THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE OF MORTIFICATION. Wherein is discovered the matter, manner, and means thereof, together with the blessed event that comes by it. Necessary for every Christian to know and practise, that will live comfortably, and die peaceably. By Thomas Wolfall, Master of Arts, and Preacher of the word of God. LONDON, Printed by T.C. for John Sweeting, and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head alley, at the sign of the Angel, the entering out of Cornhill, 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN Earl of Bridgewater, Viscount Brackly, Baron Elesmere, Lord Precedent of Wales, and one of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, his noble Patron. Right honourable, HAving upon slow deliberation resolved to publish these Meditations, being, animated thereunto by some of my good friends, wh● are both able and judicious: my next resolution came more readily to present them unto your honour, not for the worth of the matter, but as willing to discharge my duty and service; Quod solum nostra opis ●st gratias ager uti apud Douns s●eri amat, copiosius sentiende. quam loquen de Auson. ad Imperator 'em 1 Cor. 2.4. Col. 2.4. for as my first call to a Pastoral charge was by your honours liberal and unspotted bounty: so I here present these the first fruits of my labours (of this kind) to your honour, as the testimony of my thankful mind; humbly desiring to shroud them under your honour's shadow; which albeit they come in a plain and homely dress (m●o more) not in wisdom of words to please the curious care, but by plain demonstration from the holy Scripture, to work upon the honest heart, neither was it my intention in penning and publishing of this discourse, Non tonantia & poetica verba proferimus, non aliqua Grammaticorum ante composita; nec eloquentia seculari, diserto sermone fucata; Sed Christum crucisixum praedicamus. Aug. de accident. ad gratiam. Ser. 1.2 Cor. 10.4 Heb, 4.12. to satisfy men, vain phantafies but the consciences: yet notwithstanding, I trust they will be the more acceptable unto your honour. A soldier that intends to kill his enemy, doth not do it with a flourish, or flat blows; but by striking home, even to the fetching of blood. I hope I may be then excused if I take the same course; it is not paper pellets, that will beat down strong holds, nor wooden swords, that will wound to the heart. Wherefore I have endeavoured to lay the Axe to the root of the Tree, and to discover that kind of war and weapons will be needful for the work. To which end I shall humbly crave leave that I may give your honour, in a few wo●ds, the sum of the whole. 1. Here is a discovery of the enemy which is latent in us, sicut Anguis in herba, as a Snake in the grass, potent against us, building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong holds against us: lastly, subtle and politic, and so doth beset us round, and hinders the entrance of the good motions of the holy Ghost, Heb. 12.1. Sordes peccati & spiritus sanctus in uno domic●lio non mor abuntur: the filth of sin and the holy Ghost will not dwell together in the same habitation. 2. The combat is set down in those words, mortify, etc. Ber. Ser. in Pentecost. Hic jac●t Similis, cujus atas multorum annorum fuit septem autem duntaxat annis vixit Dion. in Hadriano. For the place of this combat, it is the Church; when as once we become the sons of God, then also do we become soldiers of Christ; and for the time of it, it is in and after regeneration, and not before, though our lives may be long, yet our spiritual life in grace may be but short, as it was said of Similis, whose years were many, yet lived but seven of them. 3. For our assistance we have the spirit of Christ to arm us with that whole armour of God that we may be able to stand in the evil day; and withal to put courage and animosity into us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps. 7.8.9. Psal. 84.7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. that we faint not like those Ephramits, that went our and carried bows, yet turned again in the day of battle; sine animis nil arma. 4. The reward is propounded and promised, ye shall live: our fight is here, our crown hereafter; quis sanctorum sine certamine coronatur, Hier. Ep. 22. To conclude, therefore that we may not be deceived, behold the enemy discovered, the flesh with the deeds of it; that we may not pleasantly dream of ease, and security, behold a sad combat, gravis lucta non contra hostes sed hospites. Ber. Not against enemies, but home born seeming friends; that we may not fear, nor faint in our minds; behold the spirit of grace helping our infirmities. And lastly, that no man may think it in vain to serve God; behold, the reward: we shall pass from a battle to a banquet, from a combat to a crown; we have the life of grace here, and the life of glory hereafter. Wherefore, seeing that this kind of death is the end of so much misery, and beginning of so great happiness, which is the main drift of this discourse; I hope at your honour's best leisure, it may do you some service, though not to inform you of what you know not, yet to mind you of what you know, so that the good work begun in you may come to perfection in God's best time. Thus prayeth your honours devoted in all service, Tho. Wolfall. To the Christian Reader, grace and peace. THIS discourse being delivered in certain Sermons to a private Congregation in the City of London; the notes whereof falling into the hands of divers of my loving friends; by whose motion I was encouraged to commend them to a more public view, as a discourse not unsuitable for these times, and a good means (through God's blessing) to appease and assuage those inward boilings of envy, hatred and other exorbitant lusts in the hearts of men: Those scandalous & scurrilous speeches, that issue of their months, and also those fell and fierce dissensions that break out in men's lives; not only to unnecessary suits in Law, but also to unjust quarrels, and duels; even to the indangerment of the loss of soul and body, Vitium quod parvulum habitum concupiscere facit ad ultimum etiam concupiscentem reddit. Pet. Lum 2. lib. 2. dist. 30. all which are nothing else but the fruit of unmortified lusts. Jam. 4.1. These as they are born and brought up with us, so often like the sons of Zerviah, they become too strong for us. Is it dangerous living among Lions, and is it not dangerous living among lusts; every one of them seeking fiercely to war against the soul? There be three things that men do greatly desire, equity, liberty, and peace: now so long as sin lives, and lust doth lord it over the soul; there is no justice to be expected: such as the tree is, such will be the fruit; and if the Bramble rule, it will burn up the Cedars of Lebanon; Jud. 9.9. nor can we expect liberty, for the Law that is in our members will lead us away captive; the liberty that is given to the flesh, doth but bring the spirit into bondage; and what peace can we expect, where there is no peace with God? If then (Christian) thou wouldst have justice, then do justice, and kill sin before it kill thee; if thou wouldst have liberty, then let not sin reign, for therein doth the great strength of it lie; Samson was easily taken when his locks were shorn: so thou mayest easily subdue sin when the regiment of it is taken down; if thou wouldst enjoy that peace of God which passeth all understanding, then make no provision for the flesh, but mortify it by the help of the spirit, Rom. 13.13. and thou shalt have peace internal here and eternal hereafter. Now for as much as this discourse is to help thee therein, I do therefore hearty commend it unto thee. I have avoyled prolixity, lest I should tire the Reader, and too much brevity lest I should wrong the matter, I have the rather fallen on this subject, because I find few that have done it; and because I have found some such spirits as have laboured to cry it down, as altogether unnecessary after conversion. If there be any such into whose hands this Treatise shall fall, let me so fare prevail with them as not prejudge what they do not mean to read lest they be numbered among those fools that speak evil of what they know not. To conclude (Christian) thou hast my labours, thou hast my prayers, when thou dost approach the throne of grace let me have thine. Thomas Wolfall. THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE OF MORTIFICATION, ROM. 8.13. But if ye through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live. Chap. 1. An Introduction to the Text with the coherence of the foregoing part of the Chapter. THe common tidings that hath sounded in our ears from the Churches abroad, for divers years together, hath been upon the point nothing but wars, and rumours of wars, of leading into captivity, of garments roled in blood; insomuch as that country in which was plenty of corn and wine, as the garden of Eden, is now as a land forsaken, or as a desolate wilderness; nay a very Aceldama, or field of blood: And howsoever we of this Nation have but heard of this, amongst us, no leading into captivity, no complaining in our streets; Yet the sword of the Lord hath been drown against us, and hath slain thousands, & ten thousands in our streets. James 4.1. Now the general cause both of those lamentable desolations abroad, & the hand of God at home, is chief this; that we go not to war with ourselves, we do not slay those lusts of ours that fight in our members: for if ye walk after the flesh, ye shall die, not only a death of the body, but the second death, the soul shall suffer eternal torment; But if ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, than ye shall live eternally. To make way unto the matter in hand, our Apostle layeth down certain differences between such as walk after the flesh, and others that walk after the spirit. 1 In respect of the object that they aim at, the one minds the things of the flesh, the other the things that are above; such as a man is, such is his mind; a carnal man, and a carnal mind: the wisdom that is not from above, is earthly, sensual, and devilish; James 3.15. but that which is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, Vers. 17. full of mercy and of good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 2 They differ in their ends; for the end of the one is life, the end of the other is death; Every man must eat of the fruit of his own way, Prov. 1.31. and be filled with his own devises. 3 They differ in their affections, so as they that are at enmity with the Law of God, Vers. 7.8. their fleshly minds are not subject unto it, neither can they be, and being they are not, they cannot please God. Whereas on the other side, they that are of the spirit, Christ dwells with them, and takes up his habitation in their hearts, sups with them, and they with him: Happy and thrice happy that house which hath him for an inhabitant, for this possession of Christ doth imply the dispossession of sin, Vers. 10. For if Christ be in you the body is dead, but of sin, as Dagon could not stand with the Ark, so no more can sin and Christ inhabit together. We cannot serve these two Masters. Again, as it puts sin to death, so he quickens us, Vers. 11. that same spirit that raised Christ shall quicken us; wherein he shows that the work of our regeneration is great, even as great as that of the resurrection, the one being the internal renovation of the soul, the other the external restauration of the body to its reunion with the soul; Hence our Apostle draws an effectual inference to persuade men to withstand the enticements of the flesh, from this, that there is no service of due that doth belong to it, we are not debtors to it, that we should follow it. Nay if you walk after the flesh ye shall die, but if ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, than ye shall live. Behold as Moses said: Deut. 30.19. I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day, that I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life that you and your seed may live. So I here set before you both these, and yet my desire is the same that Moses his was, that you would choose life, that your souls might live, which undoubtedly you may do if ye follow Saint Paul's direction here, If ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit. Here you may observe, 1 A description of our natural corruption, it is called the deeds or practices of the body. 2 Here is our duty what we should do against it, namely, to contend against it, and to mortify and slay it. 3 The means whereby it must be done, by the spirit. 4 The reward is that promised, Ye shall live: which is a large promise, seeing it contains in it all the happiness that we are capable of, called a crown of life for the greatness, and everlasting life for the continuance. Chap. 2. Of the means how to find out our natural condition by a threefold inquiry. TO begin with the first, the description of our natural corruption, viz. It is called the deeds of the body, as it is with men that go to war, the first thing that they do, is to endeavour to find out the enemy: so it must be in this spiritual warfare, we must first endeavour to find out this our spiritual and mortal enemy, who he is: and secondly, where he lurks; and thirdly, how he seeks to fortify himself. 1 Who this enemy is. 1 Who this enemy is; it must be he that contends against the spirit, and labours to withstand all the good motions of it, which is called all along in the former part of the chapter the flesh, and here in this place the body: now the body is sometimes taken Physically for the substance of the body consisting of flesh and blood; or else morally and in a metaphor for sin and vice compared to a body; and so I conceive it must be taken here; for conceive of the body as it is merely natural, and so it is good, and those effects that do issue from it must needs be good: again the body in the production of her actions is but the handmaid to the soul; and the soul is as the great wheel of the clock, Corpus mortis est cuncta peccata: multa enim unum corpus sunt, singula quasi membra uno authore inventa Ambros. vid. locum. Infelix est homo hospitem secum habens peccatum perquod ad illum aditum habet Satanas. Gloss. that moves all the inferior wheels by her motion: now the denomination in propriety of speech comes from the better part; therefore it must be taken here for that natural corruption, that doth abide in the body and soul. So S. Ambrose on Rom. 7.24. he calls it there, that mass of corruption that is inherent in us, is all our sin, as it were making up that body of sin, that as a body consisting of many members, do but make up one entire body; so sin, though it spread itself into every part of our bodies to make them members of sin, & into every faculty of the soul to make them weapons of unrighteousness, yet still it is but one. Take notice, Use 1 how that sin it makes a man a deformed and a vile creature, that while he carries about him a body having in it natural life; he carries another body that hath in it the symptoms of death, nay and that will draw the other to the same condition with itself; nay if one should tell you of a monster that had something in it like a beast, something like a serpent, nay and something like a devil. This monstrous birth of sin doth contain all that in it, if not more: are not men like the cruelest beast the Lion; like the most poisonous creature the serpent, nay children of Satan. john 4.44. O that we could see ourselves as we are; we would be ready to fly from ourselves, as Moses did from his rod, when it became a serpent, Exodus 3.4. and to abhor ourselves in dust and ashes. 2 Where he lodgeth. 2 If you inquire where this enemy is, you will hardly believe that he is so near you, nor near so favoured of you as indeed he is, that such a desperate enemy as this is should lodge in your houses, feed at your tables, and lie in your bosoms, is not so strange as true, nor more true than lamentable. Men in this case are like David, who did not stick to condemn the injustice and cruelty of the man in nathan's parable, 2 Sam. 12. that took the Lamb from his poor neighbour when he had no need, having sufficient, or rather superfluity of his own; but alas the good man little thought that all this had been done by himself; even so it is with us, when we hear from the Word, that there is such a thing as a body of death, a heart that is desperately wicked, Rom. 7.24 Jer. 19 9 and a law of the members that leads men captive to sin: it is easily granted by them that so it is, but yet will they be loath to yield, Dolus latet in universalibus. or to have such a thought in themselves, that they are the men: and hence it is that we are like unto sick men that complain of their bed, when the cause is in their bones, and of the sharpness of their physic, when the fault is in themselves; so it is with men in case of sin, when it lies on the consciences of men, and makes them restless, they complain of the condition as too hard and heavy, and of the Word, which is the physic for the soul, as too sharp and bitter, when as they look not into the cause which is this body of death that lies in our own bosoms: and as we see not our sins, so neither do we see the danger that we are in; but as it was with Balaam, Numb. though the Angel was before him with his drawn sword, yet he saw him not, but falls out with the poor Ass, as if all the fault had been in the harmless beast; whereas had not the Ass stood still Balaam had been slain, and all this came from his covetous heart, which he would take no notice of; So men are ready in case that sin be charged on them, and even the danger ready to approach, yet do not see it, but are ready to quarrel with such as labour to keep them from it, but howsoever men labour to put their sins one to another, as we toss a Ball, and bandy it from one to another, and every man from him, yet let him know, that they go but herein about a vain shadow, and disquiet themselves in vain; It would be much better to take David's counsel, Psal. 4.4. stand in awe and sin not, common with your own bearts in your bed and be still: or as some will have it, and bleed, and that in deed should be our care, that when we have found this enemy which is the disturber of our peace, we should enter in our chambers and bewail our misery, if it were possible, even with tears of blood. 3. The means how lust doth fortify itself. Lastly, how he seeks to fortify himself, and to this end observe, that the flesh and this corruption is such an enemy as is never out of action; thence it is that God complains, My people have chosen two evils, they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that will hold no water; So that in this sin of man there is a turning from God the chiefest good, as the fountain of all their happiness, which is as a living spring that never fails; God all-sufficient who gives grace and glory and every good thing; Psal. 84.11. jer. 9.27. Now we first turn our backs on God and not our faces to him, and then fall to these empty and broken vessels, Cisterns they are, but Cisterns that hold no great matter; Dulc●ores a fonte bibuntur aquae. nay, broken Cisterns that will not hold any thing at all; so as there is neither solidity nor certainty in the comfort that they give, not solid and sweet, because they are from the Cistern, and smell of the cask: Surely man disquieteth himself about a vain shadow, Psal. 39.6. were it not a folly, or rather a madness in a man that should come into an orchard, upon the trees whereof did hang much fruit, sweet and pleasant, yet should leave them, and seek to disquiet himself to gather up the shadow: The Philosopher calls a man Arbor transversa, Luke 10. a tree turned upside down; but by sin it is, that a man is homo transversus, a man that's quite altered, and goes downward like the young man from Jerusalem to jerico, spoliatur, vulneratur, redivivus relinquitur, spoilt of his good, wounded, and left half dead; So it is here, we in our departure from God to meet this enemy that spoils us of all those ornaments we had, and we are wounded with the guilt, and the stains of sin, and left in such a lamentable condition, as did not that good Samaritan come, our Lord Jesus Christ, and power in the oil of his own grace, and the wine of his dearest blood, we should perish everlastingly. CAP. III. Of activity of lust proved by two particulars. THat sin is thus practical and full of action will appear if you consider two things. 1. By the fruitfulness of sin which doth appear. 1. The fruitfulness, and the plentiful increase that it doth bring forth. 2. And then the power and vivacity that there is in sin, both which will set out, that the enemy against whom we do contend, is an active and stirring enemy. 1. For the first, sin, Jam. 1.15. By its expedition in the production of sin. it brings forth with much speed and celerity, Lust when it hath conceived it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is perfected bringeth forth death. Even as when you cast a stone into a pond, that begets a circle, and that begets a greater, and so they multiply until they be many, and that on a sudden. So is it in case of sin, one sin begets another speedily, and the reason is, because it is the nature of the worst kind of fruit to spring the fastest; you need not blow for weeds, nor sow cockle nor hemlock in the furrows of your field, they will grow of themselves: So is it with the ill weeds of sin, they come up of their own accord; nay, though we labour to weed out these corruptions, yet will they sprout and grow again; If you ask me why that grace comes on so slowly, and sin with such speed, I answer as the Egyptian Midwives did unto Pharaoh when he asked them why they slew not the male children, they answered, because they are not as the Egyptian women, Exod. 1.19. but lively, and are speedily delivered. So it is in this case, grace at the first is weak, compared to a grain of Mustardseed, and falls into a barren soil, our corrupt hearts, and there it is that it comes up so slowly; but sin, that is strong, and is in a soil that it likes, and therefore comes up with more celerity. 2. In the increase of sin. 2. Sin is fruitful in that it increaseth, sin, though it be little at the first, yet grows apace; a man that begins with smaller sins, those make way for greater, as it is said of the sin of Sodom, Gen. 18 20. it was very great, and the cry was multiplied; that is, as the sin increased, so the cry came; grievous sins do make a great cry: Hazael was afraid to hear of that wickedness, which after he was not ashamed to commit; sin is like that cloud which Eliah saw, which was at first no broader than a man's hand, yet it spread, and spread till it covered the whole heavens; So it is when men first begin to fall to some little, do they know how they shall be carried before that they will return again: Amos 5.1 Israel is called the Virgin Israel but behold afterward her gr●at transgression and her mighty sins made the prudent to keep silence, 13.16. and brought such a storm and inundation of wrath upon them, that a wailing should be in all streets and Vine-yards, the day of the Lord should be a day of darkness, etc. When we speak of the works of the flesh, Gal. 5.19. we may say as Leah said when Gad was born; behold, a troop cometh, as Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, etc. seventeen in number, and the reason of this multiplication of sin is in respect of the multiplicity of objects each of them being a bait to entice us unto sinew, and withal, the multiplicity of occasions, that are as bridges to lead unto evil; that we had need every day to pray, Lord lead us not into temptation: and the greatest temptation that can befall a man, is the temptation of his own heart, for every man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own concupiscence and is enticed. 3. In the constancy of it. 3. Lastly, sin is fruitful in respect of the continuance and lastingness thereof. God complains of the thoughts and imaginations of man's heart, they are evil, and only evil, and that continually, contrary to all other breeders, who though they have been fruitful, yet nature decays, and time makes them barren; but now sin, as it is said, vires acquirit eundo, it gathers strength by its motion; So it is here in sin, it holds on and goes on; and that as Saint Paul speaks of ill men and seducers, 2. Tim. 3.13. that they grow worse and worse, and as the Prophet complains, How long shall evil thoughts lodge in you, Jer. 4.14. he doth not say that evil thoughts may not be in you, but they should not lodge, the word is pernoctare to lodge all night, that is as if he should say, though you sin, beware you continue not in it, though you be angry, let not the Sun go down upon your wrath▪ to fall into sin, is as if a man should fall into a deep pit; and to continue in it, is as if a man should role a great stone upon it, for by falling into sin he falls into the snare of the Devil, and by continuance it entangles himself more and more, as a wild Bull in a net, who the more he rageth the faster he is entangled: Esa. 51.20. And thence it is that custom in sin is as hard to be left, as to wash an Ethiopian white, or for a Leopard to change his skin. CAP. IU. Of the power and authority that unmortified lusts doth put forth in us. THe second demonstration whereby it may appear that this enemy against whom we do contend is thus active will appear from the power and authority that sin hath, as they answered jehu when he bade them fight for their Master's sons; 2. King. 10.4. Two Kings (say they) stood not before him: So may I say of sin (and I would it were not too true) that two of the worthiest Kings that ever reigned in the world, both for piety and wisdom, were foiled by this enemy, namely David and Solomon; And if they did not stand before it, how careful should we be that we be not entangled with it. The power of a King. Rom. 5.21 It hath the power of a King, sin is said to reign unto death, as it was when the Israelites desired a King, Samuel told him what an one he would be, and what he would do; He will take saith he (meaning that wicked King Saul) your sons for his service, 1. Sam. 8.10. and your daughters to be his handmaids, nay the best of your Vine-yards, and Olive-yards for his servants, etc. So it is with sin when as it reigns, it will bring all to his service: This Tyrant sin will take the choicest wits, and make them plot for him, and will make them wiser in their generation then the children of light; Inimicus noster modo rex modo Tyran nus Sen. Ep. 96. he will take the choicest of your strength, even your young and flourishing days, and set you into his work to dress his Vineyard, and to reap his harvest, as he did with Absolom, Manasses, and the prodigal son, nay he will take every faculty of your souls, and engage them in the common quarrel against Christ, Rom. 6.13 and every member of the body, and make them weapons of unrighteousness to serve sin, and indeed the very reason why sin is such a fearful and dreadful enemy, is because it makes itself a King; for suppose we sin to be dethroned, and put from his dignity, and behold you shall find him like Samson, Judg. 16.19. without his locks, as another man; but as long as sin reigneth, though it be, but as the bramble, Judg. 9.15 Eadem libido dominatur, nec Regum purpuras times, nec mendicatium centonem spernit. Herr. Ep. 9. 