Take Up the Cross

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
— Romans 8:1

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
— Romans 8:4-6

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
— 1 Corinthians 9:27

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
— 1 Peter 1:22

Some Special Helps Against Some Special Corruptions, by Christopher Love. The following contains Sermon Ten of his series on, “The Mortified Christian: Showing The Nature, Signs, Necessity and Difficulty of True Mortification, Resolving Divers Cases About Secret and Bosom Sins, With a Discovery of Sincerity: and Special Helps Against Men’s Special Corruptions”. 1654.

SERMON, X. Romans 8:13

But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. – Rom. 8. verse. 13.

I Come now to give you some special helps against some special corruptions: the last Lord’s day I gave you some helps in the general how to mortify sin, but now I shall give you some particular helps against 3 particular corruptions, namely, How to mortify unclean lusts, spiritual pride, and reigning anger or passion. I cannot think of any other corruptions, that do make a more ordinary incursion into the minds of men, then these three. One of these I was desired in particular to speak to, and I shall speak very briefly to them all, I shall begin with the first, and will here lay down to you 5 or 6 Helps how to mortify and keep under unclean lusts.

1. A special help to mortify unclean lusts, is to live in a continual and serious mindfulness of the All-seeing Eye of God upon thee: indeed this is a universal remedy against all sin: but yet the Scripture applying this help to this sin, I therefore make use of it, as in Job 31.1.4. says Job there, I have made a covenant with my eyes, why then should I think upon a maid: and in verse. 4. says he, Does not the Lord see my ways and count all my steps? There is nothing will more give a control to our lusts then the consideration of God’s omnividency, that he sees and takes notice of all our ways.

I have heard a story of a maid that was earnestly solicited by a young man to uncleanness, and she told him, that if he could bring her in a place where no eye might see them, she would yield to his desires; so the young man led her out of one room into another, and at last when he thought they were most secret and retired, he would have had his desire of her: oh but says she, the Eye of God is upon us still, he sees us, and takes notice of us: and upon this very consideration they continued chaste all their lives afterward.

2. Lay a special fence and safeguard upon thy outward senses: the Apostle speaks of some in 2 Pet. 2.14. That they had eyes full of adultery, and they could not cease from sin; therefore you should set a watch over your eyes, take heed of wanton and lascivious looks, it is a window that lets in a world of lust into the heart. In Lev. 14.9. the Lord made a Law, That the Leper that was to be cleansed, should shave off the hair of his head and of his eye brows: so there is no way so effectual to root out and cleanse yourselves from fleshly lusts, as to set a watch over your eyes that they may not look upon vanity, as Job says, I have made a covenant with my eyes; you should keep your eyes from wanton glances, if you would control fleshly lusts: and hence it is that you read that Abimelech in Gen. 20.16. when he surrendered up Sarah Abraham’s wife to him, he said to her, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, behold he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all them that are with thee, and with all other: to note that a wife should cast her eyes upon none in a lustful way, but upon her husband, he must be a covering of her eyes unto all that are with her.

3. Use a moderation in meats and drinks: there are some kinds of food, and indeed excess in any kind of food, do much provoke unto lust: as in 2 Pet. 2.13. says the Apostle, They have their eyes full of adultery while they feast with you, and this is the reason of Paul’s expression in 2 Cor. 9.26, 27. says he, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection.

4. If you would keep under fleshly lusts, then make conscience of curbing your thoughts when lust first begins to make entrance there; when a man lets contemplating thoughts lodge in his heart with complacency, it is a thousand to one but they break out into act. It is a great provocation to uncleanness, for a man to cherish in himself speculative wantonness’s, to behold in his thoughts some lascivious object: as in Ezek. 23.19. She multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. The restraining and curbing our thoughts, is a great help to keep under this sin, I have made a covenant with my eyes, says Job: he does not say, why therefore should I look upon a maid, but why therefore should I think upon a maid?

5. If thou wouldst mortify and subdue fleshly lusts, use this help, consider that there is a great deal more real evil then there is seeming goodness in this sin of uncleanness. When a Harlot would persuade and entice a young man to be unclean with her, she says, as in Prov. 7.17. I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek, thy face, and I have found thee: I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt: I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh, Aloes and Cinnamon: mark here says an author, how she joins together two bitter things and one sweet. I have, perfumed my bed with Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon, now Cinnamon is only sweet, the other two are very bitter things, which notes to us that there is twice as much real misery and evil, in the sin of uncleanness, as there is of seeming joy and delight in it; there is Myrrh and Aloes, two bitter things to one sweet, more real evil and bitterness, then seeming goodness in it.

