my knowledge he hath carried himself soberly modestly piously and indeed every way commendably In my Testimonials for Holy Orders a little while after Utpote qui ex ante-actâ vitâ magnam nobis spem praebuerit Ecclesiae Reipublicae utilem fore imo pene necessarium The two last Ministers of Sussex whom I served when a Curate Mr. J Dn. of Ch. and Mr. Bor. of Tw gave me this Testimony under their hands May 10. 1689. That Mr. R. C. whom we have been acquainted with these three Years is a Person exemplary and unblamable in his Life and Convâ—rsation Orthodox in his Faith c. My Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. which is as Mille Testes a thousand Witnesses that as God's Grace hath ever preserved me from Whoredom and Adultery Nor do I know that my Will was ever corrupted to have once designed or intended any such thing and if I were to dye the next hour I could not accuse my self of any thing worse which I speak without any Equivocation so have I served God in my Ministry with a pure Heart a good Conscience and a Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. Do but judge according to Charity which thinketh no evil and is not forward to suspect the worst Speak with Charity which casteth a Mantle over others Infirmities even as Christ terms the Church his Spouse the fairest among Women Cant. ch 1. v. 8. although she hath many imperfections in her as Mr. Ager's Paraphrase on it This says he is contrary to the practice of the World who if they see a Man that professeth Religion to be filled with many excellent Virtues that be worthy of praise yet if they can with thejr curious eyes but see any imperfection in him they quickly set him upon the Stage c. They are willing to behold his stains and blemishes and to cover him with infamy and reproach but they bury all things that are comely in him in the grave of Oblivion I begg of the Reader so much candour and ingenuity as to receive this Discourse chiefly rational and argumentative with the same honest mind with which it was intended that God would bless it to the great end of doing good and make it effectual for turning many souls unto righteousness that now lye wallowing in the mire of all Filth and Uncleanness and that those who have been more lately washed clean in Baptism and through their tender years yet are undefiled may flee youthful Lusts and escape the pollutions which are in the World and be preserved pure and blameless for that inheritance which is incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven for them is the hearty Prayer of Theirs Thine and the Churches Servant R. C. A Discourse of Uncleanness COL III. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry THIS Chapter begins with an Exhortation to heavenly-mindedness that the generous spirit of a Christian may be elevated beyond those terrene and sublunary enjoyments and objects of sense to the invisible things of Faith v. 1. Seek those things which are above prosecute them with might and main use all diligence by the most earnest and serious endeavours for the attainment of those things as St. Paul hath it Phil. 3. 12. following after if that I may apprehend c. or lay hold on eternal Life and pressing forward for the prize of our Calling in Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our calling from above or our heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus v. 13. In the 2d v. positively Set your Affections on the things above the things of the other World those better things that you look for hereafter according to the exceeding great and precious Promises that God hath made you in his Son Negatively and not on the things on Earth the base and mean Objects the poor pittiful things here below as not worthy of your affections of your cares and your thoughts according to the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies primarily the application of our minds our reason and understanding sursum sapere as in the Latine to be wise for the things above and not the things on earth The Reasons enforcing this Exhortation are drawn First From their spiritual Resurrection in conformity with Christ If ye be risen with Christ v. 1. or have felt the power of his Resurrection as Phil. 3. 10. or as Eph. 1. 19 20. the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead if this power hath quickned you raised you from sin if this heavenly life and disposition be in you then let the same appear by your heavenly-mindedness 2d Argument From Christ's residence in Heaven in his state of Exaltation where Christ also sitteth on the right hand of God v. 1. in the lat part Is Christ our Head in Heaven and shall we the Members be groveling here on earth should we not rather by our heavenly minds and affections ascend up thither whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place and sitteth to keep possession for us 3d. Arg. Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye are dead from these things below in the 3d. v. by a death unto sin as in our Baptism renouncing and disowning the World the Flesh â—nd the Devil to live no longer according to the course of this World the Lusts of â—he Flesh or the Works of the Devil inâ—onfistent with the Christian Profession and Practice 4th Arg. From their expectation of a glorious life hereafter at Christ's second â—oming v. 4. For when Christ who is our â—ife shall appear then shall ye also appear â—ith him in glory that therefore we should â—ave our Conversation in Heaven from whence we look for that blessed Hope and he glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 13. The Apostle having enforced the positivâ— part or his Exhortation to heavenly-mindedness with these Arguments falls upoâ— a farther prosecution of the Negative Sâ— not your Affections on things on earth giâ—ing the Colossians and us with them a dâ—rection how to carry our selves towardâ— them even in a Mortification of our Members which are upon earth Fornication â— that is of our earthly and sensual Affection Mortificare or to Mortifie in English as much as mortuum facere to make deaâ— cause to dye or put to death when applied to sin it is a figurative Speech takeâ— from things which have life and probablâ— enough from the Sacrifices under the Law which were kill'd and slain by the Priest bâ—fore they were offered upon the Altar aâ—swerably to which we must kill the old maâ— of sin before we can become a Sacrifice aâ—ceptable to God by Jesus Christ Killing the Old man or the first Adaâ— as 1 Cor. 15. 45. Not in respect of tâ— Substance but the Quality the evil Dispâ—sitions the corrupt Nature descended aâ— conveighed to
