Sins Overthrow, Title page – Table of contents
SINS OVERTHROW: OR, A GODLY AND LEARNED TREATISE OF Mortification.
Wherein is excellently handled; First, the generall Doctrine of MORTIFICATION: And then particularly, how to Mortifie
FORNICATION.
VNCLEANNES.
Evill CONCVPISCENCE.
Inordinate AFFECTION.
and, COVETOVSNES.
All being the substance of severall Sermons upon COIOS. III. V. Mortifie therefore your members, &c.
Delivered by that late faithfull Preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory IOHN PRESTON, Dr in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.
LONDON: Printed by I. Beale, for Andrew Crooke, at the blacke Beare in Pauls Churchyard. 1633.
The Contents.
First, In the Treatise of Mortification.
DOCRINE I. THe height of glory, which we expect by Christ, should cause every man to mortifie sinne. page 3
DOCT. II. The frame of our hearts ought ta suit with those conditions that we receive by our union with Christ. p. 4
Explication. Mortification is a turning of the heart from sinne to grace, ibid.
Mortification called a turning of the heart, because the heart by nature is backward and averse from God, pag. 5
Sinne seemingly mortified;
1. When the occasion is removed. p 7
2. When it is not violent and raging, but quiet. ibid.
3. When it is but removed from one sinne to another. ibid.
4. When the Conscience is affrighted with the judgements of God. p. 8
5. When the strength of nature is spent, ibid.
6. Being restrained from sinne by good education, p. 9
USE I. To examine by these rules sinnes Mortification, ibid.
Mortified lusts knowne,
1. By a deepe humiliation of the soule, p. 10
2. By the generality of it, ibid.
3. By the measure of grace, answering the measure of corruption, p. 11
4. By the continuance of them, p. 12
Motives to Mortification:
1. There is no pleasure in sinne, p. 13
Pleasure in sinne is no true solid pleasure, but a sick pleasure, p. 14.
2. The satisfying of lust is an endlesse worke, ibid.
3. The great danger of sinne, p. 15
4. The deceit of sinne, p. 16
Sinne deceives foure wayes:
1. By blinding the understanding, ibid.
2. By making large promises, p. 17
3. By promising departure at our pleasure, ibid.
4. By making a shew of friendship, ibid.
5. The rebellion it occasions in us against God, p. 18
6. The slavery it brings us unto Satan, ibid.
USE II. To instruct us that in every regenerate man there is a freewill to doe good, p. 19
The power of a Regenerate man consists
1. In performing any duty God commands, according to the proportion of grace he hath received, p. 20
2. Inresisting any temptation according to the same measure of grace, p. 21
OBJECT. In the Regenerate, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, &c. ibid.
ANSW. Corruption reignes not, though it may take possession in the heart of a Regenerate man; it exceeds not the measure of grace, ibid:
USE III. To exhort us to abstaine from the sinne of the heart, as well as sinne in the outward actions, p. 22
OBJECT. Men shall be judged by their workes, not by the thoughts of their hearts, ibid.
ANSW. God will judge the thoughts of the heart, as the cause; the actions, or workes, as the effects. p. 23
USE IV. To teach us that no man is so holy, but he needs mortification. ibid.
The meanes how to come by Mortification, are
I. Outward.
1. Moderation in lawfull things, p. 28
The danger of excesse in lawfull things, ibid.
2. Vowes and Promises, p. 29
The lawfulnesse of Vowes, and how they are to be esteemed of, ibid.
3. The avoyding of all occasion to sinne, p. 30
OBJECT. Professors being strong in faith, need not avoyd occasions of sinne. p. 31
ANSW. Opinion of strength in faith is a weaknesse in men, for the more feare, the more strength; besides, habituall grace is but a creature, and therefore not to be relyed on. ibid.
4. The lawfull exercise of Fasting and Prayer. ibid.
II. Inward:
1. To get a willing heart, p. 24
2. To take paynes about it, p. 25
Two errors about Mortification:
1. That all sinnes have a like proportion of labour to mortifie them. p. 26
2. That mortification is not a continued worke, p: 27
The fruitlesse pains of Papists in afflicting their bodies, &c. ibid.
3. The assistance of the Spirit. p, 32
Meanes to obtaine the Spirit, are
1. To know the Spirit, p. 33
2. Not to resist, grieve, or quench him. ibid.
What it is to
resist,
grieve,
quench
the Spirit. p. 34, 35
3. To use prayer, p. 35
4. To walke in the Spirit. p. 36
5. To get a lively faith, p. 37
Iustifying faith onelyonly purifieth the heart, p. 38
The holy Ghost not essentially but by a divine power dwelleth in the heart. ibid.
