dare not conform himself any more to the fashions of the world, which pass away, and which draw out the mind into vain and unprofitable delights, by which the JUST in him had formerly been flain; neither to gratify "the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and

the pride of life"," which are not of the nature of his Father, who has begotten better defires and refolutions in him. He rejects the converfation he once had in the world; and, in the eye of its children, feems a man forlorn and diftracted. He takes up the crofs, despises the fhame, and willingly drinks of the cup of bitter mockings, and yields to be baptized with the baptifm of deep trials, that Chrift Jefus his Lord drank of, and was baptized with.

He is as well taught to deny the religions, as cares and pleasures of the world. Such as profefs religion from what they have been either taught by others, or read and gathered after their carnal minds out of the fcriptures, intruding into the practices of either prophets or apoftles, as to the external and fhadowy things, not being led thereto by the fame power they had, he can have no fellowship with. He counts all fuch faith and worship the imagination of men, or a mere lifeless imitation: he prefers one figh begotten from a fenfe of God's work in the heart, beyond the longest prayers in that ftate: «he leaves them all, walks as a man alone, fearing to offer God a facrifice that is not of his own preparing.' He charges all other faiths and worships with infufficiency, and mere creaturely power, which are not held and performed from an holy conviction and preparation by the angel of God, the light of his prefence, in the heart and confcience: therefore it is that he goes forth in the strength of his God against the merchants of Babylon; and woes and plagues are rightly in his mouth against those buyers and fellers of the fouls of men. He is jealous for the name of the Lord, and therefore dares not fpeak peace unto them, neither

Jam. v. 6, 1 John ii. 15. 16.

can

can he put into their mouths, but teftifies againft all fuch ways: "Freely he received, freely he gives."

Thus is this man unravelled, unreligioned, and unbottomed as to his former ftate, wherein he was religious upon letter, form, mens traditions, education, and his own imagination. He is as a man quite undone, that he may be made what the Lord would have him to be. Thus is he convinced of fin, and of righteousness too; and the joy he once had when he girded himself, and went whither he lifted, is now turned into forrow, and his rejoicing into howling. He has beheld GOD in the light of his Son, and abhors himself in duft and afhes. Sin, that was pleasant once in the mouth, he finds bitter now in the belly; and that which the world esteems worthy of their care, he flies as a man would do a bear robbed of her whelps. Sin is become "exceeding finful" to him, infomuch that he cries out, "who fhall deliver "me?" He labours greatly, and is very heavy laden. Yet he is not willing to "fly in the winter,' but is refolved to ftand the trial; for this man not only brings his former deeds to the light, and there fuffers judgment to pafs upon them, but patiently takes part in that judgment, who was fo great an accessary to them. Nor doth his obedience conclude with the sentence given against past fins, and himself that committed them; but most patiently "endures "the hand of the Lord till his indignation be over"past," and till that which condemned fin (the fruit) hath deftroyed the very root of it, which hath taken fo deep hold in his heart, and that the fame fpirit of judgment that condemned fin, is brought forth into perfect victory over the very nature and power of fin. This judgment is found and felt in the light; therefore do the "Sons of the night" reject the knowledge of its ways, and the children of the day rejoice greatly in its appearance.

But neither is this all that makes up that good man who obeys the light: for a complete fon of light is one that has conquered and expelled the darkness. It

is

is true, he was once darkness, but now "Light in "the Lord," because he hath been turned from darknefs to the light, and from Satan's power unto God, who is light itfelf, and with him is his fellowship continually.

