An Humble, Earnest and Affectionate Address to the Clergy

AN HUMBLE, EARNEST, AND Affectionate ADDRESS TO THE CLERGY.

BY WILLIAM LAW, A. M.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOSEPH CRUKSHANK, IN MARKET-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD-STREETS, M DCC LXXXVI.

SOME ACCOUNT OF WILLIAM LAW, AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS AND DIVERS OTHER RELIGIOUS TRACTS.

HE was born at King's Cliff, a Market-town in Northamptonſhire, (G. B.) in the Year 1687; his Parents were of good Repute and in Circumſtances, which enabled them to give him a liberal Education.— He was ſent early to the Univerſity of Cambridge and was of Emanuel College, where his ſuperior Genius ſoon diſtinguiſhed itſelf by three Letters to (Hoadly) the Biſhop of Bangor ſo greatly, that upon their Publication the celebrated Biſhop Atterbury waited upon him and made him this Compliment; "Mr. Law, from your Writings, inſtead of ſeeing a Youth, I ſhould have expected to ſee grey Hairs." The univerſal Applauſe thoſe three Letters met with, inſtead of filling his mind with Pride and Vanity, the too pregnant Attendants of ſuperior Abilities and human Applauſe, only ſerved to make him the more retired from the World, in order the more deeply to look into himſelf.

He lived a ſingle Life, and the laſt twenty Years of it in the ſame Town in which he was born; but the Reaſons of his not continuing in the Miniſtry can only be conjectured: For it is not known that he ever acquainted any one with them.

As to his Sentiments concerning all Churches of the preſent Time, they are ſufficiently manifeſt in his Writings; and they are, that all of them are in a fallen State both with reſpect to Doctrine and Practice, having wandered very far from the Truth, and the Spirit of the Goſpel, placing Religion in a regular round of formal, dull Duties, or Performances, and empty, groundleſs Doctrines, inſtead of the real Love of God and Man. The firſt Fruits which his Retirement produced were his two excellent Treatiſes of Chriſtian Perfection and Serious Call to a Devout and holy Life: From theſe inſtructive Writings, by a gradual Progreſs in Spirituality and ſound Philoſophy, Providence called him (when he was duly qualified for it) to illuſtrate and unfold deep myſtic Writings, which he hath done with much Fulneſs and Depth of Penetration.

In the Year 1727 he founded a Charity-ſchool at King's Cliff, and afterwards added two Tenements for two ancient Women with a weekly Allowance.

In the Year 1745, Elizabeth Hutchinſon, relict of Archibald Hutchinſon, Eſq of Weſtminſter, founded another School in the ſame Place, for the Education and Clothing of eighteen poor Boys, and afterwards added to it four little Tenements for four ancient Widows.— Theſe Charities are under the Direction of ſix Truſtees, and are always to be appropriated only to the Benefit of the Town of King's Cliff.

The following Circumſtances whereby he was enabled to be extenſively uſeful are remarkable.—Attending the Feaſt of the Sons of the Clergy at St. Paul's Cathedral, a Gentleman who was unknown to him came to him and aſked his Name, to whom he modeſtly anſwered, "My Name, Sir, is William Law." Whereupon upon the Gentleman gave him a Letter directed to our Author himſelf, which he, for the preſent, put into his Pocket, and which, upon opening it at a convenient Opportunity, he found incloſed a Bank Note for one thouſand Pounds Sterling: And at another time a Bank Note for five hundred Pounds Sterling, was ſent him from an unknown Hand. Note here, that the abovenamed Elizabeth Hutchinſon, and — Gibbons, retiring from the diſtracting Cares which attend Gentlewomen in high Life, lodged their Money in the Public Funds and lived with W. Law for ſeveral Years before his Death; and afterwards reſided very amicably in the Houſe which he left; never going up to London, but enjoying the Sweets of Retirement.

George Ward, that Self-denying Myſtic, to whom ſeveral of Law's Letters which have been publiſhed are directed, a moſt amiable Man, ſcarce known to the World, commonly viſited them once a Year.

That truly pious and catholic-ſpirited Writer, Doctor Philip Doddridge, in a Sermon to young Perſons, has the following Paſſage concerning William Law. "It is an awakening Saying of one of the moſt lively and pathetic, as well as moſt pious, Writers which our Age has produced. That the Condition of Man, in his natural State, ſeems to be like that of a Perſon ſick of a variety of Diſeaſes, knowing neither his Diſtemper nor Cure, but unhappily encloſed in a Place where he could hear, or ſee, or taſte, or feel nothing, but what tended to inflame his Diſorder. Law of Chriſtian Perfection, Page, II.

The Writer of the Life of John Buncle,^[1] after having unreaſonably cenſured William Law, as a Viſionary and Enthuſiaſt, &c. was obliged to acknowledge the following excellent Character of him and of the aforementioned Treatiſes. The Reverend Nonjuror, Mr. WILLIAM LAW, was a Man of Senſe, a fine Writer and a fine Gentleman. His Temper was charming, ſweet, and delightful; and his Manners quite primitive, and uncommonly pious: He was all Charity and Goodneſs, and ſo ſoft and gentle in Converſation, that I have thought myſelf in Company with one of the Men of the firſt Church at Jeruſalem, while with him. He had likewiſe the juſteſt Notions of Chriſtian Temper and Practice, and recommended them in ſo inſinuating a Manner, that even a Rake would hear him with Pleaſure? I have not ſeen any Thing like him among the Sons of Men in theſe particulars. He was really a very extraordinary Man; and, to his Honour, be it remembered, that he had the great Concern of human Life at Heart, took a Deal of Pains in the Pulpit, and from the Preſs, witneſs his two fine Books on Chriſtian Perfection and a Devout Life; to make Men fear God and keep his Commandments. He was a good Man indeed. Theſe are good Books, written in the true Spirit of Chriſtianity and well worth the Conſideration of Chriſtians.

This engaging Character of Wm. Law brings to Mind the following Anecdote we have ſomewhere met with. "The Earl of Peterborough, after a Viſit paid by him to Fenelon, Archbiſhop of Cambray, ſaid to Alexander Pope, Fenelon is a Man caſt in a particular Mould which has not been uſed for any Body elſe: He is a delicious Creature! But I was forced to get from him as ſoon as I poſſibly could; for elſe he would have made me pious."

In his younger Years Law exhibited very conſpicuouſly, ſufficient Proofs of being learned in human Arts and Sciences; but he ſoon embraced the Counſel our Saviour gave the rich young Man and renounced the World wholly; and ſolely followed CHRIST, in Meekneſs, Humility and Self-denial. In his latter Years he was looked upon as quite abſorbed and throughly animated with Love to GOD and Men; ſo that the Powers of Life in him were nothing but heavenly Love and heavenly Flames.

A Writer, under the Signature of Chriſtophilus, in Lloyd's Evening Poſt in the Year 1772, ſpeaking of William Law and recommending his Writings, ſays, "Though I had no long Acquaintance with him, yet a few Months before his Deceaſe, I was indulged with an ample and intimate Converſation with him upon the State of Religion in our Time and Nation, and on many other the moſt intereſting Subjects. This I regard as a Favour of GOD beſtowed on me, and which I would not have been without on any Conſideration. I only wiſh to make the very beſt Uſe of it, in all Reſpects.— Mr. Law lived as he wrote and died as he lived. I am pretty credibly informed that amidſt the moſt excruciated Pains of the Stone, and at the Age of Seventy five Years, immediately before his Diſſolution, riſing up in his Bed, he ſaid, Take away theſe filthy Garments; I feel a Fire of Love within, which has burnt up every Thing contrary to itſelf and transformed every Thing into its own Nature. Oh! might every Miniſter and each of their Flocks (of every Denomination) live the Life and die the Death of this truly righteous Man!"

"To give a ſhort Specimen of the Converſation which paſſed between us; Sir, (ſays he) I am not fond of religious Goſſiping. My beſt Thoughts are in my Works, and to them I recommend you. If I ſhould ſeem to you a poſitive old Fellow, I cannot help it, well knowing the Ground from which I write: But, dear Sir, above all Things be preſent with, and attend carefully to, your own Heart; there you will be ſure to meet with all the Evil; and there only you can meet with God and all real Goodneſs.—Having already reaped Benefit by this Advice▪ (through God's Mercy) I communicate it to the Public for the ſame End; it is needful; and may it prove, together with his other Writings, a Standard lifted up againſt that Inundation of infidel Profligacy and notional Faith; againſt the numberleſs Number of flagrant Sinners and hypocritical, falſe Saints, which every where divide a fallen Chriſtendom."

"Upon my own Knowledge, ſays the worthy Hartley, Mr. Law was a Gentleman of free Converſation and often received Company at his Houſe in King's Cliff."

He died April 9th 1761, Aged 75 Years, and the whole of the following Addreſs was ſent by himſelf to be printed, except a few Pages, the laſt of which was written by him not many Days before his Death, and though it appears chiefly directed to the Epiſcopal Clergy, is of common Concern to all profeſſed Miniſters of the Goſpel and Chriſtians in general.

An Extract from a Letter written by the late WILLIAM LAW, to J*** R*****, of Northampton, in Anſwer to one from the latter, wherein he intimated to W. L. a Deſire to pay him a VISIT, propoſing thereby to receive Inſtruction from his Converſation on the SPIRITUAL LIFE.

AS to your Intention of a Viſit here I can ſay Nothing to encourage it, and though my Countenance would have no forbidding Airs put on by myſelf, yet as old Age has given me her own Complexion, I might perhaps bear the Blame of it.

But my chief Objection againſt a Viſit of this Kind, is the Reaſon which you give for it, viz. For my inſtructive Converſation on the Spiritual Life.

An Appointment for religious Converſation has a taking Sound, and paſſeth for a Sign of great Progreſs in Goodneſs; but with Regard to myſelf ſuch a Meeting would rather make me ſilent than a Speaker in it.

Firſt, Becauſe I hurt myſelf, and am only acting a Part if I ſpeak to Perſons on ſpiritual Matters either ſooner or further than as the Spirit of God (which bloweth when and where it liſteth) would be reſiſted in me if I held my Tongue.

Secondly, Becauſe it is deluding the Perſons I ſpeak to, and helping them to be content with an imaginary falſe Food, ſhould I as a ſpiritual Aſſiſtant ſpeak to them of any Thing but that which is their own Evil and their own Good: For true Edification ariſes only from ſuch Knowledge, and not from devout Harangues on the ſpiritual Life in general, though ſet forth in the moſt enlivened Words.

The Spiritual Life is Nothing elſe but the working of the Spirit of God within us, and therefore our own Silence muſt be a great Part of our Preparation for it, and much ſpeaking or Delight in it will be often no ſmall Hindrance of that Good which we can only have from hearing what the Spirit and Voice of God ſpeaketh within us.

This is not enough known by religious Perſons; they rejoice in kindling a Fire of their own, and delight too much in hearing of their own Voice, and ſo loſe that inward Unction from above which can alone new create their Hearts.

To ſpeak with the Tongues of Men or Angels on religious Matters, is a much leſs Thing than to know how to ſtay the Mind upon God, and abide with him in the Cloſet of our Hearts, obſerving, loving, adoring, and obeying his holy Power within us.

Rhetoric and fine Language about the Things of the Spirit is a vainer Babble than in other Matters; and he that thinks to grow in true Goodneſs by hearing or ſpeaking flaming Words or ſtriking Expreſſions, as is now much the Way of the World, may have a great Deal of Talk, but will have but little of his Converſation in Heaven.

I have wrote very largely on the Spiritual Life, and he that has read and likes it, has of all Men the leaſt Reaſon to aſk me any Queſtions about, or viſit me on that Occaſion. He underſtands not my Writings, nor the End of them, who does not ſee that their whole Drift is to call all Chriſtians to a God and Chriſt within them, as the only poſſible Life, Light, and Power of all Goodneſs they can ever have; and therefore as much turn my Readers from myſelf, as from any other Lo here, or Lo there.—I invite all People to the Marriage of the Lamb, but no one to myſelf.

Your Humble Servant, W. L.

SHOULD the Peruſal of the foregoing Extract excite in the Minds of any a Deſire to become acquainted with more of this Author's Sentiments reſpecting the important Subject of Chriſtianity, they are referred to his Literary Works, which well deſerve the moſt ſerious and attentive Peruſal, being evidently the Fruits of an unfeigned Piety: They prove beyond the ſmalleſt Degree of Doubt, the Inſufficiency of the Human Reaſon unenlightened by Revelation to comprehend the Myſteries of the Chriſtian Religion, which are only clearly underſtood by the Spiritually Diſcerning.

This Divinely-inſpired Writer hath wiſely rejected, as vain and trifling with Reſpect to the great Cauſe of True Religion, all thoſe abſtruſe Speculations which are merely human, and equally within the Reach of the virtuous and the vicious, as they too frequently ſerve but to divert the Mind from the proper Object of its Contemplation. How very inconſiderable is that Knowledge which relates only to Things terreſtrial, that Study which extends not beyond the narrow Confines of Time, when compared to the Acquiſition of True Wiſdom, which maketh wiſe unto Salvation, whoſe Ways are Ways of Pleaſantneſs, and all whoſe Paths are Peace. Thoſe who receive their Inſtructions from the Source of Divine Knowledge, and purſue that Mode of Conduct it points out to them, will aſſuredly experience that Peace which the World can neither give nor take away, and anticipate with Joy inexpreſſible that awful Moment, that moſt ſolemn Seaſon when the immortal Soul ſhall take its Flight to the unexplored Regions of Futurity. Happy is the Man that findeth Wiſdom: Whoſo findeth her findeth Life, and ſhall obtain Favour of the Lord.

AN ADDRESS TO THE CLERGY.

THE Reaſon of my humbly and affectionately addreſſing this Diſcourſe to the Clergy, is not, becauſe it treats of Things not of common concern to all Chriſtians, but chiefly to invite and induce them, as far as I can, to the ſerious Peruſal of it; and becauſe whatever is eſſential to Chriſtian Salvation, if either neglected, overlooked, or miſtaken by them, is of the ſaddeſt Conſequence both to themſelves, and the Churches in which they miniſter.—I ſay eſſential to Salvation, for I would not turn my own Thoughts, or call the Attention of Chriſtians to any Thing, but the one Thing needful, the one Thing eſſential, and only available, to our Riſing out of our fallen State, and becoming, as we were at our Creation, an holy Offspring of God, and real Partakers of the divine Nature.

If it be aſked, What this one Thing is? It is the SPIRIT OF GOD brought again to his FIRST POWER OF LIFE IN US. Nothing elſe is wanted by us, nothing elſe intended for us, by the Law, the Prophets, and the Goſpel. Nothing elſe is, or can be effectual, to the making ſinful man become again a godly Creature.

Every thing elſe, be it what it will, however glorious and divine in outward Appearance, every Thing, that Angels, Men, Churches, or Reformations, can do for us, is dead and helpleſs, but ſo far as it is, the immediate Work of the Spirit of God, breathing, and living in it.

All Scripture bears full witneſs to this Truth, and the End and Deſign of all that is written, is only to call us back from the Spirit of Satan, the Fleſh, and the World, to be again under full Dependance upon, and Obedience to the Spirit of God, who out of free Love, and thirſt after our Souls, ſeeks to have his firſt Power of Life in us. When this is done, all is done, that the Scripture can do for us.—Read what Chapter, or Doctrine of Scripture you will, be ever ſo delighted with it, it will leave you as poor, as empty, and unreformed, as it found you, unleſs it be a Delight, that proceeds from, and has turned you wholly, and ſolely to the Spirit of God, and ſtrengthened your Union with, and Dependance upon Him. For Love and Delight in matters of Scripture, whilſt it is only a Delight that is merely human, however Specious and Saint-like it may appear, is but the Self-love of ſallen Adam, and can have no better a Nature, till it proceeds from the Inſpiration of God, quickening his own Life and Nature within us, which alone can have, or give forth a godly Love. For if it be an immutable Truth, that no man can call Jeſus, Lord, but by the Holy Ghoſt, it muſt be a Truth equally immutable, that no one can have any one Chriſt-like Temper, or Power of Goodneſs, but ſo far, and in ſuch Degree, as he is immediately led, and governed by the holy Spirit.

The Grounds and Reaſons of which, are as follow.

All poſſible Goodneſs, that either can be named, or is nameleſs, was in God from all Eternity, and muſt to all Eternity be inſeparable from him; it can be no where, but where God is. As therefore before God created any Thing, it was certainly true, that there was but one that was good; ſo it is juſt the ſame Truth, after God has created innumerable Hoſts of bleſſed, holy, and heavenly Beings, that there is but one that is good, and that is God.

All that can be called Goodneſs, Holineſs, divine Tempers, heavenly Affections, &c. in the Creatures, are no more their own, or the Growth of their created Powers, than they were their own, before they were created. But all that is called divine Goodneſs and Virtue in the Creature, is nothing elſe, but the one Goodneſs of God manifeſting a Birth, and Diſcovery of itſelf in the Creature, according as its created Nature is fitted to receive it. This is the unalterable State between God and the Creature. Goodneſs, for ever and ever, can only belong to God, as eſſential to him, and inſeparable from him, as his own Unity.

God could not make the Creature to be great, and glorious in itſelf; this is as impoſſible, as for God to create Beings into a State of Independance on himſelf. The Heavens, ſaith David, declare the Glory of God; and no Creature, any more than the Heavens, can declare any other Glory, but that of God. And as well might it be ſaid, that the Firmament ſheweth forth its own Handy-Work, as that a holy, divine, or heavenly Creature, ſheweth forth its own natural Power.

But now, if all that is divine, great, glorious, and happy, in the Spirits, Tempers, Operations, and Enjoyments of the Creature, is only ſo much of the Greatneſs, Glory, Majeſty, and Bleſſedneſs of God, dwelling in it, and giving forth various Births of his own triune Life, Light, and Love, in and through the manifold Forms, and Capacities of the Creature to receive them, then we may infallibly ſee the true Ground and Nature of all true Religion; and when, and how, we may be ſaid to fulfil all our Religious Duty to God. For the Creatures true Religion, is its rendering to God, all that is God's, it is its true continual Acknowledging all that which it is, and has, and enjoys, in and from God. This is the one true Religion of all intelligent Creatures, whether in Heaven, or on Earth; for as they all have but one and the ſame Relation to God, ſo though ever ſo different in their ſeveral Births, States or Offices, they all have but one and the ſame true Religion, or right Behaviour towards God. Now the one Relation, which is the Ground of all true Religion, and is one and the ſame between God, and all intelligent Creatures, is this, it is a total, unalterable Dependance upon God, an immediate, continual receiving of every Kind, and Degree of Goodneſs, Bleſſing, and Happineſs, that ever was, or can be found in them, from God alone. The higheſt Angel has nothing of its own, that it can offer unto God, no more Light, Love, Purity, Perfection, and glorious Hallelujahs, that ſpring from itſelf, or its own Powers, than the pooreſt Creature upon Earth. Could the Angel ſee a Spark of Wiſdom, Goodneſs, or Excellence, as coming from, or belonging to its ſelf, its Place in Heaven would be loſt, as ſure as Lucifer loſt his. But they are ever abiding Flames of Pure Love, always aſcending up to, and uniting with God, for this Reaſon, becauſe the Wiſdom, the Power, the Glory, the Majeſty, the Love, and Goodneſs of God alone, is all that they ſee, and feel, and know, either within, or without themſelves.—Songs of Praiſe to their heavenly Father, are their raviſhing Delight, becauſe they ſee, and know, and feel, that it is the Breath and Spirit of their Heavenly Father that ſings and rejoices in them. —Their Adoration in Spirit and in Truth never ceaſes, becauſe they never ceaſe to acknowledge the ALL of God;—the ALL of God in themſelves, and the ALL of God in the whole Creation. This is the one Religion of Heaven, and nothing elſe is the Truth of Religion on Earth.

The Matter therefore plainly comes to this, Nothing can do, or be, the Good of Religion to the intelligent Creature, but the Power and Preſence of God, really and eſſentially living and working in it. But if this be the unchangeable Nature of that Goodneſs and Bleſſedneſs, which is to be had from our Religion, then of all Neceſſity, the Creature muſt have all its Religious Goodneſs, as wholely and ſolely from God's immediate Operation, as it had its firſt Goodneſs at its Creation. And it is the ſame Impoſſibility for the Creature to help itſelf to That, which is good, and bleſſed in Religion, by any Contrivance, Reaſonings, or Workings of its own Natural Powers, as to create itſelf. For the Creature after its Creation, can no more take any Thing to itſelf, that belongs to God, than it could take it, before it was created. And if Truth forces us to hold, that the Natural Powers of the Creature could only come from the one Power of God, the ſame Truth ſhould ſurely more force us to confeſs, that That which comforts, that which enlightens, that which bleſſes, which gives Peace, Joy, Goodneſs, and reſt to its natural Powers, can be had in no other way, nor by any other Thing, but from God's immediate, holy Operation found in it.

Now the Reaſon, why no Work of Religion, but that which is begun, continued, and carried on by the Living Operation of God in the creature, can have any Truth, Goodneſs, or divine Bleſſing in it, is becauſe, nothing can in Truth ſeek God, but that which comes from God. Nothing can in Truth find God, as its Good, but that which has the Nature of God living in it; like can only rejoice in like; and therefore no religious Service of the Creature, can have any Truth, Goodneſs, or Bleſſing in it, but that which is done in the Creature, in, and through, and by a Principle and Power of the divine Nature begotten, and breathing forth in it all holy Tempers, Affections, and Adorations.

All true Religion is, or brings forth, an eſſential Union, and Communion of the Spirit of the Creature, with the Spirit of the Creator: God in it, and it in God, one Life, one Light, one Love. The Spirit of God firſt gives, or ſows the Seed of divine Union in the Soul of every Man; and Religion is That, by which it is quickened, raiſed, and brought forth to a Fullneſs, and growth of a Life in God,—Take a Similitude of this, as follows.—The Beginning, or Seed of animal Breath, muſt firſt be born in the Creature from the Spirit of this World, and then Reſpiration, ſo long as it laſts, keeps up an eſſential Union of the animal Life with the Breath, or Spirit of this World. In like manner, divine Faith, Hope, Love, and Reſignation to God, are in the religious Life, its acts of Reſpiration, which ſo long as they are true, unite God and the Creature, in the ſame living, and eſſential manner, as animal Reſpiration, unites the Breath of the Animal, with the Breath of this World.

Now as no Animal could begin to reſpire, or unite with the Breath of this World, but becauſe it has its Beginning to breathe, begotten in it from the Air of this World, ſo it is equally certain, that no Creature, Angel or Man, could begin to be religious, or breathe forth the divine Affections of Faith, Love, and Deſire towards God, but becauſe a Living Seed of theſe divine Affections, was by the Spirit of God firſt begotten in it. —And as a Tree, or Plant can only grow, and fructify by the ſame Power, that firſt give Birth to the Seed, ſo Faith, and Hope, and Love towards God, can only grow, and fructify by the ſame Power, that begat the firſt Seed of them in the Soul. Therefore divine, immediate Inſpiration, and divine Religion, are inſeperable in the Nature of the Thing.

Take away Inſpiration, or ſuppoſe it to ceaſe, and then no Religious acts, or Affections, can give forth any Thing, that is godly or divine. For the Creature can offer, or return Nothing to God, but That, which it has firſt received from him; therefore, if it is to offer and ſend up to God, Affections, and Aſpirations, that are divine and godly, it muſt of all neceſſity have the divine and godly Nature living, and breathing in it.— Can any Thing reflect Light, before it has received it, or any other Light, than that which it has received? Can any Creature breathe forth earthly, or diabolical Affections, before it is poſſeſſed of an earthly, or diabolical Nature? Yet this is as poſſible, as for any Creature to have divine Affections riſing up, and dwelling in it, either before, or any farther, than as it has, or partakes of the divine Nature, dwelling, and operating in it.

A religious Faith, that is uninſpired, a Hope, or Love, that proceeds not from the immediate Working of the divine Nature within us, can no more do any divine Good to our Souls, or unite them with the Goodneſs of God, than an Hunger after earthly Food, can feed us with the immortal Bread of Heaven.—All that the natural, or uninſpired Man does, or can do in the Church, has no more of the Truth, or Power of divine Worſhip in it, than that, which he does in the Field, or Shop, through a Deſire of Riches.—And the Reaſon is, becauſe all the Acts of the Natural Man, whether relating to Matters of Religion, or the World, muſt be equally Selfiſh, and there is no Poſſibility of their being otherwiſe. For Self-love, Self-eſteem, Self-ſeeking, and Living wholly to Self, are as ſtrictly the Whole of all that is, or poſſibly can be, in the Natural Man, as in the Natural Beaſt; the one can no more be better, or act above this Nature, than the other. Neither can any Creature be in a better, or higher State than this, till ſomething Supernatural is found in it; and this Supernatural ſomething, called in Scripture, the WORD, or SPIRIT, or INSPIRATION of God, is that alone, from which Man can have the firſt Good Thought about God, or the leaſt Power of having more heavenly Deſires in his Spirit, than he has in his Fleſh.

A Religion that is not wholly built upon this Supernatural Ground, but ſolely ſtands upon the Powers, Reaſonings, and Concluſions of the Natural, uninſpired Man, has not ſo much as the Shadow of true Religion in it, but is a mere Nothing, in the ſame Senſe, as an Idol is ſaid to be Nothing, becauſe the Idol has nothing of That in it, which is pretended by it. For the Work of Religion has no divine good in it, but as it brings forth, and keeps up eſſential Union of the Spirit of Man, with the Spirit of God; which eſſential Union cannot be made, but through Love on both Sides, nor by Love, but where the Love that works on both Sides, is of the ſame Nature.

No Man therefore can reach God with his Love, or have Union with him by it, but he who is inſpired with that one ſame Spirit of Love, with which God loved himſelf from all Eternity, and before there was any Creature.—Infinite Hoſts of new created Heavenly Beings, can begin no new Kind of Love of God, nor have the leaſt Power of beginning to Love him at all, but ſo far as his own holy Spirit of Love, wherewith he hath from all Eternity loved Himſelf, is brought to Life in them. This Love that was then in God alone, can be the only Love in Creatures, that can draw them to God; they can have no Power of cleaving to Him, of willing that which He wills, or adoring the divine Nature, but by partaking of that eternal Spirit of Love; and therefore the continual, immediate Inſpiration, or Operation of the holy Spirit, is the one only poſſible Ground of our continually Loving God. And of this inſpired Love, and no other, it is, that St. John ſaith, He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God. Suppoſe it to be any other Love, brought forth by any other Thing, but the Spirit of God, breathing his own Love in us, and then it cannot be true, that he who dwells in ſuch Love, dwelleth in God.

Divine Inſpiration was eſſential to man's firſt created State. The Spirit of God, breathed into, or brought to Life in him, was that alone, which made him a holy Creature in the Image and Likeneſs of God. To have no other Mover, to live under no other Guide or Leader, but the Spirit, was that, which conſtituted all the Holineſs, which the firſt man could have from God. Had he not been thus at the firſt, God in him and he in God, brought into the World as a true offspring, and real Birth of the holy Spirit, no Diſpenſation of God to fallen man, would have directed him to the holy Spirit, or ever have made mention of his Inſpiration in Man. For fallen Man could be directed to Nothing, as his Good, but that which he had, and was his Good, before he fell. And had not the holy Spirit been his firſt Life, in and by which he lived, no inſpired Prophets amongſt the Sons of fallen Adam, had ever been heard of, or any holy men ſpeaking as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt. For the Thing would have been impoſſible, no fallen Man could have been inſpired by the holy Spirit, but becauſe the firſt Life or Man was a true and real Birth of it; and alſo becauſe every fallen Man, had by the Mercy and free Grace of God, a ſecret Remains of his firſt Life, preſerved in him, though▪, hidden, or rather ſwallowed up by Fleſh and Blood; which ſecret Remains, ſignified, and aſſured to Adam, by the name of a Bruiſer of the Serpent, or Seed of the woman, was his only capacity to be called, and quickened again into his firſt Life, by new Breathings of the holy Spirit in Him.

Hence it plainly appears, that the Goſpel State, could not be God's laſt Diſpenſation, or the finiſhing of Man's Redemption, unleſs its whole Work, was a Work of the Spirit of God in the Spirit of Man; that is, unleſs without all Vails, Types, and Shadows, it brought the Thing itſelf, or the Subſtance of all former Types, and Shadows, into real Enjoyment, ſo as to be poſſeſſed by Man in Spirit, and in truth. Now the Thing itſelf, and for the Sake of which, all God's Diſpenſations have been, is that firſt Life of God, which was eſſentially born in the Soul of the firſt Man, Adam, and to which he died. But now, if the Goſpel Diſpenſation comes at the End of all Types, and Shadows, to bring forth again in Man, a true and full Birth of that holy Spirit, which he had at firſt, then it muſt be plain, that the Work of this Diſpenſation, muſt be ſolely, and immediately the Work of the holy Spirit. For if Man could no other poſſible way, have had a holy Nature, and Spirit at firſt, but as an Offspring, or Birth of the holy Spirit, at his Creation, it is certain from the Nature of the Thing, that fallen Man, dead to his firſt holy Nature, can have that ſame holy Nature again, no other way, but ſolely by the Operation of that ſame holy Spirit, from the Breath of which, he had at firſt, a holy Nature and Life in God. Therefore immediate Inſpiration is as neceſſary to make fallen Man alive again unto God, as it was to make Man at firſt, a Living Soul after the Image, and in the Likeneſs of God. And Continual Inſpiration is as neceſſary, as Man's Continuance in his redeemed State. For this is a certain Truth, that That alone, which begins, or gives Life, muſt of all Neceſſity be the only Continuance, or Preſervation of Life. The ſecond Step can only be taken by That, which gave Power to take the firſt.—No Life can continue in the Goodneſs of its firſt created, or redeemed State, but by its continuing under the Influence of, and working with, and by that powerful Root, or Spirit, which at firſt created, or redeemed it. Every Branch of the Tree, though ever ſo richly brought forth, muſt wither and dye, as ſoon as it ceaſes to have continual Union with, and Virtue from that Root, which firſt brought it forth. And to this Truth, as abſolutely grounded in the Nature of the Thing, our Lord appeals as a Proof, and full Illuſtration of the Neceſſity of his immediate indwelling, Breathing, and Operating in the redeemed Soul of Man, ſaying, I am the Vine, ye are the Branches, as the Branch cannot bear fruit of itſelf, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſome bringeth forth much Fruit. If a man abide not in me, he is caſt forth as a withered Branch; for without me, ye can do▪ Nothing. John xv.

Now from theſe Words, let this concluſion be here drawn, viz. That therefore, to turn to Chriſt as a Light within us, to expect Life from nothing but his holy Birth raiſed within us, to give ourſelves up wholly and ſolely to the immediate, continual Influx, and Operation of his holy Spirit, depending wholly upon it for every Kind, and Degree of Goodneſs and Holineſs, that we want, or can receive, is, and can be Nothing elſe, but proud, rank Enthuſiaſm.

Now as infinitely abſurd as this concluſion is, no one that condemns continual, immediate Inſpiration, as groſs Enthuſiaſm, can poſſibly do it with leſs abſurdity, or ſhew himſelf a wiſer Man, or better Reaſoner, than he that concludes, that becauſe, without Chriſt we can do Nothing, therefore we ought not to believe, expect, wait for, and depend upon his continual, immediate operation in every Thing that we do, or would do well. —As to the Pride charged upon this pretended Enthuſiaſm, it is the ſame abſurdity. Chriſt ſaith, without me ye can do Nothing, the ſame as if he had ſaid, As to yourſelves, and all that can be called your own, ye are mere helpleſs Sin and Miſery, and Nothing that is good, can come from you, but as it is done by the continual, immediate Breathing and Inſpiration or another Spirit, given by God, to over-rule your own, to ſave and deliver you from all your own Goodneſs, your own Wiſdom, and Learning, which always were, and always will be, as corrupt and impure, as earthly and ſenſual, as your own Fleſh and Blood. Now is there any ſelfiſh, creaturely Pride, in fully believing this to be true, and in acting in full Conformity to it? If ſo, then he that confeſſes, he neither hath, nor ever can have a ſingle Farthing, but as it is freely given him from Charity, thereby declares himſelf to be a Purſe-proud, vain Boaſter of his own Wealth. Such is the ſpiritual Pride of Him, who fully acknowleges, that he neither hath, nor can have the leaſt Spark, or breathing after Goodneſs, but what is freely kindled, or breathed into him by the Spirit of God. Again, if it is ſpiritual Pride, to believe, that Nothing that we ever think, or ſay, or do, either in the Church, or our Cloſets, can have any truth of goodneſs in it, but that which is wrought ſolely and immediately by the Spirit of God in us, then it muſt be ſaid, that in order to have religious Humility, we muſt never forget to take ſome Share of our religious Virtues to ourſelves, and not allow (as Chriſt hath ſaid) that without Him, we can do Nothing that is good. It muſt alſo be ſaid, that St. Paul took too much upon him, when he ſaid, the Life that I now live, is not mine, but Chriſt's that liveth in me.

