JSIN in BEI,IEVEKS. I or wage war againft the foul, r Pet. ii. r t. to rebel, or rife up in war with mat condo& and oppoGtionwhich isMimi therein, Rom. vii. c;. to lead captive, or effectually cap- tivating upon fuccefs in battel : all works of great violence and impetuoufnefs. I might manifeft fully from that defcription we have of it,_Ram. vii. How it will darken the mind, exeinguifh conyi&ions,. dethrone reafon, interrupt the power and influence of any confiderations, that may be brought to hamper it, and break through all into aflame. Butthis is not my prefent bufinefs. Now the lieft thing in mortification is the weakening of this habit of fin or lust, that it (hall not with that violence; earnefinefs, frequency, rife up, conceive, tumultuate, provoke, entice, difquiet, as naturally it is apt to do, `fan,. r. r1, t5. 11haf1 defire to give one caution or rule by the way ; and it is this. Though every lull doch in its own nature, equally, univerfally incline and impel to fin, yet thismu(t be granted with theft two limitations. (.t.) One lull, or a lull in one man, may receive many accidental improve- ments,-heightnings and flrengthnings, which may give it life,.power, and vigour, exceedingly above what anotherlull hath, or the fame lull, that is of the fame kind and Nature; in another man. When a tuft falls in with the natural conflitutions and temper, with a thimble courir Of life, with eccafions ; or when fatan bath got a fit handle to it to manage it, as he. bath a thoufand .ways fo to do; that Ilk, grows violent and impetuous above others, or.more than the fame, lull in another. man ¡. then thefteams of it darkest themind fo, that though a man knows the fame things as formerly, yet they have no power, nor influence on the will, but corrupt affe&ions and paf sons are fet by it at liberty. '(z.)- Some lofts are far more fenfible and difcernable in their violent aftings than others. Paul putsa difference between uncleannefs and all other fins, r. Cor vi. t8. Flee fornication,. every fin thata man dots, it without the body, but he that committethfern(- cation finneth again/( his own. body. Hence the motions of that fin are more fenfible, more difcemable than ofothers; when perhaps, the love of the world, or the like, is in.a perfon no lefs habitually predominant thanthat, yet it makes not fo great a corn- buflion sin the whole man. I fay then, that the firft thing,.inmortification is the weakeningof thishabit, that itfhall not impel and tumultuate as formerly, that it Ihall not entice and draw- afide,.that it thall not difgoiet and perplex the killing of its life, vigour, promptnefs and readinefs to be {Erring: This is called crucifying the lefh with the lulls thereof, Gal. v. 04. that is, takingaway its blood and fpirits, that give it ftrength and power. The wafting of the body ofdeath day by day, z Cor. iv, 16. As a : man nailed to the crofs; he firli firuggles and.(trives and cries out with great' ftrength and might; but as his blood and fpirits ware, his firivingsare but faint and feldom, his cries low and hoarfe, fcarce to be heard. When a man firft fees on a luft or diftemper, to deal with it, it firuggles with great violence to break lode; it cries with eameffnefs and impatience to be fatisfy'd and relieved ; but when by mortifica lion the blood and fpirits of it are let out, it moves feldom and faintly, cries fparing- ly, and is fcarce heard in the heart; it.may have fometimes a, dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigour and flrengch, but it is quickly Over, efpecially ifit be kept fromconfiderable fuccefs, This the apoflle defcribes as in the whole chapter, fo efpeciallyv. 6.ch. vi. to the Romans. Sin, faith he, is crucify'd; it is faflened to the crofu to what end? that the body of death.may be deflroy'd; the power of fin weakened, and abolifhed by little and little; that henceforth we Jhmtld not ferve fin, that is, that fin might not incline, impel us with fuch efficacy, as to make as fervants to it, as it hats dome heretofore. And this is fpoken not only withrefpe& to carnaland fenfual affefti- ons, ordefines of worldly things; not only in refpe&of the luft of the fleas, the lull of the eyes, and the pride of life, butalfo as to the flefh, that is in the mindMild will, in that oppoGtion unto God, which is in us by nature. Of what nature foever the trou- bling diftemper be; by what ways foever it make itfelf out, either by impelling to evil or hindering from that which is good, the rule is the fame. a. -Inconftant fightingand contending againftfin. To be ablealways to be laying load on fin, is no finalidegree of mortification..: When fin is Thong and vigorous, the foul is (carte able to make any head againft it; it fighs, and groans, and mourns and is troubled, as David (-peaks of himfelf, but feldom has fin in the parfait ; David complains that his fin had taken fcff hold upon him, that he could not look up, Pfd. xi. sa. how little then was he able to fight againft it? now fendry things are required unto, and comprized in this fighting againft fin. } rr1adnlat vii 4xyif earerralsoótrfror risxvstvn,iferlat (t) To
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