suppressing and keeping under inordinate rebellious workings of corrupt nature, to which there is no desire an indulgence should be given, by having the law attempered to them, but severity rather used to reduce them to a conformity to the law. So will it be, if the law become an impression of the heart. When it can once be truly said, "Thy law is in my heart," it will be also with the same sincerity said, "I delight to do thy will, O my God." a

The continual exercise of good conscience towards God has great pleasure in it. Hereby our way and course are continually reviewed, and we pass censure upon ourselves. The more carefully and the oftener this is done, so much the more delectable it will be; that is, the more approvable we shall find them upon review. We shall order our course the more warily, as we reckon upon undergoing an inquisition and search, wherein an apprehensive serious heart well understands, that it is not itself to be the supreme Judge. How blessed an imitation might there be here of the blessed God himself, who, we find, beheld his six days works, and "lo, they were all very good,”—whereupon follows his delightful day of rest. So, we shall, in some degree of conformity to him,-finding our works to be in such respect good, that he will by gracious indulgence accept them as such,have our own Sabbath, a sweet and peaceful rest in our own spirits. Though we can pretend no higher than sincerity only, yet how sweet are

a Psalm xl. 8.

the reflections of a well instructed conscience upon that, when our hearts reproach us not, and we resolve, they shall not as long as we live,-when we are conscious to ourselves of no base designs, and propose nothing to ourselves, wherein we apprehend cause to decline God's eye, when we walk in the light, and are seeking no darkness or shadow of death, where (as workers of iniquity) we may hide ourselves from him, when we can implore him as an assistant, and appeal to him as a Judge in reference to our daily affairs and wonted course. Is this without pleasure? "This is our rejoicing," says the Apostle," the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world." a

Thus to converse with God,-Him, whom we daily design to glorify and serve, and whom we expect daily in some measure to enjoy, and fully and finally ere it be long,-is certainly throughout a way of pleasantness and peace. How delectable then is this soul-rectifying communication from God, whereby, being before so disaffected, it becomes now so well inclined towards him in all these respects.

But because the exigency of the case did require, by reason of sin that had cut off the intercourse, that there should be a Mediator, to open the way and renew the former friendship, it was also necessary, that so the soul might duly move towards God, and that it

a 2 Cor. i. 12.

should be rightly disposed also towards him. We are therefore to consider too, how delectable this communication must be, as it rightly disposes the heart towards Christ, our way to God. For towards him we must understand it to have been most obstinately and inflexibly averse; and therefore a mighty communication of power was necessary to set it right here.

With regard to that part of religion which is natural, there was so much of an advantage beforehand, as that there was an old foundation to build upon. There are some notions of God left, not only concerning his existence, but concerning also his nature and many of his attributes. And from the apprehension what man was, it was in some measure discernible what he should have been, and ought yet to be towards God; hence would arise many checks and rebukes of conscience, when he was found to be otherwise so that there was somewhat in nature to be wrought upon, as to this part of religion. But as to that part which respects the Mediator, this was a frame wholly to be raised up from the ground. There were no principles immediately and directly inclining to take part with the gospel, but all was to be implanted anew,—the way, that God would take, to bring back souls to him, being so infinitely above all human thought. Though to a considering pagan it would not sound strangely, that God ought to be trusted, feared, or loved,-yet to such the Gospel of Christ was foolishness. Besides, this

way of dealing with men was not only unknown and unimaginable to them, not so much as once thought of or to be guessed at, but the tendency and aspect of it, when it should come to be made known, was such, that it could not but find the temper of men's spirits most strongly opposite, not merely ignorant but prejudiced and highly disaffected. For this course most directly tended to take men quite off from their old course, to stoop and humble and even bring them to nothing, to stain the pride of their glory, and lay them down in the dust as abject wretches, in themselves fit for nothing but to be trampled on and crushed by the foot of divine vengeance. Suppose a man to have admitted a conviction, from the light of his own mind or conscience, that he was a sinner, that he had offended his Maker, incurred his just displeasure, and made himself liable to his punishing justice; it would yet have been hard, to make him believe it altogether impossible to him, to do any thing to remedy the matter, and to restore himself to divine favour and acceptance. He would naturally be inclined to think he should easily find out a way to make God amends. He would recount with himself all his own natural excellencies, and think himself capable of doing some great thing, that should more than expiate his offence, and. make recompense abundantly for any wrong that he had done. But when the gospel shall come, and tell him he has deserved eternal wrath, and that his sin is inexpiable, but by ever

lasting sufferings, or what is of equal value,— that here is one, the eternal Son of God, who became a man like himself, and thereupon a voluntary sacrifice, to make atonement for the transgression of men,-that God will never accept another sacrifice for the sins of men than his, nor ever any service at their hands but for his sake, that they must receive him now revealed to them, rely upon him, and trust to him wholly, or perish without mercy,—that he has put the government over them into his hands, and laid it on his shoulders, and that they must subject themselves to him as their ruler and judge, the great arbiter of life and death to them and all men,—that they are to be entirely devoted to him, as long as they live, as their Redeemer and Lord,-that, as in him they are to have righteousness and strength, so to him they must pay all possible homage and subjection, to him their knees must bow, and their tongues confess,—that they must receive the law from his mouth, be prescribed to by him, comply with his will, though never so much to the crossing of their own,—that notwithstanding, they must know they can deserve nothing by it, and that, so vile and worthless miscreants they are become, God will never have to do with them upon other terms,-when this shall appear to be the state of the case, there cannot but be a strong stream to be striven against, and most vehement counter strivings of the haughty and licentious spirit of man. So that it is not strange, it should be said by our Saviour, "No man can come unto