73 / 514
SER94.
IV.1
VLE$H ANI)
SPIRÍ2',
&C.
S
thod
that
I
am
capable
of,
1
would derive some
remarks
for our information
and
practice.
Remark
I.
We
may hence
derive a
rule of
judgment
concerning
our
own
state, and
find
whether
we have any
principle
of
holiness
in
our hearts
or
no,
or whether
we
are yet
in
the
flesh,
and
in
a state
of
sin.
We
may
draw an
easy
answer
to
these questions,
by
making an inward
enquiry into
ourselves,
according
to
the
three descriptions of
flesh
and
spirit.
First,
What are our chief
aims
and desires
?
Are they
bent
to
gratify the
appetites
of
the
flesh,
and
set
upon
sensual enjoyments
?
Or
do
we
seek and
pursue spiritual
and eternal
things, as
our
most valuable
and
lovely
por-
tion?
What
is
our chief treasure? Where are our
hearts and our
hopes? Are they
wandering amongst
heaps
of
gold
and
silver,
roving over fair
ad
large es-
tates,
entertaining
themselves with gay clothing,
ho-
nours and
vanities
?
Or
are
they
pointing
upwards,
and
directed
towards
God,
the first and best
of
beings
;
and
fixed
on the
blessedness
of
the spiritual
world
?
Is
our
chief concern
to make provision for the
flesh
and
this
life,
or
to
secure an
inheritance
for
our
souls
among the
in-
corruptible
glories
of
the
upper
world
?
What
is
it
that
sits
highest
in
our
esteem,
and
awakens
our
warmest
af-
fections
and brightest joys
?
Is
it
God
or the
creature,
heaven or earth,
things
fleshly
or
invisible
?
Let
consci-
ence
be
faithful,
and
answer to such
enquiries.
Again,
Let
us ask
ourselves, have
we
nothing
within
us
but
what
was
derived
from
nature
and the
flesh
?
or
do
we find
ourselves enriched with divine graces
by
the
influence
of
the Holy
Spirit? Are
we
the same
sort
of
creatures that
we
were
born?
or have
we
had
a mighty
change wrought
in
us, so
that
we
can find
in
ourselves
that
we
are born
again,
born
of
the
spirit
?
Have
we
new love
and
new
hatred,
new designs
and pursuits,
new
joys
and sorrows? or
are the
affections
of our
souls the
same
that
we
brought
into the world with
us,
and
en-
gaged
chiefly
about
the
affairs
of
this
body,
and
this
tem=
poral
life?
Let
us
enquire,
in
the third place,
whether there
be
any
opposition
made
by
our
spirits
against
fleshly
passions
and appetites
?
Let
every one
of
us
ask
our
souls,
What
inward
conflict do
I
find
in
myself?
Do
I
cömply with
VOL.
I