no leisure to think of tempting, filthy objects, or to look after them. As Hierome saith, Facito aliquid operis, ut semper diabolus inveniat te occupatum.' 'Be still doing some work that the devil may alway find thee busy.' And do not for thy fleshly ease remit thy labours and indulge thy flesh. Rise early and go late to bed, and put thyself upon a necessity of diligence all the day: undertake and engage thyself in as much business as thou art able to go through, that if thou wouldst, thou mayst not be able to give any indulgence to the flesh for if thou be not still pressed by necessity, lust will serve itself by idleness, and the flesh will lie down if it feel not the spur: therefore are the rich and idle more lustful and filthy than the poor labouring people. The same bed is the place of sloth and lust. Hear a Heathen and refuse not to imitate him. Seneca saith, 'No day passeth me in idleness: part of the night I reserve for studies: I do not purposely set myself to sleep, but yield to it when it overcometh me: and when my eyes are wearied with watching, and are falling, I hold them to their work :- I had rather it went ill with me than delicately or tenderly. If thou be delicate or tender, the mind by little and little is effeminate, and is dissolved into the similitude of the idleness and sloth in which it lieth. I sleep very little, and take but a short nap: it sufficeth me to have ceased watching: sometimes I know that I slept, sometimes I do but suspect it.' Aristotle saith, 'Nature made nothing to be idle.' And Plato calls idleness the plague of mortals.' If thou be resolved to serve and please thy flesh, then never ask advice against thy lust; for it is part of the pleasure of it; and then no wonder if thou refuse this physic as too bitter, and the remedy as too dear. But if thou be resolved to be cured and be saved, stick not at the pains give up thyself totally to thy business, and lust will die for want of food.

Direct. 111. If thou wouldst be free from lust, keep far enough from the tempting object.' If possible dwell not in

* Nullus mihi per otium dies exit: partem noctium studiis vendico: non vaco somdo sed succumbo, et oculos vigilia fatigatos, cadentesque in opere detineo.Malè mihi esse malo quam molliter; si mollis es, paulatim effœminatur animus, atque in similitudinem otii sui, et pigritiæ in qua jacet solvitur: dormio minimum et brevissimo somno utor: satis est mihi vigilare desiisse: aliquando dormisse scio, aliquando suspicor.

the house with any person that thou feelest thyself endangered by: if that be not possible, avoid their company; especially in private: abhor all lascivious and immodest actions. Dost thou give thyself the liberty of wanton dalliance, and lustful embracements, and yet think to be free from lust? wilt thou put thy hand into the fire, when thou art afraid of being burnt? Either thou hast the power of thy own heart, or thou hast not: if thou hast, why dost thou not quench thy lust? if thou hast not, why dost thou cast it upon greater temptations, and put it farther out of thy power than it is? Fly from a tempting object for thy safety, as thou wouldst fly from an enemy for thy life. These loving enemies are more dangerous than hating enemies: they get the key of our hearts, and come in and steal our treasure with our consent, or without resistance; when an open enemy is suspected and shut out.

Direct. IV. Command thy eyes, and as Job xxxi. 1. make a covenant with them, that thou mayst not think on tempting objects:' shut these windows, and thou preservest thy heart. Gaze not upon any alluring object. A look hath kindled the fire of lust in many a heart, that hath ended in the fire of hell. It is easier to stop lust at these outward doors, than drive it out when it hath tainted the heart. If thou canst not do this much, how canst thou do more? An ungoverned eye fetcheth fire to burn the soul that should have governed it'.

Direct. v. Linger not in the pleasant snares of lust, if thou feel but the least beginnings of it: but quickly cast water on the first discerned spark, before it break out into a flame.' The amorous Poet can teach you this, Ovid. de Rem. Am. If ever delay be dangerous, it is here. For

• Plutarch de Curiositate, praiseth Cyrus that would not see Panthra; and reproveth them that cast a wanton eye at women in coaches as they pass by, and look out at windows to have a full view of them, and yet think that they commit no fault, suffering a curious eye and a wandering mind, to slide and run every way. p. 142. Dum licet, et modici tangunt præcordia motus;

Si piget, in primo limine siste pedem.

Opprime, dum nova sunt subiti mala semina morbi,

Et tuus incipiens ire resistat equus.

Nam mora dat vires.--Lib. 1.

Dum novus est cœpto potius pugnemus amori:
Flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aquâ.
Interea tacitæ serpunt in viscera flammæ,
Et mala radices altius arbor agit.—— Ibid,

delay will occasion such engagements to sin, that you must come off at a far dearer rate. If the meat be undigestible, it is best not to look on it: it is the next best, not to touch or taste it; but if it once go down, it will cost you sickness and pain to get it up again; and if you do not, you perish by it.

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Direct. VI. Abhor lascivious, immodest speech:' as such words come from either vain or filthy hearts, and shew the absence of the fear of God, so they tend to make the hearer like the speaker. And if thy ears grow but patient and reconcileable to such discourse, thou hast lost much of thy innocence already. Christians must abhor the mentioning of such filthy sins, in any other manner, but such as tends to bring the hearers to abhor them. Be not deceived, "evil words corrupt good manners"," Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." Corrupt communication is rotten, stinking communication: and none but dogs and crows love carrion. But "fornication and all uncleanness and (λɛoveča) inordinate lust or luxury, let it not once be named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking nor jesting, &c."

