A Treatise of the Affections, Treatise · Sermon 4
The IV. Sermon.
Coloſ. 3. 2.
Set your affections on things that are above, &c.
HItherto it ſufficeth to have ſpoken of the coherence of the words, wherein ye …ave heard.
Firſt, What theſe affections be.
Secondly, That a wicked man cannot ſet his affectious on God.
Thirdly, How far forth a wicked man may have good affections, and how they differ from the godlies.
Fourthly, How they may examine themſelves, and finde that their affections are not ſet right.
Fifthly, Eight ſeveral arguments to convince them, what a woful condition they are in, till their affections are ſet upon God.
Now for the words,It is a Chriſtians duty to ſet his affections upon God. they contain a ſpecial duty, that a Chriſtian is bound to, namely, to ſet his affections upon God. The Apoſtle preſſes it ſtrongly.
Firſt, Becauſe it is an infallible mark of our being or not being in Chriſt. If ye be riſen with Chriſt, &c. ſet your affections on things above.1 Reaſon. Becauſe it is an infallible argument of our being or not being in Chriſt. As if he ſhould ſay; Ye ſay ye are riſen with Chriſt, come then and demonſtrate it now that ye are riſen with Chriſt. If ye be riſen with Chriſt, this will infallibly follow. Ye will ſet your affections above; it cannot be otherwiſe. If your affections be not ſet above, doubtleſſe you are not riſen with Chriſt. Thoſe that are Chriſts, ſaies St Paul, have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts, Galat. 5. 24. He takes it for granted, that if they be Chriſts, they have crucified the fleſh and the affections to the World-ward, and ſet them upon God.
Secondly,1 Reaſon Becauſe it is a matter of reaſonable equity. He preſſeth it as a matter of reaſonable equity; the competition ſtands but between two, Either things in heaven, or things on earth. One of them ye muſt ſet your affections upon, ye cannot ſet your affections upon both; if ye ſet your affections any where, ye muſt needs ſet them upon one of theſe two. Mark the competition. Set your affections on things that are above, not on the things on the Earth; now there is a neceſſity of reaſon, that election ſhould be made of the beſt, that we ſhould ſet our affections on the better of the twain; to wit, the things that are in Heaven, which are infinitely better then the things here on Earth. Set your affections on things that are above, and not on the things on Earth. Yea of neceſſity.So that hence ye may ſee the neceſſity of this duty. We muſt ſet our affections above, or which is all one, upon God. The ſtrength of this neceſſity will the better appear,1. Becauſe God is the principal object of our affections. if we conſider theſe four things.
Firſt, That God is the principal object of our affections: as the eye is made to be ſet upon colours, and the ear is made to be ſet upon ſounds, and the ſmell is made to be ſet upon odours; ſo the affections are made to be principally ſet upon God. The affections are ſo naturally due unto God, that if it be not God the ſouls affections are ſet on, it makes it a God or an Idol. And therefore the Apoſtle bids us mortifie our inordinate affections, evil concupiſcence, and coveteouſneſs, which is Idolatry, Col. 3. 5. when our affections are ſet upon gains, and upon profits, and the things of this life, the Apoſtle cals this coveteouſneſſe, and this coveteouſneſſe he ſaies it is Idolatry; becauſe the ſoul makes Gold a god, and ſilver a god, and profit a god, by ſetting its affections thereupon. As the eye doth either ſee colours, or elſe it ſees a thing under the likeneſſe of a colour: colour is the principal object of the ſight, and therefore if it be not a colour which it ſees (as the eye may ſee light, as the light of the fire, the light of the Sun, but it ſees it under the likeneſſe of redneſſe or whiteneſſe, or ſome other colour.) It appears by a colour, or elſe it cannot ſee it: So beloved, it is either God our affections are on, or we idolize it as a God. Indeed we may affect other things as mediums and in reference to God, but look where we ſet our affections, that is our God. Only fear the Lord, and ſerve him with all your heart, 1 Sam. 12. 24. We muſt ſet our affection of fear only upon God. The affections are the ſouls attendants. Doth not a ſervant wait only upon his own Maſter? whom he gives his attendance unto him he maketh his Maſter, and whom ſhould the ſoul wait on but only upon God? the affections are the ſouls attendances; upon whomſoever ſhe beſtows them, ſhe waits upon it as true God. My ſoul, ſaies David, my ſoul wait thou only upon God, Pſa 62. 5. Give thine attendance to none but to him. Thine affections of love, and of joy, and of hope and deſire, theſe muſt wait upon God for to worſhip him. Thine affections of fear and of care, theſe muſt wait upon God to provide what ever may pleaſe him. Thine affections of hatred, and of grief, and ſorrow, and the like, theſe muſt wait as a guard to keep off what ever may offend him; thine affections are principally for God; this is the firſt ground, the affections were made for God.