Behold a Pride, and an Humility, the one as good as the other, and both logically deſcended from a Wiſdom, that confeſſes it cometh not from above.

The Neceſſity of a Continual Inſpiration of the Spirit of God, both to begin the firſt, and continue every ſtep of a divine Life in Man, is a Truth, to which every Life in Nature, as well as all Scripture, bears full Witneſs.—A natural Life, a beaſtial Life, a diabolical Life, can ſubſiſt no longer, than whilſt they are immediately and continually under the working Power of that Root, or Source, from which they Sprung. Thus it is with the divine Life in Man, it can never be in him, but as a Growth of Life in, and from God.—Hence it is, that Reſiſting the Spirit, Quenching the Spirit, Grieving the Spirit, is that alone, which gives Birth and Growth to every Evil that reigns in the World, and leaves Men, and Churches, not only an eaſy, but a neceſſary Prey to the Devil, the World, and the Fleſh. And Nothing but Obedience to the Spirit, truſting to the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, praying with and for its continual Inſpiration, can poſſibly keep either Men, or Churches, from being Sinners, or Idolaters, in all that they do. For every Thing in the Life, or Religion of Man, that has not the Spirit of God, for its Mover, Director, and End, be it what it will, is but earthly, ſenſual, or deviliſh.—The Truth and Perfection of the Goſpel State, could not ſhew itſelf, till it became ſolely a Miniſtration of the Spirit, or a Kingdom in which the holy Spirit of God, had the doing of all that was done in it.—The Apoſtles, whilſt Chriſt was with them in the Fleſh, were inſtructed in heavenly Truths from his Mouth, and enabled to work Miracles in his Name, yet not qualified to know, and teach the Myſteries of his Kingdom. After his Reſurrection, He converſed with them forty Days, ſpeaking to them of Things appertaining to the Kingdom of God; nay though he breathed on them, and ſaid, receive ye the Holy Ghoſt, &c. yet this alſo would not do, they were ſtill unable to preach, or bear Witneſs to the Truth, as it is in Jeſus. And the Reaſon is, there was ſtill a higher Diſpenſation to come, which ſtood in ſuch an opening of the divine Life in their Hearts, as could not be effected from an outward Inſtruction of Chriſt himſelf. For though He had ſufficiently told his Diſciples, the Neceſſity of being born again of the Spirit, yet he leſt them unborn of it, till He came again in the Power of the Spirit. He breathed on them, and ſaid receive ye the Holy Ghoſt, yet that which was ſaid and done, was not the Thing itſelf, but only a Type or outward Signification, of what they ſhould receive, when He, being glorified, ſhould come again in the Fulneſs, and Power of the Spirit, breaking open the Deadneſs, and Darkneſs of their Hearts, with Light and Life from Heaven, which Light did, and alone could, open, and verify in their Souls, all that he had ſaid, and promiſed to them, whilſt he was with them in the Fleſh.—All this is expreſsly declared by Chriſt himſelf, ſaying unto them, I tell you the Truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; therefore Chriſt taught them, to believe the Want, and joyfully to expect the Coming of a higher, and more bleſſed State, than that of his bodily Preſence with them. For he adds, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come; therefore the Comfort and Bleſſing of Chriſt to his Followers, could not be had, till ſomething more was done to them, and they were brought into a higher State, than they could be, by his verbal Inſtruction of them. But if I go away, ſays he, I will ſend him unto you; and when the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all Truth; He ſhall glorify me (that is, ſhall ſet up my Kingdom in its Glory, in the Power of the Spirit) for he ſhall receive of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you: I ſaid of mine, becauſe all Things, that the Father hath, are mine, John xvi.

Now when Chriſt had told them of the Neceſſity of an higher State, than that they were in, and the Neceſſity of ſuch a comforting, illuminating Guide, as they could not have, till his outward Teaching in human Language, was changed into the Inſpiration, and Operation of his Spirit in their Souls; He commands them, not to begin to bear Witneſs of him to the World, from what they did, and could in an human Way know of him, his Birth, his Life, Doctrines, Death, Sufferings, Reſurrection, &c. but to tarry at Jeruſalem, till they were endued with Power from on high; ſaying unto them, Ye ſhall receive Power, after that the Holy Ghoſt is come upon you. And then ſhall ye bear witneſs unto me, both in Jeruſalem, and in all Judea, and unto the utmoſt Part of the Earth.

Here are two moſt important and fundamental Truths fully demonſtrated, Firſt, that the Truth and Perfection of the Goſpel State, could not take Place, till Chriſt was glorified, and his Kingdom amongſt Men, made wholly and ſolely, a continual, immediate Miniſtration of the Spirit: Every Thing before this, was but ſubſervient for a Time, and preparatory to this laſt Diſpenſation, which could not have been the laſt, had it not carried Man above Types, Figures, and Shadows, into the real Poſſeſſion, and Enjoyment of that, which is the Spirit, and Truth of a divine Life. For the End is not come, till it has found the Beginning; that is, the laſt Diſpenſation of God to fallen Man, cannot be come, till putting an End to the Bondage of weak and beggarly Elements, Gal. iv. ver. 9. it brings Man to that dwelling in God, and God in Him, which He had at the Beginning.

Secondly, That as not the Apoſtles, ſo no man from their Time to the End of the World, can have any true and real Knowledge of the Spiritual Bleſſings of Chriſt's Redemption, or have a divine call, Capacity, or Fitneſs, to preach, and bear Witneſs of them to the World, but ſolely by that Same divine Spirit, opening all the Myſteries of a Redeeming Chriſt in their inward Parts, as it did in the Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, and firſt Miniſters of the Goſpel.

For why could not the Apoſtles, who had been Eye-Witneſſeſs to all the whole Proceſs of Chriſt, why could they not with their human Apprehenſion, declare and teſtify the Truth of ſuch Things, till they were baptized with Fire, and born again of the Spirit? It is becauſe the Truth of ſuch Things, or the Myſteries of Chriſt's Proceſs, as knowable by man, are Nothing elſe in themſelves, but thoſe very Things, which are done by this heavenly Fire, and Spirit of God in our Souls. Therefore to know the Myſteries of Chriſt's Redemption, and to know the redeeming Work of God in our own Souls, is the ſame Thing; the one cannot be before, or without the other. Therefore every Man, be he who he will, however able in all Kinds of human literature, muſt be an entire Stranger to all the Myſteries of Goſpel Redemption, and can only talk about them, as of any other Tale, he has been told, till they are brought forth, verified, fulfilled, and witneſſed to, by that, which is found, felt, and enjoyed, of the whole Proceſs of Chriſt in his Soul. For as Redemption is in its whole Nature, an inward, ſpiritual Work, that works only in the altering, changing, and regenerating the Life of the Soul, ſo it muſt be true, that Nothing but the inward State of the Soul, can bear true Witneſs to the Redeeming Power of Chriſt. For as it wholly conſiſts in altering that, which is the moſt radical in the Soul, bringing forth a new ſpiritual Death, and a new ſpiritual Life, it muſt be true, that no one can know, or believe the Myſteries of Chriſt's redeeming Power, by hiſtorically knowing, or rationally conſenting to that, which is ſaid of him, and them, in written, or ſpoken Words, but only and ſolely by an inward, experimental finding, and feeling the Operation of them, in that new Death, and new Life, both of which, muſt be effected in the Soul of Man, or Chriſt is not, cannot be found, and known by the Soul, as its Salvation. It muſt alſo be equally true, that the redeemed State of the Soul, being in itſelf, Nothing elſe but the Reſurrection of a divine and holy Life in it, muſt as neceſſarily from firſt to laſt, be the ſole Work of the Breathing, creating Spirit of God, as the firſt, holy created State of the Soul was.—And all this, becauſe the Myſteries of Chriſt's redeeming Power, which work, and bring forth the renewed State of the Soul, are not creaturely, finite, outward Things, that may be found, and enjoyed by verbal Deſcriptions, or formed Ideas of them, but are a Birth, and Life, and ſpiritual Operation, which as ſolely belongs to God alone, as his creating Power. For Nothing can redeem, but that ſame Power, which created the Soul. Nothing can bring forth a good Thought in it, but that which brought forth the Power of thinking. And of every Tendency towards Goodneſs, be it ever ſo ſmall, that ſame may be truly affirmed of it, which St. Paul affirmed of his higheſt State, yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me.

But if the Belief of the neceſſity, and certainty of immediate, continual, divine Inſpiration, in and for every thing, that can be holy and good in us, be (as its Accuſers ſay) rank Enthuſiaſm, then he is the only ſober, orthodox Chriſtian, who of many a good Thought, and Action, that proceeds from him, frankly ſaith, in order to avoid Enthuſiaſm, my own Power, and not Chriſt's Spirit living and breathing in me, hath done this for me. For if all that is good, is not done by Chriſt, then ſomething that is good is done by myſelf. It is in vain to think, that there is a middle Way, and that rational Divines have found it out, as Dr. Warburton has done, who though denying immediate, continual Inſpiration, yet allows, that the Spirit's "ordinary Influence, occaſionally aſſiſts the faithful." ^[2]

Now this middle Way, hath neither Scripture, nor Senſe in it; for an occaſional Influence, or Concurrence, is as abſurd, as an occaſional God, and neceſſarily ſuppoſes ſuch a God. For an occaſional Influence of the Spirit upon us, ſuppoſes an occaſional Abſence of the Spirit from us. For there could be no ſuch Thing, unleſs God was ſometimes with us, and ſometimes not, ſometimes doing us good, as the inward God of our Life, and ſometimes doing us no good at all, but leaving us to be good from our ſelves.—Occaſional Influence neceſſarily implies all this blaſphemous Abſurdity. Again, this middle Way of an occaſional Influence and Aſſiſtance, neceſſarily ſuppoſes, that there is ſomething of Man's own that is good, or the Holy Spirit of God, neither would, nor could aſſiſt, or co-operate with it. But if there was any Thing good in Man, for God to aſſiſt, and co-operate with, beſides the SEED of his own divine Nature, or his own WORD of Life, ſtriving to bruiſe the Serpent's Nature within us, it could not be true, that there is only one that is good, and that is God. And was there any Goodneſs in Creatures, either in Heaven, or on Earth, but the one Goodneſs of the divine Nature, living, working, and manifeſting itſelf in them, as its created Inſtruments, then good Creatures, both in Heaven and on Earth, would have ſomething elſe to adore, beſides, or along with God. For Goodneſs, be it where it will, is adorable for itſelf, and becauſe it is Goodneſs; if therefore any Degree of it, belonged to the Creature, it ought to have a ſhare of that ſame Adoration, that is paid to the Creator.— Therefore, if to believe, that Nothing godly can be alive in us, but what has all its Life, from the Spirit of God, living and breathing in us; if to look ſolely to it, and depend wholly upon it, both for the Beginning, and Growth of every Thought, and Deſire, that can be holy and good in us, be proud, rank Enthuſiaſm; then it muſt be the ſame Enthuſiaſm, to own but one God. For He that owns more Goodneſs than one, owns more Gods than one. And he that believes he can have any good in him, but the one Goodneſs of God, manifeſting itſelf in him, and through him, owns more Goodneſs, than one. But if it be true, that God and Goodneſs cannot be divided, then it muſt be a Truth for ever and ever, that ſo much of Good, ſo much of God, muſt be in the Creature.

And here lies the true, unchangeable Diſtinction between God, and Nature, and the natural Creature. Nature and Creature are only for the outward Manifeſtation of the inward, inviſible, unapproachable Powers of God; they can riſe no higher, nor be any Thing elſe in themſelves, but as Temples, Habitations, or Inſtruments, in which the ſupernatural God, can, and does manifeſt himſelf in various Degrees; bringing forth Creatures to be good with his own Goodneſs, to love and adore him with his own Spirit of Love, for ever ſinging Praiſes to the divine Nature, by that which they partake of it. This is the Religion of divine Inſpiration, which being interpreted, is Immanuel, or God within us. Every Thing ſhort of this, is ſhort of that Religion, which worſhips God in Spirit, and in Truth. And every religious Truſt or Confidence in any Thing, but the divine Operation within us, is but a Sort of Image-Worſhip, which though it may deny the Form, yet retains the Power thereof in the Heart. And he that places any religious Safety, in theological Deciſions, ſcholaſtic Points, in particular Doctrines and Opinions, that muſt be held, about the Scripture Words of Faith, Juſtification Sanctification, Election, and Reprobation, ſo far departs from the true Worſhip of the Living God within him, and ſets up an Idol of Notions, to be worſhipped, if not inſtead of, yet along with him. And I believe it may be taken for a certain Truth, that every Society of Chriſtians, whoſe Religion ſtands upon this Ground, however ardent, laborious, and good their Zeal may ſeem to be in ſuch Matters, yet in ſpite of all, ſooner or later, it will be found, that Nature is at the Bottom, and that a ſelfiſh, earthly, overbearing Pride in their own Difinitions, and Doctrines of Words, will by Degrees creep up to the ſame Height, and become that ſame fleſhly Wiſdom, doing thoſe very ſame Things, which they exclaim againſt in Popes, Cardinals, and Jeſuits. Nor can it poſſibly be otherwiſe; for a letter-learned Zeal has but one Nature, where-ever it is, it can only do that for Chriſtians, which it did for Jews; as it anciently brought forth Scribes, Phariſees, Hypocrites, and Crucifiers of Chriſt, as it afterwards brought forth Hereſies, Schiſms, Popes, papal Decrees, Images, Anathema's Tranſubſtantiation; ſo in Proteſtant Countries, it will be doing the ſame Thing, only with other materials; Images of Wood and Clay, will only be given up for Images of Doctrines; Grace and Works, imputed Sin, and imputed Righteouſneſs, Election and Reprobation, will have their Synods of Dort, as truly evangelical, as any Council of Trent.

This muſt be the Caſe of all fallen Chriſtendom, as well Popiſh, as Proteſtant, till ſingle Men, and Churches, know, confeſs, and firmly adhere to this one Scripture Truth, that our Salvation is in the Life of Jeſus Chriſt in us. And that, becauſe this alone, was the divine Perfection of Man, before he fell, and will be his Perfection, when he is one with Chriſt in Heaven.— Every Thing beſides this, or that is not ſolely aiming at, and eſſentially leading to it, is but mere Babel in all Sects, and Diviſions of Chriſtians, living to themſelves, and their own old Man, under a ſeeming Holineſs of Chriſtian Strife, and Contention about Scripture Words.— But this Truth of Truths, fully poſſeſſed, and firmly adhered to, brings God and Man together, puts an End to every Lo here, and Lo there, and turns the whole Faith of Man, to a Chriſt, that can no where be a Saviour to him, but as eſſentially born in the inmoſt Spirit of his Soul, nor poſſible to be born there, by any other Means, but the immediate Inſpiration, and working Power of the Holy Spirit within him.—To this Man alone, all Scripture gives daily Edification; the Words of Chriſt and his Apoſtles fall like a Fire into him. And what is it, that they kindle there? Not Notions, not itching Ears, not rambling Deſires after new and new Expounders of them, but a holy Flame of Love, to be always with, always attending to, that Chriſt, and his Holy Spirit within him, which alone can make him to be, and do all that, which the Words of Chriſt, and his Apoſtles have taught. For there is no poſſibility of being like-minded with Chriſt, in any Thing that he taught, or having the Truth of one Chriſtian Virtue, but by the Nature and Spirit of Chriſt, become eſſentially living in us. Read all our Saviour's divine Sermon from the Mount, conſent to the Goodneſs of every Part of it, yet the Time of practiſing it will never come, till you have a new Nature from Chriſt, and are as vitally in him, and he in you, as the Vine in the Branch, and the Branch in the Vine. Bleſſed are the pure in Heart, for they ſhall ſee God, is a divine Truth, but will do us no divine good, unleſs we receive it, as ſaying neither more nor leſs, than Bleſſed are they that are born again of the Spirit, for they alone can ſee God.—For no Bleſſedneſs either of Truth or Life, can be found either in Men or Angels, but where the Spirit, and Life of God is eſſentially born within them. And all Men, or Churches, not placing all in the Life, Light, and Guidance of the Holy Spirit of Chriſt, but pretending to act in the Name, and for the Glory of God, from Opinions which their Logic and Learning have collected from Scripture Words, or from what a Calvin, an Arminius, a Socinus, or ſome ſmaller Name, has told them to be right or wrong, all ſuch, are but where the Apoſtles were, when by the Way, there was a Strife amongſt them, who ſhould be the greateſt. And how much ſoever they may ſay, and boaſt of their great Zeal for Truth, and the only Glory of God, yet their own open, notorious Behaviour towards one another, is proof enough, that the great Strife amongſt them is, which ſhall be the greateſt Sect, or have the largeſt Number of Followers. A Strife, from the ſame Root, and juſt as uſeful to Chriſtianity, as that of the carnal Apoſtles, who ſhould be greateſt. For not numbers of Men, or Kingdoms profeſſing Chriſtianity, but numbers, redeemed from the Death of Adam, to the Life of Chriſt, are the Glory of the Chriſtian Church. And in whatever National Chriſtianity, any Thing elſe is meant, or ſought after, by the Profeſſion of the Goſpel, but a new heavenly Life, through the mediatorial Nature and Spirit of the eternal Son of God, born in the fallen Soul; wherever this Spirituality of the Goſpel-Redemption, is denied, or overlooked, there, the Spirit of Self, of Satanic, and worldly Subtlety, will be Church, and Prieſt, and ſupreme Power, in all that is called Religion.

But to return now to the Doctrine of continual Inſpiration. The natural, or unregenerate Man, educated in Pagan Learning, and ſcholaſtic Theology, ſeeing the Strength of his Genius in the Search after Knowledge▪ how eaſily and learnedly he can talk, and write, criticiſe, and determine upon all Scripture Words and Facts, looks at all this, as a full Proof of his own religious Wiſdom, Power, and Goodneſs, and calls immediate Inſpiration, Enthuſiaſm; not conſidering, that all the Woes denounced by Chriſt, againſt Scribes, Phariſees, and Hypocrites, are ſo many Woes now at this day, denounced againſt every Appearance and Show of Religion, that the natural Man can practiſe.

And what is well to be noted, every one, however high in human literature, is but this very natural Man, and can only have the Goodneſs of a carnal, ſecular Religion, till as empty of all, as a new born Child, the Spirit of God gets a full Birth in him, and becomes the Inſpirer and Doer of all that he wills, does, and aims at, in his whole Courſe of Religion.

Our divine Maſter compares the Religion of the learned Phariſees, to whited Sepulchres, outwardly beautiful, but inwardly full of Rottenneſs, Stench, and dead Mens bones.

Now whence was it, that a Religion, ſo ſerious in its Reſtraints, ſo beautiful in its outward Form, and Practices, and commanding ſuch Reverence from all that beheld it, was yet charged by Truth itſelf, with having inwardly ſuch an abominable Nature? It was only for this one Reaſon, becauſe it was a Religion of Self.— Therefore from the Beginning to the End of the World, it muſt be true, that where Self is kept alive, has Power, and keeps up its own Intereſts, whether in ſpeaking, writing, teaching or defending the moſt ſpecious Number of Scripture Doctrines, and religious Forms, There, is▪ that very old Phariſee ſtill alive, whom Chriſt with ſo much Severity of Language conſtantly condemned. And the Reaſon of ſuch heavy Condemnation is, becauſe Self is the only Root, or rather the Sum total of all Sin; every Sin that can be named, is centered in it, and the Creature can Sin no higher, than he [〈◊〉] live to Self.—For Self is the Fulneſs of Atheiſm, and Idolatry, it is nothing elſe but the Creature broken off from God and Chriſt; it is the Power of Satan living and working in us, and the ſad Continuance of that firſt Turning from God, which was the whole Fall, or Death of our firſt Father.

And yet, ſad and Satanical as this Self is, what is ſo much cheriſhed and nouriſhed with our daily Love, Fears and Cares about it? How much worldly Wiſdom, how much laborious Learning, how many Subtleties of Contrivance, and how many flattering Applications and Submiſſions are made to the World, that this apoſtate Self, may have it's Fulneſs, both of inward Joys, and outward Glory?

But to all this, it muſt yet be added, that a Religion of Self, of worldly Glory and Proſperity carried on, under the Goſpel State, has more of a diabolical Nature, than that of the Jewiſh Phariſees.—It is the higheſt, and laſt Working of the Myſtery of Iniquity, becauſe it lives to Self, Satan, and the World, in and by a daily Profeſſion of denying and dying to Self, of being crucified with Chriſt, of being led by his Spirit, of being riſen from the World, and ſet with him in Heavenly Places.

Let then the Writers againſt continual, immediate, divine Inſpiration, take this for a certain Truth, that by ſo doing, they do all they can, to draw Man from that, which is the very Truth and Perfection of the Goſpel State; and are, and can be, no better than pitiable Advocates for a Religion of Self, more blameable and abominable now, than that which was of old condemned by Chriſt. For whatever is pretended to be done in Goſpel Religion, by any other Spirit, or Power, but that of the Holy Ghoſt, bringing it forth, whether it be praying, preaching, or practiſing any Duties, is all of it, but the Religion of Self, and can be nothing elſe. For all that is born of the Fleſh, is Fleſh, and nothing is ſpiritual, but that which has its whole Birth from the Spirit. But Man, not ruled and governed by the Spirit, hath only the Nature of corrupt Fleſh, is under the full Power, and Guidance of fallen Nature, and is that very natural Man, to whom the Things of God are Fooliſhneſs. But Man boldly rejecting, and preaching againſt a continual, immediate divine, Inſpiration, is an Anti-Apoſtle, he layeth another Foundation, than that which Chriſt hath laid, he teacheth, that Chriſt needeth not, muſt not, be all in all in us, and is a Preacher up of the Folly of fearing to grieve, quench, and reſiſt the Holy Spirit.—For when, or where, or how could every one of us, be in Danger of grieving, quenching, or reſiſting the Spirit, unleſs his holy Breathings, and Inſpirations were always within us? Or how could the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, have a more dreadful Nature, than that againſt the Father and the Son, but becauſe the continual, immediate Guidance and Operation of the Spirit, is the laſt, and higheſt Manifeſtation of God in the fallen Soul of Man? It is not becauſe the Holy Ghoſt is more worthy, or higher in Nature, than the Father, and the Son, but becauſe Father and Son, come forth in their own higheſt Power of redeeming Love, through the Covenant of a continual, immediate Inſpiration of the Spirit▪ to be always dwelling, and working in the Soul. Many weak Things have been conjectured, and publiſhed to the World, about the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt; whereas the whole Nature of it lies in this, that it is a ſinning, or ſtanding out againſt the laſt, and higheſt Diſpenſation of God, for the full Redemption of Man. Chriſt ſaith, If I had not come, they had not had Sin, that is, they had not had ſuch a Weight of Guilt upon them; therefore the ſinning againſt Chriſt come into the Fleſh, was of a more unpardonable Nature, than ſinning againſt the Father under the Law. So likewiſe ſinning againſt the Holy Ghoſt, is of a more unpardonable Nature, than ſinning againſt the Father under the Law, or againſt the Son as come in the Feſh, becauſe theſe two preceding Diſpenſations, were but preparatory to the coming, or full Miniſtration of the Spirit. But when Father and Son were come, in the Power and Manifeſtation of the Spirit, then he that refuſeth, or reſiſteth this Miniſtration of the Spirit, reſiſteth all that the holy Three can do, to reſtore, and revive the firſt Life of God in the Soul, and ſo commits the unpardonable Sin; and which is therefore unpardonable, becauſe there remains no farther, or higher Power to remove it out of the Soul. For no Sin is pardonable, becauſe of its own Nature, or that which it is in itſelf, but becauſe there is ſomething yet to come, that can remove it out of the Soul; nor can any Sin be unpardonable, but becauſe it has withſtood, or turned from that, which was the laſt, and higheſt Remedy for the Removal of it.

Hence it is, that grieving, quenching, or reſiſting the Spirit, is the Sin of all Sins, that moſt of all ſtops the Work of Redemption, and in the higheſt Degree ſeparates Man from all Union with God. But there could be no ſuch Sin, but becauſe the Holy Spirit is always breathing, willing, and working within us. For what Spirit can be grieved by us, but that which hath its will within us diſobeyed? What Spirit can be quenched by us, but that which is, and ever would be, a holy Fire of Life within us? What Spirit can be reſiſted by us, but that which is, and has its Working within us? A Spirit on the outſide of us, cannot be the Spirit of God, nor could ſuch a Spirit be any more quenched, or hindered by our Spirit, than a Man by Indignation at a Storm, could ſtop its Rage. Now, dreadful as the abovementioned Sin is, I would aſk all the Writers againſt continual, immediate, divine Inſpiration, how they could more effectually lead Men, into an habitual State of ſinning againſt the Holy Ghoſt, than by ſuch Doctrine? For how can we poſſibly avoid the Sin of grieving, quenching, &c. the Spirit, but by continually reverencing his holy Preſence in us; by continually waiting for, truſting, and ſolely attending to that, which the Spirit of God, wills, works, and manifeſts within us? To turn Men from this continual Dependance upon the Holy Spirit, is turning them from all true Knowledge of God. For without this, there is no Poſſibility of any edifying, ſaving Knowledge of God. For though we have ever ſo many mathematical Demonſtrations or viſible Proofs of his Being, &c. we are without all real Knowledge of Him, till his own quickening Spirit within us, manifeſts Him, as a Power of Life, Light, Love, and Goodneſs, eſſentially found, vitally felt, and adored in our Souls. This is the one Knowledge of God, which is eternal Life, becauſe it is the Life of God manifeſted in the Soul, that Knowledge of which Chriſt ſaith, No one knoweth the Father but the Son, and He to whomſoever the Son revealeth him. Therefore this Knowledge is only poſſible to be found in him, who is in Chriſt a new Creature, for ſo it is, that Chriſt revealeth the Father. But if none belong to God, but thoſe who are led by the Spirit of God, if we are Reprobates unleſs the Spirit of Chriſt be living in us, who need be told, that all that we have to truſt to, or depend upon, as Children of God and Chriſt, is the continual, immediate Guidance, Unction, and Teaching of his Holy Spirit within us? Or how can we more profanely ſin againſt this Spirit, and Power of God within us, or more expreſsly call Men from the Power of God unto Satan, than by ridiculing a Faith and Hope, that look wholly and ſolely to his continual, immediate Breathings, and Operations, for all that can be holy and good in us?

When I am lifted up from the Earth, ſaith Chriſt, I will draw all Men unto me. Therefore the one great Power of Chriſt in, and over the Souls of Men, is after he is in Heaven; then begins the true, full Power of his Drawing, becauſe it is by his Spirit in Man that he draws. But who can more reſiſt this Drawing, or defeat its Operation in us, than he that preaches againſt, and condemns the Belief of a continual and immediate Inſpiration of the Spirit, when Chriſt's Drawing can be in nothing elſe, nor be powerful any other Way?

Now that which we are here taught, is the whole End of all Scripture; for all that is there ſaid, however learnedly read, or ſtudied by Hebrew, or Greek Skill, fails of its only End, till it leads and brings us to an eſſential God within us, to feel, and find all that which the Scriptures ſpeak of God, of Man, of Life and Death, of Good and Evil, of Heaven and Hell, as eſſentially verified in our own Souls. For all is within Man, that can be either Good or Evil to him: God within him, is his divine Life, his divine Light, and his divine Love; Satan within him is his Life of Self, of earthly Wiſdom, of diabolical Falſeneſs, Wrath, Pride, and Vanity of every Kind. There is no middle way between theſe two; He that is not under the Power of the one, is under the Power of the other. And the Reaſon is, man was created in, and under the Power of the divine Life; ſo far therefore as he loſes, or turns from this Life of God, ſo far he falls under the Power of Self, or Satan, and worldly Wiſdom. When St. Peter, full of an human good Love towards Chriſt, adviſed him to avoid his Sufferings, Chriſt rejected him, with a Get thee behind me Satan, and only gave this Reaſon for it, for thou ſavoureſt not the Things that be of God, but the Things that be of Men. A plain Proof that whatever is not of, and from the Holy Spirit of God in us, however plauſible it may outwardly ſeem to Men, to their Wiſdom, and human Goodneſs, is yet in itſelf, Nothing elſe but the Power of Satan in us. And as St. Paul ſaid truly of himſelf, By the Grace of God I am what I am, ſo every Wiſe, every Scribe, every Diſputer of this World, every Truſter to the Strength of his own rational Learning, every one that is under the Power of his own fallen Nature, never free from Deſires of Honours, and Preferments, ever thirſting to be rewarded for his theological Abilities, ever fearing to be abaſed, and deſpiſed, always thankful to thoſe who flatter him with his diſtinguiſhed Merit, every ſuch, be he who he will, may as truly ſay of himſelf, Through my turning, and truſting to ſomething elſe, than the Grace, and Inſpiration of God's Spirit, I am what I am. For Nothing elſe hinders any Profeſſor of Chriſt from being able truly to ſay with St. Paul, God forbid that I ſhould glory in any Thing but the Croſs of Chriſt, by which I am crucified to the World, and the World to me; Nothing makes him incapable of finding that, which St. Paul found, when he ſaid, I can do all Things, through Chriſt that Strengthneth me; Nothing hinders all this, but his Diſregard of a Chriſt within him, his chooſing to have a Religion of Self, of laborious Learning, and worldly Greatneſs, rather than be ſuch a Goſpel Fool for Chriſt, as to renounce all that which he recounced, and to ſeek no more earthly Honour and Praiſe than he did, and to will Nothing, know Nothing, ſeek Nothing, but that which the Spirit of God and Chriſt, knoweth, willeth, and ſeeketh in him. Here, and here alone, lies the Chriſtian's full and certain Power of overcoming Self, the Devil, and the World. But Chriſtians, ſeeking, and turning to any Thing elſe, but to be led, and inſpired by the one Spirit of God and Chriſt, will bring forth a Chriſtendom, that in the Sight of God, will have no other Name, than a ſpiritual Babylon, a ſpiritual Egypt, and Sodom, a ſcarlet Whore, a devouring Beaſt, and red Dragon. For all theſe names belong to all men, however learned, and to all Churches, whether greater, or leſs, in which the Spirit of this World hath any ſhare of Power. This was the Fall of the whole Church, ſoon after the Apoſtolic Ages; and all human Reformations, begun by eccleſiaſtical Learning, and ſupported by Civil Power, will ſignify little or Nothing, nay often make Things worſe, till all Churches, dying to all own Will, all own Wiſdom, all own Advancement, ſeek for no reforming Power, but from that Spirit of God, which converted Sinners, Publicans, Harlots, Jews and Heathens, into an holy, apoſtolical Church at the firſt, a Church, which knew they were of God, that they belonged to God, by that Spirit which he had given them, and which worked in them.

Ye are not in the Fleſh, ſaith the Apoſtle, but in the Spirit; but then he adds, as the only Ground of this, if ſo be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you; ſurely he means, if ſo be ye are moved, guided and governed by that, which the Spirit wills, works, and inſpires within you. And then to ſhew the abſolute Neceſſity of this Life of God in the Soul, he adds if any Man hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his.—And that this is the State, to which God hath appointed, and called all Chriſtians, he thus declares, God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Gal. iv. 6. The ſame Thing, moſt ſurely, as if he had ſaid, Nothing in you, can cry, or pray to God, as its Father, but the Spirit of his Son Chriſt come to Life in you. Which is alſo as true of every Tendancy in the Soul towards God, or Goodneſs; ſo much as there is of it, ſo much there is, of the Seed of the Woman, ſtriving to bring forth a full Birth of Chriſt in the Soul.

