of original sin it having so many different members and parts which are so diversified and so compleat that they may make up a body which body if it be intertained shall certainly bring and occasion death So when he is under the strong convictions of his guilt and hath had a compleat discovery of himself you may see his exercise holden forth in these words O wretched man the word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth one that is wearied with troublesome and continual combats with little apparent successe and this doth certainly import that he was a man much and continually taken up in wrestling against his corruptions and endeavouring to bring them unto subjection unto the obedience of Christ Iesus And ye may see likewayes in these words the way that Paul took to overcome his lusts he was much in the exercise of prayer for the words that we have read are indeed a short and pathetick prayer I conceive that word which is recorded in Isa. 38. 14. O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me is a sweet paraphrase upon these words Fourthly You may see his great and principal suit to have been deliverance from this body of death this captive exile was hastning to be delivered and looking out at the windowes of his Prison-house waiting till the Jaylor should come and open the doors and take his chains and fetters from off his feet We confesse these shall not be fully taken off till we shal be passing thorow the door of our everlasting rest and then that woful and sad complaint shall take his everlasting adiew and farewell for if we may speak so the burial place of sin is before the door of our eternal rest it then ceaseth to be when we begin more eminently to have a beeing But may we not be ashamed and blush that we are not more in uttering those inexpressible sighs and groans of the spirit under the conviction of our sinfulnesse since this holy man who had no doubt attained unto a great length in mortification who had plucked out many right eyes and cut off many right hands and oft times returned victor after war was so much in groaning under his corruption O! but we have inverted strangely the way to heaven I conceive practical Antinomianisme is an Epidemick error in these dayes Many think that it is below a regenerat man to mourn and to sit down and lament over the body of death we know not what it is to make our bed to swim with tears and to be bedewing the way to Zion when our faces are thither ward ye conceive that it is a lesson to be practised and learned by those in a lower classe and those who are learning so to speak the Rudiments of Christianity and not to be exercised by those who are now advanced unto the high classe of Christianity that being as it were in our apprehension a degrading of your selves from that pitch of perfection unto which in your imagination you have attained but believe me it is a work not below the eldest Christian nor above the youngest believer and the more one be old in reality in Religion this work will alwayes be new in their practice I shall only give you that divine counsel of a holy man who desired Christians to set about the mortification of their lusts as though they had never been taken up in that duty before each day to set about to mortifie not as a proficient but as a beginner who hath never made any progresse in that blessed work Now in speaking upon Pauls exercise which is here holden forth that he was continually exercised in wrestling against those corruptions and that body of death that was in him we need not stand long to prove that it is the duty of a Christian to be so exercised and taken up there is somewhat of that implyed in that word Act. 24. 16. And it is more clearly pressed Col. 3 5. Eph. 6. 13. and 1 Cor. 5. 7. And no doubt if a Christian did reflect more upon the nature of sin and consider that by it difformity with God is increased and precious conformity with him lost and did we take up sin in its wofull effects that it worketh death and involveth us under the curse of a living God we would be more constant in this spiritual warfare O! but Christians thorow want of the apprehension of these are much disinabled to stand fast to that liherty wherewith Christ hath made them free and oft-times entangled themselves again with the yoke of bondage So that I conceive if God were coming to give a name to the Christians of this generation he might call us Isfachar because we do now croutch down under two burdens and are become servants unto tribute and even those that are more refined and tender in their walk in those dayes he might call them Reuben because they are unstable as water which marreth their excellency But that which first we shall speak to is how the wrestlings of a natural man against the body of death and those corruptions that are within him may be distinguished from the wrestlings of one that is really godly And first we conceive that it is without debate and controversie that a man altogether unregenerate by natures light may be put on to mortifie if so we may speak and contradict those sins which are most sensual and grosse natures light including an antipathy and detestation of those things within it self though we confesse thorow the depravement of our nature those sins which fall under the sphere of natures mortification are now abridged unto a small sum it being not now refined and clear as it was when man was in the estate of innocence Secondly another sort may from some common qualification oppose some sins as those that are of more heroick and refined spirits will have detestation against covetousnesse and other sins of that nature and so in some sense may endeavour the mortification of these things Thirdly the same may a natural man do by such a