Secondly,2. Nothing but God hath that which the affections look for: Becauſe nothing is good but God. Chryſoft. As the affections were principally made for this purpoſe, to be ſet upon God, ſo nothing but God hath that which the affections look for. It is God which the affections look for, and where can the affections finde it but only in God? there is none good but one, that is God, Mat. 19. 17. The young man would have thought he ſought for good in a right place, when he ſought for it in Chriſt. But as Chryſoſtome obſerves, foreign, when he lookt upon Chriſt as a meer man, Chriſt tels him he was miſtaken in calling him good, there is none good but one, that is God. Chriſt himſelf, as near as he was unto good, as he came nearer to it then any creature in heaven or in earth, yet if he had been a creature, and men had ſet their affections on him as their good, being a creature, they had ſet their affections amiſſe: why calleſt thou me good? ſaies he; ſo much more doth every creature anſwer, Thou thinkeſt riches, honors and pleaſures are good. Why call ye me good? may they all ſay, there's none good but one, that is God. Will a man ſeek for the Sun in a pale of water? Indeed, if the Sunne ſhine on the water, there may you ſee it. But if the Sun do not look on it, you may look over all the waters in the world, and never finde the Sunne in them all. So will you ſet your affections on the things of the world? it is good your affections look for, can ye finde any good in theſe things? alas! alas! thou mayſt have all the things of this world, yet if God do not ſhew thee his face, and his grace in the ſame, ſtultus ad cribrum, thou runneſt to them as a fool to a ſive. The ſive ſeems to hold a great deal of water, but by pulling the ſive from the water, the fool loſt all the water. So riches, and wealth, and pleaſures, as long as thou haſt them in grace and in God, they are like ſives in the water, full of water as long as they are in. So theſe are full of good, as long as they are in God and in grace; But if thou doſt not ſet thine affections upon God, thine affections are befooled, and therefore thou muſt ſet thine affections upon God, becauſe nothing but God hath that which thine affections look for. It is Good which the affections look for, and thine affections can finde it no where but in God.
Thirdly,3. Becauſe nothing is my good but only God. As nothing but God hath that which the affections look for, nothing is good but he, ſo nothing is my good but only he, for if it be good, and not my good, this diſcontents mine affections; mine affections look at my good. I know compaſſion, and mercy, and love may look at the good of another; but then they conſider ſome kinde of propriety in that other, either as my brother, or friend, or my neighbour, ſtill the affections have an eye unto my good, thine affections to thy good Now nothing in the world can ſo truly be ſaid thy good, as thy God. Other goods are called this worlds goods, 1 Joh. 3. 17. They are the goods of this World rather then thy goods: But God is thy goodneſſe: Thou art my goodneſſe, O Lord, ſaies the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 144. 2. Thou canſt not ſay of thy pleaſures, this is my goodneſſe, nor of wealth, this is my goodneſſe; nor of any thing in the world, this is my goodneſſe: the good that is in it, is the goodneſſe of the thing, not thy goodneſſe; if I ſhould ſay, this is thy goodneſſe, it's all one as if I ſhould ſay, thou haſt no goodneſſe, for that is none of thine, but only by poſſeſſion, it is not thy goodneſſe. And therefore how canſt thou ſet thine affections upon it?
