You have tuned in to the Voice of the Narrated Puritan, a class on Christian Experience and Assurance. Today is A Study of Sin and Temptation by John Owen Lesson number 2. Let me start by reading a letter that came to me. A little over a year ago, it says, hello sir, I'm absolutely at the end of myself and I have no one to speak to about it. So I'm contacting you as a sort of last ditch effort. Well, a little footnote here, that happens a lot. A lot of times people will write to me because they've had one or two counseling sessions with their pastor and the pastor gets flummoxed. because these people are in some kind of melancholy or introversion of a deeper despair, and a pastor isn't able to help them. The study of Christian experience, what the Puritans called casuistry, is really falling on soft times. But let me go on with the letter. I'm 22 years old. I was saved when I was 19 years old after a season of very deep conviction of sin. and my crying out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save me. In the following weeks and months, I had many experiences of a heavenly and rapturous joy over the salvation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that I would constantly preach it to myself. and I was overflowing with the living waters bubbling up within me. It was as if I was in heaven, those very moments, and like Mary at the feet of Jesus, weeping and worshipping Him for His infinite love and saving me. I felt like I had such a nearness to God, such a freeness in prayer, such earnest strivings after holding us such fiery zeal to serve the Lord. Such easy repentance that I can say without a doubt it was the most joyous time of my life. I loved the Word of God and what I could tell of my conformity to it, and I longed to be conformed to it even more. These were experiences as such that I'm absolutely certain no man can conjure up on his own. That lasted, I would say, for a couple of months before I started to deal with sudden and very unexpected experiences of doubt. temptations to doubt the genuineness of my conversion, of God's Word, and all number of fiery darts which were being leveled at me, all of which frightened me very greatly, but which the Lord graciously carried me through. I had by and by continued to spiritually decline gradually from this point on, but it was still exceedingly joyful over my newfound freedom in Christ. and was very zealous to give up every second of my life to the glory of God, serving Him in whatever way He saw fit, no matter how painful or lonely a path it may be. If only I could give my all and all to him. About six months later, I began working a job at the place that I'm still at today. The work environment was very toxic, hostile, and worldly. Well, if he's still working there, probably still is very toxic, hostile, and worldly. Many of us go through this. I was a letter carrier for 26 years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You're not working alongside a bunch of people who are aiming to mortify the flesh and to serve God in this world. But he goes on to say, through my own negligence, not realizing the power of indwelling sin which yet remained in me, I was badly influenced by the godlessness of this environment and I fell into many grievous sins, worldliness, crudeness, bitterness, and so on. My spiritual state only continued to darken, though now at a much faster rate. I was no longer able to draw near to God in prayer, or to delight in reading His word. My desires to strive after holiness and glorify God and all I did grew weaker and weaker to the point that they became imperceptible. Over the course of the past two and a half years, I have grown worse and worse. and worse, to the point where I feel totally and completely dead and hardened. Notice, this is what he feels. I feel totally dead and completely hardened. The first counsel that you would give to such a person is if you feel these things, you feel like you are spiritually dead and hardened in your heart. That itself is conviction of sin. A person who is completely unregenerate and yet also totally an enmity against God, does not feel these things. But he says, I find that although I'm aware of my sin intellectually, there no longer remains a godly sorrow as I once had. I find myself completely hardened, deadened, and even stupefied by it. This is the only way that I know how to describe it, hardness and deadness. I cannot pray. If I try, it's as if it is merely the work of my lips. There's no godly sorrow attending them, and the Lord himself seems to shut out my prayers. Furthermore, I know that my prayers and repentance are not genuine anymore. seeing as they do not produce a fruit of genuine repentance and faith. I'm not really sure what he is saying here. I don't think he's really reasoning that through. Are you saying that he that has begun a good work in you will not perform it until the day of Christ Jesus? I have an answer to this letter, which I'll get to later on at the end of this lesson. But he says, my heart just keeps hardening. My mind and my understanding grow darker and darker, end quote. Well, for the present, I want to talk about how the failure to mortify sin, the failure to guard our thoughts and guard our heart, Proverbs 4, verse 23, and how that will deprive us of our spiritual strength, comfort, and joy. John Owen