and body together and their mutual clasping on each other so 't is no act of spiritual life that proceeds not from the souls union with God and clasping about him in Christ Jesus Quest What Grace must a Christian walk in the excercise of Answ 1. The General Graces of a Christian that are never out of season nor ever unsuitable what ever the case and condition of a person be e. g. Faith Fear Thankfulness and Love Heavenly-mindedness Watchfulness c. Faith For Heb. 11.6 fetching spiritual strength from Christ and looking up to him for Acceptance in all Fear Prov. 23.17 that is An awful regard to the Authority and will of God as his rule subjecting himself to it 1. Pet. 4.2 Putting a respect of obedience to God on all he doeth Col. 3.17 doing all things in the name of the Lord. Thankfulness and Love and Joy Putting a respect of Thankfulness upon all his obedience as well as of obedience upon every action Col. 3.12 And from Love and Thankfulness designing in every thing the Glorifying of God 1. Cor. 10.31 Heavenly-mindedness Col. 3.1.2 Seeking and setting our affections on things above and an heart working Heaven-ward designing going to Heaven in all he hath and laying hold on Eternal Life Watchfulness See 1. Pet. 5.8 Luk. 21.34 36. Ephes 5.14 15. Heb. 3.12 2 Those particular Graces that a mans Relation Employment or Gods providence calls for Those which a mans Relation calls for For the Grace which the relation of a wife calls for 1. Pet. 3.2 So for servants Ephes 6.5 Those which a mans present Condition and Employment calls for If it be worshiping of God Heb. 12.28 Psa 5.7 If it be restoring a Brother overtaken with a fault then exercise and shew forth a spirit of meekness Gal. 6.1 Those which God's present Providence calleth for both particular and General Inward and outward When God afflicts we must put on humbleness and mourning as our garment and Constant attire in such a day 1. Pet. 5.5 6. If God favour then beautyful garments or garments of praise must be worn Isa 52.1 61.3 For the Reasons of this Doctrine I shall goe no further then this Discourse of the Apostle in this Chapter Reas 1. It will prevent your using your Liberty as an occasion to the Flesh and fulfilling the Lusts of it Of this there is great danger we are very apt to it Corruption is even present and active to get the Start of Grace and be before hand with it if we take not heed Yet this is a great Evil thus to abuse God's Favour and our mercies To prevent it there is no way like this of a mans walking in the exercise of it Continually Thus 't is in their allowed delights and Creature enjoyments and also in liberty given by the providence of God from subjection to others from Temptations from Afflictions And in liberty given by the Institution and order of Christ in Church matters and also Spiritual Liberty given by the Grace of God You shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh See ver 16. Flagging in the Exercise of Grace and leting it fall exposeth to the prevailing of Temptations and Corruptions which hence come easily to grow up and get head over us Hence they not only stir within and sollicite but Lead us Captive and prevail over us If David Noah Lot Peter had kept up the Exercise of Grace they had not Fallen as they did The Apostle makes this out from the Contrariety between Grace and Sin ver 17. which is such that the exercise of one keeps down the other And lusts will mingle themselves in all we doe if we walk not in the Exercise of Grace then all we doe will become sin and so be put among our sins for pardon not our Obedience for Acceptance Every thing we doe is a fruit of the Spirit or the flesh and if Grace be not exercised 't is then a fruit of the Flesh not the Spirit Joh. 3.6 Thus men come to fulfil the lusts of the Flesh when they are doing duties that God calls for Hence in mens callings many men are but fulfilling the lust of covetousness and Love of the world And in duties of worship men thus come to be fulfilling a lust of pride and of Hypocrisie yea of contempt of God because not worshiping Him in faith from Love and with Fear they either look for Acceptance in it without regard to Christ or else heed not whether they be accepted of God or not Reas 2. This will clear it up that you are not under the Law but under Grace See ver 18. It will clear it up to others for hereby Grace will shine out in you and you will shew the Vertues of Christ who hath called you So Paul of the Churches of Macedonia 2. Cor. 8.12 and of the Thessalonians 1 Epist 1. Chapt. 3 4. ver from their works of Faith and Labour of Love Concludeth their Election It will clear it up to your selves in your own Consciences 1. Joh. 3.14 18 19. For thus to be lead in the Spirit is a certain Sign of it because the Law gives not the Spirit Gal. 3.2 He whose state is to be under the Old Covenant hath not Grace and therefore cannot exercise any therefore if a man exercise Grace 't is a certain Argument that he is in a New Covenant estate Exercising Grace will Clear up your State because Grace by Acting grows more and brighter and thence more discernable And because in this way the Spirit of God the spirit of consolation will reveal your State to you enable you to discern it clearly and judge of it certainly to your Comfort Thus God dealt with Abraham Gen. 22.12 15. Now I know thou fearest me And the Lord again reneweth his Covenant with him and Confirms it with his Oath for tho he made it before and gave him also a Seal of it Circumcision Yet I find not that the Lord Ratified it by his Oath till now And observe it that it is not the outward Act of Obedience that yeildeth peace and Assurance or on which Conscience can give a Testimony of a mans good estate for there is no outward Act but a Hypocrite may doe it 1. Cor. 13.1 2 3 4. but it is from the Exercise of grace in that Action that in Simplicity and in Godly Sincerity a man hath done it as 2. Cor. 1.12 or that it was done to the Lord or before the Lord as David speaks 2. Sam. 6.21 And David said to Michal It was before the Lord c. For our joy in every thing we doe comes in by such a tryal of our own acting as no other but wee our selves can be able to make thereof Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another And against such as so walk there is no Law that can cast and condemn them For such hath one in Heaven that have satisfied
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
the Law for all their breaches of it Hence exercising Grace is the only way to have the Comfort of Grace Reas 3. The flesh is Crucified with the affections and Lusts thereof ver 24. Not only the principle of sin but all the inward Stirrings of it whether blown up by Satan or rising up from the secret lustings of sin it self so I think signifie the two words which the Apostle here useth have received their death's wound and thence are tho not quite dead yet in a languishing dying Condition and sure to dye as one nayled to a Crosse is tho he be not yet dead Yea this by virtue of Christs death and your Communion with him therein for that the Apostle aimes at and hath his eye on in this expression that the Flesh is Crucified The flesh being crucified it hath less power to stop and hinder the inward actings of Grace and its prevayling to Carry you on in the ways thereof It was at first crucified for this end and is kept Crucified upon the Cross of Christ under the hand of his Spirit and killing power of his death for this end that you might walk in the Spirit being set at Liberty from the prevailing dominion and strength of it Besides If you be Christ's you have Crucified the flesh you yourselves have been active in applying the death of Christ to that end and fetching virtue from it for the killing of sin in your hearts And therefore not walking in the Spirit is a retracting what you have done in this kind and an undoing of it inasmuch as 't is a yeilding and giving way to the flesh to live again and Act you again Reas 4. You are alive by the Spirit You have grace and that not from yourselves but from the Spirit You have grace This is given for Exercise that it should be drawn forth and fill your lives and all your actions Eph. 2.10 Grace unless exercised is so far lost Its use lies in its being used as it is of all other things 'T is below your priviledge and blessed estate not to walk in the Spirit If others doe not that are not alive in the Spirit 't is but like themselves but for you 't is unsuitable most incongruous This Grace is from and by the Spirit both first and still maintained Thankfulness to him obligeth to walk in the Spirit which is indeed to His praise and Glory USE 1. For Information A Great part of a Christians work lyes out of other mens sight Indeed the greatest part of it is bosome work both his watch and his work ly cheifly there where No body else sees His Exercises are most about such things Especially the more grown Christian that he is And he whose great business lyes without doors is either unsound or very low in growth Even but a Babe in Christ and in Grace Informat 2. A true Christians life is no idle Life but a busie one Especially if a Christian indeed and in any measure serious and sensible Yea when Grace is gotten and cleared too that a man sees he hath it and so his Assurance is setled yet there he hath his hands full of work even to see that he fill up his time with Dutyes and his Dutyes with Grace for both these are included in walking in the Spirit Inform. 3. A Christian should doe nothing wherein Grace cannot be exercised For t is his indispensible duty to act Grace in every step of his Walk therefore he may take no step wherein Grace cannot be exercised This Rule if attended would afford Direction in many passages that fall before us in this World Especially such Things as appear not flatly Evil in the Matter and Nature of them If there be any thing wherein you cannot exercise grace doe it not True the Rule holds not always affirmatively that whatever a Christian may Possibly exercise grace in is therefore Lawful for him A Godly Israelite might possibly Exercise Grace in being present at Sacrifices offered in the High places Solomon it seems did so and therefore the Lord overlooked the failing and accepted his sincerity And so I doubt not many souls have in keeping Holy-days of mens devising and not of God's appointing or approving And also in Worshiping God after such modes and Forms as the Lord alloweth not Especially in former dayes when less Light in these matters was broken out But it follows not that these things are therefore Lawful because some have exercised Grace therein Yet the rule holds Negatively That wherein grace cannot be exercised is not lawful It is in special useful in things indifferent As for Example In Attire and dressing If you cannot exercise grace in this and thus tricking up yourselves or spending so much time in it t is then unlawful for you So in going into Company and sitting with them Especially in Publick houses Taverns Coffee houses c. Can you exercise grace in so doing Canst put a respect of obedience to God yea of love and Thankfulness on it Canst thou maintain an Awe of him upon thy heart or does it not rather ever bring a secret difilement on thy spirit If so t is then unlawful for thee And indeed the Rule is general and holds Concerning all Recreations Divertisements and universally all Indifferent things If you cannot exercise grace in them tho' through your own Infirmity and much more if it be from the Nature or inseparable Circumstances of the things themselves they become unlawful unto thee USE 2. For Examination Have you walked in the Spirit Yea have you minded it in all the Steps of your walk or onely minded your keeping your Way and walking on without regarding whether in the Spirit or no what grace you acted in every thing Indeed it is not enough to act some grace in a duty but you should fill up the duty with grace e. g. Some dutyes are wider than others a day of Humiliation than an ordinary every day's prayer therefore should have more of Godly Sorrow and holy fear acted in it Hence rending the heart Joel 2.13 and calling Terrours round about us is the duty of such a day Sam. 2.22 to beset and besiege our own souls therewith So in Sacraments Faith should be acted at an higher rate than is always required in hearing the word because there 's a most solemn sealing Transaction between God and us and because God in these deals with us by the most affecting senses Hence they are Dutyes and hence require more enlarged actings of Faith Examine whether you have acted Grace proportionably in all your dutyes 1. First-Table duties Prayer Hearing keeping Sabbaths recieving Sacraments If no Grace be excercised in these they have bin utterly lost God's Name taken in vain and hence they will never yeild thee any Comfort 2. Second-Table duties what grace is exercised in these Your Calling your duties to Relations your occasional dutyes and Converses Col. 4.6 Alwais with grace seasoned with salt Visits Mat. 25.40 10.40