which he is zealous upon He that is zealous for the world he trusts to the world otherwise he would not be zealous for it He trusts to have pleasures and he trusts to have goods and he trusts to be esteemed that is zealous about them What do you trust to bear all before you as we use to say when we see a man hot and zealous upon any thing the soul would not be zealous but that it verily trusts to prevail Thus shall â—ine anger be accomplished and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal Ezek 5. 13. God was confident of the fullfilling of his wrath why because he had spoken in his zeal Indeed God may well be so were he neverso little angry but the words do expresse the nature of zeal It 's the full trust of the soul to speed A wise man will not be hot upon any thing unlesse he trust to go through stitch If zeal then be the full trust of the soul what a mad man art thou not to be zealous for God Thou trustest to the world and trustest thy pleasures and trustest thy passions thou dost not trust God If thou trustedst the Lord God thou wouldest be zealous for God Alas alas thou canst not trust God thou never labourest to please him He that depends on a man and must be for to trust him for help and assistance he will not offend him Alas what trust can he have to him if he offend him continually when the Sydonians and the Tyrians had offended K. Herod their countrey being nourished by the Kings countrey Act. 12. 20. they laboured to please him again So if thou wouldest trust Almighty God thou wouldst labour to please him and to be zealous for his Name and not make him thine enemy by thy sinnes and iniquities Thou which blasphemest his Name with thine oaths and abusest his creatures with thine intemperance and prophanest his Ordinances with thy carelessenesse and neglect and displeasest him all the year long Alas how canst thou trust him thou makest him thine enemy canst thou trust one that he 'l befriend thee that vows he will hang thee canst thou trust he 'l help thee at all hands that is provok't to undoe thee thou art a damned man if God do not pardon thee Thou art a wofull wretch better thou hadst never been born if God give thee not grace And canst thou trust God he will be good to thee what and displease him day by day offend him every foot No no thou mayst trust him he will confound thee Thou which art a lyar thou mayst trust him what he sayes in the Apocalyps All lyars shall be cast into the lake of brimstone Thou which art a swearer mayst trust him he 'l never hold thee guiltlesse Thou which art a drunkard and a company-keeper and a whore-monger mayst trust him thou shalt never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven thou which talkestidlely and improfitably mayst trust him he 'l call thee to an account at the day of judgement Thou which hardenest thy neck against the reproofs of the word mayst trust him he 'l destroy them without remedy this he hath past his word he will do and herein thou mayst trust him thou canst never trust him for mercy or grace or any good thing thou displeasest him daily and makest him thine enemy And how canst thou trust him what thinkest thou does not he know how little thou carest for his Commandments how little thou respectest his Ordinances how basely thou usest him in thy waies indeed if thou wert zealous for his glory and zealous to please him in holinesse of life and zealous to obey him and seek him then thou mightest trust him Thou canst never trust him otherwise By this time thou mayst see what a woful condition thou art in if the zeal of thine affections be not set upon God But many poor souls may demand how then shall I know whether the zeal of mine affections be set upon God I answer thee There are seven signs whereby thou mayst know it The first If thine affections be notable to God-ward a man may have a little hope and a little grief and a little joy and a little pity and no body see it But if it be zealous it will quickly be notable every one when once it is zealous every one will note it When Epaphras was zealous to save souls in Colosse what sayes Saint Paul of him I bear him record he hath a great zeal for you sayes he Colos 4. 13. Paul could not but note it in him he saw so many strong expressions of it This holinesse and forwardnesse is very remarkable But if on the contrary there be no notable expressions of grace in you alas there may be some goodnesse some pity some grief some motions but this is no zeal it is not remarkable If a man be zealous for the world his scraping and sparing is notable his toyling and studying and talking that way is very notable I will bear him record he is a worldling the world is so much in his speeches the world is so much in his courses and so much in his face Look upon his wayes he is so combred with thoughts of the world Look into his family there be so few good duties of grace and so many tokens of the world Look upon his meetings his discourses of edifying are so scarce and of the world are so copious I will bear him in record he is a worldling Were we zealous for God there would be divers signs and expressions of our zeal unto God Saint Paul when he would make it plain to the Corinthians that he was an Apostle to them he tels them truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you 2 Cor. 12. 12. If we were zealous for God ye might answer Truly the signs of true zelots are wrought among us ye that professe Christ what signs of true zelots are there in you if your brethren be secure and grown-dull do ye labour to quicken them If the Gospel do not thrive do ye labour to further it if grace be little stirring in the Parish does Heaven ring with your groans and your prayers if zeal were existent among you it would be notable and remarkable among you we might say I bear you record it is so nay the wicked without would observe it we bear them record they keep a great stir about heaven our lives would convince them May be they would hate us and reproach us the more but this is certain our lives would convince them as Christ's did the Centurion doubtlesse this is a righteous man Luk. 23. 47. So your lives would convince all their consciences doubtlesse they are strict men doubtlesse they are humble and meek and religious Thus it would be were we zealous But if our religion be not notable hardly notable to our selves we can hardly tell whether we have true faith and repentance and zeal at all yea or no much
