grace or fruit of the spirit, not only one holy desire, or conformity to duty; no, bnt the new spiritual perceptions and sensations created in the soul by the Holy Spirit, and which are renewed day by day, till the perfect man in Christ Jesus be formed. 'Tis the good treasure of the heart-the living water within; 'tis the opposite of being carnally minded-'tis the spiritual mindedness which is life and peace. Rom. 8 chap. throughout. The Bible traces the pedigrees of this new creature, or new man, higher up than the conviction, and the efforts of a man to obtain a state of godliness; even up to the second Adam, the Lord from heaven and the quickening spirit, who, by the workings of his mighty power, giveth life and nourishment to every member of this mystical body. "Who are of him in Christ Jesus." "He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one." By the righteousness of one, grace reigns unto eternal life.

The birth and descent of this new man are traced up to the Eternal Power, by whom he was created, and to the image of the second Adam after which he was created in righteousness, in knowledge, in immortality, and in true holiness.

The power of the new man to reign in a life of grace and glory, results from the order of grace on his behalf, preventing the domination of the old man. Christ obstructed the reign of the condemning power of the old man upon the cross; and the law of the spirit, and the law of life in the hand of the spirit, shall destroy his inward domination of corruption and guilt, in the saints. Rom. 8. 2, "Hath made me free," yes, offered to-nay; but "hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Again. Why is this called a man, and the new man? Why called a man? Because its graces become the ornaments of the natural man's life, and its dominion is te

be universal over both body and soul. Like a man, it is a whole. It is entire, having feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace-ears, circumcised to hear the voice of God in his word-eyes, opened by the working of God's mighty power, to behold the glory of divine things-a tongue, to speak good things from the heart. To this man belongs also a new heart-a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience-a good conscience, love from a pure heart, faith unfeigned;-it delights in the savor of the annointings of the cross of Christ, and, like a new born babe, desires the sincere milk of the word.

Why called a new man? Because the old man of sin preceded as head of the house. Unbelief is prior to faith, profaneness to praying, and a spirit of enmity andpersecution; to that of loving Jesus and serving him.In this respect he is a young man, tender and ruddy, like David, when he met Golieth, the giant of Gath.— He is called the new man, because he is a new creation in the inner man, and designed to be of perpetual youth, not growing old like the things of time. This new man will be in the bloom and strength of his youth and vigor on the resurrection morn. He is kept by a new covenant, to possess a new heaven and a new earth, and to sing the new song to the Lamb, saying, "Unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Rev. 1. 5.

II. We must touch upon the duty of putting off the former conversation, or rather manners, both as to principle and practice, as a night-habit; and to put on the garment of day-the wedding garment. We must put off the regimentals of the devil and put on those of Christ. The christian in putting on Christ by a public profession in baptism, very significantly indicates his putting off the image of the world, and his putting on

the image of Carist. Hence Paul, Col. 3. 9, speaks of it as having been already done. Seeing ye have put off the old man, &c. But here the apostle treats of the matter as it existed in the experience of the Ephesians. To die to the carnal mind, with all the countless lusts and affections springing up from this impure fountain, and all the deeds of evil which like the frogs of Egypt, rise out of the slough of our inward corrup tion, is the work of a life time. Put away lying and speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice. It is the work of a life time to put on all the adornings of the new man, according to the nine virtues of Christ's sermon on the mount, which are connected with the nine beatitudes, Mat. 5. Chap. Set your affection on the things which are above. To do this, to walk with God in the comforts of the Holy Ghost,-to perfect koliness in the fear of the Lord,—to offer up the body, and the soul, daily, as a living sacrifice upon the altar of mercy,--to sell all and buy the field where lies the treasure upon which the new heart is set,-to and part with all the appurtenances of the old the constant labor of faith,working by love, under the succour of the strength of his might, who is the power of the resurrection, the life of the new man, the spring and source of the soul's activity, and readiness to good works. This work of dressing and undressing will not be wholly finished before the morning of the resurrection, when the saints shall put off the last vestige of the image of old Adam-the image of mortality, of corruption, of dishonor, and of weakness, to be arrayed in these no more forever. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption," &c. Here is the end of putting off and putting on. Henceforth there will remain no need

sell off,

man, is

of changing either disposition, character, or practice. The righteous will forever abide in their lot, and so must the ungodly stand in their's at the end of the days. O, for a revival of the work of putting on the holy raiments throughout all the assemblies of the saints; and if thus clothed we shall not be found naked.

O, how dreadful, in the light of the last judgment, will be the aspect of the ungodly, full of enmity within, and clad in the black night-robes of the evil deeds of life. They never saw before the dawn of the day of God. The old man of sin will be so closely fastened upon them, that they shall not be able to thrust him off at the sound of the last trumpet. "Therefore the ungolly shall not stand in the judginent,"-too guilty, too filthy; "nor sinners," presumptuous and faithless, "in the congregation of the righteous." They shall not be permitted to stand in the holy assembly; their deformity will be too manifest. O, for the needful change of character, by faith in Christ, according to the power of God. Help, help, that you and I may have on suitable raiment to enter into the King's presence, viz: the true christian character, against which God has no law; so that he may pass the King's inspection without becoming dumb. O people, put off in haste the garments of death, and the garments of hell, and put on the heavenly raiment.

The christian must be active in his sanctification.God has wrought the principle and sensations of spiritual life within him, whence arise holy affections and desires; and a relish for the things of God. He has within him the immortal seed, bringing forth fruit unto life. This is the oil in the vessel, with the lamp, which will light the saints over the door-sill into the chamber of the feast, where the brilliant lamps of the Bridegroom shine in the fulness of their glory, leaving neither dread

nor danger of darkness any more. The spirit of Christ within them causes them to be active and diligent in trimming their lamps, and through faith, and hope, and Jove, pours out of the vessel into the lamp, holy desires and longings, praises and prayers. The spirit of grace and supplications resting upon them, leads them to be instant in prayer, to delight in the service, and not to faint. The annointing, or unction abideth, to move, and euliven, and teach the saints.

Mortify the fountain of evil within, so that the foul streams of the deeds of the flesh may be dried up.Paul enumerates as many as seventeen of the progeny of the old man. Gal. 5- 19-22. Some of these proceed from the beastly lusts of the flesh, as fornication, drunkenness, &c. Others from a disposition that is devlish, as envy, malice, anger, witchcraft, &c. Obey not the old man in these evil deeds and lusts; put them far away from you, and put on the new man by fervent prayer to God for the mighty workings of his spirit, that the ornaments of its fruits may decorate your persons on the day of the great marriage. Paul mentions nine of the fruits of the spirit, all of heavenly descent, from the second Adam. Gal. 5. 22, 23. "Love; joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Waiting upon God, let us clothe ourselves in these. Let us not be deceived to remain under the old man; for on account of these things, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Such may while here be comforted, as was Dives, but they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.