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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19292	The mysterie of the holy government of our affections Contayning their nature, originall, causes, and differences. Together with the right ordering, triall, and benefit thereof: as also resoluing diuers cases of conscience, incident hereunto. Very necessarie for the triall of sinceritie, and encreasing in the power of Godlinesse. The first booke.	Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626.	1620 (1620)	STC 5700.5; ESTC S113515	32,207	168

things become heauenly The Godly find a loathsomenesse in affecting earthly things and so are prouoked to hunger after heauenly the Wicked find a loathsomenesse in affecting heauenly things and so rather seeke to quench their thirst in the puddle of earthly pleasure the Godly findea want of Heauenly things and so still affect the best Graces the Wicked are neuer satisfied with Earthly things and so still tyre themselues in pursuit after them So that it is the predominancie of the Affection that determines the right ordering thereof Whereupon it settles most wherein it sets vp it rest How it subordinates the inferiour to the superiour and aymes at the chiefest end euen the glorie of God and saluation of the Soule And secondly it is the issue of the Affection that approoues the sinceritie thereof If God giue Salomon aboundance of Earthly things and hee giue his heart to seeke out pleasure and contentment therein yet if vpon experience of the vanitie and insufficiencie of these things to content the minde hee renounce these carnall Delights yea euen what is good in them in regard of the end that doth accompanie the same and so soare vp higher by this experience to the highest good Is not this the right vse of all Earthly desires Is not this to sanctifie euen these desires of Earthly thinges by making them Whetstones to quicken Heauenly Affections and so to settle them more firmely vpon durable and proportionable Obiects FINIS To THE CHRISTIAN Reader ACcording to my Promise in my last Treatise of the Gouernment of the Thoughts I haue now supplyed thee deare Christian with some further directions for the well-ordering and subduing of thy vnruly and rebellious Affections A Taske as so much the more difficult then the former of ruling the Thoughts by how much carnall Reason and fleshly wisedome beares more sway heerein and so giues more strength and warrant to the excesses thereof so in this respect also the more necessarie to be vndertaken as being that wherein euen the best doe much faile in the wise temper thereof and yet are very hardly brought to discerne their aberrations therein For what one the one side through the ignorance of the right Obiects whereon our affections are to be placed and the right measure of Proportion to their Obiects And on the other side by reason of such collusions of carnall wisedome making good our distempers therein very lamentable it is to obserue how easily many other wise good men haue beene miserably transported into these aberrations either in the excesse or defect As also how hardly they haue beene reclaimed to the right temper againe nay not so much as to discerne wherein they haue fallen May we not obserue both these true in Ionas his case how easily fel he through ignorance and selfe loue into a violent fit of rage and how hardly was he reduced to see his error heerein That which he should haue reioyced in in the truth of Iudgement that the Lord had mercie vpon that People voiced to destruction wee see proues an occasion through spirituall Pride and Selse-loue blinding of him that I say proued a meanes to make him euen burst with anger not sparing God himselfe in his rage and furie And with what great Patience doth the glorious Lord seeke to allay his heat how hardly is he brought so much as to the sight of his distemper but that he is still ready to Iustifie his fumes though it were to the condemning of God himselfe The like we might exemplifie in the other affections And had wee not then great neede of some light to further vs heerein both that we may