390 Book IV. _ ___ rL_o_oi_tt_n~ _t_m_to_'jjc_fu_g_._ _ ~h_ap. H'etl::~ > Ccr. 7· •· RO:l'. 7· 18. of thofe foul-conAich, wherewith this mortification,. or death unto lin is attended. Now ttT we ~h<; truth of our Morttficau_on by thefe f•gns : Dot_h i_r fpring from a right root of Fa1th? 1s.1t general and ~n1verfal 1~ refpect of all ~ns? IS lt accompanied with combats? doth rhellefi,Iufbgamfi fhe fpmt, and the fpmt againft the Ae0 1? and in this combate doth rhe fpirir at !aft prevail, and triumph over the A en,? do we find it a painful work bo_rh before and after wnverfion? why, then may I fay with the Apoflle, now Ik!;toiV Chrift, andthe fc!lowfi"P of hu fiifftrmg~; now by_ the grac.of Chrijf Jam made conformable unto hu death. As he d~ed for lm, fo I dtc to 1111 ; and here is the gn>Und of my hope, that Chrifi's death is mine. 1 . For the fecond, whether we encreafe and grow in our mortification ? this- queftion is ~eedfulas the fermer, to fatislio; ourfouls inrereil: in the death of Cbrift. As true grace 1s gro1~mg ~race_, fo rrue momficat1on 1s chat wh1ch grows : Now that we may be re– folvedm rh1s point alfo, the growth of our m~rtificarion wiU appear by rhefe following figns.-- r. Growing Mortification hath its chiefeft conflicts in fpiritual iulh. At firfl we mor– rifie ~roffer evils, fuch as Oa_ths,. Drunkennefs, Undeannefs, worldly-mindednefs, or the hk~; bur when we grow m this ble!fed duty, we then fer our felves again!! fpiri– tllal w1c~edndfe~; as Pnde, Prefumpuon, fdf-rarnal confidence in a man's own graces, or the hke: th1s method the Apofile fetsdown; Let m cleAnfe our fehm fro"' all ji!thi– m(s offief/! a_ndfpi>·ir:firfi from alllilrhinefsofrh_dle~ or body a_nd then from all filrhinefs o( the fpmt or foul~ as the children of Jfrac/ mrhm emranct 1oro the Land of Promife, firft they fer upon rhe frontiers and skirrs of the Land, and then they fought it out, and prevailed in the heart of the Countrey ; fo Chrillians, io their mortification, they firll: fer upon worldly lulls, grofs evils, outward fins ; and when they have encounrred them at the frontiers, they then ronfli:'i: wi.th fuch corruptions as lie more inwardly, in the very h~arr, fpiritual wickedndfes chat are withi~t Now if this be our cafe, here is one lignof eur growth. 2. Growin" mortification is more even, conllanr, lalling, durable, when there is ;n the heart a fudden flowing and reflowing, it comes from rhofe vafi Seas of Corrupti– ons rfm are wi.thin us; many fouls have then· Ague-firs, fomerimes hor, and fomerimes col-d; it may be, now they are in a very good frame, and within an hourortwo, a mighty Tide comes in, and they are born down by fin and corruption, in this cafe mor– tification is very weak: But on the contrary, if we find our !landingmore firm and f-ure, if for the main, we walk evenly, and keep clofely to the Lord, it carries with it an evidence char our mottification grows. 3. Growing mortification feels Luft more weak, and theSpirit more flrong in its or– dirrary actings. 1f we would know the rrurh of growth, let us look to our ufua16rs 6f finning; for then alnan·s llrength or weaknefs isdifcerned moll: as a man's weaknefs to go.od is difcerned when he comes to act it, towi/J i.< prefent with "''' bJJt how to per– formthttt:whichisgood I find not: fo a man'sweaknefs to fin is belt difcerned, when he come! ro al'l:'it: Mark then tl\e ordinary fits (as we call them) of fmning; fometimes God is pkafcd ro appoint fome more frequent affilulrs, as if ~e would on purpofe fu_ffer the Eaw of rhe members to war, and to muRer up all theJr forces, that fo we m•ght the rather know what is in our beans; at fnch a time, if we find that refithnce againft fin grows ftronger, thatfin cannot advance and-carry on his Army fo as formerly~ ~hat fin i-sencourtttedat firfi, or met withal at rhefronriers, and there overthrown,_th1s 1s a good lign tlm now our mortification grows; as, fuppofe ~~be aLult of Fancy, i~ cannot boy I up to fuch orofs fancies as it was wont ; or fuppofe!t ~e a Lull of Pr!de, 1t b?yls not up to fuel\ af'pirit of pride as formerly; infiead ofbr!ngmg for!h frmt, 1t no"": bnngs forth bloffoms. or inftead of bringing forth bloffoms, 1t now bnngs forth nothmg ~ut lea9es; why tllis is a fure fi&n that t~1is Lull is wir~ering more a_nd more; wh~n the m– ordinate thirf~is not fo great m the nme of the Fu, when the mward lulls p•rch upon lower a<'l:s than they had wont, when th€ waters abate, and f~llll1~n, and leffen, and overflow Id~ ~round, we may condude cenamly, char. morc!licanon grows. 4. Growinq monificatioo hub more ab!IJty to abfiam from the very occalions and begit:nin~~ qf_ltill. Thus Job (whom we Io·ok on asaman much mortified) made aCe: vt111mt wuh lm eye,- that he tvould not thmk.. ~tpon·a Matd) and no quell10n, as he mad covenant, fo he· ke[n !.iscovenlnt : Oh ! when a man cannot endure to come wb~re fuch a oce is r~at he io1 es not, when he c~nnor endure the hght of h1m, or. any tl1mg that puts him in mitlJ or him, not !o much as to parlie, or fpeak 1!7ith him; rh1s 1s a fig!\
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