alledge the old proverb Physician heal thy self Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self To anticipate therefore prevent every thing of this nature and to draw them to be active industrious and very diligent in their Spiritual warfare he tells them he ran in the same Spiritual race with them contended in the same Spiritual warfare that he was their fellow Souldier and gave them no other advice than he himself practised and would only have them follow Himself as Gideon said to his army Judg. 7.17 Look on me and do likewise as I doe so shall ye doe In the words of our Text we have the Apostle asserting and declaring how he fought and behav'd himself in his Spiritual warfare and this the Apostle lays down 1. Negatively So fight I as one not beating the air 2. Positively But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection Where we have 1. The object or enemy that he encountred or combated with in those words My Body 2. The act or manner how he manag'd himself towards that object or enemy and this is exprest by two terms 1. I keep under my body 2. I bring it into subjection So Fight I not as one that beateth the Air but I keep under my body He fought but it was not as one that beateth the air He did not act like a young Fencer making only a flourish and beating only the air but he fought in good earnest and beat his adversaries The Enemies of his Salvation My Body Body is not to be taken here so much in a Physical as in a Moral sence We are not to understand by his body only the Apostles fleshly part that part of him which consisted of flesh and bones which body is put in Scripture sometimes to signify but by his body we are to understand besides his outward man his Sin that which the Apostle else where calls the body of Sin Rom. 6.6 And the body of death Rom. 7.24 The old man The flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Those carnal lusts and affections which warred against the peace of his Soul These he maintain'd a war with and indeavoured to keep under and bring into subjection I keep under The Greek word UPOPIAZO which is here rendred keep under signifyes to Seize to lay hold of to grasp and to gripe as a man would his adversary and one with whom he contends for the Mastery and not only so but to beat knock thump and pound as Wrestlers and Champions were wont anciently to do And as some think the terme is borrowed from those Runners and Wrestlers who were wont to contend in the afore-mentioned Games and who were wont to beat and pound one another till they were black and blew and of a gore blood and forc'd to acknowledge themselves vanquished and over-come I bring it into subjection The Greek word DOULAGAGEO which is here rendred to bring into subjection is sometime used for a leading Captive and most properly signifyes to bring under Command in Servitutem redigere to make one a Servant Thus the Apostle tells us how he acted in his Spiritual warfare and in telling us what he did he tells us what we ought to do If we would be Spiritual Fighters as all the Saints in their several Generations have been and if we consider what the Apostle lays down here affirmatively viz. the keeping under his body and bringing it into subjection as some do as the means by which he came to be more than such a fighter as only beats the air as the means by which he came not to loose his labour in his Spiritual warfare There seems to result this plain truth which we shall briefly by Divine assistance insist upon from the words viz. DOCTRINE That those that would fight to purpose in the Spiritual War must indeavour to keep under their Body of Sin and bring it into Subjection Or thus Those and only those do fight to purpose in the Spiritual War who do indeavour to keep under and bring in Subjection all those carnal lusts and affections whsch they have warring in them In the brief speaking to this Doctrine we shall attend only these three things 1. We shall indeavour to speak something of the nature of the duty viz. the keeping under the body of Sin and bringing it into subjection 2. We shall indeavour to shew how this keeping under this body of Sin and bringing it into Subjection is necessary in order to the fighting to purpose in the Spiritual War 3. We shall conclude with some brief Application cast off its Service and are resolved to live in perpetual Hostility with it Conclusion 3. As when a man lists himself under the banner of Christ he breaks his league and correspondence with Sin and proclaims a War with it so he hath had a mortal wound given to the habit of it by the Spirit of God When a man voluntarily offers himself to the Service of Christ upon his proclamation call I say when a man is brought effectually to answer that call as he renounces his correspondence with sin and enters upon a War with it so there is by the Spirit of God a deadly blow given to the old man our habit of sin However in a mans natural estate he is under the dominion of sin Yet when Grace comes into a man the Spirit of God which is stronger than that strong man armed comes upon him overcomes him and takes from him his armour wherein he trusted Every one that doth indeed actually belong to the Lord Jesus Christ is freed from the reigning power and dominion of sin that is accomplished in him Rom. 6.12 14. That sin hath not dominion over him and sin shall not reign in his mortal body that he should obey it in the lusts