see our owne errors heerein and also be gratiously enabled to moderate the same Accept then I pray you my endeauour heerein And in the feare of God make vse of such directions as are afforded hereunto I doubt not but as thou shalt perceiue a right ayme heerein so thou wilt not measure the truth of God by my infirmities but rather take occasion heereby to glorifie God the more if that his power shall any whit shine throughout such mists of humane corruption In the conclusion of my last Booke howsoeuer I may be censured to giue way to too much passion yet for mine owne part I blesse God with my soule for giuing mee so much Patience as that when I might haue righted my selfe by deeds to the vtter wracke of such who haue sought by slaunders and desperate practises my vtter vndoing It hath pleased my gratious God so to guide me therein as only to giue them a generall Item of their wicked designes that so they may be brought to Repentance which as I doe heartily pray for so my endeauour by Gods mercie shall be to watch ouer my affections with more heede and resolution that so I may keepe my peace more comfortably with my God howsoeuer I make account still to be more and more encountered by vnreasonable men And so I desire thee also to walke after the same Rule labouring so farre as possibly thou maiest to be at Peace with all men by possessing thy soule in patience and ouercomming euill with good And so I commend thee heartily to the Grace of God wishing thee to expect shortly as heere a generall directson for the Affections in generall so a particular discouery of each Affection in their liuely collours that so thou maiest bee furnished with what may particularly informe thee heerein and thereby bee enabled to walke peaceably with God and Men to thy comfortable being in this thy Pilgrimage and so to the better preparing of thee to thy Countrie which is aboue To this end And so I rest Thy poore Remembrancer at the Throne of Grace Th. Cooper Affection what it signifies Meta●●mia subiecti The diuision of Affections 1. in respect of the Obiect 1. Loue. 2. Hate 3. Ioy. 4. Hope 5. Griefe 6. Feare 7. Laughter 8. Pitie 8. Enuie whar 9. Ielousie 10. Trust. 11. Distrust 12. Anger 13. Shame 14. Bashfulnesse 15. Malice 16. Despaire 17. Confidence 18. Patience 2 In respect of the Extent 1. Of Philosophers which deriue from the Humors 2. Diuines from the Soule From the Soule proued Answ. to Obiect How the Soule suffers from the Body Ground of these false Conceits concerning Affections 1. Stoikes 2. Epicure and his confusion 1. Cor. 15 4. Sadduces Rom. 8. 7. 3. Reasons proouing that they arise from the mind Dan. 5. Tit. 2. 11. Rules for iudging hereof 1. Their condition 2. Their true ground Prou. 19. 2. 3. Touching their Obiects 1. Generall 2. Particular With their Rules 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 5. Rule 6. Rule Vse 1. 2. 7. Rule Limitation 1. By the Word Heb. 6. 4. 5. 2. To the Obiects 3. To our Callings 3. The Occasions 9. Leuit. 10. Nehem. 2. The End Aff●●●ions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●pirituall Thrift 5. Genes 22 11 12. 6. How to iudge of the sinceritie of Affections in the corruption of them How to distinguish betweene Affections and their Tentations Note Rules hereto 1. The Tentation first breakes out And why 1. Want of preparation 2. Satans Policie 3. Gods prouiden●e Vse hereof 2. Rule Constancie in Affections 3. Rule Encrease in power 4. Rule Out-lasting the Action 5. Rule Sound Ground 6. Rule Direct meanes 7. Rule Right Ends How to order Affections for our selues In companie By vse and Practise By contrary Bent. By contrary measure 1. Cor. 15. By their sinceritie Concerning euill and good 〈◊〉 4. 19. Note Rule heerein In regard of the combate For ordering And Triall Note In regard of the Obiect In respect of reflection Note Affections vnited to the most excellent Obiect Reasons hereof Iam. 5. 17. Note Matth. 23. 1 Phil. 1. 16. Iam. 2 4. Vse 1. Tim. 4. 2. Note Note Order of Affections towards God Ch. 11. Ps. 77. Iob. 3. Iob. 62. 12. Ps. 77. 7 9 10. 1. Cor. 10. 13. Note Rom. 8. 4. Heb. 5. 12. Tit. 1. 15.