Firſt,1. The good of the creature not thy good, becauſe but the good of the body. It is only the good of thy body, it is not thy good, Anima hominis est homo, ſaies Plato. The ſoul is the man rather then the body. If the things of this life be the goods of the body, then how canſt thou ſet thine affections upon them? Thine affections are the affections of thy ſoul. Meat is good, let thy body hunger after it, and thou ſinneſt not: drink is good? let thy body thirſt after it, thou erreſt not; but wilt thou ſet thine affections upon it? when it is not thy good, but only the good of thy body, it is not thy good: means and maintenance is the good of thy body, houſe, and lands, and livings, theſe are the good of thy body, let the deſires of thy body be to them, this is well yet; but if the deſires of thy ſoul be thereto, if thou ſet thine affections upon them, thou art a beaſt, becauſe they are not thy good. As Theophylact well obſerves upon the rich man in the Goſpel, Soul, thou haſt much goods laid up for many years, Luk. 12. 19. take thine eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry; ſee the baſeneſſe of this fools affections, ſaies Theophylact: to eat, to drink, and to be merry: theſe were the goods of his unreaſonable part; to rejoyce in Gods Law, to rejoyce in holy thoughts and meditations, theſe are the goods of the ſoul, of the reaſonable ſoul of a man. Now the fool he had none of theſe goods laid up; and yet he ſaies, Soul, thou haſt much good laid up for many years, whereas that very night he died and was damned for ever; the things of this life then are not thy good, and therefore thou muſt not ſet thine affections upon them.
Secondly,2. Becauſe not ſo long as thou art. It is not thy good, becauſe it is not as long as thou art. Thou muſt live for ever in heaven or in hel. Now all the goods of this life laſt but this life, and when thou dieſt, thou muſt leave them to others, and therefore they are not thy goods. Were they thy goods, thou mighteſt carry them away with thee when thou dieſt; but this cannot be. Canſt thou carry thy barns and thy houſes to heaven or to hell with thee? canſt thou carry thy dogs and thy hounds, and thy pleaſures, and thy preferments to another world with thee? No, no, and why then doſt thou ſet thine affections upon them, when they are not thy goods for to carry with thee where ever thou goeſt? if thou wouldeſt ſet thine affections upon grace and upon God, thou ſhouldeſt ſet thine affections upon thy goods; theſe are thy goods as long as thou liveſt, and theſe are thy goods when thou dyeſt, and theſe thou mayſt carry with thee whitherſoever thou goeſt. Wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? ſaies Solomon; for riches certainly make themſelves wings, they fly away as an Eagle, Pro. 23. 5. wilt thou ſet thine affections upon that which is not? Wealth is not, and pleaſure is not, and all the things of this world are not, they make themſelves wings: now may be they are a bird in the hand, but by and by they are gone, there's a wing of prodigality, a wing of change, and of miſhaps and of caſualties, wings of loſſes and other occurrences, and though thou couldeſt clip all theſe wings with thy wiſedom, yet the wing of death and mortality will carry them all away in a moment, and then whoſe ſhall they be? thy pleaſures, then whoſe ſhall they be? thy gains and thy comings in, whoſe ſhall they be? ſure it is, they ſhall be none of thine, and therefore ſet thine affections elſewhere, thou muſt ſet them upon God.
3. They are not thy good,3. Becauſe they will not take thy part. becauſe they will not take thy part. Will any man ſet his affections on him that will not take his part? how can I affect him that will not affect me? if he will leave me in the lurch, I can never affect him as my friend. Alas! all the things of this life will leave thee in the lurch, thou mayſt periſh and be damned for all them. They will never deliver thee from the hand of hell; when thom comeſt before the tribunal of Chriſt, doſt thou think it will profit thee to ſay, Lord, I have hunted and hawked, and gamed and ſported, and I have been merry; will it benefit thee to ſay, Lord, I have builded and purchaſed, and encreaſed my livings and my rents, I have a good houſe, and a good farm, and good friends, Will this advantage thee? No, miſerable comforters are they all; canſt thou ſay, Lord, I have built up thy Church and thy worſhip, I have purchaſed zeal and holineſſe, and pureneſſe, and glory to thy name, I have been perſecuted and hated of all men for thy Name ſake, and I am in Chriſt, &c. If thou canſt ſay thus, this would be thy good indeed; but if thou canſt not ſay thus,Iuv. Sat. 13. though thou beeſt Gallinae filius albae, thou mayſt periſh with the devils and curſed fiends for evermore for all the bleſſings of this life. Set thine affections then upon God: truly God is good to Iſrael, ſaies the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 73. 1. He is good, and he truly is good; thou canſt not ſay ſo of all the things under Heaven; thou canſt not ſay, truly riches are good to me. Pleaſure truly is good to me; peace and plenty and liberty truly is good to thee; they are good, but they will never be good to thee; when thou haſt moſt need of good, then they will leave thee in the lurch, theſe do thee no good then. This is the third; as nothing but God is good, ſo nothing is thy good, but God.
