Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 7
VERSE 7. Becauſe the Carnall minde is Enmitie againſt God: for it is not ſubiect to the Law of God, nor indeed can be.
IN this Verſe is proued, that to bee Carnally minded is death or deadly: The Argument is from the Efficient Cauſe, Thus:
That which is Enmity, bringeth Death.
But the Carnall mindedneſſe is Enmity, Therefore, &c.
The Propoſition is manifeſt; for as Friendſhip with God, and Reconciliation is the cauſe of life, Deut. 4.4.ſo on the contrary.
The Minor is the firſt part of the Verſe, and it is proued from the property or Effect of ſuch Enmity; Thus:
That which neither is nor can bee ſubiect to the Law of God, is Enmity:
But the Carnall man, neither is nor can be, &c. Therefore:
So that in this Verſe are two things. 1. A Propoſition, in the former diſtinction of it; 2. a Reaſon in the latter.
Firſt of the Propoſition: The Carnall minde is Enmitie againſt God.
The Carnall Minde. That which wee reade Minde, or Wiſedome, ſome expound Senſualitie: foreign.but the word wil not beare it, which notes the beſt part of Corrupt man; euen his wiſedome not ſimply, but in reſpect of Corruption. Euen Lady-Reaſon: and therefore Paul hath in another place foreign, Coloſſ. 2.18.The Minde of the Fleſh.
Is Enmitie: Not as the Vulgar is an Enemy in the Adiectiue or Concrete, for that will agree, neither with the Gender of the Subſtantiue, nor with the Accenting of it: but in the Abſtract noting an exceſſe, as if we ſee a proud man, we ſay, There goes Pride: ſo here; Is Enmity; nothing can be ſaid more: For an Enemy may be reconciled, but Enmity cannot: a vicious man may become vertuous, but vice cannot. Enmity is a mutuall maleuolence, betweene men: with a mutuall deſire to hurt each other. So God hates the Fleſh, and it hates God: and yet man by this hatred, hurts not God, but himſelfe: for hee is Gods Enemy not by hurting his will, but by reſiſting it.Non nocendo, ſed reſiſtendo. Anſelm.
doctrine All vnregenerate men are Enemies to God, and God to them, Iam. 4.4 Rom. 5.10. Gal. 1.27.
Vſe 1.From whence is it that we are Enemies to God, and God to vsus? Not from God; but from our Sinne. The Cauſe is in vsus: Adam was created in Gods Image; The friend of God; and God the friend of Adam: Hee tranſgreſſed Gods Commandement, and hence came this Enmitie: which wee hauehave cauſe to bewayle with teares of bloud. But few thinke of it as is meete.
Vſe 2.Here is the Reaſon why wicked men hate the godly: Maruell not, ſaith Iohn, though the world hate you. One would thinke it ſhould be maruellous. But if they hate God: 1. Ioh. 3.13. Ioh. 15.18.20.ſurely they will hate vsus, as our Sauiour ſhewes. Hee that loues mee, loues my Children and friends for my ſake: And a malicious man will miſchiefe, euen the Cattell of him whom hee hates. Doeſt thou hate any godly man? Ah wretch! Thy ill will is not originally and properly to them, but to God himſelfe.
Vſe 3.A wicked man is Gods Enemy. What warrant haſt thou to keepe their company? to entertaine familiarly their Acquaintance? to countenance them? Remember that there muſt be alwaies Enmitie betweene the Seede of the Woman, and the Seede of the Serpent. Pſal. 139.21. 2. Chron. 19.2.Remember Dauids proteſtation: remember how Iehoſhaphat was rebuked, Wouldſt thou helpe the wicked, and louelove them which hate the Lord? The Iudgement of the Heathen is, That friendſhip is then diſſolued, when one of the friends becomes notoriouſly wicked.
Vſe 4.Carnall men are enemies to God, and God to them: therefore are they miſerable: There can bee nothing more monſtrous then the Creature, to hate the Creator, nor more grieuous then the Creator, to hate the Creature.
If Abſalon riſe againſt his Father Dauid, and like a viper ſeek to deuoure his Fathers bowels; EueryEvery one will condemne him for an vnnaturall ſauadge Varlet. If thou rebelleſt againſt God, thou art more guilty ten thouſand times: How kinde is Dauid to his wicked ſonne! 2. Sam. 18.5. 2. Sam. 18.33.How doth hee lament the wretch! How kindely hath God dealt with thee in thy Creation, Preſeruation, &c! Hee hath done more for thee then euer Dauid did or could doe for Abſalon. Therefore if thou hate Him, thou art a very Monſter. Alas for thy fearefull Eſtate. God alſo is thine Enemy, Pſal. 11.5.and his ſoule hateth thee. Thou grieueſt and trembleſt for the Enmity of ſome Great Man: Howle then and Lament for the Enmity of the Great God.
But reioyce thou that art Regenerate, for God is thy friend: So was he Abrahams, Iam. 2.23. Ioh. 15.14. 1. Ioh. 4.19. Ioh. 13.1.for his Faith, and ſo Chriſt calleth his Apoſtles for their obedience. What if the world hate you, ſeeing God loueth you, and you louelove God? Yea he loued you firſt; and will louelove you to the end. Ionathan will deny Dauid nothing, nor God them whom he loues.
If the Conſcience apprehend the hatred of God! Did you euer feele the torment? So on the contrary is the happineſſe of them which are aſſured of the louelove of God: which aſſurance happy art thou if thou feeleſt.
