and after death? What in the world of spirits? What, when the whole fabric of the world shall be dissolved in flames? What are they in the new heaven and earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness? Could you persuade yourselves there is no sin in your choice, yet there would be infinite folly. For what folly equal to preferring a perishing world to an eternal God? But is there not sin in such a choice? Look at the glorious perfections of God, and say. Ask who made the world, and speak. Inquire why God gave you a being, and declare. Consider by whose bounty you live, and tell me. O, sirs! there is infinite sin in your choice, because infinite dishonour is done by it to God; and unless you are prevailed upon to make a better choice, you will soon find there is infinite ruin in it too. When the day of mercy and patience is over, then will you know what a fearful thing you have been doing in determinately and daily taking the world for your portion.

Wherefore let us all consider what a glorious privilege we are all called to, and as many as believe in Jesus Christ have an interest in, I mean that of having God for a portion. O what a heaven would this earth be were this the case of all! And how much of heaven does it bring down into the souls of those whose case it is! To have the all-sufficient, the living, the ever-present, the almighty, the eternal Being for our God, guarding us with his arm, guiding us with his hand, keeping us under his eye, directing all to us, and overruling all for us, dwelling among us, making us his care, conducting us through all the distressful passages of life, comforting us in a dying hour, receiving our souls to the nearest fellowship with himself in the moment of their separation, raising up and glorifying these present houses of clay, forming a new habitation for us, whence sorrow, fear, and sin, shall be banished for ever! Who can describe the thousandth part of the blessedness there is in having God for a portion? I cannot. And yet I can say enough of it to load with the justest confusion all those who will have their portion in this world. And to think, my dear brethren, that God offers himself to us to be our God and portion; that at infinite expense he has opened the way through the blood of Jesus to his being so! To think that he is inviting us to it by

all the endearments of love, and urging us to accept it by all the tender arguments of goodness, pity, and patience !-Sirs, I can only ask you if David speaks not the very truth, "Blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God?" O that we could all say with him, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I can desire besides thee!" I beseech you let us not rest till we can say that word with sincere hearts, to the glory of God, and to the present unspeakable comfort and future infinite happiness of our souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

SERMON VI.

ACTS xvi. 30.

What must I do to be saved?

THE first and second parts of the baptismal renunciation having been explained, I am now to speak of the last part of it, the renouncing" all the sinful lusts of the flesh."

And here also we will first explain, and afterwards improve. The flesh. By this is not meant man's body, which in itself considered is not sinful, any more than the natural appetites and passions thereof, which in themselves are good, and under due regulations serve to very good purposes. But by the flesh is understood the principle of sin that is in fallen man, very frequently called in Scripture by this name. It is that sinful principle in our nature contracted by Adam through his eating the forbidden fruit, and from him derived down to all who are naturally engendered of him.

Lusts of the flesh; that is, its desires, inclinations, imaginations, or affections.-The flesh is like some corrupt fountain that is always sending out bad water, or it resembles a filthy carrion which gives forth continually its nauseous and poisonous stench. Just as the good nature of an angel is always bringing forth good motions and desires, so the evil nature of fallen creatures is as plentiful the contrary way, ceaselessly bursting out into bad and pernicious motions and lusts.

Sinful lusts of the flesh.-I have said that the necessary appetites of the body, such as hunger, thirst, and the like, are not sinful but the lusts of corrupt nature are so, being directly contrary to God and duty, moving us only to sin, and the very immediate and principal causes of all actual sin in thought, word, and deed, when they are indulged and gratified.

All the sinful lusts of the flesh.-And they are exceeding many. In which regard the flesh is called the body of sin, because like the natural it has many members. Yet they are all reduced to two general heads by St. Paul, when he says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." Where, by the filthiness of the flesh, he means all such lusts as are properly sensual; and by the filthiness of the spirit, all such lusts as are properly spiritual. The head of sensual lusts includes the several branches of uncleanness, intemperance, sloth, idleness, ease, pleasure, to all which sensual nature inclines us, and after all which it is perpetually lusting. The other head is spiritual filthiness, the sum of which in one word is pride, including self-sufficiency, conceit, self-will, impatience, unbelief, disobedience, covetousness, jealousy, envy, malice, revenge, cruelty, all which are either pride itself or the genuine. effects of it, and all of which together (covetousness only excepted, which is appropriate to man) do constitute the character of the devil, and are the real principles of all his conduct.

Now all these sensual and spiritual lusts being naturally in us, and actually having the whole direction of us, until by grace they are dethroned and brought into subjection, the true Christian knowing this, being advised of their sinfulness, being brought to hate and loathe them, and to long earnestly for an increasing freedom from their influence, 'and for a greater mortification of that principle of sin out of which they issue, doth in the strength of God declare his rejection of their dominion, his steadfast purpose to oppose and not to gratify their motions, and to use all possible means for weakening and crucifying their force and power, saying, "I renounce all the sinful lusts of the flesh." Including in this expression the following declarations: "I will no longer serve sin, neither will I yield my members as instruments of unrighteousness to it. I see and detest that accursed body of sin that dwelleth in me, I declare an irreconcilable war against it; too often have I followed the devices and desires of my own heart, I declare war against my natural self, I will be no more the willing ready slave of my sensual and spiritual lusts, by the help of God I will no more obey the brutal and devilish inclination of my most sinful nature; it shall be my endeavour to watch and to oppose their every

motion; if by force they gain advantage they shall not maintain it, and since I know them to be crafty I will labour to find them out, and, when I see, I will not spare them; I will not hearken to their importunities, I will not be tired out by the frequency and obstinacy of their pleadings, I will not yield to their cry, be what they contend for of never so great importance to my present interest, ease, or reputation, and if what they ask be never so little, I will not grant it. They will, I know, have an influence in all I think, say, and do; but I will endeavour, by the grace of God, it shall be less and less. I fear and expect they will many times gain incidental advantages over me, but in the might of Jesus, they shall not have possession: I renounce them all. I will no longer seek to please and gratify my carnal proud self; no longer will I give myself up to my sensual inclinations in a life of uncleanness, intemperance, sloth, idleness, ease, or pleasure; neither any more will I indulge to pride, to direct my conduct on the hellish principles of conceit and self-will, anger and resentment, malice and envy, revenge and cruelty, the praise of men and the pride of life. Such a conduct, both sensual and proud, I absolutely disclaim; all the motions of my depraved heart that would lead me thereto I will resist; and that body of sin, out of which such evil motions perpetually arise, I will pursue unto the death. And all this, and whatever else is implied in hating, rejecting, fighting against, and crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts, I do intend and desire, and purpose and promise to perform, when "I renounce all the sinful lusts of the flesh."

I say,

Let this suffice for the explanation; and let us pass on to the improvement.

And here let us make inquiry,

"Are we living in the outward practice of any of these lusts of the flesh ?" I say, of any of them, because you see our profession is to renounce them all. Are we living none of us in the outward indulgence of any sensual lusts.? I have shown you what is meant by sensual lusts, namely, uncleanness, intemperance, sloth, idleness, ease, and pleasure. Are we living none of us in any of the sins of uncleanness? These for the most part are secret sins, and such as, if known at any time, are chiefly discovered by their effects, which oftentimes bring many