41 42. Rom. 1.11 16.16 That Scripture forbids not only lacivious dissembling kisses but requires that in them God's glory be aim'd at For as his holiness is his preserving his own glory in every thing So our holyness is our being acting like him therin Joh. 3.6 Duties of Civility must have something worthy of God in them See Ruth 2.4 how their Salutations savour of God and Grace verily this Rule extendeth even to these Nay more to Church Transactions your debates and votes there and all your use of the liberty whereto the Lord hath called you ought to be filled up with exercise of grace And indeed it is the want of this that makes Church-Members so often warp from the rule and act the unsavory pangs and and distempers of their own spirits 3. Your refraining and forbearing from Sin See Nehem. 5.15 Else your very forbearing sin is look'd upon but as sin while t is not from grace For as before was partly Intimated t is of the Flesh and therefore is Flesh Joh. 3.6 As a man may possibly in Holy Dutyes act from Corruption as the Pharisees did Matth. 23 14. So many a man from Lust forbears sin e. g. from Pride from Covetousness from base Fear of men c. USE 3 Humiliation for failings herein Christ calls upon Sardis Rev. 3.2 3. because he had not found their works filled up with the Exercise of grace before God Before men they seemed beautiful and glorious but there was a secret emptiness and deadness in them before the Lord. And for this he threatned them if they repented not to come on them as a Thief in the Night in an hour when they knew not i. e. when they least looked for it were least provided for and in worst case to bear it and with all Circumstances of Aggravation and Terrour This the Spirit sayth to the Church There is no sin but we should be humbled for it when minded of it in the Word much more such an one as this which argues grace is very low and ready to die as t is there sayd to Sardis And t is a sin of frequent Incursion a sin that we sin often every day and therefore should be the more humbled for Though we are apt to make light of such sins yet the Spirit of God does not Christ doth not make light of it to that Church Other sins that we seldom and hardly fall into we think it our duty to humble our selves for But this and such as this doe us as much hurt and usually more then such as affect us more with Sorrow and shame If it seem to want any thing of weight and heinousness yet the Frequency of it makes it up and more then up We must remember and loathe our selves for our doings that are not good but empty of grace as well as for those that are Abominations because of the Evil of the matter of them Ezek. 36.31 Consider two things to help to affect our hearts with shame and sorrow for not exercising grace in every step of our walk 1. Hereby we break with God and loose our Communion with him Not our state of Communion but the actual exercise and enjoyment of it If a man should fourty or a 100 times every day loose the exercise of his Reason tho but for half a quarter of an hour or less tho' he should not loose the Faculty it self how sad would you account it much more is this to be lamented because hereby we loose our Communion with God so far and so long as as we do not walk in the Spirit And Communion with him is as much more precious then the use of reason as Divine spiritual life is more excellent than the life of Reason In whatever we cease to exercise grace we do therein turn off from God and break with him and were it not for Christ and His Mediation we were Lost forever 2. Whatever we do without Exercising grace in it savours not to God's tast it finds no acceptance with him Cant. 4.16 unless the spices of our graces flow out none of our fruit is pleasant to Christ's Tast and if not pleasant to his tast he Presents it not to God for his acceptance Hence nothing wherein no grace is Exercised is put on our account for a reward but only amongst our sins for pardon or for punishment hence if no grace be exercised our Salvation is not at all furthered thereby And low sad is it for a man that hath a Race to run and work of life and death to get done to Nod and stand and sleep and fall so often in a day USE 4. of Exhortation Walk in the Spirit exercise grace in every Step you take Look to it not only that you doe what is good but also that in doing of it you act the inward principle of Grace that you have recieved Here Consider 1. You have acted Corruption in all your ways Col. 3.2 Let the time past suffice us 1. Pet 4. and from very shame and indignation at yourselvs for your acting of Corruption be provoked to walk in the Spirit for the time to come For you are much indebted to Christ you have had much forgiven and therefore should love much 2. You must unavoidably in every thing act Grace or Corruption Therefore if you act not Grace you will act Corruption These two are the Universal principles of all our Actions and doe Flow into every thing we doe They are seared so near together and are so Contrary one to the other perpetually warring each against other that if one give back never so little the other will be sure immediately to