A Treatise of the Affections, Treatise · Sermon 6
The VI. Sermon.
Coloſ. 3. 2.
Set your affections on things that are above, &c.
THe fifth means to ſet our affections on God,5. To be ſober and temperate in all things. is to be ſober and temperate in all things. For if we be not, our affections cannot ſtedfaſtly ſettle upon God. And this is the reaſon why the Apoſtle joyns ſobriety with praier. Prayer is a duty that requires moſt freedom of affections for God, and if it be not backt with ſobriety, will ſoon be affectionleſs and deadiſh, Be ye ſober and watch unto prayer, 1 Pet. 4. 7. Titus muſt exhort young men to be ſober minded, Tit. 2. 6. Young mens affections, ye know, are more unruly then others, and therefore they had need of ſobriety, otherwiſe their affections will be grievouſly exorbitant. If thou take any recreation take it very ſoberly: one little game at bowls, one hours play at a ſhovel-board, or at Cheſſe, or the like: if thou doſt not take heed, it is ſtrange how it will dull thine affections to good duties; if thou follow thy buſineſſe in the world, follow it ſoberly, be not over-eager upon it, leſt it blunt thine affections to Godward. If thou eat, and if thou drink, if thou ſleep, or if thou talk, whatever thou doſt, be ſure to do it ſoberly.A man may be drunk with any paſſion. Beware of the leaſt exceſſe, leſt thine affections be ſuddenly tickled therewith.
If thou let thine affections ramble upon too much in this kinde, they will quickly be mad. Either to make thee drunken with the cares of this life, Luk. 21. 34. Or to be quite drunken with pride, Iſa. 28. 1. Drunken with pleaſure, drunken with fury, and ſo forth. All drunkenneſſe is not drunkenneſſe with drink, Hier. Com. in Ezek. cap. 34.ſaith S. Hierom. Amore & odio mens inebriatur, ſaith he. A mans ſoul may be drunken with a paſſion, drunken with love, and drunken with hatred, and drunken with any other affection. Thus civil men, and ſober men, as we call them, though they will never be drunk with wine, or with beer, yet they are drunkards in this ſenſe, they are drunk with affections to other things in this life. A man may be drunken with ſorrow. ſaies the Prophet, Thou ſhalt be filled with drunkenneſſe, and with ſorrow, Ezek. 23. 33. That is, thou ſhalt be filled with ſorrow, till thou art drunk with it again. So a man may be drunken with fear, drink and be drunken, ſpue and fall, and riſe no more, becauſe of the ſword which I will ſend among you, Jer. 25. 27. That is, ye ſhall be drunken and reel too and fro with fear. A man may be drunken with delights and with pleaſures, and drunken with ſecurity: they are drunken, but not with wine, for the Lord hath powred out upon them the ſpirit of a deep ſleep, Iſa. 29. 9, 10. That is, ye are ſo ſecure, and ſo faſt aſleep in your luſts, as if ye were dead drunk with ſecurity. Thus all the affections may be drunk with the things of this life. And therefore if ever we would have our affections to be right, let us be ſober in all the things of the world. Ye deſire food and rayment, there bound thine affections with ſobriety, and be content Ye love the world for the uſe that ye have of it, there limit your affections with ſobriety, and uſe it as if ye uſed it not, Buy as if ye bought not, go to the Markets and your Fairs, as if ye went not. Sow, and reap, and gather in, as if ye did it not. And ye will needs be merry and harmleſly jeſt now and then, O be marvellouſly ſparing and ſober. Eating muſt be and drinking muſt be, and ſleeping muſt be, and providing for your ſelves, and your family muſt be: if ever ye love your own ſouls and ſalvation, be ſparing and ſober in theſe things, leſt ſuperſfluity of affections ſtep in in a moment: the devil is alwaies a catching for his opportunities to deceive you; he is ever as a roaring Lion ſeeking by all means to devour you, Be ſober then and vigilant, for your adverſary the devil walketh about ſeeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5. 8. When a man is to fight with a ſtout enemy, will he go and make himſelf drunk, that his enemy may ſet upon him drunk? Ye had need to be ſober, if it be to fight with the devil; if ever ye be never ſo little overtaken, never ſo little giddy, then is the devil moſt buſie. Temperance and ſobriety hath a very good name in the Greek tongue, the Spirit of God cals it foreign, that is, the keeper of the minde ſafe, or the keeper of a man in his wits. Do ſo, otherwiſe thou ſhalt never be able to ſet thine affections on God. This is an admirable means to keep our affections in tune, to be ſober in all things: to be ſober-thoughted, and ſober-hearted, and ſober-minded, and ſober-mouthed, and ſober-meated, and ſober-clothed, and ſober-employed. This is the fifth means to ſet our affections on God, To be ſober in all things.
