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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 spring
of
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-;
these
are
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