becomes not thereupon more or less sad idle remiss and negligent in Gods service Wherefore if we desire to be victorious and to gain a full Conquest over all our Ghostly Enemies and all Ghostly impediments defects infirmities whatsoever let us be willing to receive all sorts of Humiliations from Gods hand and from the hands of men Let us even rejoyce and be glad whensoever we find our selves vilified and undervalued by men and whensoever we are destituted of Consolations Let us rejoyce to submit our selves not only to our chief Prelates and Superiours but also to our Equals and Inferiours following therein the example of Christ our Lord who submitted himself to such and so low as to become obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Philip. 2. v. 8. Sect. 3. By overcoming our selves and sensual Appetites You have heard of old that the life of man is a continual warfare upon Earth as the holy Job testifies in his Book Chap. 7. v. 1. saying Militia est vita hominis super terram c. We cannot live in any place or in any condition or state whatsoever without continual opposition and repugnancy we must be always fighting and consequently always in trouble and danger never secure of our selves never at perfect rest never in perfect peace and a great reason hereof is that wheresoever we go we carry in our selves and in our own bosom our Enemy who never ceases to oppugn and hinder us especially in our spiritual proceedings This S. Paul clearly insinuates 2 Cor. 4. v. 16. where he speaks of a twofold man dwelling in every one of us to wit our selves and this our Enemy saying Licet is qui for is est noster homo corrumpitur tamen qui intus est renovatur de die in diem Although that our man which is without us doth corrupt and perish by little and little yet that which is within us is renewed day by day By which expression the man without us signifies our Body together with its naturâ— Affections Concupiscences and Lusts which die or ought to die and decay in us every day and the maâ— within us our Soul or interiour Spirit with its faculties and graces which should proportionably live be renewed and every day gather more and more strength in us These two Men or parts of Man are so fast chained and joyn'd together that the one cannot be without the other and yet are so opposite and contrary the one to the other that the life of the one is the death of the other Between these two Men all the Contradictions Contentions and Opposition incident to our life are tried for which cause the Apostle attributes to them several names by which they may be distinguished the one from the other for that end calling one of them the Spirit the other Flesh the one Body the other Soul one of them the Law of the Mind Spirit Soul c. the other the Law of Bodily Members One he calls the Old Man the other he calls the New and finally as here one the Exteriour or outward Man the other the Interiour or inward all which several names do serve very properly to represent to us the several and peculiar natures properties and inclinations of these two men and that we ought to obey and follow the inclinations of the one but to reject the motions and resist the inclinations of the other following herein the Counsel of the same Blessed Apostle which he gives Galat 5. v. 16. Dico aut em vobis Spiritu ambulate desideria carnis non perficietis I say unto you to all you that desire to be happy walk in the Spirit and the lusts of the Flesh you shall not fulfil Where we see that obedience to the Spirit and its motions is commanded but the motions that is the lusts of the Flesh we must not fulfil And again Rom. 8. 13. If you walk according to the Flesh you shall die but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the Flesh you shall live It is required of us that we mortifie and overcome the Flesh by the Spirit and for as much as the Flesh rebelleth so much and so often against the Spirit the Spirit must be encouraged by all the good means we can use against the Flesh and the sensual motions thereof So that the only way for a Christian to obtain tranquility and perfect peace is to be continually fighting with this Enemy We must seek our Peace in Wars our Life in Death that is in dying to sin that we may live to God and finally our greatest liberty in servitude for if we be the servants of God and of Righteousness we shall be free from the slavery of sin and wickedness which is the best liberty of all The great courage liberty and power of a vertuous Man sheweth it self best in overcoming himself and his passions To subdue and make subject the sensual appetites of the Flesh to the Spirit is the work of a great and heroick mind as on the contrary to follow and obey them overmuch speaks a great tepidity and weakness of heart In this kind of Combate 't