2. As God creates it for whom He pleases, so it is the prerogative of Christ to speak it home to the conscience. Speaking to the church of Laodicea, who had healed her wounds falsely, and spoke peace to herself when she ought not, he takes to himself that title, I am the All-Man, the Faithful Witness, Revelation 3.14. He bears testimony concerning our condition, as it is indeed. We may possibly mistake and trouble ourselves in vain, or flatter ourselves upon false grounds, but He is the All-Man, the Faithful Witness, and what He speaks of our state and condition, that it is indeed. He is said not to judge after the sight of His eyes, not according to any outward appearance or anything that may be subject to a mistake, as we are apt to do, But he shall judge and determine every cause, as it is indeed. Take these two previous observations, and I shall give some rules whereby men may know whether God speaks peace to them, or whether they speak peace to themselves only. Number one, men certainly speak peace to themselves when their so doing is not attended with the greatest detestation imaginable, of that sin and reference whereunto they do speak peace to themselves, an abhorrency of themselves for it. When men are wounded by sin, disquieted and perplexed, and knowing that there is no remedy for them but only in the mercies of God through the blood of Christ, do therefore look to Him and to the promise of the covenant in Him, And thereupon quiet their hearts, that it shall be well with them, and that God will be exalted, that He may be gracious to them. And yet their souls are not wrought to the greatest detestation of the sin or sins upon the account whereof they are disquieted. This is to heal themselves, and not to be healed of God. This is but a great and strong wind that the Lord is not unto, but the Lord is not in the wind. When men do truly look upon Christ, whom they have pierced, without which there is no healing or peace, they will mourn." Zechariah 12, 10. They will mourn for Him even upon this account and detest the sin that pierced Him. When we go to Christ for healing, faith eyes Him peculiarly as one pierced. Faith takes several views of Christ according to the occasions of address to Him and communion with Him that it hath. Sometimes it views His holiness, sometimes His power, sometimes His love, sometimes His favor with His Father. And when it goes for healing and peace, it looks especially on the blood of the covenant, on His sufferings. For with His stripes we are healed, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. Isaiah 53.5 When we look for healing, His stripes are to be eyed, not in the outward story of them, which is a course of popish devotionness, but in the love, kindness, mystery, and design of the cross. And when we look for peace, His chastisement must be in our eye. Now this I say, if it be done according to the mind of God, and in the strength of that Spirit which is poured out on believers, it will beget a detestation of that sinner's sense for which healing and peace is sought. Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youths, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. And what then? Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed. When God comes home to speak peace and assure covenant of it, it fills the soul with shame for all the ways whereby it hath been alienated from Him. And one of the things that the Apostle mentions as attending that godly sorrow which is accompanied with repentance unto salvation, never to be repented of, is REVENGE! Yay! What? Revenge! 2 Corinthians 7, 11. They reflected on their miscarriages with indignation and revenge for their folly in them. When Job comes up to a thorough healing, he cries, Now I abhor myself. And until he did so, he had no abiding peace. He might perhaps have made up himself with that doctrine of free grace which was so excellently preached by Elihu, chapter 33, from verse 14 unto 30, but he hath then but skinned his wounds. He must come to self-abhorrency if he come to healing. So it was with those in Psalm 78, 33 to 35, in their great trouble and perplexity for upon the account of sin. I doubt not but upon the address they made to God in Christ, for that so they did is evident from the titles they give him, they call him their Rock and their Redeemer, two words everywhere pointing out the Lord Christ. They spake peace to themselves, but was it sound in abiding? No, it passed away as the early dew. God speaks not one word of peace to their souls. But why have they not peace? Why? Because in their address to God they flattered him. But how does that appear? Verse 37, Their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast. They had not a detestation nor relinquishment of that sin in reference whereunto they speak peace to themselves. Let a man make what application he will for healing and peace. Let him do it to the true physician. Let him do it the right way. Let him quiet his heart in the promises of the covenant. Yet when peace is spoken, if it be not attended with the detestation and abhorrency of that sin