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to keep the heart pure from indulging evil thoughts, and carnal appetites; for if the heart is once infected, it will become corrupt, and then we fhall fall eafily into all manner of ungodlinefs. Now this good purpose may be happily effected if, when we feel inwardly that our inveterate enemy is tempting us to commit thefe crimes, we do not haftily confent to his impure and fubtle fuggeftions; but boldly oppofe him by a strong reliance upon God's word, and exercifing our faith in this affurance, that if we refift the devil, he will flee from us; by calling to mind our glorious Captain's conduct when the tempter was permitted to affault, and endeavoured to feduce him: ever advancing this argument against him, as to this particular vice, it is written, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Another powerful means of preventing our falling into these fins, will be always to have the fear of God before our eyes, recalling his fevere and numerous threatenings against the wicked, and inceffantly remembering that his eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. To confider how much we must lofe on one hand, and how effentially we fhall fuffer on the other, for the short and brutal gratification of forbidden lufts. And, as a further fecurity, be diligent to ufe temperance in all respects; efpecially to guard against an habit of idleness, which is the ready inlet to every vice; to take delight in ftudying the Holy Scriptures, which are rich unto falvation; to cultivate the habits of earnest prayer, and virtuous thoughts, and at all times to apply inwardly to God for help. Thefe means, if carefully and humbly employed, will greatly defend you from all impure tempta

tions.

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Lastly, all ranks and orders of people fhould be admonished, whether married or fingle, to cherish a blameless affection towards each other, that they may continue undefiled members of Chrift's church; for even the married are bound by the law of God,

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fo purely to dwell together, that on no account they covet any other attachment. The man is only to have his wife, and the wife muft fhew the strictest faithfulness to the hufband: and as it is their mutual duty to live in godliness and honefty together; fo is it equally to bring up their children in fuch a manner, that they may efcape the fnares of the evil one as much as poffible, and be difpofed to honor the holy ftate of matrimony in proper feafon. Nor is it lefs a duty in every mafter and mistress of a family, to ufe their utmost care, that no unlawful connections take place among their fervants, or any that are fubject to their authority: As for thofe that are fingle, and refpect a life of purity; let them procure wives after their own minds and fo live godly with each other, as the Apoftle advises, 1 Cor. vii 2, To avoid fornication (faith he) let every man have his own wife, and every woman her own bufband. Finally, if any, from a peculiar gift, are more defirous to continue in a fsingle state, let them be duly thankful for every deliverance from temptation, and use all fuitable means to preferve their freedom, by pious meditation, the ftudy of God's word, and fuch like virtuous exercifes. All who in this manner ftrive to avoid thefe hateful fins, and to pass their lives in innocence, ferving their Maker with a pure and upright heart, and glorifying him in their bodies, by an honest harmless conduct, they may depend upon being numbered with thofe of whom our Savior fpeaks thus plainly, in St. Matthew's gofpel, chap. v. S. Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they fall fee God. This one line, my brethren, is enough to convince us fully, what will be the ftate of the IMPURE; they fhall not fee God; for with Him dwelleth no impure thing whatever. To Him alone, the fountain of all perfection, be all glory, honor, power, and dominion for ever and .ever. Amen.

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DISCOURSE XV.

Against Contention.

PHILIPPIANS ii. 14.

Do all things without murmurings and difputings.

HE exhortation contained in thefe words

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plainly fets forth the great fhame and fcandal of all contention, ftrife, and murmuring; fo that, when, as in a picture before you, the deformity of this unchriftian habit fhall moft clearly appear, you may be duly difgufted at the reprefentation, and excited to abhor and avoid a fin which is fo hateful in its nature, and fo injurious to all who yield to it.

Now among the various kinds of ftrife that might be mentioned, there is none of a more pernicious confequence, than that which is fometimes raised by entering warmly into fubjects of religious controversy.

St. Paul, in his 2nd epiftle to Timothy, chapt. ii. 23, exhorteth to avoid all foolish and unlearned queftions, knowing that they gender ftrifes; for, it beccmeth not the fervant of God to strive, but to be gentle unto all men: to put away all perverfe difputings and ftrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, railings, and evil furmifings: now the like contention and ftrife that exifted in

St.

St. Paul's time, among the Corinthians, doth too much prevail in this our day among ourselves; for fome there are, who are bufy in fetting forth a diverfity of doctrines, which do not tend fo much to general improvement, as to evil furmifings; and the difplay of men's own vain talents, fpreading thereby the feeds of difpute and divifions, and even in the common intercourfe of ferious well-difpofed people, fome are often carried fo far, that not being governed by reason, and neither party being difpofed to yield to the opinion of the other, they proceed of course to ftrife or railing, and, from unguarded warmth, to many other inconveniences: fuch deportment is far wide of that true christian spirit which is recommended in this exhortation to the Philippians, chap. ii. 3. to let nothing be done through ftrife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind for each to efteem the other better than themselves. And if St. Paul was deeply grieved, as he declareth in 1 Cor. iii. 4, to hear thefe words of difcord, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, what would he fay, if he was witnefs to the language of variance and contention, which is too frequently employed by fome of our christian brethren against each other? wherein one is reproached as being too much of a formalift, another for being gofpeller; one man is accused of error, for abiding by the old way of worshipping and thinking; another for adopting a mere novel mode of pious practice; profeffors of various defcriptions fhoot up, and take to themselves the title of brethren; good Catholics, papifts, and heretics are terms which furnish the refpective parties with arguments of exception to each other: thus is the church divided, fociety rent by new fangled notions, and the coat of Christ, that was admired for being whole throughout, moft terribly torn and mangled; fo that truly may we lament, that the mystical body of Chrift, the church, which is reprefented by the fore-mentioned figure, hath loft much of that holy

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and happy unity, out of which whofoever dwelleth, he is not of Chrift. For if one member be feparated from the other, where is the body? If the body be taken from the head, where is its life? We cannot be united to Chrift our chief, except we be cemented by the bonds of charity, and concord, towards each other. He that is out of this unity, is not of the true church of Chrift, let him fancy what he pleases, for that is a congregation of perfect union, and not divifion. St. Paul afferts pofitively, I Cor. iii. 3. That whereas there was among them envying, and Strife, and divifions, therefore they were carnal, and walked as men. And St. James speaketh to the fame effect, in the iiid chap. and 14. 16. verfes; That if we encourage bitter envyings and strife in our hearts, we must not glory, for this is lying against the truth. It opens the door to much mifchief, fhaking the faith of fome, and encouraging the unbeliever to rail.

Let us attend to another exhortation from St. Paul, to the very fame end. Though he had authority to command upon the fubject, yet we find him entreating; 1 Cor. i. 10. Now I beseech you, (faith he) brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Chrift, that ye all speak the fame thing, and that there be no divifions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the fame mind, and in the fame judgment. If this defire be reasonable and holy, why do we not obferve it? If the Apoftle's advice contributeth to our advantage, why do we refuse it? And if this will not move us, let us fee further what he writeth to the Ephefians to the fame effect: iv. 1, 2. I beJeech you (faith he) that ye walk worthy of the vocation. wherewith ye are called, with all lowlinefs and meeknefs, with long fuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is but one body, one fpirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptifm. Obferve, my brethren; the VOL. I.

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