Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

I 4 The MORTIFICATION will never again give up themfelves to the fervice of it. Accordingly fin is quiet, flits not, feems to be mortify'd; not indeed that it hurls received any one wound, but meerly becaufe the foul hath poffefs'd its faculties, whereby it fhould exert it- felf, with thoughts inconfifient with the motions thereof; which when they are laid afìde;hn returns againto its former life and vigour. So they,Pf11.78.3a. unto 38. are a full inftance and defcription of this frame ofSpirit,whereof I fpeak.For all this they finnedfill andbelieved notfor his woo dereno works. Therefore their daysdid he sonfume in va- city, and theiryears in t rouble. When he flew them, then they fought hint, and they returned, and enquired early after God. And they remernbred thatGod was their rook, and thehigh God their Redeemer. NevertheleJi, they didflatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto hint with their tongues. For their heartwas not right with him, neitherwere theyfledfall in his Co- venant. I no waydoubt; but that when they fought, and returned, and enquiredear- nellly after God,they did it with full purpofc ofheart, as to the relinquifhmenrof their fins : It is expreffed in the word returned. 'To turn or return to the Lord, is by a relinquifhment of fin. This they did early, with earnefknefs and diligence ; but yet their he was unmortify'd for all this, v. 36, 37. and this is the hate of many humiliations in the days of a$liffion, and a great deceit in the hearts of believers themfelves, lies oftentimes herein. Thefe, and many other ways there are, whereby poor fouls deceive themfelves, and fuppofe they have mortify'd their lulls, when they live and arc mighty, and on every occafion break forth to their diflurbance and difquietnefs. i, `c`6Al2'1446f& CHAP. VI. The mortificationof fin in particular defcribed. The feveralparts and de- grees thereof. The habitual weakning of its root and principal. The power of lotto tempt. Differences of thatpower as to perfons and times. Corfant fighting againft fin. The parts thereof confider'd. Succefs againft it. The furto of this difcourfe confider'd. HA T it is to mortify a fin in general which will make farther way for particular dire&ions, is nextly to be confider'd. 'The mortification of a Tuff corhfis in three things. t. An habitual weakningof it. Every loft is a depraved habit or difpohtion, continually inclining the heart to evil. Thence is that defcription of him, who loath no loft truly mortify'd, Gen. vi. q. Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continu- ally. He is always under the power of a ffrong bent and inclina- tion to fin. And the reafon why a natural man is not always, perpetually, in the purfuit of fome one loft night and day, is, becaufe he bath many to ferve, every one crying to be fatisfy'd; thence he is carried on with great variety, but (kill in general he lies towards the fatisfaftion of fell. We will fuppofe then the lull or diítemper, whole mortification is inquired after, to be in itfelf a ftrong, deeply rooted, habitual inclination and bent of will and affections, unto fome aftual fin, as to the matter of ir, though not under that for- mal confederation, always flirting up imaginations, thoughts and contrivances about the obje@ of it. Hence men are faid to have their hearts fer upon evil, the bent of their fpirits lies towards it, to makeprovifion for the flefh* And a finful de- prayed habit, as in many other things, fo in this, differs from all natural or moral habits whatever; for whereas they incline the foul gently and foitably to itfelf, fin- ful habits impel with violence and impetuoufnefs: whence lulls are faid to fight a Romane chi. 14.

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