wrote, in The Mortification of Sin, Mortification of sin prevents sin from depriving us of spiritual strength and comfort. Every sin that is not killed by the Spirit will certainly won, both weaken the soul and steal its strength from it, and, number two, darken the soul to steal away its comfort and peace. But we need to define what mortification of sin is. So many times on Facebook, I see the meme, be killing sin or sin will be killing you, John Owen. That's about as much as I know anything about John Owen. But what is it to mortify sin? But let's look at his outline of Romans chapter 3, verse 13. He says it has five key points that need to be considered. points that he will develop at greater length in the following chapters of his work. These five points are as follows. First, Paul's term mortify is a verb It is a command, and thus there is, in John Owen's words, a duty prescribed. Second, the people to whom the command is addressed are referred to as you, in John Owen's version, and you. Third, John Owen says, there is a promise added to that command, namely, if you put to death, you will live. Fourth, there is a cause or means associated with the performance of the duty, namely, it is to be done by the Spirit. Fifth, and finally, John Owen observes that there is a condition which governs the outcome of Paul's proposition here. The condition is expressed by the little word, if. In order to really follow the rest of his argument, you would do well have been memorized a verse to run through these points in your mind's eye to make sure they are clear to you. Mortify. Kill. Sin. That is, extinguish and destroy all that force and vigor of corrupted nature which inclines to earthly, carnal things. It is the opposite to that spiritual man. heavenly life, and its actions which we have in and from Christ as was before declared to kill, to affect with, or destroy by death. But yet this word is used by our Apostle not absolutely to destroy and to kill, so as that which is mortified or killed should no longer ever have any being, but that it should be rendered useless as to what its strength and vigor would produce. Mortification of sin is a duty always incumbent on us, or always required of us, or always commanded of us. In the whole course of our obedience, this command testifies which represents it as an always present duty. When it is no longer a duty to grow in grace, it will no longer be so to mortify sin. No man under heaven can at any time say that he is exempted from this command. nor in any pretense, and he who ceases from this spiritual duty lets go all endeavours after holiness. 2. This duty, the mortification of sin, being always required of us, argues undeniably the abiding in us of a principle of sin, while we are in the flesh, which, with its fruits, is that which is to be mortified. This scripture calls the sin that dwells in us, the evil that is present with us, the law that wars in our members, evil concupiscence, lust, the flesh, and the like. And to this end are the properties and actings of folly, deceit, tempting, seducing, rebelling, warring, captivating, inscribed. And number three, entwelling sin, which is the object of this duty of mortification, falls under a threefold consideration. First, of its root and principle. Secondly, of its disposition and operations. And thirdly, of its effects. First, the root or principle of sin, which by nature possesses all the faculties of the soul, And as the depraved habit inclines to all that is evil, this is in scripture called the old man, so-called in opposition to the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Secondly, there is the inclination, what you are inclined to, the actual disposition, what you are disposed to, and operations of this principle or habit which is called the body of sin with the members of it. For under these expressions sin is proposed as in a readiness to act itself and inclining to all that is evil. And this also is expressed by the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5 verse 24. The deceitful lusts. Ephesians 6 verse 22. The old man is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, the will of the flesh and of the mind. CHAPTER 2 VERSE 3 Thirdly, there are the EFFECTS, the FRUITS, the PRODUCTS of these things, which are ACTUAL SINS, and which, as the Apostle speaks, we serve sin, as bringing forth the FRUITS of it. That, henceforth, we should not serve sin, is our goal. ROMANS 6 VERSE 6 And the FRUITS of sin are of two sorts, first, INTERNAL, in the figments and imaginations of the heart, which is the first way in which the lusts of the old man act themselves. 4. This principle and its operations and effects are opposed and directly contrary to the principle Operations and Fruits of Holiness as they are worked in us by the Spirit of God, which we have before described. In Galatians 5.17, in those who doubt and teach, did Paul in Romans 7.14-25 He's talking about the struggling of a believer with his indwelling sin. It's so parallel to Galatians 5.17. I don't know how they could derive that conclusion. Because that verse says, a flesh lusts against a spirit, and a spirit against a flesh, such that you cannot do what you would do. These are those two adverse principles which maintain such a conflict in the souls of believers while they're in this world, and which is so graphically described by our apostle Romans 7. So the old and new men are opposed and contrary one to the other. Secondly, in their actions, the lusting of the flesh and the lusting or desires of the spirit, walking after the flesh, as opposed to walking after the Spirit. Living after the flesh and living in the Spirit are opposed also. This is the opposition that is between the body of sin with its members and the life of grace. 