908 THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH AND SFIRTF. natural Or in a regenerate state, still he supposes the great occasion of sinful actions to proceed from the flesh. I confess that in some places of the New Testament, and perhaps in several of these which I have now cited, the word flesh may be used something figuratively, to signify all the principles of sin that are in human nature, whether they immediately reside in the mind, or in the body,. as the subject ; but the figure itself seems to be borrowed from this very sentiment, that tile flesh, with its affections and appetites towards fleshly objects, is the chief spring and occasion of sin. I might add also, that there are some other places of scripture, where the word flesh must necessarily be taken in a literal and proper sense, denoting the body to be the seat or spring of many sinful affections ; as Eph. ii. 3. where the desires of the flesh are distinguished from the sinful desires of the mind. And ° Cor. vii. I. where both the filthiness of flesh and spirit is mentioned ; and there are very few places which will not allow us to understand it in a literal sense. And it is evident to any one who compares the various parts of the writings of this apostle, that he speaks ten times of the body, the flesh, or the members, as the springs,of sin, where he once mentions the lusts of the mind ; intimating, that the far greatest part of the sins of men, are derived from their flesh, and are owing to their compliance with the sinful desires or affections of the body. I would not be mistaken here, as if I supposed the flesh to be the only immediate springof all our. sins ;. though perhaps, it is the original, and remote spring of- all, as I shall shew presently : But the soul of man, being once depraved, has many sinful qualities in it ; the under- standing, and the will, the very mind and conscience, are defiled; Tit. i. 15. The soul itself has some propen sities to things that are forbidden, as well as sinful aver- sions to God, and things holy and heavenly.. There are the lusts of the mind as well as lusts-of the flesh. There is a filthiness both of flesh and spirit. The devils, who have no flesh and blood belonging to them, are. vile sin- ners-; theseare called spiritual wickednesses in high places; Eph. vi. 12. or, as it may be translated, wicked spirits in ;beavenlies that is, in the airy regions : So the spirit of
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