presumptuous easily deceived and refractory to Reason the superior Faculties the Understanding and Will are basely servile to the Carnal Appetites The wise Preacher intimates this in his bitter Irony Rejoice O young Man in thy Youth and let thy Heart chear thee in the days of thy Youth and walk in the ways of thy Heart and in the sight of thine Eyes but know for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Vain Mirth and loose Desires are usually indulged in the spring of our Age therefore the Apostle emphatically warns Timothy though a mortified young Man Flee youthful Lusts. In the maturer Age the â—â—â—sual Passions are cooler less vigorous and active and youthful Lusts are changed for other Lusts that are not so scandalous and leave not such a visible stain but are as destructive to the Soul. 'T is very observable in humane Nature that as the Affections in their sensible Operations decay the Understanding improves and recovers its ruling Power 't is visible in many Instances that Men in their staid Age despise those things that had a ravishing force upon them in their unsetled Youth But when the Mind is tainted with a false esteem of present things as 't is in all those who are in a state of polluted Nature it leads the Will and Affections to pursue Riches and Dignities Carnal Wisdom is distinguish'd by St. James into three kinds 't is earthly sensual devilish with respect to the tempting Objects in the World Riches Pleasures Honours The Sensual Wisdom is in contriving and appointing the Means that may accomplish the Desires of the Flesh. After the Flesh is satiated the earthly Wisdom designs earthly Things and uses such Means as are fit to obtain them to ascend in Power and Command or to raise Estates with wretched neglect of the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness that should be sought in the first place and with the most ardent Affections and Endeavours In conjunction with this the devilish Wisdom is practised for Pride and Ambition are Satan's Original Sin as Envy and Slander are his Actual Sins He is continually vex'd at the recovery of fallen Man and is his constant Accuser And whilst Men are eagerly contending for the World they are excited from Interest and Envy to blast and defeat their Concurrents that would be superior or equal to them This worldly Wisdom though a more solemn Folly yet is as woful and pernicious as the sensual Wisdom for God is injuriously robb'd of his Right our highest Esteem and Affections and Men deceiv'd with the poor Pageant of the World neglect their last and blessed End and justly perish for ever Old Age has its peculiar Vices 'T is true it mortifies the Affections to some Vanities Vespasian the Roman Emperor was so tir'd with the Pomp of his Triumph that in the triumphant way he often reproach'd himself that being an Old Man he was engaged in such an empty and tedious Show And Charles the Fifth in his declining Age prefer'd the Shade of a Cloyster before the Splendor of the Empire But 't is attended with other vicious Inclinations Old Men are usually querulous impatient discontented suspicious vainly fearful of Contempt or Want and from thence or some other secret Cause are covetous and sordid in sparing aginst all the Rules of Reason and Religion Covetousness is stiled by the Apostle The Root of all Evil and as the Root in Winter retains the Sap when the Branches have lost their Leaves and Verdure so in Old Age the Winter of Life Covetousness preserves its vigour when other Vices are fallen off Usually the nearer Men approach to the Earth they are more earthly-minded and which is strange to amazement at the Sun-set of Life are providing for a long Day Briefly every Age has its special Vices suitable to the Constitution of Mens Bodies in them and we must accordingly make our enquiry to discover our own Sin. 2. The Connexion of the Passions duly observ'd will discover the predominant Lust. The Passions are the Motions of the sensitive Appetite whereby the Soul approaches to an Object that is represented under the pleasant Colours of Good or flies from an apprehended Evil. They are call'd Passions because in those Motions there is a flowing or ebbing of the Spirits and Humours from whence a sensible change is caus'd in the Body and the Soul is in unquiet Agitations 'T is very difficult to know their Original though the sensible Operations are very evident Consider the Soul as a Spirit 't is exempt from them the Spirit as a Soul is liable to them Whether they are derived from the Soul to the Body or from the Body to the Soul is hard to determine They are of excellent use when subordinate to the direction of the renewed Mind and the Empire of the sanctified Will When in their Rise Degrees and Continuance they are ordered by the Rule of true Judgment What the Winds are in Nature they are in Man If the Air be always calm without agitation it becomes unhealthful and unuseful for maintaining Commerce between the distant Parts of the World moderate Winds purify the Air and serve for Navigation And thus our voluble