewitcht O foolish Galatians who hath bewitcht you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Gal. 3. 1. Paul among them had preached Christ to the life so evidently and so plainly had he preached Christ crucified as if they had seen him crucified before their eyes Certainly thought he these peoples affections are bewitched that are no better wrought on When Galba would perswade the Spaniards against Nero for his cruelty he set out so visibly his cruelty that they might even see it with their eyes Lycurgus so expressed the difference of good education and of bad that the people might even see it with their eyes Not as though preachers should do as they did or as some that I have read of have done who brought a dead skull into the pulpit that the people might see death even with their eyes We have no such warrant in Scripture but they must do it with the lively teaching of the truth And therefore the Apostle sayes that true preaching is in the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. When the truth is demonstrated with evidence Secondly By being full of affections himself Affection in the speaker is likely to beget affection in the hearer It cannot be otherwise saies Cicero Cicero being an excellent spokesman whenever he pleaded before the people of Rome to beget any affections in them he would be sure to put on those affections himself If he would move them to grief he would be full of affection of grief When to pity he would be full of affections of pity when to anger his countenance would be ful of anger The highest point of moving the affections in another is to be endued with those affections thy self sayes Quintilian It is an old maxime in Oratory and in all moving of the affections of others Pectus est quod facit disertos It is a mans own breast that makes him to be affectionate and eloquent If a mans own breast be piteous and full of compassion and bowels that man is an eâ—oquent perswader to pity If a mans own breast be loving and kinde and full of affections that man is an eloquent speaker to move love Si vis me flere dolendum primum ipse tibi If thou wouldest have me weep weep thy self first What mean you to weep and break my heart sayes the Apostle Act. 21. 13. it burst his very heart to see others stand weeping about him There be many clamorous Preachers sayes Calvin who declaim against the sins of the people and thunder against the iniquities of their Parish and make as though they had a great deal of zeal that never move a jot the affections of the people are not stirred up a whit because the people see plainly through all their actings and vehement enforcements that such Ministers are not affected themselves but only exercise their sides and their throat as if they would act it on a stage But O sayes he labour to mourn for their sins in thine heart before thou labour to move them Be thou more affected thy self then thou undertakest to affect them S. Paul did so move the affections of Dionysius and Damaris and others at Athens that the Text sayes they clave to S Paul Certain men clave to him and beleeved Act. 17. 34. He preached so movingly that their affections did even cleave to him as he preached How came it about that he stirred up affections in them look into the 16. verse and there you shall see he was greatly affected himself His spirit was stirred in him sayes S. Luke when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry He could not have stirred up affections in them if he had not been filled with affections himself O beloved our hearts are grievously straightned and our souls are wofully stopt that we are not more affected our selves at your miseries then we be would it not fetch tears from our eyes and groans from our bowels to see how desperately ye are hardned but that we are too little affected our selves you know the damned abuses in your Parish the cursed sins that reign in your houses and the stupid security ye are in yet nothing can move you Your consciences cannot be ignorant ye are carnal and are not yet Saints nor born again many of you your consciences can tell you ye are Saints or else ye are hell-hounds and if ye die as ye are ye have no evidence for heaven but ye may be damned ere long for all that ye know Ye can hear this every time ye to Church and yet no reformation no shew of humiliation no shew of grace nor repentance nor any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what weeping Simonides can weep sufficiently for these things Paul knowing some abuses among the Corinthians that many of them were like to be damned for ever out of much affliction and anguish of heart sayes he I wrote unto you with many tears 2 Cor. 3. 4. penè quot syllabas tot lacrymas as Haymo speaks that is he shed as many tears as he wrote syllables he could hardly write for wetting the paper with tears which he wrote on O that we who are Gods Ministers could be so affected the Lord lay it not to our charge that we are not but O that our heads were water and our eyes were a fonntain of tears that we might weep day and night for these things Ye think your souls are safe alas we know they are desperate We know that your drunkennesse will damn you and your swearing and lying and company-keeping will undoe you We know your pride and your hardnesse of heart are symptomes and infallible marks of such as are yet no better then reprobates Ye hope your crying God mercies will help you we know they cannot Ye hope that Gods mercies will relieve we know they will not unlesse ye be new creatures Ye trust God will not be so strict as we say we know he will Ye imagine ye are not led by the devil though ye sin thus and thus we know ye be and the devil the God of this world rules in your mindes and your consciences Neither are ye able unless ye be Atheists and devils incarnate to deny God to be God and his Scripture to be Scripture ye are not able to deny it O that we would sigh and sob and groan in our pulpits O that we could even wet our cushions with tears and yearn over your souls as we preach I beseech you consider will you never beleeve nor be affected till ye feel it Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed and the fire shall devour them Isa 26. 11 I protest unto you I could finde in my heart to fall down on my knees to every one of you all were it profitable to beseech you to consider
