Sermons Volume 4

SERMON V.

GRace that teacheth us to deny Ungodliness, doth also teach us to deny worldly Lusts. These are fitly coupled; Ungodliness feedeth worldly Lusts, and worldly Lusts increase Ungodliness.

1. Ungodliness feedeth worldly Lusts: because when we leave God the chiefest Good, then our Hearts go a whoring after every base Comfort. Jer. 2.13. My People have committed two Evils; They have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters, and have hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no Water. If Men are ignorant of God, or do not seek after God, the Heart lies open to every Object; As when a worthy Match is refused upon some groundless dislike, in a fond humor, the next Suitor is entertained, how base and unworthy soever. It cometh to pass partly by Man's Wickedness: when God is refused, anything serves the turn instead of God, to put the greater Affront and Despite upon him. And partly by God's just Judgment: to evidence our Baseness and Folly, God suffereth us to match our Affections with anything that comes next to hand.

2. On the other side, worldly Lusts cause Ungodliness, for they withdraw our Hearts from God, and deliver them up to the Creature: As a sensual Man that loveth his Pleasure, maketh his Belly his God; Phil. 3.19. Whose God is his Belly. And a base-hearted Worldling, who suffereth outward Profits to intercept his Care, his Delight, and his Trust, makes Mammon his God; and therefore he is fitly called an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. And a proud Man makes himself his God, and so is both Idol and Idolater; as the Sea sendeth forth Waves, and then sucketh them into itself: All their Esteem, all their restless Projects, are to exalt themselves, and set up themselves; and so they set their Heart as the Heart of God, Ezek. 28.2. All that they think, speak and do, is to set up the Idol of Self, their own Worthiness and Esteem. So that if we would deny one, we must deny both, not only Ungodliness, but worldly Lusts. A Man that is given to worldly Lusts, will surely be ungodly; and a Man that is ungodly, will be given to worldly Lusts.

I shall prosecute this second Branch in this Method. I shall inquire,

• I. What are worldly Lusts.
• II. How they are to be denied.
• III. The difficulty of denying them.
• IV. The Grounds or Encouragements so to do, or what Course Grace teacheth to draw us off from them.

I. What are worldly Lusts? Two Terms are to be explained, Lusts, and Worldly.

1. By Lusts are meant carnal Affections, or the risings of corrupt Nature, or all sorts of evil Desires: for it is usual in the New Testament to express Sins by Lusts; partly, because Lusts are more corrupted than the Thoughts; or than the Counsels are, as appears by constant Experience. There is more Light left in the Heart of Man concerning God, than there is Love to God; and many are convinced of better that do worse; they see more than they are able to perform, because they are over-set by their Lusts. Reason giveth good Counsel, but it is overmastered and disregarded: as in a Mutiny the Gravest cannot be heard. And we see, that when we give Counsel to another in a thing in which we have no Interest, we give commonly good Counsel; but when the Matter concerneth ourselves, we act otherwise, because our Desires carry us another way: therefore the Scripture expresseth Sin, rather by Lusts, than by Counsels and Imaginations; partly, because Lusts are the most vigorous commanding and swaying Faculty of the Soul. The desiring part of the Soul, is as the Stern to the whole Man, it is either the best or the worst part of the Man: a Man is as his Lusts are. For it is Desire that draws us to Action, we do not act because we know, but because we desire; as the Eye doth not carry the Body to a far Country, but the Feet. All Affections have their rise from some inclination and tendency of the Desire towards the Object; Amor meus pondus meum, It is Love or Desire that poiseth and inclineth the Heart. We are directed by the Judgment, but pressed and carried to a thing by the Heart. So Austin, Non faciunt bonos vel malos mores, nisi boni vel mali amores ; A Man is not Good or Evil by his Thoughts, but by his Desires. It is true, before Man sinned, his Desires and Appetites were under Rule, and did not stir but at the Command of Reason ; but now since the Fall, Desire doth all in the Soul, and Man consulteth with his Desires rather than anything else, and there all Action and Pursuit beginneth. Thus you see the Reasons, why the word Lusts is used in this Case.

2. The next Term is, Worldly Lusts. Sometimes they are called Fleshly Lusts, and sometimes Worldly Lusts: 1 Pet. 2.11. Fleshly Lusts, Abstain from fleshly Lusts, which war against the Soul. They are so called, because they are most of all manifested in those things that belong to the Body, or the Flesh. But here they are called worldly Lusts ; and that for three Reasons. Partly, because they are cherished by the greater sort of Men; which greater sort of Men is counted by the Name of the World ; 1 John 5.19. The whole World lies in Wickedness ; that is, the opposite malignant World. In this sense these Lusts are called Worldly, because they are most rife in the Multitude, or greater part of the World, who only regard the present Life. Partly, because they are stirred up by worldly Objects, by Pleasures, Honors, and Profits; Having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust, 2 Pet. 1.14. He doth not name the Objects, but the Lusts, because the World becometh hurtful only by our own Lusts. The World affordeth the Object, and we find the Sin; as the Garden yieldeth the Flower, and the Spider sucketh the Poison out of it. Partly, because they serve only for a worldly Use and Purpose, to detain us in the Employments of the present Life; so that we have no Heart, no Desire, no Leisure to think of any other, or to apply ourselves to better things. Lusts depress the Heart, and sink it down to the present World, and the Contentments thereof, and therefore called worldly Lusts.

You see now what is meant by the Terms here used. But that you may conceive a little better of the thing itself, let me give you a Distinction or two.

First ; These worldly Lusts are sometimes carried out, either to things simply Unlawful, or else to Lawful things in an unknown manner.

1. There are some Desires altogether Evil, in what sense soever you take them: As a desire of Murder, Theft, Adultery, Revenge. The Works of the Flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, &c. Gal. 5.19. that is, these gross and brutish Lusts are easily discerned, not only by Grace, but by the Light of Nature; therefore they must not be regulated, but extinguished, as a venomous Plant must be plucked up by the Roots; you cannot qualify them, it is a Sin to be moderate herein; to be a moderate Adulterer, a moderate Drunkard, here the least is too much, these Lusts must be wholly destroyed.

2. There are other Desires that are natural and necessary for the preservation of Mankind, as to eat and drink lawfully, to provide for our Families and Posterity. Here Men do ordinarily sin by Excess, by desiring these things otherwise than they should, and more than they should, and not for the Causes that they should. Now these natural and necessary Desires are not to be extinguished, but governed, and to be kept under the Coercion of Prudence and Honesty; Honesty must restrain them, that they may not exceed their Bounds, and so degenerate, lest a Desire be turned into a Lust, and its vehemency withdraw the Heart from God. As we know natural Heat from Unnatural, it is so temperately dispersed, that the Constitution of Nature is not disturbed or oppressed by it; but unnatural Heats oppress Nature: So Desires, as long as they do not disturb the Soul, they are not hurtful; but when they exceed their Bounds, they are to be under the Coercion of Reason. 1 Cor. 6.12. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the Power of any. He that will do all that he may, will do more than he should. It is good to keep at a distance from the Power of Sin, not always to walk on the Brink, lest we become Slaves to Lust.

Secondly ; Take one Distinction more of these Lusts. It is intimated by the Apostle, 1 John 2.16. All that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life ; This is the Sum and Contents of the corrupt World. Let us see the meaning, and then make some Observations on the Place; All that is in the World.

You will say, How can the Apostle speak thus? There are Sun, Moon, and Stars, and glorious Creatures in the World; why doth the Apostle instance only in the Sink and Kennel of the World?

I answer; The World is taken for the corrupt World; all that is of Price, all that is of Account with carnal Men, all that takes up their Care and Thoughts, is Lust and Vanity; either the Lusts of the Flesh, the Lusts of the Eyes, or the Pride of Life. He doth not speak of the natural World, which is full of glorious Creatures, but of the corrupt World, which is opposite to the Kingdom of Christ, that's full of Lusts and Sins.

But let us see a little particularly, what are the Contents of this World. 1. The Lust of the Flesh. 2. The Lust of the Eyes. 3. The Pride of Life.

1. The Lust of the Flesh. Flesh is sometimes taken in a large sense for corrupt Nature, for the whole Dunghil of Corruption that we brought with us into the World: And the Lusts of the Flesh, for the workings of this Corruption, the reeking of this Dunghil, whether in the Understanding, by Thoughts or carnal Counsel; or in the Will, by carnal Desires, so it is taken at large: But here it is taken more strictly for the Corruptions of the sensual Appetite, or for the immoderate Desire of soft and delicate Living; and for Sensuality, or the intemperate use of Pleasures, Meats and Drinks, and such things as gratify the Flesh.

2. The Lusts of the Eye, some expound by Curiosity, others by Wantonness. Indeed the Eye is the usual Broker of Temptations; the Eye lets out the Lust, and lets in the Temptation; all kind of Lusts make use of it. But I suppose Covetousness is here intended, or an inordinate desire of Profit. When we look upon the Bravery of the World, or upon Money, or anything that pleaseth this kind of Corruption, the Eye seduceth the Heart as soon as we look upon a thing. This is charged upon the Eye; Eccl. 1.8. All things are full of labor, Man cannot utter it; the Eye is not satisfied with seeing. Prov. 27.20. Hell and Destruction are never full; so the Eyes of Man are never satisfied. All strong Desires look out by the Eye, especially insatiable Avarice.

3. The next part of the corrupt World is, Pride of Life ; so called, because it cannot be kept in, but is manifested in our Lives; or rather, because 'tis a Sin of a diffusive Nature, that spreads itself throughout the whole Life of Man. Whereas other Sins are confined and limited, he ascribeth an universal and unlimited influence to Pride. The Lusts of the Flesh, they are but for the Flesh, to content the Body; the Lusts of the Eye, there he noteth the Instrument, the Eye purveyeth for the Heart; but Pride of Life, there he ascribes an universal and unlimited Influence, and calls it Pride of Life, because it taints every Action, it serves itself of every Enjoyment, it mingles with other Lusts; the whole Life is but Sphere enough for Pride to discover itself. Other Vices destroy only their Contraries; Covetousness destroys Liberality; Drunkenness, Sobriety; but Pride destroyeth all, it runs through all Enjoyments, Wit, Strength, Beauty, Riches, Apparel, Learning, Grace. There is nothing so low, but it yields Fuel to Pride; the Hair, which is but an Excrement, is often hung out as a Bush and Ensign of Vanity. And there is nothing so high and sacred, but Pride can abuse it; like Misseltoe, it groweth upon any Tree, but most upon the Best. Well then, all worldly Lusts are reduced to these three Heads, for he says, All that is in the World. Usually we understand by Worldliness, nothing but Covetousness, or an inordinate Desire of worldly Profit; but the corrupt World is of a larger extent; Pride is a worldly Lust, and so is Sensuality, or a love of Pleasure. For, look as the Ocean is but one, yet several parts of it have divers Names; so Worldliness is but one Sin, yet having divers kinds, it hath several Names. Those that mind Honors, are guilty of Worldly Lusts, Pride of Life. Those that mind Riches, are guilty of Worldly Lusts, the Lusts of the Eye: Those that are voluptuous, and mind Pleasure, are still guilty of Worldly Lusts, the Lusts of the Flesh. This is (as one saith) the World's Trinity, the Roots of all other Sins, against which we should bend the main Endeavors of our Souls. You do nothing in Mortification till the Axe be laid to the Root of these Sins, Sensuality, Covetousness, Pride.

1. The Lusts of the Flesh, viz. Sensuality, or an inordinate desire of Pleasures. It is the Happiness of Beasts to enjoy Pleasure with more Liberty than Man can, and without Remorse of Conscience; and therefore a Heathen could say, He is not worthy the Name of a Man (qui unum diem velit esse in voluptate) that would spend one day in Pleasure. Other Sins deprive us of the Image of God, but the Lusts of the Flesh deprive us of our own Image; they unman us of all Desires. These bring most Shame, because it is the lowest basest Act of Self-Love, and the matter of them is gross and burdensome, and they do emasculate and quench the Bravery of the Spirit, and embase it, and keep the Soul at the greatest distance from God, and spiritual Employments. How can they look after God and Heaven, whose Hearts are sunk in their Bellies? The Lusts of the Flesh quench the Vigor of Nature, how much more do they hinder the powerful Operations of the Spirit? Jude 19. Sensual, not having the Spirit. The Spirit is divine and active, and raises the Soul to higher things; but sensual Persons have no Radiancy of Graces, nor Vigor of Gifts. Nay, in some sense, this is at the bottom, and is the Root of every Sin; it is the Devil's Bait, and the Sauce of every Temptation: Men take a pleasure in their proud Thoughts, in their Worldly and Carnal Practices. Other Sins are rooted in Sensuality and love of Pleasure. Again, it is a Sin most opposite to the Gravity and Severity of Religion. A garish frothy Spirit, that is addicted to carnal Delights, is not fit for such a grave thing as Religion, which requires a solid grave frame of Spirit; and yet as contrary as it is, it is very natural to us. We had but two common Parents, Adam and Noah, and both fell by Pleasure, they miscarried by Appetite; Adam by eating, and Noah by drinking. And when the Apostle gives us a Catalogue of the Lusts of the Flesh, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. it is filled up in a great part with the Fruits of Sensuality, as Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Drunkenness, Revelings. We are mighty prone to this, because Pleasures are tasted by the Senses, and Virtue is found out by Searches of Reason; therefore we are very apt to be carried away by our Senses: you must subdue this, or else you are utterly unfit for Religion, or any high Work. The Heart of Man is melted and dissolved, and all Vigor is quenched, and the Soul doth grow gross and dreggy, not fit for the chaste Consolations of the Gospel, for the Flagons of spiritual Wine, for the fullness of the Spirit, and for the sweetness of the hidden Manna.

2. The Lust of the Eyes, or an inordinate desire of Riches, when we can see nothing but we must wish for it; as Ahab falleth sick for Naboth 's Vineyard. The Heart of Man naturally is all for a present good, and therefore nothing is more delightful and pleasing to our Corruption, than the Glory and Bravery of the World. Heaven (as it is set forth) is a fine place to a carnal Heart, but it is to come ; so Men look upon it but as a Dream and Notion, they shall have time enough to consider it hereafter; but the World is at hand. This was Demas his Bait, the present World, 2 Tim. 4.10. Demas hath forsaken me, having loved the present World. Things at a distance, though never so glorious, lose somewhat of their Worth and Esteem, because they are so; 2 Pet. 1.9. They are blind, and cannot see afar off. All natural Men are troubled with a short Sight, they can see nothing but what is before them, they can see no Excellency in things to come: Without the Perspective of Faith we cannot look within the Vail, and therefore hunt after present Interests with all Earnestness and Greediness: Covetousness is a radical Evil, 1 Tim. 6.10. The love of Money is the root of all Evil. A Soul is fit for anything, that is subdued and captivated with the Love of the World: Look what the Root is to the Tree, that is Covetousness to all Sin. All the Branches are nourished with the Sap which the Root sucketh from the Ground; so this is that which maintains the carnal State. Covetousness is a Sin more dangerous, because all other Evils bewray themselves by some foul Action, which bringeth Shame and Remorse of Conscience, and therefore they are sooner wrought upon; but this is close and reserved, Men are more serious than profane. O but this must be renounced! lessen your Esteem of worldly things, they are not your Portion: Christ gave the Bag to the worst of the Apostles, and it brought him to the Halter.

