Wbat u meant by Flejh. 265 things) as will rdlrain the {tn{~tal appetite, it harh pofiti~t inclin~tiun enough in it fdf to. ~o~bid-den lJ1 ings to ruine the Coul byactual fin. 6. Yet (tl>lough 1t be a .great ~ontr~vcrfi_e atn~ng ~~v~nes) 1 conceive that in the Rationa.l Powers themfelves, there :uc P(lfitzve b.;bttuJl tnordmate tnchnatJ6ns to j'Fnfu:~l forbidden thing.(. t'or as afiuaUy its certain the Keafon of the. Prflud. and CovetOH_J do con– rnve and oft approve the fin, and the Jf/iU embrace it; fo rhefc ire done {o con(lantly m a conti· 11 ued'nrcam of aCb.:m by the whole man, that it (eems apparent that the f::tme fJculties which run our our in fuch Ctrong and confiant aCtio if, are rhemfelves the {ttbjcllr of much of the inclining Pofi~ tive habits: And if it be fo in additifmal acquired {in, its like it was {0 in Original fin. 7, Though {in be f l}rmaL'y (ubjected ilrH in the: Will 1 yet Materially it is tirH in the ~d'ilive appetite (at lcafl thH tin of Flejh-plcajing,or [t,t.{utllity is): The flejh or fenfitive put i) the hrlt Defircr, though it be fi;t no further than it is 'lolunrary. 8. All this ter together telltth you further; that the word C1lefh] frgniil!!th the jen[ual inclintltio~ts of the whole mln; bur tirft and principally the corruftted {e11[ual ap~ petite; and the Mind and T-ril1 s (whether Privative or Pofitive ) concurrence, bu.r fecond~rily, ~nd as r'alling in with [c;:n[~. The Appetite 1. Preve~terh Reafon, 2. And refiftcth rca!on: 3· And at latt .r (;Orruptcth and tntlceth ReJfon and IYiU to be tts fervancs and purveyors. § 3· And dut the name [fi,fh J doth primarily fignitie the fenlitive appetite it [elf, is evident in tht: wry notation of the name. Why eifc fhould rhe fhbits or Vices of the Rational powers be cal· led [ Flrp, J any more than [Spirit l or any thing elfe? If it were only in rdpet! of their ob· jdl, the}· !},ould be called [the ~Yo,./d] alfo, bec~ufe_ that is t~cir. objeCt; lr is a ~ertain _Rule, t~at 1hd.t fm~!ty if nzqjt predommaitt m m.m, rvbo{e Oh;~fi * m:Jde bu cbufejt End. Seitfittve dd:g!Ju bemg made the teliciry aud end of the unfand:itied, it tolloweth that the fcnfitive f.zcuftiet are predomi– llant ., which bdng called tlefh, ( by a nearer Trope) the Mind from it receives the denomination. The Scriptures alfo fhew this pl.1inly: I remember not any one place in the Old Teltament where there is any probability that the word [ fiefh J 01ould fignitie only the RJtional foul as unrcnewcd: Match. t6. 17. Flcjh and blood b.lth not revealed this unto thee: that is, mortal man hath. not revealed it. Matth. 26. 41. '[he Spirit if willi11g, but the fiefh iJ wea~: thar is, your Bodies art weak, and re– fifi the willingnefs of your fouls: For finful h.<bitJ arc not here called weak. John 3· 6. 1bat whicb U born of tbe flefh if flcjh : that is, Man by natun.l Gencratibn can beget but na~ural man, .called Flejh from the vifible part; and not the Jfiritu~l life which nature is now defiitute o[ Rom 7· 25· lVitb my flcfh lfcrve the Law of fin; that JS, Wtth my[enfitive powers, and my mind fo far as cap~ tivatcd thereto: Rom. 8·. r, 5· Flejh and Spirit are oft oppofcd: 1'1uy tbat are of the fiefh mind the things of the fiifhl &c. that isl They in whom the finfitive intercjl and appetite are predominant: For it i' called rhe Body here, as well as thejlejh, v. 10,1 1, I3· The mind is here included; but it is as ferving thefiefo and its intciell, G:Jl, 5· 16, 17 1 I9· Fle(h and Spirit are in the Came manner oppofed. And 2 Pet. 2· 18. the Lrefli ofthe ficjh are in this fenfe mentioned: And Ephef. 2. 3· Rom. 7• 1 8. J.V;m. 1J· 14• I Cor. 5·_5· I Pet.~· II· i~.which there is mention of fle{hly lu/lr, which figbt agaiujf tbe Spirit, and flcJh'! wifdo"!; r:ukmgpro-z;ifion fo~ thejlejh, &c. A.nd Col. 2· r8. there is indeed the name of a flcjhiY_ nt~nd, whiCh IS ~ut a mm_d dece1~ed a~d fi.tbft:rvtenf'to the Adh , fo that theJl~fh it felf, or'[enfitive mterefi and appetite are hrfi fignJfi.:d m all or moH: places, and in fome, theMind as fubfcrvie:nt thereto. · §. 4 . It is of the greater conf,guence that this be rightly underfiood, kfi you be tempted to imitate the L1bcrrines, who think the jltjh or fenjitive part is capable of no moral good or evil, and there~ fore aB its actions bein5 inditfc:re~t, we:: may be i~difftrent abOut rhem, and look only to the fupe~ riour powers ; And Others that ,thmk that the Scnpture by [Jlljh J meaneth only the Rational foul ~ M 1tnterrn'ed, do thereupon cheri!b the Flejh it {cif and p.unper ir, and feed its unruly lulls, and ne~ Vlr do any thing to lJtne the body ; but pray daily that God would defiro~• the fiejh within thtm that is, their finlul habits of R~aiOq. and Will, while they chnifh the caufe 1 or neglect a chief part of the cur:· At~d on the co~trary, i~me Papifis that look only at the Bcdy as their enemy, arc much 111 fathngs, and bod1ly cxerttfcs, while they neglect the mortifying of their carnal mind!. §· 5· 11. How far fiefl!-pleafins is. a_fin , I !hall difiinl:tly opet~ to you in thefe propofitions, What Fidh' I· The tJlrafi.tg or d~fpledlmg of the tenhu~c appewc: 111 1t {elf conhdercd, is neither fin nor dutj', pleating is a· good or evil ) but as comman~ed or forb1ddeu by fome Law of God ; which is nor abf;lutely tin. 'done. 1· To pie~(,· th< fiefl' by rl:ingt f.,bidden is undoubtedly a fin, and fo it is to ii[pleafe it too : Thnt:ft>re thts 1S not all that ts h,re meant, that the Matter that pleafeth it muf\: not be things for~ bidden. 3· Tc overvabtt thd'leafing of the Flt!h is a fin: And to prefer it before the Plea(t 11 g of God, and the holy prepJranons for Heaven, IS the fiarc of carnality, and ungodlinefs, and the common 'Caufe of the DJr':mation of fouls. The Ddight of t4e Flefh or Senfes is a Natural Good; and the natural defirt: ot it in it felf (as is faid ) is neither vice nor vcrtuc : But when this little narural Good is pr~ferred before the Greater Spiritual, Moral or Eternal Good, this is the fin of Carnal minds' which is threatncd with death, Rom. 8. I, 5,6, 7, 8, 13. , 4· To buy the pleafing of the fl.efh at too dear a rate, as the lofs of time, or with care and trc;uble a?ove its worth, and to be too much fct on making provifions to pleafe ir, doth 01ew that it is ovet· hlued, and is the fin forbidden, Ruin. 13. 14· Mm3 5· ~hen
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