An Expojition of the Epijlle ·----'------ ~;;\2 ofthe Flcfh. The Apoflle expteffeth it there, in Col. 3· 2. when he calleth ther;1 ~ e<~rtlly thmg1,. wh1ch our earthly Members are fet upon; for corrupt Nature con- . fines us to thmgs on Earth, confines us to thmgs of thiS World; fpiritual things that arc of another World, the natural Man bath no fuitablenefs to them. And by tbi11g1 of the Flejb, is not meant only more grofs Sins, which are called The Worl<! ofthe Flejb, Gal. 5· 19. but all Creature-Comfotts whatfoever, all Digni– ties, all Excellencies, Honours, Riches, all the Glories of the World, that do fo much take up the Minds of Men, they ;tre called the thing1 of the Flcfb; and to thcfe doth corrupt Nature fuite us, and carry us on. 1 Cor. 5· I6. Henceforth ktow we no MBn after the FlcJ1>. After the Flejh, referreth both unto the thing1 "z1oW11,_ and to the ma11ncr of k_nowing thent: To the thing1 ktown, which is that wh1ch IS to our purpofe, that 1s, we value no Man by his outward Privileges and Dignities; we value no Man by Honours, Riches, or Greatnefs, or by what he is in this World, So likewife in Rom. 5· 27. when they had Cent .a Contri– buti~n tCI them at Jerufalem, faith Tan!, They did fa>'tak._e of ;·our carnal thing1, that IS, of your Hefhly thmgs; he calleth thm R1ches .and Ef'rates, things that are Aefhly. So m I Cor. 9· I 1. And you have the like n'l another place, I will 11ot.glory "'the Flejb. And there ts a Phrafem ·Gal. 6. I 2. of 111akjng a j1ir foew in the Flefb, that is, in Aefhly things, in any thing but in God and in Chrif'r. The Jews did call what!ocver was outward, FleJ1,, at•d JleJ1Jly: The very Cere– monial Law therefore the Aporde calls; a camaf Commandment, a Jlefhly Com– mandment, Heb. 7· 10•. And fo ?e calls the Duttes of1r, the /Vor~ of the FlejfJ, tho they were fhe Inf'rmnwns of God, yet becau!c they had an outwardnefs in them, in regard of the Go!pel; he calleth them Flefh. I alledge it for this, that all things that were outward were called Flelh among the Jews ; yea, theWorks of the Moral Law, ifa Man would affeCt to be never fo holy, (if he take away ~iming at God as the principal ) and if he will go, and truft in them when they are done, they are all Flefh, they arc things of the Flefb. What f.1ith the Apof'rle, rPhil. 3· 3· If dllJ have reafon to be confident in the Flejb, much more 1, I had caufe to truf'r in the Flefh. He had relation to that Speech in ]er. 1 7· 5· Curfed is the Mw, that ma/;sth Flejh hh Arm : Which is, not only to make Man his confidence, but any thing; for Pmd interpreteth it here, My own Righteonf.. nefs, ~nd whatfoever I did, all the Works of the Law, it is all but Flefh, all the Privileges, ifyou go and fever Chrift from them. Now, my Brethren, (confider what I fay) corrupt Nature then bath for its Objell:, all the things of the Flefh, Take Spiritllal out of the Law, and the Duties of it; take the new Creature out of it, and take Jefus ChriPc out of it, and 'ris all Flefh, and corrupt Nature will fuit with them all; it may be wound up to the Worksof the Law, to a feeking and an affCil:ing of blamelefiiefs, &c. The very Works of the Go!pel, if you will let them be carried on for felf-ends, they are all the Works of the Flelh, and things of the F!en1 ; if you will truPc in what you do, they become things of the Flefh. Take a Man that is a tempo· rary Believer, and he may be wound up to the ways and things of the Gofpel; yet he turns them all to the things of the Flefh, and corrupt Nature remaining, Fleih will fuit with all thefe. And then again, a third Reafon why it is called Fleil1, is this: Beca)lfe it is propagated by natural Generation, John 3· 3, 4· That which i1 bom of the Flejb, i1 FleJ1J; the thing that is born or begotten, hath the Name of the Begetter ; That which i1 born ofthe Spirit, i1 Spirit i That which )s botn of the Fldb, that is, by a Aefhly way of Generation, is Flefh, is Corruptlori. And let me make this Obfervation of it: Sin, you know, it is the Work of Satan; Ye are ofyo11r Father, the Devil, faith he: Why? becaufe he is the re– mote Caufe. Original Sin hath not its denomination from him, for he bath not that Influence into Sin, which the· Holy-Ghoft bath in working Gr:rce m us; therefore he would not fay, that which is ofSatan in you is Corruption; but be– caute that Generation is the next, and immediate or proximate Caufe, therefore it beareth the Name, Flejb, becaufe it is born of Flcfh, and Flelh is the immedt– nte caufc of it. And hence it was, that Circumci!ion was in the fo.e-sksn of'the Flcjb; and it is called Flefb peculiarly in Rom. 2. 28. And' I could give you other Scriptures, as Lev. r5. 2. and Ezek.; 23, 2o, Then
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