3. The next radical Evil, or worldly Lust, is Pride of Life: This grows upon anything, Gifts, Graces, Parts, Estate. Paul 's Revelations were like to puff him up, 2 Cor. 12.7. Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations, there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh, the Messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure: it is a Sin that sticks very close to us. It was the main Ingredient in Adam 's Disobedience, and still it runs in the Blood, Pride is natural, we suck it in with our Milk. There is Pride in every Sin, a lifting up of the Creature against the Creator. The carnal Mind is Enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. 8.7. and therefore the great Work of Grace is to subdue the Pride of the Spirit, not only to sanctify, but to humble us. Look, as Sensuality is the great Corruption of the brutish Part or Appetite, so Pride is of our Understanding, or the Angelical Part. Man is in part an Angel, and in part a Beast; his Appetite he hath in common with the Beasts, but his Understanding in common with Angels. Now look as inordinate Love of Pleasure is the Corruption of the Brutish Part, so is Pride the Corruption of the Angelical Part. By being sensual, we sink as low as the Beasts; and by being proud, we lift up our Hearts as the Heart of God. Sensual Men are called Beasts, 2 Pet. 2.12. These as unnatural brute Beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own Corruption. And the worldly and covetous are called mere Men, 1 Cor. 3.3. Are ye not carnal, and walk as Men? But by Pride we are made Devils, 1 Tim. 3.6. Not a Novice, lest being puffed up with Pride, he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil. When we are puffed up with self-Conceit, and do all we do for self-Esteem; this is one of the last Sins we shake off, we leave it not till we come to Heaven, and therefore it is mentioned in the last place. One of the Heathens doth compare it to our Shirt which we put off last. In Heaven only when we are most holy, we are most humble. It's a Sin that encroacheth upon God's Prerogative, therefore mightily hated by God, Prov. 6.16, 17. These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an Abomination to him: A proud Look, &c. Prov. 8.13. Pride and Arrogancy, and the evil Way, and the froward Mouth do I hate. Pride is as much hated by God as Sensuality by us, and infinitely more.

II. What is it to deny these Worldly Lusts? or how far they must be denied? There are three degrees in this Denial, they must be prevented and kept from rising, suppressed and kept from Growth; and (which is an inferior degree) they must not be accomplished, but kept from Execution, if they do prevail upon the Heart, and gain the Consent. Suitable to these three degrees, there are three Duties required of a Christian; Mortification, that we may prevent them; Watchfulness, that we may suppress them; and Christian Resolution, that we may not accomplish them, and suffer them to break out into Act.

1. The top and highest degree of this Denial, to deny Worldly Lusts, is to keep them from rising, and prevent the very workings of Lust or Pride. The Scripture doth press us not only to abstain from the Sin, but the Lust, 1 Pet. 2.11. Abstain from fleshly Lusts, which war against the Soul. Many keep themselves free from the Acts of Sin, when their Hearts boil with Lusts, and carnal Desires, and Thoughts of Envy, and proud Imaginations; therefore we must deaden the very Root, prevent the breaking out of the Lust, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. We are to mortify the inward Affections, that if it be possible we may not so much as have a Temptation or Lust stirring; As Luther said, He had not a Temptation to Covetousness. Prevention is the Life of Policy, and better than Deliverance. He deserves great Praise that freeth a City from the Enemies, when they have beleaguered it; but he deserveth greater, that so fortifieth a Place, that the Enemies dare not assault it. It is somewhat to keep off Lusts, but it is more to keep them down, so to deaden the Affections, and exercise ourselves unto Godliness, that it cannot have room to work. She is chaste that doth check an unclean Sollicitation; but she is more worthy of Praise, whose grave Carriage hindereth all Assaults: so should we be constantly mortified, and exercise ourselves to Godliness, and deaden the Root of Sin, that the Devil may despair of entrance, and be discouraged from making his Approaches. It is a step to Victory to hope to prevail. Possunt, quia posse videntur: Resistance is good, but yet utter Abstinence is a Duty, and falls under a Gospel-Precept; as much as we can we should prevent the rising of any carnal Thought, or disobedient Desire.

2. The next degree is timely to suppress them, to conquer Lusts, when we cannot curb and wholly keep them under. We must keep a watchful Eye, and a hard Hand over our Lusts, dash Babylon 's Brats against the Wall; take the little Foxes, smother Sin in the Conception, and disturb the Birth: as the Apostle speaks of the conceiving of Sin, I am. 1.15. When Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin. Look as it is a great Sin to quench the Spirit's Motions, so it is also to be negligent in watching over your Hearts, not to take notice of the first thoughts and risings of Sin. The little Sticks kindle first, and set the great ones a fire; so Lusts kindle first, and then they break out into a Flame, and make way for greater Sins to come in upon the Soul. When a Country was infested with hurtful Birds, and they consulted the Oracle how to destroy them, it was answered, Niàos eorum ubi{que} destruendos, their Nests were to be destroyed. We must crush the Cockatrices Eggs, and not dwell upon Sin in our Thoughts. If there arise a wanton Thought, a lustful Glance, a distrustful or revengeful Injection, it should be cast out with Loathing and Detestation. Every Lust should have a Check from the contrary Principle, Gal. 5.17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh. We have often Experience that the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, we should have Experience also of the Spirit's lusting against the Flesh; deny it Harbor. We cannot hinder the Bird from flying over our Heads, but we must not suffer it to rest and nestle: So, many times Corruption will get the start, though we mortify it never so much; but we must not suffer it to root in the Heart, to increase and grow there. If Carnal Thoughts and Desires arise in the Heart, they must not rest there; let it be only a Motion, let it not gain Consent. David chides away his distrustful Thoughts, Psal. 11.1. In the Lord put I my Trust; how say ye to my Soul, flee as a Bird to your Mountain? It is a Rebuke to his own Thoughts and Fears, no other Speaker is introduced. With such Indignation should we rise up against every carnal Suggestion, Avaunt evil Thoughts, distrustful Fears, fleshly Counsels. Remember, these very intervening Thoughts are Sins before God, though no Effect should follow; therefore do not give them Harbor and Entertainment. For a Man to have thoughts to betray his Country, or to have Communication with the Enemy, is a Crime punishable with Death, though it come not to Execution. It is done in God's sight, if it be resolved on; as God accounted Abraham to have offered up Isaac, because he intended it, Heb. 11.17. By Faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac.

3. Let not Worldly Lusts be put in Execution; if thou hast neglected Mortification and deadning thy Affections; if Sin hath got the start of thee, and gained the Consent of thy Soul, yet at least restrain the Practice. If the Conception be not disturbed, the Birth will follow, James 1.15. Then when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin. There are the Works of the Flesh that follow the Lusts of the Flesh; Gal. 5.19. Now the Works of the Flesh are manifest, &c. Therefore it is good to put a stop, at least not to suffer Lusts to break out; Rom. 8.13. If ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live. We should mortify the Lusts of the Soul, but if that cannot be, then prevent the Deeds of the Body. Tho Lust grieves the Spirit or God, yet the Work besides the Grief brings Dishonor to God, gives an ill Example, brings Scandal to Religion, makes way for an habit and proneness to Sin; therefore to act it is the worst of all. See what the Prophet saith, Mich. 2.1. Woe to them that devise Iniquity, and work evil upon their Beds; when the Morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their Hand. Mark, it is naught to harbor the Motion, to plot, to devise Evil, to muse upon Sin; but it is worse to practice, because every Act strengtheneth the Inclination; as a Brand that hath been once in the Fire, is more ready to burn again; and we know not how far Lust may carry us, when we give it scope and leave to work: Therefore it is good to interpose by a strong Resolution, and to cry out for Strength, and to continue fighting, that we may not be utterly foiled.

III. To show the Difficulty of this Denial of deadning, suppressing and hindering the Execution of worldly Lusts. There are many things which will solicit for Lusts, and plead hard; so that we have need of a great deal of Grace to give them the Denial; there's Nature, Custom, Example, and Satan.

1. Nature, that is strongly inclined to close with worldly Lusts; a carnal and worldly Disposition is very natural to us, as for a Stone to move downward, or Fire to move upward: Now the Course of Nature is not easily broken and diverted; if it be hindered a while, it will return again. That these worldly Lusts are rooted in our Nature, is clear from many Scriptures. Ever since Adam turned from the Creator to the Creature, he hath left this Disposition in all his Children that come of his Loins, that their Hearts hang off from God toward the Creature: The Nature we have from Adam is a carnal Nature which savors and affects things that are here below: And therefore it is the great Work of Grace to cure this Disposition, to take us from the World; first our Hearts, then our Bodies: It is made an Effect of the new Birth; 1 John 5.4. Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the World. And 2 Pet. 1.4. By which we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. Heavenliness follows Grace; there is something Divine, a higher Birth than that we receive from Adam, else we should live as other Men do. There is the Spirit of the World, and the Spirit of God; now natural Men are endowed with the Spirit of the World; they use their Souls only as a Purveyor for the Body, to turn and wind in the World, to feed high, to shine in worldly Pomp, to affect Honors and great Places; these things we learn without a Master; we bring these Dispositions into the World with us. Therefore to deny worldly Lusts, is to row against the Stream, to roll the Stone upward, to go quite contrary to the Course and Current of Nature. When the Apostle speaks of the new Nature, he calls it, a putting off concerning the former Conversation, the Old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts, Ephes. 4.22.

2. Custom, which is another Nature. Carnal Affections are not only born with us, but bred up with us; we are acquainted with them from our Infancy, and so they plead Prescription. Religion comes afterward, and therefore very hard it must needs be to renounce our Lusts, because they have the start of Grace. The first Years of human Life are merely governed by the Senses, which judge of what is sweet, and not of what is good: whence it cometh to pass that when a Man is come to that Age wherein he beginneth to have the Use of Reason, he can hardly change his Custom, and alter his Course of Life, and therefore continueth to live as he hath begun: still the Senses act in the first place. Earthly Contentments are present to our Sense, the other only to our Faith; these are before our Eyes, and we still see the Need and Use of them: We know how hard it is to break a Custom, especially if it yield any Pleasure or Profit; Ier. 13.23. How can ye do Good, that are accustomed to do Evil?

3. Example increaseth Sin, though it doth not cause it. At first Sin is natural, it is not caused by Imitation, but yet Imitation doth much increase Sin; Isa. 6.5. I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips: that's a Snare certainly. So we are born worldly, and the greatest part of those Men with whom we do converse, they are all for present Satisfaction; There are many that say, Who will show to us any good? Psal. 4.6. The Multitude are for worldly Wealth and Profit. A mortified Man is rare; one that renounces Interest and Contentments, is a Wonder in the World; 1 Pet. 4.4. They think it strange that you run not with them to the same Excess of Riot. Therefore this is a great Snare to the Soul; we are in Danger to miscarry by Example as well as by Lust: for Men will say, Why should not we do as others do? there are but a few that are otherwise given, and the World thinks them to be mopish, precise, and singular: The greatest part seek worldly Good. We easily contract Contagion and Taint one from another, and learn to be carnal and worldly. There are few heavenly and mortified Christians, and Men think these do thus and thus, and hope to be saved; we that have the same Nature, learn the same Manners; surely there is some what in the World, or else these wise Men would not follow it so earnestly.

4. Satan, he joins Issue with our Lusts, and makes them more violent; he finds the Fire in us, and then blows up the Flames: Therefore carnal Men are said to walk after the Prince of the Power of the Air, in fulfilling the Will of the Flesh and the Mind; Ephes. 2.3. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the Course of this World, according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience. Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past, in the Lusts of the Flesh, fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind. Satan hath a Hand in it; he presents Objects, poisons the Fancy, and stirs up those corrupt and carnal Motions; therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 7.5. Lest Satan tempt you for your Incontinency. He marks our Temper, and to what we are flexible and pliable, what is our Sin, and then he joins Issue with it; when Satan seeth our carnal Affections run that way, he makes an Advantage of it. As when the matter of a Tempest is prepared, the Devil joins and makes it more terrible and violent: so he doth deal here with our Corruptions, when he seeth our Hearts strongly carried out, either to the Delights, Pleasures, or Honors of the World, he blows up the Fire he finds in us into a Flame. Well then, to deal with Nature, Custom, Example, Satan, this is hard: All these plead for worldly Lusts.

IV. Upon what Grounds and Encouragements are we to deny worldly Lusts? How doth Grace teach us to deny them? partly by way of Diversion; partly by way of Opposition; and partly by way of Argument, Discourse and Perswasion.

1. By Diversion; acquainting us with a better Portion in Christ. The Mind of Man must have some Oblectation and Delight. Love is a strong Affection, and cannot remain idle in the Soul, it must run out one way or another. Look as Water in a Pipe must have a Vent, therefore it runs out at the next Leak: So we take up with the World, because it is next at hand, and we know no better things. Well then, Grace for Cure goes to work by Diversion: Why should we look after these things when better are shown to us in Christ? Grace acquainteth us with Pardon of Sin, with the Sweetness of God's Love in Christ, with the Comfort of Forgiveness, with the spiritual Delight that is in Communion with God, with the Hopes of Glory. And look as the Woman of Samaria, John 4.28. when she was acquainted with Christ, left her Pitcher; so when Grace acquainteth us with Christ, and draws out the Stream of our Affections that way, the Course of them is diverted and turned from the World; why should you look after these things, when you have a better Portion? Rom. 13.14. There the Apostle describes this Diversion, or turning the Stream another way; Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no Provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lusts thereof. If Christ be put on, and take up the Heart, if he be delighted in as the Treasure of the Soul, Lusts will not engross so much of our Care and Esteem. Get Christ as near the Heart as you can; for those that are acquainted with him, and his Sweetness, with Pardon, Peace and Grace, they will lose their Savour and Relish of these things. It is an ill Sign, when we have not lost our Savour and Taste of carnal things; it is a Sign we are not much acquainted with Christ. It is no wonder for a Man that knows no better Fare, to love coarse Diet; and so it is no wonder that one that never tasted of the Sweetness of hidden Manna, should long for the Garlic and Flesh-Pots of Egypt.

