The Great Duty to fave all his E,.lect, yet he never decreed to fave any of them but through Mortification. The Vanity of tl10fe Men is in thcfe our Days fufficiently difcovered11 who would not have Believers take notice, nor make application to themfelves, of any thing that founds threatning and terrible in the Scripture, as being unfutable eo their free and evangelical Spirit. Let fuch know tHat in letting go fuch harJh and feverc Confiderations, they lofe a great Advantage which they might have againft their Lofts. The Holieft on Earth, when God threatens Sin · ought to tremble;· and whatfoever Judgment they pafs upon their Perforis, though they know themfclves to be Regenerate and Elect, yet this is the Judgment they ought to pafs upon their ACl:ions, that if they be finful they are alfo damnable. So that whatever thy Condition be, yet whenever Corruption tempts and troubles thee, oppofeagainlt its Prevaleocy and SeduCtion thefe affiighting Confidcrations of Wra~h, Hell, and Vengeance: Thus follow and plie ir, thus heap Coals of Fire upon its Head; throw a Hell between thee and thy Lufts; this if any thing will !top thee: But if thou canfi: frequently wade through thefe unto it, if thou can.ft commit i~ even wl~ile the Tholl:ghrs of futur~ \:Vrath are hot and fcorching, while everlafhng burnmgs are flammg and fiaflung about thee; this argues a wretched Obftinacy in Sin, and is the fad Symptom of a mofi: dangerous, · if not defperate· Condition. And thus I have done with the firft Diretlion unto Mortifi. .. cation. We murt be well acquainted, and have a thorough infight into our Sins; both to know whence they have their great Strength, and alfo to know what the great Guilt and Danger of them is. 2 , Secondly, Another DircB:ion, in brief fuall be this : If you would effectually Refolutian mortifie Corruption, then arm your felves againft it witi, ftrong 1\efolutions, with Ve,y telp. Refolutions free from Limitations, free from any fecret Refervations. The Apoftle ful f~r .rve hath given us many a tried piece of Chriftian Armour, Eph. 6. There we have "?';/J''T!g the Shield a( Faith, the Sword of the Spirit, the Breaft-pl~tte o( R~!hteou[ne[s, the Hel~ ' m. met of Salvatian, and a cornpleat: Panoply: But what are thefe,. without Refolution to ufe them?. The Shield may ruft againft the Wall, and the ~word in the Sheath; Grace may lie fiuggifh and unatl:ive in the Soul, while Luft tempts, feduceth and captivates, u·ntefs holy Refolution roufe it, arm it, and lead it forth to the ConfliCt. Wherefore is it that fo many complain their Lufrs and Corrup-- tions are invincible, that they cannot ftand before them? What's the Reafon they . are fo often infnared and fo often captivated, but becaufe they do not put on the . Refolutions of Men nor Chriftians? They are not refolved to conquer; they do not fortifie nor fteel their Hearts with abfolute and peremptory Refolves, that notwithftanding all the Advantages any Corruption hath gained againfi:them, though it bath already frequently prevailed over them, though it daily and hourly tempt, entice, impel, yet they will beat it down and trample on it. Men are not thus firmly ref'Olv'd, but waver and ftagger ih their Purpofes; and thereby give Satan Hope and Enc.:ouragement, while they thus fluCtuate to affault and prevail over them. Were they once fully refolved, they 'would not yield; and Satan who can . de nothing againft them without their own Confent, would have but fmall Encouragement to continue tempting; he would then fay, it is in vain to lay fiege to that Soul, his Refolutions have fort ified him and made him impresnable ; not a fiery Dart will ftick, but rebounds back as from a Rock of Adamant, and makes no impreffions; he is grown obfi:inate againft my Temptations, and will hearken to none of my Sugg~fi:ions; he will not ftand fo much as to confider what a Temptation can fay for it fe lf, but peremptorily refufeth and rejecteth all,; there's no hope left for me to prevail with fuch a Soul. What David faith of h1s Enemies, P{al. 118. 10, It. All Nations compa/[td me about; but in the name of the Lord I wi!J deftray them : They compa/feJ. me about, yea, they compajfed me abaut: But in the ,Mme af the Lord I will deftroy them. The fame muft we f:~y concerning our Corruptions ; though they befet us round aod compafs us about, ~hough they fwarm about us like Bees; yet in the Name of the Lord, in the AI~ and Affifi:ance of Ehe Holy Spirit, we will deftroy them. You know what parucular Corruption it is that doth moft of all perplex and prevail over you ; no':" take _up fixed Refolntions for the mortifying of that Sin. Oh ! Never more w11l.I g1ve way to fuch a Temptation ; never more will I hearken eo the Flattenes and Enticements of fuch a Lu£1: ; never more fhall this break my PC:ace, wound my Confcience, difpleafe my God: Now will! be. revenged on it, and pour out the Heart
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