The third division of which the apostle speaks, he calls the "spirit;"
and by the spirit he means that life in man which, in his natural
state, is in such an embryo condition, that it can scarcely be said to
exist at all--that which is called out into power and vitality by
regeneration--the perfection of the powers of human nature. And you
will observe, that it is not merely the instinctive life, nor the
intellectual life, nor the moral life, but it is principally our
nobler affections--that existence, that state of being, which we call
love. That is the department of human nature which the apostle calls
the spirit; and accordingly, when the Spirit of God was given on the
day of Pentecost, you will, remember that another power of man was
called out, differing from what he had before. That Spirit granted on
the day of Pentecost did subordinate to Himself, and was, intended to
subordinate to Himself, the will, the understanding, and the affection
of man; but you often find these spiritual powers were distinguished
from the natural powers, and existed without them.

So in the highest state of religious life, we are told, men prayed in
the spirit. Till the spirit has subordinated the understanding, the
gift of God is not complete--has not done its work. It is abundantly
evident that a new life was called out. It was not merely the
sharpening of the intellectual powers; it was calling out powers of
aspiration and love to God; those affections which have in them
something boundless, that are not limited to this earth, but seek
their completion in the mind of God Himself.

Now, what we have to say respecting this threefold state of man is, it
is a state of discord. Let us take up a very simple, popular,
every-day illustration. We hear it remarked frequently in conversation