IT may perhaps be wonder'd at, why a Subject of so very nice a Nature as this is, should here be undertaken, sine in all Manner of Crimes of Impurity and Uncleanness, Si­lence is generally much more adviseable, than even so much as once to mention them:

And this for fear of putting That into any Person's Mind, which it were much better they cou'd for ever, either For­get, or be wholly Ignorant of as long as they live.

But as this Branch of Uncleanness, viz. Sinning with a Person's own Self, is the most general of any Sin of Impuri­ty whatsoever, by consequence some Instructions concern­ing it, are the most of any wanted in the World, in order to awake the Guilty, and deterr the Innocent and Unwary from falling into it, thro Inadvertence or Ignorance.

There are a great many admirable Treatises extant on the several other Branches and Sins of Impurity, but very few (if any) really SERIOUS ones upon This.

Now, why less should have been written on This one Sin than others, seems to proceed from the Nature of the Crime it self, and the Difficulty of managing it with such Prudence and Caution, as neither to omit what is necessary to be said, nor to say any Thing that may seem indecent,

And this is the true Reason of the Scarceity of Books on this Sin in particular; and yet never was more need of dissuasive Instructions against it than now, when Debauchery is become so bare-faced, that the generality of Mankind are neither affraid, nor ashamed to glory in it.

So that when People come to this Height of Un­cleanness, 'tis high time to warn them of their Folly and Danger, lest Almighty God's Anger break in by a sudden Death upon them, and there be no escaping.

Upon Enquiry then, how it comes to pass, that this mi­serable unhappy Sin of Self-Defilement reigns so in all Places as it does, it must be own'd, that one of the chief Reasons is, the great Scarceity of serious Instructive Books to give Assistance in relation to it.

For certainly, if Persons did but rightly understand the Hainousness of this Sin, and the convincing Reasons and Motives there are for refraining from it, it would be much Rarer than it is: But the Misery is, Christians are not sufficiently informed of this Matter:

Authors that have writ of the Sins of Impurity, have (out of a well design'd indeed Modesty) only treated of this Sin in general: So that there are scarce any Books ex­tant, that sufficiently supply the want of Instruction about IT in particular: Insomuch, that whilst there ar [...] plen­ty of wicked Books that encourage this abominable Vice, there are hardly any for reclaiming Persons from it.

This Observation makes it justly to be conclude, that a dissuasive Discourse against this reigning Sin in parti­cular, cannot fail of being very useful to the World:

And this more especially since there is no Guilty Person but had much rather instruct themselves by read­ing a Book privately in their Chamber by themselves on this Sin, than they can well bear to hear another speak to them about it, it being a Subject of so very a shocking Nature, that no one Cares either to speak, or be spoken to of it.

The Reason of this is: Because altho Persons may be so far abandoned, as sometimes to make their Brags of other Sins, yet they always dread being known to be Guilty of THIS, it is so very Shameful, Odious and Unnatural.

And therefore in treating this Sin, the Case is not the same, as in treating on other moral Subjects.

For, in handling other Subjects, a Man may safely say whatever he thinks any ways advantageous to his Design, and has nothing to hinder him from mentioning what­ever he apprehends necessary, and proposing his Arguments in their utmost Extent and Force, making them as plain as possible, and answering all Difficulties relating to them.

But in arguing against this Sin of Self-Defilement, the same Liberty is not to be taken; but a Writer is extremely confined, and is obliged to express himself with all. Cir­cumspection and Caution, for fear of intrenching upon Mo­desty, whilst he endeavours to make himself understood.

For which Reason, whoever treats this Subject, is obli­ged to abstain from pressing his Reasonings near so home or from enforcing his Proofs with that Degree of Plain­ness, they might otherwise have had.

And therefore in treating of this particular Branch of Impurity, some Points might be much more enlarged, and many Objections more particularly considered:

But then this would necessitate the touching upon some Things which Decency forbids.

Whatever then Decency commands throughout this Treatise to be mentioned only in general, shall be never­theless so ordered by Principles that shall be laid down, as to give sufficient room to every attentive (but more par­ticularly every guilty) Reader fully to understand and themselves supply. And therefore this Subject, how Dirty soever it may in it self be, shall here be wrapt up in the Clean [...] Cloathing that possibly it can.

To diswade against an Action that is above others:

First, So very Hainous, and Unnatural in its self.

Secondly, So very abominable and displeasing before Almighty God: — And Thirdly, So highly pernicious to Person's Selves and Families, both as to Body and Soul, requires no Arguments which are not entirely agreable to Truth, and can stand the Test of the strictest Reason to the greatest of Libertines, as in the following Chapters will fully appear: — All which being duly considered:

It would be very deplorable, if Young and ignorant People should remain without Warning and Assistance against so powerful, so treacherous, and domestick and Ene­my, as the Sin of Self-Defilement is, merely for want of being better instructed, concerning the Abomination of it.

Youth are in greater Danger of this Sin, than of any other, there being far stronger Incitements and Temptati­ons to it (as being within our selves) than to any other Sin whatsoever, the Fewel and Treacherous inticement to it always accompanying us wherever we go:

For: Let us change never so much from one Place to another, we always carry our Selves and our own corrupt vicious Inclinations along with us, changing only the Place, but not the Man; and therefore Horace justly says, Caelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.

Those who even Pass the Seas, change only the Climate, [...]ut make no more Change to the corrupt Inclinations of [...]he Man, than a Change of mere Cloaths only does; and every one is fully convinced that Habitus non facit Monachum.

The Occasions of other Sins may be avoided and run Away [...]rom, but we cannot run Away from OUR SELVES:

And therefore 'tis betraying OUR SELVES, that is our greatest Danger, as is admirably, and with an uncommon Inction, express'd by a late pious Author in the following lymn.

For here the main Danger lies in our betraying OUR OWN SELVES, and drawing OUR OWN SELVES into Sin, and therefore with good Reason every one ought ear­nestly to beg of Almighty God to save US from US, that is, OUR SELVES from OUR SELVES:

Man having no greater Enemy against HIMSELF, than HIMSELF; as our Saviour expresly tells us. Math. chap. 10. v. 36. Inimici hominis Domestici ejus. Every Man's worst Enemy is from his OWN SELF.

All which makes it a Matter of just Lamentation, that a Vice so odious in its Nature, and so pernicious in its Consequences, should have such forcible Means to insinuate it self so far among the flourishing, ( i. e. the youthful) Part of Mankind, as to become so general as it is, and no instructive Books to deter from it extant:

It being almost certain, that many Delinquents would never have been such, if they had but had some good Book to have read on this Subject, that might have informed and instructed them of, and pointed out to them the Hei­nousness of this Sin in particular, and the deplorable Con­sequences that follow it, to the Ruin of Body and Posterity in this World, and of Soul in the next.

Hence 'tis hoped, that putting this Book into the World, may prove a prevalent Means to hinder many a one from being falsly lull'd a sleep, and indulging themselves in this abominable Vice, by furnishing them with the strongest Considerations how hainous a Crime it is, what terrible Effects follow from it, how it Basely defiles every Person's Body that commits it, Tortures and racks the Mind, ruins so many hail flourishing Constitutions, and leads the ready Way to the Paths of Death, and eternal Destruction.

So that notwithstanding the State of Sodom and Gomorrah was so very deplorable as every one that has but read the 19th Chapter of Genesis knows it to be, on account of their enormous Lewdnesses, and unnatural Debaucheries:

Yet our Blessed Saviour tells us, that the Condition of Christians who act these abominations with them­selves, will be far worse in the Day of Judgment:

The Thought of which, how much soever any abandon'd Onanian may divert and put off from himself for the pre­sent, yet it will one Day, to their eternal Wailling and Sor­row come upon them, unless they truly repent.

Now to any considering Person, can the momentary satisfying of a Filthy Passion, be ever worth all this Misery?

Since as an ancient Author truly says, 'tis only Momen­taneum quod delectat, but 'tis Aeternum quod cruciat.

For one only Moments Pleasure, every Onanian incurs an Eternity of Wailing, Torments, Misery, and Sorrow.

Whoever acts such vile Things, is perfectly his own Slave, and is led on by his own Passion, as the Scripture says, As an Ox goes to the Slaughter, or, As a Bird hastens to the Snare, to his own Death and Destruction.

These Ways are the Ways of Ruin, and AT BEST can end in nothing but Grief and Repentance, if ever any Onanian be so happy as to grieve and repent for them.

O dear bought Moment of Pleasure! A Bargain the most to be regretted, that certainly ever any poor Sinner made, to purchase so many Evils, and such a Train of Miseries, for one only Moments Satisfaction, in the acqui­ring of which every Onanian shews himself much more stupid than a silly Fly in a Candle, that has some Cause to take the Flame to be sweet, because it is beautiful.

For the little Fly seeing the Flame, hovers greedily about it, to try whether it be as sweet as it seems fair, and carried away with this Fancy, perishes at the first trial.

But a poor Onanian knows very well, that what he is go­ing about is extremely filthy and ill in it self, highly offensive to Almighty God, and utterly ruinous to his own Person, and yet WILL commit the horrid Fact.

O Man! What art thou? An ancient Poet had Reason to say, Video Meliora, Proboque: Deteriora sequor. He SEES and knows, that the filthy Action he is going about, will be his Ruin, and yet He is resolved, He WILL do it.

And all this for want of rightly considering the mi­serable State this Sin involves him in; which seriously, [...]rongly, and homely to represent to him, is the Design [...]nd Purpose of this Book, and the Motive for writing on [...]his difficult Subject.

But as it is so hard a Matter to write on a Subject of so nice a Nature as this is, within the reach of the mean­est Capacities, without Danger of Encroachments upon the Bounds of Decency, and the Risque of giving Offence to chast Minds, notwithstanding it may proceed from a Design to promote Virtue and discourage Vice:

Therefore this Subject shall be here so treated, as to be rather less intelligible to some, by leaving several things to every Readers private Consideration, than by any over-freedom of Expression, to run the Hazard of putting That into any chast Mind, which every Person ought with the utmost Christian Courage and Care to stifle and destroy.

