Ver. í 3. the 8th Chapter to the ROM ANS. 1,1 dom, have a fpecious thew, and are highly cryed up bythe carnal world, but have nd real worth to commend us to God, as being not commanded by God, nor warranted by the belt example of the molt holy and mortified men : Suppofe abfinencé from marri- age ; Enoch (Gen. 5. 22.) walkedwith God, and begat fins and daughters. And we have more instances of true piety in married folks, than in monkery, and clauftral devotions: Jefus Chrift fanetified a free life, ufing all forts of diet and company, not aWhining from fealts themfelves, Matth. it. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking. So when the vow of voluntary poverty is recommended by the Papifis as an estate of perfeáion Certainly beggery,which is threatned as a punithment, is not to be wifhéd or defired, much left to be chofen or wilfully incurred ;,lealt of all to be made the matter of a vow. Surely 'tis greater felf-denial intirely to devote and faithfully to ufe our riches for God, than- to caf them away, and rid our hands of them ; as he is a better Steward that improveth his matters flock, than he that rafts off the employment, and lazily refu- feth to meddle with it. So for Penance and felf- difciplines; they look more like the rites of Basis Prielts, who gafhed and lanced themfelves to commend them to theia Idol, than the praliCes of Chritts Votaries, and believing penitents, who bath indeed commanded us to mortifie our lulls, but not to mangle our bodies; to retrench the food and fuel of the flefh when need requireth, but not to bind our felves to a courfe of rigorous obfer- vances, which gratifie thefleth in one way, as much as it kerns to contradiá it,in ano- ther ; namely, as they breed in us pride and prefumption of merit above other Chriffi- ans ; in fhort, there external rigors, tho they are greatly admired in the world, who are wholly governed by fenfual deliires, yet they are not acceptable to God, as having more in them of ridiculous Pageantry, and Theatrical fiage-holinefs, rather than ferious de= vot ion. 3. These is the mortification of the hypocrite; which is an outward forbearing evil, tho they do not inwardly hate it, which proceedeth from divers caufes. r. Becaufe theyhave no inclination to fome fns 5 or rather, a greater inclination tò other fins, which intercept the nourifhment by which thefe fins Ihouid be fed ; tho we are all gone atiray from God, yet every one hath his way; Ifa. 53.6. All we like Cheep have gone afiray, we have turned every one to his own way; foEccleC 7. 29. God made man upright, but he bath fated out many inventions. As the Channel is cut, corrupt na, ture in us findeth a vent and iffue ; Come are fenfual, but not greedy of worldly gain (hall we therefore call them mortified ? Some that are greedy of gain, are not proud and afpiring, nor given to carnal pleafures ; do you think therefore fin is dead in them? No, their corruption breaketh out another way, more fuitable to their temperand con- Ititution, or cuaom and courfe of life ; in fome,nature is more fullea andrigid;in others more facile, and obvious to the grbffer temptations. 2. Sometimes 'tir becaufe we make one lull give way to another; For certain Weeds de- (troy one another ; as wild beafts allo prey upon one another ; fo when men Affair' from pomp and pleafure, becaufe of the colt, their covetoufnefs ftarveth their riot; fò on the contrary, when men check their fenfual inclination by their fparing humor; but mofily it is feen in thofe that run into extreams, and bend the crooked flick too far the other way, as the Lunatick in the Gofpel fell (sometimes into the water, and fometimes into the fire, Matth. 17. 5. Or as our Anceflors to drive out the Fiefs or wild Britian, called in the Saxons, a worfe enemy ; or as if there were no better Phyfick for a dead Palley, than a burning feavour ; fins take the throne by turns ; as the voluptuous in Youth prove the molt worldly and covetous inAge ; but this is not to quit fin, but to exchange it. 3. Sometimes becaufe men have not firength and opportunity io af! frn ; They may Teem weaned and mortified when they are but fpent and tired out with executing their Tufts; and 'fis not hatred of fin, but indifpofrtion of nature to fulfil it, Job 33. 20. His foul abhorreth daintyfood. No thanks to the glutton, but to his difeafe ; Old Age is defcri bed by days that have no pleafure in them, Ecclef. 1M t..Tis not the weaknefs of fin, but nature in them ; their lulls leave them,rather than they leave their lufts ; fin goeth out rather than is put out, rather dyeth to us than we to it. 4. It may cometo pafsthrough outward refpe(ís, of carnal fear and tbame; a debauched creature that walloweth in all filthy lutes, is an abhorring to all that wear the heart of a man ; therefore credit may keep Come from running into excels of riot, fbr lewdnefs is odious and difgraceful; their iniquities are found hateful, as the Pfalmifi faith; mere Ihame and menpleafsng, may reltrainmany within the compats of their duty. Joafh'was 8 Qt good
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