56 FLESH AND SPIRIT. wantonness: and that they do but follow the loadingsof nature I would reason a little with persons of such a profligate cha racter, if they have not renounced reasonas well as religion. L Consider, sinners, whether you are not under a great mistake, while you say, that you obey all the dictates of nature when yourush on to fleshly iniquities. Haveyou no natural con- science within you that forbids these vile practices ? Has it not given you many a check already, and many aninward reproach i Have you no reason that tells you there is a God, and a judg- ment, anda terrible account one day to be given of the guilt and madness which you now. indulge ? It is but one part of your nature then, and that the meanest and the vilest too, whose dic- tatesyou obey, when you give yourselves up toall intemperance. The very heathens have such a conscience in them, such a law written in their hearts, to forbid, and tocondemn the grosseriniqui- ties; Rom. ii. 15. Andsuch an inward monitor belongs to your nature too, unless you have entirely subdued and enslaved your spirits,which are the best part of your natures, to the tyranny of your flesh ; unless youhave buriedyour reason inbrutal appetite, and searedyour conscience as witha hot iron, that they may neither feel nor speak. 2. You say, it is nature you obey, while you follow after fleshly lusts ; but is it notnature depraved and spoiled ? Can you think it is the pure, the original and uncorrupted nature of man to follow all the appetites of flesh and blood, and live upon a level with the brutes that perish? Can you imagine that your spirit and reason, andall the glorious powers of your intellectual nature intheir firstperfection, were made to be thus employed as lackeys to the body, and mere purveyors to theflesh ? Is it not a sign your nature is fallen from its original state, while these meaner powers of sense and passion have so mighty and sovereign an influence; and is it not rather the dictate of reason, and nature ; and true self-love, that you should seek the recovery of your original excellencies, that you should use all methods to stop and heal the diseases of your nature, and to repair these ruins of humanity. But 3. Suppose it were the inclination of animal nature in its originalframe, to beintemperate, proud, angry, impatient and luxurious ; and suppose all the present evil appetites andpassions of the flesh, were the attendantsof manin his Oirst estate ; yet has not God your Creator and Governor, a right to place you in a state of trial, in order to future rewards and punishments ? And may he notforbid your spirit to comply with these inclinations of nature and the flesh, as a test of your obedience to God your Maker ? Is it not proper there should be somedifficultiesto con- quer in such a probationary state ? And if the God who made
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