that is exercis'd in leud Actions and Embraces, and is therefore faid to be the Inftrument of Unrighteousness unto Sin, Rom. 6. 13. All thefe being the Agents and Inftruments of Adultery, are forbidden in this Commandment.

But because where any Sin is forbidden, there all the Motives, Occafions and Incentives to it are forbidden with it; 'twill be requifite to mention fome of thofe Temptations that lead to the Commiffion of this great Evil. And,

ift, Luxury, or an intemperate Ufe of God's Creatures, is an Incentive to Luft, and a great Occafion of the Evils here prohibited; for this adds Fuel to thofe impure Flames, and fets Men a burning in their Lufts one towards another. So we find God himself complaining of the Ifraelites, for abufing his Bieffings to thofe wicked Purposes: When 1 fed them to the full (faith he) they then committed Adultery, and affembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses; they were as fed Horfes, every one neighing after his Neighbour's Wife: Jer. 5. 7, 8. And what the Prophet Feremy here afcribes to full Feeding, the Prophet Ifaiah affirms likewife of high Drinking, telling us of fome that rofe early in the Morning to follow ftrong Drink, and fitting late at Night till Wine inflame them; Ifa. 5. 11. meaning, that the immoderate Ufe of God's Creatures enkindles the Flames of Luft, and leads to all manner of Leudnels. Solomon likewife tells the fame, Prov. 23. 31, 33. which is too well known by fad Experience to need any other proof.

2dly, Idlenefs is another great Inducement and Occafion of thefe Evils; for that expofes Men to all manner of Temptation, and carries them away with the Stream of evil Counfel and bad Examples. Hence we read of Sodom, that Pride, Fulness of Bread, and Abundance of Idleness was in her; Ezek. 16. 49. which the Prophet there affigns as the Caufe of all the Evils both of Sin and Punishment that befel her. Befides thefe, there are,

Laftly, Many other Provocations to this Sin, as lafcivious Dreffes, embroider'd Hair, painting the Face, ftrange Apparel, lafcivious Books and Pictures, leud Tales and Songs, and the like; all which being great Incentives to Luft, are to be look'd upon as prohibited in this Commandment: And the Apoftle's Advice of abstaining from all the Occafions and Appearances of Evil, directs us carefully to watch against and avoid them.

I

DISCOURSE XVII.

EXO D. XX. 14.

Thou shalt not commit Adultery.

N explaining the Negative Part of this Commandment, I fhew'd the Incontinence both of marry'd and fingle Perfons, and likewife all Impurity of Body and Mind, together with the Motives, Occafions, and Incentives thereunto, to be forbidden in it: I come now to the Affirmative Part of it, and to confider the Duty imply'd and requir'd in it.

And here the great thing enjoin'd by this Precept is Chastity, with all the good Means and Helps conducing thereunto. Now Chaftity is a Virtue that preserves the Purity of Soul and Body from the Pollution of fleshly Lufts: Where, first,

I ftyle it a Virtue, for fo it has been ever justly accounted, and that both Moral and Theological. "Tis a Moral Virtue, as taught by the Light of Nature, and practis'd by the wifer Heathens; and 'tis a Theological Virtue or Divine Grace, as 'tis adopted into Chriftianity, and made a great Part and Duty of Religion. Moreover,

I ftyle it a Virtue, that preferves the Purity of Body and Soul, both which being liable to Defilement and Corruption, are purify'd and kept clean by this Virtue.

It preferves the Purity of the Body, by keeping it from all the outward Acts of Uncleannefs, and making the Members of it, which by Leudness are only Inftruments of Sin, to become the Inftruments of Righteousness unto Holiness. It fets a Guard upon the Eyes, and turns them away from beholding Vanity; it puts a Bridle upon the Tongue, that reftrains it from all corrupt Communication, and keeps the Door of the Lips, that no Evil may enter in or come forth thence; it fets a Watch upon the Ear, that clofes it against vain Difcourfe, and will not fuffer it to liften to filthy Converfation; it guards the Hand, and keeps it from touching any unclean thing; yea it teaches us to pluck out

a

a right Eye, and cut off a right Hand, rather than either fhould offend; it being better to enter into Heaven maim'd, than to go down whole and entire into Hell. Laftly, it guides the Feet into the Ways of Purity, and keeps them from the Paths of Harlots, whofe Houfe is the way to Hell, and whofe Goings lead to the Chambers of Death. Thus does Chastity preferve the Purity of the Body, by fetting a Guard upon all the Senfes, and fecuring all the Members of

it.

It preferves the Purity of the Soul, not only by restraining the outward Acts, but by checking the internal Motions of Concupifcence; for it will not fuffer vain Thoughts to lodge in the Mind, and much lefs to infinuate into the Affections, and leaft of all to form themselves into luftful Defires or Actions: it ftifles the Sparks of Luft in the beginning, and that prevents their breaking out into a Flame. Thus does Chastity preferve the Purity of the Soul, by chafing away all evil Thoughts that would annoy and infect it; for which reafon the Apoitle exhorts all Chriftians to abstain from flefbiy Lufts, because they war against the Soul. And this will lead to

The last thing in the Description of Chastity, which preferves the Purity of Body and Soul from the Pollution of finful Lufts; for thefe, if cherish'd and gratify'd, mightily pollute both, and render them but fo many Cages of Uncleannefs. The indulging a carnal Appetite defiles the Beauty, and deftroys the Strength of the Body; and not only fo, but debafes the Dignity, and decays the Glory of the Soul. In fhort, it defaces the Image of God in both, degrades from the Honour of Men, and finks them beneath the Beast that perifheth: whereas Chastity is the best Prefervative against all these Evils: for it maintains the Honour and Dignity of the Soul, and fecures the Body from all Impurities; 'tis the beft Hyffop to keep us clean, makes us whiter than Snow, and either prevents or purges away all

the Defilement of Nature.