The ſixth is this,6. To clip the wings of our affections, by abſtaining from much of our lawful liberty Vid banc regulam apud Greg l. 5. moral. & hom. 3. ſuper Evang. when we ſee how apt our affections are to fly out upon vanity, to clip their wings of much of their lawful liberty; not only to abſtain from things that are evil and unlawful, but alſo to abſtain from many things that are lawful. There be a thouſand lawfuls that thy heart does affect, which if thou do not abridge thy ſelf of, thou ſhalt never be able to ſet thine affections upon God. This rule Socrates the very Heathen obſerved; no man can be ſafe from falling into unlawfuls, but only this man, ſaies he, that abſtains from many things that are lawful. It's lawful to drink ſtrong drink, but for thee that art apt to over-deſire it, it is dangerous. It's lawful to go finely; but for thee that art apt to be proud of it, It is not ſafe to goe to the utmoſt of what is lawful. If thou uſeſt the utmoſt of a thing that is lawful, one ſtep further is unlawful. It is not wiſedom to go to the utmoſt ridges of a rock, juſt at the brow of a high cliff; though the ground thou goeſt on be ſure, yet thy going is not ſure: how ſoon mayſt thou ſlip with thy foot? how ſoon may a giddineſs in the head come upon thee, and then thou break thy neck? Perhaps thou mayſt go ſteady, yea, but perhaps not, but topple down on a ſudden and be daſhed to peeces. It was lawful for Dinah to go forth, and to ſee the daughters of the land, but thus ſhe fell to be raviſht and uſed like a whore, Gen. 34. 1. It was lawful for Iehoſhaphat to viſit King Ahab, but his uſing this lawful viſitation drew him to partake in ſome meaſure of his ſins. It was lawful for Daniel to eat the portion of meat that the King gave him, but he would not, Dan. 1. 8. That very lawful thing if he had uſed it, it would have defiled him. All theſe things are lawful for me, ſayſt thou, yea, but all theſe things are not expedient; becauſe if thou takeſt thy liberty in all things that are lawful, thou wilt quickly be a ſlave to thy luſts, and under the power of inordinate affections. All things are lawful for me, ſaies the Corinthian, yea, but I will not be brought under the power of any, ſayes S. Paul, 1 Cor. 6. 12. As if he had ſaid, all things of this nature are lawful, but I count it not expedient to uſe them for all that: why? becauſe if I ſhould take liberty in this kinde, I ſhould be brought under the power of my ſinful affections. Cavendi ſunt affectus, ne illius nos ipſos ſubjiciamus, Pet. Mart.ſayes Peter Martyr, Take heed of thine affections, they will inſtantly inſlave thee. Follow not thy pleaſure ſo much as thou mayſt, nor thy profits and earthly employments ſo much as thou mayſt; drink not, and ſleep not, and jeſt not ſo much as thou mayſt, for if thou doſt, thine affections will be caught or ere thou art aware. Many men and women, they will be enquiring and queſtioning, what? is not this lawful? and is not this lawful? Is it not lawful to have a little recreation every day? Is it not lawful to be merry, and to tell a merry tale, and to break a jeſt now and then? Is it not lawful to ſell Ale, and keep a victualling houſe? Is it not lawful to wear ſuch a geegaw? or to plat ones hair after ſuch or ſuch a faſhion? Theſe queſtions ſound like the ſpeeches of fools that are likely to be gulled in their affections by Satan. For what though they be lawful? I do not deny they are lawful; but the queſtion is this, Be they ſafe and expedient for thee, when thine affections are ſure to be needleſly agog upon theſe things? O do not needleſly endanger thine affections, if ever thou mayſt remedy it, foreign, ſaies Chryſoſtome. Chryſoſt. in 1 Cor. 6. 1.Look thou be not a ſlave of thine affections: thine affections itch after this and that, look thou do curb them: if thou doſt not curb them of many things that are lawful, thou wilt never be able to ſet them upon God. This is the ſixth means to ſet our affections on God, to clip their wings from flying upon the things here below.