conviction of the holy Ghost as is but a common work of the spirit he may be put on to mortifie these sins that are more visible and some what grosse in their nature as is clear from the practice of those who cleanse the outside of the platter and studies to have an outward conformity unto the law of God notwithstanding of that inward and secret antipathy against the strictnesse of his law yea more a natural man who hath some predominant evil may endeavour and will atempt to wrestle against that sin which is in a direct line of opposition against it as one that is given to that vice of covetousnesse he will study to mortifie that vice of prodigality those being two opposit vices Now from all these we may conclude that upon every opposition which we use against our corruptions it is not safe to infer that we are really ingaged in this spiritual warfare it being we think another
ye may take it up in its nature and in its effects I think if one should come from the dead having the chains of everlasting wrath wreathed about his feet and the sheckles of the fury of the Lord wreathed about his hands and should preach to you concerning the nature of sin and how damnable a thing it is there are many who would not take heed much to such doctrine Now that which thirdly we proposed to speak to from these words was the difficulty to attain to Mortification which we conceive was held forth under that word Crucify which doth import that Mortification is a longsome work as crucifying was a longsome death as likewayes it doth import that Mortification was a painful work as crucifying was one of the most painful deaths And like wayes it holds forth the intensive nature of Mortification that a Christian should study not to be content until he did kill corruption And concerning these three we shall speak together And we shall point out the difficulty of attaining to Mortification in these things Is there not this which points out the difficulty of it that there is a woful unity of affection betwixt us and our lusts they are dear to us as the right eye and our right hand and right foot And I confesse to convince you of that unity that is betwixt you and your lusts I think that expression which ordinarily ye use when one is reproving you for your passion or for your swearing may suffice ye will answer what aileth you at me which doth speak this that you say your lusts and you are one And I confesse Paul hath an expression like this Rom. 7 8. I know saith he that in me dwelleth no good thing There are two me 's in a Christian there is a spiritual and a refined Me there is a carnal and a wicked Me as Paul doth distinguish them in that verse I know saith he that in me dwelleth no good thing and yet he subjoyneth In me to will that is present which is one good thing And we confesse that word is accomplished in Me They are joyned to their idols let them alone There is that secondly which pointeth out the difficulty of Mortification and it is the strength of those lusts that are within us we think the Scripture is so abundant in pointing out the strength of sin that we need not speak much to it there is that expression Rom. 8. 2. which is a most strange word it is there called the law of sin and of death as it were sin pleads for as much subjection from us as if we were tyed by law to obey it And in that verse there is a sweet contrariety of laws the law of the spirit of life hath made me free from the law of sin and of death If so we may speak there is in a manner one decree and statute of heaven declaring another to be null for it was a law in heaven that we should be under death because we were under sin but behold here is a posterior law that doth sweetly reduce this prior law and it is the law of the Spirit of life As likewayes that expression pointeth forth the strength of corruption which is 2 Cor. 10. 4. where he saith we are to fight for the pulling down of strong holds as it were sin fortifieth it self within our bosome and we confesse if this were believed we should study to mortify our corruptions with a great deal of more pains and constancy There is this likewayes which pointeth it out and it is the deceitfulnesse of our lusts and the subtilty which they vent in their deceiving of us which is clear from that expression Iam. 1. 14. When a man saith he is drawn away and entised of his lusts the word there that is rendered entised is taken from the fishers who deceive the silly fishes with an apparent bait of pleasure We confesse these two are the great obstrucions of a Christians progresse to heaven there are temptations of fear and there are temptations from advantage which two if they were removed we might with greater facility overcome our lusts and sing a song of triumph over our Idols oft-times that expression is recorded the deceitfulness of sin we confesse if this were believed we would use a more divine and holy prudence least we should be ensnared And to shut up our discourse upon Mortification upon which we have been speaking so long we shall only speak a little to obviat any mistake that may be about the difficulty of any Mortification which shall include that which we intended to speak upon which was the certainty of overcoming And that which first we would say unto you is this Be perswaded of this that there is more divine satisfaction in the resisting of your lusts and wrestling against them then there is in the actual fruition of them all that word of Solomons Stollen waters are sweet saith the adulterous woman but at last they shall be convinced of the contrary and that word which he speaketh Bread of deceit is pleasant to the mouth but he knoweth not that the dead are there c. And we think the Apostle sweetly chydeth the Romans concerning this thing What fruit have you of those things whereof you are now ashamed it is sad to think upon that woful disappointment that many shall meet with There is this which we would likewayes say that there is a divine certainty of a Christians overcoming let the difficulties be never so many and O beloved in the Lord are not these glad tidings from a far country and may be as cold water to a thirsty mans soul that a Christian shall once overcome And I confesse there are these four things that speak the certainty of a Christians overcoming 1. The faithfulnesse and the love of Jesus Christ is laid in pawn for our overcoming which is clear from that Joh. 6. 