BELIEVERS Mortification Of SIN by the SPIRIT OR GOSPEL-HOLINESS Advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors Three last Sermons on Gen. 3.15 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Arms in the Poultrey 1677. To the Christian Reader especially the Godly and Reverend Allies and Acquaintance of Mr. C. deceased Dear Sirs T This little Posthume left very fairly Transcribed yet not intended for the Press humbly begs your Patronage shall I say or rather perusal When our Friends are gone down to the Chambers of Darkness we are then apt highly to value their Pictures when we cannot enjoy their Persons And why then may not these Papers find grace in your Eyes for in them you will find worthy Mr. C's very Picture drawn to the life Here Sirs you have the genuine off-spring of those two great burning shining Lights of yours Knox and Gillaspy exactly Lim'd out by his own Pencil Sic occulos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat Whoever intimately knew the Original will easily conclude these to be the Copy the real Transcript both of his Brain and Life the most Lovely pourtrait both of judicious Learning and mortified Conversation As to the Work it needs neither Bush nor Paint Let it be but seriously perus'd by a person really vers'd in that great and Heavenly though now horribly neglected Work of Mortification and it will certainly be priz'd at no little Rate As to the truly Worthy Author himself It had been impossible for me so far to have curb'd in my Zeal as not to have attempted at least a display of those many and great Excellencies which with so much modesty and humility he endeavour'd to conceal from the World but that his dying breath fixt a Lock upon my lips and utterly denied me the liberty of being but just in his Commendation Only this he left as his grand Depositum with me to be faithfully declared by me That he died with very great peace of Conscience with full satisfaction of Soul in those wayes of God wherein he had walked and wherein he died in particular That God as a gracious Father had abundantly made good to him that faithful Promise Matth. 19.29 Mark 10.30 Thus for him that 's gone before As for that flesh of his flesh and the fruit of his Loins as for that Ruth and Gershom that he hath left behind him I question not but so long as the Saints among you continue to bear your old Name Philadelphia so the old Puritans of England have us'd to stile you you will not you cannot forget to shew kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan's sake No more but the Psalmists prayer for every one of the faithful Brethren in the whole Church and Nation Psalm 122. 6 to the end with his Amen Amen Who is Your real Brother and Companion in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ Tho. Lye ROM VIII 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live HEre is Life and Death laid down before you If ye walk after the flesh ye shall die a dreadful word spoke even to those who are in Christ and to whom there is no Condemnation who yet need to be warned of their danger Conditional-threatnings may be mustered to them without bringing them back to a spirit of bondage and the Lord works on their fear as well as on their love and will have them keep one eye on Hell and another on Heaven or rather he 'l sometimes have them look behind them that at the sight of Hell and Wrath they may flye the faster to the Hope that 's set before them do not deceive your selves with an opinion of your Priviledges Well then What must we do that we may be saved the words of the Text tells you where mark that the Apostle is speaking to such as are in Christ If ye ask what an unrenewed man should do to be saved the Scripture Answers Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Act. 16. 1 Joh. 3.23 Get into Christ But if ye ask What the man that is in Christ shall do the Text tells you which takes in or rather supposes holy walking or walking after the Spirit for as light comes in darkness goes out so that Mortification is one part of the Condition upon which we attain the possession of eternal Life though it be by faith by our first believing that we acquire a right to it Now in the words we have 1. The Act enjoyned Mortifie 2. The Object about which it is conversant 3. The way or the means by which this is to be effected through the Spirit 4. The Promise annexed Ye shall live 5. The Conditionality of the Promise If c. For the first What it is we shall after shew only now the Original word signifies to slay to pursue to Death Sin is not at once slain itgets a deaths-stroke by the first saving-work of grace it never recovers that but yet it dies but lingringly therefore called a Crucifixion and it s a great part of the Christians work to follow it to death to be driving nails into it and keep it bleeding till it expire For the second Let us observe the various Scripture-expressions as 1. Flesh so frequently in this Chapter this sometimes signifies the state of the natural man he that is in the flesh cannot please God so John 3.6 Sometimes the remainder of sin in the Regenerate Gal. 5.16 And so we read of the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 these are the deeds of the flesh 2. Sin is spoke of as a body as in the Text sometimes called a body of sin Rom. 6.6 Sometimes the body of this death Rom. 7.24 It 's a Body not a Phantasm we are to conflict with it 's not to beat the air we are called to its weight is