CHAP. X.

Difcovering the neceffity of an heart mortified to all earthly_and_temporal enjoyments, in order to the right managing of a fuffering condition: with feveral directions for the attaining thereof.

THE next thing wherein your actual readinefs for bonds, or death confifteth, is in the mortification of your affections to all earthly interefts and enjoyments; even the best and freeteft of them. Till this be done, in fome measure, you are not fit to be ufed in any fuch fervice for the Lord, 2 Tim. i. 21. The living world is the very life of temptations: the travailing pains of death are ftronger and sharper upon none, than those that are full of fenfe and felf. As you see in nature, what conflicts and agonies ftrong and lively perfons fuffer when they die; when others, in whom nature is decayed and spent before-hand, die away without half that pain, even as a bird in a fhell. Corruption in the faints, is like fap in the green wood, which refifteth the fire, and will not burn well, till it be dried up. Prepared Paul had an heart mortified in a very high degree, to all the honour and riches of the world, accounting them all but trifles, Gal. vi. 14. 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4

The need of this will be evinced by these five confiderations.

1. Unless the heart be mortified to all earthly enjoyments, they will appear great and glorious things in your eye and eftimation; and if fo, judge what a tafk you will have, to deny and leave them all in a fuffering hour. It is corruption within, that puts the luftre and glory upon things without: it is the carnal eye only that gazes admiringly after them, 2 Cor. v. 16. and hence the luft is put to exprefs the affection, 1 John ii. 16. because all that inordinate affection we have to them, arifes from our high eftimation of them, and that eftimation from our lufts, that represent them as great and glorious. Therefore, certainly, it will be difficult (if not impoffible) to deny them, till they have lost their glory in your eye; and that they will never do, till thofe lufts within you, that put that beauty and neceffity upon them, be first crucified. As for inftance, what a glory and neceffity doth the pride of men put upon the honour and credit of the world, fo that they will rather choose to die, than furvive it? But to a mortified foul it is a fmall matter, 1 Cor. iv. 3. So for riches, how much are they adored, till our lufts be mortified? and then they are efteemed but dung and drofs, Phil. iii. 8. It is our corruptions that paint and gild over these things when thefe are crucified, thofe will be lightly esteemed.

2. Mortification of corruptions is that which recovers an healthful ftate of foul: fin is to the foul, what a disease is to the body; and mortification is to fin, what phyfic is to a difeafe. Hence thofe that are but a little mortified, are in a comparative fenfe called carnal, I Cor. iii. 3. and babes, ver. 2. in respect of weakness. Now, fuffering

work being fome of the Chriftian's hardest labour and exercise, he cannot be fitted for it, until his foul be in an healthful state: a fickly man cannot carry heavy burdens, or endure hard labours and exercises: the fick foldier is left behind in his quarters, or put into the hofpital, whilft his fellows are dividing the fpoils, and obtaining glorious victories in the field. To this fenfe fome expound Rom. viii. 13. “If "ye live after the flesh, ye fhall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, "do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live." Whereas death is put to note a languifhing ftate of foul, whilft mortification is neglected; fo life is put to exprefs an healthful and comfortable itate; vivere pro valere; fo that upon this account alfo the neceflity of it appears.

3. Your corruptions must be mortified, elfe they will be raging and violent in the time of temptation, and, like a torrent, fweep away all your convictions and refolutions. It is fin unmortified within that makes the heart like gun-powder; fo that when the fparks of temptation fly about it, (and they fall thick in a fuffering hour) they do but touch and take. Hence the corruptions of the world are faid to be through luft, 2 Pet. i. 4. With thefe internal unmortified lufts the tempter holds correfpondence; and thefe be the traitors that deliver up our fouls into his bands.

4. Unless you be diligent and fuccefsful in this work, though you fhould fuffer, yet not like Chriftians; you will but difgrace religion, and the cause for which you fuffer; for it is not finiple fuffering, but fuffering as a Chriftian, that reflects credit on religion, and finds acceptation with God. If you be envious, fretful, difcontented, and revengeful, under your fufferings, what honour will this bring to Chrift? Is not this altogether unlike the example of your Lord? Ifa. lii. 7. and the behaviour of fuffering faints? 1 Cor. iv. 13. Yet thus it will be, if your pride, paffion, and revenge, be not firft fubdued: for what are the breakings forth of fuch diftempers of fpirit, but ast the flushes of heat in the face from an ill-affected liver? Moft certain it is, that all the evils are in your natures, and as certain it is, they will rife like mud and filth from the bottom of a lake, when fome eminent trials fhall rake you to the bottom; Natura vexata prodit feipfam.