2. Of the Law. Rom. 7.23 yet will it be strong enough to set fire on the goodliest Cedars of the Forest, as you may see in jothams' parable, nay it fears no more to enter in the Palaces of Princes than it doth to assault the beggar's Cottage. 2. As sin is a King, so he rules by his laws, I find a Law in my members leading me captive unto sin; this Law, it stands in opposition to the law of God; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. that is, that it fights against it: now a Law is properly nothing but a rule whereby we are to work; so it is with sin, it hath a rule whereby it goes, and that whereby they frame and direct all their actions; Now because they that have a mind to live in sin, and withal find that conscience doth condemn that course wherein they walk; hereupon they frame unto themselves another Law, which may be as the City of refuge against conscience, who like a revenger of blood, hunts after the malefactor. 1. Lust would abolish God's law. 1. They lay down this as a principle, that the Law of God is too heavy a burden, it is too hard a taskmaster, and therefore as jeroboam pretended unto the people of Israel, that it was too fare for them to go up to jerusalem, therefore made them calves at Dan and Bethel; so carnal reason saith, that the Law of God, it is too fare a journey, full of difficulty and danger: it is like Rheoboams yoke that was intolerable; Thus the wicked heart of man labours to bring an ill report upon the pure Law of God, and hence it is; that our Antinomists, and Libertines labour to overthrow the Law of God; that which Christ came to establish, these men endeavour to abolish; Rom. 3.31 2 Tim. 3.6 such a generation of men there hath been, as creep into houses and lead away silly women laden with lusts, that is, by putting them into a form of Godliness, telling them that Christ having taken away the guilt and punishment of sin, there is nothing to do for them, no need to make the Law as a Rule, or to mortify their corruptions: flat contrary to the Apostle, that such as are in Christ do mortify the flesh, Gal. 5.24. with the affections & lusts: But let such take heed as do endeavour to bring an ill report on this good Law of God, that the Lord say not as he did against those that brought an ill report of the good land, Psal. 95.11 unto whom he swore in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest. 2. Lust frameth a new rule. 2. Seeing that this Law will not serve their turns they frame another of their own, that will be subservient for the accomplishment of their ends, they are compared to such as kindle a fire and compass about the sparks, walk (saith God) in the light of your fires, Esa. 50.11 and in the sparks that you have kindled, this shall you have of mine hand, you shall lie down in sorrow; to kindle this fire is to hatch and forge some new rule as a light to walk by; and to compass it with sparks, is as it were to blow it up with carnal and fleshly arguments, and then to walk in the light of it, is to labour, to carry, and enforce all their actions according unto that rule, and hence it is that there are so many sects, and so many ways that men walk in; It is because they are not contented with that fire that burns on God's Altar; the pure light of the word, but like Nadab and Abibu, they kindle strange fire of their own, but this shall they have at God's hand, their light shall be turned into darkness, and their sparks into ashes, and lastly their joy shall turn into sorrow. For as the Ark and Dagon could not stand together: so no more will these stand long, because they are like building laid on a sandy foundation, or as grass on the house top. 3. It colours all with fair pretences 3. That the mind may be the better persuaded to go along according to this rule, the flesh labours to colour all over, and to set a fair gloss on a foul cause; and if you mark it, there is no sin so vile but men will find out some colour and some excuse, either to make it no sin, or else to make it venial, and so little, that it may lodge in his heart with as much safery as Lot did in Zoar, we want not examples of both these. For the former you see, Saul is charged by Samuel to have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord; No saith Saul I have obeyed the Commandment of the Lord; but then saith Samuel, what meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep, and lowing of the Oxen in mine care. So may we say, when men would excuse themselves from sin, and say, we have good hearts to God, we may ask them what means their swearing and their drinking, and their profane and unchaste speeches? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Some again will confess the fact, but excuse it, either they were ignorant, and knew it not; whereas our ignorance is a sin, and when we add sin to it, we make the sin double; Or they did sin, but it was with no ill intent, and therefore it was but an infirmity; I confess the more evil there is in the intention, the more wicked is the action; but I do not see how there can be an evil action without an ill intention, for if the tree were good, than the fruit would be good, and therefore let me tell you, that to excuse your sin is all one as to cover your sin, Prov. 28.13. and you know that he that hideth his sin shall not prosper. CAP. V Arguments to prove sin active. NOw it remains that we give some arguments whence it comes to pass that this enemy is so active. 1. Stoutness. 1. The first is taken from that stoutness and stubborness that is in it, Rom. 8.7. such a height of pride is in it, that it is not nor cannot be subject unto the Law of God, nay it is not afraid to contest against the holy Ghost, Acts. 7.51. and to say unto the Almighty, depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Law, what is the Almighty, that we should serve him, Job. 21.14.15. etc. And hence it is that Saint Gregory in his moral makes it regina peccatorum & vitiorum, for whereas all other sins fly away and labour to bide themselves from God as Adam did amongst the trees of the garden; and as Saul among the stuff, but only this stoutness of spirit is that which labours to rebel against God, nay and to exalt itself above God, and all that is called God; the Lord would have his will to be done, 2. Thes. 2.4. Vult Deus fierl voluntatem suam superbus vult sieri suam. Ber. Ser. 4. vig. nat. Psal. 2.3. 1 King. 12.25. melius posset resistere regno Juda, & ipsum infestare aedificavit sortalicia. but the proud heart will do his own, as they said. Let us break their bonds in sunder, and cast their cords from us. Now all this resistance cannot be done without much action and motion. We read that when jeroboam revolted with the ten Tribes from the house of David, he built Sichem and Penuel two strong holds to defend himself and his Kingdom from the inroads which might be made by his enemies; So it is in this case, that when a man gins to revolt from God, then he considers how he may fortify himself against him; and this is done by our high thoughts that labour to build to themselves strong holds; 2 Cor. 10.4. So as God's word (if it may be) shall not come near, Judg. 1.19. but they will repel the force of it; As it was said, the Lord was with the Tribe of juda, and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, for they had chariots of Iron: So a Minister of God, and with whom the Lord is pleased to do great things; yet some men have so fortified themselves with such stiff necks, and such brazen foreheads, that you may as soon fill the skin of Leviathan with barbed irons, Job. 41.7. and his head with fish spears (which joh made a thing wondrous difficult, if not impossible) as to make any entrance upon him, or to convert him unto God. 2 Experiments of it. 2 That sin is so active may appear in respect of the many battles it hath fought, and the many victories it hath obtained; some it hath foiled; as it began with David on the top of his Tower, and there it drew him to lust: and lust drew him to adultery; and his adultery drew him to murder; and it left him not there, but made him to cover it with a fair pretence, that the sword doth devour one as well as another; and in this case men are like Rachel, that first stole away her father's Idols, and after wards, when they were sought for, sat on them. So is it here, first to sin, and then to hid it; and thus it foiled Peter, it found him first in the High Priests hall, there he sinned against knowledge, in denying he knew Christ, and against equity, in that he denied that he was any of his Disciples, yea & against that promise that he had made, that though all men would forsake him, yet will not I. Whereas he was the first: And as it hath soiled many of God's dear servants, Judg. 4.21. so hath it conquered and quite overthrown others, Judg. 4.21. and fastened them to the ground as jael did Sisera, that they never risen again: thus it did with judas, the hope of gain made him that he betrayed his Master, and then went and hanged himself; thus it was with the Angels that fell: that they fell so wittingly, and so desperately, as there was no place found for repentance, as there was for man after his fall. Now as it is with a man that hath fought many battles, and that hath obtained many victories, sure no man will deny him to be active, so it is in this case, sin having given so many foils, & having gained so many victories, who can say but sin is full of action, and restless till it have accomplished its ends. 3 The force and help it hath, 3 We cannot marvel, though sin be active, seeing that Satan helps it forward, in some he plays the Rex, and rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience; Ephes. 2.2. and note this, where men are sons of disobedience, there are they also servants unto the Prince of darkness, 1 Pet. 5.8. they come at his call, and go at his command: nay he makes them as like himself as may be; the devil is fierce and cruel, thence he is called a roaring lion, and are not his servants so? No Bear more savage, no Tiger more fierce, no Lion more cruel than they are: It is better saith one, to be a beast, than compared to a beast, for a beast is good in his nature, but a man that is like a beast, he degenerates from that nature that should be in him. How doth Pharaoh cause the male children to float on the river? How doth Manasses cause Jerusalem to swim in blood? And what a monster was Herod that slew all those innocent babes from two years old and under? Inu. Sat. 8 Nay how like was Nero to him that caused Christians to be put into coats laid over with pitch and brimstone, Hino ausi quod liceat. tunica punire molesta Juv. Sat. 8. Host is callidus ta●da ad mortem supplicia conquirens animas cuprebat jugulare non corpora. and to burn all night, to the end they might show light to those that passed by, The devil hates our natural life: so doth he make his servants, to seek to take away the precious life of men, as you have beard, nay he labours to take away our spiritual life, that is to destroy our souls; as when Christ had sown the good seed, Matt. 13 19 the enemy he comes and sows tares: he was a lying spirit in the mouths of all Ahabs Prophets, 1 King 2.23. so he seeks to fan us as chaff, and to hinder our faith: so do all his servants. How did Jannes and Jambres resist Moses to his face? 2 Tim. 3.8. Acts 13.8.9.10. And did not Elimas' seek to turn the Deputy from the faith, whom Paul not unfitly calls the Child of the Devil, and enemy of all righteousness; And for their activeness in all this, they are very industrious; As it was said of old of Pharises (of Jesuits now) that they did compass sea and land to make one Proselyte, Mat. 23.15. and when they had done made him twofold more the child of the devil than themselves: and no wonder though they move so fast, for they must needs go apace whom the devil drives. Chap. 6. Instructions arising from the former doctrine. 1 IF then sin be so active, this sets out whence it is, Whence me are restless in sin. that wicked men are so restless in sin, so as they are never at quiet, unless they be doing something or other that makes against God, and the good of his people: Ps. 37.12. David shows that the wicked plots against the righteous, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth, and draws his sword, and bends his bow, and all to slay such as are upright in heart, Ps. 78.12. yea he layeth snares, and seeks their hurt, and speaks mischievous things, and imagines deceit all the day long; Esa. 57 ul. hence it is that they are compared to the troubled sea, when it cannot rest; whose waters cast up mire and dirt; and indeed as long as this body of sin is unmortified in us, it will be as troublesome to us, as jonah was unto the ship which was tossed up and down on the waves till he was cast out; for howsoever that sin may sometime seem to lie quiet, and all in the man may seem to be at rest, yet alas it is neither a true, nor long peace, but as it is with him that hath an ague upon him, albeit when the sit is over he comes to his temper again, and you would think that all were well, and that his enemy had left him; but alas the next day the poor man is disquieted with it again, and possibly more than before: so it is in case of sin, that though it may be, that such a man that lives in sin, is now quiet, and neither doth discover his malice against God and goodness without, nor at present any appearance of a storm arising in his own conscience within; yet that unmortified body of death, that lodges within him will not rest till it bring both fear at home, and trouble abroad, for this is the policy of Satan to make the way fair unto us, until he have drawn us into sin, and then labours to pierce us through with many sorrower; and so it was with Saul; 1 Tim. 6.10. sometimes he was as calm and as well as another man, but when the evil spirit came upon him, than was he like a ●ad man: so it is with men that live in this case, while they are in their cold blood, and have no occasion offered they are quiet, but if once there come a fit occasion; and that be followed with a temptation, then are they as tinder to the spark, that presently kindles, and which begets a great flame, james 3.5. behold how great a matter this little fire (of sin) kindles. 2 Whence suddenly wicked. 3 This shows whence it is that men are so suddenly wicked: surely it must be from hence, because that sin is so active as it is▪ the activeness of sin makes a man impatient of delays; one being demanded why the earth was every where so fruitful of weeds, and yet so much ado to make fragrant, and pleasant flowers to grow, albeit it were with much cost and pains; answered, that the earth was the natural mother to the one, and stepmother to the other; it is so in this case, the earth of our hearts doth bring forth sin of itself, and hath the seed in itself; but for grace, alas it is a stepmother unto it, all that we can do is little enough to bring it to perfection; whereas this body of sin is marching on like jehu the son of Nimshi with much rage and malice, neither fearing God, nor reverencing man: when the old world began to corrupt their way, Gen. 6.4. they are said to have had to their children mighty men, and men of renown, or of name; and the reason, because they were mighty in wickedness, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had got themselves a name of infamy; the way of sin is down hill, and can hardly stay itself till it come to the bottom; little do men know how deep he may fall that is a falling into sin, if he fall not as Eutychus, that fell from such a height, that he was taken up dead, yet may he fall at Mephi●osheth did, and receive such hurt by it, that he may never claw it off all the dales of his life. 3 The rise of hypocrisy. Intus Nero, foris Cato totus amb guus, pars prima Leo: postrema Draco media ipsa chimaera: Hier. ep: 5. 3 That a man may be a notorious sinner, and yet have a show and colour of piety: so those that were proud, heady, high minded, etc. yet they had a form of godliness, a rule that they went by in show; within as base as Nero: without as austere as Cato; Such were the Pharisees that sought out wardly to justify themselves, but God knows your hearts saith our Saviour; Luk. 16.15. that is howsoever men could not, yet God both can and will: Hypocrisy is one of the fairest garments, that this body of sin can be covered withal, because that by this means the hypocrite is hidden both from others, and from himself; from others by this, it hath been that so many have showed unto men to have had the voice of jacob, and the hands were the hands of Esau, and have pretended great piety; when their intentions have been barbarous and most prodigiously impious; As Jezabel pretends a fast, 1 King: 21.9. and intends murder; and Absalon pretends the performance of a vow, 2 Sam. 15.8. yet intends treason, nay the worst of treasons against his own father: & those preachers of Philippi pretend to preach Christ, Phil: 5.15. but their intentions were malicious: but howsoever they think by this means to deceive others, 2 Tim: 3.13. yet in the issue they deceive themselves; for while they are a deceiving others they do indeed deceive themselves; and it were better openly to sin, Meli●s est aperte peccare quam santitatem simulare: Aug: than to dissemble sanctity, and be you sure, whosoever you are, that carry a heart, and a heart; a balance and a balance, that God will find you out, and shall smite every such whited wall; and as old Ahiah said to the wife of jeroboam, 1 Kings 146. when she came disguised, Come in (saith he) thou wife of jeroboam, why fainest thou the self to be another? I have heavy tidings to tell thee, so may I say unto such, that I have heavy tidings to tell them, that is this, Act. 8.23. that they are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity: and if there be any fire in that bottomless tophet hotter than another, it's prepared for the hypocrites, and therefore when God tells men of great punishments that the wicked shall have, he tells them that their punishment shall be with hypocrites; that is, making them a pattern of greas punishment to others. Mat: 24.41. Again, this body of sin it doth so work and cover itself, that it makes a man to mistake his own condition, as the young man did, when he said, Mat. 19.29. All these have I done from my youth, and yet poor soul, he knew not the deceitfulness of his own heart, that he was mistaken, & had a deceitful heart that would not submit to the will of Christ: and we read of Herod, that he did many things until it came to the leaving of his Herodias, he was content, but there he stuck. So it is with men, they are so well conceited of their conditions, as he that goes a jot beyond them, goes too fare, and he that comes not to their pitch is too profane, and that rule which they have taken up is the only rule; but to such I will say no more than our Apostle doth, Let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall, and that his foundation be not built on the sand. 4 Seeing that this body of sin is thus active, 4 How suspicious we should be of ourselves. it should make us suspicious of ourselves, and be very jealous over ourselves in all the actions that we do, seeing that there is one within us that hath a hand in them, that is our mortal enemy, Prov. 26.25. who albeit he may speak us fair; and make his voice gracious; yet as Solomon saith in another cas●, there are seven abominations in his heart; if a man have a servant in his house, that he neither can turn out, nor may trust; will he not then be suspicious of him, and often call him to account, Jer. 17.9. yet behold such is our own hearts, deceitful above all things, and who can know it, it hath such turn and wind, that unless we watch it narrowly, it will deceive us. Ask we our hearts this question, whither they went then at such a sermon, when the word was powerfully opened, it will answer as Gehezi did, Thy servant went not whither. Ask it again, whether it doth believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for life and eternal salvation, it will answer yea, he hath believed ever since he can remember, and never doubted in all his life. Ask him again, whether he be in such a condition as he may go to the Lords Table, he will answer again, go in peace: Thus like another treacherous judas, he will for his own ends betray his own Master; now I appeal unto your own hearts, whether this be so or no, whether you have not offered such strange fire unto God, and thought that such blind and lame services would serve your turn. Have you not cause here to be suspicious of your secret enemy, that lurks in your bosoms, that is so ready to deceive itself and you. When that King of Syria saw that his plots were still discovered, that his war did not prosper against the Kings of Israel, 2 King. 6.11. Will you not tell me (saith he) which of us is for the King of Isra●l? So it should be with you, that when your designs and good purposes are interrupted, you should enter into your chambers and common with your own hearts, and call up all your thoughts together, say to them, will none of you show me, which of you are for Sa●han. I find many good motions that are all stifled in the birth, & a law of the members that doth rebel against the law of the mind, and then complain of this enemy unto him that is able to help you, and say, O wretched man that I am, good Lord deliver me from this body of death. CAP. VII. Of the second principal thing, viz: the doctrine of Mortification, with certainc distinctions to clear it. NOw the second thing laid down in the text, is the duty that is commended unto us by our Apostle, namely that the deeds of the body are to be mortified, Joel. 2.13. this is no other than that of the Prophet, Rend your hearts, and not your garments, etc. now the renting of their garments, was but (in the best use of them) to put them in mind of the disposition of their hearts, and what serious thoughts God would have them be affected withal: They did use to rend garments either in case of some great evil of sin, or evil of punishment, in case of some great sin. 2 King. 18 So Hezekiah rend his clothes at the blasphemy of Rabsheke, Hest. 4.1. the foul mouthed enemy of God; and so in case of some eminent danger, so Mordecay rend his garment, out of trouble of heart for that great Massacre that was likely to befall the Jews: and may not the like misery sway with us, to make us rend our hearts, and mortify the deeds of the body, especially when we consider the greatness of our sins, both in respect of their number that they are many, and of their nature that they are foul, and make us loathsome in the sight of God, for their quantity they are as heavy as mountains of lead, Deut. 19.18. and for the quality they are roots that bear gall and wormwood. The like exhortation the Apostle gives, Non dicit Apostolus non sit, non habitet, hoc enim impossibile, sed non regnet peccatum, &c Greg. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. It is true that sin will remain in us, but it must not reign over us, for if grace reign in your hearts, than sin must not reign, grace will have no competitor. We read of Alexander the great, that he was never content till he had conquered all the world; so is it with grace, it is never at rest till it have conquered this little world, this body of sin, and put down every high thought that doth exalt itself against God. This exhortation is urged more plainly. Mortify therefore your members that are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections, etc. as before, sin is compared to a body, so here, particular sins are compared to so many members of that body, that as all the members do work together for the preservation of the whole, so doth every least conduct, and concur, to the preservation and continuation of this body of sin. For the more distinct handling of the point, consider, that mortification may be distinguished as something that is external and without us, Mortification is external. or else as something that is internal and is done within us: as it is external, so it is said to be a legal mortification, when as a man is dead in law, as a melefact or is said then to be a dead man when he is condemned; so sin is then said to be dead when it is forgiven, Rom. 8.3. and God is said to send his son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that is, that sin should be as certainly put to death, as it was certain that Christ had taken our nature on him, a great comfort it is to a distressed soul that doth cast itself upon the Lord Jesus Christ: though at first it do not apprehend the power of sin mortified, yet apprehending our plenteous redemption purchased by Christ he concludes, that sin shall certainly die, because Christ hath already condemned it and as David said, 1 Sam. 20.3. when jonathan did persuade him to the contrary, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death, so whatsoever conceit the soolish heart of man may have, that his lusts are so strong, as there is not possibility of subduing them, yet for as much as the matter is now in the hand of Christ, who hath past sentence on them, it is certain that there is but a step between them and death. Internal. Initial. 2. Internal mortification is either initial or renewed, initial mortification it is that first work of sanctification, whereby the force and vigour of sin is broken, and the body of sin hath received such a deadly wound as maketh it incurable, though a man in this case may go as the woman did from one Physician to another to have the issue of blood stayed, yet will it bleed still, there is no Balm from no Physician there: Jer. 3.22. now this initial mortification is either general or special. Initial. General. Luke 15.8 1. General, when there is a general blow given to every sin when we do as the woman when she had lost her money, did sweep the house, not only some, but every room of it, the whole house, thus shall we be sure not to leave any sin without the mark of death upon it, wash your hands ye sinners, James 4.8. and purify your hearts ye double minded; that is, that man that is truly mortified, is such as is all over mortified; that is, there is no actual sin, that sticks to his hands, nor any inward corruption that he doth allow of in his heart: The Pharisees were strict in the tradition of the washing their hands, but negligent of purging out the hypocrisy of their hearts; So likewise the curse that is annexed unto sin, and doth follow it as sure as the day doth the night, so sure will wrath follow sin. Had we not need then to be very much grieved for them, Matthew 15.2. and to mourn in secret until they be slain in us? Though Jobs afflictions were many and great, Job. 1.14. yet there is this remarkable, that there was one in every of these trials that escaped to come and tell him, so is it in this case with many that though there may seem to be a great mortification of sin, yet behold one or other doth make an escape, and comes and tells us that all is not mortified, such a man is wise and liberal, but yet he is proud, such a one is humble and courteous, but yet he is covetous, a third is devout and religious, and yet full of disordered passions, so that though men seek to colour over their sins with never so many fair pretences, yet if it be not so indeed, something will escape: as she said to Peter, Matth. 