329 aIOItTIFICA unless they endeavour, in the first place, to weaken and impair its strength by the increase of grace, and grow ing therein, they will labour in the fire, where this work will be consumed. (2.) In frequent actings of the principles of grace in all duties internal and external: for, where the inclinations, motions, and actings of the Spirit in all acts, duties, and fruits of holy obedience are vigorous, and kept in constant exercise, the con- trary motions and actings of the flesh are defeated. (2.) In a due application of the principle, power, and actings of grace, by way of opposition unto the princi- ple, power, and actings of sin. As the whole of grace is opposed unto the whole of sin; so there is-no parti- cular lust whereby sin can act its power, but there is a particular grace ready to make effectual opposition unto it, whereby it is mortified. And in this application of grace, in its actings, in oppòsition unto all the actings of sin, consists themystery of this great duty of morti- fication. And where men being ignorant hereof, have yet fallen under a conviction of the power of sin, and been perplexed therewith, they have found out foolish ways innumerable for its mortification, wickedly oppo- singexternal natural bodily forceand exerciseuntoan in- ternal, moral, depraved principle, which is no way con- cerned therein. But hereof we must treat more af- terwards, under the third head, concerning the man- ner hose this work is to be carried on, or this duty per- formed. Sect. 9.:6. This duty of weakening sin, by the growth and improvement of grace, and the opposition which is made -unto sin in all its actings thereby, is called mortification, killing, or putting todeath, on sundry ac- counts: hirst and .principally, from that life, which, be- cause of its power, efficacy, and operation, is ascribed, unto indwelling sin. The state of the soul, by reason of it, is a state of death. But whereas power and ope- rations are the proper adjuncts or effects of life, for their sakes life is ascribed unto sin, on whose account sinners are dead. Wherefore this corrupt principle of sin in our depraved nature, having a constant powerful inclina- tion and working actually towards all evil,- it is said, me- taphorically, to live, or to have a life of its own. There- fore is the opposition that is made unto it, for its ruin and destruction, called mortification, or killing, being its deprivation of that strength and efficacy, whereby, and wherein it is said to live. Secondly, It may be so TION Or SIN, called, because of the violence of that contest which thesoul is put unto in this duty. All other duties that we are called unto, in the courseof ourobedience, may be performed In a more easy, gentle, and plain manner. Though it is our work and duty to conflict with all sorts of temptations, yea, to wrestle with principalities andpowers, and spiritual wicleednesses ín high places; yet, in this, which we have with ourselves, which is wholly within us, and from us, there is more of warring, fighting, captivating, wounding, crying out for help and assistance, a deep sense of such a violence as is used in taking away the life of a mortal enemy, than in any thing else we are called unto. And, Thirdly, The end aimed at in this duty, is destruction, as it is ofall kill- ing. Sin, as was said, bath a life, and that such a life, as whereby it not only lives, but rules and reigns in all that arenot born of God. By the entrance of grace into the soul it loseth its dominion, but not its being; its rule, but not its life. The utter ruin, destruction, and gradual annihilation of all the remainders of this cursed life of sin, is our design and aim in this work and duty, which is therefore called mortification. The design of this duty, wherever it is in sincerity, is to leave sin neither being, nor life, nor operation. Sect. 10. And some directions, as our manner is, may be taken from what we have discoursed, concern- ing the nature of this duty, directive of our own prac- tices. And, (I.) It is evident from what bath been discour- sed, that it is a work which bath a gradual progress, in the prosecution whereof we must be continually exer- cised. And this respects, in the first place, the princi- ple of sin itself. Every day, and in every duty, an es- pecial eye is to behad unto the abolition and destruction of this principle. It will no otherwise die, but by being gradually and constantly weakened; spare it, and it heals its wounds, and recovers strength. Hence many who have attained to a great degree in the mortification of sin, do, by their negligence, suffer it, in some in- stances or other, so to take head again, that they never recover their former state whilst they live. Sect. 11. And this is the reason why we have so many withering professors among us, decayed in their graces, fruitless in their lives, and every way conform- ed to the world. There are some indeed who being un- der the power of that blindness and darkness, which is
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