into the battel or make head against it to suppress it what doest thou say to thy Soul what doest thou expostulate with thy self is this all Hell will be the end of this course Vengeance will meet with me and find me out it is time for thee to look about thee evil lyes at the door Pauls main Argument to evince that sin shall not have dominion over Believers is that they are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.14 If thy contendings against Sin be all on legal Accounts from legal Principles and motives what assurance canst thou attain unto that sin shall not have dominion over thee which will be thy ruine Yea know that this Reserve will not long hold out if thy Lust hath driven thee from stronger Gospel Forts it will speedily prevail against this also do not suppose that such Considerations will deliver thee when thou hast voluntarily given up to thine Enemy those Helps and Means of Preservation which have a thousand times their Strength Rest assuredly in this that unless thou recover thy self with speed from this Condition the thing that thou fearest will come upon thee what Gospel Principles do not legal Motives cannot doe 5 When it is probable that there is or may be somewhat of judiciary hardness or at least chastening Punishment in thy Lust as disquieting This is another dangerous symptome That God doth sometimes leave even those of his own under the perplexing power at least of some Lust or Sin to correct them for former sins Negligence and Folly I no way doubt Hence was that complaint of the Church Why hast thou hardened us from the fear of thy Name Isa. 63.17 That this is his way of dealing with unregenerate men no man questions But how shall a man know whether there be any thing of Gods chastening hand in his being left to the disquietment of his distemper Answ. Examine thy Heart and Wayes What was the state and Condition of thy Soul before thou fellest into the Intanglements of that sin which now thou so complainest of Hadst thou been negligent in Duties hadst thou lived inordinately to thy self is there the guilt of any great sin lying upon thee unrepented of A new Sin may be permitted as well as a new Affliction sent to bring an Old sin to remembrance Hast thou received any eminent Mercy Protection Deliverance which thou diddest not improve in a due Manner nor wast thankfull for or hast been exercised with any Affliction without labouring for the appointed End of it or hast thou been wanting to the Opportunities of glorifying God in thy Generation which in his good Providence he had graciously afforded unto thee or hast thou conformed thy self unto the World and the men of it through the abounding of Temptations in the dayes wherein thou livest If thou findest this to have been thy State awake call upon God thou art fast asleep in a storm of Anger round about thee 6 When thy Lust hath already withstood particular dealings from God against it This Condition is described Isa. 57.17 For the Iniquity of his Coveteousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart God had dealt with them about their prevailing Lust and that several wayes by Affliction and Desertion But they held out against all This is a sad Condition which nothing but meer soveraign Grace as God expresses it in the next verse can relieve a man in and which no man ought to promise himself or bear himself upon God oftentimes in his providential Dispensations meets with a man and speaks particularly to the Evil of his Heart as he did to Joseph's Brethren in their selling of him into Egypt This makes the man reflect on his sin and judge himself in particular for it God makes it to be the voice of the Danger Affliction Trouble Sickness that he is in or under Sometimes in Reading of the Word God makes a man stay on something that cuts him to the Heart and shakes him as to his present Condition More frequently in the Hearing of the Word preached his great Ordinance for Conviction Conversion and Edification doth he meet with men God often hews men by the Sword of his Word in that Ordinance strikes directly on their bosome beloved Lust startles the Sinner makes him engage into the Mortification and Relinquishment of the Evil of his Heart Now if his Lust have taken such hold on him as to enforce him to break these bonds of the Lord and to cast these cords from him If it overcomes these Convictions and gets again into its old posture if it can cure the wounds it so receives that Soul is in a sad Condition Unspeakable are the Evils which attend such a Frame of Heart Every particular Warning to a man in such an Estate is an inestimable Mercy how then doth he despise God in them who holds out against them and what infinite Patience is this in God that he doth not cast off such an one and swear in his wrath that he shall never enter into his Rest. These and many other Evidences are there of a Lust that is dangerous if not mortal As our Saviour said of the evil Spirit This kind goes not out but by Fasting and Prayer So say I of Lusts of this kind an ordinary Course of Mortification will not doe it extraordinary wayes must be fixed on This is the First particular Direction Consider whether the Lust or Sin you are contending with hath any of these dangerous symptoms attending of it Before I proceed I must give one Caution by the way lest any be deceived by what hath been spoken Whereas I say the things and evils above mentioned may befall true Believers let not any that finds the same things in himself thence or from thence conclude that he is a true Believer These are the Evils that Believers may fall into and be ensnared withall not the things that Constitute a Believer A man may as well conclude that he is a Believer because he is an Adulterer because David that was so fell into Adultery as conclude it from the signs foregoing which are the evils of Sin and Sathan in the Hearts of Believers The seventh of the Romans contains the Description of a Regenerate man He that shall consider what is spoken of his dark side of his unregenerate part of the indwelling Power and Violence of Sin remaining in him and because he finds the like in himself conclude that he is a regenerate man will be deceived in his Reckoning It is all one as if you should argue A wise man may be sick and wounded yea do some things foolishly Therefore every one who is sick and wounded and does things foolishly is a wise man Or as if a silly deformed Creature hearing one speaking of a beautifull Person should say that he had a mark or a Scarre that much disfigured him should conclude that because he hath himself
countenance himself in giving the â—â—â—st allowance unto any Sin or Lust is not able on Gospel grounds to manage any Evidence unto any tolerable spiritual Security that indeed he is in a due manner freed from what he so pretends himself to be delivered 2. Whatever be the issue yet the Law hath Commission from God to seize upon Transgressors wherever it find them and so bring them before his Throne where they are to plead for themselves This is thy present case The Law hath found thee out and before God it will bring thee If thou canst plead a Pardon well and good If not the Law will do its work 3. However this is the proper Work of the Law to discover Sin in the Guilt of it to awake and humble the Soul for it to be a Glass to represent Sin in its colours and if thou denyest to deal with it on this Account it is not through Faith but through the hardness of thy Heart and the Deceitfulness of Sin This is a Door that too many Professors have gone out at unto open Apostasie such a Deliverance from the Law they have pretended as that they would consult its Guidance and Direction no more they would measure their Sin by it no more by little and little this Principle hath insensibly from the Notion of it proceeded to influence their practical Understandings and having taken possession there hath turned the Will and Affections loose to all manner of Abominations By such wayes I say then as these perswade thy Conscience to hearken diligently to what the Law speaks in the Name of the Lord unto thee about thy Lust and Corruption Oh! if thy Ears be open it will speak with a Voyce that shall make thee tremble that shall cast thee to the ground and fill thee with Astonishment If ever thou wilt mortifie thy Corruptions thou must tye up thy Conscience to the Law shut it from all shifts and Exceptions untill it owns its Guilt with a clear and through Apprehension So that thence as David speaks thy Iniquity may ever be before thee 2 Bring thy Lust to the Gospel not for Relief but for farther conviction of its Guilt look on him whom thou hast pierced and be in bitterness Say to thy Soul What have I done what Love what Mercy what Blood what Grace have I despised and trampled on Is this the Return I make to the Father for his Love to the Son for his Blood to the Holy Ghost for his Grace Doe I thus requite the Lord Have I defiled the Heart that Christ dyed to wash that the Blessed Spirit hath chosen to dwell in And can I keep my self out of the Dust What can I say to the dear Lord Jesus How shall I hold up my head with any boldness before him Doe I account Communion with him of so little value that for this vile Lusts sake I have scarce left him any room in my Heart How shall I escape if I neglect so great Salvation In the mean time what shall I say to the Lord Love Mercy Grace Goodness Peace Joy Consolation I have despised them all and esteemed them as a thing of nought that I might harbour a Lust in my Heart Have I obtained a view of Gods Fatherly Countenance that I might behold his face and provoke him to his face Was my Soul washed that room might be made for new Defilements Shall I endeavour to disappoint the End of the Death of Christ Shall I daily grieve that Spirit whereby I am sealed to the day of Redemption Entertâ—in thy Conscience daily with this Treaty 〈◊〉 it can stand before this Aggravation o◠〈◊〉 â—â—iâ—t If this make it not sink in some 〈◊〉 and melt I fear thy Case is dangerous Secondly 〈…〉 particulars As under the General 〈…〉 Gospel all the Benefits of it are to be considered as Redemption Justification and the lâ—ke so in particular consider the Management of the love of them toward thine own Soul for the Aggravation of the Guilt of thy Corruption As 1. Consider the infinite Patience and forbearance of God towards thee in particular Consider what Advantages he might have taken against thee to have made thee a shame and a reproach in this World and an object of wrath for ever How thou hast dealt treacherously and falsly with him from time to time flattered him with thy Lips but broken all Promises and Engagements and that by the means of that Sin thou art now in pursuit of and yet he hath spared thee from time to time although thou seemest boldly to have put it to the tryal how long he could hold out And wilt thou yet sin against him wilt thou yet weary him and make him to serve with thy Corruptions Hast thou not often been ready to conclude thy self that it was utterly impossible that he should bear any longer with thee that he would cast thee off and be gracious no more that all his Forbearance was exhausted and Hell and Wrath was even ready prepared for thee and yet above all thy Expectation he hath returned with Visitations of Love and wilt thou yet abide in the Provocation of the eyes of his Glory 2. How often hast thou been at the door of being Hardened by the Deceitfulness of Sin and by the infinite rich Grace of God hast been recovered to communion with him again Hast thou not found Grace decaying Delight in Duties Ordinances Prayer and Meditation vanishing inclinations to loose careless walking thriving and they who before were entangled almost beyond recovery Hast thou not found thy self engaged in such Wayes Societies Companies and that with delight as God abhorres and wilt thou venture any more to the brink of Hardness 3. All Gods gracious dealings with thee in Providential Dispensations Deliverances Afflictions Mercies Enjoyments all ought here to take place By these I say and the like Means load thy Conscience and leave it not untill it be throughly affected with the Guilt of thy indwelling Corruption Untill it is sensible of its Wound and lye in the dust before the Lord. Unless this be done to the purpose all other Endeavours are to no purpose Whilest the Conscience hath any Means to alleviate the Guilt of Sin the Soul will never vigorously attempt its Mortification Fourthly Being thus affected with thy Sin in the next place get a constant longing breathing after deliverance from the Power of it Suffer not thy Heart one moment to be contented with thy present Frame and Condition Longing desires after any thing in things Natural and Civil are of no value nor consideration any farther but as they incite and stirre up the person in whom they are to a diligent use of Means for the bringing about the thing aymed at In spiritual things it is otherwise Longing breathing and panting after Deliverance is a Grace in its self that hath a mighty power to conform the Soul into the likeness of the thing longed after Hence the Apostle describing the Repentance and godly Sorrow of
the other Now he that hath the rational he doth not onely act suitably to that principle but also to both the others he growes and is sensible It is so with men in the things of God some are meer natural and rational men some have a superadded Conviction with Illumination and some are truely regenerate Now he that hath the latter hath also both the former and therefore he acts sometimes upon the Principles of the rational sometimes upon the Principles of the enlightened man His true spiritual life is not the principle of all his motions He acts not alwayes in the strength thereof neither are all his fruits from that Root In this case that I speak of he acts merely upon the Principle of Conviction and Illumination whereby his first naturals are heightened but the Spirit breaths not at all upon all these waters Take an Instance suppose the wound and disquiet of the Soul to be upon the account of Relapses which whatever the evil or Folly be though for the matter of it never so small yet there are no wounds deeper than those that are given the Soul on that account nor disquietments greater In the perturbation of his Mind he finds out that Promise Isa. 55.7 The Lord will have mercy and our God will abundantly pardon He will multiply or adde to pardon He will do it again and again or that in Hos. 14.4 I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely This the man considers and thereupon concludes Peace to himself whether the Spirit of God make the Application or no whether that gives life and power to the letter or no that he regards not He doth not hearken whether God the Lord speak peace He doth not wait upon God who perhaps yet hides his face and sees the poor Creature stealing Peace and running away with it knowing that the time will come when he will deal with him again and call him to a new reckoning Hos. 11.3 when he shall see that it is in vain to goe one step where God doth not take him by the hand I see here indeed sundry other questions upon this arising and interposing themselves I cannot apply my self to them all one I shall a little speak to It may be said then seeing that this seems to be the path that the Holy Spirit leads us in for the healing of our wounds and quieting of our hearts how shall we know when we go alone our selves and when the Spirit also doth accompany us Ans. 1. If any of you are out of the way upon this account God will speedily let you know it for bâ—sideâ— that you have his Promise that the meek he will guide â—n â—udgâ—ment and teach them his way Psal. 25.9 he will not let you alwayes erre He will I say not suffer your nakedness to be covered with Fig-leaves but take them away and all the peace you have in them and will not suffer you to settle on such lees you shall quickly know your wound is not healed That is you shall speedily know whether or no it be thus with you by the event the peace you thus get and obtain will not abide Whilest the Mind is overpowered by its own Convictions there is no hold for disquietments to fix upon Stay a little and all thâ—se reasonings will grow cold and vanish before the face of the first Temptation that arises But 2. This course is commonly taken without waiting which is the Grace and that peculiar acting of Faith which God calls for to be exercised in such a Condition I know God doth sometimes come in upon the Soul instantly in a moment as it were wounding and healing it as I am perswaded it was in the Case of David when he cut off the lap of Sauls Garment But ordinarily in such a case God calls for waiting and labouring attending as the eye of a Servant upon his Master Sayes the Prophet Isaiah ch 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from Jacob. God will have his Children lye a while at his door when they have run from his House and not instantly rush in upon him unless he take them by the hand and pluck them in when they are so ashamed that they dare not come to him Now self-healers or men that speak peace to themselves do commonly make haste they will not tarry They do not hearken what God speaks Isa. 28.16 but on they will goe to be healed 3. Such a Course though it may quiet the Conscience and the Mind the rational concluding part of the Soul yet it doth not sweeten the Heart with Rest and gracious Contention The Answer it receives is much like that Elisha gave Naaman Go in peace 2 King 5.19 it quieted his Mind but I much question whether it sweetned his Heart or gave him any Joy in Believing other than the natural Joy that was then stirred in him upon his healing Doe not my words doe good saith the Lord Mich. 2.7 When God speaks there is not only truth in his words that may answer the Conviction of our Understanding but also they doe good they bring that which is sweet and good and desireable to the Will and Affections By them the Soul returns unto its Rest Psal. 116.16 4. Which is worst of all it amends not the life it heals not the evil it cures not the distemper When God speaks Peace it guides and keeps the Soul that it turn not again to Folly Psaâ— 85.8 When we speak it our selves the Heart is not taken off the Evil. Nay it is the readyest course in the world to bring a Soul into a trade of Backsliding If upon thy plaistering thy self thou findest thy self rather animated to the battel again than utterly weaned from it it is too palpable that thou hast been at work with thy own Soul but Jesus Christ and his Spirit were not there Yea and often-times Nature having done its work will ere a few dayes are over come for its Reward and having been active in the work of Healing will be ready to reason for a new wounding In Gods speaking peace there comes along so much sweetness and such a Discovery of his Love as is a strong Obligation on the Soul no more to deal perversly 3 We speak Peace to our selves when we do it slightly This the Prophet complains of in some Teachers Jer. 6.14 They have healed the wound of the Daughter of my people slightly And it is so with some persons they make the healing of their wounds a slight work a look a glance of Faith to the Promises does it and so the matter is ended The Apostle tells us that the Word did not profit some because it was not mixed with Faith Heb. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not well tempered and mingled with Faith It is not a mere look to the word of Mercy in the Promise but it must be mingled with Faith untill it is incorporated into the very Nature of it
into a perfect contrary Condition to that which the Apostle affirms was his 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day In these the Inward man perisheth and the Outward man is renewed day by day Sin is as the house of David and Grace as the house of Saul Exercise and success are the two main cherishers of Grace in the heart When it is suffered to lye still it withers and decayes the things of it are ready to dye Rev. 3.2 and Sin gets ground towards the hardening of the heart Heb. 3.13 This is that which I intend by the Omission of this duty Grace withers Lust flourisheth and the Frame of the Heart growes worse and worse and the Lord knows what desperate and fearful issues it hath had with many Where Sin through the Neglect of Mortification gets a considerable Victory it breaks the bones of the Soul Psal. 31.10 Psal. 51.8 and makes a man weak sick and ready to dye Psal. 38.3 4 5. that he cannot look up Psal. 40.12 Isa. 33.24 and when poor Creatures will take blow after blow wound after wound foil after foil and never rouse up themselves to a vigorous Opposition can they expect any thing but to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin and that their Souls should bleed to death 2 Joh. 8 Indeed it is a sad thing to consider the fearfull issues of this Neglect which lye under our eyes every day See we not those whom we knew humble melting broken-hearted Christians tender and fearfull to offend zealous for God and all his wayes his Sabbaths and Ordinances grown through a neglect of watching unto this Duty earthly carnal cold wrathfull complying with the men of the world and things of the World to the Scandal of Religion and the fearfull Temptation of them that know them The truth is what between placing mortification in a rigid stubborn Frame of Spirit which is for the most part earthly legal censorious partial consistent with Wrath Envy Malice Pride on the one hand and pretences of Liberty Grace and I know not what on the other true Evangelical Mortification is almost lost amongst us of which afterwards 6. It is our Duty to be Perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 To be growing in Grace every day 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 To be renewing our inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Now this cannot be done without the daily Mortifying of sin Sin sets its strength against every Act of Holiness and against every degree we grow to Let not that man think he makes any Progress in Holiness who walks not over the bellies of his Lusts He who doth not kill Sin in his way takes no steps towards his Journeyes End He who finds not opposition from it and who sets not himself in every particular to its Mortification is at peace with it not dying to it This then is the first General Principle of our ensuing Discourse Notwithâ—tanding the meritorious Mortification if I may so speak of all and every Sin in the Cross of Christ notwithstanding the real Foundation of universal Mortification laid in our first Conversion by Conviction of Sin humiliation for sin and the Implantation of a new Principle opposite to it and destructive of it yet Sin doth so remain so act and work in the best of Believers whilest they live in this world that the constant daily Mortification of it is all their dayes incumbent on them Before I proceed to the Consideration of the next Principle I cannot but by the way complain of many Professors of these days who instead of bringing forth such great and evident Fruits of Mortification as are expected scarce bear any Leaves of it There is indeed a broad Light fallen upon the men of this Generation and together therewith many spiritual Gifts communicated which with some other Considerations have wonderfully enlarged the bounds of Professors and Profession both they and it are exceedingly multiplyed and increased Hence there is a noise of Religion and Religious Duties in every corner preaching in abundance and that not in an empty light trivial and vain manner as formerly but to a good proportion of a spiritual Gift so that if you will measure the number of Believers by Light Gâ—fts and profession the Church may have cause to say Who hath born me all these But now if you will take the measure of them by this great discriminating Grace of Christians perhaps you will find their number not so multiplyed Where almost is that Professor who owes his Conversion to these dayes of Light and so talks and professes at such a rate of Spirituality as few in former dayes were in any measure acquainted with I will not judge them but perhaps boasting what the Lord hath done in them that doth not give evidence of a miserably unmortified heart if vain spending of Time idleness unprofitableness in mens places envy strife variance emulations wrath pride worldliness selfishness 1 Cor. 1. be Badges of Christians we have them on us and amongst us in abundance And if it be so with them who have much Light and which we hope is saving what shall we say of some who would be accounted religious and yet despise Gospel Light and for the Duty we have in hand know no more of it but what consists in mens Denying themselves sometimes times in outward Enjoyments which is one of the outmost Branches of it which yet they will seldom practise The good Lord send out a spirit of Mortification to cure our Distempers or we are in a sad Condition There are two Evils which certainly attend every unmortified Professor The first in himself the other in respect of others 1. In himself let him pretend what he will he hath slight thoughts of Sin at least of sins of daily infirmity The Root of an unmortified Course is the digestion of Sin without bitterness in the heart When a man hath confirmed his Imagination to such an Apprehension of Grace and Mercy as to be able without bitterness to swallow and digest daily sins that man is at the very brink of turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness and being hardened by the deceitfulness of Sin Neither is there a greater Evidence of a false and rotten heart in the world than to drive such a Trade To use the blood of Christ which is given to cleanse us 1 Joh. 1.7 Tit. 2.14 The exaltation of Christ which is to give us Repentance Act. 5.31 the Doctrine of Grace which teaches us to deny all ungodliness Tit. 2.11 12. to countenance Sin is a Rebellion that in the issue will break the bones At this door have gone out from us most of the professors that have Apostatized in the dayes wherein we live for a while they were most of them under Convictions these kept them unto Duties and brought them to Profession So they escaped the pollutions that are in the world through the knowledge of our Lord
Faith takes several views of Christ according to the Occasions of Address to him and communion with him that it hath Sometimes it views his Holiness sometimes his power sometimes his love his favour with his Father And when it goes for healing and peace it looks especially on the blood of the Covenant on his Sufferings for by his stripes are we healed and the chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa. 53.5 when we look for Healing his stripes are to be eyed not in the outward story of them which is the course of Popish Devotionists but in the Love Kindness Mystery and design of the Cross. And when we look for peace his Chastisements must be in our eye Now this I say if it be done according to the mind of God and in the strength of that Spirit which is poured out on Believers it will beget a detestation of that sin or sins for which healing and peace is sought So Ezek. 16.60 61. nevertheless I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth and I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant and what then then thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed When God comes home to speak peace in a sure Covenant of it it fills the Soul with shame for all the wayes whereby it hath been alienated from him And one of the things that the Apostle mentions as attending that godly sorrow which is accompanyed with Repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of is revenge yea what revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 They reflected on their miscarriages with Indignation and Revenge for their Folly in them When Job comes up to a through healing he cryes Now I abhorre my self Job 42.6 and untill he did so he had no abiding peace He might perhaps have made up himself with that Doctrine of free Grace which was so excellently preached by Elihu Chap. 33. from v. 14. unto the 29th but he had then but skinned his wounds he must come to self-abhorrency if he come to healing So was it with those in Psal. 78.33 35. in their great trouble and perplexity for and upon the Account of Sin I doubt not but upon the Address they made to God in Christ for that so they did is evident from the titles they gave him they call him their Rock and their Redeemer two words every where pointing out the Lord Christ they spake peace to themselves but was it sound and abiding No it passed away as the early dew God speaks not one word of peace to their Souls But why had they not peace Why because in their Address to God they flattered him But how doth that appear vers 37. Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast They had not a detestation nor relinquishment of that sin in reference whereunto they spake peace to themselves Let a man make what application he will for healing and peace let him do it to the true Physitian let him do it the right way let him quiet his Heart in the Promises of the Covenant yet when Peace is spoken if it be not attended with the detestation and Abhorrency of that Sin which was the wound and caused the Disquietment this is no Peace of Gods creating but of our own purchasing It is but a skinning over the wound whilest the core lyes at the bottom which will putrifie and corrupt and corrode untill it break out again with noysomness vexation and danger Let not poor Souls that walk in such a path as this they are more sensible of the trouble of Sin than of the pollution or uncleanness that attends it they address themselves for mercy yea to the Lord in Christ they address themselves for mercy but yet will keep the sweet Morsel of their Sin under their Tongue let them I say never think to have true and solid peace For instance Thou findest thy Heart running out after the World and it disturbs thee in thy communion with God the Spirit speaks expressely to thee He that loveth the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 This puts thee on dealing with God in Christ for the healing of thy Soul the quieting of thy Conscience but yet withall a through detestation of the evil it self abides not upon thee yea perhaps that is liked well enough but onely in respect of the Consequences of it perhaps thou mayst be saved yet as through fire and God will have some work with thee before he hath done but thou wilt have little Peace in this Life thou wilt be sick and fainting all thy dayes Isa. 57.17 This is a Deceit that lyes at the root of the Peace of many Professors and waâ—ts it they deal with all their strength about Mercy and Pardon and seem to have great Communion with God in their so doing they lye before him bewail their Sins and Follies that any one would think yea they think themselves that surely they and their Sins are now parted and so receive in Mercy that satisfies their Hearts for a little season but when a through search comes to be made there hath been some secret reserve for the Folly or Follyes treated about at least there hath not been that through Abhorrency of it which is necessary and their whole peace is quickly discovered to be weak â—nd rotten scarce abiding any longer than the words of begging it are in their mouths 2 When men measure out peace to themselves upon the conclusions that their convictions and Rational Principles will carry them out unto This is a false peace and will not abide I shall a little explain what I mean hereby A man hath got a wound by sin he hath a Conviction of some Sin upon his Conscience he hath not walked uprightly as becometh the Gospel all is not well and right between God and his Soul He considers now what is to be done Light he hath and knows what Path he must take and how his Soul hath been formerly healed Considering that the Promises of God are the outward Means of Application for the healing of his sores and quieting of his Heart he goes to them searches them out finds out some one or more of them whose literal Expressions are directly suited to his condition Sayes he to himself God speaks in this Promise here I will take my self a plaister as long and broad as my wound and so brings the word of the promise to his Condition and sets him down in peace This is another appearance upon the mount the Lord is neer but the Lord is not in it It hath not been the work of the Spirit who alone can convince us of Sin and Righteousness and Judgement but the mere Actings of the intelligent rational Soul As there are three sorts of Lives we say the vegetative the sensitive and the rational or intelligent Some things have onely the vegetative some the sensitive also and that includes the former some have the rational which takes in and supposes both
