SERMON IV, 51 the principles of sin and holiness, yet it may be remarked, that he does not confine himself here to these terms, but uses also the words body and members, to represent sin ; inward man and mind, when he points to the springs of holiness ; which would lead one very naturally to believe that there is more sanc- tification in the mind or soul of a believer, and moreof theocca- sions of sin remaining inhis body or flesh. We may find this also in a great measure from our own experience : We are tempted to many more sins by our various carnal appetites and senses, than by the mere inclinations that belong to the mind, which are purely intellectual. There are indeed the lusts or sinful desires of the mind, as well as the lusts of theflesh ; Eph. ii. 2. There is a sinful curiosity of the mind ; such was partof the temptation of Eve, a desire to know evil as well as good ; there is a spiritual malice and envy against God and his saints: there is a spiritual pride of intellectual endow- ments, &c. and someof these arefound too much in truechris- tians, as well as in unbelievers ; yet it mustbe acknowledged from constant observation, that the lusts of the flesh are much more frequent, more numerous, and more powerful in the greatest part of men ; and it is manifest that acts of religion and holiness, and exercises of grace, begin more frequently in the inward inclina- tion of the spirit, distinguished from the flesh, as sin more fre- quently begins in, and from the flesh itself, either in the outward or inward parts and powers of it. Surely if our souls were sanctified by divine grace, but so much as manyare in this world, andhadna flesh about them, they would not sin so much as they do. When we are engaged in the exercise of grace, or performance of spiritual duties, such as meditation, prayer, delighting in God, rejoicing in Christ Jesus, we shouldnot be sosoon wearyof it, nor so immediately called away from it by the mere vanity or wandering of our minds, if we had no fleshly objects about us, no outward senses, no inward trea- sures of fancy, no appetites of the body to start up and mingle with our religion, to clog us in our sacred work, tomake usgrow weary under it, and draw us from it. How often must a saint say, " My soul is sincerely set against every sin, and I fear to offend him whom my soul loveth ; with my mind I serve the law of God, and I watch against every rtsing iniquity : But my outward senses, or the inward ferments of fleshly appetite or passion, surprizeme before I am aware anddefilemy soul. Some- times my spirit wrestles hard withflesh and blood ; I summon all the powers of reason and scripture, conscience and christianity ; I make a firm stand for a season,' and maintain a brave andpain- ful resistance ; but the restless and perpetual assaults of fancy or passion, at last over-power the feeble spirit, and I sinfully E2
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