0/ the affections. I mean such as are accompanied with pleasure in the exercise ; these are under the command of sobriety. There is a moderation of our passions that belongeth to fortitude and patience, as sorrow and anger, the moderation of these belongeth to other graces. But now such affections as are accompanied with pleasure in the exer- cise, as delight and desire ; desire in the pursuit, and delight in the use of worldly things ; these belong to sobriety. It is indeed a question which is worst, not to bridle anger or not to restrain pleasures ? Anger is unruly and violent, but lusts work both ways ; e^eX/coyciei/o? KoX Se\ea^6/jLevo<;, James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ' The most generous natures
122 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. VIL
are subject to anger, and the basest to pleasures. Anger is stirred up by reason, though it runneth away without deliberation ; but lust prescribeth to reason ; there is more of plot and counsel in lust than in anger. Reason sooner cleareth up when the storm of passion is over, and then men repent ; but in lust and pleasure there is a long bondage. So that not to restrain lust, or those affections that carry us out to corporal deligiits, seemeth worst. But then, again, it may be inquired which is harder, to endure griefs or renounce pleasures ? I shall answer — To renounce pleasures, and sobriet}' is more put to it than fortitude. Many that have borne griefs with a stubborn mind yet have yielded to their own carnal affections ; as Sampson, that broke so many cords and bands, yet could not break the bonds of his own lusts. It is true nature flieth from grief, and therefore it is hard to take up our cross ; but nature flieth from grief because it is addicted to pleasures, and it is our lusts that make the cross so burdensome. Renounce the desire and the delight, and the lust will be more easily overcome.
In the 2Dursuit and use. I name both, because as we must use worldly things moderately, so we must desire them moderately. The sin is first in the affection, and there may be an immoderation in the desire when the practice is restrained by fear, or by difficulty, or by danger of compassing our lusts; and therefore the great work of sobriety is to moderate the lust. As a bird when its wing is broken is eager to fly, so a man that may abstain from excessive practice, yet he may have much inordinate affection : Col. iii. 5, ' Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inor- dinate affection.'
Of all earthly ihings. Profits, pleasures, pomps, meats, drinks, apparel, recreations ; sobriety reacheth all those affections that arc carried out to any of the good things of this natural life. There is a dry drunkenness, as the prophet saith in another case : Isa. xxix. 9, ' They are drunken, but not with wine ; they stagger, but not with strong drink.' The cares of this world have an inebriating power, as well as voluptuous living ; and therefore Christ couples them together : ' Surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life,' Luke xxi. 34. Look, as wine disturbeth reason and oppresseth the senses, so do these worldly cares besot the mind and deprive us of the sense of spiritual things ; and therefore sobriety is necessary to moderate our cares, as well as to govern the use of meats and drinks.
Secondly, I shall handle sobriety in these four branches —
1. As to pleasures and recreation, sleep and pastime.
2. In meats and drinks, and the necessary supports of human life.
3. In pomp and apparel.
4. In the cares of this world. First branch, sobriety in recreation.
The first branch of sobriety, in recreation, in sleep and pastime, and other delights of human life.
For sleep I need say but little ; it is a soft enemy, that steals away half our time, and should be reckoned among our burdens, and not our pleasures, as a thing to be borne with patience rather than to be taken with delight. It is our unhappiness that so much of our lives should be spent, and not one act of love and kindness should be shown to God.
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 123
The angels, that are wholly spiritual, are exempted from this necessity. Night and day they are always praising God, doing his will, and hearken- ing to the voice of his word. Yea, we may see many other creatures are restless in their motions, and obey the law of their creation without weariness. The sun in a constant unwearied course moves from east to west and from west to east, and never ceaseth. When thou liest upon thy bed in the morning, thou mayest think of it, how many thousand miles the sun hath travelled since thou went to rest the last night, that he might come again this morning to give thee light to go about thy labour and exercise, and yet thou liest snorting upon thy bed, and turning hither and thither, as Solomon saith, like a door upon the hinges. David contended with the sun who should be up first ; as tl ■ ^ sun to represent God to the world, so he to acknowledge God in h : ; prayers and supplications : Ps. cxix. 147, ' I prevented the dawning oi the morning, and cried.' But of this I will speak no more. Common prudence and the light of nature will give us sufficient direction.