hee will presently have it for Christ hath promised it Mat. 5. 9. Blessed are they that bunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be fatisfied that is they which hunger in generall for any part of righteousnesse they shall bee filled therefore if we can come but to hunger especially for Mortification which is the principall part of righteousnesse I say if we can but come unto God in truth with a willing heart and desire it we shall be sure to have it for besides his promise wee have him inviting of us to this worke Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all you that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you Now what will hee ease them of the guilt no though it bee not excluded but pricipally of the commanding power of sinne that he may not onely be free from the guilt of sinne but from the power of sinne that he may have his sinne mortified and subdued Now what else is the reason that men have not their sinnes mortified and that there is such a complaint of unmortified lusts and affections but because they come not with a willing heart their hearts are unstable they are willing and unwilling willing to leave sinne that they may be freed from the guilt unwilling to leave the pleasure they have in sinne therefore saith one I prayed often to have my sinnes forgiven and mortified and yet I feared the Lord would heare my prayers so it is with many in this case they pray for Mortification but it is but verball it comes not from the heart that is from a willing mind therefore if thou wouldest have thy sinne mortified labour to get a willing heart The second meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is this You must take paines Mortification is painfull and laborious and yet pleasant withall it will not bee done by idlenesse a slothfull man will never mortifie sinne for indeed it is a worke that desires labour every thing that is of great worth if it may be atrayned by industry deserves labour that is the excellency of it challengeth it of men even so the excellency and preciousnesse of this work of Mortification because it is a thing of much worth deserves labour at our hands The knowledge of every Art requireth labour and industry and the greater mysterie that is infolded in the Science the greater labour it requireth even so Mortification requireth much pains for it discovereth unto us a great mystery the mysterie of sinne and the basenesse of our nature and also the excellencies that are in Christ both of Justification and remission of sinnes And this necessarily flowes from the former for if there be a willing minde in a man to mortifie sinne then certainly hee will take any paines that he may attaine unto it as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 9. 26. I runne not in vaine as one that beats the ayre that is I take paynes but it is not in vaine I take no more paynes then I must needs for if I did take lesse I could not come unto that I am at The lesse labour that any man takes in the Mortification of sinne the more will sinne increase and the more it increaseth the more worke it maketh a man have to mortifie it therefore it stands men upon to take paynes with their corruptions in time that so they may prevent greater labour and this meets with the errours of certaine men First thosethat thinke that all sinnes have the like proportion of labour in mortifying they thinke that a man may take no more paynes for the mortifying of one sinne than another but these men are deceived for all sinnes are not alike in a man but some are more some are lesse violent and accordingly Mortification must be answerable unto the sinne It is with Mortification in this case as it is with physicke in diseases all diseases require not the same physicke for some diseases must be purged with bitter pills others not with the like sharpnesse againe some physicke is for weakning others for restoring the strength even so there are some sinnes like that devill which our Saviour speakes of that cannot be cast out but by fasting and prayer that is they cannot be mortified without much paynes for if it be a heart-sinne that is a sinne that is deere unto thee a beloved bosome sinne as all men are marvellous subject to love some sinne above another there must bee for the Mortification of this a greater labour taken then for a lesse corruption these are called in Scripture the right eye and the right hand and as men are very loth to part with these members of thebody even so are they loth to part with their beloved sinnes which are deere unto them The second error is of those that thinke if they have once mortified their sinnes it is sufficient they need not care for any more they have now done with this work But these men are deceived for they must know that the worke of Mortification is a continuall worke because the heart is not so mortified but there is still sinfull corruption in it so that if there be not a continuall worke of Mortification it will prove filthy The heart of man is like the ballast of a ship that leakes though thou pump never so fast yet still there is work even so the heart is a fountaine of all manner of uncleannesse there is much wickednesse in it therefore wee had need pray for a fountaine of spirituall light that is of sanctification that we may not be drowned in our corruption Or it is like a brazen Candlesticke which although it be made marvellous cleane yet it will presently soyle and gather filth so it is with the heart of man if this worke of Mortification doe not continue it will soyle and grow filthy Now in this worke of Mortification the Papists seeme to take great paines for the mortifying of sinne and indeed they might seeme to us to be the only men that take paynes for this grace if wee did not meet with that Clause Coll. 2. 23. where the Apostle saith that this afflicting of the body is but formall will-worship they prescribe for the disease a quite contrary medicine for as the disease is inward so the medicin must bee inward Now Mortification is a turning of the heart a change of the heart a labour of the heart but whipping and beating of the body is but as it were the applying of the plaister it selfe for an outward plaister cannot possibly cure an inward disease that is a disease of the soule but if the disease be inward then the cure must bee wrought inwardly by the Spirit Notwithstanding I confesse there are outward meanes to be used which may much further the worke of Mortification but yet we must take heed of deceit that may be in them that we doe not ascribe the worke unto them for if wee doe they will become snares unto
request amongst us The third meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is To labour to get the assistance of the Spirit for this must of necessity follow or else the other two will nothing availe us for what will it availe us though wee have a willing heart to part with sinne and what though we take paynes in the mortifying of our lusts if the Spirit doe not accompany us all is nothing worth therefore if thou wouldest have this worke effectually done thou must getthe Spirit But this may seeme a strange thing a thing of impossibility to get the Spirit for you will say How is it in our power to get the Spirit How can wee cause the Spirit to come from heaven into our hearts seeing our Saviour saith Iohn 3. 8. that the wind bloweth where it lusteth that is the Spirit worketh where it listeth now if the Spirit bee the agent and worker of every grace then how is it in our power to get him To this I answer howsoever I grant that the Spirit is the agent and worker of every grace yet I say there may bee such meanes used by us whereby wee may obtayne the Spirit and therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 13. If you live after the flesh you shall dye but if you mortifie the deeds of the flesh you shall live which must bee done by the Spirit for the Apostle makes us the Agents and the Spirit the Instrument whereby hee shewes us thus much that it is possible not onely to get the Spirit but also have the worke of the Spirit ascribed unto us Now as there is a meanes to get the Spirit so also there is a meanes to hinder the Spirit so that the Spirit may be won or lost either by the doing or the not doing of thesethreethings First if thou wouldest have the Spirit then thou must know the Spirit that is so to know him as to give him the glory of the worke of every grace for how shall wee give the Spirit the glory of every grace if wee know not the Spirit And therefore our Saviour makes the want of the knowledge of the Spirit the reason that men doe not receive the Spirit Ieh 14. 17. I will send unto you the Comforter whom the world cannot receive because they know him not that is the world knoweth not the preciousnesse of the Spirit therefore they lightly esteeme of him but you know him and the excellency of him therefore you highly esteeme of him The first meanes then to have the Spirit is Labour to know the Spirit that you may give him the glory of every grace Secondly if thou wouldest have the Spirit then take heed that thou neither resist the Spirit nor grieve nor quench it First take heed thou resist not the Spirit now a man is said to resist the Spirit when against the light of nature and grace he resisteth the truth that is when by arguments and reasons and ocular demonstrations layd before him whereby he is convict of the truth of them yet knowing that they are truth he will notwithstanding set downe his resolution that hee will not doe it this is to resist the Spirit Of this resisting of the Spirit we read in Acts 6. 10. compared with Act. 7. 51. it is said of Stephen that they were not able to resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which he spake that is hee overthrew them by argument and reason and they were convinced in their consciences of the truth and yet for all this it is sayd Acts 7. 51. Yee have alwayes resisted the Spirit as your fathers have done so doe yee that is howsoever yee were convict in your consciences of the truth of this Doctrine which I deliver yet you have set downe your resolution that you will not obey Now this is a grievous sinne for sinnes against God and Christ shall be forgiven they are capable of pardon but the resisting of the Spirit that is sinning against the light of the Spirit is desperate and dangerous Secondly what is meant by grieving of the Spirit Now a man is sayd to grieve the Spirit when he commits anything that makes the Spirit to loath the soule and therefore the Apostle saith Grieve not the Spirit Ephes. 4. 30. that is by foule speeches and rotten communication for the Apostle in the former verse had exhorted them from naughty specches Let saith hee no evill Communication proceed out of your mouthes and then presently adjoynes and grieve not the Spirit for if you give your selves to corrupt Communication and rotten speeches you will grieve the Spirit it will bee a meanes of the Spirits departure the Spirit is a cleane Spirit and he loves a cleane habitation a heart that hath purged itselfe of these corruptions Therefore when you heare a man that hath rotten speeches in his mouth say that man grieves the Spirit for there is nothing so odious and contrary to men as these are to the Spirit and therefore if you would keepe the Spirit then let your words be gracious powdred with salt that is with the grace of the Spirit proceeding from a sanctified heart and as speeches so all evill actions in like manner grieve the heart Thirdly what is meant by quenching of the Spirit A man is said to quench the Spirit when there is a carelesnesse in theusing of the meanes of grace whereby the Spirit is increased that is when men grow carelesse and remisse in the duties of Religion either in hearing reading praying or meditating Againe when a man doth not cherish every good motioÌ„ of the Spirit in his heart either to pray or to heare c. but lets them lye without practice this is a quenching of the Spirit therefore the Apostle saith 2 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit that is by a neglect of the meanes Thirdly if you would get the Spirit you must use prayer for prayer is a speciall meanes to get the Spirit and it is the same meanes that Christ usâ—d when hee would have the holy Ghost for his Disciples hee prayed for him as you may see Ioh. 14. 14. I will pray the Father and hee will send the Comforter unto you that is the holy Ghost for hee can comfort indeed and hee is the true Comforter and indeed there is no true Comfort but what the Spirit brings into the heart Now that the Spirit may bee obtayned by prayer is proved Luk. 11. 13. where our Saviour makes it playne by way of opposition to earthly parents For saith hee if your earthlie parents can give good things unto their children then how much more will your heavenly Father give the holy Ghost unto them that aske him Therefore if thou wouldest draw the holy Ghost into thy heart then pray for him prayer is a prevayling thing with God it is restlesse and pleasing unto God it will have no deniall and to this purpose saith God to Moses Wherefore
of sinne and his naturall estate and therefore saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 31. I protest that by the rejoycing I have in Christ Iesus I dye daily that is that spirituall Joy which hee had in Christ of Justification and Remission of sins and that sight of glory which he saw by Faith mortified sinne in him made him basely to esteeme of his corruptions Wee see by example a man that is wrought upon by the Law or the Judgements of God may for a time leave some sinne and rejoyce in good as Herod heard Iohn gladly and yet this his joy doth not mortifie sinne because it is not wrought by the Spirit upon an apprehension of the love of God that is it doth not proceed from the right root for spirituall joy that mortifies sin ariseth from an assurance of remission of sins but this ariseth from some other sinister respect or else for feare of hell Now that spirituall joy mortifies sinne the Wise-man proves Prov. 2. 10. compared with the 16. verse When Wisdome entreth into thy heart and Knowledge is pleasant to thy soule c it shall keep thee from the strange woman When Wisdome entreth into thy heart that is when the Spirit enlightens thy mind to see grace and knowledge is pleasant unto thee when thou doest rejoyce in the knowledge of Christ and graces of the Spirit then it shall keepe thee from the strange woman that is from inordinate affections which otherwise would bring thee to destruction Thus you see that spirituall joy is an excellent meanes to Mortification The seventh meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is Humblenesse of minde this is an excellent meanes to Mortification for when the heart is proud it will not yeeld that is it is unfit for grace for there is nothing so contrary unto the nature of the Spirit as a proud heart and therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5. 5. God resisteth the proud but he gives grace to the humble Hee resisteth the proud that is hee doth stand in opposition against him as one most contrary unto him he rejecteth his prayers and his actions because they proceed from a proud heart but he gives grace unto the humble that is the humble heart is fit to receive grace therefore hee shall have every grace necessary to salvation as Faith Repentance Mortification Peace of Conscience and Remission of sinnes Now this humblenesse of minde is a base esteeming of a mans selfe in an acknowledgement of his unworthinesse to receive any grace with an high esteeme of Gods love which indeed may seeme to be contrary to spirituall joy but it is not so for the more humble any man or woman is the more spirituall joy they have it is increased by humility it is decreased by pride the humble heart is alwayes the joyfullest heart for the more grace the more humblenesse and themore humility the more spirituall joy for where there is a want of grace there must needs bee a want of spirituall joy Now dejection and humility are of a contrary nature a man may bee cast downe and yet not bee humble humblenesse of minde is more inward than outward but the other may bee outward but not inward thereforeif you would have your sinnes mortified get an humble heart forit is said Psalm 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart a broken heart is an humble heart and Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart and a new spirit will I give you that is when I have throughly humbled you and cleansed you from your rebelliousnesse against mee then I will doe this and this for you well then labour for humblenesse of mind if you would have your sinnes mortified Thus much of the word Mortifie Wee now come to a third poynt and that is what are those things that are to bee mortified and these the Apostle calls in generall earthly members Hence we note That all earthlie members are to be mortified For the better explaining of this poynt wee will first speake of the generall and then of the particulars but first of all because the words are hard wee will shew you by way of explanation first what is meant by members and secondly what is meant by earthlie members For the first What is meant by Members By members is meant sinne or any foule affection of the heart when the heart is set upon a wrong object or else upon a good object yet exceeding either in the manner or the measure makes it a sinne as first when a mans heart is set upon a base object as the satisfying of his eyes according to the lust of his heart or set upon his pleasure inordinately to the satisfying of his lusts now these are base objects Againe there are other objects which in themselves are good and may bee used as care of the world and the things of the world a man may lawfully care for the things of this life that hath a charge or a man may use his pleasure for recreation or may seeke after his profit thereby to provide for his family but if the care for the world and the things of this world exceed either in the manner or the measure that is if they be gotten unlawfully and if the heart lust after them if they breed a disorder in the soule and a neglect of grace then they become sinne Now they are called members for these reasons The first reason is because these base affections fill up the heart that is they make the heart fit for all manner of sinne even as the members of the body make the body fit for action now wee know that the body is not perfect if the members bee not perfect so when the heart is not filled with these members it may be fit for sinne but not for every sinne but this filling of it makes it fit for all sinne and therefore the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1. 3. According to his divine power he hath given us all things that is by his divine nature we all come to the knowledge of the Faith now that which is contrary to the Spirit and the knowledge of him is made up by these base affections even as the body is made up and complete by its members Secondly they are called members because these base affections doe the actions of the unregenerate part even as the members of the body doe the actions of the body for they receive into the heart all manner of sinne and thence they send base affections into all the rest of the faculties Thirdly they are called members because they are weapons of unrighteousness for so the Apostle cals them even as the actions of the new man are called the weapons of righteousnesse that is the care for the actions of the new man Now we know that it is the property of one member to fight for the good of another as wee see one member will suffer it selfe to bee
forceably there resist them with greater strength keepe the banke good repaire it by new renewals of thy graces in thee make new covenants against it There is no man with one thousand would meet his enemy with two thousand so doe thou get as much strength to resist as thy lusts have power to attempt thee Seventhly Turne your delights to God and heavenly things whereas you have long beene given to earthly mindednesse now beginne to set your minde on heavenly things There is no true Mortification that is onely privative it must be also positive a man cannot leave his earthly mindednesse but he must presently be heavenly minded To make this plaine by a comparison A man cannot empty a vessell of water but ayre presently will come in its place so a man can no sooner be cleansed from corruption but grace will immediately enter and take possession of his heart as Salomon saith Prov. 2. 10 11. Wisdome entreth into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soule Descretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keepe thee c. Lastly the last and greatest help will be to labor by prayer God would have thee know that it is his gift pray therefore that Christ would baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with fire that the Holy Ghost may like fire heat the faculties of the soule to inflame our love to God for as our love to God is stronger so our love to holy things will be more earnest and consequently our hate to unholy things more strong and perfect the heart thus inflamed is turned quite another way it doth so mollifie the heart more and more making it capable of a deeper impression from the love of God Hence it is that the Spirit is compared to wine because as wine heateth us within and maketh us more vigorous and lively so doth the Spirit heat us with the love of God and make us more apt to good workes Now as when a man comes nigh to any towne he goes further from another so when the Spirit carries us nigh to God it carries us further from our lusts Christ by the Prophet is said Mal. 3. 2. to be like a refiners fire and like Fullers sope Now as there is no way to refine silver but by fire and no way to purge and get out a staine but by sope so there is no way to cleanse ones selfe from lusts to mortifie them but by the Spirit take ye therefore the Apostles counsell Act. 4. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost let us wait for it and we shall be sure to have it and when we once have got it we shall finde as evident a change as the Apostles did when the Holy Ghost in the forme of cloven tongues came upon them as ye may read in the same chapter And therefore also when we finde weakenesse in our hearts let us know that wee have not beene so fully baptized with the Holy Ghost as we may be according to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the Spirit of feare but of power c. when the Spirit is powerfull â— us it will inflame us with the love of God it keeps men in sobriety Therefore art thou weake art thou cold in holy performances labour to bee baptised with the Holy Ghost more fully Iohn was compassed about with the Spirit as with a garment Rev. 1. 10. So should we be for without this we are but naked God kept Abimeleech from sin so he will keepe us if we have his Spirit And David was bound in the bond of the Spirit now the Spirit is like a bond for two causes first every bond must be without us and so is Gods Spirit it is his and not ours within us secondly every bond keeps the thing that is bound in and so doth Gods Spirit it restraines us it keeps us in when as otherwise wee would runne into all excesse of riot And therefore let us pray heartily and labour earnestly to be baptized with the Holy Ghost HOW TO MORTIFIE UNCLEANNES COLOSSIANS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication Vncleannesse Inordinate affection evill Concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry HAving handled the Doctrine of Mortification in generall as also come to some particulars namely that of Fornication it now remaineth that in the next place following the method and order of the Apostle I come to the next particular sinne named in the Text Vncleannesse And because these two sinnes doe in many things coincidere and differ not greatly in any thing that I can set downe as meanes to prevent them for what hath beene said of the one may serve for the other therefore I shall be the briefer in this and may pâ—rchance make use of some of the things spoken formerly in the discovering of the haynousnesse of Fornication The Doctrine then that we shall at this time insist on is That Vncleannesse is one of the sinnes that are here to be mortified This sinne of Uncleannesse most Interpreters make to be the sinne of Onan Gen. 38. 9. and the haynousnesse thereof appeares in that God was so displeased with him for it that he slew him presently Besides the grievousnesse thereof is is manifest in that throughout the whole booke of God wee finde not any name appropriated unto it as if God could not give name bad enough or would not vouchsafe it any because men should not know it at all But now particularly I will lay open the vilenesse of it by these foure arguments First the haynousnesse of it appeares because that it makes a man that is guilty of it a man of death you may see it in the example of Onan Gen. 38. 9. before mentioned God cut him off presently hardly gave any space for repentance Where sudden judgement lights upon a man it is a fearefull thing and argues the greatnesse of Gods displeasure against that sinne now where Gods wrath is so exceedingly inflam'd against a sinne we must needs conclude that sinne to bee very sinfull and of an high nature Secondly it is an unnaturall sinne All sinne is so much the more haynous as it is opposite to the nature of a man Wee read but of three sinnes against nature whereof this is one namely bestiality Sodomy and this and therefore it must needs be of an high ranke and consequently a most notorious vilde sinne Thirdly the manner of it aggravates it exceedingly all things done against ones selfe are the more hainous as selfe-murther is of an higher nature than murther of another and the reason is because all creatures by nature seeke the preservation of themselves in like manner selfe-uncleannesse is a great aggravation unto it Fourthly and lastly that sinne which is made the punishment of another is ever