is no disgrace to flie and run away but rather 't is the best art of fighting for by flying and running away we are sure to gain the victory neither does any thing more discourage vex trouble and mortifie our adversary than to know that we dare not encounter we dare not come up to him By flying from the World we avoid the snares of the World by flying from the Flesh we escape the temptations of the Flesh and by flying and running from our selves we make void and of no effect all private affections all private and proper interests that may be hurtful unto us and all the private designs of Self-love So that by flying we conquer the World the Flesh the Devil our wicked selves also and all We lead captive all evil inclinations whatsoever and so pacifie and quiet our exteriour or outward Man as that we make the interiour or inward Man to reign and rule in us in much peace gaining thereby a more glorious and illustrious triumph than if we had vanquished whole armies and subdued the mightiest Kingdoms of the whole World Josue by flying and running away from the City of Hay Jos 8. 15. obtain'd a great victory over his enemies and subdued that City which but a little before had put the whole Army of Israel to flight So if you will conquer and subdue to Reason all your unreasonable and disorderly appetites the only way is to flie from them not to attend to them nor hearken to any thing they suggest The same is to be said of your fighting and contending with the world and your selves to get the victory over them you must flie you must renounce the world and deny your selves the world and all its glory magnificencâ— or vain pomp riches honours pleasures c. Your selves and all your private concupiscences lusts designs Can you
brought to shore so expoâ—â—d to poverty and miseries that conâ—â—dering the matter well we may â—nclude and say that through Self-â—â—ve many chast Wedlocks are disturbâ—d many Poysons mingled producâ—â—g wicked effects that many Halâ—ers are put about the Necks of Self-â—â—vers many Swords drawn and â—any sad Tragedies begun in the night â—hat are ended at high-noon-day upon a Scaffold Oh how happy are thoâ— Souls which through the grace oâ— God are exempt and free from thâ— Vice of Self-lave which produceth sucâ— mischiefs and disasters in the world Let us therefore follow and use aâ— our endeavour to put in practice thâ— Wise Counsel of Solomon in thâ— Book of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 21. â— 2. As from the Face of a Serpent â—â— from sin fly from Self-love becausâ— as a Serpent comes slily upon us anâ— stingeth the Body so all sin anâ— consequently Self-love steals upon anâ— hurts the Soul SECT 4. The beginning and continuance of this pernicious Disease Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans giveth a true account of thiâ— old inveterate malady of our Souls saying Rom. 5. v. 12. Sicut per â—num hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intravit et per peccatum mors â—ta in omnes homines mors pertranâ—it in quo omnes peccaverunt As â—â— the Doctor of the Gentiles would â—ave said That sin which proceeds â—â—om Self-love as we have before â—emonstrated entred into this world â—rom the beginning and from the â—reation of the same by that sin of â—elf-love death passed unto all men â—n which they have all sinned for eâ—en in the Law of Nature sin was in â—he World from old and death did â—eign until Moses even on them that â—ad not actually sinn ed which is â—s much as to say that from Adam â—n the time of the Law of Nature â—here was sin in the world and â—hough in a manner they knew it not â—et this Spiritual Disease we speak of â—eigned even then as likewise in the â—ime of Moses when the Commandâ—ents or Law of God taught the conâ—rary to wit that God was displeasâ—d therewith and therefore men â—ught to avoid the same But by reason that all mankind were maculate with original sin they had no strengâ—â— of themselves-nor grace to be frâ—â— from Self-love So that thereupon sin did reign â—ver men and also death and damnaâ—tion by reason of Self-love Infant that did never actually offend beinâ— conceived and born in original sin were nevertheless lyable to death anâ— subject to all Spiritual Diseases anâ— to all the Maladies and Corruptions oâ— the Soul having their Nature defileâ— and destitute of Original Justice being averted from God by means of Adams transgression Christ only excepted who was conceived by thâ— Holy Ghost without the Seed of Man and his blessed Mother the Virgiâ— Mary who was preserved from contracting the guilt of original sin by special grace and the extraordinary perfection of God as many godly men judge but as for all the rest â—â— mankind they were born in a weak and sickly condition of Soul by reason of that sin ever