756 The Great Duty No~v an unmo~tified Luft: doth as it were rally all the reft under :1 Decipline) this heads them, thts leads them on, and they all promote the Defigns, and fight un- · der the ConduCt of this Luft ; which union adds a mighty Strength and Power to them. It m~y be a '!cmptation w_hich cou!d not prevail for it felf, and upOn the accou~t of Its o~n mterc~ t~at 1t hath 1~ the S0ul, wtll yet certainly prevail, when It pleads Its SubordtnatJon and ServJceablencfs to the unmortified Sin the M~fter-Lufr. This _is verr remarkable_; .and the:efore fuppofe (for in ftance) that Prtde be the ¥mortified S1n, the great nng-lcadmg Luft, and a Temptation. to Covcrourncfs anaolts the Soul; poflibly this being but an underling Sin, ·and not having made fo great a party for it fclfas the other, might be eaflly rejeCted di<} it plead only for it fclf; hilt when it pretends the intereft of the Maftcr-Lt~ft and . pleads bow ferviceablc great and rich Polfeffions would be to the Advancem~nt of Pride and Ambition, this adds a double enforcement to the Temptation and thereby bea rs down the Soul, before it, as unable to make any available relihance. And thus proportionably it is in all othet· _Sins whatfoever, they have a dependance one upon another; the great Sin that fways pt_· incipaliy, and cannot fublift unlefS' Pro- ·vifion be laid in, and a way made for it by inferiour Sins, which it countenances ~nd bares out ~y its own Authority, and derives to them the ~ame prevalency that It_ felf h~th_g:uned over the Soul. Let not Men therefore thmk that. their Capti- . vtty to $111 ts more tolerJble, becaufc they find but one the moft prevailing: Alas! this cloth ferve to uni te and drive the reft to a head, which · perhaps otherwifc would be var,rant and wandrine, and uncertain in tlieir Tempr1.ng; <.rnd by this one unmortified Luft the Devil hath gotcen a fit handle to the Soul whereby he may turn and wind _it to wl~a~ever ~ther Si': he ple~feth. 'Twas therefore a wife Command of the Kmg of Sma to hts Captain, 1 Kmgs 22. 3_1. to ftghr neither wirb fmaU nor great fave only with the King of Ifrae/. He well knew 1f the Chief Commander wcr·e once flain, the ungoverned Army might ealily be routed and put to flight We muft in the mortifying of.the Deeds of th~ Body, .take the fame counfel, and follow the fame courf~; fight If not only, yet chiefly a~amft the Commanding Luft, if that be· once morttfie?, the reft are as an Army .wttho~t an Head, who quickly will find themfelves without Hands too: Otherw_Ife yv_hlle any one Lnft remains unmortified, the Soul is almoft in as dangerous a condmon, as if every Luft were violent and raging. . . . . 6. Sixthly and Lartly, An unmortdied Sm will moft certamly bereave the Soul of 'Unm~ti- PeaCe and Comfort, and hinder it from ever enjoying that Heaven tlpon Earth of t~4/111 Affurancc. 1f you fend to enquire of your Souls, (as 1oram did of Jchu) Soul, P:ace;'and Is it Peace? Is not this fad Anfwer returned, what haft thou to do with PeAce! Or, Comforr. what Peace, fa long as thy Pride) thy Covetoufnefs, thy Intemperance,·while fuch and fuch a Lnft remains um,nortified ? Now an unmorrified Luft hinders Peace, and Comfort th"efe two ways. . Firft, As it bhts our evidences for Heaven. Let any Man in the world tell me that his Title to Heaven is cleai·, and paft all uncomfortable doubtings, whofe Confcience doth not witnefs hls fmcerity to him that he cloth maintain an uni# verfal Oppofition againrt all fin, and exercifc a conftant mortification of it; and I fuall prefently conclude that Man's Alfurance to he the falfc and gtowing Pre· fumptions of a Spirit ofErrour and Delution. yve k~ow no bette~ Teft of a Ma.r_1'5 Condition than what n'l.y Text afford!!, If ye morti~e, ye fha!J l~vc. Now when any L'llft is aUowed and indulged, will.not this blalt a Man's Comfor~, and raife in bioi Fears and Jealoufi.es concerning his eternal Welfare? Such a Cornlption I do not ftrive nor ltruggle againft, I do not labour to beat down and keep under: and how then fuall 1 a!Ture my fclf that I am free from the Reigning Power of it, or · fhall be free from its Condemning .Power? Let me tell you, though Freedom from the dominion of Sin may pombly conlift with a much negleCted Mortification, yet a corrifortable evidence of that Freedom cannot,. and therefore no wonder· if through the carelefsnefs of Chriftians in this great work fo few attain folid and conftant Comfort, the moft being fadly perplexed with Doubts and Jealoufies of their Hypocrifie and Unfoundnefs eve\1 an their days. This all rifeth fro~ fame unrnortificd Luft or other, which either leaves a deep blur upon their ev1dences for Heaven, or elfe raifeth a thick mift before their Eyes t.hat they cannot read them.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=