Reason Because it is an infallible argument of our being or not being in Christ 1 Reason Because it is a matter of reasonable equity Yea of necessity 1. Because God is the principal object of our affections 2. Nothing but God hath that which the affections look for Because nothing is good but God Chrysoft 3. Because nothing is my good but only God 1. The good of the creature not thy good because but the good of the body 2. Because not so long as thou art 3. Because they will not take thy part Iuv. Sat. 13. 4. Nothing can rest the soul but only God 1. Because nothing but God is all good 2. Nothing but God is the ultimate good 3. Nothing is it self without God Vse It is a blessing of God that we have affections Apud Cic Tuscul 4. The affections are not in themselvs sinful 1. Because Adam and Eve had affections in innocency 2. Because Christ took our affections upon him 3. Because God doth command the use of the affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vol. Arâ—â—â— Eth. l. 2. c. 6. Reasons why affections are necessary 1. Because without affections we should be like stocks 2. Because without affections we should be lazie and idle l de virtute morum in fine Plutarch ubi supra 3. Because affections are the channels of grace Iust Mar. Apol. 8. pro Christ ad Antâ—â— The first impediment that hinders the setting the affections on God because it is an hard thing to turn an antipathy or sympathy 2. The 2. impediment Because affections are the bewitchings of the heart Plutarch sympos l. 5 c. 7. Heliodor lib. 3. Hist 2. Del-Rio Disq mag lib. 2. c 3. 3. The 3. impediment Because affections are the estimations of the heart Chrys hom 7. in Iob. 4. The affections are the most natural temperaments of the heart 1. Ground We cannot set our affections on God unlesse we have a new heart Estsimill tudo Angeli Poliâ—iaâ—â— de irâ sed paulo secus applisat 2. Ground Nor unlesse we feed on Christ Means to set our affections on God 1. Pray to God to gether up your affections from the things of the world Hierom in Marcum 2. Light up 2 Candle in thy heart Suetonius 3. Occasion thine affections this way Oâ—casiones faciunt latrones Horat. 4. Let thine affections be often wooed to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. To be sober and temperate in all things A man may be drunk with any passion Hier. Com. in Ezek. cap. 34. 6. To clip the wings of our affections by abstaining from much of our lawful liberty Vid banc regulam apud Greg l. 5. moral hom 3. super Evang. Pet. Mart. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 6. 1. 7. To be abundant in the exercise of godliness 8. Dive down to the bottom of thine affections Means to get up the bottom of the affections 1. Be humbled after thy turning unto God 2. Keep no close lust unmortified Vid. v. 21 22. 3. Consider God will shame thee one day if the bottom be not sound Regula moralis It concerns us to use all these means 1. Because the affections are the bonds of the soul Chrysost 2. Because earthly affections are the fore-stallers of the heart Ministers must labour to stir up the affections of their hearers L. 1. de invent c. 1. Keck Ecc. Rhet. l. 1. c. 3. Reasons 1. Because the Word is full of affections 3. The word looks to be obeyed with affections 3. Men are very dull in affections to embrace the Word A Minister must not stir up affections by the enticing words of mans wisdome 1. A Minister must stirre up affections by preaching to the life A saying of K. Iames 2. By being full of affections himself Summa movendorum affectuum in eo est ut prius ipse sis molus Quin Hor. de art Poet Com. in 1 Cor. 2. 4 Cal. Multâ— sunt clamosi reprehensores qui in vitia deciamitando vel potius fulminando mirum zeli arâ—orem prae se ferunt interea ipsi securi ut videantur per lusum latera guttera â—xercere vesle at Christiani â—astorus est flere secum priusquam alios ad fletum provocet plus apud se retinere doioris quam aliis faciat Dabis voci tuae vo cem virtutis si quod suades prius ipse tibi persuasisse cognoscaris Bern. Simonides apud Arist Epiced Haymo Jer. 9. 1. 3. A Minister may stirre up the affections of others by being godly himself L. 1. Rhet. cap. 2. Quis tulerit Graâ—chos c. Iuvenal L. 1. Sent. Spiritual Tetrast 4. Tit. 2. 7. Gregory 4. A Minister may stirre up affections by his voice Plutarch in Demost 5. By a decent action It is a great sin to set our affections on the earth Four Arguments to convince this truth 1. If a man sets his affections on the earth he sets all his affections on it Gal. 3. 1. 