The Mortified Christian, Sermon 5
SERMON, V.
Rom. 8. vers. 13.
—But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
I Come now to handle the mistakes on the other hand, of those that think their corruptions are mortified when they are not: The heart of man is deceitfull above all things, abundle of deceit, and man himself, Three grounds of mistakes of an unmortified heart.is a proud creature, and very apt to have high conceits of himself: and there are 3 grounds of mistake in wicked men, which makes them apprehend their corruptions are mortified, when indeed they are not. As,
1. Because they finde an opposition against sinne, therefore they conclude there is a mortification of sin in them.
2. Because they finde in themselves the power of restraining grace. And,
3. Because there is a leaving and forsaking of some sins in them: as it may be he was an adulterer in former time, but he is not one now: or a swearer, or drunkard, &c. in former time, but he is none of these now. These are the 3 grounds of wicked mens mistakes in reference to this work of mortification. And I shall spend two houres in answering these 3 mistakes, and shewing you the weaknesse and insufficiency of these grounds, to evidence a work of mortification upon their hearts. To begin with the first,
1. 1ground of mistakeThat because they finde in themselves an opposition against some sins, therefore they conclude a work of mortification upon their hearts. I answer, that an opposition of sin, may proceed from the light of a naturall conscience, which may convince a man what is sin, and what not: even wicked men may have a law within them, that may make them averse and opposite to some sins, as uncleannesse, and drunkennesse, &c. and their consciences may accuse them when they do ill, and excuse them when they do well: but this only in the generall, I shall now speak to it more particularly, and I beseech you lend me your thoughts a little, for I do not think there is a man or woman amongst you, though never so wretched and vile, but have some time or other withstood some corruptions and sinfull motions in your hearts. Eight particular cases wherean unmortified man may oppose corruptions.Now I shall shew in 8 particular cases wherein you may oppose corruptions, and yet be an unmortified man: as, 1. he may oppose them Jestingly, 2. Sparingly, 3. Partially, 4. Hypocritically, 5. Slavishly, 6. Constrainedly, 7. Faintly, and lastly, Politically. For the first,
1 Jestingly. 1. A man may oppose corruptions jestingly. He may do as fencers use to do upon the stage, they pretend to hurt one another, but they never give a deadly wound, though they may seem to hack and hew one another, yet they never draw one drop of bloud, being only in jest all the while: so though a wicked man does oppose and resist sin, yet he will be sure not to hurt his sin; but now a mortified man, he opposeth sin in good carnest, and encounters with it, not as a fencer, but as a warriour opposeth his mortall enemie, and knowes he must either kill or be kild; so a godly man opposeth sin, as the deadly enemy of his soul, he knows that he is now a grappling for his salvation: why now consider of it, I beleeve there is not a man amongst you, but does now and then oppose sin, but if you do it only jestingly, this opposition is nothing worth.
2 Sparingly. 2. In case likewise you do it sparingly. It may be some of you do resist and oppose corruptions, you see sin to be sin, and do labour to oppose it, but withall you do it sparingly, you will not do sin too much hurt, you deal with sin as David did with Absalom, (saies he) deal gently with the young man Absalom; so it may be you deal gently with your sins, and oppose them very sparingly: but now a mortified man, he does accost his lusts with a holy cruelty, he will shew sin no mercy, nor give any quarter to his lusts: his sins will not spare him, and therefore he will not spare them.
3 Partially. 3. Thou hast an unmortified heart in case thou opposest sin partially, resisting some sins, but sparing others, your beloved lusts. It may be thou opposest drunkennesse, and yet wilt favour thy self in other sins, as false weights or measures, cousening and deceiving in thy shop, and tradings: It may be thou doest oppose adultery and uncleannesse, and yet doest yeeld to and indulge other lusts in thy bosome: but now mortification is like death upon the body, which seiseth upon all the vitals and parts of the body; so if you do not oppose all sin, you are a stranger to mortification, you that do with your sins as Saul did in case of the Amalekites, Though he kild the Amalekites, yet he saved Agag their king, and the best of the sheep and cattell, whereas he should have destroyed them all: So you, though you do oppose some sins, yet if you do harbour and indulge others in your hearts, as Saul by his partiality lost his Kingdome, so you by your indulgence, and partiality to some profitable or delightfull sins, will lose your souls: as Sauls sparing of Agag, cost him the losse of his Kingdome; so the sparing of any one lust in thy soul, will cause thee to lose the Kingdome of heaven.
4 Hypocritically. 4. If you oppose sin hypocritically, or upon false ends and grounds; when a man opposeth sin not because it hinders him in good, but because it hinders him from good; he never opposeth any sin, because this or that lust hinders him in prayer, and interrupts him in holy duties, as hearing, reading, &c. but because it hinders him from good, because it keeps him from heaven, and happinesse, and glory; it hinders him from the good he hopes for and expects; he doth not oppose sin because it is repugnant to the glory of God, but because it doth impugn and crosse his expectation: so that a man may oppose sin in these 4 senses and yet be an unmortified man.
