is not like to hold out long against the outward Arts of Sin when it shall have let in such a Multitude of Enemies and such an Army of lusts have got possession laying close Siege to the Will and almost continually Assaulting and Importuning it to Surrender and give up its consent naturally to be sure it will yield and the Filthiness within abounding grieves the Holy Spirit and provokes him to withdraw his Supernatural Strength and leave it destitute and when Sin and Satan have beaten a Christian out of this Post and overcome the Will which is as the walls to a City the Strength and Fortification of it and its Defence then the day is its own when the walls are won the City is taken so when the Consent of the Will is come over to Sin but a step from the Will to the Deed a quick and an easie passage then for to work out Uncleanness and to fulfill the Lusts of the Flesh For though the Spirit Lusteth against the Flesh and so may disappoint it for once or twice in the sudden motions of the Will for consent as by stirring in the Conscience and awaking it at the Instant when it would have Sinn'd or by denying it opportunity or by presenting some unexpected Let or Remora in the way of Sin yet if the Will remain deliberately in its choice evil Inclination and Disposition to Sin if it can have a fit opportunity opportunity will not ever be wanting nor a Will to Sin when Temptation and Opportunity serve and when once Mens Lusts break forth they are Fruitful and Multiply to the working all Uncleanness with greediness so that unless we mortify our inward Corruption and keep the Heart right or bent of the Will against Sin we lose all Hiâ— labor hoc opus here is the difficulty in thâ— work of Mortification The next thing to be considered is Covetousness an Evil coveting after Riches for measure more than God gives us a greater portion than his Providence deals out to us in our Place and Calling and iâ— they be desired or sought after in an undue manner any way that is in consistent with our Duty to God or Man this Covetousness is tearmed Idolatry Spiritual Idolatry as you read Ezek. 14. 3. Of those that set up their Idols in their Hearts the giving that inward Worship to a Creature which is due to God by loving our Wealth more than God and Godliness fearing the loss of them more than the loss of Gods favour of Christ and of Heaven taking Riches for their chief good and comfort Setting up Wealth for their strong Mountain and Defence against evil and putting their Confidence therein or trusting in the multitude of their Riches seeking them more earnestly or serving not God but the World with all your strength But this is somewhat besides my intended discourse and hath been excellently handled as to the matter by Mr. Richard Allen in his World Conquered or Faiths Victory over the World to which I referr you against the World ¶ I come now to the general Duty contained in the words that all Uncleanness is to be mortifyed God will have the Body of this Sin destroyed and every particular Limb or Member Fornication Inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence Root and Branch none of it must remain unsubdued be stubbed up by the Roots as well as the Boughs lopped off 2 Thes 4. 7. God hath called us not to Vncleanness but to Holiness and he will have us to be clean that so we may be holy that our Bodies be not abused to Fornication because that 1 Cor. 6. 13. The Body is not for Fornication not designed by him that made it for such an use and that our Souls do not resemble the unclean Spirits that they do not enter in and dwell there but that our Souls and Bodies be preserved pure and chast Jud. 28. our inward and outward Man cleansed from all Filthiness Gal. 5. 24. and that we hate even the Garments spotted with the Flesh or Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and the Lusts thereof The first Argument for Mortification of our Lusts is for to answer the Purity and Holiness of the Christian Religion Our Religion is pure and undefiled in respect cuse us of them Minutius Foelix p. 24. Such infamous filthiness which we do not care to hear and may much less defend As to the Jews their practice did not reach the purity of the Christian Religion Abraham had his Hagar and Issue by her as well as by Sarah his Wife Jacob had his two Wives Leah and Rachel and their handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah Gen. 30. David and Solomon had their many Wives and Concubines and no doubt but they did offend therein though it was not so plainly and undoubtedly evil as it is now in the clear light of the Gospel As to the Turks those whom they call Imailer or Religious Brothers of Love are worse than Beasts in their Lusts sparing neither Women nor Boys they take many Wives according to their Wealth and Quality and the Grand Seigniour his Seraglio full of Virgins for his own use When Malachi ch 2. 14. 15. The Lord hath been witness between thee and the Wife of thy Youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously yet is she thy Companion and the Wife of thy Covenant and did he not make one One Woman for one Man only Eve for Adam and wherefore one that he might seek a Godly seed an Holy seed or posterity in Gods way and according to Gods Ordinance in its first Institution in Paradise and not according to the depravation and corruption of it afterwards by Poligamy I shall conclude this head with an excellent Relation out of Eusebius his Eccles History lib. 8. c. 14. p. 312. When Maximinus the Emperour governed in the Eastern parts among other effects of his wild and brutish fury and extravagance he filled all places where he came with Adulteries and Ravishments abusing Women and deflowring Virgins which succeeded well enough says the Historian with all others except only Christians who generously despising death made light of the rage and fury of the Tyrant The men underwent all sorts of Punishments which Cruelty could invent the Women bore up with a Courage no less manly and unconquerable and when any were drawn out to be abused they rather submitted their Lives to Death which showes that the Lives of those Primitive Christians was answerable to the preceptive part of their Religion and their practice above all others Second Reason for Mortification of all Uncleanness Because that while our Lusts remain unmortified all our Services will be rejected Isa 1. 13 14. Their 〈…〉 ings were vain Incense an Abominatiâ—â— their Religious days their New-Moons â—â—eir Sabbaths and their appointed Feasts my Soul hateth saith the Lord their religious Assemblies too I cannot away with it is Iniquity even your solemn meeting In the 16 vers Wash you make you clean inwardly clean or as vers 10 implies cleanse
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
and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts which war in your members and Rom. 7. 23. I see a law sin likened to a Law as claiming Obedience to be due to it all Mankind being fallen under the Dominion of sin in my members this Law this Imperium acting and stirring in my Members and warring against the Law of my mind or the Law of God in my mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my Members Sin doth as it were reside and dwell in our Members according to the import of these words sin which is in my members as inhabiting there as well in the Body as in the Soul And though the Body doth not always sin actually yet it is ne 〈…〉 pure from sin but hath an habit of sin in wicked men the corruption of the Soul having overspread the whole Man but the principal sense that I insist on is that wherein the Members serve for the acting of sin and so they are called weapons of Vnrighteousness or as the common Translation hath it Instruments fit Tools for to work and do the deed when once sin is inwardly conceived in the Soul and hath made its motion for the consent of the Will and gained the point Voluntas domina Membrorum the Will is the Commandress of the Members which are as Servants ready to do their Mistresses pleasure in the execution of sin you know Lust works in the eye gazing upon Beauty in the ear hearkning to lascivious Discourse in the hand by a wanton Dalliance and in the Palate delighted in the tasting of dainty Meats and Drinks so that in a secondary sense it may be understood of these to be mortified keeping the Body under by Fasting and Abstinence 3. Our Lusts are called Members because they are as dear unto a carnally-minded man and as well bâ—loved aâ— his Members and therefore in Scripture our Lusts are called a right-hand and a right-eye that is they sâ—ick as close to the Heart and Affections and it is as hard to deny these to part with a beloved Lust as to part with â—â—e of our dearest Members I have read oâ— one who having sore Eyes it might have been better for Temperance if he had had a sore throat and being told he must leave off his Drunkenness else he must loose hiâ— eye-sight said Farewell then sweet Eyes so dear was that Lust to him that he would keep it with the loss not of one but ever of both his Eyes And I have heard of â— greater Person who having had a fit of thâ— Apoplexy and being much addicted tâ— Women was told if he did not leave of that ill-course it would shorten his Life yet his Peccatum in deliciis his sweet Morsel or as the Psalmist calls it Psal 18. 