Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 17
SERMON XVII.
ROM. VIII.13.
If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.
1. USe is Information.
1. To shew the lawful use of Threatnings. 2. The folly of two sorts of people. 1. Of those that will rather venture this death, than leave their sinful pleasure. 2. Those that would reconcile God and flesh, God and the world, &c.
1. The lawful use of threatnings.
1. Threatnings are necessary during the law of Grace: Two Arguments I shall give for the proof thereof. 1. If Threatnings were needful to Adam in the State of Innocency and Perfection, much more are they useful now, when there is such a corrupt Inclination within, and so many Temptations without; in the best there is a double principle, and many inordinate lusts, that we need the strongest bridle and curb to suppreis them. 2. If Christ eame to verifie Gods threatnings, surely God hath some use of them now: But so it is, the Devil would represent God as a lyer in his comminations, Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die. Christ came to confute the Tempter, and would die rather than the Devils reproach of Gods threatnings should be found true; surely this is to check thoughts of iniquity.
2. The folly of two sorts of people. First, Of those that will rather venture this death than leave their sinful pleasures, and live an holy life; carnal men think no life so happy as theirs, being escaped out of fetters of Religion, and bonds of Conscience, in the Apostles Expression, Free from righteousness, Rom. 6.20. Whereas the truth is, none are more miserable; for they carry it so, as if they were in love with their own death, Prov. 8.36. He that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul: and they that hate me, love death. You hazzard soul and body, and all that is near and dear to you for a little carnal satisfaction; for the present you get nothing but the guilt of conscience, hardness of heart, and the displeasure of the eternal God; and for the future, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, when the body and soul shall be cast into Hell Fire. Consider this before it be too late; there is no man goeth to Hell or Heaven, but with violence to conscience or lusts; those that go to Hell offer violence to their conscience.
2. Those that would reconcile God and flesh, God and the world, and secure their interest in both; that hope to please the flesh, and yet to be happy hereafter for all that; would keep up a profession of Godliness, while they live in secret league with their lusts: God will not halve it with the world, nor part stakes with the flesh; you cannot please the flesh, and enjoy God too; for you have but one happiness, if you place it in contenting the flesh, you cannot have it in the fruition of God: Their end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and who mind earthly things, Phil 3.19. Wordly pleasures will end in eternal torments; and so much delight, so much more will your torments be; for contraries are punished with contraries, Rev. 8.11. How much she hath glorified her self, and lived deliciously, so much sorrow give her. Therefore, so much as you gratifie the flesh, so much you endanger the soul: Will you for a little temporal satisfaction, run the hazzard of Gods eternal wrath?
2. USE is to disswade you from this course: To this End I shall lay down some Motives, and some Means.
Motives are these.
1. You think the flesh is your friend, do all that you can to please it, whereas indeed it is your greatest enemy. That it is one of your enemies is clear, by that place, where all our enemies appear a breast, Eph. 2.2, 3. There is the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and our own flesh: If there were never a Devil to tempt, or example to follow, yet out of the heart proceed, Matth. 15.19. murther, adultery, theft, blasphemy: Among other things he reckoneth up Murther, which striketh at the life of man; and Blasphemy, which striketh at the Being of God; if the Devil should stand by, and say nothing, there is enough within us to put us upon all manner of evil; other enemies would do us no harm, without our own flesh: corruption may be irritated by Gods Law, Rom. 7.9. We may be tempted to sin by Satan, 1 Cor. 7.5. Incouraged to sin, by the example, and the evil conversations of others, Isa. 6.6. Inticed to sin by the baits of the world. 2. Pet. 1.4. But only inclined to sin by our own flesh; and at length no man is a sinner, but by his own consent, Jam. 1.14. He is drawn away by his own lust, and inticed. In vain do temptations knock at the door, if there were nothing within to make answer, and admit them; if we could keep our selves from our selves, there were no danger from what is without; as Balaam by all his curses and charms, could do nothing against the Israelites till he found out a way to corrupt them by Whoredom, and by Whoredom to draw them to Idolatry, and so found a means to destroy them by themselves: So 'tis the Domestical Enemy, the flesh within us, which maketh us a prey to Satan, and doth us mischief upon all occasions; 'tis the flesh distracts us in holy duties, with vain thoughts, and abateth our fervors, that maketh us idle in our callings, that tempts to sensuality and inordinate delight when we are repairing nature, and turneth our table into a snare; so that nature is rather oppressed than refreshed for Gods Service: 'Tis the flesh maketh us forget our great end, and the eternal interests of our Immortal souls.
