other miferable Souls, who ftood once as fair for Heaven as themfelves, and might have easily maintained their Ground,had they but been careful not to give the Devil an Advantage over them, by putting themfelves within his Reach, when they ought to have kept him at a Distance, which would have certainly fecured them against his Temptations: For the Condition of Man's Soul in this World, is much the fame with that of a Town befieged by an Enemy: As long as the Enemy is bravely repulfed from the Out-works, a Town is in no Danger of being taken; but when he has once lodged himself in the Ditch, or Counter-fcarp, the Town itself will foon be forced to furrender. Juft fo it is with Man's Soul; as long as we keep the Devil at a Distance, and by Watchfulness and Afiduity in Prayer, which are, as it were, the Out-works that cover us against him, we hinder him from gaining Ground, or approaching near us; we are out of Danger of being overcome by him. But if we once let him make himself Mafter of thefe Out-works, tho' we feemingly refolve to ftop him there, we shall foon find ourselves deceived, and experience, to our own fad Coft, that it is much easier to keep our Enemy quite out, than diflodge him, when he has once got Footing. So

that

that the true Secret to avoid mortal Sin, is to be tender of committing any wilful venial one, and not to flight them because they are little; for he who contemns little Things, fhall fall by Degrees.

The XXVIth ENTERTAINMENt. The fame Subject continued.

He that is unfaithful in a fmall Thing, is also unfaithful in a greater. Luke xvi. 10.

BES

ESIDES the two Reasons already given, that venial Sins difpofe to mortal, there is a third of great Weight, viz. the Diminution of Grace, caufed by every wilful and deliberate venial Sin; which fhall be the Subject of this Entertainment.

That every wilful and deliberate venial Sin caufes a Diminution of Charity, and by Confequence of Grace, is the Doctrine of all spiritual Writers; who, as they all agree that no Collection or Number of venial Sins, how great foever, can of itself utterly extinguish Charity; fo are they no lefs unanimous in affuring us, that every

deliberate venial Sin cools its Fervour in fome Degree, weakens the Power of Grace, and renders the Souls lefs vigorous and active in refifting the Affaults of corrupt Nature: All which facilitates of Course the Way to mortal Sin, and difposes the Will to it in the fame Degree or Measure as it takes away from the Strength that is to oppose it.

To give you a clear Knowledge of this Truth, it will be neceffary to explain the Principle on which it is grounded. You must therefore observe, that in every Perfon, juftified by Baptifm, or the Sacrament of Penance, there are two oppofite Roots, viz. Grace and corrupt Nature. St. Auftin calls them Charity and Concupifcence; because they only differ from Grace and corrupt Nature, as natural Proprieties from the Effence they flow from: For as Charity flows immediately from babitual Grace, and is infeparably connected with it, fo is Concupifcence no less the immediate Effect and infeparable Attendant of corrupt Nature. Charity, as it is here taken by St. Austin, is the Love of God above all Things; and by Concupifcence is meant its oppofite Love, viz. Self love, or the irregular Love of ourselves, or of any Creature in order to ourselves

Now

Now all deliberate: Actions or Defires (I mean fuch as are either finful or meri torius) have their growth from one of these two Roots. Charity is the Root of all: meritorious, and Concupifcence the Source of all finful Actions and Defires: And these two opposite Roots or Qualities act upon each other in the Soul, much after the fame Manner as two contrary Humours do in the Body. They are always in difpute and strife about the Maftery over the Heart, and whatever fide prevails, it either destroys or fubdues, or at leaft weakens the other in fome Degree; but with this Difference, that Charity, which is the Effect of habitual Grace, may not only be weakened, but utterly extinguish'd and destroy'd by the prevailing Power of Concupifcence; whereas Concupifcence, tho it may be mortified and fubdued, can never be wholly exterminated in this mor tal Life. And the Reafon of this Difference is, becaufe Charity goes and comes. of Course with habitual Grace, from whence it flows; which being a free Gift of God, is wholly foreign to our Nature, and no Part of our own Stock; and tho' of itfelf it be a fubfifting and permanent Quality, and very different. from thofe paffing Graces, which move us to Action, yet it. may easily be loft, and is effectually for

feited by every Act of the Will confenting to mortal Sin. But Concupifcence is born and bred within us, and fo clofely interwoven with our Nature, that tho' Grace may reftrain it, and tie it up from doing us Mifchief, nothing but Death can destroy it.

However, it plainly follows hence, that both Charity and Concupifcence have their feveral Degrees of Encreafe and Abatement, which ever rife or fall in Proportion, as Charity is more or lefs vigorous and active in combating against the Inclinations of corrupt Nature. When Charity exerts itself vigorously in oppofing the irregular Defires of Concupifcence, it gets ground at every Step; because by every Act it produces or commands, (as Divines fpeak) it merits an Increase of Grace; whereby it becomes ftill more active, and better able to refift the Affaults of its Enemy. But when Charity grows languid and unactive, it runs infenfibly to Decay, which, if timely Care be not taken to prevent it, must unavoidably terminate in its utter Deftruction; because Concupifcence, which never lies idle, gets ground in the mean Time; and 'tis the Nature of this restless Evil, never to leave off pursuing its Courfe, till it becomes abfolute Mistress of the Heart, which muft unavoidably fol

low,