their reality and excelling glory, and thefe are the preponderating things, for the fake whereof, felf-denial and mortification becomes eafy to believers; by oppofing things eternal to things temporal, we refift Satan, 1 Pet. v. 8. This is the fhield by which we quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, Eph. vi. 16. Rule 2. Walk in daily communion with God, if ever you will mortify the corruptions of nature; that is the apostle's own prefcription, Gal. i. 16. "This I fay then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lufts of the flesh." Spiritual and frequent communion with God, gives manifold advantages for the mortification of fin: as it is a bright glass wherein the ho linefs of God, and the exceeding finfulnefs of fin, as it is oppofite thereunto, are moft clearly and fenfibly difcovered, than which, fcarce any thing can fet a keener edge of indignation upon the fpirit of a man against fin. Befides, all communion with God is affimilating, and transformative of the foul into his image; it leaves also a heavenly relish and favour upon the foul; it darkens the luftre and glory of all earthly things, by prefenting to the foul a glory which excelleth: it marvellouly improves, and more deeply radicates fanctification in the foul; by all which means it becomes fingularly useful and fuccefsful in the work of mortification.

Rule 3. Keep your confciences under the awe and in the fear of God continually, as ever you hope to be fuccessful in the mortification of fin. The fear of God is the great prefervative from fin, without which all the external rules and helps in the world fignify nothing: "By the fear of the Lord, men depart from "evil," Prov. xvi. 6. Not only from external and more open evils, which the fear of men, as well as the fear of God, may prevent, but from the moft fecret and inward evils, which is a fpecial part of mortification, Lev. xix. 14. It keeps men from thofe evils, which no eye nor ear of man can poffibly discover. The fear of the Lord breaks temptations, baited with pleasure, with profit, and with fecrecy. In a word, if ever you be cleaned from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, it must be by the fear of God, 2 Cor. viį, 1.

*Rule 4. Study the vanity of the creature, and labour to get true notions of the emptiness and tranfitorinefs thereof; if

* Readers, if ever you would have a true fight of the emptiness and vanity of the creature, and get a mortified heart to the world, now is the time; for at this day the providence of God hath withered all the fading flowers of earthly delights, and fhewed you the world's back parts, as it is departing from you.

ever you will attain to the mortification of your affections towards it. It is the falfe picture and image of the world, in our fancy, that crucifies us with so many cares, fears and follicitudes about it and it is the true picture and image of the world, reprefented to us, in the glass of the word, which greatly helps to crucify our affections to the world. O if we did but know and believe three things about the world, we fhould never be fo fond of it as we are, viz. the fading, defiling, and destroying nature of it. The best and sweetest enjoyments of the world, are but fading flowers and withered grafs, Ifa. xiv. 6. James i 10, 11. yea, it is of a defiling, as well as a fading nature, 1 John v. 19. it lies in wickedness, it spreads univerfal infection among all mankind, 2 Pet. i. 4. yea, it destroys, as well as defiles multitudes of fouls, drowning men in perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 9. Millions of fouls will wifh, to eternity, they had never known the riches, pleasures, or honours of it. Were this believed, how would men flacken their pace, and cool themselves in the violent and eager purfuit of the world! This greatly tends to promote mortification.

Rule 5. Be careful to cut off all the occafions of fin, and keep at the greatest diftance from temptations, if ever you will mortify the deeds of the body: The fuccefs, and prevalency of fin, mainly depends upon the wiles, and ftratagems it makes use of, to enfnare the incautious foul; therefore the apostle bids us keep off, at the greatest distance. I Thef. v. 22. "Abftain "from all appearances of evil.” Prov. viii. 8. “Come not nigh "unto the door of her house." He that dares venture to the very brink of fin, discovers but little light in his understanding, and lefs tenderness in his confcience; he neither knows fin, nor fears it, as he ought to do: And it is ufual with God to chastise felf-confidence, by fhameful lapfes into fin.

Rule 6. If you will fuccefsfully mortify the corruptions of your nature, never engage against them in your own fingle strength, Eph. vi, 10. When the apoftle draws forth Chriftians into the field, against fin, he bids them "be strong in the "Lord, and in the power of his might." O remember what a mere feather thou art, in the gufts of temptation; call to mind the height of Peter's confidence, "though all men forfake thee, "yet will not I;" and the depth of his fall, fhame and forrow. A weak Christian, trembling in himself, depending by faith, upon God, and graciously affifted by him, fhall be able to ftand, against the shock of temptation, when the bold, and confident

SERM. XXVIIT refolutions of others (like Pendleton in our English ftory) fhall melt away, as wax before the flames.

Rule 7. Set in with the mortifying defign of God, in the day of thine affliction; fanctified afflictions are ordered, and prefcribed in heaven, for the purging of our corruptions. Ifa. xxvii. 9. "By this, therefore, fhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged,

and this is all the fruit, to take away his fin." It is a fair. glafs to represent the evil of fin, and the vanity of the creature, to imbitter the world, and disgust thy affections toward it: Fall in, therefore, with the gracious defign of God; follow every affliction with prayer, that God would follow it with his bleifing. God kills thy comforts, out of no other defign but to kill thy corruptions with them; wants are ordained to kill wantonnefs, poverty is appointed to kill pride, reproaches are permitted to pull down ambition: Happy is the man who underftands, approves, and heartily fets in with the defign of God, in fuch afflicting providences.

