with a little alteration, the mainc work of grace is the ruling of the affe&i- inns aright,it takes themofffrom the things here onearth, and lifts their up tothe things that arein Heaven. When grace does convert a man, it does ík not takeaway the affeaions,but it ruleth them. Thou wert angry before, race doesnöt take away thineanger.No,oportet virum bosuns c ffe iracundum; .ayes Cicero, A"good manmufthe angry. I Lay grace does not take away thineanger,but tt ruleth thine anger,and teaches thee to turne a againft fin, andagainft thedifhonour.of God. Thou wert Merrilydifpofed before, of 'a cheerfulconftitution,grace does not come to take away thy mirth,but to rule it. Whereas thou wert merrywith vanity,andeverlaughing at ¡efts andat fooleries, now, grace makes theemerry itr Gods fervice,and to rejoyce in-the Lord. ThouAvert ofa fad fpirit before, but perhaps it was for croffes and Idles, and difcontents and the like, grace comes not to take away thy for- * rowes, but to rule them,to make thee wcepe and mourne at thydeaducdde andunthankfulneffe towards the Lord Jefus Chriff. Gratin non tellrt,fedattollit naturam, Grace doesnot take away nature, but it takfth it up. Theaflaions are natural, grace turns them into fpiritual ; this I fay brethren, that ye may fee how that grace runs along in the affc&ions, as water in the pipe. The affe&ions are the matter of grace. As the foul isin the body ; the body is the matter ; Andthe foul is in it,and fomakes upa living creature. Aman had needlook to hisbody,for it is thedue matter of his foul ; fo it is with the affc&ions,thouhaft need to be careful of them,for they are the matter ofgrace ": and therefore the Apoftle calls the of a&ions the members ;yeeld your membersfervants unto righteoufnefe, Rom. 6.19, that is, as expofitors expound it, yciïd your affe&ions thereto. For theyare your foulesmembers, and thematerials ofgrace : is not fear *. the matter of the fearof Lord ? and love the matter ofthe love of theLord? and forrow the matter of repentance from fin ? now iftheafle&ions be the materials ofgrace, what a defperate conditionare ye in, that fet your atle- &ions upon the things here below ? ye throw downall thematter of grace. tt How can ye haveany grace,when ye caft away in the kennel all the matter for grace. Grace requires the affe&ions for its matter,and thou haft nomat- ter, for thisgrace. Thou hurleft away all thine affe&ions upon thy plea- lures, and thyprofits, and thyvanities, thou art fo farre from all grace, as that thou halt nomatter for grace. s Eighthly, it may appearhow infinitely it Elands you in hand to fet your ,ÍfftEfi.ns ire affections aright, becaufe they are arguments what yebe. According asyour arguments * affe&ions are,fo #re your fouls : if I could fee what your alfe&ions runon, I out we be. could fee what ye all be ; whether Saints or wicked,whetherof God,or, the Devil. Theaffectionsare the argumentsthat a man is a man. Whenthe people ofLyftra took Paul and Barnabas for gods,andwould have facrificed to them, Sirs, fayes Paul, why do ye thus, whereas,wearemen oflike paffiotas with ? AEts 14.1 5. that is,affeltions: webave fear,and joy,and griefe,and love, and the likepaffions withyou. Now ifthe bare having ofaffe&ionsbe the argumentsthata manis man,then furcly the good [idle or vaineneffe of thefe afle&ions are the arguments that a man is a Chriftian man, or an ungodlyman. I beteechyou confider what a woful dif}refTed condition ye are in, if your affections be vain and earthly. Ye carry a brand in your hearts that yeare not ofGod, that yeareyet the flaws of Satan and the fer- vants ofunrighteoufnefl'e,andyour end isno better thaneternal death and dettru&ion. AffeEturvirumindícat. Your affe&ions Pewpro what ?nos and womenyebe, &c.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=