IT was the Apostles design in most part of this Epistle, both for his Converts at Rome, to whom it was im­mediately written, and for all other Christians that should come to read it in after times, to draw them off from a carnal and sensual course of life, to that which is most agreeable to our Christian profession.

In order to this, he lays the foundation of [Page 2] his Discourse in a discovery of a two-fold prin­ciple in man, that strongly enclines him the one way or the other: he shews the certain tendency of both these ways; the one exposing us to the just wrath and indignation of God, which must end first or last in our ruine and de­struction; the other pleasing to God, and be­neficial to our selves, full of inward peace and comfort in this life, sure of endless joy and hap­piness in the future.

These two opposite principles in my Text, so much spoken of in the beginning of this Chapter, are the same which our Saviour for­merly mentioned in that discourse, St. John [...]. 6. where he shews what they are, and whence they proceed.

There is a principle of Flesh (as he calls it) in every man that is born into this world; it descends to us from the parents of our flesh, in that taint of our nature which we call Original Sin; and this addicts us to all Carnal and Sen­sual things, but more strongly to those which are evil and forbidden. There is also another principle in every Christian, the Grace which we receive at our New Birth in Holy Baptism: This our Saviour calls Spirit, for 'tis infus'd into us by the operation of the Spirit of God. [Page 3] This inclines (and inables those that will be led by it) to those things which are spiritual and e­ternal. The opposition between these two princi­ples in us, and the consequence of each to them that are led by it, is thus described by the Apo­stle in my Text, If ye, &c.

That is, in other words, If you lead your life according to the Carnal Princi­ple, and be not chang'd and renew'd by the Spirit, i. e. until you repent and be conver­ted, you are spiritually dead in this life, and are to look for nothing but eternal death in the future. But if the Spiritual Principle have pow­er in you, so as to subdue the irregular incli­nations of the flesh, you shall live, i. e. being quicken'd and renew'd by the Spirit, you shall have that spiritual life here which shall be con­summated hereafter in life everlasting.

In the last words which are my subject at this time, I shall consider these four particu­lars.

• 1. What are here call'd the deeds of the flesh.
• 2. How these are to be mortifi'd.
• 3. How we are to do it by the Spirit.
• 4. How thus doing we shall live.

All these parts I shall consider with a two­fold respect.

[Page 4] To them that have spiritual life, and to them that are destitute of it; for those of both sorts have an interest in my Text, and a capacity to receive benefit by it.

You that have Spiritual Life in you, if you mortifie the deeds of the flesh, you shall continue the life of Grace here, and shall attain to the life of Glory hereafter.

And even you that are spiritually dead, you are not so dead but that you also may live; if you by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh; you shall thereby come to the life of Grace here, and so you also shall attain the life of Glory hereafter.

To proceed in the method which I have pro­pounded, I am first to consider what are the Deeds of the flesh. And if the flesh be, as is said, our original Concupiscence, then the deeds or actings of it must be actual sins. So that look how many sorts of such sins are in the world, so many sorts we may reckon of the Deeds of the flesh: Our Apostle gives us a black Catalogue of them, Gal. 5. 19. where he says, The works of the flesh are manifest, and they are these, Adul­tery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emula­tions, Wraths, Strifes, Seditions, Heresies, Envy­ing, [Page 5] Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings and such like; which whoso does, shall not inherit the King­dom of God. And lest our Apostle's calling them Works in that Text, and Deeds in this, should make any one think, he means only outward actions, and no other; I must desire you to re­member, that God sees not as man sees, nor judges as man judges. Man can see no more but the outward action, God looks chiefly, if not only at the heart; man can judge of no sin till he sees it acted, with God it is acted as soon as it is conceiv'd. When lust hath conceiv'd, it brings forth sin; and sin when it is finish'd, brings forth death, James 1. 15. 'Tis conceiv'd as soon as ever it is thought of with consent; as we proceed to delight in the speculation, it ri­pens; when we resolve to commit it, then 'tis finish'd; for then the heart has done as much as it can do. Though we never proceed to acti­on, 'tis perfect sin. I cannot say it is more sin if we do bring it to action. Only then 'tis the more dangerous, and approaches more to habit; for the purpose continues all the while we commit it, and is confirmed by the pleasure we have in committing it. Therefore 'tis the great mercy of God when he restrains us, when he hinders us, when he takes away the power and oppor­tunity [Page 6] from us, that we cannot put an ill pur­pose in execution: though we are nevertheless guilty of the sin, having gone as far as we can go in it, when it is fully resolv'd and purpos'd in the heart. Mat, 15. 19. says our Saviour, Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, Murders, Adul­teries, Fornications, Thefts, false Witness, Blas­phemy. They could not proceed out of the heart, but that first they were in the heart. And many sins may be in the heart, that are never brought forth into action. All the sins that I have men­tioned may lie within in the heart, and only those come abroad that see their occasion; but whether outward or inward, they are the works of the flesh, they are the same sins whether purpo­sed and committed, or whether never commit­ted, but only purpos'd and determin'd in the heart.

