119.9 and 107.20 John 15.3 and 17.17 Heb. 4.12 Render them not powerless to your Souls by letting the Impressions that the Spirit has made by them wear out Has the Lord by his Word and Spirit discovered sin to you fix your thoughts upon it and pry more and more into the sinfulness of it Muse upon it till your heart be hot within you and till your heart be fired with anger indignation and zeal against it and when the Word makes your heart burn within you blow upon the Coal that it die not out again you must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit sometimes wounds the Soul for sin and makes some word like an Arrow pierce the heart but Sinners pluck it out again and lick their wound whole again and thus sin is whole again sin puts the Soul between the stroke and it whereas when the Spirit by the Word smites we should expose sin to it and be content to have it not only discovered but beaten and left dead upon the place be content to find the Word as a two-edged sword and love those best in whose mouth is the sharpest sword and hold up thy sins to its strokes when they are found out Be content that the Word be as a Corrosive-plaister to thee and keep it close upon the sore place O how many have their judgments enlightned by the Spirit in Ordinances but they imprison Light imprison Truths and suffer not the power of them to reach their hearts and affections True some find also the heart shaken and troubled for sin and resolutions raised against it yet it is not mortified all miscarryes and why Truly because in some these have no root and for others that are truly godly they yet take not pains enough with their own heart to maintain what the Spirit by the Word has wrought in them they labour not to drive the Nail to the head and to keep the Bow in bent Slothfulness is a slighting of the Spirit and provokes him to withdraw and when the Sun is gone light and heat is quickly gone When the Spirit does by any Ordinance animate you against sin and fix it upon your heart to seek the death of any sin give it no reprieval for an hour give not Satan time to tempt thee nor sin time to prepare some charm to entice thee again let not these things that use to choak the Word deface and obliterate spiritual Impressions if when the Spirit by the Word has heated your affections you immerse your self in your business this like frosty Air will soon cool you if you do unwarily meddle with it it will quickly take off your edg and they are the most dangerous colds that come after great heats hence many not only abate their zeal against sin but sin is advantaged by this means the heart like the earth which in Winter is thawed by the Sun at Noon freezes the harder the next Night 6. Observe and comply with the Spirits motions and methods when under affliction which is a special season of the Spirits teaching and working afflictions use to be the Seal to Gods Instruction Job 33.16 Seals give weight and authority to Writings the Spirit now sets Instructions home Therefore consider what sin thou hast most need to mortifie and what the Lord does especially aim at in afflicting thee and in order to this observe what his Spirit did charge most upon thee before affliction came and mark how the Lord follows affliction the Spirit uses to bear in some sin more especially and to make a mans Conscience deal impartially with him hear what that says especially after Prayer and when the Spirit by afflictions does humble thee and cause heaviness in thee 1 Pet. 1.5 let not sin raise up it self for thou canst never rise again but upon its ruins and when the spirits work tends to the stirring up of Grace in all thy acting of Grace have an eye upon the sin that has most indangered thee and comply with the spirit especially when thou art moved to the acting of that Grace that is most contrary to thy strongest Corruption It 's a token of a sanctified affliction when thy sin is discovered in its sinfulness when there is fixed purposes of heart raised against it and when there is some notable acting of the Grace that is most opposite to it excited And now when the lot is fallen upon it do not spare it do not think to roll it to shore and save it alive do with it as the Jews did with Paul Act. 21.28 They laid hands on him crying out Men of Israel help This is the man that teacheth the people against the law and hath polluted this holy place Labour to fix your thoughts and purposes and affections you now have and afterwards be often asking thy soul what is become of them and deal with sin as then you wished you had never done I shall in the next place answer some Objections against what has been delivered And 1. May be some see nothing in themselves that need to be mortified they can say as the Pharisee Luk. 18.11 yea can bless God that they are free not only from such gross things as the Pharisee mentions but even from such abominable thoughts and motions of heart and from such horrid temptations and suggestions as some complain of Answ 1. Was it any better with the Pharisee for his foolish opinion of himself but would thou see thy self as in a glass See Rev. 3.17 Look thou be not like a standing Pool that has more mud and dirt at the bottom than the raging Sea and indeed sin is never more stirring than when it seems asleep or moves smoothly thou art not yet come the young mans length Mark 10. who may be has outdone thee in every thing yet saw there was something lacking and indeed besides faith in Christ there was mortification to the world wanting 2. How came thou by this freedom from sin and so much inward quiet thou must be in League with Hell sure I am the holiest Christians make sad complaints of sin within and temptations without and seldom want some excercise but it seems you let sin live and sin lets you live 3. It 's a token that sin has never been irritated much less slain we know thou art not pure by nature more than others nor can education purge out sin though it may qualifie it and we know that it cannot be mortified with much ado such an interest has it got in the soul But here it is the Commandment has never come in its spirituality and power to thee till then Paul troubled himself as little with sin as thou dost sin prevails in the heart yet is not grievous because there 's nothing in thee that is contrary to it to oppose it It 's but a short way that a natural Conscience goes it charges no man with Original corruption nor with the first motions of sin that the body of sin breaths out every moment
suitabless of it to our corrupted Natures there is something in Applause that gratifies that Self-exalting principle in man Men find pleasures sweet and they cannot but believe their senses before any testimony from without they see and feel and taste some sensible good in sinful Objects and it 's hard to dispute a man out of his Senses Nature craves something and the things of this World have some subserviency and suitableness to Nature in its pure primitive Consideration And Sinners cannot now distinguish between purely Natural and inordinate desires and indeed the pleasures of sin are now as suitable to our corrupted Nature as poor natural delights were suitable to Adam in Innocency Now look what pain it is to have Nature starved or oppressed such pain it is to have sin mortified 6. The splendid Condition of some and the merry life that Sinners lead makes men in love with their way they who deal most kindly with their sin and indulge and satisfie a proud and sensual disposition they live the gayest lives and with their blustring Jollity they carry the voice in the opinion of most men who have no Sanctuary-light As for Mortification they think it dispirits one or makes a man a Mope and that to mortifie sin is to mortifie all Pleasure and Mirth 7. Libertinism or perverting of the grace of the Gospel some have doctrinally and others practically made that a Sanctuary for sin which God has made a City of Refuge for penitent Sinners Some think it improper to speak to Believers of sin or mortification at least that we should not to them preach against any sins but such as argue them to be in a good state as there are some diseases that argue a good constitution of Body and that we should urge love and gratitude only and not Hell nor Wrath but whose doctrine is the Text and to whom is it directed This pretended heat of Spirituality has often issued into loosness and prophanity This practical Abuse of Grace is that wherein all unsound hearts do really conspire Antinomian Libertine and Ranting principles are the most immediate inferences and conclusions that natural hearts draw from the doctrine of Free-grace which were not men strangely byassed and prejudiced by their lusts may easily appear to be horrid perversions of the Gospel Thus he that came to destroy sin is made the Saviour of sin For the second Question Whence it is that some complain of the power of sin yet rest in something short of the mortification of it 〈◊〉 1. Some are convinced of the power of sin in them and are troubled at it but hope that Duties will weaken it and wear it off when alas they never hurt it Or 2. That time will do it that when temptations are over and fewel withdrawn lusts will die of themselves and that when they are got out from under such and such circumstances Corruptions will not have such advantage against them when alas sin can live without temptations and has fewel enough within and can create temptations to it self Or 3. Upon every inconsiderable resistance to or advantage against their sin they begin to hope well of themselves as Micah foolishly concludes that God will bless him seeing he had a Levite to be his Priest so do some dream of Heaven upon every little success against a temptation to sin or upon every passionate wish to be freed from sin as inconsistent with the hope of Heaven though such wishes do often grow out of Nature and self love Or 4. Such satisfie themselves with meer complaints of sin trouble for sin does sometimes secretly harden in sin and issues in secure despair as burning though it be painful yet it stops bleeding or else such satisfie themselves with some common Comfort and are all on a sudden as Jovial as ever There 's a great deceit in folks coming out from under Soul-trouble or if they can get some tears to bewail their sins these are to them as good a Plaister as Christs blood O the deceitfulness of tears when they are not the juyce of a broken heart they do but water sin and make it more fruitful Or finally By their passionâ—â—â— Complaints they get the pity and prayers of others and are well lik'd of and look'd upon as the Mourners and broken-hearted whom our Lord has blessed and the prayers and good-likeing of others does insensibly work them into a good opinion of themselves In the second place They deserve Reproof who think to mortifie Sin by their own endeavours or by meer moral means No endeavours no Duties no consideration of Sins opposition to and inconsistency with our happiness without the influence of the Spirit can mortifie any one Sin The Apostles manner of urging this great Duty deserves a Remark on the one hand he will not have people think that the Spirit was to do all and they to do nothing or that they are to be meerly passive in the business of Mortification If ye mortifie and on the other hand he will not have them think that there is any power in them to mortifie Sin but that it is through the Spirit It is the Spirits special work and hence we may be instructed how to press all Gospel-duties so as to avoid Enthusiasm and Antinomianism on the one hand and Arminianism on the other For there 's nothing more common than for people to apprehend some sufficiency of power in themselves to obey when they hear Gospel-obedience pressed and on the other hand to grow sloathful and secure and to expect such a power as will kill Sin and carry them through Duties without their concurrence or may be knowledg when they are told of their Impotency and of the necessity of the Spirits special assistance whereas in respect of dependance humility and self-denial we should carry as if the Spirit acted all but in respect of diligent endeavours we should act as if we acted all and not the Spirit Vse 3. Of Exhortation If you would escape the second Death if you desire or hope to live with God and to be eternally happy in the enjoyment of him set about the mortification of sin 1. Original corruption must be mortified the root of Sin must be killed lay the ax to the root of the tree one stroke at the Root will do more harm to the Tree than many strokes at the Boughs In the Doctrinal part I hinted at the necessity and usefulness of this I shall only now point a little at the way of mortifying the Body of Sin 1. A through sight and discovery of it is necessary I do not mean that any man can fathom or comprehend the heghth and depth of it Jer. 17.9 Who can know it Now the deceitfulness of the heart is but a branch of the corruption of it It 's a Mysterie that we cannot now unfold yea and without the Spirits teaching we cannot have such a discovery of it Rom. 7.7 Some Heathens have seen and bewailed it as their disease
the Spirit which if hearkned to and improved may recover the Soul again and bring back more plentiful and greater assistances of the Spirit First then beware of marring the Spirits work 2. Learn to comply and actively to co-operate with the Spirit in all the methods and ways whereby he destroys sin 3. When sin is not allowed the Spirit is not grieved so as to withdraw or suspend his operations For the first Resist not the Spirit else the bonds of your sins shall be made strong Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3.16 This is not a Liberty of speech only or mainly he works out our freedom and Adoption but when he is resisted or opposed he brings under bondage to fear for both these Rom. 8.15 16 are the effects of the same holy Spirit and brings Adoption under debate again Jer. 3.19 1. O do not counter-act nor counter-work the Spirit when he discovers sin do not you shut your eyes or wink hard to hold out his light some will not know Sin because they have no mind to leave it much less to mortifie it they put out the Candle that they may sin the more freely such Ignorance does highly aggravate guilt how many defend their ignorance of Truths and Duties Errours and Sins against the Spirit of God and thus for some base lust sell Truth and Holiness which are glorious Beams of God and at the highest rate and peril make a Conquest of Errour or Sin which are the excrements of the Devil and of Hell Oh to what a height of sin in this particular have many arrived at who instead of complying with what Light and Convictions the Spirit does minister to them will have the Spirit comply with their darkness their Sins and their Errours when men study the Scripture to seek a cover for them or get to themselves Teachers after their own lusts after the manner of Achab as ordinarily great men especially do their Ministers and Chaplains Thus men would make the Spirit of God of their own mind and to approve Sin some are angry at the Light as it mars their carnal Mirth and as it opens the eyes of others to think of them what they would not be thought How many also do with the Spirit within as they do with the Spirit in his Ministers and as the Jews did with Jeremy Ch. 44 They seek Light but are determined in their mind only they would have the Spirit to serve their turn 2. Do not not oppose the Spirit when drawing the heart off Sin when engaging and raising purposes in the heart against Sin or when arming the passions against it as many do who thereby render outward helps for Mortification and also the inward workings of the Spirit powerless and ineffectual and thus when God would heal them they discover their iniquity as Ephraim and as those do who not only call evil good c. but draw iniquity like Cart-ropes who the more they are striven with the more they stretch themselves forth to sin this is ordinary with the unregenerate But 2dly Do not grieve the Spirit this is more common to the godly Now you grieve the Spirit 1. When you covet his Comforts more than his sanctifying Operations and his killing of sin in you It 's worse to be under the power of Sin than to be under terrours for sin 2. We grieve the Spirit by every act of sin by the least indulgence to sin the very first motions of sin they are lustings against the Spirit and the further they proceed the more they grieve the Spirit If they be delighted in or consented to which is the conception of sin much more if they be brought forth and amongst sins the more spiritual any sins be the more it grieves the holy Spirit as leaving upon the Soul the character and resemblance of the contrary evil Spirit As for instance Pride and the more spiritual Pride be and the more excellent the object of it be the more provoking it is though indeed in some respect sensual pleasures and bodily sins may be said to grieve the Spirit more in as much as they not only defile his Temple but also polute the Soul which should be the inner Temple and therefore kept more holy with sensual affections which alienates the Soul from the Lord and which also weaken the Soul Hos 4.11 Hence see the opposition Ephes 5.18 Jude 19 and which are a real service and proper tribute to the flesh whereas we are debtors only to the Spirit Rom. 8.12 and it cannot but exceedingly grieve the Spirit when we pay our liveliest affections as tribute to his great Enemy in us For the 2d Direction mentioned viz. Compliance and Co-operation with the Spirit You must not think that the Spirit will mortifie sin when you are asleep or without your own endeavours much less when you are actually indulging and giving scope to it If ye through the Spirit do mortifie c. But ere I press this more particularly let me exhort you to endeavour as much as in you lies to keep your Souls in such a frame as is fit for the holy Spirit to work upon an humble meek and ductile frame of spirit the best frame will not enable to mortifie any sin but when the Lord finds the Soul in a good frame he works suitably upon it Psalm 27.14 but when there 's nothing to work upon or when the heart is like clamp Tinder either heavenly sparks are withheld or they die out And when the Spirit does his part then be true to yours when thou art conflicting with sin and the Spirit comes in and takes thy part against it happy thou if thou can improve it But Oh sin not away such blessed assistance may be thou sinds not much of it at first for he uses to try us with a little ere he trust us with much and as we refuse or close in with his first offers so does he deny or afford us further assistance he gives a little to make way for more Now the prejudiced Soul discerning that such a motion is levelled at its beloved lust which is its life and foreseeing the difficulty and pain of Mortification does reject the motion and refuse this assistance Even as some wretches says one mar their conceptions to prevent the pain and inconveniencies of Child-bearing But O do not hold out these Messengers nor murther these Births of the Spirit that would assist thee in the killing and mortifying of thy sin Oh hide not and plead not for thine Enemy when the Spirit comes to avenge thee on it for all the injuries it has done thee go not forth against it in thy own strength nor yet refuse to follow him when he gives the Alarm or the Signal for Battel hastily buckle on thy Armour and thou shalt prevail but if any Temptation meet thee all alone thou art weak as water or hadst thou been as strong as Sampson if thy locks be shaven and