there is enough in Jesus Christ to yield thee relief Phil. 4.13 It staid the prodigal when he was ready to faint that yet there was bread enough in his father's house Though he was at a distance from it yet it releived him and staid him that there it was In thy greatest distress and anguish consider that fullness of Grace those Riches those Treasures of strength might and help that are laid up in him for our support Joh. 1.16 Col. 1.19 Let them come into and abide in thy mind Consider that he is exalted and made a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel Act. 5.31 and if to give Repentance to give Mortification without which the other is not nor can be Christ tels us that we obtain purging Grace by abiding in him Joh. 15.3 To act faith upon the fulness that is in Christ for our supply is an eminent way of abiding in Christ for both our insition and aboade is by Faith Rom. 11.19 20. Let then thy soul by faith be exercised with such thoughts and apprehensions as these I am a poor weak Creature unstable as water I cannot excel This corruption is to hard for me and is at the very door of ruining my soul and what to do I know not My soul is become as parched ground and an habitation of Dragons I have made promises and broken them vowes and engagemens have been as a thing of nought many perswasions have I had that I had got the victory and should be delivered but I am deceived so that I plainly see that without some eminent succour and assistance I am lost and shall be prevailed on to an utter relinquishment of God but yet though this be my staâ—e and Condition Yet let the hands that hang down be lifted up and the feeble knees be strengthned behold the Lord Christ that hath all fullness of Grace in his heart all fullness of power in his hand He is able to slay all these his enemies There is sufficient provision in him for my relief and assistance He can take my drooping dying soul and make me more than a Conquerer Why sayest thou O my soul my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends the of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fail but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isa. 40.49 c. He can make the dry parched ground of my soul to become a poole and my thirsty barren heart as springs of water yea he can make this habitation of Dragons this heart so full of abominable lusts and fiery temptations to be a place for Grass and fruit to himself Isa. 35. So God stayed Paul under his Temptation with the Consideration of the sufficiency of his Grace My Grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Though he were not immediately so farre made partaker of it as to be freed from his Temptation yet the sufficiency of it in God for that end and purpose was enough to stay his Spirit I say then by faith be much in the Consideration of that supply and the fullness of it that is in Jesus Christ and how he can at any time give thee strength and deliverance Now if hereby thou dost not find success to a conquest yet thou wilt be staid in the Charriot that thou shalt not fly out of the field until the battel be ended Thou wilt be kept from an utter despondency and a lying down under thy unbelief or a turning aside to false means and remedies that in the issue will not relieve thee The efficacy of this Consideration will be found only in the practice 2. Raise up thy heart by faith to an expectation of Relief from Christ Relief in this case from Christ is like the Prophets vision Hab. 2.3 It is for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry yet wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry though it may seem somewhat long to thee whilest thou art under thy trouble and perplexity yet it shall surely come in the appointed time of the Lord Jesus which is the best season If then thou canst raise up thy heart to a settled Expectation of relief from Jesus Christ if thine eyes are towards him as the eyes of a servant to the hand of his master Psal. 123.2 when he expects to receive somewhat from him thy soul shall be satisfied Isa. 7.8 he will assuredly deliver thee He will slay the lust and thy latter end shall be peace only look for it at His hand expect when and how He will doe it If you will not believe surely ye shall not be established Q. But thou wilt say what ground have I to build such an Expectation upon so that I may expect not to be deceived A. As thou hast necessity to put thee on this course Joh. 6.68 thou must be relieved and saved this way or none to whom wilt thou goe so there are in the Lord Jesus innumerable things to encourage and engage thee to this Expectation For the necessity of it I have in part discovered it before when I manifested that this is the work of Faith and of Believers only Without me says Christ you can doe nothing Joh. 15.15 speaking with especial relation to the purging of the heart from sin vers 2. Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of Grace Of our selves we cannot doe it Now it hath pleased the Father that in Christ all fullness should dwell Col. 1.19 that of his fulness we might receive Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 He is the head from whence the new man must have influences of life and strength or it will decay every day If we are strengthned with might in the inner man Col. 1.11 it is by Christs dwelling in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.16 17. That this work is not to be done without the Spirit I have also shewed before Whence then do we expect the Spirit from whom do we look for him Who hath promised him to us having procured him for us Ought not all our expectations to this purpose to be on Christ alone Let this then be fixed upon thy heart that if thou hast not relief from him thou shalt never have any All wayes endeavours contendings that are not animated by this expectation of releif from Christ and him only are to no purpose will do thee no Good yea if they are any thing but supportments of thy heart in this expectation or means appointed by
OF THE MORTIFICATION of SIN in BELIEVERS The 1. NECESSITY 2. NATURE and 3. MEANS of it With a Resolution of sundry CASES of CONSCIENCE thereunto belonging BY JOHN OWEN D. D. a Servant of JESUS CHRIST in the Work of the Gospel The Third Edition LONDON Printed for Nathanael Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey near Cornhill and in Chancery-lane near Fleet-street 1668. Christian Reader I shall in a few words acquaint thee with the Reasons that obtained my consent to the publishing of the ensuing Discourse The consideration of the present State and Condition of the Generality of Professors the visible Evidences of the Frame of their Hearts and Spirits manifesting a great Disability of dealing with the Temptations wherewith from the Peace they have in the World and the Divisions that they have among themselves they are encompassed holds the chief place amongst them This I am assured is of so great importance that if hereby I only occasion others to press more effectually on the Consciences of men the work of considering their Wayes and to give more clear Direction for the compassing of the End proposed I shall well esteem of my Lot in this undertaking This was seconded by an Observation of some mens dangerous Mistakes who of late dayes have taken upon them to give Directions for the Mortification of Sin who being unacquainted with the Mystery of the Gospel and the Efficacy of the Death of Christ have anew imposed the Yoke of a self-wrought-out Mortification on the Necks of their Disciples which neither they nor their Forefathers were ever able to bear A Mortification they cry up and press suitable to that of the Gospel neither in respect of Nature Subject Causes Means nor Effects which constantly produces the deplorable Issues of Superstition self-righteousness and Anxiety of Conscience in them who take up the burthen which is so bound for them What is here proposed in weakness I humbly hope will answer the Spirit and Letter of the Gospel with the Experiences of them who know what it is to walk with God according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace So that if not this yet certainly something of this kind is very necessary at this season for the proâ—â—â—â—on and furtherance of this work 〈…〉 Mortification in the Hearts of Believers and their Direction in Paths safe and wherein they may find Rest to their Souls Something I have to adde as to what in particular relates unto my self Having preached on this subject unto some comfortable success through the Grace of him that administred seed to the Sower I was pressed by sundry persons in whose hearts are the Wayes of God thus to publish what I had delivered with such Additions and Alterations as I should judge necessary Vnder the inducement of their Desires I called to remembrance the Debt wherein I have now for some Years stood engaged unto sundry Nâ—ble and worthy Christian Friends as to a Treatise of Communion with God some while since promised to them and thereon apprehended that if I could not hereby compound for the greater Debt yet I might possibly tender them this Discourse of Variance with themselves as Interest for their forbearance of that of Peace and Communion with God Besides I considered that I had been providentially engaged in the publick Debate of sundry Controversies in Religion which might seem to claim something in another kind of more General Vse as a Fruit of Choice not Necessity On these and the like accounts is this short Discourse brought forth to publick view and now presented unto thee I hope I may own in sincerity that my hearts desire unto God and the chief Design of my Life in the station wherein the good Providence of God hath placed me are that Mortification and universal Holiness may be promoted in my own and in the Hearts and Wayes of others to the Glory of God that so the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may be adorned in all things for the compassing of which End if this little Discourse of the publishing whereof this is the summe of the account I shall give may in any thing be usefull to the least of the Saints it will be looked on as a Return of the weak Prayers wherewith it is attended by its unworthy Author J. OWEN CHAP. I. The Foundation of the whole ensuing Discourse laid in Rom. 8.13 The words of the Apostle opened The certain connexion between true Mortification and Salvation Mortification the work of Believers The Spirit the principal efficient Cause of it What meant by the Body in the words of the Apostle What by the Deeds of the Body Life in what sence promised to this Duty THat what I have of Direction to contribute to the carrying on of the work of Mortification in Believers may receive order and perspicuity I shall lay the foundation of it in those words of the Apostle Rom. 8.13 If ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live and reduce the whole to an Improvement of the great Evangelical Truth and Mystery contained in them The Apostle having made a Recapitulation of his Doctrine of Justification by Faith and the blessed Estate and Condition of them who are made by Grace partakers thereof vers 1 2 3. of this Chapter proceeds to improve it to the Holiness and Consolation of Believers Among his Arguments and Motives unto Holiness the Verse mentioned containeth one from the contrary Events and Effects of Holiness and Sin If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye What it is to live after the flesh and what it is to dye that being not my present aym and business I shall no otherwise explain than as they will fall in with the sence of the latter words of the verse as before proposed In the words peculiarly designed for the Foundation of the ensuing Discourse there is 1. A Duty prescribed Mortifie the deeds of the body 2. The Persons are denoted to whom it is prescribed Ye if Ye Mortifie 3. There is in them a Promise annexed to that Duty Ye shall Live 4. The Cause or Means of the Performance of this Duty the Spirit If ye through the Spirit 5. The Conditionality of the whole Proposition wherein Duty Means and Promise are contained If ye c. The first thing occurring in the words as they lye in the entire Proposition is the conditional Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if Conditionals in such Propositions may denote two things 1. The uncertainty of the Event or thing promised in respect of them to whom the duty is prescribed And this takes place where the condition is absolutely necessary unto the Issue and depends not its self on any determinate Cause known to him to whom 't is prescribed So we say If we live we will do such a thing This cannot be the Intendment of the conditional Expression in this place Of the Persons to whom these words are spoken it is said vers 1. of
may let Sin alone But as Sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times in all conditions even where there is least suspition Sin doth not only abide in us but the Law of the members is still rebelling against the Law of the Mind Rom. 7.23 and the Spirit that dwells in us lusteth to Envy Jam. 4.5 It is alwayes in continual work the flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 Lust is still tempting and conceiving sin Jam. 1.14 In every Moral Action it is alwayes either inclining to evil or hindring from that which is good or disframing the Spirit from Communion with God It inclines to Evil the evil that I would not that I do saith the Apostle Rom. 7.19 whence is that why because in me thingâ— and it hinders from good the good that I would do that I do not vers 19. upon the same account either I do it not or not as I should all my Holy things being defiled by this sin The flesh lusteth against the Spirit that ye cannot do the things that ye would Gal. 5.17 and it unâ—rames our Spirit and thence is called the sin that so easily besets us Heb. 12.1 on which accounâ— are those grievous Complaints that the Apostle makes of it Rom. 7. So that sin is alâ—â—yes acting alwayes conceiving alwayes seducing and tempting Who can say that he had ever any thing to do with God or for God that indwelling Sin had not an hand in the corrupting of what he did And this trade will it drive more or less all our dayes If then sin will alwayes Acting if we be not alwayes Mortifying we are lost Creatures He that stands still and suffers his Enemies to double blowes upon him without resistance will undoubtedly be conquered in the issue If Sin be subtil watchfull strong and alwayes at work in the business of killing our Sâ—uls and we be slothfull negligent foolish in proceeding to the ruine thereof can we expect a comfortable Event There is not a day but sin soils or is soiled prevails or is prevailed on and it will be so whilest we live in this world I shall discharge him from this Duty who can bring sin to a Composition to a cessation of Arms in this Warfare if it will spare him any one day in any one duty provided he be a person that is acquainted with the spirituality of Obedience and the subtilty of sin let him say to his Soul as to this Duty Soul take thy rest The Saints whose Souls breath after deliverance from its perplexing Rebellion know there is no safety against it but in a constant Warfare 3. Sin will not only be striving acting rebelling troubling disquieting but it let alone if not continually mortified it will bring forth great cursed scandalous Soul-destroying sins The Apostle tells us what the works and fruits of it are Gal. 5 19 20 21. The works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery fornication uncleanness lâ—sciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance â—mulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkenness revellings and such like You know what it did in David and sundry others Sin aimâ— alwayes at the utmost every time it rises up to tempt or entice might it have its own course it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind Every unclean Thought or Glance would be Adultery if it could every covetous Desire would be Oppression every thought of Unbelief would be Atheism might it grow to its head Mâ—n may come to that that sin may not be heard speaking a scandalous word in their hearts that is provoking to any great sin with scandal in its mouth but every rise of Lust might it have its course would come to the height of Vâ—llâ—ny It is like the Grave that is never satisfied And herein lies no small share of the deceitfulness of Sin by which it prevails to the hardening of men and so to theâ—r ruine Hâ—b 3.13 It is moâ—eâ—t as it were in its firâ—t motions and Proposals but having oâ—ce got sooting in the heart by them it constantly makes good its ground and presseth on to some farther degrees in the same kind This new acting and pressing forward makes the Soul take little notice of what an entrance to a falling off from God is already made it thinks all is indifferent well if there be no farther progress and so far as the Soul is made insensible of any sin that is as to such a sense as the Gospel requireth so far it is hardned but Sin is still pressing forward and that because it hath no bounds but utter Relinquishment of God and opposition to him that it proceeds towards its height by degrees making good the ground it hath got by Hardness is not from its Nature but its Deceitfulness Now nothing can prevent this but Mortification That withers the Root and strikes at the Head of Sin every Hour that whatever it ayms at it is crossed in There is not the best Saint in the world but if he should give over this Duty would fall into as many cursed sins as ever any did of his kind 4. This is one main reason why the Spirit and the new Nature is given unto us that we may have a Principle within whereby to oppose Sin and Lust The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit Well and what then Why the Spirit aâ—so lusteth against the Flesh Gal. 5.17 There is a propensity in the Spirit or spiritual new Nature to be acting against the Flesh as well as in the Flesh to be acting against the Spirit So 2 Pet. 1.4 5. It is our participation of the Divine Nature that gives us an escape from the pollutions that are in the world through lust and Rom. 7.23 there is a law of the mind as well as a law of the members Now this is 1 The most Unjust and unreasonable thing in the world when two Combatants are engaged to bind one and to keep him up from doing his utmost and to leave the other at liberty to wound him at his pleasure And 2 The Foolishest thing in the world to bind him who fights for our Eternal Condition and to let him alone who seeks and violently attempts our everlasting ruine The Contest is for our lives and souls Not to be daily employing the Spirit and New Nature for the Mortifying of Sin is to neglect that excellent succour which God hath given us against our greatest Enemy If we neglect to make use of what we have received God may justly hold his hand from giving us more His Graces as well as his Gifts are bestowed on us to use exercise and trade with Not to be daily mortifying sin is to sin against the Goodness Kindness Wisdom Grace and Love of God who hath furnished us with a Principle of doing it 5. Negligence in this Duty cast the Soul