2. The more you indulge the flesh, the more 'tis your enemy, and the more your slavery and bondage is increased; so that still you grow more brutish, forgetful of God, and unapt for any spiritual use. By using to please the flesh, you do increase its desires, and know not at length how to deny it, and displease it; by being made a wanton, it groweth stubborn and contumacious: The more you gratifie the flesh, the more inordinate it groweth; and the more unreasonable things it craveth at your hands; therefore you must hold an hard hand upon it at first; through too much indulgence the reins are loosened to sin, and the enemy is heartened, and our liberty is every day more and more lost; Solomon was fearfully corrupted, when he withheld not his heart from any joy, Eccles. 2.10. This brought him to a lawless excess, and to fall so fouly as he did; if you give corrupt nature its full scope, and use pleasures with too free a license, the heart is insensibly corrupted, and our very diseases and distempers become our necessities; Solomon saith, Prov. 24.21. He that delicately bringeth up a servant, shall have him become a son at length: He will no more know his condition, but grow bold and troublesome; we are all the worse for license, therefore unless natural desires feel fetters, and prudent restraints, they grow unruly; therefore that the flesh may not grow masterly, 'tis good to bridle it; to deny our selves nothing, bringeth a greater snare upon the soul, and distempers are more rooted, 1 Cor. 6.12. I will not be brought under the power of any creature. A man is brought into vassalage and bondage, and cannot help it.
3. The engagement that is upon Christians to abhor carnal living. By their solemn Baptismal Vow, which obligeth us to take this Yoke of Christ upon our selves, even to tame and subdue the flesh, Col. 3.3, 5. Mortifie your members which are upon earth. All are strictly bound to mortifie the deeds of the body, under pain of damnation; Kings as well as Subjects, Nobles and base; for God is no accepter of persons; no man of what degree soever can presume of an exemption from the duty, or hope for a dispensation. We are all debtors, and this duty taketh place as soon as we come to the use of reason; we all then begin to feel the corruption and imperfection of nature; and we are bound to look after the cure of it, and to use all Christs healing means, that it may be effected. Then we begin to perceive the enemies against whom we are to fight, and a necessity laid upon us of killing them, or being killed by them: 'Tis our great fault, that we made conscience of our solemn Vow no sooner; surely we should no longer dispute it now, 1 Pet. 4.3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we lived in lasciviousnesi, lusts, excess of wine, revelling, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: But set about the work, and undertake the Battel against the Devil, the World, and the Flesh: Your first enemy is the Old Man, and it is the last, for it is not extinguished in us till death; therefore as soon as we pass out of Infancy into Youth, we must look upon our selves under this obligation, not to live after the flesh, but after the spirit, to weaken the corruption of nature more and more; there was but one man, and no more, who was first good, and afterwards bad, and that was the first Adam: Another there is, who was hever bad, but always good, and that was Christ Jesus the Second Adam, our Lord, Blessed for ever: Of all the rest, none proved good, that was not sometimes bad; the Apostle saith, first that which was natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual; 'tis true, here first we put off a corrupt nature before we are renewed; the duty lieth upon us by our Baptismal Engagement, though Christ supplieth the Grace.
