carnal mans affections be so wrought on as ye have heard that they are not rightly wrought on First Because they are not kindely wrought on They are chafed and heated very much but they are not kindely wrought on The affections must be kindely wrought on otherwise they are not wrought on aright they may be violently and passionately wrought on there may be a great deal of pudder wrought in the affections but never are they rightly wrought on unlesse they be wrought upon kindely Be kindely affectioned one to another with brotherly love saies St Paul Rom. 12. 10. The Galatians that would have pluckt out their eyes for Saint Paul they were strongly affected with Saint Paul but they were not kindely affected If they had been kindely affected with him or his Doctrine they would not have hearkned to false Apostles as they did A carnal man natural reason and knowledge out of the Word may work on his affections his conscience and self-self-love whereby he is loth to be damned and glad to be saved when he dies these may work on his affections and cause him to weep for his sins and give over many corruptions and to be strongly affected but alas he is not kindely affected It 's only the love of God shed abroad in the heart that kindely affects one But it 's self-self-love and not love of the Lord Jesus that affects him he is not kindely affected Secondly A carnal mans affections are not judiciously wrought on They are wrought on in a fit at it but they are not wrought on with judgement they have not the true beginning of working which is sound judgement S. Hierom saies of the affections of Christ respectu Christi semper sequuntur rationem Christs affections had alwaies the right beginning which was true reason and judgement And therefore S. Matthew notes especially the beginning of his sorrow He began to be sorrowful and very heavy Mat. 26. 37. He had a right beginning of it The natural beginning of the affections is this when the judgement is first poysed and the heart is first fired this is the natural beginning of the affections So that the heart must first be wrought on and the spirit moved before the affections can be judiciously wronght on And therefore saies S. Iohn Christ troubled himself He groaned in spirit and he troubled himself Joh. 11. 33. He was exceedingly affected with sorrow for Lazarus his death and his kinsfolks sorrows and distrusts they were in and he troubled himself we translate it he was troubled but in the original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he troubled himself his own judgement and his spirit and his heart stirred up his affections to be troubled His affections were wrought on judiciously A carnal mans affections though they be much wrought on yet they are not wrought on judiciously Now he is in the minde to be strict and to be godly now he weeps and takes on can ye wonder his conscience now jerks him and is quick but when a few tears and a few labours and endeavours that way have contented his conscience as his conscience is apt to be satisfied the man is of another judgement then quickly He is of the judgement then tush what need I be so strict and precise Thus he is affected not upon sound judgement Affected he is and strongly affected too for the while but he is not affected judiciously Thirdly A carnal mans affections are not wrought upon regularly His affections may be are wrought upon by Gods justice and judgements because God is a consuming fire against sin because God is severe against the works of iniquity because he hath made heaven-gate to be straight These are the grounds of his work His affections are wrought upon this way therefore he weeps and therefore he praies and therefore he reforms and therefore he is affected But this is not regular affection he is affected with fear but it is not the fear of Gods goodnesse not Gods mercy and goodnesse were there no other attribute in God he might look long enough before he would fear his mercy that 's a ground of presumption to him but he fears Gods judgements and his justice he doth not tremble and quake to consider that God is a merciful God and a good God whom he hath sinned against The true Israel of God They fear the Lord and his goodnesse Hos 3. 5. their affections are regular they are affected with fear of Gods goodnesse But a carnall man is not affected with the fear of Gods goodnesse He is affected with the fear of Gods justice his affections are wrought on irregularly Fourthly A carnal mans affections are not wrought upon universally Some affections are wrought on and others are not No he hath a contradiction of affections He hath some good affections to God and to grace and he hath some affections that are contradictory to these Some sinnes he grieves under some he is glad under some commandments he delights to be doing and some he delights to be breaking I do not mean part flesh and part spirit for so the best godly souls under Heaven have a contradiction of affections they have some affections of the spirit and some affections of the flesh contradicting and opposing one another I do not mean this But a carnal man hath such a contradiction of affections as that his carnal affections give the other the lye He is affected with sorrow for his sinnes but he is not troubled for his usury He is affected with desires to leave his sins but not to leave his sinful dependances As Esau he was affected with weeping for his missing of grace and the blessing but not for his pleasures and sensual delight Is not this a contradiction of affections He found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Heb. 12. 17. He was affected with weeping after repentance but he could finde no place to bestow it in There was not elbow-room enough for repentance in his heart He made some room in some part of his heart for repentance but not in all He found place for it in some of his affections but not in all He is affected but he is not affected universally He hath a contradiction of affections in his soul so that a carnal mans affections though they be wrought on they are not wrought upon universally It is true a carnal mans affections may be exceedingly wrought on then I pray examine your selves Two persons I would have to examine themselves First Them that think their affections are set upon God For as for them that are absolutely carnal whose affections are buried in the things of the World and have no affection at all unto grace or unto holinesse speak not to them their own consciences condemn them to be rotten and are as good as a thousand examiners I doe not speak to them If they will not hear their own conscienceâ—s much lesse will they hear me I speak