These we are to mortifie, says my Text: To mortifie, that is, to kill them, to put them to death; or, which is equivalent, yea much bet­ter, to keep them from ever coming to life.

This mortifying of sin, is the proper work and business of Repentance: now Repentance (ye know) runs throughout the whole course of ones life: every day of our life has need of repentance, for no day is free from the polluti­on [Page 7] of sin. But through Gods mercy in Christ, sin shall not be imputed to them in whom it is mortified or subdued and kept under, in whom the power of it is conquered and kill'd, or in whom 'tis kept from coming to life.

I endeavour to use so many several terms, as may reach the several states of men, which I have to consider.

The first state is of them that are not yet grown up to years of discretion, that cannot yet fully distinguish between good and evil; they are to mortifie sin, (I cannot properly call it re­pentance) that have not yet soil'd the white robe of Innocence which they put on through Gods Grace in the Sacrament of Baptism.

The second state is of them who having broke their Baptismal profession, and having fallen into sin, through ignorance and frailty, have not yet proceeded so far as to have defil'd them­selves by any wilful or deliberate sin.

The third state is of them who have thus transgressed, and yet not gone to that height of enormity, as to commit any sin against the light of nature, such as God has particularly threat­ned with excision; and have not yet contracted any habitual custom of those sins into which they have fallen.

The fourth state is of them who having done [Page 8] thus are therefore said to be spiritually dead The Question is, what men in each of these states have to do in the work of Repentance? how in each of these states they are to mortifie the deeds of the flesh?

First of them that are not yet grown up to years of discretion, children that can scarce di­stinguish between good and evil; the question is, what they have to do in this work? sure there is much to be done by their Parents and Governours. 'Tis their duty to forwarn them of sin; to make them know their danger of it, and by it; to teach them, as they are able to learn, what solemn Vows and Professions were made for them in Baptism. The first promise then made for them was, that they should forsake the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Children should be taught what these things are; how hard it is to forsake them, through the naughtiness of our natural disposition; and yet how necessary 'tis to forsake them, and how possible through the Grace and Goodness of God. Children should be taught in their daily prayers, to acknowledge what they find of their ignorance and frailty, to ask pardon for what has been amiss in their little time past, and to beg the assistance of Gods Grace for the future.

[Page 9] Whensoever they do fall into actual sin, as soon as ever it comes to the knowledge of their friends, 'tis their duty to admonish them, and to make them sensible of it; to make them a­shamed of it, and sorry for it; To bring them, if it be possible, to hate and detest it; To see that they Confess it to God, and ask his par­don for that sin and all other; that they resolve by promise to forsake it, and beseech God for his Grace to enable them to fulfil that good re­solution.

In the whole course of our life after Infancy, being obnoxious to many and manifold sins; some of Ignorance, some of Weakness, and some of Wilfulness and Presumption; and none of these being to be forgiven without Re­pentance; we ought, as far as we know and are able, to suit our Repentance to our Sins.

