WNW ATreatife of the ,AffeEiions. no thought (fayes Chrift) What ye Ad/ eat, and What ye Ail! drink, butfeekye firft the kingdom of God, Matth.6 33. Let not the condemned prifoner take thought for a flipper, but take thought how he may fave his neck from the rope. This is the firfi : if thine affeéiions be carnal, fo are thy thoughts. Secondly, Becaufe if thine affeEtioni be carnal, fo are thy lulls. It's true, a godly man bath carnal luftings, for he is partly flefh ; but then he hath good luftings too, for he is partly fpirit ; the ßefh tufts againft the fpirit, and the fpirit againft the iefh, and thefe two are contrary the one to the other, fo that he cannot do fo well as he would, Gal.5.17. he bath finful luflings, but he hath fpiritual luflings to cru. cifie them ; but if chine affeetions be earthy, thy lulls be all earthy, nay, thy lulls they are ripened and ftrengthen- ed. The carnal lulls properly and efpecially are the firft offer of the heart unto carnal affeéiions. So that when they are come to be carnal affeftions, they are ripened. And therefore the Apoftle does ufually call the carnal alf'ectlions by the name of tufts, The Gentiles walked in lulls, exceffe of wine, revellings, &c. i Pet. 43. that is, they walked in their carnal affeâions ; becaufe the lulls are then flrength- ned when they come to be affeftions. Now beloved confi- der what a hideous condition it is, to let our affe(ions on the earth, it ftrengthens our lulls. We give a knife to a cut - throat to flab us, cherifh a company of vipers in our bofome to poyfon us. We encourage fierce enemies to bar- rel againft our fouls. So S. Peter can tell us. Deárlj'belb- ved, l befeechyou as ftrangers andpilgrims, abftain from filthy Ws Which 'starre again/I the foul, I Pet. 2.Ii. tbey'warrea- gainfl the foul, they are the devils Infantry, yea, Chivalry too, they are his Souldiers to murder the foul With fpiritu- al death andeternal damnation. If ever thou fovedfi'thine own foul, thou w'ouldeft kill finne in the cradle, fupplant it and take it by the heel, as Jacob did Efan in the womb, thou wilt never overcome it elfe. Deny it trft entrance, as 2. Ifthy aff,. nions be carnal, to _ire thy tufts. They are like firpia pre, as [ bryfoftom compares them, like the 'icings at the roots of the Tree. 4pudVa marcen. pear 0.7.
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