the fins of believers called fervice, for they have no wages for it, neither prefent pleasure nor endless death, which are all the wages that a fervant of fin gets. He may be brought into captivity to the law of fin, which is in his members. Rom. vii. 23. But a captive and a fervant in this matter widely differ.

The apoftle, having called the whole mafs of inbred corruptions the fruits of the flesh and a body of fin, he alfo affigns different fins as fo many different members of this monftrous body, in allufion to the body of a man.-Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Col. iii. 5.

So, on the other hand, he calls the principle of implanted grace the new man. And, as this new man is formed by the Holy Spirit, and confifts of different graces, fo the apoftle calls thefe the fruits of the Spirit, in oppofition to the other, which he calls the fruits of the flesh.-But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against fuch there is no low. Gal. v. 22, 23. Now all these, strictly speaking, are not graces of the Spirit; but fruits and effects of his operation for gentleness, long-fuffering, and temperance, may be exercifed, and often are exercifed, by men in a state of nature. Some, who are inured to fufferings, may and do fuffer with much patience; others are naturally temperate; and others as gentle, eafy, and unmoved, who have no fear of God

God before their eyes. But thofe that are the reverse of these are made fo by grace. When the wolf is taught to dwell with the lamb, and the lion to lie down with the kid, then these things are attended to, and men exercise themselves in them in the fear of God.

Nor are all the graces or fruits of the Spirit mentioned in that catalogue, Fear, patience, zeal, and hope, are fruits of the Spirit; and fo are contrition, godly forrow, humility, repentance, &c. Now, as the new man is compofed of thefe manifold graces, fo the Holy Spirit, by his powerful operations, enlivens, ftrengthens, and draws forth into exercife, first one and then another, as feemeth good to him. Sometimes he ftrengthens faith, and fortifies the mind with fuch might and power, that the excellency and the power appear fo confpicuously to be of God, that the man is quite above himself. But truly 1 am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob bis tranfgreffion, and to Ifrael his fin. Micah iii. 8.

Again, when we are led to defend any truth that is oppofed, and it pleases the Holy Spirit to instruct, settle, and establish the children of God in them, he not only gives you light into the truth, and brings text after text to the mind to fupport and confirm it, but fires the foul with fuch zeal, that we are clad with it as with a cloak.-My zeal hath confumed me; because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. Thy

word is very pure; therefore thy fervant loveth it. Pfalm cxix. 139, 140.

At other times faith fhall be influenced with such power and activity, that the foul can tell beforehand fomething of the fuccefs that shall attend the word. When, therefore, I bave performed this, and have fealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. And I am fure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the bleffing of the gospel of Chrift. Rom. xv. 28, 29.

Sometimes one grace fhall appear predominant, and fometimes another; as patience in Job; meeknefs, as in Mofes; godly forrow, as in Hannah; jealoufy for God's honour, as in Elijah; contrition, as in David; and fometimes love, as in Paul-I am not only ready to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jefus. All these move and act as the Holy Spirit operates in them; he enlivens and invigorates them; but, without a divine breeze, there is neither motion nor emiffion.-Awake, Q north wind, and come, thou fouth; blow upon my garden, that the fpices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into bis garden, and eat his pleafaut fruits. Song iv. 16.

If my dearly-beloved brother will obferve these things, he will perceive much more than I can defcribe; and he will find the different frames that he is caft into to be wonderfully fuited to the work then in hand. To the Theffalonians Paul was a nurse;

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to Timothy an affectionate father; to the Corinthians God made him humility and meeknefs; to the falfe apoftles an invincible champion; to the weak he was a babe in grace; to the Jews ftraitened as under the law; to the Gentiles as one guided alone by confcience; to the wife and difcerning he was the chiefeft apostle; and to Alexander and Elymas the forcerer he was a lion.-I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means fave fome, I Cor. ix. 22.

Well may the apoftle fay there are diverfities of operations; for they are diverse and innumerable too; yea, and often various in one day. Life, contrition, and forrow, for morning prayer; a sweet flow of gratitude foon after for a thank-offering; upon the back of this comes a promife in due feason, increafing faith; then a fmiling Providence turns up, that makes the bowels yearn; next comes a letter bringing good tidings, and bleffing God for the inftrument, and for the power of divine grace put forth; this fires the foul with fresh zeal for the work. Then comes a poor foul telling the dreadful tale of the plague of leprofy breaking out in the house; thefe touch your love and fympathy. Next comes in a word, and opens out a large field of hidden treasures, pearls and jewels for Zion. And, laft of all, comes in an arch hypocrite, appearing to be fome great one, when he is nothing, with all the art and craft imaginable to impose upon your judg

ment;

ment; and, at the appearance of him—What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. But now bring me a minftrel. 2 Kings iii. 13, 15. Let my dear brother observe these things, and he will have fome infight into this bleffed promife-1 the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: left any hurt it, Į will keep it night and day. Ifaiah xxvii. 3.

The new man is fed by prayer, by reading, by meditation, by hearing the word, and by converfing with the lively friends of the bridegroom. He is very choice in his food. Hence it appears that, under the dry orations which are drawn from the letter, and thofe confufed jumbles upon freewill, enforced by those who have not been emptied of felf, but are fettled upon their lees, and those violent fhouts from the top of the mountain, not of Zion, but of Sinai: none of these entertain the new man; it is not fuch tidings as these that bring him, nor does the Spirit, who forms him, accompany fuch. God gives teftimony to the word of bis grace. The new man feeds upon power. read of strength by the Spirit's might in the inward man; you read of his being renewed day by day, and of his being renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Light, attended with love, feeds him; it revives him, refrefhes him, and renews him. He gathers his myrrh with his fpice. Myrrh is a bitter potion

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