myftical body, when each, with diligence and affection, fills his place. For, as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the fame office; fo we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us propbely according to the proportion [or analogy] of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our miniftering or he that teacheth, on teaching; or be that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let bim do it with fimplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; be that fheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without diffimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Rom. xii. 4-9. Thus doth the Holy Spirit administer different gifts and abilities, and affign men to different work in the church of God, to edify the body, and to keep it together, that there fhould be no fchifm in the body, or no renting and dividing the affections of one member from another. And each of these is useful in his place; fo that the band cannot fay to the foot, I have no need of thee; nor the foot to the band, I have no need of thee. Now, as there are differences of administrations, but all these by the fame Lord the Spirit, fo there are diverfities of operations; but it is the fame God which worketh all in all. 1 Cor. xii. 6.

The divine operations here fpoken of are not those which are put forth in perfons on whom miracles are wrought; for thefe, in the general, are

only difplays of divine power; but the operations of the Spirit in the fouls of God's chofen are divers. And the infufing of grace into us, in forming the new man in us, and in keeping and preserving him when formed, requires divers operations. Though the new man, the whole work of grace, is produced at once, at the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the heart; (he comes as a fpirit of all grace, and a fpirit of all fupplications); yet it is not perceptible to us but by degrees; nor do I fuppofe it was, either to the thief upon the cross, who died almost as foon as the new man was formed, nor to the child of Jeroboam, though the work was complete in them both. The first thing that we discover of it is light; this was the first thing that appeared in the old creation, and fo it is in the new. And even this entitles us to fonship, though we cannot claim it; fuch are children of light, and God is the father of lights.

The next thing that is felt is life; and, when this quickening influence is fpread through the foul, a mighty famine enfues; we cannot feed upon our former lufts and pleasures; thefe fweet morfels become bitter, and our former glory in the pleasures of fin becomes our fhame. The famine increafing upon us, and former gratifications becoming naufeous, to work we go to get fome entertainment (or fatisfaction) from our own performances, and labour hard to fill our belly with thefe hufks which the fwine can eat; but the poor hungry foul can find no fatisfaction in thefe. However, there is now and

then fome strange emotions within, and fome foftening fenfations felt; fome flying tidings are brought to the mind by the fudden occurrences of different paffages of fcripture; and often tranfient beams of light, attended with a sense of foul-diffolving love; but their influences are so sudden, that they are gone before we can hardly relish them, which makes the appetite the keener.

But, when the Holy Spirit difcovers Chrift to us with all his finished work, and leads the foul forth in faith to embrace and folace itself in his dying love, the new creature comes forth with all its beauty. But we are so taken up with the love and excellency of Chrift, and with the unspeakable joys and confolations of the Holy Spirit, that we know but little of the new man; though this would be the only time to obferve him, when he is fo lively, and the old man appears to be quite banished. But nothing of this can be attended to till spiritual defertions make us doubt and fear; and then matters are examined and fifted over, in order to fupport and arm ourselves against the attacks of Satan. The fad ftruggles of the old man, alfo, make us watch and feek, in order to find out the new one; but it is hard to defcribe him-the head of the new man is knowledge; he is renewed in this. Col. iii. 10.

His eyes are the illuminating anointings of the Holy Spirit giving us an understanding. Rev. iii. 18. 1 John ii. 27. Without this he sees nothing.

The hands of him are faith and the affurance of

it;

it; with thefe he holds faft, and will not let go. Song iii. 4. Gen. xxxii. 26.

His feet are the actings of faith under the influence of the Spirit; if thefe are continued he can walk, either upon the waves of the fea, or upon the dry land; but, if these fail, he either halts or finks; and, whichever it be, in he goes; nor will he venture out again unless the fun fhine: either mercy, love, or divine power, muft influence him and draw him, before he will attempt to stir abroad again. We walk by faith and feeling, not by fight, 2 Cor. v. 7. I fay by feeling: for faith ftands in the power of God, and it moves in the fame; for we are kept up, and kept on, by the power of God through faith; and without this power there is no walking fafely.-Hold thou me up, and I shall be Jafe. Pfalm cxix. 117.

Righteoufnefs is the robe of this new man, and true holinefs his glorious adorning.-And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufhefs and true bolines. Eph. iv. 24. This new man, that I am speaking of, is of divine origin, and of heavenly extraction; he is born of the most Holy Spirit of God.-That which is born of the Spirit is fpirit. John iii. 6. This principle of grace, which is called the new man, and is promifed in the Old Teftament under the names of a new heart and a new fpirit, is that which Peter alludes to when he fays, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promifes, that by thefe ye might be partakers

of

of the divine nature. 2 Peter i. 4. The apoftle fays that this new man is created after the image of him that created him; and therefore it is a creature, and a very holy creature, being created in righteoufnefs.

The heart of this new man is love, for love influences every member of him; hence we are exhorted to put on charity, the bond of all perfectness, Col. iii. 14; which is the fame as to put on the new man. Now, as love is the fulfilling of the law, both the firft and the fecond table; yea, and the gospel too, for charity believeth all things; the apostle says that this new man is created in righteoufnefs; the heart of this new man being love, and love fulfilling both the law and the prophets, love is the righteoufnefs of this new mạn.

Moreover, as one member of this new man is faith, fo of course this new man must believe alfo. Obferve the following text.-But now is made manifeft, and by the fcriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. Rom. xvi. 26. Obferve here, it is not called the obedience of men, nor is it called our obedience by faith, or obedience in faith, though this may be true; but the obeyer there fpoken of is faith itself; it is the obedience of faith, and this is the obedience of the new man ; and, of course, he is created in righteousness, having both faith and love, which fulfil both the

laws