26.73. you are sure one of his Disciples, for thy speech bewrayeth thee, so something will discover them at one time or another, either pride, or their covetousness, or their passions; like a dead Fly spoils the whole box of precious ointment. 2. There is a special mortification of special sins, 2. Special that although for sins of ignorance, a general mortification will serve the turn and is acceptable to God, yet because that there is much deceit lieth in generals, we must descend to particulars, as David saith. I know mine iniquity, Psal. 51.3. and my sin in ever before me, is it not I that have sinned? 1. Cron. 21.17. Again, all sin is not of equal proportion, but some are weaker and some stronger, like the sons of Zerviah, and they are not unlike to that kind of evil spirit that is not cast out but by prayer and fasting; much ado there is to subdue them, there is some bosom sin that is so sweet and pleasant, as it is compared to our right hand, in respect of the profit of it, and to our right eye, in respect of the tenderness of it: now against this we must contend, for as long as such a special corruption lives in us, (like as Pharoahs' thin blasted ears of corn) it devoureth the fat ones, so will that sin eat up all your spiritual comforts, or as Saul said concerning David, as long as the son of Jesse lives, the Kingdom shall not be established to you (meaning Jonathan) so I say, as long as you do not contend against your special sins, the Kingdom of heaven will never be established unto you, therefore labour to find them out one by one, and having found them, pursue after them as the revenger of blood till you have slain them, that you have may come to carry tidings of the fall of the rest. 2. Renewed in case. 2. The next is renewed mortification, Daily incursions & fruits of sin. that is in case that we renew our sins, we must renew this work also, and this is either in regard of those daily infirmities that are the fruits of this body of sin that is in us: or else in case of a relapse or falling foully into some great sin which doth waste the conscience, and therefore when we have given unto sin some deadly blow, we must not then think that the work is done, for it is with us, as it is when a Ship springs a leak, though they pump up the water, yet will it fill again; so is it with us, there is such a corrupt fountain as will still be troubling of us, the same reason that may move us to say, give us this day our daily bread; may also prevail with us, to say, forgive us this day our daily sins; it should be our care every day to consider our ways, and to examine our hearts, and not suffer our temples to take their rest, nor the eyes in our heads until such time as we have caused our daily sins to sleep the long sleep of death: believe it, if we would do this we should sleep more quietly, live more peaceably, and die more comfortably, this is that same wherein we may rejoice, for by our rejoicing that we have in Christ, 1 Cor. 15.31. we die daily; Now to mortify sin every day is more easy, because it doth not get that strength that it doth if it be let alone, the fire is quenched best when it is but a spark; and a bank of the Sea is easily repaired at the first: so is it in case of sin before this spark of sin ever set on fire the whole frame of nature, and before this Ocean of lusts have made such a large breach in our conscience, as that, which would have been but the work of a few hours, becomes the work of many months. 2 In case of a relapse. 2. In case of a relapse, or of some great sin thath o'th' been the case of divers good men, they have fallen out of one sin into another, to the wounding of their own conscience, to the stilling of the good motions of the holy Ghost; and to the opening of the mouths of the wicked, to blaspheme the holy name of God and that holy profession they had taken in hand; now as we see by experience a relapse into a disease is dangerous, so a revolt into sin is very dangerous, because a man sins in that case against light, and against conscience, and 'gainst the good motion of the Spirit, and makes way for the great enemy to return with a greater strength: now by how much the disease is more dangerous, by so much is the cure more difficult, how beit, the matter be hard, yet it is not impossible, therefore in such a case, and to that end, you must not deceive yourselves; you must search out the cause wherefore this evil hath befallen you, as it was when Israel turned their backs on their enemies; Joshu. 7.8. Joshuah sought out the cause, and sound that there was one Achan, that had troubled the whole camp. So should we never cease before we have found out the cause; And when you have found it, say of it as (Soul did in another case) when as God answered him not; 1. Sam. 14 38.39. know and see, saith he, wherein this sin hath been this day, for if it be jonathan my son, he shall surely die; so say I to you, show no pity on it, for sin can show no mercy, and therefore good reason, that it should have judgement without mercy; alas brethren lust is so dear unto some men that they will undo themselves and their souls to enjoy that, as it was said of jacob, Gen. 44.30. that his life was bound up in the life of Benjamin: so may I say that men's hearts are so folded up in their lust, that you may as well pull out the one as purge out the other. CAP. VIII. Containing the second distinction Inartifitial Imperfect. Perfect. MOrtification is either perfect or imperfect, perfect mortification is that when there is a total abolishing of all sin, so as there is nothing that doth remain. As God is said to wipe jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, and turneth it up-side down. So when as sin shall be so wiped out, as there is none of the venom of sin tthat doth remain or stick to us, 2 King 21 13. but all is wiped off and utterly extinguished; but this cannot be expected in this life, not that God cannot, but that in his wisdom he seethe it not fit: 1 Cor. 13.9 we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but we must not look either for an absolute perfection of holiness, nor for a perfect freedom from sin, until we put off these Tabernacles, which when they shall be restored again at the resurrection, then shall we be as the Angels of God without either stain or remainder of sin, this shall be done hereafter, but not now, for these reasons. 1 Reasons why none perfect. 1. For the manifestation of the power of God, that though we have corruption within, and fight without, the great enemy, that casts his fiery darts at us, yet the Grace of God is sufficient for us, and his strength is made perfect in weakness, 2 Cor 12.9 Haec praesentis vitoe tuoe perfectio ut te imperfectum agnoseas. this is our greatest perfection to see our imperfections, that so we might glorify God the more. It was as great a power of God, to keep Lot in his integrity in that sink of sin, that City of Sodom, as it was to free him from that shower of Brimstone that fell upon it; so is it as great a power to keep his grace in the midst of such corruption as to have free us from it, by his absolute power at the first, or to keep a spark in the midst of the Sea. 2. To put a difference between viatores and comprehensores, between such as are in their journey to the new jerusalem that is above, and those that are Citizens there already: No man hath the Garland before the victory, nor the reward before the race be run; we must not look for a Heaven here and another hereafter, Hic conten demus ut alibicoronemur we contend here, that we may receive a crown hereafter; we are not to expect that which is not promised: Nay he hath told us that his Kingdom is not of this world. Reason 3 3. To make us prise Heaven the more, where we know, we shall be free from sin, and desire to be dissolved the more, that so we might be separated from this enemy that disturbs our peace, this enemy is he that makes us, (like those Hebrews) to hang up our Harps, and to weep by those banks of Babel, when we remember mount Zion which is above, it was Christ's usual journey from Bethany to jerusalem, from the house of mourning, to the vision of peace: so must we mourn here, that we may rejoice hereafter. Reason 4 4. To let us see the fullness of Adam's sin, for if that we should have sin removed as soon as we are borrne, we should never be sensible of the greatness of that offence; nor of the weight, and burden of original corruption, for if you would reason but thus with yourselves; if the weight of sin be so intolerable, and the burden so heavy to a man regenerate; that he cries out, woe is me, for I am a man of polluted lips, Es. 6.5. and dwell amongst men of polluted lips; if he complain, O wretched man that I am, Rom. 7.24. who shall deliver me from this body of death: if we ourselves groan under the burden of sin that is upon us, what would the weight of it be if God should lay it on in the full measure, than would we cry out as Kain, that our punishment would be greater than we can bear; as they, by finding out the length of the Gians foot, found out the length of his whole body; so may we by the weight of the sin we feel, be able to conceive of that we feel not; and to say as Paul did, Vers. 25. God be thanked through jesus Christ our Lord, that though in my flesh I serve the Law of sin, yet in my mind I serve the Law of God. Imperfect mortification is when the work is begun but not finished, it is with us in case of mortification, as it was when the Israelites came to possess the land of Canaan, God would have them cast out the inhabitants by little and little, Dent. 7.22 and not to be consumed at once; So in this case it is not to be expected that sin should be consumed at once, but by little and little. The degrees of mortification are some more temote, some more near. For the better clearing hereof, observe two particulars, whereby you may conceive by what steps and degrees sin is mortified. First, some of them are more remote. Secondly, some of them are naere. Remote 1 1. For the more remote degrees of mortification, give me leave first to entreat of them, as in going down a pair of stairs you must go down by degrees, step by step, so in bringing down the proud heart, we must not think it can be done at once, but by a kind of gradual motion: we say in Philosophy that natura non facil saltum, that nature works successively, and makes not leaps; for it is as true in grace, 2 Pet. 3.18. that it doth admit degrees. Degree. 1 1. The first remote degree is a breaking of league with sin, for naturally, there is a league between sin and our souls. And they are like Simeon and Levi, brethren in evil: sin is then pleasant unto them, and whosoever speaks against it are none of their friends; but now when we see that sin hath deceived our soul, and played the judas with us, that it hath betrayed us into the hands of Satan, and hath procured the wrath of God upon us; then we break our friendship with it, and are sorry that we had ever any thing to do with it, Eph. 5.11 have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them; that is, we must not have any more to do with them. God charges the people of Israel to take heed that they marry not with the heathen, Deut. 7. for they would turn away their sons and daughters from serving God: So will sin do if you make league with it, or do not break from it, and so procure the heavy wrath of God upon you; it is the charge which our Saviour gives unto those that went into Babylon. Rev. 18.4 2 Cron. 19 2. Come out of Babel my people, be not partaker with her of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues. It was a good speech of the son of the Prophet to jehosaphat, shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord, therefore in wrath upon you from the Lord: So there is nothing a greater enemy unto God, nor unto your salvation, than sin is, therefore break your league with it lest you procure the fierce wrath of the Lord of heaven and earth against you. Degree. 2 2. When men profess themselves open enemies unto sin; that is, then when they hate every false way, and when no persuasion that lust can make nor proffer that can be propounded, will prevail with them; but they stand like a mountain and will not be persuaded; so as those secret insinuations of their own hearts, and those venomous blandishments of Satan fall from them, as the Viper from Paul's hand, without any hurt or taking any strong impression upon them; where there is the greatest unity and friendship, when such fall out, there is the greatest enmity and discords; thence it is that Solomon saith, Prov. 18.19. that a Brother offended is as hard to win as a strong City, and their contentions are like the bars of a Castle; so is it with this contention, because as their friendship hath been great, so also is the contention stronger: therefore some of the Martyrs when they have been pressed by their friends, to renounce their religion, with what indignation have they spoken, that if every hair of their head were a man, William Sparrow pascalis. they would burn them all rather than go from the truth. And some have blessed God even that ever they came in prison, or that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ all this, out of a desire of the enjoyment of Christ, and the hatred of sin. Degree. 3 3. To cut off all the strength & provision that the flesh can make, that so we may starve the flesh out of the holds that it hath made for itself; Rom. 13.14. So the Apostle put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and made no provision, for the flesh; sure it is when men are careful for the body, and careless for the soul, when they expend the greatest part of their lives and means in the minding of the things that pertain to the satisfaction of the flesh, and in the prosecution of their lusts and pleasures, and say unto their souls, Luke 12.19. eat, drink, and be merry; what do they all this while but foster and nourish that body of death, even unto the day of slaughter; but on the other side, a man doth then make no provision for the flesh, when he lives as a Pilgrim, and as a stranger, and doth abstain from fleshly lusts, that fight against the soul. When a man makes a covenant with his eyes, 1 Pet. 2.11 that he will not look on a woman to lust after her, when he shutteth his ears, Job. 31.1 and will not hear the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely, when that he looks to all his ways and takes heed, Psal. 39.1. that he offend not in his tongue; in one word, that keeps his heart with all diligence, Pet. 4.23. that howsoever voluptuous and sinful thoughts may knock at the door, yet they may find neither entrance nor enterrainment, when he hardens his heart against sin as much as Dives did, that he would not permit Lazarus the crumbs that were under his table, but suffered the Beggar to die at his door: So when we deny our lusts their least requests, and will not permit them the least or lowest room in our hearts, 2 King. 6.32. when we deal with sin, as Elisha caused his servants that kept the door, saith he, hold him fast, & handle him roughly, or press him at the door; so should we do with sin, if he offer to make intrusion, repel him bacl with a holy violence. 1 Cor. 9.27. I beat down my body, and bring my flesh in subjection, that when I have preached to others, I myself may not be a castaway. CAP. IX. Showing those more near degrees of mortification. 2 NOw I come to those that are more near degrees of mortification, as you see in war, there is many lesser assaults made before they win the main battle; so is it in this spiritual contestation and contention between the law of the members, and the law of the mind; 1 Degree. Heb. 12 4. Gal 5.17. Venit avaritia & vendicat in me sibi sedem: jactantiacupit dominari mihi. Superbia vult mihi esse Rex, luxuria dicit ego regnabo, ambitto, de. tractio, invidia & iracundia certant in me ipso & de me ipso, cujus ego potissimum effe videor. Ego quantum valeo resist, renitor quantum suvor dominum meum jesum reclamo (& paul post) dico non habeo regem, nisidominum jesum, veni demine, disperge illos vertute tua & regnabis in me, quia tu es ipse Rex meus. Ber. him. 4. between true grace and corrupt nature. 1. First is in that strong reluctancy that the spirit maketh against the flesh, so as there is very hard struggling who shall win the victory, gravis lucta, (saith Saint Beunard) non contra hosts, sed contra hospites, a grievous war it is, and the greater that it is not against enemies but guests (howbeit they are in deed secret enemies.) The flesh musters up all her forces and sets them in battle array, which as they are many in number, so are they strong and resolute, every one ambitious of a crown: but now the soul it flieth unto Christ as a prisoner of hope, oppressed by the enemy unto his strong hold, Zach. 9.12. That as the Jews would have no King but Caesar; so a Christian will have none to reign over him but Christ, this reluctancy is the greater, in me, quia tu es ipse Rex mous. Bet. him 4. because that the object of their contention is exceeding weighty, it is as much as a man's soul is worth, it is the losing or winning of a Kingdom; it is not pro finibus not for the bounds, but pro haereditate for the inheritance, and therefore it is, that neither side will yield to the other: Satan will not yield up his right because they once belonged to him; nor Christ will not lose his right, because he bought them with a price; hence it is that the Kingdom of Heaven is said to suffer violence, Matth. 11.12. and the violent take it by force, there is nothing to be gotten without contention. That you may not be mistaken in this business of so great consequence, give me leave to lay down some rules to know whether your war be a right war, yea or no; for when our. Luke 13.24. Saviour doth exhort us to strive to enter in at the straight gate, he tells us that many shall seek to enter and shall not be able, showing that all striving will not serve your turns: not every one that saith, Matth. 7.21. Lord Lord shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; thence it, is that Saint james tells us that we may ask and not receive because we ask amiss, and this was the reason why such as shall at the end of the world come and say, Lord, Math. 7.22. Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, and in thy name we have cast out Devils, and in thy name we have done many wonderful works: why such I say should be rejected because all this was not done in sincerity, and in a right manner; therefore for the clearing of it, take this rule. 1. They differ in ground, and so the quarrel: for howsoever that the I quarrel may be occasioned from the same general ground in respect of the use of it, How the natural & spiritual combat differs. namely sin, 1 In the ground. yet in special the one looks at sin as it is sin, the other at sin as it brings punishment after it, the one could he escape the punishment would be glad to enjoy his fin, the other is fare more willing to suffer than to sin: an example of the former you have in Cain, who made no great matter of his sin, but indeed his punishment was greater than he could bear, and for the latter you have another example of joseph, who notwithstanding the wanton solicitations he had from his Mistress, and withal his own unmarried condition, and being in the strength of his youthful years, which is most licentious, and voluptuous, yet behold he repels them all with a most chaste, resolution, Gen. 39 How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God? He thought not on the punishment that would follow, but on the sin as the main thing. It was a good speech of him that said it, Anselme. that he had rather be in hell without sins, than in heaven with them on his conscience; and indeed what comfort could a man have in heaven, so long as he had a hell in his conscience, and on the other side, hell would be no hell to him, were his conscience fair, therefore men should not think that all is well, because they sinned sometimes a troubled, or a trembling spirit, for the devils believe and tremble, and yet are their spirits stout enough, and stubborn enough against God, so, Jam 2.19. it may be in men by that conviction that they may have, although it may not be accompanied with any sound conversion, have you not seen many that when they have been in some great strait (as Balaam between the vineyards, not knowing which way to turn himself) either under some sad and heavy cross, or else under some present peril of death: poor souls! how have they quarrelled with their sins, and with themselves, as though they would never have had any friendship with them more: well, deliverance comes, and health comes, behold now the battle is over, they shake hands again with their lusts, and are the same men they were; but now if there be a principle of grace in you, that makes your hearts rise against sin, then, to say no more, go on and prosper ye valiant men, for God is with you. 2 They differ in respect of the seat of the combat, 2 In the seat. the natural combat is, 1 Sometimes nothing but the distemper of the body, that is the seat of the conflict; a sick body doth occasion a distempered and sick mind; is it not strange to see, what strange effects, that distemper of melancholy doth produce, what fears and terrors have they felt at sometimes, as though they had been scorched in the flames of hell, what joys, and exultations they have made at another time, as though they had been rapt up into the third heaven, what conflicts they have supposed they have passed through, yet all is nothing, but the production of a distempered body deeply affected with melancholy? Now this differs from the true combat. 1 First, they differ as much as the shadow and the substance one from another: that combat between the flesh and the spirit is really true, but that is but imaginary, like as you see upon the stage, one is a King, another is a Judge, another a soldier, which when the action is over, they are no such men; so is it in this case, all this combat is but a mere show. 2 In a true combat there are some scars, some thing that sticks to him after the battle, and some booty is carried away as a testimony of his valour, so a Christian that hath got some ground against his enemy, he hath got some strength against his lusts, as it was said of the house of David and Saul, that David's house did increase, and saul's decrease; so is it here, grace it gains something at every combat, now after the combat is over, the melancholy person is as he was, there is no alteration, if he was profane before, so he is still, or if he was civil before, he is civil still. 3 They differ in their cure, a distempered body is cured with physic, good air and temperate diet, but who is he that can cure a sick, and distempered soul, not all the Physicians in the world. Nay, let me speak a bold word; not all the Angels in heaven, are able by all their wisdom to help a wounded spirit; it must be no less than the blood of the Lamb of God, that takes away sin, and heals a sick distressed & destempered soul. 2 Again the seat of this war is sometimes among the passions, Num. 13.32. so as one standeth in opposition to another, Nay as the spies that went to view the land of Canaan; said unto Moses, that the land they went to search was a land that did eat up the inhabitants of it, so it is with our lusts, one lust is so predominant, that it eats up another as you have an example in Herod, who being ambitious, did favour john, Mark. 6. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 17. because he looked at the applause of the people (for all held john as a Prophet) yet such was his lust to Herodias, Libido potias quam iracundia tenebat imperium, & paulo post dicit author, quod Christiana continentia neque morte, neque pecunia expugnari potest. that for her sake, he cast him into prison, and afterwards cut off his head. So it is said of Maxontius, that as he was cruel, so was he incontinent, and sometime his lust of incontinency prevailed against that of cruelty, as instance is given in a Christian Virgin whom he had attempted to have defiled, in which case, saith my Author, that his incontinency got the victory of his fury; but now this war is not a war amongst them, but against them all; as they that are Christ's do crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts: Gal. 5.24. and the truth is, that, when as a man doth suffer his lust to rule, is as if a man should suffer his feet to guide his head, or the handmaid to rule over the mistress; so is it in this case, for our passion should be guided by reason, and reason rectified by the spirit, and then things would go in a right order, therefore our Apostle doth show that the flesh lusts against the spirit, not that the flesh lusts against the flesh, for though the lusts of the flesh may be at discord one with another, it is but like that which was between Pilate and Herod, which albeit there was some contention between them, Luk. 23.12. yet they both joined together against Christ; so that howsoever it be, that one lust may in some cases overthrow another, yet they will all conspire against Christ. CAP. XI. Showing certain other differences that are between them in this relactancie of the flesh against the spirit. 