whether Brutus were not a block or a brute because he had no affection at all to his own children whom he could see murthered before him with dry eyes The Lord himself counts that man a very block that hath no affection in his heart Have ye no regard all ye that passe by behold and see if there were any sorrow like my sorrow Lam. 1. 12. q. d. What are ye such blocks and stupid stocks that ye can shew no affections at my sorrow And therefore it 's reckoned among the symptomes of a heart that is desperately hardned not to be affected with any thing to hear the Word and not to be affected therewith to pray unto God and not to be affected with Gods presence to be in affliction and not to be affected with remorse I say this is a symptome of a hard heart And therefore it is a blessing of God that a man hath affections within him Secondly because as Plutarch the very Heathen observes were it not for our affections our nature would be lazy and idle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like a Pilot at sea without winde alas the ship would goe slowly were there no windes stirring to drive it So the affections saies he are to the soul as the winde to the sails of the ship as the ship could not sail apace without windes so the soul would go slowly about any thing if the affections did not carry it When Davids affections were hampered about with worldly fears fears of his enemies and griefs at his persecutions which he suffered he went slowly on in obedience but as soon as his sails were up then he ran like a ship in the sea with a great winde I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart Psa 119. 32. As soon as God would help him to spread the sails of his heart and enlarge his affections then he would run like a Fleet pinnace in the Seas I will then run the way of thy Commandments saies he this is an infinite mercy of God who seeing how dull we are unto good how slack to good duties how slow to holy performances vouchsafes us these windes and these sails for to carry us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies the same Philosopher The affections are like wheels and like Chariots unto reason If a mans reason be never so good he knows he is bound to repent and be godly and obey yet if he have no affections thereto he goes like a chariot without wheels he goes without force he cannot go at all but if he have affections thereto the affections are like wheels and like horses to carry him amain Draw me saies the Christian soul unto Christ draw me and I will run after thee Can. 1. 4. She praies that Christ would draw her by the affections of love for she speaks of love the virgins love thee saies she ver 3. Draw me with thy love too and then I shall run after thee like the Chariots of Aminadab that is drawn by quick Horses she would run as with wheels unto Christ if her affections did once carry her As Cicero saies of the affections of anger it is cos fortitudinis it is the whetstone to valour so I may say of all the affections they are all whetstones to good if a man have any grace Hast thou love It is a whetstone to obedience hast thou grief It is a whetstone to repentance hast thou anger it is a whetstone to zeal c. What is the reason men come so slowly on unto good the reason is this because their affections stand another way Men repent but slowly and amend their lives but slowly encrease in grace but slowly why this is the cause their affections are to the world they run on in their pleasures and their vanities they run on in their earthly employments and businesses why their affections are thereto O beloved it is an infinite mercy of God that we have affections given us of God for these may quicken our dulnesse unto grace Thirdly Because the affections are good channels for grace to run downin Be there never so full a fountain of good water yet if it have not a channel to run all along in the fountain may be ever a bubling but it choaketh it self for want of a channel So though God should put never so much grace into thy heart yet if it should have no channel to run down in it would smother it self Now God hath given thee affections like channels for grace to run down in Art thou covetous and full of desires what a fine channel is that for grace to run down in it is the easier for thee to covet the best things art thou of a cholerick and angry constitution what a fine channel is that for zeal to Gods glory to run down in it is the easier for thee to be zealous in Gods worship art thou melancholy and of a sad disposition what a fine channel is that for repentance to run down in it is the easier for thee to despise the vain pleasures of the world and to sorrow for sin art thou merry and of a cheerful nature what a fine channel is this for delight in the Lord to runne down in it is the easier for thee to joy in the holy Ghost art thou fearful and of a timorous spirit what a fine channel is that for fear of Gods judgements and truth to runne down in it is the easier for thee to tremble before God and fear to offend him Solomon was full of the affections of love it is true he let lust after women and uncleannesse a while run down in that channel but when grace and repentance recovered his soul what an excellent channel was it for love unto Christ to run down in Never was there such a lovesong to Christ as the Canticles since the creation of the world to this day and therefore it is called Canticum Canticorum The Song of Songs Cant. 1. 1. Certainly Ieremy was a man of a sad constitution but see what an advantage this bent of affection was to him it was a channel for spiritual sadnesse to run down in Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears to weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people Jer. 9. 1. The woman in the Gospel which was a sinner a whore in plain terms one bewitched with the affections of love to her lovers as soon as ever any grace did look into her heart see how these affections of love did advantage her She loved our Saviour more affectionately then Saint Peter himself She loved much saies the Text Luk. 7. 47. Before no question but she was full of her whorish and strumpet-like tears now the channel was turned she washt Christs feet with her tears and wipt them with the hair of her head and she loved much saies the Text. It is such an admirable advantage to be full of affections that the
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
