Now, all these do much depend on a constant course of mortifica- tion, concerning which observe, —
1. I do not say they proceed from it, as though they were neces- sarily tied to it. A man may be carried on in a constant course of mortification all his days; and yet perhaps never enjoy a good day of peace and consolation. So it was with Heman, Ps. Ixxxviii. ; his life was a hfe of perpetual mortification and walking with God, yet terrors and wounds were his portion all his days. But God singled out Heman, a choice friend, to make him an example to them that after- ward should be in distress. Canst thou complain if it be no other- wise with thee than it was with Heman, that eminent servant of God? and this shall be his praise to the end of the world. God makes it his prerogative to speak peace and consolation, Isa. Ivii. 18, 19. " I will do that work," says God, " I will comfort him," verse 18. But how ? By an immediate work of the new creation : " I create it," says God. The use ofm,eans for the obtaining of peace is ours; the hestowing of it is God's prerogative.
2. In the ways instituted by God for to give us life, vigour, courage, and consolation, mortification is not one of the immediate causes of it. They are the privileges of our adoption made known to our souls that give us immediately these things. " The Spirit bearing witness
22 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVEHS,
with our spirits that we are the cliildren of God," giving us a new name and a white stone, adoption and justification, — that is, as to the sense and knowledge of them, — are the immediate causes (in the liand of the Spirit) of these things. But this I say, —
3. In our ordinary walking with God, and in an ordinary course of his dealing with us, the vigour and comfort of our spiritual lives depend much on our mortification, not only as a " causa sine qua non," but as a thing that hath an effectual influence thereinto. For, —
(1.) This alone keeps sin from depriving us of the one and the other.
Every unmortified sin will certainly do two things: — [1.] It will luealcen the soul, and deprive it of its vigour. [2.] It will darken the soul, and deprive it of its comfort and peace.
[1.] It iveahens the soul, and deprives it of its strength. When David had for a while harboured an unmortified lust in his heart, it broke all his bones, and left him no spiritual strength ; hence he com- plained that he was sick, weak, wounded, faint. " There is," saith he, " no soundness in me," Ps. xxxviii. 3 ; "I am feeble and sore broken," verse 8; "yea, I cannot so much as look up," Ps. xl. 12. An un- mortified lust will drink up the spirit, and all the vigour of the soul, and weaken it for all duties. For, —
^st. It untunes and unframes the heart itself, by entangling its affections. It diverts the heart from the spiritual frame that is re- quired for vigorous communion with God ; it lays hold on the affec- tions, rendering its object beloved and desirable, so expelling the love of the Father, 1 John ii. 15, iiL 17; so that the soul cannot say up- rightly and truly to GocT, " Thou art my portion," having something else that it loves. Fear, desire, hope, which are the choice affections of the soul, that should be full of God, will be one way or other en- tangled with it.
2dli/. It fills the thoughts with contrivances about it. Thoughts are the great purveyors of the soul to bring in provision to satisfy its affections; and if sin I'emain unmortified in the heart, they must ever and anon be making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts there- of. They must glaze, adorn, and dress the objects of the flesh, and bring them home to give satisfaction; and this they are able to do, in the service of a defiled imagination, beyond all expression.
^dly. It breaks out and actually hinders duty. The ambitious man must be studying, and the worldling must be working or con- triving, and the sensual, vain person providing himself for vanity, when they should be engaged in the worship of God
Were this my present business, to set forth the breaches, ruin, weakness, desolations, that one unmortified lust will bring upon a soul, this discourse must be extended much beyond my intendment.
USEFULNESS OF MORTIFICATION. 23
[2.] As sin weakens, so it dar^kens the soul. It is a cloud, a thick cloud, that spreads itself over the face of the soul, and intercepts all the beams of God's love and favour. It takes away all sense of the privilege of our adoption ; and if the soul begins to gather up thoughts of consolation, sin quickly scatters them : of which afterward.
Now, in this regard doth the vigour and power of our spiritual life depend on our mortification: It is the only means of the re- moval of that which will allow us neither the one nor the other. Men that are sick and wounded under the power of lust make many applications for help ; they cry to God when the perplexity of their thoughts overwhelms them, even to God do they cry, but are not delivered; in vain do they use many remedies, — " they shall not be healed.'' So, Hos. v. 13, " Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound," and attempted sundry remedies: nothing will do until they come (verse 1 5) to " acknowledge their offence." Men may see their sickness and wounds, but yet, if they make not due applications, their cure will not be effected.