That Mortification goeth before Iustifying Faith, is an error, p. 39
6. To get spirituall Ioy. ibid.
7. To get an humblenesse of minde, p. 41
DOCTR. III. That all earthly members are to be mortified, p. 42
Members are sinful, exorbitant affections of the soule, p. 43. for these reasons; because
1. They fill up the heart, ibid.
2. They proceed from the unregenerate part, p. 44
3. They are weapons of unrighteousnesse, ibid.
4. They are deare unto the heart, as any member to the body, ibid.
Inordinate lust meant by earthly members, p. 45
What it is to be earthly minded, ibid.
By the power of nature a man may conceive of spihituall things and yet be earthly minded:
1. Not spiritually, ibid.
2. Not from an heart illightned by the Spirit, p. 46
3. By the knowledge of his understanding, ibid.
A man may come to know spirituall things, and not be renewed.
1. By seeing a vertue in heavenly things excelling all all other things, ibid.
2. By being of a noble spirit, ibid.
3. By seeing holinesse in the children of God, p. 47
4. By seeing the attributes of God, ibid.
5. By feeling the sweetnesse of the promises, ibid.
6. By beleeving the resurrection to life, ibid.
The order of the faculties of the soule, p. 48
Whether Nature can attaine unto true knowledge, ibid.
A naturall man may know spirituall, in their substance, not as a rule of his life, p. 49
Heavenly mindednesse is the worke of a new life in a man, ibid.
Heavenly mindednesse admits increase in knowledge, p. 52
The Vnderstanding the seat of heavenly mindednesse, p. 53
An enlightned understanding communicates its to the rest of the faculties;
1. By taking away the lets unto good, p. 54
2. By withstanding the motions of inordinate passions, ibid.
3. By laying open the vilenesse of inordinate affections, ibid.
4. By ruling and guiding them, p. 55
VSE I. To reprove such as favour earthly mindednesse, or inordinate affections, ibid.
Reasons against earthly mindednesse, are
I. In respect of men;
1. It takes away the excellency of the creature, p. 56
2. It wounds the soule, p. 57
II. In respect of God:
It sets up spirituall Idolatry in the heart, p. 58
III. In respect of Professors:
It is unbeseeming them, and makes them like Swine, p. 59
Great difference betweene the back-fliding of the Saints, and of the wicked, p. 60
Back-sliding in the Saints is caused,
1. By hollow hartednesse.
2. By evill example of men.
3. By remouall from under a powerful ministery. p. 61
A threefold caveat to the Saints. p. 62
Divers Obiections of earthly mindednesse answered:
OBIECT. 1. Earthly things are present.
ANSW. Heavenly things present, as ioy in the holy Ghost, &c. are to be preferred before earthly things. p. 63
Difference betweene nature and sense, p. 64
OBIECT. 2. Earthly things are sensibly felt.
ANSW. Men are deceived; for the greater the faculty, the greater the sense. p. 65
A threefold difference betweene the superlour and inferiour faculties. ibid.
OBIECT. 3. Earthly things make us to be well thought of.
ANSW. A good opinion must not be regarded in any thing that shal occasion sinne. p. 66
A remedy against opinion, is a sound knowledge in the word of God. p. 67
OBIECT. 4. Earthly things seeme of great worth vntounto us.
ANSW. They will not doe so, if compared to spirituall things. p. 69
All mens comforts stand in Gods face. p. 70
VSE II. To exhort men to leave their earthly mindednesse. p. 71
Motives to mortifie our earthly members:
1. The devill ensnares us by them. ibid.
2. They binde us fast from God to the devill. p. 72
Meanes to obtaine the loathing of earthly things;
1. Sound humiliation, p. 73
Three false grounds thereof, ibid.
2. The royalty of spirituall things, p. 74
3. A constant and diligent watch over the heart, p. 75
Meanes to get heavenly mindednesse:
1. Faith, p. 76
A twofold snare of the world, ibid.
2. Humility, p. 77
3. A iudgement rightly informed, p. 78
4. A sight into the All-sufficiency of God, p. 79
5. A remembrance from whence we are fallen, ibid.
A comparison betweene a spirirituall and a bodily Consumption, p. 80
Motives to heavenly mindednesse;
1. Heavenly things the best obiect, p. 81
2. No sweetnesse in earthly things, p. 83; for two reasons:
1 Because they are mutable, ibid
2 Because they either belong to persons that are
1. Good, belonging to God; and therefore cannot content them, because they draw their affections from God, p. 84
2. Wicked, unto whom they are not sanctified, p. 85
3. No salvation by earthly things, p. 86
God will have all the soule, or none. p. 87
Christs two markes of a Christian, p. 88
4. Heavenly things are the better part: proved, ib.
1 By Scripture, ibid.
A fourefold difference betweene earthly and heavenly things, ibid
2. By Reason, p. 91
5. All things are at Gods disposing, p. 92
Markes to know whether wee have lost our earthly mindednesse.
