The Great Duty quick_ned unto H?linefs , ~Nliat faith the Apoftk, Rom_. 6. 11. Reclion your [elves ttl dead mdeed U»to Sm; but alvue unto God through JefiM Chrift. To be alive unto Holi.. nefs, ~hat's t_hat? Wh~, it i\ to be .lively, in Holinefs; t~ have the Heart and Atfeat~ns qmckne~ to H, to ~e carrted out ftron§lY and vtgoroufiy in it; this is to. be al~1ve. ~ertamly a Jumpt~•. dull, heavy Pro~effour, that can, hardly make a fhtfr_ to Jog o_n m a f?rm of_ ~elJgwn~. th~t performs' every thing that belongs to ~olmefs, without L1~e, ~ptrlt and ":tvactty, muft be very much unrnortified; he ts not yet ,dead to hts Sms, otherw1(e he would be more quick and lively in his Graces. 'Tis impoffible that any Man •can be thus twicb dC<\d ;· what dead to Sin and yet dead to Holinefs too! No, the Death of Sin is the Life of Gt:a~e and therefore where you find tile one ftrong and ac:tive, you may conclude the other is weak and languifhing. . · Now if the old Man Oc- indeed crucified within yo"u, t4efe particulars of Examination do as it were fuew you the print of the Nails, and of tlfe Spear that wounded . i~ ; an~ they _bid you ~hruft your ~ands i:fito its Side, that you may be more certa111 of Its Death, and Hi that certainty reJoyce. It were happy for us if without (elf-flattery We could from thefe things draw an EvidenCe of our Mor~ tification; but it is to be feared, thar~hey ferve rather to fhew us what a ftrange thing it is in the World, yea, ho'w much a ltranr;er even in lfrad. How few do ~t all refi~ the ~wi~g ' and carier ?f Corruption ; of thofe that do, how few do It from a nght Prme1ple, and by nght means? If perhaps fame few fnch there be (as cer~inly fo~e fuch the~e are, tHo~gh bu~ a few) -yet 7v.en their ftruglings and wreltlmgs agamft Corruption are fo 1mperunent and tnfhng, that did they not prefume_ the~ to flow f:om an inward Princi.ple ?f Grace, they could not but be afhamed etther to think or call them Moruficatwn. The generality and common huddle of the World do fo fecnrely live after the Fkfh., as if they were always to liVe in the Plefh, or as if they were already rcfolved rather t:o be caft into Hell with their old Man whole and entire, than to enter into Heaven halt and main:ted : Yea, the very beft Chri~ians do fo live in ~he Flefh, as being too well content that the Flefh fhould alfo hve, move and afr m them : They will not be fo unhofpitable to defrroy that inmate of Corruption, , though that lurk in them only to defrroy them. I Jhall not now lay Motives and Arguments before you, to prefs upon you this great Duty j the Text hath given us the moft effectual and brief Compendium : if ye mortijie, ye /hall li11e j if not, ye jhalJ die. Life and Death is this day feu before you, and what could be ·fpoken fo much, in fo little. Certainly that Man may conclude himfelf to be already dead, whom the Confideration of Life and Death doth not move nor perfuade. The Flelhly liver he !hall die. Is that all? Why do we not fee the moft mortified Chriftians die too? Doth not the original GNrf~ take hold of tbem both, and rumble them alike into the Duft? Would not wicked Men be content, would they not wilh, after they have been fated and glutted with finni ng, to die away, and to lie for ever in a forgotten Darknefs? What then is there in this dying that fuould be of fuch force unto Mortificati· on! T he mortified Chrifrian he !hall live. Is that all! What, to live frill mortifying, frill contending and fighting againfr his Corruptions, frill fighing and groanincr under them in the Anguifu and Bitternefs of his Souf! Is there any fuch enco~raging Prornife in this, that he fhall frill live. ftrugling and combating againft that which makes him weary of his Life, a11d even to long and pant after Death? Are thefc fuch prevailing Motives to Mortification ? No, the Senfualift fuall die, but he !hall die a never dying Life of Death. The mortified Pcrfon !hall live; but he fhall live a Life wherein there fhall be no more need of Mortification, becaufe no more remainders of Corruption; then all Tears fhall be wiped out of our Eyes, and all Sins wiped out of our Hearts. Now is the_ time of our Warfare, and every Battle that we fight is with confufed Noife, and Garments roll'd in Blood: Then fhall we for ever triumph and fing an eternal Song of ViB:ory, cloathed in Garmen ts made white with the Blood of the Lamb. Now we are at a perpetual Difcord with our felves, Thoughts bandying againft Thoughts, Affection~ againft AffeCtions, Will againft Will, and all within us in an Uproar and Tumult: But then an eternal Peace and Calm fhall fill our Souls ; not a Thought fhall whifper a Rebellion; the whole Tide and Current of our Wills and AffeCtions with a full aud undilturbed Stream !hall run into that bcundlefs Ocean of all
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