hold thy King, behold thy King cometh, and he comes unto thee. 1. He is a King, and therefore able. 2. He is thy King, and therefore willing. Wonderful love, that he would come; but more wonderful was the manner of his coming; he that before made man a soul after the image of God, then made himself a body after the image of man. And thus we see how this covenant excels the former in every of these respects. 3. How doth God put the law into our inward parts? I answer, God puts the law into our inward parts, by enlivening, or qualifying of a man with the graces of God's Spirit suitable to his commandment. First, There is a law of God without us, as we see it, or read it in the scripture, but when it is put within us, then God hath wrought an inward disposition in our minds, that answers to the law without us. For example, this is the law without, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength," Deut. 6:5. To answer which there is a promise, "I will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul," Deut. 30:6. Now when this promise is fulfilled: when God hath put the affections and grace of love within our hearts, when the habit of love is within, answerable in all things to the command without, then is the law put in our inward parts. Again, this is the law without, "Thou shalt fear the Lord, and keep his ordinances, and his statutes, and his commandments, to do them," Deut. 13:4. To answer which there is a promise, "I will make a covenant with you, and I will not turn away from you to do you good, but I will put my fear in your hearts that you shall not depart from me," Jer. 32:40. Now when this promise is accomplished, when God hath put the affection and grace of fear within our hearts, when the habit of fear is within, answerable to that command without, then is the law put into our hearts. Surely this is mercy that God saith in his covenant, "I will put my law in their inward parts;" many a time a poor soul cries out, it is troubled with such a lust, and he cannot keep this and that commandment, he cannot out-wrestle such and such strong inclinations to evil, O but then go to God, and press him with this," Lord, it is a part of thy covenant, thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart: thou hast said thou wilt put thy law into my inward parts: thou hast said thou wilt dissolve these lusts, Lord, I beseech thee do it for thy covenant's sake."-But here is another question.

How may we know this inward work of grace, this law in our inward parts? The best way to satisfy our doubts in this, is to look within: open we the door, and the closet of our hearts, and see what lies nearest and closest there: that we say is intimate, and within a man, which lies next to his heart: "He that loveth father or mother more than me, (saith Christ,) is not worthy of me," Matth. 10:37. We know the love of father and mother is a most natural thing: it comes not by teaching, but it is inbred in us as soon as we are born, and yet if we love not Christ more than these, if Christ lie not closer to our hearts than father or mother, we are not worthy of Christ, Our natural life is a most inward and deep thing in a man, it lies very near the heart, "Skin for skin, (said the devil once truly,) and all that a man hath will he give for his life," Job 2:4. "But he that hates not father and mother,-yea, and his own life also, (said Christ,) he cannot be my disciple," Luke 14:26. Hence the apostle, to express this intimate, inward life of grace, he saith, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me," Gal. 2. 20. What an emphatical strong expression is this, I live, yet not I, but

Christ liveth in me? q. d. I live not the life of sense, I breathe not bodily breath, that is, comparatively, to the life of faith: his very natural life, though inward, is said not to be lived in respect of this life of grace, which is more inward. And let this serve for resolution to that question. 4. What is it to have the law written in our hearts! This writing contains the former, and is something more, the metaphor is expressed in these particulars:

1. It is said to be written, that there might be something within answerable to the law without; it was written without, and so is written within. This writing is the very same with copying, or transcribing. The writing within is every way answerable to the writing without: Oh! what a mercy is this, that the same God who wrote the law with his own finger in tables of stone, should also write the same law with the finger of his Spirit in the tables of our hearts? As you see in a seal, when you put the seal on the wax, and you take it off again, you find in the wax the same impression that was on the seal; so it is in the hearts of the faithful, when the Spirit hath once softened them, then he writes the law, i. e. he stamps an inward aptness, an inward disposition on the heart answering to every particular of the law; this is that which the apostle calls the law of the mind, "I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind," Rom. 7:23. Now, what is this law in the mind, but a disposition within, to keep in some measure every commandment of the law without? And this is the writing of the law, (or if you will), the copying or transcribing of the law within us.

2. It is said to be written, that it might be rooted and riveted in the heart, as, when letters are engraved in marble, so is the manner of God's writing; if God write, it can never be obliterated or blotted out; letters in marble are not easily worn out again, no more are the writings of God's Spirit; some indeed would have them as writings in dust: but if Pilate could say, "What I have written, I have written," how much more may God? Hence are all those promises of performance: "My covenant shall stand fast with him," Psal. 89:28. and "the root of the righteous shall not be moved," Prov. 12:3. And " even to your old age I am he; and even to hoary hair will I carry you," Isa. 46:4. I deny not but men of glorious gifts may fall away, but surely the poorest Christian that hath but the smallest measure of grace, he shall never fall away; if the law be written in our hearts, it still remains there; grace habitual is not removeable; sooner will the sun discard its own beams, than Christ will desert or destroy the least measure of true grace, which is a beam from the Sun of Righteousness.

