Jó FLESH AND SPI$.IT. tain their purity and heavenly-mindedness ? St. Paul was of another mind; 1 Cor. ix. 27. I keep under my body, says he ; I fight with my flesh which is my great enemy, inrwialate LTaywre, I subdue it, and bear it down., as with heavy blows, I keep it under as a slave, lest when I have preached to others, I myselfshould become a cast-away ; lest, when I have preached to others the doctrines of mortifying the flesh, and of walking accordingto thespirit, I should indulge such"fleshly sins as would prove my eternal ruin. Let not any man imagine, that I am here teaching the Ro mish penances, and monkish severities; there is no necessity of sack-cloth and beggary, scourging and starving, in order to keep the body fit for the duties of religion. Surely there is a medium between the self-indulgence of `some lazy and carnal christians, and the superstitious forms of mortifying the flesh, practised in the popish church ; and if, under a pretence of sublime spiritu- ality, we let the fleshly appetites get the mastery of us, the pros - perity, andeven the safety of the soul, will be in extreme hazard ; for St. Peter and St. Paul agree well in this doctrine, that fleshly lusts war against the soul; 1 Pet. ii. 11. I confess the apostle tells the Ephesians, chap vi. ver. 12. We wrestle not againstflesh and blood, Sçc. But it is -plain he means no more, than that flesh andblood are not our only ene- mies, but thatwe wrestle also with principalities andpowers; and spiritual wickedness, i. e. with Satan and thepowers of darkness. Yet we must remember that the powers of darkness chiefly attack our spirits by means of our flesh. I cannot believe they would have so much advantage over our souls as they have, if our souls were released from flesh and blood. Satan has a chamber in the imagination, fancy is his shop wherein to forge sinful thoughts ; and he is very busy at thismischievous work, especially when the powers of nature labour under any disease, and such as affects the head and the nerves : He seizes the un- happy opportunity, and gives greater disturbances to the mind, by awakening the images of the brain in ad irregular manner, and stimulating and urging onwards the too unruly passions. This crafty adversary is very ready to fish, as we say, in troubled waters ; where the humours of the body are out of order. This he is wise to make his advantage of all our weaknesses, and to gain some interest inthem, to execute his hellish designs thereby; 2 Cor. xii. 7. A messenger of Satan and a thorn in theflesh, were both together troublesome to St. Paul ; whether they be- came two distinct enemies, or one strengthened by the influence of the other, is hard to determine ; but thus much seems to be intimated, that some troublesome disorder in the flesh, gave a great occasion to Satan to buffet St. Paul more severely, and do him snore mischief.
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