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CHAP. IX.

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FOR FRIDAY.

MORTIFICATION.

Ir is not to be doubted, but that when you feriously reflect upon the Crucifixion of your Saviour for the Sins of the World, tranfacted upon this Day of the Week, you may be prevailed upon to undertake the Work of Mortification. This Profpect of a crucified Jefus has Motives fufficient to humble the moft fenfual Sinner, and to put him upon Acts of Self-denial: efpecially when you have confidered the abfolute Neceflity of this Virtue: And this in respect,

1. To what is past. Though we are made capable of Pardon and Reconciliation to God, by the Merits of Jefus Chrift; yet if we do not punish ourfelves for our Sins in this World, we fhall be more liable to fuffer for them in the next. Exercife the Part of a fevere Judge upon yourself, and excute the Sentence; that you may prevent the Justice of God, in the Vengeance He takes upon the Effeminate and Voluptuous Sinner. Your Acts of Intemperance and Excefs muft be mortified, by abftaining from thofe lawful Pleafures you have abufed: Your extrava

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gant and immoderate Mirth, by Tears of Sorrow and Compunction; your Acts of Fraud and Injuftice, by Reftitution and Charity; the Follies and Gaieties of trifling Converfation, by Solitude and Retirement; the Freedoms of your Tongue, and the Liberties you have taken in reflecting upon others, by Silence, and religious Meditation. If any one fell into any notorious Sin, after Baptifm, the primitive Church thought it not fufficient that he thould repeat his Crime no more; but he was obliged by a long Course of Mortification, by Fafting, Prayer, Tears, and Good Works, to endeavour to wash out the Stain and Guilt.

2. To what is Prefent. The Inclinations of the Flesh carry us to forbidden Pleasures; and our Minds are bent upon gratifying the Senfes. This makes it neceffary to keep your Body under; to subject it to Reason; to apply your Mind to fpiritual Objects, by fubduing your irregular Paffions and Appetites. There are multitudes of People condemned to the Mileries of everlafting Darkness, for not abftaining from a particular Pleasure, for not conquering one unruly Paffion. There is always Reafon to keep a Watch upon our Senfes, and to govern our Appetites; because the Love of Pleafure is fo great, that it often impofes upon our Underftandings, and makes us judge that to be neceffary, which is the mere Effect of Senfuality.

3. To what is to come. If the Trouble and Difficulty of practifing this rough Method fhould be apt to abate your Courage, let the great Advantages of it raife your Spirits, and fortify your Refolution. The Habit of Selfdenial once acquired, will make the remaining Part of your Life more cafy and agreeable; befides, the more we deny ourfelves fenfual Gratifications, the greater will be our Reward, and the brighter will be our Crown. And indeed we are never truly conformed to the Image of the Son of God, till our Old Man is crucified with Him, and the Body of Sin is deftroyed. Let us therefore addrefs ourfelves to the Son of God, intreating Him, that He would derive into our Soul the mighty Efficacy of his divine and all-fufficient Sacrifice, in order to accomplish that Sacrifice of our Old Man, which can only qualify. us to partake of his Glory.

The Acts of this Virtue confift,

I. In fubduing the Paffions. Here the Foundation of Mortification must be laid. All the Paffions, more or lefs, make their Attacks upon us; but there is always one which is the moft governing, and plays the Mafter in us. This Man is fubject to Anger, another to Melancholy. A Word is apt to put this Woman into a Flame, and when the indulges her Humour, the becomes infupportable. Others, it may be, are inclined to Impurity, Gluttony, or Vanity, &c. Now

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all these Paffions must be kept under Government; in order to which, the following Rules must be obferved :

The firf is, to refift the Paffion that attacks you, and not to suffer yourself to be prevailed upon to do any Thing which that Palion folicits you to. To all its Suggestions return a pofitive Denial, and refolutely perfift in this Method.

The fecond is, not only to forbear doing what the Paffion folicits you to, but to do the contrary. If Anger and Melancholy fet upon you, instead of Roughness and Violence, fpeak with Softness and Affability. If carnal Thoughts and intemperate Defires prefs upon you, inftead of gratifying them, or pleafing yourself with the Representations they would make, turn your Mind upon other Objects, and exercife fome Acts of Abftinence and Mortification.

II. In denying the Senfes. If we will gratify our Senfes in every Thing we lawfully may, we shall not be long free from Guilt; for by Indulgence they will acquire a great Power and Empire over us, and then it will be a difficult Talk to deny them any Thing: So that if we would fecure our cternal Salvation, by conquering and fubduing our Senfes in all Inftances that are finful, we muft take Care not to indulge them in any Inftances whatfoever. This Object pleafes you, look not too long upon it. This Book is full of

Wit, which ferves only to gild over the Poifon and Danger of it; read it not. It is not to be imagined the great Advantage we shall receive by neglecting to gratify our Senfes; Experience only can affure us how it tends to fecure our Virtue.

III. In Practifing it upon the fmalleft Occafions. Never excufe yourself from Mortification, by faying, that the Occafion that offers for it is inconfiderable: If it is a little Thing, it will coft you the lefs Pains; but the Confequence is important: Because in thefe little Things you always affert the Empire over your Paffions; from whence it will follow, that in Matters of the greatest Moment you will be Mafter of yourself, and no Paffion will be able to prevail against you.

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But the Thing is not fo little as you are apt to think: How dear did a Look coft David? from which, if he had abstained, he might have preferved his Innocence. ill-timed Glance of the Eye, obfcene Difcourfe not difcouraged, a Thought not quickly rejected, a choleric Emotion not presently fuppreffed, have drawn after them a fatal Train of Guilt and Mifery.

IV. In doing Acts of Penance. The Dif cipline of the Church is at fo low an Ebb among us, that we ought to take the more Care to exercise it upon ourselves. It is certain, the primitive Saints went to Heaven by Watchings and Faftings, &c.

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