—_ {iderations, reſpetting my own profit, pleaſure, or reputation, in- dulging my own paſions or corrupt affetions. 1Valking afrer rhe fleſh is oppoſed to a witlLing after the Spirit, Rom. $. 1, He walketh ter the jicſh, to whom the fleſhly Appetite is the Principle, Rule, and End of his Afftions: As he, on the contrary, to whom thoſe habirs of Grace, which are wrought in the Soul by the holy Spirit, or he Spirit himſelt more immediately by his Motions or Impulſes, are the Principle of his Actions; and theWord dictated by the Spirit, is the Rule of his Actions; and the glory of God is the End of his Actions, is truly ſaid to walk after the Spirit.
3 For though we walk in the fleſh, we do not war atrer the fleſh f.
} There is a great difference betwixt walking i the fleſh, and marring ojter the fleſh. The beſt of Men in this life walk in the fleſh, as their £ouls are not in a ſtate of {ſeparation from, but union with the body ; but, they do not walk after the fleſh, as their fleſhly appe- oF COTE ge Þ por Attions, nor the ſatisfaction of it Ve Go 3 * hooks OY 1he Apoſtle, in the latter part of the
/EriE cnangeth the V2; Tn the former part he called our Conver- ſation, a 1; 419g; in the latter part he calleth it a I/arringy which e deicriveth Negatively in this Verſe, Pofitively in the following
will be a life of oppoſition, in which a Chriſtian wil have Enemies; though his hand be againft none, vor many AP" be againit him. But though they be Me of rife and contentis:: z a Paihve ſenſe, yet they are not ſo in an Active ſcenic, according ;, che uſual notion of Warring: For they war wut after the f-jþ þ. rig ther as f-2jply Mer, nor 1n a carnal fleſhiy MATE, nor Yet tor #-f.1y ends, the Men of the World war for their honour and FIOrv, Gn E; ft] a F - ” = _ ; C * FY 11 revenze and {atisfaction of their Lufts, or for the Inarving gf than Terricories and Dominions ; But we dv 70t rhus war af;cy jjo #15, © + (For the VWCapons Or Our Wartare are not co. » but Cughty | through God, * ro the pulliye G%;., , ok : WP IR f icr0Ng hoids h. ") g As our End is ſpiritual, ſo ar2 our M295; the None v which we manage our ſpiritual Fight, are {piritual. Where 3, thele 1eapsrs he meaneth the Word of God, and his progtiins + Goſpcl, or the Cenſures of the Church duly adminittred ; ir 46G they are not of a carnal nature, or fitted to rhe ſubduing of Monet, dies, and bringing them into ſubjection ; they are of a !piritu) ,,, ture, and have their effedts upon the Mind and inward t arr , Man; yct 5 through the concurrence of Divine Grace, thr j. :- them a mighty force and power, to pull down ffr07g 7/91ds. By wi, Netaphorical exprejhon he underſtands whativever oppor} ;;,- Golp<l, and helpeth to defend and uphold Men in their twful 1. lesz q. 4. ſubduing the Will of Man, which is lo ſtrong a 14 that all the power of Hell cannot ftorm it. 5 Caſting down Þ imaginations z, and every hjo" 46, thing that exalteth ir felt againſt the knowledve $; {4 _ I o . . 4 = - _ < God k, and bringing into Captivity every th the obedicnce of Chrilt /.
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7 A22194zee, Reaſoningsz & and every high thing, every heicht f reaſoning, which exalteth ir ſelf againſt the knowledge of God. The grey Troublers of the Church of Corinth, were the Heathen Philoſopher, and ſuch as had ſucked in their Principles, with whole Notios, which, were Concluſions drawn from Reaſon not ſandificd and ſubdued to the Will of God, divers Dottrins of Faith would ro: agree. S. Paul tells them, that the Go!pel (which was the great \Wezx pon of his warfare) through the !'owwer of God, was mighty to pu down the ſtrong Holds, which Unbelict had in che carnal Under ſtanding of Men; to overthrow cheir Reaſonings, the h-; 21S 0 them, which exalted themſelves againft the Doctrin of Faith, / rd to bring 7=y yon4-, every thought or counſel into Czpiiciry 11 te ovedieace of Chriſt ; ſo as whatiocver was revealed by the \p- ſrles from the Spirit of God, Men readily agreed and yicd:d obcdience to; whatever their thoughts or reaſonings about i: were, they gave credit to it ; Not becaule it appeared rational to then, but upon the divine Authority of the Rev2lation ; ſubmitting thzir reaſon to that, and believing it the moſt rational thing in che World, that they ſhould believe what God atfirmed, and do ulat God commanded ; and this bleſſed effe& the Goſpel had in a! clue who heartily imbraced it ; For indeed to give an afſent to a iropu 11tion, meerly upon a ſenſible or rational demonſtration, is 10 t2itl; | that 1s, no divine Faith; truly to believe, in a divine fen!e, ist ft oa
Gr, fait!
aiſent to a Propoſition upon the credit of the Revelation, tio b we cannot make it out by our Reaſon: And this it is to hare our thoughts brought into a Captivity to the Obedience of Chrit, tl Thar whereas Reaſon, as it is fince the Fall ſubj=t&ted in Nan, rictt { up in Arms againft ſevexal divine Propotitions; and faith, #7 Dr, 17- 41 cm theſe things be? How. can one be three, and three one? How Ward it could the divine and humane Nature unite in ore Perſon! 08 C can the dead riſe? &c. The Believer, audit verbum Dri & ti, (> readeth theſe things and others of the like nature plainly ard ſe in Holy Writ, and chides down his Reaſon ; 'reſolving to gi rr _ dit to theſe things meerly becauſe God hath ſaid them, who canot wi lie. Thus our ;61we, Thoughts, Counſels, Reaſoning Dell ſe] berations, Conclutions, all the Produtt of our Underſtanding, 1 of brought into Captivity to the Obedience of Chrift; and 1/22/01 if Ow If, which is the Governeſs and* Miſtreſs of the Soul 0f Var, 3 made a Captive to Revelation. And in this appeared rhe mignty mi power of the Weapons of the Apoſtle's Warfare. gw 6s And having in readineſs to revenge all difobadt- Je eace, when your obedience is fulfilled 2. m The Apoſtle certainly means by this, Excommunicatio!.3 Sift which was the Rod which he had before mentioned : Asing them, 1- gor they would he ſhould come unto them with a Rod. {ls Ro ers he here threatneth them with; telling them, that he hag anon” > aganmueu uce
Weapon of his warfare of a ſpiritual nature too, to be ule agalt ſuch as profeſſed themſelves to be Believers, but walked dilorder!Y 3 T1]
Only he at preſent ſpared them, becauſe though a great part 0! _ thin were obedient, yet there were ſvme among them of whoſe 9c _