December 28

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.

We must not only be strangers here, but we must be crucified too, "dead unto the world:" that is, we must not only deny our vices, but our passions; not only contradict the immediate persuasion to sin, but also cross the inclination to it. So long as our appetites are high and full, we shall never have peace or safety, but the dangers and insecurities of a full war and a potent enemy; we are always disputing the question, ever struggling for life: but when our passions are crucified, when our desires are little and low, then grace reigns, then "our life is hid with Christ in God." Every degree of mortification endures reproof without murmur; but he that is quite dead to the world, and to his own will, feels no regret against, and hath no secret thoughts of trouble and unwillingness to the suffering, save only that he is sorry that he deserves it. "For so a dead body resists not your violence, changes not its posture you placed it in, strikes not its striker, is not moved by your words, nor provoked by your scorn, nor is troubled when you shrink with horror at the sight of it; only it will hold the head downward in all its situations, unless it be hindered by violence:" and a mortified spirit is such, without indignation and scorn, without revenge against injuries, without murmuring at low offices, nor impatient in troubles, indifferent in all accidents, neither transported with joy, nor depressed with sorrow, and is humble in all his thoughts. And thus "he that is dead," saith the apostle, "is justified from sins." And this is properly a state of life, in which, by the grace of Jesus, we are restored to a condition of order and interior beauty in our faculties; our actions are made moderate and humane, our spirits are even, and our understandings undisturbed.

For passions of the sensitive soul are like an exhalation, hot and dry, borne up from the earth upon the wings of a cloud, and detained by violence out of its place, causing thunders, and making eruptions into lightning and sudden fires. There is a tempest in the soul of a passionate man; and though every wind does not shake the earth, nor rend trees up by the roots, yet we call it violent and ill weather, if it only makes a noise and is harmless. And it is an inordination in the spirit of a man, when his passions are tumultuous and mighty; though they do not determine directly upon a sin, they discompose his peace, and disturb his spirit, and make it like troubled waters, in which no man can see his own figure and just proportions; and therefore, by being less a man, he can not be so much as a Christian, in the midst of so great indispositions. For although the cause may hallow the passion, yet the cause can not secure the person from violence, transportation, and inconvenience. When Elisha was consulted by the kings concerning their prospects in their present expedition, he grew so angry against idolatrous Joram, and was carried on to so great degrees of disturbance, that when, for Jehoshaphat's sake, he was content to inquire of the Lord, he called for a minstrel, who, by his harmony, might recompose his disunited and troubled spirit, that so he might be apter for divination. And sometimes this zeal goes besides the intentions of the man, and beyond the degrees of prudent or lawful; and engages in a sin, though at first it was zeal for religion. For so it happened in Moses, "at the waters of Massa and Meribah, he spake foolishly;" and yet it was when he was zealous for God, and extremely careful of the people's interest. For his passion, he was hindered from entering into the land of promise. And we also, if we be not moderate and well-tempered, even in our passions for God, may, like Moses, break the tables of the law, and throw them out of our hands, with zeal to have them preserved; for passion violently snatches at the conclusion, but is inconsiderate and incurious concerning the premises. The sum and purpose of this discourse, is that saying of our blessed Saviour, "He that will be my disciple must deny himself;" that is, not only desires that are sinful, but desires that are his own, pursuances of his own affections, and violent motions, though to things not evil, or in themselves contagious.

"Jesus, my life, thyself apply, Thy Holy Spirit breathe; My vile affections crucify, Conform me to thy death."