then he could doe To this I answer that the regenerate man is able to doe more then hee could doe in these two particulars First he is able to performe any duty or any thing God commands according to the proportion of grace that he hath received but if the duty or thing exceed the grace that he hath received then hee is to pray for an extraordinary helpe of the spirit but hee could not doe this before neither is it in the power of an unregenerate man to doe it Secondly he is able to resist any temptation or sinne if it be not greater or above the measure of grace that he hath received if it be a temptation of distrust or impatiencie or presumption if it exceed not the measure of grace that he hath received he is able to put it to flight but if it doe exceed then hee is to pray for an extraordinary helpe of the spirit now the unregenerate man hath no power to resist sinne or temptation in this case But you will say againe that there is no such power in the regenerate man for the Apostle saith Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that you cannot doe the things that you would To this I answer It is true that in the most sanctified man thatis there is corruption and this corruption will fight against the spirt and may sometimes hinder good but it is then when it exceeds the measure of grace hee hath received neither is it alway prevailing in this kinde for when it exceeds not the grace the spirit overcomes it neither doth it alwaies continue it may be in the heart but it cannot reigne in the heart it may bee in the heart as a theefe in a house not to have residence and a dwelling place but for a night and bee gone so this lust in the heart of a regenerate man dwells not there that is it doth not alwayes hinder him from good but for a time and then departs but it is not thus with an unregenerate man sinne takes possession and keepes possession of his heart The third consectary or use stands thus seeing the Apostle saith mortifie that is do not only abstain from the outward actions of sinne but from the thought of the heart for Mortification is a slaying of the evill disposition of the heart aswell as the slaying of the actions of the body Mortification is first inward and then outward Hence we gather this point That it is not sufficient for a man to abstaine from the actions of sinne but he must abstaine from sinne in his heart if hee would prove his Mortification to be true 2 Pet. 2. 14. The Apostle saith that their eyes were fullof adulterie Now lust is not in the eye but in the heart but by this he fhewes that it is the fulnesse of sinne in the heart that fills the eyes therefore looke unto the heart for the actions are but the branches but the root is in the heart that is whatsoever evill action is in the hand it hath its first breeding in the heart if therefore you would remove the effect you must first remove the cause Now the cause if it bring forth an evill effect is the greater evill as the cause of good is greater than the effect it produceth even so the sinne of the heart because it is the cause of evill actions is greater than the evill that it produceth Then think not with you selves that if you abstaine from the outward grosse actions of sinne that sinne is mortified in you but goe first unto the Cause and see whether that evill disposition of the heart be mortified whether there bee wrought in you a new disposition to good and a withering of all inordinate affections But you will say unto mee Our Saviour saith that Every man shall be judged by his workes and the Apostle saith that Every man shall receive according to the workes done in the bodie by which it appeares that a man shall not bee judged by the thoughts of his heart but by his actions To this I answer It is true that men shall bee judged by their workes because actions declare either that good that is in the heart or the evill that is in the heart so that he will judge the heart first as the cause and then the actions as the effects Rom. 8. 27. it is said He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the spirit so it is as true that he knowes the minde of the flesh that is the actions of the unregenerate part Now as the sap is greater in the root than in the branches so the greater sinne is in the heart and therefore it shall receive greater punishment Therefore if the root bee not purged notwithstanding thou abstaine from the outward actions thou hast not as yet mortified sinne because thy heart is impure and seeing God will judge us by our hearts if we have any care of our salvation let us labour to cut off the buds of sinne that spring from the heart The fourth Consectary or Use stands thus seeing the Apostle exhorts the Colossians to morâ—ifie their lusts who had set upon this worke already hence we note this point That no man is so holy or sanctified but he had need still to be exhorted to Mortification For howsoever it be true that in the regenerate sinne hath received a deadly wound yet it is not so killed but there is still sap in the root from whence springs many branches and therefore had need of continuall Mortification because the flesh wil still lust against the spirit and although there is such corruption in them yet are they not under the power of it neither doth it beare rule in them let them therefore that have not set upon this worke of Mortification now beginne to mortifie their lust and let all those that have already begunne continue in this worke Thus much for the uses But you will say unto mee How shall wee attaine this worke of Mortification and therefore here will I lay downe some meanes how a man may come to this worke of Mortification The first meanes is to endevour to get a willing heart to have your sinnes mortified that is a holy dislike and a holy loathing of them with a desire of the contrary grace If men did butsee whatan excellent estate regeneration is it would breed in them a holy desire of Mortification therefore our Saviour saith when his Disciples came to him and complained of the weakenesse of their Faith Matth. 17. If yee have Faith as a graine of Mustard-seed yee shall say unto this mountaine Remove and it shall bee removed By setting forth the excellency of Faith he takes paines to worke in them a desire of it even so if a man once can get a desire but to have his sinne mortified
bodie the more and the greater they are the more comfort they administer But yee may say that the creature can administer its owne comfort and of it selfe To this I answere that there is an aptnesse and fitnesse in the Creature to comfort us but yet it can yeeld no comfort without God wherefore keepe your affections in square have so much joy and delight in the Creature as the Creature requires and no more If your affections hold a right proportion with their objects they are aright therefore thus farre you may joy in the Creature and no further First you may joy in it with a remisse joy ye may also sorow with a remisse sorow ye may joy in it as if ye joyed not sorrow in it as if ye sorrowed not Secondly you may joy in them with a loose joy affection as they sit loose to you so you may sit loose to them 1. Cor. 7. 29. 30. 31. Brethren the time is short it remaineth therefore that those which have wiues bee as if they had none that those that weepe be as if they wept not that those that rejoyce as if they rejoyced not and those that buy as though they possessed not and those that use this World as not abusing it that is Let your affections be loose to these things Take any of these outward things you may cast your affection on them in a a loose manner goe no further then this the fashion of the World passeth away yee may be taken away from it and it from you therefore affect it no otherwise then a transitorie thing and with a loose and transeunt affection willing to depart from it whensoever it shall please God to take it from you Thirdly you may love them with a dependant affection they are things of a dependant nature they have no bottome of their owne to stand upon they onely depend on God and so you may love them as depending on him eying the fountaine and not the Cesterne from whence they flow take not light from the Aire but looke to the Sunne from whence it comes The third deceit is a false reasoning Wee findit otherwise by experience We see that a diligent hand maketh rich and bringeth comfort wee see that labour bringeth learning and for the labour which wee take to get it in recompence of it it makes us happie To this I answere that this clay me doth not alwaies hold God breakes it many times Riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches the labour profiteth nothing Psal. 12. 71. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine It is in vaine to rise up early to goe to bedde late and to eate the bread of carefulnesse yee shall not reape the fruite ye expect unlesse God bee with your labour If Christ be absent the Disciples may labour all night and catch nothing but if he be present with them then their labour prospereth then they inclose a multitude of fishes So when wee labour and take paines and thinke to be strong in our owne strength without Gods helpe we go to worke with a wrong key which will not open but if Gods hand be in the businesse we doe it with great facility and ease which God hath appointed we should doe You may see this in Ioseph God purposed to make him a great man see with what facility he was made the governour of Aegypt next to Pharaoh without his owne seeking and beyond his expectation So it was with Mordecai so with Dauid God appointed to make them great and therefore they became great notwithstanding all oppositions On the contrary let man goe on in his owne strength and hee shall labour without any profit at all hence it is that many times wee see a concurrencie of all causes so that wee would thinke that the effect must needes follow and yet it followes not and if it doe follow yet we have no comfort in it First because God makes an insutablenesse and disproportion betwixt the man and the blessing as betweene Iudas and his Apostleship a man may have tables well furnished riches in aboundance a wife fit for him and yet have no comfort in them because God puts a secret disproportion betwixt him and them Secondly though there bee a concurrence of things yet God may hinder the effect sometimes for good and sometimes for evill as Elishas servant was readie in the nicke when the Shunamite came to begge her possessions and lands of the King 2. Kings 8. 5. 6. He was then telling the King how Elisha had restored her sonne to life So Abraham when he was to offer up his sonne Isaack in the instant God sent the ramme to be tyed in the bush So Saul when hee had purposed to kill Dauid God called him away to fight with the Philistins and as God hinders the effect for good so he doth for evill Thirdly God doth it sometimes by denying successe unto the causes The battaile is not alwayes to the strong When there are causes and the ' ffect followes not it is because God doth dispose of things at his pleasure and can turne them a contrary way health and comfort joy and delight follow not outward blessings except God put it into them The fourth deceit is this These things are certaine and present but other things are doubâ—full and uncertaine wee know not whether wee shall have them or no. To this I answere it is not so future spirituall and eternall things are not incertaine but thâ—se things which we enjoy here are those things wee here enjoy and wee also our selves are subject to changes and alterations Wee are as men on the Sea having stormes aswell as calmes Wealth and all outward blessings are but transitorie things but faith and spirituall things are certaine and endure for ever Wee have an Almighty and unchangeable God and immortall incorruptible inheritance which fadeth not away reserved for us in the highest Heavens In temporall things who knoweth what shall bee to morrow In them thou canst not boast of to morrow but as for spirituall things they are certaine they have no ambiguity in them But the maine answere that I give is that here we must use our faith Consider the grounds on which faith relies and then the conclusions and consequences that arise from them take heede to them and be not deceived If yee beleeve God to bee the rewarder of all those that trust in him as you say hee is why rest you not on him why are yee not contented with him for your portions why thinke you not him sufficient If the Creature be God then follow it but if God be God then follow him and bee satisfied with him Labour therefore for faith unfaigned and walke according to it If then it bee vaine and sinnefull to seeke helpe and comfort from any
The privatenesse and secrecie thereof 5. The present delight they finde in it p. 157 Of Evill CONCVPISCENCE DOCT. I. EVill Concupiscence is a sinne to bâ—e mortified pag. 187 Reasons thereof are 1. It will bring forth actuall sinnes p. 188 2. It defiles a man by hiding sinne in his heart ibid. 3. It marres all good actions ibid 4. It makes Gods Commandements grievous unto us p. 189 The nature of evill Concupiscence what p. 190 The sinfulnesse of evill Concupiscenee ibid. The operation of evill Concupiscence in conceiving bringing forth sinne 191 Evill Concupiscence Habituall Actuall to be mortified p. 193 All sinne is to be abstayned from because God forbids it p. 195 Acts to Mortification are 1. A serious meditation upon mens courses ibid 2. A suppressing and keeping downe of lust p. 196 3. A rectifying of the iudgement p. 197 VSEI To get free from this sinne p. 198 The wrathof God on the creature works terror in the conscience ibid. Three signes of mortifying this sinne 1. A generall reformation in heart and life p. 200 2. A right iudgement of sin and a true loathing thereof p. 201 3. Actuall abstinence from sinne p. 202 QVEST. Whether man after true Mortification may fall into the same sinne againe ibid. ANSW He may fall into the act but not the love of that sin ibid Meanes to the mortification of this sinne are 1. A labour for an assurance of pardon for our sinnes p. 203 2. Abstinence from all occasion of sinne p. 205 3. A delight in grace and holinesse p. 206 4 â—ervent and hearty prayer p. 207 Of inordinate AFFECTION DOCTRINE 1. ALL Immoderate Affections must be mortified p. 211 What Affections are p. 212 The Appetite double Sensuall Rationall p. 213 Three sorts of Affections Naturall Carnall Spirituall p. 214 Affections when inordinate p. 216 Trials of the inordit acy of Affections are 1. To examine them by the rule the Rules are 1. The obiect must be good p. 217 2. The end right 3. The measure right 4. The order and season sitting 2. To examine them by the effects The effects are 1. The disturbance and hiâ—drance of reason p. 218 2. An indisposition to holy duties p. 219 3. The production of evill actions 4. The drawing us from God p. 230 What it is to mortifie affections inordinate ibid. Keasons why they are to be mortified are 1. They are of greatest efficacie and command in the soule p. 221 2. They make us either good or evill 3. They make way for Satan to take possession of the soule p. 222 4. They are the first movers to evill p. 223 VSE 1. To exhort us to take pains in the mortification of these inordinate affections p. 224 Meanes to mortifie them are 1. Knowledge of the disease p. 225 Two wayes to discerne inordinate lusts 1 By bringing them to the Touch-stone p. 226 2 By considering the stops of them 2. The iudgement of others concerning them p. 227 The causes of inordinate affection are 1. Mis-apprehension p. 227 Remedies against mis-apprehension 1 To get strong reasons out of the Scripture p. 229 2. To get a lively faith p. 230 3. Experience of the naughtinesse of them 4. Example of others 2. Weakenesse and impotency p. 232 Remedy against that is to gather strength 3. Lightnesse of the minde p. 233 Remedy to finde out the right obiect which is God 4. Confusion that riseth in the heart at first rising of them p. 234 Remedy timely prevention p. 235 5. Corruption of nature p. 236 Remedy to get a new nature 7. Oue sinne cause and root of another p. 239 Remedy to pull up the root God the onely agent of Mortification USE 2. To reprove us for sinfull affections Motives to conquer inordinate affections 1. They are the root of all evill p. 240 2. They wound the soule p. 241 3. They breed foolish and hurtfull lusts p. 243 4. They hinder the doing of good actions 5. They bring shame and dishonour p. 244 6. They blinde the reason and judgement p. 245 Of COVETOVSNES Covetousnesse what p. 1. 25 Why it is called Idolatry DOCTR 1. To seeke helpe and comfort from riches or any other creature and not from God alone is vaine and sinfull p. 2 DOCTR 2. That Covetousnesse which is Idolatry is to bee mortified p. 2. 25 Reasons that God onely can be comfort unto us and not the creature are 1. God is All-sufficient p. 5 2. The creature is empty and vaine p. 6 3. We commit the sinne of idolatry in giving that to the creature which is due to God USE 1. To exhort men to abstain froÌ„ lusting after worldlythings p. 7 God can give comfort without riches p. 8 The creature without the Creator is as the huske without the kernell p. 9 Considerations to disswade from trusting in the creature 1. The creature of it selfe hath no power to comfort p. 10 2. The creature reaches not to the inward man p. 11 3. A multitude of creatures must goe to the comfort of one man p. 12 4. The comfort of the creature is but dependant felicity p. 12 Whatsoever men leave their children without Gods blessing is nothing worth p. 13 The deceits whereby men are hindred from mortifying this sinne are 1. They thinke them Gods blessings p. 14 Blessings considered without thankefull reference to God cease to be blessings We receive the creatures as blessings 1. When we depend on God for the disposing continuing and want of them 2. When wee thinke the same things may bee without comfort unto us p. 15 3. When we thinke we may have comfort without them p. 16 2. They apprehend present comfort from the abounding of them p. 17 We may not judge of outward things by sense and feeling but by faith and a rectified reason To helpe our judgement therein Consider 1. They are but vanity of vanities p. 18 2. What other men that have bin afflicted think of theÌ„ 3. What your selves wiljudge of theÌ„ at the day of death 4. What you shall finde them for the time to come Sense of comfort double preceeding from a refreshing of the heart by the Creature an appprehension of Gods fauor in those blessings Ioy in the creature may be a 1. Remisse ioy as if we ioyed not p. 19 2. Loose ioy that may be cast off 3. Dependant ioy eying the fountaine p. 20 3 They reason falsely Riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches p. 20. For 1. God maketh a disproportion betwixt the man and the blessing p. 21 2. God hinders the effects though the causes eoncurre 3. God denieth successe to the causes p. 22 4 They see these things present and certain other things doubtfull and incertaine Earthly things subiect to change but spirituall things unchangeable Signes to know whether our love to the creature be right or no Consider 1. Whether our affection to the creature drawes our hearts from God p. 24 2. When earthly and spirituall things come in competition which we
of themselves and therefore I will shew you how sinne doth couzen them and that in these particulars First it makes a man a foole by blinding the understanding and when he is thus blinded hee is led away to the committing of every sinne and therefore it is said 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance that is before you were inlightned your lusts had made you fooles by taking away your understandings and putting out the eie of your minds but now fashion not your selvs suffer not sin to blind you againe seeing you now see Secondly it doth couzen you by making large promises if thou wilt be a wanton person it will promise thee much pleasure if ambitious much honour if covetous much riches nay if thou wilt be secure carelesse and remisse for spirituall things as grace and justification and remission of sins it will make thee as large a proffer as the devil sometime made unto Christ Mat. 4. 4. All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me So it may be he will promise thee salvation and life everlasting but he will deceivethee for it is none of his to bestow if he give thee any thing it shal be that which he promised not and that is in the end horror of conscience and destruction Thirdly by promising to depart whensoever thou wilt have it Oh saith sinne but give me entertainment for this once be but a little covetous a little proud or ambitious and I wil depart whensoeverthou wilt have me But give way unto sin in this case and thou shalt find it will deceive thee for sinne hardens the heart dulls the senles and makes dead the conscience so that now it will not bee an easie matter to dispossesse sinne when it hath taken possession of the soule It is not good to let a theefe enter into the house upon such conditions therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 3. 23. Take heedlest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that is sinne will promise you this and that but beleeve it not it will deceive you Fourthly in the end when we thinke it should be our friend it will be our greatest enemy for instead of life it will give us death it will witnesse against us that we are worthy of death because wee have neglected the meanes of grace neglected to heare to pray and to conferre and what was the cause of this remisnesse but sinne and yet it accuseth us of what it selfe was the cause Now what greater enemy can a man possibly have than he that shall provoke him to a wicked fact and then after accuse him for it therefore let this move men to mortifie their lusts The fifth Motive to move all men to hate sinne is Because it makes us Rebels against God and who would bee a Rebell and Traitour against God and Christ who was the cause of his being The Apostle saith Being servantsunto sinne we become servants of unrighteousnesse Rom. 6. 19. that is if we suffer sinne to reigne in us then we become servants of unrighteousnesse rebells unto God and enemies unto Christ who love righteousnesse now he that is a friend unto God loves that which God loves and hates that which God hates but he that is not loves the contrary for unrighteousnesse is contrary to God and he that loves it is a rebell against God Every luft hath the seed of rebellion in it and as it increaseth so rebellion increaseth therefore let this move men to mortifie sinne The sixth Motive to move men to mortifie sinne is Because sinne will make us slaves to Satan The Apostle saith That to whomsoever you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey Rom. 6. 16. that is if you doe not mortifie your lusts you will be slaves to your lusts they will beare rule over you and miserable will be your captivity under such a treacherous lord as sinne is therefore if you would have Christ to be your Lord and Master if you would be free from the slavery of Satan then fall a slaying of your lusts otherwise you cannot bee the servants of God let this move men also to mortifie sinne Now to make some use of it to our selves The first consectary or use stands thus Seeing the Apostle saith If you be risen with Christ then mortifie your earthly members therfore Mortification is a signe whereby you may try your selves whether you belong unto God or no. if you be risen with Christ that is if the life of grace be in you it will not be idle but it will be imployed in the slaying of sinne Now if Mortification bee not in you you can then claime no interest in Christ or in his promises for hee that findes not Mortification wrought in him he hath neither Interest unto Christ nor to any thing that appertaines unto Christ and seeing this is so let us bee taught by it that every one should enter into examination of his owne heart to finde out the truth of this grace of Mortification especially before he come unto the Sacrament for if we find not Mortification wrought in us we have no right to partake of the outward signes The second Use or Consectary is That seeing the Apostle saith Mortifie hereby ascribing some power unto the Colossians to mortifie their Corruptions as if hee should say You professe yourselves to bee risen with Christ then let that life which you have received slay your corruptions Hence we note that there was and is in every regenerate man acertaine free will to doe good Now when wee speake of free will I doe not meane that Free-will which is in controversie now adayes as though there were such a thing inherent in us but this which I speake of is that freedome of will that is wrought in us after Regeneration that is when a man is once begotten againe there is a new life and power put into him whereby hee is able to doe more then hee could possibly doe by nature and therefore the Apostle saith unto Timothie Stirre up the grace that is in thee 2 Tim. 1. 6. that is thou hast given thee the gift of instruction the life of grace is in thee therefore stirre it up set it on worke use the power of grace to doe good which shewes that there is a certaine power in the regenerate man to doe good for although by nature we are dead yet grace puts life into us As it is with fire if there bee but a sparke by blowing in time it will come to a flame so where there is but a sparke of the fire of grace in the heart the spirit doth so accompany it that in time it is quickened up unto every Christian duty But you will say unto mee Wherein is the regenerate man able to doe more than another man or more
seeke any further Illumination To this I answer that though the spirituall man bee thus minded and enlightened yet hee must seeke for more because this knowledge is but in part For wee know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 13. 12. that is though wee know much of heavenly things yet it is but a part of that wee ought to know or that wee should know therefore wee must ever bee breeding in the Spirit wee must bee ever growing towards perfection now there can bee no growing till the minde bee enlightened for this is a worke of the minde and so farre as the minde is enlightned so farre is the will enlightened and not onely that but the rest of the faculties are enlightened accordingly But you may againe say unto mee If this light which you speake of be seated in the mind then how farre doth this light redound unto the rest of the faculties seeing the other seeme not to bee sensible of this light because many times there is such rebellions in them To this I answer That earthly and heavenly mindednesse is seated in the understanding will or mind of a man as for example A Lanthorne is the proper seat of a Candle now it receives not the Candle for it selfe neither keepes it the light to it selfe but it receives it in to preserve light and to communicate it to others even so doth the understanding it doth not onely receive light for it selfe alone but by preserving of it it doth communicate his light to the good of the rest of the faculties so the Apostle saith You are begotten by the word of Truth Iames 1. 18. Now Truth is properly in the understanding it is first there and thence it doth communicate unto the rest of the faculties by redundance I say by redundance but not by infusion that is the light that is in the understanding doth redound to the enlightning of rest but it is conveyed to the rest by the Spirit and so a man is renewed Now for the better explayning of this wee shall shew how the understanding being enlightned may doe good unto the rest of the faculties First the Reason or Wisdome being first enlightned it rests not there but flowes by a redoundancy unto the other faculties and thereupon may take away those lets and impediments unto good as thus Whereas ignorance or infidelity was formerly a hinderance unto good things making him that was ignorant uncapable of the mysteries of salvation so that he could not beleeve the promises of the Gospell he could not bring his will and affections to embrace the truth which ignorance is now taken away by that light that is communicated unto him by the understanding Secondly although the understanding cannot remove feare and anger because they are qualities of nature and evill dispositions of the soule which it got by Adams fall yet it may hinder the growth of them it may withstand the actions of them As a Pylot cannot hinder the raging of the Seas it is not in his power to make them calme yet he can by using meanes doe so much as to save his ship so a regenerate man though he cannot stay his impatient anger and feare yet hee may keepe himselfe from the actions of impatient anger and so bridle his immoderate feare that hee may not be distracted with it Thirdly the understanding may doe much good by instructions when it is renewed and therfore it comes many times that the rest of the faculties are overturned by the reason as thus when the will and affections are immoderately set upon a wrong object the minde comes and instructs the will and affections of the vilenesse of the object and the danger that will ensue and then contrarily informing them of grace propoundeth heavenly objects unto them hereupon they become affected with them and so are turned by the Reason Fourthly it may doe much good by the ruling of them for the understanding is the superiour faculty of the soule and therefore it becomes a guide unto the rest now if the understanding be enlightned as I told you it doth communicate his light by redundancy unto the rest of the faculties then it must needs follow that the understanding being enlightned truly with grace and the other faculties partaking thereof they must needs be ruled by it Every inferiour is ruled by his superiour or at least should be so so every faculty should be subordinate unto the minde now if there be a rebellion in them it is the disorder of the soule as the other is the disorder of the State Thus much for the explaining of these points namely what it is to be earthly minded and what it is to be heavenly minded The first Use then shall be to reprove sharply such as favour the members of this body and are inordinately affected with this earthly mindednesse such also as cannot deny these members any thing that is pleasant unto them whereas they should be suppressed and mortified by the Spirit The rich man feeds these members with his riches the covetous man with his covetousnesse the proud man with his pride and the ambitious man with his vaine-glory when as these are their greatest enemies howsoever they are couzened by them but if they did but know if they were but truly enlightned with grace they would perceive the evill of these members and how great an enemy this earthly mindednesse were unto them and then they would starve their bodies sooner then they should deceive them of their soules For first as there is nothing more hurtfull unto man than earthly mindednesse so secondly there is nothing more hatefull unto God and thirdly there is nothing more contrary unto the profession of Christianity than the loving of those earthly members For the first I say that there is nothing in the world more hurtfull unto man than earthly mindednesse because it makes him worse than the beasts the beasts doe not sinne but these earthly members are the cause of sinne in us and sinne takes away the excellency of the creature Innocency is the excellency of the creature simply taken as he is a creature and this was all the excellency that we had in Adam but sinne tooke away that excellency therefore what Iacob said of Reuben Gen. 49. 4. when he had defiled his bed Thou hast saith he taken away my excellencie that is that which I outwardly respected most may be said of every lust for what a man keepes that is his excellency the wife is the husbands excellency and therefore when shee is defiled hee hath lost his excellencie for as a man keepes or loseth that outward thing which hee most respecteth so he keepeth or loseth his excellencie The Starres that fall when they are in the Element they shine and give light and then they are said to keepe their excellencie but when they once fall then they lose their excellency because they have lost
because God takes special notice of all thy actions as for dogs and swine as for the actions of unregenerate men he regards them not because his glory is not engaged upon their conversation he expects nothing from them but as for you he takes a particular notice of all your actions speeches and behaviours and therefore you should be marvellous carefull over your hearts Againe looke unto secret sinnes because hee is the searcher of the heart let the feare of God set in order every faculty of your soules to keepe out every sinne every evill thought because hee takes speciall notice of it And that I may the better prevaile with you I will briefly lay downe some Motives to move you to keepe this diligent watch over your hearts The first Motive to move every Christian to continue and grow in heavenly mindednesse is this because by this meanes hee may bee able to doe every good worke 2 Tim. 3. 21. If a man therefore purge himselfe hee shall be a vessell of honour fit for every good worke that is if hee labour to rid his heart of earthly mindednesse he shall have a new life put into him whereby hee shall bee able to performe holy duties in another manner then before Now what is the reason that there is such complaint among Christians that they cannot pray and are so dull and slaggish in the performance of holy duties but because they have not rid their hearts of earthly mindednesse What is the reason that there is so much Preaching and so little practise and so much hearing and so little edifying but because men are earthly minded If they would purge themselves of this earthly mindednesse it is unpossible but that there would bee more spirituall life in them in the performance of spirituall duties Therefore if it were for no other cause but this that you may be inabled unto every good worke and holy dutie and that you may keepe in you your spirituall life feeling and moving labour to keepe thy heart cleane from sinne The second motive to move Christians to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because that by this God is honoured I say it is a glorie to God if thou keepe thy heart cleane Now what man is there that would not willingly glorifie God who stuck not to give Christ for him It is a glorie unto God when the Professors of the Word live a holy life for what is the nature of the Word but to cleanse now when it worketh not this effect in them or at least when it appeares not in them it doth detract from the excellencie of the Word The Apostle layes downe the nature of a true Christian Iam. 1. 21. Pure Religion is this to keepe ones selfe unspotted of the world that is a spotlesse life is that which best beseemes a Christian man that takes upon him the profession of the Gospel and that which brings much glorie unto God is a blamelesse conversation and to this end the Apostle exhorts Let saith he your Conversation be without covetousnesse Heb. 13. 5. as if hee should say an unsatiable desire doth detract from the glorie of God therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded The third Motive to move every Christian to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because hee may prevaile with God in prayer Iam. 5. 16. the Apostle saith that The prayer of a faithfull man availeth much if it bee fervent that is it hath a great force with God for a blessing Now this should bee a marvellous encouragement to keepe the heart cleane in regard of the great necessitie that the Church hath of our prayers and therefore if we would not for ourselves prevaile with God yet in regard of the great need that the Church stands in at this present we should be moved to doe this duty But you will say that wee are but few or that I am but one and how can we be able to prevaile thus with God To this I answer Grant that you be but a few yet a few may doe much good Ezek. 22. 30. speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem I sought saith the Lord for a man to stand in the gappe and there was none Hee speakes there in the singular number if there had beene but one that is but a few they might have prevailed much with God so I say unto you though we be but a few yet if wee keepe our hearts pure wee may doe much with God nay though thou bee but a particular person thou maist prevaile much with God as Moses did for the Children of Israel when a damme is new broken the casting in of a little dirt will hinder the course of water but if it be not holpen in time it will not easily be stopt â—o in time a few may prevent a Judgement nay such a Jâ—dgement as otherwise may destroy a whole land if the heart bee truly sanctified it hath a great force with God Againe a man that would pray if he doe not speake but many times he is forced to send forth sighes and grones unto God this is of great power with God but if hee powre out his heart in voyce it hath a greater force and therefore the Wise-man saith that the words of the righteous are precious that is of great worth with God and therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded HOW TO MORTIFIE FORNICATION Colossians 3. 1. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry HAving handled in generall the Doctrine of Mortification according to the Method of the Apostle I am now come to descend to the considering of particulars as they are laid downe in my Text and would speak of them in the order as they are ranked by the holy Spirit but that the affinity and neerenesse betwixt three of these sinnes namely Fornication Uncleannesse and evill Concupiscence makes me to confound them and promiscuously to mingle them together Let us therefore consider first of the nature of every of these sinnes particularly by themselves and afterward make some use and application to our selves of them altogether The Doctrine that arises in generall from these words is That All Vncleannesse is a thing God would have mortified and quite destroyed out of the hearts that hee would dwell in All filthinesse and uncleannesse is a member of the old man now in such as Christ dwels in the old man is crucified he is dead with Christ now hee that is dead with him is freed from him and againe he that is in the second Adam hath power to mortifie the members of the old man All Gods children must be purified and cleansed from all pollution as the Apostle expressely commands us Ephes. 5. 1. Be ye followers of God as deare children that is be ye like unto God your Father as children resemble their naturall fathers now God is
Christ vers 15. The Temples of the holy Ghost vers 19. Are bought with a price vers 20. and then concludes Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and so in another place it is said We ought to possesse our vessels in honour Now there can be no greater meanes to dishonour the vessels of our bodies than to pollute them by this filthy sinne of Fornication Secondly the haynousnesse of this sinne will be the better seene if we consider the fearefull punishment of it which because men are more afraid of the evill of punishment than of the evill of sinne is therefore set downe to be the greater according to the greatnesse of the sinne it selfe as may appeare by these two reasons First God himselfe takes the punishment hereof into his owne hand for so saith the Apostle Heb. 13 4. Whâ—remongers and Aulderers God will iudge that God himselfe will bee the judge of all men for the godly indeed it shall be best because he is righteous and will render to them a Crowne but for the wicked It is a fearefullthing to fall into the hands of the living God Againe God reserves such filthy persons for an heavy judgement according to that of Peter 2 Pet. 2 9 10. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the uniust unto the day of iudgment to be punished but chiefly them that walke in the lust of uncleannesse And this is manifest in that fearefull and grievous iudgment hee brought upon the children of Israel in the wildernesse when as there fell in one day three and twenty thousand for the committing of this sinne 1 Cor. 10. 8 So God punished Ruben for his sinne in that hereby he lost his Excellency Ge. 49. 4. and by losing this he lost three things which belonged to his birth-right as hee was the eldest first the Kingdome which was given to Iudah Secondly the Priest-hood which Levi had Thirdly the double portion which his father bestowed on Ioseph Further Sichem and Ammon also for their filthinesse in this kinde were taken away suddenly And how was David punished though the deare childe of God the sword shall never depart from thy house c. See also what grievous iudgments the Lord threatens to them that shall commit this sin Prov. 5. 8 9 10 11. Remove thy way farre from her meaning the strange woman or harlot and come not nigh the doore of her house Lest thou give thine honor unto others and thy yeeres unto the cruell Left strangers be filled with thy wealth and thy labours be in the house of a stranger and thou mourne at the last when thy flesh and thy body is consumed c. So againe Prov. 6. 33. Who so committeth adultery destroyeth his owne soule and Pro. 5. 5. Her feet goe downe to death her steps take hold on hel as who should say there is no escaping death but by shunning her if not death temporal yet surely death eternall nay if this will not fright you there is no escaping betweene hell and her Besides as in that which is good the more a man delights the more comfort it will bring him according to that in Pro. 3. 4. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and Man so on the contrary those sinnes wherein ae man most delights bring greatest punishment unto him as you may see in the punishment of Babylon Revel 8. 7 where it is said How much she hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Thus then yee see the grievousnesse of the punishment proves the sinne it selfe to be more haynous and fearfull Thirdly the haâ—nousnesse of this sinne will appeare if we consider the danger therof and difficulty to get out when we are once fallen into it The Wise-man sâ—â—h Prov. 23. 27. A wâ—oâ—e is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow piâ— Now as it is almost impossible for a man in a deep dâ—tch or a narrow pit to get out without some helpe from another so is it altogether impossible for one that is fallen into this sinne of Fornication to free himselfe from it without the speciall assistance of Gods grace helping him thereto and therefore it is said Prov 2. 19. None that goe unto her returne againe neither take they hold of the paths of life therefore also is Eccels 7. 26. her heart said to he snares and nets in respect of the entanglements wherewith shee intrappeth her followers and her hands to bee as bands in respect of the difficulty to get loosed from This sinne besoâ—ted Salomon the wisest among men Neverthelesseeven him did outlandish women cause to sinne Nehe. 13. 26. So also did it bewitch Sampson the strongest amongst men one that was consecrated and set apart as holy unto God even hee was overcome hereby as wee may reade Iudg. 16. Wee know by experience as a man that is tumbling from the top of an hill there is no staying for him till hee come unto the bottome so hee that hath once ventured upon this deepe pit and beginnes to slide into it there is no staying of him till hee bee utterly lost in the bottome thereof or as a man in a quick-sand the more hee stirres the faster hee stickes in and sinkes deeper so it is with him that is once overtaken with this filthy sinne the more hee stirres in it the faster hee stickes and harder will it bee for him to get out Therefore wee conclude this sinne is a most fearefull sinne and hard to be overcome or left off if once accustomed to the delight thereof Fourthly the haynousnesse of this sinne will be discovered if wee consider the deceitfulnesse of it it doth so bewitch us that we will hardly be perswaded that it is a sinne now if wee will not beleeve itto bee a sinne much lesse will wee bee brought to leave the sweetnesse of it to forsake the pleasure wee finde in it Besides the Devill that old Serpent hee comes and tells it is either no sinne at all or else but a small sinne and may be easily left wee may turne from it when wee please and so he dandles us till we grow to such an height as wee become insensible and hardned in it Here therefore I will lay downe the deceits that Satan useth to beguile us in this sinne which being detected we may the easilier shunne and avoyd this detestable and bewitching uncleannesse The first deceit wherewith Satan useth to beguile us is Hope of repentance wee thinke wee can repent when wee list that that is in our owne power for God will upon any of our prayers bee heard of us heaven gate will bee open at first knocke and therefore I'lecommit this sinne to day and to morrow betake my selfe to my prayers and all shall be well But beware of this lest you
the greater sinne now God hath made this sinne to be the punishment of all other sinnes for after a man hath long continued in other sinnes at last God gives him up to this sinne as to a punishment of the former and therefore questionlesse it is a great and an haynous sinne Now since you have seene the haynousnesse of this sinne in the next place I will shew you the manifold deceits of Satan whereby men are provoked to the commission of this filthy sinne First Men doe goe on in the committing of this sinne because they doe hope to repent afterwards For answer of this I say that man who hath a will to sinne doth harden himselfe more and more by sinne and this sinne of Uncleannesse being a great sinne it doth harden the heart the more and doth the more indispose a man towards God A man by common reason would thinke that great sinnes doe make the heart to be more sensible but indeed it doth not so for it takes away the sense Great sinnes are a meanes to harden the heart so that it cannot repent Prov. 2. 19. None that goe unto her returne againe neither doe they take hold of the paths of life which is meant of repentance for God doth not give repentance to this sinne because it is a sinne so evident against the light of Nature as Ezech. 24. 16. Sonne of man behold I take from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroake yet neither shalt thou mourne nor weepe neither shall thy tcares runne downe that is if man will refuse the time of repentance which God doth offer unto him when he would repent then God doth deny him It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but of God God will have mercie upon whom hee will have mercie Rom. 9. 16. Now to shew what Repentance is Repentance is a change of the heart whereby a man is become a new creature having an inward affection to that which is good and a loathing and detestation of that which is bad To shew that Repentance is the change of the heart see how the Prophet Hosea Chapt. 7. 14. doth reprove the Israelites for their howling on their beds because their Repentance was not from their hearts they did howle much as it were for their sinnes but yet their Repentance was not from the heart and therfore nothing availeable to them True Repentance doth turne the disposition of the heart of a man another way then it went before Another meanes that Satan useth to delude the hearts of men and cause them to be set upon evill is because they doe not see the punishment due for sinne to be presently executed upon sinners For Answer of this In that God doth spare to punish sinne no man hath cause to joy in it God is mercifull and doth heare many times a long while with men not to punish them for sinne to see if they will returne unto him and repent But as long as man doth continue in any sinne without repentance so long doth hee abuse Gods patience every day and howre Rom. 2. 4. Thinkest thou this O man and despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance Vers. 5. But after the hardnesse and impenitencie of heart treasurest up wrath unto thy selfe against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Another Deceit that Satan useth to provoke men unto this sinne is to judge of uncleannesse by common opinion that is to weigh this sinne in a false ballance and to looke upon it in a false glasse and not to carry it to the ballance of the Sanctuary of the Lord and therefore many times they esteeme great sinnes to be little sinnes and little sinnes to be none at all when men doe thus mistake sinne they judge of it otherwise than it is As when bad company are together they doeall allow and approve of sinne and so evill words doe corrupt good manners and in their opinions doe make sinne to be no sinne at all not considering that place Titus 2. 14. That Christ gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all iniquitie and to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes When a man hath committed sinne his Conscience is defiled and so can no more judge of sinne aright than one that would discerne of colours in a foule and soyled glasse but when the Conscience is cleare it sees things as they are and so is able to judge of sinne by that rule by which our selves shall be judged at the last day There is a sanctifying Spirit which if wee had we should judge of sinne aright and the rule whereby we are to try sinne is the written Word of God Fourthly Satan useth to provoke men to this sinne when they can commit it in secret then will they bee bold to doeit But consider God sees in secret and he will reward them openly Mat. 6. 4. Give thine almes in secret and thy father that is in secret will reward thee openly Now wee may judge by the rule of contrarieties that if God doe see Almes that are done in private and will reward them openly may not we thinke that he will doe the like of sinne For so hee did by David hee spared not him though he were his owne servant 2 Sam. 12. Thou didst this sinne secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne And thus they goe on boldly in this sinne thinking they shall escape well enough if they can doe it secretly and not bee seene of men but they in this despising of God make God to despise them Consider oh man the many wayes God hath to reveale sinne that is committed in secret Eccles. 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich no not in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Sinne that hath beene committed in secret shall bee discovered by wayes that a man thought unpossible Evill men are as a glasse that is sodered together as soone as the sother is melted the glasse doth fall in peeces So they that are companions in evill may for a time be true the one to the other but yet the Lord will one way or other discover their iniquities so that they shall fall in peeces like a broken potsharde yea perhaps the Sinner himselfe shall confesse his sinne as Iudas did The last Deceit which Satan doth use to provoke men unto this sinne is with the present delight which they have unto it To this I answer as Christ in Mat. 5. 27. Thou shalt not commit adulterie for whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart If thy right eye offend thee plucke it out
or exception that the gates of mercy stand open for them Mar. 16. 15. there is our Commission Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every Creature What this is in the next verse it is sayd If a man will beleeve he shall be saved but hee that beleeveth not shall be damned Therefore whatsoever your sinne be let nothing hinder you to come in for if you come in God wil receive you to mercy all the hindrāce then is in our selves Consider these two places of Scripture 1. Cor. 6. 9. Paul speaking to the Corinthians Of the greatest sinne that ever mans nature was capable of such were ye saith he but now ye are washed and are sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God So in the 2. Cor. 12. and last ve The Apostle doth make no question but that they might repent and have forgivenesse you may know how willing God was to forgive great sinners all the matter is if we be willing to apply this pardon to our selves To leave our sinnes in generall to take Christ to be a King aswell as our Saviour To deny our selves and to take up Christs Crosse and then there is no question but we may have this pardon sealed and assured us Certaine it is men will not doe this as to denie themselves and take up Christs Crosse till they bee duly humbled and have repented their sinnes but so it is that men will not prize Christ untill that vengeance fall upon them for their sins would they but doe it they might bee sure of this pardon were their humiliation true and sincere it is sufficient the last of the Revel verse 17. And the spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely First here is Let him that heareth come that is To all whosoever this Gospel is preached unto the promise is generall to all here is also added Let him that is athirst come there is further added Let whosoever will come come that will come and take of the water of life freely seeking God in sinceritie of heart with forsaking of all their sinnes And so much for this meanes of getting pardon for sinne and to come to true mortification by the sanctifying spirit The second meanes to mortification is to abstaine from all beginnings and occasions of sinne as precedent actions and objects of ill It is to have a peremptory abstinence and full deniall not medling with any thing that hath any affinity with sinne If you doe not neglect to resist the beginnings this is the way to come unto the utmost ends of it there be chaines to draw to sinne Iames 1. 14. Every man is tempted when hee is drawne of his owne lust and is inticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth foorth sinne and sinne when it is consummate bringeth forth death This is to cleare God in the matter of temptation a man is drawne with his owne lust unto it First a man doth gaze on his Sinne and dally with it then hee comes to bee intangled in it so that hee cannot get loose againe even as a fish that is fast to a hooke Thirdly followes the assent unto it when hee is taken in the net And lastly followes the committing of actuall sinne which doeth bring forth Death So first there is the chaine that drawes to sinne Secondly the gazing on it Thus Evah did admire and gaze on the fruite and did thinke that if shee might taste of it shee should come to know good and evill but she was deceived so wee are deluded by sinne First by gazing on it then by being intangled in it afterwards proceedes a will therunto and lastly the committing of the sinne which doth bring foorth death so that death followes sinne When a man hath committed the sinne it causeth the hardening of the heart and so makes him not sensible of the things of the spirit The greater sinnes doe cause the greater hardnings and makes the heart for to become evill and so a man comes to have an unfaithfull heart as an Athiest to thinke that the Scriptures are not true that the promises of God are not true and lastly unfaithfulnesse it causeth a departure from God as in Hebrewes 3. 13. An unbeleeving heart causeth a departure from the living God Take heed there bee not an evill and unbeleeving heart in you for if there bee then there will bee a departing from God therefore wee should not bee led by any thing to gaze upon sinne that wee may not bee intangled in it Therefore let us at the first checke the very beginnings of sinne and resist all occasions A third meanes to overcome this sinne is to bee exercised with the contrary delights as with Grace and Holinesse This is the meanes to mortifie the heart and to emptie it of all kind of lusts and they cannot be emptied out of the heart unlesse better things be put in stead thereof you cannot weaken blackenesse better then by white Therefore the way to change the heart after sinnefull objects and the mortifying of these lufts it is to get delight in better things and to labour to have neerer communion with God to be zealous of Gods cause 1. Cor. 106. Last of all to conclude The meanes for mortifying of this Sinne is you must adde prayer unto all the rest To pray unto God to baptize you with his holy Spirit Let a man be left to himselfe and it is impossible for him to mortifie except God will doe it Therefore wee are to pray unto God to give us his holy Spirit When the Spirit of God doth come into the heart it is as fire and puts another temper upon him then was before It turnes the strings of his heart to another tune and doth make him approve of that which God doth require This is the way to mortifie lust The more a man is carried to the love of one he is many times the more removed from another but the more a man is caried to God the more heis wayned from inordinat lusts being mortified he is the more enclined to God Mal. 3. 2. Who shall stand when he appeares for hee is like a Refiners fire and like to Fullers Sope. Christ shall doe that when he comes that none else is able to doe As in refining and purifying the heart use what meanes you will except you use fire you cannot refine drosse from silver So staines that are in a mans garment wash them as long as you will with Sope they will but seeme the worse but when they are brought to the Fullers hand they are soone rubbed out So let a man be left to his owne Spirit hee will runne into a thousand noy some lusts but when Gods Spirit is cloathed in a mans heart then it doth keepe him from the wayes of
build a mud wall any rubbish and trash will serve the turne to make it up So when our affections are on high matters such as God and Christ they looke upon things that are noble and not upon the rubbish and trash of the world wee will choose the principallest stones for our spirituall building but if otherwise we strive to finde contentment in the creatures we care not how wee come by them that is any rubbish will serve the turne to get riches withall and honour and preferment in the world but if ever you will set your affections straight pitch them upon God The fourth cause of inordinate affections is that confusion that riseth in the heart at the first rising of them and they are the vapours and mists that blinde the reason and make a man unable to resist them because the putting out of the eye of reason must needs trouble a man exceedingly even as a moate in a mans eye troubles him that he cannot see as he should doe And therefore these mists that are cast upon the eye of reason doe make a man unable to resist them In such a case the way to helpe them is this to make up the bankes when the river is at the lowest ebbe that is to make up the bankes of our affections before the tide of inordinate affections do come in we are not at first able to rule these inordinate affections but yet if the banks be made up afore-hand we may mortifie them A man is to consider before how he is able to be affected and for this let him looke into the former waies and see how he hath beene affected and how he is apt to be affected againe and when he is in such circumstances let him take a good resolution never to returne to such inordinate affections as he did afore When a man is sicke of an Ague to give him physicke when hee is in a sore fit is not the fittest way it is not then in season but it were best to be done in his good daies before his fit so we are to make up the banke of our affections before the tide of inordinate affections doe come to have a strong resolution we will not be led by such an affection as before And if this prevaile not then we are to suspend the execution of our passions that is to doe nothing for a time If a man finde any passion in himselfe let him abstaine for that time if it be possible from the doing of that which it moves him unto because that he is then most subject to doe amisse You see a barrell of Beere if it be stirred at the bottome draw it presently and it will runne muddy but if you let it rest a while and then draw it it will runne cleare so a man in his passion his reason is muddy and his actions will not come off cleare therefore it is good to suspend the execution howsoever For the suspending of the action in time of passion is very profitable though a man thinke for the present whilest the passion is upon him that he doth not erre yet because then we are most subject to erre suspend for a while Passion is a hindrance to the faculty as jogging is to the arme when it is a shooting or unto the hand when it is a writing therefore when a man doth find that passion is on him let him do nothing A drunken mans wisest courseis to go home and do nothing that night unlesse the good work of repentance our passion is a kind of drunkennes the one is almost as subject to mis-take an error as the other The fifth cause of inordinate affections is the corruption of Nature which is in every man since the fall of Adam Will you know the reason why Beares and Wolves and Lyons carry themselves so cruelly It is because their nature is to doe so Wil you know why a sinful man is subject to affect things inordinately the reason is because he hath a bad nature it is naturall to him to doe it and as ready to him as sparkles of fire to fly upwards We see some men are apt to be taken with such a disease that is bred and borne with them they cannot escape it Now the remedy to remove the evilnesse of nature is to get new natures that is to get another nature a holy regenerate disposition untill then men shall neuer be able to doe it many labour to mortifie their affections but yet cannot because they are busie about the particulars and never regard the generall they can never make the branch good except they make the tree good therefore the way to mortifie is to get a new nature Consider whether your nature be renued whether that be cast into a new mould if it be this is the way to mortifie inordinate affection this is the way for the generall So also it should be our care for any particular affection that wee finde our selves most prone to by nature labour to thwart nature in that particular Are you given to wrath by nature endeavour to be humbler and meeker then other men Is your nature more inclined to desire of gain Labour to be established with a more free spirit and this will be a meanes to mortifie you otherwise you shall never waine your hearts from earthly things till you have a taste of such spirituall things that is you shall never win your hearts from joyes except you have joy and delight in Christ you shall never overcome the griefe of losses and crosses except you turne your affections to see the loathsomnesse of sinne Contraries in nature do expell one another cold is expelled with heate darknesse with light so you must expell carnall affections with spirituall The 6 ht cause of inordinate affections is carelesnesse and remisnesse that is want of spirituall watchfulnes over the heart when men rather give occasion unto the affections to be inordinate than prevent the occasions of it For the cure of this take heed not of sinne onely but of the occasions of sinne for a man to hate sinne and not to hate the occasions of it is to deceive himselfe that is all one as for a man to walke upon Ice that is afraid of falling Iron will move if the loadstone be neer so the affections will stirre up if there be any alluring sinfull object And therefore if sinne knock at the doore of your hearts you must not let it in presently but aske his errand plead the cause with it and consider the hindrances and inconveniences that come by it For a man to say I will give over my lusts and yet will keepe such company as hee did before and use his old haunts he doth but deceive himselfe Prov. 22 19. Make no freindship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not goe Prov. 23. 30 Benot amongst wine-bibbers that is if thou hast used this company and