Subjects of this Nature being as Dr. Baynard calls, it Res faeda dictu, an Action unfit to be even mentioned, and therefore the Scripture calls it a detestable Thing.

And what, if mere Necessity (in order to deter the World from it,) did not urge, St. Paul exhorting the Ephe­sians, a People wholly abandoned to their Lust and Im­purity, forbids even to be so much as named amongst Chri­stians. Let all Uncieanness be not once Named amongst you. ch. 5. ver. 3. Nee Nominetur in vobis, says the Vulgate Edition.

For which Reason, if ever Caution, Care, Waryness, and Circumspection is necessary, in the treating of any Moral Subject, in the World, 'tis most certainly in this, wherein St. Paul thought he could express the Enormity of the Crime in no stronger a Manner, than by imposing a perpetual Silence of it amongst all Christians.

'Tis not to be doubted, but those Persons who are conscious to themselves of having unhappily bartered and exchanged away their Innocence for a momentary Satisfaction, as Esau did his Birth-right for the present transient Sensuality of a Mess of Pottage, and by conse­quence have the Misfortune to find themselves concerned in this present Treatise, will sufficiently understand the Meaning of it without much Explication, and 'tis to them it is recommended, with a hearty desire of their most se­rious Consideration of what is contained in it.

And as for those whom it no way concerns, and by consequence who understand it not (O happy Ignorance!) their unspotted Innocence is to be congratulated:

Rara avis in terris! It shall be endeavoured that nothing be said here, which may endanger then loosing it, but ra­ther confirm their happy keeping it:

All possible Care then shall be taken throughout this Treatise that no Expression be used, which may either shock the most modest Class of Mankind, or sully or give offence to even the chastest Mind.

BY the Word Self-Defilement, is here meant that unna­tural and shameful Action, by which Persons of ei­ther Sex endeavour to cause, procure, and imitate with themselves that Sensual Carnal Pleasure, which Alm. God has ordered to attend only a Married State for the Pro­pagation of Mankind: The hainousness of which Action fully appears from that remarkable Instance in the Holy Scripture, of its severe Punishment by Almighty God in the Per­son of Onan, in the Eighth and Thirtieth Chapter of Gen. Verse the 10th, expressed in these Words, And therefore the Lord slew him, because he had done a Detestable Thing.

Ideo percussit eum Dominus, quod rem DETESTABILEM faceret, says the Vulgate Edition.

The Cambridge Edition of the Bible has it thus, And the Thing which he did, displeased the Lord, wherefore He slew him.

So that the very Name of ONAN is fully sufficient to put the Reader at once in mind both of the Sin, and the dreadful Punishment inflicted on him for it.

The other particulars of this unhappy Man Onan, in the perpetration of this Detestable Action, as the Holy Scrip­ture Purposely calls it, to make it to be the more abhorred, and detested by all Mankind, as long as the World en­dures, shall not be here mentioned, but every Reader is refer'd to the serious perusal of the just now cited Chapter of Genesis, where every one may read the whole History at length, (as also of his Brother Er, who was likewise Slain for the same Fact) transmitted as dreadful Exam­ples to all succeeding Ages, to deter from an Action so unnatural in it self, that no Brute is ever known to do it, but only (to his Shame be it spoken) unhappy Man.

And therefore it is very reasonable to believe, that a great many Persons would never fall into this Sin, if they were but throly convinced of the grievousness of it, and the deplorable Consequences to the Body in this World, as well as to the Soul in the next, which follow from it:

Which makes it highly necessary, that Persons should be apprised how crying an Offence it is, in order to keep them from it.

In Order then to this, it is remarkable, that there is no Place in the whole Scripture, where Sins of Impurity and Uncleanness are condemned, but This Unhappy One here treated of, is in a more particular Manner than others Pointed out to us, with a Conclusion, that Nothing Defiled, nor who ACTS WITH THEMSELVES such Abominable Things, shall ever enter the Kingdom of God, but are to have their Share and Part hi the Lake, that Burns with Fire and Brimstone.

And to give us still a more thorough Conviction of the particular Deformity, Filthyness, Baseness, and Un­naturalness, that there is in this Vice, above others.

St. Paul speaking of it in the Heathens says, that they, being a People wholly given up, and abandon'd to their Lewdness and Uncleanness, by this particular Vice above others Dishonoured their own Bodies, Rom. 1.24.

And therefore gives a singular Charge to the Christians he wrote to, never to imitate them in the commission of this Detestable Action. Be not deceived (says he, 1 Cor. ch. 6.10.) neither the Effeminate, nor the ABOMINABLE, shall ever inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Vulgate Edition of the Bible has it thus. MOLLES (an Ugly Word enough) Regnum Dei non possideb [...]nt.

The Cambridge Edition of the English Bible has it thus, Neither the Effeminate, nor ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES, shall ever inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6.10.

Where the Words ABUSING A PERSON'S SELF are used, to express with as much Modesty as is possible the Unnatural Action this Treatise is here writ against.

For of all the Actions which a rational Creature CAN possibly commit, within the whole Latitude and Exten [...] of his Liberty and Power, there is no One, by which Persons so egregiously ABUSE, and Basely Dishonour themselves, as by this one Vile Action of Self-Defilement.

And therefore St. Paul says, that the Heathens by these unclean Filthy Actions, not only Abused and Defiled, but shamefully Dishonoured their own Bodies.

This singularly modest Man St. Paul was indeed loath to Rake so particularly into the Nature of the Action, as to express it in any Manner whatsoever, and therefore

First tells the Christians of the Church at Ephesus. c. 5. ver. 12. That He was even ashamed to mention and speak of those Things the Heathens did IN SECRET, meaning the Crime of Self-Defilement, which was so common amongst them:

But finding himself under a Necessity of speaking plain­ly to them, lest they should not understand his Mean­ing, he chose out at least the modestest Words to explain himself by to them, that he could.

Not at all doubting, but that those Christians who should hear his Letters read (as they usually were espe­cially on Sundays amongst the Primitive Christians in their Assemblies) would fusty understand his Meaning, and what Sin it was he forewarned them against.

And concludes with a modest Repetition in general of all he had said before, in these Words, That All those who DO SUCH THINGS shall never inherit the Kingdom of God.

Therefore he charges them every one, To Possess, Preserve, and Keep His Vessel (that s their Bodies) in Holiness and Honour. As if he should have said, That all Sorts of Persons (without Exception) ought to be extremely watch­ful over THEIR OWN BODIES, and never to Abuse nor Defile them by such unnatural Actions. — Again.

St Paul (who throughout his whole Mission, had always to do, with an abominably Lustful and Luxurious Set of Men, as fully appears from those unnatural Vices he re­prehends in the Inhabitants of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colossia, Thesalonica, and those other Provinces aban­doned to Luxury, which he writ his Letters to) thought he could produce no more powerful Argument to disswade them from this foul Sin, than to tell them, that their Bo­dies being the Temples of the Holy Ghost, by consequence to defile and abuse such a Temple must be the highest Offence against to Almighty God. — His Argument is this.

That if material Temples and Churches built only of Stone, and Mortar, and dediated to the external Wor­ship only of God Almighty, are in no wise to be profaned:

Much less Spiritual ones, such as our Bodies are, in which the Spirit and Grace of Almighty God, and an im­mortal Soul honoured with his own Image, inhabits.

This Argument of this Great Apostle, and Reclaimer of those Lustful Luxurious People, gives us clearly to un­derstand, that whenever any Person commits any filthy and immodest Action with themselves, their Body is then Pro­faned, Sullied, and Defiled, and no more a Temple or Place for God Almighty's Grace to reside in.

And least Persons shou'd object, that hereby they do no Injury to any but themselves, their Bodies being their own, and at their own disposal, this great Preacher of Puri­ty St. Paul, (foreseeing this their Objection) tells them ex­presly, that their Bodies are not their OWN, nor at their own disposal, no more than when a Person has BOUGHT any Thing, the Thing so bought belongs no more to the Person who Sold it; and therefore St. Paul tells all Chri­stians, that they are Bought and Redeemed with a great Pric [...].

This Consideration made St. Austin cry out, O quam lu­genda perversitas! Ut quis animam quam Christus Sanguine suo Re­demit, propter unius momenti Delectationem Diabolo vendat. Serm. 350. O Madness! To sell that Soul which Christ has BOUGHT, for one Moment of Pleasure.

And to shew that when St Paul mentioned this, he alluded particularly to the Sin here treated of, he presently adds these Words, And therefore we ought to serve God in our BODIES, which are God's, as well as our Souls.

Again: As the greatest Punishment that can be inflict­ed, is the taking away any ones Life, so when an Offence is so punished, it most certainly shews that such a Crime is of a most hainous and grievous Nature:

Almighty God in the Scriptures, threatens a great ma­ny Sins with several Sorts of Punishments, some of long­er, some of shorter Durance, but this Sin of Onan, had immediate Death inflicted for it, which is the greatest Proof of God Almighty's being highly offended at it.

And if any one examines the whole Scripture thro, where mention is made of Vices and Sins, they will find that there is not any other Crime, so many times inveighed against, as Sins of Uncleanness

A most detestable and unnatural Degree of which is a Per­son's Defiling their own Selves; and against which St. Paul is continually preaching, accusing the Heathens of this Sin in particular, and tells them of their Dishonouring their own Bodies by it.—Hence a learned Divine says of it,

That the Crime in it self is Monstrous and Unnatural:

In its Practice Filthy, Base and odious to Extremity:

Its Guilt is crying, and its Consequences ruinous.

It destroys conjugal Affection, perverts natural Inclination, [...]ends to extinguish the Hopes of Posterity, brings on a numerous Train of Diseases on the Body in this World, and utterly ruins the Soul for all Eternity in the next.

