cision of Christ, who took our sins on him; and in removing the ignorance and enmity of the heart, and by enlightening of us, to see the suitableness of Christ, and inflaming our hearts to love and adore him. Thus the apostle of the Gentiles becomes a Jew to the Jews, but still makes Christ the substance and subject matter of his whole ministry.

"To them that are under the law, as under the law." To these poor prisoners, though not prisoners of hope, Paul went back to his former state of bondage, when he warned sinners for three years together, night and day, with tears; he brought forth the matter of his conversation with these, from the bondage of his soul in former days; he brought forth his former exercises when labouring under wrath, terrors, and horrors of soul; his doubts, despondings, and misgivings of heart; the workings of unbelief, carnal enmity, and all manner of concupiscence; his legal striving, and bad success at it, till he was informed that God's grace was sufficient for him, and that his strength was displayed in human weakness, which made the cause of his former grief to be the joy of his soul. "Most gladly therefore will I glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me; for when I am weak then am I strong."

"To them that are without law, as without law." Paul argued with these with sound reasoning, and with the workings of their own thoughts and consciences, and how these accused or excused each

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moned to the bar of equity by his own thoughts, that he may listen to the sentence of conscience, and, when brought in guilty, the restlessness and disquietude of the soul, when his own judgment takes place. All of which shows that conscience is an umpire, has an office assigned, and is empowered to act under one who is higher than conscience; and that this tribunal is daily held under God, and will at last end in a final and universal judgment, and that by God himself. Paul showed to these heathens their native weakness, and the power of sin, and their propensity to evil, even when their resolutions and determinations were against it. Paul showed the rise of this evil, and from whence it came, and the remedy that God had provided against it, and the sinner's need of that remedy, which is the blood of Christ to purge it, and the grace of God to subdue it.

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak." To these Paul spoke of his former staggerings through unbelief, of the instability of his hope and love, of his dim sight, and shallow comprehensions; of his living on the breasts of consolation, the sincere milk of the word, and of his rising and falling, believing and disbelieving according to his transient and momentary comforts; that he was at that time unskilful in the word of righteousness, being, as all others at first are, a babe; that he thought as a child, and spake as a child, and understood as a child, till he became established in the faith, and grew up to be a

man in understanding. And sure I am that we need truth and wisdom in the hidden parts of the heart to discourse to the edification of all these.

It is the heart of the wise that teacheth his mouth. The heart, when furnished with the choice experience of God's Holy Spirit and his grace, is a strange thing; especially when it is brought savingly to know God; for it moves in concert with the light of God's glory shining in the face of Christ; just as the moon does in the face of the sun. The heart rises with joy, and sinks with grief; it enlarges with love, and contracts with, fear; it is courageous in Christ's presence, and fails at his absence; goes forth at the approaches of Christ, and draws back at his departure. It is swoln with grief at the Lord's frowns, but overflows with glee at his smiles; it is smitten and withers like grass when God appears angry, but teems at his approbation, good-will, and pleasure. It trembles at his judgments, but waxes bold at the outgoings of his mercy and lovingkindness; it admires his clemency, but stands in awe of his terrible majesty. It is deeply concerned for God's honour, and it highly resents every affront and insult offered to him; it embraces, upon the first sight, every sincere friend of his, and is closely barred against every enemy of God; and even moves alternately with love and hatred while a doubtful, dubious, and suspected character appears before it, until judgment and conscience bring in their verdict; then the heart opens or shuts, embraces or rejects, ac

cording to the imperfect but honest decision of these feeble judges.

There is an unction and an anointing from the Holy One; and, as he is pleased to instruct us, so we know all things essential to be known. And in his anointing two things are manifest: the one is the motion of the Spirit upon the heart; the other, his illuminating rays upon the understanding. Hence it is said that holy men in old time spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and such are called seers, because they were enlightened to see into futurity. Love and joy in the heart, and the rays of it shining into the understanding, are what is meant by the unctuous teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Many are the lessons which the heart of the elect receives from God the Father, from God the Son, and from God the Holy Ghost. Blessed, says David, is the man whom God chasteneth, and teacheth him out of his. law. It is by the powerful application, and under the influence of the law, that the human heart is laid open. Its terrors bring the soul into bondage; its rigorous demands set the soul to its legal strivings to balance the enormous account; the fear that it works brings amazement into the soul and the terrors of endless death; and the unlimited demands of the law set the poor sinner to working for life; but all in vain. It is under this application and divine teaching that the plague of the heart is felt; the enmity, the desperation, the inflexibi

lity, the unrelentingness of the heart, its stubborn ness, and its wild distraction, are stirred up, manifested, and made to boil up and overflow, and discover itself, to the unutterable astonishment of the awakened sinner. But God has made his most gracious promises to them that know the plague of their own heart, acknowledge their disobedience, and call upon his holy name.

There is also the bitterness of the heart, as well as the plague of it. "The heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger intermeddleth not with his joy," says the wise man. The bitterness of the heart rises up when guilt and wrath, law and conscience, the enmity of the mind, and the displeasure of God, meet together. These make sad work with the poor sinner, and are always attended with the bitterness of death. And the Lord appearing to cross the sinner in all his intentions, to resist him in all his approaches to him, and in providence to walk contrary to him; these things increase the bitterness of the heart. However, these things teach the sinner this wholesome lesson, that he which trusteth in his own heart is a fool. And sure I am that none are more evangelical, none more pure from confidence in the flesh, none cleave more closely to Christ, nor savour more of him, nor loath themselves more in their own sight, than those who have been disciplined with such sharp exercises.

"The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth." His heart and his mouth must go together. He

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