Fourthly,4. Nothing can reſt the ſoul but only God. As nothing is thy good but God, ſo nothing can reſt thine affections but God. When thou affecteſt any thing, wherefore doſt thou affect it, but only to reſt contented therewith when thou haſt it? and therefore thou muſt ſet thine affections upon God, becauſe nothing can reſt thy ſoul, but only thy God. Reſt in the Lord. Pſal. 37. 7. Return unto thy reſt O my ſoul, Pſa. 116. 7. God is the reſt of the ſoul; if the ſoul ever get him, it reſteth content; the affections are in a maze, if they be not ſet upon God, like a man in a quagmire, he ſinks deeper and deeper, ſo a man ſinks deeper and deeper in deſires and in wiſhes, that hath not his affections upon God; there is nothing can give the ſoul reſt, if the ſoul reſt not in God. Will meat in a dream, and drink in a dream give ſatisfaction to our hunger, & our thirſt? So are all the good things in this world, Iſ. 29 8. Go to all the wicked men in the earth, let them deſire and have their deſires, ſtill they deſire and further their deſire, and yet they deſire after millions of deſires, their affections are as far for to ſeek for reſt, as if never they had ſought. All the things in the world are like ſome Ale-houſe-beer, which will never quench the poor Travellers thirſt, like the eating of ſalt neats-tongues; the more they do eat, the more they are athirſt: hungry meat, He that deſireth ſilver, ſhall never be ſatisfied with ſilver, he that affects pleaſure and vanity, ſhall never be contented nor ſatisfied therewith; give him ones, he affects tens, give him tens, he affecteth hundreds; give him hundreds, he affects thouſands; give him them, he affecteth millions; thou canſt never get reſt, till thine affections are pitcht upon God. Quo plus ſunt potae, plus ſitiuntur aquae. It's God only that reſteth the affections. Now if theſe be ſo, is it not our beſt way to ſet our affections on God, where we may have reſt for our ſouls? nothing beſides can give us any reſt.
Firſt,1. Becauſe nothing but God is all good. becauſe nothing but God is all good. Every good beſides God hath but one or two goodneſſes in it. None but God hath all goodneſſes in him; what is meat good for, but only to feed one? when thou haſt it thou muſt deſire again to have rayment, for meat will not cloth thee; what is rayment good for, but only to cover one? when thou haſt it, thou muſt deſire again to be fed, for rayment will not feed thee; what is money good for, but only to buy with? when thou haſt it, thou muſt deſire again to be recovered of thy ſickneſſe, for money will not cure thee of the Feaver: thus no good thing in the world can give thine affections a reſt, becauſe they have but one or two goodneſſes a piece in them, but the Lords goodneſſe is infinite, he is all good; if thou haſt him, thou wanteſt no manner of thing that is good. They that ſeek the Lord ſhall not want any good thing, Pſa. 34. 10. for every good thing is in him. He is bread to the hungry, and drink to the thirſty, and health to the ſick, and liberty to the captive, all in all to them that ſet their affections on him. Fruſtra fit per plura quod fieri poteſt per pauciora. If thine affections go to any creature, thou fetcheſt but a little good at once, thine affections will be fain to go a thouſand and a thouſand times over and over, thou getteſt ſo little at once, that thou ſhalt be tempted to be affecting the oftner; but if thine affections go to God, thou goeſt to the fountain, there thou haſt it by drops,2. Nothing but God is the ultimate good never enough, here thou mayſt have it at once. Who would be ſo mad to fetch water at a Cock that runneth by drops, when the Fountain is by?
