of Mortification: 793 l1: is a Ray of heavenly Light that will fcatter and tri umph over Darkne.iS; and wax brighter and brighter unt? the perfect' day. It is Immortal in a Seed, ViC\:orious in a Spark, Triumphant .tn its Dawning;: It hath a kind of Omnipo-- tency in it. Phi/lip. 4• 13. I can do all tbings through Chrift ftrengtlming of me :; ftreng;thning me by his prevailin~ Grace : And no wonder, fince it is a Par. tide of the Divine Nature it felf, 2. Pet. 1 . + That you might be p.:1rt,tken of the Divine Nature. lt is an indelable Flourilh of thC Divine E!Tence, which fets the Glofs. of the Divine Attributes upon the Soul, and makes it of kin to God himlel f. Yea, take Grace when it is at the weakeft, when this Dawn is clouded, when th is Spark is twinkling, when this Seed feems unfpirited, yet then it is Viet:o.. rious and Triumphant; The weapom of our warfare arc not carno~l1 bt~t always mighrJ through God, 2 Cor. 10. 4· . Now what an over~match is this tor Corruption, to fet Grace againft Sin ; why it is to fet God againft Satan, Heaven againft Hell, Spirit againft Flefh. Nqw will you delire greater Advantage than this is? Can you wilh for greater Encouragement? Oh! how faint~hearted muft they needs be , whom certainty of preVailin~ cannot animate to contend : Who would not fight that bath fuch odds . Am I certain to p~>evail ? Have I tha2 Pri nciple in me that wi!J go forth Conquering unto Conquer? Will it affuredly c:rown my Soul with Viaory, and I fliall not bril'lg it to the Trial? Here's now a Corruption molefts me, fhall I fuffer it to ca]?tivate me while yet I have that Divine Auxiliary within, that if brought forth would cer'"' tainly overcOme it? Nay, I muft detain this Grace in Unrighteoufnefs, I muft deprefs it, I muft keep it under by Violence. if I . Uo noF prevail by it. Nay, if I fhi 'lt: not a~ainft m_Y Lufts. l_muft _ ftnve agamft my Graces; and what fuall I take as much paws to commit a .Sm, as would ferve to fubdue it? Oh Chri!tians! It is the greateft Jhame in .the ~or!d for yo~ to be overcome and worfted; you that have fuch an aa1ve VIB:onous Pnnc1ple a Principle which you your felves muft much wrong and injure, if it doth n~t always conquer ; a Principle. that rifet.h with a natura~ and fponta.neous Forc_e and fmpmts againft Corruption, and If but owned, tf but chenfht; nay, If not refoiled and oppofed will certainly fubdue it. What lhall we think when we fee fuch as you foil'd, but t~at there is Treache_fy within?. You confpi~e againft your own Grace, you keep 1t under, you checK and curb lt, would With a fprightly and <ethereal Impulfe rulh upon and beat down the frrongefr Lulls that oppofe it.• 'thirdly, Confider, the greateft St rength and Power of Corruption. is already deftroyed, ~ef?re you are_ put upon the ~ortifi~ation of. it. It bath already loft tts re1gmng Powt:r tu yuu, and now It retams only Its molefting· it bath already loft the Power of a King, aud now it only retains the Power of a Rebel. Your old Man is already crucified, .ir now wants nothing but: piercing : It is with .Ab{Alom hung up, and w~nts nothmg but to bt: thruft through. So tender is our God of us that he wtl~ not ventu~e u.s ~ga~nft Corruption w bile it is in its full ftretngh. Alas! Wh1le Corruption IS m tire and unbroken we are unable to graple with it, he himfelf therefore crufheth the Head of this Serpent and breaks t~e Teeth of this Lion ; and when it is thus weakened hB calls uPon us to deft roy it. God might, if he had fo pleafed, at once have made a · full end of Corruption; and in our Regeneration as perfectly have freed us from it, as we: Ihall be hereafter in Heaven. No, · but he would not fo take the ~hole ~or~ out of our Hands; we muft exercife .our Courage and our Refoluuon agamft It, and therefore he fo far weakned u1 that it might not defrroy us, thollgh frill it be left fo frrong and powerflll as to molefr and trouble us. So that y6u fee in thefe. thr~e things, Succe[s ~s affured to your.· Endeavours: Y?u cannot fay CorruptiOn IS u nmatch~ble Ill Its Strength, irrcfiftible in its VIolence;, th.ct we ca~nol ftand befor~ It; no, you fha11 certainly prevail and overcome 1t, Jf you Wi ll but encounter tt; and what an Encourage.. ment is this. · ThiYdly, Another cncour_aging Confi~eration is this, the longer thou continuefi: mortif~ing the weaker Will Corruption grow, ar.d the ealier thou wilt find this great \Vork to be. Would you be freed from the continual vexing Importunity of Corruption? It nc;>w haunts and dogs you, and clam'Jurs to be gratified in this and in that SH,h ahn~ l~u can find no: reft from it ; beware
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