THIS Chapter begins with an Exhortation to heavenly­mindedness, that the ge­nerous spirit of a Christi­an may be elevated be­yond those terrene and sublunary enjoyments and objects of sense, to the invisible things of Faith: v. 1. Seek those things which are above; prosecute them with might and main, use all diligence by the most earnest and se­rious endeavours for the attainment of those [Page 2] things, as St. Paul hath it, Phil. 3. 12. fol­lowing after, if that I may apprehend, &c. or lay hold on eternal Life, and pressing for­ward for the prize of our Calling in Christ Jesus, [...], our calling from above, or our heavenly calling of God in Christ Je­sus, v. 13. In the 2d. v. positively, Set your Af­fections on the things above, the things of the other World, those better things that you look for hereafter, according to the ex­ceeding great and precious Promises that God hath made you in his Son. Negative­ly, and not on the things on Earth, the base and mean Objects, the poor pittiful things here below, as not worthy of your affecti­ons, of your cares, and your thoughts, ac­cording to the original, [...], which sig­nifies primarily the application of our minds, our reason and understanding, sursum sape­re, (as in the Latine) to be wise for the things above, and not the things on earth.

The Reasons enforcing this Exhortation, are drawn, First, From their spiritual Re­surrection in conformity with Christ; If ye be risen with Christ, v. 1. or have felt the power of his Resurrection, as Phil. 3. 10. or as Eph. 1. 19, 20. the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead; if this power hath quickned you, raised you from [Page 3] sin, if this heavenly life and disposition be in you, then let the same appear by your heavenly-mindedness.

2d. Argument, From Christ's residence in Heaven in his state of Exaltation, where Christ also sitteth on the right hand of God, v. 1. in the lat. part. Is Christ our Head in Heaven, and shall we the Members be grove­ling here on earth? should we not rather by our heavenly minds and affections ascend up thither, whither Christ is gone before to pre­pare a place, and sitteth to keep possession for us?

3d. Arg. Because [...], ye are dead from these things below, in the 3d. v. by a death unto sin, as in our Baptism, renoun­cing and disowning the World, the Flesh, [...]nd the Devil, to live no longer according to the course of this World, the Lusts of [...]he Flesh, or the Works of the Devil, in­ [...]onfistent with the Christian Profession and Practice.

4th. Arg. From their expectation of a glorious life hereafter, at Christ's second [...]oming, v. 4. For when Christ, who is our [...]ife, shall appear, then shall ye also appear [...]ith him in glory; that therefore we should [...]ave our Conversation in Heaven, from whence we look for that blessed Hope, and he glorious appearing of the great God, [Page 4] and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Tit. 2. 13.

The Apostle having enforced the positiv [...] part, or his Exhortation to heavenly-mindedness with these Arguments, falls upo [...] a farther prosecution of the Negative; S [...] not your Affections on things on earth; gi [...] ing the Colossians, and us with them, a d [...] rection how to carry our selves toward [...] them, even in a Mortification of our Members which are upon earth, Fornication, & [...] that is, of our earthly and sensual Affection

Mortificare, or to Mortifie in English, as much as mortuum facere, to make dea [...] cause to dye, or put to death; when applied to sin, it is a figurative Speech take [...] from things which have life, and (probabl [...] enough) from the Sacrifices under the Law which were kill'd and slain by the Priest, b [...] fore they were offered upon the Altar; a [...] swerably to which we must kill the old ma [...] of sin, before we can become a Sacrifice a [...] ceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Killing the Old man, or the first Ada [...] as 1 Cor. 15. 45. Not in respect of t [...] Substance, but the Quality, the evil Disp [...] sitions, the corrupt Nature descended a [...] conveighed to us from Adams sin and [...] from God, and the Holiness of his fir [...] estate.

Crucifying the flesh we read of, and Cr [...] cified [Page 5] 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 [Page 6] 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 i [...] 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 [...]ac [...] of the Earth hath the seed of sin, the roo [...] of evil in him, Flesh as well as Spirit, a [...] [Page 7] 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 master­ [...]d sin, and conquered its temptation at pre­sent, it will renew its strength, and return upon you again; like that Monster, Hydra's [...]ead, it will repullulate, and find you work or repeating your assaults, and reiterating [...]our mortifying blows; like a conquered Nation, which will be labouring still to re­cover [Page 8] 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 sprou [...] 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 hi [...] Annotations much the same, Lusts, some o [...] which he nameth afterwards. Dr. Hammond understands it of our inordinate Affections. Dr. Preston says by Members i [...] meant Sin, or any foul Affection, or desir [...] of the Heart, when our Affections fix o [...] settle upon an unlawful Object, as anothe [...] Man's Possessions, another Man's Wife, o [...] 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 lawf [...] things in an undue measure, an immoderat [...] distrustful care of his worldly concern [...] which otherwise were lawful, and must b [...] [Page 9] 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 [Page 10] 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 [Page 11] 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 Ʋnrighteousness, (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 b [...]loved a [...] his Mem­bers, and therefore in Scripture our Lusts are called a right-hand and a right-eye, that is, they s [...]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 [...]e [Page 12] of our dearest Members. I have read o [...] 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 hi [...] 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 [...] greater Person who (having had a fit of th [...] Apoplexy, and being much addicted t [...] 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, an [...] proved eventually true of his untimely end Though Life is sweet, yet you see a Lus [...] is sweeter, so that Life, and Honour, an [...] Conscience, and Heaven, even all must g [...] for a beloved Lust.

They are not only called Members, bu [...] Members which are upon Earth. First, Because they are exercised upon earthly things as Riches and Treasures, which are as [...] were fetched out of the Earth, as our Golden Silver Mines, &c. afford us our Money, and other choice Jewels, must not b [...] referred to Air, Fire, Water, but Earth as the Element to which they belong, an [...] [Page 13] 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 en­ [...]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 large­ [...]y for actual Uncleanness, as 1 Cor. 5. 1. The Incestuous Corinthians act in marrying his Fathers Wife called Fornication; and [Page 14] this sense seemeth to be the more commo [...] sense of the Word in Scriptures, as in Ma [...] 15. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 8. yet in 1 Cor. 6. 9▪ Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor eff [...] minate, nor abusers of themselves with man­kind; where the other sorts of Uncleanness natural or unnatural are reckoned up, (a [...] but Bestiality) which makes for the othe [...] sense of the word Fornication, that of Whoredom, which is committed between two single unmarried Persons, and in that it differ [...] from Adultery, because it is not against an [...] Marriage-Covenant, and so hath no Perjur [...] of that kind, and because the Married hav [...] 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 Fornicato [...] shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not excluding Repentance, here as in othe [...] sins there remaining some place for Repentance; and because we do not find in th [...] Law of God the Punishment of Whoredom to be absolutely Death as in case o [...] Adultery.

This Fornication must be Mortified i [...] those that have done thus wickedly, tha [...] they do so no more, and sin not for th [...] time to come as heretofore; but work ou [...] of their Hearts the love of the sin, and cea [...] [Page 15] 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 [...]ut what is common to men, incident to [...]umane nature, to good as well as bad; [...]en the best have found themselves temp­ [...]ed, (and probable enough,) very strong­ [...]y tempted by▪ their youthful Lusts; [...]hey are a sore temptation, if not the [...]reatest in our whole Lives, and there is [...]s much difficulty in conquering these un­ [...]ly Lusts, as in breaking young head­ [...]rong Horses, and taming of wild Beasts, [...]r the like; and a great part of peoples [...]eligion must be placed in it, and they [...]ust be very careful however they fall by [...]sser guilt and the corruption of their [...]earts, to keep off from this greater guilt, [...]is deadly or damning sin, as Fornicati­ [...]n is named in our Letany; and I am per­ [...]waded God doth not give men up to this [...]n, until they have provoked him very [Page 16] much by long neglect of holy duties, (and then no wonder if evil prevail, and cor­rupt so many, when there is little or no good to withstand it; if they have little▪ or no grace to overcome the temptation where the means of Grace are neglected or used very little, and but in a very care­less negligent manner;) or by much in­ward filthiness of long continuance, or great wantonness, for nemo repente fuit tur­pissimus. And if thou beest one who hast long indulged thy self in these, thou art prepared for further Guilt, there is but a step between thee and this sin; and there­fore tremble in a sense of thy Guilt, and danger of more; but yet better these than the sin it self, or the actual uncleanness▪ vastantia conscientiam, that lay waste and make havock of a good Conscience, o [...] great gashes and wounds in the Conscience and sink men into destruction, and commonly, ordinarily hold them fast in it, a Prov. 2. 18, 19. spoken of a naught Woman: For her House inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead: None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold o [...] the paths of Life; which is true in a proverbial sense, ( Proverbs being sayings o [...] common observation, and so true by common experience, as it is here,) That the [...] [Page 17] who go on thus far never return to God again, and usually perish, though not e­ver without exception. Consider of this, [...]or prevention of sin now in time, least [...]hou be forced to consider of it after­wards, to despair for sin. A word spo­ [...]en in due season, and received, how [...]ood is it! The next word is Ʋnclean­ess, [...], which doth comprehend [...]l sorts of actual sins of this kind, those [...]gainst the 7th. Commandment, and the [...]ternal Lusts against the 10th. Command­ [...]ent, Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours [...]ife, where in the Septuagint it is [...], thou shalt not have any lustful [...]esire after her. What ever is impure [...]d unchast, inward or outward, natural [...] unnatural Lusts, this word being of a [...]rge signification reacheth them all, [...]ough here it chiefly and more especially [...]spects the outward acts, there being [...]njoyned in the same verse, other words [...]at signifie Lust within us, as inordinate [...]fection, and evil concupiscence do. I [...]oke already somewhat to the natural [...]s of Lust, under the consideration of [...]e former word, I shall speak now to o­ [...]er unnatural acts of Lust, that of peo­ [...]es corrupting themselves, and sinning a­ [...]inst their own bodies. Ah how far hath [Page 18] this abominotion spread it self! how ma­ny have committed folly in this sort! Ah this single Fornication (as some call it,) how soon have some began to practise it! out of a wantonness and lasciviousness to taste of pleasure before its time! other some from their Parents fault and negli­gence, staying their Children for a good Match so long, until their patience is ti [...] red out. And thus they (who might and like enough would have been satisfie [...] with the true and proper remedy agains [...] Lust, and with the lawful means) fall t [...] unlawful, when they see their Parent [...] provide no Portion for them, and tak [...] no care to dispose of them. Lust will no [...] ever be shut up in the heart, it will brea [...] out; this fire will have a vent some wa [...] or other. If you find your Childrens inclinations strong to Marriage, the tempe [...] and constitution of their Bodies requirin [...] it, their corruption stirring, and temptations powerful, and their age competent [...] deny them not Marriage. And if th [...] Match be not altogether so desireable [...] to this world, and so well as you cou [...] wish, yet all things considered it may [...] best, least they should do worse, and tak [...] such a liberty in this kind before Marriag [...] as should either make them unfit for Ma [...] riage, [Page 19] or at least both Soul and Body rue it afterwards, and find the sad and mis­chievous effects of it on themselves and their Children. But because this sin may be involuntary, not only after one for some time hath given himself to it, to be given up thereto by God, as Rev. 22. 11. Him that is filthy, let him be filthy still; but possibly (though very rarely,) it may be involuntary in the first rise and occasion of it, coming upon a more innocently mind­ed person, in a manner secret and undis­cernable by him, but then it is sent as a punishment (perhaps) for some guilt up­on the Family, a just God visiting the sins of the Parents, (especially if they have been addicted to this vice) upon their Children; or for some other more known and wilful sin, which they overlook and say nothing unto, though it be highly dis­pleasing unto God, and provoke him to make them vile in this manner. But from what cause soever it proceed, Parents must be very careful to prevent it, or check it betimes: And because the Devil is most busie with such when they are solitary, most violent in his assaults to excite their Corruptions, and set them a-work on this wickedness, it is not so safe to suffer them in private, or trust them to be much alone, [Page 20] especially these that know how to d [...] evil.

There are other sorts of actual Uncleanness, as by Incestuous mixtures an [...] Marriages, forbidden, as coming withi [...] the degrees of Consanguinity and nearnes [...] of Relation by the Fathers or the Mother side, as Lots two Daughters. Gen. 19. 32. who said, there was not a Man in the Earth to come in unto them after the manner of all th [...] Earth, and so they made their Fathe [...] drink Wine, and lay with him when th [...] Wine had overcome him. Judah and Tha [...] mar his daughter by Marriage, or Sons Wife. Amnons inceit with Tamar his own Sister by Father. I could mention that whole Nation among the Heathens stood guilty, th [...] Persians of lying with their own Mothers the Macedonians and Aegyptians Marrying their own Sisters; and this done even a [...] Athens it self, the Queen or Mistress of al Greece for Civility and Learning: their Histories were full of them, their Plays and Tragedies which they frequented every day, and respected with great applause represented them as lawful and commendable. Some that are more curious tha [...] sober in Religion, are very inquisitiv [...] who was Cains Wife. Suppose we that Adam had Daughters, (though thei [...] [Page 21] Names be not mentioned in Scripture,) as well as Sons, God could dispense with the Marriage of his own Sister, at that time when there were no other Virgins in the world, even as under the Jewish Law, he did dispense with the Brothers going in unto his Brothers wife, to raise up seed unto his Brother; but that would be no example for others to follow when the world was peopled.

