OF SPIÍti1'UAL MINDEDN$SS. 357 because they are not able to discern that infinite wish dom which is the spring, life, and soul of it. When our minds are raised to the admiration of this wisdom in divine revelations, then will our affections cleave to the things that are revealed. Thirdly. The acting of our affections in their ad- herence to spiritual things, is perfective of our present state and condition. That which of all other things doth most debase the nature of man; wherein it makes the nearest approaches to brutality ; yea, whereby it becomes in some respects more vile than the nature of beasts; is the giving up of the affections to things sensual, unclean, base, and unworthy of its more noble principles. Hence are men said to debase themselves unto hell, Isa. lvii. 9. And their affections become vile ; so as that their being under the power of them, is an effect of revenging justice punishing men for the worst of sins, Rom. i. 26. There is no- thing more vile, nothing more contemptible, nothing more like to beasts in baseness, and to hell in punish- ment, than is the condition of themwho have enslaved their nature to brutish sensual affections. I say vile affections fixed on, and cleaving to, sensual objects, debase the nature of man, and both corrupt and en- slave all the more noble faculties of it ; the very con- sciences and minds of men are defiled by them. If you see a man whose affections are set inordinately on anything here below, it is easy to discern how he goes off from his native worth, and debaseth himself therein. But the fixing of spiritual affections on spiritual ob- jects, is perfective of our present state and condition. Not that we can attain perfection by it ; but that there- in our souls are in -a progress towards perfection.
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