thereof The Spirit of God hath spoiled sin of its power and dominion and given it its Deaths wound An unregenerate mans heart is Sins Territory Sin is in such a mans heart as in its Throne before the Spirit comes but when that comes and by that the nature is changed and renewed Sin is cast out of its Throne and condemned to die Conclusion 4. Though a mortal wound be given by the Spirit of God to the habit of Sin when a man Lists himself under the banner of Christ yet Sin is not then quite overcome and destroyed in a man However Grace doth really subdue Sin yet it does not wholly destroy Sin Though it doth really purify a mans nature yet in this life it doth not quite perfect his nature A Christian must not expect to experience a state of perfection here in this life No that estate is reserved till he comes to experience a state of Glory The best of men in this life have a double nature in them as we may see of man in general that he consists of Body Soul so we may say of every Godly Man in a Theological sense that he hath both Flesh and Spirit
Corruption as well as Grace Though Sin be beat out of its strong holds yet it hath betaken it self to its inward Castle where it will remain and have a being in us as long as we shall have a being here in this world This Canaanite will dwell in the Land nor can the Children of God drive it out of this City God doth with us in respect of Sin our inward Enemy as the Psalmist prayed against his outward Enemies Psal 59.11 Slay them not scatter them by thy power and bring them down O Lord our Shield Thus doth the Lord do in respect of Sin and Corruption in his Saints here in this World those enemies are brought down from that power and dignity in which they were wont to be but they are nor wholly slain They are surrounded are taken arraigned a Sentence of death is past upon them and they are dead in Law but yet they have their lives lengthened out for a season during our bodily life nor can we till the death of the Body expect perfectly to be freed from the body of death The wise man proclaims a Challenge to all the world to enter the Lists with him upon this account Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made mine heart clean And though there may be some of man-kind that may falsely and presumptuously say that they have yet none can truly and safely say that they have For if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 Conclusion 5. Sin not being thus quite overcome and destroyed it follows that every man who hath listed himself under the banner of Christ hath a diversity of principles in him between which there can be no amity and friendship but on the other hand a continual warring The principles Sin and Grace Flesh and Spirit are diametrically opposite one unto another are the greatest contraries in the whole world as contrary as light and darkness as life and death as good and evil as Heaven and Hell And being so opposite and contrary they cannot be dormant and latitant in the Soul but must needs be up in armes indeavouring to vanquish and expell each other These two principles are as it were the company of two armies Cant. 6.13 They lie intrencht and engaged one against the other As long as a man keeps his league with sin and serves that he feels nothing at all of this While the strong man armed keeps the Palace his goods are in peace Luk. 11.21 Aâ— long as Israel is subject to the Egyptians and doth their drudgery all is well there 's no stir but when once they shake off that Servitude and set out for Canaan then they are pursued with all the forces and powers imaginable to be brought back to their former bondage Especially therefore upon a mans first chusing of the Lord Jesus Christ for the Captain of his Salvation is this onsett high and not only then but when we have made considerable proficiency and have obtained much victory over Sin Yea those that have arrived to the highest Attainments are not free from this combat within but like Rebekah have twins struggling in their wombs the Flesh and the Spirit like the twins in her womb do war and strive one with another The law in the members wars against the law in the mind Rom. 7.23 the fleshly lusts war against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 and the Soul also wars against them Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these two are contrary one to the other Conclusion 6. This keeping under the Body of Sin and bringing it into subjection consists in such a warring with Sin as to endeavour its death and destruction and the subjecting all our faculties and members to the Service of God and Christ We must endeavour the death and destruction of sin in this sense there must be a Resistance unto blood striving against Sin Heb. 11.4 Sin will have it pleas to be spared and saved alive and we may be willing to deal gently with it as David gave charge concerning Absalom this Prisoner of War will cry for quarter when the life of it is in danger and will speak us fair and make seemingly great propositions Some sins will promise us profit and worldly gain if we will not slay them as those ten men said to Ishmael Jer. 41.8 Slay us not for we have treasures in the field Others will promise us promotions and worldly honour as Baalak said to Balaam Am I not able indeed to promote thee unto Honour Others will promise us pleasures and delights if they may be spared and indulged Others will