6. Revolve seriously and frequently the evil concomitances, that do attend and accompany this sin of uncleanness, as first there is thievery in this sin, thou robbest a body that is not thy own in Joh. 8.4. it is said there, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act: now in the original it is, she was taken in the very theft, to note that adultery is no better then theft: so in Prov. 9.17, 18. committing adultery with a woman, is called stolen waters, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant: (this is clearly spoken of a Harlot ) it follows, but he knoweth not the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depths of Hell.

2. This sin brings infamy and reproach upon a man too, in Prov. 6.33. He that committeth adultery, a wound and dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

3. It procures poverty in a man’s estate, a man is brought to beggary by it, as in Prov. 29.3. He that keepeth company with Harlots spendeth his substance: and in Prov. 6.26. By means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a morsel of bread.

4. It will consume thy flesh and thy bones, it will corrupt thy blood and weaken thy whole man, as in Prov. 5.11. Solomon speaking there of a Harlot, says he, Remove thy foot far from her, and come not near the door of her house, lest thou mourn at last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed.

5. It makes a man a very magazine of all manner of diseases.

6. It brings stupidity upon the heart, a man that is an unclean man he is a stupid sinner, and void of understanding, in Hos. 4.14. Wine and women they take away the heart of a man. And thus I have done with the helps against this first sin of unclean lusts.

2. But says another man, alas, I were happy if I had no sin to fear but unclean lusts, but the Lord be merciful to me, I am troubled with spiritual pride, that I cannot act any grace, or perform any duty, but I am lifted up with spiritual pride.

Answ. I shall give you 4 Helps against this sin.

1. If you would keep under spiritual pride, consider, that the best of you have a great deal more cause of abasement and humiliation, then you have of pride; the best of you have more of sin then of grace in you: as there are more pebbles then diamonds in the quarry, and more thorns then roses in the field; so there is more sin then grace in any of your hearts: whereof then should you be proud? though you have many good graces in you, yet you have a very bad, polluting and sinful nature.

2. Live in a continual and serious consideration, that all the gifts and parts thou hast, whereof thou art proud, they were all bestowed on thee as a gift, as a mere act of donation from God: now if all the gifts thou hast were freely given thee of God from his bounty, why then should you be proud of them? Would you think it seemly for a beggar to be proud of the clothes that another man hath given him? just so it is with you, all that you have, they were mere alms, gifts and acts of grace and mercy from God bestowed upon you, as the Apostle says in 1 Cor. 7. What hast thou oh man, which thou hast not received? and therefore this should humble us.

3. If thou wouldst keep under spiritual pride, consider, that of all things in the world, this is that which will most abate and decay thy gifts: as in Jam. 4.6. The Lord giveth more grace to the humble, but he resisteth the proud. He fights against him as a warrior in battle; he giveth grace to a humble heart, but not to a proud heart; therefore take heed of being lifted up in spirit, and if you are, this should be matter of great humiliation, for you to consider, that pride will stifle and strangle grace in your soul, as the low valleys are fruitful, when the high mountains are barren; so the most humble Christians are most fruitful in grace. Moreover, Philosophers give a clear reason of the evil of this sin above others, because other vices do but oppose and fight against their contrary virtues; but now pride that fights against the whole body of virtue and grace: other vices do but oppose their contraries, as fear that opposeth hope, and sorrow that overwhelms joy, and covetousness that contemneth liberality, and the like: but now pride is a vice that sights against every virtue, and every grace.

4. A great means to mortify and keep under pride in thy heart, is a serious consideration of the great disproportion there is between God and thee, and between thyself and others, and between thyself and thyself.

1. To consider the great disproportion there is between God and thee, how infinitely excelling thee; he is like the glorious Sun, thou like a clod of dirt; he the righteous Judge of heaven and earth, thou poor sinful dust and ashes, &c. And then to consider the great disproportion between thyself and others, it may be others that have had less time, and enjoyed less means of grace then thou hast done, are yet a great deal better proficience in the School of Christ then thou art, and therefore this should abate and keep under thy pride.

3. Consider the great disproportion between thyself and thyself, thou art proud of the gifts thou hast now, but oh man consider what thou wast in Adam, I am sure thou comest far short of the gifts and abilities, thou hadst in him: and then look upon the disproportion that is between what thou art now, and what thou wert at first conversion, it may be thou wert then a man full of grace, fervent in prayer, full of affection to God and zeal for him, &c. but now your zeal is grown cold, and now you are dead and formal in duties, now you want a great many of those graces which then you did exercise, you are like some people I have read of, that the first year offered gold to their gods, and the next year silver, and the third year nothing at all. So you at first were fruitful in grace, and then afterwards you began to wither and decay, and now you are worst of all, and yet more proud than ever. Me thinks these considerations should mightily keep under pride in your hearts. And thus I have done with the second sin, the sin of spiritual pride.

I come now to the third sin of reigning anger, commonly called passion.