5 Slavishly. 5. If you do oppose sin slavishly, if meerly the fear of Hell and of wrath to come, does make thee resist a present corruption, you would not care what sins you did commit if Hell and punishment did not follow after them. Then a man opposeth sin slavishly, when he does it meerly because God punisheth sin, not because he hates it; because sin hath a condemning power, not because it hath a defiling power with it; because sin is against the revenging justice of God, not because it is against the holinesse and purity of God; because there is a Hell for sin, not because there is a Hell in sin. But now a godly man he opposeth sin filially, if there were no Devill in hell, and no punishment for sin, yet a godly man would hate it because of the filthinesse of it, because there is a Hell in sin, which he sees to be worse then Hell it self.
6 Constrainedly 6. If you oppose sin constrainedly. Many men oppose corruption in their hearts, but it is because they have terrours, and gripes, and gnawings of conscience upon them, they have so much light in their naturall conscience, that they cannot yeeld to sin without some reluctancy; they would gladly shake off the gnawings of their conscience, and lull it asleep that it might not do its office, but that they might sin securely and peaceably, such an opposition as this is no argument at all of mortification.
7 Faintly. 7. If you do oppose corruptions faintly, and slowly. It may be thou didst resist corruptions resolutely at first, but afterward you grow faint, and weary, and remisse in your oppositions: heretofore you could not endure drunkennesse or uncleannesse, but now you are more pliable and yeelding to sin. Many men in opposing of sin, are like unto the French men in battels, of whom it is related, that there are no men in the world, will give a fiercer onset and charge, but if they meet with a good repulse from the enemy, then their courage is cool'd and danted, and no men more cowardly and fearfull then they; so it may be some of you are very resolute at first against sin, but if the Devill come upon you with a fierce charge, then you grow faint hearted, and yeeld and comply with sin: just as Balaam did, Numb. 22.13, 18.in Numb. 22.13, 18. when Balak sent for Balaam to curse Israel, at first he refused to go, in vers. 13. saies he to the Princes of Balak, Get you into your land, for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you: and again in vers. 18. (saies he) If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do lesse or more. Why now you would think Balaam to be a very good men; but yet when the King sent for him the third time, then he would needs go. But you may say God bid him go, Vers. 20.and therefore he is excusable, vers. 20. And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them: and yet when Balaam went in the morning, Gods anger was kindled against him because he went. Now how can this be, can God be angry with a man for doing that which he bids him doe?
I answer, 1. Answ. 1 God bid him go conditionally, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them, but we do not read that the men cold him. And,
2. God bid him goe, Answ. 2 but as you bid an untoward childe do a thing when he will have his own will, Well do it if you will, take your own course, and see what will come of it. So saies God to Balaam, If you will needs go, if you love their money, the wages of unrighteousnesse so well, go with them, and see what will come of it.
3. God bids him goe, not to curse, Answ. 3 but to blesse Israel: now the text saies, God was angry with Balaam because he went, God bid him go to blesse Israel, but he went with an intent to curse them, and that was the reason that God was angry with him.
Thus it may be some of you may with Balaam refuse to satisfie your lusts once, and a second time, and yet imbrace them the third time, though you oppose sin resolutely at first, and yet cowardize and grow faint afterwards, it is a sign thy heart is not yet mortified.
8 Politically. 8. If you do oppose sin politically. My meaning is this, a man may be said to oppose sin two waies,
1. When a man opposeth sin more because an outward judgement does follow that sin, more upon this ground, then because a spirituall judgement does attend that sinne.
Thus Abimelech did in Gen. 20. Gen. 20.When he was in danger to have abused Sarah Abrahams wife, yet when he knew her to be Abrahams wife he let her goe, and sent to Abraham, and said, Why is it that thou didst not tell me she was thy wife? thou mightst have caused me to have brought evill upon the Kingdome by it. A wicked man may oppose sin, because it may bring evill upon his body, or house, or Kingdome, but not because sin is a dishonour to God: a man opposeth sin politically, when it is meerly upon a carnall consideration. And,
2. When a man does oppose one sin, that so he may harbour another sin with lesse suspicion. It may be, thou hast left thy drunkennesse, that so thou maiest keep other sins without being suspected. Herein thou doest play the politician to damn thy own soul. And thus I have done with these 8 particulars, wherein you see, you may oppose sin Jestingly, Sparingly, Partially, Hypocritically, Slavishly, Faintly, and Politically; and if you go no further in the opposition of your lusts, you cannot conclude a work of mortification upon your hearts.
And thus much shall serve for the taking of the first ground of mistake in wicked men the opposition of corruptions.
2. Oh but saies another, 2ground of mistakeI do not only oppose corruptions, but (blessed be God) I do restrain and keep them under, that they do not break forth into act, in my life and conversation, and therefore I hope my heart is mortified, and all things well with me, seeing I have a power enabling me to restrain and keep under my corruptions.
