THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH AND SPIRT, :303 love to God your Father, and to Jesus, your Saviour, is excited, and your souls exert themselves as becomes the children of God, you have most reason to expect the presence of the Holy Spirit, to bear witness to your adoption; and to your interests in his love. He will never bestow consolations of an ordinary or extraordi- nary kind, where there is awilful neglect of the duties he has prescribed. Frequent the services of his holy tem- ple; the out goings of God our King are in his sanc- tuary. His power and glory, his grace and kindness are made visible in his house. There has he promised his own presence; and where his presence is, he often brings with him the witnessing Spirit. AN ESSAY. ON THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLESH ANDSPIRIT. IT is agreed by all the more sober and thinking part of the world, that man is a compounded creature and it is made evident from this plain and easy observation, viz. that he puts forth hourly such different kinds of action, as one simple being could never perform. Flesh and spirit are the two ingredients that go to the compo -, position ; yet they keep their own natures still ,distinct, unmingled, and unconfounded. By the flesh we eat, drink, walk; and sleep, and are a-kin to brute animals > by the spirit we think, know, and chuse, and hold kindred with angels. It appears to every careful observer, that each of these, parts of the man have their particular and distinct na- tures, qualities, and operations. The flesh or body, includes in it the limbs, blood, and breath, with all the grosserAnd finer materials, solid or fluid ; that make up the animal ; it has many inward fer-, ments and appetites of its own ; it has several visible, as well as, hidden notions : and it receives various impres- sions, made by outward objects of sense, which are pro- per to itself, and in which the spirit has no share. On the other hand, the soul or spirit includes the un- derstanding and will, which are its chief powers : It has
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