which makes them believe that sin is conquered when it is not touched By that time they are cold they must to the battail again and the Lust which they thought to be slain appears to have had no wound And if the Case be so sad with them who do labour and strive and yet enter not into the Kingdom what is their Condition who despise all this Who are perpetually under the Power and Dominion of Sin and love to have it so and are troubled at nothing but that they cannot make sufficient provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof CHAP. IV. The last Principle of the usefulness of Mortification The Vigour and Comfort of our spiritual Life depend on our Mortification In what sence Not absolutely and necessarily Psal. 88. Heman ' s Condition Not as on the next and immediate Cause As a Means by removing of the Contrary The desperate Effects of unmortified Lust it weakens the Soul Psal. 38.3 8. sundry wayes and darkens it All Graces improved by the Mortification of Sin The best Evidence of Sincerity THE last Principle I shall insist on omitting 1. The Necessity of Mortification unto Life And 2. The Certainty of Life upon Mortification is That the Life Vigour and Comfort of our spiritual Life depends much on our Mortification of Sin Strength and Comfort and Power and Peace in our walking with God are the things of our desires Were any of us asked seriously What it is that troubles us we must referre it to one of these heads either we want strengâ—h or power vigour and life in our Obedience in our walking with God or we want peace comfort and consolation therein Whatever it is that may befall a Believer that doth not belong to one of these two heads doth not deserve to be mentioned in the dayes of our Complaints Now all these do much depend on a constant Course of Mortification concerning which observe 1. I doe not say they proceed from it as though they were necessarily tyed to it A man may be carried on in a constant course of Mortification all his dayes and yet perhaps never enjoy good day of Peace and Consolation So it was with Heman Psal. 88. His life was a life of perpetual Mortification and walking with God yet terrours and wounds were his portion all his dayes But God singled out Heman a choice Friend to make him an Example to them that afterwards should be in distress Canst thou complain if it be no otherwise with thee than it was with Heman that eminent servant of God And this shall be his prayse to the end of the World God makes it his Prerogative to speak Peace and Consolation Isa. 57.18 19. I will do that work sayes God I will comfort him v. 18. But how by an immediate work of the new Creation I Create it sayes God The use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours the bestowing of it is God's Prerogative 2. In the wayes instituted by God for to give us Life Vigour Courage and Consolation Mortification is not one of the immediate Causes of it They are the Priviledges of our Adoption made known to our Souls that give us immediately these things The Spirit bearing witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God giving us a new Name and a white Stone Adoption and Justification that is as to the sence and knowledge of them are the immediate Causes in the hand of the Spirit of these things But this I say 3. In our ordinary walking with God and in an ordinary Course of his dealing with us the vigour and comfort of our spiritual Lives depends much on our Mortification not onely as a Causa sine qua non but as a thing that hath an effectual influence thereinto For First This alone keeps Sin from depriving us of the one and the other Every unmortified sin will certainly do two things 1. It will weaken the Soul and deprive it of its vigour 2. It will darken the Soul and deprive it of its Comfort and Peace 1. It weakens the Soul and deprives it of its Strength when David had for a while harboured an unmortified Lust in his heart it broke all his Bonâ—s and left him no spiritual strength hence he complained that he was sick weak wounded faint there is saith he no soundness in me Psal. 38.3 I am feeble and sore broken vers 8. Yea I cannot so much as look up Psal. 40.12 An unmortified Lust will drink up the Spirit and all the vigour of the Soul and weaken it for all Duties For 1. It untunes and unframes the Heart it self by entangling its Affections It diverts the heart from that spiritual Frame that is required for vigorous Communion with God It layes hold on the Affections rendring its Object beloved and desirable so expelling the love of the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 Chap. 3.17 So that the Soul cannot say uprightly and truely to God Thou art my portion having something else that it loves Fear Desire Hope which are the choice Affections of the Soul that should be full of God will be one way or other entangled with it 2. It fills the Thoughts with Contrivances about it Thoughts are the great Purveyors of the Soul to bring in provision to satisfie its Affections and if Sin remain unmortified in the Heart they must ever and anon be making provision for the flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof They must glaze adorn and dress the Objects of the Flesh and bring them home to give satisfaction And this they are able to do in the service of a defiled Imagination beyond all expression 3. It breaks out and actually hinders Duty The ambitious man must be studying and the worldling must be working or contriving and the sensual vain person providing himself for vanity when they should be engaged in the Worship of God Were this my present business to set forth the Breaches Ruine Weakness Desolations that one unâ—â—câ—tified Lust will bring upon a Soul this Discourse must be extended much beyond my Intendment 2 As Sin weakens so it darkens the Soul It is a cloud a thick cloud that spreads it self over the Face of the Soul and intercepts all the beams of Gods Love and Favour It takes away all sense of the Priviledge of our Adoption and if the Soul begins to gather up Thoughts of Consolation Sin quickly scatters them Of which afterwards Now in this regard doth the vigour and power of our spiritual life depend on our Mortification It is the onely Means of the Removal of that which will allow us neither the one nor the other Men that are sick and wounded under the power of Lust make many Applications for Help they cry to God when the Perplexity of their Thoughts overwhelms them even to God do they cry but are not delivered in vain do they use many Remedies they shall not be healed So Hos. 5.13 Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound and attempted sundry remedies nothing will
doe untill they come v. 15. to acknowledge their Offence Men may see their Sickness and Wounds but yet if they make not due Applications their Cure will not be effected Secondly Mortification prunes all the Graces of God and makes room for them in our hearts to grow The Life and Vigour of our spiritual Lives consists in the vigour and flourishing of the Plants of Grace in our Hearts Now as you may see in a Garden let there be a precious herb planted and let the Ground be untilled and weeds grow about it perhaps it will live still but be a poor withering unusefull thing you must look and search for it and sometimes can scarce find it and when you do you can scarce know it whether it be the Plant you look for or no and suppose it be you can make no use of it at all when let another of the same kind be set in ground naturally as barren and bad as the other but let it be well weeded and every thing that iâ— noxious and hurtfull removed from it it flourishes and thrives you may see it at first look into the Garden and have it for your use when you please So it is with the Graces of the Spirit that are planted in our hearts That is true they are still they abide in a heart where there is some Neglâ—ct of Mortification but they are ready to dye Revel 3.2 they are withering and decaying The heart is like the Sluggards Field so over-grown with weeds that you can scarce see the good Corn. Such a man may search for Faith Love and Zeal and scarce be able to find any and if he do discover that these Graces are there yet alive and sincere yet they are so weak so clogged with Lusts that they are of very little use they remain indeed â—ut are ready to dye But now let the Heart be cleansed by Mortification the Weeds of Lust constantly and daily rooted up as they spring daily Nature being their proper soyl let Room be made for Grace to thrive and flourish how will every Grace act its part and be ready for every use and purpose Thirdly As to our Peace as there is nothing that hath any Evidence of Sincerity without it so I know nothing that hath such an Evidence of Sincerity in it which is no small Foundation of our Peace Mortication is the Souls vigorous Oppâ—sition to self wherein Sincerity is most evident CHAP. V. The principal Intendment of the whole Discourse proposed The first main Case of Canscience stated What it is to Mortifie any Sin negatively considered Not the utter Destruction of it in this Life Not the Dissimulation of it Not the Improvement of any Natural Principle Not the Diversion of it Not an Occasional Conquest Occasional Conquests of Sin what and when Vpon the Eruption of Sin in time of Danger or Trouble THese things being premised I come to my principal Intention of handling some Questions or practical Cases that present themselves in this business of Mortification of Sin in Believers The first which is the Head of all the rest and whereunto they are reduced may be considered as lying under the ensuing Proposal Suppose a man to be a true Believer and yet finds in himself a powerfull Indwelling Sin leading him captive to the Law of it consuming his Heart with trouble perplexing his Thoughts weakening his Soul as to Duties of Communion with God disquiâ—ting him as to Peace and perhaps deâ—iling his Conscience and exposing him to Hardening through the deceitfulness of Sin what shall he doe what Course shall he take and insist on for the Mortification of this Sin Lust Distemper or Corruption to such a Degree as that though it be not utterly destroyed yet in his Contest with it he may be enabled to keep up Power Strength and Peace in Communion with God In answer to this important Enquiry I shall do these things 1. Shew what it is to mortifie any Sin and that both Negatively and Positively that we be not mistaken in the Foundation 2. Give general Directions for such things as without which it will be utterly impossible for any one to get any Sin truely and spiritually Mortified 3. Draw out the Particulars whereby this is to be done in the whole carrying on this Consideration that it is not of the Doctrine of Mortification in general but only in reference to the particular Case before proposed that I am treating 1. To Mortifie a Sin is not utterly to kill root it out and destroy it that it should have no more hold at all nor residence in our hearts It is true this is that which is aymed at but this is not in this Life to be accomplished There is no man that truely sets himself to mortifie any Siâ— but he ayms at intends desires its utter destruction that it should leave neither Root nor Fruit in the Heart or Life He would so kill it that it should never move or stirre any more crye or call seduce or tempt to Eternity It s not being is the thing aymed at Now though doubtless there may by the Spirit and Grace of Christ a wonderfull success and Eminency of victory against any sin be attained so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it yet an utter killing and destruction of it that it should not be is not in this Life to be expected This Paul assures us of Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect He was a choise Saint a pattern for Believers who in Faith and Love and all the Fruits of the Spirit had not his Fellow in the world and on that account ascribes perfection to himself in comparison of others vers 15. Yet he had not attained he was not perfect but was following after still a vile body he had and we have that must be changed by the great power of Christ at last v. 21. This we would have but God sees it best for us that we should be compleat in nothing in our selves that in all things we might be compleat in Christ which is best for us Col. 2.10 2. I think I need not say it is not the dissimulation of a Sin when a man on some outward respects forsakes the Practice of any sin men perhaps may look on him as a changed man God knows that to his former iniquity he hath added cursed hypocrisie and is got in a safer path to Hell than he was in before He hath got another Heart than he had that is more cunning not a new Heart that is more holy 3. The Mortification of Sin consists not in the Improvement of a quiet sedate Nature Some men have an Advantage by their natural Constitution so far as that they are not exposed to such violence of unruly passions and tumultuous Affections as many others are Let now these men cultivate and improve their Natural Frame and Temper by Discipline Consideration and Prudence and they may seem to themselves
and others very mortified men when perhaps their Hearts are a standing Sink of all Abominations some man is never so much troubled all his Life perhaps with anger and passion nor doth trouble others as another is almost every day and yet the latter have done more to the Mortification of the sin than the former Let not such persons trye their Mortification by such things as their natural Tâ—â—â—â—â— gives no Life or Vigour to let them bring themselves to self-denyal unbelief envy or some such spiritual sin and they will have a better view of themselves 4. A sin is not Mortified when it is onely diverted Simon Magus for a season left his Sorceries but his Covetousness and Ambition that set him on work remained still and would have been acting another way therefore Peter tells him I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness notwithstanding the Profession thou hast made notwithstanding thy Relinquishment of thy Sorceries thy lust is as powerfull as ever in thee the same lust onely the streams of it are diverted it now exerts and puts forth it self another way but it is the old gaâ—l of Bitterness still A man may be sensible of a lust set himself againâ—t the eruptions of it take care that it shall not break forth as it hath done but in the mean time suffer the same corrupted habit to vent it self some other way As he who heals and skins a running Sore thinks himself cured but in the mean time his Flesh festereth by the Corruption of the same humour and breaks out in another place And this diversion with the Alterations that attend it often befalls men on Accounts wholly foreign unto Grace change of the Course of Life that a man was in of Relations Interests Designs may effect it yea the very Alterations in mens Constitutions occasioned by a natural Progress in the Course of their Lives may produce such Changes as these men in Age do not usually persist in the pursuit of youthfull lusts although they have never mortified any one of them And the same is the Case of bartering of Lusts and leaving to serve one that a man may serve another He that changes pride for worldliness sensuality for Pharisaisme vanity in Himself to the contempt of Others let him not think that he hath Mortified the sin that he sâ—ems to have left He hath changed his Master but is a Servant still 5. Occasional Conquests of Sin do not amount to a Mortifying of it There are two Occasions or Seasons wherein a man who is contending with any sin may seem to himself to have mortified it 1. When it hath had some sad Eruption to the