Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

Ii6 Treatffe of the Aifeetions. catin Pro. 5.12. 4. If thy af_ fc honebe carnal, fo are thy de. vices. confcience can point thee out many lulls that thou liveft in, and thou haft no purpofe to leave them, O how does this provoke the Lord Jefus to wrath 1 Which of us does thus. purpofe in his heart ? Iabfofutely purpofe henceforth to ufe all the means under Heaven for the laving my foul, I' have gull'd it to this day, now I purpofe to do fo no more; now I will every day examine my confcience, every day keep company with the godly ; I will never fort with my old company more,l have ufed my body like an Idol, now I purpofe to mortifie it, & c.. Alas ! our affeftions will not let us. It is certain, thou never haft a good purpofe tó God for thy foul, as long as thine affeftions are earthly. All thy purpofes are inftar pale., (ayes a Divine, they laft for an . hour, or a day, or a health, like the chaffe which the winde drives away. Fourthly, Becaufe if thine arellions he carnal, /o are thy devices and conrrivings. When a man fees his affeftions on any thing, as he fpends many thoughts thereupon, and pur- pofes to have it if he can, fo he devifeth with himfelf where- by to attain it. Davids enemies whole affeftions were fet againft him, they devifed how they might croffe him. All that hate me, again It me tie they devife my hurt, Pf.41.7. What a company of devices bath the glutton to f tisfie his palate? the revengeful perfon to farisfie his wrath ? the covetous perfon to fcrape himfelf maintenance? its endleffe to re- count what innumerable devices men have to compaffe what their heart does affeft. Phalaris devifeth new for -. ments: Nero devifeth new cruelties; Sardanapalus pro- pounds a reward by a cryer to him that could devife out new pleafure, the wicked Lawyerand troublefome Parifhi- oner devifeth new quillets and put cafes to fetch over his poor neighbour: the proud minion devifeth new paintings . of the face, new wafhings of the body, new curlings of the hair, new deckings of their neck, new - fangled attires, and the like; the covetous deceiver devifeth new coufenages, new conny - catchings, pollings, rackings, gullings, &c. The Ufu rer

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