^1 ! LIBRARY 1 Theological Seminary. PRINCETON, N. J Case •"— ^ ^— ' ' Division Shelf )^f0(o rectidn - Book N0] > i A DONATION FBOM iletnbci) ■ XhcS? Q$*)W 0^ r^ "AC $>. fr The Nature of Uncleannefs CONSIDERED: Wherein is difcourfed of the Caufes and Confequences of rhis Sin., and the Duties of fuch as are under the Guilt of it. To which is added^ A DISCO UR SE Concerning the Nature of CHASTITY, And the Means of Obtaining it. _, . „ By J. F. OSTERVALD\ Minifter of the Church of NeufchHtel, Author of A Treatife of the Caufes of the prefect Corruption of Cbri- fiians^ A Catecbj/m, &c. LONDON, Printed for [{. Bomvicke, tV. Freeman, Tim. Goodwin, jf. tVa/thoc, M. iVotton, S. Mmfhip, J. Nidolfon, B.Tock, f{. Parker, and li- Smith. M DCC VIII. ~r- / [ i ] TO THE READER TH E following Difcourfe was written, as the Title-Page imports, by the Learned and Judicious Mr. Qjkrvdd, Preacher in Sivifferland, at Neufcb&tel as the French, or as the Germans call it Newenburg, a City with a fmall Principality belonging to it ; and upon this account a Place of (ome Note, efpecialiy at prefent, becaufe of the Difpures that have been of late, and are not yet wholly" compofed, concerning the Sovereignty of it. And he is not only an Author of great Fame there, but in his neighbouring City of Geneva, and other Places. And in our own Nation he is not only had in great Efleem, for the parti- cular Refpecl: he has (hewn to the Engtifh Li- turgy, and his Endeavours to introduce a like Worlhip amongfl his Neighbours, but for his excellent Writings likewlfe ; which have no iboner appeared auiongd us, but they have been received with a general Applaule. His freatife oft\)Z CattfeS Of t\)Z p^falt CO$tttptfOli of Cij$ttan& nnu tfje fteme&es t&ereof, was quickly cried up, and admired by the bell judges of folid Region, and found Divinity, A ; and [ " 1 and was prefently publilh'd in our own Tongue, for the Benefit of fucli as underfland not the French Language. His Catechetical Difconrfe likewife explaining tlje ^otmtig ana J^fncipfeis of tije Cfgfftan ^CllgtOlt) did not only meet with a hearty Welcome here ; but was foon Tranflated into Englifi, by the Ingenious Mr. Wanly ; and Reviied by the Reverend and Learned Doctor Stanhope Dean of Canterbury, at the Requeil of the Society for Propagating Religion : And met with fuch Approbation from the Corporation Ve Promovendo Evangelio, that their Miftiona- ries are all Ordered to take their Share of its Copies along with them into the Foreign Plan- tations, whither they are fent. Which, con- fidering the Nature of this HJuflrious Society, that it confiUs of Perfons of diverfe, and fome of them of the Highefl Ranks and Degrees, both Ecclefiaflical and others, all the Prelates, and many of the chief Dignitaries, and others of Note among the Clergy, and many of the Nobility and Gentlemen of Quality and great Worth, I take to be a noble Teftimony to its Value, and a lingular Recommendation of it, as highly ufefui to the Ends whereto it was defigned, the Promotion of God's Glory, and Inflruclion of the Pious and Well-difpofed Readers, efpecialiy thofe of the Younger Sort. And this Difcourfe here publiflied, being not only the fame Author's, but well worthy of Him too, it is to be hoped, will not meet with a lefs [ ia ] a lefs favourable Reception than thofe that have gone before it : Efpecially confidering the Sub- jects handled in it, Uncle annefs, and Chaflity^ both of them of very great Importance, and yet concerning which lefs has been written, either in our Own or Foreign Languages, than of mod other Vices or Virtues. The mod probable Caufe of which Defect, I take to be what Himfelf afligns in the beginning of his Preface, namely, The Nature of the $ubjeft y and the Difficulty of managing it with luch Prudence and Caution, as neither to omit what is neceffary to be faid, nor to fay any thing that the Luftful and Licentious may not turn to Sport and Ridicule, or to fome farther Improvement in their Vice. For it is too plain, as B'iihopTaylor obferves, in his Rules and Exercifes of Holy Livings Sect. i. Chap. z. That there are fome Spirits fo Atheifiical, and fome fo wholly poffejfed with a Spirit of Uncleannefs, that they turn the mofi prudent and chafl Difcourfes into Dirt, and filthy Apprehenfions ; like Cholerick Stomachs, changing their very Cordials and Medicines into Bitter' nefsj and in a literal fenfe turning the Grace of God into Wantonnefs. 'They fludy Cafes of Con- fcience Q as he proceeds ) in the Cafe of Carnal Sins, not to avoid, but to learn ways how to offend God, and pollute their own Spirits, and fearch their Houfes with a Sun- beam, that they may be iuflrutled in all the corners of Naflinefs. Hence he cautions his Reader, as I beg leave to jntreat of mine, that he will make a (lop, and A .i P0| [ iv ] rot proceed to the following Advices, unkjs he he of a Qhafl Spirit, or defire to he Chafi, or at lea]} he apt to confider whether he ought or no. And I doubt not but this fhameful Corrup- tion of Mankind, and the ill Ufe that is fre- quently made of the mod: ferious and bed- weighed In(tru£Hons, and Exhortations, that can be given, in relation to that Purity both of. Heart and Life, which our Lord requires of his Difciples, has been a principal Caufe of the Scarcity of Books upon this, above mod other Moral Duties. It is not to be fuppofed, thac either Preachers or Writers have had lefs Concern for the Promotion of Chaflity, than of other Virtues ; but only that they have been difcouraged from the Confideration of it, by an Apprehenfion, that too many would be ready to pervert whatever fhould be propofed, though with all the tendernefs and caution that might be, to a wrong Purpofe. Yet never was more need of Difcourfes of this nature than now, when Wickednefs appears bare-fae'd, and too many are neither afraid" nor afhamed to glory in it ; as if it were a piece oi Bravery, or a Jelling Matter, to bid Defiance to the Almighty, and daringly pro- voke him to his Face. When People come to this height of Impiety, it is high time to warn them of their exceilive Folly and Danger, and to intreat and befecch them to bethink thena- leives in time, left the Wrath of God break forth upon them, and there be no efcaping. This is a dreadful Cafe, and may juftly be expected to, [ v ] to bring down heavy Judgments upon a People, where thefe Iniquities prevail, to make their Land mourn, and the Inhabitants thereof fan- guifli, or poflibly, as it fared with God's own chofen People the Jews, to let them be no more a Nation. Were they only the common and more ordinary Sins of this kind, iuch as Adultery* Fornication, &c. that we have caufe to com- plain of, thefe would miferably expofe us to the terrible Indignation of the Almighty, and the dire Effects of it. But to our Sorrow and Shame it mud be confefs'd, that yet more grievous Abominations are found amongft us, iuch as our Country had only heard of in former Ages, but which make too fad a noife in this, to the Terror and Adoniihment of sill the Faithful in the Land. Shall not the Lord Vrfit for thefe things ■> Shall not his Soul he avenged on fitch a Nation as this .■> Some Endeavours, blefled be God, have been ufed for preventing his impending Judgments, by a Profecution and Punifhment of Offenders in this kind. But, alas ! unlefs others will take warning by thefe Proceedings, and will be re- claimed from their horrid Wickednefs, there will ftill be too jufl reafon to look upon our felves as in dangerous Circumflances. God* Hand already lies heavy upon us. A long and txpenfive War has very much exhaufled our Stores; a decay of Trade has fadly leilened our Incomes ; Parties and Divifions have fet us at odds, and filled our Minds with Jealoufies and Animo- [ V| ] Animofities ; the daily encreafe of our Wants have multiplied Thievery, Violence, Extortion, and other Inftances of Injuftice ; our Lofles by Sea, and Difappointments by Land, call loudly upon us to attend to our Condition, to amend our Ways and our Doings, to humble our felves before God, and to lue to him for Mercy and Pardon, whereby to try if he will be intreated to hear from Heaven, and forgive our Sins, and heal our Land. And to make us the more fenfibie of our Puty in this refpe#, I thought it might be ufeful to publilh this Serious and Pious Dif- courfe in our own Language, to caution Per- fons againft the Sins here condemned, and excite and teach them how to get rid of them. And how were it pofiible for any to indulge themfelves in thefe fcandalous Immoralities, if they did well confider with themfelves, how heinous a Sin Uncleannejs is, and what are the terrible EiTe&s of it, how 7 it defiles the Body, didurbs the Mind, ruines Mens Eltates and Reputation here, and is the ready way to Ever- Jading Dellrudtion hereafter ? How wretched and deplorable the State of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about them was, when they fuffe red the vengeance of Eternal Fire, as St. Jude i peaks, ver. 7th, none can doubt. As neither can it be queftion'd whe- ther their filths and unnatural Lulls were the Occafion of (b fevere a Deftrudtion. They gave tbetrjclves up to vile Affections, to work thofe ibings ivkfchare unjecmly, to the grolTe(l and molt enormous [ vii ] enormous Lewdneffes ; and though God bare with them for a time,he would not doit always, but at length allotted them that recompence of their Wickednefs which it fo loudly called for. For, * The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah * Gen. 13* Briwflone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven. * 4 ' 2 And he overthrew thofe Cities , and all the Plain, and all the Inhabitants of the Cities, and that which grew upon the Ground, to fuch a degree, that they have ever fince remained (a) lamenta- ble Examples of the Divine Juftice, for the Terror of all fucceeding Generations. And can we hope to efcape better than they, if their intolerable Wickednefs, be found amongfl: us ? Our BleiTed Saviour has taught us, That the Cafe of finfui Chriftians will be far worfe than theirs at the Day of Judgment, St. Matth. xi. 20, &c And I know not how any can promife themfelv.es it (hall not be fo in the mean time too. I am Cure that if this Vice, rarely heard of in thefe Parts till of late Years, be not rooted out from amongft us, it will forebode fome heavy Ven- geance to befall us, and God only knows how foon. If we will not hearken and reform, but will walk thus contrary to the Lord, he will walk contrary to us in fury, and will chaflife us yet feven times more for our Sins. This Crime, as one juftly defcribes it, is in it felf monftrous and unnatural, in its Practice filthy, and odious to extremity ; its Guilt is crying, and its Confequences ruinous. It de- (a) Jofeph. 'IaA AhcoQ. J. 4. c. 27. T»C1C Hill. 1. J. p. ^i~J. Ed, Lipf. Solin. Poly bill, c *». ftrc - t viii ] (troys Conjugal AfFeclion, perverts Natural Inclination, and tends to extinguish the hope of Pofterity. Another heinous Inftance of Unclcannefs, is Adultery ; a complicated Wickednefs, contrary to the exprefs Prohibition of Almighty God, in the Vilth Commandment, to the Doctrine of the Prophets, 'and to that of our Bleiled Saviour and his Apofdes in the New Tefta- ment, contrary to the Faith folemnlv given at Marriage, contrary to the Intent of that holy Ordinance, contrary to Natural Juilice, by the Damage done to the injur'd Party, and efpe- ctally to the Husband, by a Spurious lilue, whereby himfelf and his Children ate wrong'd, pofhbly his whole Eliate, or at lead a con- siderable, perhaps the granted put of it, is fwillowed up by a Stranger ; and which is notoriously dellruclive of that mutual Arledtion Husband and Wife ought to have for, and that Comfort and Satisfaction they were defigned to take in each or her. The very Heathens had ftich an abhorrence of this Sin, that they annexed divers ievere Penalties to it. Sometimes (j) they allowed whomfoever that (hould take any in the Fad, to kill them ; and Ql>} the Woman, if not killed, was tobeexpoted to the iirmoil Shame. Sometimes (c) the Husband might put the (<0 Ilerac'iJ. de Polir. apjid. /Elian, var. IliiV p. 44c. (*) lb, p. 447. (■) A Gefl. i. iq. c, 23. Wife [ « ] Wife Co taken to Death, or (//) might punifti the Man in fuch a manner as effe&uaiiy to prevent their coming together again, and (jT) might moll grievouily torment him. Among the Ancient Jews, (/) Adultery was punithed with Death, and by God's own Appointment. And though in time they came not to have it in their power (g) to inflict Death upon Offenders againft their Law, ( « [wiy&wtv, ots obriyev^), n Ltorx&eiV, «V.* J)a 70 vtvcpjyjvcu Tih©- r YiJbvtuij. ncT^a? wAvS t &c, Orig. con. Celf. 1. 7. p. 374. ' : fo [ xi 1 fo many Difficulties and Dangers attending it * but yet it opens a Door for lb many dreadful Evils, as may well deterr ail from it, who are not willing to run blindfold upon their own Deft ruction. It is frequently known to fubjed Perfons to divers acute Pains and loathfom Difeafes, to waft their Spirits, impair their Vitals, corrupt their Fleih, rot their Bones ; to deform themfeives, confume their Eftates, and hring them to a morfel of Bread ; is a great Reproach and Difgrace to them, caufes many defperate Quarrels, and upon thefe and other- like accounts becomes a means of mortening their Days, and often-times of tranfmitting Poverty, and Shame, and an unhealthy Con- fHtution to their Pofterity. It makes Men foft and effeminate, and is full of Cares and Fears, and attended with Uneafinefs and Dif- content, Jealoufy and Diftruft, impatient De- fires, and yet perplexing Delays and Disap- pointments ; and the End of it is ordinarily (V) Grief and Repentance. It puts its Vaflals upon the vileft and moft fhamelefs Contrivances and Attempts, for comparing their Defign, and fatisfying their Luft. It keeps them (£) in perfect Slavery, and tempts them to live more like Beafts than Men. It renders them a Pelt and Plague to their Neighbours, a Shame and (a) Demofthenes Laidi, Ego, inquit, poenitere tanti non emo. Aul. Gel. 1. i. c. 8- (b) 'O § to??©- d^-nat dtfb^orzp©- cT«a©*' @Q§@o£pi> $ a,v\heiv 7iaf aunt mafuivQ-, W*v&* avvayi ca^v, K) dyJ.da.{ioy Ac-;t*£>« if>yL<7i&y. Gieg. NyfT Orac. cont. Fornicarios. Affliction [ iS ] Affliction to their Relations, and irreconcileable Enemies to their own Welfare, whether with refpe& to the Quiet of their Minds, the Eafe and Health of their Bodies, or the Succefs of their AfFairsand Concerns in the World ; all which are very often entirely ruined by it. And whatfoever good Qualities they may have otherwife, this one infamous ungovernable Appetite clouds and fadly obi cures them all. It is a Sin that not only Chriftians have abun- dant reafon to detefl and renounce, but which divers in the Heathen World would rather diQ than yield to ; as others a!fo, when over- power'd, againft their own Wills and urmoil Endeavours to the contrary, would not fuffer themfelves to iurvive fuch Abufe. Of which there are many Inflances, and St. Jerom men- tions feveral of them * in his Firft Book again fl Jovinian. , ■ "Polygamy (a) is another branch of the Sin here condemned, as our Author well ob- ferves, Parti, p. u, 12,. which though fome- times pra&ifed among the Jews, is by no means lawful amongft Chriftians. Cur Saviour de- clares it to be Adultery, for a Man to put away his W r ife, and marry another, St. Luke xvi. 18. And it cannot be more confident with the Do- clrine and Laws of the Gofpel, with the Na- yj.'x A fdst i^ijf ( «&irsw nactAij. Id. ad Letoium. ture [ xiii ] ture and Ends of Matrimony, with the mutual Obligation then folemnly entred into, or with the Husband's Relation to his Wife, with whom he is pronounced * one Flejk y to take another * Ephef without putting her away. All fuch Contracts s< 3I * therefore are no better than meer Delufions, whereby to deceive and quiet an u'neafie Con- science, and do not prevent the Guilt of the Converfation conlequent upon them. They are but another Species of Adultery, and are to be look'd upon and conftantly avoided as fuch. There is a remarkable Note of the learned Dr. Whitby to this purpofe, in his Com- mentary upon i Cor. vii. 4. The Wife hath not power over her own Body-, hut the Husband : and likewife alfo the Husband hath not power of his own Body y but the Wife. " Here ( faith " the Doctor) is a plain Argument againil " Polygamy ; for if the Man hath not power '• over his own Body, he cannot give the " power of it to another, and (o cannot marry ct another ; nor could the Wife, exclufivejy c< to him, have the power of his Body, if he " could give it to another." In fliort, f God t Gen. 2. at fuffl inftituted Marriage between one Man J 2 '^, and one Woman ; and whatfoever Abufes had i 9 . A . crept in afterwards in this refpect our Saviour took care to re&ifie, and reftored ir to its original Institution , lb to remain to the World's end. And there is no going contrary to this, without offering apparent violence to God's own Appointment, and the Ends and Obligations of the former Marriage, and con- a Cequemly [ xiv ] fequently (Y) not without incurring the dread- ful Guilt or Adultery. Near of kin to Polygamy, is Concuhinage *, and equally unlawful amongft Christians. Our Saviour gives no manner of Countenance to it in his Goipel. And his Apoftle St. Paul forbids Uncleannefs in fuch a manner, as to make Mar- riage and 'touching a Woman equivalent Phrafes, and to teach, That QP) out of Marriage all is Sinful. As our Author has fully (hewn, Parti. Sett.l. Ch. 5. Tncefi is another egregious Violation of the Laws of Chaftity, and heinoully provoking in the Sight of God. It was this coil Amnon his Life, 2, Sam. xiii. 2,2; and will be hire to bring down a far greater Deftru&ion upon all that take not care to refrain from it. The Ig- norant (<:) Perfians might more eafily allow themfelves in it ; but Chnltians ihould be mindful that they are utterly inexcufable, if they have but an inclination to, and Delire of it in their Heart. And again, Self Pollution is another Unna- tural and Dangerous bpeaes of Uncleannefs, (a) Divina Lex ita Duos in Matrimonium, quod eft in corpus unum, pari jure conjungit, ut adulter habeatur, quifquis compagem corporis in diveru diftraxerit. La£t. Inflit. 1. 6. c. 23. * Concubina eft mulier qua confuetudinis, non matrimonii causa, retinetur, &c. Calv. Lexic. Jurid. {b) Quiiquis arTeftus i!!os rrcenare non-poteft, cohibeat eos intra prcefcriptum legiciini Tori, &c. Lact. Iniut c. 23. (<:) IlkeQaj (A.iv jS iy. tiToirov nyvvf), Svj«7e* (uyvvdt,. Bio^. Laerr. 1- V- in Vita Pyrrhonis. This [ XV ] This wc fee remarkably puniih'd in Oxan, by a particular Stroke from Almighty God. For it is not to be thought that his Guilt lay totally in not raifing up Seed to his deceafed Brother Br, though that was a very confidera- ble Aggravation of it 5 but the way he took to prevent it, would have been highly cul- pable at any other time. As it was, it proved fo intolerable a Provocation, that Almighty God could not bear with it, and therefore immediately cut him off by reafon of it : Gen. xxxviii. 10. The thing which he did dif- pleafed 'the Lord, wherefore hejlew him alfb. Nor, laftly, is the Duty of Chaflity violated only by Lafcivious and Impure Actions, but by Filthy and Ohfcene Difcourfe, which is not only a certain token of a corrupt Heart, but often-times proves an inducement to farther degrees of Wickednefs, and is what no good Chriftian can poflibly allow himfelf in : And again, by Luftful Thoughts and Defires, which our Blefled Lord declares to be a leiler Inftance of Adultery, and which are certainly very highly ofTenfive to Almighty God, and no lels dangerous to all who are chargeable with them ; St. Matth. v. z$ f Whofoever looketh upon a Woman to lufl after her, hath committed adultery with her Already in hi$ heart. There are fome other Inftances alfoof Wanr tonnefs and Impurity, which all Chriftian$ arc concerned to beware of; as the Reader will a % [ xvi ] fee by the following Excellent Dtfcourfe (V), to which I referr him for them. All I dcfign farther, is only to offer fome few other Arguments, in order to the Cure of this dangerous and fhameful Vice. And here I might begin with prefllng Per- fons to reflect upon the many Mifchiefs already noted as naturally confequent upon Uncleannefs, even in this World, with refpecl: to their Souls, Bodies, Reputation, Eltates, and even their own Lives, and their Poderity after them. Which if ferioufly and attentively confider'd, will readily appear of that pernicious Influ- ence, that every one muft prefently fee, the gratifying a Brutifh Affection can never be worth all this Mifery. And here let not Per- fons delude themfelves. They may poflibly think to manage their Lewdnefs fo, as to have the Pleafure they defire, without incurring the evil Confequents that fo frequently attend it. But if ever they be fo hardy as to make the Attempt, they will be in great danger of finding themfelves grofly miflaken, and that thefe vain Hopes will fail them, and they will then fee their Folly when 'tis too late. For when once Men allow themfelves in any Lewd, In- temperate Cotirfe, daily Experience (hews how it captivates their Underltandings, and gets the Alcendant over their Wills, and carries them much farther than they ever intended, or had any apprehenfion of. When they have [a) Efpfciallj Parti Se&, i. chap. 7. begun [ xvii ] begun to give way to their vicious Inclinations, theie are apt to grow upon them, and become more and more impetuous, and never to give over, till they have got the maftery over them ; and then no one knows whither they will carry them. All their Refolutions of Pru- dence and Management are apt to fail them, and they quickly find, to their cod, how much wifer, and fafer, and better upon all accompts it had been to have rejected the firft Tempta- tion to their Wickednefs. For at beft, this Vice ufually carries Perfons on, by degrees, till they are got beyond Recovery ; but fome- times it is quicker in its Operation, and ruines them, and expofes their Vanity and Folly in a very little time. This our Blefled Saviour gives us a lively Reprefentation of, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, who having received his Portion from his Father, and pro- bably a large one, went at a good diftance, where his Father might have no knowledge of his Doings, and foon fpent all, (V) £<& oWtzds, in Riotous Living, in great (h) Profufenels, (c) Luft, and (J) Intemperance. But then the Effect hereof was, that in a little time he brought himfelf into fodiftrefled a Condition, that he was forced to undertake one of the meaneft of Employments, to feed Swine ; and, (.t) St. Luke 15. 15. (b) 'Ep 5 s )y y> desmx x} » c£vi\dr Ssef* tifei xpt')f"*7tt \sdip£ohcd K) £MeKJ.«j. Ariftot. ad Nicom. J. 4. c. 1. (c~) Tk? $ dx^j&if }y eft ctKoAatrisw JbcmLWifKi actdixs ygtSwy. Ibid. (d) 'Atmruf, intemperanter, Maid, in loc. 'AcruTtof, prodigaliter, intemperanter, libi- dinose, lafcive. Corn, a Lap. a 3 which [ xviii ] which was worfe, to want bare Neceflaries for a Subfiftence, and even (e) to wiili that he might fill his Belly with the Husks that the Swine did eat ; and yet no Man did give unto him. This was the fad Effect of his Excefs; and they that imitate him in his Vices, muft exped: the like uncomfortable Attendants upon them. Which one Consideration, one would think, were a fufficient Caution againft a Luftful Courfe of Life, to all who are defirous of their o*vn Welfare and Happinefs in this World. But this is incomparably the letter part of what I have to urge againft this Vice. For if we confider ourfelves as Chriftians folemnly dedicated to God at Baptifm, and who muft: be Judged by Him at the La ft Day , thefe Meditations will plead much more ftrongly for in utter Abhorrence of it, and a conilant Care never to come within the Verges of it; and particularly upon thefe following Accounts. i. All Uncleannefs is a palpable Violation of our Baptitmal Covenant, wherein we folemnly obliged ourfelves to renounce the Flelh, ( that is to lay, all Senfuality and Voluptuoulneis) afwell as the World and the Devil. For there is rio living up to this Profellion and Obliga- tion, without being continually upon our guard againft all thofe iinful Lufts which we have thus renounced. And indeed, what an Affront (t) Ibid. v. t<5, is [ xix ] is it to our Lord, and what vile Treachery and breach of Covenant, when Perfons have thus given up their Names to Chrift, and promiled to obey his holy Laws, and, in par- ticular, to abftain from all Impurity, if they (hall yet draw back ; and profefifmg to know God, Ihall in Works deny him, living in Wan- tonnefs and Unlawful Pleafures, like the Gen- tiles who knew him not, or rather in fuch deteftabieLewdneilesasthe wiferamongft thefe , would have abominated ? We cannot doubt but that we are ail ftriflly engaged to * cleanfe * , Cor our (elves from all Filthinefs both of Flefh 7. 1. and Spirit \ and to perfed Holinefs in the Fear of God. And what a monftrous Incongruity mud it be, for fuch to indulge themfelves in any Carnal and Senfual Immoralities, in direct oppofition to the Vow lb folemnly made againO: them ! This mud neceflariiy argue a great Stupidity and Regardleihefs of their Duty ; which were iuuicientiy blameable in any, but in Chrillians who pretend to tread in their Saviour's Steps, and to obey all his Command- ments, is moil exceedingly provoking. 2. Uncle annefs is a frequent Occafion of many other Sins. From what hath been Taid, it evidently appears to be heinoudy offenfivc in itfelf, without any of thofe aggravating Circumitances that often- times attend it, and inhance its Guilt. But it mud needs feem much more fo, when taken in conjunction with thofe other Sins which often-times flow a 4 from [ xx ] from it, and are the unhappy Confequents of it : fuch as Profufenefs, Lying, Falfe Oaths* Quarrels, and Slaughter ; fome of which it makes ufe of for compailing its Defigns, others for concealing them, and others upon the difcovery of them. The Luftful Perfon breaks through all Impediments that lie in his way, to obitruct the .Accomplifhment of what he aims at. And tho' never fo many Sins mufl be committed before he can bring his Ends about, he will very hardly fuifer himfelf to be with- held by the fear of them. He will feek to de- ceive, will Proteft, and Swear, and Vow, what he does not believe to be true, or never in- tends to perform ; will Quarrel and Fight* and fo venture the taking away another's Life, or lofing his Own. The like Methods he will be ready to flie to afterwards for hiding his Wickednefs, flicking at no fort of indirect Means whereby to keep his Shame from being known. x^nd if however he find himfelf miftaken, and his Sin is brought to light, and himfelf either reproached with it, or gaU'd in queftion about it, with what Lyes ana^erju- ries, what Subornation and Falfe- WitnefsAvill he endeavour to juiiifie himfelf? Befides that this Sin frequently tempts to the Murdering of Children thus brought into the World ; and then again to the Pra&ice of all the foremen- tion'd Iniquities, in order to the concealment of this. And, oh I how egregioufly heinous, how dreadfully dangerous, how exceedingly unbecoming the Chriftian Profeflion, and how intolerably [ xxi ] intolerably provoking in the Sight of God, muft fuch a Mafs of Wickednefs be. A Sin that is big with fo many others, and mod of them of io flagitious a nature, calls upon all to be very watchful that they be not betrayed into it. I grant, all that commit this Sin, do not fall into all thofe others likewife : But fince too many do, and none that indulge themfelves in this, are fure they (hall not, com- mon Prudence would direcl: by all means to refrain from it. When David committed his Adultery with Bathjhela, it is not to be ima- gined that he had any Defign upon Uriah's Life; and yet the taking away of this, prov'd to be the Event of it. So Herod's Familiarity with his Sifter in-Law Herodias, was the ori- ginal Caufe of St. John BaptiJPs being Be- headed And whofoever once begins with this Sin, may certainly depend upon it,that he knows not when or where he mall end. ?. Another peculiar Aggravation of this Sin, above all others [ know of, is, that mod of the Inftances of it are fuch wherein the Sinner cannot be wicked alone. Other Iniquities Men may commit by themfelves ; but here, for the mod part, two mud inevitably concurr, and mufl be Partners of each other's Guilt, and muft expect to fufTer for it accordingly. St. Paul charges Timothy, Not to partake of other Men's Sim, but to keep himfelf pure, i Tim. v. 2i. But in no cafe is fuch a Caution more needful, than in this before us ; there being no * [ xxii ] no readier or fairer way to contract a fhare in another's Guilt, than by engaging them in the Lufts of Unclean nefs, Gregory M\Jfe» (V) obferves of Rapine, Envy, Slander, and Mur- der, That they do not fo affect the Doer, as him againft whom they are levelled, or on whom they are adted. So that a Covetous Man may get what is another's, without lofing his own ; and a Blood.hirfty Man may kill another, without hurting his own Body : but he that denies another by Fornication, cannot poilibly be undefiled himfelf. I add, That he cannot commit this Sin, without having both his own and the others Crime to anfwer for ; and therefore not without involving two Souls at one and the fame time in the fame Guiit and Ruine. And by confequence, he is a deadly Enemy both to himfelf and his Accom- plice, and, under a pretence of Kindnefs, ex- poles both to dreadful and intolerable Evils, both in this World, and in that which is to come. Nor does he always flop here, but many times contrives Ways to draw in others befides, . either in order to the gaining the Confent of the Accomplice, or helping to Opportu- nities for his Wickednefs, or perhaps after- wards for atli (ling in the making away with the Illue of it, or at leait in the concealment of fuch Murder. In all which Cafes, he not only betrays all Perfons fo employed into a («) De Fornicat. fugiend. great [ xxiii ] great meafure of Guilt, but thereby likewife miferably encreafes his own. And if this one Sin alone, -without any fuch Aggravation, had been enough to ruine him beyond Recovery ; how fad muft his Cafe be, when he reflects, how much worfe he has made it by this means, and how many others alfo he has brought into the Jike Ruine with himfelf > Certainly a Sin of thus deftrudfcive a nature, gives fair Warning to all that will in the lealt ccnfider it, to flie from it with greater Aver- fion, than from a Lion or a Tyger, or jjhat- foever the raoft rapacious Bead or Prey. 4. Uackannefs has this peculiar Charge, againft it, That the Apoftle St. Paul declares it to be in an efpecial manner againft our own Bodies. Flee Fornication, fays the Apoftle, 1 Cor. vi. 18. Every Sin that a Man doth is without the Body ; But he that commiiteth Forni- cation finneth againft his own Body. As much as to fay, Other Sins pollute the Heart and the Soul ; but all Sins of Impurity pollute the Body likewile. Other Sins are committed againft God, or our Neighbour ; but thefe againft one's Self. They foul the Flefh, and contaminate the Body, which fhould be kept in Challity and Purity, and, as the Apoftle fpeaks, ver. 19. as a temple of the Holy-Ghoft. And how deplorable the 5tate of fuch who yet indulge themfelves in it will be, the fame Apoitie acquaints us, 1 Cor, iii. ij. If any Man defile the temple of God ) him will God deflroy. The [ xxiv ] The Wife-Man alfo allures us of him that goeth after a ft range Woman, That he does it to his own Deilru&ion : As an Ox goeth to the Slaughter, as a Fool to the Correction of the Stocks, or as a Bird ha fie th to the Snare., unci knoweth not that it is for its Life. Often-timcs this Vice ] not only involves in it multitudes of other Evils, butexpoles to Temporal Deftruction and Death. But the greateft Infelicity and infinitely the worfl: it is or can be liable to, is that Eternal Death which follows upon it in the other World. Him mill God deftroy for ever and ever. And this Confideration therefore I have relerved for the laft place. 5-. This Vice leads to inevitable Deflru&ion of both Body and Soul in Hell. It is the chief of thofe Lujls of the Flefb which the Scriptures fo feverely condemn, and fo conftantly difTuade from. Under what Character it went in the Old Teftament, may be collected not only from the VHth Commandment, and fuch other- Prohibitions as thofe, Deut. xxui. 17. There [hall be no Whore of the Daughters of Ifrael, nor a Sodomite of the Sons of IJrael : And Levit. xviii. 2.0. Thou fhalt not lie carnally with thy Neigh- bour's Wife, to defile thy fe if with her ; but like- wife from fuch Denunciations as that, cap. xx. IO. The Man that committeth Adultery with ano- ther M*ns Wife y even he that committeth Adul- tery with his Neighbour's Wife, the Adulterer and the Adult erefs fhall furely be put to death : From fuch Expreilions as thofe of the Wife- Man [ XXV ] Man, Prov. v. 2, 4, 5. 77;,? Lips of a Strange Woman drop as an Honeycomb, and her Mouth iy fmoother than Oil. But her End is bitter as Worm" wood \ fiarp as a two- edged Sword Her Feet go down to Death ; her Steps take hold on Hell. And chap. vi. 24, %$ } 26. To keep thee from the Evil Woman, and the Flattery of the Tongue of a Strange Woman. Lufl not after her Beauty in thine Heart ; neither let her take thee with her Eyelids. For by means of a whonfh Woman, a Man is brought to a piece of Bread, and the Adult erefs will hunt for the precious Life* Chap. xxii. 14. The Mouth of a Strange Woman is a deep Pit ; he that is abhorred of the Lord fhall fall therein. And again, chap, xxiii 2.7, 28. A Whore is a deep Ditch; and a Strange Woman is a narrow Pit. , She alfo lieth in wait for a Prey, and encreafeth the Tranfgreffors among Men And Ecclef. vii. 26. I find more bitter than Death, the Woman whofe Heart is Snares and Nets, and her Hands as Bands : whofo pleafeth God fhall efcape from her, but the Sinner fhall be taken by her. And again, from fuch Expoftuiations and Reprchenfions as thofe of the Prophets ; How fhall I pardon thee for this > thy Children have forfaken me, and f worn by them that are no Gods : when I had fed them to the full, then they committed Adultery, and affembled by troops in the Harlots Houfes. Shall I not viflt for thefe things ? faith the Lord ; and fhall not my Soul be avenged on fuch a Nation as this > Jer. v. 7, 9. And chap. vii. 9, 10. Will ye Steal, Murder, and commit Adultery, &c. Avd come [ xxvi ] come andfland lefore me in this Houfe, which is called by my Name, and jay we are delivered to do all theje Abominations ? And Hof. iv. I, 2, 3. Hear the Word of the Lord, ye Chil- dren of Ifrael ; for the Lord hath a Contro- lerfy with the Inhabitants of the Land, becaufe there is no Truth, nor Mercy, nor Knowledge of God in the Land. By Swearing, and Lyings and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adul- tery, they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood. Therefore fhall the Land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein fhall languifh, with % the Beafls of the Field, and the Fowls of Heaven • yea, the Fifhes of the Sea alfo fhall be taken away. Where Adultery is manifeflly one of thofe crying Sins, for which thefe heavy Judgments were to be brought upon the Land. And from this and the foremention'd Texts, together with others of the like nature, it is plain, that the Sin of Uncleannefs was abundantly condemned, and caution'd againft:, amongft the Jews. What Notion that faithful Servant of God, 'job, had of it of old, we learn from himfelf, job xxxi. 1. I made a Covenant with mine Eyes : Why then fhould I think upon a Maid ? And a little after, ver. 9, 10, 11, 12. If mine Heart hath been deceived by a Woman, or if I have laid wait at my Neighbour s door ; then let my Wife grind unto another, and let others bowe down upon her. For this is an heinous Crime ; yea, it is an Iniquity to be pun/fhed by the Judges. Nor was any thing more common in the Old . Tedamcnt, than for the Prophets to exclaim. againft [ xxvii ] agatnft Idolatry, as Spiritual Whoredom ; which we may be lure they would never have done, if that Carnal Whoredom, whereto they com- pared, it had not been look'd upon as a Crime of more than ordinary both Guilt and Dan- ger ; a Sin wherewith the Almighty will be highly incens'd, and for which He will not therefore fail to avenge himfelf proportionably upon the obftinate, impenitent Offenders. And in the New Teilarnent our Blejfted Sa- viour reckons Adultery and Fornication amongfl: thofe Evils, which proceed from within, and defile a Man, St. Matth. xv. 19, 20. And know ye not, fays his Apoftle St. Paul, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. that the Unrighteous /ball not inherit the Kingdom of God > Be net deceived ; neither Fornicators nor Adulterers, nor Effeminate^ nor Abufers of themfelves with Mankind ■ fiall inherit the Kingdom of God. And again Gal. v. 19. The Works of the Flefh are manifejl^ which are thefe, Adultery, Fornication, Unclean- nefs, Lafcivioufnefs,, &c. Of which, fays the Apoftle, ver. zi. I tell you before, as I have alfo told you in times pajl, that they which do fnch things Jhall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And again he fpeaks of it as a Truth all were fully fatisfied of, That the Luftful and Unclean mult never hope to reign with God^ and cur Bleiled Saviour and Redeemer : Ephef. v. 5-. This ye know, that no Whoremonger nor Unclean Terfon hath any Inheritance in the Ki Toft.* \fQinnv m A/ju^iet, x) fxelyaf mf>ixj.-.icn. 39 p&tfJMiy. Ww <$foHf/,t> Grab. Spicileg. Patr. i>e-t. I, p, if g , [ xxxii ] Station, had he condefcended to comply with her. And no lefs, on the ether hand, might it be prefumed that his Dental would prove, as in Facl it did, very much to his Difadvan- tnge, and, for ought he knew, would termi- nate in his utter Ruine. Efpecially confidering the Diflance he was at from his Native Coun- try and Relations, being fold a Slave into Egypt, and fo without that Countenance and AJIiftance he might other wife have expected upon any caufelefs Accufation. Befides, this was not a flngle Attempt, but often and eagerly repeated, to try if he could any way be wrought upon, to hearken at one time, to what he had re- jected at others. And, Jailly, to compleat all her Stratagems, fiie had at length found out a convenient Opportunity, when they were both alone, and no body in the Houfe to detedt them, if he mould comply , nor, on the other hand, to difprove her falfe Accufations upon his .Refufal. Perhaps, never did more, and more inviting Circumflances concurr to fet off a Temptation to the bell advantage. And yet t'uch an Apprehenfion had the religious Patri- arch of this Sin, and he knew it to be fo difplea- hng to Almighty God, and (o dangerous to himfeli, that he remained immoveable as a Rock, under all the Solicitations he met with, refolutely repelling the Tcmptrefs with this ihort but unani werable Rxpodulation ; How can I do this great Wickeduefs, and fin againft God ? , r». xxxix. 9. And vcr. li, as She caught him hy his Garment Jay ivg^ Lie with me; rather than yield to her unreasonable and luftful Deiire, he [ xxxiii ] he left his Garment in her Hand, and fled, and got him out. A noble Example of a Soul that was above the tranfifory Pleafures and Enjoy- ments of this prefent World, or whatever might defeat his Hopes and Expectations in the other ! And no lefs convincing a Token is it of the clear Senfe and Perfuafion he had, that this was a grievous and a crying Sin, a Sin of a deep Dye, and whereby he fhouid have been fure greatly to provoke Almighty God, and to bring down a fevere Vengeance upon himfelf, if he had not kept upon his Guard againft it. What an intolerable Shame is it then for Chriftians, who have had Life and Immortaliry brought to light by the Gofpel, have had their Duty, and the indifpenfable Obligation they are under to live in Purity and Holinefs, fully dif- played before them, and whom their Saviour has Redeemed with his own moft Ineftimablc Blood: What an intolerable Shame, I fay, is it for fuch not to retain a like invincible Reverence for Chajiity ? This is no more than our Lord requires of all his Difciples, no more than we all make Profeffion of, no more than we have folemnly vow'd and covenanted to perform ; and without which we can never hope to beSav'd. For God's fake therefore, and for their own fakes, both Souls and Bodies, let all who name the Name of CHRIST be mindful to depart from all Iniquity, and in particular from all Impurity. Without Holinefs, there is no feeing God, Heb. xii. 14. And this none can have any pretence to, who leads an immoral and vicious Life. And all fuch therefore are very nearly b \ con- [ xxxiv ] fcortcerned to bethink themfelves, and to reform whatfoever is amifs in their Converfation ; and if they have indulged themfelves in any fort of Uncleannefs, a true Love, either of God or themfelves, would direcl: them to recover them- felves out of it with all the fpeed that may be. It is related of the Philofopher Democritus^ (a) That he put out his own Eyes, to avoid the Temptations of this Vice. This indeed is not required of Chriftians, but only to arm ourfelves againft thofe Temptations that either by the Sight, Or any other way prelent themfelves to our Minds ; that lb whatfoever impure Incli- nations ah(e at any time in our Hearts, may be immediately llifled, and may not be iufTered to infecl us, and draw us afide to the Satisfying of them. And if Perfons will not do thus much to Save themfelves, will not deny themfelves, and mortifie the Fleih, and be continually upon their Watch, conflantly and indefatigably begging alfo of God to aflift their weak Endeavours, and preferve them in Chaftity all their days, they mufl; blame themfelves only, if they be unhappy at prefent, and abundantly more fo hereafter, to all Eternity. (a) Tertul. Apol. e 46. & Petav. de Rat. Temp. L 3. c. 8. The The Author's PREFACE Ncleannels being a Shameful Stn, and of which it is trouble- M fome to difcourfe, 1 was for a ' ■*• long time unjatisfied, before 1 could brin^ myfelf to refobe upon the (Publica- tion of this Work. I obferVd it Very difficult to treat of a Subject of fuch a Nature, with all the Bxatlne/s that is necejfary. And 1 doubt not but others be fides me baVe been with-held from it by the fame Confederation, and that this is the principal ( fya/on why fo little has been written againft this Vice. And yet perhaps there is no part of Chrijiian Morality, whereupon there is more need of Writing than this. Unclean nefs is one of thofe Vices that reign moft generally. It cannot be denied, that there are amongft Chi" b 4 ft tans The P R E F A C F, Jlians a great Number ofTerfons, who aban- don themfehes to the great eft Excejfes of this Sin, and to whom, what St. Paul affirmed of the Heathens, may fitly be applied, That being pad feeling, they have given them- felves up to all lorts of Pollution, Ephef. iv. to'. But howjoeVer there are "Very great and Very frequent Scandals given this way, there is good rea/on to Juppo/e that the Number of Offenders is much greater than it appears $ inafmuch as they who commit this Sin, fludy all they can to conceal it, and oftentimes order the Matter fo as no Man can make the leaji difcovery of them. In fimrt, There are Multitudes in the World, who, though free from the Crimes of Im- purity, are yet poffeffed by the disorderly /^c>r a »;<*<&■<, hinc atque inde vel pudoris vel cauise naufragium iofti- nemus. Si ad propoiica refpondeamus, pudore iuffundimur. Si pudor imperiiiit filentiurn, quafi de loco videmur cedere, & adverfario ftriendi caufam dare. Melius eft taaien, claulis, quod dicicur, oculis, Andabatarum more pugnare, quam direfch fpicula clypeo non repellere Vencaci*. E R E\%AT A. PAgexxli. Line 2. read others ; p. \6. 1. r. r The ; p. 18. 1. 35. for w B r. would y p. 24. 1. rj. r. Sttperfcription ; p. 47. 1. 37. r. that , p. 71. 1- 32. r. ylfcmdent ; p. 84. I. 7* 1. of his ; p. 96. I. 25. r. Effects ; p. 129. 1. 7. dele w&ere ; p. 153. 1. XI. for themfefoes r. &/» ; p. 1J4. 1. '. for / Jay, t. I anjmry h 15. r. fpiritual ; p. 177. 1. 37. r. Qbjecls ; p. 189- 1. 23. r. any one ; p. 190. 1. 10. after governs add (?) a Comma; p. 220. 1. 10. r. that; p. 249. 1 24 & 2 J. dele to ; p. 253. 1. ulc. r. ayavi^oy^i^- ; p. Z6i. h 32. r. SickneJJ'es ; p. 264. 1. 13. r. jffiftame 5 p. 270. !