A29369:149
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons
Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons ... by that learned and judicious divine, Mr. William Bridge ...
London : Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior ..., 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Then also you shall neither lose your affection nor the thing affected: if you set your affections on things that are below, you shall both loose the thing affected, and your affections too. Witness the case of Jonah's Gourd. Now our affections are precious things, too good to be spilt and lost; lost they will be,1 and spilt they will be, if set on any thing on this side Christ; but if they be set on things ⟨p. 40⟩above, you shall neither lose them nor the thing affected.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
5. And for the present these affections will make the ways of God easy to you. Hard things are easy to great affections, easy things are hard to him that hath no affection to them. You see how it is with the Hunter that runs up and down all day long over Hedges, through Bushes, sweating and tearing himself, yet with much ease and sweetness, because he affects the game; but if a man be put upon a work which he hath no affection to, then it is hard to him though never so easy in it self. So spiritually, though the work of Mortification and Repentance be an hard work, yet it is easy to some, prayer easy, reading easy, meditating easy. why? because they have affection to these things: but if your affections be not set on things that are above, how shall the ways of God be made easy and sweet unto you? But besides all these things, ye know that
5. And for the present these affections will make the ways of God easie to you. Hard things are easie to great affections, easie things are hard to him that hath no affection to them. You see how it is with the Hunter that runs up and down all day long over Hedges, through Bushes, sweating and tearing himself, yet with much ease and sweetness, because he affects the game; but if a man be put upon a work which he hath no affection to, then it is hard to him though never so easie in it self. So spiritually, though the work of Mortification and Repentance be an hard work, yet it is easie to some, prayer easie, reading easie, meditating easie. why? because they have affection to these things: but if your affections be not set on things that are above, how shall the wayes of God be made easie and sweet unto you? But besides all these things, ye know that