plead they are little ones and therefore will desire they may escape yea and others will plead they are our Relations and our Kindred flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and no man ever yet hated his own flesh but we must stop our ears against all their most cursed charmes endeavour to do by every Sin as Joab by Absalom thrust it through the heart 2 Sam. 18.14 Both small and great must be dealt with after this manner The great ones the Champions the Goliahs that come out of the Camp of these Enemies these Philistins must be fought with and kill'd and the little ones must be also dasht against the stones This slaughter must be like that which Saul was commanded to effect against the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15.3 all sorts both young and old must be put to the Sword and not so much as one Agag must be spared alive And as there is in the duty we are speaking of an endeavouring the death and destruction of Sin so an endeavouring to subject all our faculties and members to the Service of Christ every thought we must endeavour to bring into obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10 5. Our members not only the parts of our Bodies but the faculties of our Souls also these must not be yielded as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yielded as instruments of righteousness unto God Rom. 6.13 we must not any longer live the rest of our time to the lusts of men but to the will of God as it is exprest 1 Pet. 4.2 Our bodies i. e. our whole man I conceive a part is put for the whole man Rom. 12.1 Our whole man must be presented a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God and when we do sincerely endeavour this viz. the death and destruction of Sin and the improving the whole man for the Service of God though in many things we may fail and sometimes by our indwelling enemy be put to the worst yet if this be our bent inclination sincere desire and endeavour it will be accepted of God and we shall be accounted by him as such as do keep under the Body of Sin and bring it into subjection And thus of the first thing proposed to be spoken to we pass to the second Secondly We shall endeavour to shew how this keeping
many wounded yea many strong men in this sence have been slâ—in by it But that which is the dreadful consequent and effect of not keeping under the body of sin and bringing it into subjection is the perdition and destruction that it exposes to in the world to come This War with sin will terminate in nothing short of the death of one of the parties engaged in it If we are not the death of our Lusts and Corruptions they will most certainly be the death of us of our Souls if we are conquered by them and brought into subjection to them we shall have no other stipend and pay for our Service but Death Rom. 6.23 Our great Captain will not spare any man that spares any of his Sins God hath appointed every Lust to death they are all men of death by his appointment and whosoever spares them or lets them go his life must go for theirs As it was said to him 1 King 20.42 Because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore shall thy life go for his life we must therefore vanquish by indeavouring the subjection of sin or else we shall be overcome by that and must dye our selves So that laying these things together it is very evident and clear that those that would fight to purpose in this Spiritual War must endeavour to keep under and bring into subjection all those carnal lusts and affections which they have warring in them And thus of the two first things proposed briefly to be touched upon We come to the third and last which is the APPLICATION USE of Incouragement Let every one that would fight to purpose in the Spiritual War endeavour to keep under their Body of Sin and bring it into subjection If so be we had no Lusts warring in us and against us there would be no need of such an Exhortation but since we have a necessity lies upon us to suffer it and attend it and Wo unto us if we don't We read concerning Moses Exod. 2.11 12. That when he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew one of his brethren he slew the Egyptian There are if I may term them so Egyptian Lusts within us which ever and anon smite our Souls which are nearer friends to us than a Brother they are our darlings our all when ever therefore we espy these cruel Taskmasters they would be so smiting our Spiritual part we must encounter them and endeavour to slay them To animate and incourage us hereto I shall lay down but two particulars unto which I shall subjoyn two or three words by way of Direction and so conclude Motive 1. This combate after a while you may hope will not be Irksome and tedious but pleasant and delightful Sinners that are overcome and led Captive by their Lusts they count that Captivity their greatest Satisfaction and most pleasant life they like their Service love their Master and are unwilling to go out free they think they must change Naomi for Marah and therefore when called upon hereto are ready to say with the Olive tree and Fig-tree Judg. 9.9 11. Should I leave my fatness should I forsake my sweetness and good fruit should I leave the pleasures that I enjoy in walking in the way of mine heart and the sight of my own eyes to Mourn to Fast to live a strict life of Mortification this they cannot tell how to comply with Well but give me leave