in the likeness of men and Lot entertained them for his Guests but before they lay down the men of the City compassed the House round both old and young all the people from every Quarter and demanded of Lot to bring the men out to them that they might know them even as you read in Rom. 1. 26 27. God gave them up even the Heathens unto vile affections for even the Women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the Woman burned in their Lust one towards another men with men working that which is unseemly and you find 1 Kings 15. 12. Asa took away the Sodomites out of the Land in 2 Kings you read of the Houses of the Sodomites so great an abomination by the House of the Lord where the Women wove hangings for th◠Grove Which Houses good King Josiah in his general Reformation brak◠down Socrates as Tertullian Apol. c. 46. p. 36. th◠great Glory of the Heathen world fo◠the improvement of his natural Reaso◠in Religion was condemned at Athens amongst other things for Sodomy and th◠corrupting of Youth The History of th◠Reformation tells us upon inquiry int◠the corruptions of Religious Houses Monasteries Abbies c. many were foun◠guilty of this sort of wickedness and w◠are told in Sicily where the burning Mountain is that at some times of latte◠years especially it hath overrun Towns an◠Cities with a torrent of fiery sulphureous matter that their Sin as well as their Punishment is that of Sodom and tha◠common among them as Mr. Vincent o◠the three Burnings Grotius de Relig. Chr. 1. 2. tells us Apud Sinenses Gentes alia◠pro licito est In the 18. of Leviticus 22 23. you read Thou shalt not lye with Mankind as with Womankind neither shalt tho◠lye with any Beast to defile thy self therewith it is abomination Which shows how desperately wicked the heart is in this kind that it hath all uncleanness in it as it is said to work all or all manner of uncleanness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. and so you find our blessed Saviour assuring us Mark 7. 21. that not only evil thoughts but Fornications in the plural number as if it were all kinds of Lusts or at least several kinds of actual uncleannesses come from within out of the hearts of men proceeding thence And indeed when men are so prodigiously lustful they will lose all command over their affections and not stick at any Lusts that they are urged to with violence of temptation neither at Ravishments of Virgins nor Bestiality it self which History affords some instances of and they may be perhaps forsaken in such manner for setting their affections too much upon such Creatures as the cause of some other some for their vileness in their vile Lusts or abominable wickednesses or sinful curiosity to try and experiment all sorts of Lust I have read as if this sin among the Moors in Africa was oftner committed and of one or two Relations which carry some Credibility in them of those who in the acting of this strange kind of Lust or this wild-fire have been punished with extraordinary Judgments R. B. in his Wonderful Prodigies of Gods Judgments citing it out of the Adventures of Mr. T. S. an English Merchant taken Prisoner by the Turkish Pirates and carried into the Inland Cuntreys of Africa we find this wonderful Relation That near Tezrim this Gentleman saw the perfect Stature of a Man b-g-g his Ass which was so lively that at a little distance he thought it to be real but when he came near he saw that they were of perfect Stone Upon enquiry he was informed that this was never made by man but that some person formerly had been turned into that Image with the Ass in the very moment of the Act by the mighty power of God the fleshly substance of the man being changed into firm Stone as an eternal reproach to Mankind Upon farther search he found the Stone to represent not only the perfect shape but also the colour of every part of the man and the Beast with the Sinews Veins Eyes Mouths in such a lively manner that he was convinced of the truth of it and was told that some who had laboured to carry from thence that Monument of mans shameful Lust either their persons or their Cattel were struck dead upon the place in the attempt it being necessary the Moors should have such signal testimonies of Gods displeasure before their Eyes because of their proneness to such filthy actions He mentions another in p. 179. Printed under the name of Sir Ken. Digby Next come inordinate Affection and evil Concupiscence to be considered which respect the lusts of men as they are internal though they never break forth into acts of naughtiness Some conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be a general unlimited word that reacheth unto all particular sinful affections desires and inclinations of the heart all such as are disorderly against the dictates of right Reason or the Word of God The word indeed may comprehend any violent strong passion but so it is besides my discourse I shall take it in the other sence for the passion of Love or Lust for it is spoken of here in an ill sense as that which is to be mortified as Amnons passion the fury of which passion preyed upon his vital Spirits so that he waxed lean from day to day When a mans passion is so mighty strong towards any Creature and ungovernable it argues that our love to God is weak For when our affection is carried out after him it will be predominant and take off our inordinate excessive affection to the Creature so that it shall not continue long uncontroulable Else the word may signifie such an habit of corrupt affection as is in those who are given over to lasciviousness such a lustful disposition as is affected upon almost every occasion or temptation and hence Pathici vocantur molles effeminati says Pareus upon the place quales fure Sardanapalus Heliogabalus Such as are weak this way as King Charles the Second in respect of Women Of which Prince saith an eminent Writer our greatest kindness to him will be to forget him unless God cause us to remember him and his sins of this sort by some remarkable Judgment as the sins of Manassah were remembred afterwards in the days of good King Josiah Our way to mortisie this affection will be to beg the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts and to expell the evil habit and to possess and dwell in our hearts that so corrupt affections may not stir and to set our affections upon the right Object even Almighty God and then they will be fixed and like the House that was founded upon a Rock stand firm and not be moved or shaken with temptations which argues great lightness and unconstancy to be taken with every fair Object and