SINS OVERTHROW OR A GODLY AND LEARNED TREATISE OF Mortification Wherein is excellently handled First the generall Doctrine of MORTIFICATION And then particularly how to Mortifie FORNICATION VNCLEANNES Evill CONCVPISCENCE Inordinate AFFECTION and COVETOVSNES All being the substance of severall Sermons upon COIOS III. V. Mortifie therefore your members c. Delivered by that late faithfull Preacher and worthy instrument of Gods glory IOHN PRESTON Dr in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne LONDON Printed by I. Beale for Andrew Crooke at the blacke Beare in Pauls Churchyard 1633. The Contents First In the Treatise of Mortification DOCRINE I. THe height of glory which we expect by Christ should cause every man to mortifie sinne page 3 DOCT. II. The frame of our hearts ought ta suit with those conditions that we receive by our union with Christ. p. 4 Explication Mortification is a turning of the heart from sinne to grace ibid. Mortification called a turning of the heart because the heart by nature is backward and averse from God pag. 5 Sinne seemingly mortified 1. When the occasion is removed p 7 2. When it is not violent and raging but quiet ibid. 3. When it is but removed from one sinne to another ibid. 4. When the Conscience is affrighted with the judgements of God p. 8 5. When the strength of nature is spent ibid. 6. Being restrained from sinne by good education p. 9 USE I. To examine by these rules sinnes Mortification ibid. Mortified lusts knowne 1. By a deepe humiliation of the soule p. 10 2. By the generality of it ibid. 3. By the measure of grace answering the measure of corruption p. 11 4. By the continuance of them p. 12 Motives to Mortification 1. There is no pleasure in sinne p. 13 Pleasure in sinne is no true solid pleasure but a sick pleasure p. 14. 2. The satisfying of lust is an endlesse worke ibid. 3. The great danger of sinne p. 15 4. The deceit of sinne p. 16 Sinne deceives foure wayes 1. By blinding the understanding ibid. 2. By making large promises p. 17 3. By promising departure at our pleasure ibid. 4. By making a shew of friendship ibid. 5. The rebellion it occasions in us against God p. 18 6. The slavery it brings us unto Satan ibid. USE II. To instruct us that in every regenerate man there is a free-will to doe good p. 19 The power of a Regenerate man consists 1. In performing any duty God commands according to the proportion of grace he hath received p. 20 2. Inresisting any temptation according to the same measure of grace p. 21 OBJECT In the Regenerate the flesh lusteth against the spirit c. ibid. ANSW Corruption reignes not though it may take possession in the heart of a Regenerate man it exceeds not the measure of grace ibid USE III. To exhort us to abstaine from the sinne of the heart as well as sinne in the outward actions p. 22 OBJECT Men shall be judged by their workes not by the thoughts of their hearts ibid. ANSW God will judge the thoughts of the heart as the cause the actions or workes as the effects p. 23 USE IV. To teach us that no man is so holy but he needs mortification ibid. The meanes how to come by Mortification are I. Outward 1. Moderation in lawfull things p. 28 The danger of excesse in lawfull things ibid. 2. Vowes and Promises p. 29 The lawfulnesse of Vowes and how they are to be esteemed of ibid. 3. The avoyding of all occasion to sinne p. 30 OBJECT Professors being strong in faith need not avoyd occasions of sinne p. 31 ANSW Opinion of strength in faith is a weaknesse in men for the more feare the more strength besides habituall grace is but a creature and therefore not to be relyed on ibid. 4. The lawfull exercise of Fasting and Prayer ibid. II. Inward 1. To get a willing heart p. 24 2. To take paynes about it p. 25 Two errors about Mortification 1. That all sinnes have a like proportion of labour to mortifie them p. 26 2. That mortification is not a continued worke p 27 The fruitlesse pains of Papists in afflicting their bodies c. ibid. 3. The assistance of the Spirit p 32 Meanes to obtaine the Spirit are 1. To know the Spirit p. 33 2. Not to resist grieve or quench him ibid. What it is to resist grieve quench the Spirit p. 34 35 3. To use prayer p. 35 4. To walke in the Spirit p. 36 5. To get a lively faith p. 37 Iustifying faith onely purifieth the heart p. 38 The holy Ghost not essentially but by a divine power dwelleth in the heart ibid. That Mortification goeth before Iustifying Faith is an error p. 39 6. To get spirituall Ioy. ibid. 7. To get an humblenesse of minde p. 41 DOCTR III. That all earthly members are to be mortified p. 42 Members are sinful exorbitant affections of the soule p. 43. for these reasons because 1. They fill up the heart ibid. 2. They proceed from the unregenerate part p. 44 3. They are weapons of unrighteousnesse ibid. 4. They are deare unto the heart as any member to the body ibid. Inordinate lust meant by earthly members p. 45 What it is to be earthly minded ibid. By the power of nature a man may conceive of spihituall things and yet be earthly minded 1. Not spiritually ibid. 2. Not from an heart illightned by the Spirit p. 46 3. By the knowledge of his understanding ibid. A man may come to know spirituall things and not be renewed 1. By seeing a vertue in heavenly things excelling all all other things ibid. 2. By being of a noble spirit ibid. 3. By seeing holinesse in the children of God p. 47 4. By seeing the attributes of God ibid. 5. By feeling the sweetnesse of the promises ibid. 6. By beleeving the resurrection to life ibid. The order of the faculties of the soule p. 48 Whether Nature can attaine unto true knowledge ibid. A naturall man may know spirituall in their substance not as a rule of his life p. 49 Heavenly mindednesse is the worke of a new life in a man ibid. Heavenly mindednesse admits increase in knowledge p. 52 The Vnderstanding the seat of heavenly mindednesse p. 53 An enlightned understanding communicates its to the rest of the faculties 1. By taking away the lets unto good p. 54 2. By withstanding the motions of inordinate passions ibid. 3. By laying open the vilenesse of inordinate affections ibid. 4. By ruling and guiding them p. 55 VSE I. To reprove such as favour earthly mindednesse or inordinate affections ibid. Reasons against earthly mindednesse are I. In respect of men 1. It takes away the excellency of the creature p. 56 2. It wounds the soule p. 57 II. In respect of God It sets up spirituall Idolatry in the heart p. 58 III. In respect of Professors It is unbeseeming them and makes them like Swine
The privatenesse and secrecie thereof 5. The present delight they finde in it p. 157 Of Evill CONCVPISCENCE DOCT. I. EVill Concupiscence is a sinne to bâ—e mortified pag. 187 Reasons thereof are 1. It will bring forth actuall sinnes p. 188 2. It defiles a man by hiding sinne in his heart ibid. 3. It marres all good actions ibid 4. It makes Gods Commandements grievous unto us p. 189 The nature of evill Concupiscence what p. 190 The sinfulnesse of evill Concupiscenee ibid. The operation of evill Concupiscence in conceiving bringing forth sinne 191 Evill Concupiscence Habituall Actuall to be mortified p. 193 All sinne is to be abstayned from because God forbids it p. 195 Acts to Mortification are 1. A serious meditation upon mens courses ibid 2. A suppressing and keeping downe of lust p. 196 3. A rectifying of the iudgement p. 197 VSEI To get free from this sinne p. 198 The wrathof God on the creature works terror in the conscience ibid. Three signes of mortifying this sinne 1. A generall reformation in heart and life p. 200 2. A right iudgement of sin and a true loathing thereof p. 201 3. Actuall abstinence from sinne p. 202 QVEST. Whether man after true Mortification may fall into the same sinne againe ibid. ANSW He may fall into the act but not the love of that sin ibid Meanes to the mortification of this sinne are 1. A labour for an assurance of pardon for our sinnes p. 203 2. Abstinence from all occasion of sinne p. 205 3. A delight in grace and holinesse p. 206 4 â—ervent and hearty prayer p. 207 Of inordinate AFFECTION DOCTRINE 1. ALL Immoderate Affections must be mortified p. 211 What Affections are p. 212 The Appetite double Sensuall Rationall p. 213 Three sorts of Affections Naturall Carnall Spirituall p. 214 Affections when inordinate p. 216 Trials of the inordit acy of Affections are 1. To examine them by the rule the Rules are 1. The obiect must be good p. 217 2. The end right 3. The measure right 4. The order and season sitting 2. To examine them by the effects The effects are 1. The disturbance and hiâ—drance of reason p. 218 2. An indisposition to holy duties p. 219 3. The production of evill actions 4. The drawing us from God p. 230 What it is to mortifie affections inordinate ibid. Keasons why they are to be mortified are 1. They are of greatest efficacie and command in the soule p. 221 2. They make us either good or evill 3. They make way for Satan to take possession of the soule p. 222 4. They are the first movers to evill p. 223 VSE 1. To exhort us to take pains in the mortification of these inordinate affections p. 224 Meanes to mortifie them are 1. Knowledge of the disease p. 225 Two wayes to discerne inordinate lusts 1 By bringing them to the Touch-stone p. 226 2 By considering the stops of them 2. The iudgement of others concerning them p. 227 The causes of inordinate affection are 1. Mis-apprehension p. 227 Remedies against mis-apprehension 1 To get strong reasons out of the Scripture p. 229 2. To get a lively faith p. 230 3. Experience of the naughtinesse of them 4. Example of others 2. Weakenesse and impotency p. 232 Remedy against that is to gather strength 3. Lightnesse of the minde p. 233 Remedy to finde out the right obiect which is God 4. Confusion that riseth in the heart at first rising of them p. 234 Remedy timely prevention p. 235 5. Corruption of nature p. 236 Remedy to get a new nature 7. Oue sinne cause and root of another p. 239 Remedy to pull up the root God the onely agent of Mortification USE 2. To reprove us for sinfull affections Motives to conquer inordinate affections 1. They are the root of all evill p. 240 2. They wound the soule p. 241 3. They breed foolish and hurtfull lusts p. 243 4. They hinder the doing of good actions 5. They bring shame and dishonour p. 244 6. They blinde the reason and judgement p. 245 Of COVETOVSNES Covetousnesse what p. 1. 25 Why it is called Idolatry DOCTR 1. To seeke helpe and comfort from riches or any other creature and not from God alone is vaine and sinfull p. 2 DOCTR 2. That Covetousnesse which is Idolatry is to bee mortified p. 2. 25 Reasons that God onely can be comfort unto us and not the creature are 1. God is All-sufficient p. 5 2. The creature is empty and vaine p. 6 3. We commit the sinne of idolatry in giving that to the creature which is due to God USE 1. To exhort men to abstain froÌ„ lusting after worldlythings p. 7 God can give comfort without riches p. 8 The creature without the Creator is as the huske without the kernell p. 9 Considerations to disswade from trusting in the creature 1. The creature of it selfe hath no power to comfort p. 10 2. The creature reaches not to the inward man p. 11 3. A multitude of creatures must goe to the comfort of one man p. 12 4. The comfort of the creature is but dependant felicity p. 12 Whatsoever men leave their children without Gods blessing is nothing worth p. 13 The deceits whereby men are hindred from mortifying this sinne are 1. They thinke them Gods blessings p. 14 Blessings considered without thankefull reference to God cease to be blessings We receive the creatures as blessings 1. When we depend on God for the disposing continuing and want of them 2. When wee thinke the same things may bee without comfort unto us p. 15 3. When we thinke we may have comfort without them p. 16 2. They apprehend present comfort from the abounding of them p. 17 We may not judge of outward things by sense and feeling but by faith and a rectified reason To helpe our judgement therein Consider 1. They are but vanity of vanities p. 18 2. What other men that have bin afflicted think of theÌ„ 3. What your selves wiljudge of theÌ„ at the day of death 4. What you shall finde them for the time to come Sense of comfort double preceeding from a refreshing of the heart by the Creature an appprehension of Gods fauor in those blessings Ioy in the creature may be a 1. Remisse ioy as if we ioyed not p. 19 2. Loose ioy that may be cast off 3. Dependant ioy eying the fountaine p. 20 3 They reason falsely Riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches p. 20. For 1. God maketh a disproportion betwixt the man and the blessing p. 21 2. God hinders the effects though the causes eoncurre 3. God denieth successe to the causes p. 22 4 They see these things present and certain other things doubtfull and incertaine Earthly things subiect to change but spirituall things unchangeable Signes to know whether our love to the creature be right or no Consider 1. Whether our affection to the creature drawes our hearts from God p. 24 2. When earthly and spirituall things come in competition which we
make choyce of 3. What our obedience is to God 4. What things trouble us most p. 25 Our affection to riches said to be inordinate p. 26. when we seeke them 1. By measure more then we should 3. By meanes that we should not p. 27 3. For wrong ends p. 28 4. In a wrong manner which consists in these particulars when we seeke them 1 Out of love to them 2 To trust to them 3 To be puffed up by them p. 29 4 To glory in them 5 With too much haste and eagernesse In the desire of riches there is a double content p. 30 1 A contentednesse with a dependance on Gods will 2. A contentednesse with a submission to Gods will How farre a man may desire wealth p. 31 A threefold necessity of the creatures 1. Of expedience 2. Of condition and place p. 32 3. Of refreshment A desire of riches for superfluity and excesse sinfull for these reasons 1. Mans life stands not in abundance of excesse 2. It proceeds from an evill root p. 33 3. It may not be prayed for 4. It is dangerous for it chokes the Word p. 34 5. We have an expresse Commandement against it The end of a mans calling is not to gather riches but to serve God p. 35 Riches the wages not end of our calling Rules to direct our care in getting wealth p. 37 1 No going into other mens callings 2 The end must not be riches but Gods glory 3 The care must not be inordinate Signes of inordinate care are 1. Trouble in the acquiring p. 38 2. Feare of not attaining 3. Griefe in being prevented A man is then covetous when he strives not against Covetousnesse Covetousnesse spirituall adultery p. 39. aggravated in that 1. It makes men wicked 2. It does least good 3. Riches are but false treasure 4. They are not our owne > Aâ—tributes given to riches are 1 They are many things 2. They are unnecessary 3. They will be taken from us 4. They are not the best USE 1. To exhort men to mortifie this earthly member Covetousnesse p. 40 Meanes thereto are 1. Prayer to God 2. Humility for sinne 3. Imployment of them to better things THE DOCTRINE OF MORTIFICATION COLOSSIANS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatrie THis Chapter containeth divers exhortations unto heavenly mindednesse by which the Apostle labours to disswade the Colossians from corruptible things unto things not corruptible but everlasting not earthly but heavenly in the which the life of a Christian and true holinesse standeth In the first verse he beginnes with an exhortation to seeke heavenly things If you be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above that is if you be risen with Christ and dead unto the fashions of men then there is an alteration and change in your soules wrought by which you are brought to affect that which is heavenly and basely to esteeme of earthly things therefore If you be risen that is if this heavenly life and disposition and change be in you then let the same appeare by your heavenly mindednesse that is by seeking of heavenly things In the second verse he joynes another exhortation grounded on the first to bee wise and to understand them Set your affections on things above that is let them be specially minded of you let all your faculties bee filled with a knowledge of spirituall things and this is so joyned with the former that there can be no seeking without knowing for how can a man seeke that which he knoweth not and if thou hast no knowledge of heaven and heavenly things how canst thou desire them seeing where there is no desire there is no seeking And therefore if thou wouldest seeke heavenly things as Christ and Grace and Salvation then know them first Afterwards in the third verse he goeth on and presseth this exhortation with divers arguments first because you are dead that is seeing you are dead unto earthly things therefore strive not now to be earthly minded Secondly Your life is hid with Christ that is your happinesse is not seene with the eye of the bodie by looking on these earthly things but your happinesse and joy is by Faith beholding Christ therefore set your heart and eye on him where your life is that is you looke for a perfection of glory with Christ which you cannot have by minding earthly things therefore be heavenly minded In the fourth verse the Apostle answereth unto a demand for they might thus object You tell us that we shall have a perfection of glory and that it is hid with Christ but when shall we have it that is when shall it be made manifest unto us Unto this the Apostle answers When Christ who in our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie And hereupon he groundeth another exhortation in the verse I have read as if he should say Seeing you expect such a perfection of glory to be revealed unto you at Christs second comming then it stands you upon to set upon your corruptions to kill and to slay them that seeke to deprive you of that glory Mortifie therefore your earthlâ—e members that is slay every foule affection inordinate desire of earthly things rid your hearts of them by slaying of them and although it may seeme a hard worke yet fight still or else you shall never attaine unto that life you hope for So that the first generall point hence is this That the height of glorie which we expect by Christ should cause everie man to mortifie sinne This the Apostle makes the ground of our Mortification If you be risen with Christ seeke the things that are above mortifie therefore your earthlie members that is except you slay sinne that hath slaine Christ you cannot get life with Christ Surely then Mortification is not as men thinke it a needlesse worke which matters not much whether it be set upon or no but this is mens sicknesse for as a man that is sicke thinkes Physâ—â—ke is not needfull because hee is not sensible of his disease when as the Physician knowes that it is amatter of necessity and that except hee purge out that Corruption and humour of the body it will grow incurable even so except this corruption of nature be purged out it will-grow incurable that is we cannot be saved therefore we know to mortifie sinne is a worke of necessity whereupon standeth every mans life and salvation The second thing which we note is this That the frame of our hearts ought to suit with those Conditions that wee receive by our union with Christ. And this also the Apostle makes another ground of Mortification if you be risen with Christ seeke heavenly things and therefore labour to mortifie your inordinate affections and sinfull lusts that so the frame of your hearts and disposition thereof may suit with heavenly things as if he should
