The doctrine and practice of mortification wherein is discovered the matter, manner, and means thereof, together with the blessed event that comes by it : necesary for every Christian to know and practice, that will live comfortably, and die peaceably / by Thomas Wolfall ...

CAP. XIX. The manner how the spirit doth mortifie corruption.

COme wee now to the manner how the spirit doth mortifie corruption.

1 The spirit sheweth the way how wee should mortifie the corruptions,* 1.1 thou shalt heare a voyce behind thee, saying, this is the way walke in it. When ye turne to the left hand, or to the right, it

carries us through, were it not for this assistance wee should either stand still, goe no further, or else turne aside, either on the right hand to superstition;* 1.2 to walke in the light of our owne sparkes, and in the fire that wee have kindled: or on the left hand, to profanesse, and to hardnesse of heart, & to commit iniqui∣ty with unsatiable greedi∣nesse, therefore that prayer of Moses should be ours,* 1.3 O Lord, if I have found grace in thy sight shew me thy way now a man is thē in Gods way, when hee goeth about his worke with carefulnesse,* 1.4 when a man devotes himself to his worke, and takes pleasure in it, as it was said of the Kings daugh∣ter, that shee should forget her owne people, and her fathers house (which is a hard busi∣nesse) and this was to be done chearfully and freely, so when

we do leave our dearest lusts,* 1.5 and cast off the yoke, sathan,* 1.6 who is a father to the chil∣dren of Belial, and a Prince that raigneth over their con∣sciences, we must do it cheer∣fully, as it is in the sweet song of Deborah,* 1.7 who praised the Lord for the avenging of Isra∣el, when the people willing∣ly offered themselves. It is certaine that wee have then cause to blesse the Lord,* 1.8 when that God makes our heart willing to serve the Lord. It was a rule in the Law, that if any man had builded a new house, or planted a Vineyard, or married a wife, that hee should not goe to warre that yeare: the reason was, be∣cause that hee could not do it willingly, out of that love and affection he had unto his pre∣sent expectation of gaine, and comfort, lest that which hee had left at home might make

him lesse willing to adven∣ture his life, or at least to turne backe before the bat∣tell was ended: so any man that goeth to warre against his corruptions, let him know this, that if there be any thing in the world, that his heart stands affected unto, which maketh him unwilling unto this service, be sure of this, hee is not fit to be a soul∣dier against so potent an ene∣my: no man that warreth en∣tangleth himselfe with the af∣faires of this life,* 1.9 then hee may please him who hath cho∣sen him to be a souldier: as if hee should say, if you be cum∣bred, and entangled with the world, you cannot serve God willingly, and by consequent not please him.

2 The spirit doth assist us in this way, that wee doe the worke strongly, when the iron is hard, men put to the more

strength: this worke is hard, and difficult, therefore you must be strong that you may goe through. Therefore is the prayer of the Apostle for the Collossians,* 1.10 that they might be strengthened, with all might, unto all patience and long sufferings. As it was said of Sampson, when he came to the vineyards of Timnath,* 1.11 that a young lyon roared against him, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent the lyon as a man should rend a kid: so it is with us, we have the old Lyon the de∣vill that seekes to devoure us, and were it not that the spirit of Christ should strengthen us with all might, and enable us to overcome him,* 1.12 wee could not stand before him, as the Philistins encouraged one an∣other, saying, Quit your selves like men, that you may not be servants to the Hebrewes.

So say I to you, be strong in the Lord, and quit your selves, like so many souldiers of the Lords Hosts, that you may not serve sinne, but fight out your Gods fight, that you may be more than Conquer∣ers, and against your spirituall enemies.

3 The spirit of Christ takes away those impecliments that would hinder this worke, and disableth us from the perfor∣mance of it.

1 One great impediment that hindreth this worke, it is ignorance: when men doe not know those things that concerne their peace,* 1.13 for there is no true peace, but where there is and hath beene this warre, Many a man is like to some simple Country-man, if some great and potent man lay claime to some part of his land, though his cause be ne∣ver so just, yet he will rather

lose his right, than goe to Law for it: so is it with many, that they will rather lose their soule, than contend a∣gainst their corruptions, they out of their ignorance thinke them too potent, and too strong for them; but now when the spirit commeth, it shews that he is greater, that is with us, than he that is in the world, and that they are cur∣sed that goe not out, to helpe the Lord against the mighty:* 1.14 he doth comfort that as hee did Ioshua,* 1.15 that none of his ene∣mies should stand before him; nor be able to prevaile against him: hee will be with us while wee are with him, nay the spirit encourageth our hearts against this enemy,* 1.16 as Caleb and Ioshuah did the Is∣raelites,* 1.17 saying, feare none of your spirituall enemies, for their defence is departed frō them: and God is not with them,

and doubt not, but though thou canst not finally consume them, yet thou shalt make a happy conquest against them.

