An Expojition of tbe Ef?ifile 'S'-'''11' the World that then were, the things that the World then cried up, the Ways ~ of the World, and the Sins that the World then lived in.. Now then, to come to Come Obfervations from hence, for all thts ts for Expofiuon. Obferv. z, .. The firfl Obfervation is this, That in all Ages, there ir a11d will be a Combination of camal Mm, m an Vniform•ty and Confornnty ofWays and Crmrfes. They wtll all cling· together; the[e Ephe(lans did Co, and the Conrfe of the World, the Stream runs flill, and will do while the World is. And the reafon of it in one word is this: In every Man there is the fame cotn– mon Nature, and the fame Lufls, and the !.1me corrupt Principles ; originally there is in every one the Seeds of them all. And therefore in T Pet. 4· 2. The Lufls that are in every Man's Heart, they are calkd the Lufls ofMen, not only a Man's own Lufls, but the Lufls of others; That ye f!Jollld 110 longer live to the Ltifls of Mm, faith he. And the Hearts of Men favour the fame things taat one another do: In Nfat. 16. 2 3· Th01e fovmmff the things of Men, faith Chrifl, (peaking to Pete., in whom the Devil had then flirred up an unregenerate part. Now what was in him in part, is in all Mankind ; they favour the things ofMen one of another. It is the Came like Phrafe that is ufed in Rom. 8. I. They favou: the thingsof the FleG1, and therefore wall{_ after the Flefb ; Co they favour the things of Men, therefore they walk after Men, and the Courfe of the World. What moi'c Men are for, and relifh in their Judgments, that every carnal Man is for, and they all agree in their ludgments. Now in I Cor. 2. r 2. faith the Apome, We have not received the Spirit of this World; Mark it, there is a com– mon Spirit of the World in every Man, not the Spirit that is in him, but the Spirit of the World, that cloth poffefs one and the fame, and all forts of Men, more or lels : 'But, faith he, I'Ve have received the Spirit of God. Now as that Spirit lcadeth the Saints into the fame Truths, for the fubflance ; fo the Spirit of the World leads wicked Men, in their Judgments, in their Principles, PraCl:ices, and Opinions: therefore you !hall have them cry up the fame thing, magnify the fame thing, one that another cloth. There is a Spirit in them, that is prefently capable of what the World faith, of worldly Underfl:anding; therefore the Childrm of the World, as they are called, L11/J,§ I 6. 8. are faid to be wifer in their Gweratio11, than tbe Childrm of Light; becaufe they have another Kind from the Children of God, and they are wifer in that Kind, and with the like kind of Wifdom. I fhall not need to enlarge upon it. Now all thefe Men, meeting with the f.1me kind of Principle-s one with another, from the Collefrion of them together, comcth an Union, a Strength, and a Prevalcncy. As I faid, afore, a company of Coals laid together, what a mighty heat do they caufe! The Sea, being a ColleCl:ion of Waters, from the Union of the Sea, what a vai'c Body is it ! how it tumbleth up and down ! You !hall have it tumble this way, and then that way, 'anrl all the Waters will go that way: . And thus it is with the World. And their being thus joined together, in one Corporation or Body, as I may call it, it makes that mighty Rage againfl the Power of Godlinefs, and their Zeal, (for they are zealous) not only for themfelves, but one for another, for their own Principles. And,my Brethren, you mufl know this, that the reafon why this World is thus combined together in all Ages, it is this ; Becaufe it is under the power ofSatan, (fo it follows in the Text, according to the coltrfe ofthe World, and, the Prince ofthe power ofthe Air.) For it is the Devil that makes that Gang, though they do not fee it. They are a Sea, being united together, and ofthemfelves they tumble O(le way ; but if the Wind comes and bloweth upon that Sea, how it rageth, how i'crong are the i'creams then ! There is a breath, a fpirit, the fpirit of the power of the Air, the word fignifies (as I !hall open when I come to it) viz. The Devjl fendeth forth an influence, whereby, as the Wind that boweth the Trees which way it bloweth, fo he boweth and fi.vayeth the hearts of the multi– tude one way: For he is a Monarch,a Prince,therefore he cloth not divide,butthe World is lubjeCl: to him as to Monarch, therefore they are fltll earned one Way; there is one Courfe, one Stream, which i'cill the World hath,for he is the God,and Prince oftheWorld. And the Devil is cunning in it fo to do;you know he cloth not divide hisown Kingdom,and he can do no hurt upon Men,but by the World,or at
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