Affections Rightly Placed

A great light being near a little one, draws away and obscures the flame of the other. So it is when the affections are taken up higher to their fit object; they die unto all earthly things, while that heavenly flame consumes and wastes all base affections and earthly desires. Among the ways of mortification, there are two that stand out:
(1) By embittering all earthly things to us, whereby the affections are deadened to them.
(2) By showing more noble, excellent, and fit objects, that the soul, issuing more largely and strongly to them, may be diverted, and so by degrees die to other things.
The Holy Spirit has chosen the later way, by elevating and raising our affections and love, to take it off other things, so that it might run in its right channel. It is a shame that a sweet stream should not rather run into a garden than into a mud puddle. Likewise, what a shame it is that man, having in him such excellent affections as love, joy, delight, should cleave to dirty, base things, that are worse than himself, so becoming debased like them! Therefore, the Spirit of God, out of mercy and pity to man, would raise up man's affections, by making comparison with earthly things, leading them to higher matters, that only deserve love, joy, delight, and admiration. Let God's stooping to us occasion our rising up to him.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Love of Christ (Bowels Opened), pp. 2-3
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