the contrary as wicked Ioabs affections were so bowed to God-wards and for the good of his Church that he was willing to die in his defence Be of good courage saies he let us play the men for our people and the cities of our God and the Lord doe what seemeth him good 2 Sam. 10. 12. See how he rowzes up his valour and his generous affections to fight for his God his affections were somewhat bowed unto God and yet he was a wicked man The fourth is The affections may be wrought on so far that the heart may be stolen away with them this you may finde in the story of Absolom who with his beauty and the propernesse of his person and the flattery of his lips and his courteous complement with the people of the land he did so winne their affections that the Text saies He stole the hearts of the men of Israel 2 Sam. 15. 6. So grace is so beautiful and the Word of God hath such kinde promises and kinde speeches with it not complemental as Absalâ—ms but real and truly amiable that it may steal the affections of a carnal man as the Israelites stole from the Aegyptians and they knew not how so grace may steal thine affections and take them with its beauty and yet thou be a wicked man for all that As Paul with his preaching did so steal away the affections and the hearts of the Galathians that for a need they would have pluckt out their eyes and given them to Paul they were so strongly affected with him and the Gospel he taught them Gal. 4 15. Neverthelesse Saint Paul sayes they were foolish and carnal The fifth is The affections may be wrought on so farre that the heart may be hot and inflamed by them That this is another degree of the affections you may gather from the avenger of bloud when any had unwittingly and unwillingly killed his brother the Lord commands him to fly quickly to a City of refuge lest the avenger of bloud should kill him in fury and anger The words go thus lest the avenger of bloud pursue the slayer while his heart is hot Deu. 16 6. While his heart is hot that is while he is in the heat of his passion while his anger and the affections of revenge are hot the affections may be raised so high that they may set the heart in a heat upon a thing which it affects So a carnal man may have his affections heated and inflamed towards God and towards grace Saul had a great zeal to Gods Church 2 Sam. 21. 2. Iehu was zealous for God Come with me saies he and see my zeal for the Lord 2 Kin 10. 16. Zeal is the heat of all the affections and therefore Iehu was heated in all his affections for God his affections were hot to root out Idolaters his affections were hot to cut off Gods enemies and to reform abundance of sinful abuses in the Kingdom he was zealous his affections were heated towards God and yet Iehu was no better then a carnal man for all that Thus farre may a carnal mans affections be wrought on for grace and this is no argument that he hath set his affections upon God as shall afterwards appear Therefore there be four further degrees which are only to be found in the godly The sixth then is The affections may be wrought on so far that the heart is quite overturned from that it was before I say the affections may be wrought on so far that the heart may be turned upside down by them So it was with the godly they were even overwhelmed in affections for God with the fear of the Lord and their hearts turned upside down with grief for their sinnes Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Lam. 1. 20. Her soul was even battered with affections of repentance and humiliation her soul was distressed with terrours her bowels were troubled and contracted with fears and her heart was turned upside down with sorrows and all for her sins for I have grievously rebelled saies she No wicked man under Heaven had his affections ever so wrought on that was not converted upon it As Iob saies of his birth He was curdled like Cheese so here in the second birth her heart was curdled like Cheese c. My heart is turned in me saies she This is a higher working on the affections then any carnal man hath The seventh is The affections may be wrought on so far that the heart be engaged for God As a womans affections towards a man may be so deep as that she engageth her heart unto that man and resolves to have none other husband but him So when the affections are so deep in love with grace and with Christ that the heart is once engaged for Christ to be a widow for ever unlesse he will be pleased to count her his Spouse the world shall never have her heart more the flesh shall never have her heart more nor devil nor lust nor any other sin shall ever have her heart more she is so farre in love and affection with Christ as her heart is engaged for Christ this is a godly soul Who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Jer. 30. 21. If pleasure come saying set thine affections on me no saies the heart mine affections are engaged already if her old lusts and her old lovers and her old acquaintance come saying set your affections on us no saies the heart I am engaged for another even for Christ and his graces this is a deep working on the affections indeed when they are engaged for Christ The eighth is The affections may be wrought on so far that the heart may be glued to a thing by them Iamblychus the heathen hath a pretty phrase to this purpose a wicked man he cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bound in and nayled in his affections he is even nayled and glued to the things of the world his heart does even stick to them like pitch and Tarr to the Ship So it is with a godly soul his heart sticks fast unto Christ and the commandments of Christ I have stuck unto thy Testimonies saies David to Christ Psa 119. 31. How came his heart to stick to Christs testimonies His holy affections were the glue his affections clave to Gods Law The ninth is The affections may be wrought on so far that the heart may be quite given up to the thing which it affects Solomon had such affections to wisedom that he gave his heart to seek it Eccl. 1. 13. As we use to say he hath my heart what can he have more all mine affections are set on him if he have my heart and all So a godly heart is so deeply affected with Christ and his righteousnesse as that Christ hath his very heart and all He gives up all
against sin and thy hope is deferred thy hope comes not yet thou art not able to withstand thy corruptions not able to subdue such a lust no if thou beest affected at all with any hope thy hope is deferred as yet but hath it made thy heart sick wert thou ever sick at heart for this grace if it have not made thy heart sick it is a sign thou wert never rightly affected with hope for if thou wert it would make thy heart sick to be so long without it as thou hast been May be thine affections are so strong set on the world that thou hast been world-sick and crosse-sick and trouble-sick and anger-sick and revenge-sick and coveteousness-sick as Ahab was sick because he knew not how to get Naboths vineyard 1 King 21. 