<things that ye would. Howbeit, they are accepted of God, for the fake of Chrift, being Fruits of the Branches in him: 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye alfo, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up fpiritual facrifices, accept• able to God by Jefus Chrift.' Gen. iv. 4. And the • Lord had refpect unto Abel, and to his offering.' Compared with Heb. xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts.' 2 Cor. ii. 15. For we are unto God a fweet favour of Christ, in them that are faved, and in them that perifh.? There is a Difference then between the two Covenants, in the Point of Acceptance with God. The Method of Acceptance with God in the Covenant of Works, is, that firft the Work be accepted for its own Perfection, and then the Perfon for his Work's fake Gal. iii. 12. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doth them, fhall live in them.' The Method of Acceptance in the Covenant of Grace, is, that firft the Perfon be accepted for Chrift's fake, in Juftification, and then his Work, for Chrift's fake too, in point of Sanctification: Eph. i. 6. He hath made us accepted in the beloved.' Heb. xi. 4. forecited. Rev. vii. 14. And he said to me, Thefe are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' Wherefore God's accepting the Will for the Deed, or any Work that is not perfect, is the peculiar Privilege of those who are in the Covenant of Grace, by true Faith: 2 Cor. viii. 12. ‹ If there be firft a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according

to that he hath not.' Compared with verf. 7. Therefore as ye abound in every thing, in faith, ' in utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, ' and in your love to us; fee that ye abound in this < grace alfo.' And God will accept of no Work at the Hand of an Unbeliever; and that because he is under the Covenant of Works, and his Work is not perfect: Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of 'the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' Compared with Rom. iii. 19. 'Now we know that what things foever 'the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped, and all 'the world may become guilty before God.'

4.

Our Ability for Acts of Mortification, and Obedience, wherein we die unto Sin, and live unto Righteousness, is not at all of ourselves: John xv. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the " vine: : no more can ye, except ye abide in me.' When we are put into a State of Death unto Sin, and Life unto Righteoufness, through the Habits of Grace infused into us by the Spirit, even then we are not able, of ourselves, for Acts of Mortification or Obedience: 2 Cor. iii. 4. 5. And fuck 'truft we have through Chrift to God-ward. Not 'that we are fufficient of ourfelves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our fufficiency is of 'God.' Even of our gracious felves we can do nothing, or bring forth no Fruit of Grace: John xv. 4. above cited. verf. 5. I am the vine, ye are 'the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in < him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for ' without

M 3

without me ye can do nothing.' But we are en abled to the feveral Acts of Mortification and Obe. dience, by the Spirit: Rom. viii. 13. "If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live.' Philip. ii. 13. It is God which work. eth in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' The Spirit enables us to Acts of Mor. tification and Obedience, by exciting, increasing, and strengthening our inherent Graces thereto: Cant. v. 4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.' Col. i. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increafing in the know⚫ledge of God.' Eph. iii. 16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit in the inner man. The Spirit excites, increases, and strengthens our inherent Graces, to Acts of Mortification and Obedience, by communicating new Supplies of Grace to us, from Chrift our Head Cal. ii. 19. And not holding, the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment miniftered, and kn together, increaseth with the increase of God.' 2 Cor. xii, 9. My grace is fufficient for thee: for my ftrength is made perfect in weakness,' Philip. i. 19.1 know that this fhall turn to my falvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrift.' verf. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift unto the ⚫ glory and praise of God. Compared with John xv. 4. 5. forecited. Wherefore every gracious Act, or good Work, done by us, is a Fruit of the Spirit, produced by him in us: Gal. v. 22. 23. The

'fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs,goodness, faith, meeknefs, temperance.' Eph. v. 9. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteoufnefs, and truth.' Gal. v. 17. The Spirit lufteth against the flesh.' Compared with verf. 16. Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil 'the luft of the flesh.' verf. 18. If ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.' And Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we fhould pray for · as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh inter'ceffion for us with gronings which cannot be

uttered.' And the Way how we derive Supplies of Grace from Chrift, through the Spirit, is, by Faith trufting on him, in the Word of Promife: Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Chrift: Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh,I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' Jer. xvii. 7. 8. Bieffed " is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope, the Lord is. For he fhall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and fhall not fee when heat cometh, but her leaf fhall be green, ' and shall not be careful in the year of drought, 'neither fhall ceafe from yielding fruit.' Pfal. xxviii. 7. The Lord is my ftrength and my fhield, 'my heart trufted in him, and I am helped.' 2 Pet. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might 'be partakers of the divine nature.'

The Spring of all Grace to us, from Chrift, for our Sanctification habitual and actual, is, our Communion with Chrift, in his Death and Refurrection,

by virtue of our Union with him: Col. ii. 11. 12. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the cir'cumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh, by the circumcifion of Chrift: buried with him in baptifm, wherein also you are rifen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.' Rom. vi, 4. 5. 6. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead · by the glory of the Father, even fo we alfo fhould walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we fhall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we fhould not ferve fin.' There is a Power or Virtue in the Death and Resurrection of Chrift, for fanctifying of his Members, applied to them by the Spirit: Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I fhould glory fave in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the world is crucified un· to me, and I unto the world.' Philip, iii. 10. That I may know him, and the power of his refurrection, and the fellowship of his fufferings, being made conformable unto his death.' Compared with John xvi. 15. All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore faid I, that he [the Spirit of truth] fhall take of mine, and shall 'fhew it unto you.' That Power or Virtue is a Power or Virtue whereby his Members are made conformable to him in his Death and Refurrection, to the fanctifying of them effectually, Philip.iii. 10. compared with Rom. vi. 5. 6. forecited. We are made conformable to him in his Death, dying un

to