not found because it is in its place in its Element Now this Body hath various Members these we are to mortifie Col. 3.5 The stump of sin cannot be got out but we must be daily mutilating it and cutting off its members the stump we cannot pluck up the body and mass of in-dwelling sin we cannot discern nor reach but its deeds and workings we feel And albeit Gods faving-work upon the Soul wherein we are passive does wound and weaken the Body sin yet any work of grace wherein we are active does immediately only strike at the members of sin and at the deeds of it therefore says the Text If c. mortifie the deeds of the body 3. Sin is called a Man an old Man to hold forth the strength and cunning of it and its interest in the soul and body of a man It 's not a dead Carcass nor is it seated only in the outward members of a man Now we read of the deeds of this old man
for mortifying sin nor can you expect that your sins should be all killed at once nay indeed a man that desires not and seeks not the death of every sin cannot without a contradiction be said to desire or seek Heaven nay put an unmortified man in Heaven and it would be a Prison to him as a stately Palace would be to Swine Seneca brings in Nero knocking at Heavens-gate Answer is made That there was nothing there wherein he delighted whereupon Hercules is ordered to beat him away with his Club. It 's by our success in Mortification that we make our access to and acquire a fitness for Heaven Can ye love and cherish sin here and think to hate it in Heaven Ye mistake Heaven if ye think it stands so much in freedom from trouble as in freedom from sin and indeed the successful practice of Mortification will clear more what Heaven is to you than all your studies and speculative Contemplations of it If any Object that if sin hinder our Union Acceptance or Communion with God how can any on Earth enjoy these since every sin is not actually slain in any Soul Answer 1. The Soul wherein sin lives and reigns can have no fellowship with God that of 1 Joh. 1.6 does hold all you say of it and expect of it as a lye and will prove such 2. While sin the dreg of our Disease remains with us there 's no perfect Communion with God nor is the Soul so compleatly united and sodered to him but there 's some disjuncture as it were and what makes eclipses in the Soul but the interposition of some sin 3. Our Union and Communion with God in Christ is by the new Nature through the Spirit it 's only in so far as we are freed from sin Now whatever sin be in the person there 's none in this new Divine Nature the seed of God is pure and undefiled with sin 4. While we are pursuing sin to death there 's no remainders of it that debars us from Communion with God according to the Covenant of Grace None were cut off of old from the congregation for being defiled that did not neglect the appointed Purifications Hear the rule of our acceptance with God and of continued Communion with him If ye through the Spirit do mortifie c. Finally the Christian that makes conscience of Mortification is helped in his work by his Union and Communion with God in Christ there 's some Union necessary to the taking away of sin and there is some that is the reward of Mortification Our Lord took not his Church to be one with him to be his Spouse because she was pure but that he might make her so Ephes 5.25 26 27. In a word we cannot have full nor immediate Union and Communion with God till we be like the Angels in Heaven nay till we be like God which is the highest description of Heaven 6. Ponder the weight of the first word of the Verse If ye live c. Compare with Col. 3.6 which shews the necessity of it Finally Consider the necessity of it in order to Eternal life Ye shall live Compare the Text with Col. 3.4 5. Mortifie therefore c. In the fourth place we should consider what is the Spirits work in Mortification Of this a word only I Answer 1. The Spirit discovers sin sin is the fruit of Ignorance Acts 26.18 Satans Kingdom is a Kingdom of darkness Sin reigns by Deceit it entices James 1.14 There the Apostle speaks not of outward Objects allureing Now the Spirits Light makes sin manifest Gal. 5.18 19. It discovers that to be sin which the light of Nature never charged a man with John 16.8 1 John 2.20 Now discover sin once and you ruine it it cannot abide the light this sets a man a-work to War with it and destroy it 2. The Spirit affects with shame and sorrow for sin it lets the Soul see sin not only in the glass of the Law but of the Gospel as it is against Christ and the love of God and this imbitters it and raises the heart against it The Soul cannot endure that that which was the death of Christ should live in it Zech. 12.10 The Spirit also lets a man see sin practising and warring against his Soul plotting and acting against his life and so true self-love sets a man to seek its death 1 Pet. 2.11 yea and lets him taste so much bitterness in it and gives such experimental knowledg of the malignant nature of it that makes a man weary of it and seek to extirpate it 3. The New Nature which is born of the Spirit cannot bear it the Spirit hence is said to lust against the flesh there 's a contrariety between them that like Fire and Water in the Cloud make a thunder in the Soul the man that wants the Spirit has no principle in him that opposes sin as sin or that seeks the death of sin 4. By the Spirit we are united to Christ and by vertue of this Union with Christ we are