2. Grace goes to work by way of Opposition, it planteth opposite Principles in the Heart, and maketh Use of an opposite Power. It planteth opposite Principles. We have a new Divine Nature, and so escape the Corruptions of the World through Lust; 2 Pet. 1.4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these ye might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust. Lusts follow the Nature: as the Nature is, so are the Desires. The Old Man is full of deceitful and carnal Lusts; and the New Man is full of spiritual and heavenly Desires: then it makes Use of an opposite Power, of the Help and Supply of the Spirit of God; Gal. 5.16. Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh. There are two Principles, Flesh and Spirit, that are always warring one upon another, and that weaken one another. The Spirit, as a never-failing Spring of holy Thoughts, Desires and Endeavors, doth dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corruption: So Rom. 8.13. If ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live. The mortifying of the Body of Sin must be done through the Spirit: a natural Man may see better, but without the Spirit's Help he can do nothing. All the Reason in the World will not tame Lust: We may declaim against it, but nothing in Heaven or Earth will change our Dispositions, or work out our Corruptions, but only the Spirit of God. We have by the Spirit not only Direction, but a continued Influence and Supply of Power.

3. Grace goes to work by way of Argument and Perswasion: Grace out-reasons and out-pleads Lust, and so it cannot obtain a Grant from the Soul, but is denied. The chief Argument which Grace urgeth, is the Unsuitableness of Lust to our Condition, that so it may shame the Soul. Those things that become us while we are Children, as Toys and Rattles, will not become us when we are Men: so certainly those things that suited well enough with us while we were mere Men, become us not when we are Christians; 1 Pet. 4.1, 2, 3. He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men, but to the Will of God. For the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, when we walked in Lasciviousness, Lusts, Excess of Wine, Revelings, Banquettings, and abominable Idolatries. Rom. 13.11. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of Sleep. It is high time to leave worldly Lusts. For a Man after Grace to be addicted to Lusts, it is a Relapse into a spiritual Disease; and in all Diseases, Relapses you know are dangerous: as a Man that falls into a distempered Heat, is recovered out of a Feaver; 1 Pet. 1.14. As obedient Children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance. These were your former Lusts, when you were under spiritual Distempers, and were only fit for you then.

But how are they unseemly and unsuitable to our Condition?

1. They are unsuitable to our Privileges, and to our Interest in the Death of Christ; Rom. 6.2. How shall we that are dead to Sin, live any longer therein? He argues not ab impossibili, but ab incongruo ; it is an unfit thing for such to live in Sin. We disparage the Death of Christ, when we are not the better but the worse for it; Hath he redeemed us from Sin, that we might yet serve it? Did he humble himself for our sakes, that we should be proud? Did he put such Contempt on the World, that we should loosen the Reins to worldly Lusts? Was he at all this Pains to make us worse? You hereby put a Contumely and Reproach upon Christ's Death, and disparage his Purchase.

2. It is contrary to the Example of his Life. We do not worship the God of this World, nor Mammon, but Christ: Christ by his own choice hath put a Disgrace on the World; he chose a mean Estate, not out of Necessity, but Design: He came not in worldly Pomp; Matth. 8.20. The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. John 18.36. My Kingdom is not of this World. Who is more able to judge what is best, We, or Christ? John 17.14. They are not of the World, even as I am not of the World. Who is fitter to choose, or wiser to choose, Christ or We? Who is in an Error, Christ or We? If there was so much in the World as we fancy, Christ was in an Error to despise it.

3. It is contrary to our Hopes, we look for better things. It is a most lamentable thing to see a Christian that professeth the Assurance of a better Life, to lie digging like a Mole in the Earth: 1 Pet. 2.11. Dearly Beloved, I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims, abstain from fleshly Lusts, that war against the Soul. Worldly Men are fastened to things present, but the Children of God do bend and tend to things to come. Worldly Men do not look for better things, and therefore they are more to be excused: We have Cause to blush every time we think of our Condition: What are you? Whence came you? Whither are you going? You are Passengers to Heaven; why do you stick and linger by the way? Something we may take for our Refreshment; as Men that pass through a Field of Corn, rub the Ears as they go. As the Angel roused Elijah, 2 Kings 19.7. Arise and eat, for the Journey is too great for thee. You that affect to tarry in a foreign Country, have you a Father in Heaven? Would a Traveler hang his Room in an Inn? Will he buy such things as he cannot carry with him? Such things as we can carry with us to Heaven, should take up our Time and Thoughts: Piety out-lives the Grave, but Honor and Wealth must be left behind us.

4. It is contrary to our Vows. We renounced them in Baptism. In Baptism there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an Answer to God's Questions: Believest thou with all thy Heart? Renouncest thou with all thy Heart? 1 Pet. 3.20. Baptism saves, not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh, but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God. You break your baptismal Vows, if you do not deny worldly Lusts. Christ doth not only call us off from Sin, but from the World, for he is to be accepted not only as our Lord and Lawgiver, but as our chiefest Good, as an All-sufficient Savior. You are under a Vow, and alienate things once consecrated, when you withdraw your Affections, after you have once given them up to Christ: What have Lusts to do in an Heart that is once dedicated to God?

Use 1. Information. It informeth us;

1. How little Interest in Christ they have, who are still under the Power of worldly Lusts. The Apostle giveth us this Note, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. He doth not say, that they are Christ's that believe that he was crucified, or that he died for Sinners; but they are Christ's that feel that he was crucified, that by the Virtue of his Cross do crucify their own Lusts and sinful Affections. What, a Christian, and yet worldly! a Christian, and yet sensual! a Christian, and yet proud! You that are given to Pleasures, do you believe in Christ, that was a Man of Sorrows? You that are carried out after the Pomp and Vanity of the World, do you believe in Christ, whose Kingdom was not of this World? You that are proud and lofty, do you profess an Interest in the humble Christ? It is in vain for those to talk of his dying for Sinners, and boast of the Excellency of his Cross, that never felt the Virtue of it; Gal. 6.14. God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World. Your Affections to the World are still strong; how can you glory in his Cross? What Experience have you of the Goodness of it? Have you gotten anything by the Cross? Are you planted into the Efficacy of it? Rom. 6.5. For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death, we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection. Do you feel any weakening of Lusts, and decay of Sin? at least doth it put you upon Endeavors in this kind? The Roots of Sin are in all, but do you seek to mortify them? Do you deny them in the way prescribed? do you seek to prevent them with Diligence, to suppress them with Watchfulness, to resist them with Strenght and Resolution? When there is not a constant Course of Mortification set up, but Lust is let alone to reign without Controul, you have no Interest in Christ. Mark, it is said, they crucify the Flesh ; there is a Work on your part, Man is not wholly passive.

2. It informeth us, that true Mortification is proper to Grace. Grace teacheth us to deny worldly Lusts, mere Reason cannot. Reason may sometimes convince us of Lusts, but it cannot reform them; in many things it is blind, but in all weak. The sublimest Philosophy that ever was, could never teach a Man to go out of himself, to deny his Lusts, to despise the World. Many of the Heathens were to Appearance temperate, just, sober and liberal, but still the Lusts remained; and therefore some in Despair have pulled out their Eyes, because they could not prevail over a naughty Heart; Sapientia eorum abscondit vitia, non abscindit ; they hid their Sins, but did not cut them off. As an Oven stopped up, is the hotter within; so the Excess and Execution of Lusts being prevented, they grew more outrageous. The Heart of Man will not be kept in order by anything, but by the Power of Grace. We may argue, fast, vow, pray, promise, and watch against Sin; these are good means, but not to be rested in, for they are too weak to master Sin: God hath reserved this Honor for his Grace in Jesus Christ; Rom. 7.24, 25. O wretched Man that I am! who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We can have Deliverance nowhere else. Are not Counsels of Reason able to help me? No, they cannot. Is not a moral Course of Mortification able to help me; as Fasting, Watching, Prayer? No, these may restrain it somewhat, and lessen the Violence of it; Satan may be outed for a time, but yet he returneth with more Violence, as the Jailor hangeth more Irons on him that is caught again after an Escape. It is only the Grace of God that mortifies Sin.

Use 2. Of Reproof of those that do not deny worldly Lusts, but feed and serve them, they act for their Sins rather than against them. Nature is bad of itself, and we need not make it worse; these tempt Temptations, and cater and purvey for Sin. Therefore the Apostle useth that Phrase, Rom. 13.14. Make not Provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lusts thereof. Men make it their Business to satisfy their boundless Desires, forecast to fulfil their sinful Desires and Affections. We must provide for the Body, but not to fulfil every wanton Lust and loose Desire. This may be done by outward Provocations, when Men feed their Distempers, and make Nature more lustful and more wrathful; James 5.5. Ye have lived in Pleasure on Earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter. The Heart is the Seat of Desires; they reared up their Concupiscence by Excess and dainty Morsels, and all those Courses by which Lust seemeth to be satisfied, but is indeed inflamed. As salt Water wets the Palate, but inflames the Stomach; so they nourished Lust by voluntary casting themselves on Occasions of Sin. He who truly desireth to shun Sin, will shun the Occasions of it; Who would bring Fire to a Barrel of Gunpowder? Gen. 39.10. And it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. As he would not yield to the Sin, so not to the Occasion. Or else it may be done by Meditation and Thoughts: By Thoughts the Heart and the Temptation are brought together, as a Match is first propounded before it is closed with. Thoughts are Sin's Spokesmen, and fasten the Temptation on the Heart, as worldly Thoughts, admiring outward Excellencies; Psal. 144.15. Happy is the People that is in such a case! Wrathful Thoughts debase Men, every Circumstance aggravates the Injury and Offence, and so inflames their Spirits: Or else by a free and uncontroled Use of the Senses; Matth. 5.28. Whosoever looketh upon a Woman to lust after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart. Death getteth in by the Windows. Eve saw the Fruit, Gen. 3.6. And when the Woman saw that the Tree was good for Food, and that it was pleasant to the Eyes, and a Tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the Fruit thereof, and did eat. David saw Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11.3. From the Roof he saw a Woman washing herself, and the Woman was very beautiful to look upon: and this inflamed his Heart. Solomon bids us, Prov. 23.31. Look not thou upon the Wine when it is red, when it giveth his Colour in the Cup, when it moveth itself aright. The Senses must be bridled. Job made a Covenant with his Eyes, chap 31.1. I made a Covenant with mine Eyes, why then should I think upon a Maid? No Man is above these Rules. The Eyes transmit the Object to the Fancy, the Fancy to the Mind, the Mind to the Heart.

SERMON VI.

Use 3. EXhortation. Let us deny these worldly Lusts. I shall urge Arguments both on Grace's part, and then on the part of worldly Lusts.

1. On Grace's part. Grace hath denied us nothing, it hath given us Christ, and all things with him; and shall we stick at our Lusts that are not worth the keeping? Certainly God loved Christ with an inexpressible Affection, it was infinitely more than we can love the World. Tho Nature be much addicted to these Lusts, and though we be carried out with great strength of Affection to the World, yet we cannot love the World as much as God loved Christ; for his Love to Christ is infinite and unlimited, like his Essence: and God found a full Complacency and Satisfaction in Christ; yet God gave up the Son of his Love. Grace counteth nothing too dear for us, not the Blood of Christ, not the Joys of Heaven; and shall we count anything too dear for Grace? A right Eye, or a right Hand cannot be so dear to us, as Christ was dear to God. At what cost is Grace to redeem and save us? And shall Grace be at all this cost for nothing? If God had commanded us a greater thing, ought we not to have done it? If God had commanded thee to give thy Body to be burnt, or to offer thy first-born for the Sin of thy Soul; considering his absolute Right over the Creature, he might have required thy Life, and thy Children's Lives: but he only requires thy Lusts, things not worth the keeping, things that will prove the Bane of thy Soul, and things that we are bound to part with, to preserve the Integrity and Perfection of our Natures. If God had never dealt with us in a way of Grace, we should have parted with our Lusts: And shall Grace plead in vain, when it presseth to deny Lusts? It will be the Shame and Horror of the Damned to all Eternity, that they have stood with God for a Trifle, and that they would not part with Dung for Gold, with a Stable for a Palace, especially being so deeply pre-engaged by God's Mercy in Christ.

