Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

2. Because those things that are appointed of God as Means, are not used by them in their due Place and Order: such as are Praying, Fasting, Watching, Meditation, and the like; these have their use in the business in hand. But whereas they are all to be looked on as streams, they look on them as the fountain. Whereas they effect and accomplish the End as Means only subordinate to the Spirit and Faith, they look on them to do it by virtue of the work wrought. If they fast so much, and pray so much, and keep their hours and times, the work is done: As the Apostle says of some in another case, they are always learning, never coming to the knowledge of the Truth; so they are always mortifying, but never come to any sound Mortification. In a a word, they have sundry Means to mortify the Natural man, as to the Natural life here we lead, none to mortify Lust or Corruption.

2. Because those things that are appointed of God as Means, are not used by them in their due Place and Order: such as are Praying, Fasting, Watching, Meditation, and the like; these have their use in the business in hand. But whereas they are all to be looked on as streams, they look on them as the fountain. Whereas they effect and accomplish the End as Means onely subordinate to the Spirit and Faith, they look on them to do it by virtue of the work wrought. If they fast so much, and pray so much, and keep their hours and times, the work is done: As the Apostle sayes of some in another case, they are alwayes learning, never coming to the knowledge of the Truth; so they are alwayes mortifying, but never come to any sound Mortification. In a a word, they have sundry Means to mortifie the Natural man, as to the Natural life here we lead, none to mortifie Lust or Corruption.

This is the general mistake of men ignorant of the Gospel, about this thing; and it lies at the bottom of very much of that Superstition and Will-worship that hath been brought into the world; what horrible self-macerations were practised by some of the ancient Authors of Monastical Devotion? what violence did they offer to Nature? what extremity of sufferings did they put themselves upon? search their ways and Principles to the bottom, and you will find, that it had no other root but this mistake, namely, that attempting rigid Mortification, they fell upon the natural man, instead of the corrupt old man; upon the body wherein we live, instead of the Body of Death.