2. These affections we may for distinction sake call temporary affections in holy² things. As our Saviour cals it a temporary faith, so may we a temporary joy, a temporary mourning, a temporary […]ht in good things; Not as it were of the essence of these affections to apostatize at […]ast. It is true, faith is called temporary, because when hot persecutions arose it presently withered, but had no such storms or tempests come, an house that is built upon the sand only, will not fall. It is the opinion of a learned man, Conradus Bergius, praxis Cathol. pag. 105. that it is not likely that any one dyeth a meer temporary beleever, but that at least when he cometh to die, seeing he must part with worldly comforts, which he alwaies loved more then God, he then fretteth and murmureth against God, and so extinguisheth that temporary faith and affections to God; or else resigneth himself up unto God, and of a temporary faith there is suddenly by the grace of God a saving faith; let the Authour see to the making of this good: We call it not temporary, as if it were necessary there should be Apostacy from these. Certainly the foolish Virgins were such Christians as did live and die with temporary faith and affections to God, that had a lamp and shining, and so some oil, else their lamp could not shine, but not such store as would hold out: so then, these affections and motions of thy heart, may be all the pillar thou leanest upon, when yet many damned in hell have gone as far.

3. Christians with these temporary affections do not constitute a third kinde of beleevers³ between converted and unconverted, but are in the state of unregenerate persons. And the work upon the godly and those temporaries differ not only gradually or in duration, but essentially and specifically. They are then foolish Virgins, They are those that build upon the sand; They are the thorny ground: notwithstanding these great promising hopes: So we say, that we can neither call them regenerate nor unregenerate, nor yet make them a third kinde, but that they are like the Embrio, proving abortive, which we cannot call either a man or a beast, nor yet make it a third kinde, for it’s only an inchoate, imperfect being: but by the Scripture we may surely enough place them in the rank of those who are not members of Christ, and not being united to him cannot be said to partake of the divine nature, and therefore must be in a carnall, sinfull temper, and are not like a tree rooted that sprouteth and flourisheth, but like some branch of a tree put into the ground, that may sprout for a season.

4. The affections and motions that such may have in holy duties, may be upon severall⁴ grounds;

As in the first place, The novelty and the strangenesse of the doctrine may much affect and delight: And this may be the reason why they rejoyced in John Baptists Ministery: What went you out for to see (saith our Saviour) […]: some strange, new sight; and thus while the doctrine of the Gospel is new, it hath many admirers. Commonly in the work of the Ministery, a new Minister is much delighted in, while his parts, his abilities are new, men hear with joy: but through custome, their affections do abate: and such kinde of hearers I fear London hath many: We may say unto many, What go ye out to see rather then to hear. Therefore by the way take notice of what a frail ground many go upon; who say, since they left our Congregations, our Ministers; have gone into new waies of doctrine, they say, they have found more comfort, more sweet affections then ever; What argument is this? All novell things will affect thus, and after use and custome in those waies they are in, and they go further into more new waies, upon new changes, they will finde new affections.

2, Men may be affected with the doctrine and truths of Christ, as it is comfortable⁵ or sad matter; without any respect to a spirituall operation. The Gospel is called […], glad tidings, or good news, now a man may be affected in hearing this gracious counsell of God to save sinners discovered, as he would be about any State or Common-wealth good news wherein he is much concerned, and all this is but knowing Christ after the flesh; or else the sadnesse of the matter, the very History of Christ recorded by the Evangelists, may abundantly make a man mourn to see how the innocent and righteous one was put to death, meerly to satisfie the lusts of proud and carnall men; and thus as Austin saith of himself, when he read the story of Dido, he could weep over her dead, when he could not weep for himself dead in sin; so thou maist be affected about Christs death, as it was a sad passion, and never be affected with those Scripture-Arguments that are propounded. In this sense, Christ forbad those women, weep not for me ye daughters of Jerusalem, but weep for your selves.

