Inordinate Appetite to be denied. 105 fins in the world, do begin with fome little liberty of the fenfes, which at firft we take for a lawful or indifferent thing. The filthieft whoredoms do ufually begin in luftful looks, and thoughts and fpeeches, and fo proceed to lafcivious behaviour, and fo to @thin& it fell. And the glutton and the drunkard are firft enfnared by the eye, and then by tailing, and fo pro- ceed by little and little toexcels : fee therefore that you keep as far from the baits of fenfuality as you can : and lay a command upon your fenfes to forbear : if you look upon it, you are next to touching it ; and if you touch it , you are next to tailing it ; and if you talk it you are like to let it down ; and if you let it down you are like to ventureagain and let down more : and all mull up again or you are loft. And therefore keep out the firft beginnings, and think with your (elves, If fin be the poyfon of my foul, the digefling of it will be my ruine : and if I cannot diger} it, why fhould I let it down ? and if I may not let it down, what reafon have I to be tatting it ? and if I fhould not mite it, why fhould I touch it or be medling with it ? and if I may not meddle with it, why fhould I look npon it, or hearken to them that would entice me to it ? fo that theDenyingofyour fenfes andyour Appetite,is the fare & ealie way to prevent thole dreadful gripes that elk may follow. 3. Moreover, if you denynot your fenfitive appetites, you will never be acquainted with heavenly delights. The foul can- not move two contrary ways at once, towardsearth and to- wards heaven. When you gaze upon this world and feed your appetites with flefhly delights, you have noheart nor mind to the delights above. It is the foul that retires from creatures, and fedual objects, that is free for God, and ready toentertain the motions of Grace. Not that I would have you turn Her- mits and Monks and forfake the company of men and all worldly bufinefs ; No, it is anhigher and nobler courfe that I propound to you : even in the midft of the world to live as without the world, and as if therewere nothingbefore you for fenfuality to feed upon : To live fo fully to Godin the world, that you may fee God in all the creatures, and convenewith him in thofe fameobjetas, by which the fenfual are turned from him ; and to live in the greateft fulnefs of all things, as if there, p were
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