_5í .1areatfev f the Afedionr. ly affections are the evill temper of the heart, and therefore it's hard to changeones aflec&ions, becaufe theheart it felte muff be takena peeces as it were, donewould alter his affeaions. An earthly heart is not a right foyle for the fpirituall plants togrow in. Gardners have daily experience, what acoile theyhave tokeepan herb from dying in their gardens, when the garden is not a right foylefor it : theyare faine for'to dig ir, and drefs it, and water it, and tend it, yet fcarce will it grow there when it is not a right Foyle for it. Menmufl:, get themfelves ocw heartsand new mindes, if ever ,they would have their affections renewed. Fafhìon not your felves to the world, fayes the Apoffle, but be ye transformed by the renewing ofyour minde, Ro. 12 2 ULileffe your mmde be renewed, ye cannever Ipy a pleating fafhi- on oftheworld,bucOyour affections wil be to it. When David had mitplaced his affeaions on Bathfh.baanother mans wife , and his affections had been. maduponadultery,andon mucther,what does hedo?he goes toGod in pray- er for a new heart, fleecouldnever have new affections elfe ; Create in file a clean heart, OGod, and renew arightfpirit within me, Ppd. 51.10.. He could not get newaffections, till he, had gottena newheart. This is a mifetable impe- diment that lets multitudes of men and of women from Petting their affections- upon God ; becaufe their hearts are not a right foyle for fuck, affections as thole. May be they trimme their affections, as the very heathens have doue with morality ; as a Barber trims and (haves a mans head, but the haire groves again, becaufe the head is the hairs Foyle. So thecarnal affections will grow again : fpirituall and heavenly affe&iónswill not grow there,for the heart is not a right foyle : and this is a fhrewd let, and you muff labour co.itinually co remove it And therefore, before I helpeyou with means how to fet your affections I. ground on God, let megive you thefe two grounds. We cannot fet Fitt}, you muff have this fame new heart, otherwife e cannot fet your ouCode honsje affections on God. For there is a heart that will fet itsaffectionson God,and rye have anew there is a heart that will nor. The Lord wifhes his people to have the for- bear:. mer kinde ofheart, the heart that will fet its affcdions onGod. O'that there werefuch aheart in them, that they wouldfear me,andbeepmy commandments al- wayes, Dear. 5. 29. There is fuch a heart-beloved, 0 that we had it ; I fay, there isfuch aheart that will fear God, and Pet all its affections on God ; and fuch a heart ye muff get, or elfe it is in vaine tocommand you this duty : all theSermons (ye fee) are invain that yehave heard to this day ; all the ex- hortations and admonitions ye have had fince ye were, ye fee plainly they are invaine tomany of you : as your affections were earthly twenty years agoe, fo they are ffill ` as they werecarnall and wordly heretofore, fo they are.fl ill ; your hearts are the famehearts, yourhearts are ffarknaught, and therefore your affections cannot fore up unto God. Ye can have no quick affections in prayer, nomelting affections at the word. The Sabbath comes, but youraffections are not on it : a Sacrament comes, but what poor affecti- ons you have to ir, your confciences may witneffe. Ye fit in your Chops, or ye follow your callings, or ye goe about your earthly imployments, and youraffeaions are below ; rsuz.{or rÓy 7.iht "éreévo , fayes Max:mor,theSpar- rowes foot is bound with a cord, the cannot flyc upunto God. Your hearts arenot fpirituall, and this is the caufe your aflè&ions are fo carnali. Perad- ventureye lopofnow and then fomepart ofyour carnali afle&ions, as. Tar= Eft f:militudo guin:Ns lopt off theheads ofhis poppies, but ye do not cat ap the roots. It etngeli-Poliri- maybeye go about to heaveup your affe&ions in good duties fomecimes, ani,de irafed as thekey lifts up the fpring in the lock, but thekey is no fowler turn'd but paplofeces apt down goes the fpring, fo down go your affe&ions prefently again. And plrçar, therefore I premife this as a firfl ground, ye can never Pet your affections oi3 'God, till yehave gotten new hearts, `iihc
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