Quality foever it be; for it is capable of SERM. ruining his Circumstances, and poyfoning XVII. his Temper; fo that there fhall not be a Thing fo foolish or bafe, nor fo pernicious to himself and Country, but he will at last be hurried into. Thus I have laid before you the natural Arguments against all inordinate Lufts of the Flesh, without taking in the Affiftance of Faith and Religion. And even So they have been found, taking Men fingly, the greatest Enemies to their Interests of Safety, Peace, and Pleasure itfelf, both in the Body and the Soul; and deftructive of all the fame Advantages, as they arife from Society, whether in Families and Neighbourhoods, or States and Kingdoms. But if we look upon Men in their better Capacity, as confifting of a Soul immortal, and a Body that fhall revive and live together; if we look upon them as Pilgrims and Strangers here, but Subjects, Citizens and Heirs of a Kingdom eternal in the Heavens; the Obligation to abstain from these Lufts of momentary Pleasure SERM. Pleasure will appear infinitely more strong, XVII. and in fome Cafes more extended. And to that I should now come; but it muft be at fome other Opportunity. SERM. XVIII, SERMON XVIII. The Reasonableness of curbing PART II, I PET, II. 11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims, abflain from flefbly Lufts, which war against the Soul. B EFORE Mankind was SERM. was not fo clear, as to leave them free from Difficulties and Error. Even those few, that spent their Time in the Confideration of these Things, SERM. Things and fet up for Teachers, were di- Man, and governing Principle of all his they they severally proposed, was (for the most SER M. part of Men) overthrown by Experience. XVIII, For how fhould they be govern'd by the View of a Good propofed, which generally proved impoffible to be attained, but was ftill disappointed in the Effect with Emptiness and Misery. The Reafon of all this Weakness, if we trace it, will be found here; that they confined their Confiderations to this Life, having no clear Account, or well-established Tradition, of the Happiness, or the Mifery, that awaits us in another. They generally despised the Tradition they had to that Purpose ; and fo made their Judgment of Mankind, whofe Nature they were ignorant of. Accordingly their Conclufions were wide and defective; as they must be, while they reasoned upon that as perishing in a few Years, which indeed was to revive and be of immortal Duration, and that in a State exceedingly different from the prefent, which fell under their Confideration. But now, that the Revelation of our God and Saviour hath given all Men clear Evidence of their being Strangers and Pil |