3 In the time. 3 THirdly, they differ in the time of their combat, the natural combat ofttimes comes as soon as reason can make a difference between good and bad; and it is that which may be in a very heathen, Ro. 2.15. for the Gentiles that had no law to go by, besides that which was written in their hearts, yet by that, were a law to themselves, their consciences either excusing, on accusing of them, now conscience according to that light that it hath, is always at hand to contend against the works of sin, and that fleshly appetite that is in us, howbeit, conscience may trouble us, yet it is commonly for greater sins, and not for lesser, as Pharaoh for his great cruelty confesseth, I have sinned: and so we read did Nero, and others; but now for lesser, them they easily pass over. Saint Paul cries out of the body of sin, that was within him: and David of the cutting off saul's garment, his heart smote him for that, but in this case the natural conscience hath little to say, because it knows little, therefore Saint Paul saith, Rom. 7.7. I had not known lust, except the Law had said, thou shalt not lust; that is, his natural conscience did not discover it unto him, but it was given him by a higher, and a clearer light. Our Saviour Christ showeth that while the strong man keeps the house, all that a man possesseth is in peace, but when a stronger than he cometh than he gins the combat; so long as a man is in the state of nature the prince of the air rules in his heart, and hath quiet possession: for although there may be a contention (as hath been showed) among the passions and lusts, yet so as there is no hindrance to Satan by that at all, for the lesser footing he hath in one lust, the stronger he is in another, as it is among a company of gamesters, look what one loseth another wins, and suppose that they should be all losers, yet the house where they game would be a gainer; so is it here, that as long as there is no other strife, but amongst themselves, men are still as bad or worse than they were, and Satan that keeps, the house gaine● by them. Again; suppose we some strange man should come into this gaming house, and should take away their money, and burn the dice, and cause the house to be pulled down, and bind the strong man, and lay him in prison; would not this breed hot blood, and occasion strife? So it is in this case, for when the spirit comes than it comes with such might as bears down all before it, and overthroweth the strong holds of Satan, and every high thought that doth exalt itself against God: by what as hath been said, you may easily see how this natural combat differs from the spiritual, in regard of the time. 4 In the end. 4 They differ in their ends that they have in their combat, there are three ends for which a man doth undertake war: namely, peace, honour, and terror: first, this war is undertaken for peace sake, both peace of conscience, and peace with God, now howsoever a wicked man may seem to humble himself for his sin, and to make up his peace with God, yet it is but like those truces that are made in the wars for some short time, for some private reasons known to themselves, so is it in this case, 1 King. 21.29. Ahab when he heard what God had threatened, he rend his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly, now here was a truce made between God and Ahab, but no reconciliation, Seest thou not (saith God) how Ahab humbleth himself before me. I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring this evil upon his house, so that the judgement is not taken away but deferred: but now this spiritual warfare doth aim at peace and ends in it, there is no affliction that is pleasant for the present, but grievous; Heb. 12.11. nevertheless it bringeth forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, though this burden be heavy, yet is it the way to ease, and as after a toilsome labour comes the quietest rest, so after this war, the most settled peace, 1 King. 19.11. etc. as it was in that vision that Eliah saw. First came a strong wind that rend the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces, after this an earthquake, and after this a fire, and after all, a still voice; so it is with a Christian, that after many tumults, and garboils in the soul, between these two enemies (the flesh and the spirit) comes the still voice with joy and peace. 2 Another end is honour, a man that is a good soldier under Christ's banner doth endeavour to fight manfully, that he may honour his cause, and his captain, and good reason, the cause is just: for it is for the defence of Christ's right in our souls, and we never had a better Captain than Christ is, Rev. 6.1. who rides on conquering, and to conquer, who hath led captivity captive, and a prince, against whom there is no rising: but on the other side in that seeming war that there is to be found in wicked men, Mat. 6.16. they chief aim at their own praise, as they, in their private fasting and works of mortification, disfigured their faces, and were of sad countenances, and all this is to be seen of men; but God knew their hearts to be fare otherwise, or at the best, the chief and that a wicked man hath in any trouble or contention against any sin it is himself; either for the preservation of himself, or for his own advantage: and the reason is, because as the man is, so are his ends, if a man be flesh, than his ends cannot but smell of the flesh. 3 The last end of this holy war is terror and fear; a man wars to that end that thee may put the enemy into such a fear, that he will be afraid to offend any more: so a man in this spiritual warfare, when the heart is once smitten, hath true remorse for sin, he will be afraid to sin again, as you have examples of David and Peter, a hundred Bathsheba's would not have alured David to have fallen into that sin again; the voice of a silly damsel made Saint Peter to deny his master, but after he felt the smart of it, and had repent of it, he was not ashamed of his master, no not before Princes and Judges of the world: on the other side, a man that is not sound at the heart, though his mind may be at present troubled and tremble in respect of some foul and great sin, that stairs him in the face, and lieth heavy upon his conscience, yet doth it work no change in him, but after the tempest is over, 2 Pet. 2.22. he turns with the dog to his vomit, and with the sow to his wallowing in the mire, with as fresh, Prov 23.34, 35. and as free an appetite, as ever he did unto his sin. Solomon compares such a man to one that lieth on the top of a mast in the midst of the sea, and saith they have smitten me, but I felt it not, thy have beaten me, but I was not sick, and therefore when I awake, I will seek it again. 5 They differ in their event: 5 In the event. this war that is between the flesh and the spirit, always ends in a victoriour conquest, over all the enemies of it, as they say of truth, Magna est veritas, 2 Cor. 12.9. & praevalebit, so may I say of grace, great is the power of it, and it will prevail. Paul was not without this buffeting of Satan, and behold the grace of God was sufficient for him to enable him to bear out the quarrel against his enemy. And further he saith, When I am weak then am I strong; it is with a Christian in this case, as it was wi●h Rebeccah, when she had two twins strove in her womb, she comes to the Lord and saith, Lord why am I thus? the Lord makes this answer, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people, shall be stronger than the other; Gen. 25.22.23. and the elder shall serve the younger, so it is in this case, here are two nations that strive within us, the old and the new man, and they are contrary one to another, yet this is your comfort, the elder shall serve the younger, the new comer shall cast out the old inhabitant; Now who would not take that side on which he is sure to conquer? Then must you join with the spirit against the flesh; & though you may be foiled, yet you shall never be conquered, for if God be with us who shall or can stand against us? He that is with us is greater than he that is against us, it is reported of Cesar, and Antony, that they were wont often to wrestle together, and though Antony was the stronger man, yet Cesar always gave him the fall; the reason being demanded why it should be so, the answer was made; because Cesar was guided by a better Genius: so if you demand whence it is that such strong and potent lusts, do all fall down before us, and none of them able to stand; I answer, 1 Joh. 4.4. it is because we have a better Genius, greater is he that is with us, than he that is in the world; on the other side, all the war of a wicked man, it never brings any thing to pass: they are like the children of Ephraim that went out harnished, and carried bows, yet turned again in the day of battle: Psal. 78.9. what show soever there may be of goodness in us, yet if it be not in truth, it will not hold in the fiery trial. CAP. XII. Showing further the difference of this combat by the weapons of it, which is cleared by two propositions. 6 THe next thing wherein they differ in this conflict is in their weapons, 2 Cor. 10 4. the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual, so that look what difference, there is between a carnal and a spiritual man, so much difference is there between a carnal and spiritual weapon: if ye should see men go to wars, and instead of warlike munition one should carry a shovel, and another a mattock, and others should carry instruments for the ploughing, and tillage of the ground, you would either suppose that the enemy were weak, and contemptible, or else account them but as fools or mad men, that would undertake such a business, being so ill furnished for it. In like manner, may we account them as foolish and unwise, that undertake a spiritual warfare with carnal weapons, more especially against so potent an enemy, but that you may the better understand the meaning of the Apostle; observe, first that carnal weapons will not serve your turn. Secondly, that spiritual weapons will prevail, afore the former. Proposition. 1 1 It is not the maceration and mangling of the body that will do this, such as the Priests of Baal of old, 1 King. 18.28. that out of their blind devotion did launce themselves till the blood gushed out, Damones delectantur in sacrificiis de sanguine hominum, qui est nobilissima creatura ad imaginem Dei facta, & ideo in talibus solent dare responsa. not unlike to these were the Pharisees that did disguise their faces. Matth. 6.16. and those Fratres flagellantes, among the Papists, that have fare more blind devotion than true discretion, who think by this means, Lyra in locum. not only to mortify their flesh, Res ista fidem facit a Romans superis institutum esse acceptum quod illi super talia ludicra celebrantes nudi per urbem incedebant, a● lavati flagellis obvios cadebant. Pol. Vir. 7. lib. cap. 6. but also to merit salvation; notwithstanding it was but an old custom taken from the ancient Heathens; neither by going on pilgrimage, and wearing sackcloth on our loins, or a profession of wilful poverty: all these are but like so many outward medicines, which will be unable to cure an inward disease, this is but, as it were, to apply a plaster to the head, when your grief lieth at the heart, Bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things; and suppose that there were some virtue in some of these things to take down and tame the flesh, yet can we not suppose that they should have any efficacy on the soul being they are no spiritual weapons, neither doth the Lord require them at our hands. 2 It is not a restraint from sin that will serve our turns, such a restraint may arise from good education, and living in good families, or out of the goodness of natural temper, which is not so prone to rush into vice, as others are; or for the better accomplishment of a man's own ends of profit or credit: now all this keeps but a man from the outward acts of sin, yet he may be as bad or worse within every day than others; as we see some men that are forbidden to work at their trades outwardly, yet will they work hard at them within still, so it is in this case, that though it be so, that he may not without some disadvantage suffer sin to break out, yet doth he work within, and follow the trade of sin there. If that a Pool do engender snakes and venomous creatures, when it runs and the water issueth from it, much more will it produce the like effects, when it is dammed up, and stands: In like manner, if sin be but restrained, and no more, lust breeds as fruitfully, and works as hard within, as ever it did. 2 Again, when sin breaks out, it is the more violent after a restraint, as you see it was with Absalon, and Achitophel, for all their fair pretences, that they made before of equity and piety, yet when they broke out, how foul was their sin: as it is with such, as are cast into prison for the stealing of some small trifles, after they have continued there sometime among the rest, they grow so skilful, that they come out, ten times worse than they went in. In like manner, a man that hath nothing but this restraint, when he doth break out, is fare worse than he was before: but true grace now doth not only restrain from sin, joh. 7.17. but doth purge it out, so sin is not bridled, but broken to pieces, and not a restraint, but a real change from sin to God. Act. 5.4. 3 It is not enough to have good desires, and good purposes of mortification unless they be put in practice, you know that muskets and swords and pikes, and other warlike instruments, will not serve our turns, if we let them hang up in a room, unless we make use of them: in the day of battle so no, nor will our good desires, unless they be improved: Some they have good purposes and desires, but they are but slothful desires. Balaam desires to die the death of the righteous, but he doth not put his endeavour to it, many have good wishes, and fair pretences, and make large promises of better obedience, and that is all; they may well be said to bear the sluggards motto, which is this, he sits in his chair with his feet by the fire, and his hands in his pockets, saying, utinam hoc esset laborare, O that this were to labour, so it is with many, that if good words, and good wishes would do it, they would be as good Christians as the best; but now when it comes to any difficulty here they stay. 2 They are but childish desires; such as are very earnest after God, and very strongly bend against lust, but it is for a little while, till some bait be laid in the way, and then they fall to sin again, as a child doth, sometimes you shall hear it complain, and cry for the breast, but give it but a key or a ball, and it is quiet again: so when men seem to have some more than ordinary desire to this work, if that a key of some profit, or a ball of some pleasure be cast in their way, they are strait taken off from this work, and all afresh to their lusts, and to their sins again: fare are these from right purposes, and sound resolutions, which are begun upon good deliberation. Luk. 14.31. Like that King going to war, thinketh whether he can be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand; and it is continued with undaunted resolutions, Heb. 12.4. struggling, and striving against sin, and ends with unspeakable comfort unto the soul, that we contend for an incorruptible crown that abides for us in the heavens. 1 Cor. 25. 4 It is not enough to have a form of godliness, to have some appearance of this conflict, suppose we a man that is gotten into a way of piety, and useth those ways and means that are appointed for that end, that sin may be mortified; suppose it be hearing the word, prayer, and fasting, abstinence from gross sins, and the society of those that are righteous and good men, so the means are good, but he spoils them in the managing of them, as it was said of Amazia, 2 Cro. 25.2 that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart: so in this case, the things that they do are good for the matter; but for the manner, Mal. 2.3. it is done with such cold and superficial devotion, that God saith he will spread dung on their face, even the dung of their solemn feasts; yea, Prov. 15.8, Es. 66.3. Jer. 6.20. Amos 5.21 best things being abused become the worst, and God doth much abhor them, when they are not one in sincerity, therefore it is that the prayer of the wicked is abominable, and all the splendid and fairest actions he doth, are but guilded and painted vices; That is the right circumcision, Rom. 2. ult. which is the circumcision of the heart. 2. Propos. Eph. 6.13. 2. The next proposition is that spiritual weapons will prevail unto this work of mortification; it is a good exhortation you on the whole armour of God: furnish the head, with the helmet of hope, have your breast guarded with the breastplate of righteousness, and your loins girt about with truth, in your right hand the sword of the spirit, and in your left the shield of faith, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: and as so many Sentinels, you must add hereunto prayer in your spirit, watchfulness over your own hearts, and perseverance in so doing all your days. I should be tedious if I should handle these at large, and show you the vigour and virtue of every one of these pieces of spiritual armour; I shall therefore speak so much of them, as may concern our present purpose, to put a difference between these and all carnal weapons. How spiritual and carnal weapons differ They differ in respect of their Author, viz. it is called the armour of God; these are weapon's that were fashioned in Heaven so as they are heavenly, both for the matter and form, 1 Sam. 21.9 that as David said of the sword of Goliath, that there was none to it; so may I say of these, that there is none equal to them for the depressing of high thoughts, and the pulling down and demolishing the strong holds of sin other weapons are such as are made by the flesh and Satan together, and cannot be able to cut any sin; for if that the flesh and Satan should be divided against themselves, how should their Kingdom stand: if that Satan do departed from a man, for some small time, it is but as a man that leasses his house, when he takes a journey, but yet retains his right and property in it still, Mat. 12.48 that so at his pleasure he ●●y return, and then makes 〈◊〉 later end of that man worse than the beginning was. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malum ●ritur ex defectualicuius causa, sed benumb non nist ex causis int●gris. 2. They differ in respect of their completeness; for this armour of God is called the whole armour, or complete armour of God. They say in the Schools: that evil may arise from the defect of any one cause, but to make an action truly good, it must have all the causes entire; so it is in this case, 2 King. 22.34. to have your hearts truly mortified, and this spiritual warfare to prosper in your hands, you must have this complete armour; Ahab was smitten with an arrow between the joints of his harness. Now if Ahab was smitten with his complete harness on, much more may this cunning enemy smite and wound our souls, Judg. 20.16. when we are not armed with every piece of this spiritual armour. He is as cunning as those left handed Benjamites, that could sling stones at an hair's breadth, and not miss; how did this fiery dart of Satan stick in Paul's flesh; how did his envenomed arrows waste the spirits of holy Job, that had they not been fortified with this armour of proof, they had not been able to have stood on the other side; though an unregenerate man may pretend he hath a good hope in God, Heb. 11.1. yet wants he faith as the ground; and if he say he hath a good faith, yet wants he the sword of the spirit, the word of God; and so is an ignorant man, 1 Cor. 2.12. and knows not the things of God; or if he have the word of God, yet wants he the breastplate of righteousness, and the girdle of truth and sincerity; there is ever something that is wanting; and hence it is, that they are not able to stand in the time of trial, but are made such vassals, and led captive by him, to the dishonour of God and their own just condemnation; therefore the exhortation that the Apostle useth shall be that of mine. Finally Brethren, Eph. 6.12. put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day. 3. It is armour for the foreparts, to show that so long as we stand to it, and fight out our good fight we are safe enough, all shall prosper in our hands; but if we turn our backs on our enemy, then is it that we are wounded and everthrowne. Josh. 7.8. It was the complaint of joshuah, O Lord what shall I say when Israel turns their back before their enemies; But alas! what shall wer say, when a man that hath this spiritual furniture on him, the fear and dread whereof, were able to put an ordinary enemy to slight, the shield of faith being able to quench his fiery darts, and the sword of the spirit able to give him such a strong repulse, as that he is not able to stand before it: submit yourselves therefore to God, James 4.7. and resist the Devil and he will fly from you. It is reported of the Crocodile, that if so be that you flee from him, he will follow after you, and tear you in pieces; but if you stand to him and fear him not, but contend with him, he will flee from you. Believe it brethren there is no way to this, to withstand and resist Satan and the flesh; for if you turn your backs on him, seeing you have no armour for behind, you will never be able to hold out long, but will become a prey unto him; and therefore if you be in a room at prayer, or about any holy duty, as reading the Scripture, or any devout meditation, if there Satan shall present himself when we are best employed, fear him not, neither quit your place for fear of him, let him not gain that advantage of you, neither give place to the Devil, for greater is he that is with you then he that is against you: Exod. 17. As it was with the Israelites, so long as Moses held up his hands, Israel did prevail, An quia fugisti ex acie putas to manus hostium evasisse libentius te cons●quitur fugientem quam sustineat repugnantem. Ber. Ep. but when he held them down the Amaleckes did prevail: so while you seek the Lord, and resist Satan, you shall prevail, but if you hang down your hands and turn your backs against him, the Lord will leave you and deliver you up into his hands. Therefore be you ever ready to resist Satan as he is tempting. CAP. XIII. The second degree of mortification which is more near, is a broken and contrite heart. THe second and more near degree of mortification is a bleeding and contrite heart. It is called the sacrifice of God, or a broken spirit, Psal. 51.17 a broken and a contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not despise; all sacrifices are included in this broken heart, Psal. 57.16 the highest; heavens and the lowest heart, are the two houses where the Lord will take up his special habitation; the Lord saith of the contrite heart, ●s. 66.2. this is my house, here will I dwell to revive the spirit of the humble. Here I shall observe two main things, The nature and necessity of contrition. 1. The nature of this contrition and brokenness of heart. 2. The necessity of it. First, consider the nature of contrition, and a broken heart for sin. This consists in four things. The nature of it, and first godly sorrow. 1. A godly sorrow and true remorse for sin, a melting and tender heart, 2 Cro. 34.27. which of all hearts is the best, that when as we shall hear the word, it will affect our hearts as the heart of Josiah was; or when we commit any sin, our hearts, 1 Sam. 24.5. like that of David, will smite us speedily; or when we see men dishonour God, or break his law, Psal. 119.136. our eyes do break out with rivers of tears; Jer. 9.1. or at least desire that our heads were Wells of water, and our eyes were fountains of tears. Or when we want any good thing at the hands of our God, that we find the good spirit of God helping our infirmities with sighs and groans, such a● cannot be expressed, Rom. 8.26. crying Abba Father! and when we see our own deformities and the plague of our own hearts. 1 King. 8.38. We do bemoan ourselves as Ephraim did, and smite our hands on our hearts and say, Lord! Jer. 31.18. what have I done, woe is me, I am a man of polluted lips, and dwell amongst men of polluted lips: Es. 6. 5● and indeed, as one hath well observed; he that doth not bewail his sins, doth not perceive the wounds that sum hath made in his soul. Qui non planges p●●oa●a, non souti● vulnera, n●e anims lect●●nem. Ber. 1. For the quantity of godly sorrow, how grea● it must be; for the softer the heart is made by sorrow, the more fit it is to be cast into what fashion God would have it; 2 Cor. 7.10 11, 12, 13. as the Fur●●● takes away the dross from the silver, so doth godly sorrow work strange effects in the soul. Now although we cannot se● unto you ●ow deep 〈◊〉 should b●e, 〈…〉 ●eith●r●ea● we say, as ●●od doth to the Sea, ●ither to shall you go and no f●●ther; 〈…〉 yet may we set down some things in general, which will be very necessary for 〈◊〉 to know. ●a●. 10.12. A● first it must be as gr●ut as worldly sorrow; 2 Cor. 35, 24 yea, as the greatest worldly sorrow, therefore it is compared to the bitter lamentation that is for an only child, and for a ma●s first horn, and like that healty mourning that there was for Josiah in the valley of Megido●. Now look how you have se●ne at any time a disconsolate Father bewail the loss of his son, 〈◊〉 David did for Absalon in that 〈◊〉 complaint of his; O Absalon my son, my son, or a distressed Mother mourning like R●●hel for her children, because they were not. Even such should be our sorrow for our sins, that our sins have so deeply offended God. Therefore it is prophesied, Ezek. 7,16 that they shall be on the mountains, like Doves of the valleys, every one mourning for his iniquity. Now whereas some poor soul may be troubled at this, and say; Alas! I never found any such affection in the for sin, as I have found for such a loss; therefore we must distinguish between dolour sensitiv●● & dolour apr●●iativus; in respect of sense, the body & passions may be more troubled at an outward loses; because the object is more sensible; and yet sorrow for sin may be greater in respect of the price and worth of it: shallow waters often make the greatest noise, whereas the deep waters run the more still: Acts 2.37. so it is here, this sensitive sorrow makes more noise, and yet this sorrow for sin goes nearer to the heart, Jer. 4.3. and takes deeper impression: there sometimes an aching tooth, or some outward grief doth vex and trouble a man more, than a burning Fever on the Consumption of the lungs, and yet the later is far more dangerous than the former; because, the disease seizeth on the more noble parts: so it is in this case, godly sorrow keeping within the bounds of reason, though it may be more secret, yet it is more sound, and every way as great or greater than the other. 2. Consider of sorrow, either intensive or extensive, either in respect of the present force and intention of it, and so worldly sorrow may be greater; or else in respect of the constant duration, and extent of it, and so godly sorrow is greater; water that is dammed up in a pond, if you set open the water-gate, it will run more for a short time, than the spring that feeds and filleth it; so may worldly sorrow run faster for a present gush, and yet not comparable to the other in respect of continuance: a pregnant example hereof we have in David, how did he bewail the immature and untimely death of his son Absalon. O Absalon my son, my son, this was heavy for the present, and yet his sin that he had committed was heavier unto him in respect of continuance, and therefore he saith, that his sin was ever before him, Psal. 51. he doth not say so of the loss of Absalon; when Moses had smitten the Rock, the people drank of the Rock, it followed them. It is thought by Divines that this water followed them through the wilderness till they came where there was plenty of water: so if our hearts be truly smitten with the rod of God's word, this sorrow will continue till we attain to the vision of peace. 