The crucifying of the world

2. If we are Crucified to the world, our inordinate cogitations of the world are Crucified. We must not give it that room in our fancies or power over them, as they have with other men. We should not indeed allow the creature one thought either for it self, and terminated finally in it self, nor as separated from God. Much less should we have so frequent and so pleasant or passionate thoughts of it as most have. But of this more in the Application.

3. To be Crucified to the world, is to have Affections dead about worldly things. That which is vile in our estimation, will be uneffectual in our Affections. I shall briefly instance in some particulars.

1. Our Love to the world is Crucified, if we be Crucified to the world. As this is the great Affection which God claimeth for himself, and which he maketh the seat of his most excellent grace; so is it that which he is most jealous of, and will least allow the creature to partake of; and the mis-employment of it is the greatest sin, as the right employment of it is the greatest duty. 1 John 2. 15. [Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.] This is a plain and flat command. If the world be not apprehended by the understanding to be our Good, it will not be embraced by the will, nor be Loved. Perhaps you will say, Though it be not our chief Good, yet it is Good, and therefore ⟨p. 40⟩may be loved, though not ch••s•• loved. To which I answer, that in the senses before disclaimed it is none of our Good at all. It hath no Goodness to us in it, but the Good of a Means, which is respective to the End; and therefore we must have no Love to it but that which is due to the Means: God therefore being our End, we must Love the world only for his sake, as it cometh from him and leadeth to him. The least love to the world for it self, is Idolatrous. As you may not allow another woman the least Conjugal affection, though you allow your wife more, without some guilt of unchastity; so you may not in the least measure love the creature for it self without some guilt of spiritual unchastity. If God must be loved with All the heart, and soul, and strength, then there is none lest for any co-partner whatsoever. When we love any thing but as a Means, it is more properly the End that we love in that very act (And therefore some Philosophical Divines affirm that Nothing but the ultimate End is properly loved) so that the Love which we give the world in a due subordination to God, is not so properly a Love to the world as to God, and therefore it taketh not from God the least part of that which is due to him. But if we love it in the least measure for it self, or with any co-ordinate Love, so much as we allow it, is robbed from God.