4. May be thou art crost and sick of vexation may be thou art incensed and sick of revenge or impatiency but art thou sick after grace Aristotle cals the affections Aegritudines animi they are the sicknesses of the soul if the soul be affected indeed she is sick if she speed not Fourthly He that is truly affected with grace hath his conversation in heaven whence all grace does descend Animus est non ubi animat sed ubi amat the soul is not where it animates not where it sojourns but where it affects and therefore thou livest in heaven if thou beest truly affected with heavenly things he that is truly affected with grace is most affected with the fountain of grace which is God God is the fountain of all grace and if thou beest affected with it thou art chiefly affected with God Alas thou mayst have a good memory a good wit and good parts and be affected with them and rejoyce that thou hast them But all the question is this art thou affected with God the fountain of grace a wicked man may be affected with grace in the bucket and yet have no love to grace in the fountain it affects him well enough to have some but he does not so like it to have much Omne nimium vertitur in nigrum monachum thinks he It 's the property of the godly to be affected with God Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righeeous Psal 33. 1. Be ye affected with God himself saies the Psalmist One he is affected with pleasures another he is affected with honour and respect another he is affected with profit another he may be affected with grace too but it is the godly man only that is affected with God himself Examine your affections are ye affected with God himself are ye affected with his glory It does infinitely stand us in hand to have our affections set right which I will prove by these 8. arguments First Hereby only are we marriageable to Christ When a man goes a woing for a wife all his care is to get her affections he will never marry her if he be wise if he may not have her affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Philo The affections are the womanhood of the soul he will never marry her if she be nor a woman for him much lesse will he marry her if she be not a woman at all he will not have a man for his wife she shall be a woman certainly if he ever mean for to marry her she is not marriageable but only for her affection what a miserable soul then is thy soul if thy affections be not right thou art not marriageable to Christ This is the rule of all wives and of all Spouses thy desire shall be to thy husband Gen. 3. 16. Thine affections shall be to him or thou caust not be his wife He is a monster in nature that will have a wife whose affection is set on another What dost thou take Christ for a monster that thy soul should be married to him when thine affection is forestalled If thine affections be to the world and to the strumpet-like things of the world Christ cannot abide thee Knowest thou not that the love of the world is enmity with God Out thou filthy strumpet-like soul betrothest thou thine affections to the world and yet hopest to be married to Christ thou art not marriageable to him if gains and pleasures and vanities and such like base paramours be welcomed to thy heart thou canst not be married unto Christ thou art the worlds Spouse and the devils Spouse when thine affections be inordinate Uncleannesse and inordinate affection the Apostle puts them together Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection Col. 3. 5. So that thy soul is a filthy and an unclean soul that hast these inordinate affections unmortified in thee thy soul is a fit Spouse for the unclean spirit and not for Christ and therefore it deeply concerns you to have your affections set right because thereby only are ye marriageable to Christ Secondly Hereby only doth the soul set up favourites in her heart those are the hearts favourites whom the heart most affects Now if Christ be not thy hearts favourite what a woful condition art thou in It hath been the undoing of many a Prince the having of ill favourites and that soul must needs be for ever undone that hath ill favorites in her heart As soon as Joseph was in favour with the Keeper of the prison Ioseph presently had all at command nothing was done but Ioseph was the doer of it Gen. 39. 21. He was no sooner in favour but he was Dominus fac totum as we say he ruled all then Look what thy heart does affect that is in favour with thy heart that is dominus fac totum If thy pleasures and thy vanities be once in favour with thy heart Christ can have no command of thy heart no further then thy lusts will give leave thou canst not reform any thing that is amiss no further then thy lusts will give leave wouldst thou repent or stand for Gods glory thou canst not unless thy lusts do give leave wouldst thou be reproved or well counselled thou canst not unless thy lusts will give leave as long as thy lusts are in favour with thy heart they govern all they command all thy minde goes as they tend thy thoughts come as they call thy courses are as they will I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians and they shall spoil the Egyptians Exo. 3. 21 22. When they were once in favour with them they might spoil them and rob them and borrow Jewels of them and never pay them again they might do any thing when they were in favour with them O the misery of the soul when the world or pleasure or sinne or the like are in favour with it they spoil it and rob it and bereave it of all the jewels it hath Christ can doe nothing to any purpose with that soul that favours other things besides Christ Now if thine affections be not set right thy favour is not right set this is the reason
ever hold them O could we take hold of them it were well they are fair handles for us to take hold by O if we could but truly affect your hearts with the truth then we might have some hope to convert you As Epictetus saies of wrongs and of injuries and all things in the world every thing hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every thing hath two handles O saies he if a man could take hold of every wrong at the right handle then he would bear it patiently so I may say of your haarts Your hearts have two handles I pray God the Word may take hold at the right handle of your hearts The true affections of the heart if ever the Word take hold of them it hath taken hold of the right handle Is it not then a lamentable thing that mens affections are misplaced alas they are the hold of the heart and the heart can never be taken unlesse they be set right Sirthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are the souls stomack that which the soul doth affect that reedeth and filleth the soul as meat doth the stomack Is it not necessary to be careful what meat we doe eat if we eat trash it will kill us if we feed upon poyson it will poyson and infect us Now that is the food of thy soul which thy soul does affect and thine affection is thy souls stomack to hunger after it thine affections are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aspasius they are the appetite of the soul Such then as your affections are such is your food Should you see a man feed upon dirt and upon Bricks and upon carrion certainly you would say unlesse he be broken therefrom it will kill him No remedy but it will kill him without doubt And wilt thou feed thy soul with vanities and with trash and with poyson Every thing is trash besides Christ every thing is poyson besides Christ and his graces if thou feedest upon any thing besides Christ and his spirit thou feedest upon trash and upon poyson Now if thou set thine affections here below thou feedest upon trash Thou murderest thy soul with such food its rank poyson and yet thou feedest upon it That which thou affectest that 's thy souls