Hatred of sin as sin, not only as galling or disquieting, a sense of the love of Christ in the cross, lie at the bottom of all true spiritual mortification.

The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it.

If the Word does not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us.

We need to attend diligently to the state of our soul, and to deal fervently and effectively with God about it.

There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.

We must not be concerned only with that which troubles us, but with all that troubles God.

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.