A SERMON WHEREIN IS showed 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 Pastor of a Church at Dublin in Ireland. Joh. 8.29. — I do 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. 'Tis a proverbial & Metaphorical speech that they were all in danger of being infected, unless such were Cut off, A Sin or Error 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 himself by professing his confident persuasion and hope that they would readily be of the same mind with him & put in Practice this his direction ver. 10. to give impartial Judgement 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 Judgement that they who troubled them with this new gospel, should suffer Excommunication; For either he must have been 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 unsettled 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 privilege to act in obedience to christ and in obedience to their Officers that are sound 2. Cor. 10.6. in a way of passing a free & conscientious Judgement 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, & withal 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 says 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 mentioned 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 tie 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 crucified the the Flesh with the lusts and affections thereof ver. 24. and 'tis a very uncomely 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 miscarriages of men. There are some that are not Censurable Crimes but lesser faults things that do not avoidable 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 surprisal entangled and catched 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 another's burdens, and thus fulfilling the Law of Christ as he is the Lawgiver 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 mere Institution are properly the Laws of Christ, as he is the Head and King and Lawgiver 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 do 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 people's 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 view 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 corruption; 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 crucified 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 quickened 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 ways and Actions. The Greek phrase here used is a military word, used of Soldiers 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 'Tis 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 though he may have life in him, yet 'tis no act of life that is of his spiritual life except Grace be acted in it. As 'tis no Action of natural life that proceeds not from the union of soul and body together and their mutual clasping on each other so 'tis 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, etc. 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 doth, 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 man's Relation, Employment, or God's providence calls for. Those which a man's 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 man's present Condition and Employment calls for. If it be worshipping of God Heb. 12.28. Psa. 5.7. If it be restoring a Brother overtaken with a fault, than exercise and show 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 beautiful garments or garments of praise must be worn, Isa. 52.1. & 61.3. For the Reasons of this Doctrine, I shall go no further than 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 man's walking in the exercise of it Continually. Thus 'tis 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 letting 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 solicit, but Led 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 do, if we walk not in the Exercise of Grace, than all we do will become sin: and so be put among our sins for pardon, not our Obedience for Acceptance. Every thing we do is a fruit of the Spirit or the flesh, and if Grace be not exercised 'tis 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 men's 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 Hypocrisy, yea of contempt of God, because not worshipping 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 show the Virtues 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 yourselves 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 'tis 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 discernible: 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 though 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 yieldeth peace and Assurance, or on which Conscience can give a Testimony of a man's good estate, (for there is no outward Act but a Hypocrite may do 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 etc. For our joy in every thing we do, comes in by such a trial of our own acting, as no other but we ourselves can be able to make thereof Gal. 6.4. But let every man prove his own work, and then he shall have rejoicing 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 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 Stir of it; whether blown up by Satan or rising up from the secret lustings of sin itself (so I think signify the two words which the Apostle here useth) have received their death's wound; and thence are (though not quite dead, yet) in a languishing dying Condition, and sure to die as one nailed to a Cross is, though he be not yet dead. Yea this by virtue of Christ's death and your Communion with him therein, for that the Apostle aims 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 prevailing 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 kill 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 kill 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 'tis a yielding 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. 'Tis below your privilege and blessed estate not to walk in the Spirit; If others do not that are not alive in the Spirit 'tis but like themselves, but for you 'tis 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 lies out of other men's sight. Indeed the greatest part of it is bosom work: both his watch and his work lie chiefly 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 lies 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 busy 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 settled, yet there he hath his hands full of work, even to see that he fill up his time with Duties, and his Duties with Grace; for both these are included in walking in the Spirit. Inform. 3. A Christian should do nothing wherein Grace cannot be exercised. For 'tis 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, do 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 holidays of men's devising, and not of God's appointing or approving: And also in Worshipping God after such modes and Forms as the Lord alloweth not: Especially in former days 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, 'tis then unlawful for you. So in going into Company, and sitting with them, Especially in Public houses, Taverns, Coffee house's etc. 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, 'tis 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 only 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 duties 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 Terrors 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 Duties, and hence require more enlarged actings of Faith. Examine whether you have acted Grace proportionably in all your duties. 1. First-Table duties: Prayer, Hearing, keeping Sabbaths, recieving Sacraments: If no Grace be exercised in these, they have been utterly lost, God's Name taken in vain, and hence they will never yield thee any Comfort. 2. Second-Table duties: what grace is exercised in these? Your Calling, your duties to Relations, your occasional duties and Converses Col. 4.6. Always with grace seasoned with salt. Visits Mat. 25.40. & 10.40, 41, 42. Rom. 1.11. & 16.16. That Scripture forbids not only lascivious & dissembling kisses, but requires that in them God's glory be aimed at: For as his holiness is his preserving his own glory in every thing; So our holiness is our being & acting like him therein 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, aught 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 unsavoury 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 looked upon but as sin, while 'tis not from grace. For (as before was partly Intimated) 'tis of the Flesh and therefore is Flesh, Joh. 3.6. As a man may possibly in Holy Duties 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 etc. 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 threatened them if they repent 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 Terror: This the Spirit saith 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 'tis there said to Sardis And 'tis 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 ourselves for: But this, and such as this do us as much hurt, and usually more than 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 than up. We must remember and loathe ourselves for our do 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 lose our Communion with him: Not our state of Communion but the actual exercise and enjoyment of it. If a man should forty or a 100 times every day lose the exercise of his Reason though but for half a quarter of an hour or less, tho' he should not lose the Faculty itself, how sad would you account it! much more is this to be lamented, because hereby we lose 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 than 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 taste 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 Taste, and if not pleasant to his taste 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 do what is good, but also that in doing of it you act the inward principle of Grace that you have received. Here Consider. 1. You have acted Corruption in all your ways, Col. 3.2. Let the time passed suffice us, 1. Pet, 4. and from very shame and indignation at yourselus 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 do Flow into every thing we do: 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 lies in the one's prevailing more than 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 than 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 Healthful and Cheerful frame. Lust's war against the soul, 1. Pet. 2.11. and thence the prevailing of them tends to the death of the soul. Grace wars 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 duties of worship, and in duties of worship fits the heart for the duties of our Calling: Yea, by this means the heart will be kept fit for every Change and cannot be found unprepared. Lamps burning, and Loins 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 'tis that your duties and ways are so empty of Comfort, yea indeed nothing but secret bitterness in reflecting on them, because there is no grace exercised in them. Thus 'tis with us in our walking and Callings, we come off from them with a secret sting or trouble on our consciences, 'tis because grace was not exercised in them. And thus 'tis in the most sweet and Comfortable duties, Receiving the Sacrament, praising God etc. if Grace is not Exercised in them, if they are not performed in the Spirit they yield 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 man's self for it, even these duties are most sweet, and yield 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 man's 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 milkmaid milking, if done in Faith is more glorious than the Conquests & Triumphs of Caesar or Alexander: And it will appear so another day, being recorded and registered 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.