The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 23
CAP. XXIII. An exhortation unto the duty of mortification.
FOr as much as wee are naturally ſlow unto this worke of mortification, both in reſpect of that love we have unto our luſts, and alſo in reſpect that Sathan, and our deceitfull hearts, doe labour by all faire and poſſible arguments to beate us off from this worke: 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 amiſſe to quicken you up unto this duty, by ſuch conſiderations as theſe.
1 In regard of ſinne, that if it be not mortified, wee doe 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 ſinne is thu… diſpleaſing to him, will appeare.
1 In regard of thoſe ſad Complaints and thoſe patheticall expreſſions that are uſed in Scripture, againſt ſin, and ſinners: when the ſinnes of the old world grew to that height, that the whole earth was corrupt before God, and that the wickedneſſe of man was great in the earth,Gen. 6.6. it repented the Lord that hee had made man, and it grieved him at the heart, a deepe 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 ſpeake in the Schooles, that as men are grieved when they are offended, ſo is God ſore diſpleaſed with ſinne.Pſal. 95.10, 11. Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation: then it was that hee ſware 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 wilderneſſe:Luk. 19.41. how was our bleſſed Saviour grieved when hee beheld the City, and wept over it, ſaying, O Ieruſalem, Ieruſalem, how often would I have gathered thee, as a hen gathereth her chickins, &c. What can be a greater griefe to a loving father, or a tender mother, than to ſee their Children not to harken unto good admonitions, and exhortations; ſo is it unto Chriſt: when as wee turne aſide, to the by-paths of ſinne, it grieves him much, how doth God complaine of his people: O my people what have I done unto thee, Mich. 6.2.teſtifie againſt mee: now when we heare God to ſhew ſo much diſcontent, in his be wayling of our ſinnes; it ſhould be a ſtrong motive, to make us to be waile our owne ſinnes, and offences againſt God.
2 Conſider that ſinne is it, that doth ſeparate God from us, and us from him; thence it is that ſometimes God hath left his people:Ier. 12.7. I have forſaken mine houſe, I have left mine heritage, and delivered the dearly beloved of my ſoule 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 ſoyle, 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 unfruitfull ground;Heb. 6.7.8. that bringeth forth nothing but thornes, and bryers, then 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 devoure;Eſa 5.4. now when we ſee that Chriſt and ſinne will not comply together; O labour then to mortifie 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 ſinnes, both on whole Nations, and on particular perſons; ſee how the foundations of the great deepe from below, and the windowes of heaven from above were ſet open by the ſinnes of thoſe times; how the clouds contrary to their nature diſſolved into a ſhower of Brimſtone, and fell on that ſinfull City: in one word, wherefore was Kain ſmitten with ſuch feares? and Herod ſmitten with wormes, was it not for ſinne?
Laſtly, if God would ever have ſpared any, hee would have ſpared his owne ſonne; but Chriſt undertaking to become ſinne for us, he muſt not be ſpared, but muſt ſuffer a ſorrowfull, and a ſhamefull death for that cauſe: ſure then if God have beene ever ſo ſevere, that he would not ſpare ſinne, it ſhould be our care that we ſhould not ſpare it.
2. Conſider, that if you doe not mortifie your corruptions, then you are firſt under the power and ſervitude of Sathan; he that walketh in ſinne, is a ſervant of ſinne, and while he promiſeth liberty to himſelfe,Ioh. 8.34. he becommeth 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, hee doth not his owne will, but the will of his Maſter; ſo is it with a man that is in bondage unto ſinne and Sathan, 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 Sathan will have him led captive, he is at his will; but were the power of ſinne mortified, we ſhould finde that theſe temptations would fall from us as the Viper from Pauls hand, and would not prevaile againſt us. Suppoſe a man have a ſtrong houſe, and great fortifications about it, yet if there be but a ſervant within that can unlocke and unbolt the doores, there is no ſafety there; ſo ſuppoſe there be never ſo many good gifts in a man, yet if hee have his corrupt nature unmortified, be aſſured of this then, that there is one within you, that will let in Sathan, who will ſeduce you to ſinne.