For sins of Ignorance, and of daily Incursi­on, I conceive a general Repentance may suf­fice: for sins of Wilfulness and Presumption, there ought to be a particular Repentance.

First, for sins of Weakness and daily Incur­sion, I say, 'tis necessary there should be a gene­ral Repentance. Every one that has the use of knowledge and reason, should make such a dai­ly Confession in his Prayers, as David did in [Page 10] that Psalm 19, 12. Cleanse me Lord from my secret sins. This our Church has taught us to do in our publick Prayers; and we should do it as oft as we repeat that Confession, Almighty and most merciful Father, we have offended against thy holy Laws, doing those things which we ought not to have done, and not doing those things which we ought to have done. In this and such like of­fices, we sum up together our sins of Ignorance and daily Incursion; we cast our selves, with them, before the Tribunal of God; imploring that Mercy, which according to the terms of the Gospel, we are sure he will grant to them that confess in the general those sins which they know not in particular. In this sense I conceive those words may be understood, 1 John 1. 9. We, says the Apostle of himself, and such as he was, cannot say that we have no sin: We have sins of Ignorance, and of daily incursion; but blessed be God, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us, according to the terms of the Gospel.

As for those sins which need a particular Re­pentance, of them, says the same Apostle, he that abides in God, sinneth not, 1 John 3. 6. and ver. 9. He does not commit sin, he does not fall into wil­ful and deliberate sin. If he does, there is a [Page 11] breach, and he must speedily make it up by par­ticular repentance for that particular sin. Good God! how many such sins do many of us com­mit, and pass them by without particular no­tice, and therefore without particular Repen­tance? they do not remember themselves, and are as quiet as if God had forgotten them.

Because this happens too oft, and cannot be helpt when 'tis past; I must mind them that are sensible of it, how much they are oblig'd to spe­cial and solemn acts of Repentance. This God will surely expect, and less will not be accepted at their hands; that they should set apart some special times for their spiritual accompt, and especially when they would prepare to receive the Lords Supper. All Christians are oblig'd to receive at Easter, according to the ancient Laws yet in force. When those Laws were first made in the Primitive Church, care was taken there should be a time of preparation: and (I suppose for this purpose) it was wisely ordain'd, that there should be not only a whole Lent of Absti­nence, but a Week of Fasting; the Passion Week, in which men, as it were, with one common con­sent, not to interrupt and hinder one another, might set themselvs to examine the state of their Conscience, to mortifie their Lusts, and correct [Page 12] their evil Habits, to purge out the old Leaven before they come to the Feast of that Sacrament. What care the Church has taken for this, we ought our selves to take for all our other prepa­rations; to set apartSufficient time for the clean­sing of the Conscience. To say how much is Suf­ficient, I shall not undertake, for the measures are various according to mens several circum­stances: Of them that have much time, much will be requir'd; and less will be sufficient for them that have less: But I beseech you let the thing be effectually done. Call your self into your Chamber or Closet, and there, as the Psal­mist says, Commune with your own heart and be still. Examine your self wherein you have transgress'd, and wherein you have been most apt to transgress, especially in those things which are your foulest transgressions. Search as far as you are able into the very particulars of them: where you have forgot the particu­lars, yet at least, to remember the kinds of them. The kinds of every ones sins are known to himself: The kinds wherein men may sin are infinite, and yet these may be reduc'd under certain Heads; and are so in some Books to which you may have recourse, in this duty of Self-examination. If you have not such a Ca­talogue [Page 13] of Heads (which were well worth the ha­ving and considering at such a time) you may do well to think deliberately with your selves what you know that God has commanded in Scri­pture, and what you know that God has for­bidden in Scripture; and examine your self how you have done those things which God has commanded, and avoided what God has for­bidden. Especially

If you know any Catalogue in Scripture, ei­ther of Commands and Duties, or of Prohibi­tions and Sins; you may do well to examine your self by that Catalogue, and to consider what the state of your soul is as to every Par­ticular. For example, you know the Ten Com­mandments of the Moral Law; you may take a particular account of your obedience to those Commands. You know the three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity; examine the state of your soul as to these three Graces and Virtues. You may possibly have observ'd sundry Catalogues of sins; I quoted you one in Gal. 5. 19. you find there how God threatens all them that are guilty of such sins, you may do well to ask your selves with the Apostles, Is it I? and see what answer you can make upon each of those Particulars.

