CHAPTER I: About growth in mortification; two questions—
grace! Therefore judge of your growth herein by your strength to resist. Hence the Apostle prays, 'they may have strength in the inward man,' Eph. 3:16; and in chap. 6:13, he speaks of 'ability to stand in the evil day.' Although this let me add, that every man should keep up his heart in this continual keenness and edge of spirit against sin, and whet his heart against it; for that will cause a man to use his strength the more against it, and to put it forth. A man that keeps his heart in a revengeful, vexed, spleenful spirit against sin, he will easier cut through a temptation: and though if a Christian want metal, though he hath an edge, he may be foiled; yet when edge and metal both meet, a man walks above his lusts. If either be wanting, a man may be foiled.
PART III
RESOLVING SOME QUESTIONS
CONCERNING GROWTH IN
MORTIFICATION AND VIVIFICATION.
CHAPTER I
Two questions resolved concerning growth in mortification.
I WILL now conclude this discourse about growth in grace with answering some questions which may be made concerning this our growth, both about mortification and about increase in positive graces; which I did reserve to this last place, that I might handle them together.
Quest. 1.—The first question concerning the purging out of sin is, Whether every new degree of mortification, and purging out of sin,
be always universal, extending itself to every sin? So as the meaning of this, that God goes on to purge, should be, not only that he goes on first to purge forth one sin, then another, but that he goes on to purge out, by every new degree of mortification, every sin together; so as when any one sin is more weakened, all the vest in a proportion grow weak also.
Ans.—To this I answer affirmatively, that every new degree of mortification is universal. Because when the Scripture speaks of our growth therein, he speaks of it as extending itself to every sin. So,
Eph. 4:22, when he exhorts the Ephesians, who were mortified already, to a further progress in it, he exhorts them to 'put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.' It is not one lust that is the object of mortification, and the growth of it, although he mentions particular lusts afterwards, but the whole man that is corrupt, and all its lusts. And thus he there speaks of daily growth therein; for of that he had spoken in the former verses, from the 12th verse, and goes on to speak of it and exhort to it. Thus, in like manner, Gal. 5:24, it is called 'crucifying the flesh with the lusts:, not one lust, but the flesh, the whole bundle, the cluster of them all; and in that it is called crucifying, it implies it also, for of all deaths that did work upon every part, it did stretch every nerve, sinew, and vein, and put all the parts to pain: and this going on to mortify sin is called, Rom. 6, 'the destroying of the body of sin,' of the whole body.
It is not the consumption of one member, of the lungs, or liver, &c., but it is consumptio totius, a consumption of the whole body of sin, so as every new degree of mortification is the consuming of the whole. And therefore also, Col. 3, where in like manner he exhorts to growth therein, he exhorts to 'mortify earthly members'—every member. And the reasons hereof are, because—
(1.) First, true mortification strikes at the root, and so causeth every branch to wither: for sill sinful dispositions are rooted in one, namely, in 'love of pleasure more than of God;' and all true mortification deads a man to the pleasure of sin, by bringing the heart more into communion and into love with God; and therefore
the deading to any sin must needs be general and universal to every sin. It is as the dying of the heart, which causeth all the members to die with it; for that is the difference between restraining grace, which cuts off but branches, and so lops the tree, but true mortification strikes every blow at the root.
(2.) Secondly, every new degree of true mortification purgeth out a sin, as it is sin, and works against it under that consideration; and if against it as sin, then the same power that works out any sin works against every sin in the heart also. Now that every new degree works against a sin, as it is sin, is plain by this, because if it be purged out upon any other respect, it is not mortification.
(3.) Thirdly, the Spirit, and the virtue that comes from Christ, which are the efficient causes of this purging out a sin, do also work against every sin, when they work against any one; and they have a contrariety to every lust; they search into every vein, and draw from all parts. Physicians may give elective purges, as they call them, which will purge out one humour, and not another; but Christ's physic works generally, it takes away all sorts of distempers.
Obj.—And whereas the objection against this may be, that then all lusts will come to be equally mortified—
Ans.—I answer, No, for all lusts were never equally alive in a man; some are stronger, some weaker by custom, through disposition of body and spirit; and therefore, though mortification extends itself to all, yet there being an inequality in the life and growth of these sins in us, hence some remain still more, some less mortified: as when a flood of water is left to flow into a field, where many hills are of differing height, though the water overflows all equally, yet some are more above water than others, because they were higher before of themselves. And hence it is that some sins, when the power of grace comes, may be in a manner wholly subdued,—namely, those which proceed out of the abundance of naughtiness in the heart, as swearing, malice against the truth; and these the children of God are
usually wholly freed from, and they seem wholly dead; being as the excrements of other members, and being as the nails and the hair, they are wholly pared off, as was the manner to a proselyte woman; the power of grace takes them away, though other members continue vigorous. And therefore of swearing Christ says, 'What is more than
Yea, yea, and Nay, nay, is ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ,' out of a profane heart. As when a man is a-dying, some members are stiff and cold, and clean dead long afore, as the feet, whilst others continue to have some life and heat in them; so in the mortification of a Christian, some lusts that are more remote are wholly stiff and stark, when others retain much life in them.
Quest. 2.—The second question is, Whether, when I apply Christ, and the promise with the virtue of Christ, for the mortification of some one particular lust or other, and do use those right means, as prayer, fasting, &c., for the special mortification of some one lust, whether that lust thereby doth not become more mortified than other lusts do?
Ans.—I answer, Yes, yet so as in a proportion this work of mortification runs through all the rest; for as in washing out the great stains of a cloth, the lesser stains are washed out also with the same labour, so it is here. Therefore the Apostle in all his exhortations to mortification, both Eph. 4 and Gal. 5 and Col. 3, though he exhorts to 'the putting off the old man,' the whole body of sin, yet instances in particular sins, because a man is particularly to endeavour the mortification of particulars, as it were apart; and yet because in getting them mortified the whole body of sin is destroyed, therefore he mentions both the whole body and particular members thereof apart, as the object of mortification. And to that end also doth God exercise his children, first with one lust, then with another, that they may make trial of the virtue of Christ's death upon every one. And therefore Christ bids us to 'pull out an eye,' and 'cut off a hand,' if they offend us: for mortification is to be by us directed against particular members; yet so as withal, in a proportion, all the rest receive a further degree of destruction. For as a particular act of