23 his own iniquity would not be denied anâ— proved eventually true of his untimely end Though Life is sweet yet you see a Lusâ— is sweeter so that Life and Honour anâ— Conscience and Heaven even all must gâ— for a beloved Lust They are not only called Members buâ— Members which are upon Earth First Because they are exercised upon earthly things as Riches and Treasures which are as â— were fetched out of the Earth as our Golden Silver Mines c. afford us our Money and other choice Jewels must not bâ— referred to Air Fire Water but Earth as the Element to which they belong anâ— into which they will be dissolved into a more pure and refined Dust or the delicious Fruits of the Earth which serve for Meat and Drink and are abused to Gluttony and Drunkenness even the Bodies of Men and Beasts are Earth in their Original and in the Funeral Service we say elegantly Earth to Earth Dust to Dust so that the pleasure which the Glutton hath from his Meat and the Unclean Person from his Lusts are but earthly pleasures Secondly Our Lusts and evil Affections are called Members upon Earth because they continue with us during our natural abode upon Earth We here are in a corruptible State and so we gather soil and defilement by conversing with an evil World and the flesh will be lusting in us and enâ—icing us to sin until we come to Heaven and that blessed State there more spiritual and refined from the Dreggs of Earth and the impurities of the Flesh Having handled in general the Doctrine of Mortification of Lusts I now come to particulars Fornication comes in the first place to be considered sometimes it is used more largeâ—y for actual Uncleanness as 1 Cor. 5. 1. The Incestuous Corinthians act in marrying his Fathers Wife called Fornication and this sense seemeth to be the more commoâ— sense of the Word in Scriptures as in Maâ— 15. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 8. yet in 1 Cor. 6. 9 Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor effâ—minate nor abusers of themselves with mankind where the other sorts of Uncleanness natural or unnatural are reckoned up aâ— but Bestiality which makes for the otheâ— sense of the word Fornication that of Whoredom which is committed between two single unmarried Persons and in that it differâ— from Adultery because it is not against anâ— Marriage-Covenant and so hath no Perjurâ— of that kind and because the Married havâ— the Remedy against Uncleanness and consequently the better may and ought to be satisfied therewith yet the place before mentioned 1 Cor. 6. 9. assures us no Fornicatoâ— shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not excluding Repentance here as in otheâ— sins there remaining some place for Repentance and because we do not find in thâ— Law of God the Punishment of Whoredom to be absolutely Death as in case oâ— Adultery This Fornication must be Mortified iâ— those that have done thus wickedly thaâ— they do so no more and sin not for thâ— time to come as heretofore but work ouâ— of their Hearts the love of the sin and ceaâ—â— the practice of it until they have got the victory to relapse no more into it and loath themselves for their former Abominations bewailing that ever they were so foully spotted with the Flesh But the best way is to mortifie or subdue the temptations to it so as never to sin the sin None that carry Flesh and Blood about them should think it strange to be tempted to it that of the Apostle being true herein that no temptation hath happened to them â—ut what is common to men incident to â—umane nature to good as well as bad â—en the best have found themselves tempâ—ed and probable enough very strongâ—y tempted by their youthful Lusts â—hey are a sore temptation if not the â—reatest in our whole Lives and there is â—s much difficulty in conquering these unâ—ly Lusts as in breaking young headâ—rong Horses and taming of wild Beasts â—r the like and a great part of peoples â—eligion must be placed in it and they â—ust be very careful however they fall by â—sser guilt and the corruption of their â—earts to keep off from this greater
work you off from Prayer and you cannot pray against them or no otherwise than St. Austin before his Conversion Domine da castitatem da Continentiam sed non modo Lord give me Chastity give me Continence but not now If people are loth that God should hear their prayers but if they pray really and the heart truly desire what they pray for so long it looks well and no longer or if a man means to make a Truce or Cessation of Arms and Hostility for any time during the heat of Summer or the presence and Company of this or that beloved Body he throws away his Weapons he yields and is overcome and if he live in a continual Peace and League with them and do not recover himself and renew his Spiritual Warfare he is utterly lost and undone for ever Fifth Argument We must Mortify our Lusts or if you will lustful Members according to the literal sence of the words because our Bodies are Members of Christ and this Argument the Holy Ghost urgeth 1 Cor. 6. 15. Know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ Shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them Members of an Harlot God forbid I must snew in what sence our Bodies are the Members of Christ and then how that argues for Mortification of our Lusts Christ and Christiâ—ns are one Body one Spiritually as 1 Cor. 6. 17. and Eph. 1. 22 23. Christ is said to be head over all things to his Church which is his Body c. Christ the Head and Fountain of Spiritual Life Sense and Motion and Christians Members of that Body influenced acted and enlivened by one and the self-same Spirit which Christ received without measure or infinitely in perfection that so he might abundantly communicate it to his Members enabling them to mortisie the evil Concupiscence in their hearts and the Lusts of the Flesh that Flesh and Blood or Bodies of Sin which they carry about them Now since there is such a Spiritual Union between Christ and us and we are taken into such a near Relation unto Christ as Members in that Mystical body whereof he is the Head of Influence should not the Members bear a Conformity to their Head If he was pure even to perfection ought not we to resemble him in that Purity by a Mortification of Uncleanness And as it is in the Marriage Office Keep your selves undefiled Members of Christ's body Again Our Bodies are Members of Christ as they are Members of the same Flesh and Blood or bodies of the same kind with that which Christ â—ook upon him in the days of his Flesh as it is expressed Hebr. 5. 7. Chap. 2. 14. For as much then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also took part oâ— the same and so exalted our Nature above the nature of Angels by assuming it and uniting it to his Divine Nature He was God-man or God manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. And thus he honoured it in the highest Nature and made it adorable in that Hypostatical Union with the Divine Nature Again He honoured it by the Purity of his immaculate Conception through the power of the Holy Ghost and not after the ordinary manner of men in their fallen and corrupt State by a sinful Generation and by the pure manner of his Birth of a Virgin undefiled and free and pure from men The force of this Argument consists herein If Christ so highly exalted our Nature above that of Angels shall we abase it to the Beasts that perish by living to sense and the sinful cravings of the Flesh Shall we make that Flesh vile by our Lusts and so contemtptible which the Son of God made Venerable by his Incarnation and which is glorified in Christ as in Capite and which we expect hereafter to be made like unto Christ's glorious Body Can we expect this corruptible subject to corruption in the worst sence of the words should put on incorruption unless it put off all its corrupt Lusts before it dyes on this side the grave that so it might be sit for that Inheritance which is incorruptible undefiled c. Sixth Argument for Mortification of our Members or Lusts Because our Bodies are Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God Our Souls and Bodies were Dedicated to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in our Baptism and thereby Consecrated and become Holy even Temples of the Holy Ghost through his gracious presence and Inhabitation But by Lust these Temples are polluted and profaned and become the Habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird as it is prophesied of spiritual Babylon Rev. 18. 