Sins Overthrow, Part 5
HOW TO MORTIFIE inordinate affection.
COLO 1. 3. 5.
Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleannesse, inordinate affection, evill concupiscence, and covetousnesse, which is Idolatry.
SOme of those earthly members which the Apostle would have us to mortifie we have already handled; we are now come to speake of the inordinate affections. The greeke word is translated by a double word, sometimes passion, sometimes affection, but it is alone, so as the point is cleere, That:
All immoderate affections must be mortified.Doct.
A doctrine that may well bee handled at large, it beeing generall and universall, an vnlimited word that reacheth unto all particular affections, a doctrine that concernes every man; Men, for the most part, when they come into the open view of the world, have a certaine composed habit, but inwardly are full of inordinate affections: It is a Doctrine therefore that searcheth the inward parts, the mindes and hearts of men: a Doctrine of continuall use; for though men presse outward actions, yet affections remaine unruled. Besides all this, a Doctrine of no small difficulty. For as there is nothing easier than to wish and desire, so there is nothing harder than to order these desires aright. For the better handling of the point, observe these three things:
First, what Affections are.
Secondly, when they are inordinate.
Thirdly, why they are to be mortified.
In the first place I must tell you what affections are: by affections you must vnderstand all affections and passions, whatsoeuer; for the better understanding whereof, you must know that there are three things in the soule; first, the faculties which are to the soule, as the members to the body. Secondly, the inclinations of those faculties. Thirdly, the habits acquired from those inclinations: for example, the appetite or will is a faculty of the soule, and this taken in it selfe is neither good nor evill morally. Againe, there are the inclinations of What affections are.that will, and these are goodor evill according as the objects that they apprehend are good or evill; and lastly, the habit is, when the soule doth accustome it selfe one way or other; the habit is Three things nith… Soulegood, when the soule is accustomed to good objects, in a good manner; and the habit is evill, when the will accustometh it selfe to evill objects, or to good objects in an evill manner. It is with the passions as it is with the senses. First, we have the sense of hearing before we heare, and of seeing before we see; Then from often hearing or seeing of the same object, proceedes an inclination more to one object than to another. From that inclination, a habit in the sense to turne it selfe with most easinesse and delight upon that object; Thus a corrupt habit is bred with us, when the mind or wil turnes it selfe often to this or that evill object; and so gets agility and nimblene in doing, as often doing brings dexteritie to the hands; so if the will or appetite have gotten a haunt either to vertues or vices, it contracts a habit to it selfe. Now to shew you what an affection is, we define it thus; An affection is an inclination or motion of the Appetite upon the apprehension of good or evill. I call it an inclination or motion, for it is the bent of the will to this or that thing; as for example, when we outwardly love, feare or desire, that is a motion; and for the Inclination wee are to know that in man there is a double Appetite; the first is sensuall, which apprehends things conveied to the senses, as to the eye and eare, and so is affected to louelove, feare or grieve; this I call the sensuall appetite, because it is of objects What an affection isapprehended by fantasie. Secondly, there is a rational appetite, the object of that is that which the understanding apprehends; and from hence proceed affections to riches, honor, preferment, &c. the will beeingconversant about it. Remember this distinction, because of the matter that followerh, namely; That the appetite is double sensuall A double Appetite.and rationall, and affections are placed both in the sensuall, as we love, feare or desire objects exposed to sense; and in the rationall, as we love, feare or desire the objects which reason apprehendeth.
Now to draw this generall division into two maine heads: Nature hath planted an appetite in the creature to draw to its selfe that which is good, and to cast away that which is evill; therefore are these affections such as apprehend either good or evill, to keepe the one, and to expell the other; those that apprehend good, if they see it and apprehend it, they love and desire it, and love desires to be united to the thing loved, and a desire is a making towards the thing absent; when the thing is present we joy in it; when it is comming towards us, and there be a probability to have it, then comes hope in; if we bee like to misse of it, then comes feare; if no probability of attaining, then comes in despaire; if there be any impediments against reason and right, then we are angry at it; and this anger is an earnest desire to remove the impediments, otherwise if we see reason and justice to the contrary, then wee are not properly angry. These are the affections that are about good, and these are the first kind of affections.
The 2. sort of affections are those that are about evill; as in the former there is love of God, so here to turne away from evill, is hatred; if evill be comming, and we be not able to resist it, wee feare, if we be able to overcome it, then are wee bold and confident; if we be not able either to overcome or resist the evill, we flye from it; if it be unavoidably present, we grieve at it. But to handle them more severally, and so to know them as they have reference to good or evill, for, except wee know them thus, it is worth nothing to us.
There are therefore three sorts of affections, naturall, Three sorts of affections.carnall, and spirituall. First, naturall, these affections arise from nature, and tend to naturall objects; as for example, to desire meate and drinke is naturall, but to desire it in excesse is not naturall; because the objects of naturall affections are limited by nature, namely, so much and no more: Nature hath certaine measures and extents and limits, and those she exceeds not: Naturall affections make us but even with beasts. Secondly, there are carnal affections, which are lusts that arise from the corruption of nature, and those tend to evill objects, or good objects in an evill manner: those affections make us worse than the beasts, like unto the devill, Ioh. 8. 44. You are of your father the divell, and his lusts ye will doe, that is, those that have these lusts are as like the divell, as the sonne is like the father, those that are bound with these bonds, are like him; that is, they come in a degree to the corruption the Divell hath in a greater degree. Thirdly, spirituall affections are such as arise from the spirit, that is, from the renewing part of man, and tend to good objects in a holy manner: naturall make us no better than beasts, carnal than devils, spirituall make us better than men, like to God, having his Image new stampt on us; they lift us up above men, and make us like to Angels. Thus you see the 3. kindes of affections in men.
