a Cbrif1ians Growth. Ios finne is more weakned, all the reft in a proportion grow weak alfo. To this I anfwer affirmatively, that every new degree of mor. tification is univerfall. Fir(t, becaufe when the Scripture fpeaks ofour growth there- in, he fpeaks ofit as extending it felfe to every (inne. So Erhef. 4.22. when heexhorts the Ephefians (who were mortified al- ready) to a farther progrelfe in, it, he exhorts them to put off the oldman, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful! lugs. It is not one luft that is theobjee4 of mortification, and thegrowth of it (although he mentions particular furls afterwards) but the whole man that is corrupt, and all its lulls : and this he there fpeaks ofdaily growth therein : For of that he had- token in the former verles, from the 12. verle, and goes on to fpeak of it, and exhott to it. Thus in like manner, Gal. 5. 24. it is called crucifying the flefb With the lufls : not one lull, but theflt/h, the whole bundle, the clufier of them all : and in that it is called crucifying, it implys it alfò, for of all deaths that did work upon every parr, it did [}retch every nerve , finew, and vey.n , and put all the parts to paine : and this going on to mortifie finne is called Rom. 6. Thedeflroying ofthe body offinne; of the whole body : It isnot the confumprion of one member, of the lungs, or liver, &c. but it is is confumptio totius, a confumption ofthe whole body of (inne, fo as every new degree Of mortifi- cation is the confarning of the whole.And therefore all() Colof.3.. where in like manner he exhorts to his growth therein, he ex- horts tomortifie earthly members, every member. And the rea- fons hereofare, becaufe Firít, true mortification ftrikes at the root, and fo caufeth . every branch to wither : For all finfull difpofitions are rooted. in one, namely, in love of pleafure more then of Gal :. and all true imortification Beads a man to the pleafureoffinne, by bringing the heart more into communion,and into lovewith God ; and . therefore the deading to any finne mutt needs be general( and nniverfal.l to every finne. It is as the dying of the heart, which caufeth all the members to die with it ; for that is the difference betweene retraining Grace, which cuts offbut branches, and fo lops the tree, but true mortification íirikes every blow at the root. Secondly Anfw.
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