716 _s E· R M Q;,N " ·uvm. 1 ,tr ' 7'he Lord {aid to the Servant, Compel them to come in, that my Houfe may be full. ! Proceed to the fecond Hinderance of Mens rejecting the Call of the Gofpel. 1"' Flejh, that in the Language of the Scripture fignilies the corrupt Nature,. and in. ed Inclinations of Men to forbidden things, obllru& their coming to Chrill. The corruPt Nature is called Flefh, not only as that is a term of vilifying, for the Original and Refolution of Flefh is into the Dull, but partly with refpe& to its Propagation, and chiefly in that the ufual attraCtive and defiling Objetts of Mens Thoughts and Def1res ~~~o~:;;;ndn:u:~fie'tct~n~~i:d ~:~nd~~~~i~!:d /?o~ ~~n~bj;:g/!~~~o~:htch they are converfant. This Corruption is fpread through all the Faculties of the Soul: the Mind is carnal in its Princip~es and Afu, in oppofition to the Spirit of tiJC Mjnd renewed ry Grace : the Wtll and Affethons are depraved. ~atever is horn of the Flefh is Flefo. • Cor. ' · '4· The Apofrle fully exprelfes this Corruption: he f:uth, the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; that implies the frubborn Averfnels in the Will and Affel!ions from Spiritual things : for they are Foolijhnefi to him: neither can he know them, h. caufe they ar< Jpiritually difcerned. The natural Mind is indtfpos'd and incapable of knowing fupernatural things in their Reality and Goodnefs, fo as to ravifh the Will into a Compliance, till 'tis purified and fpiritualiz'd by the Holy Spirit. The fame ApoRom. ' · frle tells us, that the Carnal Mind is Enmity againj/ God, for it is not fuhjeE/ to the Law, neither can be. As the Lulls of the Flelh are oppofite to the Law of God, (o the Wifclom of the Flelh is to the Gofpel. This corrupt Nature makes the World fuch a dangerous Snare to Men : for it binds their Minds fo as not to fee the Drofs of-Earthly Things, and the Glory of Heavenly. St. John cx~~.clfe~ ihe,.1\'mBting Objetts of the World by the vicious AffeCtions thot are drawn out and fallen'd upon them. All that" in the World is tbe Luj/ of the Flefo, the Luj/ of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life ; for the Lulls of Men put a Glofs upon them, and make them pernicious. The Poyfon is not in the Flowers but in the Spider, that turns the ExtraCtion from them into its own Nourifhment. Accordingly St. Peter fpeaks of the Corruption in the World thtough Luf/. The vain Heart is more deceitful than the vain World: for not only Reafon that inllruCts the Wife, but Experience that inllruds Fools, affords fullicient Convittion, that all things here below are Fa.ity awd rexation: there is none fo low, none fo exalted in the World, but find it fo. By taIling a fprig of Wormwood, the Bitternefs is perceived as truly as by drinking a llronjl Jnfution of it. The World with all its Varieties is a multiplied and perpetuated Vamty; it affords no folid Satisfattion : the fetting down a thoufand Cyphers makes no Sum. But the carnal Iileart is fo enchanted with the falle Lullre and feemmg Pleafures of the World, that by changing one Vanity for another, it feeks and expeel:s SatisfaEedef. 9 _ 3 _ &ion. This verifies the Obfervation of the Wife Preacher, The Heart of tbe Sons of Mm is full of .Evil, and Madnefl is in their Hearts while they live, and after that they zo down to tbe Dead. What a prodigy of Madnefs is it for Men to catch at a lhadow of Happinefs, to feek for that which they are _uncertai_n to find; a_nd if they do find, they are certain to lofe; and to neglett fubllanttal FeltClty, whtch tf they fincerely feek, they fi1all obtain, and if they obtain, they fi1all enjoy for ever ! But
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