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-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-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 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
Lacedemonian Schoolmaster thought that if he had a young scholar full of affections full of shamefastness and full of fear and full of cheerfullnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He thought it was easie for him to make him ashamed of all filthinesse and delighted in goodnesse and fearful to do evil I am not of his minde but this I am though he hath an exceeding good advantage to do it If a man have spent his affections upon sin and eaten out the heart of his affections upon vanity or if a man have no affections at all as some have but few a man shall as soon work on a beast as such a man Nay if grace should come in into such a man alas he shall never be able to come to much good if best come to the best he shall have infinite adoe to doe any duty without wofull dulnesse and senselessenesse it is an admirable blessing that God gives unto men to give them affections and therefore the Stoicks are infinitely too blame to cry out of the affections as if they were evil in themselves To speak truly and rightly of the Stoicks I do not think the Stoicks were ever so sottish as to mean so but their intent as Austin saies of them was to pare off the affections that are evil and to rule the affections that are natural and therefore it was that they declaim'd so bitterly against the affections You see now by this Text I have chosen that the affections are great gifts of the Lord for how could the Apostle command us to set our affections upon God if the affections were evil in themselves Nay it follows from hence that it is a great blessing of God that we have any affections at all that we may set them upon God The V. Sermon Colos 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THe Christians of the Primitive Church had learnt this lesson very well to set their affections on Gods Kingdom they were often thinking of it often speaking of it in the companies they came in they would be discoursing of it insomuch that the foolish Heathen hearing them talking so often of a Kingdom took them for affecters of Kingdoms and accused them of aspiring to be Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Iustin Martyr Ye hear saies he that we expect for a Kingdom Ye imagine we look after humane Kingdoms No No saies he we mean the Kingdom with God and with Christ in Heaven above Their affectious were much there Ye have heard beloved the necessity of this duty that we must set our affections upon God and his Kingdom and grace Ye have heard the reasons why we must do so for the use of the point ye have heard a confutation of the Stoicks that teach a vacuity of affections and say the affections are all evil in themselves They cannot be evil in themselves because we must set them upon God were they evil in themselves it were unlawful to set them upon God But it is not only not unlawful but also it is very necessary to set our affections upon God O this is a hard duty to our corrupt flesh and so ye shall finde it to set your affections on God There be many lets that hinder us from so doing First Because it is a very hard thing to turn an antipathy or a sympathy our hearts are so deeply affected with the things of the world as that they have a sympathy with them and an antipathy against a removal therefrom When the affections are deep set with or against they prove to be sympathies and antipathies which are infinitely hard to be changed The Philosophers call them occultae qualitates hidden qualities no reason can be given of them No man can give a reason why the load-stone should be so deeply affected with iron as to draw it unto it It hath a sympathy with it the wilde Bull hath a sympathy with a figge-tree nothing can tame him but it the Elm hath a sympathy with the Vine the Vine hath a sympathy with the Olive No man can give a reason why it should be so So beloved our deep affections are the sympathies of our hearts and therefore seeing they are set to the things of the world they are hardly removed No reason scarce any reason can sever them Demas when he set his love upon the world the text saies he forsook Paul and he embraced this present word Demas hath forsaken me and embraced this present world 2 Tim. 4. 10. We translate it he loved this present world but the word signifies and so other translations render it he embraced this present world that is the affections of his heart had a sympathy with it as the Ivie with the Elm he embraced it S. Paul could not hold him no reason could withhold him he had a sympathy with it Now when the heart hath a sympathy with the things of the world it must needs have an antipathy at grace the proud man hath an antipathy at the parting with that which he prides in the revengeful man hath an antipathy at the putting up of an injury The stubborn man hath an antipathy at a sound reproof he cannot endure to be sharply rebuk't for his sinnes As some men suffer a homely similitude I say have an antipathy with Cheese they will goe out of the room where it is As the mullet hath an antipathy with the Pike the Coleworts have an antipathy with the Vine they will die rather then grow together So men are vext to be curbed of their lusts The affections are the sympathies and the antipathies of the heart and therefore it 's very hard to remove them it will cost thee a mighty deal of labour to pull off thine affections from all the things in the world and to set them upon God Secondly it is a hard thing to work on the heart when the heart is bewitcht The affections are the bewitchings of the heart when the heart hath once set its affections on the things of the World it is even quite bewitched therewith Foolish people talk much of bewitchings Brethren let me tell you here 's a bewitching ye little consider Your affections bewitch you O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth Gal. 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies S. Chrysostome this is the bewitching of the devil the false Apostles had wrought upon the Galatians affections and drawn them from the truth and now when their affections were set on it the Apostle saies they were bewitcht The affections when once they are up about a thing that is earthly or carnal they are like a company of devils in hell to bewitch one there be abundance of bewitchings in nature The bird Galgalus if she see a man that is sick of the Jaundies the man recovers and she is so bewitched therewith that she dieth If a Toad be seen by the Wesil to gape
