A Treatise of the Affections, Treatise · Sermon 2
The II. Sermon.
Coloſ. 3. 2.
Set your affections on things that are above, &c.
THus I have ſhewn you Firſt, what the affections be: Secondly, how a carnal man cannot ſet his affections upon God. But here it may be objected: Cannot a carnal man have good affections to God and to grace? The people were ſo affected with Iohns preaching, and with his baptiſm, that they would have been angry and zealouſly affected againſt that man, whoever he was that ſhould have ſaid it was not of God; they would have ſtoned ſuch an one to death, Luk. 20. 6. the people moſt of them were carnal, yet they were thus affected with his preaching. Certainly a carnal mans affections may be marvellouſly wrought on. For the clearing of this doubt: Let me ſhew you nine degrees, wherein the affections may be wrought on: in five of them, a carnal man may have his affections to be wrought on, and in the laſt four of them he cannot. Firſt, I will name you theſe nine degrees of the affections of the heart.
The firſt is,1. The heart is enticed and allured by them. when they are ſo farre wrought on, that the heart is enticed and allured much by them. Thus the eloquent Miniſters in Corinth, it ſeems they wrought upon the peoples affections exceedingly, their words were ſo drawing, and their ſpeech was ſo inticing, that they came flocking to them. Saint Paul confeſſeth he would not preach ſo, with the enticing words of mens wiſedom, 1 Cor. 2. 4. what good ſhould I do, if my preaching were ſuch? it's true I might allure you and move you, and entice you, and ſtirre your affections; but alas! this would never bring you to faith and repentance with power: this might tickle your hearts peradventure a little, but not ſoundly comfort you.
The ſecond is, when the affections are wrought on ſo far, that the heart is ſomewhat touched therewith. As a man when his affections are moved with any, at a diſgraceful word, he ſaith, this toucheth me indeed. When God turned the affections of Iſrael unto Saul, indeed ſome of them had no affection to Saul, How ſhall this man ſave us? ſay they, they deſpiſed him in their hearts, but God turned the affections of the reſt upon Saul, for to follow him: The Text ſaies of them, The Lord hath touched their hearts, 1 Sam. 10. 26. That is, he ſet their affections upon Saul, that they might follow Saul up and down. As when the Needle is touched with the Loadſtone, then it will turn it ſelf preſently to the North; their affections were touched, and therefore they followed after Saul. So many men, their affections are touched at a Sermon; their affections are not only allured, but receive a touch from the Word: there is ſome vertue goes out of the Word, as ſome went from Chriſt to the Woman that had but a touch of his garment; ſo their affections have but a touch from the Word, and ſome vertue goes to them, for the affections are termed the touch of the heart. It's good for a man not to touch a woman, 1 Cor. 7. 1. That is, not to ſet an amorous affection of the heart upon a woman Thus farre a wicked mans affections may be to the Word, they may be touched by the Word.
The third is,3. The heart is ſomewhat bowed by them. When the affections are wrought on ſo far, That the heart is ſomewhat bowed thereby; this is another degree of working on the affections, to bow the affections, as ye may reade; David bowed the heart of all the men of Iudah, even as the heart of one man, 2 Sam. 19. 14. that is, by his kinde ſpeeches, and friendly meſſage he ſent, he inclined and bowed their affections unto him. So a wicked man may have his affections bowed unto good, whereas his affections ſtood ſturdy before, or may be they were bowed another way before, now they be bowed the contrary; as wicked Ioabs affections were ſo bowed to Godwards, 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,4. The heart is ſtolen away with them. 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 Abſal…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,4. The heart is enflamed by them. 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,6. The heart is overturned from what it was before, 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,Job. 10. 10 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,7. The heart is engaged for God. 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,8. The heart is glued to a thing by them. De vita Pythag. 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 foreign, 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 heart is quite given up to that which it affects. 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 that he hath unto Chriſt. It's true, no wicked man in the earth hath his affections thus farre wrought on: but it is marvellous to think how far a mans affections may be wrought on for Chriſt,The affection may be thus raiſed. and yet be a carnal man. It's proved already, he cannot ſet his affections on Chriſt, but he may raiſe up his affections a good way towards Chriſt, and now I will prove it.
