I shall desire to give one caution or rule by the way, and it is this : Though every lust doth in its OAvn nature equally, universally, incline and impel to sin, yet this must be granted with these two limita- tions:—
[1.] One lust, or a lust in one man, may receive many accidental improvements, heightenings, and strengiihenings, which may give it life, power, and vigour, exceedingly above what another lust hath, or the same lust (that is, of the same kind and nature) in another man. When a lust falls in with the natural constitutions and temper, with a suitable course of life, with occasions, or when Satan hath got a fit handle to it to manage it, as he hath a thousand ways so to do, that lust grows violent and impetuous above others, or more than the same lust in another man; then the steams of it darken the mind so, that though a man knows the same things as formerly, yet they have no power nor influence on the will, but corrupt affections and pas- sions are set by it at liberty.
But especially, lust gets strength by temptation. When a suitable temptation falls in mth a lust, it gives it a new life, vigour, power, violence, and rage, which it seemed not before to have or to be ca- pable of. Instances to this purpose might be multiplied; but it is the design of some part of another treatise to evince this observa- tion.
[2.] Some lusts are far more sensible and discernible in their vio- lent actings than others. Paul puts a difference between unclean- ness and all other sins: 1 Cor. vi. IS, " Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body ; but he that committeth forni- cation sinneth against his own body." Hence, the motions of that sin are more sensible, more discernible than of others ; when perhaps the love of the world, or the like, is in a person no less habitually predominant than that, yet it makes not so great a combustion in the whole man.
And on this account some men may go in their own thoughts and in the eyes of the world for mortified men, who yet have in them no less predominancy of lust than those who cry out with astonishment upon the account of its perplexing tumultuatings, yea, than those who have by the power of it been hurried into scandalous sins ; only their lusts are in and about things which raise not such a tumult in the soul, about which they are exercised v/ith a calmer frame of spirit, the very fabric of nature being not so nearly concerned in them as in some other.
30 MORTIFICATION OF SIX IN BELIEVERS.
I say, then, that the first thing in mortification is the vmikening of this habit, that it shall not impel and tumultuate as formerly; that it shall not entice and draw aside ; that it shall not disquiet and perplex the killing of its life, vigour, promptness, and readiness to be stirring. This is called " crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof," Gal. V. 24; that is, taking away its blood and spirits that give it strength and power, — the wasting of the body of death " day by day," 2 Cor. iv. 16.
As a man nailed to the cross; he first struggles, and strives, and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard ; — when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigour and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success. This the apostle describes, as in the whole chapter, so especially, Rom. vi. 6.
" Sin," saith he, " is crucified ; it is fastened to the cross." To what end? " That the body of death may be destroyed," the power of sin weakened and abolished by little and little, that " henceforth we should not sei-ve sin ;" that is, that sin might not incline, impel us "vvith such efficacy as to make us servants to it, as it hath done heretofore. And this is spoken not only with respect to carnal and sensual affec- tions, or desires of worldly things, — not only in respect of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, — but also as to the flesh, that is, in the mind and will, in that opposition unto God wJiich is in us by nature. Of what nature soever the troubling distemper be, by what ways soever it make itself out, either by impelling to evil or hindering from that which is good, the rule is the same; and unless this be done effectually, all after-contention will not compass the end aimed at A man may beat down the bitter fruit from an evil tree until he is weary; whilst the root abides in strength and vigour, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more. This is the folly of some men; they set them- selves with all earnestness and diligence against the appearing erup- tion of lust, but, leaving the principle and root untouched, perhaps un searched out, they make but little or no progress in this work of mortification.