which was the wound and caused the disquietment, this is no peace of God's creating, but of our own purchasing. It is but a skinning over the wound whilst the core lies at the bottom. which will putrefy and corrupt and corrode until it break out again with noisomeness, vexation, and danger. Let not poor souls that walk in such a path as this, who are more sensible of the trouble of sin than of the pollution of uncleanness that attends it, who address themselves for mercy, yea, to the Lord in Christ, they address themselves for mercy, but yet will keep the sweet morsel of their sin under their tongue. Let them, I say, never think to have true and solid peace. For instance, thou findest thy heart running out after the world, and it disturbs thee and thy communion with God, the Spirit speaks expressly to thee. He that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him. This puts thee on dealing with God and Christ for the healing of thy soul, the quieting of thy conscience, but yet with all A thorough detestation of the evil itself abides not upon thee, yea, perhaps that it is light well enough, but only in respect of the consequences of it. Perhaps thou mayest be saved, yet as through fire, and God will have some work with thee before he hath done, but thou wilt have little peace in this life, thou wilt be sick and fainting all thy days. This is a deceit that lies at the root of the peace of many professors, and wastes it. They deal with all their strengths about mercy and pardon, and seem to have great communion with God in their so doing. They lie before Him, bewail their sins and follies, that anyone would think, yea, they think themselves, that surely they and their sins are now parted, and so receive in mercy that satisfies their hearts for a little season. But when a thorough search comes to be made, there has been some secret reserve for the folly or follies treated about. At least there has not been that thorough abhorrency of it which is necessary, and their whole peace is quickly discovered to be weak and rotten, scarce abiding any longer than the words of Baganet are in their mouths. 2. When men measure out peace to themselves upon the conclusions that their convictions and rational principles will carry them out unto, This is false peace and will not abide. I shall little explain what I mean hereby. A man has got a wound by sin. He has a conviction of some sin upon his conscience. He has not walked uprightly, as becometh the gospel. All is not well and right between God and his soul. He considers now what is to be done. Light he hath, and knows what path he must take, and how his soul hath been formerly healed. Considering that the promises of God are the outward means of application for the healing of his sores and quieting of his heart, He goes to them, searches them out, finds out some one or more of them whose literal expressions are directly suited to his condition. Says he to himself, God speaks in this promise. Here I will take myself a plaster as long and broad as my wound. And so brings the word of the promise to his condition and sets him down in peace. There is another appearance upon the mount. The Lord is near, but the Lord is not in it. It hath not been the work of the Spirit, who alone can convince us of sin, and righteousness, and judgment, but the mere actings of the intelligent, rational soul. And there are three sorts of lives, we say, the vegetative, the sensitive, and the rational or intelligent. Some things have only the vegetative, some the sensitive also, and that includes the former. Some have the rational, which takes in and supposes both the other. Now he that hath a rational does not only act suitably to that principle, but also to both the others. He grows and is sensible. It is so with men in the things of God. Some are mere natural and rational men, some have a superadded conviction with illumination, and some are truly regenerate. Now he that hath the latter has also both the former, and therefore he acts sometimes upon the principles of the rational, sometimes upon the principles of the enlightened man. His true spiritual life is not the principle of all his motions. He acts not always in the strength thereof. Neither are all his fruits from that root. In this case that I speak of, he acts merely upon the principles of conviction and illumination, whereby his first naturals are heightened. But the Spirit breathes not at all upon all these watchers. Take an instance. Suppose the wound and disquiet of the soul to be upon the account of relapses. Which whatever the evil or folly be, Though for the measure of it never so small, Yet there are no wounds deeper than those that are given the soul on that account, Nor disquietments greater. In a perturbation of his mind he finds out that promise, The Lord will have mercy and our God will abundantly pardon. He will multiply our ad to pardon, He will do it again and again, Or that in Hosea 14.4, I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, This the man considers, and thereupon concludes, peace to himself, whether the Spirit of God make the