disturbance of his Peace terrour of his Conscience dread of Scandal and evident provocation of God This awakens and stirres up all that is in the man and amazes him fills him with abhorrency of sin and himself for it sends him to God makes him cry out as for Life to abhorre his Lust as Hell and to set himself against it The whole man spiritual and natural being now awaked Sin shrinks in its head appears not but lyes as dead before him As when one that hath drawn nigh to an Army in the Night and hath killed a principal person instantly the guards awake men are roused up and strict Enquiry is made after the Enemy who in the mean time untill the noyse and tumult be over hides himself or lyes like one that is dead yet with firm Resolution to do the like mischief again upon the like Opportunity Upon the sin among the Corinthians see how they muster up themselves for the surprizal and Destruction of it 2 Epist. chap. 7. vers 11. So it is in a person when a breach hath been made upon his Conscience Quiet perhaps Credit by his Lust in some Eruption of Actual sin Carefulness Indignation Desire Fear Revenge are all set on work about it and against it and Lust is quiet for a season being run down before them but when the hurry is over and the Inquest past the Thief appears again alive and is as busie as ever at his work 2. In a time of some Judgement Calamity or pressing Affliction the Heart is then taken up with Thoughts and Contrivances of slying from the present troubles fears and dangers This as a convinced person concludes is to be done only by relinquishment of Sin which gains peace with God It is the Anger of God in every Affliction that galls a Convinced person To be quit of this men resolve at such times against their sins Sin shall never more have any place in them they will never again give up themselves to the service of it Accordingly Sin is quiet stirres not seems to be Mortified not indeed that it hath received any one wound but meerly because the Soul hath possess'd its Faculties whereby it should exert it self with thoughts inconsistent with the motions thereof which when they are laid aside Sin returns again to its former Life and Vigour So they Psal. 78.32 unto 38. Are a full Instance and Description of this Frame of spirit whereof I speak For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wonderous works Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant I no way doubt but that when they sought and returned and enquired early after God they did it with full purpose of heart as to the relinquishment of their sins It is expressed in the word returned To turn or return to the Lord is by a Relinquishment of sin This they did early with earnestness and diligence but yet their sin was unmortified for all this v. 36 37. and this is the state of many humiliations in the dayes of Affliction and a great Deceit in the Hearts of Believers themselves lies oftentimes herein These and many other wayes there are whereby poor Souls deceive themselves and suppose they have mortified their Lusts when they live and are Mighty and on every Occasion break forth to their disturbance and disquietness CHAP. VI. The Mortification of Sin in particular described The several Parts and Degrees thereof 1. The habitual weakning of its Root and Principle The Power of Lust to tempt Differences of that Power to Persons and Times 2. Constant Fighting against Sin The Parts thereof considered 3. Success against it The summe of this Discourse WHat it is to mortifie a Sin in General which will make farther way for particular Directions is nextly to be considered The Mortification of a Lust consists in three things 1. An habitual weakening of it Every Lust is a depraved habit or Disposition continually inclining the Heart to
evil Thence is that description of him who hath no Lust truely mortified Gen. 6.5 Every Imagination of the thoughts of his Heart is only evil continually He is alwayes under the power of a strong bent and Inclination to sin And the reason why a natural man is not alwayes perpetually in the pursuit of some one lust night and day is because he hath many to serve every one crying to be satisfied Thence he is carried on with great variety but still in general he lyes towards the satisfaction of self We will suppose then the lust or distemper whose Mortification is inquired after to be in its self a strong deeply rooted habitual Inclination and bent of Will and Affections unto some Actual sin as to the Matter of it though not under that formal Consideration alwayes stirring up Imaginations Thoughts and Contrivances about the Object of it Hence men are said to have their Hearts set upon Evil Rom. 13.14 the bent of their Spirits lyes towards it to make provision for the flesh And a sinfull depraved habit as in many other things so in this differs from all natural or moral habits whatever for whereas they incline the Soul gently and suitably to it self sinfull Habits impell with Violence and Impetuousness whence Lusts are said to fight or wage warre against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 to rebell or rise up in Warre with that Conduct and Opposition which is usual therein Rom. 7.23 to lead captive or effectually captivating upon success in battell All works of great violence and impetuousness I might manifest fully from that description we have of it Rom. 7. How it will darken the Mind extinguish Convictions dethrone Reason interrupt the Power and Influence of any Considerations that may be brought to hamper it and break through all into a flame But this is not my present business Now the first thing in Mortification is the weakening of this Habit of Sin or Lust that it shall not with that violence earnestness frequency rise up conceive tumultuate provoke entice disquiet as naturally it is apt to doe Jam. 1.14 15. I shall desire to give one Caution or Rule by the way and it is this Though every Lust doth in its own Nature equally universally incline and impell to Sin yet this muâ—t be granted with these two Limitations 1. One lust or a lust in one man may receive many accidental Improvements heightnings and strengthnings which may give it life power and vigour exceedingly above what another Lust hath or the same lust that is of the same Kind and Nature in another man When a Lust falls in with the natural Constitution and Temper with a suitable course of Life with Occasions or when Sathan hath got a fit handle to it to manage it as he hath a thousand wayes so to doe that Lust growes violent and impetuous above others or more than the same lust in another man Then the steams of it darken the Mind so that though a man knowes the same things as formerly yet they have no power nor influence on the Will but corrupt Affections and Passions are set by it at liberty But especially Lust gets strength by Temptation when a suitable Temptation falls in wiâ—h a Lust it gives it a new life vigour power violence and rage which it seemed not before to have or to be capable of Instances to this purpose might be multiplyed but it is the design of some part of another Treatise to evince thâ—s Observation 2. Some lusts are far more sensible and discernable in their violent Actings than others Paul puts a difference between Uncleanness and all other sins 1 Cor. 6.18 Flee fornication every sin that a man doth is whithout the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body Hence the Motions of that sin are more sensible more discernable than of others when perhaps the love of the World or the like is in a Person no less habitually predominant than that yet it makes not so great a combustion in the whole man And on this account some men may goe in their own thoughts and in the eyes of the World for mortified men who yet have in them no less predominancy of Lust than those who cry out with Astonishment upon the account of its perplexing Tumultuatings Yea than those who have by the Power of it been hurried into scandalous sins only their lusts are in and about things which raise not such a tumult in the Soul about which they are exercised with a calmer Frame of Spirit the very Fabrick of Nature being not so nearly concerned in them as in some other I say then that the first thing in Mortification is the weakening of this Habit that it shall not impell and tumultuate as formerly that it shall not intice and draw aside that it shall not disquiet and perplex the killing of its life vigour promptness and readiness to be stirring This is called crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5.24 that is taking away its Blood and Spirits that give it strength and power The wasting of the body of Death day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 As a Man nayled to the Cross he first struggles and strives and cryes out with great strength and might but as his Blood and Spirits waste his strivings are faint and seldom his Cryes low and hoarse scarce to be heard When a man first sets on a Lust or distemper to deal with it it struggles with great violence to break loose it cryes with Earnestness and Impatiency to be satisfied and relieved but when by Mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out it moves seldome and familiarly cryes sparingly and is scarce heard in the heart It may have sometimes a dying pang that makes an Appearance of great vigour and strength but it is quickly over especially if it be kept from considerable success This the Apostle describes as in the whole Chapter so especially vers 6. of chap. 6. Rom. Sin saith he is crucified it is fastned to the Cross to what End that the body of Death may be destroyed the Power of Sin weakened and abolished by little and little that henceforth we should not serve sin that is that sin might not incline impell us with such Efficacy as to make us servants to it as it hath done heretofore And this is spoken not only with respect to carnal and sensual Affections or Desires of worldly things not only in respect of the Luâ—t of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyâ—s and the pride of Life but also as to the flesh that is in the mind and will in that Opposition unto God which is in us by Nature Of what Nature soever the troubling Distemper be by what wayes soever it make it self out either by impelling to Evil or hindering from that which is good the Rule is the same And unless this be done effectually all after-contention will not compass the End aimed at A man may beat down the bitter Fruit
their progress lyes When the Jewes upon the Conviction of their Sin were cut to the heart Act. 2.37 and cryed out what shall we doe What doth Peter direct them to Does he bid them go and mortifie their pride wrath malice cruelty and the like no he knew that was not their present work but he calls them to Conversion and Faith in Christ in General vers 38. Let the Soul be first throughly converted and then looking on him whom they had pierced Humiliation and Mortification will ensue Thus when John came to preach Repentance and Conversion he said The Axe is now laid to the root of the tree Mat. 3.10 The Pharisees had been laying heavy Burthens imposing tedious Duties and rigid means of Mortification in Fastings Washings and the like all in vain Sayes John The Doctrine of Conversion is for you the axe in my hand is laid to the root And our Saviour tells us what is to be done in this case sayes he Do men gather Grapes from Thorns Matth. 6.16 But suppose a Thorn be well pruned and cut and have pains taken with him Yea but he will never bear Figgs vers 17 18. It cannot be but every Tree will bring forth Fruit according to its own kind What is then to be done he tells us Matt. 12.33 Make the Tree Good and his Fruit will be good The Root must be dealt with the Nature of the Tree changed or no good Fruit will be brought forth This is that I aym at unless a man be Regenerate unless he be a Believer all Attempts that he can make for Mortification be they never so specious and promising all Means he can use let him follow them with never so much Diligence Earnestness Watchfulness and Contention of Mind and Spirit are to no purpose In vain shall he use many remedies he shall not be healed Yea there are sundry desperate Evils attending an Endeavour in convinced Persons that are no more but so to perform this Duty First The mind and Soul is taken up about that which is not the mans proper business and so He is diverted from that which is so God layes hold by his Word and Judgements on some Sin in him galls his Conscience disquiets his heart deprives him of his Rest now other Diversions will not serve his turn He must apply himself to the work before him The business in hand being to awake the whole Man unto a consideration of the State and Condition wherein he is that he might be brought home to God instead hereof he sets himself to mortifie the Sin that galls him which is a pure issue of Self-love to be freed from his trouble and not at all to the work he is called unto and so is diverted from it Thus God tells us of Ephraim when he spread his Net upon them and brought them down as the Fowls of Heaven and chastised them Hos. 7.12 caught them intangled them convinced them that they could not escape saith he of them They return but not to the most High They set themselves to a Relinquishment of Sin but not in that manner by universal conversion as God called for it Thus are men diverted from coming unto God by the most glorious wayes that they can fix upon to come to him by And this is one of the most common deceits whereby men ruine their own Souls I wish that some whose Trade it is to dawb with untempered Morter in the things of God did not teach this Deceit and cause the People to erre by their Ignorance What do men doe what oft-times are they directed unto when their Consciences are galled by Sin and Disquietment from the Lord hath laid hold upon them Is not a Relinquishment of the Sin as to Practice that they are in some Fruits of it perplexed withall and making head against it the summe of what they apply themselves unto and is not the Gospel End of their Convictions lost thereby Here men abide and perish Secondly This Duty being a thing good in it self in its proper place a Duty evidencing Sincerity bringing home Peace to the Conscience a man finding himself really engaged in it his Mind and Heart set against this or that Sin with purpose and Resolution to have no more to do with it he is ready to conclude that his state and Condition is good and so to delude his own Soul For 1. When his Conscience hath been made sick with Sin and he could find no rest when he should go to the great Physitian of Souls and get healing in his Blood the Man by this Engagement against Sin pacifies and quiets his Conscience and sits down without going to Christ at all Ah! how many poor Souls are thus deluded to Eternity When Ephraim saw his sickness he sent to King Jareb Hos. 5.13 which kept him off from God The whole bundle of the Popish Religion is made up of Designs and contrivances to pacifie Conscience without Christ all described by the Apostle Rom. 10.4 2. By this means men satisfie themselves that their State and Condition is good seeing they do that which is a work good in it self and they do not do it to be seen They know they would have the work done in sincerity and so are hardened in a kind of self Righteousness 3. When a man hath thus for a season been deluded and hath deceived his oâ—â— Soul and finds in a long course of Life that indeed his sin is not mortified or if he hath changed one he hath gotten another He begins aâ— length to think that all contending is in vain he shall never be able to prevail He is making a Dam against Water that increaseth on him Hereupon he gives over as one despairing of any success and yields up himself to the power of sin and that habit of Formality thâ—â— he hath gotten And this is the usual Issue with Persons attempting the Mortification of sin without aâ— Interest in Christ first obtained It deludes thempunc hardens them destroyes them And therefore wâ— see that there are not usually more vile anâ— desperate sinners in the world than such aâ— having by Conviction been put on this Coursâ— have found it fruitless and deserted it witâ—out a discovery of Christ. And this is tâ—â— substance of the Religion and Godliness 〈◊〉 the choisest Formalists in the world and oâ— all those who in the Roman Synagogue aâ—â— drawn to Mortification as they drive Indiaâ— to Baptism or Cattel to water I say then that Mortification is the work of Believers and Believers onely To kill sin is the work oâ— living men where men are dead as all Unbelievers the best of them are dead sin is alive and will live 2. It is the work of Faith the peculiar work of Faith Now if there be a work to be done that will be effected by one only instrument it is the greatest madness for any to attempt the doing of it that hath not that Instrument Now it is Faith that purifies the Heart Act.