enabled to overcome sin we thereby receive strength and supplies of Grace and are made conformable to him we are crucified with him and die with him and rise with him Gal. 6.14 The Soul sees not only a Pattern of Holiness and mortification to sin in Christ but is made partaker of the same holiness that is in Christ and so has the same abhorrence of sin and the nearer it be to the Soul the Lord Jesus had no sin in his person the more it loaths it That which put him on destroying the works of the Devil prompts them to seek the destruction of sin 5. The Spirit promotes Mortification by actuating assisting and strengthning Grace in us the Spirit excites the exercise of Grace Now says Paul If ye walk after the Spirit ye shall not c. Gal. 5.16 Compare it with John 7.38 The exercise of Grace engages the Spirit to assist his own work and this he will do if not grieved And thus the Spirit does not only hinder the fulfilling or bringing forth the lusts of the flesh but also marrs the conception of them the Spirit by filling with the fruits of holiness and righteousness leaves no room for the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 21. Phil. 1.11 2 Pet. 1.9 Now these Acts of holiness c. the Apostle calls the fruits of the Spirit for these the Spirit excites and produces not by moral means only but by an internal immediate effectual work for which end especially he dwells in them viz. to cherish his own work and to excite the actings of Grace as in the old Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters c. and they brought forth living creatures so does he move upon the New Creature in the Soul and it brings forth fruits which for this reason I say are called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.19 The Spirit draws forth godly sorrow and that is like poison to sin the Spirit draws forth Acts
Col. 3.9 Lye not one to another seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds these are the same with the deeds of the Body 3. By the Spirit is here understood first and mainly the Holy Ghost by whose immediate Efficiency this work is effected yet 2. May be taken in also the graces of the Spirit by the acting of which this work is carried on Now from the words I shall take occasion to speak to these particulars in short 1. What Mortification is 2. What 's the Object and extent of it 3. The necessity of it 4. What is the work of the Spirit in it 5. I shall apply the whole For the first It 's necessary in the first place to shew you some bastard-kinds of Mortification whereby ye may know what it is not The first is A Philosophick mortification to such things as are seen by the light of Nature to be empty and unsatisfactory for Reason may go far here hence some of the old Philosophers seemed to contemn Riches and to be above trouble for outward changes as Diogenes c. Yet they were either but Dissemblers as Seneca who writes against Avarice and tells us That Nature was satisfied with water for Drink and with a house of Turf yet he was a Covetous man So was Cicero an aspiring man for as much as he writes against Pride not by the Spirit and the Cross of Christ but from meer moral Considerations as that of the old Pagans revived again by some who call themselves Christians who taught men to moderate their inordinate desires and passions by the precepts and habits of moral Virtue This especially flourished among the old Family of Philosophers called Stoicks who pretended to be without all passions which said they were not incident to wise men If they met with any extraordinary mischance they thought a wise man might step out at any door he would into their imaginary heaven and happiness Hence Cato who was the Worlds-Wonder for his Wisdom stabbed himself and his Servants finding him bound up his wound which when they were gone he teared open again yet not expiring soon enough he was forced to use some other violence to himself So Seneca and others Now this way of Mortification all who deny the necessity of special Grace as Pelagians Arminians Quakers must needs fall into for whatever different names they give to any word principle or power yet if common to every man it 's still but Nature which is capable of improvement and indeed how far common Reason may be improved to the regulating of a mans passions is plain from the manifold instances of old and late Moralists to the shame of many called Christians Yet plain it is that they did but keep under their lusts and not mortifie them and that by their depressing one lust they did but exalt another as those who died for their Countrey and forfook all for meer love of Learning But what avails it says one to be dead to a bit of Clay and alive to Vain-glory which is indeed the life of Sin and of the Old-Man Pride especially did grow upon the ruines of other lusts so that their seeming Self-denial and Motification was really but Self-magnifying Yea to that height of Pride did some of them grow up that Lucretius and Seneca endeavoured by Argument to exalt their virtuous men above their gods in as much as these were necessarily good But men were such voluntarily and by choice and whoever now they be who would lessen â—â—â—â—tural pravity and misery and who oppose the imputed Righteousness of Christ and Justification by Faith whatever their seeming mortification and moral endowments be they must needs fall into the same Condemnation for ignorance of these grand Truths was the root that the Pagan Arrogance