come on And And indeed these two contrary principles shall and must lodge in the same soul yea abide in the very same faculty during this life but the Conquest of the one over the other lyes in the ones prevayling more then the other to fill up your Actings These two flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace divide between them all your Actions there being between them no medium any more then there is any Action that hath no Rule or Law over it As there will be either light or darkness in the Air So there will be either Sin or Grace Flesh or Spirit filling every Action that is humane that falls under the Command of the Will 3. By the Exercise of Grace the soul is kept in an Holy Healthfull and Chearfull frame Lusts warr against the soul 1. Pet. 2.11 and thence the prevayling of them tends to the death of the soul Grace warrs for the soul and the acting thereof is the souls strength and health and life Act grace in one passage and you will come off from it with the heart in frame and fitted by it for another Grace acted in our Callings fits the heart for dutyes of worship and in dutyes of worship fits the heart for the dutyes of our Calling Yea by this meanes the heart will be kept fitt for every Change and cannot be found unprepared Lamps burning and Loyns girt is nothing else but grace in actual exercise This also puts and keeps the soul in a cheerful and comfortable framer There is comfort and sweetness in the exercise of any grace Phil. 2.1 Comfort in love For in the exercise of grace the soul draws near to God and hath Fellowship with him who is the Fountain of bliss and Comfort And hence 't is that your dutyes and wayes are so empty of Comfort yea indeed nothing but secret bitterness in reflecting on them because there is no grace exercised in them Thus 't is with us in our walking and Callings we come off from them with a secret sting or trouble on our consciences t is because grace was not exercised in them And thus t is in the most sweet and Comfortable dutyes Receiving the Sacrament praising God c. if Grace is not Exercised in them if they are not performed in the Spirit they yeild no Comfort neither afterwards neither are they sweet in the doing On the other hand Duties that seem to be bitter in their proper Nature e. g. Repentance and breaking the heart for sin Confessing it before God and Condemning a mans self for it even these duties are most sweet and yeild unspeakable comfort if done in the Spirit if grace be exercised in them 4. Thus exercising Grace will sublimate and spivituallize every action turning natural affections into Graces Thus a mans loving his Wife of Child or any other Relation or friend become gracious acts and his eating and drinking acts of obedience and hence are of great account in the eyes of God Thus not the meanest smallest act but it hath a glory and excellency in it if grace be exercised as Luther said a poor milk-maid milking if done in Faith is more glorious then the Conquests Triumphs of Caesar or Alexander And it will appear so another day being recorded and registred in Heaven for a gracious Acceptance and reward in the day of Christ Thus a man's eating drinking sleeping promotes his Salvation and adds something to his Crown of Glory another day as well as his Praying or his Hearing or his Suffering for CHRIST Tibi Domine et a te Advertisement THere is ready for the Press will speedily be published two Sermons on Psal 84. ver 10. Preached at the Lecture at Boston by the Reverend Mr. Joshuah Moody Printed for Joseph Brunning at the Corner of Prison-Lane next the Town-House in Boston
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
Christians up thus there are things which it 's past past all question there is no law against therefore look to these 3 A third Argument why they should walk in the Spirit is because they had crucifyed the the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof ver 24. and 't is a very uncomly and incongrous thing for Saints to be led by a crucified thing and if they be not led by the Spirit they must und should be led by the flesh 4 A fourth Argument for their walking in the Spirit is because they were alive in or by the Spirit ver 25. Direct 3. A third Direction that the Apostle gives how Saints may eschew the abusing of their Liberty is that they should not be desirous of vain glory ver 26. if we be we shall abuse our liberty as an occasion to the flesh and use it in such a way as may be a provoking to one another this desire of vain glory will put us upon envying one another Direct 4. The fourth Direction is Chap. 6. ver 1. the design of it is to teach Christians in the use of their Liberty to make a difference between the miscariages of men There are some that are not Censurable Crimes but lesser faults things that do not unavoydably overthrow the Saving fundamental truth which the Church professeth nor yet the comfortable walking of the Church together in all the ordinances worship of the Gospel and there are some persons who tho perhaps through weakness they may be by surprizal entangled and catch'd in some carnal and ungospel-like Opinion or practice yet they are not obstinate or incurable therein To such and in such cases you must walk otherwise if you would use your liberty and that power which Members have mutually one over another aright These you must not presently cut off but you that are spiritual must with a spirit of meekness labour the Restoring of them thus bearing one anothers burthens and thus fulfilling the Law of Christ as he is the Law-giver of his Church hath given them Laws rules how to carry towards all sorts of offences and offenders in his Churches Moral duties are the Commandments or Laws of God but Church Rules and ordinances of meer Institution are properly the Lawes of Christ as he is the Head and King and Law-giver of his Church 5. To these the Apostle adds a Fifth Direction Chapt. 6.6 because he had allowed them a liberty in Cutting off those false Brethren and Corrupt Teachers that were brought in among them Chapt. 5.12 Lest they should think themselves at liberty to slight and weary out their sound Teachers the Apostle adds a direction touching their Maintenance which is part of the honour and esteem they ought to have for their Instructors But because people are apt to look on it as a matter of Liberty and not of bounden duty at least as to the measure of it and thence to deal fraudulently the Holy Ghost backs it with a solemn Caution telling them that they had to doe with God in this matter and not with Poor weak contemptible men whom they could wrong at pleasure Also with a weighty argument that the Lords dispensing of his Grace and spiritual blessings by Ministers teaching usually holds a proportion with peoples dealing with them in Carnal good things their souls would thrive less or more as they dealt with God in this matter of Communicating to his Ministers This is the scope of ver 7.8 And lastly upon this occasion of Communicating to their Teachers he adds a brief exhortation to perseverance in well doing in the General ver 9. and to enlarging their beneficence to others also ver 10. This is the Analysis and brief veiw of this latter part of this Epistle which I confess I have the more insisted on because it is not so generally observed The Text falls under the second Direction how Christians may avoid using their Liberty as an occasion to the Fesh laid down ver 16. and this verse contains the fourth Argument that the Apostle presseth that duty of walking in the Spirit withal viz. because they are alive by the Spirit or live in the Spirit as we translate it Quest 1. What is here meant by the Spirit Answ Spirit in this Chapter is opposed to the Flesh And hence as Flesh is the principle of Coruption So spirit is the principle of Grace That divine Principle in the hearts of Saints which is the spring and root of all new Obedience and holy actings in a Saints walk And it is called the Spirit as for other reasons so because it is the proper inseparable Effects of the Holy Spirit dwelling in a believer And he is said to live in and by the Spirit because by this principle of Grace in his heart he is spiritually alive who by nature was dead i. e. alive to God as Rom. 6.11 Here is also an opposition between the life or living of this principle and the death or crucifying of the flesh ver 24. which is the principle contrary to it q. d. Original sin is crucifyed and therefore you are not alive in and unto sin but you are alive by the spirit the Spirit of God dwelling in you hath quickned you to new obedience or made you alive by creating a principle of Grace in your hearts and this principle being not crucified as sin is but alive in us we ought to walk in it Quest 2. What is meant by walking in the Spirit Answ Walking relates to all a Christians wayes and Actions The Greek phrase here used is a military word used of Souldiers being set and marching in rank and file orderly every one keeping his place so that it extends to all the Acts of a Christians life And these must be in the spirit that is in the excercise of his spiritual gracious principles That this is the sense of the phrase appears from the like manner of speech used by the Apostle concerning a Believer in his state of Unregeneracy see Col. 3.7 His former state was to be alive in his lusts opposed to his being now dead through Christ as to the life spoken of before ver 3. and his former practice was a walking in these lusts i. e. a practising acting fulfilling of them a walking in the acting and exercise of them The Doctrine then to be insisted on is That 'T is the duty and should be the care of a Christian to walk in the constant exercise of Grace 〈…〉 In the acting of those gracious principles that he received in his Regeneration See ver 16. This in that Living to the Lord that is required in the 2. Cor. 5.15 See Gal. 2.19 And indeed a Christian cannot be said to live any longer than he acts Grace For tho he may have life in him yet 't is no act of life that is of his spiritual life except Grace be acted in it As 't is no Action of natural life that proceeds not from the union of soul
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
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