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###### Cause: Entering the Heavenly Trade without a Stock of Goods with which to Set Up

{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…

Exhortation to Those Who Began the Heavenly Trade But Have Backslidden

Search Out the Causes of Your Soul’s Decay and Get Them Removed

Cause: Entering the Heavenly Trade without Goods to Set Up}

Some people enter into this heavenly trade without a stock of goods with which to set it up. Christianity is an extraordinarily substantial thing, and it cannot be carried on without a stock of saving grace to maintain it. Common grace is not a suitable stock for this spiritual trade. It may help people to transact the external and common works of Christianity, but it cannot power the inward, private, and choicest services of godliness. “The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy” (Proverbs 14:10 NKJV). Nor can common grace do the work of Christianity. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8 ESV). The kingdom of God does not consist of outward duties, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 NASB). No hypocrite can reach to this. This destroys many; they take up a form of godliness without the power of it, and being strangers to the inward work [of the Holy Spirit] inside them, they cannot do the outward works of grace1314 required in Christianity. Thus, they fall back and come to nothing.

When people get some knowledge, abilities, stature, and temporary graces, they take up a lamp of profession, get into the company of the wise, climb up to the enjoyment of privileges—then sit down contented and fall asleep. And when they encounter temptations and set upon spiritual duties and the work of faith, love, patience, self-denial, mortification of sin, and the like, they have no grace to support them or power sufficient for such work. They fall short of duty and into sin, and thus trade feebly and fall away. Common grace is as a standing pool with no spring to feed it; it dries up when rain ceases and hot weather comes. But true grace is as a well of water that springs up to eternal life.

1314Ashwood here speaks of works that are a result of grace; these are acceptable to God. Formerly, he was speaking of works that are the result of human effort alone; these are neither acceptable to God nor truly spiritual.

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