the Spirit be gone thou wilt be as other men any Cords will now bind thee Satan will put out thy eyes and make thee grind in his Mill. But more particularly I told you The Spirits first work in reference to the mortification of any Sin was a particular conviction of it therefore thy first care must be to welcom and entertain Convictions of Sin Take heed of holding out or smuthering divine Light none so hardned in sin as such who have opposed most the Spirit 's Light there is more hope of a man that hath only Natural light than of him that hath opposed much Divine light and in such oft-times God puts out Natural light when Men refuse the greater light the Lord blows out the lesser If they will not see with the Sun he often blows out their Candle the Gospel Maranatha extinguishes it Hence some that have been once enlightned turn prodigiously prophane and Sin is never so secure nor strong than where it has repelled and out-striven most Convictions And alas Is not the godly mans faint assent to and compliance with the Spirit 's light when convincing of sin in them the reason of many a disconsolate hour for when Satan comes to question our state and the truth of our Grace we run to a tryal with it and often can find nothing to repel Satans allegations with we can see nothing but sins set in order before us these stare us in the face especially our injurious dealing with the holy Spirit of God And is it any wonder that when we comply not with the Spirit 's light discovering sin in us that he deny light to let us see Grace in us and without his light we cannot make a clear and comfortable judgment of our state If we comply not with his Convincing and reproving Light we shall not have his comforting Light and it 's upon this account that many poor Souls under trouble and exercise are not able to discern any gracious fruits of the Spirit in themselves but their eyes are held poring upon the fruits of the flesh upon those sins especially whereby they have grieved the Spirit when the Spirit says to the Soul as Reuben did to his Brethren in their strait Spake I not unto you c You are now in trouble and under terrors But did not I tell you did not I admonish you the Spirit helps our spirits to repeat the good motions and the charming-Arguments that we repelled and be sure Satan will not fail to act his part at such a time Oh say not to the Clouds Drop not and to the Winds Blow not and to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecy not and to the Spirit Convince not Reprove not For the Spirit not only admonishes men of sin but argues with them as the word imports John 16.8 But some other listen not or else endeavour to answer the Spirit 's arguments or to oppose carnal Reasons to them But if thou would through the Spirit mortifie any sin cast open thy doors and windows to the Spirit 's Light the Spirit often darts in Beams of Tormenting light whether men will or not but he does not mortifie sin whether men will or not Oh be thankful for heavenly Light put thy finger now upon thy sin and hold it there may be thou hast formerly known such a thing to be a sin but now thou hast an opportunity to know the exceeding sinfulness of it And truly the Spirit 's light does leave that impression of the sinfulness of sin as the first effect of it which if lost once is not easily recovered again And if this impression upon the Mind be lost or lessened it will be so with any effect left or impression the Spirit made upon the heart or affections or any further endeavours to mortifie sin 2. Comply with the Spirit of God when he begins to affect the heart with godly sorrow for sin Zach. 12.10 The first kindly effect of a thorow Conviction and of a right sight of the sinfulness of sin is sorrow the Conviction of the Righteousness of God and of the guilt of Sin breeds fear the Convictions of the holiness of God and of the ugliness of sin breeds a holy shame the Convictions of the graciousness of God in Christ and of the injuriousness of sin to the grace of God in Christ breeds godly sorrow according to that passage Zach. 12.10 11 where this sorrow is mentioned as the first eminent and sensible fruit of the pouring out of the Spirit Oh beware you lose not that first Impression that a thorough sight of sin makes all thy smiting and hammering upon thy heart will not recover it And according to your measure of this so may you judg what measure of the Spirit you have you who are whole and unbroken you have none of the Spirit and it 's a sign the body of death is whole and found I do not mean you who may be cannot mourn deep sorrow sometimes causes deep thoughts of heart when less sorrow will have more tears therefore look you miss not this proper and kindly effect of right Convictions let not the Spirit 's work stop here Some leap over this step they are moved by some Convincing work of the Spirit 's to forsake and relinquish sin but sin cannot be mortified till the heart be imbittered against it the Spirit affects the heart with a fense of sins accession to Christs death and puts the Soul to seek a Revenge and nothing but the death of sin will satisfie it Oh cherish godly sorrow if you would morifie sin think it not a legal frame when the Spirit moves thee to go alone and makes Company and business burthensom to thee and begins to melt thy heart take hold of the opportunity thou knows not the meaning of the Spirit when there is some sorrow seeking a vent fall thou to pump it out yet think not that tears will drown sin they sometimes feed it and make it more fruitful but where they flow from a broken heart they tend to the death of Sin 3. When the Spirit moves thy heart against Sin and excites hatred distaste and indignation against sin and stirs up thy anger against it blow upon the Coal Some let not the Sun go down upon their anger at it such are not true to the Spirit of God his Controversie with sin is like that with Amaleck for ever When the Spirit is lusting against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit joyn thou with the Spirit Now thou hast an advantage against sin which if thou improve may tend more to the death of sin than many months or years of thy single endeavours or fruitless formal Complaints Pursue the advantage thou hast and press hard upon sin If the new Nature in thee cannot bear sin and when its weak and the Spirit comes into its assistance how glad should thou be and how welcom should this aid be when the Spirit discovers sin excites the
he be displeased with the acts and stirrings of sin yet not with the root of them If he can restrain the acts he could let the body of sin dwell contentedly in him But it 's far otherwise with the godly for as sin opposes every gracious act so Grace opposes every known sin yea and does secretly though not so sensibly resist every sin whether known to us to be such or not Grace in the heart feels that to be sin and contrary to its nature which knowledg in the head does not discern to be sin the Law written in the Heart goes farther than what 's in the Head as eating of what one has antipathy against will cause trouble though the man knows not of it but more if he does 4. As the Natural man is not uniform in opposing all sins so he is not even as to all times he seldom or never pursues sin but when God or his Conscience are pursuing him and he is never so eager in his opposition to sin but he will admit of a treaty with it and is easily induced to grant a cessation of Arms he is content to hear what can be offered to reconcile such a thing to the Law of God and for shewing the consistency of it with peace of Conscience here and with the hope of glory at least with his interest and honour in this World the new man is deaf to any motion of a parley and stands out to the last and fights upon his knees and is sometimes overcome but never treats nor yields the Natural man opposes sin as a flowing Tide does a Vessel going down a River but straightway the Tide turns and helps the Vessel But the Conflict in the renewed man is like that between fire and water there 's no yielding nor cessation of Arms till the one be overcome nay not then True the Believer often intermits vigorous opposition to sin and may lose more ground in an hour than he can regain in many days yet Grace never gives over entring its dissent and protestations nor intermits all opposition to sin even when its worsted 5. The unrenewed man never strives lawfully against sin he goes forth against it in his own strength not in the name and strength of the Lord 1 Sam. 17.45 46 He seeks not to engage the Spirits assistance he considers or knows little the strength of spiritual Adversaries and hence is easily overcome 6. In Natural men the conflict is between the Conscience and the depraved Will or corrupt Passions which is like a foreign War but in the renewed it 's like an Intestine War as one calls it the renewed Conscience against the unrenewed the renewed Will and Affections against the unrenewed There 's a Will and a Will-not in a Believer hence the Notion of a double person Rom. 7.15 19 20 there 's no such division in others they may do what Conscience approves not but cannot say that they would not the godly hate the evil they do and love the good they do not whereas the Natural man does hate the good the spirituality of it he does and loves the evil which he does not and may be dare not do In Natural men there 's some sparks of light in the Conscience but there 's no sanctified light in it the Will and Affections are totally corrupted so that there 's nothing in them as a principle to set them against themselves but in the renewed man there 's flesh and spirit in every faculty so that the fight is more close and in every gracious and in every sinful work they both put forth themselves and as the flesh weakens the acts of the Spirit so the opposition the Spirit makes weakens the acts of sin in the Believer for division weakens and so a Believer never sins with all his heart as other men do the renewed part never gives over all resistance And it 's upon this account 1. That the sins of Believers are not so great as the sins of others It 's true Gods electing Love Redemption and Regeneration lay special Bonds upon the Believer which highly heightens sin and adds many degrees of guiltiness to it But if we look to the principle of sin and whence it immediately proceeds the unregenerate mans sin is greatest for it is with all his heart there 's not a bit of the man that be-friends Christ there 's nothing in such of you that holds with him As for what opposition the Conscience makes it is not with your will if there be any made at all it 's grievous but no pleasure to you so that you seek out shifts and means either to stifle it or bribe it or bring it over to be for that which the will and affections are for Some think the Believers sins are more heinous because against more Light indeed this were a good Argument if the Mind were the only principle of our actions and not the will or elective faculty But let none abuse this for truly sin is so dreadful in both that it 's not easie to tell in whom its worse Hence 2. We see the reason why the Believer hath not so much pleasure in Sin as others have having two parties in him whatever pleases the one displeases the other the natural man having but one is more pleas'd at heart with sinful objects the opposition the Conscience makes hinders not but that he deliberately chuse and delightfully act it and obstinately persist in it The Believer is sometimes tasting of the forbidden fruit but Grace marreth the result of it and the more he finds he is pleased with it the worse he is pleased with himself 7. The Natural mans opposition does not any way break the power of Sin nor does continue till the man get up again if he fall he lies still whereas the Spirit in the Believer ceases not to strive till he be got to his feet again Sin was painful to him in the going down but it s more bitter in his belly and he resteth not till he hath vomited it up again the Conscience will cease to strive but grace never yea the godly man often rises by his falling he grows more humble and watchful and dependent the grief which sin breeds consumes the Sin that bred it Whereas the natural man when he overcomes he is overcome he grows proud and conceited the seeming mortification of one Sin does vivifie or give life and strength to another 8. The Natural mans opposition tends only to restrain or keep in Sin not to mortifie it if Sin will be quiet and peaceable he can let it live the Believer seeks the death of it the extirpation and abolition of it If you ask how we shall know when a Sin is mortified and when restrained only or what 's the difference between restraining and mortifying a Corruption Answer 1. When any Corruption is mortified one is thereby advantaged against all other Corruptions for the killing of one member or any branch of Original Sin does weaken
us to an Answer to that great Question How it comes that the godly are so strangely intangled in sin after so many Promises to God and purposes against Sin They decree the death of Sin but it is not established Here the matter lies they take not in the Spirit 's assistance in their promises and purposes nor in their endeavours to answer their promises there 's some tang of self-sufficiency that marrs all such vain brags as Peters are Cords that are easily broken and his opinion of self-ability discovered it self by his supposition Though all men should deny thee He might well have said Lord I would deny thee though all men should But he speaks as if there were some peculiar Ability in him to resist Temptations and his purpose was like Sampson's green wit hs such suppositions are hazardous and suspicious though useful if managed with humility It 's a great mysterie says one to purpose so as yet to believe we can do nothing and also to believe that Christs strength is as effectual for mortifying such a lust as if it were our own And I add 3. To endeavour as industriously as if we could do all alone and indeed it 's through ignorance or neglect in all these that our purposes miscarry Pride hinders the first Unbelief the second and Sloth the third There are other reasons also therefore let me ask you 2dly Do you think that Purposes or Promises yea or Vows can break the inclination to sin of themselves or break the cursed union that 's between the heart and Sin They are ordinarily the effects of strong Convictions which do alway disingage the heart and affections to sin and when these are not loosed from Sin no bonds will be strong enough I have formerly shewn you that Convictions may make a man purpose yea and pray also against Sin when the heart and affections may secretly dissent and desire that God should not hear and if the affections seem at any time to conspire with an enlightned Judgment against Sin yet they are exceeding mutable and unfixed and when they are low or rather byassed the other way no wonder our purposes be ineffectual 3. They sometimes miscarry by reason of some sinistrous ends may be you are ashamed of your passions or you are affraid your corruptions should make some eruption to your disgrace and infamy or you intend to bottom your hopes upon the grave of such a lust or you design freedom from such an impetuous lust rather for your own ease and quiet than out of love to holiness or hatred to sin And some resolve and engage against sin only to shift and for the time put by a present challenge for what is done without any more of it or to be an excuse for letting a good frame of spirit go or at least to ease the mind as if ingaging were performing But it may be some have such experience of the treachery of their hearts that having purposed so often and yet failed they think it in vain for them to take up new resolutions yea having broken their promises that they made to abstain from such a sin they think it better to promise no more and come under no more engagements against sin Answ 1. It is not Arbitrary to us to bind our selves against sin we are obliged to fortifie our selves against it as strongly as we can and to fortifie our resolutions by promises to and Covenants with God against sin And sure such as do not so are