5. There being this universal contrariety, they are contrary one to another. opposition, contending, and warfare between grace and sin, the spirit and the flesh, and their inward principles, powers, operations, and outward effects. The work and duty of mortification consists in a constant taking part with grace and its principal actings and fruits against the principal actions Now the mortification of sin must consist in the three things. First, the cherishing and improving of the principle of grace and holiness which is implanted in us by the Holy Spirit at the new birth. By all the ways and means which God has appointed, we must do this. Secondly, infrequent actings of the principle of grace in all duties, internal and external, pervert the inclinations, motions, and actings of the Spirit. In all of its acts, duties and fruits of holy obedience are vigorous and kept in constant exercise. In other words, you're keeping up with it. Paul says, I buffet my body and bring it under subjection. It's a constant thing. It's a never-ending fight. The contrary motions and actings of the flesh then are defeated. Thirdly, in the due application of the principle power and actings of grace by way of opposition to the principle power and actings of sin, as the whole of grace is opposed to the whole of sin. So there is no particular lust in which sin can act as power, but there is a particular grace ready to make effectual opposition to it, in which it is mortified. And in this application of grace, In its actings, in opposition to all the actings of sin, consists the mystery of this great duty of mortification." Archibald Alexander, again quoting thoughts on religious experience, quote, Young converts are prone to depend too much on their joyful frames. and they love high excitement in their devotional exercises. But their Heavenly Father cures them of this folly, this folly of walking only by their feelings, by leaving them for a season to walk in darkness and struggle with their own corruptions. When most sorely pressed and discouraged, however, he strengthened them with might in the inner man. By the way, you may recognize that language. It's a prayer of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3 verses 14 to 21. He enables them to stand firmly against temptation, or if they backslide, he quickly restores them. And by such exercises, they become much more sensible of their entire dependence than they were at first. Well, a footnote, I've been in this way coming on 45 years. Only now am I really sensible of my entire dependence than I was at first. But he says they learn to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long, and to distrust entirely their own wisdom and strength, and to rely for all needed aid on the grace of Jesus Christ. Now, such a soul will not readily believe that it is growing in grace. But to be emptied of self-dependence and to know that we need aid for every spiritual duty, and even for every good thought, is an important step in our progress in piety. The flowers may have disappeared from the plant of grace, and even the leaves may have fallen off and wintry blasts may have shaken it, but now it is striking its roots deeper and becoming every day stronger to endure the rugged storm from the chapter Growth and Grace. Well, John Owen talks about strengthening the new principle, strengthening the new man. But if we were honest, as I had to come to the conclusion after a long, long time of reading these words, That language is somewhat abstract from us. So let me read another paragraph from John Owen's work, and this is from the work on the Holy Spirit, Collected Works, Volume 3, which came out in 1874. The original title, The Mortification of Sin, came out in 1656. He says, it is evident from what we have been discoursing that it is a work which has a gradual progress and a proceed in which we must continually be exercised in its respects in the first place the principle of sin itself. Every day and in every duty a special eye is to be had to the abolition and destruction of this principle, this law and its effects, the law of indwelling sin. It will not otherwise die, but being gradually and constantly weakened, spare it, and it heals its wounds and recovers strength. Hence many who have attained to a great degree in the mortification of sin due by their negligence allow it, in some instance or other, so to take head again that they never recover their former state while they live. And this is the reason why we have so many withering professors among us. They are in a spiritual decay as to their graces, and they are fruitless in their lives in every way conformed to the world. There are some indeed who, being under the power of that blindness and darkness, which is a principal part of the deprivation of our nature, do neither see nor discern the inward secret actings and motions of sin, its deceit, and restlessness. It's mixed in itself