The ſeventh is this,7. To be abundant in the exerciſe of godlineſs. to be abundant in the exerciſes of godlineſſe, We muſt be abundant in prayer, and in all other exerciſes of godlineſſe. When Paul had exhorted good Timothy to be exerciſed in godlineſſe, 1 Tim. 4. 7. in the next verſe, he gives him a reaſon why he ſo exhorts him. Becauſe ſaies he, godlineſſe is profitable unto all things, If godlineſſe be profitable for all things, then certainly its profitable for this, to ſet our affections upon God. Abound then in good duties, abound in good conference, abound in good and gracious acquaintance, abound in godly meditations. This was Davids means whereby his affections came to be earneſt upon God. O how I love thy Law, it is my meditation continually! Pſal. 119. 97. his affections were even wrapt up in his God, O how love I thy Law! he was not able to expreſſe how his affections were wrapt. O how love I thy Law! How came they to be ſo? the reaſon was this, He was abundant in godly meditations; It is my meditation continually, Abundance in any thing, cauſes the affections to abound. The voluptuous man is abundant in his pleaſures, he abounds with his hunting, and hawking, and gaming, and merriments, and therefore his affections are abundantly ſet hereupon. The covetous man his minde abounds in thinking of the world, his memory abounds with remembring the things of the world, his tongue abounds in talking of ſuch matters, his labours and his cares abound in this kinde, and therefore his affections are abundantly ſet upon theſe things. There is nothing makes the affections ſo exceſſive as abundance, Abound then in the exerciſes of Gods worſhip, if thou wouldeſt have thine affections to be abundant that way. Never think thou canſt pray enough; hear enough, ſpeak holily enough, examine thy ſoul enough, nor ſanctifie the Sabbath enough, never think thou canſt reform enough, or do any duty enough. Men ſerve God as little as they dare, they pray and hold out in their prayers as little as they dare, they ſhew themſelves for God as little as they dare, theſe mens affections can never be upon God, becauſe they love not to be abundant in good duties: thy heart is a great deep, Pſa. 64. 6. It is not a little winding, or a little turning will fetch up a Bucket out of a deep Well. So the heart I ſay is a great deep, a little praying, and a little hearing, and a little amending will not fetch up the affections from this great deep unto God, no, Thou muſt be abundant in goodneſſe and in the duties of goodneſſe, if thou wouldſt have thine affections ſet upon God; provided alwaies that thy heart be renewed and quickned, otherwiſe abundance will cloy thee. The more thou prayeſt, the leſſe affections thou wilt have: the more thou heareſt, and the more thou ſpeakeſt of Religion or of grace, the more formall thou wilt be, thine affections will be leſſe ſet hereupon. O my brethren, this is a curſed craſis and diſpoſition of ſoul, to be ſpiritually cloyed in this manner; abound and abound right, elſe its to ſmall purpoſe; if thou abound in good duties, and abound right, this will ſet their affections upon God. Abound in a thing, and be the thing never ſo bad, it will ſoon command thine affections. Let a man be abundant in playing, drinking, or abundant though it be but in the taking of hot waters, I have known ſome their affections were ſo to it, that it killed them. Beloved, abound then in good duties, this will take off thine affections from the world, and ſet them on God. This is the ſeventh means, to ſet our affections on God, to be abundant in the duties of holineſſe.
