The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 6
Chap. 6. Inſtructions ariſing from the former doctrine.
1 IF then ſinne be ſo active, this ſets out whence it is,Whence m̄e are reſtleſſe in ſin. that wicked men are ſo reſtleſſe in ſinne, ſo as they are never at quiet, unleſſe they be doing ſomething or other that makes againſt God, and the good of his people:Pſ. 37.12. David ſhewes that the wicked plots againſt the righteous, and gnaſheth upon him with his teeth, and drawes his ſword, and bends his bow, and all to ſlay ſuch as are upright in heart,Pſ. 78.12. yea hee layeth ſnares, and ſeekes their hurt, and ſpeakes 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 ſinne is unmortified in us, it will be as troubleſome to us, as Ionah was unto the ſhippe which was toſſed up and downe on the waves till he was caſt out; for howſoever that ſinne may ſometime ſeeme to lye quiet, and all in the man may ſeeme 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 againe, and you would thinke that all were well, and that his enemy had left him; but alas the next day the poore man is diſquieted with it againe, and poſſibly more than before: ſo it is in caſe of ſinne, that though it may be, that ſuch a man that lives in ſinne, is now quiet, and neither doth diſcover his malice againſt God and goodneſſe without, nor at preſent any appearance of a ſtorme ariſing in his owne conſcience within; yet that unmortified body of death, that lodges within him will not reſt till it bring both feare at home, and trouble abroad, for this is the policy of Sathan to make the way faire unto us, untill he have drawne us into ſinne, and then labours to pierce us through with many ſorrower; and ſo it was with Saul; 1 Tim. 6.10.ſometimes he was as calme and as well as another man, but when the evill ſpirit came upon him, then was hee 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 tēptation, then are they as tinder to the ſparke, that preſently kindles, and which begets a great flame,Iames 3.5. behold how great a matter this little fire (of ſinne) kindles.
2 Whence ſuddenly wicked.3 This ſhewes whence it is that men are ſo ſuddenly wicked: ſurely it muſt be from hence, becauſe that ſinne is ſo active as it is▪ the activeneſſe of ſinne makes a man impatient of delayes; one being demanded why the earth was every where ſo fruitfull of weedes, and yet ſo much ado to make fragrant, and pleaſant flowres to grow, albeit it were with much coſt and paines; anſwered, that the earth was the naturall mother to the one, and ſtepmother to the other; it is ſo in this caſe, the earth of our hearts doth bring forth ſinne of it ſelfe, and hath the ſeede in it ſelfe; but for grace, alas it is a ſtep-mother unto it, all that wee can doe is little enough to bring it to perfection; whereas this body of ſin is marching on like Iehu the ſonne 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 ſayd to have had to their children mighty men, and men of renowne, or of name; and the reaſon, becauſe they were mighty in wickedneſſe,foreign and had got themſelves a name of infamy; the way of ſinne is downe hill, and can hardly ſtay it ſelfe till it come to the bottome; little do men know how deepe hee may fall that is a falling into ſinne, if hee fall not as Eutychus, that fell from ſuch a height, that he was taken up dead, yet may hee 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 hypocriſie. Intus Nero, foris Cato totus amb guus, pars prima Leo: poſtrema Draco media ipſa chymera: Hier. ep: 5.3 That a man may be a notorious ſinner, and yet have a ſhew and colour of piety: ſo thoſe that were proud, heady, high minded, &c. yet they had a forme of godlineſſe, 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 juſtifie themſelves, but God knowes your hearts ſaith our Saviour;Luk. 16.15. that is howſoever men could not, yet God both can and will: Hypocriſie is one of the faireſt garments, that this body of ſinne can be covered withall, becauſe that by this meanes the hypocrite is hidden both from others, and from himſelfe; from others by this, it hath beene that ſo many have ſhewed unto men to have had the voyce of Iacob, and the hands were the hands of Eſau, and have pretended great piety; when their intentions have beene barbarous and moſt prodigiouſly impious; As Jezabel pretends a faſt,1 King: 21.9. and intends murther; and Abſolon 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 malitious: but howſoever they thinke 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 doe indeed deceive themſelves; and it were better openly to ſinne,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 ballance and a ballance, that God will finde you out, and ſhall ſmite every ſuch whited wall; and as old Ahiah ſaid to the wife of Ieroboam, 1 Kings 146.when ſhee came diſguiſed, Come in (ſaith hee) thou wife of Ieroboam, why faineſt thou the ſelfe to be another? I have heavie tydings to tell thee, ſo may I ſay unto ſuch, that I have heavie tidings to tell them, that is this,Act. 8.23. that they are in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity: and if there be any fire in that bottomleſſe tophet hotter than another, it's prepared for the hypocrits, and therefore when God tells men of great puniſhments that the wicked ſhall have, hee tells them that their puniſhment ſhall be with hypocrites; that is, making them a patterne of greas puniſhment to others.Mat: 24.41.
Againe, this body of ſinne it doth ſo worke and cover it ſelfe, that it makes a man to miſtake his owne condition, as the young man did, when hee ſaid,Mat. 19.29. All theſe have I done from my youth, and yet poore ſoule, he knew not the deceitfulnes of his owne heart, that he was miſtaken, & had a deceitfull heart that would not ſubmit to the will of Chriſt: and we read of Herod, that hee did many things untill it came to the leaving of his Herodias, hee was content, but there he ſtucke. So it is with men, they are ſo well conceited of their conditions, as he that goes a jot beyond them, goes too farre, and hee that comes not to their pitch is too prophane, 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 hee ſtands take heed leſt hee fall, and that his foundation be not built on the ſand.
4 Seeing that this body of ſinne is thus active,4 How ſuſpitious we ſhould be of our ſelves. it ſhould make us ſuſpitious of our ſelves, and be very jealous over our ſelves in all the actions that wee doe, ſeeing that there is one within us that hath a hand in them, that is our mortall enemy,Prov. 26.25. who albeit hee may ſpeake us faire; and make his voyce 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 hee neither can turne out, nor may truſt; will hee not then be ſuſpitious of him, and often call him to account,Jer. 17.9. yet behold ſuch is our owne hearts, deceitfull above all things, and who can know it, it hath ſuch turnings and windings, that unleſſe we watch it narrowly, it will deceive us. Aske 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 no whither. Aske it againe, whether it doth beleeve in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt for life and eternall ſalvation, it will anſwer yea, hee hath beleeved ever ſince hee can remember, and never doubted in all his life. Aske him againe, whether hee be in ſuch a condition as hee may goe to the Lords Table, hee will anſwer againe, goe in peace: Thus like another trecherous Iudas, hee will for his owne ends betray his owne Maſter; now I appeale 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 turne. Have you not cauſe here to be ſuſpitious of your ſecret enemy, that lurkes in your boſomes, that is ſo ready to deceive it ſelfe and you. When that King of Syria ſaw that his plots were ſtill diſcovered, that his warre did not proſper againſt the Kings of Iſrael,2 King. 6.11. Will you not tell mee (ſaith hee) which of us is for the King of Iſra…l? So it ſhould be with you, that when your deſignes and good purpoſes are interrupted, you ſhould enter into your chambers and commune with your owne hearts, and call up all your thoughts together, ſay to them, will none of you ſhew mee, 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 rebell againſt the law of the mind, and then complaine of this enemy unto him that is able to helpe you, and ſay, O wretched man that I am, good Lord deliver mee from this body of death.