one way or other in all our duties, with the defilement and guilt in which these things are accompanied. Who judge that God scarce takes notice of anything but outward actions, And it may be not much of them neither, so as to be displeased with them, unless they are very foul indeed. which yet is easily entreated to pass by an excuse who judges duty superfluous, despising both the confession and mortification of sin and its fruit and principle of it. But those who have received most grace and power from above against it are of all others the most sensible of its power and guilt, and of the necessity of applying themselves continually to its destruction." OK, but how do we strengthen the new man? How do we give strength to the now principle that is warring against the flesh? Donovan says it is to be feared that the nature of this duty is not sufficiently understood or sufficiently considered. Men look upon it as an easy task and as that which will be carried on with a little diligence. and ordinary attendance. But do we think it is for nothing that the Holy Ghost expresses a duty of opposing sin and weakening its power by mortification, killing, or putting it to death? Is there not something what peculiar in this beyond any other active duty of our lives? Certainly there is intimated a great contest of sin for the preservation of its life. Everything will do its utmost to preserve its life and being. So will sin do also. And if it be not constantly pursued with diligence and holy violence, it will escape our assault. But here is the key. We need some explanation. Something to understand what it is to strengthen the new man, and how does that aid to put to death the remains of indwelling sin, or what is called the old man, the way and manner how he produces this effect to Holy Spirit. The foundation of all mortification of sin is from the inhabitation of the Spirit in us. He dwells in the persons of believers as in his temple, and so he prepares it for himself. Those defilements are pollutions which render the souls of men unfit. Habitations for the Spirit of God do all of them consist in, inherit sin and its effects. These, therefore, He will remove and subdue that He may dwell in us suitably to His holiness. Now, the manner of the actual operation of the Spirit of God in effecting this work of the mortification of sin, or how He puts sin to death, or how He enables us to mortify it, is to be considered. An acquaintance with this depends on the knowledge of the sin that is to be mortified, which we have before described. It is a vicious, corrupt habit, an inclination to sin, which is in us by nature, that is the principal object of this duty, or the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lust. When this is weakened in us, as to its power and efficacy, when its strength is abated and its prevalency destroyed, then is this duty in its proper discharge, and the mortification of sin is carried on in the soul. Now this the Holy Spirit does, first, by implanting in our minds and older faculties a contrary habit and principle, with contrary inclinations, dispositions, and actings, namely a principle of spiritual life and holiness bringing forth the fruits of it. By means of this is this work effected, for sin will no otherwise die, but by being put to death and slain. And whereas this is gradually to be done, it must be a warring and conflict, There must be something in us that is contrary to it, which opposing it, conflicting with it, does insensibly and by degrees, for it doesn't die at once, work out its ruin and destruction. These adverse principles with their contrariety. Opposition and conflict, the Apostle expressly asserts and describes as also their contrary fruits and actings. With the end of the whole, Galatians 5, verses 16 to 25, the contrary principles are the flesh and the spirit, and their contrary actings are enlusting and warring one against the other. Verse 16 of Galatians 5, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh is to mortify it, for it neither will nor can be kept alive if its lusts, or if its desires, are not fulfilled. And he gives a fuller account of this in verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other. If by the Spirit, the Spirit of God himself, be intended, yet he lusts not in us, but by virtue of that Spirit which is born of him, that is a new nature or holy principle of obedience which he works in us. In the way of their mutual opposition to one another, the Apostle describes at large in the following verses, by instancing in the contrary effects of the one and the other, But the issue of the whole is verse 24. They that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. They have crucified it. That is, they have fastened it to the cross where at length it may expire. And this is a way of it. Namely, the actings of the spirit against it. and the fruits produced by it. Hence he shuts up his discourse with this exhortation, If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. That is, if we are endowed with his spiritual principle of life, which is to live in the Spirit, then let us act, work, and improve that spiritual principle to the ruin and mortification of sin. This, therefore, is the first way in which the Spirit of God mortifies sin on us, and in compliance with it under his conduct do we regularly carry