are all but little enough, and it is well we can S ER M. XXIV. preserve our innocency when all is done.

Nor can it be any difparagement to the grace of God, but for the praise and glory of it, that it is powerful enough to prevail with men to put in practice all thofe means of virtue recommended to us in the holy fcriptures, and that it gives a bleffing and fuccefs to them in the attainment of virtue and holinefs. St. Paul who had miraculous degrees of the fpirit, and had vouchsafements and revelations beyond any they can pretend to, tells us it was his own practice to keep his body under, and bring it in fubjection. And to convince us how neceffary a means of virtue this may be, he adds this reafon for his fo doing, left, while he preached to others, he himself should be a caft away. Our Saviour who had the fpirit without measure, yet lived a life of constant severity, and felf-denial, and fasted forty days and forty nights, and bid his difciples watch and pray, that they enter not into temptation. And after the Holy Ghost had come upon them, fafting and prayer was their constant practice. And if after this, these perfons will think or fay, they have less occafion for mortifications and felf-denial than any of thefe, we muft leave them to their fpiritual pride, and, in the humility of our fouls, fet ourselves to the practice of what the wisdom of God hath thought neceffary

for

SER M. for us, thus through the Spirit to mortify the XXIV. deeds of the body.

And as we learn from hence the neceffity of mortifications and felf-denial, which the text fuppofes frequently to occur in the course of a christian life, fo we learn likewise the true limitation of them; how far they are to be esteemed and thought neceffary; and wherein the juft value of them lies; namely, as far as they are inftrumental to the prevention of a fin, or obtaining of a virtue; it is when our eye offends us we are to pluck it out, when it is the occafion of fin or hindrance of a virfor otherwife, where men over-value things of this nature, and lay too great a stress upon them, confidered in themselves without farther regard to the end or defign of them, they become foolish and fuperftitious.

tue;

By this mistake men lofe the end, and reft only in the means, as is manifeft and visible in the church of Rome; for to what purpose are all those whippings with fcourges, and lafhing of themselves; that pageantry of heathen cruelty? What means that fhunning of the converfation of the world in cloyfters; their pilgrimages, their antique fhavings, and frightful dreffes; their hair clothes; going barefoot, with eyes fixt on the ground, and all that strange variety of ill contrived penances; who requires these things at their hands? Our Saviour indeed bids us cut off our right hand, and pluck out our right eye when it offends, us (i. e.) to part

with the dearest enjoyment in this world, when S ER M. it is the occafion of a fin or the hindrance of a XXIV. virtue; therefore they will cut off a great many things which do not offend them, and fpare and cherish thofe things that do; in hopes that their penances fhall atone for the guilt of those fins they indulge themselves in; thus they pervert our Saviour's defign in this, as they do in all other respects; destroying the power of godlinefs, and turning all religion into air.

III. Another thing which is evidently implied in these words is, that there is no purging or expiation of a fin in another life; and that there can be no fuch place as purgatory, where by undergoing very acute pains, for a limited time, and enduring exquifite torture in proportion to the greatness of mens fins, or by the prayers of the church which are offered up for them; all their vitious inclinations are cured, and they perfectly cleansed from the guilt of all their fins, and in the very fame difpofition for heaven as if they had mortified and subdued all their finful inclinations in this life.

I fay it is plain from the text, how there is no fuch provifion made in another world, to fave men the labour of acquiring true virtue and holiness here; for there is a direct oppofition here made between the kingdom of God on the one hand, and hell fire on the other, a fire which never fhall be quenched; and the whole force of what our Saviour fays here de pends upon this fuppofition, that there is an

unavoidable

SER M. unavoidable neceffity of mens taking up with XXIV. one or the other, and that they are for ever to ✔

be determined by that choice they make in this world. Whereas upon the principle of the church of Rome in this matter, it is eafy to evade the force of the dilemma; namely, that we may keep both our eyes in this world, and yet enter into the kingdom of God through purgatory; it is only the being caft into a place where their worm will die, and their fire be quenched after a season, at least in respect of us who fhall be delivered out of it by the prayers of the faints upon earth.

But here we are taught, that men are under a fatal neceffity, either of entering into the kingdom of God, or of being caft into a fire which shall never be quenched; and that the final iffue of things in another world will depend upon our cutting off our limbs here, and plucking out our eyes, (i. e.) upon the effectual mortification of all our finful appetites and vitious inclinations, while we are in this world; now is the only time of putting ourselves into a pofture for heaven; and if we flip this short fpace of life, we shall never have another opportunity afforded us in all eternity.

And yet how contrary is the doctrine of the church of Rome to this plain and express doctrine of our Saviour, which teaches us, that in cafe men do flip their time here, yet there is a farther remedy hereafter; another way of being purged from their fins, though more

painful

painful and troublesome than that which is SER M here proposed to us: Upon which groundless XXIV, confidence people omit the practice of all thofe virtues and graces, that have any thing of trouble or uneafinefs in the attainment of them, and indulge their vices; fo ftrangely are men misled and deluded, by the opinion they have of others, contrary to their own sense and reafon For if they would freely use that measure of understanding they have, instead of obferving this plain exprefs doctrine of our Saviour, they would never give themselves up to the conduct of those who teach the very reverfe of this precept; and, by keeping their people in ignorance, do in effect take away both their eyes, and fend them blindfold into. that fire which fhall never be quenched.

4. Another thing I fhall obferve to you from these words is, that the only fure and effectual means of overcoming temptation is to cut off all the occafions and opportunities of finning, either to remove the temptation from us, or ourselves from the temptation; if we fuffer it near us, it is odds but it will gain upon the strongest and most fincere refolutions: And therefore, our bleffed Saviour who knew the infirmity of our nature, and the utmost of our ftrength, prefcribes us this as the only expedient in cafes of ftrong and dangerous temptations; to cut off and caft away from us any thing that offends us, and is the occafion of drawing us into a fin; and the reason why

the