3. It is said to be written, that it might be as a thing legible to God, to others, and to ourselves. 1. To God; he writes it that he may read it, and take notice of it, he exceedingly delights himself in the graces of his own Spirit: and therefore the spouse after this writing, after the planting of his graces in her, she desires him to "come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits," Cant. 4:16. q. d. Come, read what thou hast written; come, and delight thyself in the graces of thy own Spirit. The only delight that God has in the world is in his garden, a gracious soul: and that he might more delight in it, he makes it fruitful, (and those fruits are precious fruits) as growing from plants set by his own hand, relishing of his own Spirit, and so fitted for his own taste. 2. The law is written that it might be legible to others. So Paul tells the Corinthians, "You are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ," 2 Cor. 3:2,3. How manifestly declared? Why, known and read of all men. As we are able

to read letters graven in stone: so may others read and see the fruits and effects of the law written in our hearts. And good reason, for whereso. ever God works the principles of grace within, it cannot but show itself in the outward life and conversation. It is God's promise, First, "I will put my Spirit within them," Ezek. 36:27. And then, I will cause them to walk in my statutes, and it is God's truth, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," Matt. 12:34. What the mind thinketh the hand worketh. 3. The law is written, that it may be legible to ourselves: a gracious heart is privy to its own grace and sincerity, when it is in a right temper: If others may read it by its fruits, how much more we ourselves, who both see the fruits, and feel that habitual disposition infused into us? Nor is this without its blessed use, for by this means we come to have a comfortable evidence both of God's love to us, and of our love to God. You see now what we mean, by this writing of the law within us.

5. How are we taught of God, so as not to need any other kind of teaching comparatively? I answer,

1. God teacheth inwardly, " In the hidden part thou hast made me know wisdom," saith David. And again, "I thank the Lord that gave me counsel, my reins also instruct me in the night season," Ps. 51:6 and 16,7. The reins are the most inward parts of the body, and the night season the most retired, and private time: both express the intimacy of divine teaching. Man may teach the brains, but God only teacheth the reins; the knowledge which man teacheth is swimming knowledge; but the knowledge which God teacheth is a soaking knowledge. "God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts:" Man's light may shine into the head; but God's light doth shine into the heart: Cathedram habet in cœlis qui corda docet; his chair is in heaven that teacheth hearts, saith Austin.

2. God teacheth clearly: Elihu offering himself instead of God to reason with Job, he tells him, "My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly," Job 33:3. If ever the word come home to an heart, it comes with a convincing clearness; so the apostle," Our gospel came unto you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much full assurance," 1 Thess. 1:5. The word hath a tripple emphasis, assurance, full assurance; and much full assurance: here is clear work.

3. God teacheth experimentally; the soul that is taught of God can speak experimentally of the truths it knows: "I know whom I have believed," saith Paul, 2 Tim. 1:12. I have experienced his faithfulness and all-sufficiency, I dare trust my all with him, I am sure he will keep it safe to that day. Common knowledge rests in generals; but they that are taught of God can say, "As we have heard, so have we seen;" they can go along with every truth, and say it is so, indeed; I have experienced this and that word upon my own heart. In this case the scripture is the original, and their heart is the copy of it, as you have heard; they em read over the promises and threatenings, and say, Probatum est. David in his psalms, and Paul in his epistles, speak their very hearts, and feel their very temptations, and make their very objections; they can set to their seal that God is true, John 3:33. They can solemnly declare by their lives and conversations, that God is true and faithful in his word and promises.

4. God teacheth sweetly and comfortably: "thou hast taught me," saith David, and then it follows," How sweet are thy words unto my taste!

yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth," Psal. 119:102, 103. He rolled the word and promises as sugar under his tongue, and sucked from thence more sweetness than Samson did from his honey-comb: Luther said, "He would not live in paradise, if he must live without the word." Cum "But with the word verbo in inferno, facile est vivere, Tom. 4. oper. lat. (said he) I could live in hell." When Christ puts his hand by the hole of the door to teach the heart, "Her bowels were moved, and then her fingers dropt upon the handles of the lock, sweet smelling myrrh," Cant. 5:5. The teachings of Christ left such blessings upon the first motions of the spouse's heart, that with the very touch of them she is refreshed; her fingers dropt myrrh, and her bowels are moved at the very movements of his gracious teachings: so in Cant. 1:3. "Because of the savor of thy ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured forth, therefore do the vir gins love thee." Christ in ordinances doth as Mary, open a box of ointments, which diffuseth a spiritual savor in church assemblies, and this only the spiritual christian feels. Hence the church is compared to “a garden shut up, a fountain sealed," Cant. 4:12. Wicked men are not able to drink of her delicacies, or smell of her sweetness; a spiritual sermon is a fountain sealed up, the spiritual administration of a sacrament is a garden enclosed: "Sometimes, O Lord, thou givest me a strange motion, or affection (said Aug. lib. 16. Confess. c. 40.) which if it were but perfected in me, I could not imagine what it should be but eternal life." Christians! these are the teachings of God, and in reference to this, "We shall no more teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord." God's teaching is another kind of teaching than we can have from the hands of men; there is no man in the world can teach thus; and therefore they whom God teacheth, need not any other kind of teaching respectively, or comparatively.