reject the Word as those Ps 81. 11 12. But my people would not hearken â—o my Voice i. e. the word of God Whereâ—ore I gave them up to their own hearts Lusts God will make those vile in whose eyes â—is Word is vile or any other Ordinance â—f God Rom. 1. 25. Who changed the truth â—f God into a Lie and Worshipped and served â—he Creature more than the Creatour who is â—lessed for ever For this cause God gave â—em up unto vile Affections unnatural Lusts â—nd so in the 23. ver and all this for disâ—onouring God in his Worship If thou â—alt lye like a Logg in the presence of â—od in in such a câ—reless irreverent Bruâ—sh Posture as manifesteth a downright â—ontempt of Gods Worship thou disâ—nourest God in this Worship and God â—ay punish and make thee as vile by thy â—usts and Dishonourable We read of polluting the Sabbath Is 56. 2. â— the Ordinances of God when we alâ—w and indulge our Lusts in the very â—emple of God and Acts of Worship â—r upon the Lords Day follow our Lusts â— do any thing which makes the Lords â—ay vile this may provoke the Lord to â—ave us to pollute our selves But as the Word of God and the Orâ—nances of God duly performed promote Purity so there are other things as contrary to it to be carefully avoided as fearful Temptations and Provokatives to Lusâ— such are lewd Ballads Plays Stories anâ— Lascivious Songs of Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom calls them Songs of â— Devils composâ—re which vitiate and coâ—rupt the minds of Youth it being natâ—ral for the Heart and Mind to be wrougâ— upon by those things which are much â— the Mind and the Tongue until they râ—semble and are made Conformable unâ— them as the word to work Purity othâ— things frame the Mind into Wantoâ—ness The last means is Prayer and this I pâ— in the last place because Prayer must gâ— Gods Blessing upon all the other meaâ— Every thing is Sanctifyed by the Word aâ— Prayer The Word put in as bringing â— to the knowledge of Christ in and througâ— whom all things are Blest to us Eph. 1. 3. evâ— our Prayers accepted being offered up â— his Name which the Word teacheth usâ— do but Prayer that especially begs aâ— obtains Gods Blessing Grace to flee thoâ— Evils which may Corrupt us and to prâ—ctise those things attend those Ordinaâ—ces which may purisie us It is not enougâ— to know our Duty our Helps to Vertueâ— and to this of Chastity in particular and our Temptations and Hinderances but if we would have Grace and Strength enabling us to practise accordingly Prayer must procure it But besides Prayer of it self is a special Help in this Case Pray â—hat ye enter not into Temptation Mat. 26. 41. that ye be not drawn away of your own Lusts â—nd enticed and allured with the pleasure of this Sitâ— For then are you Tempted as St. James 1. Prayer is an excellent fence and preservative against this Temptation â—nd therefore David Prays Make me a clean Heart O God Ps 51. 10. and keep thy Servant back from presumptuous Sins then shall â— be undefiled and innocent from the great ofâ—ence in the Church Translation of the Psalms However Davids great Offence was his Adultery with Bathshcba that cauâ—ed the Murther of Vriah her Husband A Praying Christian may plead thus with God It is for thine Honour to kill â—very Corruption It is thy work to Sanâ—tifie and Purifie our Hearts Christ gave himself for that end to redeem us from all â—niquity and purify to himself a peculiar peoâ—le zealous of good works or that we may â—eny our selves and do Violence to our corrupt Nature Crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof Mortifying our Members Fornication Vncleanness inodinate Affection c. That our Bodies mâ— be pure and undefiled Members of Christ and not the Members of an Harlot Thâ— our Bodies may be preserved evermâ— chast and uncorrupt Temples fit for tâ— Holy Ghost to dwell in That we may scape the pollutions which are in the Worâ— through Lust and adorn that pure and uâ— defiled Religion which we profess O Make us clean Hearts O God and renâ— right Spirits within us that we may remeâ—ber our own evil ways and our doings that we not good and loath our selves in our own sigâ— for our Iniquities and our Abominations Tâ— is very fit to bring us to Repentance eâ— for a Personal use or in behalf of the Nâ—tion And for young persons that thâ— may have Grace to fleÌ„e Youthful Lust And to follow after Righteousness Faith Câ—rity calling upon the Lord out of a pure Heaâ— Prayer is a drawing nigh to God Aâ— God draws nigh to us with his Grace aâ— Spirit when we draw nigh to him he nigh at hand ready to help us but â— stand at a great distance from God looks upon us too as a far off when â— make no Conscience of this duty of Praâ—er When we absent our selves from tâ— Throne of Grace and are not seen wiâ— God in Secret then God hides his Face from us and upon Gods withdrawing and deserting our Spiritual Enemies are present the Flesh and the Devil and the Alâ—urements of the World they Tempt Atâ—ack and prosper How others find it I â—annot tell but I am sure I find that the Devil is busie with me whenevâ—r I neglect Prayer some evil thoughts or other he â—ollows me with but then my Heart is â—ure when I am most constant in Duty â—nd keep closest to God in Prayer which God never appointed in Vain but as a means and a very choice means to fetch â—n Grace and help against the World the Flesh and the Devil But I think it is imâ—ossible for those Christians to have pure Hearts or good quiet Consciences who â—ive in the neglect of daily Prayer We â—all find our selves strong in the Lord and â—he power of his Might or his Almighty â—ower engaged for us when we give God â—is due in Prayer and then our Lusts will â—e weak But when we neglect prayer â—e are weak our strength is gone our supâ—ort and our props drawn from under us â—nd nothing left to bear us up and keep â—s from falling It is Gods usual course â—hen People for a long time leave God in â—ot Praying or Reading c. and doing the good they shall do in Religion not oâ—ly to with hold his further Grace bâ— to withdraw the present measure and leaâ— them first to Temptations that they mâ— awaken them and if they amend noâ— then to fall under them doing those Wicâ—ednesses and Abominations which shall bâ— bitterness to them in the latter end Whâ— Sin or the love to your Lusts work oâ— Prayer then you may Sin on in a courâ— of Sinning until you be hardned in Sin and past Feeling or Remorse for Sin Bâ— if you hold on in Prayer which should â— a mighty Encouragement unto you yoâ— will weaken Sin even strong Lusts
