(3.) Because God's dear children write bitter things against them- selves, either out of weaknessof judgment, or consciousness of too much prevalency of corrupt affections, and tenderness of God's honour, and trouble for their own imperfections, it will be necessary further to state- the point. There is to the very last, flesh and spirit in the best : Gal. V. 17, ' For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh ; ' yet there is enough to distinguish them from the carnal world ; and that is the potency and the predominancy of the spiritual principle. Denominatio est a potiori ; not from what is perfect, but from what is sincere, and habitually reigneth and beareth the upper hand in the soul. But then the question returneth, How shall we know the prevalency ? I answer —
[1.] Negatively. Not by a bare sense of duty, or a dictate of con- science, that showeth what ought to be done ; but many times we do- quite otherwise ; for many ' hold the truth in unrighteousess : ' Rom. i. 18. A dictate of conscience is unsufficient to change the heart and sanctify the life. Nor barely by the resolution of the will, for that may be uneffectual, and without a full purpose of heart : ' I go, sir,' said the first son in the parable, ' but wgnt not : ' Mat. xxi. 30. Many resolve well, but they have not a heart to verify and make good their resolutions : Deut. v. 29. The Jews said, ' All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.' ' Oh! that there were such a heart in them,' saith God. Nor by a faint desire ; for many can wish not only for heaven and happiness, but that it might be otherwise with them in point of holiness, that God would change their natures ; but they do not use the means : * The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing, ' Prov. xiii. 4. None goeth to heaven by the sluggard's wishes ; not by pre- vailing in one act, or more ; for many, in a pang of zeal, may do much for God: Gal. iv. 18, ' It is good to be zealously affected always in a
VeU. 5.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 45 L
good matter ; Ps. cvl. 3, ' Blessed are they that do righteousness at all times.' Nor by every kind of dislike, and resistance of sin, that may sometimes arise from other lusts ; for they sometimes fight among themselves: James iv. 1, 'Whence come wars and fightings among you ? come they not hence, even from your lusts, which war in your- selves ? ' Or from hypocrisy, to hide and feed some other lusts the more plausibly. Or if from conscience, the resistance is too feeble to break the power of sin, till the heart be renewed, or more thoroughly set towards God and heavenly things.
[2.] Positively.
(1st.) By the course of our actions. Habits are known by the uni- formity of acts, when the effects of the spirit are more constant than those of the flesh, and the drift and business of our lives is for God and our salvation ; our bent and business is the pleasing of God, and the saving of our own souls. Men must be judged, not by a few acts, but their walk, or the tenor of their conversations. They that spend their time in knitting one carnal contentment to another, and glut themselves with all manner of vain delights, and God hath from them but what the flesh can spare, a little formal slight service, that they may pacify conscience, and enjoy their pleasures with less remorse ; what are they doing but the flesh's business ?
(2d.) By cherishing the best principle with all care and diligence, and mortifying and suppressing the other. The better principle must be cherished ; that is, we must get more degrees of faith, love, and hope, that faith may be more strong, love more fervent, hope more lively : 2 Pet. iii. 18, ' But grow in jjrace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' On the other side, the flesh would fain be pleased before God ; but you must subdue it more and more : 1 Cor. ix. 22, ' I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection ; ' give it not what it craveth. Pest not in endeavours without success ; for. Gal. V. 24, ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof.' A Christian is seen proposito conaiu, eventu. Some victory there must be over the carnal mind. See that the power of the flesh be diminished in you, both as to the motions of it and your obedience to it.
Use 2 is Exhortation.
First. Negatively : Not to mind the things of the flesh. That is, take heed not only of the grosser out-breakings of the flesh, but of serving it in a more cleanly manner, by too free and full a gust and relish in any outward thing ; for by this means it securely gets interest, and gaineth upon you. If you freely let loose the heart to every alluring object, and withhold not yourselves from any joy, lust will grow bold and head-strong, and be hardly kept within bounds.