The Mortified Christian, Sermon 6
SERMON, VI.
Rom. 8. vers. 13.
—But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
I Now come to the 3. 3Ground of mistakeprop and ground of mistake that makes deluded men think their sins are mortified, when they are not, and that is this, Another man will tell you that he goes further then both the two former; (saies he) I doe not only oppose corruptions, and restrain some outward acts of sin, but am a man that have quite left my sins. I was a man (it is true) given to uncleannesse in time past, but I am a chast man now. I have been a drunkard heretofore, but I am a sober man now, &c. and therefore I hope my corruptions are mortified in me.
Answ. Answ. I confesse this is a very fair plea that thou makest; and I may say to thee as Christ said to the Lawyer, Thou art not far from the Kingdome of heaven; but yet let me tell thee, that if thou goest no further, and doest no more, thou wilt never come thither; and therefore that thou maiest not deceive and delude thy self herein, Three cases wherein a man may leave his sin, and yet not be mortified.I shall shew you, that there may be in many particulars a dereliction and leaving of many sins unto which a man hath been formerly addicted, and yet that man a stranger to mortification, as in these 3 following cases.
1. If he leaves sin from a wrong principle.
2. If he leave them in a wrong manner.
3. If he leaves them to a wrong end.
1. Case 1 In case you leave those sins whereunto you were formerly addicted, from a wrong principle, and those are four.
1. Answered 1 A man may leave a sin, because he is left void of strength and ability to act that sin, this is from a wrong principle: as when a man that hath been given in times past to uncleannesse and sinfull pleasures with women, but now when he is grown old and sickly he leaves it off, why this is not mortifying grace, but he leaves this sin because his body is disinabled, and the vigour of his spirits are gone, so that he cannot act this sin any longer: and therefore this is no thanks to the man at all.
And, it may be another man, that hath been strongly enclined to drunkennesse in times past, but now his means is spent, and his money fals short, and he wants wherewithall to follow his old course, and therefore he leaves it off. Be thy sin what it will, if thou leavest it upon such a principle as this, thou art a stranger to mortification.
2. If you leave a sin, because you are left void of an opportunity to commit that sin; you have not secrecy, nor security, nor conveniency for the committing of such a sin, you cannot do what you would do; you cannot walk in those waies you have a desire to walk in. This is another wrong principle of forsaking sin.
3. In case you leave sin, because motions and temptations to such a sin leave you. (Beloved) the Devill does not alwaies suggest the same temptations to a man, it may be he prompts and solicits thee to lust to day, and to drunkennesse to morrow; the Devill does not alwaies harp upon the same string in tempting of you. Now it may be you have left some sins, but it is because the Devils temptations to those sins have left you, and this is not thanks worthy; for you may leave sin upon this principle and yet be a stranger to mortification. Some men have been much given to wantonnesse and uncleannesse in their youth, and afterwards in their middle age the Devill suspending his instigations a while, they have been wholly averse and opposite to that sin, so as not to endure a lascivious look or an unchast affection; and yet afterwards through renewed temptations from Satan, have been inticed to run after the same sin with as much greedinesse and delight as ever. The Devill may leave thee, and thou maiest leave acting a sin for a long time, and yet afterwards upon a fresh temptation fall into the same sinnes again.
4. A man may leave sin upon this ground, because he knowes if he does not, the terrours of conscience will not leave him. He knows that if he should still go on in a course of swearing, lying, cheating, and defrauding in his shop; Sabbath-breaking, writing the Sermon he hears on that day in his book, and writing them in the Devils book all the week after; if he does still follow after the satisfaction of his lusts, he knowes that his conscience will accuse him and afright him more and more; and therefore he will restrain and bridle his corruptions a while, till his conscience is bridled and pacified: and therefore it is very observable the Scripture compares an unmortified man to a dog that returns to his vomit, in 2 Pet. 2.20, 22. 2 Pet. 2.20, 22.the Apostle speaks of some there that had gone so farre in Christianity, as that they had escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but yet were again entangled therein, and overcome: and the text sayes it is happenned unto them according to the true proverbe, The Dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. What is the meaning of this? there is much of the minde of God in this place. A man that hath once left his sinfull course, and yet afterwards followes after it again, is like a Dog that returnes to his vomit, and a Sow to her wallowing in the mire. Now you know a Dog when he hath a pain or a qualme upon his stomach (which that creature is often subject to) he does disgorge himself: so a wicked man when his conscience does trouble him and accuse him, he leaves and forsakes his sin; but as the Dog when he is rid of his pain, returns and licks up his vomit again: so a wicked man, when his conscience is quiet, and the horrour of it over, he returns to his old sins again, and commits them with greater delight and complacency then ever.
And thus you see in 4 particulars, if you leave sin upon any of these wrong grounds and principles, you are strangers to mortification.
2. Case 2 In case you leave your corruptions in a wrong manner, (which may be done these 6 severall wayes) you are strangers to this work of mortification. As,
1. Answered 1 Thou doest leave sin in a wrong manner, when thou doest forsake one sin, to allow thy self in another.
I have read of one that was much given to drunkennesse, yet by reading the Lectures of Plato, which much condemn, and speak against that sin, he was never drunk afterwards, but yet he fell into other sins as bad as that. So if you forsake one sin and embrace another, this is no mortification: for that, as I told you before, is a seisure upon the whole body of sin.
