of Mortification. or Temptation that affaults you~ but feeks to deprive you of Heaven and Happi· nels; and wpuld fpill the deareft Blood of your Souls. A Chrifiians All, his J1earefl: Sou.I, his dcarcft God; the rich and unconceiveable Glory promifed him, the few precious Gra;:es beftowed on him to bear his charges till he hatb attained it, arc all here fraked down ; this is the Pri'Z:e you are to contend for: If you can fuffcr all thcfe to be taken from you, and thtnk them not worth the ftriving for you are beyond the Reach of a Provocation. Let the Devil and you!' Oivn Lufrs come armed againfi: you with all the ftrength and Rage of Hell·; yet if you can but then keep up lively and diftinCt: Confiderations of the vaft and important Concernmcnt that depends upon the iffue of the Conftift, it is impoffible they lhonld ever preva il upon you to the Commiffion of any deliberate Sin. Whenever therefore you are tempted, and 6nd unmortified Corruption very violent, think ferioufiy with your [elves what it is you are folicited to do; ls it not to provoke your ~od, to betray your felves? Is it not to defile, tiay to ~cftroy Y?~r Souls?. Now Sm and Satan are very earneft to have me nm my felf mto Perdltlon; fain they would pcrfuade me to forfeit Heaven, and plunge my felf deep in· to Hell; they entice, they impel, they fwell and tumultuate; but if 1 yield, what becomes of all my Hopes, of my Crown of Happinef~, and of IUY own Soul? 'Tis Happinefs is the Quarrel, and fha\l that be lefs dear to me than my Dcfl:rudion is to Saran! Hath he caufe to be fo active and violent for my Ruin, and have I no caufc to be induftrious and vigilent for my Salvation? Shall I fell away all the great_ and glorious Things of Eternity, at _the cheap and low P_rice of a momentary Sm? Do but actually ponder and wetgh thefe Confrderattons when a Corrupt ion moves and aCl:s in you, fet them before you ; fay them to your felves and run them over in your Thoughts; and let me be bold to fay, Sin then if you can. There are two Confiderations efpecially that will be of mighty ln- ·fluence t o the fuppreffing of a Corruption while it is tempting and ftirring, and are the moft available Helps to Mortification of all other. Firjf, A fcrious Confideration of the great Guilt that Sin will bring upon us. 1. It muft be the very firft VVork of that Chriftian who will fuccefsfully attempt the Work of Mortification, to charge a prevailing Luft home with the full Guilt of it. 1 confefs it is a ghaftly Sight, a SpeCtacle full of dread and horror to view Sin in its proper Colours; but it is far better for thee to look Sin in the face when it tempts, than for Sin to ftare thy Confcience in the face when it terrifies. Carry always about you rhofe true Glalfes both of the Law and Gofpel, that may rcprefent Sin aright to you. When a gloffing flattering Temptation fh.ews it fair and beautiful, look upon your Sin, fee whether it can hold up its face againft the Law, when the Sovereignty, Holinefs, Severity, and piercing Power and Energy of it come all in againft. it. By rhe Law, fays the Apoftle, is the Knowledge of Sin, Rom. 3· 2.0. Awe tl1y Confcience with the Authority of God frampt and imprinted upon his Law. Hath God the great Sovereign forbidden this by a Law, and fhall not I ftrive againft it? Not to fight a~ainft this Sin were to be found a fighter againft God . Provoke thy felf againft It from the Holinefs of God revealed in his Law? Shall I commit that which for its Deformity and Uglinefs an Holy God hath fmbidden in an Holy Law. The Law hath in it, Pirft, Such a bright and clear Light that Slncannot efcape the difcoveryof it, r. it ...-n rr:ake every fpot in the Soul vifible; and t'"hofe Sins which through thofe falfe Lights that Satan fets up appear comely and well featured, when the Light of the Law fh.ioes into the Confcience will then appear but one great mifhapen Blot. And, Secor:dy, It hath in it fuch an abfolute Command and Authority, that Sin can2 ; not relift nor efcapc the Power of it. It comes into the Confcience in the Name of God, and 1nakes as great a trembling in t~e Heart, when fet home in the condemning Powe r of it; as it did in the Ifrael~tes when delivered in that dreadful Pomp from Mount Sinai. Now is this holy, clofe, fearching Authoritative Law to be broken, think you, at the Wil! and Pleafure of every Temptation? Muft \ve in every Paffion (with Mofe.t) at every corrupt Motion and fittful Inclination break thefe two Tables in pieces? Nay indeed, is it poffible that while in a Temptation you are applying the Law, you lhould then break it! No, cer~ tainly. thaE- Man is near to a moft defperate Hardnefs, who while he is looking upon the Holinefs, Authority and Divinity of the Law1 while he is letting iri G ggggg the
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