• 13, dele /r/. A A DISCOURSE CONCERNING UNCLEANNESS And in behalf of CHASTITY. PART L Of Uncleanness. SECT. I. Thdt Uncleannefs is a Sin, T being neceffary in the beginning of this Treatife to fhew that Uncleannefs is a Sin, I ihall therefore apply my felf in the firit place to prove this concerning Uncleannefs in general, in the fecond place with refped to Adultery, and thirdly with regard to thole other B Species Of Unckannefs. Se&. I. Species of it which may at any time be commit- ted, in Deed, in Word, or in Thought. And be- caufe there are two different Ways to difcover, whether any thing be finful ; the one, when it is condemn'd by the Light of Nature and Reafon ; the other, when it is forbidden by thofe Laws which Almighty God has delivered to Mankind in his written Word : I fhall make it appear from each of thefe, that Uncleannefs is fo, and there- fore utterly unlawful. And to this end it will be requifite to enquire firft, what Nature and Right Reafon teach as to this Point, and then what is the Doctrine of Scripture concerning it. CHAP. I. ConfiJerations from Nature. r'ipHough the Proofs that may be alledged from X the holy Scriptures are enough to perfwade all fuch as own the Truth of the Chriftian Re- ligion, and are abundantly more cogent and con- vincing, than any that can be brought from the Dictates of Nature, it will however be moft pro- per to begin with thefe latter, whereby to make it evident that what Revelation teaches concerning Uncleannefs, has an exact Agreement with Right Reafon. And here divers Refle&ions readily pre- fent themfelves, which to all that fhall calmly and impartially confider them, will appear highly juft , admirably well fuiting with the Nature of Man, and manifeftly tending to the Good of So- ciety. I. This therefore I lay down as a Principle, That Mankind ought to have fome Rule in their Search Ch. i . Confederations from Nature. Search after, and Ufage of whatfoever is pleafing to Flefh and Scnfe, and that we are not always to attend to our own Paflions, and follow their Mo- tions. For every one muft neceflarily acknow- ledge, either that we ought all to be left entirely to our own Management, or elfe that we muft have ibme Rules given us for the better Govern- ment of our Lives. If it be pretended that we are to be left to our felves, this is to degrade us into the Rank of Beafts, which, for want of Rea- fon to dired them better, blindly and impetuoufly purfue their own natural Inftind. And this were in truth a meer brutifh Notion, unworthy of a Rational Creature, and which would go a great way towards aboliiliing all that is wont to be filled either Vice or Virtue. Even the Nature of Man mews that he ought to regulate his Defires, and that all things are not permitted and allowed him. His own Reafon and Judgment will enable him to difcover what is for his own Advantage, and to dittinguifh what he is to do, and what to refrain from. Befides that he has it in his Power to keep under his Paflions, his Conftitution being fuch, that they cannot carry him afide without his own Concurrence, but he finds it in his own Choice, either to follow, or refill them ; and that by confequence he is bound to make a right ufe of his difcerning Faculties, and the Power that God has given him. Nor can any deliver them- felves up to the Government of their Pallions, without infinite Mifchief to themfelves, and oc- cafioning all forts of Diforder in the World, and producing much greater Confufion amongil Men than is to be ktn in the very Brutes, which being determined by a fecret Inftind:, are hereby con- tained within their certain Bounds, and never ar- rive at the ExcefTes of thofe Perfons, who inor- dinately abufe their Reafon and Phancy, to fearch B 2 and Of Uncleannefs. Se£t. I. and find out means of fatisfying their unreafo- nable Pafltons, and are continually under the fole Con d uft of their own extravagant Humour. But this is more efpecially to be feared, in refpeft to the Luft of Uncleannefs, as being a Paflion that is too often obferved, to hurry People on to the fouled Extravagances. Whence it clearly follows, that we are not left entirely to our "own Liberty, but that Care muft be taken to govern and regu- iate our Defires, and keep them within their pro- per' Limits. And if you would know what are the proper Limits and Rules to be obferved in this Cafe, do but ferioufly confider a while with your felves, and you will prefently be convinced, that there is no more effectual Remedy to be prefcribed than Marriage. No other fure Direction can be given befides this, nor any fo proper means of ordering things aright, and preventing the terrible EfFefts of Incontinence. Take away this one Barrier, and let Allowance be given to Impurity, and im- mediately there will be an end of all Rule and Order. Nothing would be able to put a flop to the Licenticufnefs and Extravagances that would hereby break in upon us, but all other Bounds that might be fixed would forthwith be broken down. Wherefore the true and only Means of regulating Mankind, a*id maintaining an inno- cent Converiation amongft them, is to reftrain them by Marriage, and leave them jfcbjeft in other refpefts to the Laws of Chaitity : As will farther appear by what follows. II. My fecond Argument fhall be taken from the Advantages and Excellence of Marriage. On which whenfoever we ferioufly and attentively fix our Meditations, wc cannot fufficiently admire the Wifdom of our great Creator, in the Provi- fion he has thus made for the Prefervation of Man- Ch. 1 . Confiderations from Nature. Mankind. And accordingly it might adminifter occafion for divers Reflections, That Almighty- God, who could have peopled the World, by on- ly commanding Men to be, as he did our firft Pa- rent Adam, would choofe rather to have them propagated by the ordinary way of Generation ; and to that end created them at the beginning both Male and Female, and ordained a ftridt Union between them. But it not being to my purpofe to enter at prefent upon thefe feveral Confiderations, I mall content my felf only to obferve, That this was a fenfible Demonftration, that the Almighty would take this Method, to lay a fure Foundation of Society, and the Mappi- ng's of Mankind. It is plain he defign'd hereby to eftablim a moft intimate Union of Parents be- twixt themfelves, and with their Children ,• and that the Ordinance of Marriage is the beft way to promote the Happinefs of Families, and by con- fequence of larger Societies. This State was re- quifite for the Good of Mankind, for their mu- tual Comfort and Satisfaction, for the Education of Children, and for the Prefervation of Order and Quiet in the World. Moreover the Laws of Marriage, at leaft very often, prevent their ha- ving Children as long as they live, and in too great Numbers, each of which would be a great Obftruclion to their good Education. Neither, were it not for this, would People be fo con- cern'd, as they now ordinarily ihew themfelves to be, for the Good of the Publick and for Pofte- rity. It ought alfo to be coniider'd, That feeing Men are endued with Reafon, and have a Senfe of Virtue, it is therefore of great Importance to them to choofe fuch a State of Life as may re- prefs the Violence of a moft dangerous Paflion, and which has moft mifchievous Coniequences at- tending it ; which State can be no other than that B ; of Of Ufickarmefs. Se&. I. of .Matrimony. All thefe Confiderations , toge- ther with feveral other that might be added to them., make it very clear, that Marriage is an In- stitution raoft beneficial to Mankind, and every- way worthy of the immenfe Goodnefs, and infi- nite Wifdom of God. And that it is an Ordi- nance every way Suitable to the Nature of Man, and ofabfoluteNeceflity, appears from this, That it has been every where received, and its Necefli- ty has been fo much the more freely own'd, and its Laws fo much the more carefully obey'd, by how much the better instructed, and the more ci- vilized any People have been. But now Uncleannefs has a neceffary Ten- dency to fubvert this fo happy Institution,, and fo Angularly advantageous to Mankind. Info- much that if this Vice were once«look'd upon as an indifferent matter, many Perfons would not marry at all, becaufe of fome Troubles and In- conveniences that are incident to the Married State ,• and even the greateft Part of thofe that mould marry, would neither be able to live in Unity, Satisfaction, and Peace, nor would love their Children, nor take that Care of them, which is incumbent upon all Parents. So that where- foever Luft prevails to the Contempt of Marriage, (which, as I have already obferved, is a molt ne- ceffary Ordinance, in order to the Welfare of Mankind, and is the Foundation of all Societies) feeing it hereby diffolves the Bonds and Relations, that are wont to unite Perfons molt firmly to each other, it is manifdtly wicked and unlawful, and would be a means of introducing all forts of Crimes, and Mifchiefs into the World. In Short, as there is no Harm in keeping to the Laws of Marriage, and obferving them exactly, this being only to live conformably to Reafon and Vir- tue ,• fo, on the other hand, the Evils arifing frcm Ch. 1 . Confiderations from Nature. 7 from the Abolition of thefe Laws, and the Al- lowance of inordinate Lufts would be unavoidable and endlefs. III. Uncleanncfs is contrary to the mofr in- violable Laws of Juftice, and that Order which mult be preferved in Society. For if there be any one Principle of natural Juflice that is cer- tain and indifputable, it is this, That every one mould be allowed a Subfiftence ,• and efpecially that Children are to be provided for and brought up. To doubt of this is to (hew our felves unna- tural and worfe than Beads. Children we all know are born in a very feeble Condition, and have for a long time fuch need of Support, that were they left to themfelves, they muft all be loft. And hence it is mod highly necefTary, that there fhould be fome others to take care of them. But of whom can this be required ? Nature it felf teaches that there are none under fuch Obliga- tion to it, as thofe who brought them into the World. The Milk wherewith Mothers are natu- rally furnifhed, teflifies them to be in an efpecial manner determin'd by the Law of the Creator, to fuckle their little ones. Nor are the Fathers lefs concerned to take care of them. Neither can the Mothers make due Provi/ion for their Maintenance and Education, without the Father's Affiftance. But then to the end that both Fathers and Mo- thers may apply themfelves to nourifh and bring up their Children, it is requisite they fhould know them, and that their Birth fhould be fuch as they may fecurely depend upon j befides the divers weighty Reafons there are, why this fhould like- wife be known in the Society whereinto they are born. Parents ought too after this to have a natu- ral Tendernels and Affection to their Children, whereby to incline them to the greater care of them. This Love is a principal , and original B 4 Cable, 8 Of Unckannefs. Seft. I. Caufe, not only of all the Good that Fathers do to their Children, bat alfo of innumerable other matters, moil beneficial to Society, in which Men now engage, but which they would never engage in, if a paternal Kindnefs did not put them upon it. Again, it is moft proper for Fathers and Mo- thers to live together, that they may jointly take care of their Children, and may have them near at hand upon all occafions. Moreover they mould have Time and Means for nonriming and breed- ing them up ; upon which account it would be very inconvenient to have them in too great number. All this is perfectly agreeable to Reafon and Juftice ,• but withal I muft add, That all this can never be effected any other way than by Mar- riage. The Permiflion of Uncleannefs would fubvert thefe natural, and neceflary Laws. Fathers would frequently not know their own Offspring ,♦ and would have no means of being affured that any of them were really their own. And both Fa- thers and Mothers would be at a lofs as to the Method of bringing them up ,• partly for want of being Members of the fame Family, and fo pot living together with them ; partly becaufe there would be too many for them ,• and again for other Reafons eafily difcernible. Uncleannefs has a confiderable Influence upon Paternal Affe- ction, and if it doth not wholly extinguish it, it however greatly weakens it ,♦ and tempts both Pa- rents, but more efpecially the Fathers, to abanr 4on their Children, and fo as much as in them lies to become their Murderers. And fo the Ccn- fequeace would be, that their Children being neglected and ill educated, would net only be- come unhappy during their whole Lives, bu$ would caufe a thoufand Diforders to the Publick.. If ihy org defiie to be (atisfied, that thefe would be Ch. i. Confederations from Nature. be the natural Effects of Uncleannefs, he need only recoiled: how it far'd among the Heathens, with whom this Vice was fo cuftomary. In fome places their Infants were expofcd , as foon as born, and vaft Numbers of them perifhed. In fome places Parents looked upon themfelves as having a Right of putting them to death. And others fold them ,• which was one Caufe of the prodigious Multitudes of Slaves, that were in thofe times. All thefe horrible Enormities, which Chriitian Religion has extirpated out of the World, would immediately return, if Impurity were again taken for an indifferent matter. I know not what can be replied to thefe Affer- tions, unlefs it be, That in truth thefe Diforders would be found , if Men entirely abandoned themfelves to Senfuality ; but that no fuch Mii- chiefs are to be feared, fo long as they contain themfelves within certain Rules. But here I de- mand again $ What Rules and Bounds mould they have fet them ? And how could thefe foremen* tioned Inconveniences be prevented, other wife than by the Help of Marriage ? Poflibly it may be faid, Children might be nourilTied and brought up, though not born in Marriage, provided thofe., who brought them into the World, would agree together to take care of them. Whereto I anr fwer firft, Howfoever fome might do this, it will be impoffible to expect that all fhould ; as is eafy to infer from what has been already faid. I fay further. That thefe People could never be fo well alfured of the Condition and Birth of their Chil- dren ; nor would find themfelves under fuch powerful Obligations to love them, as in Marriage. And yet once more ,• Either it is pretended that thofe Fathers and Mothers, who fhould have en- tered into Compact, to take care of their Chil- dren, might be again difcharged of their Obliga- tion, io Of Uncleannefs. Se£h L. tion, to the intent they might place their Care upon others, or it is not pretended. If it be ad- mitted that they ought to be difcharged , this were co open a Paffage for all thofe fame Mif- chiefs; which I have been juft now mentioning, to break in upon us. If it be faid, they may not be releafed, and that they muft remain faithful to each other, I affirm that they have hereby in a manner fubje&ed themfelves to the Laws of Mar- riage. And fo thofe who have recourfe to this kind of Evafion, confirm, inftead of confuting, the Truth I have been maintaining, returning to the Inftitution of Matrimony before they are aware of it ,• and without considering where they are, they acknowledge the Reafonablcnefs and Neceflity of it. IV. if it be a true and natural Principle, that Parents are to love their Children, and take care of them, is is no whit lefs reafonable for Chil- dren to love and honour thofe from whom they have received their Life, to obey them, to comfort them, and to affift them in time of Age, of Sicknefs, or of "Want. Thefe have always been efteem'd facred and inviolable Duties. But as little as People think of it, it is very apparent, that if Uncleannefs were allow'd of, Children would not know how to anfwer their Obligation in thefe Points. An infinite Number of them would not fo much as know their own Fa- thers, not to fay that they would not dwell in the fame Neighbourhood with them. They would not be fenfible of the fame Motives to love and a flid them. Nor would they at all take them- felves to be under the fame Obligations with the fe, who being born in Marriage, pafs gene- iajly the better part of their Lives together with their Fathers and Mothers, and are indebted to them fpr the chief part of whatsoever Advantages they Ch. i . Confederations from Nature, i \ they enjoy, and have frequent occafion of ma- king Returns to them upon account of what they are thus indebted for. V. Another Confideration which mews how Men are naturally obliged to keep to the Laws of Marriage, and to abftain from all Uncleannefs, is the Proportion that is ordinarily obfervable be- tween the two Sexes. "Which being a powerful Argument againff Polygamy, and all kind of Un- cleannefs, it therefore deferves to be the more particularly attended to. The Holy Scripture in- forms us that God created at the firft one Man and one Woman. And daily Experience fliews that the fame Method is ftill continued amongft all that are born into the World. It is not one of the leaft furprizing Inftances of Providence, that fiich an Equality is preferved in relation to the two Sexes, that their Number is yet alike, and there are to this Day as many Men as Wo- men. The Fad: is certain,- Enquiry has been made, and it has been found that there is very little difference betwixt the Births of both Sexes ; and that if at any time there have been born a few more Men than Women, or a few more Women than Men, the Difparity has proved (6 fmall as not to be worth fpeaking of. And he mult put out his Eyes, who will not fee that this Propor- tion and Equality is theEffedof an admirable Wif- dom, and could not have been fo ordered but by a particular Providence. And hence it clearly follows, That the Author of Nature has deter- mined to provide for the Prefervation of Man- kind by the help of Marriage ; and that Marriage is to be, not of one Husband with many Wives, nor of one "Woman with many Husbands, but of One and One. And fo it is eafily to be obf erved , That Uncleannefs is inconfiftent with this Order of Nature, and that Proportion there is between the j i Of Uncleannefs. Sedl. F. the two Sexes, and that the only allowable Courfe in this Cafe is Marriage. Nor is there any de- parting from this Rule, fo plainly marked out by Nature, without introducing a thoufand dreadful Extravagances, and Mens falling into Adultery, and other more abominable Crimes not fit to be named : As is to be feen wherefoever Polygamy, and other Inftances of Uncleannefs prevail. There is no room for pleading upon this Oc- eafion, That a great many Men are taken off by War ; becaufe our prefent Bufinefs is to obferve things as they are in their own Natural State. Our Blelfed Saviour Jefus Chrifi has taught us, in the nineteenth Chapter of St. Matthew, that with- out regarding the Irregularities which the Cor- ruptions of Men may have introduced in relation to Marriage, recourfe muft be had to the firft be- ginning of things, and the Creator's Original In- stitution muft be kept to : Which I am fure is a Do&rine no Chriftian can poffibly difpute ,• and which befides is exa&ly agreeable to Reafon. God did not make Men to deftroy one another. Nor can it ever be proved that Men may make new Laws to themfelves, may change that Order which God had eftablifhed at the beginning, and may wander from thole Rules which even Nature has appointed, under pretence, that through the Wickednefs of Men, at fome certain times, and in fome certain places Wars have arifen, and other Difturbances, contrary to the Order of Na- ture. Many other Confederations might farther be added upon this Subject, were it necelfary ,• but what has been already faid is enough to fatisfy any reafonable Man. VJ. It is a good Proof of any Duty's being confonant to the Law of Nature , if it can be fhewn that Mankind have in all Ages given their Judgment in favour of it. But now if it be asked, Ch. u Confederations from Nature. asked, What Sentiments the World has ever had concerning this Sin of Uncleannefs, thefe two Particulars can fto way be denied. Fhf 3 That even amongft the Pagans this Vice could not pais without a Note of Infamy and Dif- grace. It is ordinarily taken for granted, that they looked upon Fornication as of an indifferent nature, and that it was accordingly allow'd a- mongft them. But this cannot be affirmed of all without diftin&ion, as if there were none of them who had not this Notion of it. There is no doubt to be made but many of them were of this Opinion, as appears from the Writings of feverai of their own Authors. And who knows not that their Practice was accordingly, and that thefe Idolatrous People were extreamly lafcivious, and addi&ed to the gratifying their Lufts ? And it is no great matter of Surprize that they were ib, confidering the ftate of Ignorance and Corruption in which they lived, upon all other accounts. Yet it is not true that Uncleannefs was generally reputed indifferent amongft them ; it being very unjuft to fix the Opinions of fome licentious Poets upon them, as the common Sentiment of them all. There is no Difficulty at all in proving from the Teftimony of their own Writers, that. not on- ly Adultery, but fimple Fornication too, went un- der the Character of a wicked Practice, and no way reconciieable to Honour and Virtue. This is evident from the Sayings of divers of their wi- fer Authors,, from the Laws that from time to time were made amongft them in favour of Marriage, from what fome of them have written of Modcitv and Decency of Behaviour, from the Praifes they gave to thefe Virtues, from divers very remarkable Examples of Chaftity and Continence which oc- cur in their Hiftories, from the ill Opinion they fhew'd themfelvcs to have of the Incontinent, from 14 Of Uncleannefs. Sed. I. from the Care fuch took to conceal their Mi {car- riages of this nature, and from feveral other Con- siderations. They accounted it a great Mark of Reproach for unmarried Perfons to be thus fami- liar with each other. So that I cannot fee how it can be faid that the Generality of the Heathens imagin'd Fornication to be naturally fo very in- different, as many have fuppofed concerning them. Almighty God, who wou'd not fuffer the Principles of Religion and Virtue to be utterly extingui/hed amongft thefe poor ignorant People, preferved fome Notion of Chaftity in them, as well as of divers other Duties. The Second thing which I defire to be confider'd in behalf of what I have aflerted, is, the Senfe of Shame and Modefty that fo naturally- appears in all who are not become more like Brutes than Men, and the Refervednefs whereto it invites them. I grant Education has a great Influence upon Perfons, and makes them more or lefs cir- cumfpeft as to the manner of their Converfation, and fome have attained to fuch a Meafure of Af- furance, that Baihfulnefs and Modefty make very faint Impreflions upon them, and indeed are al- moft entirely banifned from amongft them. But then., there are poflibly no Men in the World, who have not fome fmali Remainders of Shame and Modefty left in them. Yet granting any fuch can be found, it will by no means follow from hence that Modefty and Chaftity are only an empty Name, and that no regard is to be had to them. There are fome People and Countries, where Robbery paffes with Impunity, where Fa- thers expofe, abandon, and fell their Children, where Man's Flefh is fed upon, and where no no- tice is taken of thofe feveral Laws of Juftice, which other Nations efteem inviolable, and whereon de- pends the Happinefs and Peace of all Civil So- ciety. Ch. i . Con fi derations from Nature. i 5 ciety. Is this a Reafon therefore to conclude that thele Laws are furely arbitrary, and not rather of perpetual Obligation? It is no leis than the utmoft height of Folly, to judge of the nature of things, and particularly to conclude what is Juft and Un- juft, by the Notions of the mod brutifh of all Mankind ,• and fo pretend to govern the World by the Sentiments of the lefler Part, and who make the vileft Figure in it, and have in a manner divefted themfelves of their Reafon and Huma- nity. And common Prudence therefore would direct on the contrary, in this as well as all ocher Cafes, to prefer the general Confent of fuch as ftri&Iy follow the Dilates of their Reafon. Now it is always to be obferved, that the more culti- vated any People are, and the more improved in their Underftanding, they feel themfelves under the more indiflbluble Obligation, from the Laws of Decency and an inoffenfive Converfation. And no wonder therefore that we fee the Apo- ftles of our Lord in their "Writings combating Un- cleannefs with this fame Argument taken from the known Neceffity of a modeft and referv'd De- portment. St. Panl affirms, Epbef. 5. 12. that It is a jhame to /peak of thofe things which the Heathens did in fecret. And Chap. 4. 19. that Being pafi feeling, hardened in their Wickednefs, and (b not (enlible of the Evil of their doings, they had given them- felves over unto Lafcivwufnefs, to work all Uncleannefs with Greedinefs. This Feeling therefore or Senfe, which the Apoftle here fpeaks of, can be none other, than the Senfe of Modefty and Shame, which many among the Gentiles had almoft to- tally loft. I conclude then from the Reafons hitherto pro- pofed, That if we confult only the Light of Na- ture and Right Reafon, this alone will fupply us with confiderable Arguments againft Uncleannefs, the \6 Of Undeannefs. Se&. F. the Evil of which Vice I proceed next to /hew from the Holy Scriptures. And I mall begin with thofe Proofs of it which we meet with in the Old Teftament ; and afterwards fhall defcend to thole which we cannot but obfprve in the New. CHAP. II. Troofs taken from the Old Teftamoit. i.np H E firft Proof that the Books of the Old JL Teftament afford to our purpofe, is the Inftitution of Marriage. And though I have al- ready obferved it, I muft in this place again take notice that the facred Writings teach this Eftate to t Gen. have been eftablifhed by God t, at the firft begin- 2. 24- ning of the World. And being thus of Divine Inftitution, it ought to be accounted fo much the more inviolable and facred. And that it was in- ftituted immediately upon the Creation, is a ve- ry good Evidence that the Almighty did not de- fign Mankind to be preferved, and the World to be peopled any other way than by Marriage. In faying that the Man fljould cleave to his fVife, and they two jhould be one Flejli, he lets us fee it was by no means his Intention that Perfons fhould go aftray from this Law, and abandon themfelves to Senfuality and Incontinence. No, his Defign was to confine them to a certain Order, and certain Rules. It is alfo to be remember'd that Marriage was inftituted before the Fall ; and if it were needful in the ftate of Innocency, it is much more fo now that Man's corrupt and finful Nature is fo fadly prone to Senfuality and all kind of Wickednefs ; and whofe Condition now more efpe- Gh. 2. T roofs from the Old Te ft anient. 17 efpecially calls for Reftraint and Government. I add, that God has enabled divers particular Sta- tutes, for rendring this fir ft Inftitution yet more inviolable ,• Marriage being one of thole things, about which God gave the Jews the greateft num- ber of Injun&ions. And by confequence vvhat- foever is contrary to the Inftitution of Matrimony, is unlawful. It may perhaps be obje#cd that Polygamy and Divorce were common among the Jews, which fhews they were not ftrictly tied to the Laws of Marriage, as is pretended. But to this our BlefTed , Saviour returns anfwer, f That thefe Irregulari- f St. Mat. ties were tolerated amongft that People, not be- *s> 8 >9< caiife Almighty God approved of them, but only by reafon of the Hardnefs cf their Hearts. As to Di- vorce he declares, that as it was ufed amongft them, it was contrary to God's firft Inftitution, and at the beginning it wasmtfo x and neither mould it be for the future, but things mould be refetled amongft his Difcip'es, in their own Original E- ftate, wherein they ought to be, and as God had of old appointed them at the time of the Crea- tion. Thus you fee that Jefus Chrift has not gi- ven new Laws concerning Marriage, but thofe which the Gofpel impofes are precisely the fame with thole that had been before ordained from the beginning of the World. 2. But this is not all : For there are divers Paf- fages in the Books of Mofes, where Uncleannefs is plainly condemned. God commands, Deut. 23. •17. that there be no Whore of the Houfe oflfrael, nor a Whoremonger of the Sons of Ifrael. It is true the chief Defign of this Law was to prevent their having any Proftitutes among them, as there had been amongft the Idolatrous Nations. Neverthe-* lefs it may fairly be concluded from hence, that Uncleannefs in general is forbidden, and that C Fer- Of Uncleannefs. Se&. I. Fornication is undoubtedly a Sin j becaufe if this were allowed of, it will be hard to give a>good Rea- fon, why Prostitution fhculd be a Crime. It is certain Hkewife that God gave this Law becaufe of the Danger the lfraelites were in of being tempted to commit Idolatry, by means of Un- cleannefs, left they ihould follow the Example of the Idolatrous Nations,, with whom Prostitu- tion was wont to accompany the Service of their 1 Idols. Buc this was not the only Reafon of the I aw. And that God condemned Impurity noe only when joined with Prcftitution and Idolatry, but becaufe it is evil in its Nature, appears, be- s what has been already faid to prove it, be- caufe he forbids it, out of the Cafe of Proftitu- ticn, and where there is no Danger of Idolatry. As will be Jhewn more fully in the Sequel of this Difcourfe. 3. Levit*. 21.9. The Daughter of any Vriefi, if fie froft.ne her (elf by tlaying^ the whore, Jhc profancth her F.ithcr, jheflhdl be burnt -with fre. This Law parti- cularly relates to the PrieiTs Daughters, in as much as other Women were not obnoxious to the Lime Penalty. And there are thefe two Reafons why it does fo. The one, becaufe God requires a lingular Degree of Purity in the Minifters of Religion, and that whatfoever relates to them ihcuid be holy. The other, becaufe God would fecure the Family of the Priefls, and the Places of Divine Service, from any fuch Abominations as were too ufual in the Idol-Temples, and in the Families of the Idolatrous Priefts. Tut ftill this Law furpofes that Fornication is a Sin. For net to infill upon it, that it is not conceivable that God will have threatned the Penalty of Death id what had no where been forbidden, and which fo'as of an indifferent nature, the Terms of the Law, and the Reafon God afligns of it, deferve to Ch. 2. Proofs from the Old Tt ft anient. to be ferioufly attended to. God commands the Prieft's Daughter that {hall be convift of Un- cleannefs, in whatfoever manner /he fhall have committed it, and though me have never been chargeable with either Proftitution, or Idolatry, to be put to death. And the Reafonhe gives of this Law is, becaufe this Daughter is both defiled her felf, and has dijloonoured her Father ; which implies that Fornication is both a Defilement , a thing un- feemly and wicked in its felf,, and by Con- fequence that this is not one of thofe pofitive Laws, which are founded only on the good Plea- fure of God. 4. Which Doctrine is farther confirmed by God's not only condemning Incontinence in the Priefts Daughters, but in all other Women too. He de- crees, Deut. 22. 19. That if a Man accufed a Wo- man whom he had cfpoufed, of having misbeha- ved her felf before her Marriage, he mould be obliged in cafe he did it wrongfully _, to pay a Sum of Money to her Father. And pray obferve the Reafon of this Appointment, Becaufe he bat brought an evil Report upon a Virgin oflfrael, as much as to fay, he has difgrac'd her by charging her with Co infamous a Fault. Where it is manifeft-* ly fuppofed, that Uncleannefs, without Proftitu- tion and Idolatry, is a matter of Infamy and Guilt. But if the Husband could make good his Charge againft her, the Woman was forthwith ftoned at her own Father's Door. No doubt God Almighty crder'd this Punimment to be inflifted, becaufe of the Injury hereby done to the Hus- band. But then it is to be noted, That had me in reality done no Evil, and her fimple Fornica- tion were no Sin, the Flusband would have had no juft Caufe of Complaint againft her, becaufe ihe had then done nothing but what Hie lawfully might do. And if this were the Cafe, it is not to C z N Of llncleannefs. Se&. I. be conceived^ that Gcd would have fubje&ed her to lb ievere a Punifhment. And it cannot there- fore be queilioned but the Women againft whom this Law was made, were guilty of Sin. The Terms of the I aw are veiy exprefs, v. 20. She (hall be fibned becaufe fbe hath wrought Folly in Ifrael, to flay the where in her Father s houfe j and io are an undeniable Condemnation of fimple Fornication. For here is not a word of Uncleannefs as accom- panied with Prostitution or Idolatry, or as it is committed by a Perfon already betrothed, but only of a Woman not yet betrothed, and in her Father's Houfe, who has fallen into Sin there, and poflibly but into one Act of it. The Sin thus committed, you fee, is called Fornication, and Folly, and is (aid to be fhameful, and not fit to be feen in Ifrael. Which fnews that this Law and all others which God has enacted againft Inconti- nence, fuppofe the Bafenefs and Sinfulnefs of it. It is clear that God would have all who are un- married to live chaftly, and that all who did otherwife acted contrary to that Virtue and Holi- nefs, which he had required of the People of If- rael. And yet there is one Circumftance more to be obferved, That Offenders againft this Law were to be finned at their Father s Door. Which being fome fort of Punifhment to their Fathers, would lay an Obligation upon them to attend the more carefully to the Conduct of their Children : Which is one of thofe Arguments I might have taken occafion to enlarge upon, but that my pre- lent Defign will not admit of it. $-. In the fame Chapter, *>. 28, 29. God com- mands that whofoever ihould have abufed a Dam- fel that v ' Words., to their Looks, and to their Thought?. They are to flee all Appearance of Evil, and whatfo- ever may expofe them to it ,• are to reprefs the firlt Motions of Luft, and to mortify their own Inclinations even in relation to things in their own Nature Allowable and Indifferent. All thefe Duties are undoubtedly eftablifhed, by the Decla- rations of our Lord and his Apofties. And can any now in the lea ft queftion what Chara&er Un- cleannefs deferves ? Is it poflible that Fornication can be thought no Sin in a Chriitian, when an ob- fcene Word is Co, when a bare Caff of the Eye at- tended with a luitful Defire is by no means to be ex- cufed, when it is a Sin to cherifh and encourage impure Thoughts in the Mind, when there- may be Sin in the \Jfc of Lawful things ? Had Peo- ple rightly underftood thefe Maxims, had they well confidered the Spirit of the Gofpel, and the Genius of the ChrifHan Religion, there would have been no need to infift upon thefe Truths, or to be put to the trouble of proving Unclean- nefs to be a Sin. But the Generality live in a fhameful and tfupid Ignorance in this refpecl ; and have no tolerable Notion of Hoiinefs and Chriitian Perfe<5Hon. And fo there is no reafon to be furprifed at their having fuch loofe Senti- ments concerning Uncleannefs. 4. When the Gofpel enjoins Chaftity, it en- joins it to all forts of Perfons, and in all Condi- tions. As may be obferved throughout the New Teftament. St. James fays the true Religion, and which alone renders us acceptable in the fight of God, f is to keep cur [elves pure and unfpotted from the tS.Ja. 1. World. And St. Paul, fpeaking of the Luft of Vn- 2 i- cleannefs, exprefly affirms * this to be the Will of* l Tlie & God, even cur Santlifi ration, that ye JJiould abftain ^' *' *' from Fornication, and that every one of us jliould know how to pofj'efs his Vtljel in Sanftiflcation and Honour. k ~ Which 2<$ Of Hncleannefs. Se&. F. Which Words plainly teach Chaftity to be a Ge- neral Duty. All Men have their own Body, and all ought to keep it pure, and confequently Cha- ftity ought to be the ftudy of all whether Mar- ried, or Unmarried. Which is a fufficient Proof that Uncieannefs is forbidden to fuch as are not yet engaged in Marriage. St. Taul fays they ought to preferye their Body in Puri y and Holi- neis. And 4 after this ic is very abfurd to pretend that Uncleanaefs never becomes a Crime till it ar- rives at Adultery, or an entire abandoning oneielf to all Pollution. But what we have yet farther to add will fet jthis Truth in its full Light, and will make it abun- dant]*-' evident , that St. Paul defign'd nothing ■ ■■■&£ than to condemn all Impurity of whatfoever kind. CHAP. IV. Some General Reflexions upon tho/e Taffages, of the Nap left -anient , which rcspeEt Unr cleannejs. NOW we ftould pafs on to fome more Par- ticular Coniiderations, and pxprefi and for- ; mal Proofs; but that it will be proper before we mention the PafTages to be hereafter infilled upon, to make fome reflexion in the. firft place, upon the Terms wherein this Sin is defcribed ,• iecond- ly, upon the Apoitles manner of fpeaking of it ; and ehen, thirdly, upon the Reafons they had to'i exprei'^ themfelves in this manner. I. And Ch. 4. Some General (Inflexions, &c. 1? I. And firft it is to be obferved that the Apoftles not only condemn Impurity in general, but di- ftinguifn al(b the feveral forts of this Sin, as Adul- tery, Fornication or V/horing, and other Sins not neceffary to be mentioned here. This Diftinction is to be i'een throughout the New Teitament ; as Heb. I 2. A- Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge ; and I Cor. 6. 9. Neither Fornicators, nor Adul- ter in, nor the Abominable Jball inherit the Kingdom of God. St. Paul in this latter Paffage fpecifies feve- ral different Sins ; and propofes Adultery and For- nication, as two diitind: Species of Impurity. He puts a difference between Fornicators and Adul- terers, as well as between thefe and the Abomi- nable, Idolaters, Drunkards, and other grievous Sinners. The fignification of the Word Adultery is what every body knows. None but can tell that it imports a Violation of the Marriage Covenant. And thofe called Fornicators or Whoremongers, are fuch as defile themfelves in an Unmarried State. And it is to be remember'd, the Apoftles did not invent new Terms, or new Names, for Vices or Virtues, but made ufe of thofe which were in common ufe, and whofe Meaning all could un- derftand. For inftance, when they fpake of Drun- kennefs, or Covetoufnefs, no body that heard them but immediately knew what they intended. In like manner common Ufage had taught all, whether Jews or Gentiles, what Fornication and Whoring meant. The Pagan Authors had deli- vered themfelves in the fame Terms the Apoftles did. It is true they had made ufe of them in dif- ferent Senfes ,• | fometimes for either Impurity at large, or for Adultery, and again at other times t riopm'ri, Scortatio, (xhi-^ha for 2 8 OfUndeannefs. Seft. I. for Impurity committed out of Marriage, and even limple Fornication *. And who then can doubt whether the Apoftles condemned this Spe cies of Uncleannefs, efpecially when they diltin guilh it from Adultery ? However, this will be made yet more clear by a particular Enquiry into divers Paffages, which can bear no other Senfe than this. II. Let us confider therefore what the Apoftles fay of Uncleannefs. And there are two very particular Inftances relating to it in the New Te ttament that call for our Attention. The former is that the holy Writers treat oftener of this than of any other Sin. Let any Man examine all the places in the New Teftament, where mention is made of Vices and Sins, and he will find there is not any one other Crime lb many times named as Uncleannefs. The other Particular to be re- marked, and which is peculiar to this Sin, is, that thp Apoftles ordinarily name it firft, and in their Catalogues of Vices fee it in the Front of all the reft. This is a clear Cafe, f One need only run over the New Teitament to be convinced of it. And the Reader will fee. it made out in the Re- mainder of this Chapter. Whence it appears very clearly, that Uncleannefs is one of the prin- cipal Sins that the Apoftles fee themfelves to op- pofe ; and that all Chriftians are under a parti cular Obligation to renounce it. III. The Apoftles having mewn fach an Aver- fjon to this Sin, it may juftly be concluded that they had very good and i'ubftantial Reafons for their fo doing ,• which it will not be amifs to re- Lite in this place. * /« this Sinfi L'Ucian tts\l the Wor!l\ Miuoi^/iZl Fabulof. Dial 2r Kci -fere rj;>t& fttttotjj4$&$ w»j{W? avtIw. 6cc. t SieS-Mu. 7*21. Rom 1.26, &c 1 Cor. 5 11. & 6. io. ' v i«. ColoiT. 3 it&e, *. The Ch, 4. Some General Reflexions, &c. 2p 1. The firft is the Strength of this Paffion, and the Inclination Mankind have to whatfoever is pleafing to Flefh and Senfe. This Inclination was one of the firft and molt fatal Effe&s, of thac Change, and Corruption which our firft Parent Ad.ims Sin occafioned in his Pofterity ; and fo makes it neceffary to be the more carefully upon our Guard, againft the Sin I am now difcour- fing of. 2. This Sin reigned amongft the Heathens ,* who lived in Pollution, and all forts of Diffolute- nefs, and a Habit of indulging their own unruly Defires, and by this means gave occafion to the Apoftles to reprefent them, as a People who had proftituted themfelves to all Lafcivioufnefs. And this in truth is the Character the Apoftles chiefly give of them. f God, fays St. Paul, gave them up f Rom »• to their own vile AffeB ions, and to Uncleannefs through 24- *&■ the Lujls of their own Hearts. And a little after, * they were filed with all Unrighteoufnejs, Fornication, * v. 29. and Wkkednefs. He fays at another time, t t hat f Eph. $ . being p-rft Feeling, they gave themfelves over to commit *9> all Uncleannejs with greedinefs. Thus St. Peter tefti- fies of thofe Idolaters, that they were fo com- monly ufed to live in Uncleannefs, * that they 1 " 1 s P«t> were furprized at the Chriftians Refufal to run + ?• with them into the Jame Excefs of Riot* or DiiTolute- nefs. This being the Cafe with thefe Pagans, the Apoftles who wrote either to fuch of them as were newly converted to Chriftianity, or to the Jews who lived amongft them, found it neceiTs- ry to fet themfelves particularly againft Impu- rity. 3. There was a third Reafon for them to fpeak often with great Freedom againft this Sin ; a pe- ' culiar Realon, and which related to thofe Times in which the Apoftles lived ,• and it was the Caufe they had to fear left the Practice of it fhould be }o Of Unckannefs. Sed. f. a means of drawing the Chriftians afide into Ido- latry and Apoftacy. And fince this gives a great light to the whole matter in hand, and helps to the underftanding of a great many Texts in the Holy Scripture , wh.re Uncleannefs is fpoken of, I fhall beg leave fomewhat to enlarge upon it. We muft know then that this Vice was not only very common amongft the Heathens, as is ihewn in the preceding Article > but moreover was made in fome fort a part of their Religion, and the Worfhip they paid to their falfe Deities. And no wonder, confidering what impure Obje&s they had for their Adoration. Such as Jupiter, and Vknm or A fane, the Goddefs of Luft. Impurity was annexed to the Worfhip of Idols % and it was a natural Confequent of the Feaits, Sacrifices, and Revellings, which they kept in honour of their iuppos'd Deities. Till at length it came to pafs > that this Wickednefs was committed in the Places dedicated to the Service of their Idols, and thefe Places were filled with infamous Perfons. Which Cuftora obtained in fo many diftant places, and grew lb Publick, that Proftitution came to be a fort of Confecration. And this is the reafon why the Proftitutes were anciently called by the fame ^""t&'"'p t Name with thofe that were t Ctmfetratedi Hea- then Authors willfurnifli us with plenty of Proofs and Examples to this purpofe. And fome are to be met with in the Holy Scripture. This alfo *5?eExod. gave occafion for * divers Laws which occur in the Books of ALfes. It is obferved in the Hirtory » U s. ~ 3 ' °f tne ifraelites, that Idolatry was often introdu- ced by the afliitance of Uncleannefs. Mojes re- ' ports, Numb. 2f. i, 2. 2. that the Children of If- rail, being led by the Daughters of the Idolatrous Monbites , to their Feaits, and tne Sacrifices of their Gods, they were (educed through the Whcre- doTti Ch. 4. So?ne General (Reflexions^ Sec, 3 1 dom they had committed with them, and they did eat, and bowed down to their Gods. It was through this Luff that Solomon | fell into Idolatry. In whole \ 1 Kings, Son Rehoboams days the People alfo corrupted 'i-4- fhemfelves, and forfook the Service of the true God. And it is exprefsly recorded of them, that at this time, * there were Sodomites in the Land, and * i King;, they did according to all the Abominations of the Na- r 4, a *>*3' tions which the Lord had caft out before them. And 2 *' the Author of the Hiitory of the Maccabees giving an Account how the Temple had been prophaned by Antiockus, tells amongft other things || that the \\ 2 Mace Gentiles had filled the Temple with Riot, and Re CHAP. V. A Particular Enquiry into thofe federal Paf~ fages, where Uncieanne/s is forbidden. THofe Words of our Bleffed Saviour, St. Mar. 7. 