3$ The Crucifying of the world, peareth to them in any creature, or anion, or any- meads or be- nefit which the g poffefs,fo far they perceive Tome fubfiance in it. .As the natural manReceiveth not the things of the Spirit nor can know thew,btcaufe they arefpirituallydifcerned, i Cor. 2. 14. So . the Spiritual man bath fhur up his fenfes to the world, and loft his perception of them, becaufe they are carnally fo difcerned. I he carnal manbath his fenfes quick in difcerning and favouring the things of the flefh, but to the things of the Spirit he is dead and fenflefs. And contrarily theSpiritual man is dead and fenf- lefs to the things of the flefh, and bath no favour in thole things that are other mens delights, Rom. 8. 1 o, s, 6. He tafteth no more fweetncfs in their pleafures then in achip. He wonders what they can fee or tafte in the things of the world, that they fo run after it. To be Rich or Poor do but littlediffer in his eyes; To be high or low is all one to him , confidering thefe things as accomodationsof the flefh ; though hill he valueth any conditi- on according to the refpeet it bath to God ; and fo that is the belt condition to him that belt accommodateth andadvantageth him for Gods fervice. He raked) the flelbes Intereft to be none of bis Intereft ; and therefore that which only concerneth the flefh concernethnot him. And therefore he looketh in this re- gard upon an high elateor a low, as Nothing to biro. Let God difpofeof him as he pleafe ; that's Gods work andnot his. He bath learned in whatever eflatehe rQ , therewith to be content : [ He knows how to be abafed, and he knows ho* to abound ; every where and in all things he is infrutted , both to befall andto be btóngry., both to abound and to fuffer need,], Phil. 4.11, 12. If you applaudandhonour -him, he takes it but as if you breathed on him; at the belt it is but a fweeter kind of breath : And if you vilifie, and reproach, and unjuftly condemn him , he takes it for no great hurt. For [with him it is a veryfmall thing to bejudged of man, andat mans Barr ; for he that judgeth him is the Lord,] I.Cor. 4. 3, 4. Nay what if I faid that if you imprifon him, threaten him, torment him,, yea put him todeath , he doth not muèh regard it,t or make any great matter of it ; fo far as. he is Crúcified to the world.How joyfully couldPaul and Silas fing in the flocks, when their bodies were fore with;fcourging ? Bf1.16. What a rapture of joyful praifes did the Apo.ftles break forth into, when they were threatned by the Priefts and Elders .
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