74 I Otcafionos factum la troves. AT eatife of the AffeCtiensa Occafio facit furem; Occafion makes a filcher ;. the po- ftern door maketh a thief, as, the Proverb is. That gives him an occafion for his villany; as it is in evil, fo alto in good. Oecafion thine affections alwaies to good, at fall they may take hold of it: Be often thinking, and Ekedita- ;ting, and remembring of God, let thy thoughts and medi- tations give occafion to thy heart, in the end it may take it. The Apofìle gives this as a reafon why Titer was fa veli affefted with the good people in Corinth, namely, becaufe he thought of and remembred their obedience to God. His inward affection is the more abundant toward you, whileft he remembreth the obedience of you all, 2 Cor,7,l S. if we would often belie our thloughts ant-re- membrances ofGod, this might winne our affections to God. Thou giveft thine affections fo many thoufand occafions to-be fet upon the things of this life, thy tongue is accu- ffomed to fpeak of little elfe, thine ear accuffomed to hear little elfe, thy minde and thy memory accultomed to think of little elfe, thou given thy heart fo many occafions to fet its affections on the things of this life, that I wonder not thine affections are not fet upon. God. This is the reafon why men are fo touchy and fo cholerick, and revengeful. and envious and malicious; this is the reafon why they are fo apt to be overtaken with inordinate pleafure, or covetous defires, or carnal forrows and griefs and the like, they give their hearts occafions to be fo'; they are not choice of their company, they, are not wary of the beginnings of fin, they entertain too many thoughts of injuries and crofï'es, and afflictions, and profits, and vanity in the worlds many occafions they give to their hearts to fet their affe- &ions thereon. The heart when it hath an occafion to fin, is like the wilde atfe in the Prophet : in per occafion who can turn her away ? Ier.z.a4. The wilde afFe if the have an occafion of luft, no body can turn her away from her luft, as Tremellitu obferves : occæfion is a main thing in matters either of fin or of grace. If Peter had not given his heart ax
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