us from Adams sin and â— from God and the Holiness of his firâ— estate Crucifying the flesh we read of and Crâ—cified to the World an Allusion to Christs death upon the Cross a painfull and tormenting death and so is Death commonly attended with pain the pains of Death at the last hour and the preceding hours and sometimes days which makes Nature look upon Death with a great deal of horrour and reluctancy And thus corrupt Nature looks upon mortifying the fleshly lusts as a sore evil it puts the flesh to a great deal of pain and misery it afflicts the Body in denying it satisfaction crossing it in its sinful desires its evil lustings and therefore it is compared in Scripture to the plucking out a right Eye to the cutting off a right Hand or a right Foot and casting it from one so difficult is it for a man to deny himself herein in the Mortification of his darling Lust This to mortifie your members c. saith one of the Fathers is the hardest Text in the whole Bible and the hardest Duty in Christianity that we can go about Mortification of sin is the giving a deadly wound to sin to the reigning and commanding power of sin which is the Life of sin subduing the Corruption and wickedness of our Natures the evil Inclinations and dispositions of man in his saln sinful state so that the heart is cleansed and purged from the love of sin sin disabled from lording it and having the dominion over us every unruly Lust overmastered and brought under This is Mortification or the giving a deadly wound to sin even as a man is said to be a dead man when he is mortally wounded or when he is inwardly decayed as to his vital parts or the breaking some principal Vein in the Body albeit in some such cases they have some remainder of life and that may continue sometimes years after or as when the main Body of an Army is routed and beaten out of field or dead upon the place though there may be some striving and strugling or faint resistance from the remainder yet it doth not hinder them from the Victory Even so it is here when the main Body of sin is subdued and beaten out of the Heart of a Christian though there be some Reliquiae or remainders of corruption yet sin is mortified for this mortifying work iâ— not perfect here it doth not root out sin and dispossess it wholly that we should have no sin at all left in us or sin no more and be pure from sin after Mortification For the most righteous man upon the â—acâ— of the Earth hath the seed of sin the rooâ— of evil in him Flesh as well as Spirit aâ— Heart deceitfull and desperately wicked considered naturally in and of it self as well as a new heart and a new spirit formed in Christ Jesus And therefore the unregenerate part hath need to be still mortified lest otherwise it break out into those evils and abominations which we read of in Lot's Drunkenness and Incest Jacob's deceitful dealing with Laban Davia's Murther and Adultery Solomon's Idolatry and Carnality Jonah's great Impatience and Murmuring against God and self-justifying in his so doing Peter's denyal of his Master with Cursing and Swearing too St. Mark 14. 71. Which are sad evidences of the frailty of our Nature and the abiding of sin alter sanctification as Rom. 7. largely proves our indwelling sin to be soliciting and tempting and stirring to evil and we have need of continued Influences of the Spirit to carry on this work of Mortification continually it is not to be only for a time by fits and starts but when we have masterâ—d sin and conquered its temptation at present it will renew its strength and return upon you again like that Monster Hydra's â—ead it will repullulate and find you work or repeating your assaults and reiterating â—our mortifying blows like a conquered Nation which will be labouring still to recover its former power and soveraignty and must be continually kept under with standing Garrisons so sin will be restless and striving still for the mastery taking all occasions to soil us if we do not hold up a constant work killing sin when it is reviving nipping it when in the bud least it sprouâ— and grow up again and bring forth its corrupt fruit But more of this in the Use for Trial of our Mortification Having shown what Mortification is we come next to shew what is meant by Members Piscator says of the Apostle Cupidi tates vocat membra and Mr. Leigh in hiâ— Annotations much the same Lusts some oâ— which he nameth afterwards Dr. Hammond understands it of our inordinate Affections Dr. Preston says by Members iâ— meant Sin or any foul Affection or desirâ— of the Heart when our Affections fix oâ— settle upon an unlawful Object as anotheâ— Man's Possessions another Man's Wife oâ— any acts of Uncleanness as those out of married estate are all unclean any Heathenish or Popish Antichristian Honour and Preferments Or when the Heart is set upon lawfâ— things in an undue measure an immoderatâ— distrustful care of his worldly concernâ— which otherwise were lawful and must bâ— cared for with Faith and Sobriety A Man may take some kind of Pleasure and use some sports Hunting Fishing Hawking Bowling for his Recreation while he hath the command over his Affections but if he be captivated and his heart brought under the power of any as 1 Cor. 6. 12. to love the World to love his lawful Comforts or his Child excessively if his love to any Creature eclipse his Love to God and draw away his Heart from Religion and deaden his joys and delights in God and Duty or be so predominant that a man cannot resign up that Creature that Comfort to God to bear the loss of it it becomes sin and defiles the Man Our Lusts and corrupt Affections are called Members because 1. The whole Corruption of Man's Nature is compared to a Mans Body and called the body of Sin Rom. 6. 6. and the body of Death the latter not only because it was so grievous to the Apostle as that lamentable Exclamation noteth O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. that it was as death is to a natural Man or worse than death to him but a body of death in that sense as we are dead in trespasses and sins being the cursed fruit and effect of spiritual death the remainder of that death and called a body because of its quantity there being a mass an heap of Corruption even in the Saints though it be overpowred by God's Grace and hindered from breaking forth in their Lives in that measure as it doth in the Unregenerate Now every soul Affection is as a Member of this Body every unmortified Lust a limb in this old man of sin 2. Lusts are called Members because they do work in our Members Iam. 4. 1. Whence come wars
