and the Mafter is forc'd to lay out thofe Sums in Watches, Necklaces, Brocades, and the like, which ought to be paid to his impatient Creditors. Not only Time is wafted, and Wealth confumed, but the Mind is filled with fantastick Images, by which the Devotions and Conversations of Women are infected. Such Solicitousness about Dress is more fuitable to those unhappy and wretched Women whofe Beauty is fet to fale, than to those who make Profeffion of Religion, whofe End in Clothing fhou'd be Cleannefs and Decency: If mar. ry'd, the pleafing their Husbands, join'd with a due Regard to their Age and Degree. But those who adorn themselves to attract the Eyes and Admiration of the Unwary, lay Snares for themselves as well as others, and it is just if they fall into them. Such fhall be anfwerable not only for their own Sins, but for all that they willingly occafion in others. A PRAYER. My God, fince thou hast been pleas'd to ke`p me from Deformity, let not the Devil pollute my Heart, and make me all Rottennefs within. Keep my Mind pure, that evil Thoughts may never lodge within me; that I may find a Loathing, not a Complacency, in all unclean Imaginations or filthy Communications; much more in all finful and unhallowed Actions. What greater Glory can I defire from my outward Comeliness, than to be a Temple for thy Holy Spirit? had I yet a more curious Cafe, it wou'd be too mean for so bright a Jewel as a Soul fanctify'd by Grace. I defire no other Triumphs, than to be thy Servant; and if fuch outward Advantages may make my Religion appear better, and bring greater Glory to my Maker, I rejoice in it. But, Lord, I pray thee, never let my outward Comeliness be a Snare or Caufe of Sin to myself or others. Amen. The King's daughter was all beautiful within: If I want outward Beauty I only want what is often a Temptation; and if I am contented with this Defect, I practife an Act of Virtue which the more Beautiful cannot. Submit, Submit, O my Soul, to this Amusement, as a Punishment of Sin: For Sin was the great Deformity that introduc'd all others into the World. At the Refurrection, if thou riseft in Grace, all these bodily Deformities, the Marks of Sin, hall be done away, and the most pure and perfect Soul have the moft bright and glorify'd Body. Much have we to do, much to learn, and no Time to lofe; do not therefore spend so precious a Treasure on so poor an Improvement as adorning the outward Man, and neglecting the hidden Man of the Heart. Redeem what you can to improve your Mind, or to other neceffary Duties; fo fhall you fupprefs vain Complacencies, and a needlefs Delicacy. Remember 'tis a Sin and Shame to give Hours to Drefs, and to think half a one long in Prayer. In confidering this Subject, it is probable some of these Confiderations may have been urg'd more than once: and the Evil is come to fuch a Height, that a Reformation cannot be too much preft; nor the Duties of avoiding Vanity, and improving Time, be too much infifted upon. What fays Wisdom itself? 1 beheld among the fimple Ones a young Man void of Underftanding; And behold there met him a Woman with the Attire of an Harlot, and fubtle of Heart. How it is that wicked Women adorn themselves, we read in the Story of Jezebel, who hearing Jehu was come to Jezreel, painted her Face, and tired her Head. Dinah was beautiful, and what Evil did her Beauty occafion? How was David enfnar'd by the Beauty of Batkheba? That Man after God's own Heart, was so far bewitch'd by it, as to run at once into the damnable Sins of Murder and Adultery. How often has the beautiful Mask gilded the otherwife deform'd Vice of Impurity? Learn that quiet and meek Spirit, that Modesty and Humility in all your Actions, and especially in your Drefs, which becomes the Religion you profefs: After this manner, fays the Apostle, in the old Time, the holy Women alfo who trufted in God, adorned themselves, being in fubjection to their own Husbands. CHA Ο F all the Chriftian Virtues, there is none that fhews the Dignity and Power of the Soul fo much as Chastity: 'Tis a Triumph over a Defire which Nature has imprinted in the Heart of Man, fierce and unruly, full of falfe Hopes and imaginary Delights, which too often blinds the Understanding, and leads to Destruction. Chastity fuppreffes whatever is unlawful in this Paffion; and all Defire is unlawful, which is not warranted by Marriage, which is not within the Order of Nature, and the Moderation of Chriftian Modefty. This is a very tender Subject, and is hardly to be touch'd upon without giving Offence. Fornication is of late foften'd by the gentle Name of Gallantry. The Whoremonger, whom God will judge and condemn, is now the galant Man; and the Adulterer, whofe Portion shall be in the Lake that burns with eternal Fire, glories in