The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

3. It tells you, that the great means, whereby the Spirit of Christ worketh the mortification of the flesh, and the Lusts thereof, is the Application of the Cross of Christ, and his Death, and Love therein, unto the soul; and says, that those vain endeavours, which some promote and encourage, for the mortification of sin, consisting for the most part, in slavish, bodily exercises, are to be bewailed with tears of blood, as abominations, that seduce poor souls from the Cross of Christ; For it says, this work is truly, and in an acceptable manner only performed, when we are planted into the likeness of the death of Christ, having our old man crucified with him, and the body of sin destroyed. Rom. 6. 5, 6. and thereupon by Faith reckoning our selves dead unto sin, but alive unto God. v. 11. It is done only by knowing the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, and being made conformable to his death. Phil. 3. 10. by the Cross of Christ is the world crucified unto us, and we unto the world. The Spirit brings home the power of the Cross of Christ to the soul, for the accomplishing of this work; and without it, it will not be done: Moreover it says, ⟨p. 237⟩that by the way of motive to this duty, there is nothing comes with that efficacy upon the soul, as the love of Christ in his death, as the Apostle assures us. 2 Cor. 5. 14. for the Love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him, which died for them, and rose again: now it was never laid to the charge of this Doctrine, that it took off from the virtue of the Death and Cross of Christ, but rather on the contrary, though falsely, that it ascribed too much thereunto; so that (these importune exceptions notwithstanding) the Doctrine in hand doth not only maintain its own innocency, as to any tendency unto looseness, but also manifestly declareth its own usefulness to all ends and purposes of Gospel Obedience whatsoever; For,

3. It tells you, that the great meanes, whereby the Spirit of Christ worketh the mortification of the flesh, and the Lusts thereof, is the Application of the Crosse of Christ, and his Death, and Love therein, unto the soule; and saies, that those vaine endeavours, which some promote and encourage, for the mortification of sinne, consisting for the most part, in slavish, bodily exercises, are to be bewayled with teares of bloud, as abominations, that seduce poore soules from the Crosse of Christ; For it saies, this work is truly, and in an acceptable manner only performed, when we are planted into the likenesse of the death of Christ, having our old man crucified with him, and the body of sinne destroyed.