Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
— Romans 6:6
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
— Romans 6:13
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
— Matthew 15:19
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:4-7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
— Romans 7:7-8
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
— Ephesians 5:1-5
The Doctrine of Mortification, and Examination Its Rules, by John Preston. The following contains Chapters One and Two of his work, “Sin’s Overthrow.” 1633.
CHAP. I.
The Doctrine of Mortification.
COL. 3:5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
This Chapter containeth divers exhortations unto heavenly mindedness, by which the Apostle labors to dissuade the Colossians from corruptible things, unto things not corruptible, but everlasting; not earthly, but heavenly; in the which the life of a Christian, and true holiness standeth.
In the first verse he begins with an exhortation to seek heavenly things; If you be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above: that is, if you be risen with Christ, and dead unto the fashions of men, then there is an alteration and change in your souls wrought, by which you are brought to affect that which is heavenly, and basely to esteem of earthly things: therefore, If you be risen; that is, if this heavenly life, and disposition, and change be in you, then let the same appear by your heavenly mindedness; that is, by seeking of heavenly things.
In the second verse he joins another exhortation grounded on the first, to be wise and to understand them; Set your affections on things above: that is, let them be specially minded of you, let all your faculties be filled with a knowledge of spiritual things; and this is so joined with the former, that there can be no seeking without knowing; for how can a man seek that which he knoweth not? And if thou hast no knowledge of heaven, and heavenly things, how canst thou desire them? Seeing where there is no desire, there is no seeking: And therefore if thou wouldest seek heavenly things, as Christ, and Grace, and Salvation, then know them first.
Afterwards in the third verse he goeth on, and presseth this exhortation with divers arguments; first, because you are dead: that is, seeing you are dead unto earthly things, therefore strive not now to be earthly minded. Secondly, Your life is hid with Christ: that is, your happiness is not seen with the eye of the body by looking on these earthly things, but your happiness and joy is by Faith beholding Christ, therefore set your heart and eye on him, where your life is; that is, you look for a perfection of glory with Christ, which you cannot have by minding earthly things: therefore be heavenly minded.
In the fourth verse the Apostle answereth unto a demand: for they might thus object, You tell us that we shall have a perfection of glory, and that it is hid with Christ, but when shall we have it; that is, when shall it be made manifest unto us? Unto this the Apostle answers, When Christ, who in our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. And hereupon he groundeth another exhortation in the verse I have read: as if he should say, Seeing you expect such a perfection of glory to be revealed unto you at Christ’s second coming, then it stands you upon to set upon your corruptions, to kill, and to slay them, that seek to deprive you of that glory. Mortify therefore, your earthly members; that is, slay every foul affection, inordinate desire of earthly things, rid your hearts of them by slaying of them; and although it may seem a hard work, yet fight still, or else you shall never attain unto that life you hope for: So that the first general point hence, is this:
That the height of glory, which we expect by Christ, should cause every man to mortify sin.
This the Apostle makes the ground of our Mortification; If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, mortify therefore your earthly members; that is, except you slay sin, that hath slain Christ, you cannot get life with Christ: Surely then, Mortification is not as men think it, a needless work which matters not much whether it be set upon or no, but this is men’s sickness; for, as a man that is sick thinks Physic is not needful, because he is not sensible of his disease, when as the Physician knows that it is a matter of necessity, and that except he purge out that Corruption and humor of the body, it will grow incurable: even so, except this corruption of nature be purged out, it will-grow incurable; that is, we cannot be saved: therefore, we know to mortify sin, is a work of necessity, whereupon standeth every man’s life and salvation.
The second thing which we note, is this:
That the frame of our hearts ought to suit with those Conditions that we receive by our union with Christ. And this also the Apostle makes another ground of Mortification; if you be risen with Christ, seek heavenly things, and therefore labor to mortify your inordinate affections, and sinful lusts, that so the frame of your hearts, and disposition thereof, may suit with heavenly things: as if he should say, You profess yourselves to be risen with Christ; that is, that you are in a more excellent estate than you were in by nature, and you expect a perfection of glory; then it must needs follow, That the frame of your hearts must suit with your conditions; that is, you must be such as you profess yourselves to be; and this cannot be, except you mortify sin, all inordinate affections, all worldly lusts, all immoderate care for earthly things: think not to get grace, salvation, and eternal life, except first you slay your corruptions and lusts; for Mortification is a turning of the heart from evil to good, from sin to grace: or, it is a working a new disposition in the heart, turning it quite contrary: Or else it may be said to be the slaying of that evil disposition of nature in us.
Now we must know, that howsoever Mortification is a deadly wound given unto sin, whereby it is disabled to bear any rule or commanding power in the heart of a regenerate man, yet we say, Mortification is not perfect; that is, it doth not so slay sin, that we have no sin at all in us, or that we cease to sin; for in the most regenerate and holiest man that lives, there is still the sap of sin in his heart: A tree may have withered branches by reason of some deadly wound given unto the root, and yet there may remain some sap in the root which will in time bring forth other branches: so it is with a regenerate man, there may a deadly wound be given unto sin, which may cause inordinate affections to wither, and yet notwithstanding some sap of sin may remain, which had need still to be mortified, lest otherwise it bring forth other branches. Mortification is not for a day only, but it must be a continual work; when thou hast slain sin today, thou must slay it tomorrow, for sin is of a quickening nature, it will revive if it be not deadly wounded, and there is seed in every sin which is of a spreading nature, and will fructify much; therefore, when thou hast given a deadly wound unto some special corruption, rest not there, but then set upon the lesser; mortify the branches of that corruption; and so much the rather, because it will be an easy work to overcome the Common soldiers, and to put them to flight, when the General is slain.
We call Mortification a turning of the heart; the heart by nature is backward from God; that is, it minds and affects nothing but that which is contrary to God, it is wholly disposed to earthly things; now Mortification alters and changes the heart, turning it from earthly to heavenly things; even as a river that is stopped in its usual course is now turned another way; so Mortification stops the passage of sin in the soul, turning the faculties, the stream of the soul, another way: the soul was earthly disposed, the mind, the will, and affections were wholly carried after earthly things, but now there is a new disposition wrought in the soul, the mind and affections are wholly set upon earthly things; before he was for the world how he might satisfy his lusts, but now his heart is for grace, justification, remission of sins, and reconciliation. Here then, seeing Mortification is a slaying of sin, and that many do deceive themselves in the matter of Mortification, who think that sin is mortified when it is not; and contrariwise, others think they have not mortified sin, that is, they have not given a deadly wound unto sin, because they still feel rebellious lusts in their hearts; therefore for the better explaining of this point of Mortification I will propound two Questions: the first shall be, for the discovering of hypocrites; and the second shall be, for the comforting of weak Christians.
The first Question is, Whether sin may not seem to be mortified when it is not mortified, but only asleep? To this I answer, That sin may seem to be mortified when it is not, and that in these particulars:
First, sin may seem to be mortified when the occasion is removed: As the covetous man may not be so covetous after the world as he was, because he hath not so good an opportunity, and thereupon he may grow remiss; and yet this sin of Covetousness is not mortified; for let there be occasion, or an opportunity offered, and you shall find this sin as quick and as lively in him as ever it was before; and so for Drunkenness, or any other vice in this kind: when the occasion is removed, the sin may be removed, and yet not mortified.
Secondly, sin may be mortified seemingly, when it is not violent, but quiet; that is, when an unruly affection troubles them not, they think that now that sin is mortified; but they are deceived, for it is with sin, as with a disease; A man that is sick of a fever, so long as he is asleep he feels no pain, because sleep takes away the sense of it; but when he is awake, then presently he feels his pain afresh: Even so, when sin doth awake them out of sleep, then they shall find it was not mortified, but they only asleep. Samson, Judge. 16, so long as he was asleep in his sin, thought all was well, and that his strength was not gone; but when he awakes out of sleep, his sin awakes, and then with much sorrow he finds that his sin was not mortified, especially when he fell into his enemy’s hands.
Thirdly, sin may seem to be mortified when it is but removed from one sin unto another, when it is removed from a less to a greater, or from a greater to a less. As for example, A man may not be so covetous as he was, and think with himself that this his sin is mortified, when as indeed it is not mortified, but only removed unto another; for now it may be he is grown ambitious, and seeks after honor, and therefore it stands not now with his reputation and credit to be covetous: hereupon he may grow bountiful, and nevertheless his sin of covetousness be unmortified: And so for drunkenness, and such as desire pleasure, their minds and delights may be changed, and the sin of the soul be not yet mortified. Sin is to the soul as diseases are to the body: now we know, that diseases of the body usually remove from one place to another, or at the least grow from a less to a greater: so it is with sin in the soul, it will remove from one faculty to another.
Fourthly, sin may seem to be mortified when the conscience is affrighted with the Judgments of God, either present upon him, or threatened against him: now by the power of restraining grace a man may be kept from sin; that is, he may so bridle his affections, that he may keep sin from the action, he may forsake drunkenness, covetousness, pride, and the like, and yet his sin be not mortified: for here is the difference between a man that hath his sin mortified, and one that hath not; The first is always careful, that his sin come not to action, he is careful and watchful over his ways and heart, as well when the Judgment is removed, as when he feels it: but the other hinders not sin longer than the hand of God is upon him; remove that, and then his care is removed.