set on fire with every spark of temptation Next comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil Concupiscence to be considered taken sometimes for Original sin and the corruption of our natures our inherent Lusts as Rom. 7. and the 7th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had not known Lust unless the Law had said Thou shalt not covet coveting there in the 10th Commandment comprehending all those irregular Appetites and evil Desires which proceed from that Lust within which is set as the Fountain of Iniquity especially of uncleanness and so in St. James ch 1. 14. the word is translated Lust there and Concupiscence according to the original of the word being a Latin word signifies more especially Conjunctionis appetitus a desire to be together or a desire after carnal copulation and in this latter sence shall I use the word for the Lust of uncleanness the internal corruption of this sort The Original Impurity of our hearts or naughtiness that is in them naturally that gives birth and being to evil motions and is as the Mother-sin to them the Lust which conceiveth them when tempting objects present themselves or upon the reading or hearing of any lascivious speeches or in the heat of Summer or upon sundry other occasions and sometimes they are suggestions of Satan These are of two sorts either filthy Thoughts and Imaginations concerning uncleanness in the Acts of it or the Circumstances or those things which have any concern therein or relation to them whatever may stir up Lust in us these must be mortified we must reject them at the first motion cast them out as soon as Satan casts them in turn away from those objects which present these corrupting fancies to us take off our thoughts and fix them upon somewhat else fall into discourse when you have company with you and divert your self some way or other to chase away these Imps of the unclean Spirit or if you are alone with some place of Scripture or with a Prayer in this time of Temptation if they be very urgent and powerful and pressing upon you for then Satan he is in them working and setting them home Next come actual Desires or Lusts not only after Whoredom or Adultery but all lascivious touches or the company of such persons or after their wanton Wit or any of those things which afford entertainment to the Lusts of men I distinguish these latter evil Desires as arising from the will from evil thoughts belonging to the mind a thinking faculty To mortifie these desires First By a contrary desire and endeavour to serve God with a pure heart here and with the pure in heart to see God and enjoy him for ever hereafter if this desire were but strong and vehement if this desire were but rooted and settled in the heart and that betimes or indeed if the heart were but seasoned with grace it would work out unchast desires or bring them under in subjection of the flesh to the Spirit Next when the heart is purged to desire Spiritual things above the pleasures of sin refer it to God desire of God to choose for thee a single or a Married life as shall be foreseen in his Wisdom to be most for his Glory and thine Eternal Salvation this should be every ones desire that hath the gift of Continency if you have not that gift and cannot attain it you must desire after Marriage to quench the burning and flaming of Lust inwardly though it never come to action and thou must beg of God that blessing pleading before him that thou dost not desire Marriage for any false ends of Riches Honours or to Indulge thy Lust and Brutish Sensuality but as 1 Cor. 7. 2. a Remedy against Fornication to subdue thy Lusts and keep thee from any sinful effects of them that thou mayst serve God with a more pure Heart and that 't is for the Salvation of thy Soul which thou fearest is endangered by thy Lusts that thou desirest it or for the begetting of Children to be brought up in the fear of the Lord and seriously promise or resolve with Gods Assistance upon the Religious Education of thy Children which God shall give thee in a married Estate and then thou hast reason to hope God will give thee thy Request and pray for such an one as may be an help to thee Heavenwards begging of God in the mean time Repentance for thy past Sins and Grace to preserve thee for the time to come As for those that are Married their desires must be towards their Husband as Gen. 3. 16. and the Husbands towards his Wife and be confined within the Bonds of Matrimony But if these evil Motions and Suggestions of the Mind and of the will be not rejected and mortifyed they will be entertained with Complacency and Delight they will be hugg'd and cherished as the darlings and the dearly beloved the sweet and delicious danties of the Soul and so corrupt the Heart and Affections there will be a pleasing our selves too in the Fancy of lust a good liking and a friendliness unto it and as he whose delight is in the Law of the Lord in his Law is said to Meditate Day and Night Psal 1. 2. so on the same account of our delight in these things they will be our Meditation Day and Night When Sleep departeth from us in the Night and our rest faileth us this will insinuate it self into our Minds and fill up our thoughts and perhaps our former Sins return upon us with a contemplative uncleanness and we fetch over our old Sins with all the pleasure that was enjoyed in them chewing upon the sweetness of those Sins as Aholibah Ezek. 23. 19 calling to remembrance the days of her Youth and v. 21. the lewdness of thy Youth is said to have multiplyed her Whoredoms by so doing instead of a Serious and Penitent reflection on them with great regret and grief of mind and loathing our selves for all our Abominations Thus to repeat our Sins must needs be an hainous Provocation bring a double guilt upon us and put us farther from Repentance than before if not bind up the punishment of those Sins upon us and Seal them under Impenitency unto the Judgment of the grea◠Day Our love then which we naturally bea◠our lusts must be turned into hatred an◠Sin must be bitter for sweet with as muc◠or more bitterness than ever we delighte◠in it such a remorse for this sweet Morse◠as estrangeth our Affections from our ow◠Iniquity argueth indeed that we have gained the point in Mortification But because there is a further step in this evi◠Concupiscence as the Original sending out its evil Motions and then the Complacency or Delight when it once becomes habitual and evil thoughts and unchast desires to settle and lodge in the Soul and make their Abode in it as they will if they find such a welcom and Entertainment in the Soul and if the Affections be carryed out after them then the will