Which made St. Paul expresly write to the Inhabitants of Corinth about this Matter, knowing them to be a Peo­ple exorbitantly addicted to this Vice, and tells them 1 Cor. c. 6 v. 9. Be not deceived (says this great Apostle neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, nor ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES, shall ever inherit the Kingdom of God.

The same he writes to the People of Galatia, and thos [...] of Ephesus, after having told them, that it was a Shame even so much as only to speak of the Things which the [...] did in Secret, ( meaning this private Ugly Sin with themselve [...] and tells them still in the same Language, That those tha [...] do such vile abominable unnatural Actions, shall nev [...] enter into the Kingdom of God.

THE BLINDNESS here meant, is that spiritual Blind­ness and Unconcernedness, with which miserable Onanians repeat this Crime.—For as for those particular pernicious Effects which this Sin has proper to it self above all other Vices, on the SIGHT and EYES of the Body by draining off those animal Spirits, which are so the peculiar Strength of the Optick Nerves, as that Persons ad­dicted to this Vice, will find their Sight and Eyes to fail them a deal sooner than otherwsie they would, to their great Grief and Sorrow afterwards, when it is too late; this Subjects shall be particularly treated of hereafter.

St. Paul speaking of the Sin here treated of, attributes the Commission of it to Blindness and Insensibility.

And says, that the Gentiles, Being past feeling: had given themselves over to Act all Uncleanness WITH THEMSELVES with Greediness.—And for this Reason St. Austin calls Spi­ritual Blindness a just Punishment of Almighty God upon Sins of Impurity, Spargit Deus paenales caecitates super illici­tas corum cupiditates. Almighty God throws a Darkness on the Understanding as a particular Punishment for this Sin:

And hence it is, that of those great Numbers that are guilty of it, very few ever come to be truly sensible of it, but are lull'd asleep in it, and eternally loose their Soul.

A Loss, to ballance which our Saviour expresly tells us, that even the gaining of the whole World is not an Equi­valent. What Profit is it to a Man to gain the whole World, if he loses his own Soul. Math. Chap. 16. Verse 26.

The saving of which is every ones greatest Affair, and every ones only Affair that he came into this World For:

'Tis the Unum necessarium, that One Thing which our Sa­viour declares to be only Necessary for all Mankind:

'Tis not Necessary to be great, to be Rich, and abound with the Things of this World, but it is absolutely Necessa­ry to be saved: And yet Onanians are so stupidly Blind, as to exchange this Thing so Necessary, to wit▪ the saving themselves for all Eternity, for the gratifying this Lust.

Now what spiritual Darkness must surround such a Per­son, that is thus stark Blind in this Necessary Concern, and so clear sighted in other things that are Trifles?

Yet there is one Thing more contradictory still, which is, that a Person shall with all the Unconcernedness of Mind imaginable fall into, and repeat this Crime over and over again, which he knows in his Conscience is a deadly Sin, and not only cuts off at once, without bearing any Manner of Dispute in the Matter, his Right for ever to the Kingdom of Heaven, but condemns him to the eternal Fire and Torments of Hell:

And yet at the same Time, out of a Principle of Religion and Christianity, would not take a False Oath, nor renounce his Religion for all the World.

Again: How many are there in the World, who are punctually just Men in their Dealings, no Swearers, no Drunkards, nor addicted to any visible Vice, and firmly believe all the Truths of Christian Religion, and yet fall Victims to themselves, and the filthy Cravings of their own beastly Bodies, by living in this abominable Sin.

But what will all this avail them? Quid prodest (says an ancient Author) si quis Catholicè credat, & Gentiliter vivat? Petr. Dam. What good does any Person's believing as a Christian do him, if he acts like a Heathen, and does not use that Faith, as a Guide and Rule for his Actions?

How can any Person reconcile their Faith with such a Practice? And how can they make such a Practice, and their Reason agree? 'Tis very surprising, that Men of Sense and Wisdom, who Reason so well about every Thing else, should Reason so very falsly in This?

A poor blind Onanian freely owns his Action to be a ve­ry great Crime, highly offensive to God Almighty, and if unrepented of, most certainly throws him for all Eterni­ty into Hell Fire: All this he will argue over with the strongest of Reasoning and Eloquene with himself, and yet will habitually live in this odious Sin.

From whence can this Stupidity, and contradicting thus his own Reason proceed? He believes the Mysteries of Christian Religion, and is ready to Die rather than renounce this Faith, altho they are not only above his Understanding, but even seem to shock his Reason:

And at the same equally believes these abominable Ac­tions he lives in the commission of, to be grievous Sins, and that the doing of them condemns him for all Eter­nity to Hell Fire, and yet WILL do them.

Whence come these so very unaccountable Contradic­tions thus between an Onanian's Life, and his Faith?

The Reason of this can be nothing else, but because the believing the Mysteries of Christian Religion, does not contradict nor thwart his Passions:

So that altho it is as equally certain that an Onanian will be eternally Lost for the commission of these abomi­nable Actions, as he would be, if he renounced his Faith, and turned Heathen, both being alike grounded on the same infallible Authority, viz. the Word of God:

Yet because the one does not contradict his Passions, and the other does, therefore for the sake of a Moment's Pleasure, he will thus contradict, and act against his own Reason, and give himself for all his Life time after, such vast Room for Grief and Repentance.

What a sort of Faith shall we call this?

'Tis a Dead Faith; which can no more save an impeni­tent Onanian, than the most moral good Works will save an obstinate Heathen. Now let an Onanian ask himself seriously, whether he really believes all this or not?

If he does not believe any thing of this, then he does in other things a great deal too much, by being a just Man in his Dealings where safe Opportunities of Gain by Frauds offer themselves without ever being detected:

By not being a Drunkard, a Swearer, an Adulterer, &c. all which corrupt Nature inclines to.

And if he does really believe these Truths, then 'tis beyond Dispute, that he does not do near enough.

What then is this Faith? What is this offending God Almighty? This Soul and its being either saved for all Eternity, or lost for all Eternity, that is so much talked of?

'Tis in reality nothing else but this: That a great many say they believe the Truths of Christian Religion, because they will be of the Fashion of the Country where they live:

So that in Rigour, such Persons calling themselves Chri­stians, is no more than conforming to Custom and Fashion.

For else; as no Man ever in his Senses, would travel any particular Road, if he was credibly informed and firmly believed that there were High-way-men and Robbers in that very Road, that would murder him:

So, either this is the exact Condition of every Onanian, or else his Faith, the Gospel and Christian Religion must seem to him as a Fable, our Saviour an Impostor, and St. Paul a Lyar and a Cheat, thus to perswade Men from and threaten them out of their Pleasure, and taking their Swing in This World, for a mere Nothing in the Next.

And if a Heathen was to be asked his Opinion of such a Person, that says he believes what the Christian Religion teaches, and yet acts so contrary to it, he would present­ly answer, that either he does not really believe, or else, that he is a Madman to act so opposite to his Faith.

THE Damage this grievous Sin brings upon many a Family fully appears, from those Numbers of Fa­milies so frequently extinct for want of Heirs:

Which Misfortune were it to be traced up to its Origin, is owing to nothing else but that Impotency in one Sex, and Barrenness in the other, caused by those un­natural Actions here treated of, by which the Strength of Youth has been so nipt in its Bud, by having been so pro­fusely squandred away, that very few can afterwards much boast of the Fruits of a married State.

And altho it be supposed, that such Persons ever have Children, (which nevertheless happens not often) they are most commonly weak puny little sickly Things▪ that either die soon, or if they happen by chance, and mere Force more of Physick than the Kitchen, to live and grow up, they prove generally but tender sickly Persons, always ail­ing and complaining of one Malady or another.

What a Pleasure is it to see (says an ancient Author) a Man at the Age of Fourscore, with a Wife of the same Antiquity, both blessed with healthy hail Constitutions, fresh wholesome Looks, sound Minds and perfect quick Senses, (Mens sana in corporo sano as Juvenal describes) with active strait upright Limbs:

Walking without the adventitious Support of either Stick or Staff, with pleasant chearful Tempers, residing over a healthful numerous Progeny, perhaps to the third or fourth Generations.

And all these Blessings owing under Almighty God, to the Temperance, and Continence of their Youths.

When, if we do but turn our Eyes upon Licentious and Voluptuous Livers, we shall find them surrounded with a whole Legion and Complication of Diseases:

Lean Jaws, hagged pale livid Looks, hollow Eyes sunk into their Heads, feeble Hams, Legs withou [...] Calves, Limping and Hobling with a Stick, Gouty u [...]active Limbs, continually com­plaining of Weaknesses and Pains in their Reins and Small of their Backs, in fine worn and wasted away in the Prime of their Years, by having thus ruined and abused their Bodies by these. Self-Defilements.

And if they happen to arrive at any advanced Years, [...]hey are usually harrassed with some draining Weakness or another, such as an habitual Gleet, &c.

Or Wasted away with a Consumption, their Spirits sunk, Body decayed, Strength spent and exhausted.

All which Complication of Evils, makes them shift about restless from Place to Place, for the Change of Air, and Trial of this and t'other Bath: Always consulting one Physician or another, and yet after all, upon the least Rigour of any Season, or any small Accident, con­tinually in fear of giving up their corrupted Breath.

And all this from having enervated, exhausted, consu­med, and Worn out their Bodies and Strength by these detestable Actions and Sins of their Youth here meant, and thereby now become the Sco [...]n and Jest of others, and a perfect Trouble, and Torment to themselves.

What a melancholy Reflection must it be for such a Per­son to think now on these vile filthy Actions of their Life past? Who being hardly come at half the Age they might reasonably have expected to arrive at, find them­selves now enervated, consumed, drained, wasted, and out by this detestable Habit of Self-Defilement.

What a dismal Thing is it for a Person thus to see themselves on a sudden become Old, and perfectly Worn out, by having thus destroyed and ruined themselves, oftentimes before they are even 30 Years of Age?

