Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

Other motives to fer our offc- thons on God. Betartfe it is eafie roprofe- cute that we affetf. ez Treatift ofthe his commandements, and his Ordinances, thine af$e&ions arc diforderly, they are all out of order, Order is to be obferved in all things, and wilt thou futter ditorder break in upon thy foule' diforder turns all toile turvie; diforder will undoe a whole Kingdome: if aKingdome beout of order, it mutt needs go to wrack. If a family be out of order, it muff needs be brought to nought ; nothing can ftand without order no art can confift without order ; and certainly thy foule cannot ftand without order if thine affe&ionsbe out of order, thy foule is in civili wars, and cannot franc', but rnuft perifb. Now ifthine afFe&ions be not let upon God, they are all out of order. VVhat's the reafòn that men are fo forgetful] of theirJoules ? if their belliesdohunger,they remember to fill them ; if their backs be naked, they remember tocloath them;it their markets be not made,they remember todifpatch them 5 but their fouls mayperifh and be damned, they doe not remember rhem.What's the reafonof this ? their affe&ions areout oforder. Ordo eftmater memorie, order is the mother of memory; a man can never remember his bufineffes, if all beout of order. Saint `Paul rejoyced tobe- hold their Order in Coloffe,Colos. 2.5. He was glad to fee that all their affairs were in orders why?then he hop't all wouldgowel with them. Davidprays God toOrder his fteps : Order my ffeps in thy Word,and let not any iniquity, have dominion over me fal. I i 9. 13 3. He knew that his Tufts Would be like mafterleffe hounds, he should haveno hoc with them, if his foule were out oforder. Order my Reps in thy word,faycshe, and letnot any iniquityhave dominion over me. Ifthine affe&ions beout of order,alas,every luit will do- minier, everycorruption will be like a mafterlefle hound, as we fay. job faith, that death isout oforder, tob.I o.22. AndAquinas and other Divines thence do (Nerve that hell is out oforder; and wilt thou fufier a Order to comeamong thine affections t alas theywill be fo bufie about the thingsof this life, that thou fhalt find nowhile for better imployments,no while for repentance and amendment, nowhile for bethinking thyfelfe ofthy wayes toprovide for thy foul. Difordered perlons are bufiebodics,fayes theText. We hear there be force among you that wake diforderly and are bufie-bodies, 2.Theff.3. I I. If thine affe&ions be diforderly, they will be fo bufie, that thou ihah never finde leafure to traffick for Heaven, or the falvation of thy foule. Beloved, this mutt needs then be a firong perfwafion to fet your affe&ions abovc,becaufe otherwife thine affe&ions are all out oforder. Thus farre the Apcftle here helps us with motives exprefled in the con- text. That which the Apoftle begins, let the theme ofmy Text go further in the fame. Many and tweet motives there are that maybe furred up to this duty by, to let our affe&ions on God. Theaft motive is taken from the eafinefe that our affeElions pit us io to profecute any thingweaffe t:if our affe&ions befa ona thing,theymake it ea- fie toprofecute ; if thou affe& the things of the world,thine affe&ions make it cafie to labour and to toyle, eafie to rife early, eafie to fit up late,eafie totra- vell, and ;o through any other difficulty : the covetous man thinks his labour to be eafie, tohe may gain andget profit ;thevoluptuous man thinks it eafie to hunt and to hawk, and ride himfelf out of breath, fohemay have pleafureand delight. Take thine cafe, fayes the Rich man in the Gofpell, Tale thineeafe, eat, drinke, and bemerry, Luke 12.19. He thought it cafie to pull down, and to build up, eafie to gather inhis harveas and his wealth, eafie to be an Epicureand a drunkard, and voluptuous, wiry ? betaute his affe&ions were fahereupon : Is it fo that thine affections are abic tomake anybufineffe eafie? O let thineaffectionsupon God, repentance will be eafy, mortification will be eafy,and felf-denial will be eafre,and to Eoffer all the re- proaches of Chrift wil be eafie,if once thine affe&ions were felled that way; knowledge

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