14 Of Self- Denial. SE R M, effays in the way of felf- denying virtue will I. be painful to them. The * Prophet .7eremiah compares the impotence of mind to a& wor- thily, which is contrasted by vicious habits, to natural impoffibilities. As the Ethiopian cannot change his 'kin, nor the leopard his fpots, fo they who have been accu/iomed to do evil, cannot learn to do well: which, at lead, imports a very great difficulty. But even this difficulty is not altogether unconquerable. Strong virtuous refolutions, by the affifiance of divine grace, have got the better of very bad habits. The conqueft however cannot he obtained without a flruggle ; and they who will break off their fins by repentance, and return to the paths of righteoufnefs, muff lay their account to meet with pain and uneafi- nefs, efpecially at the beginning. To this imperfect mate of mens minds are accommo- dated the Scripture reprefentations of this duty, which defcribe it under the notions of mortEy- ing the deeds of the body and crucifying the fle/h with its afeëtions and lulls ±. Our Saviour ufes the figurative expreffions of plucking out the right eye and cutting f the right hand, which mean the fame thing with deny- ing ourfelves, only fignifying, that violence muff be done to vicious and worldly inclina- * Jer. xiii. 23. t Gal. v. 24. t Matt. v. 29. tions
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