322 POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH ANY) SPIRIT. though none of the carnal sins, no appetites to fleshly objects, should follow it into the separate state. But the point which I propose to prove is this, that though there may be several sins that arise chiefly from the mind, yet there, are multitudes of disorderly appetites, sinful inclinations and aversions, as well as violent immoderate tendencies towards lawful objects, seated in our animal nature, in our flesh and blood, in this mortal part of our frame and composition, wherein we are "a -kin to the beasts that perish ; and it is by the senses, by these sensitivemotions and ferments of flesh and blood, that the human soul is most frequently led into temptation and sin : And more especially I may venture to say, that the soul of a true christian, which is sanctified by the Spirit of God, and has a new and hea- venly temper and bias, anda divine nature given it, owes most of its actual transgressions to the flesh, and the lusts thereof, to which it is united in the present state. There is one objectionthat seems necessary to be answered ; and that is drawn from the words of our Saviour ; Mark vii. 21, 23. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, &c. All these evil things comefrom within, and defile the man. Now some person may say, it is evident, that by the heart he did not mean that in- ward bowel so called, but the soul itself ; because, according to the vulgar philosophy, and common sentiments of the Jews, the soul of man had its chief residence in the heart and upon this account they attributed to the heart the several affections and in- ward operations of the soul, whether they were sinful or holy ; and in this sense our Saviour maybe supposed to attribute to the soul, or spirit in man, all these wickednesses. But it is easy to solve this difficulty two ways. 1. That neither the philosophy of the Jews, nor the com- mon language which our Saviour used, did make any nice dis- tinction in those principles ofhuman actions what share the spirit had in them and what the flesh; but they used the word heart, all those inward powers of the man whence outward actions proceeded ; and this because the springs andmotions of the blood and life, as well as the ferments of several passions, were found there: So that our Saviour using the common language of the people, doesby no means exclude the inward ferments of the flesh from their ,Share in these sinful actions; but rather includes them in theword heart. 2. If we could suppose the word heart in this place to sig- nify merely the soul or spirit, yet it would by no means exclude the inward ferments of the flesh from being the first springs and occasions of many of these sinful practices ; for they do not be- come sins till the soul has consented to them ; nor can theybreak forth into outward acts without the command,or, at least, the sin-
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