2 If you doe not mortifie ſinne, Sathan will make your ſoules his lodging. For as a mortifi'd, and a ſanctifi'd heart is the ſeat of the Holy Ghoſt: ſo alſo an unmortified and an uncleane heart is the ſeate of Sathan. When the ſpirit of God departed from Saul, 1. Sam. 16.14.then an evill ſpirit from the Lord troubled him: ſo it is in this caſe, that if Chriſt by his ſpirit dwell not in you, Sathan will take place, as it was ſaid of Babylon, that ſhee was the habitation of Devils,Rev. 18.2. and the kennell of every foule ſpirit, and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird, ſo a man that is not purged from his ſinne, the ſtrong man keeps the houſe and all kind of luſts ſwimme in him: now then that theſe great enemies, and theſe noyſome and hurtfull luſts may be deſtroyed, labour to mortifie your corruption, then will all theſe your enemies be driven away, by the breath of the ſpirit of Chriſt, and the brightneſſe of his comming.
3 In regard of our ſelves, if we doe not mortifie ſinne, we cannot be but great loſers by it:Heb. 6.7. untill then the word is unprofitable it falleth upon us, till it mortifie corruption, as the raine that falleth on the barren ground, it bringeth forth nothing but bryars and thornes, fit for curſing; ſo all the gaine that you have, by the hid treaſure of the holy Word of God, and this pearle of the Goſpell, it is but the aggravation of your ſinne, and a ſavour of death unto you, ſo that this word that killeth ſinne in others, doth but ripen them in you, and this word that is wholſome nouriſhment unto others, is but a potion of death unto you.
2 Untill ſinne be mortified you can have no true peace in your conſciences,Eſa 57. ult. the wicked, ſaith God, have no peace: as Iehu anſwered the King, when he ſaid, Is it peace Iehu, what peace, ſaith he, ſo long as the whoredomes of thy mother Ieſabell, and her witchchrafts are ſo many: ſo ſay I, what peace, can there be, as long as luſt, and the body of ſinne doth remaine, what peace can there be in the heart of a man. As it was ſaid, that in the dayes of Shamgar the high wayes were unoccupied, and travellers walked through by-wayes,Iudg. 5.6. till I Deborah aroſe, &c. ſountill ſuch time as ſinne is purged out, there is no peace but warre, no walking in thoſe wayes of grace and peace, till there be a mortification of ſinne; as you ſee it is, when that the high wayes are peſtered with robbers, there is no ſafety to paſſe, in, or out: ſo when the high-wayes of piety are peſtered, with luſt, ſo as the paſſages are ſtopped, and there will be no ſecurity, untill ſuch time, as that theſe be cut off, but if that you can come to ſlay and deſtroy theſe enemies, that doe way lay, and fight againſt the ſoule, I ſay then you may walke in ſafety; and the truth is, were we not enemies unto our ſelves, we need to feare no enemy: our greateſt and moſt deſperate enemies are thoſe of our owne houſe, even ſuch luſts as have their breath and breeding in our owne hearts.
3 The laſt great loſſe that wee doe ſuſtaine by want of mortification is the loſſe of our ſoules, which is the greateſt loſſe that can be: for if every graſſe pile in our fields were a precious pearle, and every ſtone in the ſtreete were a diamond; and every eare of corne in our fields, were ſo many ſhining chryſolites, yet were they not all worth the ſoule: but now if a man ſhould not endeavour to kill ſinne, ſinne will kill him. Suppoſe wee the moſt fearfull and daſtardly man that may be, yet if he had this propoſition made, if thou doſt not kill mee I will kill thee, I ſhould ſuppoſe that this would make him fight. I tell you brethren, that if you doe not ſlay ſinne, it will ſlay you, and if you mortifie the deedes of the fleſh by the ſpirit you ſhall live, but if you live after the fleſh, you ſhall dye.