follow the Dictates of the higher.

of

But wretched Man, fallen and finful, lies under a heavier Neceffity of this Kind; for, made up wrong Propenfities, in the Degree that he is, in order to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lufts", he muft deny himself continually. Chrift indeed hath procured us by his Blood the Means of Recovery from this lamentable Condition: but still he only frees us from Slavery, to fubject us to a juft and gracious Government: we are not our own, for we are bought with a Price*: and fince by Him we live, who were dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, we are to live henceforth, not unto ourselves, but unto Him, which died for us, and rofe again". So that both as Creatures, and as fallen and redeemed Creatures, Self-denial and Self-furrender is our indifpenfable general Duty. And we shall find it previously neceffary to the right Performance of every particular Duty that lies before us.

Our Appetites, Paffions, and Fancies, are by Nature many: and partly by the Corruption of our Nature, partly by voluntary Indulgence, they are headstrong and mischievous. x 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. y Eph. ii. 1.

w Tit. ii. 12. z 2 Cor. v. 15.

What

What must be the Confequence then, if we either study to humour them ftill farther, or let them take their own free Courfe? Plainly, that they will become quite ungovernable, and multiply Sin and Guilt upon us without End. The very Thought of Virtue and Piety will be fo excluded, as feldom to occur to us : and whenever Confcience doth adventure to found the unwelcome Words in our Ears, it will be filenced, overpowered, and banished from the Place where it ought to dwell and prefide. Sometimes it may carry a fingle Point or two: but still, what upon the whole is uppermoft in our Hearts, will upon the whole govern our Lives; and the occasional Victories, obtained now and then, will be attended with continually greater Difficulty and Pain, and therefore will be attempted lefs and lefs frequently. Look around you: look within you : what is our general Condition 'here on Earth? Immoderate Defire of Wealth or Power or Fame, or Pleafure, or Eafe, Refentment, Envy, Vanity, fome wrong Inclination or other, it is well if not more than one, fprings up early: an ill-judging Self-love cherishes it without Examination: we take it haftily for granted, that here lies our Hap

C 4

Happiness, and accordingly purfue it: many, without ever putting the Question, whether Virtue or Religion forbid them or not. Others indeed do chance to reflect a little at Times ; fome of them enough to form a Sort of Refolution, that they will quit fuch and fuch of their Vices, perhaps all of them. But then, as they will, notwithflanding, preserve in general the fame falfe Tenderness for themselves that they ever had, and leave to mere Inclination or Caprice the fame Dominion over them; it is easy to forefee, that thefe Refolutions must have a very ineffectual, a very shortlived Influence, and every Thing quickly relapfe into its former State. So long then as we fuffer it to be at all a determining Reason for acting thus or thus, in Cafes of Importance, that we have a Mind to act fo, there cannot be any Hope of our behaving right with the least Uniformity or Conftancy: and the only Way is, to ftrike at the Root of all our Faults, wrong Self-indulgence, instead of cutting off little Branches and Twigs, that will sprout afterwards fafter than before.

Nor is this of more Confequence to our Virtue than to what is clofcly connected with it here, and infeparably hereafter, our Happiness. Every Principle in our Na

ture

The

ture was originally placed there for our Good, but, when corrupted and improperly exerted, produces Harm to us. And in particular, the dear Affection that we bear to ourfelves, if it feeks to attain its End by mistaken Means, muft fail of it, and make us miferable. tender fondnefs that will fuffer us to mifs no Pleasure, and bear no Hardship, will as certainly deftroy all Firmnefs and Health in the Soul, as it doth in the Body, and unfit us in both Refpects equally for what we must have to go through in Life. Under this unhappy Management, groundless Averfions and pernicious Defires grow continually more vehement; wild Fancies multiply'; each of them claims the abfolute Sway, and we are torn in Pieces by their Contentions. Or if they rule more amicably by Turns, the various Purfuits to which they fucceffively prompt us, we often fee at the Time, are leading us to Ruin: yet we know not how to be fo cruel to ourfelves, as to prefer the united Interefts of this World and the next to a prefent favourite Inclination.

So we grafp momentary Pleafures, quickly followed by lafting Uneafinefs are tormented by daily Difappointments in what we obtain, as well as what we aimed at with

out

out Succefs and very commonly, after innumerable Follics and Sufferings, the whole ends in Despondency and Sournefs, Dislike of ourselves and every one around us, Diffatisfaction with the univerfal State of Things, and the very Author of it: whilft, like ungoverned Children, we know not what we would have, and nothing can please us. For the fame Gratification of every Humour, that makes Children both wicked and wretched, hath juft the fame Effect on all thofe, who, by treating themfelves in the like Manner, contrive to be no wifer throughout the Course of their Lives than they were at the Beginning. But, whether we go on to be toffed through a reflefs Variety of wrong Pursuits, or fix on fome one, that fhall carry us forward more uniformly in Error, it is in Effect the fame Thing. By the one Means or the other we are fure to be miferable, even in this World, and unfpeakably more fo in the next, if we permit our own Wills and Paffions to be our Guides.

Therefore our bleffed Lord, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who perfectly knew, both what our Nature and Condition require