Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Thirdly, Faith mortifies Sin by watching against all the occasions and inducements thereof. The Jews were not to name the Idol-gods; the Nazarite was to abstain from the very husk of the grape. Valentinian could not bear a little drop of Julians holy-water, accidentally sprinkled on his garment without detestation. The Children of Samosatane would not play with their Ball after the Ass of the Heretical Bishop Lucius had trod on it, but burnt it in the Market-place as unclean. Faith is nice and curious, it will not go in with such a dissembler, nor come nigh the door of such an Harlot as Sin is; knowing that the Soul may soon be cheated and adulterated thereby. Apprehensions of danger make men watch; and to Faith there is no danger like that of Sin: If the good man of the house had known when the thief would come, he would have watched, saith our Saviour, Mat. 24.43. Faith knows Sin to be a thief, and a murderer to the Soul; and therefore sets guards within and without, that it may not creep in by the ports of Sense, nor rise up out of the deep of the Heart. Within there is a watch over the Thoughts, and without over the sensible Objects. And if a snare appear, Faith cries out, as the suffering Martyr did, when a Box with a Pardon in it was set before him, Away with it, as you love my Soul. During this watch Sin pines and famishes away as in a Spiritual siege; the common ⟨p. 277⟩commerce between the Thoughts and the Objects fails, and with it those provisions which use to be made for the flesh. Hence our Saviour would have his Disciples, To watch and pray that they might not enter into temptation: Temptations will offer themselves, but the watching Believer will not enter into them by a consent.

Fourthly, Faith mortifies Sin by those actings of Grace which it puts forth in the Believer. As Sin the more it is acted makes the fuller blot on the Soul; so Grace, the more it is acted leaves the purer tincture there: You have purified your Souls in obeying the truth, saith St. Peter, 1 Epist. 1.22. Every act of Grace or Obedience doth in its measure purify from Sin. The righteous holds on his way, and so grows stronger and stronger,