Rule 8. Bend the ftrength of your duties, and endeavours, against your proper, and fpecial fin; it is in vain to lop off branches, whilft this root of bitterness remains untouched: This was David's practice, Pfal. xviii. 23. "I was, alfo, upright be"fore him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity." We obferve, in natural men, that one faculty is more vigorous than another; we find, in nature, that one foil fuits with fome forts of feed, rather than another: And every believer may find his nature, and conftitution, inclining him to one fin, rather than another: As graces, fo corruptions exceed one another, even in the regenerate. The power of fpecial corruptions arifes from our constitutions, education, company, cuftom, callings, and fuch like occafions; but from whencefoever it comes, this is the fin that most endangers us, moft easily befets us; and, according to the progrefs of mortification in that fin, we may fafely eftimate the degrees of mortification in other fins: Strike, therefore, at the life, and root of your own iniquity.

Rule 9. Study the nature, and great importance of thofe things which are to be won, or loft, according to the fuccefs, and iffue of this conflict: Your life is a race, eternal glory is the prize, grace and corruption are the antagonists, and, accordingly as either finally prevails, eternal life is won, or lost. I Cor.* 24. "Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, "but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain." This condition will make mortification appear the most ration al, and neceffary thing to you, in the whole world. Shall I lofe heaven for indulging the fiefh, and humouring a wanton appe

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13 tite! God forbid. "I keep under my body (faith Paul) and bring it into fubjection; left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a caft-away,” 1 Cor. ix. 28.

Rule 10. Accuftom your thoughts to fuch meditations as are proper to mortify fin in your affections, elfe all endeavours, to mortify it, will be but faint, and languid: To this purpose, I fhall recommend the following meditations, as proper means to destroy the intereft of fin.

Meditation 1. Confider the evil that is in fin, and how terrible the appearances of God will one day be, against thofe that obey it, in the luft thereof. Rom. i. 18. "The wrath of God "is revealed from heaven, against all ungodlinefs, and unrigh"". teoufnefs of men." I Thef. i. 7, 8, 9. "The Lord Jefus "fhall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flam-. ing fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and "that obey not the gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift: who shall "be punished with everlasting deftruction from the presence of "the Lord, and from the glory of his power." Let your thoughts dwell much upon the confideration of the fruits, and confequences of fin; it fhews its faireft fide to you, in the hour of temptation. O but confider how it will look upon you, in the day of affliction, Num. xxii. 23. in that day your fin will find you out: Think what its afpect will be, in a dying hour.. 1 Cor. xv, 56. “The fting of death is fin." Think what the frightful remembrances of it will be, at the bar of judginent, when Satan shall accuse, confcience fhall upbraid, God shall condemn, and everlasting burnings fhall avenge the evil of it: fuch thoughts as these are mortifying thoughts.

Meditation 2. Think what it coft the Lord Jefus Chrift to expiate the guilt of fin, by fuffering the wrath of the great and terrible God for it, in our room: the meditations of a crucified Christ, are very crucifying meditations unto fin, Gal. vi. 14. he suffered unspeakable things for fin; it was a divine wrath which lay upon his foul for it; that wrath, of which the prophet saith, Nahum i. 5, 6. "The mountains quake at him, and the hills "melt. Who can stand before his indignation? And who can "abide in the fiercenefs of his anger? his fury is poured out "like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.". It was unmixed, and unallayed wrath, poured out in the fulness of it, even to the laft drop; and fhall we be fo eafily drawn to the commiffion of thofe fins, which put Chrift under fuch fufferings? O do but read fuch fcriptures as thefe, Luke xxii. 44. Mat. xxvi. 36, 37. Mark xiv. 33. and fee what a plight fin put

the Lord of glory into; how the wrath of God put him into a fore amazement, a bloody fweet, and made his foul heavy, even anto death.

Meditation 3. Confider what a grief and wound the fins of believers are to the Spirit of God, Eph. iv. 30. Ezek. xvi. 43. Ifa. Ixiii. 10. O how it grieves the holy Spirit of God! Nothing is more contrary to his nature, "O do not that abominable "thing which I hate," faith the Lord, Jer. xliv. 4. Nothing obstructs, and croffes the fanctifying defign of the Spirit, as fin doth; defacing and fpoiling the most rare, and admirable workmanship, that ever God wrought in this world; violating all the engagements laid upon us by the love of the Father, by the death of his Son, by the operations of his Spirit, in all his illuminations, convictions, compunctions, renovation, preservation, obfignation, and manifold confolations. Lay this meditation upon thy heart, believer, and fay, Sicne rependis? doft thou thus requite the Lord, O my ungrateful heart, for all his goodness! Is this the fruit of his temporal, fpiritual, common, and peculiar mercies, which are without number?

Meditation 4. Confider with yourselves, that no real good, either of profit, or pleasure, can result from fin; you can have no pleasure in it, whatever others may have, it being against your new nature; and as for that brutish pleasure, and evanid joy, which others have in fin, it can be but for a moment; for either they must repent, or not repent: if they do repent, the pleasure of fin will be turned into the gall of afps, here; if they do not repent, it will terminate in everlasting howlings, hereaf That is a fmart question, Rom. vi. 21. "What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now afhamed? For the end "of those things is death." You that are believers, muft never expect any pleasure in fin; for you can neither commit it, without regret; nor reflect upon it, without thame, and confusion expect no better confequents of fin, than the woundings of con fcience, and difmal cloudings of the face of God; that is all the profit of fin. O let thefe things fink into your heart.

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Meditation 5. Confider what the damned fuffer for those fins which the devil now tempteth you to commit; it hath deprived them of all good, all outward good, Luke xvi. 25. all spiritual good, Mat. xxv. 41. and of all hope of enjoying any good, for ever and as it hath deprived them of all good, fo it hath remedilefly plunged them into all pofitive mifery: mifcry from without, the wrath of God being come upon them to the uttermost; and mifery from within, for their worm dieth not, Mark ix. 44. The memory of things past, the fenfe of things prefent, and the