SER M. of the new teftament is fo full of expreffions XXII. to this purpose; and that fuch an air of sadness and melancholy runs through the whole tenor of the Gofpel; because croffes, and pain, and trouble, do all of them break and suppress the 'vitious inclinations of the lower man; they quicken the mind, and make it exert all its ftrength and force: Whereas riches, and plenty, and quiet, make provifion for the flesh, to fulfil all the lufts thereof. And this is the reason why our Saviour fays, it is so hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven; because there are constant supplies of all objects, which gratify their fleshly defires; infomuch that it is next to a natural impoffibility for those who live in foftness, and ease, and pleasure, ever to gain an entire conqueft over the lower man.

And therefore, all those who live in plenty and eafe would do well to confider, that fince the providence of God hath exempted them from neceffary want, and croffes, and afflictions; how neceffary it is for them to supply the abfence of them with voluntary felf-denials and feverities upon themfelves, one way or other; for it is moft true that, through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of heaven.

How much felf-denials and mortifications are out of requeft, and undervalued by thofe very perfons, who fancy the grace of the Gofpel will difpenfe with the fins they commit with great reluctance, I need not mention;

becaufe

because though they are always uneafy atSER M. hearing the truth, yet they are never con- XXII. vinced. Fafting from fin, fay they, is the true faft; and denying our lufts, the beft felfdenial: Yes, if they could be fure of denying their fin, without ever denying themselves, that which is no fin. But of all people living fhall they have this in their mouths, who yield to their lufts in hopes of mercy, because they are too violent to be overcome; and at the fame time defpife this only effectual means of conquering them? Catch them in fuch a contradiction as this is, in buying and felling if you can.

But I am more concerned to take notice of the great neglect of these things, among thofe of our own communion. It is hard to tax the lightness of the age, after any manner, without the imputation of ill nature and fournefs: But if we must not upbraid people with their vices, yet I hope we may bewail the danger of their condition; fince it is almoft impoffible to reconcile all the modes of vanity and ufual gaiety of the world to chriftianity. That vain, and costly, and affected variety of drefs, fhews plainly that the mind is funk in flesh; and that notwithstanding some little appearance of a fashionable piety, yet, there is a manifeft want of the very life. and fubftance of religion. They that are after the flesh, fays St. Paul, do mind the things of the flesh; and they that are after the Spirit, the things of the fpirit: Which of thefe

SER M. two is their cafe, they must be blind that canXXII. not fee; it is a fure way of judging whether W or no they give way to thofe fleshly lufts that

war against the foul: And therefore, fince they thus fow to the flesh, they must expect of the flesh to reap corruption.

Our Saviour fays, if any man will be my dif ciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. Let him not wait for afflictions, and troubles, and croffes; but take it up of his own accord, by many inftances of felf-denial, and the frequent exercifes of feverities upon himself. And St. Paul tells us, he fought not as one that beat the air; because be kept his body under and brought it into fubjection; and indeed all religion is but hypocrify without it. So that we fee what is generally mistaken for a degree of perfection in religion, is for the moft part a thing of indifpenfable obligation. And from hence we may fee the true value even of the greateft voluntary feverities, and retirements, and abnegations of the world; because they affect the maftery of themselves in a little time, and as it were all at once; which perhaps would not otherwife be compaffed in the courfe of many years: Though it must be confeffed, they commonly have this ill effect, that they puff men up with an opinion of themfelves; fo that they become haughty, and troublesome, and arrogant. I do not fay that thefe extraordinary degrees are matter of duty; but as much of them is necéffary as is required to vanquish these bodies of

ours, and bring them into abfolute subjection: SER M. And ftill the more we are mortified to our- XXII. felves and the world, the clearer and more affecting fenfe we shall have of virtue and holinefs; and the and the greater advances we shall make towards heaven and happiness.

Let us therefore fet ourselves to the work of renewing our nature, and purging it from all this drofs and corruption; let us offer up our prayers to almighty God for daily fupplies of grace, that the fpirit of God may work together with our fpirit, that it may obtain an intire victory over the lower man; and let us omit no means of doing this; let us in this conteft give the mind fair play; let us hearken to its dictates, and cherish all its motions; let us give it all the helps we can; affift and encourage it, by cutting off all fupplies of the lower man; and let us maintain the ground it gets by conftant perfeverance, till by degrees our bodies become a living facrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.

I must confefs there is a great deal of trouble and uneafinefs in the work; and it will cost many a fore conflict before it comes to this; and little do thofe people know, who never tried heartily, what a difficult thing it is to be intirely and fincerely good; all the means we can ufe is little enough. Let us therefore be content to be reftlefs and uneafy for a-while; and then reft; eternal reft will follow. This little pain will be our fecurity from eternal tor

ments,

SER M. ments, and will purchase for us an exceeding XXII. weight of glory.

O! it will be a most glorious change, even in this life, when all the appetites and paffions of the lower man, by a holy violence and courfe of rigorous and voluntary feverities, are so tamed and intirely fubdued that they shall wait the motions of the mind; when it governs them with abfolute power, fays to one go, and it goes; to another come, and it comes; and can fay to the proudeft paffion, hitherto fhalt thou come, and no farther:

Then shall be effected the most wonderful change in nature; these two combatants fhall lay down their animofities, and kifs and embrace each other; thefe enemies, from the moft inveterate enmity, and implacable malice, fhall become the most intimate, dearest friends; they will live together here in a more than conjugal affection; till they depart hence in peace, and their next joyful meeting fhall be the refurrection of the juft; never to part again, and yet never to be weary of one another; never to fall out or difagree: There will not be the leaft jar nor fufpicion of one another left; but they fhall live in everlasting joy, and peace, and love.

This flesh, in which now there dwelleth no good thing, fhall then have nothing in it that is bad; that which is now fo full of ftubbornness and contradiction, fhall then clofe with the pure mind in all its motions; and what is now its load, and its prison, fhall then be its orna

ment,