say You professe your selves to be risen with Christ that is that you are in a more excellent estate than you were in by nature and you expect a perfection of glory then it must needs follow That the frame of your hearts must suit with your conditions that is you must bee such as you professe your selves to be and this cannot be except you mortifie sinne all inordinate affections all worldly lusts all immoderate care for earthly things thinke not to get grace salvation and eternall life except first you slay your corruptions and lusts for Mortification is a turning of the heart from evill to good from sinne to grace or it is a working a new disposition in the heart turning it quite contrary Or else it may bee said to bee the slaying of that evill disposition of nature in us Now wee must know that howsoever Mortification is a deadly wound given unto sinne whereby it is disabled to beare any rule or commanding power in the heart of a regenerate man yet we say Mortification is not perfect that is it doth not so slay sinne that we have no sinne at all in us or that wee cease to sinne for in the most regenerate and holiest man that lives there is still the sap of sinne in his heart A tree may have withered branches by reason of some deadly wound given unto the root and yet there may remaine some sap in the root which will in time bring forth other branches so it is with a regenerate man there may a deadly wound be given unto sinne which may cause inordinate affections to wither and yet notwithstanding some sap of sinne may remaine which had need still to be mortified lest otherwise it bring forth other branches Mortification is not for a day only but it must be a continuall worke when thou hast slayne sinne to day thou must slay it tomorrow for sinne is of a quickning nature it will revive if it be not deadly wounded and there is seed in every sinne which is of a spreading nature and will fructifie much therefore when thou hast given a deadly wound unto some speciall corruption rest not there but then set upon the lesser mortifie the branches of that corruption and so much the rather because it will bee an easie worke to overcome the Common souldiers and to put them to flight when the Generall is slaine Wee call Mortification a turning of the heart the heart by nature is backward from God that is it minds and affects nothing but that which is contrary to God it is wholly disposed to earthly things now Mortification alters and changes the heart turning it from earthly to heavenly things even as a river that is stopt in its usuall course is now turned another way so Mortification stops the passage of sinne in the soule turning the faculties the streame of the soule another way the soule was earthly disposed the mind the will and affections were wholly carried after earthly things but now there is a new disposition wrought in the soule the minde and affections are wholly set upon earthly things before he was for the world how hee might satisfie his lusts but now his heart is for grace justification remission of sinnes and reconciliation Here then seeing Mortification is a slaying of sinne and that many doe deceive themselves in the matter of Mortification who thinke that sinne is mortified when it is not and contrariwise others thinke they have not mortified sinne that is they have not given a deadly wound unto sinne because they still feele rebellious lusts intheir hearts therefore for the better explaining of this point of Mortification I will propound two Questions the first shall be for the discovering of hypocrites and the second shall be for the comforting of weake Christians The first Question is Whether sinne may not seeme to bee mortified when it is not mortified but onely asleepe To this I answer That sinne may seeme to be mortified when it is not and that in these particulars First sinne may seeme to be mortified when the occasion is removed As the covetous man may not bee so covetous after the world as he was because he hath not so good an opportunity and thereupon hee may grow remisse and yet this sinne of Covetousnesse is not mortified for let there be occasion or an opportunity offered and you shall finde this sinne as quicke and as lively in him as ever it was before and so for Drunkennesse or any other vice in this kinde when the occasion is removed the sinne may be removed and yet not mortified Secondly sinne may be mortified seemingly when it is not violent but quiet that is when an unruly affection troubles them not they thinke that now that sinne is mortified but they are deceived for it is with sinne as with a disease A man that is sicke of a feaver so long as he is asleepe he feeles no paine because sleepe takes away the sense of it but when he is awake then presenâ—ly hee feeles his paine afresh Even so when sinne doth awake them out of sleepe then they shall finde it was not mortified but they onely asleepe Sampson Iudg. 16. so long as he was asleepe in his sin thought all was well and that his strength was not gone but when hee awakes out of sleepe his sinne awakes and then with much sorrow hee findes that his sinne was not mortified especially when he fell into his enemies hands Thirdly sinne may seeme to bee mortified when it is but removed from one sinne unto another when it is removed from a lesse to a greater or from a greater to a lesse As for example A man may not be so covetous as hee was and thinke with himselfe that this his sinne is mortified when as indeed it is not mortified but onely removed unto another for now it may be hee is growne ambitious and seekes after honour and therefore it stands not now with his reputation and credit to bee covetous hereupon hee may grow bountifull and neverthelesse his sinne of covetousnesse be unmortified And so for drunkennesse and such as desire pleasure their mindes and delights may be changed and the sinne of the soule be not yet mortified Sinne is to the soule as diseases are to the body now we know that diseases of the body usually remove from one place to another or at the least grow from a lesse to a greater so it is with sinne in the soule it will remove from one faculty to another Fourthly sinne may seeme to be mortified when the conscience is affrighted with the Judgements of God either present upon him or threatned against him now by the power of restraining grace a man may be kept from sinne that is hee may so bridle his affections that he may keepe sinne from the action he may forsake drunkennesse covetousnesse pride and the like and yet his sinne be not mortified for here is the difference
cut off and separated from the bodie for the good of the rest and so it is in like manner with these for all will joyne together for the mortifying of sin one in another On the other side these weapons of unrighteousnesse they fight for one another against grace they are carefull to performe the actions of the old man and to fulfill every lust of the flesh Fourthly they are called members because they are as deare unto the heart as any member is unto the body and therefore in Scripture they are called the right hand and the right eye Mat. 5. 29. that is they are as dear and sticke as close unto the heart and will as hardly be separated from it as the nearest and dearest member of the bodie thus much of the word member Secondly what is meant by earthly members By earthly members is ment al earthly affections as immoderate cares inordinare lusts or it is a depraved disposition of the soule whereby it is drawn from heavenly things to earthly that is it is drawne from a high valuing of heavenly things to a base esteeme of them and from a base esteeming of earthly things unto a high esteeme of them this is earthly mindednesse But for the better explaining of this point first we will shew what it is to bee earthly minded secondly what it is to be heavenly minded For the first what it is to be earthly minded It is to mind earthly things or heavenly things in an earthly manner that is when the soule is depraved so of spirituall life that it lookes upon grace and salvation with a carnall eye when it is represented unto it because it is but naturall it is not enlightned by the Spirit now till a man be enlightned by the Spirit he cannot see spirituall things in a spirituall manner Howsoever I grant that by the light of nature a man being endued with a reasonable soule thereby may come to discerne of spirituall things yet so as but by a commonillumination of the Spirit as we call it not as they are but onely as he conceives of them by his naturall reason For first by nature a man may conceive of spirituall things but not spiritually for nature can goe no further than nature now what is competible and agreeable to nature he hath a taste of he sees things so farre as they are sutable unto his nature but nature can looke no further for this is the propertie of nature it goes all by the outward sense and appetite and no man can apply spirituall things by the senses but earthly things Secondly by the affections a man may conceive of spirituall things for the affections are the proper seat of love and a man being endued with love may bee affected with heavenly things so farre as they are sweet unto nature and hence may arise feare of losing them not because they are heavenly things but because they are sweet unto his nature Besides the affections may restraine him and turne him from esteeming of things base to an esteeming of things that are more excellent and yet be but earthly minded for it is not the affection to good that proves a man to bee good but it is the rice of the affection that is the ground from whence they spring namely from a heart enlightened by the Spirit Herod may affect Iohn and Iohns doctrine but this is not bred by the Spirit but a carnall affection Thirdly by the understanding or mind a man may come to conceive of spirituall and heavenly things his minde may bee enlightened with the knowledge of them and yet bee but earthly minded As for example First hee may see a vertue in heavenly things above all things in the world he may conceive of them by looking into them so that a vertue and power may appeare in them excelling every vertue in any thing else and yet not renewed Secondly if hee be of a more noble spirit hee may doe good either for Church or Common-wealth hee may bee very liberall and bountifull unto any that shall seeke unto him in this kinde and hereupon may grow remisse after the things of this world and so be not all so violently carried away after covetousnesse and yet not be removed Thirdly hee may come to see holinesse in the children of God and thereupon bee wonderfully affected with it insomuch that he may wish himselfe the like nay more hemay wonder at their holinesse and bee astonished with an admiration thereof as one overcome of it and yet not be renewed Fourthly he may come to see into the attributes of God both the communicable Attributes which are communicated to the Creatures as Justice Mercie Righteousnesse Patience and the like and also those that are not communicable but essentially proper to God as Omnipotencie Omnipresence and the like and hereupon hee may acknowledge God to bee such an one as these declare of or else as he hath made himselfe knowne in his Word as we see in Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4. 34. and yet be not renewed Fifthly he may feele the sweetnesse of the promises of remission of sinnes justification and reconciliation and rejoyce in them as Herod heard Iohn gladly Mark 6. 20. that is he was glad to heare Iohn preach repentance and remission of sinnes hee felt sweetnesse in this so hee was content to heare that it was not lawfull for him to have his brothers wife but he was not content to obey in like manner any man or woman may finde sweetnesse in the promises and yet not be renewed Sixthly hee may beleeve the resurrection to life and hereupon rejoyce after it because hee beleeves there is areward laid up for the righteous with Christ and may desire to bee made partaker of it with them and yet not be renewed For if you looke into this man none of all these have the first seat in his heart but they are as it were in a second roome or closet for earthlie things have the first and principall seat in his heart but these come in after as handmaids or servants unto the other and therefore have no spirituall tast to him To make this plaine let us consider the order of the faculties of the soule the minde is the principall facultie and this rules the will and affections now the minde being earthly disposed the will and affections can goe no further then the minde guides them every facultie hath an appetite and the soule of a man hath an understanding which governes now looke what the minde of a man loves or hates that the will wils or wils not for the will is but the appetite that followes the understanding Againe every facultie in man hath a sense and by that it is drawne to affect that which it chuseth for the desire followes the sense and as it is with one facultie so it is with all the other of the faculties for the faculties suit all after the
their light and splendor so men are said to lose their excellency when they give way unto their lusts And the reason is first because when the mind affects earthly things it mingles together two contraries Grace and Christ with sinne and the world and so ecclipseth the excellencie of the one with the basenesse of the other As when gold and drosse are mingled the basenesse of the one doth corrupt the other so as the excellency thereof doth not appeare but mingle gold with silver or let it be alone and then it keepes his excellency and is not ecclipsed even so when a man is earthly minded and his affections are set upon base objects with that enlightned knowledge he hath he mingleth an ignoble and base object together and so loseth the excellency of it Now there is nothing that can make a man to lose his excellency but sinne for other things that happen unto a man are not able to take away his excellencie as reproches and imprisonments in the world for a man may keepe himselfe heavenly minded for all the reproches and imprisonments that he shall meet withall if hee can keep out sin al other things are unto him but as a candle in a dark night which makes a man see his way the better so all things in the world cannot ecclipse the grace of a Christian but in the hardest estate hee will so keepe his heavenly mindednesse that his grace shall the more appeare Secondly sinne pierceth men through for that which is said of riches 1 Tim. 6. 10. is true of every sinne It pierceth them through with many sorrowes that is it wounds his soule and makes him to draw to his owne destruction Againe sinne having once gotten possession will have no deniall if once you give way unto it it is restlesse for when a man hath satisfied one lust another comes to bee satisfied till at last his heart is hardened and his Conscience hath lost all sense and when it is thus with him hee is drowned in sinne hee is in this case like the Silke-worme that never rests turning her selfe in her web till at last shee destroy herselfe so earthly minded men when they are once catcht in this snare they never rest turning themselves from one sin unto another till at last they destroy themselves Secondly there is nothing more hatefull and offensive unto God then when a man is earthly minded for when a man is earthly minded hee sets up Idolatry in his heart I speake not of the bodily prostration howsoever in time it may be hee will be such an one but I speake of covetousnesse that spirituall Idolatry of the heart as the Apostle cals it which is when the heart is once sotted with these earthly things that it drawes all the faculties of the soule after them so that the Commandements of God become a burthen unto him Now there is nothing in the world more odious unto God than to be an Idolater for hee is a loathsome creature one whom God hath left to himselfe now God never leaves a man till hee forsakes him but when he doth forsake God then he is left to himselfe and this is properly called the hatred of God for then God with-drawes from a man his Spirit and speciall providence because hee loathes him And as it is with us what a man loaths that he hates and wee know that a man cares not what becomes of that which he hates so it is with God in this case For I say the turning of a mans heart from spirituall things to earthly is the setting up of Idolatry in the heart and nature her selfe abhorres to have the affections drawne away for as an Adultresse is odious unto her husband because her heart is drawne away from him so an Idolater is odious unto God because it drawes away the heart from God and therfore the Apostle saith Iam. 4. 4. Know you not that the love of the world is enmitieto God that is if you love the world it will make you commit Idolatry and then you are at enmity with God and so consequently God and you are at odds you stand in defiance one against another for who is at greater enmity with God than an Idolater The third thing to be considered is That there is nothing in the world that lesse beseemeth a Christian man or woman especially one that professeth Religion than earthly mindednesse for this cause an unregenerate man is compared to a Swine because all his delight is to paddle in the world and to be wallowing in it as in his proper place for what would you have a Swine to doe but to delight in things that are agreeable unto his nature But for a man that professeth Religion to fall from his Religion unto prophanenesse and to the love of the world this is most odious unto God this God hates with a deadly hatred this is a despising of God and a trampling under foot the bloud of Christ It is nothing for a prophane man that hath not given his name unto Christ to lye wallowing in the world and to goe from one sinne to another it is as it were but the putting off one garment to put on another which is not unsecmely or the pulling of a ring off one finger to put it on to another wherein seemes no undecency so the sinnes of prophane men seeme not to be unseemely in regard of the persons from whence they come for there is no other things at leastwise better things to be expected from them but for one that hath professed Christ after long profession to fall greedily unto the world this is unbeseeming a Christian man other things are contrary unto grace but this forsaking of the world is sutable unto grace For a covetous man that is profane there is no contrariety in that it is sutable unto his disposition but for any man that hath tasted of heavenly mysteries as the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 6. to fall away into a swinish disposition as to covetousnesse or pride hee shall hardly be renewed by repentance that is he will hardly scrape off that blot of relapse nay many times the Lord meets with such by great judgements as Salomon in his youth how did he maintaine Religion yet in his age how fearefully did he fall into idolatry Asa being young honors God in his youth yet he fell away in his age the holy Ghost hath branded him with three fearefull sins and so Ahaziah he fell away from God to idolatry and in his sicknesse sent to witches to helpe him how unanswerable were the ends of these to their beginnings therefore take heed of Apostacy I speake of this the more because wee see daily many in their youth are marvellous zealous and pretend great love unto Religion and yet if you marke the end of these I speake not of all who greater backsliders then them and indeed this backsliding many times proves
the portion of Gods children the most holiest and dearest of Gods Saints many times are subject unto this alteration and yet be deare precious in the sight of God As we see in David and Peter But there is great difference betwixt the slacknesse of the Saints and the wicked backsliding the godly they may slacke but it is but for a time he is cold and remisse in the dutiâ—s of holinesse but it lasts not it vanisheth away on the other side the wickedlye continue in Apostacy unto the end in these it is naturall but unto the other it is but the instigation of the devill working by some lust upon one of the faculties Now slacknesse or coldnesse of Gods children may seeme to proceed from a threefold cause First from that hollow haâ—tednesse that is in the children of God which like a hollow wall fals when it is shaken because it was not firm so their hearts being not firmly established in grace nor rooted in the knowledg of Christ when afflictions or reproches come it shakes down that hold which they seemed to have of Christ. Secondly the next cause may proceed from the evill example of men which by their insinuation may draw their affections away and carry them from that love that they had towards God therefore take heed to the insinuation of wickedmen they will first labour to know the desire of your heart and then they will fit themselves accordingly to deceive you and besides the devill workes effectually by them Thirdly the last cause may proceed from this that he is removed from under a powerfull ministery which formerly he lived under unto a carelesse shepheard or at least an unprofitable one hereupon he may grow remisse and cold in the duties of Religion but neverthelesse although this ariseth from men yet the cause is in themselves for what is the reason that they fal but because they find spirituall things dead in them and an in-lacke of grace Therfore I beseech you take heed of falling away for if a man should runne in the wayes of holinesse and catch heat that is bee enlightned and then sit downe in a consumption of grace or fall sicke of the love of the world surely it is a fearefull sinne therefore let this teach every man to take heed to his standing First for those that doe stand let them take heed that nothing take away their hold whether it be profit pleasure or delight these the divell will use as instruments to beguile you but take heed that you bee not deceived by them Secondly for those that have fallen unto earthly mindednesse let them learne with Philadelphia to repent and to doe their first workes that is let them labour to get out of this condition Thirdly for those that have not yet tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ let them here learne to be ashamed of themselves because they have neglected so great salvation and those that have had the meanes of grace a long time preacht unto them in the evidence of the Spirit and yet have not beene renewed that is have not left their swinish disposition may here be ashamed But it is a hard matter to perswade the world of the truth of this point the Ministers may speake and perswade but it is God that must change the heart and make the man willing to have his corruptions mortified We speake but to two sorts of people young men and old First young men when they are perswaded to forsake the world they reply It stands not with their youth to set upon this worke they are not able or at least not willing to leave their pleasure Secondly old men when they are perswaded to forsake the world reply also and say They have been instructed have made choyce of this and therefore arenow unwilling to repent of their earthly mindednesse lest they should be reputed remisse and weake in their judgements therfore now they will not change their estates which they have lived so long in But howsoever it is hard for a man to draw men out of their swinish condition yet it is an easier worke if God will be the instructer if hee doe put his Spirit into the heart it will easily expell the workes of the divell those strong holds that Satan hath in the heart Now the reasons that make men minde earthly things to sticke so fast unto them are these First because earthly things are present To this may bee rereplyed It is true earthly things are not at all to come for that which we have is present those things of the world which wee enjoy and have in possession are present as riches honour and the like yet there are other things that are present which are of a higher nature which we ought to set our hearts upon if we will be lead by presents for Joy in the holy Ghost is present and Justification is present and Regeneration is present Remission of sinnes is present Reconciliation is present and you will say that these are farre better than the things of this world But say that these were not present but to come yet we account it a part of wisdome to part with a thing present that is of smal account for hope of a better afterwards who is there that will not part with a smal thing present upon condition of enjoying of a greater afterwards the world and the things of the world are nothing in comparison of grace and salvation therefore what if thou forsake all these things upon condition you shall get eternall life for them hereafter For this is the difference betweene reason and sense Nature is carried away by sense it delights in that which it feeles now sense is present but reason goes according to judgement and rests upon hope therefore let the children of God use their spirituall reason in the forbearing of present worldly delights in hope of enjoying of better things and take heed of sense bee not led away by it for it is usually a great meanes to draw our heart and affections from grace to earthly things Luk. 15. 23. the rich glutton when hee was in torment had this answer from abraham Sonne remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy pleasure that is thou hadst it then when it was not a time for pleasure thou wast led away by sense and now thou must be punished The Apostle Iam. 5. 5. pronounceth a woe upon rich men because you received your consolation here that is youhave received plesure in a wroÌ„g place for the earth is no place for true pleasure therefore you have received your consolation you can expect no other pleasure herafter for you have sought true content where it is not therfore woe unto you A man that minds earthly things is like a man that hath a great graspe which cannot hold any thing more except he let fall that which he hath earthly minded men they