Fifthly, sin may seem to be removed and mortified when the sap and strength of sin is dead, that is, when the strength of Nature is spent. As the Lamp goes out when oil is either not supplied or taken away, and yet the Lamp is still a Lamp, for let oil be supplied, and fire put unto it, and it will burn; so there may be not the action, and yet sin is not mortified in the heart; for he is as well affected to sin as ever he was, only the sap and strength of nature is gone; but if oil were supplied, that is, if strength of nature would but return, sin would be as quick and vigorous as ever it was.
Sixthly, good Education, when a man is brought up under good parents, or masters, he may be so kept under that sin may seem to be mortified, but let those be once at their own ruling, then it will appear that sin is not mortified in them; that is, that they have not lost their swinish disposition, only they are kept from fouling of themselves: As a Swine so long as she is kept in a fair meadow cannot foul herself, but if you give her liberty to go whither she list, she will presently be wallowing in the mire; even so, these are ashamed to defile themselves whilst they are under good education; but opportunity being offered, it will soon appear sin is not mortified.
The Use of this, briefly, is for Examination unto everyone to enter into his own heart, and examine himself by these rules whether his sin be mortified, or no; and accordingly to judge of him else.
The second Question is for the comforting of weak Christians: Seeing there is corruption in the heart, how shall I know that the lusts and stirrings of the heart proceed from a wounded Corruption, or else is the Action of an unmortified lust?
To this I answer, You shall know them by these rules:
CHAP. II.
Examine by These Rules
First, you shall know whether the lust in the heart be mortified, and proceed from a wounded heart or no, by the ground of it; that is, if it proceed from the right root, or arise from a deep humiliation wrought upon the soul, either by the Law, or by the Judgment, of God, whereby the Conscience is awakened to see sin in its own nature; and then a raising up of the soul by the apprehension of the love of God in Christ, and out of a love unto God to begin to mortify sin: if the heart in this case do fight against the spirit, that is, the lust of the heart, it is because it hath received the deadly wound; but if it be not out of love unto God that thou leekest sin, if thy heart, in this case, have much rebellion in it, whatsoever thou thinkest of thyself, sin is not mortified in thee: Everything proceeds from some Cause; if the Cause be good, the Effect must needs be good likewise: as (for instance) if the tree be good, the fruit must be good; but if the tree be evil, the fruit cannot be good: Let every man therefore examine himself upon this ground.
Secondly, you shall know it by the generality of it: For Mortification is general; and as death is unto the members of the body, so is Mortification unto the members of sin: now you know that the nature of death is to seize upon all the members of the body, it leaves life in none; so, where true Mortification is, it leaves life in no sin; that is, it takes away the commanding power of sin: For what is the life of sin, but the power of sin? Take away this power, and you take away this life. Therefore it is not sufficient to mortify one sin, but you must mortify all sins; to which purpose the holy Apostle here bids them Mortify; when he had exhorted them unto the general of mortification, then he subjoins divers particulars, as, Fornication, Uncleanness; of which hereafter, (God assisting) you shall hear. Hence then you learn it will not be sufficient for you to leave your covetousness, but you must leave your pride, your vain-glory: So also when thou hast slain sin in thy understanding, thou must mortify it in thy will, and affections; slay sin first in thy soul, and then slay it in the parts of thy body; and so examine yourselves whether you find this work of Mortification to be general.
Thirdly, you shall know whether your lust be mortified by this; Look if there be an equality between the life of grace, and the death of corruption; that is, if you find grace in measure answerable unto the measure of corruption which is mortified in thee, it is a sign thy sin is mortified; for as there is a dying unto sin, so there will be a quickening unto holiness; seeing the new man will begin to revive, when the old man begins to die; Grace will grow strong, when Corruption grows weak; and therefore the Apostle saith, Grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 3:18. As if he should say, you shall find by this whether the corruption of nature be slain in you, if you stand fast, (as in the former verse,) which you cannot do unless grace grow, except there be a proportion betwixt the life of grace, and the death of corruption: Therefore examine yourselves by this, whether you do find that you are quickened in grace, to pray, or hear, which is an excellent sign that sin is mortified.