us from Adams sin and â— from God and the Holiness of his firâ— estate Crucifying the flesh we read of and Crâ—cified to the World an Allusion to Christs death upon the Cross a painfull and tormenting death and so is Death commonly attended with pain the pains of Death at the last hour and the preceding hours and sometimes days which makes Nature look upon Death with a great deal of horrour and reluctancy And thus corrupt Nature looks upon mortifying the fleshly lusts as a sore evil it puts the flesh to a great deal of pain and misery it afflicts the Body in denying it satisfaction crossing it in its sinful desires its evil lustings and therefore it is compared in Scripture to the plucking out a right Eye to the cutting off a right Hand or a right Foot and casting it from one so difficult is it for a man to deny himself herein in the Mortification of his darling Lust This to mortifie your members c. saith one of the Fathers is the hardest Text in the whole Bible and the hardest Duty in Christianity that we can go about Mortification of sin is the giving a deadly wound to sin to the reigning and commanding power of sin which is the Life of sin subduing the Corruption and wickedness of our Natures the evil Inclinations and dispositions of man in his saln sinful state so that the heart is cleansed and purged from the love of sin sin disabled from lording it and having the dominion over us every unruly Lust overmastered and brought under This is Mortification or the giving a deadly wound to sin even as a man is said to be a dead man when he is mortally wounded or when he is inwardly decayed as to his vital parts or the breaking some principal Vein in the Body albeit in some such cases they have some remainder of life and that may continue sometimes years after or as when the main Body of an Army is routed and beaten out of field or dead upon the place though there may be some striving and strugling or faint resistance from the remainder yet it doth not hinder them from the Victory Even so it is here when the main Body of sin is subdued and beaten out of the Heart of a Christian though there be some Reliquiae or remainders of corruption yet sin is mortified for this mortifying work iâ— not perfect here it doth not root out sin and dispossess it wholly that we should have no sin at all left in us or sin no more and be pure from sin after Mortification For the most righteous man upon the â—acâ— of the Earth hath the seed of sin the rooâ— of evil in him Flesh as well as Spirit aâ— Heart deceitfull and desperately wicked considered naturally in and of it self as well as a new heart and a new spirit formed in Christ Jesus And therefore the unregenerate part hath need to be still mortified lest otherwise it break out into those evils and abominations which we read of in Lot's Drunkenness and Incest Jacob's deceitful dealing with Laban Davia's Murther and Adultery Solomon's Idolatry and Carnality Jonah's great Impatience and Murmuring against God and self-justifying in his so doing Peter's denyal of his Master with Cursing and Swearing too St. Mark 14. 71. Which are sad evidences of the frailty of our Nature and the abiding of sin alter sanctification as Rom. 7. largely proves our indwelling sin to be soliciting and tempting and stirring to evil and we have need of continued Influences of the Spirit to carry on this work of Mortification continually it is not to be only for a time by fits and starts but when we have masterâ—d sin and conquered its temptation at present it will renew its strength and return upon you again like that Monster Hydra's â—ead it will repullulate and find you work or repeating your assaults and reiterating â—our mortifying blows like a conquered Nation which will be labouring still to recover its former power and soveraignty and must be continually kept under with standing Garrisons so sin will be restless and striving still for the mastery taking all occasions to soil us if we do not hold up a constant work killing sin when it is reviving nipping it when in the bud least it sprouâ— and grow up again and bring forth its corrupt fruit But more of this in the Use for Trial of our Mortification Having shown what Mortification is we come next to shew what is meant by Members Piscator says of the Apostle Cupidi tates vocat membra and Mr. Leigh in hiâ— Annotations much the same Lusts some oâ— which he nameth afterwards Dr. Hammond understands it of our inordinate Affections Dr. Preston says by Members iâ— meant Sin or any foul Affection or desirâ— of the Heart when our Affections fix oâ— settle upon an unlawful Object as anotheâ— Man's Possessions another Man's Wife oâ— any acts of Uncleanness as those out of married estate are all unclean any Heathenish or Popish Antichristian Honour and Preferments Or when the Heart is set upon lawfâ— things in an undue measure an immoderatâ— distrustful care of his worldly concernâ— which otherwise were lawful and must bâ— cared for with Faith and Sobriety A Man may take some kind of Pleasure and use some sports Hunting Fishing Hawking Bowling for his Recreation while he hath the command over his Affections but if he be captivated and his heart brought under the power of any as 1 Cor. 6. 12. to love the World to love his lawful Comforts or his Child excessively if his love to any Creature eclipse his Love to God and draw away his Heart from Religion and deaden his joys and delights in God and Duty or be so predominant that a man cannot resign up that Creature that Comfort to God to bear the loss of it it becomes sin and defiles the Man Our Lusts and corrupt Affections are called Members because 1. The whole Corruption of Man's Nature is compared to a Mans Body and called the body of Sin Rom. 6. 6. and the body of Death the latter not only because it was so grievous to the Apostle as that lamentable Exclamation noteth O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. that it was as death is to a natural Man or worse than death to him but a body of death in that sense as we are dead in trespasses and sins being the cursed fruit and effect of spiritual death the remainder of that death and called a body because of its quantity there being a mass an heap of Corruption even in the Saints though it be overpowred by God's Grace and hindered from breaking forth in their Lives in that measure as it doth in the Unregenerate Now every soul Affection is as a Member of this Body every unmortified Lust a limb in this old man of sin 2. Lusts are called Members because they do work in our Members Iam. 4. 1. Whence come wars
