ful against every thing that may lead and expofe to fin; on this account Chrift directed us, Matth. xxvi. 41. "To watch and pray left we enter into temptation. The reafon there is added, the flesh is weak! He that in confidence of his own strength, boldly runs the venture of finning by going into temptation, manifefts great prefumption, and a fottifh infenfibility of his own weaknefs. "He that trufteth in his own heart is a fool," Prov. xxviii. 26.

The wifeft and firongeft, and fome of the most holy men in the world, have been overthrown by fuch means. So was David: fo was Solomon.--His wives turned away his heart. If fuch perfons, fo eminent for holi. nefs, were this led into fin, furely it fhould be a warning to us. Let him that thinketh he flandeth take heed left he fall.

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SERMON II.

GENESIS XXXix. 12.

And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

DOCTRINE.

It is our duty, not only to avoid thofe things that are themfelves finful, but also, as far as may be, tho fe things that lead and expofe to fin.

The Doctrine has been explained and proved in the foregoing difcourfe. I now proceed to the

APPLICATION.

In one ufe of EXHORTATION.

O exhort all to a compliance with their duty in this refpect, not only to avoid fin, but thofe things that lead and expofe to fin.

If it be made out clearly and evidently from reason and the word of God, to be our duty fo to do, this would

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be enough with all Chriftians. Will a follower of Chrift ftand objecting and difputing against a thing, that is irrefragably proved and demonftrated to be his duty?

But here fome may be ready to enquire, How fhall we know what things do lead and expofe to fin? Let a man do what he will, he cannot avoid finning, as long as he has fuch a corrupt heart within him. And there is nothing a man can do, or turn his hand to, but that he may find fome temptation in it. And though it be true, as it is faid in the doctrine, that a man ought, asfar as may be, to avoid those things that lead and expofe to fin. And it is evident by the arguments that have been brought, that thofe things that have fpecial tendency to expofe men to fin, are what we ought to fhun, as much as in us lies: yet how fhall we judge and determine what things they are, that have a natural tendency to fin; or do efpecially lead to it?

I would anfwer in fome particulars, which are plainand easy, and which cannot be denied without the greateft abfurdity.

Anfwer 1. That which is bordering on those fins, that the lufts of men's hearts ftrongly incline them to, is of this fort. Men come into the world, with many strong and violent lufts in their hearts, and are exceeding prone of themfelves to tranfgrefs, even in the fafeft circumftances they can be placed in. And furely fo much the nearer they are to that fin, which they are naturally ftrongly inclined to, fo much the more are they expofed. If any of us that are parents, fhould fee our children near the brink of fome deep pit, or close by the edge of the precipice of an high mountain, and not only fo, but the ground upon which the child flood flippery, and steeply defcending directly toward the precipice, fhould we not reckon a child expofed in fuch a cafe? Should we not be in hafte to remove the child from its very dangerous fituation?

It was the manner among the Ifraelites, to build their houfes with flat roofs, fo that perfons might walk on the tops of their houses. And therefore God took care

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to make it a law among them, that every man fhould. have battlements upon the edges of their roofs; left any perfon fhould fall off and be killed. Deut. xxii. 8. "When thou buildeft a new house, then thou fhalt "make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not "blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.' And certainly we ought to take the like care that we do not fall into fin; which carries in it eternal death. We fhould, as it were, fix a battlement, a guard to keep. us from the edge of the precipice. Much more ought we to take care, that we do not go upon a roof that is not only without battlements, but when it is fleep, and we fhall naturally incline to fall.

Men's lufts are like ftrong enemies, endeavouring to.. draw them into fin. If a man flood upon a dangerous precipice, and had enemies about him, pulling and drawing him, endeavouring to throw him down ; would he, in fuch a cafe, choose, or dare to stand near the edge? Would he look upon himself fafe close on the brink? Would he not endeavour for his own safety, to keep at a distance ?

