times will, either in fear or in pride, it is to make herself rich and increased in goods by them, so that she may have something wherewith to purchase even of God himself. But grace comes to the obedience of faith, not to live or purchase life, but because she is truly alive already to God; and she acts, not for her own exaltation, but for the glory of him who only can exalt, and who fills the hungry with good things, while the rich he sends empty away.

Nature admires dignity, and parade, and pomp, and outward splendour; it seeks to be pleased with sweet sounds, fine language, decorated places, and genteel company; and all this in religion too. Whereas grace shuns and distastes all gay appearances of earth, thinks of Christ in a stable, and of all he did and suffered to stain the pride of flesh and blood; and receives the favour of God as a precious pearl, for its own intrinsic and eternal value, and not for the sake of any outward things different in kind from its own.

Nature loves life, and to see good days in this world, and as many of them as possible; it shudders to give up its temporal enjoyments and carnal hopes, and would endure a great alloy of care and trouble, rather than part with the lying vanities to which it is wedded, and in which it delights. Grace, contrariwise, can say with holy Job, "I would not live always" upon earth, if I might; for "I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." Grace can think upon death as a friend, and hath often met him as such; looking forward to the crown of glory, which death can only lead to,

but never can take away:

and all its trials here only

cause a stronger breathing and livelier expectation of the heavenly home.

Nature is forward to speak, and loves to be heard, and will be angry if not regarded, and will do much to be seen and known. Grace is slow to speak, and

slow to wrath; wishes to hear, and learn, and understand; delights not to be in the chief seat, but is content with the lowest; and had rather lay up spiritual treasure in the heart, than babble it away, for selfish aims, with the tongue. It is not petulant or vexed if disregarded, but commits itself and the whole of the matter to God.

Nature draweth all from its own fund, and carrieth all back, and with interest, if possible, to itself again. But grace receiveth all from God, and is never so truly delighted, as when God receiveth the whole of the glory, as his just return.

These are a few of the many distinct operations of nature and grace. But sometimes they are so perplexed and interwoven with each other, through the craft and duplicity of the fallen natural principle, that it requires the greatest watchfulness and attention of the Christian, to unravel and divide them. The fact is, the two principles live at one time, act at one time; and will be found in one and the same person at all times and in all things, while he lives upon earth. The Christian cannot avoid the activity of his natural or carnal mind; though, by that faith and prayer, which removes the spiritual mountains of difficulty, he is to strive, and may prevail against its high rule and predominancy. Carnality

will exist, while he exists below; but it must not be the reigning and triumphant principle within him. On the other hand, grace, which is pure and simple in all its own acts and intentions, and resolves every thing with a single eye and a single heart unto God, must take the lead, and bring the other into the closest captivity and obedience that can be unto Christ. This is the daily battle and warfare, which passes within the Christian, and which no eye can see, but the eye of God and his own: yea, not his own always, nor always alike. Thus, when grace prevails, there ensues what is called mortification, self-denials, humiliation, renunciation, and all the other exercises, which are painful to the flesh, or nature, and its will and ways. On the contrary, when nature is uppermost, there ever will arise coldness towards God, faintness in duty, doubts, reasonings, discomforts, fear of man, fear of death, and a whole world full of weaknesses, hinderances, and temptations. By the superiority of these different effects in the soul, may easily be seen, if attended to, the superiority of one or other of their respective principles. When there is a strong animal or carnal nature in the believer, though with a good measure of grace, and trial comes of a powerful and threatening kind, O what a tumult is raised within! Nature struggles for ease, and winds, and turns, and frets, and laments, and uses a thousand shifts to carry off the believer from the battle, or to melt away his heart in the midst of it. Grace, on the other hand, tells him, that now is his time to act like the Christian, to lay hold upon Christ and his promises, to take up

the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and the helmet of salvation, and to withstand at least, if not even to meet, the enemy; that he shall conquer the trial by suffering the will of God, it being his present duty to trust, to hope, to pray, to wait; and that, in a short time at the utmost, all shall end well, and redound both to his Redeemer's honour and his own improvement. What conflicts, perturbations, hopes, resignations, despondencies, will not the Christian find in the opposition of the carnal and the spiritual life; when temptations, troubles, or trials of any sort are to prove the strength of both? And yet, after the temptation, it is in some measure with him, as it was with Christ after his-comforts, like angels, will minister unto him. There is such a peaceable fruit of righteousness succeeding to these grievous things, as will make the believer a most ample amends for all his sorrows. But if this fruit should be deferred in the present life, it will be but the more welcome and glorious, when the soul bursts out from the bonds of clay, and leaves all sin and a sinful nature behind it.

CHAPTER XXXI.

On Temptations.

It is a great part of the Christian warfare to encounter temptations. When a man truly becomes Christ's soldier, he is armed from head to foot by

him; because, from head to foot will his enemies. attack him with all sorts of weapons, to inflict all possible distress, where they cannot overwhelm with destruction. He hath, because he needs, "the whole armour of God," that he may both stand and withstand, during the evil day of this mortal life.

O how many fiery darts are thrown, with all the vehemence of spirits, against the Christian's soul! If his armour doth not sit close upon him, and if the shield of faith be not well and constantly held up to catch and repel the assault; how many sore, and almost venomous wounds, will he not endure? Nay, if the Christian think to be only upon the defence, and fight not in his turn; it will be with him, as it is in all defensive wars among men, very troublesome and very disadvantageous. He hath therefore a weapon given him, that he may attack too; and when he wields, in the strength of his Captain, "the sword of the Spirit," which is "the word of God," the great spiritual foe remembers the deep strokes he received by it from Christ himself at his temptation, and shrinks away from its edge. If the Christian should be so unwise as to fight the enemy in his own might, and without this armour, he would suffer as a man must do that would encounter a whole host in array, (every individual of which is almost infinitely stronger than himself,) naked, unsupported, unarmed. None know the strength of the world, the flesh, and the devil, but those who have life, and are called to oppose them; just as the force of a stream is tried by the resistance made against it. The people of Christ too often fall into