ATreatife o}'the *lions. 9.1, The woman in the Gofpel which was a (inner, a whore in plain terms, one bewitched with the affec°lions of love to her lovers ; as foon as ever any grace did look into her heart, fee how thefe affeelions of love did advantage her. She loved our Saviour more affe fhonately then Saint Peter himfelf, She lovedmuch, faies the Text, Luk.7,47, g_- -fore no queflion but the was fell of her whorifh and ftrumpet- like tears;; now the channel was turned, the watht Chrifts feet with her tears, and wipt them with the hair of her head: and the loved much, faies the Text. It is filch an ad- mirable advantage to be full of affeç9aons that the Lacede monian Schoolmafçer thought that if he had a young Echo la_r full of affec`lions, full of thamefaflnefs, and full of fear,, and full of cheerfullneffe, niíar, 707e a,so;s &c. He thought it was eafie for him to make him afhamed of all filthinelfe, and delighted in goodnetfe, and fearful to do evil, Iam not of his minde, but this I am though, he bath an exceeding good advantage to do it.- If a man have. (pent his afeélions upon fin, and eaten out the heart of his afedions upon vanity; or if a man have no affeelions at . all, as force have but few, a man 1hall ar foon workon a beafi as filch a man. Nay, if grace thould come in into fuch a man, alas :l -he fhall never be able to come to much good if befl come to the bell, he thall have infinite adoe to doe any duty without wofull dulnefTe and fenfeleffeneffe; it is an admirable blefling tha.t God gives unto men, to give them af& lions, and therefore the Stoicks are infinitely too blame to cry out of the affeftions as if they were evil in themfelves. To (peak trdly and rightly of the Stoicks, I do not think the Stoicks were ever fo fottifhas to mean fo ;. but their intent as Attflin faies of them was, to pare off the affefhons that are evil, and to rule the after ions that are natural : and-thereforeit was that they declaim'd fo bitterly againft the affeelions. You fee now by this Text I have chofen,- that the affections are great ;ifts of the Lord, for how could the Apofìle-command us <to OüfeÌt'
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