A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

2. Prop. Predominant Love to the world, in regard of its subject, consists in an habitual pondus, weight, or violent Bent of heart toward some inferior good, for it self. Look as in nature there is a Centre of Gravity, unto which all ponderous weighty bodies, by their Gravity and weight, naturally tend; So in corrupt Nature, Love to the world, or Concupiscence is that lustful Pondus, or weight whereby the heart is violently impelled and inclined towards the world, as its centre of Gravity. This seems lively expressed Hebr. 12.1. Let ⟨p. 71⟩us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us. This verse, with the three following, are wholly agonistic, alluding to the Grecian games, as it appears by the several terms. They, who ran in the race, were to lay aside every thing, that might burden or hinder them therein. Thence saith the Apostle, let us lay aside every weight: [Greek or Hebrew] properly signifies a ponderous, weighty, gross, heavy, body; and it is here applied, as^(e) the learned conceive, to the love of the world; which, as a great pondus or weight, presseth down the heart towards the earth, as its centre of gravity; and so hinders its Christian race heaven-ward. O! what an infinite weight is love to this dirty world? with what an impetuous and violent force doth it press the heart downward, even unto Hell? this also is well expressed by a Bent, Hos. 11.7. And my people are bent to back-bsliding from me. i. e. Their heart stands strongly bent towards their beloved Idols, and worldly allies. Their hearts were in suspense, as to God, (so the word signifies) but strongly bent towards the world. How doth the voluptuous man's heart stand bent towards his pleasures; the avaricious man's heart towards his riches; the ambitious man's heart towards his honours, as his God? this bent of the heart towards the world discovers it self, in an insatiable infinite thirst after worldly good, for it self. This we find greatly exemplified in profane Esau, Hebr. 12.16. Or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. What birthright was it that Esau sold? why, it was his birth-right to the promised land, Canaan in the type, but Heaven in the Antitype. And for what did he sell Canaan and Heaven? for a morsel of meat, or a poor sensible pleasure, which his greedy lust thirsted after. You find the story at large,