Year: 1873

By e. N. Webster, Jms %, 1879.
!, IF we live in the soi.i,, lot Us also walk in
the spirit.


Paul describes those who are right,
as living in the spirit while be speaks
of those who are wrong as living in
the flesh.


The Bible knows two general classes
the righteous aud the wicked Of
course there are many varieties in each
of these classes, the righteous are not
all alike, nor are the wicked, so far as
their outward conduct goes, but Paul
affirms that whatever be the varying
circumstances, temperaments, and ca
pabilities-whatever be the direction
which the particular acts may take the
one class are all alike in this-they
live in the flesh and the other in this
they live in the spirit.


The apostle marks his meaning
clear Those who live in the flesh are
those who find the motive of their ac-
tions in the outward man whose tastes
impulses, feelings are law to them,
who yield themselves to be controlled
by the strongest desire-the strongest
desire may be for good thing or a
bad one, no4natter ; it moves them.
These are servants Of themselves, their
business is to please themselves, that
Is, to satisfy or crafty their present
feeling or desire. They may do God
some service, and also their fellow men,
but if so, it is because it suits their
particular feeling at the time, and is
in obedience to a desire of their own.
1t is not what the spirit dedicates,
but what they feel like, what they most
desire at the time that moves them
These live in the flesh.


Those who are in the spirit, are they
who yield themselves servants to obey
the spirit God. They are net moved
by the strongest feeling, but by the
voice of the spirit. They are not
pushed along by impulse-they follow
the counsel Of the spirit. With them,
it is not feeling, but conviction; not
impulse, but principle not what they
wish, but what they think they ought.


For example, in the matter Of eating
ing and drink, these who live in the
flesh, will act as they feel. If they
feel like taking strong drink they will
do it. That Is, if their impulse toward
that, is stronger than their impulse the
other way, they will drink, for their
strongest impulse will govern them.
On the contrary, those who live in the
spirit, no matter how strong their de-
sire or impulse toward drink, will lis
ten for the counsel of the spirit, and
will obey it, for that is the law of their
life. We may say the same things II
regard to the use Of tobacco, man,
from habit, may come to have a very
strong desire for it, yet if nc come to
live in the spirit, he will not allow that
desire to cortro. him, but will thence
forth determine his action iD the mat
ter, as the spirit shall suggest If the
snirit tells him it is for his health and
the general good and the glory of God,
he will keep on using it, Of course, as
matter of duty, but if he sees that
the opposite is true, he will cruelty the
desire. and put the desired thing away
while he who lives in the flesh will
still keep on gratifying his desire.


The same may be said of the treat
ment of enemies, or of those who have
injured us. Those who live in the
flesh will be magnanimous and forgiving
if they feel like, otherwise they will
not. Those who live in the spirit, no
matter what they feel, will be forgiving
and full of goodwill at all events.


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