The first thing is,1 to forbear the ordinary practice of gross sins, such as are expressly condemned by the letter of the Word, and by the light of nature, and such, wherein the members of the body are given as weapons of unrighteousness. No man can say he is truly mortified, till he have gotten so much power against his corrupt lusts, that he be not usually and commonly overtaken with those palpable deeds of the body, swearing, cursing, lying, railing, drunkenness, wantonness, revenge, deceit, and the like to these: for those that do such things,2 shall not inherit the Kingdom of God: and the Apostle saith, That in time past, when we were dead in sins, we had our conversation in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the mind, and of the flesh, and were by nature,3 children of wrath. And again, We our selves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice, and envy, hateful, and hating one another.4 And again, Peter saith, The time past of our lives may suffice us; to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable Idolatries. And Saint John saith,5 If we say we have fellowship with him, (as every mortified man hath) and walk in darkness, (as he that lives in the usual practice of such things doth) we lye, and do not the truth.6 For as the Apostle saith, For these things sake, the wrath of God doth come upon ⟨p. 131⟩the children of disobedience. It is plain enough, you see, that he which is a worker of wickedness, and doth give himself leave to go on in the common practice of these abominable evils, is not translated from darkness to light, he is not made partaker of the virtue of the death of Christ, he is not buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, nor made conformable unto his death; so that it is in vain to flatter our selves with a false opinion of our being good Christians, so long as these things do so strongly bear rule in us, hat we give our members as servants unto them ordinarily: for the good man must not walk in the counsel of sinners, nor stand in the way of the ungodly.
The first thing is,1 to forbeare the ordinary practice of grosse sinnes, such as are expressely condemned by the letter of the Word, and by the light of nature, and such, wherein the members of the body are giuen as weapons of vnrighteousnesse. No man can say hee is truly mortified, till he haue gotten so much power against his corrupt lusts, that hee bee not vsually and commonly ouertaken with those palpable deeds of the body, swearing, cursing, lying, rayling, drunkennesse, wantonnesse, reuenge, deceit, and the like to these: for those that doe such things,2 shall not inherit the Kingdome of God: and the Apostle saith, That in time past, when we were dead in sinnes, wee had our conuersation in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the mind, and of the flesh, and were by nature,3 children of wrath. And againe, Wee our selues were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceiued, seruing diuers lusts and pleasures, liuing in malice, and enuie, hatefull, and hating one another.4 And againe, Peter saith, The time past of our liues may suffice vs; to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles, when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse, lusts, excesse of wine, reuellings, banquetings, and abominable Idolatries. And Saint Iohn saith,5 If we say wee haue fellowship with him, (as euery mortified man hath) and walke in darkenesse, (as he that liues in the vsuall practice of such things doth) we lye, and doe not the truth.6 For as the Apostle saith, For these things sake, the wrath of God doth come vpon ⟨p. 131⟩the children of disobedience. It is plaine enough, you see, that hee which is a worker of wickednesse, and doth giue himselfe leaue to goe on in the common practice of these abominable euils, is not translated from darkenesse to light, he is not made partaker of the vertue of the death of Christ, he is not buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death, nor made conformable vnto his death; so that it is in vaine to flatter our selues with a false opinion of our being good Christians, so long as these things do so strongly beare rule in vs, hat wee giue our members as seruants vnto them ordinarily: for the good man must not walke in the counsell of sinners, nor stand in the way of the vngodly.
- 11. To forbear the usual practice of gross sins.1. To forbeare the vsuall practice of grosse sinnes.
- 2Gal. 5.21. Ephes. 2.3.
- 3Titus 3.3.
- 41. Pet 4.3.
- 51. Joh. 1.6.1. Ioh. 1.6.
- 6Colos. 3.6.