21. call for our ferious Attention. From within, out of the Heart "proceed E-vil Thoughts, Adulte- ries, Fornications, Murders, See After which he adds, Ver. 23. All theje evil things come from within, and de- file the Man. In thefe Words our Lord does not name Adultery only, but Fornication likewife, and diftinguiihes them from one another. But what fays he of this latter Sin ? It is plain he puts it in the Rank of things evil in their own nature. For his Defign in this Chapter is to di- ftinguifh between Evil and Indifferent things, be- tween what pollutes a Man, and what does not. He lets us fee the Pharifees were deceived in thinking they fhould be defiled by eating with unwafhen Hands, according to the Tradition of the Jews. He tells them this is not that which defiles a Man, and renders him blame-worthy, but that which comes from within the Heart, namely Adulteries and Fornications. He fays ex- prefly that thefe are wicked, or evil in their own nature, and fo render a Man impure. This Paf- fage fhews alio that our Saviour reckons Unclean- nefs in the fame rank with Robbery, and Mur- der, and other heinous Crimes, which all the World owns to be naturally evil. So that after this fo exprefs Declaration of our Saviour Chrift, it cannot be doubted but Uncleannefs is a Sin, and indeed a great Sin. D Tc 34 Of Uncle amiefs. Se£l. I. It will not be befides our purpofe in this place to enquire into that Law which we have record- ed^ Acts i j. 28, 29. in thefe Words. It feemed good to the Holy Ghofi and to us, to lay upon you no grea- ter burden than thefe neceffary things, that ye abfiain from Meats offered to Idols, and from Blood, and from things fir angled, and from Fornication. For the right underftanding of which Law, it is to be obferv'd, That it related to thofe who from among the Heathens were converted to the Chriftian Reli- gion ; as appears by the whole Chapter, and more particularly by the Infcription of that Let- ter of the Apoftles, whereof this Decree is a Part. It was at that time a Subjed of Debate, Whe- ther thofe Pagans that took upon them the Pro- feflion of Chriftianity were bound to be circum- cifed, and obferve the other Ceremonial Ordi- nances of Mofes. And the Apoftles being affem- bled to decide this Queftion, pronounce it not neceffary for the Gentiles to fubjed themfelves to Circumcifion nor the Ceremonies of the Law. But yet they held it requifite to forbid them Meats offered to Idols, Blood, things firangled, and Fornica- tion. Of all the Ceremonial Laws the Apoftles impofe none upon the Gentile Converts, except fuch as related to things offered in Sacrifice to Idols, Blood, and things ftrangled ,• which alfo were for* bidden in the feventeenth Chapter of Leviticus. The Apoftles would have the Gentiles abftain from thefe things for the fame reafon for which God had formerly forbidden them to the Jews ; that is to fay, the more effectually to fecure them from Idolatry. The Truth is, thefe were Idola- trous and Superfluous Cuftoms of the Heathens, and Rites which accompanied their falfe Worfhip, as divers Authors have teftified very fully. It therefore concern'd the Apoftles at this time, to forbid the Chriftians to eat of fuch Food, as had been Ch. 5. A Particular Enquiry, Sec. 3 5 been offered to Idols, of Bloody and of things ftrangled, becaufe in eating of thefe they incur- red the Danger of falling into Idolatry ,• and moreover becaufe they might hereby fcandalize either their Brethren, or perhaps the Jews. Touching which master whofoever pleafes may confult the eighth Chapter of the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians. At the fame time the Apoftles forbad Impurity, in conjundion with thefe Meats offered to Idols, Blood, and things ftrangled ,• be- caufe, as has been faid, it was one Confequent of the Worfhip of falfeGods, and of the Idol Feafts. If what I have been difcourfing be well under- ftood, and due Attention be given to the Defign and Spirit of this Apoftoiical Canon, and the Reafons whereupon it is grounded, there will be no difficulty in apprehending how the Apoftles came to join Impurity with things indifferent in their own nature. They did it upon the account of thefe Ufages being joined to, and as it were in- feparable from the Heathen Worfliip. I confefs there is a great difference between Uncleannefs and fuch Meats as the Apoftles here forbid to be eaten. Thefe Meats are not evil in themfelves ; nor were the Chriftians required at that time to abftain from them, but only for fear of being be- tray'd into Idolatry, or of giving Scandal. In other Cafes, where was no fuch appearance of Danger, the ufe of thefe things might be per- mitted. So faith St. Paul in the eighth and tenth Chapters of the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, in regard to things facrificed to Idols. But Unclean- nefs is in its own Nature unlawful, it defiles a Man y and Chriftians are under a Neceflity of munning it ,• and not only for the Caufes mentioned in relation to the Meats here forbidden ; but for other Reafons, taken from the nature of the Sin it felf, and the Turpitude of it. This is plain from D 2 the 3 6 Of Uncleannefs. Sedt I. the foregoing Gonfiderations, and the Paffages I have cited, and thofe others I have yet to add. The Apoftle St. Paul gives this Advice, Rom. i 5. I 5. Let us walk hcncftly as in the day time, not in Riot' ing and Drunkcnnefs, not in Chambering and Wanton- ncfs, or Uncleannefs and Lafcivioufnefs. Here the Apoftle reflects upon the Debaucheries and in- famous Familiarities of the Pagans, and fpeaks of them as inconfiftent with a, regular and orderly Converfation, and every way unworthy of fuch as enjoy the Light of the Gofpel. The firft Epiftle to the Corinthians contains di- vers Paffages very exprefs to this puipofe ,• parti- cularly in its fifth, fixth, and feventh Chapters. In the fifth Chapter St. Paul very earneftly ex- horts not only to fly Uncleannefs, but thole too that were guilty of it. He would have People feparate from thefe, and calf them out of the Church. From whence it is eafy to judge, in what Deteftation Impurity is to be had amongft Chriftians. I wrote to you, fays he, in an Epiftle, and Now have I written unto you, wot to company with Fornicators, ver. 9. ir. He would have them &h- communicated ,• and puts them in the Front of thofe Sinners, that ought not to be fuffered in the Church. So it follows, If any Alan that is called a Brother be a Fornicator, or an Idolater, &C. with fuch an one eat not, ver. n. and ver. 13. Tut away from among your felves that wicked P erf on. In the fixth Chapter he infifts farther upon the fame Subject, but after fomewhat a more particu- lar manner. Here he makes it the peculiar Mat- ter of his Difcourfe ,• he argues concerning it, and fets himfelf purpofely to prove that Unclean- nefs is highly criminal in a Chriftian ; he offers Variety of Reafons, and feveral Confiderations, fo as he is not wont to do when treating of other Vices. This courfe he takes, becaufe he found it nccef- Ch. 5.. A Particular Enquiry, Sec. 37 necefTary to convince the Corinthians of the Dread- fulnefs of this Sin. He tells them, ver. 10. that Neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor the Effeminate, nor Abu- sers of themfelves with Mankind, &C. fliall inherit the Kingdom of God. In which Declaration he includes all ibrts of Unclean Perfons, whether Adulterers or Fornicators, or thofe that defile themfelves in any other manner, and fubjects them all to the fame Condemnation with thofe that committed the fouleft Crimes, of being excluded from the King- dom of God. Then he reprefents to thefe Corin- thians, ver. 11. how God had extended his Favour to divers of them, in recovering them from their Poliutions, and warning them with the Blood of Je- fits Chrift, and the Power of the Holy Ghoft, by calling them to the Chriitian Religion • and here- by teaches them that they were indifpenfably en- gaged to avoid all Uncleannefs, and that this Sin is incompetible with a Profeflion of Christianity. But then forafmuch as fome might be apt to object, That the Uih of thofe things which are necelTary for the Body is aliow'd us ,• for Inftance, that there is no Sin in eating whatfoever fort of Meat ,• and that the Cafe is the lame as to Un- cleannefs. To this St. Paul makes two Replies. 1. He fays, ver. 12. Though a thing be permit- ted, there is no need that it mould be always put in practice. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any thing. Which Words import not, that all things are allowed without distinction ; but that it is not always re- quifite to do what is allowed ; and that Men ought not to abufe that Liberty, which is granted them of ufing indifferent things ,• left fo they be in- flayed to thefe things, this being directly contrary to Piety. This is the Cafe of the Senfualifts and D 3 Licen- 3 8 Of Uncleannefs. Se6t. 1. Licentious, who make themfelves Slaves to the Flefh, and have their Belly for their God, as St. Vaul fpeaks, Vhil. 3. 19. The Apoftle adds, x/er. 13. Meats are for the Belly, and the Belly for Meats, but God pall defiroy both it and them. And thefe "Words explain the foregoing, and teach us that when St. Vaul had faid, All things are lawful for me, he did not mean this in general of every thing, but only of all Meats. And this he faid, becaufe thole that would entice Chriftians to Impurity, made it their Bufinefs to perfuade them, that the XJfe of all forts of Meats, not excluding fuch as had been facrificed to Idols, was permitted them. Wherefore he tells them the XJfe of Meats was permitted and neceiTary, that God had crea- ted them for the Suftenance of Man, and that Man was of fuch a Conftitution, as to have con- ftant need of them for his Support. Whereby the Apoftle intimates that no Meat is by nature pol- luted and unlawful, and that it is allowed to ufe any fort of it ; only with this Referve, to which himfelf here dire&s, that we do it with Difcretion, and fo as that it may never become an Occafion of our either finning againft our felves, or fcan- dalizing our Neighbour. But withal he at the fame time adds, that God will one day defiroy both the Meats and the Belly, as much as to fay, The XJfe of thefe things mall be abclifhed at the Refurre- ction ; and hereby gives us to underftand, that the Ufe of Meats relating only to this animal and corporal Life, and being therefore ro continue on- ly for a time, it is highly Unbecoming Chriftians, who profefs to have more elevated Afredions, and to afpire after a Spi.ituai, Heaven;), and Immor- tal Life, to fet their Minds upon what is pleafing to the Flefh. This is what St. Vaul difcourfes of Meats ,• and it is his firft Anfwer to thofe who pretend an Al- lowance Ch. 5. A Particular Enquiry, See. lowance of all things relating to the Body. 'But he proceeds farther, and gives quite a different ac- count of Uncleannefs, from what he does of Meats. The Body, fays he, is not for Fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the Body. The Import of which Words is, that the Body was not given us to be employ 'd to any infamous purpofe, and that Chriftians are by no means to take the fame Liberty here, that they may in Meats. St. Paul could not more clearly inftruct us, that the Cafe is not the lame with Uncleannefs, and with the XJfe of Meats, and that it ought not to be ranked amongft things Indifferent and purely Natural, or perhaps neceifary, as Eating and Drinking are. The Body is made for Meats, but it is not made for Un- cleannefs ; on the contrary, it is made for the Lord, and is to be employ'd only to holy Pur- pofes, and which are according to the Will of God. He adds, And the Lord is for the Body ,• and God hath both raifed up the Lord, and will alfo raife up us by his own Power ,• that is to fay, Our Bodies be- long to God as well as our Souls ; he has confe- crated them to himfelf by the Redemption wrought for them ; and he will raife them up at the laft Day, to the end he may be glorify 'd both in our Bodies and in our Souls. This Right then which the Lord has over us, and particularly over our Bodies, and the Glory whereto he has ordained us, lay an indiifoluble Obligation upon us, to keep our Bodies undefiled, ihunning all fort of Pollution, whereby to prepare them for a happy Refurre&ion, and an Admiilioninto the Kingdom of Heaven. However, left any mould pretend that Un- cleannefs is no hindrance but that our Bodies may itiii belong to the Lord, and may be raifed in his due time, and enter into his Glory ,• the Apoftle fhews the Impoflibility of this, and that the Sin D 4 of 4o Of Uncleannefs. Se&. I. of Uncleannefs deprives Men of Communion with Jefus Chrift, ver. if. Know ye not that your Bo- dies are the Members of jefus Chrift ? He fuppofes our whole felves to belong to Chrift, and more particularly that our Bodies are to be employ'd in his Service, and the promoting our own Happi- nefs ; as all Chriftians are bcund to confefs. And the Thought hereof ought to breed-, in every one of us a Deteftation of Uncleannefs. The next Words are, Shall I then take away the Members of Chrift, and make them the Members of an Harlot ? And thefe Words imply two things. Firfi, That it is a moll unworthy A6t to take away a Mem- ber of Chrift ,• it is to offer him the utmoft Af- front -, it is to force from him what is truly his own, and what he has purchafed with no lefs a Price than his own Blood. And this Affront is fo much the more outrageous, in that the Offen- der thus quits his Bleffed Redeemer, to join him- felf to an infamous Perfon. The very Thought of fuch an Exchange is enough to ftrike a Man with Horror ; and this St. Taul teftifies in the fol- lowing Words, God forbid ! This is the molt de- plorable ftate a Man can bring himfelf into, inaf- much as whofoever is not a Member of Jefus Chrifi, muft unavoidably perifh. In the fecond place St. Taul notes that this is the certain Effed: of Uncleannefs, that this is a Sin which breaks off Communion with Chrift, and renders fuch as are guilty of it the Members of an Harlot. And this Do- ctrine he confirms in the Verfe next following. What, k?iow ye not, that he which is joined to an Harlot, is one Body with her ? For it is writttn, they two Jliall be one Flejb. Here the Apoftle refers to what God had faid upon the Creation of the Man and the Woman,- he faith, The) wo pall be one Flefi. Thefe Words properly relate to Marriage; nevertheiefs St. Vaul applies them to Ch. 5. A (Particular Enquiry, Sec. 41 to Uncleannefs, inafmuch as though the Union of Unclean Perfons is Unlawful, and God has no where intimated the leait Approbation of it, it is however in reality fuch an Union as of two makes one Fle/h. And by Confequence whofo- ever falls into this Sin, becomes one Body with, and a Member of, a Harlot. Which is exceeding- ly unworthy of a Chriftian, and inconfiftent with our Union to our Bleffed Lord. As St. Paul main- tains , by what he fubjoins in the next Verfe. Ver. 17. But he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with him. The Meaning of which AfTertion is^ That thofe who are joined to Chrift by a true Faith, are animated by his Spirit, have the fame Will, the fame Purpofes, the fame Defigns with with him, and fo are utterly eftranged from all Thoughts of forfaking him to follow the Defires of the Flefli, and to join themfelves to dhTolute and unclean Perfons. To this purpofe he proceeds, vcr. 1 8. Flee For- nication. Every Sin thai a Man doth is without the Body $ but he that committeth Fornication finneth againfi hts own Body. Whereby Sr. Paul does not intend only, that Unclean Perfons hurt their own Bo- dies, and bring divers Mifchiefs upon themfelves ; for there are feveral other Sins which hurt the Body likewife • but he doubtlefs fays it for thefe two Reafons. Firft, becaufe this Sin is direclly oppofite to our Union with Chrift, feeing it can- not be committed without making us one Body with the Harlot. The Body ceafes thencefor- wards to be a Member of Jefus Chrift, as the Apo- ftle has already taught, and by Confequence they that indulge themfelves in this Sin, are great Ene- mies to themfelves, and fin againft their own Bo- dy. Secondly, St. Paul fays this becaufe Unclean- nefs being of a fhameful and infamous nature, ic pollutes and difhonours our Bodies, and our Per- fon^ 42 Of Undeannefs. Secft. I. fons, beyond other Sins. Which Obfervation of the Apoftle is explained by what he affirms of the Heathens, Row. i. 24. that being given up to Un- deannefs , they difwnoured their own Bodies bet wan themselves. St. Paul urges another Confideration, ver. 19. Whaty know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghojl which is in you, which ye have of God f And this is a very powerful Consideration for difc fuading from Uncleannefs, being taken from the Glory whereto God has raifed us even in regard to our Bodies. They are the Temples of the Holy Spirit, becaufe the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and pours forth his Benefits upon us, fan&ifies us, and confecrates us to the Service of God. Where- fore our Bodies partaking of this Honour, we are bound to preferve them in Purity, and to employ them to holy Purpofes. For if the Places dedi- cated to the Worfhip of God, may not be pro- phaned by any Pollution, but muft be kept pure and undefiled, how great ought the Holinefs of our Bodies to be, feeing God has condefcended to make them the Temples cf his Holy Spirit ? This Reflexion of St. Paul lets us fee plainly, that whenever any give themfelves over to Undean- nefs, they ceafe to be the Temples of the Holy Spirit, juft as the Apoftle had faid before, that they ceafe to be the Members of Jefus Clmfi. Which fliews this Sin to be the Occafion that the Holy Spirit of God withdraws from the Heart of fuch as are guilty of it, becaufe this Spirit can- not dwell with Pollution. Finally, St. Paul concludes his Difcourfe con- cerning the Sin I am treating of, with this Ad- vice, as heretofore looked tipon at Lacedemon, as nnpoffible and incrsm dible-j and gives this Ileafon of his AJfertion, That tiecdLjs Or-, naments, and Perfumef) Superfluity and Luxury were banned that €ity. E 3. haps Of Undeannefs. Se<5t. I. haps ic be pretended that whilft thefe Heathens re- frained from Adultery, they did it not from any Senfe they had of its Guilt, but only for fear of the Puniinment to which they mould thereby expofe themfelves ; and that it was thought unlawful on- ly becaufe it had been Co feverely forbidden ,• I do not deny this, and mult own that Impunity is the Cauie of its becoming Co ufual as it is in our Days. Yet I muft affirm that it was not barely a Fear of the Laws that made this to be reckon'd a Crime ; for they who made thefe Laws, and fet- tled thefe Penalties, did it not from a Senfe of Fear, but for Reafons taken from the Nature of the Thing itfeif. Now the if Pagans had this No- tion of Aduitery, much more ought Ghriftians to have it in Deteflation. And we may allure ourfelves, thefe Idolatrous Nations will one day rife up in Judgment againft thofe, who living in the Church of Chrift, give themfelves up to this horrible Wickednefs, and will not be with-held from it by the Light of the Gofpel, and the Dread of Eternal Vengeance, III. And now to ccme to the Holy Scriptures, and to begin wiih the Times preceding the Mo- faick Law; it is plain, Adultery was then account- ed amongft the Blackeft of Crimes. Job fays, Chap. 51. 11. It is an heinous Crime , yea it is an Ini- quity to be punifaed by the Judges. And Jcfeph before the Days of Job, teilifies what an Abhorrence he had of it, by the Anfwer he gave to Fotipbars Wife, when /he would have enticed him to it. Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this great Wickednefs, and Jin rgair/J} God ? And if we look ftill backwarder, we mall find in the twelfth and twentieth Chap- ters of Gcnefts, how Fharaoh King of Egypt, and AbhnJich King of Getv.r, having taken Sarah to themfeives, and intending to marry her, not knowing that me was already Wife to Abraham, both Ch. 6. Of Adultery. 55 both returned her to him immediately, when once they underftood her Relation to him ,• taxing him withal, for not having let them knew it fooner, Why d'ulft thou not tell us jhe was thy Wife, and haft brought upon us and upon our People a great Sin ? The like Account is alfo to be met with in the twenty fixth Chapter of Genejis. And it is an ancient Tradition of the Jews, That amongft the Laws delivered by God to Noah after the Flood, and in him to all Mankind, one was againft the Abufe of Marriage by this grievous Sin. If we pafs on to the Law of Mofes, this will af- ford us divers Obfervations very pertinent to the Matter in hand. 1. God expreily forbids Adultery in the Deca- logue. In this Law which contains the moft in- violable Rules of Juftice, and which the Almighty publifhed on Mount Sinai, with Thunder and Lightenings, one Commandment is, Thou fluilt not commit Adultery. And this Crime is put in the Di- vine Law in the fame rank with Idolatry, Murder, and Theft. 2. Amongft the Laws which God afterwards de- livered by Mofes for the Explication of the Deca- logue, there are feveral relating to Marriage and Adultery, which were particularly defign'd to pre- vent the Commiffion of this Sin. 3. God who is a juft Judge, and afligns to each Sin a Penalty proportion'd to the Heinoufnefs of its Guilt, has decreed Adulterers, whether Men or Women, to be put to death. Leyit. 20. 10. and Deut. 22. 22. The Adulterer and the Adultenfs jh.U be put to death. 4. But this is not all. For feeing this Sin may be committed iccretly, God thought fit to order a Method for the Difcovery of it ; ^o that a Wo- man fufpeded could not efcape Death, if really guilty • I mean the Waters of t Jealottfy, If the t Numk E 4 'Man 5.".** 5 6 Of Uncleannefs. Se£h I. Man had entertain'd a Sufpicion of his Wife, he was to bring her to the Prieft, before whom (he was to ftand with her Head uncovered, and with the Offering of Memorial in her Hand, and to drink of the bitter "Water, which he was to give her to that end ; faying to her at the fame time, If no Man hath lien with thee, and if thou haft not gone ajidc by Uncleannefs to another tnftead of thy HuJ- band, be thou free from this bitter' Water that cattfeth the Curfe ; but if thou art guilty, (then he caufed an Oath to be adminiftred to the Woman, full of Im- precations againft her felf) the Lord make thee a Curfe and an Oath among thy People, ivhen the Lord doth make thy Thigh to ret, and thy Belly to Jwelh Whereto flie was to anfwer, Amen, Am. xxxi. i. I made a Covenant with mine Eyes ; why fljqttld 1 then lock up- en a Maid ? And no Chriftian can deny the Ne- ceflity of this Duty, after what our Bleffed Lord has laid, St. Matth, v. 28. Whcfoever Uokcth upon a Woman to lufi after her 3 hath committed Adult try with her already in his Heart. Agreeably hereto the Cha- racter alio St. Peter gives of thofe carnal Ghri- itians, againft whom he wrote, was that they had Eyes full of Idolatry, 2 St. Peter ii. 14. The Sum is, That it is an infallible Sign of an unchait Perfon, tp delight in fixing the Sight upon fuch Objects us promote Impurity. As 1 fhall have occafion to obierve again in the Sequel of this Difcourfe ; and elpecially with regard to lafcivious Books. This likewife I muft add, That if it be finful to behold tempting Objects, it mult be no lefs fo to prefent fuch Objects to others. Upon which ac- count thofe are highly to blame, who cloath not themfelves with Shamefacdnefs and Sobriety, and do not cover themfelves as Chriftian Modefly re- quires. They hereby become an Occafion of the Fall and Offence of others, and expofe themfelves to that dreadful Vengeance, which our Saviour Chrift pronounces againft thofe by whom the Offence cometh. For the fame Reafon unchaft Pictures, obfeene and lafcivious Draughts and Reprefenta- tions, are to be utterly banifhed from among Chriftians, as juft matter of infamy and Danger. "Which ihews to what a difmal Ebb Chriftianity is now come ; of which there needs no clearer Evi- dence than the Dilfolutenefs in Habits and Pictures that is fo commonly to be obferved. The Pagans. had Ch. 7. Of other Species, Sec, had impure Paintings and Reprefentations * and it was an Effed of their Depravation, and an un- happy Fruit of their Religion,, whofe Worfhip, and whofe Gods in a fort authoriz'd and encou- rag'd it. And this was one Caufe why the Pri- mitive Chriftians hadfuch anAverfion to all Paint- ing and Sculpture., which yet are inoffenfive Arts^ provided they be not abufed to bad purpofes. The Dread they had of Idolatry infpired them with this Opinion ; and they were much confirm- ed in it, by the Immodefty and Lafcivioufnefs of feveral Pictures and Statues they had met with amongft the Heathens. Like to which none were ever ieen in Chriftians Houfes, during the firft Ages of the Church ,• howfoever it is a fad Truth, that they are now grown fo common, and the Abufe in this refped fo fharneful, that a gre.^t part of the Profeilbrs of our moft holy Religion fcarce feem to differ from thofe Idolaters. II. The Second Species of Impurity is that of Words. And with what a degree of Guilt thefe are chargeable, may eafiJy be known, if we but a little reflecl: upon the Caufe from whence they proceed, and the Effed they produce. As to the former of thefe, our BlefTed Saviour has taught us, that out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth fpeaketb , St. Matth. xii. 34. Which though fpoken in general Terms is fitly applicable to immodeft Words ; which cannot come front other than an impure Heart, and a Perfon almoft entirely void of Shame. As it is Impurity to Think and Do things contrary to Chaftity, fo ic is no Ids to Speak them. Inordinate Thoughts and Actions without doubt are criminal, though a Man may contain his Thoughts within his own Breaft, may conceal his Actions, and may be very referved in his Difcourfe j but if he come to that pafs;, as to give a free vent to his Thoughts, and F to 66 Of Undeannefs. Se£h I. to hold immodeft Difcourfe, and talk lewdly and diffblutely, this fhews him to have a very corrtipt Heart, and betrays a Stock of Impudence as well as of Impurity. On the other fide, impure and lafcivious Dif- courfe is apt to produce moil mifchievous Effe&s, both in the Speaker and the Hearers, and is a great Temptation to the fouler Crime. The Li- berty of Speech too many allow themfelves, and the Cuftom they indulge themfelves in, of fay- ing, and hearkening to what is contrary to Pu- rity cind Chaftity, is very deftru&ive of Modefty and Virtue. There is no palling thofe Limits which Modefty and Decency prefcribe,, but Per- fons quickly grow to be no longer upon the Re- ferve, and take daily more and more Liberty, and the Abhorrence they had of Undeannefs wears off, their Vice becomes familiar to them, and they accuftom themfelves to lock upon it, without any Veil or Covering. Unclean Difcourfe is fo evidently deftru&ive of Virtue and Natural Modefty, that the very Hea- thens could fay, A Virtuous Man ought never to fpeak what is uneafy to chaft and modeft Ears ; that an Obfcene "Word is contrary to Virtue, and difreputable to the Speaker • and that DiiTolute Difcourfe is to be abhor'd, as well as the Actions themfelves *. But Chriftians have more exprefs Rules and Precepts for their Direction herein. tLph.4. -j- £ e t no corrupt Communication Proceed out of jour Mouth, but that which is good to the ufe of Edifying, that it may minijhr Grace unto the Hearers. \\ But Fcrnication, and all Undeannefs, let it not be once named amongf yen, as btcometh Saints j ?icither Filthinefs, nor fcolijh Talking) nor Jefting, which are not convenient, or becoriiing your Profeflion. See here an abfo- * Plutarch. Of Hearhig the Pod? lute Ch. 7. Of other Species, See. 67 lute Prohibition, but withal in very general Terms, ko let us know how referved, and how circum- fpedl Chriltians ought to be, that they fpeak no- thing which does not well confiit with Modeffy and Decency. But efpecially it is to be obferv'd, how the Apoftle condemns, not only all grofs Obfcenity, and fuch filthy lafcivious Expreffions, as one of any meafure of Virtue would be afham'd to utter ,• but in general all Difcourfe that bor- ders upon Impurity, and any way implies it. He forbids even all light and vain Talk, all Buffoone- ry, and Scurrility, as not becoming Chriftians^ and which fait not with the Holinefs of their Pro- feffion. So that were but People well convinced, and duly mindful of thefe Dodrines, this muft necef- farily work a Reformation in their Difcourfe and Converfation, and make them much more obfer- vant and cautious how they fpeak, that they ne- ver utter an unchaft Expreffion, or that tends to Impurity, It would caufe them to abftain frorri many things, which according to the Liberty thac is ufually taken are now looked upon as inno- cent. For Example * They would not then be fo ready to entertain each other with wanton Songs,* and loft and effeminate Airs, and Language, upon, the Subject of Love, which corrupt the Hearts of Youth more than Perfons are aware of 3 * though few are wont to take notice of it. III. The Third Species of Impurity is of the Thoughts. And it is no difficult matter to fuew that impure Thoughts are finful. Whofoever con- fults St. Matthews Gofpel, muft needs fee how ex- prefly our Bleifed Saviour affirms, || that Whosoever ||c& 52? lookcth on a Woman to I aft after her, commits Adultery -ivlth her in his Heart , and by confequence becomes culpable in the fight of God by thefe Thoughts and Defires, So our Saviour at another time F 2 t&Lohte, 68 Of Uncleanncfs. Sc had given themfelves over to Lafcivicnjnefs, to •work all Uncleannefs with greedinefs } and whom God gave up to their own vile AjfeBions. In truth ic feemed hard that thofe to whom the Gofpel has been preached, mould ever arrive at fuch a height of Infenfibility and Stupidity. Yet there are Pro- fefTors of our Religion, who in this refpe£t fall very little mort of the Pagans. There are unhap- py Chriftians, who have in a manner loft all Senfe of Religion, and all Notions of Virtue, and are even ready to undertake the Defence of their Im- pieties. 2. But that we may the better apprehend to what a meafure of Security fome of thefe Sinners may attain, it is farther to be obferved, That as they are not fenlible of their Sin, fo neither are they oftentimes of the Punifhment of it ; fuch Puni/hment I mean as befals them by reafon of itj in this prefent Life. Sometimes one may perceive, the Judgments of God hanging over the Heads of the Unchaft, and threatning to fall upon them ; fometimes actually and vifibly purfuing them, in their own Perfons, or in their Relations, or their AfEiirs in the World, making them groan under the Miferies, Sorrows, and divers Evils they have "brought upon themfelves ,* and yet we may fee how little Senfe they have of the Reafon why theie fad Affli&ions are laid upon them, and how ready they are to attribute their Misfortunes to any other Caufe rather than to themfelves ; iome of them continuing in their Security, till the Judgment of G God Si Tl?e Ejjetts of Uncleannefs. Se&. 1L God feizes them, and they die in their Impeni- tence. Which is the molt deplorable, and moft dangerous State a Man can fall into. For fo long its the Sinner has a Senfe of his Guilt, and the Vengeance juftly due to him for it, there is fome hope of him ,• but when he is come to this degree of Obduracy, there is very little to be expe&ed from him, for he is then upon the very Brink of Milery, and but one Step from everlailing De- , ftrudion. But methinks I hear fome plead, That it is not the Fate of all Unclean Perfons to be* thus har- denYl in their Wickednefs, but that fome of them repent and are converted, that their Sins may be blotted out. And this is what I willingly own. But then, befides that there is fome reafcn to que- ilion whether all that feem to be reclaim'd, are really and truly fo, as I (hall mew hereafter ; be- fides this I fay, I anfwer, that all who are Un- clean do not thus repent ; and every one there- fore fnould dread the indulging himfelf in this Lull, left fo he fall into a State of Impenitence, as he has too apparent Reafon to expeci: he fhall. His finning Wilfully, and fearching for Evafions whereby to encourage himfelf in his Sin, and to perluade himfelf he incurs no great Danger by it, is the natural and moft likely Means of Secu- rity.. Yet befides this I have fcmething more to add, which very well deferves to be confider'd, and will farther evidence how exceedingly dreadful that State is to which Perfons reduce themfelves by Impurity. For admitting that thofe who have committed this Sin, or at leaft who are addicted / to Uncleannefs, though they have not a&ually committed it, do rife again by Repentance, their Cafe however is very fad and uncomfortable upon thefe two Accounts. i. Ths Ch. 1 . The State to which Tcopk, Sec. i. The Impreffion that has been made upon them by their luftful and carnal Inclinations will for a long time after expofe them to Temptation and the Danger of returning to their former evil Couries. Habits of Sin are not extirpated all a? once, efpecially fuch as are attended with fenfual Pleafure and Delight. There is more Difficulty than Men are ordinarily aware of, in correcting a vicious Temper and Difpofition, and checking the Motions which naturally arife either in Body or Soul, after a long Cuftom of finning. It is not near lb eafy as People phancy to dilengage themfelves of thoie Sins, which are almoft inle- parably fix'd in their Imaginations, and gratify their Senfitive Faculties, and with the Thoughts of which they are wont to pleafe themfelves. The Reprefentation and Remembrance of thefe Luffs continues for a longtime, ffill polluting the Soul, inftead of working in them a hearty Sorrow and true Repentance. What miferable Wretches then muft they be, who have fpent perhaps the greateft part of their Life in thefe impure Paffions, and have not yet got the Maftery over their Senfes, nor learnd to mortify their Bodies by i long and fincere Repentance ! 2. But this is not all. For though they mould be able to fur mount thefe Inconveniences, they muft yet expecl: to have their Conscience reprove them as long as they live. Though the truly pe- nitent Sinner may allure himfelf of obtaining the Pardon of his Sins, he will always bear about hini a Remembrance of them, which will exceedingly afflict, him, and cover him with Confufion. And fo much the more nearly will theie Reflections at- fed him, by how much the more Penitent he is; Oh, What Sorrow and Anguiih of Mind muft it caufe in him, to look back upon the time where- in he had forfaken his God, and bechink himfelf of G 2 tll2 $4 7k EffeSls of Undeannefs. Se&. U. the Extravagance and Licentioufnefs of his youn- ger Days, and all the Sins he has either committed himfelf, or has occafiond others to commit ! Not to add any thing here of his Doubts concerning \ the Nature and Validity of his Repentance, whe- ther it be fincere and efFe&ual, and fuch as is re- quired in order to the Forgivenefs his of paft Tranfgreflions. The natural Refult of which Considerations is. That the Eftate to which Perfons reduce them- felves by this Sin, is very difconfolate and afflict- ing. And this will farther appear, if we proceed to confider the feveral other Sins wherewith it is accompanied. CHAP. II. Of the Sins which accompany Undeannefs. THIS Consideration that Undeannefs is one of thofe Sins which never go alone, but have a Train of others perpetually attending them, is of great Ufe for proving the Heinoufnefs of this Vice. And this I come now to treat of, chiefly with refped to thofe that are guilty of the Crime • but fo as that all who arc impure in any other manner, or have an Inclination to Impurity, may juftly apply it ferioufly to themfelves. Now the Sins which here fall under our Consi- deration, as accompanying Impurity, are of two forts. Some of which precede the Crime, and others enfue upon it. I. It is certain, in the firft place, that People do not ulually fall into this Crime, without being chargeable with certain other previous Tranfgref- lions of their Duty. This is tnie of the genera- lity Ch. i. The Sins which accompany it. 8 J lity of Unclean Perfons, and there are very few Exceptions to it to be met with. i. Uncleannefs almoft always fprings from Ig- norance, Idienefs, Irreligion, and Senfual;ty ; thofe who pollute themfelves by this infamous Sin, or fet their Hearts upon the Luits of the Flefh, being for the moft part, fuch as for want of a good Education and Inftru&ion in their Child- hood, have little Underltanding in Matters of Re- ligion j or elfe are Profane and Libertines ,• or have but little Senfe of Piety and the Fear of God, and are very loofe in the whole Tenor of their Converfation, and live in the Negleft of Prayer and the other Exercifes of Devotion ,• or are Idle, Lazy, Senfual, and Lovers of Pleasures. Thefe are the Qualities which involve People, and efpe- cially in the Heat of Youth, in Uncleannefs, as fhall be fully proved, when I come to enquire in- to the Sources of this Sin. 2. But there are other Sins likewife which pre- cede this whereof I am now fpeaking ; fuch as impure Thoughts and Defires, immodeft Padions and Inclinations, an unreferved and blameablo Familiarity, unchaft Looks, Anions, and Dif- cpurfe ,- and in a Word all that this Paffion ordi- narily produces in them who are under its In- fluence. Whereto let it be added, That for the Satisfa&ion of this brutal Paffion, a thoufand un- lawful Contrivances are made ufc of, Solicita- tions, artful Infinuations, Lyes, Proteftations, and even Oaths for the Confirmation of their Pro- mifes, which yet they at length take liberty to violate. Sometimes they venture to commit great and grievous Crimes, for facilitating their way to the accomplishment of their Defigns, and getting rid of fuch Perfons as might otherwife be an Ob- ftrudtion to them. They will not flick to facri- fice their Wealth, their Reputation, and all that Q z is 85 The Effects of Uncle annejs. Se£l. If. is dear to them, not excepting their Religion and thejr Confidence, to this infamous Paffion. Thus they pais through Diverfity of other Sins before they arrive at what they principally aimed at. Before they ccme to be Fornicators or Adulterers,, they are ftrft Profane and Impious, their Bodies and their Souls are defiled and infected, and they have parted with their Chaltity, and their Reli- gion ,• fo that the Crime is only an Addition of certain Degrees to that Impurity which they had before contracted. What I have here (aid particularly affects two' forts of perfons, it being plain from hence that,, T« Many who have never yet dared to commit the Crime, are not however to look upon them- ielves as innocent ^ becaufe they are highly culpa- ble in giving way to thofe Sins which lead to the Crime, howfoever they have not yet ventured up- on the Crime it lelf. 2. Thofe who have unhap- pily fallen into the Crime ought to be fenhbie that they are much more blameable than poflibly rhey take themlelvcs to be, and that their Sin of Uncleannefs is not all they are chargeable with,, fcmt they have many others to anfwer for, which render them very criminal before God. Let them, therefore call to mind what has preceded their Fall, let them recollect the manner of their paft Behaviour, and what it was that brought them to this Crime, let them examine their Life, and their Confcience, wich relation to the other Duties of Religion, and they will find themfelves to have been perfect Strangers to Godlinefs, and that their ConveiTation has been little elfe than one conti- nu'd Series of Indevotion and Licentioufnefs. If all that are guilty would weigh this well with themfeives, they would have quite a different No- tion of their Sin ,- efpecially if hereto they fubjoin the Confideration of thofe other Iniquities that are ?he molt common Effects of it. II. For Ch. 2. TlieSins which accompany it. 87 II. For the Truth is, there are divers forts of Sins confequent upon Uncleannefs. 1. Thofe who are guilty or it, at lead a great part of them, continue in the Commiflion of the fame Crimes. The Difficulty of this Sin ihews it felf chiefly in the beginning, and when the firft Step is taken, they thenceforward fin more boldly^ and are lefs upon their guard againtt it. On the one hand , their Paffion gets head, and their luftful Inclinations grow more prevalent ,• and on the other, Modefty and the Fear of God wear off At firif they fin with fome Reludancy, and they find for fbmetime a Struggle within themfelves ; but when once they have paifed their known Bounds, they are little concerned for whatever they do afterwards. Having begun to enter upon a finful Familiarity, they ordinarily proceed ac- cordingly, perfevering in their Sin as long as they are able, unlefs they meet with ibme Impediment to prevent it ,• and yet then they only divert their Paffion to fome other Object. 2. They not only continue in this Sin, but pro- ceed to grolfer Initances of it. From one Fault they go on to another, and according as the Num- ber of their Sins increafes, they are proportiona- bly greater and more enormous. Incontinence has it in its Power to call Men headlong into the utmoit Excefs ; it is a bottomlefs Gulph, that ne- ver can be rilled ; a Fire that kindles and burns more violently according to the Quantity of Fuel that is heaped upon it. And hence the Debauchee being tranfported by his own bruriili Pafiions, fets himfelf to fin,d out new Methods of fatisfying his Luit, and when he has found them, foon grows weary of thefe too, and is as much at a lofs for others, which yet in a while pleafe him no better than the former. It fares with him as with the Drunkard, who when Cuftom of Drinking has Q 4 ren- 8 8 The EffeBs of Unckannefs. Setf;. II. render d his "Wine fo familiar to him that he thinks it not ftrong enough, feeks out for other Liquors, and not long after as much defpifes thefe. Forni- cation paves the way to Adultery, and fometimes to what is- more flagitious. This gives birth to thofe horrible Crimes which are not fit to be na- med, which brought Deftru&ion upon Sodom, and its neighbouring Cities, and provoked Almighty God to exterminate the Canaanites ; as St. Paul fpeaks Rom. i. 2 r. 24. where he tells us of the Hea- thens, that having their foolifli Hearts darkened, God alfo gave them up to Unckannefs , through the Lufts of their own Hearts, to dijloonour their own Bodies between themfclves. When we reflect upon the Abomina- tions of thefe Heathens, and of the ancient Ca- naanites, and read the Laws which the Almighty faw fit to give the People of Ifrael upon this ac- count, and which are contained in the eighteenth Chapter of Leviticus , and moreover obferve the execrable Abominations that are yet committed, not only amongft the Infidels, but amongft fuch as call themfelves Chriftians, and in Countries that have naturally an Abhorrence of fuch beaftly Lufts, it is wonderful to think that Perfons endu'd with Reafon, and who moreover make Profeflion of Chriftianity, mould be capable of fuch hor- rible Impieties. However this lets us fee to what Excefles Men are carried by their Lufts, and what are the Confequences of Impurity. j, Ikfides thefe dreadful Inftances of Inconti- nence, Impurity makes way for divers other Sins ; it being ordinary to endeavour the concealing of this Sin by the Commiflion of new ones of other Kinds. Thus David became guilty of Murder, in hope to prevent the Difcovery of his Adultery, by treacheroufly contriving the Death of his faith- ful Subjed Uriah. I cannot here take notice of all the Courfes Unclean Perfons refort to, to the end Ch. 2. 1\n Sins which accompany it. 8 feif and his Family \\, as the Prophet Nathan had n. 10. threaten'd ; namely the Death of his Child, the tragick Events that enfu'd upon his Son Antrum s Crime, and Abfoloms Confpiracy and Rebellion. The like might alio be noted of his Son Salomon. After the Love of Women had drawn him afide, the Divine Prote&ion vilibly departed from him, as we fee. 1 Kin& 11. Thtssfe Cli. i. Of the Evils and Tuniflwients, Sec. pj Thefe terrible Punifhments, thus related in the Holy Scriptures, fhew fully how God detelts Im- purity ; without any neceffity of his repeating in thefe Days the like Examples of his Indignation, Yet there are ordinary Judgments which are itQn to light upon the Unchaft. There are vaft Num- bers of Perfons and Families, who are unhappy, and ruin'd, vvhofe Mifery cannot be reckoned other than an Effect of God's Vengeance againit this Sin, punching it with Shame, Grief, Pover- ty, and all fort of Misfortunes. It is true thefe Evils are not the proper Punishments of this Sin ; but rather to be efteemed an EffecT: of the Good- nefs of God towards Men. They are only Cha- itifements in order to the Reformation of Offen- ders, to make themfenfible of their Sin, and care- ful to avoid the Torments of the Life to come. But they are withal moft effectual Examples for teaching People not to indulge themfelves in Sen- fuality. Which they cannot ordinarily do , without /naming and difhonouring themfelves. Though it is true this is not the Cafe of all, and that this Pu- nifr/ment reaches none whofe ill Condu<5t is not publickly taken notice of. There are many who conceal their Guilt, and fo pafs amongit Men foF innocent. But yet Difgrace and Shame rarely fail of being the Portion of the Diffohue. Moreover this Sin expofes to Grief and Want ; and many, though not every one, are punifhed in this manner, fo plainly that it is not eafy to re- flect upon their SufFerings without being forced to confels, that there is a particular Curfe of God hanging over this Crime. The Exceffes of In- continence leave behind them Sickneifes and In- firmities, which naturally caufe Sorrow and Shame, and which frequently accompany them even to «he Grave, There is no Sin by which a Man is re- 9 6 The EjfeEls of Uncleannefs. Se<5h II. reduc'd to fuch a State, as they are reduc'd to who deliver themfelves up to this, nor that has the like terrible Effect upon the Body. So that even in this Senfe that of St. ?aul, i Cor. vi. 18. may juft- ly be applied, that Hz who commits Fornication fins againft his own Body. Almighty God who has made all things with the greater! Wifdom, has annexed divers Evils to the immoderate Ufe of bodily Plea- fures ,• and chiefly with this Defign, that Impu- rity fhould have fuch terrible Confequences, to the end they may lay a Reftraint upon People, and not let them give way to a Paflion that is ex- ceeding prevalent with thole it gets the Poffeffion of. And again, befides thefe great Evils, there are likewife divers Infirmities that are the Confe- quents of Incontinence. Sobriety and Chaftity preferve the Health, and prolong the Life, above all other Methods ; and then it muft follow by the Rule of Contraries, that Lafcivioufnefs and Sen- fuaiity fhorten the Days, and are the Occafion of many Difeafes. The Caufes of many Diftem- pers are very hardly difcover'd ; nor can the moft skilful Phyfician inform himfelf whence they have arifen ; which yet if the Truth were known, would appear to be the Effect, of Impurity. In like manner the Guilty of this Vice fall very often into Poverty and Mifery, as a Curfe natu- rally confequent upon their Sin. There is no man- ner of Difficulty, in mewing how the Unchaft im- poverifh themfelves ,* that they ordinarily facrifice all to their Pa (lion, they contrive divers ways of fquandering away their Eftates ; and particularly that a considerable Part goes for promoting their infamous Deligns, and then again for concealing their Grime, n:idto prevent its taking air. They are great Prodigals as to what their JLuft demands for its Satisfaction ; and are molt commonly idle, dainty, effeminate, intemperate, proud, and Lo- vers Ch. 3 . Of the Evils and Tunijhments, &c, , $>;? vers of good Entertainment. As Sobriety and Fa- iling are good Prcfervatives againit Uncieannefs_, this Vice on the other hand has for its Compa- nions Drunkennefs and Gluttony. The Unclean are moreover negiigent of their own Affairs, and if they have an Employment, will not be periuaded to ftick duly to it. By which means they cannot but wall what they have, and bring themielves and their Families into Straits ,• after this manner verifying the Saying of the Wiieman, Prov. vi. 26: By means of a whorijh Woman a Man is brought to a piece of Bread ; and that of Job, xxxi. 12. Luft is a Fire that conjumcth to DcfiruBion, and roots out all the Increafe. As the Son of Syrach alio affirms, that he that clea'veth to Harlots, ftjall have Moths and Wcrmi to his Heritage, Ecclus. xix. 3. And (till there are more Mifchiefs to be born in the Families where this Vice reigns, that is to fay, the Breach it makes betwixt Husband and Wife, and all the Misfortunes that neceffarily fol- low upon fuch a Breach. The ill Conduct of ei- ther Father or Mother is enough to put all into Confufion. Nay, even the bare Sufpicion of ei- ther Party's being faulty, will caufe incurable Di- vifions in Families. Whence arifes alfo another Evil not to be palled over in filence, and which deferves to be look'd upon as a particular Curfe of God ; I mean, that thefe Evils, Shame, Grief, Poverty, &c. don't terminate only in the guilty Perfons, but their Pofterity after them feel the ill Effe&s of them. Their Children are flighted, and fickly, and poor, and miferable, not for their own, but their Parents ikke. Thus whole Fami- lies are often ruin'd, and the Seed of the Adulte- rers falls almoit always into Diitrefs. I add far- ther, That the Children whole Fathers or Mo- thers are this way addicted, are for the molt part prone to imitate them herein. Which comes to H pais 9 8 77;e Eff'eBs of Uncleannefs. Se£h II. pafs partly from a natural Reafon, becaufe the Children partaking of the fame Temper and Con- ftitution with thofe from whom under God they re- ceived theirBeing, will be influenc d likewife by the fame Paflions ; and partly by means of their bad Education, and the ill Examples they have con- ftantly before their Eyes, it being impoffible for them, whilft in thele Circumftances, not to be- hold and obferve many Paffages which will be as a moft dangerous Poyfon to them. They are bred up in Idlenefs and Intemperance, which brings them to Poverty, and that Poverty tempts them to I know not how many other Sins. Which Confiderations fliew plainly how the Unchaft in- volve their Children, no lefs than themfelves, in Misfortunes of all kinds. And fo we have feen one Part of the Evils which follow Uncleannefs in this Life, and of which every Day furniflics us with Examples. II. And if thefe Evils hitherto infilled upon are evident Signs of the Divine Indignation againft the Unchaft, how ought they to {land in awe of thofe ether more inevitable, and more intolerable Puniihments which are referved for the other Life. The Unclean are not always punifhed in this World, but they will be moil certainly in the other, unlefs they take care to prevent it by a timely and hearty