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
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
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
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
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
betweene a man that hath his sinne mortified and one that hath not The first is alway carefull that his sinne come not to action hee is carefull and watchfull over his wayes and heart as well when the Judgement is removed as when he feeles it but the other hinders not sinne longer than the hand of God is upon him remove that and then his care is removed Fifthly sinne may seeme to be removed and mortified when the sap and strength of sinne is dead that is when the strength of Nature is spent As the Lampe goes out when oyle is either not supplyed or taken away and yet the Lampe is still a Lampe for let oyle be supplied and fire put unto it and it will burne so there may be not the action and yet sinne is not mortified in the heart for he is as well affected to sinne as ever hee was onely the sap and strength of nature is gone but if oyle were supplied that is if strength of nature would but returne sinne would be as quick and vigorous as ever it was Sixthly good Education when a man is brought up under good parents or masters he may be so kept under that sinne may seeme to bee mortified but let those be once at their owne ruling then it will appeare that sinne is not mortified in them that is that they have not lost their swinish disposition onely they are kept from fouling of themselves As a Swine so long as she is kept in a faire meadow cannot foule her selfe but if you give her liberty to goe whither shee list shee will presently be wallowing in the mire even so these are ashamed to defile themselves whilest they are under good education but opportunity being offered it will soone appeare sinne is not mortified The Use of this briefly is for Examination unto every one to enter into his owne heart and examâ—ne himselfe by these rules whether his sinne be mortified or no and accordingly to judge of him else The second Question is for the comforting of weake Christians Seeing there is corruption in the heart how shall I know that the lusts and stirrings of the heart proceed from a wounded Corruption or else is the Action of an unmortified lust To this I answer You shall know them by these rules First you shall know whether the lust in the heart be mortified and proceed from a wounded heart or no by the ground of it that is if it proceed from the right root or arise from a deepe humiliation wrought upon the soule either by the Law or by the Judgement of God whereby the Conscience is awakened to see sinne in its ownenature and then a raising up of the soule by the apprehension of the love of God in Christ and out of a love unto God to beginne to mortifie sinne if the heart in this case doe fight against the spirit that is the lust of the heart it is because it hath received the deadly wound but if it bee not our of love unto God that thou mortifiest sinne if thy heart in this case have much rebellion in it whatsoever thou thinkest of thy selfe sinne is not mortified in thee Every thing proceeds from some Cause if the Cause be good the Effect must needs bee good likewise as for instance if the tree be good the fruit must be good but if the tree be evill the fruit cannot be good Let every man therefore examine himselfe upon this ground Secondly you shall know it by the generality of it For Mortification is generall and as death is unto the members of the body so is Mortification unto the members of sinne now you know that the nature of death is tos ize upon all the members of the body it leaves life in none so where true Mortification is it leaves life in no sinne that is it takes away the commanding power of sinne For what is the life of sinne but the power of sinne take away this power and you take away this life Therefore it is not sufficient to mortifie one sin but you must mortifie all sins to which purpose the holy Apostle here bids them Mortifie when he had exhorted them unto the generall of mortification then he subjoynes divers particulars as Fornication Uncleannesse of which hereafter God assisting you shall heare Hence then you learne it will not be sufficient for you to leave your covetousnesse but you must leave your pide you vaine-glory So also when thou hast slaine sinne in thy understanding thou must mortifie it in thy will and affections slay sinne first in thy soule and then slay it in the parts of thy body and so examine your selves whether you finde this worke of Mortification to be generall Thirdly you shall know whether your lust be mortified by this Looke if there be an equality betweene the life of grace and the death of corruption that is if you find grace in measure answerable unto the measure of corruption which is mortified in thee it is a signe thy sinne is mortified for as thereis a dying unto sinne so there will be a quickening unto holinesse seeing the new man will beginne to revive when the old man begins to dye Grace will grow strong when Corruption growes weake and therefore the Apostle saith Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. As if he should say you shall find by this whether the corruption of nature be slaine in you if you stand fast as in the former verse which you cannot doe unlesse grace grow except there be a proportion betwixt the life of grace and the death of corruption Therefore examine your selves by this whether you doe finde that you are quickned in grace to pray or heare which is an excellent signe that sinne is mortified Fourthly you shall know whether your lasts are mortified by the continuance of them For if sinne be mortified and have received her deadly wound it will bee but for the present it will not continue it may well rage and trouble thee for a time but it is onely now and then by fits whereas an unmortified lust ever rageth It is with sinne in this case as it is with a man that hath received his deadly wound from his enemy hee will not presently flye away but will rather runne more violently upon him that hath wounded him yet let him bee never so violent in the middle of the action hee sinkes downe when hee thinkes to doe the most harme then hee is the most unable because hee hath received his deadly wound whereby hee hath lost the strength and power of nature which otherwise might have prevailed so it will bee with sinne and with a mortified lust it may rage in the heart and seeme to beare sway and rule over thee as lord but the power and strength of sinne is mortified and sinkes downe wanting ability to prevaile and why because it hath received its deadly wound