to tell you as to this warfare you are under a mistake You are not called to quit your pleasures only to change the objects of them and that every way for your profit and advantage to leave those that are low and base for them that are high and noble sensual delights for spiritual delights the satisfactions of Swine for those of Angels and therefore if pleasures and delights will charm you or have any influence upon you I will assure you that here in this Warfare you may enjoy those that are rational and Heavenly whereas as long as you continue slaves to your Lusts you may enjoy only those that are base and filthy delights of a Beast yea of a Devil Believe it you will find one hour spent in prayer mourning for sin and secret Communion with God better than many spent in the service of Sin and those lusts that Sinners are wont to indulge themselves in so that though the beginning of this incountring the Body of Sin may be hard it will be easy after a while and at length very pleasant Motive 2. The Victory is certain and also most signal and glorious This is that which encourages a Souldier to be Valiant the hope of Victory and this is the priviledge of the Christian Souldier that he shall most certainly have Victory He is not left at uncertainty to the chance of War wherein the Victory in Battel is not always to the strong but a Christian may know and be assured that he shall overcome and obtain the Victory The issue of the War is revealed and made known to us by Christ in his word as Sin Satan Death and Hell could not conquer our Lord Jesus Christ the Captain himself so neither shall any of them be able to conquer his Souldiers A Christian may sometimes be foiled and seem to be beaten back but yet he shall recover himself again though he fall yet he shall rise again It may be said of him as of Gad Gen. 49.19 Though a Troop may overcome him yet he shall overcome at last And as this Victory is most certain so it is most signal and glorious the Victory it self is most signal and glorious and so is the Reward of it The Victory it self is so it 's a greater conquest than to be Conqueror of the World for some that have been Conquerors of the World have yet been taken Captives by their own lusts and affections Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City he that ruleth his Spirit is better and more victorious and more glorious This is the noblest and most signal victory the Reward also is most signal glorious it being no less than a Crown not of silver or gold but of Eternal Life if we through the grace and assistances of the Spirit do kill and put to death the deeds of the Body we shall live eternally Rom. 8.13 Let then the consideration hereof incourage us to our Duty For Direction take a few particulars briefly Direction 1. Begin with this enemy betimes crush it in the first motions of it it 's easiest overcoming at the first Warriors are wont to set upon their enemies where they find them feeblest so we should set upon sin before it get head and if we do before it get too much hold upon our faculties or break forth by outward acts we may more easily subdue it and hold it under as a slave and vassal These Lions we
The Worst Enemy Conquered A Brief Discourse On the Methods and Motives to pursue A Victory Over those Habits of SIN Which War against the SOUL Delivered on June 6th 1698. the Day for Election of Officers in the ARTILERY-Company at Boston By Mr. JOSEPH BELCHER Pastor of the Church in Dedham Nunquam Bella Bonis nunquam certamina desunt Et quocum certet Mens pia semper habet BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND Printed by Bartholomew Green and John All 1698. The Worst Enemy Conquered 1 COR. IX 26 27. So fight I not as one that beateth the air But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection ONE of the most lively similitudes under which the life of a Believer is exprest and set forth is that of a warfare which is a life not of ease and idleness but attended with many hazzards and hardships and which every Christian must endeavous to endure as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ As a Souldier converses with many dangers and difficulties and dwells as it were continually in the very Territories of Death and the Grave so the life of a Christian is so full either of visible or invisible difficulties temptations and dangerous assaults with which he must enter the lists and is exposed to encounter as that he may be said dayly to pass the Pikes and for to carr y his Soul â—ontinually in his hand The Devil the Captain general and commander of the black Regiment of Hell is restless in his attempts like him who whether conquered or did conquer was never quiet if so be either by himself or his instruments he may swallow us up and utterly destroy us The World the men of it some of these are the Militia and Auxiliaries of Satan Enemies to the truth and therefore continually opposing both it and its professors and as for the things of the world the honours pleasures and profits of it these have their snares and stratagems And as by the flatteries and allurements of these the Devil would fain have overcome our Lord Jesus Christ the Captain Himself So also by the same would he fain over come those that are his followers and who have listed themselves under that Captain But besides the many forreign a Christian hath many inbred and domestick adversaries We have