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power to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after. Hence the apostle, describing the repentance and godly sorrow of the Corinthians, reckons this as one eminent grace that was then set on work; vehement desire; 2 Cor. vii. 11. And in this case of indwelling sin, and the power of it, what frame doth he express himself to be in; Rom. vii. 24. His heart breaks out with longings, into a most passionate expression of desire of deliverance. Now if this be the frame of saints, upon the general consideration of indwelling sin, how is it to be heightened and increased, when thereunto is added the perplexing rage and power of any particular lust and corruption? Assure thyself, unless thou longest for deliverance, thou shalt not have it.

This will make the heart watchful for all opportunities of advantage against its enemy; and ready to close with any assistances that are afforded for its destruction: strong desires are the very life of that praying always which is enjoined us, in all condition, and in none is more necessary than in this; they set faith and hope on work, and are the soul's moving after the Lord.

Get thy heart then into a panting and breathing frame, long, sigh, cry out; you know the example of David, I shall not need to insist on it.

The fifth direction is,

Fifthly, Consider whether the distemper with which thou art perplexed, be not rooted in thy nature, and cherished, fomented, and heightened from thy constitution. A proneness to some sins may doubtless lie in the natural temper and disposition of men. In this case consider,

1. This is not in the least an extenuation of the guilt of thy sin. Some with an open profaneness will ascribe gross enormities to their temper and disposition. And whether others may not relieve themselves from the pressing guilt of their distempers by the same consideration, I know not. It is from the fall, from the original depravation of our natures, that the fomes and nourishment of any sin abides in our natural temper. David reckons his being shapen in iniquity and conception in sin,a as an aggravation of his following sin, not a lessening or extenuation of it. That thou art peculiarly inclined unto any sinful distemper, is but a peculiar breaking

a Psal. li. 5.

out of original lust in thy nature, which should peculiarly abase and humble thee.

2. That thou hast to fix upon on this account, in reference to thy walking with God, is that so great an advantage is given to sin, as also to Satan, by this thy temper and disposition, that without extraordinary watchfulness, care, and diligence, they will assuredly prevail against thy soul. Thousands have been on this account hurried headlong to hell, who otherwise at least might have gone at a more gentle, less provoking, less mischievous rate.

3. For the mortification of any distemper, so rooted in the nature of a man, unto all other ways and means, already named or farther to be insisted on, there is one expedient peculiarly suited. This is that of the apostle, 1 Cor. ix. 27. 'I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.' The bringing of the very body into subjection, is an ordinance of God tending to the mortification of sin. This gives check unto the natural root of the distemper, and withers it by taking away its fatness of soil. Perhaps, because the Papists, men ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, the work of his Spirit, and whole business in hand, have laid the whole weight and stress of mortification in voluntary services and penances, leading to the subjection of the body, knowing indeed the true nature neither of sin nor mortification; it may on the other side be a temptation to some, to neglect some means of humiliation which by God himself are owned and appointed. The bringing of the body into subjection in the case insisted on, by cutting short the natural appetite, by fasting, watching, and the like, is doubtless acceptable to God, so it be done with the ensuing limitations.

(1.) That the outward weakening and impairing of the body be not looked upon as a thing good in itself, or that any mortification doth consist therein, which were again to bring us under carnal ordinances; but only as a means for the end proposed, the weakening of any distemper in its natural root and seat. A man may have leanness of body and soul together.

(2.) That the means whereby this is done, namely, by fasting and watching, and the like, be not looked on as things that in themselves, and by virtue of their own power, can

produce true mortification of any sin; for if they would, sin might be mortified without any help of the Spirit, in any unregenerate person in the world. They are to be looked on only as ways whereby the Spirit may, and sometimes doth, put forth strength for the accomplishing of his own work, especially in the case mentioned. Want of a right understanding, and due improvement of these and the like considerations, hath raised a mortification among the Papists, that may be better applied to horses, and other beasts of the field, than to believers.

This is the sum of what hath been spoken; when the distemper complained of seems to be rooted in the natural temper and constitution, in applying our souls to a participation of the blood and Spirit of Christ, an endeavour is to be used to give check in the way of God to the natural root of that distemper.

The sixth direction is,

Sixthly, Consider what occasions, what advantages thy distemper hath taken to exert and put forth itself, and watch against them all.

