of -Mortification. Heart Blood of it before the Lord. Such abfo}ute Refolutions will be of great Inftuence'in the Work of Mort'ification. Yea, and though it may feern to be an old falhion'd antiquated Prefcript, yet would it approve it felf to be of lingular Ufe and Advantage, if \•.re ftrengthned fuch Refolutions againfi: Sin by laying upon our felves fame binding Vows and Engagements ap,ainft them. See how ftrongly D avid binds himfclt by an Oath, Pfot . J r9. ro6. I have [worn, and ! wilt perform ir, that ltvill ke~p thy Yighreous 'Judgments. David was refolved to keep the Law of God ; but left that Refolution fhould prove too weak, he ftrengthens it wi th an 0Jth, I have }worn thfu I will keep them; yea, and as if this Oath were not fecurity enough , he backs it with another Rcfolution ; I have [worn~ and 1 will perform it. So do thou againft thy Sins, refolve and vow againft them~ enforce one by the other. Lift up thy H ands unto God, that in the Strength of Chrift and the Aid of the Spirit, thou wilt never mor~ yield to fuch a Temptation, give way to fuch a Corruption, commit fuch :1 Sin. Th is, were it more pradifed among Chriftians, would mightily promote the great Work of Mortification. - But you will fay, What Benefit can there be in this? Alas! My Corruptions objetlior.. are fo vi6lem and outrageous, that they break through far greater Engagements than my own Refolutions are ; neither Law nor Gofpel can oppofe them, they rulh through Commands , Admonit ions, Threatnings, Pro~ifcs, and fet all at .nought; and fha\1 I think then that fnch weak and infignificant thinr;s as Ptlrpofes and Rcfo~ hltions arc of any Moment? Be it fo, that the rage of thy Lu fts bath broken through all thofe greater En- An[rver. gagemcnts, and bath born dow·n before it whatfocver either Law or Gofpellhould f<~y to the contrary, yet now bring againft it thy Purpofes and Refolutions; though there may be and is an Obligation of greater Authority from other Con~ fiderations, yet nothing carries in it an Obligation of greater Efficacy t han thefe do. There is that Temper in every Man's Nature, .that though he ft rugle againft an Engagement that the Authority of another impofeth on him, yet he looks up~ on a voluiltat y E ngagement that he impofeth on himfelf, as moft binding, fac red, and iuviolable. Certainly did you but thus bind your felves, and in a ferious manner call God to wit.nefs and affift your Refolutions, you would find that thofe Corruptions which have broken through all other Confiderations would have a ftop put to them by this. . , 'ThirdfJ, Another J?ir eaion is this, Refi.ft ftrongly r_he firft Motions and firft Ri- Rrft.fiin fings of thy Corruptions ; crufh them wh1le they are m thdr Infancy , before they 11;~ firif get to a Head, and gather Strength againft thee. It i..s Foll y to ftay till thy-Ene- Mctions of mies are grown up: No, t ake the Offspring and Progeny of Luft, while they are Sin , 4' littl e, and deal with them as God threatens Bab~t, dajh thqfe_ lirtlt ones agm:rl}l the ~:~~~:o?. fttJnrs. Confider, ific~ttion Firft, Tlu.t there is not the lcafi: and moft i nconfiderable finful Motion, that 1 1 , • rife[h in thy Soul, but it tends to the very utmoft Guilt, that that kind of Sin is capable of. Thou art deceived if thou thinkeft it will ftill be a weak, faint, languifiling Concep[ion : No, Corruption will lay in Provifion for it and nou rifu it, till that which was at firft but as a Grain of Muftard Seed, the finalleft of' all Seeds, grow up and lhoot forth great Branches , that the Prince of [he .air may lodge in them. Thou mayft· eafier fer bounds to the flowing of the Sea, and in a Tempeft command a Wave in the midft of its fw eiHng to ftand fix£ and not break, than to ftop the Courfe of a growing Lnft ; and to fay to it, hithe rto on ly fhalt thou come and no farther; as far as Thoughts, as far as Delight and Complacency, but never fo far as ACl; 'tis impoffible. The Cloud t hat at firft was bqt an Hand's breadth, foon. grew into a general Tempeft. T~uly a Luft t hat at firft fe~ms no more, will, if not prefently fcattered, foon ra1fc a Storm and Tempeft 111 the Soul, and what Affurance-Office will then fecure him from mak ing; Shipwreck Of a good Confcience. Thefe fma\1 and begi_nning Lufts. though t hey may feem harmlefs and innocen t, yet if let alone, will ftop no where fhort of the higheft pitch of Wickednefs, and the loweft place of He\1. An irreverend Thought of God, it would ftop no where fhort of pro· fe lt Atheifm and fiat denying of God. An hard Thought againfr the People and the Ways of God, would ftop no where fhort of impl acable Hatred and bloody Perfecution. An envious malicious Thought would ruA and feed up in- •o
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