hankring Who would be thus troubled with his affections he cannot go by an Alehouse but his affections water to go in he cannot see a pair of Tables but his affections hanker after a game he cannot meet with an injury but his affections itch to revenge he cannot speak well nor do any thing which is commendable but his affections must be swelling with pride Who I say would be thus troubled with his affections Though God had forbid Lots wife to look back upon pain of his heavy displeasure neverthelesse her affections did so hanker after her house and her countrey and her ancient acquaintance that she looked behinde her Gen. 19. 26. Her carnall affections did so haunt her every step she took that they never lind till that she lookt back They are greedy dogs they look to their own way Isa 56. 11. Thine affections if they be not set right they are like greedy dogs in the Kitchin that are ever looking to the platters be the Mistresse eye never so little off they are licking instantly So thine affections are ever hankering after that which thou affectest and therefore thou art best to set thine affections on God for look where they are set there they will be hankering If ever thy heart be turned to God and thine affections converted to him they will ever be hankring and looking after God At that day shall a man look to his maker and his eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel Isa 17. 7. At that day that is when God shall convert them then their hearts shall ever be hankring and looking after God O then set thine affections on God if thou desirest thy heart should hanker after God Thou art yet no better then a wretch till thus it be with thee If thine affections be ever hankering after thy pleasures and thy copesmates and thy vanities thou art never well but when thou art at them The Sermon is quickly tedious and prayer tedious and godly discourses are tedious unto thee why because thy minde hankers about othergates matters as long as it is thus thou canst not be saved Look unto me sayes Christ and be ye saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45. 22. Ye can never be saved unlesse ye hanker and look after me sayes the Lord as the Heliotrope or the turn-sol that ever looks towards the Sun so a gracious heart does after the Lord. God counts it an honour unto him that the soul should be ever a hankering and ever a looking after him Aestimari nos put amus toties quoties aspici sayes Seneca it is a true saying we think we are esteemed when men do look after us So God counts it an honour to his Majesty when our souls do hanker and look after him It is true the things of this life may chance to draw away our mindes now and then and make us look after them but if we have any grace so much as a grain of mustard-seed our souls will ever be hankering and looking after God So it was with Ionas though his corruptions had made him to look off from God neverthelesse he could not abide to be in that case his heart is again looking and hankering after God oh for the light of his countenance oh for his grace and his Spirit oh for power and strength yet to be resolute for God Yet will I look again towards thy holy Temple Ionah 2. 4. Let God afflict me I cannot but look to him let God fling me into the Whales belly I cannot but hanker after him let him cast me into the belly of hell yet will I look again sayes he his affections were set upon God and therefore did his heart ever hanker and look after God This is a sweet motive to perswade us if we would once set our affections on God our souls would ever hanker and look after God The fourth motive is taken from the spurrings of the affections they spur a man to that he affects they are animi calcaria as Melancthon does call them they are as it were the spurs of the soul What is the reason that men go on in any businesse like lazie jaded Asses sayes Vives because they have no affection to it What is the reason they go so sluggishly on to good duties they sit so senselesly still in seats at a Sermon they kneel so lumpishly and dead-heartedly in prayer to God because they have no spurs in their sides they have no affection to these things Now if we would set our affections on God we would feel in our bosomes a certain spur that spurs us to every good word and work a gracious heart is said to stir up it self Exod. 36. 2. God counts those prayers no prayers that are not full of these spurrings and stirrings there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee Isa 64. 7. Dost thou call upon God and hast thou no spurrings nor stirrings in the duty dost thou not spur up thy self to pray with good life the Lord sayes thou dost not call upon his name at all As ever thou desirest to be stirred up and spurred on to good exercises set thine affections on God they are the spurs of the soul the soul goes cheerfully on when it goes with affection The fifth motive is taken from the heartinesse of the affections and therefore the heart is many times and often in Scripture put for the affections My heart sayes Deborah is towards the Governours of Israel Iud. 5 9 that is mine affection is towards them O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged 2 Cor. 6. 11. that is our affections are enlarged Look whatever thou affectest thy heart is set upon it this motive is strong to perswade for if the affections be in a manner the very heart of the soul this may well move us to set our affections upon God wilt thou settle thy heart any where else but only upon God O how hainously does the Lord take it at thy hands that thou hast no more heart unto him He gives thee his Word and thou hast no heart to it he gives thee his Sabbath and thou hast no heart to it he gives thee his Sacrament and his Ordinances and his Sanctuary and his Commandments and thou hast no heart to them O the Lord is so angry with thy soul that he cals thee a fool and a sot and he repents that ever he hath vouchsafed these things to such wretches as thou art Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisedom seeing he hath no heart to it Prov. 17. 16. Wherefore sayes God and to what end is a price put into your hand to get wisedom Ye might have gotten wisedom a long time or ere now how to be new creatures and in Christ how to get grace and peace and mercy with God ye have had abundance of prices put into your hands a price