[Page 14] To do just as I advise in this matter, I know is not so absolutely necessary; for the same thing may be effected sundry ways: but this way is the best that I am able to advise, and I am sure the thing might be profitably done: I question how faithful they are to themselves that leave it undone.

The use of this advice is, as far as 'tis pos­sible, to find out the particulars; at least to find out the kinds of your sins. That having found you may mortifie them; bring them forth one by one in Confession, and recount them to God in the bitterness of your soul; and take up strong resolutions against them, beseeching God by his Grace, to enable you to fulfil those reso­lutions.

Yet when all this is done, I cannot say you have mortified your sin, till you have truly forsaken it, and at least broke the Habit of it. This is true Mortification, when the sin is cast off and forsaken; when the lust, the parent of it is so conquer'd and subdued, that though still it dwell in us (we cannot help that) yet it hath no more dominion over us.

But what shall we say when the sin is not for­saken, when lust is in full dominion, when Re­ligion and the fear of God is so abandon'd and [Page 15] lost, that one does not stick at those Sins which the Gentiles, that have onely the Light of Na­ture, would have detested and abhorr'd? Or when one allows himself in the Habitual Pra­ctise of that which he knows to be Sin, or might know, if he would but consider it? In this Case, the Person being spiritually dead, (which is the fourth and last State) I am to show how such an one may yet mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh, (that is) may recover from this Death, and so scape Eternal Death; which is the next thing that falls under consideration.

And surely this Estate being extraordinary bad, is not to be remedied without extraordi­nary Care. Lust, where it has got an Head, where it has the Dominion, is like that Unclean Spirit, Mat. xvii. 21. that was not to be cast out without Prayer and Fasting. Without Prayer there is nothing to be done in any spiritual Bu­siness; especially in this, there is need of most intent and most vehement Prayer. And there is need of Fasting too, that is, of much Severity to be exercised upon our selves: and that not onely in Abstinence from Meats, which of it self, St. Paul says, profits little, 1 Tim. iv. 8. but we are chiefly to abstain from the satisfying of our Lusts in those things which are more to [Page 16] us than Meat and Drink. This being as much the hardest, as most needful Severity; our Saviour calls it, The plucking out of the Right Eye, the cutting off a Limb, Mat. v. 30. St. Paul calls it, The Circumcision of the Heart, Rom. ii. 19. and Gal. v. 24. The crueifying of the Flesh, with its Affections and Lusts.

I know 'tis in vain to proceed upon this Sub­ject, to show how a Man spiritually dead, should mortifie fin; how one dead in any kind, should do any act of life in that kind; much more, to excite you with great Cost and Pains to endeavour it; unless first I show that you are capable to do it: for no Man that thinks what he does, will set a­bout, much less be at great cost to do, that which he thinks impossible to be done.

Therefore, ere I go any farther, I shall en­deavour to show, how he that is spiritually dead may mortifie Sin, and what is to be done on his part towards the mortifying of it.

I trust you understand what is most certainly true; that as there is no Man wholly free from Lust, so there is no Man entirely under the Do­minion of it. That Devil is not so great in any Man living, that he can quite put out the Eyes, or stop the Mouth of his Conscience: Nay, he cannot hinder it from observing, and speaking [Page 17] out, and interrupting him between whiles. No Habit is so deeply radicated in us, so entire­ly possest of us, but that it may be broken off, it may be alter'd by degrees, and turn'd quite into the contrary, as we may order the mat­ter.

That ill Habits may be alter'd we know, and by what Causes; as by Diet and Physick; by Education and Converse; by diligent Exer­cise, whether for ones Moral Improvement, or whether out of any other Design.