4. The qualities of a Christian, or his condition in the world engageth him not to live after the flesh. I shall mention two; as they are Strangers and Pilgrims, or as they are Racers and Wrestlers: First, Sometimes 'tis pressed upon them as they are Strangers and Pilgrims, who have no continued abode, 1 Pet. 2.11. I beseech you as pilgrims and strangers, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. You are or should be travelling into another Countrey, where are the spirits of just men made perfect, and where even this body of ours will become a spiritual body; and for you to please the flesh is contrary to your Christian Hopes; nothing so unsuitable for them that are going to Canaan, as to hanker after the Flesh-Pots of Egypt; nothing is so contrary to our Profession, and breedeth such an unreadiness to depart out of the world, as these vain delights; therefore if you be strangers and Pilgrims, you should not lust after worldly things, lest you forget or forfeit your great hopes. Secondly, You are Racers or Wrestlers, 1 Cor. 9.24. Know you not that they which run in a race, even all but one receiveth the prize: so run that you may obtain. They that exercised in the Istmaick Games, had a prescribed set dyet, both for quality and quantity, and had their rule chalked out to them, they knew their work and their reward; so. v: 27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I my self should be a cast-away; That is, denied himself those liberties which otherwise he might enjoy; having prescribed to others the way of striving, and getting the victory; they for an Oaken or Olive Crown dieted themselves, kept themselves from all things which should hurt them, or disable them in the Race or Combat; and should we cocker every appetite, that have an Eternal Crown of Glory in view and pursuit? our danger is greater if we should miscarry and miss of it; theirs, the loss of a little vain glory; ours of Eternal Glory; therefore we should strive that we be not found unworthy to receive it; there the victory is uncertain, here all that are runners may be sure of the Crown.
5. Consider the malignant influence of the flesh, and how pernicious it is to the soul. If it were a small thing we spake to you about, you might refuse to give ear; but 'tis in a case of life and death, and that not temporal but eternal; we can tell you of many present and temporal inconveniencies that come by the flesh; the body, the part gratified is in many oppressed by it, Prov. 5.11. Thou shalt mourn at last, when thy flesh and body is consumed. It betrayeth you to such sins, as suck your bones, and devour your strength, and give your years to the cruel, to such enormities and scandalous practices, as bring infamy and a blot upon thy name; Pleasing the flesh maketh one turn a drunkard, and the very sin carrieth its own punishment with it; a second a wanton; a third a glutton, a fourth a hard-hearted worldling, and all these sins waste the conscience, and debase the body, and spend our Wit, Time, Strength and Estates; but we have a more powerful Argument to present to you, it will be the eternal loss and ruin of your souls: There will a day come when you shall be called to an account for all your vain delights and pleasures, Eccles. 11.9. Rejoice, O young man in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine own heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment. The young man is cited before the Tribunal of God, and we think somewhat must be allowed to that age, before man have learned by experience to contemn pleasures; and the young man is spoken to in his own dialect; let his wanton and wandring eye inflame the lusts of his heart, and smother his conscience by all manner of sensual delight; yet a length he will know the folly of this to his bitter cost. These things which are now so pleasing to the senses, shall gnaw and sting his conscience, when God whom he now forgetteth, shall bring him to the Judgment, and he shall have nothing to plead for his brutish folly.
6. What vile unthankfulness it is, and a great abuse of that liberty which we have by Christ, Gal, 5.13. Ye are called to liberty, only use it not as an occasion to the flesh. We have a great liberty to use our worldly comforts with a respect to Gods Glory, and as encouragements of Gods Service, and for the sweetning of our Pilgrimage; but 'tis strangely perverted, when we use these things to please the flesh; you turn it into a bondage, and offer a great abuse to Jesus Christ; surely he never dyed to promote the power of sin, nor gave us these comforts to defeat the ends of his death: Was he a man of sorrows, that we might live in pleasure? Did he suffer in the flesh to purchase us liberty to please the flesh? Or die for sin, to give sin the mastery? Did the Lord vouchsafe these comforts, that we might dishonour his name, or undo our own souls?
2. Means. To come out of this estate and course of sin, I shall give you a few Directions.
1. To those that never pretended to the spiritual and heavenly life, and are as yet to be drawn out of the common apostacy and defection of mankind, to God. All that I shall say to them, is to observe Checks of Conscience, and Motions of the Spirit, and what help is given to weaken the flesh.