Again: Of those unhappy and unthinking Persons who have by these Actions in their Lives past thus prostra­ [...]ed and enervated their Strength, very few ever come to that Vigour, and Robustness, which otherwise they would have arrived at, and continued so to a good old Age.

Besides Stranguries, Gleets, Gonorrhoeas, &c. far more dif­ficult to be cured, than those very Same Ailments when otherwise contracted from some ill Distemper or its Cure.

So that we'll suppose Two Persons to be afflicted with what is commonly called a Gleet either in Men, or a Draining Weakness in Women, by either of which is under­stood an Involuntary, and almost constant Efflux or Coming away of Matter from a Human Body.

In one of these Persons, these Infirmities, whether in a Man or Woman, we'll suppose to be purely the Effect of either some Former ill Distemper, or its Cure:

In the other Person we'll suppose these Infirmities, to proceed purely from the Weakness of the Parts, whose Tone, Springiness, and Strength, has been enervated and destroyed (as will hereafter be shewed) by those unnatural Acti­ons here treated of.

This Last Gleet or Weakness whether in Man or Woma [...] is much harder to cure, and the Constitution broke thereby much more difficult to repair, than the Former.

The Reason of this will be obvious to every Person who does but consider, that the Actions by which Person thus defile themselves, being altogether UNNATURAL by consequence are so many repeated Violences, Strains, an [...] FORCES upon and against Nature:

And therefore the Seminal Vessels and Parts continguou [...] to them, are so extremely relaxed, and weakned there­by, that it is no wonder that the whole Constitution pay [...] so dearly for it afterwards, as the generality of Person [...] too fatally Experience, who ever in their Lives past have been guilty of this abominable Practice.

Insomuch that a great many Young Persons of either Sex, who were strong, hail, and lusty before they aban­doned themselves to this Vice, have been so worn out by it, as to become old before half their Years came on.

For by thus robbing and violently Forcing from them­selves their Strength, and empoverishing their Spirits, by depriving their Bodies of its Balmy, and vital Juice, by this detestable Vice, they have become so dry and emacia­ted as to be sent to their Graves a great many Years sooner than otherwise they would have been.

And indeed nothing is so common as the Experience that this Sin brings upon its Slaves, not only various Aches, and Pains about the Body, Head-achs, Dizzynesse [...] and such a Wasting of the Spirits, as to impair the very Vitals, and bring Rottenness upon the Bones.

But Numbers of Persons who were healthy and well be­fore they gave themselves over to this vile Habit, have been so weakned, and drained by it, as to have been brought into a visible Consumption, and so far gone, as to puzzle sometimes the best of Physicians to set them on their Legs again, their Case has been so desperate.

From all which it plainly appears, that no Sin draws i [...] Votaries into a greater Abyss of Miseries, and Ruin tha [...] This, and therefore 'tis of the utmost Consequence, tha [...] all possible Endeavou [...]s be used to keep Persons from it.

In order to which, as nothing can be more prevalent than for Persons seriously to consider that the time WILL come, when they shall be one Day laid on a Death-bed, and must bid adieu to all these and other Pleasures, the Sub­ject of the next Chapter shall be to represent lively t [...] the Reader, the Condition of an Onanian on a Dying Bed

IN order to fix the better your Imagination of this Me­lancholy and dreadful Time, suppose your self now upon your Death-bed, in your last Sickness, having but a few Hours more to live, reduced, (as ONE DAY you WILL be) to the last Extremity of Weakness:

Your Soul oppressed and over whelm'd with Fear, your Heart already seized by the Convulsions of Death, your Breath failing, your Colour changed, your Eyes just ready to close themselves for ever to Time, and open in a new State to Eternity, of which you know nothing.

Suppose your Self again abandon'd by all you so dear­ly loved, and just upon the Point of leaving the World, and expiring either by your self alone, or at best in the Arms of some Domestick, Relation, or Friend.

These Things being thus supposed: Consider next how strangely a Lustful dying Person is now changed:

He who a few Days ago was strong and in perfect Health, and in the full Enjoyment of his Pleasures, is now all on a sudden confin'd to his Bed, reduced to ex­remity, unable to help himself, uncapable of Pleasure the Pursuit of which has been his only Aim) and now forced [...]o abandon all, and to be abandon'd by all.

So that the Separation whereby a Sensualist is by Death [...]nathed from his Pleasures, is still the more terrible to him, inasmuch as the more any one has loved their Plea­ [...]u [...]s, the greater Grief will it be to him to part with [...]hem; and the more he has sought after them in his Life [...]ime, the more bitter will Death be to him.

Every One, that does but seriously reflect on this, must [...]ry out, Lord! what is Man, tho he enjoys never so much Plea­ [...]ure, since a few Hours Sickness are thus able to make him useless [...]o all the World, and render all the World of no use to him.

What will be able to comfort this unhappy Person in [...]his dreadful Hour? When the Remembrance of his past [...]ameful Defilements leaves only a mortal Regret behind [...]hem, and the Fear of suture Pains makes him already [...]egin to feel them.

When every Thing conspires to terrify and fright him.

How do the Tears of Friends cut him to the Heart?

With what Fear has he recourse to desperate Remedies, and what a Terror is it to find those Remedies prove in­effectual? And he who but a few Days ago had a Consti­tution that promised the Enjoyment of Pleasures for ma­ny Years, has not now even Hours to enjoy them.

But to calm his Frights, a Clergy-man is desired to come and Pray with him. And does this Allay his Trouble?

He trembles and is confounded, at the remembrance of his past shameful Actions, which he now blushes at

How dismal must his Apprehensions be, after so many repeated Self-Defilements, to think that now he has but a few Hours more to live, and is going to have his Destiny determined, either of being saved, or lost for all Eternity.

And in this Agony, He is now with the Assistance of this his spiritual Friend to prepare for Death.

But is this a fit Time for it, when he is just going to ex­pire? When Fear and Trouble has weakened his Reason, how can he go about so great a Work?

A Work that requires the greatest Leisure, Application, and Tranquility of Mind that is possible, and for which all the Saints have ever thought their whole Lives too short, and this sick Man has it now all upon his Hands to dispatch on a sudden in a Hurry, and in a few Hours:

And also at a Time the most improper of any for it, when his Ills and Pains render him so uncapable of apply­ing even to any Small Affairs, that his Physician absolute­ly forbids it, and now at this Time, he has the great and intricate Account of his Soul to adjust and make up.

If 'tis so difficult a Thing to prepare for Death as it is whilst a Person is in Health, and has his Head clear and free to think, how hard, (not to say almost impossible) must it be on a sick Bed, when the Head is racked with Pains and cannot apply, and the whole Body so disordered, that [...] quiet free Thought can scarce be had.

So that he has put off his Repentance to a Time, tha [...] is no Time for him: A Time of Sickness being to Tim [...] at all for such a Person as this to Prepare for Death in.

What should we think of a Captain of a Ship, wh [...] never enquires whether his Anchors and Cables be in [...] readiness, and fit for Service, 'till he is just perishin [...] in a violent Storm, and upon the point of sinking?

What should we think of a Governour who neglects t [...] repair the Breaches of his Town, and lets his Magazine remain empty, 'till he is close besieged, and the Trenche [...] opened?

Death is a dangerous Voiage, a Dying Man is going to sail from Time to Eternity among Rocks and Tempests:

It is a sudden Siege where his Enemy blocks him up in a Moment, and can he think this a fit time to prepare, himself in to Fight? No: No: Whoever puts off their Conversion to this Time, most wretchedly cheats themselves.

And for this reason our Saviour bids us be ready when the Hour comes, and not then to prepare our selves.

But let us consider a little farther, what passes between this dying Person and his spiritual Friend.

He now speaks not his own Sentiments, but only re­peats what the Clergy-man puts in his Mouth, not know­ing perhaps what he says, or what he ought to say.

The Merits and Passion of Jesus Christ himself, which in this last Hour is the great Consolation of a Good Man on a Death-Bed, now only serves to ubraid this Sinner.

With whom then shall he now find Ease?

His Friends and Relations retire, leaving him and the Clergy-man by themselves for a while alone.

Consider now what Thoughts this distressed Person will have, when the Divine only stays to exhort him to fix his Eyes on Jesus Christ crucified, and to inform him, that being now past all Hopes of Recovery, and bereft of all Creatures, Jesus Christ alone must be his only Refuge and Consolation.—Jesus Christ crucified must be now, Dear Brother (says the Divine) your only Hope, &c.

You must seek Strength in his Death, against the Fear of your's: Place then your Confidence in this comfortable Object, in the Thoughts of which I leave you to your self: And the Clergy-man withdraws for a while.

This is the End of all those shameful Pleasures, which Lustful Persons with so much Greediness pursue.

Did it ever enter into such a Person's Thoughts on his Death-bed, to regret that he had not in his Life pleased himself, and gratified his brutish craving Passios more?

Every dying Person will repent his having pleased him self too much, but never that he did not more.

But alass, there is now no more World for him; he has acted His Part on the Stage of it, and must now (notwith­standing all his unwillingness) go off from it.

And as Actors go off a Stage with Applause, more or less according to the Merits of their Performance; so this dying Man goes off the Stage of this Life loaded with his Self-Defilements and Impurities, as our blessed Savi­our foretold of impenitent Christians. John chap. 8. v. 21. That they shall die in their Sins.

What Comfort will this Person find now in thinking of Jesus Christ, who has during his Life had so little re­semblance to him? Whilst in Health, how often has he perhaps made a Jest of the great Truths of Christian Religion? And now he must, notwithstanding all his Rallery, in a few Hours appear before the great Founder of it.

The Divine visits him again and prays by him, and says,

Lord save this thy Servant:

And the dying Person answers if he can, tho per­haps very faintly and with trembling and stammering Lips:

Which—put—his—Trust—in—thee.

