3 Motive. Your stability and safety in the hour of temptation, depend upon the success of your mortifying endeavours. Is it then a valuable mercy in your eyes to be kept upright and stedfast in the critical season of temptation, when Satan shall be wrestling with you for the crown, and the prize of eternal life ! Then give diligence to mortify your corruptions. Temptation is a siege, Satan is the enemy without the walls, labouring to force an entrance ; natural corruptions are the traitors within, that hold correspon- dence with the enemy without, and open the gate of the soul to receive him. It was the covetousness of Judas1 heart which over- threw him in the hour of temptation. They are our fleshly lusts which go over unto Satan in the day of battle, and fight against our souls, 1 Pet. ii. 11. the corruptions (or infectious atoms which fly up and down the world in times of temptation, as that word /i/auaara, 2 Pet. ii. 20. imports) are through lusts, 2 Pet. i. 4. It is the lust within, which gives a lustre to the vanities of the world without, and thereby makes them strong temptations to us, 1 John ii. 16. Mortify therefore your corruptions, as ever you expect to maintain your station in the day of trial : cut off those advantages of your enemy, lest by them he cut off your souls, and all your hopes from God.
4 Motive. As temptations will be irresistible, so afflictions will be unsupportable to you without mortification. My friends, you live in a mutable world, providence daily rings the changes in all the kingdoms, cities, and towns, all the world over. You that have husbands or wives to-day, may be left desolate to-morrow : You that have estates and children now, may be bereaved of both before you are aware. Sickness will tread upon the heel of health, and death will assuredly follow life as the night doth the day. Con- sider with yourselves ; are you able to bear the loss of your sweet enjoyments with patience ? Can you think upon the parting hour without some tremblings ? O get a heart mortified to all these things, and you will bless a taking as well as a giving God. It is the living world, not the crucified world, that raises such tumults in our souls in the day of affliction. How cheerful was holy Paul under all his sufferings ! and what think you gave him that peace and cheerfulness, but his mortification to the world? Phil. iv. 12. " I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound ; " every where, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full, tt and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need." Job was the mirror of patience, in the greatest shock of calamity, and what
388 THE METHOD OF GRACE. sERM. XXVIII.
made him so, but the mortifiedness of his heart, in the fullest en- joyment of all earthly things ? Job xxxi. 25.
5 Motive. The reputation and honour of religion are deeply con- cerned in the mortification of the professors of it : For unmortified professors will, first or last, be the scandals and reproaches of it. The profession of religion may give credit to you, but to be sure you will never bring credit to it. All the scandals and reproaches that fall upon the name of Christ in this world, flow from the foun- tain of unmortified corruption. Judas and Demas, Hymeneus, and Philetus, Ananias and Sapphira ruined themselves, and became rocks of offence to others by this means. If ever you will keep religion sweet, labour to keep your hearts mortified and pure.
6 Motive. To conclude, what hard work will you have in your dying hour, except you get a heart mortified to this world, and all that is in it ? Your parting hour is like to be a dreadful hour, without the help of mortification. Your corruptions, like glue, fasten your affections to the world, and how hard will it be for such a man to be separated by death? O what a bitter and doleful parting have carnal hearts from carnal things ! whereas the mortified soul can receive the messengers of death without trouble, and as cheer- fully put off the body at death, as a man doth his clothes at night : Death need not pull and hale ; such a man goes half way to meet it, Phil. i. 23. " I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which " is far better.''' Christian, wouldst thou have thy death-bed soft and easy; wouldst thou have an svdavaaia, as the philosopher desired for himself, an easy death, without pain or terror ; then get a mor- tified heart : the Surgeon's knife is scarce felt when it cuts off a mortified member.
Third use, for direction.
Are you convinced, and fully satisfied of the excellency and necessity of mortification, and inquisitive after the means, in the use whereof it may be attained ; then, for your help and encourage- ment, I will in the next place, offer my best assistance in laying down the rules for this work.
Rule 1. If ever you will succeed and prosper in the work of mortification, then get, and daily exercise more faith. Faith is the great instrument of mortification ; " This is the victory, (or " sword by which the victory is won, the instrument) by which " you overcome the world, even your faith," 1 John v. 4. By faith alone eternal things are discovered to your souls, in their reality and excelling glory, and these are the preponderating things, for the sake whereof, self-denial and mortification become easy to believers; by opposing things eternal to things temporal, we
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resist Satan, 1 Pet. v. 8. This is the shield by which we quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, Eph. vi. 16.
Ride % Walk in daily communion with God, if ever you will mortify the corruptions of nature ; that is the apostle's own pre- scription, Gal. i. 17. u This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and " ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.* Spiritual and frequent communion with God, gives manifold advantages for the mortifi- cation of sin, as it is a bright glass wherein the holiness of God and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, as it is opposite thereunto, are most clearly and sensibly discovered, than which, scarce any thing can set a keener edge of indignation upon the spirit of a man against sin. Besides, all communion with God is assimilating and transformative of the soul into his image ; it leaves also a heavenly relish and savour upon the soul ; it darkens the lustre and glory of all earthly things, by presenting to the soul a glory which excelleth : it marvellously improves, and more deeply radicates sanctification in the soul ; by all which means it becomes singularly useful and successful in the work of mortification.