A Tregtife o f the Affecçion.sa them. I doe not mean your lazie canting beggars, but diftreffed Lazars indeed. So beloved, pray ; if ever thou be ufed to it, it Will fcrue up thy heart, and raife up thine affeftions exceedingly. I doe not mean that lazie - hearted and canting kinde of praying of moll wretches, that bath no more affelion in it, then there is favour in the -white of an Egge. But fet thy felf to prayer indeed, and by it Chrift will quicken thine affections. Alas ! thy heart is di- vided and fcattered up and down among the things of the world, and therefore ltrive with God that he would ga- ther up all the peeces into one ; thou mull have all thine affeftions and all the peeces of thy heart gathered up into One, if thou wouldfá fet them upon God. Iwill give them one heart that they may fear me for ever, faies God, ler.3 2.39 your heart and the affe &ions of yoùr heart are divided and fcattered up and down into a thoufand peeces, one upon one thing, another upon 'another ; and God hath promifed that he will gather up your hearts into one, and give you this fame one heart, that ye may fear him and fet all your affections upon him ; will ye mitre fuch a gracious promife as this for want of asking it, and begging it, and praying for it? this is the reafon why men, have fuch earthly affections as they have, becaufe they are not fre- quent in praier to God to be helped ! Prayer is an excel- lent help to winde up your affeftions to God. This is the firll, Often prayer to God, The fecond is this, Light up a candle in thy heart, that it may fee what to fet thine affections on in God. Get know- ledge of God : Ignoti nulla cupido, unknown unaffeaed ; thine affections are unruly, and thou canft not rule them Ï to Godward, yea, but thou canil get knowledge. Know- ledge will help thee exceedingly. The affections we fee plainly that come nearefl to reafon, are fooneft of all ruled. And the affe lions that are remotefi from reafon,. are more hard to be ruled, A man commonly will (boner rule his affections aright, then a woman or a childe, becáufe a man bath 2. Light up a Candle in thy heart,
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