2. Affections hâ—mper and intangle the soul He was in love with his Noverca L. de ludo parvae sphaerae 3. The affections are in a high degree in regard 〈◊〉 the acts of the soul 1. As the affections are so are the thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macâ—r hom 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar hom 16. Thinking is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pla. Sophist 2. If thy affections be carnal so are thy lusts They are like stirpiâ— fibrae as Chrysostom compares them like the strings at the roots of the Tree Apud Damascen â— par c. 7. Gregory 3. If thine affections be carnal so are thy purposes Car. in Pro. 15. 22. 4. If thy affections be carnal so are thy devices Qui praeter usâ—â—ata mala alia excogitant â—asil Theodoret alij in loc The extremity of the affections is zeal and it is due only to God Zelus quid 5. Things in zeal 1. A high measure of affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clavasius saith it 's fervor Divinae charitatis 2. Zeal a high measure of all the affections In prol sâ—n dub 3. 3. With all the might of the soul 4. The putting forth of all the affections 5. Upon a thing that the heart doth absolutely affect Zeal is due only to God 1. Because it is the religious part of the affections 2. Because zeal is the most of every affection 3. Zeal is the peculiar pitch of every affection 4. Zeal is the most spending part of the affections 5. Zeal is the impatient part of the affections Vse 1. God demands the zeal of our affections 2. We are bound to give God 〈◊〉 affections Jer 48. 10. 3. On pain of damnation 1. In Cant. Serm. 49. August Saâ—it unus quisque quod didiclt Proverb 1. Zeal is the firâ—â— of the soul Chrysost 2. Zeal is the running of the soul Tiberius Nero. 3. Zeal is the predominant element in the soul 4. Zeal is the self-cruelty of the soul 5. Zeal is the brand of the soul Ambros Act. 1. 23. 6. Zeal is the transporting of the soul out of it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ayes Aristotle servants have no leisure 7. Zeal is the strength of the soul 8. Zeal is the confidence of the soul Sperant omnes quae cupiunt nimis sayes Lucian Rev. 21. 8. Signs whether the zeal of thine â—ffections be set on God 1. Sign If thine affections be notable to God-ward 2. If thou beest impatient of sinne 1. Zeal cannot abide any sinne 2. In any person 1. In friend 2. In childe 3. In wife or husband 4. In a rich man 5. In ones self 3. It cannot be quiet without assurance of Gods favour 4. Glaadness to further and be furthered in the waies of God 5. Rejoycing to see the â—orwardnesse of others Camment in Iob. 6. Zeal to Gods Church and people The 7 sign shewing most zeal when the Lord threatneth to be going away Ferrum quando calet cudere quisque valet Means to make us zealous 1. Frequent Meditation Hier. Ep. ad Deme triadem 2. A constant practise of godliness Philos Seneca Psal 119. Ver. 154. Ver. 156. Ver. 149. Ver. 159. Ver. 88. Ver. 107. 4. Shunning the occasions of sin Gen. 14 23 Nemo diu tuâ—us periculo proximus Terent. 5. Means to eschew the beginnings of sinne VigilanduÌ„ est maximè tentationis initio Greg. Exhortation to be zealous 1. Else you can never be revenged on your worst enemies Iuvenal Sat. 13. 2. Zeal enables us to doe good unto others Theodoret in locum 3. Peoples zeal encourageth Ministers Mic. 7. 1. Ambros Chrysost 4. Zeal makes a man excell Proverb 5. Zeal makes men like Angels Gregor Ambros 6. We have greatneed of zeal In the context are these motives to set our affections on God 1. Because else we deny our interest in Christs resurrection 2. Because we are dead to the things of this world 3. Because Christ is our life Vt vitam redimas Horat. 4. Because Christ will bring us to glory 5. If our affâ—ctions be not let on Christ they are out of order Other motives to set our affections on God 1. Because it is easie to prosecute that we affect L. 4. c. 12. de doctr Christ 1. A man is not ashamed of what he affects Agesilaus Philopaem 3. What the â—ffections be upon they will hanker after that Seneca de tranq 4. Our affections spur uâ—on to what we affect Melan. in Ethic. Lud Viv. l 3 de animâ 5. 6. Affections are the softnesse of the heâ—rt Phi. Iud. l. de sacrif Ab. Cain Quint. Other motives to move the affections 1. From the everlastingnesse of the affections Stilpon Plat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sen in Epist 2. From the infinâ—tâ—nesse of the affections Ca. 7. l. 10 Ethn. ad Nicon Horat. Boeth Luk. 2. 28. 3. From the cloyedness of the affections Hor. Ep. 14 In omnibus rebuâ— magis offendâ—â—nimium quam parum Cic. 4. From the preciousnesse of the affections 5. From the instability of the affections 6. From the jealousie of the affections 7. From the tyranny 〈…〉 affection◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Ezek. 14. 3 4 5. c.
