Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Sanctification of the Affections.
THe affections were called by Tully perturbations, by some Affectiones, orAugust. de civ. Dei, l 9. c. 4. Vide Crakan. Log. p. 163. Non Ciceroni assentio, qui foreign perturbationes vertit. Nam perturbatio nomine ipso declarari vitiosa videtur: ut ipse fatetur, lib. 3. de Fin. Requiritur vox, quae locum etiam habeat, quaudo metus consistunt intra modum. Quare place… affectuum nomen, quo usus Ovidius, Livius, Valerius, Seneca, Plinius, alii: five affectiones, quod est apud Cic. 1. de Invent. l. 1. Gell. l. 1. c. ult. Quanquam nec improbem commotiones animorum, vel simpliciter permotiones. Vos. Rhet. l. 2. c. 1. Affections are the motions of the will, as carried out to the prosecution of good or avoiding of evil: they are as the Philosopher speaks, Exitus animae, the outgoings of the Soul, like Wheels to the Cart, sinewes to the Body, Wings to the Bird, Winde to the Sails spread. affectus, by others passions.
The affections are different from the vertues which are called by their names. They are certain powers of the soul by which it worketh and moveth it self with the body to good and from evil.
Or, They are powers of the soul subordinate to the will, by which they are carried to pursue and follow after that which is good, and to shun and avoid that which is evil.
They are the forcible and sensible motions of the will according as an object isMr. Fenner on Col. 3. 2. Ser. 1. presented to them to be good or evil.
1. Motions Rom. 7. 5. Anger, Love, Joy are the putting forth of the will this or that way. The Scripture cals them the feet of the soul, Psal. 119. 59, 101. Eccles. 5. 1.
2. Motions of the will. Some Philosophers place them in the sensitive soul, but Angels and the souls of men separate from the body, have these affections, 1 Pet. 1. 12. Iam. 2. 19.
3. Sensible, 1. Because they have their operation chiefly on the sensitive part of man, manifest themselves there, and forcible, because they move with force, 1 Chron. 29. 3.
4. According to the object propounded: Affections are but the shaping or forming of the will in several motions according to the object presented.
Their use is to shunne evil and pursue good. The manner of doing is by certain stirrings, motions, workings of the bloud and spirit about the heart.
They are commonly called passions, Iam. 5. 17. because they imprint some passion on the body by working. In the infancy they are affections, in the youth and age passions, when they over-rule reason perturbations.
Passions abstractively considered, are neither good nor bad morally, but asThe Epicures allow of immoderate passions, and would have a man wholly swayed by his affections. The Stoicks utterly extinguish all passions. Gratia non tollit, sed attollit naturam, hos affectus Stoici amputandos, peripatetici temperandos putant, Lactant. Div. Instit. Epit. they are determined to this or that object, as they are in man the subject who is wholly flesh and dead in sinne, his affections and passions are defiled with sinne, as well as the understanding and the will. The Papists, though they say, the superiour faculties of the soul like the upper region are altogether clear and undefiled, yet the inferiour faculty, viz. the sensitive appetite in which are lodged the affections (they say) is vitiated with sin.
Their sinfulnesse appears:
1. In that they are not carried to the right object, the object of love was God andThere are three kindes of faults found in the passions of mens minds 1. That▪ they arise before reason be consulted, or give direction. 2. That they proceed further then they should, and stay not when they are required. 3. That they transport reason and judgement it self. Christ had these passions, but in a sort free from all these evils. For neither did they rise in him before reason gave direction, J…hn 11. 33. neither did they proceed any further, if once reason and judgement commanded a stay and retreat, whence they are called Propassions rather then passions, because they are beginnings of passions to be staid at full and perfect leisure, and therefore much lesse had they any power to transport judgement and reason it self. Dr Field of the Church, l. 5. c. 18. his Law, of hatred sin, now these passions are clean contrary.
2. If to the right object, then inordinately: they cannot joy but overjoy, love but overlove, Ephes. 4. 26.
3. There is a contrariety in them, this is implied in that Phil. 4. 6. foreign, Be careful for nothing; the word implies a tearing and torturing of the heart.
4. In their distraction; this differeth from contrariety, that is, when one passion sets against another, this when one passion is too inordinately set upon his object, then the other cannot do his proper office, because the heart is finite, the Apostle would have us hear and pray without wrath, since the heart hereby is so distracted that it cannot attend.
5. The importunity of passion, Ahab fell sick because of Naboths vineyard, Quicquid volunt valde volunt.
6. Their tyranny over the will and understanding, Iam. 1. 14.
7. Their incertainty and inconstancy, as Ammon loathed Tamar after he had his desire more then he liked her before.
To be above passions will be our happinesse in heaven, rightly to order them should be our great care here.
First, The Scripture bids us not cast off but rectifie our affections, Colos. 3. 1. 1 Iohn 2. 15.
Secondly, They are natural faculties planted in the soul by God himself, and so in themselves good, Christ which was free from all sinne was not without affections. He was angry, did grieve, rejoyce. Now we must not dare to abuse any power which he did sanctifie.
Thirdly, Affections rightly ordered much further and help our course in godlinesse. If we joy not in prayer, delight not in obedience, the work is tedious; but good affections make the work delightsom, they are spurs in our sides, which whosoever wanteth goes on but in a dull and slow pace.
Fourthly, Manifold are the evils which come from disordered passions.
