The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

And why do we not consider that 'tis only our love to it that gives strength and vigour to the most of our temptations as wherein it is more immediately concerned, and which makes them so often victorious, & thence to become our after-afflictions. He that hath learned to mortify the inordinate love of the Body, will he make it the business of his life to purvey for it? Will he offer violence to his own Soul, to secure it from violence? will he comply with mens Lusts and humours for its advantage, and accommodation? or yield himself to the tyranny of his own avarice for its future, or of his more-sensual Lusts? for its present content? Will it not rather be pleasing to him that his outward man ⟨p. 410⟩be exposed to perish while his inward man is renewed day by day? He to whom the thoughts are grateful of laying it down, will not (though he neglect not duty towards it) spend his days in its continual Service, and make his Soul an hell, by a continual provision for the flesh, and the Lusts of it. That is cruel Love that shall enslave a man and subject him to so vile and ignoble a servitude. And it discovers a sordid temper to be so imposed upon. How low are our Spirits sunk that we disdain not so base a vassalage? God and nature have obliged us to live in bodies for a time, but they have not obliged us to measure our selves by them, to confine our desires and designs to their compass, to look no further then their concernments, to entertain no previous joys in the hope of being one day delivered from them. No such hard law is laid upon us. But how apt are we to become herein, a most oppressive Law to our selves; and not only to lodge in filthy earthen cottage but to love them, and confine our selves to them, loath so much as to peep out. Tis the apt expression of a Philosopher upbraiding hat base low temper.¹ The degenerous Soul (saith he) buried in the Body is as a slothful creeping thing, that loves its hole, and is loath to come forth.

And why do we not consider that 'tis onely our love to it that gives strength and vigour to the most of our temptations as wherein it is more immediately concern'd, and which makes them so often victorious, & thence to become our after-afflictions. He that hath learn'd to mortifie the inordinate love of the Body, will he make it the business of his life to purvey for it? Will he offer violence to his own Soul, to secure it from violence? will he comply with mens Lusts and humors for its advantage, and accommodation? or yeild himself to the tyranny of his own avarice for its future, or of his more-sensual Lusts? for its present content? Will it not rather be pleasing to him that his outward man