food As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. milk you know is the babes food if it have not its food it cannot possible live But the word is the milk and the food of the soul and that the Apostle would have you to set your affections upon Desire it or affect it saies he where note your affections are the stomack of your soul The Word is your food All other food is but trash and it feeds you accordingly O ye poor souls that feed upon poyson all the day long that diet your souls with nothing but trash and filth and froth how long will you do thus O set your affections on things that are above these are the wholsome food of your souls c. Seventhly it may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are the main matter of grace They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are the materials of grace as Aristotle saies of the vertues they are nothing but the right ruling of the affections so may I say of grace with a little alteration the main work of grace is the ruling of the affections aright it takes them off from the things here on earth and lifts them up to the things that are in Heaven When grace dâ—th convert a man it doth not take away the affections but it ruleth them Thou wert angry before grace doth not take away thine anger No oportet virum bonum esse iracundum saies Cicero A good man must be angry I say grace does not take away thine anger but it ruleth thine anger and teacheth thee to turn it against sinne and against the dishonour of God Thou wert merrily disposed before of a cheerful constitution grace doth not come to take away thy mirth but to rule it Whereas thou wert merry with vanity and ever laughing at jests and at fooleries now grace makes thee merry in Gods service and to rejoyce in the Lord. Thou wert of a sad spirit before but perhaps it was for crosses and losses and discontents and the like grace comes not to take away thy sorrows but to rule them to make thee weep and mourn at thy deadnesse and unthankfulness toward the Lord Jesus Christ Gratia non tollit sed attollit naturam Grace does not take away nature but it taketh it up The affections are natural grace turns them into spiritual this I say brethren that ye may see how that grace runs along in the affections as water in the pipe The affections are the matter of grace As the soul is in the body the body is the matter and the soul is in it and so makes up a living creature A man had need look to his body for it is the due matter of his soul so it is with the affections thou hast need to be careful of them for they are the matter of grace and therefore the Apostle cals the affections the members yeeld your members servants unto righteousnesse Rom. 6. 19. that is as expositors expound it yeeld your affections thereto For they are your souls members and the materials of grace is not fear the matter of the fear of the Lord and love the matter of the love of the Lord and sorrow the matter of repentance from sin now if the affections be the materials of grace what a desperate condition are ye in that set your affections upon the things here below you throw down all the matter of grace How can ye have any grace when ye cast away in the kennel all the matter for grace Grace requires the affections for its matter and thou hast no matter for this grace Thou hurlest away all thine affections upon thy pleasures and thy profits and thy vanities thou art so far from all grace as that thou hast no matter for grace Eighthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are arguments what ye be According as your affections are so are your souls if I could see what your affections run on I could see what ye all be whether Saints or wicked whether of God or the Devil The affections are the arguments that a man is a man When the people of Lystra took Paul and Barnabas for gods and would have sacrificed to them Sirs saies Paul Why do ye thus whereas we are men of like passions with you Act. 14. 15. that is affections we have fear and joy and grief and love and the like passions with you Now if the bare having of affections be the arguments that a man is a man then surely the goodnesse or
pray unto God evermore again I say pray I have not time to pray so often I do pray in the morning and evening but my businesses are so many c. This may be thou objectest Not time enough sayst thou Finde out some odde times besides morning and evening steal into some corner or other belabour thy heart before God O sayst thou I finde it a hard thing to stir up mine affections I am a very Stoick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no affection I cannot compel mine affections to God Canst thou not but thou canst compel thy heart for to pray thou canst tug and pull at thy heart in thy praiers and this will fetch up thine affections Praier is not only a mouth to beg Physick but also it is Physick it self whereby Christ cures the affections of the heart The poor beggar the more he is driven to beg the more affectionate he is in describing his miseries you shall see some beggars to set forth their misery and cry so lamentably as it would burst a mans heart with pity and compassion ones bowels would even yearn but to hear them I doe not mean your lazie canting beggars but distressed Lazars indeed So beloved pray if ever thou be used to it it will scrue up thy heart and raise up thine affections exceedingly I doe not mean that lazie-hearted and canting kinde of praying of most wretches that hath no more affection in it then there is savour in the white of an Egge But set thy self to prayer indeed and by it Christ will quicken thine affections Alas thy heart is divided and scattered up and down among the things of the world and therefore strive with God that he would gather up all the peeces into one thou must have all thine affections and all the peeces of thy heart gathered up into one if thou wouldst set them upon God I will give them one heart that they may fear me for ever saies God Ier. 32. 39 your heart and the affections of your heart are divided and scattered up and down into a thousand peeces one upon one thing another upon another and God hath promised that he will gather up your hearts into one and give you this same one heart that ye may fear him and set all your affections upon him will ye misse such a gracious promise as this for want of asking it and begging it and praying for it this is the reason why men have such earthly affections as they have because they are not frequent in praier to God to be helped Prayer is an excellent help to winde up your affections to God This is the first Often prayer to God The second is this Light up a candle in thy heart that it may see what to set thine affections on in God Get knowledge of God Ignoti nulla cupido unknown unaffected thine affections are unruly and thou canst not rule them to Godward yea but thou canst get knowledge Knowledge will help thee exceedingly The affections we see plainly that come nearest to reason are soonest of all ruled And the affections that are remotest from reason are more hard to be ruled A man commonly will sooner rule his affections aright then a woman or a childe because a man hath more reason The Philosophers shew this by the example of a Horse or a Bul. A Horse is sooner tamed then a Fish because a Horse is more capable of knowledge and of reason as natural reason and knowledge can naturally rule the affections so spiritual reason and knowledge can spiritually rule the affections And therefore if thou wouldest rule thine affections aright to set them on God labour to know God every one that loveth God knoweth God 1 Joh. 47. He must must needs know God that loveth God for how can he set his affections of love upon God if he doe not know God knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. S. Paul perswades the affections of the people why because he knew the terrour of the Lord and he was able to make them to know it too and therefore hereby he endeavoured to perswade their affections to fear God and to serve him They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou never forsakest them that seek thee Psal 9. 