1. They blinde the judgment. Perit omne judicium cum res transit ad affectum, Iure pruientissimus Deus animis nostris indidit affectus, ut sint quasi adminicula ad praeclaras actiones. Quod enim ventus navigio, …d nobis affectus: in quorum temperic animi nostri tranquillitas, imò vitae hujus soelicitas consistit. Ves. Instit. orat. l. 2. cap. 1. Sect. 2. Tres affectus, vel ut ita dicam tres furiae sunt, quae in animis hominum tantas perturbationes ciunt & interdum cogunt ita delinquere, ut nec famae nec periculi sui respectum habere permittant; Ira quae vindictam cupit. Avaritia quae desiderat op…s, Libido quae appetit voluptates. Lact. Divin. Inslit. Epit. lib. & de vero cultu, l. 6.Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum. If the Spectacles be of green or red glasse, all things through them seem to be of the same colour.
2. They seduce the will, for the will sometimes is guided by reason, it is often also carried away by passion.
3. They fill the heart with inward unquietnesse; they interrupt prayers, 1 Pet. 5. 7. and hinder the working of the Word, 1 Pet. 2. 1. They disturb reason and hinder a man in Meditation, whereby his heart is quieted. When fear, anger, jealousie begin to stirre, then is judgement disturbed and hindered. Again, these passions fight one with another, fear with anger, and anger with fear, joy with sadnesse and sadnesse with joy, one passion carries a man one way and another another way. Passion can never be satisfied.
4. They often (when they are excessive) hurt the body, some by immoderate joy have ended their dayes, because the spirits slie out too suddenly to the object, and so leave the heart destitute of them; more by grief and fear, because the bloud and spirits so hastily slie to the heart that they choak it; anger hath stopt many a mans breath, envy is the rottennesse of the bones.
The regenerate man is renewed in all his passions, as we may see in Davids love,Gal 6. 14. Vide Dudleii Fenneri Sac. Theolog. l. 2. c. 2. Psal. 119. 9. in his hatred, Psal. 130. 22. in his desire, Psal. 35. 9. in his fear, Psal. 119. 120. in his delight, Psal. 119. 6. & Psal. 16. 2. in his sorrow, Psal. 119. 138.
Some make zeal to be sanctified anger. There are in repentance, melting affections, sorrow for sinne, Zech. 12. 10, 11, 12. shame before God, Ezra 9. 6. Lam. 3. 29. 3. sear of offending him, Prov. 28. 14.
Marks of sanctified affections,
1. They must be universal, carried to all good and against all evil. Some loveThe affections are specificated per actus & objecta, say the Schoolmen. Two things perfect every faculty and grace, when they take in the whole object and exercise perfect acts upon it, Jam. 1. 4. Spiritual and eternal objects are of great compasse. 2. When they act freely and fully on these objects, answerable to the nature of them, love God with all the heart, soul, strength, it notes not only all the faculties, but the intention of them, Psal. 119. 20. The affections are, 1. Disingaged from lusts and creatures to which they were wholly inthralled. 2. Set upon God and the things that are above, Lphes. 2. 6. Col. 3. 3. 3. Grace composeth the affections that could never agree one with another, before conversion, hope and fear, joy and grief, humility and resolution were repugnant one to another, but after conversion when the soul is most full of hope of heaven, one is most afraid to displease God, spiritual joy and grief sweetly agree, Psal. 2. 11. Moderation and zeal, Numb 12. 3. yet Moses was all on fi…e when God was dishonoured, humility and resolution also accord, none more humble, nor yet more resolu… then Paul after his conversion. 4. The desires are satisfied, yet exceedingly inlarged. to hear the Word, some to reade, some to pray, but they are not as carefull to subdue passion, they will be angry, pettish, discontented, they will give way to doubting. The affections are regular when they are set on their right objects, inlarged when they take in the whole object. He that loves God, loves whole God, loves him not only as gracious, merciful, but as just, holy, faithful; he that hates sin, hates all the evil of it, Ephes. 3. 18.
2. They are subjected to grace in the rise, measure and continuance of them, they must rise and fall, ebbe and slow at the command of faith, according to the nature of the thing presented. Faith will make us affect things according as the Lord doth, in cases which concern his glory affections must be raised up to the highest pitch. Adams passions were subject to reason, 1. In their rise, they were commanded by him. 2. In their measure. 3. In their continuance.
3. Sanctified affections do constantly and most immediately discover themselves in Meditations, projects, inward desires and indeavours of the soul, if thy thoughts of sin be pleasant, thou hatest it not.
4. The true metal of Sanctification is sincerity, and the edge of it zeal in everyIehu's zeal, and …hab's mourning had not a holy motive. Almost all the signs of a good man in Scripture are taken from the affections, they love the Lord, hate evil, desire that which is good, hunger and thirst after righteousnesse. Christ takes content in the affections of his people, Simon Peter, lovest thou me? See how she loves me, much was forgiven Mary Magdalen, because she loved much. faculty.
Motives to get the affections sanctified:
1. All Christians are really as their affections are, and God judgeth of them by their affections. A man that is carnal in his affections, is judged a carnal man, and one who hath his affection set on heavenly things is judged a spiritual man, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine; he doth not say, I am Christs and Christ is mine.
2. Without sanctified affections one is no Christian at all, Deut. 5. 29.
3. Most of the Gospel promises are made to the affections, Mat. 4. 6. and so to love, fear, delight and confidence in God.
4. Holy and enlarged affections from God are one of the greatest meanes to keep one from backsliding: Ephesus did bear with the bad, and had lost her first love.
The right Means to sanctifie the affections:
1. Sanctified affections are not to be found in any unregenerate man, Deut. 5. 29. pray therefore much for a new nature.
2, Conversing much with Christ and pondering of him will keep thy affections right.
3. Let not out thy affections much on any thing in the world, Col. 3. 3.
4. Affections are not only ordered but much quickned by knowledge, Iohn 4. 10. Psal. 9. 9. Ignoti nulla cupido.Psal. 86. 11. See Jer. 32. 39▪
5. Pray constantly to God, say, Lord unite my heart to thee that I may fear thy name, love thee.