19. For the flesh lusts after
nothing save through the soul, but the flesh is said to lust
against the spirit, when the soul with fleshly lust wrestles
against the spirit. This whole are we: and the flesh itself, which
on the departure of the soul dies, the lowest part of us is not put
away as what we are to flee from, but is laid aside as what we are
to receive again, and, after having received it, never again to
leave. But “there is sown an animal body, there shall rise again
a spiritual body.”1870
Then from that time the
flesh will
not
lust after any thing against the spirit, when as itself also
shall be called
spiritual, forasmuch as not only without any
opposition, but also without any need of bodily aliment,
it
shall be for ever made subject unto the spirit, to be quickened by
Christ. Therefore these two things, which are now opposed the one
to the other within us, since we exist in both, let us
pray and
endeavor that they may agree. For we ought not to think the one of
them an
enemy, but the fault, whereby the
flesh lusteth against the
spirit: and this, when
healed, will itself cease to exist, and
either substance will be
safe, and no
strife between either. Let us
hear the
Apostle; “I know,” saith he, “that there dwelleth
not in me, that is, in my
flesh, any good.”
1871
This certainly he saith; that the
fault of the
flesh, in a good thing, is not good; and, when this
shall have ceased to exist, it will be
flesh, but it will not be
now
corrupted or faulty
1872
flesh. And yet that this pertains
to our
nature the same
teacher shows, by saying, first, “I know
that there dwelleth not in me,” in order to
expound which, he
added, “that is, in my
flesh, any good.” Therefore he saith
that his
flesh is himself. It is not then itself that is our
enemy:
and when its faults are
resisted, itself is
loved, because itself
is cared for; “For no one ever
hated his own
flesh,”
1873
as the
Apostle himself saith. And in another place he saith, “So then I
myself with the
mind serve the
Law of
God, but with the
flesh the
Law of
sin.” Let them hear that have
ears. “So then I
myself;” I with the
mind, I with the
flesh, but “with the
mind
I serve the
Law of
God, but with the
flesh the
law of
sin.”
1874
How
“with the
flesh the
law of
sin?” was it at all by consenting
unto fleshly
lust?
Far be it! but by having there motions of
desires which he would not have, and yet had. But, by not
consenting to them, with the
mind he served the Law of God, and
kept his members from becoming weapons of sins.
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