+I. The Spirit is a Divine nature, quality, or condition whereby we are made conformable to Christ.+--1. _It is a rich and liberal grace of God._ It contains the seeds of all virtues. 2. _Its largeness._ The Spirit is in all the powers of them who are regenerate in mind, conscience, will, affections, and in the sensual appetite. 3. _Its sincerity._ The grace of God is without falsehood or guile. 4. _Its excellency._ The spirit of grace in Christians is more excellent than the grace of creation, in respect of the beginning thereof, and in respect of constancy. 5. _Its liveliness,_ whereby the Spirit is effectual in operation. (1) The Spirit works in and by the Word of God. (2) Works by degrees, to make us feel our need of Christ, and to kindle in us a desire for reconciliation with God. (3) Works to write the law in our hearts. +II. Walking in the Spirit is to order our lives according to the direction and motion of the Spirit.+--1. _The Spirit renews our nature._ (1) Makes us put a further beginning to our actions than nature can, causing us to do them in faith. (2) To do our actions in a new manner, in obedience to the Word. (3) Makes us put on a new end to our actions--to intend and desire to honour God. 2. _We must become spiritual men._ Must do things lawful in a spiritual manner. 3. _We must not judge any man's estate before God by any one or some few actions,_ good or bad, but by his walking, by the course of his life.--_Perkins._ Ver. 17. _The Strife of the Flesh and Spirit._ +I. Man, under the influence of corruption, is called flesh.+--He may be said to be a spiritual being because he is possessed of an immortal spirit; but the term flesh seems to be awfully appropriate, because he is wholly and exclusively under the dominion of matter. In the text it implies the evil principle that inhabits the bosom of man. It is the mighty autocrat of humanity in the wreck of the Fall. Sin is such a mighty monster that none can bind him in fetters of iron and imprison him but God Himself. In the operation of weaving, different materials cross each other in the warp and woof in order to make one whole, and this is the case with the family of heaven here below. Sin and grace are perpetually crossing each other. +II. The spiritual offspring which is born of God is called the new man.+--It is the junior offspring, the junior disposition, the offspring of the second Adam. Corruption has its root only in humanity. Not so with grace. This springs alone from God. The new man lives in Him; his head is above the skies, his feet lower than hell; and the reason why he is destined to be conqueror is that he fights in and under the inspiration of Heaven.