The eighth is this,8. Dive down to the bottom of thine affections. Labour to dive down to the bottom of thine affections: the ſweeteſt is at bottom as we ſay. So the affections that are ſweeteſt to the heart are at bottom. And therefore dive down to the bottom and get up the bottom of thine affections, and ſet them upon God; thine affections are never ſet upon God, till them at the bottom are ſet upon God. A man may ſet the ſhallow of his affections upon God, when the bottom is ſet upon the things of the world. There is many a cloſe hypocrite, he thinks his affections to the world are now dead; but they are not dead; the Fox ſeems often to be dead, to ſeize the more cunningly on his prey. So the affections will ſeem to be dead to the world, that ſo they may be the more cunning to feed upon the things of the world; they ſeem to be dead, that is, the ſhallow of them ſeems ſo, but the bottom ſtill is alive to the world, that is not ſet upon God. Beloved, a man may ſet the ſhallow of his affections upon a thing, which the bottom of his affections doth hate. See this in Ammon, his affections were to Thamar, and he loved her. O he would ſeem to be ſick for her. I, the ſhallow of his affections were to her, but anon, out comes the bottom: when the bottom of his affections once did come out, then he did hate her. He hated her worſe then he loved her, 2 Sam. 13 15. dive down then to the bottom of thine affections, and labour with all might to get up the bottom, and ſet them upon God. Here's a man, he hath good affections to repentance and amendment, good affections to be godly and have grace; he reforms much, and he profeſſes much; you would wonder to ſee this man a year hence to perſecute the Miniſter, and to oppoſe Gods people and make a mock of the power of Religion: but this you may ſee, if the bottom of his affections be not got up and ſet upon God. Get up the bottom, and ſet that upon God, or it is nothing.
There be three means to get up the bottom of thine affections,Means to get up the bottom of the affections. and ſet them upon God.
Firſt. Be humbled after all thy turning unto God, this will get up the bottom of thine affections to God. A wicked man before he is turned unto God may be humbled;1. Be humbled after thy turning unto God. as Ahab was humbled, and Iudas was humbled, and Pharaoh too, and many other ſinners they are humbled before ever they have turned from their ſins. When once they have turned from their prophaneneſſe, and their impieties, then they begin to think well of themſelves, now they are well, think they: indeed before ever they are turned, they may be humbled. Thus a drunkard and a whoremonger may be humbled, thus a mocker and a prophane perſon may be humbled, their conſciences may pull them by the throat as long as they live in theſe ſins, and then their affections are ſtirred exceedingly: they may weep, and ſigh, and groan, and tremble, and be aſhamed of their doings; they may be humbled thus before they are turned: but when they are once turned from theſe ſinnes, then they begin to be quiet and ſecure, and to hope well, Alas! alas! the bottom is not up yet. But if thou wouldſt get up the bottom of thine affections, be humbled after all thy turnings to God. So it was with good Ephraim: Surely after that I was turned, I repented: and after that I was inſtructed, I ſmote upon my thigh, I was aſhamed, yea, even confounded, Jer. 31. 19. Ephraim was humbled after that he was turned. It was not before he was turned, but after he was turned, he repented and was humbled. This got up the very bottom of his affections and all unto God. See how full of affections he was. He ſmote upon his thigh, he was in a holy rage at his own ſoul, he bluſhed, he was aſhamed, yea, he was even ſmitten with confuſion of face before God. All the bottom of his affections was up, his zeal his ſorrow, his ſhame, and the whole bottom of all came up then, becauſe he was thus humbled.