Lo, I am always with you, ſaith the holy Jeſus, even to the End of the World. How is he with us? Not outwardly, every illiterate Man knoweth; not inwardly, ſaith many a learned Divinity Doctor, becauſe a Chriſt within us, is as groſs Enthuſiaſm, or Quakeriſm, as the Light within us —How then ſhall the faith of the common Chriſtian, find any Comfort in theſe Words of Chriſt's Promiſe, unleſs the Spirit brings him into a Remembrance and Belief, that Chriſt is in him, and with him, as the Vine is with, and in the Branch. Chriſt ſaith, Without me, ye can do Nothing; and alſo, If any man love me, my Father will Love him, and we will come unto him, and make our Abode with him. Now if without him, we can do Nothing, then all the Love that a Man can poſſibly have for Chriſt, muſt be from the Power and Life of Chriſt in him, and from ſuch a Love, ſo begotten, Man has the Father, and the Son dwelling, and making their Abode in him. What higher Proof, or fuller Certainty can there be, that the whole Work of Redemption in the Soul of Man, is, and can be Nothing elſe, but the inward, continual, immediate Operation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, raiſing up again their own firſt Life in the Soul, to which Adam our firſt Father died?

Again, Chriſt, after his Glorification in Heaven, ſaith, Behold I STAND at the DOOR and KNOCK. He does not ſay, behold ye have me in the Scriptures. Now what is the DOOR at which Chriſt, at the Right-hand of God in Heaven, KNOCKETH? Surely it is the Heart, to which Chriſt is always preſent. He goeth on, IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE; how hear, but by the hearing of the Heart, or what Voice, but that which is the Speaking, or Sounding of Chriſt within him? He adds, AND OPEN THE DOOR, that is, open his Heart for me, I WILL COME INTO HIM, that is, will be a living, holy Nature, and Spirit born within him, AND SUP WITH HIM▪ and HE WITH ME, Rev. Behold the laſt, finiſhing Work of a redeeming Jeſus, entered into the Heart, that opens to him, bringing forth the Joy, the Bleſſing, and Perfection of that firſt Life of God in the Soul, which was loſt by the Fall, ſet forth as a Supper, or Feaſt of the heavenly Jeſus with the Soul, and the Soul with him. Can any one juſtly call it Enthuſiaſm, to ſay, that this ſupping of the Soul with this glorified Chriſt within it, muſt mean ſomething more heavenly tranſacted in the Soul, than that laſt Supper, which he celebrated with his Diſciples, whilſt He was with them in Fleſh. For that Supper of Bread and Wine, was ſuch, as a Judas could partake of, and could only be an outward Type or Signification, of that inward and bleſſed Nouriſhment, with which, the believing Soul, ſhould be feaſted, when the glorified Son of God, ſhould as a creating Spirit enter into us, quickening, and raiſing up his own heavenly Nature, and Life within us. Now this continual Knocking of Chriſt at the Door of the Heart, ſets forth the Caſe, or Nature of a continual, immediate, divine Inſpiration within us; it is always with us, but there muſt be an opening of the Heart to it, and though it is always there, yet is only felt, and found by thoſe, who are attentive to it, depend upon, and humbly wait for it. —Now let any one tell me, how he can believe any Thing of this Voice of Chriſt, how he can liſten to it, hear, or obey it, but by ſuch a Faith, as keeps him habitually turned to an immediate, conſtant Inſpiration of the Spirit of Chriſt within him? Or how any Heatheniſh, profane Perſon, can do more Deſpite to this Preſence, and Power of Chriſt in his own Soul, or more effectually lead others into it, than that Eccleſiaſtic, who makes a Mock at the Light within, a Chriſt within, and openly blaſphemes that Faith, and Hope, and Truſt, which ſolely relies upon being moved by the Spirit, as its only Power of doing that, which is right, and good, and pious, either towards God, or Man.— Let every Man, whom this concerns, lay it to Heart. —Time, and the Things of Time, will ſoon have an End; and he that in Time truſts to any Thing, but the Spirit, and Power of God working in his Heart, will be but ill fitted, to enter into Eternity; God muſt be all in all in us here, or we cannot be his hereafter. —Time works only for Eternity; and Poverty eternal muſt as certainly follow him, who dies only fully ſtuffed with human Learning, as he who dies only full of Worldly Riches▪—The Folly of thinking to have any divine Learning, but that which the Holy Spirit teaches, or to make ourſelves rich in Knowledge towards God, by Heaps of Common-Place Learning crowded into our Minds, will leave us, as dreadfully cheated, as that rich Builder of Barns in the Goſpel, to whom it was ſaid, Thou Fool, this Night, ſhall thy Soul be required of thee; And then, whoſe ſhall all theſe Things be? Luke xii. So is every Man that treaſures up a Religious Learning, that comes not wholly from the Spirit of God. —But to return. To this inward continual Attention, to the continual working of the Holy Spirit within us, the Apoſtle calls us in theſe Words, See that ye refuſe not him that ſpeaketh; for if they eſcaped not, who refuſed him, that ſpake on Earth, much more ſhall not we eſcape, if we turn from Him, that ſpeaketh from Heaven, Heb. xii. 25. Now what is this Speaking from Heaven, which it is ſo dangerous to refuſe, or reſiſt? Surely not outward Voices from Heaven. Or what could the Apoſtle's Advice ſignify to us, unleſs it be ſuch a Speaking from Heaven, as we may, and muſt be always either obeying, or refuſing?—St. James ſaith, Reſiſt the Devil, and he will flee from you. What Devil? Surely not an outward Creature, or Spirit, that tempts us by an outward Power. Or what Reſiſtance can we make to the Devil, but that of inwardly falling away, or turning from the Workings of his evil Nature, and Spirit within us?—They therefore who call us from waiting for, depending upon, and attending to the continual, ſecret Inſpirations and Breathings of the Holy Spirit within us, call us to RESIST God in the ſame Manner, as the Apoſtle exhorts us to reſiſt the Devil. For God being only a ſpiritual Good, and the Devil our ſpiritual Evil, neither the one, nor the other, can be reſiſted, or not reſiſted by us, but ſo far as their ſpiritual Operations within us, are either turned from, or obeyed by us.—St. James having ſhewn us, that reſiſting the Devil, is the only Way to make him flee from us, that is, to loſe his Power in us, immediately adds, how we are to behave towards God, that he may not flee from us, or his holy Work be ſtopped in us. Draw near, ſaith he, to God, and God will draw near to you. What is this Drawing near? Surely not by any local Motion, either in God, or us. But the ſame is meant, as if he had ſaid, Reſiſt not God, that is, let his holy Will within you, have its full work; keep wholly, obediently attentive to that, which he is, and has, and does within you, and then, God will draw near to you, that is, will more and more manifeſt the Power of his holy Preſence in you, and make you more and more Partakers of the divine Nature. Farther, what a Blindneſs is it in the forementioned Writers, to charge private Perſons with the Enthuſiaſm of holding the Neceſſity, and Certainty of continual, immediate Inſpiration, and to attack them as Enemies to the eſtabliſhed Church, when every Body's Eyes ſee, that Collect after Collect in the eſtabliſhed Liturgy, teaches, and requires them to believe, and pray for the continual Inſpiration of the Spirit, as that alone, by which they can have the leaſt good Thought, or Deſire? Thus, "O God, Foraſmuch as without Thee, we are not able to pleaſe Thee; mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all Things direct and rule our Hearts." Is it poſſible for words more ſtrongly to expreſs the Neceſſity of a continual, divine Inſpiration? Or can Inſpiration be higher, or more immediate in Prophets and Apoſtles, than that which directs, that which rules our Hearts, not now and then, but in all Things? Or can the abſolute Neceſſity of this, be more fully declared, than by ſaying, that if it is not in this Degree both of Height and Continuance in, and over our Hearts, Nothing that is done by us, can be pleaſing to God, that is, can have any Union with him?

Now the Matter is not at all about the different Effects, or Works proceeding from Inſpiration, as whether by it, a Man be made a Saint in Himſelf, or ſent by Cod with a prophetic Meſſage to others, this affects not the Nature, and Neceſſity of Inſpiration, which is juſt as neceſſary in itſelf, to all true Goodneſs, as to all true Propheſy.—All Scripture is of divine Inſpiration. But why ſo? Becauſe holy Men of old, ſpake, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt. Now the above Collect, as well as Chriſt and his Apoſtles, oblige us in like manner to hold, that all Holineſs is by divine Inſpiration, and that therefore there could have been no holy Men of old, or in any latter Times, but ſolely for this Reaſon, becauſe they LIVED, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt. Again, the Liturgy prays thus, "O God, from whom all good Things do come, grant that by thy holy Inſpiration, we may think thoſe Things that be good, and by thy merciful Guiding may perform the Same."—Now, if in any of my Writings, I have ever ſaid any Thing higher, or farther of the Nature, and Neceſſity of continual, divine Inſpiration, than this Church-Prayer does, I refuſe no Cenſure, that ſhall be paſſed upon me. But if I have, from all that we know of God, of Nature, and Creature, ſhewn the utter Impoſſibility of any Kind, or Degree of Goodneſs to be in us, but from the divine Nature, living, and breathing in us, if I have ſhewn, that all Scripture, Chriſt and his Apoſtles, over and over ſay the ſame Thing; that our Church Liturgy is daily praying according to it; What kinder Thing can I ſay of thoſe Churchmen, who accuſe me of Enthuſiaſm, than that which Chriſt ſaid of his blind Crucifiers, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

It is to no Purpoſe to object to all this, that theſe Kingdoms are overrun with Enthuſiaſts of all Kinds, and that Moravians, with their ſeveral Diviſions, and Methodiſts of various Kinds, are every where acting in the wildeſt Manner, under the Pretence of being called, and led by the Spirit. Be it ſo, or not ſo, is a matter I meddle not with; nor is the Doctrine I am upon, in the leaſt affected by it. For what an Argument would this be; Enthuſiaſts of the preſent and former Ages, have made a bad uſe of the Doctrine of being led by the Spirit of God, Ergo, He is enthuſiaſtical, or helps forward Enthuſiaſm, who preaches up the Doctrine of being led by the Spirit of God. Now abſurd as this is, was any of my Accuſers, as high in Genius, as bulky in Learning, as Coloſſus was in Stature, he would be at a Loſs to bring a ſtronger Argument than this, to prove me an Enthuſiaſt, or an Abettor of them.

But as I do not begin to doubt, about the Neceſſity, the Truth, and Perfection of Goſpel Religion, when told that whole Nations and Churches, have under a Pretence of Regard to it, and for the Sake of it, done all the bad Things, that can be charged upon this, or that leading Enthuſiaſt, whether you call thoſe bad Things, Schiſm, Perjury, Rebellion, Worldly Craft, and Hypocriſy, &c. So I give not up the Neceſſity, the Truth, and Perfection, of looking wholly to the Spirit of God and Chriſt within me, as my promiſed Inſpirer, and only Worker of all that can be good in me, I give not this up, becauſe in this, or that Age, both ſpiritual Pride, and fleſhly Luſts have proſpered by it, or becauſe Satan has often led People into all the Heights of Self-glory, and Self-ſeeking, under a Pretence of being inſpired with Goſpel Humility, and Goſpel Self-denial.

Another Charge upon me, equally falſe, and I may ſay, more ſenſeleſs, is that I am a declared Enemy to the Use of Reaſon in Religion. And Why? Becauſe in all my Writings, I teach that Reaſon is to be denied, &c. I own, I have not only taught this, but have again and again proved the abſolute Neceſſity of it. And this, becauſe Chriſt has made it abſolutely Neceſſary, by ſaying, Whoſoever will come after me, let him deny himſelf, &c. For how can a Man deny himſelf, without denying his Reaſon, unleſs Reaſon be no Part of Himſelf? Or how can a rational Creature, whoſe chief Diſtinction from Brutes, is that of his Reaſon, be called to deny himſelf any other Way, than by denying that which is peculiar to himſelf? Let the Matter be thus expreſſed, Man is not to deny his Reaſon. Well, how then? Why? (N. B.) He is only to deny himſelf. Can there be a greater Folly of Words? And yet it is their Wiſdom of Words, who allow the denying of Self, to be good Doctrine, but boggle, and cry out at the denying of Reaſon, as quite bad. For how can a Man deny himſelf, but by denying that, which is the Life, and Spirit and Power of Self?—What makes Man a Sinner? Nothing but the Power, and Working of his natural Reaſon. And therefore, if our natural Reaſon is not to be denied, we muſt keep up, and follow that, which works every Sin that ever was, or can be in us. For we can ſin no where, or in any Thing, but where our natural Reaſon▪ or Underſtanding has its Power in us.—What is meant in all Scripture by the Fleſh and its Works? Is it ſomething diſtinct, and different from the Workings of our rational and intelligent Nature? No, it is our whole intelligent, rational Nature, that conſtitutes the Fleſh, or the carnal Man, who could not be criminally ſo, any more than the Beaſts, but becauſe his Carnality, has all its Evil, from his intelligent Nature, or Reaſon, being the Life, and Power of it. And every Thing which our Lord ſaith of Self, is ſo much ſaid of our natural Reaſon; aud all that the Scripture ſaith of the Fleſh and its evil Nature, is ſo much ſaid of the evil State of our natural Reaſon, which therefore is, ought, and muſt be denied, in the ſame Manner and Degree, as Self and Fleſh is, and muſt be denied.

I have elſewhere ſhewn the groſs Darkneſs and Ignorance, which govern that, which is called Metaphyſicks in the Schools, that it is ſo great, that if you was to ſay, that God firſt creates a Soul out of Nothing, and when that is done, then takes an underſtanding Faculty and puts it into it, after that, adds a Will, and then a Memory, all as independently made, as when a Taylor firſt makes the Body of a Coat, and then adds ſleeves, and Pockets to it; was you to ſay this, the Schools of Deſcartes, Male-branche, or Locke, could have Nothing to ſay againſt it. ^[3]

And here Truth obliges me to ſay, that Scholaſtic Divinity, is in as great Ignorance about the moſt fundamental Truths of the Goſpel, as I have again and again ſhewn, in Regard to the Nature of the Fall of Man, and all the Scripture Expreſſions concerning the new Birth; and here alſo concerning the Doctrine, of a Man's denying himſelf, which modern Learning ſuppoſes to be poſſible without, or different from a Man's denying his own natural Reaſon; which is an Abſurdity of the greateſt Magnitude. For what is Self, but that which a Man is, and has in his natural Capacity? Or what is the Fullneſs of his natural Capacity, but the Strength and Power of his Reaſon? How then can any Man deny himſelf, but by denying that which gives Self, its whole Nature, Name, and Power? If Man was not a rational Creature, he could not be called to deny himſelf, he could not need, or receive the Benefit, and Goodneſs of Self-Denial: No man therefore can obey the Precept of denying himſelf, or have any Benefit or Goodneſs from it, but ſo far as he denies, or dies to his own natural Reaſon, becauſe the Self of Man, and the natural Reaſon of Man, are ſtrictly the ſame Thing.—Again, our bleſſed Lord ſaid in his Agony, Not my Will, but thine be done. And had not this been the Form of his whole Life, He had not lived without Sin.—Now thus to deny our own Will, that God's Will may be done in us, is the Height of our Calling; and ſo far as we keep from our own natural Will, ſo far we keep from Sin. But now, if our own natural Will, as having all Sin and evil in it, is always to be denied, whatever it coſts us, I would fain know, how our natural Reaſon, can ever eſcape, or how we can deny our own Will, and not deny that rational, or intelligent Power, in and from which, the Will hath its whole Exiſtence, and continual Direction? Or how there can be always a Badneſs of our own Will, which is not the Badneſs of our own natural, intellectual Power? Therefore it is a Truth of the utmoſt Certainty, that as much as we are obliged to deny our own natural Will, that the Will of God may be done in us, ſo much are we obliged to deny our own natural Reaſon and Underſtanding, that our own Will may not be done, or followed by us. For whoever lives to his own natural Reaſon, he neceſſarily lives to his own natural Will. For our natural Will, in whatever State it is, is Nothing elſe, but our natural Reaſon willing this, or that.

Now hard, as this may ſeem to unregenerate Nature, and yet harder to Nature highly exalted, and big with the Glory of all that, which Wits, Poets, Orators, Critics, Sophiſts, and Hiſtorians have enriched it with, yet true it is, and a Truth as certain as the Fall of Man, that this full Denial of our own natural Will, and our own natural Reaſon, is the only poſſible Way for divine Knowledge, divine Light, and divine Goodneſs, to have any Place, or Power of Birth in us.—All other religious Knowledge, got any other Way, let it be as great as it will, is only great in Vanity, Emptineſs and Deluſion. For Nothing but that which comes immediaetly from God, can have any Thing godly in it, and all that which comes from Self, and natural Reaſon, however outwardly coloured, can have no better a Nature within, than Self-ſeeking, Self-eſteem, and fleſhly Wiſdom, which (N. B.) are thoſe very Works of the Devil in us, which Chriſt came into the World to deſtroy—For the Efforts of natural Reaſon, and Self-abilities, to be great in religious Knowledge from our own particular Talents, are as Satanical Things, as any we carry about us, and moſt of all fix us in the higheſt Contrariety to that State, which our Lord affirms to be abſolutely neceſſary▪

Except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye canno enter into the Kingdom of God. —Now as ſure as this is neceſſary, ſo ſure is it, that no one can be thus converted, or come under the good Influence of this child-like Nature, till natural Reaſon, Self, and own Will, are all equally denied.—For all the Evil and Corruption of our fallen Nature conſiſts in this, it is an awakened Life of own Reaſon, own Will broken off from God, and ſo fallen into the ſelfiſh Workings of its own earthly Nature.

Now whether this Self, broken off from God, reaſoneth, willeth, and contendeth about the Difference of Scripture Words and Opinions, or reaſoneth againſt them all, the ſame evil State of fallen Nature, the ſame Loſs of Life, the ſame Separation from God, the ſame evil Tempers of Fleſh and Blood, will be equally ſtrengthened and inflamed by the one, as by the other. —Hence it is, that Papiſts and Proteſtants are hating, fighting and killing one another for the Sake of their different, excellent Opinions, and yet, as to the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, they are in the higheſt Union, and Communion with one Another. For if you expect a zealous Proteſtant to be therefore a new born Creature, alive unto God, or a zealous Papiſt to be therefore dead to all divine Goodneſs, you may be ſaid to have lived in the World without either Eyes or Ears—And the Reaſon why it muſt be ſo, is becauſe bad Syllogiſms for Tranſubſtantiation, and better Syllogiſms againſt it, ſignify no more towards the caſting Satan out of our Souls, than a bad, or better Taſte for Painting.

Hence alſo it is, that Chriſtendom, full of the niceſt Deciſions about Faith, Grace, Works, Merits, Satisfaction, Hereſies, Schiſms, &c. is full of all thoſe evil Tempers, which prevailed in the Heathen World, when none of theſe Things were ever thought of.

A Scholar, pitying the Blindneſs and Folly of thoſe who live to themſelves in the Cares and Pleaſures of this vain Life, thinks himſelf divinely employed, and to have eſcaped the Pollutions of the World, becauſe he is, day after day, dividing, diſſecting, and mending Church-Opinions, fixing Hereſies here, Schiſms there; forgetting all the while, that a carnal Self and natural Reaſon have the doing of all that is done by this learned Zeal, and are as buſy, and active in him, as in the reaſoning Infidel, or projecting Worldling. For where Self is wholly denied, there nothing can be called Hereſy, Schiſm, or Wickedneſs, but the Want of loving God with our whole Heart, and our Neighbour as ourſelves; nor any Thing be called Truth, Life, or Salvation, but the Spirit, Nature and Power of Chriſt living, and manifeſting itſelf in us, as it did in him. But where Self, or the natural Man is become great in Religious Learning, there the greater the Scholar, the more firmly will he be fixed in their Religion, whoſe God is their Belly.

But that I may fully ſhow the Perverſeneſs of my Accuſers, in charging me with denying the Uſe of Reaſon in Religion, ſee here a Word or two of what I have ſaid at large, and in the plaineſt Words, more than twenty-four years ago, which Doctrine I have maintained in all that I have ſince written.—My Words are theſe.

You ſhall ſee Reaſon poſſeſſed of all that belongs to it. I will grant it to have as great a Share in the good Things of Religion, as in the good Things of this Life; that it can aſſiſt the Soul, juſt as it can aſſiſt the Body, that it has the ſame Power and Virtue in the ſpiritual, that it has in the natural World; That it can communicate to us as much of the one, as of the other, and is of the ſame Uſe and Importance in the one as in the other. Can you aſk more? All which I thus make out in the following Manner.

Man, conſidered as a Member of this World, who is to have his Share of the Good that is in it, is a ſenſible, and a rational Creature, that is, he has a certain Number of Senſes, as Seeing, Hearing, Taſting, Touching, and Smelling, by which he is ſenſible of that, which the outward World, in which he is placed, can do for him, or communicate to him, and ſo is ſenſible of what Kind, and Degree of Happineſs, he can have from it.

Now beſides theſe Organs of Senſe, he has a Power, or Faculty of Reaſoning upon the Ideas, which he has received from theſe Senſes.

Now how is it, that the good Things of this World are communicated to Man? How is he put in Poſſeſſion of them? To what Part of him are they propoſed? Are his Senſes, or his Reaſon, the Means of his having ſo much as he has, or can have from this World?

Now here, you muſt degrade Reaſon juſt as much, as it is degraded by Religion, and are obliged to ſet it as low, with reſpect to the Things of this World, as it is ſet with reſpect to the Things of the ſpiritual World. It is no more the Means of Communicating the good Things of the one, than of the other. And as St. Paul ſays, the natural Man cannot receive the Things of the Spirit of God, for this Reaſon, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned; ſo you muſt of Neceſſity ſay, the rational Man cannot receive the Things of this World, for this Reaſon, becauſe they are ſenſibly received, that is, by the Organs of Senſe. Reaſon therefore has no higher Office, or Power in the Things of this World, than in the Things of Religion; and Religion does no more Violence to your Reaſon, or rejects it any other Way, than all the good Things of this World reject it: It is not ſeeing, it is not hearing, taſting, or feeling the Things of this Life; it can ſupply the Place of no one of theſe Senſes.

Now it is only thus helpleſs, and uſeleſs in Religion; it is neither ſeeing, nor hearing, taſting, nor feeling of ſpiritual Things; therefore in the Things of Religion, and in the Things of this World, it has one, and the ſame Inſignificancy.—It is the Senſibility of the Soul, that muſt receive what this World can communicate to it; it is the Senſibility of the Soul, that muſt receive what God can communicate: Reaſon may follow after in either Caſe, and view through its own Glaſs what is done, but it can do no more. Reaſon may be here of the ſame Service to us, as when we want any of the Enjoyments of this Life; it may direct us how, and where they are to be had; it may take away a Cover from our Eyes, or open our Window-ſhutters, when we want the Light; but it can do no more towards ſeeing, than to make way for the Light to act upon our Eyes. This is all its Office and Ability in the Things of Religion; it may remove that, which hinders the Senſibility of the Soul, or prevents the divine Light's acting upon it, but it can do no more: Becauſe the Faculty of Reaſoning, is only the Activity of the Mind upon its own Ideas or Images, which the Senſes have cauſed it to form from that, which has been ſtirred up in them; but has Nothing of the Nature of that which it ſpeculates upon by Ideas: It does not become dark, when it reaſons upon the Cauſe, or Nature of Darkneſs, nor becomes Light, when it reaſons about it; neither is it Religion, nor gets any Thing of the Nature of Religion, when it is wholly taken up in Deſcriptions and Definitions of religious Doctrines, and Virtues.

For the Good of Religion, is like the Good of Food and Drink to the Creature, that wants it. And if inſtead of giving ſuch an one Bread and Wine, you ſhould teach him to ſeek for Relief, by attending to clear Ideas of the Nature of Bread, of different Ways of making it, &c. He would be left to dye in the Want of Suſtenance, juſt as the Religion of Reaſoning leaves the Soul to periſh in the Want of that Good, which it was to have from Religion. And yet as a Man may have the Benefit or Food much aſſiſted by the right Uſe of his Reaſon, though Reaſon has not the Good of Food in it; ſo a Man may have the Good of Religion much aſſiſted, and ſecured to him, by the right Uſe of his Reaſon, though Reaſon has not the Good of Religion in it. And as it would be great Folly and Perverſeneſs, to accuſe a Man as an Enemy to the true Uſe of Reaſoning about Food, becauſe he declares, that Reaſon is not Food, nor can ſupply the Place of it; ſo is it equally ſo, to accuſe a Man, as an Enemy to the Uſe of Reaſoning in Religion, becauſe he declares that Reaſoning is not Religion, nor can ſupply the Place of it. We have no Want of Religion, but becauſe we want to have more of the divine Nature in us, than we have in our fallen Nature. But if this be the Truth of the Matter (and who can deny it) then we are ſure, that nothing can be our Good in Religion, but that which communicates to us ſomething of God, or which alters our State of Exiſtence in God, and makes us Partakers of the divine Nature, in ſuch a Manner and Degree as we wanted. What a Folly then to put any Truſt in a Religion of rational Notions and Opinions logically deduced from Scripture Words. Do we not ſee Sinners of all Sorts, and Men under the Power of every corrupt Paſſion, equally zealous for ſuch a Religion? Proof enough, that it has not the Good of Religion in it, nor any Contrariety to the Vices of the Heart; it neither kills them, nor is killed by them. For as Pride, Hypocriſy, Envy or Malice do not take away from the Mind, its geometrical, or critical Abilities; ſo a Man may be moſt logical in his Religion of Reaſon, Words, Doctrines, and Opinions, when he has Nothing of the true Good of Religion in him.

But as ſoon as it is known and confeſſed, that all the Happineſs, or Miſery, of all Creatures conſiſts only in this, as they are more or leſs poſſeſſed of God, or as they, differently partake of the divine Nature; then it muſt be equally known, that Nothing but God, can do, or be any religious Good to us; and alſo that God cannot do, or be any religious Good to us, but by the Communication of himſelf, or the Manifeſtation of his own Life within us.

Hence may be ſeen, the great and like Blindneſs both of Infidels and Chriſtians; the one in truſting to their own Reaſon, dwelling in its own logical Concluſions; the other in truſting to their own Reaſon, dwelling in learned Opinions about Scripture Words and Phraſes, and Doctrines built upon them. For as ſoon as it is known and confeſſed, that God is all in all, that in him we live and move and have our Being; that we can have Nothing ſeparately, or out of him, but every Thing in Him; that we have no Being, or Degree of Being but in him; that he can give us Nothing as our Good, but Himſelf, nor any Degree of Salvation from our fallen Nature, but in ſuch Degree, as he again Communicates ſomething more of Himſelf to us: As ſoon as this is known, then it is known with the utmoſt Evidence, that to put a religious Truſt in our own Reaſon, whether confined to itſelf, or working in Doctrines about Scripture Words, has the Nature of that ſame Idolatry, that puts a religious Truſt in the Sun, a departed Saint, or a graven Image ^[4]. And as Image-worſhip has often boaſted of its divine Power, becauſe of the Wonders of Zeal, and Devotion, that have been raiſed thereby in thouſands, and ten thouſands of its Followers; ſo it is no Marvel, if Opinion-worſhip ſhould often have, and boaſt of the ſame Effects.—But the Truth of the whole Matter lies here: As the WORD manifeſted in the Fleſh, or become Man, is the one Mediator, or Reſtorer of Union between God and Man; ſo to ſeeing Eyes, it muſt be evident, that Nothing but this one mediatorial Nature of Chriſt, eſſentially brought to Life in our Souls, can be our Salvation through Chriſt Jeſus. For that which ſaved and exalted that Humanity, in which Chriſt dwelt, muſt be the Salvation of every human Creature in the World. But to return. What poor divinity Knowledge comes from great Scholars, and great Readers, may be ſufficiently ſeen from the two following judicious Quotations in a late Diſſertation on Enthuſiaſm; the one is taken from Dr. Warburton's Sermons, the other from a Paſtoral Letter of Mr. Stinſtra, a Preacher amongſt the Mennomiſts of Frieſland. That from Dr. Warburton, ſtands thus: By them (that is, by the Writings of the New Teſtament) the prophetic Promiſe of our Saviour, that the Comforter ſhould abide for ever, was eminently fulfilled. For though his ordinary Influence occaſionally aſſiſts the the Faithful, yet his conſtant Abode and ſupreme Illumination is in the ſacred Scriptures ^[5]. Dr. Warburton's Doctrine is this, that the inſpired Books of the New Teſtament, is that Comforter, or Spirit of Truth, and Illuminator, which is meant by Chriſt's being always with his Church.—Let us therefore put the Doctor's Doctrine into the Letter of the Text, which will beſt ſhew how true, or falſe it is.

Our Lord ſaith, it is expedient for you that I go away, or the Comforter will not come: That is, it is expedient for you, that I leave off teaching you in Word's, that ſound only into your outward Ears, that you may have the ſame Words in Writing, for your outward Eyes to look upon; for if I do not depart from this vocal Way of teaching you, the Comforter will not come, that is, ye will not have the Comfort of my Words written on Paper. But if I go away, I will ſend written Books, which ſhall lead you into ſuch a Truth of Words, as ye could not have, whilſt they were only ſpoken from my Mouth; but being written on Paper, they will be my ſpiritual, heavenly, conſtant Abode with you, and the moſt ſupreme Illumination ye can receive from Me.

Chriſt ſaith further; I have many Things to ſay unto you, but ye cannot bear them now; howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He ſhall guide you into all Truth; for He ſhall not ſpeak of Himſelf, for He ſhall receive of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you; that is, though ye cannot be ſufficiently inſtructed from my Words at preſent, yet when they ſhall hereafter come to you in written Books, they will give you a Knowledge of all Truth, for they ſhall not ſpeak of themſelves, but ſhall receive Words from me, and ſhew them unto you. Again, Chriſt ſaith, Theſe Things have I ſpoken unto you in Proverbs; but the Time cometh, when I ſhall no more ſpeak unto you in Proverbs, but will ſhew you plainly of the Father. That is, hitherto ye have only had ſpoken Proverbs from me, and therefore ye have not plainly known the Father; but the Time cometh, when theſe ſpoken Proverbs ſhall be put into Writing, and then ye ſhall plainly know the Father. Again, Chriſt adds, Ye now therefore have Sorrow, but I will ſee you again, and your Hearts ſhall rejoice, and your Joy no Man taketh from you. That is, ye are now troubled at my perſonal Departure from you; but ſome written Books ſhall be my ſeeing you again, and in that Viſit, ye ſhall have ſuch Joy as cannot be taken from you.

Chriſt alſo ſaith, if any Man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him: That is, according to the Doctor's Theology, certain Books of Scripture will come to him, and make their Abode with him; for he expreſsly confineth the conſtant Abode, and ſupreme Illumination of God, to the holy Scriptures. Therefore (horrible to ſay) God's inward Preſence, his operating Power of Life and Light in our Souls, his Dwelling in us, and we in Him, is ſomething of a lower Nature, that only may occaſionally happen, and has leſs of God in it, than the dead Letter of Scripture, which alone is his conſtant Abode and ſupreme Illumination.—Miſerable Fruits of a paradoxical Genius!

Chriſt from Heaven ſaith, Behold I ſtand at the Door, and knock; if any Man hear my Voice, and open unto me, I will come into him, and ſup with him. This is his true eminent Fulfiling of his prophetic Promiſe of being a Comforter, and Spirit of Truth to his Church, to the End of the World. But according to the Doctor we are to underſtand, that not the heavenly Chriſt, but the New Teſtament continually ſtandeth and knocketh at the Door, wanting to enter into the Heart, and ſup with it; which is no better than holding, that when Chriſt calls himſelf, Alpha and Omega, He means not himſelf, but the New Teſtament—Again, I am the Vine, ye are the Branches; as the Branch cannot bear Fruit of itſelf, except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me; for without me, ye can do Nothing. Now take the Doctor's Comment, and then the Truth of all theſe Words of Chriſt was only temporary, and could be true no longer, than till the Books of the New Teſtament were written; for then all this, which Chriſt had affirmed of himſelf, of the Certainty, and Neceſſity of his Life, and Power in them, ended in the perſonal Appearance of Chriſt, and paſſed over to the written Words of the New Teſtament, and they are the true Vine, and we it's Branches, they are that, without which we can do Nothing. For thus it muſt be, if, as the Doctor affirms, the Writings of the New Teſtament are that, by which we are to underſtand, the conſtant Abode, and ſupreme Illumination of God in Man.—Now abſurd, and even blaſphemous, as this Interpretation of the foregoing Text is, it muſt be evident to every Reader, that it is all the Doctor's own; for the Letter of Scripture is only made here, to claim that Divinity to itſelf, which the Doctor has openly affirmed to be true of it.

