A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Shewing the degrees of Mortification.
FOr the firſt of theſe,Two degrees of mortification. we will ſhew both the loweſt degree of mortification, (that without which no man can bee ſaued) and alſo the higheſt degree of mortification, beyond which a Chriſtian cannot reach, in this preſent life: and theſe two beeing knowne, the middle degrees betwixt theſe, will appeare of themſelues. Know then, that the loweſt degree of mortification is that, which hath attained two things, which whoſoeuer hath not attained, is not at all mortified; he that hath attained them, is in truth mortified, and then muſt ſtriue forward, for greater perfection.
The firſt thing is,1. To forbeare the vſuall practice of groſſe ſinnes. to forbeare the ordinary practice of groſſe ſinnes, ſuch as are expreſſely condemned by the letter of the Word, and by the light of nature, and ſuch, wherein the members of the body are giuen as weapons of vnrighteouſneſſe. No man can ſay hee is truly mortified, till he hauehave gotten ſo much power againſt his corrupt luſts, that hee bee not vſually and commonly ouertaken with thoſe palpable deeds of the body, ſwearing, curſing, lying, rayling, drunkenneſſe, wantonneſſe, reuenge, deceit, and the like to theſe: for thoſe that doe ſuch things,Gal. 5.21. Epheſ. 2.3. ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of God: and the Apoſtle ſaith, That in time paſt, when we were dead in ſinnes, wee had our conuerſation in the luſts of our fleſh, fulfilling the deſires of the mind, and of the fleſh, and were by nature,Titus 3.3. children of wrath. And againe, Wee our ſelues were ſometimes fooliſh, diſobedient, deceiued, ſeruing diuers luſts and pleaſures, liuing in malice, and enuie, hatefull, and hating one another.1. Pet 4.3. And againe, Peter ſaith, The time paſt of our liues may ſuffice vsus; to hauehave wrought the will of the Gentiles, when wee walked in laſciuiouſneſſe, luſts, exceſſe of wine, reuellings, banquetings, and abominable Idolatries. And Saint Iohn ſaith,1. Ioh. 1.6. If we ſay wee hauehave fellowſhip with him, (as eueryevery mortified man hath) and walke in darkeneſſe, (as he that liues in the vſuall practice of ſuch things doth) we lye, and doe not the truth.Coloſ. 3.6. For as the Apoſtle ſaith, For theſe things ſake, the wrath of God doth come vponupon the children of diſobedience. It is plaine enough, you ſee, that hee which is a worker of wickedneſſe, and doth giuegive himſelfe leaue to goe on in the common practice of theſe abominable euils, is not tranſlated from darkeneſſe to light, he is not made partaker of the vertue of the death of Chriſt, he is not buried with Chriſt by Baptiſme into his death, nor made conformable vntounto his death; ſo that it is in vaine to flatter our ſelues with a falſe opinion of our being good Chriſtians, ſo long as theſe things do ſo ſtrongly beare rule in vsus, hat wee giuegive our members as ſeruants vntounto them ordinarily: for the good man muſt not walke in the counſell of ſinners, nor ſtand in the way of the vngodly.
2. But ſecondly,2. And the allowance of the leaſt ſinne. a godly man muſt preuaile yet further againſt ſinne, euen ſo farre, as not to allow, defend, excuſe, extenuate, and careleſly let paſſe the ſmalleſt knowne ſinne, yea the firſt riſings, and motions of ſinne; but muſt conſtantly obſerue, oppoſe, confeſſe, bewaile, and be humbled for them, before God:Math. 5.8. for no man can be bleſſed, till hee be pure in heart; and hee that muſt aſcend into the hill of the Lord, and ſtand in his holy place,Pſal. 24.4. muſt hauehave (as cleane hands, ſo) a pure heart alſo, as Dauid ſaith. Now the heart is not pure, ſo long as any the leaſt ſin is winked at, allowed, maintained, couered and made light of. Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, (not alone,Rom. 6.12, 13. that wee muſt not giuegive our members as weapons of vnrighteouſneſſe to ſinne, but alſo) that we muſt not obey it, no not in the luſts of it. Now hee that giues way to euill motions in his heart, and makes nothing of them, nor lamenteth and reſiſteth them, doth ſerue ſinne in the luſts of it; as well as hee that ruſheth vponupon the groſſe and externall acts of euill vſually, doth giuegive his members as inſtruments of wickedneſſe. It is therefore apparant, that grace muſt ſo farre change vsus, and ſubdue our corrupt diſpoſition, as that wee muſt crucifie the fleſh, with the very affections and luſts, or elſe we are not planted with Chriſt into the ſimilitude of his death, nor can truly take to our ſelues the name, or inioy the priuiledges of men that doe mortifie the deeds of the body. And this is the leaſt degree that will ſerue to intitle a man to the comfort of one that is truly mortified.
3. Now the higheſt degree that is in this life attainable,2. The higheſt degree of mortification. ſtands alſo in two things; firſt, in preſeruing ones ſelfe ſo much and conſtantly againſt ſinne,To be euer kept from any groſſe ſinne. as neuer to commit any groſſe, or palpable ſinne; neuer to curſe, raile, ſweare, lye, deceiue, reuenge, dally, or any other like manifeſt and notorious offence either in word or deed.Iam. 3.4. And Saint Iames tels vsus, That hee which offends not in word, is a perfect man. This perfection, by the helpe of grace, a godly man may reach to in this life; and O how beautifull and happie a life were it, to goe, euen thus farre, in the ſubduing of ſinne, that one ſhould be wholly and altogether free from all blemiſhfull and reprochfull ſinnes! But a good man may proceed to ſomewhat an higher degree of perfection, euen to keepe his heart free from any ſettled liking of any euill motion thereof,To be free from any ſettled liking of an ill motion. ſo that he ſhall neuer take any ſtayed or deliberate content in any of the ſinfull inclinations, & diſpoſitions that doe ſtirre in him. I doe not ſay onelyonly not to giuegive any conſent vntounto them, or to yeeld his will to them, but not to hauehave his imagination ſettledly and deliberately pleaſed and delighted with them; but that hee ſhall preſently quench, reiect, and deteſt them; but to be voyd of all euill motions ariſing from the fleſh, or of all ſudden paſſions within, or of all ſudden delight in them, or of all deadneſſe or backwardnes to good things by reaſon of them; that is, ſo far as I can learne out of Scripture, an higher pitch then that any man can touch it in this preſent world. For ſurely, whileſt we liue, the law of our members will be working, and the fleſh will be luſting, and eueryevery man ſhall finde cauſe to complaine of a body of death; eueryevery man ſhall finde cauſe to ſay, Who can ſay his heart is free? And he ſhall but deceiue himſelfe that ſaith he hath no ſinne.