more easily prevailed against and are sooner intangled If many Cords bind you not the one of a simple resolution will not but may be two or three will when one will not If you purpose to mortifie sin be sincere why will you not corroborate it but here appears the treachery of our hearts we will certainly sin think we And since it must be we indeavour that it be as little trouble to us as may be that our sin may want those aggravations which make it biting and stinging to our Consciences Finally I doubt the Lord letteth the man fall that will not engage because his refusal saith as much as he trusted not God for his assistance to perform or keep his engagements But is not sin after special engagements against it more heinous than if there had been none Answ 1. He is more accessary to his own sin in not using all Gods ways for preventing it and he sins more unexcusably in omitting that which was in his power to do as on the other hand the man that performs his engagements to God is more acceptable to him than he that simply forbears sin inasmuch as it manifests a greater abhorrence of sin and manifests a regard to a double Command viz. of abstinence from such a sin and of keeping our promise or vow to God the simple forbearance of sin is a compliance with a single Command and doth not manifest so much of the mans aversion to sin If any ask then how shall we purpose and ingage against sin so as we may be disintangled of it and effectually get it mortified Answ 1. Be sure you be sincere in them 2. Be sure your affections concur with your judgment else they will intangle you yet 3. See that you be also deliberate and that your resolutions and engagements against such a lust be not only from the present heat of affections 4. Strive to keep such a frame as you had when you engaged that awe of God and that hatred of sin you then had and be often thinking on your engagements humbling your selves for the least breaches of them 5. Take in the Spirit 's assistance in your purposes and endeavours 6. If one engagement bind not strongly enough we must renew and multiply them If one knot hold not says one we must cast more that we may never want some bond over our head And whereas our breaches aggravate our sin we must bring the aggravations together with the rest of our sins to Jesus Christ for pardon and maintain our peace says he rather by repeated acts of Faith and Repentance and by often washing our selves from the filth of these sins than by pleading no breach at all and see that you suffer not the guilt of the smallest breach to lye for any while unrepented of lest it make way for more and greater breaches Thus you see how a poor creature may keep up his hope of eternal life and assurance of interest in God when he is under convictions of many breaches with God and great short-coming in mortification I add another Consideration to this know that our engagements against sin do not tye us to be altogether without sin though the holy law of God doth such purposes and engagements were foolish and impossible but they oblige us honestly and sincerely to wrestle with and oppose sin we cannot oblige our selves to overcome it but to use the means which are in our power against it and to leave nothing unessayed that we think
out but smothers or blows it out What disorders have mens lusts filled the World with see some hint of Nature Rom. 3.13 14 15 16. It 's not the outward man he intends only but especially the power of mens lusts and the inward readiness of the mind to all ill The thousand part of what is plotted there breaks not forth for one man can contrive more wickedness than all the World can Act. See some account of mans inward wickedness Gen. 6.5 Evil only evil continually evil Mens lusts are insatiable such as have the greatest opportunities and advantages for satisfying them do but encrease them and this is mens sin and plague both and issues into mens ruine and the less men know or feel this the greater their misery so that Sinners heaven is indeed a part of Hell in them for their lusts even now do torment them and all their relief is in their various sinful Objects which feed their lusts and encreases their misery Now Mortification only can cure this true some are naturally of a sedate temper and not subject to such perturbations and enormities as others But there may be more dirt and mud at the bottom says one where there be fewest Waves and a River may run with great strength when yet it runs smoothly and without noise Some are ingeniously educated which may a little polish the outward and inward man both but refining of lusts is not mortifying them there 's no recovery from our misery and servitude and disorders through our Corruptions but by the putting off the old man and mortification of the body and its deeds Let this then be a second Consideration which shews the necessity of it viz. That it 's the cure of our sin and misery which lies in the frame and actings of corrupt Nature If any say That those who set themselves to mortifie sin do but raise tumults and disorders in the Soul who has less inward quiet than Paul Rom. 7. Some that are well Educated and of good natural Tempers seem to have the better of many who pretend to Mortification I Answer 1. The peace of unmortified Souls is much like that in Hell among the Devils they are all combined against God and are not divided amongst themselves If this sort of peace please you you may have your fill of it in Hell 2. Other mens peace proceeds from their 〈◊〉 of servitude rather than to endure the trouble of a Conquest-World If the Believer give the Tyrant Sin it's will he should have peace with it but he chuses the trouble of a constant War with it rather than to War with God and his Conscience Sin Reigns over others and keeps all quiet but Grace Reigns in the Saint and Sin rebels and breeds some disturbance but never is able to ruine and dissolve the Government of Grace 3. It is indeed no trouble to the godly man to oppose sin for he does it with delight he has peace with God and joy in his heart when he is in the midst of his Conflict with sin and the more vigorously he opposes sin the greater is his peace he is heartned and animated when he remembers what he contends for and when he thinks on his Assistants And more when he feels strength renewed he is put on frequent acting of Faith and there is some inward pleasure in every act of Faith yea and when sin is too strong for him he is drawn forth in Acts of godly sorrow wherein the Believer has a real pleasure the trouble of others for sin is but the beginning of sorrow and of the same kind with that which is in Hell therefore they would fain flee from them but sorrow for sin is the bitterest fruit of these Conflicts yet it is mingled with Joy Outward Joys have a sting and a wound in them and the mortified man is uneasie under them But godly sorrow has a sweetness in it therefore the Believer by all means seeks to cherish it Finally Every advantage he gets against sin raises his heart and the hope yea the assurance he has of a final Conquest does so far animate him that he can antidate Praises and sing a Triumph in the sight of Victory Rom. 7.25 He finds may be some strong Lust so rooted in his natural Temper which one well resembles to the mire without which the Rush cannot grow which has often prevailed and to the acting of which his own heart prompts him and Satan also solicites him yet when he looks to Christ to his strength and grace and redemption from the guilt and power of sin Rom. 7.25 and to the sure word of Promise Rom. 6.14 he is heartned to oppose it May be some will further say that many who pretend to Interest in Christ and to have the Spirit are yet proud vain passionate envious unpeaceable revengeful How then does Mortification cure the distempers of our Nature Answer If any who pretend to have the Spirit be such the more shame to them these are unlike to the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 But many lay claim to that which they have no right to and by reason of such is the way of God evil spoken of What has given so much occasion to men to Preach and Print That Nonconformists are the worst Parents Masters Mistresses Wives Neighbours c. If there be such or if any pretend to the Spirit who do not thereby mortifie c. Let us rather question or deny their Religion than that Grace or the Spirit does not mortifie sin 2. Some need more Grace to mortifie sin than others Some have as much as others yet not enough if I may say so for themselves Some have a harder task than others in mortifying the deeds of the Body Sin has greater advantages in some than in others some are under worse circumstances than others such as raises and draws forth their corruptions 1 Sam. 1.6 Her Adversary provoked her sore for to make her fret Some have fewel daily laid in for their Corruptions and it may be want of this that makes others corruptions look as if dead as Fire wanting fewel and when under ashes looks as if it were gone out So it may be ordered for the tryal and humiliation of some What Saint almost seems more impatient than Job yet who more mortified than he Finally there is in every Believer a spiritual principle that is working towards the death of all sin But for the expediting the matter our utmost diligence is necessary 2 Pet. 1.5 Sin is at first really wounded but not at once killed and when we pursue not our advantage against it it recovers some strength and rages and is exasperated more than where it was never touched 3. Let us consider that it was our Lords Errand into the World to destroy sin which is the work of the Devil it was sin that crucified and killed him and it ought not to live in us but by his Death he slew and vanquished sin and by the vertue
of Love and this kills the love of sin which is the life of it But this the Spirit does more especially by exciting Acts of Faith which do in a peculiar way destroy sin Acts 15.9 We can never advance holiness nor ruine sin by meer multiplying of Duties Indeed we are said to be purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 18.2 But the Apostle means thereby believing as appears from ver 21 which is called the obedience of faith Rom. 1.2 Hence the unbelieving and the defiled are the same Tit. 1.15 But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Now Faith does expel sin not only as it is a part of the Image of God renewed in us for such the habit of Faith is though indeed in its actings it answers not to any divine Perfection at least as it imports trust confidence and dependance on another and a part of our inherent holiness Nor only as it excites and brings into exercise other graces that tend to the mortification of sin in us But 1. And especially as it is the Mean whereby the Spirit unites us to Christ and which receives and applies the bloud of Christ whereby we are cleansed from sin it 's called a cleaving to the Lord Deut. 4.4 Acts 11.23 which infers a separation from sin and if the woman by a touch of Christ did fetch Vertue from him for drying up her issue of Bloud how much more shall the Soul derive Virtue from him to heal its plague by a constant cleaving and sticking to him by Faith it keeps the Soul near the Fountain that washes away sin it lays sin close under the stroke of him who came to destroy sin and to save from it 2. The Spirit does by drawing forth the exercise of Faith let into the Soul the efficacy of those means that are subordinated to the blood of Christ and have their efficacy from it for the taking away of sin As 1. There is the Word hereby we are made clean John 15.3 and sanctified John 17.17 and healed Psal 107.20 It is the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 whereby the Spirit wounds and kills sin It 's quick and discerning in finding out of sin Heb. 4.12 and powerful for preventing sin and rescuing from it The Spirit brings the Word seasonably to our remembrance and also puts life in it The Spirit brings the Command with Authority upon the Soul when the Commands and Prohibitions of the Word come in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit they come with power 1 Cor. 2.4 When the Commandment comes as to Paul Rom. 7. sense of sin may live but sin is really wounded he that is the father of sin could not withstand Christs Word for it was with power Luke 4.32 None despise the Word but such as never felt this Power 2. The Spirit puts an edg on the Threatnings they are Corrosives to sin when the Spirit fastens such a Word as this If ye live after the flesh ye shall die it 's as a Nail driven into the Temples of sin Better that sin die than I die says the Soul 3. The Spirit makes the promises of the Word effectual to work out sin 2 Cor. 7.1 Who would not zealously oppofe sin and throw it away that he may be interested in such precious promises or who that knows his interest in these promises would not study the greatest possible freedom from sin who that knows that God is his God and Father and will dwell and walk with him 2 Cor. 6.16 17. will beg or borrow from Satan or the World or think to better his Condition by the honours profits or pleasures of sin Who that knows that he is the temple of God will prophane himself with Idols and who that knows he is the member of Christ will make himself the member of a harlot and who that has the hope of eternal life would not purifie himself 1 John 3.3 Now it 's by exciting Faith that the Spirit makes either the Commands or Threatnings or Promises of the word available to the furtherance of Mortification 3. The Spirit renders these Ordinances we call Sacraments effectual for the mortification of sin 1. For Baptism It 's not only the sign of our dedication to Father Son and Spirit but it 's a sign of our fellowship with Christ in his death Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ver 4 therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death ver 6 Knowing that our old man is crucified with him c. ver 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin ver 11 Reckon c. Now it 's the baptism of the Spirit that effecteth this John 1.33 Acts 1.4 and this John calls Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3.11 probably alluding to the live coal which the Seraphim took from the Altar and wherewith he touched the Prophets lips saying Lo thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged Isa 6.6 7. Now it 's by Faith that the efficacy of this Ordinance is taken in sometimes at the time of the Administration of it sometimes afterward what Faith Infants have I shall not debate I see not why some sort of actual Faith may not be admitted in them and why a supernatural instinct may not carry them forth to Christ as well as a natural instinct prompts them to seek the Mothers breast John Baptist leaping in his Mothers womb at the salutation of Mary c. does seem to confirm this Luke 1.41 which did not proceed meerly from the Mothers joy as appears from her words being filled with the holy Ghost in ver 44. For lo as soon the Babe leaped in my womb for joy and though there may be something extraordinary in it yet it plainly says that Infants are capable of some spiritual Acts as well as of natural so 2. For the Lords Supper The bread we break and the cup of blessing is it not the communion of the body and blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 therein we have fellowship with him in his sufferings and all our Communion with Christ is through the Spirit 2 Cor. 13.14 Hence now there is required in such as partake of this a more especial separation from sin for we cannot drink of the cup of the Lord c. that may be said of other Sins as well as Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.21 And the abuse of this Ordinance we see in a special manner punished 1 Cor. 11.30 Sometimes Satan goes down with a Sop and it feeds sin but when Christ is indeed received by Faith the evil Spirit goes out and there comes in a new recruit of power to expel sin 4. The Spirit sanctifies Providences and renders them of use to the mortification of sin as for instance The observation of Gods severity upon others more especially our own afflictions they are Gods Furnace
