Evidence 3. That which is the fruit and evidence of saving faith, must needs be a good evidence of our interest in Christ ; but mor- tification of sin is the fruit and evidence of saving faith. Acts xv. 9. " Purifying their hearts by faith." 1 John v. 4. " This is the " victory whereby we overcome the world, even our faith." Faith overcomes both the allurements of the world on the one hand, and the terrors of the world on the other hand, by mortifying the heart and affections to all earthly things : a mortified heart is not easily taken with the ensnaring pleasures of the world, or much moved with the disgraces, losses, and sufferings it meets with from the world ; and so the strength and force of its temptations are broken, and the mortified soul becomes victorious over it ; and all this by the instrumentality of faith.
Evidence 4. In a word, there is an intimate and indissoluble connexion betwixt the mortification of sin, and the life of grace. Rom. vi. 11. " Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but " alive unto God, through Jesus Christ :" and the life of Christ must needs involve a saving interest in Christ. By all which is fully proved wThat was asserted in the observation from this text. The application follows in the next sermon.
And they that are Chrisfs, have crucified the fleshy with the affec- tions and lusts.
From hence our observation was,
# HAT a saving interest in Christ, may be regularly and strong- ly inferred and concluded from the mortification of the fiesh, with its affections and lusts.
Having opened the nature and necessity of mortification in the former sermon, and shewn how regularly a saving interest in Christ may be concluded from it ; we now proceed to apply the whole^ by way of
SERM. XXVIU. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 381
First use, for information.
Inference 1. If they that be Christ's have crucified the flesh, Then the life of Christians is no idle or easy life : the corruptions of his heart continually fill his hands with work, with work of the most difficult nature ; sin-crucifying work, which the scripture calls the cutting off the right hand, and plucking out of the right eye : sin- crucifying work is hard work, and it is constant work throughout the life of a Christian ; there is no time nor place freed from this conflict ; every occasion stirs corruption, and every stirring of cor- ruption calls for mortification : corruptions work in our very best duties, Rom. vii. 23. and put the Christian upon mortifying labours. The world and the devil are great enemies, and fountains of many temptations to believers, but not like the corruptions of their own hearts ; they only tempt objectively and externally, but these tempt internally, and therefore are much more dangerous ; they only tempt at times and seasons ; these continually, at all times and seasons : besides, whatever Satan or the world attempts upon us, would be altogether ineffectual were it not for our own corrup- tions, John xiv. 30. So that the corruptions of our own hearts, as they create us most danger, so they must give us more labour ; our life and this labour must end together ; for sin is long a dying in the best heart : those that have been many years exercised in the study of mortification, may haply feel the same corruption tempting and troubling them now, which put them into tears, and many times brought them to their knees twenty or forty years ago. It may be said of sin as it was said of Hannibal, that active enemy, that it will never be quiet, whether conquering or con- quered : and until sin cease working, the Christian must not cease mortifying.
Inf. 2. If mortification be the great work of a Christian, then certainly those that give the corruptions of Christians an occasion to revive, must needs do them a very ill office ; they are not our best friends that stir the pride of our hearts by the flattery of their lips. The graces of God in others, I confess, are thankfully to be owned, and under discouragements, and contrary temptations, to be wisely and modestly spoken of; but the strongest Christians do scarcely shew their own weakness in any one thing more than they do in hearing their own praises. Christian, thou knowest thou carriest gun-powder about thee, desire those that carry fire to keep at a distance from thee ; it is a dangerous crisis when a proud heart meets with flattering lips ; aiferte ignem, $c. take away the fire, (said a holy divine of Germany, when his friend commended him upon his death-bed) for I have yet combustible matter about me ; faithful, seasonable, discreet reproofs are much more safe to us, and advantageous to our mortifying work : but alas, how few have
38£ THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XXVXIf.
the boldness or wisdom duly to administer them ? It is said of Alexander, that he bid a philosopher (who had been long with him) to be gone ; for, said he, so long thou hast been with me, and never reproved me ; which must needs be thy fault ; for either thou sawest nothing in me worthy of reproof which argues thy ignorance ; or else thou durst not reprove me, which argues thy unfaithfulness. A wise and faithful reprover is of singular use to him that is heartily engaged in the design of mortification ; such a faithful friend, or some malicious enemy, must be helpful to us in that work.
Inf. 3. Hence it follows, that manifold and successive afflictions are no more than what is necessary for the best of Christians : the mortification of our lusts require them all, be they never so many, 1 Pet. i. 5. " If need be, ye are in heaviness :" it is no more than need, that one loss should follow another, to mortify an earthly heart; for so intensely are our affections set upon the world, that it is not one, or two, or many checks of providence, that will suf- fice to wean and alienate them. Alas, the earthliness of our hearts will take all this, it may be much more than this, to purge them : the wise God sees it but necessary to permit frequent discoveries of our own weakness, and to let loose the tongues of many enemies upon us, and all little enough to pull down our pride, and the vanity that is in our hearts. Christian, how difficult soever it be for thee to bear it ; yet the pride of thy heart requires all the scoffs and jeers, all the calumnies and reproaches, that ever the tongues or pens of thy bitterest enemies, or mistaken friends, have at any time thrown upon thee. Such rank weeds as grow in our hearts, will require hard frosts and very sharp weather to rot them ; the straying bullock needs a heavy clog, and so doth a Christian whom God will keep within the bounds and limits of his commandments, Psal. cxix. 67. Dan. xi. 35.