$93 THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT. let him run at random because he is full of rage. What dost thou think the event will be, O sinner ? When thy native appetites are still grown stronger by indulgence, and become utterly ungovernable, and thou art plunged into unspeakable guilt, and endless misery, what a cut- ting reflection it will be to thy conscience, that, instead of watching, praying, and striving against thine inbred sins, thou wert ever quarrelling at the great God thy Maker) that he did not form thy nature just according to thy directions : Especially when thou shalt see others advanced to high seats in glory, and reaping the joys of the Christian conquest, who had as many adversaries to wrestle with in the days of their flesh, and each of them as violent and as mighty as thine. Question VII. If the springs of sin lie so much in the flesh, are not some methods of reforming the flesh proper to be practised, in order to facilitate the work of mortification, to cure our sinful distempers, to prevent actual transgression, and break the habits of sin ? Answer. Since the seeds and occasions of sin lie sa much in the flesh and blood, doubtless it is our duty to take somecare that these seeds of iniquitybe suppressed and killed, as far as possible, by all proper methods; such as do not necessarily interfere with other commands of God, or plain duties of christianity. But in all mat- ters of this nature, persons are in danger of running into extremes. The papists require a certain abstinence from meats, and forbid to marry, without a due attendance to the ciscumstances of times, places, and persons; whereby superstition is supported, and sinful appetites are often irritated, intead of suppressing them. At other times they wear sackcloth on their flesh, they scourge and whip themselves, they lay their bodies under much pain- ful discipline, and sometimes too under bloody correc- tion, in order to mortify sin. But it was never required of .God, that we should break the sixth command in Order to keep the seventh; for the advice of Christ about parting with a right-hand, or a right eye, Mat. v. 2.9. is to be taken metaphorically for the mortification of darling sins, or ).east, in a comparative sense, that it is better to bear the loss of a limb than to be-eternally
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