The the bee, the spinning of the spider, the chasing of his prey by the lion, are all the actions of the life that is in them. artist working at his bust or his picture; the poet throwing off the fine imaginings of his genius; the scholar analyzing language; and the philosopher examining the laws of creation, are all the workings of intelligent existence. And what are the actings of spiritual life? The pushing onward of the soul, through the visible to the invisible world; its ascension from earth to heaven; its passing the boundaries of time and sense, to roam amidst things unseen and eternal; the faith of an unseen Saviour; the love of an unseen God; and the hope of an unseen heaven.-This is walking in the Spirit, walking with God, and visibly walking with him. Enjoying him as the chief good, seeking him as the supreme end, and obeying him as the Sovereign Ruler. I know nothing in which the spiritual life is more distinguished in its actings, from the merely rational one, than in its tending towards God in Christ, as by a law of spiritual gravitation, to its centre. The apostle in one short sentence, has described the whole acting of this new nature; FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST." The Spirit's work in the New Testament, and in the Old too, is to testify of Christ, and to glorify HIM; and his work in the believer's heart, has the same object, to lead him to live before the world, for the honour of the Saviour; and for this purpose, to enable him to derive all his supplies from the fulness that is in him, that Christ may be seen to be all in all to him. This is spiritual walking, the soul's escaping from the region, and rising above the influence, of carnal objects, and dwelling in a sphere of spiritual things; finding these to be its vital atmosphere, its native element, its beloved home. 66 3. To walk in the Spirit implies the cultivation and exercise of those holy virtues towards our fellow-creatures, the seminal principles of which were sown in our heart at the time of our conversion. There is, I believe, a prevalent mistake on this subject among some good people, who appear to suppose that the only design contemplated and accomplished in regeneration is to give a right disposition of the human heart towards God. That this is its principal object is admitted, but it is not its only one, for it is also designed to give a proper bias towards our fellow-creatures, which we have not till we are changed by divine grace. When man sinned he fell, not only from God, but from his fellow-creatures also. Love, which had been created with him and in him, departed from his soul and left him under the dominion of uncontrolled selfishness. The gracious change which restores him to God, restores him to his fellows. In that great renovation, selfishness is dethroned, and love again raised to be regent of the soul. Love, first and supremely exercises itself towards God as infinitely the greatest and the best of beings; but it does not, cannot stop there, for it is a principle, which from its very nature must expand to embrace the universe. It is worthy of remark, though perhaps, it has not been noticed as it ought to have been, that in most places where the subject of regeneration occurs in Scripture, it is spoken of in connexion with the exercises of a right disposition towards our fellow-creatures; in proof of this I refer to the following passages-James, i. 18-20. 1 Peter, i. 22, 23; xi. 2, 3; 1 John, iv. 8—11. But I need not.go for evidence farther than the context of the passage I am now considering. The apostle in varying his metaphor from the actions of a man, to the produce of a tree, says, "The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (i. e. fidelity,) meekness, temperance."These virtues almost exclusively refer to our fellow-creatures; yet they are the fruits of the Spirit. It is evident that they are most of them, only so many varied operations and exercises of the charity which the apostle so beautifully de The cultivation of scribes in his epistle to the Corinthians. these virtues in dependance upon divine grace, and with a view to the divine glory, is walking in the Spirit; and “there is one point of view," says Dr. DWIGHT, "in which the performance of these duties more effectually evinces the Christian character and proves the reality of our religion, than most of those which are classed under the head of piety; it is this:-They ordinarily demand a greater exèrcise of selfdenial." Yes, it is far easier to hear a sermon, celebrate the Lord's Supper, read a chapter, and pray, than it is to repress the feeling of envy, extinguish the spark of resentment kindled by a supposed injury, and cast out the spirit of malice. The man who cherishes in his bosom the spirit of charity to his fellow-creatures, from a deep sense of God's love to him in Christ, and who is enabled to make some tolerable proficiency in learning of Jesus, who is "meek and lowly in heart," has more of the living power of the Holy Ghost in his soul, than he who is dissolved in tears, or rapt in ecstacy under the burning, melting words and tones of some eloquent preacher. Never can it be repeated too often, or expressed too emphatically, that to walk in the Spirit IS TO WALK IN LOVE. When the apostle admonishes us not to grieve this Divine Person, he suggests, by what immediately follows this extraordinary injunction, that it is by the opposite of love that he is displeased; for, after commanding us to put away angry feelings, and to restrain all passionate language, he adds, "Be ye imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us."-Ephes. v. 5. We can never, as it were, be more entirely going the same way as the Spirit, never press closer to his side, never be in sweeter fellowship and accordance with his mind, than when cultivating the spirit of love. "From his descending on Christ in the form of a dove, as well as from many express declarations of Scripture we may with certainty conclude the in malignant passions to be Vindictive passions sur dulgence of all the irascible and peculiarly repugnant to his nature. round the soul with a sort of turbulent atmosphere, than which nothing can be conceived more opposite to the calm and holy light in which the blessed Spirit loves to dwell." It is a well known phenomenon in natural history that the dew never falls in a stormy night, so neither does the dew of divine influence descend on that heart which is given up to the raging of tempestuous tempers. It must become calm and still if it would have this blessed privilege. 4. Walking imports a progress in spirituality; a going on in this divine life, a gradual drawing nearer and nearer to the end of our calling of God in Christ Jesus. All things that have a principle of life, have also a principle of growth, unless they are in a state of disease, or have passed their perfection, and according to a law of their nature begin to decay. If the sapling do not grow it is unhealthy; if the young lion do not grow it is in disease; if the child do not grow it is sickly; for life tends to growth. This is equally true in reference to the Christian, if there be life there should be increase, and if there be not, how can it be said there is walking. All the figures by which the divine life is set forth in the word of God are things of life, and growth: it is the babe growing to manhood; the tender seedling growing to a tree; the grain of wheat growing to the full corn in the ear; it is the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day. What is set forth in figure, is also enjoined in plain precept, and we are commanded to grow in grace. Now the end to which we are walking forward, is a perfect conformity to the image of God; a perfect love to our fellow-creatures; a perfect freedom from the lusts of the flesh; a perfect separation from all sin; a perfect emancipation from the love of the world, and every thing that is contrary to the love of God; perfect knowledge, humility, and holy felicity. In these things, therefore, we ought now to increase. If we are not continually advancing towards this perfection; if we do not find a gradual influence of divine light and life and power; more discernable impressions of the divine image; a greater suitableness, so to speak, for God; a closer acquaintance with him, a higher delight in him, and a more entire devotedness to him, how can we imagine we are walking in the Spirit. We may keep moving, but if it be in a circle, a round of empty duties, heartless ceremonies, and cold formalities, what proof have we that we have life, or if we have it, that it is not in a state of disease and sinking back again into death? Having thus considered what is implied in this spiritual motion of the renewed soul, I go on to point out the relation it bears to its divine cause. It is walking in the Spirit. To do any thing in the Spirit is to do it by his light, and by his power. We need his light to show us what is to be done, and how it is to be done, as well as his power to enable us to do it. The New Testament makes frequent mention of that gracious illumination, which believers receive from the Divine fountain of light through the whole course of their Christian life. In the natural world, He who in the beginning, said, "Let there be light," and produced what he called for, repeats in effect the command each morning, and causes the sun to rise upon the earth. The same Almighty Power that formed the orb of day, and produced the splendour of the first morning, still continues to fill that orb with light, and to pour forth his radiance day by day. Let the creating power, as it perpetuates itself in the providential work of preservation be suspended for a single moment, and the light of worlds would become extinct, and the vail of darkness, fall over the solar system. So also is it in the world of grace. The divine Spirit is the cause, not only of the first illumination of the sinner's mind, but of the continued illumination of the believer's soul. Hence, the prayers of the apostle for the |