since men were â—â—eated having been holden and torâ—ented by all sorts of Spiritual Diâ—â—empers even the most dangerous â—ost pestilent most violent and â—â—ntinual insomuch that by the â—â—me they were all subject to Satan â—â—d lyable to eternal sorrows they â—ere all made the Children of wrath â—e slaves of sin and every way most â—â—serable Yea these infectious â—â—seases came to such a height upon â—â—e whole race of mankind that â—â—e few only excepted they were â— swept away and perished in the â—â—neral Floud as is to be seen in â—enesis Chap. 7. v. 1 2. c. These most violent fits of sin and â—â—traordinary punishments for the â—â—me were not so soon passed over â—t many great pains and labours folâ—â—wed upon men and that for the â—ace of four hundred years together â—â—der the slavery of King Pharaoh â— the Land of Egypt after which â—â—ing delivered and freed from that cruel bondage they were soon afteâ— visited and afflicted with other grievous calamities and miseries for the space of more than Threescore Yeaâ— together to wit in the Babyloniâ— Captivity where the Royal Propheâ—â— David by the Spirit of Prophecy describes them lamenting and be moaning themselves Psalm 136. â— 1. Super flumina Babylonis illiâ— sedimus flevimus c. Vpoâ— the Rivers of Babylon there it wâ— that we sale and bewailed the aâ—flicted estate of Sion They could noâ— refrain to mourn remembring thâ— great calamities which for their siâ— God had brought even upon his owâ— Sanctuary How many other Feaverâ— sometimes continual sometimes intermitting how many heats of burning torments and pain how manâ— cold fits of desolation and want have men at several times been subject unto and made to undergo upoâ— this account Have we not heard â—â— those surprizes of sudden destructioâ— which came upon the people of Sodom â—nd Gomorrah and all the adjacent â—ountries when they were wholly â—onsumed by Fire as it is described â—en 19 v. 24. Do we not read also â—ow in the time of Elias the Prophet â—â—d at his Prayers Fire came down â—om Heaven and consumed those unâ—â—dly wretches that were sent to apâ—â—ehend him 4 Reg. 1. v. 10. How â—any cold and comfortless long fits of â—mine Pestilence and Mortality â—ere others exercised and plagued â—ith for their sinnes the Heavens â—ing so shut that it rained not for â—any years together and the earth â— parched with drought that it yieldâ—â— no water and people forced thereâ—â— in a languishing and perishing â—â—ndition to wander up and down â—â—king water to drink and finding â—e as we read Hierem. 14. 1 2 3. â— and in many other places of holy â—ipture In the sacred Gospel of Saint John â—hap 5. v. 5. we read of a man that had been diseased in body thâ— space of Thirty Eight Years in Hierusalem and had for a long time waâ—â—ed the stirring of the water there bâ— which an Angel from Heaven curâ— those which first came into the watâ—â— after the stirring of whatsoever â—â—sease they had This poor man hâ—â— lain there expecting his cure eigâ—â— and thirty years together being â—â— reason of his great weakness continâ—ally prevented by some other boâ—â— that stepped into the water befoâ—â— him and therefore deserved at lengâ—â— to be pittied by our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— and cured by his Almighty Word aâ— Command But alass How muâ—â— more was the whole universal woâ—â— all mankind to be mourned for aâ— compassionated which had lain lâ—guishing not only the space of Thiâ— Eight Years but ever since the Crâ—â—tion of Adam that is by the accoâ—â—â— of some more than Five Thousâ—â—â— Six Hundred and Twenty Years â—â—ing all that time infected and contiâ—â—â—ly vexed with the feavor of original â—â— which lay upon all and every one â—â—d with a Thousand other actual diâ—â—empers maladies and diseases of the â—â—ul which held and afflicted parâ—â—cular persons some in one kind â—â—me
Sons of Israel who although in the multitude of that Nation there wanted not some that gave themselves too much to Drunkenness and Excess yet as to the generallity of that People Abstinence and Sobriety was held in great esteem amongst them for both Men and Woman would oft-times by solemn Vow unto God bind themselves to observe it which Vow was so acceptable to God that he was pleased to prescribe unto them some particular Laws to be observed by them during the time of their Vow To which end our Lord thus speaketh unto Moyses saying Num. 6. v. 2 3 4 c. Loquere ad filios Israel c. Speak saith he unto the Children of Israel and say unto them When either Man or Woman shall make a Vow to be sanctified and will consecrate themselves to our Lord they shall deprive themselves of the priviledge or liberty of drinking Wine and Strong Drink neither shall they drink any Liquor of Grapes nor eat Grapes