ftate Spirits, who were once glorious Angels, inhabiting the Heavenly Regions, but by their Pride and Rebellion against God fell from their happy State, and were expel'd out of Heaven, never to return, but were condemned to endlefs and remedilefs Mifery. Having brought themselves into this deplorable and hopeless Condition, their firft and chief endeavour was to feduce Mankind into the fame Apoftacy, and thereby expofe him to the fame + Condemnation. And it pleafed God, (for ends best known to himself) to fuffer him to prevail with our First Parents, who were thereupon caft out of Paradice, and not only themfelves, but all their Pofterity were involv'd in a deplorable State of Sin and Mifery. Hence comes that Original Pollution of our Nature, that Averfenefs to Good, and Pronenefs to Evil, which is too difcernable in every one of us fince the Fall. And this has been his main Bufinefs ever fince, to withdraw us from our Allegiance to God, that we might be Rui'd and Govern'd by him, who is called the Prince of the Power of the Air, and is faid to Rule in the Hearts of the Children of Difobedience. Now, if we would return (as we ought) to our due Allegiance to God our only rightful Soveraign, fince no Man can ferve two Mifters, 'tis abfolutely neceffary, firft to forfake the Devil, that is, to deny his pretended Power, and renouncé his ufurp'd Authority over us. And this is what we have promis'd to do in our Baptifm. And therefore we ought upon all occafions to refift all his Motions to Sin, and to reject all his Suggeftions with Deteftation and Abhorrence. But alas! if we reflect upon the Lives of most of thefe who pretend to be Chriftians,_one would think they had quite forgot their Vow in Bap tism, or at least took little care to perform it. Since many are apt to defie the Devil, as if they had nothing to do with him, when at the fame time they are ready

+ Solamen eft miferis focios habuiffe doloris. Virg. C

to

to liften to and comply with every Temptation, and are led Captive by him at his Will.

But here it must be remembred alfo, that we promised to forfake, not only the Devil, but all his Works. And indeed we cannot be truly faid to forfake the Devil, unlefs we forfake his Works alfo. For if we frequently do his Works, we thereby declare our felves to be his Servants. And thus our bleffed Saviour argues with the wicked and unbelieving Jews, John 8. 39, 44. If ye were Abraham's Children (as they pretended) ye would do the Works of Abraham. But (fays he) ye are of your Father the Devil, and the Lufts of your Father ye will do. Now the Works of the Devil which we are to forfake, are either,

1. Magical Arts and Enchantments, and all forts of Charms for the Cure of Difeafes, or working any other extraordinary Effects; as alfo pretended Divinations for the discovery of Secrets, or foretelling things to come: All which are too often practis'd by many (especially among the vulgar) who perhaps little think they are at the fame time doing the Works of the Devil. And that these are fuch, is plain and evident, fince they cannot be done (to any effectual purpofe) without his actual help and affittance. So that whatever People may think of the innocence of these things, they are (tho' without defign) the Fellow workers with the Devil in them. Or,

2. Spiritual Lufts, fuch as Malice, Cruelty, Hatred, Envy, Revenge, &c. Thefe are the peculiar Works of the Devil, being fuch as his Nature is only capable of. And tho' thefe be too frequent among many who would take it ill to be thought to learn of fuch a Mafter, or copy after fuch a Pattern, yet they are in fome refpects worfe than other Sins, as having fomething more of a Malignant and Diabolical Nature in them. Or,

3. All Sins whatsoever may in fome fenfe be called the Works of the Devil, as being ufually committed up. on his Suggeftion and Inftigation, 1 John 3.18. He

that

that committeth Sin (that is, wilfully, habitually, delightfully and conftantly) is of the Devil; for the Devil finneth from the beginning: (That is, he was the firft that finned, and ftill continues in it, and draws others to it.) And for this purpose the Son of God was manifefted, that he might deftroy the Works of the Devil. And therefore they who ftill refolve to continue in Sin, do in vain pretend to forfake the Devil, who is the Author of it. But,

(2.) We promifed in our Baptifm to forfake and renounce the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World. By which we are to understand all the deceitful Allurements of Profperity, and all the Temptations arifing from the Riches, and the Honours, and the Pleafures of this World. And thefe are called Pomps, becaufe of the gaudy Show whereby they are apt to allure and entice us; and they are called Vanities, by reafon of the Emptinefs of Comfort and Satisfaction that is to be found in them; and they are called the Pomps and Vanities of a wicked World, upon the account of the mifchievous nature of these things to thofe that truft in them, and dote upon them.