they cry Crucifie him and spit in his face The mortified man is peremptorily about nothing here he trembles at such a word as give me children ere then I die nay Children or no Children Riches or no Riches that 's well or when one loves rejoyces weeps as if not c. 2. The heart goes slowly and faintly out after Creatures if any thing work upon the mortified man it affects him not much Acts 20.24 Peter will not have the Saints burning quick strange to them 1 Pet. 4.12 Psalm 131.2 as a weaned Child Grace makes the heart move leisurely to all things beneath God A mortified man is as a Sea that hath no winds that ebbs not and flows not Psalm 62.2 He only is my Rock I shall not be greatly moved The mortified man sings and is not light and weeps and is not sad is zealous in Gods cause and yet composed in spirit he is not so eager on any thing but he can quit it for God Ah! few can act but they over-act There 's often in young Converts too great and fervent out-goings of the Soul even after spiritual created Comsorts this is some way childish Mortification is a gracious well-composed grave temper of Soul as for God the man weeps as if he weeped c. the Soul goes forth in its full strength 3. The actings of the mortified man in reference to the Creatures are in some sense no actings rejoycing c. is as no rejoycing things here are but shadows and pictures of being God only is therefore our affections should be but affections Psalm 35.12 They speak mischievous things ver 13 But I as a deaf man heard not Psalm 39.9 I was dumb c. Eccl. 2.8 he cannot find in his heart to sing and dance at shadows Grace longs at nothing it shouts admires wonders at nothing it weeps also at nothing The mortified man he is dead he is crucified with Christ pleasant sights and sounds work not upon him Now for you in whom sin lives and reigns we have but heavy tidings to tell you The Text layes a heavy burthen upon you if it was the Gospel that Paul preached this Gospel condemns you you are dead while alive your right-eye that you will not pluck out and your right-hand that you will not cut off shall be the chief seat of your pain there shall the fire begin and never cease burning and these shall be as fewel to burn the whole body Out of these shall the worm that never dies grow And for you Christians that are slack and negligent and not strenuous and successful in this work of Mortification you mar your own mercies it 's this that renders you uncapable of Divine Comforts and it 's this that multiplies your sorrows you may be first in profession in knowledg and gifts in doing of works of holiness and righteousness and first and chief in sufferings for the Gospel and yet be last in Gods reckoning and least in the Kingdom of heaven above thou mayst with much difficulty get through the Needles-eye and through the strait-gate but thou losest thy hundredfold here and for any thing thou knowest puts everlasting life to a venture you mar and blur this great evidence for Heaven in the Text you cannot read your name in the Promise If sin be not your death yet it blackens lames cripples and wounds you and keeps you weak and your Soul always a bleeding any unmortified sin marrs your freedom with God it 's like a weight upon the Soul that thou cannot run thy Race Heb. 12.1 2. Or it 's like a thorn in the foot it 's like a Wound in the working-hand it leaves a print upon every Duty any unmortified lust brings on deadness and formality and Duties are rather Ornaments than meat and drink to the man Or upon the bearing shoulder It is hence that some real Christians bear afflictions with more trouble and impatience than some others afflictions wound our Idols and these are as pieces of our selves they are like Davids forked arrows stuck into our right-hand or right-eye we have a quick sense of these God would have us pluck out the eye and let all go or cut off the arm and we should not feel the arrow but we pluck at the arrow and tear our flesh What is it but our loathness to let our Idols go that makes affliction bitter It 's not poverty or want of Estates Trading Relations that in themselves afflict for we see many contentedly want these but it 's our unmortified corruptions our inordinate love and desire of these this in less or more is common to some godly with others 2. The holy Lord doth by afflictions often bring forth mens secret unmortified lusts and writes them on their foreheads Ezek. 16.36 37. Sometimes by the kind of their afflictions sometimes by their carriage under it But 3. There is besides this in the Believer a quicker sense and apprehension of Gods anger than in others and this makes afflictions sit the sorer to them Hence comes such Complaints as Lam. 3.1 This by-standers do not consider but observing their trouble think it comes from the same cause that the trouble of others proceeds from Ah! it s our short-comings in Mortification that makes men confound us with others that darkens our difference from the World in every state of life we are in If under wants we are perplexed and thoughtful as others if we abound we are vain and frothy and proud and supercilious as others This is the bane of many Professors for this the Name of God is spoke ill of for this the imputed Righteousness of Christ is reproached for this the Spirit in his in-dwelling and workings is reproached by the Rabsheka's of the time for this Free-grace and Gospel-faith are reviled did we not put this sword in our Enemies hand they should have no Weapon wherewith to fight against Truth or us this may indeed wound us though it wound not Truth Reproach hath broken my heart saith David it would not have done so had he not given occasion for it Our works does not justifie our Faith the fruits of the Spirit are not manifest as the fruits of the flesh are our deeds are not so different from others as our principles and profession are different from theirs Yet something I must say for the encouragement of such as are sensible of their defects and short-comings in Mortification 1. I must offer you Pauls Relief Rom. 7.25 for however successful he was yet the encouragement is such as may serve every Soul that does heartily fight the Battels of the Lord though not so successively the poor Believer is often crying out as Elisha's servant Master What shall we do But were our eyes open we should see more for us than against us the Father the Son and the Spirit are engaged too through this blessed Work ye have right to the same aid if ye will but use it that Christ had in his contest with and
ere they slay sin What severities have some used to themselves to save their sins What vast sums have some given to redeem the life of their sins This hath enriched the Popish and Prelatick Clergy more than ever their own or the Benefactors Piety or Zeal have done 2. There be some that seem to be grieved with the power of sin that are daily poring upon their sins but never are able to come out of them that are much in complaining of the power of sin but never able to mortifie sin Now here I shall shew 1. What it is that ordinarily hinders the mortification of sin 2. How it comes that convinced Souls that are often complaining of sin yet take up short of Mortification For the former let us consider 1. The frame and corrupt Habit of the mind of Man There 's in it Ignorance Atheism Inconsiderateness and Unbelief First There 's Ignorance the god of this world hath blinded men and then he makes them grind in his Mill. Sinners see no Enemy to fight with they see no harm in sin they feel no sting or poison in it and instead of crucifying it are apt to say Why what evil hath it done for sin is marvellously tame where it 's kindly used It 's Satans policy to teach men to call evil good and so to advance it and to call good evil and so to persecute it thus we see him carry on the mortification of Holiness 2. There 's Atheism whether there be any speculative Athesm I enter not upon I am apt to think that if there be a head-Atheism it proceeds from heart-Atheism But certain it is that when men have blotted out all sense of God upon their mind sense of sin must needs be gone too no doubt it 's from the prevalency of Atheism in these days that some have denied any real difference between good and evil did men live under the impressions of an infinitely holy just soveraign Majesty they durst not so affront his Law and Authority nor maintain his Enemies which he would have slain 3. There is Inconsiderateness Sinners do not count the cost and charges of sin they see not the hook the poison that is in it consider not what bitterness it will be in the latter end when they shall mourn at the last c. Prov. 5.12 Many suffer more for it even in this life than the godly does for holiness but the latter end of it is another thing Now what men have in Oblivion they consider not or look upon at a great distance To the godly man Judgment and Eternity are near therefore he deals with sin as he would do if he heard the last Trumpet or saw the great white Throne set and the Ancient of days sitting upon it c. 4. There 's Unbelief did men believe what evil were in sin what it is in its Nature and Effects and Consequents their hearts would rise with indignation against it they would seek to extinguish their lusts and passions as men do fire when it breaks out in their houses Now the remainders of these are in the Regenerate 2. There is the engagedness of the heart and affections to sin the heart is the chief seat and strength of sin There 's a heart-union between a Sinner and his Idols such as resembles that between a Man and his Wife hence mens Idols are called their Lovers and the back-sliding of Professors is called Adultery and Whoredom hence instead of killing their lusts they love them and cherish them as their own flesh To mortifie sin were to mortifie themselves Will a man slay the wife of his Bosom the desire of his Eyes or thrust through his intimate Friend Sin is as meat and drink to them they drink it as the Ox does water It 's as Air to breathe in it 's as spirits and blood to them Kill me says the Sinner and restrain me from this or that when we speak against sin men take it as if we spake against themselves when we cry out against sin it 's to them as if we were reproaching them where the eyes are full of sin a man cannot cease to sin much less when the heart is full of it love does strongly unite the heart to it there 's a League a Covenant of friendship between the heart and sin Now sin may in a sort keep true to the man for a time viz. while it is conceiving and growing but when it is perfected it brings forth death When one as Ephraim is joyned to Idols there is little hope of him 3. There is the strength of sin our Natures are leavened with sin not coloured with it But sin is like blood and spirits as is said and as we grow up sin encreases and grows up till at length we be wholly inslaved to it Sin is a great King Pride and Covetousness and Sensuality are its three great Princes each of them have millions of slaves How many Kings and Princes are but Lacqueys to the lust of the Eye or the Flesh or to the pride of Life The greatest Conquerors of the World have been in bondage to these such as affected the utmost soveraignty over men have been absolute slaves to their lusts O the violence of mens lusts and passions It 's a hard task to vanquish those usurping Tyrants especially where they have had long possession such are too hard for a man to mortifie the more strength and the longer possession any sin has had the more difficulty to overcome it 4. This proceeds from the deceitfulness of sin and Satan he often paints Sin in the colour of Virtue and it escapes free and he blackens Holiness and we strike at it and seek to mortifie it Or sometimes when we are angry at sin it sneaks away and couches in some corner and when our anger is over and the strength of the Conviction which bred it worn off sin comes forth again and its peace is made there 's no more of it yea such is the deceitfulness of sin that it can advance it self by the want of tempting-Objects as well as by the abounding of them Hence as the richer and higher some grow Pride and Avarice grows So the poorer and the more despised some grow the more Pride as appears in Achitophels case and Covetousness encrease So Lust oft-times grows most where there be fewest temptations to blow it up It takes life upon the withdrawing of the Object as the blasting or absence of mens Idols often encreases their Idolatry with the memory of them the want of the Object does feed Lust more than the having of it as appears in Ammons waxing lean day by day for love of his sister and aftewards how did he hate her O the depths of Satan and the cunning of Sin how many policies does it use to preserve it self it promises so fair and smiles so upon a man that he cannot find in his heart to slay it 5. That which also hinders the mortification of it is the
which yet they thought curable by moral Habits but they never saw it as sin nor in its deadly damning Nature Nay nor did ever any common work of the Spirit give such a discovery of it as is necessary to the mortification of it the Hypocrite sees no more of it than what he thinks some common work sufficient to cure Hence it is that all such as advance Nature are depressers of Grace and that such as extenuate original Corruption make no great business of Conversion And e contra hence it is also that we find not a Hypocrite in all the Scripture complaining of this original Corruption as we find Paul and David doing Rom. 7 and Psalm 51. Now in order to this sight of Sin 1. Thou must be much in the study and observation of thine own heart and of the secret motions of sin there they are strangers to their own hearts who may not find every sin there even such as they never heard named or as the gracious heart complies with such Duties as may be it never heard to be such so does the corrupt heart encline to such sins as are not to be named or upon the mention of every sin there 's some inward stirring to it especially if it be plausibly spoke of 2. Study the spirituality of the Law there thou mayst see the holiness of God which will not admit of the Ieast motion to Sin and there also thou mayst read thine own Impurity and sinful Impotency 3. Seek the Spirits light it 's the Spirits work to discover Sin let it be thy Souls desire that he would open some door or window and let thee see more inward greater and greater Abominations and what is doing in the secret Chambers of the Imagery of thy heart and when thou hast discovered the depths of Sin and the exceeding sinfulness of in-dwelling sin sit down and bewail thy felf and mourn over it And alas two months will not sufficiently bewail it Judg. 11.37 Thy seventy or fourscore years are too few for thee to go up and down the Mountains with thy Companions Now godly sorrows break the heart of Sin tears that are squeezed and wrung from a man and that come only from some inward Compunction and pricking of the heart may fortifie and feed Sin but when they are the juice of a broken heart or flow from a contrite heart that is melted down by the heavenly warmth of Divine love they stifle and extinguish Sin Sin can dwell with fear and horror for these are the native fruits and products of it and when Sin shall be perfected in Hell so shall these but it cannot bear with godly sorrow nor can this sorrow tolerate it or it strikes at the root and fundamental evil of Sin 2. Cherish Grace in the heart the two inward principles of Grace and Sin work upon one another as Fire and Water Sin is like a strong malignant humour in the Body Now the way to expel it is to corroborate and help Nature in its operations as the New man grows up he wears off the Old out of doors Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and be cloathed with humility love long-suffering mercy and brotherly-kindness and pride anger wrath malice will vanish away See Col. 3.5 6 7 8 10 12 13 as Light comes in Darkness goes out Bend a crooked stick streight and its crookedness is gone Grace and Sin are alway acting against other and no Conflict can be long in equal terms either Grace or indwelling Sin is upon the growing hand Vivification and Mortification the two parts of Sanctification do advance equally 3. Observe and trace every Sin and run it up to the heart from whence it had its rise then drag your heart before the Lord and cry Lord here 's the Atheist the Unbeliever the Murmurer the injurious person here 's the Rebel and the disobedient person The poor Believer even many times would tear his heart in pieces and is ready to say Except I had a better heart I would I had none had I only drunk Poison I might be pitied but when the poison of Asps is in my Nature I deserve to be abhorred did I hide the Lords Enemy in my house only I were a Traytor to him much more when I hide and nourish Sin in my heart Bring the body of death before Gods Tribunal and cry for Judgment against it and say Lord here 's thine and mine Enemy life for life and blood for blood 4. If thou wouldst mortifie Original Sin thou must be sure to mortifie Self for selfishness is the soul of Sin This is the great Idol that all others truckle under Mans first sin was self-exaltation and self-satisfaction and that depravation of our Nature which is the punishment of this first Sin does mostly appear in our self-willing self-loving self-seeking self-pleasing The Natural man beholds himself apprehends some excellency in himself believes himself loves himself pleases himself designs himself and that as his last end wherein he rests Hence the first step of our recovery to God is self denying self-abasing self-loathing self-annihilating and the lower self be the weaker is the body of Sin the more a man is emptied of self and dead to self the more he is filled with the fulness of God and alive to God When Christ is all and Grace is all the Old-man and indwelling Sin are at the lower ebb when self is nothing and Christ is all the mans light and life All to the Judgment heart and affections all the mans wisdom all his righteousness all his sanctification all his redemption and all his strength this stabs Sin at the heart Arminians and Jesuits no wonder they oppose the doctrine of Original Sin for their principles as they are the very issue of the body of Sin so they feed and cherish it Self-exaltation has begot their Tenets and they honour and advance Self as their Father 5. As Self is the soul of this body of Sin so Pride Worldliness and Voluptuousness are the chief members of it the lust of the eye and of the flesh and the pride of life are as it were the head and heart of the body of Sin a wound in these is deadly mortifie these radical lusts and you mortifie the body of Sin knock down pride and you dash out the brains of Sin Bring the flesh under a due subjection unto the Spirit so that it bear no sway nor act any thing against the Government and interest of Christ in the Soul and you wound the heart and stop the breath of this Body of Sin This leads us to a second Branch of the Text viz. To mortifie your most prevailing lusts your Idol-sins which your Condition Calling or circumstances do often expose you to And O what a hard task is this considering what the power of Sin is in some as I have formerly shewn what interest it has got in them in their judgment their heart and affections that it often engages them in