the things of the world it is good your affections look for can ye finde any good in these things alas alas thou mayst have all the things of this world yet if God do not shew thee his face and his grace in the same stultus ad cribrum thou runnest to them as a fool to a sive The sive seems to hold a great deal of water but by pulling the sive from the water the fool lost all the water So riches and wealth and pleasures as long as thou hast them in grace and in God they are like sives in the water full of water as long as they are in So these are full of good as long as they are in God and in grace But if thou dost not set thine affections upon God thine affections are befooled and therefore thou must set thine affections upon God because nothing but God hath that which thine affections look for It is Good which the affections look for and thine affections can finde it no where but in God Thirdly As nothing but God hath that which the affections look for nothing is good but he so nothing is my good but only he for if it be good and not my good this discontents mine affections mine affections look at my good I know compassion and mercy and love may look at the good of another but then they consider some kinde of propriety in that other either as my brother or friend or my neighbour still the affections have an eye unto my good thine affections to thy good Now nothing in the world can so truly be said thy good as thy God Other goods are called this worlds goods 1 Joh. 3. 17. They are the goods of this World rather then thy goods But God is thy goodnesse Thou art my goodnesse O Lord saies the Psalmist Psal 144. 2. Thou canst not say of thy pleasures this is my goodnesse nor of wealth this is my goodnesse nor of any thing in the world this is my goodnesse the good that is in it is the goodnesse of the thing not thy goodnesse if I should say this is thy goodnesse it 's all one as if I should say thou hast no goodnesse for that is none of thine but only by possession it is not thy goodnesse And therefore how canst thou set thine affections upon it First It is only the good of thy body it is not thy good Anima hominis est homo saies Plato The soul is the man rather then the body If the things of this life be the goods of the body then how canst thou set thine affections upon them Thine affections are the affections of thy soul Meat is good let thy body hunger after it and thou sinnest not drink is good let thy body thirst after it thou errest not but wilt thou set thine affections upon it when it is not thy good but only the good of thy body it is not thy good means and maintenance is the good of thy body house and lands and livings these are the good of thy body let the desires of thy body be to them this is well yet but if the desires of thy soul be thereto if thou set thine affections upon them thou art a beast because they are not thy good As Theophylact well observes upon the rich man in the Gospel Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years Luk. 12. 19. take thine ease eat drink and be merry see the basenesse of this fools affections saies Theophylact to eat to drink and to be merry these were the goods of his unreasonable part to rejoyce in Gods Law to rejoyce in holy thoughts and meditations these are the goods of the soul of the reasonable soul of a man Now the fool he had none of these goods laid up and yet he saies Soul thou hast much good laid up for many years whereas that very night he died and was damned for ever the things of this life then are not thy good and therefore thou must not set thine affections upon them Secondly It is not thy good because it is not as long as thou art Thou must live for ever in heaven or in hel Now all the goods of this life last but this life and when thou diest thou must leave them to others and therefore they are not thy goods Were they thy goods thou mightest carry them away with thee when thou diest but this cannot be Canst thou carry thy barns and thy houses to heaven or to hell with thee canst thou carry thy dogs and thy hounds and thy pleasures and thy preferments to another world with thee No no and why then dost thou set thine affections upon them when they are not thy goods for to carry with thee where ever thou goest if thou wouldest set thine affections upon grace and upon God thou shouldest set thine affections upon thy goods these are thy goods as long as thou livest and these are thy goods when thou dyest and these thou mayst carry with thee whithersoever thou goest Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not saies Solomon for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle Pro. 23. 