or other, under one appearance or other, they will for ever adhere and cleave to earthly things, unless they are mortified to them, through faith in the blood and cross of Christ. Whatever thoughts you may have of yourselves in this matter, unless you have the experience of a work of mortification on your affections, you can have no refreshing ground of assurance, that you are in any thing spiritually minded.

5. In all instances of duty belonging to your stewardship of earthly things, attend diligently to the rule of the word. Without this, the grace exhorted to may be abused. So of old, under a pretence of relinquishing the things of this world, because of the danger in adhering to them, their own superstition, and the craft of other men, prevailed with many to part with all they had, to the service of others not better, it may be not so good as themselves. This evil wholly arose from want of attendance to the rule of truth, which gives no such direction in ordinary cases. But there is not much seen in these days of an excess in that kind. But, on the other hand, in all instances of duties of this nature, most men's minds are habitually influenced with pretences, reasonings, and considerations, that turn the scales, as to what they ought to do in proportion in this duty, on the side of the world. If you would be safe, you must in all instances of duty, as in works of charity, piety, and compassion, give authority in and over your souls, to the rule of the word. Let neither self nor unbelief, nor the custom and example of others, be heard to speak; but let the rule alone be attended to, and to what that speaks, yield obedience.

Unless these things are found in us, none of us, no man I'ving, if it be not so with him, can have any refreshing evidence or assurance that he is not under the power of an inordinate, yea, a predominant love to this world.

And indeed, it is a sad thing to have this exception made against the state of any man, on just grounds: Yea, but he loves the world. He is sober and industrious, he is constant in duties of religion, it may be

an earnest preacher of them, a man of sound principles, and blameless as to the excesses of life, but he loves the world. The question is, How doth this appear? It may be, what you say is but one of those evil surmises which are frequent. Wherefore, I speak it not at all to give countenance to the rash judging of others, which none are more prone to than those who one way or other are eminently guilty themselves. But

I would have every man judge himself, that we be none of us condemned of the Lord. If, notwithstanding the things mentioned, any of us do centre in self, which is supplied and filled with the world-if we prefer self above all other things-do aim at the satisfaction of self in what we do well or ill-are useless to the only good and blessed ends of these earthly things, in supplying the wants of others, according to the proportions wherewith we are intrusted,--it is to be feared, that the world, and the things that are in it, have the principle interest in our affections.

And the danger is yet greater with those who diverge to the other extreme. Such are they, who, in pride of life, vanity in apparel, excess in drinking, pampering the flesh every day, tread close on the heels of the world, if they do not also fully keep company with it. It is altogether in vain for such persons to countenance themselves with an appearance of other graces in them, or the sedulous performance of other duties. This one rule will eternally prevail against them: "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And, by the way, let men take heed how they walk in any instance against the known judgment and practice of wiser, or more experienced Christians, to their regret and sorrow, if not to their offence and scandal, or in any way by which they win the consent of their own light and conscience, by such reasonings and considerations, as will not hold weight in the balance of the sanctuary. Yet thus, and no otherwise, is it with all them who, under a profession of religion, indulge to any excesses wherein they are conformed to the world.

Fifth, God makes a hedge against the excess of the

affections of men, rational and any way enlightened, to the things of this world, by suffering the generality of men to carry the use of them, and to be carried by the abuse of them, into actings so abominable, so ridiculous, as reason itself cannot but abhor. Men, by them, transform themselves into beasts and monsters, as might be manifested by many instances; hence the wise man prayed against riches, lest he should not be able to manage the temptations wherewith they are accompanied.

Lastly, To close this matter, and to show us what we are to expect, in case we set our affections on things here below, and they have thereby a predominant interest in our hearts, God hath positively determined and declared, that if it be so, he will have nothing to do with us, nor will accept of those affections which we pretend to spare for him and spiritual things. If we abstain from open sins; if we abhor the lewdness and uncleanness of men in the world; if we are constant in religious duties, and give ourselves up to walk after the most strict sort in religion, like Paul in his Pharisaism, may we not, will some say, find acceptance with God, though our hearts cleave inordinately to the things of this world? I say, God hath peremptorily determined the contrary; and if other arguments will not prevail with us, he leaves us at last to this: "Go, love the world, and the things of it; but know assuredly, you do it to the eternal loss of your souls."

These few instances have I given of the arguments and motives whereby God is pleased to deter us from fixing our affections on things here below; and they are, most of them, such only as he makes use of in the administration of his providence. There are two

other things that offer themselves to our consideration:-

1. The ways, means, arguings, and enticements, which the world makes use of, to draw, keep, and secure the affections of men to itself.

2. The secret powerful efficacy of grace, in taking off the heart from these things, turning and drawing it to God, with the arguments and motives that the

Holy Spirit makes use of, in and by the word, to this end; and in which we must show what is the act of conquering grace, wherein the heart is finally prevailed on to choose and adhere to God in love immutable. But these things cannot be handled according to their nature and importance, without such length of discourse as I cannot here divert to. I shall therefore proceed to that which is the proper and peculiar subject before us.

CHAPTER XII.

What is required in and to our affections, that they may be spiritual. A threefold work on the affections described.

To declare the interest of our affections in this frame of being spiritually minded, and what they contribute thereto, I shall do these three things:

First, State what is required, that our affections may be spiritual, wherein lies the foundation of the whole duty.

Secondly, What are their workings, when they are so spiritual.

Thirdly, What are the means whereby they may be kept and preserved in that frame, with sundry other things of the like nature. How our affections the frame of mind

are concerned in, or belong to, inquired after, hath been before stated. Without spiritual affections, we cannot be spiritually minded. And that they may be of this use, three things are required.

First, Their principle.

Secondly, Their object.

Thirdly, The way and manner of their application to their proper object, by virtue of that principle.

First, As to the principle acting in them, that our affections may be spiritual, and the spring of our being

spiritually minded, it is required that they be changed, renewed, and inlaid with grace, spiritual and supernatural. To clear the sense hereof, we must a little consider what is their state by nature; and then, by what means they may be wrought upon, as to a change or a renovation. For they are like some things which in themselves, and their own nature, are poisonous; but, being corrected, and receiving a due temperament from a mixture of other ingredients, become medicinal, and of excellent use.

1st, By nature our affections, all of them, are depraved and corrupted. Nothing in the whole nature of man, no power or faculty of the soul, is fallen under greater disorder and depravation by the entrance of sin, than our affections are. In and by them is the heart wholly gone and turned off from God. It were a long work to set forth this depravation of our affections, nor doth it belong to our present design. Some few things I shall briefly observe concerning it, to make way for what is proposed concerning their change.

1. This is the only corruption and depravation of our nature by the fall, evident to reason, or the light of nature itself. Those who were wise among the heathen, both saw and complained of it. They found a weakness in the mind, but saw nothing of its darkness and depravation, as to things spiritual. But they were sensible enough of this disorder and tumult of the affections in things moral, which renders the minds of men like a troubled sea, whose

waters cast up mire and dirt. This greatly aggravates the neglect of those who are not sensible of it in themselves, seeing it is discernible in the light of

nature.

2. They are depraved, the seat and subject of all lusts, both of the flesh and of the spirit. Yea, lust, or evil concupiscence, is nothing but the irregular motion and acting of our affections, as depraved, defiled, corrupted. Hence, no one sin can be mortified, without a change wrought in the affections.

3. They are the spring, root, and cause of all actual