t22 ItArrnitsS OF SEPARATE. SPIRITS. ter of his Epistle to the Romans. How doth he complain ofthe flesh and members of the body, which are fatal intruments of sin and Satan ! Read the black catalogue of iniquities; Gal. v. 19, 26,511. and hear them called theworks of theflesh. Pride and malice, andenvy, and lust, andcovetousness, and wrath, and revenge, arefound secretly working in flesh and blood. O how much are the springsof these sinful evils seated in the very com- position of depraved animal nature ! And how is the poor la- bouring spirit ofa saint dreadfully betrayed thereby intofrequent actual guilt, even notwithstanding all its care andwatchfulness ! O wretched men that we are! who shall deliver ús ``e Blessed be God, there is a time of release. And as our knowledge and our holiness are rendered very imperfect, by reason of these sensible andcorrupt engines of flesh and blood, so are the joys and satisfactions of the soul perpetually impaired and :diminished hereby. The heart of the saint i5 in pain to feel sinworking in it, and the conscience complains under the anguish of guilt. Blessed be God for the balm that is found in the blood of Christ to ease the anguish of conscience! Be- sides, what spirit can enjoy perfect peace, while it is tied to so many thousand nerves, each of which may become an instru- ment of intense pain and torture i Andthe body itself has sharp humours enough in it to corrode those nerves, and fill the indwel- ling spirit with agonies. What millions of seeds of painful disease lurk in animal nature, that render this body a most un- comfortable dwelling ! And how many thousand strokes and accidents arc we liable to from abroad, whence new pains and sorrows are derived to the soul ! The wind and the weather, the rain -and the hail, and the scorching sun, the air, the water, and fire, and every element, may afflict the animal, and pain the unhappy spirit. But O happy souls, that are free from all the cumbersome and mischievous influencesof flesh and blood ! from these instru- ments of iniquity, and springs of deadly guilt and torment ! Happy souls, that are released from sick and languishing bodies., from feeble and burdensome limbs, and all the tiresome and pain- ful disorders of dying nature!. that are raised beyond the reachand injury of all these lower elements, these mediums of disease and pain ! Rejoice and triumph, ye prisoners newly discharged; ye feel the pleasurable truths that we guess at, but ye feel andenjoy them with a relish of sublime pleasure beyond all our conjectures. Rejoice and exult in your new liberty, like a bird released from the imprisoning cage, and sing with sweet, est notes to the praise of your Redeemer. O worship and -serve him in the full freedom of all your active powers; attend at his feet with intense delight, and love himwith joy unspeakable, caulfull ofglory,
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