2,6 QuefJioni,andCafes ofConfèience aboutAf tiion,r,&e. Chaps. T. flnfiv. He that is trulyafieaed with Chrifl, grace, &c, affects nothing fo muchás them. A carnal man may be much affeeted with Chrifl , but there is fomething that he affe&s more. TI. He that affects grace aright, cannot but expreffe it : He can as eafily car- ry fire in hi; bofo:n:e, as conceal his grace : He will expteffe it in his fpeeches, hi; actions, his calling, his company, &c. Tfal.39.3. III. He that affe&sit aright, if he be never fo little interrupted, he is troubled : Its like the flopping of a water-courfe that caufeth it CO fwell, &c. Cant. s. 8. Lill him I am /rckof lw:. Iv. He bath his converf;uion in Heaven, whence all grace ¿efcends. A wicked man may be affected with grace in the Bucket, and yet have no love tograce in the Fountain,: whereas thegodly rejoyce in the Lord, `7 f l. ;,. r. as in the Fountain of all grace. Quel}. B«t whyfhouldwe b:fo car.ful to have our r1ff¿lionsfet right ? L _ably. Hereby onlywe are in a capacity of being married to Chula; whowill have our Affections beforehe will marry us. when a man goes awooing for a wire, his care is to get her Affe&ions. He will never marry her, if he b= wife, . except he may have her. affections. So if our affections be to the world, or the Stxumpet-like things oftheworld, Chrill cannot abide its : Knowye not thatthe 1>v. of the world is rrmity with God, James 4. d. Therefore the Apofile commands us tomortife inordinate Affection, Col.;. ç. II. Herebyonlydoth the foul fet up Favourites in her heart. Thole are the hearts Favourites w,hotn the heart moll affects ; Now if Chritl be not the hearts Favou ire, what a woful condition is that foul in ? If pleafures and va- nities be in favour with thy heart, Chrift can haveno command there, no fur- ther then thyTufts will give leave : when Hadadwas in favour with Pharaoh, he married his wives Sifter tohim, > Kings r t. 59. So if thou favourell the things of the world, thou weddell thy foul to them ; and what an infinite indignity is this toChrifl, when fuch bate and fordid things lhould have thofe affections III. which belong to him ? Hereby thefoul is convertible and reconcileable to God : Though a man be never fo crofíe and crooked, yet fo long as there be affetlions'in him,he may be won to God. Though a man beviolently fet upon mifchief, and an enemy to all grace, yet as long as there be affections in him, he is not implacable ; his affections maybe wrought on by the Word and Spirit : therefore the Apofile yokes theft two together : witheáet natural affections, implacable, Rom. what a care then ¡Would we have of our affections, becaufe thereby we are re- concileable to God ? IV. It (lands us upon infinitely to fer our affections aright, becaufe they are the hands ofthe foul, Pfal. 24..4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart : i.e. He wholeaffections ate clean, and heart pure : : fal. a6. 6. 1will w.19 my hands in innocency, Ú"c. i. e. Ì will purge mine affeétions,, and fo pray, t Ttm:2. 8. Lif ing uppure hands, i. e. holy affe&ions without wrath, &c. Now what a fad thing is it that thefe hands fhould be put out ofjoynt ? As long as our affections are out of order, and fetupon thingsbelow, we cannever take hold of grace,or Chrill. When thedevil takes a manPrifoner, he bindes him hand and foot : He bindes up his heart and affe&ions that he cannot weep, nor repentof his fins : He cannot rejoyce ingrace nor goodne(fe : He cannot de- light in the Word, &c. Above all things therefore be fure that thy hands he bofe, and thineaffections at liberty to be fat on heaven. V They are alfo the handlesofthe foul : As we can take hold of nothingthat is good, unlefleby our affections : fonothing can take hold of ourhearts, but by our affections. Thus the Word firft works upon the affections, andwere it not for our affections the Word couldnever catch holdof us. Affe&ions
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