Lastly, Faith mortifies Sin in a way of dependence upon the Power and Spirit of God in and through Jesus Christ. In the Covenant of Works, in which there was no Mediator, Man stood on his own bottom, and had all his stock in his own hands: But in the Covenant of Grace the Believer stands in the Power of God; and though he have a little Grace in himself, the main stock is above in a surer hand; his life is hid with Christ in God; there's the great treasure out of which Faith fetches supplies of the Spirit for every good work; hence in Scripture he is said, To love, live, pray, ⟨p. 279⟩walk, mortify in the spirit: If ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live, Rom. 8.13. He saith, through the Spirit, because there is no other way of mortifying Sin; he that goes about this work in his own Power is but in a dream, he knows nothing of the life of Faith; as appears by that Antithesis which the Prophet makes between the Soul lifted up, and the life of Faith, Hab. 2.4. Such an one holds not the head Jesus Christ, no more than the worshippers of Angels spoken of, Col. 2.18, 19. Whatever he may do theoretically, he doth it not practically; whilst his fleshly mind presumes, that he can move about such a work, though the Head in Heaven stir not, his Mortification must needs be weak and powerless; because without Christ the wisdom and power of God, he goes out against his lusts, as Samson did against the Philistines, with his hair off; or, as the Israelites did against the Canaanites when the Lord was not among them, Numb. 14.32, instead of success he meets with that curse and blast, which lights upon all Christless persons and actions: The most charitable Prayer that can be made for him is that of the Psalmist, Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord, Psal. 83.16. St. Austin long struggled in his own strength against his Corruptions, and all in vain; at last a voice told him, In te stas & non stas: Thou fallest, O Austin, by standing in thy self. True Faith goes about this work in the Power and Spirit of Christ; as under the Old Testament, when ⟨p. 280⟩Faith subdued outward Kingdoms, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 11.33, it was by the Spirit; the Spirit clothed upon Gideon, and he smote a mighty Host of Midianites. The Spirit came upon Samson, and he slew heaps upon heaps of the Philistines.
Lastly, Faith mortifies Sin in a way of dependence upon the Power and Spirit of God in and through Jesus Christ. In the Covenant of Works, in which there was no Mediator, Man stood on his own bottom, and had all his stock in his own hands: But in the Covenant of Grace the Believer stands in the Power of God; and though he have a little Grace in himself, the main stock is above in a surer hand; his life is hid with Christ in God; there's the great treasure out of which Faith fetches supplies of the Spirit for every good work; hence in Scripture he is said, To love, live, pray, ⟨p. 279⟩walk, mortifie in the spirit: If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live, Rom. 8.13. He saith, through the Spirit, because there is no other way of mortifying Sin; he that goes about this work in his own Power is but in a dream, he knows nothing of the life of Faith; as appears by that Antithesis which the Prophet makes between the Soul lifted up, and the life of Faith, Hab. 2.4. Such an one holds not the head Jesus Christ, no more than the worshippers of Angels spoken of, Col. 2.18, 19. Whatever he may do theoretically, he doth it not practically; whilest his fleshly mind presumes, that he can move about such a work, though the Head in Heaven stir not, his Mortification must needs be weak and powerless; because without Christ the wisdom and power of God, he goes out against his lusts, as Samson did against the Philistines, with his hair off; or, as the Israelites did against the Canaanites when the Lord was not among them, Numb. 14.32, instead of success he meets with that curse and blast, which lights upon all Christlless persons and actions: The most charitable Prayer that can be made for him is that of the Psalmist, Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord, Psal. 83.16. St. Austin long struggled in his own strength against his Corruptions, and all in vain; at last a voice told him, In te stas & non stas: Thou fallest, O Austin, by standing in thy self. True Faith goes about this work in the Power and Spirit of Christ; as under the Old Testament, when ⟨p. 280⟩Faith subdued outward Kingdoms, as the Apostle speaks,
