3. l>csides this, there is a spiritual, a lieaveiili/ icisdoin, whereby the soul having a right end and aim set and prefixed to it, it directs all its courses to that end ; whereby the soul is able to deliberate, to consult, and to resolve on heavenly things, and what hinders heavenly comfort ; and to resolve upon good duties, and to resolve against that which is ill, to resolve upon all advantages of doing good to the church, and of all hindrances of ourselves, and of the church, and of the places we live in. It is a heavenly kind of prudence to guide our own ways, yea, and to guide others too.
4. But besides all these, there is another wisdom which is here the ' ivisdoin of the /iesh ;' which because the flesh hath correspondency with Satan, it is also a devilish wisdom, for the most part. For the devil ploughs with our heifer. The most mischief that he hath done in the world, it is by the corresponds n;y that he hath with our flesh, our enemy within. The flesh and Satan do join together, and work all strongly with the mis- chievous policy of the world : and therefore it is called likewise ' worldly wisdom.'
And hereupon Christians that are mere professors, and not Christians soundly, some are called flesh, because they are ruled of the flesh. And they are called the world, because they frame themselves to the wisdom and to the courses of the world. And if you would anatomize them, there is nothing but the world in them, worldly pride and worldly ends. And they are called devils too, as Judas was called a devil, John vi. 70. They plot with Satan by carnal wisdom. They yield to Satan. They savour not the things of God.
Men have their name and denomination in the Scripture, by that which they are ruled by. When they are ruled by the flesh, they are called flesh ; when they are ruled by the world and the evil examples thereof, they are called the world. And when they are ruled by Satan, so far as they are ruled by him, they are called Satan. ' One of you is a devil,' saith Christ.
' Not in fleshly wisdom.' What is meant here by ' fleshly wisdom ? ' If it be fleshly, why is it wisdom ? Wisdom is but one. There is but one wisdom. Wisdom we know, in itself, it is a knowledge of principles and grounds, and deductions and conclusions from principles. A wise man knows both the grounds and principles, and he knows what may be raised from thence ; and likewise a man that is truly wise, he not only knows them, but he knows how to act them, how to work and act his principles and conclusions to an end. He hath principles, and conclusions, and workings out of his brain ; and when he luith done all in the brain, when he hath framed the aim of his principles, and the manner how to act them, then he goes about to work ; and a wise man can work answerable to his end and rules.
Now there is a carnal wisdom that initiated this ; for carnal wisdom hath aims, and ends, and principles, and it hath conclusions from those principles, and it acts to an end. A true Christian he hath his ends. His
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aim is supcniatural : to please God in all things, to be liappy in another world, to enjoy God, to have nearer aciiuaintance with him while he lives here. Many such subordinate ends, besides the main end, he hath. And some principles likewise he hath out of the word of God concerning this end ; and then he hath directions out of the word of God suitable to those principles. And then he sets on working, and all that he works is in order to his end, and in virtue of the end he propounds. As a man that travels, every step that he goes in his journey, every step is in virtue and strength of his first intention, and the end that he propounds, though he think not of his end in every step, and he consults and asks about the way, and all to that end.
So it is with a carnal man too, he that walks after carnal wisdom. Carnal wisdom hath its end, and that is a man's self; for a carnal man himself is the idol, and the idolater. His end is himself, either in his honours, or in his pleasures, or riches, &c. Himself is the centre into which all the lines of his life fall. And he hath rules. Seek thyself in all things. Love thyself above all. And what then ? If thou love others, love them for thyself, as far as they may serve thy turn. Care for no man further than thou canst make use of him for thyself. Respect him so far, and no further.
But it may be there are many that stand in the way. Then again he hath priucijiles. Undermine them, ruin them, make way to thine own ends by the ruin of as many as thou canst. And if another man's light over- shine thine, that thou art nobody to him, carnal wisdom bids thee deprave him, slander him, backbite him. The more he seems to be vile, the less thy nakedness shall appear. Here is carnal wisdom.