with me from my childhood; whatever hath been done in me, or by me, that was good, I have felt to be from God's grace and mercy to me, and have cried grace, grace, mercy, mercy, to the Lord continually therefor. And when I was turned to his truth in the inward parts, I found it was God's grace and tender love to me to turn me to it, and to preserve me, being turned; and to cause it to spring in me day by day, and to give me ability through it. Ah! none knows, but they that have had experience, how we have been weakened in the natural part; how poor we have been made, that we might receive the gospel, and how poor in ourselves we are kept, that we might enjoy the riches and inheritance of the kingdom. And this we daily experience, that not by the works of righteousness which we had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, and doth daily save us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Yea, God's writing his law in our hearts, and placing his fear there, and putting his Spirit within us, to enlighten and quicken, and cause us to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and judgments, and to do them, and all the mortifying of sin, and denying of the lusts of the flesh, and performing that which is holy and acceptable in the eyes of the Lord (as all that proceeds from his own Holy Spirit is),—all this is of the new covenant, and performed by the working thereof, and not by the working of the natural part of itself, but by the working of the Spirit of life in the new birth, and through the natural part as his instrument. So let none reproach the works that God brings forth in us, who hath created us anew in Christ Jesus unto good works, lest thereby he reproach the Holy Spirit and power of the living God, in which they are wrought, and by which they are brought forth, and could never be brought forth without it.

Then for our sufferings, indeed they are gifts we receive from God; so that we can truly say, it is given us by the Lord our God not only to believe in his Son, but to suffer for his sake; and that it is only in good conscience to God, and by the assistance of the Lord, that we suffer; that the

patience and meekness wherewith we suffer, is not of ourselves, but of him. Whenever the Lord permits afflictions or sufferings to come upon us, our eye is to him, and we enter into them in his fear, knowing our own inability to go through them, and looking up to him for strength. And when we are in them, while they continue, we daily look up to him for strength, and have been, many times, very weak in ourselves, when immediately or very soon after, we have felt great strength in the Lord. Also after our sufferings, when the, Lord hath been with us all along, and brought us through our sufferings in the peace and joy of his Spirit, we do not look back boastingly, as if we had been any thing, or done any thing as of ourselves; but we bow before the Lord, and bless the Lord, when we consider how he hath been with us, and how he hath upheld us by the right-hand of his righteousness; and what he hath done for us when we were very poor, weak, afflicted, and often sorely distressed. Therefore let none reproach, misrepresent, or vilify our sufferings, which our God hath helped us through, and for which we, in humility of heart, give him thanks, and cannot but do so all our days, because the thankful remembrance and sense of them is written by the finger of his Spirit upon our hearts. Oh! all sorts of people, whom we love and travail for, and use our interest in the Lord our God for, that ye might be truly sensible of your conditions, know the inward appearance and visits of the Shepherd and Saviour of the soul, turn to him (looking in true faith unto him), and be saved! I say unto you, in tenderness of spirit, oh! do not requite us so ill for our love and truth of heart towards you, as to cast untrue and unjust reproaches upon us, and to render that truth vile which God hath made honorable, in sanctifying and redeeming many thereby. Truly our love is from the God of love. We could not so love you as we do, if our God had not taught us; nor so seek after you as we do, in tenderness of bowels, if we were not instruments in the hand of the Shepherd of Israel. And the light we testify of, which we feel shine in us, it is no less than the true, sure light of the Sun of right

