Vér: 9. the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS, 75 2. The carnal life, as the 8th verle of this chapter , They that are in the Alb cannot pleafe God. Someçimes'cis put for fome a&s belonging to the carnal life ; but more ufu- ally for the Mate of carnality : if ye live after the fle /h, ye Jhall dye. Now I fay, the chil- dren of God having his fpirit dwelling in them, tho they live in the flefh, tho they live. a life natural, and have not diverted themfelves of the interefis and concérnments of flefh and blood no more than others , yet they do not live after the fleJb. A life carnal, fee it notably expreffed, 1 Pet. 4.2. that he fhould no longer live the refl of his time in the flefh, to the Infis of men, but the will of God. Tho the life be in the fefh ttill, yet it is not ordered by the wills of the fleib, but the will of God. 'Tis in the flefh we live, but not after the fleth; mortifying and fubduing the inclinations of corrupt nature yet more and more. Thus we fee the fenfe of the words. 2. Let me prove the conne&ion, That tho they live in the flefb , yet they do not live after the flefh: The very explication doth fufficiently thew it. I. For if the dwelling of the Spirit implieth intimacy and familiarity , or filch ope- rations in the hearts of believers as are not common to others, but peculiar to them Then certainly Gods children, tho they live in the.flefh as others do, yet they Htould and do live above the rate of flefhand blood ; for they have an higher principle in them, which others have not. 'Tis a charge on Chriftians, that they walk as men, 2 Cor. 3. 3 "or är&pmaor if we do no more than ordinary men do , wherein do we differ ? What peculiar excellency do we thew forth ? Some live as beams, as if they had forfa- ken all humanity, and had no reafon, but Cenfe ; others only. as men that bave reafon, but not the fpirit. But our way should be with the wife, above, as having a more excel lent fpirit dwelling in us. 2. If it implieth the conftancy of' his operations, he doth not fojourn for a feafon, but dwelleth in us by his continuance and abode in our hearts; for he bath confiant work to do there, to quicken and enliven our graces, and check the flesh, and abate the force of it. Surely then the tenor of our lives mutt not be after the flefh, but after the fpirit. Thete are but few but have their good moods and fits; but a canulant habitual influence or principle of life, inferreth more than fomegood moods now and then, aeon. fiant living in obedience to God. 3. If it implieth Soveraignty, that he dwelleth as Lord aphis own houle, then he mutt not be controlled , nor grieved by the indulging the delires of the flab : fo that the terms explained do evidence themfelves, and make out their own truth to any mans con- fideration. But yet we shall give you Come other Reafons. 1. The Spirit dwelleth no where, but where he hath changed the heart far, as to put ri new nature in us: He writeth the word of God upon the heart, Heb. B. to. and thereby imprinteth his image upon them, 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all as with open face beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image : fo fitting us for God, and-making us amiable in his fight. Now they that are thus prepared, fa re in- the fleflo, bat not after the fefli; they keep the affe&ions which belong to the bodily life but they are mort;6ed and fubdued, they are not governed by them, a Pet. t: 4: To us are given,great and pre- cious promifes, that by there you might be partakers of the divine nature, having ef<aped tie corruption which is in the world through lull. In which place is intimated a new principle, and that is the divinenature; a new rule, and that is not the courfe of the world, but the will of God revealed in his Word ; new ends and motives, and thole not the fatisfying of our Heftily tufts, but the vi ion and fruition of God, intimated in the great and precious promifes. Now if the Spirit of God dwelleth no where but where he bath thus fitted the heart for his refidence by fan&ifying it, and inclining it to God, and the World to come as our happinefs, and the Word of God as our fare dire &ion thither; it mutt needs follow, that where the Spirit of God dwelleth, they do not live after the flefh, tho they live in it; for then there is a contrary principle, the newnature, which mutt needs be a curb upon the Herb, if we obey the inclinations of it: Gal. q. 16. Walk in the fpirit, and you Jhall not fulfil the lulls of-the fle/h. And a contrary rule, which is the will of God; Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing ofyour minds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfetl will of God. For by it they are new formed, and to it they are fished ; and there is a contrary end and tendency, which is to love, pleafe, ferve, glorifie and enjoy God. As the natural foul looketh after the conveniences of the body, and catereth only for the body; fo the re. newed foul looketh after the pleating of God, I Pet. 4.6. We live to God iso the fpirit. Their bufinefs herb with God, and their happi efs lieth in God ; 'cis his favour they feek, his work they do, and the fruition of him they aim at. Spiritual life carrieth a re- K a femblaned s;
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