Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

cbryfo/lir I Cor.S.n To he a bandant in the el- crede of godlintfg. i Treatife of the Af feEÉions. plat ones hair after fuch or fuch a fafhion ? Thefe quefli- ons found like the fpeeches of fools that are likely to be 'gulled in their affeftions by Satan. For what though they be lawful ? I do not deny they are lawful ; but the quefti- on is this, Be theyfafe and expedient for thee, when 'thine affections are Pure to be needlefly agog upon thefe things ? O do not needlefly endanger thine affeftions, if-ever thou may ft remedy it, owoaH m Aí1,6 ,166,a-70J,na vs, faies Chry- foflome. Look thou be not a [lave of thine affections : thine aftbltions itch after this and that, look thou do curb them : if thou doff not curb them of many things that are lawful, thou wilt never be able to fet them upon God. This is the fìxth means to fet our affections on God, to clip their wings from flying upon the things here below. The feventh is this, to be abundant in the exercifés of god - lineffe, We mull be abundant in prayer, and in all other exercifes of godlineffe. When Paul had exhorted good Timothy to be exercifed in godlineffe, t Tim.4.7. in the next verfe, he gives him a reafon why he fo exhorts him, Becaufe faies he, godline(fe os profitable unto all things, If godli- neffe be profitable for all things, then certainly its profita- ble for this, to fet our affeftions upon God. Abound then in good duties,abound in good conference, abound in good and gracious acquaintance, abound in godly meditations. This was David. means whereby his affections came to be earneft upon God. O how Ilove thy Law, it oo my meditation continually ! Pfal. 119.97. his affeftions were even wrapt up in his God, O how love I thy Law ! he was not able to expreffe how his affeftions were wrapt. O how love I thy Law ! How came they to be fo ? the reafon was this, He was abundant in godly meditations; It is my meditation continually, Abundance in any thing, caufes the *Won, s to abound. The voluptuous man is abundant in his pleafures, he abounds with his hunting, and hawking, and gaming, and merriments, and therefore his affeftions are abundantly fet Hereupon. The covetous man his minde abounds in thinking

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