October 1

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.—Romans 8:5-7.

Yet even this is no disparaging of the flesh. For so long as it keeps its own place, nothing amiss cometh to pass. But when we let it have its own will in every thing, and it passes over its proper bounds, and rises up against the soul, then it destroys and corrupts every thing, yet not owing to its own nature, but to its being out of proportion, and the disorder thereupon ensuing. But they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death. He does not speak of the nature of the flesh, or the essence of the body, but of being carnally minded, which may be set right again, and abolished. And in saying thus, he does not ascribe to the flesh any reasoning power of its own. Far from it. But to set forth the grosser motion of the mind, and giving this a name from the inferior part, and in the same way as he often is in the habit of calling man in his entireness, and viewed as possessed of a soul, flesh. But to be spiritually minded. Here again he speaks of the spiritual mind, in the same way as he says further on, But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit; and he points out many blessings resulting from this, both in the present life, and in that which is to come. For as the evils which being carnally minded introduces, are far outnumbered by those blessings which a spiritual mind affords. And this he points out in the words life and peace. The one is in contraposition to the first—for death is what he says to be carnally minded is. And the other in contraposition to the following. For after mentioning peace, he goes on, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: and this is worse than death. Then to show how it is at once death and enmity; for it is not subject to the law of God, he says, neither indeed can be. But be not troubled at hearing the neither indeed can be. For this difficulty admits of an easy solution. For what he here names carnal mindedness is the reasoning that is earthly, gross, and eager-hearted after the things of this life and its wicked doings. It is of this he says, neither yet can it be subject to God. And what hope of salvation is there left, if it be impossible for one who is bad to become good? This is not what he says. Else how would Paul have become such as he was? how would the penitent thief, or Manasses, or the Ninevites, or how would David after falling have recovered himself? How would St. Peter after the denial have raised himself up? What he says, then, is not that it is impossible for a man that is wicked to become good, but that it is impossible for one who continues wicked to be subject to God. Yet for a man to be changed, and so become good, and subject to him, is easy. For he does not say that man can not be subject to God, but, wicked doing can not be good. It is vice then he means by carnal mindedness, and by spiritual mindedness the grace given, and the working of it discernible in a right determination of mind, not discussing in any part of this, a substance and an entity, but virtue and vice. For that which thou hadst no power to do under the law, now, he means, thou wilt be able to do, to go on uprightly, and with no intervening fall, if thou layest hold of the Spirit's aid. For it is not enough not to walk after the flesh, but we must also go after the Spirit, since turning away from what is evil will not secure our salvation, but we must also do what is good. And this will come about, if we give our souls up to the Spirit, and persuade our flesh to get acquainted with its proper position, for in this way we shall make it also spiritual; as also if we be listless we shall make our soul carnal. For since it was no natural necessity which put the gift into us, for the freedom of choice placed it in our hands, it rests with thee henceforward whether this shall be or the other. For he, on his part, has performed every thing. For sin no longer warreth against the law of our mind, neither doth it lead us away captive as heretofore, for all that state has been ended and broken up, and the affections cower in fear and trembling at the grace of the Spirit. But if thou wilt quench the light, and cast out the holder of the reins, and chase the helmsman away, then charge the tossing thenceforth upon thyself. Since thou seest then the real state of things voiced with a shriller note than any trumpet, let not thyself grow soft and treacherous to so great a grace. Since not even after the faith is it possible for a listless man to be saved! For the wrestlings are made easy that thou mayest strive and conquer, not that thou shouldst sleep, or abuse the greatness of the grace by making it a reason for listlessness, so wallowing again in the former mire.