Secondly, becauſe nothing but God is the ultimate good. Thou affecteſt the things of this life, alas! they will never givereſt, for ſtill there is ſomething beyond them, but God is the utmoſt of all goods, when the ſoul is once ſetled on him, it hath no further to go, like a ſtone when it's come to the centre, it hath no further to go. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the firſt and the laſt, ſaies Chriſt, if the ſoul be in Chriſt, Chriſt is his laſt, the ſoul is at reſt; why? it hath no where to goe: whether ſhould we goe? ſaies Peter to Chriſt, thou haſt the words of eternal life, Joh. 6. Chriſt firſt, and Chriſt next, and Chriſt laſt; Chriſt is the utmoſt and ultimate good of the ſoul; the ſoul hath no further to go: and therefore here thou muſt fix thine affections, fix them upon Chriſt.
Thirdly,3. Nothing is it ſelf without God. becauſe nothing is it ſelf without God, the things of this life, they are good I confeſs, but they are not themſelves without God; if God be not in them, the very good that they have is not in them. When thou affecteſt pleaſure and delight, anſwer me, why doſt thou affect it? is it not for the good that is in it? when thou affecteſt profit, or health, or peace, or friends, or credit, or whatever thou affecteſt, tell me in thy conſcience, why doſt thou affect them? is it not for the good that is in them? they are good, therefore thou affecteſt them: but if thou haſt not Chriſt, and God, and his Spirit, and his grace, if thou haſt not the Lord in theſe things, they are not themſelves, neither have they the good that is in them. Riches is no riches without grace, but a ſnare: health is no health without Chriſt, but a curſe: peace and pleaſure are not themſelves without God, but poyſon: thy good parts are thy bane, thy money is thy vengeance, thy goods are a witneſſe againſt thee without Chriſt. If thou beeſt not in Chriſt, if not a new creature, one day thou ſhalt curſe that ever thou wert born, and therefore much more ſhalt thou curſe that ever thou hadſt means, or maintenance, or life, or health, or any thing; the more thou hadſt of theſe bleſſings, if Chriſt be not with them, as he is not, if thou beeſt not a new creature: I ſay, if Chriſt be not in them, the bleſſings are not themſelves: they have not the good that is in them without Chriſt. David had a Caſtle, and a Buckler, and a Horn, but they were not themſelves without God. Lord, thou art my Caſtle, and my Buckler, and the Horn of my ſalvation. David had a ſervant to make his bed in his ſickneſſe, but to let us know that this bleſſing was not it ſelf without God, he puts the phraſe upon God, who made his bed in his ſickneſſe; no bleſſing is it ſelf without Chriſt, or without God. He hath all the goodneſſe that is in it. The Heathens have a pretty phraſe, whereby they ſet out a happy man, Vndecunque Deus, When God is every where about him; about him in his means and his riches, about him in his houſe and in his goods, about him in his friends and acquaintance, about him in his pleaſure and mirth: he is not happy unleſſe God be in every thing that is about him; they are but the carcaſſes of good, if God be not in them. Thus you ſee we muſt ſet our affections on God.
Here then we are taught,Vſe. It is a bleſſing of God that we have affections. Apud Cic Tuſcul. 4. The affections are not in themſelvs ſinful. That it is the bleſſing of God that we have affections implanted in our hearts. For how could they be ſet upon God, if it were not a bleſſing that we have them? There is a main controverſie between the Philoſophers, the Stoicks, and the Peripatetiques, concerning the affections: the Stoicks do ſtifly maintain, that it is an evil to have any affections at all: and therefore Zeno defines the affections to be unnatural ſtirrings of the heart, averſe from right reaſon, which is falſe; for this is the definition of affections, as they are corrupt, and not as they are affections; the affections in themſelves are not ſinful.
