Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons

4ly. If your affections be not set upon things above, spiritual and heavenly things, you will never press much after the knowledge and obtainment of them. Ye see how it is with a Child, if he have no affections to his book, he will never make a Scholar; and so if you have no affections to the things of Christ, you will never make a Scholar in the School of Christ. Great is the power of affections, as it's said of Conscience, Magna est vis conscientiae in utramque partem, Great is the force of Conscience either way, for truth or error; so I may say of affections, Magna est vis affectionum in utramque partem, great is the force of affections either way, to put us on to evil or good. Look what a man hath an affection too that he presseth after. Now is it not our duty to press after the knowledge of Christ. Surely therefore it is very ⟨p. 31⟩fit and requisite that we should place our affections on things above.

4ly. If your affections be not set upon things above, spiritual and heavenly things, you will never press much after the knowledge and obtainment of them. Ye see how it is with a Child, if he have no affections to his book, he will never make a Schollar; and so if you have no affections to the things of Christ, you will never make a Schollar in the School of Christ. Great is the power of affections, as it's said of Conscience, Magna est vis conscientiae in utramque partem, Great is the force of Conscience either way, for truth or errour; so I may say of affections, Magna est vis affectionum in utramque partem, great is the force of affections either way, to put us on to evil or good. Look what a man hath an affection too that he presseth after. Now is it not our duty to press after the knowledge of Christ. Surely therefore it is very ⟨p. 31⟩fit and requisite that we should place our affections on things above.

5ly. If your affections be not thus set, you will never be zealous for God: for what is zeal but angered Love; it is saith one, Divinae Charitatis fervour, the heat of divine Love. Surely it is the top and extremity of affection. Now is it not our duty to be zealous for Christ. The zeal of thine house, saith he, hath eaten me up, and shall the zeal of our own houses eat us up? Zeal is commanded in opposition to Lukewarmness; Be zealous therefore, and repent, saith Christ to lukewarm Laodicea, but zealous we cannot be for God and the things of God, unless our affections be set on things that are above.