VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 463
show their causes. If the drift and bent of our lives be not for God and salvation, and our great business in the world be not the pleasing of God and the saving of our own souls, and this be not chiefly minded and attended more than all the pleasures, honours, and profits of the world, God hath not the precedency, but the flesh — walking after the flesh or the spirit, is the great discriminating note in this place ; pro- pounded, ver. 1. amplified afterwards by minding the things of the flesh, and then living after the flesh, ver. 13 ; so 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.' We must see whether our lives be a sowing to the flesh or the spirit. The mind leaveth a stamp upon the actions. As a godly man showeth spirit in all things, so a carnal man showeth flesh in all things : Zech. xiv. 21, * On every pot in Jerusalem, and in Judah, shall be Holiness to the Lord of hosts.' As God showeth his divine power in every creature, in a gnat, or pile of grass, as well as the sun ; so a Christian showeth grace in all things. On the contrary, carnal men show their mind in all things, not only in eating and drinking and trading, but in preach- ing, praying, and conference about holy things. The one goeth about his worldly business with a heavenly mind, casts all into the mould of religion ; the other goeth about his heavenly business with a carnal and worldly mind ; the flesh doth not only influence his common actions, but his duties, either to feed or hide a lust, to serve his worldly mind and vain glory ; or else that he may more plausibly carry it on without blame before men, or check of conscience ; and so maketh one duty excuse another. It is the flesh maketh him pray, preach, confer about holy things, give alms, and seemingly forgive enemies, or do that which is outwardly and materially just.
Thus you see what is the carnal minding ; only I must tell you, that, because the apostle saith it is death, or the high way to everlasting destruction, we must more accurately state the matter.
1. The minding of the flesh must be interpreted not barely of the acts but the state. Who is there among God's children that doth not mind the flesh ? and too much indulge the flesh ? But yet he doth not make it his business to please the flesh, but rather mortifieth and sub- dueth it : Gal. v. 24, ' And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh,' and they are still labouring that they may subdue it more and more : 1 Cor. ix. 27, ' But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.'
2. This minding of the flesh or spirit must be understood as to the prevalency of each principle ; that is to say, when we mind the flesh so as to exclude the minding of the spirit, and the things that belong to the spirit : 1 John ii. 15, ' If any man love the world, and the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' And so on the other side, when we so mind the spirit, as that it deadeneth our affections to the world and baits of the flesh : Gal. vi. 14, the ' conversation in. heaven' is that which is opposite to 'minding earthly things : ' Phil. iii. 19, 20. Therefore if the flesh can do more, constantly and ordinarily, to draw us to sin than the spirit to keep us from it, we are under the power of the fleshly mind.
3. This minding of the flesh must be interpreted with respect to con-
i64 SERMONS UPON" ROMANS VIII. [SeR. VIII.
tiauance, not with respect to our former state; for, alas ! all of usin time past pleased the flesh, and walked according to the course of this world in the lusts of the flesh : Tit. iii. 3, ' We were sometimes foolish and dis- obedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures ; ' and ' if we yet please the flesh, we are not the servants of Christ' But if we break off this ser- vitude, and do at length become servants of righteousness, God will not judge us according to what we have been but what we are. Therefore it is our duty to consider what principle liveth in us, and groweth, and increaseth ; whether the interest of the flesh decreaseth or the interest of the spirit. If we grow more brutish, forgetful of God, unapt for spiritual things, the flesh governeth ; but if the spiritual life doth more and more discover itself with life and power in our thoughts, words, and actions, the flesh is on the wane, and we shall not be reckoned to have lived after the flesh, but after the spirit ; we have every day a higher estimation of God and Christ, and grace weaneth and draweth off the heart from other things, that we may grow more dead to them, and live to God in the spirit, and more entirely pursue our everlasting hopes.