Direct. VII. Abhor the covering of filthy lust with handsome names to make it the more acceptable.' Their discourse is more dangerous that would thus dress up an ugly lust, than theirs that speak of it in nasty language. Thus among the brutish party, it goeth under the names of love, and having a mistress, and courting,- and such like. But (as one said that is cited in Stobæus) it is doubled. Lust, that is commonly called love, and doubled love is stark madness.' If filthiness will walk abroad, let it go for filthiness, and appear as it is.

Direct. VIII. Avoid the reading of romances, and love stories' which are the library of Venus; or the devil's books of the lustful art; to cover over filthiness with cleanly names, and bewitch the fantasies of fools with fine words: to make men conceive of the ready way to hell, under the notions and images of excellency, beauty, love, gallantry : and by representing strong and amorous passions, to stir up

1 Cor. xv. 33.

the same passions in the reader. As he that will needs read a conjuring-book, is well enough served if devils come about his ears; so they that will needs read such romances and other books of the burning art, it is just with God to suffer an unclean devil to possess them, and to suffer them to catch the fever of lust, which may not only burn up the heart, but cause that pernicious deliration in the brain, which is the ordinary symptom of it.

Direct. Ix. Avoid all wanton stage-plays and dancings, which either cover the odiousness of lust, or produce temptations to it.' As God hath his preachers, and holy assemblies and exercises, for the communion of saints, and the stirring up of love and holiness; so these are satan's instruments, and assemblies, and exercises, for the communion of sinners, and for the stirring up of lust and filthiness. They that will go to the devil's church deserve to be possessed with his principles, and numbered with his disciples. The anci ent Christians were very severe against the seeing of these 'spectacula,' shews or plays; especially in any of the clergy.

Direct. x. Avoid all tempting, unnecessary ornaments or attire, and the regarding or gazing on them upon others,' It is a procacious, lustful desire to seem comely and amiable, which is the common cause of this excess. The folly, or lust, or both, of fashionists and gaudy gallants, is so conspicuous to all in their affected dress, that never did pride more cross itself, than in such publications of such disgraceful folly or lust. They that take on them to be adversaries to lust, and yet are careful when they present themselves to sight, to appear in the most adorned manner, and do all that harlots can do to make themselves a snare to fools, do put the charitable hard to it, whether to believe that it is their tongues or their backs that are the liar. As Hierome saith, Thou deservest hell, though none be the worse for thee for thou broughtest the poison, if there had been any to drink it.' Let thy apparel be suited not only to thy rank, but to thy disease. If thou be inclined to lust, go the more meanly clad thyself, and gaze not on the ornaments of others. It is folly indeed that will be enamoured of the tai

* Vide Petrarch de spect. Dial. 30.

y Lysander forbad his daughters to wear the brave attire which Dionysius sent them, 'Ne luxuriâ conspicuæ turpiores videantur.' 'Lest being conspicuous in luxury, they should seem the more deformed.'

lor's work; yet this is so common, that it is frequently more the apparel than the person, that enticeth first; and homely rags would have prevented the deceit; as the Poet saith, Auferimur cultu: gemiuis auroque: tegantur

Omnia: pars minima est ipsa puella sui2.

Direct. xI. Think on thy tempting object as it is within, and as it shortly will appear without.' How ordinary is it for that which you call beauty to be the portion of a fool; and a fair skin to cover a silly, childish, peevish mind; and a soul that is enslaved to the devil. And as Solomon saith, "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman without discretion "." And will you lust after such an adorned thing? Think also what a dunghill of filth is covered with those ornaments; that it would turn thy stomach if thou sawest what is within them. And think what a face that would be, if it were but covered with the pox? and what a face it will be when sickness or age hath consumed or wrinkled it; and think what thy admired carcase will be, when it hath lain a few days in the grave; then thou wouldst have little mind of it? and how quickly will that be? O man, there is nothing truly amiable in the creature, but the image of God; the wisdom, and holiness, and righteousness of the soul. Love this then, if thou wilt love with wisdom, with purity and safety: for the love of purity is pure and safe.

Direct. x11. Think on thy own death, and how fast thou hastest to another world.' Is a lustful heart a seemly temper for one that is ready to die, and ready to see God, and come into that world, where there is nothing but pure and holy doth abide?

Direct. x111. Consider well the tendency and fruits of lust, that it may still appear to your minds as ugly and terrible as it is indeed.' 1. Think what a shame it is to the soul, that can no better rule the body, and that it is so much defiled by its lusts. 2. Think what an unfit companion it is to lodge in the same heart with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit; shall a member of Christ be thus polluted? Shall the temple of the Holy Ghost be thus turned into a swine-sty? Is lust fit to dwell with the love of God? Wilt thou entertain thy Lord with such odious company? What

Ovid. de Remed. Am. lib. i.

a Prov. xi. 22.