794 The Great Daty 4· ware how you go about to fatisfie it ; for believe it, th!t cloth but the 1 more inrage it. Solomon's Infatiables are moderate in refpeB:: of this it frill cries give, give, and the more you give it, the louder ftill and the more eagerly it cries. Have you not found that after yielding to this Jmpor~u~ nity, Corruption bath been more fierce than ever before; it's an impudent C:aver. that ~nows n~ither Bound? nor. Modeft_y. You _may as well quench Fire w1th 011, as fausfie. Corruption 'Wtth finmng j no, tf you would in any ~neafure be rree from tht~ perpetual tronb~e, ure lt fro~ar~ly; deny, rejca It_, fpurn t_hlS Body of ~m a~d n::ath; thls at laft Wlll_dlfcounten:mcc 31'\~ dtfcourage It from temptmg ; tt Will at laft leave followmg thee as one il)- cxorable. Truft the Experience of the Children of God in this particular they will tell thee, that fuch and fuch a prevailing Luft that did ufc · per~. petually to perplex and difquiet them, which 'they feared they fhould neve'r mafter ; yet b~ o~ten yexing, croiling and contradictine; of it,- they ha.ve at le.ngth tamed 1t., 1t bemg brought ...under com19and, and made fubjetl: to Grace ; and that though indeed there would remain ftill fomc grudgings of the Diftemper, yet lt bath been lefs frequent and lefs violent-in its working. Conclude upon it that this thou alfo may'ft attain unto. Doth any imperious Luft perplex · and trouble thee? Believe it, through the daily Exercife of Mortification thou wilt fo tire it out and fpenH it, that though it may mur... mur and repine fometiJUes, and grudge that it I is not fatisfied ; yet it fhall feldom prevail to di.frurb thy Communion with, God, and never fo far prevail as to deftroy thY Peace ana \...<nnfort. . Tht:n~ Fourthly, Confider tbat there Is In - the . Exerclfe of Mortification (though it be fo fharp and fevere a Duty ) an mwa~d fccrct Satisfafuon of Soul that cloth more than recoml?ence ~U the Pams .and Difficulty. There i:· a hidden Complacency even .m cutuog off of. l\.1pht Hands, and plucking out of Right Eyes. Tliere 1S a do,uble Nature m every C4ild of God the divine Nature, and the cot:ru,pt ~atur(j ;' .and r that wh~ch , Is a Tor: ment to one is a Pleafure to .t:he . other. :The 1 divine Na~ure takes as much Pleafure in mortifying i1 j:qrruption, ~s the corrupt Nature doth in gratifying of it. I wonder ljherefore how rational Chriftians are t~ be deterred, from the Work of Mqrtification by the. harfhn~fs and painfulnefs of the Work. If you have no Nature in you but corrupt, how are you Chrlfrians? If you have, think you it is not as painful and as harih to your new :N"ature that you yield to a Luft, a' it is to your corrupt Nature that t you oppofc and mortifie it? Yes, t'1e ne~ ~ature groans and fighs, and mourns in fecret within when you .fin aga1nft ~ 1t ,; oh! But it leaps for Joy, it fprings and exults 1in.tbe ~eart. when ,you dtfappoint a Temptation, and prevail againft Corruptions; 1t fmtles upon you when you return .red from the Slaughter. I appeal t~ Experie?ce~ tell ~e, have you. not found more ra- , vilhing Joy and Pleafure m ~hat ftdl · mfinuatmg foft Delight, that .fpils it felf filently through the Soul, whtle you have been vjgorouily ftruglinp againft your Corruptions, than ever you found in yielding to them? Though the conteft be troublefom, yet .what a .calm follows when Grace ,obtains the Vit\ory not a rufle, not a wnnkle upon the Face of the Soul; oh! how fweetly do'th it then enjQy both it felf and its God, it twines about him, clofely embraceth him, clafpeth . Hands with him, and then ·follow thofe unexpreffible mutual Congratulations · for the Succe.fs. Oh! my Soul enter thou juto this Joy. If Luft prevail, the Pleafure may blaze high, but it is impur9, dr~ggy, roixt, and bath in it more of the Sting than the Honey, befides thofe mail)' thoufand Stings it leaves behind. in the Con.fcience. Now baffle a Corruption by that very Argument that 1t doth chiefly make ufe of. What is that which Luft ufeth to plead when it tempts ? Is it not Plcafure? This is its mo!l: taking Bait: Well then, when it tells thee thou !halt have fo much Pleafurc in it., 'twill bring thee in fuch an over-flowing Meafure of SltisfaCl:ion and Delight: Oh ! then anfwer i£; yes, I can have better Satisfaction, and more fincere Delight in mortifying of it, that will bring .r:ne in pure Spiritual, ciarified Joy, and !hall I forego this for the muddy, impure, lbort Blaze of Jin~ ful Pleafure ? Thu$ encourage now thy folf unto this great Duty. Fifrhlj,
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