5. Lastly, Mortification must be ftudied and plied with diligence; elfe you will find many longings and hankerings after earthly enjoyments and comforts, which will prove a fnare to you: what is fin but the corrupt and vitiated appetite of the creature, to things that are earthly and fenfual, relifhing more fweetnefs and delight in them, than in the bleffed God? And what is fanétification, but the rectifying of these inordinate affections, and placing them on their proper object? A regenerate and mortified Chriftian taftes not half that sweetnefs in forbidden fruits that another doth: fet but money before Judas, and fee how eagerly he catches at it- What will ye give "me, and I will betray him?" Set but life, liberty, or any fuch bait before an unmortified heart, and how impotent is he to with

ftand them, as offered in a temptation? Oh thofe unmortified lufts! how do they make men hanker, long, and their lips water (as we ufe to fay) after these things? This makes them break prifon, decline fufferings, though upon the baseft terms: whereas a mortified Chriftian can fee all these things fet before him, yea, offered to him, and refuse them, Heb. x. 35. It is with them much as it was with old Barzillai, 2 Sam. xix. 35. When nature is decayed, they find but little pleasure in natural actions, Eccles. xii. 1. And look as the body of fin decays and languishes, fo do thefe longings alfo: It weans the foul from them all, and enables it to live very comfortably without them, Pfal. cxxxi. 1. Phil. iv. 12. There needs no more to be faid to evince the neceffity of mortification, and difcover what influence it hath into a Chriftian's readiness for sufferings.

It remains therefore, that I open to you fome of the principal corruptions, about which it moftly concerns you to bestow pains ere fufferings come. Now look as there are four principal enjoyments, in which you are like to be tried, viz. Eftate, name, liberty, life; fo the Christian work in fuffering times lies in mortifying thefe four special corruptions, viz. First, The love of the world. Secondly, Ambition. Thirdly, Inordinate affection of freedom and pleasure. Fourthly, Ex

ceffive love of life.

1. For the love of this world, away with it, crucify it, crucify it: down with the idol, and let it be dethroned in all that intend to abide with Chrift in the hour of temptation: how elfe will you take the fpoiling of your goods? How will you be able to part with all for Christ, as these bleffed fouls did? It grieves my heart to fee how many profeffors of religion are carried captive at the chariot-wheels of a bewitching world. Oh! good had it been for many profeffors if they had never tafted so much of the sweetness of it. Sirs, I beg you, for the Lord's fake, down with it in your estimations, down with it in your affections, else temptations will down with you ere long. I fhall offer five or fix helps for the crucifying of it.

First, Confider your efpoufals to Chrift, and how you have chofen and profeffed him for your Lord and husband: therefore your doating upon the world is no lefs than adultery againft Chrift, James iv. 4. If Chrift be your husband, he must be a covering to your eyes; an unchafte glance upon the world wounds him.

Secondly, The more you prize it, the more you will be tormented by it; did you prize and love it lefs, it would difquiet and vex you less it is our doating on it that makes it draw blood at parting.

Thirdly, Get true fcripture-nctions of the world, and rectify your judgments and affections by them. If you will have the true picture and reprefentation of it drawn by the hand of God himself, fee i John ii. 16. it is nothing elfe but a phantaftic glory, and that also paffeth away. What is become of them that ruffled it out in the world but one hundred years ago? What could the world do for them? Are

they not all gone down to the fides of the pit?" But he that doth "the will of God abideth for ever."

Fourthly, Study and contemplate Chrift and the things above more: this would veil all its glory, and kill it at the root, Phil. iii. 18, 19. Juft as a man that hath been gazing upon the fun, when he takes off his eye from that bright and glorious creature, and looks to the earth, there is a veil of darkness overspreading the face of it, that he can fee nothing. I wonder how fuch as pretend to live above, and enjoy communion with God, can ever relish such fweetness in the world, or have their hearts enticed and captivated by it.

Fifthly, Remember always, that by your love and delight in worldly things, you furnish the devil with the chiefeft bait he hath to catch and destroy your fouls. Alas! were your hearts but dead to these things, he would want an handle to catch hold on. What hath he more to offer you, and tempt you off from Chrift with but a little money, or fome fuch poor temporal rewards? and how little would that foul be moved by fuch a temptation, that looks on it all but as dirt?

