Secondly, What is it to deny these worldly lusts ? or how far they must be denied ? There are three degrees in this denial — they must be prevented and kept from rising, suppressed and kept from growth, and, which is an inferior degree, they must not be accomplished, but kept from execution, if they do prevail upon the heart and gain the consent. Suitable to these three degrees there are three duties required of a christian — mortification, that we may prevent them ; watchfulness, that we may suppress them ; and christian resolution, that we may not accomplish them, and suffer them to break out into act.
1. The top and highest degree of this denial, to deny worldly lusts, is to keep them from rising, and prevent the very workings of lust or pride. The scripture doth press us not only to abstain from the sin, but the lust : 1 Peter ii. 11,' Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.' Many keep themselves free from the acts of sin when their hearts boil with lusts, and carnal desires, and thoughts of envy, and proud imaginations ; therefore we must deaden the very root,
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prevent the breaking out of the lust : Gal. v. 24,' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and hists.' We are to mortify the inward affections, that, if it be possible, we may not so much as have a temptation or lust stirring ; as Luther said he had not a temptation to covetousness. Prevention is the life of policy, and better than deliverance. He deserves great praise that freeth a city from the enemies when they have beleaguered it ; but he deserveth greater that so fortifleth a place that the enemies dare not assault it. It is somewhat to keep off lusts, but it is more to keep them down, so to deaden the affections, and exercise ourselves unto godliness, that it cannot have room to work. She is chaste that doth check an unclean solicitation ; but she is more worthy of praise whose grave carriage hindereth all assaults. So should we be constantly mortified, and exer- cise ourselves to godliness, and deaden the root of sin, that the devil may despair of entrance, and be discouraged from making his ap- proaches. It is a step to victory to hope to prevail. Possunt, quia, jposse videntur. Kesistance is good, but yet utter abstinence is a duty, and falls under a gospel precept ; as much as we can we should prevent the rising of any carnal thought or disobedient desire.
2. The next degree is timely to suppress them, to conquer lusts when we cannot curb and wholly keep them under. We must keep a watchful eye and a hard hand over our lusts, dash Babylon's brats against the wall, take the little foxes, smother sin in the conception, and disturb the birth ; as the apostle speaks of the conceiving of sin, James i. 15, ' When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.' Look, as it is a great sin to quench the Spirit's motions, so it is also to be negligent in watching over your hearts, not to take notice of the first thoughts and risings of sin. The little sticks kindle first, and set the great ones a-fire ; so lusts kindle first, and then they break out into a Same, and make way for greater sins to come in upon the soul. When a country was infested with hurtful birds, and they consulted the oracle how to destroy them, it was answered, Nidos eorum uhique destruendos ; their nests were to be destroyed. We must crush the cockatrice's eggs, and not dwell upon sin in our thoughts. If there arise a wanton thought, a lustful glance, a distrustful or revengeful injection, it should- be cast out with loathing and detestation. Every lust should have a check from the contrary principle : Gal. v. 17, ' The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.' We have often experience that the flesh lusteth against the spirit ; we should have experience also of the spirit's lusting against the flesh ; deny it harbour. We cannot hinder the bird from flying over our heads, but we must not suffer it to rest and nestle. So many times corruption will get the start, though we mortify it never so much ; but we must not suffer it to root in the heart, to increase and grow there. If carnal thoughts and desires arise in the heart, they must not rest there ; let it be only a motion, let it not gain consent. David chides away his distrustful thoughts : Ps. xi. 1 , ' In the Lord put I my trust ; how say ye to my soul. Flee as a bird to your mountain ? ' It is a rebuke to his own thoughts and fears; no other speaker is introduced. With such indignation should we rise up against every carnal suggestion, Avaunt evil thoughts, distrustful fears, fleshly counsels. Remember these
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^ery intervening thoughts are sins before God , though no effect should follow ; therefore do not give them harbour and entertainment. For a man to have thoughts to betray his country, or to have communica- tion with the enemy, is a crime punishable with death, though it come not to execution. It is done in God's sight, if it be resolved on ; as God accounted Abraham to have offered up Isaac because he intended it : Heb. xi. 17, ' By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac'