of lvlorti(ication. killing Of it; yea, hllt all this while they at:c negligent and _caH.:kf.,. in other Du~ ties which arc !JOt of fo immediate Concernmcnt [O that parttcular Luft; they do not Itrivc to follO\v God in all his ways, if they think one Duty wi ll do it, they neglect all the rcft: Let not fuch Men thi nk they do indeed mort ific a:ny one Corruption. This is a very common Difhmpcr, and nothing aln:oft more ordina ~ ry, than for Men to J1ruglc againft Corrup tion, and yet neglcel Duty. If Vows , Purpofcs, and Rcfolutions be in their Apprchenfions the moft opporitc mea ns for the beating down of that Sin that difquicrs them, rhefe th ey make and pofilbly keep them ; but for other Duties, as Prayer, Meditation, Reading, th e keeping alive :1n holy and fpiritnal Frame of Heart, and fuch Dutie~ as fhould fi ll up th e whole Conrfc and Meafurc of Chriftianity, t hefe they live in a wretched neglcd, if not contempt of: Let fuch Men know that whatever their Sncccfs in th is way, may fcem to be , yet they never truly mol[ificd any one Corr11pt ion . He only is the mortified Man that labours and endeavours after 11niverfal Obcdiem:e. 'Tis not the vehement Oppofition that you make aga infi: any particular Luft, that argues you to be mortified Chriftians, hut rather the univc1 fal and general Frame and Temper of your Hearts towards Holincfs, And therefore fJith the Apofrle 2 Cor. 7. 1 . La us dranfe our j ehm from all fiithine{s of fhjb and Spirit; there's tru; Mortification, Let uJ clrt~n[e (JTJr (elves from dl Filrhincfs, that is, let liS mortifie in our fclvcsall ~in and Corruption: Wdl, but how muft this be done? \Vhy fay s the Apofilc", P£rfc£ling Holi11e{s ill the fear of God; that is, g iving Holinefs all its ]1<1rts, that it Jhall not be defeCtive in any one Duty, th en and not ti!l then will Luft be to any purpofe mortified, when a perfea Holincfs is a im'd at and endeavoured in the whole Courfc of a Man's Life and Conycrfation. Now try your felvcs by this, when you arc troubled with a perpl ex i rg Luft, Le it what it will which for your own quiet, you mutt fnbdue, you ufe againll: it thofe means and helps which you think are moft direfHy defi:ruCti\'C of it, thi s is well: Yea, but let me a:.k you, fc:tting a fide that Corruption , Is not the general Frame and courfe of your Lives cfrranged from Communion with God, carelefs and negleCtful of }10ly and fpi t itual Duties, vain, earthly, fenfual, carnal; If it be, however thou may'fr prC'vail over th:Jt partkular Corruption, yet conclude upon it, thou knoweft not w:1at true Morufication means. 773 Secondly , That Mortification is not true nor faving that oppofcth it fclf aa-ain!t 2. Corruption, only with the Exception aod Refervation of the one particula~ Sin . Trial of .Never deceive your [elves, though you lhould have contefted even all your days A!orrijitll· aga inft all the Lufrs your Hearts were ever c:;onfcious untc, except one, you never r•cn. mortified one. One Luft that hath obtain'd a pafs from you to go too and fro unmolcftcd, to deal and traffick with the Heart undifturbed; will be as certain Pcrdi~ion to you r Souls~ as if every Luft that lies lurki ng wi:hin fhould r age forth mto afr. In a Mal;, it's true, there are fome fiJCh Parts, thlt 1f you •.vound him there you need not wound him any where elfe ; if you wound the Heart, you need not ftrike the Head . But this Old Man bath no fuch vitals, 'tis not fufficicnt to delboy him, that you wound him in any one Pan, but he muft be made as our natural Condition is·defcribed, from the Crown of rhe Head to the Soul of the Foot, full of ~Vounds and Bruifes. 'Tis in vain to cry with Naaman, the Lord pardon thJ Se"'!'t~nt in this,. or in th4t thing, doft t~ou know whaE thou cravcft ? Why 'tis not this or that Sm alone that are unmorufied, but all the rcft arc as unmortified as thefc~ and (ihould God pardon thcfe unto thee; yet) would as foon condemn thee. Now try yom· fclves by this, when you go forth againft your Sins to Battle; is t!1crc none t ha t your Eye fpares, nor your Heart pities? Doth the Sword of MortifiCation drink the Heart Blood of every L1dt, when they fly for Jhclter into your very Bofom? Cart you rend them from thence, andfiay them before the Lord ; when CorruptioncriC's out, oh fpare fuch a pleafing , delightful Luft,fuch an advantageous and profitable Sin; can you anfwer it with an holy Difdain, were it yet more P.leaiam, more profitable, yet die it muft and lha:ll? Can you then cut otryour r~ght Halld, when it is lifted up to plead for Mercy? Can you then pluck out your nght Eye, when it iheds Tears t o move your Compaffion? lf fo, this indeed is to exercife Mo1tification aright; Corruption muft at !aft needs fall dead at your Feet, wh?re there is. ~o Part nor Member of i.t left wounded. Rut jf in all th y dcaling5 agatnft Corrnpt1on, there be any one Sm that thou alloweft and indulgelt to thy felf, how grc.:.t foever thy wreftlings and contendings are againft all other, thou; never
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