Firſt,1. Becauſe Adam and Eve had affections in innocency. Becauſe Adam and Eve had affections in innocency, If the affections were all ſinful in themſelves, Adam and Eve in their innocency could not have had them, for they were created without ſin: but they were created with affections, as love, and joy, and delight, and hope, and fear, and the like. Before Eve ever ſinned, we ſee plainly ſhe was afraid to eat of the forbidden fruit; indeed when the devil had-ripened his temptation, then ſhe went fearleſly on for to eat it; but when the devil aſſaulted her at the firſt, O ſaies ſhe, We may not eat of it, leſt we die, Gen. 3. 3. Lo, ſhe was afraid for to eat it at firſt. I confeſſe before the fall, may be they had not all the affections in act, becauſe there were no objects for all the affections to work on; they had nothing to grieve for, nothing to be angry at, nothing to deſpair of; but for my part, I think they had diſtinct objects to work on, though not in themſelves, for they had not ſinned as yet, yet they had diſtinct objects in the world for all their affections to work on, for ſhould they not grieve to ſee God diſhonoured by the fall of the Angels? ſhould they not hate and abhor backſliding from God? though there were none in themſelves, nevertheleſſe the affections of fear and hatred were given them to keep away ſin and apoſtaſie from God. Now if the affections were in Adam in innocency, they could not be ſinful in themſelves.
Secondly,2. Becauſe Chriſt took our affections upon him. Becauſe Chriſt took our affections upon him. If the affections were ſinful in themſelves, he could not take our affections upon him; for he was made like unto us, ſin only excepted: and therefore if the affections were ſins, he could not have taken our affections; but he did take them, as the Goſpel doth abundantly ſhew. He had our affection of joy, Ieſus reioyced in Spirit, and ſaid, I thank thee, O Father, &c. Luk. 10. 23. He had our affection of ſorrow, My ſoul is exceeding ſorrowful unto death, Mat. 26. 38. He had our affection of anger: He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at their hardneſſe of heart, Mar. 3. 5. He had our affection of deſire, with deſire I have deſired to eat this Paſſeover with you before I ſuffer, Luk. 22. 15. And ſo of the reſt. If Chriſt took our affections upon him, our affections are not ſinful in themſelves. Nay, he did not only as the Son of man take our primitive affections, as we are men, but he was Ben En…ſh, he was the ſon of frail man, Pſa. 8. 5. And he took out miſerabiles affectiones, our affections of infirmity upon him; I do not mean the affections of ſinful infirmity, for he knew no ſin: but I mean the affections of our frailty and infirmity, as fear, and fellow-feeling, and the like. We have not a High-Prieſt, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without ſin, Heb. 4. 15. This then is an undeniable argument, that the affections are not ſinful in themſelves, becauſe Chriſt did aſſume them.
Thirdly,3. Becauſe God doth command the uſe of the affections. Becauſe the Lord doth command us to be angry. Be angry and ſin not, ſaies he, he commands us to grieve and be ſorry for our ſins. Therefore alſo now ſaith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, Joel 2. 12. He commands us to fear. Work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling; paſſe the time of your ſojourning here in fear. Be not high-minded but fear, I will forewarn you, ſaies Chriſt, whom ye ſhall fear; fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into hell, yea, I ſay unto you, fear him. Luk. 13. 5. He commands us to be aſhamed of our evil doings, and is offended if we be not; thou haſt a whores forehead, and refuſeſt to be aſhamed, Jer. 3. 3. If the affections were ſinful in themſelves, the Lord would not command us to ſhew our affections on this wiſe; it's true, they are ſinfully uſed, and corruptly perverted among men, the more is the pity, but they are not ſo in themſelves. Neither do I deny but there be ſome natural affections that are naturally now,foreign. vol. Ar… ▪ Eth. l. 2. c. 6. as corrupt nature does ſtand, that be ſinful in themſelves, as envy and malice, and the like; which never can be regulated, nor guided by any moderation, but are quite to be rooted out: but theſe affections are not properly natural, they are no otherwiſe natural then lice and vermin are natural to Carrion, then filthy and noyſome weeds are natural to a curſed ground; theſe muſt be utterly rooted up and ſtubb'd out of our hearts, becauſe to ſpeak properly they are unnatural affections and ſinful in themſelves, but our natural affections are not ſinful in themſelves.Reaſons why affections are neceſſary. Nay more, let me tell you, the affections are not only not ſinful, but it is an infinite bleſſing of God, that God hath given us affections.