We know Men may be extremely changed, for we see by experience they are so. It were no hard thing to shew by Examples, some that have been in their time Lavish, Riotous, Spend­thrifts, and come after to be Greedy, Sordid, Pe­nurious Wretches. Some that were Dissolute and Loose, without appearance of any Sense of Religion, have in time come to be Superstiti­ous, Schismatical, and Factious. Such as have been factious in their Sect of Religion, having afterward found that to be a Cheat, and judging all Religion to be so, have turn'd Ranters, and run out into all manner of Licentiousness. Some that have much valu'd Themselves by their Cloaths, and taken a Pride to out - do others that way, becoming Quakers have put [Page 18] off that Pride, and put on Spiritual Pride in the stead. 'Tis Lust governs them still, though it has shifted it self; it hath alter'd its Habit, it hath quitted its Place, and put on other Cir­cumstances; 'tis no other than Satan that has cast out Satan. However this sufficiently shows how possible it is for a Habit to be broken and left off, and turn'd into the contrary. Being sure then it is possible, we are to see how this may be done to good purpose in the way of Mortification.

It may be done Morally, as I intimated be­fore: So Heathens have done it, and so the Spi­ritually Dead may do it, Morally, by attending to the Dictates of Natural Reason.

Common Reason will tell you what a weakness it is to give the Reins to your Lust, to let your Beast carry you whither he pleases; to run out of your Estate, your Credit, your Health, in pursuit of an unsatisfying momentany Plea­sure: and will therefore tell you how unwise they are that give themselves to Drunkenness, to Riot, and Uncleanness. Common Reason will tell you what a vain thing it is to Pride your selves in that which is not yours, or in that which soon may be anothers, (for all things here are subject to Time and Chance.) Common [Page 19] Reason will tell you what a madness it is to run into a Needless Quarrel, and then, as the fashi­on is, to stake all you have upon the issue of it; to put it in the power of every worthless man to make you go to Cross and Pile with him for your Life. Common Reason will tell you what a vexatious, endless thing it is to set your heart up­on uncertain Riches; to live Poor, that you may die Rich; to wrong others, and be never the bet­ter for't your self, but much the worse, when all accounts are cast up.

These and many things more, common Reason will tell you, if you attentively heed it. You may learn much from Reason, and 'tis well if you do that; But let me tell you, Reason will not do this business in my Text. It will not convince you of all Sins, it cannot cope with all Lusts, it corrects but few Habits, and not any suffici­ently: for it does not purifie the Fountain, it cleanses not the Heart; it does not place it up­on God, the right Object; it does not season it with Grace, the right Principle; without which all that you do otherwise is light and defective, 'twill not hold weight in the Scales of the San­ctuary of God. This it is which the Apo­stle supposes in this Work, saying, If you through the Spirit mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh: You [Page 20] must do it, but not you; you of your selves, so you cannot; but you through the Spirit, so you may, and so you ought to do it.

The Spirit in this Text is taken by Interpre­ters for either the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of Man; both these, in their several ways and degrees, have to do in the Work of Mortifica­tion.

First Actively, onely the Spirit of God: and that either outwardly, by means; or inwardly, working on our Spirit.

Outwardly God has given us means of Mor­tification, both to them in whom it succeeds, and to them in whom it succeeds not: Those Means are both his Word and his Works.

First, Gods Word is generally propounded in Scripture, where whoso reads and lists to ob­serve cannot but see how God forbids and dis­suades from all manner of Sin, how he invites and exhorts us to Repentance and Newness of Life. He cannot but see how God seconds his Commands with exceeding rich and precious Promises: He cannot but see how his Prohibi­tions are prest with Threatnings of Judgments both in this Life and the future.

Of his Works: We have an account of His Wonders of old, in all the Historical Part of Scri­pture; [Page 21] of the Mercies which he shewed to them that did Repent, and of the Judgments which he executed upon hardened and impenitent Sinners. We cannot but see in our own daily Experience the Works of Gods ordinary Provi­dence, both his Judgments and his Mercies in this Life. We see daily enough to convince us, if we please to observe, that as the Psalmist says, Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth even here in the Earth.