2. Our sorrow must be according to our apprehension, and the greater that we apprehend our sins to be, the greater should be the proportion of our sorrow for them; David had greatly sinned, Psal. 3 2.4. and therefore when he came to the sight of it, he did wash his bed, and water his couch with tears, and his moisture was turned into the drought of Summer, and when Peter had greatly offended; be went out and wept bitterly. A great wound must have a large plaster, and a strong disease must have a strong potion; so forasmuch as sorrow is the means to cure sin, and acceptable to God above all sacrifices; where sin hath been great, the sorrow should be great also, neither are ●●sser sins to be neglected, Peccatum quod non pae●itentia dilus, tipsop●ndere in aliud peccatum trahit. Greg. ●or there is no sin so little, but if it be known, it must be repent of; for if it be not grieved for; than it will grow, yea, and bring God's judgement on us too: did not Eve bring all that misery on herself and us, by eating of an Apple, and was not Lot's wise turned into a Pillar of Salt, for a look bacl unto her City: did not Vzzah lose his life by only touching the Ark of God: nimis offici●sa seduli●as, for too much diligence, 2 Sam. 6.6. as it were, therefore make not any sin small, but bewail and leave them. If it shall be said that there are many sins a man cannot know, or if they be known, yet peradventure we do not conceive of them as we ought: for answer hereunto; first, if that ignorance be not affected ignorance, but after a sort invincible, because using all good means to know it and yet it is not clear to him, in this case bewailing his known and unknown sins will suffice; and secondly, for the other I answer, that we must know that how great soever we can conceive our sins to be so great they are and greater; according to thy fear, Ps. 90.11. so is thy wrath, that is, what fear you can conceive of God's displeasure for sin, so it is; that if your apprehension would swell higher, you would still apprehend sin to be fouler and more ugly and odious in the sight of God: and therefore measure out your sorrow according to t● he hither proportion rather than otherwise; If it be said how may this proportion be found out: to this I answer that then there is some proportion when as we are as deeply affected with sorrow for sin as we were raised and taken with the pleasure we had in sin, as it was said of the seven years of plenty that was in the land of Egypt, Gen. 41.31 that it should be forgotten by reason of the famine that was at the heels of it; so all the pleasure that a man hath taken in sin is forgotten in regard of the grief and sorrow of heart that we feel, nay when he takes as much pleasure now in mortification of sin, and his mourning for sin; as he took pleasure in sin itself; nay he counts it all joy when he falls into troubles as these are, because that he knew after his sowing in tears, he shall reap in joy, semper dolet, & de dolere gandet, Ber. whereas his former pleasures would have been the occasion of his future woe and misery, Audacior qui cum uno peccato dermit, quam qui cum septem hostibus Aug. therefore that speech was very good of him that said it, that he was a more bold man that durst sleep with one sin (unrepented of) then with seven enemies. 2. The nature of true sorrow may be discerned in the qualities and properties of it: as, 1. Is that that makes men look about them, it makes them to seek for help, as those that were pricked in their hearts, they said, men and brethren what shall we do to be saved; Acts 2.37. as it was with those Lepers that lay at the gate of Samaria, 2. King. 7.3 How was S. Aug. weakened after his heart was broken for sin, how doth he seek out for help, he goes to Alipius his friend, he goes up & down and cannot be freed withal his great words against himself, quibus sententiarums verberibus me flagitavi. Yet never was at rest, but dried out, quam diu, quam diu, cras, cras quare non modo quare non hac hora sini sturpitudinis mea? etc. Aug. Lib. 8. when there was famine within, and food without, but in the Camp of the enemies, these men are now in a sad condition, if they stay there or tu●●e into the City they die of the famine; if they betake themselves into the Camp of the enemy, it may be they may live, it may be not; yet in a case of this nature, there is more wisdom to cast themselves upon a way wherein there is most hopes, and so they saved their lives by it, and are the messengers of good news to all the City: It is just thus with a broken heart and a sorrowful spirit sometimes. If I turn bacl to my former condition, than I shall but add sin unto sin; if I stay here, and remain in this condition, then shall I certainly perish, and therefore though as yet I know not whether God will have mercy on me, and hold out his golden Sceptre unto such a vile sinner as I am, yet will I go venture myself, and if I perish I perish; believe it, if you seek thus you shall find; if you knock thus it shall be opened unto you; for if there be any hope in a merciless enemy, Matth. 7. there is more hope in a merciful God: on the other side security is a certain sign of impenitency and of an unmortified nature; 1 Thes. 5.3. men are never nearer danger, then when they are most secure; while they cry peace, Jer. 48.11 Luke 17.27.28. and are settled on their lees, dreading of no danger, then comes it upon them: but now that which makes a man mourn for sin puts him upon use of all good means to destroy this enemy and to favour no sin, though it be never so dear unto us, that we may follow the counsel of our Saviour; that if our right hand do offend us we must cut it off and cast it from us; yea, and we must spare nothing that we may spare our souls. Nulli parcas ut soli parcas animae crudelitas illa pietas. Heir. 2. This sorrow turns all other sorrow into its own nature, as all the fresh rivers, though they run with forcible, and strong currents into the Sea, yet when they come there they are immediately turned into Salt; so is it in this case, all other sorrows when they fall on a sanctified and a broken heart for sin, he can turn them all into this channel, and here they all change their qualities: suppose he find losses in his estate by some bad servant or bad debtor or any casualty by Sea or Land; the broken heart is not so much troubled at the loss itself, nor at the persons that might occasion it as at his sin which might be the ground of it, and so it was with David when Shimei cursed ●im, 2 Sem. 16.10. behold he looked at himself, and a●● his sin, and humbled himself before God, because he knew that the Lord had sent him; so we see it was with Job, that when Satan's malice was made manifest to the full, yet so as job looks hither, & in conclusion saith, God gives and God takes; whereas if he had looked lower, he might have said, God hath given, and the Devil hath taken, but the humble spirit desires not to be troubled with what the Devil or man can do unto him, because he knows that they are but instruments and rods in God's hand to correct his children withal; therefore he falleth down before God, and kisseth his rod, and calls upon his name; and then the Lord harkens, and hears, and puts his tears into his bottle, and in his good time will heal his soul. In one word, as it is said of the Philosopher's stone, that what metal soever it toucheth, it turns it into gold, so is it with this sorrow that what cross or disaster soever it doth meet withal it makes it an occasion to work in him godly sorrow to repentance, never to be repent of. 3. It mends all, it make up all breaches, Esa. 1.16.18. wash you, make you clean, take away the evil of your doing, (which is done by this work of mortification and mourning for sin; and then saith God, let us reason together, and then though your sins were as red as crimson, I will make them as white as wool (herein is the excellency of godly sorrow) if you have losses in your estate or crosses by your children, or injuries by evil men, you may fit down and sorrow till you can weep no more; but now half of this, were it godly sorrow, though your sins be as black as hell, yet God will make them as white as snow; if a man be old the skill of all the Physicians cannot make him young again; but a man that is truly humbled for sin, the Lord Christ redeems his life from death, Verus penitens simper est in labour & dolere delet de prateritis; laborat pro futuris cavendis. Ber. and renews his youth like the Eagles, that as they report of the Eagle, that when she grows old and cannot eat for the length of her bill, with much ado she gets it broken, and then falls to her meat as if she were young again; so it is in this case when we have cast away all our abominations and our do that were not good, though with much ado, then shall we renew our lives as the Eagle, and be made fit to sit among Christ's guests, at the marriage feast when he makes us a feast of fat things, Isa. 25.6. and wine when the lees are well refined. 3. The third thing in this sorrow is how long it should continue, to this we answer; that as we sinne daily, so we must sorrow daily, and because all sin is not of one magnitude or proportion, therefore it doth admit of degrees, but if we speak of initial mortification, which is the thing chiefly in hand, the first work that is begun in the soul: then I say, 1. We must mourn till the general frame of sin be dissolved, till the regiments of sin be taken down: Judg. 14.17. Sampsons' wise did never cease weeping until she knew his riddle; so should we never cease till we knowthat our sins are dissolved and purged out: Alas! what comfort can a man receive so long as he remains a slave to his hust, 2 Sam. 12 20. and is under the Prince of darkness, but now sin is slain in us, and dead in us; then we do as David did when his child was dead, he then at oft from the earth, and waunt and ano●hed him●●lfe, and changed his apparel, and came into, the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and then came into his own house and are bread, when we find that this child that we have begotten by our sin, is dead, we should do the like, than cheer up your hearts and worship God that hath given you victory against it. It was comfortable neves that was brought by the Angel unto joseph. Mat. 2.20. Return into the land Israel, for they are dead that sought the young child's life, so say 〈◊〉 it will be a great stay to our souls, to hear that the body of death is dead within us, that sought how to destroy our souls. 2. We must mourn till he that hath wounded us shall come and heal us, Hos. 6.1. come say they, let us return to the Lord, for he hath borne us, and he will heal us, he hath smitten us, and 〈…〉. It 〈◊〉 an easy matter to wound, but not so easy to cure and heal again; it is the prerogative in this case, that belongeth chiefly to God, the flesh can vex us, and Satan can tear, and trouble us, and wound us, but none of these can cure us again; but now God can as well heal as wound; here is one thing further to be observed, that the Prophet doth not say that sin or Satan hath wounded us, and God will heal us; but he hath wounded us, and he will heal us, and bind us up; for a man may have these wounds by sin and Satan, and yet no true our●, the cure that these Physicians can give us are of no value; is either to cast a man into a deep, or rather a dead sleep of security and harness of heart, or to suffer him, to fall into despair, and ha●●● his owns and by an untimely death, as judas and Iuli●● did: but where God once by his spirit smites the heart with true remorse for sin, than he is moved by the same shirit to seek unto God for the cure of that wound as it was with Elisha, 1 King. 19 19 that after the Prophet Elia had put his mantle upon him, he presently comes after him; so, whereas the Lord shall be pleased to works in us a true sight of our misery, he never doth it without some hope of mercy, that when we seel our burden we might likewise come unto him for case and comfort; Psal. 103.13. these are those comfortable speeches, that as a father pitieth his own children, Mat. 12.20 so the Lord pittith them that fear him, and that promise he will not break the bruised Reed, nor quench the smoking Flax, etc. and that exhortation, Mat. 11.28 come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you. CAP. XIV. Shows thee other properties of Contrition, viz. shame, indignation, and revenge. THe next thing in contrition, 2 Of shame is to be ashamed of our sins, and to loathe them; for the more the heart is broken for sin, the more it is ashamed for it; Job. 42.6. as when Job saw himself in his colours, than he did abhor himself in dust and ashes, Ezeck. 36.31. and the Prophet shows, that there should come a time when the Lord would smite the hearts of men, that they should remember their own evil way and their do that were not good, and should loathe themselves in their own sight for their iniquities, and for all their abominations: and hence is that of the Apostle, Rom. 6.21. what profit have you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed● It is not the having of sin that bringeth shame, but the sense of it; for when as we shall have it clear to our understanding, how bad a companion it is, and how much harm it hath done us, and how great danger it hath drawn us into it makes us ashamed. 1 What will make a man ashamed sooner than the apprehension, and sight of his own nakedness? Gen. 2.25. So soon as Adam saw his nakedness he even out of shame went and hid himself in the garden among the bushes, this was not so much because of the nakedness of his body, for so he was before, but his sin, not for the want of apparel, as for the want of righteousness, that made him ashamed. Again, when a man considers that he is not only naked, but that sin hath defiled him, and made him a most defiled and monstrous creature: this makes him the more astonished at God's great patience, that suffereth him to live, and to abhor himself as one of the most wretched & miserable men under heaven. 3 When we consider the contempt that sin brings on us, that is not only a burden to us, but it makes us oftentimes odious to the sight of men, and always contemptible on the sight of God: thence it was, that the Prophet setting out the vileness of our natural condition, sets it out by such an one as no eye pitied, Eph. 16. none looked with compassion on him, when he lay polluted in his blood, he was then cast out into the open field, to the loathing of his person, so is it with every man by nature, when he comes to see into what contempt and disgrace he hath brought himself, both with God and man, will he not be ashamed, surely if there be any spark of grace, he will abhor himself in dust and ashes, job. 42.5. and labour to buy of Christ white raiment, that the shame of his nakedness may not appear. Rev. 3. If any shall say, that men may be ashamed of their sin, and yet the heart not broken; to which we answer, that there is a large difference between them. 1 They differ in their objects, a man whose heart is truly sensible of that disgrace, that lieth upon him from God, this is that makes him ashamed, as it was said of Miriam, when she was smitten with leprosy, and Moses prayed unto the Lord, Nu. 12.14. that he would heal her, the Lord answered Moses, saying, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed? & so say I, that when God powereth contempt on a man unto whom he hath been gracious, and favourable, so as he casts out his petitions, and will not hear, nor answer them; he casts him into darkness, and setteth his sins in order before him, and suffers him to lie in the deep, Esa 6.5. as jonah among the weeds: this makes a gracious man greatly ashamed: but now the shame that a wicked man hath, it is most of all in respect of men; they think they shall escape the reproach from God well enough, job 22.13. were it so they could but escape those disgraces, and disparagements that do fall on them from men, they say, that heaven is so high that God cannot hear: can he judge through the dark clouds? Thence it was Saul desired to be honoured among the people, 1 Sam. 13.30. though otherwise he would have gloried in his shame: Ph. 3.19. in one word; where the shame of men doth more bridle us from sin, than the fear of God, it is clear to me, that we prefer our credit above our conscience; I read of Paphnutius, a learned; Theatr. Hist. p. 533 and pious Bishop, at the Council of Nice, that being alured by a harlot to incontinency, she brings him into a very dark room, he looking sadly about him, said: I am afraid that some body seethe, never doubt, saith she, none but only God seethe us here, but (saith he) if God doth see us, how dare we do that in the sight of God, that we dare not do in the sight of men? 2 They differ in their continuance, for the longer that a wicked man lives, the harder his heart grows, and the less sin and shame hath he of his sins. Hazael could not think that ever he should prove so bad and so bold a sinner as was prophesied of him, no man is the worst, 2 King. 8.13. at first: but grows to it by degrees, Domitius Nero for the first five years of his reign; he was so fair, and so favourable, as it was called Neronis Quinquennium. But after he broke forth into such foul, and bloody sins, as made him both hateful to God, and man. But now on the other side, the longer a good man lives, the more is his sense, and sorrow for his sins, and the more he is ashamed of them: there ever the burden of them is the more heavy, job. 13.26. and the memory is the more grievous unto him, yea the sins of his youth: thou writest bitter things against me; and makest me to possess the sins of my youth. Briefly, that I may end this point, if you can step over those sins, now without remorse or shame that before time would have made you ashamed, you may well suspect yourselves to be let lose to hardness of your own hearts, and given over to reprobate sense; but if on the contrary, you feel a stronger distaste of sin, so as it is not committed without grief, nor thought upon without blushing, if you be thus ashamed of your sins, God will not be ashamed of you at the last day. 3 They differ in these operations, and manner of working, for though a wicked man may, when he hath sinned, and he is under the guilt, and punishment of some heinous offence, sometime be humbled for it, and blush at the remembrance of it; yet it works no change in him, it doth not alter him to any purpose, it may do, peradventure, as the Angel unto Balaam for the time, turn him aside, or stop him a little while, Prov. 5.22. Nune pr●mam adverte sp●nsae verecundiam, est expugnatrix mal●rum, pr●pugnatrix puritatis innate, specialis gl●ria, conscientia fama oustos, vitae decus, virtutis sedes, virtutum primitia, naturae laus, & insignetotius honesti. Ber. in Serm. 86. Cant. but not long; he goeth on still, till he perish by the wages of iniquity, and be taken in the cords of his own sins. On the other side, he that is truly bash full for his sins, he hath taken such a distaste against them, as that neither the flattering baits of the flesh, nor the golden showers of the mammon of iniquity, can persuade with him, to take pleasure in sin, any more, yea this holy bashfulness is like the flaming sword that kept the gate of Paradise that fallen man could not make any entry, for when we are ashamed of our sins, it wards the gates of our hearts, and keeps us in that we rush not into sin again, for when God smites the conscience, and reproves it savingly for its sins; it makes Iob's reply, Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee: I will lay my hand upon my mouth, job 40.4.5. once have I spoken, but I will not answer, yea twice, but I will proceed no further. 3 Now come we to the third property of a broken, 3 Indignation. and bleeding heart: that is, where there is a hearty, 2 Cor. 7.11. and holy indignation against sin. The Apostle speaking of godly sorrow: Lo, saith he, what indignation hath it wrought: there is a twofold indignation, the former is ira subita, a sudden anger, that is, when men are soon angry, and soon pleased: as it was with David, what a pelting chafe was he in, against Nabal, what big words doth he break into, while he is going down the hill, how doth he upbraid his Churlish behaviour; and tells what havoc he will make amongst them before the next morning; yet by & by, when Abigail meets him with a small gift, with a few soft words she turns away his wrath, and all is well agains: so is it in this case do you not see many a man that when sin gauls him, O how bitter, and boisterous he is against his lusts, But now when as this corrupt heart of ours, shall but deck herself with some fair and plausible excuse, and bring some present in her hand of gain or pleasure, the matter is taken up, and the contention is at an end, and lust and he are grown good friends. 2 But now there is another indignation, that is called ira permanens, that doth continue, and remaineth with a man, so as it is with some men, that when they are once out and angry with a man they are never pleased again. This kind is no way good but against sin, and then it is exceeding good; we are charged not to let the sun go down upon our wrath, neither to give place to the devil, Eph. 4.26. but in this case we must suffer the sun to go down upon this indignation against this body of sin, or else we give place to the devil. 2 King. 13.18. When Elisha bid Joash King of Israel to smite the ground with his arrows; The text saith, he smote the ground thrice, and stayed, which if he had done five or six times, he had utterly consumed his enemies. It is so in this case, some men will be angry sometimes with their sins, it may be twice or thrice in their lives, but if they would continue their indignation, and smite on, they would at last utterly confound their sins, and subdue them. The way to avoid the anger of God, is to be angry with ourselves, for if we judge ourselves we shall not be judged of God at the last, and great day, this is our comfort that are angry with our lust: we can never be angry too much, you cannot hate them more than they do deserve: but as the Israelites were never to make please with Amalecke, so no more must we with our sins. 4 Revenge. 4 The last property of a broken and a bleeding heart is a holy revenge; now a revenge is a dealing in like manner with sin, as it hath dealt with us; for as much as lusts are those enemies that war against our souls, we must be courageous to war against them, that thereby we may revenge ourselves of our sins, and then do we do this great work. 1 When we do abstain from the use of those things that are in themselves lawful, 2 Cor. 7.11. when we have unlawfully abused them; as suppose we, a man that hath been an immoderate drinker of wine, whereby he hath not only abused the creature of God, but made himself for the time, of a reasonable man, like unto an unreasonable beast, or suppose we another, that hath been given to immoderate gaming, as hunting, hawking, bouling, and hath made these which were for his recreation to become, as it were, his vocation. In such a case as this, if it might not tend to the too much loss of his health, or danger of his life, it were good for a man to abstain altogether from them, at least for some time, as a revenge of his former abuse of them. Again, if that these, or the like immoderate recreations have kept us from the service of God, either in the public assembly, or in our private closerts, it should be our care and endeavour to recompense, our slothfulness with double diligence. A man that would avenge himself of his lusts, he must pursue them, as the avenger of blood did the man slayer, or malefactor, that unless he was gotten into the city of refuge, he was surely slain; so must we do, hunt them out, let them not rest in any corner of our hearts, for if sin may but find any little resting place in our souls, it will not out, and as long as sin rests in us, Christ will not rest, therefore you must not cease till you have driven it out of your bounds. It was a good speech of Sarah, Gen. 21.9.10. Cast out (saith she) the bond woman and her son; for he shall not be heir with my son: so say I to you, Esa. 2.20. cast away your transgressions, for these two, Christ and sin; grace and lust will not inhabit together. 3 The last thing in revenge is, that we should show no pity or compassion on our lusts: when a man shall neither spare great nor small sins. Deut. 33.9. It was the blessing that Moses gave to the Tribe of Levy, that he should say to his father and mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren: nor knew his own children, so it should be here, that we should regard no lust, though it might be so dear as a man's Parents, or children to him, yet should he have no pity. Saint Hierome gives the reason why we should be so void of pity, Hier. Ep. ad Heliodor. Licet parvulus ex collo pendeat nepos, licet sparse crine, scisiis vestibus ubera, quibus te nutriit, mater ostondat, licet in limine pater jaceat, percalcatum perge Patrem siccis ocults ad v●icillum crucis: evola solum p●etatis genus, in hac re est esse crudelem. Hier. ibid. Ecce adversarius in pectore tuo, qui Christum conatur occidere: behold there is an enemy within you, that doth endeavour to slay Christ, therefore saith he, neither father nor mother, nor kinsman should prevail with us to keep us in our sins, but we should shake off all; and follow Christ, though it be to the loss of all things else, for this kind of cruelty, is the height & top of true piety. The righteous shall rejoice, when he seethe the vengeance; and wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, Psalm. 58.10. And how great joy will that be when as a Christian shall see the revenge upon his sins, that they that were his enemies are fallen before him: it is hard unto flesh and blood to be thus cruel, especially against himself, as to turn his mirth into mourning; his hours of recreation into times of devotion: to beat down his body, by fasting; and to afflict his soul with shame and sorrow. This I say is difficult, but yet, 1 Sam. 6.10. if you would overcome nature, you must become in this thing unnatural, as it was said of those two Kine that had their calves taken from them, that were appointed to draw the ark of God; they went along the high way lowing as they went, until they came to the coasts of Israel, a strange thing it was, and it may seem to be unnatural, that they should leave their calves, and do thus; yet they did it because it was Gods work; so I may say, that though this may seem unnatural, and a kind of cruelty, yet we must set upon it because it is God's work; Ps. 137.9. happy is that man that takes these brats of Babylon & dashes their heads against the stones, for in not pitying of them, he pitieth his soul. CAP. XV. Showing the great necessity of contrition, which is fourfold. 1 A necessity of th● precept. 2 THe second thing is, the necessity of a broken heart. In point of mortification there is necessitas precepti, of God's command, he hath commanded us to do this duty, he hath commanded us to mourn, they should weep as a Virgin girded with sackcloth, for the husband of her youth, and so turn to the Lord: joel 1.8. where there is the greatest love there should be the greatest sorrow, now the first love is the greatest love, and therefore the first loss doth require the greatest sorrow. 