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ing, the manifold wrongness of such expressions. There is indeed one thing, that would seem to be of this kind, and hath a contrary effect: I mean, when swearers are chid absolutely in jest; in a way, that makes it visible, they are not in the least worse thought of; and they perhaps carry on the jest, by begging pardon of the company, and doing the same thing again the next minute; without having it once brought to their thoughts, that they have cause either to beg pardon of God, or be ashamed of themselves. Such a farce of reproof encourages, instead of discountenancing the sin. But a real and serious dislike, shewn with discretion, and requisite mildness, may do incredible service, to young offenders above all. And therefore, whoever wishes well to his acquaintance and friends, to religion and virtue; especially, whoever hath any peculiar ground to hope he may have weight; should conscientiously make use of every opportunity for promoting right behaviour, in this and all respects: knowing, that he, who converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins*.

* James v. 20.

SERMON XXXIII.

GAL. V. 24.

And they, that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.

THIS expression, crucifying the flesh, may probably seem to most, when they first hear it, or attend to it, a very strange one: as, no doubt, numbers of others in Scripture do. But a little consideration will shew, that there is no cause to censure them, or be offended at them. For amidst the multiplicity of languages, that are in the world, and the various notions, tempers, and circumstances, of the people who are bred up to use them; it is unavoidable, but there will be in each many ways of speaking, which though easy and familiar by custom to one part of mankind, must yet, to the rest, appear harsh and unaccountable. This is the case even of neighbouring countries in our own times; much more then must it be expected in those tongues, of which the vulgar use hath long since failed, and which formerly expressed the sentiments of distant nations, inspired both by the age and the climate they lived in, with a different turn of thought and style. Hence proceeds the surprizing warmth, and boldness of figure, the abrupt transitions, the sudden lofty flights of the Eastern writers and speakers, utterly contrary to the cool and regular genius of the European languages. And amongst the former, the compositions of the Jews must of

course have a peculiar tincture and propriety of their own: not only because they were prohibited, for good reasons, all needless commerce with other lands; but chiefly because divine revelation delivered to them such doctrines and precepts, and consequently such terms, as the heathen had not; which must likewise greatly increase in number by frequent references to their own articles of faith, observances, and sacred books. When Christianity was published to the world, here was again a new set of discoveries and ideas, added to the preceding: which being first communicated in Hebrew, were thence transfused into Greek, by the Apostles addressing themselves to the Gentiles. Thus was the style of the New Testament produced: which being as literally translated, and closely imitated, as it well could, (for the nature of the thing required strictness) the same forms of speech have been derived down into the modern tongues of Christian countries. And so it hath come to pass by a kind of necessity, that, in discourses on religion, words, meanings, constructions, images, occur, extremely remote from the common idiom of the language on other occasions. And these, weak persons are apt to mistake, artful disputants to pervert, and unlearned or unfair affectors of wit and free thought to ridicule; though originally they were of plain signification, and are still, when understood, full of good sense and beauty.

*

Thus, crucifying, or as the Apostle elsewhere puts it, mortifying the flesh, is a phrase far out of the road of our daily conversation, and of our reading on subjects of business and entertainment; from whence it easily happens, that the superstitious misapprehend, and the profane despise it; though indeed it denotes

* Col. iii. 5.

a reasonable, a necessary duty, and describes that duty, not only in a strong, but elegant manner. To shew these things clearly, I shall

I. Explain to you the rise and general intention of this way of speaking.

II. Specify more distinctly the nature of the duty designed to be taught by it.

III. Shew you how strictly our belonging to Christ obliges us to practise that doctrine.

I. I shall explain to you the rise and general intention of this way of speaking in Scripture.

Now the words, flesh and spirit, though employed by the writers of the New Testament in different senses, according to the subject of which they treat, are yet commonly expressions of the moral state and character of man; the dispositions of his heart towards piety or sin. Spirit is the principle of reason and religion: flesh of appetite and passion. Every one feels in himself both right and wrong inclinations. The former our conscience approves. And therefore pursuing them would on that account alone be properly called, walking after the Spirit*, that inward man, which naturally delighteth in the law of God t. But a much stronger ground for it is, that the divine Spirit hath not only revealed to us the whole rule of life, and the most powerful motives to observe it, but is continually present to our minds, exciting and strengthening us, if we permit him, to every good work. On the other hand, all flesh having corrupted his way before God, sinners may be justly said to walk after the flesh; because they live conformably to the wicked customs of the world. But the true foundation of the phrase is, that this cor‡ Gen. vi. 11, 12.

Rom. viii. 4.

+ Rom. vii. 22.

*

ruptible body subjects the fallen children of Adam perpetually by its irregular propensities, to a variety of temptations, hard to be overcome. And therefore even Heathen authors have represented it, as the principal source of moral evil: no wonder then, that those of Scripture do, on fuller knowledge of the

case.

But in St. Paul more especially the flesh means our vicious tendencies; not only those to sensual indulgence, but the whole system of them. Thus ver. 13 of this chapter: Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh: that is, to any blamable purpose. But the particular blamable use, which he had in view, was that of uncharitable contention. For it follows immediately, But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Again, ver. 19, having said, that the works of the flesh are manifest, he proceeds to reckon amongst them, not only adultery, and lasciviousness, but variance, envy, strife, sedition. And the fruits of the Spirit, opposed to these, ver. 22, are not only temperance, but long-suffering, peace, goodness, faith, or fidelity, meekness.

Farther: because there is a connexion and sympathy between the various dispositions of the same kind, whether moral or immoral, each adding vigour and strength to the other: the several vices, to which mankind is prone, are described in God's Word, as uniting into and forming a living body, hence denominated the body of sin, or of the lusts of the flesh† ; of which every criminal inclination is a member. Thus, when the Apostle had enjoined Christians to mortify their members, which are upon the earth‡,

*Wisd. ix. 15.

+ Col. ii. 11.

Col. iii. 5.

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