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by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost," Titus iii. 5. Such are sanctified and accepted of God, and no other; "That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."

9. The law of trumpets. "Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day: for this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob," Psal. lxxxi. 3, 4. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the rushing of a mighty wind filled the house, and the Spirit filled the hearts of the apostles. "The Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south," Zech. ix. 14. The apostles were the angels sent forth with this great sound of a trumpet to gather the elect together, Matt. xxiv. 31. And at the sound of this great trumpet they came to the feast that were ready to perish, Isai. xxvii. 13. And the poor guests at this feast are thus described; "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted," Psal. lxxxix. 15, 16. This joyful sound is our jubilee, and is a release of debts. The name of God there mentioned is his covenant name, that of being gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in goodness and truth; forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. But this grace is the grace of the Spirit. This mercy is

applied by the Holy Ghost; for, "Of his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." These persons are to rejoice; the fruits of the Spirit being love, joy, peace: they are to rejoice all the day; and there is no day where the Spirit of revelation and understanding comes not, for all natural men are children of the night, 1 Thess. v. 5. In the Lord's righteousness these persons are to be exalted: but there is no righteousness in carnal men, nor yet in the saints without the Spirit; for they are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. vi. 11.

10. The law of the God of Jacob enjoins that the trumpet should always be blown in the new moon, which is verified in the saints of God all the year round; for wherever the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ, there the Sun of righteousness rises; and every time the Spirit takes of the things that are Christ's, and shews them to us, there the new moon feast continues; and both this sun and this moon are to continue with the saints for evermore. 66 The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself."

11. The law of kindness, Prov. xxxi. 26. This is not to be found among the ministers of the letter, or any of the sons of death; for, though sinners love sinners, yet they are sure to destroy each other, either by sin, by errors, or by decep

tion; for, "The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." The law of kindness is peculiar to the new man. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering," &c. Col. iii. 12. These are fruits of the Spirit, members of the new man that bears God's image, and altogether the work of the Holy Spirit, and of no other. "But we all with open face, beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord,” 2 Cor. iii. 18.

12. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may enter in through the gates into the city," Rev. xxii. 14. The first thing in this text is a blessing; the second life from Christ; and the third an entrance into the city. He that has a part in the first resurrection is a blessed and holy man; and we are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, Col. ii. 12. This man has life already, for, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth," John vi. 63. And, "The Spirit is life because of righteousness." And such a soul is already in the heavenly Jerusalem, and a free man of it. "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. So then we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free," Gal. iv. 26; hence called fellow citizens. And this freedom is in all spiritual men by the Holy Spirit. "Restore unto me the joys of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit."

13. The law of release, or the law of liberty. "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty," James ii. 12. "Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

14. The law of circumcision. "The uncircumcised man child shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant," Gen. xvii. 14. "The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." And, "We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," Philip. iii. 3.

15. The law of the mind. "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind," Rom. vii. 23. "God shall persuade Japheth," Gen. ix. 27. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." "I am persuaded that neither life, nor death, things present, nor things to come, shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." This persuasion is faith, and faith is a fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," Gal. v. 22.

16. "This is the law of the burnt-offering," Levit. vi. 9. The best burnt-offerings that ever were offered to God by poor sinners are spiritual prayers, praises, thank-offerings, and sacrificing

with the voice of joy; and all these with the fire of love in the heart. "Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people," Isai. lvi. 7. But where is this love to come from, which kindles the burnt-offering? Paul answers; "Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us."

17. "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips," Mal. ii. 6. And, "When the Spirit of truth is come, he will into all truth." The Holy Spirit is the truth of this law.

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18. "The law of the wise is a fountain of life," Prov. xiii. 14. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive."

19. "My Son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother," Prov. i. 8. Hagar is the mother of all bond children, and bond children are called servants, and not sons. Sarah is the free woman. Hence we are commanded to look to Abraham our father, and to Sarah that bare us. Sarah was a believer, and blessed of God, and her son was by promise, Gal. iv. 29. "Now we, as Isaac was, are the children of promise;" and, as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so the

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