Besides these, we read of other unnatu­ral Lusts, for Lust is so wild a passion, that it flies out into all manner of Extra­vagancies; you read in Gen. 19. That two Angels came to Sodom at Even 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 [Page 22] 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▪ [Page 23] 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, [Page 24] 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 [Page 25] 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, [Page 26] 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 [Page 27] unconstancy, to be taken with every fair Object, and 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, [Page 28] 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 [Page 29] 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 [Page 30] 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 'tis 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 [Page 31] 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, [Page 32] 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 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 [Page 33] 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 [Page 34] of the Will against Sin, we lose all: Hi [...] labor hoc opus, here is the difficulty in th [...] 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 i [...] 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 [Page 35] 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 Ʋncleanness, 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 [...] [Page 44] 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 [Page 45] 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 [Page 46] [...]ings were vain, Incense an Abominati­ [...]; their Religious days, their New-Moons, [...]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 your selves from the sins of Sodom, accor­ding to those words, Ye Rulers of Sodom, Ye people of Gomorrha; and verse 21, How is the faithful City become an Harlot! may be compared with that before, be li­terally understood, and argue their guilt even in this kind. Further, the 2 Tim. [...]. 22. Flee also youthful Lusts, but follow Righteousness, Faith, Charity, Peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart; the words import, as if none did follow after Righteousness, but such as call on the Lord out of a pure heart, others are not mentioned in the number, nor their Services of any account, not accepted as the works of Righteousness. If I regard Iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayers, saith David: David was an Holy man, God himself gave him that Testimony, yet while his Lusts remained unmortified, after his Adultery with Bath­sheba, and like enough some time before [Page 47] it, his Prayers were not heard; it is plain enough by that instance of his Murther of Ʋriah, adding Sin unto Sin. If his Pray­ers had been heard, (as no doubt but he did pray in the Interim between the Adul­tery committed, and the Prophet Na­thans reproof of him by the Parable,) God would never have left him to fall further, not into so crying a Sin as the Murther of the Husband. This seems too to have been the case of Solomon, while his lusts remained unmortified, as during his ma­ny Wives; all his religious performan­ces availed little or nothing, as 1 Kings, 11. where you find him drawn away by his Women to Idolatry; in the 4th. verse it is said, his Wives turned away his heart after other Gods, building high places for their Idols. Even thus it is with Good men, while their lusts remain unmortified, their Services remain unaccepted. In Malachi, 2. 13. ye read of those that covered the Al­tar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, but the Lord regarded not their offering, nor received it with good will at their hands; yet they said, Wherefore? Answered, because they dealt treache­rously with the Wife of your youth; vers. 1 [...] explaineth it, the Lord saith that he hateth▪ putting away. This I urge in no wise as an [...] [Page 48] argument against prayer and other duties, as if people should cease to pray and leave serving God, because of the naughtiness of their hearts; for that were running far­ther and farther from God, and that grace which should reform and better them: But only for this end, that people should pray more, and even turn the chief force of their prayers against their Lusts, and labour more to bring their Lusts in sub­jection, that so nothing remain to hinder their prayers from being heard, or to de­file and pollute their Services.

Third Argument for Mortification, Unmortified lusts argue a man to be dead in Grace, such as remain unsubdued, when constant and permanent, and not only temporary, as in good men, Titus, 3. 3. For we our selves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, serving divers Lusts and plea­sures; sometime, that is, in their unregene­rate Estate, 1 Tim. 5. 6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth, even as those, 2 Tim. 3. 4. Who were lovers of plea­sures more than lovers of [...]od. And those, Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3. before they were quickned or received the spirit of Life from God, were [...]ead in trespasses and sins; dead as to the [...]piritual Life, the life of Gaace, which [...] the most sad and deplorable kind of [Page 49] death: they are said to have had the [...] Conversation in the lusts of their Flesh, fulfil­ling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, (or their corruption of nature since sin and the fall,) children of wrath even as others; all others are while they walk in the lusts of the flesh, ( Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye,) stand Condemned by the word of God, and ad­judged to eternal death: But if ye through the spirit do mortisie the deeds of the body, ye shall live. When any of Pythagoras his Scholars had degenerated in their Morals, from the sober, modest and vertuous pre­cepts of their Master, and let themselves loose to all kind of Vice, and brutish sen­suality, there was set a Bier as for dead mens Corps in his Room, to signifie that the man was dead, though the Beast was alive. Among those that were invited to the Gospel Feast, Luke 14. 20. you find one made his excuse, he had Married a Wife and could not come; not come and serve God in his Ordinances, or at least not hear­tily, his heart was after his Lusts: Not to be so taken, as if a Married State were in­consistent with Religion, or that they did ill in Marrying, which is an Ordinance of God, but the laying Religion aside then▪ as if it were not a time for Religion, and [Page 50] indulging their Lusts, and giving them­selves up to their Marriage pleasure, with­out any regard to God, for to serve him, which must be our main business in every estate of Life.

Fourth Argument for Mortification of our Lusts, Because we vowed to God and Covenanted in our Baptism, to re­nounce the sinful lusts of the Flesh: The Devil, the World, and the Flesh, are the enemies of our Salvation, mentioned in our Church Catechism, and in holy Scrip­ture, as Eph. 2. 2, 3. St. James, ch. 1. 4. Lusts are said to War in our Members; and in 1 Epist. of Peter, c. 2. 11. Abstain from fleshly Lusts which War against the Soul; and the Soul must War against them for ever, renouncing all the sinful lusts of the Flesh, that is, disowning, rejecting them, their motions and temptations, with an hatred and abhorrence of them in our hearts, or at least such a dislike of them as may pre­vail against them.

Now if Covenants made in worldly matters, as Bonds and Leases, bind their Heirs and Successours, even the Children yet unborn; so in Spirituals, when Pa­rents Covenant for their Children in Bap­tism, desiring it for their Children, and procuring others as Sureties to be bound [Page 51] with them for the greater assurance of the Childrens Religious Education, and per­formance of the Covenant Duties and Conditions, no doubt but it binds them as much in Spirituals, to stand to, and per­form the Religious, as well as the Civil Contracts and Covenants. And he is Perjur'd who breaks this solemn Vow and Covenant, that lives at peace and at friendship with the World or the Flesh, loving his Lusts, without that hatred and enmity which he is bound to by Baptism, to strive and struggle with them for the Mastery, to Watch and Pray, and use all good and holy means for their Mortifi­cation; and so long as ye hold out this good fight of Faith, resisting this Spiri­tual Enemy, and praying against your Lusts, so long you keep your ground and quit your selves like men, and are Con­querours if you are not Conquered, though you may not have that full Victory, that triumphant satisfaction in your Spirit, and that inward peace which some others have. But if once they 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. [Page 52] 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 Christi [...]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. [Page 53] 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 self­same 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 [...]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 [Page 54] of Flesh and Blood, he also took part o [...] 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 [Page 35] 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 [Page 56] Wars, of turning Churches into Sta­bles, and polluting them; but it is to tur [...] 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. [Page 57] 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 said, I will destroy Man, whom I have Created, from the Face of the Earth, both Man and Beast. And you know, the filthy Conversation and unlawful Deeds in this kind of the Men of Sodom, as they vexed Righteous Lot at the Heart, so they brought down the greatest sort of Judg­ment that ever was inflicted on any Sin­ners, Fire and Brimstone from Heaven to consume Sodom and Gomorrah, with the Ci­ties of the Plain. And Numb. 25. 12. when Israel began to commit Whoredom with the Daughters of Moab, and that led them unto the Spiritual Whoredom of Idolatry, the Lord sent a Plague among them; which in the 9th ver. swept away four and twenty [Page 58] thousand; with Zimri and Cozbi slain. Deut. 22. 22. both the Adulterer and the Adulte­ress were to be put to death by the Lords own Commandment; and if the tokens of Virginity were not found for the Dam­sel after Marriage, Deut. 22. 21. Then she was to be stoned with stones at the Door of her Fathers House: And so Numb. 5. 14. you find the Tryal of Jealousie; If the Spirit of Jealousie come upon a Man, and he be Jealous of his Wife that she is Defiled, the Priest shall take Holy Water, and of the dust that is in the Floor of the Tabernacle, and put it into the Water, and charge the Woman with an Oath of Cursing, saying, The Lord make thee a Curse, and an Oath among thy People, if thou be Defil'd; and this Water that causeth the Curse, shall go into thy Bowels to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot; And the Woman shall say, Amen, Amen: And in the 27th ver. it should be fulfilled accor­dingly, and the Woman be a Curse among her people, by that extraordinary Judgment. And in Jer. 5. 7, 8. When they committed A­dultery, and Assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, &c. Go ye up upon her Walls, and destroy. Ezek. 16. 49. said of Judah, That the Iniquity of her Sister Sodom was in her, and in her Daughters; called [Page 59] Sister to Sodom, because she was like her in Lewdness; in the 58 ver. Thou hast born thy Lewdness, and thine Abominations, saith the Lord, and that was in her Captivity, as the 58 ver. shows: So that it doth ap­pear this wickedness had a great hand in the ruine of that Kingdom; and of Sa­maria likewise, put for Israel in this Chap­ter. How strangely hath this Sin encrea­sed, at the ruine of Empires and Kingdoms! as of the Assyrian in Sardanapalus his time, so effeminate and degenerated, that he lived altogether among his Women and Concubines, not suffering Men to come to the sight of him. The Ruine of the Fa­mous Troy, was through an Adulteress Paris taking away, and keeping Helen Wife to King Menelaus. The Roman Empire de­clined, and the Emperours came to ill ends, when they became so prodigiously Lustful; Nero's vile abuse of his Body with per­sons of the nearest Consanguinity. Com­modus that kept 300 Concubines, and as many Boys for detestable uses: Bassianus his Incestuous Marriage of his own Mo­ther in Law Julia; next to him, Macrinus given over to Lust and Sensuality; after him, Heliogabalus, who appointed in Rome a Senate of Women: The matters there treated of, were Inventions and means [Page 60] how to practise their Filthiness and Abo­mination; at his removing from Rome, of­ten followed him six hundred Chariots la­den only with Bawds and common Harlots: He ordained Day-businesses to be done by Night, and Night-businesses to be done by Day. Maximinian, of whom before. Max­entius, so Villanous in his Behaviour, that he abstained not from abusing the Wives of Noble Senatours, taking them violently from their Husbands. Not one of these dyed a [...] natural Death: Besides that the Kingly Government at Rome was ejected, upon Tarquinius Superbus his forcing of that Noble Matron Lucretia. Herod (not Herod mentioned Acts 12. 23. eaten with Worms,) and Herodias, that Incestuous Harlot, are said to have died in great Pe­nury and Misery at Lyons in France.

And alas! How many Evils doth this Sin bring upon the Body! How doth it weaken and enfeeble the strength of Men and Women that are much addicted to it! especially those that are given to self-pol­lutions: Insomuch, that they bring that Curse upon themselves, denounced in the Holy Scriptures, that the wicked should not live out half their days: Which sad experience shows to be true, that many of these Sinners (against their own Souls or [Page 61] Bodies, shall I say, or indeed against both) dye in the midst of their Age, or young in comparison with what they might have reached to in the course of Nature, had they no ways shortned their days, and brought themselves to an untimely end, by their undue or excessive Lust. And why should not Men be afraid of some ill Di­stemper, so incident and common to those that make a common trade and practice of this Sin, such a foul and loathsome Di­stemper, that they are an Offence and An­noyance to others whither soever they come, and can scarce be endured above ground; so infectious it is, that all shun such Creatures. And ah! How many have dyed Martyrs to this Sin! Oh, England, that boastest of those that have been Mar­tyrs for thy God, be ashamed and confoun­ded, that the number doth so much exceed of those that have dyed in this sort of Mar­tyrdom! And O what more lingring deaths have these been put to, rotting even alive, and dying by piece-meal, and that with Pain and Torment too, burning with a consuming Fire, which their Lusts have kindled here, until they come to dwell with that devouring Fire, or fierceness of Gods wrath, and everlasting Burnings hereafter. And surely the sence and consideration of▪ [Page 62] everlasting burnings, would have enough in it to quench the flames of Lust, and make the unclean person tremble, and flee from his impure and adulterous embraces, so short for pleasure, but in the pain and punishment following them everlasting.

Besides what hath been said, this Sin is no less mischievous to the Souls, than to the Bodies of Men, by corrupting the Judgments of lewd persons with dange­rous (if not damnable) errours, and their Conversations with filthy and abominable practices, scandalous to the pure Religion of Christian: Many Instances may be given of this; as in the first Century, Cerinthus against whom, and Ebion, denying the Divi­nity of Christ, some have thought the Gospel of St. John to have been more directly intended, for Confutation of their Errours. Cerinthus pretended to Re­velations from Angels (and for ought I know, he might be in the right, if he had Father'd it on the evil Angels, not on the good:) That after the Resurrection from the dead, Christ should have an Earthly Kingdom in this World, and that the Sub­jects of Christs Kingdom should eat and drink, and Marry, and keep Holy-days; for he himself was a Man given to fleshly Lusts, and he imagined that the pleasures [Page 63] of Christs Kingdom should consist in fulfil­ling the Concupiscence of the Flesh. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 18.

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 i [...]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 [Page 64] 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▪ [Page 65] 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 5 ^th. 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 7 ^th. In Century the 14 ^th. in Alberts time, the Em­perour, in Lombardy, a sect of Hereticks which under colour of Religion and Cha­rity [Page 66] 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 flesh­pleasing sensual Sin. What do those that commit this Sin promise themselves but pleasure? To be sure, the pleasure of the Sin is always ti [...]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, und [...]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 [Page 67] suit with such a being as Man is, being mer [...] ­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 [...] 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. [Page 70] 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 [Page 71] 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 [Page 72] 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 [Page 74] 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 that some at least of the Posterity, should spend and consume it upon their Lusts, in the same way that the other got it?

Fourthly, If you get never so much Gain this way, yet when you come to cast up your accounts at the General Reckoning and great Day of Accounts, you will come off a loser, an eternal loser, when all your gain will signifie nothing, none of it abide with you for your comfort. But what would it profit you, if you gained never so much in this World? For what shall one give in exchange for the Soul? That is, the Soul is of so much worth, that no­thing in the World can equalize it, no­thing can vye with, or countervail the loss of an immortal Soul, which is an infinite loss, being lost to all Eternity, and so ir­recoverably.

Fifthly; As to those Married persons, who prostitute their Bodies to the Lusts of Men, least they should conceive and bear Children, and bring a charge upon them­selves, by living honestly with their own Husbands:

I Answer, First, That doth not always take effect. All that do or would keep com­pany in this manner, cannot have their end in this. For all are not so bad and abomi­nably wicked, as to rush headlong into such a damning guilt as Adultery is: Nay, I hope, very few in our Country Parishes remote from the City, but what would startle and boggle at such a wickedness, and what through their necessary Employments in their Worldly business, and the fear of being discovered, or strongly suspected, if they should Trespass, and [...]e often in such persons Company; and what through their Ignorance of these Women, that are so evil and Adulterous, few even of these that would make no Conscience of the Sin, do actually concur for the prevention of Children in these promiscuous Lusts.

Again, Parents ought to trust God to pro­vide for their Children, that God (as the Prove [...]b is) who se [...]ds Mouths, will send Meat. He that feedeth the young Ravens that cry unto him, will not suffer little [Page 76] Children to perish for want of Food. Psal. 147. 9. When was it known? Scarce ever, that any Infant or Child should be starved. You know the Law will allow them necessaries.

Again, Thirdly, Those that have many Children, above all persons are the fittest Objects of Charity: For it is some sign that they live honestly and chastly; and the charge which they are to their Relati­ons, or to a Parish, is such as God and Na­ture offer to them, and such as cannot be avoided well, nor justly blamed. There have been priviledges allowed by some Nations, (by the Roman especially) to those that had four▪ Children. And in all doles or charitable gifts, we should have a conside­ration of such persons especially, as ha­ving more lets and hinderances from their work, than others, and by the number of the Children, their strength somewhat im­paired; upon which accounts, one of our most useful ways of bestowing our Chari­ty, is upon such as these that abound with Children.