For it is not ſubiect to the Law of God, nor indeed can be.
This is the Reaſon of the Propoſition, from the effect and property of Enmity. It is vſuall for Enemies to croſſe one another, and not bee ſubiect to them in any thing: Such are the conditions of wicked men; they indeuour to croſſe God in his gouernment; they will not be ſubiect to his Law.
It is not ſubiect to the Law of God. The Law, i. The wil of God, of which the Law is a Copie.
Be ſubiect. That is according to an ordinate and godly ſubiection as the word ſignifieth: foreign.wicked men cannot pluck their necks out of the yoke of ſubiection to God by their peruerſeneſſe; but God will hauehave his will vponupon them, and they are, and ſhall be ſubiect to the curſe of the Law: He ſaith not, are not ſubiect to God, as one well obſerueseCaietanus., but to his Law.
Nor can be. Blacke may be made white, but blacknes cannot: ſo a carnall man may be Regenerate, but carnality cannot.
It is not: There is Contumacy: It cannot: There is Impotency: It cannot, becauſe it will not; for it's the nature of fleſh to reſiſt the Law.
doctrine Ʋſe. 1.The Law is the Rule of our ſubiection to God. Not Traditions, or our good meanings, &c.
Ʋſe. 2.The fleſh muſt be vtterly aboliſhed, it cannot be brought into order: Regeneration is neceſſary.
Ʋſe. 3.The Papiſts ſpeake much of the goodnes of our Free-will, if it be but holpen by Grace: Is't not likely think you? When the beſt part in vsus vnrenued, is not, nor can bee ſubiect to the Law?
Ʋſe. 4.Q. Can God be hated? It ſeemes no. For God is the chiefe Good; Goodneſſe it ſelfe: and Goodneſſe is the very proper obiect of LoueLove. If wee hate any thing: either it is not good, or wee apprehend it to be euill.
A. Carnall men hate not God as hee is Goodneſſe: but as they apprehend ſomething euill in him, and this is, that he is a Iudge, giues a Law, and puniſhes for the breach of it. The Adulterer, Drunkard, Blaſphemer, &c. When they find the Law curbing them by the threats and maledictions of it: ſo that they cannot run on in their ſin as they deſire, and if they doe, that then they ſhall bee damned: then they hate the Law-maker. Which hatred ſprings from Infidelity; for could carnall men beleeue that God would ſaue them, they would louelove him. Beware therefore that there be not in thee an euill heart of vnbeliefe, to cauſe thee to hate God.
Vſe 5.Vile is the diſpoſition of a Carnall man. When God cals for Obedience; the vnregenerate man contraries God, and ſaith as the wicked Iewes ſometimes, We will not obey. Monſtrous Rebellion! Ier. 18.19.If the Sun created to giuegive light, ſhould caſt abroad darkeneſſe; If the Fire created to giuegive heat, ſhould coole; wouldeſt not thou maruell? Conſider: Thy Creation was to ſerue and obey thy God: If thou refuſeſt, thou art a Monſter of Nature. And indeed all Creatures obſerue the Law of their Creation, the Diuell and Man only excepted.
Yet take this with thee; that though thou wilt not be ſubiect in an orderly and holy ſubiection: yet ſhalt thou be ſubiect to the wrath of God will thou nill thou. 1. Reg. 2.28.34.Though Dauid cannot rule Ioab, yet Salomon wil, taking him euen from the hornes of the Altar.
Vſe 6.Obſerue a ſecret in our profeſſion. The more Wiſedome and wit, if it be fleſhly, the more enmity againſt God, his Word, and Church. Gods people hauehave euer receiued moſt hurt by ſuch. Who were Chriſts greateſt enemies? The learned Prieſts, Scribes and Phariſes. Acts. 8.Who reſiſted Paul at Athens? The learned Epicures, Stoicks. Who was his greateſt enemy before Feſtus? Learned and Eloquent Tertullus. Who are at theſe dayes the greateſt enemies to Religion, but our deepeſt Machiuellian Politicks? Pray therefore for a ſanctified vnderſtanding. Better it is to be without vnderſtanding, then with it to diſhonor God.
Vſe 7.Wouldſt thou obey GOD? Deny then thy carnall Reaſon. Call vponupon the young man to Repent: his carnall Reaſon ſaith, Time enough yet; and ſo hinders him. The Angry man is not moody without Reaſon. The greatnes of his wrongs; eueryevery one will count him a foole, &c. The Couetous man hath ſome Reaſon: yea, eueryevery ſin hath his ſhifts and fig leaues. So long as thou giueſt thy fleſhly reaſon the hearing, thou wilt neuer obey. He that is once beaten from the hold of his carnall Reaſon, wil ſoon be won to Obedience.
Vſe. 8.Who is Gods enemy? Euen he that will not obey the Law, whether hee doe things contrary, as commit Adultery, Blaſphemy, &c. or leaue things commanded vndone, Ioh. 14.15.23,24.and in the number of theſe, comes our Ciuill men. Is't not pitty that ſuch courteous and harmeleſſe creatures ſhould go to Hell? Would any thinke that ſuch were Gods enemies? While they neglect the duties of the firſt Table, and inward Sanctification, GOD accounts euen theſe his enemies. And ſuch hauehave nothing to expect but damnation, if they Repent not. Math. 5.20. Luke 19.27.If thou bee Gods ſeruant, ſhew it by thy life.