a Chriftians Growth. I07 feet, whilRothers continue to have fome life and heat in them ; fo in the mortification of a Chriftian, fo ne lulls that are more remote, arewholly fliffe and ítarke, when others retaine much life in them. The fecond Queftion is, Whether when I apply Chrifl, and the Promife, with the vertue of Chrift, for the mortification of fome oneparticular luft or other, and doe ufe thofe right means, as Prayer, Failing, &c. for the fpeciall mortification of Tome one lull, whether that loft thereby loth not become more mortified then other lulls doe ? I anfwer, Yes, yet fo as in a proportion, this work of morti- fication it runs through all the re'i : for as in waffling out the great Rains ofa cloth, the leffer Rains are wafht out alto with the fame labour, fo it is here : Therefore the Apottle in all his exhortations to mortification, both Eph.4, and cal. 5. and Col.3. though heexhorts to theputting offthe oldman, the whole body of finne, yet inflances in particular fins, becaufe a man is parti- cularly to endeavour the mortification ofparticulars, as it were apart ; and yet becaufe in getting them mortified the whole body of finne is deftroyed, therefore he mentions both the whole body, and particular members thereof apart, as the object of mortification. And to that end altodoth God exercife his chil- dren, firft with one luft, then with another, that they maymake tryall of thevertue of Chrifts death uponevery one : And there- fore Chrilt bids us to pull out an eye, and cmof an hand, if they offend us : for mortification is to be by us directed againft par- ticular members ; yet.fo as withal! in a proportion all the reft receive a farther degreeof deftru&tion. For as a particular a i of fin, (be it uncleannneffe, or the like) when committed, doth increafe a difpofition to every finne, yet fo as it leaves a prefent greater difpofition to that particular fin then any other, and in- creafeth it rnoft in potentiaproxima thoiagh all the rest in potentia remota : fo in every act of mortification, though the common flock be increafed, yet the particular kill we aimed at, hath a greater (hare in the mortification endeavoured, as in miniftring phyfick to cure the head, the whole body is often purged ; yet fo as the head, the party affefted, is yet chiefly purged, and more then the sea. CHAP eft. 2. 4nfir.
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