is not like to hold out long against the outward Arts of Sin when it shall have let in such a Multitude of Enemies and such an Army of lusts have got possession laying close Siege to the Will and almost continually Assaulting and Importuning it to Surrender and give up its consent naturally to be sure it will yield and the Filthiness within abounding grieves the Holy Spirit and provokes him to withdraw his Supernatural Strength and leave it destitute and when Sin and Satan have beaten a Christian out of this Post and overcome the Will which is as the walls to a City the Strength and Fortification of it and its Defence then the day is its own when the walls are won the City is taken so when the Consent of the Will is come over to Sin but a step from the Will to the Deed a quick and an easie passage then for to work out Uncleanness and to fulfill the Lusts of the Flesh For though the Spirit Lusteth against the Flesh and so may disappoint it for once or twice in the sudden motions of the Will for consent as by stirring in the Conscience and awaking it at the Instant when it would have Sinn'd or by denying it opportunity or by presenting some unexpected Let or Remora in the way of Sin yet if the Will remain deliberately in its choice evil Inclination and Disposition to Sin if it can have a fit opportunity opportunity will not ever be wanting nor a Will to Sin when Temptation and Opportunity serve and when once Mens Lusts break forth they are Fruitful and Multiply to the working all Uncleanness with greediness so that unless we mortify our inward Corruption and keep the Heart right or bent of the Will against Sin we lose all Hiâ— labor hoc opus here is the difficulty in thâ— work of Mortification The next thing to be considered is Covetousness an Evil coveting after Riches for measure more than God gives us a greater portion than his Providence deals out to us in our Place and Calling and iâ— they be desired or sought after in an undue manner any way that is in consistent with our Duty to God or Man this Covetousness is tearmed Idolatry Spiritual Idolatry as you read Ezek. 14. 3. Of those that set up their Idols in their Hearts the giving that inward Worship to a Creature which is due to God by loving our Wealth more than God and Godliness fearing the loss of them more than the loss of Gods favour of Christ and of Heaven taking Riches for their chief good and comfort Setting up Wealth for their strong Mountain and Defence against evil and putting their Confidence therein or trusting in the multitude of their Riches seeking them more earnestly or serving not God but the World with all your strength But this is somewhat besides my intended discourse and hath been excellently handled as to the matter by Mr. Richard Allen in his World Conquered or Faiths Victory over the World to which I referr you against the World ¶ I come now to the general Duty contained in the words that all Uncleanness is to be mortifyed God will have the Body of this Sin destroyed and every particular Limb or Member Fornication Inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence Root and Branch none of it must remain unsubdued be stubbed up by the Roots as well as the Boughs lopped off 2 Thes 4. 7. God hath called us not to Vncleanness but to Holiness and he will have us to be clean that so we may be holy that our Bodies be not abused to Fornication because that 1 Cor. 6. 13. The Body is not for Fornication not designed by him that made it for such an use and that our Souls do not resemble the unclean Spirits that they do not enter in and dwell there but that our Souls and Bodies be preserved pure and chast Jud. 28. our inward and outward Man cleansed from all Filthiness Gal. 5. 24. and that we hate even the Garments spotted with the Flesh or Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and the Lusts thereof The first Argument for Mortification of our Lusts is for to answer the Purity and Holiness of the Christian Religion Our Religion is pure and undefiled in respect cuse us of them Minutius Foelix p. 24. Such infamous filthiness which we do not care to hear and may much less defend As to the Jews their practice did not reach the purity of the Christian Religion Abraham had his Hagar and Issue by her as well as by Sarah his Wife Jacob had his two Wives Leah and Rachel and their handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah Gen. 30. David and Solomon had their many Wives and Concubines and no doubt but they did offend therein though it was not so plainly and undoubtedly evil as it is now in the clear light of the Gospel As to the Turks those whom they call Imailer or Religious Brothers of Love are worse than Beasts in their Lusts sparing neither Women nor Boys they take many Wives according to their Wealth and Quality and the Grand Seigniour his Seraglio full of Virgins for his own use When Malachi ch 2. 14. 15. The Lord hath been witness between thee and the Wife of thy Youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously yet is she thy Companion and the Wife of thy Covenant and did he not make one One Woman for one Man only Eve for Adam and wherefore one that he might seek a Godly seed an Holy seed or posterity in Gods way and according to Gods Ordinance in its first Institution in Paradise and not according to the depravation and corruption of it afterwards by Poligamy I shall conclude this head with an excellent Relation out of Eusebius his Eccles History lib. 8. c. 14. p. 312. When Maximinus the Emperour governed in the Eastern parts among other effects of his wild and brutish fury and extravagance he filled all places where he came with Adulteries and Ravishments abusing Women and deflowring Virgins which succeeded well enough says the Historian with all others except only Christians who generously despising death made light of the rage and fury of the Tyrant The men underwent all sorts of Punishments which Cruelty could invent the Women bore up with a Courage no less manly and unconquerable and when any were drawn out to be abused they rather submitted their Lives to Death which showes that the Lives of those Primitive Christians was answerable to the preceptive part of their Religion and their practice above all others Second Reason for Mortification of all Uncleanness Because that while our Lusts remain unmortified all our Services will be rejected Isa 1. 13 14. Their 〈…〉 ings were vain Incense an Abominatiâ—â— their Religious days their New-Moons â—â—eir Sabbaths and their appointed Feasts my Soul hateth saith the Lord their religious Assemblies too I cannot away with it is Iniquity even your solemn meeting In the 16 vers Wash you make you clean inwardly clean or as vers 10 implies cleanse
