the light of faith to guide them unto their proper object, they either wither and die, as unto any appearing of spiritual motions, or else keep the mind tossed up and down in perpetual disquietment, without rest or peace. The foolish man wearieth himself, because he cannot find the way to the city.' So was it with them who on the account of their attendance unto the doctrine of Christ, are called his disciples; John vi. Having preached unto them about the bread which came down from heaven, and giveth life unto them that feed, they were greatly affected with it, and cried out, Lord, evermore give us of this bread;' ver. 34. But when he proceeded to declare the mystery of it, they having not faith to discern and apprehend it, their affections immediately decayed, and they forsook both him and his doctrine; ver. 66.

We may consider one especial instance of this nature. Persons every day fall under great and effectual convictions of sin, and of their danger or certain misery thereby. This stirs up and acts all their affections, especially their fears, hopes, desires, sorrow, self-revenge, according as their condition calls for them. Hence sometimes they grow restless in their complaints, and turn themselves every way for relief, like men that are out of the way, and bewildered in the night. But in this state and condition tell them of the only proper way and means of their relief, which, let the world say what it will, is Christ and his righteousness alone, with the grace of God in him, and they quickly discover that they are strange things unto them, such as they do not understand, nor indeed approve. They cannot see them, they cannot discern them, nor any beauty in them for which they should be desired.

Wherefore after their affections have been tossed up and down for a season, under the power and torment of this conviction, they come unto one or other of these issues with them. For either they utterly decay, and the mind loseth all sense of any impressions from them, so as that they wonder in themselves whence they were so foolish as to be tossed and troubled with such melancholy fancies, and so commonly prove as bad a sort of men as live upon the earth; or they take up in a formal, legal profession wherein they never attain to be spiritually minded. This is the best end that our

affections towards spiritual things, not guided by the light of faith, do come unto.

2. Faith hath a clear prospect into, and apprehension of, spiritual things, as they are in themselves, and in their own nature. It is true, the light of it cannot fully comprehend the nature of all those things which are the objects of its affections; for they are infinite and incomprehensible, such as are the nature of God, and the person of Christ; and some of them, as future glory, are not yet clearly revealed: but it discerns them all in a due manner, so as that they may in themselves, and not in any corrupt representation, or imagination of them, be the object of our affections. They are, as the apostle speaks, spiritually discerned;' 1 Cor. ii. 14. which is the reason why the natural man cannot receive them, namely, because he hath not ability spiritually to discern them. And this is the principal end of the renovation of our minds, the principal quality and effect of faith, namely, the communication unto our minds, and the acting in us, of a spiritual saving light, whereby we may see and discern spiritual things as they are in their own nature, kind, and proper use: see Ephes. i. 17-19. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.' 2 Cor. iv. 6, 'God shines in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ.' The end God designs, is to draw our hearts and affections unto himself. And unto this end, he gives unto us a glorious internal light, whereby we may be enabled to discern the true nature of the things that we are to cleave unto with love and delight. Without this we have nothing but false images of spiritual things in our minds; not always as unto the truth or doctrine concerning them, but as unto their reality, power, and efficacy. This is one of the principal effects of faith, as it is the principal part of the renovation of our minds, namely, to discover in the soul and represent unto the affections things spiritual and heavenly, in their

nature, beauty, and genuine excellency. This attracts them if they be spiritually renewed, and causeth them to cleave with delight unto what is so proposed unto them. He that believes in Christ in a due manner, who thereon discovers the excellency of his person, and the glory of his mediation, will both love him, and on his believing 'rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.' So is it in all other instances; the more steady is our view by faith of spiritual things, the more firm and constant will our affections be in cleaving unto them. And wherever the mind is darkened about them, by temptation or seduction from the truth, there the affections will be quickly weakened and impaired. Wherefore,

3. Affections thus led unto, and fixed on spiritual and heavenly things under the light and conduct of faith, are more and more renewed, or made in themselves more spiritual and heavenly. They are in their cleaving unto them, and delight in them, continually changed and assimilated unto the things themselves; becoming more and more to be what they are, namely, spiritual and heavenly.