1 Which doth show unto us, that nothing should be more grievous to us, than our sins, seeing God hath commanded it as a thing necessary to this work, why should we not do it? Again, we are enjoined shame, thence it was in the Law, that when they had transgressed the Commandments of the Lord, Neh. 9.1. they used to put sackcloth on their loins, jer. 4●. ●7. and pour ashes on their heads, being tokens of shame and sorrow. Again, Psal 39.3. we are commanded to before displeased with our sins. David's heart was hot within him: and the heart of Ios●ah was melted at the abominations of those times, and the great transgression against God's Law: this is that the Lord doth require; Lastly, that there should be a holy revenge, I suppose that vow of of the Nazarite; that he should abstain from wines, and from the husks of the grapes, was chief ordained, as holy revenge upon occasion of the abuse of the good creature of God. Now whatsoever God commandeth us, that is necessary, but you see that God hath commanded us to labour for a contrite and a bleeding heart, therefore it is necessary, as the servant of Naaman the Syrian said unto him, 2 King● 5. ●3. If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it, how much more then, when he saith to thee, wash and be clean: so say I, if God should command you some great thing, for the mortification of your sins, and the salvation of your souls; suppose it were to go barefoot to Jerusalem, or to bestow all your goods on the poor, or give the first borne of your body for the sin of your soul, would you not do it, how much rather then, Psal. 51.17 when he saith only this, that a broken and a contrite heart shall stand instead of all these. 2 There is necessitas medii, a necessity of the means, 2 Of the means. it is a special means, that this body of sin may be subdued, for as it is with water, when it overflows the ground, it drives out moles, and worms, and other such creatures, 2 Cor. 7.11. as do infest, and annoy the ground, and eat up the roots of plants fit to become food for man: so it is with true contrition, it doth so overflow the heart with godly sorrow, as that it drives out these troublesome Inhabitants that do annoy our spirits, and would spoil those good beginnings of grace in us, therefore put we ourselves on the means, and stand not like the hand that is set up to guide us the way, and yet moves not itself. But if we know these things blessed are we if we do them; if you say, that to do thus is troublesome to flesh and blood, I answer, it may be so, but as we say that, sometimes the things that are not the most toothsome, are very wholesome and good, so howsoever they may be some trouble, yet so long as this trouble doth free us from a greater trouble, all is well; it is better to mourn here where we have comfort, than to mourn and burn in hell, where we can neither have ease nor remedy. Again, our comfort will recompense our trouble; for every hour of grief shall be recompensed with thousands of years of joy and consolation; when a man hath been ten thousand years in heaven, and then shall look bacl and consider what a short time of sorrow it was that he endured, and withal how many millions of years are behind, which can never expire; I conceive, it will not repent him, that he hath repent, nor grieve him, that he hath mourned. In one word, this necessity is confirmed by the practice of such, as are gone to heaven already, as Saint Paul that did struggle with his corruption, and beat down his body, Num. 7.27. and Saint Peter, and David, and the rest. 1 Cor. 9 And it is prophesied of the people of God, that they should go weeping to seek the Lord, jer. 51.4.5. and should ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, saying, come let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten Comfort yourselves therefore in the use of good means for your passage through the valley of Baca, Psal. 84.6.7 or valley of mourning, is to meet the Lord in Zion. 3 Of our actions. 3 It's necessary in respect of all our actions, that they may be right, it is necessary that they should come from such a heart as hateth sin. Psal. 66. 1●. For if I regard wickedness in my bear't the Lord will not hear my prayer: now a man is said to regard wickedness, when the parting with it is grievous unto him, as it was when Abraham was bidden by Sarah to cast out Ishmael, Gen. 21. the matter was very grievous unto him, because he did regard and love him: so it is, when we respect and love our sins, we will be loath to part with them, and then know that what action soever you do, Luk. 16.15. you cannot please God. The reason is, because God he judgeth of a man's actions according to his heart, which if that be unsound, then will all the actions be no better. Thence i● the complaint made by the Prophet; Es. 33.31. they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, they hear my words but they will not do them, for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts go after their covetousness; while men deal thus with God, and behave themselves no better in his service, they may not unfitly be compared to the Waterman, that while he roweth one way, he looks another; wash your hands therefore ye sinners, and cleanse your hearts, Jam. 4.8. ye double minded men; wash your hands by reformation, (and your hearts by true contrition) otherwise you are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double minded; Mat. 12.33 therefore make the tree good and the fruit will be good, therefore now if your heart be good, so will your actions be; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, the hand worketh, the ear hearkneth, and the whole man moveth: Therefore there must be great need of contrition to the end. 4. Of the way that is made for Christ. 4. There is a necessity of it in this regard, in as much as it makes way for Christ to dwell in our hearts: Esa. 5.7.15 Luk. 14.15 when our blessed Saviour tells his Disciples whither they should go, and where he would eat the Pass over; you shall find (saith he) an upper room furnished and prepared, there make ready for us; so it is also in this case, into what heart Christ intends to come, and to make it his Chamber of presence; Eph. 3.17. it must be prepared for him by true humility and contrition of spirit; wash you, make you clean, etc. Esa. 1.16.18. and then come, saith God, and let us reason together, till than you are not fit to draw near unto God. When the people of Isreal had committed the great sin in the making of a Calse, the Lord tells them, Exod. 3 3. that so long as they kept their ornaments on them, it was in vain to make suit unto him; put off therefore (saith he) your ornaments, Eph. 4.22. that I may know what to do unto you: so must we, if we expect Christ to come into our hearts, put off the old man which is corrupt by deceitful lusts, so long as lust rules and reigns in the heart, so long Christ is kept out; but now when by true contrition we cast away our transgressions, and banish out the old inhabitants, than Christ he will enter in and dwell there; but first he will cast out buyers and sellers, and money changers, they shall not nest and rest themselves in his Temple, he will cast out and overcome the world, and our strong corruption, and make us to abhor and avenge ourselves of our sins; then he will say, this is my house, here will I dwell, and I will establish it on such a foundation, as the gates of hell cannot prevail against. CAP. XVI. The third more near degree of Mortification in the kill of sin. THe last degree of mortification is the slaying of sin, the execution of it, whereby we are said to be crucified unto the world, Gal. 6.14. that is, I am not so low and vile in the esteem of the world; Rom. 6.6. but the world is as base and contemptible unto me; the same Apostle shows that the end why Christ was crucified, was that the body of sin might be destroyed. What kind of death the death to sin is. 1. This destruction and death of sin is a linger death, a man dieth by degrees; as the death of the Cross was, they hung a long while before they died; and the more strength the longer: so the stronger that sin is, the longer it will be a dying; as it is with a man that doth beleaguer a strong fort, and where stout and valiant men are, they will suffer much penury and hardship, and hardly be brought to yield until the last man: so is it in such a case, here is such a strong hold of carnal reasons and corrupt lusts set up within us, and be fortified by Satan, and strong and desperate resolutions; that it will be a long time before we can get the upper hand, and the victory over them; and when we have gotten the victory, yet still they will trouble, and disquiet our peace; as the Lord would not drive out all those Nations from among the people of Israel, Josh. 23.13. but they were as thorns in their eyes, and scourges in their sides, and were not utterly cast out: so may I say, that these lusts they will be so unto us; all that we can do will be this, not to suffer them to reign, and to weaken their strength by degrees. 2. It is a painful death, to mortify and to kill sin, it cannot be done without much pain; hence it is called Circumcision, Jer. 4.4. circumcise yourselves unto the Lord, and take away the fore-skinnes of your hearts, that this was a sore and painful thing, may appear in the soreness of the men of Sheehem the third day; Gen, 34.25 and by that speech of Zipporah unto Moses, a bloody husband thou art; Exod. 4.26. because of the Circumcision; and indeed, when we consider what prayers, what tears, what revenge, and what wrestling it hath or may cost you; you will say that there is need of much faith to defend yourselves, much skill in God's word to offend your enemy, and much patience, that in the midst of this conflict that you may not break out against God into impatient speeches; Pro. 14, 10. the heart (in this case) knows his own bitterness, no man else can tell it, nor is able to express it; what sightings and fears within, and what troubles without; as that the poor soul finds such waves and storms in his conscience that he is like Noah's Dove, knows not where to rest his foot, not where to rest his soul; as you may see in the case of Job, and Paul: and many times strong Christians are not without strong assaults and conflicts, the enemy when he is a dying, is often the most desperate; and sometime good men apt to be surprised with spiritual pride, and to think that either he is so good, he ought not, or so strong he feareth not to be tempted, in such a a case he hath need of a temptation that he may the better know himself, and seek out unto Christ, as they when they were tossed with the waves (say) help Master, Mat. 8.26. or else we perish. 3. Though sin cannot be utterly subdued, yet may it be greatly diminished; and the power of it enervated and abated, though the Canaanites were not utterly subdued, yet were they very low brought; so sin may by this work of mortification be brought very low, as it was with the widow of Zarephta, her store was so wasted that she had no more but a handful of Meal in a Barrel, and a little Oil in a Cruse, which she was about to dress for herself and her son, and then to eat it, and after die. Now it is a great comfort unto a man when a man can attain to this. 1. That he can keep his heart that sin do not at any time break out into any gross act. Luke 1.6. Gen. 5.24. It is said of Zacharias and Eliz. that they walked in all the Commandments of God without rebuke; that is, though they were not without their infirmities; yet were they without rebuke, in respect of any crime or gross sin: yet here is a large difference between such as do only restrain and keep in sin, for some by end, and such as these to whom sin is in some measure mortified, even as much as there is between the beating out of the teeth of a Lion, and the changing of his nature; thence it is that this work makes us of Lions to become as meek as Lambs; Is. 11.6. so as the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down, with the Kid and the Calse and the young Lion and the fatling together, & a little child shall lead them: again, though a wicked man may curb and keep in sin, yet can he not kill and destroy sin; and the reason is this, because he wants special and spiritual means; sin will not be driven out with great words, Is. 58, 6. nor by spreading sackcloth and ashes under you; nor hanging down your heads like a bulrush for a day, but there must be in us the love of God, which will make us to departed from iniquity. 2. It is a great comfort when sin is so overpowerd as it doth not divert us from duty, I do not say distracted us in the performance of them, for there is no man without them, for when we are the best employed about our devotions; as reading, hearing, praying, or mediration, then is the adversary most busy to disquiet our peace, and to hinder us in our work; Zach. 3.1. when J●hoshuah the high Priest was standing before the Angel of the Lord, Neh. 4.18. there Satan stood at his right hand; yet you may have good comfort in this, when you go on in your work as they that builded up the wall of jerusalem; though they were much distracted, and disquieted by their enemies, yet did they hold on their work, though it was with their swords by their sides: so a good Christian, albeit he hath many distractions, yet he goes on in duty, and will not be diverted from it, as it was with David when Michal his wife spoke against him for his dancing before the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 6.20 21, 22, 23. he made his reply, that if that were vile, he would yet be more vile; so it is with a mortified man, that though there were never so many impediments, and stumbling blocks laid in his way, of the loss and discredit, he shall sustain, yet he looks more at the praise of God then of men, and knoweth that what is highly pleasing in the sight of men is displeasing in the sight of God, Luk 16.15. and therefore takes up Saint Paul's resolution when they besought him that he would not go up to jerusalem, Acts 21.12 13. in regard of the present danger that they did foresee, howbeit Saint Paul being bound in the Spirit for the work of the Lord, asketh them what they mean to break his heart, seeing he was ready not only to be bound at jerusalem, but to die there for the name of the Lord Jesus; so is it with him that is truly humbled, that nothing diverteth him from the duty. 3. It is a great comfort unto a Christian, Acts 8.39. when he hath so conquered and overpowered his corruptions, and that they take not away his joy and consolation that he hath in Christ, neither can Satan take such advantage by them to despoil us of our crown; 2 Cor. 〈…〉 5. thence it is that Saint Paul saith he will glory in his infirmities, that though he might glory in those heavenly visions that he had, yet he would rather glory in them, for though in a large sense, every sin is called an infirmity, because it disableth a man from the performance of duty; but in a strict sense no man can be said to have infirmities, unless that sin in some measure be mortified; for in an unmortified man sin is alive and in his full strength, and his soul is void of grace: but now in a man that is truly mortified, there grace receives strength, and sin is wounded; and so such a man is the proper subject of infirmities; now when the Apostle saith, that he doth rejoice in his infirmities, he doth not rejoice in his infirmities, as they are sins, Matth. 10. but as they are infirmities; that is, as sin was deforced and diminished in him, and therein he had cause of joy; and we also when we find it so in us, if the Disciples rejoiced that the Devils were subdued by them; much more may we that the body of sin is destroyed, and that which is worse than the Devil is subdued by us, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, Jam. 1: 2.3. knowing that the trial of our saith worketh patience, and patience makes perfect and entire: we are but in this case, as gold that is put into the Furnace, that comes out more pure, and are made by that means vessels of honour, fit for the use of our great Master, our Lord and Saviour Christ. CAP. XVII. Certain signs of a dying man. 2 I Come now to show unto you certain signs of a dying man, whereby you may see whether that you be in such a case, yea or no; it would be in vain to show you signs of a dead man, for as much as there is no perfection of death of sin in our souls; as there is no perfection of grace, so neither is there (as we have formerly showed) perfection of mortification; 1 Cor. 13. only as hath been showed we are daily a dying, but not fully dead. 1. A man is said to be a dying man when his stomach fails, when he hath no appetite to his food; when we have no stomach to sin, no appetite after it, when we feel no such sweetness in it as we have done, when we esteem the profits and pleasures of fin as an empty vessel; in one word, when all of them are bitter unto us, and tastlesse in respect of what they have been to us before time: 2 Sam. 19.35. as old Barzillai said to David, can thy servant taste what Teat or what I drink; can I hear any more the voice of singing men or singing women, vers. 37. etc. Let me turn bacl that I may die, etc. Just thus it is when a man feele● his affection off from his sin, that he can neither relish their sweernes, nor be alured with their pleasant songs, to be drawn bacl unto them: again, it is a good evidence that sin is a dying, and declining in him, I deny not but time may wear out our appetite unto some sins as an old man, that hath been given in his youth to lust and voluptuousness, may leave them, but yet he liveth still in some other sin which is equivalent, and as dangerous to his soul; yea, and when his natural appetite is taken away, ye● his sinful appetite may remain, so that when a man wants strength to sin, yet may he have a mind to sin, and wish that he were young again that he might sinne. Whereas, were sin mortified, these sinful affections would ●ye sooner than our natural. 2. A man is then a dying man when he is a burden to himself, whereas he is not able to bear his own weight; when you see a man hardly able to go on his legs, you say that unless he do recover again he is not like to continue long; so say I, inregard of sin, then when you see a man that feels and finds sin to be such a burden, as he is not able to bear, but groans under the burden of it; that assuredly than sin is a dying; Rom. 8.23. well may sin make us groan and buckle under it, when it makes the whole creation groan; nay, that which is so heavy a burden, as the Lord that made heaven and earth, and bears them up by his own power, and never complains of the burden of them, Complains of this, behold I am pressed down under you, Amos 2.13. as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves: you therefore that feel your sins to be no burden, but can carry your sins away with you as easily as Samson carried the gates of Gaza upon his shoulders; Judg: 16.3. it is an argument that you are Sampson-like in your sin●, sin doth abide in you in its full strength, if some man shall say, I hope I shall do well then, for I find sin a heavy burden; but I would ask him this question then, whether do you find sin a burden in regard of itself, or in regard of some circumstance that doth depend upon it; as namely, the wrath of God, or the shame and disgrace that you may have among men by it: if that sin be the burden, than your case is good, if not, then may you suspect yourselves to be unsound; as suppose a man that hath a certain quantity of sponge on his back, which he carrieth lightly away, but now this man traveleth all a sore rainy day which doth so fill the sponge with water, that his burden that was light before, now becomes intolerable; so it is in this case, it is not the weight of sin that troubles them, they carry it roundly away; but now that which troubles them, is those showers of wrath from Heaven, and that shame and contempt that they receive from men, that makes them to cry out as Kain did, my punishment i● greater than I can bear, where as the penalty that is annexed unto sin, were the sin removed moved off to a mortified man it would seem light and little, 3. A man may then be said to be a dying man when as his disease prevails upon him, so as he hath less power to resist it, every day than other: so likewise when that sin decayeth and doth languish away in us, and grace doth so prevail and get the upper hand, as that corruption and sin is not able to stand against it, as it hath done; the understanding is so fare convinced by the clear light that shines into it, that it is not able to stand nor shift any longer, but it is beaten off from all those false reasonings, Prox. 3.5. secret turn, and cunning equivocations, so as a man dares not any longer rest on it; the will is also fairly persuaded, and will resist the holy Ghost no longer, but yields up the hold unto Christ, and saith, Lord, not my will, but thy will be done. Hence cometh a general mortification of the affections and lusts; Gal. 5.24. by affections understand those inordinate affections which bear sway in the hearts of men; as immoderate anger, grief, also pride, unnatural affections; and by lusts, all insatiable desires after the things of this life, they are now all crucified, so as they will yield no more blind obedience, either to sin or Satan, so as grace hath drawn the strength of the soul unto it, and cutteth off that wherein the great strength of corruption lay. It is reported Cyrus finding the City of Babylon impregnable, and almost impossible to be taken by land, by reason of a great wall that did compass it on the one side, and finding the river Ephrates to hem it in on the other side, caused his soldiers to cut the river into many channels, and to divert it another way, and so surprised the City, and subdued it; just thus it is when we shall divert those noble faculties of the soul another way; namely from taking part with sin, to take part with God, it will not then be hard to mortify and subdue our corruptions; if it shall be said, then how cometh it to pass then that men after that they be grown Christians that they fall into such sins: I answer, it is not because sin is stronger but either by reason of their slothfulness or spiritual pride, or else by violence of something which may befall them while they resting, careless, and secure are supprized and overtaken, which howsoever there be neither want of strength, nor weakness of Grace; yet for want of watchfulness this may befall a good man, as it did David and Peter; yet let me add this one thing, that is, that this in the event turns to a greater good, and for the time to come, to make us more careful to gird our armour about us, and more watchful that we sin no more; the child (as it is in the Proverb) dreads the fire: so will a Christian that hath been once scorched by such a temptation. CAP. XVIII. Showing the third, articular that is the means whereby this work is done, and that is by the spirit. COme we now to the third particular, and that is the means whereby this great work of mortification, is effected and brought to pass, for the better understanding of this particular, observe these two propositions. 1. First, that the spirit must be had of us. 2. That we must by the help and assistance of the spirit mortify our sinful nature. 1. For the former, that we must have the spirit; there is great necessity of this, for than we are in the spirit, Rom. 8.9. when the spirit dwelleth in us, and if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his, God saith that in the time of the Gospel he would pour upon them, Zac. 13.10. the spirit of grace, & supplication, that is, as they were anointed with oil, that undertook any special office: so Christians, when they are made by grace Kings and Priests unto God, they have this oil of the spirit poured into their hearts, our blessed Saviour confirms this, unto us in that speech to Nichodemus, that which is borne of the spirit is spirit. joh. 3.6. As Adam begot a man in his own likeness: so the spirit it begetteth us like unto itself; holy as it is holy, heavenly as it is heavenly. For the better understanding of the point in hand, know that the spirit is to be considered 2. ways; either according to its essence, or according to his gifts & graces, now according to its essence and being, it is every where, it filleth heaven & earth, as it is excluded out of no place; so neither is it included in any, but in this sense, we can no more be said to have the spirit than other men, and creatures can, in whom, and by whom we all live, move, & have our being: Act. 17.28. but in the second sense, in respect of its gifts and graces, so some men are said in special, to have the spirit as the spirit quickens, 2 Cor. 3.6. and conveyeth a principle of life into us, whereby we live the life of grace, and that is called spiritus inhabitans, that takes up his seat in our heart, and spiritus obsignans, jam. 4.5. that sealing spirit, whereby the spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sons of God: now in this sense we may be said to have the spirit. Rom. 8.16. 2 That there must by the help & assistance of the spirit, Mortify the deeds of the body: Ez. 36.27. a new bear't will I give you, and I will take away your stony heart, etc. that is, that this mighty power of the spirit, is that which will help forward, to the taking away of this stony heart, the Lord is said to wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion: and to purge the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of Judgement, Esa 41.4. and the spirit of burning, that is, this spirit shall be in us, and shall enable us to judge ourselves, and kindle such a fire in us, as shall melt away the dross of our corruption. That you may the better understand, what assistance it is that the spirit giveth unto us, in this work of mortification, give me leave to lay down unto you these three things. 1 By what means the spirit works, or helpeth forward this work of mortification: although I deny not but the spirit may & can work, where it listeth, and when it listeth, joh. 3.8. either by means, or above means, yet our task is at this time to show how it worketh by means. 1 It awakeneth conscience, it doth convince us of sin, and discovereth unto us the greatness of their number, and the foulness of their nature, thence it is that Christ, when he cometh, doth convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; of sin, because they believe not on him, that howsoever the guilt of the Law lie heavy, joh. 16.8, 9, 10. and the weight there of as a penalty, greater than a man can tell how to bear: yet then to have added hereunto another conviction, that is the conder●ning sin of infidelity, joh. 3.18. this doth much aggravate, Mar. 16.16 and make sin out of measure sinful; therefore it is that our Saviour Christ saith, that he that believeth not is condemned already; as if he should have said, if a man were a drunkard, or a swearer, or a profane person, and yet if he can believe, there is hope of pardon, but so long as he doth not believe, there is no hope at all, for as much as he is without God, and without the Covenant of Grace: Eph. 2.12. now the spirit when it cometh convinceth our judgements of this: till such time as the spirit hath done this, we are like jonah, fast asleep in the bottime of the ship, the sea rageth, the Mariner's row, the waves beat, the ship is tossed up and down, yet all this doth but rock jonah faster a sleep, jona 1.6. till the shipmaster comes to him, and says, What meanest thou, etc. thou sleeper arise and call upon thy God, etc. So it is with us, while we are asleep in our sins, the heavy wrath of God hangs over our heads, yea and the judgements of God are abroad in the world, yet we lie fast asleep, senseless, and secure, not dreading any anger: but now, when this blessed spirit of Christ shall waken us, and show us the danger, and ask us what we mean to continue in this condition; then we begin to bethink ourselves, and to shake off sluggishness, and to cast about for our own safety. Act. 9.