with these things. There is a place of rest remains for the people of God. You do not beat the air, but wrestle for a heaven that is yonder above these clouds; you have your worst first; the best will follow. You wrestle but to win a crown, and win to wear it, yea, wear, never to lose it; which, once on, none shall take off, or put you to the hazard of a battle more. Here, we overcome to fight again; the battle of one temptation may be over, but the war remains. What peace can we have, as long as devils can come abroad out of their holes, or any thing of sinful nature remains in ourselves unmortified, which will even fight upon its knees, and strike with one arm while the other is cut off? But when death comes, the last stroke is struck; this good physician will perfectly cure thee of thy spiritual blindness and lameness, as the martyr told his fellow at the stake, bloody Bonner would do their bodies. What is it, Christian, which takes away the joy of thy life, but the wrestlings and combats which this bosom enemy puts thee to? Is not this the Peninnah, that, vexing and disturbing thy spirit, hath kept thee off many a sweet meal thou mightest have had in communion with God and his saints? Or, if thou hast come, hath made thee cover the altar of God with thy tears and groans? And will it not be a happy hand that cuts the knot, and sets thee loose from thy deadness, hypocrisy, pride, and what not, wherewith thou wert yoked? It is life which is thy loss, and death which is thy gain. Be but willing to endure the rending of the veil of thy flesh, and thou art where thou wouldst be, out of the reach of sin, at rest in the bosom of thy God. And why should a short evil of pain affright thee more, than the deliverance from a continual torment of sin's evil ravish thee? Some you know have chosen to be cut, rather than to be ground daily with the stone, and yet, may be, their pain comes again; and canst thou not quietly think of dying, to be delivered from the torment of thy sins, never to return more? And yet that is not half that death doth for thee. Peace is sweet after war, ease after pain; but wha: tongue can express what joy, what glory must fill the creature at the first sight of God, and that blessed company? None but one that dwells there can tell. Did we know more of that blissful state, we ministers would find it as hard a work to persuade Christians to be willing to live here so long, as now it is to persuade them to be willing to die so soon.

CHAPTER II.

WHEREIN IS SHEWED WHAT IS MEANT BY FLESH AND BLOOD; HOW THE CHRISTIAN DOTH NOT, AND HOW HE DOTH WRESTLE AGAINST THE SAME.

SECTION I-Now follows the description of the saint's enemies, with whom he is to wrestle.

First, Described negatively, 'Not with flesh and blood.'

Secondly, Positively, 'But against principalities and powers,' &c.

First, For the negative part of the description; we are not to take it for a pure negation, as if we had no conflict with flesh and blood, but wholly and solely to engage against Satan; but by way of comparison, not only with flesh and blood, and in some sense not chiefly. It is usual in Scripture, such manner of phrases; Luke xiv. 12, 'Call not thy friends to dinner, but the poor;' that is, not only those, so as to neglect the poor. Now, what is meant here by flesh and blood? There is a double interpretation of the words.

First, By flesh and blood may be meant our bosom corruptions; that sin which is in our corrupt nature so oft called flesh in the Scripture; The flesh lusteth against the spirit;' and sometimes flesh and blood; as Matt. xvi. 17, 'Flesh and blood hath not revealed this; that is, this confession thou hast made comes from above; thy fleshly corrupt mind could never have found out this supernatural truth; thy sinful will would never have embraced it. So 1 Cor. xv. 20: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;' that is, sinful mortal flesh, as it is expounded in the words following. So, Gal. i. 11 Consulted not with flesh and blood;' that is, carnal reason. Now this bosom enemy may be called flesh, partly from its derivation, and partly from its operation; from its derivation, because it is derived and propagated to us by natural generation; thus Adam is said to beget 'a son in his own likeness,' sinful as he was, as well as mortal and miserable; yea, the

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holiest saint on earth having flesh in him, derives this corrupt and sinful nature to his child; as the circumcised Jew begat an uncircumcised child; and the wheat cleansed and fanned, being sown, comes up with a husk: John iii. 6, . That which is born of the flesh is flesh.'

