doctrine inconsistent with the light of the New Testament; or, in the words of St. Paul, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual," which alone influence the human frame.

We know, from experience, that the passions are ever present with all of us; and not only in ourselves, but are likewise perceived in the animal creation; and the revelations already given, answer the question in our introduction. May we not be allowed to suppose the malignant passions to proceed from one power, as they are equally perceived in man and brutes, acting by the same laws, in proportion to their influence over them?

The Scriptures throughout do answer this ques1 John v. 19. tion, but St. John directly." We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lieth in" the spirit of "wickedness." And to put us on our guard John iv. 1. against that " wicked one," he says, Try the spirits whether they be of God," and adds, "hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of f God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God.” Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

1 John iv. 6.

1 John ii. 6.

1 John iii. 10.

Again," He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

Again, " In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth

not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."*

Again, "All unrighteousness is sin, and he that 1 John v. 17. committeth sin, is of the devil." Again, "Love 1 John iii. 8. not the world, neither the things that are of the

world: if any man love the world, the love of the 1 John ii. 15. Father is not in him. For all that is in" the spirit of "the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; which is not of" the spirit of "the Father, but is of" the spirit of "the world: and the" spirit of the "world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God, abideth for ever."

Now St. Paul explains what actions constitute the lusts of the flesh, here called "the world which passeth away;" and they comprehend every word in the Scriptures that signifies evil: and our own experience informs us, that they are those actions,

* Our Saviour explained who were his brethren, when they told him that his mother and his brethren " stood without, desiring to speak to him.” "But he answered and said unto him, Who is Matt. xii. 48. my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother!" And that his mother did the will of his Father in heaven his words do testify, previous to his death on the cross. there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene; when Jesus, therefore, saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved; he saith unto his mother: Woman, behold thy son! Then said he to his disciple, Behold thy mother!"

"Now, John xix. 25.

caused by the passions in their various shapes, that are totally inconsistent with the purity of the Spirit of God. At the same time, bitter experience must assure all of us, that every mind is beset by them, and the very best they occasionally influence in thought, or action, to disobey the commandments of God: and, therefore, every one must be sensiRom. iii. 23. ble, that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Acts xiv. 15.

James v. 17.

The same temptations and infirmities by the passions, the servants of the Lord were equally subject to, as they declare, "We also are men of like passions with you." And St. James says "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are." And Rom. vii. 5. St. Paul observes, "When we were in the flesh, the motions* of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."

Gal. v. 13.

We may now substitute the word passions for that of" flesh," in reading the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. "Brethren, ye have been called into liberty in the Spirit of God, from the bondage and slavery of the passions; only use not liberty for an occasion to the passions, but by love serve one another," in the Spirit of the Lord: "for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this--Thou

* In the marginal translation, it it passions, but literally passions of sin, in the Scripture Greek (wherein the genitive case of the substantive is often put for the adjective) sinful passions or lusts. See Mr. Locke's note on this passage of his paraphrase: and also the word "Passion" in Cruden's Concordance.

shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if
ye bite
and devour one another," by the influence of pas-
sions over you, "take heed that ye be not con-
sumed one of another" by those same passions.
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit of God, and
ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the passions; for the
passions lust against the Spirit of God, and the
Spirit of God against the passions, and these are
contrary the one to the other-so that ye cannot do
the things that ye would," while the passions have
influence over you. "But if ye be led of the
Spirit of God, ye are not under the law," as is
manifest.

"Now the works of the passions are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings."

Again, "Lovers of their ownselves, covetous, 2 Tim. iii. 2. boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."

Again, "Even as they did not like to retain God Rom. i. 28. in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not be

coming, being filled with" the spirit of "all un

righteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding," of good things, "covenant breakers, without natural Rev. xxii. 15. affection, implacable, unmerciful," and "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

James iii. 14.

James iv. 1.

Mark vii. 20.

Gen. iii. 3.

Again, "But if ye have bitter envyings and strife

in
your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the
truth: this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish: for where envying and
strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work."—
"From whence come wars among you? come they
not hence, even of the lusts of the passions, that
war in your members ?"

Again," And Jesus said, that which cometh out of the heart of the man, that defileth the man: for from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these things come from within, and defile the man."

We have here, then, the actions of the fallen man from the image of God," written for our learning," to know ourselves by our own feelings, and to know others by their actions. The produce of the tree of evil, in the midst of the garden, which the first created were forbidden, either to touch or to taste of, "lest ye die:" and having also the