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AUTHOR: 
 
 PHIPPS, JOSEPH 
 
 TITLE: 
 
 DISSERTATIONS ON THE 
 NATURE AND EFFECT ... 
 
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 lOiQus} waifmo upon God... 
 
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 MfiNUFRCTURED TO. fillM STRNOqRDS 
 BY APPLIED IMflG^. INC. 
 
Lately Publijhed, 
 
 DISSERTATIONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 Nature and Effect of 
 
 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, 
 
 CHRISTIAN COMMUNION, 
 
 AND 
 
 Religious Waiting upon God. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 
 
 A few Reflexions on the Obfervance of 
 PuBLicK Fasts and Festivals. 
 
 By JOSEPH PHIPPS. 
 
 Printed and Sold by JAMES PHILUPS, 
 George-Yard, Lombard-Street. 
 
;.»1 
 
 No Z 
 
 DISSERTATIONS 
 
 On the 
 
 NATURE AND EFFECT 
 
 O F 
 
 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, 
 
 m 
 
 CHRISTIAN COMMUNION, 
 
 AND 
 
 ReIiCious Waiting upon God. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 
 
 A few Reflexions on the Obfervance of 
 PuBLiCK Fasts and Festivals. 
 
 By JOSEPH PHIPPS. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED AND SOLD BY JaMES PhILLIPS, 
 
 GEORGE-YARD, LOMBARD-STREET^ 
 M.DCC.LXXXI, 
 
 V _ I, . 
 
\ 
 
 I 3 ] 
 
 Dissertations, Sec. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 On Baptism* 
 
 JOHN the Baptift was fent as a voice 
 crying in the wildernefs, to proclaim 
 the approach of the Mefliah ; to point him 
 out, upon his perfonal appearance, to the 
 people ; to preach the neceffity of repent- 
 ance for the remiffion of fins ; and to bap- 
 tize with water, as prefiguring the fpiri- 
 tual adminifl:ration of the Saviour under 
 the difpenfation of the gofpel, in baptiz- 
 ing with the Holy Ghoft, to the purifica- 
 tion of fouls, and fitting them for an eter- 
 nal inheritance with the faints in light. 
 
 John came not to inftitute, but to pre- 
 cede and prepare the way for, this glorious 
 difpenfation ; he therefore reprefented the 
 new covenant of the Prince of life and 
 peace, under the title of t&e kingdom of hea^ 
 
 A 2 'ven. 
 
[ 4 J 
 
 veriy which he declared to be at hand^ Of 
 aear to take place. 
 
 This gofpel-eftablifhment the prophet 
 Jeremiah had foretold, fliould * not be ac^ 
 cording to the old covenant of fymbolical 
 forms and fhadows ; which the infpired 
 author of the epiftle to the Hebrews ob- 
 ferved, ^ " could not make him that did 
 «* the fervice perfedt, as pertaining to the 
 ** confcience ;" becaufe it '* ftood only in 
 •* meats and drinks, and divers wafhings, 
 ^* and carnal ordinances, impofed on them 
 ** until the time of reformation." 
 
 John's baptifm, being of the fame exte- 
 rior nature with the rituals of the law, 
 could no more add towards the purifica- 
 tion of the heart, and the perfection of a 
 good confcience, than they : like them, 
 it was a figure for the time then prefenty to 
 Ihadow forth the internal effedt of the 
 Lord's baptifm, but no further requifite 
 thereunto^ John knov/ing this, when Jefus 
 came to partake of his baptifm, as he like- 
 wife did of the ordinances of the law (not 
 that he might give a fanftion to their con- 
 tinuance, but that he might fulfil them, 
 as having been primarily of divine autho- 
 rity, and not yet difannuUed) appeared 
 furprized that he whom he knew to be 
 
 • