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practised, without an inward conflict between reason, conscience, and inclination.

I will only add, that to love and to hate, in the Hebrew style, are sometimes placed in contrast, when only a less degree of love for the one than for the other is intended. Thus, it is said, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Jacob was preferred, and Esau was slighted, but not absolutely hated. A Christian, some. times, does that which he loves less, rather than that which he loves more. And, in Jewish style, he might be said to do what he hates, and not to do what he loves.

But it is not mere conscience on one side, and passion on another. It is a new man against an old man, in full character, and not one part of the same man against another part of himself. It is the whole new man against the whole old man, in one. Hence the question, What is the new man proper, and the old man proper ?—the former is called spirit, and the latter flesh. It is not a part of the spirit against a part of the flesh, nor a part of the flesh against the whole of the spirit, nor the whole of the spirit against a part of the flesh; but the whole flesh against the whole spirit. Hence, the capital point is, What does Paul mean by the flesh and by the spirit?

Olympas.--That, Aquila, is indeed the correct view of the question, and, that disposed of, Paul is understood. But on this broad question, as both the old and some of the modern theologians have made it, much may be said. Alexander Cruden, in his very valuable Concordance, not yet supplanted by any book of the present century, gives no less than eleven scripture acceptations of this word. And while he makes it, sometimes, denote "the whole nature of man," body, soul, and spirit, "as it comes into the world corrupt, vile, and infected with sin," yet, in such passages as the present, he says: "Where flesh is attributed to converted persons, and set against the spirit, it signifies the remainder of natural corruption; even so much of that vicious quality of sin as is still unmodified in regenerated persons ;" and in proof of this, quotes Rom. viii. 18-28, Gal. v. 17-24. Thus making flesh in Christians, much less than flesh in the unconverted. This appears to me wholly gratuitous. It is just as wicked and vile in Christians, as in sinners, and applies as fully to the intellect, the imagination, and affections in them, as in the vilest of men; as much in Paul the apostle, as in Saul of Tarsus, persecuting the Christians.

Aquila. This is rather a startling view of it; yet it strikes me with much force. For really, I have seen in some perfectionists— especially amongst some of our over-zealous and over-inflated

Methodistic brethren, when they attained to something called "Christian perfection"-as much spiritual pride, and what I might, perhaps, call substantial carnality, as in any other profession— seekers after this beau ideal of the Wesleys.

Olympas.-Yes, indeed, so have I; and I verily believe, Paul being my guide, that there is just as much of the Devil in spiritual pride and boasted perfection, as there is in theft, lying, and the grosser sensualities of Pagandom. There are decent, polite, and fashionable, as well as indecent, impolite, and unfashionable sins. The polished literary and accomplished poet, revelling in the gifts and attainments of a fine imagination; the eloquent orator in the pulpit and in the forum; the beautiful and attractive moral philosopher, in the splendid offerings of his exalted genius, and gilded encomiums on the moral excellencies that adorn and elevate society; and the shrewd, learned, and orthodox expositor of the Christian mysteries, are, not unfrequently, as much under the guidance of pride, vanity, and avarice--as much in the flesh, and under the control of Satanas the libertine, the rake, the prodigal-as much in the flesh as Cesar, Pompey, or Herod.

Clement.-These, though startling, and somewhat astounding avowals, are, it strikes me, so much in harmony with what I have experienced and seen, and what I have learned from this volume, that I, too, must, however reluctantly, give them my assent.

Olympas.--I own I prefer the Pharisee, as a neighbor, to the Sadducee; the moral, orderly, decent citizen, to the lustful, profane, and debauched Sadducee; but when asked which of them is farthest from God and heaven, I am reminded of a splendid character which the Saviour drew of a very accomplished and worthy Pharisee; yes, a decent, devout, praying Pharisee. He makes him stand before God and say, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican ;" and yet the Publican, with all his Publican sins, was nigher the kingdom of heaven than he.

Aquila.-On such views, Father Olympas, I can reconcile many difficulties to some minds, in Bible saints, which I could not otherwise reconcile. Such as Abraham's, Isaac's, Jacob's, David's, Josiah's, and Peter's sins. I would not assign them to some few grains of alloy of remaining corruption, called figuratively, "the flesh;" but to the old man, as large as life, when unchained and unrestrained by the Spirit, or by the new man, under the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Olympas.--And without this view, as illy could I explain Paul, SERIES IV.-VOL. I.

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saying, "Wretch that I am! who shall deliver me from this BODY of sin and death;" this mass of corruption and vile affections, with which I have continually to conflict.

While, then, the flesh, or the old man, is evil, and only evil, and that continually, the new man, the spirit, is good, and only good, and that continually; for while "the flesh" is all from Satan, "the spirit” is all from God. Hence, again I say, the Christian must daily and constantly deny himself, no less the last day than the first day of his new life" for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that we cannot do the things that we would."

Clement.--But, Bro. Olympas, we have the consolation, that while the old man gets no better, the new man, or the spirit, gets stron-* ger, and the flesh weaker, and thus we grow in grace, and in the favor of our Lord and Saviour.