Fourthly, you shall know whether your lasts are mortified by the continuance of them: For if sin be mortified, and have received her deadly wound, it will be but for the present, it will not continue; it may well rage and trouble thee for a time, but it is only now and then by fits; whereas an unmortified lust ever rageth. It is with sin in this case, as it is with a man that hath received his deadly wound from his enemy, he will not presently fly away, but will rather run more violently upon him that hath wounded him; yet let him be never so violent, in the middle of the action he sinks down; when he thinks to do the most harm, then he is the most unable, because he hath received his deadly wound, whereby he hath lost the strength and power of nature which otherwise might have prevailed: so it will be with sin, and with a mortified lust, it may rage in the heart, and seem to bear sway and rule over thee as lord, but the power and strength of sin is mortified, and sinks down, wanting ability to prevail; and why? Because it hath received its deadly wound: Indeed the most honest man, and the most sanctified that is, may have lust in his heart, and this lust may many times for the present be violent; yet though it rage, it cannot rule; it may strive, but it cannot prevail: therefore you may try yourselves by this, whether the corruptions and stirrings of your hearts proceed from a mortified lust, or no.
Now seeing Mortification is so hard a work, and yet a work that of necessity must be done: Men also be so hardly drawn to mortify their lusts, which they account as a part of themselves, not to be parted withal; for Nature herself hath implanted this principle in them, Every man ought to love himself, what then should move any man to mortify his lusts? Therefore for the better persuading of men unto this work, we will lay down some motives to move every man to mortify his corruptions.
The first Motive to move all men to mortify sin, is, Because there is no pleasure in sin: Sin cannot content the soul; for this is the nature of sin, the further a man goes on in sin, the further he goes on in sorrow, for in every degree of sin there is a degree of sorrow: As on the contrary, unto every degree of Grace, there is a degree of Joy; I say, the more thou gettest of grace and holiness, of Faith and Regeneration, the more peace of Conscience and spiritual Joy thou gettest; for Grace as naturally produceth Joy, as sin sorrow. Now if men did but consider this, that is, if they had any spiritual understanding to know that degrees of sin did bring degrees of sorrow, they would not so run unto sin as they do.
But they will object unto me, You are deceived, for there is pleasure in sin: we have found pleasure in sin, and what will you persuade us against our knowledge? Have we not reason to distinguish betwixt things which we know are of a contrary nature? Will you persuade men that honey is not sweet, who have tasted of it? If you should bring a thousand arguments, they will not prevail: even so we have felt sweetness in sin, therefore we cannot be persuaded to the contrary.
To this I answer, That the pleasure that is in sin, (if there be any pleasure) is no true solid pleasure, but a sick pleasure; such a pleasure as a man that is sick of a Feaver hath, a pleasure to drink; not because he hath a love to drink excessively, but because it is pleasing to his disease: even so, when men find pleasure in sin, it is not because it is true pleasure, but because it suits with their disease; that is, with their sin. Now that this is no true pleasure, appears, because that which gives true content unto the soul is Grace, whichever is accompanied with Faith in Christ; and this works that peace in the soul which passeth all understanding, Phil. 4:7, whereas sin makes not peace but war in the soul; and where there is war in the soul, that is, where the faculties of the soul are in a combustion amongst themselves, there can be no pleasure. A man that is sick of a dropsy may have pleasure to drink, but his pleasure depends upon his disease; if the disease were removed, the pleasure would cease.
The second Motive, is, Because when men go about to satisfy their lusts, they go about an endless work: Now men in outward things would not set themselves about a work if they did but know before that it would be endless; that is, that they could never finish it; for everyone loves to go about things of a finite nature, which may be accomplished: even so, if men did but know the nature of sin, they would not give themselves to satisfy their lusts, because they go about a work that is endless: for the nature of sin is like the Horseleech which the Wiseman speaks of, Prov. 30:15, that the more it is given, the more it craves, but is never satisfied; so, the more you seek to satisfy sin, the more it desires; like the fire, the more you cast into it, the more it burns: but if you will quench it, then detract from it; so, if thou wouldest have sin to die, then detract from thy pleasure, from thy covetousness, from thy pride. A man that is sick of a Feaver, if you would not increase his heat, then keep him from cold drink, and other things that are contrary to it; but if you do satisfy the disease in these things, you do increase it: so, if you would not go about an endless work, give your lusts a peremptory denial, please not sin; for if you do, you will displease God: let this therefore move men to mortify their lusts.