all humility seek it of God and in Faith expect it and depend upon God for it Next Ordinance to be improved is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper where we may get some help also against this sin against the guilt of this sin in that Christs Blood was shed for the Remission of sin and so he is said to bear our sin on his own Body on the Tree and Christ dyed for our sins the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world St. John 1. 29. and putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself Christs Death being considered in that Ordinance as an Atonement for Sin Against the Power of Sin you know the Sacrament is a strengthning Ordinance according to that My Flesh is Meat iâ—deed and my Blood is Drink indeed that iâ— Christs Body and Blood being receiveâ— spiritually the taking Christ in his Offices of Prophet Priest and King is â— real nourishment for our Souls spiritâ—al Beings requiring spiritual Food â— Meat and Drink is for our Bodies Eating and drinking is for strengthning thâ— Body and so this spiritual food is hearty food of good nourishment of greaâ— strength I can do â—ll things through Chrisâ— strengthning me saith St. Paul Philip. 4. 13 And in this Ordinance Christ strengtheneth here especially If our Lusts bâ— strong and powerful so be it they havâ— not the Dominion over us for then wâ— are not fit for this Ordinance if we comâ— with unmortified reigning lusts lo herâ— is one that is stronger and is able to binâ— these lusts to overmaster them and keeâ— them under in subjection And thus maâ— a Soul plead with God at this Ordinance or as the Leper Mat. 8. 2. Lord if thoâ— wilt thou canst make me clean and he said I wilâ— be thou clean Lord speak to my Soul thaâ— powerful word and I shall be clean Thoâ— that commandest the tempestuous Winds and they cease the troubled Sea and Water that cast up mire and dirt and they rest command my unruly lusts and they shall be still and not send forth their filthy and polluted imaginations thoughts words or actions to defile my Soul and Body And as we receive Christs Body pure from Sin by an immaculate Conversion that so our sinful Souls and Bodies may be washed and made clean by his Body as â—t was given for our sins and through his most precious Blood and our Bodies continue pure and undefiled Members of Christ and not be made the Members of an Harlot One thing too should not be forgotten that if you have formerly come to this Holy Sacrament with your Lusts and so polluted this Ordinance and defiled the Body and Blood of Christ and made them vile by taking them into your â—ile Bodies unclean loathsome and abominable be sure your Soul be humbled for that and perhaps you will find your Lusts stir before the Sacrament to put you in mind of it and call you to this Humiliation for polluting former Sacraments that nothing may remain to corrupt or hinder the efficacy of the present Sacrament One thing more also in Ministers especially may provoke God to leave them to sins or temptations of this kind when they allow a mix'd Communion of the clean and the unclean not only in the Church but in this Ordinanceâ— A corruption and depravation in the scandalous neglect of Discipline at present which the Holy God disalloweth of anâ— complaineth that his Priests had profancâ— the holy things putting no difference between the holy and the profane the cleaâ— and the unclean Ezek. 22. 26. 1 Cor. 5. 1 â— and the Rubrick before the Communion condemning this practice c. Another Ordinance to be improved iâ— the Word You know the Word is powerful and as in the 119th Psalm v. 9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse hiâ— way by taking heed thereto according to thâ— Word Youthful Lusts they are called aâ— if that Age above and beyond all otherâ— were most in danger by these lusts and therefore a Young Man hath great need to cleanse his way to walk in clean paths And how must this be done it is said by taking heed by a due care to walk according to the Word of God Psal 19 8 9. The Commandment of the Lord is pure and the fear of the Lord is clean clean iâ— its effects cleansing the Soul from sin John 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you When you hear the Word of God preached for Mortification of Lust Purity of Heart â—r the like take diligent heed to that word especially for that is a proper Word a suitable word for your Soul And â—f your own Parish Minister do not preach â—pon such subjects or very little and â—ery seldom preach against this reigning â—n if you hear upon enquiry of Texts of â—ny other Minister that preacheth near â—ou on this point go hear him for one Lords day or two for God works most with the Word preached and that Word which is preached is most proper powâ—rful too when it touches your conditiâ—n most and comes home to your beloâ—ed Lust Besides this there is another way of â—mproving the Word of God to very â—reat Advantage and that by treasuring â—p such places of Scripture as suit most â—ith the case of your Soul as in this partiâ—lar such places of Scripture Psal 119. â— Wherewithal shall a young man or maid â—eanse his way c. and 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee so youthful lusts but follow righteousness â—ith charity with them that call on the Lord â—t of a pure heart Coloss 3. 5 6. Mortifie â—erefore your Members which are upon Earth â—ornication Vncleanness inordinate affectiâ— evil concupisence c. For which things sake the Wrath of God cometh on the Chiâ—dren of Disobedience But Mat. 5. 8. Bleâ—sed are the pure in Heart for they shall sâ— God And 1 Ep. of St. John 3. 3. Eveâ— one that hath this hope in him purifieth himseâ— even as he is pure Create in me a clean Heaâ— O God c. Ps 51. 10. Lord if thou wiâ— thou canst make me clean with Ezek. 37. 3â— Then shall ye remember your own evil wâ— and your doings which were not good and shâ— loath your selves in your own sight for yoâ— Iniquities and for your Abominations â— bring you to Repentance These and the like places of Scripturâ— being often Repeated in your Mind eveâ— day or in the time of Temptation wâ— be of great use to charm your Lusts aâ— lay them asleep to cleanse the young Mâ— way If the Devil at the rehearsal â— some words serviceable to the black Aâ— Charms people how much rather do yâ— think that the Holy Spirit will work wâ— the Word inspired by him And wâ— should it not be as powerfully and effecâ—ally as the Devil doth in his Charâ— Works if you be as much devoted God and as skilful in the word of Riâ—teousness as they are in the Devils Aâ— and devoted unto him But if we
