' things that ye would. Howbeit, they are accepted of God, for the fake of Christ, being Fruits of the Branches in him: I Pet. ii. 5. 'Ye also, as ⚫ lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy • priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, accept• able to God by Jesus Christ. Gen. iv. 4. And the • Lord had respect 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 righte

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ous, God testifying of his gifts.' 2 Cor. ii. 15. • For we are unto God a sweet favour of Chrift, ⚫ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. There is a Difference then between the two Cove nants, in the Point of Acceptance with God. The Method of Acceptance with God in the Covenant of Works, is, that first the Work be accepted for its own Perfection, and then the Person for his Work's fake: Gal. iii. 12. 'And the law is not ' of faith: but, The man that doth them, shall

live in them. The Method of Acceptance in the Covenant of Grace, is, that first the Person be accepted for Christ's fake, in Justification, and then his Work, for Christ's fake too, in point of Sanctification: Eph. i. 6. ' He hath made us ac<cepted in the beloved.' Heb. xi. 4. forecited. Rev. vii. 14. And he said to me, These 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 first a willing mind, it is accepted ac. 'cording 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; see 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 curse: for 'it is written, Cursed 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.'

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. 4. '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 Righteousness, 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 such trust we have through Christ to God-ward. Not 'that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our fufficiency is of 'God.' Even of our gracious selves 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 M 3 ' without

without me ye can do nothing. But we are en abled to the several 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 • shall 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 Mortification 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 increasing in the knowledge 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 Christ our Head: Col. ii. 19. ' And not holding the head, • from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and kne together, • increaseth with the increase of God.' 2 Cor. xii. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness, Philip. i. 19. 1 • know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Je • sus Chrift. verf. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ 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 Spi rit, produced by him in us: Gal. v. 22. 23.

The < fruit

'fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Eph. v. 9. 'The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth.' Gal. v. 1 7. 'The Spi'rit lusteth 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. Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for 'as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with gronings which cannot be ' uttered.' And the way how we derive Supplies of Grace from Christ, through the Spirit, is, by Faith trusting on him, in the Word of Promife: Gal. ii. 20. 'I am crucified with Chrift: Never

theless I live; yet not I, but Christ 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. 'Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree 'planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not fee 'when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, ' and shall not be careful in the year of drought, 'neither shall cease from yielding fruit.' Pfal. xxviii. 7. 'The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.' 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might 'be partakers of the divine nature.'

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

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by virtue of our Union with him: Col. ii. 11. 12. In whom also ye are circumcised with the cir. ' cumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh, by the circumci'sion of Chrift: buried with him in baptifm, • wherein also you are risen with him through the 'faith of the operation of God, who hath raised • him from the dead.' Rom. vi. 4. 5. 6. Therefore

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we are buried with him by baptifm into death: ⚫ that like as Christ was raised up from the dead ' by the glory of the Father, even fo we also should • walk in newness of life. For if we have been ' planted together in the likeness of his death, we • shall be also in the likeness of his refurrection: ' knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. There is a Power or Virtue in the Death and Refurrection of Chrift, for sanctifying of his Members, applied to them by the Spirit: Gal. vi. 14. God forbid • that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord 'Jesus Chrift, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Philip., iii. 10. That I may know him, and the power of his re' furrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, < being made conformable unto his death.' Compared with John xvi. 15. All things that the Fa

ther hath, are mine: therefore faid I, that he * [the Spirit of truth] shall take of mine, and shall • shew it unto you.' That Power or Virtue is a Power or Virtue whereby his Members are made conformable to him in his Death and Resurrection, 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