He utters this indeed with his trembling Lips, but his Weakness and Fears do so cloud his Reason, that he scarce has Liberty to use it, and by consequence scarce knows what he says—Next: What Terror must it be to him to hear the Clergy-man go on with those Words?

We commend the Soul of this thy Servant into thy Hands, O Lord, &c.—To him who loved his Pleasures and the World so much as he has done:

Nay who perhaps never loved any Thing else but his Pleasures, and never made One serious real Step towards Heaven in all his Life.—Again: What a Terror must; those Words give him,— Go Christian Soul out of this World:

Profciscere Ammo Christiana de hoc Mundo, &c.

There is no more for you to do in it:

You must leave it; but How? And Why?

By Force: And because your Pleasures leave you, and not you them.—St. Austin speaking to you in this Condition tells you, Serm. 1.

Non vis relinquere Mundum, relinquet te Mundus.

You are unwilling to leave the World and your Plea­sures, but that's nothing, the World will now leave you:

There is no avoiding it, a Dying Person cannot help it:

There is no Appeal.—You MUST go Christian Soul out of this World, &c. You must leave it,—But

The Divine goes on: Accept O Lord his Tears, &c.

What Tears?—Alass! Tears and Sorrow from his unwil­lingness to Die, and leave the World and his Pleasures, and because he can enjoy them no longer: Nothing else.

Lord! In what a Condition is this dying Man?

If he has yet his Senses left, the Remembrance of his past Actions rifle his very Soul, and tear him to peeces.

The shameful Action now leaves him, being no more capable of it, and not he the Action.

O Death! How terrible is thy Memory to this poor Wretch, thus drown'd and, absorpt in his own Guilt?

THis almost Distracted SENSUALIST being now upon the brink of having his Eternal Doom decided, his past Actions tear him with inexpressible Remorse.

Every one of his past Defilements appears now to him as big as a Mountain, and in all its Deformity and ghastly Shape, which before he cheated himself in the Commis­sion of, by the deceiving Name of Weakness and Frailty.

How dismal must the Apprchensions of this dying LEACHER be, when he reflects that he has now but a few Hours more to live, and if not sincerely reconciled to Almighty God, by a true Repentance, is for ever lost?

What must this Sinner do at this dreadful Hour?

In which St. Peter tells us, that the very Saints them­selves are not secure, 1 Epistle Ch. 4. v. 18. If the right­cous scarcely are saved, where shall the wicked appear?

In this terrible Extremity, ALL that he has ever in his Life Time heard of Judgment, of Hell, of Eternity, and other awakening Truths of Christian Religion, comes now all on a sudden fresh into his Mind, and fright him.

And 'tis wonderful that he, who some few Days ago was so full of Doubts, and Uncertainties as to Religion, and who made almost a Jest of Christanity, and the Purity of the Gospel, and would believe SO LITTLE, should now be so fully convinced of these Truths, and all on a sudden believe SO MUCH: For no People in the World believe more, or have stronger Faith than Dying Men:

But what does this convincing Faith avail an impenitent Onanian then? The Devils believe as much as any Christians:

But as St. James says, 2.19. their Faith only, serves to make them tremble. Doemones credunt & contrennscunt.

And just in the same Case is this Person on a Dying-bed.

What lie was so unwilling to believe all his Life Time, he cannot help believing now: So that a Death-Bed will give him a lively Faith, when nothing else will.

This Person whilst he was well and in Health, made nothing of ridiculeing Piety and Religion:

Let him now carry on the Jest with his Wit and Rallery if he can. No, No, A. Death-Bed teaches a true Lesson, convinces the most obstinate, and opens their Eyes.

O Mo [...]s bonum est judicium tuum, says the wise Man, Eccles. [...]1.3.

If ever a Man's Judgment is impartial, 'twill be on a Death-Bed. Then the Mind is fill'd with cruel Remorse, the Conscience is terribly awaken'd, past Defilements come fresh in to the Mind, and seizes it with inexpressible Consternation:

And 'tis then, that every Sensualist will begin to open their Eyes, and to judge of things after quite another Manner than ever they did before, and would give All the whole World, were it at their Disposal, that they could now call their past Actions back again.

Now Terror and Remorse begin to shew themselves, and the dying Man is seized with inexpressible Anguish.

Now he would forsake his Sin: Now he condemns himself:

Now he is willing to open his Case to his spiritual Friend, who before could never be brought to it.

But alass! It is now too late, he has no more Time left, He is a Dying: — He is now of no more use to the World, nor it to him. He may with good Reason cry out

The Example of the good Thelf's Repentance has very little room here to encourage any Delay to such Persons of their Conversion. Because as St. Aug. justly says,

The Scripture comfortably furnishes us with this Example of ONE True Death Bed Repentance, that we may not Despair.

But alass! it is the only ONE throughout the whole Scripture, that we may not Presume, and to convince us, what a Height of Folly (not to say Madness) it is, and how extremely dangerous to live in the habitual commission of this abominable Sin with any such ill grounded Hopes.

So that whatever Person does so, most miserably im­poses upon, and abominably CHEATS himself at last, with only an Appearance of Conversion and Repentance.

If therefore any deluded Sensualists find themselves dis­posed to take any Encouragement in remaining in the Ha­bit of this detestable Vice, from the Example of those so very Few, who have risen again, and sincerely and tru­ly Repented, after terrible Falls;

Let such know, that they have much more Reason to tremble at the Remembrance of infinite Numbers of others who have fallen in like Manner, and never did rise, but have been utterly undone by it, and eternally lost.

If a Person could die Twice, an unprepared First Death might be repaired by a Second: But he can die but ONCE, and an Eternity of Happiness or Misery de­pends upon this ONCE. And being once only ill done is for ever ill done, and never can be repaired.

Any One then who goes on in his Sin, with the Design of Repenting on a Death-bed; puts it off to a Time, the most unfit for it of all his whole Life, and which (is to be feared) will prove no Time at all for him.

If a good Death consisted only in a few Tears, in ha­ving a few Friends to pray by one, in having the Assistance of a Divine, in a Remorse of Conscience, a De­sign to amend, and even in receiving the Holy Sacrament, this Person's Madness would not be near so great:

But alass! How many daily die with all these VERY SAME Helps, and many more, and yet Die miserably, and are now irreparably lost for all eternity?

And could but any of them return upon Earth, to tell us how all this came to pass, and could possibly be with so many Helps; their Answer would be, that they died miserably, because they did not prepare before hand, by quitting this Sin in Time when they might.

They would also tell us, that those Helps they had on their Death Beds, were only Opera Operata, meer outward Works, which to them were of no Effect, for want of re­quisite Inward Dispostions, and a real Conversion of the Heart, and a leaving off this abominable Sin whilst they were in Health: Whereas their professing with their Lips outwardly to detest, renounce, and leave this Sin now at a Time, when the Sin leaves them, deserves no manner of Thanks to them at all for it.

And that this is evidently true, fully appears from those who do by a singular Mercy of Almighty God, recover from great Fits of Sicknesses, after, all imaginable Prote­stations whilst they were Sick, of mending their Lives in Case of Recovery: But when recovered, think no more on't, but return again (like a Dog to his Vomit) to their old Ways. Which is a convincing Proof, how little Death-Bed Protestations and Designs are to be depended on.

So that 'tis not having a Sorrow upon a Death-Bed, that is merely enough, Numbers having gone oat of this World perfectly bathed in Tears, and in appearance Sor­rowful, and yet have been eternally lost:

And the Reason of this has been, because their Sor­row was for leaving the World, and all they loved in it, and nor for having offended Almighty God.—Again:

How can any One imagin that he shall be able up­on a Death-Bed to hate what he has all his Life time so loved, so doated upon, and so eagerly pursued?

And yet every Dying Person that does not truly abo­minate his darling and beloved Sin above any Thing in the World, and this for the Love of Almighty God, who is highly offended thereby, will be eternally lost.

This is as true, as that he has committed the Sin, which when once committed, the Delinquent is always Certain of, but entirely Uncertain of the Pardon of it.

Will it be easy for this Man, now all on a sudden to detest and abhor what he has always so much loved, and who perhaps never made so much as one serious Act of Repentance for it, in his whole Life.

Will it be easy for One who has doated on this Sin all his Life, now to abhor it, because Death tears him from it, and because he now is no more able to commit it.

No No: Deceive not your self, every Onanian, whoever you are that reads this Book: This will One Day be your own Case really and in Fact, as now it is in Imagination.

Oh! the miserable State, will such a One say to him­self, whereto I find my self now reduced! Oh! that whilst I was in Health, I had left off this Sin!

But I have brought my self now (by continuing in it) to that Pass, that I am (morally speaking) unable to Re­pent for it. And now after all, I am come to my Last Day, I am laid upon that Bed, from whence I shall rise no more, but must go to appear before my God loaded and defiled with these my repeated Crimes.

Consider again, what long and languishing Farewells your Soul will give to her Body and this World.

She will then take her Leave of all those past shame­ful Actions she has so long been enslaved to, together with an eternal Farewell to Riches, Vanities, Company, Pleasures, Pastimes, Friends, Neighbours, Kindred, Chil­dren, Husband, Wife, and in sine to every Creature, and at last even to her own Body, which she is now about to leave Pale, Hideous, and Loathsome.

And thus the poor Onanian expires, and becomes a mournful, but indeed a very moving Sight to deter Lust­ful Persons, from the Commission of those Unnatural Acti­ons, which have now given so much Trouble to this poor deceased Wretch's Soul at present, and render'd his Doom so uncertain for the future.

THis SENSUALIST being after all now dead, altho Resore, the most accomplished and beautiful Person in the World, now inspires nothing but Horror:

Immediately ALL is silent, the Corps is covered, the Curtains are drawn, and every one retires, with a (faint­ly as they go) Lord have Mercy upon his Soul.

