---

I. THE AFFECTIONS are —

1. The motions of the reasonable soul. When Jerusalem was much affected about the tidings of Christ's birth it is said that "all Jerusalem was moved." And when the Jews were affected against Paul they "were moved with envy.

2. So they are the movings of the soul whereby the heart is sensibly carried out upon what is good or evil.

3. And as it is sensibly carried out towards, so it must embrace the same. By one we follow what is good and the other shun what is evil. There are several affections, but all are ministers of love. I love a thing and, if absent, desire it; if present, delight in it. If I hate a thing I shun it or am angry with it.

II. THE AFFECTIONS ARE TO BE SET ON THINGS ABOVE, AND NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH.

1. What, may we not at all affect the things of earth? Yes, ye may desire them, and grieve at the loss of them, and both desire and grief are affections.

(1) But not for themselves, only in deference to Christ and in subordination to God. You are commanded to love your wives, husbands, etc., because you can love them in the Lord — but nowhere to love ourselves, money, etc., because "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in Him."(2) In comparison with spiritual things your affection for them is to be as no affection. "Let him that rejoiceth be as though he rejoiced not." "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart."

2. Why are we to set our affections on things above? Because, if they are not set on Christ and the things of Christ —

(1) You will not be found marriageable unto Him. That woman is not fit to be married to a man whose affections are not knit to him.

(2) You will never own Him. Ardent love is required for faithful testimony, and those who are ashamed of Christ, of them will He be ashamed.

(3) Our affections will never be drawn from things beneath. Sin is mortified by the contrary good; the joy and grief of the world by spiritual joy and grief. The snow is melted by the warm beams of the sun, and the more your hearts are warmed with love to Christ, the easier will earthly affections fall away.

(4) We shall never press much after the knowledge and enjoyment of heavenly things. A child if he have no affection for his book will never make a scholar.

(5) We shall never be zealous for God, for zeal is the heat of Divine love.

(6) We shall never do any great thing for God. The reason for David's great gift was his affection (1 Chronicles 29:3).

(7) We shall never please God in anything we do (Romans 12:11).

(8) We shall not be safe from apostasy. Conclusion: Do you set your affections on things above?

1. This is a hard thing to do: for it means to have a sympathy with that against which we had an antipathy; and to change our sympathies into antipathies, and vice versa, is no easy matter.

2. It is one thing to affect the best things and have some affections for them, and another thing to set our affections on them. Herod heard John gladly, and the stony ground received the Word with joy.

3. If men's affections were set on things above they would not be so indifferent in the things of God as they are. For this is described as hungering and thirsting.

4. Then they would always carry these things about with them in their minds.

5. They would seek them first, of their age, day, and competition; in youth, morning, and before all.

6. They would be often speaking of them, and would love to hear others (Psalm 45:1).

7. They would be most indulgent and tender of them.

8. They would not be put off with any slight evidence of their interest in them.

(W. Bridge, M. A.)

---

---

KJV: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

WEB: Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.