moist or dried all the days that he is by Vow Consecrated unto our Lord he shall eat nothing that cometh or is made of the Vine Kernels nor Husk And all such Persons as did voluntarily Consecrate themselves unto God by making and observing this Vow were called Nazarites that is separated and set a-part to the special service of God To mention any more may seem tedious and truly should I undertake to mention all or to give a full and perfect report of all the Sobrieties Fastings Temperancies and Abstinencies which both the Prophets and all Ancient Fathers of the Old Testament used the very nameing of them might swell my Book into a great Volume However for the Honour of so great a Saint of whom the Saviour of the World said Inter natos mulierum c. Matth. 11. 11. Among those that are born of Women there is not one greater than he I must not forget in the conclusion of this Paragraph to remember though but in few words the great Sobriety of Saint John the Baptist the last Prophet of the Old Testament and the first of the New being the Fore-runner of our Lord Jesus Christ I will only give you the Testimony of the Evangelist concerning him Ipse autem Joannes habebat vistimentum de pilis came lorum zonam pelliceam circa lumbos suos esca autem ejus erat Locustae mel sylvestre saith Saint Matth. 3. v. 4. Saint John had his Raiment of Camels Hair and a Leathern Girdle about his Loins and his Meat was Locosts and Wild Hony His Cloathing mean and his Diet neither rich nor costly but in respect of both a perfect Ascetique and the prime Pattern of such The same Evangelist Saint Matthew speaking of Saint Johns Temperance saith Matt. 11. v. 18. that he came neither Eating nor Drinking to wit after the ordinary manner of Men but living an austere Life abstracted from the common and vain Conversation of the World for which reason the wicked Jews thinking perhaps he had been an ill-natur'd Man and done it out of hatred to Mankind said he had a Devil Our Saviour Christ came both Eating and Drinking that is in a more familiar and sociable manner of Life conversing more with Men and Eating and Drinking with them and they call him a Glutton a Wine-bibber a Friend of Publicans and Sinners Thus neither of both how innocent soever they were could gain a good word from them or escape their malicious censures So little marvel it is and so much the less ought it to trouble us that wicked Men do also now a-days so easily misconstrue the Lives and Actions of Good Men who if they be great Fasters or lead a more strict and severe Life than others commonly do then they are traduc'd and accounted Hypocrites if their Manners be more condescending and that they converse with Men in an ordinary way then they are dissolute then they are cry'd down censur'd and condemn'd for Libertins and Loose Persons The Servants must not expect to be above their Masters if this were our Saviours Lot they that will be his Disciples must be content when they meet with the like Sect. 2. Sobriety of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ The second Motive to with-draw Christians from excess in Meats and Drinks may be the Consideration of that Temperance and Sobriety which was in the Apostles and Disciples of Christ who as good Souldiers under their Captain and Chief-Leader Christ Fought the good Fight of Faith and overcame their Ghostly Enemies by this Vertue of Abstinence chastizing their Bodies by Fasting and subduing all their sensual Appetites and Inclinations of Concupiscence to the obedience of the Spirit knowing full well there was no other way leading to the Celestial Court and Kingdom of God but the way of Temperance and Sobriety witness that of St. Paul 2 Cor. 6. 27. In jejuniis saepe They fasted often and Rom. 14. v. 17. Non enim est regnum dei c. The Kingdom of God meaning his Spiritual Kingdom whereby he reigns in the Heart of his true and faithful Servants doth not consist in Meat and Drink but on the contrary in Holiness in Purity in Piety in Abstinence and the like For which cause if you peruse the Saints Lives you will find that all the Apostles and Disciples generally speaking were great Followers of their Masters Examples in this Vertue of Abstinence Saint Peter Prince of the Apostles as Holy Fathers often stile him after his Conversation according to the report of Saint Gregory Nazianzen never eat Flesh understand it of his ordinary Diet or any other Meat but Pulse all his Life long though Willyam Gazet affirms that his Diet was Bread some few Olives Figs and Herbs and his Drink pure Water However it were this is certain that he hath left good Counsel and given express Warning both to his Successors and all those of his Flock to love Sobriety and Temperance saying thus unto them 1 Pet. 5. v. 8. Sobrii estote vigilate c. Be ye sober and watch because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour The danger they were in should admonish them to be always upon their Guard and in a posture not to close with their Enemy but to resist him To Which end in another place 1 Pet. 1. 