Fourthly, Children and the Fruit of the Womb, are a Gift and Heritage that com­eth of the Lord: A Blessing of the Lord, who as Gen. 9. Blessed Noah and his Sons, and said, Be Fruitful and Multiply, and re­plenish [Page 77] the Earth. Such a Blessing it is to have Children, that many would give hun­dreds, thousands of pounds for Issue; and how earnestly did Hannah beg it of God? Abraham and Sarah prize their Isaac: And Rachel longs for Children: Who would not rather have many Children, than none at all? Such Marriages where they have no Children, are looked upon as Comfort­ [...]ess and Unblest. Children are the dear­est pledges of the Parents Love, and the joy and staff of their old Age.

Another prevailing Motive and Temp­tation to these Sins, is Honour; as when they shall be Solicited to this Sin by per­sons of Quality, or those that are above [...]hem, they more easily yield, who would have though scorn to have been naught with those of Inferior Rank. To be a Miss or Whore to a great person, hath been look­ed upon as a piece of great Preferment, and [...]or a Servant to be admitted to this Sinful [...]amiliarity with his Mistress, a choice Fa­ [...]our, if not a Credit to him; so if a fine [...]uffling Spark come, he shall more easily [...]elude a poor Country Maid, under the [...]retence of Marriage, aspiring to be a [...]reat person.

In Answer to this, First, Whoredom is Whoredom, and Adultery is Adultery; [Page 78] whether the person be high or low with whom thou sinnest, the sin is the same, and stands sentenced to the same Condem­nation by the Word of God. Therefore flatter not thy self, that it will be any ex­cuse to thy sin, or plea for thee, that thou shouldest escape the Righteous Judgment of God. You will not say then it was the King, or some great Person, and I could not tell how to deny him, or it would have been taken ill, and I should have fell under his displeasure, &c.

Secondly, God is the Original of all Honour, the pattern to take after, and so much nearer as we come unto God, by resemblance and conformity to him, so much the more of real worth and excel­lency is in us, and honour deservedly due to us; but sinners in Scripture-sence, the lewd persons in particular, (as Rom. 1. 26. vile affections,) are vile and dishonourable: Psal. 15. 4. In whose eyes, (that is, in the sight or esteem of the Righteous,) a vile or wicked person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. All good Chri­stians, chast and vertuous Heathens, ho­nour those that resist, and withstand these temptations and preserve their Chastity, but look upon others as contemptible.

Thirdly, This sin doth really abase man [...]elow the dignity of his Nature, and le­vel him with the Beasts: For the pleasures of the Flesh are but the same that the Beasts have, and those who make these [...]heir choicest delights, and place their [...]ood in the enjoyment thereof, have lost [...]hemselves as men; and indeed this sin [...]akes away from men the use of their Rea­ [...]on; for no sooner shall a temptation of [...]his sort be presented, but Lust captivates [...]nd carries the sinner away, as Prov. 7. 22. He goeth after her straightway, as an Ox go­ [...]h to the Slaughter, or as a Fool to the Cor­ [...]ction of the Stocks, not considering what [...]e does, nor whither he goes.

Fourthly, Consider, besides the false­ [...]ess, and unfaithfulness to thy Master and [...]istress, thou art certain to draw their [...]ispleasure upon thee, if ever thy Wick­ [...]dness come to light, and to break the [...]eace of a Family, and that conjugal love [...]nd affection which ought to be between [...]he Married persons; and bring base blood [...] to a Family, staining the Honour and [...]redit of the Family.

Fifthly, Consider the shame that fol­ [...]ws this Sin when it is found out, the [...]uilty persons being taken notice of by all, [...]nd upbraided with it, almost upon all [Page 80] occasions. I say, if this shame were considered, especially in Virgins, and youn [...] Widows, it must needs awaken them to resist and withstand the Sin, if they hav [...] any concern for their good Name. Fo [...] what greater reproach and blot can ther [...] be upon them, than for them to miscarr [...] and fall so foully before Marriage, spo [...] ling their Fortunes, and bringing the Honesty into suspition ever after. S [...] that if they have any regard to their ow [...] Honour and Credit, the Honourablene [...] of the Soliciter will be of little for [...] to corrupt them. And they must have a Whores-forehead for Impudency, wh [...] are not touched with the shame, like tho [...] mentioned, Jer. 6. 15. Were they asham [...] when they had committed Abomination? Na [...] they were not at all ashamed, neither cou [...] they blush.

Lastly, Consider of some Instances, of Josephs rej [...]cting his Mistresses imm [...] dest and unchast desires, Gen. 39. 7. [...] lie with her, though she was Wife to a gre [...] and honourable Person, no less than Ca [...] tain of the Guard to Pharaoh, as the wor [...] seem to import. And Euseb. Hist. Eccl [...] lib. 8. c. 14. p. 312. He tells us of a W [...] man of Alexandria, the Emperour Max [...] minus often attempted her by all the Ar [...] [Page 81] [...]f Solicitation, but all in vain, till at [...]st, not being able to prevail, he would [...]ot put her to Death, but spoiled her being of Noble Birth and great For­ [...]nes) of her Estate, and then sent her [...] Banishment.

The like he relates of a Noble Wo­ [...]an at Rome, Wife to the Prefect or Go­ [...]ernour of the City, that Maxentius the [...]mperour, being passionately in love with [...]er, sent Officers to fetch her, who break­ [...]g into the House, would violently have [...]ized on her; of whom she begg'd only [...] much time, as to dress and adorn her [...]lf a little, under which pretence reti­ [...]ng, she caught up a Sword, and by a fa­ [...]l stroke-dispatch'd her self: They were [...]ot so compliant as the Women of our [...]ays, with the Lusts of Princes.

Another prevailing motive, and power­ [...]l Attractive to this Sin, is the Beautiful­ [...]ess of the Person. An handsome man, or a [...]andsome Woman, strikes the eye as plea­ [...]nt to behold, and the eye being enamou­ [...]ed with the Object, or the Soul (which [...]eth thorough the eye as the Organon vi­ [...]s,) being delighted therewith, corrupts [...]e heart to a lusting after it, in an evil [...]oncupiscence. Those Women that are [...]ept under the Name and Notion of Miss, [Page 82] are real or fancied Beauties: and the r [...] port of a Beauty, (if she be corrupted, an [...] so will comply with lustful mans desire fets him on his March; when the app [...] tite is dull, and another person will n [...] relish with him, yet this comely perso [...] this Beauty, will have its Charms, an [...] such strong ones, that he is presently ca [...] tivated; which made Democritus put o [...] his eyes, because not able to defend himself against the Charms of Beauty.

To which I answer, First, Scriptur [...] and Reason tell us, Beauty is vain, Pro [...] 31. 30. Vain it is, as being altogether useless in point of Religion, a dangero [...] snare and temptation to the person tha [...] hath it, and to others; an hinderanc [...] commonly rather than help to Religio [...] Vain again as to emptiness, as void of a [...] real good, worth, or excellency, an [...] consequently insufficient for the comfor [...] and happiness of mans Life. Vain, because Res [...]est Forma fugax: Beauty is subject to decay, and may be impaired or lo [...] many ways, by a Cut or Wound on th [...] Face, by a falling fit into the Fire, as have known, or a fall from an Horse, o [...] otherwise hurting or bruising, blemishin [...] the Countenance, or by the small-Pox disfi [...] guring the face, or a tertian ague, the Palsy [Page 83] o [...] the like, being subject to many Chan­ [...]s; and if persons be not honest as well fair, to somewhat worse, which will not [...]enly disfigure, yet change the fair Co­ [...]ur in time into a pale or black swarthy comeliness. But however, old Age [...]ll impair it; and if you look for it af­ [...]r Death, you will find but a Worm-ea­ [...]n Carkass, all the Beauty gone and laid the dust. And if Beauty be vain, as [...]u have heard, who but vain persons will such foolish admirers of it? What [...]se persons will be so migh [...]ily in love [...]th Vanity, to court it, and catch at it greedily? Or what will its embraces [...]ofit a man? Or vanity turn to any ac­ [...]unt in the enjoyment of it? Besides, [...]at other Creatures excell man in this [...]pect, the brightness of the Stars, and [...]eral precious Jewels, the redness of [...]e Rose, the White of the Lilly, and [...]odliness of the Flowers, exceed the [...]i [...]e and red of the greatest Beauty; and [...]ne of them, as the precious Stones, [...]ld their lustre, when that of Beauty is [...]cayed; which should teach you to set [...]re light by Beauty, not so highly to [...]ze and prefer it, to seek or pursue it, [...]bless your self in the love and society, [...]ssession and fruition of such a Vanity.

Secondly, Beauty is not only vain, b [...] worse than Vanity when vitiated and [...] praved. As a Jewel of Gold in a Swi [...] Snout, so is fair a Woman without disc [...] tion, that is, without Wisdom to prese [...] her Chastity. Well may she be com [...] red to the Swine, because the Swine lo [...] to wallow in the Mire, and nasty di [...] filthy places, defiling it self; so doth Beauty, corrupted by a foul heart a [...] filthy lewd courses, pollute and defile [...] self, and make her self a most loathsom a [...] abominable Creature, with the worst, not indeed the only deformity, beyo [...] the greatest bodily blemishes. For as the Shape and Feature of the Body, m [...] or less Comely, every one is as God ma [...] them, who made every thing good, a [...] so none as to their bodily shape, ought be slighted or despised, as an ugly def [...] med ill-shapen Creature, much less ma [...] a mock and a scorn and matter of derisio [...] for that reproach falls upon their Mak [...] whose Workmanship they are, especia [...] when they have that inward Beauty, a [...] Spiritual Comeliness of Modesty and C [...] stity, Vertue and Religion. But a [...] Face, with a foul Heart, it is but Sk [...] deep Beauty, a goodly shew and app [...] rance, or as a little flourish or gild [...] [Page 85] outwardly, when there is the worst Ugli­ [...]ess and Deformity, the most vile Nasti­ [...]ess and Filthiness inwardly, that if it [...]ould but be seen, it would turn the Sto­ [...]ack, ad nauseam usque, to the very loa­ [...]ing of the person that you so much ad­ [...]ire for her Beauty. And indeed those [...]at have the least of this bodily Comeli­ [...]ess and outward Beauty, are to be pre­ [...]rred before her, not half so ugly and [...]eformed Creatures as she is: And if you [...]ould not be naught with such persons, [...]ecause they have no form nor comeliness [...] them that you should desire them, nor [...]ould you with these, if you could dis­ [...]rn their Spiritual Deformity, and [...]ould set that against their Skin-deep [...]eauty, much outweighing it, because [...]e deformity is of the better part, such [...] is Spiritual, and will be an eternal blot [...]d blemish upon them without Repen­ [...]nce.

Thirdly, If Beauty tempt thee, no [...]ubt but thou wilt meet with some come­ [...] Persons who will not be corrupted by [...]ee; some that are so well fortified with [...]race, that all thy solicitations to Sin [...]ll but return upon thy self with shame [...]d disappointment; and if thou canst [...]t withstand the pretended Charms of [Page 86] Beauty, then thy passion will continue, [...] Amnons to Thamar, 2 Sam. 13. 2. A [...] Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for [...] Sister Tamar, and grew lean from day to da [...] through the fury and violence of his pa [...] on raging inwardly: and then to wha [...] sad Condition wilt thou be brought, p [...] haps like to Haman, through the cont [...] ry passion of hatred and revenge, who [...] Esth. 5. 11, 12, 13. notwithstanding t [...] Glory of his Riches, and the multitude of [...] Children, and all his Honour, yet all [...] availed him nothing, said he, so long as [...] could not be satisfied in his revenge up [...] Mordecai; one passion unsatisfied, w [...] put the whole man out of order.

Fourthly, Thou mayest expect m [...] comfort in thine own Wife, than in a [...] other, Eccles. 9. 9. God hath comm [...] ded thee to live joyfully with the Wife wh [...] thou lovest, (or shouldest love,) all [...] days of thy life. God gave her to thee [...] a Comfort, and there is nothing to h [...] der but that her love may be sweet a [...] comfortable unto thee, and answer [...] end of Marriage, for the mutual he [...] society and comfort, that each ought [...] have of other in Prosperity and Adve [...] ty. But an Adulterous love, is▪ so [...] from having God [...] blessing to these en [...] [Page 87] that it hath such evils attending it, as do embitter the sweet of it with an accusing Conscience, and the sense of Sin in so do­ing, and that the end of it will be sad and dismal, with the fear of discovery, and the secrecy that is sought out, and oppor­tunity to Sin, which is hard to be found without suspition; the long absence and Banishment from each others company, [...]inning only by stealth, with the shame [...]hat follows such Lewdness when it is [...]ound out. And what though she be more beautiful, was not your own Wife [...]ovely in your eyes when you Married? And should she not still be precious in thy [...]ight, and her love content thee? Further, Beauty is either in a fair Complexion, [...]andsome Features and shape of the body; [...]hese are only pleasing to the eye, and are [...]ot at all concerned in the Act of Whore­ [...]om or Adultery, which doth not eye [...]he beauty of the person, nor can enjoy [...]hat; nor hath its pleasures increased [...]ore or less, according to the proporti­ [...]n of Beauty in the person; and conse­ [...]uently, if the beauty of a person be an [...]gument to look, yet not to Lust, or [...]ulterate with the person; where beauty [...]oth not reach, nor contribute to the [...]easure of any of those Acts, which may [Page 88] be greater in those that are void of beau­ty, and are not so common to the Lusts of men, as your corrupted beauties are of all the most sought unto, and conse­quently the most common. Besides, that it cannot be so safe for any man to company with them as with his own Wife, if she be honest and true to him, which cannot be expected of the other sort of Creatures, but that they should serve for others as well as himself, if not for all comers, with whom they make a­ny gain and advantage by their Sin, by which means of their commonness, they as commonly come to be infected. I shal [...] leave a better example of three famou [...] Beauties, for others to admire, in thei [...] care to preserve their Chastity, Domnin [...] the Mother, Bernice and Prosdoce th [...] Daughters, in whose commendation St [...] Chrysostom made an Oration on purpos [...] Hom. 5. 1. de S. S. Domn. Bern. Pros [...] Tom. 1. p. 557. They, eminent for the [...] beauty, and features of their bodies, wer [...] sought for as a prey to Lust, under th [...] Dioclesian Persecution, and fled for it, b [...] being found out by the Soldiers sent t [...] search for them, begged leave to step [...] little out of the Road for some priva [...] occasions, and then drowned themselve [...] parishing in the Waters.