Rabbi, ſaith Nicodemus to Chriſt, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God: Now that which was here truly ſaid of Chriſt in the Fleſh, is the very Truth that muſt be ſaid of the Scripture, teaching in Ink and Paper; it is a Teacher come from God, and therefore fully to be believed, highly reverenced, and ſtrictly followed. But as Chriſt's Teaching in the Fleſh, was only preparatory to his future, vital Teaching by the Spirit; ſo the Teaching of Scripture by Words written with Ink and Paper, is only preparatory, or introductory, to all that inward, eſſential Teaching of God, which is by his Spirit and Truth within us.—Every other Opinion of the holy Scripture, but that of an outward Teacher and Guide to God's inward Teaching and Illumination in our Souls, is but making an Idol-god of it: I ſay an Idol-god; for to thoſe who reſt in it as the conſtant Abode and ſupreme Illumination of God with them, it can be Nothing elſe. For, if Nothing of divine Faith, Love, Hope, or Goodneſs, can have the leaſt Birth, or Place in us, but by divine Inſpiration; they who think theſe Virtues may be ſufficiently raiſed in us by the Letter of Scripture, do in Truth, and Reality, make the Letter of Scripture their inſpiring God.—The Apoſtles preached, and wrote to the People by divine Inſpiration. But what do they ſay of their inſpired Doctrine, and Teachings? What Virtue or Power was there in them? Do they ſay that their Words, and Teachings, was the very promiſed Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the true Abode, and ſupreme Illumination of God in the Souls of Men? So far from ſuch a blaſphemous Thought, that they affirm the direct contrary, and compare all their inſpired Teachings and Inſtructions, to the dead Works of bare Planting and Watering, and which muſt continue dead, till Life come into them from another and much higher Power. I have planted, ſaith St. Paul, Apollos hath watered, but God gave the Increaſe. And then further to ſhew, that this Planting and Watering, which was the higheſt Work that an inſpired Apoſtle could do, was yet, in itſelf, to be conſidered, as a lifeleſs, powerleſs Thing; he adds, So then, neither is he that planteth, any Thing; nor he that Watereth; but God that giveth the Increaſe.—But now, if this muſt be ſaid of all that, which the inſpired Apoſtles taught in outward Words, that it was nothing in itſelf, was without Power, without Life, and only ſuch a Preparation towards Life, as is that of Planting and Watering; muſt not that ſame be ſaid of their inſpired Teachings, when left behind them in Writing? For what elſe are the apoſtolical Scriptures, but thoſe very Inſtructions and Teachings, put into Writing, which they affirmed to be but bare Planting and Watering, quite powerleſs in themſelves, till the living Spirit of God worked with them? Or will any one ſay, that what Paul, Peter, John, &c. ſpoke by Inſpiration from their own Mouths, was indeed but bare▪ Planting and Watering, in order to be capable of receiving Life from God; but when theſe apoſtolical Teachings and Inſtructions, were written on Paper, they were raiſed out of their firſt Inability, got the Nature of God himſelf, became Spirit and Life, and might be called the great quickening Power of God, or, as the Doctor ſays, the conſtant Abode, and ſupreme Illumination of his Spirit with us?

It would be great Folly and Perverſeneſs, to charge me here, with ſlighting, or leſſening the true Value, Uſe, and Importance of the inſpired apoſtolical Scriptures; for if the Charge was juſt, it muſt lie againſt Paul, and not againſt me; ſince I ſay nothing of them, but that which he ſaith, and in his own expreſs Words, viz. that all their labour of preaching, inſtructing and writing by divine Inſpiration, had in themſelves no other Nature, Uſe, or Power, than that of ſuch planting and watering as could not fructify, till a higher Power, than was in them, gave Life and Growth to that, which they planted and watered.

I exceedingly love and highly reverence the divine Authority of the ſacred Writings of the Apoſtles and Evangeliſts, and would gladly perſuade every one, to be as deeply affected with them, and pay as profound a Regard to them, as they would to an Elijah, a St. John Baptiſt, or a Paul, whom they knew to be immediately ſent from Heaven, with God's Meſſage to them.— I reverence them as a literal Truth of and from God, as much the greateſt heavenly Bleſſing, that can be outwardly beſtowed upon us.—I reverence them, as doing, or fitted to do, all that good amongſt Chriſtians now, which the Apoſtles did in their Day, and as of the ſame Uſe and Benefit to the Church of every Age, as their planting and watering was to the firſt.

But now, if this is not thought that Fullneſs of Regard, that is due to the holy Meſſengers of God; if any one will ſtill be ſo learnedly wiſe, as to affirm, that though Paul's Preaching in his Epiſtles, whilſt he was alive, was indeed only bare planting and watering, but the ſame Epiſtles being publiſhed after his Death, got another Nature, became full of divine and living Power; ſuch an one hath no Right to laugh (as the Doctor doth) at the ſilly Mahometan, who believes the Alcoran to be uncreated. For wherever there in divine Efficacy, there, there muſt be an uncreated Power. And if, as the Doctor ſaith, the Scriptures of the New Teſtament are the only conſtant Abode, and ſupreme Illumination of the Spirit of God with us, all that is ſaid of the eternal Spirit of God, of the uncreated Light, might and ought to be ſaid of them; that they are the WORD that was God, was with God, and are our true Immanuel, or God within us.

I ſhall now only add this friendly Hint to the Doctor, that he has a Remedy at hand in his own Sermon, how he may be delivered from thus groſsly miſtaking the Spirit of the Goſpel, as well as the Law of Moſes.— St. Paul, (ſaith the Doctor) Had a quick and lively Imagination, and an extenſive and intimate Acquaintance with thoſe Maſters in moral Painting, the claſſic Writers; (N. B.) all which, he proudly ſacrificed to the Glory of the everlaſting Goſpel ^[6].

Now if the Doctor did that, (though it was only from Humility) which he ſays the Apoſtle did proudly, ſuch Humility might be as great a Good to him, as that Pride was to the Apoſtle.—And indeed, one would have thought, that as ſoon as the Doctor had diſcovered theſe Writers, to be only great Maſters in moral Painting, it ſhould have had the ſame Effect upon him, as if he had found them great Maſters in Deluſion. For where there is moral Painting, there, there is moral Deluſion. And the Spirit, the Life, the Purity, and divine Simplicity of goſpel Truth, is more eluded, loſt and deſtroyed by moral Paintings, whether in Books or Pulpits, than by any material Colourings put upon Images of Wood or Clay, to excite ſpiritual Devotion in Churches.— Again, if the everlaſting Goſpel is now as glorious a Thing, as it was in St. Paul's Days; if the higheſt, moſt accompliſhed, claſſic Knowledge, is ſo unſuitable to the Light and Spirit of the Goſpel, that it is fit for Nothing, but to be caſt away, or as the Doctor ſaith, to be all ſacrificed to the Glory of the Goſpel; how wonderful is it, that this ſhould never come into his head, from the Beginning to the End of his three long Legation-Volumes, or that he ſhould come piping hot with freſh and freſh claſſic Beauties found out by himſelf, in a Shakeſpeare, a Pope, &c. to preach from the Pulpit, the divine Wiſdom of a Paul, in renouncing all his great claſſic Attainments, as mere Loſs and Dung, that by ſo doing, he might win Chriſt, and be found in him!

Let it be ſuppoſed, that our Lord was to come again for a while in the Fleſh; and that his Coming was for this End, to do that for the Chriſtian World, cumbered with much Learning, which he did to poor Martha, only cumbered with much Serving, and thereby neglected that good Part, which Mary had choſen; muſt we ſuppoſe, that the Doctor would haſten to meet him, with his ſacred Alliances, his Bundles of Pagan Traſh, and hierogliphic Profundities, as his full Proof, that Mary's good Part, which ſhall never be taken from her, had been choſen for himſelf, and all his Readers? As well might it be thought, that the Pope would come richly laden with his bleſſed Images, his heavenly Decrees, his divine Bulls, as infallible Proofs of his being born again from above, and ſolely devoted to the one Thing Needful.

Let the Doctor figure to himſelf, the gaudy Pageantry of a divine high Maſs in a Romiſh Cathedral; let him wonder at that flagrant, daring Contrariety, that it hath to that firſt Goſpel-church of Chriſt, viz. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midſt of them. Would he not ſtill be fuller of Wonder, if he ſhould hear the Pope declaring, that all this heatheniſh ſhew of invented Fopperies, was his projected Defence of that firſt Church of Chriſt?—But if the Doctor would ſee a Proteſtant Wonder, full as great, he need only look at his own theatrical, parading Show of heathen Myſteries, and heatheniſh Learning, ſet forth in higheſt Pomp. To what End? Why to bring forth, what he calls, (as the Pope above) his projected Defence of Chriſtianity.

O vaineſt of all vain Projects! For what is Chriſtianity, but that which Chriſt was, while on Earth? What can it be, but that which it is, and has from him? He is a King, who has all Power in Heaven and on Earth, and his Kingdom, like himſelf, is not of this World. Away then with the Projects of popiſh Pomp, and pagan Literature to ſupport it; they are as wiſe Contrivances, as a high Tower of Babel, to defend it againſt the Gates of Hell.

I come now to the Quotation from the paſtoral Letter of Mr. Stinſtra. A judicious Writer, (ſays the Diſſertation) obſerves, that ſound Underſtanding, and Reaſon, are that on which, and by which, God principally operates, (N. B.) when he finds it proper to aſſiſt (N. B.) our weakneſs by his Spirit ^[7].

I cannot more illuſtrate the Senſe, or extol the Judgment, both of the Author, and Quoter of this ſtriking Paſſage, than by the following Words.

A judicious Naturaliſt obſerves, that ſound and ſtrong Lungs, are that, on which, and by which, the Air or Spirit of this World principally operates, when (N. B.) he finds it proper to aſſiſt, (N. B.) the weakneſs of our Lungs, by his Breathing into them.— Now if any right minded Man, ſhould happen to find his Heart edified, or his Underſtanding enlightened, by the above Paſſage on divine Inſpiration, he will be much pleaſed at my aſſuring him, that the Paſtoral Letter of Mr. Stinſtra, and the Diſſertation on Enthuſiaſm by Mr. Green, are from the Beginning to the End, full as good in every Reſpect, as that is.

Theſe two Inſtances are Proof enough, that as ſoon as any Man truſts to natural Abilities, ſkill in Languages, and common-place Learning, as the true Means of entering into the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom, which is Nothing elſe, but Righteouſneſs, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt; he gives himſelf up to certain Deluſion, and can eſcape no Error that is popular, or that ſuits his State and Situation in the learned, religious World.—He has ſold his Birth-right in the goſpel State of divine Illumination, to make a Figure and Noiſe, with the ſounding Braſs and tinkling Cymbals of the natural Man.

Whence is it, that we ſee Genius, and natural Abilities, to be equally pleaſed with, and equally contending for the Errors and Abſurdities of every Syſtem of Religion, under which they are educated? It is becauſe Genius, and natural Abilities, are juſt the ſame Things, and muſt have the ſame Nature now, as they had in the ancient Schools of the Peripatetic, Academic, Stoic, and atheiſtical Philoſophers.— The Temptation of Honour, which the academic Exerciſe of Wit (as Dr. W. ſays) was ſuppoſed to bring to its Profeſſor ^[8]; has ſtill its Power amongſt Church-diſputants. Nor can it poſſibly ever be otherwiſe, till Parts and Genius, &c. do, as the Blind, the Deaf, the Dumb, and Lepers formerly did; go to be healed of their natural Diſorders by the Inſpiration of that Oracle, who ſaid, I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me, walketh not in Darkneſs. —No Man cometh unto the Father but by me.—Well therefore might St. Paul ſay, I have determined to know Nothing among you, but Chriſt, and him crucified.— And had it not been for this Determination, he had never known, what he then knew, when he ſaid, the Life that I now live, is not mine, but Chriſt's that liveth in me.—Now did the Apoſtle here overſtretch the Matter? Was it a Spirit of Enthuſiaſm, and not of Chriſt living in him, that made this Declaration? Was he here making way for Ignorance and Darkneſs to extinguiſh the Light that came down from Heaven, and was the Light of the World?—Did he here undermine the true Ground, and Rock, on which the Church of Chriſt, was to ſtand, and prevail againſt the Gates of Hell? Did he by ſetting up this Knowledge, as the beſt, and only Knowledge, that an Apoſtle need to have, break down the Fences of Chriſt's Vineyard, rob the Church of all its ſtrong Holds, leave it defenceleſs, without a Pale, and a ready Prey to Infidels?—Who can ſay this, but that Spirit of Antichriſt, that confeſſeth not, that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the Fleſh? For as Chriſt's intending Nothing, knowing Nothing, willing Nothing, but purely and ſolely the whole Courſe of his crucifying Proceſs, was the whole Truth of his being come in the Fleſh, was his doing the whole Will of him that ſent him, was his overcoming the World, Death, and Hell; ſo he that embraces this Proceſs, as Chriſt embraced it, who is wholly given up to it, as Chriſt was, he has the Will of Chriſt, and the Mind of Chriſt, and therefore may well deſire to know Nothing elſe.—To this Man alone, is the World, Death, and Hell, known to be overcome in him, as they were in Chriſt; to him alone, is Chriſt become the Reſurrection, and the Life; and he that knoweth this, he knoweth with St. Paul, that all other Knowledge, may, and will be caſt away as Dung.—Now if St. Paul, having rejected all other Knowledge, but that of a crucified Saviour, which to the Jew was a Stumbling-block, and to the Greek Fooliſhneſs, if he had afterwards wrote three ſuch Legation-volumes, as the Doctor hath done, for the Food, and Nouriſhment of Chriſt's Sheep, who can have no Life in themſelves, but by eating the true Bread that came down from Heaven; muſt they not have been called, Paul's full Recantation of all that he had taught of a Chriſt crucified?

The other Inſtance of Deluſion from Book-learning, relates to Mr. Green, who wanting to write on divine Inſpiration, runs from Book to Book, from Country to Country, to pick up Reports where-ever he could find them, concerning divine Inſpiration, from this, and that judicious Author, that ſo he might be ſure of compiling a judicious Diſſertation on the Subject. All which he might have known to be mere Deluſion, and loſt Labour, had he but remembered, or regarded any one ſingle Saying either of Chriſt, or his Apoſtles concerning the Holy Spirit, and his Operations. For not a Word is ſaid by them, but fully ſhews, that all Knowledge or Perception of the Spirit, is nothing elſe but the Enjoyment of the Spirit, and that no Man can know more of him, than that which the Spirit himſelf is, and does, and manifeſts of his Power in Man.

The Things of God, ſaith St. Paul, knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God. Is not this deciſive upon the Matter? Is not this Proof enough, that Nothing in man, but the Spirit of God in him, can know what the Spirit's Work in Man is, and does? The Fruits of the Spirit, ſo often mentioned in Scripture, are not Things different, or ſeparate from the Spirit, and if the Spirit is not always working in us, his Fruits muſt be as abſent from us, as he is. St. John ſaith, hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit, which he hath given us. A Demonſtration, that the Spirit can no other Way make himſelf known to us, but by his dwelling and working in us. St. James ſaith, every good and perfect Gift cometh from ABOVE: But now does not he in reality deny this, who ſeeks for the higheſt Gift of Knowledge from BELOW, from the poor Contrivance of a Common-place Book? Again, If any Man lack Wiſdom, let him aſk it of God; St. James does not ſay, let him go aſk Peter, or Paul, or John, becauſe he knew, that divine Wiſdom, was Nothing elſe, but divine Inſpiration.—But Mr. Green has got together, his ingenious, his eminent Writers, his excellent, learned, judicious Authors, his cool, rational-morality Doctors (a ſet of Men, whoſe glorious Names we read no more of in the Goſpel, than of the profound Ariſtotle, or the divine Cicero) and theſe are to do that for him, which the whole College of Apoſtles could do for no Body.—Now this Doctrine, that Nothing but the Spirit can know the Things that be of God; and that the Enjoyment of the Spirit, is all the Knowledge we can have of him, is a Truth taught us, not only by all Scripture, but by the whole Nature of Things. For every Thing, that can be ſeen, known, heard, felt, &c. muſt be manifeſted by itſelf, and not by another. It is not poſſible for any Thing but Light to manifeſt Light, nor for any Thing but Darkneſs to make Darkneſs to be known. Yet this is more poſſible, than for any Thing but divine Inſpiration, to make divine Inſpiration to be known. Hence there is a Degree of Deluſion ſtill higher, to be noted, in ſuch Writers, as Mr. Green; for his collection of ingenious, eminent, rational Authors, of whom he aſks Counſel concerning the Neceſſity, of Certainty of the immediate Inſpiration of the Spirit, are ſuch as deny it, and write againſt it. Therefore the Proceeding is juſt as wiſe, as if a Man was to conſult ſome ingenious, and eminent Atheiſts, about the Truth and Certainty of God's immediate, continual Providence; or aſk a few ſelect Deiſts, how, or what he was to believe of the Nature, and Power of goſpel Faith. Now there are the Holy Spirit's own Operations, and there are Reports about them. The only true Reports, are thoſe that are made by inſpired Perſons; and if there were no ſuch Perſons, there could be no true Reports of the Matter. And therefore to conſult uninſpired Perſons, and ſuch as deny, and reproach the pretence to Inſpiration, to be rightly inſtructed about the Truth of immediate, continual, divine Inſpiration, is a Degree of Blindneſs, greater than can be charged upon the old Jewiſh Scribes, and Phariſees.

The Reports, that are to be acknowledged as true, concerning the Holy Spirit, and his Operations, are thoſe that are recorded in Scripture; that is, the Scriptures are an infallible Hiſtory, or Relation of that which the Holy Spirit is, and does, and works in true Believers; and alſo an infallible Direction how we are to ſeek, and wait, and truſt in his good Power over us. But then the Scriptures themſelves, though thus true, and infallible in theſe Reports, and Inſtructions about the Holy Spirit, yet they can go no farther, than to be a true Hiſtory; they cannot give to the Reader of them, the Poſſeſſion, the Senſibility, and Enjoyment of that which they relate. This is plain, nof only from the Nature of a written Hiſtory or Inſtruction, but from the expreſs Words of our Lord, ſaying, Except a Man be born again of the Spirit, he cannot ſee or enter into the Kingdom of God. Therefore the new Birth from above, or of the Spirit, is that alone, which gives true Knowledge and and Perception of that, which is the Kingdom of God. The Hiſtory may relate Truths enough about it; but the Kingdom of God, being Nothing elſe, but the Power, and Preſence of God, dwelling and ruling in our Souls, this can only manifeſt itſelf, and can manifeſt itſelf to Nothing in Man, but to the new Birth. For every Thing elſe in Man, is deaf and dumb and blind to the Kingdom of God; but when that which died in Adam, is made alive again by the quickening Spirit from above, this being the Birth which came at firſt from God, and a Partaker of the divine Nature, this knows, finds, and enjoys the Kingdom of God.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, ſaith Chriſt: this Record of Scripture is true; but what a Deluſion, for a Man to think, that he knows and finds this to be true, and that Chriſt is all this Benefit, and Bleſſing to him, becauſe he aſſents, conſents, and contends, it may be, for the Truth of thoſe Words. This is impoſſible. The new Birth is here again the only Power of Entrance; every Thing elſe knocks at the Door in vain; I know you not ſaith Chriſt to every Thing, but the new Birth.—I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, tells us neither more nor leſs, than if Chriſt had ſaid, I am the Kingdom of God, into which Nothing can enter, but that which is born of the Spirit.

Here again may be ſeen in the higheſt Degree of certainty, the abſolute Neceſſity of immediate, divine Inſpiration, through every Part of the Chriſtian Life. For if a Birth of the Spirit, is that alone that can enter into, or receive the Kingdom of God, come amongſt Men; that alone, which can find Chriſt to be the Way, the Truth and the Life; then a continual Life, or Breathing of the Spirit in us, muſt be as neceſſary, as the firſt Birth of the Spirit. For a Birth of the Spirit, is only to make a Beginning of a Life of the Spirit; Birth is only in order to Life; if therefore the Life of the Spirit continues not, the Birth is loſt, and the Ceſſation of its Breathing in us, is nothing elſe but Death again to the Kingdom of God, that is, to every Thing, that is, or can be godly. Therefore the immediate, continual Inſpiration of the Spirit, as the only poſſible Power and Preſervation of a Godly Life, ſtands upon the ſame Ground, and is as abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, as the new Birth.

Take away this Power, and working Life of the Spirit from being the one Life of all that is done in the Church, and then, though it be ever ſo outwardly glorious in its Extent, or ever ſo full of learned Members, it can be Nothing elſe in the Sight of God but the wiſe Greek, and the carnal Jew, become a Body of Water-baptized Chriſtians. For no ſuch an one can be in a better State than this; the Wiſdom of the Greek, the Carnality of the Jew, muſt have the whole Government of him, till he is born of, and led by the Spirit of God; this alone is the Kingdom of God, and every Thing elſe is the Kingdom of this World, in which Satan is declared to be the Prince.—Poor, miſerable Man! that ſtrives with all the Sophiſtry of human Wit, to be delivered from the immediate, continual Operation and Government of the Spirit of God, not conſidering, that where God is not, there is the Devil, and where the Spirit rules not, there all is the Work of the Fleſh, though nothing be talked of, but ſpiritual and Chriſtian Matters. I ſay talked of; for the beſt Ability of the natural Man, can go no farther, than Talk, and Notions, and Opinions about Scripture Words, and Facts; in theſe, he may be a great Critic, an acute Logician, a powerful Orator, and know every Thing of Scripture, except the Spirit and the Truth.

How much then is it to be lamented, as well as impoſſible to be denied, that though all Scripture aſſures us, that the Things of the Spirit of God, are and muſt, to the End of the World, be fooliſhneſs to the natural Man; yet from almoſt one End of learned Chriſtendom to the other, nothing is thought of, as the true, and proper Means of attaining divine Knowledge, but that which every natural, ſelfiſh, proud, envious, falſe, vain-glorious, worldly Man can do. Where is that divinity Student, who thinks, or was ever taught to think, of partaking of the Light of the Goſpel any other Way, than by doing with the Scriptures, that which he does with Pagan Writers, whether Poets, Orators, or Comedians, viz. exerciſe his Logic, Rhetoric, and critical Skill, in deſcanting upon them? This done, he is thought by himſelf, and often by others, to have a ſufficiency of divine, apoſtolical Knowledge. What Wonder therefore if it ſhould ſometimes happen, that the very ſame vain, corrupt, puffing Literature, that raiſes one Man to be a Poet-laureat, ſhould ſet another in a divinity Chair?

How is it, that the logical, critical, learned Deiſt comes by his Infidelity? Why juſt by the ſame Help of the ſame good Powers of the natural Man, as many a learned Chriſtian comes to know, embrace, and contend for the Faith of the Goſpel. For, drop the Power and Reality of divine Inſpiration, and then all is dropt, that can ſet the Believer above, or give him any godly Difference from the Infidel. For the Chriſtian's Faith has no Goodneſs in it, but that it comes from above, is born of the Spirit; and the Deiſt's Infidelity has no Badneſs in it, but becauſe it comes from below, is born of the Will of Fleſh, and of the Will of Men, and rejects the Neceſſity of being born again out of the Corruption of fallen Nature. The Chriſtian therefore that rejects, reproaches, and writes againſt the Neceſſity of immediate, divine Inſpiration, pleads the whole Cauſe of Infidelity; he confirms the Ground, on which it ſtands; and has nothing to prove the Goodneſs of his own Chriſtianity, but that which equally proves to the Deiſt, the Goodneſs of his Infidelity. For without the new Birth, or which is the ſame Thing, without immediate, continual, divine Inſpiration, the Difference between the Chriſtian, and the Infidel, is quite loſt; and whether the uninſpired, unregenerate, Son of Adam, be in the Church, or out of the Church, he is ſtill that Child of this World, that fallen Adam, and mere natural Man, to whom the Things of the Spirit of God, are and muſt be fooliſhneſs. For a full Proof of this, no more need be ſeen, than that which you cannot help ſeeing, that the ſame ſhining Virtues, and the ſame glaring Vices are common to them both. For the Chriſtian, not made ſuch, by the Spirit of God continually inſpiring, and working in him, has only a Chriſtianity of his own making, and can have only ſuch Appearances of Virtues, and will have ſuch reality of Vices, as natural Self wants to have. Let him therefore renounce what is called natural Religion, as much as he will, yet unleſs he is a new born, and divinely inſpired Chriſtian, he muſt live and die in all his natural Corruption.

Through all Scripture, nothing elſe is aimed at, or intended for Man, as his Chriſtianity, but the divine Life; nor any Thing hinted at, as having the leaſt Power to raiſe, or beget it, but the holy, Life-giving Spirit of God.—How groſs therefore is that Blindneſs, which reading the Goſpel, and the Hiſtory of Goſpel Chriſtians, cannot ſee theſe two fundamental Truths, (1) that Nothing is divine Knowledge in Man, but the divine Life: (2) That the divine Life in Nothing elſe, but a Birth of the divine Nature within him?

But this Truth being loſt, or given up, vain Learning, and a worldly Spirit, being in Poſſeſſion of the Goſpel-book, ſet up Kingdoms of Strife and Diviſion.— For what End? Why, that the Unity of the Church may not be loſt. Multiply Syſtems of empty Notions and Opinions: For what? Why, that Words, and Forms may do that for the Church now, which to the firſt Church, of Chriſt's own forming, could only be done, by being born of the Spirit.

Hence it is, that the Scripture-ſcholar is looked upon as having divine Knowledge of its Matters, when he is as ready at Chapter and Verſe, as the Critic is at every Page of Cicero. And nothing is looked upon as defective in divinity Knowledge, but ſuch ſuppoſed Miſtakes of the Genius of the Hebrew, or Greek Letter, as the ſublime Students of the ſamed Words of a Milton, or a Shakeſpeare, charge, as Blunders upon one another.

Now to call ſuch Scripture Skill, divine Knowledge, is juſt as ſolid, and judicious, as if a Man was ſaid, or thought to know, that which St. John knew, becauſe he could ſay his whole Goſpel, and Epiſtles by Heart, without miſſing a Word of them. For a literal Knowledge of Scripture, is but like having all Scripture in the Memory; and is ſo far from being a divine Perception of the Things ſpoken of, that the moſt vicious, wicked Scholar in the World, may attain to the higheſt Perfection in it. But divine Knowledge and Wickedneſs of Life, are ſo inconſiſtent, that they are mutual Death and Deſtruction to one another; where the one is alive, the other muſt be dead—Judas Iſcariot knew Jeſus Chriſt, and all that he ſaid and did to his Crucifixion; he knew what it was to be at the Lord's Table, and to partake of his Supper of Bread and Wine. But yet, with much more Truth it may be ſaid, that he knew nothing eſſentially of all this, and had no better a Knowledge of it, than Pontius Pilate had. Now all Knowledge of Chriſt, but that which is from divine Inſpiration, or the New-birth, is but as poor and profitleſs, as Judas his Knowledge was. It may ſay to Chriſt, as he did, Hail Maſter; but no one can call Jeſus Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.—This empty Letter-learned Knowledge, which the natural Man can as eaſily have of the ſacred Scripture, and religious Matters, as of any other Books, or human Affairs; this being taken for divine Knowledge, has ſpread ſuch Darkneſs and Deluſion all over Chriſtendom, as may be reckoned no leſs than a general Apoſtaſy from the goſpel State of divine Illumination. For the goſpel State is in its whole Nature nothing elſe; it has but one Light, and that is the Lamb of God; it has but one Life, and that is by the Spirit of God. Whatever is not of, and from this Light, and governed by this Spirit, call it by what high Name you will, is no more a Part of the goſpel State, nor will have a better End, than that which entereth into the Mouth, and corrupteth in the Belly.

That one Light and Spirit, which was only one from all Eternity, before Angels, or any heavenly Beings were created, muſt to all Eternity, be that one only Light and Spirit, by which Angels or Men can ever have any Union, or Communion with God.—Every other Light, is but the Light, whence Beaſts have their Senſe and Subtilty; every other Spirit, is but that, which gives to Fleſh and Blood, all its Luſts and Appetites.—Nothing elſe but the Departure from the one Light and Spirit of God, turned an Order of Angels into Devils.—Nothing elſe but the Loſs of that ſame Light and Spirit, took from the divine Adam, his firſt Crown of paradiſical Glory, ſtript him more naked than the Beaſts, and left him a Prey to Devils, and in the Jaws of eternal Death.—What therefore can have the leaſt Share of Power towards Man's Redemption, but the Light and Spirit of God, making again a Birth of themſelves in him, as they did in his firſt glorious Creation? Or what can poſſibly begin, or bring forth this Return of his firſt loſt Birth, but ſolely that which is done by this eternal Light and Spirit.—Hence it is, that the goſpel State is by our Lord, affirmed to be a Kingdom of Heaven at Hand, or come amongſt Men, becauſe it has the Nature of no worldly Thing, or creaturely Power, is to ſerve no worldly Ends, can be helped by no worldly Power, receives nothing from Man, but Man's full Denial of himſelf, ſtands upon nothing that is finite or tranſitory, has no Exiſtence but in that working Power of God, that created and upholds Heaven and Earth; and is a Kingdom of God become Man, and a Kingdom of Men united to God, through a continual, immediate, divine Illumination. What Scripture of the New Teſtament can you read, that does not prove this to be the goſpel State, a Kingdom of God, into which none can enter, but by being born of the Spirit, none can continue to be alive in it, but by being led by the Spirit, and in which not a Thought, or Deſire, or Action, can be allowed to have any Part in it, but as it is a Fruit of the Spirit?

Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. What is God's Kingdom in Heaven, but the Manifeſtation of what God is, and what he does in his heavenly Creatures? How is his Will done there, but becauſe his Holy Spirit is the Life, the Power, and Mover of all that live in it.—Many daily read this Prayer, extol it under the Name of the Lord's Prayer, and yet (for the Sake of Orthodoxy) preach, and write againſt all that is prayed for in it. For nothing but a continual, eſſential, immediate divine, Illumination can do that, which we pray may be done.

For where can God's Kingdom be come, but where every other Power but his, is at an End, and driven out of it? How can his Will only be done, but where the Spirit that wills in God, wills in the Creature?

What now have Parts, and Literature, and the natural Abilities of Man, that they can do here? Juſt as much as they can do at the Reſurrection of the Dead; for all that is to be done here, is nothing elſe, but Reſurrection and Life. Therefore, that which gave Eyes to the Blind, cleanſed the Lepers, caſt out Devils, and raiſed the Dead; that alone can, and muſt do all that is to be done in this goſpel Kingdom of God. For every the ſmalleſt Work or Fruit of Grace, muſt be as ſolely done by God, as the greateſt Miracle in Nature; and the Reaſon is, becauſe every Work of Grace, is the ſame overcoming of Nature, as when the Dead are raiſed to Life.—Yet vain Man would be thought to be ſomething, to have great Power and Ability in this Kingdom of Grace, not becauſe he happens to be born of noble Parents, is cloathed in Purple and fine Linen, and faireth ſumptuouſly every Day; but becauſe he has happened to be made a Scholar, has run through all Languages and Hiſtories, has been long exerciſed in Conjectures and Criticiſms, and has his Head as full of all Notions, theological, poetical, and philoſophical, as a Dictionary is full of all Sorts of Words.

Now let this ſimple Queſtion, decide the whole Matter here: Has this great Scholar any more Power of ſaying to this Mountain, be thou removed hence, and caſt into the Sea, than the illiterate Chriſtian hath? If not, he is juſt as weak, as powerleſs, and little in the Kingdom of God, as he is. But if the illiterate Man's Faith, ſhould happen to be nearer to the Bulk of a Grain of Muſtard-ſeed, than that of the prodigious Scholar, the illiterate Chriſtian ſtands much above him in the Kingdom of God.