and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts which war in your members and Rom. 7. 23. I see a law sin likened to a Law as claiming Obedience to be due to it all Mankind being fallen under the Dominion of sin in my members this Law this Imperium acting and stirring in my Members and warring against the Law of my mind or the Law of God in my mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my Members Sin doth as it were reside and dwell in our Members according to the import of these words sin which is in my members as inhabiting there as well in the Body as in the Soul And though the Body doth not always sin actually yet it is ne 〈…〉 pure from sin but hath an habit of sin in wicked men the corruption of the Soul having overspread the whole Man but the principal sense that I insist on is that wherein the Members serve for the acting of sin and so they are called weapons of Vnrighteousness or as the common Translation hath it Instruments fit Tools for to work and do the deed when once sin is inwardly conceived in the Soul and hath made its motion for the consent of the Will and gained the point Voluntas domina Membrorum the Will is the Commandress of the Members which are as Servants ready to do their Mistresses pleasure in the execution of sin you know Lust works in the eye gazing upon Beauty in the ear hearkning to lascivious Discourse in the hand by a wanton Dalliance and in the Palate delighted in the tasting of dainty Meats and Drinks so that in a secondary sense it may be understood of these to be mortified keeping the Body under by Fasting and Abstinence 3. Our Lusts are called Members because they are as dear unto a carnally-minded man and as well bâ—loved aâ— his Members and therefore in Scripture our Lusts are called a right-hand and a right-eye that is they sâ—ick as close to the Heart and Affections and it is as hard to deny these to part with a beloved Lust as to part with â—â—e of our dearest Members I have read oâ— one who having sore Eyes it might have been better for Temperance if he had had a sore throat and being told he must leave off his Drunkenness else he must loose hiâ— eye-sight said Farewell then sweet Eyes so dear was that Lust to him that he would keep it with the loss not of one but ever of both his Eyes And I have heard of â— greater Person who having had a fit of thâ— Apoplexy and being much addicted tâ— Women was told if he did not leave of that ill-course it would shorten his Life yet his Peccatum in deliciis his sweet Morsel or as the Psalmist calls it Psal 18. 23 his own iniquity would not be denied anâ— proved eventually true of his untimely end Though Life is sweet yet you see a Lusâ— is sweeter so that Life and Honour anâ— Conscience and Heaven even all must gâ— for a beloved Lust They are not only called Members buâ— Members which are upon Earth First Because they are exercised upon earthly things as Riches and Treasures which are as â— were fetched out of the Earth as our Golden Silver Mines c. afford us our Money and other choice Jewels must not bâ— referred to Air Fire Water but Earth as the Element to which they belong anâ— into which they will be dissolved into a more pure and refined Dust or the delicious Fruits of the Earth which serve for Meat and Drink and are abused to Gluttony and Drunkenness even the Bodies of Men and Beasts are Earth in their Original and in the Funeral Service we say elegantly Earth to Earth Dust to Dust so that the pleasure which the Glutton hath from his Meat and the Unclean Person from his Lusts are but earthly pleasures Secondly Our Lusts and evil Affections are called Members upon Earth because they continue with us during our natural abode upon Earth We here are in a corruptible State and so we gather soil and defilement by conversing with an evil World and the flesh will be lusting in us and enâ—icing us to sin until we come to Heaven and that blessed State there more spiritual and refined from the Dreggs of Earth and the impurities of the Flesh Having handled in general the Doctrine of Mortification of Lusts I now come to particulars Fornication comes in the first place to be considered sometimes it is used more largeâ—y for actual Uncleanness as 1 Cor. 5. 1. The Incestuous Corinthians act in marrying his Fathers Wife called Fornication and this sense seemeth to be the more commoâ— sense of the Word in Scriptures as in Maâ— 15. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 8. yet in 1 Cor. 6. 9 Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor effâ—minate nor abusers of themselves with mankind where the other sorts of Uncleanness natural or unnatural are reckoned up aâ— but Bestiality which makes for the otheâ— sense of the word Fornication that of Whoredom which is committed between two single unmarried Persons and in that it differâ— from Adultery because it is not against anâ— Marriage-Covenant and so hath no Perjurâ— of that kind and because the Married havâ— the Remedy against Uncleanness and consequently the better may and ought to be satisfied therewith yet the place before mentioned 1 Cor. 6. 9. assures us no Fornicatoâ— shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not excluding Repentance here as in otheâ— sins there remaining some place for Repentance and because we do not find in thâ— Law of God the Punishment of Whoredom to be absolutely Death as in case oâ— Adultery This Fornication must be Mortified iâ— those that have done thus wickedly thaâ— they do so no more and sin not for thâ— time to come as heretofore but work ouâ— of their Hearts the love of the sin and ceaâ—â— the practice of it until they have got the victory to relapse no more into it and loath themselves for their former Abominations bewailing that ever they were so foully spotted with the Flesh But the best way is to mortifie or subdue the temptations to it so as never to sin the sin None that carry Flesh and Blood about them should think it strange to be tempted to it that of the Apostle being true herein that no temptation hath happened to them â—ut what is common to men incident to â—umane nature to good as well as bad â—en the best have found themselves tempâ—ed and probable enough very strongâ—y tempted by their youthful Lusts â—hey are a sore temptation if not the â—reatest in our whole Lives and there is â—s much difficulty in conquering these unâ—ly Lusts as in breaking young headâ—rong Horses and taming of wild Beasts â—r the like and a great part of peoples â—eligion must be placed in it and they â—ust be very careful however they fall by â—sser guilt and the corruption of their â—earts to keep off from this greater
