The Whole Duty of Divine Meditation, Part 2 · Meditation 20
MED. XX. Of Chastity.
Rom. xii. 1.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
HE that would be entertain'd a Disciple of Christ, must wear his Livery of Sanctity and Chastity: For, God is a Spirit of that infinite Purity and Chastity, that no unclean thing must presume to approach his Presence. It was the Opinion and Saying of a wise Person, That the Chastity of the Body, and the Sanctity of the Soul, are the two Keys of Religion and Felicity, Now, if the Body be not preserved pure and immaculare from all Sordidness, the Soul cannot be ardent in Supplication: Our Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6. 19. And therefore we must be very vigilant and sollicitous, that we defile not this Body, which is the Habitacle of so great a Comforter.
II. OUR Members are the Members of Christ: Let us not then make 'em the Members of an Harlot; but let us cleave unto the Lord with Fidelity and Continency, that we may be one Spirit with him, and be pure as he even is pure. The swinish Sodomites were smitten with Spiritual and Corporal Blindness, and their burning Lust was punish'd with an Element proper to their crying Sins; and the Almighty will inflict the same Punishment on all obscene and incontinent Persons, with a Fire not to be extinguished: For the smoak of the torments ascendeth up for ever, Rev. 14. 11. Nature hath taught us, not to be guilty in the Eye of the World; and shall not the Checks of our own Consciences impede us from committing Enormities iu the Eye of Heaven.
III. DENS, Caves, nor Corners, can exclude ns from the Divine Omnipotence: All Hearts are open to his Omnisciency, all Desires are known, and from him no Secrets can be concealed: His Omnipresence is of that potency, that the Voice within us, upon the Grand Inquest, will bear Testimony against us; and our own Enormities being empannell'd, will condemn us upon the Verity of the Verdict. And who would not relinquish this momentary sensual Pleasure, to evade everlasting Burnings? If the Smoke of that concupiscible Fire ascends up to the Nostrils of the Almighty, nothing can purge the Odiousness of it, but infernal Flames.
IV. OH, let then the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour. crucifie in thee all inordinate Affections; and the Thoughts of a tormenting Hell, quench in thee all the fiery Darts of the Wicked: Let Fountains of Tears, spring from a sincere Repentance, extinguish in thee this conflagrating Carnality; and let the fear and dread of the Almighty mortifie that concupiscible Enemy, that the Allurements of it may not delude thee. Consider with thy self the ill Consequents which are its Concomitants; it is full of Anxiety and Folly, Abomination and Ignominy; and without Repentance, must partake of everlasting Punishment.
V. LOOK not on the fawning outside of this Temptation; but flie from it, as you would from a Serpent. Check the first Motions of it; for if you once fall to reason aud article with it, it will prove like the Element of Fire, if not quench'd in due time, grow too great to be conquer'd. Next, flie Idleness, which is the native Soil for these abominable Weeds to grow in; and be always employ'd in whatsoever lawful Vocation or Business God hath been pleas'd to allot thee; that when the Tempter comes, he may find thee fortify'd against Temptations. 'Twas Idleness allured David to Adultery: Had he been busied as Ioseph was, he had withstood the Temptation.
VI. THINK often of Death's Summons, and that his cold Hand will one day chill that Blood which was so apt to be inflam'd; and then tell me, whether Mortification is not more suitable to Death-bed Thoughts, than Sordidness and Obscenity. Be frequent in Prayer, and bring the Unclean Spirit to Christ, that he may cast him out. And to your Prayer, add Fasting; for this Kind goeth not forth, but by Prayer and Fasting. And indeed, Temperance is a great Antidote against this Sin of Sodom; for many times our Tables become a Snare to us: for in pleasing our luxurious Palate, we make Provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lusts thereof. And by Epicuring of it so here, what can we expect when we depart hence, but the rich Glutton's Fate, even to want a drop of Water to cool our Tongues.
VII. REMEMBER, thou must give an account for every idle and unprofitable word, Mat. 12. 36. And how much more then will thy Account extend to obscene Speeches, and sordid Actions? Of what Continuance thy Life hath been, while brought to a Period, and what multiplicity of Sins soever thou hast committed, thy Accusers and Accusations will be equivalent: Then those secret Thoughts which thou never resented'st, will apparently prove thee obnoxious before the great Tribunal: From thence thou can'st not flie, nor deceive the Omnipotence with vain Excuses; neither can'st thou appeal from that Sentence which will be pronounced against thee; for there will be Verity in the Inquisition, and Severity in the Execution.
VIII. THEREFORE, whil'st thou art on this side the Grave, endeavour to adorn thy Immortal Part with the fragrant Rose of Charity, the dulcified Violet of Humility, and the innocent Lilly of Chastity. When thou enter'st the List to conquer this formidable lustful Enemy, if the Fight seem difficult, animate thy self with this Assurance, That the Conquest will be Glorious: Thou must vanquish it as thou would'st a sturdy Beggar, give it a positive Answer, and it is vanish'd: but shew it Encouragement, and it will prove like the Snake in the Fable, when warm by the Fire, to fall a hissing. If thou would'st not have this Enemy to rule over thee, entertain it not in the least corner of thy Heart, but earnestly beseech God to keep thee in Sanctity of Life, and Chastity of Body.