15.9 or as Peter speaks we purifie our Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 And without it it will not be done What hath been spoken I suppose is sufficient to make good my first general Rule Be sure to get an Interest in Christ if you intend to mortifie any sin without it it will never be done Ob. You will say What then would you have unregenerate men that are convinced of the Evil of sin do Shall they cease striving against sin live dissolutely give their Lusts their swinge and be as bad as the worst of men This were a way to set the whole world into Confusion to bring all things into darkness to set open the flood-gates of lust and lay the Reins upon the Necks of men to rush into all sin with delight and greediness like the horse into the battle Ans. 1. God forbid It is to be looked on as a great issue of the Wisdom Goodness and Love of God that by manifold wayes and means he is pleased to restrain the Sons of men from running forth into that compass of excess and riot which the depravedness of their Nature would carry them out unto with violence By what way soever this is done it is an issue of the care kindness and Goodness of God without which the whole Earth would be an Hell of Sin and Confusion 2. There is a peculiar convincing Power in the Word which God is often-times pleased to put forth to the wounding amazing and in some sort humbling of Sinners though they are never converted And the Word is to be preached though it hath this End yet not with this End Let then the Word be preached and the sins of men rebuked Lust will be restrained and some Oppositions will be made against Sin though that be not the Effect aymed at 3. Though this be the work of the Word and Spirit and it be good in it self yet it is not profitable nor available as to the main End in them in whom it is wrought they are still in the gall of Bitterness and under the power of darkness 4. Let men know it is their Duty but in its proper place I take not men from Mortification but put them upon Conversion He that shall call a man from mending a Hole in the Wall of his House to quench a Fire that is consuming the whole Building is not his Enemy Poor Soul it is not thy Sore-finger but thy Hectick-Feaver that thou art to apply thy self to the Consideration of Thou settest thy self against a particular Sin and doest not consider that thou art nothing but Sin Let me adde this to them who are Preachers of the Word or intend through the good hand of God that Employment It is their Duty to plead with men about their Sins to lay load on particular sins but alwayes remember that it be done with that which is the proper End of Law and Gospel That is that they make use of the Sin they speak against to the discovery of the State and Condition wherein the Sinner is Otherwise happily they may work men to Formality and Hypocrisie but little of the true End of Preaching the Gospel will be brought about It will not avail to beat a man off from his Drunkenness into a sober Formality A skilfull Master of the Assemblies layes his Axe at the Root drives still at the heart To inveigh against particular sins of ignorant unregenerate persons such as the Land is full of is a good Work But yet though it may be done with great efficacy vigour and success if this be all the effect of it that they are set upon the most sedulous Endeavours of mortifying their sins preached down all that is done is but like the beating of an Enemy in an open field and driving him into an impregnable Castle not to be prevailed against Get you at any time a sinner at the advantage on the account of any one sin whatever have you any thing to takâ— hold of him by bring it to his State and Condition drive it up to the head and there deal with him to break men off from particular sins and not to break their Hearts is to deprive our selves of Advantages of dealing with them And herein is the Roman Mortification grievously peccant they drive all sorts of persons to it without the least Consideration whether they have a principle for it or no. Yea they are so far from calling on men to believe that they may be able to mortifie their Lusts that they call men to Mortification instead of Believing The truth is they neither know what it is to believe nor what Mortification it self intends Faith with them is but a general assent to the Doctrine taught in their Church And Mortification the betaking of a man by a Vow to some certain Course of Life wherein he dâ—â—yes himself something of the use of the things of this World not without a considerable Compensation Such men know neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God Their boasting of their Mortification is but their Glorying in their shame Some Casuists among our selves who over-looking the Necessity of Regeneration do avowedly give this for a Direction to all sorts of persons that complain of any Sin or Lust that they should vow against it at least for a season a Moneth or so seem to have a scantling of Light in the Mystery of the Gospel much like that of Nicodemus when he came first to Christ. They bid men vow to abstain from their sin for a season This commonly makes their lust more impetuous Perhaps with great perplexity they keep their word Perhaps not which increases their Guilt and Torment Is their sin at all mortified hereby Do they find a conquest over it Is their Condition changed though they attain a Relinquishment of it Are they not still in the Gall of bitterness Is not this to put men to make Brick if not without straw which is worse without strength What Promise hath any unregenerate man to countenance him in this work What assistance for the performance of it Can sin be killed without an interest in the Death of Christ or Mortified without the Spirit If such Directions should prevail to change mens Lives as seldom they doe yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or Conditions They may make men self-justitiaries or Hypocrites not Christians It grieves me oft-times to see poor Souls that have a Zeal for God and a desire of eternal Welfare kept by such Directors and Directions under an hard burdensome outside Worship and Service of God with many specious Endeavours for Mortification in an utter Ignorance of the Righteousness of Christ and unacquaintedness with his Spirit all their dayes Persons and things of this kind I know too many If ever God shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ they will see the folly of their present way CHAP.
Messenger of Satan let loose on Paul that he might not be lifted up through the abundance of spiritual Revelations Was it not a Correction to Peters vain Confidence that he was left to deny his Master Now if this be the state and Condition of Lust in its prevalency that God often-times suffers it so to prevail at least to admonish us and to humble us perhaps to chasten and correct us for our general loose and careless walking is it possible that the effect should be removed and the cause continued that the particular Lust should be mortified and the general Course be unreformed He then that would really throughly and acceptably mortifie any disquieting Lust let him take care to be equally diligent in All parts of Obedience and know that every Lust every Omission of Duty is burdensome to God though but one is so to Him Whilest there abides a Treachery in the Heart to indulge to any Negligence in not pressing Universally to all Perfection in Obedience the Soul is weak as not giving Faith its whole work and selfish as considering more the Trouble of Sin than the Filth and Guilt of it and lives under a constant provocation of God so that it may not expect any comfortable Issue in any spiritual Duty that it doth undertake much less in this under Consideration which requires another Principle and Frame of Spirit for its Accomplishment CHAP. IX Particular Directions in relation to the foregoing Case proposed First Consider the dangerous Symptoms of any Lust 1. Inveterateness 2. Peace obtained under it the several wayes whereby that is done 3. Frequency of success in its seductions 4. The Soul 's fighting against it with Arguments only taken from the Event 5. It s being attended with Judiciary Hardness 6. It s withstanding particular dealings from God The State of Persons in whom these things are found THE foregoing General Rules being supposed Particular Directions to the Soul for its guidance under the sense of a disquieting lust or distemper being the main thing I aym at come next to be proposed Now of these some are previous and preparatory and in some of them the work it self is contained Of the first sort are these ensuing First Consider what dangerous symptoms thy Lust hath attending or accompanying it Whether it hath any deadly Mark on it or no If it hath extraordinary Remedies are to be used an ordinary course of Mortification will not do it You will say what are these dangerous Marks and symptoms the desperate Attendances of an indwelling Lust that you intend Some of them I shall name 1 Inveterateness if it hath lyen long corrupting in thy Heart if thou hast suffered it to abide in Power and prevalency without attempting vâ—gorously the killing of it and the healing of the wounds thou hast received by it for some long season thy Distemper is dangerous Hast thou permitted Worldliness Ambition Greediness of Study to eat up other Duties the Duties wherein thou oughtest to hold constant Communion with God for some long season Or Vncleanness to defile thy Heart with vain and foolish and wicked Imaginations for many dayes Thy Lust hath a dangerous symptom So was the Case with David Psal. 38.5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness When a Lust hath layen long in the Heart corrupting festering cankering it brings the Soul to a wofull Condition In such a case an ordinary course of humiliation will not do the work Whatever it be it will by this Means insinuate it self more or less into all the Faculties of the Soul and habituate the Affections to its Company and society it growes familiar to the Mind and Conscience that they do not startle at it as a strange thing but are bold with it as that which they are wonted unto yea it will get such advantage by this Means as often-times to exert and put forth it self without having any notice taken of it at all as it seems to have been with Joseph in his swearing by the Life of Pharaoh Unless some extraordinary Course be taken such a person hath no ground in the world to expect that his latter End shall be Peace For first How will he be able to distinguish between the long abode of an unmortified lust and the dominion of Sin which cannot befall a Regenerate person Secondly How can he promise himself that it shall ever be otherwise with him or that his lust will cease tumultuating and seducing when he sees it fixed and abiding and hath done so for many dayes and hath gone through variety of Conditions with him It may be it hath tryed mercyes and afflictions and those possibly so remarkable that the Soul could not avoyd the taking special notice of them it may be it hath weathered out many a thorn and passed under much variety of Gifts in the Administration of the Word and will it prove an easie thing to dislodge an Inmate pleading a title by Prescription Old neglected wounds are often mortal alwayes dangerous Indwelling Distempers grow resty and stubborn by continuance in ease and quiet Lust is such an Inmate as if it can plead Time and some Prescription will not easily be ejected As it never dyes of it self so if it be not daily killed it will alwayes gather strength 2 Secret Pleas of the Heart for the countenancing of it self and keeping up its peace notwithstanding the abiding of a Lust without a vigorous Gospel Attempt for its Mortification is another dangerous symptome of a deadly Distemper in the Heart Now there be several wayes whereby this may be done I shall name some of them As 1. When upon Thoughts perplexing Thoughts about Sin instead of applying himself to the Destruction of it a man searches his Heart to see what Evidences he can find of a good Condition notwithstanding that sin and Lust so that it may go well with him For a man to gather up his Experiences of God to call them to mind to collect them consider trye improve them is an excellent thing a Duty practised by all the Saints commended in the Old Testament and the New This was Davids work when he communed with his own heart and called to remembrance the former loving kindness of the Lord Psal. 77.6 7 8 9. This is the Duty that Paul sets us to practise 2 Cor. 13.5 And as it is in it self excellent so it hath beauty added to it by a proper Season A time of Tryal or Temptation or Disquietness of the Heart about Sin is a picture of Silver to set off this Golden Apple as Solomon speaks But now to do it for this End to satisfie Conscience which cryes and calls for another purpose is a desperate Device of an heart in love with Sin When a mans Conscience shall deal with him when God shall rebuke him for the sinfull distemper of his Heart if he instead of applying himself to get that Sin pardoned in the Blood of Christ and mortified by his Spirit
will grow a light thing to thee thou wilt pass by it as a thing of nought This it will grow to and what will be the End of such a Condition Can a sadder thing befall thee Is it not enough to make any heart to tremble to think of being brought into that Estate wherein he should have slight thoughts of Sin slight thoughts of Grace of Mercy of the Blood of Christ of the Law Heaven and Hell come all in at the same season Take heed this is that thy Lust is working towards the hardening of the Heart searing of Conscience blinding of the Mind stupifying of the Affections and deceiving of the whole Soul 2. The danger of some great temporal Correction which the Scripture calls Vengeance Judgement and Punishment Psal. 89.30 31 32 33 Though God should not utterly cast thee off for this Abomination that lyes in thy Heart yet he will visit with the Rod though he pardon and forgive he will take vengeance of thy Inventions O remember David and all his troubles look on him flying into the Wilderness and consider the hand of God upon him Is it nothing to thee that God should kill thy Child in anger ruine thy Estate in anger break thy Bones in anger suffer thee to be a Scandal and Reproach in anger kill thee destroy thee make thee lye down in darkness in anger Is it nothing that he should punish ruine and undoe others for thy sake Let me not be mistaken I do not mean that God doth send all these things alwayes on his in Anger God forbid But this I say That when he doth so deal with thee and thy Conscience bears witness with him what thy Provocations have been thou wilt find his dealings full of bitterness to thy Soul If thou fearest not these things I fear thou art under hardness 3. Loss of Peace and Strength all a mans dayes To have peace with God to have strength to walk before God is the summe of the great Promises of the Covenant of Grace In these things is the Life of our Souls Without them in some comfortable measure to Live is to Dye What good will our Lives do us if we see not the face of God sometimes in peace If we have not some strength to walk with him Now both these will an unmortified Lust certainly deprive the Souls of men of This case is so evident in David as that nothing can be more clear How often doth he complain that his bones were broken his Soul disquieted his wounds grievous on this account Take other Instances Isa. 57.18 For the Iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and hid my self What peace I pray is there to a Soul while God hides himself Or strength whilest he smites Hos. 5.15 I will goe and return to my place untill they acknowledge their Offence and seek my face I will leave them hide my Face and what will become of their peace and strength If ever then thou hast enjoyed peace with God if ever his Terrours have made thee afraid if ever thou hast had strength to walk with him or ever hast mourned in thy Prayer and been troubled because of thy weakness think of this danger that hangs over thy head It is perhaps but a little while and thou shalt see the Face of God in Peace no more Perhaps by to morrow thou shalt not be able to pray read hear or perform any Duties with the least chearfulness Life or Vigour and possibly thou mayst never see a quiet hour whilest thou livest That thou mayst carry about thee broken bones full of pain and terrour all the dayes of thy Life yea perhaps God will shoot his Arrowes at thee and fill thee with Anguish and disquietness with Fears and Perplexities make thee a Terror and an Astonishment to thy self and others shew thee Hell and Wrath every moment frighten and scare thee with sad Apprehensions of his Hatred so that thy sore shall run in the Night season and thy Soul shall refuse Comfort so that thou shalt wish Death rather than Life yea thy Soul may choose strangling Consider this a little though God should not utterly destroy thee yet he might cast thee into this condition wherein thou shalt have quick and living Apprehensions of thy Destruction Wont thy Heart to thoughts hereof Let it know what is like to be the Issue of its State leave not this Consideration untill thou hast made thy Soul to tremble within thee 4. There is the Danger of eternal Destruction For the due Management of this Consideration observe I. That there is such a connexion between a Continuance in Sin and eternal Destruction that though God do's resolve to deliver some from a Continuance in Sin that they may not be destroyed yet he will deliver none from Destruction that continue in sin So that whilest any one lyes under an Abiding power of sin the Threats of Destruction and everlasting Seperation from God are to be held out to him So Heb. 3.12 to which adde Heb. 10.38 This is the Rule of Gods proceeding If any man depart from him draw back through Unbelief Gods Soul hath no pleasure in him that is his Indignation shall pursue him to Destruction so evidently Gal. 6.8 II. That he who is so intangled as above described under the Power of any Corruption can have at that present no clear prevailing Evidence of his Interest in the Covenant by the Efficacy whereof he may be delivered from Fear of Destruction So that Destruction from the Lord may justly be a Terrour to him And he may he ought to look upon it as that which will be the End of his Course and wayes There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 True but who shall have the comfort of this Assertion Who may assume it to himself They that walk after the Spirit and not after the Flesh. But you will say Is not this to perswade men to unbelief I answer No there is a twofold Judgement that a man may make of himself 1. Of his Person and 2. Of his Wayes It is the judgment of his Wayes not his Person that I speak of Let a man get the best Evidence for his Person that he can yet to judge that an evil Way will end in Destruction is his Duty not to do it is Atheism I do not say that in such a Condition a man ought to throw away the Evidences of his personal Interest in Christ but I say he cannot keep them There is a two-fold condemnation of a mans self First In respect of Desert when the Soul concludes that it Deserves to be cast out of the presence of God and this is so far from a business of Vnbelief that it is an Effect of Faith Secondly With respect to the Issue and Event when the Soul concludes it shall be Damned I do not say this is the Duty of any one nor do I call them to it But this I say that the End of the