2. Conceive we of Mens Lusts flying up and down in their Minds and Imaginations as Birds do in the Air or shut up in their Hearts as Birds are cooped up in a Cage ready to fly out upon opportunity and break loose as the Lusts of Mens hearts are almost upon every Occasion and Temptation You have heard in time of our Domestical Wars of turning Churches into Stables and polluting them but it is to turâ— these Temples of the Holy Ghost into worse than Stables if we prostitute them to our vile lusts You read in Eph. 4. 29 30. a Caution Let no Corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth and it follows in the next verse And Grieve not the holy Spirit noting to us that the pure and holy Spirit of God is grieved afflicted and as it were made sad by naughtiness of our discourse thoughts or actions and so provoked to withdraw from us and to leave us The most nasty Kennels or Gutters and Sinks that receive the filth and off scouring of things the very Excrements themselves and the worst dunghils are not such an Annoyance and Offence unto us as our vile Lusts and corrupt Affections are to the Holy Spirit of God these are more loathsom and a greater Abomination unto him than the most stinking unsavoury smells are unto us The last Argument shall be taken from the tremendous Judgments that the Lord hath Denounced and Inflicted on Sinners in this sort Heb. 13. 4. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge and that severely too punishing them commonly in this World and in the World to come Gen. 6. 2 3. shows you that it had an hand in drowning the World When the Sons of God that is the holy Seed of Seths Race saw the Daughters of Men wicked Men and the Children like the Parents wicked too according to the sence of the words that they were fair they took them to Wives their Lusts within was smitten with the others Beauty and betrayed them to that graceless Match then it soon follows even in the next verse My Spirit shall not always strive with Man and after it The wickedness of Man was great in the Earth and it repented the Lord that he had made Man And the Lord
The Nicolaitans also mentioned Rev 2. 6. of the Church of Ephesus that she hated the Deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate saith the Lord. Acts 6. and 5 vers Nicolas one of the Deacons chosen by the Apostles as Clemens Alexandrinus writes Strom. 3. had a Beautiful Wife and was accused of overmuch jealousie To purge himself he brought forth his Wife into the midst of his Brethren and said he was content any Man should Marry her Of which words many took occasion to live promiscuously like Beasts no Man having his own proper Wife but making them all common as our Family of Love did in Queen Elizabeths days The Gnosticks also in the beginning of the second Century they were justly called Borbo iâ—ae or coenosi because they were filthily polluted in the mire of Uncleanness By their unhonest and filthy Conversation it came to pass that the true Professors of the Gospel were vilely Slandered by persecuting Pagans objecting to Christians the Banquets of Thyestes and the Chambering of Oedipus The Encratitae condemned Marriage in this Century In the third Century we read of the Adamiani who had their Assemblies in subterraneal places called Hypocausta because that under the place of their meetings a furnace of Fire was kindled to warm the same where they uncloathed themselves when they entred into it and stood naked both Men and Women according to the Similitude of Adam and Eve before their fall Apostolici also who among other things rejected Marriage giving out a Sentence against themselves that they were unclean because they were procreated by Marriage and consequently they were for promiscuous Lust Origeniani and Turpes as they were called were vile and filthy Beasts not abhorring from Whoredom but from procreation of Children to the end that they might seem chaste not unlike to Onan the Son of Judah whom the Lord destroyed These are mentioned by Epiphanius as also the Hieracitae who condemned Marriage and Manichees as Epiphanius contra Haereses and Hist Magdeb. In the 4th Century we read of the Priscillianists in Spain that renewed the Heresie of the Grosticks who disallowed Marriage and commended Fornication Some Bishops of Spain were entangled with this Heresie such as Justantius Salvianus and Helpidius whom Adygimus Bishop of Corduba Condemned in a Councel but when Appeals would not relieve them with Bribes they solicited the Emperours Cubiculars and were sent back again to enjoy their own places In the 5th Century we read of the first Councel of Toledo in Spain assembled under the Reigns of Arcadius and Honorius where we find Canons concerning the prohibition of Marriage to some persons and the admitting of a Man to the Communion who wanteth a Wife and contenteth himself with one Concubine only In the 6th Century the Councel of Tours in France ordained that a Bishop should count his Wife as his Sister and that he should no manner of way company with her and the first Councel of Maetiscon that neither Bishop nor Presbyter should intangle themselves with carnal Lusts And not to company with their Wives was honest and chast behaviour Satan bringing in Fornication and all Uncleanness into the Church by this means until at length Marriage of Priests was called the Heresie of the Nicolaitans by Gregory the 7th In Century the 14th in Alberts time the Emperour in Lombardy a sect of Hereticks which under colour of Religion and Charity made all things common and they moved one another to Carnal Conjunction alledging it to be a deed of Charity I come now to consider of the Temptations or the prevailing Motives or Inducements of this Sin which are either First the strong and strange delight and pleasure of the Sin our natures by Sin and the fall being as it were sunk into Flesh and brutish Sensuality those things that carry with them the greatest Gratifications of the Sense are the most acceptable to our corrupt depraved natures as this Sin is upon the very same account being a flesh-pleasing sensual Sin What do those that commit this Sin promise themselves but pleasure To be sure the pleasure of the Sin is always tiâ—ing them so that of all the Temptations to this Sin this bids the fairest with the Sinner to gain the point The Remedy against this Temptation First Consider that Man as to the Soul the more extellent part that animates and acts the Body in its Life and Motion is a spiritual being and must have a spiritual good and happiness called an Inheritance incorruptible undâ—filed or pure and uncorrupt refined from Sense when the pleasures of the flesh cannot answer that noble End for which man is designed nor suit with such a being as Man is being merâ—ly accommodated to the Animal and not the Intellectual Angelical Life Secondly Though some have said that the pleasures of Lust might vye with the pleasures of Paradise have you not heard too of a Paradise of Fools For indeed this is such a Paradise as only Fools and the worst of Men would take for their Portion and Happiness Good and Chast Vertuous and wise Men value it but at a a low rate being convinced of the poorness and meanness of a sensible good the emptiness and insufficiency of such good After long enjoyment such pleasures grow flat and dry perhaps ad nauseam usque and Mens appetite to them ceaseth as Amnons to Thamar or leaveth such a longing and hankering after them that they are still uneasie and in pain in the long intervals Thirdly Look and aim at higer pleasures the pleasures that are to be found in the ways of God for all his Ways are ways of pleasantness and his paths are peace You read of those that call the Sabbath a delight and delighting thy self in the Lord taking delight in approaching unto God and those fearing the Lord and delighting greatly in his Commandments Next the pleasures that follow and flow from a conscientious discharge of our Duty to God and Man such as the loving kindnesses of the Lord in whose favour is Life or vita verè vitalis the peace of Conscience the comforts of the Spirit and the Hope of Glory and those better pleasures which are at Gods right Hand for evermore pleasures in perfection ever fatisfactory never cloyed therewith Fourthly Consider though this pleasure be sweet in the Mouth and the tast yet it is bitter in the end and the present pleasure bought with future pain this Moment with Eternity Ah! Nocet empta dolore voluptas such pleasure costs too dear if there be no pain and remorse in the conscience when the Sinner reflects on his way and his doings If the Body escape too that Painful and Tormenting Disease yet Soul and Body must both rue it in the other World and that not according to the time they enjoyed these pleasures which would then be short indeed if their Misery could end so soon as their short-lived pleasure but momentum quod delectat c. the act of Sin is transient the guilt
