ESSAY. 331 which they have laid for your souls, and all the open attacks that they have made upon your virtue, or your peace, theHeshisas ever been an accomplice with theirs, and helped onward the fatal de. sign ; besides the many guilty practices into which it has drawn you, without the assistance either of the world or the devil. Not all the deceitfol vanities on the Depth, nor all the armiesof hell, could lead. your seuls astray from God, and your own happiness, in half so many instances as they have done, if you had not such a secret traitor so near you, that is in leaguewith them for your ruin. And shall this enemy beyour counsellor and your guide ? Shallthis flesh be your chiefdarling, which hasbeen ever warring against your soul Would you not distrust a manthat has dwelt with yon;from your childhood, and everyday of your life has ledyou into some mischief ? Would you not be watchful and jealous of all his mo- tions, who bas betrayed you into some sisare almost every hour Would you not guard against his perverse practices, ifwhenever he took a walk with you, he liad thrown you into a pit, and defiled your garments ? Such a dangerous attendant ís this flesh of yours in the present degenerate state. Why then will ye be so fond of this tempter, this deceitful companion ? Why will you spend your best moments, the prima of youth, and the very flower of life, to dress and adorn, to flat- ter, and please, and gratify, such a wretched traitor toyour soul, such a foe to;your eternal welfare ? The verybest of menhave already given too muchrespect to it. But when a person is saner tilted by divine grace, the flesh begins then to be subdued to some useful services to God : Then the eye by reading, and the ear by hearing, and the feet by goingto attendupon the divine word, are made to help forward his spiritual and heavenly interest; and ninny a hundred services of this kind must the members of the body do, in order to make the soul any tolerable recompence for all the injuries that the soul has received from its corrupt ap- petites and passions. Well therefore might the apostle say, cte are by no means debtors to theflesh, to live after theflesh; Rom. viii. 12. Nor do we owe any more of our strength, time, thought, or contrivance, togratify its vain or sinful inclinations; for that that are Christ's have so far crushed the flesh, with the of is tiens and lusts of it, as to keep it realer, and hold it in subjec- tion, that it may not get the mastery over the soul. Gal, v. 2.1: and 1 Cor. ix. 27. Nourish and support the flesh, that is your duty : Heal it when it is sick, and endeavour to preserve it in health, that it may be a proper servant to the spirit. It was made'for this end ; and the soul should know its own dignity, and keep the body in its "place : But dare not pamper it with too much fondness, lest it usurp the dominion, and cause the soul to
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