your selves from the sins of Sodom according to those words Ye Rulers of Sodom Ye people of Gomorrha and verse 21 How is the faithful City become an Harlot may be compared with that before be literally understood and argue their guilt even in this kind Further the 2 Tim. â— 22. Flee also youthful Lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart the words import as if none did follow after Righteousness but such as call on the Lord out of a pure heart others are not mentioned in the number nor their Services of any account not accepted as the works of Righteousness If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayers saith David David was an Holy man God himself gave him that Testimony yet while his Lusts remained unmortified after his Adultery with Bathsheba and like enough some time before it his Prayers were not heard it is plain enough by that instance of his Murther of Vriah adding Sin unto Sin If his Prayers had been heard as no doubt but he did pray in the Interim between the Adultery committed and the Prophet Nathans reproof of him by the Parable God would never have left him to fall further not into so crying a Sin as the Murther of the Husband This seems too to have been the case of Solomon while his lusts remained unmortified as during his many Wives all his religious performances availed little or nothing as 1 Kings 11. where you find him drawn away by his Women to Idolatry in the 4th verse it is said his Wives turned away his heart after other Gods building high places for their Idols Even thus it is with Good men while their lusts remain unmortified their Services remain unaccepted In Malachi 2. 13. ye read of those that covered the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out but the Lord regarded not their offering nor received it with good will at their hands yet they said Wherefore Answered because they dealt treacherously with the Wife of your youth vers 1â— explaineth it the Lord saith that he hateth putting away This I urge in no wise as anâ— argument against prayer and other duties as if people should cease to pray and leave serving God because of the naughtiness of their hearts for that were running farther and farther from God and that grace which should reform and better them But only for this end that people should pray more and even turn the chief force of their prayers against their Lusts and labour more to bring their Lusts in subjection that so nothing remain to hinder their prayers from being heard or to defile and pollute their Services Third Argument for Mortification Unmortified lusts argue a man to be dead in Grace such as remain unsubdued when constant and permanent and not only temporary as in good men Titus 3. 3. For we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts and pleasures sometime that is in their unregenerate Estate 1 Tim. 5. 6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth even as those 2 Tim. 3. 4. Who were lovers of pleasures more than lovers of â—od And those Eph. 2. 1 2 3. before they were quickned or received the spirit of Life from God were â—ead in trespasses and sins dead as to the â—piritual Life the life of Gaace which â—â— the most sad and deplorable kind of death they are said to have had theâ— Conversation in the lusts of their Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by nature or their corruption of nature since sin and the fall children of wrath even as others all others are while they walk in the lusts of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye stand Condemned by the word of God and adjudged to eternal death But if ye through the spirit do mortisie the deeds of the body ye shall live When any of Pythagoras his Scholars had degenerated in their Morals from the sober modest and vertuous precepts of their Master and let themselves loose to all kind of Vice and brutish sensuality there was set a Bier as for dead mens Corps in his Room to signifie that the man was dead though the Beast was alive Among those that were invited to the Gospel Feast Luke 14. 20. you find one made his excuse he had Married a Wife and could not come not come and serve God in his Ordinances or at least not heartily his heart was after his Lusts Not to be so taken as if a Married State were inconsistent with Religion or that they did ill in Marrying which is an Ordinance of God but the laying Religion aside then as if it were not a time for Religion and indulging their Lusts and giving themselves up to their Marriage pleasure without any regard to God for to serve him which must be our main business in every estate of Life Fourth Argument for Mortification of our Lusts Because we vowed to God and Covenanted in our Baptism to renounce the sinful lusts of the Flesh The Devil the World and the Flesh are the enemies of our Salvation mentioned in our Church Catechism and in holy Scripture as Eph. 2. 2 3. St. James ch 1. 4. Lusts are said to War in our Members and in 1 Epist of Peter c. 2. 11. Abstain from fleshly Lusts which War against the Soul and the Soul must War against them for ever renouncing all the sinful lusts of the Flesh that is disowning rejecting them their motions and temptations with an hatred and abhorrence of them in our hearts or at least such a dislike of them as may prevail against them Now if Covenants made in worldly matters as Bonds and Leases bind their Heirs and Successours even the Children yet unborn so in Spirituals when Parents Covenant for their Children in Baptism desiring it for their Children and procuring others as Sureties to be bound with them for the greater assurance of the Childrens Religious Education and performance of the Covenant Duties and Conditions no doubt but it binds them as much in Spirituals to stand to and perform the Religious as well as the Civil Contracts and Covenants And he is Perjur'd who breaks this solemn Vow and Covenant that lives at peace and at friendship with the World or the Flesh loving his Lusts without that hatred and enmity which he is bound to by Baptism to strive and struggle with them for the Mastery to Watch and Pray and use all good and holy means for their Mortification and so long as ye hold out this good fight of Faith resisting this Spiritual Enemy and praying against your Lusts so long you keep your ground and quit your selves like men and are Conquerours if you are not Conquered though you may not have that full Victory that triumphant satisfaction in your Spirit and that inward peace which some others have But if once they
