448 THE FILTH OF SIN rURGED [BOOK IV.
dinate actings of our minds and affections towards objects either in their own nature sinful, or such as may be rendered so by an excess in us towards them, whilst we are under the command of loving the Lord our God with all our mmds, souls, and strength, and that always. 3. Afflictions take off the edge and put a deadness on those affections whereby the corrupt lusts of the mind and flesh, which are the spring and cause of all our defilements, do act themselves. They curb those vigorous and brisk affections which were always ready pressed for the service of lust, and which sometimes carry the soul into the pursuit of sin, like the horse into the battle, with mad- ness and fury. They are no more such prepared channels for the fomes of concupiscence to empty itself into the conversation, nor such vehicles for the spirits of corrupted lusts and inclinations. God, I say, by afflictions brings a kind of death unto the world and the pleasures of it upon the desires and affections of the soul, which render them unserviceable unto the remainder of defiling lusts and corruptions. This in some, indeed, endures but for a season, as when, in sickness, wants, fears, distresses, losses, sorrows, there is a great appearance of mortification, when yet the strength of sin and the vigour of carnal affections do speedily revive upon the least outward relief But with believers it is not so, but by all their chas- tisements they are really more and more delivered from the pollu- tion of sin, and made partakers of God's holiness, 2 Cor. iv. 16-18. 4. God doth by them excite, stir up, and draw forth all the graces of the Spirit into a constant, diligent, and vigorous exercise; and therein the work of cleansing the soul from the pollution of sin is carried on. A time of affliction is the especial season for the peculiar exercise of all gTace, for the soul can then no otherwise support or relieve itself; for it is cut short or taken off from other comforts and reliefs, every sweet thing being made bitter unto it. It must, therefore, live not only hy faith, and love, and delight in God, but in some sense upon them ; for if in their exercise supportment and comfort be not ob- tained, we can have none. Therefore doth such a soul find it neces- sary to be constantly abounding in the exercise of grace, that it may in any measure be able to support itself under its troubles or suffer- ings. Again, there is no other way whereby a man may have a sanctified use of afflictions, or a good issue out of them, but by the assiduous exercise of grace. This God calls for, this he designs, and without it afflictions have no other end but to make men miserable ; and they will either have no deliverance from them, or such an one as shall tend to their farther misery and ruin.
And so have we taken a view of the first part of our sanctification and holiness ; which I have the more largely insisted on, because the consideration of it is utterly neglected by them who frame us a holi-
CHAP, v.] BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 449
ness to consist only in the practice of moral virtue. And I do not know but what hath been delivered may be looked on as fanatical and enthusiastical ; yet is there no other reason why it should be so, but only because it is taken from the Scripture. Neither doth that so much insist on any consideration of sin and sanctification, as this of the pollution of the one and the purifying of it by the other. And to whom the wisdom and words of the Holy Ghost are dis- pleasing, we cannot in these things give any satisfaction ; and yet I could easily demonstrate that they were well known to the ancient writers of the church; and, for the substance of them, were discerned and discussed by the schoolmen, in their manner. But where men hate the practice of holiness, it is to no purpose to teach them the nature of it.
But we may not pass over these things without some reflections upon ourselves, and some consideration of our concernment in them. And, first, hence we may take a view of our own state and condition by nature. It is useful for us all to be looking back into it, and it is necessary for them who are under it to be fully acquainted with it. Therein are we wholly defiled, polluted, and every way unclean. There is a spiritual leprosy spread all over our natures, which ren- ders us loathsome to God, and puts us in a state of separation from him. They who were legally unclean were sejDarated from the congre- gation, and therein from all the pledges of God's gracious presence, Num. v. 2. It is so virtually with all them who are spiritually de- filed, under that pollution which is natural and universal; they are abhorred of God and separated from him, which was signified tliere- by. And the reason why so many laws, with so great severity and exactness, were given about the cleansing of a leprous person, and the judgment to be made thereon, was only to declare the certainty of the judgment of God, that no unclean person should ajiproach unto him. Thus is it with all by nature; and whatever they do of themselves to be quit of it, it doth but hide and not cleanse it. Adam cured neither his nakedness nor the shame of it by his fig-leaves. Some have no other covering of their natural filth but outward orna- ments of the flesh ; which increase it, and indeed rather proclaim it than hide it. The greatest filth in the world is covered with the greatest bravery. See Isa. iii. 16-24. Whatever we do ourselves in answer unto our convictions is a covering, not a cleansing; and if we die in this condition, unwashed, uncleansed, unpurified, it is utterly impos.sible that ever we should be admitted into the blessed pre- sence of the holy God, Rev. xxi. 27. Let no man deceive you, then, with vain words. It is not the doing of a few good works, it is not an outward profession of religion, that will give you an access with boldness and joy unto God. Shame will cover you when it will be