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
Nimrod was a mighty hunter Gen. 10 9. that is he was zealous at his hunting Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine Isa 5. 22. that is that are greedy and zealous in the pursuit of their appetite in that kinde David danced before the Lord with all his might 2 Sam. 6. 14. that is he did it zealously Zeal is when the heart raiseth up its affections with all its might on a thing And therefore lukewarmnesse is called negligence in the Scripture Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently As he that fights negligently shews not all his might in his fighting so he that goes about any duty of the Lords service negligently his heart does not shew all his might in it It puts not forth all the might of its affections upon it Lukewarmnesse then is the negligence of the affection and cursed is the man that does the work of the Lord negligently sayes the Text. But zeal is the might of the affection Fourthly As zeal is with all the might so it is the putting forth of all the affections When the heart affects a thing and puts forth all its affections upon it reserving no part of its affections for any thing else this we call zeal Herod affected the preaching of Iohn but he did not affect it zealously he did not put forth all his affection upon it he reserved a main part of his affection for his pleasure And therefore he was not zealous in hearing Hence it is that the Scripture cals lukewarmnesse deceit fulnesse as Divines do observe Cursed is the deceiver Mal. 1. 14. that is cursed is the lukewarm person that offers God lesse then he hath offers somewhat and reserves back somewhat that puts not forth all his affection upon God and his Service Zeal is the putting forth of all the affection As when the heart affects God and affects nothing in competition with him this is to be zealously affected towards God When the Jews had crucified Christ and persecuted Paul and forbidden him to preach the Text sayes the wrath of God was come upon them to the utmost 1 Thes 2. 16. That is the zeal of Gods fury and anger and vengeance was on them He kept nothing back he was not angry a little nor wroth a little but he put forth the affection of his wrath to the utmost upon them So when the heart puts forth the utmost of its love upon God and the utmost of its delights upon his Word and the utmost of its fear on his Name and the utmost of its affection on his Commandments then it is zealous But if he keeps back ought to bestow it elsewhere it 's a deceiver and a lukewarm heart Fifthly As zeal is the putting forth of all the affection so it is upon a thing which the heart does absolutely affect A man may affect a thing when he does not affect it absolutely He affects such or such a thing but he affects it not absolutely He affects it perhaps with a degree of affection as far as twelvepence will go he places may be a groats worth of affection upon a quire of paper If he be askt five pounds of silver for a quire of paper he does not affect it at that rate and therefore he does not affect it absolutely But if a man have a true zeal of affection to a thing he affecteth that thing with absolute affection let it cost what it can he affects it let it cost him all charges and all pains and all difficulties yea though it cost him his life he will have it then he does absolutely affect it So that then is a man zealous for God and for grace when his affections stand absolutely that way May be he will be glad so he may get it at an easie rate but if he cannot alas he must have it he concludes upon that though it cost him sighs groans every daies strivings every daies labour praying meditating repenting parting with all his lusts although never so dear O his soul does affect it on that manner he must and he will have it rather then life This man is zealously affected towards grace and towards God because he affects it absolutely Thus Iob was zealous in affecting Gods Word he esteemed it above his necessary food Iob. 23. 12. He does not say above his daily food for so he might do and not be zealously affected therewith but he affected Gods Word above his necessary food above all food absolutely without which his life could not confist without which a man dies such food as this comes nearest of all outward things to be absolutely affected A man affects it above lands and above livings above his silver and his gold above all his pleasures and his gaming 's a man will part with them all rather then part with his necessary food Yet Iob affected Gods Word above it And therefore he affected it zealously This is the last thing in zeal It is upon that which does absolutely affect Albeit now it may partly appear by the very definition of zeal that it is due only to God a man must not be zealous about any thing nor zealously affected with any thing but only with God and his worship Neverthelesse we may yet further prove it First Because Zeal is the religious part of the affections of the soul Now the religious part of them are due only to God I profited in the Jews Religion being zealous of the traditions of my Fathers sayes Paul Gal. 1. 14. he makes zeal the character of his Religion Seest thou a man zealous then after profits and most earnest to get means and maintenance and the things of this life that man makes gain his Religion Seest thou a man zealous after any thing that 's his Religion Zeal is the religious part of the affections and therefore it 's due only unto God Secondly As zeal is the religious part of our affections so also it is the most of every affection and therefore only due unto God Zeal is the most of every act that a man does That which the minde mindes most and studies most that it mindes zealously that which the memory remembers most which the heart wils most it wils zealously That which a man fears most and loves most and desires most that it does zealously Now if zeal be the most of every act of the soul it must needs be idolatry to place it any where else but in the service of God Dost thou meditate most and think most of the world thy thoughts are idolatrous Dost thou talk most and confer most of the things of the world thy words are idolatrous Dost thou cark most and care most dost thou love most and rejoyce most in any thing of this life thine affections are idolatrous Dost thou sorrow most for crosses and losses and disgraces and the like more then thou grievest for thy sins thy grief is idolatry That 's the hearts Idol which it
if thine affections be lukewarm to God thou mayst wish that God might be glorified but if he be not thou canst endure it Thou mayst pray to God for grace to heal thee of thy deadnesse but though he do not thou canst bear it But if thine affections were so farre hereto as to be zealous they would be impatient thou couldest never endure it Zeal is the impatient degree of the affections whereby when the soul does affect a thing it is impatient without it And therefore zeal is due only to God Thus ye discern the evidence of this truth that the zeal of our affection is due properly to God The X. Sermon Colos 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THE Uses of this are these First Hence we may learn that God demandeth the zeal of our affections If the zeal of our affections be due unto God I beseech you take notice that God demandeth his due Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name and so God demandeth his due in our affections If I be a Father where is my honour if a Master where is my fear Mal. 1. 6. he does not only call for some honour and some love and some fear but he cals for his part where is my part sayes he Where is my fear Gods part of thy fear as I have shewed is the zeal of thy fear Gods part of thy love and thy joy and thy hope and the rest is the zeal of the same This now God demands of thy soul Where is my fear may be thou lovest him a little and his Commandments a little may be thou fearest him a little to offend him and disobey him thou fearest a little this is not Gods part the zeal of thine affection is Gods part and he cals for his part Where is my fear Secondly Hence we may learn that we must upon pain of Gods infinite displeasure give him the zeal of our affections whensoever we pray to pray to him zealously bleeding for our sinnes and melting under our wants and yearning for his graces Whensoever we praise him to praise him thus zealously rejoycing in his mercies and admiring his goodnesse Whensoever we enter his Courts to enter with zeal reverencing his footstool trembling at his Word in all our waies seeking how we may be most zealous of his glory for if God demand the zeal of our affections there is no keeping back Ananias was smitten dead for keeping back a little piece of money when God did demand it Cursed is he that keeps back a blow when God doth call for it God demandeth our zeal and wo is us if we keep back Thirdly Hence we may gather that we are in the state of damnation if we do not give God the zeal of our affections if God require it upon pain of damnation and we are bid to give it him upon pain of his everlasting displeasure then certainly we must needs be in a state of damnation if we do not give it Now this is proved by four Arguments First That man is in the state of damnation that never repents I need not prove that ye know it well enough he is sure to perish that never repents Though thou hast taken up all the outward duties of religion thou never repentest unlesse thou be zealous if thou be zealous then thou hast drawn out of Christ wine-seller as Bernard observes on the Canticles Introduxit me rex in cellam vinariam the King hath brought me into his wine-seller he expounds it of the souls drawing of zeal from Christ but if thou beest not zealous in repentance thou never repentest Be zealous and repent Rev. 3. 19. First he sayes be zealous and then he sayes repent First thou must resolve to be zealous or else thou dost not repent If a man have wronged a neighbour though never so mean he must be sorry for it or else he doth not repent of it if a man have wronged a Noble-man he must be more sorry for as the wrong is the greater the greater the party wronged is so the greater is the sorrow that is required to repentance If a man have wronged the King it must be greater sorrow yet till the sorrow be somewhat answerable to the greatness of the King who is wronged But if a man have wronged a God this must be the greatest sorrow of all sorrows otherwise thou dost not repent Repentance is the rending or breaking of the heart so sayes the Prophet Ioel it is not a lukewarm or a little grief that will break the heart Repentance is the humbling of the soul sayes David it is not a little bowing and a little bending will humble it before God Repentance is the mortifying or the killing of sin as Paul cals it alas sinne is like the heart of Oke that will be a hundred years a dying so sin will be long a dying it is not a little pricking and a little compunction will kill it Repentance is called repentance unto life in the Scripture it is not a little chafing and a little rubbing and a little Aqua-vitae will fetch a man from death untâ— life No no beloved thou never repentest unlesse thou be zealous And therefore the Apostle makes zeal a part of repentance 2 Cor. 7. 11. No zeal no repentance no repentance no salvation 2. That man is in the state of damnation that is not a beleever in Christ If a man be not in Christ by a lively faith he cannot be saved The Prophet prophesying of Christ saith thus Vnto us a childe is born and he shall be called wonderful the Prince of peace and the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this Isa 9 6 7. Never is Christ conceived in any man under heaven but the zeal of the Lord of Hosts doth perform it Doth he enlighten the minde or purge the heart or cleanse the conscience zeal does perform it Can I be so in love with Christ as to deny my self for him and not be zealous to him Can I count all my parts and all my gifts and all that I have as Paul did to be drosse â—nd dung for the worth I finde in Christ and not be zealous of him Can I hunger after him and pant for him and be sick of love till I have him and not be zealous towards him Thus we must doe otherwise we are not in Christ And therefore Moses confounds faith and zeal as if they were all one and both in one Phinehas was zealous for Gods sake Numb 25. 11. That is he was zealous and faithful both for so the Psalmist expounds it that was counted to him for righteousnesse sayes he that was speaking of his zeal in executing of judgement that was counted to him for righteousnesse Now ye know nothing can be counted to a man for righteousnesse but only faith and therefore by zeal there is meant faith This is an undeniable argument If a man have faith he is
