88

Such as are led by the Spirit, are not under the Law.

Sect. 10. the Preference is to be given.

But for

18 But if ye be led by your Encouragement to a wife and happy the Spirit, ye are not under Gal. V. 18. Choice, you will I hope always remember,

19

that if ye be led by the Spirit of GOD in
the Paths of evangelical Holiness and Obe
dience, and act according to that new and
spiritual Nature he has formed in you, in
the prevailing Bent and Tenor of your
Lives, ye are not then under the condemning
Sentence of the Law, but are in Confe-
quence of this entitled to every Benefit and
Privilege of the Gofpel.

And a farther Argument will arise from
confidering the different Tendency of these
Principles, and the Effects or Fruits of
which they are productive, on the one
Hand and the other. Now as to the former
Part of the View, the Works of the Flesh
are very obvious and manifeft (b), which
are fuch as [thefe]: Adultery, a Crime to
be confidered as in the first Rank of Enor-
mities, as tending fo directly to embitter
conjugal Life, and to introduce Confufion
and Ruin into Families; Fornication, which
how light foever Heathens may make of
it, is in the Sight of GOD a very grievous
Offence; as all Uncleanness and Immodesty
of Behaviour, and all Lafcivioufnefs in every
Kind and Act of it, must also be, though
Fools who make a Mock at Sin, mention
thefe Things in Sport, rather than with

De

the Law.

19 Now the Works of the Flesh are manifeft,

which are thefe, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleannefs, Lafciviousness,

(b) The Works of the Flefb are manifeft.] As fome of the Fruits which are here fpecified, feem to confift in Errors of the Mind, and others are the Product of an evil Difpofition of Spirit, it has been thought not eafy to perceive, with what Propriety they are called Works of the Flesh; and Dr. Whitby offers feveral Confiderations to account for it. But if the Flesh be taken (as it appears from hence it should be,) for that natural Corruption, which in the Note before is faid to have infected all the Faculties of Man, and fo extends to all the Powers of the Mind as well as to the Appetites of the Body, there is no Difficulty in afcribing each of the Particulars here enumerated to the Flesh, as it is evident they all proceed from that Corruption, by Means of which even the Mind and Conscience is defiled. Tît, i. 15.

(c) Witch

An Account of the Works of the Flefb:

8g

20 Idolatry, Witchcraft, Deteftation. Idolatry likewife proceeds Sect. 10. Hatred, Variance, Emula- from this corrupt Principle, as it inclines tions, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Herefies,

Men to chufe fome fenfible Object for their Gal. V. 20.
Devotions, and often fuch an one as may
patronize their moft irregular Paffions:
From hence is alfo Witchcraft (c), whereby
defperate Wretches are led to attempt an
exprefs Affociation with infernal Spirits, in
order to gratify that malignant Difpofition
of Mind, which excites and arms them a-
gainst those who are regarded by them
with an evil Eye: And to the fame Ori-
ginal are owing implacable and bitter
Enmities, outragious Strifes and Quarrels,
inordinate Transports of ill-placed and ill-
proportioned Zeal, deep Refentments trea-
fured up in the Mind, clamorous Conten-
tions vented with Eagernefs and obfti-
nately carried on, together with the keen
Divifions of a Party-Spirit (d), among
those who ought to be united in one Inte-
reft and Affection: Yea, fometimes these
ill Principles proceed fo far as to produce
Seditions in the State, and Herefies alfo in
Reli-

(c) Witchcraft.] I know, fome would render the Word paguanna, Poifoning; but I think it is with Juftice Mr. Leigh has obferved, that this is comprehended under the Word Murthers; nor is there any Reafon to believe the Flesh fo particularly inclined to this one Kind of Murther, as to give Reafon for fpecifying it rather than any other. It is certain, that on Account of the Drugs made ufe of in fome fuppofed Magical Compofitions, this Word is often ufed to exprefs thofe Practices, in which Combinations with invifible malignant Powers were believed and intended, to which (whether they had, or had not, that real Foundation, which has generally been believed,) it is well known the Gentiles even in the most learned Nations were very much addicted; as Mr. Wefton has fhewn at large, in the 7th Chapter of his late learned Treatife on the Rejection of Chriftian Miracles.

(d) Divifions of a Party-Spirit.] We render xoracial, Seditions; but as that rather expreffes a State-Crime, and the original Word feems more general, I chufe to exprefs it by a Periphrafts, fufficiently distinguifhable from the other Evils here mentioned, and tending naturally towards thofe Herfies mentioned in the next Article, as I understand it: Yet as Seditions in the State are great Evils, and the Word SixoSzia may exprefs Difpofitions leading to them, I introduce the Mention of them into the Paraphraje.

VOL. V.

90

Sect. 1o.

Gal. V. 20.

21

21 Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, and fuch like: Of the which tell you before, as I have alfo told you in Time past,

I

Such as do them, fhall not inherit the Kingdom.
Religious Communities (e), by which pro-
feffing Chriftians are induced to feparate
from each other, and to form Sects, who
instead of maintaining true Candor and Be-
nevolence, renounce and condemn each
other. To this corrupt Source we are alfo to
trace the many Envyings, which are fo com-
monly to be feen, against the Profperity and
Succefs of others; and fometimes Mur-
thers too, contrived and perpetrated by
thofe, whofe Paffions and Interests clafh to
fuch a Degree, that nothing lefs than the
Destruction of the Antagonist can appease
the Rage; and to compleat the Catalogue,
all Kinds of irregular Self-Indulgence, and
particularly Drunkenness, that finks a Man
into a Beaft, and thofe diforderly and glut-
tonous Revellings (f), by which the ratio-
ral Fowers are in a great Meafure extin-
guifhed, or at leaft rendered incapable of
performing their Offices in a proper Man-
ner. Thefe, and fuch like, are the Works
of the Flesh; concerning which I now fo-
lemnly forewarn you, as I have also formerly
declared for your Security when I was pre-

fent

that

(e) Herefies.] The proper Signification of Hereftes here, feems to be what I have briefly expreffed in the Paraphrafe, and I muft beg Leave to refer to what Mr. Hallet has written upon this Subject, as containing the Reasons which have determined me to prefer it; for this is by no means a proper place to difcufs a Subject so much controverted. Yet I doubt not but Herefies in the Ecclefiaftical Senfe, as diffinguifhed from what I take to be the Scriptural, may generally be faid to be Works of the Flesh; as bad Inclinations of Mind naturally lead to bad Opinions, and to a haughty and factious Manner of obtruding them upon others.

(f) Revellings.] Kapos, or Revellings, among the Greeks, (as Mr. Locke obferves), were a diforderly fpending of the Night in Feafting, with a licentious indulging "to Wine, good Chear, Mufick, Dancing, &c." and in this Senfe the Word is explained by Hefychius and Suidas. We meet with it but twice elsewhere, (Rom. xiii. 13, and Pet. iv. 3.) and in both Places it is joined, as here, with other riotous Exceffes. But though the Heathens were notoriously addicted to them, it is a fad Evidence of the prevailing Power of Corruption, and it were well the Confequences of it were more laid to Heart, that among those who bear the Name of Chriftians, any fhould make it a Diversion to refemble them in fuch Indulgencies, and not be afhamed of running to the fame Excess of Riot,

(g) Fide

A Defcription of the Fruits of the Spirit.

that they which do fuch Things, fhall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD.

22 But the Fruit of the

Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace,
Long-fuffering, Gentleness,
Goodness, Faith,

91

Gal. V. 21.

fent with you, that they, who practife fuch Sect. 10.
Things, whatever Zeal they may pretend
for the Externals of Religion in any of the
Forms of it, shall not inherit the Kingdom of
GOD, or be admitted to the Poffeffion of
it; and are indeed fo far from having any
Title to be numbered among Chriftians,
that they shall foon be difowned, and turned
out of that Place which they have no Right
to hold in the Church, with juft Infamy
and Deteftation.

Such, I fay, are the Fruits and Ten- 22
dencies of the Flesh: But the bleffed Fruit
of the Spirit in thofe who are governed
by that gracious Principle which is derived
from him, is fomething quite of a different
Nature; for this, where-ever it hath im-
pregnated the Mind, produces the amiable
Difpofitions of undiffembled Love and holy
Joy, of univerfal Benevolence of Heart,
and of that chearful Temper which is na-
turally connected with it: It engages us to
cultivate Peace with all Men; and where
we meet with Injuries and Provocation from
any, to bear them with much Long-fuffering,
before we enter into any Contentions about
them: It forms us to Gentleness in the whole
of our Conduct, and infpires a tender Care
that we may not, by any Thing rough and
over-bearing, grieve and injure before we
are aware: It excites us to fuch acts of
generous Goodness, as our own Circumstances
may afford, and thofe of our Neighbour re-
quire: It is alfo the Spirit of Truth as well
as of Love, and leads us moft strictly to
obferve Fidelity (g), or good Faith and Up-
rightness

(8) Fidelity.] It is obferved in Note (a), on Matth. xxiii. 23. (Vol. iii. pag. 363.) that the Word, has undoubtedly this Signification in many Places. So we may understand it of the Faithfulness of GOD, or his Fidelity to his Promifes, Rom. iii. 3. and where it is applied to Servants, we exprefsly render it Fidelity, Tit. ii. 10.

M

And

though

A

J

92

They that are Chrift's, have crucified the Flefb.

Sect. 10. rightness in all our Dealings, neither in any
Inftance impofing upon others, nor failing

Gal. V. 22.
in any
of thofe Engagements which it is
23 in our Power to fulfil: It teaches us Meek-
nefs, even where we are obliged to reprove
others, or otherwife to animadvert upon
them for their Faults: And with regard to
the Government of our corporeal Appe-
tites, it dictates the ftricteft Temperance,
that we may neither exceed in the Quan-
tity, nor the Kind of our Food, or in any
other Indulgence of animal Nature. These,
as you plainly fee, are most excellent Dif-
pofitions, and against fuch [Things] as these
there is no Law; they have fo manifeft and
evident a Goodness in them, that they ne-
ver were forbidden by any human Institu-
tions; and those who in the general Course
of their Lives practise them, under the In-
fluence of the Spirit, fhall by the Grace of
the Gospel be delivered from the con-
demning Sentence of the Divine Law.
And this is now, upon the whole, the
Character of all true Chriftians: for they
who indeed are Chrift's, they who have re-
ceived his Spirit and whom he will finally
own as belonging to him, bave crucified the
Flesh with all [its] irregular Paffions and
Defires, and doomed it to a flow and pain-
ful, but to a certain Death; as if like one
that is crucified, the Body of Sin were fas-
tened to the Cross, and left to expire upon
it And this they do, out of Love to the
Memory of their crucified Lord, by a con-
tinual Regard to whom they are animated
ftrenuously to perfevere in fo self-denying
a Refolution.

24

J

If

23 Meeknefs, Temperance: against such there is

no Law.

24 And they that are Chrift's, have crucified the Flesh with the Affections

and Lufts.

though it generally fignifies the Grace of Faith, or the Confidence repofed in another; yet where we find it joined, as in the Place before us, with other Moral Virtues, it may be rather taken to denote Fidelity. See Matth. xxiii. 23, 1 Tim. iv. 12. vi. 11. 2 Tim. ii. 22. iii. 10. and Rev. ii.

19.