on his work and duty. That is, we mortify sin by cherishing the principle of holiness and sanctification in our souls, laboring to increase and strengthen it by growing in grace, and by constant in frequency and acting of it in all duties, on all occasions, abounding in the fruits of it, growing, thriving, and improving in universal holiness is a great way of the mortification of sin. The more vigorous the principle of holiness is in us, says John Owen. The more vigorous the principle, he says. Well, how do we make the principle more vigorous? Obviously, it's by prayer. the reading of the word, the fellowship with the saints, sitting in their good ministry and hearing good sermons, and above all, reading the Bible and filling your mind with the things strengthens the new principle. And as that is strengthened, it desires for that which is forbidden, that which is sin that indwells in us. Those desires, those inclinations, and those lusts will be weakened. And we do but deceive ourselves if we think sin will be mortified on any other terms. Men, when they are called in their consciences and disquieted in their minds with any sin or temptation, wherein their lusts or corruptions are either influenced by Satan or entangled by objects, occasions, and opportunities, set themselves oftentimes in a good earnest to oppose and subdue it by all the ways and means that they can think of. But all they do is in vain. and so they find it at last to their cost and sorrow. The reason is because they neglect discourse, without which never any one sin was truly mortified in the world, nor ever will so be. The course I intend is that of laboring universally to improve a principle of holiness, not in this or that way, but in all instances of holy obedience. This is that which will ruin sin, and without it nothing else will contribute anything to this end. Bring a man to the law, urge him with the purity of its doctrines, the authority of its commands, the severity of its threatenings, the dreadful consequences of its transgression. Suppose him convinced by this of the evil and danger of sin, of the necessity of its mortification and destruction. Will he be able hereon to discharge this duty so as that sin may die and a soul may live? The Apostle assures us of the contrary in Romans 7, 7 and 9. The whole effect of the application of the moral law and its power to indwelling sin is but to irritate it, to provoke it, and to increase its guilt. Now the Holy Spirit carries on this work in us as a grace and enables us to do it as our duty by those actual supplies and assistances of grace which he continually communicates to us. He communicates it to us. In Romans 5, it says He sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. For example, in Ephesians 3, it is said He strengthens us with power in the inner man. In Psalm 119, verse 32, David says, Enlarge my heart. So then I'll walk in the way of your commandments." And John Owen says, For the same divine operations, the same supplies of grace which are necessary to the positive acts and duties of holiness are necessary also to this end, that sin in the actual motions and lustings of it may be mortified. So the apostle issues his long account of the conflict between sin and the soul of a believer, and his complaint of it. With that good word, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, namely, who supplies me with gracious assistance against the power of sin. Temptation is successful only by sin, James 1.14. And it is with respect to a special temptation that the Lord Christ gives that answer to the Apostle. My grace is sufficient for you. 2 Corinthians 12 9 It is the actual supply of the Spirit of Christ that enables us to withstand our temptations and to subdue our corruptions. Well now, let's look at the letter that was sent to me that I read at the beginning of this lesson by reading another letter in the answer to that that was written in 1755 in Samuel Pike and in Samuel Hayward's case as a conscience. Reverend sir, I'm a person who has for some years been a professed follower of Jesus. I've had a place in his house. enjoy great privileges, and have advantages above many sitting under a sound, faithful, and tender minister. But under these means of fruitfulness, alas, I seem barren and unprofitable. I'm afraid that I go backward in religion and make advances in sin. And what is worse, my heart is so hard that I don't mourn over these declensions as I should. Therefore, I fear that I'm not properly affected by them. No sinner does a temptation offer itself than I fall in with it, so that I often think whether my refraining from gross immoralities is not more for the lack of temptations than from a real hatred of them and a love for holiness. And yet I hope I sincerely strive and pray and resolve against sin and the strength of Christ, being convinced that I have no strength sufficient of my own. But can I sincerely do this and fall so frequently? I attend on gospel ordinances, but I fear it is to little purpose being cold and lifeless under all of it. I hear of the love of Jesus sweetly displayed, but this icy, frozen heart is not melted. These languid and lifeless affections are not raised to nor fixed upon the Divine Redeemer. I am afraid to call Him my Redeemer lest I deceive my own soul, and yet I dare not say that I have no part in Him