Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 8 · Verse 6
VERSE. 6. For to be Carnally minded is Death: but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace.
AS Adam hauing ſinned, the Angell kept the way of the Tree of Life, ſo our Apoſtle keepeth vnrepentant ſinners from the Conſolation before propounded. Such conſolations belong not to wicked men. The Argument to proue it was: Thoſe which are contrary obtaine not like condition: But the wicked and godly are contrary. This Minor was partly ſhewed Verſe 5. from their contrary diſpoſitions, and is more declared in this Verſe from their contrary Ends.
Death and life are immediately contrary.
But theſe are the Ends of the Wicked and Godly.
Therefore, the Ends of Wicked and Godly men are contrary.
To be Carnally minded. foreign Figmentum cordis.The word ſignifies the act of a Carnall minde, comprehending thoughts, deſire, diſcourſe. Moſes calleth it that which the heart faſhioneth.Gen. 6.5. 8.21.
Is death, By a figure, Meton. Effecti.bringeth, cauſeth, or endeth in death: For death is the end of ſinne, though not the end of a Sinner: A wicked man ſinnes not purpoſely that hee might be damned, but damnation followes his wicked doings.
As a man many times, ſeeking for one thing findes another: ſo wicked men in their ſinning ſeeke another thing: The Adulterer, his pleaſure; the Couetous, Riches, &c. but they find another thing: that is, Death.
To be ſpiritually minded. That is, the Cogitations, deuices, deſires actions, proceeding from the ſpirituall part.
Is life and Peace: that is, bringeth happineſſe, and peace with God and our owne Conſciences.
doctrine The ſenſe and Doctrine. Whatſoeuer, the fleſh or corruption doth mind, ſauour, deſire, endeuour, ſeeke, act, bringeth death; and ſo on the contrarie for the Spirit, that is, the Regenerate part: Gal. 5.21,23. The fruits of the fleſh exclude vsus out of Heauen: the fruits of the Spirit exclude the Curſe of the Law. The more fleſh, the neerer Hell, the more Spirit, the ſurer and neerer Heauen, Gal. 6.7,8. As hee that ſoweth Wheat, reapeth Wheat, not Barley: ſo if we ſow to the fleſh, we reape Corruption; if to the Spirit, life euerlaſting.
Ʋſe. 1.True wiſedome is that which hath the fauour of God, and life following it: We ſay many times of a wild graceleſſe yong man: He hath a good wit: a Naughty wit wee ſhould ſay; becauſe being vnſanctified it bringeth death: We ſay alſo of a Couetous man: O, a very wiſe fellow, wee ſhould ſay a very foole: For what wiſedome can it be for a man to damne his ſoule by his courſes?
If a man would iudge of wiſe men without the Word, hee might imagine, that our wittie Politicks and Carnall men had all the wit, and that Spirituall minded men, who neglect the preſent good things, were little better then Fooles. Indeede Carnall men thinke Spirituall men to bee Fooles, but Spirituall men know Carnall men to be ſo. For true wiſedome is to feare God, which while Carnal men want, they cannot be truly wiſe.
The Word ſometime calls wicked men wiſe, but with a reſtriction, in their generation to doe-euill? according to the fleſh, &c. Luke. 16.8. Ier. 4.22. 2. Sam. 17.23.Thus was Achitophel a deepe Politician, but dyed like a Foole, in a pettiſh humour hanging himſelfe. Therefore Salomon almoſt alwayes calls a wicked man, The Foole.
Some thinke it a point of wiſedome to beleeue nothing which they cannot fathom with their owne Reaſon, as the Corinthians doubted of the Reſurrection: but Paul ſaith to ſuch a one. Thou Foole, or, O Foole. 1. Cor. 15.36.Some thinke it a glory to differ from other in opinion and to contrary them, as the Galathians in the point of Juſtification: Gal. 3.1.but Paul cals them fooles for their labour.
Pharao ſeeing the children of Iſrael to increaſe, Exod. 1.10.ſaid he would deale wiſely, but indeede he played the foole, as appeared in his fearefull end. Gehezi thought himſelfe wifer then his Maſter, 2. King. 5.27.when he would ſaue ſomething by the Leprous Aſſyrian; but this wiſedome got him the Leproſie of Naaman. Mat. 16.22.23.Peter would be counted a wiſe fellow, and takes vponupon him to aduiſe our Sauiour to auoide his Paſſion: but this was carnall wiſedome, as our Sauiour told him, calling him Satan.
There is wiſedome in a Carnall man, as life in one that hath the Falling Sickneſſe, or ſenſe in a mad man; but no more to be compared to the wiſedome of the Spirituall, then ſuch life and ſenſe is to be compared to the life and ſenſe of ſound men.
Vſe 2.Great is the miſery of a man vnregenerate: for hee cannot thinke a thought, or ſpeake a word but it is his death; nay the very wiſedome of the fleſh is ſo: how much more the fooliſhneſſe? we pitie naturall fooles, and it's a miſery to bee ſo; but it's more to be a foole in ſpirituall things: So on the contrary, the happineſſe of them which are ſpiritually wiſe is great: For whatſoeuer they deuiſe, deſire, ſpeake, or doe, according to the teaching of the Spirit, is for their great good. EueryEvery Sob, Teare, eueryevery good deede hitcheth them neerer to Heauen. EueryEvery Prayer they make, eueryevery Sermon they heare, increaſeth their peace and their aſſurance of life. Surely they are bleſſed. Labour thou to be ſuch a One.
Vſe 3.In nothing follow the Counſell of the Fleſh: For it's a Traitor and ſeekes thy deſtruction: will a King counſell with a Traitor? This were to ruinate himſelfe and his Kingdome: Many when any thing is to be done, Counſell not with the Spirit, but with their owne fleſhly heart; as Rhehoboam with the yong men, and ſo they miſerably periſh.
Will any man chuſe him for a guide, which will lead into a ditch? But ſuch a blind Guide is the Fleſh: will any man commit his body or Goods to that bottome, which is ſteered by ſuch a Pylot, which drownes eueryevery veſſell he gouernes? There was neuer any man followed the wiſedome of the Fleſh, without deadly danger.
Seeke therefore another Directer which is the Spirit: There is no Condemnation to them which walke after this Guide. Gal. 1.16.When Paul ſhould take vponupon him the Calling of an Apoſtle, hee counſelled not with Fleſh and bloud. For his Fleſh would hauehave ſaid, Why Paul: this Calling wil bring Perſecution: pitie thy ſelfe, thou art in place, a learned Phariſe, &c.
So: is there a falling out betweene thy neighbour and thee? The Fleſh will ſay, Sue him, throw him into Priſon, bee reuenged, &c. but the Spirit will counſell to meekneſſe and forgiueneſſe, which is pleaſing to God. Take heed in theſe and the like thou follow not the wiſedome of the Fleſh: for that is the way to deſtruction: And indeede, who ſhall at any time, pray heare the Word, doe any good, or eſpecially ſuffer for the Goſpell, if he counſell with the Fleſh? As Abraham therefore, when he went to offer vp Iſaak, told not Sarah, leſt ſhe might diſſwade him: So in all things to bee done or auoyded, bee iealous of thy corrupt heart: take no counſell of it, but of the Spirit by the Word: for the wiſedome of the Spirit is life and Peace.