1. Checks of conscience, however occasioned, either by a lapse into some sin, which is wont to scourage the soul with some remorse, Matt. 29.4. saying, that I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. Conscience working after the fact, or by the conviction of the word, Acts 24.25. And as he reasoned of righteousness, and temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled. Do not smother these checks; that breedeth Atheism and hardness of heart. Suppose one dissolutely bent, yet upon some loathsome concomitants which follow his riot and intemperance, he beginneth to be troubled; Gods Providence is to be observed as well as his own sin. This is a kind of softning his heart; if it revert to his old frame, the man is the worse. No Iron so hard as that which hath been often heated. Water, after it hath been heated by the fire, congealeth the sooner after it is taken off. If he doth not take notice of Gods warnings, his soul is more unapt to be wrought to repentance; yea, God in justice may deprive him of those common helps, Hos. 4.17. Let him alone; or give him up to his own hearts counsels. 'Tis dangerous not to make use of those intervals of Reason and sober thoughts which arise in our minds.
2. The motions of the Holy Spirit, when he cometh to recover you from the flesh to God; and you are troubled not only with remorse for actual and heinous sins, but about your eternal estate; and are haunted with thoughts of the other world, and urged to resolve upon the heavenly life. Surely when the waters are stirred, we should put in for a cure, John 5. when he draweth, we should run, Cant. 1.4. when he knocketh, we should open, Rev. 3 20. and not obstruct the work of godliness, but seriously imploy our thoughts about it, Acts 16.14. Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things that were spoken by Paul. We should not rebel against the motions of the spirit, lest we grieve our sanctifier, and he forsake us, because we forsook him first, and so our hearts be hardned in a carnal course. Briefly, God doth all in our first conversion; yet these three things lye upon us; first to observe the touches of Gods punishing and chastising hand reclaiming us from our wanderings, Psal. 119.59. Before I was afflicted I went astray. Secondly, To reflect upon the motions of his spirit to draw us out of this estate, that we may not resist the Holy Ghost, Acts 5.31. Thirdly, To examine every day what advantage the spirit hath gotten against the flesh; how the interests of it is weakned, its lusts checked, its acts restrained, Gal. 5.16. Every one that doth seriously mind the business of his salvation, cannot but see these things of great advantage to his spiritual estate; and there is no great difficulty in them to the serious soul that hath a mind to be saved.
2. To those that seem to be recovered, and to have a care of the spiritual life, that they may not revert to this bondage, and that the work may be more thoroughly wrought in them.
1. Look to the mind, take heed there be not flesh there, for the fleshly mind is a great enemy to godliness, Ro. 8.7. The carnal mind is enmity to God; and 'tis a low poor mind, blinded with the love of present things, Jam. 3.15. The wisdom that descendeth not from above, is earthly, sensual, devillish: it hindereth us from discerning the reallity of our hopes, and from having a true sense of our duty impressed upon our hearts, 1 Cor. 2. 14. but the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And also from applying our Rule to particular cases, either in judging of our estate, or in guiding of our actions, 'tis strange to see how the world, or the delusion of the flesh, do blind very knowing men; and how unacquainted they are with their own hearts, or unable to discern their duty in plain cases, when the performance of it is likely to be displeasing to the Flesh. What strange disguises it puts upon a Temptation, and how they wriggle and distinguish themselves out of their duty, when either God must be disobeyed, or the Flesh displeased; the Flesh is always partial for its self; therefore get a sound mind, and this spiritual discerning.