5. What is the universality of this knowledge, "They shall all know me from the least of them, to the greatest of them, saith the Lord?" The meaning is, that all that are in the covenant of grace, shall be so taught of God, as that in some measure or other they shall every one know God inwardly, clearly, experimentally, sweetly and savingly. I know there are several degrees of this knowledge; God hath several forms in his school; there are fathers for experience, young men for strength, and babes for the truth and being of grace: as one star differeth from another in glory, so also is the school of Christ: but here I am beset on both sides, 1. Many are apt to complain, Alas! they know little of God: sweet babes, consider, 1. It is free grace, you are stars, though you are not stars of the first or second magnitude; it is of the covenant of grace, that God hath let into your souls a little glimmering, though not so much light as others possibly may have in point of holy emulation (as one notes well, Case correct instruct.) we should look at degrees of grace, but in point of thankfulness and comfort we should look at the truth and being of grace. If you know but a little you may in time know more ; God doth not teach all his lessons at first entrance; it is true, "The entrance of thy word giveth light," Psal. 119:130. But this is as true, that God lets in his light by degrees; it is not to be despised if God do but engage the heart in holy desires and longings after knowledge, so that it can say in sincerity, "My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times," Psal. 119:20.

2.

2. Others on the contrary, ground themselves so learned from this ve. ry promise, that they exclude all teachings of men. "The anointing ay they) teacheth us all things, and we need not that any man teach us,"

1. John 2:27. "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all," &c. Jer. 31:34. I answer, the words either relate to the grounds of religion, and so in gospel times Christians need not to be taught in these fundamental points, for now all know the Lord from the least to the greatest; or else these words are an Hebraism, which deny positively, when they intend it only comparatively, or secundum quid, as when God and men are compared together, man is vanity, lighter than vanity, and a very nothing: here is a comparison of knowledge in gospel-times, with the knowledge of Israel in those dark times, when God brought them out of the land of Egypt; then all was dark, and they were fain to teach one another the very principles, the rudiments of religion, there was very little effusion of God's Spirit in those times; "But in gospel times (saith the prophet) the Spirit of grace and knowledge shall be so abundant, that rather God himself shall be the teacher, than one man shall teach another." There shall be such exuberancy and seas of knowledge under the new covenant, above the covenant made with his people, when he brought them out of Egypt, that men shall not need to teach one another comparatively, for all shall know the Lord, who are taught of God, from the least to the greatest: "An highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein," Isa. 35:8.

6. How is God said to “forgive iniquity, and never more to remember sin?"

For the first, God is said to "forgive iniquity," when the guilt of sin is taken away; and for the second, God is said, "never more to remember sin," in that the sinner after pardon, is never more looked on as a sinner. Is not this the covenant? q. d. I will remove thy sins, and do them away, as if they had never been; I will blot them out of the book of my memory, I will obliterate the writing, that none shall be able to read it. But you will say, if sin remain still in the regenerate, how are they so forgiven, as to be remembered no more? Divines tell us of two things in every sin, there is macula et reatus, the filth and guilt; this guilt some again distinguish into the guilt of sin, which they call the inward dignity and desert of damnation, and the guilt of punishment, which is the actual ordination of a sinner unto damnation. Now, in different respects we say, That sin remains still in believers; and sin doth not remain in believers. First, if we speak of the filth of sin, and of the desert of damnation, so it remains still: but if we speak of the actual obligation of a sinner to condemnation, so it remains not after pardon, but the sinner is as free, as if he never sinned. But you will say, is not the filth of sin done away when sin is remitted? I answer, The filth of sin is not done away by remission, but by sanctification and renovation: and because in this life we have not a perfect inherent holiness (sanctification at best being but imperfect and wrought in us by degrees) therefore during this life there is something of the filth of sin, and especially of the effects of original sin, sticking and still cleaving But here is our comfort, and herein lies the sweet of the promise, that when God hath pardoned sin, he takes away the guilt as to condemnation; he acquits the sinner of that obligation; he now looks upon him not as a sinner, but as a just man; and so in this sense he will forgive, and never more remember his sin. Ah Christians! take heed of their doctrine, who would have justification an abolition of sin in its real essence, and physical indwelling; let us rather say, with scripture, that all the justified saints, must take down their top-sail, and go to heaven halt

to us.