Mans Nature And Destiny Or The Animal Man And The Spiritual Man (1868)

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MAN’S NATURE AND DESTINY;

THE ANIMAL MAN AND THE SPIRITUAL MAN.

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Text.—w That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which Is born of the Spirit is spirit.*’—Join, 3: 6.

Such is the utterance of Him,who spake us “never man spake.” How unlike the teaching of the mere theologians! They teach, that man, born of the flesh, is flesh a;irZ spirit So did not our divine Lord, His teaching is plain, distinct, and unequivocal. Man by his natural birth is a tou7, and is yWA; and, until he is “born again,” he is not, and cannot rise higher than a fleshly being, or an animal nature. This testimony is not to be set aside by the trad’ lions of men, heathen philosophy, nor the specula tions of those calling themselves Christians. The utterance of our Lord admits of no evasion, and woe to the man who presumes to contravene it.

There is the animal man : buqh are all men

BY NATURAL BliniL

Thebe is the spiritual max : such is no man till “born again.”

The origin of each is distinctly marked ; and man’s destiny turns on the nature which is triumph* ant. The man of flesh, is, in his nature, only mortal, corruptible, dying. Such are- nil horn (if the fleslL -

Hence the necessity that a man “must be born again/’ before he can be spiritual, or possess a nature that is undying; without which spiritual nature, “he cannot see the kingdom of God;” for that “kingdom is an everlasting kingdom/' “which shall never be destroyed/' See Dan. 2: 44, and 7: 27. To inherit such a kingdom, a spiritual, or undy^g nature, is essential, and can only be (lie result of a new birth, of, or by the Spirit of God. Without such birth, no intellectual development, no rites, forms, ceremonies, or ordinances will bo of any avail ; as none of them can stand in place of the new birth ; for, the Spirit of God, alone, can produce a spiritual nature. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh:” nothing more, nothing higher.

That man has spirit, is true ; and so have ti e lower order of animals. We read in the Scriptures of** the spirit of the beasts/' as well as “ i lie spirit of man." Both have spirits: belli have “ the spirit of life :" but to have spirit mid to be spiritual is not identical: or. the possession of spirit is no evidence of an entity surviving in death, or that either man or beast is dual.

That by the phrase. “ the flesh/’ is often nicanl man. in Jjis entire natural being, we shall show from the Scriptures.

In Gen. 6: 3, the following language occurs: ri Tin? Lokd said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that lie also is flesh.” Again, verses 12 and 13, “ And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all FLESH had corrupted his way upon the earth: and God said unto Noah, The end of alt, flesh is oomo before me; for the -larth is filled with violence through them ; and I

man's nature and destiny.

will rfetfroy them with the earth/' Also, verse 17, “ Behold 1, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath . of life, from under heaven ; and everything that is

iti the earth shall die.” In the account of the flood, chap. 7 : 21-23, the following expressive language is employed—“And all flesh died, that moved upon the earth, both of fowl and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man; all in whose nostrils was the breath [of the spirit] of life, of all that was in the dry land, died : and every living substance was distroyed, which was upon the face of the ground, both of man, and cattle " and Noah only re

mained alive. and they that wore with him in the urk.” -

Here, we see that man is distinctly called flesh ; and, so far ns his nature is concerned, he is placed on a level with the animals around, and is subjected to the same destiny, Nothing is said of his possessing s nature differing from theirs, or of an end. or doom, that is different: both live by the breath in theii u nostrils ;1? and both mon and beasts are subjected to the same death, and by the same means : all are FLESH; all have “the breath of the spirit. of life” [margin] ; all are destroyed, or died. Such is inspired testimony; and no word is uttered indicating / a spiritual nature in men, that would survive in

I death, any more than in beasts.

This Scripture is in harmony with the Mosaic account of man's origin Gen. 2: 7, compared with verse 19, of the same chapter. “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground “ and

out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast max’s nature and destiny*

of the field, rind every fowl of the air.’1 Nor is tba term “ living soul," verse 7, pci-nliur to mrni, Precisely the same phraseology is five times employed in Gi'i], 1 and 2, in speaking of I Iio fowls, of ths beasts, and of the creatures that live in the waters, The Hebrew ftepAeffZt- ktiytiht tranidab-d " living soul/ chirp, 2: 7, is the same expression employed at the 19th verse, and in chap, 1, at verses 20, 21, 24, and 30, translated “ living creature/’and “life" where it is spoken of beasts, fowls, creeping things, and the various inhabitants of the waters : so that there is the dearest evidence, from the inspired account of creation, that man, in his natural constitution, is an (i/iimal being : or, an organized, yWdy being, made idivo by bro; i th in his “nostrils/* like every other “ living creature/* which the “ Lord God made out of the dust of the ground?' His pie-eminenec over inferior animals, was in his capacity for rm lhe< lh e-tnal development, of which the others were im i; table. This higher capacity formed a basis for a moraZ development, by the appliance of law to his understanding, requiring a conlbsmity to his Maker’s will, which was to decide whet.n<.r man should rise into the spiritual, and live forever ; Ur, if manifesting bis preference for the animal, should sink under its control and die. The test, or trial of man, related to him t.s an intellectual animal : it was to eoi oi* not io

; a purely animal actum ; the consequence oi which, his intellect was perfectly capable of comprehending. If he partakes of the forbidden fruit, he thereby manifests a preference to his own will, and disregards that of his Maker : hence falls under the control of his animal appetites, and thenceforth follows the ;jnim:d, or fleshly desires, and becomes subject to the law of animal nature, which is to decay, corruption and death : ultimately, returning to the dust from which lie was taken, and to the condition in which the elements of his being were, before he was organized and vitalized. From such a total dis-rotation there was no element in his nature to preserve him : for he M jfesA/’ and not spirit.

That by “ flesh/’ man, n.$ mrwt, is intended in our text, is further evident from New Testament authority, Thus, John 1: 13, speaking of those who become “ sons of God,1' it is eaid, “ Which wore born not of blood, nor of the will of the jMi, nor of the will nfman, but of God.” Again, 1 Peter 1 : 23. he snith, “ Being born again, not of corruptible saxZ, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liv-eth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the Hower of grass.” Thus man is distinctly marked, as “ corruptible” in his origin and natural tendency : and nothing but a new birth, by an agency out of himself, can save him from a total dissolution and decav, like the “ flower of grass and all this, because he is “ flesh/* or an animal being by natural generation. B That which is born of the flush

Ths apostle Paul is us distinct in his utterance, on this subject, as Peter; ami more sor if possible. Speaking uf the two Adams, 1 Corin. 15, he says, ** Thore is a natural’’—jjwrfzZron, animal—“ body, and there is u spiritual body : and so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul” [a B living creature,1' as wc have before not^d J : “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual/' [surely this is affirming the first Adam was not spiritual], ” but that which is natural”—pnW/z'frm. fininual; H ami afterwards that which is spiritual. The first man in of the earfA, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy,” [‘‘that which is born of the flesh is flesh”] : “ and as is I he heavenly, sucli are they also that are heavenly [w That which is burn of (ho Spirit :<< spirit.”]

Can language more clearly affirm I he animal, and corruptible nature of the first Adam and his offspring ; clearly defining them ns anima! and earthy ; and excluding all idea that (hey possess a spiritual nature? while it is shown, that the second Adam is I he spiritual; ami that TIo alone, cun be the medium of a spiritual nature to any man born into this world : hence, uye must be born again.” This necessity, Paul clearly states 1 Corin. 2 : 11 —u hut the natural”—psueh /<>>■*, the animal. ” man receive th not the I hi tigs of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him: neither can ho know them, bccmi.su they urc spiritually discerned.31 The animal man, or he who is only born of the llesh, is ns incapable of comprehending and beholding the beauty and excellence of spiritual things, as a blind man is to understand and comprehend the beauty and glory of the firmament of heaven, or of the landscape that lies before him. He has no spiritual development—no spiritmil element in his nature ; and all his boasts of such r

a nature, are os absurd and baseless as the boasts of a blind man, who should talk of his clearsightedness, while Lis empty gaze is towards the fields, or upward toward the vault of heaven. ” Ye must lr* horn again,” or you have no spiritual nature, and are b'xt animal, corruptible. dying beings. Intellectual wo

Jr i X .

MAN’S NATCHlE AND DESTINT.

may bo—towcringly so; but this alters not out animal nature. Moral we may be, as men count moral ity • but yet, of ourselves, we can no mow rise out of our animal nature than tho ox can fly* Still, it remains the truth of God,“ that which is born of the flesh is flesh /’ and unless we are “born again”— “ born of the Spirit1’—we will die as animals, and perish with thorn.

