affections were deeply depraved; they were not only so fixed upon things carnal and sinful as to exhaust their vigour on them, but they rushed headlong on such things, scorning to be guided by the dictates of the understanding. Well, then, does an apostle call them "vile affections." They eagerly lusted after sinful gratifications, and, like the daughters of the horse-leech, cried, "Give, give." In Micah vii. 3. we thus read, in the original," Both hands are upon evil, that they may do it well." Ah, how depraved, how miserable, is such a soul! Now, in sanctification, they are gradually renewed; they are regulated and exalted; their tumult subsides by degrees; and they are attracted by spiritual objects. They resign themselves to be governed in their exercise by the Holy Spirit. Instead of rushing after earthly and sinful objects, they now suffer themselves to be led by the holy commandment. In so far as they are renewed, they do not so much as desire that any thing that the Lord hath done or said, should be done or said otherwise than it is. Who that has the least degree of spiritual wisdom would not desire to be thus inclined ?

The members of the body have communion with the powers of the soul in this renovation. And as this is the case, they are not only restrained from obstructing the soul in the exercise of grace, but are all ready to serve the Lord, and be active for his glory. They yield themselves not merely as weapons to fight in opposition to the prince of darkness, but as instruments of righteousness to promote the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. The eyes yield themselves readily, to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; the ears, to hear his word; and the tongue to celebrate his praise and proclaim his sovereign grace.

3d, The immediate result of being renewed in the whole man, is, the new man or new creature." And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." "If any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature." By the new man is meant that new and holy nature which is communicated to the believer in sanctification. As the corruption of nature is called the old man, because it depraves all the faculties and members of the man, so, the holiness communicated in sanctification is styled the new man, because it occupies and ennobles the whole man. It may be called the new man also, because it is rare and attracting; new things are often attracting; and because it succeeds the old man, and occupies his place in the soul. To put on this new man, is daily to derive increasing degrees of holiness from the fulness of Christ.

4th, This new man is formed according to the image of him who is God and man, the man Christ Jesus.-The 'old man is after the image of the first Adam: the new man is according to that of the second, the Lord from heaven. As the greater part of our misery consisted in receiving the deformed image of fallen Adam, and in it losing the image of God, so the highest part of the happiness of believers lies in being formed after the image of the second Adam, and of God in him. Accordingly, when the new man is formed in the soul, he is formed according to the image of the heavenly Adam, who is God and man. "As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." The image of the last Adam is the image of God, the Triune God; for he is the express image of the Father's person; and this image chiefly consists of knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. The new creature, then, as formed according to this image, consists of knowledge in the understanding, righteousness in the will, and holiness in the affections. When a sinner is renewed after this image, he is renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him who is the Light of the world; in righteousness, according to the image of him who is the end of the law for righteousness; and in holiness, after his image who is infinitely holy as God, and perfectly holy as man. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; and

therefore, when a sinner is born again, he is created in Christ Jesus, and adorned in all his faculties with the image of God, the image both of the Father and of the Son. As this image was fully expressed on the human nature of Christ, by virtue of its union with his Divine nature, so it is expressed on all who believe, immediately from Him, by virtue of union with his adorable Person. And as the image of the invisible God in his human nature depended on the personal union, so this image in all who believe, depends on the mystical union. Hence, Christ is said to be formed in his saints. "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you," Gal. iv. 19. When the image of God was defaced by sin, it could not be again expressed on man, unless he who is the image of the invisible God had assumed the image or likeness of sinful man, and endured not only the reproach of men, but the infinite wrath of God. Hence the apostle says, "God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh :” “Who of God is made unto us sanctification." Christ received holiness of human nature, to be communicated by regeneration to all his spiritual seed; and therefore, their habitual sanctification, as it is after his image, so it is immediately derived from him. Their sanctification of nature, not only resembles, but it is conveyed from the holiness dwelling in his human nature; for the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily. O what an ornament to be holy, to be adorned with the image of Him who is the first-born among many brethren!

5th, Though in habitual sanctification the believer is renewed in the whole man, yet he is not wholly renewed in any part while here. He is sanctified wholly as to the parts, but not as to the degrees of sanctification. Light is introduced into his understanding, righteousness into his will, and holiness into his affections; but still there are remains of depravity left in each of these faculties. Corruption and grace are so near to each other in all who are sanctified, that in every faculty and

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member where the one is, the other is close by it. know," says an apostle, "that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." "I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members," Rom. vii. 23. Though the body is united to Christ, and is a temple of the sanctifying Spirit, there is, notwithstanding, so much corruption remaining in it, that the apostle styles it a vile body. As depravity dwells beside grace in every faculty and member, and as the one is irreconcilably opposite to the other, the one constantly struggles against the other. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." In the understanding of a sanctified soul, remaining darkness lusteth against the light, and eagerly desires the destruction of it; and the light ardently desires, and attempts the removal of the darkness. Sometimes the one prevails, and sometimes the other. At one time, the Christian experiences a longing after more of the knowledge of Christ; and at another, he feels not only indifference, but even a degree of reluctance at seeking it. In the sanctified will, aversion to holiness lusts against aversion to sin, and aversion to sin against aversion to holiness. The propension to holiness lusts against the remaining inclination to sin, &c. The one lusts against, that is, vehemently opposes, and strongly exerts itself to overcome the other. This takes place also in the affections of the soul. In them, love and enmity, spirituality and carnality, order and disorder, hope and fear, desire and aversion, constantly oppose and war against each other. "What will ye see in the Shulamite? The company of two armies." so far as the believer is deserted, he acts according to the one principle; and so far as he is visited with renewed supplies of grace, he exerts himself according to the other. While sanctifying grace urges him forward toward the perfection of holiness, remaining depravity exerts itself to drag him back: while by the one, he mounts up and soars aloft; by the other, he is so

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weighed down, as to complain, "My soul cleaveth to the dust." The one principle counteracts the other in its activity, so that neither of them can carry their respective actings to perfection. "That which I do," says Paul, “I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." In proportion as the work of sanctification advances, remaining depravity, though weakened, will exert itself the more violently, and vex the believer the more keenly; nay, in some cases, prevail against him the more frequently: the struggle will become more vehement, and more harassing; but grace will finally overcome. Spiritual death will be swallowed up in victory.