dost thou trouble me that is wherefore art thou so restlesse with mee that thou wilt have no deniall till I grant thee thy desire so then if you will prevayle with God by prayer you may obtaine the Spirit The fourth meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is To walke in the Spirit that is you must doe the actions of the new man and therefore the Apostle saith Galat. 5. 16. Walke in the Spirit Now here by the Spirit is not meant the holy Ghost but the regenerate part of man that is the new man whose actions are the duties of holinesse as Prayer hearing the Word receiving the Sacraments workes of Charity either to the Church in generall or to any particular member of it and there must not onely bee a bare performing of them for so an hypocrite may doe but there must bee a delight in them thatis it must rejoyce the soule when any opportunity is offered whereby any holy duty may bee performed But on the contrary when wee grow remisse in prayer or in any other duty the devill takes an occasion by this to force us to some sinne hereupon wee presently yeeld because wee want strength of grace which by the neglect of that duty wee are weake in Wee know some physicke is for restoring as well as for weakening thereby to preserve the ftrength of the body now this walking in the actions of the new man is to preserve the strength of the soule it preserves spirituall life in a man it enables him to fight against Corruption and lusts for what is that which weakens the soule but the actions of the old man Therefore if you would mortifie your lusts you must walke in the Spirit The fifth meanes if you would mortifie your lusts is this you must get Faith so saith the Apostle Acts 15. 9. Faith purifieth the heart that is it slayeth the corruption of the heart it mortifies every inordinate desire of the heart it purgeth out the filthinesse of our nature it makes it a new heart in quality that is it makes it fit to receive grace and who would not have a heart thus fitted to good Againe It is said Ephes. 3. 17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith as if hee should say Faith will purge the heart for where Faith is Christ is and Christ will not dwell in a rotten heart that is impure and not in some measure sanctified by the Spirit But you will say there are divers kindes of Faith What Faith is this then that thus purifieth the heart By Faith in this place is meant a Justifying Faith Faith that applyeth Christ and his righteousnesse in particular unto a mans selfe for his justification and hereupon he is raysed up to holinesse and enabled out of love unto Christ to mortifie sinne Now the order of this grace in a regenerate man is wonderfull for first the Spirit which is the holy Ghost comes and enlightens the mind then it works Faith and then Faith drawes downe Christ and when once Christ comes he takes possession of it never resting till he hath rid the heart of the evill disposition of nature with a loathing of it then the regenerate man hereupon out of love unto Christ and hatred unto sinne begins to mortifie his corruptions But you will say How can the Spirit of Christ which is the holy Ghost dwell in the heart seeing he is in heaven To this I answer that the Spirit dwells in the heart as the Sunne in a house now we know that the proper place of the Sunne is in the Firmament yet wee say the Sunne is in the house not that wee meane that the body of the Sunne is there but the beames of the Sunne are there in the house so wee say that the proper place of the holy Ghost is in heaven and when we say hee is in the heart of a regenerate man we doe not meane essentially but by a divine power and nature that is by sending his Spirit into the heart not onely to worke grace in the heart but to dwell therein Now when the Spirit hath taken possession of the heart it drawes and expells away all the darkenesse of the minde and makes it to looke and to see Christ in a more excellent manner than before assuring him of perfect Justification and remission of his sinnes And here the error of many is met withall in the matter of Mortification they will have Mortification first wrought and then they will lay hold upon Christ for remission of sinnes Oh say they if I could but finde this sinne or that sinne mortified then I would lay hold upon Christ then I would beleeve for alas how can I looke for remission of sinnes how dare I lay hold or how can I lay hold upon Christ when I finde that my corruptions have such hold on mee But these are deceived for this is contrary to the worke of the Spirit for first Faith assureth of pardon and then followes Mortification that is when a man is once assured of pardon of sinne then hee beginnes to mortifie and to slay his corruption for Mortification is a fruit of Faith and therefore the Apostle saith Phil. 3. 10. That I may feele the power of his death and the vertue of his resurrection Now what is meant by this but the two parts of repentance Mortification and Vivification The Apostle beleeved before and now he would have his faith appeare in the grace of Mortification that he might sensibly feele it And therefore if you would have your sinnes mortified you must by Faith draw Christ into your hearts The sixth meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is to get spirituall Joy But this may seeme a strange thing to mortifie corruption by a man or a woman would rather thinke that this were a meanes to encrease sinne but it is not so for spirituall Joy is a speciall meanes to mortifiesin if we doe but consider the nature of Mortification for as I sayd before what is Mortification but a turning of the heart a working in it a new disposition Now wee know when the heart is not regenerate it is full of sorrow and joy in this estate encreaseth sinne But when the heart is turned from sinne to grace that is heavenly disposed there is a pleasant object represented unto the eye of the soule as Christ Justification Remission of sinnes and Reconciliation and hence ariseth a spirituall Joy in the soule which rejoycing is a Mortification of sinne for when a man or woman sees such excellencies in Christ as before hee so rejoyceth in them that hee loatheth whatsoever is contrary to them As a man that hath gotten a faire Inheritance which formerly was content with a small Cottage but now the right that hee hath to the other makes him despise that so it is with a regenerate man this spirituall Joy makes him basely to esteeme
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
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
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 self-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
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
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
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
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
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
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