because it is contrary to the prevailing Opinion of Mankind, which, in Despite of the general Corruption, has loaded this Vice with Ignominy and Reproach; and because it puts a Man upon many bafe and difhonourable Actions to gratify it. The Senfe of all Nations has made the Honour of Women to confift in their Modefty; and the Word Virtue, when applied to them, particularly relates to their Chaftity. And if Lying and Treachery, if Perjury and Infidelity, are contrary to the Rules of Honour; if betraying our beft Friends, and wronging them in the moft fenfible Part, be infamous and contemptible; this Vice, which fo frequently puts Men upon thefe bafe Actions, may be very well reckoned fhameful and difhonourable.

3. To eternal Deftruction. Thofe who are under the Power of thofe evil Habits, know but too well the Force of them; and notwithstanding their ferious Refolutions at fome Times, their Horror of their Condition, their Uneafinefs from the Expence that attends their Extravagancies; yet ftill they are not able to break their Chains, and it must be a Miracle of Grace that recovers them; for the Spirit being fubdued by the Flesh, the Obligations of Religion begin to lofe their Force, the Means of Religion are firft neglected, and then the Principles of it begin to be questioned; and, by Degrees, Men are G 2 made

made fuch Captives and Slaves to their Lufts, that their Recovery is desperate, and they are never awakened to a Sense of their Follies, till the Miseries of a fad Eternity make them repent when it is too late. Let all my Pleafures, O God, be governed by Reafon and Religion, that I may not be deaf to good Counfel, not blind to thofe Things that concern my eternal Welfare.

This Virtue muft be exercised,

I. In your Thoughts and Defires. It is pof fible, the firft Motions of your Paffion may `not be under your own Government, and confequently, that you may not be anfwerable for them? but it is in your own Power to ftifle and fupprefs them, to reject with Horror and Contempt, and to apply your Minds vigorously upon other Subjects, which will certainly divert them, because the Frame of our Nature is not capable of dwelling intenfely upon two Things at the fame Time. So that we must take Care not to indulge any filthy Fancies; we muft caft away any Scene of Luft that represents itself to us, with Indignation; and here our Security lies in Flight, rather than in looking the Temptation in the Face. We certainly offend in our Thoughts, when we determine to enjoy any unlawful Pleasure, and only expect an Ŏccafion to put it in Execution; befides, we contract Guilt by delighting ourselves with fuch Thoughts, though we do not defign to bring

them

them into Act: And as we must govern our Thoughts in looking forward, fo we must have the fame Guard over them in relation to what is paft; for any unclean Paffages of our former Lives, muft never be reflected upon with Pleasure and Satisfaction; for this is deliberately to delight ourselves with fuch Follies, which, it may be, Rafhnefs and Surprise engaged us in at first.

II. In your Words. Nothing is a greater Sign of a corrupt Heart, than filthy and obfcene Difcourfe: Therefore we must take Care that our Speech does not betray the Diforder of our Minds. Nothing can be a greater Abuse of that noble Faculty of Speech, which diftinguishes us from Beafts, and was beftowed upon us to glorify God, and to edify our Neighbour, than to pollute it by lewd and filthy Talk; for hereby we affront his holy Nature, offend the Chaste and Virtuous, and farther corrupt thofe whofe Inclinations are vicious. Befides, at the Day of Judgment, we shall give an Account of all fuch idle Words; and if the vain and unprofitable Talker fhall be condemned, where thall the obfcene Jefter appear?

We must take Care, not only that our Words be free from flagrant Lewdnefs, but from any double Meaning whatsoever; and never to make ufe of Words capable of feveral Senfes, with a Defign to create any ob· fcene Ideas in those we converse with. Nay,

we must avoid conveying any unchafte Thought to our Neighbour, though we can preferve ourfelves from Blame in the Way of expreffing it; for this Manner of offending does moft Hurt, because the Poison is gilded and made palateable; whereas downright filthy Talk fhocks at firft hearing, and being directly oppofite to natural Modefty, has not fo malign an influence. Even in relating Reports and Paffages concerning others, we must not fo tie ourselves to repeat Patticulars, as to offend Christian Modefty; for hereby we contract too great a Familiarity with dif folute Expreffions, and corrupt the Minds of the Hearers, by entertaining them with fuch Things which they cannot learn too late, nor forget too foon.

This filthy Sort of Converfation is most nafeous in thofe who are advanced in Years; because it argues a Mind extremely depraved, and gives too great a Countenance to the Follies of Youth.

III. In our Actions. There are many apt to conclude themselves innocent, provided they preferve themfelves free from the finifhing Scene of Luft, and confequently indulge

themselves in all other Manner of Liberties that fall fhort of the last Act of Uncleannefs: But herein they deceive themselves; for he that fuffers his Eyes to move, and fixes them upon a forbidden Object, will be apt to commit Adultery in his Heart; he that indulges

any

any of his Senfes fo far as to excite any Defire of forbidden Pleafures, defiles and pollutes his Soul. To preferve our innocence, our Eyes, our Ears, and our Hands, must be kept continent: that is, we muft look upon. nothing, read nothing, hear nothing, touch nothing, that may inflame our finful Paffions, or difpofe us in any Manner to gratify them. All these preliminary Actions have a Degree of Guilt, more or lefs, as they obtain the free Confent of our Minds, and generally they carry us on to contract greater Guilt; for when Luft is conceived, it bringeth forth Sin: they fet us upon a Precipice when corrupt Nature pushes upon our Ruin. Exercise thy Chriftian Prudence therefore in fetting a Guard upon thy own Inclinations, and by avoiding Provocations, to keep thy Paffion at due Distance by the ufe of Reafon, left thou shouldft unawares be furprised by it. Thus Agefilaus refufed to receive a Kifs from a beautiful Perfon addreffing to him; and Cyrus would not fuffer himself to behold the Beauty of Panthea.

IV. Mortify your Body. He that fincerely defires the End, will make Ufe of all proper Means to attain it. If we refolve to keep our Bodies in Chastity, we must not pamper them, nor exceed in our Meafures of Eating and Drinking. The Are muft be laid to the Root of the Tree, and the Remedy muft be applied to the Caufe of the Distemper. There

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