lest I be ungrateful and deny His saving work. So I am in a stray. But this I must say that I desire to call the glorious Savior my Lord and my God." But here is the answer that is given. This case consists of a variety of particulars which it would not be well to pass over without notice and I would consider some of the particular circumstances mentioned here. Let's take a view of the particular circumstances or complaints which the case consists of. These we find are various. He finds barrenness and unfruitfulness under the abundant means mentioned. Here coldness and lifelessness are complained of. Here there is a fear of going backward, and yet a mind that is not suitably affected by it. This person particularly complains of deadness at the Lord's Supper and of being carried away with temptations. This occasion of fear, lest his abstaining from gross immoralities, arises from a lack of temptations to do them. Rather than from a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, he is in a strait whether to conclude he has an interest in Christ or not. He is afraid that his frequent falls are inconsistent with an experience of the grace of God. And lastly, he is ready to conclude that he would sin less than neglecting the Lord's Supper. than in attending the ordinance because of its great coldness there. These are the various complaints a person makes, all of which are suitable to the experience of the Christian and therefore deserve consideration. It is an unspeakable mercy when we have a deep and humbling sense of our barrenness, deadness, and unprofitableness, and to be unable to spread it before the Lord. Some persons are indeed mere cumberers of the ground. They do not bring forth any real fruit. and yet they are entirely unconcerned about it. They enjoy all the privileges of the gospel, they are favored with all the means of grace, and yet they are absolutely unaffected by the great concerns of eternity. They are strangers to all real religion. But notwithstanding all this, they think well of themselves and say, like a hypocrite, stand by yourself and don't come near us, for we are holier than you. How awful is it to be in such a condition! But is that the case of this young man? He finds a coldness and indifference under these means and is afraid he is going backward rather than forward in his Christian walk. He complains of hardness and insensibility, but remember, felt hardness is not real hardness. I said this before, if you feel like you are hardened in your heart, that feeling is conviction. It is a groaning. It is a mourning that you be closed with a new body that does not sin. It is a blessing rather than a judgment and therefore it calls for thankfulness. It is stupidity, and remember I've said in past lessons, stupidity means abduracy, or hardness of heart, that is felt and lamented over, but not like the absolute stupidity of the impenitent sinner. Does he carry his complaints to God and tell Him of his coldness and his fears and his insensibility in his prayers? Does he appear humble in his own eyes on this account? Isn't he accusing himself of his ingratitude and abhorring himself for his vileness? This isn't an evidence of a hypocrite, but rather of a real Christian. A hypocrite who abstains from outward immoralities thinks all is well with him. The Christian appears vile and odious in his own eyes, an account of the sinfulness of his heart. Though he has no public sense to charge himself with, yet when he looks within he finds enough to make himself appear vile and despicable. It is a peculiar mercy to be made sensible of the plague, the wickedness, the coldness of her heart. and to be deeply humbled under it. The Spirit of God always shows a Christian what he is, so that he may the more readily acquiesce in the method of salvation exhibited in the Gospel. Remember, they that are sick are the ones that see they need a physician. So they go on to say, be thankful then, Christians, that your souls are not absolutely frozen and be numbed. but that you are sensible of, alarmed, and humbled for your indifference and lukewarmness, barrenness, and unfruitfulness under the means of grace. It is good evidence of our being Christians, indeed, when we are not easy and contented under such a sense of our barrenness and coldness. but find a heart filled with desires for, and unable to endeavor after, greater holiness. Are we satisfied with these complaints, or do we think it is enough to mention them? Do we willingly rest here? Don't we find a self-abhorrence on account of these things? Do we have no desire for liveliness of soul, as we should, nor concern to have better things of us? We pray for, we endeavor and strive after, greater degrees and measures of grace, if we do not experience this groaning. this morning for our inward coldness, then we are indeed asleep, like the foolish virgins in Matthew 25, and it is high time to awake. It is an awful circumstance to be like the door in its hinges, but to have no desire for an alteration. It is awful to sit down and feebly wish to be better, but cannot find the heart to pray and endeavor for a more spiritual frame and a growing conformity to God. This is sometimes pretty nearly the case with the Christian when he is under the power of any particular corruption. Sin is caused to great an insensibility in his soul and all of his