mortification of the flesh chapter 6 Faulty means and motives of leaving and forsaking sin examined I Now come to the third proposition and grounds of mistake Which makes deluded men think that their sins are mortified when indeed they are not and that is this case number three Another man may tell you that he goes further than both of the two former, saying, I not only oppose corruptions and restrain some outward acts of sin, but I am a man that has truly left my sins. It is true that in times past I was a man given to uncleanness, but I am now chaste. I was a drunkard before, But I am a sober man now," and so forth. And therefore I believe that my corruptions are mortified in me. Answer. I confess this is a very fair plea that you make. And I may say to you, as Christ said to the lawyer, quote, Thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven, close quote. Mark chapter 12, verse 34. But let me tell you that if you go no further and do no more, you will never get there. And so, that you may not deceive and delude yourself in this matter, I will show you that there are several ways that a man may forsake many sins unto which he has been formerly addicted, and yet still remain a stranger to mortification. Consider the following three questions. 1. Does he leave sin from a wrong principle? 2. Does he leave sin in a wrong manner? 3. Does he leave sin for the wrong reason? Difficulty 1. If you leave your former sins from a wrong principle, you are a stranger to true mortification. Now I would give you four examples of this. Letter A. A man who leaves sin because he no longer has the strength or ability to act it out. He leaves this sin from a wrong principle. For example, when a man who in his former days had been given to sexual immorality and sinful pleasures with women, but now that he has grown old and sickly, he leaves it off. Why this is not mortifying grace? Well, he leaves his sin because his body is disabled and his vigor has left him, and thus he can no longer commit this sin. therefore this is no thanks to the man at all. Perhaps another man, one that in the past had been strongly inclined to drunkenness, but now his means are spent and his money falls short. He lacks the wherewithal to follow his old course and therefore he leaves it off. No matter what your sin is, if you leave it from such a principle, you are a stranger to mortification. Letter B. If you leave a sin because you are left void of an opportunity to commit that sin, you leave the sin from a wrong principle. Perhaps you do not have the secrecy, security, or occasion committing that sin and you cannot do that which you would otherwise do. Well, this is another wrong principle in forsaking sin. Excuse me. Letter C. You leave sin from a wrong principle if you leave it because the desire and temptation to such a sin has first left you. Beloved, The devil does not always suggest the same temptations to a man. It may be that he prompts and solicits you to lust today and to drunkenness tomorrow. The devil does not always harp on the same string in tempting you. Now perhaps you have left some sins, but it is only because the devil's temptation to those sins has left you. This is not praiseworthy, for you may leave sin upon this principle and yet be a stranger to mortification. Some men have been given over to sexual impurity and promiscuity in their youth. But in their middle age, the devil suspends his instigations for a while, making them opposed and disinclined toward that sin, so much that they will not permit themselves to look with lust upon a woman, or to cherish any unchaste affection. And yet afterward, when temptations from Satan have been renewed, They are quickly enticed into running after the same sin with as much eagerness and delight as ever. The devil may withdraw, allowing you to refrain from a certain sin for a long time, but when fresh temptation comes, you soon fall into the same sins once again. This is not true mortification. Letter D. A man may leave sin because he knows that if he does not, the terrors of his conscience will not leave him. He knows that if he continues on in a course of swearing, lying, cheating, and defrauding in his shop, or in dishonoring the Sabbath by writing the sermon he hears on that day in his book, and yet writing the opposite in the devil's book for the rest of the following week, or if he continues to pursue the satisfaction of his lusts in all these things, he knows that his conscience will accuse and frighten him more and more. Therefore, he will bridle and restrain his corruptions for a while, until his conscience is quieted and pacified. And thus in scripture, an unmortified man is compared to a dog that returns to its vomit. In 2 Peter chapter 2 verses 20-22, the apostle Peter speaks of some that had gone so far in Christianity as to escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and yet became entangled in them once again and overcome. And the text says, quote, it has happened unto them according to the true Proverbs. The dog is returned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." That's verse 22. Well, what does Peter mean by this? Well, we can see the very mind of God in this text. A man that has left his sinful course, yet later returns to follow after it again, is like a dog that comes back to his vomit. and a sow to her wallowing in the mire. Now you know that when a dog has indigestion, which dogs are often subject to, he disgorges himself. So also does a wicked man when his conscience troubles and accuses him. He leaves and forsakes his sin, but like the dog who has rid himself of the pain, returns to lick up his vomit again. And thus, a wicked man, when his conscience is quiet and the horror of its judgment has passed, he returns to his old sins again, committing them with a greater delight and dedication than ever before. And thus you see four examples of leaving sin upon wrong grounds and principles. If you leave your former sins from a wrong principle, you are a stranger to true mortification. Difficulty number two. If you leave your corruptions in a wrong manner, you are a stranger to this work of mortification. I will give you six examples of this. Letter A. You leave sin in a wrong manner when you forsake one sin, but allow yourself another. I have read of a man that was much given to drunkenness. Yet, after reading the lectures of Plato, which condemned that sin, he was never drunk again. But, rather, he fell into other sins, which are