240 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. man's, who shall give you that which is your own ? No servant can serve,two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye canot serve God and mammon.' Fourthly. Labor continually for the mortification of your affections to the things of this world. They are in the state of corrupted nature, set and fixed on them ; nor will any reasonings or considerations ef- fectually divert them, or take them off in a due man- ner, unless they are mortified to them by the cross of Christ. Whatever change be otherwise wrought in them, it will be of no advantage to us. It is mortifica- tion alone, that will take them off from earthly things, to the glory of God. Hence the apostle, having given us that charge, set your affections on things above, and not on things below on the earth, Col. iii. 2, adds this, as the only way and means whereby we may do 'so : Mortify therefore your members that are on the earth, v. 5. Let no man think that his affections will fall off from earthly things of their ownaccord. The keenness and sharpness of them, in many things, may be abated by the decay of their natural powers in age, and the like. They may be abated by frequent disap- pointments, by sickness, pains, and afflictions, as we shall see immediately ; or theymay be willing to a dis- tribution of earthly enjoyments, to have the reputation of it, wherein they still cleave to the world, but under another shape and appearance. They may be startled by convictions, .so as to do many things gladly, that belong to another frame. But on one pretenceor other, under one appearance or other, theywill forever ad- here and cleave to earthly things, unless they are mor- tified to them, through faith in the blood and cross of
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