186 Mlt , IO.p. Job, ~ 4 Luk.14.16 ~al.t..lO Book Ill. Leoking unto :JefUJ. Chap. x.Sect. 6 mate , and within a man which lies next to his heart : he that /oveth father, or m~ther more then me (faith Chrifr) is not worthy 4 me : we know the love of father and mother is a moft natural thing; it comes not by teaching , but it's inbrecl iri us as foone as we are borne , and yet if we love not Chrift more then thefe ifChri!l: lie not cloferto our hearts then father or mother w~ are not worthy of Chnft , our natural life is a moft inward and deep thing in a man, it lies very neare the heart, skjnfw skin (faith the dive! once truly) 11nd all th11t a m:m hath will hegive for his life , but h§ that hates not fat her, and mother, ---yea and his own life a!fo ( fa:d Chdt) hecannot be my Dljcip!e. Hence lhe Apoftle to expre!fe this intimate, inward l1fe of grace , he fa ith , I fi.ve , yet not I, but (hriflliva h itt me, the life which 1 now live in theflefh,l live by the[11ith of the Son·of Cjod, who loved me 11nd gave himfe lf f or me. What an emphatical .lhange ex~ preffion is this.. , I live., yet not I, bP.t Chrift liveth in me ? q.d. I l~ve not the}ife of fenfe, 1 br,eath not·bodilie breath ~ that is, GOf!Jparati.vely to the life offaith ; his very natural life, though inward, is faid not to be lived, in refpeet· ofthisJife 9fgrace., which ismoreinward. And let this ferve for refolution.to that qudlion. 4- Wha;-is it to ha:.ve-thcrLawwr.itten in our heartJ? this writingc::ontaiaes the for.me~,and is fomething .m,ore, the Mt:taphor i~ exprelfecl in thefe particulars. ·-- · I. It is faid to be written, that :there might 'be fomethihg wi-thin, aaCw~rable to the Law· without ; it was written witb· out, and fq it is W(itten within. This writing is the very fame with copying, or tranfcribing. The writing within is every way anfwerable to the writing.without; Oh what a mercy-is this ,that tlie fame God who writ-the Law witl1 ·his own linger· in T a.bles of ftone , ibould al fo wr ite t he fame Law with the finger ofl11s _Spirit in the Tables of our hearts? as you fee-in a feale , when youhave put the fe:d on the wax , and you £ake.it offagain, you find in the.W'lx the fame impreffi on that w,as on the feale : So it is in thehes.rts of the faithful , when the spirit hath o.nce foftened !<hem·, then he. wri tes tpe Law (i. ) he- {lamps aninwardap.tneffe , an inwa-rd difpo!1tion on the heart anfwering to .every paJ- &i~.ula,r o.( tbe Law, ~is · ~s that whkh ther-A ·~"ltle.caUs the ·Lflw of . ~ ~
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