Passions are of excellent use and when sanctified transport the Soul to the Divine World to obtain Felicity above But when they are exorbitant and tempestuous they cause fearful Disorders in Men and are the Causes of all the Sins and Miseries in the World. From hence it is that Sin in the Scripture is usually exprest by Lust The Lusts of the Flesh are manifest those who are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof Every Man that is tempted is tempted of his own Lust. The Reason is because the corrupt Desires of the Soul when inflam'd are the Springs of its Actings and strongly engage the Mind and Will and all the active Powers to procure their Satisfaction Now Sin being the Obliquity of the desiring Faculty we may discover what is the predominant Sin by considering what Affection is most ardent and violent and consequently most depraved and disorder'd and this we may by observing the connexion between them for they generate one another As the Diseases of the Body tho the Disorder of Nature yet have certain Causes and a regular course in their Accession Inflammation and Revolution as in the Changes of an Ague a shivering Cold is attended with a fiery Heat and that with an overflowing Sweat in like manner the irregular Passions are productive of one another Love is the radical Affection and when it leads to a desir'd Object has always hatred in the Rear if disappointed and and crost in its Desires So Joy in the fruition of a dear Object is attended with Grief that lies in Ambush and immediately seizes upon the Soul when the Object is withdrawn And as in the Vibrations of a Pendulum the Motion is always as strong in proportion one way as it was
the Father's Love to them was faint in comparison to the warm Beams reflected upon Joseph 2. The Darling Corruption ingrosses the Thoughts There is a natural levity and featheriness in the Mind a strange inconsistency and discurrency of the Thoughts but Love will fasten them intensely upon its Object From hence it is that habitual and delightful Thoughts are the best discovery of our Hearts and our spiritual State. Words and Actions may be over-rul'd and counterfeit for divers Reasons but Thoughts are the invisible productions of the Soul and without fear or mask without restraint or disguise undissemblingly discover the Disposition of the Heart Thoughts are the Immediate Off-spring of the Soul and as the Waters that immediately flow from the Spring are strongest of the Mineral so the Thoughts are most deeply tinctur'd with the Affections A Saint is therefore described by his meditating in the Law of God Day and Night which is the natural and necessary Effect of his Delight in it Uncounterfeit Religion and Holiness consists in the order of Love as St. Austin briefly and fully describes it The Will is carried to its Object and End by the Motion of Love and Love applies the Mind intirely to the Object to which it is strongly inclin'd When the Heart is corrupt the ordinary Current of the Thoughts is in the Channel of our Lusts. The contriving Thoughts the Devices of the Mind the contemplative Thoughts and inward Musings are conversant about the beloved Lust that engages the Mind to it Thus when Covetousness is the reigning Passion the Mind is in continual exercise to compass secular Ends 't is full of Projects how to order the Means most successfully to increase Riches and how to remove what-ever may obstruct the main Design The Spirit is captivated and like a drudg in a Mill is continually grinding for the satisfaction of the earthly Appetite When the more sensual voluptuous Passions are predominant the contriving Thoughts are to make Provisions for the Flesh to satisfy the Lusts thereof The Understanding is debased to be the Pander and Caterer for the intemperate and incontinent Appetites The ambitious Spirit lays the Scene how to obtain his desired Honour and forecasts how to ascend to some place of Eminence so Anger sowred into Revenge envies at the Excellencies and Advancements of others turns the Mind to plot Mischief The contemplative Thoughts and Musings of the Mind are also fix'd on the darling Lust. As a Holy Believer in whose Heart the desire of enjoying God in Heaven is the supreme Affection frequently ascends in his Mind thither and by solemn serious Thoughts substantiates his future Happiness and has an unspeakable glorious Joy in the lively hopes of it Thus the unrenewed Heart turns the Thoughts to the desired Object either in representing it in all its Charms or in reflections upon the enjoyment of what is past or in expectation of what is to come and pleases it self with the Supposition instead of Fruition A proud Person entertains vain-glorious thoughts of his own Worth and worships the vain Idol himself In his Mind he repeats the Ecchoes of Praise that his foolish Flatterers lavish upon him 'T is recorded of Nebuchadnezzar that as he walk'd in his Palace he said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my Power and for the Honour of my Majesty His high towring words were the Expression of his Thoughts and discover'd Pride to be the reigning passion of his Heart The sensual Wretch surveys his Carnal Paradise and personates the Pleasures of Sin by impure Imaginations his fancy runs riotously over tempting Beauties by an active Contemplation he contracts a new Stain and induces a new Guilt upon himself he commits the same Sin a thousand times by renewing the pleasant Thoughts of it and by carnal complacence in the remembrance In the silence of the Night when a Curtain of Darkness is drawn over the visible World and the Soul not diverted by sensible Objects is most free in its Operations then the Thoughts are conversant about the beloved Sin. 