Reformation. This the holy Scripture teaches as exprefly as may be. St. Paul profeffes, as I have already noted, i Cor. vi. 9. u. that neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, nor the Abo- ?ninable 3 jhall inherit the Kingdom of God ; cautioning alfo at the fame time, that we don't abufe our- felves, nor flatter ourfelves'in this refpect. And the fame Do&rine he repeats, Gal. v. 19, 20, 21. I tell you before, as I have alfo told you in times paf, that they who comnAt fuch things Jhall not inherit the Kingdom ofGodi So Jzpbef. v. 6. Let no Man deceive Ch. 3. Of the Evils and Punifhments 3 &c. p£ you with -vain Words ', for becaufe of thefe things cotnetb the Wrath of God upon the Children of Dijobedience. In the Epiitle to the Hebrews, Chap. xiii. 4. God, fays the Apoftle, will judge the fornicators and Adulterers, And St. Peter, 2 Ep. Chap. ii. 9. declares and proves by many Examples, thsx'God referves the Wicked, and chiefly the Carnal and Impure, unto the Day of Judgment, to be ^unified. But I fhall have another Occafion to enlarge upon this Judg- ment, and thefe Punifhments. What is already laid fuffices to (hew, that Impurity expofes Men to the Miferies of Damnation. Thefe are the Confequents of Uncleannefs j this is that dreadful State to which it brings Men, and thefe the Sins into which it drives them, and the Punifhments to which it renders them Ob- noxious. And one would think them enough to infpire all Perfons with a Deteftation of this Vice^ I am fure every one has reafon to dread the Thoughts of falling into that Brutifhnefs and Hard- nefs of Heart, of which all are in great Danger* who at any time pais the Bounds of Modefty, and part with their Chaftity. And all mould there- fore ferioufly ftudy, to prevent that Remorfe^ which fooner or later will be the Portion of the Lafcivious, and to keep at a Diftance from a Sin that draws fo many others after it, and in a Word* cafts its Slaves and Votaries into an Abyfs of Evils. £U SECTIOM ioo The Caufes of Undeannefs. Se&. III. SECTION III. Of the Caufes of Undeannefs. HERE I am to enquire whence it comes to pafs that this Vice is fo common. And in general it may be affirmed, that this is owing to Men's natural Inclinations, and the Paffions which draw them into it. But now as Chriitians have Inftru&ions and Motives for witholding them from Undeannefs, and our gracious God vouchsafes us the molt efficacious Means, the molt powerful Af- fiftance, and the moft proper Remedies, for ena- bling us to overcome our Paffions, and this one in particular ,• fo is it juft matter of Admiration, how it comes to pais that they profit no more by thefe Advantages, and that Undeannefs reigns fo ex- ceedingly amongft us. This therefore is what I propound to my felf to examine into in this Se&ion. CHAP, h The Firfl Caufe, Ignorance. TH E firft Caufe of the Prevalency of this Vice is Ignorance. St. Paul afcribed f the i8/Jo. T Extravagances of the Heathens, and particular- ly the Impurity of their Lives, to the Ignorance in which they lived. And the fame is no lefs true of too great a part of thofe who profefs them- felves Chriftians ,• namely that they are not ac- quainted Ch. i. Ignorance. toi quainted with the Doctrines of Religion as they ought to be. And yet their Ignorance appears greater in relation to this Vice than others ; and this poflibly they are the leaft caution'd againft of all Sins. To keep People at a diftance from any Sin, they mould be taught the Nature and the Heinoufnefs of it,, and fhould have fee before their Eyes the Arguments and Reafons there are for diffwading from it., together with the moil effectual Means of guarding themfelves againft it. But thefe things have been too rarely iniifted upon with relation to Uncleannefs. So that People do not rightly underftand wherein this Sin confifts ; and therefore conclude themfelves innocent, if they have never been guilty of Fornication or Adultery. All thofe other Species of Impurity, fpoken of before, pafs with them for nothing, or as next to nothing j whether in their Actions, their Looks, their Defires, or their Words., and how contrary foever to Chaftity. And not knowing the Evil that is in thefe Courles, they make no Scruple of them, and fo become Slaves to this Paflion, before they are aware of it. Neither do they well know the Heinoufnefs and Confequences of this Sin. For certainly had they a right Notion of thefe ,• did they truly lay before themfelves the Eftate to which Men are re- duced by it, the Sins into which it betrays them, the Misfortunes it brings upon them, and what is to be done for the Cure of it, they would be- come much more cautious, and not dare to take fuch Liberty of gratifying their fenfual Inclina- tions. The Gofpel fets before us the moft power- ful Motives to Chaftity, teaching that Almighty God has ftri&ly commanded it, that we are con- tinually in his Prefence, and he fees and obferves our Behaviour at all times and in all places, that we have taken upon us the Profeflion of a pure G 3 an4 Tl?e Fir ft Caufe of Uncle annefs. Se&. III. and holy Religion, and have at our Baptifm ob- lig'd our felves in the moft folemn manner to live up to its Principles, that we muft fnortly die, and muft come to Judgment for our Offences in this kind as well as all our other Iniquities, that there is an incomparable Reward, an immortal Crown of Glory to be loft by this Sin ,• and not only fo, but eternal, everlafling Agonies in the bottomlefs Pit will be the undoubted Portion of thofe that perfift in it. We are alfo dire&ed to che moft ef- fectual Afiiftances and Means of fubduing the Temptations of che Flefh, fuch as Prayer, Medi- cation, Watchfulnefs, Sobriety, Failing, and Mor- tification, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit of God, which he is ready to vouchfafe to all that humbly beg it of him, and which oftentimes af- fifts ns even before we have fought for it. All which weighty Confiderations duly imprefs'd upon Men's fylinds by good Inftru&ion , would not fuffer them to abandon themfelves to the ExcefTes of Senfuality, as now they do. But whilft fo great a Part of Mankind are grolly ignorant of thefe Do- brines, it is the lefs to be wonder'd that Impurity is fo prevalent as Experience fadly mews it tq jbe. Now if it beenquir'd how People come to be fo ignorant of what fo nearly concerns them, thefe two Caufes of it may chiefly be affign'd. i. The Negligence of thofe who ought to teach them better ,• and more efpecially of Parents, and thqfe that are kt over them in the Church. I fhall prefently confider the Cafe of Parents, and the Education of their Children. In the mean time my Bufmefs is to mew that thofe who are ordain'd in the Church for the Inftru&ion of Chriftians, cio not all take due care for their Information in thh Point, gnd to fet them at diftance enough from Impurity. It is true they take occafion fome- Ch. i. frnorance. io? fometimes to fpeak againft it in their Sermons, and to condemn and diffwade from the Pra&ice of it ,• but then they ordinarily do it in too loofe and general Terms, and do not defcend to Parti- culars, as would, at lean: in fome Cafes be proper, to make their Auditors understand what this Sin is, and how offenfive in the Sight of God, and what Courfe is to be taken for delivering them from, or recovering any of them out of it. Nor indeed are all of them qualified to treat of fo nice and tender a Subject as this is, where without a folid Judgment and a great Meafure of Prudence, ic can hardly be but a Man will fay either too much, or not enough. 2. In the fecond place, where thefe vocal In- ftruAions are wanting, it may be concluded that Recourfe mould be had to Books ,• but the Mifery is, that whofoever feeks for relief this way, will find himfelf deceiv'd for want of a fufricient Sup- ply. There are very few Books adapted for Peo- ple's Instruction in this Cafe. And I mult con- fete it is fomewhat ftrange, that this being one of the molt common Sins, there has yet been fo lit- tle publinYd agMnff. it. I do not at all queftion but the Realbn why fo little Pains has been taken this way, whether in the Pulpit, or by private Instruction, or by Writing, is becaufe of the mameful Nature of the Sin. Yet it is not im- pollible that People might without breach of Mo- defty have been better taught concerning it, than they generally have been. Some certain Rules for avoiding it might have been prefcrib'd the younger fort, whereby to beget in them a Nice- nefs of Confcience in relation to it ,• without defcending to fuch Particulars as it is not fit to mention to Perfons of their Age. And would but their Teachers apply themfelves ferioufly and dili- gently to this, they would not find their Endea- H 4 vours 1 04 Tl?e Second Caufe of Uncle anneff. Se&. III. vours unfuccefsful. Though for want of fuch Ap- plication their People's Ignorance muft inevitably be very great, and their Sin very common. CHAP. II. The Second Caufe of Undeannefs, (Bad Education. A Second Caufe of this Vice is a Want of good Education. Youth is a time in which pare mould be taken to caution againit all Sins, but in ah efpecial manner againit this. And fo much the more are thefe Doctrines to be then in- culcated, because Children in the earlieft part of their Life arc guided only by Senfe ,• and that In- clination to Corporal Pieafures, which is the great Temptation to this Vice, is then moit prevalent in them. Wherefore it is requifite they mould be fortified pgainft it by good Initi uctior. in their tender Years,, whereby to lay a Poundation for Religion and Virtue, and beget in them a mighty Veneration for Almighty God ,• and after this by a Care to fee them well brought up, in gieat Temperance, a Piainnefs of Apparel, an Unacquaintednefs with bodily Pleafures, in Modefty, and an Abhorrence,, not only of whatever is apparently deitru&ive of Chaftity, but whatever has the lealt Tendency to- wards Impurity. They mould be taught a great Referyednefs and Caution in their Difcourfe, and not be fuffer'd to read obfeene Books, or to talk wantonly, or any way that in the leaft offends againft Modefty, and mould never have anything of this nature faid in their Hearing. For the bare Hearing and Repeating this fort of Language im- " pairs Ch. 2. Sad Education. Iqj pairs their Modefty, and gradually wears it away, and this being once loft, they no longer have any Guard upon themfelves. Children and young People mould likewife be put upon labour, and accuftonVd to take pains to bear with "Wearinefs and other Inconveniences, to abftain from Delights, and mortify themfelves, and follow thofe Directions which Reafon and Re- ligion prefcribe for the Government of their Paf- fions. It is not to be thought what account thefe Means will turn to, what great Influence the Do- ctrines of the Gofpel will have upon Children thus educated ,• and how much lefs fufceptible they will be of any inordinate Paffions ,• how they will find the Difpofition of their Souls confirm'd and eftablifh'd, to as to contribute very highly to the Happinefs of their Life, and the Pra&ice of Vir- tue. But this is not now the Method of educating Children. It is feldom that Care is taken to in- ftil the Principles of Religion into them, and in particular to train them up to Purity. Moft Fa- milies are very regardicfs of their Children as to this part of their Duty, and more efpecially at thofe Years, when thefe Advertifements are moft needful for them. Mo Inftru&ions are then given them for guarding them againft Uncleannels ,• lit- tle regard is then had to their Conduct, but they re commonly left wholly to themfelves. And yet what is much vvorfe than this. They are wont to be bred in fuch a manner, as natural- ly inclines them to Scnfuality and Luft ,• fo neg- ligent are moft Parents of their Children's Educa- tion, and fo little regard have they to fee them accuftom'd to the ways of Virtue. The Peaiants, Artificers, Servants of both Sexes, and others of inferior Rank, have for the moft pare very weak and confus'4 Apprehenfions of Piety and Reli- gion, i o 6 Tie Second Cattfe of Unckannefs. Se&. Ilf. gion, having been carelefly brought up, with no Senfe of any thing but what concerns the Body. And thofe of better Condition are not much bet- ter taught ,• fo that oftentimes their Eftates and Advantages as to this Life ferve only to make them the more vicious and fenfual. They are taught to live effeminately, and to mind only the thin gsof this World. They areruin'd while young by Luxury and Gluttony, by minding their Drefs too much, and feeding too high. And if any would be very obli- ging and kind to them, they have got an ill Cuftom of doing it, by prefenting them with fome fort pf Ornaments, or by inviting them to eat fuch Meats as are not fit for them. By what they both hear and fee they are made to imagine that it is Defireable and Advantageous to wear fine Cloaths, and eat what is molt pleafing to their Taft. This is what they are very ready to harken to, and what they are eafily induced to comply with. And hence it unavoidably comes to pafs^ that their Conftitution is depraved, and they foon become Lovers of Pleaiures. It is infinitely dan- gerous therefore to encourage the Senfuality of young Perfons by ill Habits, of Delicacy, and Daintinefs in the Choice of Meats, or of Excefs in Eating ,• this being the ready way to have them fwailow down a deadly Poyfon in their tender Years, and render them fenfual and intemperate all their Life after. But nothing is more perni- cious than drinking Wine, which fome even of the Pagans have thought unfit for thofe who are under twe .y Years of Age to drink. Yet now it is ufual in many Countries for Children and even for Girls to drink it unmixt. Thefe are vi- fi'ole and neceffary Caufes of Impurity, and are therefore very unreafonable and improper. Foe young Perfons are fufficiently inclin'd to Plea- lures by the Heat of their Youth, and the Plenty and Ch. 2. (Bad Education. 107 and Brisknefs of their Spirits ; fo that there is no need of cherilhing and promoting fuch their In- clination, or of farther inflaming their Paflions by a fenfual Education. Hereto may be added the Example which Chil- dren have fet them, and the Difcourfe they hear in the Families whereof they are a Part, the Ma- nagement of moft Parents being a matter of great Lamentation. Great Care mould be taken, and great Circumfpection ufed, in what is faid before Children ,♦ becaufe they are obfervant, and very apt to take notice, efpecially of what comes from ' their Fathers and their Mothers. Wherefore no- thing mould be faid where they are by, that has the lcaffc Tin&ure of Impurity. And yet how ma- ny Fathers and Mothers have no regard to it ; though they thereby difcover themfelves very defe- ctive as to Chaitity and Piety? They fay any thing before their Children, tell immodeft Stones, and ufe obfcene and indecent Expreflions, and poffibly fuch as are remarkably fo. Now fuch would do very well to confider whether any thing can more readily poifon the Minds of Children than fuch Carriage. It was Tlatos Saying, as is related by Vlutarch, That Aged Perfons mould ftudy above all things to fhew their Modefty in the Prefencfc of the Younger fort ; and that whenever t\ :y leave off to behave themfelves accordingly, it is impoflible to inftill Shame and Reverence into tjieir Children. To conclude, There are two Faults to be ob- ferv'd, which are committed in the Education of Children, which tend very much to the Corrup- tion of their Morals, and render them lefs pure and virtuous. The former of which is committed when they are Little, and the other when they are come to fome Bignefs. Whilft they arc little, they have little Communication with Wiiemen ; and }oZ The Second Caufe of Uncleannefs. Sed:. III. and their Parents not willing to have the Patience to talk with them, nor to leave their Affairs or their Pleafures for them, put them into the hands of Maids or other Servants, from whom they can learn no Good, and by whom they are early cor-, rupted , namely by Seeing and Hearing divers matters which are contrary to Virtue, and which teach them to know Vice, and to love it. The other Fault I would mention is, That they aredifmifs'd too young out of their Fathers Houfe, and are left to their own Government, whilft they are not yet of Age to order .themfelves, but yet are fufceptible of all forts of ill Impreffions. prom Sixteen to Nineteen or Twenty, is the moft dangerous part of all our whole Lives, that being the time when Youth enters into the World, and their Paflions grow unruly , and there is a great deal of hazard in beginning to tail of Plea- iures. By no means therefore mould they be left to themfelves at this Age ^ and if for Reafons ta- Ken from the manner of their Education they mull be put out, all poffible Care mull be taken to commit them to the Infpe&ion of Wifemen, who may watch narrowly over the Conduct of them- felves, and not let them go out of their Houfes, without having got them firft well grounded in Religion. This is the great Duty of Fathers, and the greateft Good they can do to their Children. This is of a very different Confequence, from the other Cares that People are wont to take. And it is the moft certain Method Parents can pitch up- on, to promote their Children's Mappinels in this World, and to fave themfelves a great deal of Ex- pence, and a great deal of Uneafinefs. The Neg- lect of which in Fathers, is the reafon their Chil-r o'ren thrive no better ; but above all it is one of the Caufes why they abandon themfelves to Im- puricy. CHAP. Ch. 3. The Way of Living. 109 A CHAP. HI. The Third Cau/e of Uncleannefs, Tl?e Way of Living. Third Caufe of this Vice is a heedlefs in- confiderate manner of Life, which muft be rectified in many Particulars, before People will be able to perform their Duty aright, in this as well as other refpecb. I. And in the firft place Devotion is abfolutely neceffary in order to a virtuous Converfation, and in an efpecial manner, in order to Chaftity. Hum- ble and fervent Prayer is the Method Almighty God himlelf has prescribed for obtaining Grace and the Holy Spirit of God. And thofe pure and folid Pleafures with which Devotion fills the Soul, are an admirable Defence againft the mofx power- ful Temptations of Voluptuouihefs. But then it is only a fmall part of Mankind that have attained to a true Senfe of Devotion, that are both con- stant and hearty in their Addreffes to God, and do not negled thefe as well as Reading, Meditation, Religious Difcourfe, and other Inftances of Piety • or that take any Delight in them. And vvhac then can be expected, but that being no better guarded againit the Temptations of the Flefli, they mould be overpowered and captivated by them ? II. Idlenefs is a frequent Occasion of People's falling into this Sin of Uncleannefs. Bufinefs chafes away evil Thoughts, by employing the Mind to better purpofe, and by mortifying the Body, and confequently the Paflions. But whilfl any lead a careleis una&ive Life, they are nece£- farily 1 10 The Tl/trd Caufe of Unckannefs. Se(5t. III. farily expofed to Lull, unlefs their natural Temper and Constitution happily prevent it. And when the Lazy, and thofe that live without any Em- ployment meet with thefe Temptations, they rea- dily yield to them, their Idlenefs having before weaken'd them, and render'd them unfit to en- counter any Attempts that are made upon them. Having never been accuftom'd to overcome their own Appetites, or to offer Violence to themfelves in whatever Cafe, the leaft Oppofition they meet with proves too hard for them. This therefore is one Caufe why the younger fort are fo eafily led afide by their Paffions ; they are not enough en- gaged in Bufinefs. And for this Reafon it is that in thofe Places where Perfons are not intent upon any kind of Work, and have nothing to do for Part of the Year, the Crimes of Uncleannefs reign much more than where the People are held to continual Labour. III. Intemperance alfo leads to Uncleannefs, thefe being two Vices that ordinarily go together, and promote each other ,• as the Holy Scriptures f Eph. 5. inform us. The Apoftle St. Taul notes f that Wine J8. t leads to * Diffolutenefs and Excefs. And throughout Aaavcc, t ^ Q jsj ew Xeftament Drunkennefs and Gluttony are almoft always joined with Impurity ,* as I have obferved before. Intemperance naturally begets Lafcivioufnefs, in that on the one hand it depraves the Conftitution, and enframes the Blood and Spi- rits, and on the other, it takes away the free Ufe of Reafon, or at leaft it leaves Perfons no longer upon their Guard, makes them lefs modeft, and gives them a certain Freedom and Boldnefs in both their Speech and their Behaviour, whence they eafily and in a very little time proceed to a farther Liberty. So that whereas in a Wifeman, and much more in a Chriftian, the Body ihould b§ in fubje&ion co the Spirit, and Reafon fup- poned Ch. 3. The Wuy of Living.* 1 1 1 ported by Religion mould govern and fupprefs the Motions of the Fleih ; Intemperance fubjec"ts the Soul to the Body, and enfeebles Reafon and Religion ; and fo lubverts the natural Order of things, and plunges inevitably into Impurity. Tne Soul by this means becoming grofs and fenfual, is render'd unfit for Watching and Prayer, and ta- iling any other Pleafures^ than thofe of the Body, whole Slave it is. What I here fpeak of Intemperance concerns not thofe only who have arrived at the more fcan- dalous and fhameful Exceifes of Debauchery, who eat immoderately, and drink till they have per- fectly loft their Underftanding ,• but thofe iikewife who without exceeding in the Quantity of what they either eat or drink, feek after Delicacies, and the choiceft and moft dainty Food ,• and in general, all that are not fober and plain in their Diet, but fet themfelves to pleafe their Appetite. There is no being chaft without living fbberly, and accuftorning ourfelves to deny the Body its Demands, and efpecially as to Diet. When we have learn'd to govern ourfelves in eating and drinking, we mail quickly become Matters of the Body and its Defires. And lb we fee the Gofpel prefcribes Sobriety and Failing as one of the prin- cipal Means of fubduing the Body, and taming the Paflions. But when we negled: fuch Means we evidently run the hazard of linking under the Temptations of Impurity • and this Danger is continual, in regard that Food is of inevitable Neceflity for the Body, and what it every day calls for. When any therefore inftead of pracli- fing Abftinence, ftudy rather to fatisfy their fleflily Appetite, their Soul then falls an eafy Prey to Temptations. IV. Too much Care of the Body, and the Love of Pleafures, is alfo another Step towards Luft. On« 1 1 z The Tliird Cau/e of Unckamiefs. Se&. III. One of the chief Dodtrines of the Chriftian Re- ligion is not to be too favourable to the Body. And it is very certain that a Love of Pleafures, is a Difpofition diametrically oppofite to the Spirit of the Gofpel, which is a Spirit of Mortification, and Self-denial. Make not Provifon for the Flejli, to i Rom. 13. fulfil the Lufis thereof, was St. Paul's Advice t- Our m~ BlefTed Saviour denounced * a dreadful Woe a- g St 2? S am ft them that live in Pleafures upon the Earthy 4 ' " and think of nothing but Joy and Mirth. And his 11 Scja. 5. Apoftle St. James || fpeaks to the fame Purpofe. 5* He that is enflaved to his Senfes and Body, and whole Mind is fet upon Pleafures, treads very flipperily. This Inclination grows every Day more violent accordingly as it is attended to, till at length the Man has fo habituated himfelf to it that he knows not how to get rid of it. Yet how dangerous foever this manner of Life be, it is neverthelefs what too many love and are fond of ,• who inftead of mortifying their Bodies, by denying them what they call for, yield it all moll readily, and make it their conftant ftudy, and the main Aim and Defign of their Endeavours, to comply with and gratify their Defires. It is a 'Maxim own'd by many, not to crofs themfelves in any thing, but on the contrary to feek after all the Delights and Enjoyments of Life, in Eating, and Drinking, in Lodging, in Cloaths, and eve- ry thing elle. There are abundance of People, efpecially amongft thofe whofe Quality and Eftates diftinguiih them from their Neighbours, and of- tentimes alio amongft thofe of inferior Rank, who never think of any greater Happinefs than to waft their Time in doing nothing, to be merry, and continually in Company, or at Play, or fome other Diverlion. And in truth they know not how elfe to pafs their Time. They divide it therefore betwixt their Sleep,, their Drefling and Aborning' Ch. 5 . The Way of LiVing. 1 1 j Adorning themfelves, rheir Meals and other En- tertainments, their Vifits, Amufements and Plea- fures ; fome or all of which engrofs it wholly* And this effeminate fort of Life, which daily ob- tains more and more, deftroys Chaftity, befides a vaft number of other Evils, which it is the Caufe of. And if they that indulge themfelves in it do not fall into the Exceffes of Uncleannefs, it muft be either becaufe they have no natural Inclination this way, or becaufe fome worldly Confiderations withold them from it, it being hardly poflible that the Hearts of fuch mould not be taken up with the inordinate Lufts of the Flefh. Delights cor^ rupt, enervate, and weaken the Soul, and render the Man tender, and unable to refill the Allure- ments of Voluptuoufnefs. The fame I fay of Dan- cings, Balls, Vain Shews, and all that may be cal- led the Pomp of the World. Let us now imagine a Man, fuch as we fee a- bundance are, whole Temper difpofing him to Senfuality, Hands in need to be corrected by Ab- ftinence and Mortification ,• let us imagine this Man, I fay, to take all the ways he can to in- flame and heighten his Luft, that he feeds high,* declines all Labour, and loves his Pleafures^ and is fo fir from munning what gratifies the Senfes, that it is his bufmefs to find it out ; and who in- ftead of Abftinence and Mortification is for Good Chear, inftead of Work for ldlenefs, initead of Watching for Sleep and Reft, inftead of due Aufteri- ties for Luxury, inftead of afimpleplain way of Li- ving for Pride and Delicacies ,• now I fay it is as im- poflible for this Man to be chaft, as for a Fire not to kindle by blowing, and a conftant Addition of Fuel, Wood, or whatfoever combuftible matter* God muft work Miracles, or rather muft deftroy the Nature of Man, if he will have fuch an one, whilft he remains in this Eftate, not to be addicted I to 1 1 4 The Third Caufe of Unclearmefs. Se&. III. to Impurity. Senfuality and the Love of Plea- fures have ever been the Ruine of Virtue, and particularly of Chaftity. And it is always to be obferved, that in thofe Places where fuch a foft, eafy, and flothful Courfe of Life prevails, all both Men and Women lofe the Sentiments that proper- ly belong to their Sex. The Men become effemi- nate ,• and the Women by little and little part with their Modeny, and Bafhfulnefs, till they grow fhamelefs and venture upon the fame Extravagan- ces, and the fame Debaucheries as the Men. And this makes way for fuch Enormities as I may not undertake to defcribe. It has been obferved in all Ages how dangerous the Love of Pleafures has proved, and it is at this time remarkable that where People live in Rioting, and Idlenefs, and Luxury, as is ufual in the Courts of moil Princes, and in thofe Countries where the Delights of Life abound , thofe that dwell in thefe Places are almoft all vicious and ad- tGen. n.di&ed to Luxury. The holy Scripture t pro- pounds to us in this Cafe the Example of Sodom. The Country in which this City lay, was according to Mcfeis Relation, and that of || Jofepkus, one conti- nual Garden, wherein grew great Plenty of Plants and the moft delicious Fruits. The Advantages and Delicacies of this Country corrupted the In- habitants ; their Plenty produced amongft them Idlenefs and Wantonneis ,• their Affluence of good things made them voluptuous and effeminate, and pufh'd them on to the moft terrible Extravagances. *Ezek. 1 6. The Sin of Sodom, fays Ez,ekiel*, was Pride, Fulnefs 49* of Bread, and abundance of Idlenefs. And this Cor- ruption grew at length to fuch a height, that God revolving not to bear any longer with this abomi- nable People, executed upon them the dreadfulleft |] 0/ the Wnr of the Jews, 1. 4. c. 27. Ven- Ch. 3 . The Way of Living. i \ 5 Vengeance that has ever been heard of. A terri- ble Evidence to what intolerable Abominations a Man may become obnoxious, when a Love of Pleafures and Senfuality have got the Poffeflion of him. Thefe Paflions are never to be fatisfied, but grow more and more powerful by all the ways that are taken to pleafe them , and never flop fhort of the laftExceifes whenfoever the Reins are let loofe to them. They are as a Torrent fwelling every Day higher and higher, till it carry all away with it. Thus the Heart grows foft and tender, Modefty and Chaftity retire, and partly by In- clination, and partly out of Vanity and Point of Honour, People are drawn in to do as others do ,* and nothing lefs than fome fevere Calamity can flop the Courfe of thefe Impieties, and make Perfons bethink themfelves, and return to a better Mind. V. Amongft other Caufes of Impurity Excels in Apparel muft by no means be omitted. This fort of Luxury is not only culpable as exprefly for- bidden in the Gofpel, but upon feveral other Ac- counts which I may not infift upon here. Where- fore not to treat of it other wife than as it relates to Impurity, I fay Perfons may offend in their Drefs, either againft Plainnefs, or againft Mode- fty ; and both the one and the other of thefe Of- fences leads to Impurity. 1. A Love of Finery and Gaiety is a frequent Companion of this fhameful Paffion. Salomon re- prefents the whorifh Woman , as one f that is t Prov. 7 . adorn'd, deck'd, and perfumed. Unchaft Perfons 15 ' I? " ftudy to pleafe ,• and thofe that employ their time in Drefling themfelves to the bell advantage, love to be looked upon when thus fet forth ; which may eafily tend to beget impure Defires, whether in themfelves, or thofe who behold them. Their Vanity this way makes them love to (hew them- I 2 felves, i 6 The Tlnrd Cciuje of Undeanwfs. Se&. 11L felves, and gives them free, open, and confident Airs, and thereby takes off from their Bafnfulnefs and Modefty, which naturally inclines to a more referved manner of Life, and a more prudent, ftay'd, and graver Deportment. The third Chap- ter of ifdidh well deferves to be often read, as ex- cellently fuiting with this Argument. The Pro- phet there panes a long and fevere Cenfure upon the Luxury and Pride of the Daughters of Jerufa-^ km ; but befides this he taxes them with want of Modefty and Shamefacednefs ; that they were haughty, lifted up their Heads, and walked with ftretdhed- forth Necks, mewing apparent Tokens of their Immodefty by their Looks, their Gate, and their whole Carriage. Whence it is to be ob- ferv'dj that as a Love of fine Cloaths and other Ornaments prevails very much amongft the Fe- male Sex, fo is it apt to carry many of them very far j and there are too many of them, who will not ftick wretchedly to expofe themfelves, even to the laft degree, for the fatisfying this Paffion. 2. But this Vanity becomes more culpable and more dangerous, when it prevails to the prejudice of Modeity. One of the firft LefTons we find in Scripture, was given in relation to Modefty and iefi.3. the Ufe of Apparel. Mofes t teaches that Gar- ments were given to Man after his Fall for a Co- vering ; and accordingly Modeity and Decency require the Body to be cloathed. Which Rules are to be inviolably obferved amongft Chriftians, feeing we make Profeflion of lingular Purity ; though they chiefly relate to the Female Sex. The Apoftles molt exprefly admonifh Wcmen of this Tim. Duty ,♦ that * they adorn themfelves in modeft Jp- 9- varel, with Shamefacednefs and Sobriety. St. Peter al- io fpeaks to the fame purpofe, 1 Ep. 3. 2 5. Of which latter place it is to be noted, that this Apo- ftle having recommended it to the Chriftian Wo- men, Ch. 5. The Way of Living. men, to have their Coriyerfatfon pure and chaff, he immediately hereupon forbids Luxury, after this manner testifying plainly that this and vain Ornaments agree not with Chaftity. Let the Wo- men, fays he, be in fitb'je&ton to their own Husbands ; that if any obey not the Word, they may without the Word be wen by the Converfation of the Wi-v, s. While they behold your chaft Converfation coupled with Fear. Who^e Adorning let it not be the outward adorning, of flatting the Hair, or of wearing Gold, or putting on of Apparel. Wherefore there is no doubt to be made, but Modefty ought to be moft exactly preferved in the manner of Cloathing ; and even to a Nicety. In other Cafes forne Liberty is allow'd : and a Chriftian may follow the Mode where he live?, and accuftom himfelf to the Fafliion and Ulage, in what concerns his Habit, fo he does not fall in- to Excefs, nor lay out upon it too much Pains, too much Time, or too much Charge ,• and that he muns Haughtinefs and Pride, and all Gccaiion of Scandal. But with refped to Modefty and Chaftity, People mould be moft nicely circum- fpedr, and never follow any Fafhion, or any way of Drefling, that is hurtful to Purity, in howfo- ever low a degree it be. This is an Article that requires great Exaftnefs, efpecially amongft Wo- men, whole Sex obliges them in a more particu- lar manner to behave themfelves modeftly. Here then we may fee a very fenfible Proof, of the Remifnefs of Chriftians. In many places no regard is had to Decency in the manner of Cloath- ing, and "Women are not dreiTed as Modefty and Chaftity demand ,• they adorn themfelves after a free, indecent, and diftblute manner, and appear publickly in a Drefs favouring of Unchaftity. Thus Modefty is almoft quite loft, in this refped:, and the Fafhion is become fo cuftomary, that People have no Scruple about it. This Immo- I 1 deity, The Third Caufe of Uncleannefs. Se&. III. defty, thefe Nakedneffes, and this want of Shame- facednefs, were accounted very infamous amongft the Primitive Chrillians. Tertullian defcribing the barbarous and diffolute Manners of the Borderers upon the Euxlne Sea, tells among other things, that the t Women of theje Countries had no regard to J\dodefty 3 and that they ivould appear ivith their Bofoms all uncovered. Which this ancient Father noted as the Sign of an egregious Depravation ,• which yet is at this day too common amongft Chriftians. There is no need to prove that this want of Mo- defty in Apparel is a great Caufe of Impurity, and the Source of numerous Temptations, and finful Defires ,• that it will not fail to. extinguish Bafhfulnefs , and introduce Licentjoufnefs and Lull, and I know not how many other dreadful Evils. VI. Another Caufe of this Vice is too frequent and too familiar Converfation of Perfons of both Sexes, and efpeciaily whilft they are young. And not to mention here a frequency of Meetings with fuch as are known to be vicious and de- bauch'd ; though it be certain the Company, the DifcQurfe, and the Examples of fuch do very much corrupt Youth ,• not to mention this, I fay that even too familiar a Converfation between Men and "Women is the Caufe and Occafion of many Tranfgreffions ,• and that nothing more nar. turally tends to the Corruption of Youth. This breeds in their Hearts diforderly Paffions and De- fires, and fo involves many in the Crime and the many Evils that follow upon it. Wifemen have always thought that young People, and chiefly Girls, mould be brought up in private, and that it is dangerous and misbecoming to allow them too much Liberty. Amongft the Jews, their Girls f Terc. adv. M?,rco 1. i . went Ch. 3 . The Way of Living. went little abroad, and when they did, went veil- ed as well as the Women. And we fee the Apoftle approved this Ufage of theirs, in that he ordered the Women to appsar veiled in the holy Affem- blies, and with Tokens of Humility and Mode- fty ,• as was inviolably practiced in the Primitive Church. However thefe Injunctions are little ob- ierved in our Days, but rather the quite contrary ; too much Liberty is given the younger fort, who are allowed to live freely , openly, and unre- servedly. And fo by degrees they lofe their Mo- defty, Bafhfulnefs, and Caution, their main Pre- servation againft Impurity. And here I cannot forbear touching upon one fhameful and crying Enormity, very common in many Places ,• that is the promifcuous and fcanda- lous accompanying of Boys and Girls together with each other, whereby they are feen, even in the Night, in a manner not only indecent, but very faulty. And which is very ftrange to think, this is done in the Sight and with the Knowledge of their Fathers and Mothers, who in their own Houfes, and amongft their own Children fufFer fuch infamous Familiarities, as ought by no means to be admitted of in any Nation profefling Chri- ftianity. It is with great Relu&ancy, that I com- mit thefe things to Writing, nor mould I have done it but that the Diforders of this kind which reign in divers places compel me to it. VII. It mult be own'd likewife that War is to abundance of People a woeful School of Impurity. No doubt there are fome that live charily in this Employment, but for the Generality, every one knows that Souldiers give themfelvesa great Liber- ty in regard to Pollution, and that many of them are not alhamed to proclaim it. Nor ought this to lurprize any who confider that Men of this Profeifion are ordinarily driven to it, either by I 4 their \ zo 7?;e Third Caufe of Uncle annefs. Se&. III. their Licentioufnefs, or a Profpe& of Gain or Preferment, or through Mifery and Poverty, out of which they are not willing to extricate them- felves by honeft Labour. Now this being the Cafe of moft of the Souldiery, that they have wanted the Happinefs of a good Education and Inftru&i- pn, and have ventured uponaCourfe of Life, where they meet with continual and very tirong Temp- tations, particularly Idlenefs and bad Examples, and where the Helps to Piety are very rare, and they think they have a Difpenfation to live as they pieafe ; Can it poflibly be expected that in theie unhappy Circumftances their Manners fhould not be very corrupt, and efpecially as to Incontinence ? And which is worfe yet, being thus corrupted abroad, at their return home, they bring their Vices back with them, and fo both abandon them- felves 5 and invite others to all fort of Licentiouf- nefs, VJIJ. Almighty God has appointed Means, and efpecially Marriage, for preferring from the De- filement of Impurity. But many refufe to enter upon this State, or at leaft neither enter upon it, nor live in it as they ought. The Injun&ion of ' Celibacy has done abundance of Milchief, and has introduced infinite Crimes and Abominations into the World and the Church. But many be- sides, no way concern'd in this, forbear Marriage ; fome through Libertinifm, and to be lefs conr fined in their Paffions, or to avoid fome Inconve- niences they apprehend to accompany the Mar- ried Life ; and others, becaufe they cannot meet with a Fortune to their mind, or helpful Rela- tions,, pr other Advantages they aim at. And in the mean time not being chaft, they hereby ex- pofe themfeives to continual Temptations, and cannot avoid being ever and anon overcome by $hem. They $ha; are married likewife oftentimes brin g Ch. 4. Ill Books. I 1 I bring themfelves into the fame Difficulties, ei- ther by not living in that Purity wherein they ought to live., or becaufe they married only out of Intereft, or Ambition, and not by Inclination and mutual AfTe&ion. Now fuch Marriages can- not be expected to prove happy ■ and in truth the Effe&s of them are often very dreadful. Want of Kindnefs and Efteem is fometirnes the Caufe of breaking out into Adultery, as well as an una- greeable Temper, and a Failure in point of Eafi- .nefs and Compliance in the Married Perfons. CHAR IV, The Fourth Caufe of llnckannefs, 111 Books. THE Fourth Caufe of Impurity I (hall in- ftance in, js unchaft Books. I have for- merly fhewn in t my Treatife Of the Caufes of Cor- ruption, how many forts of Books tend to corrupt the Readers Manners ,• but this muft not totally prevent my touching upon the fame Head in this place ,• the Mifchief that is done by this mean§ among Chriftians being greater than can be fuffi- ciently lamented. It has been long complained of that young Men who have learned the Tongues, have been corrupted by reading and interpreting the Poets and other Heathen Authors, where they have met with divers foul and immodeft Expreffions, fitted to< excite their Curiofity and their Paffions. And yet were there no Books of this nature except in the learned Languages, and which therefore are t P*r II crf t VII. 1 nor i 22 The Fourth Caufe of Uncle annefs. Se<5h III. not generally underftood, the Cafe were not near fo bad. But alas ! how many are there to be feen in the modern Languages, that are of no lefs per- nicious Confequence ? It is oftentimes not fo very eafy to put even Books of Religion into the Hands of Children, where we can be fure they fhall meet with nothing that may any way do them hurt. Such extravagant Liberty is allowed in fome places, that Authors make no difficulty of publifhing whatever they pleafe againft Religi- on and good Manners. Neither do the Spiritual Governors, though perhaps ftri<5t enough in Mat- ters of far lefs Importance, nor the Civil Magi- itrate, fet themfelves with any concern to fup- prefs thefe dangerous Writings ,- but they have tree Permiflion, are bought and fold publickly, and poffibly With Licence. There have been from time to time, and are now in our own Days, certain mifchievous Books, full of Libertinifm, Obfcenity, Naltinefs, fhame- ful and fcandalous Stories, againft the very Prin- ciples of Religion ,• which betray fuch a Stock of Licentioufnefs and Impiety as is not eaiily to be conceived. But what is more furprizing and more fcandalous is, that thefe Works find Patrons not only amongft profefs'd Libertins, but even amongft thofe whofe proper Bufinefs Should be to under- take the Defence of Religion againft thefe and all its Adverfaries. Thefe Books have done infinite Mifchief ,• have made a great number of- Liber- tines and Atheifts, and taught People in general, and even fuch as had never ftudied their Religion, to difpute againft it, to call it all into Queiiion, and fophiftically to cavil at it, not excepting the Fundamental Articles of our Faith, and the Hi- ftories of the holy Scripture. But it is impoffible to tell what Mifchief they have done, and do eve- ry day in refpecl: to Impurity. Here therefore is one Ch. 4- Ml feooks. 1 23 one confiderable Caufe of this Vice ; which is alfo at the fame time a fenfible Proof of the excefliveLi- centioufnefs that reigns amongft Chriftians. We havealready taken notice that it is more ofFenfive to fpeak unchaftly, than only to think fo ; but yet it is much worfe to write than to fpeak in this man- ner. And the Reafon is plain, in that what is laid hurts only the Hearers, and is prefently over, but what is committed to writing is more lafting, and is difperfed all abroad. This is expofed to the view of all, and fo unchaft Books become for a long time together, and to Multitudes of Perfons, a Caufe of publick Impurity. As Books of this Character are not fit to be read by any, fo thofe who have any Senfe of Religion will not know how to allow themfelves to read them. I know fome will plead, that a Man jQiould read all forts of Books, that he may im- prove his Underftanding by the Diverfity of Sub- jects that will occur in them. But there are other Books befides thofe which are inftructive ; and ic is much better not to know feveral things which fome Authors have laboured to amafs together, which yet ferve little to any other purpofe than to endanger and pollute the Heart. And moreover befides this Danger of being defiled and corrupted, there is another Reafon for not reading thefe Books, namely, left they fhould leave fuch Im- prellions on the Mind, and fuch Ideas in the Me- mory, as will not readily be banifhed thence, and yet which, if they do not (educe the Heart, cauie. a great deal of Uneafinefs and Trouble to the Soul. It is no itrange thing to hear People bewail the Misfortune they had in converting with improper Authors in their Youth, and getting Love-Poems by heart, which long after recur to their Thoughts, and many times very unfealbnably, and upon the moft ferious Occafions. Some have found no fmali 1 24 Tloe Fifth Caufe of Unckanmfs. Se&. IN. finall Trouble and Difquiet from them when lying upon their Death-beds. So that there is abun- dant Reafon to abftain from Books of this nature, which may prove very hurtful, but can do no good. But above all it is a matter of the higheft Con- fequence to prevent young Perfons employing themfelyesin this manner, and take from them not only' all impure and unchaft Books, but all where- in is any thing that tends to Impurity, all Books of Love and Gallantry, which moit certainly ierve to no other jjfe than to fecluce the Mind and Heart. I might have added other Reflexions upon this Subject ; but I am not willing to re- peat what I have already faid in a former Dif- courfe *. CHAP. V. lie Fifth Caufe. Impunity, and Want of zooi Government, o THE Laft Caufe of this Vice is Impunity, and Want of a due Execution of Govern- ment both Givil and Ecciefiaftical. I. In the Civil Society, Princes, Magiftrates, and judges mould confider that this Sin is!, as I have proved, contrary to the Publick Welfare^ and mould therefore make it their ftudy, to' put 'a Hop to fo great a Nuifance. But where is this Care taken ? Where doth'the Government inflict any Punifhments upon the Impure ? Or if any be inflicted, are they not fo light,' as that few are afraid of expofing themfelves xo them for the Sa- * Ttt&fi ofikeC.iufcsof Corr^tim. P*rtl\ CtiufeVll. tisfadio^ Ch. 5. Impunity, Sec. \i<$ tisfa&ion of their Paffions ? There are in Chri- JiendoTft two grievous Faults, with relation to the Society, as well as to the Laws of the Gofpel ; the One in refpecl to Adultery, the Other to DU vorces. 1. In refpect to Adultery, it mull be acknow- ledged to the Shame of almoft all Chriftian Princes and Magiftrates, that this Crime is not punifh'd as it ought to be ,• either fuffieient Provifion is noc made againft it by good and wholfome Laws ,• or elfe thofe Laws are not duly put in execution. Even the Pagans furpaffed us Chriftians herein ; for they put Adulterers to death, as I have fhewn J whereas in moft Chriftian States they are very gently profecuted. I will not enter in this place upon that Queftion, which fome make, whether Death ought to be the Puni/hment of Adultery ; but mall only propofe another Queftion ,- which is, Whence it comes to pafs that Chriftian Rulers have taken upon them to enhance the Punifhment of Thieves, and at the fame time to leffen that of Adulterers ? t God's Law adjudged Adulterers to Death, no lefs than Murderers, but did not pafs fo fevere a Sentence upon Robbers. And yet Of- fenders in this kind lofe their Life for it ; many" times ftealing what is of no great Importance is at- tended with Death ; now fome make a great que- ftion whether this be juft ; whether capital Pu- nilhments for Theft be warrantable, and if this- f Our Author s Argumentation in this place being founded upon d political Law of the Jews, feems to favour the Dotlrine ,e Fifth Cdufe of Uncle annefs. Sedh III. ven good evidence of their Repentance. And feeing there was amongft the Corinthians a Man guilty of horrible Impurity , he complains that fuch a Crime had been committed amongft them, but he complains more of the Church than of the Criminal ,• he cenfures the Corinthians ; he ac- quaints them how dangerous k was to permit fuch vile TrangrefTors amongft them ,• and tells them the Fault of this Man hereby became the Fault of the whole Church ; he does what the Church had negle&ed to do, makes ufe of the Power he had as an Apoftle of delivering egregious Sinners over to Satan ,• and then again he repeats the Order he had given the Corinthians, not to look upon the Unclean as their Brethren, but to caft them out from among them. 1 have otherwhere recited the exprefs Words of St. Paul, and have fhewn how in the Primitive Church Difcipline was ftri&ly exercifed upon Adulterers. It would be requisite alfo to put in pra&ice what the Apoftles fo often enjoined, namely to avoid Familiar Converfation with fuch who gave occaiion of Scandal by their impure Lives. By which means many might be reftrain'd ,• and befides if any had offended the Church by their Extravagances, their Fault could not then be imputed to the whole Church, nor would the Religion of our Bleffed Saviour be diihonour'd by ir. But the Apoftoliek Difcipline is fo far from be- ing duly obferv'd, that in divers Churches it is to- tally laid alide. Inftead of proceeding againft the Impure in excommunicating them for a time, the Minifters of the Church are compelled to admit to the Communion thofe who are chargeable with infamous Sins, and to give holy things to Dogs and Swine. Heretofore a Bifhop or Prieft that had receiv'd to the Communion known Adulterers and Fornicators, before they had given publick Proof? Ch. 5. Impunity , &c. 125? Proofs of their Repentance, would have been de- pofed, and the whole Church would have reckon- ed fuch an A&ion as a horrible and unheard of Sacrilege. But now there are Places where he that fhould deny the Communion to thefe Men, would be depofed for denying it. If in fome places where there are Laws in being, and Punifliments determined for the Unclean, ei- ther thefe Laws impofe only civil and corporal Cor- rections., or elfe they are fome other way defe&ive, or are but badly put in execution : The Crime is often tolerated, and goes without any Punifhment at all ,• and the Actors of it know how to find out Methods of fheltering themfelvcs. And where there is any fhew of Difcipline it is unduly admi- niftred, either by admitting Sinners to the Peace of the Church without having given good Testi- mony of the Sincerity of their Repentance • or by not making a jufl difference between their Offen- ces, in that oftentimes the Proceedings againft A- dultery are no more fevere than thofe againft For- nication ,• or againft thofe that relapfe into their Sin, than if they had only once fallen into it. Be- fides, in thofe places where this Difcipline is in fome fort fettled, it has not the force that were to be defired, not only upon account of the Defects already mentioned, but likewife becaufe not being exercifed every where, Sinners being excluded from Communion in their own Churches, need only go to fome other Church to be admitted to the Lord's Table ,• which is a woful Irregularity, and the ready way to introduce a Contempt of that facred Ordinance, and of the Cenfures of the Church, and confequently great Impiety. In the midft of this general Remifnefs of Difcipline, it ought not to be thought ftrange if People give thcmfelves up to the Sins of the Flefh; fince there is nothing encourages Wickednefs like Impunity. R ' Thefe 130 The Fifth Caufe of Uncleannefs. Seel. III. Thefe are the Gaufes of Impurity which I thought my felf chiefly concerned to take notice of ; and by what has been faid concerning them, it is obvious to infer what are the proper Remedies for the Suppreflion of this Vice. But thefe I frail have occafion to fpeak to in the following pare of this Diicoude. SECTION Se&. IV. An Anfwer, &c \ 3 1 SECTION IV, An Anfwer to the Excufes that are made for Uncleannefs. A Fter what has been faid of Uncleannefs and j\ the mifchievousEffe&s of it, it is juft matter of AftonifLment that it fhculd befo common. And it muft be either becaufe thefe fcrementioned Con- fiderations are not attended to, or becaufe People deceive and flatter themfelves with a Perfuafiori that Uncleannefs is no inch great Offence, and that they may fafely indulge themfelves in it. Both of which is too true. The Ignorance and the Negli- gence of Mankind is very great in this Cafe j fo that either they do not underftand their Duty, or do not mind it. But it is certain too that there are falfe Reafons and inefficient Excufes whereby they make a fhifc to impofe upon themfelves. It is ordinary with Sinners to flatter themfelves, and try to excufe their Mifcarriages, and even to ju- iKfy them. And as in other cafes they do this, fo no lefs in relation to Impurity. For which caufe the Apoftle St. Paul exprefly requires that no one deceive himfelf in this refped, nor fuffer himfelf to be deluded by any vain Appearances of Reafon. f Be not deceived, fays the Apoftle j and| rCor s again * Let no Man deceive you v/itb vain Words. I 10 . come therefore now to enquire into and anfwer *Eph. 5; the principal Excufes whereby Men pretend to* 5 - palliate this Sin. K. 2 I. Som§ 132, An Anjmr to the Excufes Se£t IV. I. Some may appeal tothePropenfity of Nature, and plead that God Almighty would never have given this to Mankind if they were not allow- ed to comply with it. But this by no means proves the lawfuinefs of Incontinence. For it is very certain God has given to Men a natural In- clination to thole things which are for the Pre- fervation of Life, and the Propagation of Man- 1 kind ,• and it is a fignal Inftance of his Wifdom that he has done it. It was requifite likewife that this Inclination fhould be ftrong towards thofe thines, without which Mankind could not conti- nue in Being. This is well worth our ferious Confederation, but it is what I muft content my felf to have but juft touched upon. But the Incli- nation which thus appears in Men, does in no wife authorize the Excefles into which they may fall, and unlefs we would fet Mankind upon the fame level with the Beafts, it muft be acknowledged that this Inclination is to be kept under Rule and Government. Men have an Inclination to eat and drink ,• but can any be fo fenfelefs as to infer from hence that they are to obferve no Rule or Meafure in either of thefe ? And would this natu- ral Inclination be allowed as a good Excufe for Drunkennefs or Gluttony, or the other ExceiTes of Intemperance ? All that can reafonably be ur- ged againft this is, that this Inclination proves that fomething is permitted to Men. But I hflpe it does not prove that every thing is lawful for them ,• and that they are not oblig'd to a moderate ufe of whatever God has given them for their Nourifh- ment. And juft fo it is in the Cafe before us..* In friort, It does not follow that becaufe Man- kind are liable to certain Inclinations of their own, therefore thefe Inclinations can carry them away by an inevitable Force and Fatality, fo as that they will be no longer able to reftft them. St.Chry [cftorti Sed:. IV. Tl?at are made for linckdnnefs. 1 3 5 foftom very effe&ually t confutes this Imagination, as extravagant and wicked, in a Difcouric againft the Manicheesy who charged the "Work of God with being evil, and the Nature of Man with carryiJBJg him on inevitably to what is evil. He tells them it is A-lens Will, not their Nature or their Body, which caufes the ExceiTes into which they fall, and that the Inclination God has planted in them, was not given them to be abufed to Wantonnefs and Luft. Our own Nature proves this. For if God has endued us with Pefires and Senfaticns which may tempt to divers Extravagances, he has alfo arToid- ed us Means and Power to refift their Amotions. God has beftowed two Bleflings upon Mankind, which mould be fure to keep them within their Bounds. The former is Reafon and Modefty. The carnal Appetite is brutifh and blind, and is to be found in the Beafts alfo ; but Reafon was given Man to fubdue this Appetite, and he has in in his choice either to follow this or not, and can judge what he ought to do, and what to refrain from. And accordingly his Reafon is to direft him as to the Paflion now under confideration, as well as in relation to what he eats and drinks. But in regard that Reafon alone is not of force e- nough to reftrain thefe Paflions, I fay farther, that God has vouchfafed Man a Supernatural Principle, namely Religion and Faith, which by the Light it gives us, the Motives it lays before us, the Hope of Eternal Happinefs, and the Fear of Hell-Tor- ments, together with the Grace of the Holy Spi- rit which is hereby communicated to us, enables us effectually to refift our Paflions. Thefe Power- t Ad Galat. e H bhSv/Mat, ei{ 7xttJh7rotidM, >y 0ix ovsam, « K % fu! An Anjwer to the Excufes Sed:. IV. ful Confederations fhould raife us above a fhame- ful and brutiih Inclination; and with thefe Afliftan- ces we may overcome ourfelves, and fet ourfdves free from the Bondage of our Lufts. If thefe things were weighed as they ought to be, and all the ufe that might be were made of thefe Ad- vantages ^ an Inclination to Impurity would not be able to govern Men as now it does. II. And by this time we may fee what Anfwer to return to a fecond Excufe, taken from the Diffi- culty of refilling this Paflicn. I readily agree there are fome Pains required for taming the Paf- fions • the Gofpel fuppofes it when it exhorts to deny ourfelves, to watch, and fight, and mortify our Defires. But this is no more than is required in the other Parrs of our Duty. There is without doubt fome trouble in curbing a Fit cf Anger, or withftanding the Temptations of Avarice, Pride, and Intemperance. But this is no reafon why we fhould not be oblig'd to conquer thefe Paffions, nor any Proof that we cannot do it. Nor ought any more ftrefs to be laid upon the Difficulty of refilling Impurity 1. Becaufe this Difficulty is not univerfal, is not to be found in allPerfons. Divers overcome their Pafiions eafily and with no great trouble ; this be- ing the happy Condition of iuch who have been blefs'd with a pious Education, and whole Youth has been pure. And again, as to thofe who may have been hurrieti on with a great deal of force by a vicious Inclination., I have two things to offer. The one, that they are in this Condition is their own Fault,* and had they been forewarned againft their flefhly Lufts in their younger Years, they wou'd not have been in fubje&ion to them as now they are. The other. It is not yet wholly out of their power to get rid of them. God has furnifhed them with Remedies againft Incontinence, and Means Se<5t. IV. That are made for Uncleannefs. I 3 J Means of avoiding it. So that it is not yet too late to retrieve themfelves out of the State they are in, if they will be but at the Pains of heartily endeavouring it. As I fhall fhew when I come tD treat of thofe who are guilty of this Sin, and the Means of obtaining Chaitity. 2. It is really not impoffible to live in Purity, and avoid the Exceffes of the Fleih ,• there being no ground to conclude that this- Duty is out of Man's Power. Which if it were, we may allure ourfelves Almighty God would not expreily re- quire it of us, and under pain of Damnation. When the Pagans commended Chaftity and Con- tinence, they believed it might be preserved ; and can Chriitians to whom God has granted ib many Graces, pretend the Practice of it to be irnpoilibie. The Laws of Chaftity might indeed have been thought toofevere, and not without an appearance of Reafon, if we had been left wholly to ourfelves and had been made only for this World. But we are Chriftians, to whom God has granted a new Birth, and whom he invites to a Supernatural State of Happinefs. And what can be too hard for the Grace and divine Power of the Gofpel, the Ex- ample of Jefus Chrift, and the Expectation of a Life to come ? Ought not all thel'e Bleffings to make us fpiritually minded, to infpire us with fub- lime and noble Thoughts, and to dilengage us from the Allurements of our grofs and brutilh Paf- fions ? God who calls us to Chaftity, lets us know on the other hand what is incumbent upon each one of us in order to it ; he prelcribes us Means that will confiderably facilitate the Practice of this Duty. As will be {hewn more particularly hereafter. 3. But I fay farther, Wifemen do not fuifer themfelves to be affrighted with Difficulties , but keep their Thoughts rixed upon the Coniequence of their Endeavours, the Benefit or Diiadvantage K 4 that ! J 6 An Anfwer to the Excufes Sc6t. IV. that may be expe&ed to enfue upon them. And this Confideration fhould put thofe who meet with Difficulties in the Duty here treated of, upon encountring ifwith Courage and Refolution, tho' it had been much greater than it is. On the one fide, by doing this they procure to themfelves an infinite Happinefs, and advance themfelves to the moft blelfed and molt glorious State that can be imagined. Befides the Felicity whereof they fhali be poifeffed in Heaven, who had taken care to keep their Bodies undefiled, they take the fureft courfe to be truly happy in this pre- fent Life. They may find fome trouble in re- filling Temptations, but when they have got the Victory, they will never repent of having denied themfelves the gratifying of their Senfes ,• and the more Difficulty they have met with in this fpiri- tual Conflict, the greater Comfort and Satisfaction will they enjoy when they are got well through it. Wherefore the Pleafure that arifes from having fhook off the Yoke of thefe inordinate Paflions of the Flefli, fhould engage us all to mortify ourfelves, and earneftly to ftrive after this happy State. On the other fide, the Mifchiefs and Punishments of Impurity call for our Attention, and make it ne- Ceifary for us to compare Pains with Pains, and Difficulty with Difficulty, the Pains of overcoming pur pwn Defires, and /manning the Gratifications of Senfe, with the dreadful Confequents of this Sin, the Wounds it gives the Soul, and the Re- morfe whereto it fubje&s it. We fhould confider the feveral Misfortunes with which this Vice is at- tended here in this Life, and which make the guil- ty Perfon pay dear for infamous and tranfient Plea- fures. But above all we muft bethink ourfelves, that if there be trouble in preferving Chaitity, and i 5. Mar ^ f° r C ^ S enc * n were neceffary to pull out our Eyes, ?°43- 47» an ^ cut pff our Hands,, as our Saviour fpeaks f, it will Se£h IV. That are made for Uncle annefs. 137 will be an incomparably greater trouble to be caft into Hell-Fire, there to undergo the Tortures which Almighty God has prepared for the Unclean, Thefe fleflily Pleafures are but little, and are over in a Moment, but the Pains of the Life to come are terrible, and yet will never have an end. III. It may be farther urged That every one has not the Gift of Continence, for fofome wreft that of St. Faul, 1 Cor. 7. 9. But the Apoftle anfwers this in the very fame place, declaring that for thofe who cannot live fingle, Marriage is ordained as a holy and honourable State, provided they live chaftly in it. Again; if this Argument were good, there is no Sin that might not be excufed. All Virtues are the Gift of God as well as Continence; his Grace being alike neceffary in order to the Government of Mens Anger, and for rendring them fober, Affable, or Charitable, as it is for re- fitting Uncleannefs. And one that allows himfelf in Tranfports of Anger, or lives in Drunkennefs and Debauchery, and will neither forgive an Inju- ry or Affront, nor relieve a poor Neighbour, may as well fay for himfelf, that he has not the Gift of Meeknefs, of Patience, of Sobriety, or of Charity. The Cafe thus ftated, who fees not that this is a vain and frivolous Excufe, and indeed a wicked and impious one ? For to fay Uncleannefs is no way to be avoided, becaufe God has nofc beftowed the Gift of avoiding it, is to accufe God himfelf, and impute to his divine Majefty all the Exceffes whereinto any are hurried by this infamous Paf- fion. Grace is certainly neceffary for us, ami it is a Gift of God without which we can do no good thing. But then it is as certain that God is ready to vouchfafe us this Gift, on condition we will do our part for obtaining it. And this is to be done ± by Prayer, God having engaged t to £he bis Holy n. 13. Spirit j;8 An An fiver to the Excufe s Se/ f ormpthn, Part I. Caufe IV. 1 * which Sedt. IV. That are made for Uncleannefs. } ] y which is the Rule whereby he will judge us at the Zaft-Day. 2. "We have admirable Patterns of Chaftity pro- pofed to us in Scripture, that we may be invited to the imitation of them, as that of Jofepb, of Job, and other holy Men who have been eminent for this Virtue. 2. It is to be considered that thefe Sins with which fome of the Faithful recorded in the Old Teflament were overtaken, were grievous Sins, and wherein they muft have inevitably perilhed, if they had not recovered out of them by a fincere Repentance. And if it mould be objected as the Gonfequence of this Afferrion, that Sinners may recover of themfelves and obtain the Pardon of their Sins, and fo the Danger of falling into them is not fo great ,- I aniwer that God is ready to mew Favour to the Penitent; but that it is the utmofl height of Folly, and extremely dangerous to live in Sin upon this Confideration ,♦ and it mews an exceedingly depraved Mind to offend and provoke Gcd, only becaufe he is fo very good. And he that does fo impofes miferably upon himfelf, in pro- mifrng himfelf that he (hall be lure to repent; this being what he can have no certainty of. And if any find themfelves difpofed to take encourage- ment from the Example of thofe who have rifen again after terrible Falls, let fuch know they have much more reafon to tremble at the Remembrance of others who have fallen in like manner, and have been utterly undone by it. 4. Once more, The Difference that is betwixt the Times of the Gofpel and thofe that were before, may juftly filence all thefe vain Excufes. What onr Saviour Jefm Cbrift fays St. Matt. Ch. V. and XIX. concerning Divorce and Adultery, {hews clearly that the Duties of Chattity under the Old Law were very different from what is now requi- red 1 ±o ^ n dnfwer to the Excufes, Sec. Se&. IV. red of us., and that God., out of regard to the Eftate of the Jews, and the carnal Temper of their Mind, parTed by many Defeats by reafon of which Chriftians will be excluded the Kingdom of Hea- ven. And no one that well underftands to what a Degree of Hoiinefs we are called by the Gofpel. will ever dare to aliedge the Falls of thofe who li- ved before Chnft, in Excuie of their Impurity. SECTIOIS ' » " ■ " ■ " ■ " *■ Se&. V. The Duty of Offenders, &c. I41 SECTION V. The Duties of Offenders in this kind. FTER having treated thus largely of Un- cleannefs, before I leave this Subject, it will be requifite to enquire what is incumbent up- on fuch as are Chargeable with this £>in, in order to the Pardon of it. This is a moft important Arti- cle, and concerning which all have great need to be well inftru&ed. And the rather becaufe thefe Duties are little underftood, the greateff. part of thofe who are moil concerned in them not know- ing what they are to do that they may recover themfelves from their Fall. Some will pretend to expiate this Sin by I know not what defective and infincere Repentance, and by this means lead ma- ny into Perdition. And hence my Defign in this Sedion is to give fome account of what all that are guilty of this Sin are obliged to. And it is what thofe who have fallen into the Crime are in a peculiar manner concerned to read with great Attention. And thofe who have not proceeded to the Crime, but are chargeable however with other lelTer Species of Impurity, will find feveral Particulars in what I am about to fay, that will re- late to themfelves. Nor is there any Perfon what- foever that may not make fome good ufe of it. The Confideration of what an Unclean Perfon is to do for obtaining the Pardon of his Offence, is a powerful Motive for perfuading to refrain from this Sin. And were every one throughly inftru&- Sd in this Point, People would be far more fear- ful i 4 z The fir ft Duty of Offenders, dec. Sed. V. ful of yielding to the finful Lufts of the Flefh, than they ufually are. In general, Every one is convinced that there is no obtaining the Pardon of this Sin, any more than of others, without Repentance. But People are apt to deceive themfelves concerning the Na- ture of Repentance, as not well knowing in .what it confifts. That I may therefore explain this with fome exadtnefs, I fay that to repent fa- vingly of this Sin, it is necelfary frrft to be Sorry for it ,• fecondly to Confefs it ,• thirdly to endea- vour a Reparation of it ,• and laftly, to renounce and forfake it. CHAP. I. The ftrft Duty of Offenders in this kind, Sorrow for their Sin. THE Firft Branch of Repentance, and the Firft Duty of the Impure is a Sorrow for what they have done. But now that they may not deceive themfelves, they ought to be made fenfible what is to be the ground of this Sorrow, and what the Degree and Meafure of it. I. It is abfolutely neceilary to enquire into the Principle whence the Sorrow they feel in themfelves proceeds^ inafmuch as this Sorrow is not always faving, nor ought it to be believed that all who are afni&ed and mourn for the Irregularites of their Lives, are to be accounted true Penitents. The Grief which many feel in themfelves, or at lealt pretend to, is for the molt part no better than a worldly Grief. That which flicks fo clofe upon them is very often only a Fretting and Vexation, Shame and Difpleafure to find themfelves in Difr grace, Cb. i. Sorrow for their Shu 14 grace, or expofed to other Temporal Misfortune^ which their Incontinence has brought upon them, One Proof of this is., that the greater part give no Token of their being inwardly aftlided till their Crime comes to be difcover'd, and fo they come experimentally to find in what Evils they have in- volved themfelves by their ill Conduct. Whilft they can fin fecretiy,and without fear of Difcovery, they continue in their Li centioufhefs, and take De- light in it. Such a Sorrow is not faving, unlefs the Sinner make a farther Progrefs, and improve the Almighty's Chaftifements to the begetting in him an unfeigned Abhorrence of his paft Tranfgref- lions. Wherefore the Principle and Caufe of hig Grief muft be the Greatnefs of the Sin it felf, and the woful Eftate whereinto it brings Men in rela- tion to God and their own Salvation. Without repeating here all the Confiderations which may juftly raife in us an Abhorrence of Impurity, I (hall content my felf to note, that no Repentance is acceptable in the Sight of God, that does noc arife from fuch Meditations as thefe. For which reafon thofe who know themfelves guilty, mould weigh them well with themfelves, and have them always prefent to their Mind. And forafmuch as fome are more guilty than others, every one fhould confider the Nature and Circumftances of the Sins which he has committed, that fo his Senfe of them and Repentance for them may bear a pro- portion to the Heinoufnefs of them. II. As to the Degree and Meafure of this Sor- row, two Qualifications are to be attended to, that is, the Greatnefs of it, and its Duration. 1. It is not enough to befomewhat grieved, and afhamed, but this Grief muft be affe&ing, fuch as enters deep and pierces the very Heart, filling it with Sadnefsand Remorfe, Deteftation and Fear; or if it be noc fuch at the beginning, it muft be fuch i 44 77;e Firft Duty of Offenders, Sec. Se&. V. flich at length. This is above all others the one infallible Mark of a hearty Sorrow and fincere Re- pentance ^ that the Sinner finds no longer any Pleafure or Satisfa&ion in the things he had for- merly delighted in, but feeks to withdraw and get out of the way of them, and finds more Comfort in his Sadnefs and Tears for them. Sometimes thofe that have renounced their Uncleannefs, have turned afide another way, and betaken themfelves to Pleafures of another nature. But fo long as they retain an AfFe&ion for worldly Pleafures and Joys of whatfoever kind, this is a certain Sign of their ndt being touched with a true Re- pentance. 2. But above all Care rhuft be taken that this Grief be laiting. And this Obfervation ferves not only for the Inftru&ion of the Guilty, but is ufe- ful alfo for the Encouragement of fuch who do not at the firft feel themfelves fo throughly grieved as they ought to be. For Mens Sorrow is often- times but light at the beginning of their Conver- sion ; as will eafily be apprehended if we but call to mind that there are two forts of Sins. Some there are for which a Man is apt to have an ex- treme Concern as foon as ever he has committed them ,• and they are fuch as he is not betraied into by his own Inclinations, nor can take Delight in. Thus when one has committed a Murder, or fpo- ken Blafphemy, he will perhaps be immediately ftruck with the Horror of his Crime, and a Hing- ing Remorfe by reafon of it. But it is quite other- wife with thofe Sins into which Men are drawn by Pleafure, and which gratify their Inclinations, and efpecially when they are become Habitual. Tho' they take up a Refolution of quitting thefe, they do not at firft look upon them with the Averfi- on due to them, they could yet pleafe themfelves with thefDj and it is not without doing Violence to Ch. i. Sorrow for their Sin. 145 to themfelves, 2nd refitting their own Inclinations, that they get rid of them. So that their Diflike of thefe fort of Sins is but fmall at the firft, the Fire of Luft not being yet wholly extind:. But the chief Commendation of it is, that it is Lading, and encreafes continually. And this is what they ought to have an efpecial Regard to, the Caufe of molt Mens Failings in thefe Attempts being, that in time theSenfe of their Crime abates, and at laft wears quite away. The Repentance of thofe who are polluted by Uncleannefs , mould remain with them to their Lives End. Thefe are not Sins which a Man can forget ,• and the Memory of them ought to be al- ways frefti, that the Penitent may truly fay with David, f My Sin is ever before me. Not only the fPf. 51.3 Time that has paft lince the Commiflion of it, but even an Amendment of Life does not take away the Senfe of fo great a Fault ,• but on the con- trary he becomes more and more fenfible of it. Even this Thought, that the Sinner has had the Happinefs to obtain the Pardon of his Guilt, will render the Remembrance of it the more bitter. And the greater Progrefs he makes in Holinefs, the more abominable will his Wickednefs appear $ the greater Experience he has had of God's Mercy, the more will he accufe and loath himfelf • and the more Hope he has of Salvation through God's Goodnefs, the more will he be affe&ed with the Danger of being excluded from it, to which he had expofed himfelf. In a word, The greater Mercy God has /hewn in Pardoning, the more reafon has the pardoned Sinner to love God ; And the more any one loves God, the more near- ly will he be touched with the Thought of having offended Him. This is the Firft Duty of fuch as are chargeable with Impurity, to have a lively, a hearty and pier- L cing 4.6 Tl?e Second 'Duty, Sed. V. cing Sorrow for ic. And if thole who find not in themfelves fuch a Sorrow as I have beendefcrib- ing, are not in a State of Salvation, what can we think of thofe who have no fenfe at all of their Sin, but inftead of condemning, feek to excufe themfelves, and are fo far from having a pungent Regret, and being in Confuiion by reafon of their Sin, that they take delight in thinking and fpeak- ing of it, and even boalt of and glory in it. CHAP. II. 7be Second Duty, Confejfion. THe Second Duty incumbent upon fuch as are guilty of this Sin, is Confeflion. I need net fay that there is no repenting fincerely of our Sins without confeffing them, this is fo evident of itfelf. But then Teeing there are two forts of Confeflion, the one made to God alone, and the other made to Men, it will be requifite to enquire, What is the Duty of thofe who are guilty of Impurity, with relpett to each of thefe ? I. Now forafmuch as none doubts of the Necef- fity of Confefling his Sins to God, I inall not en- large upon this Article, but fhall content myfelf to mention only theie two Obfervations concern- ing it. Firft that this Confeilion is to be made with an unfeigned Sorrow of Heart, and not with the Mouth only. For confidering to whom it is made, that it is to Almighty God, who is the Sear- cher of Hearts, and throughly knows whatfoever paifes there, it highly concerns every one to be- ware of pretending to own his Sins before Him, and to beg his Pardon for them, if the Cafe be not fo, and he is not truly touched with a Senfe of them. Ch. 1. Confeflion. 147 them. Secondly, that this Confeflion is a moil effectual Means of railing more and more in us a hearty Compunction, and utter Abhorrence of our Sin ,• it being impoflible for a Sinner who con- fiders himfelf as in the Prefence of God, and calls to his Remembrance the heinous Immoralities he has lived in, and makes a particular Confeflion of them, who acknowledges in the Prefence of the Moft Holy God his finful Actions, together withthofe impure Thoughts and Motions to which he has fuffer'd himfelf to hearken ; it being impof- fible, I fay, for fuch a Sinner, at fuch a time, net to conceive an Abhorrence of his Impieties, and that a Confeflion fo made, fuch a black Catalogue expofed to the Eyes of the Almighty, fhou'd not fill his guilty Soul with Shame, and Confufion, and Indignation againft himfelf. II. Confeflion made to Man is either publick or private. 1. Publick Confeflion is fuch as is made either before the Church in general, or before thofe who reprefent it, according to the different Cuftoms of Places. Now fuch who have fallen into the Sin of Uncleannefs, mult Confefs their Fault publickly, when it is come to the knowledge of the Church, and they are called upon to tell the Truth. In this Cafe it ought to be believed, that God having permitted the Fault to be publickly known, it is his Will to have Confeflion made of it. And ac- cordingly the Offender is to own it ingenioully, and discharge his Confcience of it, whenever he is fummoned to do it, by thofe to whom God has committed the Government of his Church with a Power of Excluding notorious Tranfgreffors. Nor will any one ftick at fuch an Acknowledgment, who is touched with a fincere Repentance ; but whofoever refufes in thefe Circumflances to confefs his Sins^thereby gives certain Evidence of his Impe- ls 2 nitenca 148 Tl:e Second Duty, Se£l. V. nitence, and fo can hope for no forgivenefs. Befides there is an Obligation to confefs the truth in order to the removal of that Scandal thefe fort of Vices give in the Church, for the Comfort and Edificati- on of good People, who cannot but be afflicted by reafon of thefe Vices, and to fet an Example to others, this Confeffion being a moft likely means of reftraining thofe who find themfelves inclined to Wickednefs. So that a Man cannot refufe this Duty without aggravating the Sin he has commit- ted. Befides that in denying what he is juftly charged with, he thereby charges his Accufer with having publifhed an Untruth, and made a falfe Declaration,- which is equally inconfiftent with Piety, Juftice, and Chanty. Not to add that Perfons by denying their Guilt in this cafe of Un- cleannefs, oftentimes engage themfelves in ano- ther horrible Crime, of refufing to own fuch Chil- dren as they are under an undoubted Obligation to take care of. Yet how great foever their Crime be, who re- fufe to confefs their Sin, nothing is more common with the Impure, and efpecially the Men, than to deny the Truth. They betake themfelves to Ly- ing and fly Pretences, feeking to defend them- felves by all the Tricks they are able to invent. Nor are there wanting fome, who though bound by the moft tremendous Oath to confefs their Fault, deny it upon Oath, and labour to conceal their Wickednefs by Perjury, and the moft folemn Proteftations accompanied with Imprecations a- gainft themfelves. Which is doubtlefs one of the moft heinous Wickedneffes a Man can be guilty of, one of the moft difmal Eitates a Man can caft himfelf into. Befides the flagitioufnefs of the Crime, the Effe&s of k are terrible ; and what is yet more formidable is, that hereby a Door is fhut againft Repentance. It cannot be denied but a Man may Ch. 2. Confeffion. 149 may recover himfelf by confeffing what he had denied, but it is what is hardly ever refolved upon. And the longer the time paries on, the greater Im- preflton thofe falfe Reafons which are offered to conceal his Fault, will make. A folemn Declaration alfo being once made, he holds himfelf engaged in Honour to ftand to it, and to do this puts him- felf upon a neceffity of perfifting in his Impeni- tence. Or perhaps he enters upon Marriage, or has a Family of his own, or is in fome Employ- ment, or finds himfelf in other Circumftances, which withold him from owning afterwards, what he had once endeavoured to conceal. The Cafe of fuch is exceeding dreadful, and all their religious Performances no better than fo ma- ny Acts of Sacrilege. How can they pray to God_, or offer themfelves to the holy Communion ? And what Uneafinefs then, what Frights muft they be in, having fuch a Load upon their Confcience, and efpecially when they are about to leave this World ? Then will thefe miferable Wretches who have covered their Sin by Lying, Perjury, and other Crimes, and have perfevered in fo doing to the lail, be racked with horrible Remorfe. They will then begin to open their Eyes, and to judge of things after another manner than they had done formerly, and will abominate their own blind Madnefs, and wou'd give all the World, were it at their difpofal, that they had made a fincere Ac- knowledgment of their Sin. It is undoubtedly an exceflive degree of Folly and Madnefs, to choofe rather to throw onefelf into fo frightful a State, and fo to be brought within the Bonds and Sna: es of the Devil, than by a free and impartial Confef- lion to let the Confcience at eafe, and enjoy the Happinefs and Satisfaction that would follow here- upon. And all therefore who are concerned in what I am faying, fhould be fure to confider it L 1 well 1 jo The Second Duty, Se&. V. well in time, and mould take care to Confefs their Sin whilft they may ,* left hereafter they be far lefs willing to do it. The chief Obfracle to People's Confeflion of their Faults of this kind, is Shame and the Fear of being pifgraced. But this is a wicked Shame, and a Procedure every way unreafonable. For hrft they are grofsly deceiv'd in thinking that by a Denial of the Truth they fhali efcape the Shame they are fo afraid of. For for the moit part it isob- fervable that they are not the lefs expofed, though they do deny their Guilt, after it has taken Air, and they are required to make a pubiick Confefli- on of it. They are not thought the lefs faulty in this cafe, but on the other hand are had in greater Contempt. But farther it is a Miflake to think Confeffion of Sin to be juft matter of Shame. If the Cafe were rightly Hated, it is rather honoura- ble than fhameful to acknowledge the Evil we have done. The Shame is only in doing wickedly • but it is a laudable Action to Confefs the Wicked- r.efs we have done, fuch an Acknowledgment be- ing feme fort of Reparation for it. Hereby the Sinner wafhes off the Stain which Sin has caufed in the Soul ,• hereby he is reltored to Peace with God, he rejoices both the Angels in Heaven and the Church on Earth, and all Wifemen look upon him with an Eye of Love and Compaflion. But fuppofing a Man were hereby expofed to Shame in this World, and that Men would be fure to pafs their Cenfares upon him, he ought not to be deterred by this. The Fear of another fort of Shame, and another greater Punifhment fhould icz him above the Dread of Men. And yet after all, Are the Confequences of a llncere Acknow- ledgment to be feared even in this World ? Though a Man expofe himfelf to the Contempt of Men, and to be reproached and reviled by them, what %ni- Ch. 2. CohfeJJhn. 1 5 1 fignifies this Contempt ? The Judgment Men make of us, whether in our Favour or to our Dis- advantage, is of very little confide ration. Their Approbation or Biflike of us determines nothing, and is quickly forgotten ; but the Effects of a Lye perfifted in are very dreadful. The Shame which one may fuffer in this World is prefently over, ic vanifhes away, and the Men themfelves dy ; but the Mifchiefs whereto Obftinacy in Wickednefs renders Sinners obnoxous will never have an End ; but they mud be expoied in the Sight of God him- felf, of his Holy Angels, and of Men, to an Ig- nominy infinitely more formidable than all that is Cioft mameful and moft painful here below. Shame will never prevail over that Man who is heartily grieved for the Sins he has committed. A true Penitent accounts of the Shame as a fmall matter ; and he no longer (lands in awe of Men's Judgment, when once he is heartily affecled with the Terrour of God's Judgments. David finned ; but he was not alhamed, though a King, to own his Crime, not only before the Prophet N.::b:n, but in a far more publick Manner, by competing the Fifcy-firft Pialm upon this Subject, to be to the End of the World a lading Teltimony of his Repentance. A Sinner who is really fenfible of his Fault, {lands not to helitate with himfeif, as to his Behaviour when called to Confefs ; nor does Shame any way withold him from it. Being over- whelmed with a much greater Shame, for having defiled himfeif, offended God, and fcandalized the Church ; he does not fo much attend to his own prefent Intereit, or any worldly Conliderations, but that he efteems it his Honour to wafli off his Defilement by fuch an Acknowledgment as may- make ibme Amends for it. And how fenfible fo- ever he be of the Shame that follows upon fuch an Acknowledgment, he 'willingly flibmits to it, as a L 4 good i j 2 The Second Duty, Se&. V. good degree of Mortification. He looks upon it as one fort of Puniihment, and an Occafion of humbling himfelf, and fubduing his vicious Incli- nations, and is very glad of an Opportunity of gi- ving fuch evidence of his Sincerity and Repen- tance. A true Repentance fills the Sinner with Indignation, and a Defire of taking all poffible Revenge upon himfelf, and being convinced that he has deferved yet more Shame than he has met with, he readily fubmits himfelf to whatfoever is moft mortifying to him, and molt ufeful for ta- ming his Flefh and its Paffions. I have treated fomewhat largely of this Article, becaufe of the Neceflity there is of preffing it, and becaufe it is ordinarily by reafon of an unaccount- able Shame that the Impure fufFer themfelves to perifh. And yet it is not to be thought that all who ac- knowledge their Sin make a faving Confeffion. Many confefs their Fault, but not except in cafe of Extremity, and when they can deny it no lon- ger. And this Confeffion they make with fo little of Franknefs, and fuch Referves and Shifts, that it is eafily feen it is all forced, and drawn from them by pure Neceflity. An evident Token of an Evil, a Wicked and Hard Heart ! Every one fees alfo that they live afterwards in fuch a manner, as ihews no true Amendment. Yet it is only a fin- cere and ingenuous Confeffion of Sin that will be -available in order to Forgivenefs. 2. I have hitherto difcourfed of fuch whofe Guilt is known. But it may farther be enquired, Whether thofe whofe Fault is Hill concealed are obliged to Confefs it ; and how they are in this cafe to behave themfelves ? Which is a weighty Quefticn, and concerns a great part of Mankind, only that it is as nice as weighty. Cb. 2. ConfcjJIon. x e* I fay therefore in the firft place,, that Whilft a Fault is not come abroad, the Offender is not only not obliged to confefs it publickly, but that he ought not to confefs it in this manner, that he fcandalize not the Church, by bringing to its Knowledge a Sin it had otherwife heard nothing of. But then I fay this purely upon fuppofition that this Sin has been kept fecret, and he has never been required, nor enter'd into any Obligation to own it in Publick. It is not to be imagined that it was ever allowed to ufe any unlawful courfes for preventing thefe Faults being made known, fuch as Lying, falfe Declarations, the Expofing or A- bandoning Children, or thofe other finful Means Unclean Perfons are wont to make ufe of for pre- ferving their Faults from a publick Difcovery. It were much better that a Fault mould become publick, than to conceal it after this manner, this being a means of aggravating it, of putting the Sinner out of a Capacity of Amendment, and of engaging themfelves in a Neceffity of remaining all his Life in a ftate of Impenitence, which it isimpof- fible to get out of whilft he makes it his Bufinefs to conceal one Wickednefs by the help of another. Well, but fuppofe the Sin not to be known, what is to be done in this Cafe ? I anfwer in ge- neral, the guilty Perfon is to endeavour to eafe himfelf of it by a true Repentance. He mult o- mit nothing that isneceffary to this purpofe ,• muft privately humble himfelf before God, muft amend his Fault, and ufe all means poffible for disburden- ing his Confcience, mult deny himfelf forfome time the participation of the holy Communion, and obferve thofe Duties incumbent upon Offend- ers, which I am about to mention. But ftill it may be queftioned Whether thefe Perfons are to confefs tbeir Sin in Private, I fay i J4 77;e Second Vuty^ Se6L V. I fay a Private Confeffion may be of very great Advantage, and that upon fome Occafions it mult bo made ufe of ,• it may happen that a Man may be indifpenfably obliged to it, if the Sinner is per- plexed with Scruples, or cannot well enform him- felf what courfe he mult take to rife again after his fall, or is in doubt concerning the truth and reality of his Repentance ; it is certain that being inthefe Circumltances, and fo having need cf Atiiitance. and Advice, he cannot do better than to apply him- felf to fome Perfon of known Understanding and Probity. Generally thofe who are guilty of great Sins, will not know what to do without fome help. And it is certain that Multitudes perifh for wane of Courage to lay themfelves open to their Spritu- al Phylician. Unlefs the Sinner throughly under- Hand his own Cafe, and his Confcienee be tender enough to direct him, a Happinefs rarely to be met with amongft the Impure, it is of necefltty that he confult fome other Perfon. He may ad- drefs himleif to whomfoever he fhall think fit up- on fuch an Occafion, and freely open his Mind to Jam. But the Miniffers of the Gofpel being or- dained to watch over Men's Souls, and Almighty and moreover the Law imports that whofoever had Z'rv, efpoufed a Woman after this manner was never of- i2 , 29. ter to pit her away. Whereby it appears j\ that one Method of making Amends for this Sin is by mar- rying the Perfon who has been feduced. And this is efpecially to be done when any Promifes have been made to each other ; fuppofing withal that they are both free, and in a Capacity of Con- trading. If this cannot be, as in many Cafes ic plainly cannot, and there is no Repairing thefe Sins by Marriage, fome other courfe muft be taken for making Reparation of the Damage done to the S' Grot, de Jure belli ac pads. 1. 2. cap. 17. 15. Perfon 158 The TIM Duty. Scdt V. Perfon enticed. The Law of God points out this H Exod. Duty, || enjoining that if the Father of the Darnfel 21 ' 17 ' refuied to give her in Marriage to him who had feduced her, the Perfon (educing ihould pay a Summ of Money. "Whence it follows that one of the ways of Repairing this Crime, when it can- not be done by Marriage, is by giving a Porti- on, or a Summ proportionable to the Condition of the Perfon, other Circumftances alfo corifi- dered. Another Duty, and indeed the moft indifpen- fable of all with refpedfc to this World, is to pro- cure that no harm be done to the Children born of thefe unlawful Mixtures, but moft diligently to provide for their Support and Education. I tSeft r. ^ ave already t treated of this Duty, and have Ch. 1. proved that it would be a horrible Crime to caft them off. And not only fo, but Proviiion muft be made for their Education and for their Main- tenance with fo much the more care, becaufe the Condition of thefe Children is ordinarily ve- ry uncomfortable, and they are born into the World in a ftate of Shame and Mifery. Laftly, There is no manner of doubt but in the Crime of Adultery, Reltitution is to be made to thole who fufFer bv it : as when a Father is put to the charge of maintaining a vJiild that is none of his own, and when a Child that is come into a Family by Adultery, partakes, with the lawful Children and Heirs, of an Eitate that does not at all belong to him. In either of thefe Cafes, the guilty Perfcns are indiipeniably obliged to Reltitution to the Father or the Children. Only this mult be fure to be done privately, Co long as the Crime is not known ,• though if it were known, then the Reltitution mould be publick. Nothing can excufe from this Duty ; without which it is impoflible the Offenders mould have their Ch. 3. Reparation of the EVd. ? 59 their Crime pardoned, fave only when they have it by no means in their Power to make fuch Re- stitution. And yet even in this Cafe, they muft be fincerely and constantly refolved, to make ic as foon as ever they mall be able, and muft en- deavour it heartily, and to the utmoft of their Ability. Nor are they Divines only and Mora- lifts who prefcribe this Duty as indifpenfable ; * the Lawyers alfo declare the Juftice and Necef- fity of it. This Article mould beget a great Abhorrence of Senfuality, and make People tremble at the thoughts of giving themfelves up to it. And would they ferioufiy confider it, certainly they could never fuffer themfelves to be enticed to the filthy Lufts of the Fle/h, nor would thofe who are guilty of it be near fo eafy as they are for the mod part. They would quickly fee that by committing this Sin, they plunge themfelves into abundance of Misfortunes, they entangle them- felves in ltrange Difficulties, and prepare for themfelves terrible Remorfe, and cruel Uneafi- nefs. This Refle&ion Mr. Placette molt judici- oufly makes in his Treatife of Reftitution , at the End of the XHIth Chapter. Having difcourfed of the Reititution whereto Perfons are obliged in cafe of Adultery, he concludes thus, What I have faid jhcws into what Snares , and Troubles, they that commit this great Sin, caft themfelves. Which if Peo- ple 'would at all mind, perhaps they would jljun them more carefully than they do. But they either do not know them, or are not willing to confider them. In a word, Mankind lead their Lives, as if ths Violaters of this * Gror. de Jur. b. ac p. ]. 