We must only answer one question before we go any further; the question is this, Whether there be no spirituall affections, except they proceede from a generall disposition, because many men seeme to have good flashes now and then, and so seeme to be regenerate?
I answer, no, they are not spirituall, regenerated affections, because these affections in the soule, howsoeuer they are good in regard of the Author, the holy Ghost that puts them in, are not so in regard of the subject, man, who is yet in corruption and not renewed. If a man have never so much skill in Musicke, if the instrument bee out of tune the musicke cannot be good; so the affections, as the spirits suggestions, are good, but in a carnall man, they are as in an instrument out of tune: it is true that those flashes make way to Conversion, but only when the heart is in tune and in a good frame, then are the affections good, that is, then only effectively good, so as to make the heart good, and then the fruit wil be good, such as God wil accept. So much to shew what affections are.
Now we are to shew when they are inordinate: but first know, the affectiōs are placed in the soule for 2. Affections when inordinate.the safegard of it, that is, to give the watch-word, that we may repell evill when it is comming; those that are about good to open the dores of the soule to let it in, and to make out for it, if it be wanting; as guides that are for the service of the soule to put us on to work and to be more earnest in our actions, they bring aptnesse and diligence in doing; when they misse these ends then they hinder us in stead of profiting us, hurt us in stead of helping us, carry us to evill objects in stead of good, then they are inordinate either in the manner or the end. This premised now, that wee may further know them when they are inordinate, observe these 2. things.
First, examine them by the rule which is the maine way of triall, if they goe besides the rule they are inordinate.
The first rule is, that the objects must be good, The first cria of the inordinate affections is to examine them by the Rule. Rule 1.else the affection is inordinate; there must be love of God, sorrow for sinne, delight in God, then it is good; but on the contrary to disgrace holinesse, to condemne excellency in others, to hate that we should cleave to, abominate the good wee should imbrace, these affections are naught.
The second rule is the end; examine if they take Rule 2.their rise amisse though the object be good, yet if the manner be naught, they are inordinate; now the manner is naught when the end is naught: as for example, many men desire and seeke for excellency of parts, but to what end? why, for vaine glory, not to doe God service: This is for a wrong end: so zeale is an excellent affection, none better, but if the end be nought, the affection cannot be good. Iehu was zealous, but hee altogether respected himselfe.
The third rule is, though the object bee right, and the end right, yet if it exceed the measure, Rule 3.the affection is not good: Davids love to his children was good, and the object good, yet hee failed in the measure. Moses anger was good, yet when he cast the tables out of his hand, it was an excesse, and defective because exceeding, though excellent and commendable in another kind.
The fourth rule is, though the object bee right, Rule 4.the end right, the measure right, yet if the affection be not in order and season, that is, if it take its wrong place, & thrust into the roome of another, it is a cause to make it inord inate: as for example, to desire to do businesse in a mans calling is good, but if this desire prevaile with him at such time as hee should bestow in prayer and holy duties; as when he should come to heare the Word, then they are inordinate; for season must be kept to: therefore, when an affection comes, if not in season, answer it as Christ did, The houre is not yet come: this is the way to iudge of them by the rule.
The second way of triall, is to know them by The second triall is by the effects.their effects, and they are foure, as the rules are 4.
The first effect is, if any affection hinder reason, so Effect. 1.as to trouble the action, then it is inordinate; for affections ought to be servants to reason; if they disturb, then they are not right: as for example, feare is set in the soule to give the watch-word, to prevent evills; if it shall appale a man, so as to let his weapons fall, thus it troubles reason: Joy was put in the soule to oyle the wheeles, and to quicken it more; If it do more astonish then quicken, if immoderate joy cast a man into ectasy when it should put him on action, or if it breake out into immodest reuellings, and not into praises, thy joy is not good: griefe is stirred up to ease the soule of paine; now, if it hinder a man from enduring that he should endure, it becomes inordinate. The Israelites in Egypt could not hearken to Moses, because of the anguish of their hearts, and worldly sorrow causeth death, that is, it causeth distempers; and when it thus drieth up the bones, it eateth up the vigor of the soule, and makes a man out of frame, then it is amisse: though Christs griefe exceeded anymans upon the Crosse, yet he committed all to God without any distempers.
The second effect is, when they indispose vsus to Effect. 2.any holy duty, as we judge of in distempers of the body, if there be no appetite to meat or drinke; so affections are inordinate, when they indispose vsus to pray, to doe good, or to speake good, 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle exhorteth husbands to dwell with their wives 1 Pet. 3. 7.as men of knowledge; that is, in such a manner, as you may moderate affections with knowledge; that your prayers (saith the Apostle) be not hindred; that is, if there be any disorder in your affections one towards another, it will hinder your prayers. By your affection you may judge, and as you may judge of your affection, by your duties, so of your duties you may judge by this rule, how you are disposed to holy duties; if there be any interruption, or indisposition, it is a signe there is some distemper in the affections; all things are not straight in the inward man.
The third effect to discouer the immoderatenesse of affections, is, when they produce euill actions, Effect. 3.which ordinarily they doe, when they exceede the measure and the manner: Anger is an affection set in the soule, to stirre up man to remoue impediments; and thus you may be angry for sinne, and other things too; now, if it be kept in its owne limits anger is a desire to remove impediments, and not a desire to revenge, that is the inordinatenesse of it; to be angry for sinne, because it dishonoureth God, is good: To be angry for other things redounding on our selves is not evill, so our anger extend but so farre, as to remoue the impediments, not to revenge them: as for example, if a man takes away ones reputation, and brings disgrace upon him; now, to desire to hurt such a man, the affection is amisse, because the carriage of other men towards vsus, must not be our rule towards others; but we are to make this use of it, to be diligent in keeping off the blow off our selves, but not to hurt another man, this is inordinate. Be angry, but sinne not, you Ephes. 4. 20.may be angry, so as it bring forth no evill actions, or evill effects; so a man may be angry with the insensible creatures, desiring to remove the impediment, and put out of the way that wch hinders the actions.