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Saul thought himself safe enough when he was a persecutor, and that authority that he had from the Highpriest, was sufficient to bear him out that while he did breath out slaughter against Christ, joh. 16.2. he thought he had done God good service, till Christ caused a light to shine from heaven, and a voice saying, Saul, Saul; why persecutest thou me? this indeed wakened him, and made him shake and tremble, and say, Who art thou Lord? and what wouldst thou have me to do: by this means it was that Paul of a persecutor becometh a preacher, & had his corruptions, and cruel dispositions changed in him, that of a fierce lion, he became as meek as a lamb. 2 The spirit of Christ it setteth home the means that God useth for our mortification, 2 Cor. 10.4. the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God; it is God that puts virtue, and strength into them: now there are several sorts of weapons that the Holy Ghost useth for this end, as 1 The preaching of the Word of God, it is called the ministration of the spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. it is called the two edged sword, Heb. 4.12. that which is sharper, that it cuts asunder the soul and the spirit, the joints and the ma●row and discovereth the secret intents of our hearts, 2 Cor. 4.7. but what is that that makes this word so powerful? Sure it is the Holy Spirit of God that doth it, we have this Word in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us, it is not the Ministry that can make the word virtual, and powerful, nor is it in the letter of the Word, but in the spirit, therefore when you come to the Word and hear it opened unto you, 1 Cor. 3.6. do not look at the man, who he is, nor the instrument, but at the power which is from the spirit: Saint Paul may plant, & Apollo's water, but it is God that must give the increase, when it pleaseth God to accompany his word, jer. 23.29. with the influence of his spirit, then is it like fire to purge out our dross, and like the hammer that breaks in sunder our hard hearts: that as Moses when he smote with his rod the rock, Num. 2●. 1●. the water came abundantly: so when God smites our hearts, with the rod of his Word, it is able to dissolve our hearts into tears, and godly sorrow unto repentance not to be repent of. 2 The spirit sets home afflictions, and troubles to make them virtual, and efficacious to the subduing of our corruptions, Zach. 13.9. I will bring a third part through the fire, I will refine them as silver is refined; and will try them as gold is tried, and they shall call upon my name, and I will hear them, etc. When God takes us in hand, than all the hurt that we receive by our afflictions, Esa 27.7.9. is the taking away of our sins, all the fruit of their afflictions was to the end that thereby the iniquity of Jacob might be purged. God suffered the bush to burn, but yet it was not consumed because the Lord was in the midst of it. The Finer is most careful of his gold when it is in the furnace, and so is God for our good, in the time of our afflictions, as he said periissem nisi periissem; I had perished if I had not perished. Many good Christian may say, that if he had not had crosses, and losses in the world, he had lost his soul. We read of some of the Martyrs that have blessed God that ever they came to prison for Christ's sake, that when they became man's bondmen, than were they Christ's freemen, and could as comfortably feed on brown bread, & rouse in the straw, as on a bed of down. What a marvellous change was wrought in Manasse, 2 Chro. 33. from v. 1. to 14. who in his prosperity was most wicked, he fell to the Idolatry of the Heathen used enchantment, witchcraft, caused Jerusalem to swim with blood, yet in his affliction, how did he humble himself? greatly. How mightily was he then wrought upon! how did his heart smite him! Whence was this but from the spirit of God, that persuaded his heart unto it, for if that God's spirit go not at long with those afflictions, that are on men, they are never the better, but the worse for them: as you see it said of him; that said; because the evil was from the Lord, 2 King. 6.33. he saw no reason to wait any longer, and so it was of King Ahaz, 2 Cron. 28. that in his extremity, he sinned yet more and more, therefore the Holy Ghost doth brand him with this infamous note, this is that King Ahaz, that is he that afflictions could not mend, nor make better. And indeed when as it is so, that affliction doth men no good, it is to be feared, that they have rejected the last remedy that God means to bestow upon them, and God may say to them, Why should I smite them any more. Isa 1.5. 3 The spirit setteth home examples of good men, and maketh them means to mortify our sins, when we see men weaned from the world, upright in their ways, charitable to the poor, temperate in the use of the creatures; holy, humble, and full of good fruits; such a man's life, when God pleaseth to set it on, doth make other men repent, and by seeing their good works, to glorify God, Show thyself in all things a pattern of good works: Mat. 5.16. now a pattern is a rule for others to follow: Tit. 2.7. examples teach sooner than precepts, and are more easy to the understanding to learn, and also are more speedily taken into practice. Longum ●ter por praecepta offica●, & breve per exemplu. Sen. . A notional goodness is little worth, unless some demonstration may be given of it, in point of practice, this we read of Hezek●ah, 2 King. 18.3. that he did walk in all the ways of his father David, 2 King. 22.2. and of josiah after him; much more are godly men's examples very efficacious, in their sufferings, and in their deaths, when the spirit shall join with them: jam. 5.11. as how hath the patience of job been a pattern unto succeeding posterities, job 1.21. we want not many examples to prove, how the blood of the Martyrs have been the seed of the Church; 2 King. 6.22, 23. If Elisha did so calm the Syrians by that example of patience, and kindness, so that they came no more to annoy, and infest, their land; how much more may the patience of godly men persuade others to lay aside their cruelty, and mortify their strong corruptions? CAP. XIX. The manner how the spirit doth mortify corruption. COme we now to the manner how the spirit doth mortify corruption. 1 The spirit showeth the way how we should mortify the corruptions, Esa 30.21. thou shalt hear a voice behind thee, saying, this is the way walk in it. When ye turn to the left hand, or to the right, it carries us through, were it not for this assistance we should either stand still, go no further, or else turn aside, either on the right hand to superstition; Esa 50. to walk in the light of our own sparks, and in the fire that we have kindled: or on the left hand, to profaneness, and to hardness of heart, & to commit iniquity with unsatiable greediness, therefore that prayer of Moses should be ours, Exo. 33.13. O Lord, if I have found grace in thy sight show me thy way now a man is then in God's way, when he goeth about his work with carefulness, Prov. 45.10. & 15. when a man devotes himself to his work, and takes pleasure in it, as it was said of the King's daughter, that she should forget her own people, and her father's house (which is a hard business) and this was to be done cheerfully and freely, so when we do leave our dearest lusts, joh. 8.44. and cast off the yoke, sathan, Eph, 2.1. who is a father to the children of Belial, and a Prince that reigneth over their consciences, we must do it cheerfully, as it is in the sweet song of Deborah, judg. 5.2. who praised the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. It is certain that we have then cause to bless the Lord, Deut. 20.5, 6. when that God makes our heart willing to serve the Lord. It was a rule in the Law, that if any man had builded a new house, or planted a Vineyard, or married a wife, that he should not go to war that year: the reason was, because that he could not do it willingly, out of that love and affection he had unto his present expectation of gain, and comfort, lest that which he had left at home might make him less willing to adventure his life, or at least to turn bacl before the battle was ended: so any man that goeth to war against his corruptions, let him know this, that if there be any thing in the world, that his heart stands affected unto, which maketh him unwilling unto this service, be sure of this, he is not fit to be a soldier against so potent an enemy: no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, 2 Tim. 2.4. than he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier: as if he should say, if you be cumbered, and entangled with the world, you cannot serve God willingly, and by consequent not please him. 2 The spirit doth assist us in this way, that we do the work strongly, when the iron is hard, men put to the more strength: this work is hard, and difficult, therefore you must be strong that you may go through. Therefore is the prayer of the Apostle for the Collossians, Col. 1.19. that they might be strengthened, with all might, unto all patience and long sufferings. As it was said of Samson, when he came to the vineyards of Timnath, judg. 14.5, 6. that a young lion roared against him, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rend the lion as a man should rend a kid: so it is with us, we have the old Lion the devil that seeks to devour us, and were it not that the spirit of Christ should strengthen us with all might, and enable us to overcome him, 1 Sam. 4.9. we could not stand before him, as the Philistines encouraged one another, saying, Quit yourselves like men, that you may not be servants to the Hebrews. So say I to you, be strong in the Lord, and quit yourselves, like so many soldiers of the Lords Hosts, that you may not serve sin, but fight out your God's fight, that you may be more than Conquerors, and against your spiritual enemies. 3 The spirit of Christ takes away those impecliments that would hinder this work, and disableth us from the performance of it. 1 One great impediment that hindereth this work, it is ignorance: when men do not know those things that concern their peace, Luk. 19.41. for there is no true peace, but where there is and hath been this war, Many a man is like to some simple Countryman, if some great and potent man lay claim to some part of his land, though his cause be never so just, yet he will rather lose his right, than go to Law for it: so is it with many, that they will rather lose their soul, than contend against their corruptions, they out of their ignorance think them too potent, and too strong for them; but now when the spirit cometh, it shows that he is greater, that is with us, than he that is in the world, and that they are cursed that go not out, to help the Lord against the mighty: judg. 5.23. he doth comfort that as he did joshua, Iosh. 1.5. that none of his enemies should stand before him; nor be able to prevail against him: he will be with us while we are with him, nay the spirit encourageth our hearts against this enemy, 2 Cor. 15.2. as Caleb and joshuah did the Israelites, Num, 14.9. saying, fear none of your spiritual enemies, for their defence is departed from them: and God is not with them, and doubt not, but though thou canst not finally consume them, yet thou shalt make a happy conquest against them. 2 Another impediment is, hardness of heart, it is called an obstinate heart, Deut. 2.30. because it doth refuse mercy: Esa 6.10. a fat heart, because it makes men insensible of their condition: Zach. 7.12 a heart as hard as the adamant stone, because it maketh men hate to be reform. Now when the spirit cometh it softeneth this hardness, and takes away this resistancie, Ez. 36.26, and gives us hearts that are of a melting temper; and maketh the songs of the Temple to be sorrowful, Amos 8.3. and men to be affected with grief as the sorrow of a travelling woman: Hos. 13.13. the sorrow of a woman in travel, as it is most grievous, so it is most comfortable in regard of the issue and event. The mother forgetteth her sorrow, because that a manchild is borne, so this breach that is made into the rocks of our hearts, though it be grievous unto us, yet is it profitable in the issue, for as much as this seed time of tears is seconded, with an harvest of joy, we want not examples to make good this point? What an obstinate heart had Manasses, till the spirit of God broke it? What a hard heart had Paul, till he was smitten by the spirit of Christ? how was this Lion then changed into a Lamb! This is set forth by the Baptist, Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be brought low, Luk. 3.5. and the crocked shall be made strait, and the rough ways shall he made smooth: what is this, but every man that is low in his own eyes, shall be raised by the spirit, and every one that is high and lofty shall be humbled; and such as walk in the crooked path of error, shall be reduced and walk in the strait paths of truth in sincerity: and such as have been tough and obstinate shall be made plain and passable by the spirit. 3 The next impediment that hindereth a man from mortification, is self-love, I do not mean that love which is natural, but that which is sinful, for no man ever hated his own flesh: but this is the property of sinful self-love; when a man shall love his body above his soul, and himself more than his God, and shall be at more cost, and take more pains for the enjoyment of a base lust, than to enjoy Christ: now when the spirit comes, it makes us to renounce all, Heb. 10.34. and to follow Christ. To suffer the loss of our goods, and of our hopes, as it was said of Bradford that for that he would not make one scratch with a pen, Heb. 11.24.25.26. he lost all his hopes that he might have had in this world; and so did Moses refuse to be called son of Pharaohs daughter, and to renounce the pleasures of the Court, and the treasures of Egypt; that he might not lose the peace of his conscience, nor dishonour his God; nay it doth so make us our of love with ourselves, that neither father, nor mother, nor wife, nor children, nor our own lives shall be dear unto us, provided we may but finish our course with joy. 3. I come now to the third thing wherein I shall be briese; namely, the ends why the spirit may be said to assist us in this work, and there are two reasons of it. 1. For to show man's impotency that we are not able to do it of ourselves, a natural agent cannot do a spiritual work; who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Who knoweth not that we are polluted and defiled with sin, and have disabled ourselves of strength and ability to do it? Thence is that of the Prophet, Jer. 10.23. I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps: that is, we are too weak for any such work without God's grace assisting of us, and therefore we have good cause to bewail our misery, to lay aside our pride, and confess our poverty, and to seek some other means of help and redress at God's hand. 2. To set out God's power, this is his privilege that he only is able to do this work; there are three ways whereby things came to have their being & existency; by Generation, Art, or Creation, the two former must have matter to work upon, either in potentia, as generation, or in actu, as Art, and where there is not a matter to work upon they can do nothing, now for as much as this work of regeneration, Eph. 4.24. & the new creature is called a creation, it is beyond the work of a creature, and only a privilege that doth belong to the holy Spirit to create in us qualities of holiness, and thereby to abolish the whole body of sin, thence it is that the Lord saith, I create the fruit of the lips to be peace, Isa. 57.19 and the Prophet complaining in another place to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed, it is that mighty, and potent arm of the Lord that doth this work; it is by his power, and therefore he must have the honour of it. As Joab when he was in hope to take Rabbah, he sent messengers to David that he should come and take it, 2 Sam. 12.26. because the honour that would have been given him was too great for him, how much more should we, seeing out hope is in the Lord, and our success chiefly by his power give all the honour to him? CAP. XX. Certain instructions from the doctrine premised. FRom this doctrine of mortification we may observe divers necessary instructions, both for the information of our judgement, and well ordering of our lives, as 1. First, we may learn that such a doctrine as doth give liberty to the flesh, was never given by the spirit of God; for the spirit is given us, not only as a bridle to curb, and keep in sin, neither a scourge to castigate corrupt nature, but chiefly as a sword to kill and destroy the very body of sin: it is the counsel of Saint Paul, Gal. 5.13. that we being called to liberty, should not use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh; that is, if we do not use our liberty with great caution and watchfulness, we will make our liberty to be a snare to us; the word used by Saint Paul is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth occasion; it cometh (as some think) of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to make an assault; Acts 14.5. because that if you give but yourselves liberty, never so little more than is fit; the flesh will make an assault upon you: as it is said of the Lion, that if you come but within his reach when he is caged up he will not miss but fasten upon you, so is it in this case, therefore we must beware that we do labour for temperance, and moderation; otherwise the flesh will seize upon us, and so while we give liberty to the flesh, we lose the peace of our conscience, and that peace with God, unto whom we have had free access and audience in our prayers: Therefore know this, that the more liberty we give unto the flesh, the more we do deprive ourselves of our Christian liberty, as the more delight that we take in the sinful pleasures of this life; the lesser and lower will be our delights, and contentments in God: Herod did like well of the Baptist, and heard him gladly; but yet his lust, and the delight he took in Herodias and her daughter, he did eclipse it at the best, and in the end took it quite away: Psal. 32. Psal. 77. Nay how was David straitened of that spiritual freedom after such time as he had given liberty to the flesh, behold how many tears, how many prayers, how many sighs and groans did it cost him; before he was restored to his former comfort and consolation again; the more liberty a man takes for the flesh, the more he doth enthrall himself; as the bird once in the snare, the more she doth struggle, the more she doth entangle herself; little do men know what disadvantages they cast themselves into when they take liberty to sin; 2 Pet. 2.20.21. there is a heavy doom propounded against them, if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the later end is worse with them than their beginning: if any shall say, but what benefit have we then by our Christian liberty? Gal. 3.11. I answer, much every way; we are freed by Christ from the curse of the Law, from the irritation of it, whereby it was an occasion to make us sin more, and from the rigour of it, whereby we are bound to perform it and live; or else in the not doing of it perfectly to die eternally; we have a comfortable and free use of the creature, Heb. 4.16. and free access to the throne of grace in time of need, for the receiving of all good things; both the benefit of soul and body in all these things; we see we have much liberty granted unto us, but no liberty to sin; you will say how may a man do that that he may give no liberty to the flesh, When a man will not take the full liberty that he may take; all things are lawful, 2 Cor. 6.12. but all things are not expedient; it may be lawful to go near the bank of a deep river, but if his foot should slip, or that he should tread never so little awry, he would fall into very great danger; so is it here, when men hazard themselves to the utmost bounds of their liberty, ten to one, but they drop into one sin or another, and so procure unto themselves one misery after another. Gen. 34.1.2. Si tu otiose spectes otiose non specteris si tu curiose spectas curiose specteris. Ber. Dinah went but out to see the daughters of the land, peradventure the thing might be lawful enough, yet because it was the utmost bounds of liberty, she not being cautious lost all the fairest ornament about her, before her return; thence is that of our Saviour, if they say unto thee behold he is in the desert, go not forth, behold he is in the secret chamber, believe it not; why it might be lawful to go and see, suppose it might, yet because there is a snare laid open in lawful things; we should take heed we prevent, if it may be, the occasion. 2. If you would not give liberty to the flesh, shake off dulness in the performance of good duties; Mat. 26.41 the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, the flesh is short-paced and too too ready to hinder us, in the way of the spirit; the Ass in the Law was to have his neck broken, and not be offered unto God; and the reason was, because it was a dull creature: so it is in this case, that the flesh is dull, and heavy, and if so be we be not stirring and zealous in our way; the flesh will draw us bacl and keep us so fare bacl in the way to salvation, as that we had need to wish that the Sun and Moon might stand still in their stations; as they did in the time of joshuah, or else it is to be feared, we shall come short of our expected journey, to the Kingdom of Heaven: nay in doing the work of the Lord negligently, instead of a blessing, we procure a curse upon ourselves; Jer. 48.10. every sacrifice in the Law was to be salted with fire; Mark 9.49 that is, there was to be the salt of wisdom, that they did perform duties with discretion; so there must be fire of zeal, that the services may be living and vigorous. Rom. 12.1 3. If you would not give liberty to the flesh, give God his full due, the more you give to God, the less you have to give to the flesh; ●ccl. 12.1 give unto God the chief of your time, remember him in the days of your youth, because that is the most seasonable time to give unto God our first fruits, and the beginning of our strength; and it is the time of most certainty, for it is as the spring and summer of our days; it is most likely that we shall do God most service, than a man will put a man into his Vine-yard, when he may do him the most work; so if we wait on the Lord, in the days of our youth; it is most likely than we shall be set into our work, and such a work as shall not be without a happy reward. Secondly, give the Lord the chief of your endeavours, the end to which you came into this world, is not so much to blow up your lands, or to dig in the earth, or to follow your trades, and to cumber yourselves with Martha about many things; Phil. 2.12. 2 Tim. 4.7. 1 Cor. 15. but it is to work out your salvation with fear and trembling; and to fight out your good fight, & never be weary of well doing; knowing that in due time you shall reap, if you faint not; I do not say that men should neglect their callings, for he that provideth not for his family, is worse than an infidel; but this I say, that he that is so careful for the world; that he doth neglect his soul, and the service of his God, is little better than an Atheist: yet let me tell you, that the plough that doth blow your grounds, must rather stand, then that which ploweth up the fallow grounds of your hearts, and you must not spend so much time in your shops, as there by to neglect the trade of your souls, nor be so busy about your counting-bookes as to forget that great account that you are to make with God; for howsoever this may be good husbandry amongst men, yet sure I am, it is none of God's husbandry, as that Prophet said unto Ahab; 1. Kieg. 2.38.39. behold saith he, there was in the battle, a man committed unto me, but on these terms; that if I kept him not, my life should go for his, etc. but while I was busy here and there, the man was gone; so it is in this case, that while a man is busy about this and that thing, that a man's days are spent, and he drops into hell before he is ware, and loseth his soul for the satisfaction of his lusts. First, labour in the last place to be always on the growing hand, to add unto your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance; to temperance, 2 Pet. 1.5.6 brotherly kindness, love, etc. then he concludeth, that if these things be in you, and abound; ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful. That as the spiritual part doth increase, so the flesh and corruptions, they do decrease, and go down: 2 Sam. 17.16. Though Vriah was a valiant man, yet when he was set upon by strong men, than he fell and was overcome; so it is in this case, that though corruption cannot be denied, but to be a potent enemy; yet when it is set upon by these graces, it will fall and be deprived of the power it hath. CAP. XXI. Mortification of sin makes Christians live with comfort and die in peace▪ 2 THis shows unto us the way to lead a comfortable and a contented life, and to die a peaceable and joyful death; it is chiefly when we find the power of sin mortified and subdued by us, for what is it that will distract the mind, and disquiet the conscience more than sin will; this is that one thing that doth separate God from us, and us from God; Es. 59.2. and is the cause whereby we are plunged into so many fears, and why our minds hang in suspense, and that our hearts are often pierced through with many sorrows, we would have fewer cares in getting of worldly things; less fears in heaping them up, and be very little disquieted at their loss; were it so, that there were not in us a covetous heart, Gal. 6.14. were we but crucified unto the world, James 4.4. and the world unto us; then would we be friends of God, and this would follow, that we would be at enmity with the world, there would be no heart burn, James 4.1. 