some inward or outward occasions so neither is there likely terror amazement disquietment in the conscience till the lusts of the soule haue disordered it for want of holding them vnder so that as warre abroad is found to be a present remedie against ciuill dissentions of subiects so warre with sinne is the cause of our tranquillitie with our selues When clouds are dispelled the beames of the Sunne will shine comfortably vpon the earth and then the earth is richly garnished with pleasant and profitable herbes so when sinne is chased away the warme beames of Gods fauour doe sweetely refresh the conscience and the conscience so refreshed doth bring forth the sweet and wholesome flowres of vnspeakable consolatiō The Spirit of God wil tell our spirits and our spirits will tell vs that God is our Friend and Father that he loues vs and delights in vs so long as we be haue our selues to sinne as to an enemy hating loathing and resisting it Thus are we most friends to our selues when wee bee most foes with our corruptions And this fighting with sinne will make vs liue quietly also with our neighbours Hee that is busie in finding out and subduing his home-bred corruptions shall haue little or no leasure to take causelesse vnkindnesses to picke needlesse quarrels and to prouoke others against him by iniurious behauiour so shall hee shun the greatest company of iarres and brawles that vse to set men together by the eares Saint Iames saith Iames 4.1 That warres and fightings amongst men doe come from their lusts which war in their members We may if we will deceiue our selues and attribute things to false causes but the Spirit of God that vnderstandeth all things aright and cannot be deceiued points to lust fighting in the members as the most true proper and immediate cause of contentions stirres betwixt man and man Therefore the more any man doth quell subdue vanquish weaken and beate downe these lusts the more calmely shal he passe thorow the sea of the world and the fewer stormes of discord and enmitie shall hee meete withall When souldiers lye idle and are not imployed in marching against the common foe then they mutinie and fall out with each other so when men set not their griefe and hatred and other affections ou worke to make war vpon sin then they quickly take occasion to grieue at each other to sigh one against another to hate one another and to vexe and gawle each other and trouble themselues most of all But souldiers agree among themselues whilest they lend their powers against a common foe so when we haue strongest and hottest warre with the deuill and sinne then doe we nourish most concord with one another Thus shall the soule enioy vnutterable quietnesse euery way within and without from God and from man and one weekes life led in such comfortable and happie concord and amitie with a mans owne soule and all about him is more worth then the lasting of a whole twelue-moneth torne and rent asunder with the ciuill broyles and commotions of a grudging froward and distempered heart Who would not doe that that will make his soule to dwell at rest 3. Againe the studie of mortification Patience and loy in affliction wil inable a man with inconceiueable patience yea and chearefulnesse to beare any affliction that God shal lay vpon him yea to look death it self in the face though it come clothed in neuer so terrible attire and with neuer so terrible weapons for the sting of death and consequently of all crosses is sinne now pull the sting from out of the Serpents mouth or tayle and then there is little feare or danger in incountring her What was the cause that the Apostle Paul was so exceeding quiet and ioyfull in all his calamities but because he had in great measure subdued and was more and more busie in subduing the corrupt lusts of his body knocking it downe 1. Cor. 9. last and bringing it in subiection as himselfe speaketh Hee that holdeth strong fight against the euils of his owne heart out of that peace with God and his owne soule which we said before that he should enioy hath freedome of Spirit to pray vnto God in his afflictions hee can runne boldly to the Throne of grace as hauing allowed nothing within him that should grieue the Spirit of Grace hee can flie to the towre of Gods name as hauing kept himselfe in the pathes of righteousnesse whic those that do know themselues to haue all good allowance to come thither and when a man can freely powre forth his hart before God in crosses then doth he also comfortably enioy God and then the sharpenes of the crosse is gone The thing that makes crosses intolerably bitter so that the soule cannot endure the bitternesse of them is the admixture of the gawle of Gods displeasure so farre as wee are intire and resolute in fighting against sinne our crosses are pure from this admixture and so they be not to himselfe that beares them howsoeuer they may seeme to the lookers on by the hundreth part so tedious and troublesome as that composition would make them So the mortified man gaines this by his trouble in mortification that the Lord will suffer him to escape many troubles and those that he must for his owne good suffer he shall be able to goe vnder with ten times more quietnesse and gladnesse and contentednesse as an whole shoulder beares the same burden with more ease then a sore or swolne shoulder It is therefore a very profitable labour that wee bestow in mortifying the members on earth that is to say in healing the sores and diseases of our soules 4. Thirdly Certaine freedome from grosse sinnes the man that applies the worke of mortification aright shall attaine certaine freedome from foule grosse and scandalous sinnes A sanctified man may assuredly promise to himselfe vpon his constant and diligent endeauours to abate and hold vnder his sinfull affections and dispositions to bee for his whole life long so kept and sustained by God that hee shall not rush into any lothsome palpable disgracefull soule-wasting wickednesse Wee are neuer ouertaken with those kind of euils but vpon our very palpable carelesnesse of mortifying the deeds of our flesh Whilest we do that that God bidsvs to slay sin he holds it vnder according to his promise and it hath not dominion ouer vs neither doth raigne in our mortall bodies so that we are sure enough that sinne shall not bring forth the fruits of shame and reproach vnto vs vntill we begin to be remisse in following Gods directions to purge out the old leauen And Oh what a benefit is this to escape those blemishes and staines wherewith many of Gods children perhaps also of greater strength then ones selfe doe defile and disgrace themselues What a priuiledge is it to be so supported that neuer in all his life he shall runne into any witting enormous presumptuous crime after God hath
ventrous shall be sooner foyled though they be more strong when we feare our selues most wee pray most to God and most trust in him and prayer and confidence will keepe vs in safety Indeed we neuer cast off this warinesse and cautelousnesse till wee bee first beguiled with the deceitfulnesse of sinne and when it hath deceiued vs it will easily doe vs a mischiefe Looke about therefore see how thou standest inuironed with enemies see what an ill nature thou hast within thee what a violent aduersary without thee Thou art like a besieged City full of traitors the wise men in such a City will quickly mistrust and doubt the worst they will euer suspect that mischiefe is plotting against them and by fearing they become carefull to preuent it There is an excessuie feare that infeebles the knees and weakens the hands when a man casts off hope through feare and will not perswade himselfe that hee can be safe by all his indeuours Courage is gone when such feare enters and what souldier can doe any thing when his heart failes But a moderate feare that still causeth a man to cast the worst with in himselfe but alone conditionally vnlesse he be very diligent to preuent it this awakens courage and by telling of the danger before doth call vp the care of the soule to preuent it Feare was placed by God in the soule as a Watchman or Sentinell to discouer neere-approching dangers and if wee wake this Sentinell to keep his standing place and to hold his eyes from sleeping wee shall bee safe from the danger that will ouerwhelme the carelesse Feare of man breeds a snare feare of pouerty feare of death feare of disgrace in the world puts vs further into the danger but feare of sinne feare lest wee should prouoke God wound our consciences and rush vpon such courses in our folly which wee shall haue cause to rue euer after this breedeth safety and by this feare wee shall happily fulfill our saluation 2. Last of all wee must be watchfull Watchfulnesse necessarie to mortification which will surely follow from our being fearefull for feare will hold the eyes open a great while together The more waking eyes in an armie the more safety but if all be asleepe all may be surprized and killed afore they be aware When Saul 1. Sam. 26 7 8 9 10. and all his host were seyzed vpon with sleepe Dauid and Abishai came into the midst of the Campe to the Pauillion of the King and then it was easie with one blow to haue dispatched the King and discomfited the armie Spirituall watchfulnesse is as necessary against spirituall enemies as naturall wakefulnesse against naturall When Samson slept then the wicked flattering harlot Dalilah did rob him of his lockes and of his strength because against his vow of Nazariteship a Razor had passed on his head The Saints of God bee Nazarites sinne cannot put a Razor to their heads till they fal asleepe on its knees till their minde slumber and the eye of the minde winke they can hardly be drawne to taste of forbidden delights or profit but when they are heedlesse and carelesse then is their vow broken and they thinke not of it then their strength becomes weakenesse and then the Spirit is driuen from them O let Samson warne vs and let vs take heede that our mindes be not rocked asleepe in the lap of the world Prou. 4.23 24 25 26 27. This watchfulnesse is an attentiuenesse of minde to all our actions and our wayes a looking to our hearts eyes eares tngues hands feet and whole man A due considering what corruptions wee are troubled with what things hurt vs what doe helpe vs whether we grow stronger or weaker whether corruptions decay or increase and how our foule fareth A looking to the motions that arise within to the words and deeds that come forth A marking what we thinke say do whither we goe to what end vpon what warrant vpon what calling that wee be not found loose and wandring and going wee cannot tell why nor