2. On the part of worldly Lusts. There let me speak of them in general, then in particular.

I. In general; they are Lusts, and they are worldly Lusts ; both will yield us Arguments, why we should deny them.

1 st. They are Lusts ; and therefore Lust should be checked, because it is Lust. That we may see what Victory we have over ourselves, it is a fit occasion to express our Self-denial, and to show what we can do for God. There can be no considerable Self-denial there but where the Lust is great; and there we show how we can renounce our Bosom-desires for God's sake. Mat. 7.13. it is said, Strait is the Gate, and narrow the Way that leads to Life. If we desire to go to Heaven, we must look to cross ourselves in those things we most affect and desire, and pass through a strait Gate; and therefore if you let Lust have its scope, you mistake the way: Without Self-denial there can be no good done in Religion. Again, Lust is the Disease of the Soul. Natural Desire is like the Calor vitalis, the vital Heat which preserves Nature; but Lust is like the feverish Heat that oppresseth Nature: We should get rid of our immoderate Desire, as we would of a Disease. Nature's Desires are temperate, and soon satisfied; but Lust's are immoderate and ravenous. Contentation is the Soul's Health, as Lust is her Sickness. If after much eating and drinking a Man is unsatisfied, it is a sign he is sick, and hath more need of Physic than of Meat and Drink, and to be purged rather than filled: So when we are not contented with God's Allowance in a moderate supply of Nature, we need to be cured rather than satisfied. Drink is sweet to a Man in a feverish Distemper, but it is better to be without the Appetite, than to enjoy the pleasure of Satisfaction. Who would desire a burning Feaver to relish his Drink? Better mortify the Lust than satisfy it, in the issue it will be sweeter: for it is the Disease of the Soul, though it seem sweet. I am sure the Pains of Mortification will not be half so bitter as the Horrors of everlasting Darkness. And Lust let alone, begins our Hell; it is the burning Heat that at length breaks out into an everlasting Flame. Again, Lust is the Disorder of Nature: and Reason, that should be Monarch and King in the Soul, is enslav'd, and under a base Bondage by strength of Desires: and it is the greatest Slavery for a Man to be a Slave to his own Desires, and the truest Freedom to command them. Consider what an odd sight it were, if the Feet should be there where the Head is, and Earth there where Heaven should be: there is as great a Monstruousness and Disorder within, when the Soul is under the power of a ruling Lust. All should be in subjection to the Law of the Mind. God made Reason to have the Sovereignty and Dominion, and we give it to Appetite and Lust. A Man is drawn away by his Lusts; James 1.14. Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Lust, and enticed. The Affections are like wild Horses in a Coach, that have cast their Driver; they draw away the Soul by violence, and Reason hath no command. Again, Lusts make us not only brutish like Beasts, for Beasts are led by Appetite, and Man by Reason; but worse than Beasts: for Beasts can do no more, and ought to do no more; they have not a higher Rule, Appetite is made Judge. Yea, (and which is more) we exceed them in Lusts; Beasts, which are wholly led by Appetite, desire things only nigh at hand, and which are easy to be gotten: but Man's Lusts romage throughout the whole Course of Nature; sometimes they desire things impossible. The Lust of Beasts is less inordinate than the Lust of Men; for the Beasts only desire to satisfy Nature, which is contented with a little. You cannot force a Beast to take more, when Nature hath its fill: but our Desires know no bounds; and we desire not only necessary things, but superfluous, such as are burdensome and cumbersome to the Soul; Lust only maketh them necessary. A Horse, when he hath taken his measure, will take no more. Every other Creature naturally is carried only to that which is helpful to its Nature, and shuns that which is hurtful and offensive: Only Man is in love with his own Bane, and fights for those Lusts that fight against the Soul. Again, it is Lust that makes our abode in the World dangerous; and it would be a safe Place, were it not for Lust; 2 Pet. 1.4. The Corruption that is in the World through Lust. The fault is not in the Object, in Gold, in Wine, but in the Heart of Man; not in the Creature, whom we abuse to this excess, but in our own Lusts. God made them to be Creatures for our help, and Lust turns them into Snares for our ruin. As when a Vessel is filled with filthy Liquor, and it runs dreggy, the fault is not in the Piercer that broacheth it, and giveth it vent, but in the Liquor itself. Lust is the cause of all the Hurt that is done us in the World: the Creature doth only broach the Barrel, gives vent to our Desires, and we run dreggy and filthy. Were it not for Lust, nothing in the World could harm us. All other things are conquered with ease, if a Man could subdue his own Affections; and all Temptations are so far under us, as we are above ourselves. Again, it is Lust that doth hinder our Peace. How quietly and happily would Men live, if they were more mortified? Men desire more than they have, and so are made poor, not by Want, but by Desire. He that expects little, is soon satisfied; and certainly he will never storm at Injuries, that hath overcome his own Passion: whereas a froward Man is at the command of others, because he hath not the command of himself: he doth not storm at Disgrace, that hath not set too high a price upon himself. If a Man be vile and little in his own eyes, when others contemn and slight him, they do but ratify his private opinion of himself; and who is angry with another, because he is of the same judgment with himself? But usually this is the cause of Discontent and Trouble, we set too high a price upon ourselves; and when others will not come up to it, we are troubled: Take away the Lust, and Trouble ceaseth. No Man is hurt but by himself. It is a Man's own Affection and Feeling that makes the Misery: Always the fuller of Lust, the fuller of Discontent. What need Haman be troubled, that Mordecai would not bow the Knee, but that he looked for it, and set a value and esteem upon it? The Inordinateness of Affection causeth the Greatness of the Affliction; and because Lust is not mortified, the Life is full of Trouble: We would have more than God allows us, and so our Trouble doth increase. Again, as Lusts deny them, for Lusts will end in gross Sins, and gross Sins in public Shame: and therefore as Elisha cast Salt into the Spring, to cure the Brackishness of the Water; so look to Lusts, they are the Spring and Rise of evil Actions. Let any Lust alone, (either Pride, or Envy, or Worldliness) if you do not destroy it, it will prove a bitter Root to some gross Sin, and it may be of final Apostasy and Desperation. A Man that is given to worldly Lust, one time or other is put upon the trial; if we find the Sin, Providence will find the Occasion, and then he comes off with visible Shame and Dishonor. There is the Root within; and to what an excess doth Sin grow in those that deny themselves nothing, and will not be denied in anything? Lusts grow licentious and unruly: and because they usurp God's place in the Heart, therefore God suffers it; always it ends ill, in Shame and Judgment. Judas at first was but a little worldly, he allowed his Covetousness, and it brought him to betray his Master, and that brought him to the Halter. Gehazi was first blasted with Covetousness, and then with Leprosy. Ananias and Sapphira were taken off with sudden Judgment. Nay, God sometimes arms their own Hands and Thoughts against themselves. Covetousness begins with inordinate Desire, and ends in Injustice; and then that Injustice must be professed and veiled with Hypocrisy, (as in Judas ); and that Hypocrisy breeds hardness of Heart; and then God bringeth them to Shame, and that Shame leads on to Despair and Ruin. And so I may instance in other Lusts; Sensuality begins with Daintiness, and ends in Adultery, or some shameful Act, or else with Beggary, or some shameful Punishment; and both end with Despair: as Sodom began with fullness of Bread, then went on to foulness of Lust, and that brought Hell out of Heaven. The Lust of the Flesh can also boast of its Trophies and Spoils; it drowned the old World, burned Sodom, slew three thousand of God's own People in one day, Numb. 23. compared with 1 Cor. 10. Pride is not behind-hand; proud Men have their Falls, and usually they are the more shameful, because God's Honor is most sensibly usurped by Pride. The great Work of Providence for these 6000 Years, hath been to pour Shame and Contempt upon Pride. The first Act of God's Judicial Providences, was the casting the Angels out of Heaven, then Adam out of Paradise: What, shall I tell you of Nebuchadnezzar turned a grazing, and Herod eaten up with Lice? Thus you see we had need to beware; Sin is an ill Guest, that always sets its Lodging on fire. Once more, why we are to deny these Lusts; it is Lust that blasts all your Duties and Services; it either hinders or poisons them; it either draws away the Heart from Duty, or in Duty. Gal. 5.17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; and these two are contrary one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would. And Rom. 7.19. For the Good that I would, I do not; and the Evil that I would not, that I do. Lust will not suffer God to have his due. The love of Pleasures cannot brook constant exercise in Religion; and the World is a great Encroacher: and Pride is all for the Public where it may be seen; in private Duties it is slight, or nothing. As a Mill stands still when the Wind blows not; so when the Wind of Popular Applause ceaseth, a proud Man cannot spread his Sails, or do anything for God and Conscience: Thus it draweth away the Heart from Duty. Then it draws away the Heart in Duty: Observe it, and you will find it by constant Experience; the main Lust will surely be discovered by the working of the Thoughts; when you come to pray, or in your solemn Duties, that which your Thought is most taken up with, discovers the main Lust: Ezek. 33.31. They come unto thee as the People cometh, and they sit before thee as my People; and they hear thy Words, but they will not do them: for with their Mouth they show much Love, but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. The Devil loveth to affront Christ to his Face, and therefore takes advantage of the chief Lust which occupies and possesses the Heart, to cast up Mire and Dirt even in God's presence: Therefore Lust hinders, poisons, or perverts Duty. All that Men do in Religion, if Lusts remain in force, is either to promote Lusts, or to conceal a Lust; to hide other Sins, or to feed a Lust: and therefore we had need to deny it as it is Lust.

2 dly. You should deny them as worldly Lusts ; so you must abstain from them, not serve them; as they are stirred up by worldly Objects, they keep us from better Employment; and therefore Grace teacheth us to deny them, as they tend only to such a vile purpose▪

Many Arguments there are:

1. Whatever is for this World, must be left on this side the Grave. Pomp, Pleasure and Estate, must be left behind us: Job 1.21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb, and naked must I return thither. There is no carnal Pomp and Pleasure in the next World. Here we bustle for Greatness, but Death ends the Quarrel: Like foolish Birds, we seek to build strong Nests, when tomorrow we must be gone. Open the Grave, and look upon the Relics of Man's Mortality, thou canst not discern between the Rich and the Poor, the King and the Peasant; all are alike obnoxious to Stench and Rottenness. Those Desires that carry you out to the World, must be mortified. A Mill-wheel runs round all the Day, and at Night it is in the same place. So whatever we gain and purchase in the World, it must be left at Night when we go to Bed, when Death finds us, and in the same place; at Death we are as naked as we came into the World: 1 Tim. 6.7. For we brought nothing into the World, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. A Man's Wealth doth not follow him, but his Sins do; his Iniquity will find him out. Consider, at Birth a Man is contented with a Cradle, and at Death with a Grave; yet here we join House to House, and Field to Field, Isa. 5.8. as if the whole World could not contain us.

2. As they are only for this World, so our abode here is but short and uncertain; and therefore if it be worldly Lust, it should be less prized, for it lasts but for a time. Within a very little while, those that are most potent, powerful and shining in the Splendor of the World, shall be turned to Dust and Ashes. God hath made Life short, for many wise and merciful Reasons, that the time of our Labor might not last too long. He hath made us to enjoy himself; and because he loveth the Saints, he would have them the sooner with himself, and would not be long without their Company; and that we might love eternal Life, therefore this Life is short; and that he might gratify the Saints, (for he that hath a Journey to go, would pass it over as soon as he can) God makes their Journey as short as is convenient for his Glory; and to shame wicked Men, because they delight in that which is but of a short continuance, but their Torment is Eternal. The Pleasure of Sin is but for a Season, but the Torments of Sin are forever and ever; therefore this should put a check to your Desires, it is only for a World that passeth away; nay, the Lusts of this World pass away; 1 John 2.17. The World passeth away, and the Lusts thereof. The time will come when we shall have no lusts to these things; it begins at Sickness, but at the Day of Judgment we shall have no relish of these things; and when the whole World is burnt up, it will be our torment that we have prostituted our Affections to such low and unbeseeming things, we shall see the Vanity when it is too late; Men will have little love to the World then.

3. If they be but worldly Lusts, they should not be cherished were they never so durable. Why? Because this is not our Happiness, and our Rest. Carnal Men have more of the World. Christ committed his Purse to the worst of his Disciples. Of the other he saith, They are not of the World, even as I am not of the World, John 17.16. In this World God is most liberal to the worst, therefore here we should not set up our Rest. Look as it is said of Abraham, Gen. 25.6. that he gave Gifts to Ishmael, and to the Sons of Keturah, but he gave the Inheritance to Isaac. Wicked Men have their Portion, but not the Inheritance. God will not be in their Debt, therefore they have Gifts: Therefore saith a Christian, Why should I cherish these worldly Lusts? this is not my Portion, but the Portion of others; — From Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Life, Psal. 17.14. The World is Satan's Circuit, he compasseth the Earth. It is the Saints Slaughter-house, they shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets, Rev. 16.6. It is the place where God is dishonored. They are favored and loved most by the World, whom Christ hath rejected and past by.

4. Worldly Lusts do hinder us from our Work. We were made for another World; and this Life is lent us for a while to look after Heaven. We cannot drive on those two Cares at once, for the World and Heaven too; as a Man cannot look with one Eye to Heaven, and with another to the Earth: therefore why should we indulge worldly Lusts? Who would lose a Crown, to be owner of a Dunghil? And will you forfeit Heaven, and the Joys of God's Presence, for worldly Conveniences? Lust hinders your care of Heaven. It is true, a temperate and religious use of the World furthereth it, but worldly Lust doth take off your Heart from God and Heaven, and unfits it for it, so that your Heavenly Desires are hindered.

5. In a sense, worldly Lusts do hinder us of the Comfort of this World. Want increaseth with Enjoyment; as the Fire increaseth by laying on more Fuel. The more we enjoy, the more we desire; so we do not enjoy what we do possess. The more we have, the more we want; so that a covetous Man neither enjoys this World, nor the World to come.

6. If it be worldly Lust, then take heed of it; for thou art as thy Love is. If thou lovest this World, thou art a worldly Man; if thou lovest God, thou art a godly Man; if thou lovest Heaven, thou art a heavenly Man. A Man is not as his Opinion is, but as his Affections are. A bad Man may be of a good Opinion, but a bad Man can never have good Affections. The Soul, as Wax, receives the Impression from the Object. Thou art a Person of the World, if thou lovest the World. Take a Looking-glass, and put it towards Heaven, there you shall see the Figure of Heaven, the Clouds and things above; put it downward towards the Earth, you shall see the Figure of the Earth, Trees, Meadows, Fruits. So doth the Soul receive a Figure from the things to which it is set; if the Heart be set towards Heaven, that puts thee into a heavenly Frame; if thou appliest it to earthly Objects, thou art a Man of the Earth.

7. The more we mortify these worldly Lusts, the more we prevent Affliction. We might prevent the bitterness of the Cross, if we would subdue our own Lusts; but because we are negligent of that Work, God is forced to lay on heavy Crosses.

Secondly ; Let me now deal with these Lusts in particular, Pride, Sensuality, and Covetousness, these are immediate Issues of corrupt Nature; the Apostle calls them, Lusts of the Flesh, Lusts of the Eye, and Pride of Life.

1 st. Sensuality, or the Lust of the Flesh. Let me begin there, because we live first by Sense, before we live by Reason. These Lusts are deeply rooted in the Heart of Man. Other Sins defile a part; Covetousness and Pride defile the Soul, but sensual Lusts defile Soul and Body too; they leave Guilt upon the Soul, and Dishonor upon the Body. By Gluttony and Drunkenness, the Body, which is God's Temple, is only made a Strainer for Meats and Drinks to pass through; and by Adultery, it is made the Sink and Channel of Lust. In short, (that you may know what these Lusts of the Flesh are) Sensuality is an inordinate desire of soft and delicate Living; an intemperate use of Pleasures, of what kind or sort soever; an undue liberty of Diet, Sports, and other Appurtenances of Life. There is allowed a due care of the Body, to keep it serviceable; and there is allowed a Delight in the Creature: for he that created Water for our Necessity, created Wine for our Comfort. The Body must not be used too hardly, that it may be serviceable to the Purposes of Grace.

But then, what is this inordinate Desire, this intemperate Use, this undue Liberty? How shall we trace and find out the Sin? Different Natures and Tempers make Rules uncertain; but the two general Bounds which God hath set to our Liberty in this kind, are the Health of our Body, and the Welfare of the Soul: But when bodily Health is overturned, and the Soul clogged and perverted, then your Lusts have carried you too far.

1. When bodily Health is overturned. Too much care for the Body, destroys it. As the Romans were wont to have their Funerals at the Gates of Venus 's Temple, to show that Lusts shorten Life. When Health is destroyed, or the Vigour of Nature is abated, (as too much Oil puts out the Lamp) then you sin. Hos. 4.11. it is said, Whoredom, and Wine, and new Wine, take away the Heart: The Heart, (that is) the generousness and sprightliness of Man. When gallant and active Spirits are effeminated, and brave Hopes are drowned and quenched in excess of Pleasures, and we lose our masculine Agility and Vivacity, all is melted away; then we sin against the Bounds and Limits God hath set us. Thus there is a Restraint that ariseth from the Body.

