of Mortijicatio11. 757 s~qond.ly,. An no mortified Luft hinders Peace by fomenting a perpetual CivilWar :2•.• in the Soul. Sometimes fo it fares, where there is no higbci a Principii! th an ~";~r~~~ meerly natural Confciencc; this ftrivesand cornbates (as it is able) againft the ~in ~tn/1 " !o before it is committed; this cries out and rageth againft the Sinner afrer _it is corn- CiosiJ w4 , mined. 13ut ic is always fo where there is a Principle of true Grace implanted to in tbt excite and affift Confcience. Let Corruption be never fo great, its faCti on never fo Soul. p:)[cnt, yet Grace though but mean and weak will fti\1 fight it; it will neither give nor take Truce, till at length the great unmorrificd Luft be fubdued and faU conquer'd and flain under it. What Tmnults, what Uproars, what bandying of AftCChons againft Afteaions, V.' ill againft \rVill, Thoughts atainft Thoughts, do wofully difqnict that Soul where Corrupt ion will not fubmit, and Grace cannot r There is no deliberate Aft either of Grace or Corruption exerted, but what muft firfl: break. through a whole Army of it~ Enemie'l, fc t to oppofe it. Gal. )· I 7• The Ht/b!ujfeth againjf the Spirit, and the Spirit againft the f1epJ: So that ye caltntit do the things rh11t yc·woufd ; That is, neither can ye ac.l: according to the bent of your Corrupt \Vill, nor yet of your S:wtl:ificd V\.' ill, without Oppolitio1'1. and Reliftance from one of thefe two quarrelli ng P_rinciples within, the Flcfh and the S pirit. Such Men are like thofc Builders in Nehemiah, that wrought with one Hand, and with the other held their Weapons: So truly a Child of God in whom Corruption is yet toO prevalent, if he work the works of God with one Hand, he mufl: bold the Weapons of his Spiritual Warfare in the other. This is that unpea~eable and turbulent Condition, into 'v\'hich an unmortified Lufl: will certainly bring you. And though indeed in the moft mortified Chrifl:ian on Earth, there will fometimcs b e Combating:; between thefe two contrary Parties; yet it is not with fo much diftrafrion, anguifh and terrours, as where Corruption is more violent and Otltragio us. That's the )aft thing. 1 might add, that an utter neglect of Mortification, binds you over tQ etern al Con.. demnation; Jfyt li'Ut afttr theFLt/h,ye ]hall die: YourEletlion it felf cannot fave you; your Vocation, Regeneration, and whatever elfc you might build the c ertainty of your Salvation upon, are all in vain if you do not mortifie. There is no other way by which you can poffibly get to Heaven, but by marching over· the Necks an d Bellies of all your Lufb. But 1 lball infift no longer on this Head. And now if to profcfs God with our Mouths and to deny him with our Heartiand Lives, if to talk of Religion and live without it, if to have 3 Form of Godlinefs and to deny the Power of it, be indeed this neceJfary Mortification, I need }'refs this Duty no farther, we have fuch mortified ones more than en ough; but if Wantonnefs, Cenforioufnefs, Contempt of the. means of Grace, Giddinefs of Opinions, Libcrtinifm, and ftrange large Allowances that Men take .to themfelves in thei rConverfat ions, be figns ofan Uim~ortified Heart; never certainly was there any profdl1ng Age in the World that had more need to have th is DoCtrine ofren prefs'd upon them, than that in which we live. I am not now urging you to that churli!"h and rigorous way of Mortification confifting only in a froward. Abfhncnce from the Comforts and Conveniencies of this Life, which fa me perhaps blind Devotioni[l:s have too rigidly exercifed thcmfelves with: l know the Macention of the outward Man is not the Mortification of the old Man; .an d yet were there among ProfeOburs a greater moderation even in the ufe of the lawfu l Comforts of this Life, there would not poffibly be fo great an advantage given to d eceivers as now there is, who under the fpecious fhew of 3elf-denial in thefe things, draw away numbers of Profelytes after them, as being the only mortified Men. • It is the inward Mortification that we labour to prefs upon you, which we re -it once induftrionfiy excrcifed, outward Exhorbitancics W011ld of thcmfelves fall into a Decency and Sobriety. But alas! when Men fuall talk at fuch a rate of Spiritnalnefs, as if fome Anf,els fat upon their Tongues, and yet live at fuch an.exccfs of Vanity, it may be of Prophanencfs, as if Legions poffeifed their Hearts; .what fhall we jud ge of fuch Men? lf we judge the Tree by the Leaves, what other can we think of them, bui that they are Trees of Righteoufi1efs, and Plants of Renown? But if we look to 'their Fruits, U nprofi.tablenefs in their Relations,,j!.nvy, Strife, Varianc e, Emulation, Wrath, Exceffive Pride, Worldlincfs, Sclfifuncfs, what can we thin k of them, hut that Heaven and Hell are now as near together, as thefe Mens Hearts and Mouths?· And truly to let gO thefc grofs Profcffour_s, have we not caufe-to take up
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=