whither our selues The soule is said to bee awaken when the eye of the minde is thus obseruatiue of it selfe and so long as it is thus with vs the least striuing of lusts is noted and resisted and so the greater disorders are preuented but when this obseruation of our selues is absent sinne gets head by little and little and we find our selues in the hands of it all of a sudden and know not how to get out Wherefore to all the parts of Christian armour watchfulnesse must be ioyned for what good can weapons do to a sleeping man and how can a sleeping body fight though hee bee neuer so well armed When we forget that godlinesse is the maine businesse and that our chiefe worke is to keepe our felues vnspotted of the world and walke worthy of the calling whereto wee are called and so suffer our minds to bee drawne away with other things and neuer take care whether the things we doe be good or euill for our soules nor whether they please God or no but let the thoughts and words runne at randome as it were O how soone shall we be drawne into sin and how quickly will the members that are on earth grow big within vs Wherefore as an eye must be had still to mutinous and trecherous subiects and they must bee obserued what meetings they haue to what places they goe and what countenance they beare so must we doe with our sinnes The eye of the minde must bend it selfe to these things and not suffer any lesse needfull matter to diuert it A man in a sleepe is little different from a dead man and a Christian and sanctified soule if it fall asleepe in a carelesse neglecting and reckelesse disregarding of its owne wayes will behaue it selfe for the time but a very little better then one that is dead in sinnes and trespasses Now let your eyes bee alwayes open and bent vpon your owne wayes and then you shall walke like liuing men indeed Thus now haue I shewed you the best meanes I can gather out of Gods Word to make you prosperous in your spirituall battailes Bee moderate in the vse of bodily contents Flie farre from the occasions of sinne Powre forth your hearts often before God in confessions requests and Prayses Busie your minds continually in thinking of Gods holy nature fearefull threats against sinne and gracious promises to the vpright and of the bitter Passion of your blessed Sauiour Be alwaies fearefull of your selues be alwayes watchfull ouer your selues These things doe and your soules shall thriue and your lusts shall die and you shall happily mortifie your members which are on earth if alone you take another direction with you concerning the manner of vsing these helpes CHAP. X. Shewing in what manner we must vse all the helpes to mortification FIrst then We must vse all helpes to mortification in a good manner these things must be done seasonably we
that wee may make way for the vses and that you may better practise the dutie wee must giue you some directions about it shewing you three things First the degrees of mortification Secondly the meanes of mortification And lastly the manner of vsing these meanes that wee may speed by them CHAP. VI. Shewing the degrees of Mortification FOr the first of these Two degrees of mortification we will shew both the lowest degree of mortification that without which no man can bee saued and also the highest degree of mortification beyond which a Christian cannot reach in this present life and these two beeing knowne the middle degrees betwixt these will appeare of themselues Know then that the lowest degree of mortification is that which hath attained two things which whosoeuer hath not attained is not at all mortified he that hath attained them is in truth mortified and then must striue forward for greater perfection The first thing is 1. To forbeare the vsuall practice of grosse sinnes to forbeare the ordinary practice of grosse sinnes such as are expressely condemned by the letter of the Word and by the light of nature and such wherein the members of the body are giuen as weapons of vnrighteousnesse No man can say hee is truly mortified till he haue gotten so much power against his corrupt lusts that hee bee not vsually and commonly ouertaken with those palpable deeds of the body swearing cursing lying rayling drunkennesse wantonnesse reuenge deceit and the like to these for those that doe such things Gal. 5.21 Ephes 2.3 shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and the Apostle saith That in time past when we were dead in sinnes wee had our conuersation in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the mind and of the flesh and were by nature Titus 3.3 children of wrath And againe Wee our selues were sometimes foolish disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lusts and pleasures liuing in malice and enuie hatefull and hating one another 1. Pet 4.3 And againe Peter saith The time past of our liues may suffice vs to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings banquetings and abominable Idolatries And Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 1.6 If we say wee haue fellowship with him as euery mortified man hath and walke in darkenesse as he that liues in the vsuall practice of such things doth we lye and doe not the truth Colos 3.6 For as the Apostle saith For these things sake the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience It is plaine