And because knowledge and affection mutually help one another, it is good to keep up our affections of love and delight, by all sweet inducements and divine encouragements ; for what the heai't liketh best, the mind studieth most. Those that can bring their hearts to delight in Christ know most of his ways. Wisdom loveth him* that loves her. Love is the best entertainer of truth; and when it is not 'entertained in the love of it,' 2 Thess. ii. 10, being so lovely as it is, it leaveth the heart, and will stay no longer. It hath been a prevailing way to begin by withdrawing the love to corrupt the judgment ; because as we love, so we use to judge ; and therefore it is hard to be affectionate and wise in earthly things ; but in heavenly things, where there hath been a right information of the judgment before, the more our affections gi'ow, the better and clearer our judgments will be, because our affections, though strong, can never rise high enough to the excellency of the things. We see in the martyrs, when the sweet doctrine of Christ had once gotten their hearts, it could not be gotten out again by all the torments the wit of cruelty could devise. If Christ hath once possessed the affections, there is no dispossessing of him again. A fire in the heart overcometh all fires without.
3. Wisdom likewise teacheth us wherein our weakness lieth, and our enemy's strength, whereby a jealous fear is stirred up in us, whereby we are preserved ; for out of this godly jealousy we keep those provocations which are active and working, from that which is passive and catching in us, as we keep fire from powder. They that will hinder the generation of noisome creatures will hinder the conception first, by keeping male and female asunder. This jealousy will be much furthered by observing strictly what hath helped or hindered a gi-acious temper in us ; and it will make us take heed that we consult not with flesh and blood in ourselves or others. How else can we think that Christ will lead us out to Adctory, when we take counsel of his and our enemies ?
4. Christ maketh us likewise careful to attend all means whereby fresh thoughts and affections may be stirred up and preserved in us. Christ so honoureth the use of means, and the care he putteth into us, that he ascribeth both preservation and victoiy unto our care of keeping om'selves. * He that is begotten of God keepeth himself,' 1 John v. 18, but not by himself, but by the Lord, in dependence on him on the use of means. We are no longer safe than wise to present ourselves to all good advantages of acquaintance, &c. By going out of God's walks we go out of his govern- ment, and so lose our frame, and find ourselves overspread quickly with a contrary disposition. "When we di-aw near to Christ, James iv. 8, in his ordinances, he di*aws near unto us.
5. Keep gi-ace in exercise. It is not sleepy habits, but grace in exercise, that presei-veth us. Whilst the soul is in some civil or sacred employment, corruptions mthin us are much suppressed, and Satan's passages stopped, and the Spirit hath a way open to enlarge itself in us, and likewise the guard of angels then most nearly attends us ; which course often prevails more against om- spiritual enemies than direct opposition. It stands upon Christ's honour to maintain those that are in his work.
6. Sixthly, in all directions we must look up to Chi-ist the quickening
* ' Them,' in A and B.
90 THE BRUISED BEED
Spirit, and resolve in his strength. Though we ai'e exhorted to ' cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart,' Acts xi. 23, yet we must pray with David, ' Lord, for ever keep it in the thoughts of our hearts, and prepare our hearts unto thee,' 1 Chron. xxix. 13. Our hearts are of themselves very loose and unsettled, ' Lord, unite our hearts unto thee to fear thy name,' Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, or else, without him, our best purposes will fall to the gi'ound. It is a pleasing request, out of love to God, to beg such a frame of soul from him, wherein he may take delight ; and therefore in the use of all the means we must send up our desires and complaints to heaven to him for strength and help, and then we may be sure that ' he will bring forth judgment unto victory.'
7. Lastly, it furthers the state of the soul, to know what frame it should be in, that so we may order our souls accordingly. We should always be fit for communion with God, and be heavenly-minded in earthly business, and be willing to be taken off from them, to redeem time for better things. We should be ready at all times to depart hence, and to live in such a con- dition as we would be content to die in. We should have hearts prepared for every good duty, open to all good occasions, and shut to all temptations, keeping our watch, and being always ready armed. So far as we come short of these things, so far we have just cause to be humbled, and yet press forward, that vfe may gain more upon ourselves, and make these things more familiar and lovely unto us ; and when we find our souls any ways falling downwards, it is best to raise them up presently by some waking meditations, as of the presence of God, of the strict reckoning we are to make, of the infinite love of God in Christ, and the fruits of it, of the excellency of a Christian's calling, of the short and uncertain time of this life ; how little good all those things that steal away our hearts wiU do us ere long, and how it shall be for ever with us thereafter, as we spend this little time well or ill, &c. The more we give way for such considera- tions to sink into our hearts, the more we shall rise nearer to that state of soul which we shall enjoy in heaven. When we grow regardless of keeping our souls, then God recovers our taste of good things again by sharp crosses. Thus David, Solomon, Samson, &c., were recovered. It is much easier kept than recovered.