' That uith me there should he yea, yea, and nay, nay.' This sets down the manner of inconstancy, the forai of it, ' yea, yea,' to be on the affirma- tive part once ; and then ' nay, nay,' the negative ; to be of one mind, and peremptory in it, and then to be of another mind, and peremptory in that. This is the issue of carnal wisdom, and follows on it, ' The things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay ? ' insinuating, that those that purpose things according to the flesh, they are ' yea, yea, and nay, nay.' Whence fii'st we may observe, (which I touched before a little, but it issues more properly hence from the dependence) that
Obs. Carnal men are alway inconstant men.
For a fleshly man, led with the flesh, being led with the things of the world, and they being inconstant, he must needs be as that which he is ruled by. A man cannot stand safe upon the ice, because itself is not safe. A man cannot stand in a thing that stands not, that hath no consistence. Now a carnal man he hath no prop to hold him but the things below. He cleaves to them, and they are inconstant, and variable, and uncertain. He that pm'poseth according to the flesh is ' yea, yea, nay, nay.' Therefore his love is ' yea, j'ea, nay, nay.' If he may have good by you, he is ' yea, yea,' he is for you ; but can you do him no good, he is ' nay, nay,' he will not own you then.
Therefore one way to be constant, is not to be ruled according to the flesh, which I spake of before, for they that are, are ' yea, yea, nay, nay.'
Therefore take heed how you trust carnal men, in near intimate society, as in marriage. Or in near friendship, never take a man that hath his own aims and ends. For he will respect you no more than he can advance his
2 CORINTHIANS CUAP. I, VER, 17. 353
own ends by yon. ' Trust not the wafe of thy bosom,' siiith the prophet, Deut. xiii. 0 ; if she be carnal, she will have hor own ends. So a friend that is carnal, he will have his own ends. The idol that he respects more than thee, or than anything in the earth, is his own fleshly wisdom, and his own ends. Every carnal man makes himself his god. He reduceth all to himself. His own ends is his idol ; therefore have no intimate society with such.
' That with me there should be 3"ea, yea; nay, nay.' Observe again in this place, that
Obs. Carnal men are vehement.
They are vehement in either part. If they be ' yea,' they are ' yea, yea,' and yet they will be ' nay, nay,' naught at the same time. The soul of man will admit of contraries, and yet be still the same in the general ; ' yea, yea,' at one time, and ' nay, nay,' at another time. And usually they that are vehement in business one way, are vehement another, if they be carnal. A carnal man is vehement one way in the pm-suit of things, and he is vehement on the contrary if he be crossed.
What is the reason that men that are carnal, some stand against reUgion and some for religion with like eagerness"? The one is ' nay, nay,' as much as the other is ' yea, yea.' Both are flesh, and if those that are ' yea, yea,' were where the other are, they would be ' nay, nay.' For instance, a man is religious only for carnal respects, he is ' yea, yea.' 0 ! he will have the religion of the times. Why ? He could not be safe else, he cannot have his ends else, he was bred up in it, &c. Another, on the con- trary, is as much for the opposite religion. What is the reason ? He was bred in it, it stands for his ends. If a man be religious not for religious respects, he is peremptory, and contrary to him of the opposite religion ; and yet they are equally naught.
A common protestant hath no better ground for his religion than a papist hath for his. The same reason that a papist hath, the same such a pro- testant hath ; he was bred in it, and the king is of that religion, and he shall attain his ends by it. Hath a papist other reasons ? Except a man be truly changed and altered, he shall be ' yea, yea,' and ' nay, nay,' some- time one, sometime another, peremptory in one and peremptory in another, and all naught.
As, for instance, the sea, sometimes it ebbs, sometimes it flows, some- times it flows one way, and then flows back another way ; yet it is alway salt and brinish, the nature of it is not changed. So some men are peremptory, ' yea, yea,' they run 'one way amain, and then they ebb again, yet they alway keep their nature brinish. They are peremptorj^ for good sometimes, and when it stands for their ends they are peremptory against it. Such a cause is so ; it is ' yea ' if it help their advantage, and it is not so if it help not that, as if truth itself in their judgment were flexible and alter- able. Thus a carnal man, he alters, and yet he is never good in his judg- ment. St Paul declines this ; he was not ' yea, yea, nay, nay,' because he did not purpose things according to the flesh.