39. And this is the fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should losse nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And we confesse this is certain it is more of Christs concernment that a believer should overcome then it is of his own O! what songs to the faithfulnesse of Christ what songs to his love shall be sung that day when the precious troup of his Saints shall return from the day of judgment and that general infare shall be of all those that have been begotten unto a lively hope when they shall convey Christ home through the ports of the new Ierusalem every one having a harp of God in his hand and shall cry forth Halelujab Halelujab to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the lamb for ever and ever that song shall have no period though it have a beginning There is this likewayes which pointeth forth their certainty of overcoming Christ hath overcome and therefore a Christian shall overcome It was the sweet divinity of the Apostle Paul Heh
holy indignation against every thing thorow which his conformity with God and that perfect likeness and simâ—litude with his Maker might be in any way impaired Mortification doth not consist in those unconstant and unequal exercises of mortifying our lusts it consists not in those violent flashes of holy zeal and indignation against our iniquities for though that indignation be violent for its time yet it doth quickly evanish and pass away but that grace of Mortification must be a constant and dayly exercise We will solace our selves in the chambers of our imagry by beholding our idols pourtrayed up the wall we will study to receive satisfaction in our apprehensions when we cannot receive satisfaction in the actual fruition of them Such is likewayes the woful desperatness of the hearts of the children of men that when God hath put a worm to the root of that gourd under the shadow of which we used to solace our selves we cry forth from a discontented humor It is better for us to die then to live O! there are many here to whom it would be death to out-live their idols their idols and they are pleasant in their lives and they desire not to be divided in their deaths 3. Mortification doth not consist in that partial and divided way of mortifying our corruptions we taking vengeance upon some of our lusts but with Saul spareing it who is the King Naaman the Syrian must have an indulgence of bowing his knee in the house of Rimmon Lot must plead for the sparing of Zoar that small thing and so when we are intending that work of Mortification we plead for the sparing of these things which we call Zoars these small but our Master-corruptions Certainly that evangelick Mortification which is required of us doth not consist in this for we must intend an universal separation betwixt us and all our idols we must cast away all our idols to the moles and to the batts and we must defile the covering of them and he alone must be the cover of our eyes He never knew what the grace of Mortification meant who never set about the accomplishment of the ruine of that great and master-idol which domineereth over him And we conceive that the best and most solid way of knowing our growth in Mortification is by reflecting upon the decay of these idols which are our predominants other sins which affail us may decay and their strength wax weak and yet mortification not be on the growing hand for there are many of our lusts that rather die by concession then by constraint there are many of our idols that rather go out of us then are cast out Now the first thing that a Christian ought to endeavour to mortifie is his love to the the world which was the practice of this holy man In the words he pointeth out unto us that way wherein he did attain this compleat and spiritual Mortification to the world holden forth to us in these words by whom which doth relate unto Iesus Christ who is made mention of in the words going before or as the words may be rendered by which I am crucified to the world and so they relate unto the cross of Jesus Christ. Now under this notion of being crucified he doth certainly hold forth unto us that great difficulty that is in accomplishing the work of Mortification And under this name of being crucified he holdeth forth unto us the longsomnesse of the time that we must spend before we can attain compleat Mortification Crucifying being one of the most lent and slow of all violent deaths Mortification is not a work of one day it will cost us many dayes and years before we shall crush the head of him who hath so oft-times crushed our heel before that blessed promise shall be fulfilled that all things shall be put in subjection unto us Sin doth most easily invade us and take possession of us but it is not easily dispossessed for except we had the infinit strength of him who is Jehovah we might sit down and close our hands and never mint to oppose these Idols under whose subjection we are This word of being crucified doth likewayes hold forth the painfulness and uneasiness of this work of Mortification Crucifying being a death amongst all violent deaths one