Look now at the preſent State of Chriſtendom, glorying in the Light of Greek and Roman Learning, (which an Age or two ago broke forth) as a Light that has helped the Goſpel to ſhine with a Luſtre, that it ſcarce ever had before. Look at this, and you will ſee the Fall of the preſent Church from its firſt goſpel State, to have much Likeneſs to the Fall of the firſt divine Man, from the Glory of paradiſical Innocence, and heavenly Purity, into an earthly State, and beaſtial Life of worldly Craft, and ſerpentine Subtilty.

In the firſt goſpel Church, Heathen Light had no other Name, than Heathen Darkneſs; and the Wiſdom of Words was no more ſought after, than that Friendſhip of the World, which is Enmity with God. In that new born Church, the Tree of Life, which grew in the Midſt of Paradiſe, took Root and grew up again.—In the preſent Church, the Tree of Life is hiſſed at, as the viſionary Food of deluded Enthuſiaſts; and the Tree of Death, called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, has the Eyes and Hearts of Prieſts and People, and is thought to do as much Good to Chriſtians, as it did Evil to the firſt Inhabitants of Paradiſe.—This Tree, that brought Death, and Corruption into human Nature at firſt, is now called a Tree of Light, and is, Day and Night, well watered with every corrupt Stream, however diſtant, or muddy with Earth, that can be drawn to it.

The Simplicity indeed, both of the goſpel Letter, and Doctrine, has the Shine, and Poliſh of claſſic Literature laid thick upon it.—Cicero is in the Pulpit, Ariſtotle writes Chriſtian Ethics, Euclid demonſtrates Infidelity and Abſurdity to be the ſame Thing.—Greece had but one Longinus, Rome had but one Quintilian; but in our preſent Church, they are as common, as Patriots in the State.

But now, what follows from this new riſen Light? Why, Ariſtotle's Atheiſm, Cicero's Height of Pride and Depth of Diſſimulation, and every refined, or groſs Species of Greek and Roman Vices, are as glaring in this new enlightened Chriſtian Church, as ever they were in old Pagan Greece, or Rome.—Would you find a Goſpel-chriſtian, in all this Mid-day Glory of Learning, you may light a Candle, as the Philoſopher did in the Mid-day Sun, to find an honeſt Man.

And indeed, if we conſider the Nature of our Salvation, either with Reſpect to that which alone can ſave us, or that from which we are to be ſaved, it will be plain, that the Wit and Elegance of claſſic Literature, brought into a Chriſtian Church, to make the Doctrines of the Croſs have a better Salvation-effect upon fallen Man, is but like calling in the Aſſiſtance of Balls, and Maſquerades, to make the Lent-penitence go deeper into the Heart, and more effectually drive all Levity and Impurity out of it.—How poorly was the Goſpel at firſt preached, if the Wiſdom of Words, and the Gifts of natural Wit and Imagination had been its genuine Helps? But alas, they ſtand in the ſame Contrariety to one another, as Self-denial, and Self-gratification. To know the Truth of goſpel Salvation, is to know that Man's natural Wiſdom is to be equally ſacrificed with his natural Folly; for they are but one and the ſame Thing, only called ſometimes by one Name, and ſometimes by the other.

His intellectual Faculties are, by the Fall, in a much worſe State than his natural animal Appetites, and want a much greater Self-denial. And when own Will, own Underſtanding, and own Imagination have their natural Strength indulged and gratified, and are made ſeemingly rich and honourable with the Treaſures acquired from a Study of the Belles Lettres, they will juſt as much help poor fallen Man to be like-minded with Chriſt, as the Art of Cookery, well and daily ſtudied, will help a Profeſſor of the Goſpel, to the Spirit and Practice of Chriſtian Abſtinence.—To know all this to be ſtrictly the Truth, no more need be known, than theſe two Things: (1.) That our Salvation conſiſts wholly in being ſaved from ourſelves, or that which we are by Nature; (2.) That in the whole Nature of Things, nothing could be this Salvation, or Saviour to us, but ſuch an Humility of God manifeſted in human Nature, as is beyond all Expreſſion.—Hence, the firſt unalterable Term of this Saviour, to fallen Man, is this, except a Man deny himſelf, forſake all that he hath, yea and his own Life, he cannot be my Diſciple. And to ſhew, that this is but the Beginning, or Ground of Man's Salvation, the Saviour adds, Learn of me, for I am meek, and lowly of Heart. What a Light is here, for thoſe that can bear, or love the Light! Self is the whole Evil of fallen Nature, Self-denial and Humility are our Capacity of being ſaved. This is every Man's ſhort Leſſon of Life, and he that has well learnt it, is Scholar enough, and has had all the Benefit of a moſt finiſhed Education. Then old Adam with all his Ignorance is caſt out of him; and when Chriſt's Humility is learnt, then he has the very Mind of Chriſt, and that which brings him forth a Son of God.

Who then can enough wonder at that Bulk of Libraries, which has taken Place of this ſhort Leſſon of the Goſpel? Or at that Number of Champion Diſputants, who from Age to Age, have been all in Arms, to ſupport and defend a Set of Opinions, Doctrines, and Practices, all which may be moſt cordially embraced, without the leaſt Degree of Self-denial, and moſt firmly held faſt, without getting the leaſt Degree of Humility by it.

What a Groſſneſs of Ignorance, both of Man, and his Saviour, to run to Greek and Roman Schools, to learn how to put off Adam, and to put on Chriſt? To drink at the Fountains of Pagan Poets, and Orators, in order more divinely to drink of the Cup, that Chriſt drank of?—What can come of all this, but that which is already too much come, a Ciceronian-Goſpeller, inſtead of a Goſpel-Penitent?—Inſtead of the Depth, the Truth and Spirit of the humble Publican, ſeeking to regain Paradiſe, only by a broken Heart crying, God, be merciful to me a Sinner; the high-bred Claſſic will live in daily Tranſports at the enormous ^[9] Sublime of a Milton, flying thither, on the unfeathered Wings of high ſounding Words.

This will be more or leſs the Caſe with all the Salvation-doctrines of Chriſt, whilſt under claſſical Acquiſition, and Adminiſtration. Thoſe divine Truths, which are no farther good and redeeming, but as they are Spirit and Life in us, which can have no Entrance, or Birth, but in the Death of Self, in a broken and contrite Heart, will ſerve only to help claſſic Painters (as Dr. W. ^[10] calls them) to laviſh out their Colours on their own paper Monuments of lifeleſs Virtues.

How came the learned Heathens by their Pride and Vanity, by their Inability to come under the Humility of the Croſs? It was becauſe the natural Man ſhined in the falſe Glory of his own cultivated Abilities. Have Wit and Parts, and elegant Taſte, any more good, or redeeming Virtue in Chriſtians, than they had in Heathens? As well might it be ſaid, that own Will is good, and has a redeeming Virtue, in a Chriſtian, but bad, and deſtructive in a Heathen. I ſaid a redeeming Virtue in it; becauſe nothing is or can be a religious Good to fallen Man, but that which hath a redeeming Virtue in it, or is, ſo far as it goes, a true Renewal of the divine Life in the Soul. Therefore ſaid our only Redeemer, Without me, ye can do nothing. Whatever is not his immediate Work in us, is at beſt but a mere Nothing, with Reſpect to the Good of our Redemption.—A Tower of Babel, may to it's Builders Eyes, ſeem to hide its Head in the Clouds; but as to its reaching of Heaven, it is no nearer to that, than the Earth on which it ſtands.—It is thus with all the Buildings of Man's Wiſdom, and natural Abilities in the Things of Salvation; he may take the Logic of Ariſtotle, add to that the Rhetoric of Tully, and then aſcend as high as he can on the Ladder of Poetic Imagination, yet no more is done to the reviving the loſt Life of God in his Soul, than by a Tower of Brick and Mortar to reach Heaven.

Self is the Root, the Tree, and the Branches of all the Evils of our fallen State. We are without God, becauſe we are in the Life of Self.—Self-love, Self-eſteem, and Self-ſeeking, are the very Eſſence, and Life of Pride; and the Devil the firſt Father of Pride, is never abſent from them, nor without Power in them.—To die to theſe eſſential Properties of Self, is to make the Devil depart from us. But as ſoon as we would have Self-abilities have a Share in our good Works, the ſatanic Spirit of Pride is in Union with us, and we are working for the Maintenance of Self-love, Self-eſteem, and Self-ſeeking.

All the Vices of fallen Angels, and Men, have their Birth and Power in the Pride of Self, or I may better ſay, in the Atheiſm, and Idolatry of Self; for Self is both Atheiſt and Idolater. It is Atheiſt, becauſe it has rejected God; it is an Idolater, becauſe it is its own Idol.— On the other Hand, all the Virtues of the heavenly Life, are the Virtues of Humility. Not a Joy, or Glory, or Praiſe in Heaven, but is, what it is, through Humility. It is Humility alone, that makes the unpaſſable Gulph between Heaven and Hell.—No Angels in Heaven, but becauſe Humility is in all their Breath; no Devils in Hell, but becauſe the Fire of Pride, is their whole Fire of Life.

What is then, or in what lies the great Struggle for eternal Life? It all lies in the Strife between PRIDE and HUMILITY: all other Things, be they what they will, are but as under Workmen, Pride and Humility are the two Maſter Powers; the two Kingdoms in Strife for the eternal Poſſeſſion of Man.

And here it is to be obſeved, that every Son of Adam, is in the Service of Pride and Self, be he doing what he will, till an Humility that comes ſolely from Heaven has been his Redeemer. Till then, all that he doth, will be only done by the right Hand, that the left Hand may know it. And he that thinks it poſſible, for the natural Man, to get a better Humility than this, from his own right Reaſon (as it is often miſcalled) refined by Education, ſhews himſelf quite Ignorant of this one moſt plain, and capital Truth of the Goſpel, namely, that there never was, nor ever will be, but one Humility in the whole World, and that is the one Humility of Chriſt, which never any Man, ſince the fall of Adam, had the leaſt Degree of, but from Chriſt.—Humility is one, in the ſame Senſe, and Truth, as Chriſt is one, the Mediator is one, Redemption is one. There are not two Lambs of God, that take away the Sins of the World. But if there was any Humility, beſides that of Chriſt, there would be ſomething elſe beſides him, that could take away the Sins of the World.—All that came before me, ſaith Chriſt, were Thieves and Robbers: We are uſed to confine this to Perſons; but the ſame is as true of every Virtue, whether it hath the Name of Humility, Charity, Piety, or any Thing elſe; if it comes before Chriſt, however good it may pretend to be, it is but a Cheat, a Thief, and a Robber under the Name of a Godly Virtue. And the Reaſon is becauſe Pride and Self have the all of Man, till Man has his all from Chriſt. He therefore only fights the good Fight, whoſe Strife is, that the Self-idolatrous Nature, which he hath from Adam, may be brought to Death, by the ſupernatural Humility of Chriſt, brought to Life in him.

The Enemies to Man's riſing out of the Fall of Adam, through the Spirit and Power of Chriſt, are many. But the one great Dragon-enemy, called Antichriſt, is SELF-EXALTATION. This is his Birth, his Pomp, his Power, and his Throne; when Self-exaltation ceaſes, the laſt Enemy is deſtroyed, and all that came from the Pride and Death of Adam, is ſwallowed up in Victory.

There has been much ſharp looking out, to ſee where and what Antichriſt is, or by what Marks he may be known. Some ſay, he has been in the Chriſtian World, almoſt ever ſince the Goſpel Times; nay, that he was even then beginning to appear and ſhew himſelf. Others ſay, he came in with this, or that Pope; others that he is not yet come, but near at Hand. Others will have it, that he has been here, and there, but driven from one Place to another, by ſeveral new riſen Proteſtant Sects.

But to know with certainty, where, and what Antichriſt is, and who is with him, and who againſt him, you need only read this ſhort Deſcription, which Chriſt giveth of himſelf. (1) I can do nothing of myſelf. (2) I came not to do my own Will. (3) I ſeek not my own Glory. (4) I am meek and lowly of Heart.—Now if this is Chriſt, then Self-ability, or Self-exaltation, being the higheſt and fulleſt Contrariety to all this, muſt be alone the one great Antichriſt, that oppoſeth, and withſtandeth the whole Nature▪ and Spirit of Chriſt.

What therefore has every one ſo much to fear, to renounce and abhor, as every inward Senſibility of Self-exaltation, and every outward Work, that proceeds from it.—But now, at what Things ſhall a Man look, too ſee that working of Self, which raiſes Pride to it's ſtrongeſt Life, and moſt of all hinders the Birth of the humble Jeſus in his Soul? Shall he call the Pomps and Vanities of the World, the higheſt Works of Self-adoration? Shall he look at Fops and Beaux, and painted Ladies, to ſee the Pride that has the moſt of Antichriſt in it? No, by no means. Theſe are indeed, Marks ſhameful enough, of the vain, fooliſh Heart of Man, but yet, comparatively ſpeaking, they are but the Skin-deep Follies of that Pride, which the Fall of Man, hath begotten, and brought forth in him. —Would you ſee the deepeſt Root, and Iron-ſtrength of Pride, and Self-adoration, you muſt enter into the dark Chamber of Man's fiery Soul, where the Light of God (which alone gives Humility, and meek Submiſſion to all created Spirits) being extinguiſhed by the Death, which Adam died, Satan, or which is the ſame Thing, Self-exaltation became the Strong Man that kept Poſſeſſion of the Houſe, till a ſtronger than he ſhould come upon him.—In this ſecret Source of an eternal fiery Soul, glorying in the aſtral Light of this World, a ſwelling Kingdom of Pomps and Vanities is ſet up in the Heart or Man, of which, all outward Pomps and Vanities, are but it's childiſh, tranſitory Play things. The inward Strong Man of Pride, the diabolical Self, has his higher Works within; he dwells in the Strength of the Heart, and has every Power and Faculty of the Soul, offering continual Incenſe to him.—His Memory, his Will, his Underſtanding, and Imagination are always at work for him, and for no one elſe.—His Memory is the faithful Repoſitory of all the fine Things that Self hath ever done; and leſt any Thing of them, ſhould be loſt or forgotten, ſhe is continually ſetting them before his Eyes. His Will, though it has all the World before it, yet goes after Nothing, but as Self ſends it. His Underſtanding is ever upon the Stretch for new Projects to enlarge the Dominions of Self; and if this ſails, Imagination comes in, as the laſt and trueſt Support of Self, ſhe makes him a King, and mighty Lord of Caſtles in the Air.

This is that full-born, natural Self, that muſt be pulled out of the Heart, and totally denied, or there can be no Diſciple of Chriſt; which is only ſaying this plain Truth, that the apoſtate, ſelf-idolatrous Nature of the old Man, muſt be put off, or there can be no new Creature in Chriſt.

Now what is it in the human Soul, that moſt of all hinders the Death of this old Man? What is it, that above all other Things, ſtrengthens and exalts the Life of Self, and makes it the Maſter and Governor of all the Powers of the Heart and Soul? It is the fanſied Riches of Parts, the Glitter of Genius, the Flights of Imagination, the Glory of Learning, and the Self-conceited Strength of natural Reaſon: Theſe are the ſtrong Holds of fallen Nature, the Maſter-builders of Pride's Temple in the Heart of Man, and which, as ſo many Prieſts keep up the daily Worſhip of Idol-ſelf.—And here let it be well, and well obſerved, that all theſe magnified Talents of the natural Man are ſtarted up through his miſerable Fall from the Life of God in his Soul.— Wit, Genius, Learning, and natural Reaſon, would never have had any more a Name amongſt Men, than Blindneſs, Ignorance, and Sickneſs, had Man continued, as at Firſt, an holy Image of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.—Every Thing then, that dwelt in him, or came from him, would have only ſaid ſo much of God, and nothing of Himſelf, have manifeſted nothing to him, but the heavenly Powers of the Light and Life of God dwelling in him.—He would have had no more Senſe or Conſciouſneſs of his own Wit, or natural Reaſon, or any Power of Goodneſs, in all that He was, and did, than of his own creating Power, at beholding the created Heavens, and Earth.—It is his dreadful Fall from the Life of God in his Soul, that has furniſhed him with theſe high intellectual Riches, juſt as it has furniſhed him with the ſubſtantial Riches of his beſtial Appetites, and Luſts. And when the Luſts of the Fleſh have ſpent out their Life, when the dark, thick Body of earthly Fleſh, and Blood, ſhall be forced to let the Soul go looſe; all theſe bright Talents will end with that Syſtem of fleſhly Luſts in which they began; and that of Man, which remains, will have nothing of its own, nothing that can ſay, I do this, or I do that, but all that it hath, or doth, will be either the Glory of God manifeſted in it, or the Power of Hell in full Poſſeſſion of it.—The Time of Man's playing with Parts, Wit, and Abilities, and of fancying himſelf to be ſomething great and conſiderable in the intellectual World, may be much ſhorter, but can be no longer, than he can eat, and drink with the Animals of this World.—When the Time cometh, that fine Buildings, rich Settlements, acquired Honours, and Rabbi, Rabbi, muſt take their Leave of him, all the ſtately Structures, which Genius, Learning, and Flights of Imagination, have painted inwardly on his Brain and outwardly on Paper, muſt bear full Witneſs to Solomon's Vanity of Vanities.

Let then the high accompliſhed Scholar reflect, that he comes by his Wit, and Parts, and acute Abilities, juſt as the Serpent came by his Subtilty; let him reflect, that he might as well dream of acquiring angelic Purity to his animal Nature, by multiplying new invented Delights for his earthly Paſſions, and Tempers, as of raiſing his Soul into divine Knowledge, through the well exerciſed Powers of his natural Reaſon, and Imagination.

The fineſt intellectual Power, and that which has the beſt Help in it, towards bringing Man again into the Region of divine Light, is that poor, deſpiſed Thing, called Simplicity. This is that, which ſtops the Workings of the fallen Life of Nature, and leaves room for God to work again in the Soul, according to the good Pleaſure of his holy Will. It ſtands in ſuch a waiting Poſture before God, and in ſuch Readineſs for the divine Birth, as the Plants of the Earth wait for the inflowing Riches of the Light, and Air. But the Self-aſſuming Workings of Man's natural Powers, ſhut him up in himſelf, cloſely barred up againſt the inflowing Riches of the Light and Spirit of God.

Yet ſo it is, in this fallen State of the Goſpel Church, that with theſe proud Endowments of fallen Nature, the claſſic Scholar, full fraught with Pagan Light and Skill, comes forth to play the Critic and Orator with the Simplicity of ſalvation Myſteries; Myſteries which mean nothing elſe but the inward Work of God in the Soul of Man, nor any other Work there, but the raiſing up a dead Adam, into a living Chriſt of God.

However, to make way for Parts, Criticiſm, and Language-learning, to have the full Management of ſalvation Doctrines, the well-read Scholar gives out, that the ancient Way of knowing the Things of God, taught, and practiſed by Fiſhermen-Apoſtles, is obſolete. They indeed wanted to have divine Knowledge from the immediate, continual Operation of the Holy Spirit; but this State was only for a Time, till Genius, and Learning entered into the Pale of the Church.—Behold, if ever, the Abomination of Deſolation ſtanding in the holy Place!—For as ſoon as this Doctrine is ſet up, that Man's natural Parts, and acquired Learning, have full Right and Power to ſit in the divinity Chair, and to guide Men into that Truth, which was once the only Office and Power of the Holy Spirit; as ſoon as this is done, and ſo far as it is received, it may with the greateſt Truth be ſaid, that the Kingdom of God is entirely ſhut up; and only a Kingdom of Scribes, Phariſees, and Hypocrites can come inſtead of it. For by this Doctrine the whole Nature and Power of goſpel Religion, is much more denied, than by ſetting up the Infallibility of the Pope; for though his Claim to Infallibility is falſe, yet he claims it from, and under the Holy Spirit; but the Proteſtant Scholar has his divinity Knowledge, his Power in the Kingdom of Truth, from himſelf, his own Logic, and learned Reaſon.—Chriſt has no where inſtituted an infallible Pope; and it is full as certain, that he has no where ſpoke one ſingle Word, or given the leaſt Power to Logic, Learning, or the natural Powers of Man, in his Kingdom; he has never ſaid to them, whatſoever ye ſhall bind on Earth, ſhall be bound in Heaven; never ſaid to them, go ye and teach all Nations, no more than he hath ever ſaid to Wolves, go ye, and feed my Sheep.—Chriſt indeed ſaid of Himſelf, according to the Fleſh, it is expedient for you, that I go away; but where has he ſaid of himſelf according to the Spirit, it is alſo expedient for you, that I go away, that your own natural Abilities, and learned Reaſon, may have the Guidance of you into all Truth. This is no where ſaid, unleſs Logic can prove it from theſe Words, without me ye can do nothing, and Lo I am with you to the end of the World.

The firſt, and main Doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles was, to tell the Jews, that the Kingdom of God was at Hand, or was come to them. Proof enough ſurely, that their Church was not that Kingdom of God, though by God's Appointment and under Laws of his own commanding. But why not, when it was thus ſet up by God? It was becauſe it had human and worldly Things in it, conſiſted of carnal Ordinances, and had only Types, and Figures, and Shadows of a Kingdom of God, that was to come.—Of this Kingdom, Chriſt ſaith, my Kingdom is not of this World; and as a Proof of it, he adds, if it was of this World, then would my Servants fight for me; which was ſaying, that it was ſo different in Kind, and ſo ſuperior in Nature to this World, that no Sort of worldly Power could either help, or hinder it. But of this World, into which the Kingdom of God was come, the Holy One of God ſaith, in the World, ye ſhall have Tribulation, but be of good Comfort, I have overcome the World. Now, how was it, that Chriſt's Victory, was their Victory? It was, becauſe he was in them, and they in him, becauſe I live ye ſhall live alſo; in that Day ye ſhall know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.

This was the Kingdom of God come to them, the ſame Kingdom of God, in which Adam was born and began his firſt glorious Life; when the Image and Likeneſs of the Holy Spirit, had an outward Glory like that, which broke through the Body of Chriſt, when on Mount Tabor his Face did ſhine as the Sun, and his Raiment was white as the Light.—To the Children of this Kingdom, ſaith its almighty King, when they bring you before Magiſtrates and Powers, take no Thought how, or what ye ſhall anſwer, or what ye ſhall ſay unto them, for the Holy Ghoſt ſhall teach you in that ſame Hour, what ye ought to ſay. For it is not ye that ſpeak, but the Spirit of your Father, that ſpeaketh in you.

No higher, or other Thing is here ſaid, than in theſe other Words, Take no Thought, what ye ſhall Eat, or Drink, or where with all ye ſhall be cloathed, but ſeek firſt the Kingdom of God, and his Righteouſneſs, and all theſe Things ſhall be added unto you. This is the Truth of the Kingdom of God, come unto Men, and this is the Birth-right Privilege of all that are living Members of it, to be delivered from their own natural Spirit, which they had from Adam, from the Spirit and Wiſdom of this World and through the whole Courſe of their Lives, only to ſay, and do, and be that, which the Spirit of their Father worketh in them.

But now, is not this Kingdom gone away from us, are we not left comfortleſs, if inſtead of this Spirit of our Father, ſpeaking, doing, and working every Thing in us, and for us, we are left again to our own natural Powers, to run to every Lo here, and Lo there, to find a Share in that Kingdom of God, which once was, and never can be any Thing elſe, but God, the Wiſdom and Power of God manifeſted in our Fleſh? Had it not been as well, nay better for us, to have been ſtill under Types and Figures, ſacrificing Bulls and Goats by divine Appointment, than to be brought under a Religion, that muſt be Spirit and Life, and then left to the jarring Intereſts, of the Wiſdom of the Greek, and the Carnality of the Jew, how to be living Members of it? For where the Spirit of God is not the continul, immediate Governor of ſpiritual Things, nothing better can come of it. For the Truth and full Proof of this, no more need be appealed to, than all the Libraries, and Churches of Chriſtendom for many Ages to this Day.

What is the Difference between Man's own Righteouſneſs, and Man's own Light in Religion? They are ſtrictly the ſame Thing, do one and the ſame Work, namely, keep up, and ſtrengthen every Evil, Vanity, and Corruption of fallen Nature. Nothing ſaves a Man from his own Righteouſneſs, but that which ſaves, and delivers him from his own Light.—The Jew, that was moſt of all ſet againſt the Goſpel, and unable to receive it, was he that truſted in his own Righteouſneſs; this was the rich Man, to whom it was as hard to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, as for a Camel to go through the Eye of Needle.—But the Chriſtian, that truſts in his own Light, is the very Jew that truſted in his own Righteouſneſs; and all that he gets by the Goſpel, is only that, which the Phariſee got by the Law, namely, to be farther from entering into the Kingdom of God, than Publicans and Harlots.—How comes it, that a Beaſt, a ſcarlet Whore, a horned Dragon, and other the moſt horrible Deſcriptions of diabolical Power, have been by the Spirit of God, made Deſcriptions of the Chriſtian Church? How comes it, that the Spirit deſcribes the goſpel Church, as driven into a Wilderneſs; —the two faithful Witneſſes, Moſes and Jeſus, as propheſying ſo many Ages in Sack-cloth, and ſlain in the Streets of ſpiritual Sodom, and Egypt? It is, becauſe Man's own natural Light, Man's own conceited Righteouſneſs, his ſerpentine Subtilty, his Self-love, his ſenſual Spirit, and worldly Power, have ſeized the Myſteries of Salvation, that came down from Heaven, and built them up into a Kingdom of envious Strife, and Contention, for learned Glory, ſpiritual Merchandiſe, and worldly Power.—This is the Beaſt, the Whore, and Dragon, that has and will govern in every private Chriſtian, and public Church, till dead to all that is Self, they turn to God; not to a God, that they have only heard of with their Ears, and their Fathers have told them, but to a God of Life, Light and Power, found living and working within them, as the eſſential Life, Light, and Power of their own Lives.—For God is only our God, by a Birth of his own divine Nature within us. This and nothing but this, is our whole Relation to, our only Fellowſhip with him, our whole Knowledge of him, our whole Power of having any Part in the Myſteries of Goſpel-ſalvation. Nothing can ſeek the Kingdom of God, or hunger and thirſt after his Righteouſneſs; nothing can cry Abba Father, nothing can pray, thy Kingdom come, nothing can ſay of Chriſt, my Lord, and my God, but that which is born of God, and is the divine Nature itſelf, in us. Nothing but God in Man, can be a Godly Life in Man. —Hence is that of the Apoſtle, the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. But you will ſay, can this be true of the ſpiritual divine Letter of the Goſpel? Can it kill, or give death? Yes, it killeth, when it is reſted in; when it is taken for divine Power, and ſuppoſed to have Goodneſs in itſelf; for then it killeth the Spirit of God in Man, quencheth his holy Fire within us, and is ſet up inſtead of it.—It giveth Death, when it is built into Syſtems of Strife and Contention about Words, Notions and Opinions, and maketh the Kingdom of God to conſiſt, not in Power, but in Words. When it is thus uſed, then of Neceſſity it killeth, becauſe it keepeth from that, which alone is Life, and can give Life.— This then is the Whole of the Matter; all the literal Truths, and Variety of Doctrines and Expreſſions of the written Word, have but one Nature, one End, and one Errand, they all ſay nothing elſe to Man, but that one Thing, which Chriſt ſaid, in theſe Words, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refreſh you; juſt the ſame, as when ſaid, Jeſus Chriſt, who is of God, made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, and Sanctification; this is the only Refreſhment from Chriſt. Again, but ye are waſhed, but ye are cleanſed in the Name of our Lord Jeſus; juſt the ſame as when it is ſaid, except ye abide in me, and I in you, ye have no Life in you. Again, by Grace ye are ſaved, by Faith ye are ſaved, ſaith neither more nor leſs, than He that eateth my Fleſh, and drinketh my Blood, hath eternal Life; the ſame as when Chriſt ſaith, Without me ye can do nothing; the ſame as the Apoſtle ſaith, Yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me; the ſame as Chriſt in us, the Hope of Glory; if Chriſt be not in you, ye are Reprobates.— Therefore to come to Chriſt, to have our heavy laden, fallen Nature refreſhed by him, to be born Spirit of his Spirit, to have his heavenly Fleſh, and heavenly Blood, made living in us, before we put off the beſtial Body and Blood of Death, which we have from Adam, is the one only Thing taught and meant by all that is ſo variouſly ſaid in the Scriptures of the Merits and Benefits of Chriſt to us.—It is the SPIRIT, the BODY, the BLOOD of Chriſt within us, that is our whole Peace with God, our whole Adoption, our whole Redemption, our whole Juſtification, our whole Glorification; and this is the one Thing ſaid, and meant by that new Birth, of which Chriſt ſaith, except a Man be born again from above, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Now, the true Ground, why all that is ſaid of Chriſt in ſuch a Variety of Expreſſions, hath only one Meaning, and pointeth only to one and the ſame Thing is this, it is becauſe the whole State and Nature of fallen Man, wants only one Thing, and that one Thing, is a real Birth of the divine Nature made living again in him, as at the firſt, and then all is done, that can be done, by all the Myſteries of the Birth, and whole Proceſs of Chriſt, for our Salvation.—All the Law, the Prophets, and the Goſpel are fulfilled, when there is in Chriſt, a new Creature, having Life in, and from him, as really as the Branch hath its Life in and from the Vine.—And when all Scripture is thus underſtood, and all that either Chriſt ſaith of himſelf, or his Apoſtles ſay of him, are all heard, or read, only as one and the ſame Call to come to Chriſt, in Hunger and Thirſt to be filled, and bleſſed with his divine Nature, made living within us; then, and then only, the Letter killeth not, but as a ſure Guide, leadeth directly to Life.—But Grammar, Logic, and Criticiſm, knowing nothing of Scripture but its Words, bringeth forth nothing but its own Wiſdom of Words, and a Religion of Wrangle, Hatred, and Contention, about the Meaning of them.

But lamentable as this is, the Letter of Scripture hath been ſo long the uſurped Province of School-critics, and learned Reaſoners making their Markets of it, that the Difference between literal, notional, and living, divine Knowledge, is almoſt quite loſt in the Chriſtian World. So that if any awakened Souls are here or there found amongſt Chriſtians, who think that more muſt be known of God, of Chriſt, and the Powers of the World to come, than every Scholar can know, by reading the Letter of Scripture, immediately the Cry of Enthuſiaſm, whether it be Prieſt, or People, is ſent after them.—A Procedure, which could only have ſome Excuſe, if theſe Critics could firſt prove, that the Apoſtle's Text, ought to be thus read, The Spirit killeth, but the Letter giveth Life.

The true Nature, and full Diſtinction between literal and divine Knowledge, is ſet forth in the higheſt Degree of Clearneſs, in theſe Words of our Saviour, The Kingdom of God is like a Treaſure in a Field: Thus far, is the true Uſe, and Benefit, and utmoſt Power of the Letter, it can tell us of a Treaſure that we want, a Treaſure that belongs to us, and how and where it is to be found; but when it is added, that a Man goeth and ſelleth all that he hath, and buyeth that Field, then beginneth the divine Knowledge, which is nothing elſe, but the Treaſure poſſeſſed, and enjoyed. Now what is here ſaid, is the ſame that is ſaid in theſe other Words of Chriſt, except a Man deny himſelf and forſake all that he hath, he cannot be my Diſciple; that is, he cannot partake of my Mind, my Spirit, and my Nature, and therefore cannot know me; he is only a Hearer of a Treaſure, without entering into the Poſſeſſion, and Enjoyment of it. And thus it is with all Scripture, the Letter can only direct to the doing of that which it cannot do, and give Notice of ſomething that it cannot give.

Now clear and evident as this Diſtinction is, between a mere literal Direction to a Thing, and a real Participation of it, which alone is a true Perception of it, the generality of Chriſtians ſeem quite inſenſible of any other religious Perception, or Knowledge of divine Things, but ſuch Ideas, or Notions of them, as a Man can form from Scripture Words. Whereas Good and Evil, the only Objects of religious Knowledge, are an inward State, and Growth of our Life, they are in us, are a Part of us, juſt in the ſame Manner, as ſeeing and hearing are in us, and we can have no real Knowledge of them any other way, than as we have of our own ſeeing, and hearing. And as no Man can get or loſe his ſeeing, or hearing, or have leſs, or more of them, by any Ideas, or Notions, that he forms about them, juſt ſo it is with that, which is the Power of Good, and the Power of Evil in us, Notions and Ideas have no effect upon it. Yet no other Knowledge is thought of, or ſought after, or eſteemed of any Value, but that which is notional and the Work of the Brain.

