7 God that loveth God, for how can he fet his afle&ions of love upon God, ifhe do not know God ? Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord, we per- [wade men, 2 Cor. 5. II. S. Paul perfwadesthe affe&ions of the people,why? becaufe he knew the terreur ofthe Lord, andhe was able to make them to know it too ; and therefore hereby he endeavoured to perfwade their ffe- aions to fear God and to fervehim. They that know thy Name, will put their truft in thee,forthou neverforfakelb them thatfeekthee, Pfat g,io. Davidfpe lcs peremptortly,they that know thyName, they will place their hope,. and their truft, and their confidenceand all their affe6tions on thee. They will fo certainly, if they know thee if once theyknow, what a good God thou art, how true of thy proniife,howgracious to thy children,how hire a friend thou art, never forfaking them that Peek thee. He concludes it pofitively, they that know God will fet their affections on God. Can a covetous man know a rich purchafe, and not have an affe&ion to it ? can a. beggar know his aimes is a hundred pounds, and have no affection to take it ? as long as the womanof Samaria didnot know Chrift,fhe flood pratling and wrang- ling and geeting at Chriff, thehad noaffectionneither to him nor the wa- ter of life that he couldgive her, the had more minds of her well, and her waterpot:though the were inChrifl scompany,yet becaufe fhe did not know, the never ofkt him a dropof grace, nor would thegive fömuch as a draught of her water toChrift. But what anfwer did.he make to her ?If thqukneeft fayes he,who it is thatfaith to thee,give me to drink, thou wosiideff haVe askid of him, and hewouldhavegiven thee living water.,fobn.4.1c. If thouhadlt known who I am, thine affections would have been öagerer than they be. Beloved; ye hear the word, and have no of fe&ion to rrémble at .it. Ye hear Gods Commandements, and have no atle&ion rodoe them, ye live in your tins, many of you poor damned foules to this day,and ye'haveno affection tobe humbled. Alas, alas, ye arc blinde, and ye know not. But ifye hadknown what a damnable cafe ye are in., what a word it is ye rciect, whofe Com- mandements they are which ye break, whofe blond it isye contemns ; If ye had known God and the truth that is ofGod, ye wouldhave:ben other- suetonius wife affected thanye are. Occulta'mufices autluc re(ptEiuu,1fáy, s Suetonius, Be themuficke never fo pleafing,yet ifit be not kndwne, none is.aflecLed there- with.Ypule fay ye do knowGod ; what doe °?'' and have no móre affections toobey the Commandments of God ? ye lye in flat tearm s, fayes S, roh». He that rayeth Iknow him, and ksepes not his Commandemesits, is lfar, and there irno truth in him, i Jahn. 2.4. I confeffe thou rnayeft knöw a many thing's about, God, andnever havethine affections'ferupon God toobey him but thisknowledge is in a reprobate, there's no truth in this'knowledge. The truth is not inhim, fayes the text. Knowledgemaybe in them, but the troth ofknowledge is not inhim. And if thou doeft not know God, no mervaile though thine affections be not fet on him. Ineognitum nonamatnr. Unknown unkift,as we fay.This is the fecond help to fet ouraffections' on God,to know God. The third is this,Occafion thine af fee ionsthis way. Be it never fo hard tot occafon thine to thy corrupt nature to fet thine affections upon God, it is eafier a great affel1ions this deals togive them frequent occafions tobe fet uponGod. A theevifh corn- way. panion, maybe, is afraidfor to fteale, leaft he fhould be taken, yet ifabooty doe ever and anonoffer it felfe pretty handfomely and Likely and covertly untohirra, then he will (teal it. Occafofachfurem, Occafionmakes a filcher ; thepofterne doors rnaketh oecafones faci- a thiefe, as the Proverbe is. That gives him an occafion for his villa- sent larones. ny ; as it is inevill, fo alfo in good. Occafion thine affections alwayes to good, at lait they may take hold of it. Bee often thinking, and medi- tating s and retuembring of God , let thy thoughts and meditations ]F 3 give
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