2. When the Soul is clogged or unfitted for Duty, or disposed for Sin. (1.) Then we are unfitted for Duty, when there's less aptitude for God's Service. The Matter of carnal Pleasure is burdensome and gross, it oppresseth the Soul, that it cannot lift up itself to God and Divine Things, because it is bowed down and humbled to Pleasures, and the Heart is overcharged: Luke 21.34. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life. Men drive on heavily, and Duty grows burthensome and irksome: by turning out our Affections to present Contentments and Delights, we cannot pray with that readiness. The strength of our Delight should be reserved for Communion with God, and for those chaste Pleasures that flow in his House, and are to be had in his presence. (2.) When there is more aptitude for Sin: Tit. 3.3. We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers Lusts and Pleasures. Lusts and Pleasures are fitly coupled and put together: The Soul waxeth wanton, when natural Desires are too far indulged. If we do not watch over our Senses, but the Heart grows wanton and libidinous, and restraints of Grace grow weaker, and carnal Motions are more urgent; then Pleasure becomes a Snare; Grace is disturbed, and Nature is distempered, and the Heart is more free for Sin.

Deny these Lusts of the Flesh, do not indulge them, suffer them not to grow wanton.

By way of Argument consider.

1. Sensual Men have little of God's Spirit; Jude, v. 19. Sensual, having not the Spirit. The Spirit is a free Spirit, and they are Slaves to their Lusts; the Spirit is a pure Spirit, and their Desires are unclean and gross; the Spirit is active, and they are heavy, and muddy, and of a Nature dull and slow. Sensual Men quench the vigor of Nature, much more the Efficacy and radiancy of the Graces of the Spirit. The Spirit works intellectual Delights, and they are all for Sensual. They love Pleasures more than God: 2 Tim. 3.4. Lovers of Pleasure, more than lovers of God, those dreggy Delights; whereas the Comforts and Consolations of the Spirit are Masculine, and they are got by Exercise. Look, as the manly Heat gotten by Exercise, is better than that which is gotten by hovering over the Fire: So the Comforts of the Spirit, gained by much Communion with God, by being instant and earnest in Prayer, is better than that Delight which is gotten by hovering over the Creature. Well then, which will you choose? will you live at large, and ease, and wallow in earthly Delights and Contentments? or would you be stirred up by the active Motion of the Spirit of God? Would you dissolve your precious Hours and Spirits in Ease and Pleasure, or else be employed in the solemn and grave Exercises of Religion? Frogs delight in Fens; and the worst Natures are most sensual, they are not fit for any worthy Action, or any great Exploit.

2. It is the first thing you must do, if you mean to do anything in Religion, to renounce Pleasure; and therefore it is put in the first place, the Lusts of the Flesh. It is below Reason to live in Pleasure; therefore much more below Grace. Alas, you will do nothing if this be not done, but will lie open to every Temptation. If a carnal Motion arise, that bids you neglect Duty, or practice Sin, you lie open to it; therefore it is said, Prov. 25.28. He that hath no rule over his own Spirit, is like a City that is broken down, and without Walls. He that bridles not his Appetite, is like a City whose Wall is broken down. When a Town is dismantled, it lies open forever Comer; so where the Appetite is unruly, there is no room for the Spirit, but for every Temptation. Ezek. 47.11. But the miry Places thereof, and the Marishes thereof shall not be healed, they shall be given to Salt. The Waters of the Sanctuary could not heal the miry Places; which is an Emblem of a sensual Heart. Pleasure brings a Brawn and Deadness upon the Conscience, a Cloud upon the Understanding, and a Damp upon the Affections. Daniel, that had the high Visions of God, lived by Pulse, he was a Man temperate. Those that mortify Pleasure, are of the clearest Understanding. And John the Baptist, which had most eminent Revelations of the Mysteries of the Gospel, (of all the Prophets, there was not a greater than John the Baptist ) he was fed with Locusts and wild Honey; therefore mortify Pleasure.

3. By Custom this Sin is rooted, and so hardly lest; because it doth not only pervert the Constitution of the Soul, but the Constitution of the Body. Now when the Body is unruly, as well as the Affections, Grace hath more to struggle with. A Man that hath habituated himself to carnal Pleasure, because his Body is distempered and perverted, is not so soon healed. That's the reason, that when the Apostle speaks of Meats and Drinks, 1 Cor. 6.12. he saith, he will not be brought under the Power of any. So again, when Men are given to Wine, it is their Custom, and rooted Disposition; therefore avoid, not only the gross Act, but the very Beginning, that it may not be a settled Distemper. Whenever you take Pleasures, they should be used with fear. It is the Charge the Spirit of God commenceth against those, Jude v. 12. Feeding themselves without fear. Mark, it is not enough for your acquitment, that you do not drink to Drunkenness, or feed to actual Excess and Distemper, but suffer it not to be a rooted Disposition in your Hearts, for then it will be hardly left. Austin speaks of his own Experience in this kind, Ebrietas longe à me est, crapula autem nonnunquam subrepit servo tuo: Lord, I was never a Drunkard, it is far from me; but Gluttony creeps upon me unawares, and so hinders me from the Duties of the Spiritual Life. The Throat is a slippery Place, and needs to be guarded with much Watchfulness and Care, lest this Distemper be rooted in the Heart. Job sacrificed while his Sons were feasting; chap. 1.5. For Job said, It may be that my Sons have sinned, and cursed God in their Hearts. In all these things should we use much caution.

2 dly. The next Particular the Apostle mentions, is, the Lusts of the Eye, or Covetousness. This is an Evil very natural to us; and we cannot be watchful enough against the Encroachments of the World: We need it in part, and we love it more than we need it. Worldliness is a Branch of Original Sin, it is a Disease we are born with. The Tenth Commandment that forbids Original Sin, saith, Thou shalt not covet. The Best find Temptations this way. We are daily conversant about the things of the World, and we receive a Taint from those things with which usually we converse; we find by Experience that long Converse is a bewitching thing. Again, the World is a thing of present Enjoyment; we have the World in Hand, and Heaven in Hope. The Judgment of Carnal Men is quite different from the Judgment of the Word. The Word of God counts the World to be but a Fancy, and an Apparition, and Heaven to be the only Substance: Prov. 23.5. Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not? It is not in comparison of better things. And the Fashion of this World passeth away, 2 Cor. 7.31. But, Prov. 8.21. That I may cause those that love me, to inherit Substance. Heaven is the durable Substance; this is the Judgment of the Word, but wicked Men think quite otherwise. We have sensible Experience of the Profits of the World, and therefore we judge thus perversely, and call it durable Riches, and Heaven but a mere Fancy to make Fools fond withal. Besides, Worldliness is a serious thing, it doth not break out into any foul Act, therefore it is applauded by Men. Psal. 10.3. The Wicked boasteth of his Heart's Desire; and blesseth the Covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. We think well of it, at least we stroke it with a gentle Censure. A Drunkard is more liable to Reproach and Shame than a Worldling. Worldliness is consistent with the gravity and strictness of Profession; and therefore above all Corruptions it is usually found amongst them that profess Religion: but dissoluteness of Luxury will not stand with that external Gravity and Strictness which the Profession of Religion requires. Licentious Persons procure shame to themselves, and are publicly odious; but now this being a serious Sin, and possibly it may win the Soul from other Vices, therefore we indulge it the more. Again, it is a cloaked Sin; the Apostle speaks of the Cloak of Covetousness, 1 Thess. 2.5. It is a hard matter to discover and find it out, there are so many Evasions; necessary Providence, and Provision for our Families is a Duty, and it is a Duty enforced by Nature and Grace. Here Men evade the Charge of Covetousness, they think their carking is justified, as being no more than the prudent management of their Affairs. But consider, it is an Evil which the Lord hates. Covetousness bewrays itself by an immoderate care after the things of this Life, immoderate Desire, and immoderate Delight.

1. By an immoderate Care after worldly Comforts. When we are so solicitous about outward Supports, what we shall do, and what will become of us, that is a sure sign of a worldly Heart. We dare not trust God's Providence, but cark ourselves: Luke 12.29. And seek ye not what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful Mind. The words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies, Do not hang like a Meteor in the Air, hovering between Heaven and Earth, between Doubts and Fears. This is to take God's Work out of his Hands; as the Care of the Son is a Reproach of the Father. It is a sign we dare not trust God's Providence, but will be our own Carvers, we reprove and tax his Providence as if he were not solicitous enough for us.

Obj. But must we not be careful and provident? I answer, 1. Do your present Work, and for the future leave it to God. God would have us look no farther than the present day, provided we do not embezel our Estate by idle Projects, or in carnal Pleasures, or wasteful Profusion; and provided we be not negligent in our Calling: Let us do our Work, and let God alone for future Times. It is a Mercy. God would have our Care look no farther than the present day, Mat. 6.34. Sufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof. God is very careful of Man's Welfare, he hath made carking a Sin, he might have left it as a Punishment. Every day hath Trouble enough for our Exercise, and that's as much as God hath required.

2. It is bewrayed by an immoderate Desire. The Temper of the Heart is very much discovered by the Current and Stream of the Desires. As the Temper of the Body is known by the beating of the Pulses, so is the Temper of the Soul by the Course of the Desires: Or, as Physicians judge of the Patient by his Appetite, so may you judge of your Spirits by your Desires, how they are carried out, whether to Heavenly Things, and the Enjoyment of God, or to the World. A carnal frame of Spirit will be known by an unsatisfied Thirst, and the ravenousness of the Desires, when they still increase with the Enjoyment, and Men crave more and more: Such a Dropsy as this is, argues a distempered Soul, especially when the Desires are transported beyond all bounds of Modesty and Contentment; Isa. 5.8. Woe unto them that join House to House, and Field to Field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth. The inordinate Inclinations still increaseth, and Men never have enough, as if they would grasp all, that they might be blessed alone. Alas, those that have a heavenly frame, will stand wondering that God hath given them so much in their Pilgrimage; nay, that God hath given them anything. But more especially doth this bewray Lust, when these Desires bring the Soul to that determinate Resolution, that this shall be the Project of their Lives. He that is rich hath many Temptations, how ever Wealth be gotten, or given by God; but he that will be rich is sure to miscarry, 1 Tim. 6.9. They that will be rich, fall into Temptation, and a Snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition. The Bent and Resolution of the Soul argues the Heart is naught; he hath drowned himself already, he falls into a Snare, and into many Temptations.

3. By an immoderate delight in worldly Comforts. A Man may be worldly, that is, not carking and ravenous. Esa • saith, I have enough, my Brother, Gen. 33.9. Your Complacency in outward Enjoyments is a great Sin: When Men are satiated with their present Portion of the World, it is as great, if not a greater Sin, than to desire more. When Christ would represent a Covetous Man, he doth it not by one that grasps at more, but by one that found a greater Complacency in what he had, he blesseth himself as if he had Happiness enough, Luke 12.19. I will say to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years, take thine Ease, eat, drink, and be merry. It is a Question which is worse, a ravenous Desire after more, or a carnal Complacency in what we do enjoy? This last is worst; there is Discontent and Distrust in the former, but God is robbed and wholly laid aside by the latter: Our Delight, which is the choicest Affection, is intercepted. Many will say, I desire no more: but thy Heart is set upon what thou hast, and so God is robbed, who is to be the Soul's Treasure; and the Poor are robbed, they are loath to part with what they delight in; and the Soul is robbed of eternal Happiness which it should look after, and of present Comfort, in case God should blast all by his Providence; for a contented worldly Man will be soonest discontented. It is a breach of the Matrimonial Contract, James 4.4. Ye Adulterers, and Adulteresses, know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity with God? There is a Matrimonial Contract between God and the Soul, wherein God propoundeth himself as God All-sufficient. Now, as if God were not good enough, Men seek Delight elsewhere. Well then, deny these Lusts of the Eyes. To this purpose consider,

(1.) Your Happiness doth not lie in these things. Luke 12.15. Take heed, and beware of Covetousness; for a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth ; you may be happy without them. The Saints have a Candle that shall never be blown out: Neither your Safety nor Comfort lies in the World; your Safety doth not lie in it, you do not live by ordinary Supplies, but by God's Providence. Your Comfort doth not lie in it, it should be in God. We cannot see how we can be well without Friends, Wealth, present Supports: but consider, a Man lives not by visible means, but by the Providence of God.

(2.) A little serves the turn to bring us to Heaven: He is not poor that hath little; but he that desires more, he is the poor Man. Enlarged Affections make us want more than the Necessities of Nature: We are not contented with God's Allowance, but pitch upon such a state of Life, and cannot live without such Splendor and Pomp, or without such an Estate. It is not want of Estate that makes a Man poor, but an unsatisfied Mind. He that doth not submit to God's Allowance, is poor.

(3.) God will provide for us, if we do our Duty. He that hath given us Life, will give us Food that is less than Life, it is Christ's Argument; Mat. 6.25. Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body more than Raiment? Nay, he that hath given us Christ, will he not with him also freely give us all things? Rom. 8.32. So a Man may argue, God hath given me Life, and that is better than Food and Raiment; as the Body is better than the Garment. Is any Man so illogical, and of so little Reason, as to argue thus, God hath given me Christ, and will he not give me Support? I have trusted him with my Soul, shall I not trust him with my Estate? God never sets any one to work, but he gives them Maintenance: He feeds the Ravens, and will he not feed his Children? Certainly a Father will not be more kind to a Raven than to a Child, to a Flower than to a Son. Mat. 6.26, 27, 28, 29.

(4.) Wealth doth not make us more acceptable with God. Grace puts the Rich and the Poor upon the same level, James 1.9, 10. Let the Brother of low degree, rejoice in that he is exalted; but the Rich in that he is made low: because as the Flower of the Grass he shall pass away. The rich Man is not too high for God, if his Heart be kept humble with his Estate; and the poor Man is not too low for God, if he be preferred by Grace: so that Grace still is the ground of Acceptation. Riches profit not in the day of Wrath, Prov. 11.4. What is the Hope of the Hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God takes away his Soul? Job 27.8. These things will stand you in no stead.

(5.) The more Estate you have, the more Danger, and the more Trouble. A Pirat doth not set upon empty Vessels; None are so liable to such Snares as those that have Wealth and Greatness. You can hardly discharge what you have already: if you had more, you would have the greater Trust; for to whom much is given, of them much shall be required, Luke 12.48. You must give account for more Time, for more Opportunities to do good, for more Acts of Mercy: A greater Estate is incident to more Cares, and more Duties.