'T is said of the Malicious and Revengeful They plot mischief upon their Beds The rich Fool was contriving how to bestow his Fruits and Goods and entertaining himself with the thoughts of festival voluptuous living in the Night wherein his Soul was required And in the Morning the Virgin Thoughts are prostituted to the beloved Lust. In the time of Divine Worship when the pure Majesty and special Presence of God should unite the Thoughts and compose the Soul to a holy solemn Frame then the beloved Lust will be so impudent and outragious as to break into the Mind the Chamber of Presence and seat it self there As Lot's Wife led by an Angel out of Sodom turn'd a lingring Eye towards it so the Carnal Heart even in religious Service and Addresses to God reflects upon the sinful Object that has an attractive force upon it 'T is charg'd against those fine Hypocrites in Ezekiel They sit before thee as my People and hear thy words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness 'T is reckon'd as an high Aggravation of their Guilt Yea in my House have I found their Wickedness saith the Lord. The familiar Lust will haunt Men in the Divine Presence This makes them cold and careless in Holy Duties this makes their Devotion so faint and dilute that God is infinitely provok'd by them In short the darling Lust does so intirely and intensely fix the Mind upon it that Mens Accounts are dreadfully increast by the swarms of wicked Thoughts that defile their Souls and in the Day of Judgment that is called the Day of Revelation there will be a discovery made to their everlasting Confusion 4. The Sin Men desire to conceal from others and from Conscience and are apt to defend or extenuate and are impatient of reproof for it has a special Interest in their Affections Every Sinner is a Master of this Art to counterfeit the Vertues he wants and dissemble the Vices that he allows 'T is the Observation of Solomon God made Man upright but he sought out many Inventions especially to palliate and hide or to excuse his Faults Sin in its native deformity is so foul that Men employ a great deal of Art and Study either to conceal it under a Vail of Darkness or a deceitful Mask of Vertue or by various Excuses to lessen its Guilt and Ignominy Adam patch'd up an Apron of Fig-Leaves to cover his Nakedness a resemblance of his care to hide his Sin. David could not expect to deceive God but to hide his Adultery with Bathsheba from Men he sends for Uriah from the Army that he might have gone home to his Wife 'T is observ'd of Caesar and Pompey whose ambitious Spirits aspir'd to Sovereign Power they made use of some Ensigns of Royalty to accustom
are capable of Instruction and Discipline and by coming near to Reason have a little imitation of Liberty they are rewarded or punished But Man in the condition wherein he was created had perfect freedom becoming the dignity of the reasonable Creature and was enrich'd with all the Graces of which Original Righteousness was compounded the harmonious Orders and coherent Dispositions of the Soul and Body qualified him for his Duty But in the state wherein his voluntary Sin has sunk him the Body is often distemper'd by the annoyance of the Mind and the Soul pays an unnatural and injurious Tribute to the vicious Appetites of the Body And when Corruption is heightned by Custom and the natural Propensity inflam'd by Temptations any Lust becomes more irresistible So that without a new Nature inspir'd from Above they cannot rescue themselves from the Bondage of Sin. Now the moral Impotence in Men to vanquish their Lusts tho it will be no Apology at the Day of Judgment yet it will discourage them from making resistance for who will attempt an impossibility Despair of Success relaxes the active Powers cuts the Nerves of our Endeavours and blunts the edg of Industry 'T is related of the West-Indians that upon the first incursion of the Spaniards into their Country they tamely yielded to their Tyranny for seeing them clad in Armour which their Spears could not pierce they fancied them to be the Children of the Sun invulnerable and immortal But an Indian carrying a Spaniard over a River resolved to try whether he were mortal and plung'd him under Water so long till he was drown'd From that Experiment they took courage and resolv'd to kill their Enemies who were capable of dying and recover their dear Liberty lost by so foolish a Conceit