-'-____...........___+~ -- -- ---------" ---·----- 3l4 DireElions agaiuft Jiliful Deflres and Difcontents. ------------------------- defire, as he gave J{racl a King, even in bi.r anger, Hor. I 3· 10, II· or -a~h;g~:; rhe Tfradires their own dcfire, even Jlc.[h rrhich he rain!d upon tlum .15 dufl, a11d fcatburd fim·lc.t t}r the Sand of rbr Se 11 thry were 1M tjlrangrd from t_brir luji : But wbile tluir ~zeat mlf )'r.t in their mnttthJ, tbe wra:h ,.J G d c~me upontbcm, and flew I~Jt ~.Jtltjl nf tbem, Pfal. 78. 27, 29, 30, 3 r. 1hcy IHjfrd exceedingly in . the lYddCJ"Ittjs, and tcmpudG,,d m ti?c dc[crt, and he gave tbem their reqmjf, but fcnt ltamttfr imo tluir (oul.r, P~al. 1c6. 14, 15· God may fay, Follow your own lull, and if you arc fo c::~g1 r, take rlur which. you dd1re , rake that .ftrfm, t~at 'hing,. that dignity which you arc fo earnell for ; but rake my cu1fc and vengeance wnh Jt; Never let Jt do you good, but b: a fone and torment to you. Let a fire come ou' nf rbt br.:Jmble anddtvoHryou, Judg. 9· I 5· Dite{J. IC· §. I 2· DireCt. Io. Tak.,c bud lcjl crmcupif:wce a~td p.zrti.1liry cnti{e you to jujlifie ;our finful defires and t.1k._e tbem tn be l.n))fid. For if you dolo, you will not rtpcm ot them; you will nor C1)nfefs them to Go?, nor ~cg PJrdonof them, nor_beg help. againfi them, nor u[e the mcanstocxtinguifh them; . but w1ll chl·n01 them, and be angry wuh all that are againfi: them, 1nd love thofc tempters belt that fncouragc them: And how dangtrous a cafe is this? And yet nothing is more ordinary ;~mong tin– ncrs, than to be blinded by their own afft.Clions, and think that they have fufficic:nt reafo1J w ddire th:tc which thc:y du dtfirc. And affeCtion makc:rh them very :rvilly and rcfolxte to deceive themfdves. It fett~th them on fiudying all that c.1n be {d. id to dtfend their tntmy, and put a deceitful glo{s upon their caufc. Try your Dejimwdl (as I before directed you ) ~ 1. Is the thing that you defirc a thmg that God hath bid youdefire, or prvmi{td in his word to v,ive you, (as gract, ChriH and Hea.ven ) If it be fo, thenD!fire it and fpare not : But if not fo, 9(. 2· Why then arc you fo eag(.'r for tt, ~vhcn you !hould at mof\ have but afltbmif!ive conditirm.;/ defire .after ir ? ~3· Nay is it not fornethmg which you are flrbiddm to ddire? It fo, due you cXCLlfc it? Dire[l. I l• 9· 13· DireCt. J I. nem~mbcr tb.lt Cnncupifcence or finful dcjire u the btginniffJ!. nf all fin of commi[Jirm, and leadeth dirdJI_y ;o tbe a{]. Tr.eft, Adultery, Murder, :Fraud, Conrenrion, and a!J fuch mifchiefs begi)l in i1rordinatc defirts. For. every one Utempted, n·hen be ir drawn aJvay of bi1 own lujl, and emiced: 1brn wbw luji !J,ah conceived it briltg,etb f urtb fin; and fin r.·htHit i1 finijhed bring– eth furtb dc.J.th, }Jm. I· Lt, 15· By fr~Ji is meant, any flcjhly defire or will. Therefore when the Rom.t3. 13> ApoHle f01biddeth glutton)• and drunlzenmji, ·ch.:Jmbering ;;,nd wantom:efs, flrife and envying, he l4· lhik(S at the root of all in this one word, l'rlak._e 110 privifion fvr the flifh tv {atisfie i:~; lujfs (or wills). Direa. 12. §. 14. Direct. 12. Pull vff the deceiving viz;1r, a;:d foe thut wbicb )'Oft fo eagerly defire, af it is. VVhott will it be to you at the la.H? It is now in its Spring or Summer: but fee in it its fJU and rvin~ tcr l It is now in its youth; bm fee it withered to skin and bone in irs decrepit age; Ir is now in its clean and curi.ous orn1rnenrs, but fCeit in its uncle1nnefs and in its homely drefS : Cure your deceit, and your Defire JS cured. Dirc'tl. 13 • 9· 15. D1retl:. 