5. They will not be under the conduct of the mind, its light or convictions. Rebellion against the light of the mind is the very form whereby their corruption acts itself, Job xxiv. 13. Let the appre- hensions of the mind and its notions of good and evil be what they will, they reject them, and lead the soul in pursuit of their inclina- tions. Hence, no natural man whatsoever doth in any measure answer the light of his mind or the convictions of his understand- ing, but he sees and approves of better things, following those that are worse; and there is no greater spiritual judgment than for men to be given up unto themselves and their own evil affections, Rom. i. 26.
Many other instances might be given of the greatness of that de- pravation which our affections are fallen under by sin; these may suffice as unto our present purpose.
In general, this depravation of our affections by nature. may be reduced unto two heads:—
1. An wtter aversation from God and all spiritual things. In this lies the spring of all that dislike of God and his ways that the hearts of men are filled withal; yea, they do not only produce an aversation from them and.dislike of them, but they fill the mind with an enmity against them. Therefore men say in their’ hearts unto God, “ Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” Job xxi. 14, 15. See Rom. i. 28, viii. 7.
2. An inordinate cleaving unto things vain, earthly, and sensual, causing the soul to engage into the pursuit of them as the horse rushes into the battle.
Whilst our affections are in this state and condition we are far enough from being spiritually minded, nor is it possible to engage them into an adherence unto or delight in spiritual things.
In this state they may be two ways wrought upon, and yet not so renewed as to be serviceable unto this end :—
1, There may be various temporary impressions made on them. Sometimes there is so by the preaching of the word. Hereon men
CHAP. XII.] THE NATURAL DEPRAVITY OF OUR AFFECTIONS. 413
may hear it with joy, and do many things gladly. Sometimes it is so by judgments, dangers, sicknesses, apprehensions of the approach of death, Ps, lxxviii. 85-87. These things take men off for a sea- son from their greedy delight in earthly things, and the pursuit of the interest of lust in making provision for the flesh. On many other occasions, by great variety of causes, there may be temporary impressions made on the affections, that shall seem for a season to have turned the stream of them. And thereon we have many who any day will be wholly, as it were, for God, resolved to forsake sin and all the pleasures of it, but the next return unto all their former excesses; for this is the effect of those impressions, that whereas men ordinarily are predominantly acted by love, desire, and delight, which lead them to act according unto the true natural principles of the soul, now they are for a season acted by fear and dread, which put a kind of force on all their inclinations. Hereon they have other thoughts of good and evil, of things eternal and temporal, of God and their own duty, fora season. And hereon some of them may and do persuade themselves that there is a change in their hearts and affections, which there is not; like a man who persuades himself that he hath lost his ague because his present fit is over. The next trial of temptation carries them away again unto the world and sin.
There are sometimes sudden impressions made on spiritual affec- tions, which are always of great advantage to the soul, renewing its engagements unto God and duty. So was it with Jacob, Gen. XXvili. 16-20; so is it often with believers in hearing the word, and on other occasions. On all of them they renew their cleavings unto God with love and delight. But the effect of these impressions on unrenewed affections are neither spiritual nor durable; yea, for the most part, they are but checks given in the providence of God unto the raging of their lusts, Ps. ix. 20.
2. They are liable unto an habitual change. This the experience of all ages gives testimony to. There may be an habitual change wrought in the passions and affections of the mind, as unto the in- ordinate and violent pursuit of their inclinations, without any gra- cious renovation of them. Education, philosophy, or reason, long afflictions, spiritual light and gifts, have wrought this change. So Saul, upon his call to be king, became “another man.” Hereby per- sons naturally passionate and furious have been made sedate and moderate, and those who have been sensual have become temperate, yea, and haters of religion to be professors of it. All these things, and many more of the like nature, have proceeded from a change ‘wrought upon the affections only, whilst the mind, will, and con- science, have been totally unsanctified.
414 . OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART II.
By this change, when it is alone, no man ever became spiritually minded; for whereas there are two parts of the depravation of our affections, that whereby they are turned off from God, and that whereby they inordinately cleave unto other things, their change principally, if not only, respects the latter. They are brought into some order with respect unto present things. The mind is not con- tinually tossed up and down by them as the waves of the sea, that are troubled, and cast up mire and dirt. They do not carry those in whom they are into vicious, sensual actions, but they allow them to make virtue in moderation, sobriety, temperance, fidelity, and use- fulness in several ways, to be their design; and it is admirable to think what degrees of eminency in all sorts of moral virtues, upon this one principle of moderating the affections, even many among the heathens attained unto. But as unto their aversation from God and spiritual things, in the true spiritual notion of them, they are not cured by this change; at least this change may be, and yet this latter not be wrought.