Conscience come before thee and thou dare not doe justice for feare of him but will in this case rather breake with God it is a signe that there is no true grace in thee thou art as yet earthly minded but if thou bee heavenly minded thou wilt set thy resolution thus This thing I know to be just and right it is a matter of Conscience though all the men in the world should be angry with me yet I will doe it And therefore our Saviour saith Except hee deny himselfe he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 9. 23. that is if hee cast off all selfe-love of these outward things so as he will not set his heart immoderately upon them But it is now farre otherwise with men they will doe as other men doe like the Planets they will turne euery way and therefore it is impossible but Satan should catch these men because they love to play with his bait deceive not thy selfe if thou forsake some and doe not forsake all thou art as yet not heavenly minded For a man may not be altogether covetous and yet not renewed hee may not gripe so fast after the world as another and yet not bee depending upon God such an one is but an earthly minded man so a man may be religious a while and hee may deny himselfe either some sinne or else the company of wicked men and yet when he comes but unto this that hee must deny himselfe in all his pleasures here he stands at a stay Gods grace and salvation and he parts hee will not buy it at so deare a rate as to lose his pleasure in these outward things But you will say unto me How shall we doe to get this loathing of earthly things Therefore for the better helping of you unto this worke we will now come downeto consider some meanes by which you may obtaine it First if you would get a loathing of earthly things the first meanes is to get a sound Humiliation For what is the reason men doe so minde earthly things and why they doe not place heavenly things before but because they have not felt the bitternesse of sinne Now the true ground of Humiliation is the hating of sinne out of love unto God but men turne it another way they make another ground of Humiliation For first it may bee they are humble because the feare of judgement that is present or one that is likely to ensue but not for sinne as it is displeasing to God their heart it may bee is broken but it is not made better Secondly it may be they are humbled because of some generall losse of outward things or of some generall judgement that is befallen the land or it may be a particular losse of credit or the like but not for any particular sinne Thirdly it may be there was a deeper ground the persons of some men that were rich but now are fallen and therefore because their hopes depended upon this man and now being unable to helpe them they are dejected But this is a false Humiliation for true Humiliation consisteth in an abstaining from sinne because it is displeasing unto God and a raising up of the heart by Faithin Christ to beleeve the promises both of Justification and Remission of sinnes and then from hence flowes a loathing of sinne Secondly if you would get a loathing of earthly things you must remember the royaltie of the spirituall things what the excellencie of them is they farre suâ—passe all the things in the world Grace hath the greatest power in it it is able to quench fire to stop the mouthes of Lions Heb. 11. 34. Now if men did but beleeve that there were such a power in Grace they would never bee brought to minde earthly things therefore labour to ground your selves in the true knowledge of God get good arguments in your selves of the preciousnesse of heavenly things for if a man be not thus grounded but shall see greater arguments to the contrary hee will presently beginne to suspect that spirituall things are not the best Now when a Christian is thus grounded hee is able to discerne things of a contrary nature therefore bring them unto the triall and the more you try spirituall things by a sanctified judgement the more excellent they will appeare but if they be not spirituall things the more you looke upon them the baser they seeme to be Thirdly if you would get a loathing of earthly things then labour to keepe a constant and diligent watch over your hearts for when a man sets his heart and mind upon earthly things they will worke carelesnesse and remisnesse of better things it so possesseth his heart with feare that hee altogether neglecteth spirituall things it will make thee carelesse in prayer and other holy duties Take heede therefore of filling thy heart with earthly things for it will take away the rellish of spirituall things and if once the sweetnesse of them be gone thou wilt make small account of them Take heed of too much pleasure for then you will neglect prayer in private and take heed of abundance of riches for they haue a drawing power in them And here what Christ spake unto the Church of Smyrna Rev. 3. 8 9. I know thou art rich c. may be said unto you I know you are rich by the great labour ye take after the riches men take much paines forthe getting and keeping of earthly things then how much more should they labour to get and keepe spirituall things labour to keepe your hearts in tune labour to keepe a rellish of spirituall things in your hearts and expell whatsoever is contrary unto it Take heed of immoderate love of riches pleasure or honour take heed that you incroach not upon the Sabbath set that apart for the inriching of your soules I speake not this because I would have you carelesse in your places and callings but I would have you cast off all unnecessary occasions and businesses which you draw upon your selves by reason whereof ye neglect better things It now remaines that I give you some meanes to get heavenly mindednesse The first meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this you must labour to get Faith for the more Faith thou hast the more thou art in heaven Faith overcomes the world which sets upon us two wayes first by promising things that are good secondly by threatning that which is evill Now Faith overcomes both these For First the world tels thee that if thou wilt be earthly minded thou shalt get respect and credit thou shalt get an Inheritance thou shalt be a King but Faith tels thee that if thou wilt be heavenly minded thou shalt get credit and respect with God and his Angels and an Inheritance undefiled immortall which fadeth not away thou shalt be as a King and a Prince here in this life over the world the divell and thine owne corruptions over
all these thou shalt bee more than a Conquerour and have a Crowne of glory in the life to come Secondly the world tels thee that if thou wilt not be earthly minded thou shalt lose thy wealth riches thy honour and thy credit nay thy life also but Faith tels thee that if thou beest earthly minded thou shalt lose thy spirituall life and riches and shalt be poore in the graces of the Spirit thou shalt lose honour and credit with God and his children nay thou shalt lose eternall life Thus Faith overcomes our inordinate affections to the world and makes us heavenly minded The second meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this you must labour for Humilitie this is that which the Apostle Iames exhorts us unto Iam. 4. 8. Clense your hands you sinners and purisie your hearts you double minded and then humble your selves cast your selves downe and the Lord wil raise you up Where we may note that before our hearts hands can be clensed we must be cast downe This we may see in the parable of the Sower Luk. 8. 8. two of the sorts of ground were not fit to receive seed because they were not humbled and therfore the Word had not that effect in them as it had in those that were humbled plowed and had the clods broken It is with an humble soule as it is with an hungry and thirsty man tell him of gold and silver hee cares not for it onely give him meat and drinke for that is the thing he most desires and stands most in need of or like a condemned man tel him of lands and possessions hee regards them nothing at all for nothing will satisfie him but a pardon so it is with a Christian that is humbled and cast downe under the sense of the wrarh of God for sinne tell him of any thing in the world in the most learned and excellentest manner that possibly you can yet nothing will satisfie him but the love and favour of God in Christ hee can rellish nothing but heavenly things nothing will quench his thirst but the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. Thus you see that Humilitie is an excellent meanes unto heavenly mindednesse The third meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this thou must labour to get thy judgement rightly informed especially concerning earthly things The reason wherefore men are so besotted with the world is because they doe not conceive of the things in the world so as indeed they are they thinke better of them then they deserve and looke for that from them which they cannot afford them therefore heare what the Preacher saith of them Salomon saith that they are vanitie and vexation of spirit yea he cals all vanity and in another place he compares them to things that are most variable and most uncertaine as to grasse that withereth to a shadow that is suddenly gone this is the esteeme that the Wiseman had of earthly things And thereby we may see that they are not truly good because they are uncertaine things and promise that which they cannot performe unto us for at the best they are but things wherein as through a crevice we have a small glimpse of the true good yet they themselves are not over-good because they are not the cause whereby the chiefe Good is produced neither are wee able to keepe them for at such or such a time they will bee gone so that they are neither true good nor our good and therefore this should weane us and our hearts from them But let us strive to set our affections on things that are durable good and substantiall good which will not deceive us and will promise us nothing but that which it will performe farre beyond our deserts therefore labour for a right informed judgement The fourth meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this Labour to get a sight into the All-sufficiencie of God Remember what the Lord said unto Abraham I am God All-sufficient walke before me and bee upright God is an All-sufficient God for generall good things of this life are at the best but particular good as health is a particular good against sicknesse wealth and riches a particular good against poverty honour and credit a particular good against disgrace but God is a generall good and the fountaine of all goodnesse other things are but created like cisternes that good they have is put in them therefore the Lord complaines of the people Ier. 2. 13. They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and have digged to themselves Cisternes that will hold no water that is they have forsaken God the fountaine of all good and have chosen unto themselves the creatures that have no more good than that which comes from God the fountaine As a man that forsakes a fountaine that continually runnes and betakes himselfe to a crack'd Cisterne that hath no water but that which commeth from the fountaine and is also subject to lose his water so when men set their hearts on earthly things they forsake God who is All-sufficient for them and seeke to his Creatures which are insufficient and unable to helpe themselves therefore you ought to thinke of these things to the end you may be heavenly minded The fifth meanes to get heavenly mindednesse is this To Remember from whence thou art fallen Rev. 2. 5. this is for those that have beene heavenly minded and now are earthly minded It is with many Christians as it is with the shadow on the Diall the Sunne passeth and they know not how or as a man going to Sea first hee loseth a sight of the Townes and houses then the sight of the Churches and Steeples and then hee loseth the sight of the mountaines and hils then at last hee seeth nothing but the motion of the Seas so there are many Christians that make a godly shew of profession at first but by degrees they fall away till at length they become nothing they leave the good profession and take up an outward professing of Christianitie and doe all in hypocrisie it is with these men as it is with a man that hath a Consumption in his bodie first he growes weake secondly he loseth his colour thirdly hee loseth his rellish and taste and this is the most dangerous of all so it is in a spirituall Consumption first they are weake and feeble to performe holy duties secondly they lose their colour that is their cheerefulnesse in the performance of holy duties thirdly which is the worst of all they lose their rellish they cannot taste wholsome Doctrine they delightnot in the pure Word and this is dangerous and hard to be recovered A Consumption at first is more easily cured than discerned and at length it is more easily discovered than cured so it is with the spirituall the sicknesse and the weaknesse of the soule may at the first be more easily cured than discerned but when they
world nor their affections to be drawne away and therefore the Apostle saith that he chastiseth every sonne whom he doth receive that is if a man or a woman doe belong unto God they shall be sure of sorrow and affliction and these are sent unto them to weane them from the things of this world to purge out of their hearts that sweetnesse that they are ready to conceive in these outward things by reason of that corruption that is in them Secondly if they be wicked men and doe not belong unto God yet there shall be no sweetnesse in them for if he be not regenerate outward things are not sanctified where theyare not sanctified unto a man or a woman no sweetnes can be expected from them And the reason is because they have not peace of conscience which proceeds from grace Now howsoever worldly men may seeme to the world to have true content and to be filled with joy yet the truth is it is a sick joy for their consciences are ever accusing of them and they are in a continual feare that they shall lose one another therefore the Lord will be sure to afflict them Psa. 55. 19. the Lord will heare and afflict these because they have no changes therfore they feare not God therfore dost thou see a wicked man prosper in the world and is not subject to such crosses losses as other men are it is a foule signe that that man doth not belong unto God but is one whom God hath appointed unto damnation For this is the nature of earthly mindednes it casts out of the heart the feare of God in an unregenerate man now where Gods feare is not Gods grace wil not help that man But this is not usual for the Lord most commonly meets with them here either by afflicting of judgements upon them or else with sudden death but if hee doe not meet with them here it is because their judgements may be the greater that when they have heapt up the measure of their sinne then God wil heap up the measure of their punishment and the measure of his wrath to presse them downe unto hell Now what if God deferre the execution of Judgement it is not because there is any slacknesse in God as if he did not regard them but the Apostle saith that t is his Patience 1 Pet. 3. 20. hee takes notice of it hee puts it upon record hee remembers it well enough but he is a patient God that is he waits for their conversion Now patience is an attribute of God and every attribute of God is God himselfe for there is nothing that is in God but it is God Patience I say is one of the Attributes by which God hath made himselfe knowne unto us now when men abuse this Attribute of God hardning themselves from his feare hee will certainly meet with them what and if God doe deferre long it is not because hee shall escape unpunished for saith God When I begin I will make an end that is I will strike but once they shall have no more time for repentance they shall not abuse my patience any more This is a fearefull Judgement of God when God doth proceed by prosperitie to destroy them and it was the judgement the Lord threatned against the two sonnes of Ely Hophni and Phineas 1 Sam. 3. 22. Thus you see there is no sweetnesse in outward things for a man to set his heart upon them The third Motive to move all men to leave their earthly mindednesse is because if a man or woman be earthly minded they cannot be saved and who is there amongst us that would not willingly be saved All men doe desire salvation and yet there are but few that in truth doe desire it because their practice of life is not answerable to such a desire for the Apostle saith He that hath this hope purgeth himselfe that is hee will take spirituall Physicke the grace of the Spirit which will throughly purge out this earthly mindednesse or at leastwise keepe it under that it shall not bee able to beare dominion in his heart Now I say there is a necessitie laid upon every man to be heavenly minded for so our Saviour saith Mat. 6. 24. No man can serve two masters he cannot serve God and Mammon that is hee cannot serve God with one part of his soule and the world with another you cannot be earthly minded and heavenly minded God will have all the soule or none God will admit of no Co-partnership hee will not be a sharer with the world of that which is his right Againe two contraries in nature cannot stand together now there is nothing so contrary as God and the world and therefore the Apostle saith If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him that is if he set the world in the first place he cannot keepe the love of God God and his grace will depart from that man It is a thing contrary to nature to serve two masters men cannot beare it for there can be but part serving and surely it is not so contrary to a man as it is contrary unto God therefore it is the folly of men that thinke they may retaine their earthly mindednesse and yet serve God too but it is unpossible to joyne these two in any action and yet be acceptable to God Faith is that which is the ornament of every action Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne now every earthly minded man is a faithlesse man it keepes Faith out of the soule whether it bee love of riches or honour or pleasure though it bee but a depending on the approbation of such or such a man it will keepe Faith out of the soule so saith our Saviour Ioh. 5. 44. How can ye beleeve seeing ye seeke honour one of another and not the honour that commeth of God The cause that they wanted Faith was because they preferred the approbation of mâ—n and sought that before the gifts and graces of God for it is unpossible you should beleeve so long as you retaine any affection of vaine-glory Luk. 9. 23. our Saviour gives two markes of a true Christian the one is to deny himselfe and the other is to take up the Crosse therefore it is not onely required that a man deny himselfe the pleasures and profits of the world and all inordinate affections but he must also take up the crosse he must be willing to suffer for Christ reproach disdaine and shame for there is as great a necessity laid upon him to suffer as to deny himselfe and thinke thinke not your selves heavenly mindâ—d except you finde in you a heart willing to suffer for Christ. The fourth motive to move all men to forsake earthly mindednesse is because it is the better part and every man would have the best part but it is a hard matter to perswade men that that is the best part for
so likewise for all other in the like kinde and accordingly judge of your selves whether you be heavenly minded or no. The second signe whereby you may know whether you be heavenly minded or no is by the esteeme that you have of heavenly things whether you esteeme them as a part of your selves every facultie or habit hath an object if thou be a carnal man then these earthly things are that which delights thy soule but if thou be heavenly minded then spirituall things are the delight of thy soule Now touch a man that is not regenerate in these outward things and you touch his life for hee accounts his life as them for they are part of himselfe but it is otherwise with the spirituall man he accounts not of these earthly things 2 Cor. 4. 5. the Apostle saith Wee preach not our selves that is we account not of the approbation of men nor any outward thing as a part of our selves therefore if wee want these we doe not much care Hereby then examine your selves what are the things you most delight in What are they earthly things how to bee rich or honourable Doth this take away all your time and employ all the faculties of your soules that you can have no time to thinke upon God or at least if you doe yet it is very remissely and overly with no zeale or affection Then certainly as yet thou art not heavenly minded But if thou bee enlightned by the Spirit it will be farre otherwise with thee these earthly things will have but the second roome in thy heart all thy care principally will bee how to get grace justification remission of sinnes and reconciliation Now if it bee thus with thee it is an excellent signe that thou art heavenly minded when thou canst say with Paul Rom. 7. 17. It is not I but sinne in mee that is the lustings and rebellions which are in my heart after these earthly things have not the first place in my heart It is not I that is it is the unregenerate part which I account not as part of my selfe if I say it be thus with thee it â—s a signe that thou art heavenly minded for if thou hast obtained this heavenly mingednesse thou wilâ— be disposâ—d like a Traveller who will ever be enquiring the way home and whether all at home bee well if hee can meet with any that can thus certifie him and hee hâ—are that they are all well at home then he will 〈◊〉 more cheerefully undergoe any difficultie that 〈…〉 meet with all in the way will undergoe 〈…〉 hunger and cold in like manner it is 〈…〉 heavenly â—â—iâ—ded man he will ever be asking the way home for indeed heaven is our proper home and whether all be well at home that is if God and Christ and the Spirit and the Saints be at amity with him and in himselfe he will be inquiring if he find faith and repentance and peace of Conscience if he feeles that for matter of Justification and remission of sins he be well he respects not the world hee cares not much what hee meets withall whether reproach and shame penury or want so he find no inlacke of spirituall grace all is well with him Therefore examine your selves whether you be heavenly minded or no by the esteeme that you have of earthly members The third signe whereby you may examine your selves whether you be earthly minded or no is by your spirituall taste whether you rellish heavenly or earthly things best and therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 85. they that are of the flesh doe savour the things of the flesh but they that are of the spirit the things of the spirit that is if the heart be regenerate it will taste a sweetenesse in nothing but in heavenly things or at least nothing will be so sweet unto him and on the contrary they that are earthly minded they can find no sweetnesse in heavenly things Now as I said before every faculty or habit hath an object in which it is delighted whether it bee unto good or unto evill so that if the heart bee regenerate then it will finde sweetnesse in nothing but spirituall things but if it be unregenerate then it can finde no sweetnesse in heavenly things neither can it wish them so well as earthly things Therefore examine what you delight in what delight you have of the hearing of the pure word whether you rellish it then best when it comes in the plaine evidence of the Spirit or when it is mixt with eloquence and wit which if you doe it is a signe of earthly mindednesse It is said 2 Pet. 2. 1. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that is the man that is truly regenerate and renewed hoe doth best rellish the word when it is alone without any mixture and therfore he calls it the sincere milke that is the pure word as if he should say It is pure of it selfe but if there be any thing added unto it or mixed with it it detracts from the excellency of it for indeed the word is the purest thing in the world all Arts and Sciences and knowledge of Philosophy are good for morrall duties but they are corrupt unclean in comparison of the Word and the reason is because these are the works of men now there is no worke of man but it is subject to corruption but the word of God remaines pure therefore examine your selves how you stand affected with the pure word But some will say unto me that eloquence and wit is an ornament unto the word it lets forth the excellency of the word the more therefore if it be such an ornament unto the word then it out to be used otherwaies the excellency of the word will not appeare To this I answer that humane wit and eloquence is so farre from setting forth the excellency of the word as it obscures the excellency of it I say there is no Art Science Tongue Knowledgeor eloquence in the world that hath such excellency in them as the word hath whether you respect the Author God or the Inditer the holy Spirit or the matter of it Christ and his righteousnesse Againe the stile the Spirit uses in setting downe the phrases of the Scripture shewes plainly that it is excellent of it selfe now if any thing bee added unto a thing that is excellent either the thing must bee as excellent or else it detracts from the excellencie of it but there is no man but will confesse that the Word is the most excellent thing in the world therefore it must follow that Eloquence addes not to the excellency of the Word But you will say unto mee May wee not use Eloquence and Science in the Preaching of the Word To this I answer That it is an unseasonable thing I say a thing not seemely that the Word be mixt with humane Eloquence for the pure Word should bee purely delivered and the
