[ormterfeits of Mortification and Falfe appearances of tbe contrary. 271 9· 20. V J. Many .fltjh·plea[erf flatter themfclves wirh better titles, being deceived Dy fuch means as Counrc;fclts thcfe. x. Becaufe they are againll the doCtrine of Libertini{m, and hold as ttriCl: opiQions as any. But o_t Monilica: jltjh·plrafing may !land with the dullri.ne of mortiJication, and the firiGtefi opinions> as long as they arc tton. r.ot put in practice. 2 , Becaufc they live not in any grofs difgraced vice: They go not to Srage-playes, or unfeafonabty ro Ale-houfc~ or Taverns; they are not drunken, nor gamefters, nor fJ?end nor lheir hours in unnecetfuy recreations or paflirnes: They are no fornicators, nor wallow in wcalch. But the jltjh may be pleafid and ferved in a way that hath no difgrace accompanying it in the world ; May not a man make his eafe, or his profperity, or tj"le pleating of his apperice without any infamous excdTes, tO be as much his felicity and highcll end, and that which practically he rakerl1 for his Eeft, as wdl as if he did it in a {barneful way~ Is not many a man a glttttomus fiefh·ple4tr 1 that maketh his delight the highefi end of all h_is eating and dri~king; and pleafeth his. appetite. without any retiraint, but what his heal1h and.rtpHtation put upon h1m, though he eat not till he vomn or be fick? Even the jlej!J irfelf mayfo,bid a fenfualifl to bedr,.nl;_, or to earrill he be fick. Forjicl;_ntji andjhame aredifpleafing to the fldb. Many a man covereth a life of fenfuality, not only with a feeming temperance, unn·proved of men, but alfo with a feeming firiCl:ncfs and aufterity. But confcience might tell them, · , n·here they have their good thingr. Luke 16. 1 ro 3· Some think they are no fenfoal fie.fh·plea{eri, becaufe they live in confrant mifery, in poverty and want, labouring hard for thc:ir datly bread; and therefore they hope that they are the Lazarm's that havt: thtir fufferings here : But is not all this againfr thy WiU? Wouldll thou not fare as well as the rich, and live as idly, and take thy pleafure, if thou hadH: as ~uch as they? What thou wouldft do, that rhou d,11 in Gods accounr. It is rhy will that thou 01alt be JUdl\ed by. A Thief dorh not be– come a true man when the Prifon or Stocks do hinder him from Healing, but when a changed heart doth hinder him. 4· Orhers think that they arc no jlefh·pleaferr, becaufe their wealth, and plam, and degrm of ho– nour allow them to live high in dyet and delights. lrs like the Rich man, Luf<.t 16. who was cl~tbed TPith purple and fine linncn, and fared Jumptuo~tf/y every day, did live upon hH own, and as he thought agreeably to his rank and place: And the fool, Luk! J2• 19, 20. that faid, SoHl take thy eafe, eat, drin~ and be mtrry, did intend to pleafe himfelf but with hU own, which God had given him as a bldfing on his land and labour. But no mansRicheJ allow h:m to be vduptuous: The commands of .; taming and mortif.fotg the jltjh, and not living afttr it, nor makjng provifion for it, to [atiJjie it luJl-si belong as much to the riciJ as. to the poDr: Though you are not to live in the fame garb with ·rhe poor, you are as much bound to m"rtificationand [tlfdtnyal as the poorefi. If you are Richer than others, you have more to ferve God wich, but not more than others to ferve the fk{b with. Jf poverty deny them any thing w~ich might better enable their bodies or minds to fervt God, you may fo fat go beyond them, and ufc with thankfulnefs the mercies given you: But you mull no more be fle(h-ple.jirr rhan they. 5· And fame deceive rhemfclvts by interpofing fomcrimes a formal fall, as the flefhly Pharifec that fafted twice a wee/;_, Luke 18. 12. and then they think that they are no fcnfualifls. I fpeak nor of the Popifh failing wi1h Fi£h and Delicates, ( this is not fo much as a {hew of mortification) But what if you really fafi as oft as rhe Pharifees did, and quarrel with Chrifts Difciples for 110t falling, Mattb. 9· 14, 15. \Vill not a fenfua\jfi do as much as ~his, if his Phyficion require it for his health ? lf the fcope of your livts be ftcfhly, it is not the inte~ruption of a formal faH, that will acquit you t which perhaps doth but quicken your appetite to the next meal. §. 2 t. V 11. Yet many are wrongfully taken by others ( if nor by rhemfelves) to befenfual by F>lfe 'PP'~rfuch miilakes as thefe. I· Bc:caufe they live not as meanly and fcandy as the poor who want things am·~sof fen.. necdfary or helpful to their duty: But by that rule I mull not be well, becaufe other men are fick;. fu:1liry. or I mufi not go apace, becau(e the lame cat\ go but flowly! If poor men have bad Horfcs~ I may ride on the bd\: I can get, to difpatch my bufinefs, and redeem my time, fo I prefer not cofily ufelefs often~ ration, before true fervkeablenefs. 2. Others are accufed as finfital, becaufc the wcaknefs of their bodies requireth a more tender ufage, and d~·et, than healthful mens: fome bodies arc unfitter for duty if they fafi: And fame arc ufelefs through ficknefs and infirmities, if rhey be not ufed with very great care. And it is as truly a duty to cherijh a. weak.. body to enable it for God fervicc, as to tame an uitrul.Y luiHul body, and keep it from· offending him. 3· Some Mtlancholy confcientious perfons arc fiill accufing themfelves through meer fcrupulofity ; que(lioning almofi all they eat, or drink, or wear, or do, whether it be not too much, or too pleafing: But it isa churful [obritty that God requireth, which neither pamptreth the body, nor yet difableth or hindererhir from its duty ; and 'iJot an unprofitable wrangling fcrupulofiry. 9.22. Direct. 1. The firfiand Grand Direction againfi Flefh·pleajing, is, 1ha1 you befim by a[eriour DirW. r. living fai~h to fie the Better things w~tb G.od; and to be luarti~y tal{.en "f i1t minding, klving, feekiHg ~:md. ficurmg them. All the other dueCbons are but fubfcrvtent to thts : For certainly mans foul will not be idle, being aliving active principle: And its as certain, that it will not ad: but ttpon fome End, or for (ome End. And there are no other End1 to take us up, but either the things temp~ral or curnal: A?d therefore ther~ i~ no true.cure_for a fcnfual ~ovc of temporal things, but to turn the heart to thmgs eternal. Bcllevmgly thmk firll of the certainty, grtatnefi and eternity of the Joyes above: and then think that thefe may more cetrainly be youu, than any worldly Riches or N n delights,
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