From this brief Defcription, we may difcern the Nature, Excellence, and Usefulness of Chastity, which alone can help us to live after the Spirit, and to preferve the whole Man from the Danger and Defilements of the Flefh. This is what the Apoftle ftyles, Poffeffing our Vessels in Sanctification and Honour, 1 Theff. 4. 3, 4. meaning, the Veffels of our Bodies, which are to be kept pure and clean from carnal Lufts, that they may be Veffels of Honour, fitted and prepar'd

481 prepar'd for our Master's Ufe; that is, to be the Manfions of his Holy Spirit, and the Temples of the Holy Ghost.

Now this excellent Virtue is to be obferv'd and exercis'd thro' the feveral States and Stages of human Life. According to which,

ift, There is a Virginal Chastity, which appertains to fingle and unmarry'd Perfons of both Sexes.

2dly, There is a Conjugal Chastity, which belongs to Perfons in a marry'd State and Condition.

3dly, There is a Vidual Chastity, which concerns Perfons of both Sexes in a State of Widowhood. In all which Stations, which many run thro', fome Acts of this Virtue are to be carefully practis'd. For the

ift, In a virginal or unmarry'd State, 'tis certainly the Will of God that we abstain from Fornication, and learn to poffefs our Veffels in Sanctification and Honour, not in the Lufts of Concupifcence, like the Gentiles that know not God. Virginity is a State of Purity, and therefore must not be ftain'd or defil'd by any unlawful Embraces; to which end it must be guarded with Modefty, adorn'd with Piety, and fecur'd by the frequent Exercises of Religion, and the Fear of God. Some of the Fathers have ftyl'd this, the Life of Angels, and the Condition of glorify'd Saints in Heaven; others have recommended it as a great Help and Ornament of Religion, which from its greater Freedom from Cares, affords greater Advantages and Opportunities of Devotion Such therefore fhould ufe and improve the Conveniences of that State to thofe Ends, that they may be the better guarded against the Importunity of fenfual Lufts, and the many Temptations that may affault them. And tho it be no Offence against the Purity of this Virgin State, to take a fit Opportunity of changing it for the honourable State of Matrimony; yet they must keep themfelves pure and unitain'd till the Seafon offers; and, with Fob in another cafe, wait with Patience and Purity till the Change comes: which will be more fuccefsful and happy, when Men behold their chafte Converfation coupled with Fear.

2dly, For Perfons in a marry'd State, there is a Conjugal Chastity incumbent upon them: And that confists,

(1.) In a strict Obfervation of their Marriage Vow and Covenant, in which they promis'd to forfake all others, and keep only to each other whilst they both hall live. Hereby both Parties ftand folemnly engag'd not to fuffer their Affections to ftray from one another, nor to run after VOL. II.

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ftrange

ftrange Flesh; but to confine their mutual Kindness within due Bounds, and to be true and faithful to each other to their Lives end.

(2.) In fuch a moderate Ufe of lawful Pleafures, as may be molt confiftent with the Glory of God, and the Health and Comfort of one another: The Apoftle wills them to abstain by Confent at fome times, that they may the better give themselves to Prayer and Fafting, 1 Cor. 7. 5. And ver. 29. he bids thofe that have Wives, be fometimes as tho they had none. And that because the time is fhort, and all fenfual Pleasures will foon have an end; therefore he would not have us to be too fond or immoderate in the Use of them, but to make all the tranfitory Delights of this Life ferviceable to the more durable and defirable Joys of a better.

3dly, For thofe that are in a State of Widowhood, there is a vidual Chastity that appertains to them; and this contains in it fundry Acts and Duties: As,

(1.) The paying all decent Offices and Solemnities due to the Memory of the deceas'd Party, not forgetting them too foon, nor running too hastily into the Embraces of another ; for this betrays a Coldness of Affection, and too great an Unconcernednefs for the lofs of fo near and dear a Relation: Befide, the Apoftle feems to charge fuch Widows with Lightness and Wantonnefs, 1 Tim. 5. 11. where he does not condemn all fecond Marriages, but a light, vain, and wanton running into them.

(2.) Widows from the Senfe of Mortality, which they have had in the lofs of fo tender a Part, should learn to wean themselves from the World, and rather prepare to follow the former, than fly too hastily into the Arms of another Confort; to which end they fhould not ruminate too much on paft Pleafures, but confider_prefent Sorrows, and labour to prevent future Troubles. The Apoftle speaks of fome Widows, that are Widows indeed, 1 Tim. 5. 3. defcribing them afterwards by their trufting in God, and continuing in Supplications and Prayers day and night, ver. 5. giving themfelves unto God, and fupplying the Defolatenefs of their Condition with fervent and frequent Devo tion, whom he therefore counts worthy to be honour'd, lov'd, and reliev'd.

Laftly, Widows fhould carefully preferve an exemplary and unfpotted Chastity, behaving themselves with that Decency and Modefty which becomes Women fearing God.

Thus