Pleasures of the World so far â— they cannot be gotten or kept withoâ— sinning against God all his sins are so fâ— forgiven that he is in a pardoned jâ—stfied state before God yet the temporâ— chastisement and punishment is not forgâ—ven as is plain in the case of Davids pâ—nishment for his Mâ—rther and Adâ—ltery and Micah 7. 9. I will bear the Indignatiâ— of the Lord because I have sinned againâ— him until he plead my cause c. And whâ— I visit I will visit their sin upon them Nâ— the Spiritual Punishment so wholly soâ— given but that those evil courses whicâ— a Christian was most addicted unto in hâ— days of sin while he was unconverteâ— may stick by him afterwards and that â— closely that they may fetch tears from â—is eyes and signs from his heart and â—e the grief and hitterness of his Spirit â—nd make him cry out Oh wretched man â—at I am who shall deliver me c. Yea he â—ay be ready to faint under the Violence â—f his temptation and be full of doubts â—nd fears as if God had forgotten to be graâ—ious and shut up his loving kindness in disâ—leasure c. Psal 77. 9. Yea others who â—ave seemed righteous and as if they â—ere returning unto God when their past â—s have returned upon them and the â—â—ght of Gods Wrath for those sins lain envy upon their Spirits have been beatâ—n off from the ways of God and though â—hey had as it were one foot in Heaven â—ave drawn that back yea somâ— have â—een so far overcome of the Evil One â—s to have been swallowed up in despair â—nd concealing their guilt the Distemper â—ath raged the more inwardly until at â—ast they have made away themselves I â—peak this as one that passed through this â—ery trial through the Lords goodness â—hen one and the other perished in it â—nd thuâ— it will be and it must be that â—here the Sinner sinneth most and is â—ostdeep in guilt that there his Humiliation must be the greater And for tâ— very end it is that God suffers the temâ—tation to return upon him though a â—nitent and holds him long under â— temptation until he be sufficiently aâ— effectually humbled and smart for sins and find that it is an evil and bitâ— thing that he hath sinned so much â— must be punished either in this World the other World but for true Penitenâ— the future Punishment cannot reach theâ— There is no condemnation for them that are Christ Jesus therefore their sins are grief and vexation to them their pâ— and misery and punishment to them hâ— being chastened of the Lord both corporâ—ly and spiritually by the terrours of Lord let in upon their Souls for sin â— so they should not be condemned with the woâ— 1 Cor. 11. 32. Else in the second Place it is for so present sin that we are tempted by â— Lusts either for our neglect of Prayâ— and so we grow weak and want that sâ—ritual strength against these sins whâ— we used to have and our Lusts grâ— strong and get ground upon us or â— our lewd Company or high gluttonâ— feeding or spiritual Pride and Consideâ— on our own strength or for disregaâ— â—f Gods Word when that is vile in our â—yes and slighted God may then give us â—p to some vile lust or for indulging our â—ase and idleness or for Incontinency and â—sciviousness in Marriage or defiling â—olluting the Holy Sacrament or the â—ther Ordinances of God by entertainâ—ng the fancies of Lust and contemplaâ—ing them in the very time of Gods Worship Or Thirdly It must be for prevention of â—ome sin to come and thus our good God discovers to Christians the corrupâ—ion and â—ickedness of their Natures as the Founâ—ain-head of all their Lusts for a greater Mortification of this Heart-wickedness and deeper humiliation for it And this will be the best means to prevent sins for the future even when the inner rooms of the Soul are swept und cleansed from â—in for from within out of the hearts of men proceed evil Thoughts Fornications Adulteries The more the Heart is purgâ—ed the less will the life be corrupted That was partly preventive of evil when St. Saul 2 Cor. 2. 7. was tempted as he calls it by a thorn in the flesh least he should be exalted above measure God will make the best know how vile their Nature is that they are Flesh and Blood as well as other men least their exaltation in Graâ— should make them forget themselves aâ— their depravation by Nature And poâ—bly when we begin to grow more secâ— and careless more slack or negligeâ— then some Lust is let loose to awaken us Another means for the Mortification our Lusts or a good Preventive or Pâ—servative from sins of this sort is a dâ— care to flee all appearance of evil not oâ— such things as may corrupt Peoples Miâ— and Manners but whatever carries wâ— it bâ—t a suspition of lightness and imâ—desty not only to shun such speeches aâ— actions signs and geâ—tures of the Boâ— and manner of Apparel as is transparâ— and next to nakedness with sâ—ch thiâ— as have an apparent wantonness and laâ—viousness in them but avoiding thâ— things which are commonly reputed sâ— Places and Persons of ill Name and those things that may bring an ill repâ— upon you though possibly you may innocent and in that respect it be unâ—servedly A Man would not only hâ— his Wife be honest but not to go in â— Dress like to this or that Strumpet tâ— she may not so much as appear to be iâ— modest And thus our Church is not â—ly a pure Church having the Gospel a Translation uncorrupt and the Ordinances of God Prayer and Preaching and the Sacraments in their Doctrinal Purity though ut naevus in pulchro corpore some blemish in her neglect of Discipline but hath and must have a care not to come too near that shameless Strumpet of Rome if it be in appearance only The Doctrine of our Church against Transubstantiation and Declaration in the Rubrick after the Communion sufficiently clear us from symbolyzing with Idolaters in kneeling at the Sacrament and wearing the Surplice without consecraring it from Superstitition and an Opinion of Holiness of the Garment And as to the sign of the Cross some have wished it were left at liberty or the use of it forborn if there be any appearance of evil in it unto the People it appearing lawful to the Minister he should have his liberty allowed him by them to administer the Ordinance of Baptism belonging to him and not to the People and so it hath not the nature of scandal and offence as other things if not endangering the People or â—rawing them to do the like to whom it â—ppeareth evil But to return from this â—â—gression even as those that go to the utâ—ost of what is lawful may justly be carried a step farther and fall into somewhat that is sinful even so God may justly leave those to fall into real
