~piritual PcrJeflion. wa~ dw w1fc Advice of PJ·rrhm, to thofe whom he inClruCled in the Art of Defence Th~tt thq tPould nor be Angr}: For Anger .'l'Otlld m~ke them ~4b, 11n_d·expo[t them to their Ad: ar· verfary . H e thar lullh not Rt4/e over hH own Sprrit, is IJ!:e a CltJ brokm dcrvn, And with· our WaDs; and confequently expofed to Rapine aod Spoil by every Enemy. Satan hath an eaf;r entrance into them, and brings along with him a train of Evils . \Ve are there· fore directed to watch againft Anger, and not to gi'V_t place to tl:e lJevii, Eph. 4· Confi. dcr how honourable it is to pafs by an Offence: ,Tts a royalty of Spirit; an imitation of God, in whofe Ejt'.f the ornament of a muk and qrtiet Spirit is of greAt price. The greater <he Offence, <he greate r the Glory of pardoning it. How pleafdnt it is! The Soul is ~;;r(f~;;Z::a; ~t{d:d :~e P ~:~~:t~ - · ~sff~ai~~~.d 9f~~ h~! 1aeft ~f 3a ~lf~~ffi~~;:eH;;;~~~}' t~~n¥~~~fet~~ Jn11w.. wef~.s Peace. llefides, let us frequently r~member our want of the Divine Compaffion: There ~;;;":~~~~,:;~ i~ no Man fo innoccnc, unlefs he a~foJu.cely. forgets that he is a Man, and his many Frai[. fp ·eoci.m••- ues, but defires that thecaure of hts L1fe, 111 the day of Judgment, may he tried by the fta '"P~~ .. I.Im Tnbunalof Clemency; for no Man can then be raved but by Pardon. ThedueConli- ~::~:~~~z:~ deracion of th\s wil1 make us more hardly provoked, and more eafily appeafed with thofe S:n. ae C!tm. who offend us. Let us pray for the defcent of the Dove-like Spirit into our Bofoms, to moderate and temper our Paffions. ft1ttl:nt{s is the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5· 22.. There is a Natural Meeknefs, the produll: of the Temperament of the Humours in the Body ; this is a rare Fdicuy: There is a Moral Meeknefs, the produll: of Education and Counfd; this is an amiable Vercue; There is a Spiritual MeeknefS, that orders the Paffions ac. cording w the Rule of the Divine Law, in conformity to our Saviour's Example; this is a Divine Grace, that attrall:s the efieem and love of God himftlf. This prepares us for Communion with the God of Peace here, and in Heaven. To obtain this excellent frame of Spirit, let us be humble in our Minds, and tempe· rate in our Afft:Clions, with refpeCt to tho!C things rhar are the incentives of Pa!Iion. The fa Ire valuations of our ftlves, and the things of this World, ' are the inward caufcs of finful Anger. Contempt and Difdain, either real or apprehended, and the crotling our deGres of worldly enjoyrnents, mAame our Breafts. Our Savwur rells us, he is mule JZnd low/7; and Meeknefs is joined with Temperance, as the produEl:ive and conferva. tive caufe of ir. He that doth not over·value himfelf, nor inordinately affeCl: temporal things, is hardly provoked, and eafily appeafed. 3· I will conuder the two other vicious Affections, joined by St.:fohn with the Lufis of the FleG1, the Lufi of the Eyes, and Pride of Life; from which we mufi be purged, or WC are uncapable of the bletTed relation of God's Children, and of his Favour. The infamous CharaCter of the Cretiam , is proper to the ambitious, covetous and voluptuous; That rhq •re evil l t.jls, ••d jlor...htUies. Covetoufnefs is a diffufive Evil, that corrupts the whole Soul. 'Tis radically in the Underfianding, principally in the Will and AffeEl:ions, vcrtually in the Aaions. t. 'Tis radically in the Underfianding. Men are firfi inchaoted in their Opinion of Riches, and then chained by their Affections. The Worldly-minded over-value Riches, · as the only real and fubfiantial Happinefs; the Treafures of Heaven, which are fpiritual and fururc, are ilighted as Dreams, that have no exiftence but in the imagination. They fee no convincing charms in Grace and Glory: the lufire of Gold dazles and deceives them ; they will not believe 'cis Dirt. Gold is their Sun and Slueld, that [upplies them with cbe moft dclireable good things in their ctleem, and prefi:rres them from rhe moll fearful Evils. Gain is their main defign, and utmofi aim: their contri· vances and projctl:s are, how to maintain and improve the ir Eftates ; and the moll plea· fant exercift: of their thoughts, is to look over their Inventory. 2. CovetoufnefS is principally in the Will, the place of its relidcnce; 'tis called, the ~ love of Monty : There is an infeparable relation between the Heart and its Trearure. We are dire8-ed, If Riches increa{e, {et_ not 7our Hrar~s upon them. -.' '!is obfe_rv~ble , that the eager defire ro · procure Riches, IS often fubord~nat e to other Vlctous AfteEhons, either (0 Prodigality or Pride. Prodigality excites to Rapine and Extortion, from the violent inotive of Indigence, that is its ufual attendant, and from the confpiri~g Lulls of Senfuality, which languilh , unlefs furnilh 'd with new fupplies and nounfhmenr. Or Pride urges to an exceffive procuring of \Vealrh, to maintain the fi~te a~d pomp of the vain-glorious. Now if rhcfe vicious Aff..:Cl:ions are correCted, the 1nordmace defirc of Riches will be fuddenly cured. But Covetoufoefs, in its proper feofe, implies the kekiog Riches for the_ love of them, not refpcaively eo their uf~. From hence 'cis rhe moll unre~fonable Affc;:(bon,_ and more inexcurabl'! than any that are derived from the carnal Appemes. Now Love JS the lead· ing Aff,aion, and produces, (1.) Immo·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=