The Great Duty ken off an~ removed . There mull: be Ri gour and Severity ufcd, eve n t ow:1rds the Body, tf formerly we found t ile want t hereof made us unfi t fo r or rem ifs in the ~uties of Re\igion.. lt is fi ttcfl; fo.r your?w~ Chrill:ian Prudence r'o defccnd ~nto p~rtl~ulars, and cxamtne wha t tt IS tha~ md1f_pofeth you, either ~n Heari ng, or ~taymg, or any o~h er m.cans of Commumon wt~h God, whatever 1t be; whet her It procee~s "from m~ r.nHty, or cull:om an~ habttnde; if it be an occafion to hinder the ltfe and fptn.tu al ncfs. of our Duties, Mortification muft be here fet 011 w?rk, though not without vtolencc and regret unto the outward Man. What fatth t~e Apoftlc, .1 Cor. 9 · 27. I keep under my _Body, and bring it into Subje£tion. That ts, he- made tt ufeful and fervtc~able to h1s .soul. Where Mortification is negleCted, ev:n the ?ody, that underling and ferv1le part of Man , grows wild and l. unruly, rebel11,ng aeamft the Soul, and hurrying it whither it fclf will. Sccondl)', All that Provifion which Indulgence towards the omward Man lays in fo: the Fl ~ fh,. to f~1lfil it in the Lufts thereof; muft be cut off by the careful cxerc1fc of Moruficauon, Do you find that the pampering of the outward Man is t~c fi~engthning of the old Man? That outward Eafe, Plenty, or :toy ot her Con~ vefl:len~Jes, a.re but ln1hun~ents _for Luft to war~ with,or obJeCts for it to work upon ? It IS htg.h ume for MoruficatJon to be exc.rctfed, even about than~ things which are lawtul; when once Luft turns them ulto food and nourHhment for it felf. ~~e~voer:ffi~~ty;~fo~~~eefJc~~~-nces to frame lnftances, and accordingly to proceed Thefe two general Rules being fuppofed (which it were to be wifhcd ProfcfiOn were more careful in obferving) whatfoever other feverity Mcu execute npon thernfelves, may be called Cruelty and Wi\1-Worfhip; but cannot be reckoned for true Mortification. That's the fccond thing. The ;;t Thirdly, The 110t breaking forth of Corruption into a fcandalous Life and can~ Dre•tin;; verfation, is no evidence of true Mortification. Many Men's Lufl:s are like fecret fo1·tb of lmJ?ofthumes that ~reed within in the Breaft, th~t are ~ever known t.ll\ they prove· ~in m a • theu· Deaths. lt IS n?t neceffary that. unmorufied S111 fhould b~ h.ke a_ runn ing /t~nd~lousJ Sore, offenfive and n01fom to others; It may· rankle and fcfter Within, till it be~ L,fe M not come incurable and mortal. Luft bath a large and ample Dominion inwards in ~~ft~ati:~~ the Heart; There arc Thoughts, Contrivances, Dcfires, Affet\:ions, and Motions; ' all which may be altogether unmortified: When yel the Life and Converfation may be fo innocent and blamelefs, as not to be jufl:ly chargeable with the guilt of any one notorious Sin. What can we judge of fuch an one, but that he is a very rriortified. Chriftian ; yea, but God who knoweth the Heart, yea, and poffibly his Confcience, fees abundance of Pride, Uncleannefs, Worldlincfs, U nbelief, Tkrtaforu Contempt of God and his Ways, reigning and raging within, in all that Strength ~o/~n~'.lr~ and Power which they have gotten to themfelves by fo long a continuance, wichsift (d Sm out the left check from Mortification. Now it may be attributed to a threefold !:~~~;~t~0' caufe, why ~ Luft that is unmortified doth not always break forth into gro fs and .AO. fcandalous Sms. · r. Firft, To that quiet referved Temper_ and Difp?litio_n that fame Men ~re of. Their very Nature is fuch, that they Will do nothmg VIolently and outragmufiy, and therefore they will not fin fo. Some Men are rude Sinners, and boifteroufiy \Vicked; others arc of a more calm and retired Spirit; and yet poffibly as far from being mortified as the other. Take a true Chriftian who bath often fwear and toiled in the mortifying of fame particular prevailing Lnft and Corruption to which his Temper enclin'd him; as fuppofe Paffionatencfs, or the like; and compare him to one of a fmooth, fed ate, and even Temper, though altogether unacquainted with the great work of Mortification; and how llnlovdy /ball~ tht Paffion nf the mortified Chriftian appear, in comparifon with the Sedacenefs ot til e unmortified Sinner: Such is the great advantage which a Man's natural Inclination gives either to the acting or fupprefiing of Sin. And therefore take this Rule by the way, in examining thy Mortification; never reftet.l upon that feeming prevalency thou haft over thofe Lufts which are not ftrengthened and advantaged by the bent and tendency of thy natural Inclination ; for this will prove a very deceitful mark; rather look what Succcfs, thou gaineft over the Sin of thy Nature, be ~t what it will; or again!t thofe Sins which no natural Temper can ever .counterfeit ·the Mortificationot~ fuch as are Unbelief, Hardnefs of Heart, lmpenaency, and fuch like ·Spiritual Sins; which are comm0n to all Men of what Temper and Dif~ pofitioq
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