Nay, if we collect from Experience, we need go no farther than our selves. We are forgetful and ungrateful, if we observe not in our selves that God has been merciful to us, that he has not taken us at advantage; that he has spar'd us when he might have punish'd us, and punish'd us Gently when he might have consumed us: We cannot but see how he has forborn us, and warn'd us; how he has sometime come near and threatned us, and as it were walk'd off to see what we would do: We cannot but see what he has done to others before our Eyes, how he has made quick work with them, and cut them off in his wrath; whilst we have been the Objects of his Patience and Long-suffering, treated with all the Means, and invited with great Opportu­nities, [Page 22] (for what end?) to bring us to Repen­tance. If that be his end, as we are certain it is, where is the fault all this while, that You have not yet mortify'd the Deeds of the Flesh, O ye that are dead in Trespasses and Sins?

What is it because you are dead? So some may conceive; we being dead there is nothing for us to do; yes, there is much for you to do, much that you may do; so much, that as you cannot but confess 'tis your fault that you are spiritually dead, so it is ten thousand times more your fault if you continue so.

For though you are so far dead that you can­not be rightly active, you are to be more than meerly passive in the Work of Mortification. I mean, you are not Stocks and Stones, you are not tied to a necessity of lying still. Though you are so dead, that you cannot help your selves; you can do that which being done, God will assuredly help you. God will help you if you earnestly apply your selves unto him; if you use those Means which he has prescribed; if you bewail that which has so deaded and dis­abled you; if you earnestly sue to him for his Grace to enable you, and for his Mercy to spare you, so long time that this Work may yet be brought to Perfection.

[Page 23] Prayer to God should have the first place, if it has any in this matter; and that it has, St. Pe­ter teaches in his Advice to Simon Magus, Acts viii. 22, 23. Thou art (says he) in the Gall of Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniquity; yet pray unto God, if perhaps thy Wickedness may be forgiven thee. Doubtless a wicked mans Prayer is abomination to the Lord, while he resolves to continue such; but we are as sure he can never be otherwise without daily and earnest Prayer unto God.

But then Praying is not all, ye must also do what ye can. Ye can choose whether you will go to the House of Prayer at Prayer-time; or whether you will sit at home, or visit, or walk the Fields: at home you can choose whe­ther you will pray, or read a Book that may profit you; or whether you will do that which may hurt, or which cannot profit you. You can choose whether you will give your mind to what you read or hear; or whether you will divide it between Sleep and Talk, and other matters. You can, if you please, lay up what you learn; you can think of it again in due time, and so apply it, that it may make some impression: I do not say you can have Faith when you please; but St. Paul says, [Page 24] Faith comes by hearing the Word of God; and you may hear it when you please; and Gods Blessing is ready to go along with his Word, it is your own fault if you do not partake of that Blessing.

If you are sick, and a Physician comes to you, and offers you that which he says, and you believe, will certainly cure you; if you take his Physick, and observe his Rules, and so doing recover your Health; it is he that has cur'd you, you have not cur'd your self. And yet thus much you have done towards it, you have done all as he directed you, you have been willingly passive, which was more than he could compel you to be. Now this is all that God requires in the Work of our Con­version; He could compel us, but he will not; for he expects we should be willingly passive: he would have us take his Physick, and ob­serve his Rules. God expects we should ap­ply our Hearts to Spiritual Knowledge, with a full resolution to live accordingly. God expects we should abstain from ill Diet, that is, from the satisfying of our Lusts, which (I have shown you) upon a Moral Account we are able to abstain from, if we please. God expects we should be conversant in his [Page 25] Word, and that we should observe him in his Works.

For his Word, he expects you should read or hear it often, and diligently; that what you read or hear, you should lay to heart, so as to make some impression; that you should heed it with the same concernment, and with at least as much effect, as you would do if your Lawyer should tell you of something which endanger'd your whole Estate; or if your Physician should warn you of some Disease, that, if not prevented, would shorten your Life.

