of MortificatiOn. only!"onc contrary Lttft that fights againft the o'thcr, and which foever of th.em is defeated, yet ftill the Body of Sin thrives. That's the la,ft thing. No'N feeing there arc fo m:my things like true Mortification in the \Vorld, it nearly concerns us to beware, left we be deceived by chem. ·and fo flatter our fclves with a falfc Evidence for Life; to prevent which, it will be necelfary, SeciJmll), To open to you this great duty of Mortification Pofitively, and in this I!. poilibly fome nfeful Progrefs may be made when thcfe'two things have been fcarcht in~o Firft, \V herein it doth confift. Srconf.ty, What things are indifpenfibly re.. qu1rcd thtrennto. For the Eirft, I take the Nlturc of Mortification to confift in thefe three J. things. ~rue ~IJ'· · Firjl·, In the weakning Sin'~ Root and Principle. 'ifif/J?~n Srco11dly, In Suppreffing its Rifings and Motions. And, ;~nr~r:e 'tnirdly, In Reftrainin?, its outward Attings 3.nd Eruptions. 1 • 1bh1g1. It is the firft: of thefc that makes the other two any part of this true Mortifica· tion: Let a MJn oppofe himfelf all his days againft the workings of Corruption within, and the aCbngs of it without; yet unlefs the radical Power and Force of Corruption be in fame good meafure abated; let him not think he hath mortified any one Luft. 'Tis a task utterly impoffible to kill it, if it be not firft wour.ded at the Heart. It were eafy to demonftrate the Vanity and unfuccefsfulnefs of 2.!1 endeavours, to mortifie thefe Limbs and Out-parts of the old Man, unlefs his Vitals be firft perilbed, and his inward Srrength decayed. For, Firft, Hereby you can never arrive at any comfortable llfue in the Work. 'Tis 1 , but hke beating down Leaves from a, Tree which will certainly fprout forth agah, the Root is fri!t remaining in the ground full of Sap and Juice, and will fupplj every Branch of Corruption with the fame Nourifluuent, and make it Flourifh into the fame Strength and Verdure; which all your Endeavours will but fruitlefsly attempt to dcfpoil it of. And, &co•,dty, Hereupon finding no better Succefs, but that after all, he fees himfelf -· deluPed, and tl}at Lufl: is not mortified; frill as thick Fogs and Streams of it rife within him as ever, frill it is as unruly and boifrerous as ever, and more to fupprefs and weaken it in his way cannot be done; hereupon, 1 fay, he defpairingly gives over all future contendirigs, and abandons..himfelf to the Power and Violence of his Co1 ruptions; and thofc which before he !trove in vain to frop, he now ftJUI son and drives furioufiy towards Perdition. . This is the fearful and yet too frequent IIfue of fuch EndeavoUrs as have their beginnings meerly from the ConviCl:ions of n:nural Confcience; they receive no encouragement nor recruit from the decay of Corruption, and therefore ufually expire either in a loofe Formality, or in a profeflCd .Diffolutenefs. Very fad it is to confider how much pains and indufrry have been loft in frrugling agaiu'l: Sin, only llpon this :1ccount, that to all their End,e:tvours the~e hath been no Fonudation laid in the radical and inward weakning of the Habit and Body of Corruption. Now this inward weakning of Corruption is twofold, • The Flrft proceeds from that mortal and incurable Wound which the Body of Sin received in the firfl: implantation of Grace. Then was the Head of this "icrpent crulht; and \vhereas b~fore it had the Power and Authority of a King and Sovereign in the Soul, in that very moment it was depo'fed, and hath ever 1mcc hlrrafrcd it only as a Rebel and Traitor. The Second proceeds from thofe redoubled fl:rokes which mortified Cbriftians follow their Co1 ruptions with, whereby they every day and hour draw Blood and Spirits from them ; and fo by degrees waft aud weaken them. The firfr indeed is not any part of that Mortification whereof .1 am now a treating, but rather a neceJfary Antecedent to it; and the latter would not be Mortification did it not prefuppofc the former : For therefore doth a Man by oppofing the Motions and AClings of Corruption in his daily Converfation, weaken the Habit of it, bec:tufe pf that fi~·ft weak.ning wh~ch it recc~"e.d in C~nvc_rlion .. The Apoftle fpeaking of this weakmng of Sm, calls 1t a Cructfywg of tt wtth Cbnft, Rom. 6. 6. Our old Man is Crucified with him, that the Body of Sin might be deftroyed: Now look, how was Chrift Cruci6ed? Firft he was hung upon the Crofs, and then pierced with a Spear. So truly it is in the Mortification of Corruption;. our firft Converfion unto God hangs it
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