1 ;<22 S E R M 0 N S upon Serm. XVIII, good, all the days of Jehoiada : but afterwards hearkned to the lewd Princes, 2 Chron. 24. 17. In fuch cafes there is no true hatred of fin, no true gracious principle fee up againft it; this abftinence is but for a while: take away the rettraint, and they loon return to their own bent and biafsto and betides, this keepeth them but from a few . fins. g. Reflraining grace: God may refirain and bridle men by the power of his word on their confciences, when yet their Hearts are not renewed, or by common Infliníts of natural modefly, and ingenuity, or by the power of his Providence : as God withheld Abimelech, Gén. 2o. 6. Though the fin be not fubdued, yet the a& and exercife may be fufpended : Balaam had a mind to curie Ifrael, but God fuffered him not, though he (trove by all means to pleafure Balaac. 6. Terrors of confcience; a man that is under them, non proponit peccare ; a renewed man, proponit non peccare 5 the one hath for the time no aétual will or purpofe to fin ; the other a purpof not to fin; no will to fin, yet have a great deal of fin in the will,,. Thus negatively I have (hewed you what is not Mortification. 2. Prfitively, What it is. Here again we mull diftinguifh. I. Mortification is twofold, Pave and Affne ; Paffive, whereby we are mortified; and A&ive, whereby we mortifie our felves ; the one is Gods work, the other our own. 1. Mortification pave, whereby God mortifieth fin in us; which he doth either at converfion, when a principle of grace contrary to fin, and deftrufive of it, is planted in our hearts, Ezek. t T. i g. I will put a new fprrit into them: and I will take away the heart of (lone, and I will gibe than an heart of flefh, that they may walk in my flatutes. So Ezek. 36. 26. I will put a new fpirit into them. In the work of Regeneration God.doth give a deadly wound to fin, the reign of it is broken, that it cannot with fuch ftrength bring forth the deeds of the body. 2. By the continual and renewed influence of his grace. He doth more and mote wea- ken the power of fin. Mich.7. 59. He will have compaffion on us, and fubdsee our ini- quities. 'Tis Gods work : Alas ! without this, if we be left to our felves, the more we refift fin, the more it is irritated and encreaf d in us. g: God doth it by his word, which is the great inftrument which he ufeth to convey the power of his grace. John 17. 17. There we fee the evil of fin, and the danger of it i are furred uptorefolve,cry, and pray againft it, and are told of the great remedy, w hick is Chrifts death. 4. He mortifieth us by his Providence , as he taketh away the fuel and provifion of our tufts, and awakeneth us to a more earneft confliht with fin.Gut of love to our fouls he croffeth our humours, John r q. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. The Vine-dreffer cutteth and pareth off the luxuriant and fuperfluous branches, Ifa. 27. 9. By this therefore (hall the iniquity of Jacob be pur- ged: and this is all the fruit, to take away his fin. Now all this is paffive Mortificati- on, neceffary to be obferved by us, that we may fubmit to Gods work, and improve the impref ions of his Word, Spirit, and Providence. 2. Allive Mortification is the confiantendeavour of a renewed foul to fubdue fin, dwelling in us, that we may be more at liberty to ferve, pleafe, and glorifie God. 'Tis a confiant endeavour: for in a leaking (hip there is a continual ufe of the Pump. Sin isa continual burden and clog to the new nature, and 'cis every days bufinefs to get rid of it we groan tinder it, Rom. 7. 24. and we mull ftrive as well as groan; the fpirit or new nature lufteth againft the Beth, Gal. q. 17. not only by a difliking thought which may check ahual motions of the fiefh, but alto by a confiant ufe of all holy means, that we may get the maftery of it: they are bound to dye unto fin, therefore will not let it reign, Rom 6. 11, 12. and the end of mortification is vivification, or liberty towards God, which the foul afpireth after more and more; for we grow dead to fin, that we may be alive to righteoufnefs. In fhort, this work muff be continued till we have got- ten tome power againft our corruptions, and it be weakened, tho not fubdued totally. 2. There is a general and particular Mortification. The general Mortification is , The putting off the whole body of the fins of the fiefh, Col.2. 1I. The particular Mortificati- on is when we fubdue or weaken this or that particular tuft, Pfal. IR. 23. I was alp rip - right before him, and kept myJelf from mine iniquity. Now the rule is. That the general Mortihcarioñ mutt go before the particular, otherwile all that we do is but flopping an hole in a ruinous fabrick that is ready to drop down upon our heads; or to make much ado
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