278 The Trial of a perfonalfoving in our he:trts : in fanct:ification there is a new mBn created ; which fpeaks a ·perfet'iion ofparts, tho' there is not pe?feflion of degrees in thefe parts, Eph. iv. 2 4 • 2 Cor. v. 17. ·t Cor. xiii. 12·. This may b6 taken up in thefe four things. I; Th~y approve of the whole law, fo far as 'tis known of them, Pfahn cxix. 128. 1 I efieem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right.' Tney love God: and every part of the law is a line of his image: , wherefore, loving the law as expreffing the image of !,lis holinefs, they mufr needs love the whole law fince there is nothing in· it but what is a tranfcript of that holiqefs. And, as the Head of the covenant; is in their eyes altoget,her lovely, Can. v. 16. the laws of the covenant, being like him, muft be fo too. Why o,o not unbelievers love t.he holy law, but becaufe they do not love a ·holy God? Rom. viii. 7. But believers .loving a holy God in Chrifi, mufi love the holy law alfo, fince in it the image of his holinds is exprefi. The holy law condemns many things in •them; yea every thing of theirs, fo far as 'tis morally imperfect : ~nd fo do , they themfeJves, CfJnjenting unto the /ow , that it is good, Chap. vii. 16. It condemns every fin;·~ even one 's mofi beloved fin, the evil he is mofr eafi.. ly led afide int9 : and for that very caufe, the .unre-\ 11ewed heart hates the law. But the grace of the co • venant makes a man leave his complaint on himfelf ; to approve the law, and condemn his ows lufi con– trary thereto, Rom. vii. 12. 1 'fhe law is holy, and th~ commandment holy, and jufi, and good, Ver. 14~ But I am carnal.' .z. They· have no inclination of heart towards the~ · whole law, fo f.1r as they know it, Pfalm cxix. ~. '0 that my ways were, directed to keep thy fiatutes! ' There is in them a fixed principle, which lies the fame way with the holy law ; bending away from what the law forbids, and towards what the law di– rects lllltO . True, there is a contrary principle in · · ' . d1cm I
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