Io ?1Q' Treatife of the AffeEJions. ferve the things contained in the Law. Natural reafon 'directs men to love their parentsand their children, and one another : thus the very Heathen thernfelves guidedtheir affections withReligion as it were,thevertues ofmo- tib.,Eth,c.6. rainy Pays Ariftatle,they doiueíoxeir g'r d! 7,7s }gin.They find out a Medi- umor agolden mean in theaffections,& hold themuntoit. And therefore Sr. Paulknoweth thus much,and how that fomcof theHeathenwere fo wicked, that they wouldput out the, light oftheir own reafon, and be drunk and luft- full,andpreud, and mercilefs,and difobedient to parents,he condemns them efpecially for this,rhat they were without underffanding,and without naturall affiF.tion,Rom.i .3 I. that is,becaufe theyput out that naturali reafon,and that naturali af%&ion that were in them. Becaufe their of coons might have been naturally fet upon thofe things. Their very naturall reafonmight have ruledtheir affèLions, and fet themupon venuesofmorality. I. So that thus far thou mayeft go,and yet beacarnalift,rhineaffections may run to be civil, and morally honeft, and the like natural reafonmay raife tip thineaffedions from drunkernefTe and luft, and fromnaturali injuf} ice; and from fwearing and lying,and filthiuefle offpeaking, and the like. I fay natural reafonmay raife np thine affections from thefe. Indeed it may be thine affections are violent, and grcedy,and fenfual to tempt thee tofome of thefe fins, but natu- ral reafonmay take themofffrom fuch fins as thefe. Are .thine affeerious fv vile as to follow thy blowzing and thycompanykeeping?we need not quote Scripture toconvince thee : thy material ftomack cries out it is a fin , for is grumbles at it. Thine eyes,and thy legs, and thy heels cry out,it is a fin ; for they do betray it. Lookupon thy purfe, it cryes againft thee, for it thouhaft emptied.Look upon thy Children,and thyServants, and thyWife, they cry againft it, for them thouhaft beggard. Look upon thyfields and thy lands, and thy inheritance , they cry againff it , forthem thou haft morgag'd and impaired.Lookupon the ftinking dunghil,it bids theehold thy noftrils at the ftinkingneffe ofthis (in,for there is thy fpewiug and thy vomiting, and fo of the reff ofthefe fins ;natural reafònmay eafily raife up thineaffections from thefe. Which ifthou haftdone already, andart civil and moral , thou art yet gone no further thenaNaturian maygo.Thou mayeft dothat,and yet be a Carnallif}. 2. Secondly, becaufe thouhaft more means then the meansofbare nature, By knowledge thy knowledge out ofthe Word,mayraife;up thy affeltionsexceedingly : knowledge that f ahfetwh ord up may awe the heart,andmove it with the affection o f feares, that it go not a- the ilea. gainft its own knowledge. HerodfearedJohn, knowing that hewas a jugman, Mark6. o. Herod his affection was ftirred with fear at the hearing oflohn; why? heknew he was a goodman, and he knew it was juft as he preached; heknew it was GodsWord. And therefore he feared not to obeyhim, he wasafraid to go againft him. Nay,his affections weremore railed then fo;he heardJohngladly,anddidmany things. He was affected with joy at hisSer- mons,and his affections were wrought on to breakout intoact , and to do many things. I do not read, he (tuck at any thing but only hisdarling cor- ruption. Hisaffections are fowrought on , that is Ihould Teem h ereformed many fins in his Courts, and manyofhis Courtiers; he began to let up forne worfhip of God in his Palace. All this was byreafon ofknowledge; he knew John was a good Preacher, he knewhe preached the truth, and the truth over powredhisaffe&ious.Now he had no fuch elbow-room forto fin,as he had in his ignorance. Nowhe fcares to do many fins that before he feared not, why ? becaufe his knowledgewas inlightened. This is noargument that thou art a childe of God, becaufe thòu reformeft many things. Alas , thy knowledge isconvinced thoumufffo : theveryDevil . himfelfmaybe over- powred byhis knowledge when the Devill knew Chrift was Chrif} , he could not but confefle, We know thee who thou art, the holy one of God. Mark.
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