application or no, whether that gives life and power to the letter or no, that he regards not. He doth not hearken whether God the Lord speak peace. He doth not wait upon God, who perhaps yet hides his face, and sees the poor creature stealing peace and running away with it. knowing that the time will come when he will deal with him again and call him to a new reckoning, when he shall see that it is in vain to go one step where God doth not take him by the hand. I see here indeed sundry other questions upon this arising and interposing themselves. I cannot apply myself to them all. One shall I a little speak to. It may be said then, seeing that this seems to be the path that the Holy Spirit leads us in for the healing of our wounds and quieting of our hearts, How shall we know when we go alone ourselves and when the Spirit also does accompany us? Answer. If any of you are out of the way upon this account, God will speedily let you know it. For besides that you have His promise, that the meek He will guide in judgment and teach them His way, He will not let you always err. He will, I say, not suffer your nakedness to be covered with fig leaves, But take them away, and all the peace you have in them, and you will not suffer you to settle on such leaves. You shall quickly know your wound is not healed, that is, you shall speedily know whether or not it be thus with you by the event. The peace you thus get and obtain will not abide. Whilst the mind is overpowered by its own convictions, there is no hold for disquietments to fix upon. Stay a little, and all these reasonings will grow cold and vanish before the face of the first temptation that arises. But, number two, this course is commonly taken without waking, which is a grace, and that peculiar acting of faith which God calls for to be exercised in such a condition. I know God does sometimes come in upon the soul instantly in a moment, as it were, wounding and healing it. As I am persuaded it was in the case of David when he cut off the lap of Saul's garment, but ordinarily in such a case God calls for waiting and laboring, attending as the eye of a servant upon his master. Says the prophet Isaiah chapter 8 verse 17, I will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob. God will have his children lie a while at his door when they have run from his house, and not instantly rush in upon him, unless he take them by the hand and pluck them in, when they are so ashamed that they dare not come to him. Now self-healers, or men that speak peace to themselves, do commonly make haste. They will not tarry, they do not hearken what God speaks, but on they will go to be healed. Such a course, though it may quiet the conscience and the mind, the rational concluding part of the soul, yet it does not sweeten the heart with rest and gracious contentation. The answer it receives is much like Elisha gave Naaman, go in peace. It quieted his mind, but I much question whether it sweetened his heart, or gave him any joy in believing, other than the natural joy that was then stirred in him upon his healing. Do not my words do good, saith the Lord, Micah 2 verse 7. When God speaks, there is not only truth in His words that may answer the conviction of our understandings, but also they do good. They bring that which is sweet and good and desirable to the will and affections. By them the soul returns unto its rest. Which is worst of all, it amends not the life, it heals not the evil, it cures not the distemper. When God speaks peace, it guides and keeps a soul that it turn not again to folly. When we speak it ourselves, the heart is not taken off the evil. Nay, it is the readiest course in the world to bring a soul into a trade of backsliding. If upon thy plastering thyself, thou findest thyself rather animated to the battle again than utterly weaned from it, it is too palpable that thou hast been at work with thine own soul, but Jesus Christ and His Spirit were not there. Yea, and oftentimes nature, having done its work, will, er a few days are over, come for its reward, and having been active in the work of healing, will be ready to reason for a new wounding. In God's speaking peace there comes along so much sweetness in such a discovery of His love, as is a strong obligation on the soul no more to deal perversely. Number three, we speak peace to ourselves when we do it slightly. This the prophet complains of in some teachers, Jeremiah 5, 14. They have healed the wound of the daughter of my people slightly. And it is so with some persons. They make the healing of their wounds a slight work, a look, a glance of faith to the promised of it. And so the matter is ended. The Apostle tells us that the Word did not profit some because it was not mixed with faith. Hebrews 4 verse 2, It was not well tempered and mingled with faith. It is not a mere look to the Word of mercy and the promise, but it must be mingled with faith until it is incorporated into the very nature of it. And then indeed it doth good unto the soul. If thou hast had a wound upon thy conscience, which was attended with weakness and disquietness, which now thou art freed of, how camest thou so? I looked to the promise of pardon and healing, and so found peace. Yea? But perhaps thou hast made too much haste, thou hast done it overtly, thou hast not fed upon the promise so as to mix it with faith, to have got all the virtue of it diffused into thy soul, only thou hast done it slightly. Thou wilt find thy wound, or it be long, breaking out again, and thou shalt know that thou art not cured. 