and Confequence of the Lufts which war SERM. against our Souls, there will appear a na- XVII. tural as well as a religious Reason to abftain from them, or most of them. And with that I will therefore begin, and fhew firft, That 'twere good for us to abftain from the Lufts of the Body that war dgainst the Soul, although we were not Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth. Se condly, Because we are fo, I will fet forth how much more we are bound to abstain from them.

First then, let us confider the Interefts of Mankind, as limited within the Bounds of this Life; and fee, how they will des termine him in the governing, or denying his Appetites. Neither is this an idle Speculation; for though Religion furnith us with more forcible Arguments, yet the natural Light alfo is given by God, and we are accountable to him for the Ufe of it; and therefore, where that joins its Force with Religion, 'tis evident our Neglect is more inexcufable, and will fubject us to a double Condemnation. It ferves likewife to recommend to our Minds the Reasonableness of Religion, and induce us Dd 3

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to

SERM. to fubmit chearfully and thankfully to the XVII. Yoke that is fo eafy, and the Burden that is fo light.

The firft Confideration to this Purpose, we haye Occafion given for in the Words before us. That which makes War against the Soul must be look'd upon as oppofite to our Intereft; fince we are conscious that we confift of Soul and Body, and that the Soul is naturally the directing and governing Part. There is no Need to prove the Fitness and Use of Reason's ruling over that which is irrational; or that the Guidance of the Seeing ought not to be committed to the Blind. But this Exception is taken by many: Why fhould we look the Defires and Gratifications of the Body (one of the Parts in our Compofition) to be prejudicial to the Soul wherewith Nature hath fo ftrictly united it? Nothing, they fay, can be fuppofed in her Works inconfiftent and destructive of itfelf; and fo conclude, that our several Appetites are not hurtful to the whole Man, nor given to be deny'd, but to be bearken'd to as Prompters and Sollicitors truly in our Interests.

upon

There

There is, I confess, a great deal of Rea- SERM. fon and Truth in this, as it is generally XVII. laid down; but the Doctrine here propo

fed makes not against the Inclinations and Demands of our Nature at large; but on

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ly fuch of them as are rais'd to a disproportionable Growth, or perverted to an unreafonable Turn, or fuch as, though otherwife innocent enough, muft, by reafon of Circumftances, be paid for too dearly in the Confequence. These are not

the genuine Fruits of Nature, but of Fancy rather, and Affectation at first, and of Cuftom and Habit in the Conclufion. What there is of Repugnance between any native Appetite and our Duty, shall be atcounted for in proper Place. Under this Head I fpeak of no Affection or Enjoyment as criminal, but what is naturally noxious. Nor do I understand the Apostle to enjoyn Chriftians Abftinence from fleshly Defires, because 'tis their general Nature to war against the Soul; but only from as many of them, as by their Excefs, or their Obliquity, or the particular State of the Perfon, come to do fo. Indeed the former Suppofition is not true; for,

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SERM. for, as we commonly experience, the Soul XVII. is fo far from being prejudiced by the Satisfactions given our Body within the Rule of Temperance, that the fympathizes in the Advantage, and increases thereupon her own Strength and Tranquillity; as likewife it is found, that the moves in all her Functions languishing or irregular, when thofe Satisfactions are too feverely withheld. 'Tis true, there have been of oid, and are ftill, among Chriftians and Pagans too, fome People of great Zeal, and highly admir'd and honour'd by the Multitude, as the greatest and almost only Men of Religion, that carry this Matter much further. They have made it their continual Task and most eminent Merit to deny their Bodies the innocent Comforts, and even Neceffaries of Life, and to afflict them with the ftrangest Severities. And it is also true, that where Men of fober Senfe obferve these Practices, and cannot find they serve, in that Degree, any good or wife End, they may cenfure them as unnatural and abfurd. But though they fee them held in mighty Veneration, thro' the Weakness of the many, and the Arti

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fice poffibly of fome few; let them not SERM. therefore condemn all Self-denial in grofs, XVII. or flight any Rule or Authority that enjoins it. For thofe Self-tormenters that make fuch a War on their Bodies, however good their Meaning may be, are engaged in it rafhly, without any real Warrant either of Reafon or Religion. But there are nevertheless certain Affections of our Flesh, that rebel against the rational Powers, and as far as they do fo, must be oppos'd and fubdu'd by every religious and wife Man, indeed, every body that confiders even his worldly Interest. The Condition of Particulars, and of the World, is render'd unhappy by them; and would be notably amended and improv'd, if they were reftrain'd but fo far as that Confideration requires. Thefe are the Vices of Intemperance, when Men gratify their bodily Paffions, either by unjust Means, or by exceffive and foolish Indulgences. Thefe, we fee, in continual Examples, hurt the Soul, and by Confequence the whole Man; and fecondly, they hurt also the Body itself directly; and thirdly, they do the fame to both together, by ruining

the