his Adulteries, as if they were not fo many Triumphs over Innocence and Virtue. The hidden Sins of both Sexes are not fit to be expos'd to light; they are too well known, and too commonly practis'd, to need any Explanation: But let all voluntary Polluters of themfelves know that they must be judg'd for those their fecret Pollutions, by a Judge who tries the Heart, and whofe all-fearching Eye nothing can escape. Thanks be to God, as wicked as we are, there are Sins of this kind which are unknown to us, or if known, held in Deteftation. All unnatural Lufts are abhorr'd, and incestuous Enjoyments feldom or never heard of. "Tis the infinite Mercy of God that keeps us, by his reftraining Grace, from these detefted and damnable Crimes F 2 Wou'd Wou'd the fame infinite Mercy purify our Hearts as he is pure, and cleanse 'em of all Luft, we fhou'd have equal Abhorrence for all Impurity, and excufe none on account of the Degree of it. The immoderate Ufe, even of lawful Love, is one of thofe irregular Defires which is fuppreft by Chastity. The fame Judgment is to be made in this, as concerning Meats and Drinks, there being no certain Degree prefcrib'd to all Perfons, but it is to be rul'd, as the other Actions of Men, by proportion to the End. Let us in all of them have in remembrance, that we fhou'd in every thing have the Glory of God in view, and we fhall never abuse the Liberty of the Nuptial Bed, nor turn a chafte Paffion into Luft. For this is the Will of God, as St. Paul tells us, even our Sanctification, that we shou'd abstain from Fornication, that every one of us fhou'd know how to possess his Veffel in Sanctification and Honour, not in the Luft of Concupifcence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. Chastity is either Abftinence or Continence. Abstinence is that of Virgins or Widows, Continence of marry'd Perfons. Chaste Marriages are honourable and pleafing to God; Widowhood is pitiable in its Solitarinefs and Lofs, but amiable and comely when it is adorn'd with Gravity and Purity, not fully'd with the Remembrances of paft Enjoyments, nor with the prefent Defires of a fecond Bed. A Virgin Life gives us an Image of charming Eafe and spotless Innocence, when it is bleft with a juft Contempt of those Carnal Delights, that are apt to bury the Soul too much in the Senfes; when it is not disturb'd with Defires of Change, and is always happy in full Content with its prefent Condition. The vow'd Virginity of People in Cloifters, is capable indeed of very pious Representations: But as thofe Vows are generally conftrain'd, or if fometimes taken by Choice, are as often afterwards repented of: So thofe only who build, too much on Appearances, on outward Works, and not on the Sincerity of the Mind, the only Sacrifice that's that's pleafing to God; thofe only who run their Devotion to Idolatry, and their Zeal to Superftition, can be lavish in the Praise of it. A voluntary Virginity, where the Perfon chooses it to be intirely devoted to the Service of God, is certainly commendable, when it does not incapacitate the Perfon from answering other Duties of Life: Not that a Virgin State is more holy than a marry'd one, in any thing, but that it has more Opportunities to be holy, is lefs incumber'd with Cares, and has more time to converfe with God. Some Perfons better please him in a marry'd State, than Virgins in their Virginity by giving great Examples of Conjugal Affection, by preferving their Faith unbroken, by educating their Children in his Fear, by Patience, and Contentedness, and the Exercife of the Virtues proper to it. Such do not only please God, but do it in a higher Degree than those Virgins, whofe Piety is not anfwerable to their greater Advantages and Opportunities: Efpecially if their Virginity is the Effect of Nicenefs, Pride, or Avarice. If they keep it because they cou'd - not fell it at their own Price, or value it fo high that they think none worthy of it. This Virginity will al(ways be attended with Peevishness and Sullennefs, and render fuch Perfons as ill qualify'd for religious Duties, as the most anxious Cares of the World. In a word, every State of Life, whether of Marriage, or Widowhood, or Virginity, is of itself alike virtuous and innocent. Every one has its particular Advantages, and to fay which is moft holy, is to circumfcribe the Divine Grace, which can make every State to be alike pure and holy, and without it there can be no Purity and Holiness. If we confider the equal Confequences of Luft and Uncleanness both as to this World and the next, we fhall avoid all Filthinefs of the Flesh, and endeavour to live chaftly, temperately, juftly, and religiously. The Obscenity of it appears in nothing more than the Shame it is attended with: It chooses Night and Dark F 3 nefs, |