The last effect, is, when affections draw vsus from God, then they are inordinate, because they should draw vsus neere to him. But, when they make vsus to Effect. 4.forget God, there is their inordinatenesse; for example: we are commanded, Deut. 12. 18. To reioyce in the good things of God, but when wee shall rejoyce in an Epicurean manner, and forget God, it is amisse; for wee should so rejoyce, that wee should raise up our soules to love and praise, and give thanks to him; so also for feare and griefe, if wee feare any thing more then God, and grieve for any thing more then for sinne, for crosses, and losses, more then for displeasing God, these make us forget God, and so become inordinate.
Now followes what it is to mortifie them, which wee have formerly spoken of at large; in a word, it What it is to mortifie affections.is nothing else but a turning of carnall affections into spirituall, and naturall affections to a higher and more noble end; that is, to eate, and to drinke, not onelyonly for natures benefit, but for God, to doe him honour, that is the right end; for to mortifie, is to rectifie, and to bring things that are out of compasse to rule, to see where they are inordinate, and so to turne carnall and naturall affections all into spitituall.
In the next place wee will see some reasons why 3 Why they are to be mortified.they are to be mortified, for reasons doe wonderfully perswade, and necessity of mortifying once apprehended, makes men goe about it; Let us but consider of what moment it is to have them mortified, what ill if we doe not, what good if we doe.
The first reason is, because affections are actions of the greatest efficacie and command in the soule, Reason. 1.they are exceeding powerfull, they are the wheeles or sailes which carrie the soule this way or that way; in that regard, because they are so effectuall and prevalent, therefore it concernes us the more to take care that we rectifie them. Time was, when affections did obey the will, and the will the Spirit of God, (in the time of Innocency) but now that subordination is taken away, and that union dissolved, and now the affections move the heart as the winde the Sea, whether it will or no; therefore it stands you upon to keepe them under. A metled horse is a delight to the rider, if hee be kept under Simil.the bridle; so the affections, if they be good, the stronger the better, but the Divell hath no better factors thē the affections are, if they be ill, they are the best opportunities for him to doe mischiefe by.
The second reason why they are to be mortified, is, because they are those that make us eyther good Reas. 2.or evill men. It is not the understanding of truth, or falshood that makes us good or evil men, that is but one opinion and judgement; but as the affections are, and as the inclination of the will is, so is a man good or bad. Iob was called a perfect man, because hee feared God; and blessed is the man that delights in God; and all things worke together for good to them that love God. It is the common phrase of Scripture to judge of man by his affections, when his love is right, his feare is right, and his sorrow right; therefore looke to thy affections which are the motions of thy will; so as the affections are, so is the man, if mens actions are weighed by their affections: in other Arts indeed, the worke commends the Artificer, but here, though the action be good, yet it is not good, except the affections be good, because the will commands the whole man, so the goodnesse or badnesse of a man are seene in the affections.
The third reason is, because inordinate affection Reas. 3.makes much for Satan to take possession of the soule, therefore it stands you upon to keepe them right and straight, Ephes. 4. 20. Be angry, but sinne not, that is, if anger exceed its measure, it opens a Ephes. 4. 20.way for Satan to come in, and take place in the soule. The example of Saul, 1 Sam. 18. 10. will illustrate this, when the women sang, Sauls thousand, 1 Sam. 18, 10.and Davids ten thousand, the Text saith, Saul was exceeding wroth, and after that time had an eye upon David; that made way for Satan, he was exceeding wroth, and the next morning, Satan, the evill spirit came upon him: so that you see, strong affections open the doore for Satan. Iudas, when the affections came to the height, the divell entred into him. He was angry at the expence of the ointment upon Iesus feet, and upon that he harboured the first conceit of betraying him, 14 Marke 4 compared with the 10. Witches, you know, exceed in malice, and this makes way for the divell to possesse them; and so worldly sorrow, if it come to the height, it exposeth the heart to be possessed by Satan: so by strange lusts Satan slides into the hearts of men, and they see it not; and therefore labour to mortifie them. 1 Pet. 5. 8. bee sober and watch, &c. that is, if there bee any excesse in any affection, if you keepe them not in, Satan will enter; therefore be so ber and watch, for if yee admit 1 Pet. 5. 8;any distemper he will enter.
The fourth reason is, because affections are the Reas. 4.first petitioners of evill, though they doe not devise it, yet they set the understanding on worke; now he that is onelyonly a worker of ill, hath not his hand so deepe in the act, as he that is the first mover: Simile.if men are exhorted to abstaine from evill actions and evill speeches, men thinke that there is some reason for it, but for evill affections they see no such necessity: but consider you, evill affections produce evill actions; evill affections communicate evill to a man, as fire heats water, and yet hath more heate in it selfe; so affections make speeches and actions evill: And therefore God judgeth by affections; we indeed judge affections by actions, we cannot know them perfectly, yet do we judge by the same rule as farre as we can; let a man have an injury done him, he lookes to the affections, that is, to the man, whether it came out of anger and malice; if a man hath a good turne done him, he lookes to the affections, if hee sees greater good in them, than in the action; for in a good action, the will is more than the deed, the willingnesse of doing it, is of a rarer ranke than the doing the thing it selfe: so an evill affection is more than an evill speech or an evill action. In this regard, therefore, labour to mortifie them, because they are instigators of evill.