just as bad. Now, if you forsake one sin, but go on to embrace another, this is not evidence of mortification, for mortification seizes upon the whole body of sin. In his youth, a man may be inclined to the sin of sexual immorality, but when he is old, he may exchange it for the sin of worldly-mindedness. or for some part of a man's life he may be given to prodigality and at another time he may leave that and fall into the sin of stinginess and parsimony. At one time he may be guilty of the sin of hypocrisy and later fall into the sin of apostasy and open blasphemy. Naturalists tell us that every year the snake sheds his skin, yet he is still a snake, for another skin comes up in its place. And in the same manner, perhaps you cast off your old sins, yet you embrace others in their place. This is only an exchanging of sins, not their mortification, for in exchanging one sin for another, sin is not subdued. The sin which you were much addicted to in former times may now be asleep, while another sin is very much alive and vigorous and active in your heart. This exchanging of one sin for another falls very far short of mortification. Letter B. A man leaves sin in a wrong manner when he abstains from the gross acts of a sin, but does not leave the inward hankerings and desires of his soul for that sin. Augustine left the sin of sexual immorality, yet confesses that he still had secret longings for that sin in his heart. If you do not extinguish those longing desires for a sin in your heart, you are not leaving the sin. For example, a man may leave the outward act of sexual impurity, Yet harbor within himself adulterous thoughts, lustful looks, vulgar words, and lewd gestures. His heart is like the devil's anvil, whereupon he fashions an abundance of speculative wickedness. This is not mortification, for mortification causes you to leave not only the outward acts of sin, but also the secret delight and gratification you took in that sin. Letter C. A man leaves sin open, outward, and notorious sins, but continues to indulge himself in inward and secret evils. This is the heart and the mind. This is to leave sin by halves. We read of many heathens that have restrained themselves from falling into gross acts of sin. We previously considered Socrates, a man so free from uncleanness that he never made a lustful look or lewd gesture, yet was a heathen still. The same is true of Cato, a man so adverse to drunkenness that he would never drink enough to satisfy his nature. And Aristotle, who, although he recognized and abstained from obvious acts of sin, yet was unacquainted with his smaller and lesser sins, because he was unable to see them. The levity that Aristotle considered to be a virtue, Paul counted as sin, mere foolish talking and jesting. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 4. And while Aristotle praises the man who thinks highly of himself, the Apostle Paul looks upon it as pride. By the light of nature, these men saw the evil in gross acts of sin, yet they were unable to discern and avoid smaller and lesser sins. Letter D. A man leaves his sins in a wrong manner when he does so unwillingly. When mariners are in a great storm and their ship is heavy laden with rich commodities, the captain tells them that unless they throw some of their goods overboard, they will lose everything and be cast away. Now these men will jettison their merchandise, not because they do not value it, but because they love their lives better. Well, in the same way, when wicked men see hell fire and a river of brimstone before them and realize that they will be cast into it if they do not leave and forsake their sins upon these grounds while they do it, though quite unwillingly. " And I'd add a note here too, this is the same thing for a person that chooses Jesus as their Savior because they're afraid to go to hell. They're not afraid, you know, they don't choose him or want to be with him because they are sinners and they're guilty of it in their hearts, minds, and conscience, but because they're afraid to burn. Continuing, letter E. A man leaves sin in a wrong manner when he does it with a reservation and purpose of mind to commit that sin again at another time. Perhaps he reasons within himself. I've delighted much in drunkenness and good fellowship, yet now I am sick and weak and unable to continue. But if I am ever well again, I will return to my old habits and go to my good company again. Another may think, I have now left the sin of sexual immorality because my body is weak and I cannot act upon it. But if I recover, I will seek out these pleasures again." Now, when a man leaves his sins in such a manner as this, his sins will break in again upon his soul like a flood of mighty waters with more power and force than they ever had before. Letter F. A man leaves his sins in a wrong manner when he leaves them without genuine humiliation and sorrow for the sins he is forsaking. Mr. Bolton tells us of his experience with a man who was, as he thought, lying upon his deathbed. The man was given to much wine and women. He was an extreme drunkard. and very lascivious. And as he lay upon his bed, Mr. Bolton asked him whether he had any hopes of heaven or not. The man replied, while it is true that I have been a drunkard, now I'm not. And I have been an adulterer, but now I have left it. Mr. Bolton, and I'm guessing this is Samuel Bolton, observed that he did not express any grief, sorrow, or humiliation for the sins he had been guilty of. And therefore, he asked him whether, if God should restore him to his health again, whether he would not be the same man still as he was before. And he answered, No, not for all the world. Now it pleased God to restore this man to health, and not many months after he had recovered, he returned to his old sins again, just as bad as ever. And hence we see that the bare forsaking of a sin for a time is not true mortification. Though he leaves his sins, If he's not truly humbled and grieved on account of them, well, they are not mortified. And perhaps you too have left off your swearing, lying, and so forth. But have your sins left humiliation in their place? Has sin left a scar upon you so that you still mourn and grieve over it? If this is not the case with you, You cannot be certain in your heart that you are a mortified man or woman. Difficulty number three. Leaving sin for the wrong reason is not evidence of mortifying grace in your heart. Is it possible that one of these six wrong reasons