Spiritual perfection, unfolded and enforced from 2 Cor. VII, 1 having therefore these promises,…

(1.) God is infinitely dishonoured and displeased by the Sins of our Spirits: For the Soul is of near alliance with God, and of incomparable more value than the vile Body: Therefore the defiling it is highly provoking. The Soul is ⟨p. 103⟩the place of his special residence; and the entertaining Sin in it, is as a fouler Indignity, than the bringing Dung into the Chamber of Presence of a King. We should be more careful to approve our Thoughts and Desires to God, than our Words and Actions to Men.

(1.) God is infinitely dishonour'd and displeas'd by the Sins of our Spirits: For the Soul is of near alliance with God, and of incomparable more value than the vile Body: Therefore the defiling it is highly provoking. The Soul is ⟨p. 103⟩the place of his special residence; and the entertaining Sin in it, is as a fouler Indignity, than the bringing Dung into the Chamber of Presence of a King. We should be more careful to approve our Thoughts and Desires to God, than our Words and Actions to Men.

(2.) They are more easily contracted than those which are acted by the sensitive Faculties: They secretly insinuate into the Soul: External Sins require •it time, and place, and means for their commission; and are often hindered by the moral restraints of Fear and Shame: But speculative Sins may be committed without convenient circumstances. In whatever place, or company, Men are, they may retire into their Hearts, and please themselves with vicious thoughts and desires of future Sins, and devices how to make provision for the Flesh; with carnal representations and complacency of the Sins they have committed: They may personate the Pleasures of Sin in the scene of Fancy; and the imagination of old Sins becomes a new Temptation, and deeply stains their Minds: And as 'tis usual, what pleases is favoured and defended, they by carnal Discourse pervert Scripture to countenance their Lusts; which is the highest Wickedness.