The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 7
CAP. VII. Of the ſecond principall thing, viz: the doctrine of Mortification, with certainc diſtinctions to cleare it.
NOw the ſecond thing layd downe in the text, is the duty that is commended unto us by our Apoſtle, namely that the deedes of the body are to be mortified,Joel. 2.13. this is no other than that of the Prophet, Rent your hearts, and not your garments, &c. now the renting of thier garments, was but (in the beſt uſe of them) to put them in minde of the diſpoſition of their hearts, and what ſerious thoughts God would have them be affected withall: They did uſe to rent garments either in caſe of ſome great evill of ſinne, or evill of puniſhment, in caſe of ſome great ſinne.2 King. 18 So Hezekiah rent his clothes at the blaſphemy of Rabſheke, Heſt. 4.1.the foule mouthed enemy of God; and ſo in caſe of ſome eminent danger, ſo Mordecay rent his garment, out of trouble of heart for that great Maſſacre that was likely to befall the Jewes: and may not the like miſery ſway with us, to make us rent our hearts, and mortifie the deeds of the body, eſpecially when we conſider the greatneſſe of our ſinnes, both in reſpect of their number that they are many, and of their nature that they are foule, and make us loathſome in the ſight of God, for their quantity they are as heavie as mountaines of lead,Deut. 19.18. and for the quality they are rootes that beare 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 ſinne raigne in your mortall bodies, that you ſhould obey it in the luſts thereof. It is true that ſinne will remaine in us, but it muſt not raigne over us, for if grace raigne in your hearts, then ſinne muſt not raigne, grace will have no competitor. Wee read of Alexander the great, that hee 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 downe every high thought that doth exalt it ſelf againſt God. This exhortation is urged more plainly. Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth, fornication, uncleanneſſe, inordinate affections, &c. as before, ſinne is compared to a body, ſo here, particular ſins are compared to ſo many members of that body, that as all the members doe worke together for the preſervation of the whole, ſo doth every leaſt conduct, and concurre, 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 externall and without us,Mortification is externall. or elſe as ſomething that is internall and is done within us: as it is externall, ſo it is ſaid to be a legall mortification, when as a man is dead in law, as a melefact or is ſaid then to be a dead man when hee is condemned; ſo ſinne is then ſaid to be dead when it is forgiven,Rom. 8.3. and God is ſaid to ſend his ſonne, in the likeneſſe of ſinfull fleſh, and for ſinne condemned ſinne in the fleſh, that is, that ſinne ſhould be as certainly put to death, as it was certaine that Chriſt had taken our nature on him, a great comfort it is to a diſtreſſed ſoule that doth caſt it ſelfe upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: though at firſt it doe not apprehend the power of ſinne mortified, yet apprehending our plentious redemption purchaſed by Chriſt hee concludes, that ſinne ſhall certainly die, becauſe Chriſt hath already condemned it and as David ſayd,1 Sam. 20.3. when Ionathan did perſwade him to the contrary, As the Lord liveth, and as thy ſoule liveth, there is but a ſtep betweene mee 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 certaine that there is but a ſtep betweene them and death.
Internall. Initiall.2. Internall mortification is either initiall or renewed, initiall mortification it is that firſt worke of ſanctification, whereby the force and vigor of ſinne is broken, and the body of ſinne hath received ſuch a deadly wound as maketh it incurable, though a man in this caſe may goe as the woman did from one Phyſitian to another to have the iſſue of blood ſtayed, yet will it bleed ſtill, there is no Balme from no Phyſitian there:Jer. 3.22. now this initiall mortification is either generall or ſpeciall.
Initiall. Generall. Luke 15.81. Generall, when there is a generall blow given to every ſinne when wee doe as the woman when ſhee had loſt her money, did ſweepe the houſe, not onelyonly ſome, but every roome of it, the whole houſe, thus ſhall wee bee ſure not to leave any ſinne without the marke of death upon it, waſh your hands yee ſinners, James 4.8.and purifie your hearts yee double minded; that is, that man that is truely mortified, is ſuch as is all over mortified; that is, there is no actuall ſin, that ſtickes 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 hypocriſie 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 ſinne. Had we not need then to bee very much grieved for them,Matthew 15.2. and to mourne in ſecret untill they be ſlaine 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 ſeeme to be a great mortification of ſinne, yet behold one or other doth make an eſcape, and comes and tels us that all is not mortified, ſuch a man is wiſe and liberall, but yet hee is proud, ſuch a one is humble and courteous, but yet hee is covetous, a third is devout and religious, and yet full of diſordered paſſions, ſo that though men ſeeke to colour over their ſinnes with never ſo many faire pretences, yet if it be not ſo indeed, ſomthing will eſcape: as ſhee 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 covetouſneſſe, or their paſſions; like a dead Fly ſpoyles the whole box of precious oyntment.
