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is the latitudinarian impudence of this age, that they canonize themselves for faints, if not guilty of every Newgate filth, and kennel impiety. And the pretended innocency of thefe things, fteals away their minds from that which is better, into the love of them; nay, it gives them confidence to plead for them, and by no means will they think the contrary. But why? Because it is a liberty that feeds the flesh, and gratifies the luftful eye and palate of poor mortality: wherefore they think it a laudable condition to be no better than the beaft, that eats and drinks but what his nature doth require; although the number is very fmail of fuch, fo very exorbitant are men and women grown in this prefent age: for either they do believe their actions are to be ruled by their own will; or else at best, that not to be ftained with the vileft wickedness is matter of great boafting and indeed it is fo in a time, when nothing is too wicked to be done. But certainly, it is a fign of univerfal impiety in a land, when not to be guilty of the fins the very heathens loath, is to be virtuous, yes, and Chrif tian too, and that to no fmall degree of reputation: a difmal fymptom to a country! But is it not to be greatly blinded, that those we call Infidels fhould deteft thofe practices as infamous, which people, that call themselves Chriftians, cannot or will not fee to be fuch, but gild them over with the fair titles of ornaments, decency, recreation, and the like? Well, my friends, if there were no God, no heaven, to hell, no holy examples, no Jefus Christ, in

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crofs, doctrine, and life, to be conformed unto; yet would charity to the poor, help to the needy, peace amongst neighbours, visits to the fick, care of the widow and fatherlefs, with the reft of thofe temporal good offices already repeated, be a nobler employment, and much more worthy of your expence and pains. Nor indeed is it to be conceived, that the way to glory is fmoothed with fuch a variety of carnal pleasures; for then conviction, a wounded fpirit, a broken heart, a regenerate mind; in a word, immortality, would prove as mere fictions as fome make them, and others therefore think them: no, thefe practices are for ever to be extinguifhed, and expelled all Chriftian fociety. For I affirm, that to one who internally knows God, and hath a fenfe of his bleffed presence, all fuch recreations are death; yea, more dangerously evil, and more apt to fteal away the mind from the heavenly exercife, than groffer impieties. For they are fo big, they are plainly feen; fo dirty, they are easily detected: which education and common temperance, as well as conftitution in many, teach them to abhor; and if they fhould be committed, they carry with them a proportionable 'conviction. But thefe pretended innocents, thefe fuppofed harmless fatisfactions, are more furprising, more deftructive: for as they easily gain an admiffion by the fenfes, fo the more they pretend to innocency, the more they fecure the minds of people in the common use of f Prov. xviii. 14. Pfalm li. 17. Mat. v. 4. Luke vi. 25. Rom. ii. 7. Pfalm xl. 8. Rom. vii. 22. Heb. xi. 13 to 16. Rom. i. 25 to 30. • Job i. 4.

them till they become fo infenfible of their evil confequences, that with a mighty confidence they can plead for them.

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f. X. But as this is plainly not to deny them. felves, but on the contrary, to employ the vain inventions of carnal men and women, to gratify the defire of the eye, the defire of the flesh, and the pride of life (all which exercife the mind below the divine and only true pleafure, or elfe, tell me what does) fo be it known to fuch, that the heavenly life and Chriftian joys are of another kind, as hath already been expreffed: yea, that the true difciples of the Lord Chrift, must be hereunto crucified, as to objects and employments that attract downwards, and that their affections fhould be raised to a more fublime and fpiritual converfation, as to use this world, even in its most innocent enjoyments, as if they ufed it not. But if they take pleafure in any thing below, it fhould be in fuch good offices as before-mentioned, whereby a benefit may redound in fome refpect to others: in which, God is honoured over all vifible things, the nation relieved, the government bettered, themfelves rendered exemplary of good, and thereby justly entitled to prefent happiness, a sweet memorial with pofterity, as well as to a feat at his right hand, where there are joys and pleasures for ever: than which there can bẹ nothing more honourable, nothing more certain, world without end.

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1 John ii. 15, 16, 17. i Job xxxvi. 7. Pfalm v. 12.
Prov.x. 7. II. ·

CHA P. XVI.

. 1. Luxury fhould not be used by Chriftians, because of its inconfiftency with the spirit of Christianity. §. 2. The cup of which Chrift's true difciples drank. §. 3. O! who will drink of this cup. §. 4. An objection answered of the nature of God's kingdom, and what it Stands in. §. 5. Of the frame of the Spirit of Christ's followers.

§. I. BUT the luxury oppofed in this difcourfe fhould not be allowed among Chriftians, becaufe both that which invents it, delights in it, and pleads fo ftrongly for it, is inconfiftent with the true fpirit of Chriftianity; nor doth the very nature of the Chriftian religion admit thereof. For therefore was it, that immortality and eternal life were brought to light," that all the invented pleafures of mortal life, in which the world lives, might be denied and relinquifhed and for this reafon it is, that nothing lefs than immenfe rewards and eternal manfions are promised, that men and women might therefore be encouraged willingly to forfake the vanity and fleshly fatisfactions of the world, and encounter with boldness, the fhame and fufferings they must expect to receive at the • Luke xvi. 15. John xv. 18, 19. Ch. xvi. 20. Ch. xvii. 15, 16, Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26, 27. Rom. viii. 19. 2 Tim. i. 10. Heb. xii. 1, 2.

hand of, it may be, their nearest intimates and relations.

For if the Chriftian religion had admitted the poffeffion of this world in any other fenfe, than the fimple and naked ufe of those creatures, really given of God for the neceffity and convenience of the whole creation; for inftance, did it allow all that pride, vanity, curiofity, pomp, exchange of apparel, honours, preferments, fafhions, and the customary recreations of the world, with whatever may delight and gratify their fenfes; then what need of a daily crofs; a felf-denying life; working out falvation with fear and trembling; feeking the things that are above; having the treasure and heart in heaven; no idle talking, no vain jefting, but fearing and meditating all the day long; undergoing all reproach, fcorn, hard ufage, bitter mockings, and cruel deaths? What need these things? And why fhould they be expected in order to that glorious immortality and eternal crown, if the vanity, pride, expence, idleness, concupifcence, envy, malice, and whole manner of living among the, -called, Chriftians, were allowed by the Chriftian religion? No certainly; but as the Lord Jefus Chrift well knew in what foolish trifles and vain pleasures, as well as groffer impieties, the minds of men and women were fixed, and how much they were degenerated from the heavenly principle of life, into a luftful or unlawful feeking after the enjoyments of this perishing

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