prefent? It is Sorrow that moves you. This may ferve to fhew you, what the Affections. are. And while I have been explaining them, I have, from the two Examples produced, taken a Way for evidencing the Difference between the natural and renewed Affections. For he who fhall find himself affected with Love and Hatred, Hope and Fear, Joy and Sorrow, about an earthly Eftate; while he finds no fuch Working of his Affections about GOD; is certainly an unrenewed Man. While, on the other hand, he who fits comparatively easy about earthly Things, and finds the Love and Hatred, Hope and Fear, Joy and Sorrow of his Mind mainly exercised concerning GoD, may have good Confidence, if his Understanding and Will are renewed, that so also are his Affections.

BUT each of these will require a farther Illuftration. It must be our present Business to fet forth, in what manner the Love and Hatred, Hope and Fear, Joy and Sorrow, of the new Creature are employed.

But

In illuftrating thefe, Attention must be had to the Careless and the Formal. how can I make a Difference between thefe two, in a Matter wherein they are fo evidently, and exactly alike? In Shew they vary, but in Affection they are the fame. The Careless evidently loves and hates, hopes

and

and fears, joys and forrows, after a carnal Manner: And truly, the Formalift does no other. I must be content therefore to put them together in this Inquiry: But this shall be attempted in fuch a Manner, as may ferve principally to undeceive the formal Profeffor, and to make it plain to him, how, notwithstanding hisDecency and Regularity, he not only comes fhort of, but ftands oppofed to, the new Creature, in the Employment of his Affections.

(1.) Love is the ruling Affection of the Mind of Man, leading all the other Affections after it. And this is employed about different Things in the new, and unrenewed Mind.

THE Sinner, infenfible to Love towards GOD, lays out the firft Efteem of his Heart upon the Gratification of worldly Intereft, Honor and Credit, the Indulgencies of Eafe and Pleasure. "I must be about my Inte"reft, my Business, fays he, must needs "increase my Subftance. It were good to "be fomething higher in Life; to equal "those who are now above me, and who, "through the Influence which Wealth and "Station give, now keep me under a dif"agreeable Constraint and Subjection. It "were good to be one's own Mafter; to be "beholden to none; and to carry a little "Sway in the World. Grievous it is, to bę I 5

❝ contra- a

"contradicted, and controled, and trampled ཡ upon. I am inflaved by my prefent Ñar"rowness. I would be fet at large, that "I might enjoy the World, and taste the "Pleafures of Life; that I might share "in those agreeable Gratifications and A"musements, which render us happy!" I will answer thee, thou Thing of Vanity! What, are these the best Things thou longeft for? Canft thou conceive no higher Pleasures, than earthly Intereft, Honor, and Eafe can bring thee? Is GOD so very cheap with thee, that thou findeft no eager Wish arife, no pleafing Satisfaction glowing upon thy Heart, in the proposed Enjoyment of him, while thy trifling Heart is ready almost to burst in the Expectation of carnal Pleasures and worldly Dignities? Mean Man! Hear and fee the more noble Aims of the renewed Soul, and be taught thy Folly and thySin! Hear, and be ashamed at thy Bafenefs, while I tell thee, that God, the Ever-bleffed, and Jefus, the Prince of Peace, the holy Spirit, and even all Mankind, are the Objects of the new Creature's Efteem and Love.

(1.) GOD alone is his Poffeffion; Efteem of other Things is comparatively worn out with the new Creature. In GoD he fees all, that can engage his Heart; all that is worthy and excellent, lovely and defirable. He

will not condefcend to value those dazling Delights, which Thousands and ten Thoufands fo warmly pursue on every Side of him: Like a Man of another Nation, unconcerned about or difrelifhing the Pleafures of the Natives; like a Man beholding the Play of Children. But in GoD he hath found a perfect Source of Bleffedness; here he refts his Foot, while he fends up continually the warmeft Defires of his Soul: "O manifeft thyfelf unto me, thou God "of my Life; lift up the Light of thy "Countenance upon me, and I fhall be fa"tisfied as with Marrow and Fatnefs! With "thee is the Well of Life; from thee, Ri"vers of Pleafure flow; let me drink here"of, and I cannot thirft! When wilt thou "come unto me! When fhall I appear be"fore thy Prefence, wherein true Joy is

only to be found! O thou beft and only "Good, nothing but thee can I defire; "thee alone can I love! Ah, how cold my fluggish Heart, that I can love thee 66 no more!"

(2.) CHRIST again is the Object of the new Creature's Love. The natural Man looks upon the fairest among ten Thoufand, with an unrelenting Infenfibility; a stupid Ingratitude poffeffes his Soul towards the Lamb given to the Slaughter for Sinners, while the Idols of Life, Pleasure, or Intereft,

or

or human Glory, fhall fwell his unworthy Soul with Tides of Joy. But the new Creature is the Spouse of Christ, hath given the whole Heart to him. No other Object draws out his Soul, as the lovely Jefus doth; in the Sight of whom, in his moft free Humiliations, most perfect Purity, and most glorious Triumphs, Efteem, Tenderness and Gratitude rife up in an holy Flame; while he fecretly grieves, that it burns no higher, that the Love of Chrift conftraining him, he fhould be fo cold and lifelefs. But cold as he complains his Love is towards his Lord, if he fet the Love of Father, or Child, or Friend, or of the dearest Thing in Life against it, it weighs nothing upon the Balance.

(3.) AND fo alfo, while the natural Man hath hardly heard, or done no more than heard, that there is any HOLY GHOST; the renewed Man is not without grateful Affection toward the Sanctifier and Comforter of his Soul. He hath much to tell you of the gracious Dealings of the Spirit with him. "I was far off (he will be faying) and He brought me nigh. Often I refused to

hear, but he forfook me not; I grieved "him, yet ftill he returned unto me again. "He convinced me of my Danger, he "fhewed me the Terrors which lay before

86

me, he kindly importuned me to flee from

"the