4. Whoever speaks peace to himself upon any one account, and at the same time hath another evil of no less importance lying upon his spirit, about which he hath had no dealing with God, that man cries peace when there is none. A little to explain my meaning. A man hath neglected a duty again and again, perhaps when in all righteousness it was due from him. His conscience is perplexed his soul wounded, he hath no quiet in his bones by reason of his sin, he applies himself for healing and finds peace. Yet in the meantime, perhaps, worldliness or pride or some other folly, wherewith the Spirit of God is exceedingly grieved, may lie in the bosom of that man, as they neither disturb him nor he them. Let not that man think that he hath any peace from his God. Then shall it be well with men when they have an equal respect to all God's commandments. God will justify us from our sins, but He will not justify the least sin in us. He is a God of pure eyes, and to behold iniquity. Number five. When men of themselves speak peace to their consciences, it is seldom that God speaks humiliation to their souls. God's peace is humbling peace, melting peace, as it was in the case of David. Never such deep humiliation as when Nathan brought him the tidings of his pardon. But you will say, when may we take the comfort of a promise as our own in relation to some peculiar wound for the quieting of the heart? First, in general, when God speaks it, be it when it will, sooner or later. I told you before, He may do it in the very instant of the sin itself, and that with such irresistible power that the soul must need receive His mind in it. Sometimes He will make us wait longer, but when He speaks, be it sooner or later, be it when we are sinning or repenting, be the condition of our souls what they please, if God speak, He must be received. There is not anything that, in our communion with Him, the Lord is more troubled with us for, if I may so say, than our unbelieving fears that keep us off from receiving that strong consolation which He is so willing to give to us. But you will say, we are where we were. When God speaks it, we must receive it. That is true, but how shall we know when He speaks, one, I would we could all practically come up to this, to receive peace when we are convinced that God speaks it, and that it is our duty to receive it. But, too, there is, if I may so say, a secret instinct in faith whereby it knows the voice of Christ when he speaks indeed. As the babe leaped in the womb when the Blessed Virgin came to Elizabeth, faith leaps in the heart when Christ indeed draws nigh to it. My sheep! says Christ, know my voice, John 10 verse 4. They know my voice, they are used to the sound of it, and they know when his lips are open to them and are full of grace. The spouse was in a sad condition, Kenticles 5, 2, asleep in security, but yet as soon as Christ speaks, she cries, it is the voice of my beloved that speaks. She knew his voice and was so acquainted with communion with him, that instantly she discovers him, and so will you also. If you exercise yourself to acquaintance and communion with him, you will easily discern between his voice and the voice of a stranger. When he doth speak, he speaks as never man spake, he speaks with power. and one way or other will make your hearts burn within you as he did to the disciples, Luke 24. He doth it by putting in his hand at the hole of the door, Canticles 5, 4, his spirit into your hearts to seize on you. He that hath his senses exercised to discern good or evil, being increased in judgment and experience by a constant observation of the ways of Christ intercourse, The manner of the operations of the spirit and the effects it usually produces is the best judge for himself in this case. Secondly, if the word of the Lord doth good to your souls, he speaks it. If it humble, if it cleanse, and be useful to those ends for which promises are given, namely to endear, to cleanse, to melt, and bind, to obedience, to self-emptiness, and so on, But this is not my business, nor shall I further divert in the pursuit of this direction. Without the observation of it, sin will have great advantages towards the hardening of the heart." Chapter 14 Now, the considerations which I have hitherto insisted on are rather of things preparatory to the work aimed at, than such as will affect it. It is the heart's due preparation for the work itself without which it will not be accomplished, that hitherto I have aimed at. Directions for the work itself are very few, I mean that are peculiar to it, and they are these that follow one. Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror. Yea, thou wilt through the good providence of God live to see thy lust dead at thy feet. But thou wilt say, How shall faith act itself on Christ for this end and purpose? I say sundry ways. One, by faith feel thy soul with a due consideration of that provision which is laid up in Jesus Christ for this end and purpose, that all thy lusts, this very lust wherewith thou art entangled, may be mortified. By faith ponder on this, that though thou art no way able in or by thyself to get the conquest over thy distemper, Though thou art even weary of contending, and art utterly ready to faint, yet that there is enough in Jesus Christ to yield thee relief. Philippians 4.13 It stayed the prodigal, when he was ready to faint, that yet there was bread enough in his father's house, though he was at a distance from it. Yet it relieved him, and stayed him, that there it was. in thy great distress and anguish, consider what that fullness of grace, those riches, those treasures of strength, might and help that are laid up in him for our support. John 1.16 and Colossians 1.19 Let them come and abide in thy mind. Consider that he has exalted and made a prince and a savior to give repentance unto Israel. Acts 5.31 And if to give repentance, to give mortification, without which the other is not or nor can be. Christ tells us that we obtain purging grace by abiding in Him. John 15.3 To act faith upon the fullness that is in Christ for our supply is an imminent way of abiding in Christ. For both our incision and abode is by faith. Romans 11, 19 and 20. Let then thy soul by faith be exercised with such thoughts and apprehensions as these. I am a poor, weak creature, unstable as water. I cannot excel. This corruption is too hard for me and is at the very door of ruining my soul, and what to do I know not. My soul has become as parched ground, an inhabitation of dragons. I have made promises and broken them. Vows and engagements have been as a thing of naught. Many persuasions have I had that I have gotten a victory and should be delivered, but I am deceived. so that I plainly see that without some imminent succor and assistance, I am lost and shall be prevailed on to an utter relinquishment of God. But yet, though this be my state and condition, let the hands that hang down be lifted up and the feeble knees be strengthened. Behold the Lord Christ, that hath all fullness of grace in His heart, all fullness of power in His hand, He is able to slay all these His enemies. There is sufficient provision in Him for my relief and assistance. He can take my drooping, dying soul and make me more than a conqueror. Why saith thou, O my soul, my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40, 27 to 31. He can make the dry parched ground of my soul to become a pool, and my thirsty, barren heart as springs of water. Yea, he can make this habitation of dragons, this heart so full of abominable lust and fiery temptations, to be a place for grass and fruit to himself. Isaiah 35, 7. So God stayed Paul under his temptation with the consideration of the sufficiency of his grace. My grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Corinthians 12 9. Though he were not immediately so far made partaker of it as to be freed from his temptation, yet the sufficiency of it in God for that end and purpose was enough to stay his spirit. I say then, by faith, be much in the consideration of that supply and the fullness of it that is in Jesus Christ, and how he can at any time give thee strength and deliverance. Now, if hereby thou dost not find success to a conquest, yet thou wilt be stayed in the chariot, that thou shalt not fly out of the field until a battle be ended, thou wilt be kept from an utter despondency and a lying down under thy unbelief, for a turning aside to false means and remedies, that in the issue will not relieve thee. The efficacy of this consideration will be found only in the practice. 2. Raise up thy heart by faith to an expectation of relief from Christ. Relief, in this case, from Christ is like the prophet's vision. Habakkuk 2 verse 3. It is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry yet, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not tarry, Though it may seem somewhat long to thee, whilst thou art under thy trouble and perplexity, yet it shall surely come in the appointed time of the Lord Jesus, which is the best season, if then thou canst raise up thy heart to a subtle expectation of relief from Jesus Christ. If thine eyes are towards him as the eyes of a servant to the hands of his master, when he expects to receive somewhat from him, thy soul shall be satisfied, he will assuredly deliver thee, he will slay the lust, and thy latter end shall be peace. Only look for it at his hand, expect when and how he will do it. If you will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. But thou wilt say, What ground have I to build such an expectation upon, so that I may expect not to be deceived? If thou hast necessity to put thee on this course, thou must be relieved and saved this way or none. To whom wilt thou go? So there are in the Lord Jesus innumerable things to encourage and engage thee to this expectation, for the necessity of it I have in part discovered it before, when I manifested that this is a work of faith and of believers only. Without me, says Christ, ye can do nothing." John 15, 5, speaking with special relation to the purging of the heart from sin. Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of grace. Of ourselves we cannot do it. Now it hath pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell. Colossians 1, 19. that of His fullness we might receive grace for grace. John 1.16 He is the head from whence the new man must have influences of life and strength, or it will decay every day. If we are strengthened with might in the inner man, it is by Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith. Ephesians 3.16-17 That this work is not to be done without the Spirit I have also shown before. Whence then do we expect the Spirit? From whom do we look for him? Who hath promised him to us, having procured him for us? Ought not all our expectations to this purpose to be on Christ alone? Let this, then, be fixed upon thy heart, that if thou hast not relief from him, thou shalt never have any. All ways, endeavors, contendings, that are not animated by this expectation of relief from Christ and him only are to no purpose will do thee no good. Yea, if they are anything but supportments of thy heart in this expectation, or means appointed by himself for the receiving help from him, they are in vain." Now further to engage ye to this expectation, number one, consider his mercifulness, tenderness, and kindness As he is our great High Priest at the right hand of God, assuredly he pities thee in thy distress. Saith he, as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you. He hath the tenderness of a mother to a sucking child. Hebrews 2, 17 and 18, Wherefore, in all things it behold him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. How is the ability of Christ upon the account of the sufferings proposed to us? In that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able. Did the sufferings and temptations of Christ add to his ability and power? No, not doubtless considered absolutely and in itself. But the ability here mentioned is such as has readiness, proneness, willingness to put itself forth, accompanying of it, it is an ability of will against all dissuasions. He is able, having suffered and been tempted, to break through all dissuasions to the contrary, to relieve poor tempted souls. He is able to help. Yea, let me add, that never any soul did or shall perish by the power of any lust, sin, or corruption, who could raise his soul by faith to an expectation of relief from Jesus Christ. 2. Consider his faithfulness, who hath promised, which may raise thee up, and confirm thee in this waiting, in an expectation of relief. He hath promised to relieve in such cases, and he will fulfill his word to the utmost. God tells us that His covenant with us is like the ordinances of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars which have their certain courses, Jeremiah 31, 36. This David said that he watched for relief from God as one watched for the morning, a thing that will certainly come in its appointed season. So will be thy relief from Christ. It will come in its season as a dew and rain upon the parched ground. For faithful is he who hath promised Particular promises to this purpose are innumerable, with some of them that seem peculiarly to suit his condition. Let the soul be always furnished. Now there are two imminent advantages which always attend this expectation of succor from Jesus Christ. One, it engages him to a full and speedy assistance. Nothing doth more engage the heart of a man to be useful and helpful to another than his expectation of help from him, if justly raised in countenance by him who is to give the relief. Our Lord Jesus hath raised our hearts by his kindness, care, and promises to this expectation. Certainly our rising up unto it must needs to be a great engagement upon him to assist us accordingly. This, the psalmist gives us, as an approved maxim, Thou, Lord, never forsakest them that put their trust in Thee. When the heart is once won to rest in God, to repose himself on Him, he will assuredly satisfy it. He will never be as water that fails. Nor has he said at any time to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye my faith in vain. If Christ be chosen for the foundation of our supply, He will not fail us. 2. It engages the heart to attend diligently to all the ways and means whereby Christ is wont to communicate himself to the soul, and so takes in the real assistance of all graces and ordinances, whatever. 3. He that expects anything from a man applies himself to the ways and means whereby it may be obtained. 