Another prevailing Temptation and In­ducement to the Commission of this Sin, is the hope of Secrecy. The eye of the Adulte­rer waiteth for the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me; and disguiseth his face. And therefore this Sin, like the Works of darkness, flees the Light, and seeks for the most secre [...] Chambers and places of retirement to hide it self, and is very shy of all such places or persons as may discover it.

To which I Answer, First, That this Sin often leaves such marks in the Coun­tenance as discover it; the hollowness of the eyes more than ordinary, and more pale look than at other times, a great shy­ness of coming into presence, and some fear and timorousness after the Commissi­ [...]n of this Sin, lest it should be discove­ [...]ed; or sometimes by the gifts or presents made upon such account, as Judahs Sin with Tamar, Gen. 38. 18, 35. By his signet, [...]racelets, and his Staff. Next, persons can­ [...]ot long practise this Wickedness, but the Neighbours, Children, or Servants of one [...]r both the persons, will shrewdly suspect [...]hem, and their over familiar converse and [...]elight in one anothers Company, and the [...]ove which they bear to each other, will [...]iscover it self in Company, and their [...]aunts many times are found out, and their

resort to this or that place of secrecy.

Thirdly, Those who are addicted to this Vice, in their variety are like to meet with those of both sorts, Sound and un­sound, and to get a spice of an ill Distem­per, and that will discover the Wife to her Husband, or Husband to the Wife, and sometimes to all the Neighbours, and they become contemptible upon that ac­count to all that know them.

Fourthly, Though Married Women have got (as the Proverb saith,) a Cloak for their sin, yet you know the Fruits of this Sin discover themselves in those Wo­men that are corrupted before Marriage, and their shame comes to light. The To­kens of Virginity were to be sought in the New-Marri [...]d Woman, as Deut. 22. 17.

Fifthly, The Providence of God work­eth for the discovery of this wickedness very often remarkably: He so disquiets the Conscience of some of the persons, that they can have no peace untill they discover it: if ever they come to any sense of, and Repentance for the Sin, they must confess their offence and ask forgiveness, especially if it can be done prudentially▪ without an open publishing of their shame▪

How often doth the man in Drink, bla [...] out and discover his shame, though no [...] [Page 91] without the hand of God in it? Or how often doth the Child prove the very Pi­cture of the Lover, and discover it, so that people read Adultery in the Face of it, and can discern the true Father of it! Or when people come to dye, then [...] least, the Conscience finds the weight of Adultery lye heavy upon it; and those that are under suspition of it, the Mini­ster, according to our duty, may put it to them, that if they find their Consciences troubled with any weighty matter, (as it is in the Visitation of the Sick,) to make special confession of their Sin, and not to go out of the World, with such a guilt upon their Souls unrepented of.

Sixthly, If they 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 no [...] God see us? If we sin, will it not be in his pre­sence? And upon the sense of being under [Page 92] 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 [...]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 all­seeing 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 [Page 93] 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 [Page 94] 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 b [...]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 compa [...]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 [Page 95] 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 griev [...] 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 [...]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 [...]hat they will be tainted with such a Di­ [...]temper as will engage and oblige them to [...]in on, and give it to others, that so (as [...]he common speech goes) they may find [...]ome case and cure to th [...]mselves, (such [Page 96] 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 [Page 97] given, (as an Infinite Being must needs be free in his Operations,) therefore such Sinners are not utterly to be excluded all hope of Repentance; yet being under such miserable circumstances of ruining Soul or Body, (whatever hope there might be of their Repentance otherwise) this is like to hold them fast in their sins, until they have sinned away their day of Grace, and are forsaken utterly.

Thirdly, If ever you should repent, (which I must acknowledge a possibility) yet you had better never sin than repent after sinning: For besides the defilement of the Soul, and Guilt thereby, you will pay dear for sinning, if ever you repent, you will smart for it even in this World; if you sin, be sure your sin will find you out. And surely if you have but any true love to your selves, that principle of self-love should avail somewhat for prevention of [...]hese sins, and you would resolve the same as Demosthenes did with respect to the Har­ [...]ot of Corinth, that famous or infamous Lais, who required so great a price for [...]he use of her Body, that several Gentle­men refused to company with her, and [...]he Orator Demosthenes said, He would not [...]uy repentance at so dear a rate. Let David [...]e an example to you in that kind, [Page 98] 2 Sam. 12. 11. Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house; and I will take thy Wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy Neighbour, and he shall lie with thy Wives in the sight of the Sun; and this punishment for his Adulte­ry with Bathsheba the wife of Ʋriah: And [...]oth Vers. Now therefore the Sword shall ne­ver depart from thine house, because thou hast slain Ʋriah the Hit [...]ite with the Sword. But you know that was but to cover his Adultery with the Wife, or that he might take her to Wife; so that Adultery was the Mother Sin, and Murther the Daugh­ter of that, and consequently all the pu­nishment of them both must be charged on his Adultery. Read but the 38th Psalm, 2. 3, 4, 5. and so on. Thine Arrows have stuck fast in me; thine hand presseth me sore: There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin: I go mourning all the day long:—I have roared by reason of the dis­quietness of my heart;—my heart panteth, my strength faileth me. Psal. 102. 3. My days are consumed like smoak, and my bones are burnt as an hearth: My heart is smitten and withered like Grass, by reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin: I am like a Pelican of the Wilderness, like an [Page 99] Owl of the desert: I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of thine indignation and thy wrath, &c. Now you see how dear this sin cost David; so that you have little encourage­ment to sin from David's Repentance af­ter sin, if you consider all his sorrow in his Repentance.

But because I would not hinder, but help forward so good a Work as Repen­tance is, besides what hath been said al­ready, consider further, That there are some Examples of Penitents in this kind, of Repentance, in 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. For Lot's Incest, Gen. 19. 31. Father Abraham, who had promised to him, that his seed should be as the Stars of Heaven for number and mul­titude, Gen. 15. 5. and in Gen. 12. 3. That in him (when he was married at that time to Sarah, as v. 5.) should all the Families of [...]he Earth be blessed, yet he goeth in unto Hagar his Handmaid, because that God deferred the fulfilling of his Promise, and [...]e had then no issue by Sarah, yet it is certain that he repented; and so we [...]hink of Jacob with his two Wives, and [...]heir Handmaids, that he offended herein; David, and Solomon especially by his many Wives and Concubines that drew away his [...]eart after their Idols; yet these repented [Page 100] in general to be sure of these sins; an [...] we have reason to think that God shewe [...] them somewhat of sin in these things, an [...] brought them to a particular Repentance To be sure, the Lord did not hold the [...] sinless, guiltless in so doing; for in Ma [...] lachi, a Prophet of the Old Testament ch. 2. 14. especially 15. vers. The Lord hat [...] been witness between thee and the Wife of th [...] Youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously. And did he not make one? wherefor [...] one? that he might seek a godly seed: Therefore take heed to your Spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the Wife o [...] his Youth.

Again, In the New Testament we find some encouragement to repent, when it is said of Publicans and Harlots, that they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, (which I am sure they can never do without Re­pentance) before you; (that is the self▪ righteous, self justifying Pharisees) they would sooner repent. I have read in Mr. Mead's Almost a Christian, about Gifts, ( Anno 1523.) That Speiserus, a famous Mi­nister in Germany, preached fo powerfully, that many Harlots were Converted by his Ministry, but he himself fell off in time of tryal to the Papists: Mary Magdalen is supposed to have been such an one, out [Page 101] of whom it is said, Christ cast out seven De­ [...]ls. Luke 8. 2.

And after the Exhortation to Mortifica­ [...]on of Uncleanness, in the 7th. ver. of this Coloss. In the which ye walked sometime, when lived in them: though they were become [...]enitents, yet time was, that they lived [...] the Flesh. And we have an Example [...]f the Incestuous Corinthian, 1 Cor. 5. 1. [...]ecome a Penitent, in the 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7, 8. [...] Forgive him, and Comfort him, and con­ [...]m their Love towards him. 1 Cor. 6. 9. [...]either Fornicatours, nor Idolaters, nor A­ [...]ulterers, nor effeminate, nor Abusers of [...]emselves with Mankind, shall Inherit [...]e Kingdom of God: Continuing such means. But in the 11th. ver. And such [...]ere some of you; but ye are Washed, [...]ut ye are Sanctifyed, but ye are Justifyed [...] the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the [...]pirit of our God. So that you see they [...]epented, though I must acknowledge too [...]hat they had greater Advantage, and [...]ere fairer for Repentance at the first [...]ublication of the Gospel, than those that [...]ave long enjoyed it, and turned the Grace [...]f God into wantonness; yet it is certain, [...]ere is great Encouragement to repent [...]rom hence. It is thought most of the [...]orinthians were infected with this wick­edness, [Page 102] because the City was infamou [...] (even to a Proverb) upon this account [...] [...] signifying Scortari, to be Lasci [...] vious, Lecherous, or commit Fornication [...]

That you may improve this place o [...] Sripture, repeat it often in your mind, an [...] pray it over, earnestly begging of Go [...] that you may be found in the number, tha [...] you may be washed, you may be sanctify [...] ed, you may be justifyed; and mentio [...] before him, that the Lord is gracious, for giving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin [...] who pardoned the Sinners above-mentioned, and who is the same Lord, an [...] changeth not, and can give Repentance to such a vile Creature as you have mad [...] your self by Sin. O rest not, be not satisfied without it, ply it hard at the Thron [...] of Grace, continuing instant in Prayer [...] and take no denial from God, and tho [...] wilt speed in great likelihood.

3. The Remedy of Gods appointmen [...] is to Marry, and live honestly. It is not to be denyed, but that several have been reclaimed by this means, and never return­ed again unto folly. And herein let them be sure to make choice of such a Wife, o [...] such an Husband, as they can heartily love▪ above any other, that so the passionate (o [...] at least real and most unfeigned) love [Page 103] which they bear to their own Wives and [...]usbands, may engage them the more [...]werfully against their former Courses, [...]d forsaking all others (as in the Office [...] Matrimony) the Man to keep only to [...] Wife, and the Wife only to her Hus­ [...]nd, so long as they both shall live. We [...]nnot find in our hearts to wrong the [...]rsons that we dearly love: And if a [...]ife be beloved according to that near­ [...]s and Relation which she hath by Mar­ [...]ge, her love will so rule and overrule [...] others, that the Heart of her Husband [...]ll not depart from her: As King Charles [...] 1st. in his last words sent from him to [...] Queen, bid them tell her, That his [...]ughts had never strayed from her. And [...]s could proceed from no other princi­ [...], but that conjugal love which he bear [...]er in the fear of God.

The Ancient Church was too inclina­ [...] to offend against Marriage, by binding [...]ple over-much from it, tying them up [...] strictly to a single Life; which in­ [...]d in those times of the Heathenish and [...]ian Persecution, was highly convenient, [...] all had not the Gift of Continency. [...]ur Church sets forth very excellently [...] Causes for which Matrimony was Or­ [...]ed.

First, It was Ordained for the Procrea [...] on of Children, to be brought up in the fe [...] and nurture of the Lord, and to the pra [...] of his holy Name. And this is the gr [...] end of Marriage, that which both G [...] and Nature designed in it, the propo [...] tion of Mankind, that human Soci [...] might not fail; as Justin Martyr, Apol. 2 [...] 71. and Athenagoras, Apolog. pro Christi [...] p. 37. Either (saith he) we Marry not at [...] but keep our selves always continent; or if do Marry, it is for no other end, but the bri [...] ing forth, and the bringing up of Child [...] Whoever among us takes a Wife, accordin [...] the Laws prescribed us, he reckons he do [...] only for the begetting of Children, within t [...] his desires are bound and limited; as the H [...] bandman concerns himself no further in Ti [...] his Ground, and Sowing of his Corn, tha [...] bring forth the Crop at Harvest. Henc [...] was, that they seldom Marryed more t [...] once, (as Minutius Foelix speaks, p. 26.) that merely out of a desire of Child [...]

The Second end of Marriage was f [...] Remedy against Sin, and to avoid Fornica [...] that such persons as have not the Gif [...] Continency, might Marry, and keep th [...] selves undefiled Members of Christs B [...] marry even to a Second Marriage, saith mens Alexandrinus, as more moderate [Page 105] Orthodox in his Judgment, Stromat. lib. 3. 428. And indeed, not only to a second [...]arriage; for it may so happen, that a [...]an or Woman may be left young, or of [...]iddle Age, after the death of the second [...] third Husband or Wife, and may have [...]ed to Marry; and therefore Marriage [...]ust not be confined for number to the se­ [...]nd or the third, but repeated as often [...] there is occasion for it, for this world or [...] the other.

There may be an abundance of Lascivi­ [...]sness in a marryed Estate, and dalliance [...]th their Lusts to such a Degree, that Sa­ [...] may Tempt them for their Incontinency, in 1 Cor. 7. 5. and that which is intended [...] God and Nature as a Remedy of For­ [...]ation, and other Sins forbidden in the [...]. Commandment, by this means doth [...]her heighten the Disease, and becomes [...]re like Oyl to encrease, than Water to [...]ench the flame. And therefore our [...]urch had great need to give that Cau­ [...]n concerning Marriage, That it is to be [...]ertaken Reverently, in the Fear of God, [...] lightly, wantonly, to satisfie Mens Carnal [...]sts, like brute Beasts, that have no under­ [...]ding. And St. Paul tells us just before, [...]s. 5th. of Fasting, i.e. for Mortification their Lusts, and Prayer withal, as use­ful, [Page 106] if not needful sometimes in the M [...] ryed Estate. If persons find themsel [...] notwithstanding Marriage tempted to [...] dultery and unlawful pleasure, the D [...] ease encreased, and themselves to be ha [...] ted with their evil Lusts more than f [...] merly, it is a sign that they have not u [...] the remedy aright, not in the fear of G [...] with that due Modesty, Sobriety, Chasti [...] which Morality and Religion require [...] them as reasonable Creatures, and as C [...] stians. And here I find Mr. Steel, in the S [...] plement to the Morning Lectures, spe [...] ing excellently to this purpose, p. 2 [...] second Edit. A Man may be a wicked Dr [...] kard with his own drink, and a wretched B [...] in his own Marriage-Bed, and that an int [...] perate Man in Wedlock, differs little from Adulterer. And to this purpose, the [...] man Oratour Cicero, de Senect. That in Predominancy of sensual Pleasure, [...] can have no Commerce with Vertue: Voluptas Regno nullum omnino cum Vir [...] Commercium. Directions also must be [...] ven, or some helps to them who have S [...] ned after Marriage, that they may com [...] Repentance.

