Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

(3) We speak Peace to our selves, when we do it slightly. This the Prophet complains of in some Teachers, Jer. 6.14. They have healed the wound of the Daughter of my people ⟨p. 158⟩slightly. And it is so with some persons, they make the healing of their wounds a slight work, a look, a glance of Faith to the Promises does it, and so the matter is ended. The Apostle tells us, that the Word did not profit some, because it was not mixed with Faith, Heb. 4.2. [Greek or Hebrew], it was not well tempered and mingled with Faith. It is not a mere look to the word of Mercy in the Promise, but it must be mingled with Faith until it is incorporated into the very Nature of it; and then indeed it doth good unto the Soul: If thou ha•• had a wound upon thy Conscience, which was attended with weakness and disquietness, which now thou art freed of, How camest thou so? I looked to the Promises of pardon and healing, and so found Peace: Yea but perhaps thou hast made too much haste, thou hast done it overly, thou hast not fed upon the Promise, so as to mix it with Faith, to have got all the virtue of it diffused into thy Soul; only thou hast done it slightly; thou wilt find thy wound ere it be long breaking out again, and thou shalt know that thou art not cured.

(3) We speak Peace to our selves, when we do it slightly. This the Prophet complains of in some Teachers, Jer. 6.14. They have healed the wound of the Daughter of my people ⟨p. 158⟩slightly. And it is so with some persons, they make the healing of their wounds a slight work, a look, a glance of Faith to the Promises does it, and so the matter is ended. The Apostle tells us, that the Word did not profit some, because it was not mixed with Faith, Heb. 4.2. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, it was not well tempered and mingled with Faith. It is not a mere look to the word of Mercy in the Promise, but it must be mingled with Faith untill it is incorporated into the very Nature of it; and then indeed it doth good unto the Soul: If thou ha had a wound upon thy Conscience, which was attended with weakness and disquietness, which now thou art freed of, How camet thou so? I looked to the Promises of pardon and healing, and so found Peace: Yea but perhaps thou hast made too much haste, thou hast done it overly, thou hast not fed upon the Promise, so as to mix it with Faith, to have got all the virtue of it diffused into thy Soul; onely thou hast done it slightly; thou wilt find thy wound ere it be long breaking out again, and thou shalt know that thou art not cured.