5. wilt thou set thine affections upon that which is not Wealth is not and pleasure is not and all the things of this world are not they make themselves wings now may be they are a bird in the hand but by and by they are gone there 's a wing of prodigality a wing of change and of mishaps and of casualties wings of losses and other occurrences and though thou couldest clip all these wings with thy wisedom yet the wing of death and mortality will carry them all away in a moment and then whose shall they be thy pleasures then whose shall they be thy gains and thy comings in whose shall they be sure it is they shall be none of thine and therefore set thine affections elsewhere thou must set them upon God 3. They are not thy good because they will not take thy part Will any man set his affections on him that will not take his part how can I affect him that will not affect me if he will leave me in the lurch I can never affect him as my friend Alas all the things of this life will leave thee in the lurch thou mayst perish and be damned for all them They will never deliver thee from the hand of hell when thom comest before the tribunal of Christ dost thou think it will profit thee to say Lord I have hunted and hawked and gamed and sported and I have been merry will it benefit thee to say Lord I have builded and purchased and encreased my livings and my rents I have a good house and a good farm and good friends Will this advantage thee No miserable comforters are they all canst thou say Lord I have built up thy Church and thy worship I have purchased zeal and holinesse and purenesse and glory to thy name I have been persecuted and
You must have this same new heart otherwise ye cannot set your affections on God For there is a heart that will set its affections on God and there is a heart that will not The Lord wishes his people to have the former kinde of heart the heart that will set its affections on God O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandments alwaies Deut. 5. 29. There is such a heart beloved O that we had it I say there is such a heart that will fear God and set all its affections on God and such a heart ye must get or else it is in vain to command you this duty all the Sermons ye see are in vain that ye have heard to this day all the exhortations and admonitions ye have had since ye were ye see plainly they are in vain to many of you as your affections were earthly twenty years ago so they are still as they were carnal and worldly heretofore so they are still your hearts are the same hearts your hearts are stark naught and therefore your affections cannot sore up unto God Ye can have no quick affections in praier no melting affections at the word The Sabbath comes but your affections are not on it a Sacrament comes but what poor affections you have to it your consciences may witnesse Ye sit in your shops or ye follow your callings or ye go about your earthly employments and your affections are below 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Maximus the Sparrows foot is bound with a cord she cannot fly up unto God Your hearts are not spiritual and this is the cause your affections are so carnal Peradventure ye lop off now and then some part of your carnal affections as Tarquinius lopt off the heads of his poppies but ye do not cut up the roots It may be ye go about to heave up your affections in good duties sometimes as the key lifts up the spring in the lock but the key is no sooner turned but down goes the spring so down go your affections presently again And therefore I premise this as a first ground ye can never set your affections on God till ye have gotten new hearts The second ground is this Ye can never set your affections upon God unlesse you feed upon Christ by faith If ever the soul feed upon Christ by faith it cannot but set its affections upon God I remember an invention of Queen Artemesia who when her husband Mausolus was dead not knowing how to keep him fresh in her affections as long as she lived she caused her husband Mausolus his body to be turned into ashes and mingled them in her drink so she buried her husband in her bowels and this way she took to keep her affections fresh unto him This indeed was unnatural in her to eat and drink her own husband but faith teacheth us to feed upon the Lord Iesus Christ this will take off our affections from the world we shall never hunger after the world more nor thirst after the things of this life more if ever we feed upon him I am the bread of life saies Christ he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst Joh. 6. 35. If ever we beleeve the sweetnesse of the promises of Christ the pleasantnesse of the commandments of Christ the preciousnesse of the graces of Christ and the love of Christ and the benefit of Christ our affections will be to him Nothing can take off thy affections from the world but faith in Christ He that beleeveth in Christ cannot set his affections upon the world Can a man set his affections upon the world when he verily beleeves it to be drosse and dung in comparison of Christ Can he set his affections upon earthly pleasure that beleeves it is madnesse It is certain men never beleeved in Christ since they were born that set their affections upon the things of the world they have not one dram of Christ Christ is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. He is all love one that commands the affections Thou beleevest in the world and not in Christ if thou set thine affections upon any other but Christ Thou beleevest thou canst have pleasure and delight in something beside Christ profits and gains in something beside Christ ease and content and comfort in something beside Christ if thou set thine affections upon any thing beside Christ Alas thou canst never set thine affections upon Christ as long as thou beleevest not only in Christ If thine earthly affections transport thee to be earthly fly under the wing of