Consider, That some of those Penit [...] mentioned before, for your Encoura [...] ment to Repent, were such as had sin [...] [Page 107] [...]er Marriage, and against Marriage. A­ [...]ham with Hagar, Jacob with his two [...]ives and their Handmaids, David in his [...]ultery, and Solomon with his many Wives [...] Strangers, forbidden Nations; and [...]se in the Corinthians not only Fornica­ [...]rs, but Adulterers, that were washed [...] cleansed from their Sin, Sanctified and [...]stified; and for ought we know to the [...]ntrary, some of those mentioned, Ephes. [...]1. You hath he quickned (with a Spirit of [...]e from God) or Sanctified, who were dead Trespasses and Sins: Wherein in time past ye [...]lked, according to the course of this World, [...]. Vers. 3. In the Lust of the Flesh, ful­ [...]ng the desires of the Flesh: The Lusts of [...]sh in general here spoken of, whether [...]rnication, Adultery, or any other Acts [...] Naughtiness. And in Titus 3. 3. For [...] our selves also were sometimes Disobedient, [...]ving divers Lusts and Pleasures, [...] [...] the Greek, the Lusts of Concupiscence, as [...]l. 8. 4. and so may comprehend Sinners [...] this sort among the rest.

Second Direction for the Marryed: Let [...] Guilty offending pa [...] Acknowledge [...]e Wrong done, be it the Husband or the [...]ife, and ask Forgiveness according to [...]at, Luke [...] If thy Brother Trespass, [...]. and turn again unto thee, saying, I repent, [Page 109] forgive him; though it be seven times in day; upon serious profession of Repe [...] tance, he is to be forgiven; and this is [...] quired in order to obtain forgiveness fro [...] God. This to be done only in gene [...] words, if the Husband or Wife [...] doubtful in point of Secrecy, whether [...] or she will publish your shame, a particul [...] Confession of the wrong done against t [...] Marriage-Covenant ceaseth to be a Du [...] then, unless it be at the hour of Deat [...] for then none ought to go out of t [...] World with such a Guilt upon their Co [...] science, and not confess it and the Tr [...] pass.

Third Help to Repentance: App [...] your self to the Person, or chief Perso [...] with whom you have Sinned, testifyi [...] your Repentance to them, and Exhorti [...] them to Repentance. And if you be y [...] weak in your Repentance and Resolutio [...] do not trust your self alone, least t [...] Temptation stir and prevail in your p [...] vacy, but write your mind, (which m [...] be more fully delivered in writing, th [...] by word of Mouth or Conference) or ta [...] a Serious person along with you, as a w [...] ness of your chast Behaviour; and th [...] bespeak your Fellow. Sinner, as that gre [...] example of a Penitent, the Lord Rochest [...] [Page 108] did some of his Brethren in Iniquity. Re­ [...]mber all the Evil that you and I have been [...]ilty of together, and that before it be too [...]e; that you may come to the like Repentance, [...]ich by the Grace of God I have given me: [...] to this effect. You may intimate to them, [...]at you are going to give an Account, or [...]lled hence to Judgment, and as ever they [...]pe to find Mercy from the Lord, and to [...]pear before him with Comfort, so that [...]ey would break off their Sins by Repen­ [...]nce. How can any one hope for Mercy, [...]at dyeth in these Sins unrepented of? [...]d if it be true Repentance, it will use [...] good means for bringing others to Re­ [...]ntance, as well as bringing Guilt and [...]ndemnation upon them, by Sinning with [...]em.

Fourthly, Call in help from the Prayers [...] others, thy Minister if he be a discreet [...]d Religious Man, or any eminent Chri­ [...]an; and take all opportunities of pub­ [...]k Prayer, on the Week-days as well as [...]e Lords-day, that the Prayers there for [...]rdon of Sin, and power against Sin [...]ay be heard for thee, and the Prayers of [...]y Relation, thy Wife or Husband espe­ [...]ally, may more acceptably intercede, as [...]gainst whom thou hast offended.

The first Means for Mortification of our [Page 110] Lust, is Abstinence, that is, a more spari [...] Diet and Fasting, much commended a [...] practised upon this account by the Prim [...] tive Christians, in the hotter Countries, [...] keep the Body under, as St. Paul speaketh, [...] 1 Cor. 9. 27. to tame the unruliness of t [...] Flesh, and bring it in subjection to t [...] Spirit: And Origen contra Celsum, lib. [...] p. 264. ‘We in all our Abstinences do [...] only to keep under the Body, and [...] bring it into subjection, endeavouring [...] mortifie the deeds of the Body, to e [...] pel and to extinguish our Members whi [...] are upon Earth, Fornication, Unclea [...] ness, inordinate Affection, and eve [...] evil Concupiscence and Desire.’ Sin [...] the Holy Ghost recommends it in t [...] Word of God, (1 Cor. 7. 5. That ye m [...] give your selves to Fasting;) I need not [...] ashamed to mention it, though some ma [...] take occasion to make it matter of spo [...] and pastime: It is not a piece of Romish S [...] perstition, not lying upon the cold groun [...] nor rolling your selves among the Thor [...] or among the Nettles, nor Whippin [...] and Scourgings until the Blood com [...] nor eating Fish in Lent, that will do t [...] work, to humble and subdue Mens Lust I do confess the Abstinence in Lent amo [...] the ancient Christians (as that in use no [...] [Page 111] among some Protestants) was to a good intent, as then the Summer drawing on when Mens Lusts stir most, and the Temp­tation is strongest, to humble and afflict both Soul and Body for past sins, and as a good Preventive of future, to lay up a stock of Prayers beforehand to help us in the time of need, and strengthen us in the [...]our of Temptation.

On the contrary, high gluttonous feed­ [...]ng is known to add fuel to this fire, to [...]ourish and cherish it: Jer. 5. 7, 8. When [...] fed them to the full, they then committed Adultery, and assembled themselves by troops [...]n the Harlots houses: They were as fed Hor­ [...]es in the morning, every one neighed after his [...]eighbours Wife. And fulness of Bread you [...]nd among the Sins of Sodom; that is not [...]o be understood of meer Plenty and Abun­ [...]ance, but the abuse of these to Gluttony, [...]ampering their Bodies that they might [...]e strong for their Lusts.

2d. Means for Mortification, or at least [...] good Preventive and Preservative from [...]s of this kind, is Sobriety or Temperance, [...] to Drink as well as our Meat, 1 Pet. 5. 8. [...] sober, be vigilant, for your Adversary the evil goeth about seeking whom he may devour, [...] make his Prey; intimating to us, that we be not sober, (and sober we are not [Page 112] like to be, unless we be watchful to keep [...] sober company) the Devil is like to hav [...] an advantage against us: And indeed Drun [...] kenness makes a man fit for any wicked [...] ness, or lays him open to all sins that th [...] Devil or lewd Persons tempt them to. [...] have read of a sad Story, that one of th [...] Fathers of the Church had a Son, who i [...] his Act of Intemperance defiled his Siste [...] murthered his Father or Mother who wou [...] have hindered it. Considering the Tem [...] tations and Opportunities that Men ha [...] of sinning in publick houses, many of whi [...] drive on a double Trade, and deserve mo [...] the name of Brothel-houses than Ale-house▪ And those that live by the sins of the Pe [...] ple in one sort, as Ale-houses that se [...] not for lodging and entertaining Gues [...] Travellers, and the like, but to uph [...] Drunkenness, who matter not how m [...] People drink to excess, if they do [...] spend their Money largely, may very [...] be supposed to make little Conscience other sins, especially such as are thou to encrease their Trades, and bring cust [...] to the House, as they reckon their na [...] ty Women do. Considering the ho [...] Oaths and Curses, the Sabbaths profa [...] the great wast of God's Creatures by sot [...] ness and intemperance, the many Wh [...] [Page 113] doms and Adulteries, lying and cheating by false Reckonings, and abundance of all sorts of Wickedness committed in such Houses, one might expect almost that eve­ry stroak of Thunder should tear them down to the ground, or every flash of Lightning consume them to Ashes, or the Earth open her mouth, and swallow them up alive for their wickedness, but that there is a great day of Accounts, when all these things shall receive the recompense which is meet.

3dly. The keeping our selves employed in our honest Labour, or some good Calling, with due diligence therein, is a good pre­ventive and preservative against Satans Temptations in this sort, and a means to weaken and enfeeble the strength of Lust, which is heightned by indulgence to the Body in ease and idleness. The poor Horse [...]hat fares hard, and works hard all the Week long, is not neighing after others, [...]o game some as the Horse that lives at ease, [...]nd in full Pastures. Idleness was one of [...]he sins of Sodom, as Ezek. 16. 49. Abun­ [...]ance of Idleness was in her, and in her Daugh­ [...]ers, and she abounded in Lewdness, and is [...]nfamous for it. Idle Persons you know are [...]ll for their Ease and Pleasure, and the [...]ait and allurement to this sin is the plea­sure [Page 114] 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 ba [...] and allure idle voluptuous Persons wit [...] the pleasure in it. This is the reaso [...] why great Persons are more addicted t [...] this Vice and Wickedness, because the [...] living idly, and loving their Pleasures, th [...] Devil as he finds them much at leisure t [...] be tempted, and to hearken to his sugge [...] stions, so he knows they look upon them selves as born for their Pleasures, an [...] therefore he hath commonly more succe [...] with his Temptations of this sort on s [...] as they are; whereas those busied abo [...] their honest Calling cannot so well tu [...] aside and leave their employ to follow t [...] Works of the Devil, and be so ready [...] his beck to fulfil his pleasure, they havi [...] other work to do, their minds must be [...] a great measure taken up with that, a [...] so have not that opportunity; besides tha [...] they have not that plenty of Money [...] spend upon their Lust, and are in Go [...] way, and in some measure in his protec [...] on, while they are about their law [...] works and worldly business; but Tem [...] tations [Page 115] come with doble the force to idle [...]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 [...]o have a due regard to Restraining Grace; [...]abour to see your need of it, and to live [...]n a sense of your weakness, and in a con­ [...]inual dependance on God for his Grace; [...]or scarce any other means will take effect [...]ntil Persons have learnt this lesson. Igno­ [...]ance and Unbelief of Restraining-Grace, [...]r disregard of it, hold People under [...]he power of this sin, and cut off from [...]hem the means of their Recovery, and [...]hat power which should rescue them. They that think they have no need of God and his Grace to keep them back [...]om this kind of Wickedness, as if they [...]ould keep from it of themselves, it is just [...]hat God should leave them to some temp­tation [Page 116] 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 might [...] 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 o [...] this nature; those that never discerne [...] the Devil tempting them, never wer [...] throughly convinced of their need o [...] Grace to restain him. The Devil is called an Ʋnclean Spirit not falsly, but becaus [...] of his instigations to this sin. The evi [...] dence from History is too apparent to b [...] denied, or satisfactory at least, that th [...] Devil hath taken up the dead Bodies of som [...] beautiful Women, and walked some wa [...] with them, and when lustful Persons hav [...] met them, and courted them, and lay [...] with them, in the morning when they a [...] wak'd they have sound nothing but a dea [...] Corps by them: And the Devil, or D [...] vils [Page 117] (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 [Page 118] 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 Ʋncleanness 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 [Page 119] 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 [...]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 [...]t. When God hath for a long time re­strained the corruption within, and the Temptations from without, and preserv­ed [Page 120] 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 o [...] 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 i [...] from God and his Grace: For the Devil [...] are reasonable Creatures, as well as we nay, in a higher Capacity, but cannot im­prove their Reason to any good use, because [Page 121] 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 [...]orruption of our Natures, and with the [...]ther eye Gods Grace, it will teach us [...]he same Humility and Thankfulness. Is [...]here any young Man or Maid that God [...]ath kept from these Sins, and given them [...]ome measure of Purity, let them learn [...]is lesson to be Thankful, else they will [...]rieve the Spirit of God, and provoke [...]im, not only to withhold further Grace, [...]ut to withdraw Grace given: 1 Thess. 5. 8. [...]e are commanded in every thing give [...]anks; and so Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by [...]ayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, &c. [...]uch more for so great a Grace as this is, [...]hich is taken for Sanctification it self in [Page 122] 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 Ʋncleanness, 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 thankfu [...] Acknowledgment of that particular Grace and not giving the praise of it to God, a [...] his Work. As 'tis not a Praying Frame o [...] Heart, without Prayer it self, that is accepted with God, as James 4. 2. not th [...] desires after good, without actuating them and u [...]tering them before the Lord, so 'ti [...] not a thankful frame of Heart: that i [...] not enough, without actual Thanksgiving for this or that particular Grac [...] Our M [...]i [...]s or Blessings are matter o [...] Thanksgiving, as much as our wants o [...] Petition, and our Sins of Confession.