And the usual COMPLIMENT now made him is,

He is gone poor Man: HE WAS NO BOBY'S ENEMY BUT HIS OWN. God's Peace be with him, they will say: and that's all: He is gone after all his Pleasure, and has carried all his Actions (for his Pasport) along with him:

And the Best they can say is, We hope he has made his Peace with God, &c. Oh Peace! How uncertain and doubt ful art thou to this poor Wretch, that never perhaps thought of thee, 'till reduced to a Dying-Bed?

Where is now the Beauty, the Galantry, and good Mien of this Person? What is become of all his Pleasures?

But above all, what is become of his Soul?

Alass! of this we have all the Reason in the World, from his foregoing Conduct, to apprehend but badly.

What now becomes of this Body so often defiled?

It begins already to grow offensive and burdensome.

So that notwithstanding all its former Charms and Beau­ty, every Body now flies it, Nor would any one now lie but one only Night alone in a Bed with it, on any Account whatsoever.

Husband, Wife, Children, Relations, Friends, Neigh­bours, Servants are all in a hurry to get rid of it.

Those who loved it best, are now most desirous to have it convey'd away, and put out of Sight:

They All make hast to Nail it up, and put it into the Ground, and so get rid of it: And Would not for any thing, so much as only Look at it, a few Weeks after.

Thus this Person is forgot almost as soon as gone, every one returns to his Business, your Friends seek other Friends, take new Measures, and hardly think any more of you.

They concern themselves no more about you, than if you had never been, they often undo all you had done, and in a little Time you are no more talked off.

All the Pleasures of this Sensualist thus end in a Shroud, a Coffin, the Grave, Worms, Rottenness, and Corruption:

But the immortal Soul of this so often defiled Body is gone into a new Region and amongst new Company, to be Judged and have its definitive Sentence pasted upon it; either to go to the Right-hand, or to the Left:

Alass! whither shall yours go? What Way shall it take?

No other than that which it has begun here in this World.—The Sentence passed on unrepenting Onanians is this, Go ye Cursed into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Math. 25.51.

Ponder well every One, that reads this, these weigh­ty Words. Go, says the Judge. A Word of Eternal Ba­nishment from Happiness.

He calls them Cursed. O how dreadful a Curse must this be? A General Curse including all Woes, an Irrevo­cable Curse, comprehending all Times:

The Judge adds, into Everlasting Fire: Oh Eternity of Pains, how dreadful wilt thou be to this poor Sensualist, that has done little else but indulged himself in Pleasure?

Men are so used to hear Talk of Hell, that it very lit­tle affects them, whereas if every Onanian was but truly sensible what Hell is, he would tremble at the very thought of committing an Action, that so certainly Insures it to him.

In order then to make every One, that may read this Book, as sensible of this State of Misery, as our gross Conceptions, and material Comparisons can make it,

Imagin that you see in the Center of the Earth a vast Gulph and Lake of Fire and Flames, and those two unhappy Men Er and Onan, together with all others who have impenitently imitated them in the Perpetration of this abominable Fact, plunged and roling in it, all cover­ed and transpersed with Fire, which they not only suck in with their Breath, but which enters also at their Eyes and Ears, their Mouths and Nostrils casting forth dread­ful Flames, their Skin scorched, their Flesh, Blood, Hu­mors, and Brains boiling up with the Violence of the Burning, their Bones and Marrow all transparent with Fire, like a Piece of Iron taken red Hot out of a Furnace, and all the Parts of their Bodies glowing with Fire.

Having here put Er along with his Brother Onan, the Reader doubtless will desire to know, whether or not the Crime of Er was the same as that of Onan, the Holy Scripture mentioning only of him, That Er Judah's First Born was wicked in the Sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. Gen. 38.7.

And afterwards Verse 10. in the Cambridge Edition of the English Bible, speaking of the Punishment of Onan, says that The Lord slew him ALSO.

Commentators on this Place of the Scripture all agree, that the Crime of these two Brothers Er and Onan was ex­actly the same as to the Fact, but only, different as to the Motive: Er would not have his Wife Thamar bear Chil­dren, to preserve her Beauty.

Onan would not have her bear a Child by him, because (according to the Law) it would not be called by his Name, nor esteemed HIS. Thus St. Austin, lib. 22. contra Eaustum, cap. 84. Consentiunt Hebraei & Christiani tam Er quam Onan peccasse eodem peccato Mollitiei, quod est contra natu­ram generationis: Sed Er fecit, ne scilicet Puerperia aliquid de pulchritudine suae Uxoris decerperet, Onan vero ex alio motivo, ut ex Scripturâ patet.—But to return to our Subject.

How glad would these two unhappy Men be to suffer only from Our Fire? But alass there is no comparison be­tween it, and the Fire of Hell.

St. Austin compares Our Fire to it, as only a painted Fire. Our Fire is lightsome, their's is dark and horrible.

Ours is the Effect of the Goodness, and Bounty of God, their's is the Product of his incensed Omnipotence.

Again: Represent to your self a Man tormented with the Gout, or some other violent Pain.

What Torment does he feel? How does he cry out?

How willingly would he die to put an End to his Tor­ture? And yet he suffers only in some ONE Part of his Body: He has the Liberty of complaining, and the Sa­tisfaction of seeing himself pittied.

But what would he undergo, if every Member and Part of his Body suffered the same Torment?

And if instead of helping and pittying him, every Stander-by should abuse and upbraid him without any Liberty of Complaining?

In Hell, the Damn'd do not only suffer the Pains to which we are subject in this Life, they suffer all these and infi­nitely more, their Torments are universal, violent, com­plicated, and unsupportable, and yet they MUST and do in every Instant of Time feel them ALL, and in the Midst of them ALL, they cannot receive, or even so much as hope for any Respite, Ease, or Comfort.

What would only ONE poor single Drop of Water be against such a Sea and Torrent of Flames? And yet such a poor Refreshment, such a meer Nothing is and ever will [...]ce denied them, as it was to the rich Man in Hell, who [...]eg'd it of Lazarus. Luke 16.24.

The Sick find some Ease in tumbling and removing from one Place to another, but unhappy Onan together with his Brother Er, and their Followers, are now at this Time that You read this, in this Fire immovable as at Rock.

But all this is the least Part of their Suffering; for notwithstanding all these Torments are so excessive, yet it would be an inexpressible Comfort to them, if they were but ever to have an End: But what adds infinitely to their Miseries, is their Knowledge that all these Torments will be for all Eternity, and never are to have an End.

So that notwithstanding all their Horror, there is no Manner of Hopes that they will ever end, or diminish.

What are now the Thoughts of those two miserable Men Onan, and his Brother Er? Who have now been in all these Torments almost Four Thousand Years,

For these two young Men were cut off by Alm. God for these Wickednesses in the Prime of their Youths, about the Year of the World Two Thousand twenty nine, nei­ther Er nor Onan being 20 Years old when this happened to them, and therefore ought to be a particular Example to all young Persons: And they know that they are no nearer to the End of their Sufferings, than they were the very first Moment they began them.

Was miserable Onan together with his Brother Er, oblig­ed to fill only the Hollow of a Man's Hand with each of their Tears, and each of them to drop but ONE single Tear at the End of every Thousand Years: What a terri­ble Duration would this be? Onan would have now shed but Three Tears towards it; and his unhappy Brother Er just as many: But if each of them were obliged at the same Rate of One single Tear for every Thousand Years to make a Brook or a River with their Tears, or even to fill the Sea, what a prodigious Length of Time would this require? Our Imaginations are Lost and confounded, our Thoughts are stun'd in so vast a Duration.

And yet all this great and inconceivable Extent of Time is nothing to Eternity, and that Duration which these unhappy Wretches are to suffer.

A Time WILL come when Onan and every one of his Imitators will be able to say, that One Tear for every Thousand Years that I have been in Hell would have been equal to the Sea, would have drown'd the World, and would have fill'd up the immence Space between Heaven and Earth, and yet I am to begin again, to shed the same Quantity of Tears over, and over, and ever again; hav­ing an Eternity of Torments to suffer even Millions of Ages after the World shall be ended.

So that there WILL be a Time when Onan himself will be able to say, that having Already shed as many Tears at the Rate of One only single Tear for every Thousand Years, as would fill the whole Sea, as many times over again, as there are (in all the Fields and Meadows in the World, and throughout the whole Universe) Blades of Grass and Corn in the Fields, Leaves on the Trees, Grains of Sand in the Sea, and upon its Shore, and Stars in the Firmament, yet I am now after all this to begin my Work over and over again.

The same also WILL one Day every Onanian be able (as well as Onan himself) with inconceivable Regret to say. And all this for a base Pleasure of only a Moment.

Our Imagination is perfectly Lost, and our Thoughts are swallowed up, stun'd and confounded, in the View of such a vast extent of Duration, insomuch that after Millions of Ages as many Times multiplied, unhappy Onan will still have his Work to begin, over again, as fresh and as much A new, as the very first Moment he entered there, and every Onanian the same.

O DREADFUL! OH INCOMPREHENSIBLE ETERNITY!

Was Onan to burn only as many Millions of Ages, as there have passed Minutes since the Creation of the World, which is now Five Thousand Seven Hundned, and Seventy odd, Years ago, his Pains would at least one Time have an End, but he knows his Torments will NEVER end.

When every One that is in Hell reflects on this and compares it with the inconsiderable Time his Plea­sure, for which he is condemn'd, lasted when he was in this World, what must his Rage be?

Where are now those great Men, who have for past Ages enjoyed all this World could give them?

What are they the better for all their Sensuality, De­bauchery, and Pleasure, if they are Damned?

All Pleasure is now past and gone, as if it had never been, but the Soul will FOR EVER BE, and that mise­rably too, if not prevented by a true Repentance.

If these Reflections make no Impression upon an Onanian that reads this; if this Eternity does not touch him, can he call himself a rational Creature?