13. he exhorts us To gird up the loins of our mind and to be sober hoping to the utmost or with most perfect hope for the Grace that is offered or promised to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ Saint Paul follows the same Tract with Saint Peter and both by his good Example and good Counsel encourages the Faithful to be Abstemious and to restrain their Natural Appetites of Meat and Drink so that they run into no excess For his Example we may take notice of what he says of himself 1 Cor. 9. v. 27. Castigo corpus meum in servitutem redigo c. I chastize my Body saith he meaning by
unadvisedly run into those extravagancies and excesses as will infallibly bring great disorder and harm both to Body and Soul if they stop not in time and that the mischief be not prevented by better resolutions Such for the most part are those that haunt Taverns and Alehouses to their great prejudice they expose themselves to all the perils and dangers that usually attend those places which are not few nor of small importance Besides if we call those Naturals who want the use of reason be it by birth by sickness or by any other accident with how much more reason may we stile them so that wilfully and of their own accord will lose their Senses will deprive themselves of the use of Reason Understanding Memory that will voluntarily disable their bodily limbs and render them useless and unserviceable as namely their hands feet c. Can we think such worthy of the name of Reasonable Men yet all this do the Drunkards They for a time disable themselves both as to body and mind they for a time deprive themselves of Reason Understanding Memory Senses they for a time unman themselves and become meer Beasts in the shape of men So that it may seem a Solicism even to call them Naturals They deserve not so good a name doing things so contrary unto and beneath the Dignity of Humane Nature And well it were for them if the want and loss for a time of their Understanding Reason and Senses their being so justly rank'd and compar'd to Beasts with the other corporal prejudices which they suffer for a time could satisfie for their folly and redeem them from further harm But alas it will not The Drunkard is not more odious in the sight of man than he is in the sight of God when he lies like a Beast in his drunkenness vomiting and spewing when he can neither stand nor go he is not more despised by men than he is by Angels Saints and all the Celestial Court of Heaven And a wise custom it was of the Lacedemonians who as 't is reported of them would often shew to their Children drunken men in their fits of drunkenness to the end they might learn betimes to hate and abhor that wicked sin For without doubt there 's nothing more apt to make drunkenness abhorr'd and detested than to observe the filthy and beastly behaviour both in word and deed of those whose Brains are distemper'd and their Stomachs overcharg'd with excess of Wine Sect. 2. Drunkenness makes Men worse than bruit Beasts According to our Seraphical Doctor S. Bonaventure Drunkards are more senseless and unreasonable than bruit Beasts because Bruits do all things according to kind and as their Nature requires whereas Drunkards do all things contrary to and otherwise then their Nature requires of them and the Opinion of that Saint is fully confirm'd by Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 13 14 c. where speaking of the Sodomites who were People given to this and all other kinds of lewd Intemperance calls them Irrationabilia pecora unreasonable Bruit Beasts made to be taken and destroyed walking after the Flesh in the Lust of Vncleanness and making a further description of them he saith they count it pleasure or sport to riot in the day time and sport themselves with their own mis-doings while they Feast it having Eyes full of Adultry and that cannot cease from Sin alluring unstable Souls having their hearts exercised with covetous Practices Children of Malediction leaving the right way they follow the way of Balaam the Son of Bosor who loved the reward of Iniquity But received a châ—ck for his Madness the dumb Beast under the Yoke speaking with Mans Voice and forbidding the Madness of the Prophet Thus largely doth the Apostle by the Spirit of God descant upon the wickedness of intemperate lewd People shewing thereby how much worse they are by reason of their Vices than the Beasts of the Field They are in another respect also worse The Brute Beasts have a sense and tenderness at least for those ef their own kind and be moved if not to help them yet to shew a compassion or fellow-sufferance with them Gluttons and Drunkards have no such sense or feeling for those of their kind They are wholly insensible of the wants and miseries of their poor Neighbour Dives his Dogs had more Humanity towards poor Lazarus than their Master His Cruelty shut the poor Beggar out of Doors but the Dogs came and licked his Sores Luc. 16. 