2. There is a ſpeciall mortification of ſpeciall ſinnes,2. Speciall that although for ſinnes of ignorance, a generall mortification will ſerve the turne and is acceptable to God, yet becauſe that there is much deceit lieth in generals, wee muſt deſcend to particulars, as David ſaith. I know mine iniquity, Pſal. 51.3.and my ſinne in ever before me, is it not I that have ſinned? 1. Cron. 21.17. Againe, all ſinne is not of equall proportion, but ſome are weaker and ſome ſtronger, like the ſonnes of Zerviah, and they are not unlike to that kinde of evill ſpirit that is not caſt out but by prayer and faſting; much adoe there is to ſubdue them, there is ſome boſome ſinne 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 tenderneſſe of it: now againſt this we muſt contend, for as long as ſuch a ſpeciall corruption lives in us, (like as Pharoahs thinne blaſted eares of corne) it devoureth the fat ones, ſo will that ſinne eate up all your ſpiritual comforts, or as Saul ſaid concerning David, as long as the ſonne of Jeſſe lives, the Kingdome ſhall not be eſtabliſhed to you (meaning Jonathan) ſo I ſay, as long as you do not contend againſt your ſpeciall ſins, the Kingdom of heaven will never be eſtabliſhed unto you, therefore labour to finde them out one by one, and having found them, purſue after them as the revenger of blood till you have ſlaine 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 ſinne. that is in caſe that we renew our ſinnes, we muſt renew this worke alſo, and this is either in regard of thoſe daily infirmities that are the fruits of this body of ſinne that is in us: or elſe in caſe of a relapſe or falling fowly into ſome great ſinne which doth waſte the conſcience, and therefore when wee have given unto ſinne ſome deadly blow, wee muſt not then thinke that the worke is done, for it is with us, as it is when a Ship ſprings a leake, though they pumpe up the water, yet will it fill againe; ſo is it with us, there is ſuch a corrupt fountaine as will ſtill bee troubling of us, the ſame reaſon that may move us to ſay, give us this day our daily bread; may alſo prevaile with us, to ſay, forgive us this day our daily ſinnes; it ſhould bee our care every day to conſider our wayes, and to examine our hearts, and not ſuffer our temples to take their reſt, nor the eyes in our heads untill ſuch time as wee have cauſed our daily ſinnes to ſleepe the long ſleepe of death: beleeve it, if we would doe this wee ſhould ſleepe more quietly, live more peaceably, and dye more comfortably, this is that ſame wherein we may rejoyce, for by our rejoycing that wee have in Chriſt,1 Cor. 15.31. we dye daily; Now to mortifie ſinne every day is more eaſie, 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 ſparke; and a banke of the Sea is eaſily repaired at the firſt: ſo is it in caſe of ſinne before this ſparke of ſinne 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 beene but the worke of a few houres, becomes the worke of many moneths.
2 In caſe of a relapſe.2. In caſe of a relapſe, or of ſome great ſinne thath ath beene the caſe of divers good men, they have fallen out of one ſinne into another, to the wounding of their owne 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 ſinne 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 returne 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 your ſelves; you muſt ſearch out the cauſe wherefore this evill 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 campe. So ſhould wee never ceaſe before wee 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 ſinne hath beene this day, for if it be Ionathan my ſonne, hee ſhall ſurely die; ſo ſay I to you, ſhew no pitie on it, for ſinne can ſhew no merciemercy, and therefore good reaſon, that it ſhould have judgement without merciemercy; alas brethren luſt is ſo deare unto ſome men that they will undoe themſelves and their ſoules to enjoy that, as it was ſaid of Iacob, Gen. 44.30.that his life was bound up in the life of Benjamin: ſo may I ſay that mens hearts are ſo folded up in their luſt, that you may as well pull out the one as purge out the other.