Another means for the Mortification [...] [Page 123] our Lusts, or a good Prevention and Pre­ [...]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 [...]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 [...]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 defa­ [...]eth this, the Beauty even of Beauty it [...]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 Ami [...]ble in the eyes of Men, and allu [...]e, if not excite the Lusts of Men; and you know, Beauty is had in Ad­miration [Page 124] by the worst and vilest of Men, b [...] them especially who have no command ove [...] their corrupt Affections; and they being once captivated by it, seek to corrupt th [...] 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, an [...] 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 Soli [...]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 T [...]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. When cometh Pride, then com­eth Shame. And again, Pride goeth before a fall, Prov. 16. 18. Not only in Worldly [Page 125] Matters, but even Spiritually, when good Christians shall at any time be lifted up, or [...]e in danger of swelling with the abun­dance of their goodness, and think more [...]ighly of themselves than they ought to [...]hink, then God gives them up as he did St. Paul, to this Thorn in the Flesh. So when Christians shall begin to think themselves [...]o good, and so holy, that they are above [...]uch filthy Sins and Abominations, or that [...]hey ought not to be Tempted to them, [...]r, as some Quakers, that they are pure [...]rom Sin, or so strong, that they need not [...]ear any Temptation of this kind; and [...]resuming on their Spiritual Strength, [...]row bold, and run themselves into Temp­ [...]ations, they are in a soul way for some in of this sort, and the next news they [...]ear, is, they are strongly tempted, if not [...]vercome, to fall under the Temptation. [...]t is remarkable what we read of Dr. [...]ee the Famous Mathematician in Queen [...]lizabeths time, who aspiring after things [...]oo high for him, prayed to God for an [...]xtraordinary Wisdom, in effect, that God [...]ould make him wiser than all the World [...]esides: And so God left him to the Buf­ [...]tings or the Wiles rather, and Sn [...]res [...]f the Devil. The Devils appeared as [...]telligences or Angels fent from Heaven, [Page 126] to Reveal this extraordinary Wisdom [...] the Philosophers Stone, which should tur [...] all into Gold: He pursued this Wisdo [...] long in the way these Intelligences taugh [...] him, with whom he daily, or very ofte [...] Conversed; and a [...] last was brought to th [...] point, and promised it, but the condition of it was promiscuous Concubitus between him and Kelly (who was Studen [...] under him in the same Art of Wisdom [...] and their Wives. The grave Docto [...] (who had been with the Emperour o [...] Germany, and acquainted him with thes [...] Intelligences, and that they would infor [...] him of extaordinary Wisdom, and ha [...] Audience of the Emperour) failed here [...] point of Wisdom, and was very eager t [...] perswade the rest, even God could di [...] pense with Adultery, as with Cains an [...] Seths Marriage of their Sisters, Abraha [...] offering up his Son Isaac: But great sti [...] there was to perswade Kelly unto it, an [...] therefore there was a Paper thrown in [...] mong them in a terrible manner, wit [...] threatnings against Kelley, if he did no [...] consent to it, and that prevailed to such abominable Folly and Wickedness. Yo [...] see here the Pride ending in Lust, and a [...] little enough to humble the Pride of Ma [...] Uncleanness is such a vie, base, Brutish Si [...] [Page 127] that it must needs very much grieve, and [...]dly afflict a good Christian to be Tempted [...] such a Wickedness, that he should not [...] above that, who thought himself so e­ [...]inent in Grace. When God would hum­ [...]e Christians, and abase the Pride of Man, [...]en God lets Satan loose to stir up the [...]rruptions of their Hearts (as Mr. [...]rkins, Dr. Gouge, Mr. Capel, and others [...]irm) and shews them what is in their Na­ [...]res, how vile and corrupt and abomina­ [...]e they are, and makes them to sigh un­ [...]r the Burthen of their Corruption, and [...]ath themselves for their polluted Na­ [...]res: This comes to pass in that work of [...]d, wherein he would discover the hid­ [...]n evil of our Hearts (that the Heart is [...]l of evil, swarming with evil Thoughts, [...]rnications and Adulteries) to humble us [...] Gods intent, to grieve and to soil us in [...]tans sifting and searching us, to see what [...]il he can find in us, and stir up, actuate, [...]d work upon. Christians are most gene­ [...]ly subject to Spiritual Pride after their [...]st Conversion. And therefore St. Paul Ep. to Tim. 3. 6. Not a Novice, (spoken [...] a Bishop) least being lifted up with Pride, [...] fall into the Condemnation of the Devil. [...]hile they are but weak Christians, and [...]e but a slender knowledge of Christ, [Page 128] and Grace, and the Truth of Gods Pro [...] dence, as the giver and dealer forth of [...] good, Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal [...] his Government of the World; and whi [...] the work of Humiliation doth not rea [...] their Hearts: The knowledge of the [...] things will certainly humble a good Ch [...] stian, and fill him with Grace: But Pri [...] most troubles Christians in the days [...] their Ignorance and Emptiness. Emp [...] Vessels make the greatest sound. Th [...] have the best conceit of themselves, w [...] have the least, or but little Grace to d [...] cover their Corruptions. Now there is [...] way of removing the Temptation to Lu [...] until the causing Sin be removed: A [...] therefore that must be first found out, a [...] the force of our Prayers, and our Res [...] ance be set against it. In vain do we s [...] to be pure and Chast, while we contin [...] abominably proud: We may pray a [...] cry, and sigh too, and strive as it were [...] Heart Blood out, to get the mastery o [...] our Lust, and yet God not speed us, [...] we not find any success answerable to [...] Pains and Endeavours, because we do [...] resist aright, nor see the Original [...] Principal Evil: Even as a Physitian, if [...] mistake, or discern not the cause of his [...] tients illness, his Medicines are like to s [...] [Page 129] [...]d perhaps the Patient be as bad or worse [...]an he was before: Or even as in a Be­ [...]eged Town, there is in several cases a [...]lse and true Attack made, and then your [...]esistance will not secure the Town, un­ [...]ss it be at the right place, where the [...]reat stress lies, and the main force of [...]e Besiegers. Here then your work will [...]e to importune the Holy Spirit, that was [...]romised to Reprove or Convince the World [...] Sin, St. John 16. 8. that he would help [...]ou to find out the causing Sin. In such [...]ases, it may be for some Sin past, present, [...]r to come, or coming upon you, that you [...]re Tempted; the which Sin the Holy Spi­ [...] according to his Office will shew you, if [...]ou be willing to know the worst of [...]our self, and seek it.

First, For some past Sin, as Job com­ [...]lains, Ch. 13. 26. Thou makest me to pos­ [...]ss the Sins of my Youth: And David cries [...]ut, O remember not against me the Offences [...] my Youth, Ps. 25. 7. and Ps. 79. 8. O re­ [...]ember not against us former Iniquities, or [...]r old Sins, as in the old Translation. [...]nd it is a common Maxim in Divinity, [...]hat Sins before Conversion, or turning [...]nto God, are punished after Conversion: [...]nd so our youthful lusts may be punish­ [...]d upon us many years afterwards, even [Page 130] when we hate them and loath them; y [...] through the Fury and Violence of Sata [...] Assaults and Instigations we may be haun [...] ed and pestered with our lusts, and eve [...] wonder what is the matter with us; an [...] this is to humble us for those former i [...] quities, by confession of our sins, and P [...] tition for Pardon. The guilt of past si [...] remains upon the Soul even after th [...] Power of them is subdued. Althoug [...] at a Mans Conversion, or the turning [...] his Heart unto God, or when the Wi [...] is determined for God, resolved fo [...] Godliness, against the Riches, Honou [...] and Pleasures of the World, so far [...] they cannot be gotten or kept witho [...] sinning against God, all his sins are so f [...] forgiven, that he is in a pardoned, j [...]stfied state before God; yet the tempor [...] chastisement and punishment is not forg [...] ven, (as is plain in the case of Davids p [...] nishment for his M [...]rther and Ad [...]ltery and Micah 7. 9. I will bear the Indignati [...] of the Lord, because I have sinned again [...] him, until he plead my cause, &c. And wh [...] I visit, I will visit their sin upon them:) N [...] the Spiritual Punishment so wholly so [...] given, but that those evil courses whic [...] a Christian was most addicted unto in h [...] days of sin, while he was unconverte [...] [Page 131] may stick by him afterwards, and that [...] closely that they may fetch tears from [...]is eyes, and signs from his heart, and [...]e the grief and hitterness of his Spirit, [...]nd make him cry out, Oh wretched man [...]at I am, who shall deliver me, &c. Yea he [...]ay be ready to faint under the Violence [...]f his temptation, and be full of doubts [...]nd fears, as if God had forgotten to be gra­ [...]ious, and shut up his loving kindness in dis­ [...]leasure, &c. Psal. 77. 9. Yea others, who [...]ave seemed righteous, and as if they [...]ere returning unto God, when their past [...]s have returned upon them, and the [...]ght of Gods. Wrath for those sins lain envy upon their Spirits, have been beat­ [...]n off from the ways of God; and though [...]hey had as it were one foot in Heaven, [...]ave drawn that back; yea, som [...] have [...]een so far overcome of the Evil One, [...]s to have been swallowed up in despair, [...]nd concealing their guilt the Distemper [...]ath raged the more inwardly, until at [...]ast they have made away themselves. I [...]peak this as one that passed through this [...]ery trial, through the Lords goodness, [...]hen one and the other perished in it. [...]nd thu [...] it will be, and it must be, that [...]here the Sinner sinneth most, and is [...]ostdeep in guilt, that there his Humili­ation [Page 132] must be the greater: And for t [...] very end it is that God suffers the tem [...] tation to return upon him, though a [...] nitent, and holds him long under [...] temptation, until he be sufficiently a [...] effectually humbled, and smart for sins, and find that it is an evil and bit [...] thing that he hath sinned so much. [...] must be punished either in this World, the other World; but for true Peniten [...] the future Punishment cannot reach the [...] There is no condemnation for them that are Christ Jesus; therefore their sins are grief and vexation to them; their p [...] and misery, and punishment to them h [...] being chastened of the Lord both corpor [...] ly and spiritually, (by the terrours of Lord let in upon their Souls for sin) [...] so they should not be condemned with the wo [...] 1 Cor. 11. 32.

Else in the second Place, it is for so present sin that we are tempted by [...] Lusts, either for our neglect of Pray [...] and so we grow weak, and want that s [...] ritual strength against these sins wh [...] we used to have, and our Lusts gr [...] strong, and get ground upon us; or [...] our lewd Company, or high glutton [...] feeding, or spiritual Pride and Conside [...] on our own strength; or for disrega [...] [Page 133] [...]f Gods Word, when that is vile in our [...]yes, and slighted, God may then give us [...]p to some vile lust; or for indulging our [...]ase and idleness, or for Incontinency and [...]sciviousness in Marriage; or defiling, [...]olluting the Holy Sacrament, or the [...]ther Ordinances of God, by entertain­ [...]ng the fancies of Lust, and contempla­ [...]ing them in the very time of Gods Worship.

Or Thirdly, It must be for prevention of [...]ome sin to come: and thus our good God discovers to Christians the corrup [...]ion and [...]ickedness of their Natures, as the Foun­ [...]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 [...]in; for from within out of the hearts of men proceed evil Thoughts, Fornications, Adulteries. The more the Heart is purg­ [...]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 [Page 134] other men, least their exaltation in Gra [...] should make them forget themselves, a [...] their depravation by Nature: And po [...] bly, when we begin to grow more sec [...] and careless, more slack or neglige [...] then some Lust is let loose to awaken us▪

Another means for the Mortification our Lusts, or a good Preventive or P [...] servative from sins of this sort, is a d [...] care to flee all appearance of evil, not o [...] such things as may corrupt Peoples Mi [...] and Manners, but whatever carries w [...] it b [...]t a suspition of lightness and im [...] desty; not only to shun such speeches a [...] actions, signs and ge [...]tures of the Bo [...] and manner of Apparel, as is transpar [...] and next to nakedness, with s [...]ch thi [...] as have an apparent wantonness and la [...] viousness in them; but avoiding th [...] things which are commonly reputed s [...] Places and Persons of ill Name, and those things that may bring an ill rep [...] upon you, though possibly you may innocent, and in that respect it be un [...] servedly. A Man would not only h [...] his Wife be honest, but not to go in [...] Dress like to this or that Strumpet, t [...] she may not so much as appear to be i [...] modest: And thus our Church is not [...] ly a pure Church, having the Gospel [Page 140] [...] [Page 141] [...] [Page 130] [...] [Page 131] [...] [Page 132] [...] [Page 133] [...] [Page 134] [...] [Page 134] [...] [Page 135] 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 [...]rawing them to do the like, to whom it [...]ppeareth evil. But to return from this [...]gression, even as those that go to the ut­ [...]ost of what is lawful, may justly be [Page 140] carried a step farther, and fall into some­what that is sinful; even so God may just­ly leave those to fall into real 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 discer [...] inwardly what is in your heart, but only judge outwardly according to what is visible and appeareth. St. Cyprian, de Discip [...] & Habit. Virg. p. 167. justly chides, and that severely, with some Virgins, for being present at Weddings, where the [...] laughed freely, could not but hear loos [...] Discourses, see uncomely Carriage [...] feed upon luxurious Dishes, all whic [...] must not only kindle, but add fuel to th [...] Fire, and [...]ill the mind with undecer [...] thoughts and desires. St. Hierom on th [...] other hand, does as much commen [...] some whom he knew, who always ke [...] at home on Festival days, to avoid th [...] crowd and gazes of the People, and woul [...] never go abroad at those times, whe [...] they could not venture into the Public [...] without the greatest care and custo [...] over themselves. They were not willi [...] to come within the shadow of a temptat [...] on; such was the cautiousness of the Pr [...] mitive Christians; they stood at a d [...] stance [Page 141] 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 [...]he rest, that he and his Presbyters and Deacons kept these introduced Women, [Page 138] 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, no [...] any young or new-m [...]rried Woman wit [...] any other, though they may have a little o [...] Religion in them, yet we know not wha [...] may come of such a familiarity, when the [...] carry Flesh and Blood about them, an [...] having opportunity may be tempted an [...] fall under the temptation: We kno [...] the trusting Young Women in secret wit [...] the Priests of the Church of Rome, in o [...] der to their Confessions of sin, hath bee [...] shrewdly suspected of sinning as well [...] confessing.

I shall here put in a word of Cautio [...] Be not forward to entertain suspitions [...] others, and to believe ill of them in this kin [...] Whilst Peoples naughty hearts (whi [...] are naturally too prone to it) receive a [...] give credit to such reports of Whispere [...] [...] open Slanderers, they often offend [...] gainst [Page 139] 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. [Page 136] 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 (an [...] 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 hear­say, 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 [Page 142] 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 clean­ [...]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 [...]rom Sin▪ And if Naamans washing in Jor­ [...]dan because it was Gods own Command, was blessed to the curing and cleansing him from his Leprosie, how much more [...]hall the Blood of Christ, the eternal Son of God, (and as Zech. 13. 1. the Fountain open­ [...]d for sin and uncleanness,) who through the [...]ternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God; I say this Blood of Christ, (through [Page 144] 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 Baptize [...] every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins. Now whensoever any true Penitent labours under the sens [...] of his sins past, and finds the guilt ly [...] heavy upon his Conscience, or his pa [...] sins returning upon him, though he be dil [...] gent in the use of the means of Grace, an [...] walk with God rather better than before let him know, it is a sign that his past si [...] of this kind remain unpardoned; an [...] that there yet lacks that particular R [...] pentance and humiliation for those sin [...] (though▪ they were committed a lon [...] time ago) and sueing out Pardon throug [...] the Blood of Christ, and the Improvement of our Baptism to that [...]ffect, whic [...] is Gods Ordinance, for washing away of si [...] as Acts 22. 16. said to Paul, Arise a [...] [Page 145] 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. [Page 146] So that the Blood of Christ, with Peac [...] and Pardon by it, is never applyed to an [...] in their sin, but upon their Repentanc [...] and Purification from Sin.

