THose that Lust fascinates are apt to imagine, that if they can suppress its visible Effects, and sensible Heat, that will be sufficient to free them from all the Mischiefs, they need fear from it: But Lust is so pernicious a Guest, that not only he is very watchfull to intrude again where he has once been entertain’d, but, notwithstanding his Absence, he may continue to do Mischief to those that seem to have quite expell’d him. For as Wood that is once thorowly set on Fire, may afterwards have that Fire quite choak’d, and extinguish’d, and yet by those changes be turn’d into Charcoal, whereby it is not only made Black, but dispos’d to be far more easily Kindled, and Consum’d than before; so those, who have once had their Hearts thorowly possest by the pernicious Flames of Lust, (which is indeed, to imploy an inspir’d Expression, to be set on Fire of Hell) ev’n when they have stifled these criminal Flames, and feel no more of their Heat, may not only have their Reputation irrecoverably blemish’d by what is past, but commonly carry about with them an unhappy Disposition to be re-inflam’d, and to have by a few Sparks, and a little Blowing, those destructive Fires so re-kindled, as to Rage more fatally than ever.
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