Secondly,2. Keep no cloſe luſt unmortified. Keep no cloſe luſt, no corruption in ſecret unmortified: As this is a means to get up all the bottom of our affections, and ſet them upon God, ſo it is a ſign too whether we do ſo or no. For when a man is willing to be ſearcht, who may be was ſuſpected of ſtealing, if he be willing to be ſearcht, to have his pockets, and his houſe ſearcht, and his coffers ſearcht, and all his haunts ſearcht; Search me, ſayes he, I have it not: he that is willing thus to be ſearcht, it is a ſign he hath not ſtoln it. So it was with the Pſalmiſt: for having ſayd that his affections were ſet upon God, and againſt them that were againſt God: he bids God ſearch him, and ſee if he could finde that it was contrary. Search me, O God, and know my heart, or as ſome tranſlations have it, and try the ground or the bottom of my heart, ſee if there be any way of wickedneſſe in me,Vid. v. 21, 22. Pſal. 139. 23, 24. As if he had ſaid: If I have any ſecret corruption that I favour my ſelf in, I confeſſe the bottom of mine affections is rotten; but I am willing to be ſearcht; Search me, O God, and try the ground, or the bottom of my heart, and ſee if it be not ſo as I profeſſe it to be; I ſay, as this is a means, ſo it is a ſign too. A means it is to get up the bottom of the affections, and ſet them upon God. For as long as a man hath any ſecret luſt, any bottom corruption which he favours himſelf in, he can never ſet the bottom of his affections upon God.
Thirdly conſider,3. Conſider God will ſhame thee one day, if the bottom be not ſound. God will ſhame thee one day, if the bottom be not ſound; thou mayeſt have good affections for the while, and be held for a very good Chriſtian, and a forward Profeſſour: but if thine affections be not ſolid and ſound at the bottom, God will ſhame thee. Though the Apple look never ſo well, yet if it be not ſound at the core, at laſt it will be manifeſt. Though the Egge look never ſo lovely, yet if it be addle within, at laſt it ſhall appear. God will unmask thee one day, and make it appear thine affections were never right at the bottom. This David uſed as a means to provoke him to get a ſound heart at the bottom. Let my heart be ſound in thy ſtatutes, that I be not aſhamed, Pſal. 119 80. The affection of ſhame a man would be loth to be put to, and he knew he ſhould be put to it one time or other, if he were not ſound at the bottom: And therefore he labours with God, that his heart might be ſound in his ſtatutes, he was not content to have good affections that way, but he labours to have ſound and ſolid affections that might be ſound at the bottom. That I be not aſhamed, ſayes he, What a ſhame will it be to ſee thee a damned Goat at Chriſts left hand, that now art eſteemed a good Chriſtian? If thou beeſt not right at the bottom, ſo it will be. Give me leave to tell you one thing that occurred in an experience of mine own. I was once a ſaying to a Gentleman who was exceedingly affected at the Word, and profeſſed great love to my Miniſtry, and that he would defend it, and make much of the Word: O (ſaid I) there be many that yet ſeem very forward to approve of the Word, and to defend it, &c. that when the Word comes to meet with their boſome ſins, and gives them no reſt in their conſciences, I fear me will ſet againſt Miniſter, and Word, and all ere it be long. O no, God forbid (ſayes he) I were unworthy to live, if I ſhould do ſo: Well, well (ſaid I) I pray God it may not be ſo as I ſay: but mark it, and peradventure you ſhall ſee it with your eyes. Within one fortnight, this Gentleman that ſeemed to be ſuch a friend at my firſt coming to the Pariſh, being met with in a Sermon, and feeling his ſin (a ſin I little imagined he was guilty of) to be reproved and condemned in the Pulpit, he never would be known to me more, but oppoſed me as long as I ſtayed there: he was affected, but his affections were not ſound at the bottom, and therefore he came to this ſhame; God grant it have humbled him by this time, if now he be alive. It is a good rule in morality,Regula moralis. Affectus mendaciter ſe ſubjiciunt rationi: The affections will fain a ſubmiſſion to right reaſon. It is true in Divinity, the affections will ſeem to ſubmit unto grace, when they do not. For as long as the bottom is not ſound, they cannot be ſet truly upon God: they are nothing but flaſhes, like pluſhes of water after a ſhowr, that are dried up quickly. This is the eighth means to ſet our affections on God, to get up the bottom of our affections, and ſet them on God.
