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abrogated, Rom. vi., and the soul renounce obedience to it, and give itself up wholly, as TUTTOν, to receive the stamp and impression of the law of God; and then having it written within upon his heart, his actions will bear the resemblance, and be conformable to it.

In this promise that God makes to his people, he hath regard to the nature of that obedience which he requires because he will have it sincere and cordial, therefore he puts a living principle of it within, writes his law in the heart, and then it is in the words and actions derived from thence, and is more in the heart than in them: the first copy is in the heart, and all the other powers and parts of a man follow that, and so by that means, as it is sincere, so it is universal. The heart is that which commands all the rest; and as the vital spirits flow from it to the whole body, thus the law of God, being written in it, is diffused through the whole man. It might be in the memory or in the tongue, and not in the rest; but put it in the heart, and then it is undoubtedly in all.

Being written in the heart, makes the obedience likewise universal in the object, (as they speak,) to the whole law of God. When it is written only without a man, he may read one part and pass over another,' may possibly choose to conform to some part of the law, and leave the rest; but when the full copy of it is written in his heart, then it is all one law. And as in itself it is inseparable, as St. James teacheth us, so it is likewise in his esteem and affection, and endeavour of obedience; he hath regard unto all the commandments as one. Because of his love to the law of God, he hates not only some, but every false way, as David speaks. He that looks on the law without him, will possibly forbear to break it while others look upon him; his obedience lies much in the beholder's eye; but he that hath the law written within, cannot choose but regard it as much in secret as in public. Although his sin might be hid from the knowledge and censure of men, yet still it were violence done to that pure law that is within his breast, and therefore he hates

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it alike, as if it were public. This is the constant enemy of all sin, this law within him. I have hid thy law in my heart, says David, that I might not sin against thee. It makes a man abate nothing of his course of obedience and holiness because unseen, but like the sun which keeps on its motion when it is clouded from our eyes, as well as when we see it,

In a word, this writing of the law in the heart makes obedience a natural motion, I mean by a new nature; it springs not from outward constraints and respects, but from an inward principle, and therefore not only is it universal and constant, but cheerful and easy, The law only written in tables of stone is hard and grievous; but make once the heart the table of it, and then there is nothing more pleasing, This law of God makes service delightful, even the painfullest of it. Psalm xl. 8. The sun that moves with such wonderful swiftness, that to the ignorant it would seem incredible to hear how many thousands of miles it goes each hour; yet, because it is naturally fitted for that course, it comes, as the Psalmist speaks, like a bridegroom forth of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. If the natural man be convinced of the goodness and equity of the law of God, yet because it is not written within, but only commands without, it is a violent motion to him to obey it, and therefore he finds it a painful yoke. But hear David, in whose heart it was, speak of it; how often doth he call it his delight and his joy!

If any profane persons object to a godly man his exact life, that it is too precise, as if he writ each action before he did it; he may answer, as Demosthenes to him that objected he wrote his orations before he spake them, that he was not at all ashamed of that, although they were not only written, but engraven before-hand. Certainly the godly man lives by this law that is written and engraven on his heart, and needs not be ashamed of it.

It is true, the renewed man, even he that hath this law deepest written in his heart, yet while he lives

here, is still molested with that inbred Antinomian, that law of sin that yet dwells in his flesh: though the force and power of it is broken, and its laws repealed in his conversion, and this new, pure law placed in its stead; yet because that part which is flesh in him still entertains and harbours it, it creates and breeds a Christian daily vexation. Because sin hath lost dominion, it is still practising rebellion against that spiritual kingdom and law that is esta blished in the regenerate mind; as a man that hath once been in possession of rule, though usurped, yet being subdued, he is still working in that kingdom to turbulent practices. But though by this (as the apostle was, Rom. vii. 4) every godly man is often driven to sad perplexities and complaints, yet in this is his comfort; that law of his God written there hath his heart and affection. Sin is dethroned and thrust out of his heart, and hath only an usurped abode within him against his will. He sides with the law of God, and fights with all his power for it against the other: that holy law is his delight, and this law of sin his greatest grief.

3. I will write. The Lord promises himself to do this, and it is indeed his prerogative. He wrote it at first on tables of stone, and this spiritual engraving it on the heart is much more his peculiar. Other men might afterwards engrave it on stone, but no man can at all write it on the heart; not upon his own, much less upon another's. Upon his own he cannot, for it is naturally taken up and possessed with that contrary law of sin, (as we said before,) and is willingly subject to it; loves that law, and therefore in that posture it neither can nor will work this change upon itself, to dispossess that law which it loves, and bring in that which he hates. No man can write this law on the heart of another, for it is inaccessible; his hand cannot reach it, he cannot come at it; how then should he write any thing on it? Men in the ministry of the word can but stand and call without; they cannot speak to within, far less write any thing within. Though

they speak never so excellently and spiritually, and express no other but what is written on their own hearts, (and certainly that is the most powerful way of speaking, and the likeliest for making impression on the heart of another,) yet unless the hand of God's own Spirit carry it into the hearer's heart, and set on the stamp of it there, it will perish as a sound in the air, and effect nothing. Sonus verborum nostrorum aures percutit, magister intus. Nolite putare quenquam hominem aliquid discere ab alio homine; admonere possumus per strepitum vocis nostræ, si non est intus qui doceat, inanis strepitus est noster.* Let this ever be acknowledged to his glory; the voice of men may beat the ear, but only he that made the heart can work upon it, and change and mould it as it pleaseth him: this is his own promise, and he alone makes it good. He writes his law on the hearts of his children, and by this work of his grace, prepares them for glory: they that have this law written in their hearts, their names are certainly written in the book of life.

*Augustine in 1 Jo. Tr. 3.

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SHORT CATECHISM.

Question. WHAT is naturally man's chief desire?
Answer. To be happy.

Q. Which is the way to true happiness?
A. True religion.

Q. What is true religion?

A. The true and lively knowledge of the only true God, and of him whom he hath sent, Jesus Christ. Q. Whence is this knowledge to be learned?

A. All the works of God declare his being, and his glory; but the clearer knowledge of himself, and his Son Jesus Christ, is to be learned from his own word, contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

Q. What do those Scriptures teach us concerning God?

A. That he is one infinite, eternal Spirit, most wise, and holy, and just, and merciful, and the all-powerful Maker and Ruler of the world.

Q. What do they further teach us concerning him?

A. That he is Three in One, and One in Three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Q. What will that lively knowledge of God, effectually work in us?

A. It will cause us to believe in him, and to love him above all things, even above ourselves; to adore and worship him, to pray to him, and to praise him and exalt him with all our might, and to yield up ourselves to the obedience of all his commandments, as having both made us, and made himself known to us for that very end,

Rehearse then the articles of our belief.

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