for leaving sin has motivated you? Letter A. A man may leave his sins to pacify his conscience. He knows that unless he stops sinning, the peace of a good conscience will leave him. If he could go on sinning without provoking his conscience, he would not leave his sins, even knowing that his sins broke God's heart. When a man leaves his sins only so that the peace of his conscience will not leave him, This is a wrong reason, and he is a stranger to mortification. Letter B. A man may leave his sins to avoid temporal punishment, not because he knows that God hates sin, but rather because God punishes it. And such a man leaves sin not because of its depravity and defiling power, but because it is self-destructive and comes with a penalty. Some men refrain from outward acts of villainy, not because they are against the law, but because the law punishes such acts. Thus if you leave sin, not because God hates it, but because He punishes it, this is another wrong reason for leaving sin. Letter C. When a man leaves sin because it stains his honor and reputation before men, and not because it is a dishonor to God, this is another wrong reason for leaving sin. Such a man leaves sin because it disgraces his own name and character, and not because it is a blemish to the glory of God. Letter D. A man may leave his sins hoping that the torments of hell will not follow him. He knows that if he continues on in a course of wickedness, his sins will eventually find him out, and he will be seized by the torments of hell. A wicked man leaves sin because there is a hell that follows sin, not because there is a hell in sin. He leaves sin because it provokes the avenging wrath of God. and not because it dishonors the holiness and purity of God. He leaves sin not because God has commanded him to, but because there are curses pronounced in the word of God against it. Now this is a very false and slavish motivation for a man to use in leaving sin. Letter E man may leave one sin so that he may harbor another with less suspicion. This, as I told you before, is to leave sin politically, to forsake some sins so that he may secretly delight in indulging himself in others. Letter F. A man may leave and abstain from sin merely to be considered a holy, blameless, and a religious man by others. I read of one that left an ill course so that his friend, of whom he hoped and expected to receive an inheritance, might have a good opinion of him. man may leave gross sins in order to be esteemed a new and holy man amongst his neighbors. This is a very deceitful and self-serving end to leave in evil so that others may think highly of him. Thus I have finished in these two chapters describing the mistakes that many men run into concerning this great duty of mortification. I would only leave you with a word of comfort as I conclude this chapter. Perhaps what I have said has pierced a godly and conscientious man's heart, leaving him thinking his corruptions are not yet mortified, and that he has left his sins from some wrong principle, in a wrong manner, or for a wrong reason, when indeed there is no such matter. Therefore, for your comfort, O you that are true sons and daughters of God, lift up your heads with rejoicing and gladness, if your hearts can bear you witness that you have left your sins, or other principles, manners, and reasons than wicked men do. You have left your sins not because you lack ability or opportunity, for you have as many opportunities to sin as Joseph did, but by the power and sanctifying grace in your heart, you can say, I have forsaken my sins. Not because my conscience snarled at me like a dog, casting the flashes of hell fire in my face, but because the love of the Lord Jesus Christ constrains me. Because the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood, paying a dear price for my sins. And I have left my sins in a right manner. I have not left one so that I might live and allow myself in another, for I would happily leave all sins if I could. I do not leave sin by force and constraint, for the Lord knows that never was a poor slave more willing to come out of the galleys than I am to come out of my sins. There has never been a poor prisoner more willing to come out of prison than I am to leave my sins. There has never been a lowly beggar on the streets who is more willing to come out of his rags and to be clothed in rich apparel than I am to part with my sins. For to me, they are as menstruous rags. so that I may be clothed with the long robes of Christ's righteousness. O poor soul whose heart, whose heart can bear witness that this is the case with you. Do not go home with a sad heart for you are in a happy condition. And if you can say, your heart bearing you witness, that you have left sin for a right reason, not because there is a curse against your lusts, but because there is a command against them, that you leave sin not because it is against the revenging justice of God, but rather against the holiness and purity of God, not because there is a hell for sin, but rather because there is a hell in sin, because of its depravity and defilement, and not because of its penalty and destroying nature. If this is your case, you may lift up your head with joy and go away with a sea of comfort upon your heart in the assurance that God has brought you into a mortified state. Thus I have shown you, in these six chapters, many weighty truths concerning this great doctrine of mortification. Now I will begin to give you some general directions on how to pursue this duty of mortification. Not specific instructions on how to mortify every particular sin, or that would be a work too tedious to compose. but rather general counsel on how to mortify any lust. And after that, I will address some special cases of conscience, such as whether a man may fall into sin after mortifying it, and other questions. And now we come to the For Discussion or Personal Reflection portion of the chapter. 1. From the catalog of faulty principles, manners, and reasons for abstaining from sin given by the author, construct a short list of proper motives for mortifying corruptions. 2. Which of the author's faulty motives for forsaking sin have you used in the past? Why have they ultimately proven themselves ineffective for subduing and mortifying sin? And finally, question number three, how does clarifying the proper principles, manners, and reasons for forsaking sin help to promote its eventual mortification? And that's the end of chapter six.