6A PLESH -AND SPIAITy-Se:Qt [SEEM. Ib : fleshly objects arehis chief desire: But the spiritual man despises them all, in comparison of the unseen desira- bles of the spiritual world. The .men of this world take pains .to gratify their senses, and indulge every fleshly appetite,among the entertainments of this present world; but those who are holy, mortify their sinful passions, and set their affections on things above, Col. iii. 1, &c. They look and aim at things that are unseen, that are eternal, while the men of this world :look only at the things that are visible and temporal, e Cor. iv. I 8. The sinful many, or multitude of sinners, say, Who will show us any good ?.,., But they seek it only among corn, wine, and oil, &c. The saint prays to his God, Lord, lift upon me the light .of thy countenance; and this shall put gladness into my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased, Ps. iv. 6, 7. This is the first reason why holiness is described by the word spirit. IIdly. Holiness is represented by the spirit, because it is- communicated to us by God the father of our spi- rits, even as sin is conveyed down to us by the parents ofour flesh. It is wrought in us by his blessed Spirit, whose character it is to he holy. In Rom. viii. 13, 14. yóu see holiness described as receiving its very nature and operation in us from the Spirit of God. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God; and it is by the spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh, or body, that so we may live. As they that are born of the flesh are flesh, so they that are born of the spirit are spirit, ..John iii. 6. This is the language of our Lord Jesus Christ. They who have past through no renewing and reforming change of heart since their na- tural birth, they are still in a natural sinful state, and the principles ofsin are prevalent in them ; but they who have been thus changed and renewed by the blessed Spirit of God, hive a new and spiritual natural principle and temper given to them, and are made holy. As by being born of man, we become. the children ofAdam, and gain a sinful nature ; so by being born of God, we become' the .sons of God, and gain adivine, .a holy nature. We are born of God unto holiness, as we were born of flesh unto sin; 1 John iii. 9. He that is born of God sinneth not; that is, sin is not his nature and delight, nor his
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