2. c. 17. 1$. adulter & adulter* tenant ur non t/tntum, indemmm praftare maritum ab alendd prole, fed & legit imit haredibm repehdere, (t quod damnum fatiuntur, ex soncurfu it a Jufcefta frolis ad hareditattvt. Law 60 77; few apprehending what is to be done in order to it ; and fewer yet being willing to be at the Pains of acquiring it. My Defign therefore in the Second Part 'of this Work is to f'peak of Chaftity, and to ihew thefe three things. Firft, what Chaftity is ; Secondly, what are the Motives to it ,- and thirdly, what Means are to be made ufe of in order to our being Chaft. The firft of which Articles will ex- plain the Nature of this Duty ,• the next will in- vite to pradife it ,• and the laft will render the Pra- ctice of it eafy. SECTION C 1 174 Of Cbaflity in General Scft. I. SECTION I. CHAP. L Of Cbaflity in General IHaftity is a prefervation of ouffelves both Souls and Bodies pure and exempt from the Pollution of Uncleannefs. St. Paul defcribes it in thefe terms, 1 Tbef. IV. 3, .4. This is the Witt of God, thut ye jljould ahftain from Fornication • that every one of you (hoitld know how to fojjefs his VeJJel in SariBifi 'ca- tion and Honour. Whereby he firft mews that Cha- ftity confifts in abftaining from Uncleannefs, and preferving the Body pure. For this term of Veffel, •So th or * Inftrument, (ignifies the Body, which is as a Werdfcems VefTel wherein the Soul dwells, or as an Inftru- 10 be ttfed ment by t h e help of which it executes its Defigns. ' p ' 15 ' St. Paul fpeaks of the Body, becaufe Uncleannefs is properly a Sin of the Body and Flefh, as is faid 1 Cor. 6. 18. and Rom. 1. 24. But though the Apoftle fpeaks of the Body, Chaftity concerns the Mind alfo. The truth is, the Apoltle would have us poffefs our Bodies in Purity ,• but we cannot keep our Bodies pure without the help of the Mind. It is the Soul's Bufineis to guard the Body, to go- vern it, and keep it in fubjeftion ,• and it belongs not to the Body to have dominion over the Soul. When a Man follows the Motions of the Body, then the Body guides the Soul and drags it along ; t Rom. 8 n 1S r ^ e Flefh tnat ru l es > and the Soul is become its i 4 . Slave. But when f through the Spirit we mortify the Deeds Ch. i. The Fir ft Branch, &c. 175 Deeds and Paffions of the Body, as St. "Paul fpeaks., then the Body is brought into fubjedion, and the Soul preferves its Authority over it., as inreafon it ought. It is plain therefore that Chaftity refpeds both Body and Mind, and that it confifts in the Pu- rity of both the One and the Other of thefe Parts of ourfelves. As is implied in thefe Words of St. Paul, wherein he gives a Delcription of one who lives in entire Chaftity. \\The unmarried Woman carcth for ,< r the things of the Lord, that foe may be holy both in Body . and in Spirit. 2. But the Apoftle teaches that to keep olir Bo- dies pure, it is not enough to refrain from all un- lawful and immodeit Behaviour, and abftain from Impurity ; but there is fomething more than this requiredj and thefe Words to keep the Body in Holi- nels, or Salification, and Honour, import that we are to ufe them purely., and to employ them to ho- ly Purpofes, worthy of that Chriftianity we make Prcfeflion of, and acceptable in the fight of God. This is the general Notion a Man mould form to himfelf of Chaftity. CHAP. IL Of the Firft Branch of Chaftity^ with refyeB to what is forbidden. BUT to give a more diftind Charader of Chaftity , it contains two general Duties. The former of which refpeds the Government of our Lives as to things forbidden, the other as to things allowed us. To begin with the former of thefe Duties, we mutt oblerve there are four Degrees of Chaftity. The Firft is an Abftinence from the Crime ; the 1 76 Tl?e Ftrft Branch of Charity. Sed. I. Second is a Refraining from other Impure Anions ; the Third is a Refiftance of evil Defires ; and the Fourth is an Exemption from, or Maftery over them. I. The Firft Duty of Chaftity is to renounce the Crimes of Uncleannefs, fuch as Adultery and Fornication ; as is plain from the Words of St. Vaul 1 TheJJ. IV. 3, 4. recited in the foregoing Chapter. Every one eafily perceives that this is the firft de- gree of Chaftity ; this is fo manifeft, it needs on- ly to be hinted. But however there are two Infe- rences proper to be mentioned in this place. Firft, if to abftain from the Crime be the firft Degree of Chaftity, then is it the loweft Step or Degree of it j and this alone that a Man is not plunged into the Crime, is neither the Effect of true Virtue, nor the Subject of any great Praife. Secondly, We muft beware of accounting all thofe chaft who are free from the Crimes of Uncleannefs. It muft be enquired upon what grounds they refrain from them ,* becaufe if it be only for want of Ability, or beeaufe they dare not gratify their brutifh Paflt- on for fear of expofing themfelves to fome world- ly Difadvantage, there is no Chaftity in this, nor will they be reputed innocent before God. Thofe only are chaft, who have abftained from the Crime out of a Principle of Virtue and Piety. And ac- cordingly as this Principle is more or lefs power- ful, fo is Chaftity more or lefs advanced. They who fhun the Crime out of an unfeigned Fear of difpleafing God, but yet with Difficulty and Conflicts, have together with their vicious In- clinations fome mealiire of Chaftity ; but thofe have carried their Virtue to a great height, who have fuch an Abhorrence of the Crime, as to find themfelves under no Temptation to the commiffi- on of it. It was by this tnat Jcfepb deferved the Praife of a confummate Chaftity, when being fo- • licited Ch. 2. With rejpett to what is forbidden. \yy licited to the Crime, expofed to a molt infinuating Temptation, and this in an Age, and in other Cir- cumltances the molt capable that might be of en- ticing one not firmly addicted to Virtue, he refitted this Temptation, he refilled it divers times, and at lalt rejeded it with Deteltation and Horror ,• laying, * How can 1 dothis great Wickednefs, and Jin againfi God? * Gen* ThisVi&ory obtained over the Temptation prelents 39* 9- us with an Inltance of an accomplifhed Chaltity 3 and which includes in it the other Degrees of this Virtue. But all that abltain from the Crime are not arrived at this meafure of Purity ,• they do not all reject the Temptation with this firm, ready, and generous Refolution, which not only caufesa Man to hefitate, but fhews him to be fmitten with Hor- ror at the firlt appearance of the Crime. How- ever they do refrain; and do it becaufe witheld by a Principle of Religion and Confcience. This is the firft Degree of Chaltity. II. But to proceed. This Duty of Chaltity im- plies in it an Abltinence from all impure Actions, whether unchaft in themfelves, or only conducing to what may defile. I have noted in the former part of this Treatife fome Actions that are preju- dicial to Chaltity, and have laid down fome Rules whereby they may be diltinguifhed. And it mall therefore fuffice in this place only to obferve, that it is the part of Chaltity neither to do nor fay- any thing that is immodelt, but to be very pure and very circumfpeci in both Actions and Words, that nothing that is diflblute or too wanton may efcape us. Chaltity governs the Hands and the whole Bo- dy, that none touch themfelves, or others, or fuf- fer themfelves to be touched in too free and inde- cent a manner. Chaltity governs the Eyes, and caufes to withdraw them from fuch Obejcts or Wri- tings as might feduce the Heart, that we never read nor look at what may tend to excite impure N Thoughts, 8 7he Fir ft Branch of Chatty. Se£V. I. Thoughts. This Virtue is alfo a profeft Enemy to Luxury and Immodefty in Cloathing , and teaches a grave and inoffenfive Carriage, and baniihes vain Difcourfe, foolifh Mirth, and ex- ceffive and fcandalous Diveriions. Laftly, this Virtue when once well fettled in the Heart, makes a Man exacl and cautious in all thefe Particulars, and to keep his Body and his Senfes under great Reftraint. III. The Third Degree of Chaftity is a Refi- nance of thofe Thoughts and Motions of the Soul which tend to Impurity. Thefe kind of Thoughts fe- duce Peifons, when they raife fuch Lufts in them as obtain their Beflre , and the fail Confent of their Will, or when they barely entertain them in their Minds, but fo as to take pleafurejn them. Both which are contrary to Chafiity. And the chart Man therefore is one who not only allows not himfelf to be tranfported by irregular Motions, nor only juft forbears the Defire of the Crime, but who does not pollute himfelf with the fimple Thoughts of the Pleafure, and with foolifh and impure Imagina- tions, but rejects and repels thefe Thoughts. Then a Man has attained to this Virtue, when he has learned to be Mailer of his own Heart, and to keep his Thoughts and Defires in fubjeclion. "When the Object* that prefent themfelves, or the Difcourfe we hear, or the Imagination or Memo- ry raife up fenfual Thoughts or Ideas, achaft Per- fon will not allow them to enter the Heart, or fo much as to come near it. This is one of the great and principal Duties of Chaftity, to refift thofe Motions of the Soul which tend to Luft, iio as that if a Man unhappily feel fuch Motions in himfelf, he ftudies to reprefs them, and at leaft to prevent their becoming Voluntary. IV. Laftly, There is a Fourth Degree of Cha- ftity, which is the higheft of all, and that is to be entirely., Cb. 2. With refpcB to what is forbidden. 179 entirely., or at leaft very near exempt from thefe Thoughts and Defires I have been fpeaking of. It has been obferved upon this Oceafion, that there Is a difference between Continence and Chafti- ty. The former of thefe Venues is faid to Con- flit in containing ouifelves, and refraining when we find ouifelves folicited to Evil ,• rhat it is a Refilling the Icnlual Motions that arife in the Soul, and keeping the Paflions in order, which fuppofes a Perfon to be tempted, and that he is not chaft without fome ftruggle and conflict. But as to the other it is laid that a Man has attained to true Chaltity, when he is free from evil, Defires, and the Rebellion of his Paflions, without being expofed to any conflict with them. It was S. Je- rom's Saying, * that He who is Continent is in the way of Vertue, but is not jet arrived at the top of it, in as much as the Defires of the FlejJ) faring up in the Soul of him that contains him f elf , and pollute his Soul, though they do not prevail over, and draw him into, the Crime. But this Article has need of fome farther Illuftration. For it is queftioned whether there is a po/fibi- lity of being exempt from impure Thoughts and Defires, and whether any have attained to that pafs as to take no Pleafure in Thoughts that tend to Impurity, fo as to have no Senfe of any vici- ous Motion in their Soul with refped to this Sin„ For my own part I doubt not but this State may be attained to, and that there are Perfons to whom Almighty God has vouchfafed this Favour ; and efpecially amonglt thofe who from their Youthj, * Hieron. in Gal. cap.V, Continentia in via quidem virtutis eft, fed nee dum pervenit ad calcem ; quia cupiditares adhuc in ejus qui fe continet cogifatione nafcuntur, & mentis poJluunc principale, licet non luperenr, nee ad opus pertrahant cogi- tanterii. N 2 toge- 80 the Fir ft Branch of Chaftity. Se&. I. together with a happy Conftitution, and good Education, have had a folid Piety and a large ftiare of Modefty and abhorrence of this Vice, and have always kept themfelves at a diftance from it. The greater Progrefs any one makes in Cha- ftity, and the more rarely wanton Thoughts di- fturb him, the more they lofe of their force ,• and there is no reafon why it may not be believed that there are fome who have them not ,• and that what is a Temptation to others, is to thefe no more than as a Spark that lights in the Water, or an Arrow mot againft a Rock. I will add fomething here concerning Sleep. A chad Perfon is fo when he is afleep. Men are ordinarily fuch in the Night, and in their Dreams, as they are in the Day-time. I fpeak not of what is involuntary and purely natural. The Confti- tution of the Body , and the Imagination may produce unufual and ftrange Effe&s in Sleep and Dreams ,• but Chaftity is not impaired by this, provided there be nothing of the Will in it, and that a Perfon do not give occafion for it, but all the time he is awake endeavours a great Purity. Moreover impure Dreams and Fancies, and diforderly Motions, are a fign that the Flefh is not yet brought into fubjeo The Fir ft Motive to Cbaftity, Sed. H. that the motions of the Spirit are no lefs contrary to thofe of the Flefh. The Flejh Jkys the Apoftle, lufieth a- gainfi the Spirit , and the Sprit againft the Flejlo, and thefe are contrary one to the other, Gal. $". 17. Which being the true ftate of the Cafe, one of them mull neceifa- rily yield to the other.Where the Flefh prevails thofe Chriftian Virtues which are the Fruits of the Spi- rit., fuch as Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentlenefs, Goodnefs, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance, v. 22, 23. are made to give way. And where the Spirit governs thofe Sins which are the fruits of the Flefh fuch as Adultery, Fornication, Uncleannefs , Lafcivioufnefs, Idolatry, Strifes, and the reft of the Sins the Apoftle reckons up, z Tlx Ftrft Motive to Chaftity, Se&. II. Religious, andtoufe our Endeavours for obtaining another fort of Happinefs than what our carnal Paffions can furnilhus withj during the fhort Stage of this Life. II. What I next take notice of in this Virtue is its Beauty. St. Paul teaches this when he fays, that by this ive keep our VejJ'el in Sanciification and Ho- nour, i. Thef. iv. 4. By which Words he repre- fents Chaftity as fair, honourable, comely, and which makes an effential part of the Holinefs to which we are called; whilft Impurity is in the mean time infamous and the Turpitude of it ap- parent by the very Light of Reafon. But Chafti- ty is moft worthy of a Man, and does honour to and perfe&s his Nature, and difengages him from the Slavery of the Body and of Senfe. A fondnefs for Pleafures is unbecoming one who has a fpiritual and immortal Soul. Senfuality is a dull Paflion, and debafes the Soul, ftupifies and renders it a Slave to the Body, and the more a Alan is given to this Paffion, the nearer he ap- proaches to a Beaft ; as on the other hand, the greater Stranger he is to it, the more does he ad- vance his Nature, and the more Care he takes of his Soul. But now if Chaftity be worthy of a Man, much more lovely and more honourable is it in a Chriftian, who is devoted to God, and cal- led to Holinefs and Glory, and whofe principal Character mould be to have fpiritual Inclinations, f to feek the things that are above , and not thofi which are upon the Earth, and in fhort, to be a || fpi- ritual and not a carnal Man. Upon this account it is that Chaftity has been called an Angelick Vir- tue, becaufe by it we refemble the Angels, and the ftate to which the blelTed (hall be advanced in the World to come ; when, as our Saviour Chrift Lu fays, * they (hall be like thofe pure and glorious <,*$ Spirits the Inhabitants of Heaven. III. In Ch. i. The Nature of 'the Virtue. 1$?J III. In the laft place I mentioned the Eafi- nefs that is to be met with in the Practice of Chaftity. Virtue always brings its own Reward with it, by reafon of the Compofure of Mind and the Peace of Confcience with which it is ac- companied. This is the certain Effect of it, that by purifying the Soul it renders it alfo quiet and eafy. St. Peter has declared of flejhly Lufis that they * war againjb the Soul. And it is obvious to obferve * St. { that Impurity raifes in it Fear, Trouble, and Re- 2. 1*. morfe ; but Chaftity fills it with a fettled Tranquil- lity and Peace. By denying himfelf the Entertain- ments which the Flefh is won£ to promife, a Man procures to himfelf infinite Joys ,• and by how much the ftronger the Aifaults of his Paffion are^ fo much the more Pleafure does he find in Refitt- ing them. An inward Satisfaction follows clofe upon a Victory over Temptations, a Man being always well pleafed to come off Conqueror ,• but it muft be confeffed that he tafts moft of this Peace and Satisfaction in refilling thofe Temptations which invite by Pleafure. The more the Sacri- fice cofts, the more acceptable it is concluded to be with God. If herein a Man offer Violence to* himfelf, he finds himfelf abundantly recompenced^ and enjoys a Satisfaction which infinitely furpaffes whatever could be had in following a fhameful In- clination. And here again I refer my felf to the Experience every one may have had, and I beg of thofe who Inall read this to declare, whether when they have got the Maftery over a Temptati- on, have turned away their Eyes from an alluring Object, and refufed in any refpect to gratify theif Senfes, they have not prefently perceived an in- ward Peace and fecret Satisfaction filling them with Confolation and Joy. With what fort of Comfort is the Soul then filled when it has redu- ced the Body to that condition, that its Tempta- tfotii i p 4 Tfc ftcowd Motive to Chaflity y Se&. II . tions have loft their force, and there is no more fear of the Revolt of Senfe, and the Affaults of this dangerous Paflion ! Then it enjoys a moft de- lightful Calm, is delivered from a thoufand Dan- gers, and freely performs the Fun&ions of the fpi- ritual Life. And moreover in this ftate of Peace and Purity., the God of Purity and of Peace com- municates himfelf, in a moft intimate and moft comfortable manner. CHAP. If. The Second Motive \ The Divine Will. THE Second Motive to this Virtue is the Will and Command of Almighty God. There is no room for doubting whether God would have all be chaft. We have already feen that he has declared his Mind moft fully in his holy Word, and that there is no particular Sin oftener forbidden in the New Teftament than Uncleannefs. I (hall mention in this place only thofe Words of St. Paul, I Thef. iv. 3, 4. This ts the Will of God, even your SanHif cation, that ye fiould obfiain from For- nication, that every one of you jhould know how to pojjefi his Vcjjtl in SanBification and Honour. As he had al- io faid before, v. 2. Ye know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord J e fits. Which Words taken together intimate Chaftity to be one of the princi- pal Commands of the Gofpel, and an indifpenfa- ble Duty which God requires to be obferved by all. Whereto may be added alfo the Promifes made to thofe who are chaft, the Punifbments denounced againft the Impure, and the feveral Judgments which have been executed upcn them from Ch. 2. Tloe Divine Will. i 9 ^ from time to time. A fufficient Proof of its being the Will of God that we live in Chaftity. And of what force ought th ; s fingle Motive to be, That it is the Will of God ? We are undoubt- edly all nearly concerned to fubmit to whatfoever he enjoins. He has a fovereign Authority over us, and we cannot without great Offence and Inju- ftice refufe to obey him. How prevalent foever our own Inclination be towards any thing, when- ever it appears that God has forbidden it, a Fear of difpleafing him muff over-rule all other Confi- derations ,• and we muif be fure to obey him even in the molt difficult cafes ; it being unqueftionable that he has a Right to demand of us trie Sacrifice of whatfoever we love belt, and even of our own Lives. How much more mould we offer up to the Refped: and Love due to Him, thofe fhame- ful Pailions which are not only difpleafing to his Divine Majefty, but do ourfelves an infinite Mif- chief. That we may the better apprehend how power- ful an Argument this is, let it be confidered, that it is not only out of Duty and Reverence to Al- mighty God , we ffand obliged to pay an en- tire Submiflion to his moft holy Will, but it is what our own Intereft alfb claims of us. ThisWill of God is Goody f as St. Paid fpeaks, it is for our t Rom. Profit and Advantage, and enjoy ns us nothing i*' *• but what is for our own Benefit. Can any one imagine that God would command fuch things as feem grievous to us, that he would forbid what we are apt to take delight in, and would impofe fuch Duties as offer Violence to the Flefh, with- out juft reafon for it, and meerly that he may mew his Authority in tormenting us ? This would be an abominable Mifreprefentation of a God who is all Love and Goodnefs. And in truth he does it only becaufe our Welfare requires that w© O z b« i 86 Tf?e Third Motive to Chafllty, St&. II. be ufed in this manner. He ads only as a tender and wife Father, who witholds from his Children fuch things as would be hurtful to them, and who never crciTes them, but when it may conduce to make them wife and virtuous. We cannot fatisfy our Paflions, and take up with Creature-Enjoy- ments, without great Wrong and Ruine to our- felves. This were the way to involve ourfelves in manifold Evils here in this Life, to fet Almighty God at enmity with us, to leave us no hope of any greater Happinefs than what the things of this World afford, and fo wholly tofenfuaiize our Souls as toput them out of a capacity of feeking after the everlafting Treafures of the other Life. And we have therefore abundant caufe to adore the infinite goodnefs of our gracious God, who has condefcend- ed to direct us how we may effectually prevent our own Deftrultion. Wherefore we mould readily and chearfully fubmk ourfelves to this Will of our Lord, fo juft in itfelf, and fo highly for our Advantage, ftould faience all the Murmurings of the Fiefh, and sake delight in fulfilling thofe holy Laws whofe great deiign is to conduct us to God, to imprint his Image upon us, and render us like him, and to prepare us by this means for the Enjoyment of the moil confummate Felicity. CHAP. III. . The Third Motive, The Trejence of God. HsPHe Prefence of God is likewife a great Mo- _!_ tive to Chaftity ; which as it is of fingular ef^ ficacy for withdrawing frormall fort of Wickednefs, fo hasit a particular Influence whereby to render us pure. And it is certain People would not give them-' Ch. 3. The Trcfencc of God. 197 themfelves, as they do, to Senfuality, if they would ferioully remind themfelves, that they are continually in the fight of the Moil High. This is a Sin of which Mankind are ufually a- Ihamed, and this Shame has fuch Power with them, that there are few who can bring themfelves to fuch a degree of Brutifhnels, as to conquer it, and lay it wholly afide. The Unclean ftudy to hide themfelves from the Prefence of Men. And even the Sufpicion or Fear of being fecn will put a (top to their Intrigues, and cool their hotteit Pafiion. There are many in the World who if they were convinced that all the Wickednefs their impure Paflions had put them upon were known., ancj that the fhameful ExcefTes of their Thoughts and Defires were any way difcovered, would wifli to buy it off, if it were poffible, with all they are worth ; nor would they know how to live in So- ciety, nor would have the Confidence to appear, abroad^ buc would be covered with Confufion, and would choofe rather to betake themfelves to fome foreign Country, where their Extrava- gances were never heard oL How then does it come to pafs that the Fear of God does not deter Men from this Sin ? How dare they commit it in the fight of a molt holy and molt juit God_, who f u net far from every one of us 3 t Aft. iy» but beholds every thing we do, or think , and 2 "* to whom Uncleannefs is infinitely more odi- ous than it is to Men ? Or how can they be eafy when they are confeious to themfelves of having abandoned themfelves to infamous Actions or De- fires ? Muft not every one acknowledge it a moft outrageous Provocation of Almighty God, to have lefs regard for his Divine Pretence, than for that of a Mai^ or even of a Child ? They are afhamed and referved before Men ; and is it not intolerable that when Men are not in the way, and they are Q 5 only 77?e Third Motive to Cbaftity, Se&.II. only in the Prefence of the Almighty, this Shame fhould immediately vanim ? To this purpofe fpeaks the Son of Syracb, Ecclus. xxiii. 18, 19. A Man that brcaketh Wedlock, the Luftful and Adulterer, faith thus in his hearty Who feetb me ? I am ccmpajjed about •with Darknefs, the Walls cover me } and Nobody feeth pie ; what need I to fear ? Such an one only feareth the Eyes of Men, and knowtih not that the Eyes of the Lord are ten thoufand times brighter than the Sun, be- holding all the ways of Men 3 and confidering the moft fecret parts. It is of mighty ufe therefore tc get this Thought well impreffed upon our Minds, That God is every- . vvhere, and takes notice of whatever we do. And Oh that we would often revolve it in our Minds, and would endeavour that it may in feme fort be al- ways prefent with us I Let us remember we are con- tinually in the Prefence of God, and moreover that it is a moft Holy and moft Juft God in whofe Pre- fence we are ,* that being Holinefs irfeif, he can bear no Impurity, and bei.,g perfectly Juft and the Judge of the World, we have all the reafon that can be to be afraid, whenfoever we offend his pure and holy Eyes by any Pollution. It was his own exprefs Command to the Jews, Deut. xxiii. 14. The Lord thy God tvalketh in the midfl of thy Camp , therefore (Jjall thy Camp be holy, that he Jce no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. And if God exacted even an outward Purity in the Ifraelites Camp, upon this Confideration, That he was in the midjl of them ,• can it be conceived that he will fuffer the Filth of Vice in Christians, in the midft of whom he dwells in a more particular manner, than ever he did among the Jews ? We fhould be fure therefore to render this Meditation familiar to us ; and efpecialiy when we are attacked by a Temptation, mould recoiled that God's Eye is up- pn us 1 that h§ is near us, and obfeives and fees what Ch. 3. The Pre fence of God. 199 what we are doing at this very inftant, and whe- ther we have the Courage to refill the attraction of a bruti/h Luft for his fake ; or whether we prefer an infamous Paflion before the Reverence we owe to Him. This Reflexion well attended to would conftrain us to cry out with Jofefh, How can I do this great Wickednefs, a?id Jin againjt God ? This Motive will not only be of ufe for with- drawing from the Crime, but will oblige us to keep our Deiires and the Amotions of our Heart in good order. For if God be prelent to our Thoughts, if he be within us, and fearches and examines us, and * all things are naked and open to his * Hsb. ^ Eyes ; it necefTarily follows that whenever we give **• up our Hearts to Senfuality, God is witnefs of all the Vanity, Lafcivioufnefs, and Immodefty that is in our Thoughts and Imagination. And how unagreeable an Objed to the Eyes of God muft a Heart be, where Luft reigns, and the Flames of a thoufand corrupt Defires are perpetually blowing up ? Did the impure Perfon weigh well with him- felf, that from the time this abominable Paflion began firft to take pofleflion of him, God has be- held all that he has done or thought, and that he ftill is, and always will be with him, he would find it a very difficult matter not to be affrighted. And if Perfons would often make thefe Reflexions., they would affuredly become much purer an4 charter than they are. O 4 CHAP, too The Fourth Motive to Cbaflity, Seel. II. C H A P. IV. The Fourth Motive , The Life and Sufferings of our 'Blejfed SaViour. T has been hitherto made fufficiemly apparent that the Doctrine of our Lord Chrift J«fus calls for Chaftuy, and that the Confideration hereof is a very powerful Engagemenrto apply ourfelves to this Virtue. But it is not by his Docirine alone that the Son of God was willing to dii'pofe us to Chaftity, but farther alio by his Life and by his Sufferings. He came into the World to raife Mankind to a fupernatural State of Happinefs, and to wean them from the Earth. To this end he lived here below in an entire Freedom from the things of the World ,• and this was one reafon of his Sufferings and his profound Humiliation. I. To begin with our Saviour's Life, I need not fay that it was completely pure, and that none could diicover any the lean: or lighter! Defilement in it. He ate, he drank, he was fubjeci to our in- nocent Infirmities, he made ufe of indifferent things, but yet he lived in a total unacquainted- r^fs with carnal Pleafures ,• hereby teaching plain- ly that all who profefs themfelves his Difciples and Followers are to be extremely moderate in this re- fpecl:. We muft propofe our Lord to ourfelves as a Patern for our Imitation, to tread in his Steps being the great Duty of a Chriftian ; and muft endeavour to refemble him as far as poflibly we imi- tate him as far as we are capable, and to this end to abftain from whatfoever he has forbidden us. Moreover I muft note here, that the Difference which is betwixt our Lord Chriit and us, is fo far from Authorizing any to let loofe the Reins to their Paflions, that on the contrary it is even this Difference that obliges us all to be upon our guard. Our Lord being exempt from all Corruption had no need of being forewarned to arm himfelf a- gair.ft Temptations, whereas we are in great dan- ger 1 Ping ourfelves to be led afide by them, and by confequence this fame Thought that we are liable to the Paflions of the Flefh, mould in a peculiar manner make us the more vigilant and circumfped, and mould wean us the more effe- ctually from all Seniuality. II. The Sufferings of our Saviour teach us the fame Leffon. The Crofs of our Lord which makes up all the knowledg of a Chriftian, and ought to be the continual Objed: of our Meditation, is a moft powerful Motive to Chaftity. This Crofs was the loweft degree of our Saviours Humiliati- on, and that which compleated his renunciation of the World. He not only taft ed no carnal Plea- lure, but he came to fuffer whatever is moft do- lorous ,• and for this caufe he ended his Life upon the Crofs. And why wou'd he do this, if not in the firft place to make Expiation for the Sins of Mankind, and next to teach them by his own Ex- ample, what he had before delivered and enjoined as 202 7 be Fourth Motive to Cbaftity, Sed. If. * St. Mat. as the Sum of his Do&rine ,• that * they mnft deny * ' 2 *' themfelves and take up their Crofs? This is the weigh- ty Do&rine which Chrift crucified preffesupon all that profefs to believe in him. The Crofs of our Redeemer crucifies the Flcjl), mortifies the Lufts, and caufes the Chrift ian to be crucified and dead to the World $ as St. Taul teaches in his Epiftle to the Gahtians. And after this will it become us tofearch after the Pleafures and Delights of the World ? Whofoever well underftands the great Myftery of the Crofs of Chrift, cannot but know that he ought to bear his own, and to lead a mortified Life, and that with- out this he can never attain to eternal Glory. Our Lord Jefius went thither by the way of Suffe- rings ,• and let not us think to accompany him there by that of Delights. A Man cannot have the heart to give himfelf up to Pleafures, when he reprefents to himfelf Chrirr. in the midft of his Suf- f Rom. 6". ferings. A Chriftian f that has been crucified and bu- 4> ried with J'jus Chrift in his Death by Baptifm, walk- eth thenceforward in newnefis ofi Life, he knows that the old man is crucified vjith him, that the Body of Sin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we Jhould not ferve Sin. He is very far from plunging himfelf in grofs and fenfual Pleafures, and gi- ving up his Soul to the fooliih and corrupt De- lights of the Flefhly-minded. His Body is brought into Subjection, his Soul is united to his Saviour, | Gal. 2. and he can fay with St. Paul, || I am crucified with I?" Chrift, neverthelejs I live ; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in mt : and the Life which I now live in the Flejh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himfelf for me. And thus it appears how the Life and Sufferings of our Lord Jefus Chrift are a Mo- tive to Chaftity. CHAP. Ch. 5, The Fifth Motive, Sec. 20$ CHAP. V. The Fifth Motive, The Glorious State we are in. c HRISTIANS have another Motive to Chaftity, arifing from the Glory of their own Condition, and the happy State to which God has advanced them. They are Men formed after the Image of God, and refemble him in the excel- lency ot their Nature, and the Difference that is between them and Beafts. So that their own Qua- lifications as Men engage them to govern them- felves by the Principles of Reafon and Virtue. But the Character of Chriftians may well put them upon labouring to bear this Image in a perfecler manner. They are called f to be holy as God is holy,** 1 S. Pet, and * pure as He is pure, and by confequence to ab- £■ J ^ T flain from all Pollution. St. Paul teaches this molt ' ' munifeftly, EpheJ. iv. 2o„ &c. He makes the Image of God to confilt chiefly in being free from Im- purity. For having given an account of the A- bominations of the Pagans , fee how he applyes himfelf to his Christian Readers. Te have not fo learned Chrift ; If Jo be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jefus : Tloat ye put off concerning the former converfation the 'Old-man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufis , and that ye put on the New-man. And again he delivers al- moft the very fame Dodtrine, Col. iii. 9, 10. In both which places the Apoftle oppofes the Image of God to the Impurities of the Heathens, evi- dently fuppofing that this Image is defaced in a Chriftian who is not pure. Thus t©4 Tlx W& Motive to Cbaftity, Seft. II. Thus it appears that the Character we bear as Chriflians in a particular manner obliges us to live in Chaility ,• this being the great Motive the Apo- ftles infilled upon for banifning all the Pollutions of the Flefh from amongft the Difciple6 of our JfEph. 4. Lord j || that tfyey foculd not "walk as other Gentiles 17, 1 8, 10. fHJ } W J J0 living the Under (tan ding darkened, had given themfelves over to La(civioufnefs 3 to work all Unclean- * 1 Theft, ne/s ' * JJjouU not live in the Luft of Concupifcence, as 4 5- the Gentiles which know not. God • but f the lime past of their Life fhould faffice to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, when they walked in Lajcivioufncfs, and ail forts of Lufts, Debauchery, and Excefs. Whence we fee that as Impurity was next to Idolatry, the moft prevailing and moil abominable Sin of the Heathens, fo on the other hand Chaility is one of the chief and principal Virtues of a Chri- ftian. y And it will highly become us therefore to be ferioufly and frequently refie&ing upon it. God has granted us to be born in his Church, he has honoured us with a holy Calling, fuch as aims at preferving us from the Defilements of the "World. * t Cor. t Our Bodies and our Seals are his, fays St. Paul expref- 6. u. ly, ro dilfuade from Impurity, and to inftrucT: us that it would be a horrible Prophanation and Sa- crilege to abandon ourfelves to our inameful Pafli- ons of the Flefh. We are invited by our Religion ." Rom. f0 •*• P re fi?i our Bodies and Spirits a living Sacrifice to 12. i. & God, and glorify him with both theje farts of us. But 1 Cox. 6. to ff er t0 Q 0i \ a Body and Soul polluted and in- fecled, would be to tender him an Abomination, much as if the Jews fhould have taken upon them to ficrifice a Dog or a Swine. The Scripture compares fuch as are enflaved to their carnal Lulls, to the naitiefl and filthieft of Beads. For if after they have efaped the Pollutions of the World, (ays St. P&- nr-, 2 Ep. ii. 20, 21^ 22, through the Knowledge of cur Lord so Ch. 5. Our own Glorious State. 205 Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift, they are again entangled and overcome, the latter end is worj'e with them then the berinninv. For it had been better for them never to have known the way of Right eoufnejs, then after they have known it, to turn from the holy Commandment ddr liver ed to themi But it is happened to than according to the true Proverb, The Dog is turned to his ovm vomit again j and the Sow that was v»a\hcd to her wallowing in the Mire. Which Companion lets us fee that the Senfualitts difhonour their Chriftianity, and caft themfelves down from the moft glorious Con- dition Mankind is capable of attaining to, into a moft contemptible State. Many other excellent Obfervations might be made from the feveral Methods the Sacred Writers take for defcribing the glorious State of Chriftians. For inftance we are told, that \\they have Commit- \\ i Sc. Ja» mon with God and with his Sen Jefus Chrift, and 1 ^** that they are in Jefus Chrift, and Jefus Chrift is in them. Can a itri&er or more honourable Union be ima- gined, than this ? Or can any thing be conceived that requires greater Purity ? So lays St. John f Iff &*. we walk in the Light we have Fellcwjhip with God, end with his Son Jefus Chrift, but he who walks in Darknefs lyes if he fays that he is within this Communi- on. But now who walks more in Darknefs than the Impure, who indulge themfelves in thofe very Sins, which the Scripture calls * the Works of Dark-* Ren?. nefs ? St. Paul tells us like wife that Chriftians have »j. «*- the Honour and Glory of being Members of Je- fus Chrift, and the Temples of the Holy Ghoft ; which we have already feen are infinitely glorious Names, as importing a moft intimate Communion with our Lord ,• but that without Chaftity thefe Relations cannot be preferv'd ; but Impurity will break the Links whereby we are fattened to our Saviour ; ic defiles and difhonours our Body ; it drive* to6 The Fifth Motive to Chaftity, Se&. IL drives away the Spirit of God ; and by this Sin we lofe all the Privileges of our Chriftianity. Thofe Auguft Titles, and fo many others which the Scriptures afcribe to us, as of Saints, the E\q& 3 the Children of God, the Redeemed of the Lord, New Men, &c. will by no means allow us to wal- low in beaftly Pleafures, and bring ourfelves into bondage to infamous Paflions ; but mould on the contrary infpire us with Defires and Aims, worthy of the Grace which God has bellowed upon us, and the Glory whereof he would have us Partakers. This St. Paul affirms in the fixth and feventh Chap- ters of his fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians. He ipeaks there of the glorious State whereto we are called, and the Advantages of the divine Cove- nant. He (ays we are the Temple of the living God; that God dwells in the mldft of us, that he will be our God and cur Father, and will own us for his People and Children ,• and then concludes, that we ought to (cparate ourfelves from among the Wicked, and not to touch any unclean thing, but to cleanfe ourfelves from all Pollution both of Body avd Spirit. Thefe are without doubt very charming and powerful En- gagements to Chaftity, and to look well to our- felves, and reverence the Characters of our divine Vocation, which are imprinted upon our Bodies, and upon our Souls. Thefe are not only Motives in point of Decen- cy, but of Juftice, and which lay upon us an in- difpenfable Obligation to live chaftly. Becaufe God in raifing us to fo honourable a Condition, furniflies us with moil effedual Means of guarding ourfelves againft impure Paffions. He makes ule of his Gofpel ,• he fets before our Eyes the itrong- eft Arguments j he fortifies us by his Spirit ; he t i S. Pet. f gives us according to his Divine Power, all things that l - 3- pertain to the Life of the Soul, and to Godlinefs. And let it be particularly remembred that the Ufe of the. Ch. 5. Our own Glorious State. 207 the Sacraments tends to keep us off from Impurity, and that a Man cannot reflect upon thefe Sacred Ordinances, which it has pleafed cur Lord to efta- blifh in his Church, but he will immediately perceive what an Obligation they lay upon us to be pure. TheUfe of them mould fan&ify our Bodies, inas- much as thefe fame Bodies, our Hands our Mouths arethe Veffels which receive thefe holy Signs ; and who will fay thefe Veffels ought not to be kept pure ? The Sacraments are of the number of holy things, which are not at all for Dogs and Swine. By Baptifm we have been confecrated to our Lord, God has fet his Seal upon us, and we have made a folemn Vow before him, to renounce the World, and the Flefh with its Defires. And in Communi- cating in the holy Eucharift, we repeat this Vow, and engage ourfelves anew to refrain from Sin. So that Chriftians who live not chaftly, defpife the Glory of their own Eftate, tread under foot their fmgular Advantages, violate their Engage- ments, and leave themfelves entirely inexcufa- ble. I (hall beg leave farther to add one Reflection upon the difference of the Times we live in from thofe of former Ages. Men have been known to be chaft when they had not fuch Advantages for it as we enjoy. St. Chrjfofiom * prelfes this Confi- deration ; when fpeaking of the Chaftity of Jo- fefb, and that of Job, he proclaims it admirable, confideiing the Time in which they lived. He re- marks that they lived before our Saviour's Incar- nation, and had never heard the Voice of St. Tad faying, Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members ofjefut Cbrifi? neverthelefs they believed that fuch as make a Profeflion of ferving God ought to have the Command over their own Defires, and to pre- * Serm. da Conrm. ferve 2o8 Tlie Sixth Motive to Cbaftity, Se l *• thefe Thoughts duly imprinted upon his Mind, that weighs with Mmfelf how foon it may fail out that he ihall be no longer in this World, and, for ought he knows to the contrary, Death may feize him in the midft of his Pleafures, will find it ne- cclTary to abate of his Earneftnefs in Peeking them, and will be far lefs influenced by their Allure- ments. But withal, it is farther to be remembred, That the Death of a Senfualiit mult needs be very rnilerable ; and the Separation whereby he is ihatched from his Pleafures, cannot but be ex- ceeding fid. For the more any one has lov'd his Pleafures, the greater Grief will it be to him to part with them ; and the more he has fought after the Delights and Diverfions of this Life, the more bitter will Death be to him. None as ever more afraid of Dying, or betrays more A J of 2 1 o The Sixth Motive to Chaftity, Sett. 1 1. of Cowardife and Pufillanimity at the approach o^ his Latter End, than the Effeminate and Volup- tuous. And the Condition of one who is in fear of Deaths and dreads the thoughts of being taken hence, is fo difccnfolate, that no wife Man would venture to end his Days in this manner. Efpecialiy feeing, on the other hand, it is fuch a Happinefs, to be able to leave the World without Regret, and to look Death undauntedly in the face, that one would think every one fhould earneftly labour after fo defirable an End ,• to which yet nothing conduces more, than to ac- cuftcm one's felf, in time, to refrain from what he delires, and to fonifie his Soul and his Spirit, by a contempt of SenfualPleafures. To improve this Argument a little farther, it will be requisite briefly toconfider the State where- to Men are reduced by Death, whether in relation to the Body, or to the Soul. The Body is laid in the Earth, a lifelefs, fenfelefs Carcafs, incapable of any fort of Pleafure^ and never to tafte of it more. The Soul, indeed, does not perifh with the Body, but fubfifts after Death, lives, and re- tains its power of Thought and Reflection. Thus much the Heathens ccnfefs'd, and every one may eafily perceive, that will but attend to it ,• but Revelation puts it beyond all doubt. Now, in what Condition muft a Soul be, which knows no other Pleafures but thofe of benfe, and which, during its continuance irl the Body, was hecome wholly Senfual : In what Condition mult fuch a Soul be, when it rinds itfelf trrmfported into a New World, where it can difcover nothing of what it is ib much in love with ? It is no i'ooner parted from the Body, but it* immediately begins to bewail its own unhappi- nefs, that it is loft, and undone, and is for ever fenarated from God, and its foveraign Good. What Ch. 7. The SeVentb Motive, &c. ill What is paft, ferves only to raife in it an afflicting Regret and Remorfe',- and Futurity gives it no Expectation of any thing but what is highly Tor- menting. It has no hope now of any manner of Comfort ; can no longer enjoy any of thoie Plea- fures it had formerly been acquainted with, and is fadly unqualify 'd to tafle of thofe which alone could render it happy in the State whereinto it is now tranflated. Thus wretched and miferable is the poor Soul, deprived of all Comfort, and over- whelmed with Sorrow, upon a melancholick Profpedfc of its approaching Judgment. This is the woful Condition of the Sinner. But, oh, the unfpeakable Happinefs of a pure Soul ! Whajc Confoiation does it enjoy in the other Life ! How does it rejoyce, to think that it had taken care, in time, to difengage it felf of all fenfual Pleafures, and accultomed itfelf to feek after that Felicity which is only to be fodnd in God ! Such a Soul can readily leave its Body, whenever it is called for, and will be lure to find itfelf much nearer to its God than ever it had been before, and will be all filled with Joy, and a fweet and delightful Ex- pectation of a Refurreclion, and EternalGlory. C H A P. ViL The Seventh Motive, The ^funetlion. WE have now feen, that a Confideration of Death, and the Deftru&ion of the Body, pleads hard with us to keep our felves pure. Buc it is a much more powerful Confideration, to think that this Body muft be at length reftored by a Reiurredion, Our Bodies do. not wholly P z perim, 2 1 2 Tl?e Seventh Motive to Chaftity^ Se&. II. perim, and for ever ; but God will reanimate and emiven them. Jetfus-phrty will come to refcue thele Parts of us, for which he has fhed his own Blood, from the Power of the Grave ; and to raife up thefe Temples, which he had eonfecrated . to Himfelf; but which had been deftroyed by Death, iiut then it is to be noted, that if our Bodies muit rife, it will not be that they may ferve to the farrie Ufes they had formerly, but to very Cor. 15. different purpoles. * They jh a 11 be raijed, not to be tbtnjtvfual, or natural bodies, but to be fprltual Bc- t Phil. 3. dies j f made like to our Bl.jjed Sa^vhtirs Glorious *«• Body ; and they {hall inhabit the other World, where will be nothing carnal, fenfua'i or earthly. ^his is a very glorious Hope, but which at the fame time tends naturally to our Sanctincation. This Glory whereto our Bodies are appointed, gives ds to underftand, thar they were not made only for this Inert, tranlitory Life, but that our Gracious God has defien'dthem for a more Perfect and Eternal State. Wherefore we muft by no means perfwade ourfelves, that they are to ferve only for Plealures, and that the Gratification ©f our fenfual Defires is the End they were made for. There is a far more noble and more excel- lent Ule to be made of them ,• in order whereto, we mutt lock upon ourfelves as concerned to have fuch a Regard lor them, that we may, as much as in us lies, even before Death feizes us, approach to that bleiiedoiaie whereat we hepe one day to arrive. Our Regeneration fliould beget in us a Change like that which our Refuijredfcion will effed, that is to fay, it mould render us Spiritual j\4en, ihould take away, as much, as may be, what is dull, earthy, and imperfect in us, and let us free from the Slavery of Eufls. Our Bodies are at prcfent Members of the Lordjefe Cbrift, and the Tem- ples of the Hd) Qhojl ; and this obliges us- to treat then? Ch. 7. The l^'fnrreciion. 