and consequently the punishment diuturnum and beyond that aeternum not only long but Eternity long Thirdly Consider how unlike this is to the Purity of the Primitive Christians instead of finding pleasure and being drawn to Sin under that Notion they looked upon it as one of the severest punishments to be prostituted and exposed to the Lusts of Men by Rudeness and Violence This Tertullian urgeth in the close of his Apology c. ult p. 40. While you choose to Condemn a Woman that is a Christian to the Stews then to the Lyons ad Lenonem quam ad Leonem you plainly confess that the Violation of Chastity is accounted by us an heavier penalty than any punishment or kind of death which you can inflict upon us St. Hierom relates an eminent instance hereof Vita Paul Eremit Tom. 1. p. 237. In the Decian Persecution a young Man a Christian in the Flower and Beauty of his Age was carried into a Garden that had â—â— things conspiring to make it a place for Pleasure and Delight being laid upon a Bed of Down and fastned to it with silken Cords the Company withdrawing a Beautiful Strumpet was sent in to him who caressing him and treating him with all the Arts of wantonness not consisting with modesty to name the young Man finding the Temptation beginning to prevail presently bit off his Tongue and spit it in her face as she attempted to kiss him Origen at Athens when put to this unhappy choice either to Sacrifice to Idols or suffer his chast Body to be defiled with a filthy Aethiopian chose rather to commit Idolatry than Fortification though that too was rather his enemies Act than his own they thrusting the Frankincense into his Hand and haling him up to the Altar For which Fact or the scandal of the report he was Excommunicated and Disowned by the Christians However this showed his Abhorrence of Uncleanness c. Oh! Then flee from and fear the killing smiles and flattering Lust dally not parly not with them least the deceitful and tempting pleasure of this Sin beguile and corrupt thee Give not place to the Devil while he is feeding thine imagination with the pleasures of the Flesh and perswading thee to tast of his sweet Dish Resist the Devil and then he will flee from you Principiis obsta is a good Rule in this case stop Sin in its first onset then it is weakest but gets ground and gathers strength as you give way to it and entertain it in its motions The pleasure of this Sin to a considering Man must needs be inconsiderable such as commonly all things considered even in this Life brings more grief and disquietment than Satisfaction Such pleasure as we shall be more Spiritual and better without it than with it and such pleasure as to be sure will be bitterness in the latter end Alas wee look upon Sin only in its specious posture coming towards us Fair and Beautiful to behold in a goodly dress recommending it self to us with Profit Pleasure Honour or the like Allurements but could we see the hinder parts of Sin it would appear like the Father of it the Devil when he is taking his leave and Vanishing ugly and Deformed When Sin is going from us after the Commission of it it is black and Melancholly hanging down its head with Sorrow or hiding its Face for Shame or Fear or like those that gnawed their Tongues for pain or with gnashing of Teeth for very madness and Vexation of Spirit with Scorpion stings at the tail of it to Torment the Sinner and the Fire burning towards him to come at him and catch him within its flames This sight indeed would cool the Sinners Courage and make Men flee from Sin as from a Serpent Again some there are to whom this Sin holds forth its two fair Breasts of Profit as well as Pleasure to allure them within its Embraces These are chiefly of the other Sex Those who keep publick Houses and so the keeping of a naughty Woman brings custom to the House and they say encreaseth their Trade and those who are kept as Misses to great persons and I suppose look upon themselves to have attained great Preferment besides those that prostitute themselves to the Lusts of any comers in a common promiscuous manner perhaps making a Trade of this Sin and getting their Maintenance this way Other some perhaps by promiscuous Lusts to hinder Conception and so for prevention of more Children and to save the charge and cost that is required in the feeding and cloathing and portioning of them To which I answer First how vile a thing is it to let out themselves to hire to fell as it were their Souls for the possession of the Devil that unclean Spirit and their Bodies to the filthy Lusts of Men. O shame upon those that renounced the World Worldly gain so far as Sinful the Flesh and the Devil thus shamefully to Apostatize How near doth their Sin approach to that wicked Ahab who sold himself to work wickedness and hath it set as a Brand or Mark of Infamy upon him and whose Sin was so notoriously great that it could not be cleansed without the Destruction of his Family Secondly Others there are that find this a very Chargeable Sin putting them to the charge first of a Treat or Entettainment then for the Act of Naughtiness and a third charge many times for the Cure after it The keeping of lewd Women and providing portions for their base Brood Adulterous issue hath wasted great Estates and been the ruine of many Families or at least what vast expences hath it put many to so that what the one party gets the other loseth and more besides Even some among the other Sex have been losers in this World sometimes by Marrying such as were too well known by them before in the days of their first Husband and who hath spent all and brought them to Poverty or if of meaner Rank by getting such a noisome Distemper as hath made them abhorred by all that none would imploy them for a livelyhood none Receive or Entertain them or which made them unfit for work or so weakned and impaired their strength that they could do but little when their old Age came upon them or their Trade failed Thirdly All such Gain as is gotten in this manner is accursed it will defile the rest of your Substance even contrary to what is said of Alms Give Alms of such things as ye have and behold all things are clean unto you that is cleansed from Sin Sanctifyed Blessed so as not only to have them with Gods leave but with his Love But such filthy lucre in the literal downright Sense of the words will make all polluted and unclean all under the curse if such gain at the last will not be separated from the rest even the clean from the unclean When did you ever know any enrich a Family by this means with an abiding Wealth Is it not likely