Of his Works, chiefly of his Judgments, God expects you should be a diligent Ob­server.

First, when you see others suffer for their sins, which perhaps are also yours; You cannot but know that God has made them Examples to you: and therefore (whatsoever his end may be towards them) you have much cause to fear, that unless you repent, God will also make you (perhaps you next) an Example to others?

When any Judgment of God is fallen up­on your self, God expects you should consider whence it comes, and wherefore 'tis; to take away your sin: that you should mind this [Page 26] especially in Sickness, which is the greatest Temporal Mercy, in order to a Spiritual good, the greatest God can show to any hardened and yet not incorrigible Sinner.

If ye neglect all these Methods and Means of Conversion, what remains but a sad and fearful Account? An Account that comes Slow, but will be most Sure; First for your Sin, and then for your Impenitence, and then for your neglect of the means of Repentance. This last will make you quite inexcusable. When you are in Hell, whither you are going, and must come, without Repentance, it will be another Hell to you to consider; how possible it was for you, by repenting in this Life, to have prevented that misery which now you are for ever to endure; and to have obtain'd that Bliss from which you are now separated for ever.

Whereas contrary wise, if you lay hold on this Opportunity, if you make use of these Means, that use for which they were intended of God; you will soon find a sensible Bene­fit, in certain Effects which▪ deserve more time then I have now to consider them.

First, You will find the Means of Grace more effectual by degrees: You will find a Lesson from hence make more impression up­on [Page 27] your thoughts: You will find both a soft­ning and a strengthning of your Heart.

I dare promise you from God an encrease of the Means of Grace; and perhaps a longer Life to profit by them; Why not? For God willeth not the Death of a Sinner, but rather that he should be converted, and live. If longer Life therefore be needful to compleat your Con­version, God will give it: if not, he will the sooner perfect your Conversion; for he has de­clared in favour of such as you are, that He will not quench the smoaking Flax, nor break the bruised Reed, until he has brought forth Iudgment to Victory, till he has given you a full Con­quest of your Sins.

But how? Through his Spirit: That is, the inward Work of it; which comes next to be considered. God works outwardly, as you have heard, by giving us the Means of our Conversion. God works inwardly by his Grace, which gives efficacy to the Means; or more properly, he gives it to Us; to a Sinner so humbled, and so contrite, as ye have heard, for his own Promise, for his own Mercy's sake, God gives that Grace which is the Life and Soul of Conversion.

And this being infus'd into our Spirits by [Page 28] the Spirit of God, may cause that Doubt among Interpreters, as ye have heard, (though it comes all to one) whether our mortifying of Sin be by the Spirit of God, or by our Spirit en­lightened and enabled by his Spirit.

Sure enough the Agent or Efficient in our Conversion is the Spirit of God; Our Spirit, which is willingly Passive before and in our Conversion, after this becomes Active, it co­operates with the Spirit of God.

First in our Conversion 'tis the work of Gods Spirit to mortifie our Lusts, to break the power of them in our Hearts, to set our cap­tive and enthralled Affections at liberty.

'Tis the Work of God to change our Spirit or Rational Soul; having thus broken the Bonds of Death wherein it was held, to quicken it, to give it Spiritual Life: so to create in us, as it were, a New Heart, and a New Spirit; whence the Soul that repents is said to be a New Creature, made as Adam was at first, after the Image of God. Both these Works of Gods Spirit St. Paul requires of us, though our part in them be onely such as you have heard, Ephes. iv. 22, &c. That we put off, concerning the former Conversation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the de­ceitful [Page 29] Lusts; and be renewed in the Spirit of our Minds; and that we put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and Holiness.

Our Spirit being thus quickned and re­newed, becomes Active, and hath its work up­on all the inferiour Faculties, it bestirs it self to fill the room of those Lusts which God has chas'd out of our Hearts; it changes the Work of every Part to an unspeakable Advantage; it never rests till it has the whole Body to offer up as a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. But its chief Work is on the Affections; which, while they were Servants to the Flesh, commanded under it, and were the Instru­ments of its Tyranny over the whole Man; when God has set them at liberty, they are as able to fight on his side, and to make them as willing, that is the work of the Spirit.

