The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…

Though they may seem to have a true and justifying faith, because they give assent to the whole Word, and especially to the gracious promises of the Gospel, which causeth in them some temporary joy, yet being uneffectual, and neither working in their will any constant resolution to embrace Christ, and to be ready to forsake the world and earthly vanities, nor in their hearts any hungering and thirsting desire after him and his righteousness for their justification, but only as it may stand with their worldly designs and ends; it continueth not in the time of tentation, but either when they are allured with the baits of prosperity, or pressed and pinched with crosses and persecution, they fall away and become apostates from the faith. So though their mortification may seem to resemble, yea and sometimes to go before that which is sincere and in truth, yet it is not general and indefinite, but always limited either to some few sins, or all saving some few; and still the hypocrite and temporary believer hath some darling and beloved sin which he nourisheth in his bosom, and holdeth (like sweet meats) under his tongue, as we see in Herod, Judas, Demas, ⟨p. 308⟩¹and many other, which as it presently discovereth to those that discern it, that their mortification is but counterfeit, (for if it proceeded from love and obedience towards God and not from worldly respects, it would as effectually crucify all their corruptions, as only some of them) so it will like a fretting canker eat out the hart of their mortification and put a quick end unto it; seeing those sins retained and nourished, will make way for all the rest, whilst they harden their heart against Gods fear, and s•are and dead the conscience (as it were) with an hot iron, whereby they will become secure and senseless in the committing of any wickedness. In which respect the Apostle ²fitly compareth such as by this counterfeit mortification and feigned repentance cleanse themselves from many sins to the swine, which being washed doeth soon after return to wallow again in the same mire, because he was only cleansed from the outward filth, but not inwardly freed and purged from his swinish nature;

Though they may seeme to haue a true and iustifying faith, because they giue assent to the whole Word, and especially to the gracious promises of the Gospell, which causeth in them some temporarie ioy, yet being vneffectual, and neither working in their will any constant resolution to imbrace Christ, and to be ready to forsake the world and earthly vanities, nor in their hearts any hungring and thirsting desire after him and his righteousnesse for their iustification, but onely as it may stand with their worldly designes and ends; it continueth not in the time of tentation, but either when they are allured with the baites of prosperitie, or pressed and pinched with crosses and persecution, they fall away and become apostates from the faith. So though their mortification may seeme to resemble, yea and sometimes to goe before that which is sincere and in truth, yet it is not generall and indefinite, but alwayes limited either to some few sinnes, or all sauing some few; and still the hypocrite and temporarie beleeuer hath some darling and beloued sinne which he nourisheth in his bosome, and holdeth (like sweete meates) vnder his tongue, as we see in Herod, Iudas, Demas,