Firſt,1. Becauſe without affections we ſhould be like ſtocks. Becauſe if we had no affections at all, we ſhould be like ſtocks and like ſenſeleſſe ſtones. The Philoſopher was in a doubt, whether Brutus were not a block or a brute, becauſe he had no affection at all to his own children, whom he could ſee murthered before him with dry eyes. The Lord himſelf counts that man a very block that hath no affection in his heart. Have ye no regard, all ye that paſſe by? behold and ſee if there were any ſorrow like my ſorrow, Lam. 1. 12. (q. d.) What are ye ſuch blocks and ſtupid ſtocks, that ye can ſhew no affections at my ſorrow? And therefore it's reckoned among the ſymptomes of a heart that is deſperately hardned, not to be affected with any thing: to hear the Word, and not to be affected therewith, to pray unto God, and not to be affected with Gods preſence; to be in affliction, and not to be affected with remorſe. I ſay, this is a ſymptome of a hard heart. And therefore it is a bleſſing of God that a man hath affections within him.2. Becauſe without affections we ſhould be lazie and idle. l, de virtute morum, in fine Secondly, becauſe as Plutarch the very Heathen obſerves, were it not for our affections, our nature would be lazy and idle, foreign, Like a Pilot at ſea without winde: alas! the ſhip would goe ſlowly, were there no windes ſtirring to drive it. So the affections, ſaies he, are to the ſoul, as the winde to the ſails of the ſhip; as the ſhip could not ſail apace without windes, ſo the ſoul would go ſlowly about any thing, if the affections did not carry it. When Davids affections were hampered about with worldly fears, fears of his enemies, and griefs at his perſecutions which he ſuffered, he went ſlowly on in obedience, but as ſoon as his ſails were up, then he ran like a ſhip in the ſea with a great winde, I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou ſhalt inlarge my heart, Pſa. 119. 32. As ſoon as God would help him to ſpread the ſails of his heart, and enlarge his affections, then he would run like a Fleet pinnace in the Seas. I will then run the way of thy Commandments, ſaies he; this is an infinite mercy of God, who ſeeing how dull we are unto good, how ſlack to good duties, how ſlow to holy performances, vouchſafes us theſe windes and theſe ſails for to carry us,Plutarch. ubi ſupra. foreign, ſaies the ſame Philoſopher. The affections are like wheels, and like Chariots unto reaſon. If a mans reaſon be never ſo good, he knows he is bound to repent, and be godly, and obey; yet if he have no affections thereto, he goes like a chariot without wheels; he goes without force, he cannot go at all; but if he have affections thereto, the affections are like wheels, and like horſes to carry him amain. Draw me, ſaies the Chriſtian ſoul unto Chriſt, draw me, and I will run after thee, Can. 1. 4. She praies that Chriſt would draw her by the affections of love, for ſhe ſpeaks of love; the virgins love thee, ſaies ſhe, ver. 3. Draw me with thy love too, and then I ſhall run after thee, like the Chariots of Aminadab, that is, drawn by quick Horſes: ſhe would run as with wheels unto Chriſt, if her affections did once carry her. As Cicero ſaies of the affections of anger, it is cos fortitudinis, it is the whetſtone to valour; ſo I may ſay of all the affections, they are all whetſtones to good, if a man have any grace. Haſt thou love? It is a whetſtone to obedience; haſt thou grief? It is a whetſtone to repentance; haſt thou anger? it is a whetſtone to zeal, &c. What is the reaſon men come ſo ſlowly on unto good? the reaſon is this, becauſe their affections ſtand another way. Men repent but ſlowly, and amend their lives but ſlowly, encreaſe in grace but ſlowly; why? this is the cauſe, their affections are to the world; they run on in their pleaſures and their vanities, they run on in their earthly employments and buſineſſes; why? their affections are thereto. O beloved, it is an infinite mercy of God, that we have affections given us of God, for theſe may quicken our dulneſſe unto grace.3. Becauſe affections are the channels of grace. Thirdly, Becauſe the affections are good channels for grace to run downin: Be there never ſo full a fountain of good