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Mistress's Speech or Company; for it is faid, as The fpake to him day by day, that he hearkened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. It was for this Reafon amongst others, that St Paul advised the Corinthians to Excommunicate the inceftuous Perfon, 1 Cor. v. 6. Know ye not, fays he, that a little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump? Infinuating plainly the Danger of being infected with bad Company. Now,

This Duty of keeping out of the Way of Temptations, is very agreeable to the Spirit of Christianity on several Accounts.

(1.) As it is a Branch of Humility; one part of which confifts in a Diffidence of our own Skill and Dexterity, to manage ourselves in Times of Danger. It is always obferved in the Spiritual Warfare, that the weakest and most unexperienced are the moft confident, and moft apt to run upon Temptations. Peter, before his Fall, was very confident of his own Strength, and told our Saviour, that (a) though all should be offended becaufe of him, he never would be offended: And that though he should die with him, he would never deny him. And it is very probable it might be upon this Confidence, that when the reft fled he followed him still; not confidering the Dangers he was running upon. But afterwards he learned more Wit and Grace. All of you, fays he, be Jubject one to another, and be cloathed with Humility: for God refifteth the Proud, and giveth Grace to the Humble, 1 Pet. v. 5.

(a) Matt. xxvi. 33, 35.

VOL. II.

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(2.) This

(2.) This Duty of Declining Temptation and Keeping out of the Way of it, is most agreeable to Chriftian Prudence; we are commanded to be (a) wife as Serpents, and harmless as Doves. Now a wife Man feareth and departeth from Evil; fays Solomon, Prov. xiv. 16. And again, the Prudent Man (b) forefeeth the Evil and bideth himself, but the Simple pafs on and are punished. He would be thought a strange mad Man, who in worldly Matters should never confider the Danger of any Thing he went about. If in Time of the Plague raging in any City, a Man fhould not only continue to fojourn in it, but should likewise promifcuoufly go into all Houfes, without enquiring which were Infected, or which were Clear; he would be thought a very Imprudent, Rash Man; much more if he went into those Houses, where he had certain Information before-hand that the Plague was raging. So if a Man in Travelling were informed of a Party of the Enemy abroad, and that if he went fuch a Road, he should certainly fall into their Hands; would he not be thought an Imprudent rash Man, if he should thus needlefly run himself into the Mouth of Danger? Now in these Sins, which we have under our Confideration, it is certainly as great Imprudence to venture into dangerous Company, and to run into the Mouth of Temptation, as in those other Cafes.

(3.) This Duty guards us against another Sin very little confidered, the Sin of Tempting God; one great Branch of which Sin is the laying afide

(a) Matt. x. 16.

(b) Prov. xxii. 3.

the

the use of Means, and yet expecting that God should give us the Grace to refift Temptations.

2. The fecond Duty here enjoined under the Prohibition of Looking on a Woman to Luft after ber, is the Governing the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart, fo as in thofe Places where we must needs fee Women, yet it shall not be with any luftful Look, or Intention. The Former has a great Influence on This; the Avoiding all dangerous Opportunities has a great Influence on the Thoughts of the Heart, to keep them right. And the right fixing the Intention is a great Prefervative against irregular Wandring of the Thoughts, e. g. if when we are affembled for the Duties of God's Worship and Service, our Hearts are eager ly intent upon Devotion, or on the learning our Duty, this will be a good Means to keep out the Wandring both of the Eyes and Heart. This Duty chiefly condemns them, who give a Loofe to their wanton Defires, and frequent the Theatres, Balls, Frolicks and Rendezvoufes of Perfons of the other Sex, nay the very Churches, on purpose that they may feed their luftful Eyes, and may pander for their filthy Defigns. And though to palliate the many Undecent, Lafcivious Glances, and ogling Gestures, which are the Product of an impure Mind, fome may think to justify these Things, under Colour of an honourable setting out for Marriage; it is certainly a very dangerous Thing to harbour Luft on any Pretext, for if it is once admitted into the Heart, though upon a plausible and lawful Account, it will make the fame Havock and Destruction in difordering the Thoughts, as if it had no fuch Pretext for it's Entrance. It is Time enough for the Paffion to follow the Rules

of Duty, when it becomes a Duty. All too early Thoughts of what is at prefent the forbidden Fruit, whatever it may be afterwards, ought carefully to be Watched and Guarded, left the Heart should be difordered by the too early kindling in it fuch a Flame as, if given way to, would fubject. all to an ungovernable Luft. Several of the Fathers and of later Divines too, have been fo fenfible of the Importance of this Precept of our Saviour's, that they have utterly condemned all familiar Converfation between young Persons of different Sexes, and particularly all use of Plays, promifcuous Dances, and Interludes, in which there is more than ordinary Danger of these Luftfal Looks and Defires. But instead of driving Matters to any Extreme of Severity, we may fafely fay that every one who knows the Plague of his own Heart, ought carefully to judge of his Thoughts and Intentions, and unless he finds that he can Innocently make ufe of thofe Occafions and Divertisements, he had better abstain from them; for all the Pleasure of them is not to be laid in the Balance with the Sins, which in that Cafe will neceffarily attend them. But which is the best Course to avoid this, whether a great Strictness and Reservednefs, or an innocent Freedom, the World has mightily differed in their Opinions; the Eaftern, and divers other Countries, following the ftrict Way, and judging it best to keep their Females in great Retirement; and fome other Countries, particularly France and England, allowing the Ways of Freedom; but whatever there is in this, our Saviour's Rule, by which every one may know what Impreffions fuch Cuftoms leave in his Heart, is certainly the beft Way to

judge,

judge, and by which to govern our felves accordingly.

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3. And this leads me to the third Duty here pointed at; namely, though the Intention was right at first, yet not to truft it, but to keep it under fuch conftant good Government, that fo foon as the Looks or Converfation grows dangerous, we be ready to abandon it. For it often happens that a Converfation Innocently begun, yet in Time proves dangerous, and from Virtue degenerates into Luft; and when fo, the keeping of that Converfation comes to be the Vice defcribed in my Text, the Looking on a Woman to Luft after her. Here then the Duty of Chriftian Vigilance is abfolutely neceffary, to obferve the Danger, and to deny ourselves fuch beloved Converfation, as we find we can no longer keep up but by endangering our Innocence. The Subtilty of the Grand Enemy appears in nothing more than in this, that he not only makes use of ill Women to corrupt Mankind, and by their Means brings about Abundance of his mifchievous Defigns; but employs likewife Virtuous Women, nay, the very Virtues and other good Qualifications of Virtuous Women, to induce Men firft into a Friendship and Familiarity; and afterwards makes use of that very Friendship, towards corrupting of the Mind to wicked Thoughts and Purpofes. It is therefore given as a Rule by fome Spiritual Writers, that though we are to pray for all, and ufe a Civility to all, yet Perfons of different Sexes ought to avoid a Familiarity. But the right Medium in this Matter is to look diligently jato our own Hearts, and to carry Friendships and Familiarities no further, than they may be kept up

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