3ERM. YV.7 FLESH AND SPIRIT, &C. 73 in which we inhabit: we drag our chains about with us; we are tied down to our senses ; we are too nearly allied to the passions and appetites of this animal in which the soul dwells, and these the soul cannot master and Sub- due entirely: however, let us wrestle with flesh and blood, as well as with the tempting world, and the malice of Satan ; let us bestir ourselves, and fight the good fight of faith, for the crown is worth the labour of the conquest.. Yet there is. another difficulty attends this part of our spiritual warfare, viz. This is a "combat to which the Captainof our Salvation did not lead us on inperson, and in which Christ never went before us. It is a labour of piety in which our blessed Saviour was not our pattern; nor could he be, for he had no principle of sin in his soul, nor any sinful motion in all his sensitive powers. His flesh itself, in a literal sense, was born of the spirit, and he was all spirit, all holy. The Holy Ghost over- shadowed the blessed virgin ; and that holy thing that was born of Mary, was sanctified in its original, and united to the eternal Son of God, Luke i. 35. Never had he one disorderly passion; never one vicious appe- tite, no criminal wish, no guilty inclination ; he knew no excessive tendencies towards a lawful object, nor did he feel any inward propensity toward an unlawful one. He tools part of flesh and blood, indeed, because the children werepartakers of it: In all things he was made like to his brethren, but without sin, and tempted in all points, as we are, except this inward and native tempta- tion; Heb. ii. 14, 17. and iv. 15. This part of our war- fare, therefore, we have no perfect pattern tor; the leader of the holy army never went through these special and sore conflicts, in which our spirits are daily engaged, even the war with corrupt nature and sinful flesh : yet he pities and sympathizes with us; for, as God, he knows our whole frame perfectly; and he knows, as man, what our flesh is, and what its sinful appetites are, so far as his holy nature will admit of this sympathy. In such a case as this, which he never experienced, yet he supplies us with such grace as is effectually suited to re- lieve these agonies; and the kind angel of the covenant will be at our right hand, to strengthen the sincere corn- bátants, that they be not overcome.
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