Thus, as ſoon as a Man of Speculation can demonſtrate that, which he calls the Being and Attributes of God, he thinks, and others think, that he truly knows God. But what Excuſe can be made for ſuch an Imagination, when plain Scripture has told him, that to know God is eternal Life, that is, to know God, is to have the Power, the Life, and the Spirit of God manifeſted in him, and therefore it is eternal Life. No Man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him. Becauſe the Revelation of the Son, is the Birth of the Son in the Soul, and this new Creature in Chriſt, hath alone Knowledge of God, what he is, and does, and works in the Creature.

Again, another, forming an Opinion of Faith from the Letter of Scripture, ſtraightway imagines, that he knows what Faith is, and that he is in the Faith. Sad Deluſion! For to know what Faith is, or that we are in the Faith, is to know that Chriſt is in us of a Truth; it is to know the Power of his Life, his Sufferings, his Death, his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion, made good in our Souls. To be in the Faith, is to have done with all Notions and Opinions about it, becauſe it is found and felt by its living Power and Fruits within us, which are Righteouſneſs, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt. All which, are three Names, or Powers, peculiar to Jeſus Chriſt; he alone is our Righteouſneſs, our Peace, our Joy in the Holy Ghoſt. And therefore Faith is not in us, by Reaſon of this or that Opinion, Aſſent or Conſent, but it is Chriſt, or the divine Nature in us; or its Operations could not be Righteouſneſs, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt.—By Faith ye are ſaved, has no other Meaning than by Chriſt ye are ſaved. And if Faith in its whole Nature, in its Root and Growth, was any Thing elſe but Chriſt, or a Birth of the divine Nature within us, it could do us no Good, no Power could be aſcribed to it, it could not be our Victory, it could not overcome the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil.—Every Faith, that is not Chriſt in us, is but a dead Faith.

How trifling therefore (to ſay no worſe of it) is that Learning, which ſets up a Difference between Faith and its Works, between a Juſtification by Faith, and Juſtification by its Works.—Is there any Difference between Chriſt, as a Redeemer, and his redeeming Works? Can they be ſet above one another in their redeeming Efficacy? If not, then Faith and its Works, which are nothing elſe but Chriſt in us, can have no ſeparation from, or excellency above one another, but are as ſtrictly one, as Chriſt is one, and no more two Things, than our Saviour, and our Salvation are two different Things in us. Every Thing that is ſaid of Faith, from Adam to this Day, is only ſo much ſaid of the Power, and Life of a one redeeming Chriſt, working within us; ſo that to divide Faith from its Works, is as abſurd, as to divide a Thing from its ſelf, a Circle from its Roundneſs. No Salvation would have ever been aſcribed to Faith, but becauſe it is in the ſtricteſt Senſe, Chriſt himſelf, the Power of God, living and working in us. It never would have been ſaid of Faith, that every Power of the World, the Fleſh and the Devil, muſt yield to it, but becauſe it is that very Chriſt within us, without whom we can do nothing. But if without Chriſt we can do nothing, and yet all things are poſſible to our Faith, can there be a fuller Demonſtration, that our Faith is nothing elſe but Chriſt born, and living within us? Whatever therefore there is of Power within us, that tendeth to Salvation, call it by what Name you will, either Faith, or Hope, or Prayer, or Hunger after the Kingdom of God, and his Righteouſneſs, it is all but one Power, and that one Power is Chriſt within us. If therefore Faith, and its good Works are but one and the ſame Chriſt living in us, the Diſtinction between a good Faith, and its good Works, and all the contentious Volumes that have been written about it, are as mere ignorant Jargon, as a Diſtinction made, and contended for, between Life, and its living Operations.

When the holy Church of Chriſt, the Kingdom of God come amongſt men, was firſt ſet up, it was the Apoſtle's Boaſt, that all other Wiſdom, or Learning was ſunk into nothing. Where, ſays he, is the Wiſe, the Scribe, the Diſputer of this World? Hath not God made them Fooliſhneſs? But now, it is the Boaſt of all Churches, that they are full of the Wiſe, the Scribes, the Diſputers of this World, who ſit with learned Pomp in the apoſtles Chair, and have the Myſteries of the Kingdom of God committed to them.

Hence it is, that from a Religion of heavenly Love, built upon the redeeming Life, and Doctrines of a Son of God, dying to ſave the whole World, Diviſion, Bitterneſs, Envy, Pride, Strife, Hatred, and Perſecution, nay every Outrage of War and Blood-ſhed, breathe and break forth with more Strength in learned Chriſtendom, than ever they did from a Religion of Pagan Idolatry, ſet up by Satan.

It may perhaps be here ſaid, muſt there then be no Learning or Scholarſhip, no recondite Erudition in the Chriſtian Church? Muſt there be nothing thought of, or gotten by the Goſpel, but mere Salvation? Muſt its Miniſters know nothing, teach nothing, but ſuch Salvation-doctrines, as Chriſt and his Apoſtles taught; nothing but the full Denial of Self, Poverty of Spirit, Meekneſs, and Humility, and unwearied Patience, a never ceaſing Love, an abſolute Renunciation of the Pomps and Vanities of the World, a full Dependance upon our Heavenly Father; no Joy or rejoicing but in the Holy Ghoſt; no Wiſdom but that which God gives; no Walking but as Chriſt walked; no Reward or Glory for their Labours of Love, but that of being found in Chriſt, Fleſh of his Fleſh, Bone of his Bones, Spirit of his Spirit, and cloathed with the Wedding-garment, when the Bridegroom cometh, when the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from Heaven with a Shout, with the Voice of the Archangel, and with the Trumpet of God, and the Dead in Chriſt ſhall riſe firſt?

To this the firſt Anſwer is, Happy, thrice happy are they, who are only the thus learned Preachers of the Goſpel, who through all their Miniſtr, ſeek nothing for themſelves, or others, but to be taught of God; hunger after nothing but the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven, owning no Maſter but Chriſt, no Teacher but his Holy Spirit; as unable to join with the Diggers in Pagan Pits of Learning, as with thoſe that Labour for the Wind, and give their Money for that, which is not Bread.

Secondly, with regard to the Demand of learned Knowledge in the Chriſtian Church, it may be anſwered, that all that has been ſaid above, is only for the Increaſe and Promotion of it, and that all Ignorance and Darkneſs may be driven quite out of it.—The Church of Chriſt is the Seat or School of all the higheſt Knowledge that the human Nature is capable of in this Life. Ignorance is every where but in the Church of Chriſt.—The Law, the Prophets, and the Goſpel are the only Treaſures of all that can be called, the Knowledge either of God or Man; and he in whom the Law, the Prophets, and the Goſpel are fulfilled, is the only well-educated Man, and one of the firſt-rate Scholars in the World. But now, who is he, that has this Wiſdom from theſe rich Treaſures? Who is he, in whom all is known, and fulfilled, which they teach? The Lip of Truth has told us, that it is he, and he alone, who loves God with all his Heart, with all his Soul, with all his Mind, and with all his Strength, and his Neighbour as himſelf. This is the Man, that is all Wiſdom, all Light, and let into full Poſſeſſion of all, that is meant by all the Myſteries contained in the Law, the Prophets, and the Goſpel.— Where this divine Love is wanting, and a diabolical Self ſits in its Place, there may be great Wits, ſhining Critics, Orators, Poets, &c. as eaſily as there may be a profound Machiavel, a learned Hobbs, or an atheiſtical Virtuoſo. But would you divinely know the Myſteries of Nature, the Ground and Reaſon of Good and Evil in this World, the Relation and Connexion between the viſible and inviſible World, how the Things of Time proceed from, are influenced by, and depend upon the Things and Powers of Eternity, there is but one only Key of Entrance; nothing can open the Viſion, but ſeeing with the Eyes of that ſame Love, which began and carries on, all that is, and works in viſible and inviſible Nature.— Would you divinely know the Myſteries of Grace and Salvation, would you go forth as a faithful Witneſs of goſpel Truths, ſtay till this Fire of divine Love has had its perfect Work within you. For till your Heart is an Altar, on which this heavenly Fire never goes out, you are dead in yourſelf, and can only be a Speaker of dead Words, about Things, that never had any Life within you. For without a real Birth of this divine Love in the eſſence of your Soul, be as learned and polite as you will, your Heart is but the dark Heart of fallen Adam, and your Knowledge of the Kingdom of God, will be only like that which murdering Cain had. —For every Thing is Murder, but that which Love doth.—If Love is not the Breath of your Life, the Spirit that forms and governs every Thing that proceeds from you, every Thing that has your Labour, your Allowance and Conſent; you are broken off from the Works of God, you have left his Creation, you are without God, and your Name and Nature and Works, can have no other Name, or Nature, but that which is called Pride, Wrath, Envy, Hypocriſy, Hatred, Revenge and Self-exaltation under the Power of Satan in his Kingdom of Darkneſs—Nothing can poſſibly ſave you from being the certain Prey of all theſe evil Spirits, through the whole Courſe of your Life, but a Birth of that Love, which is God himſelf, his Light, and Spirit within you.

There is no Knowledge in Heaven, but what proceeds from this Birth of Love, nor is there any Difference between the higheſt Light of an Angel, and the horrid Darkneſs of a Devil, but that which Love has made.—But now, ſince divine Love can have no Beginning, but from a Birth of the divine Nature in us, therefore ſaith St. John, we love him becauſe he FIRST loved us, the ſame as ſaying, we deſire God, becauſe he firſt deſired us▪ for we could not deſire God, but becauſe he firſt deſired us, we could not turn to God, but becauſe he firſt turned to us. And ſo it is, that we could not love God, but becauſe he firſt loved us, that is, becauſe he firſt by our Creation brought forth, and by our Redemption continued, and kept up that ſame Birth of his own Spirit of Love in us.—For as his holy Spirit muſt firſt be a Gift to us, or born in us, and then we have that, which can worſhip God in Spirit; ſo his Love muſt of all Neceſſity be a Gift to us, or born in us, and then we have that of God in us, which alone can love him with his own Love.—A Truth, abſolutely aſſerted in theſe Words; Love is of God, and he that loveth, is born of God.

Let this be my Excuſe to the learned World, for owning no School of Wiſdom, but where the one only Leſſon, is divine Love; and the one only Teacher, the Spirit of God. Let no one call this, wild or extravagant; it is no wilder a Step, no more injurious to Man, to Truth and Goodneſs, than the owning no God but one.—For to be called from every Thing but divine Love, and the Spirit of God, is only being called from every Thing, that has the Curſe of fallen Nature in it. —And no Man can come from under this Curſe, till he is born again of divine Love, and the Spirit of God. For thus to be born, is as much the one ſole Happineſs, Joy and Glory of Men, both now and ever, as it is the ſole Joy and Glory of Angels eternally in the Heavens. —Believe me then, thou great Scholar, that all that thou haſt got of Wiſdom or Learning, Day after Day, in any other School but this, will ſtand thee in as much Stead, fill thee with as high, heavenly Comfort at the Hour of Death, as all the long Dreams, which Night after Night, thou haſt ever had in thy Sleep.—And till a Man knows this, with as much fullneſs of Conviction, as he knows the Vanity of a Dream, he has his full Proof, that he is not yet in the Light of Truth, not yet taught of God, nor like-minded with Chriſt.

One of Chriſt's Followers ſaid, Lord, ſuffer me firſt to go and bury my Father; the Anſwer was, let the Dead bury their Dead, follow thou me.—Another ſaid to him, Let me firſt go bid them Farewel, that are at Home in my Houſe; Jeſus anſwered, no Man having put his Hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.—Now let it be ſuppoſed, that a Third had ſaid, Lord, I have left ſeveral deep-learned Books at Home, written by the greateſt Maſters of Grammar Logic and Eloquence, ſuffer me firſt to go back for them, leſt loſing the Light, which I had from them, I might miſtake the Depth and Truth of thy heavenly Doctrines, or be leſs able to prove and preacch them powerfully to others.—Would not ſuch a Requeſt as this, have had a Folly and Abſurdity in it, not chargeable upon thoſe two other Requeſts, which Chriſt rejected?—And yet, what can ſcholaſtic, claſſic, and critical Divinity ſay for itſelf, but that very ſame Thing, which this Requeſter here ſaid?

The Holy Jeſus ſaid, I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me, walketh not in Darkneſs—Here ſpiritual Light and Darkneſs are as immutably fixed, and ſeparated from one another, as the Light and Darkneſs of this World were divided on the firſt Day of the Creation. Jeſus Chriſt, the eternal Son of God, is the one only Light both of Men and Angels.—Fallen Nature, the ſelfiſh Will, proud Tempers, the higheſt Abilities, the natural Sagacity, Cunning, Arts and Subtilties, that are or can be in fallen Men and Angels, are nothing elſe but their fullneſs of ſpiritual Darkneſs, from which nothing but Works of Darkneſs can come forth. —In a Word, Darkneſs is the whole natural Man; Light is the new born Man from above. Therefore ſaith the Chriſt of God, I am the Light of the World, becauſe he alone is the Birth of Heaven in the fallen Souls of Men.—But now who can more reject this divine Light, or more plainly chooſe Darkneſs inſtead of it, than he who ſeeks to have his Mind enriched, the Faculties of his fallen Soul cultivated by the Literature of Poets, Orators, Philoſophers, Sophiſts, Sceptics, and Critics, born and bred up in the Worſhip and Praiſes of Idol Gods and Goddeſſes? What is this, but like going to the Serpent, to be taught the innocent Spirit of the Dove; or to the elegant Luſts of Anacreon and Ovid, to learn Purity of Heart, and kindle the Flame of heavenly Love in our Souls? Look where you will, this is the Wiſdom of thoſe, who ſeek to Pagans for Skill, to work in Chriſt's Vineyard; who from long Labours in reſtoring the Grammar, and finding out the hidden Beauties of ſome old vicious Book, ſet up for qualified Artiſts to poliſh the goſpel Pearl of great Price.— Surely this is no better a Proof of their ſavouring the Things that are of God, than Peter gave, when his Maſter ſaid to him, get thee behind me, Satan.—A grave Eccleſiaſtic bringing forth out of his Cloſet, ſkilful Meditations on the Commentaries of a murdering Caeſar, or the ſublime Rhapſody of an old Homer, or the aſtoniſhing Beauties of a modern Dunciad, has as much Reaſon to think, that he is walking in the Light of Chriſt, and led by the Spirit of God, as they have, who are only eating and drinking, and riſing up to play.

But to ſee the exceeding Folly of expecting Ability in divine Knowledge, from any Thing that is the Wit, Wiſdom, or Spirit of the natural Man, you need only read theſe Words of the holy Meſſenger of God, the Elias that was to come. I indeed, ſays he, baptize you with Water, but he that cometh after me, whoſe Shoes Latchet I am not worthy to unlooſe, he ſhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoſt, and with Fire.—Now if this which the Baptiſt ſaid of Chriſt, is not our Faith, if we do not receive it as the Truth, in which we are firmly to ſtand, then, be as learned as we will, we have no better a Faith, or higher Wiſdom, than thoſe blind Rabbies, who received not the Teſtimony of John.—A Fire and Spirit from above, was the News which he publiſhed to the World; this, and nothing elſe, was his Kingdom of God that was at hand.—Now if this Fire and Spirit from above, has not baptized us into a Birth of the Life of God in our Souls, we have not found that Chriſt, and Kingdom of God, to which John bore Witneſs. But if (what is ſtill worſe) we are ſo bewitched through the Sorcery of Learning, as to turn Writers, and Preachers, againſt this inward, and only redeeming, heavenly Fire and Spirit, we are baptized with the Spirit of thoſe, to whom our Lord ſaid, Wo unto you Scribes, Phariſees, Hypocrites, for ye ſhut up the Kingdom of Heaven againſt Men; for ye neither go in yourſelves, neither ſuffer ye them that are entering to go in.

For what is, or can be the Fall of a divine Adam, under the Power of Sin, Satan, and Hell, but the Extinction of that heavenly Fire and Spirit, which was his firſt Union with God and all heavenly Beings.—Say now, that he had not this heavenly Fire and Spirit at the firſt, that nothing lived or breathed in him, but that aſtral Fire and Spirit, which is the Life and Spirit of all earthly Animals, and then you have a Religion as divine, as that of the old Sadducees, who allowed of no Reſurrection, Angel, or Spirit.—For, deny the Truth and Fulneſs of a divine Life in the firſt Man, and then his Fall and Redemption are equally empty Sounds about nothing. For what can he be fallen from, or redeemed to, if he has now all that Fire and Spirit of Life, which he ever had, or ought to have; and if all that is more than this, is but the Fiction and Dream of a diſtempered Brain? Tell me, why that burning and ſhining Light, that Man that was more than a Prophet, ſhould come with his Water; and the Son of God, ſhould come with his Fire-baptiſm. If Man neither wanted, nor could receive a higher Water, and Fire of Life, than that which he has in common with the Beaſts of the Field? Why is there all this Stir about Religions, Expiations and Attonements, why all theſe prieſtly Ordinations, Conſecrations, Churches, Sacraments, and Provers? For if the Fire and Spirit of this World, is the one Life, and higheſt Life, both of Man and Beaſts, we have it unaſked for, and on the ſame Terms, as the Beaſts have it, and can only loſe it, as they do, when they loſe their Exiſtence.

But if Fire and Spirit from Heaven, can alone make heavenly Creatures, and us, to be Children of an heavenly Father; if the Son of God took our fallen Nature upon him, that the firſt heavenly Fire and Spirit might again come to Life in us, if divine Life, divine Light, and divine Goodneſs, can only come from them, and only in ſuch Degree, as they are kindled in our Souls, what a Poverty of Senſe is it in thoſe, who are called to a Reſurrection of the firſt divine Life, where a new Creature is taught by that ſame Unction from above, whence all the Angels and Principalities of Heaven have their Light and Glory, what a Poverty of Senſe, I ſay, in ſuch, to ſet themſelves down at the Feet of a Maſter Tully, and a Maſter Ariſtotle, who only differ from the meaneſt of all other corrupt Men, as the Teaching Serpent differed from his fellow Animals, by being more ſubtle than all the Beaſts of the Field.

Behold then your State ye Miniſters, that wait at Chriſtian Altars, who will have neither Faith, nor Hope, nor Deſire of Heavenly Fire kindled in your Souls, ye have a Prieſthood, and an Altar not fit to be named with that, which in Jewiſh Days, had a holy Fire from God, deſcending upon it, which made Prieſt and Sacrifice acceptable to God, though only Type and Pledge of that inward celeſtial Fire, which Chriſt would kindle into a never ceaſing Burning, in the living Temples of his new born Children from above.

Complain then no more of Atheiſts, Infidels, and ſuch like open Enemies to the goſpel Kingdom of God; for whilſt you call heavenly Fire and Spirit, kindled into the ſame eſſential Life in us, as they are in holy Angels, downright Phrenſy, and myſtic Madneſs, you do all that infidel Work within the Church, which they do on the outſide of it.—And if through a learned Fear of having that done to your earthly Reaſon, which was done to Enoch when God took him, ye will own no higher a Regeneration, no more Birth of God in your Souls, than can be had by a few cold Drops of Water ſprinkled on the Face, any of the heathen Gods of Wood and Stone, are good enough for ſuch an elementary Prieſthood.—For let this be told you, as a Truth from God, that till heavenly Fire and Spirit have a Fulneſs of a Birth within you, you can riſe no higher by your higheſt Learning, than to be elegant Orators about Scripture Words.

Our Lord hath ſaid, the Kingdom of God is within you, that is, the heavenly Fire and Spirit, which are the true Kingdom and Manifeſtation of God, are within you. And indeed, where can it be elſe? Yet what learned Pains are taken, to remove the literal Meaning from theſe Words, as too viſionary a Thing for learned Ears. —And yet it is a Truth obvious to common Senſe, that even this outward World of Stars and Elements, neither does, nor can belong to us, or we to it, but ſo far as it is, literally ſpeaking, a Kingdom within us. For the outward Kingdom or Powers of this World, ſignify nothing to a worldly Man that is dead; but no Man is dead, but becauſe the Kingdom of this World with all its Powers of Fire, Light, and Spirit, ſtand only outwardly about him, but have loſt their Life and Power within him.

Say now, out of Reverence to ſound Literature, and Abhorrence of Enthuſiaſm, that the Kingdom of God is not really and virtually within, that its heavenly Fire, Light, and Spirit, are not, ought not to be born in a ſober, right-minded Follower of Chriſt, and then you have a good Diſciple of Chriſt, as abſolutely dead to the Kingdom of Heaven, as the Corps that hath nothing of the Fire, Spirit, and Light of this World in it, is dead to all the outward World round about it.

What a Sobriety of Faith and ſound Doctrine is it, to preach up a Neceſſity of being living Members of the Kingdom of Heaven, and at the ſame time, the Neceſſity of orthodoxly holding, that a heavenly Birth, neither is, nor can, nor ought to be within us! For if it either is, or could, or ought to be within us, then it could not be a brain-ſick Folly to believe, that the literal Words of Chriſt, had no Deceit, Falſity, or Deluſion in them, when he ſaid, Except a Man be born again from above, he cannot ſee, or enter into the Kingdom of God. That is, he cannot poſſibly have any Godlike, or divine Goodneſs, he cannot be a Child of an heavenly Father, but from the Nature and Spirit of his heavenly Father brought to a real Birth of Life in him.—Now if without this divine Birth, all that we have in us, is but fallen Adam, a Birth of Sin, the Fleſh, and the Devil, if the Power of this heavenly Birth is all the Power of Goodneſs that is, or was, or ever can be in a Son of Adam; and if Logic, Learning, and Criticiſm, are almoſt every where ſet in high Places, to pronounce and prove it to be mere Enthuſiaſm, and ſpiritual Phrenzy, what Wonder is it, if Folly of Doctrine, Wickedneſs of Life, Luſts of the Fleſh, Profaneneſs of Spirit, Wantonneſs of Wit, Contempt of Goodneſs and Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, ſhould all of them ſeem to have their full Eſtabliſhment amongſt us?

What Wonder, if Sacraments, Church-prayers, and Preachings, leave high and low, learned and unlearned, Men and Women, Prieſts and People, as unaltered in all their aged Vices, as they leave Children unchanged in their childiſh Follies? For where the one only Fountain of Life and Goodneſs is forſaken, where the Seed of the divine Birth is not alive, and going forwards in the Birth, all the Difference between Man and Man, is as nothing with reſpect to the Kingdom of God.—It matters not what name is given to the old earthly Man of Adam's beſtial Fleſh and Blood, whether he be called a zealous Churchman, a ſtiff-necked Jew, a polite civilized Heathen, or a grave Infidel; under all theſe Names, the unregenerate old Man, has but one and the ſame Nature, without any other Difference but that, which Time, and Place, Education, Complexion, Hypocriſy, and worldly Wiſdom, happen to make in him. By ſuch a one, whether he be Papiſt, or Proteſtant, the Goſpel is only kept, as a Book, and all that is within it, is only ſo much Condemnation to the Keeper, juſt as the old Man, a Jew, hath kept the Book of the Law and Prophets, only to be more fully condemned by them.

That the Jewiſh and Chriſtian Church, ſtand at this Day in the ſame Kind of Apoſtacy, or fallen State, muſt be manifeſt to every one, that will not ſhut his Eyes againſt it. Why are the Jews in a fallen State? It is becauſe they have refuſed him, who in his whole Proceſs, was the Truth, the Subſtance, the Life, and Fulfilling of all that, which was outwardly taught, and preſcribed in their Law and Prophets.

But is it not as eaſy to ſee, that the whole Chriſtian Church are in a fallen State, and for the ſame Reaſon, becauſe they are fallen, or turned away from that Holy Spirit who was promiſed, and given to be the one only Power, Life, and Fulfilling of all that, which was outwardly taught, and preſcribed by the Goſpel. For the Holy Spirit to come, was juſt the ſame ALL, and FULFILLING of the whole Goſpel, as a Chriſt to come, was the all, and the Fulfilling of the Law.—The Jew therefore with his Old Teſtament, not owning Chriſt in all his Proceſs to be the Truth and Life, and Fulfiller of their Law, is juſt in that ſame Apoſtaſy, as the Chriſtian with his New Teſtament, not owning the Holy Spirit in all his Operations, to be his only Light, Guide, and Governor.—For as all Types and Figures in the Law, were but empty Shadows without Chriſt's being the Life and Power of them, ſo all that is written in the Goſpel is but dead Letter, unleſs the Holy Spirit in Man, be the living Reader, the living Rememberer, and the living Doer of them. Therefore where the Holy Spirit is not thus owned and received, as the whole Power, and Life of the Goſpel State, it is no Marvel, that Chriſtians have no more of goſpel Virtues, than the Jews have of patriarchal Holineſs, or that the ſame Luſts and Vices which proſper amongſt Jews, ſhould break forth with as much Strength in fallen Chriſtendom. For the New Teſtament not ending in the Coming of the Holy Spirit, with Fulneſs of Power over Sin and Hell, and the Devil, is but the ſame, and no better a Help to Heaven, than the Old Teſtament without the Coming of a Meſſiah.—Need I now ſay any more, to demonſtrate the Truth of that, which I firſt ſaid was the one Thing abſolutely eſſential, and only available to Man's Salvation, namely, the SPIRIT of God brought again to his FIRST POWER of LIFE IN US. This was the Glory of Man's Creation, and this alone can be the Glory of his Redemption.—All beſides this, that paſſes for a Time betwixt God and Man, be it what it will, ſhews only our Fall, and Diſtance from God and in its beſt State, has only the Nature of a good Road, which is only good, becauſe that which we want, is at the End of it.—Whilſt God calls us by various outward Diſpenſations, by creaturely Things, figurative Inſtitutions, &c. it is a full Proof, that we are not yet in our true State, or that Union with God, which is intended by our Redemption.

God ſaid to Moſes, Put off thy Shoes, for the Place whereon thou ſtandeſt is holy Ground. Now this which God ſaid to Moſes, is only that very ſame Thing, which Circumciſion, the Law, Sacrifices, and Sacraments, ſay to Man. They are in themſelves nothing elſe but outward Significations of inward Impurity, and loſt Holineſs, and can do no more in themſelves, but intimate, point, and direct to an inward Life, and new Birth from above, that is to be ſought after.

But here lies the great Miſtake, or rather idolatrous Abuſe of all God's outward Diſpenſations.—They are taken for the Thing itſelf, for the Truth and Eſſence of Religion. That which the learned Jews did with the outward Letter of their Law, that ſame do learned Chriſtians with the outward Letter of their Goſpel.— Why did the Jewiſh Church ſo furiouſly and obſtinately cry out againſt Chriſt, Let him be crucified? It was becauſe their letter-learned Ears, their worldly Spirit, and Temple-orthodoxy, would not bear to hear of an inward Saviour, not bear to hear of being born again of his Spirit, of eating his Fleſh, and drinking his Blood, of his dwelling in them, and they in him.— To have their Law of Ordinances, their Temple-pomp ſunk into ſuch a Fulfilling Saviour as this, was ſuch enthuſiaſtic Jargon to their Ears, as forced their ſober, rational Theology, to call Chriſt, Beelzebub, his Doctrine, Blaſphemy, and all for the Sake of Moſes and rabbinic Orthodoxy.

Need it now be aſked, whether the true Chriſt of the Goſpel, be leſs blaſphemed, leſs crucified by that Chriſtian Theology, which rejects an inward Chriſt, a Saviour living and working in the Soul, as its inward Light and Life, generating his own Nature and Spirit in it, as its only Redemption, whether that which rejects all this as myſtic Madneſs, be not that very ſame old Jewiſh Wiſdom, ſprung up in Chriſtian Theology, which ſaid of Chriſt, when teaching theſe very Things, He is mad, why hear ye Him? Our bleſſed Lord in a Parable ſets forth the blind Jews, as ſaying of himſelf, We will not have this man to reign OVER us.—The ſober minded Chriſtian Scholar has none of this Jewiſh Blindneſs, he only ſaith of Chriſt, we will not have this Man to REIGN IN US, and ſo keeps clear of ſuch myſtic Abſurdity, as St. Paul fell into, when he enthuſiaſtically ſaid, Yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me.

Chriſtian Doctors reproach the old learned Rabbies, for their vain Faith, and carnal Deſire of a glorious, temporal, outward Chriſt, who ſhould ſet up their Templeworſhip all over the World.—Vanity indeed, and learned Blindneſs enough!

But nevertheleſs, in theſe Condemners of rabbinic Blindneſs, St. Paul's words are remarkably verified, viz. Wherein thou judgeſt another, thou condemneſt thyſelf, for thou that judgeſt, doſt the ſame Thing.—For, take away all that from Chriſt, which Chriſtian Doctors call Enthuſiaſm, ſuppoſe him not to be an inward Birth, a new Life and Spirit within us, but only an outward, ſeparate, diſtant heavenly Prince, no more really in us, than our high Cathedrals are in the third Heavens, but only by an inviſible hand from his Throne on high, ſome Way or other raiſing and helping great Scholars, or great temporal Powers, to make a Rock in every Nation for his Church to ſtand upon; ſuppoſe all this (which is the very Marrow of modern Divinity) and then you have that very outward Chriſt, and that very outward Kingdom, which the carnal Jew dreamed of, and for the Sake of which, the Spiritual Chriſt was then nailed to the Croſs, and is ſtill crucified by the new riſen Jew in the Chriſtian Church.—If it now be aſked, whence, or from what, comes all this ſpiritual Blindneſs, which, from Age to Age, thus miſtakes, and defeats all the gracious Deſigns of God towards fallen Mankind? Look at the Origin of the firſt Sin, and you ſee it all.—Had Eve deſired no Knowledge, but what came from God, Paradiſe had been the Habitation of her and all her offſpring.—If after Paradiſe loſt, Jews and Chriſtians had deſired no Knowledge, but what came from God, the Law and Prophets had kept the Jew cloſe to the firſt Tree of Life, and the Chriſtian Church had been a Kingdom of God, and Communion of Saints to this Day.

But now Corruption, Sin, Death, and every Evil of the World, have entered into the Church, the Spouſe of Chriſt, juſt as they entered into Eve, the Spouſe of Adam in Paradiſe, in the ſame Way, and from the ſame Cauſe, viz. a Deſire of more, or other Knowledge, than that which comes from God alone.—This Deſire is the Serpent's Voice within every Man, which does all that to him, and in him, which the Serpent at the Tree did to Eve.— It carries on the firſt Deceit, it ſhews and recommends to him that ſame beautiful Tree of own Will, own Wit, and own Wiſdom, ſpringing up within him, which Eve ſaw in the Garden; and yet ſo blind is this Love of Wiſdom, as not to ſee, that his eating of it, is in the ſtricteſt Truth, his eating of the ſame forbidden Fruits, as Eve did, and keeping up in himſelf all that Death, and Separation from God, which the firſt Knowledge-hunger brought forth.

Let then the eager Searcher into Words for Wiſdom, the Book-devourer, the Opinion-broker, the Exalter of human Reaſon, and every projecting Builder of religious Syſtems, be told this, that the Thirſt and Pride of being learnedly Wiſe in the Things of God, is keeping up the groſſeſt Ignorance of them, and is nothing elſe but Eve's old Serpent, and Eve's evil Birth within them, and does no better Work in the Church of Chriſt, than her Thirſt after Wiſdom did in the Paradiſe of God. —Speak, Lord, for thy Servant heareth, is the one only Way, by which any Man ever did, or ever can attain divine Knowledge, and divine Goodneſs.—To knock at any other door but this, is but like aſking Life of that, which is itſelf Dead, or praying to him for Bread, who has nothing but Stones to give.

Now ſtrange as all this may ſeem, to the labour-learned Poſſeſſor of far-fetched Book-riches, yet it is ſaying no more, nor any Thing elſe, but that which Chriſt ſaid in theſe Words, Except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. For, if claſſic Goſpellers, linguiſt Critics, Scripture-logicians, Salvation Orators, able Dealers in the grammatic Power of Hebrew, Greek, and Roman Phraſes, Idioms, Tropes, Figures, &c. &c. can ſhew, that by raiſing themſelves high in theſe Attainments, they are the very Men, that are ſunk Down from themſelves, into Chriſt's little Children of the Kingdom of God, then it may be alſo ſaid, that he who is labouring, ſcheming, and fighting for all the Riches he can get from both the Indies, is the very Man that hath left all to follow Chriſt, the very Man that laboureth not for the Meat that periſheth.

