OF THE MIND BY SIN. 159 Sect 50.-Moreover, this darkness fills the mind- these imaginations doth answer the predominancy of with enmity against all the ways of God. For as the carnal mind is enmity against God, so it is not subject untohis law, neither can so be. So the apostle informs us, that men are alienated from the life of God, or dis.. like the whole way and work of living unto him, by reason of the ignorance and blindness that is in them, Ephes. iv. 18. and it esteems the whole rule and mea- sure of it to be foolishness, 1 Cor. i. 18, 20. But I must not too long insist on particulars, although in these days wherein some are so apt to boast in proud swelling words of vanity, concerning the power and sufficiency of the mind, even with respect unto religion and spirit- ual things, it cannot be unseasonable to declare what is the judgment of the Holy Ghost plainly expressed in the scriptures in this matter; and one testimony thereof will be of more weight with thedisciples ofJesus Christ, thana thousand declamations to the contrary. Sect. 51.Secondly; This darkness fills the mind with wills on perverse lusts that are directly contrary to the will of God, Ephes. ii. 3. There are»A iwara 8,a,m,,, the wills or lusts of the mind; that is, the habitual in- clinations of the mind unto sensual objects. It minds earthly things, Phil. iii. 19. Andhence the mind itself is said to be fleshly, Col. ii. 18. As unto spiritual things, it is born of the flesh, and is flesh. It likes, savours, approves of nothing but what is carnal, sensual, and vain. Nothing is suited unto it, but what is either curi- ous, or needless, or superstitious, or sensual and earth- ly. And therefore are men said to walk in the vanity of their minds. In the whole course of their lives they are influenced by a predominant principle of vanity. And, in this state, the thoughts and imaginations of the mind are always set on work to provide sensual ob- jects for this vain and fleshly frame; hence arethey said to be evil continually, Gen. vi. 5. This is the course ofa- darkened mind. Its vain frame or inclination, the fleshly will of it, stirs up vain thoughts and imagina- tions; it minds the things of the flesh, Rom. viii. 5. These thoughts fix on, and represent unto the mind ob- jects suited unto the satisfaction of its vanity and lust. With these the mind committeth folly and lewdness, and the fleshly habit thereof is thereby heightened and confirmed; and this multiplies imaginations of its own kind, whereby men inflame themselves, Isa. lvii. 5. waxing worse and worse. And the particular bent of Rr any especial lust in the heart or mind. Sect. 52. It will be objected, that although these things are so in many, especially in persons that are be- come profligate in sin, yet proceeding from their wills and corrupt sensual affections, they argue not an im- potency in the mind to discern and receive spiritual things; but notwithstanding these enormities of some, the faculty of the mind is still endued with a power of discerning, judging and believing spiritual things in a due manner. Ans. I. We do not now discourse concerning the weakness and disability of the mind in and about these things, which is, as it were, a natural impotency, like blindness in the eyes, which bath been both explained and confirmed before. But it is a moral disability, and that as unto all the powers of nature invincible, as unta the right receiving of spiritual things, which ensues on that corrupt depravation of the mind in thestate of na-, ture that the scripture calls darkness or blindness, which we intend. (2.) Our present testimonies have sufficiently confirm- ed, that all the instances mentioned, do proceed from the depravation of the mind. And whereasthis is com- mon unto, and equal in all unregenerate men, if it pro- duce not in all effects to the same degree of enormity, it is from some beams of light, and secret convictions from the Holy Spirit, as we shall afterwards declare. (S.) Our only aim is to prove the indispensibleneces- sity of a saving work of illumination on the mind, to enable it to receive spiritual things spiritually, which . appears sufficiently from the efficacy of this darkness whence a man hath no ability to disentangle or save himself, for also; Sect. 5S.Thirdly; It fills the mind with prejudices against spiritual things, as proposed unto them in the gospel. And from these prejudices it bath neither light nor power to extricate itself. No small part of itsde-- pravation consists in its readiness to embrace them, and pertinacious adherence unto them. Some few of these prejudices may be instanced. (1.) The mind, from the darkness that is in it, ap- _ prebends that spiritual things, the things of the gospel, as they are proposed, have an utter inconsistency with true contentment and satisfaction. These are the things which all men by various ways do seek after. This is 23
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