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A50244 A sermon wherein is shewed that it is the duty and should be the care of believers on Christ to live in the constant exercise of grace by Mr. Nathanael Mather ... Mather, Nathanael, 1631-1697.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723. Doctrine of Divine Providence opened and applyed. 1684 (1684) Wing M1266; ESTC R27641 13,097 32

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A SERMON WHEREIN IS SHEWED That it is the DVTY and should be the CARE of Believers on CHRIST to Live in the Constant Exercise of GRACE By Mr. NATHANAEL MATHER Pastor of a Church at Dublin in Ireland Joh. 8.29 I doe always those things that please him Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Printed at BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND By R. P. for Joseph Browning Stationer ANNO 1684. Believers on Christ ought to live in a Constant Exercise of Grace Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit IN the former part of this Epistle the Apostle hath been confuting that Corrupt and destructive Doctrine which some false teachers had been sowing among the Galatians and wherewith they were many of them deeply infected The Corrupt doctrine which he confutes is this that Believers were both obliged to and justified by the works of the Law particularly by observing the Ceremonial Law Having at large Confuted this pernicious Error in this Chapter he first exhorts them to stand fast in that Evangelical Liberty that Christ had made them free withal ver 1. which he presseth from the momentousness of it Christ else would profit them nothing they would be obliged to the keeping of the whole Law Christ would be of no effect to them and they would else fall from Grace In the next place he directs them what course to take to prevent the further spreading of this so dangerous a Contagion namely to cut off the pertinacious preachers of this damnable doctrine and he first laid down a general principle which he elsewhere makes use of on the like Occasion Sec 1. Cor. 5.6 'T is a proverbial Metaphorical speech that they were all in danger of being infected unless such were Cut off A Sin or Errour in a Church easily Catcheth and spreadeth because the Members are all members one of another as Rom. 12. or all of the same Lump that there is a spiritual union nearness and Conjunction between them by Virtue of the Institution of Christ and thence if they do not purge out such corrupt Leaven the Defilement is easily diffused with great Celerity and Efficacy over the whole lump Next he insinuates himselfe by professing his confident perswasion and hope that they would readily be of the same mind with him put in Practice this his direction ver 10. to give impartial Judgment upon all that troubled them So the Apostle calls the proceeding of the Church in order to Censure 1. Cor. 5.12 adding ver 11. that himself for the contrary Doctrine to this whereby they were troubled and wherewith they had been infected suffered persecution thereby Intimating that it was not too heavy a Judgment that they who troubled them with this new gospel should suffer Excomunication For either he must have bin utterly out in all his sufferings of persecutions yea in his persisting in preaching otherwise tho' multitudes stumbled at the Gospel thereby or else all these corrupt teachers deserved well to be cut off who preached a way of Salvation contrary to what he had both suffered for the Preaching of yea and which was more given great offence by preaching Having thus made his way he tells them ver 12. what he would have done with those that unsetled them in their former orderly walking and believing and professing even that they should be cut off But lest any should say why do you thus write unto us what have we to do to cut them off he adds ver 13. that God had called them to Liberty that is God had called and brought them into such an estate by the Gospel wherein they had a liberty of acting according to their place in and for the cutting off of those that troubled them Not that private members may cast out their Teachers by any Office-Authority over them but that they have an interest of liberty and priviledge to act in obedience to Chirst and in obedience to their Officers that are sound 2. Cor. 10.6 in a way of passing a free consciencious Judgment on such as are unsound so as to reject them But because Churches are too apt in the use of this their liberty to fall into abusing of it he presently gives a needful warning and caution viz. that they used not this their liberty as an occasion to the flesh i. e. Take heed not to act and vent their own corruptions by and in the using of this their liberty But Churches being so exceeding subject to misuse their liberty he contents not himself with giving that Caution But further adds directions to be observed by them that they may not fall to the abuse of this their Liberty Direct 1. Serve one-another by love ver 13. backed with two arguments 1. From the large and happy Influence of so doing all the Law is fulfilled thereby ver 14. It would lead them on to the doing of all the duties required in the Law wherein he secretly girds at those that would have brought them under the Law again q. d. If you would needs be under the Law here 's an excellent way of being under it to Christ viz. serving one another in love 2. From the Evils and Mischief that attended the contrary practice ver 15. Direct 2. Is ver 2. Walk in the Spirit If you would not use your liberty as an occasion to the Flesh for the acting and venting of corruption then walk in the spirit i. e. in the exercise of Grace This direction the Apostle backs with a four fold argument Argum. 1. So doing ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh which he proves from the Contrariety between the flesh and the Spirit ver 17. Arg. 2. So doing it will appear that ye are not under the Law ver 18. being led by the spirit and walking in the spirit are all one in sense i. e. not under the Law to be condemned by it This the Apostle makes out withall explains what he means by the lusts of the Flesh and the fruits of the Spirit ver 19 to 24. Of the lusts of the flesh he saith that they are manifest that they shut out from inheriting the Kingdom of God and most of those that he names are such as people are most apt to fall into in the use of their foresaid Church-liberty ver 20 21. the fruits of the spirit that he instanceth in are mostly such as should shine out in Churches using their liberty and against such he sayes there is no law that shall condemn them they are not under the condemning power of the Law Perhaps also the Apostle had his eye on the Circumcision and Mosaical days and Rites mention'd Chapt. 〈◊〉 which the false Teachers said were of high Necessity that there was a Law against those that observed them not therefore saith the Apostle if you will tye