of the most bitter we must certainly be mortified to our ease before we can be mortified to our lusts we must travel in birth before the grace of Mortification can be formed in us It is a wofull evil in these dayes that the most part of people walk under this apprehension that there is not much difficulty to Mortifie their corruptions but it is a token that they never knew what it was to mortifie them who never knew the difficulty of Mortification The third thing that is holden forth under this name of being crucified is that woful reluctancy and indisposition of spirit which we have to this blessed exercise of Mortifying our corruptions we have as great unwillingnesse unto it as though we were to go to subject our selves to some violent death O! how is vanity and corruption joyned to the spirits of the sons of men how loth are we to have that wofull and accursed union betwixt us and our lusts dissolved O! how many Orators and Procurators within our selves have we to plead for this the sparing of our lusts we may be perswaded of this that if we be not the ruine of our iniquity iniquity shall certainly be our ruine O! how may we blush and be confounded seven dayes that we should be so loth to have a separation betwixt us and these things by which our distance with God and estrangement from him is so much increased this vanity is unspeakable that we should be so averse from that wherein our eternal blessedness dothly in having that wofull band which we have wreathed about our own necks taken off by the blessed and everlasting hands of him who hath died and risen again to accomplish this blessed design Lastly under this word of being crucified is held forth unto us that compleat and spiritual Mortification to the world that this holy man attained to he was as one dead to these things he was not much exercised in joy in having the world neither was he exercised in grief by wanting the things of the world he was a man dead which could not be moved by any of these things We do not say so that Paul was altogether a Stoick without all passions of grief and sorrow or of joy but we only say this that he did not grieve for the want of the world as those who have no hope neither did he so joy in having the world as those who have not a more divine and high spring of consolation he was cloathed with a holy indifferency and a blessed neutrality in having or wanting these things it was none of Pauls desires to have the world he had learned that divine and excellent art of being content with every
and tribulations in our spiritual warfare we must enter there It is much indeed for a Christian to die a victor after warre though not a triumpher that must come after death and the trophies and rewards of our victory shall then be fully given to us when our feet shall stand within the gates of the new Ierusalem and when we shall receive these two glorious and everlasting badges of our victory a crown set upon our head having this written upon it It endureth for ever A motto which could never be engraven upon any Crown here below and a Palm put in our hands and then indeed shall we sing as those that divide the spoil when we have led captivity captive and fitten down upon a Throne which is established for ever And we conceive much divine reflection and holy contemplation upon that precious recompence of reward and that high and unconceivable pitch of dignity unto which belivers and overcomers are to be advanced would make us with much cheerfulness and alacrity undergo this spiritual warfare And yet all our triumphing is not suspended till our war be ended believe me there is more real joy in the victory and vanquishing of one lust yea more divine satisfaction in a serious pursute and contending with them though with very small successe to our apprehension than in the actuall enjoyment and fruition of all thy lusts Thou may hide sin under thy tongue and have it pleasant to thy taste yet at last it shall be as the gall of asps and the poison of dragons O! put on so much holy generosity and spiritual ambition that though Satan should offer unto thee all the Kingdoms of the world that thou may fall down and worship him thou mayest cry forth in holy zeal and indignation Get the hehind me Sathan O! that deceitfull oratory and malitious guile wherewith he ensnareth immortal souls and brings them into subjection O! but the depths of Satan are subtile and great And he is a man of understanding that can draw them out and not be ignorant of his devices and except we be helped by the candle of the Lord that discovereth the inward parts of the belly to know these mysterious subtilties of him whose name is A deceiver they will remain still riddles and mysteries to us But since we are compassed about with this body of death and there is a law in our members rebelling against the law of our minde we should be much in groaning for the day of our redemption when the lawfull captive may be delivered and the prey taken from the mighty and that blessed decree may come forth O prisoners of hope go forth and shew your selves We are afraid that the Christians of this generation have proclaimed a cessation of armes and have concluded a treaty of peace with their lusts and a league not only offensive but shall I adde this even defensive not only that we shall offend our lusts but shall defend them and if once we have sealed this treaty and agreement with our Idols what can they require more at our hands We conceive we may sadly allude unto that word that there is not one amongst fourty thousand in Israel with whom there is a spear and sheild seen in contending in this holy warfare O! can such a delusion as this overtake you that ye can be an overcomer without fighting is your strength greater then those that have gone before you that you think you can accomplish this war in one day and pursue your enemies till ye overtake and consume them O! when shall that day be when we shall be groaning forth dayly this mournfull dittay O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death In the words we conceive first there is a sweet and pleasant emphasis in that word me speaking so much that if infinite power and grace were capable of any limitation and there could be any bounds fixed to it Paul did conceive he was the bounds and limits of infinite power and grace if there were an impossibility for grace to save any sinner it should be impossible for grace to have saved him who was the chiefest of sinners and lesse then the least of all Saints And if each Christian did look upon himself as the greatest debter to the Justice of God his debt to the infinite grace of God should appear more singular Secondly we may perceive that a Christians happinesse doth consist in a sweet exchange of dominion and governments Once sin doth reign in his mortal body and he is under the dominion of his lusts but then grace doth step in and exauctorats and dethrones the former King and doth reign in the temple of our heart This is clear Rom. 5. last and that is a remarkable word which is there that grace may reign the word in the original doth signifie so much that grace may play the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this fulnesse of graces dominion is that the Apostle would be at here And certainly there is no repentance of this exchange of Masters There is much noise and rumour of complaints amongst people in these dayes of the exchange of governments from one species of government to another we shall leave these debates unto men who desire to exercise their spirits about them but sure we are of this that those who are given up to this change shall have it passe as most legitimat and lawfull by the divine approbation both of angels and of the souls of just men now made perfect Thirdly the way that Paul taketh here to propose his complaint under the strong prevalency of the body of death by way of question who shall deliver me doth not import any hesitation about his perswasion of certainty that he at last should sing a song of triumph over his lusts but only that it would be among the richest and the most singular monuments and trophies of the victorie of Christ to save him Paul did no doubt conceive that amongst all the royall monuments of Christs conquest that should be as it were hanged about the walls of that higher and glorious palace Paul should be put in the highest place as having least merit to bring him there if there could be any merit at all and most love and grace Now to come more particulary to the words after Paul hath most divinely set forth that woful opposition and contradiction that was betwixt the unrenewed part and the renewed and what strong dominion sin had over him he doth in these words breath out a sweet desire to be delivered not only from his actual corruption but from his original guilt which here he calleth the body of this death not only because corruption is a thing which may be easily discerned and known to us it being so to speak a thing which may fall under the object of our sight being no spirit but a body but also because of these great multitudes of corruptions that flow from that root
aspects though we conceive that if many Christians were to be painted we might fix the Moon upon their head for they use not the world as their servant but as their Master Mortification is an exercise that doth not sute with flesh and blood it is a hard saying to a man settled upon the dregs of nature and yet incorporate in that old stock O! but it is sad Divinity to many that except one die with Christ they cannot reign with him we must win to the fellowship of his sufferings and be conformable unto his death before we attain to the resurrection from the dead we love to divide those things that God hath conjoyned to take Christ for righteousnesse and salvation but not for a King and for sanctification And if it was an evidence unto wise Solomon that she was not the mother of the childe who pleaded for the division of it so it may be supposed that he who will not take whole Christ but would have him divided is not one that is predestinated to the adoption of children we confesse there are many that love Christs coat rather than his graces and if they pursue after those it is more after those graces that are adorning then saving And we conceive that there are these three graces that a hypocrite doth most pursue after there is the grace of prayer the grace of knowledge and the grace of humility and of the last we may say a hypocrite may endeavour to personat it but there is alwayes within his bosome some convictions of this little attainment it is impossible for a hypocrite to think himself nothing and O! that we could once attain to that precious length of Christianity as to be entertaining a holy oblivion of our attainments and a sanctified memory of our imperfections that the former may be written as it were in the sand and the latter might be engraven in the fleshly tables of our heart and kept constantly upon record we confess there is not much of our leaf that withers in these dayes but much of our fruit withers and decayes O! is not man become so brutish and ignorant that he may be sent unto the beasts of the field to be instructed of that which is his duty Solomon makes mention of four beasts upon the earth which are little and exceeding wise Prov. 30. 