carnally by a bare understanding but spiritually by the worke of the Spirit and therefore sâ—ith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 16. Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know wee him no more that is wee knew him before in a carnall manner as he is man or as he was a man amongst us but now we know him in another manner as he is our Saviour and our Redeemer Christ my Saviour and my Reconciliation to the Father Now it is not a bare knowledge that I speake of such a knowledge as is attained unto by Learning and Art for so a man may have knowledge and yet not be heavenly minded but that knowledge I speake of is a knowledge that is wrought by the Spirit when it hath changed the heart then hee is able to judge both of Persoâ—s and Things 〈◊〉 for Persons hee is able to judge of the perâ—â—â—s of men and accordingly to make a difference betweene men if hee see a poore man that is a sound Christian though hee bee contemned in the eyes of the world yet if it appeare to him that he hath grace in his heart or if hee make an outward profession of love to God hee doth highly esteeme of him because of grace on the contrary if hee see a great man though in great honour and esteeme with men yet he respects him not if he want grace Therefore examine your selves whether you are able to distinguish of persons in this kinde Secondly for things he is able to judge of things whether they be spirituall or earthly he is able now to know what is truth and to embrace it and what is error and to refuse it hee hath now a Touch-stone in himselfe that is hee hath the Spirit of discerning whereby he makes tryall of graces and layes hold on those which will endure the touch those hee will receive as spirituall the other which will not he casts out as counterfeit therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him that is hee was not able to judge of things in that manner as now hee can Therefore examine your selves whether there bee a new life put into you whereby you are able to judge of persons and things in another manner than you did before But you will say unto mee How shall I know that my heart is renewed by the Spirit and that there is a new life put into me To this I answer that you shall know whether your heart is renewed by the Spirit by these three things first by thy affections secondly by thy speeches and thirdly by thy actions First I say thou shalt know it by thy affections for by these thou maist know whether thou be heavenly minded or no and that thou maist not doubt of it our Saviour gives the same marke of a renewed heart Mat. 6. 21. Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also you may know that where your heart is there is your treasure what your heart is set upon there your affections are for the proper seat of love is the heart Now if the heart be renewed and regenerated by the spirit there will be a love of spirituall things and this love will be get heavenly affections A man may certainly know what estate he is in whether hee be regenerate or no by his affections how he is affected what love hee beares unto heavenly things for there is life in affections and as a man that lives knowes that hee lives so a man that hath spirituall love in his heart towards God cannot but certainly know it except it be in time of temptation and then it may be he may not find that love of God in his heart but this sense of the want of the love of God is but for a time it continues not therfore the holy Ghost when hee would describe a heavenly minded man hee describes him by his affections as the best marke to try him by as Abraham would command his servants to serue God and Nehemiah feared God and David Psal. 112. 1. delighted greatly in the commandements of God now wherfore did they obey God and feare God and delight in the Commandements of God but because of that inward love they beare unto him We know every man can tell whether he loves such a man or such a thing or whether hee hates such a man or such a thing by the affection hee beares to them in like manner a man may know whether hee be heavenly or earthly minded by the affections he carries towards the things he affects therefore examine your selves what are the things that you love most that you thinke upon most that you take care of most that you take most care to get and to keepe are they earthly or heavenly things those things you doe love best and your affections are most set upon that your thoughts are most troubled withall if they be earthly you may iustly feare your estates for the affections flow from love and therefore if you did not love them you would not set your hearts and affections upon them Secondly you shall know whether your hearts be renewed by your Speeches now this may seeme but a slender signe of a renewed heart because it is hard to iudge aright by outward appearances to know the sincerity of the hart by the speeches yet seeing Christ makes it a signe of a renewed heart I may the more safely follow him our Saviour saith Mat. 12. 34. that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh that is there is abundance in the heart either of good or evill Now if the heart be full of heavenly mindednesse if I say this abundance that is in the heart be grace then it will appeare in the speeches for the speeches doe naturally flow from the affections that are in the heart but if the abundance that is in the heart be evill then the heart cannot but send out foule speeches and rotten communication and therfore our Saviour saith A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit nor an evill tree good fruit it is unpossible that a heart which doth abound and is full of earthly mindednesse but it will breake forth and appeare by his speeches the filthinesse that is in his heart if it have not vent it will burst as wee know a new vessell that hath wine put into it must have a vent or else it will burst and by the vent you may know what wine it is so the speeches are the vent of the heart and by them you may see what is in the heart if grace be there the speech s will favour of it as a Caske will taste of that which is in it But you will say The heart is of a great depth
and who can search it who is able to know whether the heart be renewed or no by the speeches To this I answer I say not that a man may at all times and in all places judge of it aright but I say that a man may certainly know himselfe whether hee be renewed or no which is the thing we seek to prove in this place that a man may know from what root they spring whether of weaknesse by rebellion or naturally through unmortified lusts I say not but sometimes a child of God a regenerated man may have foul speeches in his mouth yet his heart be good towards God he may have rotten talke but it is but for a time it will not continue and it will cause much sorrow of heart if hee have grace when his conscience touches him for it 2 Tim. 2. 20 21. In a great mans house there are vessels of honour and vessels of dishonor if a man therfore purge himselfe he shal be a vessell of honor and yet have corruption in him there may corrupt communication come out of his mouth and yet he keep his goodnes as a vessel of gold may be foule within and yet cease not to be gold a vessell of honor neither lose it excellency so a regenerate man may have in the abundance of his heart some chaffe aswell as wheat some corruption aswel as grace and yet be a vessel of gold that is heavenly minded for the Apostle saith If anyman therfore purge himselfe he shall be a vessell of honor notwithstanding his corruption in his heart it appeare in his speech yet if he purge himselfe if he labor to mortifie them if he labor to rid his heart of theÌ„ he shal be a vessel of honor But you will say It may be that wee shall have not alwaies occasions to try men by their speeches how then shall we know whether their hearts be renewed To this I answer Iâ— is true that it may so fal out that we cannot try men by their speeches yet silence will declare in part what is in the heart let a regenerate man besilent and his silence will shew that hee hath a renewed heart if he be reproached or slandred his patience in suffering showes the uprightnes of his hart but if he speake it hath a greater force and will more manifestly appeare so on the contrary the rottennesse that is in the heart wil appeare in impatiency of spirit Thirdly you may know whether your hearts be renewed by your actions this also our Savior makes another signe of a renewed heart Mat. 7. 20. By their works you shall know them that is by their actions Now every thing is knowne by his actions therfore examine your selves what are your actions are they the actions of the regenerate part or of the ueregenerate part are they holy actions or are they uncleane actions By this you may know whether you be heavenly minded or no. Now this must necessarily follow the other two for if the heart be renewed then there will be heavenly affections in it towards God and spirituall things and if heavenly affections then there will bee heavenly speeches for these flow from heavenly affections and if there bee these two then there must needs bee holy actions therefore our Saviour saith Luk. 6. 45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good fruit that is if the heart have in it a treasure of heavenly affections and speeches it cannot bee but it will send forth good actions in the life The fift and last signe whereby you may examine your selves whether you be heavenly minded or no is by examining your selves how you stand affected towards him that seekes to take these earthly members from you how you stand affected with him that reproves you for your earthly mindednesse This is a signe that Paul gives of an unsound heart 2 Tim. 4. 3. The time will come that they will not endure wholesome doctrine that is they will not endure the Word of reproofe but will be ready to revile them that shall reprove them and therefore hee addes that they shall heape to themselves Teachers they shall affect those that shall speake so as they would have them Now this is a signe of earthly mindednesse when they are offended with him that shall reprove them for their sinne for if men reckon these members as a part of themselves then you cannot touch them but you must touch their lives for these are a part of their life and if you seeke to take these away you seeke to take away their lives â—ow what man will bee contented to part with his life It is a principle in Nature that God hath implanted in every creature to love their lives but if you account them not as a part of your selves but as your enemies then you wil account him as a spiritualfriend that shall helpe you to slay them for who is there that will not love him that shall helpe him to slay his enemie Therefore if the heart be heavenly disposed he reckons them as his enemies but if he be not renewed hee accounts them as a part of himselfe therefore examine your selves by this whether you be heavenly minded or no. The Use of this that hath beene spoken is for exhortation unto all those that are heavenly minded Let mee now exhort such to persevere in heavenly mindednesse let them labour to grow every day more heavenly minded then other Rev. 22. 11. Let them that be holy be holy still that is let them bee more holy let them labour to grow in heavenly mindednesse let them labour to keepe their hearts pure from this earthly mindednesse because it will soile their soules for all sinne is of a soiling nature if it enter into the heart it will leave a spot behinde it now wee know that if a man have a rich garment which he sets much by hee will be marvellous carefull to keepe all kinde of grease and spots out of it so it should bee a Christians duty to labour to keepe all soile out of his soule because it is a precious garment and the residing place of the Spirit we know that if a man have one spot in his garment it makes him out of love with it and then cares not how many lights upon it so it is with sinne if thou suffer thy heart to bee spotted but with one sinne it will worke carelesnesse in thee so that hereafter thou wilt not much care what sin thou commit nor how thy soule is soiled therefore it behoves you to keepe your hearts from every sinne and to make conscience of little sinnes And so much the rather because the glory of God is engaged on your conversation if thou shalt soile thy selfe with any sinne that hath taken upon thee the profession of the Gospell God will be dishonoured and the Gospell will bee scandaled Againe keep thy heart
because God takes special notice of all thy actions as for dogs and swine as for the actions of unregenerate men he regards them not because his glory is not engaged upon their conversation he expects nothing from them but as for you he takes a particular notice of all your actions speeches and behaviours and therefore you should be marvellous carefull over your hearts Againe looke unto secret sinnes because hee is the searcher of the heart let the feare of God set in order every faculty of your soules to keepe out every sinne every evill thought because hee takes speciall notice of it And that I may the better prevaile with you I will briefly lay downe some Motives to move you to keepe this diligent watch over your hearts The first Motive to move every Christian to continue and grow in heavenly mindednesse is this because by this meanes hee may bee able to doe every good worke 2 Tim. 3. 21. If a man therefore purge himselfe hee shall be a vessell of honour fit for every good worke that is if hee labour to rid his heart of earthly mindednesse he shall have a new life put into him whereby hee shall bee able to performe holy duties in another manner then before Now what is the reason that there is such complaint among Christians that they cannot pray and are so dull and slaggish in the performance of holy duties but because they have not rid their hearts of earthly mindednesse What is the reason that there is so much Preaching and so little practise and so much hearing and so little edifying but because men are earthly minded If they would purge themselves of this earthly mindednesse it is unpossible but that there would bee more spirituall life in them in the performance of spirituall duties Therefore if it were for no other cause but this that you may be inabled unto every good worke and holy dutie and that you may keepe in you your spirituall life feeling and moving labour to keepe thy heart cleane from sinne The second motive to move Christians to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because that by this God is honoured I say it is a glorie to God if thou keepe thy heart cleane Now what man is there that would not willingly glorifie God who stuck not to give Christ for him It is a glorie unto God when the Professors of the Word live a holy life for what is the nature of the Word but to cleanse now when it worketh not this effect in them or at least when it appeares not in them it doth detract from the excellencie of the Word The Apostle layes downe the nature of a true Christian Iam. 1. 21. Pure Religion is this to keepe ones selfe unspotted of the world that is a spotlesse life is that which best beseemes a Christian man that takes upon him the profession of the Gospel and that which brings much glorie unto God is a blamelesse conversation and to this end the Apostle exhorts Let saith he your Conversation be without covetousnesse Heb. 13. 5. as if hee should say an unsatiable desire doth detract from the glorie of God therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded The third Motive to move every Christian to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because hee may prevaile with God in prayer Iam. 5. 16. the Apostle saith that The prayer of a faithfull man availeth much if it bee fervent that is it hath a great force with God for a blessing Now this should bee a marvellous encouragement to keepe the heart cleane in regard of the great necessitie that the Church hath of our prayers and therefore if we would not for ourselves prevaile with God yet in regard of the great need that the Church stands in at this present we should be moved to doe this duty But you will say that wee are but few or that I am but one and how can we be able to prevaile thus with God To this I answer Grant that you be but a few yet a few may doe much good Ezek. 22. 30. speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem I sought saith the Lord for a man to stand in the gappe and there was none Hee speakes there in the singular number if there had beene but one that is but a few they might have prevailed much with God so I say unto you though we be but a few yet if wee keepe our hearts pure wee may doe much with God nay though thou bee but a particular person thou maist prevaile much with God as Moses did for the Children of Israel when a damme is new broken the casting in of a little dirt will hinder the course of water but if it be not holpen in time it will not easily be stopt â—o in time a few may prevent a Judgement nay such a Jâ—dgement as otherwise may destroy a whole land if the heart bee truly sanctified it hath a great force with God Againe a man that would pray if he doe not speake but many times he is forced to send forth sighes and grones unto God this is of great power with God but if hee powre out his heart in voyce it hath a greater force and therefore the Wise-man saith that the words of the righteous are precious that is of great worth with God and therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded HOW TO MORTIFIE FORNICATION Colossians 3. 1. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry HAving handled in generall the Doctrine of Mortification according to the Method of the Apostle I am now come to descend to the considering of particulars as they are laid downe in my Text and would speak of them in the order as they are ranked by the holy Spirit but that the affinity and neerenesse betwixt three of these sinnes namely Fornication Uncleannesse and evill Concupiscence makes me to confound them and promiscuously to mingle them together Let us therefore consider first of the nature of every of these sinnes particularly by themselves and afterward make some use and application to our selves of them altogether The Doctrine that arises in generall from these words is That All Vncleannesse is a thing God would have mortified and quite destroyed out of the hearts that hee would dwell in All filthinesse and uncleannesse is a member of the old man now in such as Christ dwels in the old man is crucified he is dead with Christ now hee that is dead with him is freed from him and againe he that is in the second Adam hath power to mortifie the members of the old man All Gods children must be purified and cleansed from all pollution as the Apostle expressely commands us Ephes. 5. 1. Be ye followers of God as deare children that is be ye like unto God your Father as children resemble their naturall fathers now God is
the greater sinne now God hath made this sinne to be the punishment of all other sinnes for after a man hath long continued in other sinnes at last God gives him up to this sinne as to a punishment of the former and therefore questionlesse it is a great and an haynous sinne Now since you have seene the haynousnesse of this sinne in the next place I will shew you the manifold deceits of Satan whereby men are provoked to the commission of this filthy sinne First Men doe goe on in the committing of this sinne because they doe hope to repent afterwards For answer of this I say that man who hath a will to sinne doth harden himselfe more and more by sinne and this sinne of Uncleannesse being a great sinne it doth harden the heart the more and doth the more indispose a man towards God A man by common reason would thinke that great sinnes doe make the heart to be more sensible but indeed it doth not so for it takes away the sense Great sinnes are a meanes to harden the heart so that it cannot repent Prov. 2. 19. None that goe unto her returne againe neither doe they take hold of the paths of life which is meant of repentance for God doth not give repentance to this sinne because it is a sinne so evident against the light of Nature as Ezech. 24. 16. Sonne of man behold I take from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroake yet neither shalt thou mourne nor weepe neither shall thy tcares runne downe that is if man will refuse the time of repentance which God doth offer unto him when he would repent then God doth deny him It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God God will have mercie upon whom hee will have mercie Rom. 9. 16. Now to shew what Repentance is Repentance is a change of the heart whereby a man is become a new creature having an inward affection to that which is good and a loathing and detestation of that which is bad To shew that Repentance is the change of the heart see how the Prophet Hosea Chapt. 7. 14. doth reprove the Israelites for their howling on their beds because their Repentance was not from their hearts they did howle much as it were for their sinnes but yet their Repentance was not from the heart and therfore nothing availeable to them True Repentance doth turne the disposition of the heart of a man another way then it went before Another meanes that Satan useth to delude the hearts of men and cause them to be set upon evill is because they doe not see the punishment due for sinne to be presently executed upon sinners For Answer of this In that God doth spare to punish sinne no man hath cause to joy in it God is mercifull and doth heare many times a long while with men not to punish them for sinne to see if they will returne unto him and repent But as long as man doth continue in any sinne without repentance so long doth hee abuse Gods patience every day and howre Rom. 2. 4. Thinkest thou this O man and despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance Vers. 5. But after the hardnesse and impenitencie of heart treasurest up wrath unto thy selfe against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Another Deceit that Satan useth to provoke men unto this sinne is to judge of uncleannesse by common opinion that is to weigh this sinne in a false ballance and to looke upon it in a false glasse and not to carry it to the ballance of the Sanctuary of the Lord and therefore many times they esteeme great sinnes to be little sinnes and little sinnes to be none at all when men doe thus mistake sinne they judge of it otherwise than it is As when bad company are together they doeall allow and approve of sinne and so evill words doe corrupt good manners and in their opinions doe make sinne to be no sinne at all not considering that place Titus 2. 14. That Christ gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all iniquitie and to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes When a man hath committed sinne his Conscience is defiled and so can no more judge of sinne aright than one that would discerne of colours in a foule and soyled glasse but when the Conscience is cleare it sees things as they are and so is able to judge of sinne by that rule by which our selves shall be judged at the last day There is a sanctifying Spirit which if wee had we should judge of sinne aright and the rule whereby we are to try sinne is the written Word of God Fourthly Satan useth to provoke men to this sinne when they can commit it in secret then will they bee bold to doeit But consider God sees in secret and he will reward them openly Mat. 6. 4. Give thine almes in secret and thy father that is in secret will reward thee openly Now wee may judge by the rule of contrarieties that if God doe see Almes that are done in private and will reward them openly may not we thinke that he will doe the like of sinne For so hee did by David hee spared not him though he were his owne servant 2 Sam. 12. Thou didst this sinne secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne And thus they goe on boldly in this sinne thinking they shall escape well enough if they can doe it secretly and not bee seene of men but they in this despising of God make God to despise them Consider oh man the many wayes God hath to reveale sinne that is committed in secret Eccles. 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich no not in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Sinne that hath beene committed in secret shall bee discovered by wayes that a man thought unpossible Evill men are as a glasse that is sodered together as soone as the sother is melted the glasse doth fall in peeces So they that are companions in evill may for a time be true the one to the other but yet the Lord will one way or other discover their iniquities so that they shall fall in peeces like a broken potsharde yea perhaps the Sinner himselfe shall confesse his sinne as Iudas did The last Deceit which Satan doth use to provoke men unto this sinne is with the present delight which they have unto it To this I answer as Christ in Mat. 5. 27. Thou shalt not commit adulterie for whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart If thy right eye offend thee plucke it out