A man in his youth may be given to the sin of wantonnesse, and when he is old he may change that into the sin of worldly mindednesse: again, some part of a mans life he may be given to prodigality, and at another time, he may leave that, and fall into the sin of niggardlinesse and parcimony: one while he may be guilty of the sin of Hypocrisie, and another fall into the sin of Apostasie, and open profanation. Naturalists tell us that every year the Serpent casts his skin, but yet he hath another comes in the room of it, he is a Serpent still: so (it may be) some of you cast off your old sins, but yet you embrace others in the room of them; this is only sin exchanged, not mortified; the exchanging of a sin, is not the subduing of it: that sin which heretofore thou wert much addicted to, may be now asleep, and another sin alive, as vigorous and active in thy heart; this exchanging of your sins, fals very short of mortification.
2. A man may be said to leave sin in a wrong manner, when he only abstains from the grosse acts of a sin, but does not leave the inward hankerings and desires of his soul after that sin. Augustine for a season left the sin of incontinency, but yet he confesseth he had still secret hankrings in his soul to that sin. If you do not extinguish in your souls those longing desires after a sin, you do not leave the sin: as for example, a man may leave the outward act of uncleannesse, and yet harbour in himself adulterous thoughts, wanton looks, obscene words, and lascivious gestures; his heart may be like the Devils Anvill, whereon he fashioneth abundance of speculative wickednesses, and therefore this is not mortification, for that makes thee leave not only the outward act of sin, but also that secret delight and complacency thou tookest in that sin, so that this is a second wrong manner of leaving sin.
3. Then a man leaves sin in a wrong manner, when he only leaves open, outward and crying sins, & yet indulgeth himself in some inward and secret evils. This is but leaving sin by halves. We read of many heathens, that have restrained themselves from falling into grosse acts of sin: as Socrates a man so free from uncleannesse, as that he was never observed to have a wanton glance with his eye, or a lascivious gesture with his body, and yet a heathen still: so Cato, a man so averse from drunkennesse, that he would never drink so much as would satisfie his nature: so Aristotle, though he knew, and did abstain from the grosser acts of sin, yet he was a stranger to small and lesser sins, he could not discover them: For that which he accounts to be a vertue, Paul reckons to be a sin, as foolish talking and jesting, Paul looks upon them as things not convenient, though Aristotle esteems them as vertues.
And so for a man to think highly of himself he counts magnanimity, which Paul looks upon as pride, and the reason of this is, because that though they knew by the light of nature, what was bad in the act of grosse sins, yet they did not know, neither were they acquainted with smaller sins, so as to discover and avoid them.
4. A man leaves his sins in a wrong manner, when he does it unwillingly, when he leaves his sins, as the mariners do their goods, when they are in a great storm, and the Ship heavie laden with rich commodities; the Master tels them, that unlesse they will throw over some of their goods they will lose all, and be cast away; now those that own the goods, will be as ready as any to cast them overboard, not because he does not love them, but because he loves his life better. So when wicked men see Hell fire and a river of brimstone before them, which they must be cast into, unlesse they leave and forsake their sins: upon these grounds they do it, though it be very unwillingly.
5 Then a man leaves a sin in a wrong manner, when he does it with a reservation and purpose of minde, to commit that sinne again at another time: it may be he reasons thus with himself, I have delighted much in drunkennesse and good fellowship, but now I am sick and weak, and not able to follow it, but if ever I am well again, I will take my old course, and go to my good company again. And another (it may be) may think thus with himself. I have now left the sin of uncleannesse by reason of my weaknesse of body and disability to act it; but if I recover, I will to that pleasure again. Now when a man leaves his sins in such a manner as this, his sins will break in again upon his soul, like an inundation of mighty water, with more power and force then ever it did before in times past.
6. A man leaves his sins in a wrong manner, when he leaves them without any sound humiliation and sorrow for the sins he hath forsaken: It is an observation that Mr. Boulton makes, who having been with one (as he thought) lying upon his death-bed, a man much given to wine and women, an extreme drunkard, and a very lascivious man; and as he lay upon his bed, Mr. Bolton asked him, whether he had any hopes of heaven or no, Why (saies he) it is true, I have been a drunkard, but now I am none, I have been an adulterer, but now I have left it: but Mr. Bolton observes that he did not expresse any grief, or sorrow, and humiliation, for the sins he had been guilty of: and therefore he asked him whether (if God should restore him to his health again) he would not be the same man still as he was before, he answered, No, he would not for all the world. But it pleased God within a little while this man recovered, and not many months after he was well, he returned to his old sins again as bad as ever.
Hence we see, that a bare forsaking of sin for a time, is no true mortification; such a man is not mortified, though he leaves his sins, if he be not truly humbled and grieved for them: it may be many of you have left off your swearing, and lying, &c. but have your sins left humiliation behinde them? hath sin left a scarre behinde it, that you do still mourn and grieve for them? if it be not not thus with thee, thou canst have no assurance in thy heart, that thou art a mortified man or woman.
