6 Çreatife of the .df. e1ionf. fe&ions upon God. When the Apoffle had exhorted the Hebrews, and nowwasconcluding, that he could exhort themno further, he concludesou this manner : And Ibe(eech youbrethren, fuffer the word of exhortation, Neb. 13, 22. He laboursto workeon their affections, that they would let in his -X exhortations into their hearts, he doesnot fay, (Ida me to exhort you, for hehad exhorted them already, and had taken his leave, but fuffer it to en- ter into your hearts ; now ifyoub_ carnal, thouwilt never fuffer Guds coun- t fels to enter ; youle never fuffer the word of reproof, neither will ye fuffer a ' refignation : Suppofe we íhouTd pull down all the unueceflary Ale-houles in theParifh,would ye fuffer it ? Suppofe we thould roote out all your game- houles and the like,would yefuffer it ? Suppofe we thouldmake everyman pay histwelve-pence a day for every time he is abfent fromChurch, and have all diforders punifhr in the Town, would ye fuffer it ? Suppofe we thould come to your houles and exhort you, and reprove, and tell you of your finnes,and labour to reforme you and your Families,alas!would ye fuf- ferit ? No,your paífions will rife, ye would be fo farce from affeBeing theft things,as thatyour affe&ions would be againfl: them,nay,yewould be inpal-. ffìon againut me ; carnall hearts cannot let their affe&ions upon God, why ? becaufe the affe&ionsarepaffìons,as I have proved already, and the foule does fuffer its affections. The affe&ionsdo alter the heart; but a carnal heart will not be altered by the word,nor by Chrift ; norfuller his graces to enter. Fourthly, put the cafe aman fet himtelf wrong, Affe2us runt perturbationes They are the anime, The a f fetfions are theperturbations o f the foul; if once they go wrong,and Perturbations the reines be laid on their necks, they are like wile hottes to thefoul,ro car- ofrhe Sonic. ry her whither fhewould not; they are the difturbers of juclgement,and vio- lent tyrants over the foul,chcy make a man walk as they lift; and therefore the Apoftlecals chfrn,the lofts of concupifcence,wherein a manwal,_es,t.7hef,q_, 5. in theoriginalit is theaffeitions of concupifcence,they are cruel and mallet- lets mifleadersofa man ; now a carnal man,his affe&ions are loch, they are dillurbances and perturbations untohim,they.will fo troublehim,and tone 4f. himupanddown,from lull unto luft,from fin untofin, that he thall never be able that is carnal,to fet themupon God. jamblychus cals them thenayles of the foul,whereby it's-nailed-to the things ofthe body; would a carnal mate --repent ? alas! hips affe&ions difturbehim;wouldhepray and hold out in that duty? his affe&ions are importunate tobe otherwite occupyed; would he ex- hort and reprove,and be rebuking his neighbour for finningagainfl God? his affe&ionsthey are againfl it,he is afhamed for to do it,he is afraid he thall have a flout for his labour;would he forlake his covetoufnefle,and drunken - nefs,and company ? Oh 1 his affe&ions are fo ftrongto them,that he isnot able todraw hisheart from them. The veryHeathen brings in all the world thus fpeaking of themfelves, Nitimur in vetitumTemper cupims fque negata, fo head-thongare the affe&ions when they arewrong : its Medea in the Poet, video meliora probóque, the faw the good and the liked the good, but her af- fe&ions tranfported her quite to the contrary ; thus it . was with Herod the King:whenhe heard there wasanother King ofthe Jews born in the world and that Wife amen from the haft were come for to dohomage to that new King; theText fayes,he was troubled, Macth,2, 3. feare and íhame,and grief, and vexation,and all his affe&ions,theywereall upni Armes and would not *let him be quiet : they troubled him laves Saint Matthew, Yea, they made fuch a difturbance in Herod, theydid fobaffle his judgement, and buhe his thoughts and torture his minde,that they drove him tomurther Godknows how malny fcores of poor Infants, before they would be quiet, they made him a mad-man. Thus the affe&ions are grievous perturbations, when they areonce come tobemil- placed;and if they be fuchperturbations as they are, alas , how can a carnal' man let his affe&ions upon God ? they
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