to holiness and virtue. This I fay then; he that will be free, must lay down as a general rule to himself, from which he must resolve never to fwerve, that he is by all rational and poffible methods to diminish the strength and authority of the body, and increafe that of the mind. By this we ought to judge of the conveniencies or inconveniencies of our worldly fortunes; by this we are to determine of the innocence or malignity of actions; by this we are to form and estimate our acquaintance and converfation, and by this we are to judge of the bent and tendency of our lives; by this we are to regulate our diverfions; by this we may refolve of the nature and degree of our pleafures, whether lawful, whether expedient, or not and in one word, by this we may pass a true sentence upon the degrees and measures of our natural affections. There are many things that are in their own nature indifferent enough, that prove not fo to me; and there is fuch a latitude in the degrees and measures of duty and deviations from it, that it is a very hard matter in several cafes to define nicely and ftrictly what is lawful or unlawful: but I am fure, in all cafes this is a wife and fafe rule, that we are to aim at the strengthping the authority of our minds, and the

weakning

weakning the force and power of our carnal appetites. By confequence, every man ought to examine himself, by what arts, by what practices the light of his underftanding comes to be obfcured, the authority of his reafon weakened, and the tenderness of his confcience to be fo much blunted and worn off: and when he has discovered this, he must avoid these things as temptations and fnares; he muft fhun thefe paths, as thofe that lead to danger and death; and whatever he finds to have a contrary tendency, thefe are the things that he must do, these are the things that he must study, contrive, and follow. How happy would a man be, how perfect would he foon grow, if he did conduct himself by this rule? How little need would he have of outward comforts; how little value would he have for power and honour, for the ftate and pride of life? How little would he hunt after the pleasures of fenfe? What peace fhould he maintain within, when he should do nothing that were repugnant to the reason of his mind? What joy and hope would he abound with, when he fhould have fo many daily proofs of his integrity, as the living above the body would give him? And how would all this ftrengthen and exalt the mind; what flights would it take towards heaven, and how invincible would it prove to all tempta

tions?

tions? Happy and perfect that man, who has the kingdom of God thus within him, whose life is hid with Chrift in God! when Chrift, who is his life fhall appear, he alfo fhall appear with him in glory. This is a comprehenfive rule, and if well purfued, fufficient of its felf to do the work I am here aiming at: but that it may be more easily reduced to practice, I think it not amifs to take a more particular view of it: and then it may be refolved into these two:

1. We must lay due reftraints upon the body.

2. We must invigorate and fortify the mind, partly by the light of the gospel, and the grace of the Holy Spirit; and partly by accuftoming it to retire and withdraw itself from the body.

§. 1. As to the reftraints we are to lay upon the body, what they are, we eafily learn from the fcriptures for first thefe exprefly forbid us to gratify the lufts and affections of the flesh; and that not only because they are injurious to our neighbour, and a difhonour to our holy profeffion, but also because they have an ill influence upon the ftrength and liberty, the power and authority of the mind. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as ftrangers and pil

grims, abftain from fleshly lufts which war against the foul, 1 Pet. ii. II. And whoever enters into the account of things, will easily discern this to be true; there is a deceitfulness in fin, a fenfuality in luft: who fees not that there is more attraction in the pride and oftentation of life, than in the fimplicity and plainnefs of it? That there is more temptation and allurement in riot and luxury, than in frugality and a competency? That the imagination of a Solomon himself cannot but be wretchedly abused, if he give it leave to wander and wanton in variety? In a word, if the mind follow a carnal or worldly appetite and fancy in all its exceffes and debauches, it will foon find it felf miferably inflaved and intoxicated; it will be wholly in the intereft of the body, and wholly given up to the pleasures of it. Secondly, Tho' the fcripture do not prohibit fome states or conditions of this life, which feems as it were more nearly allied to, or at least-wife at tefs diftance from the lufts of the flesh, than others are; yet it forbids us to covet and pursue them. Thus St. Paul, Rom. xii. 16. Mind not high things. The apoftle does not here oblige any man to degrade himself beneath his birth, or to fly from those advantages which God's providence and his own merits give him a juft title to; but

certainly

:

certainly he does oblige the Christian not to afpire ambitioufly to great things, nor fondly to pride himself in fucceffes of this kind. So when a little after he commands us in honour to prefer one another, certainly he does not teach how to talk, but how to act; not how to court and compliment, but to deport our felves confonant to those notions with which charity towards our neighbour, and humility towards our felves ought to infpire us. Thus again, we are not forbidden to be rich; no man is bound to ftrip himself of those poffeffions which he is born to, or to fhut out that increase which God's bleffing and his own diligence naturally bring in but we are forbid to thirst after riches, or to value our felves upon them, and commanded to be content with those things that we have; and if God blefs us with wealth, to enjoy it with modefty and thankfulness, and difpenfe it with liberality, 1 Tim. vi, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and afnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lufts, which drown men in deftruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while fome coveted after, they have er

red