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such sayes he are the sinfull lusts and affections they are all fiery set on fire of hell this is one misery and this not a small one zeal is the fire of the soul and if it be not set upon God it is set on fire of hell Secondly Zeal is the running of the soul If thou beest not zealous for God thou runnest away after the things of this world thou dost not only go after vanities but thou runnest not only go after thy pleasures and thy profits but thou runnest As the affections are the feet of the soul so zeal is the swift running pace of these feet I will run the way of thy Commandments sayes David that is I will be zealous in it It is a long way to heaven especially now since the fall it is a very long way to heaven and death will overtake us before ever we can get there unlesse we run and therefore Saint Paul commands us to run fast enough lest we never get there So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor 9. 24. Now had we not need to set our zeal right for that way we run that way our zeal stands If the zeal of our affection stand to Godwards we run onwards to heaven but if it stand to the things here below we run onwards to hell I reade of Tiberius Nero who when his brother Drusus lay sick in Germany he ran two hundred miles in twenty four hours to visit him But we may finde tanker runners then so in sinne some in drunkennesse and good fellowship as they call it others in security and hardnesse of heart others in one sin and others in another and as they run themselves so if there be any that are stricter then themselves they wonder that they run not with them to the same excesse of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 4. Mark run not with them where note themselves run into ryot May be sometimes they have sudden and violent affections to good as if they were all on a fire for the present like the young man in the Gospel he came running to Christ and kneeled down to him sayes the Text Mar. 10 17. O he was all upon the haste he does not goe to him but he runs as many men and women have very good moods and violent pangs of goodnesse now and then but alas it was nothing but a flash for by and by he was as ready to be gone as ever he was hasty to come and then he ran on in his security and coveteousnesse of minde Do ye not see how fast many of you run on in arerages with God If we could see Gods debt-book might we not there reade Item ten thousand oaths thou hast sworn Item millions of millions of filthy words thou hast spoken Item a hundred millions of millions of wicked thoughts thou hast thought Item a thousand lazie prayers thou hast made Item 20. hundred Sabbaths thou hast prophaned Item fourty Sacraments thou hast unworthily received Thus ye have run on as if ye thought every day seven years till ye are in hell Thus it is with you when your zeal is set any where else then on God Thirdly Zeal is the predominant element in the soul Look what the soul is zealous unto that is the predominant temper of the soul if thou beest zealous for God Christ is predominant in thee if thou beest zealous for the things of this world the world is predominant in thee Non datur temperamentum ad pondus sayes the Philosopher there is no temper but something is predominant You never heard of a soul that had as much of the world in him as of Christ and of Christ as of the world No as he is zealous to one thing so one thing or other is predominant in him Men-pleasing is predominant in one pride predominant in another and pleasure predominant in a third Whatsoever a man is zealous unto that is his predominant element Now if thine affections if the zeal of them be not set upon God then something or other in the world is predominant in thee O what a misery then is it to be lesse zealous for God then for the world the world is predominant in thee this is the character of one that yet is no better then a reprobate Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. when pleasure is predominant and not God He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me c. sayes Christ Mat. 10. 37. when carnal relations are predominant and not spiritual this I say is an evident character of a wicked man for what difference is there between a godly man and wicked man both have sinne in them this is the difference a godly man hath sin in him but grace is predominant and therefore he is called a godly man A wicked man hath many good graces in him but sinne and wickednesse is predominant and therefore he is called a wicked man the denomination is from the part that is predominant The beasts of the earth because the earth is predominant the fishes of the Sea because the water is predominant a brick-house not as though there were no wood in it but because brick is predominant Mark all thy thoughts which is predominant in thee the world or Christ mark all thy speeches which is predominant earth or heaven mark all thy cares which is predominant to busie thee most O what a wofull estate art thou in when sin and corruption is predominant in thee If thou be more zealous after the things of this life then after grace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Thou canst never enter into Gods kingdom because sin is predominant in thee Fourthly Zeal is the self-cruelty of the soul If thou beest most zealous to God thy zeal is a holy cruelty to thy self Master spare thy self sayes Peter to Christ Get thee behinde me Saran sayes Christ he was zealous for the redemption of the world and he would not spare his own life Zeal is a holy cruelty of the soul it will spare nothing nor life nor credit nor living nor any thing M. Fox that was zealous in his love to the poor he was in a holy manner cruell to himself to give the very clothes off his back rather then the naked should not be covered Love is as strong as death and as cruell as the grave Cant. 8. 6. Durus sicut inferi zelus as Ambrose expounds it zeal is as hard as the grave A man that is zealous is a hard man to himself that he may be free unto God not as though true zeal were hard and cruell indeed unto his own soul but I mean to his own fleshly desires and respects he is the mercifullest man to his own soul under heaven Now then see what a woful estate thou art in if thou beest not zealous for God for if the zeal of thine affections gad any where else
