Í the conßi ndcombs between-thefle, f andfpirit. anti quencheth all good motions, which-wouldcrofsusin the fruition ofthis mo- mentary vanities of honour, riches, and pleafures, and roots out of our heart the Loveof God, fromwhence (pings all true obedience: and thrufts us headlong in-, to noifome tentations, and all manner of finswhich promife to us the fatisfy ingtof our earthlydefires. Hence, z Tiro. 1. 4. wemutt not inranoleour felves tn. theaffairs of this life, &c. Ifwe will have Heaven for our home, we mull have our converfation there , whiff{ our commoration is in the world, Phil. 3. zo. So, Col. 3. f, 2. we mutt therefore Elie coveroufnefs, t Tim,6. g, ro. Its the root ofalfevrll, F7c. So alio we mua avoid voluptuoufnefs , furfeiting and drunkennefs, chambering . andwantonnefs,floth and idlenefs: for the more we pamper the.body, themore we pine the foul : as we fee in Noah, Lot, David, Vic. Hence Gregory faith, Sicut carne gn:efcente fpiritur deficit, ita ea laborante convalefcit : as the fleshenjoying ref+, the Spirit fainteth, fo the flesh being Fick, the Spirit enjoyes health. Quest. is it enough to re/train the flcfhfromthongs unlawful)? Anfw. No, but we mull altomoderate it in the uie of fuck things as are law- full: yea there mull not only be afober, and moderate ufe ofmeats, and drinks, andcarnali delights , butfometimes alfo a total) abftinence from them for the better taming ofthe flesh : Solue in illic:tisnon cadit, quife aliquando C?' a tts cause reftingit, faith Gregory, He only falls not inthings unlawfull, who fome- times warily reltaatns himfelf from thofe which are lawful. And St. Auftin tells us, Q +i a nnllis refrenat licirir,vicirsss eSt & illicitis : He that refrains from no lawful! dolights, is in the next neighbourhood to thofe which are unlaw- full. Quoit. Is there not alfoanother extreme to beavoided ? Anfw. Yea, we mutt not deffroy the bodie whilft we endeavour to rame the aleAl : nor burn, or kill our friend, whilfl we make war againft our enemie ; as when -by wanchings, fallings, &c. we fo weaken our bodies, that thereby we make them unfit for aniegood duties : Hence Gregory, Sapc drain in illo he- /em infequimur, etiana eivemquem, diligimrse,trucidamus Oft times whilft irfthefe thing we purfue an hated meiny, we doeunawares kill a beloved friend. Quoit. what other Rule are wee to obferve for the fubdsing of the Plefh ? Aufia. We mull fpoil this our Enemie of its Armour, and Weapons wherewith it fights againft us, as the Philiflines did the Ifraelites. Qyelt what are theft weapons ? Anfw, Thofe fiery Lulls, and darts of tentations wherewith the flesh en -'I counters us, anddraws us to commit fin either in thought, word, or aelions, of which we are to deprive the Beth by taking away the matter whereof they arc', made, and all occafions, and means of them : Or if we cannot doe this, we are to endeavour towring there Weapons outof our Enemies hands , and to turn, the point of them againft himfelf by taking occafion from thefe tentations co perform fome holy dutyloontrary thereto. As when it encounters us with wick- ed thoughts, take occafion thereby to fire upon heavenlie meditations : when it provokes to corrupt fpeeches, take occafion to utter forte wholefome Breech : when it tempts toevils actions, bemore forward to all religiousduties, and more zealous of goodworks Or if we cannot wring thefe weapons out of the flefhes hands, we mull look the bettor to get on the whole Chriflian Ar- mout , efpecially the Ihield of Faith , and fword oftheSpirit, that by the one wemay beat off thefe fietiedarts, and by the otherwe may beat back our ene- mies : and have an eveonwhich-ide thine enemie ftrikes at thee : whether on the rightMe with tentations of profperitie, or on the left with tentat ionsof ad- verfitie,whether it afliults thy head with erro rs , and herefies, or thy heart with unlawful hafts: Thine eyes with wanton objelts, or thine ears with corrupt H h b fpeeches,, 417
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