Shew me a Man, whoſe Heart has no Deſire, or Prayer in it, but to love God with his whole Soul and Spirit, and his Neighbour as himſelf, and then you have ſhewn me the Man who knows Chriſt, and is known of him;—The beſt and wiſeſt Man in the World, in whom the firſt paradiſical Wiſdom and Goodneſs is come to Life.—Not a ſingle Precept in the Goſpel, but is the Precept of his own Heart, and the Joy of that new-born heavenly Love, which is the Life and Light of his Soul.—In this Man, all that came from the old Serpent is trod under his Feet, not a Spark of Self, of Pride, of Wrath, of Envy, of Covetouſneſs, or worldly Wiſdom, can have the leaſt Abode in him, becauſe that Love, which fulfilleth the whole Law and the Prophets, that Love which is God and Chriſt, both in Angels and Men, is the Love that gives Birth, and Life, and Growth to every Thing, that is either Thoughts, or Words, or Actions in him.—And if he has no Share or Part with fooliſh Errors, cannot be toſſed about with every Wind of Doctrine, it is becauſe, to be always governed by this Love, is the ſame Thing, as to be always taught of God.

On the other Hand, ſhew me a Scholar as full of Learning, as the Vatican is of Books, and he will be juſt as likely to give all that he hath for the Goſpel-pearl, as he would be, if he was as rich as Croeſus. Let no one here imagine, that I am writing againſt all human Literature, Arts and Sciences, or that I wiſh the World to be without them.—I am no more an Enemy to them, than to the common uſeful Labours of Life.— It is literal Learning, verbal Contention, and critical Strife about the Things of God, that I charge with Folly and Miſchief to Religion. And in this, I have all learned Chriſtendom, both Popiſh and Proteſtant on my Side. For they both agree in charging each other with a bad and falſe Goſpel-ſtate, becauſe of that, which their Learning, Logic, and Criticiſm do for them. Say not then, that it is only the illiterate Enthuſiaſt, that condemns human Learning in the goſpel Kingdom of God. For when he condemns the Blindneſs and Miſchief of Popiſh Logic and Criticiſm, he has all the learned Proteſtant World with him; and when he lays the ſame Charge to Proteſtant Learning, he has a much larger Kingdom of Popiſh great Scholars, logically and learnedly affirming the ſame Thing. So that the private Perſon, charging human Learning with ſo much Miſchief to the Church, is ſo far from being led by Enthuſiaſm, that he is led by all the Church-learning that is in the World.

Again, all learned Chriſtendom agrees in the ſame Charge againſt temporal Power in the Church, as hurtful to the very Being, and Progreſs of a Salvation-kingdom that is not of this World, as ſupporting Doctrines that human Learning has brought into it. And true it is, and muſt be, that human Power can only ſupport, and help forward human Things.—The Proteſtant brings Proof from a thouſand Years Learning and Doctrines, that the Pope is an unjuſt Uſurper of temporal Power in the Church, which is Chriſt's ſpiritual Spouſe. —The Papiſt brings the Learning of as many Ages, to ſhew, that a temporal Head of the Church, is an Antichriſtian Uſurpation.—And yet (N. B.) he who holds Chriſt to be the one, only Head, Heart and Life of the Church, and that no Man can call Jeſus, Lord, but by the Holy Ghoſt, paſſes with the learned of both theſe People, for a brain-ſick Enthuſiaſt.—Is it not then high Time, to look out for ſome better Ground to ſtand upon, than ſuch Learning as this? Now look where you will, through all the whole Nature of Things, no divine Wiſdom, Knowledge, Goodneſs, and deliverance from Sin, are any where to be found for fallen Man, but in theſe two Points; (1) a total, entire Entrance into the whole Proceſs of Chriſt; (2) a total Reſignation to, and ſole Dependance upon the continual Operation of the Holy Ghoſt, or Chriſt come again in the Spirit, to be our never ceaſing Light, Teacher, and Guide into all thoſe Ways of Virtue, in which he himſelf walked in the Fleſh.—All beſides this, call it by what Name you will, is but dead Work, a vain Labour of the old Man, to new create himſelf. And here let it be well obſerved, that in theſe two Points, conſiſts the whole of that Divinity, to which a Jewiſh Orthodoxy at this Day, is ſo great an Enemy. For nothing elſe is meant, or taught by it, but a total dying to Self (called the Proceſs or Croſs of Chriſt) that a new Creature (called Chriſt in us, or Chriſt come in the Spirit) may be begotten in the Purity, and Perfection of the firſt Man's Union with God.—Now, let the Chriſtian World forget, or depart from this ſpiritual Way of Salvation, let any Thing elſe be thought of, or truſted to, but the Croſs of Chriſt, and the Spirit of Chriſt, and then, though Churches, and Preachers, and Prayers, and Sacraments, are every where in Plenty, yet nothing better can come of it, than a Chriſtian Kingdom of Pagan Vices, along with a Mouth-belief of an holy catholic Church, and Communion of Saints.—To this melancholy Truth, all Chriſtendom both at home and abroad bears full Witneſs. Who need be told, that there is not a Corruption, or Depravity of human Nature, no Kinds of Pride, Wrath, Envy, Malice, and Self-love; no Sorts of Hypocriſy, Falſeneſs, Curſing, Swearing, Perjury, and Cheating; no Wantonneſs of Luſt in every Kind of Debauchery, but are as common all over Chriſtendom, as Towns and Villages.—But to paſs theſe by, I ſhall only inſtance in two or three Particulars, which though little obſerved, and leſs condemned, yet fully ſhew, that the Beaſt, the Whore, and the fiery Dragon, are in Poſſeſſion of Proteſtant, as well as Popiſh Churches.

And Firſt, can it be ſaid, that Mammon is leſs ſerved by Chriſtians, than by Jews and Infidels? Or can there be a fuller Proof, that Chriſtians, Jews, and Infidels, are equally fallen from God, and all divine Worſhip, ſince Truth itſelf has told us, that we cannot ſerve God and Mammon? Is not this as unalterable a Truth, and of as great Moment, as if it had been ſaid, ye cannot ſerve God and Baal? Or can it with any Truth or Senſe be affirmed, that the Mammoniſt has more of Chriſt in him, than the Baaliſt, or is more or leſs an Idolater for being called a Chriſtian, a Jew, or an Infidel? Look now at all thoſe Particulars, which Chriſt charged upon the Jewiſh Prieſts, Scribes, and Phariſees, and you will ſee them all acted over again in the fallen State of Chriſtendom. And if God's Prophets were again in the World, they would have juſt the ſame Complaints againſt the fallen Chriſtian Church, as they had againſt the old, carnal, ſtiff-necked Jews, namely, that of their Silver and Gold, they had made themſelves Idols, Hoſ. 8. iv. For though figured Idol-gods of Gold are not now worſhiped either by Jews or Chriſtians, yet Silver and Gold, with that which belongs to them, is the Mammon God, that ſits and reigns in their Hearts. How elſe could there be that univerſal Strife through all Chriſtendom, who ſhould ſtand in the richeſt and higheſt Place, to preach up the Humility of Chriſt, and offer ſpiritual Sacrifices unto God? What God but Mammon could put into the Hearts of Chriſt's Ambaſſadors, to make, or want to make a Gain of that Goſpel, which from the Beginning to the End, means nothing elſe but Death to Self, and Separation from every View, Temper, and Affection, that has any Connexion with the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life?— Our Bleſſed Lord ſaid a Word to the Jews, that might well have made their Ears to tingle, when he told them, that they had made his Father's Houſe a Den of Thieves; becauſe Sheep and Oxen were ſold, and Money-changers ſitting in the outer Court of the Temple.—Now if you will ſay, that Mammon has brought forth no Prophanation like this in our Chriſtian Church, your beſt Proof muſt be this, becauſe our Church-ſale, is not Oxen and Sheep, but holy Things, Cures of Souls, Parſonages, Vicarages, &c. and our Money-changers, our Buyers, and Sellers, are chiefly conſecrated Perſons.

Look at Things ſpiritual, and Things temporal, and ſay if you can, that the ſame Arts, the ſame Paſſions, and worldly Wiſdom, are not as viſibly Active in the One, as in the Other.—For if Chriſt at leaving the World, had ſaid to his Diſciples, Labour to be Rich, —make full Proviſion for the Fleſh,—be conformed to the World,—court the Favour and Intereſt of great Men,—clothe yourſelves with all the worldly Honours, Diſtinctions, and Powers ye can get; I appeal to every Man, whether Popiſh and Proteſtant Churches need do any Thing elſe, than that which they now do, and have done for Ages, to prove their Faithfulneſs to ſuch a Maſter, and their full Obedience to his Precepts. And now, what is all this in Truth and Reality, but the ſame Whore riding upon the ſame Beaſt, not here or there, but through all fallen Chriſtendom, where God has only, in every Age, People, and Language, his ſeven Thouſands, who have not bowed the Knee to Mammon.

Again, Secondly, Ye have heard, ſaith our Lord, that it hath been ſaid by them of Old; thou ſhalt not forſwear thyſelf, but ſhalt perform unto the Lord, thine Oaths.— The Jews practiſed promiſſary Oaths, and thought, all was well, when there was a Performance of them.— But this, with Numbers of other Jewiſh Practices, was not to be allowed in this Kingdom of God, that was then come into the World.—Chriſt totally rejects, and abſolutely forbids it, ſaying, I ſay unto you, ſwear not at all. But inſtead of it, he appoints and abſolutely demands, a moſt perfect Simplicity of Language, to ſupport and adorn the mutual Communication of thoſe, whom he had created again unto Righteouſneſs, and given Power to become Sons of God: Saying, Let your Communication be YEA, YEA, and NAY, NAY, for (N. B.) Whatſoever is more than this, cometh of Evil.— What more could have been done by Chriſt to prevent the Uſe, or hinder the Entrance of an Oath into his Church? What then ſhall we ſay of the preſent univerſal Chriſtendom? For if Chriſt had commanded the direct contrary, had he ſaid, behold I give you this new Commandment, let not a ſimple YEA and NAY, be of any Avail in all your Communication; but let Oaths be required of all that bear my Name, as a Proof that they belong to me, and act in all their Dealings, as becometh Saints; for whatſoever is leſs than this, cometh of Evil.—Had this been Chriſt's new Commandment, all the Churches of Chriſtendom, as well Popiſh as Proteſtant, and theſe reformed Kingdoms of Great-Britain and Ireland, might have much to boaſt of their Obedience to it. For through Town and Country, in all ignorant Villages, in all learned Colleges, in all Courts ſpiritual and temporal, what with Law-Oaths, Corporation-Oaths, Office-Oaths, Trade-Oaths, Qualification-Oaths, Simony-Oaths, Bribery-Oaths, Election-Oaths, &c. &c. &c. there is more Swearing and For-ſwearing, than all Hiſtory reports of any Idol-worſhipping Nations.—It was ſaid of Old, becauſe of Swearing, the Land mourneth; it is full as true to ſay now, becauſe of Swearing, the Land rejoiceth in Iniquity, is full of Prophaneneſs, and without any Fear or Awe of the divine Majeſty, daily ſwallowing down all Manner of Oaths, in the ſame good State of Mind, and with as much ſerious Reflection, as Pot-companions ſwallow down their Liquor.

He that deſpiſeth me, ſaith Chriſt, deſpiſeth not me, but him that ſent me.—Can that Church which abſolutely requires that, which Chriſt hath abſolutely forbidden, be free from the moſt open and public deſpiſing of Chriſt? Which in full Contrariety to his expreſs Word, refuſeth the Sufficiency of that Yea and Nay, which he hath commanded to be ſufficient. And what is ſtill more wonderful, compels all Orders of Chriſtians to ſwear by that very Book, which ſaith to all, whether high or low, Prince, Prieſt, or People, SWEAR NOT AT ALL.

If the Swearing Law was to order, that inſtead of kiſſing the Goſpel-book, the Swearer ſhould ſay, In Remembrance of, and in Regard to the Words of Chriſt, forbidding me to ſwear, I make this Oath, who would not ſee the open Contempt of Chriſt and his Goſpel? But the Contempt of both is as truly there, when the Goſpel-book is kiſſed by the Swearer; for the Book has nothing relating to Oaths, but thoſe Words of Chriſt, which abſolutely forbid the Uſe of them.—Inſtead therefore of a SO HELP ME GOD and his HOLY GOSPEL, it might have been much better, if every Swearing Law through all Chriſtendom, had obliged every Swearer to finiſh his Oath with theſe Words, Let God and his holy Goſpel PARDON ME IN THIS ONE THING.

In a Word, That which calls for, and requires Oaths amongſt Chriſtians, requires that which Chriſt forbids? but governing Chriſtendom every where eſtabliſhes, requires, and even compels Chriſtians to ſwear, therefore governing Chriſtendom is fallen from Chriſt, and acts by and through that Spirit, which being contrary to Chriſt, is and muſt be called ANTICHRIST.

But to proceed now to a third and laſt Inſtance, which I ſhall mention, of the full Power of Antichriſt in, and through every Part of governing Chriſtendom.

In the darkeſt Ages of Romiſh Superſtition, a martial Spirit of Zeal and Glory for the Goſpel, broke forth in Kings, Cardinals, Biſhops, Monks, and Friars, to lead the Sheep of Chriſt, Saints, Pilgrims, Penitents, and Sinners of all Kinds, to proceed in Battle Array, to kill, devour, and drive the Turks from the Land of Paleſtine, and the old earthly Jeruſalem.—Theſe Blood-thirſty Expeditions were called an holy War, becauſe it was a fighting for the holy Land; they were called alſo a Croiſade, becauſe Croſſes and Crucifixes made the greateſt Glitter amongſt the ſharpened Inſtruments of human Murder.—Thus under the Banner of the Croſs, went forth an Army of Church Wolves, to deſtroy the Lives of thoſe, whom the Lamb of God died on the Croſs to ſave.

The Light which broke out at the Reformation, abhorred the bloody, ſuperſtitious Zeal of theſe Catholic Heroes.—But (N. B.) what followed from this new riſen, reforming Light, what came forth inſtead of theſe holy Croiſades? Why Wars, if poſſible, ſtill more diabolical.—Chriſtian Kingdoms with blood-thirſty Piety, deſtroying, devouring, and burning one another, for the Sake of that which was called Popery, and that which was called Proteſtantiſm.

Now who can help ſeeing, that Satan, the Prince of the Powers of Darkneſs, had here a much greater Triumph over Chriſtendom, than in all the holy Wars, and Croiſades that went before? For all that was then done, by ſuch high-ſpirited Fighters for old Jeruſalem's Earth, could not be ſaid to be ſo much done againſt Goſpel-light, becauſe not one in a Thouſand of thoſe holy Warriors, were allowed to ſee what was in the Goſpel. But now, with the Goſpel opened in every one's Hands, Papiſts and Proteſtants make open War againſt every divine Virtue, that belonged to Chriſt, or that can unite them with that Lamb of God, that taketh away the Sins of the World:—I ſay againſt every divine, redeeming Virtue of the Lamb of God, for theſe are the Enemies which War conquers. For there is not a Virtue of Goſpel-goodneſs, but has its Death-blow from it.—For no Virtue hath any Goſpel-goodneſs in it any farther, than as it hath its Birth, and Growth, in and from the Spirit of Chriſt; where his Nature and Spirit is not, there is nothing but the Heathen to be found, which is but ſaying the ſame Truth, as when the Apoſtle ſaid, that he who hath not, or is not led by the Spirit of Chriſt, is none of his.

Now fancy to yourſelf, Chriſt, the Lamb of God, after his divine Sermon on the Mount, putting himſelf at the Head of a blood-thirſty Army, or St. Paul going forth with a Squadon of Fire and Brimſtone, to make more Havock in human Lives, than a devouring Earthquake.

But if this be too blaſphemous an Abſurdity to be ſuppoſed, what follows, but that the Chriſtian who acts in the deſtroying Fury of War, acts in full Contrariety to the whole Nature and Spirit of Chriſt, and can no more be ſaid to be led by his Spirit, or be one with him, than thoſe his Enemies, who came forth with Swords and Staves for to take him.

Blinded Proteſtants think they have the Glory of ſlaughtering blind Papiſts; and the victorious Papiſt claims the Merit of having conquered Troops of Heretics; but alas! the Conqueſt is equally great on both Sides, both are entitled to the ſame Victory; and the glorious Victory on both Sides, is only that of having goſpel Goodneſs equally under their Feet.

When a Moſt Chriſtian Majeſty with his Catholic Church, ſings a Te Deum at the high Altar, for Rivers of Proteſtant Blood poured out; or an Evangelick Church ſings Praiſe and Glory to the Lamb of God, for helping them from his holy Throne in Heaven▪ to make Popiſh Towns like to Sodom and Gomorrah, they blaſpheme God, as much as Cain would have done, had he offered a Sacrifice of Praiſe to God, for helping him to murder his Brother.—Let ſuch Worſhippers of God be told this, that the Field of Blood gives all its Glory to Satan, who was a Murderer from the Beginning, and will to the End of his Reign, be the only Receiver of all the Glory, that can come from it.

A glorious Alexander in the heathen World, is a Shame and Reproach to the human Nature, and does more Miſchief to Mankind in a few Years, than all the wild Beaſts in every Wilderneſs upon Earth, have ever done from the Beginning of the World to this Day.—But the ſame Hero making the ſame Ravage from Country to Country with Chriſtian Soldiers, has more Thanks from the Devil, than twenty Pagan Alexanders would ever have had.—To make Men kill Men, is Meat and Drink to that roaring Adverſary of Mankind, who goeth about ſeeking whom he may devour. But to make Chriſtians kill Chriſtians for the Sake of Chriſt's Church, is his higheſt Triumph over the higheſt Mark, which Chriſt hath ſet upon thoſe whom he has purchaſed by his Blood.—This Commandment, ſaith he, I give unto you, that ye love one another.—By this ſhall all Men know that ye are my Diſciples, if ye love one another as I have loved you.—

Can the Duelliſt, who had rather ſheath his Sword in the Bowels of his Brother, than ſtifle that which he calls an Affront, can he be ſaid to have this Mark of his belonging to Chriſt? and may not he that is called his SECOND, more juſtly be ſaid to be Second to none in the Love of human Murder?—Now, what is the Difference between the haughty Duelliſt with his provided Second, meeting his Adverſary with Sword and Piſtol behind a Hedge, or a Houſe, and two Kingdoms with their high-ſpirited Regiments, ſlaughtering one another in the Field of Battle? It is the Difference that is between the Murder of one Man, and the Murder of an hundred thouſand.

Now imagine the Duelliſt faſting and confeſſing his Sins to God to Day, becauſe he is engaged to fight his Brother To-morrow; fancy again the Conqueror got into his Cloſet, on his bended Knees, lifting up Hands and Heart to God, for bleſſing his Weapons with the Death of his Brother; and then you have a Picture in Little of the great Piety, that begins and ends the Wars all over heavenly Chriſtendom.

What Blindneſs can well be greater, than to think that a Chriſtian Kingdom, as ſuch, can have any other Goodneſs, or Union with Chriſt, but that very Goodneſs, which makes the private Chriſtian to be one with him, and a Partaker of the divine Nature? O that Pride, Wrath, Ambition, Envy, Covetouſneſs, Rapine, Reſentment, Revenge, Hatred, Miſchief, and Murder, are only the Works of the Devil, whilſt they are committed by private, or ſingle Men; but when carried on by all the Strength and Authority, all the Hearts, Hands, and Voices of a whole Nation, that the Devil is then quite driven out of them, loſes all his Right and Power in them, and they become holy Matter of Church Thankſgivings, and the ſacred Oratory of Pulpits.

Look at that which the private Chriſtian is to do to his Neighbour, or his Enemy, and you ſee that very Thing, which one Chriſtian Kingdom is to do to another. Look at that which proves a Man to be not led and governed by the Spirit of Chriſt, and you ſee that, which proves a Kingdom to be under the Dominion and Power of Satan.—Wherever Pride is, there the Devil is riding in his firſt fiery Chariot; and wherever Wrath is, there he has his firſt murdering Sword at Work.—What is it, that fallen Man wants to be redeemed from, but Pride and Wrath, Envy and Covetuoſneſs? He can have no higher Separation, or Apoſtaſy from God, no fuller Union with Satan and his Angels, than he has of the Spirit of theſe Tempers: They conſtitute that, which whether you call it SELF, or Satan in him, the Meaning is the ſame. Now ſuppoſe Man not fallen into this Self or Satan, and then there could be no more War or fighting in him, than there was in the WORD made Man in our Fleſh. Or ſuppoſe him redeemed from his fallen Nature, by a new Birth of the Lamb of God born in his Soul, and then he can no more be hired to kill Men gloriouſly in the Field, than to carry a dark Lanthorn by Night to a Powder-Plot.

Love, Goodneſs, and Communication of Good, is the immutable Glory and Perfection of the divine Nature, and nothing can have Union with God, but that which partakes of this Goodneſs.—The Love that brought forth the Exiſtence of all Things, changes not through the Fall of its Creatures, but is continually at work, to bring back all fallen Nature and Creature, to their firſt State of Goodneſs.

O poor Sinner, who ever thou art, repent and turn to God, whilſt thou haſt Adam's Fleſh upon thee; for if thou dieſt without Adam's Repentance, black Lakes, bottomleſs Pits, Ages of a gnawing Worm, and Fire that never ceaſes to burn, will ſtand between thee and a Kingdom of Heaven afar off.

To prevent all this, and make thee a Child of the firſt Reſurrection, Jeſus Chriſt, God and Man, the only begotton Son of his infinite Love, came into the World in the Name, and under the Character of infinite Pity, boundleſs Compaſſion, inexpreſſible Meekneſs, bleeding Love, nameleſs Humility, never ending Patience, long Suffering, and Bowels of redeeming Mercy, called the Lamb of God, who with all theſe ſupernatural Virtues taketh away the Sins of the World.

Now from this View of God's infinite Love and Mercy in Chriſt Jeſus, willing nothing, ſeeking nothing through all the Regions of his Providence, but that Sinners of all Kinds, the boldeſt Rebels againſt all his Goodneſs, may have their proper Remedy, their neceſſary Means of being fully delivered from all that Hurt, Miſchief and Deſtruction, which in full Oppoſition to their God and Creator, they had brought upon themſelves; from this View, I ſay, of God and Chriſt, uſing every Miracle of Love and Wiſdom, to give recovery of Life, Health, and Salvation to all that have rebelled againſt them, look at the murdering Monſter of WAR. And what can its Name, or Nature be, but a fiery great Dragon, a full Figure of Satan broke looſe, and fighting againſt every redeeming Virtue of the Lamb of God?

The temporal Miſeries and Wrongs, which War carries along with it, wherever it goes, are neither to be numbered or expreſſed.—What Thievery bears any Proportion to that, which with the boldneſs of Drum and Trumpet, plunders the innocent of all that they have? And if themſelves are left alive, with all their Limbs, or their Daughters unraviſhed, they have many Times, only the Aſhes of their conſumed Houſes to lye down upon.—What Honour has War not gotten, from its Tens and Tens of Hundreds of Thouſands of Men ſlaughtered on Heaps, with as little Regret or Concern, as at Loads of Rubbiſh thrown into a Pit?—Who, but the fiery Dragon, would put Wreaths of Laurel on ſuch Heroes Heads? Who but he, could ſay unto them, Well done, good and faithful Servants?

But there is ſtill an Evil of War much greater, though leſs regarded.—Who reflects, how many Hundreds of Thouſands, nay Millions of young Men, born into this World for no other End, but that they may be born again of Chriſt, and from Sons of Adam's Miſery, become Sons of God, and fellow Heirs with Chriſt in everlaſting Glory; who reflects, I ſay, what nameleſs Numbers of theſe, are robbed of God's precious Gift of Life to them, before they have known the one ſole Benefit of Living; who are not ſuffered, to ſtay in this World, till Age and Experience have done their beſt for them, have helped them to know the inward Voice and Operation of God's Spirit, helped them to find, and feel that Evil, Curſe, and Sting of Sin and Death, which muſt be taken from within them, before they can die the Death of the Righteous; but inſtead of all this, have been either violently forced, or tempted in the Fire of Youth, and full ſtrength of ſinful Luſts, to forget God, Eternity, and their own Souls, and ruſh into a kill or be killed, with as much furious haſte, and goodneſs of Spirit, as Tiger kills Tiger for the ſake of his Prey?

Amongſt unfallen Creatures in Heaven, God's Name and Nature, is LOVE, LIGHT, and GLORY.— To the fallen Sons of Adam, that which was Love, Light, and Glory in Heaven, becomes infinite PITY and COMPASSION on Earth, in a God, clothed with the Nature of his fallen Creature, bearing all its Infirmities, entering into all its Troubles, and in the meek Innocence of a Lamb of God, living a Life, and dying a Death, of all the Sufferings due to Sin.—Hence it was, that when this DIVINE PITY ſuffered its own life-giving Blood to be poured on the Ground, all outward Nature made full Declaration of its attoning, and redeeming Power; the Strength of the Earth did quake, the Hardneſs of Rocks was forced to Split, and long covered Graves to give up their Dead.—

Sing, O ye Heavens, and Shout all ye lower Parts of the Earth, for this is OUR GOD that varies not, whoſe firſt creating Love knows no Change, but into a redeeming Pity towards all his fallen Creatures.

Look now at warring Chriſtendom, what ſmalleſt Drop of Pity towards Sinners is to be found in it? Or how could a Spirit all Helliſh, more fully contrive and haſten their Deſtruction?—It ſtirs up and kindles every Paſſion of fallen Nature, that is contrary to the all-humble, all-meek, all-loving, all-forgiving, all-ſaving Spirit of Chriſt.—It unites, it drives, and compels nameleſs Numbers of unconverted Sinners to fall, murdering and murdered amongſt Flaſhes of Fire, with the Wrath and Swiftneſs of Lightning, into a Fire infinitely worſe than that in which they died.—O ſad Subject for Thankſgiving Days, whether in Popiſh, or Proteſtant Churches! For if there is a Joy of all the Angels in Heaven, for one Sinner that repenteth, what a Joy muſt there be in Hell over ſuch Multitudes of Sinners, not ſuffered to repent? And if they who have converted many to Righteouſneſs, ſhall ſhine as the Stars in the Firmament for ever, what Chorazins Woe may they not juſtly fear, whoſe proud Wrath and vain Glory, have robbed ſuch numberleſs Troops of poor Wretches, of all Time and Place of knowing what Righteouſneſs they wanted, for the Salvation of their immortal Souls.

Here my Pen trembles in my Hand; but when▪ O when will one ſingle Chriſtian Church, People, or Language, tremble at the Share they have in this Death of Sinners!

For the GLORY OF HIS MAJESTY'S ARMS, ſaid once a Moſt Chriſtian King: Now if at that Time, his Catholic Church had called a ſolemn Aſſembly to unite Hearts and Voices in this pious Prayer, O bleſſed Jeſus, dear redeeming Lamb of God, who cameſt down from Heaven, to ſave Mens Lives, and not deſtroy them, go along, we humbly pray thee, with our Bomb-veſſels and Fire-ſhips, ſuffer not our thundering Cannon to roar in Vain, but let thy tender Hand of Love and Mercy, direct their Balls to more Heads and Hearts of thine own redeemed Creatures, than the poor Skill of Man is able of itſelf to do:— Had not ſuch Prayers had more of the Man of the Earth, more of the Son of Perdition in them, than the Moſt Chriſtian King's glorying in his Arms?

Again, would you farther ſee the Fall of the univerſal Church, from being led by the Spirit of Chriſt, to be guided by the Inſpiration of the great fiery Dragon, look at all European Chriſtendom ſailing round the Globe, with Fire and Sword, and every murdering Art of War, to ſeize the Poſſeſſions, and kill the Inhabitants of both the Indies.—What natural Right of Man, what ſupernatural Virtue which Chriſt brought down from Heaven, was not here trodden under Foot?—All that you ever read or heard ot Heathen Barbarity, was here outdone by Chriſtian Conquerors. And to this Day, what Wars of Chriſtians againſt Chriſtians, blended with Scalping Heathens, ſtill keep ſtaining the Earth and the Seas with human Blood, for a miſerable Share in the Spoils of a plundered Heathen World! A World, which ſhould have heard, or ſeen, or felt nothing from the Followers of Chriſt, but a divine Love, that had forced them from diſtant Lands, and through the Perils of long Seas, to viſit Strangers with thoſe glad Tidings of Peace and Salvation to all the World, which Angels from Heaven, and Shepherds on Earth, proclaimed at the Birth of Chriſt.

Here now, let the Wiſdom of this world be as Wiſe as ever it will, and from its learned Throne condemn all this as Enthuſiaſm; it need be no Trouble to any one, to be condemned by that Wiſdom, which God himſelf hath condemned as Fooliſhneſs with him. For the Wiſdom of this World hath all the Contrariety to Salvation-wiſdom, that the Fleſh hath to the Spirit, Earth to Heaven, or Damnation to Salvation. It is a Wiſdom, whoſe Spirit and Breath keep all the Evil that is in ſallen Man alive, and which in its higheſt Excellence, has only the full grown Nature of that carnal Mind, which is Enmity againſt God.—It is a Wiſdom that is ſenſual, and deviliſh, that hinders Man from knowing, and dying all thoſe Deaths, without which there can be no new Life. —It is a Wiſdom, that turns all Salvation-truths into empty, learned Tales, that inſtead of helping the Sinner to confeſs his Sins, and feel the Miſery that is hid under them, helps him to an Art of hiding, nay of defending them. For that which the Luſts and Paſſions do contrary to the Wiſdom from above, is proved to be right Reaſon, by this Wiſdom from below, whoſe greateſt Skill is ſhewn, in keeping all the Powers and Paſſions of the natural Man in Peace and Proſperity; and ſo the poor blinded Sinner, lives and dies in a total Ignorance of all that Light, Bleſſing, and Salvation, which could only be had by a broken and contrite Heart.—For (N. B.) with Reſpect to Conſcience, this is the chief Office of worldly Wiſdom; it is to keep all Things quiet in the old Man, that whether buſied in Things ſpiritual, or temporal, he may keep up the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, without any Diſturbance from religious Phantoms, and Dreams of myſtic Idiots, who for want of ſober Senſe, and ſound Learning, think that Chriſt really meant what he ſaid in theſe Words, Except a Man be born again of the Spirit, or from above, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. —For this Wiſdom come to its higheſt Perfection, is a claſſic moral Painter, which though it cannot alter the Nature, yet can change the Colours of every Thing; it can give to the moſt heavenly Virtue ſuch an outward Form and Colour, as will force the ſtouteſt of aged and learned Men to run away from it; and to a Vice of the greateſt Deformity, it can pencil ſuch charming Features, as will make every Child of this World, wiſh to live, and die with it.—Its next Perfection, is that of a flattering Orator, who hath Praiſe and Diſpraiſe at his own free Diſpoſal; for as they are all of his own making, ſo he can diſpoſe them on whom, and on what he will; not only as outward, intereſting Occaſions call for them, but alſo as the inward Neceſſities, the Ups and Downs of his own poor Self want them. For Self, however willing to be always ſtrong, has its weak Hours, and would be ever tottering, unleſs this Elbow-orator kept him every Day (though perhaps not every Night) free from the diſturbing Whiſpers of a Seed of God in his Soul.—Now join (if you pleaſe) Learning and Religion to act in fellowſhip with this worldly Wiſdom, and makes their beſt of it, and then you will have a Depravity of Craft and Subtlety, as high as Fleſh and Blood can carry it, which will bring forth a glittering Phariſee, with a hardneſs of Heart, greater than that of the Sinner Publican.

Demas, ſaith St. Paul, hath forſaken me, having loved this preſent World.—Here you ſee all the Good and Bleſſing, that is inſeparable from the Wiſdom of this World, it always does the ſame Thing, and has the ſame Effect wherever it is; it will do to high and low, learned or unlearned, Clergy or Laity, that ſame unavoidably which it did to Demas; it will make them forſake Chriſt, turn their Backs on every Grace and Virtue of his Holy Spirit, as certainly as the Love of the World made Demas to forſake Paul.

