in the battle, the flesh, the old man, is defeated, and the spirit working in the new man conquers; and this lusting and fighting is in one and the same person, in him who is said to be not under the law, to be led by the spirit, and to live and to walk in the spirit. In Rom. viii. 7. the apostle calls the flesh the carnal mind, and he says, "It is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Since it is enmity itself, there is no reconciling it; it will not, nay, it cannot obey God; but it is ever lusting and rebelling against his law. The nature of the battle is described at length in Rom. vii. The chapter consists of three parts: first, the believer's liberty from the law, to ver. 6.--secondly, he answers some objections made against the law from its nature and properties, and that in his own person; because it had been the means of bringing him to the right knowledge of sin, ver. 7.and sin being discovered by the law through the corruption of nature, raged and rebelled the more in him, ver. 8.-and the law had made him sensible of God's anger against

sin, and of his deserving death and hell for it, ver. 9-14: and from thence to the end of the chapter, he describes the conflict between the old man and the new; the one consenting to the law, and the other resisting the law. In this conflict there were three sharp attacks; in the first, he found in himself two contrary principles of action, always resisting each other, the old man fighting against the new, from ver. 14-18. secondly, when the will of the new man was good, through the opposition of the old man, it had not the desired effect, ver. 19, 20. and, thirdly, he felt in himself two contrary laws, both requiring obedience; the law of the members warring and rebelling against the law of God written in the renewed mind: for no sooner did his mind, guided by the Holy Spirit, set about any thing which God's law commanded, but he found the law of the members making a strong resistance. This he groaned under as an heavy burden, and was humbled for it before God, expecting pardon from him, and victory every day, and perfect deliverance at last.

I cannot enlarge upon this chapter. Turn to it, and read it over upon the plan which I have here laid down, remembering all along, that St. Paul is describing himself. He ten times says it is himself he is speaking of, from ver 7. to ver. 14. where he is showing of what use the law had been to him, when he was first convinced of sin; and from thence to the end he mentions himself thirty-eight times. I the apostle Paul, I myself, my very self, and not another; I myself am, now at this present, at the very time of writing this; I myself, whom the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made free from the law of sin and death; I myself, to whom now there is no condemnation; for I am in Christ Jesus, and I walk after the Spirit, am still at war with sin that dwelleth in me, with the old man, with the flesh, with the law of the members, with the body of sin. Although I have a new nature, and God is on my side, yet it is a hard and a sharp battle. I find it so. The length of it makes it still more painful, and forces me to cry out, "O wretched man

that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Paul was not out of God's favour, or accursed; but, as the word rendered wretched means, he was weary and tired with this continual fighting; troubled with the filthy motions of sin rising and striving, and rebelling in him, and giving him no rest; this was such a hard warfare, that he was ever looking out and praying, "Who shall deliver me?" He meant wholly, perfectly, deliver me from this corruption. He sighed for it, not because he doubted of an absolute deliverance, but because he had sure and certain hope of it; not because he was ignorant who his deliverer was, but because he had steadfast faith in him. "Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ." This comforted him, and kept him fighting on with courage. He knew that he should gain the victory, and through Christ, not through his own virtues or works, but through faith in the life and death, in the blood and righteousness of Christ, he should at last be more than conqueror.

Since this was the case with the apostle, who can expect a discharge from this warfare, until death? What! says one, is it to continue so long? Yes. The scripture is very clear to this point, as I was, thirdly, to show.

The seat of the corruption of the old man or of the flesh is not only in our nature, but is also our very nature itself. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, altogether carnal and corrupt. It is a filthy fountain, always sending forth impure streams; and therefore while the believer is in the body, he must either be fighting against the flesh, or else be led captive by it. We that are, says Paul, in this tabernacle of flesh, do groan, being burdened with sin and sorrow. when did they expect an end of their groaning, and rest from their burdens? Not till the tabernacle was dissolved by death. Ourselves, says he, who have the first fruics of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption; to wit, the redemption of our body. The body will be redeemed from the grave, and raised

And