If affection be of so great a moment as you have Vse.heard, then do that which is the maine scope of all, take paines with your hearts to mortify them, when they are unruly, to bring them under; if strong affections solicite us, give them a peremptory deniall; hearken to the Physician rather then to the disease; the disease calls for one thing, the Physician for another; if men yeeld to the disease, they kill themselves. Here is the true triall of grace; to doe some thing good, when there is no ill to oppose it, that's a small matter; but when strong lusts haile them to the contrary, then to resist them, this obedience is better then sacrifice: In the old Law, they sacrificed their sheepe and their oxen, but in this obedience a man slaies himselfe; this will is the best part & strength of a man; for, when he subdues his lusts, and brings them in obedience to Christ, he sacrificeth the vigor of the will: Man is as his affections are; affections are to the soule as members are to the body; crookednesse in the members, hinders a mans going, so crookednesse in the affections hinders the soule: those that keepe Clocks, if they would have them goe true, then every Simile.thing must be kept in order: so in affections, keep them straight, because they have such a hand, in the will; one hath an affection to filthinesse, another to covetousnesse, another to good fellowship, according to these so are they carried, and such are their actions; let their affections be straight, and they turne the rudder of the soule another way, they cast us into another mould: therefore labour to subdue them, and so much the rather, because they make a man not onelyonly good, but abundant in good or evill; good doth prescribe to a man exactly what he shall doe, but yet leaves some free-will offerings on purpose, to try our love, to try our affections; the rule of duty is left partly to the rule of affections, that we may abound in good: a man may doe much in resolution, but the affection maketh it acceptable. Paul might have taken for his labour of the Corinthians, but the fulnesse of his love would not suffer him, that is, God and they set him on worke. Thus affections make a man abound in good; it was Davids love to God, that made him build a Temple to God: In short, affections make a man beautifull unto God and man. Now, if affections are so rare, and yet so subject to be inordinate, it is wisdome to know how they may be helped; if any thing doth want meanes of helpe, this doth, because it is a hard thing to keepe downe unruly affections; therefore we will come to lay downe some meanes to helpe you to keepe them downe.Meanes to mortifie inordinate affections.
The first meanes is, that we labour to see the disease; for no man will seeke for cure, except he see Meanes. 1.the disease, the sight of the disease is halfe the cure of it; labor to see your inordinate affections, and to be perswaded and convinced of them. This is a hard thing, a man doth not see his evill inclinations, because those very inclinations blind his eyes, and darken his understanding, and cast a mist before him; notwithstanding which, wee must labour to doe that what we can; as there are divers sorts of affections, so there are divers sorts of distempers, as the affection of anger hath its distemper, and this is more visible; when anger is gone, it is daily seen, and therefore is of no great difficulty to bee discerned: there are other kind of affections which doe continue in a man, when his heart is habitually carried to an inordinate lust; as to pride, vaine-glory, love of the world: no such affection can be wel discerned, whil'st that continues in a man; take a man that hath a continued affection, it is hard for him to discerne it; because, it doth with its continuance habitually corrupt the Judgement, and blind the reason, and yet you are to labour to discerne it: And that you may two wayes.
First, bring your affections to the rule and touchstone. Two wayes how to discerne a continued inordinate lust.Secondly, That you may better know their aberration from the rule, consider, whether the affection have any stop; an affection is like a river, if you let it run without any stop or resistance, it 1.runs quietly, but if you hinder its course, it runnes more violently; so it is with your affections, if you doe not observe to know the stops and lets of them, you shall not observe the violence of them so well. So then, the first way for a man to come to know his affectiōs, is to observe them in any extraordinary accident; if any losse come to a man in his estate, or if he be crost in his sports, or hindred of his purpose, let him consider how he doth beare it, that is, try how you carry yourselves towards it; this wil be a good meanes to discover our affections, when they come to these stops and lets, they are best discerned by us.
Secondly, in this case it is good wee make use of 2.others eyes; a man sees not that in himselfe which a stander by doth, hee is free from the affection which another is bent unto, and therefore another can better judge of it; as a man that is sicke of a feaver, hee cannot judge aright of tasts, because hee hath lost the sense of tasting, that which is sweet may seeme bitter unto him; but he that is in health Simile.can judge of tasts as they are: therefore, it is good to make use of friends, and if we have no friends, it is wisedome in this case to make use of an enemy; that is, to observe what inordinatnesse hath beene in them, and what hath happened unto them therby, and so to judge of our owne.
And this is the first thing that I wil cōmend unto you, to labor to see your affections, and to be convinced of them; when this is done, in the next place we wil come to see the causes of inordinate affections; and seeing we are applying medicines, as we shall see the causes of inordinate affections, so to each of them we shall adde their remedies.
The first cause of inordinate affection, is, mis-apprehension; Causes and remedies of inordinate affections. Cause 1.that is, when wee doe not apprehend things aright, our affections follow our apprehensions, as we see in a sensible appetite, if a thing bee beautifull, we are apt to love it, and like of it; but if it bee deformed, wee are apt to hate it; for as things doe represent themselves to the will, so we are apt to conceive of them; the will turnes a mans actions this way or that way, notwithstanding the understanding is the pilot that turnes the will; so that our apprehension is the first cause of inordinat affections, by this we overvalue things that are evill, and undervalue things that are good. Rectifie therefore the apprehension, and heale the disease, labour to have the Judgement informed, and you shall see things as they are. Affections (as I said before) are of two sorts, one sensuall, arising from fancy, the other rationall, arising from judgement: all that we can say for the former affections, is this, men might doe much to weaken those affections in them (if they would take paines) by removing the objects, that is, by with-drawing the fewell, and turning the attentions another way; if we cannot subdue any sensuall affections in us, let us be subdued unto it, and be as any dead man; In case that we are surprised by such vanities, yet let us not hasten to action or execution. All that in this case a man can doe, is as a pilot, whose shippe is in great danger to bee cast away by reason of a great tempest, all that he can doe, is to looke to the Simil.safety of the ship, that waters come not into it at any place, that it be not overthrowne: so these evill affections that are in our rationall appetite, are these evill inclinations of the will, that are lent either to riches, pleasure, vaine-glory, or the like objects of reason.