2 Another impediment is, hardnesse of heart, it is called an obstinate heart,* 1.18 because it doth refuse mercy:* 1.19 a fat heart, because it makes men insen∣sible of their condition:* 1.20 a heart as hard as the adamant stone, because it maketh men hate to be reformed. Now when the spirit commeth it softeneth this hardnesse, and takes away this resistancie,* 1.21 and gives us hearts that are of a melting temper; and maketh the songs of the Temple to be sorrow∣full,* 1.22 and men to be affected with griefe as the sorrow of a travelling woman:* 1.23 the sorrow of a woman in travell, as it is most grievous, so it is most comfortable in regard of the issue and event. The mother forgetteth her sorrow, because

that a manchild is borne, so this breach that is made into the rockes of our hearts, though it be grievous unto us, yet is it profitable in the issue, for as much as this seed time of teares is seconded, with an harvest of joy, wee want not examples to make good this point? What an obstinate heart had Manasses, till the spirit of God brake it? What a hard heart had Paul, till hee was smitten by the spirit of Christ? how was this Lyon then changed into a Lambe! This is set forth by the Bap∣tist, Every valley shall be filled, every mountaine and hill shall be brought low,* 1.24 and the crocked shall be made straight, and the rough wayes shall he made smooth: what is this, but eve∣ry man that is low in his owne eyes, shall be raised by the spirit, and every one that is high and lofty shall be hum∣bled;

and such as walke in the crooked path of errour, shall be reduced and walke in the straight pathes of truth in sincerity: and such as have beene tough and obstinate shall be made plaine and pas∣sable by the spirit.

3 The next impediment that hindreth a man from mor∣tification, is selfe-love, I doe not meane that love which is naturall, but that which is sin∣full, for no man ever hated his owne flesh: but this is the pro∣perty of sinfull selfe-love; when a man shall love his bo∣dy above his soule, and him∣selfe more than his God, and shall be at more cost, and take more paines for the enjoy∣ment of a base lust, than to enjoy Christ: now when the spirit comes, it makes us to renounce all,* 1.25 and to follow Christ. To suffer the losse of our goods, and of our hopes,

as it was said of Bradford that for that he would not make one scratch with a pen,* 1.26 he lost all his hopes that hee might have had in this world; and so did Moses refuse to be cal∣led sonne of Pharaohs daugh∣ter, and to renounce the plea∣sures of the Court, and the treasures of Egypt; that hee might not lose the peace of his conscience, nor dishonour his God; nay it doth so make us our of love with our selves, that neither father, nor mo∣ther, nor wife, nor children, nor our owne lives shall be deare unto us, provided wee may but finish our course with joy.

3. I come now to the third thing wherein I shall be briese; namely, the ends why the spirit may be said to assist us in this worke, and there are two reasons of it.

1. For to shew mans im∣potencie

that we are not able to doe it of our selves, a na∣turall agent cannot doe a spi∣rituall worke; who can bring a clean thing out of an uncleane? Not one. Who knoweth not that we are polluted and defi∣led with sinne, and have disa∣bled our selves of strength and ability to doe it?

Thence is that of the Pro∣phet,* 1.27 I know that the way of man is not in himselfe; it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps: that is, we are too weake for any such worke without Gods grace assisting of us, and therefore we have good cause to bewaile our misery, to lay aside our pride, and confesse our poverty, and to seeke some other meanes of helpe and redresse at Gods hand.

2. To set out Gods power, this is his priviledge that hee onely is able to do this work;

there are three wayes where∣by things came to have their being & existencie; by Gene∣ration, Art, or Creation, the two former must have matter to worke upon, either in po∣tentia, as generation, or in actu, as Art, and where there is not a matter to worke upon they can doe nothing, now for as much as this worke of rege∣neration,* 1.28 & the new creature is called a creation, it is beyond the worke of a creature, and onely a priviledge that doth belong to the holy Spi∣rit to create in us qualities of holinesse, and thereby to abo∣lish the whole body of sinne, thence it is that the Lord saith, I create the fruit of the lips to be peace,* 1.29 and the Prophet complaining in another place to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed, it is that migh∣ty, and potent arme of the Lord that doth this worke;

it is by his power, and there∣fore he must have the honour of it. As Joab when he was in hope to take Rabbah, hee sent messengers to David that he should come and take it,* 1.30 because the honor that would have been given him was too great for him, how much more should we, seeing out hope is in the Lord, and our successe chiefely by his power give all the honour to him?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esa 30.21.
• * 1.2

  Esa 50.
• * 1.3

  Exo. 33.13.
• * 1.4

  Prov. 45.10. & 15.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. 8.44.
• * 1.6

  Eph, 2.1.
• * 1.7

  Iudg. 5.2.
• * 1.8

  Deut. 20.5, 6.
• * 1.9

  2 Tim. 2.4.
• * 1.10

  Col. 1.19.
• * 1.11

  Iudg. 14.5, 6.
• * 1.12

  1 Sam. 4.9.
• * 1.13

  Luk. 19.41.
• * 1.14

  Iudg. 5.23.
• * 1.15

  Iosh. 1.5.
• * 1.16

  2 Cor. 15.2.
• * 1.17

  Num, 14.9.
• * 1.18

  Deut. 2.30.
• * 1.19

  Esa 6.10.
• * 1.20

  Zach. 7.12
• * 1.21

  Ez. 36.26,
• * 1.22

  Amos 8.3.
• * 1.23

  Hos. 13.13.
• * 1.24

  Luk. 3.5.
• * 1.25

  Heb. 10.34.
• * 1.26

  Heb. 11.24.25.26.
• * 1.27

  Jer. 10.23.
• * 1.28

  Eph. 4.24.
• * 1.29

  Isa. 57.19
• * 1.30

  2 Sam. 12.26.