CHAPTER VI.

The walk of the believer in the way of duty.

It is very hard to go on in a straight course, and for any length of time. The hinderances 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 perfeet 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. 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 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 the 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 practise it in their lives; though not for the same end for which I fulfilled it.

Duty is always one and the same-a debt always due to God. But the debt of obedience being withheld, and the death of suffering being incurred, the believer is taught to plead his discharge from suffering under Christ, and his fulfilling of obedience in the righteousness of Christ. With this faith he has a delightful prospect of duty. God is now at peace with him. God loves him in his Son. his high privilege to enjoy the sense of those distinguishing favours. For this end he is admitted to walk with his God. What an honour is this! Having received the adoption of sons, he is blessed with his Father's love, and is taken into near fellowship with him. What a happiness is this!

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It is

Son, all that I have is thine, it is freely given to thee in Jesus; and thou art now called upon to enjoy me and mine in thy holy walk." Here duty be

comes his privilege. It is exalted and spiritualized into a gospel grace. He is bound to it, but it is by the cords of love. The pleasing bonds of gratitude tie his heart to obedience to a free, holy, evangelical obedience. He obeys, not as a slave, but as a son-not from fear, but because Christ has set him at liberty-not that God may accept, pardon, and justify him, but because God has done all for him, and will do all in him-not that he may have heaven for his obedience, but because heaven is reserved for him, and he for it. He therefore looks at duty, as greatly refined by the gospel. Every act of it done in faith, is an act of fellowship with the Father and with the Son; and, by the grace of the Spirit, every act brings the Father's love through the Son's salvation into experience. He has communion with his God in all he does. This ennobles duty. is hereby raised to a divine honour: for it is hereby made, to them who are in Christ, the highest privilege they can have on this side of heaven.

It

When the Holy Spirit writes the law upon the heart, he then teaches this obedience of faith.. He does not abolish duty, but he enforces it upon right motives, and directs it to a right end. The same duties remain in the gospel, but not upon the same obligation. Law duties, as conditions of life, cannot be fulfilled. The Judge himself has decreed, that by the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Therefore the law, as a covenant of works, does not enter into the believer's obedience. He obeys, because he is freed from this covenantnot freed from doing the same duties which this covenant required, but freed from doing them upon

law motives; neither expecting the promised life on account of keeping the precepts, nor fearing the threatened penalty on account of not keeping them. It is his privilege to obey, because he is saved. He works from a free spirit, and with a thankful heart. He does all his duties in faith. He is spiritual in them, acting upon the endearing motive of God's love to him in Christ, as it has been revealed to his heart by the Holy Spirit. He hopes for the acceptance of them only through the intercession of Christ: and after he has done them ever so well, he desires. grace from Christ to return him all his glory. Thus, in every duty, he aims at fellowship with God in Christ through the Spirit, and seeks to present an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

Whatever thou art required to do, remember, O my soul, that thou art under grace, and it is thy privilege to do it in faith. View the two tables in the hand of thy Saviour, and receive the ten commandments from his mouth. Happy for thee, Jesus is thy lawgiver. His Spirit will evangelize thine obedience. He will bring thine heart into it. He will set thee in the chariot of love, and thou shalt ride on prosperously; he will oil the wheels of duty, and they shall run easy and pleasant. Thou shalt be carried sweetly through duty, thy Beloved being present and conversing with thee in it; yea, thy faith working by love to him will render fellowship with God, in all thou doest, the joy of thy heart and the glory of thy life.

O beg of thy divine Teacher thus to spiritualize thine obedience. From him only canst thou learn