And so as to the power in Baptism t [...] cleanse from the filth of Sin: This may b [...] of some force and use afterwards, no [...] only monitory to us, that as we were washed in Baptism, which we know is an Or­dinance for cleansing from sin, so w [...] should keep our selves, Souls and Bodies pure and clean, and not return again wit [...] the Dog to his Vomit, or the Sow that i [...] washed to the wallowing in the mire; but tha [...] also afterwards, when we come to year [...] of Discretion, by Faith to lay hold o [...] the inward and spiritual Grace of Baptism, that we may then find our Soul [...] sanctified and cleansed by the washing o [...] Water, or the mystical washing away o [...] Sin, of unclean to be made clean and pur [...] 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 tha [...] are troubled with youthful lusts, tha [...] they may find some Power from this Or­dinance, (for certainly there is a power in every Ordinance,) and help against [Page 147] 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, [Page 148] according to that, My Flesh is Meat i [...] deed, and my Blood is Drink indeed; that i [...] Christs Body and Blood being receive [...] spiritually, the taking Christ in his Offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, is [...] real nourishment for our Souls, (spirit [...] al Beings requiring spiritual Food) [...] Meat and Drink is for our Bodies. Eating and drinking is for strengthning th [...] Body; and so this spiritual food is hearty food, of good nourishment, of grea [...] strength: I can do [...]ll things through Chris [...] strengthning me, saith St. Paul, Philip. 4. 13▪ And in this Ordinance Christ strengtheneth, here especially. If our Lusts b [...] strong and powerful, so be it they hav [...] not the Dominion over us; (for then w [...] are not fit for this Ordinance, if we com [...] with unmortified reigning lusts) lo her [...] is one that is stronger, and is able to bin [...] these lusts, to overmaster them, and kee [...] them under in subjection: And thus ma [...] a Soul plead with God at this Ordinance or as the Leper, Mat. 8. 2. Lord, if tho [...] wilt, thou canst make me clean, and he said, I wil [...] be thou clean. Lord speak to my Soul tha [...] powerful word, and I shall be clean. Tho [...] that commandest the tempestuous Winds and they cease, the troubled Sea and Water that cast up mire and dirt, and they rest [Page 149] 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 [...]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 [...]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 [Page 150] of the clean and the unclean, not only in the Church, but in this Ordinance [...] A corruption and depravation (in the scandalous neglect of Discipline at present which the Holy God disalloweth of, an [...] complaineth that his Priests had profanc [...] the holy things, putting no difference between the holy and the profane, the clea [...] and the unclean, Ezek. 22. 26. 1 Cor. 5. 1 [...]. and the Rubrick before the Communion, con­demning this practice, &c.

Another Ordinance to be improved, i [...] the Word: You know the Word is powerful; and as in the 119th Psalm, v. 9▪ Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse hi [...] way? by taking heed thereto according to th [...] Word. Youthful Lusts they are called, a [...] if that Age above and beyond all other [...] 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 i [...] 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 [Page 151] Mortification of Lust, Purity of Heart, [...]r the like, take diligent heed to that word especially, for that is a proper Word, a suitable word for your Soul: And [...]f your own Parish Minister do not preach [...]pon such subjects, or very little, and [...]ery seldom preach against this reigning [...]n, if you hear upon enquiry of Texts of [...]ny other Minister that preacheth near [...]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, pow­ [...]rful too, when it touches your conditi­ [...]n most, and comes home to your belo­ [...]ed Lust.

Besides this there is another way of [...]mproving the Word of God to very [...]reat Advantage, and that by treasuring [...]p such places of Scripture, as suit most [...]ith the case of your Soul; as in this parti­ [...]lar such places of Scripture: Psal. 119. [...]. Wherewithal shall a young man or maid [...]eanse his way, &c. and 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee so youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, [...]ith, charity, with them that call on the Lord [...]t of a pure heart. Coloss. 3. 5, 6. Mortifie [...]erefore your Members which are upon Earth, [...]ornication, Ʋncleanness, inordinate affecti­ [...], evil concupisence, &c. For which things [Page 152] sake the Wrath of God cometh on the Chi [...] dren of Disobedience. But, Mat. 5. 8. Ble [...] sed are the pure in Heart, for they shall s [...] God: And 1 Ep. of St. John 3. 3. Eve [...] one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himse [...] even as he is pure. Create in me a clean Hea [...] O God, &c. Ps. 51. 10. ( Lord if thou wi [...] thou canst make me clean.) with Ezek. 37. 3 [...] Then shall ye remember your own evil w [...] and your doings, which were not good, and sh [...] loath your selves in your own sight, for yo [...] Iniquities, and for your Abominations. [...] bring you to Repentance,

These and the like places of Scriptur [...] being often Repeated in your Mind, eve [...] day, or in the time of Temptation, w [...] be of great use to charm your Lusts, a [...] lay them asleep, to cleanse the young M [...] way. If the Devil at the rehearsal [...] some words serviceable to the black A [...] Charms people, how much rather do y [...] think, that the Holy Spirit will work w [...] the Word inspired by him? And w [...] should it not be as powerfully and effec [...] ally, as the Devil doth in his Char [...] Works, if you be as much devoted God, and as skilful in the word of Ri [...] teousness as they are in the Devils A [...] and devoted unto him.

But if we reject the Word, as those Ps. 81. 11, 12. But my people would not hearken [...]o my Voice, i. e. the word of God: Where­ [...]ore I gave them up to their own hearts Lusts. God will make those vile, in whose eyes [...]is Word is vile, or any other Ordinance [...]f God. Rom. 1. 25. Who changed the truth [...]f God into a Lie, and Worshipped and served [...]he Creature more than the Creatour, who is [...]lessed for ever. For this cause, God gave [...]em up unto vile Affections▪ unnatural Lusts; [...]nd so, in the 23. ver. and all this for dis­ [...]onouring God in his Worship. If thou [...]alt lye like a Logg in the presence of [...]od, in in such a c [...]reless irreverent Bru­ [...]sh Posture, as manifesteth a downright [...]ontempt of Gods Worship, thou dis­ [...]nourest God in this Worship, and God [...]ay punish and make thee as vile by thy [...]usts, and Dishonourable.

We read of polluting the Sabbath, Is. 56. 2. [...] the Ordinances of God, when we al­ [...]w and indulge our Lusts in the very [...]emple of God, and Acts of Worship, [...]r upon the Lords Day follow our Lusts, [...] do any thing which makes the Lords [...]ay vile, this may provoke the Lord to [...]ave us to pollute our selves.

But as the Word of God, and the Or­ [...]nances of God duly performed, promote [Page 154] Purity, so there are other things as con­trary to it, to be carefully avoided, as fearful Temptations and Provokatives to Lus [...] such are lewd Ballads, Plays, Stories, an [...] Lascivious Songs of Love, [...], as Chrysostom calls them, Songs of [...] Devils compos [...]re, which vitiate and co [...] rupt the minds of Youth; it being nat [...] ral for the Heart and Mind to be wroug [...] upon by those things which are much [...] the Mind and the Tongue, until they r [...] semble, and are made Conformable un [...] them, as the word to work Purity; oth [...] things frame the Mind into Wanto [...] ness.

The last means is Prayer, and this I p [...] in the last place, because Prayer must g [...] Gods Blessing upon all the other mea [...] Every thing is Sanctifyed by the Word a [...] Prayer. (The Word put in, as bringing [...] to the knowledge of Christ, in and throug [...] whom all things are Blest to us, Eph. 1. 3. ev [...] our Prayers accepted, being offered up [...] his Name, which the Word teacheth us [...] do;) but Prayer, that especially begs a [...] obtains Gods Blessing, Grace to flee tho [...] Evils which may Corrupt us, and to pr [...] ctise those things, attend those Ordina [...] ces which may purisie us. It is not enoug [...] to know our Duty, our Helps to Vertue [...] [Page 155] 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 [...]hat ye enter not into Temptation, Mat. 26. 41. that ye be not drawn away of your own Lusts [...]nd enticed and allured with the pleasure of this Sit [...]. For then are you Tempted, as St. James 1. Prayer is an excellent fence and preservative against this Temptation: [...]nd therefore David Prays, Make me a clean Heart, O God, Ps. 51. 10. and keep thy Ser­vant back from presumptuous Sins; then shall [...] be undefiled, and innocent from the great of­ [...]ence; in the Church Translation of the Psalms. However, Davids great Offence was his Adultery with Bathshcba, that cau­ [...]ed the Murther of Ʋriah her Husband.

A Praying Christian, may plead thus with God. It is for thine Honour, to kill [...]very Corruption: It is thy work to San­ [...]tifie and Purifie our Hearts. Christ gave himself for that end, to redeem us from all [...]niquity, and purify to himself a peculiar peo­ [...]le, zealous of good works; or that we may [...]eny our selves, and do Violence to our cor­rupt Nature, Crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof; Mortifying [Page 157] our Members, Fornication, Ʋncleanness, inodinate Affection, &c. That our Bodies m [...] be pure and undefiled Members of Christ and not the Members of an Harlot. Th [...] our Bodies may be preserved everm [...] chast and uncorrupt, Temples fit for t [...] Holy Ghost to dwell in: That we may scape the pollutions which are in the Wor [...] through Lust, and adorn that pure and u [...] defiled Religion, which we profess:—O Make us clean Hearts, O God; and ren [...] right Spirits within us, that we may reme [...] ber our own evil ways, and our doings that we not good, and loath our selves in our own sig [...] for our Iniquities and our Abominations: T [...] is very fit to bring us to Repentance, e [...] for a Personal use, or in behalf of the N [...] tion. And for young persons, that th [...] may have Grace to flēe Youthful Lust And to follow after Righteousness, Faith, C [...] rity, calling upon the Lord out of a pure Hea [...] Prayer is a drawing nigh to God: A [...] God draws nigh to us with his Grace a [...] Spirit, when we draw nigh to him, he nigh at hand, ready to help us; but [...] stand at a great distance from God, looks upon us too as a far off, when [...] make no Conscience of this duty of Pra [...] er. When we absent our selves from t [...] Throne of Grace, and are not seen wi [...] [Page 156] 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 Al­ [...]urements of the World, they Tempt, At­ [...]ack and prosper. How others find, it, I [...]annot tell, but I am sure I find that the Devil is busie with me whenev [...]r I neglect Prayer; some evil thoughts or other he [...]ollows me with; but then my Heart is [...]ure, when I am most constant in Duty, [...]nd keep closest to God in Prayer, which God never appointed in Vain, but as a means, and a very choice means to fetch [...]n Grace, and help against the World, the Flesh and the Devil. But I think it is im­ [...]ossible for those Christians to have pure Hearts, or good quiet Consciences, who [...]ive in the neglect of daily Prayer. We [...]all find our selves strong in the Lord, and [...]he power of his Might, or his Almighty [...]ower engaged for us, when we give God [...]is due in Prayer, and then our Lusts will [...]e weak. But when we neglect prayer, [...]e are weak, our strength is gone, our sup­ [...]ort and our props drawn from under us, [...]nd nothing left to bear us up, and keep [...]s from falling. It is Gods usual course, [...]hen People for a long time leave God in [...]ot Praying or Reading, &c. and doing [Page 158] the good they shall do in Religion, not o [...] ly to with hold his further Grace, b [...] to withdraw the present measure, and lea [...] them first to Temptations, that they m [...] awaken them, and if they amend no [...] then to fall under them, doing those Wic [...] ednesses and Abominations, which shall b [...] bitterness to them in the latter end. Wh [...] Sin, or the love to your Lusts work o [...] Prayer; then you may Sin on in a cour [...] of Sinning, until you be hardned in Sin and past Feeling or Remorse for Sin. B [...] if you hold on in Prayer, which should [...] a mighty Encouragement unto you, yo [...] will weaken Sin, even strong Lusts, and [...] length get the Mastery. For Prayer w [...] either work out Sin, or Sin will work o [...] Prayer.

First Ʋse, for Confutation of all D [...] ctrines forbidding to Marry, which t [...] Apostle is so far from owning, as t [...] Doctrine of the Gospel, and of Je [...] Christ, that he Censures it as the Doctr [...] of Devils; 1 Tim. 4. 3. such as the Devi [...] those unclean Spirits perswade Men in [...] And surely there cannot be a more effect al course taken to promote Fornicati [...] and all Uncleanness in the World, th [...] by denying Men the remedy of Gods pr [...] viding, even the lawful use of the W [...] [Page 159] man. All such Prohibitions, whatsoever specious pretences they may carry along with them of Spirituality, and freedom from the Entanglements and Cares of the World, are of Malignant Influence to Re­ligion. The great Apostacy and Defecti­on from the Faith, was usher'd in by the Reception of this and the other Doctines, as St. Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. 4. Prophesi­ed. It began in the Councel of Ancyra, Anno Dom. 308. It was ordained that Dea­cons who at the time of their Ordination, did protest that they had not the Gift of Continency, might Marry, and remain in their Ministry; but those who professed Continency in the time of their Ordinati­on, if they Marryed, should be removed from their Ministry. This Constitution was blameable, because those that had the Gift at their Ordination, might not have [...]t continue with them all their Lives, or at [...]east were not sure of it. In the General Councel of Nice, Anno Dom. 330. or as o­ [...]hers, 333, several were of Opinion that Bishops, Elders and Deacons, who were Marryed before their Ordination, should [...]n time to come abstain from the Compa­ [...]y of their Wives: Which shewed that [...]he Coelibacy of the Clergy was too much [...]n repute, though the Councel rejected the [Page 160] Motion, and were perswaded to leave [...] Marriage as indifferent to every Mans Li­berty, according to the Reasons of Paph [...] nutinus: First, That Marriage was Ho­nourable, and the Cohabitation of a Ma [...] with his Marryed Wife, Chastity. Se­cond Argument, That Coelibacy was a diffi­cult thing to be performed, and woul [...] open a door to unchast living: And certainly there he was in the right, as after Ag [...] made it appear true in the event. Th [...] Councel of Carthage, Cent. 4 ^th. reco [...] mended Continency, with Abstinence fro [...] Matrimonial Society: Siricius Bishop [...] Rome, at the end of the 4 ^th. Century, [...] joyned Coelibacy to the Clergy; but oth [...] Bishops Repealed it. Particular Counc [...] Established it within their Territories, [...] the first Councel of Toledo, Cent. 5 [...] Councel of Tours, Cent. 6th. and the [...] Councel of Matiscon, and the 8th. Co [...] cel of Toledo, in the year 671. Wher [...] Marriage was utterly forbidden Bisho [...] and Priests; and places of Scripture [...] serably wrested to confirm it, as Col. 5th. Mortisie your Members which are on [...] Earth, &c. Wretched ignorance, t [...] counted Marriage to be Uncleanness, [...] a Member of the body of Sin; which [...] Apostle commandeth to mortifie. [...] [Page 161] Sub-deacons that pleaded against it, were in a most severe manner interdicted from the company of their Wives, else to be thrust into a Monastery, to suffer penance to the last period of their Lives. The Councel of Mantua, under Pope Alexan­der the Second, established it in the Church­es of the West, which had received the Popes Supremacy long before. Since which time it hath been continued unalterably by the following Popes.

