[2.] There is great encouragement to us to set upon the work of mortification, because it is carried on by the help and power of the Spirit. If we were to grapple with sin in our own strength, then we might sit down and despair and die ; but the Spirit is appointed for this end, and purchased for us by Jesus Christ, for all that come to him with broken hearts, and do not by their carelessness, negligence, or other sin, provoke the Lord to withdraw his exciting grace. If you do humbly implore his assistance, wait for his approaches, attend and obey his motions, you shall find what the Spirit is able and willing to do for you. He is able surely, though you are ready to say, I shall never get rid of this naughty heart, renounce these bewitching lusts. There are none so carnal but he can change them, and bend and incline their hearts to God and heavenly things : 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' He can turn swine into saints, a dunghill into a bed of spices. None should give way to sottish despair ; God never made a creature too hard for himself. And when he hath begun an interest for God in our souls, he can maintain it, notwithstanding oppositions and tem])- tations : Phil. i. 6, ' He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.' God is willing to give the Spirit to them that ask it, as a father is to give a child what is neces- sary for him : Luke xi. 13, 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ? ' Be careful you do not grieve the Spirit, and make yourselves incapable of his help : Eph. iv. 30, ' Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption.' The Spirit of God will not forsake us unless we forsake him first. The Spirit is grieved when lust is obeyed before him, when his counsels and holy inspirations are smothered, and we yield easily to the requests of sin, but are wholly deaf to his motions. If
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SO indeed, he ceaseth to give us warning, and to renew and continue the excitations of his grace. Water once heated congealeth the sooner ; so they are most hardened who have been notably touched with his sacred inspirations, but go a quite contrary way. But the renewed need not doubt of his help ; for God hath promised the Spirit to them, to cause them to walk in his ways : John xiv. 16, 17, ' I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not. neither knoweth him ; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.' Well, then, do not complain, but up and be doing against sin. Laziness pretendeth want of power ; but is anything too hard for the Spirit of the Lord ? It is a lamentable thing to see what a cowardly spirit there is in most christians, how soon they are captivated, and discouraged with every slender assault or petty temptation, and their resolutions are shaken with the appearance of every difficulty. This is affected weakness, not so much want of strength, as sluggishness and cowardice and want of care. Men spare their pains, and then cry they are impotent, like lazy beggars, who personate and act a disease, because they would not work. Surely ' where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,' 2 Cor. iii, 17. Many are not able to stand before the slightest motion of sin, because they do not stir up themselves, and awaken that strength which they have, or improve that which God continually vouchsafeth to them by the motions of his Spirit. It would be more for your com- fort to try what you can do in resistance of sin, than idly to complain for want of strength. The two extremes are pride and sloth. Pride is seen in self-confidence, or depending upon our endeavours and resolutions ; and sloth in a neglect of the grace given, or help afforded to you. Christians should improve present strength against sin, and still labour to get more. Every conquest will increase your strength against the next assault, and one limb of the body of death mortified is a means to cause the rest to languish by consent.
4. The next encouragement is the promises of the gospel, which secure this benefit to us ; and surely the watching and the striving person may take comfort in them. There are two sorts of promises, "some that do assure of necessary assistance, some that speak of arbitrary assistance ; as Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, ' A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.' Now such promises must be improved, for the covenant of God is the ground of our stability. Adam had a seed of grace, but it was not secured by promise, and therefore he sinned it away. The victory is assured to us by promise: Kom. xvi. 20, 'The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.' In ordinary conflicts it is a g6od rule, Non ceque glorietur accinctus ac discinctus ; but a christian may triumph before the victory, for all those who are really and earnestly striving against sin are sure to conquer. These promises may be pleaded to God, as his own words by which he hath invited our hope ; and to ourselves in case of fainting and discouragement, that we may not