2. Look to the heart that there be no Flesh there. Sinful inclinations must be observed and mortified; Satan doth observe them, and shall not we? He seeth which way the Tree leaneth, and what kind of diet their soul-distempers crave, and suiteth his temptations accordingly: As the skilful Angler suiteth his Bait as the fishes will take it, every month. 1 Cor. 7.5. lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency. He hath a bait of Preferment for Absolom, for he is ambitious; a bait of Pleasure for Sampson, for he is voluptuous; a bait of Money for Judas, for he is covetous. Thus will he furnish them with Temptations answerable to their inclinations. A man by Temper Voluptuous esteems not Profit much; nor an Earth-worm Pleasure; nor an Ambitious man much either of them, but Honour, and Reputation, and great Place. Now 'tis sad that our Enemy should know our Temper better than our selves. Your uprightness and faithfulness to God is seen in weakning your particular inclinations to sin▪ Psal. 18.23. I was also upright before him, and kept my self from mine iniquity. Observe the decay of your Master-sin, and other things will come on the more easily; fight not against small or great, but the King-lust, the domineering sin. Satan is the more discouraged when we can deny our domineering lusts. As Sampson's strength lay in his locks, so doth the strength of sin in one lust more than another. Every man knoweth his darling commonly; but that which is our great care, is to wean our hearts from it. Herod raged when John Baptist touched his Herodias. Felix trembled when Paul touched his brib…ry and intemperance; and the young man goeth away sad when Christ discovereth his worldliness, Mark 10.22. We have all our tender parts, which we cannot endure should be touched. But now when you are willing to part with this sin, pray, strive, and watch against it, grow in the contrary grace, it sheweth your self-denial and sincerity, you will not spare your Isaac. Well then, see that no worldly thing be too near and dear to you, and that God hath a greater interest in your heart than the flesh, or any thing that belongeth to it.
3. Let not the senses cast off the government of reason, and be the ruling power in your souls. They were not made to govern, but to be governed, and to be subjected to God and Reason. Man by the fall is inverted, Tit. 3.3. hateful, and hating one another. Man in his right constitution should be thus govern'd. The Understanding and Conscience prescribe to the Will, the Will according to right Reason and Conscience moveth the Affections, the Affections move the bodily spirits and the members of the body; but by corruption all is inverted and changed; Pleasure affects the Senses, the Senses corrupt the Phantasy, the Phantasy the Bodily spirits, they the Affections, and the Affections by their violence and impetuous inclination to forbidden things, move the Will; and the Will yeilding, blindeth the Mind, and so man is carried headlong to his own destruction; the feet are where the head should be, e contra. Well then, you must guide the senses, as Job made a covenant with his eyes, Job 31.1. and David prayeth, Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. They let in Objects, and Objects stir up Thoughts, and Thoughts Affections. Mat. 5.28. Now take heed they do not grow masterly; if they transmit Temptations, and stir up evil motions, crush the Scorpion on the wound.
4. Keep up a readiness for your work, which is to obey the will of God. It argueth some prevalency of the Flesh, when our duty beginneth to grow troublesome and uneasie; Therefore the Spirit or the better part cannot so readily produce its operation; the soul in the right Temper doth willingly and cheerfully obey God, 1 Joh. 5.3. this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy will, O my God: thy law is in my heart. And Psal. 112.1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Therefore 'tis time for you to check the Flesh, and overcome it, lest farther mischief increase upon you.
5. Refer all things to your ultimate End: And consider whether what you do, doth hinder or further you therein: for all things are to be regarded and valued as they conduce to Gods service, and your salvation, Eccles. 2.2. What doth it? 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, let all be done to the glory of God. Be true to your scope.
6. Take heed of the servitude and bondage which the flesh is wont to bring upon the soul, where it reigneth: It maketh men very flaves; the heart groweth weak, and lust strong, Ezek. 16.30. They are not under the government of the spirit, but under the tyranny of their Fleshly lusts, doing whatever it commandeth, be it never so base, foolish, and hurtful; if Anger provoke them to revenge, they must fight, kill, and slay, and hazzard their worldly interest for Angers sake, or at least cannot forgive injuries for Gods sake; if filthy lusts send them to the lewd Woman, away they go like a fool to the correction of the stocks; and tho they dishonour God, ruin their Estates, stain their Fame, hazzard their lives, yet lust will have it so, and they must obey; If Covetousness say they must be rich, however they get it; they rise early, go to bed late, eat the bread of sorrow, and pierce through themselves with many cares; yea, make no question of right or wrong, trample Conscience under foot, cast the fear of God behind their backs, and all because their imperious Mistress Ambition urgeth them to it: If Envy and Malice bid Cain kill his Brother, he will break all bonds of nature to do it: If Ambition bid Absalom rebel against his Father, and kill him too, it shall be done, or he shall want his will. If Covetousness bid Achan take a Wedg of Gold, he will do it, tho he know it to be a cursed thing; if it bid Judas betray his Lord and Master, tho he knew if he should do it, it had been better he had never been born, yet he will do it. Thus they are not at their own command, to do what Reason and Conscience inclineth them to do; if sensible of their bondage, would think of God and the world to come, and the state of their souls; lust will not permit it; if to break off this sensual course, they are not able, they are servants of corruption: Some God hangeth up in chains of darkness for a warning to the rest of the world, of the power of Drunkenness, Gluttony, Avarice and wretched worldliness: Yea, of every carnal man, 'tis true, John 8.34. Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin. Therefore if the slavery, and imperious disease begin to grow upon you, the flesh hath prevailed very far, and you need more to look to it, and that betimes.