3 dly. The third Lust is, Pride of Life. The most natural Affection is Self-love, and Pride is nothing else but the Excess of Self-love; we suck it in with our Milk. Our first Parents fell by Pride, they soon catched at that Bait, You shall be as God's, Gen. 3.5. and we see it takes with us, and surpriseth us upon every small occasion; a fine Garment, a Lock of Hair, a good Horse, or a serviceable Creature. There is nothing so high, and nothing so low, but Pride can make use of it: if we go back any degrees, it is to rise the higher. Yea, rather than not be proud, we can be proud of Sin; the Apostle speaks of some that glory in their Shame, Phil. 3.19. as their Revenge, and glutting themselves with their unchaste Pleasures. It is a Sin that will put us upon much Self-denial. How can Men rack their Spirits to promote their own Praise and Exaltation? How can they pinch themselves of the Conveniences of Life, to feed Pride, and to supply Pomp and State? Nay, a Man may be proud after his Death, in Funeral-Pomp, and in the Glory of the Sepulcher. Now Pride is twofold, in Mind, and in Desire; Pride in the Mind is Self-Conceit, and Pride in the Desire is an inordinate Affection of Glory, or high Place. Pride in Mind is when we ascribe to ourselves what we have not, or transfer upon ourselves the Praise of what we have. To boast of what we have not, is Folly; to boast of what we have, is Sacrilege, and we rob God; this is like a Man deeply in Debt, who boasts of an Estate he has borrowed. Pride in the Desire is an inordinate Affectation of our own Glory: all that Men do, is to set up themselves.

1. Against Pride in the Mind; consider what little Reason we have to be proud Poor Men! in whose Birth there is Sin, in whose Life there is Misery, and in whose Death there is Sorrow and Perplexity: What should we be proud of? Not of Strength, which is inferior to many Beasts: Not of Beauty, many Flowers are decked with a more glorious Paintry. Beauty it is but Skin-deep; it is blasted with every Sickness, it is the laughing-stock of every Disease. And then he that is proud of his Clothes, is but proud of his Rags wherewith his Wounds are bound up. Clothes you know were occasioned by Sin; in Innocency Holiness was a Garment for Man, and Men might have conversed naked without Shame. And so for Birth, we have no reason to be proud of that, Omnis sanguis concolor, all Blood is of a Colour: He hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men to dwell on all the face of the Earth, Acts 7.26. Not of Estates, they are but as Trappings to a Horse, things without us: We do not value a Horse for his Trappings, but by his Courage, Mettle and Strength. Not of Learning; there is none so learned, but he hath Ignorance enough to humble him: To be proud of Learning, shows our Ignorance. A little River seems deep when it runs between narrow Banks; but when there's a broad Channel, it is very shallow: So Men seem to be profound till their Thoughts run out into the breadth of Learning. Nor should we glory in Preferment, and in being advanced; when Men are put into great Places, they grow proud, but it is their Folly: thy Preferment may be in Judgment; God many times chooseth wicked Men to rule. He gives Kingdoms to the basest of Men, Dan. 4.17. God's Providence is not only seen in preferring wise and godly Governors, but in setting up the Base for a Judgment to the Nation. Nebuchadnezzar is called God's Servant, Ier. 25.9. the Sins of Egypt and Judah did require such a Servant. A devout Man complained of a bloody Prince, Lord! why hast thou made him Emperor? he did seem to hear this Answer, Because I could not find a worse for such a wicked People. So when such a one was chosen Bishop, he grew proud upon it, and there was a Voice heard, Thou art lifted up, not because thou art worthy of the Priesthood, but because the City is worthy of no better a Bishop. Some may be preferred, not because they are worthy, but because the Sins of the Nation deserved no better Governors. So in any good Actions, when they are done commendable before Men, remember, God makes another Judgment. All the ways of Man are clean in his own Eyes; but the Lord weighs the Spirits, Prov. 16.2. Man hath but a partial hatred of Sin; but God hath an exact Ballance, and he weighs the Spirits, Luke 16.15. Ye are they that justify yourselves before Men, but God knoweth your Hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among Men, is Abomination in the sight of God. When Men praise you, say, these Men cannot see my Heart: usually after some Eminency, there afterward comes a blasting. Jacob wrestled with God, and then his Thigh was broken. Paul was wrapped up into the third Heaven, then presently there was sent him a Thorn in the Flesh. Sometimes God blasts the Creature before the Work, as Moses his Hand was made leprous, before he wrought the Miracle, Exod. 4.6. Sometimes after the Work, to show we are but vile Instruments; there is something left to remember the Creature of his own Vileness. Then be not proud of thy Holiness, for what is this to God's? Psal. 130.3. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark Iniquities; O Lord, who should stand? And God hates this Sin so much that he lets Men fall into many scandalous Sins, when they grow proud of their Holiness. The Ornament of a high and honorable Estate in the World, is not outward Splendor, but the humble Mind; James 1.10. Let the Rich rejoice in that he is made low. This is true Nobleness and Eminency, and an Argument of a great Mind, to be like a Spire, least and low in our own account, when most exalted by God.

2. Against the other, Pride in Desires and inordinate Affectation of Greatness. Consider what God hath done for you already, and prize the Opportunity of a private Life, and improve it to frequency of Duty, and converse with God. It is better to be like a Violet, known by our own Smell, rather than our Greatness. The Mountains are exposed to Blasts and Winds, and they are generally barren; but the low Valleys are watered and fruitful: Therefore Men know not what they do when they seek great things. The true Ambition is to seek the great things of Heaven, and the great things of Christ; and for other things to refer ourselves to the fair Invitation and Allowance of God's Providence. A vain-glorious Man is nothing in Christianity. Paul can count a Man's Judgment but a small thing; 1 Cor. 4.3. With me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of Man's Judgment. God is our Judge, and the Business of our Lives is to approve ourselves to God; Man's Judgment must not be valued. And besides, it is a vain thing to affect that in which we may be soon crossed: One Man's Opinion may disturb our Quiet: One Mordecai can cross Haman in all his Pomp. To dote upon that which is in the Power of those whose Humours are as inconstant as the Waves, or their Breath, or the Wind, is a very great Folly; where one Word may deject us, and cast us into Sorrow. And lastly, consider, this is nothing to eternal Glory.

SERMON VII.

THE Lesson which Grace teacheth was propounded Privatively and Positively. Privatively, wherein I have shown what we must eschew and avoid, viz. Ungodliness, and worldly Lusts.

II. I now come to the Positive Part, where the Duty of Man is distributed into three kinds. Look as in a moral Consideration, there are but three Beings, God, Neighbors, and Self; so here the Apostle makes three Parts and Branches of our Duty; that we should live soberly as to ourselves; righteously as to our Neighbor; godly, that the Lord may not be defrauded of his Portion. Sobriety respects the Duties of our personal Capacity; Righteousness the Duties of our Relation to others; and Piety the Duties of immediate Intercourse with God.

I begin with the first of the Apostle's Adverbs, That we should live soberly. Sobriety is a Grace very necessary, we can neither be righteous nor pious without it; for he that is not sober, he takes to himself more than is due, and so can neither give God nor Man their Portion. If he be unsober, he will be unjust; he robs the Church of his Parts which are quenched in Pleasure, the Common-wealth of his Service, the Family of their Maintenance and necessary Provision; and then the Poor are robbed, because that which should be spent in their Relief, is wasted in Luxury. And then he that is unsober, cannot be godly, for he doth not give God his Portion, he robs God of his time, and (which is worse) of his Heart; for that being carried out to Pleasure, it is deprived of the Fruition of God, and transported from better Delights. So that if we would discharge our Duty to God or Man, if we would live righteously and piously, we must live soberly. Once more (that you may a little conceive of the Weight and Consequence of this Discourse) Sobriety is a part of Virtue's Armor; so much is intimated by the Apostle, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6. Add to your Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge, and to Knowledge Temperance, and to Temperance Patience. Virtue or Strictness of Life is rooted in Faith, directed by Knowledge, defended and maintained by Temperance and Patience; by Temperance on the right hand, and Patience on the left: as Fortitude or Patience is necessary to arm Grace against Dangers, so is Temperance or Sobriety to arm it against Pleasures and worldly Comforts. It is hard to say which we need most, Temperance or Patience; we must expect Hardships, and still we live among Snares, but only Snares are more frequent than Troubles; as more Birds are ensnared by the Net than killed by the Birding-piece. Persecution hath slain its Thousands, but Pleasures their ten Thousands: Therefore you see Sobriety is of great Use in the spiritual Life: As we need to press Faith as the Root of Virtue, and Knowledge as the Guide of Virtue; so we need to press Temperance and Patience as the Guard and Defense of Virtue; Patience against the Troubles and Hardships that we meet with, and Sobriety against the Comforts and Allurements of the present World.

Before I enter upon the Discussion of the present Argument, let me first remove some Prejudices.

1. Some Men think, that to discourse of Sobriety, will be to give you a moral Lecture, not an Evangelical Discourse; they would have us to preach Christ, as if pressing the Duties of Religion were not a preaching Christ. Certainly we may preach that which Grace teacheth; now Grace teacheth to live soberly. The Truth is, Men would be hinged and oiled with Grace, and cannot endure the Strictness of moral Duties. Here Conviction is easy, and Conscience maketh Guilt fly in the Face, and therefore Men cannot endure this kind of Preaching. I tell you, to preach Sobriety and Temperance, is to preach Christ. It is said, Acts 24.24. After certain Days, when Felix came with his Wife Drusilla, which was a Iewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the Faith in Christ. Paul, Let us hear somewhat of Christ. Now what doth Paul preach of? ver. 25. And as he reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come, Felix trembled. There is his preaching Christ. To preach Christ, is to press whatever the Christian Religion requireth, and in that manner, and upon those terms. And when Paul saith, 1 Cor. 2.2. I have determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified ; it was because that was the controverted Truth, the Truth then in Question, and most opposed: for the Doctrine of the Cross was to the Jews a Stumbling-block, and to the Greeks Foolishness ; 1 Cor. 1.23. Now saith the Apostle, as foolish a Doctrine as it is, I have determined to know nothing else among you, not to prescribe in other Cases, but to confine our Meditations to the Doctrine of the Cross. There are other Arguments necessary, and must take their turn and place.

2. Some Men think that they are above these Directions, to be taught how to eat and drink, and that every Man hath Prudence enough to govern his Appetite. But consider, Christ thought meet to warn his own Disciples; Luke 21.34. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life. A Man would think it a needless Direction to such holy Men; yet saith Christ, Take heed. And certainly Sin is not grown less dangerous, nor we more holy than the Apostles. Besides, now, if ever, is there need of such kind of Preaching; some Men profess to live to the Height of the Creature, and so make Lust as wanton, as it is dangerous always to go near the Pit's Brink; and he that doth all that he may, will soon do more than he should. It is a Character of profane Men, Jude 12. Feeding themselves without Fear. The Throat is a slippery Place, and had need be watched and kept with Fear. We find that an over-spiritual Preaching hath made Men loose and careless, and that moral Duties need to be pressed.

3. Another Prejudice there is against this Doctrine, Men shift it off to others. We conceive of Gluttony, Drunkenness and Covetousness, otherwise than Christ did, and therefore do not judge such Discourses necessary. We conceive Drunkenness and Gluttony to be an outrageous Excess; when we hear of Gluttons and Drunkards, we think of them vomiting, staggering, reeling, not being able to speak, or able to go, faltring in Speech and Language: But the Scripture sets out other manner of Drunkards, these are the Effects, the Punishment rather than the Fault. And so when we hear of Covetousness, then we think of some sordid Wretch, or else of some Oppressor that gets Wealth by Rapine and Extortion, or the apparent use of unlawful means; and so we wipe our Lips, and think we are clean. But now that which is counted Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Covetousness before God, is the over-charging the Heart; Luke 21.34. Take heed to yourselves, lest your Hearts be over-charged, &c. A Man's Heart may be over-charged, though his Stomach is not, when he cannot freely meditate upon heavenly things, though he doth not remit and give up his luxurious Morsels in loathsome Ejections. And that is Covetousness before God, when the Ca • e of earthly things hinders us from Heavenly-mindedness and Heavenly Desires, the Heart is then over-charged, and loseth the Sense of spiritual things.

These things premised, I come now to the Doctrine.

Doct. One of the Lessons which Grace teacheth us, is Sobriety. Here,

• 1. I shall show you what Sobriety is in the General.
• 2. I shall open the particular Branches of it.

First ; I shall show what Sobriety is in the General: Sobriety is the Moderation of our Affections in the Pursuit and Use of all earthly things.

To explain the Description [ It is the Moderation. ] Grace doth not take away the Affection, but governs it: It bridles the Excess, and then reduceth the Affection itself to a just Stint and Temper. Now the Rule according to which this Moderation must be made, must be either the Word; or where the Word interposeth not, then spiritual Prudence and Conveniency is to be a Judge. How the Word judgeth, I shall show in the Branches; but in matter of Conveniency, what is most convenient for ourselves, that we be not brought under the Power of any Creature, spiritual Prudence must be the Rule; 1 Cor. 6.12. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the Power of any. A Christian is to see, while he makes Use of one part of his Liberty, that he doth not forfeit and lose another, yea, the better part. As Men go to Law for Trifles, and spend a real and solid Estate; so by an intemperate Use of Christian Liberty, we forfeit that which is the best part, Freedom from Lusts, and from the Bondage of Sin. As for Instance; a promiscuous Use of Meats and Drinks, is a part of Christian Liberty; but Freedom from Lusts is another part: and therefore while a Man useth this Liberty in the Creature, and hereby brings himself in Bondage to his Lusts, or is enslaved to such a Creature, how inconvenient soever the Use of it be, he cannot leave it; he disappoints the main End of Christ's Blood, and forfeits the fairest part of that Liberty Christ hath purchased for him. God hath given us a large Liberty in Christ; let us not go too far, lest we forfeit the spiritual part of it: therefore it is a part of Sobriety, if it be likely to prove a Snare, to moderate and bridle the Affections. Yea, in another Case, which concerneth others, that may be lawful to one, which is not lawful to another: if the thing affected be lawful, yet if it be likely to give Offence, or to procure a Blot upon ourselves, it is a part of Sobriety to moderate ourselves, and abstain from it. In such a Case we owe so much to one another's Weakness, and to our own Credit, which should be preferred before the Satisfaction of any Appetite whatsoever; Phil. 4.8. Finally, Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good Report; if there be any Virtue, and if there be any Praise, think of these things. And again, 1 Cor. 8.13. Wherefore if Meat make my Brother to offend, I will eat no Meat while the World standeth, lest I make my Brother to offend. Rather wholly abstain from this Liberty than give Offence. So that this Moderation is a reducing the Affections to the Limits of the Word, and the Rules of Conveniency and Charity.

