2. Christ's death was a violent death; he died not naturally, but violently;1 he was put to death in the flesh, he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter. So is our mortification, it is voluntary in respect of us, but violent in respect of sin; and herein is the life (as I may say) of this death: Oh when a man lays violent hands on his sins; when he cuts them off, being yet in their flower, and strength, and power, and vigour; when he pulls up those weeds before they whither in themselves, this is true mortification: many have left their sins, who never mortified them; so the aged Adulterer hath left his Lust, because his body is dead: and hence it is that late repentance in an aged sinner is seldom found true: alas, he dies not to sin, but his sin dies to him: I will not say but God may call at the eleventh hour, though it be very seldom; but in that case you had need to be jealous over your selves with a godly jealousy: what, do you find some sins within you to be dead, that were sometimes alive? O be inquisitive, impanel a Jury, call a Coroners Inquest upon your own souls, enquire how they came by their deaths; whether they died a violent or natural death? search what wounds they have received, and whether they were deadly wounds, yea, or no? enquire what weapon it was that slew them, whether the Sword of the Spirit, that two-edged Sword, the Word of God? what purposes, what resolutions have been taken up, and levelled against them? what prayers and tears have been spent upon them? If you find not these signs, you may g••e in your Verdict, that they died not a violent, but a natural death. And here's a good Caveat for others; Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 2while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Oh take heed of reprieving your Lusts! let them not live till to morrow; now bring them forth in the sight and presence of God; arraign, condemn, crucify, mortify them whiles they might yet live. Surely this is true mortification, when the body of sin dieth, as Christ died, a violent death.
2. Christ's death was a violent death; he died not naturally, but violently;1 he was put to death in the flesh, he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter. So is our mortification, it is voluntary in respect of us, but violent in respect of sin; and herein is the life (as I may say) of this death: Oh when a man layes violent hands on his sins; when he cuts them off, being yet in their flower, and strength, and power, and vigor; when he pulls up those weeds before they whither in themselves, this is true mortification: many have left their sins, who never mortified them; so the aged Adulterer hath left his Lust, because his body is dead: and hence it is that late repentance in an aged sinner is seldom found true: alas, he dies not to sin, but his sin dies to him: I will not say but God may call at the eleventh hour, though it be very seldom; but in that case you had need to be jealous over your selves with a godly jealousie: what, do you find some sins within you to be dead, that were sometimes alive? O be inquisitive, impannel a Jury, call a Coroners Inquest upon your own souls, enquire how they came by their deaths; whether they died a violent or natural death? search what wounds they have received, and whether they were deadly wounds, yea, or no? enquire what weapon it was that slew them, whether the Sword of the Spirit, that two-edged Sword, the Word of God? what purposes, what resolutions have been taken up, and levelled against them? what prayers and tears have been spent upon them? If you find not these signs, you may g••e in your Verdict, that they died not a violent, but a natural death. And here's a good Caveat for others; Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 2while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Oh take heed of reprieving your Lusts! let them not live till to morrow; now bring them forth in the sight and presence of God; arraign, condemn, crucifie, mortifie them whiles they might yet live. Surely this is true mortification, when the body of sin dieth, as Christ died, a violent death.
- 11 Pet. 3.18. Isa. 53.7.
- 2Eccles. 12.1.