Between God and the World St. John shews you the opposition, 1 John ii. 15, &c. All that is in the World, says the Apostle, is the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life: As 'tis the business of our Lusts to engage our Affections to the World; so those Lusts being mortified as you have heard, 'tis the work of a renewed Spirit to convert all those Affections to God.

[Page 30] What is the Pride of Life, but an Affection to worldly Honour and Greatness? The Affe­ction being mortify'd to that, the New Crea­ture exalts to true Honour and Greatness: No such Honour, no such Greatness as this, to be the Child of God, and to bear the Image of God. To which Image Sin is so contrary, that it is only Reproachful, only worthy of our Scorn and our Disdain. The Child of God aims at no other Glory, but that of God, which we advance; and that from God, which we are sure to receive, by Well-doing.

The Lust of the Flesh is the Affection irregularly set on worldly and carnal Mirth and Pleasure. The Affection being morti­fi'd to that, is for Mirth and Pleasure still; but only such as is worthy of a good Man, and of a true Child of God. If this Affection ever hated Melancholy before, 'tis more freed from it than ever, when converted to God: 'Tis entertain'd with the conti­nual Feast of a good Conscience, a Feast that consists not of Meat and Drink, but of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost: It has the Love of God, which is infinitely above the Love of Women: It has within it self the matter of eternal Thanks­givings, [Page 31] and some Tastings of those Joys of the Blessed, whose work it is to Praise God for Evermore.

The Lust of the Eyes is an Affection set either on Revenge, or on Covetousness.

'Tis the business of Revenge to see ones Will upon his Enemies: The Affection being mortify'd to that, has its exercise still, though it has no Enemies: For, as Tertullian says, A Christian is no Mans Enemy: But he hates and declares against the Enemies of God; that is, not against Persons, but Sins; against A­theism and Profaness, and whatsoever it be that dishonours God, that affronts his Name, that disgraces his Worship, that defaces his Image, Truth and Holiness, the best Image of God amongst Men.

And what is Covetousness but an Affection irregularly set upon worldly Goods, still cra­ving and saving for an uncertain Future? The Affection being mortify'd to that, the renewed Spirit sets before it a certain Future, a lasting Future, that is and will be the same to Eternity: the Affection cannot be too intent upon that, no Provision can be ex­cessive for that, no Care can be too great to preserve it, nor Watchfulness against him that [Page 32] would rob us of it. There is but one that can rob us of it, that is, Sin; the Affection cannot be too watchful against Sin. There is but one Provision will do us good, that is, Good Works; the Affection cannot be too intent upon Good Works. O wise and happy Covetousness of that true Riches which will neither be lost nor left behind, but will follow us, and be with us for ever!

This then is True Mortification of the Deeds of the Flesh: When a Sinner being Convinc'd of the Evil of his VVay, refle­cting on his Guilt, and apprehending his Danger, seeing the Jaws of Destruction open before him; applies himself humbly to the Methods of God; abstains from his Sin, takes all that God prescribes, waits on God for the Effect, in Supplication and Prayer. God is pleased to give him the Conquest of his Lusts, sets him free from the Bonds of Death, creates in him a New Heart and a New Spirit; which being pur­ged from its Filth, finds a New Current for its Affections, sets them wholly on things Spi­ritual and Eternal.

[Page 33] The Whole Man being thus transformed to the Image of God, in Goodness and Holi­ness and Truth; He whose Eternal Delight is in these Lineaments of Himself, delights and dwells in that Man whom he has thus consecrated to Himself by his Spirit.

What remains? but that it should be our Care for the future not to Grieve that Good Spirit of God; but to Rejoyce him with Good Works, that we also may Rejoyce with him and in him; Enjoying that Blessed Estate of Spiritual Life here, Preparing and Waiting for the full Possession of Eternal Life here­after.