Of Mortification. 605 as it was vfedto doe in the time ofour ignorance : then be- ing further enabled by vertueofGods fpirit, working in vs, wepreuaile againfi it, fo that though it often rebell,yet doe the fubdue it and obtaineviaorie.Laflly,obtaining a greater reafure ofthe fpirit,we mortifie and kill it ; that is, though we doe not vtterlydepriue it of life andmotion, yet we glue it fuch a deadly wound, that it neuer recouereth his former flrength, but Rill pineth and languifheth,till with the death ofthebodie it altodieth and is wholly abolifhed. Nowwhi- le11 it is in this confumption and neere vntodeath, hauing a long time before been weake, oftentimes it feemeth to re- couer flrength, and to offer fome violence vnto the regene- rate part : but this muff not difcouragevs, as though now it were on the mending hand,and like tobee refloredto it for-. mer health and flrength : for as it fareth with thofe that lie vpon their death-bed ; fo it is with our Fick flefh,and thecor- ruptions thereof,after that nature feemeth (pent, and the po- wer thereofwholly decaied; oftentimes falling into force grieuous fit,wherein there is a fight betweene life anddeath, their f}rength feemeth redoubled and farre greater then euer it was :but beofgood comfort,it is no figneofhealth,but a pang ofdeathwhich neere approcheth. And thus you fee the deathof finneand our naturali cor- ruption. Now as in the deathofthebodie there is acertaine progreffetherein, namely, when thedead carcafe is allobu- ried ; foalto there is not onely a deathoffinne,but alloa bu- Rom.6.4. riall, the which is wrought bythevertue ofChrifl:s buriall, a d'L. S: applied vnto vsbyGods fpirit; whereby it commeth to paffe 3 3 thatfinne which is alreadie flame and dead, doth foremaine and continue ; fo that this buriall of finne is nothing elfebut the further progreffe and continuance of our mortification. Ofthis the Apofílc fpeaketh,Rom.6.4. Wee are buried then Roat6.4. withh: nbybaptafine into hisdeath,&c. So Co1.2.12. And thus haueI fhewed what our mortification is, which 4,Set`7.3, as it is a worke mofl hard,foalío tnoa neceffarie: thedifficul- That the werke tieappeareth by the namewhich isborrowed from the pra- ofnaorti eati- &ife ofChirurgeons,who before theycut off any member, en hardand doe fiat mortifie it, that after they may take itaway.writh netefjarie, lef e
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