never intended them, and learn to refine upon Vice, from the very Ideas raised in the Mind, by thofe, who only defign these for their Inftruction and Amend-. ment. It fhall fuffice me therefore, upon this occafion, to remark, that the Sanctification, required by the Apostle, is a Virtue, extending to Mind and Body both That all Gratifications of our flefhly Defires, out of the way of lawful Matrimony, whether committed upon and with Others, or even our own Perfons, are unlawful Acts: That the Chaftity imply'd in a fingle State, requires a total Abftinence from them all: And that of a married Life is not at large from all Reftraints, but expects fuch Moderation and Temper, as may preferve the Ends of Matrimony; continue it, what it was intended for, a holy and an honourable State; a Remedy, not an Incentive: That, not only actual Commiffions, but obfcene Language, lafcivious Looks, impure Thoughts indulged, immodeft Behaviour, pampering and luxurious Diet to inflame our felves, induftrious Endeavours to kindle thofe Fires, and attract first the Eyes, then the Defires, of Others, all coquettry and affectation in Dress, or Deportment, which have a tendency that way; thefe too come within the Compafs of Uncleannefs. And, though they mifs of the Effect, are rendered guilty by the Intention. Matt. v. 18. The lefs capable this Subject is of being conveniently treated by Our Teachers, the more exact and curious it becomes private Perfons to be, in the Examination of their own Confciences concerning it. Efpecially, fince the Apoftle hath used fuch preffing Motives, in the Scripture now before us, by faying, that our Sanctification is the Commandment of the Lord Jefus, and the Will of God; that the contrary Affections are the Scandal of the Gentiles, who know not God; that Chriftians are called, not unto uncleanness, but unto Y Ver. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. boliness; boliness; and that any of thefe, who behave them felves unfuitably to that Call, draw down Vengeance upon their own Head, and defpife God and the Holy Spirit be bath given us. The fum of all which Paffages may be reduced to this, That Sins of Uncleannefs, in particular, are a high provocation to Almighty God, that they forfeit the Privilege, and defeat the Ends of, and derive the greatest Scandal and Difhonour upon, our Chriftian Profeffion. Heb. xii. 14. IO. Colof. iii. 6. 1. How high and grievous a Provocation these are to Almighty God, is evident, from the many fevere Threatnings, denounced against them in the New Testament. Thefe declare, that without Holiness no man fhall fee the Lord; that this is a Bleffing referved for the pure in heart; that neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, nor the Effeminate, nor the abufers of themselves with mankind, fhall inherit the kingdom of Chrift and of God: That because of these things his wrath cometh upon the children of disobedience; that fuch God will deftroy, and that, by reason of these vile Affections, God fuffered the very Heathen, who indulged them, to quench their Natural Light; and gave them up to the most infamous, and unmanly, and abfurd Lusts and Wickedneffes. 2. Among the Privileges of Chriftianity, none are more valuable, none more effential to our Salvation, than thofe of our Union with our Myftical Head Chrift Jefus, and the Prefence and perpetual affiftance of that bleffed Spirit, whereby this Union is effected and preferved. But, by the Inordinacy of thefe Lufts, we feparate our felves from Chrift, we take the Members of Him, our Bodies, and make them Members of Harlots. Thofe Bodies, which are confecrated to his Ufe and Service, and are become living Temples of the Lord, by his Holy Spirit inhabiting there, we thus prophane, and facrilegioufly 1 Cor. vi. 15. 1 Cor. iii. 1 Cor. vi. 18. legiously alienate to vile and polluted Ufes. Thus we at once difhonour the Deity, and the Body, in which, as in the Tabernacle of old, he chofe to make his gracious Refidence. This is probably conceiv'd to be St. Paul's meaning, at the 8th Verfe here. The contemptuous Treatment, and horrible Indignity fuch People are guilty of, to that Spirit, beftowed upon. every Chriftian, at his Baptifm. So that, as thefe Vices have the peculiar aggravation of being Sins against our own Bodies, they are likewise attended with that other, of defpifing, affronting, and driving away that Bleffed Spirit and his Grace, which, being a Spirit of Difcipline and Purity, will not abide in thofe filthy Dwellings, where fuch Unrighteousness comes in, and takes Poffeffion. A very weighty Confideration, to deter us from such Wickedness, as, by proftituting our own Perfons, proftitutes the Honour of God at the fame time; and runs fo manifeft a rifque of abandoning us to the most profligate and pernicious Courfes, and delivering up our Souls to the uncontrouled Malice and Tyranny of the Devil. 