21. The Prophet Amos makes the same Observation or Complaint of the Drunkards in his time namely How hard-hearted they were and incompassionate towards such as needed compassion spending largely and superfluously upon themselves but finding nothing to bestow upon the Poor They drink Wine in Bowls saith the Prophet they annoint themselves with the best Ointments but Super contritione Joseph for the Afflictions of Joseph they have no sense no compassion Wine and Drunkenness take away their Heart from being acquainted with any such Thoughts and as Beasts in their Eating and Drinking follow meerly their Appetite without Discretion or Consideration of any thing else so do Drunkards and Gluttons they regard neither time nor season if their Appetite invites nor manner nor measure so long as it pleases their Palate it shall down as long they are able to Swallow never asking the question whether it be necessary or no but seeking only to fulfil their greedy Appetites with all the variety and superfluity of delicious Meats and Strong-drinks they can procure Seneca stiles such as these Abdomini Servientes Belly Slaves and puts them in the rank of Beasts for that reason rejecting them from the society of Men as being unworthy of that Name and truly much less worthy of the name of Christians Sect. 3. Drunkenness causeth the want of necessary Provisions This Subject will not be very hard to be made appear since we see it almost by daily Experience that Riot and Drunkenness consumes the Estates of all it impoverishes the Gentry it wastes the Stock and Riches of the Merchant and brings to want many Able Persons as well in City as Country and to absolute misery such as are of themselves Poor and have nothing but honest industry and frugality to maintain them for of such the saying of Solomon appears to be most true Ecclus 19. 1. Operarius ebriosus non locupletabitur A Workman who is a Drunkard shall not be Rich. It is needless to bring Arguments to verifie this Matter and to prove it by Examples seems less necessary since the pressing wants and needy Condition of so many known Drunkards and Ale-house-haunters as are in all Cities and Towns of Note may sufficiently satisfie us of the Truth hereof And though these Pot-companions should flatly deny this viz. that their Poverty proceeds from their Drunkenness and mis-spending their Time and Money in Ale-houses and should attribute the same to Sickness the Wars Fire Water or other Accidents yet the daily Clamours Lamentations and
by the Evangelist condemn them for what he knew them to be But to us the inward secrets of the Heart are covered and unknown and therefore where we see outward appearances and shews of good though they be in reality no better than those of the Pharisees Hypocritical and seigned we ought to judge the best and not hastily to censure or condemn them for Hypocrites or to suspect them for unchaste persons Fornicators Adulterers or Sinners in any other kind We are to judge charitably of every one especially where there is no Evidence to the contrary and to think and speak of them according to the good which we see and not according to the evil which we see not To reassume therefore our chief purpose I say that if Christ our Saviour according to the Evangelist reprehends so severely and even curseth those that only entertain and foster Carnal Concupiscence in their hearts though they proceed not to the outward acts of that foul sin how much are they to be reprehended and reprov'd and what Curses are due to them that give themselves up to the acts of filthy Lust abounding in all kinds of Carnal Sensuality and committing uncleanness even with greediness as the Scripture speaks of them being wholly defiled in their thoughts in their words and in their deeds that are become impudent in sin taking pride and even glorying in that which is most vile This made the Apostle complain writing to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. 