Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
] There are many things that are acceptable to God, as the person
of Christ, his righteousness, sacrifice, sufferings, death, and
mediation; the persons of his people, their services, sufferings,
sacrifices of prayer, and praise to him, and of bounty and
liberality to the poor; their graces, and the exercise of them;
and the actions of their lives and conversations, when they are
becoming the Gospel, are according to the will of God, and are
done in faith, and are directed to his glory: and these things
which are acceptable to God, as all the truths of the Gospel, and
duties of religion are, should be proved, or tried by men; and in
order to the trial of spiritual things, it is necessary that the
mind be renewed, the understanding be enlightened, the spiritual
senses be in exercise, and all be under the influence and
directions of the Spirit of God: and the trial is to be made, not
according to human reason, which is corrupt and fallible; and
besides, there are some things in revelation above it; but
according to the Scriptures, which are the word of God, and the
rule of faith and practice; and whither the prophets, Christ, and
his apostles, always sent men for the trial of divine things; and
things being here tried, and found to be right, should be
approved of, valued, and esteemed, cleaved to and held fast.