FLES# ANb SPIRIT, Str. SERM.Iv.3 ble; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh ; Psalm li. 5. Job xv. 14. John iii. 6. Irregular tendencies towards lawful delights, and strong propensities towards unlaw+ fa! ones, a neglect of God, and aversion to all that is holy or heavenly, with an inclination towards fleshly and sinful objects, are conveyed to us all, even from our first parents. Sinful Adam begat his sons in his own likeness, Gen. v. 3. and therefore sin is described by flesh, because it cá.tne from the father of our flesh. Illdly. Another reason why sin is called flesh, is be- cause the chief 'springs of sin lie mostly in our fleshly na- tures; all the while we continue here in this world, the occasions of sin lie much in our body, in our blood, in our natural constitution, in this mortal frame and con- texture; fancy and passion, in all their wild irregula- ties, are much influenced by the flesh and blood. Our bodily senses, our natural appetites, are continually tempting us away from our duty; and leading or enticing us to the commission of sin or, at least, immediately falling in with temptation; insomuch, that sin is said to work in our members, Rom. vii. 5. to reign in our mortal body, vi. 12. Sinful actions are called the deeds of the body, viii. 13. Our sins are called our members, Col. iii. 5. Mortify by the spirit the deeds of the body, saith the apostle in one place; mortify your members which are upon the earth, saith he in the other place ; in both which he means the mortification of sin. He borrows wo; ds from the human body to describe sin. Here let it be noted, that we do not suppose that mere flesh and blood, distinct from the soul, are capable of sin, properly speaking, or can become guilty in a proper sense ; for these are but mere matter, and, separate from the mind, cannot be under a moral law, any more than brute creatures: Therefore we say, sin is not for rally in the body of man, but it is occasionally there because the senses and appetites, the parts and powers of the body become very often an unhappy occasion of sin to the soul; and upon this account the apostle often describes sin by the word flesh. I proceed now to the second thing proposed, and that is, to shew the grounds of this metaphorical use of the word spirit : And there are the same sorts of reasons to . be given why this word is used to represent the prinei-
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