116 SERNfDNSupon Serm.XVII. 14. but the natural man receiveth not the things of the fpirit of God, for they are foolifb- nef to him: neither can he know them, becaufe they are fpiritnaUy difterned. And alto from applying our Rule to particular cafes, either in judging of our eftate, or in gui. ding of our aecions,'tis ftrange to fee%ow the world, or the delufion of the fle(h, do blind very knowing men 5 and how unacquainted they are with their own hearts, or unable to difcern their duty in plain cafes, when the performance of it is likely to be difpleafing to the Flefh. What ftrange difguifes it puts upon a Temptation, and how they wriggle and diftinguìlh themfelves out of their duty, when. either God mutt be difobeyed, or the Flefhdifpleafed; the Fleth is always partial for its Pelf; therefore get a found mind, and this. fpiritual difcerning. 2. Look to the heart that there be no Flefh there. Sinful inclinations mutt be obferved and mortified ; Satan doth obferve them, and Tall not we ? He feeth which way the Tree leaneth, and what kind of diet their foul-diftempers crave, and fuiteth his tempta. tions accordingly : As the skilful Angler fuiteth his Bait as the fi(hes will take it, every month. i Cor. 7. 5. left Satan tempt yon for your incontinency. He bath a bait of Pre- ferment for Abfolom, foe he is ambitious; a bait of Pleafure for Sampfon, for he is vo- luptuous; a bait of Money for Judas, for he is covetous. Thus will he furnifh them with Temptations anfwerable to their inclinations. A man by Temper Voluptuous e(teems not Profit much; nor an Earth, worm Pleafure 5 nor an Ambitious man much either of them, but Honour, and Reputation, and great Place. Now 'cis fad that our Enemy fhould know our Temper better than our felves. Your uprightnefs and faith - fujnefs to God is feen in weakning your particular inclinations to fin, Pfal. 18. 23. I was alfo upright before him, and kept my felf from mine iniquity. Obferve the decay of your Matter -fin, and other things will come on the more eafily ; fight not againft fmall or great, but the King -luft, the domineering fin. Satan is the more difcouraged when we can deny our domineering lufts. As Sampfon's ftrength lay in his locks, fo doth the ftrength of fin in one luft more than another. Every man knoweth his darling com- monly 5 but that which is our great care, is to wean our hearts from it. Herod raged when John Baptiti touched his Herodias. Felix trembled when Paul touched his bri- bery and intemperance; and the young man goeth away fad when Chrift difcovereth his worldlinefs, Mark 10.22. We have all our tender parts, which we cannot endure fhould be touched. But now when you are willing to part with this fin , pray, firive, and watch again(t it, grow in the contrary grace, it fhewetb your felf - denial and fincerity, you will not fpare your Ifaac. Well then, fee that no worldly thing be too near and dear to you, and that God hath a greater intereft in your heart than the fle(h, or any thing that belongeth to it. 3. Let not the fenfes cafb off the government of reafon, and be the ruling power in your fouls. Théy were not made to govern, but to be governed, and to be fubjeded to God and Reafon. Man by the fall is inverted, Tit. 3. 3. hateful, and hating one another. Man in his right conftitution fhould be thus govern'd. The Underflanding and Confcience prefcribe to the Will, the Will according to right Reafon and Confcience moveth the Affebtions, the Affeetions move the bodily fpirits and the members of the body; but by corruption all is inverted and changed; Pleafure affects the Senfes, the Senfes corrupt the Phantafy, the Phantafy the Bodily fpirits, they the Affe &ions, and the Affeâions by their violence and impetuous inclination to forbidden things, move the Will ; and the Will yeilding, blindeth the Mind, and fo man is carried headlong to his own defiru- ¿ion ; the feet are where the head fhould be, e contra. Well then, you mutt guide the fenfes, as yob made a covenant with his eyes, Job 3r. 1. and David prayeth, Pfa1. 119. ,37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. They let in Objetts, and Obje &s ftir up Thoughts, and Thoughts Affeítions. Mar. 5. 28. Now take heed they do not grow ma- Derly; if they tranfmit Temptations, and ftir up evil motions, truth the Scorpion on the wound. - 4. Keep up a readinefs for your work, which is to obey the will of God. It argueth fome prevalency of the Flefh, when our duty beginneth to grow troublefome and un- eafie 5 Therefore the Spirit or the better part cannot fo readily produce its operation 5 the foul in the right Temper doth willingly and cheerfully obey God, i Joh. 5. 3. tar is the love of God, that we keep his commandments , and his commandments are not grie- vous. Pfal.4.0.8. I delight to do thy will,0 my God: thy law is in my heart. And Pfal. t 12.1. Blefed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Therefore'ris time for you to check the Flefh, and overcome it, left farther mifchief in- creale upon you. 5. Refer
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