Sixthly, Laftly, Take notice of the approaches of eternity: remember you are almost at the end of time: and when you come to launch out into that endless ocean, how will these things look then? It feems glorious whilft you are in the chase and pursuit of it; but upon a death-bed you will overtake and come up with it, and then you will fee what a deceitful and vain thing it is: ftand by the beds of dying men, and hear how they speak of it. Oh! the difference betwixt our apprehenfions then and now! Thus labour to wean off your affections, and crucify them to the world.

2. Mortify your ambition and vain affectation of the repute and credit of the world: Oh ftand not on fo vain a thing as this: judge it but a small thing to be judged of man, to have your names caft out as evil: let not fcoffs and reproaches be fuch terrible things to you. It is, without doubt, a great trial; elfe the Holy Ghoft had not added a peculiar epithet to it, which is not given to any other of the sufferings of the faints: not cruel tortures, nor cruel ftonings, burnings, flaying with the fword; but cruel mockings, Heb. xi. 36. Yet learn to be dead to, and unaffected with these things; fet the reproaching world as light and as low as it fets you: Defpife the fhame, as your master Chrift did, Heb. xii. 2. And to promote mortification in this, take these helps.

1. Confider this is no new or ftrange thing that hath happened to you the holiest of men have paft through the like, if not worse trials, Heb. x. 33. Pfal. xliv. 14. Reproaches have been the lot of the best men. They called Athanafius, Sathanafius; Cyprianus, Coprianus, a gatherer of dung; bleffed Paul, a peftilent fellow; Dr Story threw a faggot at fweet Mr Denlie's face as he was finging a pfalm in the midft of the flames, faying, I have fpoiled a good old fong.

2. It may be religion hath been reproached and fcoffed at for your fakes; and if fo, think it not much to be reproached for religion's fake.

3. It is much better to be reproached by men for difcharging duty, than by your own confciences for the neglect of it; if all be quiet within, never be moved at the noise and clamour without: If you have a good roof over your head, be not troubled though the winds and ftorms blufter abroad, 1 Pet. iv. 14. Take heed what you do, and be heedlefs what the world fays.

4. Always remember, that you either ftand nor fall at the world's judgment, and therefore have the lefs reafon to be troubled at it, I Cor. iv. 3. If your condition were to be caft to eternity by it, it were fomewhat.

5. There is a worth and excellency in the reproaches of Chrift, as bad as they feem; and such an excellency, as it is not to be matched by any earthly enjoyment, Heb. xi. 26. The reproaches of Christ are of more worth than the treafures of Egypt, though Egypt then was the magazine of the world for treafures. The apoftles counted them their honours, Acts v. 41. When Ludovicus Martacus, a knight of France, faw those that were to fuffer with him in the chains, and that they put none upon him, because of the nobility of his birth, he faid to the executioner, Cur me non quoque torqui donas, et illuftris illius ordinis militem non creas? Why do ye not honour me with a chain too, and create me a knight of that noble order?'

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6. Laftly, Should fcoffs and reproaches fcare you from Chrift and duty; then, though you fhould efcape the reproaches of men, yet fhall you fall under the everlasting contempt of God, angels, and good men. Therefore,"Fear ye not the reproaches of men that

fhall die, nor be afraid of their revilings, for the moth shall eat "them up like a garment, and the worm fhall eat them like wool, "but my righteoufnefs fhall be for ever, and my falvation from gene"ration to generation," Ifa. li. 7, 8.

3 Mortify your inordinate affections of liberty, pleasure, and delicate living. O let not a prifon feem fo formidable to you. It is true, as Chrift told Peter, in John xxi. 18. "When thou waft young, *thou girdeft thyfelf, and walkedft whither thou wouldft; but

when thou fhalt be old, thou fha't stretch forth thy hands, and "another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not." You have now your liberty to go whither you will, and it is a precious mercy if well improved; the birds of the air (as one faith) had rather be in the woods at liberty, though lean and hungry, than in a golden cage with the richest fare. But yet, if God will call you to deny this alfo for Chrift, fee that you be ready to be bound as Paul was, and receive the chain and bonds of Chrift with thanksgiving: To which end confider,

1. That the affliction, in fuch cafes of reftraint, is more from within, than from without you. There is no place but may be delectable to you, if your heart be heavenly, and the prefence of God be engaget with you. What a fweet night had Jacob at Bethel! Paul and Silas in the ftocks! See that precious letter of Pomponius Algerius.