Beloved,It concerns us to uſe all theſe means. theſe are the means whereby ye may ſet your affections on God: now ſee how nearly it concerns you to uſe all theſe means, and to make conſcience of this duty: and this will appear, if ye conſider theſe two things.
Firſt,1. Becauſe the affections are the bonds of the ſoul. The affections are the bonds of the ſoul, that is, wicked, whereby it is faſt bound unto ſin: thou canſt never repent nor be ſaved, as long as thine affections are not turned. Can a priſoner go that is faſt bound in the ſtocks? Thine earthly and carnal affections faſt binde thee in ſinne, if theſe bonds be not broken, thou canſt never go to God. When Peter ſaw a carnal affection in Simon Magus the Sorcerer, preſently he tels him, I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity, Act. 8. 23. He does not ſay only, in iniquity, but alſo in the bond of iniquity: for his carnal affection was a bond, and he was faſt bound in his ſins. The Prophet preaches hell and damnation againſt ſuch men, and ſuch women: for alas! how can they get out, when they are bound and corded to their pleaſures, and the things of the world? Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and ſin as it were with a cart-rope, Iſa. 2. 18. Great carts are drawn by the cart-ropes; ſo all a mans ſins are drawn to him by theſe cords.Chryſoſt. Chryſoſtome expounds theſe words, both of their ſinnes and their woes; they draw both them. The cords of our affections are the hearts tyers to ſin, they do even tye the ſoul unto ſin, that it cannot get looſe. Wo is to them, ſayes the Lord. Be the affections all like unto bonds, and cords, and cart-ropes, to tye the heart to ſin? What a woful caſe are ye in, till your affections are ſet right! look what ye tie them unto, that do ye draw after you; if you faſten them on the things of this life, them ye draw after you; if ye faſten them on Grace, and on Chriſt and his Word, them ye pull after you. Never was Sampſon ſo faſt bound with Delilahs withs, as he was with his affections to Delilah, ſayes Gregory. Ah poor ſlaviſh ſoul, thou art in the Devils ſtocks: as long as thine affections are not faſtened aright, thou art heart-bound, and ſoul-bound, and conſcience-bound, thou art faſt bound in his cage. How neerly then concerneth it you all, to get your affections to be ſet upon? Ye are even the ſlaves and bond-ſlaves of hell: and therefore as ever ye deſire to flie from the vengeance to come, uſe all theſe means with all conſcience, that ye may ſet your affections on God.
Secondly,2. Becauſe earthly affections are the fore-ſtallers of the heart. Earthly affections are the fore-ſtallings of the heart, the heart is prepoſſeſt already with the things of this life, and is prejudicate againſt the things that are above, and therefore there is no hope to perſwade you, as long as your affections are ſet upon the things of this life. When our Saviour Chriſt perceived how the Phariſees affections hawkt after credit and honour from men, being prepoſſeſt with deſire of humane applauſe, he tels them plainly they could never beleeve, nor ſeek the honour of God. Ye cannot beleeve, ſayes he: how can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another, and ſeek not the honour that cometh from God only? Ioh. 5. 44. It is a grievous thing to be prejudicate and prepoſſeſt with another good beſide God. It is a miſerable task to be to reaſon with a prejudicate man, he will not yield, no, by no means will he yield, when once he is prejudicate. As long as our affections are ſet on the world, our hearts are prejudicate: and therefore go we about the means preſcribed, whereby our affections may be ſet at rights; never till then can we hope to convert you, or to work any good on your ſouls.