Of the Affections ] I mean such as are accompanied with Pleasure in the Exercise; these are under the Command of Sobriety. There is a Moderation of our Passions that belongeth to Fortitude and Patience, as Sorrow and Anger, the Moderation of these belongeth to other Graces. But now such Affections as are accompanied with Pleasure in the Exercise, as Delight and Desire; Desire in the Pursuit, and Delight in the Use of worldly things; these belong to Sobriety. It is indeed a Question, which is worst, not to bridle Anger, or not to restrain Pleasures? Anger is unruly and violent, but Lusts work both ways; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , James 1.14. Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Lust, and enticed. The most generous Natures are subject to Anger, and the basest to Pleasures. Anger is stirred up by Reason, though it runneth away without Deliberation; but Lust prescribeth to Reason: there is more of Plot and Counsel in Lust than in Anger. Reason sooner cleareth up, when the Storm of Passion is over, and then Men repent; but in Lust and Pleasure there is a long Bondage: So that not to restrain Lust, or those Affections that carry us out to corporal Delights, seemeth worst. But then again it may be inquired, which is harder, to endure Griefs, or renounce Pleasures? I shall answer, To renounce Pleasures; and Sobriety is more put to it than Fortitude. Many that have born Griefs with a stubborn Mind, yet have yielded to their own carnal Affectio •• , • s Sampson that broke so many Cords and Bands, yet could not break the Bonds of his own Lusts. It is true, Nature flieth from Grief, and therefore it is hard to take up our Cross; but Nature flieth from Grief, because it is addicted to Pleasures, and it is our Lusts that make the Cross so burdensome. Renounce the Desire and the Delight, and the Lust will be more easily overcome.

In the Pursuit and Use ] I name both, because as we must use worldly things moderately, so we must desire them moderately. The Sin is first in the Affection, and there may be an Immoderation in the Desire, when the Practice is restrained by Fear, or by Difficulty, or by danger of compassing our Lusts; and therefore the great work of Sobriety is to moderate the Lust. As a Bird when its Wing is broken, is eager to fly; so a Man that may abstain from excessive Practice, yet he may have much inordinate Affection: Col. 3.5. Mortify therefore your Members which are upon the Earth, Fornication, Uncleanness, inordinate Affection.

Of all earthly Things ] Profits, Pleasures, Pomps, Meats, Drinks, Apparel, Recreations; Sobriety reacheth all those Affections that are carried out to any of the good things of this natural Life. There is a dry Drunkenness, as the Prophet saith in another case, Isa. 29.9. They are drunken, but not with Wine; they stagger, but not with strong Drink. The Cares of this World have an inebriating Power, as well as voluptuous Living; and therefore Christ couples them together, Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life, Luke 21.34. Look, as Wine disturbeth Reason, and oppresseth the Senses; so do these worldly Cares besot the Mind, and deprive us of the sense of spiritual Things: And therefore Sobriety is necessary to moderate our Cares, as well as to govern the use of Meats and Drinks.

Secondly ; I shall handle Sobriety in these four Branches.

• I. As to Pleasures and Recreation, Sleep and Pastime.
• II. In Meats and Drinks, and the necessary Supports of Human Life.
• III. In Pomp and Apparel.
• IV. In the Cares of this World.

SERMON VIII.

SERMON IX.

I Now come to the second Branch, wherein the Duty of Man is expressed, and that is Justice or Righteousness, which implies the Duties of our Public Capacity, and Relation to others. Tho the Discourse be moral, yet it may conduce to spiritual Ends. Therefore let us see what may be spoken concerning Justice and Righteousness. Justice is a Grace by which we are inclined to perform our Duty to our Neighbor. There are many Distinctions usual in this Matter, which I shall omit, and only deliver you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules; and then show you how much it concerns us to look after this Grace, to be just and righteous in the Course of our Conversation.

First ; To give you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules, and they are such as these; To give every Man his own; to do Injury to no Man; to make Restitution; to bear the Injuries of others with Patience; in many cases not to demand our own extreme Right; to do as we would be done unto; Public Good to be preferred before Private; and that according to our power we must be useful to others.

1 st. To give every Man his own. This is laid down, Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to all their Dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom, Fear to whom Fear, Honor to whom Honor. This Due ariseth either by virtue of the Law of God, or by virtue of a Bargain and Contract, or by virtue of a voluntary Promise.

(1.) There is a Due that ariseth by virtue of the Law of God: such things cannot be dispensed with, therefore the Obligation cannot be made void: as for instance; A Child is to honor his Parents by the Law of God: and a Father cannot discharge his Child from Obedience, as we may remit a Duty or thing that is due by Bargain and Contract, because we have greater power over... There is a Due to everyone, as Reverence to Parents, Obedience and Tribute to Magistrates, double Honor to Ministers, and the Guides of the Church. It 〈◊〉 Injustice to deny Parents a Respect; it is Theft and Robbery to defraud Magistra • es of their Tribute, or Ministers of their Maintenance; it is not a Gift, but a De •• 〈◊〉 • he Scripture saith, they are worthy of double Honor, 1 Tim. 5.17. Let the Ela ••• • hat rule well, be counted worthy of double Honor, especially they who labor in the W • rd and Doctrine. And it is not in a begging way, as a Contribution, but as an honorary Stipend. Things that are due by natural Duty, cannot be dispensed with, as things due by Bargain and Contract, because the Obligation cannot be made void.

(2.) There is a Due that ariseth by way of Bargain and Contract: Rom. 13.8. Owe no Man anything, but to love one another. If Money be borrowed, but not restored, it is Theft and Injustice. If you bargain with another, the full Bargain is due to him. 1 Thess. 4.6. Let no Man go beyond, or defraud his Brother in any Matter, because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. He is to enjoy his full Bargain. The Apostle saw a need of enforcing this Doctrine in the Church, to prevent the Iniquity of Traffick. The Seller is not to work upon the Simplicity of the Buyer, nor the Buyer upon the Necessity of the Seller; but all things must be done equally, else God will be offended. But chiefly is this Iniquity committed, (and that it is in an high degree) when the Reward you are to give, is not bought with Money, but earned with Labor. Defrauding the Hireling and Servants of their Wages, is a very crying Sin, the greatest height of Iniquity; it cries in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts; James 5.4. Behold the Hire of the Laborers which have reaped down your Fields, which is of you kept back by Fraud, crieth: and the Cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. God is their Patron. This is a grievous Sin, because it is their Life, and their Support and Solace: Deut. 24.14, 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant, that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy Brethren, or of the Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates. At his Day thou shalt give him his Hire; neither shall the Sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his Heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be Sin unto thee. It is often spoken of in Scripture: There is a greater and more pressing Inconvenience to defraud the Labourer, than to defraud others.

(3.) Again, there's a Due ariseth by voluntary Promise. We make ourselves Debtors; and it is part of Justice to make good our Promise, though it be to our own hurt and loss: Psal. 15.4. — He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. All Promises must be kept but those that are evil, and those are void in making: Why? because they are Bonds of Iniquity, so they must be broken, and not kept; and again, because they are contrary to the former Promise we have made to God to obey his Laws: it is evil to make a sinful Promise, and it is a greater Sin to keep it.

2 d Rule, Do Injury to no Man: Jer. 22.3. Do no Wrong, do no Violence. Do no Wrong to their Persons, their Names, or their Goods.

(1.) Not to their Persons, that will not suit with the Mildness of Religion. The Apostle saith, Phil. 2.15. Be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God without rebuke. Man by Nature is fierce, hateful, and hating one another, Titus 3.3. that is, his Disposition: but now the Children of God their Nature is changed: The Spirit of God is in all his Members. Now Christ went about doing Good, he did no Harm; neither was Guile found in his Mouth: And if you would be the Children of God; you must be like him, be harmless. That we may be mindful of this, the Lord hath given us an Emblem of it almost in all things, among the Birds, the Beasts, the Plants, the Worms. Among the Birds; Natural Men are compared to the Eagle and the Kite, Birds that are ravenous; and a Christian to the Dove; Matth. 10.16. Be harmless as Doves. Among the Beasts; Natural Men are compared to the Wolf and the Lion, and a Christian to the Lamb. Among the Plants; Natural Men are compared to Briars and pricking Thorns that cannot be touched: saith the Spirit of God, The Sons of Belial shall be as Thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with Hands, 2 Sam. 23.6. And the Children of God are compared to the Lily. And then among the Worms; Wicked Men are compared to Vipers, Mat. 3.7. O Generation of Vipers: And the Children of God to an innocent Worm apt to be trod upon, to receive Injury, and do none; Psal. 22.6. I am a Worm, and no Man. Usually in a well-ordered Kingdom, the Fierceness of Men is restrained by the Severity of Laws; but yet it is bewrayed, and breaks out in fury against those that fall under the Displeasure of the Magistrate, especially for Matters of Religion, out of blind Zeal; these Civil Men are fierce and cruel. And therefore it is notable that Paul ▪ when he makes an acknowledgment of his Natural Condition, saith, 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a Blasphemer, a Persecutor, and Injurious. That Paul was a Blasphemer of God, and a Persecutor of the Saints, is clear; but how doth he say he was Injurious, since elsewhere he said, He walked in all good Conscience to this Day? I suppose it relates to the Violence of his Persecution, to his haling and dragging the Saints out of their Houses, having a Commission from the Rulers, Acts 8.3. and that he calls his Injury. Thus it falls out, Men are transported by Irregularity, Heats and Violence; and forget Humanity. Now in such Cases, though the Cause be right, yet this violent dragging and insulting over those that are in their power, is but natural Rage let loose: and this Paul confesseth to be his Injuriousness, and a Crime that kept the same pace with his Blasphemy and Persecution. True Zeal is manifested by Pity and Compassion. The heights and fervours of Zeal are only necessary, when evil Men are countenanced, and when it is dangerous to appear against them; not when they fall under our power, then there is some Pity due to their Humanity.

(2.) Do no Wrong to their Names; next to their Persons this is to be valued. A Slanderer is worse than a Thief: the one is publicly odious, but the other robs us of our better Treasure; Prov. 22.1. A good Name is rather to be chosen than great Riches, and more conducible to our Usefulness for God, than Wealth. A Wrong done to the Estate is sooner repaired, than a Wrong done to the Name of others; for a Reproach divulged, is hardly recalled; when the Wound is cured, yet the Scar remains: And therefore this is a very great Evil to do wrong to their Names: Especially when you reproach the Godly, and wrong them, because their Discredit lights upon Religion. God is much concerned in the Credit and Honor of his Servants. You hinder their Service, and lay them open to the Rage of the World. A blemished Instrument is of little use. Numb. 12.8. saith God, Were ye not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses? To speak against Persons eminent and useful for God in their Age, is to render them suspected to the World. And who would drink of a suspected Fountain? You hinder their Use and Serviceableness. And the Wrong is greater when one Christian blemisheth another: For one Scholar to speak against another, and one Lawyer against another, so for one Christian to speak against another, it aggravates the Injury. Therefore when there is cause to speak against a Man, it should be with Grief.

(3.) There must be no wrong to their Goods, no invading of Right and Property: Eph. 4.28. Let him that stole, steal no more. Everyone is against a gross Thief: but the more plausible and secret ways of Wrong, and getting Estates into your Hands, or abusing Trusts, is Theft. The Apostle there writes to the Ephesians that lived in the City, and by Iniquity of Traffick were likely to heap up an Estate to themselves.

I shall here take occasion to handle a Question or two about Property.

1. Is there any Property yea or no? or must all Goods lie in common? This was Plato 's fancy. Some Men think that if all were level'd, and reduced to a Parity, and we did live as Fishes in the Sea, there would be less Confusion in the World. But this is contrary to God's Appointment, who by his Wisdom hath cast the World into Hills and Valleys. God is the Maker of Rich and Poor; Prov. 22.2. The Rich and the Poor meet together, the Lord is the Maker of them all. And Christ saith, Mat. 22.11. Ye have the Poor always with you. A World of Mischief would follow otherwise; if there were no Property, there would be no Justice, whose chief Property is to give every Man his own: there could be no Charity; How can we give, if we have nothing that we can call our own? It would hinder Diligence and prudent Administration; the Idle would have as great a share as the Industrious and Diligent: Rewards of special Eminency and Virtue would be taken away; Who would undertake the hardest Labors, and the condition of Servants? Superiority and Inferiority is the Bond of human Society; it is God's Wisdom to dispose of the Conditions and Estates of Men, that one should need another, and supply each others Wants and Defects: the Poor need the Bounty of the Rich, and the Rich the Labor and Service of the Poor. Obj. But what shall we say to the Example of the Primitive Times? Acts 4.32. And the Multitude of them that believed, were of one Heart, and of one Soul; neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed, was his own, but they had all things common. Answ. This was extraordinary, and it was done freely, and not by virtue of any Precept, as appears by what Peter said to Ananias, Chap. 5.4. Whilst it remained, was it not thy own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own Power? still they kept a Property to dispose of it as they saw cause. And pray mark, it is not said, that they did equally divide among them all the things that were sold; but, Acts 2.44, 45. All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their Possessions and Goods, and parted them to all Men, as every Man had need. Here was no levelling, but an orderly Charity; there was great necessity, and they believed the Destruction and Desolation of Judea, and therefore in wise fore-sight took this course. And therefore it is notable, that it is not said that they sold all they had, but only their Possessions and Inheritances, Acts 4.34, 35. As many as were Possessors of Lands or Houses, sold them, and brought the Prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostles Feet, &c. And still it was free; yet it was not taken from them, but freely given by them; it was not catch who catch can, but Distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need, ver. 35. Some good People kept their Houses still, as Mary had her House, Acts 12.12. He came to the House of Mary.

2. Have wicked Men any Right in what they do possess? or may they be spoiled as the Canaanites were, and outed of all their Possessions? I answer, Wicked Men have a civil Right, and that is Banck enough against Violence and Invasion of Property; or suppose there were no other Title but Grace, and a Man that had not Grace were an Usurper, what a World of Inconveniences and Confusions would follow? If one Man were made Judge of another Man's Grace, how should we know who had a Right? Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar 's: if it were so, we could not trade with them: but Abraham bought the Field of Mamre. Wicked Men have a civil Right: but that is not all, they have a Right before God, a common Right of Providence, so that they are not Usurpers of what they do possess, it is their Portion, Psal. 17.14. From Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Life, and whose Belly thou fillest with thy hid Treasure. It is true, they have made a Forfeiture as to God, and deserve to lose all, but the Sentence of the Law is not executed upon them; and therefore by the Gift and Indulgence of God they have a just and free use of such things as fall to their share and portion. There cannot be a better Title than God's own Gift: now God in the general course of his Providence, giveth wicked Men many things, as he gave Tyrus to Nebuchadnezzar. He that giveth them their Lives, giveth them Meat and Drink; they do him common Service, and God rewardeth them with common Mercies. But they have not such a Right as God's Children, a Right from the Covenant of Grace, from God's Love, and for their good, but their Blessings are salted with a Curse.

