1 SERMON XVII. The Government of the Paffions. PRO V. XXV. xxviii. He that hath no Rule over his own Spirit, is like a City that is broken down, and without Walls. Y a Man's own Spirit here, which BY he ought to rule, is meant thofe Affections wherewith we varioufly refent Things without us, and which carry us either to or from them, as we are affected; not that Divine Principle of our Natures, whereby we know God, and are able to reflect upon our felves. It is true in another Proverb, chap. 18. v. 14. The Spirit of a Man will fuftain his Infirmity, by by the Spirit of a Man is to be underftood the Ruling Principle in him; but in this, by the Word Spirit must be meant that which is to be ruled in Man, to wit, all the Paffions and Affections of Human Nature, both Irafcible and Concupifcible, as Moralifts have diftinguifh'd them, who have reduced them all to these two Heads. Indeed I am apt to think that in this Place we are principally to understand Anger; for in fome Places it is fo to be understood, particularly in one Proverb almost parallel to this, ch. 16. v. 32. He that is flow to Anger is better than the Mighty: and he that ruleth his Spirit, than he that taketh a City. But yet because the Hebrew Word is elsewhere used for other Paffi. ons, and because the reafon of this Saying requires that it fhould be more generally understood, we muft not understand the Paffion of Anger, excluding all other Paffions, but take them in also, that being true of all the rest which is affirmed of this. So that we are to rule our Love and Hatred, our Defire and Averfation, our Sorrow and Joy, our Hope and Fear, our Difdain, our Mirth, our Indignation, and all other vehement Emotions, which, because both Body and Mind are affected with them, we therefore call Paffions; and for that reafon, by Paffion fimply taken, we vulgarly underftand Anger; and Gen. 41. 8. Exod. 35. 21. Anger Anger is fometimes put for all the other, because we feel our felves, and expose before others a more violent Agitation of the Spirits under this, than commonly we do under the reft. I do not think it at all needful for my Purpose to enter into a ftrict Difcourfe concerning the Nature and Difference of these Paffions, becaufe every one understands what they are by feeling of them; and this ferves every whit as well as Philofophical Notions of them, to make a Man capable of those Inftructions, which fhew him what his Duty is about them; that which is to be confidered is, that all of them together make up that Part of our Nature which is to be ruled. ! To inftance in Particulars, wherein a Man may fail of exercising a due Rule over his own Spirit: A Man may be angry without a Caufe, he may be led away by foolish Defires, he may love Things that are for his Harm, he may hate that which is for his Good, he may admire and doat upon Trifles, he may be tormented with vain Fears, he may lay to Heart fmall Difappointments, and refent Things foolishly and abfurdly, to his own Hurt, and the Hurt of other Men; and this is not only poffible, but alas! it is every Day's Experience, and the World affords innumerable Examples of it. And what is this but a plain Convicti on, on, that these Paffions are to be governed and disciplin'd, and that a ftrict Hand is to be kept over them, especially fince the Degeneracy of Human Nature doth so visibly appear in the general Averfation of Men to that which is good, and their Proneness to Evil? For this fhews, that if we let our Paffions alone, and take no Care to direct and moderate them, to fet them right, and to employ them as they ought to be employed, they will run out where they ought not, and make us foolish and miferable. It is a very fottish Presumption of fome licentious Men, that nothing that is natural is to be restrained; for the Paffions of Men are fo, and yet they are to be governed, and not fuffered to run out blindly upon every Object, and leaft of all upon thofe to which our corrupted Natures are the most apt to carry them. Wherefore in Purfuance of the Design of the Text, I think my felf obliged to do three Things. 1. To discourse concerning the Nature of this Duty of ruling one's own Spirit, fhewing who are they that do it, and to whom that Character juftly belongs. 2. That we may discharge our Duty in this Kind, I am to reckon up fundry of the manifold Inconveniences of neglecting to do it, which do arife to that Man who hath no Rule over his own Spirit, whofe lying open open and expos'd to a great deal of Mischief, is reprefented and illuftrated here by the Similitude of a City broken down, and without Walls. And therefore, 3. That we may fave our felves from all fuch Evil and Mischief, I am to lay down Directions to be followed in order to our baving a due Rule over our own Spirit, and to fhew how we may beft attain to this Government of our felves. And when I have treated fully on thefe Particulars, I think I fhall have spoken to all the Points which the Proverb juftly requires to be handled. 1. I fhall begin with faying fomething that may be neceffary for our Inftruction in the Nature of the Duty of ruling ones own Spirit. That which is to rule our Affections is fuppofed in this Proverb, where what is rendred from the Hebrew, He that hath no Rule over his own Spirit, is in the Verfion of the Septuagint, ὅς ε' μετὰ βολῆς τι πράσσει, He that doth any thing without Counsel, Understanding or Reafon; for fo they do who are governed by their Paffions, and have no Rule over their own Spirit. It is implied then in this Proverb, that God hath given us a Principle in our Nature, by which our Paffions are to be governed, and that can be no other than the Understanding of a Man, or his Reafon, which God hath furnished with Power and Qualities, to |