13. Promi_{t not your [tlvts l:mg li{t, but live M d;•i;tg men, n•ith your gruve and winding foeet lliWJ)'CI i;t y ur eye; and it wiU curt your thi1jf afier the creature t¥Jbrn ) '?:t art fln– fible bow fovrt a time you lfmj f enjgy it; and efficcia~'y hm' neJr ;•ou ari u11to fttrnity : This is the Apofiles mtthod, '1 Cor. 7· 29, 30, 3 I· But thi.t I jjy bretiHen, the time is jhort: It remai;wh that both tbty tb,lt have TYivu bt .If tbuugh they had nom; and thry tbat wap 1lf tbougb they wept not; and thty th.1t r£joice a1 tboffgh thr;• rrj~iccd tut, and tiJCy tbat.buy ,If tlnugb t!:iry p ffiffid HIJt: and thry tbat tt{e tht rt'orld sJf not abufing it (or 1lf if thr;•ufcd it not ) f or tbe [Jjhion of this world paffetb away. So you will Defire .tf ifJ•'J~t drfired n r>t, when you perceive wdl how quickly the thing detired wiJ pafs away. Dlretl. 14• 9· 16. DireCl:. 14· In all )I~Jtr Drfirts remember t1Je accoun' as n·eU as the thing dtfired. Think not only what it is now at hand, but what account you muH make to God of it: For t(l wfnm me,z give or commit much, oftbcm tbcy require the more, Luk. 12. 48. will you thirll after more power, more honour, more wculth, wh{D you remember that you have the more to give accouttt of? N!.Juh:25· Have you not enough to reckon for already, unlefsyouhad hearts tou{C ic better? :Direl/. I)• §· 17· Direct. 15· Kap y ur jilvu cl·fe to tbe boly ufc of aU your mercies, aud let '"' tb' flrjb devour tbcm, 110r !SNJ incrdiJt:JIC appetite {1re ever the better fUr them wl·cn J!llt h:~ve them, and tbi.t rri/1 powufM/ly cxtinguifh tht inordin.Jte dcjirt it {clj: We are in little dallgp of being over eagfr afte1· things {pirirual and holy, for thehonour ot God: Refolve therefore rhat all you have flull be thlt! f,zlt{iifitd to Gad, and u{i..d for him, and not at all to fatistie any inordinate ddire of the fl~fh, and then the fl1fh will ceafc its fuir, when it finds it fares never the better for it. You arc abk todomuch in this way if )'OU will• If you cannot prcfendy fupprlfs the Dcjire, you may prtfenrly rc[olvc to deny the fldh the thing d~firrd, (As Dazid would not drink the water, though he · longed for it, 2 Sam. 23· 15, 17.) and you may preflntly denyit, the more of that )'OU have? , If you cannor forbear your thirfl, you can forbear to dri;:lz. : lf you cannot fmbear to be h:m· gry, you Cln forbeJ.r to eat whatlver is forbidden or unfit: If Eve mull need~ have an appr_ri:e ro dte. forb!ddt:n fruit, yet fhe might have commanded her handr and teeth, and nor have eaten Jt, If you cannot othcrwi[e cool your Defire of curious Apparel, wear that which is fomcwh~c homelycr than elfe you would have worn, on purpofe to rebuke and comroul th.lt detirc : If you cannot other– wife quench your Covttons ddircs, giVe {0 much the more to the poor to crofs that ddire. You cannot fay that theottt.'l·ard act is cur of your power, if you be but willing. ' Dirr{1. Id. ~· tS. Direct. 16. TYben your DcjittJ are over·ragcr, bcthin~ fYOl~ of the mrrcic1 fl!hicb y::e ha.ve received alre~dy and do po{fcfl : HJth God done fo much for you, and are you 11111 callmg for more, even of thac whi~h is unnc~dfary, wh~n you ihould be giving thanks for What )OU have? This
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