3 d Rule of Justice. If Wrong be done, Restitution must be made. It is not enough to reconcile yourselves to God if you have thriven by unjust Gain, but you must make Restitution to Men, else the Sin remains. There is in all such Acts the Sin, and the Injury. Now many seek to take away the Sin while the Injury remains, but that cannot be; and some may seek possibly to do away the Injury while the Sin remains, they do not reconcile themselves to God. In the Law of Moses, he that wronged his Neighbor was to make Restitution, Levite. 6.5. He shall restore it in the Principal, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his Trespass-Offering. That Law speaks of Wrong done against our Will. The Thief that wronged with set purpose, was to restore fourfold; but if a Man did by chance, and against his Will, wrong another, when he was convinced of it, he was to restore the Principal, and the fifth part in the day of his Trespass-Offering. Our Lord renews and repeats this Sentence of the Law, Mat. 5.24. First be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. It is an Allusion to this Law, where on the day of their Offering they were to make Restitution; this is the only way to retract the Wrong. As long as you retain the use and fruit of your fraudulent Practices, the Sin and the Injury is continued, and there can be no true Repentance. In the very counterfeit Repentance of Judas there was a kind of Restitution, it is a necessary Fruit of Grace. When Salvation was come to Zacchaeus his House, and he was converted, he offers the Restitution of the Law; If I have taken anything from any Man by false Accusation, I restore him fourfold, Luke 19.8. 'Therefore the continuance of Gain gotten by Fraud, upbraideth the tender Conscience with the Sin. Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: and if you should be disabled from Restitution, your acknowledgment must be very serious and humble, and take Shame to yourself, and do what you can. And if Servants have purloined from their Masters, or if any have thriven by Iniquity of Traffick, restore as far as possibly you can: He that can rectify the Injury, and doth not, doth not repent, and God will not accept him. If the Party wronged be not living, it must be given to the next Heir: if none of the Line be found, it must be given to God; for as long as it remains with you, it is an accursed thing, and will bring a Curse on all the rest. If you have wronged others in their Names, make them all the Satisfaction you can. Christ drew from Peter a treble Profession of his Love, to answer his threefold Denial. By all public Vindications you should seek to heal the Wound you have made. Take an Instance of one that accused a Bishop at Jerusalem falsely, God touched his Heart that he wept his Eyes blind.

4 th Rule of Justice: You must bear the Injuries of others with Patience, rather than revenge them. If Patience be not a part of Justice, I am sure private Revenge is a part of Injustice; because you take God's Work out of his Hands, and you make yourselves Magistrates without a Commission. Rom. 12.9. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto Wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. You must leave it to God and his Deputies. It is an Usurpation, and against all right to avenge yourselves; that a Man should be Accuser, Judge and Executioner, and all in his own Cause, where Self-Love is, is apt to make us partial. If we are fit to be an Accuser, certainly not to be Judge and Executioner. • t crosseth the Ends of just Revenge, which are to right the Party wronged, or mend the Party offending, or to provide for public Safety. He that avengeth his own Quarrel, doth but more and more enrage his Adversary, scandalize others, and not right himself. In taking Wrong we suffer Evil, in returning Wrong we do Evil; the one is our Affliction, the other is our Sin. It will be no Excuse for you to say, you were wronged first. See how the Spirit of God takes off these Pleas, Prov. 24.29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the Man according to his Work. This is but a continuance and reciprocation of Justice. So Prov. 20.29. Say not thou, I will recompense Evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. I remember Lactantius hath a pretty saying in this Case; Qui par pari refer nititur, ipsum à quo laesus est imitatur. Revenge and Injury differ only in Order; he that begins the Injury, goeth before in Mischief; and he that requites it, comes as fast after as he can; he doth but delight to follow that which he saw go before him. If you judge it evil in others, why do you fall into the like yourselves? What care hath he of Justice and Goodness, that imitateth that which he acknowledgeth to be evil? It is no Excuse to say he began; his doing Wrong to thee doth not dissolve the Obligation of God's Law, or the binding Power it hath upon thy Conscience. Nay, the return of Injuries argues you to be the more malicious, because it is a more willing, a more knowing Act.

5 th Rule: We must be so far from wronging any Man, that in many cases we must not demand our own extreme Right; Phil. 4.5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men, the Lord is at hand ; your Moderation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it signifies the mitigating of the extremity of Justice. James 3.17. The Wisdom that is from above, is peaceable and gentle. Extream right is but an Injury, when you do not all you may do by the Letter of the Law out of Lenity and Christian Forbearance. Power stretched to the utmost, is but Tyranny; and when the words of the Law are urged contrary to the end, the Law is made a Pattern of Sin and unjust dealing. In short, this Equity and Moderation lieth in not interpreting things doubtful to the worst sense, Eccles. 7.16. Be not righteous overmuch. When we do not interpret things rigorously, that are receptive, and capable of more plausible Interpretations; when we depart from our own Right for just and convenient Reasons, Psal. 69.4. I restored that which I took not way. For Peace sake much may be done, that we may not dishonor God, nor vex others for every Trifle; the good of others is to be considered, that we may not undo them, though it be our Right. Thus Paul departed from his own Right, to cut off occasion from them that desire occasion, 2 Cor. 11.12. He would labor with his Hands rather than lose an opportunity of spreading the Gospel. 2 Thess. 3.8. Neither did we eat any Man's Bread for naught, but wrought with Labor and Travel night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Paul took no Maintenance, the spiritual things we sow are above your best carnal things: considering our Labor and Pains, the Bread we eat is bought at the dearest rate. We have a Right; but for God's Glory, and not to lay a stumbling-Block in the way of young Converts, we recede from it. You are not to exact all your Labors, Isa. 58.3. When you hold poor Men to a Bargain that is burdensome, it is Injustice. And thus our Lord Christ himself paid Tribute to avoid Scandal.

6 th Rule: Do as you would be done unto, Mat. 7.12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the Law and the Prophets: this is the scope of Scriptures. This saying the Roman Emperor Severus much admired, and wrote it upon many places of his Palace; for it is a Rule serves in all cases. If we would do as we would be done unto, what Lives might we lead? We are very tender of our own Interest, give a favorable Sentence in our own case, and are very sensible of the Wrong done to us; we would not be circumvented by a fraudulent Bargain, we would not be detracted in our own Names, we would have our Infirmities hidden and not divulged, we would be succoured in such Distresses; now do so to them. If in all cases we would do aright and judge aright, let us change the Persons; and suppose ourselves in another's case, would I have others thus do with me? But how is this Law to be understood? Some lay violent hands upon themselves, others desire things sinful, as to be drunk, and to commit Adultery. I answer, it is meant of what we wish to ourselves, by a regular Self-love, and a free and unperverted Will.

Again, it holdeth not in Duties of Relations; it is not just that the Father should do that to the Children, which he would have the Children do to him, as to give Honor and Reverence, and the like: So in all Relations between Inferiors and Superiors, it is to be understood if we were in their place, and in the like condition, as if I were a Son, or if I were a Servant; still take the Person of him with whom thou dealest, upon thyself; that Right which you would have others do to you, as you would be kindly dealt with in buying and selling, in pardoning Injuries, forgiving unadvised Wrongs, do you the same to others. This will help us to keep a good Conscience in all our dealings.

7 th Rule. Public Good is to be sought as well as private, and in many cases to be preferred before it. No Man is born for himself, and therefore it is Injustice when Men mind only their own things, and are wholly taken up with fulfilling their own Wills and Desires. God hath commanded us to love one another, he hath devolved upon one Man the Respects of all the World in effect, for all Men are bound to love thee, and seek thy Good: What's the reason of this? but to engage and oblige us the more to seek the good one of another. Rom. 12.5. We are all Members one of another ; the Members seek the good of the Body. The Stomach receives Meat not for itself, but to disperse it for the use of the whole Body. When Men are of a narrow private Spirit, and do not seek the Welfare of others, they sin against Nature and Grace. Man is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a sociable Creature; if he could live by himself, then he might live to himself. Human Society is founded upon Communion and Commerce, and therefore we are bound to seek the good one of another. There is a great Body, to which all the Members must have respect. As in a Clock all the Wheels move one another, and each part receiveth help one from another; so everyone should mind the common Good, and be sensible of the common Evil; 1 Cor. 10.24. Let no Man seek his own, but every Man another's Wealth ; not his own exclusively, it is not to be understood in sensu conjuncto, not his own so as to neglect and exclude the Care of the Public. We are not to live as Beasts, everyone to shift for himself; but Human Society is maintained by Communion and Converse. Yea, in many cases others Good is to be sought more than our own; Rom. 15.3. For even Christ pleased not himself: for the common good of the Elect, he regards not his own Life. And this Example we are to follow: 1 John 3.16. Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he laid down his Life for us; and we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren: that is, my single Life to save the Community; I must promote their Spiritual Good with the loss of my Temporals; my Interest must be exposed to hazard for a more public Good.

8 th Rule: We must help others according to our Power: This is a part of Righteousness. In the Law it is said, It shall be Righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God, Deut. 24.13. when it speaks of the Poor's due. Carnal, wicked, covetous Men stand upon Property; 1 Sam. 25.11. Shall I take my Bread and my Water, and my Flesh that I have killed for my Shearers? &c. Thy Estate is not thy own, but God's; it is ours in Law, but God's in Use; and you are but Stewards for him. This will be no Plea in the Day of Judgment to say, It was my own, and I did not rob others: thou art a Thief before God, if thou givest not. He that useth not his Estate as God would have him use it, is a spiritual Thief; Prov. 3.27. With-hold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Power of thy Hand to do it. When the Poor are cast upon thee by God's Providence, they are a kind of Owners; that which thou detainest from them is theirs: it is not ours when Christ calleth for it, and his Members need it. Ambrose saith, Non qui capit aliena, sed qui non dedit sua, &c. Though we have done no wrong, yet if we have not disposed our Goods and Estate for God's Glory, it is Injustice and Sin; as Stewards must dispose of Goods according to the Mind of the Master.

Secondly ; What reason have we to look after this Grace of Righteousness, and to be just?

1. It is a piece of God's Image, Ephes. 4.24. That ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness. Nothing makes us so like God as Righteousness; we must be like God not only in Holiness, but in Righteousness. See the distinction between these two, the one signifies Purity of Nature, and the other Justice and Equity in our Dealing and Conversation. For God is holy in all his Ways, and righteous in all his Works; his Essence is holy, and his Administrations just. So the new Man is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness: be like God in both.

2. It is an Evidence of the Truth of Grace, to walk in all your Relations righteously, amiably and justly. We are bidden to bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance, Luke 3.8. that is, such as are meet Evidences that there is a Change wrought. What are these? Defraud no Man; Exact no more than is appointed you, ver. 13. And when the Soldiers came to ask, What shall we do? he said, Do Violence to no Man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your Wages, ver. 14. And that is the reason the Children of God so much stand upon their Righteousness, because it is an Evidence of their Interest in Grace. Job 27.6. My Righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go. Acts 10.35. In every Nation, he that feareth 〈◊〉 and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him ; still it is made to be the Evidence that God hath taken us into his own Grace, and that we are Heirs of Salvation.

3. It is a delight and rejoicing to God, to see his Children just and righteous in all their Dealings. God exceedingly hates Iniquity in Traffick and Commerce. Deut. 25.15, 16. Thou shalt have a perfect and just Weight, a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have; that thy days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an Abomination to the Lord thy God. And it is repeated again, Prov. 20.10. Divers Weights, and divers Measures, both of them are alike Abomination to the Lord. But now it is said, Prov. 15.9. He loveth him that follows after Righteousness. So Psal. 106.3. Blessed are they that keep Judgment; and he that doth Righteousness at all times.

4. It is necessary for the Honor of Religion; Grace teacheth us to live soberly and righteously. Truants at School are a Reproach and Disgrace to the Skill of the Teacher: And so carnal Professors are a Reproach to God. If Men are unrighteous, they never learned it of Grace. Hypocrites usually abound in Acts of Worship and Duties of the first Table, but they seldom make Conscience of Duties of the second Table; here they bewray themselves. What's the Cry of the World? None so unjust and unrighteous in their Dealings as those that profess Religion; this brings a Reproach upon the Ways of God. Neh. 5.9. It is not good that ye do; Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies? It is high time to vindicate Religion, and do it all the Right we can, and make it comely, Rom. 12.17. Provide things honest in the sight of all Men. The wicked World are apt to speak ill of the Gospel of God. Now the Lord would have the World know, that there is no such Friend to Human Society as his Grace. The ancient Fathers were wont to make Challenges, Dent Imperatores tales, tales Consules, tales Exactores fisci, talem exercitum, &c. Let all the World show such Emperors, Princes, Magistrates, such Treasurers, such Soldiers as the Christian Religion can. But Religion is mightily made a Contempt, when Men make it to be the pretence of vile Practices.

5. It will be for your own Comfort, whatever falls out in the World, Good or Evil. Samuel could say, 1 Sam. 12.3. Whose Ox have I taken? or whose Ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any Bribe to blind mine Eyes therewith? If Good come, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with Righteousness, than great Revenues without Right. And in Death you will die comfortably, when you can wash your hands in Innocency.

6. Consider how just some of the Heathens have been, and shall Grace come short? What a Disparagement is this, as if Grace did teach thee to be unjust? Regulus when he had passed his Word, though it were to endure an exquisite Torment, yet he would not break it. Curius Dentatus, when he had been employed in the highest Services of State, as General of an Army, yet after he returns to the Plough again, not enriched at all with public Spoils. Of Aristides it was said, You may sooner pull the Sun out of Heaven, than turn Aristides out of his course. Scevola buying a piece of Ground, and the Seller setting too low a Price, saith he, This is too little, and he gave a great deal more. Abimelech would not have took Sarah, if he had understood she was Abraham 's Wife. Now shall Nature do more than Grace?

SERMON X.

I Come to the third Branch used by the Apostle, wherein the Duty of Man is expressed, and that is Godliness. Here we have a perfect Distribution of the Duty of the Creature. The Duties of our personal Capacity are expressed by Sobriety: