the soul, but spiritual life? and what is spiritual life but grace? The inheritance that Christ has purchased for his people, is the Spirit of God; not in any extraordinary gifts, but in his vital indwelling in the heart, communicating and exerting himself there in his own proper, holy and divine nature. It is through the vita. communications and indwelling of the Spirit, that the saints have all their life, light, holiness, beauty and joy in heaven; and it is through the same communications and indwelling, that the saints have all their life, light, holiness, beauty and comfort on earth.

And indeed when the apostle, in Rom. 8: 16, speaks of the Spirit bearing "witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God," he sufficiently explains himself, if his words were but properly attended to. This verse is connected with the two verses immediately preceding, and forms an inference from what the apostle had there said, as every attentive reader will easily perceive. The three verses are as follows: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the son of God; for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father; the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God." What the apostle says here, if we take it in connection, clearly shows, that when he mentions the Spirit as giving evidence, or bearing witness that we are the children of God, he has respect to his dwelling in us, and leading us as the spirit of adoption, or as the spirit of a child, disposing us to behave toward God as to a father. This is the witness, or evidence, of which the apostle speaks; and thus, if we are children, we have the spirit of children, or the spirit of adoption. And what is that but the spirit of love? There are two

kinds of spirits of which the apostle speaks, the spirit of a slave, or of bondage, and that is fear; and the spirit of a child, or of adoption, and that is love. The apostle says we have not received the spirit of bondage, or of slaves, which is a spirit of fear; but we have received the spirit of children—the spirit of love, which naturally inclines us to approach God, and to behave toward him as children to a father. And this is the witness of the Spirit, or the evidence given us that we are the children of God. This is the obvious meaning of the apostle, and undoubtedly he is here speaking of the same way of casting out doubts and fears and the spirit of bondage, as that of which the Apostle John speaks, 1 Epistle, 4: 18, that is, by the prevalence of love, or a child-like spirit. The spirit of bondage works by fear: the slave fears the rod: but love cries, Abba, Father. It gives us clear evidence of our union to God as his children, and so casts out fear. Hence it appears that the witness of the Spirit, of which the apostle speaks, is not any immediate suggestion or revelation, but a gracious and holy work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the saints, producing the dispositions and temper of children. It is a humble, child-like affection to God, casting out fear, or the servile spirit of bondage.

This is evident from the context: the apostle repeat edly mentions the Spirit as dwelling in the hearts of the saints, as a gracious principle, opposed to the flesh, or depraved nature. In the words which introduce this passage, he says, "For, if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify. the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live." Verse 13. I have no doubt but that the apostle has a particular view to the spirit of grace, or the spirit of love, in its more

lively actings; for it is perfect, or strong love only, which so testifies, or so gives evidence that we are his children, as to cast out fear, and to deliver us from the spirit of bondage. The strong and lively exercises of a spirit of child-like, evangelical, humble love to God, give clear evidence of our relation to God as his children. Possessing this spirit, the saint has no need of numerous evidences, or a long train of reasoning upon them. The union between his soul and God is so strong and lively that all doubts are removed.

The apostle says the Spirit bears witness with our spirits. By the term our spirits” here, is meant our consciences: "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." Prov. 20: 27. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience." 2 Cor. 1: 12. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." 1 John, 3:21. When the Apostle Paul mentions the Spirit of God as bearing witness with our spirits, he is not to be understood as speaking of two separate, independent witnesses. It is by the latter that we receive the witness of the former: the Spirit of God gives evidence, by infusing and shedding abroad the love of God, the spirit of a child, in the heart; and our spirits, or consciences, receive and declare this evidence.

Great mischief has arisen from the false and delusive notion, that the witness of the Spirit is a kind of inward suggestion, or declaration from God, assuring us that we are beloved, pardoned, &c.; and many souls, I fear, have been eternally ruined by this delusion. 1 have therefore insisted the longer on this head.

II. Another characteristic of gracious affections is, that divine things are regarded as transcendently excellent and amiable in their own nature; and not on. account of any conceived relation they bear to ourselves, or to our own interest.

I do not suppose, however, that all relation to our own interest is wholly excluded from any influence in our gracious affections. Self-interest certainly has a consequential influence in those affections which are spiritual and holy, as I shall endeavor to show.

It was before observed, that the affection of love is the fountain of all the other affections; and that Christian love in particular is the foundation of all gracious affections. Now the divine excellency and glory of God, of the word of God, of the works of God, &c. constitute the primary reason why a true saint loves these things, and not any supposed interest that he has in them, or any benefit that he hopes to receive from them, or any such relation to his interest, that self-love can properly be said to be the real foundation of them.

Some persons say that all love arises from self-love, and that it is impossible, in the nature of things, that any man should love God, or any other being, except as that affection springs from self-love. But this opi nion arises, I suppose, from want of consideration. It is argued, that "Whoever loves God, and in consequence desires his glory, or the enjoyment of him, desires these things in order to his own happiness." But

how come these things to be so agreeable to us, that we esteem it our highest happiness to glorify God, and enjoy him? Is not this the fruit of love? A man must first love God, or have his heart united to him, before he will esteem the cause of God as his own, and before he will desire to glorify and enjoy God, as his happiness.

That kind of affection to God, or to the Redeemer, which properly arises from self-love, cannot be a truly gracious and spiritual affection. This appears from what has been said already; for self-love is a principle entirely natural, and as much in the hearts of devils as in those of angels; and therefore nothing that is the mere result of it, can be supernatural and divine. Jesus Christ very evidently speaks of this kind of love, as what is not at all superior to the love of wicked men : "If ye love them" that "love you, what thank have you? for sinners also love those that love them." Luke, 6:32. The devil himself knew, that that mercenary kind of respect to God which arises from benefits received, or expected, is worthless in his sight: "Doth Job," says he, "fear God for naught? Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house?" &c. Job, 19, 10. Nor would God have allowed the obiection to be good, in case the accusation had been well founded, by permitting that the matter should be tried, and that Job should be so dealt with that it might appear ultimately whether his respect to God was mer cenary or not.

It is reasonable to suppose that the real foundation of love to God, is that on account of which he is lovely, or worthy to be loved. The nature of God is infinitely excellent: it is infinite beauty and glory But how can a man truly love God without loving him