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Secondly, It is 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, incapable indeed of the things of God, which it neither doth nor can perceive; as the sun doth obsignare superiora dum revelet 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 excellences and carnal interests here below. What a childish question, for so wise a 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. viii. 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 than 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 is said, 'The spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit;' and this enemy is called 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 outlandish 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 corruptions, but with Satan in them: were there no devil, yet we should have our hands full in resisting the corruptions of our own hearts; but the access of this enemy makes the battle more terrible, because he heads them, who is a captain so skilful and experienced. Our sin is the engine, Satan is the engineer; lust the bait, Satan the angler: when a soul is enticed by his own lusts, he is said to be tempted, James i. 14; because both Satan, and our own lusts, concur to the completing the sin. Use 1. First, Let this make thee, Christian, ply the work of mortification close; it is no policy to let thy lusts have arms, who are sure to rise and declare against thee when thine enemy comes. Achish's nobles did but wisely, in that they would not trust David in their army when to fight against Israel, lest in the battle he should be an adversary to them. And darest thou go to duty, or engage in any action, where Satan will appear against thee, and not endeavour to make sure of thy pride, unbelief, &c., that they join not with thine enemy?

Secondly, Are Satan and thine own flesh against thee, not single corruption, but edged with his policy, and backed by his power? See then what need thou hast of more help than thy own grace; take heed of grappling with him in the strength of thy naked grace; here thou hast two to one against thee. Satan was too hard for Adam, though he went so well appointed into the field, because left to himself; much more easily will he foil thee; cling, therefore, about thy God for strength, get him with thee, and then, though a worm, thou shalt be able to deal with this serpent.

SECTION II.-Secondly, Flesh and blood is interpreted as a periphrasis of man. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, that is, not with man, who is here described by that part which chiefly distinguisheth him from the angelical nature: Touch me,' saith Christ, and handle me; a spirit hath not flesh.' Now according to this interpretation observe;

First, How ineanly the Spirit of God speaks of man.

Secondly, Where he lays the stress of the saints' battle, not in resisting flesh and blood, but principalities and powers; where the apostle excludes not our combat with man, for the war is against the serpent and his seed. As wide as the world is, it cannot peaceably hold the saints and wicked together; but his intent is to shew what a complicated enemy (man's wrath and Satan's interwoven together) we have to deal with.

First, For the first, How meanly doth the Spirit of God speak of man, calling him flesh and blood! Man hath a heaven-born soul, which makes him akin to angels, yea, to the God of them, who is the Father of spirits; but this is passed by in silence, as if God would not own that which is tainted with sin, and not the creature God at first made it; or because the soul, though of such noble extraction, yet being so immersed in sensuality, deserves no other name than flesh, which part of man levels him with the beast, and is here intended to express the weakness and frailty of man's nature. It is the phrase which the Holy Ghost expresseth the weakness and impotency of a creature by; Isa. xxxi. 3: They are men, and their horses are flesh,' that is, weak; as on the contrary, when he would set out the power and strength of a thing, he opposeth it to flesh, 2 Cor. x. 3: Our weapons are not carnal, but mighty;' and so in the text, not flesh and blood, but powers. As if he should say, Had you no other to fear but a weak sorry man, it were not worth the providing arms or ammunition; but you have enemies that neither are flesh, nor are resisted with flesh. So that here we see what a weak creature man is, not only weaker than angels, as they are spirits, and he flesh, but in some sense beneath the beasts, as the flesh of man is frailer than the flesh of beasts; therefore the Spirit of God compares man to the 'grass,' which soon withers,' Isa. xl. 6; and his 'goodliness to the flower of the field.' Yea, he is called vanity, Psa. lxii. 9 : 'Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie,' both alike vain; only the rich and the great man, his vanity is covered with honour, wealth, &c., which are here called a lie, because they are not what they seem, and so worse than plain vanity, which is known to be so, and deceives not.

Use 1. Is man but frail flesh? Let this humble thee, O man, in all thy excellency; flesh is but one remove from filth and corruption; thy soul is the salt that keeps thee sweet, or else thou wouldst stink above ground. Is it thy beauty thou pridest in? Flesh is grass, but beauty is the vanity of this vanity. This goodliness is like the flower, which lasts not so long as the grass, appears in its month, and is gone; yea, like the beauty of the flower, which fades while the flower stands. How soon will time's plough make furrows in thy face; yea, one fit of an ague so change thy countenance, as shall make thy doating lovers afraid to look on thee? Is it strength? Alas, it is an arm of flesh, which withers often in the stretching forth; ere long thy blood, which is now warm, will freeze in thy veins; thy spring crowned with May buds, will tread on December's heel; thy marrow dry in thy bones, thy sinews shrink, thy legs bow under the weight of thy body, thy eye-strings crack, thy tongue not able to call for help; yea, thy heart with thy flesh shall fail; and now thou, who art such a giant, take a turn if thou canst in thy chamber, yea, raise but thy head from thy pillow, if thou art able, or call back thy breath, which is making haste to be gone out of thy nostrils, never to return more; and darest thou glory in that which so soon may be prostrate?