Now to rectifie your mis-apprehension of them, Remedy 1.first get strong reasons for to doe it; reade the Scriptures, furnish your selfe with spirituall arguments, be acquainted with such places, as ye may see therby the sinfulnesse of such affections: it is great wisedome in a man, first, to finde out the thing he is inordinately affected to, and never to rest, till he find the things that are sinfull in him: therefore, the applying of reason will make us able to doe it; and if we can doe so, we shall be able to go through the things of this world rightly: You are inordinately affected to wealth; Apply reason and Scripture here, as thus; It is a wisemans part to use earthen vessels, as silver; and silver vessels, as earthen; the one will serve for use as well as the other: so in the things of the world, hee that is strong in reason and wise, were they represented to him as they are; he would use a great estate without setting his heart upon it, more then if it were a mean one; & in the condition of this life he would would so carry himselfe, as if he used them not: this the Apostle have us to doe, to use the world, as though we used it not: and then we should think the best things of the world to bee of no moment, and that we have no cause to rejoyce in them. Wee are to use the world with a weaned affection, not be inordinately carried with love therupon in worldly things; there is a usefulnesse to be looked at, but to seeke to finde baites in them, and to set our hearts upon them, that will hurt us exceedingly; if wee looke for excellency in worldly things, and touch them too familiarly, they wil burne & scorch us; but if we use them for our necessity, and so use them as if we did not, wee shall finde great benefit and comfort by them. This is the difference betweene earthly and spirituall things, you must have knowledge of these, and this knowledge must be affective, the more love you have the better it is; but in earthly things, the lesse love we have, the better it is: for in earthly things, if our love exceed our knowledge, they are subject to hurt us. What is the reason, a man takes to heart the death of his friend, or the like accident? for a while he grieves exceedingly, but within a monethmonth, or short time after, his grief is past; and then he sees that the death of his friend is no such thing as he took it for, and thought it to be; had he then seene that which now he doth, he would not have grieved so much.
The second way to rectifie misapprehension, is by faith; for, by faith we are to beleeve the vanity of Remedy 2.these earthly things, & we are to beleeve the power of God, who is able to blow upon them, and to cause them to wither; so that faith is a great cause to rectifie the apprehension, as well as reason: Paul counted the best things of the world, but drosse and dung; and Moses cared not for the pleasures of Egypt; it was their faith that caused them to doe so, they did beleeve the true priviledge they had in Christ: this doth raise up the heart, and cause us more and more to see the things that are earthly, how slippery and flitting they are.
The third way to rectifie mis-apprehension is experience; wee are not so much as to touch us of Remedy 3.that thing we have found to be true by experience: let a souldier be told of dangerous effects in the warres, perswade him what you will, and tell him how terrible it is, he will not beleeve, till by experience he hath felt the smart of it: so when a man is entred upon the doing of any difficult thing, which he hath beene accustomed to doe, the experience hee hath of often being in such dangers, and having felt no harme, that doth rectifie his affections. Experience is a speciall meanes to tame them; let a beast be brought to a mans hand that is fearefull at the first, but by experience and daily using of it, so you tame the beast: so our affections are unruly things, like untamed beasts, but when experience hath discovered them, it is a good meanes to rectifie them: therefore it is profitable for us to call to minde things that are past: If we would but call to minde how such a thing wee joyed in, and yet it staid not with us; our joy would not be so inordinate in other things: If wee would remember how such a crosse we survived, our griefe would not be so inordinate in future events.
The fourth way to rectifie mis apprehension, is Remedy. 4.by the example of others, that is, to see how others have beene affected with the inordinate affections that we have beene in our selves; and examples do r…nne more into the senses than rules doe; therefore thinke of examples to stirre up affections, eyther to crosse them, or subdue them. Wee see by the reading of histories, as of the valiant acts of some of the worthies, as of Iulius Caesar, and others, some, by reading of the great exployts that they themselves had done, have beene stirred up as much as in them lyed, to doe the like, so that examples of others are very effectuall in this kinde. If a man would consider Paul, how hee carried himselfe in the things of this life, and how David, Abraham, and Moses were affected to these outward things, what they had, and what they might have had; their examples, and such as we have heard of, to be holy and righteous men, or such as we now know to be such, is a great helpe to rectifie the affections, and to set the Judgement straight.
The second cause of inordinate affection, is weaknesse Cause. 2.and impotency, which doth sticke in a man ever since the fall of Adam, & makes him subject to passion; and therefore yee see, the weaker sexe, as they are weaker in understanding, so they are stronger in passion; let a man be weake, he is so much the more strong in passions; and as his strēgth is more, so hath he more strength to resist them. The way to remedy Remedy.this, is, to gather strength; the more strength we have, the more able we are to resist temptations, and as a man is weake, so hee is the more subject unto them, (as when hee is young) but strength overmasters them. Affections are in a man as humors are Simile.in a body, when the body is in health, it keepes in these humors that it doth not feele them; but when a man is sicke, then these humours stirre up and trouble a man: So, when the soule is in health, these ill humors of the soule, inordinate affections are kept in by maine strength: but let the soule grow weake, and the passions get strength. Now, the meanes to get strength against passions, is to get a greater measure of the Spirit, the more spirit, the more strength, Ephes. 3. 16. Pray, that you may be Ephes 3. 16.strengthened by the Spirit of the inward man: the more flesh we have in us, the more weaknesse wee have; the spirit that is in us doth lust after envy, & pride, and the world. Now, how shall wee helpe it, but by the Spirit that is without us, that is, by the Spirit of God: let a man be in such a temper, that the Spirit of God may rule and possesse his heart; while he is in this temper, his ordinate affections will not stirre, but when the Spirit is away, then there is a hundred waies to cause them to be unruly: that which seasons a man is prudence, wisedome, and grace; the more a man hath of these, the more able he is to subdue them.