should hide it from Man at the time of acting this Sin yet shall not God see it I have read of a Woman who being very importunate with one of the Fathers Paphnutius to corrupt him he at last yielded to her provided she could contrive it so as to be sure none should see them and when she had led him up into the most secret Chamber she thought she had done the condition But saith he are you sure that there is no one present or to that effect doth noâ— God see us If we sin will it not be in his presence And upon the sense of being under Gods sight and presence urged home by him she was so effectually convinced that she fetched a deep Groan her eyes run down with tears she fell down upon her Knees detesting her wicked Life and â—â—ntinued for her life-time praying Thou that madest me have mercy upon me Consider thou that art afraid to commit Adultery in the Market-place or in the presence of thy Husband how art thou not afraid to sin in the presence of that God who is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity If men see thee thou wouldest be ashamed but God sees thee and his Eye is upon thee who beholdeth ungodliness and wrong to requite it and recompense the sinner according to his ways He seeth in secret into the secrets of thy heart and intentions of Adultery and into thy secret Chambers Psal 139. sets forth Gods all-seeing eye and Omnipresence And you know God hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the World and as Eccles 12. 14. God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing Matth. 4. 22. There is nothing hid which shall not be manifested neither any thing kept secret but that it shall come abroad Again lastly Some are emboldned to sin with the hopes of Repentance they say it is but repenting and all is well and though now their youthful blood runs hot in their Veins yet when the heat of youth is over or when they are out of their Time saith this or that Apprentice and when they light of a good Match they will Marry and live honestly I Answer I could heartily wish that you would repent at any time but I must tell you you are not sure of repenting at all unless you do it now There are thousands in Hell who meant to repent before they dyed but they presumed that they were yet young enough and might have time to repent hereafter and so sinned on untill they were either hardened in their sin and had no will to repent or put it off so long until Death came upon them in their unpardoned and unrepented sins and dying in their sins they perished everlastingly And tell me would it not be sad to put off Repentance so long Secondly Thy resolving to Repent so many years hence is but a purposing to sin in the mean while and that must be a sin of knowledge against checks of Conscience telling thee that thou oughtest to repent at present and sinning deliberately too considering thy danger and the hazard thou runnest in not repenting at present and a sinning wilfully too thou wilt have thy sin at present whatever comes of it and all these amount to a great measure of guilt Thirdly This sin leaves little place for Repentance First Acts of Whoredom and Adultery do not use to go singly but to multiply in their kind When hath it been known that such Persons have stopt at the first act and sinned no more especially if they have opportunity for more And you know that this sin it self is great and deadly as St. James 3. 8. useth that word and our Church From Fornication and all other deadly sin good Lord deliver us If one single act of Fornication be such an hainous sin much more will repeated acts of the same sin harden men in sin past all recovery Besides the pleasure of this Sin is of such a bâ—witching nature that the first sin leads on to a second the second to a third falling further and further still as through the pleasure for stolen waters are sweet so partly through the love the parties bear to each other so that if they come into one anothers compaâ—y their Affections discover themselves and they would fain have opportunity to sin again Nay this Sin begets such a love in the Adulterous Persons that an Husband or a Wife must be left if not as sometimes it falls out murthered that they may be the more free and undisturbed in the enjoyment of each other Upon which accounts and because this Sin exceedingly grievâ—â— the Pure and Holy Spirit of God that proves true by common experience which we find in Prov. 2. 18 19. of the strange Woman which forsaketh the Guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God for her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead yea and to the damned None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Scarce any that go to her return or repent unto Life and Salvation as those words import Think of this place of Scripture when you are tempted by a lewd Woman think of it seriously and repeat it inwardly in your minds and if there be opportunity speak it openly in â—he hearing of others and you will find the thoughts of Repentance afterwards and the temptation to sin upon that account vanish Lastly Few can follow this Sin but â—hat they will be tainted with such a Diâ—temper as will engage and oblige them to â—in on and give it to others that so as â—he common speech goes they may find â—ome case and cure to thâ—mselves such as sin upon that account should remember that they may come off with the worst and encrease their distemper by sinning with some this hath been found true though such a 〈◊〉 deeply infected if they neglect a timely cure will be put under a necessity of ruining Soul or Body of ruining the Body if they forbear sinning and that ruine to the Body by such a loathsome distemper as makes them dread the thoughts of it and rather to persist in the Sin and compleat the ruine and damnation of the Soul which they looked upon in a manner as ruined or half ruined before And indeed by sinning to Fornication or Adultery the Soul is fair for ruine yet with Clemens Alexandrinus whose error mentioned in Mr. Sympsons History of the Church Possibly God may grant to them that have sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if we sin oftner than once or twice there is no more renewing by Repentance or pardon for sin but a fearful expectation of Judgment Though Gods Mercy which is Infinite and can abundantly pardon must not be limited as if he could not nor would not pardon those that have repeated and multiplyed their acts of sin if they repent and because Gods Grace is freely given as an Infinite Being must needs be free in his Operations
evils who go so far as to allow themselves in known appearances of evil under pretence that there is no hurt in them and that they mean honestly For People cannot discerâ— inwardly what is in your heart but only judge outwardly according to what is visible and appeareth St. Cyprian de Discipâ— Habit. Virg. p. 167. justly chides and that severely with some Virgins for being present at Weddings where theâ— laughed freely could not but hear loosâ— Discourses see uncomely Carriageâ— feed upon luxurious Dishes all whicâ— must not only kindle but add fuel to thâ— Fire and â—ill the mind with undecerâ— thoughts and desires St. Hierom on thâ— other hand does as much commenâ— some whom he knew who always keâ— at home on Festival days to avoid thâ— crowd and gazes of the People and woulâ— never go abroad at those times wheâ— they could not venture into the Publicâ— without the greatest care and custoâ— over themselves They were not williâ— to come within the shadow of a temptatâ—on such was the cautiousness of the Prâ—mitive Christians they stood at a dâ—stance from whatever was offensive either to their eyes or ears their ears they stopt against all loose idle Songs all filthy and obscene Discourses their eyes they shut against all uncomely Objects all wanton and lascivious Pictures Clemens Alexandrinus expresly tells us Not doing any thing that seemed to carry an ill colour with it The 30th Canon in the Laodicean Council did forbid Christian men to use the same common Baths with Women St. Cyprian writing to Pomponius charges him that Men and Virgins should not only not sleep near one another but not dwell together in the same house Religious House for Ecclesiastical Persons of whom he speaks least the infirmity of their Sex and the slipperiness of their Youth should betray them into the Snare of the Devil In the Councel of Nice can 3. ubi vid. Zonar it was universally forbidden and no Man within the Clergy was allowed to have any Woman near him unless his Mother his Sister or his Aunt or such only of whom there could be no suspition The Councel of Antioch Anno 272. condemned this in Paulus Samosatenus among â—he rest that he and his Presbyters and Deacons kept these introduced Women called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby horrible inconveniences did arise for besides the Snare and Temptation of it although they should keep themselves innocent yet they could not avoid the suspition and scandal that would arise and the danger of drawing in others by their bad Example So that it is not convenient for these to have such a familiarity in their converse especially not to be much together alone and in private above all noâ— any young or new-mâ—rried Woman witâ— any other though they may have a little oâ— Religion in them yet we know not whaâ— may come of such a familiarity when theâ— carry Flesh and Blood about them anâ— having opportunity may be tempted anâ— fall under the temptation We knoâ— the trusting Young Women in secret witâ— the Priests of the Church of Rome in oâ—der to their Confessions of sin hath beeâ— shrewdly suspected of sinning as well â— confessing I shall