Answ. For answer to this, Answ. I must acknowledge that this is a good step in the way to heaven, for a man both to oppose and restrain his lusts from coming forth into act. But yet I have 3 words to say to you, that so you may not be mistaken. The first is this,
1. That a man may restrain a sin meerly from the principles and dictates of nature, the power of nature may restrain a man from the commission of some sins: we read of Socrates that he profest of himself that he was addicted to chastity, that he never had a lustfull thought and wanton glances with his eye, nor a lascivious carriage of his body all his life time, and yet he was but a heathen man. And so Cato, he was so afraid of drunkennesse, that he professeth he never drunk so much but he could have drunk more even to refresh nature. Why such men as these may goe beyond many Christians.
2. Lusts may be restrained from the force of religious education and example: we read in 2 King. 2 King. 12.2.12.2. of Jehoash, the text saies, He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of Jehoiada the Priest: all the while he lived, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but when he was dead, then Jehoash did wickedly. Sin was restrained in him all the while he lived under the tuition of a good man, but afterwards it broke out.
So it may be, you that are under masters and tutors, that have a strict eye over you; all the while you are servants, sin may be restrained in you, but when you come to be your own men, to goe whither you will, and do what you will, then it may be you will run out into many sins, which now are restrained by education, not through mortification.
3. A man may restrain his lusts, and abstain from some sins, meerly because of the terrour and trouble of conscience that lies upon him. His conscience tels him that there is a Hell prepared for him, if he goes on in such a course, or commits such and such sins; he hath the flashings of Hell fire as it were in his face, so that he dares not commit such a sin.
As it is with a dog having a bone lying before him, and his masters stick over him, if he goes to snatch at the bone, his master knocks him, and makes him let it alone: the dog fears his masters staffe, or else he would have it. So it is with a wickedman, were it not for the gnawings and terrours of his conscience that does trouble and afright him, he would make no bones of falling into any sin or wickednesse whatsoever. Three cases wherein a sin may be restrained and not mortified.Such a restraint as this, does not any way argue that thy sins are mortified. And here I shall shew you further, that there may be a restraint of sin in three particular cases, and yet that sin not mortified though it be restrained.
1. If thy restraint from a sin, Case 1 be a burden to thee, if it be not voluntary but burdensome, and full sore against thy will, that thou art restrained from thy sins. It may be through sicknesse and weaknesse of body, thou canst not commit some sins, and this is a grief and burden to thee. If it be thus, thou hast a very unmortified heart.
But now a godly man, he is restrained from sin willingly, he counts it his happinesse and a great mercy to have sin restrained, and therefore examine your own hearts, if it be a grief of heart to thee to have thy sins restrained, that thou canst not follow thy whores, or thy drunkennesse, and the satisfaction of thy lusts, to run out into all manner of sins; if it be thus with thee, beleeve it, thou hast no spark of mortifying grace in thee.
2. Case 2 In case your restraint from a sin does make thee run out with a more vehement eagernesse after that sin, when the restraint is removed, then ever thou didst before: It may be thou art restrained by a watchfull eye that is over thee, that thou canst not follow after whoring or drunkennesse, or Sabbath breaking, &c. or it may be thou art sick, and so not able to do it.
But now in case that after these restraints are removed, you then run out after these sins, it is a sad sign thy heart is unmortified, and that thou art at the next door to damnation and reprobation, when the restraint of a sinne makes you more violent and eager after it when the restraint is removed.
3. In case the restraint of sin, Case 3 reaches only to outward and grosser acts of sin, but not unto inward and secret evils: for as I told you before, you may abstain from, and keep under great sins, by the very light and instinct of nature, as Socrates, and Cato, which were heathens; and therefore, unlesse thy restraint of sin, does extend to inward and bosome sins, as well as to open and notorious crimes, thou canst not conclude the power of mortifying grace upon thy heart. The very light of nature teacheth and convinceth a man, that he should not lie, nor steal, nor swear, nor be drunk, or unclean, and the like; but yet though a wicked man may keep under great crying sins, he cannot keep under small and lesser sins, for they do not discern these sins in themselves: they do not look upon inward evils, to be any evill at all. And therefore we read of Aristotle that he counted many things to be vertues, which the Scripture condemns as vices. Heathens lookt upon jesting to be a vertue, which Paul tels us is a sin, and therefore counsels us to avoid foolish talking and jesting, as things not convenient.
So Aristotle he accounts it magnanimity for a man to be highly conceited and opinionated of himself, as deserving great places of honour and repute in the world, but Paul he looks upon it as pride of heart, for a man to think highly and nobly of himself. I only hint these things to you by the way, that so you may see that the light of nature is too dark and dim to discover many sins, especially if they be small and inward evils; you may keep under open and notorious sins, and yet never have the power of grace upon your hearts; mortification laies a restraint upon inward and secret sins, that a mans whole endevours are bent against them, as well as against grosser evils.
And thus I have done with the 2 first grounds of mistake in wicked men, whereby they think their corruptions are mortified, when indeed they are not.