Now, when we are requir'd to forfake the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, 'tis not to be understood that we are to leave the World to avoid them, nor always to refufe thefe Enjoyments while we continue in it: But the meaning is, that we are not to fet our Hearts and Affections on them, nor fo eagerly to purfue and feek after them, as if they were to be made our chief End, and as if we plac'd our only Happiness and Felicity in them. In short, we ought not to look upon these things as our Reft and Portion, but deny our felves in them, whenever we find they are like to prove a Snare to us, and keep us from minding thofe things that are better. And this is abfolutely neceffary for those who have given up their Names to Chrift, and hope to be partakers with him of the Inheritance above, because of the inconfiftency of a Portion, both here and

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here

hereafter, and because the Vanities of this World are fo apt to hinder us from feeking after, and fecuring an Interest in a better, 1 John 2. 15. Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World: If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him.

And this is what we have vow'd in our Baptifm, to fet light by all the Pomps and Vanities of this World, that we may apply our whole Study, and Care, and Endeavour to fecure an Intereft in a better, and to make our felves meet to be partakers of it. But alas! fo far are Men from obferving this Vow of difregarding the World, that as for the generality of People, 'tis apparent they mind little or nothing else. How eager are they in the pursuit of Wealth and Riches, how ambitious of Honour and Preferment, and how are they bewitch'd with the Delights and Pleafures of this World, as if they neither expected nor defir'd any other Portion, nor any other Heaven but what is here below! And yet thefe are apt to boast of the Priviledges they receiv'd in Baptifm, in being made thereby Members of Chrift, and Children of God, and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven: When 'tis too evident they feldom or never think of their Inheritance, much lefs take any care to fit and prepare themselves for it. Whereas Chrift himself has faid, What is a Man profited if he gain the whole World and lofe bis own Soul? Mat. 16. 26. And the Apoftle has told us, that they who mind earthly things, their end is deftruction, Phil. 3. 19.

(3.) Laftly, We promifed in our Baptifm to forfake and renounce all the Sinful Lufts of the Flesh. Now by the Flesh, in Scripture is fometimes meant the Body in oppofition to the Soul, and fo by the Sinful Lufts of the Flesh, are to be understood the inordinate ufe of Carnal and Senfual Pleafures. And thefe become finful and unlawful, either in the manner or the measure of them; when they are either plac'd on undue Objects, or used in Excefs. And fometimes by the Flesh, is meant that Corrupt Principle which is in all Men by Nature fince the

Fall

Fall, till they be renew'd by the Spirit of Grace; where by even their Mind and Confcience is defiled (as the Apoftle fpeaks) Tit. 1. 15. Now thefe we are to renounce and forfake; that is, we are not to indulge our felves in Carnal and Senfual Pleafures, but to abftain from Fleshly Lofts, which war against the Soul, 1 Pet. 2. 11. We are not to pamper our Bodies, nor to make provifion for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lufts thereof, Rom. 13. 14. And this is abfolutely neceffary, because the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God, averfe to his Law and Will, and 'tis in vain to pretend to ferve him, while we continue in Rebellion against him. And befides this is diametrically oppofite to that Spirit of Holinefs, which is neceffary to fit us for the Kingdom of Heaven.

But alas! if we look into the World, how few are acquainted with any fuch thing! The generality of People are immers'd in Senfe and Flefh, and have no Relish or Senfation of Divine and Spiritual things. They are entirely govern'd by their Appetites and Paffions, and think it a foolish thing to deny them any thing they crave, if they can by any means obtain it. Whereas the Apoftle has told us, Rom. 8. 13. That if we live af ter the Flesh we fhall die: And our Saviour himself has faid, That unless we deny our felves, and take up our Crofs, and follow him, we cannot be his Difciples, Luke 14. 27. And this is what we have promifed to do in Baptifm, tho' alas! there are but very few who take any care to perform it. And thus we have briefly confi der'd this great Triumvirate, the Devil,, the World, and the Flesh; which rule and govern the greateft part of Mankind, and which must be renounc'd and forfaken, if ever we would truly ferve God, or expect to be happy in the Enjoyment of him.