10. David speaks peremptorily they that know thy Name they will place their hope and their trust and their confidence and all their affections on thee They will so certainly if they know thee if once they know what a good God thou art how true of thy promise how gracious to thy children how sure a friend thou art never forsaking them that seek thee He concludes it positively they that know God will set their affections on God Can a coverous man know a rich purchase and not have an affection to it can a beggar know his alms is a hundred pounds and have no affection to take it as long as the woman of Samaria did not know Christ she stood pratling and wrangling and jeering at Christ she had no affection neither to him nor the water of life that he could give her she had more minde of her well and her water-pot though she were in Christs company yet because she did not know she never askt him a drop of grace nor would she give so much as a draught of her water to Christ But what answer did he make to her If thouknewest saies he who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. If thou hadst known who I am thine affections would have been eagerer then they be Beloved ye hear the word and have no affection to tremble at it Ye hear Gods Commandments and have no affection to do them ye live in your sins many of you poor damned souls to this day and ye have no affection to be humbled Alas alas ye are blinde and ye know not But if ye had known what a damnable case ye are in what a word it is ye reject whose Commandments they are which ye break whose bloud it is ye contemn if ye had known God and the truth that is of God ye would have been otherwise affected then ye are Occultae musices nullus respectus saies Suetonius Be the musick never so pleasing yet if it be not known none is affected therewith You 'l say ye do know God what doe and have no more affections to obey the Commandments of God ye lie in fiat terms saies S. Iohn He that saith I know him and keeps not his Commandments is a lyar and there is no truth in him 1 Joh. 2. 4. I confesse thou mayst know many things about God and never have thine affections set upon God to obey him but this knowledge is in a reprobate there 's no truth in this knowledge The truth is not in him saies the Text. Knowledge may be in him but the truth
wrath the covetous person to scrape himself maintenance it's endlesse to recount what innumerable devices men have to compasse what their heart does affect Phalaris deviseth new torments Nero deviseth new cruelties Sardanapalus propounds a reward by a cryer to him that could devise out new pleasure the wicked Lawyer and troublesome Parishioner deviseth new quillets and put-cases to fetch over his poor neighbour the proud minion deviseth new paintings of the face new washings of the body new curlings of the hair new deckings of their neck new-fangled attires and the like the covetous deceiver deviseth new cousenages new conny-catchings pollings rackings gullings c. The Usurer new usuries new covenants and reaches It were long to rehearse what devices are in men to fulfill their unruly affections These wretches are abhorred of the Lord. Solomon sayes there be six yea seven things which the Lord hates and abhors Pro. 6. 16. And in the next verse save one he sayes that a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations is one of them The Lord numbers these men among the damned crew of the Heathen inventers of evil things Rom. 1. 30. Wo unto them that devise iniquity sayes the Prophet Mic. 2. 1. Now see thy wofull condition whoever thou art whose affections are carnal thy devices are all carnal thou dost not devise how thou mayst best serve Almighty God how thou mayst best overcome sinne how thou mayst best glorifie Christ Which of us does set his head a work every day how he may best pray and best repent and best hear and best do every good duty alas there is little such devising among us because our affections stand not this way If our affections were set upon God we would be studying and contriving how to purge all our families how to propagate the glory of God in the Parish how to exhort and reprove and provoke one another to godlinesse A liberall man deviseth liberall things Isa 32. 8. he devises how he may releeve Gods poor Saints how he may set the poor on work how he may help forward the Gospel with his purse if he can finde how An humble man deviseth humble things a peaceable man deviseth peaceable things a holy man deviseth holy things if our affections were set right we would all lay our heads together how the Parish may best be reformed how our scandalous houses may best be removed how the Word that we hear from Sabbath to Sabbath may best be put in practise among us thus it would be if our affections were set upon God but because our affections are not set so hence it comes to passe our devices are carnal The IX Sermon â—ol 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THere remains the fourth head which is the extremity of the affections and that is zeal Zeal is due only to God and the things of his worship and therefore hence we may see how infinitely they sin that set their affections on things here on earth because they rob God of his due zeal which is the extremity of the affections is due only to God and the things of his worship Phinehas was zealous for his God Num. 25. 13. he gave the zeal of his affections to no other but God Now what is zeal Zeal is a high strain of all the affections whereby the heart puts forth all its affections with might upon that which it absolutely affects five things therefore there are which concurre to the making up of zeal First A high measure of the affections Every measure of the affections is not zeal a man may affect a thing coldly and lukewarmly that is not zeal As a covetous man may have lukewarm good affections to the word But this is not zeal I say zeal is a high measure of the affections Zeal is a metaphoricall word in the Original it 's taken from the seething of water over the fire Every measure of heat in the water is not seething No seething hot is a high measure of heating The Apostle confesses how the false Apostles affected the Galatians They zealously affect you sayes he Gal. 4. 