3. Oh but says another man, neither of these two sins before mentioned, troubles me so much: but alas, I am a man of a froward and hasty disposition, and much addicted to passion, and therefore I would gladly know how I might mortify and subdue this sin in me.

Answ. I shall give you 6 Rules or directions whereby you may bridle your passions when you are provoked, by an injury offered you, or the like.

1. Consider that you have given God greater occasion to be angry with you, then ever any man gave you, to be angry with him; should the Lord be strict to mark what thou doest amiss, and requite every injury done to him into thy bosom, thou hadst been long ago thrown into Hell, and therefore let this allay and keep under thy passion.

2. Consider all the injuries that are offered thee to provoke and stir up thy passion, they come by the mere providence of God, and this was that which did allay David’s passion, when Shimei railed upon him and cursed him, Let him alone, said David, for God hath bidden him do it.

3. When there is an occasion of anger offered, labor to delay, and put off the (execution) of thy wrath, let there be some preconsiderations before you execute your wrath and passion. Says Solomon in Prov. 12.16. A fools wrath is presently known, but a prudent man covereth his shame: a fool cannot conceal his wrath, but it breaks out presently; but a wise man will cover his shame: it is a shame to be angry, and therefore a wise man will cover and conceal his passion.

4. Another great help to mortify passion, is this, Depart out of the company of that man that is angry with thee, or would provoke thee to be angry with him. The way to subdue thy passion, is to go out of the company of that man that injured thee: thus you read, (and it is very observable) in 1 Sam. 20.34. that when Saul was angry with Jonathan, it is said, that Jonathan arose and went out from the presence of his father. And so Abraham and Lot, because they would not fall out they departed one from another. So says, Solomon, in Prov. 22.24. Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul: if thou art with a furious man, and he snarls at thee, and thou at him, this is the way to increase your passion.

5. If thou wouldst keep under passion, then when any injury, or provocation is offered thee to be angry, labor to put up the occasion or injury in silence, do not utter a multitude of words about it, for in this sense words are wind, and as wind do kindle a fire, so words will kindle wrath, as in Prov. 26.21. As coals are to burning coals and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife. A multitude of words will provoke to passion, and therefore when you are angry keep it in, and do not utter word after word, and reproach after reproach, for that is the way to increase your anger.

6. To dissuade you from passion, consider, that this is a sin that carries many other sins in the womb of it; other sins you may, commit alone, but you cannot be angry but you must commit many other sins with it, as in Prov. 29.22. says Solomon, A furious man aboundeth in transgressions: sometime pride is mixed with anger, and sometime murder is a consequent of it, as in Gen 49.6. Simeon and Levi in their anger they killed a man: there are abundance of sins wrapped up in the womb of anger, which if you consider, it may be a great help to suppress and keep it under.

And thus I have done with the particular helps against those 3 particular sins: which I hope if seriously considered may be of some use and benefit in the mortifying of them.

I have only now a word or two by way of Use, to wind up all that hath been said touching this Doctrine of mortification, and then I shall conclude the Text: And the Use that I shall make, shall be only to give you 3 or 4 plain cautions or directions about this doctrine. As, (Use of direction.)

1. When you have subdued and mortified one sin, be sure you expect another to rise in the room of it. Beloved, a Christians life is a continual warfare, he must combat with spiritual wickedness’s in high places: the Devil will never let you alone, but if one temptation does not prevail, another shall; and when one lust or corruption is mortified, another will presently rise up in the room of it, therefore you must continually stand upon your guard, that is the first thing by way of counsel.

2. Content not yourselves with a small beginning of mortification; many men because they have a cessation with their lusts, therefore they think they are mortified, and some are contented with a mutation of their lusts, they have been young adulterers, and now they are old worldlings, and therefore they are satisfied, and some are contented because they play and jest with their lusts, as fencers, they pretend to kill their lusts, but never hurt them.

3. Take this caution, when you are about to mortify sin, be sure that you bend the chiefest of your strength against your bosom sins, thy master sins: where sin does make the greatest ineursions upon thy soul, there do you make the greatest opposition and resistance. Do not do as Saul did with the Amalekites, in 1 Sam. 15.9. He spared Agag their King, and the best of the sheep and oxen, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: so many men they kill their ordinary corruptions, but spare and indulge their great and Master and beloved sins.

4. Labor that your mortification do reach as well to inward and secret evils, as to gross and palpable sins; and that because inward and secret sins are most dangerous, and more hard and difficult to be discerned and descried in the soul, then greater sins are. Oh my beloved, when there are whole swarms of inward lusts that you never mind, and take no pains to subdue, and no care to suppress and keep under, you do not perform half the work of mortification.

5. And lastly, In mortifying your corruptions, take in Christ’s strength along with you, for you are not able to do it of yourselves, therefore beg his help and assistance in whom you shall be enabled to do all things: If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.

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