that these motions are conformable to the Law of God or subservient to any spiritual good What Armies of vain Imaginations that are unaccountable you know not how they come in nor how they go out infinite are the occasions that excite these You can see nor hear of nothing but habitual Corruption may some way stir yea you think of nothing whether existent or not but it excites some inordinate Motions hence they are called the Imaginations of the heart Gen. 6.8 The wandring of the desire Eccles 6.9 It 's true this is a further degree of sinful stirrings in the heart when it entertains wild Imaginations and pleaseth it self with idle Fancies that give rise to many sinful projects Indeed Nature it self teacheth this to be a sin and it 's an evidence of a discontented frame of spirit for ordinarily these phantastick rovings of heart respects some other persons Condition or something at least that we want the delight that accompanies these is enough to prove them sinful but it 's plainly something less than these that Paul speaks of Rom. 7 for it 's something he had not known to be sin but by the Law Now men by Natures light know that inordinate motions consented to though not acted yea or but delighted in are sinful But it 's the Scriptures-light only that convinces of the sin of these first stirrings in general and it 's the Spirit 's Saving-light that affects the heart with godly sorrow for them in particular For the second thing proposed viz. Why they abound so much with some more especially that they are exceeding frequent with all I think none that know themselves will deny and what swarms of them do mens busie-Minds and Imaginations bring forth How hard is it to bring every thought inconsistent with that Duty and love we owe to God and that we owe to Men into subiection It 's hard to expel them when they come in and much harder not to suffer them to come in such is the cunning and activity of sin such access has Satan to work upon us and so Leavened are our Imaginations and Minds with sin Yet in some they are more frequent than others the best groan under them but some are almost smothered with them to speak so and their grace almost suffocated with them Habitual Corruption is a fruitful Womb and this is livelier in some than in others and the same person is nearer God and in a livelier frame and has more inward serenity and composure of spirit at one time than another and so is like a City with Gates and Bars At other times a man is at greater distance from God and out of frame and then he is like a City broken down and without Walls and the heart is haunted with Satyrs and Owls When the heart is in an ill frame it is like damp Tinder to divine Motions but it 's like dry Tinder to every spark of a temptation that comes in by the senses or by roving Imagination yea it takes fire of its self and if it be not well watched would quickly come to a flame Indeed it 's no easie task to keep out these there is so many several passages they come in at and they can creep in at a small rent or hole therefore there 's need of the utmost watchfulness and diligence to keep them out and to knock them down when they come in For the third thing proposed viz. Some Considerations for pressing the mortification of these first stirrings of our Corruptions 1. I shall mention some Aggravations of the sin and sad consequences of these 2. I shall mention some advantages the Believer has by mortifying these For the first of these Consider 1. How frequently by these you incur the guilt of sin O the numberless multitude of these inordinate motions When are you free of them When is the body of death asleep not when you are asleep for waking and sleeping these inordinate motions are some way stirring and it were easie to prove every inordinate extravagant lustful covetous ambitious motion even when asleep and dreaming to be sinful and defiling and indeed what proves the first motions of sin when awake to be sinful does also prove them such when asleep and the more power a Christian when awake has over them the more holy he be the less is he troubled with these and it is manifest that they are the flowings out the bublings and springings up or emanations of our Original Corruption or the imperfect motions of vitious principles or habits for as Innocent dreams follow the sinless constitution of the body so sinful dreams follow the vitious constitution of the Soul which possibly a mans natural temper of body hath advantaged and so are gross outward acts of sin also which yet does not prove them to be no sins We cannot think that our Nature in the state of Innocency would have brought forth any such inordinate motions sleeping or waking so that the Apology some make for them as being Natural is naught they are in no other sense Natural nay nor necessary than the same motions when one is awake If any shall say they are from Satans injections which render us not culpable I Answer 1. This is the same with what the Quakers say of the first risings of Corruption when one is awake the contrary of which our Lord tells us Luke 6.45 And James tells us they are from a mans lust James 1.14 And truly I think we do often sinfully transfer our guilt over to Satan when there 's not sufficient ground for it no not so much as Eve had though her plea was not relievant Ordinarily we attribute horrid blasphemous or other abominable thoughts or Imaginations to him when we cannot apprehend how such or such a thought should arise in us so whatever we think unaccountable we lay at his door when indeed the height and depth of our Corruption is unmeasurable and its subtilty and activity and way of operating is unaccountable 2. It is not Satan that thinketh or willeth in us he may represent Objects but the acts are ours he can dart in a Temptation but it 's through our sin and Corruption that it takes fire in the least indeed such is now our Constitution that a temptation cannot enter but there is something within that complies with it and is excited by it and this is one great reason why we ought to pray not to be led into temptation were there no Corruption in us Satans temptations would be like little sparks of fire thrown into a Sea of water and indeed Satan would not be so busie with his Injections into our Minds when sleeping or waking did he not intend thereby to defile us with them and involve us into sin his design cannot be meerly to afflict men with them for they are no grief nor affliction to many that are yet filled with them It 's true the Saints grieve more and are more affected with them and humbled for them
more especially sometimes Temptations seize upon our Judgments and sometimes upon our Affections unawares and when they have tainted the Affections they have easie access to the Mind and need to be carefully watched Look to the first springs of Sin when we are asleep the Enemy is sowing tares and they quickly grow up Temptations do often suddenly assault and the thoughts and motions of the Heart are nimble they are swift and instantaneous a spark of fire does no sooner kindle Powder than a Temptation does excite some inordinate motion of the Heart If all the doors and windows of the Soul be not kept close there will be fiery dants flung in and some sparks of temptations will take fire and thou can never shut doors and windows so close but when thou hast done all thou hast need to watch Satan can espy a passage into thy heart that thou didst not think of he has a party and thou hast an Enemy within thee that will let him in If thou be asleep it may be indeed thy severity to indwelling sin will irritate it and provoke it to mutiny and so occasion greater confusion in thy Soul but dread not this nor ever look for good from thy indulgence and tenderness to thy corrupt lusts or affections their war is better than their peace suspect that inward quiet that comes from any favour to sin or connivance at it The Apostle tells us Rom. 7.8 That sin took occasion by the Commandment c. One great hinderance of Mortification is that sin is thought not so noisom as it is but when the Commandment comes when the Word beats down that conceit by exacting thorough Obedience upon the highest peril and laying bonds on the very thoughts this inrages Corruption and it grows more unruly It is not the proper effect of the Law to stir up sin more than the impetuous ' running of water is the proper effect of a Bank of Earth which was made to dam it up nor is it the proper effect of diligent endeavours for mortifying all inward motions to excite them and make them more tumultuous Sometimes strict watching of sin makes it more cunning sometimes it provokes an eruption of it and then the poor Believer is apt to think his case worse than before But was it worse with Paul Rom. 7 than formerly Indeed it 's hard to keep Corruption in close Prison and to marr all communication between Satan and it to suffer none to go out or come in But Watchfuln ss will do much thoughts will be stirring and affections will be stirring therefore it were our wisdom to ask them whence they come and whither they go if from Satan or from the flesh if from Heaven or from the Spirit and arrest what have an evil aspect or tendency or favour and do Justice upon them what are dubious keep them Prisoners till thou has further examined them for Satans messengers oft-times come disguised and with Christs Word in their mouths and the motions of sin are often mistaken for spiritual motions as the Porters stood continually at the door of the Temple to keep out the unclean of all sorts so must you do with all that defile or is like to defile if you be holy Temples to God to dwell in Yet for all that I have said of them a Believer must not be too much in examining of them so as to be taken off more profitable work nor indeed can we ever keep account of them they are so innumerable should we ever be pursuing and tracing them there should be room for no Duty else And finally because as they come suddenly so often they fly as swiftly away Now under this Head I would commend unto you a careful search into and intimate acquaintance with thy own heart that thou may know where thou art weakest and what advantages Satan has against thee What sin does most intirely beset thee which is the soft place of thy Soul which Satans darts do with most ease enter into What corrupt passions and affections are most easily kindled in thee And where thou sees the greatest danger keep the strongest watch and do not only keep at distance from such occasions and temptations as may most likely draw out thy Corruptions but keep thy very thoughts at the greatest distance from these suffer not thy self to think of them except it be to reproach them or to provoke greater abhorrence of them and this also must be prudentially managed 2. Endeavour to keep your hearts under a deep sense of the sinfulness of Sin even of these first motions a Natural man is not troubled for the sin of these or for the disconformity of them to any Law though he may for outward actings of sin because Natures light does not discover the sinfulness of them though it may be he may be angry at them as they molest him or tend to something that he abhors and here lies one difference between the truly godly and others yet we must grant that oft-times the godly think but too meanly of these and do not apprehend so much ill in them as there is and hence guard not sufficiently against them nor yet do sufficiently bewail them may be you are easily satisfied with your Repentance for these and think general confessions and complaints sufficient Do you use to make an Errand to God to confess these and to beg a particular pardon for them Peter makes a Peradventure of the forgiveness of Simon Magus's thought Acts 8.22 True that â—â—s a more deliberate approved thought but an exercised Soul will many times make a peradventure to it self of the forgiveness of a more imperfect and rejected Thought I would not grieve such but for others let me ask you Do you not know that God is a Jealous God Jealousie amongst men importeth an aptness to suspect an Jnjury a Husband viz. is jealous when he is apt to suspect his Wifes want of love or loyalty to him upon small circumstances without evident ground so to do and withall it imports indignation against the smallest ground of suspition this it cannot endure viz. Any thing that looks like the inclination of the heart to another says Joshua You cannot serve the Lord for he is a holy God Chap. 24. ver 19. It 's true He hath manifested this especially in the matters of his Worship and Institutions according to his threatning annexed to the second Commandment as in the instance of Aaron's two Sons and Vzza and the Bethshemites c. But may we not think that God is as jealous of the heart as of any thing and that he will take notice of every motion of it and will resent every disloyal glance of the thoughts though it come not the length of a purpose nay nor any deliberation in order to a purpose or resolution Is there not more sin in many sudden-passing thoughts though rejected than in Vzza's hasty catching hold of the Ark or in the Bethshemites looking into it or is
heart and affections too against it If you will now awake your self as the Psalmist when his heart is fixed and when he has awaked his tongue and his harp Psalm 57.7 8 I my self also will awake You may cut the sinews of your predominant sin but if you shrink back and comply no further with the Spirit than your carnal ease or interest will admit you cannot but look for the withdrawing of the Spirit and the prevalency of some evil Spirit And suppose you only resisted the Spirit in some things you cannot but think it righteous that he should not afford you his assistance in other things but leave you to your own lusts and to the swing of your own hearts When the Spirit then does animate thee against any sin hath bended thy heart and raised or corroborated holy resolutions against it maintain them for the heart is naturally like a miscarrying womb pray as 1 Chron. 29.18 and fall instantly on the mortifying of that sin Holy endeavours strengthen holy purposes and if these be vigorous and strong thou mayest now get over the difficulties that used to hinder the mortification of that sin and may do so hereafter that is may hinder hereafter if through delays or neglect of present endeavours you let not your purposes cool or slacken whereas probably if this difficulty be overcome thy Conquest of sin may ever after go better on But do not think that when you are aided by the Spirit you shall meet with no difficulties or that because of sins vigorous opposition you are not influenced or aided by the Spirit There is no War without trouble and difficulty and danger the Spirit does not altogether remove difficulties the lusting of the Spirit does not extinguish the lusting of the flesh yea the Spirit may be stirring the heart even when the flesh is prevailing the groans of a holy Soul even when overcome by sin are from the Spirit but it 's the Spirit 's work to help over these difficulties which were otherwise insuperable and this he will do if there be no failing on our part But ah the Spirit 's aid meets with such opposition and reluctancy from the Soul in so far as it is unrenewed that neither spiritual purposes nor endeavours can be mantain'd and kept up without striving and earnest contending on our part and this must be done maugre our ease humour and the mighty opposition of the body of death He that would not be worsted by sin must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 13.24 Strive as in an Army there 's no striving with other things that will put the Soul in an Agony set aside Sin there 's no difficulty besides this in the way to Heaven see Heb. 12.4 The power of sin will put any sensible Soul in an agony as well as the guilt of it Paul seems acquainted with it Rom. 7.24 and no doubt he had much of the Spirit even when he thus cryed out Do not then expect such assistance from the Spirit as will kill thy Corruption at one stroke the truer thou art to thy help the more thou shall have and the more the Spirit does the more thou must do 4. When the Spirit who is a spirit of supplication does strongly influence thy heart in Prayer improve it unto the mortification of sin for the necessity and usefulness of Prayer in reference to Mortification I have spoke to already and now urge the improvement of the Spirit 's assistance in Prayer as one of those ways whereby through the Spirit we are to mortifie sin And in order to this whatsoever measure of the Spirit 's aid and assistance thou hast let thy Prayers be chiefly levelled against sin and that not only nor mostly against the guilt of sin but especially against the power of sin Nature may raise the desires of freedom from guilt high which may be mistaken for the influence of the Spirit It is true that Natural self-love may also draw out strong desires of freedom from the power of sin as their passions and corrupt contradictory lusts and affections do molest and trouble them but especially as they know them to be inconsistent with any well-grounded hope of Heaven as for unregenerate mens usual formal Petitions for deliverance from temptations and from the power of their sins there is ordinarily not so much as moral sincerity in them even when that may be in their Prayers for Pardon they really would not that God should hear them and are sometimes afraid he should so that what Augustine confesseth of himself before his Conversion is indeed a Common Case But to return When the Spirit makes intercession in thee helps thee to make intercession with groans which cannot be uttered Let these groans be against sin rather than for Divine Comforts Groan rather for Redemption from sin than from any other misery do you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Spirit as the Apostle beseeches the Romans for the love of the Spirit to do with him Rom. 15.13 we render it Strive together the Spirit makes intercession with groans as if he were in an Agony O for the love of the Spirit strive together with him c. And when the Spirit gives greater enlargement and mightily draws out the heart in Prayer know that then the Lord is saying to the Soul as it were What is thy Request Thou hast now got the King's Ear then let thy Request be the death of thy sins and amongst all thy sins especially that he would give thee the head of thy greatest lust that has most dishonoured God and done the most mischief that has often left thee wounded and groaning Now thou hast an opportunity to be rid of it and avenged on it pursue thy advantage and return not from the pursuit till thou hast divided the spoil thou may now get more ground of sin than by many years praying against it in thine own spirit when your prayer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word is James 5.16 that is full of the holy Ghost or Prayer wherein the holy Spirit puts forth his Power and Energy and sets the whole Soul on work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies one possessed with and acted by a spirit If it do not instantly kill sin and deliver thee from such a Corruption yet it avails much to the death of it and if continued in thy sin shall not so far prevail as to mar thy acceptance with God or Communion with him or darken thy evidence for Heaven 5. If you would by the Spirit mortifie sin comply with the Breathings and influences of the Spirit in Ordinances in the Word Sacraments This were the way says one to make Ordinances and the times also glorious the Apostle useth the dwelling of Christ and of the Word in us promiscuously men grieve the Spirit when they despise the Word or any helps that God hath given them Isa 7.13 they are the means whereby the Spirit discovers sin purges it away or kills it Psalm
least think they can resist and overcome many sins and yet do not why do they put off Repentance and Mortification with express purposes some other time to repent and mortifie sin and why do they when under outward trouble or inward terrors cry out O that I had known this 2. They will not so much as try whether they can mortifie sin or not 3. The natural man does not only freely and willingly but chearfully fulfil the lusts of the flesh without regard to or sense of his Impotency to do otherwise or any necessity he is under saving what he lays upon himself they could not do it more freely supposing there were no power above them determining evenâ—◠〈…〉 could not do it more chearfully no◠〈…〉 supposing it were the true happiness 〈…〉 though deceitful will tell us so viz. 〈…〉 is not from any compulsion to sin nor 〈…〉 ability to do the contrary that we sin 〈…〉 a willingness and satisfaction in so doing and thus they do willingly consent to the want of the Spirits assistance that 's necessary to the mortification of sin And 4. They are even willing that there be insuperable difficulties in their way that they cannot mortifie sins they are so in love with their lusts that they are content to have their ear bored and to be servants to them for ever they love to have it so Jer. 5.31 and are grieved when their crazy bodies cannot serve their sinful Ambitious Covetous Vindictive souls yea it may be they are glad that they have this pretence of impotency to plead for themselves and it being so universal they think their plea will be the more relievant But 5. That which may stop every mouth is this You do not what you may do for the mortification of sin sure I am If you cannot get the better of a vain proud light heart you may yet restrain your tongue and rectifie your garbs But O when poor Ministers cannot prevail with you for Christs sake to cut off the superfluities of your own or others hair and to forsake sinful and foolish fashions which any may do with much ease how shall we prevail with you to cut off a right hand to abandon what is as dear to you as your life and what cleaves closer to you than a girdle does to the loyns of a man or the soul does to the body In a word how much might you have done to the mortification of such or such a lust that you have neglected so that this pretence of Impotency is but a froward Objection of the flesh for as an excellent man saith the Spirit is ever before-hand with us preventing us with some knowledg and some ability which if we joyn with the Spirit is ready to increase and carry us further If the Lord concur to those works to which he does not previously move the heart how much more to those works which he excites and is the first mover The holy Lord follows the worst of men a great way but they will have none of him so that the Question Whether God will condemn the man that did his utmost ought to be out of doors for no man out of Christ ever did all that he could by common assistance of the Spirit But is not the godly man heartily willing to be rid of sin when yet he cannot Answ As the unrenewed will is Christs greatest enemy and Satans greatest strength so indeed much of the strength of Grace lies in the renewed will and in the new man It 's Christs greatest friend and sins greatest enemy Rom. 7.17 23 The heart may be willing when the flesh is weak And when there is some defect and short-coming in the executive powers of the soul our diligence in duty and actual opposition to sin seldom or never answer the desires of a willing mind or of an inlarged heart Yet 1. Know that there is some willingness were the will perfectly set against sin a man should be perfectly holy Paul Rom. 7 speaks only of his renewed will or his will in so far as renewed for its certain his will was in part for evil else he could not have done it true there was force as it were on the renewed will therefore he pleads Not guilty in some fense but this was by the unrenewed will in part though more especially by the inferior soul 2. The believer if he quench not the Spirit yet is often grieving him and so provokes him to suspend his assistance And I judg we may say This the holy Spirit rarely or never does but after some unkind usage 3. None of them are destitute of all assistance against sin and they are culpable in so far as they improve not these and in as far as they do not conscientiously shun all provocations to sin and use all Gods appointed means and methods with which the spirit uses to concur and whereby he conveys supplies of grace and strength to the soul If any ask how this necessary assistance of the Spirit may be obtained I Answ 1. Negatively Do not resist the Spirit 2. Quench not the Spirit 3. Grieve not the Spirit 2. Positively 1. You must be convinced of your utter impotency to mortifie any sin 2. You must highly prize the Spirit 's assistance and thirst and hunger for it as a child for bread to nourish him 3. You must pray for the Spirit Luk. 1.13 Your heavenly Father will give the Spirit c. See how the Disciples were busied Act. 1.14 Prayer brings down the Spirit and the more of this Spirit the more prayer Or the Lord will have such as have none of the Spirit yet to seek him by prayer Ezek. 36.27 compared with v. 37. Indeed there is no promise that God will give his sanctifying Spirit to every unrenewed man that asks him that of Luk. 11.13 concerns only children and a further measure of the Spirit But if thou hast any thing of the Spirit the way to get more is by believing-prayer I say by believing-prayer compare Act. 1.4 with 8.14 See also Isa 40.30 31. though thou find not much of this yet believe the promise and wait O it 's not known what advantage there is in believing promises Joh. 11.20 There is some present strength that accompanies this and more that certainly follows it 4. Improve what measure of the Spirit you have were it but on the account of that general promise Matt. 25.21 and Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my reproof and behold I 'le pour out my spirit upon you be content that the Spirit should not only dwell in you but influence and act you Walk after the spirit that what Paul says of Christ you may say of the Spirit Gal. 2.20 and of Grace 1 Cor. 15.10 Think it no bondage but true liberty to be led by the Spirit happy they who are ever in such a frame as are fit for the Spirit to operate upon Indeed it requires careful attention to observe and much humility and self-denyal to
walk by the Spirit O let not convictions cool nor holy motions die turn every motion against sin into a purpose and every purpose into endeavours against sin Attend diligently on Ordinances Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy-Ghost fell on all them that heard the word But mark what 's said ver 33 Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Thou must see thy self as in the presence of God and get a heart ready to receive his Instructions or Commands Finally If thou hast lost that aid of the spirit that thou wast wont to have search how thou came to lose it If there be not some secret lust that thou wast willing to spare this may not only undo thy comforts but universally marr the Spirits operations May be there is some old reckonings which were never distinctly counted for nor scored off which the Spirit has brought to your remembrance and yet you will needs bury them But ordinarily its something in thy present frame or way and may be it 's something that you think but little of often the cause of Gods Controversie with a land or with a particular person is that which we would little suspect may be a fretful unbelieving or injurious thought take heed to the first motion of sin for sin has no bound says one but what the Spirit puts to it whom therefore we should not oppose but kindly intreat therefore look to thy thoughts and to thy words see the Gonnexion Eph. 4.29 50. especially in carnal company whose converse mightily cherishes these sins in us which we should mortifie and by complying with or gratifying their spirits we often wound our own and grieve Gods Spirit and thus give sin some reprieval We cannot converse with such but they will either afflict us or defile us look diligently then into thy carriage and remember when and where the Spirit began to withdraw his usual aids and when you have found out the cause 1. You must by renewed acts of re-repentance and faith be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ for the bestowing of the Spirit is an eminent fruit of the satisfaction of Christ and of the favour of God and is not given to dwell in the soul and habitually to assist till one be first reconciled to God and expect no new gift of the Spirit till thou hast made up thy peace again with God through Christ 2. Beware of that way in the beginning of which thou found the Spirit begin to leave thee if thou think that this requires great circumspection and heedfulness it being a matter of such infinite advantage to thy soul thou needs not think strange that it should especially considering how careful thou art to keep some friend here and what diligent endeavours thou uses to provide or secure a little of this worlds goods that will not go far with thee and wherein thou hast not such assurance of success for thou mayest rise early c. and eat the bread of sorrow all the day In the last place Let us speak a little to some few cases And I begin with that touched upon in the third Objection viz. the case of such as complain of the strength of their corruptions If their mortification of sin be so necessary to salvation alas what shall I think of my self who am so much under the power of this or that corruption Answ There are several degrees of the power and prevalency of sin 1. The highest degree of it is when men voluntarily yield themselves as servants to it Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death c. when men are agents in resigning themselves up to sin as servants tender their service to their master they do not explicitely intend to be captives but it necessarily follows and they are willing sufferers or patients under it the word used for Christs giving himself for us Eph. 5.25 and committing himself to God as judg 1 Pet. 2.23 is used of some mens giving themselves over to Lasciviousness to work uncleanness with greediness or in abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.19 this is the case of unrewed man whose heart and will is for sin and who do manifest an utter want of mortification from this degree of sin the Apostle acquits the Romans ver 17.18 2. There is a lower degree of it 2 Pet. 2.19 Of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage This being overcome imports some opposition yet not what is sufficient 3. Another degree of the power of sin we find Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members Where we see the law of sin is not in the mind or will but in the members that is the carnal affections Grace has beat sin out of the higher powers of the soul and it has fortified it self as it were in the affections and in the nether part of the soul And observe that here the Captivity is not a leading to outward acts of sin but a bowing down the power of the mind and a weakning of the actings of Grace in the mind and will and impeding the lively effects of Grace in the heart Now judg which of these is your case the first cannot be the case of any godly man such as are under it mortifie not sin but the Convictions of Conscience and the common motions of the Spirit and herein they are often successful whereas a Believer accuses himself and joyns actively with the Spirit to convince of sin and to mortifie it Psalm 51.1 21. Dan. 9.5 6. Convictions come on them and they tremble and seek to be rid of them For the third case it 's common to the holiest among Believers to such as are most exercised and most successful in Mortification It is the second case then that is doubtful there is some opposition made to sin so that this case differs from the first but without success yet are they servants to sin and so this case differs from the third the Mind is not only bowed down oppressed and captivated but a man is carried to the outward actings of sin and the fulfilling the lusts of the flesh or the desires of the body of sin Now this is the case that many poor souls complain of And 1. What ought we to judg of it How may a poor Soul be helped out of it will appear in what we shall speak to this Case For the first of these I Answer That in some cases a poor Creature may make use of Pauls encouragements even when the body of death prevails much more than it did with Paul Rom. 7 and does not only inwardly lust against the Spirit but the power of it breaketh forth in words or deeds as when thou
dost not make way for these nor open a passage for them but sets thy self to oppose first the rising of them in the heart and then the out-breaking of them as Paul did If thy heart strive and gain-say and not only does not regard iniquity but opposes it and protests against it And when it 's leading thee captive thou would even then be glad to be rescued from it and can bless the Lord as David did Abigail when thou art kept back from sin his heart relented whereas Saul commands to kill the Lords Priests his servants refuse but there 's no back-going nor heart-smiting in Saul he finds no fault with himself and sometimes such as he are glad of provocations and temptations to sin Judas offers himself to betray Christ and the High-priests are glad but where there is any thing of true Mortification the heart is afraid of a temptation and trembles at the thoughts of it though perhaps it may be carried away with it but the renewed Will never consents hence the Believer has little pleasure in sin in the acting of it but when he is sinning he is sighing and suffering and much more does he sigh and suffer when after sinning he is come to himself he feels what Paul felt when he cryed out Rom. 7.24 and is led to prize and make use of Christ as he was ver 25 to see the need of his blood to make an Atonement and also take away the blot of sin when sin is prevailing Grace is often saying O that it were otherwise O captive that I am this sate forer to Paul than all the crosses he ever met with all his sufferings never occasioned such a Complaint and if Faith in Christ be not kept up this is enough to sink the Soul into despair If any say That this does not answer the case because such as never mortified one sin may yet make opposition to many sins as that place 2 Pet. 2.19 imports where it 's clear that such as may some way oppose sin may yet be so far overcome as to perish in it I Answer That indeed every opposition will not prove that there is the least degree of Mortification The common principles of Nature may ingage a man against some sins Morality and Education may further this the common operations of the Spirit may heighten this opposition and also extend it to more sins The Question then is How shall I know whether my opposition to sin be from a common or saving-work of the Spirit And indeed the knowledg of the difference is of great and universal use for upon the one hand natural men finding some conflict in themselves apprehend there is some grace in the opposing sin There 's none say they but have Corruption in them and hereupon please themselves if they find any thing in themselves like opposition to it On the other hand the Believer is in doubt whether his opposition to sin be such as Paul speak of and his doubt is encreased when he perceives his Conscience upon natural grounds and common reasons opposing sin not considering that the Spirit in mortifying sin may make use of common sense and reason as well as gracious or supernatural Considerations for the supernatural opposition to sin does not destroy the natural as Reasons aversion to what is contrary to Nature does not destroy the Aversion in our senses to it I answer then to the Question That the common operations of the Spirit does not change the inward principles and motives and ends that men in Nature act from and by 1. Then the difference appears in this that the inward opposition that Natural men make to sin proceeds from some common low selfish principle Nature or Education may have imprinted some faint Notions of the ill of sin but there is no antipathy nor contrariety of Nature to sin as in the godly man who hates sin as God hates it One wicked man may hate and oppose another but there 's no rooted contrariety in their Nature as there 's between a wicked man and a godly Pro. 29.27 it 's in sound only one sin striving against another refined sins oppose gross sins or the same lust seeking itself divers ways as Herod was sorrowful because he was in a strait and whatever he did was a dishonour 2. The Natural man his motives be also mean and mercenary It is not love to Holiness nor a desire to please God it is not the contrariety of such or such a sin to the holiness of God or to the holy Law of God or the injuriousness of sin to the love of God or Christ or the inconsistency of it with Communion with the Father Son and Spirit that sets him on work against sin Were there no strange punishments here to the workers of Iniquity and no Hell hereafter the Natural man would inlarge himself in many things It would be a Jubilee to him to hear there were no Hell some sins are against a mans interest and honour and no wonder there be much opposition to them Herod beheads John Baptist with reluctancy but whence came it not because it was against the honour of God but partly because to murther an Innocent man was a torment to his Conscience A natural Conscience never opposes sin in favour of the spiritual Law of God for the carnal mind is enmity in the Abstract I grant that takes in the Will yet it shews that there 's no true friendship to God even in the Mind or Conscience so that nothing the Conscience says or does is purely for God and its arguments and motives are always Carnal Carnal fears or hopes or if the object of fear or hope be spiritual yet they are apprehended and so influenced in a Carnal way 3. As the unrenewed Man opposes no sin out of hatred to it as sin so it 's only against some sins that his opposition is levelled more especially gross and scandalous sins that are infamous or contrary to Moral honesty or contrary to his natural disposition A Natural Conscience will tremble at Murther consummated but not at every degree of it not at secret inward sins nor at the first motions of sin not at Lucritive sins and such as a prophane age has made an honour in the vulgar esteem especially not at unbelief It 's true a Natural man may be sensible of the sin of his thoughts and of inward disorders by some common illumination of the Spirit and may be troubled at them as they disturb his quiet or lead to something which he abhors But 1. It is not with every degree of every sin if he be convinced and troubled at Unbelief as it excludes him from Heaven yet it 's not at every degree of unbelief Nor 2. Is it for the sinfulness of these motions but the importunity and tendency of them and as they evidence him to be yet in nature and so without hope he looks on them as the disease of his Nature and not his sin 3. If
the whole whereas the restraining of any Sin does not weaken the body of sin for when it 's only restrained what the body of sin loses one way it gains another way Try then Art thou universally advantaged against every Sin 2. Is thy mind will and affections dead to that Sin mortifying sin is a metaphorical expression and this death that it implies is not only nor principally the ceasing of the acts of Sin but especially a deadness in the Soul as to Sin 1. In the Mind and Judgment Sin has lost the mans good opinion of it 2. In the will and affections he cannot think nor hear of it without abhorrency where Sin is only restrained a man can yet with pleasure roll it in his Mind the inclination to it is not broken many a man likes and loves the Sin which he does not the mortified man hates the evil which he does 3. Thou mayst know by what went before and by what follows 1. Did thou come easily by this power over Sin It 's true there is often difficulty in restraining Sin but what means did thou use to compass this and overcome the difficulty Was it by Prayer and Fasting and after much wrestling with God and by the blood of the Lamb that thou overcame Or was it by other means or by the meer force of an obstinate resolution thou took up 2. After the mortification of any Sin there 's a new Song ordinarily put in the mans mouth and the Soul is not only some way eased but is filled with Joy There is some Joy that flows natively from the mortification of Sin and there 's more that follows by way of reward as for a Natural man if he have any Joy upon restraining the acts of Sin it is but a spark of his own kindling or it results meerly from the nature of the thing the travel and labour the man is at in suppressing Sin does more than counter-balance that and is but the scant fruit of the testimony of his natural Conscience it will not bear him out to challenge Death and the Grave it heartens not a man against them some such may die securely but never one I think died triumphantly Mens delusions may suspend the horror of Hell from them for a while when a-dying but it 's some true Faith true Holiness true Mortification that fills the Soul with joy unspeakable 5. Sins that are only restrained do ordinarily break forth again and that with more force than before as waters bound up that do fortifie themselves and then carry all down before them but a Sin that is mortified as it rarely recovers so if it do yet it is so broke that it is but half an act But here may come in two other Cases 1. What is to be thought of the case of such as relapse into Sin 2. What 's to be thought of the case of such as after some serious Essays to mortifie feel their Corruptions more lively than before For the first That a godly man may commit an act of that Sin which is in some measure mortified is past all doubt else it were impossible he could sin at all for the first sanctifying saving work of the Spirit does strike at the root of every Sin and so begins the mortification of every Sin but this doth not nullifie or wholly extinguish Sin No Believer is absolutely secured from any particular act of Sin pro hic nunc except from the great Transgression 2. When one is in the state of Grace as after their particular Repentance for some particular Sin he is fallen into so after special endeavour yea and success too in mortifying that Sin he is not absolutely secured from every act of it for the future for though a mans Pardon as it imports a freedom from eternal Condemnation be perfect yet neither is Repentance nor Mortification perfect Now to clear this Let us consider 1. The gracious encouragements God hath given to such Jer. 3.1 Isa 55.7 compare with ver 3. His Covenant does not secure against every Relapse but it secures the multiplication of pardon Jer. 3.14 19 23. Hos 14.4 Back-sliding supposes some former recovery Mark there the ground of what 's promised I 'le love them freely the falling into such Relapses is the highest provocation to God and a Sin against most love and Recovery from such is the notable effect and Signal discovery of the greatness and freeness of Gods Love Consisider 2. That the mortification of such a particular Sin gives a man a greater advantage against that Sin and puts at some greater distance than from other Sins yet this advantage against this and distance from it is only gradually more than against or from other Sins and so makes the return of it not so probable or easie and if it return do aggravate it but not impossible more than the return of any other Sin especially when we consider that that Sin which by the first sanctifying work of the Spirit was in a special manner opposed and mortified may yet recover And 3. The advantage that the most holy man has over the most mortified Corruption is of the same kind but for degrees much below the advantage that Adam in Innocency had over every Sin and so is not able to secure it self the strongest Grace cannot preserve it self from the most mortified Corruption Hence the Believer must watch and pray and depend for asstance against it else he should more easily fall into it than Adam did into sin It 's true there are Promises ascertaining the Believers preservation from the dominion of Sin and his final Conquest over Sin whereas Adam in Innocency had no promise of the like nature but there is no word I know of in the Bible that ascertains the Believers preservation from every act of that Corruption which through the Spirit he has particularly mortified 4. There wants not Examples of the Saints relapsing into Sins as Sampson Judg. 16.1 4 Abrahams twice denying his Wife the Disciples twice contending for Supremacy Jehoshaphats instance is remarkable 2 Chron. 18.1 2 31 32 19.2 yet ch 20. v. 35 he Relapses Not to instance several things related of Peter These Examples though they do not answer in every circumstance to the case proposed yet by plain consequence they confirm our Position For if a Believer may act contrarily to that grace which is strongest in him and may be overtaken with that Sin or an act of that Corruption which is weakest and that over and over again as was Abraham and Peter then there is no degree of Mortification that secures him from repeating an act of that lust that is mortified If any say that though Mortification do it not yet true Repentance does it I answer If true Repentance does it it 's either from the nature of Repentance or some special promise of Grace made to the Penitent Not the former For 1. The nature of Mortification should rather secure from it 2. If true Repentance
at first Conversion do it not why should it do so afterward Not the 2d Let that Promise be produced what ever Promise that I know of can be produced will plead as much against a Believers falling into any Sin which at his first Conversion he did truly repent of But to prevent Abuses of what 's said Let me admonish you 1. That there are some Sins which Paul calls dead works Heb. 6.1 Peter calls them mens old sins viz. which they had lived in before Conversion Ephes 2.1 9 and the pollution of the world 2 Pet. 2.19 in these the whole World wallowed before Christ's Coming A Relapse into these he speaks of as dangerous Ephes 2.2 19 20 21. Much debate there was about this of old and many utterly refused to re-admit such into their Communion as in times of Persecution did comply with Idolaters and returned to Idolatry which was the chief of these old Sins that Peter mentions 1 Ep. 4.3 And I doubt not but in the debate that arose thereupon there were extreams on both hands those that fell upon the one hand were many and by their multitude helped to carry the decision of the Question in their favour and the promiscuous re-admission of such tended to the Corruption of the Church ever after yet on the other hand I dare not deny but a godly man may be intangled again in some act of these old sins through the force of some great or sudden temptation Yet I must add that it is a rare case the fixed bounds how far and how often God doth not determinately set in his Word I think the Lord does not ordinarily suffer his people to fall again and again into those gross acts of Sin though we cannot say but they may be overtaken with Passion Pride inordinate love to the World which though no less sinful in their own nature yet in their inward actings are not so scandalous nor such occasions to others to blaspheme Nor can we deny but that there may be and will be some lustings towards the gross actings of these old sins But the acting over of them I think rare A man may fall into some other heinous sin of another nature with more ease for mortification of a particular lust does in an especial manner advantage a man against the return of that though it weaken the whole man of sin yet it weakens that particular lust in special Hence there is often a change of the godly mans greatest Corruption and he gets some special advantage against that which sometime did most prevail and another lust comes in its room which shews the strength of the body of sin yet disproves not the truth of the mortification of the former prevailing lust For the 2d Case mentioned viz. of those who after some serious endeavours to mortifie Sin find their Corruptions more lively than formerly In answer to this Case 1. If Corruptions break forth more than formerly it 's the same with the former Case and thy safest course is not to stand disputing thy state before that but to study acquaintance with the depths of Sin in thee and in the humble broken-hearted sense thereof to fly unto Jesus Christ for pardon and for grace to sanctifie thy Soul and to mortifie Sin If they be only more stirring inwardly than before and so seem more strong it is a Case commonly incident to such of the people of God as before their regeneration were careful to walk blamelesly and were morally educated and such as were formal in Religion And 1. This may proceed from the malice of Satan who when his interest in the Soul was not brangled made no great noise Now as the Dog is put to the Door he howls to be in again so he blows the Trumpet to an insurrection and intestine war in the Soul and if it were possible would have possession again or have the Soul back into bondage again and this the holy Lord suffers to manifest the strength of his Grace and that he may having brought forth the strength of indwelling sin have occasion with more observation to discomfit them As sometimes Rulers in policy let some discontented party break out on purpose to ruine them more effectually 2. It may be thy inward Corruption is not stronger than it was but spiritual light and gracious tenderness may be growing the Spirit now may be opening up the depths of thy Corruption And this the Lord usually does by degrees as he dealt with Ezekiel in a like case Chap. 8.6 7 9 12 13 15. where mark that they had put a wall between God and them he is shewed greater and greater Abominations so the secret Chambers of Sin are opened up and thou sees that which makes thee tremble and abhor thy self more than ever for the first saving-Conviction does not convince to the utmost the first saving-light shines not into every Corner or at least not so brightly that the man can dive into all the mystery of Sin within but leaves room for after-discoveries such Complaints as Pauls Rom. 7.24 are rather the fruit of growing-discoveries of Sin and growing Mortification than of the growing power of Sin Bless the Lord for such discoveries for they are necessary to the mortification of Sin 3. It may be thou wast going about to establish thine own righteousness and the Lord sees it meet to fright away such thoughts by suffering Satan to rake up the Dunghil of thy Corruptions when thou art aiming at such a measure of holiness and freedom from Sin in the strength of thy own endeavours and with a secret neglect of the imputed Righteousness of Christ and when thou will not make use of that till thou hast overcome such a Corruption and will not maintain thy Justification without such a measure of Sanctification and Mortification I think not strange if God should let open the sluce of thy Corruption to constrain thee to hold by the righteousness of Christ for Justification and also on his Spirit for the mortifying of thy Corruptions and to live by faith in Christ both for Righteousness and Sanctification or Holiness and to seek neither of these nor any part of them any other way for it may be if thou be not proud of thy Righteousness to thy own sense yet thou may think too much of thy own strength indeed the one is rarely or never really separated from the other for wheresoever a man thinks he has one of these he seeks the other also Hence there are none erroneous in the point of Free-will and Grace but they err also in the doctrine of Justification e contra Isa 45.24 and lay too much stress on the strength at least of the sincerity of thy purposes and endeavours against Sin These can no more secure thee against Sin than a single thred can hold a Ship at Anchor in a storm the Lord will teach thee the necessity of this Method in the Text by the Spirit to mortifie Sin And this leads
he personates a servant to them and ordinarily employs them in such work as is suitable to their corrupted nature and takes such ways with them as are pleasing to the flesh so that there needeth no force to keep them in servitude they are so well-pleased with their Lord that his fetters are as Gold-chains to them yea some of them are so far transformed into the spirit and image of the Devil as to commit such prodigious acts of wickedness that one would think humane Nature corrupted as it is should tremble at it and in nothing has this appeared more than in the prosecution of this Enmity in those horrid and diabolical methods and arts of violence and cruelty that have almost in all Ages been invented and used against the godly and as for that Dread men commonly have at his appearance it is known how easily they are familiarized yea he has taught men to call evil Spirits Familiars good Neighbours c. And how many are in express Covenant with him There 's no man can deny this but with the same breath he denies Christ the Scriptures and experience it is credibly reported of 17 Popes one after another And in most if not all places of the World he has been and in many yet is visibly worshipped and hath a Neighbourhood or rather a visible Kingdom among them 2. Against whom and what is this enmity of Satan and his seed levelled I Answer Primarily against God he is an Adversary to God and holiness and so to Jesus Christ as God and also as man because he had so much of God in him more than any man and to the Saints because of their relation to God and Christ his enmity to God appears in his whole design and business more particularly in his blasphemous injections into the minds of poor Creatures and in his using the tongues of some that he possesses to blaspheme God and indeed his enticing of men to war against Heaven with their tongues in cursing and blasphemous Oaths where there is neither profit nor pleasure to allure them is a sufficient evidence both of the Devils and of mans enmity to God 2. This is levelled against Jesus Christ how early stirred he up persecution against him as soon as he was born and did all he could against him and such enmity has he to his Name and to the very shadow of Christianity that he will admit none unto a strict consederacy with him till they have renounced Christ and the sign of their dedication to him And Oh what an astonishing meditation is it to think that Spirits once so holy and wise should have fallen into such deeps of sin or risen into such a height of indignation against infinite holiness and goodness that now their only scope and delight should be to dishonour God and to mar his work in the World and his Image in man And what an astonishing witness is this of the patience of God! we wonder he bears so long with men that are Vessels of wrath who are but like grass on the house-tops whereas he has suffered Satan for several thousand years to range and tyrannize up and down the World and yet this mars not the lustre and beauty of Gods wise Government of the World 3. This Enmity is also levelled against the followers of Christ all the actings of evil spirits in the World have a tendency to mens hurt whatever friendship they may pretend and it is not any outward concern of mens that they especially intend to ruin and are at pain and labour to undo It is the great and eternal Concern of their immortal Souls that they level at they envy them that happiness which they are out of hope of or their hatred to God and Christ is heightned from their passing by them when they chose and redeemed some of lost men Now as the Lord designs his peoples good by all the seeming contrary dealings with them so does the Devil by his contrary methods intend to hurt them whether he tempt or forbear to tempt whether he solicite Peter to hinder Christs sufferings or prompts Judas to further them when he seems asleep and when he rages there 's as much enmity in his peace as in his war If he keep truce with such as are explicitely or implicitely in Covenant with him it 's but for a while Now this Enmity is chiefly against the Church or Churches where he can get a true visible Church Rev. 12.13 It 's with the Woman where we see also that Gods special preservation of his Church and disappointing or frustrating hellish designs against a Church does greatly gall Satan and exasperate him against them when the Dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth he persecuted the woman c. And ver 17 The Dragon was wrath with the woman the earth having helped her sometimes God makes carnal men helpful to his Church and restrains their Enmity Why the Woman had done him no wrong was only escaped and this diabolick disposition we may clearly see in his seed there 's nothing pains some so much as that they cannot do mischief to the people of God Do we not see some acted with fury and unsatiable cruelty against the people of God without the least provocation beyond what men express in other cases and beyond what mens natural enmity to Truth and Holiness does ordinarily carry them even such fury as discovers some violent excitement from Hell and carries a lively resemblance of the Devil Now ver 17. We see also that when Satan cannot find a visible pure constituted Church then he bends his malice against single Professors that keep themselves pure from the corruption of the place they live in they are there called the womans seed he went to make war with the remnant of her seed The description of these are worth our observing ver 17 they are such as keep the Commandments of God that is meant in opposition to those whose Religion lies most in obedience to Customs Traditions and Commandments of men whereby they make void the Institutions and Commands of God 2. They are such as have the Testimony of Jesus that is that bear Testimony to him in all his Offices in opposition to those who by their Ceremonies Humane satisfactions and self-righteousness deny Christ to be come in the flesh and also to those who deny or incroach upon any of his Offices These two contain much of the distinguishing Characters of the true Church and true members of Jesus Christ from the false 3. As for the Nature and properties of this Enmity between the two seeds 1. It 's for no private particular quarrels Oh what a bitter Antipathy do men manifest even to those from whom they never received any personal injury their own hearts must tell them that it can be from nothing but the appearance of the Image of God in them their pretending to hate their Hypocrisie is vain For 1. Under this pretence Christ and the godly
conquest over principalities powers Ephes 1.19 20 so that our impotency can be no excuse to us Faith gives the Soul the greatest resemblance of Divine Omnipotency 2. Take that word Rom. 8.1 You feel and know that there are many things condemnable in you yea enough to condemn millions of Men or Angels But O the mysterious depths of Free-grace that should divide and separate between Condemnable Condemnation Indeed the more Conscience one makes of mortifying sin the more sense and assurance of their Absolution and Indempnity If sin be prevailing it 's hard to maintain the sense of this yet in some cases one may as when the Soul is under a deep afflicting sense of prevailing-sin and solicitously striving against it Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me c. You may yield to the Antecedent and deny the Consequence yea you make the prevailing of sin an Argument in prayer for Pardon Psalm 25.11 Those same Iniquities that set Justice a-work Gen. 6.5 He can make an Argument for mercy Gen. 8.21 Indeed if one keep up any perswasion of their freedom from Condemnation it 's a great doubt if they can keep up the comfort of this perswasion too for these are often separated David has his Absolution 2 Sam. 12.13 yet does he afterward beg the comfort and joy of it or at least a closer Application of it 3. Know that oft-times Satan and Corruptions stir most where they have least possession and real power and also that they make most ado when they are nearest to be cast out But if you enquire why the holy Lord does suffer sin to prevail so much over some of his own I answer The Captain of our salvation knows how to bring his followers to Glory and he knows that it 's better for some to be kept sighting even though often foiled than to be Triumphing The rising of some is their falling and the falling of others is their rising Success is sometimes worse to carry under than a Defeat Pride and Self-righteousness often get up upon our Trophies over sin and for this end sometimes the Lord suffers some sin to prevail If he see a Soul enclining to establish its own righteousness Ezek. 33.13 If he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity Pride often rises upon the ruins of other lusts but thus the Lord suffers not the foot of Pride to get up he keeps the Soul under a deep impression of its exceeding sinfulness and vileness indeed it is a trial to Faith when the Soul sees nothing in it self and yet can believe and then is Faith purest when others reckon upon themselves as the worst of Sinners David reckons himself as a beast Psal 73 And he not only mourns for sin as a man but he roars as it were like a pained beast Psal 32.3 He seems fitter for a Wilderness to cry out than for a secret Chamber to weep in at other times he can water his couch in the night now he roars all the day-long at other times his moisbure is dried now his bones the pillars of his house shake and wax old 2. Thus the Lord lets the Soul see its need of constant supplies of Grace and so keeps it in a closer dependence on himself were we always victorious we should not know so well our own insufficiency nor the sufficiency of Grace Some are kept Cripples because they would either run away from him or neglect him It 's evident that we are oftnest with God when we have most need of him how often does necessity prompt us to Duty more than love or conscience of Duty hence we pray seven times when we praise once 3. The Lord often punishes his people by this letting them know the difference between Christs yoke and sins 4. He manifests his power in their final Conquest after so many foils On this account Paul glories in his infirmities 2 Cor. 12.9 10 thus also he manifests the riches of his Grace The Conversion of the Soul from sin to God is a wonder of Free-grace but the Conversion of some is a greater wonder Mortification of sin in any Soul is a marvellous work of the Spirit but more marvellous in some where sin was deeper rooted and more fortified and where the name of lusts was begun even so the salvation of the most mortified Soul is a new wonder of Free-grace but the salvation of some Souls is a supereminent act of superabounding-grace the High-praises of God shall be in all their mouths but the songs of some shall rise higher than others were not the holiest so much in admiring how themselves were saved it might be an astonishment to them to see may be some in Heaven whom in their thoughts they have sometimes reprobated how much sin do some bring to Heavens-door with them At Heavens-gate is the grave and burying-place of many strong Corruptions Death which is the wages of sin is made the grave of sin And what the Red-sea was to the Egyptians these Corruptions that keep poor Souls in bondage and that still pursue them they shall see no more the certainty of your final Conquest Is it not good news from a far Countrey that the Captain of your salvation stands ingaged for you and it is more his concern than yours that you be victorious And O what Hosanna's shall be sung to him when he shall ride in Triumph through the streets of the new Jerusalem that is above with his triumphing followers each having a Crown on their head and Harp in their hand his Conquest is a pledg of yours John 16. You are often thinking that some day you will fall by the hand c. You have had as good aid engaged to save you as Christ had Ephes 1.19 20 and you being so nearly united to him he reckons not his Conquest compleat as long as you are in a Militant state If you be fighting the good fight Christ is upon his way to relieve and fetch you off victorious Know you not that he has said I will that they be where I am he knew his Trust and that it was the Fathers will and well it is for us it depends not on ours Vse 2. What we have said does speak sadly to such as either neglect this great Duty on which the Text lays so much stress or who think to mortifie sin by meer moral means or considerations For the first sort 1. There be some that instead of mortifying sin cherish and feed it and make provision for it that are in league with it that have common Friends and common Foes with it yea to some it 's as themselves It 's as a right-hand c. yea it 's their life wound their lusts and their heart dies speak to such of Mortification and you may as easily and more perswade them to stab or at least to lance themselves Hence men have found out so many counterfeits of Mortification they will rather kill thousands of Rams and Bullocks yea their sons and daughters
channel if it will not run in a contrary way and by this means thou shalt also mortifie them If thou find thy heart inclining to passion at others turn it to an holy indignation against sin If inclined to sorrow upon any worldly account endeavour to turn it into sorrow for sin or for the afflictions and sufferings of the people of God let these have their due and thou wilt not have many tears to spare for other things If thy heart be inclining to exceed in frolick mirth indeavour to get thy mirth and joy to run into another channel to turn it into holy joy in God in Christ in his goodness to thee and to his people Indeed there may be much deceit in this that thou had need to guard against for as a good disposition sometimes passes for a sanctified nature so does these for sanctified acts and affections and as the former when advantaged with grace goes far so these high affections when tinctured with grace pass for high spiritual motions of the soul many under affliction mistake their carnal sorrow for Spiritual sorrow and others mistake their natural and occasional cheerfulness for Spiritual joy and the reason is because they judg of these acts only by the objects which they thought last upon as for instance May be one under great sorrow intermingles with other things some thoughts of sin and then he thinks his sorrow to be godly sorrow or when in a cheerful frame or in some good mood as you call it he intermingles some thoughts of God of Christ of Heaven and then it passes for heavenly joy Nothing is more ordinary than this A pregnant instance we may have of it in the publick prayers of our formalists who having by Organs and Musical Instruments excited in themselves some natural affections put to may be some thoughts of God and of the joys of Heaven and thus these motions of their hearts that are excited by meer natural causes and their own endeavours pass current for high sublime raised affections and this is all the holiness and heaven too of some But here lies the deceit men look only to the Immediate casual object of their acts and not at all to the principle of them nay nor to the object that did at first excite these acts viz some outward loss or some outward good I mean ordinarily When therefore you would turn natural or worldly sorrow into Spiritual and so with joy you must look well that there be a change not of the object only but in the very nature of the acts or affections for the object alone is not enough to specifie an action a meer change of the object will not render a natural affection or passion Spiritual There may be much natural Carnal joy in a spiritual and supernatural object as Heb. 6.4 even as there may be a spiritual joy when the immediate object is natural and so of other affections If you Object the difficulty of this and ask What advantage one has by following this direction I Answ 1. You have the advantage of being diverted from sinful objects and from inordinate motions towards lawful outward objects 2. You have this advantage that when the affections are lively they move with a greater facility towards spiritual objects though indeed this contributes nothing to their spirituality sin and grace they are seated in the same powers and faculties of the soul and when sin commands the more lively these powers and faculties be the more are the actings of sin advantaged and so it is also when grace is uppermost whether in the understanding or the will or the affections As on the other hand when the natural vigour of the soul especially of the affections is gone or any way obstructed the actings of grace in them are not so sensible and seem low and faint hence many aged persons and others are apt to conclude hardly against themselves at least to apprehend a decay of grace when there is none Therefore when you find any of these vigorous and fresh let grace set them on work and if there be any particular affection more lively and stirring than another heavenly wisdom directs us to see that that be well employed and if it be in the hand or possession of sin to redeem and rescue it unto its proper use whatever principle or object did first move excite or draw it forth the powers of the soul and all their operations are capable of good or evil as they are used as a strong Castle or sharp sword may be well or ill used yea suppose an usurping enemy helped to fortifie the Castle or sharpen the sword if they can be taken from him they may be used to the more advantage against him Now 2dly I told you that by the Spirit in the Text was especially to be understood the holy Spirit by whose special assistance Sin is mortified in the Believer If ye through the Spirit c. set about this with the Spirits aid and in a compliance with the methods of the Spirit which imports 1. Our own impotency Never think to mortifie any sin in thy own strength how small a temptation will overturn us when we stand upon our own legs and how strong temptations and inward lustings are we helped to withstand and mortifie when we engage the Spirits assistance 2. It imports the ineffectualness of meer rational or moral Considerations Motives and Means to mortifie sin the Consideration of the turpitude and infamy of sin of its debasing our Nature of that distraction and disorder that inordinate passions and affections breed in the Soul the weakness and transitoriness of the Creature comforts the impossibility to recover our loss by inordinate grief c. These may restrain or refine sin or change the Channel it runs in but can never mortifie it Nay nor 3. Will any means of Gods appointment do it without the Spirit neither meditation of Death nor Judgment nor of the death and sufferings of Christ Nor will Prayer or Word Promises or Threatnings or Sacraments or Afflictions if separated from the Spirits influences and assistances This is so sadly verified every day that I need not prove it They that want the Spirit cannot mortifie one sin and they that improve not an indwelling Spirit cannot by other means mortifie sin If any object That sin doth grieve and vex and quench the Spirit and provoke him to withdraw how then doth the Spirit mortifie sin in us I answer It 's true that even the sins of the godly do grieve and some way quench the Spirit But what sins are these or how do men quench the Spirit It 's by their opposing the Spirits sanctifying and mortifying operations I grant this may be done by opposing his witnessing and comforting Work but mostly the former which is the chief work of the Spirit 2. The godly do never so grieve the Spirit as to provoke him altogether to leave them Psalm 51.11 There remain some motions and assistances of