f SIN in duEI.IEVER3. I5 z. I think I need not fay, it is not the diffiniulation of a fin ; when a man on force outward refile&s forfakes the praftice of any fin ; men perhaps may look on him asa changed man; God knows that to hisformer iniquity he hath added cur- fed hypocrify, and is got in a fafer path to hell, than he was in before. He hath got another heart than he had, that is, more cunning, not a new heart, that is, more holy. 3. The mortification of fin confifis net in the improvement of a quiet, fedaté nature. Some men have anadvantage by their natural conftitutiou, fo far, as that they are not expofed to fuch violence of unruly pafflons, and tumultuous aifeeti- oits, as many others are. Let now tltefe men cultivate and improve their natural frame and temper, by difcipline, confideration and prudence, and they may Item to themfelves and others, verymortify'd men, when perhaps their hearts are a {land- ing fink ofall abominations; force man is never fo much troubled all his life perhaps with anger and paillon, nor doth trouble others, as another is almoll every day ; and yet the latter bath done more to the mortification of the fin than the former. Ler not fach try their mortification by filch things, as their natural temper gives no life or vigour to : let them bring themfelves to fell-denial, unbelief, or force fach fpiritual fin, and they will have a better view of themfelves. 4, A fin is not rnortify'd, when it is only diverted, Simon Magus for a feafon left his forceries ; but his covetoufirefs and ambition that fet him on work, remain- ed hill, and would have been ailing. another way.: thereforePeter tells him, Iper- ceive thou art in thegall of bitternefi; notwithflanding the profeflion thou haft made, notwithfkanding thy relinquilhment of thy forceries, thy lull is as powerful as ever in thee: the fame luit, only the ftreams of it are diverted: it now exerts and puts forth itfelf another way, but it is the old gall of bitternefs'flill. A man may be fenfible of a lull, fee himfelf againfl the eruptions of it, take, care that it (hall not break forth as it hath done; but in the mean time fuffer the fame corrupted habits° vent itfelf force other way. As he who heals and skins a running fore, thinks himfelf cured, but in ejie mean time his fle.fly feftereth by the coerupten of the fame humour, and breaks out in another place. And the fame is the cafe of bartering of lofts, and leaving to fern one, that a man may ferve another. He that changes pride for worldlinefs,- fenfuality for pnarifaifm,.vanity -in himfelf to the contempt of others; lee him not think that he hath :mortified the fin that he feems tohave left. He bath changed his matter, but is a fervant frill. p Occafional conquefts of fin do not amoupt to a mortifying of it.. There are two occafrons or feafons, wherein menwho are contending with anyfin, may feem to themfelves to have mortify'd it. (r.) When it bath had fame fad eruption to the diflnrbance of their peace, terrour of their confciences, dread of fcandal, and evident provocationof God. This awa- kens and flits up all that is in the man, and amazeshim, fills him with abhorrency of fin, and himfelf for it; fends him to God, makes him cry out as for life, to'ab- hor his lull as hell, and to fer himfelf againff it. The whole man, fpiritual and natural, being now awaked, fin fhrinks in its head, appears not, but lies as dead before him. As when onethat bath drawn nigh to an army in the night, and hash killed a principal perfon ; inl}antly the guards awake, men are roufed up, and Mica enquiry is made after the enemy : who in the mean time, until the noife and tumult be over, hides himfelf, or lies like one that is dead, yet with firm refolution to do the like mifchief .again, upon the like opportunity. Upon the fin among the Co- rinthians, fee how they muller up themfelves for the Irtrprizal and deflruCtion of it, a Epifl. Chop. 7. za. So it is in a perfon, when a,breach bath been made upon his confcience, quiet, perhaps credit, by his lull, in force eruption of aftual fin, carefulnefs, indignation, defire, fear, revenge, are all let on work about it, and againft it. And lull is quiet for a feafon, being run down before them; but when the hurry is over, and the inqueft pall, the thief appears again alive, and is as billy as ever at his work. (a.) In a time of force judgment, calamity, or preffing afilietion; the heart ís then taken up with thoughts, and contrivances of flying from the prefent troubles,.. fears and dangers: this as a convinced perfon concludes, is to be done, only by relinquifhment of fin, which gains peace with God. It is the anger of God in every afiliaion, that galls a convinced perfon. To be quit of this, men refolve at loch times againfl their. fins. Sin (hall never more have any placcin them; they E will
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