The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depends on our mortification of deeds of the flesh.

If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: ‘God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled.’ When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage.

Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until it be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death.

If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them.

All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless, it must be done by the Spirit.

Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.

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