8 A Tre i/e of tbe A feétions. foul to them. What an infinite indignity is this unto Chrift, that fisch bate and fordid things fhould be in favour, and Chrift not be thy fouls favourite 1 Thirdly, Hereby the foul is convertible and reconcilable toGod. Bea mannever fo croffe and crooked, never fo cru- elly and implacably bent to tranfgreffe, yet as long as there reconcile. Thouugh a Kings wrath be as the roaring of a Lyon, though 'able to he be never fo fallen out with a man, yet as long as there God. be affections in the King, patience,wifedom, and humbling ones felf, and the like, thele things may perfwade him : by 'long forbearing is a Prince perfwaded, Pro, t 5.05. Without a man have any affections in him, he is not capable of per- Rho. c.:, fwafion, ''h 7"'N) d) öoze ,mkei faies Ariflotle. The affections are theywhereby a man is mutable. For though it be a weakneffe to be mutable, yet when a mah is evil and wicked,it's a bleffed weaknefs that he is mutable from that wickednef'e. Now if a man be grievoufly fet upon mifchief, 'though he be an enemy of all grace and of goodnefïe, yet as long as there be any affections left in him, he is not an implacable enemy : no,his affections are a poffible fubject to be wrought on,the Word and the Spirit mayperfwade him; and therefore what a care fhould we have of our affeetions, becaufe thereby we are placable and reconcilable to God ? The Apoftle yokes there two together, Without natural af_ feflion, implacable, ROM./ .3 r, for a man as long as he hath any natural affeftion left, he is never implacable : ftill he may be perfwaded; unleffe he degenerate-in his affections, and prove to be unnatural : if the affeclionsdepend on-this fafhión, he is not only wicked and an enemy to grace, but he is an implacable enemy : think then what wrong ye do to your own fouls, fo unnaturally to fet your affections, to let them degenerate as you do, and wander after vanity. Beware how ye doe fo, ye goe about to divert all poffì- bility of converfion, and provoke -the Lord to count you implacable enemies to grace and to -the fcepter of his -dear Sonne. Fourthly, ;. Hereby the foul is converti. bic and
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