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world is filled withal, owe their original principally unto men's affections set at loose from the rule of the word. There is nothing so fond, absurd, and foolish, but they have im- bondaged the souls of men unto, nothing so horrid and dif- ficult but they have engaged them in. And having once taken unto themselves this liberty, the corrupt minds of men are a thousand times more satisfied, than in the regular exercise of them according to the word of God. Hence they will rejoice in such penances as are not without their auste- rities ; in such outward duties of devotion, as are trouble- some and chargeable; in every thing that hath a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglect of the body. Hence will all their affections be more sensibly moved by images and pictures, and a melting devotion be stirred up in them, than by all the motives and incentives which God proposeth unto thetn to draw their affections unto himself. Nothing is more exti'avagant than the affec- tions of men, tinctured with some devotion, if they forsake the rule of the Scripture.
Thirdly, There is considerable concerning them, the mea- sure of their attainments, or what through due exercise and holy diligence they may be raised unto. Now this is not ab- solute perfection. 'Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect, but I follow after,' as the apostle speaks, Phil. iii. 12. But there is that attainable, which those who pretend highly unto perfection seem to be strano-ers unto. And the state of our affections under a due exercise on heavenly things, and in their assimilation unto them, may be fixed in these three things.
1. An habitual suitableness unto spiritual things, upon the proposal of them. The ways whereby spiritual things are proposed unto our minds are various. Tliey are so di- rectly in all ordinances of divine worship; they are so in- directly and in just consequence, by all the especial provi- dences wherein we are concerned, by our own thoughts and stated meditations; they are so by the motions of the Holy Spirit, when he causeth us to hear a * word behind us saying. This is the way, walk in it;' by holy converse with others ; by all sorts of occurrences. And as the ways of their pro- posal are various, so the times and seasons wherein a repre- sentation of them is made unto us, are comprehensive of all,
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at least are not exclusive of any, times and seasons of our lives. Be the way of their proposal what it will, and when- ever be the season of it, if our affections are duly improved by spiritual exercises, they are suited unto them, and will be ready to give them entertainment. Hence, or for want here- of, on the other hand, are tergiversations and shiftings in duties, proneness to comply with diversion, all to keep off the mind from closing with, and receiving of, those spiritual things which it is not suited unto. Wherefore, as unto the solemn way of proposing spiritual things unto our minds which is in and by the ordinances of divine worship, when men have a prevalent loathness to engage in them, or when they are satisfied with an outward attendance on them, but not enabled unto a vigorous stirring up of the inward man unto a holy affectionate converse with spiritual and hea- venly things, it is because they are carnal. When men can receive the fiery darts of Satan in his temptations into their bosoms, and suffer them to abide there, yea, foster and che- rish them in thoughts of the lusts that they kindle, but quickly quench the motions of the Spirit, stirring tiiem up unto the embracing of heavenly things; they are carnal, and carnally minded. When providences of concernment in afflictions, trials, deliverances, do not engage the mind into thoughts of spiritual things, and excite the affections unto the entertainment of them, men are carnal and earthly. When every lust, corruption, or passion, as anger, envy, dis- pleasure at this or that person or thing, can divert the mind from compliance with the proposal of spiritual things that is made unto it, we are carnal.
It is otherwise when our aflections are conformed unto things spiritual and heavenly. Upon every proposal of this the mind finds a suitableness unto itself, like that which a well- disposed appetite finds unto savoury meat. As the ' full soul loaths the honey-comb,' so a mind under the power of carnal affections hath an aversion unto all spiritual sweetness. But spiritualized affections desire them, have an appetite unto them, readily receive them on all occasions, as those which are natural unto them, as milk is unto new-born babes.
2. Affections so disposed constantly, find a gust, a plea- sant taste, a relish in spiritual things. They do in them * taste that the Lord is gracious;' 1 Pet. ii. 3. To taste of
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God's goodness, is to have an experience of a savoury relish and sweetness, in converse and communion with him. And persons whose affections are thus renewed, and thus im- proved, do taste a sweet savour in all spiritual things. Some of them, as a sense of the love of Christ, are sometimes as it were too hard for them, and overpower them, until they are 'sick of love,' and do 'rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' Neither is there any of them however condited with afflictions or mortifications, but it is sweet unto them; Prov. xxvii. 7. Every thing that is wholesome food, that is good nourishment, though it be but bitter herbs, is sweet to him that is hungry. And when by our affections we have raised up in us a spiritual appetite unto heavenly things, however any of them in their own nature, or in their dis- pensation, may be bitter to flesh and blood, as are all the doctrines of the cross, they are all sweet unto us, and we can taste how gracious the Lord is in them. When the soul is filled with earthly things, the love of this world, or when the appetite is lost by spiritual sickness, or vitiated and corrupted by any prevalent sin, heavenly things are un- savoury and sapless, or as Job speaks, ' like the white of an egg wherein there is no taste.' There may be in the dispen- sation of the word a taste or pleasing relish given unto the fancy; there may be so unto the notional understanding, when the affections find no complacency in the things them- selves. But unto them who are spiritually minded unto the degree intended, they are all sweet, savoury, pleasant; the affections taste them immediately, as the palate doth meat. 3. They are a just repository of all graces, and therein the treasury of the soul. There are graces of the Spirit whose formal direct residence is in the understanding and the will, as faith itself. And therein are all other graces radically comprised; they grow from that root. Howbeit the most of them have their principal residence in the affections. In them are they preserved secure and ready for exercise on all occasions. And when they are duly spiritual, there is nothing that tends to their growth or improvement, to their cherishing or quickening, which they stand in need of con- tinually, and which God hath made provision for in his word, but they readily receive it, lay it up, keep and preserve it. Hereby they come to be filled with grace, with all graces ; VOL. xui. 2 H