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
private Christians that are said to labour with him in the Gospel This this beloved would cause Religion to thrive here among us Thirdly Consider I pray you thou wilt discourage us that are Gods Ministers except thou be zealous If men would be zealous in hearing and zealous proficients it would make us go cheerfully on in our callings When Titus told Paul the fervent minde of the Corinthians it encouraged the Apostle when he told us your fervent minde we rejoyced the more 2 Cor. 7. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Original when he told us your zeal Saint Paul was cheared to hear that What greater discouragement to a Schoolmaster then that his scholars should be dull and not profit What greater disheartning to a Captain then that his souldiers should be fainthearted and without life and what greater grief to a Minister then that his people should be senselesse and livelesse It made Ieremy weary of his life It made the Prophet Micah lament bitterly Wo is me I am like the Grape gleaners It made the Prophet Isay cry out I have laboured in vain On the contrary when the people are zealous and forward and drink in the words of eternal life with all greedinesse and bring forth fruit with abundance this makes a Minister go merrily on in his function Zelo Ecclesia Dei congregatur saith Saint Ambrose It is zeal that does gather a Church the zeal of the Minister and the zeal of the people the Lord quicken us in his mercy that we may encourage one another daily Let us be encouraged by you when ye are reproved be not offended You think the Minister spights you alas we have no reason to wish any of your fingers to ake much lesse to wish that your souls should perish When S. Paul commanded that the incestuous Corinthian should be delivered to Satan did he wish him any hurt No Deliver him unto Satan sayes he for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sayes Chrysostome No mortal man loved that offender in Corinth more then Paul did sayes he when he would have him delivered unto Satan It was only that he might know he was a damned wretch unlesse he amended and that the devil should have him unlesse he were humbled What was his reason his reason was this that his soul might be saved in that day O the Minister preaches damation so often he is unmercifull to our souls O my brethren we intend you the greatest mercies of heaven in so saying it is that ye may not run into damnation but may repent and beleeve the Gospel Do not thus discourage us whom God hath sent to you as his Ministers to labour in the word and doctrine among you but stir up your selves to be zealous in hearing and obeying that we may give up an account of your souls unto God with all cheerfullnesse Fourthly consider You can never be excellent if ye be not zealous A Christian should strive to excell aut Caesar aut nullus nothing but the best should suffice a Christian Wouldest thou then be excellent get this same zeal zeal runnes after the best things Covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. The Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be zealous after the best things Wouldest thou be excellent in prayer and excellent in the duties of religion be zealous therein A Christian is like fire fire mounts up absolutely aloft and ascends above all So does a Christian he is better then all the men of this world put them all together like Iob there is none like him in all the earth Every man else fain would be excellent a worldling strives to excell others in wealth a politician to excell others in wisedom a scholar to excell others in learning a tradesman to excell others in his profession He is of a base spirit that does not desire to excell in some thing and shall not a Christian then desire to excell in grace Fifthly Consider I pray who ye may be like if once ye be zealous ye may be like unto the Angels of heaven they are spirits and flaming fire sayes the Apostle Heb. 1. 7. if thou art zealous for God thou art a bodily Seraphim though thou canst never be without sin as long as thou livest in this world yet as Gregory speaks in the mouth of zeal thou mayst swallow up thy sins nothing will devour and consume sin so well as true zeal O get a coal of this fire then from Gods Altar and heat thy heart with it and while thou mayst be like the blessed Angels of God be not like the brutish sons of the old Adam Zeal is it that maketh an Angel to be an Angel Angeli sine zelo nihil sunt sayes Ambrose the Angels are nothing without zeal If thou hadst zeal unto God then thou mightest be like unto Angels Sixthly Consider what infinite need thou hast of true zeal Suppose a great frost and a tedious cold winter were a coming and then no firing were to be had would not men buy as much fewell as they could get and stack it and store it that they might have it at their need otherwise they were not able to live nor to dresse their own sustenance they would certainly starve if they should have no firing in such a cold time Beloved I speak to such as have ears to hear there 's a cold time of religion a coming and the wrath of God is ready to break forth to plague mens souls with key-coldnesse this way because they have despised the zeal of the Lord and no firing to be had then God knows how soon the power of Gods Word may be taken from us You who love your own souls look about lay up some firing and be not slothfull in all this businesse do all diligence to store up grace for your selves this will help you to zeal not slothful in businesse fervent in spirit Rom. 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall zealous in spirit If ye will not be slothfull in businesse ye shall quickly be zealous in spirit O get quickly the spirit of prayer to be zealous in prayer by faith it will be the best string to your bow it will be your only thing left nothing left you but prayer in secret unto God had not ye need to be diligent for that When a poor cripple hath nothing to trust to but only his begging he will ply that When a poor day-labourer hath never a foot of ground nor any thing but only his fingers end to maintain him and his family he he will be sure to employ them alas if he should have a wound in his hands or he should lose the use of his fingers what shall he do when a mans house leans mainly upon one pillar he will