Olympas.-True, my good brother; but this growth in grace is the fruit of mortifying the flesh; of not making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof; of crucifying the flesh, with its affections and lusts; of doing what Paul did, when he said, "I keep under my body," and die unto sin that I may live to God.

Aquila.--I must confess that I am, more than ever before, confirmed in my views, and see more clearly than before, the difference between the Christian warfare and the occasional and spasmodic fits of good purposes formed for amendment of life, in those whose consciences occasionally assert its supremacy and condemn the rebel passions, for their appalling outbreaks and insubordination to the dictates of reason and the oracles of God. In all men, according to their education, there is, more or less, an inward quarrel between reason and passion-between inclination and duty; and this, I fear, is sometimes-nay, often-imagined to be the Christian warfare. But this is common to the Jew and to the Pagan, to the Indian and to the philosopher, to the rudest barbarian and the most accomplished gentleman.

Olympas.-True, very true; but the Christian, in his inward man, delights in the law of the Lord, and all his fleshly aberrations he regrets; not because of the curse, but because he thereby dishonors and wounds the kind feelings of his Lord and Saviour, whom he delights to honor and obey, and in whose approbating he rejoices more than in life itself. While he rejoices that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, he exclaims with the sweet Psalmist of Israel, "Blessed the people that know the joyful sound! They

shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted, for thou art the glory of their strength, and in thy favor our horn shall be exalted; for the Lord is our defence, and the Holy One of Israel our King."

A. C.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE, CAUSE, AND CURE, OF SPIRITUAL DYSPEPSY-No. III.

FROM what we have previously said, upon the immediate and remote causes of this malady, it would appear that they all act, either directly or indirectly, by producing

First, an impairment of the spiritual sensibility generally, and of the conscience in particular.

Secondly, and consequently, a perverted action of the moral affections of the heart.

Thirdly, a deficient spiritual appetite, evincing a deranged condition of the spiritual digestion.

The indications of treatment are, therefore, such as are calculated— First, to improve the spiritual digestion, and thereby to restore a healthy spiritual appetite.

Secondly, to correct the perverted action of the moral affections. Thirdly, to give tone to the whole system, and thereby to restore the healthy condition of the spiritual sensibility generally, and of the conscience in particular.

And first, with respect to the improvement of spiritual digestion. The first object in the cure of all diseases, is to remove the remote causes as far as they still continue to operate.

Among those of spiritual indigestion, we have seen, that whatever occasions an inordinate fondness for the mere objects of sense, holds a chief place. And, indeed, it unfortunately happens that there is a continual tendency, in this disease, to produce these fleshly desires. However well we may succeed in removing them, it requires constant attention to prevent their recurrence. It also appears, from what has been said, that these observations apply, with almost equal force, to some of the other causes of this disease, particularly to that inactivity of the spiritual man, and to that irritable, anxious, and desponding state of mind which so frequently cause, and are caused by, spiritual indigestion.

The first part of the treatment, therefore, which falls under our attention, relates to diet and exercise, both of the inward and outward man; or, in other words, of mind and body. Attention to these will, indeed, in most cases, be found sufficient to effect the cure.

The objects to be kept in view, in regulating the diet in this ailment, as appears from what has just been said, are, that the articles of spiritual diet shall be such as are best calculated to counteract the noxious effects of whatever tends to increase the disorder of the organs of spiritual digestion; such as the lusts of the flesh, the justs of the eye, and the pride of life. This calls for such a regulation of the diet as shall constitute a sound and judicious spiritual regimen.

But, that we may perceive the operation of the causes just mentioned, in deranging the spiritual health of the inner man, and that we may also be impressed with the necessity of a proper spiritual regimen to restore and preserve the health of the dyspeptic, we shall, by way of illustration, select a case of this disease, as found in that celebrated treatise of Dr. Evangelicus, formerly professor of Christ's College, Antioch; which, though written many years ago, is yet a standard work upon the Pathology and Therapeutics of spiritual diseases. The case we shall select is that of James Conformitas, as it is one which, in our humble opinion, is well adapted to illustrate the ordinary form assumed by this disease in its various stages:

The health of James Conformitas, remarks the Doctor, was apparently good, till within a year prior to the time that I was first called to examine his case. He had now attained his thirty-fifth year. The inner man appeared to be about of the the medium stature, of spare habit, and complexion somewhat sallow, as though there had been, from infancy, some hereditary taint of his moral constitution or spiritual man. The leanness that was now very apparent, was owing to an active form of the disease, the effect of which was to impair his appetite for spiritual aliment; which, though daily used in some manner, had evidently not nourished his spirituality: consequently, the symptoms of spiritual disease were but too apparent in the loss of that love, joy, peace, &c., &c., which never fail to denote a diseased constitution of the conscience, heart, and affections; those vital and controlling organs of the spiritual system.

The pulse corresponded with the affections of the heart, in relation to the general state of the system-all showing great spiritual languor and feebleness of the inner man. The head, also, was found disturbed with a kind of spiritual vertigo or dizziness, accompanied with dimness of vision. I inquired, adds the Doctor, when

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