The thoughts of exercised souls

[MW]

Robert Traill (Sermons on Galatians 2:21), Works 4:209:

Labour to have such thoughts of the law of God, and the righteousness of Christ, and the grace of God, as you find exercised souls have. Labour to entertain the same thoughts of these things as you find the generality of exercised souls have. What a learned scholar saith of these things is not so much to the purpose, for they may mistake in many things; but what is the current, general sense of all them on whose consciences God ever wrought, in whose consciences there is any light. What is the general sense that they all have of these things? Labour for that. Was there ever any Christian under the hand of the Spirit of God that had any difference in this point? Never one in this world. They all forsake the law and despair of life by it. They all commend the righteousness of Christ and betake themselves to it. They all admire the grace of God and venture their all upon it. Whatsoever difference there may be about this or the other ordinance, or in other lesser things, yet as to those things, in which the very nature and heart of the new creature lies, there is no scruple at all about them.

 

[earl40]

Read this 3 times, and if I read it correctly, the Christian strives to keep the law and this striving should point them to the grace and righteousness of Jesus who kept the law?

 

[MW]

Galatians 2:21 says, "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." It is speaking of the law as a means of obtaining righteousness. Every person who has been made a new creature in Christ has forsaken the law so far as obtaining righteousness is concerned, and they have betaken themselves to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is the exercise of a renewed soul and conscience. We are being exhorted to labour to have the same thoughts as this exercised soul.