SERM.

And he teaches us here how much it conXXIV. cerns us to undergo fome trouble and uneafinefs, and quit fome prefent pleasure or profit, in order to virtue and holinefs. For it is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be caft into hell fire. So that here we have these two things,

ift, The hardship and difficulty of virtue on one fide, laid against the joys of heaven on the other.

And,

2dly, The pleafures of fin in this life are compared with the torments of hell hereafter.

In each of thefe I carried on the comparison, and fhewed the great difproportion between them, and confequently the folly of those who take up with the prefent pleasures, and decline the trouble and uneafinefs of virtue. From thence I proceeded to confider the two aggravations of those infernal punishments fignified here, by that of their worm not dying, and their fire not being quenched.

And therefore, having already spoke to what was more exprefly contained in the words, and more immediately intended by our Saviour who spoke them; because they seem to be of farther ufe and inftruction to us all, I fhall here make fome of thofe obfervations and inferences, which follow eafily from them.

I. The first thing I fhall obferve to you from the words is, the great condefcenfion there is to the frail condition of humanity,

even in the strictest and most severe precept ofS E R M. chriftianity; for by our Saviour's giving the XXIV. inftance of mortification and felf-denial, in cutting off only one of our hands, and plucking out but one of our eyes, he well fignifies here, that in order to virtue, and the graces of the Gospel, it is not neceffary that we quite extinguish all our natural inclinations and appetites, but that we moderate and reftrain them within the due bounds of nature and religion. So that our business is not utterly to deftroy, but to rectify them; and this feems to be the reafon of that emphasis laid upon this expreffion, as it is in St. Matthew, If thy right eye offend thee, which is an ufual form of speech, to exprefs how dear and valuable a thing is to us, and it imports thus much, that though a finful manner of gratifying our natural inclinations fhould appear more agreeable and pleasant to us, than what our religion hath prescribed, yet we are to check and curb them, and give way to them no farther than is confiftent with the law of God.

Were it indifpenfably required from us, to cut off both our hands, and pluck out both our eyes, (i. e.) fo to deface and abolish all the inclinations and appetites of nature, that there fhall be no remains of them left, it were indeed a very hard faying, and who could bear it? This is utterly impoffible to flesh and blood, for many of them are part of ourselves, and wholly to root them out would be fo far to destroy

N 3

SER M. deftroy our being; fo that if this were the XXIV, meaning, we might all afk who then could be faved?

But the Gofpel propofeth to us, only, the rectifying all thofe tendencies of body or mind which follow our being; to curb and restrain them from thofe exceffes, which they were not originally made for. So that as the Gofpel is calculated for the truth and purity of reason, fo it is for the firft frame and difpofition of nature; though it is from God, yet it is a religion for men; and at the fame time it raifes us to an imitation of the divine perfections, it doth it by condefcenfion to the weakness and infirmities of man.

It gives way to the innocent gratification of our natural appetites and inclinations, and there is room left for an innocent enjoyment of all the bleffings of this life. So that the ends both of nature and religion may be answered; and in cafes.even of the greateft extremity we are to confult our health and safety; if they perfecute us in one city, we may flee to another, For are we commanded not to be angry, but not to fin when we are fo, and the state of marriage is not only permitted to avoid fornication, but commended and faid to be honourable in all.

And therefore thofe libertines who give way to their lufts upon that principle, and argue the unreasonableness of chriftianity from this toFick, as if it's precepts were a direct contra

diction

diction to nature, and therefore required what SER M. was unreasonable and impoffible; they do it out XXIV. of ignorance of the true nature of virtue, and V temper of evangelical holinefs; which may be acquired without bereaving ourselves of all worldly fatisfaction, and confifts in moderating our bodily appetites, reftraining the inclinations of our minds, and keeping them within compass, and by governing our paffions, and exercifing them on proper and worthy objects.

And this is one thing which diftinguishes Christianity, and makes it differ from all other religions, which do commonly run into thefe extremes either of giving a loose to all mens natural appetites, and driving men on to extreme riot and excess in them, or else to such degrees of restraint as defeat the ends both of nature and religion; infomuch, that their greatest strains of virtue are an unreasonable force upon the mind.

II. Another inference I fhall make from these words is, the great neceffity of mortifications and felf-denials in order to a good degree of virtue and holiness; the words of the text do plainly fuppofe there are some temptations fo ftrong, and importunate, that there is no dealing with them any other way; and that they are unconquerable without using such hardships and severities to ourfelves, as are here expreft, by cutting off a band, or plucking out an eye: For though christianity doth not oblige us to any unnatural violences upon ourselves, yet, the conditi

SER M. on of our infirmity is fuch, and our vitious inXXIV. clinations are fo head-strong and violent, that

they will hardly ever be brought under and fubdued, without fome methods of feverity, and such restraints as give us much uneasiness and regret.

It hath been the practice of fome people, to decry all mortifications and felf-denials in any inftances whatsoever, which they do by magnifying the grace of God, as if this were powerful enough to renew us thoroughly in body and foul, to heal all the diftempers of our corrupted nature, and fet us right in all our inclinations and appetites; and they have improv'd this notion fo far as to flacken all human endeavours, and bring the neceffary means of virtue and holiness into contempt, fo that even fafting is looked upon as an useless work of fupererogation.

I must confefs if they could approve themfelves to be holy in all refpects, without any thing of this nature, and found that they were ftrictly upright, and could acquire the virtues of meeknefs and charity, of temperance and chaftity, and devotion, without giving themfelves this needless trouble, they would effectu¬ ally confute both us and the fcripture, which frequently recommends thefe methods of feverity and felf-denial. They are men of like infirmity with ourselves, and we trust we have the fpirit of God as well as they, and they, and yet our own experience fufficiently convinces us of the neceffity of using those means of virtue, they

are