Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

A1aI,a s. By felt. love. A Tr'eatif è of the Af anons. feting any more. Mark, they offered their prayers unto God, and cryed, and cryed out-right, yea, they powred out many tears, they covered Gods Altar with tears, and yet faies he, God regarded not their praiers and their offer- ings for all that : fhould we fee a man come to Gods houle, and hear him at the hearing of the Word, or calling upon God, make an out -cry of his fins, yea, weep and weep a- bundantly, cover his Pew with his tears, we would won-. der at the repentance and the good affections of that man, yet fo far thou maya go, fuch good affections thou mayfk have, as to cover thy Table with tears, yea, and Gods Al- tar with thy weepings, and yet be a Carnalifl. lkY'Ooì d ti- dtáxQues á.odp_c, Good men ( faies Homer) are weeping men. Nay, I fay a man may be a leffe weeping man, and yet be a good man. O how mightily may a mans affections be wrought on, and yet be a Granger from grace ! Fifthly, Self -love : look how high fell love may winde up thine affeFlions for thy times, fo high may thine affecti- ons be wound up. Self -love may make thee wondrous affe- 9donate.No natural affection can poffibly be railed uphigh- er, then felt -love may. S. Paul being to reckon up all the finne -ful affections of men in thefe laft daies, he naines feif- love for the foremofl. In the laft daies perillouo times 'hall come, why ? for men 'hall be lovers of themfelves: then he names eighteen more, but this he places in the front of the Catalogue, for felt -love is llrongeft of all, zTino. 3.2. I cite this text only to thew how our affecrions may be raifed to God, namely, as high as ever fell -love can clamber. Self-love will make a man be very affectionate. When a man knows he cannot be faved, unletfe he doe thus and thus ; O how affectionate may he be for to do it, when he knows he (ball perifh for ever, if he be not religious and godly ; if lie do not bewail his iniquities and flrive againft fin,and labour to do good unto others : how marvellous full of affections may this make him to be, to doe abundance of things ! Fitft,

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