Iittrodu&, before tbegiving ifthe Law. Ghap. z 8. ì7 ethwith us to the worlds end, and wherewith We are daily baptized ; for as fire fcoureth and cleanfeth Metal from drofs, fo doth the Spirit of God the filthof our Souls. St. Augxffinefaith, Spiritus Sanlfi opus eft, &diligentes fanbíifcare, & fanaos r Thef.4.;r9; cuilodire, to keep us, aswell as to makeus holy; But becaufe theSpirit and firemay be quenched, there is another matter added to John r 4. ;. feed ir, The co-operation of the word, Te are clean through the word, faith our Savi. - our : the hearing of the word is acleanfer too, it cleanfeth .like niter or fullers earth. The daily applying of the word checketh that which is amifs in us, and cleanfeth our g corruption. By this the Spirit purgethus both within and without : for outwardlyMat.t3. z4., we mull be clean too, or elfe we comethort of a Scribe or Pharifee, for he maketh clean theoutride, 1319:' But the inward cleanfing,wafhing of the heart and fpiritisfpecially for Chriftians ,nxod.r9.r4: becaufeout of the heart cometh all uncleannefs ; and ifno concupifcence were, there would be no iffue at all fo that he that can fcour the Soul, fhall have no iffue. In this Chapter of preparation it is faid, Be ready againff the thirdday ; come not at your wives; which Teems to bean addition toGods Commandment, and acounfel given by Mofes; not that this was unlawful, or didpollute, but becaufe it was in- convenient at that time, and might perhaps have endangered them froin'being fo clean as they fhould be. TheJews report, that befide the Law of God, the molt antient faYing among them (that is, of fuch as they called Diiëa Sapientum, theSayings of Wife..men)was fncitecircumfcriptionemlegi, make alimitation to the Law. As when God command- ed the lfraelites not to enter Leagueor Covenant with the Gentilcs,they (becaufe they Deut.7.2.. would be forenot to offendagaiult that Precept) would not fo much as keep compa- ny with them, nor drink with them. And lob (whereas the Commandtment was, not Job. al. I. to covet another mans wife) made a covenant with his eyes, and not fo much as thought upon a maid. So Saint Paulin the Chapter, which is called the Chapter of r Ccr.7. Expedience, confeffeth, that itis lawful to marry, yet it was better to forbear in that time of perfecution; he made a hedge about the Law, abridging the lifeof a lawful thing, that they might not fall into unlawful. Now God forbiddeth none ofthere itt any place of Scripture : It was not unlaw- ful todrink withunbelievers, nor to look upon a maid, nor to marry. Yet we fee their co_:;nfel and Mofes here, Come not atyourwives. This teacheth us agood point of wifdorn, not to go too near the edge of theBank, left we fall into the ditch, not to come too near the pit, left we flip in. And the ground of the equity of this Command brings in a third reafon, to thew that we have needof inward cleanfing. A clean thing may be defiled, not only by, an unclean thing, but by a thing that is not of as high a nature and degree as it felt, that is, not as good as it, though it be clean. As a holy thingbeing touched with that which is not as good as it felf, is unhallowed. if onebearholy fief!) (its the Prophets bag.z.rri O eIlion) in the dirt of his Garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oyl, or any meat, (hall it be holy I. And . the PrieJls anfwered, No. And Ifa. r.az, the Prophet Efay tells usof two things to the famepurpofe. s. That theirlaver be. came drofs; and their wine was mixt with mater. Now the drofs dcfileth the fil- ver, becaufe it is nought, but waterdefilethiwine, becaufe itis not of fo-good a na- ture as it felf. So is brafs with gold. So we, if we fet our Souls upon inferior things, andearthly, make a mixture ; and though theybe not unclean, nay; though they be lawful; yet there will he a pollution. And in what refpelt it conies to defile, the Heb.tz.r: Authorto the Hebrews fhewcth, and snakes a diftinflionç telling us, that we muff not only forbear fin that belesa us, but altolay aliideever-weight that hinders us in r Cor.6. ra; our Chriftian race. This weight is not properly fm, bur an -impediment,and becaufe it hindreth, it mutt be laid afide. He argues thus. MI things are Iawful,but all things are not expedient Lawful things, when they hinder, muff not be ufed ; if lawful things begin once to beunexpedient, a Chriflian is not to ofe, but efchew them. By the ufeof indifferent things we are fometimes brought under their power, they be- come predominant over us : And therefore we arefo to ufe them, as that we come not underthepower of them, that we may forbear them when we will, and ufe them when we will. Though the ufeof Marriage be lawful, yet becaufeas St. Paul faith, it may bea hinderance to fatting and prayer, it is not tobe ufed or filch times as
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