water, yet if it have not a channel to run all along in, the fountain may be ever a bubling, but it choaketh it ſelf for want of a channel. So though God ſhould put never ſo much grace into thy heart, yet if it ſhould have no channel to run down in, it would ſmother it ſelf. Now God hath given thee affections like channels, for grace to run down in. Art thou covetous and full of deſires? what a fine channel is that for grace to run down in? it is the eaſier for thee to covet the beſt things: art thou of a cholerick and angry conſtitution? what a fine channel is that for zeal to Gods glory to run down in? it is the eaſier for thee to be zealous in Gods worſhip: art thou melancholy and of a ſad diſpoſition? what a fine channel is that for repentance to run down in? it is the eaſier for thee to deſpiſe the vain pleaſures of the world, and to ſorrow for ſin: art thou merry and of a cheerful nature? what a fine channel is this for delight in the Lord to runne down in? it is the eaſier for thee to joy in the holy Ghoſt; art thou fearful and of a timorous ſpirit? what a fine channel is that for fear of Gods judgements and truth to runne down in? it is the eaſier for thee to tremble before God, and fear to offend him. Solomon was full of the affections of love, it is true, he let luſt after women, and uncleanneſſe a while run down in that channel, but when grace and repentance recovered his ſoul, what an excellent channel was it for love unto Chriſt to run down in? Never was there ſuch a loveſong to Chriſt, as the Canticles, ſince the creation of the world to this day; and therefore it is called Canticum Canticorum, The Song of Songs, Cant. 1. 1. Certainly Ieremy was a man of a ſad constitution, but ſee what an advantage this bent of affection was to him, it was a channel for ſpiritual ſadneſſe to run down in. Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, to weep day and night for the ſlain of the daughter of my people. Jer. 9. 1. The woman in the Goſpel which was a ſinner, a whore in plain terms, one bewitched with the affections of love to her lovers; as ſoon as ever any grace did look into her heart, ſee how theſe affections of love did advantage her. She loved our Saviour more affectionately then Saint Peter himſelf, She loved much, ſaies the Text, Luk. 7. 47. Before no queſtion but ſhe was full of her whoriſh and ſtrumpetlike tears; now the channel was turned, ſhe waſht Chriſts feet with her tears, and wipt them with the hair of her head: and ſhe loved much, ſaies the Text. It is ſuch an admirable advantage to be full of affections, that the Lacedemonian Schoolmaſter thought that if he had a young ſcholar full of affections, full of ſhamefaſtneſs, and full of fear, and full of cheerfullneſſe, foreign, &c. He thought it was eaſie for him to make him aſhamed of all filthineſſe, and delighted in goodneſſe, and fearful to do evil, I am not of his minde, but this I am though, he hath an exceeding good advantage to do it. If a man have ſpent his affections upon ſin, and eaten out the heart of his affections upon vanity; or if a man have no affections at all, as ſome have but few, a man ſhall as ſoon work on a beaſt as ſuch a man. Nay, if grace ſhould come in into ſuch a man, alas! he ſhall never be able to come to much good; if beſt come to the beſt, he ſhall have infinite adoe to doe any duty without wofull dulneſſe and ſenſeleſſeneſſe; it is an admirable bleſſing that God gives unto men, to give them affections, and therefore the Stoicks are infinitely too blame to cry out of the affections as if they were evil in themſelves. To ſpeak truly and rightly of the Stoicks, I do not think the Stoicks were ever ſo ſottiſh as to mean ſo; but their intent as Auſtin ſaies of them was, to pare off the affections that are evil, and to rule the affections that are natural: and therefore it was that they declaim'd ſo bitterly againſt the affections. You ſee now by this Text I have choſen, that the affections are great gifts of the Lord, for how could the Apoſtle command us to ſet our affections upon God, if the affections were evil in themſelves? Nay, it follows from hence, that it is a great bleſſing of God, that we have any affections at all, that we may ſet them upon God.