the 13th who was killed in the very Act of Adultery by the Husband of the Woman whom he defiled And it is a common saying of the Romish Priests That their Children warm themselves by other Folks Fires The Vows of perpetual Chastity or Continence have occasioned other harm than that of Secret Whoredoms and Murthers even Marcion the Heretick had vowed Chastity but afterward polluted himself with Whoredom and was cast out of the Church and coming to Rome and being denyed the fellowship of the Church he fell to Cerdon and Augmented his Errour of a Supream Invisible God Secondly a Visible God Creator of all things Thirdly the Devil as a mid-thing between the Visible and Invisible God This Heresie spread it self in Italy Egypt Palestina Arabia Syria Cyprus Thebaida Persia and many other places They denyed also the Resurrection Marcion called justly by Tertullian Primogenitus Diaboli the first-born of the Devil Now by way of Tryal and Examination whether you have attained to this Purity of Heart and Mortification of Lust First Mortification must be laid at the Root of the Tree a deadly Wound be given Sin at the Heart It is not enough to Lop off some of the Branches to cut off some of the outward Acts of Sin for these will grow again in time To cleanse the Streams will be to little purpose if the Fountain be left unscowred that will send forth such foul waters again as shall make all Mire and Dirt. Thus the Heart must be purged and cleansed from filthiness else the Life will be polluted and unclean The labour at the Pump of the Ship in casting the Waters out will signifie little while they neglect to stop the Leak The Heart lets in all these Evils which defile the Man Therefore the Heart must be rectifyed and the abundance of wickedness stopped and suppressed there First Rule to know when the Heart is purged and purified is when the Will is resolved for Purity against all the Temptations to the contrary and that with a serious and deliberate fixed and settled purpose and resolution Suddain Purposes as they are taken up without consideration of the difficulties they shall meet with so they fail in time of Trial and Temptation but when all the hinderances are weighed and all the allurements of the Flesh and a Man finds himself armed with a Christian Courage and strong in the Lord and the power of his might what hardship and difficulty soever there be in this mastery of his Lusts for the words mortifying and crucifying the Flesh with Affections and Lusts import that there is a great deal of pain and misery in the Duty much of Self-denial in this Purification of the Heart then such a Purpose such a Resolution as this is like to carry it for Voluntas domina membrorum the Will commands the outward Man and if the Will be fortified and fully bent against Whoredoms Adulteries and also other acts of Lust against corrupt Communication lewd Company lascivious Songs c. the man is like to be and act accordingly for Men do not use to be forced to these grosser sins against their Wills though I deny not but that corruption is working in the Saints and stirring them up through the instigations of Satan to the doing the evil which they would not do and hindering them from doing the good which they should and would do in the Combate between the Flesh and the Spirit as Rom. 7. 14. Where I am carnal or corrupt sold under sin saith the Apostle that is a Slave to Satan under the bondage of corruption naturally led captive by the Devil at his plâ—aâ—ure and by our own Lusts 2 Tim. 2. 26. The evil which I would not that do I Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 19 20 21. In actual sins commonly at least and ordinarily God doth not use to charge any more of sin upon us than there was of the Will in the deed even so much evil was there in it yet here we must distinguish between such sins as were voluntary at first and afterwards Persons may be given up unto them and sin involuntarily and be but a spiritual Curse and Judgment from the Lord upon them or when there is some other sin which is voluntary and allowed of sinning that sin knowingly and wilfully Persons may justly be punished with some other sin involuntarily and yet culpably Next when there is a real Hatred and Enmity between us and our Lusts As 1. When there is an effectual resistance of the Temptations to this sin such a resistance as prevails against the Temptations from without and our own Lusts and overcometh and escapeth the pollutions which are in the World through Lust 2. When a Christian holds out Praying against his Lusts and that with a real and unfeigned desire to be preserved from the evil of them and useth all holy means and Ordinances of God in Faith and dependance upon God for this preserving Grace There is never a Prayer hearty Prayer but it gives a wound to the Flesh and our Lusts a mortifying blow 3. When there is a Zeal against this sin in one kind as well as in another and that not out of an hypocritical pretence to seem holy and more pure than others but out of a sense of the evil and a concern for the Honour of God and our Religion There is much of Anger and Indignation in Zeal and that argues somewhat to offend and displease which we may apply to the Lusts of Men we really hate and dislike this sin when we are truly Zealous against it We are commanded in the first of Tim. 5. 22. Partake not of other mens sins keep thy self pure Every filthy speech lewd Story or unlawful Deed and Act of Lust of others which pleaseth you and delighteth you so that you dislike it not and shew not your dislike of it by leaving the Company or shaking your head or reproving and admonishing the Offenders brings a guilt upon you So that if you would be pure you must not partake of other mens sins The Third Rule for Trial of this Purity by the spiritual sight and sense of this Sin A Man that hath been used to live in a bad foggy unwholsome Air he discerneth not feeleth not any thing noisom or offensive in it it is all one to him as it were pure Air. Thus is it with one that hath an Heart habitually filthy and unclean evil lustings are not evil to him or in his Account they do not afflict him or offend him he seeth no such hurt in them but that if he forbear the grosser acts he may be a pure Saint and so they settle themselves and lodge in the Heart quietly and without molestation But a Christian that hath an habit of Purity in his heart if at any time his Lusts do stir and are tempting and continue for a time and it is but for
