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takes place. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forfake not the works of thine own hands. Pfalm

cxxxviii. 8.

How fenfibly felt are the revivals of this good work under the operations of the Holy Ghost! Sometimes by communicating fresh power, all on a fudden, when every thing feems to be falling to decay, and the poor believer is just ready to caft away all confidence, and in his own mind to fall a victim to fin and Satan, concluding all to be loft for ever; then is the divine power of the Spirit put forth in this new creature.-That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. Eph. iii. 16.

Sometimes great communications of light, and fresh discoveries of the love of God in Chrift, wonderfully ftrengthen and inflame the new man.-But mine born fhalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I fhall be anointed with fresh oil. Pfalm xoii. 10.

At other times the uncommon ftruggles of hope, attended with vigour, earneftnefs, diligence, livelinefs, activity, and uncommon anxiety, after the glory that is to be revealed, appear in this new man. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghoft. Rom. xv. 13. Every day, throughout the believer's whole pilgrimage, does the Holy Spirit revive or renew this new man of

grace

grace in one member or another; as it is written, For all things are for your fakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which caufse we faint not; but, though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor. iv. 15, 16. That which is born of the Spirit is fpirit. John iii. 6. Now it is against the Holy Ghoft, in his forming and preferving this new man which is born of the Spirit, that the flesh lufteth.-For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the ficfb: and thefe are contrary the one to the other: So that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But, if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Gal. v. 17, 18. The way that the Spirit leads us is by influencing and putting fresh strength, life, love, and fervour, in the new man. This new man of grace is a mighty worker while the Spirit keeps renewing of him.-I laboured (fays Paul) more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Cor. xv. 10.

Sometimes we have noble works afcribed to the different members of the new man. We read of

and patience

1 Theff. i. 3.

the work of faith, and labour of love, of hope, in our Lord Jefus Chrift. Sometimes faith appears very strong, and performs wonders, especially in times of great need; as we see in David, when he went against the giant of Gath. At other times love labours mightily both to the Lord and to his people: the first may be

feen

feen in Mary at the Lord's feet, and the fecond in Paul to the Corinthians. At other times the pa tience of hope is very confpicuous in waiting for that which is hoped for.-I will wait upon the Lord, that bideth his face from Jacob, and I will look for him. Ifa. viii.: 17.

This new man of grace comes from the fulness of Chrift, in whom all fulness dwells, and out of whose fulness we all receive, and grace for grace. And it is the Spirit that works it in us by his wonderful operation, and he fupplies this new man daily; hence we read of a supply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrift, Phil. i. 19; that is, the Spirit of Christ supplies us with more grace from Chrift, the bleffed head of influence.

Now (fays the apostle) if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. They that are under the law have nothing else but luft and corruption working in them, let them talk of fpurious holiness as much as they please. "Law was given (fays Milton) to evince man's natural pravity, by stirring up fin against law to fight." The motions of fins, which were by the law [ftirred up], did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Rom. vii. 5. So that he who is under the law is deftitute of that new man, and of courfe has nothing but fin in him.

He may at times feel rebukes, checks, and lashes within; which he may, and many do, call the old man of fin: but this is a mistake; it is not an

enemy,

enemy, but a friend; not the old man of fin, but honeft confcience doing his duty, buffeting the finner for his hypocrify. So, on the other hand, a hypocrite may, at times, find a little calm of peace and tranquillity in his mind, which he may call the new man, and I believe thousands do fo: but, as the former is nothing but natural conscience accufing, so the latter is nothing but natural confcience excufing, according to the light of nature.

For, even under this calm of peace and tranquillity, there is no godly forrow flowing out to God; no condemning, hating, and abhorring felf; nor any real tears of pious grief, mourning over a fuffering Saviour; no repentance towards the Lord, nor heartfelt gratitude to him, nor real thanks and praises for his long-fuffering, undeserved, and unexpected clemency.

Such men's peace springs from a ceffation of arms with Satan; they have had a few day's refpite, in which the devil has not wallowed them in the mire; and, during this interval, they have done fomething for God, and of courfe he must be pleafed with them. All this takes its fpring from self, and centers in felf, and there fuch faith ftands; for he has no truft but in his own heart; look to Jefus he cannot, because there is no good thing in him toward the Lord God of Ifrael: whereas the believer looks to Jefus, depends on his arm, and views his own heart worse than Satan himself-being deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked. Jer. xvii. 9. The

believer

believer knows, that he can ftand no longer than while the Lord upholds him; if he withdraw his fupporting hand he is fure to fink, and when funk he despairs of all help in his own arm, or in his own heart; he knows that nothing can recover him but a propitious look from his dear Lord, or a re ftoring vifit from him, or a fresh discovery by faith of his dying love, attended with the reviving and renewing operations of the Holy Spirit of promise.

The flesh lufteth against the Spirit in behalf of, and to be gratified in, its own delightful fruits; which the apoftle mentions: which are, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lafcivioufnefs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, frife, feditions, berefies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, &c. Gal. v. 19-21. Some of these are fins which easily befet the child of God; they often intrude themselves into his mind; yea, even when he would do good fome of these are prefent with him: nor is the believer without his flips and falls in one way or other. But ftill he is not a fervant of fin; for they that are the fervants of fin are free from righteoufness. Rom. vi. 20. Such are free to fin, and free from all righteousness; which the believer never is. He is a fervant of righteousness, and doth serve both in faith and love. And, though he does not live without fin, being in one sense still in the flesh, yet fin is neither his element nor his service.--For, though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flef 2 Cor. x. 3, but war against it. Nor are

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