here put in a word of Cautioâ— Be not forward to entertain suspitions â— others and to believe ill of them in this kinâ— Whilst Peoples naughty hearts whiâ— are naturally too prone to it receive aâ— give credit to such reports of Whispere◠〈◊〉 open Slanderers they often offend â—gainst Charity for you know it hath been the great Policy of the Churches Enemies to slander the most Eminent Servants of God in this kind The Primitive Christians as Minutius Foelix p. 7 8. That the Christians knew one another by certain privy marks and signs and were wont to be in love with almost before they knew one another that they exercised Lust and Filthiness under a pretence of Religion promiscuously calling themselves Brothers and Sisters that by the help of so sacred a Name their common Adulteries might become incestuous that upon a solemn day they met together at a Feast with their Wives Children Sisters Mothers where after they begin to be warm and merry wit excess of Wine Flesh is thrown for the Dogs who being tied to the Candlesticks begin to leap and frisk about until they have run away with and put out the lights and then in the dark the fit cover for Impudence and Villany they promiscuously run amongst one another into filthy and incestuous Embraces One would scarce think it could enter into the Heart of Man to conceive such abominable falshood Besides the Arians suborned a Woman who accused Athanasius of Whoredom or Adultery with her but in the Councel Athanasius ordered one Timotheus a Presbyter to speak he himself being silent She pointing out to Timotheus with clamours void of all modesty affirmed he had abused her so that all present discovered the Forgery The forged accusations also sealed with Oaths and Imprecations against Narcissus Bishop of Jerusalem in the third Century and God's Judgments upon the three perjur'd wretches are well known and the Blessed Servants of God Calvin and Luther slandered in Turner's Latine Epistles anâ— English Apostate for the most detestable Lust among other abominable falshoods the Churches Enemies throwing dirt stoutly that it may stick somewhere And I have found it true by sad experience Charity obligeth not to suspect the worst of others where you can prove none really and effectually they may be more innocent than you imagine it is a great wrong for a good Christian upon any slight surmise from his looks or for hear-say the sly reports whispers and suggestions of his Enemies to be censured reported or reputed as naught or for some small appearance of evil a pleasant look smiling Countenance or unhandsome jest c. Another Means for the Mortification of our Lusts or at least a good Preventive and Preservative from Sins of this sort is to abstain from leud Company as Psal 18. 26. With the Pure thou shalt shew thy self pure There is a Proverb among the Jews Tell me with whom thou goest and I will tell thee what thou dost And so in Prov. 22. 24 25. Make no friendship with an angry Man and with a furious man thou shalt not go least thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy Soul The like may be said of every Sinner And indeed we are not only apt to learn the ways of the wicked but we grieve the Holy Spirit of God by choosing his known Enemies for our Associates by an intimate Fellowship with such we lose the Fellowship of the Spirit and in time shall find our selves infected with their evil courses whose Company we so much delight in Many a lewd Man hath corrupted his Companion drawing him along with him to the impure and unchast embraces of an Harlot and involved him in the same guilt and condemnation with himself By the Company and Allurements of ill Women how many hopefull young Men have
been ensnared and captivated and ruined Soul and Body for ever This hath been the undoing of thousands and hath made them a grief to their Father and a shame to her that bore them Christians are out of Gods way and consequently out of Gods Protection while they are in such bad Company fall they may and that foully too And many a Young Maiden or Young Woman more innocently minded by the temptations and continued solicitations of lewd Persons whose Company they delighted in have been robbed of Modesty and Chastity at once And when once they have transgress'd they have thought there was no other way of saving their Credit but by multiplying their Whoredoms in a promiscuous Concubitus whereby they think to hide their shame from the World as if they had not sinned after the way of an Adulterous Woman that wipeth her mouth and saith I have done none ill And thus it comes to pass that those who at first had some modesty in sinning and sense of shame in so doing and were fain as it were to offer Violence to their bashfulness yet in time come to grow bold in sin and from being tempted fall to tempting and soliciting others and make a trade of sin sinning their souls into desparation or an utter hardness and impenitency of Heart Improve all the Ordinances of God to this end to the Mortification of your Lusts I shall begin with Baptism You know we are all born in sin polluted and unclean as Job 25 4. How can he be clean that is born of a Woman Ch. 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean But Baptism is an Ordinance for washing and cleansing us Souls and Bodies from this natural pollution and defilement by sin Christ is said Eph. 5. 26. to cleanse his Church by the washing of Water c. that is by Baptism and the Blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth from all sin St. John 1 Ep. 7 vers latter part of the Verse As Water applyed to the Body is of a cleanâ—sing nature to wash away Spots and Stains so the Blood of Christ signified by the Water in Baptism this Blood of Christ in its spiritual and gracious Effects is of great power and efficacy for cleansing the Soul â—rom Sin And if Naamans washing in Jorâ—dan because it was Gods own Command was blessed to the curing and cleansing him from his Leprosie how much more â—hall the Blood of Christ the eternal Son of God and as Zech. 13. 1. the Fountain openâ—d for sin and uncleanness who through the â—ternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God I say this Blood of Christ through the Power of God working with it in his Ordinance purge our Hearts and Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. and that Service out of a pure Heart Then there is as hath been shewed a power in Baptism towards the washing away of sin and cleansing the Soul from sin 1. To washing away the Guilt or Stain that Sin leaves behind it upon the Soul even for a long time after the Commission of it Acts 2. 38. Repent and be Baptizeâ— every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins Now whensoever any true Penitent labours under the sensâ— of his sins past and finds the guilt lyâ— heavy upon his Conscience or his paâ— sins returning upon him though he be dilâ—gent in the use of the means of Grace anâ— walk with God rather better than before let him know it is a sign that his past siâ— of this kind remain unpardoned anâ— that there yet lacks that particular Râ—pentance and humiliation for those sinâ— though they were committed a lonâ—time ago and sueing out Pardon througâ— the Blood of Christ and the Improvement of our Baptism to that â—ffect whicâ— is Gods Ordinance for washing away of siâ— as Acts 22. 16. said to Paul Arise aâ— be baptized and wash away thy sins Baptism signifying and sealing the Pardon of their sins to those that truly repent Every Ordinance of God hath a greater blessing working along with it than every thing that is not an Ordinance Mr. Calvin excellently improves this Notion in his Institutions in the Part de Baptismo S. 3. Quocunque Baptizemur tempore nos semel in omnem vitam ablui purgari Itaque quoties lapsi fuerimus repetenda erit Baptismi memoria Puritas enim Christi meo oblata est jis tantam qui sub peccatis suis fatigati desolati gemunt ne in desperationem ruant To remember the washing away our sins Now the efficacy of Baptism is not to be tied only to Baptism to keep us from despair for sin in troubles of Conscience in the very instant of Baptism but may be of force afterwards At what time soever a Sinner repenteth of his sins in general and after of any sin in particular that he should find his sins done away through the Blood of Christ and the comfortable sense of Gods Mercy pardoning him sealed unto him in Baptism conditionally upon his Repentance Pardon being conjoyned with Repentance as Acts 3. 19. Repent that your sins may be bloted out with Luke 24. 