1 Pet. 3.4. nor malicious speeches and cruel deeds; were it not from those lusts that war in our members, were there a meek and a quiet spirit which is much esteemed of God; while Acan was in the camp, and his sin not discovered, nor found out, there was no peace to the camp, nor power to prevail against the enemies; but when he was discovered, and justly punished; then they went on and prospered; so likewise while sin is not acknowledged, nor a holy revenge taken against it; so long there is no peace in the conscience; but if that our hearts be once wrought to a holy indignation for our offences, then fear not but there is way made for the entrance of that peace of God which passeth all understanding; therefore if we would have that peace that is fraternal among brethren, or that which is internal in our own hearts, or that which is eternal with God for ever, then mortify our lusts which are the causes at the first to deprive us of our peace, and while they live will be fomenters of our discords; but were they mortified, this enmity that they have wrought could not live: As Jonah said, cast me out, and the storm will cease, so say I, cast sin out, and there will be an allaying of all these garboils that are in the world, and making up of that breach between God and us, they have a rule in Law moritur causa cum corpore; that if the man die the suit falleth, so is it here, that if we die to sin, than this suit will fall between us and God; where there is no wood (saith Solomon) the fire goeth out; Proy. 26.20. so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth: what is this wood but sin, and what maketh so great a cry in the ears of God as sin doth? therefore take away sin, and the contention will be at an end. 3. The third instruction that we may observe hence, is this; that it is an hard thing to mortify our sin, it is as hard to find out a disease as it is to cure it; the Philistines did quickly overcome Samson, when they found where his great strength lay; it is easy for a man in general, to say that he is a sinner, and yet if you should run over the Commandments, and come to particulars, he would clear himself as not guilty of any, and say as the young man did, all these have I done; and like the Harlot, Mat. 19.20 Prov. 3.20. wipe her mouth, and say I have done no wickedness; therefore your care must be to search out wherein the great strength of sin doth lie, and therefore we must labour to take the light of the word to direct us, and desire God that he will give us the light of his holy spirit to open our eyes, that we may be able to see and know our own sinful hearts; and when we have found it, set upon this work with courage and resolution. 1. Again, another thing that makes sin so hard to be mortified; as that marriage that is made between sin and us: Rom. 7.4. after the people of Israel had mixed themselves among the Heathen, and made marriages with them; they were wonderfully hard to be brought to leave them; Ezr. 10. so when as a man is married unto his lusts; so it is a hard thing for a man to leave them, but now for a man to kill his wife, this is much more difficult. It was a hard matter to flesh and blood, for Abraham to sacrifice his son, and yet at the commandment of God he did it; so must we do, our obedience to God must exceed our love of our sins; though the matter be difficult, yet it must be done; as jephtah when he had made a vow unto God, though it turned afterward to his great grief, so to part with his only daughter; yet saith he, I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go bacl, so may we, though that we find the matter to be hard that we are about to do, to leave that we love so dear, yet resolve and vow against it: and when we have so done, then say as he did, I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go bacl, nor can I alter what is gone out of my mouth. 3. Another thing that maketh this work of mortification; hard and difficult, is the close adherency that sin hath unto us, it winds itself so about us, as the Ivy doth about the tree, till it eat out the heart and sap of it; so is it in this case, corruption doth cleave unto us so, as it is very hard to be freed from it: 2 Sam. 2.21 Abner when he fled from Joah, was so followed by Hazael, that he had no way to be freed from him, but by sheathing his spear in his bowels, so it is in this case, there is no way to be freed from these corruptions, but by slaughter of them, they will not be driven away with neither fair nor foul speeches; you may scare away a dog with harsh speeches, but you cannot do so with a Lion; sin is of the brood of the old Lion the Devil, that will not be easily driven away, nor overcome; therefore seeing it is that doth so beset us, and doth cleave so hard unto us; Heb. 12.1.2. let us shake off every thing that presseth down, and sin that doth disquiet us, but how; looking unto Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith, as they that looked on the brazen Serpent, were cured of the sting that they had received of the fiery Serpent; so it is in this case, when we look up to Christ, he it is that can only staunch this bloody issue that sin hath made, in one word, frequent the means that God hath appointed for curing of your souls, John. 17.17. the preaching of the word, when you come with faith, then there is hope of purging, the word hath a cleansing power in it, as the pool of Bethesda, when it was troubled, John. 5.4. it had a healing virtue in it: Chap. 22.4. so our hearts when they are troubled by the word God heals by it. CAP. XXII. Our weakness appeareth in this, that we need the help of the spirit, THis should teach us to take notice of our own weakness, and how without the spirit of Christ we can do nothing. We bear about an ignorant mind, a perverse will, violent pasions that have in them an aptitude to all sin, and wickedness, that as Adam's actual sin corrupted his nature; so our nature on the other side, corrupteth, and defileth our actions, so as the stream cannot be good, because the fountain is corrupt: fall we may, but rise we cannot, we may plunge ourselves deep into the pit of fin, but to recover ourselves, hoc opus, hic labor est: this is a work beyond our strength; we cannot contract uncleanness upon ourselves, but when we have done we cannot wash it off; and though we should use never so many outward means to that en●, yet were it not that the spirit go along with us: though we wash ourselves with snow-water, job 9.31.10.1. our own garment would defile us, and make us unclean. Therefore it will be necessary that we should examine whether we have the spirit of God, yea or no, which will be able to help up, and bear us out in this business. 1 It is the spirit of wisdom that doth enable us, How you may know that you have the spirit. to lay a sure foundation, and to make such battle against the strong holds of sin, as these our lusts and corruptions cannot be able to withstand; 2 Tim. 1.7. we have not received the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, where there is this sound mind, there must needs be power, and love, such is the force of the spirit, that it is set out, by the rushing of a mighty wind, and by the fire, a mighty element, so as nothing that is combustible can stand before it. Now when God shall say, awake O North, Can. 4.16. and come thou South, and blow upon my garden, when he shall call the spirit of bondage, which is as the North wind; to terrify, and ama●e us, for our sins; and then shall send his spirit of adoption, as the South wind to make us fruitful, in repentance, and in the works of mortification; then I say are we furnished with this spirit of a sound mind, Eccles. 7.12 wisdom is a distension, and money is a defension, but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that hath it; much may be done with money, but more with wisdom, because money can neither slay sin, nor assure us of life, but wisdom can do both, wisdom will teach us to make provision for our latter end. 2 It is a spirit of holiness, and sanctity, and that is the reason of an opposition, that there is unto sin in the soul, the spirit lusteth against the flesh, Gal. 5.19. and the flesh against the spirit, and they are contrary one to another: as it is with a fountain of living water, that if any filth be cast into it, it will work it out, by the constant running of it, so it is with the spirit, that when any corrupt motion, is cast into the heart, it will not leave until it have purged it out; and the reason is, because there can be no agreement betwixt these, the one doth always seek to dispossess, and destroy the other, and therefore as it is when a woman that hath decked herself; with beautiful garments, she will not come into unclean places, and naftie company: so in this case; the holy spirit will not endure the heart, where he lodgeth should be defiled, or that it should be a receptacle for unclean lusts. For if Christ could not endure that his carthly Temple should be a den of thiefs, much less will he endure that his spiritual Temple should be a cage of every unclean and noisome lust. 3 It is a craving spirit, it goeth out day by day, and doth crave assistance at God's hands to help us against our corruption, Rom. 8.26. it is the spirit that helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for us; that as Hezekiah said, 2 Cor. 20. Lord we know not what to do, our eyes are towards thee; what was that made him wait on God, but this spirit of grace and supplication: so say I, what maketh a Christian to lift up strong cries and prayers unto God, when he is assaulted by the flesh, and to wait for strength from heaven; is it not the spirit, that putteth us upon it, and maketh us never to give over till we find success from God; it is not the making of a prayer, that will serve your turns, but the having of the spirit of prayer, that is it that will help you, Hos. 12.4. to wrestle with God with your prayers, and tears, as jacob did, and not to give over like the importunate widow, Luk. 18.34.5. until you have your requests granted unto you. 4 It is a cheerful spirit that thought the work be hard, and sharp, yet it maketh us pass through it with much alacrity; and cheerfulness; it maketh us, while we are breaking up the fallow grounds of our hearts, and while we are about to crucify the flesh, 1 Cor. 9.10 & circumcise the foreskin of our hearts, to be cheerful and rejoice because the end of that is joy and consolation, for they that plough in hope & thresh in hope shall be partakers of their hopes. What maketh the mariner to pass through so many hard adventures, by sea and land, but hope of some great advantage that may be for his advancement: or what maketh the Soldier adventure himself, into the heat of the battle, but hope of a joyful victory, and what maketh a Christian to take such pains with his heart, and to make such hot skirmishes against his lusts, but in hope of good success, & a glorious victory? On the other side, there is no greater sign of an unmortified heart, then when he is forced unto the work, and drawn unto duty, as a Bear to a stake, out of slavish fear, and apprehensions of wrath: as Satan than saith in job; that skin for skin, job. 2.4. and all that a man hath will he give for his life: a man will do much in extremity, which is not a free, but a forced service, but now if so he that there be a cheerful spirit we are carried by it, to this duty, as freely as Abraham was to the sacrificing of his son, not reasoning with flesh and blood, but out of the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1.2 the love of holineffe, and the hatred of sin: we are as cheerful at the death of it, as we delighted sometime at the commission of it. CAP. XXIII. An exhortation unto the duty of mortification. FOr as much as we are naturally slow unto this work of mortification, both in respect of that love we have unto our lusts, and also in respect that Satan, and our deceitful hearts, do labour by all fair and possible arguments to beat us off from this work: saying, as sometimes Peter did unto our Saviour: Master spare thy flesh, Mat. 16.22. this shall not be to thee: such suggestions men have; when they are pressed unto duty, that they should spare that labour, there i● no necessity of. Therefore it will not be amiss to quicken you up unto this duty, by such considerations as these. 1 In regard of sin, that if it be not mortified, we do highly displease Almighty God, therefore the Lord is said to ha●e iniquity, as that which is contrary to his Law, as that which is cursed of him, now that sin is thu● displeasing to him, will appear. 1 In regard of those sad Complaints and those pathetical expressions that are used in Scripture, against sin, and sinners: when the sins of the old world grew to that height, that the whole earth was corrupt before God, and that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, Gen. 6.6. it repent the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at the heart, a deep expression how much God is displeased with it, now when God is said to be grieved, it is not in that he is subject to passion, but after the manner of men, not secundum affectum, but effectum, as they speak in the Schools, that as men are grieved when they are offended, so is God sore displeased with sin. Psal. 95.10, 11. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation: than it was that he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest, that after they had grieved him so long time together, his sore displeasure did arise, and so they perished in the wilderness: Luk. 19.41. how was our blessed Saviour grieved when he beheld the City, and wept over it, saying, O jerusalem, jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, as a hen gathereth her chickens, etc. What can be a greater grief to a loving father, or a tender mother, than to see their Children not to hearken unto good admonitions, and exhortations; so is it unto Christ: when as we turn aside, to the by-paths of sin, it grieves him much, how doth God complain of his people: O my people what have I done unto thee, Mich. 6.2. testify against me: now when we hear God to show so much discontent, in his be wailing of our sins; it should be a strong motive, to make us to be wail our own sins, and offences against God. 2 Consider that sin is it, that doth separate God from us, and us from him; thence it is that sometimes God hath left his people: jer. 12.7. I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage, and delivered the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of mine enemy. It must needs be a great matter that makes a man to leave his house, and forsake his heritage, either the house stands n●e●e untoward neighbours, or it is in a bad soil, the water is nought, & the ground barren, or else it could not be a man would leave it; so here, when a man spends his life among notorious and wicked men, and shall be like the unfruitful ground; Heb. 6.7.8. that bringeth forth nothing but thorns, and briers, than it is to be feared that the Lord will leave him, and will pull down the hedge of his providence, and cause all the beasts in the field to come and devour; Esa 5.4. now when we see that Christ and sin will not comply together; O labour then to mortify your corruptious, that separate God from us, and us from him, and hinders good things from you. 3. Consider those grievous punishments, which have fallen on men by reason of sins, both on whole Nations, and on particular persons; see how the foundations of the great deep from below, and the windows of heaven from above were set open by the sins of those times; how the clouds contrary to their nature dissolved into a shower of Brimstone, and fell on that sinful City: in one word, wherefore was Kain smitten with such fears? and Herod smitten with worms, was it not for sin? Lastly, if God would ever have spared any, he would have spared his own son; but Christ undertaking to become sin for us, he must not be spared, but must suffer a sorrowful, and a shameful death for that cause: sure then if God have been ever so severe, that he would not spare sin, it should be our care that we should not spare it. 2. Consider, that if you do not mortify your corruptions, than you are first under the power and servitude of Satan; he that walketh in sin, is a servant of sin, and while he promiseth liberty to himself, joh. 8.34. he becometh the servant of corruption; 2 Pet. 2.19. for of whom a man is overcome, of the same he is brought in bondage; for as it is with a servant, he doth not his own will, but the will of his Master; so is it with a man that is in bondage unto sin and Satan, is servant thereunto: as it is with a ship when the Rudder, and the Anchors, and Masts are broken, that it is carried whether the tempest will force it; so deplored is a man that is unmortified; he is carried whither the flesh and Satan will have him led captive, he is at his will; but were the power of sin mortified, we should find that these temptations would fall from us as the Viper from Paul's hand, and would not prevail against us. Suppose a man have a strong house, and great fortifications about it, yet if there be but a servant within that can unlock and unbolt the doors, there is no safety there; so suppose there be never so many good gifts in a man, yet if he have his corrupt nature unmortified, be assured of this then, that there is one within you, that will let in Satan, who will seduce you to sin. 2 If you do not mortify sin, Satan will make your souls his lodging. For as a mortified, and a sanctified heart is the seat of the Holy Ghost: so also an unmortified and an unclean heart is the seat of Satan. When the spirit of God departed from Saul, 1. Sam. 16.14. than an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him: so it is in this case, that if Christ by his spirit dwell not in you, Satan will take place, as it was said of Babylon, that she was the habitation of Devils, Rev. 18.2. and the kennel of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, so a man that is not purged from his sin, the strong man keeps the house and all kind of lusts swim in him: now than that these great enemies, and these noisome and hurtful lusts may be destroyed, labour to mortify your corruption, then will all these your enemies be driven away, by the breath of the spirit of Christ, and the brightness of his coming. 3 In regard of ourselves, if we do not mortify sin, we cannot be but great losers by it: Heb. 6.7. until then the word is unprofitable it falleth upon us, till it mortify corruption, as the rain that falleth on the barren ground, it bringeth forth nothing but briars and thorns, fit for cursing; so all the gain that you have, by the hid treasure of the holy Word of God, and this pearl of the Gospel, it is but the aggravation of your sin, and a savour of death unto you, so that this word that killeth sin in others, doth but ripen them in you, and this word that is wholesome nourishment unto others, is but a potion of death unto you. 2 Until sin be mortified you can have no true peace in your consciences, Esa 57 ult. the wicked, saith God, have no peace: as jehu answered the King, when he said, Is it peace jehu, what peace, saith he, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother jesabel, and her witchchrafts are so many: so say I, what peace, can there be, as long as lust, and the body of sin doth remain, what peace can there be in the heart of a man. As it was said, that in the days of Shamgar the high ways were unoccupied, and travellers walked through byways, judg. 5.6. till I Deborah arose, etc. sountill such time as sin is purged out, there is no peace but war, no walking in those ways of grace and peace, till there be a mortification of sin; as you see it is, when that the high ways are pestered with robbers, there is no safety to pass, in, or out: so when the highways of piety are pestered, with lust, so as the passages are stopped, and there will be no security, until such time, as that these be cut off, but if that you can come to slay and destroy these enemies, that do way lay, and fight against the soul, I say then you may walk in safety; and the truth is, were we not enemies unto ourselves, we need to fear no enemy: our greatest and most desperate enemies are those of our own house, even such lusts as have their breath and breeding in our own hearts. 3 The last great loss that we do sustain by want of mortification is the loss of our souls, which is the greatest loss that can be: for if every grass pile in our fields were a precious pearl, and every stone in the street were a diamond; and every ear of corn in our fields, were so many shining chrysolites, yet were they not all worth the soul: but now if a man should not endeavour to kill sin, sin will kill him. Suppose we the most fearful and dastardly man that may be, yet if he had this proposition made, if thou dost not kill me I will kill thee, I should suppose that this would make him fight. I tell you brethren, that if you do not slay sin, it will slay you, and if you mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit you shall live, but if you live after the flesh, you shall die. CAP. XXIV. Containing a brief explication of the last words of the (ye shall live) by way of motive. I Have only one motive to add to persuade you to mortify sin, and that is the words of my text: if ye do this, you shall live; life, as you have heard, is a large word, and doth signify not only the life natural, but that of grace and glory; now here I take it; for the life of glory, as standing in opposition to the death, that is set over in the former part of the verse, which is that eternal punishment in hell, which shall be certainly inflicted on unmortified men, that live after the flesh, and this life that is set in opposition thereunto, is that life, that certainly may be obtained, by such as do mortify the flesh, and endeavour to destroy that body of sin, now this happiness that is here spoken of, if I had the tongue of men and Angels, yet could I not sufficiently set it out, yet to give you a taste of what is revealed, that you may guess at what is not revealed, but believed, and waited for, some thing the Scripture saith of it. 1 There shall be a perfect victory over all your enemies, over sin that hath been so turbulent; over death, that hath been so fearful, and over hell that is so dreadful, so as now we may boast, 1 Cor. 15.55. as he that putteth off the harness, and triumphs, because that his warfare is accomplished, and our sins are pardoned: Esa 40.2. here the Church triumphant, doth change their swords into Sceptres, their corslets into Crowns, and their garments rolled in blood, into long white robes to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; now we may sing with the Saints, the song of Moses Haleluiah unto him that dwelleth in the highest, and to him that sitteth on the throne for evermore. 2 There shall be a resting from all our labours, from all our works, either of body or of mind, so fare as they did consist in our seeking, for the preservation of our present being, or from the attainment of our future well-being: here it is laid upon us, to eat bread in the sweat of our faces: and to endure heat and cold, hunger, Gen. 3, 19, and nakedness, but there shall be an end of all these, poor Lazarus shall rest in the bosom of rich Abraham, and all the blessed Saints shall sit down with Abraham, Mat. 8.12. and Isaac, and jacob, in the Kingdom of God: here there is our work of faith, and labour of love, our hope waiting for the accomplishments of the promises, and our tears of godly sorrow unto repentance, arising from a bleeding, and broken heart: but there our faith shall be turned into vision, Hebr. 4.9. our love and hope, into fruition, and then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, doubtless such a rest there is for the people of God. 3 There shall be the vision of God, that is, we shall be brought into the presence of God, and shall see God in Christ, the beams of the Deity shall be so resplendent from Christ his humanity, as that we shall see him; as we are seen; there fore our Saviour prayeth that where he is, John 3.2. John 17.24. there they may be also, that they may behold his glory: a glimpse of this there was in the transfiguration, when Peter said, it is Good for us to be here, and in that of Saint Paul, when he saw things unutterable. 1. We shall see with greater inlargements of knowledge. No eagle's eye shall be so strong that can look on the Sun, as ours then that can look upon him, at whose presence the sight of many sins would vanish into darkness. If Adam in the state of nature could understand so much of God, as to give names unto the creatures; sure in the state of glory, there will be a great augmentation of that fight; so that he that was an unlearned man, shall know that at once that many agreat Doctor have been many year bearing their heads about. 2. Again, in respect of the sight, this sight must be glorious, the light of the Sun is no more to be compered unto it, than the light of the Candle is in the light of it: no, nor as one observeth well, it is tanquam unus maximus Sol, all the whole heaven, it is, as it were nothing but all glorious Sun. 4. Lastly, we shall enjoy the fruition of God, Rabeus. quod originatur in visione perficitur in fruitione; that which is begun in the vision of God, shall be perfected in the fruition of God: Dives saw Abraham a fare off, and Lazerus in his bosom; but what was this to Dives, it was no ease to him, but as we shall see him, so we shall enjoy him; he will love us with an everlasting love, and we shall live with him for ever; Psal. 36.8.9. nay we shall be abundantly satisfied with the fullness of his house, and he shall make us drink of the rivers of pleasure, for at his right hand is fullness of joy and pleasure for evermore. Psal. 16. vit. If a man had a certain measure of joy in heaven, were it not full, it would not content the mind of a man, and if he had fullness, were it not perpetual; it would not give content, but now seeing this joy is both perfect and perpetual, there will be full content in it. To conclude all, blessed and happy are all those that have mortified this body of sin, out of an hatred and holy indignation against it, they are careful to sin no more; for they shall live a life of grace here, and life of glory hereafter. FINIS. Errata. PAge 4 line 26 for but of sin, read because of sin pag. 13 l. 20 for from him, r. from himself l. 21 for him r. them pag. 14 l. 7 for in r. into l. 11 for lastly how r. lastly see how, for how he r. how this enemy l. 14 for and this r. this pag. 16 l. 12 for to meet r. do meet p. 19 l. 6 for and there r. and thence p. 20 r. 6 for some little r. to some little sin l. 7 blot out (that) p. 21 l. last for it is said r. it is said of fame p. 22 l. 25: for continuance it r. continuance in it p. 73 l. 16 for are near r. are more near p. 74 l. 4 for it is r. so it is p. 83 l. 25 for this rule r. these rules and l. 26 for ground and r. ground of, and l. last blot out (so) p. 110 l. 2 for no r. neither p. 113 l. 14 put out (one) p. 128 l. 4 for it r. and p. 149 l. 21 for sin r. sense p. 154 l. 18 for he r. we p. 193. l. 1 for articular r. particular p. 208 l. 3 for go r. and go p. 210 l. 16 for then r. that p. 223 l. 2. blot out he. p. 225. l. last blot out (all)