This is one part of that duty which our blessed Saviour recommends to his disciples under the name of watching; Mark xiii. 37. 'I say unto you all, watch;' which in Luke xxi. 34. is, 'Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged;' watch against all eruptions of thy corruptions. I mean that duty which David professed himself to be exercised unto; 'I have,' saith he, ' kept myself from mine iniquity.' He watched all the ways and workings of his iniquity, to prevent them, to rise up against them. This is that which we are called unto under the name of considering our ways; consider what ways, what companies, what opportunities, what studies, what businesses, what conditions, have at any time given, or do usually give advantages to thy distempers, and set thyself heedfully against them all. Men will do this with respect unto their bodily infirmities and distempers. The seasons, the diet, the air that have proved offensive, shall be avoided. Are the things of the soul of less importance? Know that he that dares to dally with occasions of sin, will dare to sin. He that will venture upon temptations unto wickedness, will venture upon wickedness. Hazael thought he should not be so wicked as the prophet

told him he would be; to convince him, the prophet tells him no more, but Thou shalt be king of Syria.' If he will venture on temptations unto cruelty, he will be cruel. Tell a man he shall commit such and such sins, he will startle at it; if you can convince him, that he will venture on such occasions and temptations of them, he will have little ground left for his confidence. Particular directions belonging to this head are many, not now to be insisted on. But because this head is of no less of importance than the whole doctrine here handled, I have at large in another treatise, about entering into temptations treated of it.

The seventh direction is,

Seventhly, Rise mightily against the first actings of thy distemper, its first conceptions; suffer it not to get the least ground. Do not say, Thus far it shall go, and no farther. If it have allowance for one step, it will take another. It is impossible to fix bounds to sin. It is like water in a channel; if it once break out, it will have its course. Its not acting is easier to be compassed, than its bounding. Therefore doth James give that gradation and process of lust, chap. i. 14, 15. that we may stop at the entrance. Dost thou find thy corruption to begin to entangle thy thoughts? rise up with all thy strength against it, with no less indignation, than if it had [fully accomplished what it aims at; consider what an unclean thought would have; it would have thee roll thyself in folly and filth. Ask Ask envy what it would have; murder and destruction is at the end of it. Set thyself against it with no less vigour, than if it had utterly debased thee to wickedness. Without this course thou wilt not prevail. As sin gets ground in the affections to delight in, it gets also upon the understanding to slight it.

CHAP. XII.

The eighth direction. Thoughtfulness of the excellency of the majesty of God. Our unacquaintedness with him, proposed and considered.

EIGHTHLY, Use and exercise thyself to such meditations as may serve to fill thee at all times with self-abasement and . thoughts of thine own vileness; as,

1. Be much in thoughtfulness of the excellency of the majesty of God and thine infinite inconceivable distance from him; many thoughts. of it cannot but fill thee with a sense of thine own vileness, which strikes deep at the root of any indwelling sin. When Job comes to a clear discovery of the greatness and the excellency of God, he is filled with self-abhorrence, and is pressed to humiliation; Job xlii. 5, 6. And in what state doth the prophet Habakkuk affirm himself to be cast upon the apprehension of the majesty of God? chap. iii. 16. With God,' says Job, is terrible majesty." Hence were the thoughts of them of old; that when they had seen God, they should die. The Scripture abounds in this self-abasing consideration, comparing the men of the earth to grasshoppers, to vanity, the dust of the balance in respect of God. Be much in thoughts of this nature, to abase the pride of thy heart, and to keep thy soul humble within thee. There is nothing will render thee a greater indisposition to be imposed on by the deceits of sin, than such a frame of heart. Think greatly of the greatness of God.

2. Think much of thine unacquaintedness with him. Though thou knowest enough to keep thee low and humble, yet how little a portion is it that thou knowest of him? The contemplation hereof cast that wise man into that apprehension of himself, which he expresses; Prov. xxx. 24. Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell?' Labour with this also to take down the pride of thy heart. What dost thou know of God? How little a portion is it? How immense is he in his nature? Canst thou look without terror into the abyss of eternity? Thou canst not bear the rays of his glorious being.

Because I look on this consideration of great use in our walking with God, so far as it may have a consistency with that filial boldness which is given us in Jesus Christ to draw

VOL, VII.

a Job xxxvii. 22.

2 D

b Isa, xl. 13-15.

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