Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

Seventh Commandment. and that the Spirit of God dwe!leth in you? Jf ar.y illan defile tbe Temple cf God bi 1 o ]hall God deflroy; for tbe 1 (IIIP!e ofGod JS Holy; ~vlnch Temple are ye. . . Sixtbly, Confider, .tl a\1 rbefe Thmgs will nor prevail,. rh<; dre1dful PumChment that God threatens to intiJD: upon all who are gmlty of thts Stn: Ye<J , he fpeaks ot it as a Sin that he can hardly be perfwaded to pardon; a Sin t~at r uzztes I nfinite Mercy to forgive, ]er. S· 7, 8, 9· How]hall I pardon thee f or tbu? When 1 bad f ed thy Children to tbefull they tbm commaud Adulury, ~nd a.Demblc~ tbemfc!vcs hy lroops in the Ha~llJis_. f!.oujes ., Tb.tJ were M fed Ho,f:s In tbc Jl1orm~g) evCJ_y one neiguing afttr hu NC!ghbour s Wife. Shall I not vi,/it for tbefc Thtngs, fmth the Lord? .And Jball not my ~oul.bt ~vcng_ed on,fuch a Nar_ion as rl;u? ~nd i~deed God do[h often in this Life viht thts Sm, tomeumes. by filltng thetr Lows wnh ftrange ·and loathl'ome Difeafes, Prov. 6. 2_6. fometitm:s by reducing th e~ to exrream Beggery; for this Sin as Job 1peaks~ is a bre that conj:nnctb to D~flru8JOn, and would root out all his fncr; ajc: Yea, this very Sin is fo great a Punifhmenr for itfelf, thar the Wiie ?vlan rells us Prov. 22. 14. That thofc whum God hates fhall fa/1 into it. Yea, and to exprefS this ~xceeding Sinfulnefs of this Sin of U.ncleannefs the Apollle. tells us, That God made it the Punifhment offeveral other Sms, as black and hot~ id as can be ,;,ell conceived· Rom. •· 23. When he had fpoken of the grofs Idolatry of the Heat hens m worlh]pping Images, and falling down ~efOre Srocks and Stones, ht:: filb]oifls, vcr. 2 4 . That }or rim C'aufe God alfo gave them up unto U11cleannr.js; as it liAcleJnne1S were bad enough to puni£h Idolatry, and thofe were fuffic iently plung'd fOt their Spiritual Uncleannefs ·who were abandoned over unto Corporal Pollurions. But hovvfoever, alt hough this Sin may fometimes efcape I_nfamy, t hrough Concealmenr, and other Temporal Judgments of God, through Panence and Fotb~~rance, yet it will cenainly find them our at the laft; and then thofe who have burn.t rogorher in Lull thall burn together in unquenchable Flames; Tbq fho/1 have tbetr Portion in the Lake tbal burneth witb Fire and Brimftone. Thcfe are the Demonftrotions ot the Heinoufoefs of this Sin. Lee me now gtve you fome cautionary Rules and DireEt.ions, by obferving of which you may be prdtrved from it. . Firfl, Be lure that you keep a narrow watch over your Senfes: For tbofe are Ini: Sluces which inftead of lening in pleafant Streams to refrefh, do commonly let in notbir.g but Mud to pollute the Soul.. Tbete is no a8:ual Filthinefs in the Heart of any but came in by thefe lnlets: •Through thefe the Devil cafts in abundance of Filth; he flirs up ind,.elling Lufr, and by the finful Obje£1 which the Senfes convey to Ihe Soul he dungs that Ground, which of itfelf was too fruitful before. Tbus the Devil mJkes u[e of an .fldulterous Eye to range abroad, and fercb in Provifion for Unclc:annefs; and by ir, as hy a Buroing-glafs, he f~ts the Heart on Fire, and then blows up the Flames through the Ear~~ by hearing Lafcivious Difcourfes- a·nd therefore make a Covenant with thine Eyes, and carefully dh•ert them fro~ all loofc: Glances, and all allu1ing and enticing Obje£ts. Stop thine Em againft 2ll rotten and filthy Communication; and if any beg to iuch obfcene Talk, as is the common Railery of ou r Days. and almoft of every Company, blufh nor thou to reprove them but by tby ReproofS make them blulh at their own Sh2me and Wickedncfs. ' s,condly, Addi£1 thy !el f to Sobriety and Temperance; and by thefe beat down thy Body, and keep ir in fuhj c£tion to rby Reafon and Religion: For certainly they who indDlge tbemiclves in Gluttony or Drunkennefs their Excefs will froth and foarri over into Lutt. And therefore it is faid in _that forementioned Place, ]er. 5· 7· that when the If 11ebrcs were fed to th~ full then they commiued .Adultery. Thirdly, Cominually exCICife Iby fell in fome honcft and lawful Employment. · Lull grows a£tive when we grow idle: And thmfore as Fulncfs of Bread [o likewife ldlcnifs, is reckoned as one of tbe Sins of impure ~Odom, Ezek. I 6, ~9. David when he walked idlely upon the Roofof his Houfe, Lyes open to the Snares and is in~ veigled by Ihe Be1uty, of Bathjheba. Had he then bee·n at his Haip, and his Pfalmsj he might have driven the Evil Spirit from himfelf, as forme!ly he did from bis Mafter Sa~/. Running Streams prefervc thernfelves clear and pure, whereas {boding Pools foon corr l.lpt, and breed noifome and venomous Creatures. While our Mind is employed there will be no. Time left for Luft to dally with our Fancy, nor ·ro dandle an unclean Affe£hon m our Tboughts; and therefore it may be remarkable •s a confidetable Circumfi:ance in Jofepb's rejeaing the Enticements of his l'ud Milltefs tbn tbo Text !aith, He rccnt im• tbc Houfe to difpatcb bis Bu!incfs,

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