This transformation is wrought by faith, and is one of the most excellent faculties and operations; see 2 Cor. iii. 18. And the means whereby it works herein, are our affections. In them as we are carnal, we are conformed unto this world; and by them as sanctified, are we transformed in the renewing of our minds ;' Rom. xii. 2. And this transformation is the introduction of a new form or nature into our souls, diverse from that wherewith we were before endued. So is it described, Isa. xi. 6—9. A spiritual nature they were changed into and it is twofold.

1. Original and radical as to the substance or essence of it, which is the effect of the first act of divine grace upon our souls, when we are made new creatures. Herein our affections are passive; they do not transform us, but are transformed.

2. Gradual as unto its increase; and therein faith works in and by the affections.

Whenever the affections do cleave intensely unto any object, they receive an impression from it, as the wax doth from the seal when applied unto it, which changeth them into its own likeness. So the apostle affirms of sensual unclean

persons, they have eyes full of adultery;' 2 Pet. ii. 14. Their affections are so wholly possessed and filled with their lustful objects, as that they have brought forth their own likeness upon their imaginations. That blots out all others, and leaves them no inclinations but what they stir up in them. When men are filled with the love of this world,' which carries along with it all their other affections, their hopes, fears, and desires, unto a constant exercise about the same object, they become earthly minded. Their minds are so changed into the image of the things themselves, by the effectual working of the corrupt principles of sin, self-love, and lust, as if they were made up of the earth, and therefore have no savour of any thing else.

In like manner when by faith men come to embrace heavenly things, through the effectual working of a principle of spiritual life and grace in them, they are every day more and more made heavenly. The inward man is renewed day by day. Love is more sincere and ardent, delight is more ravishing and sensible, desires are more enlarged and intense, and by all a taste and relish of heavenly things is heightened into refreshing experience. See Rom. v. 2—5.

This is the way whereby one grace is added unto another, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6. in degrees. Great is the assimilation between renewed affections and their spiritual objects, that by this means may be attained.

The mind hereby becomes the temple of God, wherein he dwells by the Spirit; Christ also dwelleth in believers, and they in him. God is love,' and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him;' 1 John iv. 16.

Love, in its proper exercise, gives a mutual inhabitation unto God and believers. In brief, he whose affections are set upon heavenly things in a due manner, will be heavenly minded. And in the due exercise of them, will that heavenly mindedness be increased. The transformation and assimilation that is wrought, is not in the object or spiritual things themselves; they are not changed neither in themselves, nor in the representation made of them unto our minds; but the change is in our affections, which are made like unto them.

Two cases deriving from this principle and consideration, may be here spoken unto, and shall be so; the first in this, and the other in the following chapter. The one is concern

ing the slowness and imperceptibility of the growth of our affections in their assimilation unto heavenly things, with the causes and reasons of it. The other is, the decays that frequently befall men in their affections unto spiritual things, instead of growing and thriving in them, with the reasons and causes thereof.

1. This progress and growth of our affections into spirituality and heavenliness, into conformity unto the things they are set upon, is ofttimes very slow, and sometimes imperceptible. Yea, for the most part, it is a hard thing to find it satisfactorily in ourselves or others. Our affections stand like shrubs in the wilderness, which see not when good cometh, and are not like plants in a garden enclosed, which is watered every day. But it is not so without our folly and our sin.

1. The folly that keeps many in this condition, consists herein; the generality of Christians are contented with their present measures, and design little more, than not to lose the ground they have gained. And a pernicious folly it is that both ruins the glory of religion, and deprives the souls of men of peace and consolation. But so it is, men have some grounds of persuasion, or at least they hope, and suppose they have such grounds, that they are passed from death unto life,' that they are in a state of grace and acceptance with God. This state they will endeavour to preserve by a diligent performance of the duties it requireth, and the avoidance of such sins, whereby they might make a forfeiture of it. But as for earnest watchful endeavours and diligence to thrive in this state, to grow in grace, to be changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ, to press forward towards the mark of the high-calling,' and after perfection to lay hold upon eternal life, to be more holy, more humble, more righteous, more spiritually minded, to have their affections more and more transformed into the likeness of things above; they are but few, that sincerely and diligently apply themselves unto it, or unto the means of these things. The measures which they have attained unto, give satisfaction unto the church, and reputation in the world, that they are professors; and some so speak peace unto their own. souls. To be more holy and heavenly, to have their affections more taken up with the things above, they suppose