(2.) Mortification prunes all the graces of God, and makes room for them in our hearts to grow. The life and vigour of our spiritual lives consists in the vigour and flourishing of the plants of grace in our hearts. Now, as you may see in a garden, let there be a pre- cious herb planted, and let the ground be unfilled, and weeds grow about it, perhaps it will live still, but be a poor, withering, unuseful thing. You must look and search for it, and sometimes can scarce find it; and when you do, you can scarce know it, whether it be the plant you look for or no ; and suppose it be, you can make no use of it at all. When, let another of the same kind be set in the ground, natiu'ally as barren and bad as the other, but let it be well weeded, and every thing that is noxious and hurtful removed from it, — it flou- rishes and thrives; you may see it at first look into the garden, and have it for your use when you please. So it is with the graces of the Spirit that are planted in our hearts. That is true ; they are still, they abide in a heart where there is some neglect of mortification ; but they are ready to die. Rev. iii. 2, they are withering and decay- ing. The heart is like the sluggard's field, — so overgrown with weeds that you can scarce see the good corn. Such a man may search for faith, love, and zeal, and scarce be able to find any; and if he do dis- cover that these graces are there 5'et alive and sincere, yet they are so weak, so clogged with lusts, that they are of very little use; they remain, indeed, but are ready to die. But now let the heart be cleansed by mortification, the weeds of lust constantly and daily rooted up (as they spring daily, nature being their proper soil), let room be made for grace to thrive and flourish, — how will every grace act its part, and be ready for every use and purpose !
24 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS.
(3.) As to our peace ; as there is nothing that hath any evidence of sincerity without it, so I know nothing that hath such an evidence of sincerity in it ; — which is no small foundation of our peace. Mor- tification is the soul's vigorous opposition to self, wherein sincerity is most evident.
CHAPTER V.
The principal intendment of the whole discourse proposed — The first main case of conscience stated — What it is to mortify any sin, negatively considered — Not the utter destruction of it in this life — Not the dissimulation of it — Not the improvement of any natural principle — Not the diversion of it — Not an occa- sional conquest — Occasional conquests of sin, what and when ; upon the eruption of sin ; in time of danger or trouble.
These things being premised, I come to my principal mtention, of handling some questions or practical cases that present themselves in this business of mortification of sin in believers.
The first, which is the head of all the rest, and whereunto they are reduced, may be considered as lying under the ensuing pro- posal : —
Suppose a man to be a true believer, and yet finds in himself a powerful indwelling sin, leading him captive to the law of it, consum- ing his heart with trouble, perplexing his thoughts, weakening his soul as to duties of communion with God, disquieting him as to peace, and perhaps defiling his conscience, and exposing him to hardening through the deceitfulness of sin, — wdiat shall he do? what course shall he take and insist on for the mortification of this sin, lust, dis- temper, or corruption, to such a degTee as that, though it be not utterly destroyed, yet, in his contest with it, he may be enabled to keep up power, strength, and peace in commimion with God?
In answer to this important inquiry, I shall do these things: —
I. Show what it is to mortify any sin, and that both negatively and positively, that we be not mistaken in the foundation.
II. Give general directions for such things as without which it wUl be utterly impossible for any one to get any sin truly and spi- ritually mortified.
III. Draw out the particulars whereby this is to be done; in the whole can-jdng on this consideration, that it is not of the doctrine of mortification in general, but only in reference to the particulai* case before proposed, that I am treating.
I. 1. (1.) To mortify a sin is not utterly to kill, root it out, and
MORTIFICATION NEGATIVELY CONSIDEEED. 25
destroy it, that it should have no more hold at all nor residence in our hearts. It is true this is that which is aimed at ; but this is not in this life to be accomplished. There is no man that truly sets himself to mortify any sin, but he aims at, intends, desires its utter destruction, that it should leave neither root nor fruit in the heart or life. He would so kill it that it should never move nor stir any more, cry or call, seduce or tempt, to eternity. Its not-heing is the thing aimed at. Now, though doubtless there may, by the Spirit and grace of Christ, a won- derful success and emmency of victory against any sin be attained, so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it, yet an utter killing and destruction of it, that it should not be, is not in this life to be expected. This Paul assures us of, Phil. iii. 12, " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." He was a choice saint, a pattern for believers, who, in faith and love, and all the fruits of the Spirit, had not his fellow in the world, and on that account ascribes perfection to himself in comparison of others, verse 15 ; yet he h^d not "attained," he was not "perfect," but was "following after: " still a vile body he had, and we have, that must be changed by the great power of Christ at last, verse 21. This we would have ; but God sees it best for us that we should be complete in nothing in our- selves, that in all things we must be "complete in Christ;" which is best for us, Col. ii. 10.