2. Thofe things that tend to feed lufts in the im- . agination, are of this kind.

They lead and expofe him to fin. Thofe things that have a natural tendency to excite in the mind, the idea or imagination of that which is the object of the luft,. certainly tend to feed and promote that luft. What can be more plain and evident, than that a prefenting the object, tends to ftir up the appetite? Reafon and experience teach this.

Therefore, all things, whether they be words or ac tions, have a tendency and expofe to fin, that tend to raife and uphold in the mind, imaginations or ideas, thofe things which the luft tends to. It is certainly wrong and unlawful to feed a luft even in the imagination. It is quite contrary to the holy rules of God's words. Prov. xxiv. 9. "The thought of foolishness is "fin." Matth. v. 28. "6 Whofoever looketh on a wo"man to luft after her, hath committed adultery."

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man, by gratifying his lufts in his imagination and. thoughts, may make his foul, in the fight of God, to be a hold of foul fpirits; and like a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. And finful imaginations tend. to finful actions, and outward behaviour in the end.Luft is always firft conceived in the imagination, and then brought forth in the outward practice. You may fee the progrefs of it in James i. 15. "Then when luft. "hath conceived, it bringeth forth fin."

Therefore for a man to do thofe things that tend to excite the objects of his lufts in his imagination, he does that which has as natural a tendency to fin, as a conception has to a birth. And fuch things are therefore abominable in the fight of a pure and holy God. We are commanded to keep at a great distance from fpiritual pollution; and to hate even the very "garment fpotted with the flesh," Jude 23.

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3. Thefe things that the experience and obfervation of mankind fhew to be ordinarily attended or followed with fin, are of this fort.

Experience is a good rule. to determine by in things of this nature. How is it we know the natural tendency of any thing, but only by obfervation and experience? Men observe and find, time after time, that fuch things are commonly attended and followed with fuch other things. And hence mankind pronounce of them, that they have a natural tendency to them. We have no other way to know the tendency of any thing. Thus men by obfervation and experience, know that the warmth of the fun, and showers of rain, are attended with the growth of plants of the earth; and hence they learn, that they have a tendency to it. So they find by experience, that the bite of fome kinds of ferpents is commonly followed with illnefs, and often with death. Hence they learn, that the bite of fuch ferpents has a natural tendency to bring diforder upon the body, and expofes to death...

And fo, if experience and common obfervation fhows, that any particular practice or cuftom is commonly at

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tended with that which is very finful, we may fafely conclude, that fuch a practice tends to fin; that it leads and expofes to it.

Thus we may determine, that tavern-haunting and gaming are things that tend to fin; because common experience and obfervation fhow, that thofe practices: are attended with a great deal of fin and wickednefs. The obfervation of all ages and all nations, with one voice declares it. It fhows, where taverns are much frequented, for drinking and the like, they are efpecially places of fin, of profaneness, and other wickednefs: and it fhows, that thofe towns, where there is much of this, are places where no good generally prevails. And it alfo fhows, that those persons that are given much to frequenting taverns, are most commonly vicious perfons. And fo of gaming; as playing at cards, experience fhows, that thofe perfons that practife this, do generally fall into much fin. Hence thefe practices are become infamous among all fober virtuous perfons.

4. Another way by which perfons may determine of fome things, that they lead and expofe to fin, is by their own experience, or what they have found in themfelves.

If perfons have found in themfelves, from time to time, that they have actually led them into fin, this furely is enough to convince them, that fuch things do actually lead and expofe to fin; for what will convince men, if their own experience will not? Thus if men have found, by undeniable experience, that any practice or custom ftirs up luft in them, and has betrayed them into foolish and finful behaviour, or finful thoughts; they may determine that they lead and expofe to fin. Or if they, upon examining themfelves, must own, that fuch a cuftom or practice has, time after time, had that effect upon them, as to difpofe them to fins of omiflion of known duty; fuch as fecret prayer, and make them more backward to it; and alfo to indifpofe them to reading and religious meditation; and they, after they have been doing fuch or fuch a

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