of Mortificatiotl. with Mortality; and while they promife to themfelves I hat Liberty wlrich God never promis1d them, they are become the Servants of Corruption. St. 'John frequently gives thefe Men the plain lie. 1 'John r. 8. If rvefay we have no Siu, we dfcti'llt our [el1.1rs, and the ttuth is nor in us; 'Vtr. 10. if we fay we ha'!Je not fin~ ed, rre make God a Liar, and his word is not in us. This is that which the manifold Falls, t he grievous Out-cries, the bitter Repentings, the broken Bones, and the b!oodicd Confciences, even of the bell: and perfeCteft Saints on Earth, have too fadly Attefted beyond all Contradiction; unlefs it be from thofe Men to whom Cufi:omarincfs bath made the difference between Sinning and forbearing t o Sin unperceivable. It is indeed the fincere Defirc and Endeavour of every Child of God, fo through ly to mortifie Corruption, that it fuould never more ftir, nor tempt, never more move nor break forth unto Eternity. Oh! it was a blefiCd word of Promife, if God Jhould fay to us concerning our Lults, as Mofes did to the lfralires , t hofe Egypti.cnJ whom you ha1.1t fem this day purfuing your Soul, ye /bell fu them again 110 more for ever. No, God is (if 1may fa fay) more PrO\•idcnt than to fpoil Heaven, by fore·ftalling that Happinefs which makes it fa infinitely defirable. And therefore he here fuffers thefe Cananiw to be Thorns in our Eyes, and Scourges ia our Sides, to fwceten the place of our Reft; and when we are moft viCtorious over them, all that we can do is but to make them fubjetl: and tributary. They have fopolfeft the faftne{[es of our Souls, that there is but one Morti fica tio n can drive them out, and that is our Diifolution. Under the Ceremonial L&w, if a n earthen Veifcl w_cre Polluted by any unclean thing, the only way of Purification prefcribed, was to break it. Tnrly, we are fuch earthen Veffels, though Mortifica!ion may fcoure and cleanfe us from much of that Filth which cleaveth to us j yet we can never be fully Purified till Death breaks us to pieces. It was only Sin that brought Death into the World; and it is only Death that can carry Sin out of the World. So that every true Chriftian is another Sampfon, he flays more of the uncircumcifed at his Death, than he did in all his Life time before. 'Tis true God is many times plea fed to vouchfafe eminent and figilal SucceJfes, in a way of Mortification; but yet thefe are but as it were pickcering fmall Conquefts, obtain'd by Jingling out fomc panicular Lufts; but it is only Death that makes the general Defeat and Slaughter. And therefore as the wc~keft Grace is fufficient to deftroy the Reign of Sin ; fa the ftrongeft Grace exercifed in the moft conftant and [e\rere courfe of Mortificltion, is infufficient to deitroy its refidencc. That's the firll thing. . . Secondly, A Harfu Severity and Rigour nfed only towards the outward Man is 2 , not true Mortification. This is that which blind Devotionifts reft upon, who s ' v"ity by fl1arp Penances, long Fafrings, and other ways of ignorant Will-Worfuip, do ufed only go the way rather to deltroy themfelves than their Corruptions. Thi.s churlifh rorh:outand rugg_cd way of ~l')rtification, is altogether a.s in7ongruous, as if. a Man fuould ~a~!/:::: lay a Plailtcr upon his Cloaths to cure a,Wound 111 his Body. Should he tell down Morrific4~ · rivers of Tears for every vain Thought, fuould he fine himfelfin a thonfand Pray· ticm. ers for the commiffion of every Sin, fuould he Faft till his Skin cleaveth to his Bones, and his Bones ftarcd him in the Face; yet all this would be as far from the Mortification of Sin, as it is from a Satisfaction for Sin: All thefe t'a'""nno't reach that bottom and centre of the Soul, in which Luft fits Entbron'd, and de· fpifeth all the Attempts and Batteries that Men make againft the outworks only• .But I need not infift much longer on this particular; the greater Light, yea [ may fay the greater Atheifm and Prophanencfs of our days will difchar_ge me from that trouble. Yea, ProfeJfors themfelves by negletl-ing that moderation they fuould ufe towards the outward Man in Diet, in Attire, or in any other Enjoyment; do omit if no~ a part of, if not a means to MQrtification, yet certainly that Sign and CharaCter which fhould evidence them to all the World, to be mortified Perfons. The Truth is, Men now live as if it nothing at all concern'd their Souls what their Bodi~s do: Whatfoever thefe Me~ _pretend, yet _it m~ft n~eds be ver y diffi- M~ufi(4. cult to believe that there can be Humility and Mortification ID the one, \V here 1ion muft there is not Sobriety and Decency in the other. 1 wi:Il not undertake to prcfcribe reacb rbe how far a true Mortification muft in partiCular rea'"h the outward Man ; yet iu M,•a~d the general take thefe two Rules. ,;:;a'r7u Firft, All that indulgence which iAdifpofeth to Holy and Spiritual Duties or t~ hinders us from &hem, or in them, mu1t by the exer,ife of Mortificaion betaD ddddd 1 . · kea
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