Part III

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 siii, then another, but that he goes on to purge out, by every new degree of mortifica

tion^ every sin together; so as when any one sin is more weakened, all the rest 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. iv. 22, when he ex horts 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 j 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. v. 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

&lt; 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 con suming of the whole. And therefore also, Col. iii., where in like manner he exhorts to growth therein, he exhorts to mortify earthly members everv member. And the reasons hereof are, because

: and this going on to mortify sin is called, Rom. vi.,

CHAP. I.] THE TKIAL OF A CHEISTIAN s GKOWTH. 503

(1.) First, true mortification strikes at the root, and so causeth every branch to wither : for all 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 mortifica tion 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 j 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 l/c rov novqyou, 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 particu lar 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. There-