order to become a new Lump, and to put off, concerning his former Converfation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lufts, and to be renewed in the Spirit of his Mind: And when he confiders, how difmal a Profpect is fet before him, if he continues his vicious Inclinations; but how bleffed and joyful an one, if he abandons and deftroys them: For this is a Decree, that fhould always be founded in every Chriftian's Ear, If ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but, if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live. And indeed, if we confider the prefent Depravation of our Nature, together with the Nature of thofe Felicities, which God has provided for us in a future Life, we fhall find it morally impoffible for us ever to attain the one, without endeavouring to correct or amend the other. Our future Felicity will confift in the beatific Vision of God and his Chrift, in the happy Society of Saints and Angels, and in fuch rational Pleafures and Employments, as the Beauty of the Object, and other Circumstances of the Place may be fuppofed to fupply. But now, allowing the Cafe, that all the great Hindrances of Impiety were removed; that God were fo eafy and indulgent as to pass by, in the other World, all the Affronts, that wicked Souls have offered him in this; yet fuch is the Incongruity between their Temper, and the Temper of Heaven, that he could not make them happy there, without either creating in them a new Heart, or creating for them a new Heaven. For alas! if we confider the Matter rightly, how could Souls of their Relifh and Complexion find a proper Employment for themselves in the Regions of Blifs? There are no Rivers of Wine to gratify their boundless Senfuality. No Parafite, to flatter flatter their Pride; no Miferies, to feed their Envy; no Mischiefs, to gratify their Revenge; but all the Felicities, with which that heavenly State abounds, viz. Praife, Love, and Contemplation, are fuch, that they would loath and naufeate them, as too pure and refined for their depraved Appetites; and not improbably, if they had their own Option, defire to flee to Hell for Shelter, and to Spirits of their own Depravity, rather than stay to be tormented in an Heaven fo incongruous to their Nature. And hence we may obferve, that, as neceffary as it is to obtain Heaven and avoid Hell, fo neceffary it is for us to crucify the Flesh, as the Apoftle speaks, with the Affections and Lufts; because God has reduced us to this fhort Iffue, either our Sins or our Souls muft die So that, unlefs we value eternal Happiness fo little, as to exchange it for the fordid trifling Pleasures of Sin; and unless we love our Sins fo well, as to ransom them with the Blood of our immortal Souls; it nearly concerns us, in the next Place, to fit us down, and confider a little, by what Helps and Inftruments we may best be enabled to fubdue them, Confidering the Infirmity of our Natures, and the many Temptations, we have to encounter ; how we are habituated to a fenfual Life, before we are capable of exercifing our Reason, and how much our Wills are biaffed, and led afide by our carnal Inclinations; it is hardly to be imagined, that we fhould ever be able to retrieve ourselves from the Power and Dominion of our Lufts, without fome fupernatural Aid and Affiftance. We want not indeed an Understanding, capable of diftinguishing between Good and Evil; nor is our Will fo far determined to Evil, as not to be able to comply with the Dictates of right Reason; we can deliberate what is beft to chufe, and chufe what we order to become a new Lump, and to put off, concerning his former Converfation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lufts, and to be renewed in the Spirit of his Mind: And when he confiders, how difmal a Prospect is fet before him, if he continues his vicious Inclinations; but how bleffed and joyful an one, if he abandons and deftroys them: For this is a Decree, that fhould always be founded in every Chriftian's Ear, If ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but, if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live. And indeed, if we confider the prefent Depravation of our Nature, together with the Nature of thofe Felicities, which God has provided for us in a future Life, we fhall find it morally impoffible for us ever to attain the one, without endeavouring to correct or amend the other. Our future Felicity will confift in the beatific Vifion of God and his Chrift, in the happy Society of Saints and Angels, and in fuch rational Pleasures and Employments, as the Beauty of the Object, and other Circumstances of the Place may be fuppofed to fupply. But now, allowing the Cafe, that all the great Hindrances of Impiety were removed; that God were fo eafy and indulgent as to pass by, in the other World, all the Affronts, that wicked Souls have offered him in this; yet fuch is the Incongruity between their Temper, and the Temper of Heaven, that he could not make them happy there, without either creating in them a new Heart, or creating for them a new Heaven. For alas! if we confider the Matter rightly, how could Souls of their Relifh and Complexion find a proper Employment for themselves in the Regions of Blifs? There are no Rivers of Wine to gratify their boundlefs Senfuality. No Parafite, to flatter -། Batter their Pride; no Miferies, to feed their Envy; no Mischiefs, to gratify their Revenge; but all the Felicities, with which that heavenly State abounds, viz. Praise, Love, and Contemplation, are fuch, that they would loath and naufeate them, as too pure and refined for their depraved Appetites; and not improbably, if they had their own Option, defire to flee to Hell for Shelter, and to Spirits of their own Depravity, rather than stay to be tormented in an Heaven fo incongruous to their Nature. And hence we may obferve, that, as neceffary as it is to obtain Heaven and avoid Hell, fo neceffary it is for us to crucify the Flesh, as the Apostle speaks, with the Affections and Lufts; because God has reduced us to this fhort Iffue, either our Sins or our Souls muft die So that, unless we value eternal Happiness fo little, as to exchange it for the fordid trifling Pleasures of Sin; and unless we love our Sins fo well, as to ranfom them with the Blood of our immortal Souls; it nearly concerns us, in the next Place, to fit us down, and confider a little, by what Helps and Inftruments we may best be enabled to fubdue them, : Confidering the Infirmity of our Natures, and the many Temptations, we have to encounter ; how we are habituated to a sensual Life, before we are capable of exercifing our Reason, and how much our Wills are biased, and led aside by our carnal Inclinations; it is hardly to be imagined, that we should ever be able to retrieve ourselves from the Power and Dominion of our Lufts, without fome fupernatural Aid and Affiftance. We want not indeed an Understanding, capable of diftinguishing between Good and Evil; nor is our Will fo far determined to Evil, as not to be able to comply with the Dictates of right Reason; we can deliberate what is beft to chufe, and chufe what we we find best upon Deliberation; but then we are like a Man ftanding between two contrary Roads, naturally indeed free to turn either to the RightHand or to the Left; but, on the Left-hand Way, there are so many Temptations, perpetually beckoning to us, and inviting us unto that which is evil, and our carnal Paffions and Appetites are fo ready, upon all Occafions, to yield and comply with them, that we fhould certainly attend to their Lure, did not the Holy Spirit, with very ftrong Arguments, importune us to turn to the Right-Hand Way of Virtue and Goodness. The great Principle then, which is to begin and conduct the Work of our Mortification, is the Spirit of God, operating upon our Minds, fometimes by the Arguments and Motives of the Gofpel; fometimes by external Providences, that excite us to our Duty; fometimes by the Aids and Affiftances of his Holy Angels; and many Times by thofe internal Motions and Suggeftions, which he himself immediately infufes. But, how great a Share foever this bleffed Agent may have in this Work, yet, fince we are enjoined to cleanse ourselves from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holinefs in the Fear of God, there is certainly fome Part of it incumbent upon us. As we are natu rally dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, we cannot indeed give the first Motions to our Minds, in the Business we are now fpeaking of; but, when once we perceive it given, we have the Means and Inftruments in our Power, that are proper to continue it, and, by the Bleffing of God, to bring it to Perfection. Upon any fudden Conviction of the Sinfulness of our Ways, we can fit ourselves down, and confider the Motives and Arguments, which our Holy Religion has provided us against the most pleasant and alluring, the most profitable and advantageous of our Lufts: When we have weighed |