This Wiſdom hath aſked me, how it is poſſible for Chriſtian Kingdoms in the Neighbourhood of one another, to preſerve themſelves, unleſs the Strength and Weapons of War, are every ones Defence, againſt ſuch Invaſions, Incroachments, and Robberies, as would otherwiſe be the Fate of Chriſtian Kingdoms from one another.

This Queſtion is ſo far from needing to be anſwered by me, that it is wholly on my Side; it confeſſes all, and proves all that I have ſaid of the fallen State of Chriſtendom, to be ſtrictly true.—For if this is the governing Spirit of Chriſtian Kingdoms, that no one of them can ſubſiſt in Safety from its neighbouring Chriſtian Kingdoms, but by its Weapons of War, are not all Chriſtian Kingdoms equally in the ſame unchriſtian State, as two neighbouring bloody Knaves, who cannot be ſafe from one another, but as each others murdering Arms preſerve and protect them? This Plea therefore for Chriſtendom's Wars, proves nothing elſe but the want of Chriſtianity all over the Chriſtian World, and ſtands upon no better a Foundation of Righteouſneſs and Goodneſs, than when one Murdering Knave kills another, that would have killed him.

But to know whether Chriſtianity wants, or admits of War, Chriſtianity is to be conſidered as in its right State.—Now the true State of the World turned Chriſtian, is thus deſcribed by the great Goſpel prophet, who ſhewed what a Change it was to make in the fallen State of the World.—It ſhall come to paſs, ſaith he, in the laſt Days, that is, in the Days of Chriſtendom, that the Mountain of the Lord's Houſe (his Chriſtian Kingdom) ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the Top of the Mountains, and all Nations ſhall flow into it; and many People ſhall ſay, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord's Houſe, and he will teach us of his Ways, and we will walk in his Paths, Iſaiah ii. 2.

Now what follows from this going up of the Nations to the Mountain of the Lord's Houſe, from his teaching them of his Ways, and their walking in his Paths? The holy Prophet expreſsly tells you in his following Words, They ſhall beat their Swords into Plow-ſhares, and their Spears into pruning Hooks: Nation ſhall not lift up its Sword againſt Nation, (N. B.) neither ſhall they learn War any more.—This is the Prophet's true Chriſtendom, with one and the ſame eſſential divine Mark ſet upon it, as when the Lamb of God ſaid, By this ſhall all Men know, that ye are my Diſciples, if ye Love another as I have loved you.—Chriſt's Kingdom of God is no where come, but where the Works of the Devil are deſtroyed, and Men are turned from the Power of Satan unto God.—God is only another Name for the higheſt and only Good; and the higheſt and only Good, means nothing elſe but LOVE with all its WORKS. —Satan is only another Name for the Whole and all of Evil, and the whole of Evil is nothing elſe but its whole Contrariety to Love.—And the Sum total of all Contrariety to Love, is contained in Pride, Wrath, Strife, Self, Envy, Hatred, Revenge, Miſchief, and Murder. Look at theſe, with all their Fruits that belong to them, and then you ſee all the princely Power, that Satan is, and has in this fallen World.

Would you ſee when and where the Kingdoms of this fallen World are become a Kingdom of God, the goſpel Prophet tells you, that it is then and there where all Enmity ceaſeth.—The Wolf, ſaith he, ſhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard ſhall lie down with the Kid. The Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together, and a little Child ſhall lead them. The Cow and the Bear ſhall feed, and their young ones ſhall lie down together, and the Lion ſhall eat Straw like the Ox. The ſucking Child ſhall play on the Hole of the Aſp, and the weaned Child ſhall put his Hand on the Cockatrice's Den.—For, N. B. they ſhall not HURT or DESTROY in all my holy Mountain, that is, through all holy Chriſtendom.— Iſaiah xi. 6.

See here a Kingdom of God on the Earth; it is nothing elſe but a Kingdom of mere Love, where all HURT and DESTROYING is done away, and every Work of Enmity changed into one united Power of Heavenly Love.—But obſerve again and again, whence this comes to paſs, that God's Kingdom on Earth is, and can be nothing elſe, but the Power of reigning Love; the Prophet tells you, it is becauſe in the Day of his Kingdom, the Earth ſhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea.—Therefore, O Chriſtendom, thy Wars are thy certain Proof, that thou art all over as full of an Ignorance of God, as the Waters cover the Sea.

As to the preſent fallen State of univerſal Chriſtendom, working under the Spirit and Power of the great fiery Dragon, it is not my Intention, in any Thing I am here upon, to ſhew how any Part of it can ſubſiſt, or preſerve itſelf from being devoured by every other Part, but by its own Dragon Weapons.

But the Chriſtendom which I mean, that neither wants, nor allows of War, is only that where Chriſt is King, and his Holy Spirit the only Governor of the Wills, Affections, and Deſigns of all that belong to it. —It is my Complaint againſt, and Charge upon all the Nations of Chriſtendom, that this Neceſſity of murdering Arms, is the Dragon's Monſter, that is equally brought forth by all and every Part of fallen Chriſtendom; and that therefore all and every Part, as well Popiſh as Proteſtant, are at one and the ſame Diſtance from the Spirit of their Lord and Saviour the Lamb of God, and therefore all want one and the ſame entire Reformation.

In theſe laſt Ages of fallen Chriſtendom, many Reformations have taken Place; but alas! Truth muſt be forced to ſay, that they have been in all their Variety, little better than ſo many run-away Births of one and the ſame Mother, ſo many leſſer Babels come out of Babylon the great—For amongſt all the Reformers, the one only true Reformation hath never yet been thought of.—A Change or Place, of Governors, of Opinions, together with new formed, outward Models, is all the Reformation that has yet been attempted.

The Wiſdom of this World, with its worldly Spirit, was the only Thing that had overcome the Church, and had carried it into Captivity. For in Captivity it certainly is, as ſoon as it is turned into a Kingdom of this World; and a Kingdom of this World it certainly is, as ſoon as worldly Wiſdom has its Power in it.—Not a falſe Doctrine, not a bad Diſcipline, not an uſurped Power, or corrupt Practice ever has prevailed, or does prevail in the Church, but has had its whole Birth and Growth from worldly Wiſdom.

This Wiſdom, was the great evil Root, at which the reforming Axe ſhould have been laid, and muſt be laid, before the Church can be again that Virgin Spouſe of Chriſt, which it was at the Beginning.—If any Man, ſaith St. Paul, will be wiſe, let him become a Fool in this World. This admits of no Exception, it is a Maxim as univerſal, and unalterable, as that which ſaith, If any Man will follow Chriſt, let him deny himſelf.—For no Man has any more to deny than that, which the Wiſdom and Spirit of this World are, and do in him. For all that is in this World, the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, are the very Things, in which alone the Wiſdom of this World lives, and moves, and has its being. It can be no other, can riſe no higher, nor be any better, than they are, and do.— For as heavenly Wiſdom, is the Whole of all heavenly Goodneſs, ſo earthly Wiſdom has the Whole Evil of all the earthly Nature.

St. Paul ſpeaks of a natural Man, that cannot know the Things of God, but to whom they are mere Fooliſhneſs. This natural Man, is only another Name for the Wiſdom of this World; but though he cannot know the Things that be of God, yet he can know their Names, and learn to ſpeak that, which the Saints of God have ſpoken about them.—He can make Profeſſion of them, be eloquent in their Praiſe, and ſet them forth in ſuch a deſirable View, as ſhall make them quite agreeable to the Children of worldly Wiſdom.—This is the natural Man, who having got into the Church, and Church Power, has turned the Things of God into Things of this World.—Had this Man been kept out of the Church, the Church had kept its firſt Purity to this Day; for its fallen State is nothing elſe, but its Fall into the Hands of the natural Man of this World.—And when this is the State of the Church, the Wiſdom of this World (which always loves its own) will be in Love with it, will ſpare no Coſt to maintain it, will make Laws, fight Battles in Defence of it, and condemn every Man as Heretical, who dares ſpeak a Word againſt this glorious Image of a Church, which the Wiſdom of this World has ſet up.

This is the great Antichriſt, which is neither better nor worſe, nor any Thing elſe, but the Spirit of Satan working againſt Chriſt, in the Strength and Subtlety of earthly Wiſdom.

If therefore you take any Thing to be Church-reformation, but a full Departure from the Wiſdom of this World, or any Thing to be your Entrance into a Salvation-church, but the Nature, Spirit, and Works of Chriſt, become living in you, then, whether Papiſt, or Proteſtant, Reformation or no Reformation, all will be juſt as much Good to you, as when a Sadducee turns Publican, or from a Publican becomes a Phariſee.—For the Church of Chriſt, as it is the Door of Salvation, is nothing elſe but Chriſt himſelf.—Chriſt in us, or we in his Church, is the ſame Thing. When that is alive, wills and works in you, which was alive in Chriſt, then you are in his Church; for that which he was, that muſt they be, who are his. Without this, it matters not what Pale you are in. To every Thing but the new Creature, Chriſt ſaith, I know you not; and to every Virtue, that worldly Wiſdom puts on, Get thee behind me Satan, for thou ſavoureſt not the Things that be of God. And the Reaſon why it muſt be thus, why worldly Wiſdom, though under a religious Form, is, and can be nothing elſe, but that which is called Satan, or Anti-chriſt, is becauſe all that we are, and have from this World, is that very Enmity againſt God, that whole Evil which ſeparates us from him, and conſtitutes all that Death and Damnation that belongs to our fallen State.—And ſo ſure, as the Life of this World is our Separation from God, ſo ſure is it, that a total Departure from every Subtlety and Proſperity of worldly Wiſdom, is abſolutely neceſſary to change an evil Son of Adam, into a holy Son of God.—And here it is well to be obſerved, that the Church of Chriſt is ſolely for this End, to make us Holy as he is Holy. But nothing can do this, but that which hath full Power to change a Sinner into a Saint. And he who has not found that Power in the Church, may be aſſured, that he is not yet a true Son of that Church. For the Church brings forth no other Births, but holy Children of God; it has no other End, no other Nature, or Work, but that of changing a Sinner into a Saint.—But this can only be done, juſt as the Change of Night into Day is done, or as the Darkneſs is quite loſt in the Light.—Something as contrary to the whole Nature of Sin, as Light is to Darkneſs, and as powerful over it, as the Light is powerful over Darkneſs, can alone do this.—Creeds, Cannons, Articles of Religion, ſtately Churches, learned Prieſts, Singing, Preaching, and Praying in the beſt contrived Form of Words, can no more raiſe a dead Sinner into a living Saint, than a fine Syſtem of Light and Colours can change the Night into Day. For, (N. B.) that which cannot help you to all Goodneſs, cannot help you to any Goodneſs, nor can that take away any Sin, but that which can take away all Sin.

On this Ground it is, that the Apoſtle ſaid, Circumciſion is nothing, and Uncircumciſion is nothing; and on the ſame Ground it muſt be ſaid, that Popery is nothing, and Proteſtaneiſm is nothing, becauſe all is nothing, as to Salvation, but a Sinner changed into a Saint, or the Apoſtle's new Creature.—Call nothing therefore your holy, Salvation-church, but that which taketh away all your Sins; this is the only Way not to be deceived with the Cry about Churches, Reformations, and Diviſions. —If it be aſked, what is meant by taking away all our Sins, the Whole is fully told us in theſe Words, To as many as believed, to them he gave Power to become Sons of God. This is the true taking away, or Forgiveneſs of Sins; not a ſtrong Imagination, or Brain-fancy, that on ſuch an Hour, on ſuch a Day, or in ſuch a Place, you felt and knew aſſuredly that all your Sins were forgiven you: By ſuch a Forgiveneſs of Sins, that which made you a Sinner is not deſtroyed, but you will have every Day the ſame Neceſſity or confeſſing yourſelf a miſerable Sinner, as you had that Morning, when your Sins were not forgiven you till the Afternoon.—The true Forgiveneſs of Sins, is only then, when that which ſinned in us is done away, or become powerleſs in us; but nothing can do this, but that Power by which we become Sons of God.—A blind Man has then only a Deliverance from his Blindneſs, when he is put in full Poſſeſſion of ſeeing Eyes; this is the only doing away of his Darkneſs.—Juſt ſo, and no otherwiſe, are our Sins forgiven us, or done away, when the Power by which we become Sons of God, or the new Creature, is ſo given to us, ſo poſſeſſed by us, as ſeeing Eyes are given to, and poſſeſſed by the Man, who before that was all Blindneſs.—And as our old Man, can only then be ſaid to be truly put off, when the new Man in Chriſt, is raiſed to Life in his Stead, ſo our Sins are only then truly blotted out, or done away, when an unſinning Nature, or a Birth of God, that ſinneth not, is come to be the ruling Life in us.

Many are the Marks, which the learned have given us of the true Church; but be that as it will, no Man, whether learned or unlearned, can have any Mark or Proof of his own true Church-memberſhip, but his being dead unto all Sin, and alive unto all Righteouſneſs.— This cannot be more plainly told us, than in theſe Words of our Lord, He that committeth Sin, is the Servant of Sin; but ſurely that Servant of Sin, cannot at the ſame Time be a living Member of Chriſt's Body, or that new Creature, who dwelleth in Chriſt, and Chriſt in him.—To ſuppoſe a Man born again from above, yet under a neceſſity of continuing to Sin, is as abſurd as to ſuppoſe, that the true Chriſtian is only to have ſo much of the Nature of Chriſt born in him, as is conſiſtent with as real a Power of Satan ſtill dwelling in him.—If the Son, ſaith Chriſt, ſhall make you free, then ye ſhall be free indeed. What is this, but ſaying, if Chriſt become to Life in you, then a true Freedom from all Neceſſity of ſinning is given to you. Now if this is hindered, and cannot come to paſs in the faithful Follower of Chriſt, it muſt be, becauſe both the willing and working of Chriſt in Man, is too weak to overcome that, which the Devil willeth and worketh in him. —All this Abſurdity, and even Blaſphemy, is neceſſarily implied in that common Doctrine of Books and Pulpits, which teaches, that the Chriſtian can never have done ſinning, as long as he lives.—Well therefore may Chriſtendom ſleep as ſecurely as it does, under the Power of Sin, without any Thought, Hope, or Deſire of doing God's Will on Earth, as it is done in Heaven; without any concern at their not being pure, as he who hath called them is pure, or walking as he walked.

The Scripture knows no Chriſtians, but Saints, who in all Things act as becometh Saints. But now if the Scripture Saint did not mean a Man, that eſchewed all Evil, and was holy in all his Converſation, Saint and no Saint, would have only ſuch Difference, as one carnal Man will always have from another.—Preachers and Writers comfort the half Chriſtians with telling them, that God requireth not a perfect, ſinleſs Obedience, but accepteth the Sincerity of our weak Endeavours inſtead of it.—Here if ever, the Blind lead the Blind.—For St. Paul comparing the Way of Salvation to a Race, ſaith, In a Race all run, but ONE obtaineth the Prize: So run that ye may obtain.—Now if Paul had ſeeing Eyes, muſt not they be Blind, who teach, that God accepteth of all that run in the religious Race, and requireth not that any ſhould obtain the Prize.—How eaſy was it to ſee, that the Sincerity of our weak Endeavours, was quite a different Thing from that, which alone is, and can be the required Perfection of our Lives. The firſt, God accepteth, that is, beareth with. But why or how? Not becauſe he ſeeketh or requireth no more, but he beareth with them, becauſe, though at a great Diſtance from, they are, or may be making towards that Perfection, or new Creature, which he abſolutely requires, which is the Fullneſs of the Stature of Chriſt, and is that which Paul ſaith, is the ONE that obtaineth the Prize.

The ſame which Paul ſaith, is ſaid by Chriſt in other Words, ſtrive, ſaith he, to enter in at the ſtraight Gate. Here our beſt Endeavours are called for, and therefore accepted by God, and yet at the ſame Time he addeth, that many ſhall ſtrive to enter in, but ſhall not be able.— Why ſo, whence comes this? It is becauſe Chriſt himſelf is the one Door into Life.—Here the Strivers mentioned by Chriſt, and thoſe which St. Paul calls Runners in a Race, are the very ſame Perſons; and Chriſt calling himſelf the one Door of Entrance, is the ſame Thing as when Paul ſaith, that one only receiveth the Prize, and that one, which alone obtaineth the Prize, or that entereth through the right Door, is that new Creature in whom Chriſt is truly born. For whether you conſider Things natural or ſupernatural, nothing but Chriſt in us, can be our Hope of Glory.

The Pleader for Imperfection, farther ſupports himſelf by ſaying, no Man in the World, Chriſt excepted, was ever without Sin.—And ſo ſay I too; and with the Apoſtle I alſo add, That if we ſay we have not ſinned, we make him a Liar.—But then it is as true to ſay, that we make him a Liar, if we deny the Poſſibility of our ever being freed from a Neceſſity of ſinning. For the ſame Word of God ſaith, If we confeſs our Sins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our Sins, and (N. B.) to cleanſe us from all Unrighteouſneſs.

But ſurely he that is left under a Neceſſity of ſinning, as long as he lives, can no more be ſaid to be cleanſed from all Unrighteouſneſs, than a Man who muſt be a Cripple to his dying Day, can be ſaid to be cured of all his Lameneſs.—What weaker Concluſion can well be made, than to infer, that becauſe Chriſt was the only Man, that was born and lived free from Sin, therefore no Man on Earth can be raiſed to a Freedom from ſinning; no better than concluding, that becauſe the old Man is every one's Birth from Adam, therefore there can be no ſuch Thing as a new Man, created unto Righteouſneſs, through Chriſt Jeſus, living and being all in all in him; no better Senſe or Logic than to ſay, that becauſe our Redeemer could not find us any Thing elſe but Sinners, therefore he muſt of all Neceſſity leave us to be Sinners. Of Chriſt it only can be ſaid, that he is in himſelf the true Vine; but of every Branch that is his▪ and groweth in him, it muſt be as truly ſaid, that the Life and Spirit of the true Vine, is the Life and Spirit of its Branches, and that as is the Vine, ſo are its Branches.—And here let it be well noted, that if the Branch hath not the Life and Goodneſs of the Vine in it, it can only be, becauſe it is broken off from the Vine, and therefore a withered Branch, fit for the Fire. —But if the Branches abide in the Vine, then Chriſt ſaith this glorious Thing of them, Ye ſhall aſk what ye will, and it ſhall be done unto you. John xv. 7.—The very ſame glorious Thing, which he had before ſaid of himſelf, Father, I thank thee, that thou haſt heard me, and (N. B.) I knew that thou heareſt we always. John xi. 41.—Now ſay that this new Creature, who is in ſuch Union, Communion, and Power with God, becauſe Chriſt is in him, and he in Chriſt, as really as the Vine is in the Branches, and the Branches in the Vine, ſay that he muſt be a Servant of Sin, as long as he lives in this World, and then your Abſurdity will be as great, as if you had ſaid, that Chriſt in us, muſt partake of our Corruption.

The ſober Divine, who abhors the Pride of Enthuſiaſts, for the Sake of Humility, ſaith of himſelf and all Men, We are poor, blind, imperfect Creatures, all our natural Faculties are perverted, corrupted, and out of their right State, and therefore nothing that is perfect can come from us, or be done by us. Truth enough! And the very ſame Truth, as when the Apoſtle ſaith, The natural Man knoweth not the Things that be of God, he cannot know them, they are fooliſhneſs to him. This is the Man, that we all are by Nature.—But what Scripture ever ſpoke of, or required any perfect Works from this Man, any more than it requires the Ethiopian to change his Skin? Or what an inſtructed Divine muſt he be, who conſiders this old natural Man, as the Chriſtian, and therefore rejects Chriſtian Perfection, becauſe this old Man cannot attain to it? What greater Blindneſs than to appeal to our fallen State, as a Proof of a Weakneſs and Corruption, which we muſt have, when we are redeemed from it? Is this any wiſer, than ſaying, that Sin and Corruption muſt be there where Chriſt is, becauſe it is there, where he is not?

Our Lord hath ſaid this abſolute Truth, that unleſs we be born again from above, there is no poſſible Entrance into the Kingdom of God.—What this new Birth is in us, and what we get by it, is as expreſsly told us by his beloved Apoſtle, ſaying, That which is born of God ſinneth not.—This is as true and unalterable, as to ſay, that which is born of the Devil, can do nothing elſe but add Sin to Sin. To what End do we pray, that this Day we may fall into no Sin, if no ſuch Day can be had? But if ſinning can be made to ceaſe in us for one Day, what can do this for us, but that which can do the ſame To-morrow? What Benefit in praying, that God's Will may be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven, if the Earth, as long as it laſts, muſt have as many Sinners as it has Men upon it? How vainly does the Church pray for the baptized Perſon, That he may have Power and Strength to have Victory, and to Triumph againſt the Devil, the World, and the Fleſh, if this victorious Triumph can never be obtained? If notwithſtanding this Baptiſm and Prayer, he muſt continue committing Sin, and ſo be a Servant of Sin, as long as he lives? What Senſe can there be, in making a Communion of Saints to be an Article of our Creed, if at the ſame Time we are to believe that Chriſtians, as long as they live, muſt in ſome Degree or other follow, and be led by the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life?

Whence now comes all this Folly of Doctrines? It is becauſe the Church is no longer that ſpiritual Houſe of God, in which nothing is intended and ſought after, but ſpiritual Power and ſpiritual Life, but is become a mere human Building, made up of worldly Power, worldly Learning, and worldly Proſperity in goſpel Matters. And therefore all the Frailties, Follies, and Imperfections of human Nature, muſt have as much Life in the Church, as in any other human Society. And the beſt Sons of ſuch a Church, muſt be forced to plead ſuch Imperfections in the Members of it, as muſt be, where the old fallen human Nature is ſtill alive.—And alive it there muſt be, and its Life defended, where, the being continually moved, and led by the Spirit of God, is rejected as groſs Enthuſiaſm.—For nothing but a full Birth, and continual Breathing and Inſpiration of the Holy Spirit in the new born Creature, can be a Deliverance from all that, which is earthly, ſenſual, and deviliſh in our fallen Nature.—This New Creature, born again in Chriſt, of that ETERNAL WORD, which created all Things in Heaven and on Earth, is both the Rock and Church, of which Chriſt ſaith, The Gates of Hell never prevail againſt it.—For prevail they will, and muſt againſt every Thing, but the New Creature.—And every fallen Man, be he where he will, or who he will, is yet in his fallen State, and his whole Life is a mere Egyptian Bondage, and Babylonian Captivity, till the heavenly Church, or new Birth from above, has taken him out of it.

See how St. Paul ſets forth the Salvation-church as being nothing elſe, and doing nothing elſe, but merely as the Mother of this new Bitrh.—Know ye not, ſaith he, that ſo many of us as were baptized into Jeſus Chriſt, were baptized into his Death? Therefore we are buried with him by Baptiſm into Death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, even ſo we alſo ſhould walk in newneſs of Life.—Here we have the one true Church infallibly deſcribed, and yet no other Church, but the New Creature.—He goes on, For if we have been planted together in the Likeneſs of his Death, we ſhall be alſo in the Likeneſs of his Reſurrection. —Therefore to be in Chriſt, or in his Church, belongs to no one, but becauſe the old Man is put off, and the New Creature riſen in Chriſt, is put on.—The ſame Thing is ſaid again in theſe Words, Knowing this, that our old Man is crucified with him, that the Body of Sin might be deſtroyed, That (N. B.) HENCEFORTH we ſhould not ſerve Sin; therefore the true Church is no where, but in the New Creature, that henceforth ſinneth not, nor is any longer a Servant to Sin.—Away then with all the tedious Volumes of Church Unity, Church Power, and Church Salvation.—Aſk neither a Council of Trent, nor a Synod of Dort, nor an Aſſembly of Divines, for a Definition of the Church. The Apoſtle has given you, not a Definition, but the unchangeable Nature of it, in theſe Words.—But now being made free from Sin, and become Servants to God, ye have your Fruit unto Holineſs, and the End everlaſting Life. Therefore to be in the true Salvation-Church, and to be in Chriſt that New Creature which ſinneth not, is ſtrictly the ſame Thing.

What now is become of this true Church, or where muſt the Man go, who would fain be a living Member of it?—He need go no where; becauſe wherever he is, that which is to ſave him, and that which he is to be ſaved from, is always with him.—SELF is all the Evil that he hath, and God is all the Goodneſs that he ever can have; but Self is always with him, and God is always with him. —Death to Self, is his only Entrance into the Church of Life, and Nothing but God can give Death to Self.—Self is an inward Life, and God is an inward Spirit or Life; therefore nothing kills that which muſt be killed in us, or quickens that which muſt come to Life in us, but the inward Work of God in the Soul, and the inward Work of the Soul in God.—This is that myſtic Religion, which, though it hath nothing in it, but that ſame Spirit, that ſame Truth, and that ſame Life, which always was, and always muſt be the Religion of all God's holy Angels and Saints in Heaven, is by the Wiſdom of this World, accounted to be Madneſs. As wiſely done, as to reckon him mad, who ſays, that the Vanity of Things temporal, cannot be, or give Life to, the Things that are eternal; or that the Circumciſion of the Fleſh is but as poor a Thing, as the whetting the Knife, in Compariſon of that inward, myſtic Circumciſion of the Heart, which can only be done by that WORD of God, which is Sharper than any two edged Sword, and pierces to the dividing aſunder of the Soul and Spirit, Heb. iv. 12.— Now fancy to yourſelf a Rabbi-Doctor, laughing at this Circumciſion of the two edged Sword of God, as Goſpel Madneſs, and then you ſee that very ſame Chriſtian Orthodoxy, which at this Day condemns the inward working Life of God in the Soul, as myſtic Madneſs.

Look at all that is outward, and all that you then ſee, has no more of Salvation in it, than the Stars and Elements.—Look at all the good Works you can think of, they have no Goodneſs for you, but when the good Spirit of God is the Doer of them in you.—For all the outward Works of Religion may be done by the natural Man, he can obſerve all Church-duties, ſtick cloſe to Doctrines, and put on the Semblance of every outward Virtue; thus high he can go. But no Chriſtian, till led and governed by the Spirit of God, can go any higher, than this feigned, outward Formality of this natural Man; to which he can add nothing, but his own natural, fleſhly Zeal in the Defence of it. For all Zeal muſt be of this Kind, till it is the Zeal of that which is born of God, and calls every Creature only to that ſame new Birth from above.—My little Children, ſaith St. Paul, of whom I travail again in Birth, till Chriſt be formed in you. This is the whole Labour of an Apoſtle to the End of the World. He has nothing to preach to Sinners, but the abſolute Neceſſity, the true Way, and the certain Means of being born again from above.—But if dropping this one Thing only neceſſary, and only available, he becomes a diſputing Reformer about Words and Opinions, and helps Chriſtians to be zealouſly ſeparated from one another, for the Sake of being ſaved by different Notions of Faith, Works, Juſtification, or Election, &c. he has forgot his Errand, and is become a blind Leader of all, who are blind enough to follow him.—For all that is called Faith, Works, Juſtification, Sanctification, or Election, are only ſo many different Expreſſions of that which the reſtored divine Life is, and does in us, and have no Exiſtence any where, or in any Thing, but the New Creature.— And the Reaſon why every Thing that is, or can be good in us, or to us, is nothing elſe but this divine Birth from above, is becauſe, the divine Nature, dead in Adam, was his entire Loſs of every divine Virtue, and his whole Fall under the Power of this World, the Fleſh, and the Devil; and therefore the divine Nature brought again to Life in Man, is his Faith, his Hope, his Prayer, his Works, his Juſtification, Sanctification, Election, or Salvation.—And that ELECTION, which ſyſtematical Doctors have taken out of its Place, and built it into an abſolute, irreverſible Decree of God, hath no other Nature, no other Effect, or Power of Salvation, but that which equally belongs to our Faith, Hope, Prayer, Love of God, and Love of our Neighbour; and juſt ſo far as theſe divine Virtues are in us, juſt ſo far are we the Elect of God, which means nothing elſe but the beloved of God; and nothing makes us the beloved of God, but his own firſt Image and Likeneſs riſing up again in us.—Would you plainly know what is meant by being elected of God, the ſame is plainly meant, as when the Scripture ſaith, God heareth thoſe only who call upon him, or that he can only be found by thoſe who ſeek him; ſo he only electeth thoſe and that which elect him.—Again, He that honoureth me, him will I honour, ſaith God; He that loveth me, ſaith Chriſt, ſhall be beloved of me and my Father: This is the Myſtery of Election (N. B.) as it relates to Salvation.—At divers Times and in ſundry Manners, God may have, and hath had his choſen Veſſels for particular Offices, Meſſages, and Appointments; but as to Salvation from our fallen State, every Son of Adam is his choſen Veſſel, and this as certainly, as that every Son of Adam has the Seed of the Woman, the incorruptible Seed of the WORD born along with him; and this is God's unchangeable, univerſal Election, which chuſeth, or willeth the Salvation of all Men.—For the Ground of all Union, Communion, or Love between God and the Creature, lieth wholly in the divine Nature.—That which is divine in Man, tends towards God, elects God; and God only and ſolely elects his own Birth, Nature, and Likeneſs in Man.—But ſeeing his own Birth, a Seed of his own divine Nature is in every Man, to ſuppoſe God, by an arbitrary Power, willing and decreeing its eternal Happineſs in ſome, and willing and decreeing its eternal Miſery in others, is a blaſphemous Abſurdity, and ſuppoſes a greater Injuſtice in God, than the wickedeſt Creatures can poſſibly commit againſt one another.

But Truth, to the eternal Praiſe and Glory of God, will eternally ſay, that his Love is as univerſal and unchangeable as his Being, that his Mercy over all his Works, can no more ceaſe, than his Omnipotence can begin to grow weak. God's Mark of an univerſal Salvation ſet upon all Mankind, was firſt given in theſe Words, The Seed of the Woman ſhall bruiſe the Head of the Serpent: Therefore wherever the Serpent is, there his Head is to be bruiſed. This was God's infallible Aſſurance, or omnipotent Promiſe, that all that died in Adam, ſhould have its firſt Birth of Glory again.—The eternal Son of God came into the World, only for the Sake of this new Birth, to give God the Glory of reſtoring it to all the dead Sons of fallen Adam.—All the Myſteries of this incarnate, ſuffering, dying Son of God, all the Price that he paid for our Redemption, all the Waſhings that we have from his all cleanſing Blood poured out for us, all the Life that we receive from eating his Fleſh, and drinking his Blood, have their infinite Value, their high Glory, and amazing Greatneſs in this, becauſe nothing leſs than theſe ſupernatural Myſteries of a God-man, could raiſe that new Creature out of Adam's Death, which could be again a living Temple, and deified Habitation of the Spirit of God.

That this new Birth of the Spirit, or the divine Life in Man, was the Truth, the Subſtance, and ſole End of his miraculous Myſteries, is plainly told us by Chriſt himſelf, who at the End of all his Proceſs on Earth, tells his Diſciples, what was to be the bleſſed, and full Effect of it, namely, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (being now fully purchaſed for them) ſhould after his Aſcenſion, come in the Stead of a Chriſt in the Fleſh.—If I go not away, ſaith he, the Comforter will not come, but if I go away, I will ſend him unto you, and he ſhall guide you into all Truth. Therefore all that Chriſt was, did, ſuffered, dying in the Fleſh, and aſcending into Heaven, was for this ſole End, to purchaſe for all his Followers, a new Birth, new Life, and new Light, in and by the Spirit of God reſtored to them, and living in them, as their Support, Comforter, and Guide into all Truth.—And this was his, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD.

Marginal notes

1. A noted Deiſt. ↩
2. Serm. Vol. I. ↩
3. Spirit of Love, Part. i. p. 30. ↩
4. Demonſtration of the groſs Errors in the plain Account, &c. p. 272, &c. 188, &c. ↩
5. Diſſertation, p. 10 ↩
6. Serm. Vol. I. p. 229. ↩
7. Diſſertation, p. 7[•] ↩
8. Divine Legation of Moſes, Book I. page. 33. ↩
9. See Milton's enormous Bliſs. ↩
10. As this Addreſs was wrote ſometime ago, in which are certain Strictures upon Dr. Warburton's Writings, who has lately been conſecrated a Right Reverend Lord Biſhop; I thought it more candid not to alter my Stile, than to take the Advantage of charging ſuch groſs Errors on a Biſhop of Glouceſter, which I only found in a Mr. and Dr. Warburton. ↩