The second Use is to dissuade you from this course. To this end I shall lay down some motives, and some means.
1. Motives are these.
[1.] You think the flesh is your friend, do all that you can to please it ; whereas indeed it is your greatest enemy. That it is one of your enemies is clear, by that place where all our enemies appear abreast, Eph. ii. 2, 3. There is ' the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air,' and our own flesh. If there were never a devil to tempt, or example to follow, yet, ' out of the heart proceed (Mat. xv. 19,) murder, adultery, theft, blasphemy.' Among other things he reckoneth up murder, which striketh at the life of man ; and blasphemy, which striketh at the being of God. If the devil should stand by and say notliing, there is enough within us to put us upon all manner of evil ; other enemies would do us no harm, without our own flesh. Corrup- tion may be irritated by God's law, Eom. vii. 9 ; we may be tempted to sin by Satan, 1 Cor. vii. 5 ; encouraged to sin by the example and the evil conversations of others, Isa. ix. 16 ; enticed to sin by the baits of the world, 2 Pet. i. 4 ; but only inclined to sin by our own flesh ; and at length no man is a sinner but by his own consent : Jam. i. 14, 'He is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.' In vain do temptations
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON KOMAIv'S VIII. 47
knock at the door, if there were uothing within to make answer and admit them ; if we could keep ourselves from ourselves, there were no danger from what is without ; as Balaam by all his curses and charms couid do nothing against the Israelites till he found out a way to corrupt them by whoredom, and by whoredom to draw them to idolatry ; and so found a means to destroy them by themselves. So it is the domestic enemy, the fiesh within us, which maketh us a prey to Satan, and doth us mischief upon all occasions ; it is the flesh distracts us in holy duties with vain thoughts, and abateth our fervours ; that maketh us idle in our callings ; that tempts to sensuality and inordinate delight when we are repairing nature ; and turneth our table into a snare, so that nature is rather oppressed than refreshed for God's service. It is the flesh maketh us forget our great end, and the eternal interests of our immortal souls.
[2.] The more you indulge the flesh, the more it is your enemy, and the more your slavery and bondage is increased ; so that still you grow more brutish, forgetful of God, and unapt for any spiritual use. By using to please the flesh, you do increase its desires, and know not at length how to deny it, and displease it ; by being made a wanton, it groweth stubborn and contumacious. The more you gratify the flesh, the more inordinate it groweth, and the more unreasonable things it craveth at your hands ; therefore you must hold a hard hand upon it at first. Through too much indulgence the reins are loosened to sin, and the enemy is heartened, and our liberty is every day more and more lost. Solomon was fearfully corrupted when he withheld not his heart from any joy : Eccles. ii. 10. This brought him to a lawless excess, and to fall so foully as he did ; if you give corrupt nature its full scope, and use pleasures with too free a license, the heart is insen- sibly corrupted, and our very diseases and distempers become our necessities. Solomon saith (Prov. xxix. 21), 'He that delicately bringeth up a servant, shall have him become a son at length ; ' he will no more know his condition, but grow bold and troublesome. We are all the worse for license ; therefore unless natural desires feel fetters and prudent restraints, they grow unruly ; therefore that the flesh may not grow masterly, it is good to bridle it. To deny ourselves nothing, bringeth a greater snare upon the soul, and distempers are more rooted : 1 Cor, vi. 12, ' I will not be brought under the power of any creature.' A man is brought into vassalage and bondage, and cannot help it.
[3.] The engagement that is upon christians to abhor carnal living. By their solemn baptismal vow, which obligeth us to take this yoke of Christ upon ourselves, even to tame and subdue the flesh : Col. iii. 3, 5, 'Mortify your members which are upon earth.' All are strictly bound to mortify the deeds of the body, under pain of damnation ; kings as well as subjects, nobles and base ; for God is no accepter of persons ; no man of what degree soever can presume of an exemption from the duty, or hope for a dispensation. We are all debtors, and this duty taketh place as soon as we come to the use of reason ; wa all then begin to feel the corruption and imperfection of nature ; and we are bound to look after the cure of it, and to use all Christ's healing means that it may be effected. Then we begin to perceive the