easy

clines the inner man to love obedience. It ceaseth to be a yoke and a burden. How is it to do what one loves! If you dearly love any person, what a pleasure is it to serve him? What will not love put you upon doing or suffering to oblige him? Let love rule in the heart to God and to man, his law will then become delightful, and obedience to it will be pleasantness. The soul will run, yea, inspired by love, it will mount up with wings as eagles, in the way of God's commandments.

Happy are the people, that are in such a case! And is it not, O my soul! in some measure thine? Hast thou not been taught to love God, and his ways? Since thou hast been acquainted with him as thy loving Father in Jesus, has not thy faith been working by love to him, and to his will, and to his whole household and family? Remember this is promised. All the children of God are to be taught to know and to love their heavenly Father. This is the very tenor of the covenant grace, which the almighty spirit has undertaken to fulfil. And

he cannot fail in his office. It is his crown and glory to make good his covenant enO! trust him then, and put

gagements.

honour upon his faithfulness.

mised to guide thee with his

He has
He has pro-

counsel, and

to strengthen thee with his might in the way of obedience to thy reconciled God.

What is within thee, or without thee, to oppose thy walking in love with him, he. will incline thee to resist, and he will enable, thee to overcome. O! what mayest thou not expect from such a divine friend, who is to abide with thee on purpose to keep thy heart right with God. What cannot he

for thee? Such as

do, what will he not do is the love of the Father and of the Son, such is the love of the Holy Ghost; the same free, perfect, everlasting love. Read his promises of it. Meditate on them. Pray to him for increasing faith to mix with them; that he, dwelling in the temple of thy heart, thou mayest have fellowship there with the Father, and with the Son, Whatever in thee is pardoned through, the Son's atonement, pray the Holy Spirit to subdue, that

it may not interrupt communion with thy! God. And whatever grace is to be received out of the fulness of Jesus in order to keep up and to promote that communion, intreat the holy Spirit to give it thee with growing strength. But pray in faith, nothing wavering. So shall the love of God rule in thy heart. And then thou shalt be like the sun, when it goeth forth in its might, shining clearer and clearer to the perfect day. O may thy course be like his, as free, as regular, and as communicative of good, that thy daily petition may be answered, and that the will of thy Father may be done in earth, as it is done in heaven.

When all these things concur, what can be wanting to make the way of obedience easy and pleasant? It is not now an hard burden, impossible to be borne. The Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus, hath made it easy. He has reconciled the believer to the law: for he shows it to him in surety, magnified and made honourable-magnified infinitely in his life—made everlasting honourable in his death so that the Father can get the full

est glory to every divine perfection, even to his justice, by saving sinners through faith in the righteousness of his Son: he can be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. The believer, persuaded of this, is reconciled to God. Being no longer under the law, as a covenant of works, but under grace, he loves the law, and walks with God in sweet obedience to it. He sets out, and goes on every step, in faith -trusting to the acceptance of his person, and of his services in the beloved.

He does

not work now, in order to be saved; but he works, because he is saved. And he ascribes all he does, to the praise of the glory of free grace. He works from gratitude; and the faith of God's elect always does. It never fails to show itself by love. The holy Spirit wins the heart, by revealing to it the love of God; and, thereby, draws out the affections after him. When the commandment comes" My son, give me thy heart"-the son is ready" Lord, take it, and seal it thine for ever." And whatever inbred enmity may *remain against giving it to the Lord, the Holy Spirit has undertaken to subdue it. It

is his office to take away the stony heart, and to create an heart of flesh, soft and willing to receive the impression of this grace. With the same finger, which once wrote the holy law upon tables of stone, it is now written upon the fleshly tables of the heart. And then the love of God, and the love of man, are clearly taught, and effectually enforced. What a change does this make in obedience! Hard things are now done with ease-Rough ways are made smooth-Painful things, become delightful--The labour of love is sweet labour, because the heart is in it-The feet run-the hands work-all the faculties are ready to exert themselves, when love commands.

Thou

O my God, let it be thus with me. hast given me an earnest desire to walk with thee in thy ways; guide me in them by thine almighty Spirit. Let him abide with me, Holy Father, as the Spirit of adoption, that I may always serve thee, as thy reconciled child; not under the law, but under grace. I would gladly walk with thee every step by faith; and that faith working by love to thee