The 4 ^th. Century, furnisheth us with instances how much the Monastick and Nunnish life grew into request. Pelagii Laodicenus married a young Woman, and the first Night after her Marriage, per­swaded her to prefer Virginal Chastity be­fore the Marryed life. Aeas also, who marryed a young Wife, procreated three Children with her, and in the end left her, and entered into a Monastery, forgetting his Matrimonial Covenant. And Paula's building of four Religious Houses at Beth­lehem of Judea: One whereof, the Monks, Jerom governed, and Paula the other three, being Nunneries for holy Virgins. In pro­cess of time, Kings and Queens entered in­to them, as Theodosius Emperour of the East, Cent. 8. resigning the Empire; and the Emperour Charles 5th. of latter years, [Page 162] and Lotharius the Emperour, Son to Ludo­vicus Pius of the French Race, with some Kings of the Gothes in Italy.

The Ancient Church also was too se­vere against second Marriages, even some of the Fathers. Tertullian sell into this Er­ror, as his Book de Monogamia: Cyprian al­so, and Hierom, with Minutius Foelix did inveigh against second Marriage with too much bitterness and severity, violently pressing many places of Scripture to serve the cause. And Athe [...]agoras in his Apolo­gy for the Christians, p. 37. runs to a great height: Among us, every Man remains ei­ther as he was born, or engages himself in one only Marriage. For as for second Marria­ges, they are but a more plausible and decorous kind of Adultery. Minutius Foelix, We wil­lingly contain our selves within the Bond of single Marriage, and either know but one Woman, or none. The Ancient Ca­nons, as Zonaras tells us, in Can. 7. Concil. Neocaes. suspended such persons from the Communion for a whole year: And the Council of Laodicea, Can. 1. though it determine not the time, yet it requires that they should spend some small time at least in Penance, in Fasting and Prayer, before they be received to the Communi­on: And by the Canons called Apostoli­cal, [Page 163] Can. 17. such an one was rendered by his second Marriage, incapable of any de­gree in the Ministry; which seem to be much more genuine proper Sense of the Canons, than of Marriage to another Wife upon Divorce of the former, which had Allowance in some places from the Laws of the People: Clemens Alexan­drinus was more moderate in the Case, Stromat. Lib. 3. p. 428. We admire the Gravity and Stayedness of those who content themselves with a single Marriage; but yet say withal, that Compassion ought to be had of o­thers, and that of the Apostle, is to take place in second Marriages; If they cannot con­tain, they should Marry: For it is better to Marry than to burn.

This Condemning of first or second Marriage, hath been of Ill-Consequence to the Church of God. Gregory the first called Magnus, made a Constitution, for­bidding the Marriage of Priests, but in his time was forced to Abrogate it, because it was not only the occasion of Unclean­ness, but also of secret Murthers of In­nocent Babes: Insomuch, that I have read, that upon emptying of a pond near the Religious Houses, there were found abun­dance of Infants Bones in it. Whereas the Apostle said, it was better to Marry than [Page 164] to burn, Pope Gregory was forced to say, It was better to Marry than to Murther. Another Evil besides, was the taking Con­cubines instead of Wives, and so Whore­dom instead of Marriage, as the first Coun­cel of Toledo; where they made first Ca­nons for the Prohibition of Marriage to some persons, and then reckon'd it a Ver­tue to content themselves with one Con­cubine, or at least tolerate in admitting such persons to the Communion. Instead of Marriage, also Adultery, as Pope John the 13 ^th, 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 [Page 165] 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 [Page 166] 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 [Page 167] 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 pl [...]a [...]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 [Page 169] 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 a time only) thus soliciting him, they are [Page 170] as a Disease, grievous to one that useth to enjoy his Health; he is in pain and misery as one that hath a bone out of joynt; they are as a wound to his Spirit, as an heavy burthen; the Man is restless and uneasie, and cannot be satisfied until he get rid of these unclean Spirits, and recover his former purity again.

As for our own sins, so for the sins of the Nation, to bewail them and lay them to heart, as it is a great help to the Mortificati­on of Lust, so is it an infallible sign (being conjoyned with the former) that our heart is purified, and the love to this sin mortifi­ed. In the 2d Ep. to Pet. 2. ch. 7. and 8. Verses, you will find Righoeous Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked; and again its said, in seeing and hearing, that he vexed his righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds: And so Jer. 9. and 2. Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place, that I might leave my People, and go from them, for they be all Adulterers. Jer. 23. 9, 10. Mine heart within me is broken, &c. for the Land is full of Adulterers. Psal. 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy Law: And as David wept for his own sin in this kind, his Adultery; so no doubt but it fetched tears from him, to bewail the sins of [Page 171] others against the seventh Commandment as well as the rest: 158. v. I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved, because they kept not thy Word. Where the Godly have offended most, when they are recover­ed they use to repent most, and to grieve most for sins of that kind, to manifest the truth of their Re­pentance; and grieving also for the fearful Judg­ments that this Sin must needs bring down upon this Nation. Oh but to what a pass is this Nati­on come! That instead of grieving at the scanda­lous guilt, and trembling at the fearful Judgments that these Abominations have denounced against them in the Word of God, are so far hardened as to make it matter of Sport and Pastime, their laughter and merriment with the Adultery, and the lewd Women of Great Persons. How many abusive Jests are there upon the blameless Husband of the Adulteress, to shame him! It would not be serious enough to mention them, nor the Name which is commonly given him. He that would not partake of the Judgments of God, and the Plagues Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal, when he comes to take Vengeance on the Nation for this Sin, and other our Sins, which without a further Reformation, are not like to go unpunished, must be in the number of those that mourn in Zion, for all these abominations. Oh how provoking a thing is it to make a mock of Sin!

This is one great step towards committing of the Sin, to have pleasure in it when acted by others. And no wonder if this Sin break forth in their Hearts and their Lives, who are such friends to it in the Discourse, and who are so much ta­ken with it in the Story, will be much more plea­sed in the acting of it, and show plainly enough that they have not mortified their Uncleanness of Heart, not the sweet, not the pleasure of the Sin. Consi­der [Page 172] the inhumanity of this practice that makes it Diversion, Recreation, to toss about the sins of o­thers, from one to the other, until they go round the Parish, and afford jocular Entertainment to all that hear and know the Offenders. If a Man fell into a Pit, and lamed, or wounded, or grievously hurt himself, so as by that fall to bring his life in­to great and apparent Danger, were not that Man to be pitied, rather than laughed or scoffed at? and thus it is with the Adulterous Persons, they fall in­to a pit and snare of the Devils, and of the Flesh; they wound their souls most sorely and desperately, and bring themselves into such danger of eternal Death and Damnation, as that but very few escape; and are not such Persons Objects of pity? And should we not be compassionately concerned for them, if we have any sense of that sad and wretched case they are in? Not as many, laugh at their Calamity, and mock at their Misery, which is most barbarous. You that can weep at the Death of a Friend, and are afflicted in any great Affliction that befalls them, what, can't you shed a tear for their Eternal Condition, and the Evil which this Sin exposeth them unto?

The last Mark for Discovery of this Purity, is from the Constancy of it. Sin may be held in for a while by common Restraining Grace; and so the outward Acts be forborn, until the Violence of Temptation comes to try and assault their Chasti­ty; and then it cannot hold it out without an in­ward Principle of Grace, and an Heart set against the Sin with Resolution. If your Purity and Cha­stity hold in the heat of Summer, as well as in the cold of Winter; when temptation is present, and you have opportunities of sin, as well as when there are none of these nigh you to importune you: If the manner and course of your Life be chast, if it [Page 173] be common, customary, without any relapses into your old sins and Acts of Whoredom, or the like, for one such Act calls all your Repentance into que­stion, and may set you again into your old cour­ses, and unmortifie all your Morti [...]eation, especi­ally if it proceed to a second and a third.

Use. Hence we learn how sadly Christianity in the practice is degenerated from the Precept; how much our Lusts have defiled the pure and undefiled Reli­ [...]on. Where shall we find the Purity and Chastity of a Christian? The Church of Rome that boasts her self to be the Mother of all Churches, or the Metropolis of Christendom, she is become the Mother of Harlots in a literal sence; as Rev. 17. 5. And as to their Doctrine, corrupted too, forbidding to mar­ry, and allowing Fornication before it: And that they may not want provision for their Lust, seve­ral of the Popes have not only given an open To­leration of Brothel-houses, but received Salaries from them. And though the late Puritan Pope, as they called him, excell'd his Ancestors, and would not suffer them in his Territories, yet they removed but a little further, and set up their Brothel-houses in the very next Principality.

As to our own Nation, that goeth under the Name of Reformed, but hath as much and more need of a Reformation now in this particular, than ever in the Times of Popery: We read of one or two of the Romish Kings that kept their Women, or rather some particular Person for this ill use, but it was in corners and by stealth: but hath not our late King of the Reformation out-done all that were before him in the number and multitude of his Wo­men, and their open-fac'd Boldness and Impuden­cy. So that it hath had too great an encourage­ment from the Examples of Great Persons, and grown into Fashion at Court, Regis ad exemplum. [Page 174] As to our National City, may we not take up the Lamentation of the Prophet, How is the Faithful Ci­ty become an Harlot! Isa. 1. 21. God was known in her in the Infancy of our Reformation, and she was a Praise among the Nations for their true Faith and Fear of God: But ah! how shamefully hath she fallen from her first Love, and her loveliness in Gods sight, and become an abomination for her lewdness? Hath she not spread it far and wide? corrupted all the neghbouring Towns and Pl [...] ­ces? And if Innocency be any where to be found, it is in the remote corners of the land: com­monly so far off or near as places are to her, so much the more or less corrupt are they in this particular.

And as to the Sacred Order, it is to be feared (and never enough to be bewailed) that they also are infected with this Vice, and the very Fountains and Nurseries of Learning corrupted; that temptati­ons and Opportunities of sinning abound even among them, which together with their youthful Lusts are powerful, and almost irresistible inducements to sin. To conclude, all Orders and Degrees, high and low, rich and poor, Magistracy, Ministry, and People, have declared their Sin as Sodom, and have great need to declare and manifest their Repentance as clear and as publick as their Sin.

Next come we to an Use of Exhortation: Be we entreated and perswaded then to mortifie and reform our corruptions in this kind; for surely by what hath been said, you must needs be convinced that there is great need of a Reformation herein. And to begin first with the Magistracy, we cannot but own it a wonderful Blessing from Heaven, that we have such a Prince, over whom (as it hath been the common Observation) Wine and Women have no Power: Both King and Queen unspotted in this par­ticular, [Page 175] and most exemplary. And since great num­bers and multitudes have followed the Vices of Princes, why should they not be followed in Ver­tue, but walk as it were in a path by themselves, single and alone.

Besides, It were to be wished, that such Laws were made as might severely punish Adultery, and other Persons that are infamous for their lewdness, or that life were put into such Laws as are already made, and that the Magistrate would see to the due Execution of them; and be very active and zealous to suppress all such Publick Houses as are notori­ous upon this Account, or to reform them, if it can be done without it, else to put them down. Alas! Whoredom and Adultery are bare-faced, as it were in contempt or defiance of the Laws both of God and Man; and Persons that have been found faulty, and that are pointed at as they go along in the Streets, walking to pick up some of their Com­rades and Associates; such as these brazen-sac'd it out, and there is none, or scarce any to discounte­nance them, or a terrour to such evil-doers.

And as to the Ministry, it is very necessary that such should fall under the Lash of Discipline, and such as are known to live in Whoredom or Adul­tery, how great soever they be, (Kings and Princes not excepted) that they be barred the Holy Communion, according to the Cannons of our Church, which strictly forbid it: And 1 Ep. Cor. 5. 11. I have written unto you not to keep Company, if any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator, &c. with such an one, no not to eat: and in 2 Cor. 6. 14. For what Fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness? and what Communion hath Llght with Darkness? Verse 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.

In one of the Exhortations before the Communion; ‘If any of you be a Blasphemer of God, and hin­derer or slanderer of his Word, an Adulterer, &c. Repent you of your Sins, or come not to that Ho­ly Table.’

Canon 109. of our Church: If any offend their Brethren either by Adultery, Whoredom, Incest, or Drunken­kenness, or by Swearing, Ribaldry (a kind of Baudy Speech) or any other Uncleanness or Wickedness of Life, the Church-Wardens shall faihtfully present all and every of the said Offenders, to the intent, that they and every of them may be punished by the Severity of the Laws, ac­cording to their Deserts: And such Notorious Offenders shall not be admitted to the Holy Communion, until they be Reformed. Amongst all the Sins that were punished in the Ancient Church, Adultery was one of the chief; whoever was Convicted of it, was immedi­ately cast out of the Church, and disowned as a rot­ten Member. In those first times, the punishment of Adultery was very great, perpetual Penance all a Mans Life, and scarce being admitted into the Com­munion at the very hour of Death; till Pope Ze­phyrinus about the year 216. considering the great Inconveniences of so much Severity, Persons here­by being oft driven into Despair, and others discou­raged from coming over to the Christian Faith, or­dered that Penance in this case should be limited to a shorter time, which being ended, such persons might be received again into the Bosom of the Church. This Decree was opposed by the African Churches, as an Innovation. By the Ancyran Councel, Anno 315. it was Decreed, that whoever was Guilty of Adulte­ry, should be punish'd with seven years Penance for the first fault; and if he fell afterwards into the same Sin again, he was not to be taken into Communion, no not at the hour of Death, Can. 7. p. 13. In the Sy­nod of Illiberis: The same punishment in Can. 12. [Page 177] they inflicted upon Bawds, and such persons as for gain prostituted the Bodies of their Children, by sel­ling them, (or themselves rather, of whom their Children were a part) to Lust and Ruine. Gregory Bishop of Nyssa, treating about the same Affairs, appoints Fornication to be punished with no less than nine years Penance, and Suspension from the Sacra­ment; and Adultery and all other Species of Unclean­ness, with double that time; though allowing a Li­berty to the Spiritual Guide, to Contract this time as the Circumstances of the Case or Person might re­quire: And St. Basil the Great (his Brother) sets A­dultery at 15. Fornication at 7 years Penance. The Censures of the Church did much vary according to time and place in this particular, yet the mildest of them shewed how detestable all filthiness and impuri­ry whatsoever, was to those first Ages of the Church, and how much the loosness of the latter Ages, hath receded from the Primitive strictness in Discipline. Indeed in Geneva, there is yet some Severity shewed, punishing Fornication the first time with some days (9 days to the best of my Remembrance) Impri­sonment, the second time with one years Banishment, the third time if they Relapse with Death. It is well known (as Bishop Taylor says,) that the Civil Laws in the Primitive Church, punished Adultery with Death, the Husband killing the Wife in the Act with Allowance from the Law. I 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 [Page 178] 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 [...]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. [Page 179] 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 [Page 180] 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 [Page 181] 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.