2 1 3 them with Refped, and to preferve them in Pu- rity. Which we (hall find ourfelves the more Srongly obligefd to do, if we conlider that thefe Bodies are to be the Members and Temples of our Lord, in a far more perfect :ind glorioiis manner, at the Day of the Rcfurrection. Hovv uni'potted then ought the Purity of that Body to be, which is ordained to Immortality and Glory, above in Heaven ? It is upon this Confideration, that St. Pout fliffuades Chrittians from Impurity, 1 Or. vi. 13, 14. The Bod,- ( lays the Apoft.e ) is not for Torn ; he Lord ; and as God hasfhifed up , us ( -/'/?, he will alfo raife us Up by his own Power. In the ;d Chapter of his Epiftle to the m 3 vet. 20, 2i. he declares, That the true QhiijHansj who cxH'fl the Lord Jejus Chrif from Hcvv., to tobie tnd change their vile Body, that it his glorious Bod/' demean them- felves at Cfriz,ens of Heaven, and have cfuite different thoughts from thofe of carnal ALn, who have their Belly fcr their Gad, and who mind earthly things* He again urges the fame Confideration, Rom. viii. f, &c. a flu ring us, That if we live the Life of Chrifl, and i rife our Lujls, our Bodies y which a, . ). xh bee iufe of Sin, flr.ll he r.iijed by the powtr of the fame Spirit of Chrif, by which we had ov&cohte our flejhy D 'fires in this IVorld * and th.it they who jly.il have thus mortified the Works of the Body, an It > ir PaJJions, Jh.ll live thenceforward a glorious and tmmprtdl Life : but they that had lived after the Flifhj (hall have Mifery and Eternal Death for their portion,. Whence the Apoftle draws thij Con- sequence ; That we are under an indifpenfable Obli- qn not to live after the Flejh, and not to empioy^the Members of our Body to XJncleannefs and to Sin, but to confecr.ac them to Holinefs and Right eon fiefs. P 1 How % \ 4 7he Seventh Motive to Cbaflky, Se£t. II. How dreadful then will be the Refurre&ion of thofe, who inftead of ordering their Gonverfation aright, according to the Laws and the Spirit of Ghrift,fball havechofen to plunge themfelves inUn- cleannels ? They fhall indeed arife, but,as the Pro- phet Daniel fpeaks, Dan. xii. 2. to Shame and ever- lafting Contempt. This Shame will be the Inheri- tance of thofe who fhall have made their Bodies. Veffels to Di (honour, Inftruments of a brutilh Sen- fuality, and Receptacles of Filth and Impurity. The Voluptuous are Slaves to their Bodies, and do all for their fakes, and think to procure them the greateft Good, and moft delightful Satisfaction, But iji reality, they difhonour and deihoy them,, they expofe them to Eternal Mifery and Re- proach, and, in fhort, prepare them for Hell. And fo they become Murderers of their Bodies, afwell as their Souls. Whereas thofe who, in obedience to the Precepts of our Lord Jrfks Chrlfi, keep the Body pure, treating it with feme rigour, and bringing its Appetites into fubje&icn ; thefe are the true Lovers of their Bodies ,• thefe pro- mote their real Welfare, and do them all the Honour that is in their power : This being the only way of attaining to the Refurre&ion of the Juft, and feenring an Intereft in thofe Joys and Pleafures, which Jhall be referved in the Life to pome, for fuch as fhall not have fuffered them- felves to be enflaved by the Lufts and Vanities of This. CHAP. Ch. 8. The Ehhb Motive, &c. ' 215 CHAP. VHf. The Eighth Motive, The Laft Judghient: A Fter the Refurreftion, all Mankind (hall ap- j\. pear before the Tribunal cf God to be judg- ed for what they had done in theBodyj to give an account of their paft Converfation, and to receive according to the tenor of it, whether we'll or ill. At whichume the Impure (hall meet with a moft fevere Judgment. There js no queftion to be made, but all Men whatfoevcr, the very Heathens not excepted., mult be judged. St. Vdul fays of thefe, RomAi. 12,1;, 14. that they ffrafl be judged by the Law of Nature. The fame Apoftle likewife teaches us f that Impuri- 1 Rom] 1. ty is one of thole bins they will be to account for. 2 *> &c * St. Peter declares alio, i St. Pet. iii. ^4, f. that the Qentiles who walked in LafcwioufhefS) and all excefs of Riot, fliallghve an account to him who will come to judge the ghtick and the "Dead. And if the Heathens who had not any other than the dim Light of Nature to guide them ihall be thus judged, what a heavy Doom muft thofe Chriitians cxpedt, who mall have violated both the Laws of Nature, and thofe of the Goipeltoo, mall have defpifeel io much Light, fo many Arguments, fuch peculiar Alliitances, as fhall have been vouchfafed them in order to Purity, and lhall have abandoned themleives to lultful and diforderly Paflions ? Thefe, we know, are in a particular manner threamed with the Judgment of God. So fays the Apoitle to the Hebrews, ch. xiii. 4- Whoremongers and Adulterers, God will judge. No- thing can bt: more expreis than this. At another time St. faul atiirmSj that We jhall all appear before P 4 tfo z\ 6 The Ehhih Motive to Ckdfiky, Se&. II. the jadgm&it-feat of Cbrifi, that every one may receive in the Body acccrding to ivhat he had done, whether %r,od or bad, 2 Cor. v. 10; In which Words there is fome- tbirvg that deferves to be more especially attended to by the Impure, namely that mention is there made of the Body. For whether rhefe Words fig- nily chat Men fnall be punifhed or rev. ard.d in jheir own lxdy ,• or as (cms understand them, th.it God will render to Men according as they f] ail have done in the Hod), that is to lay, whillt they dwelt in the Body , during this Life., e- yery one mult needs fee that one way or et the ; will contribute very much to pur HappineTs or Milery • and that therefore the ufe we fl have made of the Body will then prove of yaft Importance, Whereby we may fee what fuch are to expect, as ibaii have committed that Sin whiph is in a peculiar Senle ftiled the Sin of the Body, and who (hail at the Lafl: Bay appear before God with Bodies and Souls that had been polluted by Incontinence. But what v. e rend in the fl-cond Epiftle of St. Te- ter 3 ch. ii 4, See. ought above all to be conndered with great attention. This Ape-llie denounces the judgment of God to thole falfe Teachers wh« le chi^r Character was Licentiouinefs and Impurity ; and proves the cert; i ty o| this Judgment b) the Punilhment of the wicked Angels*, by that of the Inhabitants of the old Work!, and by the Deftru- clicn of tiiole abc mumble Cities of Sodom and Go- pmrah j anc concludes from all thefe Examples, that Sim. ei I certainly the Impure, ihall be punifhed at the (all Lay. If God /pared not the Singels whkh he [fared not the old World, but brought a : of the Ungodly, if he fondttnned Sodom a?, rah, with an Overthrow, reducing them to d.Jhe$ p and making. them an Example to tbofesbat jhiuld after live ungodly, and delivered jujl Lot vexed Ch. 8. 7k Loft Judgment. 217 'vexed with the filthy Con-verfat'ton of the Wicked ; the Lord knoweth how to refer-ve the Unjuft unto the D vj of ^judgment to be puniflud ; hut chiefly them that walk ^f- ttr the Fhjh in the Lujl of UncUc^m-Js. Thefe Words arc directly levelled againft Impurity. Thefe Threatnings, though relating to all the Workers of Iniquity, have yet a particular refped: to the Un- clean, and fuch as follow the Lulls of the Fk/h ; and are fupported by terrible Inftances of the Wrath of Heaven upon fuch as give themteSves over to the filthy Lulls of the Fiefn. For we have fhewn that it was chiefly this Sin which gave occafion for thefe dreadful Judgment? of Gcd ; as is more fenfibly evident in the DefirucHon of Sodom and Qomorrah. St. Jude alledges the fame Example, and to the fame purpofe with St. Peter. Sodom and Gomorrah end the Cities about thtm giving them- JeJves ever to Fornication , and going after Jlr.nge Fh\h y are Jet forth for an Ex \mple 3 (ujjiring the Vengeance of eternal Fire, Ep. St. Jude 7. And this he fays to prove that the Lord will not fuffer tho(e to go unp,<- /, who defile the Flefl), and turn the Grace of God into Lafciyioufnefs. Thefe Considerations are of fingular force ,• thefe Examples, and particularly that of So dtm, /houid make the impure to tremble, and ftrike them with a Diead of their approach- ing Judgment. There is one thing more to be obferved in rela- tion to this Sin, which is that it is very often com- mitted in fecret ; but yet if God be obliged as Judge of the World to punifh other- Sins, he is mere efpecially engaged to punifh hidden Sin§. The Crimes or IJncleannefs are, as St. Paul fpeaks, •\Waks of Durknefs, and things committed in fecrt$ } tEpheCj. but they fhall however be brought to light, at thac i*> ij« Great Day which will make all manifeft. Thefe fecret bins arid unknown to Men, wiil be the more certainly and more feverely puniihedj becauie th who 2 1 8 The Eighth Motive to Chaftity, Seft. If. who commit them, though in truth highly culpa- ble, yet pais for innocent, and are not put to dif- grace by them ; whilft others who have not had Cunning enough to conceal their Crimes, or did not think fit to do it, but chofe rather penitently to confefs them, have fuffe; ed Reproach and Pu- nifhments in this Life. But it is more efpecially to be obferved of Impurity, that many of thcfe who conceal their Guilt, die without Repentance, and for this reafon, becaufe they have betaken themfeives to Lying, and other wicked Courfes, as I have (hewn, whereby they lay themfeives under a fort of Neceffity of perfevering in their Sin, and dying without either Confeflion or Reparation. Whence it comes to pafs, that generally fpeaking, fuch as have finned in tecret, are in a far more dangerous State, than thole whofe Faults are moft taken notice of, becaufe thefe are in a better dif- pofition to difcharge their Confcience, and rife again after their Fall. They that judge them- feives in this World ihall not be judged in the other. • From what has been laid it follows that the Un- clean mall not efcape the Judgment of God ; and therefore the ProfpecT: and Apprehenfion of this Judgment mould make us all chaft. Oh how dread- ful muft the Approaching and the awful Appea- rance of the Great Day, which fhall determine the eternal Fate of all Mankind, be tothofe who ihall have lived in a State of Pollution ! Ic is eafy to guefs what Diftrefs and Anguiih will then feize them, with what Confufion they will be covered ; and what on the contrary will be the Confidence and Joy of all that Jhall have lived in this preftnt World in Chrfiity and Temperance '> waiting for the blef- ftd Hcpe } and the glorioite Appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jefns Chrift* C H A P, Ch. p. The Ninth Motive, Sec. 219 CHAP. IX. The Ninth Motive, Hell-Torments. FROM the Confideration of the Lad molt Dreadful Judgment, it is natural to pais on to what will follow it. And accordinglywe are taught that after Mankind have been judged, jj feme Jlu.ll go away into Life eternal, and the refi Into j] St. Ms;. Everli'fi'mg Vmifkmettt. We have like wife already 20. 46. feen that thefe Punifhmems of the Life to come belong to the Impure. Our Lord fpeaking of Chaitity, fays it is better to mortify ou:fe ves, and deny ourfelves thofe things which are molt agree- able to the Fleth, *tbm to be caft into Htll+Firej* St. Mar. where the Worm dies not, and the Fire is r.ot quenched. 9 43 > 44- St. John declares, f that the Impure, Fomicttrs, c.nd^ Rev - Abominable, jhall haze their Portion in the Lake that " burns ivith Fire aud Brimjhne, which is the fecond Death. Well then may we beiieve that the Punifh- mems of the other Worid will be exceedingly fe- vere, when the Hoiy Spirit fets before us fo terri- ble a Draught of them, when he (peaks of Fire, and Brimltone, and Hell, and the Worm that ne- ver dies, and the Fire that is never to be extin- guifhed. We may judge alfo of the Severity ot the Punilhments reilrved for the Impure, by the weight of thofe temporal Judgments that God has upon certain occafions inflicted upon the Luftfuiand Licentious, but above all the Example of Sodom is molt remarkable; fo tha: we cannot call to mind this lewd People coi fumed by Fire from Heaven, without obferving wiiat an Abhorrence the i 20 The Ninth Motive to Cbaflity, Sed. II. the Almighty has of Impurity, and how infup- portabie the Pumihmcn: of this Sin will be. No doubt it will be pleaded that God did not Co terribly deftroy this People for the Sins of Forni- car-ion and Adultery, but for thole other more in- tolerable Abominations and Impiejties that reigned amon^ then*. And i grant it- burthenitistohere- membredthat not only this People fell inco thefe dreadful ExcefTes by means of the other Sins of the Flefh, and Co it was Incontinence tuat brought this j ofe Dif- folutenefs was fo intolerable ,• of thefe wicked Cities, whofe Memory will be always execrable, and which perilned in fo dreadful a manner ; of thefe People whofe Crimes were fo deteitable ,• ic feeihs as if thefe were the moil heinous Sinners the World ever bare. But let us not deceive our- lelves ,• the Condition of firifnl and vicious Chri- iiians will be far more deplorable in the other "World, than that of this People. The Impure will be ihut out of Heaven. Saint Trul profeffes, i Ca. vi. io. That they pall not rit the Kingdom of God. And we fhall fee in the next Chapter, that they cannot poffihiy be admitted into it ; and that Impurity is an invin- cible Barr in their way to Eternal Salvation. What Defpair will feize them, for having preferred tranhent and filthy Pleafures, to an Eternity of Happinefs which they might have attained to, but from whieh they are now irrecoverably excluded, and all meerly through their own fault ? They fhall have their portion with the Devil and his- Angels, and mall roar and languifh under the fame Punifliment with him, beemfe they had choferi to be like this Unclean Spirit, and to do his Will. But amongft the other Puifhments they mall have executed upon them, the bhame wherewith *hey mail be covered delerves to be pecuiiany at- tended 211 The Ninth Motive to Cbaftky, Se&. If, tended to. They will find themfelves expofed, by reafon of thefe dreadful Sins, to eternal Reproach before both God and Man. It is moft certain, *Ecclef. that in this Great Day, when * God will bring every 12. 14. work to J u figment , together with every fecrtt thing, 1 1 Cor. whether it he good or evil ,• "j* and will bring to light the 4- 5- hidden things i>f D/.rknefs, and will make manifeft the || Rom. counsels of the Hearty |j and in the day when God jhall a. 16. judge the fecrets of Aden by J ejus Chrifi ; the Grime and the Shame of thefe Tranfgreifors fhall be made publick. It has moreover been thought, that in the other Life, the Mifery and the Num- ber of the Reprobate will be known to the Angels and to Men ; who, as they fhall obferve the faith- ful Wormippers of our Lord, fo will they thofe that fhall have forfaken him. Moreover, according as the Juflice and Goodnefs of God will be ado- rable in the manner of his manifefting and crown- ing the Innocence of the Righteous ,• fo will they be proportionally in thePunimment of fecret Sins, filch as the Sins of the Flem for the moft fart are. As an Inflance of this, let us call to mind, that there are divers Perfons whofe luftful manner of Life is. not at ail taken notice of, nor can they be charged with any known Immorality, and fo they pafs under a very different Character from what they jultly deferve ; thefe might be expe&ed to be found amongfts the Saints in Glory, but will not be found there, becaufe of that Impurity wherein they had indulged themfelves in fecret, and which had prevented their admifiion into Heaven. The Damned in Hell will be greatly iurp.ized, to behold fuch amongft themfelves as had been accounted Good Men, whofe Virtue the Wicked themfelves reverenced, and whofe Probity, perhaps whole Holinefs and Piety, was had in reputacion. Wow if any enquire how thefe Ch. 9. Hdl Torments. 225 thefe came to be punifhed in the company of the Profane^ Blafphemers, Murderers, &c he will find thefe Men of whom he had fo high an opi- nion, to have been given to Lai'civiouihefs. He will find his Neighbour whcm he took to befo eminently Religious, had privately addi&ed hirji- felf to brutifh Paflions, and was reaily a wretched Inftance of Impurity, and fo much the more culpable in the fight of God, becaufe he had im- posed upon Men, by adding Hypocrifie to his love of Vice, and under an appearance of Vertue had covered a wanton Heart, and gratified his own infamous and fenfual Defires. Thus will Mifery and Shame be the Reward of thole who liiffer themfelves to be enflaved to this Paflion. I fhall not go on to enlarge upon their doleful Condition, but fhall rather obferve of what lin- gular Influence a Fear of Hell is, for obliging to Chaftity. And here the Goodnefs of God is ad^ mirable, in offering fuch powerful Motives for reclaiming from Sin ; inafmuch as the more in- tolerable thefeTorments are, the more ought they to affright us, and to make us Wife and Conti- nent. So rare a Prefervative are they from Car- nal Paflions, fo effedtual a Barr to the Allurements of Luft, and fo proper a Means cf defeating the Charms of Temptations. Let us then compare the falfe Delights they offer, with the intolerable Tortures that attend them ,• let us compare thefe fhameful and unprofitable Gratifications which are but for a moment, with the eternal Vengeance of the Life to come, let us conlider, that the Plea- fure pailes away, but the Pain will never be over, and then fee to what purpofe all thefe Pieafures ferve^ for which Men have had fo great a fond- nefs, and to which they have facrificed ail they had, and even their own Conlcienc^s with it ; or whether they will adminiiter any manner of Con~ iblation. 224 The Ninth Motive to Cbaftity, Se<5fc If] folation. This may in a good meafure be judged of, by what befalls us in this World. Every one fees, that one only Sicknefs, one fingle Pain, if in any meafure of extremity, takes away our relifh of the Pieafures of this Life 3 and even caufes an /Vverfion to them. What opinion then will Perfons have of chefe Pleafures, what regard for them, when rhey fhall be tormented in Hell ? efpecially when they {hail reflet, that they were theft lame unhappy Pleafures, that by their de- ceitful Enticements and poifoned Baits, drew them into that deplorable itate of Perdition. Wherefore', let all thofe who without any Fear of God^ or Reverence for their Baptifmal Cove- nant, pollute themfeiv.es with the filthy Sins of Lafcivioufnefs, weigh this well with themfelves : Let them bethink themfelves what is like to be- come of them, and whither their infamous Paflion will carry them. They inall one day pay excef- fively dear for the brutifh Dalliances with which they had pleafed themfelves, unlefs they take care to amend their Lives in time, and make due Re- paration for their Sins. Thofe that burn with the impure flames of Lufl, mall one day burn likewife in thofe of Hell. Let none of us deceive them- felves • this Sin leads directly to the dark Abyfs. God v/dl judge Whonr/iongirs and Adulterers. The Scripture fays not this in vain ,• and fince it fpeaks fo pofitively and fo afrertingly of thefe Torments, they mr.ft ncceffarily be both Terrible and Inevitable. I befeech thofe efpecially who are in danger of being drawn into this fo pernicious a- Paflion, and efpecially the Younger Sort, to weigh this Argument well with themfelves j that they may be afraid of following fo detfru&ive an In- clination, and may prevent that dreadful Veu- F . geance which will be the Portion of all who f # * " * who 7V(ilk in the viays of thtir own HwrtS) and the Ch. 10. The Tenth Motive, &c. 215 fight of their own eyes, and who remember not their Creator in the days of their Youth. Chaftity is an excellent Security againft ail thefe Evils ; and he that whillt Young takes care to acquire and pre- ferve it, faves himfeif a great deal of Remorfe, and lays a good foundation for a iolid Happinefs throughout the whole courfe of this Life, and for all Eternity. CHAP. X. The Tenth Motive, The Happinefs of the Life to come. TH E Laft Motive to Chaftity, is taken from the Happy State wherein the Bleffed (hall live in the World to come, the unconceivable Felicity whereto they will be advanced in Heaven. I fhall not ftand to defcribe the Greatnefs of this Felicity, either with refped to its Nature, or to its Duration. I fuppofe it to be the happieft State a Creature can be raifed to ,• and that all we can conceive moft defirable in this World, is nothing, in comparifon of the Heavenly Treafures, thole moft ineltimable Advantages, and thofe unipeak- able Satisfactions, whereof the glorified Saints mall be pofTeffed in the other Life. This being luppofed, I lay, the Expectation of this Felicity, is a very confiderable Engagement to Chaftity. * He that has this Hope iu him, purifies * i StjoiV himfeif. f Hiving therefore thefe Vromifes, let us 3- 3* cleanfe ourf elves from all fit hint fs of Flejh and Spirit, t 2 Cor, St. Peter, 1 Ep. i. 3. attributes fuch Efficacy to 7 '• thefe great and precious Promises, that he fays they 2re able to raiie us above ourfelves, and to wah u$ Q 2i6 The Tenth Motive to Chaflity, Sc<5t. II. Partakers cf the Divine Nature, by efcafing the Cor- ruption which is in the World through Lull. And in- dcec^ what ought not Perfons to attempt, that they may obtain an Intereft in the Glory and Felicity of the other Life ? Or, what can one that underftands the Excellency of that Bleffed State, ever fet in competition with it ? All the Pleafures, all the Charms of Senfe, vanifh, upon the appearance of thefe ineftimable Promifes. Men are touched with Pleafure -, and to the Carnally-minded it feems a very hard LefTon, and an unreafonable Task, to require that they deny themfelves the Pleafures of Senfe. Yet thele Pleafures are neverthelefs of no great value ,• they are fhameful, they are often-times hurtful, but always are imperfect, vain and tranfitory. And were they more folid, and more lafting than they are, it were the height of Folly to prefer them before the lupreme Happinefs of a Future Life : And indeed, not to have a very mean efteem of them, and be ready to part with them whensoever they interfere with our hopes of That. It has been formerly obferv'd, and is flill to be feen every day, That People are not afraid to deprive thcmfelves of thele fort of Pleafures, and to lead a painful and uneafy Life. St. Paul affirms, That thofe who were to ftrive for the Majhry in the Olympick Games, were temperate in all things, i Cor. ix. 25-. WhatVLito writes upon this Subjed:, is proper alfo to be mention'd in this Place *. This Philofopher, fpeaking cf the Laws which were to be enacted againil Impurity and De- bauchery, fays, Though this Abitinence from Pleafures feems very difficult, yet it is notimpof- fible to be effc&ed : And for the Proof of his AlTertion, he infiances in certain Wreftlers, who, ' Piat. de Legib, 1, 8. to Ch. io. The Happinefs of HeaVcn. 217 to perform their Exercifes the more Manfully, abftained from thefe fort of Pleafures throughout their whole Lives. If the Heathens had thefe Sen- timents, and could attain to fuch Continency, what ought not Chriftians to do, in order to the Heavenly Glory ? If thefe WrefiUrs did Jo much to gain a corruptible Crown, wn jhould be ready to do much p* ore for an mcermftible x as St. Paul argues. It is true, if a Man could be received into Hea- ven, whatsoever Courle he takes here, whether he renounce his Lulls, or ftudy to attend and ferve them, there would then be no fuch ab- iblute neceffity of Chaftity. But if we would know for whom thefe infinite Rewards are re- ferved, and who they are that fhall be thought worthy to partake of the Glories of the other State, the Scripture plainly teaches them not to be fuch as are given to Lafcivioufhefs ; for it ex- cludes thefe out of Heaven. St. Paul profeiTes * 1 Cor. more than once, That * thefe fhall not inherit the 6 - IO - Kingdom of God. And St. John fays, f There fiall in no ^* l £ l9 > 1 "wife enter into the hea-venly Jeriijalem, any thing that , n defleth, or ivorketh abomination. 21. 27. But to come a little nearer to the Point : Why does God exclude the Impure out of Heaven ? Shall we fay barely, becaufe it pleafes Him to do it,- and that He thinks it not tit to admit them, though there is nothing to hinder it, if He would ? This Anfwer is by no means fatisfa<5tory. The Notion we have of God, as a Being infinitely Good, perfedly Wife, and iiiperlatively Juft, di- rects to think otherwife, and to argue with our- felves, That if God has eftablifhed certain Laws, and enforced them by certain Punilhments., it was becaufe the Happineis of Mankind made in neceilkry fuch Laws lhould be impoled upon them, and becaufe Punifhments are the natural Confe- ^uents of the Violation of his Commands. V^e ft * QW 228 7k Tenth Motive to Chaftky, Sedt. II. can never be happy any other way, but by the Obfervance of thefe Laws ,• and by the Breach of them, we make ourfelves neceffarily miferable. By doing what God enjoins, we fit ourfelves, as becomes Reasonable Creatures, for the Poffeflion of the Sovereign Good, which is God, and bring ourfelves nearer to him ,• but by Difobedience to his Divine Laws, we turn away from God and our fupreme Felicity. Let us therefore meditate and weigh well with ourfelves what the Scripture conftantly teaches ,• namely, That * Gcd "will render to every one accord- ing to his doings : That f we jhall receive in the other Life, according to the Good or 111 we pall have done here : That |] each one pall reap in the other World, that which he pall have done in this ; And that t without Holinefs, none pall fee the Lord. All which PafTages perhaps will naturally put us in mind, that our future Eternal State depends upon our Behaviour at prefent ,• and there is fuch a natural and neceflary Relation betwixt what we are now, and what we (hall be hereafter, that without getting ourfelves into a good Difpofition in this Life, we never fhall, never can be, happy in the other. And that fince Chaftky is a Difpofition that God exacts of us, our Hope and Expectation of that Bleffed State, muft be a moil powerful Motive to the Pra&ice of this Virtue. To the end we may enjoy the Heavenly Felicity, 'we muft receive and itedfaftly believe the Pro- mifes which are made to us by Jefm Chrifi ,• and muft fearch after it, defire it, and put a high value upon it. Becaufe, Man being endued with Reafon ? no Good, how great foever, can make •him happy, unlefs he feek it, and believe he fhall find his Account in it. And whofoever therefore, inftead of letting his Affections upon thofe Hea- venly Treafures which the Gofpel lets before him, places Ch. 10. Tlie Happinefs of Heaven. 229 places them rather upon the Earth, and its vain Delights, hereby incapacitates himfelf for afpiring after the Blifs and Glory of the other World 3 - and 16 much the more, becaufe the Heavenly State, and the Pleafures of the Flefh, are of a quite diffe- rent Nature. It is upon this Confideration our Blef- fed Saviour declares, That * our Heart will necejjarily be where ourTreafure is, and that f we cannot jew e two * Mat. 6. Mafiers. As his Apoftle St. John alfo affirms, That si- ll if any man love the World , the Love of the Father is t Ver. 24. net in him. As a Drunkard or Profligate Perfon 1 S.Joh. is unable to tafte the Satisfaction a "Wife Man finds z - J 5- in the Search and Knowledge of the Truth ,• Co he that minds nothing but his Senfual Delights,, as knowing no other Pleafures, can never reli/h thofe Entertainments which are not only of a different, but quite oppofite Nature, fuch as are Spiritual and Heavenly Pleafures. If the Felicity we aim at were to be a Corporal Felicity, the FTabits and Difpofitions which "are contra&ed by a Licentious courfe of Life^ would be no impediment to the Poffeflion of it ,• and fo a Love of Senfual Pleafures would be in fome fort pardonable. But Chriftians are not to believe like thofe Infidels who place their Carnal Pleafures amongft the Bleffings of Paradife. We have Hopes of another nature, and expeft a Divine and Spiritual Paradife ,• and are well affured, that after the Refurrection., the Pleafures of Senfe (hall be at an end. Our Lord himfelf has told us, That £ then People jl)all neither Marry, nor he given in Mar- t S. Luke riage, but fliall be as the Angels of God. And we have 20. 55. all therefore abundant reafon to prepare ourfelves for this State^ to afpire after it, and to get as near it as we can. A Hope to be with God, to fee Him as He is, to be with Jefus Chrift, and with the Holy Angels, to be employed in Exer- cifes wholly Spiritual and Heavenly, and in the Q ; Con- 37* Tenth Motive to Chtfl'dy, Se&. II. Contemplation of the marvellous "Works of the Lord, fuch a Hope can never be well fixed in a Heart, where Corruption and a Love of Senfuality reign. This Hope calls for pure and virgin Hearts, chaft and innocent Souls ; and to this purpofe may be applied what is faid in a different fenfe, Rev. XIV. 4. Thefe who are not dfl'ed with Women, but are Virgins, jlhill follow the Limb where- foever he goeth, thefe were redeemed from among Men, to be the Firft-frnits to God and to the L:mb : Thefe (hall dwell in the Temple of God, and be Kings and Friefts to all Eternity. Thefe are the chief Motives to Chaftity ; which, were they taken either from uncertain Con- jectures, or Confederations of little Importance, it were more excufable not to be prevailed upon by them. But this is not the Cafe : For nothing can poftibly be propofed that is more certain, or of greater confequence. There is nothing in the World more certain than thefe great Truths ; That we mall one day die • That yet we mall not die like the Beafts, but have a Soul which dies not witfe the Body ,• That there is to be another Life afier this, when our Bodies fhall be raifed from Death, and we mall all be brought to Judg- ment : and laftly, That after this Judgment, we fhall live eternally either in Mifery or Glory. Thefe are indifputable Truths, and they are like- wife of the higher! moment and concern to us. All other Confiderations are of very little weight, and next to nothing, in refpeel: of Thefe. Wherefore, feeing there is no acting like Ra- tional Creatures, without giving way to the itiongeft Motives, thofe who are .not prevailed upon by thefe which I have mention'd, though fo preffing, and of fuch weighty importance, mould be fure they have other Reafons and Mo- tives of greater force to overbalance them. But what Ch. io. The Happinejs of Heaven. 23 what can thefe be ? Or, how comes it about that Senfualifts are fo wedded to their Impurity, in fpite of all that is urged to reclaim them from it ? They can pretend but one reafon for it, and that is, brutifh Pleafure, fiich a grofs and fenfbal In- clination as themielves are afhamed of. But is this a Temptation fit to be compared with thofc weighty and important Confiderations, which are drawn from the Will of Almighty God, his Pre- fence with us, the Life and Death of our Blefled Lord, the Honour of the Chriftian Name, our own Death, and all that is to follow after it ? Are all thefe Arguments to be looked upon as of no force, and to be defpifed, and thrown afide ? Is it the part of a Man, to (hut his Eyes again ft all Means of Conviction, to hearken to nothing that can be faid, but, for the Satisfaction of his Lufts, to ran headlong upon certain and irretrievable Ruin ? This is an Excefs of Blindnefs that were hardly to be conceived, and whereof Mankind were not capable, if they would but ferioufly attend to the Motives they have to Chaftity. It is molt certain, People do not give themfelves to Impurity, for any other caufl j , than that ciiefe Motives are not well impreffed upon their Minds ,• the proper Means of Chaftity being to think of them ferioufly and often. Q 4 SECTION 2j z That there are Means of being Chaft. Se&. III. SECTION III. Of the Means to be nfed in order to CHASTITY. CHAP. I. That there are Means of being Chajl y and that this Vertue is attainable by their Htlp. AFTER having in the preceding Section pro- pofed the principal Motives to Chaftity, I am in this to treat of the Means to be made life of in order to it. And here I take it to be incumbent upon me, in the firft place to prove, that it is not at all impof- iible to be Chaft. I muft not fay that all thefe Doctrines of Purity are laudable and juft, but with- al that it is difficult to reduce them to Pra&ice, and Means muft be found out for enabling Perfons to obfeive them, this being above their Capacity, and a Task fitter for Angels than Men. This is the Libertines Plea whereby they feek to excufe their Difobedience to the Laws of the Goipel ; but nothing can be faid more idly, or more falily, or more injurioufly to God and the Chriftian Re- ligion. This one Confideration, That God enjoins Cha- ftity, is an invincible Proof that People may at- tain to it. It is by no means to be imagined that God Sed. III. That there are Means of being Chafl. 235 God is unjuft, or will ftriftly and under pain of eternal Damnation command the Obfervation of fuch Duties as he knows to be utterly above our Power. No, he is too Good, too great a Lover of Equity to impofe fuch Impoffibilities upon his Servants. There are Means of performing what he enjoyns, fure Means of doing it, and the ufe of which is not very difficult. And as it is He who has ordered thefe Means, fo has he engaged himfelf to fecond them with his Bleffing, whenfo- ever we heartily fet ourfelves to obey Him. It is ftrange that any who call themfelves Chri- ftians fhould make a queftion of this. "We have fctn that the very Heathens have believed Chafti- tytobe a practicable Virtue! The Precepts of their Wifemen, and the Examples of Continence that occur in Ancient Hiftories fuppofe it. And /hall Chriftians have fo mean an Opinion of their Lord's Do&rine, and the Efficacy of his Grace, as to think that People cannot however live in Purity ? Yet it muft be granted that this Duty is not a- like eafy to all forts of Perfons ,• and fome rind conliderable Trouble in it. But fo is it in all the other Duties of Morality. There are fome who, whether from their natural Temper and Conftitu- tion, or from the bad Plabits they have contracted, are violently preffed onto certain Paffions, and muft be at pains with themfelves before they can refrain from them. For inftance there .are thofe whom an eager Temper and fulnefs of Heat, toge- ther with an ill Habit too long indulg'd, have ren- der'd fo prone to Anger, that they muft be very diligent and watchful, and always upon their guard, or they will not be able to avoid it. Ne- vertheiefs it will ill become thefe to pretend this for their Excufe ; for fo there is no Sinner but would be able to vindicate himfelf. Let him but be 2 j 4 That then are Means of being Chaft. Se6l. III. be throughly engaged before-hand in any Habit of Vice., or fubjecl: to any Paffion to fuch or fuch a Degree, and then he may take his Liberty, and it will not only be to no purpofe, but will be un- fair to go about to oblige him to a Reformation, and to threaten or puniih him if he refufe it. I yield that divers are ftrongly preffed to Im- purity. But in the firft place it cannot be con- cluded from hence, that there are no Means of preferving themfelves from this Paffion. If they brought themfelves into this Eftate by their own Faulty and for want of ufing the Means that were afforded them in order to Chaftity, this is no Evi- dence that thefe Means are not fufficient for their purpofe. The Cafe is' the fame here, as if a Man had fallen into a mortal tit of Sicknefs, by not ufing certain Prefervatives or Remedies,- which does not fhew that he had no Means of Prevent- ing this Sicknefs, but only that he did not make a right Ufe of them. I fay, in the next place, That God has ordained a proper Means and Remedy for fuch, whereby to avoid the Exceffes of the Flein, which is Marriage, as St. Paul teaches, i Cor. vii. But I add farther in relation to thofe who are al- ready entangled in this dangerous Paffion , and whole Return to Chaftity appears very difficult, that they may yet recover themfelves, and many have a&ually done it. It is true they will find it trou- blefom at firft ; but then they fhould remember that it is but reafonable for them to crofs their own Inclinations, and bear with fome Inconvenience, to preferve themfelves from Deftru&ion. And again, all this Trouble will grow lefs in time, and by the Ufe of thefe Means they will every day become eafier, as I hope to fhew very plainly. I lay this down then as a Principle, that there are Means of being Chaft ,• and that whofoever fhall make the Trial, will quickly find the Benefit of Ch, 2. Helps in order to Chajtity. 235 of them. As for thofe that will not ufe them, who will do nothing to help themfelves, will not Pray, nor Fait, nor keep out of the way of Temptations, nor Watch over themfelves, nor Crofs themfelves in any thing, which is the Cafe with molt of the Unclean ,- thefe, I own, will never attain to Cha- ftity, but then they have none but themfelves to blame for it. It is their own Fault, and not any Defect in their Religion, that they are in this Condition : And their wilful Negligence will not hinder but that there may be furficient Means of making the Practice of this Vertue not only Pof- fible, but Eafie. CHAP. II. Wl?at is to be done, in order to Cliaftity ; and firjl, of Holy Exercifes. THere are two General Means of acquiring Chaftity • namely, Holy Exercifes, and Watchfulnefs againft Temptations. The Exercifes of Piety and Devotion, are an excellent Prefervative againft Impurity, and moft effectual Helps towards becoming Chaft. By which I do not mean barely External and Corpo- real Exercifes, fuch as are thofe of moft Chri- ftians, which confift only in the Recital of fome Prayers, the Reading fome good Difcourfe, being prefent at Religious Affemblies, and attending the Publick Worfhip of God. Which Outward Afts and Duties of Religion are both ufeful and necef- fary, but yet cannot, without a great Miftake, be thought to be fo of themfelves, and that they are fufficient to gain a Man Acceptance with God. So 2,2 6 Helps in order to Chaflity, Se&. III. So far from this, that bare Outward Devotions do but fet him at a greater diftance from God, and defile the Confcience. Here therefore I mean, an Interior Devotion, fuch Acts of Piety as come from the Heart, and are accompanied with a fin- cere Defire and Endeavour to pleafe God, and and attain to a real Purity. Without this Defign, all a Man does will ftand him in no ftead. There are Three Pious Exercifes that are more efpecially ufeful, in order to the Virtue we are treating of ,• and they are, Prayer, Reading, and Meditation. I. He that would be Chaft, mult Pray often ; Prayer being a moft effe&ual Remedy againft Temptations to Impurity, as having a two-fold Ufe for Purifying the Heart. On the one hand, by Prayer, we obtain of God the Spirit of Purity, and Ability to withftand the Defires of the Flefh ; and prevail with Him to aflift us, and to preferve us from many Temptations. On the other hand, it is impoffible that Application and Intercourfe with God ihould not make us Pure. A Cuftom of fpeaking to Him who is Holinefs itfelf, of difco- vering our Hearts to Him, and appearing in his Prefence, will make us Wife and Gircumfpecft. When a Man is about to prefent himfelf before the Lord, or when he goes out from his Divine Prefence, he will not dare to allow himfelf in any Pollution, nor will be at that time fufceptible of the Imprefllons of Senfuality : The Comfort he has fourtd in theExercife of Prayer, the Satisfaction fo pure ani fond which he enjoys at fuch a time, makes him lefs attentive to the ihameful and tran- fient Delights of Sin. Thus Prayer ferves very much to Strengthen and Purifie the Soul. Wherefore, fo many of you as defire to live Charily, prefent yourfelves often before God, lift up you: Hearts frequently to Him ,- put up to Him, at Ch. 3. Holy Exerafes. 237 at every turn, and with great earneftnefs, that Prayer of David, Pfal. li. 10. Create in me, O Lord, a clean Heart. Let this be your firit Thought when you awake in the Morning ,• intermix this Prayer with your Bufinefs ; in the midft of your Work have luch Ejaculations ,• and, though fhort, they will not fail of being highly beneficial. Do this when you find yourfelves free and undifturb'd with evil Thoughts ; and when thefe aflault you, double your Prayers. Ufe the fame Courfe at Night, before you betake yourfelves to Reft ,♦ and again whenfoever you lie awake : So will it become habitual to you to behave yourfelves as in the Prefence of God ,• your Souls will become Pure, and your Temptations will either keep at a di- ftance, or at leaft will lofe a great part of their Force. But now if you would have your Prayers pro- duce this happy Effect, you muft Pray with Faith, and through Jtfus Chrifi our Lord ,• and muft be fully perfuaded that God will grant the Favour you beg of Him, provided you do your part for obtaining it. This you muft believe, and fted- faftly too, becaufe hereupon depends the Efficacy of your Prayers, If any one lack JVifdom, (fays St. James, ch.i. 6.) let him ask it of God, who vivetb to all men liberally, and ufbraideth net : but lei him .rsk in Faith, nothing wavering. And it is our BlelTed Saviour's own Promife, St. Matth. xxii. 22. All things 7vhatjoever ye jljall ask in Prayer, believing, ye {hall receive. That is a fruitlefs Prayer, which is offered up without this Faith, and at all adven- tures, and only by the Lips, without minding whether it is like to fucceed or not. And let not thefaintnefs of your Defires difcou- rage you : Ceafe not to make your Supplications to the Lord, how weak and defective loever they be ; provided you be fincere in them. , Offer them 238 Helps in order to Cbaftity. Se&. Iff. up with Confufion and a profound Humility, and befeech Him, in the Name of Jefm Chrlfi, to pity your Infirmities. God is of himfelf fo Good, and fo ready to do Good to Mankind, that He never fails to anfwer thofe who invoke him with any meafure of Sincerity. If you take this Courfe, you will quickly find the benefit of your Prayers, and will fee caufe to join returns of Thanks with them, and to blefs God, when you feel the Bonds that had tied you fo fait to the Flefh, and to your Senfes, begin to fall off, and that the Allurements of Pleafures are nothing fo ftrong as formerly : And thenceforward you will go on more eafily, and be continually making new Improvements in Chaftity. II. The Second Pious Exercife I would recom- mend, is Reading. And this is advantageous upon divers Accounts. It employs Perfons, and hereby is an ufeful Remedy agamft Evil Thoughts. Ic fuggefts Good Meditations, and affords fuch Re- flections as we fhould not otherwife make ,♦ it ex- cites Devotion • it takes off our Minds from Sen- sible things, and raifes them up to Spiritual : In a word, it is a great help to Piety, fuppofing what is read to be Good and Inftractive. But for this Purpofe, of all Authors whatfoever, there is none comparable to the Holy Scriptures : For befides the Holinefs of what is contained in thefe Sacred Volumes, the Authority of Almighty God fpeak- ing in them, challenges a particular Attention and Refpeet The whole Tendency of the Scri- pture, is to make Perfons Spiritual ,• and to this end, it propofes to them a great number of Pre- cepts, Examples, and Motives excellently condu- cing to cleanfe them from the Pollutions of the Flefh. St. Chrjffioir, * attributes fo great Power ; ■ — , ^» * Ccnc 3. de Lazarp. to Ch. 5. Holy Exercifcs. 239 to the Scripture, in refped: to Chaftity, that he fays, A bare Sight, or Touching of the Gofpel, is enough to drive away Evil Thoughts. "Which doubdefs he laid, upon account of the Reverence and Fear that is apt to arile in the Mind, upon the appearance of this Divine Book. To the Reading of the Word of God, that of other Books may be ulefully added. And in chufing of thefe, I would advife every one to fele<5t thofe which he obferves to affect him moll, and to Hick to them. When a Book has been read over, and the Reader finds himlelf improved by it, it mould be read over again and again ; for it is a great Miftake, to think, the bell way of profiting by Books, to lie in reading a multitude of them ; and they that are always palling from one Book to another, make ordinarily but final! Im- provements in Piety. Wherefore, I widi thofe who find it neceffary to take Pains that they may become Chaff, would impofe it as a conltant Task upon themfelves, to read fomething every Day, to fet afide fome cer- tain Time for this, and efpecially that they would fpend part of all their Days andTimes of Devotion in this Employment. But I have one particular Direction to give concerning Reading, which is, that fuch as find in themfelves an indifpolition to this Exercife, would ifrive hard to overcome it. People are not always enclined to Reading ,• but I beg of them however not to forbear it : They would do well to offer violence to themfelves in this Cafe ,• and they may affure themfelves no Hurt can come of it, but very great Good m If Reading ferv'd only to employ the Mind, yet fo it were worth the while. Sometimes a Read- ing begun without Defign, and with lome Unwil- lingnds, ferves to excite good Thoughts, and infpire 240 Helps in order to Cbajllty. Se<5t. III. infpire the Mind with fuch Sentiments as it would not otherwife have had. III. Meditation, is another very good Means of Purifying the Soul. It excites and recalls into the Mind divers good Reflections, prevents Temp- tations and Evil Thoughts ; and whenever they intrude, it abates their Force. And if any one would know what is a proper Subject for his Me- ditation ; I anfwer, There afe very many, very proper and ufeful ,• and that in general, there is no Matter of Religion and Piety, which may not be revolved in our Minds to Advantage. It may be very ufeful alfo to meditate upon all that has been difcourfed in this Treatife, upon both Uncleannefs, and Chaftity. But there are fome particular Meditations that have a peculiar Virtue for diffuading from Pollution. Such is, the Con- fideration of God's Prefence. And we mould therefore habituate ourfelves to think frequently of it, remembring and well weighing with our- felves, that we are always in His Sight. I wifh Perfons would often call to mind that great Truth, That God is near them ,• That he fpeaks to them, exhorts, encourages them, makes Pro- mifes, and denounces Threatnings ; That he tries them, and fays this and that to invite them to Purity. For all this he does to reclaim People from Sin. Thefe Thoughts would fill them with a Religious Fear ,• and, coniidering themfelves as before God, they would not dare to take the liberty of Defiling themfelves. Of fuch mighty Influence is a Fear of God, and Reverence for his Prefence. It is by the Fear of the Lord, that Mat depart from Evil, Prov. xvi. 6. Another proper Subjed for Meditation, and a likely Means of making the Soul Chart, is the Life and Sufferings of our Saviour Cbrifi. The Life of our Ch. 2. Holy Exercifes. 