all is counted too little for the satisfying of the Flesh and euery little too-much that serues by the restraining thereof to the satisfaction of the Mind therefore are my Meditations sorted accordingly As in some breuitie and much weakenesse to stumble the prophane who stands vpon colour more then cloth doting rather vpon what may affect and puffe vp the giddy braine then what may reforme and humble the honest heart so thereby also to exercise and stirre vp the dulnesse of the best that what seemes not so apparant at the first view may by more serious Meditation and feruent prayer be better conceiued and more profitably digested And therefore also haue I beene the briefer in this Generall discouery of the gouernment of the Affections because my purpose is God-willing to adde shortly hereunto a Particular Discouery of each seuerall Affection according to their Order Nature and Differences wherein by the Grace of God there may be some profitable supply in speciall for what soeuer is wanting in the Generall direction Meane while that I might not be wanting to the season whereby the time may in some measure be redeemed and the hearts of Gods children raysed vp to further hope I haue thought good first to frame these Wals and Gates for the Citie that so the Inward buildings may be more safely erected and perfected Of all which as I haue bin bold to make choice of your Honours Wor. as Patrons and Gardians as to whom being already bound by so many former fauours I could not choose but renew my Bonds by paying this poor Interest though far I hope from any base Usurie yet binding hereby to a continuall debt of loue which is then best paid when stil it is owed And so I humbly request you to accept therof not as a discharge of my debt but only a pledge of the renewing of the bonds of my best affections towards your Worships which seeing they ought not to be measured by any outward expressing thereof therefore my hope is that you will accept of my endeauours herein not according vnto that which I haue but answerable to my affection therein Comforting my selfe heerein that seeing God hath giuen you wisedome to discern of things that differ and our hearts are in the hands of God that if we preuaile with him we shall preuaile with men therefore as my desire heerein is to approue my selfe vnto God and the consciences of his people so other things shall be so farre supplied as that still the power of God may be seene in our weakenesse and the Lord may haue the glory of all his mercies What others ayme at in these endeauours I matter not neither doe I enuie at what they reape much lesse doth it stumble me what this way of making our selues knowne to the World daily heares of either vaineglory or filthy lucre or such like It sufficeth me that my reward is with God and that I haue daily experience of the difference betweene his paiment and mans that so I might trust him better and man the lesse and yet still not to faile any good occasion whereby I may prouoke men that they may be like vnto God in a wiser disposall of their Affections This is that I ayme at in this Treatise This I shall heartily labour for in my best deuotions and supplications vnto our God for you that he would encrease in you al wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding that you may approue the most excellent and like wise Merchants still be buying that Pretious Pearle and hauing once obtained it labour stil to husband it with most aduantage to Gods glory and the good of his Church being neuer weary of wel-doing that so you may reape in due time if you faint not that so you may fight the good fight of faith and finish your course with ioy and so lay hold of Eternall life And so I heartily commend you all to the grace of God in Christ Iesus Resting in him Your Hon and Worsh with all that I am or may be Th. Cooper The Contents of this Booke OF the N●tion of this terme Affection and the diuers acceptions thereof Chap. 1. Of the Generall Distribution of affections into their seuerall classes kinds ch 2. Of the causes of Affections and Perturbations ch 3. Rules for the right iudging of Affections and their sinceritie ch 4. 1. Concerning their ground 2. Their Obiect 3. Their Ende General rules for the right ordering and triall of them especially in regard of such ●entations as doe accompany ●he same ch 5. How we may discerne the ●entation from the Affection ch 6. How to order our affections 1. In regard of our selues 2. Towards others 3. Towards God Of the Benefits of this holy Ordering and triall of our Affections Cases of Conscience incident hereunto whereof 1. Whither Faith be an affection 2. Concerning the Obiect of our Affections whether it be an argument of vnsanctified affections to be more conuersant about earthly then heauenly things 3. How we may place our Affections on things which are done The Right ordering of our Affections consists in two things First In the right Iudgement of them Secondly In the holy disposing and imploying of them on their seuerall Obiects Concerning the right iudgement of Affections heere first consider wee THE GOVERNMENT of the Affections CHAP. I. Of the Notion of this terme Affection and the diuers senses thereof THis Name Affection in our common Occasions vsually importeth these three things First either those Desires and Motions to such seuerall Obiects as are offered in the world whether they be good or bad and so it is a terme conuertible with Appetite Genes 3. 