42 SERMONS upon Serm. 'L off from God, and the purfuit of better things, to entertain it felf with thefe bafer Objeas. This is to feek out baits for the flefh ; for the fleth is nothing elfe but the cor- ruption of Nature, which inclineth us to any inferior good, and divertethusfrom things truly good and fpiritual, as communion with, and enjoyment of God. Well, now we have fuited thofe that are aferthe flefh, ttáth an Obje l proper to them, and agreeable with their inclinations. 2. The next thing is, What are ld h,rríapalor, the things of the fpirit ? They are all things pertaining to fpiritual life and saline". You may conceive of them thus : I. Such things as the fpirit revealeth. Now he revealeth the myfierfesof falvatioir, or the deep things of God in 7efus Chrifl, which the natural man is not capable of, a Cor. 2. 14. The whole Do&rine of godlinefs, or falvation offered by God in Cbri(t, is the element of the renewed man, his life and foul is bound up in ir, Pfal. 119. ro3. How tweet are thy words unto my tafle ? But a natural man favoureth not thefe things, nor knoweth them, nor loveth them, if he be told of them. They that are in a common way' partakersof the Spirit, are faid to rafts the good word, Heb.6.4. So far as the Spirit work - eth upon them, fo far they have a reli(h for thefe things. 2. Such things as the fpirit worketb, wait wikiahs, Gal. 5. 22. The puits of the' fpirit are love, joy, peace, long fufering, gentlenef, goodnefs, faith, patience, meekneft'5 all in. ternal excellencies. The renewed man ever feeks to excel and advance in thefe things; not to trim the body, but to deck and adorn the foul, 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4. Whofe adorning, let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and wearing of gold, andputting on of apparel : but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. All his delires are to be flrengthned With might in the inner man, by the fpirit, Eph. 3. 16. He rejoyceth, and faints not under troubles, while the inward man is fafe, 2 Cor. 4.16. for as the outward man decreafeth, the inward man is renewed day by day. If they can keep Grace alive in their fouls, that is their care, their bufnefs, their comfort. The natural heart is altogether taken up about the outward man, but the renewed heart about the inward man, and an increafe in holinefs , or fpiritual Ihength ; for that is the great product of the fanóhifying Spirit, and that which they Ihould mainly look after. 3. Such things as the Spirit urgeth and inclineth unto; and thefe are communion with God here, and the fill enjoyment of God hereafter. The great impre(fron which the Spirit leaveth upon the foul, is a tendency towards God; for his Office is to bring us to God, into communion with him here. God, as a fudg, by the Spirit of Bondage, drives us to Chrift as a Mediator and Chrifi, as a Mediator, by the Spirit of Adoption, bringeth us to God as a Father, Rom. 8. 15. re have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the fpirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba father. One of the things which the fpirit urgeth us to look after, is the favour of God, Pfal.4.6,7. Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, &c. and communion with him here, Pfal. 17. 15. As for me, 'will behold thy face with righteoufnefs ; I /hall be fatisfied when 1 awake with thy likenef: and the full enjoyment of God hereafter, Rom. 8.23. We our f lves who have the f¡rfl fruits of the fpirit, even we our 'elves groan within our 'elves,. waiting far the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies, 2 Cor. 5. 5. Now be that bath wrought us for the felf fame thing, is God, who alto hath given unto us the earne/i of the fpirit, always groaning, longing to live with God for ever. So when the unregene- rate, and regenerate, are fpoken of as Two contrary minds and affeîlious, Phil.3.19,2o. the one are Paid to mind earthly things, the others are Paid to have wori7evtaa, their couver. _lanon in Heaven. The fle(h draweth us off from God, to things earthly and fle(hly ; bur the Spirit's work is to raite the heart to things eternal and heavenly, that our main bufinefs might be there. Well now, the things of the Spirit are all thofe things that are agreeable to the new and fpiritual life, as righteoufnefs, peace, grace, and glory, the image of God, and word of God; the(è thingsfuit with the new Nature. III. Dolt. That men difcover their temper and conflitution of ford, by their refile& to ei- ther of thefeObjeïfs. To evidence this to you, 1. I will thew you what this mindingis. 2. Give you fome Obfervations. 3. The Reafons of the Point. 1: What
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