Polhill - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .P7 1675

etÍÛUo j aftt,. 279 walk, mortifie in the fpirit : If ye through the fpirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye fhall live, Rom. 8. 13. He faith, through the Spirit, becaufe there is no other way of mortifying Sin ; he that goes about this work in his own Power is but in a dream,he knows nothing of the life of Faith ; as appears by that Antithefis which the Prophet makes between the Soul lifted up, and the life of Faith, Hab. 2.4. Such an one bolds not the head 7efiu Chrilt, no more than the warfhippers of Angels fpoken of, Col.2. 18, 19. Whatever he may do theoretically,he loth it not prad ically ; whilef his flefhly mind prefumes,that he can move about fuch a work, though the Head in Heaven fir not, his Mor- tification mutt needs be weak and powerlefs ; becaufe without Chrift the wifdom and power of God, he goes out againft his lulls, as Samfon did againft the Philiftines,with his hair off; or, as the Ifraelites did against the Canaanites when the Lord was not among them, Numb. 14. 32, inftead of fuccefs he meets with that curfe and blaf, which lights upon all Chriftlefs perfons and aLtions : The moll charitable Prayer that can be made for him is that of the Pfalmif, Fili their faces with jhame, that they may feek thy name, 0 Lord, Pfal. 83. 16. St. Auftin long flruggled in his own ftrength againft his Cor- ruptions, and all in vain ; ät !aft a voice told him, In to ftas & non (tar : Thou falleft, 0 Au- fin, by ftanding in thy felf. True Faith goes about this work in the Power and Spirit of Chrift ; as under the Old Teftament, when T Faith

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