THE NATURE AND CAUSES' OF IT. 519 ing, impairing, and destroying of the contrary princi- ple of sin in its root and fruits, in its principle and act- ings.. And whereas the Spirit of God is every where said to sanctity us, we ourselves are commanded, and said constantly to mortify our sins. Fer sanctification expresseth grace communicated and received, in gene- ral; mortification, grace as so received, improved, and acted unto a certain end. And I shall be brief in the handling of it, because I have formerly published a small discourse on the same subject.. And there aretwo things that I shall speak unto: (I.) The nature of the duty itself. (2.) The manner how it is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost; which I principally intend. Sect. 2. It is known, that this ditty is frequently enjoined and prescribed 'unto us,,Col. ii. 5. 66 Mortify 66 therefore your members that are on the earth, forni-- 6t cation, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil con- 66 cupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry," , may be supplied. Mortifyyour members that that are on the earth; thatis, your carnal earthly affec- tions, avoiding fornication, &c. And so a distinction -is made between carnal affections and their. fruits: Or, the special sins mentioned, are instances of these carnal affections; mort(s your carnal affections, namely, for- nication, and the like; wherein there is a metonymy of the effect for the cause. And they are called our members: (I.) Because, as the whole principle of sin, and course ofsinning which proceedeth from it, being called the body of sin, Rom. vi. 6. or the body of the sins of theflesh; Col. ii. II. with respect thereunto these particular lusts are here called the membersof that body, mortifyyour members; for, that he intends not the parts or members of our natural bodies, as though they were to be destroyed, as they seem to imagine, who place mortification in outward afflictions and macerations of the body, he adds, v.e ley, vsi yns, that are on the earth, that is, earthly, carnal, and sensual. (2.) These affec- tions and lusts, the old man, that is, our depraved na- ture, useth naturally and readily, as the body doth its members: and, which adds efficacy unto the allusion, by them it draws the very members of the body into a compliance with it, and the service of it; against which we are cautioned by our apostle, Rom. vi. 12. Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal bodies, (that is, our natural bodies) that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof, which exhortation he pursues, ver. 19. " As a L " ye have yielded your members servants unto unclean- " ness and to inquity, unto iniquity, even so now yield 6i your members servants to righteousnessuntoholiness:" which some neglecting, do take the members of Christ, that is, of their own bodies, which are the members of Christ, and.make them the members ofan harlot, 1 Cor. vi. 15. ,And many other commands there are to the same purpose, which will afterwards occur. Sect. 3. And concerning this great duty, we may consider three things: 1. The name of it, whereby it is expressed. 2. Thenature of it, wherein it consists. 3. The means and way whereby it is effected and wrought. First, For the name, it is two ways expressed, and both of them metaphorical: (I.) By rso;o,, and 9avxrs, which we render to mortify ourselves. The first is used, Col. iii. 5. rcrgwvam, which is mortify, that is, extinguish and destroy all that force and vigour of corrupted na- tuts,' which inclines to earthly and carnal things, oppo- site unto that spiritual heavenly life and its actings, which we have in and from Christ, as was before declared; 'e,1,, is oleo morte macto, to kill, to affect with, or de- stroy by death. But yet this word is used by our apostle not absolutely to destroy, and to kill, so as that which is so mortified or killed should no more have any being, but that it shouldberendered useless asunto what its strength and vigour would produce. So heexpresseth the effects ofit in the passive word, is ussrtrotos TO laces caNa Os 1,6VE- agat6EVer, Rom, iv. 19. He considered not his oton body now dead, now mortified. The body of Abraham was not then absolutely dead, only the natural force and vigour of it was exceedingly abated. And so he seems to molify this expression, Heb. xi. 12. tp' ros éy6s9mrar, aa, sw,rs evwagw,uivvc; which we well render, of one, and him as good as dead; ra eo intimating a respect unto the thing treated of. So that ,sxgav to mortify, signifies a continued act, in taking away the power and force of any thing, until it comes to be r.szgn,.6ror, dead, unto same certain ends or purposes, as we shall see it is im the mortification of sin, Rom. viii. IS. Ifye thogt the Spirit do morti(j, the deedsof the body, ye shall live; Svevo,, another word to the same purpose, it signifies, as the other cloth, to put to death. But it is used in the present tense, to denote, that it is a work which must be always doing; Ifye do min lily, that is, if you are always and constantly employed in that work. And what the apostle here calls res argafoos re solaces, the deeds 31
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