i$ The .MORTIFICATION what is our deliverance fromthis condition. v. 9. But ye are not in the ftefh, but in the fpirit, if fo be that the fpirit of God AO in you: ye believers, that have the fpirit of Chrift, ye are not in the flefh. There is no way of deliverance from the fate and condition of being in the flefh, brit by the fpirit ofChrift ; and what if this fpirit of Chrìfbe in you ? why Then yotyare mortiliy'd, v. lo, the body b. dead besaufe offin, or unto it; mortification is carriedon ; the new man is quickned to-.:righteoufnefs. This the apoftle proves, o. Ia. from the union we have with Chrift by the fpirit, which will produce fuitable operations in us, to what it wrought in him. All at- tempts then for mortification of any loft, without any interelt in .Chrift, are vain. Many men that are galled with, and for fn, the arrowsof ChriR for'convietion, by the preaching of the word, or tome aff3i&ion having been made Tharp in their hearts, do vigoroufly fet themfelves againf this or that particular tuft, wherewith their confeien- ces have been molt difquieted, or perplexed. But poor creatures! they labour in the fire, and their workconfumeth. When the fpirit of Chrif comes to this work, he will be as refiner's fire, and as fuller's Cope, and hewill purge menas gold andas fiver, Mal. iii. 3. take away their drofs and tin, their filth and blóod, as Ifa. iv 3. but men mud be gold and flyer in thebottom, or elfe refining will do them no good. The prophet gives us the fad iffue of wicked mens utmod attempts for mortification, by what means foever that God affords them. }er. vi. 29. 30. The bellows are burn, and the lead is confirmed of the fire, thefounder melteth in vain, reprobatefilverAnamen call them, becaufe the Lord bath rejefled them ; And what is the reafon hereof? v, 28. they were brafs and iron when they were put into the furnace. Men may refine brats and iron long enough, before they will be good flyer. I fay then, mortification is not the prefent bafinefs of unregenerate men. God calls them not to it as yet, converfron is their work. The conterfion of the whole foul, not the mortification of this or that particular loft You would laugh at a man . shat you Ihould fee letting upa great fabriclt, ma never take any care for a foundation; efpecially-if you Should fee him fo foolifh, as that having a thoufand experiences, that what he built one day fell down another, he would yet continue in the fame courfe. So it is with convinced perfons; though they plainly fee, that what ground they get againft fin one day, they lofe another, yet they will go on in the fame-road Rill, without enquiring where the defru&ive flaw in their progrefs lies. When the Yews upon the convftion of their fin were cut to the heart, Atis ii. 37. andcried out whatfiallwe do? What doth feter ditch them to? does he bid them go and mortify their pride, wrath, malice, cruelty, and the like I No, he knew that was not theft prefent work, but he calls them to converfon and faith in Chrift in general, 0.38. Let the foul be fled throughly converted, and then looking on him whom they had pierce Humiliation and mortificationwill enfue. Thus whenYehn came to .preach repent- ance and converfion, he faid, The ax is now laid to the root of the tree, Mat. id. ro. The pharifees had been laying heavy burthens, impofing tedious duties, and rigid means ofmortification in failings, wafhings, and the like ;all in vain : lays john, the dofirine of converfon is for you, the ax in my hard is laid to the root. And our Saviour tells us, what is to be done in this cafe ; fays he, Do men gathergrapes front thorns? Matt. vi. 16. bit fuppofe a thorn be well pruned, and cut, and have pains taken with him? Yea but he will never bear figs, v. 17. IS. it cannot be butevery tree will bring forth fruit according to its own kind. What is then tobe done, he tells us, Matt. aft. 33: Make the tree good, and his fruit will be-good : the root mull be dealt with, the nature of the tree changed, or no good fruit will be brought forth. This is that I aim at ; unlefs a man be regenerate, unlefs he be a believer, all at- tempts thathe can make for mortification, be they never fo fpecious and promifing, all means he can rife, let him follow them with never fo much diligence, earnefinets, watchfulnefs and intention of mind and fpirit, are to no purpofe : In vain (hall he ofe many remedies, he (hall not be healed. Yea, there are lundry defperate evils at- tending an endeavour in convinced petfons, that are no more but fo, to perform this duty. [1.) The mind and foul is taken up about that which is not the man's proper bufinefs, and fo he is diverted from that which is fo. God lays hold by his word and judgments on tome fin in him, galls his confcience, difquiets his heart, de- deprives him of his ref ; now other diverfions will not ferve his turn; hemutt apply "himfelf to the workbefore him. Thebufinefs in hand being to awake the whole man unto a confederationof the flete and condition whereinhe is, that hemight be brought home to God; infead hereof, he letshimfelf to mortify the fin that galls him, which is
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