THE NATURE AND CAUSES Ott IT. 527 of the Spirit against it, and the fruits produced thereby. Hence he shuts up his discourse with that exhortation, Ifwe live in the Spirit, let us toolkin the Spirit, that is, if we are endowed with this spiritual principle of life, which is to live in theSpirit, then let us act, work, and improve that spiritual principle unto the ruin and mor- tification of sin. Sect. 22..This, therefore, is the first way whereby the Spirit of God mortifieth sin in us, and in a compli- ance with it, under his conduct, do we regularly carry on this work and duty, that is, if we mortify sin, by cherishing the principle of holiness and sanctification in our souls, labouring to increase and strengthen it, by growing in grace, and by a constancy and frequency in acting of it in all duties, on all occasions, abounding in the fruits of it. Growing, thriving, and improving in universal holiness, is the great way of the mortifica- tion of sin. The more vigorous the principle of holi- ness is in us, the more weak, infirm, and dying, will be that of sin. The more frequent and lively are the actings of grace, the feebler and seldomer will be act- ings of sin. The more weabound in the fruits of the Spirit, the less shall we be concerned in the works of the flesh. And wedo but deceive ourselves, if we think sin will be mortified on any other terms. Men, when they are galled in their consciences and disquieted in their minds withany sin or temptation thereunto, where- in their lusts or corruptions are either influenced bySa- tan, orentangled by objects, occasions, and opportu- nities, do set themselves oft-times in good earnest to op- pose and subdue it, by all the ways and means they can think upon. But all they do is in vain, and so they find it at last unto their cost and sorrow. The reason is, because they neglect this course, without which never any one sin was truly mortified in the world, nor ever will so be. The course I intend is, that of labouring universally to improve a principle of holiness, not in this or that way, but in all instances of holy obedience. This is that which will ruin sin, and without it nothing else will contribute any thing thereunto. Bring a man unto the law, urge him with the purity of its doctrine, the authority of its commands, the severity of its threa- Innings, the dreadful consequences of its transgression. Suppose him convinced hereby of the evil and danger of sin, of the necessity of its mortification and destruc- ion,. will he be able hereon to discharge this duty, so 4 N as that sin may die, and his soul may live? The apos- tle assures us of the contrary, Rom. vii. 7, 8. 9. The whole effect of the application of the law in its power unto indwelling sin, ii but to irritate, provoke, and in- crease its guilt. And what other probable way besides this unto this end can `any one fix upon? Sect. 23.Secondly, The Holy Ghost carrieth on thiswork in us as a grace, and enablethus unto it as our duty, by those actual supplies and assistances of grace, which he continually communicates unto us. For the same divine operations, the same supplies of grace which are necessary unto the positive acts and duties of holiness, are necessary alsounto thisend, that sin in the actual motions, and lusting of it, may be mortified; so the apostle issues his long account of the conflictbetween sin and thesoul of abeliever, and his complaint thereon, with that good word, I thank God throng/ Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. vii. 25. namely, who supplies me with gracious assistance against the power of sin. Temp- tation is successful only by sin, Lam. i. 14. And it was with respect unto an especial temptation, that the Lord Christ gives that answer unto the apostle, My grace is sufficientfor thee, 2 Cor. xii. 9. It is the act- ual supply of the Spirit of Christ that doth enable us to withstand our temptations and subdue our corrup- tions. This is the iwysQ,y,a ro wwuparos, Phil. i. ver. 19. An additional supply as occasion requireth beyond our constant daily provision; or yaqs is évaa,gor por,B.ar, Heb. iv. ver. 16. Grace given in to help seasonably upon our cry made for it. Of the nature ofthese supplies, we have discoursed before. I shall now only observe, that in the life of faith and dependance on Christ, the ex- pectation and derivation of these supplies of grace and spiritual strength, is one principal part of our duty. These things are not empty notions, as some imagine. If Christ be an -head of influence unto us, as well as of rule, as the head natural is to the body; ifhe be our life, ifour life be in him, andwe have nothing but what we do receive from him, lire gibes unto us supplies of his Spirit, and increases ofgrace, and if it be our duty, by faith, to look for all these things from him, and that be the means of receiving them, which things are all expressly and frequently affirmed in the scripture, then is this expectation and derivation of spiritual strength continually from him, the way we are to take for the actual mortificationof sin. And therefore, if wewould 31
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