This is the man, who, in the way of the light of the Lamb of God, hath met with inward cleansing; for having been purged by the fpirit of judgment, and the fpirit of burning (otherwife called the fevere reproofs, ftrokes, and terrors of the light in the conscience) he has ever a watch fet up in his heart. A thought muft not pafs which has not the watch-word; but at every appearance to the mind, he cries, Stand' if a friend, and owned of the light (who is the great leader, given of God for that purpose) then he entertains it; otherwife he brings it to the commander of the confcience, who is to fit in judgment upon it. Thus is Chrift the Light, King, Judge, and Lawgiver. And by this he grows ftrong, and increaseth with the increases of God. Yet he often reads the bleffed fcriptures, and that with much delight; greatly admiring the exceeding love of God to former ages, which he himself witneffeth to be true in this; where alfo many things are opened to his refreshment: fo is the light the "juft man's path," that in every age ftill "fhineth brighter and bright"er," in which the cleansing blood of Jefus Christ is felt to cleanfe from all fin. Thus doth he bridle his thoughts, fo that his words and actions offend not. Above all, he is often retired to the Lord, loves fellowship with him, waits for daily bread, which he afks, not in his own words, ftrivings, or will; but, as one empty of his thoughts, and jealous of the peace or comfort that is drawn from thence, he filently waits to feel the heavenly fubftance brought into his foul by the immediate hand of the Lord. For it is not fetching in this thought, or remembering the other paffage in fcripture, or defignedly calling to mind.

1 Eph. v.

1 John i. 5, 6.

k

Jam. iii. 1, 2, 3.

what

what has been formerly known, that gives right peace; but "every immediate word that proceeds out of the s "mouth of God," that can fatisfy him. In fhort, he that obeys the light, is thereby taught to deny un

⚫ godliness, and worldly lufts, and to be fober, righteous, patient, humble, meek, upright, merciful, forbearing, forgiving, peaceable, gentle, felf-denying, conftant, faithful, and holy, because the Lord • his God is holy.'

Thus have I given a brief account as well what he is not, as what he is, who is obedient to the light within, which is Chrift's fpiritual appearance in the heart, whofe holy blood is fenfibly felt to cleanfe, atone, and fave, all those who believe and abide therein, both from the guilt and pollution of fin.

CHA P. XXIII.

The difcourfe hitherto fummed up, and concluded, with an exhortation to all profeffors of religion, efpecially our opposers.

I

Will fum up the whole of this difcourfe in these few heads:

I. That Jalvation is to be faved from fin firft, and wrath confequently: "He fhall fave his people from "their fins." Matt. i.

. II. That Chrift, the WORD-GOD, has lighted all mankind, not only after his coming in the flesh, but before: and that the light has ever been fufficient, as well as univerfal, to lead to God all fuch as have obeyed it, as by its properties and effects is demonftrated.

III. That the difference betwixt the time of the law and that of the gospel, as generally distinguished, was rather in manifeftation than in nature. God might be as much more propitious and bountiful to

the

the last ages (be it that they were better able to re ceive fuch extraordinary discoveries, or that it was the alone good pleasure of his fovereign will) as he was to the former ages; yet that he gave them a fufficiency of the fame divine light to conduct them through the world to eternal bleffedness.

IV. That Jews and Greeks, Heathens and Chriftians, agree in this.

V. That ftill the pre-eminence is given to Chrift's manifeftation in the flesh, both generally and particularly; that being both the fulness of time, and fulness of discovery, which put an end to the types and figures, and carnal commandments, by fhewing forth an abrogation and confummation of them all, in Chrift, the Jubftance itself: in which state they are not needed; but, in comparison thereof, they are (though once they were as calendars, for weak people to read fome myftical glory by) but beggarly elements now.

VI. That not only in that flesh did the eternal light preach forth itself the end of these things, by revealing and becoming the author of a more plain and perfect way, though lefs eafy to flesh and blood (placing the stress of all upon an evangelical righteoufnefs, whereof he became the firft minifter, and our moft holy example); but he also appeared in that publick body, fo peculiarly prepared, fo peculiarly prepared, a general Saviour, by his life, doctrine, miracles, death of the crofs, and refurrection; in and by all which he obtained a name above every name."

"

VII. That neverthelefs, not to the body, but the holy light of life therein, is chiefly to be afcribed the falvation; and to the body, however excellent, but inftrumentally for that it was the eternal light and life, which gave the weight to all the actions and fufferings of the body.

VIII. That the benefit then procured is not witnessed by any, but as they come to believe in Christ the light, as he doth appear in the heart and conscience, to "fave from fin, deftroy the works of the

"devil,