850 COMMENTARY ON
bis aims, and yet bo will not. If a man bave power, and yet doth not revenge bimsolf, be consults not witb llesb and blood ; for be might be re- venged if be would. So I say, when there is something that might sway us another way, and yet notwithstanding out of mere conscience, and better rules, we will not, it is a sign we purpose not, we advise not things accord- ing to the flesh, but according to the Spirit ; wo are led with better rules than the world is.
In strong suggestions, a Joseph can say, ' How shall I do this and offend against God?' Gen. xxxix. 9. 'Doth not God see it?' saith Job, xxxi. 4. So a Christian in the strength of temptations, and solicitations, and op- portunities to do ill, be considers, * Doth not God see ? How shall I do this, and ofl'eud against God?' Shall I break the peace of my conscience for the gaining of this, and this ? Why no. Then a man is not led with carnal wisdom.
3. Again, we may know this, that we are not led by the flesh, and ad- vised by the flesh, rrheu tee are humble in all our consultations. It is a per- petual concomitant of carnal wisdom to be proud. Knowledge mingled with corruption puffcth up.
Quest. But how shall we labour to overcome this, because we bave the flesh ready by us, in all our consultations ? We have this counsellor alway ready at hand, as St Paul complains, Rom. vii. 19, ' that when we would do well, evil is present.' It is present at our elbow ; nay, it is nearer, the flesh is mingled in all the powers of our souls ; and with heavenly wisdom there is a mixtiu-e of carnal wisdom ; bow shall we do that we may not be tainted with it ?
I will give a direction or two.
Ans. First of all, bave a prejudice of it, Cave, time, &c., saith the holy man St Austin. ' Take heed of the evil man thyself (f/ffff) ; take heed of carnal reason ; be jealous of it. It is an enemy, and the issues of the ways it adviseth to are death. ' There is a way that seems good to a man in bis own eyes, the issues whereof are death,' Prov. xiv. 12, not temporal only, but eternal death. It is a deadly enemy ; have a prejudice of it, and conceit of it to be as it is ; have a jealousy of it, and of our own selves, especially in things that concern ourselves. "What is the reason that a man is an incompetent judge in his own cause ? This, because there is natural Belf-love and flesh that draws all to itself. Consult not with it therefore ; consult with higher rules, and principles, what may make most for the chief end, for the glory of God, for the assurance of our comfort while we live here, and a better estate hereafter, that which may make most for the common good ; let us labour to live by right rules and principles : God will value us by that.
Put the case a man by passion be led another way, what is his rule ? what is his aim ? His aim is not carnal. He may fall by passion, &c. God judgeth not by passion, but by the tenor of our life. God esteems us not by a single particular exorbitant act that by passion or incogitancy a man falls into, but by the tenor of our life. Therefore let us labour to bave our rules and aims good, though we faU in particular, yet that our way may be good ; though we step awiy, yet our way may be good ; that when judgment shall come, when death shall come, it may not find us in an ill way, in an iU course. Therefore let us consult with God, consult with his word, consult with those that are led by the Spirit of God ; labour to be under the government of God's blessed Spirit, to be guided by the Spirit of God, and by the word of God. This should be our care, to
2 COKINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 17. 851
labour that God would guide us by his good Spirit in those ways that may lead to our comfort, that of all other enemies in the world, he would not give us up to our own flesh to guide us, but that he would take the guidance of us to himself, that as he hath right to us by his covenant, so he would take us into his government. And desire Christ that as he is our priest to die for ns, so likewise he would be our prophet to instruct us, to subdue all in us. And let divine truth be our counsellor, to bring our inner man into subjection, as it is, 2 Cor. x. 4, * The weapons of our warfare are mighty,' to bring all into captivity, to subject all high devices and reasonings.
How shall I do this ? I shall miss of my ends, I shall miss of my pro- jects. 0 ! but religion when it comes and brings down all, it makes not a man to cast away reason, but brings reason under, and brings the soul under God. A man may keep his wisdom and understanding safe still, so he keep it under, and let divine truth sway and bring all in us into captivity to itself.