Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

Treati f ff the ffeE1Wnr.: therefore nevermiife the preaching of the word, its the wooing of your affections CO Chrift; they fay, women love tobe much wooed. Love then' the preaching of the word, that wooes thee and wooes thee again- and `a- game. O what infinite need haft thou of comming continually 0-4,14 _' word ; thine affections are infinitely coy ; this they muff have,aud tharth, muft have. Like avain Damfel, {hemuff haveher geegaws,andherfafhioi , the mutt have her pleafureand her will, and her eafe, and thys it mutt be and fo it that). be, if the marry him, the will not have the man die. Hee hach fuck adoe to get here alllc tións, either he is too homely, or too bale, or too ftrict, or too ill favoured, or topoor, or fomcwha%. Nowmay be he hath her, and then her thoughts change, then again fhe is inclined,and then heraffections are off.My bre:hren,fo it is withour fouls; our affectiònsare to this and that and 1 know not what. IfChrift wil not let them have their pleafiires,ard theircafeand their 'profits, and their vanities, Chrift is not for them. They Inuit have the credit in the worldd, theylendt be mockt at for puritans and for hypocrites.; they'le not denyfather nor mother, nor felfe, nor anyof thefe things, they are loth to be held in fo ítrialt,_Ç indent, But Chrift will not marryus, unlels our affeSttioi, bewho ly upo him.Blefféd is he that is not offendedin me,Many are offender at theprecifcueis of his word, many at the bitterneifc of the Croffe, manyat t he Pharr eof the world,they are offended iuChrift, their affections are ,quite againft tlnefe things. Theyareunwilling to bealwayes a talkingofSermons and Of Hea- ven, to bealwayes a wracking their thoughts abouttheir fins, andabut re- pentance and faith,to be hated of all men, to go through: and perfecutions for the Gofpelsfake, topart with their cuftoines, and their own naturali inclinations and their lufts, their affections are againft thefe condi tions- O it's wondrous hard towooe theaffeftions ofthe heart unto Quiff. anddoeft thou think thatl"gritt will marrythee till thine affections come down to his conditions ? will aman marry a woman,whornhe fees is contra- ry-hearted unto him? Nadler inquiet-et tempeftas in dome,A erofswife ù tempeft and aflorme in a Houfe. Come thencontinual! to the preachingofthe word, yrWbop- if ever thou deliire to have thine affections wrought on. Gods miniftersare Chrifts paranymphs, they preach for this purpofe to wooe thine affections toChrift. ifthere be anyone Sermon,that thou refu(cfi.to beat when then mayeft, thy conscience tels thee thou mayeft be at it, and wilt not, if there beanyone Sermon Ifay that thou wilt not beat, thou rejecteft Chrifts pa- ranymphs. Like acrofs maid, that whenher fuiter comes to her, he shall have no fpeech with her. Shewill not be fpoken with. Owhat a provoking is this untoChrift ? ifthouwilt not be fpoken With, take heed leaft theLord APIs abhorre for to owne thee. Nay if the be fo ftrange forfooth, :let her keepher affections for who'swill, l fcorne to woos her anymore- How long hath Chrift woed your affections Beloved, and yet hee's pleafed to woe you. Bringhither your affections, that here they maybe wrought on, Frequent the Lords Houle,for herebeChrifts paranymphs : ifever your ate fections canbegotten, here they may bewon fome time or other. Many other meanesmaybe ufed tohelp youin this task, namely to feeyour affec- tionson God. But thefe may fuffice for theprefent. Set your affections on things that areabove, and not onthings that are on the Earth.

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