But to represent to the Reader in Epitome all these awakening Truths together, nothing is more proper, than a Version ( Mutatis Mutandis, for the Exigency of, and Ap­plication to our present Subject) of a certain celebrated Latin Hymn on the terrible Day of Judgment, begining Dies Irae dies illa, &c.

From what then has been here said, let every Onanian consider the Uncertainty of the Day of his Death:

And let him say, Oh my Soul, thou must one Day OUT of this so often Defied Body: But when, shall that Day be?

Shall it be in Winter, or in Summer?

In City or in Country? By Day or by Night?

Shall it be suddenly, or on Notice given thee?

By Sickness, or by Accident? Shalt thou have Leisure and Time to repent, and make thy Peace with God or not?

Shalt thou have the Assistance of a spiritual Friend?

Alass! Of all this We know nothing.

Only certain it is, that we are to DIE, and that always sooner and less prepared than we imagin.

And that then the World will End in regard of you:

Having now thus far laid before the Reader these dis­mal Consequences, attending this wretched Sin, in order effectually to deter Persons from it:

It may not be amiss, next to consider of some Assistance for those unhappy Persons, who have fallen into it, and thereby suffered a Share of those Inconveniences above­mentioned.

THE common ill Effect the Habit of this Vice of Self-Defilement has on the Body, is to bring Persons of ei­ther Sex insensibly into a Gleet, or other such draining Weaknesses as hereafter will be shewn:

Which Disorders are the Fore-runners of various Pains, Aches, and other Ailments about the Body, wasts the Spi­rits, decays the Strength, causes particular Pains, and Dizzyness in the Head, and so wears out the Body, as to bring it in the End into a Consumption.

And what also is to be much lamented is, that these Ailments are of such an Out of the Way kind from common Distempers (to say nothing of the Shame that attends them, which usually keeps Persons from discovering their Condition to another in order to obtain a Cure) that the best Physicians are oftentimes puzled with them.

And for these Reasons it is, that so many unhappy Per­sons are daily ruined, and their Constitutions utterly Broke and spoiled by these Sort of Gleets and Weaknesses, caused by this wretched Sin of Self-Defilement, for want of the right and proper Method of curing them.

As then a great many Persons will doubtless read this Book in Hopes of Relief from it, the next thing to be considered shall be, of the most rational Method of Cure, according to the Principles of Anatomy and Physick, of these Gleets and draining Weaknesses in either Sex, consequent from, and caused by a Habit of this Vice.

And which cannot fail of being very acceptable to eve­ry Reader labouring under them, because, there is no Treatise hitherto extant, that has so treated of this Mat­ter, as to assist Persons satisfactorily in their Cure.

But as to be able to cure a Distemper, there must be a perfect Knowledge had of its Cause (or else 'tis only guess Work, and acting in the Dark) [...], says Hippocrates, He that knows best the Cause of an All [...] ment or Distemper, is the most likely Person Best to cure it, which made that great Physician Celsus afterwards say, That Recte curaturum quem prima Origo causoe non fefellerit.

Therefore, in order to explicate how it comes to pass that a Gleet, &c. is thus so Usually caused by this Abomi­nable Vice, and thereby be led into the truest Method of its Cure, and prevent the Ruin of Numbers of Persons and their Families, whom this wretched Sin of Self-Defile­ment has been the Bane of, it will first of all be absolutely necessary to examine into the Anatomy of that particular Part of the Body where these Gleets are situated. As

First. To examin its inward Structure and Make.

2dly. What Alterations this Sin of Self-Defilement is ca­pable of causing in this its inward Make and Structure, and How it comes to cause them?— 3dly. What Effects such Alterations caused by this Sin, are likely to produce.

And Lastly, Whether or no these Effects are such as Persons addicted to this Vice, find in themselves, who have by it brought such a Gleet, or Weakness upon them.

Which Observations being premised, we shall afterwards enquire how it happens that such a Change of State of these mucous Glands, viz. from an elastick, springy, and strong State, to a limber, loose, and flaccid one, can produce, and be the Cause of that Quantity of Matter which drips and comes away in the Course of a Gleet, caused by the vicious habit of this Sin of Self-Defilement.

Or in other Terms, (but the Meaning is still the same) Whether or no, the productive Cause of a Gleet, ie. the Re­laxation of the Orifices or Mouths of the mucous Glands in the Urethra, can so far increase the Quantity of Li­quor naturally produced by these Glands, as to be such as is experienced by Persons who have a Gleet, &c. upon them.

Hence the Motive of proceeding thus with our present Subject is, First, the great Inconvenience that Persons af­flicted with a Gleet lie under, from the Quantities of Phy­sick exhibited to them for their Cure, which even it self is a Disease, and often serves for little else than break­ing a sound Constitution, or making a bad one worse:

Secondly, The great Uneasyness (notwithstanding a daily Change of Linnen) which such Persons harrass'd thus with a Gleet, or other such Weakness, oftentimes for a long while labour under, by Reason of such a Dripping conti­nually upon them: And which tho for the present may give no other Trouble, than as it is opposite to Cleanli­ness, (being no pleasant Companion to a clean neat Person) yet will in Time impair and break the best of Constituti­ons, and most certainly bring on a Consumption, being a constant Drain and Wast of the Animal Spirits, as in the Second Volume will be clearly shewed.

BY a Gleet, or other such draining Weakness, which Onanians have by their wicked Practice drawn upon themselves, is here understood an Involuntary and almost constant Efflux or Dripping away of Matter from a human Body, and that in much the same Quantity, whether the Person be asleep or awake, this Gleet being of just the same Kind as any other Gleet following any ill Di­stemper, such as the Secret Disease and its Cure, &c.

From this Definition it naturally offers it self to our Consideration, to enquire into the Cause of this Efflux or Coming away of Matter, and How it happens that such a Quantity of it should thus involuntarily come away.

Which Difficulty will easily be removed by examining ti [...] [...]ard Anatomical Structure and Make of that particu­lar Pa [...] where this Weakness is situated, which is the only Thing that can give Light to our present Question:

And then to examin, if there is naturally any Liquor separated in that Part, capable of becoming the Matter of that Epidemical Weakness and common Companion of Persons habituated to this Vice, usually called a Gleet.

It is observable by Anatomy, that in the Nervo-Spongi­ous Substance of the Urethra or Urinary Passage, there are several Glandulous Openings, like so many little Pin-holes, first discovered by that great Anatomist Mr. Cowper, which serve as so many excretory Ducts or Channels designed by Nature constantly to convey and furnish a certain viscid, clammy, mucous Kind of Liquor or Moisture into the Uri­nary Passage; the Use of which Liquor is to lubricate and besmear by its Viscidity the Pipe or Passage, and thereby to preserve and defend it from being fretted and corroded by the sharp Salts of the Urine which is daily passing thro it, and which, without this defensative Liquor would cer­tainly be fretted, and become raw, and by consequence, [Page 35]Sore as any fleshy Part would be, that should have such a salt sharp fretting Liquor as Urine so often passing over it, unless it were preserved by some such proper Defensative, as the continual anointing or besmearing it with some such smooth, soft, unctuous Substance would be:

Insomuch that were it not for this Slimy Liquor or Moisture that Nature is continually supplying the Urinary Passage with, by means of those glandulous Openings just now mentioned, to keep it thus moist, it wou'd in a lit­tle Time become so fretted and raw, by the Sharpness of the Urine daily passing thro' it, that All Mankind in general would have a perpetual Scalding and Heat of Urine upon them.

By which is not here meant, that the Urine in it self would be hotter in that Supposition, than it is now, but that the Passage being raw and sore for want of that de­fensative slimy Moisture which now protects it, it would be fretted by the Saltness of the Urine, and so would smart, and seem as it were to Burn and Scald, whenever the Urine passed through it: Just as any other raw sore Place divested of its Scarf-Skin, wou'd smart and seem to burn, if one shou'd throw Urine or salt Water upon it.

This being thus established from the nice Anatomical In­spection of the inward Structure and Make of the Urethra,

We are next to consider what Changes and Alterations these glandulous Openings in the Passage, are subject to, and capable of: And then, whether or no such Changes can furnish us with such a large Supply of Matter as is experienced Involuntarily to drip away from Persons who have that Weakness commonly called a Gleet upon them.

Our next Endeavour then must be to examin How the Urethra only and the glandulous Openings above-men­tion'd which it contains, are able to furnish so great a Quantity of Matter, as is observ'd to be involuntarily dis­charged in the Course of any Sore of Gleet.

In order to which we must consider, That Nature de­signing these Glands in the Urethra constantly to furnish and supply a certain Moisture to the whole Pipe or Passage, which may defend it from being fretted by the sharp Urine so frequently passing through it, as has been already [...]hewed, the Orifices or Mouths of these Glands in entire [...]ealthy, sound, hail Persons, are in some Measure, (to use [...]he Comparison, servata always debitâ proportione) like the Sphincter Muscles of the Anus, Bladder, &c.

By which is meant, that the Openings of these Glands, [...]otwithstanding their being so very small, have a certain Springiness and Elasticity proportionable to their Bigness, [Page 36]and Size, belonging to them, by which they are endow­ed with a certain Power of straitning, contracting, and drawing themselves together, more or less, upon every Emission of that abovementioned Moisture Nature designs them to supply the Urethra with: Just as the Sphincter Muscle of the Bladder is endowed with a Power of re­taining, holding, and keeping in the Urine.

And by this Means it is, that so much and no more of this Moisture is thrown out of these [...]lands into the Ure­thra, than is just necessary for the lubricating and moisten­ing it, preparatively for the Passage of the Urine.