to the Lords Table therefore saith the Apostle Hee is guilty of the body and blood of Christ that is hee is guilty of the same Sinne that those were that did crucifie and mocke Christ Iesus The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a speciall meanes and chiefe ordinance of God for the attainement of his blessings if it be rightly received and so it is the greatest judgement that can befall a man if it bee not rightly received for Christ is chiefely represented therein The blood of Christ is the most precious thing in the world when men shall account this holy blood of the new Testament to be but an unholy thing and to trample it vnderfoote God will not beare with this Now when a man doth come to the Sacraments in a negligent manner in not preparing himselfe worthily to come hee is guiltie of the blood of Christ For ye are not onely to be carefull to prepare your selves before the receiving of the Sacrament but also of your walking afterwards Therefore consider you that have received the Sacrament or intend to do it that you doe clense your selves from this pollution of heart and spirit and that you doe put on the wedding garment that is required of all worthy receivers Let your hearts be changed and your affections and actions be free from all kind of evill and your hearts be turned to God else you cannot bee worthy receivers and so much shall suffice for this use that seeing this sinne is so great every man should endevour to free himselfe from it Secondly seeing the Apostle doth not onely exhort us to abstaine from it but also mortifie kill and subdue it If there were nothing but a meere abstinence from ill then it is not properly a mortification for then the impurest adulterer should sometimes bee chast after his impure manner of committing it and therefore the cessation of it is no true mortifying of it and that you may know mortification aright I will give you three signes First you shall know it by this if there went a generall reformation both in heart and life before when the heart is generally set aright is changed and renewed to good and from thence doeth arise a dying to these lusts then it is a good signe but if otherwise there bee no particulars changed in thee then it is but a cessation not a mortification but when the whole frame of the heart is altered yea even from the very roote when the old man in the body of sinne is wounded even to the heart that is when a man hath hath beene soundly humbled for his sinne and afterwards hath his heart affected to Christ and is come to love God and hath his mind changed then he may truely reckon it mortification Secondly you may know true mortification by this by having a right judgement of sinne and a true loathing and detestation of it It is hard for a man while hee hath any sinne in him to judge rightly of it for then a man is given to an injudicious minde while hee doeth continue in it As when a man is in prison if hee have continued there long though the sent bee bad yet hee cannot discerne it but let this man be brought to fresh ayre and bee carryed to that prison againe then hee will smell the noysomenesse of it So when a man is in sinne hee cannot truely judge of it but when he is escaped from it then he can rightly and truly detest and judge of it when a mans soule is righteous there is a contrariety betweene him and uncleannesse a righteous soule doeth detest sin both in himselfe and others as Lots soule was vexed with the abhomination of the Sodomites Consider how you are affected with the sinne of others Rom. 1. verse 32. They were not onely worthy of death who did commit sinne themselves but also they that had pleasure in others when a man can truely detest sinne in others as Lot did and doeth truely loath it in himselfe then it is a true signe of true mortification The last thing to know mortification by is an actuall abstinence from every sinne it is one thing to dislike a sinne and another thing to bee wearie of it and to hate the sinnefullnesse of it If mortification bee true he will hate all kind of uncleannesse with an inveterate hatred bee it of what degree it will Sheepe doe hate all kind of Wolves if a man doe truly mortifie c. his hatred to sinne will bee generall not onely in abstinence from grosse sinnes as murther adultery and fornication but also from all other sinnes For when a man forsakes sinne out of hatred his rancor is of iudgement more then of passion and so likewise his hatred will be constant Men may bee angry with their sinnes sometimes and fall out with them at other times and yet be friends againe but if they doe truely hate sinne their abstinence from sinne will be constant when a man becomes a new creature there will arise a contrarietie to sinne in his nature so that if a man doe hate sin he is truely said to mortifie Here may a question be asked Whether after true mortification a man may fall into the same sinne againe or no For answere hereunto I say a man may fall againe into the act of sin and uncleannesse after mortification for the gates of Gods mercy stand open to men after their greatest relapses But yet he doth never fall into the love of sinne and of purpose for to sinne Though he doe fall into the act hee doth not returne to allow of it and to wallow in the mire for it is impossible to do so after grace yet we cannot shut up the gates of Gods mercie to those that have often relapsed so that a mans conscience is witnesse unto him that he is not remisse in the meanes hee should use though hee fall into the act of sinne unawares yet he doth it not with set purpose Now you may judge whether you be mortified yea or no. The meanes to mortification are these The first meanes to mortifie is to labour for the assurance of pardon of thy sinnes Sinne is never mortified but by the sanctifying Spirit there may bee a restrained spirit in us to keepe us from the act of fin but it can never bee mortified but by the sanctifying spirit of God pardon for sin is had by the assurance of faith in Christ and the way to get this for givenes is to be truely humbled for our sinnes acknowledging our own misery and our owne wants and to lay hold upon the mercies of Christ Iesus and to bee lifted up by the promises of the Gospel Consider whatsoever your sinnes be whether against the light of nature or against knowledge Let a mans relapses be never so great and agravated with never so many circumstances Neverthelesse if a man will come in our commission is to propound unto them without all condition
sinne Revel 1. 10. It is said of Iohn That he was ravished in the Spirit as a man locked in armour When the Spirit of God doth possesse the Soule and compasseth it about it keepes it from the wayes of iniquity and causeth an aptnesse to good 1. Tim. 17. For God hath not given us the Spirit of feare but of power of love and of a good and sound minde And the reason why men doe neglect it is because they know not the way to get it They know not the power and efficacie of the Spirit and that is the reason there is so little effect in this businesse Let a man bee left to his owne Spirit and Gods Spirit removed from him hee will lust after all evills Take example of Eliah and Iohn Baptist It is said of Iohn that hee came in the spirit of Eliah which did excell in him Take Eliah and extract that Spirit from him which he had from God and hee would be but as other men Take the deare Saints of God and take but this Spirit from them how would it be with them Even as it was with David when God did but as it were hide himselfe a little while from him into what dangerous Sinnes did hee fall Therefore pray to God that hee would give you his Spirit and that will bee a meanes to mortifie these lusts within you It is the Spirit that doth make difference betweene Man and Man and for the getting of it pray to God earnestly and hee cannot denie you I will name but one place more unto you Acts 2. 38. 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Sinnes and you shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and your children and unto all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call So that the men which were converted at Peters Sermon did aske What shall wee doe to be saved Hee said Repent and beleeve and yee shall receive the holy Ghost And further addeth The promise is made to you and to your children and you shall be partakers of it Not that the promise of the holy Ghost did belong onely to those that were then present but to all that have beene borne since and are to be borne both of Iew and Gentile to as many as shall call upon the name of the Lord. Therefore doe you now as the Apostles did then when Christ told them hee would send them the Comforter they spent the time in prayers untill they had it So doe you pray earnestly and be instant with God for it and then certainely God cannot denie it you and when you have the Spirit then you will mortifie those lusts and all other Sinnes whatsoever when you have this Spirit of Sobrietie of Temperance of Love of weekenesse of gentlenesse of long suffering The Lord graunt you understanding in what hath beene spoken And so much for this time FINIS HOW TO MORTIFIE inordinate affection COLO 1. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry SOme of those earthly members which the Apostle would have us to mortifie we have already handled we are now come to speake of the inordinate affections The greeke word is translated by a double word sometimes passion sometimes affection but it is alone so as the point is cleere That All immoderate affections must be mortified A doctrine that may well bee handled at large it beeing generall and universall an vnlimited word that reacheth unto all particular affections a doctrine that concernes every man Men for the most part when they come into the open view of the world have a certaine composed habit but inwardly are full of inordinate affections It is a Doctrine therefore that searcheth the inward parts the mindes and hearts of men a Doctrine of continuall use for though men presse outward actions yet affections remaine unruled Besides all this a Doctrine of no small difficulty For as there is nothing easier than to wish and desire so there is nothing harder than to order these desires aright For the better handling of the point observe these three things First what Affections are Secondly when they are inordinate Thirdly why they are to be mortified In the first place I must tell you what affections are by affections you must vnderstand all affections and passions whatsoeuer for the better understanding whereof you must know that there are three things in the soule first the faculties which are to the soule as the members to the body Secondly the inclinations of those faculties Thirdly the habits acquired from those inclinations for example the appetite or will is a faculty of the soule and this taken in it selfe is neither good nor evill morally Againe there are the inclinations of that will and these are goodor evill according as the objects that they apprehend are good or evill and lastly the habit is when the soule doth accustome it selfe one way or other the habit is good when the soule is accustomed to good objects in a good manner and the habit is evill when the will accustometh it selfe to evill objects or to good objects in an evill manner It is with the passions as it is with the senses First we have the sense of hearing before we heare and of seeing before we see Then from often hearing or seeing of the same object proceedes an inclination more to one object than to another From that inclination a habit in the sense to turne it selfe with most easinesse and delight upon that object Thus a corrupt habit is bred with us when the mind or wil turnes it selfe often to this or that evill object and so gets agility and nimblene in doing as often doing brings dexteritie to the hands so if the will or appetite have gotten a haunt either to vertues or vices it contracts a habit to it selfe Now to shew you what an affection is we define it thus An affection is an inclination or motion of the Appetite upon the apprehension of good or evill I call it an inclination or motion for it is the bent of the will to this or that thing as for example when we outwardly love feare or desire that is a motion and for the Inclination wee are to know that in man there is a double Appetite the first is sensuall which apprehends things conveied to the senses as to the eye and eare and so is affected to loue feare or grieve this I call the sensuall appetite because it is of objects apprehended by fantasie Secondly there is a rational appetite the object of that is that which the understanding apprehends and from hence proceed affections to riches honor preferment c. the will beeingconversant about it Remember this distinction because of the matter that followerh namely That the appetite is double sensuall
and rationall and affections are placed both in the sensuall as we love feare or desire objects exposed to sense and in the rationall as we love feare or desire the objects which reason apprehendeth Now to draw this generall division into two maine heads Nature hath planted an appetite in the creature to draw to its selfe that which is good and to cast away that which is evill therefore are these affections such as apprehend either good or evill to keepe the one and to expell the other those that apprehend good if they see it and apprehend it they love and desire it and love desires to be united to the thing loved and a desire is a making towards the thing absent when the thing is present we joy in it when it is comming towards us and there be a probability to have it then comes hope in if we bee like to misse of it then comes feare if no probability of attaining then comes in despaire if there be any impediments against reason and right then we are angry at it and this anger is an earnest desire to remove the impediments otherwise if we see reason and justice to the contrary then wee are not properly angry These are the affections that are about good and these are the first kind of affections The 2. sort of affections are those that are about evill as in the former there is love of God so here to turne away from evill is hatred if evill be comming and we be not able to resist it wee feare if we be able to overcome it then are wee bold and confident if we be not able either to overcome or resist the evill we flye from it if it be unavoidably present we grieve at it But to handle them more severally and so to know them as they have reference to good or evill for except wee know them thus it is worth nothing to us There are therefore three sorts of affections naturall carnall and spirituall First naturall these affections arise from nature and tend to naturall objects as for example to desire meate and drinke is naturall but to desire it in excesse is not naturall because the objects of naturall affections are limited by nature namely so much and no more Nature hath certaine measures and extents and limits and those she exceeds not Naturall affections make us but even with beasts Secondly there are carnal affections which are lusts that arise from the corruption of nature and those tend to evill objects or good objects in an evill manner those affections make us worse than the beasts like unto the devill Ioh. 8. 44. You are of your father the divell and his lusts ye will doe that is those that have these lusts are as like the divell as the sonne is like the father those that are bound with these bonds are like him that is they come in a degree to the corruption the Divell hath in a greater degree Thirdly spirituall affections are such as arise from the spirit that is from the renewing part of man and tend to good objects in a holy manner naturall make us no better than beasts carnal than devils spirituall make us better than men like to God having his Image new stampt on us they lift us up above men and make us like to Angels Thus you see the 3. kindes of affections in men We must only answer one question before we go any further the question is this Whether there be no spirituall affections except they proceede from a generall disposition because many men seeme to have good flashes now and then and so seeme to be regenerate I answer no they are not spirituall regenerated affections because these affections in the soule howsoeuer they are good in regard of the Author the holy Ghost that puts them in are not so in regard of the subject man who is yet in corruption and not renewed If a man have never so much skill in Musicke if the instrument bee out of tune the musicke cannot be good so the affections as the spirits suggestions are good but in a carnall man they are as in an instrument out of tune it is true that those flashes make way to Conversion but only when the heart is in tune and in a good frame then are the affections good that is then only effectively good so as to make the heart good and then the fruit wil be good such as God wil accept So much to shew what affections are Now we are to shew when they are inordinate but first know the affectiōs are placed in the soule for the safegard of it that is to give the watch-word that we may repell evill when it is comming those that are about good to open the dores of the soule to let it in and to make out for it if it be wanting as guides that are for the service of the soule to put us on to work and to be more earnest in our actions they bring aptnesse and diligence in doing when they misse these ends then they hinder us in stead of profiting us hurt us in stead of helping us carry us to evill objects in stead of good then they are inordinate either in the manner or the end This premised now that wee may further know them when they are inordinate observe these 2. things First examine them by the rule which is the maine way of triall if they goe besides the rule they are inordinate The first rule is that the objects must be good else the affection is inordinate there must be love of God sorrow for sinne delight in God then it is good but on the contrary to disgrace holinesse to condemne excellency in others to hate that we should cleave to abominate the good wee should imbrace these affections are naught The second rule is the end examine if they take their rise amisse though the object be good yet if the manner be naught they are inordinate now the manner is naught when the end is naught as for example many men desire and seeke for excellency of parts but to what end why for vaine glory not to doe God service This is for a wrong end so zeale is an excellent affection none better but if the end be nought the affection cannot be good Iehu was zealous but hee altogether respected himselfe The third rule is though the object bee right and the end right yet if it exceed the measure the affection is not good Davids love to his children was good and the object good yet hee failed in the measure Moses anger was good yet when he cast the tables out of his hand it was an excesse and defective because exceeding though excellent and commendable in another kind The fourth rule is though the object bee right the end right the measure right yet if the affection be not in order and season that is if it take its wrong place thrust into the roome of another it is a