way wherein a man is ought by him to be concluded to be death that he may be provok'd to fly from it And this is another Consideration that ought to dwell upon such a Soul if it desire to be freed from the intanglement of its Lusts. 3 Consider the Evils of it I mean its present Evils Danger respects what is to come Evil what is present Some of the many Evils that attend an unmortified Lust may be mentioned 1. It grieves the Holy and Blessed Spirit which is given to Believers to dwell in them and abide with them So the Apostle Ephes. 4.25 26 27 28 29. dehorting them from many Lusts and Sins gives this as the great Motive of it vers 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of Redemption Grieve not that Spirit of God saith he whereby you receive so many and so great Benefits of which he instances in one signal and comprehensive one Sealing to the day of Redemption He is grieved by it as a tender and loving Friend is grieved at the unkindness of his Friend of whom he hath well deserved so is it with this tender and loving Spirit who hath chosen our Hearts for an Habitation to dwell in and there to do for us all that our Souls desire He is grieved by our harbouring his Enemies and those whom he is to destroy in our Hearts with him He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve Us Lam. 3.33 and shall we daily grieve Him Thus is he said sometimes to be vexed sometimes grieved at his heart to express the greatest sense of our provocation Now if there be any thing of gracious Ingenuity left in the Soul if it be not utterly hardened by the Deceitfulness of Sin this Consideration will certainly affect it Consider Who and What thou art who the Spirit is that is grieved what he hath done for thee what he comes to thy Soul about what he hath already done in thee and be ashamed Among those who walk with God there is no groater Motive and Incentive unto universal Holiness and the preserving of their Hearts and Spirits in all Purity and Cleanness than this That the blessed Spirit who hath undertaken to dwell in them as Temples of God and to preserve them meet for him who so dwells in them is continually considering what they give Entertainment in their Hearts unto and rejoyceth when his Temple is kept undefiled that was an high Aggravation of the Sin of Zimri that he brought his Adulteress into the Congregation in the sight of Moses and the rest who were weeping for the Sins of the people Numb 25.6 and is it not an high Aggravation of the countenancing a Lust or suffering it to abide in the Heart when it is as it must be if we are Believers entertained under the peculiar Eye and View of the Holy Ghost taking care to preserve his Tabernacle pure and holy 2. The Lord Jesus is wounded afresh by it His new Creature in the heart is wounded His Love is foil'd his adversary gratified As a total relinquishment of him by the Deceitfulness of Sin is the crucifying him afresh and the putting of him to open shame so every harbouring of Sin that he came to destroy wounds and grieves him 3. It will take away a mans usefulness in his Generation His Works his Endeavours his Labours seldom receive Blessing from God If he be a Preacher God commonly blows upon his Ministry that he shall labour in the Fire and not be honoured with any success or doing any work for God and the like may be spoken of other Conditions The world is at this day full of poor withering Professors how few are there that walk in any Beauty or Glory how barren how useless are they for the most part â— Amongst the many Reasons that may be assigned of this sad Estate it may justly be feared that this is none of the least effectual many men harbour Spirit-devouring Lusts in their bosomes that lye as Worms at the Root of their Obedience and corrode and weaken it day by day All Graces all the Wayes and Means whereby any Graces may be exercised and improved are prejudiced by this Means and as to any success God blasts such mens undertakings This then is my second Direction and it regards the Opposition that is to be made to Lust in respect of its habitual residence in the Soul keep alive upon thy Heart these or the like Considerations of its Guilt Danger and Evil be much in the meditation of these things cause thy Heart to dwell and abide upon them Ingage thy Thoughts into these Considerations let them not go off nor wander from them untill they begin to have a powerfull Influence upon thy Soul untill they make it to tremble CHAP. XI The Third Direction proposed Load the Conscience with the Guilt of the perplexing Distemper The Wayes and Means whereby that may be done The Fourth Direction Vehement desire for Deliverance The Fifth Some Distempers rooted deeply in mens Natural Tempers Considerations of such Distempers Wayes of dealing with them The Sixth Direction Occasions and Advantages of Sin to be prevented The Seventh Direction The first actings of Sin vigorously to be opposed THIS is my Third Direction Load thy Conscience with the Guilt of it Not onely consider that it hath a Guilt but load thy Conscience with the Guilt of its actual Eruptions and Disturbances For the right improvement of this Rule I shall give some particular Directions First Take Gods Meâ—hod in it and begin with Generals aâ—â— so descend to particulars 1 Charge thy Conscience with that Guilt which appears in it from the Rectitude and Holiness of the Law Bring the holy Law of God into thy Conscience lay thy corruption to it pray that thou mayest be affected with it Consider the holiness spirituality fiery severity inwardness absoluteness of the Law And see how thou canst stand before it Be much I say in affecting thy Conscience with the Terrour of the Lord in the Law and how righteous it is that every one of thy Transgressions should receive a recompence of Reward Perhaps thy Conscience will invent shifts and Evasions to keep off the Power of this Consideration as that the condemning power of the Law doth not belong to thee thou art set free from it and the like and so though thou be not conformable to it yet thou needest not to be so much troubled at it But 1. Tell thy Conscience that it cannot manage any evidence to the purpose that thou art free from the condemning Power of Sin whilest thy unmortified Lust lyes in thy Heart so that perhaps the Law may make good its Plea against thee for a full Dominion and then thou art a lost Creature Wherefore it is best to ponder to the utmost what it hath to say Assuredly he 〈◊〉 pleads in the most secret Reserve of his Heart that he is freed from the condemning poâ—eâ— of the Law thereby secretly to
for his Confidence Particular Directions belonging to this Head are many not now to bâ— insisted on But because this Head is of no less importance than the whole Doctrine here handled I have aâ— large in another Treatise about entering into Temptations treated of it Seventhly Rise mightily against the first Actings of thy Distemper its first Conceptions suffer it not to get the least Ground Do not say thus far it shall go and no farther If it have allowance for one step it will take another It is impossible to fix Bounds to Sin It is like water in a Channel if it once break out it will have its course It s not acting is easier to be compassed than its Bounding Therefore doth James give that Gradation and Process of Lust Chap. 1.14 15. that we may stop at the Entrance Dost thou find thy corruption to begin to entangle thy Thoughts rise up with all thy strength against it with no less Indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at Consider what an unclean Thought would have it would have thee roll thy self in Folly and Filth Ask Envy what it would have Murder and Destruction is at the end of it Set thy self against it with no less vigour than if it had utterly debased thee to wickedness Without this Course thou wilt not prevail As Sin gets ground in the Affections to delight in it it gets also upon the Understanding to slight it CHAP. XII The Eighth Direction Thoughtfulness of the Excellency of the Majesty of God Our Vnacquaintedness with him proposed and considered EIghthly Use and exercise thy self to such Meditations as may serve to fill thee at all times with self-abasement and Thoughts of thine own vileness As 1. Be much in Thoughtfulness of the Excellency of the Majesty of God and thine infinite inconceivable distance from him many thoughts of it cannot but fill thee with a sense of thine own Vileness which strikes deep at the root of any indwelling Sin When Job comes to a clear discovery of the Greatness and Excellency of God he is filled with self-abhorrency and is pressed to Humiliation Job 42.5 6. And in what state doth the Prophet Habakkuk affirm himself to be cast upon the apprehension of the Majesty of God Chap. 3.16 With God sayes Job is terrible Majesty Job 37.22 Hence were the thoughts of them of Old that when they had seen God they should dye The Scripture abounds in this self-abasing Consideration comparing the men of the Earth to Grashoppers to Vanity the dust of the ballance in respect of God Isa. 40.13 14 15. Be much in thoughts of this nature to abase the pride of thy Heart and to keep thy Soul humble within thee There is nothing will render thee in a greater indisposition to be imposed on by the deceits of sin than such a frame of Heart Think greatly of the Greatness of God 2. Think much of thine unacquaintedness with him Though thou knowest enough to keep thee low and humble yet how little a portion is it that thou knowest of him The Contemplation hereof cast that wise man into that Apprehension of himself which he expresses Prov. 30.2 3 4. Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned Wisdom nor have the knowledge of the Holy Who hath ascended up into Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fists Who hath bound the Waters in a Garment Who hath established the Ends of the Earth What is his Name and what is his Sons Name if thou canst tell Labour with this also to take down the pride of thy Heart What doâ—t thou know of God How little a portion is it How immense is he in his Nature Câ—nst thou look without terrour into the Abyss of Eternity Thou canst not bear the rayes of his glorious Being Because I look on this Consideration of great use in our walking with God so far as it may have as it may have a Consistency with that filial Boldness which is given us in Jesus Christ to draw nigh to the Throne of Grace I shall farther insist upon it to give an abiding Impression of it to the Souls of them who desire to walk humbly with God Consider then I say to keep thy heart in continual awe of the Majesty of God That Persons of the most high and eminent Attainments of the nearest and most familiar Communion with God do yet in this life know but a very little of him and his Glory God reveals his Name to Moses the most glorious Attributes that he hath manifested in the Covenant of Grace Exod. 34.5 6. yet all are but the back-parts of God All that he knowes by it is but little low compared to the perfection of his Glory Hence it is with peculiar reference to Moses that it is said No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 Of him in comparison with Christ doth he speak vers 17. and of him it is here said No man no not Moses the most eminent among them hath seen God at any time We speak much of God can talk of Him his Wayes his Works his Counsels all the day long The truth is we know very little of him our Thoughts our Meditations our Expressions of him are low many of them unworthy of his Glory none of them reaching his Perfections You will say that Moses was under the Law when God wrapped up himself in darkness and his Mind in Types and Clouds and dark Institutions Under the glorious shining of the Gospel which hath brought Life and Immortality to light God being revealed from his own bosome we now know him much more clearly and as he is We see his face now and not his back-parts onely as Moses did Ans. 1. I acknowledge a vast and almost unconceivable difference between the Acquaintance we now have with God after his speaking to us by his own Son and that which the generality of the Saints had under the Law For although their eyes were as good sharp and clear as ours their Faith and spiritual understanding not behind ours the Object as glorious unto them as unto us yet our day is more clear than theirs was the Clouds are blown away and scattered the shadowes of the Night are gone and fled away the Sun is risen and the Means of sight is made more eminent and clear than formerly Yet 2. That peculiar sight which Moses had of God Exod. 34. was a Gospel-sight a sight of God as Gracious c. and yet it 's called but his back-parts that is but low and mean in comparison of his Excellencies and Perfections 3. The Apostle exalting to the utmost this Glory of Gospel Light above that of the Law manifesting that now the veil causing Darkness is taken away so that with open or uncovered face we behold the Glory of the Lord Tells us how As in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 In a glass How is that Clearly
all Gospel Revelation is not to unveil Gods Essential Glory that we should see him as he is but meerly to declare so much of him as he knowes sufficient to be a bottom of our Faith Love Obedience and coming to him That is of the Faith which here he expects from us Such services as beseem poor Creatures in the middest of Temptations but when he calls us to eternal Admiration and Contemplation without Interruption he will make a new manner of Discovery of himself and the whole shape of things as it now lies before us will depart as a shadow 2 We are dull and slow of heart to receive the things that are in the Word revealed God by our Infirmity and weakness keeping us in continual dependance on him for Teachings and Revelations of himself out of his Word never in this world bringing any Soul to the utmost of what is from the Word to be made out and discovered so that although the way of Revelation in the Gospel be clear and evident yet we know little of the things themselves that are revealed Let us then revive the use and intendment of this Consideration will not a due Apprehension of this unconceivable Greatness of God and that infinite distance wherein we stand from him fill the Soul with an holy and awfull Fear of him so as to keep it in a Frame unsuited to the thriving or flourishing of any Lust whatever Let the Soul be continually wonted to Reverential thoughts of Gods greatness and omnipresence and it will be much upon its watch as to any undue deportments consider him with whom you have to doe even our God is a consuming fire and in your greatest Abashments at his presence and eye know that your very Nature is too narrow to bear apprehensions suitable to his essential Glory CHAP. XIII The Ninth Direction When the heart is disquieted by Sin speak no peace to it untill God speak it Peace without detestation of Sin unsound So is Peace measured out unto our selves How we may know when we measure our peace unto our selves Directions as to that Enquiry The vanity of speaking peace slightly Also of doing it on one singular account not universally IN case God disquiet the Heart about the Guilt of its Distempers either in respect of its Root and indwelling or in respect of any Eruptions of it take heed thou speakest not peace to thy self before God speaks it but hearken what he sayes to thy Soul This is our next Direction without the Observation whereof the Heart will be exceedingly exposed to the deceitfulness of Sin This is a business of great importance It is a sad thing for a man to deceive his own Soul herein All the warnings God gives us in tenderness to our Souls to trye and examine our selves do tend to the preventing of this great Evil of speaking peace groundlesly to our selves which is upon the issue to bless our selves in an opposition to God It is not my business to insiâ—t upon the danger of it but to help Believers to prevent it and to let them know when they do so To mannage this Direction aright observe 1 That as it is the great Prerogative and Sovereignty of God to give grace to whom he pleases he hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9.16 and among all the Sons of men He calls whom he will and sanctifies whom he will so among those so called and justified and whom he will save He yet reserves this Priviledge to himself to speak Peace to whom he pleaseth and in what Degree he pleaseth even amongst them on whom he hath bestowed Grace He is the God of all Consolation in an especial manner in his dealing with Believers That is of the good things that he keeps locked up in his Family and gives out of it to all his Children at his pleasure This the Lord insists on Isa. 57.16 17 18. It is the case under Consideration that is there insisted on When God sayes he will heal their Breaches and Disconsolations he assumes this Priviledge to himself in an especial manner I create it vers 19. Even in respect of these poor wounded Creatures I create it and according to my soveraignty make it out as I please Hence as it is with the collation of Grace in reference to them that are in the state of Nature God doth it in great Curiosity and his proceedings therein in taking and leaving as to outward Appearances quite besides and contrary oft-times to all probable Expectations so is it in his Communication of Peace and Joy in reference unto them that are in the state of Grace he gives them out oft times quite besides our expectation as to any appearing Grounds of his Dispensations 2 As God creates it for whom he pleaseth so it is the Prerogative of Christ to speak it home to the Conscience Speaking to the Church of Laodicea who had healed her wounds falsly and spoke peace to her self when she ought not He takes to himself that Title I am the Amen the faithfull witness Revel 3.14 He bears testimony concerning our Condition as it is indeed we may possibly mistake and trouble our selves in vain or flatter our selves upon false Grounds but he is the Amen the faithfull witness and what he speaks of our State and Condition that it is indeed Isa. 11.3 He is said not to judge according to the sight of the eye not according to any outward appearance or any thing that may be subject to a mistake as we are apt to do but He shall judge and determine every cause as it is indeed Take these two previous Observations and I shall give some Rules whereby men may know whether God speaks peace to them or whether they speak peace to themselves onely 1 Men certainly speak peace to themselves when their so doing is not attended with the greatest detestation imaginable of that sin in reference whereunto they do speak Peace to themselves and abhorrency of themselves for it When men are wounded by sin disquieted and perplexed and knowing that there is no remedy for them but onely in the mercyes of God through the blood of Christ do therefore look to him and to the Promises of the Covenant in him and thereupon quiet their hearts that it shall be well with them and that God will be exalted that he may be gracious to them and yet their Souls are not wrought to the greatest detestation of the sin or sins upon the Account whereof they are disquieted this is to heal themselves and not to be healed of God This is but a great and strong wind that the Lord is nigh unto but the Lord is not in the wind When men do truely look upon Christ whom they have pierced without which there is no Healing or Peace they will mourn Zech. 12.10 they will mourn for him even upon this account and detest the sin that pierced him When we go to Christ for healing Faith eyes him peculiarly as one pierced
and then indeed it doth good unto the Soul If thou haâ—â— had a wound upon thy Conscience which was attended with weakness and disquietness which now thou art freed of How cameâ—t thou so I looked to the Promises of pardon and healing and so found Peace Yea but perhaps thou hast made too much haste thou hast done it overly thou hast not fed upon the Promise so as to mix it with Faith to have got all the virtue of it diffused into thy Soul onely thou hast done it slightly thou wilt find thy wound ere it be long breaking out again and thou shalt know that thou art not cured 4 Whoever speaks peace to himself upon any one account and at the same time hath another Evil of no less importance lying upon his Spirit about which he hath had no dealing with God that man cryâ—s Peace when there is none A little to explain my Meaning A man hath neglected a Duty again and again perhaps when in all Righteousness it was due from him his Conscience is perplexed his Soul wounded he hath no quiet in his Bones by reason of his Sin he applyes himself for Healing and finds Peace Yet in the mean time perhaps worldliness or Pride or some other folly where with the Spirit of God is exceedingly grieved may lye in the bosom of that man and they neither disturb him nor he them Let not that man think that any of his Peace is from God Then shall it be well with men when they have an equal respect to all Gods Commandements God will justifie us from our sins but he will not justifie the least sin in us He is a God of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity 5 When men of themselves speak peace to their Consciences it is seldom that God speaks humiliation to their Souls Gods Peace is humbling Peace melting Peace as it was in the case of David Psal. 51.1 Never such deep humiliation as when Nathan brought him the tidings of his Pardon Q. But you will say When may we take the comfort of a Promise as our own in relation to some peculiar wound for the quieting the Heart A. 1. In general when God speaks it be it when it will sooner or later I told you before He may doe it in the very instant of the sin it self and that with such irresistable power that the Soul must needs receive his mind in it Sometimes he will make us wait longer but when he speaks be it sooner or later be it when we are sinning or repenting be the Condition of our Souls what they please if God speak he must be received There is not any thing that in our Communion with him the Lord is more troubled with us for if I may so say than our unbelieving Fears that keep us off from receiving that strong consolation which he is so willing to give to us But you will say We are where we were when God syeaks it we must receive it that is true but how shall we know when he speaks Ans. 1. I would we could all practically come up to this to receive peace when we are convinced that God speaks it and that it is our Duty to receive it But 2. There is if I may so say a secret instinct in Faith whereby it knowes the voice of Christ when He speaks indeed as the babe leaped in the womb when the blessed Virgin came to Elizabeth Faith leaps in the heart when Christ indeed draws nigh to it My sheep sayes Christ know my voyce Joh. 10.14 they know my voice they are used to the sound of it and they know when his lips are opened to them and are full of Grace The spouse was in a sad condition Cant. 5.2 asleep in security but yet as soon as Christ speaks she cryes it is the voice of my beloved that speaks She knew his voice and was so acquainted with communion with him that instantly she discovers him and so will you also if you exercise your selves to acquaintance communion with him you will easily discern between his voice and the voice of a stranger And take this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with you when he doth speak he speaks as never man spake He speaks with power and one way or other will make your hearts burn within you as He did to the Disciples Luk. 22. He doth it by putting in his hand at the hole of the door Cant. 5.4 his spirit into your hearts to seise on you He that hath his sences exercised to discerne good or evil being encreased in judgement and experience by a constant observation of the wayes of Christ's entercourse the manner of the operations of the spirit and the effects it usually produceth is the best judge for himself in this case 2. If the word of the Lord doth good to your souls He speaks it If it humble if it cleanse and be usefull for those ends for which promises are given viz. 1 To endear 2. cleanse 3. To Melt and bind to Obedience 4. To self-emptiness c. But this is not my business Nor shall I farther divert in the pursuit of this Direction without the observation of it Sin will have great Advantages towards the hardening of the Heart CHAP. XIV The general use of the foregoing Directions The great Direction for the accomplishment of the Work aymed at Act Faith on Christ The several Wayes whereby this may be done Consideration of the Fulness in Christ for Relief proposed Great Expectations from Christ Grounds of these Expectations His Mercifulness his Faithfulness Event of such Expectations On the part of Christ On the part of Believers Faith peculiarly to be acted on the Death of Christ Rom. 6.3 4 5 6. The Work of the Spirit in this whole business NOW the Considerations which I have hitherto insisted on are rather of things preparatory to the work aymed at than such as will effect it It is the hearts due preparation for the work it self without which it will not be accomplished that hitherto I have aymed at Directions for the work it self are very few I mean that are peculiar to it And they are these that follow First Set Faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin His blood is the great soveraigne remedy for sin-sick souls Live in this and thou wilt dye a Conqueror Yea thou wilt through the good providence of God live to see thy lust dead at thy feet But thou wilt say how shall Faith act its self on Christ for this end and purpose I say sundry wayes 1. By faith fill thy soul with a due consideration of that provision which is layed up in Jesus Christ for this end and purpose that all thy lusts this very lust wherewith thou art entangled may be mortified by Faith ponder on this that though thou art no way able in or by thy self to get the conquest over thy distemper though thou art even weary of contending and art utterly ready to faint Luke 16.17 yet that
himself for the receiving help from him they are in vain Now farther to engage thee to this Expectation 1. Consider his mercifulnesse tenderness and kindnesse as he is our great high Priest at the right hand of God Assuredly he pitties thee in thy distresse saith He as one Whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you Isaiah 66.15 He hath the tendernesse of a Mother to a sucking Child Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the People for in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted How is the ability of Christ upon the account of his suffering proposed to us in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able Did the sufferings and Temptations of Christ adde to his ability and power not doubtless considered absolutely and in its self But the Ability here mentioned is such as hath readinesse pronenesse willingness to put its self forth accompanying of it it is an Ability of will against all disswasions He is able having suffered and being tempted to break through all diswasions to the contrary to relieve poor tempted souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is able to help It is a metonymy of the Effect For he can now be moved to help having been so tempted So c. 4.15 16. For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Meâ—cy and find Grace to help in time of need The Exhortation of vers 16. is the same that I am upon namely that we would entertain Expectations of Relief from Christ which the Apostle there calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace for seasonable help if ever sayes the Soul help were seasonable it would be so to me in my present Condition This is that which I long for Grace for seasonable help I am ready to dye to perish to be lost for ever Iniquity will prevail against me if help come not in sayes the Apostle Expect this Help this Relief this Grace from Christ yea but on what account that he layes down v. 15. and we may observe that the word v. 16. which we have translated to obtain is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may receive it suitable and seasonable help will come in I shall freely say this one thing of establishing the Soul by Faith in expectation of Relief from Jesus Christ on the account of his Mercifulness as our High-Priest will be more available to the ruine of thy Lust and Distemper and have a better and speedier issue than all the rigidest Means of self-maceration that ever any of the sons of men engaged themselves into Yea let me adde that never any Soul did or shall perish by the power of any lust sin or corruption who could raise his soul by Faith to an expectation of relief from Jesus Christ. 2. Consider his Faithfulness who hath promised which may raise thee up and confirm thee in this waiting in an Expectation of Relief He hath promised to relieve in such Cases and he will fulfill his word to the utmost God tells us that his Covenant with us is like the Ordinances of Heaven the Sun Moon and Stars which have their certain Courses Jerem. 31.36 Thence David said that he watched for Relief from God as one watcheth for the Morning a thing that will certainly come in its appointed season so will be thy Relief from Christ. It will come in its season as the dew and rain upon the parched Ground for Faithfull is he who hath promised Particular Promises to this purpose are innumerable with some of them that seem peculiarly to suit to his Condition let the Soul be alwayes furnished Now there are two eminent Advantages which alwayes attend this Expectation of succour from Jesus Christ. 1. It engages him to a full and speedy Assistance nothing doth more engage the Heart of a man to be usefull and helpfull to another than his Expectation of help from him if justly raised and countenanced by him who is to give the Relief Our Lord Jesus hath raised our Hearts by his kindness Care and Promises to this Expectation Certainly our rising up unto it must needs be a great Engagement upon him to assist us accordingly This the Psalmist gives us as an approved Maxim Thou Lord never forsakest them that put their trust in thee When the Heart is once won to rest in God to repose himself on him He will assuredly satisfie it He will never be as water that fails nor hath he said at any time to the seed of Jacob Seek ye my face in vain If Christ be chosen for the Foundation of our Supply he will not fail us 2. It engages the Heart to attend diligently to all wayes and Means whereby Christ is wont to communicate himself to the Soul and so takes in the real Assistance of all Graces and Ordinances whatever He that expects any thing from a man applyes himself to the wayes and Means whereby it may be obtained The Beggar that expects an Almes lyes at his door or in his way from whom he doth expect it The way whereby and the Means wherein Christ communicates himself is and are his Ordinances ordinarily He that expects any thing from him must attend upon him therein It is the expectation of Faith that sets the Heart on work 'T is not an idle groundless Hope that I speak of If now there be any Vigour Efficacy and Power in Prayer or Sacraments to this End of mortifying Sin a man will assuredly be interested in it all by this Expectation of Relief from Christ. On this account I reduce all particular actings by Prayer Meditation and the like to this Head and so shall not farther insist on them When they are grounded on this bottom and spring from this Root they are of singular use to this purpose and not else Now on this Direction for the Mortification of a prevailing Distemper you may have a thousand probatum est's Who hath walked with God under this Temptatâ—â—n and hath not found the use and success of it I dare leave the Soul under it without adding any more Only some particulars relating thereunto may be mentioned 1 Act Faith peculiarly upon the Death Blood and Cross of Christ that is on Christ as crucified and slain Mortification of Sin is peculiarly from the Death of Christ. It is one peculiar yea eminent End of the Death of Christ which shall assuredly be accomplished by it He died to destroy the works of the Devil whatever came upon our Natures by his first Temptation whatever receivâ—â— strength in our Persons by his daily suggestions Christ died to destroy it all He gave