1. By the moderation of our care and delight in earthly things, p. 94
Signes of the excesse of our delight in them, are
1. Our immoderate desire of getting & keeping them, ib
2. Our excesse in our pleasures and recreations, p. 95
Recreation when lawfull. p. 96
2. By the esteeme we have of heavenly things, ibid.
3. By our Spirituall taste, whether we rellish heavenly or earthly things best: as the Word Preached, p. 98
Eloquence no ornament to the Word preached, p: 99
The Word should not be mixed with it, p. 100
How Learning and Arts are necessary to the Preaching of the Word, p. 101
Ministers should not endevour to please the people with Eloquence, p. 102
4. By our judgement of heavenly things, p. 103
Spiritual knowledge wrought by the spirit, able to judge of
1. Persons, p. 104
2. Things, p. 105
Spirituall renovation is discovered
1 By the Affections, p. 106
2 By the Speeches, p. 107
3 By the Actions, p. 109
5. By our brooking the word of reproofe, 110
Use. To exhort spirituall minded men to grow more and more therein, p. 111
The least sinnes to be avoyded, ibid
Secret sinnes are to be looked into, p. 112
Motives to grow in heauenly mindednesse, are
1. Hereby we are able to doe every good worke, ibid.
2. Hereby God is honoured, p. 113
3. Hereby we may prevaile with God in prayer, p. 114
A few faithfull prayers may doe much good, ibid.
Of FORNICATION.
DOCTRINE 1. ALL Vncleannesse is a thing God would have mortified, and quite destroyed out of the hearts that hee would dwell in, pag. 116
DOCTR. 2. Fornication is a sinne that must be mortified, p. 118
The haynousnesse of this sin of Fornication appeares;
I. In the sinfulnesse of it: For,
1. It is contrary to Gods Spirit, p. 119
2. It makes a strangenesse betwixt God and us, ibid
3. It is a punishment of other sinnes, p. 120
4. It layes waste the Conscience, p. 121
5. It delights the body more than any other sin, ibid
II. In the punishment of it: For,
1. God himselfe …kes the punishment of it into his owne hand, p. 122
2, God reserves filthy persons for an heavy judgement ibid.
III. In the danger of it, p. 123
IV. In the deceitfulnesse of it, p. 125
The deceits of the divel, whereby he enticeth us to this sin, are
1. Hope of Repentance, ibid. With considerations against that deceit, p. 126, 127
2. Present impunity, p. 129
Considerations against it, p. 130
3 Present sweetnesse in sinne, p. 131
Considerations against it, p. 132
4. The falsenesse of common opinion and carnall reason, p. 133
5. Hope of secrecie, p. 134
Considerations against it, p. 135
USE 1. To exhort all men to cleansethemselves from this filthinesse, p. 137
USE 2. To perswade all men to mortifie the inward corruption, aswell as to abstaine from the outward action, p. 140
Tryals whether this lust be mortified:
1. An Vniversall change, p. 141
2. An hate an loathing to this sinne, p. 142
3. A constant keeping our selves from the acting of this sinne, p. 143
Meanes against Fornication:
1. For such as have beene addicted to this sin; Let them
1. Get an humble heart, p. 144
2. L…bo…r to bring their hearts to love God, who hath forg…ven so great a sinne, p. 145
3. Reware lest Satan beguile them.
2. For those that still live in this sinne; Let them
1 Labour to get assurance of pardon.
2 Endevour to have a sense and feeling of their sinne, p. 146
3 Lay hold on the Promises, and apply them.
4 Vse abs…nence and fasting, p. 147
5. Resolve against it, p. 148
6. Proportion the remedy to the disease, p. 149
7. Turne their delights to God and heavenly things
8. Accustome themselves to frequent prayer. p. 150
Of VNCLEANNES.
