The First And Principal Duty Of A

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.

Sin Also Carries On Its War By Entangling The Affections And Drawing Them Into An Alliance Against The Mind. Grace May Be Enthroned In The Mind, But If Sin Controls The Affections, It Has Seized A Fort From Which It Will Continually Assault The Soul. Hence, As We Shall See, Mortification Is Chiefly Directed To Take Place Upon The Affections.

So Great An Advantage Is Given To Sin And Satan By Your Temper And Disposition, That Without Extraordinary Watchfulness, Care, And Diligence, They Will Prevail Against Your Soul.

Many There Are Who, Not Comprehending, Not Being Affected With, That Divine, Spiritual Description Of The Person Of Christ Which Is Given Us By The Holy Ghost In The Scripture, Do Feign Unto Themselves False Representations Of Him By Images And Pictures, So As To Excite Carnal And Corrupt Affections In Their Minds. By The Help Of Their Outward Senses, They Reflect On Their Imaginations The Shape Of A Human Body, Cast Into Postures And Circumstances Dolorous Or Triumphant; And So, By The Working Of Their Fancy, Raise A Commotion Of Mind In Themselves, Which They Suppose To Be Love Unto Christ.

All Attempts, Then, For Mortification Of Any Lust, Without An Interest In Christ, Are Vain.