Christ as Chickens under the wing of the Hen lest the Kite devour them These are the two Grounds that I give you First ye must have new hearts and secondly ye must be beleevers in Christ or else ye cannot set your affections upon God The foundation being layd let me now help you with some means to set your affections on God I could help you to abundance of means but I desire to help you to such means as are easier to use then to set your affections on God For if they be not easier then this duty they cannot properly be said to be helps to this duty The first then is this Often pray to God that he would gather up our affections from the things of the world and unite them unto him Our hearts are divided and scattered up and down among the things of the world Carnal friends have some of your affections our gains and our livings and our maintenance have other-some our pleasures and delights and fleshly refreshments have other-some our earthly businesses and cares and employments our credit and the like these have abundance of our affections Thus our hearts and affections are scattered up and down among the things of the world if ever we would have them set upon God we must be frequent in praier that God would unite together our scattered hearts to set our affections upon God This was the practice of David O Lord saies he unite my heart to fear thy name Psa 86. 11. His heart was scattered up and down in a thousand peeces Some peeces of his affections run after one thing some after another And therefore he praies God to unite his heart together to fear his Name If God would once gather up his heart from all its vain haunts and unite it together then he could set his affections his fear and his love and his delight and the rest upon Gods Name Iejunio passiones corporis oratione pestes sanandae sunt mentis saies Hierom as the affections of the body are to be healed by fasting so the affections of the soul are to be healed by praier as long as they are carnal they are the plague and pestilence of the soul and praier must heal them As Father Latimer said to good Ridley pray pray O pray pray so may I say Pray pray I beseech you
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
of knowledge is not in him And if thou dost not know God no marvel though thine affections be not set on him Incognitum non amatur Unknown unkist as we say This is the second help to set our affections on God to know God The third is this Occasion thine affections this way Be it never so hard to 〈◊〉 corrupt nature to set thine affections upon God it is easier a great deal to give them frequent occasions to be set upon God A theevish companion may be is afraid for to steal lest he should be taken yet if a booty do ever and anon offer it self pretty handsomely and fairly and covertly unto him then he will steal it Occasio facit furem Occasion makes a filcher the postern door maketh a thief as the Proverb is That gives him an occasion for his villany as it is in evil so also in good Occasion thine affections alwaies to good at last they may take hold of it Be often thinking and meditating and remembring of God let thy thoughts and meditations give occasion to thy heart in the end it may take it The Apostle gives this as a reason why Titus was so well affected with the good people in Corinth namely because he thought of and remembred their obedience to God His inward affection is the more abundant toward you whilest he remembreth the obedience of you all 2 Cor. 7. 15. if we would often busie our thoughts and remembrances of God this might winne our affections to God Thou givest thine affections so many thousand occasions to be set upon the things of this life thy tongue is accustomed to speak of little else thine ear accustomed to hear little else thy minde and thy memory accustomed to think of little else thou givest thy heart so many occasions to set its affections on the things of this life that I wonder not thine affections are not set upon God This is the reason why men are so touchy and so cholerick and revengeful and envious and malicious this is the reason why they are so apt to be overtaken with inordinate pleasure or covetous desires or carnal sorrows and griefs and the like they give their hearts occasions to be so they are not choice of their company they are not wary of the beginnings of sin they entertain too many thoughts of injuries and crosses and afflictions and profits and vanity in the world many occasions they give to their hearts to set their affections thereon The heart when it haâ—â— an occasion to sin is like the wilde asse in the Prophet in her occasion who can turn her away Ier. 2. 24. The wilde asse if she have an occasion of lust no body can turn her away from her lust as Tremellius observes occasion is a main thing in matters either of sin or of grace If Peter had not given his heart an occasion to be tempted by being in the Hall doubtless he would have been better occupied then in denying his Master if David had not give occasion to his lusts by looking carelesly from his roof for all that I know he had been at his prayers when he was a whoring with Vriah his wife If Lot had not given occasion to his flesh by drinking of Wine he had been a blessing of God for his mercy the while he was committing of incest Capillataest occasio Occasion hath a foretop how easy is it to be taken hold of The Galatians are commanded that their liberty be not used as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. for as soon as the flesh hath an occasion offered presently it 's likely to take it Women must not give an occasion to the Adversary to speak reproachfully 1 Tim. 5. 