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6
FLESH
AND
SPXRIT,,
&B.
[SE,RM.
IV,
ciples
and
springs
of
sin
that
are
found in man, whether
they
have
their immediate and distinct
residence
in
the
body
or
in the soul.
The
word
spirit
signifies
and includes
all the principles
of
holiness
that
are wrought
in
any
person, whether immediately residing
in
soul or
body.
And among the
many places
of
scripture
where they
are
só
used,
those words
of our Lord
himself
to
Nicodemus,
John
iii.
6.
seem
to
make this most
evident: What
is
born
of
the
flesh
is
flesh,
and what
is
born
of
the spirit
is
spirit;
by
which
he
means
to assert,
that
what
comes by
natural
generation tends
towards
sin,
and what
is
derived
from the operation
of
the Spirit
of God
leads to holiness,
Or,
more plainly thus
;
all the
principles
of
sin
spring
from
mere
human nature,
as
derived
from
our parents,
and are
called
flesh
;
and,
on
the contrary,
all
the
princi-
ples
of
holiness
spring from the Spirit
of
God, and
are
called
spirit;
and thence
his
argument
derives the neces-
sity
of
being
born
again,
or
born from above.
In
the first
part
of
these
two
sentences,
flesh
and spirit
are
taken
literally
for the
flesh
of
man,
and the Spirit
of God.
In
the latter
end
of
the sentences,
flesh
and
spirit must
be
taken
figuratively, for
the principles
of
sin,
and
the
prin-
ciples
of
holiness.
Now
since
the apostle
frequently
uses
the
terms
flesh
and spirit
in
the.
same sense which his
Lord
and
Master
put
on them,
and
talks often
on this
subject;
I
shall
spend
this
discourse
in shewing
the grounds
of
this figure
of
speech
in
my
text, and in giving a
full
explication
and
improvement of
it
in
the
following
manner,
I. I
shall
offer
some
reasons
why sin,
and
the princi-
pies
of
it,
are represented
by
the
flesh.
II.
I
shall likewise
propose the reasons
why
the
prin-
ciples
of
holiness
are
expressed
by
the term spirit. And
III.
Draw
some useful
remarks from the
whole.
First,
Let
me
spew why sin
is
represented
by flesh so
often
in
scripture;
and I
give
these reasons for
it:
Ist. Because
fleshly,
or
sensible objects,
are
the
chief
delight and
aim
of
sinners.
They pursue
them,
and
they
rejoice in
them;
and these lead
away
the
soul from
God
to
sin.
It
is
the
great
business
of
sinners to
fulfil
the
lusts
of
the
flesh,
and
make provision for
it.
This
s
their
character
in
St.
Paul's writings;
to gratify
the
appetites
of
the
body, to
provide for the desires
of
their