Firſt,1. By the ſparks of right reaſon that regulate the affections. the ignicles and embers of right reaſon, that God hath made natural to his heart, may regulate his affections to be chaſt, and ſober, and kinde, and liberal, and juſt, and morally humble, and patient, and merciful, &c. and to obſerve the things contained in the Law. Natural reaſon directs men to love their parents and their children, and one another: thus the very Heathen themſelves guided their affections with Religion as it were, the vertues of morality ſaies Ariſtotle, they doe foreign, They finde out a Medium or a golden mean in the affections,Lib. 2. Eth. cap 6. and hold them unto it. And therefore S. Paul knoweth thus much, and how that ſome of the Heathen were ſo wicked, that they would put out the light of their own reaſon, and be drunk and luſtful, and proud, and mercileſſe, and diſobedient to parents, he condemns them eſpecially for this, that they were without underſtanding, and without natural affection, Rom. 1 31. that is, becauſe they put out that natural reaſon, and that natural affection that were in them. Becauſe their affections might have been naturally ſet upon thoſe things. Their very natural reaſon might have ruled their affections, and ſet them upon vertues of morality. So that thus farre thou maiſt go, and yet be a carnaliſt, thine affections may run to be civil, and morally honeſt, and the like natural reaſon may raiſe up thine affections from drunkenneſſe and luſt, and from natural injuſtice, and from ſwearing and lying, and filthineſſe of ſpeaking, and the like. I ſay, natural reaſon may raiſe up thine affections from theſe. Indeed it may be thine affections are violent and greedy, and ſenſual to tempt thee to ſome of theſe ſinnes, but natural reaſon may take them off from ſuch ſinnes as theſe. Are thine affections ſo vile as to follow thy blowzing and thy company-keeping? we need not quote Scripture to convince thee: thy material ſtomack cries out it is a ſinne, for it grumbles at it. Thine eyes and thy legges, and thy heels cry out, its a ſinne; for they doe betray it. Look upon thy purſe, it cries againſt thee, for it thou haſt emptied. Look upon thy Children, and thy Wife, they cry againſt it, for them thou haſt beggard. Look upon thy fields and thy land, and thy inheritance, they cry againſt it, for them thou haſt morgaged and impaired. Look upon the ſtinking dunghil, it bids thee hold thy noſtrils at the ſtinkingneſſe of this ſinne, for there is thy ſpewing and thy vomiting, and ſo of the reſt of theſe ſinnes: natural reaſon may eaſily raiſe up thine affections from theſe. Which if thou haſt done already, and art civil and moral, thou art yet gone no further then a Naturian may go. Thou maiſt do that, and yet be a Carnaliſt.
Secondly,2. By knowledge out of the word that raiſeth up the affection. Becauſe thou haſt more means then the means of bare nature, thy knowledge out of the Word, may raiſe up thy affections exceedingly: knowledge may awe the heart, and move it with the affection of fears, that it go not againſt its own knowledge. Herod feared Iohn, knowing that he was a juſt man. Mar. 6. 20. Herod his affection was ſtirred with fear at the hearing of Iohn; why? he knew he was a good man, and he knew it was juſt as he preached; he knew it was God Word. And therefore he feared, not to obey him, he was afraid to go againſt him. Nay, his affections were more raiſed then ſo; he heard John gladly and did many things. He was affected with joy at his Sermons, and his affections were wrought on to break out into act, and to doe many things. I do not reade he ſtruck at any thing but only his darling corruption. His affections were ſo wrought on, that it ſhould ſeem he reformed many ſins in his Court and many of his Courtiers; he began to ſet up ſome worſhip of God in his Palace. All this was by reaſon of knowledge; he knew Iohn was a good Preacher, he knew he preached the truth, and the truth overpowred his affections. Now he had no ſuch elbow-room for to ſinne, as he had in his ignorance. Now he fears to do many ſinnes that before he feared not, why? becauſe his knowledge was enlightned. This is no argument that thou art a childe of God, becauſe thou reformeſt many things: Alas thy knowledge is convinced thou muſt ſo: the very devil himſelf was overpowred by his knowledge; when the devil knew Chriſt was Chriſt, …e could not but confeſſe, We know thee who thou art, the holy one of God. Mar. 1. 24. Happily thou feareſt to go flatly againſt the Sermons thou heareſt, thou feareſt to live ſo bad as thou didſt; happily thou rejoyceſt to hear the Bell ring to a Sermon, and art glad to hear the preaching of a Miniſter; happily thine affections are ſo wrought on, that thou art moved to do many things, not to ſuffer ſuch potting and cupping in thy houſe as thou uſedſt, not to endure ſuch diſorders in thy family as thou wert wont; alas! alas! this is good yet; and O that others were proficients thus farre, this is further then many doe go, but this thou mayſt doe, and yet be a Carnaliſt. Thou knoweſt this is the truth of God, and this ſtirres thine affections a little.