47. So that the Blood of Christ with Peacâ— and Pardon by it is never applyed to anâ— in their sin but upon their Repentancâ— and Purification from Sin And so as to the power in Baptism tâ— cleanse from the filth of Sin This may bâ— of some force and use afterwards noâ— only monitory to us that as we were washed in Baptism which we know is an Ordinance for cleansing from sin so wâ— should keep our selves Souls and Bodies pure and clean and not return again witâ— the Dog to his Vomit or the Sow that iâ— washed to the wallowing in the mire but thaâ— also afterwards when we come to yearâ— of Discretion by Faith to lay hold oâ— the inward and spiritual Grace of Baptism that we may then find our Soulâ— sanctified and cleansed by the washing oâ— Water or the mystical washing away oâ— Sin of unclean to be made clean and purâ— from the spots and filth of the Flesh This Improvement of Baptism is to be made especially in the Interim between Baptism and that Age that is fit for admission to the Lords Supper Those thaâ— are troubled with youthful lusts thaâ— they may find some Power from this Ordinance for certainly there is a power in every Ordinance and help against this sin a great Power and effectual that cleanseth from natural pollution and this is done in those lusts that shall die after Baptism in a state of Salvation and so clean and holy who are born unclean Because that our natural inclinations are so strong to this Sin therefore it is that our lives are so much stained with it And if Baptism doth cleanse our Natures as when the inward Grace accompanies the outward Sign it certainly doth the efficacy of Baptism must needs be great and the benefit of it being great we must in
all humility seek it of God and in Faith expect it and depend upon God for it Next Ordinance to be improved is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper where we may get some help also against this sin against the guilt of this sin in that Christs Blood was shed for the Remission of sin and so he is said to bear our sin on his own Body on the Tree and Christ dyed for our sins the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world St. John 1. 29. and putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself Christs Death being considered in that Ordinance as an Atonement for Sin Against the Power of Sin you know the Sacrament is a strengthning Ordinance according to that My Flesh is Meat iâ—deed and my Blood is Drink indeed that iâ— Christs Body and Blood being receiveâ— spiritually the taking Christ in his Offices of Prophet Priest and King is â— real nourishment for our Souls spiritâ—al Beings requiring spiritual Food â— Meat and Drink is for our Bodies Eating and drinking is for strengthning thâ— Body and so this spiritual food is hearty food of good nourishment of greaâ— strength I can do â—ll things through Chrisâ— strengthning me saith St. Paul Philip. 4. 13 And in this Ordinance Christ strengtheneth here especially If our Lusts bâ— strong and powerful so be it they havâ— not the Dominion over us for then wâ— are not fit for this Ordinance if we comâ— with unmortified reigning lusts lo herâ— is one that is stronger and is able to binâ— these lusts to overmaster them and keeâ— them under in subjection And thus maâ— a Soul plead with God at this Ordinance or as the Leper Mat. 8. 2. Lord if thoâ— wilt thou canst make me clean and he said I wilâ— be thou clean Lord speak to my Soul thaâ— powerful word and I shall be clean Thoâ— that commandest the tempestuous Winds and they cease the troubled Sea and Water that cast up mire and dirt and they rest command my unruly lusts and they shall be still and not send forth their filthy and polluted imaginations thoughts words or actions to defile my Soul and Body And as we receive Christs Body pure from Sin by an immaculate Conversion that so our sinful Souls and Bodies may be washed and made clean by his Body as â—t was given for our sins and through his most precious Blood and our Bodies continue pure and undefiled Members of Christ and not be made the Members of an Harlot One thing too should not be forgotten that if you have formerly come to this Holy Sacrament with your Lusts and so polluted this Ordinance and defiled the Body and Blood of Christ and made them vile by taking them into your â—ile Bodies unclean loathsome and abominable be sure your Soul be humbled for that and perhaps you will find your Lusts stir before the Sacrament to put you in mind of it and call you to this Humiliation for polluting former Sacraments that nothing may remain to corrupt or hinder the efficacy of the present Sacrament One thing more also in Ministers especially may provoke God to leave them to sins or temptations of this kind when they allow a mix'd Communion of the clean and the unclean not only in the Church but in this Ordinanceâ— A corruption and depravation in the scandalous neglect of Discipline at present which the Holy God disalloweth of anâ— complaineth that his Priests had profancâ— the holy things putting no difference between the holy and the profane the cleaâ— and the unclean Ezek. 22. 26. 1 Cor. 5. 1 â— and the Rubrick before the Communion condemning this practice c. Another Ordinance to be improved iâ— the Word You know the Word is powerful and as in the 119th Psalm v. 9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse hiâ— way by taking heed thereto according to thâ— Word Youthful Lusts they are called aâ— if that Age above and beyond all otherâ— were most in danger by these lusts and therefore a Young Man hath great need to cleanse his way to walk in clean paths And how must this be done it is said by taking heed by a due care to walk according to the Word of God Psal 19 8 9. The Commandment of the Lord is pure and the fear of the Lord is clean clean iâ— its effects cleansing the Soul from sin John 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you When you hear the Word of God preached for Mortification of Lust Purity of Heart â—r the like take diligent heed to that word especially for that is a proper Word a suitable word for your Soul And â—f your own Parish Minister do not preach â—pon such subjects or very little and â—ery seldom preach against this reigning â—n if you hear upon enquiry of Texts of â—ny other Minister that preacheth near â—ou on this point go hear him for one Lords day or two for God works most with the Word preached and that Word which is preached is most proper powâ—rful too when it touches your conditiâ—n most and comes home to your beloâ—ed Lust Besides this there is another way of â—mproving the Word of God to very â—reat Advantage and that by treasuring â—p such places of Scripture as suit most â—ith the case of your Soul as in this partiâ—lar such places of Scripture Psal 119. â— Wherewithal shall a young man or maid â—eanse his way c. and 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee so youthful lusts but follow righteousness â—ith charity with them that call on the Lord â—t of a pure heart Coloss 3. 5 6. Mortifie â—erefore your Members which are upon Earth â—ornication Vncleanness inordinate affectiâ— evil concupisence c. For which things sake the Wrath of God cometh on the Chiâ—dren of Disobedience But Mat. 5. 8. Bleâ—sed are the pure in Heart for they shall sâ— God And 1 Ep. of St. John 3. 3. Eveâ— one that hath this hope in him purifieth himseâ— even as he is pure Create in me a clean Heaâ— O God c. Ps 51. 10. Lord if thou wiâ— thou canst make me clean with Ezek. 37. 3â— Then shall ye remember your own evil wâ— and your doings which were not good and shâ— loath your selves in your own sight for yoâ— Iniquities and for your Abominations â— bring you to Repentance These and the like places of Scripturâ— being often Repeated in your Mind eveâ— day or in the time of Temptation wâ— be of great use to charm your Lusts aâ— lay them asleep to cleanse the young Mâ— way If the Devil at the rehearsal â— some words serviceable to the black Aâ— Charms people how much rather do yâ— think that the Holy Spirit will work wâ— the Word inspired by him And wâ— should it not be as powerfully and effecâ—ally as the Devil doth in his Charâ— Works if you be as much devoted God and as skilful in the word of Riâ—teousness as they are in the Devils Aâ— and devoted unto him But if we