16. Secondly or else it is vsed in a more restrayned sense to expresse our desires to good things Or thirdly it extends it selfe to expresse those manifold passions of the mind which are the fuell to our desires bellowes there unto which by the Stoikes were called perturbations as conceiuing them not to stand with the tranquilitie of the minde to interrupt and disgrace the same By others are called the Passions thereof as discouering a more violent working of the same or some great violence offered thereunto And are vsually called Affections as expressing the seuerall affects and desires of the mind in the outward man In which sense the holy Ghost calls them Members Mortifie therefore your earthly members Col. 3. 4. as by a figura●iue speech signifying that these affections exercise ●hemselues in our earthly ●embers as vsing them 〈◊〉 the expressing thereof 〈◊〉 Ioy and Sorrow by the Countenance Feare and Hope by the Hands and ●eet Anger by the whole Body c. And in this ●ense we take them in this Treatise and so doe prosecute them first generally in this first Booke the● particularly according to their seuerall Distinctions hereafter CHAP. II. Of the generall Distributio● of the Affections into their seuerall Classes AFfections are distinguished in regard o● the Obiect or Extent

Touching the Obiect all Affections and Perturbations may be reduced to two Heads eyther Simple such as haue no mixture of any other perturbations or Compound such as are deriued of other The simple Affections are of two sorts First Primitiue which are the ground of all the rest Secondly Deriuatiue such as are deriued from those Primitiues The Primitiue Affections are two namely Loue whereby wee vehemently affect a thing and Hate being a vehement affection of disliking The simple deriuatiue Affections arise from the Primitiue as From Loue and liking of Good If it be present proceedeth Ioy. If it be to come Hope From Dislike and hate of Euill If it be present ariseth Griefe and heauinesse of heart If it be a future Euill then Feare riseth from the mislike of Hate And these I take to be all the simple Perturbations The Compound are such as haue part of the simple by mixture and that either of the Primitiue simple or the Deriuatiue and of the Primitiues with simples onely or mixed with Deriuatiues Such as are mixed of Primitiues onely are eyther vnequally mixed of Loue and Liking or of Mislike and Hate or mixed equally of them Of the first sort taking more part of liking is the Affection of Laughter Wherewith wee with some discontentmēt take pleasure at that which is done or said ridiculously of which sort are Deeds and Words vnseemely or vnmeet and yet moue no compassion as when one scaldeth his mouth with an hot Pie c. Wee are discontented with the hurt yet ioy at the Euent vnexpected by the party and that we haue escaped it from whence commeth Laughter Which because it exceedeth the mislike of the Thing that hurteth bursteth out into vehemencie on that side and procureth that merry Gesture If on the other side the thing be such as the mislike exceedeth the Ioy we haue of our freedome from that euill then ariseth Pitie and Compassion And these Perturbations take their beginnings of the Primitiues vnequally mixed whereby one of them doth after a sort obscure the other The other are such as haue equall Mixture and those are Enuie and Iealousie If the thing we loue be such as we haue not part of then springeth an Hate or mislike of the party who inioyeth that we want and like of and so breedeth Enuy a griefe for the prosperitie of another or good successe whatsoeuer wherein we haue no part If it be such a benefit as we enioy and are grieued it should be communicated to others and whereun we refuse a partner this is called Iealousie incident to Amorettoes and aspiring Natures and these are compounded of the Primitiues alone like or mislike loue or hate Those which are mixed of Primitiues and Deriuatiues are of two sorts according as the Primitiues that is to say mixed of loue or hate Now loue mixed with Hope breedeth Trust With Loue and Feare Distrust Hate or Mislike compounded with Hope breedeth Anger whereby we are displeased with that which misliketh vs and in hope of being satisfied of that which offered the mislike are driuen to Anger the Affection of Reuenge If it bee any thing wherein wee haue displeased our selues it is called Shame If it bee compounded with Feare it is called Bashfulnesse If the dislike bee taken from another the composition is of Hate and Anger and thereof springeth Malice These are Perturbations compounded of Primitiue passions with their