ever this order is inverted, the confequence is, and must be confufion. For if these lufts and paffions rebel, and prevail; they directly carry the man away captive, and he finds himself in the hands of ufurpers and tyrants. But this will further appear under the

Second head; wherein I proposed to point out fome peculiar properties and circumftances in the fervitude of fin, tending to deter us from it, and excite our refolutions against it. And firft I would obferve, how dishonourable it is; how mean and unbecoming; how unworthy of a rational creature. To serve fin, is to serve the vileft, most deformed, and most detestable thing in the whole world: it is to serve the diftemper of our minds, and the corruption of our nature; the root of all evil, and the ruin of a great part of the crea tion: it is to ferve God's professed enemy, and indeed the fole object of his indignation and abhorrence: in fine, it is to serve that rebellious fpirit, who was its firft parent, its original author; and whofe great engine it is in working the deftruction of mankind. How then can we bear to fubmit to a fervitude fo ignoble, fo infamous as this!--God has endued us with fublime power, and glorious privileges; given us a capacity for wifdom and virtue, and formed us after his

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own image. Thus dignified, thus exalted, can we fo far stoop and debafe ourselves, as to ferve fin? Instead of improving these precious gifts, fhall we blot the image of God, and bury our honours in the duft? He has made and placed us little lower than the angels: but, alas! we often find ways and means to unmake ourselves, and shamefully fink down almoft to a level with the creatures beneath us. The mind of man is a rational, free, and immortal fpirit; vefted with great powers and perfections, and defigned for greater. How can fuch a being as this fubject itself to mere animal instincts, and become a captive to blind lufts and brutish paffions? How mean, how abject, is that man's condition, who chufes to be thus governed! who groans under a voluntary bondage, and is a flave of his own making! Nothing appears more honourable, or more becoming, in wisdom's eye, than keeping good order within, and maintaining the authority of a man's own mind. He who ruleth his fpirit, is pronounced by Solomon better than he who taketh a city. Many cities have been taken, many provinces and kingdoms ingloriously conquered, by those men who never were their own mafters heroes, forfooth! who, in the midft of their conquefts, tamely paffed under the yoke

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to their domineering lufts, and tyrannical humours. While they drew the admiration, and dazzled the eyes of mankind; they were really in a bafer, and more fervile condition than the meaneft of their captives. What availed the number of their victories, or the pomp of their triumphs; while they carried fuch untamed rioters, fuch imperious rebels within their own bofoms? The quelling of these private mutineers, the quieting these domeftic tumults and commotions, would have been more for their honour, than defeating the greatest armies, and vanquishing all the nations upon earth. In fhort, to abandon reafon, and give up the rein to appetite and paffion, is the meanest and most ignominious state that man can fall into. But,

Secondly, as the fervitude of fin is thus difhonourable, fo it is no lefs troublesome and tormenting. Whenever a man engages in a finful course of life, he may juftly be faid to take his leave of all true peace and tranquillity of mind. Befides that remorfe which is fure to feize him fooner or later, and which will prove at length the very gall of bitterness, he may expect great difquiet, and continual perplexity. However fin may delude him at first, he will foon discover that he has fown vanity, and must reap vexation; foon find himself hurried into many anxious pursuits, and reft

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lefs undertakings; toft about from action to action, from project to project, in obedience to that inclination which happens to be uppermoft. Let him lay a ferious fcheme, or form a beneficial design: let him enter with full purpose of mind into the pursuit of it: presently arises fome irregular appetite, which croffes his way, and carries him transverse ; which, like a wandering vapour, leads him through by-ways and unfrequented places; till he is quite bewildered, and neither knows how to get backward nor forward. The unhappy finner has fuch a variety of lords and masters, that his tafk is never done, his drudgery never at an end: and fo rigorous they are, as feldom to allow him any respite. It is required of him that he answer every demand, and be ready at every call, however foolish, or fantaftic. He never knows one minute beforehand what his appetites and paffions will please to give him leave to do next. Be their orders never fo fenfelefs, or filly; he is bound, and must obey, at all events. And what is ftill worfe, he is frequently divided, and drawn many different ways at once; perplexed with inconsistent fchemes, and diftracted between oppofite demands. Let ambition and floth, or avarice and luxury, prevail and fix in the fame breaft; how muft the fervant of fin behave

in fuch a cafe? how compromise matters between fuch rival lufts, fuch repugnant appetites? What comfort, what quiet could he find amidst the continual cravings of his purfe and his palate? Whoever pretends to ferve two fuch mafters, fhall fatisfy neither; but will be fure most effectually to plague himself. Tyranny is generally reputed the natural averfion of mankind. We pretend to deteft it in all shapes, and to dread the very appearances of it. What think we then of those domeftic tyrants, our finful lufts; which are not only endured, but cherished by us; though they affume an abfolute fway, and rule us with a rod of iron; which deprive us almost of our liberties, and fometimes of our lives; and break through all laws, both divine and human? If we are to be governed by will and humour, appetite and passion; what matters it whether it be at firft, or at fecond hand? If, renouncing our reason and liberty, we are willing to wear chains; is it not a point of small moment, who puts them on?-We might further take notice, what trouble is occafioned by that boisterous affection which is peculiarly called passion: what a tumult it produces in a man's whole frame: what commotion in his body, and confufion

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