Thus Men will languish in a worse Servitude if they fancy the Lusts of the Flesh their intimate Enemies to be insuperable Fear congeals the Spirits and disables from noble Enterprises which Hope persuades and Courage executes Now we have an Army of Conquerors to encourage us in the Spiritual War with the Flesh the World and Satan Enemies in combination against us How many Saints have preserv'd themselves unspotted from the most alluring Temptations they were not Statues without sensible Faculties but ordered them according to the Rule of Life they were not without a conflict of Carnal Passions but by the Holy Spirit subdued them and though some obtain'd a clearer Victory than others yet all were victorious by Divine Grace The Examples of so many Holy and Heavenly Men prove as clearly and convincingly that the strongest Lusts may be subdued as the walking of Diogenes demonstrated there was progressive motion against the Sophistical Arguments of Zeno. I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthens me To Omnipotent Grace all things are easy Our Saviour speaking of the extream difficulty of a Rich Man's Salvation That 't is as easy for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle as for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven presently mitigates the Difficulty what is impossible to Men is possible to God. He can sanctify a Rich Man that his Humility shall be as low as his Estate is rais'd above others that his Affection shall be Heavenly in the affluence of the World that trust in God shall be his dearest Treasure Divine Grace is a sure Fountain of Assistance to all that sincerely seek it 'T is the Promise of God Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols The Idols that charm'd their Imaginations should be rejected with deep abhorrence Our Saviour cur'd the Paralitick Person that for 38 Years had been in a desperate Case incurable by natural Remedies an Emblem of the Efficacy of Divine Grace in curing the most inveterate Habits of Sin. There are recorded some eminent Instances of the Power of Grace in changing the Nature of Men. Nicodemus came to our Saviour conceal'd at first by Night as being asham'd or afraid of Observation in the Day But when he was born again by the renovation of the Spirit what an admirable change was wrought in him with a holy heat of Affection he defended our Saviour when alive in the presence of the Pharisees his unrighteous and implacable Enemies he brought costly Preparations for his Funeral when dead And these two glorious effects of his Valour are recorded by St. John with this addition This is that Nicodemus that came to Jesus by Night No Passion is more ungovernable than Fear yet even the Apostles did not express such fidelity and fervency for the Honour of their Master Another Instance is of the Jaylor that kept the Apostles Prisoners he was of a harsh cruel Temper a quality adherent to his Office but Grace so intenerated and softned his Heart that he took them the same hour of the Night and washed their Stripes Acts 16. 33. A visible and suddain effect of the Spirit of Love and Power and of a sound Mind 'T is recorded of many who used curious Arts they brought their magical Books though counted worth fifty thousand pieces of Silver and burnt them so mightily grew the Word of God and prevail'd How insuperable soever Sin is to naked Nature it may be subdued by Grace St. John gives an honourable Testimony of the Christians to whom he wrote My little Children ye are of God and have overcome the evil One for the Spirit that is in you is greater than that which is in the World. The Holy Spirit is not only greater in himself than the Tempter but as fortifying weak Christians is superior to the Evil Spirit with all his Train of Artillery the manifold Temptations which the World affords in his War against our Souls Satan takes advantage not only from our Security but our Pusillanimity we are therefore commanded to resist the Devil and he will flee from us What is observed of the Crocodile is applicable to the great Enemy of our Salvation He is terrible in his Assaults upon the faint-hearted but flies from those who are watchful to resist his Temptations To excite Christians to make serious and hopeful Trials for the subduing the strongest Corruptions I will select two Examples of the vertuous Heathens who restrain'd Anger and Lust that are the most rebellious Passions against the Empire of the Mind Socrates by natural Temper was Cholerick yet he had so far reduc'd his Passions under the command of Reason that upon any violent Provocation his Countenance was more placid and calm his Voice more temperate and his Words more obliging Thus by wise Counsel and Circumspection he obtain'd a happy Victory over himself The other is of young Scipio the Roman General in Spain who when a Virgin of exquisite Beauty was presented to him among other Captives religiously abstained from touching her and restor'd her to the Prince to whom she was espous'd How do such Examples of the poor Pagans who in the glimmerings of