of Mortification. more caufc to complain of a general negleCt from the molt of ProfefiOurs than this hath, A flight fuperfici:al Chriftianity is that which now ferves the turn , and if Mcu can but keep thcmfelves from the grofs and fcanda lous Pollutions of the \.Vorld, and together with that JT'Ia intain a Ihining blaze of Profeffion, whatever or her Monification is prcft upon them, they rejea as a needlcfs Rigour and Severity. To enqu ire into the Canfes why it Ihou\d be fo, would be to uncafe a confiderable part ot the dcceitfulnefs of Sin, and the ft ratagcms of Satan. I fhall ther efore content my felf with the difcovery of fame few Grounds that arc more obvious and apparent. As, 759 Firft, The Harlhnefs and Difficulty of a thorough Mortification, deters many 1 • ft om going to the bonom of it. If Luft will take pet and die of fpigbt and fi1l· The dttfi· lennefS for a few Ihat p Words fpoken agatnft tt, or for a few hard Thoughts con~ (U/fJ cf ceiv~d-of it; then indeed the ProfcOOurs of o~r A: ge arc gener~lly very mortified ?;'!~~fr~!: ChnHtans. But wheri we t~ll them_ Corruption IS both tenacao?s ;u:d powerful, tMny fr()m 1111d tnuft ht dealt roughly with as With a ftubborn Enemy , that It wt\1 coft much 1tepra8ire Sweat and Dlood , many fad Thoughts, many bitter Conftifrs and A conies of of ir. Soul to fubdue it; this frights lhem from fo hot a Service, 'ris .:t hard faying ami theycannotbearit. WhatfairhtheApoftle, JCor. 9· 26", 27 . Softt_ht !,not Mont tl!at brawl1 the Air, but I beat d()trn my Body (for fo the Word figmfics) t~nd brit;,_{ it imo Subjr£1/on. But is there any fuch ha1dlhip in thi s? Would any Man be frighr.:-d wirh the difficulty of fuch a Comb.1t, where he may beat down t.is Enemy, and yet fuffer nothing from l1iru? Were it no more but to beat it down, tramplc upon it, and triumph over it, who would ever detract this Spiritual Warfare ? See 2 Cur . 12. 7· There waJ fent me a Mr/Jmger of Satan to bujj"et mr. Paul heats down hi s Body, and the· MeiTenger of Satan buffers him, he and his Corruption arc already at blows, and the conteft grows fharp between them. Hrb. 12." 4 • The Apoftle fpeaks of rrfifting unto BLood in flri'VitJg ~tgainft .Sin. Striving againft: Sin and mort ifying of it, is not fo trivial and eafy a work as the geperality of ProfeflOurs make i'; it will draw Tears from the Eyes, and Groans from the Heart, 'and Blood from the Conrcience. Whofoever gets to Heaven wades through a Red Sea as well of his own as the Blood of his Lufts. Our Saviour compares h (and indeed the comparifon is drawn_home) to plucking out the right Eye, and cutting off the right Hand, Matt. 5· l91 30. :Now there are two things that make this exceeding difficult. Hrft, The Pain, the Angu ilh and Unnaturalnefsof it. And both t hcfe are futed i. to a double Diflemper too prevalent in the beft Chriftians, whereby the work of Mortification is rendred very bard and difficult; and they are, . Firft, A finful Nicencrs, Tendernefs and Deli cacy , uttet:ly misbccoming Spiritual Soldiers; whereby they are fo foftned and effeminated, that they cannot endure Pain nor Hardlhip. Srcondly, A lintul Fondnefs and Compaffion ; which being !till in Part, Carnal, 2 • they do bear unto their Carnal Part; and this makes Mortification feem ve ry unnatural. . Firft, Chrifti ans thro11gh a fpiritual Sloth that hath feized upon them, are i. grown Nkc and Delicate; and this makes the work of Mortification feem very Spiril!lal Painful. A little Pain is more intolerable to Men accuftomed to a tender Educa- Slotbfut . t ion, than Torments are to others. Truly Chriftians by too much indulging ':!£t. m~ke, their Corruptions, do bring them up tenderly, feldom croffing or molefi:ing them, 1!tp,7fl:"m that when they come in earneft to fet upon the work of Mortification, the ex· Mortifi· trcme Anguilh and Torment of·it is fuch, that they cannot bear it; and fo either wion. they lhrink from it, or elfe perform it v.ery flightly. 1 may well fay througii the Nicenefs of Chriflians, Mortification is now a days grown fo eafy and gentle, tha' Corruption it felf fcarce feels it : Some excrefcenccs and fu perfluit ies of Naughtinefs they may poffibly Prune off, but when is it that they lay the Axe to the Root? What is it fo r a M.1 n to pare the :Nails, or cut the Hair? This goes not to the Quick. Truly that which Chriftians now call their Mortification, is but very little more; they do but pare away the fu perfluous ilnd lefs fenfual Parts of_ Corruptions,that of a wild,over-grown thing~ which elfe it would be, they might hereby reduce it to a Decorum and Decency. And lhalll call this mortifying, or rather, is it not an adorning of Luft? Shew me almoft the Chriftian that ftabs Sin tc the Heart, that draws blood at every encounter, tbat cuts off Limb after Limb, aud Mem~er
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