deriuatiues Of Deriuatiues betwixt themselues arise Despaire and confident Assurance Despaire is compounded of Heauinesse Griefe and Feare Confidence of Ioy and Hope Out of Hope and Faith Patience Thus in generall of the distribution of Affections in regard of their seuerall grounds nature and comparison betweene themselues Secondly Affections may be deuided in regard of their Extent as some concerne only this life As first all such as concerne Euill as Hate Feare Griefe Iealousie Pitie Laughter Enuie Anger Shame Bashfulnesse Malice Despaire c. Secondly some such as concerne Good which because it cannot be perfectly attayned in this life therefore some Affections there are which tend to the obtaining thereof and perfitting of the same as Faith Hope Patience and Compassion Others concerne both his life and the life to come as Ioy and Loue. CHAP. III. Of the Causes of Affections and Perturbations COncerning the Causes of Perturbations there are two contrarie Opinions One of the Philosophers that conceiued all perturbations to arise frō the Complexions or Humours that is from the bodie and carnall part of man The other is of Diuines that hold all perturbations howsoeuer they may be occasioned from the diuers Temperatures of Nature yet to proceede immediately from the disposition of the Diuine Soule either qualified with grace and so expressing the same in the further ayme and imployment of such Affections as tend to good or else oppressed with corruption and so discouering it selfe in those Affections of Malice Enuie c. This latter to be true appeareth first by the Operation of the Soule in these perturbations without the vse of Senses as in dreams secōdly as also by the cōtrary temper of Diseased parties whē such humours doe most abound as in the Iaundize though Choller abound yet there ●s least signe vsually of Anger thirdly especially seeing these are Euils of sinne therefore seeing the Soule is the immediate subiect of sinne and not the Body the Body accidentally sinnes for the Soules sake it must needs follow that these Affections proceede from the Soule and not the Bodie not the Humours c. And therefore though the Soule seeme to follow the temperature of the body in regard that the body being out of temper the minde also fareth accordingly yet neither is this generall but onely in some persons and vpon some occasions Neither that that it may only at all be so referred to the body as that it doth actually worke vpon the soule making it suffer thereby But either this falls out in regard of the neere coniunction of the soule and body the soule sympathizing herein with the body as a louing companion or the Iustice of the Lord by this outward chastisement of the body arrests the soule to giue vp it account or affects the same in mercie to renue repentance It being a certaine ground that the soule is the onely ●●d prime mouer of the ●ody and all the actions ●hereof so that it were ●onstrous and preposte●ous that the body should ●oue any such Affections 〈◊〉 the soule contrary to it ●mmortall and impassible ●ature And therefore howsoe●er the wisedome of flesh was enforced to acknow●edge the Immortalitie of ●he soule both in that the ●nward power thereof in ●ccusing and excusing sinne necessarily reacheth beyond this life And it ●aturall light soaring a●oue these earthly things doth argue plainely some further happinesse to belong thereto then to this life is incident

by his wonderfull lenitie and goodnesse as hee dealt with Ionas and making way hereby for the better quieting and settling of our vnruly and carnall heat and affections for the time to come by casting vs wholly out of our selues vpon his free mercie in Christ Iesus and so renewing vs in him to more constant and sincere obedience And so not so much respecting the present disorder of the Affection as preparing it hereby to that comfortable issue of conformitie to his Will that so hee may crowne and perfect his owne worke in vs meerely for his owne sake by his owne mightie Arme that hee may haue the onely glory of all his mercies Particularly We may obserue a speciall hand of God in each of these Occasions As first In the Case of Desertion And here let the examples of Iob and Dauid be the instance of our Case It pleased God for a time to withdraw the sense of his mercy from them and so to exercise them with contrarie buffettings and sense of his displeasure Iob. 6. 2. Ps. 38. 4 5. Ps. 77. 8. Hereupon followes a strange distemper of their Affections in stead of Ioy bitter Sorrow yea sorrow prouoking to rage and repining against the prouidence of God whereby they encreased the burthen and were readie to sinke vnder the same by despaire Yet we see how mercifully the Lord sustaines them in the midst of these Terrors First It befalls not them as they foolishly feare and wish Secondly They are kept in some measure of Sobrietie to leaue the secret worke to God yea in some measure of Fatth as to relye on the power of God yea in some measure nay in an excellent measure of Loue though hee forsaketh yet he is still my God Ps. 22. And therfore Dauid concludeth Will the Lord forsake for euer Not so much doubting that he will forsake as wrestling with God by Faith that hee may not forsake for euer as gathering from the former times that he hath beene gracious and so concluding from the faithfulnesse of God that he will not forsake for euer Yea victorious Iob professeth confidently his loue vnto God euen in the greatest extremitie Though he kill me yet I will trust in him Iob. 16. 