14. Let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14. 13. Occasions to evil are all dangerous as the flesh is ready to take all occasion to sinne so the spirit to take an occasion to good And therefore if thou wouldest set thine affections on God give thy heart as many occasions that way as thou canst keep such company as may occasion thy heart to be affected with Christ Compose thy self to be often thinking and meditating of the Word and of such things as may occasion thy heart to set its affections above And when thy heart hath such occasions as these offered unto it presse it and urge it to take hold of the occasion Premenda occasio saies Horace good occasions are to be prest upon If thou wouldest make conscience of this duty to occasion thine affections aright they would be set quickly upon God This is the third help to set thine affections on God give thine affections often occasion that way The fourth is this Let thine affections be often woed to God never misse if thou canst choose the preaching of Gods word there is never a godly Minister but is Christs paranymph he is a friend of the Bridegroom Joh. 3. 29. Whensoever he preaches he comes on Christs errand to wooe thine affections to Christ Christ does as a great Prince that minding to marry a wife out of a far Countrey sends over his paranymphs to wooe for him to get her affections if it be possible So beloved we that are Gods Ministers we are Christs paranymphs we preach to wooe your affections to Christ And therefore never misse the preaching of the Word it 's the wooing of your affections to Christ they say women love to be much wooed Love then the preaching of the Word that wooes thee and wooes thee again and again O what infinite need hast thou of coming continually to the Word thine affections are infinitely coy this they must have and that they must have Like a vain Damosel she must have her geegaws and her fashions she must have her pleasure and her will and her ease and thus it must be and so it shall be if she marry him she will not have the man else He hath such adoe to get her affections either he is too homely or too base or too strict or too ill-favoured or too poor or somewhat Now may be he hath her and then her thoughts change then again she is inclined and then her affections are off My brethren so it is with our souls our affections are to this and that and I know not what If Christ will not let them have their pleasures and their ease and their profits and their vanities Christ is not for them They must have the credit in the world they 'l not be mockt at for puritans and for hypocrites they 'l not deny father nor mother nor self nor any of these things they are loth to be held in so strictly as Christ doth indent But Christ will not marry us unlesse our affections be wholly upon him Blessed is he that is not offended in me Many are offended at the precisenesse of his word many at the bitternesse of the Crosse many at the shame of the world they
lesse notable to others it is to be feared ye are not zealous for God The second sign of zeal towards God is to be impatient of sinne Zeal as aforesaid is the impatient part of the affections if a man do affect a thing but a little he can be patient without it but if he affect it very deep and with zeal O his affections are set on it and he is impatient if he speed not So that if thou beest zealous against sin thou art impatient of sin thou canst not suffer it Zeal is impatient of whatever is contrary to it That this is the nature of zeal you may see by the poor blinde zeal that was in Paul before his conversion he was zealous to God as he thought and thinking that the Church of Christ were contrary to all men enemies to God and man therefore now in the blindenesse of his zeal he persecutes that way unto death Concerning zeal I persecuted the Church Phil. 3. 6. It was a woful kinde of zeal to persecute the Church but yet there you may gather the nature of zeal it cannot abide that which is contrary and therefore if thou beest zealous against sin thou canst not abide sinne better journey riding studies prayers exhortations any course thou wilt use rather then abide it thou canst never abide any thing that is displeasing to God but resist it to the utmost and this resisting will be First Universal If thou beest zealous there is no sinne thou canst possibly abide Nothing is cold but the fire does resist it so nothing is sin but zeal does resist it to the utmost I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right I hate every false way Psa 119. 