4.  This would be the believer’s constant work, to be “crucifying the flesh, with the lusts thereof; to be mortifying their members,” wherein the members of the old man quarter and lodge, Col. iii. 5; “to be spiritually minded, and to mind the things of the Spirit,” Rom. viii. 5, 6.  “For the carnal mind is enmity, against God,” Rom. viii. 7; “and so is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”  It is not only an enemy which may be reconciled, but enmity in the abstract, which never can be reconciled.  And this enmity will never be idle; for it cannot till it be fully and finally destroyed; “the flesh is always lusting against the spirit,’” Gal. v. 17; “for they are contrary one to the other.”  So that though, to our sense, it may sometimes appear as sleeping, in regard that it doth not by some particular lust so molest and perplex the soul as formerly it did:  yet it is restless, and may be more active in another lust, and so by changing weapons on us, deceive us.  Here then is much spiritual wisdom and vigilancy required.  When they think they have gotten one lust subdued, they must not think the war is at an end; but after all their particular victories, watch and pray, that they enter not into temptation.

5.  This way of laying the weight of the matter on Christ, should and will keep them humble, and teach them not to ascribe the glory of any good that is done unto themselves, but to give him all the glory, who is jealous of his glory, and will not give it to another, that the crown may alone flourish on his head, who is the captain of their salvation, and who by his Spirit worketh all their works in them.

6.  Nor would this way of carrying the matter to Christ, and putting it over on him, cause the believer become negligent in commanded duties, reading, hearing prayer, &c; for it is there he must expect to meet with Christ; there must he seek him, and there must he wait for him, and his Spirit to do the work desired.  For though he hath not limited himself to these means, so, as he cannot, or will not any other way help, yet he hath bound us to them; and it is our duty to wait there, where he hath commanded us to wait, though he should sometime think good to come another way, for the manifestation of the sovereignty of his grace.

7.  Yet while we are about the means, we would guard against a leaning to them, lest, instead of getting victory over corruption, we be brought more in bondage thereunto another way.  We must not think that our prayers, or our hearing, or reading, &c. will bring down the body of death, or subdue any one corruption; for that were but an yielding to corruption, and opening a back door to the carnal mind, and to another deadly lust, and a beating corruption with a sword of straw.  This is not to mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit, but through the flesh; and a fleshly weapon will never draw blood of this spiritual wickedness or old man, or of any corrupt lust or affection thereof; and yet how many times doth our deceitful heart bias us this way?  Our work would be, as is said, to use the ordinances as means, whereby we may get the business laid on Christ, and help from Christ to do the business.  We must go to the means with our prisoner to find Christ there at his court and assizes, that he may take course with the traitor.