Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

First, Consider what dangerous symptoms thy Lust hath attending or accompanying it. Whether it hath any deadly Mark on it or no: If it hath, extraordinary Remedies are to ⟨p. 86⟩be used; an ordinary course of Mortification will not do it.

You will say, what are these dangerous Marks and symptoms, the desperate Attendances of an indwelling Lust that you intend? Some of them I shall name.

(1) Inveterateness; if it hath lien long corrupting in thy Heart, if thou hast suffered it to abide in Power and prevalency, without attempting vigorously the killing of it, and the healing of the wounds thou hast received by it, for some long season, thy Distemper is dangerous. Hast thou permitted Worldliness, Ambition, Greediness of Study, to eat up other Duties; the Duties wherein thou oughtest to hold constant Communion with God, for some long season? Or Uncleanness to defile thy Heart, with vain, and foolish, and wicked Imaginations, for many days? Thy Lust hath a dangerous symptom. So was the Case with David, Psal. 38.5. My wounds stink and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. When a Lust hath lain long in the Heart, corrupting, festering, cankering, it brings the Soul to a woeful Condition. In such a case an ordinary course of humiliation will not do the work: Whatever it be, it will by this Means insinuate it self more or less into all the Faculties of the Soul, and habituate the Affections to its Company and society; it grows ⟨p. 87⟩familiar to the Mind and Conscience, that they do not startle at it as a strange thing, but are bold with it as that which they are wonted unto; yea it will get such advantage by this Means, as often-times to exert and put forth it self, without having any notice taken of it at all; as it seems to have been with Joseph in his swearing by the Life of Pharaoh. Unless some extraordinary Course be taken, such a person hath no ground in the world to expect that his latter End shall be Peace.