Secondly, its called flesh from the operations of this corrupt nature, which are fleshly and carnal; The reasonings of the corrupt mind fleshly, therefore called the carnal mind, uncapable indeed of the things of God, which it neither doth nor can perceive: As the Sun doth obsignare superiora dumb revelat inferiora; hide the Heavens which are above it from us, while it reveals things beneath; so carnal reason leaves the creature in the dark concerning spiritual truths, when it is most able to conceive and discourse of creature-excellencies, and carnal interests here below. What a childish question, for so wise a ⟨p. 173⟩man did Nicodemus put to Christ? though Christ to help him did wrap his speech in a carnal phrase. If fleshly reason cannot understand spiritual truths when thus accommodated, and the notions of the Gospel translated into its own language, what skill is it like to have of them, if put to read them in their original tongue? I mean, if this garment of carnal expression were taken off, and spiritual truths in their naked hue presented to its view. The motions of the natural will are carnal, and therefore, Rom. 8.5. They that are after the flesh, are said to mind the things of the flesh. All its desires, delights, cares, fears, are in and of carnal things; it savours spiritual food no more then an Angel fleshly. Omnis vita gustu ducitur: What we cannot relish we will hardly make our daily food. Every creature hath its proper diet, the Lion eats not grass, nor the horse flesh; what is food to the carnal heart, is poison to the gracious; and that which is pleasing to the gracious, is distasteful to the carnal. Now according to this Interpretation the sense of the Apostle is not, as if the Christian had no combat with his corrupt nature, (for in another place it's said, the Spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh against the Spirit, and this enemy is called, [Greek or Hebrew],1 the sin that besets the Christian round) but to aggravate his conflict with this enemy by the access of a foreign power, Satan who strikes in with this domestic enemy. As if while a King is fighting with his own mutinous subjects, some out-landish troops should join with them, now he may be said not to fight with his subjects, but with a foreign power. The Christian wrestles not with his naked corruption, but with Satan in them;
Secondly, its call'd flesh from the operations of this corrupt nature, which are fleshly and carnal; The reasonings of the corrupt minde fleshly, therefore called the carnal minde, uncapable indeed of the things of God, which it neither doth nor can perceive: As the Sunne doth obsignare superiora dum revelat inferiora; hide the Heavens which are above it from us, while it reveales things beneath; so carnal reason leaves the creature in the dark concerning spiritual truths, when it is most able to conceive and discourse of creature-excellencies, and carnal interests here below. What a childish question, for so wise a ⟨p. 173⟩man did Nicodemus put to Christ? though Christ to help him did wrap his speech in a carnal phrase. If fleshly reason cannot understand spiritual truths when thus accommodated, and the notions of the Gospel translated into its own language, what skill is it like to have of them, if put to reade them in their original tongue? I mean, if this garment of carnal expression were taken off, and spiritual truths in their naked hue presented to its view. The motions of the natural will are carnal, and therefore, Rom. 8.5. They that are after the flesh, are said to minde the things of the flesh. All its desires, delights, cares, feares, are in and of carnal things; it savours spiritual food no more then an Angel fleshly. Omnis vita gustu ducitur: What we cannot relish we will hardly make our daily food. Every creature hath its proper diet, the Lion eats not grasse, nor the horse flesh; what is food to the carnal heart, is poison to the gracious; and that which is pleasing to the gracious, is distastful to the carnal. Now according to this Interpretation the sense of the Apostle is not, as if the Christian had no combate with his corrupt nature, (for in another place it's said, the Spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh against the Spirit, and this enemy is called, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉,1 the sin that besets the Christian round) but to aggravate his conflict with this enemy by the accesse of a forreign power, Satan who strikes in with this domestick enemy. As if while a King is fighting with his own mutinous subjects, some out-landish troops should joyne with them, now he may be said not to fight with his subjects, but with a forrein power. The Christian wrestles not with his naked corruption, but with Satan in them;
- 1Heb 12.1•.