128. This is zeal indeed there is never a false way that a man can abide that is zealous To be zealous against one sinne and lukewarm against another this is not zeal Secondly General in all manner of persons First In a friend as well as in an enemy If thou beest zealous thou wilt finde fault with thy friends when they sin as well as observe a fault when thine enemy offendeth Men are apt to observe when their enemy sinneth O how unconscionable is he thus he hath done and so he hath done but if thou beest zealous when thy friend does transgresse thou wilt not abide it Fire will not only labour to consume the water that comes to put it out but also the wood that comes to maintain it So it is with zeal Do not I hate them that hate thee sayes David to God Psal 139 21. He could not abide to count them his friends that were not friends unto God though otherwise they were very friends unto him and may be saved his life and were patrons and benefactors unto him he could not wink at their sins because they were his friends though thy friend be a swearer or a carnal wretch yet if he be thy friend and thou dependest upon him thou canst see it and not see it but if thou beest zealous all his sins thou wilt count discourtesies to thee Secondly In ones childe as well as a servant you shall have many they are angry at every sin a servant commits but if their children do sin they connive it was no such great fault alas he did it unwittingly and what would ye have a childe do say they they can excuse it in their children and lessen it but if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sinne in thy son any more then a servant thou wilt correct him and curb him and threaten him and counsell him and never endure he should sin if thou canst possibly help it What my son and be wicked what doe I love God and shall I suffer my loins to dishonour him Son know thou the God of thy father otherwise I count thee a bastard and no son This brake old Elies neck because he suffered his sons to be wicked when he by godly severity might have remedied it A zealous man when his son hath committed things worthy of death will not spare him Zech. 13. 3. Thirdly In ones own wife or husband or father or mother as well as in a neighbour zeal cannot abide it husband thou dost not love me as long as thou livest thus wife thy heart is not with me as long as thou dost thus how canst thou love me when thou dost not love God nor thine own soul this is the meaning of our Saviour If any come to me and hate not father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 26. A zealous man cannot abide to yield to sin for the best of them all Fourthly In a rich man as well as in a poor man if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sin neither in the rich nor in the poor if poor men offend and if beggars be idle and ungodly then thou wilt complain Oh the poor are so wicked they break down our hedges who would releeve them they will not be orderly they lie drinking in Ale-houses and spend it away on the pot therefore who would releeve them But if the rich be keepers of company and vain in their pleasures thou art not so zealous against their sins alas this is no zeal but let a wicked man be as great as King Ahab Micaiah will deal roundly with him Nehemiah will not spare Lords nor Nobles when they sin Neh. 13. 17. For a Magistrate to punish poor Malefactors and not the Gentry when they do transgresse is this zeal no it is cursed partiality Fifthly In ones self rather then in any body else true zeal is more zealous against sinne in ones self then in all the world besides otherwise sayes our Saviour it is hypocrisie and not zeal Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Mat. 5. 7. Zeal I say is like unto fire it is hot it self first before it heat others may be the fire meets with many other things that it is not able to heat it as the bottom of a kettle of water the fire cannot heat it neverthelesse the fire will be sure to be hot of it self So it is with thee if thou beest zealous against sinne thou wilt be like unto fire rather suffer cold to be in any other then suffer it to be in it self so thou wilt rather suffer sin in any body else then suffer it in thy self thou wilt not suffer sin any where else by thy good will but above all things thou wilt not suffer it in thy self This is the second sign of zeal towards God it is impatient of sin The third sign of zeal towards God is it cannot be quiet till it be assured of Gods favour and of Christ Thou art never earnest for God if thou canst possibly be quiet without assurance of Christ
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
obsta set thy self against the beginning of sinne if thou suffer thy heart to begin once it will be sure to go farther The Spirit of God hath a good phrase fall into sinne He that stands let him take heed lest he fall A man that stands upon a high rock if he do not look to the beginning of his fall he cannot stop himself till he is quite fallen down to the bottom and if not by meer hap he catch hold somewhere which it 's a thousand to one if ever he do if he do not I say it is a wonder if he break not his neck Thou canst never have the life of grace in thee unlesse thou take heed of the beginnings of sin Be exhorted all ye that fain would fear God to be zealous First consider Ye can never be revenged on your worst enemies unlesse ye be zealous ye would be glad to be revenged on your sworn enemies Sampson begged hard of the Lord that he might be revenged on the Philistims for his two eyes but thou hast worse enemies then the Philistims were to him Sin the World the Flesh and the Devil these are the worst enemies that ever mortall man had it is good to be revenged on them thou canst never be revenged on them except thou be zealous there is no enemy besides that it is lawfull to be revenged on but only upon these on these thou mayst lawfully these have done thee much spight they have brought thee into the estate of wrath and damnation they have made thee accursed and liable to hell-torments for ever they have pluckt out the two eyes of thy soul now if thou wouldest be zealous thou mayst be revenged upon them The Apostle puts zeal and revenge together yea what zeal yea what revenge 2 Cor 7. 