DOCTR. 1. VNcleannesse is one of the siunes that are here to be… mortisied, p. 153
The haynousnesse of the sin of uncleannesse, appears
1. Because it makes the sinner herein, a man of death,
2. Because it is a sinne against Nature.
3. Because it is against ones selfe, as selfe-murder.
4. Because God makes it a punishment of other sinnes, p. 154
The deceits of Satan to draw men into this sin, are
1. Hope of after-repentance. What repentance is, p. 155
2. The deferring of punishment.
3. The com…on opinion of this sinne, p. 156
4. The privatenesse and secrecie thereof.
5. The present delight they finde in it, p. 157
Of Evill CONCVPISCENCE.
DOCT. I. EVill Concupiscence is a sinne to b…e mortified, pag. 187
Reasons thereof, are,
1. It will bring forth actuall sinnes, p. 188
2. It defiles a man by hiding sinne in his heart, ibid.
3. It marres all good actions, ibid
4. It makes Gods Commandements grievous unto us, p. 189
The nature of evill Concupiscence what, p. 190
The sinfulnesse of evill Concupiscenee, ibid.
The operation of evill Concupiscence in
conceiving
bringing forth
sinne. 191
Evill Concupiscence
Habituall,
Actuall,
to be mortified, p. 193
All sinne is to be abstayned from, because God forbids it, p. 195
Acts to Mortification, are
1. A serious meditation upon mens courses, ibid
2. A suppressing and keeping downe of lust, p. 196
3. A rectifying of the iudgement, p. 197
VSEI. To get free from this sinne, p. 198
The wrathof God on the creature works terror in the conscience, ibid.
Three signes of mortifying this sinne;
1. A generall reformation in heart and life, p. 200
2. A right iudgement of sin, and a true loathing thereof, p. 201
3. Actuall abstinence from sinne, p. 202
QVEST. Whether man after true Mortification may fall into the same sinne againe, ibid.
ANSW. He may fall into the act, but not the love of that sin, ibid
Meanes to the mortification of this sinne, are
1. A labour for an assurance of pardon for our sinnes, p. 203
2. Abstinence from all occasion of sinne, p. 205
3. A delight in grace and holinesse, p. 206
4. …ervent and hearty prayer, p. 207
Of inordinate AFFECTION:
DOCTRINE 1. ALL Immoderate Affections must be mortified, p. 211
What Affections are, p. 212
The Appetite double,
Sensuall,
Rationall,
p. 213
Three sorts of Affections,
Naturall,
Carnall,
Spirituall,
p. 214
Affections when inordinate, p. 216
Trials of the inordit acy of Affections, are
1. To examine them by the rule; the Rules are
1. The obiect must be good, p. 217
2. The end right.
3. The measure right.
4. The order and season sitting.
2. To examine them by the effects; The effects are
1. The disturbance and hi…drance of reason, p. 218
2. An indisposition to holy duties, p. 219
3. The production of evill actions.
4. The drawing us from God, p. 230
What it is to mortifie affections inordinate, ibid.
Keasons why they are to be mortified, are
1. They are of greatest efficacie and command in the soule, p. 221
2. They make us either good or evill.
3. They make way for Satan to take possession of the soule, p. 222
4. They are the first movers to evill, p. 223
VSE 1. To exhort us to take pains in the mortification of these inordinate affections, p. 224
Meanes to mortifie them, are
1. Knowledge of the disease, p. 225
Two wayes to discerne inordinate lusts;
1 By bringing them to the Touch-stone, p. 226
2 By considering the stops of them.
2. The iudgement of others concerning them, p. 227
The causes of inordinate affection, are
1. Mis-apprehension, p. 227
Remedies against mis-apprehension.
1 To get strong reasons out of the Scripture, p. 229
2. To get a lively faith, p. 230
3. Experience of the naughtinesse of them.
4. Example of others.
2. Weakenesse and impotency, p. 232
Remedy against that, is to gather strength.
3. Lightnesse of the minde, p. 233
Remedy, to finde out the right obiect, which is God.
4. Confusion that riseth in the heart at first rising of them, p. 234
Remedy, timely prevention, p. 235
5. Corruption of nature. p. 236
Remedy, to get a new nature.
7. Oue sinne cause and root of another, p. 239
Remedy, to pull up the root.
God the onelyonly agent of Mortification.
USE 2. To reprove us for sinfull affections.
Motives to conquer inordinate affections.
1. They are the root of all evill, p. 240
2. They wound the soule, p. 241
3. They breed foolish and hurtfull lusts, p. 243
4. They hinder the doing of good actions.
5. They bring shame and dishonour, p. 244
6. They blinde the reason and judgement, p. 245
Of COVETOVSNES.
Covetousnesse what, p. 1. 25
Why it is called Idolatry.