cause to make it inord inate as for example to desire to do businesse in a mans calling is good but if this desire prevaile with him at such time as hee should bestow in prayer and holy duties as when he should come to heare the Word then they are inordinate for season must be kept to therefore when an affection comes if not in season answer it as Christ did The houre is not yet come this is the way to iudge of them by the rule The second way of triall is to know them by their effects and they are foure as the rules are 4. The first effect is if any affection hinder reason so as to trouble the action then it is inordinate for affections ought to be servants to reason if they disturb then they are not right as for example feare is set in the soule to give the watch-word to prevent evills if it shall appale a man so as to let his weapons fall thus it troubles reason Joy was put in the soule to oyle the wheeles and to quicken it more If it do more astonish then quicken if immoderate joy cast a man into ectasy when it should put him on action or if it breake out into immodest reuellings and not into praises thy joy is not good griefe is stirred up to ease the soule of paine now if it hinder a man from enduring that he should endure it becomes inordinate The Israelites in Egypt could not hearken to Moses because of the anguish of their hearts and worldly sorrow causeth death that is it causeth distempers and when it thus drieth up the bones it eateth up the vigor of the soule and makes a man out of frame then it is amisse though Christs griefe exceeded anymans upon the Crosse yet he committed all to God without any distempers The second effect is when they indispose vs to any holy duty as we judge of in distempers of the body if there be no appetite to meat or drinke so affections are inordinate when they indispose vs to pray to doe good or to speake good 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle exhorteth husbands to dwell with their wives as men of knowledge that is in such a manner as you may moderate affections with knowledge that your prayers saith the Apostle be not hindred that is if there be any disorder in your affections one towards another it will hinder your prayers By your affection you may judge and as you may judge of your affection by your duties so of your duties you may judge by this rule how you are disposed to holy duties if there be any interruption or indisposition it is a signe there is some distemper in the affections all things are not straight in the inward man The third effect to discouer the immoderatenesse of affections is when they produce euill actions which ordinarily they doe when they exceede the measure and the manner Anger is an affection set in the soule to stirre up man to remoue impediments and thus you may be angry for sinne and other things too now if it be kept in its owne limits anger is a desire to remove impediments and not a desire to revenge that is the inordinatenesse of it to be angry for sinne because it dishonoureth God is good To be angry for other things redounding on our selves is not evill so our anger extend but so farre as to remoue the impediments not to revenge them as for example if a man takes away ones reputation and brings disgrace upon him now to desire to hurt such a man the affection is amisse because the carriage of other men towards vs must not be our rule towards others but we are to make this use of it to be diligent in keeping off the blow off our selves but not to hurt another man this is inordinate Be angry but sinne not you may be angry so as it bring forth no evill actions or evill effects so a man may be angry with the insensible creatures desiring to remove the impediment and put out of the way that which hinders the actions The last effect is when affections draw vs from God then they are inordinate because they should draw vs neere to him But when they make vs to forget God there is their inordinatenesse for example we are commanded Deut. 12. 18. To reioyce in the good things of God but when wee shall rejoyce in an Epicurean manner and forget God it is amisse for wee should so rejoyce that wee should raise up our soules to love and praise and give thanks to him so also for feare and griefe if wee feare any thing more then God and grieve for any thing more then for sinne for crosses and losses more then for displeasing God these make us forget God and so become inordinate Now followes what it is to mortifie them which wee have formerly spoken of at large in a word it is nothing else but a turning of carnall affections into spirituall and naturall affections to a higher and more noble end that is to eate and to drinke not onely for natures benefit but for God to doe him honour that is the right end for to mortifie is to rectifie and to bring things that are out of compasse to rule to see where they are inordinate and so to turne carnall and naturall affections all into spitituall In the next place wee will see some reasons why they are to be mortified for reasons doe wonderfully perswade and necessity of mortifying once apprehended makes men goe about it Let us but consider of what moment it is to have them mortified what ill if we doe not what good if we doe The first reason is because affections are actions of the greatest efficacie and command in the soule they are exceeding powerfull they are the wheeles or sailes which carrie the soule this way or that way in that regard because they are so effectuall and prevalent therefore it concernes us the more to take care that we rectifie them Time was when affections did obey the will and the will the Spirit of God in the time of Innocency but now that subordination is taken away and that union dissolved and now the affections move the heart as the winde the Sea whether it will or no therefore it stands you upon to keepe them under A metled horse is a delight to the rider if hee be kept under the bridle so the affections if they be good the stronger the better but the Divell hath no better factors thē the affections are if they be ill they are the best opportunities for him to doe mischiefe by The second reason why they are to be mortified is because they are those that make us eyther good or evill men It is not the understanding of truth or falshood that makes us good or evil men that is but one opinion and judgement but as the affections are and as the inclination of the will is so is
a man good or bad Iob was called a perfect man because hee feared God and blessed is the man that delights in God and all things worke together for good to them that love God It is the common phrase of Scripture to judge of man by his affections when his love is right his feare is right and his sorrow right therefore looke to thy affections which are the motions of thy will so as the affections are so is the man if mens actions are weighed by their affections in other Arts indeed the worke commends the Artificer but here though the action be good yet it is not good except the affections be good because the will commands the whole man so the goodnesse or badnesse of a man are seene in the affections The third reason is because inordinate affection makes much for Satan to take possession of the soule therefore it stands you upon to keepe them right and straight Ephes. 4. 20. Be angry but sinne not that is if anger exceed its measure it opens a way for Satan to come in and take place in the soule The example of Saul 1 Sam. 18. 10. will illustrate this when the women sang Sauls thousand and Davids ten thousand the Text saith Saul was exceeding wroth and after that time had an eye upon David that made way for Satan he was exceeding wroth and the next morning Satan the evill spirit came upon him so that you see strong affections open the doore for Satan Iudas when the affections came to the height the divell entred into him He was angry at the expence of the ointment upon Iesus feet and upon that he harboured the first conceit of betraying him 14 Marke 4 compared with the 10. Witches you know exceed in malice and this makes way for the divell to possesse them and so worldly sorrow if it come to the height it exposeth the heart to be possessed by Satan so by strange lusts Satan slides into the hearts of men and they see it not and therefore labour to mortifie them 1 Pet. 5. 8. bee sober and watch c. that is if there bee any excesse in any affection if you keepe them not in Satan will enter therefore be so ber and watch for if yee admit any distemper he will enter The fourth reason is because affections are the first petitioners of evill though they doe not devise it yet they set the understanding on worke now he that is onely a worker of ill hath not his hand so deepe in the act as he that is the first mover if men are exhorted to abstaine from evill actions and evill speeches men thinke that there is some reason for it but for evill affections they see no such necessity but consider you evill affections produce evill actions evill affections communicate evill to a man as fire heats water and yet hath more heate in it selfe so affections make speeches and actions evill And therefore God judgeth by affections we indeed judge affections by actions we cannot know them perfectly yet do we judge by the same rule as farre as we can let a man have an injury done him he lookes to the affections that is to the man whether it came out of anger and malice if a man hath a good turne done him he lookes to the affections if hee sees greater good in them than in the action for in a good action the will is more than the deed the willingnesse of doing it is of a rarer ranke than the doing the thing it selfe so an evill affection is more than an evill speech or an evill action In this regard therefore labour to mortifie them because they are instigators of evill If affection be of so great a moment as you have heard then do that which is the maine scope of all take paines with your hearts to mortify them when they are unruly to bring them under if strong affections solicite us give them a peremptory deniall hearken to the Physician rather then to the disease the disease calls for one thing the Physician for another if men yeeld to the disease they kill themselves Here is the true triall of grace to doe some thing good when there is no ill to oppose it that 's a small matter but when strong lusts haile them to the contrary then to resist them this obedience is better then sacrifice In the old Law they sacrificed their sheepe and their oxen but in this obedience a man slaies himselfe this will is the best part strength of a man for when he subdues his lusts and brings them in obedience to Christ he sacrificeth the vigor of the will Man is as his affections are affections are to the soule as members are to the body crookednesse in the members hinders a mans going so crookednesse in the affections hinders the soule those that keepe Clocks if they would have them goe true then every thing must be kept in order so in affections keep them straight because they have such a hand in the will one hath an affection to filthinesse another to covetousnesse another to good fellowship according to these so are they carried and such are their actions let their affections be straight and they turne the rudder of the soule another way they cast us into another mould therefore labour to subdue them and so much the rather because they make a man not onely good but abundant in good or evill good doth prescribe to a man exactly what he shall doe but yet leaves some free-will offerings on purpose to try our love to try our affections the rule of duty is left partly to the rule of affections that we may abound in good a man may doe much in resolution but the affection maketh it acceptable Paul might have taken for his labour of the Corinthians but the fulnesse of his love would not suffer him that is God and they set him on worke Thus affections make a man abound in good it was Davids love to God that made him build a Temple to God In short affections make a man beautifull unto God and man Now if affections are so rare and yet so subject to be inordinate it is wisdome to know how they may be helped if any thing doth want meanes of helpe this doth because it is a hard thing to keepe downe unruly affections therefore we will come to lay downe some meanes to helpe you to keepe them downe The first meanes is that we labour to see the disease for no man will seeke for cure except he see the disease the sight of the disease is halfe the cure of it labor to see your inordinate affections and to be perswaded and convinced of them This is a hard thing a man doth not see his evill inclinations because those very inclinations blind his eyes and darken his understanding and cast a mist before him notwithstanding which wee must labour to doe that what we can as there are
divers sorts of affections so there are divers sorts of distempers as the affection of anger hath its distemper and this is more visible when anger is gone it is daily seen and therefore is of no great difficulty to bee discerned there are other kind of affections which doe continue in a man when his heart is habitually carried to an inordinate lust as to pride vaine-glory love of the world no such affection can be wel discerned whil'st that continues in a man take a man that hath a continued affection it is hard for him to discerne it because it doth with its continuance habitually corrupt the Judgement and blind the reason and yet you are to labour to discerne it And that you may two wayes First bring your affections to the rule and touchstone Secondly That you may better know their aberration from the rule consider whether the affection have any stop an affection is like a river if you let it run without any stop or resistance it runs quietly but if you hinder its course it runnes more violently so it is with your affections if you doe not observe to know the stops and lets of them you shall not observe the violence of them so well So then the first way for a man to come to know his affectiōs is to observe them in any extraordinary accident if any losse come to a man in his estate or if he be crost in his sports or hindred of his purpose let him consider how he doth beare it that is try how you carry yourselves towards it this wil be a good meanes to discover our affections when they come to these stops and lets they are best discerned by us Secondly in this case it is good wee make use of others eyes a man sees not that in himselfe which a stander by doth hee is free from the affection which another is bent unto and therefore another can better judge of it as a man that is sicke of a feaver hee cannot judge aright of tasts because hee hath lost the sense of tasting that which is sweet may seeme bitter unto him but he that is in health can judge of tasts as they are therefore it is good to make use of friends and if we have no friends it is wisedome in this case to make use of an enemy that is to observe what inordinatnesse hath beene in them and what hath happened unto them therby and so to judge of our owne And this is the first thing that I wil cōmend unto you to labor to see your affections and to be convinced of them when this is done in the next place we wil come to see the causes of inordinate affections and seeing we are applying medicines as we shall see the causes of inordinate affections so to each of them we shall adde their remedies The first cause of inordinate affection is mis-apprehension that is when wee doe not apprehend things aright our affections follow our apprehensions as we see in a sensible appetite if a thing bee beautifull we are apt to love it and like of it but if it bee deformed wee are apt to hate it for as things doe represent themselves to the will so we are apt to conceive of them the will turnes a mans actions this way or that way notwithstanding the understanding is the pilot that turnes the will so that our apprehension is the first cause of inordinat affections by this we overvalue things that are evill and undervalue things that are good Rectifie therefore the apprehension and heale the disease labour to have the Judgement informed and you shall see things as they are Affections as I said before are of two sorts one sensuall arising from fancy the other rationall arising from judgement all that we can say for the former affections is this men might doe much to weaken those affections in them if they would take paines by removing the objects that is by with-drawing the fewell and turning the attentions another way if we cannot subdue any sensuall affections in us let us be subdued unto it and be as any dead man In case that we are surprised by such vanities yet let us not hasten to action or execution All that in this case a man can doe is as a pilot whose shippe is in great danger to bee cast away by reason of a great tempest all that he can doe is to looke to the safety of the ship that waters come not into it at any place that it be not overthrowne so these evill affections that are in our rationall appetite are these evill inclinations of the will that are lent either to riches pleasure vaine-glory or the like objects of reason Now to rectifie your mis-apprehension of them first get strong reasons for to doe it reade the Scriptures furnish your selfe with spirituall arguments be acquainted with such places as ye may see therby the sinfulnesse of such affections it is great wisedome in a man first to finde out the thing he is inordinately affected to and never to rest till he find the things that are sinfull in him therefore the applying of reason will make us able to doe it and if we can doe so we shall be able to go through the things of this world rightly You are inordinately affected to wealth Apply reason and Scripture here as thus It is a wisemans part to use earthen vessels as silver and silver vessels as earthen the one will serve for use as well as the other so in the things of the world hee that is strong in reason and wise were they represented to him as they are he would use a great estate without setting his heart upon it more then if it were a mean one in the condition of this life he would would so carry himselfe as if he used them not this the Apostle have us to doe to use the world as though we used it not and then we should think the best things of the world to bee of no moment and that we have no cause to rejoyce in them Wee are to use the world with a weaned affection not be inordinately carried with love therupon in worldly things there is a usefulnesse to be looked at but to seeke to finde baites in them and to set our hearts upon them that will hurt us exceedingly if wee looke for excellency in worldly things and touch them too familiarly they wil burne scorch us but if we use them for our necessity and so use them as if we did not wee shall finde great benefit and comfort by them This is the difference betweene earthly and spirituall things you must have knowledge of these and this knowledge must be affective the more love you have the better it is but in earthly things the lesse love we have the better it is for in earthly things if our love exceed our knowledge they are subject to hurt us What is the reason a man takes to heart the
death of his friend or the like accident for a while he grieves exceedingly but within a moneth or short time after his grief is past and then he sees that the death of his friend is no such thing as he took it for and thought it to be had he then seene that which now he doth he would not have grieved so much The second way to rectifie misapprehension is by faith for by faith we are to beleeve the vanity of these earthly things we are to beleeve the power of God who is able to blow upon them and to cause them to wither so that faith is a great cause to rectifie the apprehension as well as reason Paul counted the best things of the world but drosse and dung and Moses cared not for the pleasures of Egypt it was their faith that caused them to doe so they did beleeve the true priviledge they had in Christ this doth raise up the heart and cause us more and more to see the things that are earthly how slippery and flitting they are The third way to rectifie mis-apprehension is experience wee are not so much as to touch us of that thing we have found to be true by experience let a souldier be told of dangerous effects in the warres perswade him what you will and tell him how terrible it is he will not beleeve till by experience he hath felt the smart of it so when a man is entred upon the doing of any difficult thing which he hath beene accustomed to doe the experience hee hath of often being in such dangers and having felt no harme that doth rectifie his affections Experience is a speciall meanes to tame them let a beast be brought to a mans hand that is fearefull at the first but by experience and daily using of it so you tame the beast so our affections are unruly things like untamed beasts but when experience hath discovered them it is a good meanes to rectifie them therefore it is profitable for us to call to minde things that are past If we would but call to minde how such a thing wee joyed in and yet it staid not with us our joy would not be so inordinate in other things If wee would remember how such a crosse we survived our griefe would not be so inordinate in future events The fourth way to rectifie mis apprehension is by the example of others that is to see how others have beene affected with the inordinate affections that we have beene in our selves and examples do râ—nne more into the senses than rules doe therefore thinke of examples to stirre up affections eyther to crosse them or subdue them Wee see by the reading of histories as of the valiant acts of some of the worthies as of Iulius Caesar and others some by reading of the great exployts that they themselves had done have beene stirred up as much as in them lyed to doe the like so that examples of others are very effectuall in this kinde If a man would consider Paul how hee carried himselfe in the things of this life and how David Abraham and Moses were affected to these outward things what they had and what they might have had their examples and such as we have heard of to be holy and righteous men or such as we now know to be such is a great helpe to rectifie the affections and to set the Judgement straight The second cause of inordinate affection is weaknesse and impotency which doth sticke in a man ever since the fall of Adam makes him subject to passion and therefore yee see the weaker sexe as they are weaker in understanding so they are stronger in passion let a man be weake he is so much the more strong in passions and as his streÌ„gth is more so hath he more strength to resist them The way to remedy this is to gather strength the more strength we have the more able we are to resist temptations and as a man is weake so hee is the more subject unto them as when hee is young but strength over-masters them Affections are in a man as humors are in a body when the body is in health it keepes in these humors that it doth not feele them but when a man is sicke then these humours stirre up and trouble a man So when the soule is in health these ill humors of the soule inordinate affections are kept in by maine strength but let the soule grow weake and the passions get strength Now the meanes to get strength against passions is to get a greater measure of the Spirit the more spirit the more strength Ephes. 3. 16. Pray that you may be strengthened by the Spirit of the inward man the more flesh we have in us the more weaknesse wee have the spirit that is in us doth lust after envy pride and the world Now how shall wee helpe it but by the Spirit that is without us that is by the Spirit of God let a man be in such a temper that the Spirit of God may rule and possesse his heart while he is in this temper his ordinate affections will not stirre but when the Spirit is away then there is a hundred waies to cause them to be unruly that which seasons a man is prudence wisedome and grace the more a man hath of these the more able he is to subdue them The third cause of inordinate affections is the lightnesse of the minde when it hath not a right object to pitch it selfe upon which when that wants the affection being left to uncertainties they must needs fall upon wrong objects when a man in his course wanteth an object for his aime the waies of his error are a thousad so when a man doth misse the right object in affection they have a thousand waies to draw to inordinatenesse men run up and downe with their affections upon uncertainty and they never cast how to shun them afterward till the end of their daies be runne out Now to remedy this our way is to finde out the right obiect whereon the affections should be pitched and this object is God that is the affections must all looke towards God and have them fixt upon him you are never able to subdue your affections and to keepe them under till you pitch them upon God whilest our affections are loose they are unsteddy and unconstant every man till his heart be set upon God his affections are wandring up and downe but when a man hath God to set his affections on and they are once setled in him then he seekes another kind of excellency and frames his life after another fashion he sets his affections upon other excellencies As when a man hath a palace for to build if his minde be to have it done with excellent worke-manship then he will take none but principall stones hewne and squared fit for his purpose to build withall but if a man be to