Thirdly,3. By knowledge and conſcience quickned. God may be, he hath quickned thy knowledge a little, and quickned thy conſcience, and made it tell thee the horrour of thy ſins, and this may raiſe up thine affections many ſteps higher; not only to mourn for thy ſinnes, and be full of the affections of ſorrow, but alſo to goe mournfully and ſadly up and down, to pull down thy proud looks, to take on lamentably, becauſe of thy former iniquities▪ As Ahab. Thus the word made Ahab rend the very clothes off his back, and fling off his royal robes, and put on ſackcloth in their room, it made him have no minde to his meat, but to faſt, yea, to go ſoftly too, ſaies the Text: 1 King. 21. 27. When Ahab heard theſe words, he tore off his clothes, he abſtained from his meat, and went ſoftly. Ambulabat demiſſo capite; E…eſtro.that is, he did not goe ſo proudly up and down with ſuch a carere in the ſtreets, as before: No, he hung down his looks, he went ſadly and ſoftly up and down as he went. Thus farre too thou maiſt go in raiſing thine affections, and yet be a Carnaliſt. Thou maiſt be ſmitten in thy ſoul for thy ſins, as to go ſoftly and ſadly, and mournfully up and down, to have little luſt to eat thy meat for thinking of thy ſinnes, to go poorly and meanly, and have little minde to go bravely: I ſay, thine affections may be ſo quickned, as to go ſadly all along as thou goeſt, ſo that all that knew thee before may wonder; good Lord, what ails yonder man, how is he changed? he was a Ruffian, a Royſter, and who but he the other day? what's the matter with him? he goes ſo ſadly up and down, and ſo penſively along. But why do I ſpeak againſt thee, when there be few that are a quarter ſo well affected as thou? but alas! I tell thee, thou mayſt go thus far, and be thus deeply affected, and yet be a Carnaliſt.
Fourthly, a deep apprehenſion and ſenſe of the horror of thine eſtate: 4. By a deep apprehenſion of the horrour of their eſtate.this may winde up thine affections many ſteps higher; thou mayſt be afraid to be damned, and afraid of the judgements of God, and this may fetch tears from thine eyes, ſighs and groans from thy heart. This may even melt thy affections into weepings, and abundance of weepings for the ſinnes thou haſt done, and yet be a Carnaliſt. The Prophet brings in the carnal Iews ſo doing, This have you done again, covering the Altar of God with tears, with weeping and crying out; inſomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more.Mal. 2 13. Mark, they offered their prayers unto God, and cryed, and cryed out-right, yea, they powred out many tears, they covered Gods Altar with tears, and yet ſaies he, God regarded not their praiers and their offerings for all that: ſhould we ſee a man come to Gods houſe, and hear him at the hearing of the Word, or calling upon God, make an out-cry of his ſins, yea, weep and weep abundantly, cover his Pew with his tears, we would wonder at the repentance and the good affections of that man, yet ſo far thou mayſt go, ſuch good affections thou mayſt have, as to cover thy Table with tears, yea, and Gods Altar with thy weepings, and yet be a Carnaliſt. foreign, Good men (ſaies Homer) are weeping men. Nay, I ſay a man may be a leſſe weeping man, and yet be a good man. O how mightily may a mans affections be wrought on, and yet be a ſtranger from grace!
Fifthly,5. By ſelf-love. Self-love: look how high ſelf-love may winde up thine affections for thy ſinnes, ſo high may thine affections be wound up. Self-love may make thee wondrous affectionate. No natural affection can poſſibly be raiſed uphigher, then ſelf-love may. S. Paul being to reckon up all the ſinne-ful affections of men in theſe laſt daies, he names ſelf-love for the foremoſt. In the laſt daies perillous times ſhall come, why? for men ſhall be lovers of themſelves: then he names eighteen more, but this he places in the front of the Catalogue, for ſelf-love is ſtrongeſt of all, 2 Tim. 3. 2. I cite this text only to ſhew how our affections may be raiſed to God, namely, as high as ever ſelf-love can clamber. Self-love will make a man be very affectionate. When a man knows he cannot be ſaved, unleſſe he doe thus and thus; O how affectionate may he be for to do it, when he knows he ſhall periſh for ever, if he be not religious and godly; if he do not bewail his iniquities and ſtrive againſt ſin, and labour to do good unto others: how marvellous full of affections may this make him to be, to doe abundance of things!