Ease and Pleasure and the â—ait and allurement to this sin is the pleasure of it James 1. 14. you read Then is a man tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies baited as Men do bait for Fishes with somewhat alluring and pleasing to the tast of the silly Fish so doth Lust baâ—â— and allure idle voluptuous Persons witâ— the pleasure in it This is the reasoâ— why great Persons are more addicted tâ— this Vice and Wickedness because theâ— living idly and loving their Pleasures thâ— Devil as he finds them much at leisure tâ— be tempted and to hearken to his suggeâ—stions so he knows they look upon them selves as born for their Pleasures anâ— therefore he hath commonly more succeâ— with his Temptations of this sort on s 〈…〉 as they are whereas those busied aboâ— their honest Calling cannot so well tuâ— aside and leave their employ to follow tâ— Works of the Devil and be so ready â— his beck to fulfil his pleasure they haviâ— other work to do their minds must be â— a great measure taken up with that aâ— so have not that opportunity besides thaâ— they have not that plenty of Money â— spend upon their Lust and are in Goâ— way and in some measure in his protecâ— on while they are about their lawâ— works and worldly business but Temâ—tations come with doble the force to idle â—ich Epicures If persons will not set themselves to work some way or other about their worldly concerns or the concerns of Religion the Devil will be sure to set them on work about that which is evil God having made it the Duty of all religiously or usefully to employ themselves and their precious time so as either God may be glorified or the World benefited by them Another Means for the Mortification of our Lusts or at least a good Preventive and Preservative from sins of this kind is â—o have a due regard to Restraining Grace â—abour to see your need of it and to live â—n a sense of your weakness and in a conâ—inual dependance on God for his Grace â—or scarce any other means will take effect â—ntil Persons have learnt this lesson Ignoâ—ance and Unbelief of Restraining-Grace â—r disregard of it hold People under â—he power of this sin and cut off from â—hem the means of their Recovery and â—hat power which should rescue them They that think they have no need of God and his Grace to keep them back â—om this kind of Wickedness as if they â—ould keep from it of themselves it is just â—hat God should leave them to some temptation from the Devil or some alluring and ensnaring Beauty captivating them or in some measure let loose the Corruption of their Natures that so they may find that by Temptation or sad experience in their own falls which they mightâ— and ought to have learnt from the Word that they are weaklings in the spiritual warfare and their strength is not their own that they stand not alone of themselves but that it is God's hand that bears them up and that the frailty of their Natures is such as without him they cannot but fall The Devil is much in Temptations oâ— this nature those that never discerneâ— the Devil tempting them never werâ— throughly convinced of their need oâ— Grace to restain him The Devil is called an Vnclean Spirit not falsly but becausâ— of his instigations to this sin The eviâ—dence from History is too apparent to bâ— denied or satisfactory at least that thâ— Devil hath taken up the dead Bodies of somâ— beautiful Women and walked some waâ— with them and when lustful Persons havâ— met them and courted them and layâ— with them in the morning when they aâ—wak'd they have sound nothing but a deaâ— Corps by them And the Devil or Dâ—vils they being many indeed but all conspiring as one are reported credibly enough in bodily shapes to have had carnal Knowledge of some Witches it is not new to talk of Incubus and Succubus Spirits There is never a Christian upon Earth but the Devil desires and labours all he can to corrupt him many evil thoughts rise up in your minds through his injections or suggestions though he conceals himself that you can but seldom discern him directly in the Temptation and when the Temptation continues long and you are followed with it and haunted with these Lusts from day to day 2 Sam. 13. 4. Amnons Case that you wax lean are ready to consume or pine away by that means then you may gather the Devil is in it and sets them on and hopes by perseverance and long continuance of the Temptation to prevail against you When also the Temptation is very sudden and unthought of and unexpected and you are carried out to this or any other sin with double the force that at other times then he is in it that filled the Heart of Ananias Acts. 5. 3. and that worketh mightily in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2. 2. As we have need of God's powerful restraint in respect of Satan so in respect of the tempting Objects and the corrupting Beauties as Gen. 6. 2. When the Sons of God saw the Daughters of men that they were fair they took them Wives of all which they chose The Sons of God that is the holy Seed of Seth's race the Daughters of men of wicked men of Cain's race or such as were common and prostitute to men as some think the Sons of God were taken with their Beauty when they saw that they were fair then they chose them and took them for Wives and were corrupted by them as the 12th v. God saw the Earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth Tamar was a fair beautiful Woman and therefore Amnon loved her 2 Sam. 13. Our indwelling-sin is as ready to catch at a motion of Satan Lust within to be set on fire as Tinder is to catch at a spark of fire lighting upon it so vile and corrupt is the Nature of Man and exceeding prone to this evil yea carrying us out to work all Vncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 19. And our Blessed Saviour tells us From within out of the Hearts of men proceed evil thoughts Fornications Adulteries Swarms of evil thoughts are naturally in our Hearts Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh its corrupt things the Eye looketh on a Woman to lust after her and the Ear attends such rotten and filthy Communication and the whole Man acts It is the evil within that brings forth the Fornications and Adulteries even all sorts of naughtiness therefore there is an absolute need of God's Grace to suppress the evil of our Hearts and great need have we to Pray Lead us not into Temptation for no Temptation of this sort whether from without or from within but what is common to Men Saints as well as Sinners their Nature is unclean and full of evil lustings