The third cause of inordinate affections, is, the Cause. 3.lightnesse of the minde, when it hath not a right object to pitch it selfe upon, which when that wants, the affection being left to uncertainties, they must needs fall upon wrong objects: when a man in his course wanteth an object for his aime, the waies of his error are a thousad; so when a man doth misse the right object in affection, they have a thousand waies to draw to inordinatenesse: men run up and downe with their affections upon uncertainty, and they never cast how to shun them afterward, till the end of their daies be runne out. Now, to remedy this, Remedy.our way is, to finde out the right obiect whereon the affections should be pitched, and this object is God, The right object of our affection, God.that is, the affections must all looke towards God, and have them fixt upon him; you are never able to subdue your affections and to keepe them under, till you pitch them upon God: whilest our affections are loose, they are unsteddy and unconstant; every man, till his heart be set upon God, his affections are wandring up and downe; but when a man hath God to set his affections on, and they are once setled in him, then he seekes another kind of excellency, and frames his life after another fashion, he sets his affections upon other excellencies: As when a man hath a palace for to build, if his minde Simil….be to have it done with excellent worke-manship, then he will take none but principall stones, hewne and squared fit for his purpose to build withall, but if a man be to build a mud wall, any rubbish and trash will serve the turne to make it up: So, when our affections are on high matters, such as God and Christ, they looke upon things that are noble, and not upon the rubbish and trash of the world, wee will choose the principallest stones for our spirituall building: but if otherwise, we strive to finde contentment in the creatures, we care not how wee come by them, that is, any rubbish will serve the turne to get riches withall, and honour and preferment in the world; but, if ever you will set your affections straight, pitch them upon God.
The fourth cause of inordinate affections, is, that Cause. 4.confusion that riseth in the heart at the first rising of them; and they are the vapours and mists that blinde the reason, and make a man unable to resist them, because the putting out of the eye of reason, must needs trouble a man exceedingly; even as a moate in a mans eye troubles him, that he cannot see as he Simile.should doe; And therefore these mists that are cast upon the eye of reason, doe make a man unable to resist them. In such a case, the way to helpe them is this, to make up the bankes when the river is at Remedy.the lowest ebbe, that is, to make up the bankes of our affections, before the tide of inordinate affections do come in; we are not at first, able to rule these inordinate affections, but yet if the banks be made up afore-hand, we may mortifie them. A man is to consider before, how he is able to be affected, and for this, let him looke into the former waies, and see how he hath beene affected, and how he is apt to be affected againe; and when he is in such circumstances, let him take a good resolution, never to returne to such inordinate affections, as he did afore: When a man is sicke of an Ague, to give him physicke when hee is in a sore fit, is not the fittest Simile.way, it is not then in season; but it were best to be done in his good daies, before his fit: so we are to make up the banke of our affections, before the tide of inordinate affections doe come, to have a strong resolution, we will not be led by such an affection as before. And if this prevaile not, then we are to suspend the execution of our passions, that is, to doe nothing for a time: If a man finde any passion in himselfe, let him abstaine for that time, (if it be possible) from the doing of that which it moves him unto; because, that he is then most subject to doe amisse: You see, a barrell of Beere, if it Simile.be stirred at the bottome, draw it presently, and it will runne muddy, but if you let it rest a while, and then draw it, it will runne cleare: so a man in his passion, his reason is muddy, and his actions will not come off cleare; therefore it is good to suspend the execution, howsoever: For the suspending of the action in time of passion, is very profitable, though a man thinke for the present, whilest the passion is upon him, that he doth not erre, yet because then we are most subject to erre, suspend for a while. Passion is a hindrance to the faculty, as jogging is to the arme when it is a shooting, or unto Simil.the hand when it is a writing therefore, when a man doth find that passion is on him let him do nothing: A drunken mans wisest courseis to go home and do nothing that night, unlesse the good work of repentance; our passion is a kind of drunkennes; the one is almost as subject to mis-take an error, as the other.
The fifth cause of inordinate affections, is the corruption of Nature, which is in every man since Cause. 5.the fall of Adam. Will you know the reason, why Beares and Wolves, and Lyons, carry themselves so cruelly? It is, because their nature is to doe so; Wil you know why a sinful man is subject to affect things inordinately? the reason is, because he hath a bad nature; it is naturall to him to doe it, and as ready to him as sparkles of fire to fly upwards; We see some men are apt to be taken with such a disease, that is bred and borne with them, they cannot escape it. Now the remedy to remove the evilnesse Remedy.of nature, is, to get new natures, that is, to get another nature, a holy, regenerate disposition, untill then, men shall neuer be able to doe it; many labour to mortifie their affections, but yet cannot, because they are busie about the particulars, and never regard the generall; they can never make the branch good, except they make the tree good, therefore, the way to mortifie, is to get a new nature: Consider whether your nature be renued, whether that be cast into a new mould, if it be, this is the way to mortifie inordinate affection, this is the way for the generall: So also it should be our care for any particular affection, that wee finde our selves most prone to by nature, labour to thwart nature in that particular: Are you given to wrath by nature? endeavour to be humbler and meeker then other men; Is your nature more inclined to desire of gain? Labour to be established with a more free spirit; and this will be a meanes to mortifie you; otherwise, you shall never waine your hearts from earthly things, till you have a taste of such spirituall things, that is, you shall never win your hearts from joyes, except you have joy and delight in Christ, you shall never overcome the griefe of losses and crosses, except you turne your affections to see the loathsomnesse of sinne: Contraries in nature do expell one another; cold is expelled with heate, darknesse with light; so you must expell carnall affections with spirituall.
