44 SERMONS upon Serm. V1 Tit. 3.3. Serving divers tufts and pleafures, and being captivated by the flefhly part, they have contracted a ftrangenefs and enmity to God and his ways, Rom. 8.7. They that have no relifh for the joys of faith, and the pleafures of Holinefs, and do habituallypre- fer the natural good of the body, before the moral,fpiritual, and eternal good both of body and foul, thefeare in a ftate of ctrnality. Il. The Obfervationr. I. This minding of the flefh malt be interpreted not with refpea to our former eilate; for alas ! all of us in times pafl pleated the flefh, and walked according to the courfe of this world, and had in t ime pall our converfation in the lulls of the Flefh, fulfilling thewill o f t he Flefh, and of the mind, Eph. 2. 3. It was God that loofed our (hackles, Tit. 3.3. We our (elves were fometimes foolifh, difobedient, deceived, ferving divers tufts and pleafures, &c. but after the kiudnefs and love of God appeared towards mankind, &c. If we yet pleafe the flefh, we are not the fervants of Chrift 5 but if we break off this fervitude, God will not judg us according to what we have been, but what we are. 2. To know what we are, We muff confider what Principle liveth in us, and groweth and increafith 5 and on the other tide, what decreafeth, the interefl of the Flefh, or the in- terefl of the fpirit 5 for thefe two are contrary, and the one de[troyeth the other ; the love of theworld, and the flefh, eftrangeth us from God, r John 2. 15. -Love not the world, nor the things of the world; if any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. On the other fide, minding the things of the (pirit deadneth our Affe &ions to the world and the baits of the fleth. The Converfation in Heaven is oppofed to the mind- ing of earthly things, Phil. 3. 19, 20. Whofe God is their belly, whofe glory is in their fhame, who mind earthy things 5 but our converfation is in Heaven: So much of affeftion as we give to the one, we take from the other, Col. 3. 2. Set your affiliions on things above, and not on thing's of the earth. Now we are to confider if we grow more bru- tifh, forgetful of God, unapt forfpiritual things, the flefh gained.) 5 But if the fpiritual inclinationdoth more and more difcover it felf with life and power in our Thoughts, Words, and Aûions, the fleth is in the wane, and wefhall be reckoned among thofethat walk not after the fleib, but after the fpirit; we have every day a higher eftimation of God, and Chrift, and Grace, and Heaven, and thereby we grow more dead to other things. 3. Some things more immediately tend to the pleafing of the flefh 5 others more remotely: Immediately, as bodily Peeafures, and therefore our inclinations to them are called Heftily tufts, as dittinguithed from worldly lulls, Tit. 2. 12. ór from the lufts of the eye, and pride of life, r John a. 16.and thefe are intended when it is faid, r Pet. 2. r r. Abfiain from Flefhly lulls which war againfl the foul s that is, thofe inclinations which carry us to vain and fordid pleafures : Other things more remotely, as they lay in provifion for that end, as the Honours and profits Of the world 5 as all Religion is pleafing God, fo all that is oppofite to it, is pleating the fleth. Some pleafe it one way, fome another 5 tho a man be not voluptuous, yet he may be guilty of minding the things of the Flefh, be- cauCe the world lieth neareft to his heart, and fo he is taken off from care of, and de, light in better things 5 envy, emulation, wrath, ftrife, divifion make us carnal, 2 Cor. 3. 3. Namely, as we buckle and [}rive for greatnef; and efteem in the world, tho they are not fordidiy given to brutifh pleafures, and worldly lofts, are called foolifh and hurtful Infix, which drown men in perdition and defrullion, i 7im. 6. 9. Therefore flefhly minding mull be applied to any thing that inticeth us to neglefl things fpiritual and heavenly, for the world and the flefh fuit 5 one is the affeflion, the other the bait. 4. Some pleafe the Flefh in a more cleanly, others in a more profs manner; as forte mens fins are open and manifeft, and flink in the nottrils of God, as Whoredom, Drunkennefx, and the like. Now rho we fall not into thefe fins , but efcape the pollutions of the world 5 yet there is a more fecret, carnal minding, wherewith we may be tainted, as when we let look the heart to luch alluring vanities as draw us off ftomGod,and Chrift, and Heaven; and the favour and relifh that we have for outward things,obfirufleth and quencheth the heavenly life, as much as thofe baler lulls that are more Ihameful and hateful in the world ; Come are difingaged from grofs fins, but yet wholly live to them - felve ;, and the pleafures of their flefhly mind; whereas the fpiritual living is a living unto God, and fubordinateth all things to our great intereft 5 and till we return to God from whom we have ftrayed, there is little difference what way of fin we chufe, we are all gone affray, but every one his own way, Ifa. 53.6. 5. The
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