ir ATreatife of the Afeiiions. ferved a main part of his affeêion for his pleafure. And therefore he was not zealous in hearing. Hence it is that the Scripture cals lukewarmnefte deceitfulneffe, as Divines do obferve ; Curled is the deceiver, Mal. 1.14. that is, cur. fed is the lukewarm perfon that offers God leffe then he hath ; offers fomewhat, and referves back fomewhat, that puts not forth all his affe9tion upon God and his Service. Zeal is the putting forth of all the affection. As when the heart affefts God; and áffeas nothing in competition with him, this is to be zealoufly affeéled towards God. When the Jews had crucified Chrift, and perfecuted Paul, and forbidden him to preach, the Text fayes, the Wrath of God Warr come upon them to the utmoft, i Thef.a. t 6. That is, the zeal of Gods fury, and anger and vengeance was on them, He kept nothing back; he was not angry a little, nor wroth a little, but he put forth the affeltion of his wrath to the utmoi upon them. So when the heart puts ,forth the utmoft of its love upon God, and the utmoft of its delights upon his Word, and the utmoft of its fear on his Name, and the utmoft of its affecttion on his Command- ments, then it is zealous ; But if he keeps back ought to bellow it elfewhere, it's a deceiver and a lukewarm heart. Fifthly, As zeal is the putting forth of all the áffeftion, fo it is upon a thing which the heart does abfolutely jell. A manmay affectl a thing, when he does not affeftt it abfolute- ly. He affefts fuch or fuck a thing, but he affefts it not ab- folutely. He affe&s it perhaps with a degree of affec`lion, as far as twelvepence will go, he places may be a groats worth of affeetion upon a quire of paper. If he be askt five pounds of flyer for a quire of paper, he does not affeft it at that rate, and therefore he does not affeft it abfolutely. But if a man have a true zeal of affeftion to a thing, he af- feð that thing with abfolute affeetion, let it cat what it can, he affeés it, let it colt him all charges, and all pains, and all difficulties, yea, though it coil him his life, he R 111 s Upon a thing that the heart loth abfo- tuttIy at- feek.
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