So that as by reason of the Strength and Vigour of the Sphincter-Muscle, for Example of the Bladder, the Neck and Mouth of it is endowed with a Power of straitening, contracting and closing it self together after every Emissi­on of Urine, every one experiences in themselves a Pow­er of either Holding, or letting go their Water:

So, much in the same manner, by Reason of the Strength and Vigour of the Orifices of these Glandules, they are endowed with a not unlike Power of straitening, con­tracting, and drawing themselves together (which the Rea­der is desired always to suppose to be in a Degree propor­tionable to their Bigness) after every Emission of the mu­cous slimy Liquor they contain:

Which Strength being once lost, the Power of retain­ing and keeping in this Liquor is also lost with it

The State then and Condition of these glandulous Open­ings (or as Dr. Drake calls them, Mucous Glands, from their thus furnishing and supplying the Passage with this Mucous slimy Liquor,) being thus considered in healthy Persons.

Our next Enquiry must be into the State of them in Persons afflicted with a Gleet, or other such draining Weak­ness, after a vicious Habit of this Sin, or otherwise.

Which State we shall soon be apprised of, by consider­ing that when a Person has been addicted to this Vice, by a frequent Pressure upon, and a violent, and Unnatural Use, Forcing, and Irritation of these Glands, by the abo­minable Act of this Sin, this Unnatural Forcing Practice has render'd them flaccid, limber, weak, and loose, which before were healthy, vigorous, springy, and strong.

The Truth of these Assertions) abstracting from the Reasonableness they carry along with them) will appear by giving an Account of the State of these Glands as they have been observed in some Anatomical Dissections made of that particular Part, where all Gleets are seated that is, the Urethra or Urinary Passage.

That great Anatomist Mr. Cowper tells us, that to inform himself the better in this Point, he dis [...]ected the Urinary Passage of several Criminals: Some of which were heal­thy sound Persons: The others were executed with Gleets upon 'em, having been lustful libidinous wicked Men.

In the healthy found Persons he found these glandu­lous Openings to be so firm, as to have had even a perfect Elasticity, or Springiness belonging to them:

Insomuch that upon pressing them, (but not without this Pressure) he says, they discharg'd a certain Quantity of transparent viscous slimy Liquor, such as it shews it self, and ought to be in statu sano; whereas if these Glands had not had such a Firmness and Strength, in which consisted their Power of retaining or letting go the vis­cid slimy Liquor they contain; this Liquor would have slipped out of them without any such Pressure at all:

And by consequence, its not owzing out, but upon such a Pressure, was an evident Mark of their Springiness and Strength. He also observ'd the whole Urethra to be besmeared and lined with a viscous, slimy, unctuous Moi­sture, which was discharged from these Glaudulous Open­ings or little Bags in order to lubricate the Passage.

But in the Urethra of those Criminals executed with a Gleet upon them, the Case was quite different:

He observed the mucous Glands all along the Urinary Passage to be limber, flaccid, flabby, and loose, very much stretch­ed, and dilated, and their Orifices by the Help of a a nice Microscope to be visibly open, stretched, dilated, and distended, and thereby totally destitute of their Strength and Vigour; from whence he concluded, that they were also entirely deprived of their retentive Facul­ty and Springyness, having no Power left of contracting themselves upon any emission of that mucous slimy Liquor they contain, as those other Glands could do in the Crimi­nals that were executed in perfect Health.

This will appear still more clear, by an Example of Persons who have a Diabetes upon them:

For, from the Loss of the Springiness and Tone of the Sphincter Muscle of the Bladder, the Neck, and mouth of it is so weakned and relaxed, as to be deprived of its re­tentive Faculty, thro' a want of that Power of contracting and drawing it self together after any Emission of Urine, which healthy Persons experience in themselves:

From whence it follows, that the Urine comes away in­voluntarily from them, being altogether deprived of both that expulsive, as well as retentive Power which healthy Persons have.

THE Springiness and retentive Faculty of the mucous Glands in the Urethra of healthy found Persons con­sisting in their Strength and Power of either dilating or contracting their Orifices or Ostiola, (as in the foregoing Chapter has been shewed) by which Power of retaining or letting out the viscous slimy Moisture they contain, they discharge just so much and no more of it, than is just ne­cessary for the lubricating and besmearing the Passage:

It must of Necessity follow, that when these Glands are, by a violent and unnatural Straining and Forceing of them by the vicious Habit of Self-Defilement, so weakened as to become limber, flaccid, flabby, and loose, they must be de­prived of this retentive Power or Faculty also.

Insomuch that altho these Glands in healthy sound Persons, are naturally so Springy and Strong, as to dis­charge and let out into the Urethra, just so much and no more of the slimy Liquor designed by Nature to besmear, and as it were to Cover over the whole Tube or Passage, and thereby defend it from the Sharpness of the Urine:

Yet in Persons who have a Gleet or other such Weakness upon them from this vicious Practice, the Case is not so:

For the Offices or Ostiola of these Glands in these Per­sons are so weakened and relaxed by the Violence, and repeated Unnatural Forceing of them, as to be in a Manner always open, by which Means the mucous Liquor they contain, is continually slipping out of them into the Urethra; the Openings of these Glands not having Sprin­giness, nor Strength lest to contract themselves, and thereby to keep it in, as formerly they could.

By which Means the contained Liquor involuntarily and continually comes out into the Urethra, and by su­cessive Quantities of it pushing one after another, thus drips and ownes away Involuntarily from the Body.

The Difficulty then that now remains, is to conceive how such very small Glands and their Orifices can furnish such a Quantity of Matter, as is daily experienced to flow away in some Gl [...]ets, and how the mucous Liquor which naturally is discharged our of these Glands into the Ure­thra in healthy Persons, should be increased to such a De­gree, as it is in Persons who have a Gleet.

To Clear this Matter, it cannot but be allow'd, that these mucous Glands, as little as they are, may natural­ly discharge into the Urethra for its Lubrication as much of this Liquor in one Minute as may weigh at least one quarter of a Grain: This in an Hour will be 15 Grains, or a quarter of a Dram: In 24 Hours, or a Natural Day, it will amount to 6 Drams, which is 3 Quarters of an Ounce; a Quantity sufficient in all Reason to give that Uneasiness to the Person, as well as Wetness to the Lin­nen, which is usually experienced by those under die un­comfortable Circumstances of a Gleet upon them.

If you ask, how these Glands in the Urethra can dis­charge so great a Quantity of Fluid, in the Time of a Gleet, above what they do in their natural State.

The Answer is, that it is manifest from the Animal OEconomy, that if any Gland or excretory Duct be weak­ened, and deprived of its retentive Faculty, the Quantity of Liquor that it discharges by Reason of chat Weakness, is considerably augmented in Proportion to the Degree of Weakness with which these Glands or Ducts are affected:

Just as a little Powder of Spanish Flies apply'd any where, by breaking thro the Texture of the Outward Scarf-Skin, does so weaken the Glands as soon to excite a Blister, and by its thus weakening the Glands under the Scarf-Skin, makes them discharge a Quantity of Matter im­mensly greater, than what would naturally flow away other­wise from that Part by insensible Perspiration only.

Much in the same Manner, the Orifices of these Glands being weaken'd and relax'd by the Unnatural Forcing Acti­on of this Sin, have thereby lost their retentive Faculty, and therefore cannot hold in the Liquor they contain, but lets more of it slip away than the mere Lubrication of the Urethra requires, and therefore it continually is discharg­ing it self by that Dripping commonly called a Gleet.

Thus the true Origin and Cause of, not only those parti­cular Gleets and Weaknesses, which are the Consequences of the vicious Practice of Self Defilement, but also of any other Gleet, are clearly explicated, without recourse to any other Part, or Parts, that have no Manner of Claim to fall under our present Consideration, as for Example the Seminal Vessels, or the Prostatae, or the Parastatae which Terms will be explicated in the Second Volume.

And which Parts having b [...]en erroneously thought to furnish the Matter of a Gleet▪ has been the Reason that the Vulgar so commonly (tho very improperly) call almost every Gleet a Gonorrhaea, whereas they are widely different:

The only Seat of a Gleet, being no other than the mere Urinary Passage, and not at all farther up in the Body.

Whereas that Efflux of Matter that is really and truly a Gonorrhaea, comes from the Seminal Vessels themselves, as will be clearly shewed in the next Volum

Hence all the Difficulties about a Gleet, or other such draining Weakness in either Sex, whether proceeding from the vicious Habit of the odious Sin of Self-Defile­ment, or from any ill Distemper, or its Cure (either of these Gleets being of the same Nature,) are overcome in a few Words: Its Symptoms become obvious upon a small Principle so clear in Anatomy, as to carry not only Evi­dence along with it, but also more clearly explicates all the Symptoms and Effects of it, than hitherto has been done.

These Gleets then being of just the lame Nature, and by consequence to be cured by just the same Method, as other Gleets and Weaknesses are, which are contracted by either a former ill Distemper, such as the Secret Disease, and its Cure in either Sex; but more frequently in Women af­ter hard and difficult Labours, Colds contracted in Lyings­in, Wrenches, Falls, Hurts, Strains, and other such inno­cent Causes, as will be hereafter shewed.

To effect a Cure of them in either Sex, every Reader is referred to that Method of Cure for Gleets and other such Weaknesses, which is treated of in the 15th Page of a lit­tle Book, entituled The Practical Scheme, and which Book is Given Gratis at the three following Places, viz.

Up one Pair of Stairs at the Sign of that Celebrated Ano­dyne Necklace which Dr. Chamberlen has Recommended for Children to Wear for the easy breeding and cutting of their Teeth, just by the Rose Tavern, without Temple-Bar.

At Mrs. Garway's at the Sign of the just now mention­ed Book, entituled The Practical Scheme, at the Royal Ex­change-Gate, which is on Cornhill Side.

And at Mr. Greg's a Bookseller's Shop next to Northumberland-House at Charing-Cross.

Also: Where a Constitution has been Broke and empair­ed by a Habit of this Vice, the Reader is referred to that Discourse on Broken Constitutions caused by Self-Defilements, &c. in the said Practical Scheme, Page 16.

So that Persons labouring under these Disorders, may by this Means happily find that Relief and Recovery of their Health and Constitution, which perhaps they might never have the Opportunity otherwise of meeting with.

But more of all this in the Second Volum.