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end but to satisfy the carnal minds of men with a presumptuous supposition, in the neglect of the spiritually laborious exercise of faith. An experience ot the work of faith, in the derivation of all supplies of spiritual life, grace, and strength, with deliverance and supplies, from Jesiis Christ, will secure believers from giving heed unto this trifling deceit.
Sect. XIII. One thing more, amongst many others of the same sort, may be mentioned. It is a notion of tnxth, which derives from the light of nature, that those tuho approach unto God in divine tuorship should be careful that they he 2)ure and clean, tvithout any offensive defilements.
This the heathens themselves give testimony unto, and God con- firmed it in the institutions of the law. But what are these defile- ments and pollutions which make us unmeet to approach unto the presence of God, — how and by what means we may be purified and cleansed from them, — the gospel alone declares. And it doth, in opposition unto all other ways and means of it, plainly reveal, that it is by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon our consciences, so to purge them from dead works, that we may serve the living God. See Heb. ix. 14, x. 19-22. But this is a thing mysterious: nothing but spiritual light and saving faith can direct us herein. Men, desti- tute of them, could never attain an experience of purification in this way. Wherefore they retained the notion of truth itself, but made an image of it for their use, with a neglect of the thing itself And this was the most ludicrous that could be imagined; namely, the sprinkling of themselves and others with that they call holy water when they go into the places of sacred worship ; which yet also they borrowed from the Pagans. So stupid and sottish are the minds of men, so dark and ignorant of heavenly things, that they have suffered their souls to be deceived and ruined by such vain, superstitious trifles !
This discourse hath already proceeded unto a greater length than was at first intended ; and would be so much more, should we look into all parts of this Chamber of Imagery, and expose to \4ew all the aljominations in it. I shall therefore put a close unto it, in one or two instances, Avherein the Church of Rome doth boast itself as re- taining the truth and power of the gospel in a peculiar' manner, whereas in very deed they have destroyed them, and set up corrupt images of their own in their stead.
Sect. XIV. The first of these is, the doctrine and grace of mortifi- cation.
That this is not only an important evangelical duty, but also of indispensable necessity unto salvation, all who have any thing of Christian religion in themselves must acknowledge. It is also clearly
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determined in the Scripture, both what is the nature of it, with its causes, and in what acts and duties it doth consist ; for it is frequently declared to be the crucifying of the body of sin, with all the lusts thereof For mortification must be the bringing of something to death ; and this is sin : and the dying of sin consists in the casting out of all vicious habits and inclinations, arising from the original depra- vation of nature. It is the weakening and graduate extirpation or destruction of them, in their roots, principles, and operations, whereby the soul is set at liberty to act universally from the contrary principle of spiritual life and grace. The means, on the part of Christ, whereby this is wrought and effected in believers, is the communication of his Spirit unto them, to make an effectual application of the virtue of his death unto the death of sin ; for it is hy his Sjnrit that we mor- tify the deeds of the flesh, and the flesh itself, and that, as we are implanted by him into the likeness of the death of Christ. By virtue thereof we are crucified, and made dead unto sin ; in the declaration of which things the Scripture doth abound. The means of it, on the part of believers, is the exercise of faith in Christ, as crucified; whereby they derive virtue from him for the crucifying of the body of death : and this exercise of faith is always accompanied with diligence and perseverance in all holy duties of prayer, with fasting, godly sorrow, daily-renewed repentance, with a continual watch against all the advantages of sin. Herein consists, principally, that spiritual warfare and conflict that believers are called unto. This is all the killing work which the gospel requires. That of killing other men for religion is of a later date, and another original. And there is nothing, in the way of their obedience, wherein they have more experience of the necessity, power, and efficacy of the graces of the gospel.
This principle of truth, concerning the necessity of mortification, is retained in the Church of Rome; yea, she pretends highly unto it, above any other Christian society. The mortification of their devo- tionists is one of the principal arguments which they plead, to draw unwary souls over unto their superstition. Yet, in the height of their pretences unto it, they have lost all experience of its nature, with the power and efficacy of the grace of Christ therein ; and have, therefore, framed an image of it unto themselves. For, —