build a mud wall any rubbish and trash will serve the turne to make it up So when our affections are on high matters such as God and Christ they looke upon things that are noble and not upon the rubbish and trash of the world wee will choose the principallest stones for our spirituall building but if otherwise we strive to finde contentment in the creatures we care not how wee come by them that is any rubbish will serve the turne to get riches withall and honour and preferment in the world but if ever you will set your affections straight pitch them upon God The fourth cause of inordinate affections is that confusion that riseth in the heart at the first rising of them and they are the vapours and mists that blinde the reason and make a man unable to resist them because the putting out of the eye of reason must needs trouble a man exceedingly even as a moate in a mans eye troubles him that he cannot see as he should doe And therefore these mists that are cast upon the eye of reason doe make a man unable to resist them In such a case the way to helpe them is this to make up the bankes when the river is at the lowest ebbe that is to make up the bankes of our affections before the tide of inordinate affections do come in we are not at first able to rule these inordinate affections but yet if the banks be made up afore-hand we may mortifie them A man is to consider before how he is able to be affected and for this let him looke into the former waies and see how he hath beene affected and how he is apt to be affected againe and when he is in such circumstances let him take a good resolution never to returne to such inordinate affections as he did afore When a man is sicke of an Ague to give him physicke when hee is in a sore fit is not the fittest way it is not then in season but it were best to be done in his good daies before his fit so we are to make up the banke of our affections before the tide of inordinate affections doe come to have a strong resolution we will not be led by such an affection as before And if this prevaile not then we are to suspend the execution of our passions that is to doe nothing for a time If a man finde any passion in himselfe let him abstaine for that time if it be possible from the doing of that which it moves him unto because that he is then most subject to doe amisse You see a barrell of Beere if it be stirred at the bottome draw it presently and it will runne muddy but if you let it rest a while and then draw it it will runne cleare so a man in his passion his reason is muddy and his actions will not come off cleare therefore it is good to suspend the execution howsoever For the suspending of the action in time of passion is very profitable though a man thinke for the present whilest the passion is upon him that he doth not erre yet because then we are most subject to erre suspend for a while Passion is a hindrance to the faculty as jogging is to the arme when it is a shooting or unto the hand when it is a writing therefore when a man doth find that passion is on him let him do nothing A drunken mans wisest courseis to go home and do nothing that night unlesse the good work of repentance our passion is a kind of drunkennes the one is almost as subject to mis-take an error as the other The fifth cause of inordinate affections is the corruption of Nature which is in every man since the fall of Adam Will you know the reason why Beares and Wolves and Lyons carry themselves so cruelly It is because their nature is to doe so Wil you know why a sinful man is subject to affect things inordinately the reason is because he hath a bad nature it is naturall to him to doe it and as ready to him as sparkles of fire to fly upwards We see some men are apt to be taken with such a disease that is bred and borne with them they cannot escape it Now the remedy to remove the evilnesse of nature is to get new natures that is to get another nature a holy regenerate disposition untill then men shall neuer be able to doe it many labour to mortifie their affections but yet cannot because they are busie about the particulars and never regard the generall they can never make the branch good except they make the tree good therefore the way to mortifie is to get a new nature Consider whether your nature be renued whether that be cast into a new mould if it be this is the way to mortifie inordinate affection this is the way for the generall So also it should be our care for any particular affection that wee finde our selves most prone to by nature labour to thwart nature in that particular Are you given to wrath by nature endeavour to be humbler and meeker then other men Is your nature more inclined to desire of gain Labour to be established with a more free spirit and this will be a meanes to mortifie you otherwise you shall never waine your hearts from earthly things till you have a taste of such spirituall things that is you shall never win your hearts from joyes except you have joy and delight in Christ you shall never overcome the griefe of losses and crosses except you turne your affections to see the loathsomnesse of sinne Contraries in nature do expell one another cold is expelled with heate darknesse with light so you must expell carnall affections with spirituall The 6 ht cause of inordinate affections is carelesnesse and remisnesse that is want of spirituall watchfulnes over the heart when men rather give occasion unto the affections to be inordinate than prevent the occasions of it For the cure of this take heed not of sinne onely but of the occasions of sinne for a man to hate sinne and not to hate the occasions of it is to deceive himselfe that is all one as for a man to walke upon Ice that is afraid of falling Iron will move if the loadstone be neer so the affections will stirre up if there be any alluring sinfull object And therefore if sinne knock at the doore of your hearts you must not let it in presently but aske his errand plead the cause with it and consider the hindrances and inconveniences that come by it For a man to say I will give over my lusts and yet will keepe such company as hee did before and use his old haunts he doth but deceive himselfe Prov. 22 19. Make no freindship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not goe Prov. 23. 30 Benot amongst wine-bibbers that is if thou hast used this company and
usest it stil thou fleest not occasions of sin and therfore we must watch over our soules the heart is deceitful above al things take heed to the beginning of your affections and looke to the beginning of inordinate lusts when you see it rising if you perceive but a glimpse of it quench and resist it else it will cost you a great deale of more paines afterwards the affections by little and little giving way to them will soone get strength if you let them alone you set your hearts and minds on fire A man that is full of anger or any passion knowes not how to help himselfe so dangerous is it to give way to affections that they carry a man unawares to inordinatenesse the best way therefore is to quench it at first if you cannot quench it when it is a sparke how will you doe when it is a flame As you are to look to the beginning so take heed of making false truces with them for inordinate affections doe more hurt by ambushes and secret invasions then by open warre therefore looke to them on every side lest they rob you of grace before you are aware The seventh cause of inordinate affections is the root whereon they grow labor to see the root and remove it if one affection doe distemper the mind it drawes on another distemper and you cannot lessen that latter inordinatenesse unlesse you weaken the former which was the roote of it As for example Anger growes upon pride you shal never lessen or cure that affection of anger except you weaken pride Now pride causeth anger and contention Ionah was angry whence came it but from his pride when a man through pride knowes not himselfe he forgets God And this man that forgets God will bee violent in his griefe in his complaints in his feares in his desires and will never be healed till he be humbled and brought to a base estimation of himselfe Lastly I would have you to know that God is the onely Agent in this worke of mortification and therefore have dependance upon God for it is Gods Spirit that must cause a man to mortifie man is not able of himselfe except God perswade him Psal. 33. 13 14. Except the Lord speake once and twice to us we will not regard it Paul was troubled with a strong affection what doth he he goes to God and prayes to him to take away that strong mist and so must we doe pray to God in Faith doe but beleeve and we shall have our requests granted continue in prayer and hold out without wearinesse and bee your affections what they will bee yea never so strong such as you thought would never be mortified yet you shall overcome them The last use that is drawne from hence is this if inordinate affections are to bee mortified then is any excesse in any desire sinfull and for which wee ought sharply to reprove our selves many grieve for some or other temporall things this is moderate when they can yet joy in other things so we qualifie our griefes with joyes and our joyes with griefes we are not inordinate but we are to take heed of excesse in them for that makes them sinful as our over-grieving at losses and crosses our over-loving of earthly things too much delight in sports These are turned into sinne to us affections are set in the heart for the safegard of the soule a foole indeed for want of skill may hurt himselfe with them but he that is skilfull knowes how to use them without prejudice to himselfe and if they bee thus well used they are very serviceable to the soule but if they be once strong headed that is get the bridle betweene their teeth so as they will not bee ruled then they prove hurtfull unto us Marke what the Wiseman saith of the lust of uncleannesse and it is true of all such lusts the strong man is slaine by them therefore fight against the lusts of uncleane and inordinate affections And that you may doe it and bee willing to part with them marke these motives following The first motive I take out of 1 Tim. 6. 10. The Apostle speaking of covetousnesse cals it the roote of all evill c. and what may be said of this may be said of any other sinne very truely this is one motive inordinate affections promise profit and contentment and yet will pierce you through with many sorrowes that is it taketh away the health and tranquillity of the soule even as the worme doth eate the same tree that doth breed it And looke as the inward heat of an ague is worse than the outward heat so these inward ulcers of the soule and affections doe trouble us and pierce us more than any outward grievance whatsover that can assault the body let a man have houses in the City goodly gardens orchards lands and all contentments on every side yet his inordinate affections doe not suffer him to enjoy any one of these nay not to enjoy himselfe hee cannot converse talke or meditate with himselfe it makes a man to be wearisome to himselfe it hinders a man altogether from doing that which is good one disease of the body is enough to take away all comforts outwardly that a man hath and one inordinate affection of the soule takes away all pleasure and contentment within let a man bee sicke neither rich cloathes nor a faire chamber can comfort him so let a man have but one inordinate passion all other things are nothing to him he takes no pleasure in them The second motive is taken from that of Salomon A mans spirit will beare his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare that is this doth make a man unable to beare any thing else for example a strong love set upon the things of this life wounds the soule and so makes it unable to beare the least losse of any of them it deads the heart within a man So immoderate griefe addes affliction to affliction Immoderate feares are worse than the thing feared whereas otherwise afflictions are nothing grievous if they be rightly used Paul was in prison and so were Ioseph's Brethren yet you see the difference the one full of Joy the other full of griefe and sorrow because they had sinned their consciences were not whole they could not beare their burthen therefore looke to your affections that you may passe through the changes of this life with more comfort if you cannot bring your minde to the doing of this then bring those things to your mind labor to mortifie them and that is the best way to bring your mindes to the things my meaning is if you cannot bring your minde to love worldly pleasure and contentments lesse mortifie them to your mind that is looke not at them as pleasures or contentments if you must love them let them seeme lesse lovely to you dye to them in affection or else let them dye to you in apprehension True
indeed without Gods over-ruling Power we can doe nothing yet wee must use the meanes as we see in the casting of a dye it is not in us to win as we please but yet the playing of the cast is requisite so the mortifying of the affections it is not in us yet we must use the meanes for to doe it let us not give satisfaction to any lust but hinder it to our powers it is a shame for us to have our hearts affected with any sinnefull lusts were wee more carefull of our soules these inordinate affections would bee more broken and kept downe by us Beleeve it strong affections breed strong afflictions and say thou shouldest have riches and contenment in earthly things and yet have inordinate affections this is no helpe for thee it is but an applying of an outward plaister to an inward sore that will doe it no good The third motive is taken from 1 Timothy 6. 9. the Apostle speaketh there of the desire of riches he saith that it breedeth many foolish and hurtfull lusts in that regard wee should mortifie them because they are foolish lusts and foolish because hurtfull when a man hurts himselfe out of some mistake or by his owne heedlessenesse hee is properly said to be a foole It is properly folly when a man hurts himselfe whil'st he seekes to doe himselfe most good wee seeke to doe our selves good when we give satisfaction to every lust but yet we hurt our selves strange affections invite us to sinne and sinne brings to misery and thus they are hurtfull Shun them therefore seeing God hath appointed them to be mortified let us mortifie them whatsoever God hath appointed to be mortified and we will not doe it is as hurtfull for us as Achans wedge was to Achan which is called a cursed thing And so every unmortified lust is a cursed thing Take we heed of it The fourth motive is this because inordinatenesse of affections hinders us in the doing of the good actions wherein our happinesse doth consist they make the faculties of the soule unfit to doe the things they should doe as Iames 1. 20. the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God that is it disableth a man to worke that righteousnesse he should doe and what may be said of wrath may be said of any other affection As of malice 1 Pet. 2. 1. wherefore laying aside all malice c that is while these are in you you cannot heare the Word as ye ought So for inordinate desire of gaine Ezek. 31. the reason why the people heard without profit was because their hearts went after their covetousnesse mortifie these lusts and then you shall goe with ease and safety in the way of godlinesse yea we shall be carried to it as a boate is with winde with all facility and expeditenesse The fift motive is because of the shame and dishonour they doe bring men into men are afraid of shame in other things it were to be wished they were so afraid of shame in this Every inordinate affection is a short drunkennesse and it brings the drunkards shame to a man drunkennes discloseth all and so if there be any corruption in the heart inordinate affection drawes it forth Every man is ashamed of indiscreetnesse in his carriage now what is the cause of indiscreetnesse it is the defect of wisedome either the forgetfulnesse or not heeding of the time place or action we are about and what makes this forgetfulnes It is the drunkennes of passion When the Apostle Iames would shew who was a wise man he saith he will shew out a good conversation in his works there will be meekenes and gentlenesse in his carriage and behaviour but if there be any envy or strife in the hart this shews a man to be but a weak creature whereas on the contrary it is an honour in a man to passe by an infirmity That is a signe of a strong man that is able to overcome himselfe The sixth motive is because they blind the reason and Iudgement which should be the guide of all our actions in the course of this life that which is said of bribery that it blinds men and that the affection to the bribe makes the sinne a great deale more The like may bee said of other sins As long as passion rageth thou canst neither judge of thine owne nor of others faults if thou wouldest judge of another mans fault take away the beame that is in thine owne eye And so if thou wouldst judge of thine owne faults these affections must not blind the mind and the reason for so they will hinder us in discerning good and in doing any thing that is good for when the mind is corrupted the will is corrupted and then instead of walking in the wayes of God wee walke in the pathes of sinne therefore in regard of the safetie and security of our lives and actions wee should mortifie these our affections HOW TO MORTIFIE COVETOVSNESSE COLOSS. 3. 5. And Covetousnesse which is Idolatrie COvetousnesse which is Idolatrie that must bee mortified aswell as the other earthly members Now this Covetousnesse is nothing else but an inordinate and sinfull desire either of getting or keeping wealth or money The inordinate lusting after honours that is called Ambition too much affecting of beauty is called lustfulnesse And Lust is an inordinate affection which when it propoundeth riches for its object it is called Covetousnesse which is Idolatrie Now Idolatrie consisteth in one of these three things First in worshipping the true God in a wrong manner apprehending him as a Creature giving that to himthat agreeth not with him Secondly when as we make the Creature a God by conceiving it under the Notion of a God so did they who worshipped Iove Mars and those Heathens that worshipped the creatures as Gods Thirdly when we attribute that unto it which belongeth unto God as to trust in it to delight in it to put all our trust confidence in it when as we think it can performe that unto us which God onely can Now that Covetousnesse is Idolatrie is meant when as we thinke that riches can do that which God only can doe as that they can doe us good or evill If they are Gods saith God Let them doe good or evill God only doth good and evill therfore he is distinguished from Idols because they cannot do it affections follow opinions practise followes affections Hebr. 11. 6. He that will come to God must beleeue in him None will worship God unlesse they beleeve that God can comfort relieve them in all their distresses So when men have an opinion that riches and wealth wil yeeld them comfort be a strong tower of defence to free them frō inconveniences this makes them to trust in them and this thought is Idolatry There are two points of Doctrine that arise from these words The first is this That to seeke
Creature or from Riches and to thinke that they can make us live more comfortablie Hence then consider the sinnefulnesse of it and put it into the Catalogue of your other Sinnes that formerly you have had such thoughts Every one is guiltie of this Sinne more or lesse and this is a Sin not small but of an high nature it is Idolatrie In the times of ignorance Sathan drew many men to grosse Idolatry to worship stocks and stones but now hee drawes them to another Idolatrie lesse perceptible and yet as dangerous in Gods sight as the other who is a Spirit and can discerne and prie into it Let us therefore examine our hearts and consider how much we haue trusted the Creatures Let us condemne our selves and rectifie our judgements to judge of things as they are Let us not think our selves happy for them Let us not thinke our selves blessed in them but onely in Christ because it is not in their power to make us happie If wee have so joyed in these or loved them so as to love God lesse it is an adulterous love and ioy Wee have no better rule to judge of adulterous love then this when as our love to the Creature doth lessen our love to God Now least wee bee deceived in our love to the Creature I will give you these Signes to know whether your love be right to it or no. First if your affection to the Creature cause you to withdraw your hearts from God Ier. 17. 5. Cursed bee the man which maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. It is a signe wee make flesh our arme when wee withdraw our hearts from God wee make the Creatures our ayme when they withdraw us from God 1. Tim. 5. 5. She that is a widdow indeed trusteth in God and continueth in supplications night and day this is a Signe that they trust in God because they pray unto him Consider what your conversation is whether it be in heaven or no Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in Heaven The neglecting and not minding earthly things in the former verse sheweth him not to bee of an earthly conversation the more our hearts are drawne from God the more are they set and fixed on earthly things Secondly consider what earthly choice you make when as these things come in competition with God and Spirituall things what billes of exchange doe you make doe you make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon not caring for the things of this World when they come in competition with a good conscience or doe you forsake God and sticke to them Thirdly consider what your obedience is to God whether his feare bee alwayes before your eyes or whether Riches set you on worke or no what mans obedience is such is his trust if ye obey God then ye trust in him and if yee obey Riches then ye trust in them and not in God Fourthly consider what your affections are nothing troubles an holy man but Sin the which makes him seeke helpe at Gods hands and not in these On the contrary nothing troubles a worldlie man but losses and crosses Sinne troubles him not at all by this judge of your love to Riches whether it bee right or no. Thus much for the first generall Doctrine We come now to the second which is this That Covetousnesse is to be Mortified That Covetousnesse is unlawfull all know it the things therefore that will be usefull in the handling of this point will be to shew you what Covetousnesse is and why it is to be Mortified Now to shew you what it is Covetousnesse may bee defined to be a sinnefull desire of getting or keeping money or wealth inordinately First it is a sinnefull desire because it is a lust as lusting after pleasure is called Voluptuousnesse It is also inordinate the principle being amisse and likewise the object The principle is amisse when we over-value riches set a greater beauty on them then they have and seeing them with a wrong eye wee lust after them by reason that wee over-value them and thus to over-value them is to lust after them and to thinke that they can make us happie is Idolatry The object of it is as bad as the principle when as th' end is either to raise us to a higher condition or to fare deliciously every day or else to spend them on some Lust as well as to keepe them Secondly it is of keeping or getting mony getting it inordinately seeking it by wrong meanes or of keeping it First in not bestowing of it on our selves as wee ought there is Tenacitie of this sort amongst men Eecle 5. 15 There is a sore evill under the Sunne namely Riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt when as it is comely for a man to eate and drinke and to enjoy the good of all his labours that hee hath taken under the Sunne all the dayes of his life which God giveth him for this is his portion and thus to rejoyce in his labour is the gift of God Eccl. 5. 18. 19. Secondly thou in not giving to others art too strait handed having goods and seeing others to want The last and chiefe thing in the definition is inordinately that is which is besides the rule A thing is sayd to bee inordinate when as it is besides the square that a man doth and in doing thus wee doe amisse Now this affection is sayd to bee inordinate in these foure respects First when wee seeke it by measure more then wee should Secondly when we seeke it by meanes that wee should not Thirdly when we seeke it for wrong ends Fourthly when we seeke it in a wrong manner For the first we offend in the measure when as we seeke for more then God gives us that which God gives everie man that is his portion here Eccle 5. 18. and he that desireth and withholdeth more then his portiō is he that offendeth in the measure Pro. 11. 24. But how shall I know Gods will and what my portion is I answere by the event See in what estate and condition God hath set you See what estate he hath giuen you that is your portion and with it you must be content God hath a Soveraigntie over us we are but his subjects and must bee contented with what he gives us you are contented with that your fathers or your Prince gives you therefore you must receive that which God bestowes on you with all humilitie and thankefulnesse If we bee soundly humbled wee will confesse our selves worthy to bee destroyed Eze. 36. 32. we will confesse with Iacob Gen. 32. 10. That we are unworthy of the least of Gods mercies that the least portion is more then we deserve The Prodigall being humbled was content with the least place in his fathers house to be as one of his household servants and so wee ought to bee content with that portion which God hath