But however fuch a general Difufe may SERM. abate of the Blame of Particulars as of XIX. fending against an establish'd Order; yet there remains an Admonition from the fetting apart certain Times throughout the Year, for the Exercife of that Chriftian Grace of Mortification; there remains, I fay, still an Admonition from publick Authority, in full Force, to render those inexcufable, who will not exercise it, at least as often as their particular Circumftances require. Then for the Laws of our holy Religion, which are for ever of equal Authority, I have now propofed to you one great Branch of them in the Words I have chofen to difcourfe upon, the Words of our Lord himself; If thy right Eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee: For it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish, and not that thy whole Body should be caft into Hell. And if thy right Hand offend thee, cut it off, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish, and not that thy whole Body fhould be caft into Hell.

SERM.

If the Matter of the Command appear XIX. (as it must) of a very difficult and severe Tenour; the Manner of publishing it, and engaging our Attention and Obedience, does, at the fame Time, * appear fo full of Weight and folemn Affeveration, as fhews the Importance to be of the utmost Value, and the Obligation altogether indifpenfable. This doubling of the Figure, and Reiteration of Expreffions, naturally fortifies and redoubles to our Apprehenfion and Con cern the Certainty and the Dignity of the Thing deliver'd.

As to the Signification of the Terms, Hand and Eye, Plucking out, and Cutting off; wherein the only Difficulty lies; it is evident, in the firft Place, that they are not to be taken according to the Letter; that no Blinding or Difmembring is intended in this Precept And Secondly, if the Verfes of the Text be confidered by themselves, without Relation had to the Difcourfe, or Occafion that introduces. them, the general Senfe of those Terms is, reject and feparate far from you, (not withstanding

See Serm. XII,

~

withstanding any Reluctance or any Pain) SERM, whatever it be, how near or dear, or other- XIX. wife ferviceable foever; if it offend, that is, betray to Sin, fupplant and overthrow your Goings in the Paths of Religion and Virtue. But thirdly, the particular Obligation defigned here to be laid on us, and what Subjects this Severity must be exercised upon, is to be learn'd only from the Context, the immediately preceeding Matter that our Lord was difcourfing of. Indeed the fame Words, for Subftance, are found again in the New Testament, and even in this fame Evangelift. But upon Examination, they will appear directed to a different Aim there; and fo yield us no Light for their Application in my Text. The general Sense, 'tis true, is all one in each of the three Places; but by the Circumftances accompanying the Words, they are determined to enjoyn the Practice of one special Duty here, and of another there. In the ixth Chapter of St. Mark, the 43d, 45th, and 47th Verses, the Hand and Foot to be cut of, and the Eye to be pluck'd out, are the Companions, Friends, and Relations of all

Sorts;

SERM. Sorts; which are to be forfaken and re XIX. nounc'd, and all the Ties of Blood, Affection, and Intereft, to be burst asunder ; when they draw us off from our heavenly Benefactor, Mafter, and Father. This I have formerly fhewed in difcourfing on that Place; and likewise, that St. Matthew, xviii. 8, 9. are to be interpreted in the fame Manner. But the Words of St. Matthew, which I have now chofen for my Text, have another View; and charge us, not to fly from and break off all Commerce with the Perfons that corrupt us (though that alfo is otherwise highly neceffary;) but to fubdue and banish the corrupt Affections within our own Breafts, to mortify our inordinate Paffions and Lufts, and especially that of Concupifcence. For the Verfes before are, Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not commit Adultery. But I fay unto you, that whofoever looketh on a Woman to luft after her, bath committed Adultery with her already in bis Heart. And then follows, And if thy right Eye offend thee, pluck it out, and the reft.

R

* Serm. XII.

Which

Which fhews certainly, that the offending SERM. Eye in the latter Verse, is the fame with XIX. the Eye of him that looked to luft, in the former; and therefore that the Eye to be pluck'd out is fomething at Home, even: a lafcivious and intemperate Difpofition in our own Mind. And I fhall add, because it is appofite, (though it may appear a little Observation,) that to preserve this Clearness of Connexion the Eye is mentioned first; whereas in the other two Places it comes in, as you may fee, last of all after the cutting off the other Members. This Connexion, I say therefore, of the parts our Lord's Difcourfe, makes it manifeft, that the Difcipline enjoin'd is to be exercifed directly on our own felves, notwithstanding that in the xviiith Chapter of this Gofpel, and in the ixth of St. Mark, is to feparate us from the Enticements and contagious Familiarity of other wicked Perfons. Nor ought it to seem ftrange that our Lord should apply the fame Maxim or Precept of general Truth differently, on different Occafions. It is in itself reasonable; and we have another Example

in