4ti FLESH AND SPIRIT. and the. Spirit of God. In the latter end of the sentences, flesh andspirit must be taken figuratively, for the principles of sin, and the principles of holiness. Now since the apostle frequently uses the terms flesh and spirit in the same sense which his Lord and Master put upon them, andtalks often onthis subject : I shall spend this discourse in sheaving the grounds of this figure of speech in my text, and in givinga full explication and improvement of it in the fpllow- ingmanner : I. I shall offer some reasons why sin, and the principles of it, are representedby the flesh. lI. I shall likewise propose the reasons why the principlesof holiness are expressedby the term spirit. And, Ill. Draw sortie useful remarks from the whole. First, Let me shewwhy sin is represented by flesh, so often in scripture ; and I give these reasons for it : I. Because fleshly or sensible objects, are the chief delight and aim of sinners. They pursue them, and they rejoice in them ; and these lead awaythe soul fromGod to sin. It is the great business of sinners to fulfil thé lusts of the flesh, andmaké provision forit. This is their character in St. Paul's writings; to gratify the appetites of the body, to provide for the desires of their animal natures, eating and drinking, and luxury, and lusts of the flesh, are the cares of most unregenerate men. The lust of the eye, and the gaities of life, gold andsilver, pomp and equi- page, a fine house, a gay appearance in the world, gaudycloathing and glittering ornaments of the body, great splendor in the eyes ofmen ; these are the idols, the gods of sinners ; and they are thetemptations of the saints too. The things that relate to the flesh, and thi enjoynieríts of this sensible and present life, are the objects of sinful appetites, or of lawful appetite in a sinful degree ; and thereforesin is called flesh. II. Sin is also called flesh, because it is communicated and propagated to us by the parents of our flesh. lt is by our, flesh that weare a-kin to Adam, the first great sinner, and derive a cor- rupted nature front him ; from this original taint we derive ini quity, as a polluted stream from an unclean fountain ; he is the father of a sinful posterity: Our spirits indeed are formed immediately by God, and being united to these bodies that come front Adam by the lawsof crea- tion, we become the children of Adam, and so' are partakers of his sinful nature. Now this is done, we may learn from other discourses : it is enough here to say, that irregular humours, and motions, and ferments are transferred and propagated from the first man, even from the same blood of which are formed all the nations of menthat dwell upon the face of the earth ; Acts xvii, $6. These are transmitted down to us the wretched posterity.
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