Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

4. A sin is not Mortified, when it is only diverted. Simon Magus for a season left his Sorceries; but his Covetousness and Ambition that set him on work, remained still, and would have been acting another way: therefore Peter tells him, I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness; notwithstanding the Profession thou hast made, notwithstanding thy Relinquishment of thy Sorceries, thy lust is as powerful as ever in thee: the same lust, only the streams of it are diverted: it now exerts and puts forth it self another way, but it is the old gall of Bitterness still. A man may be sensible of a lust, set himself against the eruptions of it, take care that it shall not break forth, as it hath done; but in the mean time suffer the same corrupted habit to vent it self some other way. As he who heals and skins a running Sore, thinks himself cured, but in the mean time his Flesh festereth by the Corruption of the same humour, and breaks out in another place. And this diversion, with the Alterations that attend it, often befalls men, on Accounts wholly foreign unto Grace; change of the Course of Life that a man was in; of Relations, Interests, Designs, may effect it; yea the very Alterations in mens Constitutions, occasioned by a natural Progress in the Course of their Lives, may produce such Changes as these; men in Age do not usually ⟨p. 48⟩persist in the pursuit of youthful lusts, although they have never mortified any one of them. And the same is the Case of bartering of Lusts; and leaving to serve one, that a man may serve another. He that changes pride for worldliness, sensuality for Pharisaism, vanity in Himself to the contempt of Others; let him not think that he hath Mortified the sin that he s•ems to have left. He hath changed his Master, but is a Servant still.

4. A sin is not Mortified, when it is onely diverted. Simon Magus for a season left his Sorceries; but his Covetousness and Ambition that set him on work, remained still, and would have been acting another way: therefore Peter tells him, I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness; notwithstanding the Profession thou hast made, notwithstanding thy Relinquishment of thy Sorceries, thy lust is as powerfull as ever in thee: the same lust, onely the streams of it are diverted: it now exerts and puts forth it self another way, but it is the old ga•l of Bitterness still. A man may be sensible of a lust, set himself againt the eruptions of it, take care that it shall not break forth, as it hath done; but in the mean time suffer the same corrupted habit to vent it self some other way. As he who heals and skins a running Sore, thinks himself cured, but in the mean time his Flesh festereth by the Corruption of the same humour, and breaks out in another place. And this diversion, with the Alterations that attend it, often befalls men, on Accounts wholly foreign unto Grace; change of the Course of Life that a man was in; of Relations, Interests, Designs, may effect it; yea the very Alterations in mens Constitutions, occasioned by a natural Progress in the Course of their Lives, may produce such Changes as these; men in Age do not usually