4. Put your faith peculiarly upon the death, blood, and cross of Christ, that is, on Christ as crucified and slain. Mortification of sin is peculiarly from the death of Christ. It is one peculiar, yea, imminent end of the death of Christ, which shall assuredly be accomplished by it. He died to destroy the works of the devil. Whatever came upon our natures by his first temptation, whatever received strength in our persons by his daily suggestions, Christ died to destroy it all. He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This was His aim and intendment, wherein He will not fail, and has given Himself for us, that we might be freed from the power of our sins, and purified from all our defiling lusts, was His design. He gave Himself for the church, that He might sanctify and cleanse it, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5, 25-27. And this, by virtue of his death, in various and several degrees shall be accomplished. Hence our washing, purging, and cleansing as everywhere ascribed to His blood. 1 John 1.7, Hebrews 1.3, Revelations 1.5, that being sprinkled on us purges our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9.14, this is that we aim at, this we are in pursuit of, that our consciences may be purged from dead works, that they may be rooted out, destroyed, and have no place in us. This shall certainly be brought about by the death of Christ. There will virtue go out from thence to this purpose. Indeed, all supplies of the Spirit, all communications of grace and power are from hence, as I have elsewhere showed. Thus the Apostle states that Romans 6.2 is the case proposed that we have in hand. How shall we that have died to sin live any longer therein? Dead to sin by profession, dead to sin by obligation to be so, dead to sin by participation of virtue and power for the killing of it, dead to sin by union and interest in Christ, in and by whom it is killed. How shall we live therein? This he presses by sundry considerations, all taken from the death of Christ, in the ensuing verses. He alone clearly and fully convinces the heart of the evil and guilt and danger of the corruption, lust, or sin to be mortified. Without this conviction, or whilst it is so faint that the heart can wrestle with it or digest it, there will be no thorough work made. An unbelieving heart, as in part we all have, will shift with any consideration until it be overpowered by clear and evident convictions. Now this is the proper work of the Spirit. He convinces of sin. If men's rational considerations with the preaching of the letter were able to convince them of sin, we should, it may be, see more convictions than we do. There comes by the preaching of the word an apprehension upon the understandings of men that they are sinners, that such and such things are sins, that themselves are guilty of them. But this light is not powerful, nor doth it lay hold on the practical principles of the soul, so as to conform the mind and will unto them, to produce effects suitable to such apprehension. And therefore it is that wise and knowing men, destitute of the spirit, do not think those things to be sins at all wherein the chief movings and acting of lust do consist. It is the spirit alone that can do, that doth, this work to the purpose. And this is the first thing that the Spirit doth in order to the mortification of any lust whatever. It convinces the soul of all the evil in it, cuts off all its pleas, discover all its deceits, stops all its evasions, answers its pretenses, makes the soul own its abominations and lie down under the sense of it. Lest this be done, all that follows is in vain. The Spirit alone reveals unto us the fullness of Christ through our relief. The Spirit alone establishes the heart and expectation of relief from Christ. The Spirit alone brings the cross of Christ into our hearts with its sin-killing power. The Spirit is the author and finisher of our sanctification. And all the souls addresses to God in this condition and has supportment from the Spirit. Whence is the power, life, and vigor of prayer? Whence its efficacy to prevail with God? Is it not from the Spirit? He is the Spirit of supplications promised to them who look on Him whom they have peers. Zechariah 12.10 Enabling them to pray with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered. Romans 8.26 This is confessed to be the great medium or way of faith prevailing with God. Thus Paul dealt with his temptation, whatever it were, I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. What is the work of the Spirit in prayer, whence and how it gives us in assistance? and makes us to prevail, what we are to do that we may enjoy his help for that purpose is not my present intent to demonstrate. The End of the Treatise on the Mortification of Sin by Dr. John Owen, 1616-1683, Volume 6 of his works. This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available. free and for sale in audio, video and printed formats. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes and videos at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email by phone at 780-450-3730 by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Kelvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since He condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying his word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.