should hide it from Man at the time of acting this Sin yet shall not God see it I have read of a Woman who being very importunate with one of the Fathers Paphnutius to corrupt him he at last yielded to her provided she could contrive it so as to be sure none should see them and when she had led him up into the most secret Chamber she thought she had done the condition But saith he are you sure that there is no one present or to that effect doth noâ— God see us If we sin will it not be in his presence And upon the sense of being under Gods sight and presence urged home by him she was so effectually convinced that she fetched a deep Groan her eyes run down with tears she fell down upon her Knees detesting her wicked Life and â—â—ntinued for her life-time praying Thou that madest me have mercy upon me Consider thou that art afraid to commit Adultery in the Market-place or in the presence of thy Husband how art thou not afraid to sin in the presence of that God who is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity If men see thee thou wouldest be ashamed but God sees thee and his Eye is upon thee who beholdeth ungodliness and wrong to requite it and recompense the sinner according to his ways He seeth in secret into the secrets of thy heart and intentions of Adultery and into thy secret Chambers Psal 139. sets forth Gods all-seeing eye and Omnipresence And you know God hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the World and as Eccles 12. 14. God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing Matth. 4. 22. There is nothing hid which shall not be manifested neither any thing kept secret but that it shall come abroad Again lastly Some are emboldned to sin with the hopes of Repentance they say it is but repenting and all is well and though now their youthful blood runs hot in their Veins yet when the heat of youth is over or when they are out of their Time saith this or that Apprentice and when they light of a good Match they will Marry and live honestly I Answer I could heartily wish that you would repent at any time but I must tell you you are not sure of repenting at all unless you do it now There are thousands in Hell who meant to repent before they dyed but they presumed that they were yet young enough and might have time to repent hereafter and so sinned on untill they were either hardened in their sin and had no will to repent or put it off so long until Death came upon them in their unpardoned and unrepented sins and dying in their sins they perished everlastingly And tell me would it not be sad to put off Repentance so long Secondly Thy resolving to Repent so many years hence is but a purposing to sin in the mean while and that must be a sin of knowledge against checks of Conscience telling thee that thou oughtest to repent at present and sinning deliberately too considering thy danger and the hazard thou runnest in not repenting at present and a sinning wilfully too thou wilt have thy sin at present whatever comes of it and all these amount to a great measure of guilt Thirdly This sin leaves little place for Repentance First Acts of Whoredom and Adultery do not use to go singly but to multiply in their kind When hath it been known that such Persons have stopt at the first act and sinned no more especially if they have opportunity for more And you know that this sin it self is great and deadly as St. James 3. 8. useth that word and our Church From Fornication and all other deadly sin good Lord deliver us If one single act of Fornication be such an hainous sin much more will repeated acts of the same sin harden men in sin past all recovery Besides the pleasure of this Sin is of such a bâ—witching nature that the first sin leads on to a second the second to a third falling further and further still as through the pleasure for stolen waters are sweet so partly through the love the parties bear to each other so that if they come into one anothers compaâ—y their Affections discover themselves and they would fain have opportunity to sin again Nay this Sin begets such a love in the Adulterous Persons that an Husband or a Wife must be left if not as sometimes it falls out murthered that they may be the more free and undisturbed in the enjoyment of each other Upon which accounts and because this Sin exceedingly grievâ—â— the Pure and Holy Spirit of God that proves true by common experience which we find in Prov. 2. 18 19. of the strange Woman which forsaketh the Guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God for her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead yea and to the damned None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Scarce any that go to her return or repent unto Life and Salvation as those words import Think of this place of Scripture when you are tempted by a lewd Woman think of it seriously and repeat it inwardly in your minds and if there be opportunity speak it openly in â—he hearing of others and you will find the thoughts of Repentance afterwards and the temptation to sin upon that account vanish Lastly Few can follow this Sin but â—hat they will be tainted with such a Diâ—temper as will engage and oblige them to â—in on and give it to others that so as â—he common speech goes they may find â—ome case and cure to thâ—mselves such as sin upon that account should remember that they may come off with the worst and encrease their distemper by sinning with some this hath been found true though such a 〈◊〉 deeply infected if they neglect a timely cure will be put under a necessity of ruining Soul or Body of ruining the Body if they forbear sinning and that ruine to the Body by such a loathsome distemper as makes them dread the thoughts of it and rather to persist in the Sin and compleat the ruine and damnation of the Soul which they looked upon in a manner as ruined or half ruined before And indeed by sinning to Fornication or Adultery the Soul is fair for ruine yet with Clemens Alexandrinus whose error mentioned in Mr. Sympsons History of the Church Possibly God may grant to them that have sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if we sin oftner than once or twice there is no more renewing by Repentance or pardon for sin but a fearful expectation of Judgment Though Gods Mercy which is Infinite and can abundantly pardon must not be limited as if he could not nor would not pardon those that have repeated and multiplyed their acts of sin if they repent and because Gods Grace is freely given as an Infinite Being must needs be free in his Operations
