of Mortification. bring and marfhal even this aga inft your Lufts. Think you that,a Temptation can out-face Hell it felf, and dare everlafting burnings? Can it frand before a torrent of Fire; and Brirpfrone? No, cercainly this is the hardnefs and ohdurare~ nefs of thofe only who feel Hell's Torments, not to be deterred from Sin for fear of them. Now rife up mightily againft thy Lufts even from this Confideration, Ihew them what they deferve, no lefs than Damnation; from which, if any who g ive way t.o them at any time, are refcued, it is only by the Sovereign and unaccountable Mercy of God: And thus while Satan cafts Fire, do thou cart Firebrands. This is to make Hell his fecond Torture, that as God makes ufe of it for his Punifhmcnt, fo thou for his Defeat and Difappointment. Now for the Right managing of this Direttion (for indeed much Care and CircumfpeCtion muft here be had) take thefe following particulars. Firft, Take heed, left through any deceitfulnefs of thy Heart thou excufeft and leOC~eft thy Sin, when thou lhouldlt be dealing againlt it by a vigorous Mortificacation. To take off any thing from your Apprehenfions of the Guilt of Sin, is to add to the Power and Strength of the Temptation. And therefore take it for a fure Rule, that that Sin in which thou dolt not now fee that black and horrid Guilt \Vhich formally thou haft done, bath more Power over thee, and is more unnwrtified in thee, than ever formally it was. It is the commoo Method of Satan in the heighth and fury of a Temptation, to perfuade the Heart, either that it is no Sin, or . elfe a fmall and venial one, If this deceit prevail and take place, the Work of Mortification can never go on vigorouOy. Certain it is,· that where the Gnilt of any Sin is apprehended but fmall, there the Endeavours agdinfr it will be but weak. A11d, Stcondly,. Beware of wcakniog and enervatinr; Arguments drawn from the Defen and Danger of a prevailing Luft, by relieving thy felf with Thoughts of the Goodnefs and Safety of thy fpiritual Condition. This is a malt defperate Deceit of the Heart, and a ready way ~o undo thonfands of Souls. Have you ne· vcr found, that when you have made head againft a Temptation by Argumems drawn from the Wrath of God due to it, and that eternal Vengeance that will follow? Have you never found your Corrupt Hearts replying 11pon you? Yea, bull I am delive1 ed from the Wrat~ to come, 1 am ranfomed trom that Vengeance, . my fpiritua l and eternal State is fecured by the immutable Promife of God, and . the immortal Seed of Grace; and therefore though I do commit this Sin, yet my Soul !hall live? This is the common Fa11acy of the Devil, thU5 to make prcfump rious Applications of Mercy, Pardon and free Grace, to patronize the Al· lowance of Sin. If you thus argue, certain it is you can never make good Work of Mortification. 'Tis impoffible to perfuade that Man from Sin by the Terrors of the Lord, who looks upon whatfoever is fpoken of £hat kind, as not appertaining to him. And therefore confider, · Firft, To encourage thy felf in Sin upon hopes of thy being in a State of Grace, .is1'o rotten and umyorthy a Principle, as is fcarce confiltent with Grace. What is this but to make ufe of Grace againft it felf, again It tl:e God of Grace, a meer · turning of it into Wantonnefs, and finning that it might abound? Which .of all things in the World is the molt oppofite aod repugnant to the truly noble and inge· · nious ,!Sature of a gracious Heart. And, .secondty, Confider, lf thou rhouldlt be in a State of Grace, and ftand accepted. With God, yet thou canlt never know thy felf fo 'to be; nay, thou haft all the Rcafon in the World to judge the contrary, if this Confideration embolden tlree ro fin. Wbat though the perfeverance of the Saists unto Glory be certain, yet arc they to perkverc thereunto whatfoever Sins they commit? We find no fuch Promifc in the whale Tenour of the Covenant. It is therefore more unreafonablc and abfurd to conclude from thy Grace that thou may'ft fin without danger; than to conclude, becaufe thou m<ikeft ufe of fuch an Encouragement to fin, therefore thou haft no Grace. And, . · Thirdly, Though thou knoweft thy felf, by the higheft Pitch of Alfurance attainable to be dilivered from the Wrath to come, yet !till this Wrath is the due Defert of thy Sin; yea , aO.d will be the certain Punilhment of it unlcfs it be marmortified in thee. lf ye, ye Elett, ye fanCtified and juftified ones, If yt liw after rhe Fief/J yeflMll die. \:Ve.mav and ought therefore to denounce Death and Hell, to the ~oft affured Saint, if he doth. not mortifie: For though God hath decreed Ggggggz to 2 . 2. 3·
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