enemies of our own house there are not only the temptations of the Devil the oppositions of the world which we have to conflict with but there are also the lusts of the flesh The holiest man that ever trode upon the face of the earth except the Son of Man that Man Christ Jesus who was not a meer man but the eternal Son of God and God manifest in the flesh except him that best of Men that ever blest the earth with their residence upon it have had flesh lusting in them unto sin and sometimes leading them into Captivity and making them bond slaves for a season and this enemy is more frequent constant in his assaults and bickerings than a Christians other enemies If his forreign or external enemies do at any time stand still Sin that treacherous inmate and cursed adversary will rarely give him any truce or respit at all If there be a cessation for a time of the former he can scarce pass an hour without many fights and skirmages with the latter As therefore a good Souldier must not spare so much as one enemy when he hath such a command and commission given him so a Christian must not spare so much as any one iniquity or lust his orders from his great Commander Lawgiver are so but he must indeavour the suppressing beating down and conquering the same And how strong strenuous the Apostle Paul was who frequently speaks of himself as a Souldier not only as he was a Minister of the Gospel but also as he was a Christian I say how strong and strenuous he was as in his Spiritual warfare in general so in particular in beating down his internal Enemies Sin Lust we shall see if we reflect a little upon the latter part of the Chapter before us particularly the words that have been read unto you The Apostle haveing in the former part of the Chapter been declaring his liberty in reference to Marriage as also his requiring of Maintenance of them among whom he had been labouring in the work of the Ministry and yet how he had abridg'd himself forborn to use the same that so he might not be over-burden-some to them nor hinder the progress and success of the Gospel among them he doth in the latter part of the Chapter particularly at the 24 v. endeavour to press his former discourse by telling them the difficulties of getting to Heaven and also the obligation they lay under to run in that race and to contend in that warfare that would bring them thereto The method chosen by the Apostle to do this in is borrowing an Elegant similitude from some of those Games the Romans and Corinthians were wont to divert and exercise themselves in There were several sorts of Games celebrated as the Pythean the Neemean the Olympick and the Isthmean Games the latter of which was most proper to Greece And in which Games there were wont to be Running Wrestling and Riding and other feats of Activity by which the Apostle doth indeavour to set forth the difficulty that there is in and the labour that must be exercised by those that would strive and fight in the way to Heaven And that he might further prevail with them so to Run as to win the prize so to Fight the good fight as to obtain the crown he sets before them the examples not only of other runners and wrestlers who were wont to be carefull and painfull in dieting and ordering themselves before and straining and putting themselves forth to the utmost in their race combat tho' the crown and garland for which they strove was mean and inconsiderable yea nothing compar'd with that which the Apostle with those to whom he spake laboured and contended for the former being a corruptible the latter a crown that is incorruptible I say the Apostle doth not only set before them the examples of those Gamesters to press them to their duty But he also proposes to them his own example telling them what he himself did and also would doe Like the valiant Commander who doth not say to his Souldiers in an arduous and difficult encounter Ite illuc goe forth thither as if they were to go forth upon Service and he tarry behind in his Tent but Venite huc come ye hither follow me you shall go no further than I will venture my own life The Apostle knew full well that those that are indisposed uninclined to duty if those that dictate duty to them and exhort them to the performance of it are slothful negligent in duty themselves I say he knew full well how that those that are uninclined and indispos'd to duty might be ready to
under the Body of Sin is necessary in order to the Fighting to purpose in the Spiritual War and here if we lay these two or three considerations together it will sufficiently appear 1. Every one that fights to purpose in this Spiritual War hath given up himself to Christ he hath Listed himself under him he is engaged to fight under his Command and Conduct he is to march and follow him in the Spiritual Warfare Christ is their Captain and they are his Souldiers God hath given Christ to be a witness to the people a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55.4 A Leader to go before them as their Prince and Captain and a Commander to give them Laws and Rules for their obedience And every one that is indeed engaged in this Spiritual War have Listed themselves under the Lord Jesus Christ to follow him as their Leader and to observe his Laws and Rules as their great Commander and are willing to follow him whithersoever he goes and to subscribe all the Articles and Terms that he shall propose unto them 2. Hence every such man is under the greatest obligation to endeavour the keeping under the Body of Sin and bringing it into subjection This is the Command of Christ yea this was the very end of the Death of Christ rather than Sin should not die Christ himself became obedient unto Death Now our very Baptism doth oblige us unto this to fight against Sin to the very death of it If that be Sacramentum Militare then every one that hath taken that Oath that hath received that Press Money and yet is in friendship with Sin and doth not endeavour the death and destruction thereof he is Proditor Militiae a Flyer from his Colours and Runs into the Enemies Camp But when we grow up and actually give up our selves unto the Lord Jesus Christ if we are sincere in our engaging our selves to Serve him though we are not free from the assaults of Sin yet we resist it stedfastly yea we have in some measure and degree mortified and subdued it it is an inseparable Character of those that are Christs Gal. 5.24 That they have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 3. The Body of Sin if it be not kept under and brought into subjection will hinder from a faithful Serving of Christ Fleshly Lâ—sts are pernicious Enemies Well might he say Inimicorum Nequissimum Carnem meam His Flesh was the worst Enemy in the world This Enemy is always present with us it incamps in us round about us and doth most easily beset us Heb. 12.1 It lies in ambush behind and in the midst of all our lawful affairs and employments Yea it frequently starts out upon us and surprizeth us in our best duties and performances when we would do good this is present with us to impede and hinder us Rom 7.21 It is adjacent and always at hand to oppose and hinder us in all our entercourse and correspondence with Heaven So that unless we resist stedfastly and endeavour to bring it under it will Captivate us Imprison us and lay such weights and fetters upon us by reason of which we shall be utterly unable to walk at liberty and seek Gods Precepts Psal 119.45 4. A man is exposed to all the assaults of Satan and other Enemies as long as he doth not endeavour to keep under the Body of sin and bring it into subjection In vain do we pretend to maintain a War with Enemies abroad if so be we are at peace with them at home we lie open like a prey to our enemies without if we do not see to it that we keep under those that are within The wise man tells us Prov. 25.28 That he that hath no rule over his own Spirit is like a City that is broken down and without walls That man whose Spirit i. e. his passions and unruly affections been't kept under and brought into order that man is like Hazor which had neither Gates nor Bars to keep enemies out Jer. 49.31 He lies open to all the assaults and temptations of the Devil and the World innumerable are the dangers mischiefs that such an one is exposed to And since Sin let alone doth so expose us it concerns us to endeavour our own safety and security to do what in us lies to obviate the danger which by it we are obnoxious unto and that by using all good means that it may be kept under and subdued in us 5. There can be no obtaining a Crown of Glory which is the Reward through Grace of fighting to purpose in this Spiritual War unless there be an endeavouring to keep under the Body of Sin and bring it in subjection Only those will be found to have fought to purpose who shall obtain the Crown The Apostle exhorts Timothy 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold of Eternal Life get a good title to that then do we fight the good fight to purpose and hence the same Apostle speaks concerning himself 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness And only those shall have this Crown as a gracious reward of their fighting the good fight who have maintained a War with Sin and have endeavoured the death and destruction of that 'T is most certain there are but two sorts of men in the world there are no Neutrals no middle state Every man is either under the Rule and Government of the Lord Jesus Christ or else he is under the command of the Devil his greatest enemy he hath either Listed himself under Christ's banner or else he is a Souldier in the Devils Regiment He therefore that willingly serves his lusts and is in friendship with them yea that doth not endeavour the death and destruction of them is an enemy to Christ refuseth his Service and shall such an one ever share in the glorious Reward which they have conferred upon them who are faithful No in stead of the reward of a friend such an one shall have the punishment of an enemy Luk. 19.27 Those my Enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring them hither and slay them before me This is all the Crown they shall experience And therefore 6. Those that do not endeavour to keep under the Body of Sin and bring it into subjection shall most certainly perish and be destroyed If we do not endeavour to keep under our body of Sin and bring it into subjection it will in a sence destroy us here in this world for it not being subdued will grow outragious and foil us before God Angels and men it will bring us into Scandals and expose us to open shame How many hath it served thus who have indeed belonged unto the Lord Jesus Christ when they have let sin alone and have discontinued the exercise of the Mortification of it we may see it in David Solomon and others this enemy hath cast down