24 25 26 27 28. all which may teach us some spiritual doctrine first there are the Ants who may teach us that grace of divine prudence and Christian policy in laying hold on our occasions and opportunities who though they be not a strong people yet provide their meat in summer and no doubt we should be fighting with our spiritual enemies while it is the day for the night cometh wherein no man can fight actions done in season addes a great deal of luster and perfection to them every thing being beautifull in its season Secondly there are the conies who may teach us that grace of deny all to distrust our own strength and in the day of straits to run unto him who is that Munition of rocks when the blast of the terrible one is as a storm against a wall for they being a feeble people make their houses in the rocks And no doubt Atheisme and Idolatrie are the two great impediments of mortification too much confidence in our selves which is Idolatrie and our too much diffidence in God which is our Atheisme Moreover we may go to the locusts which would teach us that primitive grace of unity who though they want a King yet go forth by bands and lastly we may go to the spider which may teach us that grace of spiritual mindednesse and of aspiring after those sublime and excellent things of God for they are in Kings places and O! to be more conversant with heaven and those things that are above this would make us to distaste these lower springs and they would be to us as the waters of Marah But to come more particularly to the words you have many precious things concerning Mortification holden forth which is that precious and cardinal grace of which we intend at this time to speak you have the infinit advantage of this grace held forth to wit that such do meet with divine intimation of their interest in Christ and that they are Christs which is indeed the high elevation of a Christian And this is clear from the words that such an one may from this gather that his name was written in the ancient and precious records of heaven And no doubt little divine wrestling with our corruptions makes us to have the extract of our peace so often withdrawn to our sense there is this held forth concerning it the extensive nature of mortification that a Christian ought not only to mortifie the flesh which is original sin which is so called not only because of that wofull knot of amity and affection that is betwixt us and our lusts hence that word no man ever hated his own flesh O! those invisible knots of union that are betwixt us and our lusts but it is so called because sin hath contaminat the whole man so that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing that is not defiled as likewayes because during our abode in those tents of mortality we must have this wofull and sad companion and there is an unchangable and unalterable decree of heaven that during our time of Minority we should have that bad associat but more a Christian should mortifie his affections which are his predominant lusts to which our affections are so much joyned and our soul doth so much go out after as also his lusts which are the first motions and risings of corruption within one and withall may comprehend the eschewing the first shadows and appearances of evil Prov. 4. 14 15. Enter not into the path of the wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it passe not by it turn from it and passe away our mortification should be al 's much of our invisible Idols as our visible lusts There is this likewayes held forth the difficulty and painfulnesse of this work under this notion of Crucifying which was one of the most painfull deaths we conceive that there are many who are of that mans humour who wallowing upon the grasse cryed forth utinam hoc esset laborare there is no doubt more difficulty in this then we apprehend we must not ly in the bed of ease if we intend to be mortifying Christians we must wrestle as princes with God till we prevail the longsomnesse of this work is also pointed at under the notion of crucifying it being a longsome death we cannot ordinarily fight and triumph in one day that ambitious letter of Cesars will not hold here Veni Vidi Vici we must die mortifying and strugling with our corruptions and when one of our feet is within the borders of eternity to be sighing out that lamentation O wretched
the birth and makes them to prove abortive Love to our Idols is that which kills our convictions and our killing of our convictions is the mother of our love to our Idols And there is this lastly that speaks our soul-union with our Idols those anxious sorrows when we misse the enjoyment of our Idols we are then ready to cry out It is better for me to die then to live and oft-times when our Idols are taken from us and are laid in the grave our living lusts sit down and lament over the grave of our buried Idols crying forth Ah my Lord. And since there are such invisible and wofull knots of union betwixt us and our Idols we should endeavour to have all these knots loosed and to have our soul united unto him by those two precious and golden chains of Faith and Love and to have our hearts a Bethel a house for God and a temple for the holy Ghost and not a Bethaven a house of Idols and a cage for all unclean birds that our spirits may be mansions for that eternal Spirit and he may have an arbitrary power over us and a negative voice in conducting us to heaven SERMON III. Gal. 5. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts MOrtification is that precious duty imposed upon man not only by the law of Nature but by the royal and excellent law of Grace Doth not the law and light of nature instruct man thus it is better to kill then to be killed and certainly except a Christian be the ruin of his iniquities iniquity shall certainly be his ruine we shall either sing a song of triumph over our lusts or our lusts shall sing a song of triumph over us and doth not that royal law of liberty and grace enforce this upon us while it desireth that we should crucifie our members which are upon the earth and be aspiring after a divine conformity with the Image of the invisible God Though we conceive there be some that if they would retire themselves a little to behold those subtile and invisible actings of the mystery of iniquity within them and those deep devices of Sathan and how many strange Lords beside Iesus Christ exercise dominion over them they might be constrained to put in their amen unto that truth that it is more easie for a camel to passe thorow the eye of a needle then for such unmortified Christians as many of us are to enter into the kingdom of God It is better for us to dwell in the house of mourning then in the house of mirth and we may say of much of the carnal joy that is amongst us Such laughter is mad and such mirth what doth it we may wish for some retired cottage in the wildernesse where we may go aside and spend our seventy years in the bitternesse of our soul and account it marvelous loving kindnesse if we shall obtain hope in our end It is without all debate that the general and universal evil of our dayes is that Christians are so little in the exercise of this precious grace of Mortification we think we take a greater latitude in our way to heaven than that cloud of witnesses which went before us did adventure to take and it is certain that if one from the dead were admitted to write Commentars upon the disadvantages of satisfying the lusts of the flesh they would point forth marvelous hurt and infinit losse in exercising any of those as likwayes if any from above were admitted to write upon the advantages of crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof what precious commendation might they give to those that are exercised in those low but exalting works of Mortification Believe me this is most certain that it is easier to mortifie your lusts than to satisfie them for we conceive that such an one who is spending his precious time in the satisfying of his lusts doth spend his time betwixt these three the impatiency of his lusts which still cry forth give give the impotency and weaknesse of the means he hath to satisfie such lusts and the conviction of the impossibility of satisfying the insatiable desires and infinit lusts of sin anxiety and sorrow are the constant attendants of a man that is not studying to crucifie his lusts and affections and certainly if we may allude to that word Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood he is cursed that doth not endeavour to crucifie and bring low the seven abominations of his heart that we may with Naphtali and Zebulun jeopard our lives unto death in the high places of the field and that there might be none of our lusts to cry forth within us the bitternesse of death is past but may endeavour to cut them in peeces before the Lord. We conceive this work of Mortification is the most pleasant exercise of a Christian if not in its own nature yet in its fruits and effects Now before we shall speak any thing unto those things which we proposed to speak of at the last occasion we shall speak a little to this what is the reason that Christians resolutions and purposes to quite such a predominant lust and to forsake such an idol do oft-times evanish without any fruit All these cords of divine resolution by which they bind themselves are but as tow and flax before the fire of temptation they decreeing many things which are not established And we confesse this is so incident an evil unto his own that sometimes they are resolved in nothing so much as this to resolve no more they in a manner give over the duty of resolution because they are so short-coming in the duty of performance And we conceive that this is occasioned either through this that Christians do not resolve upon the strength of a Mediator or if they do resolve upon his strength they are not much in the improvement of it for the bringing low of such an iniquity And we conceive this was the ground that Peters resolutions were brought so much low and were blasted and this is somewhat pointed at lsa 40. 30. 31. where it is said evâ—n the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall the greatest natural abilities which might help men to run and not be weary and the most promising evidences from themselves shall fail and be blasted but as it is in the 31. v. they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength even those who are denyed to their own strength And we conceive that there are these two great mysteries of Christianity first to resolve so as being convinced of this that we are not able as of our selves to think one good thought And secondly which is a little more mysterious to believe that Christs strength laid hold on by faith is as effectual for the crucifying such a lust as if it were our own proper strength and excellency certainly one that
2. 9 10. there is a promise saith he that all things shall be put under our feet but we see not that promise accomplished saith he I see one thing accomplished which is a pledge of it I see Iesus Christ for the suffering of death crowned with glory and with Majesty Christ is in heaven and he must be there and that word John 16. last Be of good cheer saith he for I have overcome the world which is a pledge and certain token that ye shall once overcome There is this likewayes which points forth their certainty of overcoming that that same power which was exercised in bringing Christ from death and in making him to overcome principalities and powers is communicate to believers to make them overcome as it is clear from Eph. 1. 19 20. where it is said That power that wrought mightily in Christ to raise him from the dead doth also work in those that believe O! Christians heirs of the grace of life believe this that Omnipotency is ingaged on your behalf and have you not learned that first point of the Creed that there is nothing-impossible to God and so when you are constrained sometimes to cry out Who shall stand before the children of Anak Content your selves with this that there is nothing too hard for him And there is this lastly which points it out that divine and invisible knot of union that is betwixt Christ and his members Is Christ above the members must follow for ye know though Christ be the fulness of the Saints yet the Saints are the fulness of Christ there is a sweet mutual fulfilling and accomplishing each one of another know ye not that word that where I am there they may be also I think of all the words that Christ ever spoke to the Father that word was the most imperious and commanding-like word which he hath Joh. 17. 24. I will saith he that those that thou hast given me be where I am It was not his prayer which came that length he willed it and would not be contradicted And certainly there is nothing that may comfort you in the our of trial so much as this Christ is upon his way to relieve you and ye are upon your way of overcoming And I shall only say that word which ought to be your practice 1 Joh. 5. 18. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not and that wicked one toucheth him not That ordinary expression which you have you should not rub cloths with him not touch him And to those that are walking in the broad paths of sin I shall only speak that to you which is Joh. 21. 22. His eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Your eyes and your taste shall be satisfied and that word which is vers 30. he shall be preserved to the day of destruction or as the word in the original he shall be reserved to the day of wrath as it were there shall be a combination of wrath and justice that shall seise upon you Now to him who is upon his way who shall come and will not carry and whose reward is with him we desire to give praise SERMON VIII Gal. 6. 14. By whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world CHristianity doth consist in a blessed exchange of affections a soul dying in its affections and respects to all things that are here below and living and advancing in its desires toward him who is that blessed and universal good It ought to be that arch-plot and great design that Christians ought to promove to attain to that original unity which once was in mans affections towards God O! what blessedness did Adam enjoy while he did stand in that estate wherein he was created he having a blessed harmony of all his affections toward God and likewayes there being a most divine correspondence and blessed familiarity betwixt heaven and earth betwixt him who fitteth on the Throne and the foot-stool but that was most eminently verified that man being in honour did not abide O! what anxious and perplexing thoughts had poor Adam no doubt some hours after his fall when he did reflect upon that which was once his condition and did compare it with that which was now his lot might not he take up that lamentation over himself Man in his best estate is altogether vanity And likewayes he might have that proverb taken up of himself How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning Now man by lossing that blessed unity that was in his affections hath contracted a woful and infinit diversity in his affections towards these things that are here below so that those affections which did once sweetly run in one channel toward God are now divided and separated in many channels toward those things that are below him And there is nothing beneath the Son that leadeth captive so many of our desires as the World therefore it were your advantage to be crucified to the world and to have the world crucified to you that you may discover that endlesse vanity and unspeakable vexation of spirit that is in all things that are here The world is a perfect compend and compleat epitom of all misery God himself is that compend of all blessednesse so that there is nothing that we can take up under this but it is most eminently in him It is a duty which is much undervalued in these dayes Christians to be promoving in that blessed work of having themselves crucified to the world and having the world crucified to them O! how suitable is it for those who are heirs and expectants of that blessed hope and everlasting enjoyment of being with God who is the Judge of all flesh and with Jesus Christ who is the Mediator of the New Covenant and with the innumerable company of holy Angels and to be made heirs and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. Is it not below you to be much taken up in your vain and anxiouspursuits afterthose things that are here below The objects of the desires of your immortal spirits ought to be more high than things below and ought to be more divine than things humane your affections ought to be ascending as pillaes of smoak and ye should be breathing after that blessed day when there shall be a confinement of all your affections on him We have at some occasions spoken unto you of the grace of humility and of the grace of love the one teaching us to undervalue our self the other teaching us to value God And had you been much taken up in the spiritual and living exercise of those there should not have been much difficulty to perswade you at this time We shall not insist long in telling what Mortification is It is a constant and blessed endeavour of the Christian to remove out of his way all those impediments that do interrupt the exercise of love As likewayes it is that which entertaineth a constant and perpetual antipathy and