4. As they are under different assisting powers, so they are under a distinct covenant. The carnal are under the covenant of works, the duty of which is to them impossible, and the penalty intolerable. They are under the condemning power of the law : Rom. viii. 6, ' To be carnally minded is death ; it maketh them liable to the death threat-
440 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. VI.
ened in the first covenant. But, on the contrary, they that are under the blessed conduct of God's Holy Spirit, and obey the dictates of the new nature begun in them, are under a covenant of grace, where their sincere obedience shall be accepted, and their failings pardoned : Gal. V. 18, ' If ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.' They are still under the law, as a rule of obedience, but they are not under the curse and rigour of the law. The law in its rigour pronounceth death on every failing ; so they are not under the law ; but being in some measure enabled to do what the law requires, they are pardoned in what they fall short,
5, These two covenants issue themselves into two places or eternal states, heaven and hell. To the carnal, the scripture denounceth God's eternal wrath; to the spiritual, God's favour and life eternal. The scripture is plain and positive with us : Kora, viii. 13, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye, through the spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live : ' Gal. vi. 8, ' He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.' All mankind, after they have acted their parts in this world, and God cometh to shift the stage, go into one of these two places. Well then, here is our first step, that the whole world is comprised in one of these two ranks ; there is no neutral or middle state ; either they are guided by the flesh (as all men are in their unregeneracy) — and if they continue so in a constant slavery to their lusts, their end shall be everlasting perdition — or else they are guided by the Spirit and obey the motions of grace, and make it their business and main employment to please God, and enjoy communion with God ; and their end shall be eternal life. It is a question you should often and seriously put to your souls, Shall I be saved, or shall I be damned ? If you have any sense and spark of conscience left you when you are sick and dying, you will then put it with great trembling and anxiousnesa of heart. Poor soul ! whither am I now going ? It is better to put it now, when you have opportunity to correct your error, if hitherto you have gone wrong. Every man would know his own destiny, what shall become of him, or what is in the womb of futurity, concerning the state of his afiairs ; as the King of Babylon stood in the heads of the way, to make divination. Now, no destiny deserves so much to be known as this. If the question were, shall I be rich or poor ? happy, or miserable in the world ? it were not of such great moment ; for these distinctions do not out-live time, but cease at the grave's mouth ; but this question is of greater moment than so, whether I shall be eternally miserable, or eternally happy? It is foolish curiosity to inquire into other things ; they are not of such importance that we should know them beforehand ; but it concerneth us much, to know whether we be in a damnable or saveable condition ; if we be in a damnable condition, to know it whilst we have time to remedy it ; if we are heirs of salvation, the assurance of our interest will preoccupate our blessedness, and will be a great encouragement to us in the way of holiness for the present. Now, nothing will sooner decide this great question than the business we have in hand, whether we be after the flesh or after the spirit ; for between these two, heaven and hell is divided. These two divide both the present world and the world to
VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 441
come. I thought good to premise this, that you may consider the weight of the case in hand.
JDoct. 2. That these two sorts of men have two different objects, the things of the spirit and the things of the flesh, ra rov irveufiaTo^ koI to, TTJ<; aapKO'i ; the one suits with the one, and the other with the other.
1. ra rrj<i <TapKo<i — the things of the flesh. Let us first know what is meant by flesh, and then we shall better understand what are the things of the flesh.
By the flesh is not meant the mass and substance of our fleshly bodies, or the outward part in which our soul is seated, and by which it per- forraeth its functions and operations, but the vitiosity and corruption of human nature, inclining and addicting itself to the interests of the bodily life. There are the inclinations of the flesh, and the interests of the flesh. The inclinations of the flesh are the evil lustings of corrupt nature ; and the interests of the flesh are the things that feed this corruption, or gratify these evil inclinations ; the same with ra (TapK.o<;, in ^he text. Nowthese are of two sorts :