give me

Let thy

and to thy whole will. O God! grace sufficient for my holy walk. faithful promise be daily fulfilled: write thy law still plaincr in mine inward parts, and let it be more fairly copied out of my life. I want to love thee more, as thou knowest. O my God, keep my heart sensible of the exceeding riches of thy love to me, and let the growing sense of this increase mine to thee. In the strength of thy good Spirit, enable me to overcome inward and outward opposition to my walking with thee in love. Let him strengthen me mightily in the inner man for every labour of love. From him cometh power to embrace and to cleave with full purpose of heart unto the ways of God-to love what he loves-and to hate what he hates. O thou blessed Spirit of the Father and of the Son! make me willing, keep me able to enjoy the Father's love in his Son : and let it be a growing love, abounding yet more and more in knowledge, and in all sensible feeling, that I may run and not be weary--may be going on to the end, and not be faint. Even so. Let it be done unto thy

servant according to thy word, wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust. Let me

have fellowship with the Father in his love, through the salvation of his Son, by thine influence upon my heart, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen.

CHAP. VI.

The walk of the Believer in the way of duty.

Ir is very hard to go on in a straight course, and for any length of time. The hindrances are many. To understand the nature and obligation of duty-to enter upon it with right motives-to perform it in a proper temper-to go through it without backwardness or weariness, not by constraint, but willingly-and to find the true end of doing it answered; these are great difficulties but they will be removed in some measure out of the believer's walk, if he attend to what was said before of obedience in general, and if he be enabled to bring it into practice.

It cannot be too often repeated, that the true believer is not under the law, as a covenant of works-bound to keep the precept for life, or liable to the penalty of death. He is not under the law in this respect, but under grace. He is one with Christ, who kept the precept, and suffered the penalty for him, as his surety, and in his stead. He has put in his plea, and taken the benefit of Christ's suretyship. His plea has been admitted; and, therefore, he is in a state of perfect acceptance. He stands in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free. Grace reigns in him, and over him; and renders his obedience perfect freedom. He obeys, but it is all in faith. He works, but it is from a sense of the Father's love to him in his Son. Gratitude, taught by the Holy Spirit, influences his heart and life. His heart has the love of God written upon it; and his life manifests it. He serves God with a thankful mind, and without fear; and cheerfully does all the good he can to man for God's sake.

The believer will never get on in the way

of duty, unless he learns to obey upon these gospel principles. He will stand in need of their assistance at every step: for he will meet with constant opposition to them. The flesh will not come under grace. The carnal mind is always legal. The old man of sin knows nothing but working for life; and will not submit to any other way. Our sinful nature is altogether for the covenant of works. Jews, Turks, Heathens, and nominal Christians, are all upon one plan; they expect God will be merciful to them for their doings. And the children of God are exercised with this self-righteous spirit, more or less, all their days. Is it not, O my soul, thy grief and burden? Art thou not daily plagued with it in thy duties? And though thy principles be very evangelical; yet they too often fail thee in practice. O beg of God, then, earnestly and often, that thou mayest be cast into the mould of the Gospel, quite evangelized in thy mind; and mayest perform all duties upon such motives as he himself requires and approves.

Duty is a debt owing to God-due from

1

the creature to the creator. The obligation to it arises from the absolute dependence of the one upon the other; and it consists in acknowledging this in the appointed way, by a perfect and continual service of every faculty -the creature being entirely subject to the will of the creator, and living in never-failing conformity to it: for the will of God doth bind all men on earth, and angels and glorified spirits in heaven. It is an unchangeable law, obliging for ever all creatures to obedience, not only on account of the matter contained in it, but also with respect to the sovereign authority of the almighty lawgiver. And this obligation Christ in the gospel has not in the least dissolved, but on all occasions has confirmed and strengthened. How decisive are these words! "Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil;" to fulfil the law in mine own person, as the surety for my people, and to put the love of it into their hearts, and to engage them, and to enable them to practice it in