1. Omnino auditur inter vos Fornicatio c. There is plainly heard talk of Fornication among you and of such Fornication as is not found amongst the Heathen And hereof they were so far from being asham'd or sorrowful for as they ought that they even bragg'd and boasted of it as appears v. 2. Inflati estis instead of being humbled for your sin ye are puffed up you swell with pride and vain-glory upon that account and v. 6. Haec gloriatio vestra non est bona Your glorying herein is not good This was their sinful condition but the Apostle took such a course with them as soon brought them to a better posture of mind and so should the Pastours of the Church now do if the Spirit of true Apostolical Zeal and Charity were strong and vigorous in them and not suffer this vile passion to reign and rage amongst those that are called Christians so as it does even to such a height of insolency and impudence as to contemn and brow-beat all Authority both Divine and Humane that should repress it Wherefore to avoid the curses and maledictions pronounced against this Sin follow the counsel of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 6. v. 18. Fly Fornication abominate the practice of all carnal vileness whatsoever For as much as every sin that a man sinneth ordinarily speaking is out of the Body that is it is exercised and done by the abuse of some external or outward thing not pertaining to the Body whereas he that commits Fornication or any other Carnal Villany sinneth against and abuseth his own Body he does that which is oft-times very hurtful and prejudicial to the health and sanity of his body and also commits sacriledge in violating the Temple of God For the Body of every faithful Christian is Gods Temple the habitation of the Holy Ghost a thing which Christ our Lord with that price of his precious bloud hath purchased for his own possession according as the Apostle testifieth in the same place v. 19 20. An nescitis Do ye not know saith he that your Body is the Temple of the H. Ghost who dwelleth in you which ye have of God and that ye are not your own to use and dispose of your Body as you list For ye are bought with a price Christ hath purchased you Body and Soul with his own Blood Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Will you take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid What can be more unworthy of your selves and injurious to God! So that by all it appears what a great and heinous sin Fornication is and considering that the right of our bodies in so many respects belongs wholly to God it also appears how much we are bound not to abuse our bodies by any kind of forbidden filthiness but to keep them pure and entire to God in all Chastity and Holiness glorifying God in them and casting away the works of darkness to live and converse chastely soberberly and devoutly in this present world as the Apostle requires Tit. 2. 12. knowing and having alwayes in remembrance what the same Apostle likewise saith Ephes 5. 5. That no Adulterer no Fornicator or Vnclean person hath inheritance in the Kingdom of God No they are to be shut out Witness Christ himself in the Apocalypse chap. 22. 15. Without shall be Dogs Whoremongers Sorcerers c. Their portion is to be in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for ever chap. 21. 8. unless they repent which on bended Knees every day we beg that God would give them the grace to do Sect. 6. A Serious Admonition to Sensual Livers Let not so much good counsel given by the Apostles Evangelists Ancient Fathers and others be as water spilt upon the ground or words spoken in vain Let us reflect seriously and consider how much it behoves us to cleanse and purify our selves from the filthiness of the Flesh with the tears of true contrition and penitence How should we drown our hearts in floods of Godly sorrow and Sighings for all the sinful and vile pleasures we have taken and for all the wicked and foul actions that we have committed in this kind against God our Neighbour and our Selves How should we abhorre and detest all thought all desire all memory and imagination concerning those vile and beastly sensualities which we have heretofore hunted after and pursued with all greediness of uncleane appetite How should we hate with what solicitude ought we to declaime and avoid those hooks those baits of Lusâ— and Sensuality whereby Satan drawâ— so many souls unto him every day to their eternal perdition Carnal Concupiscence what is it but the Mother of all Sin the spawâ— of all wickedness Wantonness of thâ— Flesh what is it but the sting of Deatâ— Lust what is it but Nurse to thâ— worme which never dieth and Fâ—â—el to those Eternal Flames which for the present sootheth men with the pretence of pleasure and delight agreable to corrupt Nature but after a short time strangling and empoysoning their souls it makes them repent for ever Thou shalt mourn at the last saith Solomon speaking unto and instructing a Brothel-hunter when it is too late when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed then thou shalt mourn and say How have I hated instruction and my heart dispised reproof and Sap. 5. 7. they are brought in making their fruitless moans one to another in these words Lassati sumus c. We