Cap. 3· ~at l1ltt!) roebtl~. - jlpok I. 3 CHAP. Ill. Of thefecond Doflrine and Vfe;. ,, Negatively, not with flejh and blood: or rather compautively, not only, ·. or t]Ot fo much,with fkfh and blood. By flefh and blood is either meant man, OUR Enct11ics are more tban fle(h and blooa: We wreftle, but with whom ? as hoving a bodily fubfiance confifling ol flefh and blood : or our bofomccortuptions, fo often called in ~cripture flefh ; the jlejh lujl<tb againft the JPirit, and fome- Gal. 5· 1 7· \imts fldh and blood; as f/cjh and bloed bath not revealed this: and flejh and blood c'nnot in·· M~th.t6, 1 7· . hcrittheKinf!.do>!JOfGod· • 1 or. IS• 20 ' 1 • lfby jlcfb a>1d blood be meant the fo~mer, it hints to us our weak and infirm Na– tures: q. d. om' ~dverfaricsare not fuch as we are, they are not poor, weak,inconfid.er– able Enttnits: when the Lord fpeaks our frail cundition, he gives it ;he like expreffion, 1 ny Spirit Jl>aU ~pt alwaies ftrive witb man, for thst he alfo is flcjh ; and the Prophet Ifaiah Gen. 6 · 3• bath the fame cxpret!ion concernit-~g the Egyptians, Now tl>< E~yptial!! m·e mw, and 1101 ifa, 31. 3· God; andtbeir Hor]i1 flefh, and notJPirit. In this fenfe the Apotile removes the ufua] militia, or more tolerable confliel:s, q. d. We wrellle not fo much with man, as with Devils; we wreftle n0t only, or chiefly with flef\1 and blood, w<ak, frail, foolifh; vifible, or 1nortal creatmcs ; alas! what are they ' the enemies that we .light with are more than f\dh and blood, more et,wiqug, malicious, furlmls, dangerous, numerous, more fllbtil, powerful, every way fearful : and thereft;~re in conlparifon we wrefile not with f/ejh and bloorl: we ma,tternot man,we mean no fuch conib:it\mts. Here then 1muf\ leave our martial men, whole war is with flejh and blood, and 'tis Vfi· we\l'ifit be not only witb f/•J'h and blood, and nothing elfe. · The 1\po!\les queJjion needs but application, from whence cQme ~ars, and (ighti11gs amongyote? come they 1tot benee, even }amcs4. r: ~fJ"J' hsjh 1h~1 n•ar i11 yam· members ? q. d; yot< have wars aud fightings among your fe!ves, i! rhey were only with foreign enemies, they were more tolerable; civil 1nrs are ever woill, a11d whence are thefe > are they not ofa bafe original and defcent, of the linage of lu(\ r 0 the covetoufnefs, pride and ambition that is amongf\ you! 0 the loa1hing, rejection and clifoliediencc of the Gofpd of Chrifl! 0 the dear and hig,b etlcem, advai1Cemcnt, and vtle embracement of the interefl of this prefent world! do aut worldly pr-ivate inreretis btar chc f\vay? aRd what are thefe but luGs> and what are the c~Cl:s at lulls,..but wars and tightings amongfl your felves? In way of application; Oh that l could bt1~ truly fay, we wr<JIIe not again(l flefh a~tdb~cd, bttt Rgainft Devils·? Or; oh 1h~t 1coLlld 110t truly fay, we wreftle not again~ Devils, liJII on(y again~ flejh andbkod: ll.ut ~ny defign is not to inter111eddle with ot.uward wars, it is a more inward and fpiri- \\l:Uwork 1havein hand. , ' . ~ · 11· by ·f!<Jh and bloodbe meant thclatter,, viz. our bofome-corruptions; it hints to us our {\l'Ong enemies, !lrong i11decd, q. d. We have enemies within us ; do we not feel IJO'V theRelh lufterh again!! the fpir(t I and arc not.thcfi: e8c111ics as the Soas of Zerviab, too hatd for us,> but that is not all, for Sathan, who is yet flronger, flrikes in with the f\e01, and by 1his ooeans we wrdlle not only with flefh and blood, naked conuptions, bur with Sad->an in them; our tlefh is flrong, but when it is edged with ~alhans policy, ~.nd backt by S\nhans power, oh how flrmig is it then? ·< •·. T . This enemy wlthin us the Holy Ghat! deciphers by many names\ it is called, the old man; tbc old Adt4m,:, theeartJJ!y, cama!, natztraL man; the fi'' rvkich is iniJcrent, auddtJ~ellob in'"; tl•e adjuyning evil! tbe Law of the members: the hejls ofthcf/cfh·r:>hich figbtagai>dl tt.e So,.l. By •11 which is figi1ified our· corn1ption of nature, derived fro1n our tirf{ Pi- . tents. \\hereby we are made backwaxd tv all good, and prone tO all evil. Ever)' man ir Jam. r. '4•'5· t0mftcdl. Q ben bt ii drawn aJlo'ay by bis own c:mc;~pif.:cnce, and is ~uticed; and tben rvhen l'l[l h,ab co•cciv(d, it bringctbforth fin, and fin whCit it is finifhed, it bringrth fortlf deat/J: Th; Apot<le here intimates, that os Sathan is the. fa<her, {o ~dh is the Moth<r .of fin, w]1tch •eccivirg Sath·1ns temptations into a ftuitful wo.-..b, it doth conceiyc, nourifh, Ulld bl htt, tnrth tin; ·.nd when !in is born, like a. deadly Hinl',lng s,rpeu\, it brings forth death bntb to 11ody Jnd Soul, unkfs the poyfon thcrcot be .took away by the precious Blood ofJcfn< Chrili.
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