Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

42 Chryfo4. in i eor.6.rs. 7, Mennes. Te be abuncLcnt in tbe exercife `fgodlinef je. T'reati(e of the AffeEions. inflave thee,Follownot thypleafure fo much as thou mayeft, nor thyprofits andearthly employments fomuch as thou mayeft; drink not, and deep not, and jefl not fo much as thou mayeft, for itthou doeft , thine affeEtions will be caught or ere thouart art aware. Many men and women , they will be enquiring and queftioning,whar, is not thislawfull ? and is not that lawfull? Is it not lawfull to havea little recreation everyday ? Is it not lawfull to be merry , and to tell a mercy tale, and to breaka jeft, now and then ? Is it not lawfull to fell Ale ? andkeep a viaualling-houle ? Is it not lawfull toweare fucha gecgaw ? or to plat ones haire after fuch or Well a fafhion ? Thefe queftionsfound like the fpeechesof looks, that are likely to be gulled intheir affeEtions by Satan. For what though they be lawfull ; I donot deny they are lawfull; but thequeftion is this, be they fafe and expedient for thee, when thine affetions arePure tobe needleflelyagogge upon thefe things ? O do not needleflely endanger thine affcEions, if ever thou mayeft remedy ir, g 67rí (441' TiP, : J" @)" nc 5'os , fayes Chryfoflorae , Look thoubenot a flave of-thine ablutions : thineaffe&ions itch after this and that,look thou docurb them : if thou docft not curb them ofmanythings thatare lawfull , thouwilt never be able to let them upon. God. This is the fixth means to let ouratte- &ionson God, to clip their whip flying upon the things here below. Thefeventh, is this, to be-abundant in the exercifes ofgodlineffe. We muff be abundant in prayer, and inall other exercifes of godlinefie. 'When Pailhad exhorted good Timothy to be exercifed in godlinefl'e, I Tim. 4. 7. in the next verfe,he gives him a rcafon why he fo exhorts him. Becaufe Pays he,godlinef%e is profitable unto all things. If godlinefle be profitable for all things, then cer- tainly it'sprofitable: for this, to fet our afle&lions upon God. Abound then in goodduties , abound in good conference , abound in reading good books; abound ingood and graciousacquaintance , abound in godly meditati:ns. This was Davids means whereby his affeEtions came to be earneft upon God. O how love I thy Law ! its my meditation continually. Pfa1, I Iy, 97, his affe&ions were even rapt up in his God, Ohow love I thy Law ! he was not able to exprefle how his affeaions were rapt. O how love I thy Law! How came they tobe fo ? the rcafon was this. He was abundant ingodlymedi- tations; It is my meditation continually. Albeundance in any thine canfes the affeaion to abound. Thevoluptuous man is abundant in his pleafures , he a= boundswith his hunting and hawking and gaming and merriments, and therefore his affections are abundantly fee hereupon. The covetous mate his mind abounds in thinking of theworld , his memory abounds with re-- membring the thingsof theworld , his tongueabounds in talkingof fuch matters,his labours,and his cares aboundin this kind ; and therefore hisaffe- aionsare abundantly fetupon thefe things. There is nothing makes theof fe lions fo exceifivc as abundance. Abound then in the exercifes of Gods woríhip , ifthou wouldeft have thine affeftions to be abundant that way. Never think thoucanft pray enough, hear enough,fpeal. holily enough, examine thy foule enough , nor fan&rfy the Sabbath enough, never think thou canft reform enough , or do anyduty enough. Men ferve Godas little as they dare, they pray and hold out in theirprayers as little as they dare, theyPhew themfelves for God as littleas theydare,thefe mens aff&ions can never beupon God, becaufe they lovenot to be abundant in good duties thyheart is a greatdeep. Pfal.64. 6. It is not a little winding , or a little turningwill fetch up a Bucket out of a deep Well. So the heart I fay is a great deep, a little praying , and a little hearing, and a little amending will not fetch up the affetsions from thisgreat deepunto God, no. Thou mull beabundant in goodnefl'eand in theduties of goodnefle,ifthouwouldft have thine affeaions fet upon God ; provided alwayes that thy heart be renewed and quickened, otherwife abundance will cloy thee. Tilemore thou

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