241 our Saviour and his Crofs, are a powerful Motive,, not to feek our own Eafe, and the Satisfaction of our Senfes in this World. Our Meditations may be alfo very profitably employed about the Ends of Mankind, their Death, Refur region , Judgment, and Heaven, and Hell. Thefe are Obje&s that mould be always prefent to us, and have an excellent Tendency to keep us from Impurity. The Thoughts of Death, which puts an end to all our Delights here, and not only lays the Body in the Grave, but turns it into a Nell of "Worms, mult neceffarily abate the Allure- ments of Senfual Pleafures. The Thoughts of the Refurre&ion, will force us to have a regard to our Bodies, and to preferve them Pure. Thofe of Judgment, will ftrike us with Dread and Terror. That of Hell, will mew the Temptations of Luft to be very dangerous, and put us upon trying all ways for avoiding them. And the Thoughts of Heaven, and its unconceivable Felicity, will put us upon renouncing moft heartily thofe deftru dive and /hameful Pleafures, the mort enjoyment of which, would for ever fhut us out from this incom- parably BleiTed State. In fine, The Confidera- tion of that Eternity, which every day draws nearer, and wherein we know not how very foon we may be placed, fwallows up our Thoughts in fuch a manner, that it will fuffer us no longer to hearken to the Enticements of Vain Pleafures, but will caufe us to look upon the Delights and the Advantages of this Life as nothing worth. Thefe are the chief Subje&s of Meditation, which may ferve for a Remedy againft Impurity, and a Means of obtaining Chaftity. I beg leave to add to what I have faid, That by Meditation, I do not underftand only, a continued Courfe of Attention for fome time together, but fuch Medi- tations likewife as are very fhort, or rather are K only 242 Helps in order to LhajUty. Sect. III. only good Refle&ions, and holy Thoughts. Men may allow more or lefs Time to Meditation, ac- cording to their prefent Circumftances, and the Leafure they have for it. But it is of neceflity that fome Time be fet a-part for it • and that, to this Purpofe, fome Intermiflions be contrived in the midft of our worldly Affairs, wherein the Soul being at liberty, and having recollected it- felf, may have leafure for, and ferioufly employ itfelf in thefe holy Thoughts, and fo may con- fiderably improve itfelf. Befides this, Perfons fhould likewife accuftom themfelves frequently to refled upon fomething that is good, in the midft of their worldly Employments, and often to recall into their minds fuch Thoughts as are ufeful for Purifying their Hearts. This may be done, with- out interrupting their own neceffary Affairs and Occupations, and a habit of doing it may be eafily acquired. And Labourers, and Artificers, and fuch others as have their Bodies ordinarily at work, have yet this advantage ; that whilft thus em- ployed, they have nothing that can hinder their entertaining themfelves with good Thoughts. To conclude this Chapter : It is of the higheft Confequence to Chaftity, that the Time which is not (pent in Sleep at Night and whilft we are in Bed, be employed in Meditation. This fhould the rather be obferved, becaufe Perfons are then more at liberty • and mould therefore more efpe- cially be upon their guard, for fear of being fur- prized by evil Thoughts and Temptations. CHAP. Ch. j. A Care to avoid Temptations. CHAP. IIL Of the Care that is to be taken for avoiding Temptations. WHatfoever the Effed of Holy Exercifes be, for difpcfing Perfons to Chaftity, they rnuft necefTarily be accompanied with our own Care and Pains : And this is no more than All wiil infallibly apply themfelves to, if they once fin- cerely let about thefe Exercifes of Piety ,• it not being poffible for a Man heartily to defire a thing, without being willing to take lbme Pains for ob- taining it. And here therefore I am to mew, what courfe is to be taken for preferving the Soul and Body in Purity. Our Endeavours then muft be two-fold. For as there are two forts of Remedies, either Preventive, which a Man ufes for fear of being Sk:k, or Refto- rative,and which are deiigned for hisRecovery after his Difeafe has feized him ; fb are there two diffe- rent Methods to be purfued againft Impurity, the one for Preventing Temptations, and the ether when under them. I mail treat of the former of thefe in this Chapter and the two next. I. One of the chief Means of Defence againft Temptations to Impurity, is a Diflruft of our* felves. This Diilrufl proceeds from an opinion of our own Weaknefs, and a fear of being fur- prized and enfnared by Temptations, hi or as there any one who has no^ too juft reafon to diftruft himfelf. It were meer Folly to imagine, that People mail never be expofed to Tempta- tions, or fhall certainly be able to overcome them z 244 Helps in order to Cbaftky. Se<5h III. if they be. When once any prefume this of them- felves, they are undone ,- for thenceforward they are no more upon their guards but grow negli- gent, and fo a Temptation is fure to prevail againft them : Whereas, did they diliruft their own Strength, and had an humble opinion of themfelves, they would not be able to fleep in fecurity. Diffidence, makes Perfons Wife, Vigi- lant, Circumfpecl:, infpires them with Fear, and makes them avoid the Occafions of Falling. On the other fide, it directs them to put their Truft in God nlone, and to apply to Him for the Affi- f ranee they ftand in need of : And if God be on their fide, they will eafily fubdue their evil Be- fires. But none have more reafon to diftruft them- felves, than thofe who are enclinable to Im- purity, and have often fallen into it, one way or other. Thefe cannot attend too diligently to this Admonition. Though they feem to have their Paffions allayed, they are not however to think themfelves fafe. Many have fallen, and loft the fruits of their nrft Attempts, by a falfe Confidence, and by believing too foon and too eafily,that they had already got the Maftery over themfelves. Having obferved in themfelves fome beginnings of Chaftity, fome declenfion of the Heat of Lull, and having been fome days, or for fome time, without feeling the returns of their Paffion, they thought they had already attained to Purity : where- as, had they tarried a while longer, they would have found themfelves very much deceived ; there being nothing wanting but an Object or Tempta- tion, and poffibly a very light one, to reduce ^r them to their former State. Lull is often-times 3ike a Fire hid under Ames, which breaks out again with great violence in an inftant, and when it is thought entirely extind. Wherefore, that Ch. 2. A Care to avoid Temptations. that fuch who are not well confirmed in Purity, may be benefited by this Advice , their State mould be a State of continual Diffidence and Fear, but yet fuch as is accompanied with Hope and Courage. For it is abfolutely neceffary for them not to be out of heart. II. This Diitrufl will produce Vigilance, which is a fecond Means of Defence againit. impure Temptations ; and to which the Gofpel invites. Our Bleffed Lord himfelf often exhorts to watch ; and the State we are in in this World obliges us to be incefTantly upon our guard. And Watchfulneis is efpecially neceffary with refpeci to the Paffion we are treating of,- which is lively and quick, and though its Beginnings may feem weak, it makes a great Progreis, and dees great Mifchief in a Moment Let it but lie afleep for a final! time, and it will beget great Falls. It was want of Vi- gilance made David fin • who fell becaufe he did not watch over himfelf. Now one of the principal Duties of Vigilance, and o^e of the greateit Advantages it brings, is the avoiding Temptations. The firft and moft certain Means of iecuring ourfelves againfl: bin, is to keep off from whatever might probably be- tray us into it. He that being expofed to Tempta- tion takes care to rend it, does well ,• but docs it not without fome Struggle and Danger. And ic had been much later to have avoided the Tempta- tion and Conflift. For avoiding Temptations they mould be fore- seen and taken notice of. It has been already fhewn what are the Allurements to Uncieannefs, and every ones bufmefs is to fhun thefe Temptati- ons and Occafions as much as poflibly he can. 1 am fenfible he cannot always efcapethem wholly, but in a good meafure he may, and then he will be in far lefs Danger from them. For example, R 2 Fie 1^6 Helps in order to Cbajlhy. Se&.llf. He that defires to be Chad, muft fly Idlenefs, and be always fome way well employed ; he muft be- ware of Intemperance, and live very foberly ,• he muft be very moderate in his Sleep, and in things permitted him ,♦ muft not feek too much the Con- veniences of Life ,• muft avoid Luxury and any Diverfions wherein is Excefs. He muft refrain from going to any Places where he may be like to hear or fee any thing that may draw him afide; and muft not read any obfcene or wanton Books. But above all things he muft govern his Eyes with great care, and keep out of the Company of Per- fons whom he cannot look upon without Danger. He muft never be familiar with them, either in his Actions or Difcourfe , nor ufe any Toying and t Wantonnefs, but be Grave and Circumfped: ,• and in one word, muft be upon his guard againft what- ever might occafion any Senfual Thoughts or De- fires. But that this Practice may have its wiihed Suc- cefs, Two things are to be taken care of. Firft that Perfons be very exacl;, and very fcrupulou?, as to every thing that leads to Impurity, and that they do not take too much Liberty, under any vain Pretences. Men impofe upon themfelves divers ways. Sometimes they think things to be inconsi- derable ; wherein they deceive themfelves, not remembring that little things are here of great confequence, and cannot be neglected without Damage to Chaftity, as every one may have ob- ferved. Some things they look upon as innocent, and that there is no Evil or Danger in venturing upon them ,• yet thefe fame things have oftentimes been the Occafions of great Falls. It is eafy to be deceived in point of Converfation. One looks upon another of the other Sex, and thinks there is nothing unlawful in this, and that here is nothing with refpeft to either of them but Efteem and Friend- Ch. 3. A Care to aVoirf Temptations. 247 Friendfhip ; perhaps Religion too had at firit fome concurrence towards the Kindneifes and Difcour- fes that pafs between them ,• yet by this means a Paflion has infenfibly taken hold of them. And the cafe is the fame with many other matters that are thought innocent. The other thing I would have obferv'd is, that feeing Perfons are not always expofed to all the forementioned Temptations, and they have not all the fame force upon all forts of Perfons, every one mould make trial of himfelf to fee by which he is in moil danger of falling, which Obje&s make molt Impreffion upon him, and upon what occafions he is moft apt to be feized with fenfual Thoughts. There are fome who are very orderly by themfelves, but when they go abroad, the di- verfity of Obje&s they meet with difcompofes them, and they cannot be in Company without forget- ting themfelves. Such fhould be very wary, and live retired. There are others who when Sober are Wife and Chaft, but who in their Cups or after a Feaft are not able to contain themfelves within the Bounds of Modefty.Thefe are oblig'd upon this par- ticular account, befides thofe other Reafons which engage Chriftians to live in Sobriety, to be con- ftantly upon their guard againit Intemperance. Others again there are, who cannot go into fome Places, or fee fome Perfons without being enfna- red by fome impure Paflion. Thefe mould be fure always to avoid fuch Places and Perfons. And in this cafe it may be requifite to break off thefe Converfations, in fuch a manner as may prevent our ever renewing them for the future. Thus mult every one apply himfelf, to difcover and avoid whatever may be like to kindle any ill Deiires in him. But ah ! how very different is the ordinary courfe of Mankind, who feek out, inflead of fhunning thefe Occafions ! Many know R a. verv 2A 8 Helps in order to Chaflity. Sed. III. very well what it is that drives them on to Sin ,• they know they cannot frequent the Company of fuch or fuch Peribns, without being fubjed to fome unlawful Defires, and yet they frequent it. They have found by Experience that the reading of fome Books are a Poifon to them, and yet they will not forbear it. They know before-hand that Wine is apt to have an ill EfFed upon them, and make them diforderly, a«d yet they will not keep them- felves fober. When any thus put them fe Ives in the way of a Temptation, and willingly call them- felves upon it, it is not in their power not to yield to it. CHAP. IV. Of the Care to be takn with refyeft to the Body. THat we may be fafe from Temptations, our chief Care muft be to watch over ourfelves,* the Caufe and Original of Evil being in ourfelves; as St. J times witneffes, I St. J a. i. 14. Every one u tempted 3 when he is druwn afide of his frwn Lufts and enticed. Occalions and Objects feduce us not but through cur own Fault. Nor again, do Tempta- tions come always from without - they often pro- ceed from ourfelves, without the Intervention of Objects. ' So that our chief Care is to be laid out upon ourfelves, and this with refped either to our Bodies, or to our Souls. The Body being the principal Fountain of Impurity, Lufts are there- fore called Bodily or Carnal ,• and St. Paul makes Chaftity to confift in poffeffing the Body in ; San- dification. And accordingly there is no prefer- ring Ch. 4. Care to be taken of the T^ody. 249 ving Chaftity, without governing the Body. And therefore my Bufinefs in this Chapter mail be to fhew what is to be done in this refpecl. I. My Firft Advice is concerning its Diet ; and it calls for an efpecial Attention from all that find themfelves inclined to Senfuality. Now here the Gofpel directs two Duties, Sobriety and Fa- fling. 1. I have already fhewn, when I was confide- ring the Cauies of Uncleannefs, that Intempe- rance in Eating and Drinking is one of the chief Caufes of this Sin 3 - and that confequently all that would be chaft, muft necefTarily be fober. Sobri- ety allays the Heat of Paffions, that have been rai- fed by too great Abundance, and too great Acti- vity of the Blood and animal Spirits. By this Vir- tue it is that People become accuftomcd to com- mand their own Appetites, and put themfelves in a condition to refift their other Paffions. But when I fay Perfons muft be Sober, I do not mean they muft only forbear being Drunk, and abftain from Gluttony, and other Excefs of Riot ; they muft farther beware of being dainty, and not feek after what pleafes the Tafte and Senfes, but to Eat and Drink moderately, and to ufe themfelves to the plained Sort of Food. 2. And yet the Gofpel proceeds farther, enjoin- ing not only AbfLmioufnefs, but Fafting. Which has always been look'd upon as an excellent In- ftrument of Mortification of the Flefli ; and was accordingly both recommended and praftifed by the Prophets and the Jews, by our blcifed Saviour, by his Apoftles, by the Primitive Chriftians, and by the whole Church. Abftinence frcm Meat and Drink is certainly a He'p to Chaftity. But then I mean a rational Abftineiu:e fuited to every- one's prefent t be dillieartned, and give over the de- fign they had l< ;imrd, of keeping themfelves clear of this Vice : They mult not conceit it will be itrpoliibic to luccced in fuch an Undertaking, nor that they are clearly forfakep of God : Their bufmels is rather, to humble themfelves under a fenfe of then own Conuption, and to refift it, and then to hope in the Mercy and Affiitance of the I ord. 2. Befide?, rccourfe muft be had. in times of Temptation, to holy Exercifes, and A<5h of De- votic n. Short Ejaculations, whether only by railing up the Heart to God, or addreffed to Him with the Mouth when one is alone, are very proper at fuch a time. And though Perfons do not offer them up with Earneftnefs and Freedom enough, which in truth is very difficultly done in the iiate they are in at fuch a time, and efpe- cially when they are lukewarm and in trouble, they muft not however fail to fend them up as they can. It is likewife very ufeful under a Temptation, to iui n the Mind to other Thoughts ; for inilancc, to cjll to remembrance, that God lev : us, and is near to us • to think of our Lord, and his Sufferings ; or of Death, and the I.ait judgment, or any other of the great Motives to Ghaftity which have been already treated of: Recourfe alio may be had to Reading, upon thefe Occ:- lions. ;. Not only Holy Exercifes, but ether things likewife of no great coniideiaticn in themfelves, may ferve to de'iwer us from the Temptations of Impurity ,• as, not to Hay in the Place where we are_> nor to take our eafe^ to apply ourfeives im- mediately Ch. 6. What is to be done under Temptations. 265 mediately to fome fort of bufinefs, or get into Company, or fall upon fome Difcourfe. A change of Pofture, or Motion of the Body, fome- times fuffices to prevent a train of evil Thoughts. There are lome things that feem not worth mind- ing, fmall, and even contemptible, that yetare not without their ufefulnefs this way. But above all thefe Means, every one mult confult himfelf, and fee what is like to make mod impreffion upon him. And yet once more I mult obferve, That all this is to be done refolutely and undauntedly. 1. In the firft place, Men muft not be difcouraged either by their own Weaknefs, or their-Backward- nefs to let about it. Though thefe Means are practifed but imperfectly and unfteadily, this how- ever will turn to lome account, provided it be done fincerely, and with Perfeverance. 2. Nei- ther mult they be affrighted at the Trouble they find in refilling the Allurements of Luft. To this end let them remember for their Encouragement, that their Conflict will not be long, but if they can but hold out for a few Moments, they will pre- fently be fafe, and the Storm allayed ,• and after this they will have the Satisfaction of having done their Duty, and will tall an inward Peace rejoi- cing and ftrengthening the Soul, and exciting them to a Performance of their Duty upon all other. Occafions that (hall offer themfelves. CHAP. VII. Of the Ajfi fiance that may be had from Others in order to Lhajlity. AFTER the Confideration of what each one is to do in order to Chaftity, I am next to ihew what Helps to Virtue may be found in others. And this is fo much the more negefTarvj becaufe this 66 Helps in order to Cbaftity, Sed. III. this perhaps is the Means leaft taken notice of, and moft negle&ed. 1. Nor have we lefs need to be affiftant to one another, in Matters of Salvation, than in thofe of this Life. This mutual Help is one of the moft indifpenfable Duties of Charity ; and as fuch is often prefcribed by the Apoftles. f Exhort one ano- ther daily ; \\let us conjider one another daily to provoke I Heb. io. untQ i i0ve3 ana > t0 g 00 J py or ks. 241 Neither is it to be doubted, but it highly con- duces to the promotion of Piety, and more parti- cularly of Chaftity, to partake of the Company and Difcourfe of Virtuous Perfons. For as this Virtue is loft by converging with the Vicious and Debauched, fo it is preferved and improved by Communication of thofe that fear God. The Example of fuch is of great weight, and their Counfels of great force for purifying the Heart. Good Converfation is of inconceivable advantage, I mean fuch Converfation where each Party fpeaks with an Opennefs of Heart, and with Con- fidence, and Sincerity. And a Man does not leave fuch Society without carrying fome Fruit of it along with him. 2. The Scripture teaches likewife that we may aflift each other with our Prayers. The greateft part of Chriftians have but little knowledge of the Efficacy of Prayer, and for want of Faith make little ufe of this Means, as taking it to be of no ' St. Ta <, great fervice to them. But it is moft certain that i&. * the fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man avails much with God ; and he is always difpofed to beftow his Fa- vours, when fincerely follicited in behalf of fuch an one as greatly defires them, and to this end defires alfo the Interceflion of other good Chriftians for obtaining them. "Whence I conclude that who- foever defires to overcome the Paffions of the Flefh, muft beg the Help of his faithful Brethren, and particularly muft entreat the Afliftance of their Prayers. 3. But Ch. 7. 7he Ajjiftance of Others. 1 67 3. But chiefly Others may help us by their Ad- vice and Exhortations. It is not to be expreffed of what advantage it is, to have a faithful Friend from whom to receive Counfel and Encouragement in time of need, and principally to fuch as have little Profpedl of Succefs from their own (ingle Endeavours. -\Wo to him that is alone 'when he falleth, t Ecclef. for he hath not another to help him up. A Man is al- *' l0 * ways in a woful Condition, and in danger of committing great Offences, when he confults none but himfelf, and relies folely upon his own Underftanding. This is true in the things of this Life, and it is no lefs fo in what concerns our ever- lafting Salvation. One of the chief Reafons why fo few make any confiderable Progrefs in Goodnefs is, becaufe in Affairs of this nature People love to ad feparately, without asking others Advice, or being willing to be advifed by any. But no where does this ObferVation hold more certainly than in the Cafe of Uncleannefs. Perfons will venture to difcoverfomethingof their other Sins, but will not own this in the leaft ; they are fo afhamed of it, that this makes them referved, and they very hard- ly prevail with themfelves to take Advice concern- ing it, or to confefs their Weaknefs. Or perhaps they cannot think of one of whom they may pru- dently ask Advice, or to whom they may difclofe their Cafe, either as to this or any other Sin ; this being what the greater part never once dream of. Yet it is plain this would be an admirable Means of delivering ourfelves from many Difturbances and Dangers. Some know not whether certain A&ions are allowed or forbidden, and fo for want of better Information, they venture, uncertain as they are, to do what perhaps is contrary to Chafti- ty, and even infamous and finful ; and which had it not been evil in its own nature, would yet be fo to them,, becaufe they acl; it doubtingly, and not i6% Helps in order to Chaftity. Se&.III. not of Faith. Others are fenfible of their de- plorable State, and have an intention to get out of it, and make fome Attempts this way, but with- out Suc.cefs, becaufe they have none to ailtft them. Not to fay any thing of thofe who being guilty of Sins of Uncleanncfs, have need to confult with fuch as may ihftruA them, how to make amends for what they have done. Each of thefe has need of Afltftance. A hidden Evil is always dangerous, but when difcovered it is naif cured. We may ea- fily have taken notice of fuch who, whilft obfti- nately refolved not to ask Advice concerning the State of their Heart, keeping it clofely to them- felves, have had no Reft, nor been able to free themfelves from the Tyranny of their Pa (lions ; but who fo foonas ever they have had the Courage to disburden their Consciences, and make known what it was that troubled them, found themfelves inftantly comforted and ftrengthened, and thence- forward fupplied with new Forces in order to their better Progrefs in Piety. Why then are People fo backward to make ufe of fo beneficial a Remedy ? Will they fay they do not know to whom they may apply themfelves ? The number of Wife-Men, and Men of Probity is not fo fmall but that fuch may be found, either a- mongfl thofe whom God has ordain'd to inttrucl: others,' and guide their Confciences, or elfe a- mongit Private Perfons. Or is it Shame that hin- ders their doing it ? If fo, in the firft place, it is not necefTary in all Cafes to difcover what they are moil averfe to having known, but there are fecret Means and Methods of defiring Advice and Counfel, without fuch a Declaration. Befides f lppofe by letting their Cafe be known , they i ventu r e fome Shame and Confufion of Face, is it not much prudenter and fafer, and much better in all refpefts to difcover a Diftemper, than live in continual Torment by concealing it, and at length perifh Ch. 7. The Jjfiftance of Others. 169 perifh by it ? He that has the Courage to make this acknowledgment, hereby Shews himfelf to be affe&ed with his Condition, and deSirous to get out of it, and has in truth already made a good Step towards his Conversion. As alio the Sinner who is covered with Confufion in the Sight of God for his Faults, which he has committed, does not Hand in Iuch Awe of Men, nor isfo fearful of expofing himfelf to fome little Mortification. II. Since we are treating of the Afliftance that may be received from others, it mult be noted that there are iuch to be found as may contribute considerably to the promoting of Chaftity, I mean Publick Perfons and Parents. 1. If thofe in Publick Stations would heartily fet themfelves to it, they might in a great meafure fup~ prefs theExceffes of Impurity, and make the Man- ners of Chriftians much chaffer than they are. Good Order both in Church and State would conduce very much to it. The Minifters of God's Word may employ themfelves both in Publick, in giving good Inftruclions and frequent Admonitions con- cerning this Point, in their Sermons ,• and in Pri- vate, in exhorting zealoufly and prudently thofe who are backward to their Duty. Magistrates may alfo do great Service, by ena&ing wife and juil Laws againft this Sin ,♦ by an exacl: Obfervance and Execution of the Laws thus enacted ,• by not differing thofe Places where Youth are corrupted, and accuStomed to Play, to Riot, and to Debau- chery ; and in not bearing with thofe who are the Promoters of Leudnefs, and Corrupters of Youth, and whoierve only to introduce Effeminacy, Wan- tonnefs, and Love of Pleasures. There are fome places where the Magiftrates make this their Bufi- nefs ; and it were heartily to be wifhed, that all would do it every where. 2. Fathers and Mothers may alfo contribute much to the Chaftity of Youth, If they would do what 2/0 Helps in order to Chaftity. Se<5h HI. what they can in their Families, and what it is not hard to do, there would not be fo much Unclean- nefs in the World. This I have faid before, but cannot forbear repeating it. Parents fhould bring up their Children in great Purity, and fhould from their Infancy infpire them as much as may be with a Senfe of Modefty, even in the fmalleft Matters, and not fuffer the leaft Indecency amongft them, nor allow them to fay or do any thing contrary to Chaftity. This might eafily be done, and with good Succefs, becaufe thefe Principles of Modefty enter of themfelves into Childrens Minds, and when well imprinted there, ferve thenceforward as for an excellent Prefervative from Impurity. Where- as if Children once grow carelefs in point of Mode- fty, they feldom relume it afterwards. Wherefore Parents fhould take heed what Example they fet their Children, that themfelves be pure, and ex- traordinarily circumfpe<5l both in their Actions and in their Words ; I fay, not only to forbear all filthy Difcourfe, which none will indulge themfelves in that are not utterly void of Virtue and Modefty, but to refrain from whatfoever is a little too loofe, and never to laugh at any thing that has the leaft relation to Impurity, but on the contrary to tefti- fy always their Dhlike and Averfion to whatever hurts Modefty in any manner of way. Fathers and Mothers fhould likewife teach their Children to mortify their Bodies and their Paflions, to be contented with little, and always eafy ; they mould train them up in great Sobriety, and beware that Idlenefs and Sloth get not the pofTeffion of them, nor a fondnefs for Pleafures draw them afide, and that they read no bad Books. And as they grow. . up, they fhould ftill keep them in a State of De- pendance upon themfelves, arid have their Eyes upon them, to fee them well employed, and not let them be abroad at Night, and thoroughly to enform themfelves what Company they keep, and what Ch. 8. Some farther Dirc&ions. 271 what Places they frequent ; and when they are put out, to take all poflible Care that a Wife and Prudent Perfon have the infpe&ion over them. CHAP. VIII. Some Diretlions concerning the UJe of tbefe Means. HAving dire&ed to fuch Means, and laid down fuch Rules as are neceflary in order to this Virtue of Chaftity, I mall now apply my- felf, for a Conclufion of the Whole, to (hew how they may be ufefully reduced to Pra<5lice, for the Inftrudtion of thofe who defire to be benefited by them, and chiefly with a Defign to make the Pra- &ice eafy. For it is not fufficient to fay there are Means of being Chaft, but it is more efpecially needful to fhew, that when ufed as they ought to be, there is no fuch trouble as Men imagine in li- ving Chaftly. And what I have to add in this Chapter deferves to be confidered with more than ordinary Attention. I. The firft Advice I have to offer is, That each one make ufe of thefe Means according to the State he is in, there being Three States, in either of which he may be, in relation. to Impurity. 1. There are fome who have no Inclination to this Vice ,• or if they had would take care to keep themfelves free from it. Thefe have great reafon to blefs God ,• yet they mould not fail to make ufe of the Means here prefcribed, for fettling them- felves the more firmly in this happy State. None mould be remifs and unguarded ,becaufe many times thofe Paffions prefs with great violence, out of the reach of which Perfons had thought themfelves. A mod remarkable Example in this kind we have in King Salomon, who in his Younger Years was an un- par- 27 Z Helps in order to Chaflity. Se<5t. III. parallelled Example of Wifdom and yet in the lat- ter part of his Life gave way to an infamous Paf- fionj and hereby left himfelf for a Warning to all the World, not excepting thofe who have the leaft Apprehenfion of falling after the fame manner. But here it is alfo to be remembred, that fuch who are not fubjed to this Paflion, will find it no difficult matter to preferve themfelves from it. It is with thefe as with Men in Health, who need only Fore- fight and Obfervation, to keep themfelves fo. 2. There are multitudes of Others, that have a deadly hankering after Impurity, and fufFer them- felves to be fometimes betrayed into it, but yet do not allow themfelves wheiiy in it, but ftrive againft it fo far that they not only have efcaped the Crime, but have never been brought to an entire Confent of the Will to it, much leis to a Habit of it. Thofe of this fecond Rank have more need of Direction than the former, and iuuil take more Pains, and ftrive harder to fecure themfelves. 5. Laftly, Some are Slaves to this Paflion, in whom it reigns , and who have either ventured upon the Sin itfelf, or if not, are however com- monly full of fenfual Defires, and defile both Soul and Body by their inordinate A&ions, Words, and Thoughts. The Eftate of thefe laft is extremely deplorable, and very dangerous ,* and they have more need to confider with themfelves, and make ufe of thofe Remedies, which may recover them out of this Condition. I cannot better compare thefe, than to thole Sick Perfons whofe Diltemper is come to that height, that without a fpeedy Medi- cine well applied, they muft perifli. I do not deny but fuch, who are thus impure both by In- clination and Cuftom, will meet with difficulty in recovering themfelves, and will find, at nrft, their Sin very hard to be overcome : As all experience^ who will undertake to conquer any ftrong Paflion, or any well-rooted Habit, Yet I have two things to Ch. 8. Some farther Directions. 273 to fay, to prevent their fuffering themfelves to be affrighted from it. The one. That this Difficulty will be of no long continuance, the troubie of doing it being worft at the beginning, and grow- ing afterwards more and more eafie. The other, That this Work of their Converhon is not equally difficult at all times, but in fome Cireumftances is eafily effected ,• as I mall prove, in treating of the next Particular. Wherefore, II. My other Advice is of fuch importance, that I dare fay it will conduce perhaps above all things to facilitate the Pra&ice of the Duties we are now upon. There is no Time wherein Per- fons ought not to ufe their utmoft: Endeavours for overcoming their Inclination to Impurity ^ but withal, there are fome Times and Opportunities, wherein it is done far more ealily than ac others. In Matters of Salvation, at well as in ali others, a great deal depends upon a choice of proper Seafons. No body but mult have found,that he is not always equally well difpofed : Upon fome Occafions, a thing will appear almoft infuperable, and it can- not be done then without great opposition ,• which yet will not be fo at another time. Take a Man given to any particular Paflion, and in the inftanc when he is feized and tranfported with it, all you, can fay to the contrary will make no imprertioni upon him : Yet take the fame Man out of his; Paffion, and when his blood is cooled, and you will fee hjm a very different fort of Perfon. The Impure have their intervals, and thefe longer or fhorter, and more or lefs frequent, according a§ the Habit they have contra&ed is iirong.r or weaker. There are fome in whom this Paflion bears fuch abfolute fway, that they are aimoft always employed by it ; yet fuch as thefe have fome more favourable Moments wherein they are capable of Reflection, and wherein their Paflion, allows them fome refpite. T &4, 274 Helps in order to Cbaftky. Seft. I If. God, who is full of Goodnefs and Love to Man- kind, and defires the Salvation of Sinners, does not entirely forfake them. He (peaks to their Con- fciences divers ways, and fometimes they hear his Voice, and are affected with it ,• they begin to relent, they review the Mifcarriages of their paft Converfation, and are humbled for them. The Preaching of God's Word, the Ufe of the Sacra- ments, the inward Operation of the Holy-Ghoft, the Difgrace they have fuffered for their Folly, the appearance of lbme Object, and the Re- flection they make at fuch times when their Con- fcience is awakened, may raife good Motions in them, they being then in an eitate wherein to make good Refolutions, and begin to put them in execution. This therefore is a valuable Oppor- tunity, and may turn to very good account, by their doing then, what they are not like to do at another time. liut more efpecially it concerns every one to make good Ule of Times of Affliction. Affli- ctions, which are an excellent Means, and ufed as fuch by God, for withdrawing Men from their Iniquities, have a particular efficacy for taming fiefhly Paffions. And if there be any way to re- claim thofe who have habituated themfelves to Im- purity ,thefe will do it,and they are alfo commonly the laft Means God will try them with. For this caufe therefore, he fends Pains, and long and grievous Difeafes, which bring them to the very gates of the Grave, and at other times he expofes them to Ignominy and Difgrace. And iris obvious to obferve, that when People are reduced to a ilate of Affliction and Sufferings, the Flefh lofes a good part of its Dominion. The Pafitons can- not but be calmed, when the Body and Soul are mortified by Grief. This therefore is a molt bene- ficial Circumflance in order to Converfion, and ought upon no terms to be neglected, any more than Ch. 8. Some farther DireBions, 27 j than all thofe other like Advantages we at any time meet with. Sinners and Libertines fometimes reafon thus with themfelves. When the Precepts, the Coun- fels, and the Motives of the Evangelical Morality are laid before them, they fay, All this is true, and they are well fa^isfied thefe Commands are juft, and the Means produce their Effect, when made life of : That it is eafie to reform themfelves, if they will heartily endeavour it ,• but the difficulty is, to make Perfons willing to amend, and ufe thefe Means : That the Inclination which hinders their taking this Refolution, and prevents their Ule of thefe Means, and draws them fome other way, mult firft be rectified ,• and, in a word, That they want a Will to fet about this Duty. Whereto I anfwer ; God gives this Will ,• He allows Seafons and Junctures, in which Men may eafily be willing to reform ; when both the Sinners find themfelves incited to do it, and befides,God infpires into them a Defire of doing it. I lay farther, They ought to make a good Improvement of thefe Junctures, and the good Difpoiitions they find in themlelves at flich a time. I fay again, If a Man take but a little Pains with himfelf, thefe favourable Circum- ftances will ever and anon return, and he will not be long before he may have made a confiderable advancement in Goodnefs. So that I can give no better Advice to fuch as defire to renounce their Impurity, than to take the advantage of thofe Op- portunities and Occaiions, wherein they are at liberty, and in a ftate to make ferious and ufeful Reflections. III. Let not Perfons be difcouraged at the Be- ginning. This Advice is highly neceffary for all that have the misfortune to be under the power of Carnal Pafiions ; becaufe they cannot hope to make them off all at once, but will be in danger of fome relapfes j fo that if they fuffer themfelves T 2 &o iy& Help in order to Chaftity. Se<£t. Ill; to be worfted, it is certain they will never get free of them. It is not unufual for People to have taken up good Refolutions, and made fome an- fwerable Attempts, and to have concluded here- upon, that they had gained fome advantage over themfelves ,• but yet thefe being but weak At- • tempts, they have no fooner felt the returns of their Lu(V, but they have prefently yielded to it, either through Surprize, or Negligence, and have been difcouraged, and began to think they could never hope to rid themfelves of this Paffion, and it was therefore in vain to ftrive againft it, and fo have given over their Defign, and grown as difor- derly and licentious as ever. But it was a great failing in them to be fo eafily repulfed : For Habits are not extirpated all at once ,- and if all that have undertaken to work out their own Converfion, had given over upon a reiapfe, none of them poflibly had ever been Converted. There is nothing of more pernicious confequence, than to be thus eafily difcouraged : For when a Man's Courage is once caft down, and he has taken up a perfuafion that he fhall net fucceed, he will give over his En- deavours, and Itrive no longer; he will be fure to do well no longer, purely becaufe he thinks he cannot ,• and ventures to become a greater Slave to hisPaflions, than ever he had been before. What a ChrifHan does for God and his own Sal- vation, mould be dene with Refolution and Con- fidence, and even with Joy. The weakeft of them, and who have made the lealt progrefs, mould per- fuade themfelves, that their firft Beginnings will be accepted with God, provided they be fincere $ and that though they do unhappily relapfe, they mult yet beware of being difheartned. It is a great happinefs, on the other hand, when cur Falls make us uneafie, when they teach us how far our Faffions have got the maitery of us, and what great reafen we have to labour inceffamly that we may over- Ch. 8. Some farther DireFlions. 277 overcome them, and may recover ourfelves out of the great Danger whereinto they had brought us. Thefe Falls muft not be flighted or defpifed. But I muft repeat it again ,• They muft by no means dUhearten us, or take us off from what we were about : But rather we fhould animate our- felves the more, and ftrive to get above them, and renew our former Refolutions againft them : Which if we do, our Gracious God will infallibly blefs our Endeavours, and, for the Love of Chrift, will pardon thofe Falls which are not wilfully per- fifted in. Whereas, if we be difcouraged and faint, we become a Prey to Temptations, and mall be involved in them more and more. A wife Man having happened to fall, would get up again and continue on his Journey ,• but he that mould choofe to lie where he fell, without trying to rife, would be defervedly look'd upon as one who had loft his Senles. I befeech my Readers to put a favourable Con- ftru&ion upon what I write, and not to mifinterpret what I have been difcourfing. I have written it for the Encouragement of the Weak, fuch I mean as a& fincerely, though with Weaknefs, and who meet with fome fuccefs in their Endeavours of Amendment. For what I fay, relates not to thofe who content themfelves with weak and imperfect Refolutions of Amendment, without putting them in execution, and are ready, upon every Tempta- tion, to recede from them. Thefe fort of loofe and ineffe&ual Refolutions are taken up by abun- dance of Perfons, who yet notwithstanding perifh in their Impenitence. IV. To be benefited by thefe Advices, it will be neceflary to purfue them with Diligence and Perfeverance ,• and not carelefly, negligently, or only for a while : They muft be follow'd hear- tily and earneftly, this being the only Method of attaining to Virtue, Our Lord Jefm Chrift, and his 2 -r3 Helps in order to Chaftity. Se&. II f. his Apoftles, exhort US to firive that we may enter in at the fireight gate ; to watch, and fight, arid take fains : But thefe Endeavours are efpecially required, when we are to refift fuch Temptations as entice by Pleafure, and, above all, at the Begin- ning, becaufe that is the Time when we are to exped the fharpeft Conflicts. The Spiritual Life begins with Pain and Grief, unlefs where Perfons have entred upon it in their Youth. When Men begin to think of returning, and taming the Flefh, and bringing it into fubjedion to the Spirit, and the Bonds which now tie us to Pleafures begin to be broken, then it is that we fuffer moft, then it is that the Flefh revolts, and that we have need of ftriving to get the maftery over it. Afterwards our Work becomes much eafier ,• and the greater progrefs we make, the more does the oppofition of the Flefh abate, and the weaker do the Paffions grow ; till we come by degrees to do well with- out oppofition, and with Delight. Till Perfons are come to this ftate, they muft fet themfelves to work, and never give over. It is only by Perfeverance, that advantage can be made of the Means which are appointed in order to Chaftity. It is not to be imagined that thefe Means will at once produce all the Good that may be hoped for from them ; and which they effect only gradually, and by little and little. It is likewife only by Perfeverance, that long and fettled Habits are to be rooted out. Many have undertaken, and with fome fincerity, to depart from their Impurity, and have foon returned to it ,• becaufe they have not attended to this Advice. They began happily enough ,• they endeavour'd, for fome time, to mortifie their Paffion c , and with fome fuccefs - y but for want of perfevering as they had begun, loft the fruit of all they had done. V. Thefe Means muft be exactly purfued, and with a eircumfpe&ion reaching to the fmalleft matters. Ch. 8. Some farther DireFcions. 279 matters. It is not to be thought that any Coun- fels or Helps to Chaftity-may be neglected. Nor may any fanfie it enough to be exact in the Duties and Counfels which are of greateft confequence, and to abftain from what is finful, or manifeftly leads to Sin ,• and that he may flight thofe Coun- fels which appear of lei's importance, and take his full liberty in leffer matters. In the cafe of Chaftity, there is nothing wherein Perfons muft not be nicely punctual ,• nor may they gratifie or excufe themfelves in any thing that is detrimental to Virtue, nor neglect any thing of all that may capacitate them to acquire or preferve it. In all the Paflions, but chiefly in this, regard muft be had to leffer matters • bccaufe little things lead to greater. By light Faults, a Man comes to great Sins ,• and the Obfervation of leifer Duties, may be a Means of leading to the higheft degree of Virtue. Often-times there needs only a want of "Watchmlnefs over ourfelves : A Look, a Deed, or a Word a little too wanton, a light Compliance with the Flefh, or other things of this nature, which feem to have no great harm in them ,• there needs nothing more, I fay, to overturn the Soul, and kindle the Fire of Luft, and this too in a very little time. And again, we as often need only to be attentive and circumfpect in relation to fome things in appearance of little confideration, to preferve ourfelves pure and quiet. A fmall matter, and which is next to nothing, by the way of fpeaking it may occafion fatal Mifcarriages ; and fometimes again, a very little matter may ferve to defend againit Temptations. Befides, when People overlook the leaft Duties, and ac- cuftom themfelves to violate them wilfully and without hefitation, they expofe themfelves to the danger of taking the fame liberty with thofe of the higheft importance. So that to this purpofe may be applied what our Lord fays, St. Luke 280 Halps in order to Chafthy. Se<5t III, St. Luke xvi. 10. He who is faithful in that -which is leaf, is faithful alfo in mmh ; and what we read in Ecclefiafiicus xix. I. He who defpifeth fmall things, Jhall fall by little and little. And yet nothing of all that may conduce to fo great and fo excellent an End, as is our Supreme Felicity, deferves to be accounted fmall, or of little importance. Thefe are the principal Means that are to be made ufe of, in order to our becoming Chaff, and with which I conclude this Treatife. And thofe who will give a ferious Attention to the Confiderations I have offer'd concerning both Undeannefs and Chaftity, may make good Ufe of them. But fuch over whom a foolifh and brutal Paflion has more Power than all Arguments from Religion, their Duty, and their Intereft,will leave themfelves without excufe. God grant I may not have labour'd in vain in what I have written, but that my weak Endeavours may ferve to infpire all that fhall read this Difcourfe with the Love and hearty Defire of Chaftity. FINIS. 9 JM Mr *• , /