The 6ht cause of inordinate affections, is carelesnesse and remisnesse, that is, want of spirituall watchfulnes Cause. 6.over the heart, when men rather give occasion unto the affections to be inordinate, than prevent the occasions of it. For the cure of this, take heed, not of Remedysinne onelyonly, but of the occasions of sinne; for a man to hate sinne, and not to hate the occasions of it, is to deceive himselfe, that is all one, as for a man to walke upon Ice, that is afraid of falling: Iron will Simili.move, if the loadstone be neer: so the affections will stirre up, if there be any alluring sinfull object. And therefore, if sinne knock at the doore of your hearts, you must not let it in presently, but aske his errand, plead the cause with it, and consider the hindrances and inconveniences that come by it. For a man to say, I will give over my lusts, and yet will keepe such company as hee did before, and use his old haunts, he doth but deceive himselfe, Prov. 22, 19. Make no freindship with an angry man, and with a furious Prov. 22. 19. & 23. 20.man thou shalt not goe, Prov. 23. 30 Benot amongst winebibbers, that is, if thou hast used this company, and usest it stil, thou fleest not occasions of sin; and therfore we must watch over our soules, the heart is deceitful above al things; take heed to the beginning of your affections, and looke to the beginning of inordinate lusts, when you see it rising, if you perceive but a glimpse of it, quench and resist it, else it will cost you a great deale of more paines afterwards: the affections by little and little giving way to them, will soone get strength, if you let them alone, you set your hearts and minds on fire: A man that is full of anger, or any passion, knowes not how to help himselfe, so dangerous is it to give way to affections, that they carry a man unawares to inordinatenesse; the best way therefore is to quench it at first; if you cannot quench it when it is a sparke, how will you doe when it is a flame? As you are to look to the beginning, so take heed of making false truces with them; for inordinate affections doe more hurt by ambushes and secret invasions, then by open warre, therefore looke to them on every side, lest they rob you of grace before you are aware.
The seventh cause of inordinate affections, is, the Cause 1.root whereon they grow, labor to see the root, and remove it: if one affection doe distemper the mind, it drawes on another distemper, and you cannot lessen that latter inordinatenesse, unlesse you weaken the former, which was the roote of it. As for example; Anger growes upon pride, you shal never lessen or cure that affection of anger, except you weaken pride: Now pride causeth anger and contention, Ionah was angry, whence came it but from his pride? when a man through pride knowes not himselfe, he forgets God; And this man that forgets God, will bee violent in his griefe, in his complaints, in his feares, in his desires, and will never be healed, till he be humbled; and brought to a base estimation of himselfe.
Lastly, I would have you to know, that God is the onelyonly Agent in this worke of mortification: and therefore have dependance upon God, for it is Gods Spirit that must cause a man to mortifie: man is not able of himselfe, except God perswade him, Psal. 33. 13, 14. Except the Lord speake once and twice to us, we will not regard it: Paul was Psal. 33. 13, 14.troubled with a strong affection, what doth he? he goes to God, and prayes to him to take away that strong mist; and so must we doe, pray to God in Faith, doe but beleeve, and we shall have our requests granted: continue in prayer, and hold out without wearinesse, and bee your affections what they will bee, yea, never so strong; such as you thought would never be mortified, yet you shall overcome them.
The last use that is drawne from hence, is this; …e.if inordinate affections are to bee mortified, then is any excesse in any desire sinfull, and for which wee ought sharply to reprove our selves: many grieve for some or other temporall things, this is moderate, when they can yet joy in other things; so we qualifie our griefes with joyes, and our joyes with griefes; we are not inordinate: but we are to take heed of excesse in them, for that makes them sinful; as our over-grieving at losses and crosses, our over-loving of earthly things, too much delight in sports; These are turned into sinne to us, affections are set in the heart for the safegard of the soule; a foole indeed, for want of skill may hurt himselfe with them, but he that is skilfull, knowes how to use them without prejudice to himselfe; and if they bee thus well used, they are very serviceable to the soule; but if they be once strong headed, that is, get the bridle betweene their teeth, so as they will not bee ruled; then they prove hurtfull unto us. Marke what the Wiseman saith of the lust of uncleannesse; and it is true of all such lusts, the strong man is slaine by them: therefore, fight against the lusts of uncleane and inordinate affections. And that you may doe it, and bee willing to part with them, marke these motives following.
The first motive I take out of 1 Tim. 6. 10. The Motives to conquer and master inordinate affecti. Motive. 1.Apostle speaking of covetousnesse, cals it; the roote of all evill, &c. and what may be said of this, may be said of any other sinne very truely; this is one motive: inordinate affections promise profit and contentment, and yet will pierce you through with many sorrowes, that is, it taketh away the health Simile.and tranquillity of the soule; even as the worme doth eate the same tree, that doth breed it. And looke, as the inward heat of an ague is worse than the outward heat; so these inward ulcers of the soule and affections doe trouble us, and pierce us more than any outward grievance, whatsover, that can assault the body: let a man have houses in the City, goodly gardens, orchards, lands and all contentments on every side; yet, his inordinate affections doe not suffer him to enjoy any one of these, nay, not to enjoy himselfe, hee cannot converse, talke or meditate with himselfe, it makes a man to be wearisome to himselfe, it hinders a man altogether from doing that which is good: Simile.one disease of the body is enough to take away all comforts outwardly, that a man hath; and one inordinate affection of the soule takes away all pleasure and contentment within; let a man bee sicke, neither rich cloathes, nor a faire chamber, can comfort him; so let a man have but one inordinate passion, all other things are nothing to him; he takes no pleasure in them.