3. The hearers affections may be much moved, or stirred at the Ministers abilities,⁶ because of his parts, cloquence, elocution, affectionàte utterance. These things may much delight you, and you think this is a sign of grace. The Prophet Ezekiel was like a pleasant and sweet tuned instrument unto his hearers, whereupon God saith, they come in Troops, and sate as his people, but yet were not reformed. Austin while a Manichee was wonderfully affected with Ambrose his preaching, because of his eloquence: and certainly Rhetoricall elocution, especially that which is about the […] the affections of men may much prevail: Insomuch that one Countrey made Hercules who was so famous for strength, the god of eloquence, implying thereby how strong that is, to turn and change man; Therefore examine your hearts in the ground of your affections; The learning of the man may please your intellectuals; The powerfull utterance may satisfie your affections, but all this while you are no more wrought upon in a spirituall way, then the Roman auditors were, when they heard Tullies Orations, veritas Christiano-rum pulchrior est Helena Groecorum. The truth of Christianity is fairer then the Graecians Helena: we may love a choice truth, as a man may be enamoured with a fair face; fine head notions may produce some affectionate heart-motions: but what symptome of grace is in all this?

4. Even corrupt lusts in men, such as pride, ambition, self seeking, may produce⁷ great affections in holy duties, especially in publike administrations, where others may admire and applaud; Thus the Pharisees in their publique Expositions of the Law, and teachings in the Synagogue, as also in their praiers, might be much affected from those carnall motives provoking of them; many times the more excellent a Sermon is, the more carnall the heart of a Preacher may be: Thus a private Christian in praiers with others, the stronger his invention may be, the weaker his grace may be, and those expressions which seem excellent to others come from a root very bitter to God; Even as in a Meadow full of grasse and pleasant flowers, if you digge to the bottom of them, there is nothing but noysome earth; so if you go to the Fountain from whence all these expressions, vehement expostulations, that are used in praier, do flow, you may see it’s a poisoned fountain. As on the other side, an heart contrite, and full of grace before God may not be so admirable in expressions: As they say, the ground full of mines of gold is very barren for grasse. Do not then go away rejoycing from a duty, because of thy affections meerly in an holy duty. Let not this comfort thee, that thy soul was heated within, but consider whether the ground upon which all these are built, be solid and enduring.

Lastly, A mans affections may be inflamed not only from such base and unworthy considerations, but even from the goodnesse and excellency of spirituall things;⁸ yet because not radicated, not throughly changed in the bottome of the soul, all these affections be insufficient: and this was the cause of that joy and delight in those we instanced in, viz. The sweetnesse and excellency of holy things; They tasted the good Word of God, not the good worldly aims and respects by the Word of God, yet all this is in a vanishing unsetled way. They are affected with the world as well as with God, and thereby it is they miscarry: so that all affections in holy things, and that because of their excellency, is not presently a certain⁹ note of one who shall ioherit glory unlesse deeply rooted.

The grounds why Christians are apt to rely upon these are,

First, Because hereby we seem to have attained the end of all knowledge and abilities in religion. For seeing all supernaturall revelation of heavenly truths is for practice and operation: if we finde some love and joy and affection both to the revealer who is God, and the matter revealed, we are prone to think we are now arrived as farre as we ought to be. Indeed it will be easily granted, for a man to hear, pray, or beleeve the Word of God without some inward affections thereupon, that he may be judged a cloud without water, a tree without fruit: but when this oyl runneth from the head to the inferiour parts, then may we not say All is well. But Balaams consideration of the good estate of the righteous, wrought in him affections to have such an end as they have.

2. We are prone to make these all in all, because affections are sensible and we feel them moving of us: Now we are affected and confirmed most by things of¹⁰ sense. The reason why a godly man findeth it so hard to live by faith, is because we have so much of sense in us, and it is no mean work not to judge according to what we feel. Therefore that man who is in a false way, whether of doctrine, worship, or life, and yet findes comfort and consolation therein, is in a very sad and dangerous condition. The devil transforming himself into an Angel of light, of joy and comfort, doth the most incurably destroy. It is no good Argument I have comfort in this way, therefore it is of God, but let it be first discovered to be of God, and this will breed sound comfort.

Lastly, Therefore are we apt to rely on this most, because this doth look most like grace; Of all false signs these do come nearest. Temporaries are affected almost with the same feeling as the truly godly are, insomuch that some have thought (though falsly) the difference is only in degrees: so that it is easier to convince men of the unsoundnesse and weaknesse of all signs rather then of this, although men have therefore the greater cause to fear herein, rather then any where else.

Therefore in the next place consider, Why these affections are not to be looked upon as such an Ark that will save, when the deluge shall overflow.