DOCTR. 1. To seeke helpe and comfort from riches or any other creature, and not from God alone, is vaine and sinfull, p. 2
DOCTR. 2. That Covetousnesse, which is Idolatry, is to bee mortified, p. 2. 25
Reasons that God onelyonly can be comfort unto us, and not the creature, are
1. God is All-sufficient, p. 5
2. The creature is empty and vaine, p. 6
3. We commit the sinne of idolatry in giving that to the creature which is due to God.
USE 1. To exhort men to abstain frō lusting after worldlythings, p. 7
God can give comfort without riches, p. 8
The creature without the Creator is as the huske without the kernell. p. 9
Considerations to disswade from trusting in the creature:
1. The creature of it selfe hath no power to comfort, p. 10
2. The creature reaches not to the inward man, p. 11
3. A multitude of creatures must goe to the comfort of one man, p. 12
4. The comfort of the creature is but dependant felicity, p. 12
Whatsoever men leave their children without Gods blessing is nothing worth, p. 13
The deceits whereby men are hindred from mortifying this sinne, are
1. They thinke them Gods blessings, p. 14
Blessings considered without thankefull reference to God, cease to be blessings.
We receive the creatures as blessings.
1. When we depend on God for the disposing, continuing and want of them.
2. When wee thinke the same things may bee without comfort unto us, p. 15
3. When we thinke we may have comfort without them p. 16
2. They apprehend present comfort from the abounding of them, p. 17
We may not judge of outward things by sense and feeling, but by faith, and a rectified reason.
To helpe our judgement therein; Consider,
1. They are but vanity of vanities, p. 18
2. What other men, that have bin afflicted, think of thē
3. What your selves wiljudge of thē at the day of death
4. What you shall finde them for the time to come.
Sense of comfort double, preceeding from
a refreshing of the heart by the Creature:
an appprehension of Gods fauor in those blessings.
Ioy in the creature may be a
1. Remisse ioy, as if we ioyed not, p. 19
2. Loose ioy, that may be cast off.
3. Dependant ioy eying the fountaine, p. 20
3 They reason falsely.
Riches come not alwayes by labour, nor comfort by riches, p. 20. For
1. God maketh a disproportion betwixt the man and the blessing, p. 21
2. God hinders the effects, though the causes eoncurre.
3. God denieth successe to the causes, p. 22
4 They see these things present and certain, other things doubtfull and incertaine.
Earthly things subiect to change, but spirituall things unchangeable.
Signes to know whether our love to the creature be right or no: Consider,
1. Whether our affection to the creature drawes our hearts from God, p. 24
2. When earthly and spirituall things come in competition, which we make choyce of.
3. What our obedience is to God.
4. What things trouble us most, p. 25
Our affection to riches said to be inordinate, p. 26. when we seeke them;
1. By measure more then we should.
3. By meanes that we should not, p. 27
3. For wrong ends, p. 28
4. In a wrong manner; which consists in these particulars: when we seeke them,
1 Out of love to them.
2 To trust to them.
3 To be puffed up by them, p. 29
4 To glory in them.
5 With too much haste and eagernesse.
In the desire of riches there is a double content, p. 30
1 A contentednesse, with a dependance on Gods will.
2. A contentednesse with a submission to Gods will.
How farre a man may desire wealth, p. 31
A threefold necessity of the creatures.
1. Of expedience.
2. Of condition and place, p. 32
3. Of refreshment.
A desire of riches for superfluity and excesse, sinfull; for these reasons:
1. Mans life stands not in abundance of excesse.
2. It proceeds from an evill root, p. 33
3. It may not be prayed for.
4. It is dangerous, for it chokes the Word, p. 34
5. We have an expresse Commandement against it.
The end of a mans calling is not to gather riches, but to serve God, p. 35
Riches, the wages, not end of our calling.
Rules to direct our care in getting wealth, p. 37
1 No going into other mens callings.
2 The end must not be riches, but Gods glory.
3 The care must not be inordinate.
Signes of inordinate care, are
1. Trouble in the acquiring, p. 38
2. Feare of not attaining
3. Griefe in being prevented.
A man is then covetous when he strives not against Covetousnesse.
Covetousnesse spirituall adultery, p. 39. aggravated in that
1. It makes men wicked.
2. It does least good.
3. Riches are but false treasure.
4. They are not our owne.
>A…tributes given to riches, are
1- They are many things.
2. They are unnecessary.
3. They will be taken from us.
4. They are not the best.
USE 1. To exhort men to mortifie this earthly member, Covetousnesse, p. 40
Meanes thereto, are,
1. Prayer to God.
2. Humility for sinne.
3. Imployment of them to better things.