grew upon as for that inward Tranquility that followed the moderation of their passions it was but a Lye 2. A second Bastard-way of Mortification is that of the Papists it stands in some outward severities as lying on the Earth whipping themselves going bare-footed with Ropes about their waists begging living in Cells Hermitages Vows of Poverty and single life They suppose says Luther That when they enter their Cells that they are crucified to the World when indeed they are crucified to Christ and Christ to them Pride and Self-righteousness being thereby quickned We may as well sacrifice our lives as shed a drop of blood in such a way as Baals Priests did which had the same ground and bottom that Popish-whippings and Penances have But what Pride Epicurism and monstrous lusts have been and are cherished under these pretences I need not tell you We grant That to keep the body in subjection is a part and a means of further mortification But this is not to be done by rigour and cruelty But by the sparing-use of outward Comforts and refusing to gratifie the inordinate desires of the flesh Some such severities as going naked c. some Quakers have also espoused but this is not through the Spirit to mortifie c. These means of mens devising do but cherish Self-righteousness and Pride Satan is not so easie as to be beaten or buffeted out were he to preach he would preach such Doctrine as this and prescribe such Methods witness some Pagans who in these have out-gone Papists A 3d false way of Mortification is that of the Antinomians who place it in the want or suppressing of all challenges of inward sense and trouble for sin these they cry down as Legal and the ground of this is another no less Error viz. That what is sin in others is none in them suppose even gross outward wickedness But our Lord came to redeem Sinners not sin He justifies our persons not our sins this were the way to vivifie sin and to mortify holiness Sure David knew not then what mortification meant Psal 51.3 But I will not rake into the ashes of this I hope buried Error The 4th false way of Mortification is that which lies in refraining from ourward impieties whereas the first motions of sin if not consented to are pleaded not to be sin Thus Papists and Quakers for these last have espoused this among other Popish Errours and if they fall not into gross impieties they blasphemously father them upon the holy Spirit But are not the first motions the deeds of the body do they not flow from some evil principle or habit in the Soul if they do they are to be mortified if you say we mortifie them when we consent not to them I answer Mortification imports more even the extirpation and as much as may be the supression of them for their very being in the Soul is irksome to the godly man the new creature cannot bear them Rom. 7.24 25 and were it not for Christ we should be condemned for them Chap. 8.1 They foolishly tell us that these motions are from Satan James tells us they are from a mans own lust Chap. 1.14 Our Lord says They
were posed it would be in delivering of me c. but I thank God through Jesus Christ ver 25. And indeed the sinfulness of Sin the exceeding sinfulness of Sin the mysterie of it is never understood till the Original pravity of our Nature be seen Rom. 7.13 Sound Convictions discover the evil of actual sins but they let us see more malignity in this than in all the sins of our life yea than in Murders Adulteries Lying Swearing it 's a fruitful womb that has millions of sin in it and would be eternally bringing forth though there were no Devil to tempt nor to Midwife it into the World And finally they let us see that its being transmitted to us and not contracted by us does not lessen the guilt nor danger of it Here then Mortification must begin it will be in vain to dam up the streams while the Fountain runs it will either carry down the dam and run the more impetuously as is evident in the case of many who have been a while under restraints or it will run out some other way and find out another Channel for it self And indeed mens devised false methods of Mortification serve only to dam up sin or to lop off its branches it 's the light of the Spirit accompanying the Word that only discovers this Rom. 7.7 I had not known c. and it 's by the Spirit only that this is mortified as the Text shews hence it is only the true Believer that does any thing to purpose in this and the more the Believer is exercised in the mortification of Original corruption the weaker and fainter are the acts of Sin and the stronger and the purer are the actings of his Grace for it 's the strength of this that does sensibly weaken the actings of Grace and does secretly and insensibly weaken the principle of Grace Now this corruption of our Nature is sometimes called 1. A body of sin to hold out the greatness of it and 2. A body of death because it works death and has Death and Hell in it and because of its being loathsom and burthensom to the Believer 3. It 's called Enmity against God Rom. 8.7 to shew its desperate and dangerous Nature 4. It 's called Sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 7.17 to shew its nearness to us and its access to hurt us 5. It 's called The law of sin in our members Rom. 7.23 to shew what usurped Authority it has over us 6. It 's called The old man Col. 3.9 to shew its Skill and Cunning and because it has the first possession of us and in the Regenerate is waxing feeble 7. It 