eousness, which God hath caused to shine in our hearts; who also loveth mankind, and causeth it to glance into the darkest corners of the earth. And the life we are quickened by out of sin and transgression, and the power we have received to become sons of God,-it is from him who is the fountain of life, and hath all power in heaven and earth. Oh that ye could receive the blessed report! Oh that the arm of the Lord might be revealed in you! Oh that ye could feel and witness the Saviour working out your salvation in you, binding the strong man in you, casting him out of you, with all his goods after him, that the place of the wicked one might be found no more in you, nor none of his lusts or vain thoughts lodge in your hearts any more; but ye might witness and experience the new heart, the clean heart, the pure heart, in which God dwells, and the eye that sees him that is invisible. Oh! glory to the Lord for what he hath done in and for a despised people (who were no people before the Lord made them one), who hath brought them to Zion, his holy mountain, where he dwells and reigns, and where he builds up his own house and temple, which he establisheth over all; where the sheep of Israel feed, and where the Shepherd of Israel reigns and triumphs in glory over the enemies of his kingdom. The little, innocent babes taste somewhat of his holy dominion and power, and of his kingdom of peace and righteousness; but in his ancients his light shines very brightly, and before them he reigneth gloriously; so that he is praised in the very heights of Zion, and his name renowned there over all for ever. Glory, glory to the pure spring of life, from whence the living streams come, which refresh the souls of the living. Surely his pure praises shall be sounded in the hearts of the living for ever and ever. Amen.

AN EXHORTATION TO TRUE CHRISTIANITY.

It is easy to pretend to CHRIST; but to be a true Christian is very precious, and many Tribulations and deep Afflictions are to be passed through before it be attained unto, as those who are made so by the Lord experience.

Now everlasting happiness and salvation depends upon true Christianity. Not upon having the name of a Christian only, or professing such or such Christian doctrines; but upon having the nature of Christianity, upon being renewed by the Spirit of Christ, and receiving the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit. Oh, here is the Christian indeed! and it should be every one's care not to fall short of this. Now because there is a contention about Christianity, who is the right Christian, it behooves every man to take care as to himself that he be really such; that he receive that from God, and be that to God, which none but the right Christian can be, or can receive. This is the use I would make of these things in my own heart, even to be sure I be such a one as God hath made, and will accept and own as a Christian. And having had some experience of this thing, and truly understanding what the Christian state is, and what doth attend it, I shall set down some few things, which he that inwardly knoweth, witnesseth, and enjoyeth, is without all controversy a true Christian, whatever men may account of him.

First, He that is a new creature, is without doubt a true Christian. He that is regenerated, he that is renewed in the spirit of his mind by Christ Jesus, he that is new created in the holy and heavenly image, he has felt the power of God's Spirit begetting him anew, forming him anew, out of the old nature and image of the first Adam, into the nature and image of the second Adam, who is the quickening Spirit, and that which is begotten and born of him is Spirit.

Secondly, He that is in the new covenant is a true Christian. He that hath thirsted after the living waters, and hath Vol. III.-34

heard the call to the waters of life, hath heard the voice of him who gives life, and hath received life from him, who giveth life to all that come to him, and who maketh the new and everlasting covenant with all that hear his voice, take up his cross and follow him, he is without doubt one of Christ's sheep, whom the Shepherd owneth, and taketli care of.

Thirdly, He that is inwardly circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, he is a Jew inward, a Christian inward (in the sight of God), who hath felt the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus, and rejoiceth in Christ Jesus, and is one of those worshippers whom God hath sought out, and taught to worship him in the life and Spirit of his Son.

Fourthly, He that is inwardly washed with clean water, with the inward water, he is the inward Jew, the inward Christian. God promised to pour out clean water upon his Israel, and they should be clean. He who hath the clean water poured upon him inwardly, which inwardly washeth and cleanseth, he is without controversy one of God's inward Israel.

Fifthly, He that feeds on the bread of life within, and drinks the water of life out of his own well or cistern, he without doubt is living. He that is invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and comes and sups with the Lamb, he is one of the same nature and spirit with him. He with whom Christ sups, who hath heard Christ kuocking at his door, hath opened to him, and received him in, to purify his heart, and dwell in him, and sup with him, and give him to sup with himself; so that he eats bread in the kingdom, and drinks wine in the kingdom, and partakes of the feast of fat things, which God makes to his Israel in his holy mountain, he is without doubt one of Christ's, and partakes of this in and through him.

Sixthly, He that lives the Christian life, who walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; who doth not fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but hath the law of God written in his heart, and his fear put within him, and his Holy Spirit given to instruct him, and to guide him to answer the holy