ephippia Bos piger optat arare caballus the lazie Oxe that is toyling at the Plough he is weary with it he could wish he were used like a Horse to the saddle that would be lesse wearisome he thinks then the Plough the Horse that is toyled with its riding O he is weary with it he could wish he were used to the yoke that would be a far easier life Thus mens waies do weary and cloy their affections the proud Minion is wearied and cloyed with such an odde fashion O she must have another the gamester is wearied with such a kinde of sport he must have another the delicate palate is cloyed with such tasted meats it must have others Certainly thine affections are wrong set when they are apt to be cloyed on this manner O therefore set thine affections on God there thou shalt never be cloyed I know a man may set his affections to Godward and be weary but then they are not right set when he is weary They served God amisse when they said behold what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13. If they had gone a right way to work they had never been weary nor cloyed with serving of God But ye brethren be not weary with well-doing 2 Thes 3. 13. that is set your affections aright upon and so be never weary with it the affections will never be cloyed when they are truly set upon God the flesh will be weary but the spirit cannot be weary God gives the soul full absolute content the soul is at rest when it is set upon God As the stone is never cloyed with lying on the ground because there is its rest so God is the rest of the soul The greatest glutton in the world will come at last to say I have eaten too much the greatest drunkard I have drunken too much the greatest spend-thrift I have spent away too much his affections are cloyed but set thine affections upon God thou canst never come to too much never be godly too much never be heavenly too much never be in Gods favour too much never in Christ too much thy spirit can never be cloyed too much of one thing is good for nothing say people it is not needfull to be too much pure and too much precise lesse would serve the turn whosoever thou art that canst say or think so it is sure thou never knewest the meaning of grace O say they does not Solomon say a man may be too much iust Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self overwise for why shouldest thou destroy thy self Ecc. 7. 16. Is it not enough to be weary of goodnesse but ye must misconstrue and blaspheme the Word of God too This is the meaning of Solomon Solomon never said so himself but he brings in thy filthy blasphemous mouth thus saying Tush be not thou righteous overmuch why shouldst thou destroy thy self why shouldst thou be so precise to be called a Puritan to be hated and reviled to destroy thine own credit and thy pleasure and thy liberty Indeed as it follows we would not have thee overmuch wicked c. ver 17. A little pleasure will do well a little vanity a little liberty a little revenge a little gainesse of apparrell a little mirth at the pot will doe well but be not wicked overmuch I say these are thy hellish speeches and none of Solomons Solomon does but bring thee in speaking as the Prophet Isay does such as thou Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die O beloved if ye would set your affections on God your affections could never be cloyed The fourth motive is taken from the preciousnesse of the affections the affections are the precious motions of the heart the heart counts that precious which most it affects Now what a shame is this to set thine affections then upon the things of this life thou hast a base heart to do so Hast thou a Kingdom to set thine affections upon Hast thou a God and a Christ and a Crown for ever and ever all glory and honour to set thine affections upon and wilt thou set thine affections upon drosse and dung and such base things as these dost thou not know that all thy vanities and thy pleasures are base in comparison of Christ all thy silks and thy sattins all thy gentility and thy pomp in the world are vile in comparison of grace and of glory Dost thou not know how God scorns all these things in comparison of the excellency of his grace and favour thou hast a very base and a vile heart if thou wilt set thine affections upon these things So every wicked man is called a vile person Psal 15. 4. The vile person will speak villany Isa 32. 6. Great Nineveh the Prophet cals it vile Nah. 1. 14. The vilest men are exalted Psa 12. 8. If we should see a Lords son keep company with them that are meaner then is fitting will ye not say he is base If we should see how Sadernapalus a King would sit spinning and wheeling with the Maids and Domitian the Emperour sit catching of flies and hanging them up would ye not say they are base they do things unworthy themselves themselves should be Noble and Honourable and Royall and yet should so vilifie and debase their own selves on this fashion What a Christian be gaming and hoyting that might have joys unspeakable and glorious a Christian going to Alehouses or oother base places that might go into the Courts of the Almighty a Christian complain of the frown of a man whose breath is in his nostrils that might have the favour of Heaven a Christian angry at a trifle a Christian not able to endure the losse of a little earthly silver that might have all the riches of glory what a base man is he what basenesse is this in thee Ah thou thinkest basely of God and basely of Christ and basely of grace and basely of the Kingdom of Heaven that settest thine affections more on the dirty and beggerly things of this life then on him The Proverb of a fool is He is penny-wise and pound-foolish So thou art penny-wise and pound-foolish wise for the things of this world and foolish to the things of God The best things of the earth compare them to grace are no better then a penny to a pound what a strange thing is this that we should be thus basely foolish not affect a Sermon more then a Play not affect the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ more then an earthly bargain There is a homely saying but it is a most true one A Fool will not give his bawble for the Tower of London his affections are more on his Hat and his Feather then on any thing else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is very serious about ridiculous things Fie for shame brethren let us not be so prophanely conceited of grace so basely minded as to set our affections here below when we are called to set them on God