And thus I have done with the second particular, In case you leave sin from a wrong principle, and in a wrong manner.
3. The leaving of sin, Case 3 is not an argument of mortifying grace in thy heart, if you leave it in a wrong manner: and herein (it may be) I may be near the bosomes of many of you; there be these 6 wrong ends a man may leave his sins for, and yet be a stranger to mortifying grace.
1. A man may leave his sins, Answered 1 that so the peace of his conscience may not leave him. He knowes that unlesse he does leave his sins, the peace of a good conscience will leave him; whereas were it not for breaking his own peace, he would not leave his sins, though he did break Gods heart (as I may so say) by his sins. When a man shall leave his sins meerly because the peace of his conscience may not leave him, this is one wrong end.
2. When a man shall leave his sins only because temporall punishments may leave him; not because God hates sin, but because he punisheth it. When sin is left, not because it hath a defiling power, but because it hath a destroying power with it; because of its penalty, not because of its depravity. As some men forbear from outward acts of villany, not because the Law is against, but because it punisheth such facts: so they leave sin not because God hates it, but because he punisheth it: this is another wrong end of leaving sin.
3. When a man leaves a sin because it stains his honour and reputation before men, and not because it is a dishonour to God, because it brings a spot and blemish upon his own name and credit, and not because it is a blemish to the glory of God.
4. When a man leaves his sins, that so the Torments of Hell may not follow him; he knows that if he continues still in a course of wickednesse, his sins will at last finde him out, and the torments of hell will inevitably seise upon him. A wicked man leaves sin because there is a a Hell followes sin, and not because there is a Hell in sin; he leaves sin because it is against the avenging wrath of God, and not because it is against the holinesse and purity of God; not because God hath commanded him to leave it, but because there are curses denounced in the Word of God against it: now this is a very false and slavish end for a man to propound to himself in leaving sin.
5. When a man leaves a sin upon this ground, that so he may harbour another with lesse suspicion; this, as I told you before, is to leave sin politically, to forsake some sins, that he may be the lesse suspected in indulging himself in others.
6. When a man does leave and abstain from sin meerly because he may be accounted a holy, blamelesse, and a religious man in the world. As I have read of one that left an ill course that he was much addicted to, because a friend of his by whom he hoped and expected an inheritance to be given to him, might have a good opinion of him. A man may leave grosse sins, that so he may be accounted a new man, and a holy man amongst his neighbours, which is a very base and servile end, to leave an evill, that others may have good thoughts of him.
And thus I have in these two Sermons taken off the mistakes that many men run into, concerning this great duty of mortification.
I have only now a word of comfort, Use of comfort. and I have done: it may be what I have said touching this particular, hath gravelled many a godly and consciencious heart, that he thinks his corruptions are not yet mortified, but that he hath left his sins, from some wrong principles, or in a wrong manner, or for some false ends, when there is no such matter, and therefore for your comfort, oh you that are the suns and daughters of God, lift up your heads with rejoycing and gladnesse, in case your hearts can bear you witnesse, The truly mortified heart anatomized.you have left your sins from other grounds, and in another manner, and for other ends then wicked men do; you that can say you have left your sins not because you want abilities or opportunities, for you have as many of these as ever Joseph had; but through the power of sanctifying grace in your hearts: you that can say, I have forsaken my sins, not because my conscience snarled upon me like a dog, and cast the flashes of Hell fire in my face; but because the love of Christ constrained me, because Christ shed his bloud, and paid a dear price for my sins. And I have left my sins in a right manner, I have not left one, that so I might live and allow my self in another; but I would leave all sins, if I could: I do not leave sin by force and constraint; but the Lord knowes that never a poor slave was more willing to come out of the gallies, then I am to come out of my sins; there was never a poor prisoner more willing to come out of prison, then I am to leave my sins; there is never a lowsie begger that goes along the streets, is more willing to come. out of his rags to be cloathed in rich apparell, then I am to part with my sins, those menstruous rags, that so I may be cloathed with the long robes of Christs righteousnesse. Oh thou poor soul whose heart can bear thee witnesse that it is so with thee, do not go home with a sad heart, for thou art in a happy condition. And if thou canst say, thy heart hearing thee witnesse, that thou hast left sin too for a right end, not because there is a curse against thy lusts, but because there is a command against them; that you leave sinne not because it is against the revenging justice of God, but against the holinesse and purity of God; not because there is a Hell for sin, but because there is a Hell in sin; because of its depravity and defilement, not because of its penalty, and destroying nature; if it be thus with you, you may lift up your heads with joy, and go away with a sea of comfort upon your hearts, in the assurance that God hath brought you into a mortified estate.
And thus I have in these 6 Sermons shewed you many weighty truths concerning this great doctrine of mortification. In the next place I shall give you some generall means and directions how you may attain to this duty of mortification, not in particular how you should mortifie every particular sin, (for that would be a work too tedious to go through) but only in generall how you may mortifie any lust; and then I shall handle some other cases of conscience, as whether a man may fall into a sin after it is mortified or no, and severall other cases.