A treatise of the divine promises in five bookes : in the first, a generall description of their nature, kinds, excellency, right use, properties, and the persons to whom they belong : in the foure last, a declaration of the covenant it selfe .../ by Edvvard Legh ...

3. Mortification or killing of sinne. Promises. 1. Of Mortification.

A Child of GOD shall be able to mortifie his corrupti∣ons, and overcome his speciall sinnes which most prevaile over him.

For sinne shall not have domi∣nion over you, Rom. 6 14. that is, shall never any more reigne as in times past it did, and so have the full victory over you. For yee are not under the Law, but under grace, that is, Yee are not still under the condemnation and ty∣ranny of the Law; but by true receiving of CHRIST by faith are now delivered from that bondage, and so brought into the liberty of GODS children. See ver. 18, 22. and Rom. 7.24, 25. He will subdue our iniquities, Micah 7.19. Hee will tread them under our feete, as it were.

This grace of Mortification is expressely promised, Gal. 5.16. Walke in the spirit, and yee shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, Tit. 2.11, 14.

The members of CHRIST shall be cleansed from the guil∣tinesse of sinne, it shall not be imputed; and from the filthinesse of sinne, it shall not prevaile over them, 1 Iohn 17.9. Mat. 1.21. Iohn 1.29. Rev. 1.5. Acts 3.26. Psal. 103.3. The Prophets foretold in their time, That GOD would purge and cleanse his Church.* 1.1 Esay 1.25. That GOD will purely purge their drosse, and take away all their tinne: that is, their sinnes. I will cleanse you or wash you, that is, with the imputati∣on or sprinkling of the blood of CHRIST from all your Idols, that is, from all the sinnes that you have commit∣ted.

* 1.2When wee feele our hearts discouraged by the little strength we finde to master our speciall corruptions, then we may ap∣ply to our selves any of these promises, wherein the LORD himselfe doth undertake this

worke which is too hard for us:* 1.3 That he will subdue our ini∣quities, cleanse us from all unrigh∣teousnesse. Though a strong and importunate lust hang upon us, an hereditary disease, a lust that is naturall to us, which we think wee shall never be able to con∣quer, yet GOD hath promi∣sed to breake the dominion of every sinne; That hee will cruci∣fie the flesh with the affections thereof. Hee can heale the stron∣gest lusts, CHRIST could cure those that were borne blinde and lame; therefore when we grap∣ple with a strong lust we should goe to the LORD, and pleade the Covenant, and say to him, LORD I feele this temptation is too strong for mee, such a lust I cannot overcome, thou hast said, Thou wilt circumcise my heart, that thou wilt dissolve these lusts, I beseech thee to doe it. If we truly hate and detest sinne, (though it doe sometimes stirre in us) we should not be discou∣raged;

for our Sanctification here is but in fieri, it is but in doing yet,* 1.4 Rev. 6.2. CHRIST rides about conquering, and will yet goe on to conquer sinne in us. He will not subdue our cor∣rupt lusts unto us at once, but as he did the Cananites to his people Israel, by little and little, Exod. 23.30. Deut. 7.22.

That promise which GOD made to Paul in the stirrings and conflicts of his concupiscence is made unto all of his temper,* 1.5 my grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12.9. There are two things in that promise; grace to make it, and sufficiency to fulfill it.

The LORD doth sometimes descend to particulars, as that, Hee will cleanse them from their Idols, and that hee will take away the stony heart out of them. But wee may apply the former ge∣nerall promises to our particu∣lar occasions, and they will be as comfortable, as if the LORD

had said in particular, hee will kill our pride, our unbeleefe, our hypocrisie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay 4 3, 4. & 27 9
• * 1.2

  Esay 11.6.
• * 1.3

  Nothing cleaves more perti∣naciously, or is more inexpugna∣ble then a strong lust. As God of ten promi∣sed his peo∣ple going to conquer the land of Ca∣naan, that no enemy should be able to stand against them, Deut 7 24 & 11.2•••• Iosh. 1.5. & ••0 8 so he hath as certainely promised to the Elect victory over their ene∣mies.
• * 1.4

  We should doe there∣fore as Ie∣hosaphat did, 2 Chro. 20.11.
• * 1.5

  God hath promised to give grace s••fficient to them that aske it. Ezek. 36.25, 26.