17. he confesses they did affect the Galatians and he confesses they did highly affect them in a very high measure if it had been as well as it was high they zealously affect you that is they highly affect you Clavasius a Casuist for the Pope having run through all the Alphabet of questions in the end of his Book concludeth with zeal Zeal sayes he is a high measure of heat of affection such an one sayes he as I have shewn unto Christ in writing this Book It 's a most devillish saying for his Book is little else then a hellish rhapsody of blasphemies to Christ and magnifyings of his holy father the Pope But therein he sayes right that zeal is a high measure of the affection Secondly As zeal is a high measure of the affections so it is of all the affections I do not say any one of the affections alone or of sundry together But it is a high measure of all the affections Bonaventura and other of the School make it only of love Ludovicus Vives makes it to be compounded of two affections indignation and pity Others to be mixed of anger and love this is not so for zeal is a high strain of all the affections And therefore the Apostle sets it as a generall height of the affections in generall It 's good sayes he to be zealously affected in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. he does not only say it 's good to be zealous in love or zealously angry but generally it 's good to be zealously affected in a good thing Sorrow for sin is good and therefore it 's good to be zealously affected with it Desire of grace is good and therefore it 's good to be zealously affected with it So that then we may be said to be zealous for God when our love to him is earnest our desire of him is earnest our joy in him is earnest our indignation against whatever may dishonour him or dislike him is earnest when we think nothing too good nothing too dear nothing too much to bestow upon him A man may love God in a lukewarm measure hate sin in a lukewarm measure grieve for his corruptions desire faith and repentance delight in good duties pity the miseries of others fear to transgresse Gods Commandment a man may have all these affections thus in a lukewarm measure as this is displeasing to God so it is not zeal Zeal is a high measure the highest strain of all the affections Thirdly As zeal is the highest measure of all the affections so it is with all the might of the soul For when a man does zealously affect any thing his affection is mighty upon it Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with â—ll thy soul and with all thy might Deut. 6. 5. that is thou shalt love him zealously
zealous otherwise he hath no faith If he have no faith he cannot be saved 3. That man is in the state of damnation that loves not God He that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha that is let him be accursed and accursed for it is the greatest curse in the world it is the curse of the Gospel Let him be accursed and double accursed that loves not Christ Now a man never loves God if he be not zealous qui non zelat non amat He that is not zealous in love does not love love is termed zeal in the Scripture Iehu indeed the truth was he had no love to God he thought he had though and therefore when he would tell Iehonadab he had love to God he tels it in these words Come and see my zeal I have to the Lord of Hosts 2 King 10 16. That is see the love that I bear to the Lord of Hosts Zelus debet esse non modò in affectu verumetiam in intellectu is a saying zeal must be in the minde and zeal must be in the affections both are required to this zeal that I speak of If thou beest not zealous it is most certain thou hast not a jot of true love Zeal is more seen in that affection then any if there be any and therefore if there be no zeal in thee to God and his wayes there is no love thou art yet under wrath 4. That man is in the state of damation that was never taught of God Christ promises that all that are his shall be taught of God taught of God to be holy as he is holy taught of God to love one another taught of God to walk in all newnesse of life Every man look what he is taught in therein he is zealous Paul before he was converted he was taught in the ceremonies and his Fathers and therefore therein was he zealous I was traditions of taught sayes he according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers and was zealous Act. 22. 3. Alas poor soul had he been better taught he had been better zealous I doe not speak of the outward teaching of the ear only but also of the inward teaching of the heart his very heart such was the policy of Satan his very heart was taught in those things and therefore he was zealous of them The covetous mans heart is taught to be earthly therefore he is zealous for the world The proud mans heart is taught to be proud therefore he is zealous for his credit and esteem The voluptuous mans heart is taught to be vain therefore he is zealous of his pleasures Alas such were never taught of God The devil teaches them and their lusts teach them and the examples of others teach them Alas if thou beest not taught of God how to walk in newnesse of life thou canst not be saved it is better to be unborn then untaught and this as you see cannot be without zeal unto God 5. That man is in the state of damnation that cannot yet be pitied If thou beest zealous for the things of this life and not zealous for heaven zealous for thy pleasure and not for Gods glory thou art not to be pitied and thou wilt have pleasures take them and thou wilt to hell goe who will pity thee Deformitas sceleris aufert misericordiam It is true it would pity a mans heart to see a poor soul weeping and howling for his sinnes and yet go to hell It would pity a man to see a blinde Papist whipping himself praying on his Beads giving all his goods to the poor confessing his sins to his Confessor fasting and afflicting his body zealous in his blinde superstition and all to save his poor soul and yet go to hell it would pity a mans heart I say to see such a man goe to hell as how can he otherwise yet it would pity a man because he is zealous for God in the blindenesse of his zeal As it pitied the Apostle to see his brethren go to hell that were blindely zealous for God Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved for I bear them record they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 1 2. It pitied him that such as were blindely zealous for God should perish But whom will it pity to see thee go to hell thou hast no zeal at all that way No no thou art zealous after the things of this life and after thy lusts as God told Ierusalem Who shall have pity upon thee O Ierusalem Thou hast forsaken me sayes he Ier. 15 5. Who will pity our drunkards and our whoremongers who will pity you that are zealous in your sins and abominations ye are not so much as the objects of pity Is it so that the zeal of our affections is due only to God Is it so that God does demand it and that we are bound upon pain of death and damnation to give it to God Is it so that we never repented we never beleeved never were in Christ never loved God never were taught of God never can be pitied unlesse we give the zeal of our affections unto God Then O then let us consider the lamentable condition we are in as long as the zeal of our affection runs otherwise I beseech you consider these eight things which may convince you what a woful condition ye are in First Zeal is the fire of the soul Look what thou art most zealous upon that sets thy soul in a fire Every man and woman in the world is set on fire of hell or of heaven Now if heaven have not set thee on fire hell hath set thee on fire thou art set on fire of one of these two As it is the blessedest thing that can be to be set on fire of heaven to be zealous for the glory of God and the saving ones soul zealous for the getting of grace and zealous in the duties of religion so on the contrary it is the cursedst thing that can possibly be to be set on fire of hell Thou which art a swearer a lyar a filthy speaker whose mouth talketh of vanity thy tongue is set on fire of hell the tongue is set on fire of hâ—ll sayes the Apostle Iam. 3. 