enough you see that hee which is a worker of wickednesse and doth giue himselfe leaue to goe on in the common practice of these abominable euils is not translated from darkenesse to light he is not made partaker of the vertue of the death of Christ he is not buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death nor made conformable vnto his death so that it is in vaine to flatter our selues with a false opinion of our being good Christians so long as these things do so strongly beare rule in vs hat wee giue our members as seruants vnto them ordinarily for the good man must not walke in the counsell of sinners nor stand in the way of the vngodly 2. But secondly 2. And the allowance of the least sinne a godly man must preuaile yet further against sinne euen so farre as not to allow defend excuse extenuate and carelesly let passe the smallest knowne sinne yea the first risings and motions of sinne but must constantly obserue oppose confesse bewaile and be humbled for them before God Math. 5.8 for no man can be blessed till hee be pure in heart and hee that must ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.4 must haue as cleane hands so a pure heart also as Dauid saith Now the heart is not pure so long as any the least sin is winked at allowed maintained couered and made light of Therefore the Apostle saith not alone Rom. 6.12 13. that wee must not giue our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne but also that we must not obey it no not in the lusts of it Now hee that giues way to euill motions in his heart and makes nothing of them nor lamenteth and resisteth them doth serue sinne in the lusts of it as well as hee that rusheth vpon the grosse and externall acts of euill vsually doth giue his members as instruments of wickednesse It is therefore apparant that grace must so farre change vs and subdue our corrupt disposition as that wee must crucifie the flesh with the very affections and lusts or else we are not planted with Christ into the similitude of his death nor can truly take to our selues the name or inioy the priuiledges of men that doe mortifie the deeds of the body And this is the least degree that will serue to intitle a man to the comfort of one that is truly mortified 3. Now the highest degree that is in this life attainable 2. The highest degree of mortification stands also in two things first in preseruing ones selfe so much and constantly against sinne To be euer kept from any grosse sinne as neuer to commit any grosse or palpable sinne neuer to curse raile sweare lye deceiue reuenge dally or any other like manifest and notorious offence either in word or deed Iam. 3.4 And Saint Iames tels vs That hee which offends not in word is a perfect man This perfection by the helpe of grace a godly man may reach to in this life and O how beautifull and happie a life were it to goe euen thus farre in the subduing of sinne that one should be wholly and altogether free from all blemishfull and reprochfull sinnes But a good man may proceed to somewhat an higher degree of perfection euen to keepe his heart free from any settled liking of any euill motion thereof To be free from any settled liking of an ill motion so that he shall neuer take any stayed or deliberate content in any of the sinfull inclinations dispositions that doe stirre in him I doe not say onely not to giue any consent vnto them or to yeeld his will to them but not to haue his imagination settledly and deliberately pleased and delighted with them but that hee shall presently quench reiect and detest them but to be voyd of all euill motions arising from the flesh or of all sudden passions within or of all sudden delight in them or of all deadnesse or backwardnes to good things by reason of them that is so far as I can learne out of Scripture an higher pitch then that any man can touch it in this present world For surely whilest we liue the law of our members will be working and the flesh will be lusting and euery man shall finde cause to complaine of a body of death euery man shall finde cause
If man forsake him the Lord will stand for him and though parents cast him off yet God will gather him vp the Lord will couer his head in the day of battell the Lord will feed him in the time of famine the Lord will turne his bed in the time of his sicknesse hee shall see the face of God in righteousnesse and when hee awaketh shall bee satisfied with his Image O how excellent is the louing kindnesse of God to them that waite vpon him they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he will make them to drinke of the Riuers of his pleasure he shall delight himselfe in the Lord and God will giue him the desires of his heart Let vs often renew these meditations in our selues and say with Dauid O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them that feare thee before the sonnes of men Surely the sight of this goodnesse of God will make the labour of mortification seeme easie If those that trie masteries be continent in all things for a mortal Crowne what should wee bee for an immortall If the hope of bootie will make a souldler hazard his heart-blood what should we doe in this battell where the fauour of God and the Kingdome of Heauen are ascertained to him that fights and conquers If the man that is in some degree mortified did often