To close all, Go on and persevere in the subduing and killing of thy beloved Lust: Mortification is a work once done, and yet in this life it is always a doing: There are some things that consist of an iteration of multiplied acts; as in Wedlock, persons are actually married at once, the Husband surrenders himself unto the Wife, and the Wife surrenders her self unto her Husband, and yet if they live together, suitably to that near relation; marriage is as it were renewed every day: there is a continual surrender of themselves each to other: So 'tis here, when the soul is first converted, the beloved sin is mortified, and yet there is a continual mortification of it: this is a duty that consists not in any one act, though never so good, never so vigorous: but 'tis a continued act of the whole life. 'Tis not killing sin at one blow; the strength of sin decays by degrees, it begins in the weakening of sin, and ends in the destroying of sin. Sin dies a lingering death, therefore let us go on in this great and necessary work. You know Sampson denied, and denied Delilah for some time, and would not discover where his strength lay: but not holding out; he lost his strength and his life to boot: beware of Apostasy. Crabs that go backward are reckoned amongst unclean creatures, Lev. 11.10. Factum non dicitur, quod non perseverat is a maxim, a Will not finished, is no Will: a Deed, unless it be signed, sealed, and delivered, is no Deed. The Sacrifice that was offered up unto God, was not to want so much as the tail, Lev. 3.6. True Christians hate sin so perfectly, that they cannot be quiet till it be utterly abolished. First, they go to God for Justification ne damnet: then for sanctification, ne regnet, then for glorification, ne sit. Let us be faithful as to this spiritual death, that we may receive a crown of life. Amen.
To close all, Go on and persevere in the subduing and killing of thy beloved Lust: Mortification is a worke once done, and yet in this life it is always a doing: There are some things that consist of an iteration of multiplyed acts; as in Wedlock, persons are actually married at once, the Husband surrenders himself unto the Wife, and the Wife surrenders her self unto her Husband, and yet if they live together, sutably to that neer relation; marriage is as it were renewed every day: there is a continuall surrender of themselves each to other: So 'tis here, when the soul is first converted, the beloved sin is mortified, and yet there is a continuall mortification of it: this is a duty that consists not in any one act, though never so good, never so vigorous: but 'tis a continued act of the whole life. 'Tis not killing sin at one blow; the strength of sin decays by degrees, it begins in the weakning of sin, and ends in the destroying of sin. Sin dies a lingring death, therefore let us go on in this great and necessary work. You know Sampson deny'd, and deny'd Dalilah for some time, and would not discover where his strength lay: but not holding out; he lost his strength and his life to boot: beware of Apostacy. Crabs that go backward are reckoned amongst unclean creatures, Lev. 11.10. Factum non dicitur, quod non perseverat is a maxime, a Will not finished, is no Will: a Deed, unlesse it be signed, sealed, and delivered, is no Deed. The Sacrifice that was offered up unto God, was not to want so much as the tayle, Lev. 3.6. True Christians hate sin so perfectly, that they cannot be quiet till it be utterly abolished. First, they go to God for Justification ne damnet: then for sanctification, ne regnet, then for glorification, ne sit. Let us be faithfull as to this spiritual death, that we may receive a crown of life. Amen.
