rreatife of the Aledions. to agood booty,then a good duty ? alas ! how canft thou fet thine affecti- ons upon God ? thine affe&ions areearthly affections, and therefore they cannot be placedupon God, Rórn, i . 2 6. there read ofvile ,4ffe5l-iou. God gave up the Heathen tobaie andvile affections : fo theft are bafeand vilc,*f and carnalaffections, that thou artgiven unto thine affections are malice, and envy, and revenge, which cannot be let upon God :. they are worldly feares, and worldly forrowes, and worldly joyes, and worldlypleafues, and worldly delights, ehefè are thineaffections, there can never be placed upon GodTheyare vile afle&ións,too bate and elifhonourable to God. Thineaf- fections are lime-twig'd by Satan,they canuQtfore upunto God. This is the firft reafon, why a carnali matt cannot fet his affections upon God, becaufe his affections, which are the wings of bis foule, are glued to theearth. Secondly, Afcîusfont incl.nationes anima, Theofethons are the inel:nationr They are the ofthe Soule : as a man .i5 affe&çd., fo is he inclined ; and therefore theaf4 Inclínatións of fections in Scripture are called the bent of the foule, My people are bent to the Soule. baekefliding fromme, Hof. ii. 7. that is, their affe&ions to me are unflable, unconflant, andfiekle. How ftands (uch a one bent ? às we fay; that is, howRands he affeaed ? A man is bent tothat which his affections are on ; now then is it pofl'i'ale that a carnal man fhould let his affec&ions on God, when his heart does not (land bent unto God ? the mtickc.worme, his heart Elands bent to the world, the voluptuous, his heart ffands bent to his plea- fures ; the proud man, his heart Bands bent to get credit ,and be well thought on ; the natural manftandsbent to be carnal andearthly ; and howcan fuck men fet their affections; on God, when their hearts Baud that way bent ; the affections,are they bent ? that way that thy bent goes, that way do thine affections go : thouart merryand jocond , and j pyful to day,tell me, what is itfor ? is it becaufe God is glorified by thee ? No, no, thy Mirth and thy. joy (land otherwife bent ; thou haft. been angry and revengeful,what was ittor ? was it becaufe God is dithonoured,aud thy lulls have beenviolent? Alas ! nolthy anger and thy wrath ftand,otherwife bent: thine affections at-eta bent and inclinations of thy heart, and therefore if thoube inclinedto things that are earthly, thou canft, not place thine af- fections upon God ; nothingcan go against itsownbent and inclination, un, leffe by the omnipotent power of the Spiritof Chrifl. Daú d knew, this weld enough, thathisaffectionscould never be to Gqdrand, his .iighteoufnetle;áf his heart did not thatWay :Elandbent ; and therefore he prayer God, Inclii not my heart to anyevil thine, Pfal, t z 4. Let not mineaffecions be on aiag evil thing, for then I thouldbe thatway inclined. This.isthelecoid reafoa why a carnal mancannot let hisaffections upon God,:becaute the - affefkions of the heart are thebent oftheheart. Thirdly, pffeaus funspafanes asiim'e,fayes Damafcen,'The. affeaionsare 3. ahepajJìons of the Soule. When.the-heart isaffe&cd with a thing,it letsin that They are the thing ,andit fuffers a change by that thing ; when a man is affected with a11'ons of the anger at awrong oran injury, we fayhe is in a paffion ; that is, he lets in the SOU . wrong, and there does hisheart bite upon the wrong, and chafe at it ;. thus Ell rorhe lbe he is paffioiiate, when a man is affe&ed with love toapleafure, he lets in the pajfions as é pleafùre, and fuffcrs it toprevaileon the heart: now then acarnal mancan- are. 1am.9.17 iiot fet his affections upon Godnothis Grace,. becau(c he cannot let it in to That is, fubjetl prevaile over his Soule, he will riot fatter it to cater ; can he be in a Food to lik,e ith afpuse e4i' pafïion for God ? can he be angry and cholericke to fee howGods Spirit is ons grieved ? can he -be grieved at the lulls of his heart, which he joycs in? Can hebezealous for Godstruth,and for the beauty ofhdinefl:e ? Alas,alas aió. He cannót let in there things into his heart, nor Chrift, nor Grace, nor Holineffè, nor Humility, nor Self denial, nor any faving grace that is Chrifts, can get entrance into his heart ; and therefore he cannot fet-his af-- li 3 feaións
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