but only the Holy Spirit that abideth with and in the Saints lusteth against the Flesh and striveth to over-master and keep down its evil motions so far at least as to purifie their Hearts and to keep them back from accustomed sins of this sort and bring them to a dislike and some hatred of these sins in themselves or others and bring them to deep sorrow and Repentance â—f they fall into grosser sins of this kind And as you must labour to be throughly convinced of your need of Restraining Grace so you must be heartily thankful for â—t When God hath for a long time restrained the corruption within and the Temptations from without and preserved thee pure and chast he expects Men should give the Glory of it to his Grace as that which freed and preserved them from these Sins and not take it to themselves as if by their own Power Care and Wisdom use of their Reason and Government over their passions they had kept and preserved themselves We are taught in Galat. 5. 23. that the Fruit of the Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temperance Continence elsewhere 1 Cor. 7. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Incontinency In our Homilies it is rendred Chastity And the Author of the Whole Duty of Man tells us p. 135. Every Vertue is among the goods of Grace and therefore do we pray for it because as every good and every perfect Gift it cometh from above from the Father of Lights As to our Power to mortifie our Lusts or to keep us from being Corrupted by them it is from God and our Wisdom for the Government oâ— this passion it is from God and therefore we are taught where we should have it If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask of God St James Chap. 1. 5. And as to the use of our Reason to any good ends it iâ— from God and his Grace For the Devilâ— are reasonable Creatures as well as we nay in a higher Capacity but cannot improve their Reason to any good use because they are forsaken utterly St. Austin as I have read brings in one speaking I have Sinned little and yet love much Who kept thee who preserved thee saith he but the God of all Grace To whom thou owest even this that thou hast not Sinned much not Sinned so much as others who hast the same corrupt Nature with others Holy Mr. Bradford when he had seen or heard of any other Christians falling into any Scandalous Lewdness or Wickedness used to say There remains in my Nature the Seed of the same Evil if it were not restrained by Gods special Grace And if we look with one eye upon our Sinful selves in the â—orruption of our Natures and with the â—ther eye Gods Grace it will teach us â—he same Humility and Thankfulness Is â—here any young Man or Maid that God â—ath kept from these Sins and given them â—ome measure of Purity let them learn â—is lesson to be Thankful else they will â—rieve the Spirit of God and provoke â—im not only to withhold further Grace â—ut to withdraw Grace given 1 Thess 5. 8. â—e are commanded in every thing give â—anks and so Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by â—ayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving c. â—uch more for so great a Grace as this is â—hich is taken for Sanctification it self in some places Acts. 15. 9. Rom. 1. 21. said of the Heathens that when they knew God they Glorified him not as God neither were thankful 24th ver Wherefore God also gave them up to Vncleanness through the Lusts of their own Hearts Thus God leaves the Unthankful to fall back and to fall foully when they are wanting in observance of Gods Mercy and Grace in any respect The Saints of God have sound it so that when God hath given them a considerable measure of some particular Grace that they have been afterwards to seek for it and almost as far from it as ever and sometimes there is no other Reason to be given for it but their defect as to this thankfuâ— Acknowledgment of that particular Grace and not giving the praise of it to God aâ— his Work As 't is not a Praying Frame oâ— Heart without Prayer it self that is accepted with God as James 4. 2. not thâ— desires after good without actuating them and uâ—tering them before the Lord so ' tiâ— not a thankful frame of Heart that iâ— not enough without actual Thanksgiving for this or that particular Gracâ— Our M 〈…〉 iâ—s or Blessings are matter oâ— Thanksgiving as much as our wants oâ— Petition and our Sins of Confession Another means for the Mortification â— our Lusts or a good Prevention and Preâ—ervative from these sorts of Sins is the Mortification of our Pride If we search out the causing Sin why we are thus and thus Tempted by our Lusts we shall often find Pride to be the cause though not by any Moral efficency as Covetousness is of Niggardliness and Uncharitableness to the â—oor but Meritoriously as one Sin provokes God by way of Punishment to leave us to another And thus for our Omissions and neglect of good we are justly left to fall into Sins of Commission Thus Lust and a Temptation to some â—aughtiness is often a Punishment for Pride Pride of Beauty Pride of Wit Pride of Grace Beauty is an outward Ornament the Excellency of Gods Workmanship in our Bodies But Pride defaâ—eth this the Beauty even of Beauty it â—elf and its Loveliness in Gods Sight and so provokes God to leave it to such Sins as pollute and defile it and make the Person loathsom and abominable with God Further Beauty when it corrupts the Person with Pride that Pride aims to let out it self in all its Advantages that it may appear Amiâ—ble in the eyes of Men and alluâ—e if not excite the Lusts of Men and you know Beauty is had in Admiration by the worst and vilest of Men bâ— them especially who have no command oveâ— their corrupt Affections and they being once captivated by it seek to corrupt thâ— person with the strongest and most importunate Solicitations But Pride not only lays the Beautiful person open to Temptations of this hind more than another but robs the Soul of Gods Protection anâ— leaves it Spiritually Naked and Destitute and so weaker to withstand the Temptation than another When Beauty hath need of a double measure of Grace to preserve its Innocency and to resist the Soliâ—iters to Sin A Proud Beauty will more easily be corrupted by those that are High and Honourable and such as she looks upon to be above her however she may look down with Scorn and Contempt upon those that are below her and refuse to Sin with them in point of Honour though she valueth not the dishonouring God by her Sin Uncleanness or Tâ—mptations to them carry great shame along with them in the Eyes of the World and therefore God makes use of them to humble the Proud The Wise Man saith Prov. 11. 2.