3. USE. Here is ground of trying your estate before God. 'Tis a question you ought often seriously to put; Shall I be saved, or shall I be damned? If you have any spark of Conscience left you, when you are sick or dying, you will put it with anxiousness and trembling of heart; Poor Soul, whither art thou now a going? 'Tis better put it now, while you have opportunity to correct your error, if hitherto you have gone wrong; we see in worldly things, men would fain know their destiny; the King of Babylon stood upon the head of the ways to make Divination; we would fain know what God hath hidden in the Womb of Futurity; no destiny deserves to be known so much as this; not whether I shall be poor or rich, good success in this enterprize, or bad; 'tis not of so great moment; these distinctions do not outlive time, but cease at the graves mouth; but 'tis a question of greater moment, Whether eternally miserable, or eternally happy? 'Tis foolish curiosity to enquire into other things, when we have a good God to trust to, but it chiefly importeth us to consider whether we are in the way to Salvation or Damnation. Nothing will sooner determine this great question, than this Text, If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live. The latter Branch we shall examine afterwards, now for the first Clause.
1. Some live in defiance of the spirit: Cherish the flesh, fulfil the works of the flesh, Gal. 5.19. 'Tis no subtil matter to find them out, they declare their sin as Sodom, while they are drinking, whoring, sporting, quarrelling, scoffing at Godliness.
2. Others please the flesh in a more cleanly manner; but have no due regard to that spiritual and eternal happiness, which lieth in the enjoyment of God; tho their carriage be blameless, and separated from the gross pollutions of the world: They care not whether God be pleased or displeased, honoured or dishonoured, angry or reconciled; and besides, the works of the flesh are not always interpreted in the gross sense, but according to the Scale of the Sanctuary; when he saith, Adultery, Fornication, Murther, &c. are works of the flesh: We must not only think of the gross acts, but the very first seeds of these sins, the secret inclinations and desires of the flesh in this kind, Matt. 5.27, 28. So lasciviousness, not the sinful attempt only, but every motion of tongue, heart, senses, by which the eyes and ears, the souls and consciences of our selves and others may be polluted to Idolatry, Anger, inordinate affection of the heart to any creature, Eph. 5.5. So by murther, not only when it proceedeth to blood, but hatred, variance, strife, heresie, Matth. 5.21, 22. So in short, emulation and affectation of applause, Gal. 5. last.
3. The Prevalence of the divine or carnal principle, must determine our condition: Now its reign is known,
1. By our savour, relish and tast, Rom. 8.5. For every mans gust is according to his constitution, which breedeth oblectation, or pleasure of mind; now when we savour only the things of the flesh, that if it be pleased, quiets us in the want of other things, contents us in the neglect of God and his service, that we have no appetite after, nor savour or relish any sweetness, but in fleshly things; this is an ill sign.
2. By our course of walking; Which is often insisted on in this Chapter. There may be some blemishes in Gods Children, some uneveness of obedience through the relicks of the flesh, but their main constant course, for which they labour and strive, is to approve themselves to God, and to be accepted with God, and to live in obedience to the motions of his sanctifying spirit; but where there is a carelessness in the heavenly life, the influence of the fleshly life is most discovered in all our actions.
3. By our tendency and scope. When the heart is turned to, or alienated from God, the flesh reigneth; if the world turn our hearts from him, and the flesh pleased before him, and we mind our own Things; we are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.