But some will say—That is degrading man, and taking away his nobleness—his God-likeness/’ We are heartily glad the truth has reached the intellect, which is the only inlet of hope for man’s rescue from Lis animal condition. Man is proud : lifted up with the conceit that he is a very noble and God-like being “ J will be as God.” his proud and sensual heart cries out- 1 I shall live as long ns God lives.” he alTirms. Confident of bis unending nature, he scorns to take his place at his J/h-ter’s feet, with penitence for his sins, and humiliation at his utter helplessness aid worthlessrhi$3. lie will have help, if help he needs, in a lordly way. Tins being abased, placed among animals, as an animal, mortal, dying being, to him is insufferable! and whoever assigns him to such a position he deems beneath his notice, and counts him fit only for a mud house, or to be crucified! “What! place me among brutes I” he cries. That is a hopeless wdse, truly : and if man was left lo his own resourced to mend, patch, and renew his being, his case would bo utterly without hope. Much has been done in (I hi tdirection, and many schemes have been set on foot, by which the world was to be converted into a “baud of brothers but all such schemes have been abortive ; for in every case, sooner or later, the animal has shown its propensity, and that man is but

feA after all his culture mid improvement. Train mun as you will—educate him as you will,—improve him as you may, ho can rise no higher than a respec* table animal among his fellow unimals. After all his eulri vntion—and we highly approve c-f such cultiva tion—ho is still but an animal being, mortal, and dying.

Is not man^s case then hopeless? Is there any way by which lie ran be raised out of, or above this mere animal and perishing condition? We answer with joy, he may be delivered : but his deliverance is not of himself, nor by any, or all, his natural powers. These., if made his reliance, will utterly fail him, Hope there is, through the mercy of God ; but it is in and by the second Adam—the spiritual head of a new? LvcwZww. u Ye must be born again not by “ the will of the flesh/' '* but of God—of I he Spirit“ God bo loved tho world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever bolioveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life/' Here, we have opened up to ns the only hope of mun, of a triumph over the mihmd mtlure, and the implanting ami developing n spiritual om*. Christ is the bend—the fountain—the only by which man can be

raised above an animal being.

11 THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT?’

Here opens up for man the only hope for a spiritual nature, and immortality. As his animal nature was opened by his creation, and birth of the flesh, into animal life ; so must a spiritual nature be opened by his re-creation, and being <r born again of the Spirit,11 into spiritual life. Without this birth, Im iw no more possessed of a spiritual uu Lu re, than be could have born possessed of an animal one without creation, or being “ born of the flesh?' “If any man be in Christ, he is a now creature r literally, “a NSW V REA T TON?’

Christ is the Lead of the new creal ion, or new birth and spiritual nature, as Adam was the head of the first rrcnl ion, or unirnal nature. The children of the first Attain are fiesh, because “born of the llesh ?' die sued of the second Adam are spiritual, because “born of the Spirit;’’ which Spirit was in Christ without measure ; for “ God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him?’ John 3: 34. “Pur in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God head bodily?' Coh 2: 9. And Hu is “the head over all tilings to the church ; which is Ills body, the fulness of Him that fillet h all in all?’ Epli. I ; 22, 23.

The spiritual nature of nuui, if he ever attains to such, is a derived one : it flows nor from himself, but is the oflkpring of a union with Christ—“ the Lord frmii heaven —the spiritual Adam—the regenerator; who, by communicating thi- Holy Spirit, which dwelis in Himself, produces in JI, who arc united to Him by a living fmih, a spiritual nature ; or, makes them “partakers of die divine nature 2 Peter I : L ITo coinmunicutcs to Ilia members ^participation of the fulness of the Holy Spirit that dwells in Him; and there is now opened up in them spiritual senses, and they discern spiritual things; for which, they had previously no more perception than a. blind man has of colors, or a deaf man of sounds.

44 The law of the Spirit of life ’’ is “ m Christ Jusus?r It is t-hut, ahum, which can make us “free from Hr Iaw<]L’ sin und death which “law of sin is in '’oil •' members,” or lleshly nature. “ it. is the Spirit that quickeneth : the flesh profited h nothing.” Without the renewing work of the Spirit of God, in Christ, v,c perish—go to nothing—have no en>hiring life; for, “ God hath given to us eternal life, and thia life i> in His Son : he that, hath the Son hath life ; and lie that hath not I he Son of God bath not life.” 1 John 5:11, 12. John infnrmHttB, thatu This is the record,” or, “ testimony,” that “ God gave of bin Son,” which if a man believe not, he M hath made Goda liar.” Hence those who alii rm that man has eternal life in himself, and is immortal, treat God's testimony as if it were false ; and thus, though it may have been done igno* rantly, they commit a groat and dreadful sin. Lot them beware of repeating it.

That spiritual life, which alone constitutes a spiritual nature, and is eternal, is not of num, “ burn of the flesh;” but, first in Christ; and from Him com* rnimicntcd tn such,ami to such only, as arc united to Him by a living, active faith ; so that they receive, by Chris!, the Holy Spirit of God. and are “burn of the Spiritthus becoming spiritual ; which work of spiritualizing is perfected, and made permanent, “at the hist day," by the reliving from the dead, or a divine ■* change, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” 1 Corth. 15: 5L—54. For, ulf the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from. the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwcllcih in von.” Rom. 8: 11. The animal nature dies, and from that death there is no revival into life, except by the Spirit of God, which Spiri dwt.dk only in such as are united to Christ, the spir itual head of the new creation ; and who, by virtue of their union with Him, have had the “renewing of

the Holy Spirit; which God sheds on” the believer “abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 3 : 5, 6. By this work, the person united to Christ, is “ born again/’ and “is a now creature,” “a xww creation.”

The foundation for a future and endless life, then is not in man’s creation, or birth of the flesh—for. that can rise no higher limn its fountain, which it* flesh, and perishable : but the foundation is in the implantation of a new nature, which is spiritual and divine, because the work of the Spirit of God, through CI j ri s t. wroug li t e fleet daily on ly i u s it cl i as are untied to Hun.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh : and that which is born of tho Spirit is spirit.” The new and divine life must be begun in this present state, or life. And with it commences a struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The spiritual must maintain the ascendency, and keep the animal, or “ body under.” In other words, though the unininl, or fleshly nature still lives, it must bo made to Aert’c, and not allowed to rule. In all animal men the animal propensities rule and govern them, or are only so far controlled us decency or profit, may dictate. There is no re* strain! to their animal desires that cannot be traced to one or the other of these causes. At any rate, there is no struggle for a mastery of their desires from any divine or spiritual principle within ; for, they have none, Gratification is allowed without control, except from lack of means, or opportunities ; or at the best, from fear of bodily or mental injury. “The carnal mind”—and the animal man has mi other—“is enmity against God : for it is not subject to tho law of God, neither indeed can be. So then.

they that are in the flesh”—zmZ born of the Spirit— “cannot please God.’’ ‘’For they that are after (he flesh, do mind the things of the flesh?’ and*'to be cur mill y minded is death.” “For if'e live after the * *■

flesh, ye shall die.1' Kom. 8 : 5—8, 13.

But being “ born again, of the Spirit,” the spiritual nature must now assume the reins of government: and will do this, or the renewing Spirit will be withdrawn. Its government is a galling yoke to the animal nature, which hitherto has refused ail control from any such source, and Las taken its own way. The spiritual nature, we have suid, is a derived—ujj implanted—an ingrafted one. The animal one is nul yet destroyed, and will not be during this presell I life. In itself, and in its place, it nol only is not evil, but can be made to av/TC a most useful end. I hit as a muster, it is “evil, and only evil, and that continually/’ It must, therefore, be controlled, kept under, “mor Lilic*!,” while the spiritual is perfecting, ami until it is perfected “at the last day.” A struggle, therefore, commences with the introduction of the spiritual into man’s constitution, which forms the ground of the largest portion of I he Christian's warfare, during his slate of trial. To overcome, subdue, and keep under his miiiuHJ nature, he needs, and must exercise, constant watchfulness, und much prayer: fur, it is only “ through the Spirit ” that he can mortify the dseds of the body,” (Rom. 8 : 13j and maintain the government over it.

“ The lust” (desires) “of the ilr.-ii, the lusl of the eyes, and the pride of life,' are all to be wateln d against, and subdued ; so that the animal num shall no farther be indulged than the natural and unperverted use designed by man’s U BE atoll So fur, and no further, is there safety: all beyond tlus, is “enmity against God and the spiritual nature j and when allowed to go beyond, and possess a control i ng and commanding power, it “ quenches the Spirit/’ or “grieves the Holy Spirit of God/’ and the work of the new birth is arrested : while the flesh, or animal man, gains strength and power by indulgence, and hurries down the current to corruption and death.

Hero wo have distinctly marked the two natures, possessed by all in whom the Spirit of God has begun its re-creating work ; and we have traced out the ground of the struggle between these natures. It is one of which the mere animal man is in utter igno rance ; and the idea is “ foolishness unto him,” because he has no spiritual discernment. I Curth. 2: 14. But not so with the man who has come to Christ, and received of Him the regenerating Spirit of God. Ue has now developing a now—a divine life ; called, “ the life of God f Eph. 1 : 18. Now he seeks to live in conformity with the wants and enjoyments of thin new element, or nature ; and if ho remains steadfast in this course, and does not ” draw back/’ a constant warfare ia maintained against the unreasonable and sinful demands of his animal nature ; which conflict must be continued till thni nature dies. If1, faithful unto death” in steadfast resistance of all the sinful— that gratifications of the flesh, or animal

nature—he receives il a crou-n of life f and puls on immortality, incorruptibility : perfectly clothed, and entirely renewed, ho enters on that life in which the animal nature is utterly excluded, nr totally changed, and his entire being is spirituni ; so that(i he candle no more sin and death have “no more dominion over him.” He now enters on a life a* shoreless as eter nity itself; and as free from sorrow and pain, as if they had never existed in the universe of God. See Rev. 7: 16, 17 ; and 21 : 4.

In the view wc have taken of the double nat ure of the believer in Christ, we have a solution of many Scripture expressions, which it would seem difficult otherwise to explain. The natural man,or he who is born only of the flesh, is a unit; and all his tendencies are in one direction, ins ; to the earth, ami earthly things. All his labor, and inquiry, is, “ What shall I eat? Whin shall 1 drink? and wherewithal shall 1 be clothed What earthly grandeur, or enjoyment can I attain? Such is the bight of his aspirations: and anv restrictions on these, he considers an encroach-incut on his liberty, and deserving of his resistance. In his nature, however, there is an intellectual capacity, which, when developed, opens a inorul consciousness, and makes it possible, by the appliance of an agent out of himself, fur him to receive an ingrafted nature that is spiritual. Such ingr ailment is only by the Spirit of God, and is being " born again.’1 It is as really a new life, or new development, as his birth of the flesh was a life which before ho had not, and as that developed animal life.

All animal men “ walk after the flesh.’1 2 Peter 2t 10; “the lusts”—desires “of the flesh,” they will do ; I John 2 : 16. They will not submit to any control, in this matter, from the authority of God. Tliis was seen in our first parents—Adam and Eve. One restraint, and only one, was laid on their animal nature. The fruit of one tree was forbidden them ; of all others they might 11 freely cat. ' Their drnre fur the fruit of the u tree of knowledge ot good and evil was not sin, in itself; they could not but desire it, from their animal constitution. If there hud been no desire, there would have been no h in11ration to eat of it, and no necessity of a prohibition to prevent I heir eating. By the prohibition man was to discover eonfnrmitv to the will of his Creator—and thus develop holiness, or a subjection of his animal appetites to the will of God; or else show his determination to have his own will, in an unrestrained use of whatever his desires craved. Thus, desire— I—became the occasion of man's sinniug, though it was not sin in itself; and by the subjection of it to the will of God, might have been the occasion of holiness in man. But, as a fact, lust, or desire, became mini's adversary—that which led him into “ the transgression of the law” of his God, ami he fell under the control and government of the flesh and its lusts ; and was subjected to the laws of ii rm re animal life, which are mortality, corruption, mid death. His posterity, being the offspring of such parents, cannot, by natural birth, rise any higher than the fountain from which they (low : they, too, are animal, mortal, corruptible, dying. This constitutes the necessity of a new birth—“ Verily, verily, I any unto you, except a man be born again he can-hoi see the kingdom of God”—■“ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must bo born again for, “ That which is born of the flesh is flesh : and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit/

Man having fallen, through allowing himself to ba governed by his animal desires or lusts, and his posterity, sharing his animal nature, sin against God by continuing to live after that nature, notwithstanding God has provided, by His Son, ’to implant in them n spiritual element, by which their desires, or animal nature, can be subjected, and made to serve, inntehd of ruling, us it now does.

H Whosoever coir imittoth sin transgreesetli also the law”—which law, prohibited an unlicensed indulgence of animal desires—<l for sin is the transgression of the law : and ye know that he”—Christ , the second Adam-—“ was manifested to take away our sins”—the sins of such ” as receive Him”—“ ami in Him is no sin.11 11 is when found *' in the

likeness of sinful flesh,” (Tlom. 8 : 3), never overstepped the will of God : hence, lie remained without sin, and “in him is no sin.” Not only so, but ” whosoever 7 A in him sin noth not; whosoever

sinncth” literally, “continueth to sin”—“hath not seen him, neither known him. Let no man deceive you : he that doe th righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous: be that com mi Ue th” [:. e. pmc-ticethj “ sin is of the devil”—thoaduersary: under the government of the lusts, or desires of the flesh— “for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” It was lust, or desire, which sinned by demanding an unrestrained indulgence. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, I ha I he might destroy the works of the devil”—or, the lusts of the flesh, by implanting a spiritual nature now, which should “ bring under” the “body” and “ mortify the deeds” thereof, till the time shall come for its entire change to “a spiritual body, when all its animal desires will be destroyed. “ Whosoever is l>orn of God doth not commit” (or,/jra^we) “ sin ; for His seed”—the “ incorruptible seed,” the seed of God, 1 Peter 1: 23— “ remaiueth in him ; and he cannot sin,”—the lusts of the flesh cannot govern him, as they did while possessed of un animal nature only—“ because he is born of God :” is a new creation ; having a new re* hit ion to God, or is spiritual. “ In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil'1— the adversary, of the children of the flesh : those who are u born after the flesh,” and are governed by their lusts, or fleshly nature, who are children of ths flesh, the grand adversary to all spiritual things, and to a spiritual control. As in the “ allegory’1 of Ishmael and Isaac, “ He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now the offspring of the flesh opposes and wars against the offspring of the Spirit: there is not, and cannot be peace between them: one or the other will rule. “ If ye live after the flesh ye shall die ;Tt but, “if ye through the Spirit do mortify I he deeds of the body ye shall live.*1 See Horn. 8: 13. Gal. 4: 22-29, and 1 John 3 : 4-19.

The conflict, in him who “ is born of the Spirit,” against tho flesh, will end only at death ; nor will the victory be complete till the resurrection from the dead to immortality, incorruptibility, and endless life. The strife by the flesh is for present indulgence, without restraint. The warfare of the spirit— of the new man—is, for untramrnclcd life ; freedom from the control of the desires of the flesh, that it may fully develop itself. When that victory is achieved, and is perfected, the trial is over forever, and the spiritual is installed as a conqueror, and receives “ the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” See James 1: 12; and llcv. 2 : 10.

The conflict during the state of trial, may bo illustrated by that which existed between the house of Saul, king of ancient Israel, and the house of David, nfter the latter was anointed to be king in place of Smit. Saul's wrath was kiiulled against his youthful rival, and lie sought by every possible means to destroy him, So does the fleshly nature of man manifest its impatience at the introduction of a rival nature, and seeks by ail possible devices, and pleas, to maintain its dominion, and to overthrow its rival. As David, however, gradually grew stronger, Saul grew weaker; fill after a long and severe struggle, Saul dies, his house falls, and David and his house eunm to the throne, and that throne is established forever. Su will the spiritual implantation, in nil faithful believers, through iho divine power from which it emanated, finally triumph, and be crowned an r to nr illy reigning king, unto God and the Lamb.

Whoever would be a partaker of this grace, must come to Christ for it. From no other source can it be derived. He fuse, reject, or neglect Him, and you sink, under the curso of the law, to corruption and death, where “ the wrath of God abideth on? you, and yo ‘shall not see liie.” Death, “ the wages ol sin,1’ and the fruit of the flesh, will remain on all such, in eternal and unbroken power. See John 5 : 10. Rom. 6 : 23. John 3 : 36.