13. And lastly when the Lord hath tryed them in the Furnace and their drosse is purged out their Affections returne to their right kind againe yea much more refined to the denyall of themselues and so to their more sober and constant furtherance in the worke of Grace Iob. 42. 2 3 4. Secondly Concerning the distemper of our Affections in acute Diseases wherein if Satan hath not vsually an hand to encrease the fire yet the violence of the Disease is sufficient to disorder and peruert the Iudgement for a time and so to distract and distemper the Affections Yet seeing wee speake and doe that in these extremities which is contrarie to our former constant course and when wee are recouered wee eyther haue forgotten what wee did or spake or else doe condemne our selues for the same herein is our comfort that our God will not impute vnto vs what hath fallen out in this case And so wee may also conclude of the Time of Tentation That whatsoeuer distempers fall out in this case as they are mercifully bounded within the generall Condition That nothing hath befallen vs herein but what is incident to Man so their disorder shall not be imputed to vs but to the malice of Satan And the Lord in mercy will giue that issue as that we shall both beare the burthen without groaning vnder it and be freed thereof so farre as shall make for his Glorie and our good But of this else-where God willing more at large Eightly Whereas it is a most desperate Policie in Poperie to detayne vnstable and deceiued soules in their damnable Errors and so to draw such like Nouices to their Lure That if it please God to affoord light vnto any whereby they haue some inckling of their Deceits and so haue some inward motion or affection to renounce the same and embrace the Truth they presently suggest vnto them that this is a dangerous tentation and diuellish illusion that so they might hereby deterre them from embracing the same and so detayne them in their Egyptian Bondage This triall of Affections will proue an excellent meanes to resolue them herein For as by those Rules formerly layd downe to discerne the Affection from the Tentation they may easily discerne the truth of Affection from the power of Delusion so especially in that sauing knowledge is layd downe both to bee the ground and bounds of all holy Affections hereby they shall be sure to discerne the efficacie of Delusion from an vpright Affection And so also by a wise obseruation of these differences may the weake Christian bee preserued graciously from Apostasie as hereby knowing what hee holdeth and so holding that which is good To conclude there is not a better euidence of the sinceritie of the heart then the well-ordering of the Affections because howsoeuer wee may bridle from outward grosse Actions yet our Affections will discouer the corruption of our heart and in●lination thereto And on the other side howsoeuer wee may be hindered from the outward action of well-doing by many occasions as want of opportunitie violence of tentation inabilitie and the like yet our Affection thereto either by grieuing that we cannot doe it or going so farre as our abilitie will serue or endeuouring aboue our abilitie is a gracious euidence of the sinceritie of our hearts Nay we shall find that there is not a better spurre to prouoke vs to well-doing not any more effectuall bridle to restrayne from sinne then are our Affections For as if wee doe any good we must first be affected with the loue of it before we can attempt the same or else if wee doe vndertake it vpon by-respects as to please men to satisfie carnall ends we shall easily giue ouer when these proppes fayle onely it is the loue of Goodnesse for it selfe will make vs constant therein So on the contrarie wee shall neuer forsake euill conscionably vnlesse wee first hate it for it selfe and loathe as wel the corruption thereof as feare the danger of the same If vpon any other respects wee shall leaue sinne as for feare of punishment for credite c. these respects will proue meanes sometimes euen to returne to such sinnes or worse which haue beene the occasions to lay them aside for a season And therefore as it is the mercie of our God to shew vs oft times in our Affections what we may doe in our Actions so it is also his singular goodnesse to forewarne vs of many euills which wee may otherwise fall into euen by the sway of our Affections leading thereunto What should I say Can we haue a better Euidence of the truth of our Conuersion then the alteration of our Affections Can wee now delight in such thinges which before wee loathed