a time only thus soliciting him they are as a Disease grievous to one that useth to enjoy his Health he is in pain and misery as one that hath a bone out of joynt they are as a wound to his Spirit as an heavy burthen the Man is restless and uneasie and cannot be satisfied until he get rid of these unclean Spirits and recover his former purity again As for our own sins so for the sins of the Nation to bewail them and lay them to heart as it is a great help to the Mortification of Lust so is it an infallible sign being conjoyned with the former that our heart is purified and the love to this sin mortified In the 2d Ep. to Pet. 2. ch 7. and 8. Verses you will find Righoeous Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked and again it s said in seeing and hearing that he vexed his righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds And so Jer. 9. and 2. Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place that I might leave my People and go from them for they be all Adulterers Jer. 23. 9 10. Mine heart within me is broken c. for the Land is full of Adulterers Psal 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law And as David wept for his own sin in this kind his Adultery so no doubt but it fetched tears from him to bewail the sins of others against the seventh Commandment as well as the rest 158. v. I beheld the Transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word Where the Godly have offended most when they are recovered they use to repent most and to grieve most for sins of that kind to manifest the truth of their Repentance and grieving also for the fearful Judgments that this Sin must needs bring down upon this Nation Oh but to what a pass is this Nation come That instead of grieving at the scandalous guilt and trembling at the fearful Judgments that these Abominations have denounced against them in the Word of God are so far hardened as to make it matter of Sport and Pastime their laughter and merriment with the Adultery and the lewd Women of Great Persons How many abusive Jests are there upon the blameless Husband of the Adulteress to shame him It would not be serious enough to mention them nor the Name which is commonly given him He that would not partake of the Judgments of God and the Plagues Temporal Spiritual and Eternal when he comes to take Vengeance on the Nation for this Sin and other our Sins which without a further Reformation are not like to go unpunished must be in the number of those that mourn in Zion for all these abominations Oh how provoking a thing is it to make a mock of Sin This is one great step towards committing of the Sin to have pleasure in it when acted by others And no wonder if this Sin break forth in their Hearts and their Lives who are such friends to it in the Discourse and who are so much taken with it in the Story will be much more pleased in the acting of it and show plainly enough that they have not mortified their Uncleanness of Heart not the sweet not the pleasure of the Sin Consider the inhumanity of this practice that makes it Diversion Recreation to toss about the sins of others from one to the other until they go round the Parish and afford jocular Entertainment to all that hear and know the Offenders If a Man fell into a Pit and lamed or wounded or grievously hurt himself so as by that fall to bring his life into great and apparent Danger were not that Man to be pitied rather than laughed or scoffed at and thus it is with the Adulterous Persons they fall into a pit and snare of the Devils and of the Flesh they wound their souls most sorely and desperately and bring themselves into such danger of eternal Death and Damnation as that but very few escape and are not such Persons Objects of pity And should we not be compassionately concerned for them if we have any sense of that sad and wretched case they are in Not as many laugh at their Calamity and mock at their Misery which is most barbarous You that can weep at the Death of a Friend and are afflicted in any great Affliction that befalls them what can't you shed a tear for their Eternal Condition and the Evil which this Sin exposeth them unto The last Mark for Discovery of this Purity is from the Constancy of it Sin may be held in for a while by common Restraining Grace and so the outward Acts be forborn until the Violence of Temptation comes to try and assault their Chastity and then it cannot hold it out without an inward Principle of Grace and an Heart set against the Sin with Resolution If your Purity and Chastity hold in the heat of Summer as well as in the cold of Winter when temptation is present and you have opportunities of sin as well as when there are none of these nigh you to importune you If the manner and course of your Life be chast if it be common customary without any relapses into your old sins and Acts of Whoredom or the like for one such Act calls all your Repentance into question and may set you again into your old courses and unmortifie all your Mortiâ—â—eation especially if it proceed to a second and a third Use Hence we learn how sadly Christianity in the practice is degenerated from the Precept how much our Lusts have defiled the pure and undefiled Reliâ—â—on Where shall we find the Purity and Chastity of a Christian The Church of Rome that boasts her self to be the Mother of all Churches or the Metropolis of Christendom she is become the Mother of Harlots in a literal sence as Rev. 17. 5. And as to their Doctrine corrupted too forbidding to marry and allowing Fornication before it And that they may not want provision for their Lust several of the Popes have not only given an open Toleration of Brothel-houses but received Salaries from them And though the late Puritan Pope as they called him excell'd his Ancestors and would not suffer them in his Territories yet they removed but a little further and set up their Brothel-houses in the very next Principality As to our own Nation that goeth under the Name of Reformed but hath as much and more need of a Reformation now in this particular than ever in the Times of Popery We read of one or two of the Romish Kings that kept their Women or rather some particular Person for this ill use but it was in corners and by stealth but hath not our late King of the Reformation out-done all that were before him in the number and multitude of his Women and their open-fac'd Boldness and Impudency So that it hath had too great an encouragement from the Examples of Great