minance of fome finful paffion or affection; SE R M. fuch as difcontentment at their condition; XXIX. want of faith, and distrust of God, and his promises to us through the merits of a crucified Saviour; or from fomething of that nature which they let grow upon them, till it takes full poffeffion of their minds; and thence it proceeds to the unreasonable scruples, and groundless fears and defpondencies, of a religious melancholy; whereas it was all at firft the fin of their fouls, which it was their businefs and their duty to have rectified in time.

And thus it is with thofe fplenetick pangs and agonies of the mind, which fome people describe to be fo grievous and terrible. This paffes currently for a distemper altogether of their body; whereas it is too often the fin of their fouls, and takes its firft rife from affections unmortified, and paffions too intently bent upon the things of this world: Sometimes from fear of fome misfortunes falling upon them in this world, they know not how nor when: But all fears unaccountable or groundlefs are finful. Sometimes from covetoufnefs, or envy, or anger; nay, fometimes from malice, and want of opportunity of revenge: Sometimes from ambition, and a clofe intention of the mind upon worldly schemes and projects. When thefe, or any thing of this nature faftens upon the mind, fo as to grow troublesome and uneafy to a man in his retirement, then it gets the name of a disease, and then it is a ready excufe for fin; it is at last

SER M, indeed a bodily diftemper; for the continuance
XXIX. of any of these affections does operate upon

the body till it grows into an habitual infirmi-
ty: This again infects the mind, and then in-
deed the help of phyfick is neceffary to work
the cure.
But it is very often laid upon the
body, when the diforder is in the mind; and
is in truth a predominance of fome finful pas-
fions and affections, and a want of thofe evan-
gelical graces, which, if rightly improved, would
fettle and compose the mind.

Now as to another life, how far unmortified
affections and lufts will contribute to the mise-
ry
of the damned, is impoffible to conceive;
but that they will do fo, is more than probable
from thofe fad effects we see of them in this
life. And I take this to be the very reafon of
the precept of crucifying them; because the
wisdom of God doth fee, that otherwise they
will render us eternally miserable; for certain-
ly damnation and mifery in another world,
will follow by a neceffity more natural and in-
evitable, than is generally thought.

It is obferved, that when the health and vigour of the body decays by age or infirmity, all its appetites that have been habitually and immoderately gratified, leave fo deep an impreffion on the mind, that they remain there to the laft, in full ftrength, and become then more infuperable than when they were in the body. And if the defilement of fleshly lufts, can thus taint the very mind and confcience even in this life, it is more than probable that the

wretch

wretch will carry them all to another world SER M. with him. And what a deplorable condition XXIX. of foul must that be, when he hath no power left for gratifying his appetites to the things of this world, and hath not the leaft inclination or defire for the things of another; when he hath nothing now to expect, but the time when all the great variety of lufts and paffions in human nature, fhall revive again, and render him fit company for those infernal fiends; of whom we can form no conception now, but under the fimilitude of a body racked and distorted with raging lufts and furious paffions? It is no wonder that libertines and fenfualifts when they come near their end, are obferved to cling to this world, loath to let go their hold; and catch at every little hope of life, as a drowning man would at a bulruth; and furely they must have no flight notion of what the torment of infatiable lufts and raging paffions in another world muft be, who run the hazard of everlasting burnings, rather than undergo the pain and anguish of denying the gratification of them in this life.

On the contrary, if we perfift with refolution and conftancy in crucifying these affections and lufts, till we get intirely the command of them, it is the most glorious conqueft in the univerfe. Our whole nature is then put into a posture and difpofition for that glorious change at the laft day; for the mighty power of God to carry on that improvement, wrought by the affiftance of his grace

SERM. in us here, to inconceivable degrees of perfecXXIX. tion. This brings us to that heavenly temper

that will one day render us fit conversation for those celestial fpirits, who are in their first make framed to love, joy, peace, and all those gentler paffions of the mind, which we with fo much pains attain to here below, and will qualify us to be partakers of their bliss.

When a man hath arrived to this heavenly temper, fo as to be perfectly difengaged from this world, and his affections all bent towards another when he is a-thirst for God, and all the defires and longings of his foul are towards him, then he hath laid a foundation for peace; peace with God; with all good men here; with faints and angels hereafter; for eternal eafe and quiet, and everlafting peace in himfelf.

And may with an humble confidence fay with St. Paul, Gal. ii. 20, I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; yet not 1, but Chrift liveth in me: And the life which Inow live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

SERMON

SERMON XXX.

The great neceffity of purity.

JAMES iii. 17.

The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify.

N

OTHING hath done Christianity more SER M. harm, than that humour which hath XXX. more or lefs prevailed in all ages of the church, of refining upon its doctrines, and making them more mysterious and spiritual than they really are. As far as they are defigned to have an influence upon our lives, nothing can be more plain, and eafy, and intelligible; nor better fitted for the encouragement of virtue, and utter fubverfion of all degrees of vice and wickedness, when they are confidered and urged with that fimplicity they were first delivered. But by this means men take off the edge and power of the Gofpel; they turn it all into air and notion; so that instead of being a

rule