V er. 6. the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS. 55 The children of this world aremifer in their generation than the children.of light r+c rôr yrredr, More dexterous in the courfe of their affairs, skilful in all things of a fecular interest in . back and belly concernments, but very fenfleß in things that are without the line of the flesh, and beyond the present world, 2 Pet. 1.9. He is blind, and cannotfee afar of He can fee nothing of the danger of perifhingfew ever, or the worth of Salvation; or the need of Chri(l, to heal wounded fouls, or the neceffity of making ferions prepara. tion for the world to come. 'Tis ftrange to confider how acute Wits are (cupid and fenflefs in there things, being blinded by the delusions of the flefh; Cutely none have much a lively knowledg of fpiritual things as fpiritual men. Objeít. But do not many carnal men underfland the Myfferies of Godlinefs ? Tea; fometimes more diftindly and acurately than the fanftified ? Ì Anfwer, Carnal men know not God, nor Ch, riff, nor the things of the Spirit ; it is 9 fotti(hpeople of no underffanding,tfa. 27. I t, And generally the fear of the Lord giveth a good under(tanding, Pfal. r r t. so. A blunt Iron that is red hot will pierce further . into a board, than a Tharp Tool that is cold. Love to God inlivens our notions of God and Christ, and the world to come, and perfeûs them ; but then'tis true that car- nal men may be well flocked with literal knowledg, they have Aiemaer+ 7ss yrmeedr, Rom 2 20. A form of the knowledg of the law: But they have not chose piercing Apprehenfion0 and Heart - warming thoughts of danger, duty and Bleflednefs, as the fpiritual man hath the lively light of the fpirit, leaveth a greater power and impreflìon upon the heart, than this cold knowledgdoth or can do. Some carnal men may have more of the No- tions, Words, Forms, Methods than the unlearned Saints have but they want the Thing theme were made for ; they may dreg the meat as Cooks, but the Godly feed on it, and digest it, and are moil capable favingly to understand the things concerning the fpiritual life. 2. The next aft of the mind is cogitation, and fo they are laid to mind the things of the flesh, whole hearts are continually haunted and exercised with carnal thoughts, or thoughts about fenfual , worldly and earthly Things. To make this evident, let me tell you, there are Three Sorts of Thoughts, expreft by Three diftinhh Words in Scripture. 1. There are itryrrµcr or dherrvrrpsr ; Difcourfes and Reafönings. a. There are 014.4ws and irBoeíose wrings, or imaginations. 3. There are rrírKera, devices; all theft Ways doth the Flesh or Spirit bewray it felf. i. Sometimes in our Difcourfes, Debates and Reafonings: The fpirit it feen in de- bating with our 'elves about our eternal condition, Aas 16. 14. She attended tothe things that were fpoken: That is, weighed them in her mind : And Luke 2. 19. Mary pon- dered them n her heart ;e thmineiS.0r4 compared thought with thought, Rom. 8. 31. fay f g Now the fleshly minding is feen partly in juftling' out theme thoughts, and oppofing theme Difcourfes of the mind, that we have no profit by them ; and partly by filling and fluffing the mind with carnal thoughts and difcourfes, that there is no room for better things, 2 Pet. 2. 14. An heart they have exercifed with covetous praílices : Their hearts. are always busied with low carnal and bate thoughts: Therefore 'tis laid, The heart of the wicked isnot hing worth, Prov. so. Co. All the debates and difcourfes of their minds, are of no value, and tend to no ferious and profitable late. . 2. Mufngs; admiring their excellency and bleffing, and applauding themfelt es in what they have, and hope for in the World, Dan. 4. 3o. Is not this great Babel that j have built for the boufe of the kingdom, by the might of my power; and for the honour of my majeliy b And Pfal. 144. 15. Happy is the people that is in fach a cafe. This felf- blefling is a fign of carnal minding: They never fit their minds a work upon fpiritual and heavenly things. Surely one that believeth Heaven, and looketh for Heaven, and longeth for Heaven, will be thinking of it : Shall an ambitious man find fuch a favour in thoughts of preferment ? a covetous man in the thoughts of wealth and riches.? a vainglorious man in the ecchoes and fuppofìtion of applause ? the volupte. pus man in revellings, and eating and drinking, fo that his heart is always in the boufc of mirth? the unclean perfön in personating the pleafure of fin by imaginations, Match
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