yet not fo as to be remarkable for his vanity and uncharitablenefs; fo he may be alfo under the guilt and evil effects of eating and drinking, tho' not fo as to be esteemed either a glutton or intemperate.

So that the only fecurity for a good Chriftian, is to make it the care of his life to refift all enjoyments that cherish vanity and uncharitableness, not only in fuch degrees as are fcandalous and visible in the eyes of men, but such as inwardly hurt the humility and charity of his mind.

IN like manner as to eating and drinking, he is conftantly to practise fuch abftinence, as may fecure him not only from fenfuality in the fight of the world, but fuch as may beft alter, purify and humble his body, and make it the holy habitation of a foul devoted to a fpiritual life.

St. PAUL faith, I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection, left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myfelf fhould be a caft-away. (a)

LET it here be observed, that the apostle practised this felf-denial and mortification, not only as a good and advisable thing, and fuitable to holiness, but as of the last neceffity. It was not, as he was an apoftle, and that he might be fitter for the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft; but it was to fecure his falvation, left when he had preached to others, he should be a caft-away.

LET it be confidered that this apostle, who lived in infirmities, in reproaches, in neceffities, in perfecutions, in diftreffes for Chrift's fake, who was also full of figns, and wonders, and mighty deeds, and who had been caught up into the third heavens; yet reckons all his virtues as unfecure, and his falvation in danger, without this severity of felf-denial; he thought all his

other advancements in piety, without this, to be as vain a labour, as beating the air. (5)

So run I, faith he, not as uncertainly; by which he plainly teacheth us, that he, who does not thus run, who does not thus mortify the body, runs uncertainly, and fighteth to as little purpose as he that beateth the

air.

CAN they therefore, who live in ease, and softness, and bodily indulgences, who ftudy and feek after every gratification, be faid to be of St. Paul's religion, or to be governed by that spirit which governed him?

AN apoitle preaching the gofpel with figns and wonders in the midft of diftrefs and perfecution, thought his own falvation in danger, without this fubjection of his own body; and fhall we, who are born in the dregs of time, who have no works like his to appeal to, think it fafe to feed and indulge in eafe and plen ty?

A MAN may indeed practife the outward part of a Chriftian, he may be orthodox in his faith, and regular in the forms of religion, and yet live in cafe and indulgence. But if he would put on Chrift, and be cloathed with the humility and meekness of his true difciples; if he would love his enemies, and be in Chrift a new creature; if he would live by faith, and have his converfation in heaven; if he would be born again of God, and overcome the world, he must lay the foundation of all these graces in the mortification and fubjection of his body. For not only religion, but reafon can fhew us, that almost every ill temper, every hindrance of virtue, every clog in our way of piety, and the ftrength of every temptation, chiefly arifes from the fate of our bodies.

(b) 2 Cor. xii.

СНАР.

CHAP. VIII.

The fubject of felf-denial further continued.

THERE are no truths of Chriftianity more plainly delivered in the fcriptures, or more universally acknowledged by all Chriftians than thefe two, viz. the general corruption of human nature, and the abfolute neceffity of divine grace. Now these two doctrines make the reafon and neceffity of a continual felf-denial plain and obvious to the meaneft capacity, and extend it to all those things or enjoyments, which either ftrengthen the corruption of our nature, or grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and cause him to leave

us.

LET any one but reflect upon the nature of these two fundamental truths, and he will find himself foon convinced, that all thofe enjoyments are to be abftained from, which either fupport our natural blindnefs and corruption, or refift and abate the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

He will find alfo, that this felf-denial muft extend itself to every day of our lives, unless he can find a day when he is free from weakness, or out of the way of all temptations, a day which offers nothing fuitable to the corruption of his nature, or nothing contrary to the good motions and directions of the Holy Ghoft. Moft people acknowledge this in general; they think it right to avoid things which ftrengthen our corruption, and grieve the Spirit of God; but then not conceiving this with any fufficient exactnefs, they think that an abftinence from grofs fin is a fufficient fecurity.

BUT let fuch people confider, that the corruption of our nature is like any other bodily illness, that ne

ver keeps at one ftand, but is either increafing or abating by every thing that we do.

A dropfy or a gangreen is not only increafed by drunkennefs or diforderly indulgences, but receives conftant ftrength by all little indulgences that fuit with

it.

Now the corruption of our nature is an inbred diftemper, that poffeffes us in the manner of a dropfy or gangreen; if we give into notorious fins, we be. come flaves to this corruption, and are straitway dead in fin.

BUT tho' we keep clear of fuch great offences; yet if we indulge, or allow ourselves in fuch practices as fuit with the corruption of our nature, we as certainly nourish a flow death, and deftroy ourselves by degrees, as a man in a dropfy, who abftains from drunkenness, yet allows himself in fuch ways as will not fuffer his diftemper to abate.

Now as little allowances that continually increase a diftemper, will as certainly in time make it mortal, as if it had been urged on by violent methods; fo hittle indulgences, which increafe the corruption of our nature, as certainly tend to a fpiritual death, as other more irregular methods.

It is therefore abfolutely certain, that our self-denial is to be as univerfal, as the means of our corruption; that it is to lait as long as our disorder, and is to extend itself to every thing and every way of life that naturally increates it; and this, for as neceffary a reason, as a man in a dropfy is not only to abftain from drunkennefs, but from every indulgence that increases his distemper.

A STATE of regimen therefore, that is, a ftate of holy difcipline, is as neceffary to alter the diforder of our nature, as it is neceffary to remove any distempered habit of body.

LET it be confidered, that the corruption of our nature is but very weakly reprefented, by comparing it to thefe distempers; that they rather exprefs the

manner

manner of its cure, and the neceffity of labouring after it, than fet forth the degree of the disorder.

FOR a man in thefe diflempers may have only fome part affected with them; but the corruption of our natures is as extenfive as our natures: it is the corruption of every faculty and every power; it is blindness in our understandings; it is vanity in our wills, intemperance in our appetites; it is felf-love, anger, luft, pride and revenge, in our paffions; it is falfenefs, hypocrify, hatred and malice, in our hearts. Now all this, and more than this, makes the miserable corruption of human nature.

So that it is as neceffary that our lives be a state of regimen, that we live by fuch rules as are contrary to this variety of disorders, as it is neceffary for a man under a complication of habitual distempers to enter into a course of regularity.

I SUPPOSE it will be readily granted, that all tempers are increased by indulgence, and that the more we yield to any difpofition, the ftronger it grows; it is therefore certain, that self-denial is our only cure, and that we must practise as many forts of felf denial, as we have ill tempers to contend with.

PRIDE, hypocrify, vanity, hatred and detraction, are all diforderly indulgences, and have their only cure in felf-denial, as certainly as drunkenness and fenfuality.

To deny one's felf all indulgences of pride and vanity, all inftances of falseness and hypocrify, of envy and fpight, requires greater care and watchfulness, and a more continual felf-denial, than to avoid the motives to intemperance.

AND he that thinks to render himself humble any other way, than by denying himself all inftances of pride, is as abfurd as he who intends to be fober without abftaining from all degrees of intemperance. For humility as truly confifts in the practice of things that are humble, as juftice confifts in the doing things that are juft.