are said, * to be inflamed witli their idols,' Isa. Ivii. 5, as much as any lover with his minion in her wliorish dress. And the drunkard he enkindles his neighbour's lust, 'putting the bottle to him,' Hab. ii. 15. Oh! what a base work are these men employed about ! By the law it is death for any wilfully 10 set fire on his neighbour's house ; what then deserve they, that set fire on the souls of men, and that no less than hell-fire ? But it is possible thou mayest do it unawares, by a less matter than thou dreamest on. A silly child playing with a lighted straw, may set a house on fire, which many wise men cannot quench. And truly Satan may use thy folly and carelessness, to kindle lust in another's heart. Perhaps an idle, light speech drops from thy mouth, and thou meanest no great hurt ; but a gust of temptation may carry this spark into thy friend's bosom, and kindle a sad fu'e there. A wanton attire, perhaps naked breasts and shoulders, which we will suppose thou wearest with a chaste heart, and only because it is the fiishion, yet may ensnare another's eye. And if he that kept a pit open but to the hurt of a beast, sinned, how much more thou, who givest occasion to a soid's sin, which is a worse hurt? Paul ' would not eat flesh while the world stood, if it made his brother to offend,' 1 Cor. viii. l',i. And canst thou dote onafoolish dress and immodest fashion, whereby many may offend, still to wear it ? ' The body,' Christ saith, * is better than raiment.' The soul then of thy brother is more to be valued surely than an idle fashion of thy raiment.
We come to the second branch of the point, That faith will enable a soul to quench these temptations. This is called our ' victory over the world, even our faith,' 1 John v. 4. Faith sets its triumphant banner on the world's head. The same St. John will tell you what is meant by the world, chap. ii. 1.5, 16 : ' Love not the world ; for all that is in the world, the lust of ihe flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.' All that is in the world is said to be lust, because it is food and fuel for lust. Now faith en- ables.the soul to quench those darts which Satan dips and envenoms wiih these worldly lusts, called by some the worldling's trinity. First, For the lust of the flesh, under which are comprehended those temptations that promise pleasure and delight to the flesh ; these, indeed, carry fire in the mouth of them ; and when they light on a carnal heart, do soon inflame it with unruly passions and beastly affections. The adulterer is said to ' burn in his lust,' Rom. i. 27 ; the drunkard 'to be inflamed with his wine,' Isa. v. 11. No sort of temptation works more strongly than those which present sensual pleasure, and promise delight to the flesh ; sinners are said, ' to work all uncleanness with greedi- ness ; ' with a kind of covetousness, for the word imports they never have enough ; when the voluptuous person hath wasted his estate, jaded his body in luxury, still the fire burns in his wretched heart ; no drink can quench a poisoned man's thirst ; nothing but faith can be helpful to a soul in these flames. We find Dives in hell burning, and not a drop of water to cool the tip of his tongue found there. The unbelieving sinner is in a hell above ground, he burns in his lust, and not a drop of water (for want of faith) to (juench the fire. By faith it is said those glorious martyrs, Heb. xi., ' quenched the violence of the fire ; ' and truly the fire of lust is as hot as the fire of martyrdom ; by faith alone this is quenched also. Tit. iii. 3,4:' We were sometimes foolish, serving divers lusts and pleasures ; but after that the kind- ness and love of God our Saviom- towards man appeared, before he saved us.' Never could they shake off these lusts, their old companions, till by faith they got a new acquaintance with the grace of God revealed in the gospel.
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW FAITH QUENCHETH THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH, LUSTS OF THE EYE, AND
PRIDE OF LIFE.
Section I. — Quest. How does faith quench this fiery dart of sensual delights? Jnsw. As it undeceives, and takes off the mist fronr the Christian's eyes, whereby he is now enabled to see sin in its naked being, and callow ])rinciples, before Satan hath plumed. It gives him the native taste and relish of sin, before the devil hath sophisticated it with his sugared sauce. And truly, now sin proves a homely piece, a bitter morsel. Faith hath a piercing eye ; it is the evidence of things not seen ; it looks behind the curtain of sense, and sees sin before its finery is on, and it be dressed for the stage, to be a brat that comes from hell,
480 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.