or valuable performance of ours, which intimates grofs ignorance of the gospel, concerning free juftification by the blood of Chrift. It is from this root, even the conferring with fith and blood, that many alfo do abuse the doctrine of the gofpel to licentioufnels, as if it encouraged wickednefs, which is blafphemy against Christ, as if he was the minifter of fin: nay, thofe that re-proachfully charge the doctrine of grace, as a covert to-fin; and the preachers of it, as if they were enemies to holinefs; do but grofly betray their ignorance of the gofpel, and their confulting with flesh and blood, in all their carnal arguments; for, if they confult with the golpel itfelf duly, in oppofition to legal doctrine, they would find, that the more evangelical the doctrine is, the more holy and pure it is, and influential upon holinefs; for, the more a man is dead to the Law, the more he lives unto God: but this will remain a myfiery to many in the world for ever, because of their carnal thoughts and reafonings in favours of the Law, as a covenant; for flesh and blood cannot endure gospeldoctrine; nature and carnal reafon, cannot make the Law a rule of obedience, without making it a rule of acceptance *.

(2) Whence is it that the Worfhip which God hath appointed in his houfe, is fo much abufed: What is the rife of all that deteftable neutrality in the worship of God, and wearinefs and lukewarmnefs in the duties. thereof? Why, it is juft, mens conferring with flesh and blood. Spiritual worship, and a carnal heart, cannot comport, fuit, or agree together: "That which is born of the Aefh is flesh." And flesh and blood cannot endure fpiritual work and worthip: Hence men draw near to God with the mouth, while the heart is removed far from him. Hence men are carelefs what way they worship, or what way others worship God; whether it be an idolatrous, fuperftitious, or inftituted way, like Gallio, they care for none of thofe things. Hence

The Reader will find thefe topics handled to excellent purpofe, by our Author, in Vol. II. Sermon XXIII. intitled, Law-death, and Gospel-life.

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Sabbaths and fermons, are a wearinefs; praying and praifing, are a burden: flesh and blood cannot endure thefe things, Take a carnal man, fays one, tie him to a poft, and you may kill him with praying and ' preaching.'

(3.) Whence is it that partiality in the exercise of church difcipline, doth proceed? When men do not confer with flesh and blood, then difcipline is powerful and impartial but when, by confulting with flesh and blood, they connive at fin, over-look it in fome, and dare not reprove it in others,--Fiefh and blood fays, Such a perfon is a friend; we muft favour him; fuch a perfon is a great man, a rich man; we muft wink at a fault; we must not meddle with him, left he make us and the church uneafy.By these carnal reasonings, the power of difcipline is broken, Alas! how far are we, at this day, from the fpirit of Ambrofe, who excommunicated the emperor Theodofius, for fome rah orders of his; while the emperor humbly sub. mitted to the difcipline of the church; and, upon his repentance was received? But now, alas! we must not offend this and that great man, otherwife all will go wrong. Oh! where is powerful and impartial discip, line! It is funk in the mire of finful conference with flesh and blood.

(4.) Whence again proceeds that diforder and confufion that takes place in the government of the church? While men confult not with flesh and blood, the government is beautiful and orderly but by carnal reafoning, and carnal policy, and carnal wifdom, it is turned out of courfe; tyranny in church-government over the fouls and confciences of people; fuch as, in thrufting paflors upon a Chriftian flock, without their free confent and election, is rooted in conferring with flesh and blood: Why, fays carnal wifdom and policy, fuch a patron must be gratified; fuch a great man must be pleafed; the church cannot ftand without the fupport of fuch pillars. What is all this, but a conferring with

*That Patronage is a great grievance in the Church, contrary to the Scripture, and repugnant to the Acts of the Church, in her beft

with flesh and blood.In a word, all the degeneracy of our day, is owing to this origin.

5. Hence fee what is the root of all the divifions of our day, it flows from this confultation with flesh and blood. See James iv. 1. 1 Cor. iii. 3. “Whereas there is among you envying, and ftrife, and division; are ye not carnal?" Divifion among minifters and people flows from this carnal biafs; proud flesh and blood cannot be controlled, fcorns to be corrected: Who fhall be greatest? is still the queftion of flesh and blood. Who fhall be higheft? Proud flesh and blood will put a fair face upon the fouleft act, rather than take with a fault, or confefs a wrong, or forgive an injury.

6. Hence fee what it is, that the people of God hath to wrestle against, while here, even all the counfels of flesh and blood. Paul rejects the confultation: there he plainly supposes that flesh and blood was ready to fuggeft, and folicit, and give their advice; but Paul rejects the fame; " Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." This is a council where Satan prefides, and is always at the head of the table. And hence, while they have flesh and blood to wrestle againft, they have princi. palities and powers alfo, Eph. vi. 12. Much need have they of the whole armour of God, that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

2dly, This doctrine may be improven for Caution to prevent mistakes. There are feveral things that this duty, of not confulting with flesh and blood, doth not prohibit: fuch as,

1. It doth not exclude the duty of neceffary converfation, traffic, and merchandise with the carnal men of this world, providing we do not mingle with their vice, and contract no intimate friendship with them; for, "The friendship of this world is enmity against God:" but otherwise, converfation, company, trade, and traf

times, may be feen evinced, Vol. V. Serm. LXXXII. intitled, The Law of the Hufe; Serm. LXXXIII. intitled, The Church besieged; and Serm. LXXXV. intitled, The Stability of Faith; in notes at the foot of the page.

fic with fuch may be neceffary and allowable. This caution the apoftle gives us, 1 Cor. v. 9, 10. "I wrote unto you in an epittle, not to keep company with fornicators. Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then muft ye needs go out of the world."

2. It doth not exclude, impeach, or debar the duty of charity toward the poor, and honouring the Lord with our worldly fubftance, providing it be not done out of oftentation, to be feen of men, and to gratify flesh and blood. And as it doth not exclude charitable deeds, toward the fouls and bodies of all men, doing them all the good fervices we can; fo neither doth it exclude charitable thoughts of them: Charity thinketh no evil,' but puts the belt conftruction upon all the actions of others, that the nature of the thing will bear, 1 Cor. xv. 12.

3.

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It doth not exclude or debar the duty of fpiritual prudence. We are to be wife as ferpents, and not to run upon feen hazard, without a call; nor to neglect the duty of confulting our neceffary fafety and fecurity in time of danger and perfecution; providing we do not fly when God bids us ftand; or when the cause of Chrift, or glory of God, oblige us to bear witness for him, and for his truth: but abftract from thefe, or the like cafes, Chriftian prudence is requifite in fhunning whatever hazard we may, through imprudence, caft, ourfelves into: hence faith Solomon, "The prudent man forefeeth the evil, and hideth himself."

4. It doth not exclude or impeach the duty of cour tely and civility towards all men; no: religion doth not allow men to be ill-bred or any way uncivil, more than it allows them to be ill-natured toward any: fo, to be courteous, as the apostle exhorts, 1 Pet. iii. 8. is not to be reckoned a conferring with flesh and blood. There is a way of becoming all things to all men, by the duty of courtesy, civility, and hofpitality, which may be gaining to all.

5. It doth not exclude the duty of frugality and induftry about our worldly concerns. One is not reckoned a confulter with flesh and blood, because he provides for his family; "For, he that doth not fo, faith the

apostle,

apoftle, hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." One may be a Mary for piety, and a Martha for industry too; providing it be managed with moderation, fo as not to exclude the better part.

6. It doth not exclude the duty of mercy, pity and compaffion towards the body, whether our own, or that of others. It were an abufe of this doctrine, if any, out of a pretence of not confulting with flesh and blood, fhould fhew no mercy to the outward man, no regard to their own health but fhould punifh the body with immoderate fafting, or pennance, or unmercifully macerate their flesh, as many in the popifh church, through. their fuperftitious devotion, do. But, in fome cafes, Mercy is better than facrifice."

7. It doth not exclude or debar the duty of for bearance and tenderness towards thofe, that are overtaken in a fault. It were an abuse of this doctrine, of not confulting with flesh and blood, to be thereupon untender of weaklings, who are ready to flumble and fall for, though this doctrine obligeth us not to bear with fin, wherever it is, yet it doth not allow us to infult over the infirmities of any; but we are to take the apofile's rule, Gal. vi. 1. 3. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meeknefs; confidering thyfelf, left thou also be tempted. Bear ye one-another's burdens, and fo fulfil the law of Chrift.”

8. It doth not exclude the duty of refpect to every one, in their feveral stations and relations; particularly, due regard to parents, magiftrates, and minifters; and subjection to judicatories of God's appointment, providing it be in the Lord, and in all things law. ful, is not inconfiftent with this duty, of not confer -ring with flesh and blood: nay, it is highly coufiftent therewith; yea, and neceffary thereunto; for a man may confult with flesh and blood, by refufing to give a due fubjection; as many obftinate offenders do, that defpife all difcipline. Though, indeed, unlawful fubjection or obedience, not in the Lord, is but a confult ing with flesh and blood; while we follow the dictates

of