~piritual [ erjeflion. l· Flclbly Lulls Ileal into <he Throne by degrees. An Excds of Wickednefs llril<es at firft fiO'ht with Horror. No Prodigal defign'd to wa{te a great Efta re in a day; ye t many0 from immenfe Riches have fall'n into e:aream Povert}' · This Expence is for his Pleafure, this for his Honourt this will not be ruinous; thus proceeding by degrees, till all be fquander'd away, he becomes voluntarily poor. An Imemperate Perfoo begins wirh Jclfe r mcafu~es , and is ~ot frc9uemly overtaken: Confcience for a rime refiHs, and fufpends t he enurcncfs of Ius confcnt eo the Tempta· ci on : He drinks too much for his T ime, fo r his Health and Ell ate, but he witl not to~ tally quench his_ Reafon :. Yet by ,de_grees he becomes hardned, ami free ly indulges his Appetite till he IS drown d _m Pe.run~on. . . A Lafcivious perfon begms With Impure Glances, temptmg Words and Aawns, and proceeds to .pnclean mi~turcs. . . . . • . . 4 • Scnfual Lulls llup1fy Confc1ence; they k1ll the Soul m the Eye,and e«mgUIIb the d1· rcEl:ive and reflexing Powers Wine 11nd V!' omen t11k~.::uv.c1 the H eart; cha t 'tis neither vigi l1nt nor tel:der. Challity and Temperance, pined with Prayer to the Father of Lights , clarify and brighten the Mind, and make it receptive of fanEl:ifying Truths; but ca_rnal predomi· nant Paffions fully and !lain the Underllandi ng by a natural Efficiency, and by a moral and meritorious Efficiency. When the Spi nts that are requilice for incelletl:ual opera tions, are walled for the ufeof <he Godr, the Mind is indi fpofed for the fevere exercife of Reafon. Although [he difpofit ions of the Body are not direttl y operat ive upon the Spirit, yet in their prcfent ftate of Union, there is_ a flrange fympathy between the Conflicution of the one, and the Conceptions and Inclwations of the other. Luxury and Lufi fallen a rull and foulnefs on the Mind , t hat it cannot fee Sin in i[s odious Deformity, nor Verrue in its unattaintable Beauty. They raife a thick mill that darkens Reafon, that it cannot difcern approach ing dangers. The J ud~carive Fa~ulty is by the righteous Judgment of God, impaired and corrupted, tbat 1t does ~at fcnouUf confider the defcem_ and ~onh of the Soul, its duty and accounts for all thmgs done m the l3dt1y; but as 1f the (. pirir in Man were for no orher ufe, but to animate the organs of Intemperance and Lufl , ~~~yfl~~~~~i~s [~ri;h~~~~~r~:, ~~~~ ~~C~~~~e;sfrer J~~; fa~~ ~~' ~~ ~~~;~tr\~~~hC~!~~~n~;, z:~~~~~Ut~.:r,, ~~~~ni:~~~:~~a~~e's t~e b~o~~~~~,c'j~e ~;e}~~~st~~ ~~~thr~~~tri~~~~rt~~n:vitt/ll~tu~r~o~l~~ ~;?::~~~~~;; jufr confequents of has Sm. 1 h~ Senfual are fccurc: f he effeas of Carna l Lufis we r~"'~'""t t.>u ru. vi fible in the darknefs of Heathemfrn. Ol'id . Lulls alienate 1he thoughts and de fires of the Soul from Converfe with God: His Jullice makes him terrible to the Confcience, and Holinefs dillartfu l to the Alfe8ions of the unclean. We read of the l{Tittllles, they were fo greedy of the Onions and Garlick, and Flelb-pots of E;upr, tbat they defpifed tbe Food of Angels ; the Manna that dropp'd from Heaven . · Till the Soul be defecate from the_ dregs of Senfe, and refin'd to an .Angehck Temper, it can never tajle how good the Lord ts , and wiU not for fake fenfua l Enjoyments. The_ co,nverfion of the Soul proceeds from the inlightened Mind, and the renewed Will, rav1fh d with DIVIne Delights that over~ome all the Pleafures of Sin. Th ere are, for our camion, recorded in Scripture, two fearful Examples of the inchaot· ing Power of Lull. Sampfon imiced by his Lu)l,became a voluntary Have to a wre tched Harlot, tha t fir lt quench'd <he Light of his Mind, and then the Light of his Body, and expos'd him to the cruel [corn ol hiS Eqemies. Solomon by indul ging his fenfual Appe· tite, loll his Wifdom, and was mduced by h1s Idolatrous Concubines, to adore Stocks and Scones; and became as very an Idol as thofe he wodhipp'd, tbt h4"TJe EJes andfu • »ot, Ean .nd l1t4.r not: He rebell'd againfl: God, who had made him the riche ft: and wife!! King in the \V orld, 2nd miraculoufly revealed his Goodnefs to i:im. Dreadful Confequcnce of Senfuahty! 5· There is a fpec ial Reafon that makes the recovery of the fenfual io Sobriety and Purity_, to be almo.ll impoffible. _The i~ternal Principle of Repentance, is the in lighrened Confc1ence, refleamg upon paft: Sms, w1th hearr.brcaking farrow and detella tion. This is declared by God concerning Tfrati; Thr!J {ball 7e remtmht r 7our rvil WaJr, 4nd your do E::k. 36.) r. in~s n~t $!Cod, andjbAII loath your [tlvts in_your Oll'll fight, for JOitr iniquitiu , and ;onr 6b0 mrna!ton~ . The bitcer remembrance of ~ 10 is the firft flcp eo reformation. Now there are no S1nners more averfe and uncapable of fuch refl eitions, than cha fe who ha ve been ~m mers'd in the Ueli ghcs of Senfe. The unclean \Vretch rew.cmbers the charmina Ob· JeEls, and exercife of his Lulls with Pleafure; and when his inftrumental Fac!..l!ti~s arc d!fable? by Sicknefs .or. Age , for the ~rofs aas, he repeats them in his Fancy, renews IllS Guilt, and the s.n IS mnfpl antcd lrom the Body to the Soul. The intemperate Perfa~ remernbcr.s with delight tl~e wilCJ Society wherein he has been engaged, t he rich \Vmes whcrem he qucnch'd lm Cares, the ungracious Wit and Mirth that made the D d d d z hours
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