Is it wisdom? The same grave that covers thy body shall bury all that, (the wisdom of thy flesh I mean;) all thy thoughts shall perish, and goodly plots come to nothing. Indeed, if a Christian, thy thoughts as such shall ascend with thee, not one holy breathing of thy soul lost. Is it thy blood and birth? Whoever thou art, thou art base-born till born again; the same blood runs in thy veins with the beggar in the street, Acts xvii. 26. All nations there we find made of the same blood: in two things all are alike; we come in and go out of the world alike; as one is not made of finer earth, so not resolved into purer dust.

Use 2. Secondly, Is man flesh? Trust not in man; 'cursed be he that makes flesh his arm.' Not the mighty man; robes may hide and garnish, they cannot change flesh: Psa. cxlvi., Put not your trust in princes;' alas! they cannot keep their crowns on their own heads, their heads on their own

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shoulders, and lookest thou for that which they cannot give themselves? Not in wise men, whose designs recoil oft upon themselves, that they cannot perform their enterprise. Amphora cæpit institui currente rota cur urceus exit. Man's carnal wisdom intends one thing, but God turns the wheel, and brings forth another. Trust not in holy men; they have flesh, and so their judgment not infallible, yea, their way sometimes doubtful. His mistake may lead thee aside, and though he returns, thou mayest go on and perish. Trust not in any man, in all men, no not in thyself, thou art flesh. 'He is a fool,' saith the wise man, that trusts his heart.' Not in the best thou art or doest; the garment of thy righteousness is spotted with the flesh; all is counted by St. Paul, confidence in the flesh,' besides our rejoicing in Christ, Phil. iii. 3.

Use 3. Thirdly, Fear not man, he is but flesh. This was David's resolve, Psa. lvi. 4: 'I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.' Thou needest not, thou oughtest not to fear. Thou needest not. What, not such a great man; not such a number of men, who have the keys of all the prisons at their girdle; who can kill or save alive? No, not these; only look they be thy enemies for righteousness' sake. Take heed thou makest not the least child thine enemy, by offering wrong to him; God will right the wicked even upon the saint. If he offends, he shall find no shelter under God's wing for his sin. This made Jerome complain, that the Christian's sin made the arms of those barbarous nations which invaded Christendom victorious: Nostris peccatis fortes sunt barbari. But if man's wrath find thee in God's way, and his fury take fire at thy holiness, thou needest not fear though thy life be the prey he hunts for. Flesh can only wound flesh; he may kill thee, but not hurt thee. Why shouldst thou fear to be stripped of that which thou hast resigned already to Christ? It is the first lesson thou learnest, if a Christian, to deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow thy Master; so that the enemy comes too late; thou hast no life to lose, because thou hast given it already to Christ; nor can man take away that without God's leave; all thou hast is insured; and though God hath not promised thee immunity from suffering in this kind, yet he hath undertaken to bear the loss, yea, to pay thee a hundredfold, and thou shalt not stay for it till another world. Again, thou oughtest not to fear flesh. Our Saviour, Matt. x., thrice in the compass of six verses, commands us not to fear man; if thy heart quail at him, how wilt thou behave thyself in the list against Satan, whose little finger is heavier than man's loins? The Romans had arma prælusoria, weapons rebated, or cudgels, which they were tried at before they came to the sharp. If thou canst not bear a bruise in thy flesh from man's cudgels and blunt weapons, what wilt thou do when thou shalt have Satan's sword in thy side? God counts himself reproached when his children fear a sorry man; therefore we are bid sanctify the Lord, not to fear their fear. Now, if thou wouldst not fear man, who is but flesh, labour,

First, to mortify thy own flesh; flesh only fears flesh: when the soul degenerates into carnal desires and delights, no wonder he falls into carnal fears. Have a care, Christian, thou bringest not thyself into bondage: perhaps thy heart feeds on the applause of man; this will make thee afraid to be evil spoken of, as those who shuffled with Christ, John xii. 42, owning him in private, when they durst not confess him openly, for they loved the praise of men. David saith, The mouth of the wicked is an open sepulchre;' and in this grave hath many a saint's name been buried. But if this fleshly desire were mortified, thou wouldst not pass to be judged by man, and so of all carnal affections. Some meat you observe is anguish: if thou settest thy heart on any thing that is carnal, wife, child, estate, &c., these will incline thee to a base fear of man, who may be God's messenger to afflict thee in these.

