268 An Expofition upon Chap.$. T ist.What,do eve owe nothing to theflefb? S r L. Yes to our flefh (as it is our frtbbance) we owe love and cherifhing; bur to the fitCh as it loth fignifie here fin and corruption, we owe nothing, but crucifying and mortifying of it; for it firives againft the fpirit, it rebels againft the law of our mind, it leads us captive to fin, it caufes us to do the evil we would not do, and tó leave undone the good we would do ; it is an enemy, or rather enmity againft God, it cannot plea fe God. TIM. What it it to live after the Spirit? Si L. To drive, take thought, and endeavour to do according to thofe mo- tions which are ftirred up by the Spirit; (to wit) frtch thoughts and motions as agree with the word of the Law and Gofpel,and fuch motions are we bound to follow, for it is our debt: whereas a carnal man will repli fuch motions as accord with the Word, but a fpirituall man will entertain them. Tias.Sbew teo now what roe are to learn front tlüt (entente. Si L. Thisonething,that a godly and a righteous life is a debt which is due from us to God ; the reafon hereof is threefold. Firfl, we are Gods creatures, therefore we are bound to Cerve him by the law and right of creation. Secondly, we are redeemed and bought with the price of Chritis blood , therefore we do owe to him all obedience and fervice by right of purchafe, r Cor.6.2o.Third- ly,all the former benefits given us by the Spirit,do oblige and binde us to a godly lite, by the right of common honefly, which bindes us to our benefa &or. T i M. What ufe and profit are we to make of thispoint of Dotirine? SIL. Firft, if living godly all our life long be a debt,then it cannot be that our workes fhall merit with God; for that which is a debt cannot be a merit, no man merits(thanks)to pay what he oweth. Secondly, this overthrowes the works of fupererogation,which if they be works of theSpirit,then we owe them of duty; and ifthey be not fuch works, then ought they not to be done. Third- ly, hence we learn, that the doing of good works, or the leading of a godly life is a thing neceffary, though not as a meritorious cautè of fa !Nation, ye t as a duty which we are bound to pay, as a debt to the Spirit ourbenefa &or.L.aflly, all that live after the Spirit, will be obe- dient to the Word ofGod;and the more obedient we are to the Word of God, the more we live after the Spirit : for the Spirit and the Word are coupled together by firm connexion,rfay 59.21. TheWord is underftood and obeyed by fan&ification ofthe Spirit ; and the ho- ly Spirit perfwadeth to that only which is confonant to the Word. DIALOGUE XII. Verfe 13. or if ye live after the flefbye(ball dye, but ifye mortifie the deeds of the body by the fpirit, ye (hall live. Ti MOTH Etu . Hat dotbtbit Scripture contain? S Xt./stew reafons to inforcethe former exhortation of living after the fpirit and not after the flefh, that is, of leading aholy life; the reafons be three. The firft is,from the unprofitablenefs or danger, if we live after the fiefh, then wefhalldye. Secondly, from the profit which will follow, if we live after the fpirit, then we (hall live. The third is, from the facility and eafinefs, becaufe through the grace of the holy Spirit, it wil be an carte thing to lead a godly life. Ti m. Now expound the words, and tell as what is is to live after the fief b. S t t.To follow and obey the corrupt motions of our blinde reafon and per- wife will. The danger hereof is death: now all men naturally abhor death, as a molt fearfull thing. Therefore as we would abhor fuch a miferable and hor- ribleeffe& as death, we muff be carefull that we live not after the flefh, but that we obey the Spirit. T i M. What death it that which it threatned to tbafe that live after the S i L. Not only the naturali death, which is common unto all, from which even
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