Firſt, It may ſcrue up his affections ſo high, that he may be loth to commit ſinne: Which may Firſt, make a man be loth to commit ſinne.peradventure he does often commit it, but fain would he leave it. O he is unwilling to do it, he wiſhes affectionately, O Lord, how ſhall I leave it? O that I might leave it: yea, he ſeeks ſome means for to leave it; he does it I confeſſe, but fain would he not doe it; his affections may be wrought upon thus far, and yet be a Carnaliſt. Such an one was Darius, he had made a Decree, and writ it, and ſigned it, and ſealed it. Well, Daniel would not doe according to the tenor of the Decree: and therefore the Decree was, he ſhould be caſt into the Lyons Den. The King did caſt him in indeed, but lo, how unwilling he was to commit this ſinne: He faſted, he waked, he could not ſleep a winks ſleep: He wiſht,In vitus feci, as …e ſaid in the Comedy. O that I might ſafely deliver him! O that thy God, O Daniel, would deliver thee. True, he thought I muſt needs now do this ſin; alas my Decree, and what may the Lords think of me? If I ſhould not doe it, all the Countrey would think me too blame, nay, they would rebel againſt me out right, for breaking the Laws of the Medes and the Perſians. Alas! I muſt do it; but it appears though, how unwilling he was for to do it, he could neither eat, nor ſleep, nor be merry, nor quiet, till he might hear Daniel was ſafe. Many a King but a quarter as great as he would have ſcorned to have troubled his thoughts about ſuch a Puritane as Daniel was eſteemed to be: nay, he riſes early in the morning, before the time was expired, he runs in all poſt to the denne of Lyons, and there he cries lamentably, O Daniel, thou ſervant of the living God: O Daniel, he ſcreecht it out dolefully; and when he heard that Daniel was alive, he rejoyced exceedingly, Dan. 6. 23. Theſe ſubſequent circumſtances ſhew how unwilling he was in the puniſhment of committing the ſin, if he could have helpt it, and ſaved his honour with his Lords and his Nobles. Thus he was unwilling to commit the ſin, yet a wretched man for all that. Men imagine they have a good Chriſtian plea, when they can ſay this for themſelves; it's true, I doe rap out an oath in my choler, I doe pray coldly and with many by-thoughts, but God knows I am unwilling to doe ſo, I would very fain have it otherwiſe; I am ſorry I am drawn ſo away. Alas! ſo thou mayſt be, and yet be a Carnaliſt: thou mayſt pray, and be unwilling to pray careleſly, thou mayſt repent in ſome manner, and be ſorry thou repenteſt no more; thou mayſt be loth to commit an offence, and yet be a meer natural man, no jot of ſaying grace in thee. Was not Pilate ſenſibly unwilling to condemn Ieſus Chriſt? Was not Herod unwilling to behead Iohn the Baptiſt? it ſpoiled all his mirth at his feaſt, that he was compelled for to do it, for ſo he counted it a compulſion, otherwiſe he would not have done it: was not Saul unwilling to tranſgreſſe the commandment of the Lord? He forced himſelf; he had abundance of gain-ſayings in his heart▪ abundance of wiſhes in his breaſt, O I would not doe it, I would to God I were not put upon ſuch importunate circumſtances as I am, fain would I not do it; he forced him ſelf, there was a kinde of pitcht field in his boſome, a battel in his ſoul: fain would he doe it, that way went his luſts; fain would he not do it, that way went his conſcience: So he forced himſelf, 1 Sam. 13. 13. and yet God did reject him. Thus felf-love may winde up a mans affections exceedingly, to be loth to commit a ſin.
Secondly,And vomit up a dear ſin, committed by himſelf, and be ſorry that others ſhould commit it. It may ſo draw up ones affections to God, as to make one vomit up a dear ſinne ones ſelf, and be ſorry that others too ſhould commit it; he may be vext to ſee other men drunk, vext to ſee them break the Sabbath, vext to ſee how ſlack they come to Gods houſe, vext to hear any body ſwear, or curſe, or take on: he may be driven to make reſtitution himſelf. Thus it was with Micah, he had ſtolen a 11. hundred Shekels of ſilver from his Mother; well, this man, as it appears, hears his Mother curſe, and ſwear, and take on, ſhe had loſt ſo much ſilver, ſome body had ſtolen it from her; when he heard his Mother curſe and ban on this faſhion, he was ſo deeply moved to hear it, that he could not abide it: nay, it made him be willing to confeſſe he had ſtolen it from her, and to make reſtitution of all, yea, ſo far as his mother did think, O what a bleſſed convert was her ſon! he was now converted to be of ſo honeſt a minde. Bleſſed be thou of the Lord my ſon, ſaies his Mother. He ſaid unto his Mother, The eleven hundred ſhekels of ſilver that were taken from thee, about which thou curſedst, and ſpakeſt of alſo in mine ears, behold, the ſilver is with me, I took it: and his Mother ſaid, Bleſſed be thou of the Lord, my ſon, Jud. 17. 2. He had ſtolen the ſilver from his Mother, and yet when he heard his Mother curſe and ſwear, and take on in that wiſe, it ſhould ſeem his affections did burn him. What, ſhall I hear my Mother curſe in this ſort? and rather then he would let her ſtand ſwearing and curſing, he would vomit up his ſweet gettings. Nay, ſhe thought him ſo religious as paſſes, becauſe he did ſo. Bleſſed be thou of the Lord, my ſon: but ſhe was deceived, for he was a wretched Idolater; the Lord cals him an Idolater, verſ. 5. Beloved, this is a ſtrange thing indeed; yet thus far may a Carnaliſt go: he may be zealous againſt other mens ſins, and grieved to hear others tranſgreſs, and vext to ſee others offend. When David would ſin and number the people, it vexed the ſoul of Ioab to ſee it. O my Lord the King, why wilt thou be a cauſe of treſpaſſe to Iſrael? 1 Chron. 21. 3. So thou mayſt be vexed to ſee others offended, and yet notwithſtanding no better then a Carnaliſt.
