The Posthumous Works of John Howe, Ed by J Hunt

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON . John iii. ' latter part. That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. THE apostle represents the different states of men, accordmg to the different temper of their minds, as they are either carnal or spiritual; the misery and deadliness of the former; that to be carnally minded is death: the life and peace which is involved in the other; that to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom. 8. 6. We are presented in this text with a view of the two great fountains of that carnality and spirituality, which are themselves so great fountains of evil and good, unto the children of men, according as the oue or the other hath place in them. The whole verse presents us with a view of both; that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is horn of the Spirit, is spirit: though I am to insist, as my design requires, only upon the latter. Some perhaps, taking some notice, that there is a universal death reigning over this world, by reason of that carnality which hath spread itself through it; may be prone to inquire, From whence. is it, that so prevailing a carnality should so mortally have tainted the spirits of men every where? And this our Lord gives no other account of, and only resolves the matter, into ordinary human propagation; that which is born of the flesh, Is flesh. His account is not such as seems to aim at gratifying the curious, but such as whereip the sounder minded might very well be expected to acquiesce. It being taken for granted, that the higher original of human nature, was very well understood and itnown; it might seem a sufficient account of the original of that corruption, which is now connate with the nature of man; that from apostate creatures, such as were like themselves have descended, and what is born of the flesh, is ...