The third motive to move all men to mortify sin, is because of the great danger it brings a man unto; it makes a man liable unto all the Judgments of God, it takes God’s special protection from a man, it fills the heart full of slavish fear; it is like a quagmire which may seem to be firm and solid, but being once in it, the more you strive to get out, the greater danger you are in: Like a bird that is taken with a gin, the more she seeks to escape, the faster she is holden by it; so it is with sin, it carrieth a fair show, it will pretend much good, but take heed of falling into it, for if you be once in it, it will be a hard matter to escape. The Understanding is the Porter of the soul; so long as there is spiritual life in the soul, the rest of the faculties do partake of it, and so the whole is preserved; now sin blinds the understanding, and when the understanding is mis-informed, it mis-informs the will and affections; that is, it breeds a disorder in the soul: and when once there is a disorder in the soul, and among the faculties, then the means of grace becomes unprofitable: To this effect the Apostle saith, They became blind in their understanding, and then they fell unto noisome lusts, giving themselves unto a customary sinning, they became blind in their understandings; that is, it put out their eyes, it made them blind as beetles; and when a man is blind, he will run upon any danger, because he sees it not: even so, when sin hath put out the eye of the mind, the soul is in marvelous great danger of falling irrecoverably: therefore let this move men to mortify sin.
The fourth Motive to move all men to mortify sin, Is, Ie sin will deceive men: Now there Is no man that would willingly be cozened, every man would be plainly dealt withal; therefore if men did but know this, that if they gave way unto their lusts, they would befool them, surely men would not be so easily led away by them. But men will not believe this, they cannot conceive how there should be such deceit in sin, seeing they are of so near a conjunction, as to be a part of themselves: and therefore I will show you how sin doth cozen them, and that in these particulars: First, it makes a man a fool, by blinding the understanding; and when he is thus blinded, he is led away to the committing of every sin: and therefore it is said, 1 Pet. 1:14. Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; that is, before you were enlightened, your lusts had made you fools by taking away your understandings, and putting out the eye of your minds, but now fashion not yourselves, suffer not sin to blind you again, seeing you now see.
Secondly, it doth cozen you by making large promises: if thou wilt be a wanton person, it will promise thee much pleasure; if ambitious, much honor; if covetous, much riches: nay, if thou wilt be secure, careless, and remiss for spiritual things, as grace, and justification, and remission of sins, it will make thee as large a proffer as the devil sometime made unto Christ, Mat. 4:4. All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me: So, it may be he will promise thee salvation and life everlasting, but he will deceive thee, for it is none of his to bestow; if he give thee anything it shall be that which he promised not, and that is, in the end, horror of conscience and destruction.
Thirdly, by promising to depart whensoever thou wilt have it: Oh, saith sin, but give me entertainment for this once, be but a little covetous, a little proud, or ambitious, and I will depart whensoever thou wilt have me: But give way unto sin in this case, and thou shalt find it will deceive thee; for sin hardens the heart, dulls the senses, and makes dead the conscience, so that now it will not be an easy matter to dispossess sin when it hath taken possession of the soul. It is not good to let a thief enter into the house upon such conditions; therefore the Apostle saith, Heb. 3:23. Take heed lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; that is, sin will promise you this and that, but believe it not, it will deceive you.
Fourthly, in the end when we think it should be our friend, it will be our greatest enemy: for instead of life, it will give us death; it will witness against us, that we are worthy of death, because we have neglected the means of grace, neglected to hear, to pray, and to confer; and what was the cause of this remissness but sin, and yet it accuseth us of what itself was the cause. Now what greater enemy can a man possibly have than he that shall provoke him to a wicked fact, and then after accuse him for it: therefore let this move men to mortify their lusts.
The fifth Motive to move all men to hate sin, is, Because it makes us Rebels against God; and who would be a Rebel, and Traitor against God and Christ, who was the cause of his being? The Apostle saith, Being servants unto sin, we become servants of unrighteousness, Rom. 6:19, that is, if we suffer sin to reign in us, then we become servants of unrighteousness, rebels unto God, and enemies unto Christ, who love righteousness: now he that is a friend unto God, loves that which God loves, and hates that which God hates; but he that is not, loves the contrary, for unrighteousness is contrary to God, and he that loves it, is a rebel against God: Every lust hath the seed of rebellion in it, and as it increaseth, so rebellion increaseth: therefore let this move men to mortify sin.
The sixth Motive to move men to mortify sin, is, Because sin will make us slaves to Satan: The Apostle saith, That to whomsoever you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, Rom. 6:16, that is, if you do not mortify your lusts, you will be slaves to your lusts, they will bear rule over you; and miserable will be your captivity under such a treacherous lord as sin is: therefore if you would have Christ to be your Lord and Master, if you would be free from the slavery of Satan, then fall a slaying of your lusts, otherwise you cannot be the servants of God: let this move men also to mortify sin.
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