to which interpretation we find Christ speaking of it in the latter part of the text as His Righteousness: "but my Righteousness shall be for ever." And what is this Righteousness which shall be for ever; but that "everlasting Righteousness, which he has brought in,"c even" the Righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, and is uuto all, and upon all them that believe."d

It is this Righteousness then, which the people in the text are represented as knowing. They "know Righteousness." They see and understand the great doctrine of Justification by Faith as revealed and taught in the Gospel. Nay more, they not only understand it ; but they approve of it; they acquiesce in and submit to it. They have been brought to see that they have no righteousness of their own: that tried by the holy and spiritual law of God they cannot stand before him in judgment; and consequently that they have need of some other righteousness, in which they may appear before his dread tribunal, and may come into his pre-sence with acceptance. Thus feeling, deeply feeling their own insufficiency, they gladly hear, and thankfully accept the offers of Righteousness made to them in the Gospel; and believing what is there written, they find comfort to their souls. "Being justified by faith they have peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Thus they "know Righteousness." They know it inwardly and experimentally. Compare their state with that which St. Paul describes to have been the Dan. ix. 24. Rom. iii. 22.

state of the unbelieving Jews. He bears them record, "that they had a zeal of God; but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."e Now the Persons described

in the text, are in every particular opposite to the Jews here spoken of."The zeal of God which they have, is according to knowledge. For they are not ignorant of God's Righteousness: and consequently do not go about to establish their own righteousness; but do submit themselves to the Righteousness of God."

In short, with the same Apostle, they earnestly desire to win Christ, and to be found in him, not having their own Righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by faith." This is one part of their character.

2d. They have the law of God in their heart.

This is the other, and a no less important part of their character. It is a distinction, which peculiarly marks out the people of Christ. In that better cove · enant, of which he was the Mediator, established upon better promises, it was expressly foretold as one of these promises, that he would "put his laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts."g Let us see what this expression means.

The Law of God is the Law of the Ten Commandments. It is that holy, just, and good law, which is necessarily given by a holy, just, and good God, and is

e Rom. x. 3. f Phillippians, iii, 9. g Jer. xxxi. 33.

God is Love and his law

:

in fact a copy of himself. therefore is Love. It enjoins and requires Love; love to God, and love to man for God's sake. To have this law then in the heart, it is to have the likeness and image of God there. It is to have love in the beart. It implies that there is an inward disposition to delight in the law of God, to obey and practice it. It means that the soul is conformed to his will, and is desirous above all things to do whatever he commands, and would have it do. Now that this state and disposition of the heart is peculiar to the people of Christ the following state'ment will clearly show. When man was first created," the law of God was in his heart, "for he was made in the image of God, after his likeness." He loved God, and was disposed, and delighted to do his will. But this image he lost at the fall. Having sinned he no longer retained the divine likeness. He no longer loved God, nor his holy law, and will. From that time "the carnal mind," which means the mind of man in its natural state under the dominion of sin, " is enmity against God;" and consequently "is not the law of God, neither indeed can be."h delighting in its holy, and reasonable precepts the carnai mind dislikes them; regards them as unjust and oppressive; rebels against them, and strives to be altogether free from their restraint and controul. Its secret language is, "Let me break their bonds asunder, . and cast away their cords from me." Thus the law of God is not in the heart. And need we be reminded what a dreadful state this is. Surely if we reflect for Rom. viii. 7. 20

VOL. II.

subject to

For from

a moment we must be sensible, that to have in our minds enmity against God, the good, the just, the holy God, to dislike his service, to hate his law, is indeed a dreadful state. Yet it is naturally the state of ali men since the fall of Adam. They are all born in his image, after his likeness, and not after God's. They are all born with carnal minds, and rebellious wills: nor is there any remedy for this dreadful evil, any cure for this inveterate disease, but that which the Gospel provides. Christ is the only physician, who can heal this malady, and can restore the soul to its original health. It is only through his grace that this great and important change can be wrought in the heart; that the carnal mind can become spiritual; that the soul can be renewed to the likeness, and image of God. Man of himself is not only utterly unable to effect this mighty change in his own beart, but he is utterly indisposed to set about it. The people therefore in the text, who are described as having the law of God in their heart, have been brought into this state by Jesus Christ, and consequently are his people. He is the person, who, in fulfillment of his own gracious promise, has taken away the heart of stone, and has given to them a heart of flesh; has put his spirit within them, and causes them to walk in his statutes. He it is who has put his law in their minds, and has written it in their hearts. Being justified by his blood, they are also sanctified by his spirit. Having been brought to trust in his righteousness, and to flee to him for refuge, they have been graciously accepted, treated as dear children, and adorned with the graces and beauties of his spirit.

Thus they find in themselves a great and sensible change. They perceive that a work, to which they once were strangers, has been wrought in their souls. They feel that they love that holy law, which they once disliked. They see the reasonabless and excellence of its precepts. They long to obey it perfectly; to be entirely conformed to it in the spirit of their minds. They no longer knowingly and deliberately allow themselves in the practice of any thing which it forbids, or in the omission of any thing which it commands. They condemn themselves severely for even their unallowed. transgressions of it. They grieve, and lament that they cannot fulfill its injunctions better. They pray daily for grace to enable them to walk according to its spir itual demands; and they look forward to heaven as the place of consummate happiness, because there they shall be perfectly freed from all remainder of sin, and shall serve God, and do his will, as cheerfully and constantly, as the blessed Angels themselves. Such are the persons addressed in the text. Who are there

among us, that answer this description, that thus know Righteousness, and have the law of God in their hearts : that find within themselves those convictions and desires, those feelings and dispositions, which I have shewn to belong to the persons here described? Let all such pay peculiar attention, while we consider,

II. The Address here made to them.

"Hearken unto me-fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall