much one, as the same Catholic Fath can make us: and, in this undoubted right, we claim and enjoy the sweet and inseparable communion with all the blessed members of that mystical body, both in earth and heaven; and, by virtue thereof, with the Glorious Head of that dear and happy body, Jesus Christ the Righteous, the Husband to this one Wife, the Mate to this one Dove: To whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, three persons and one God, be given all praise, honour, and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON XVIII.

THE FASHIONS OF THE WORLD:

LAID FORTH IN A SERMON AT GRAY'S INN, ON CANDLEMAS-DAY.

ROMANS XII. 2.

Fashion not yourselves like to this World.

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THAT, which was wont to be upbraided as a scorn to the English, may be here conceived the Emblem of a Man: whom may imagine standing naked before you, with a pair of shears in his hand, ready to cut out his own fashion. In this deliberation, the World offers itself to him, with many a gay, mis-shapen, fantastical dress: God offers himself to him, with one only fashion; but a new one, but a good one. The Apostle, like a friendly monitor, adviseth him where to pitch his choice: Fashion not yourselves like to this world; but be ye changed by the renewing of your mind.

How much Christianity crosses Nature, we need no other proof than my Text. There is nothing that nature affects, so much as the fashion; and no fashion, so much as the world's: for our usual word is, "Do as the most." And, behold, that is it, which is here forbidden us; Fashion not yourselves like to this world.

All fashions are either in device, or imitation. There are vain heads, that think it an honour to be the founders of fashions : there are servile fools, that seek only to follow the fashion once devised. In the first rank is the World, which is nothing but a mint of fashions; yet, which is strange, all as old as mis-beseeming. We are forbidden to be in the second: if the World will be so vain as to mis-shape itself, we may not be so foolish as to follow it.

I. Let us look a little, if you please, at the pattern here damned in my Text, THE WORLD.

As in extent, so in expression, the World hath a large scope; yea, there are more worlds than one. There is a world of creatures; and, within that, there is a world of men; and yet, within that, a world of believers; and, yet within all these, a world of corruptions. More plainly, there is a Good world, an Evil world, an Indifferent.

A Good World, as of the creatures in regard of their first birth, so of men in regard of their second; a world of renewed souls in the first act of their renovation, believing; John xvii, 20 upon their belief, reconciled; 2 Cor. y. 19: upon their reconcilement, saved, John iii. 16.

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An Evil World, yea set in evil; 1 John v. 19 a world of corrupt unregeneration, that hates Christ and his; John xv. 18 that is hated of Christ; James iv. 4.

An Indifferent World, that is good or evil as it is used: whereof St. Paul, Let those, that use the world, be as not abusing it; 1 Cor. vii. 31.

This Indifferent World is a world of commodities, affections, improvement of the creature; which, if we will be wise Christians, we must fashion to us, framing it to our own bent, whether in want or abundance.

The Good World is a world of saints, whose souls are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit; 1 Poter i. 22. To this world we may be fashioned.

The Evil World is a world of mere men and their vicious conditions. God hath made us the lords of the indifferent world; himself is the Lord of the good; Satan is lord of the evil, Princeps hujus Sæculi. And that is most properly the world, because it contains the most; as it is but a chaff-heap, wherein some grains of wheat are scattered. To this evil world, then, we may not fashion ourselves, in those things which are proper to it as such. In natural, in civil actions, we may, we must follow the world: singularity in these things is justly odious: herein the World is the true Master of Ceremonies, whom not to follow is no better than a cynical irregularity. In things positively or morally evil, we may not.

There is no material thing that hath not his form. The outward form is the fashion: the fashion of outward things is variable with the times; so as every external thing, clothes, building, plate, stuff, gesture is now in, now out of fashion: but the fashions of Morality, whether in good or evil, are fixed and perpetual. The world passeth and the fashion of it; but the evil of the fashions of the world is too constant and permanent, and must be ever the matter of our detestation: Fashion not yourselves like to this world.

II. But, because evils are infinite, as wise Solomon hath observed; it will be requisite to call them to their heads, and to reduce these FORBIDDEN FASHIONS to the several parts

whereto they belong. I cannot dream, with Tertullian, that the soul hath a body; but I may well say that the soul follows the body: and, as it hath parts ascribed to it according to the outward proportion, so are these parts suited with several fashions. Let your patient attention follow me through them all.

1. Begin with the HEAD; a part, not more eminent in place, than in power. What is the head-tire of the world? Surely, as outwardly we see in this castle of the body the flag of vanity hanged out most conspicuously in feathers, perukes, wires, locks, frizzles, powders, and such other trash; so the inward disguise of this part is no less certain, no less obvious to wise and holy eyes. And what is that but fancies, mis-opinions, mis-judgment? all, whether vain thoughts; Psalm xciv. 11: or evil thoughts; Isaiah lix. 7. To this head refer novelties of device, heresies, capricious, superstitious conceits, whereof the instances would have no end. And these errors of the Mind are either in false Principles or false Conclusions; and both, whether in matter of speculation or practice.

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It is a world, to see what false Maxims the world lays down to itself: all which are as so many grounds of disguises of this great and graceless head. I do not tell you, that the fool hath said, There is no God; or, hath pent up that God in the circle of the heavens; or, whatever other imagination the very impudence of the world is ashamed to justify; as even in outward pride there are certain pudenda mysteria, which vain dames use, but hide: I speak of received and current axioms, which the world takes for granted, and fears not to aver: such as these, we must do according to custom :" "If it be kakov evkeiμevov, an ill weed well rooted, we may not pull it up: Wrongs may not be offered; they may be returned: There can be no better justice than retaliation: "The lie must be answered with a blow, the challenge with a combat:""Our honour must be tendered, whatever becomes of our soul: " " Reason must be done in drinking, though without reason:" "We may lie for an advantage : "We may swear upon provocation: "We may make the best of our own:” “Each man for himself:” “ Youth must have a swinge.:" "It is good sleeping in a whole skin:" Religion must be tuned to reasons of state;" and a thousand of this kind.

And from these false premises are raised pernicious Conclusions of resolution to the soul. What should I speak of profane and wild thoughts, of sensual and beastly thoughts, of cruel and bloody thoughts? These are the fashions of the world, whereto we may not fashion ourselves, remembering that of wise Solomon, The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; Prov. xv. 26. These dresses, perhaps, seem not uncomely to carnal eyes; but God tells us how he likes them they are as naught as old: he spits at them, in a just detestation; and will

spit at us, for them. Say not now, therefore, "Thought is free:" no; it is so far from that, as that it may be unpardonable; as Simon Peter intimates to Simon Magus; Acts viii. 22. Away then with all the false positions and misconclusions, all the fantastical or wicked thoughts of the world. It is filthy, let it be filthy still. Let not us fashion our Heads like unto the world. 2. Now, not only the whole Head in common, but every part, every power of sense in this head, hath a fashion of its own, that we must not follow in the world. Look first at the EYES. The Eyes of the World have a four-fold evil cast, that we may not imitate; the Adulterous, the Covetous, the Proud, the Envious. The Adulterous roves and looks round about, the Covetous looks downward, the Proud looks aloft, the Envious looks asquint.

(1.) The first are Eyes full of Adulteries; 2 Peter ii. 14: every glance whereof is an act of beastliness: βλέπων ἐμοίχευσεν, saith our Saviour; Matt. v. 28: the very sight is a kind of constupration. The same word in the Greek, Kópn, signifies both "the apple of the eye" and "a virgin :" I may not now discuss the reason. Sure I am, many an eye proves a bawd to the soul; and I may safely say, Virginity is first lost in the eye. The ancient philosophers before Aristotle, that held the sight to be by sending out of beams, imagined the eye to be of a fiery nature; wherein they were the rather confirmed, for that they found, that if the eye take a blow, fire seems to sparkle out of it. But, certainly, how waterish soever better experience hath found the substance of the eye, it is spiritually fiery; fiery, both actively and passively passively, so as that it is inflamed by every wanton beam; actively, so as that it sets the whole heart on fire, with the inordinate flames of concupiscence. What should a Christian do with a burning-glass in his head, that unites pernicious beams for the firing of the heart? I mean a beastly and fornicating eye; Ezek. vi. 9. Out with it, if it thus offend thee, as thou lookest to escape the fire of hell. For this flame, like that unnatural one of Sodom, shall burn downward; and never leave, till it come to the bottom of that infernal Tophet. Make covenants with your eyes, O ye Christians, as Job did: and, when ye have done, hold them close to your covenants once made: and, if they will needs wilfully break, take the forfeit to the utmost. How much better were it for a man to be blind, than to see his own damnation! Thus fashion not your Eye to the Uncleanness of the World.

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(2.) The Covetous follows. Even this is a lust of the eye too; 1 John ii. 16: Libido æris, as Ambrose calls it. As the eye its own nature is covetous, in that it is not satisfied with seeing; Eccl. i. 8: so the eye of the covetous hath a more particular insatiableness. Non satiatur oculus divitiis, The eye is not satisfied with riches; Eccl. iv. 8. And yet these riches can go no further than his eye: the owner hath nothing but their sight; v. 11.

Hence wise Solomon parallels hell and destruction with the eye: neither are satisfiable; Prov. xxvii. 20. He, that is a true glutton of the world, may fill his belly; his eye, never. For, it is in these desires as in drunkenness, his drought increaseth with his draughts; and, the more he hath, the less he thinks he hath, and the more he would have. This disease is popular; and, as the prophet tells us, à minimo ad maximum; Jer. vi. 13. The world could not be so wicked, if it had not this cast of the eye: for this papyvpía, love of money, is the root of all evil; 1 Tim. vi. 10. From hence come simonies in the spiritualty, sacrilege in the laity, immoderate fees in lawyers, unreasonable prices in merchants, exactions in officers, oppressions in landlords, encroachments in neighbourhood, falsehood in servants, and, lastly, cozenages in all sorts. But, Woe to him, that increaseth that which is not his; and to him, that ladeth himself with thick clay, saith Habakkuk, ii. 6. Was there ever a more perfect conviction of a vice? This desired metal is not his, first: and then, if it were his, it is but densissimum lutum, thick clay; it may load him, it cannot ease him. Away therefore with those two greedy daughters of the horseleech, that cry still, Give, give; Prov. xxx. 15. Give is for Christians; but Give, give, is for Worldlings; as it was the doubling of the stroke upon the rock, that offended. If we be Christians, we are richer than the world can make us. Having therefore food and raiment, let us be therewith content ; 1 Tim. vi. 8. But, if thou wilt needs enlarge thy boundless desires, take this with thee, there is somewhat as unsatiable as thine eye: The grave and hell never say, It is enough; Prov. xxx. 16. Thus, fashion not your Eye to the Covetousness of the World.

(3.) The next is the Proud looks. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eye-lids are lifted up; Prov. xxx. 13. There is? nay, where is there any other? The world is all such admiring itself; scorning all others. And, if ever, now is that of the Prophet verified, The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable ; Isaiah iii. 5. One prides himself in his bags, another in his gay coat; one in his titles, another in his fame; one in agility, another in skill; one in strength, another in beauty; every one hath something to look big upon. O Fools, either ignorant or forgetful of what ye are, of what ye shall be! Go on to wonder at your poor miserable glory and greatness; ye are but lift up for a fall: your height is not so sure as your ruin; ruin to the dust, yea to hell. Him, that hath a proud heart, will I not suffer, saith God; Psalm ci. 5. Fashion not your Eye therefore to the pride of the World.

(4.) The last is the Envious eye; by an eminence called Oculus nequam, an evil eye. Is thine eye evil, because I am good? saith the householder; Matth. xx. 15: as if envy had engrossed