flesh stamped on them, and pass no otherwise with God. We see how rank the
corruptions of men are, anger domineering in them, and leading them often
captive. And this is counted a light matter, but it is not so in
scripture. How often is it branded with folly by the wise man! And this
folly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with, and
in how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of
others? And then it carries the image of the devil, rather than of human
infirmity. And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these, yet
what a spirit of pride and self love is in every man, even those that
carry the lowest sail, and the meanest port among men,--those that are
affable and courteous and those that seem most condescending to inferiors
and equals. Yet, alas! this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirit. If
a man could but watch over his heart, and observe all the secret
reflections of it, all the comparisons it makes, all the desires of
applause and favour among men, all the surmises and stirrings of spirit
upon any affront, O how would they discover diabolic pride! This sin is
the more natural and inbred, for that it is our mother-sin that brought us
down from our excellency. This weed grows upon a glass window, and upon a
dunghill. It lodges in palaces and cottages. Nay, it will spring and grow
out of a pretended humility, and low carriage. In a word, the ambitious
designs of men, the large appetite of earthly things, the overweening
conceit of ourselves, and love to ourselves, the stirring of our
affections, without observing a rule upon unlawful objects, or in an
unlawful manner,--all these are common to men, and men walk after them.
Every man hath some predominant or idol, that takes him most up. Some are
finer and subtiler than others, some have their pleasures and gains
without, others their own gifts and parts within, but both are alike
odious before God, and both gross flesh and corruption before him.

There are two errors among men concerning this spiritual walking,--the one
is the doctrine of some in these days, the other is the practical error of
many of us. Many pretending to some near and high discoveries, as to
Christ and the Spirit, have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized
flesh instead of the Spirit indeed. They separate the Spirit from the
word, and reckon the word and law of God, which was a lamp to David's
feet, among the fleshly rudiments of the