Thirdly,3. And not dare to venture upon a ſin, though he loſe by it. It may ſo raiſe up his affections to God, and to be ſo ſet againſt ſin, as to be willing to loſe hopes of getting houſefuls of ſilver and gold, to loſe the favour of Kings and of Princes, to loſe preferment and all, then venture on a ſinne. This was Balaams caſe, If Balak would give me his houſe full of ſilver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of God to doe leſſe or more. Numb. 24. 13. He durſt not go beyond the commandment of God a jot, no, not for a houſe full of money, which is more then a thouſand can ſay, that will go beyond it, and beſide it, and againſt the commandment of God for a handful of Barley, yet he though a Reprobate, durſt not go beyond the commandment of God to doe good or bad of his own minde, not for a houſe full of coyn. Knoweſt thou not, ſaies King Balak unto him, knoweſt thou not that I can promote thee to honour? yea, he knew it well enough, and yet for all that Balaam would not yeeld to him. Balaam, if he would have hearkned to carnal arguments, he might have found many. The Iſraelites are a people of another Nation. I am a Moabite, and they are of another generation: and what though they be better people then they, yet I am a Subject to the King of Moab, and I muſt be true to my Soveraign, and count them mine enemies which are the enemies of my Countrey, and are come to lick up the land. If I do obey my King, I may have money by houſefuls, I may have preferment as much and more then I can wiſh. Thus fleſh and bloud might have reaſoned; but ſee how his affections were better rectifyed then thus; he durſt not doe it upon any terms, becauſe it was againſt the commandment of God. Thou thinkeſt thy cauſe to be happy, O thou cauſt be willing to paſſe by the wages of ſin, though thou couldeſt get by a ſin, yet thou dareſt not commit it: thou thinkeſt certainly mine affections are to God and to grace. I might get this, and I might get that, if I would but goe againſt my conſcience a little, but I will not for money, nor favour, nor any thing. Well ſaid yet; better then millions can ſay: but this thou mayſt doe, and yet be a Carnaliſt.
Fourthly,4. And to be forward in Religion, run to perſecution. It may elevate his affections ſo high, as to be ſo forward in religion and godlineſſe: ſo ſtrict in his waies, as to be perſecuted too for the truths ſake, and for Chriſts ſake: he may endure perſecution a good while: indeed if it go too far, he will warp: but perſecuted he may be, and ſuffer a good while he may, and yet be a carnal man. This you may ſee in the ſtony-ground hearer, He heareth the Word and receives it with joy, Mat. 13. 20. Mark, his affections are raiſed, he receives the Word and the Goſpel with joy, he is affected with the Word, nay, ſaies our Saviour, he endureth a while, and perſecution ariſes against him, then he is offended, ver. 21. Its true, he is offended at this, that he ſhould ſuffer perſecution; he would be glad to be a profeſſour of the Word, ſo he might profeſſe it in a whole skin, as we ſay: he does, and he will warp then, that's certain: that's all one; nevertheleſſe ye may obſerve in the mean time what a great way he goes in religion, he trades ſo farre in it, that others will perſecute him for it, and yet but a carnal man for all that. Now of the good ground.
Fifthly,5. And to be raviſhed with the joys of the Spirit. It may lift up his affections ſo high, as to raviſh him and enamour him with joys of the Spirit, He may be in ſome extaſies of ſpiritual joy: as many examples might be named. Were not the Galathians enamoured with the Goſpel that would have pluckt out their eyes and given them to Paul? were not the people over-joyed, when they cryed out in the open Congregation, Lord, evermore give us this bread: O then, ſet your affections, &c.