's called The flesh Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.24 to shew as some think how it is propagated and how it is cherished viz. by Flesh-pleasing Objects and how it inclines to Flesh-pleasing courses and puts the flesh in the room of the Soul And finally to shew how dear it is even as our flesh 8. It 's called Lust that intices to shew its restless Activity it will not let thee alone though thou wouldst forbear it James 1.4 9. It 's called A root of bitterness Heb. 12.15 to shew its hidden Nature and its fixedness in the Soul and that as in its Soil it is not ingraft or inoculated in us so does it influence our Actions there is no sap in the Branches but what comes from the Root but O the bitter fruits of it there 's no true sweetness in the Root nor in the Branches Lamentation sorrow and wo grow upon it Now how this should be mortified may come to be spoken to in the Application 2. The Effects or Actings of this Original Corruption are also the Objects of Mortification actively considered This bitter Root has many Branches this Body has many Members These Paul calls our Members which are upon earth Col. 3.5 that though differing among themselves yet make up one intire body of Sin and does execute what the law of sin commands They are formed in us as soon as hand or foot of our natural Body and grow up as the outward members do and by these members Sin fights and wars against the Soul and yet are they as dear to us as a right Eye or Hand or Foot Finally it holds out to us how sin is seated in every member and so powerful is the law of sin in our members that they may be called members of sin they are so animated as it were with sin Rom. 6.13 Sometimes these be called the lusts of the flesh Rom. 13.14 Gal. 5.16 1 Pet. 2.11 The Apostle speaks of the Kind and Species too Rom. 6.12 and Rom. 7.8 He insinuates great variety of Lusts 1 John 2.16 we find three especial Lusts mentioned sometimes these are spoke of as acts of the mind and heart hence it 's called the imaginations of the heart walking in the vanity of their mind And sometimes taking in mind and affections too hence called the desires of the flesh and of the mind Ephes 2.3 Now though these Original Corruptions have originally the fame interest in the man yet by reason of some accidental advantages as a mans natural Complexion Education Employment c. some get above the rest and prevail so as to make other lusts Lacquey them and upon every occasion to give place Sometimes the lust of the Eye that is Covetousness sometimes that of the Flesh or Voluptuousness sometimes Pride Sin is as a great King and these are its three chief Princes that command all men under it they are universal lusts some call them Sins or the Worlds Trinity and these admit many subdivisions some of these may more properly be called the lusts of the flesh that have the sensual and brutish part of men only or mostly for them at least engage only mens corrupted affections some of these are more subtil and refined and are called the lusts of the mind when they gain not only our affections but our Judgment to be for them Men by their prudence may disguise their Pride their Covetousness their Prodigality especially when it runs not on sensual Objects and hide it not only from others but from themselves Indeed ordinarily the Affections are first intangled and these bribe and byass and corrupt the mind and engage it first to contrive the fulfilling of their lusts and then to justifie them And one would wonder to see men rational in other things and so much blinded in the matter of their predominant lusts Now these must be mortified and this is held out to us by plucking out the right Eye c. they that are Christs must crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof 1. We must not fulfil the lusts of the flesh we must not let Sin bring forth Nay 2. We must not let it conceive much of this Duty of Mortification lies in beating down the first motions of Sin and the first risings of corruption in the heart be it of Pride Covetousness or Unbelief as soon as the evil tendency
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
unsuccesful warring with sin that makes men unmeet to die He goes in at the Gates of Heaven with flying Colours and has an abundant Entrance ministred unto him how much more will it make a man joy in Tribulation It 's some unmortified Corruption that makes the Cross heavy that makes a man uneasie under affliction or suffering O what Dust will a lively lust raise what confusion and combustion in the Soul When the hand of God falls heavy upon a Man while he is dandling some Idol or pursuing some carnal Interest the man is out of measure amazed every unmortified Corruption makes even the thoughts and apprehensions of trouble full of horrour and no wonder for it 's fearful when God comes to take vengeance on mens inventions even when he forgives their iniquity It 's true in such cases when the Lords people are meeting with trouble from men for his sake he makes not his quarrel visible he often scourges their Conscience when he does not visibly contend with them and one lash from his hand is sorer than Pauls 39 from the Jews indeed he sometimes suspends his quarrel when he does not bury it And sometimes Adversaries wrath does as it were mitigate his Deut. 32.27 Now a mortified man cannot be moved by any thing If there be no lust alive no trouble or affliction can come wrong In the next place let me offer you some Directions how to carry on the mortification of prevailing Corruption And first in general Get a clear sight of your sin or else you cannot level your strokes at it aright be content that God should by his Word and Spirit light upon your Idol and wound it And if any man will tell you of sin your Enemy count him thy Friend say as Saul to the Ziphites when they told him where David was Blessed are you of the Lord for you have had compassion on me 1 Sam. 23.20 21 that which you can least endure a Reproof for is your Master-sin as likewise that which you are most partial in seek most to cover or excuse which you wish were no sin and are readiest to pardon your self for or else are most sorrowful when it cannot be dispensed with Matth. 