Secondly, Set faith against flesh: faith fixeth the heart, and a fixed heart is not readily afraid. Physicians tell us, we are never so subject to receive infection as when the spirits are low, and therefore the antidotes they give are all cordials. When the spirit is low through unbelief, every threatening from man makes a sad impression. Let thy faith but take a deep draught of the promises, and thy courage will rise.

Fourthly, Comfort thyself, Christian, with this, that thou art flesh, so thy heavenly Father knows it, and considers thee for it.

First, In point of affliction. Psa. ciii. 14, "He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are but dust.' Not like some unskilled empyric, who hath but one receipt for all, strong or weak, young or old; but as a wise physician considers his patient, and then writes his bill: men and devils are but God's apothecaries; they make not our physic, but give what God prescribes. Balaam loved Balak's fee well enough, but could not go a hair's breadth beyond God's commission. Indeed, God is not so choice with the wicked, Isa. xxvii. 7: Hath he smiten him as he smote those that smote him?' In a saint's cup the poison of the affliction is corrected, not so in the wicked's; and therefore what is medicine to the one is ruin to the other.

Secondly, In duty; he knows you are but flesh, and therefore pities and accepts thy weak service, yea, he makes apologies for thee; The spirit is willing,' saith Christ, but the flesh is weak.'

Thirdly, In temptations he considers thou art flesh, and proportions the temptation to so weak a nature: such a temptation as is common to man, a moderate temptation, as in the margin, fitted for so frail a creature. Whenever the Christian begins to faint under the weight of it, God makes as much haste to his succour, as a tender mother would to her swooning child; therefore he is said to be nigh to revive such, lest their spirits should fail.

SECTION III.-The second thing follows; the conjuncture of the saint's enemies: we have not to do with naked man, but with man led on by Satan; not with flesh and blood, but principalities and powers acting in them. There are two sorts of men the Christian wrestles with, good men and bad; Satan strikes in with both.

First, The Christian wrestles with good men. Many a sharp conflict there hath been between saint and saint, scuffling in the dark through misunderstanding of the truth and each other. Abraham and Lot, at strife. Aaron and Miriam jostled with Moses for the wall, till God interposed and ended the quarrel by his immediate stroke on Miriam. The apostles, even in the presence of their Master, were at high words, contesting who should be greatest. Now in these civil wars among saints, Satan is the great kindle-coal, though little seen, because, like Ahab, he fights in a disguise, playing first on one side, and then on the other, aggravating every petty injury, and thereupon provoking to wrath and revenge; therefore the apostle, dehorting from anger, useth this argument; 'Give no place to the devil;' as if he had said, fall not out among yourselves, except you long for the devil's company, who is the true soldier of fortune, as the common phrase is, living by his sword, and therefore hastes thither where there is any hopes of war. Gregory compares the saints in their sad differences to two cocks, which Satan, the master of the pit, sets on fighting, in hope, when killed, to sup with them at night. Solomon saith, Prov. xviii. 6, The mouth of the contentious man calls for strokes.' Indeed, we by our mutual strifes give the devil a staff to beat us with; he cannot well work without fire, and therefore blows up these coals of contention, which he useth as his forge, to heat our spirits into wrath, and then we are malleable, easily hammered as he pleaseth. Contention puts the soul into disorder, and inter arma silent leges. The law of grace acts not freely, when the spirit is in a commotion; meek Moses, provoked, speaks unadvisedly. Methinks this, if nothing else will, should sound a retreat to our unhappy differences, that this Joab hath a hand in them; he sets this evil spirit between brethren; and what folly is it to bite and devour one another, to make hell sport! We are prone to mistake our heat for zeal, whereas commonly in strife between saints it is a fireship sent in by Satan to break their unity and order; wherein while they stand they are an armada invincible: and Satan knows he hath no other way but this to shatter them: when the Christians' language, which should be one, begins to be confounded, they are then near scattering; it is time for God to part his children, when they cannot live in peace together.

Secondly, The Christian wrestles with wicked men. Because you are not of the world,' saith Christ, the world hates you.' The saints' nature and life are antipodes to the world; fire and water, heaven and hell, may as soon be reconciled, as they with it. The heretic is his enemy for truth's sake, the profane for holiness; to both the Christian is an abomination, as the Israelite to