In this Scripture there are two ways and two ends, both opposite and contrary to each other : —
1. The two ways ; the carnal minding, and the spiritual minding — (ppomjfza aapKO'i, (f^povrj/xa rnv irveufMaro^.
2. The two ends ; death and life and peace.
Doct. That the carnal mind tendeth and bringeth a man to death, but the spiritual mind is the way to life and peace.
The text and the doctrine being a copulate axiom must be explained by parts.
First To be carnally minded is death. I must open two things. (1.) The carnal minding ; (2.) That death which is the fruit and consequent of it.
First. What is this <f>p6vr}fjia crapKo<^, which here we translate ' to be carnally minded,' in the margin ' the minding of the flesh,' and some translations, ' the wisdom of the flesh' ?
1 answer, it is the influence of the flesh upon all the faculties, under- standing, will, and affections; as also upon our practice and conversa- tion, when the wisdom of the flesh governeth our counsels, choices and actions. It includeth the acts of the mind; there are two acts of the mind, apprehension and cogitation ; in both, the flesh bewrayeth itself.
[1.] As to apprehension, we are acute in discerning the nature, worth, and value of carnal things, but stupid and blockish in things spiritual .•md heavenly : Luke xvi. 9, ' The children of this world are wiser in
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their generation than the children of light, €l<; rrjv <yeveav;' more dexterous in the course of their afi'airs, skilful in all things of a secular interest in back and belly concernments, but very senseless in things that are Avithout the line of the flesh, and beyond the present world : 2 Pet. i. 9, ' He is blind, and cannot see afar off.' He can see nothing of the danger of perishing for ever, or the worth of salvation, or the need of Christ to heal wounded souls, or the necessity of making serious preparation for the world to come. It is strange to consider how acute wits are stupid and senseless in these things, being blinded by the delusions of the flesh. Surely none have such a lively knowledge of spiritual things as spiritual men.
Object. But do not many carnal men understand the mysteries of godliness ? Yea, sometimes mote distinctly and accurately than the sanctified.
I answer, carnal men know not God, nor Christ, nor the things of the Spirit ; it is a sottish people of no understanding: Isa. xxvii. 11, and generally the fear of the Lord giveth a good understanding : Ps. cxi. 10, a blunt iron that is red hot will pierce further into a board than a sharp tool that is cold. Love to God enlivens our notions of God and Christ and the world to come, and perfects them ; but then it is true that carnal men may be well stocked with literal knowledge, they have jjidpcfjwaiv ti]<; r^vwaewi : Kom. ii. 20, 'A form of the know- ledge of the law ; ' but they have not those piercing apprehensions and heart- warming thoughts of danger, duty, and blessedness as the spiritual hath ; the lively light of the spirit leaveth a greater power and impression upon the heart than this cold knowledge doth or can do. Some carnal men may have more of the notions, words, forms, methods than the unlearned saints have ; but they want the thing these were made for. They may dress the meat as cooks, but the godly feed on it, and digest it, and are most capable savingly to understand the things concerning the spiritual life.
[2.] The next act of the mind is cogitation, and so they are said to mind the things of the flesh, whose hearts are continually haunted and exercised with carnal thoughts, or thoughts about sensual, worldly, and earthly things. To make this evident, let me tell you, there are three sorts of thoughts, expressed by three distinct words in scripture.
(1.) There are Xoyia-fMot, or SiaXoryLa /loi, discourses and reasonings. (2.) There are 6v/jiijaeL<;, andivOvfiijaet^, musings or imaginations. (3.) There are devices. All these ways doth the flesh or spirit bewray itself.
(1.) Sometimes in our discourses, debates, and reasonings. The spirit is seen in debating with ourselves about our eternal condition : Acts xvi. 14, ' She attended to the things that were spoken,' that is, weighed them in her mind ; and Luke ii. 19, ' Mary pondered them in her heart,' av/j.^aXXuvaa, compared thought with thought : Kom. viii. 31. What shall we say to these things? Now the fleshly minding is seen partly in jostling out these thoughts, and opposing these discourses of the mind, that we have no profit by them ; and partly by filling and stuffing the mind with carnal thoughts and discourses, that there is no room for better things : 2 Pet. ii. 14, ' A heart they have exercised with covetous practices.' Their hearts are always busied with low, carnal, and base thoughts ; therefore it is said. ' The heart of the wicked
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is nothing worth : ' Prov. x. 20. All the debates and discourses of their minds are of no value, and tend to no serious and profitable use.