contemplate the felicitie that God hath prouided for him both present and to come hee would not he could not faint These meditations would so disgrace the pleasures of sinne and so commend vnto him the reward of pietie that hee would euen scorne to serue so base a thing as sinne which giues no wages but chaffe and dirt when hee might be intertained in the scruice of Christ who besides his being so infinitely excellent giues the ioy of his saluation to his souldiers for their stipend Put your selues in mind often O ye seruants of God of the consolations of the Word and Spirit of the Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious of the Peace that passeth all vnderstanding and of the hidden treasures which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor mans heart conceiued but God hath prouided for you by his Grace and reuealed to you by his Spirit and will reach vnto you with his hand If you will reiect the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season and endure the paines of fighting the good fight of fiath you cannot faint in this battell if you lend your thoughts to these encouragements you cannot but account all your labour easie if you consider the reward and end of your labour 4. Last of all we must much and often ponder vpon the death of Christ who he was Of Christs sufferings what he suffered why and for whom with the matter cause effect and end of his sufferings that so we may worke in our selues a loue and feare of God a base esteeme of our selues with an holy sorrow and indignation against sinne The death of Christ must be the death of our sinne and vpon his Crosse must we crucifie these lusts of our flesh that they may waxe faint and feeble and bee quite and cleane abolished in vs. Here wee shal see the exceeding hatefulnesse and mischieuousnesse of sinne here we shall see how odious it is to God and how harmefull to our selues Here we shall fee the infinite loue of God vnto vs and his most gracious readinesse to forgiue and helpe vs. This thought will be most auaileable to ouerthrow the power of all vngodlines in vs. The Sonne of God the King of Heauen and earth was abased and humbled and smitten and wounded for our transgressions They lay heauy vpon his soule they pressed him downe to the dust of death he died for vs that hee might redeeme vs to himselfe and make vs a peculiar people zealous of good workes O shall wee not abhorre and detest that which was so vnspeakeably grieuous to our Sauiour Shall we not shew our loue to him in casting from vs those things that caused him to be a man of forrowes and to haue experience of infirmities How bitter and tedious was sinne vnto him and shall it be delightfull vnto vs How did it make him sigh and crie and groane and bleed and shall we take pleasure in it Shall we not shew our selues thankefull to him that was so pitifull to vs that hee had rather himselfe indure the curse then that wee should bee ouer-whelmed with it Let vs often looke to him whom wee haue pierced often consider of his torment and agony and often renew in our selues the remembrance of his cursed and reprochful death and weane our hearts from the loue of vnrighteousnesse and make vs conformable vnto his death We cannot bee hold to doe euill if wee consider well how much euill he suffered for our euill doings Now these thoughts if wee accustome our selues vnto them and doe many times sequester our selues from all worldly cogitations to enlarge our hearts in them will be as a sword in the throat of our lusts and preuaile mightily to wound them to the death and as it were to let out the heart-blood of them CHAP. IX Shewing two more spirituall meanes of Mortificetion Feare and Watchfulnesse NOw to these holy meditations and prayers let vs adde also an holy feare misdoubting of our selues Feare of our selues a meanes to mortisie sin suspecting our owne weakenesse and euen trembling to thinke that we may bee grossely ouertaken Blessed is hee that feareth alwayes for this feare will bee the cause of safety to him Whiles a soulier feareth his enemie he keepes his harnesse vpon him and wil not disarme himselfe so long as he mistrusteth the approch of an enemie But security makes a man lay his weapons aside and giue himselfe to pleasure ease and sleepe and then if an enemie assault him he is soone slaine or put to flight he that is afraid of falling into some deadly sicknesse will easily bee perswaded to looke to his diet and to take some necessary physicke Say therefore in thy selfe O if I grow carelesse sinne will quickly grow strong in my weakenesse and quickly raise vp it selfe against me and doe my soule more mischiefe then tongue can expresse how haue many of Gods Saints beene foyled that were farre and farre better then my selfe shall not their misery bee my warning If such Worthies were ouerthrowne and wounded what will become of me If I grow foolishly bold and make too faire promises to my selfe feare lest one shall fall will keepe him vpright euen in a very slippery way but soone are his feet caught from him that looketh about and neuer suspecteth a fall A moderate doubting of our own strength will quicken vs to prayer and meditation This vertuous ielousie and suspition of our weaknes will make vs shunne the occasions of sinne and so preserue vs in safety when others that are more