754 ·The Great Duty ------- Vnmortifi~ and Spiritualnefs of Holy puti e~; and this. it do~h two ways~ Ei ther by dcadn ing rdSin bm- the Heart through the gutlt of tt, or by dtftraC:t:tng the Heart through the Power dm rbt of iL . ~ife of Fi rft, An unmertificd Luft deadens the Heart in Holy Duties through the fenfe "'1~. of the guilt of it ~y!nr. upon the Confcien~e: Alas! h?w can we go to God with Vnm- r~ifi. any frce~om of Spmt? H~w can we call h1~ Fa.th~r With any boldnefs, while we rd Jin are confciOus to an unmortdied Luft that ltes fbll at the bottom? Speak, do not d ·<Hel!ubt your Confcicnces fly in your Faces, and even ftop your Mouths, when you arc hem m praying with feme fuch fuggeftions as thefe? What! Can I pray for pardon of Duty. Sin, fa~· fhength againft: Sin, who yet do harbour and fofier a known Luft unmortified? Do 1 beg Grace againft Sin, and yet maintain a known Sin? What! D~re ~ beg G_race to ~ave it abufed, to have it baffled, to have it deftroyed by this SHl of m1ne that IS yet unfubdued? Is not fuch a Prayer mere Hypocrifie and Diffimulation? Will the ~ord hear it, or if he doth hear ir, will l1e not count it an Abomination to him? You now whofc Confciences thus accufe yqu, dl) you . not find fnch Reflettions to be a grea:t deadning unto Duty, fuch as clip the Wings of the Spirit, and take off the Wheels of the Soul, that it can drive on but hea~ vily and fiowly? Certainly, Guilt is the greatefl: impediment to Duty in the whole World, it takes off from the freenefs and filialnefs of.our Spirits, and fills us with Difrruft, Diffidence, and a flavilh Fear of coming before God, rather as our Judge than as our Father. 2. . Srcotidl)', An. unmort.Hi.ed Lufr hinders holy Duty, by diftraC!ing the Heart 'V~mor_riji. through the Power of 1t. It draws away the Heart from God, it entangles the t:;a~~-,bc Affections of it, it fcatt:rs the Thoughts, it difcompofeth the whole frame of the l:arr in Soul; fo that at the bell: 1t proves but a broken and a Ihatter'd Duty. And hcreD~t~y, in lies the· cunning of S atan, that if there be any Corruption in the Soul more un· mortified than another, that Corruption he will be fure to ltir up, and intc:rpofe betwixt God and the Soul in the performance of Duty. Now when Ll1ft thus hinders Duty, Grace hath not . l-is breathing nor exercife, and no wonder if it grow faint and decay. That's the fecond thing. 3 . •fh;rdly, Some foul and fcandalous allual Sin lies at the door of a neglelled Mortification. Do we fee a Profcffor at any time break out Into the Commifi"iou of fame notorious Wickednefs, what can il be imputed unto but that Corruption took advantage of his negleB: of Mortification? When inward motions are fuffered perperpetually to folicite, tempt and importune the Scul, it" is a fad fign that Lull: 11ath "already gained the Aftftlions; and could Confcience be laid aflecp, nothing would hinder it from breaking out into act : And alas! when all the work of Reftraint lies meerly upon Confcience, it is a great hazzard to that Soul, left the violence of Temptations, and the importunity of Occafions, or fame other advantage that Luft gains, do not force its Guards, and break out to the eminent provocation of Cod, and fcandal of Religion. . And therefore beware you do not Jicenfe Corruption to ftir and aa: within, you cannot fet its bounds, nor fay to it, Thus far Jhalt thou go and no f:n ther; thou fhalt go as far as Thoughts, as far as Fancy, but Confcience, look thou to it, that it proceed no farther. If you would therefore fecure your felves from this danger, mortifie Lufr in the very Womb, there ftifle and f\lpprefs the motions and rifings of it, otherwife you know not to what a prodigious height of Impiety it wiil grow. The leaft and moft inconfiderable finful Thought tends to an infinite Guilt. An unworthy and unbe4 cOming Thought concerning God tends to horrid Blafphemy; every lacivious 'Vnmo;riji· Thought to open uncleannefs,every envious Thought to bloody Murther; and unlcfs ed Sin a- Mortification be daily exercifed to fupprcfs and beat down thefe Motions you Ji~n~res rbt know not into how many Soul-deftroying Sins they may hurry you. {ear!· "" Fourthly, One unmortified Lufr doth mighti!v alienate the Heart from its Ac· Jc;u~i~- quaintance and Communion with God. God aDd the Soul grow eftranged as foon w1u ll'ilh as any unmortified Sin and the Soul grow familiar. What God faith, Ez...ek. 14. 5· God. concernint the Idols of the Houfe of Ifrael, the fame I may fay concerning Mens . Lufts, whrch while unmortifi.cd are as fo many Idols fet up in the Heart; They are "{r»orhmgt all eft ranged from me through their Idols. And yet thefe very Men of whom God q~t!nu~:;; thus complains, as being grown Stra~gers to him, w~ find them in the fi~ft verfe het r.i:rt crowding about the Prophet to enquire of God by h1m, they come to hun, and God•nd yet are eftranged from him. Such is the wonderful maligaity of uumortified Luft, tEe Soul. · that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=