6. Thou which art a voluptuous man that lovest thy pleasures and delightest in vanity more then in better things thy heart is set on fire of hell thou which yeeldest to the temptations of Satan the devil tempts thee to go proudly in thine apparrel and thou yeeldest the devil tempts thee to smother thy conscience and thou consentest The devil tempts thee to put off thy better obedience till another time and the temptation takes hold there is never a temptation of Satan but it is a fiery dart the fiery darts of the devil Eph. 6. 16. Well does the Apostle call them fiery darts of the devil sayes Saint Chrysostome
and of Heaven the reason is plain I need not expresse it I know many a childe of God is not assured hereof but there is never a childe of God under heaven but he is restlesse till he be Alas he is never zealous for God if he be quiet without assurance of Gods love in Christ Jesus Can I zealously love him whose love to me I am not assured of for all that I know he will cut my throat he will turn the sorest enemy I have I cannot zealously love him No more canst thou zealously love God as long as thou art quiet without the assurance of his love For all that thou knowest God does not love thee God he may damn thee and cast thee to hell for ever and turn the sorest enemy in the world to thy soul for all that thou knowest and therefore thou canst not zealously love him if then thou be a zealous lover of God either thou art assured of his love or thou canst never be quiet without it give diligence sayes the Apostle to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. 10. ye shall never fall if ye make it sure but if ye can be quiet without the assurance of election and Gods love ye may fall and for all that I know break your necks for ever and perish for evermore Go to then examine your selves what does your conscience tell you ye are not sure of Gods favour nor your election to life ye hope well ye say but ye are not assured of it neither does it break your sleep a jot nor hinder your sports and your pleasures and your mirth it is certain ye were never zealous for God What a wofull thing is this hast thou but one soul and art thou no more careful of it art thou to live either for ever in heaven or hell when thou diest in all torture and torment world without end and art thou no more diligent to make sure before hand perhaps thou mayst be saved yea but perhaps thou mayst be damned And hast thou no more love to thy soul then to be quiet with uncertainties O how many be there among us that have no assurance from God what he means to doe with them whether to save them or to destroy and to damn them how many go blundring on in an uncertain opinion and conjecturall hope of Gods favour and have no certainty at all of the same how many that are haunted with fears and terrours and doubts this way and never labour to be sure how many that have had pretty assurances a good while ago and now they have lost them and yet they sit idlely and go dreaming on in the duties of religion as if they could shift well enough though they never recover again this is no zeal if thou beest zealous thou canst never endure to be under uncertainties never to be quiet till thou hast gotten the assurance of Gods love The fourth sign of zeal towards God is gladnesse to further and to be furthered in the waies of God If thou beest zealous thou art glad to be reproved and told of thy sinnes glad that the Minister should meet with thy corruptions and rip them up in the Pulpit as a Patient is glad that the Physitian should hit right on his disease When Peter had met with those three thousand in the Acts and told them plainly they were murderers of Christ as ye may reade in the Chapter the Text sayes they gladly received the Word Act. 2. 41. Peter laid a greater sin to their charge then we have unto yours We have told you that some of you are adulterers and some of you drunkards c. which is bad enough and ye are offended hereat but Peter told them they were murderers of Christ and they gladly received the Word they were not angry with Peter but with themselves and were glad to be told of it a sign they were zealous A zealous man is glad to further and to be furthered in all goodnesse he is glad to meet with the godly that so he may be quickned by conference glad to hear news of a Sermon that so he may go to it and be edifyed glad of every opportunity both of doing and receiving good glad to go to a Sacrament which is Christs feast so were the good Israelites glad at the Sacrament of the Passeover they kept that feast with great gladnesse 2 Chr. 30. 21. Glad that there was one glad that they were at it they were very glad sayes the Text If thou beest zealous thou wilt be glad of a Communion and glad to be at it When thou hast been at a Sermon thou wilt be glad that ever thou wert at it O the Word does thee such good that thou goest home with all gladnesse of heart yea though the Word did never so much contradict thy corruptions As the good people in Nehemiah when they had been reproved and rebuked in the Congregation and told of their sins and made to cry out unto God they went home and ate their meat with all joy glad that they understood the words that were told them Neh. 8. 12. Thus thou wouldest to if thou wert zealous towards God but if thou goest about the duties of Gods worship as sorry peeces of businesse if thou dost not delight in prayer and in hearing the Word if thou canst sit wearisomely and when will the Minister have done a man may see it in thy countenance thou art not joyfull to hear this is a sign thou hast not one scruple of zeal towards God The poor impotent man in the Acts when Paul was a preaching he lookt so merrily and so greedily upon him as if he would fain have it faster then Paul could deliver he was a faithfull hearer The same heard Paul speak and Paul stedfastly beheld him and perceived he had faith to be healed Act. 149. He perceived he had faith how did he perceive it he perceived it by his countenance he could give a shrewd guesse by his looks while Paul was preaching he looked so cheerfully and so greedily upon him as if he drunk in every point that he said The man without doubt was zealous to hear The fifth sign of zeal towards God is rejoycing to see the forwardnesse of others I rejoyced greatly sayes Iohn to the elect Lady I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth 2 Io. 4. Nay if you be zealous though it may seem a disparagement to thee that others should be as gracious and famous as thy self yet thou wilt joy in it it seemed to be a disparagement to Moses that Eldad and Medad of low rank in the Church that such as they should prophesie in the Camp Before Moses was counted the only Prophet of the Lord but now Eldad and Medad prophesie as well as he this I say might have seemed a disparagement to him yet he was so farre from repining thereat as