3. The Ends of our Chriftian Profeffion are manifeftly defeated by thefe Lufts and Practices. For fo much is imply'd, Verfe 7. God hath not called us unto Uncleanness, but unto Holiness. The main defign of Religion is, as I have already had occafion to obferve, to make us like God. If therefore the Gentiles, who knew not God, gave themselves up to work all uncleanness with Greedinefs, the wonder is not fo great, the Crime not near fo great; because owing to thofe false, and corrupt, and extravagant Notions of the Divine Nature, which, by fuch Ignorance, had obtained in the World. For, how fhould they frame themfelves aright, who never understood the Model they were to frame by? But the Chriftian Faith gives us juft and true Notions, of God, and of our Selves. By teach ing us, that he is a Spirit, perfect and pure, removed far above all thofe Paffions, which, by being joyned to mortal and material Bodies, we feel Our Spirits fubject to. That this Conjunction fets us, as it were, upon the Confines of the Spiritual and Material World; and produces a perpetual Conflict, between the Affection proper to a Rational Soul, in which we refemble God; and those of a Senfitive, in which the Brutes feem to carry fome resemblance of Us. Confequently, the more we give way to Senfuality; the lower we fink our Selves, and remove at a ftill greater diftance from God. And, the only Courfe we can take, to raise and get nearer to Him, is by trampling down, and keeping under, thofe Defires and Paffions, which the Condition of the Flefh, we carry about with us, kindles and cherishes to exalt and refine our Souls, by fixing them upon Objects, that are fuitable to the Immortality of their Nature, and approach to the Perfections of Him, whofe Image and Character they bear. In the compaffing this End, we are favoured and forwarded, not only by that more perfect Understanding of God and his Excellencies, which the Gofpel helps us to, not only by that better Sense of the Dignity of our own Nature, which the Doctrines of it infpire; but alfo by that profpect of our true and perfect Happiness, the Discovery and the Affurance of thofe pure and Spiritual Joys, in a State, for which we were created; and to which we muft afpire, by fuch difpofitions, even in this Life, as may make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. How neceffary a preparation for that Blifs fuch a temper and turn of Mind must needs be, hath been formerly faid. And I need not add, that, if fuch be our Cafe, the End of Christianity must be utterly loft and defeated, by the Vice I am treating of. It being manifeft to daily Obfervation Epift. for the Sixth Sunday after Epiph. and and common Senfe, that the Lufts of Uncleanness indulged do, perhaps above any other Sin, eftrange the Heart from God, create a difrelifh of every thing that is Holy and Good, darken the Understanding, vitiate the Will, debafe the Spirit, wafte the Confcience, quench the Motions of Grace, produce first a Neglect, then a Contempt of Religion, deftroy and deface all Principles even of Juftice, and Honour, and natural Modefty and Decency, make Men fubmit to the baseft Arts, for compaffing their filthy Purpofes; harden them in Impudence and Beaftlinefs, enervate the Mind, confume the Body; In a Word, they unman the One Sex, lay the Glory of the Other in Common, and make fuch Monsters of Both; that not only Revelation, but natural Reafon, condemns and acknowledges the deformity of thefe Sins: By covering them with Shame, and afcribing to them that most rightful Denomination of Vile and Dishonourable Lufts. Πάθη ατιμίας. This is but a fmall part of what might be faid, against a Corruption, the Indulgence whereof is fo far from confifting with the Character of Chriftians, that it scarce leaves us Men: So far from any likeness to the Great and Holy God, that the moft obfcene and deteftable Brutes are our Copy. My Subject leads me not fo directly to mention the Diseases of Body, the Ruin of Estates, the Confufion of Families, the indelible Stain and Reproach, which God in his just Judgment inflicts, and hath indeed made Natural Confequences, upon Uncleannefs. Well were it, if not only Thefe, but the many Publick and National Evils, drawn down upon whole Communities, were seriously laid to Heart on this occafion. All little enough for the Age we are fallen into, when fo many great Examples have given Countenance to this Vice, as, if it were poffible, almoft to erafe thofe Impreffions |
