of Mortification. that it m:1kes Mco Strangers to God , even when they are nearefl: Attendants upon him. There arc but two things that keep up Acquaintance between God and the Soul. ' 755 Firft1 On God's part the Gracious Communications of his Spirit, ·through which, 1'. by cr.Jighrening, enlivening, fopporting aad comfOrting lnAueH.ce~, he converfeth On God's with that Soul to whom he vouchfafes them. And? - . . pm, the. Secondl;•, On our part, the Spit·i~llal fra"'le of the ~ea'rtj ~hereby it doth with ~~7o~:n;j an hol~ Dclig_hr, Frc~dom and Frequency converfc With God m the returns of fin- hiJSpirir. cere and cordial ObcdJence. ' . 2 • But now an unmortificd Lufr breaks oif this ACquaintance as to both the parts Onourp~rt, ' fit. , ' aGraci~us ° Firft, it provokes -~od to fnf~end the in~uen~cs ~f l_1is Spir_it, and fo td cut off ':fe::. of the intcrcourfe on_ll!S pa1:t, 1/ar. 'i?· I?· For tbt fmqu_ay of hu Cowtou{neft tva1 I 1 , wrath, and fmotr ~rm:. I hid me, and was wrat~. So tr~llt In the ~l'f. o_f our De~ NtgltB of fertion, whether~~ be 111.refpeet of ~race or Comfo1:t, It ~s for the mtc;zmty of foch lr'!-orrifi,:t. or fuCh an unmoruficd Sm that God Is wrath and h1des h1mfelf. Thmk you that wm pro. God will fo debafe himfelf t.o be in the fame Heart an Inmate with Luft, when voke~God4 (hat fhal\ be rel?an.led and . he fiig~ted, that atte~ded and he neglected? Will not ;;/;n~~~ · this provoke hlPn. t? call In the tnfluence~ of hiS Grac.e and depart? .Wherefore enw of . elfe is it that Chnfbans do fo often complam, that God IS unto them but as a Stran-. his Spirir, ger and as a \V:ty·taring Man that turneth a fide to tarry but for a night, nay for a m'oment '; that God is not unto them as in the days of Old; that thofe quick~ nings, revivings, fupports and comfo:ts are -now loft, which before they enjoyed, and they become as the He.ath and .Wtl~ernefs, b~rren as to Grace, and I?ar~hed as to Comfort? If they' look mward tn th1s cafe, will they not find fome I111qmty reg:uded, fome Sin all?w·ed an~ indulg~d to be th.e caufe of all this? .Certainly if Mortification doth ncttber ftnke at tillS Root cfBttternefs, nor lop off Its Branches, it will fpread it felf over the whole Soul; and intercept both ~he light of God's Countenance and the in fluences of his Spirit. Secondly, One tmmortified Luft doth mightily untune the SOul, and difdtders the 2. Spiritualnefs of th~t Fra~nc and Difpofition which it lhould be kept in, if we would Vnm~rrifimaintain Commumon WJth God. Look how eftrangernent and diftance g rows be.: tdSinuntween familiar Friends; fo likewife groWs the eftrangement between God and the i_;'u~~r Soul: i f a Man be.confcious of any Injury that he hath done his Friend 1 .this co'mm:ni... will make him afraid and afhamed to converfe with him, lefs free and lefs fre- onfwith quent in his Society : So it is here in this cafe, an unmortified Lu.ft fills the Soul God, with a r,u ilty lhamc arifing from the confcioufnefs of an Injury done to God : This guilty {hame is always joined with fome degrees of a Oavifh and bafe fear· of God who is thus wronged. Both th'efc take offfrom that holy. Freedom, which reverently to ufe towards God, is the great Privilege of a gracious Heart in its Communion with him. And this leffens that fweet and unfpeakable Delight which formerly it could enjoy from the Intimacy, Freedom and SpiritualnefS of this Fellowfhip. And all thefe do finally caufe a lhynefs, diftance and eftrangement in th~ Soul CO· wards God. The root of all this is ftill in fome unmorcified Luft which i's the oc· cafion of the whole Breach. Now refle6: upon your felves, yop that have ind"ulged any Sin, hath it not by de~ grees ca"ten out the Spiritualnefs of your Hearts, and wcaken'd the Life and Vigour of your Commun ion? Hath it not madeyou dead, and cold,_and indifferent urito the things and ways of God? Have you not beheld God as it were at a great diftance, and cared not for a nearer converfc with you? Is it not high time, think you,"that this Lufr1 which bath thus divided betwixt God and your Souls, .lliould now at length be mortified, and this Make-bate being once removed, you again lhould re:- new the ncarnefs of your Acquaintance with him; otherwife let me tell you, 'tis fadly to be feared left this ethangement g row into a woful Apoftacyl and that end in a fearful Perdition. Fifthly, One unmortified Lu.ft gives an additional Strength to others a)f6 which ~·. of themfelves were weak and impotent things, and could not otherWlfe have Onr j· fu~h power over the Soul. ~n~ this it doth as it is the ring-leading Luft that ~~:'~;~~~ umtes all others under a Defc1phne and Government: Scattered Enemies are not flrcngtb fo powerful nor fo formidable, as when they are combined.together' in a Body;; unto. orha then their DeJign is one, their Enterprife one, and they all A'-t as one Enemy. J;r,,; Cccccc 2 Now
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