19.21 22 that sin which rises and goes to bed with you which haunts you when alone or in Company when in your shops and in your Closets which you are at the greatest toil for which you do or suffer most for that is the sin that like the man of sin 2 Thess 2.8 exalts it self O look to Heaven and see what work it made there how sin cast so many Angels out of their first habitations and thrust them into chains those evil Spirits that now solicite thee to sin are dreadful Examples of the mischief of sin it 's a wonder they have a face to tempt to sin it 's as if Murtherers hung up in Chains should solicite Men to murther Look to Paradise and see what desolation it made there it had almost in a moment ruined the whole Creation Look to Golgotha or Mount Calvary or the Garden and see what sad work it made there Look into Hell and hear what a howling it has raised there Alas we paint it and then play with it as Children do with painted Lions And when thou has seen it then thou cryes out O the exceeding sinfulness of sin and of my sin And let one sin set thee in quest of more but never think thou sees all thy sins nor all the evil that is in any one sin O comply with the Spirit and do not defeat his firk Work which is Conviction and when thou has seen thy sore hold thy finger upon it and cry to him who is the soveraign Physician of Souls to make incision there cut off this hand or foot that gangrenes yet keep not both thy eyes upon it lest it should overwhelm thee with horrour 2. Get your hearts broken for Sin your hearts are as fallow-ground you cannot pluck up your thorns they must be plowed up you must rub and reinse your Souls seven times in the waters of Marah in tears of godly sorrow ere thy Leprosie die but see thy tears bathe not sin instead of drowning it and beware thy throws go not off when thou art even about to be delivered from it it 's a token of the strength of sin the Soul is at a low ebb when trouble for sin is gone when sin has made its peace again Some mens troubles do not kill sin but only break some bone of it which when healed again is stronger than before therefore when thou has got a Nail fastned into the Temples of the old man or into the heart of the body of death drive it to the head when the Spirit brings home any word and smites Sin follow home the blow and endeavour to maintain the warmness of that word and the power of it upon thy Spirit till thy Soul be drench'd with tears of Contrition till thy heart be melted and the dross go away 3. If thou would mortifie Sin thy heart must be filled with distaste of it thy sorrow must be attended with hatred and this seeks the life of Sin this will make a man defile the covering of his graven-Images of Silver and the Ornament of his molten-Images of Gold nothing less will serve thee than the death of thy Sin thou wilt pursue it in thy self and others as Haman's hatred sought Mordecai's life yea and the life of all the Jews for his sake Hide not thy Idols as Rachel sate upon hers search thy heart and thy way that thou may find all out and what thou canst not find pray the Lord may find for thee Psal 39.34 leave no Corruption which Satan may fit and brood upon These things must needs be previous to Mortification Now more particularly for the means of carrying on this great business of Mortification 1. Prayer especially private Prayer is of singular use I mention only this at present not being solicitous of Method I say private Prayer for your secret Sins and particular Corruptions may shelter and shroud and hide themselves from all your prayers in publick or in fellowship with others and alas many who are others mouths to God have enough to do to mortifie pride and vanity and selfishness in praying with others let it be by their prayers to get other Corruptions mortified or to get pride and selfishness in other things mortified Prayer and Lusts or Corruptions are like Moses and the Amalekites when Moses hands are up Israel prevails when they fall down the Amalekites prevail so is it in this case It was Pauls Relief 2 Cor. 12.7 8 when Satan was working on the remainder of some Coruption For this I besought the Lord thrice and he was helped It may be sense of some prevailing Corruption has sent you to your Closet and put you upon your knees and you have found Relief and then you have lest off praying and your Corruption has prevailed again Hence
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
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
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
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
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
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