need not mention that Heathen Prince as punished Adultery with the putting out both the eyes of the Offenders and his Son being caught in the Crime he put out one of his own eyes and one of his Sons eyes to satisfie the Law To mention but one instance more of this kind because of Civil and not Ecclesiastical Relation The Emperour Aurelian having found one of his Souldiers to have committed Adultery with his Hostess in his Exercise of Military Discipline he commanded that having bowed down the Heads of two Trees growing nigh together the Souldiers legs should be tyed thereto which being suddenly let go he was torn in two parts the one hanging by the one Tree the other by the other Some of the Brutish Creatures may teach us Discipline and Storks a sort of chast Birds which are accustomed to beat those Storks out of their Number that having a Mate joyn themselves unto another And shall not we Christians separate them from our Communion who defile other Mens Wives And some keeping company with them openly and leaving their own Wives and Husbands for the Adulterous Lover Others keeping their Whores under their Wives Nose Is there no remedy from the Civil nor Ecclesiastick Censures against this lewdness Or is there a lukewarmness and indifferency among the Neighbourhood as unconcerned and not offended at their vile practices Is there no Scandal in these things Are they not a â—oul Spot and Reproach to that Church which suffers them within its Communion Is there any Quaker Anabaptist and Independent who doth not make the Lewdness and Debauchery of some Conformists the chief reason and ground of his Separation Why are our Censurers saith Bishop Tailor Epistle before Lib. of Proph. in Collect. of Disc Polem and Moral so zealous against those we call Schismaticks and Heretick and yet great Friends with Drunkards Fornicators c. Let it be remembered that the Apostle speaks as freely against Communion with Fornicatours and all disorders practical as against Communion with Hereticks in 1 Cor. 5. 11. I am as certain that a Drunkard or Fornicator is as contrary to God and lives as contrary to the Laws of Christianity as an Heretick and I am sure I know what these are but I am not sure such a Perswasion is Heresie or Schism c. and therefore the former are fit Objects for a pious Zeal to contest against It were to be wished also that Parents and Family Governours would do their parts and suffer it not in their Children or Servants to do so wickedly Though they cannot purifie and sanctifie or work Grace in the hearts of those committed to their care yet they may check the first Motions to such evil courses and by their Authority rebuke them sharply and restrain them from such lewd Places and Persons Books Ballads Plays Songs and the like as have any natural tendency to corrupt them and those that are hardned in such Practices and incorrigible they may send them going if Servants and get better in their rooms and if Children not to satisfie themselves in such a faint Reproof as Eli gave his Sons 1 Sam. 2. 22 23 24. Eli being very old heard what his Sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that Assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and he said unto them Why do ye such things for I hear of your evil doings by all this People Nay my Sons for it is no good report that I hear ye make the Lords People to transgress In the Third Chap. and the 13 vers I have told him saith the Lord that I will judge his that is Eli's house for the Iniquity which he knoweth because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not Therefore the Lord expects that Parents should use their Authority and restrain their Children from filthy Speeches c. when young by Correction afterwards by Rebuke and a Sense of their Displeasure at their evil ways and all other good Means which can be used And that every good Christian should shew his Zeal against this wickedness frequently and powerfully reproving it to discountenance the sin that it may be ashamed and confounded and carry it no longer in Vogue and Al-a-mode And to this end O that all manner of Christians would bewail the present guilt of the Nation in a self-abasing self-condemning Humiliation as the Lord calls for in Jer. 3. 13. Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scatiered thy ways to the Strangers c. In Building men use to lay the Foundation low that so the Work may stand firm and sure and so must we lay our selves low before that Majesty which is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity that our Reformation-work may hold it when a sound Humiliation lays the foundation for it that we remembring our way and our doings which have not been good and loathing our sinfull and polluted selves for all our abominations our sins of this king may not be had in remembrance against us as the sins of Manasseh and the Jews were in the days of Josiah 2 King 23. 26 27. even to a decreee to remove Judah into Captivity Though we enjoy as it were another Josiah in our days yet how deep in guilt the preceding Princes were you cannot be ignorant And the Judgments of God declaring against this sin you may discern Amos 4. 11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha While our sin was as Sodom and we burned in our Lusts towards one another no wonder if our Punishment was as Sodom upon the great City of the Nation Was not that place Isa 1. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and ye people of Gomorrha applicable unto us when our Lusts had so prodigiously encreased beyond what was ever known before And last of all O that the few living Names as in the Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 4. which have not defiled their Garments or as Rev. 14. 4. which are not defiled with Women and those from whom the Lord hath taken away their filthy Garments as is said of Joshua the High-Priest Zech. 3 4. would inter cede for a sinful and polluted Nation as in Ezek. 36. 25. the Promise runs I will sprinkle you with clean wnter and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness will I cleanse you v. 29. I will also save you from all your uncleanness v. 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways c. and shall loath your selves c. For his Names sake that he would do it as in the 22. v. I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine Holy Names sake and for his dear Sons sake Tit. 2. 14. who gave himself for us to redeem us from this and all other iniquity and purifie us unto himself as a peculiar People zealous of good works A Prayer O Most Holy Lord God the Heavens are not clean in thy fight and the purest Seraphims veil their Faces before the transcendent Purity and Splendor of thy Glory how much more may I sinful Creature polluted and unclean be ashamed and blush to lift up my eyes unto thee who canst not behold evil nor look upon Iniquity nor suffer any but the Pure in Heart in thy Sight and Presence Not only my Nature is exceeding vile and corrupt and prone to evil but I have offended the pure Eyes of thy Majesty by the naughtiness of my Heart in a multitude of filthy Imaginations and evil lustings and as Guilty or not Guilty put in or leave out the following words corrupâ— communication actual pollutions and uncleanness multiplied Whoredoms and Adulteries and it is in my Nature yet to sin against thee and to work all Uncleanness with greediness adding sin unto sin until I have filled up the measure of mine Iniquity in an utter hardness and impenitency of Heart But as there is in me a Fountain of Iniquity sending forth evil Thoughts Fornication and Adulteries if thy Grace be not ever present to restrain and prevent it So thou hast opened a Fountain for Sin and Uncleanness the Blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth from all unrighteousness Look upon me in him with distinguishing mercies wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my Sin Make me clean O God purging out every corruption It is thy work to sanctifie and purifie the Heart and to rescue it from the World the Flesh and the Devil to thy Self and thy Service By the mighty Power of thy Grace enable me to do Violence to my corrupt Nature to crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof to reject it's motions resist its temptations and remembring my ways and my doings which have not been good to loath my self for all mine Iniquities and Abominations And Lord grant that I may never betray my Soul to sin by Gluttonny or Drunkenness Ease and Idleness spiritual Pride or any lewd Company but that I may ever escape the Pollutions which are in the World through Lust and Soul and Body be preserved chast and pure to be undefiled Members of Christs Body and Temples fit for the Holy Spirit to dwell in And finally by thy Mercy that may attain that Inheritance which is incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven for me through the Merits and Mediation of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen FINIS