Mortification of Sin

To break men off from particular sins , and not to break their hearts , is to deprive ourselves of advantages of dealing with them . And herein is the Roman mortification grievously faulty ; they drive all sorts of persons to it , without the least consideration whether they have a principle for it or no . Yea , they are so far from calling on men to believe , in order that they may be able to mortify their lusts , that they call men to mortification instead of believing . The truth is , they neither know what is is to believe , nor what mortification itself intends . Faith with them is a general assent to the doctrine taught in thgeir church ; and mortification is the betaking of a man by a vow to some certain course of life , wherein he denies himself something of the use of the things of this world , not without a considerable compensation . Such men know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God . Their boasting of their mortification is but their glorying  in their shame .
     Some casuists among ourselves , who , overlooking the necessity of regeneration , do avowedly give this for a direction to all sorts of person who complain of any sin or lust , that they should vow against it , at least for a season , a month or so , seem to have a scantling of light in the mystery of the Gospel , much like that of Nicodemus when he first came to Christ . They bid men vow to abstain from their sin for a season . This commonly makes their lust more impetuous . Perhaps with great perplexity they keep their word , perhaps not , which increases their guilt and torment . Is their sin at all mortified thereby ? Do they find a conquest over it ?Is their condition changed , though they attain a relinguishment of it ? Are they not still in the gall of bitterness?  Is this not to put men to make brick ,if not without straw yet , which is worse , without strength ? What promise hath any unregenerate man to countenance him in this work ? What assistance for the performance of it ? Can sin be killed without an interest in the death of Christ , or mortified without the Spirit ? If such directions should prevail to change men's lives , as seldom they do , yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or conditions . They make men self- justifiers or hypocrites , not Christians .
      It grieves me ofttimes to see poor souls , that have a zeal for God and a desire of eternal welfare , kept by such directors and directions , under a hard burdensome , outside worship and service of God , with many specious endeavours for mortification , in an utter ignorance of the righteousness of Christ , and unaquaintedness with his Spirit , all their days . Persons and things of this kind , I know too many . If ever God shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of his glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ , they will see the folly of their present way .         John Owen