Heaven taken

He must offer violence | 1. To Himself. | 2. To the World. | 3. To Satan. | 4. To Heaven.

1. He must offer violence to Himself. This Self - Violence consists in two things: 1. Mortification of sin. 2. Provocation to duty.

1. Offering violence to ones self in a spiritual sense, consists in mortification ¹of sin: Self is the flesh, this we must oftener violence to. ^*Hierom, Chrysostom, Theophilact, do all expound taking Heaven by force, the mortifying the flesh: the flesh is a Bosom-Traitor, it is like the Trojan Horse within the Walls which doth all the mischief. The flesh is a sly Enemy; at first it is dulce venenum, afterwards scorpio pungens, it kills by embracing. The embraces of the flesh are like the Ivy embracing the Oak, which sucks out the strength of it for its own Leaves and Berries: So the flesh by its soft Embraces, sucks out all heart for Good, Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. The pampering of the flesh, is the quenching of Gods Spirit. The flesh chokes and stifles holy motions: the flesh sides with Satan, and is true to his Interest. There's a party within that will not pray, that will not believe. The flesh inclines us more to ⟨p. 18⟩believe a temptation than a promise. There needs no wind to blow to sin, when this tide within is so strong to carry us thither. The flesh being so near to us, its counsels are more attractive: no chain of Adamant binds so fast as the chain of lust. Alexander, who was Victor mundi, Conqueror of the world, was captivus vitiorum, led captive by vice. Now a man must offer violence to his fleshly desires, if he will be saved,