3. One just man is better then a thousand others Though he be a beggar in the world he is better then a thousand wicked though they be all Lords and Nobles Because he is one of Christs redeemed and so thou wilt love him and affect him Thou wilt love him if thou beest zealous to Godwards I say thou wilt love a childe of God albeit in a leathern-coat more then father and mother wife and children friend or patron so they be not Saints I mean with more spirituall love then thou lovest them all And therefore much more the Churches of the Saints The seventh is If thou beest zealous for God then thou wilt be most zealous when the Lord threatens to be going away If ever men will buy any thing at the Fair they 'l buy when they are all breaking up standings taking up their wares and packing away If ever they 'l be forward to buy then they will God is now perchance shutting up shop-doors is now packing up his commodities and his graces to be gone The doors of his Sanctuary have been open a long time and the Shop-windows of Heaven have stood broad ope this many a year And we see plainly the dead of the market is come no body buyes almost How long hath he preached and scarse any converted How many Sermons and Market-daies have we had we can hardly see one drunkard converted one adulterer converted one worldling converted one unprofitable professour converted O that we could see it but alas we cannot our commodities stick upon our hands we can have no vent for grace nor Gospel nor Christ nor mercy nor any thing The dead the dead of the market beloved the market is dead God is now shutting up to be gone and as we may justly fear to remove away his Candlestick to take away the power of his Ordinances and to withdraw his Spirit from striving any more with us our stubbornnesse is so great We are grown to despise his reproofs to be incorrigible under his word to be malicious against his rebukes what encouragement hath he to stay Now if ever ye will be zealous now ye will now ye will come in and be wrought on or never now your proud hearts will stoop or never Now ye'l cry hard and pray hard and beg hard or never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's grievous to come a day after the Fair as we say I mean now is the last pinch in all probability it is so either now let us look to it or never It will be grievous to come a day after grace No man can repent without grace of God and therefore if he come a day after grace he cannot repent vid. Eze. 24. 13. The XII Sermon Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. IT may be demanded what means may we use to make us to be zealous I answer briefly First Frequent meditation Meditate of the infinite misery thou art in by nature and by reason of sinne and this will make thee zealously humbled Meditate of thy grievous iniquities whereby thou hast dishonoured God meditate of the unutterable mercy of God that hath not consumed thee meditate of the admirable patience of God that hath spared thee thus long and not damned thee in hell meditate of the inconceivable goodnes of God in Christ that he should give up his own Sonne unto death rather then that thou shouldest perish for ever these truths are all fiery truths While David was meditating I cannot tell now what truths they were that he meditated of but it seems they were all fiery truths they set his soul all afire as he mused and meditated My heart was hot within me and while I was musing the fire kindled Psa 39. 3. The very sight of a fire will warm a man a little Let thy heart look upon God and his waies let his commandments be ever in sight they will heat thee whensoever thou prayest meditate with thy self if I pray lukewarmly God will spue me out of his mouth Whensoever thou hearest the Word meditate with thy self I must take heed how I hear otherwise my hearing is abominable Whensoever the Sabbath is coming meditate with thy self O I must call it my delight and spend it in Gods worship publike and private or else God will consume thee While I was musing the fire kindled saith the Psalmist what 's the reason thou art so lukewarm in good duties as thou art the reason is plain thou usest not to meditate thou canst be content to hear the Word at a Sermon and let the Minister warm thee for an hour thou canst talk of the Word but when thou art alone thou dost not meditate of the Word if thou wouldest put the Law of God in thy thoughts and meditate of it when thou art solitary it is a fiery law From his right hand went a fiery Law Deut. 33. 2. Gods law is a fiery Law and his Gospell too is a fiery Gospel were it often in thy thoughts it would heat thee Know it for a certain we can never have a jot of saving grace or of zeal if we be not frequent in this duty thou makest a Christ of the world if that can have more room in thy thoughts then Gods word thou canst never be zealous nor gracious at all if thou beest not used to meditation thou art carnal and earthly why because thy thoughts are of that sort the thoughts are incentiva vitiorum sayes Hierom they are the incentives and igniâ—les and the bellows to kindle sin in thy heart whereas were they heavenly they would kindle zeal in thy soul The second means is a constant practise of godlinesse Motus est causa caloris saies the Philosopher Motion is the cause of heat Be ever in action if thou wouldest be zealous be alwaies stirring in the works of religion and godlinesse you shall see men labour and toil naked in their shirts in frost and cold and be hot for all that Labour stirs up the spirits and heateth the bloud labour will not suffer a man to be cold if Peter had been rowing in his boat when he stood still in the High-Priests Hall by the chimney-corner he had had little need of that fire to have heated him and therefore if thou desirest to be zealous labour in reading of the Scriptures labour in hearing and applying the Word to thy heart labour in examining thy conscience and repenting of thy sins and labour in praying and calling upon God this will kindle the heat of zeal in thee Ask and ye shall receive that your ioy may be full Joh. 16. 24. mark that your joy may be full your comfort may be full your love may be full and your hope may be full that is that it may be zealous for zeal is the fulnesse of every affections in its kinde O sayes one I am so dull and so dead I pray indeed but my prayers are dead and I hear