SEKMON VII.
They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; and they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. — Rom. viii. 5.
I PROCEED now to the application of the former discourse :
Use I. To put us upon serious self-reflection, of what sort are we ?
after the flesh, or after the spirit P I pray let us go to a thorough
search and trial ; and to deal more plainly in it,
1. Consider there are three sorts of persons in the world : —
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[1.] Some are wholly carried away by the desires of the flesh, and seek their happiness here but neglect things to come. The case is clear, that they are after the flesh, and so for the present in a state of <leath and damnation. And they had need to look to it betimes ; for ' to be carnally minded is death,' meritorie et effective. They provoke God to deny them life, whom they despise for their lusts' sake, and dispense with their duty to him to satisfy some foolish and inordinate desire : and effective, they have no sound belief, nor desire of the world to come : and do you think God will save them against their wills, and thrust and force these things upon them without their consent, or beside their purpose and inclination P No, it will not be. Surely there is no difficulty in the case, to state their condition, who grossly set more by their lusts than by their obedience to God. The things of the flesh are the chief scope and business of their lives ; and they care not whether God be pleased or displeased, obeyed or diso- beyed, honoured or dishonoured, a friend or an enemy ; so the flesh be pleased, that is all their desire and aim.
[2.] There is another sort of men, who do many things that are good, but the flesh too often gets the upper hand ; and though they do many things that appertain to the spirit, yet in other things they show they are influenced by the carnal life, as is evident.
[3.] Some unquestionably show they are after the spirit, by their deep sense of heavenly things, their care about them, their diligence and watchfulness over the desires and inclinations of the flesh, and holding a hard hand over the passions and affections thereof, and their serious endeavours to please God. There is no doubt but these are born of God.
All the difficulty is about the middle sort, to understand their condition. They must be again distinguished : —
1. Some are not far off" from the kingdom of God.
2. Others are actually admitted, though grace be in some weak degree.
(1.) For the first — those that are not far from the kingdom of God. They are such as have the grace of the third ground described : Luke viii. 14, ' And that which fell among thorns, are they who, having heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and the pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.' They have good senti- ments of religion, and retain them longer than the stony ground doth, but they are over-mastered with the cares of this world, and voluptuous living, so as that they attain not to the perfection of that holy and heavenly life that should be in Christians. . They do not lay aside the profession, but have not felt the power of Christianity in mortifying their fleshly and worldly lusts, that they may be more at liberty for God, and the duties of their heavenly calling; and so cherish a kind of imperfect Christianity, which little honoureth God in the world, or doth good to their own souls. They are neither wholly on nor off from religion. The bane of it is, that carnal and temporal things lie too near their hearts, so that they cannot fully commence into the divine life, and never took pains to overcome the natuial spirit, which lusteth to sensuahty, envy, pride, and worldliness. There are some good things found in them ; but the carnal minding is not mortified, nor
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doth the meek, holy, heavenly spirit prevail in them. There are- others —
(2.) Who are regenerate; but grace is weak in them, and corruptions break ont, and shake off the empire of grace for a time, though it habitually prevails, and governs their actions. Now for the former, we must persuade them to get a good and a honest heart ; that is, that their intentions be more sincere and fixed, their way more thorough and exact, lest they get a name for religion, to do a mischief to it. For most of the calamities of the church, and the prejudices against religion, and hardening by scandals and blemishes, come from that sort of men, and are to be laid at their doors. And for the second, we are to advise them, and call upon them to distinguish themselves from the carnal state more clearly and explicitly. For though God may accept them, yet whilst they border too near . upon the carnal world, it is in vain to find out evidences whereby they may assure their hearts before God ; for though God possibly hath given them saving grace, and will accept them at last, yet he will not give them assurance ; and we do but perplex cases of conscience, to reconcile the tenor of Christianity with their weak state. Exhortation doth better than trial. If they be sincere, they will come on in the way of godliness, and then that which was doubtful will be more clear and satisfactory, and their sincerity will be more unquestionable.