·, .•bjtllio/1. ). .Anfwcr. The Great ·Daty it upon the Crofs, whence it fhall nc\•e r come down alive; a nd then our conftant E ndeavours are as fo many Spear c; cont inn3lly picrci :i g it~ till t he Body of this old ~.t an becomes all over on~ grea t \Vound, w h enc~ d~ily iffue our. t~1 c .moo~ and ::>pint, the Strength and Vtgour,. a nd at length Ltfe tt ft'lf. Thts IS Jt wht ch makes the keeping und er the motio ns o f Corruption, aud the keeping in ih Eruptions to be true Mor ' ifiLa ' ion in the Children of God, when yet the very fame Endeavours in unregenerate Men arc nothing fo. Sin in them i') ~pan .!he Throne, and not upon the Crofs, and therefore they cannot wound nor ptcrLC 1t, they cannot weaken nor dcftroy it. • Yea , but mJy fame f.ty, muft there in true Mort ihcation be not Only a !hiving ag:linft the Motions a nd AGing<; of Corruption, but alfo the wca knin~ of its Roolt and Principle? Alas! then I fear all my End,avours h;1ve hecn frmtl efs and in vain. Some fuccefs i ndeed I have g,Ji ued ag1inft the Er:uprions of Lull:, but !till I find the Temptations of it as ft rong ar.d violent as· e\' Cr : l perceiv~..: no wcJknings, no decays in ir, bllt it rather grows more rebellious and h.:.ad-lb o1J?; every day than other; and the1cforc all that 1 have done againft them hilth uot been true Mortification. This no queftion is the c;1fe of many a mortified Chriftian, and therefore for anfwer hereu nto, Firjl1 Confider, Poffibly thou maycll: be herein mifbhn, that thou thinkcfr that Corruption moves fr · ongcr than before, when only lhou takeft mo1c nodce of its Motions than thou d.idft be fore. \V hen the Heart is m.1de tender and fofr by a long exen.ife of Moni fJ cation, a lcfs 1 emptation then troubles it more than form.!rly ;~ g reater would. Every the leaft riling, of Corruption in the Heart feems row a ddperate and hainm1s thiug, whereas bLfore throu~h the deadn<.fs and rtupidityof Confcience, it \\~S made light of and fcarce re-garded . This fi ~ ming Stren?,t h of ~in is not a fign 1 ha~ Sin is not a tiying, .but rathu a fign th at thou arc Spiri.tuJ l.ly ali~c, becaufe fo very ~cnfib!c of its Mot1o11s. T~e f~ron~!lr the Oppofitwn ~s y. b11..h. Grat.e make; agawft Stn~. the fi.ronger al~o w11l Su.t ft~m to war~, though indeed 1t tJCVcr was wtaker . lt a flrong naturd Man tall mto a little Sickm·fs and Dificmper, it [ecms more v1oleut aud raging in him; than a greater would in another of a weak Conft itntion; hecaufe the uarura\ Vigour c0nfht\s more vdth the Difcafe, he is unquiet and turbulent, and t ff<.>o. roo 411d fro, meerly becaufc the Strength of Nature is impatient till the ::,Jt.k"c.fs be removed. So is it here, if a gracious Soul fall into any fintul Diftemper, what Conhitl:s and AgonieS are there, as if he Wt.: re in the very Paugs of Dea[h ? Doth this argue the Strength of Corrupvon ~ ~o, nothing lefs; it r<Hher argtJc_s the Strength of Grace., which makes the Soul to wreltle thus impatiently, till the Corruptiou be overcome and removed. None fo much complain of the Strength and Power of their Sins~ as thofe in whom it is un to .fome good degree mortified, becaufc they have that contrary Principle of Grace in then1, which makes them fenhblc of the leaft Ri--: fings and Motions of it. Secondly, Confider, Corruption may ad ftrongdl in the Soul, then when it . is in it ft'lf weakeft. It may be very !trong in Ading, when it is but weak in LC;- ing. You know v. ith what a p,reat Blaze a v..afted Candle goes out, and with'~ hJ t violent Pangs and Stru~lings Men ufe to depart this Life; fo fometimcs a m01 tia fied Luft makes ftJch a Ulazc as if it would h:t the ...,•,hole Soul on Fit c; whL·tJ in - deed it is but Expiring; it fo ftrugles as if it would mafiet Grace, when iHdHd it is but its !aft pull aud Death-Pang. What is faid ot Chrift when hJnJ[i:l~ on the Crofs, Mark 15. 37· .fie cried with a loud Voice, and then gttve up tiH C •JI• The fame may 1 fay of Corruption hanging on the Crofs wi{h a loud Vokt: u, a Tcmp~ation, as if it were not only alive, but ftrong and vigorou~ ; yea, !nit tbis loud Voice is many times its lafi: Voice, and then gives up the Ghofr, una dtaws it IJ.ft Breath <.rying. And, Thirdly, Some accidental Improvement may make a Luft that js fubdued a"d truly monifitd, yet feem no way weakened, bu[ rather much more aCtive ,J i .~l \'lgbrous than ever before. Sometimes the very Crafts and J eml'cr of the Bed} ~~ l il'f fo alter as to caufc a greater Propenfenefs to fuch or fuch ;: Corruption thJJ ourmerly : And forr,etimes a Man may lie in the \\' ay of mor e 1 tcnptations UJ..Hl l ver. Now upon fuch Advantages as thcfe are, Corruption rLough a be mortlfilc..!, yt;t i t will be ltirring; yea, and be ftirriog it may be more VIOlently than ever ic ~id while
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