It is the blessed Spirit of God that testifies of Christ to us, and glorifies him in us; and it is in spirit and in truth that he will be honoured in us, and worshipped by us. Nor do I believe that God pays any regard to any one's vindicating his honour or his truth, but his own spiritual children; not allowing a hypocrite to take his covenant in his mouth, or even to declare his statutes; nor to offer a sacrifice without committing abomination.

When I first came to London, I heard strange things held forth for doctrines: but I knew that I was young, and durst not shew mine opinion; for I thought that days should speak, and that the multitude of years should teach wisdom. But I find, now, that old men are not always wise, nor do the aged understand judgment. Man must fetch his knowledge from afar, and ascribe righteousness to his Maker, if he does any good. It is the breath of God that gives a man life, and the inspiration of the Almighty that gives him understanding. Without this, a man reasons with fitable talk; and with words, or speeches, wherewith he can do no good. His conversation and arguments are blunt; and, if he cannot whet the edge with prayer, he must put forth more strength, Eccles. x. 10. But " But by strength shall no man prevail." When the poor and needy, in spirit, speak right, how forcible are right words! But conversation, or argument, from a barren heart and a crafty head, are, like the white of an egg,

unpro

unsavoury, and without a conclusion; and what doth their arguings prove, disprove, or reprove?

An unconverted man is no minister of the gospel; an uninspired man is no minister of the Spirit. An unbeliever cannot preach the faith of God's elect; he is not endued with power from on high; nor is there either excellency or power with him. Casting out devils is not conversion; the devil must be cast out of the heart, and Christ formed in it, before a man can be converted to the faith of Jesus. Such are no preachers of the kingdom of God, for that is not in word. Such can say no more than Judas could, that they have taken part of the ministry, the office of a minister, not the spirit of the ministry; and such are sure to make shipwreck of their system of faith, for a prating fool shall fall, and another shall take his office. The best titles that the word of God gives to uninspired men, are wells without water, boasters of a false gift, clouds without rain, virgins without oil, instruments without life, trumpeters without any certain sound, beaters of the air, runners at uncertainty, cutters, wolves, creepers into houses, haters of those that are good, vain janglers, ministers of the letter, deceitful workers, and false apostles. These are the best titles that men can claim from Scripture, who are sensual, destitute of the Spirit, and who have not the doctrine of Christ, for such have not God. And it is clear that the children of God and the children of the devil

divide the whole world: the bond woman's bas tards, and the free woman's sons; the ministers of the letter, and those of the Spirit; impostors of Satan, and ambassadors of Christ; goats and sheep; serpents and doves; children of the flesh, and children of promise; reprobates and chosen vessels; divide the human race. Nor is it in the power of either devils or hypocrites to break down this middle wall of partition, so as to lay the garden of Eden and the dreary desart together. The church will ever remain to be God's husbandry, God's family, and God's building.

I shall now take notice of a few learned and weighty sentences discharged against this doctrine, at different times; with a few queries on them.

'The daring Antinomian, who denies the law 'to be a rule of life, does despite to the Spirit of

grace.' Query; How can a man who levels the force of the whole law at ministers of the letter and bond children, to whom the law speaks; and enforces, and insists upon, a spiritual birth, spiritual worship, a spiritual life and walk, a deliverance from dead works and lip-service, and a service of freedom in the newness of the Spirit; and who declares that, without holiness in heart and life by the Spirit of Christ, a man is no more than a hypocrite, do despite to the spirit of grace? I think, if such a man does despite to any, it must be to a dead formalist, and his dead works performed in the oldness of the letter.

'Let no man exalt Jesus at the expense of

Moses.' Query; Is there any other way of establishing the honour of Moses as a faithful servant, or his law as a revelation of wrath, than by the righteousness of faith, which was witnessed both by the law and the prophets? If we would imitate Moses in faithfulness, must we not ascribe greatness to our God, seeing he is the Rock, and his work is perfect; and there is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heavens in our help, and in his excellency on the sky? And say to all those who cleave to the old veil, as Moses so did, that they are blind, and destitute of faith; a nation void of counsel; children in whom is no faith? "I have led you forty years in this wilderness; and God has not given you eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor hearts to understand, to this day." Does ascribing the whole of our salvation to the grace of God dishonour Moses, who has cursed, and still accuses every soul that breaks his law, and yet cleaves to it for life? Or is there any other way of exalting Moses, or ourselves, as God's servants, but by bowing down the mean man, humbling the haughty, and exalting the Lord of Hosts alone, seeing he only is to be exalted in gospel days? "They that honour me, will I honour; but those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

'The only rule of life is included in the law.' Query; Can you point the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, repentance toward God, justification by imputation, regeneration by the Spirit, worshipping the Trinity in spirit and in truth, self-denial,

a daily cross, walking in newness of life, serving in the newness of the Spirit, and going to God by a new and living way which he hath consecrated through the veil of Christ's flesh: I say, can these things be made plain from the ten commandments? Does God promise to give grace and glory in or by that dispensation? Or is the shining path of the just discovered by blackness and darkness; or by looking with open face, and beholding, as in a glass, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ?

'I would as soon let the Pope get into my pulpit, as a man that says the law is not a rule of life.' Query; Would you not, then, exclude the Saviour, and all his apostles, from your pulpit; and all the ministers of the Spirit who speak as the oracles of God? Do any of these send the believer to the law of Moses for their only rule to live, to walk, and to work by? Would not this doctrine have kept them halting between two opinions? Can the believer's thoughts be established by this? Has not God divided the world into two classes, children of the flesh, and children of the promise? Are not the children of the flesh under the law, and those of the promise under grace? If the law speaks only to those who are under the law, does not the gospel speak to the heirs of promise who are under grace? If the law is a rule of life to the bond child, This do, and thou shalt live; is not the law of faith the be