And first, These motions argue only Gods spirit, working in thee, not dwelling in thee. Now the godly they are the temples of the holy Ghost, and being members of Christ they are animated with the spirit of Christ not only assisting but informing. The Spirit of God in a temporary is like an Angel appearing in some outward shape or body; there was an eating, a drinking, but the Angel was only a form assisting not informing that body: therefore the bodies they assumed did not live, neither were they nourished, or could grow by all the food they took, but the Spirit of God is in a godly man like the soul in the body. I do not speak of a personall union, as if they made up one, as the soul and body do one man, but of a morall union, or a union mysticall by faith, with a constant inhabitation. A woman may have many expressions of love from a man, but yet not presently such as give a conjugall affection, Therefore thou canst draw comfort from those things only which argue the spirits inhabitation, not the Spirits motion or operation.

Secondly, A second ground is in the Text, There are better things in the way of Heaven then these. Now we can take comfort in nothing but that which is the best work for its kinde, of Christ in us. There are better things then praying, hearing, with some affections; and that is a renovation of the heart, a deep radication of grace in thy soul: Whereas now if we speak of the saving graces in the godly, it would be absurd to say we hope better things, then truly to beleeve in Christ, really to mortifie sinne. It is true, there may be a graduall bettering of them, but not a specificall.

Lastly, (because more of this in another place) They are not things that accompany salvation: If a man had the highest degree of temporary faith, temporary joy, yet no promise of justification or salvation is made to such a person: There are great promises made to the beleever, to him that rejoyceth in the Word of God, but they are not to be understood of a temporary faith, or a temporary joy: he that goeth no further then these, hath no promise in all the Scripture to comfort himself by: whereas the least degree of true faith and sincere joy, may with all boldnesse apply the promise.

Use 1. of Instruction, How remote they are from all hopes of salvation, who go on in a rode, or round of the duties of religion, without the least savoury, affection in them! You whose hearts never thought of sinne, and were troubled, of whom God cannot say at any time as he did of Ahab, Seest thou how this man humbleth himself? You, who pray, hear, and finde no more rellish in these things then in the white of an Egge, as Job speaks, Oh what a gulf is there between mercy and you, that neither mercy can come to you, or you to mercy! We have removed our Idols out of our glasse windows, but there are still too many Christian Idols, in our Pews and Congregations, who have eyes and see not, hearts and understand not, nor rejoyce in any thing that is good. Oh how unexcusable is it, that thy soul hath found a sweetnesse, a savourinesse in the world, in lusts, and none in God! what is it because God is a wildernesse, and the creature a pleasant fountain?

Use of Exhortation, To take more diligent heed to thy self th[…] ever: It may be thou hast no better evidences for heaven, then what the third kinde of hearers, then what the foolish Virgins have had: Oh how terrible will it be, when God shall say to you, I looked for better things, then that joy, that sorrow, that faith. I know not how alate we are all become frozen and very barren; many inchoate and imperfect workings there are upon mens hearts, but few have a solid, and thorow change wrought upon them. It’s the opinion of Bergius before-cited, that the greater part of Christians are but temporaries, and it is to be feared that this opinion is too true: for if you do regard what little rooting grace hath in mens hearts, how weak their pulse beats that way, how strong their affections are to the world, and the things thereof; we Ministers may fear, that the greatest part of our seed is sown upon thorny ground. Oh therefore that this Sermon might be blessed by God to make some Embryo to become a perfect man, some that are almost, true beleevers, true rejoycers in good things, even altogether such: Oh this sluggishnesse and lazinesse, whereby people rest contented with some flashes of joy and sorrow, in the matters of God, will devour like a roaring Lion.

Footnotes

1. Doct. Sweet motions of heart in holy things not infallible evidences of grace. 1. What motions in Scripture declareth to be consistent with unregeneratenesse. ↩

2. 2. Such motions may be called temporary affections.
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3. 3. Temporary beleevers are unregenerate persons.
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4. 4. There are sevarall grounds of temporary holy motions. 1. Novelty of doctrine.
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5. 2. Comfortablenesse or sadnesse of the matter.
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6. 3. Ministers abilities.
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7. 4. Mens corrupt lusts.
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8. 5. Sometimes even from the excellency of spirituall things.
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9. Grounds of ap[…] to rely on these. 1. A seeming attainment of the end of all knowledge hereby. ↩

10. 2. Because of the sensible motion of Affections.
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