A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is, by pregnant texts of Scripture vindicated from false glosses / by Anthony Burgess.

SECT. II.

Of the use of the word Flesh in Scripture; And why Original Cor∣ruption is called by that name.

TO discover this, in the first place, It is good to take notice of the use of the word [Flesh] in Scripture; for the mis-understanding or mis-applying of it, hath brought in a world of mischief. The Papists by Flesh (I mean some of them) understanding only the bruitish and sensitive part, as if sinne were onely resident there, and the rational part were free and pure; but this is a very great errour; For besides the general use of the word Flesh in the Scripture, there is two more pertinent to our purpose.

1. Flesh is sometimes taken for that which is weak and frail, Isa. 31. Their horses are flesh and not spirit. Psal. 78. He remembred they were but flesh. And

2. It is often taken for sinfulness and corruption; Thus Gal. 5. The works of the flesh are opposite to the works of the Spirit; and men who are in the Flesh, Rom. 8. cannot please God. Gal. 3. Who having begun in the Spirit, will ye end in the flesh? To be in the flesh and in the Spirit are made two opposite beings by the Apostle; Insomuch that we may make it a sure Rule, That wheresoever flesh is opposed to the Spirit of God, or its spiritual operations, that then flesh is used for that which is evil and sinfull; and thus it is in the Text. The true notion therefore of the word Flesh being retained, Let us consider, Why original sinne is thus called Flesh. And

First, It is called so, Because of its opposition to what is spiritual. Whatsoever the Spirit of God revealeth to be believed, or commands to be obeyed, it is whol∣ly contradicted by man, while abiding in the flesh. Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God; You see here is not only a meer pri∣vation of what is spiritual, but a positive enmity and frowardness against God, and therefore we do not speak enough to describe the fulness of our natural evil, when we say, that we came naked into the world without the Image of God, and his Spirit; for original sinne hath a contrariety in it against God, it puts a man upon hatred of whatsoever is holy, therefore the Apostle addeth, Rom. 8. 5. It is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: Oh then that God would make our hearts more of flesh in the Prophet Ezekiels sense, viz. tender, and melting under considerations of how much flesh is in both mind and heart in the Apostles sense! Would thy self-righteousness, thy self-love, thy self-fulness con∣tinue any longer, if thou didst thus judge and believe concerning thy self? Oh what a noisom carkass, what a loathsom monster wouldst thou be in thy own eyes, if thou didst consider the positive frowardness and opposition which is in thee to what is holy! And therefore even in the regenerate, Gal. 5. 17. The Flesh is said to lust against the spirit; Search then into thy heart, and say, From whence doth arise these gainsayings and oppositions which are in me, to what is holy: Why should not heavenly and spiritual things be as welcome, pleasing and delight∣full to me, as sinfull and wordly objects? Is not all this, because thou art Flesh?

Certainly, there is a thousand times more reason for thee to imbrace spiritual objects than earthly; They have more real, excellent and enduring good in them, then all the pleasures of sinne if put together, but it is because thou art flesh, that thy heart is naturally so full of enmity against whatsoever is spiritual; And although this natural enmity be encreased in thee by voluntary wickedness, yet that which cleaveth to thee, as soon as thou hast a being is enough to make thee refuse the word of God, the Ministry inviting of thee, and to slight every Ser∣mon thou hearest, or every affliction God layeth upon thee for thy sinne, mourn then under this enmity, this Law of sinne that rebelleth against the Spirit of God: This may sensibly and evidently teach thee, that thy natural corruption is more than a meer want of the Image of God.

Secondly, In that original corruption is called flesh, is manifested, That even the whole intellectual and sublimer parts of a man are become sinfull. We see our Saviour saith, That which is born of flesh is flesh, nothing is excepted; so that whereas some would have it the rational part; The mind and understanding not to be comprehended under this flesh; we say the contrary according to Scripture, That in the soul and faculties thereof there is originally sinne chiefly seated There is the spring and fountain from whence issue all the streams of sinne into the lower parts of the soul: Thus when the Apostle reckons up the works of the flesh, Gal. 5. 19, 20. There are Idolatry and Heresies numbered with the rest, which must needs be sins of the mind, How often doth the Scripture speak of darkness, igno∣rance, folly and blindness in the minds of all men by nature? Col. 2. 18. There it's called a fleshly mind; and certainly if the mind must be renewed, as the Scripture speaks, Rom. 12. 2. Col. 3. Eph. 4. 23. it necessarily followeth, that it is fleshly and sin∣full. Behold then, what a fountain of evil and misery springs out from us in this re∣spect, which may overwhelm us? For though the inferior parts of the soul had been throughly infected with this Leprosie, yet if the superiour and chief parts had not been contaminated, there would have been hopes, that those Sun-beams would have dispelled such misty clouds; but seeing that the eye is become dark, How great is our darkness, and salt it self having lost its seasoning, all must become loathsom and unprofitable? Not only thy eyes, thy ears, not only thy affections and passions of love, fear, anger, &c. which are the lower region of thy soul; but thy will, thy mind, thy conscience, these also are become flesh, and are wholly corrupted, so that in thee by nature, there remaineth no good thing at all.