(2.) Because those things that are ajDpointed of God as means are not used by them in their due place and order, — such as are praying, fasting, watching, meditation, and the like. These have their use in the business in hand ; but whereas they are all to be looked on as streams, they look on them as the fountain. Whereas they effect and
VOL. VI. "A
18 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS.
accomplish tlie end as means only, subordinate to the Spirit and faith, they look on them to do it by virtue of the work wrought. If they fast so much, and pray so much, and keep their hours and times, the work is done. As the apostle says of some in another case, " They are always learning, never coming to the knowledge of the truth ;" so they are always mortifying, but never come to any sound mortification. In a word, they have sundry means to mortify the natural man, as to the natural life here we lead ; none to mortify lust or corruption.
This is the general mistake of men ignorant of the gospel about this thing; and it lies at the bottom of veiy much of that supersti- tion and will-worship that hath been brought into the world. What horrible self- macerations were practised by some of the ancient authors of monastical devotion ! what violence did they offer to na- ture! what extremity of sufferings did they pvit themselves upon! Search their ways and principles to the bottom, and you will find that it had no other root but this mistake, namely, that attempting rigid mortification, they fell upon the natural man instead of the cor- rupt old man, — upon the body wherein we live instead of the body of death.
Neither will the natural Popery that is in others do it. Men are galled with the guilt of a sin that hath prevailed over them; they in- stantly promise to themselves and God that they will do so no more; they watch over themselves, and pray for a season, until this heat waxes cold, and the sense of sin is worn off: and so mortification goes also, and sin returns to its foraicr dominion. Duties are excellent food for an unhealthy soul ; they are no physic for a sick soul. He that turns his meat into his medicine must expect no great operation. Spiritually sick men cannot sweat out their distemper with working. But this is the way of men who deceive their own souls; as we shall see afterward.
That none of these ways are sufficient is evident from the nature of the work itself that is to be done; it is a work that requires so many concurrent actings in it as no self-endeavour can reach unto, and is of that kind that an almighty energy is necessary for its accom- plishment; as shall be afterward manifested.
2. It is, then, the work of the Spirit. For, —
(1.) He is promised of God to be given unto us to do this work. The taking away of the stony heart, — that, is, the stubborn, proud, rebellious, unbelieving heart, — is in general the work of mortification that we treat of Now this is still promised to be done by the Spirit, E7:ek. xi. 19, xxxvi. 2G, " I will give my Spirit, and take away the stony heart;" and by the Spirit of God is this work >vrought when all means fail, Isa Ivii. 17, 18.
WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN MORTIFICATION. 13
(2.) "We have all our mortification from the gift of Christ, and all the gifts of Christ are communicated to us and given us by the Spirit of Christ : " Without Christ we can do nothing," John xv, 5. All communications of supplies and relief, in the beginnings, increasings, actings of any grace whatever, from him, are by the Sjoirit, by whom he alone works in and upon believers. From him we have our mor- tification : " He is exalted and made a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto us," Acts v. 31; and of oar repentance our mortifi- cation is no small portion. How doth he do it? Having "received the promise of the Holy Ghost," he sends him abroad for that end. Acts ii. 33. You know the manifold promises he made of sending the Spirit, as Tertullian speaks, " Vicariam navare operam," to do the works that he had to accomplish in us.
The resolution of one or two questions will now lead me nearer to what I principally intend.
The first is, Hoiv doth the Sjnrit mortify sin'?
I answer, in general, three ways: —
[1.] By causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh, and the fruits thereof and principles of them. So the apostle opjDoses the fruits of the flesh and of the Spuit: "The fruits of the flesh," says he, "are so and so," Gal. v. 19-21; "but," says he, "the fruits of the Spirit are quite coaitrary, quite of another sort," verses 22, 23. Yea; but what if these are in us and do abound, may not the other abound also? No, says he, verse 24, " They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." But how? Why, verse 25, " By living in the Spirit and walking after the Spirit;" — that is, by the abounding of these graces of the Spirit in us, and walking according to the'm. For, saitli the apostle, " These are contrary one to another," verse 17; so that they cannot both be in the same subject, in any intense or high degree. This " renewing of us by the Holy Ghost," as it is called, Tit. iii. 5, is one great way of mortification; he causes us to grow, thrive, flourish, and abound in those graces which are contrary, op- posite, and destructive to all the fruits of the flesh, and to the quiet or thriving of indwelling sin itself