The truth is, men would fain, if possible, reconcile Gods service and their lust together; and therefore they take counsel of themselves, [Greek or Hebrew], making God such a God to themselves, as Pasquilius speaks, as they had made themselves to be unto him, they would fain be unto themselves Arbitri religionis & praeceptorum, even d• •ores, as Hilarius Pictaviensis elegantly speaketh, and the Philosopher gives the reason of it in another case, [Greek or Hebrew], That every man loves his own way best, as Parents do their own children; and therefore betakes himself to many inventions of his own. So long as sin is loved, and lust retained, men will not go downright to the will of God, but to carnal reason. When God called to St. Paul by his grace, and revealed Christ unto him, then only it was that he resolved not to confer with flesh and blood, Gal. 1. 16. If Ahaz be commanded to believe, and for confirmation of his faith have a sign offered him, he will not take Gods way to trust in him, but his own way, an arm of flesh. I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord, Isai. 7. 12. Spiritual things are above the reach of carnal thoughts, Principles, and not only above them but against them. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God, Rom. 8. 7. and the natural man neither knoweth nor receiveth the things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. ⟨p. 10⟩It is the voice of flesh and blood, Nolumus hunc, We will not have him to rule over us; and therefore as water can move no higher than the fountain of it, so carnal principles can carry men no farther than carnal performances. And the truth is, Carnal men have bu•gross and carnal notions of God and his Kingdom. To be glorified, is to be like unto Christ, Ph. 3. As the eye by seeing the Sun is made like unto the Sun, so he who rejects his image here hath no true desire of his glory there. Joh. 3. 3. Having therefore none but carnal notions of God, they have none but carnal notions of his service too.
The truth is, men would fain, if possible, reconcile Gods service and their lust together; and therefore they take counsel of themselves, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, making God such a God to themselves, as Pasquilius speaks, as they had made themselves to be unto him, they would fain be unto themselves Arbitri religionis & praeceptorum, even d• •ores, as Hilarius Pictaviensis elegantly speaketh, and the Philosopher gives the reason of it in another case, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, That every man loves his own way best, as Parents do their own children; and therefore betakes himself to many inventions of his own. So long as sin is loved, and lust retained, men will not go downright to the will of God, but to carnal reason. When God called to St. Paul by his grace, and revealed Christ unto him, then only it was that he resolved not to confer with flesh and blood, Gal. 1. 16. If Ahaz be commanded to believe, and for confirmation of his faith have a sign offered him, he will not take Gods way to trust in him, but his own way, an arm of flesh. I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord, Isai. 7. 12. Spiritual things are above the reach of carnal thoughts, Principles, and not only above them but against them. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God, Rom. 8. 7. and the natural man neither knoweth nor receiveth the things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. ⟨p. 10⟩It is the voice of flesh and blood, Nolumus hunc, We will not have him to rule over us; and therefore as water can move no higher than the fountain of it, so carnal principles can carry men no farther than carnal performances. And the truth is, Carnal men have bu•gross and carnal notions of God and his Kingdom. To be glorifyed, is to be like unto Christ, Ph. 3. As the eye by seeing the Sun is made like unto the Sun, so he who rejects his image here hath no true desire of his glory there. Ioh. 3. 3. Having therefore none but carnal notions of God, they have none but carnal notions of his service too.
