Ver. t 3. the 8th Chapter to the ROM A 2. U S E is to diffvade you from this courfe: To this End I [hall , down fume Mo- tives, and fome Means. Motives are thefe. I. Touthinkthe flefh isyour friend, do all that you can to pleafe ir, whereas indeed it is your greateft enemy. That it is one of your enemies isclear,by that place,wher e all our enemies appear a breaft,Eph.2.a,3. There is the courfe of this world, the p-ince of the pore- er of the air, and our own flefli : if there were never a Devil to tempt, or example to follow, yet out of the heart proceed, Matth. t5. to. murther, adultery, theft, blafphemy :. Among other things he reckoneth up Murther, whichftriketh at the life of man; and Blafphemy, which: ftriketh at the Being of God ; if the Devil fhould (land by, and fay nothing, thsenough within us to put us upon all manner of evil ; other enemies would do .harm, without our own flefh: corruption may be irritated by Gods Law, Rom. 7. e may be tempted to in by Satan, 1 Cor. 7..5. Incouraged to fin, by the example, and the evil converfations of others, Ifa. 6. 6. Inticed to fin by the baits of the world, 2 Pet. t: 4. But only inclined to fin by our own Beth ; and at length no man is a (inner, but by his own coufent, Jam. r,.14. He is drawn away by his osen lull, and inti; ced. In vain do temptations knock at the door, if there were nothing within to make anfwer,andadtnit them; if we could keep our felves from our felves, there were no danger from what is Without 5 as Balcony by all his curies and charms, could do nothing againft the Ifraelites till he found out a way to corrupt them by Whoredom, and by Whòredom to draw them to Idolatry, and fo found a means to deftroy them by them - felves :. So 'tis theDome(tícal Enemy,the flefh within us,which maketh usa prey to Satan, and doth us milèhiefupon all occafions ; 'tis the flefh diflraûs us in holy duties, with vain thoughts, and abateth our fervors, that maketh us idle in our callings, that tempts to fénfuality and inordinate delight when we are repairing nature, and turneth our ta- ble intoa fnare; fo that nature is rather oppreffed.than refrefhed for Gods Service : 'Pis the flefh rtiaketh us forget our great end, and the eternal interefts of our Immortal fouls. 2, The more you, indulge theflefh,ihemore'tisyour enemy, and the more your flavery' and bondage isincreafed5 fo that Rill you grow more brutifb,forgetful of God, and unapt for any fpiritual ufe. By Ming to pleafe the flefh, you do íncreafe it's delires; and know not at length how todeny it,, and difpleafe it ; by being made a wanton, it grow- eth fl'ubborn and contumacious: The More you gratifie the flefh, the more inordinate it groweth ; and the more unreafonable things it craveth at your hands; therefore you mutt hold an hard hand upon it an firft ; through too much indulgence the reins are loofened to fin;and the enemy is heartened, and our.liberry is every day more and more loft ; Solomon was fearfully corrupted, when he Withheld not his heart from any joy, Ecclef.2. to. This brought him to a lawlefs excels, and to fall fo foul)/ as he did ; if you give corrupt nature its full (cope, and ufe pleafures with too free alieenfe, the heart is it; fenlbly corrupted, and our very difeafes and diflempers become our neceflities ; Solo- mon faith, Prov: 24. 21. He that delicately bringeth up a fervant, (ball have hint become a fon at length: He will no more know his condition, but grow bold and troublefcme ; we are all the worfe for licenfe; therefore unlefs natural delires feel fetters, and prudent reflraints, they grow unruly; therefore that the flefh may not grow mafterly,'tis good to bridle it 5 to deny our felves nothing, bringeth a greater fnare upon the foul, a,d diftempers aremore rooted, a Cor. 6.12. I will not be brought under the power of asy .creature. Aman is brought into vaffalage and bondage, and cannot help it. 3. The engagement that is upon Chriflians to abhor carnal living. By their folemn Bap - tifmal Vow, which obligeth us to take this Yoke of Chrifl upon our felves, even to tame and fubdue the flefh, Col. 3. 3, 5 Mortiffe your members which are upon earth. All are ftrittly bound to mortifie thedeeds of the body, under pain of damnation; Kings is well as Subjeéts, Nobles and bale; for God is no accepter of perlons; no man of what degree foever can prefume of an exemption from the duty, or hope for a difpenfatioo. We are ail debtors, and this duty taketh place as Coon as we come to the ufe of reafon ; we 'all then begin to feel the corruption andimperfeftion of nature; and we are bound to look after the cure of it, and to ufe all Chrills healing means, that it may be effr&ed. Then we begin to perceive the enemies againft whom we are to fight, anda necef ity laid upon us of killing them, or being killed by them: 'Tis our great fault, that the m ade confcience of our folemn Vow no boner t r+rely we ihould no longer dilpute it now,
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