116 THE LIFE OF FAITH.
tations by the root ; lusts will witlier and come to nothing. The flesh is furnished with its prey from lience.
2. It is tlie great let and hindrance from keeping the command- ments, and keeping them cheerfully. Worldly lusts and allurements soon tempt us to transgress, till faith gets the upper hand : Tit. ii. 12, 'That, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present Avorld.' The world soon maketh a breach upon sobriety, or justice or godliness. Denying worldly lusts must first be done, and as a means to the other, or else your hearts will nev^er be free for God and his service. It is the world that hindereth you from duty, and hindereth you in duty, and from walking sweetly and comfortably with God in 3^our whole course. While tliese fetters and clogs are upon you, you cannot run the race that is set before you : Heb. xii. 1, ' Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.' You have no heart, no life for holy things, because your affections are diverted : Ps. cxix. 36, ' Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.' Inordinate desire of, and delight in worldly things, divert our minds from the pursuit of heavenly things.
3. This constituteth the great difference between the animal and the spiritual life ; the rational soul, being void of grace, accommodateth itself to the interests of the body, and the diflerence lieth in being addicted to the world or vanquishing the world. A mere animal man is one that merely looketh alter the concernments of this life, and is swayed by the interests of this life, as power and pomp, and greatness of rank and place in the world , but a spiritual man is one that looketh after the world to come : 1 Cor. ii. 12, ' For we have not received the spirit of this w^orld.' And these two lives are distinguished again : Kom. viii. 5-7, ' For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh , but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally-minded is death ; but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' A mere animal life is the same with the carnal life ; for those that do not live the life of grace are sometimes described by their worser, and sometimes their better part ; they are called -\}ruxiKo<i and aapKtKo^. So John iii. 6, ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.' Christ showeth the necessity of being born again before a man can enter into the kingdom of God ; they can never else be spiritual in their dispositions, motions, and inclinations. The mere animal life is wholly bent to please the flesh, and to seek the interests and concern- ments thereof, as riches, honours and pleasures ; for reason is either brutified and debased by sense, or elevated and refined hy faith.
4. We have a daily conflict with the world. If we are not daily put upon dangers and difficulties, in which resjject the apostle saith, ' I die daily,' 1 Cor. xv. 31, yet we are daily put upon snares and temptations, and the pleasant baits of the flesh. These things are suitable to our natures, and comfortable to our senses, and necessary to our uses. We have a fleshly part as well as a spiritual , so that if we do not continu- ally watch and guard our hearts, we are overcome, and that to our
THE LIFE OF FAITH. 117
utter niiu. It is the case of many men ; the good word is choked in them by the pleasures and cares of the world, Mat. xiii. 22, 23, and Luke viii. 14, so that they are never thorough christians, whatever proficiency they have attained unto, or whatever profession they make of the name of Christ. Multitudes are thus deceived that make a pro- fession of religion, whilst their worldly lusts remain in full strength ; as thorns draw away the strength of the earth from good seed, and overtop it, and keep it down. ]\Iany have a form of godliness, but are lovers of pleasures, lovers of riches and honours, more than God. God hath but the flesh's leavings.
III. The acts of faith in this victory over the world.
1. It overcometh the world, as it digesteth and applieth the word of God. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, the great weapon against the world, the devil and the flesh; and the more richly we are furnished with the knowledge of it, the more we are prepared for a victory over Satan and the world : 1 John ii. 14, ' I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.' There are notable counsels, pure precepts, rich promises, powerful directions, and sundry considerations to draw us oft' from the world, that we may look after the world to come ; that is the drift of the wiiole scripture. Now all must be digested and applied by faith, or it worketh not : Heb. iv. 1, 2, ' Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them ; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.' In the word of God there are ' precious promises, that we may escape the corruption that is in the world through lust,' 2 Peter i. 4 ; promise.s that contain spiritual and eternal riches. If we can believe the pardon, grace, and blessedness that are ofi'ered in them, then these things will keep us from being ensnared by the world. Among all these promises, the chiefest is the promise of entering into his rest. Meat will nourish us if it be eaten, and water will quench thirst if we drink it, and re- ceive it into our bodies : so will these promises where they are applied.