CHAP. VII. (2)

4. Let men know it is their Duty, but in its proper place; I take not men from Mortification, but put them upon Conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a Hole in the Wall of his House, to quench a Fire that is consuming the whole Building, is not his

Enemy. Poor Soul! it is not thy Sore-finger but thy Hectick-Feaver that thou art to apply thy self to the Consideration of. Thou settest thy self against a particular Sin, and doest not consider that thou art nothing but Sin.

Let me adde this to them who are Preachers of the Word, or intend through the good hand of God that Employment. It is their Duty to plead with men about their Sins, to lay load on particular sins, but alwayes remember, that it be done with that which is the proper End of Law and Gospel. That is, that they make use of the Sin they speak against, to the discovery of the State and Condition wherein the Sinner is. Otherwise, happily they may work men to Formality and Hypocrisie, but little of the true End of Preaching the Gospel will be brought about. It will not avail, to beat a man off from his Drunkenness, into a sober Formality; A skilfull Master of the Assemblies layes his Axe at the Root, drives still at the heart. To inveigh against particular sins of ignorant unregenerate persons, (such as the Land is full of,) is a good Work: But yet though it may be done with great efficacy, vigour and success, if this be all the effect of it, that they are set upon the most sedulous Endeavours of mortifying their sins preached down, all that is done, is but

like the beating of an Enemy in an open field, and driving him into an impregnable Castle, not to be prevailed against. Get you at any time a sinner at the advantage, on the account of any one sin whatever, have you any thing to tak[gap] hold of him by, bring it to his State and Condition, drive it up to the head, and there deal with him; to break men off from particular sins, and not to break their Hearts, is to deprive our selves of Advantages of dealing with them.

And herein is the Roman Mortification grievously peccant; they drive all sorts of persons to it, without the least Consideration whether they have a principle for it or no. Yea they are so far from calling on men to believe, that they may be able to mortifie their Lusts, that they call men to Mortification instead of Believing. The truth is, they neither know what it is to believe, nor what Mortification it self intends. Faith with them is but a general assent to the Doctrine taught in their Church: And Mortification the betaking of a man by a Vow to some certain Course of Life, wherein he d[gap]yes himself something of the use of the things of this World, not without a considerable Compensation. Such men know neither the Scriptures, nor the Power of God. Their boasting of their Mortification, is but their Glorying in their shame. Some Casuists

among our selves, who over-looking the Necessity of Regeneration, do avowedly give this for a Direction to all sorts of persons, that complain of any Sin or Lust, that they should vow against it, at least for a season, a Moneth or so, seem to have a scantling of Light in the Mystery of the Gospel, much like that of Nicodemus, when he came first to Christ. They bid men vow to abstain from their sin for a season. This commonly makes their lust more impetuous. Perhaps with great perplexity they keep their word: Perhaps not, which increases their Guilt and Torment. Is their sin at all mortified hereby? Do they find a conquest over it? Is their Condition changed, though they attain a Relinquishment of it? Are they not still in the Gall of bitterness? Is not this to put men to make Brick, if not without straw, (which is worse,) without strength? What Promise hath any unregenerate man to countenance him in this work? What assistance for the performance of it? Can sin be killed without an interest in the Death of Christ, or Mortified without the Spirit? If such Directions should prevail to change mens Lives, as seldom they doe, yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or Conditions. They may make men self-justitiaries or Hypocrites, not Christians. It grieves me oft-times to see poor Souls,

that have a Zeal for God, and a desire of eternal Welfare, kept, by such Directors and Directions, under an hard, burdensome, outside Worship and Service of God, with many specious Endeavours for Mortification, in an utter Ignorance of the Righteousness of Christ, and unacquaintedness with his Spirit, all their dayes. Persons and things of this kind, I know too many. If ever God shine into their hearts, to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ, they will see the folly of their present way.