The second motive is taken from that of Salomon, A mans spirit will beare his infirmities, but a wounded Motive 2. Prov. 18. 14.spirit, who can beare? that is, this doth make a man unable to beare any thing else: for example, a strong love set upon the things of this life, wounds the soule; and so makes it unable to beare the least losse of any of them, it deads the heart within a man: So immoderate griefe addes affliction to affliction; Immoderate feares are worse than the thing feared, whereas otherwise, afflictions are nothing grievous, if they be rightly used: Paul was in prison, and so were Ioseph's Brethren, yet you see the difference; the one full of Joy, the other full of griefe and sorrow, because they had sinned; their consciences were not whole, they could not beare their burthen: therefore, looke to your affections, that you may passe through the changes of this life with more comfort, if you cannot bring your minde to the doing of this, then bring those things to your mind, labor to mortifie them, and that is the best way to bring your mindes to the things; my meaning is, if you cannot bring your minde to love worldly pleasure and contentments lesse, mortifie them to your mind, that is, looke not at them, as pleasures or contentments; if you must love them, let them seeme lesse lovely to you: dye to them in affection, or else, let them dye to you in apprehension; True indeed, without Gods over-ruling Power, we can doe nothing; yet wee must use the meanes, as we see in the casting of a dye, it is not in us to win as we please, but yet the playing of the cast is requisite; so the mortifying of the affections, it is not in us, yet we must use the meanes for to doe it; let us not give satisfaction to any lust, but hinder it to our powers: it is a shame for us to have our hearts affected with any sinnefull lusts, were wee more carefull of our soules, these inordinate affections would bee more broken and kept downe by us. Beleeve it, strong affections breed strong afflictions, and say, thou shouldest have riches and contenment in Simile.earthly things, and yet have inordinate affections, this is no helpe for thee, it is but an applying Simile.of an outward plaister to an inward sore, that will doe it no good.
The third motive is taken from 1 Timothy 6. 9. the Apostle speaketh there of the desire of riches, Motive 3. 1 Tim. 6. 9.he saith, that it breedeth many foolish and hurtfull lusts, in that regard, wee should mortifie them, because they are foolish lusts, and foolish, because hurtfull; when a man hurts himselfe out of some mistake, or by his owne heedlessenesse, hee is properly said to be a foole: It is properly folly, when a man hurts himselfe, whil'st he seekes to doe himselfe most good; wee seeke to doe our selves good, when we give satisfaction to every lust, but yet we hurt our selves; strange affections invite us to sinne, and sinne brings to misery; and thus they are hurtfull. Shun them therefore, seeing God hath appointed them to be mortified, let us mortifie them; whatsoever God hath appointed to be mortified, and we will not doe, it is as hurtfull for us, as Achans wedge was to Achan; which is called a cursed thing: And so every unmortified lust is a cursed thing. Take Iudg. 6. 14.we heed of it.
The fourth motive is this, because inordinatenesse Motive. 4.of affections hinders us in the doing of the good actions, wherein our happinesse doth consist, they make the faculties of the soule unfit to doe the things they should doe: as Iames 1. 20. Iam. 1. 20.the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God; that is, it disableth a man to worke that righteousnesse, he should doe; and what may be said of wrath, may be said of any other affection; As of malice, 1 Pet. 2. 1. wherefore laying aside all malice, 1 Pet. 2. 1&c: that is, while these are in you, you cannot heare the Word as ye ought; So for inordinate desire of gaine, Ezek. 31. the reason why the people heard without profit, was, because their hearts Ezek 31.went after their covetousnesse: mortifie these lusts, and then you shall goe with ease and safety in the way of godlinesse, yea, we shall be carried to it, as a boate is with winde, with all facility and expeditenesse.
The fift motive is, because of the shame and Motive 5.dishonour they doe bring men into; men are afraid of shame in other things, it were to be wished, they were so afraid of shame in this: Every inordinate affection is a short drunkennesse, and it brings the drunkards shame to a man; drunkennes discloseth all, and so, if there be any corruption in the heart, inordinate affection drawes it forth. Every man is ashamed of indiscreetnesse in his carriage, now, what is the cause of indiscreetnesse? it is the defect of wisedome, either the forgetfulnesse or not heeding of the time, place or action we are about; and what makes this forgetfulnes? It is the drunkennes of passion. When the Apostle Iames would shew, who was a wise man, he saith, he will shew out a good conversation in his works; Iames 3. 13.there will be meekenes and gentlenesse in his carriage and behaviour; but, if there be any envy or strife in the hart, this shews a man to be but a weak creature: whereas on the contrary, it is an honour in a man to passe by an infirmity; That is a signe of a strong man, that is able to overcome himselfe.
The sixth motive is, because they blind the Motive 6.reason and Iudgement, which should be the guide of all our actions in the course of this life; that which is said of bribery, that it blinds men; and that the affection to the bribe makes the sinne a great deale more; The like may bee said of other sins; As long as passion rageth, thou canst neither judge of thine owne nor of others faults: if thou wouldest judge of another mans fault, take away the beame that is in thine owne eye; And so if thou wouldst judge of thine owne faults, these affections must not blind the mind and the reason, for so they will hinder us in discerning good, and in doing any thing that is good; for, when the mind is corrupted, the will is corrupted; and then, instead of walking in the wayes of God, wee walke in the pathes of sinne: therefore, in regard of the safetie and security of our lives and actions, wee should mortifie these our affections.