spiritual powers appear asleep. This is the case with David when Nathan came to him. That would be in 2 Samuel chapter 12. But is it thus with you, my Christian mourner? May I answer for you and say no? Are you satisfied to be in such a condition? Don't you desire and long to have it otherwise with you? Indeed, don't you pray and cry and strive to have all things altered with you? Are you content with your feeble wishes? Sometimes you may appear to yourself to be in such a condition, but at other times aren't you full of holy concern about it? Don't you call upon your sleepy soul to awake? Don't you beg to feel the love of Christ melt in your hard and stony heart? Before your duties aren't you concerned to be kept from coldness and indifference? And at the close of your devotions aren't you humbled and ashamed under a view of your great imperfections? And don't you apply afresh a blood of Christ for pardon? And isn't all this the evidence of the Christian? Isn't there in all this a sense of the excellence of holiness, a real love for it, and therefore an evidence of a work of grace in the heart? O bless God, that it is us with you, that you can appeal to him, that you would have your soul filled with greater love for him and brought into a warmer and livelier frame. We should not make our fluctuating frames. nor are being led away by particular temptation a mark of our being hypocrites. We are not to judge ourselves by one particular action in our lives, or by an unbecoming spiritual frame, which may be led into through the power of temptation, but by the general tendency of our desires, frames, and conversations. Sometimes you find all dark within. You cannot call Christ your Savior. Sometimes you find this sad numbness. Your soul seems like the earth in the winter frost, hard and incapable of impression. The love of a compassionate Savior does not melt you when you hear it. All this is consistent with the real experience of the grace of God. These different spiritual frames are not uncommon. What must we conclude from them? They only show us the difference between earth and heaven. and to meet the state of imperfection we are in and the sad influence of sin, even in a renewed heart. But they do not by any means give us reason to conclude that we are but almost Christians. The hypocrite is generally in one frame, but the Christian's frames are over-fluctuating. The sky is not always clear. But just as the natural sky is sometimes serene and appears beautiful and pleasant, and at other times is stormy, dark, and tempestuous, so it is with the Christian soul. Do not then draw any discouraging conclusion from your various spiritual frames. Let a consideration of it keep you humble, make you watchful, and fill you with warmer desires for the heavenly world, where your love will never grow cold, nor your enjoyments meet with any interruption. But do not conclude from this that you are not Christians indeed. We should never maintain a godly jealousy over our hearts. We should take care and guard against unbelief. We should ever rejoice with trembling. On every eruption of sin and interruption of our frames, we should take the alarm, inquire, what is the reason for this, and watch our hearts with all diligence, knowing it is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17 9. Yet we are not to give way to disputes of unbelief, because our hearts are indeed treacherous. If we did so, we might always be under the power of distressing fears and never enjoy any satisfaction or peace, saying to ourselves, we may be deceived. There is a great difference between a godly jealousy and unbelief. If after examination our conscience does not condemn us, we have no reason to be uneasy. The person who submitted this case doesn't know what conclusion to draw concerning himself. He is afraid to say he is a Christian, for there are so many circumstances that appear discouraging. And yet he would not deny what God has done for him. He sees the evidences of it within himself. So don't hesitate between two opinions. If so far as you know your own heart, you have been enabled to surrender yourself to Jesus Christ and receive him in all of his offices that would be prophet, priest, and king. If your conscience does not contradict you when you say you hope you love the Redeemer, You may and should draw a favorable conclusion concerning your state and wait for the clear testimony of the Spirit to make it plain to you. Do not, my friend, be always disputing. That can be of no service to your soul. It will break in upon your peace. It will dishonor God and perhaps provoke Him to leave you in the dark for a time. All hope and trust in Him. Do not cast away your confidence. Endeavor to live in a thankful frame, considering what God has done for you, and rejoice in the evidences of His distinguishing grace, and give God all the glory." Well, that's just part of the answer to this, and if you want to hear the whole of it, it has been narrated. It is on the work, The Narrated Puritan on Sermon Audio. Under the case number four, how may a person judge whether a promise or a threatening comes from God? is brought by Satan to the soul. Thank you for tuning in to The Voice of the Narrated, peer-attended class on Christian experience and assurance, and in this case, the mortification of sin, its definition, by John Owen.