11. If thou beest zealous thou mayst be revenged upon sin that hath done thee so much mischief it hath troubled thy peace defiled thy conscience disabled thee from worshipping of God hindred many good things from thee Never hadst thou any hurt or any sorrow or any evil but thou mayst thank sinne for it Just cause hast thou to be revenged upon sinne there is an imbred desire of revenge in a man upon those that wrong him the Heathen could say Est vindicta bonum vitâ jucundius ipsâ Revenge is sweeter then life it self Here it is true and no where else All other revenge is a damnable premunire against God vengeance is mine sayes he and who is he that revengeth himself to intrench upon Gods right but here revenge is commanded yea it 's sweeter then life here revenge and spare not and this is the way get zeal and be as hot as a furnace in anger against sinne and beat it as Moses did the Israelites calf into dust and powder hath thy filthy cousening heart deceived thee so often hereby thou mayst be revenged on it be zealous to search it and curb it and tame it have thy lusts been greedy and proud and sensual this humour they must have and this fashion they must follow and this pleasure they must take and this liberty they must use O if thou wouldest be zealous thou mayst easily be revenged on thy lusts hereby thou mayst be revenged on the devil and spight his kingdom to advance Christs hereby thou mayst be revenged on thy flesh that hath played the traytor so often with thee thou mayst afflict it and master it and block it and subdue it hereby thou mayst tread upon the world that hath so often ensnared thee thou mayst scorn it and contemn it and all the glory of it and count it as drosse and dung in comparison of Christ hereby thou mayst trample Satan under thy feet It is a strange thing how little men study to be revenged on these enemies let our own brother give us but a crosse-word we are at daggers drawing to be revenged but the devil may baffle us and the devil may tempt us and beguile us we put it all up Let a servant but anger us a little and offend us but in a peece of service or an errand O we are so revengefull and ready to make them smart for it but sinne may crosse us in our souls and rob us of Christ and deprive us of grace and mercy and peace and all yet we are good friends with it we take nothing amisse alas these men are monsters and mad men one day thou shalt see that sinne and thy lust and Satan whose temptations thou hast been led by c. they are the worst enemies in the world and if ever thou desirest to be revenged upon them O endeavour to be zealous Secondly Consider thou wilt never be able to do good unto others unlesse thou be zealous When men go dreamingly on in Religion they can never do good upon others what do others think they think basely and meanly thereof as if it were a matter of nothing but when they see a man zealous this affects them indeed if any thing will do it When a man is zealous at a game he laugheth exceedingly he is as merry as he can stand on his legs another man that shall see it will be apt to demand what fine merry pleasant game is that so it is with ambitious men when a man is zealous for a living he rides through thick and thin through frost and snow all the night long this friend he seeks to and that Noble man he flies to to help him in his suit what will folks say certainly he is going about some great living or other he is so eager about it So if thou wouldest be zealous for God and fervent in religion men would be compelled to conceive better of godlinesse and of Christ then thou mightest provoke others to godlinesse Zeal is a provoking grace Your zeal hath provoked very many 2 Cor. 9. 2. As zeal in charity provokes so does zeal in every good work provoke Where Theodoret observes the wisedom of Paul for he provokes the Macedonians by the zeal of the Corinthians and the Corinthians by the zeal of the Macedonians for zeal does mutually provoke one another O what a deal of good mightest thou do in the house where thou dwellest in the Parish where thou livest in the Countrey where thou art if thou wouldst labour to be zealous I knew an old man whether he be dead now or alive I know not that used constantly to go to the labouring men in the field and catechize them and pose them in Religion as they were reaping and working he would go to mens shops where he was acquainted and stir them up to have care of their souls and by this means brought above fourty men and women to seek out for Heaven that before had no more care that way then if they had been like a company of beasts Wouldest thou not be glad to do good thou wilt never be able to do it except thou be zealous Paul had women and sundry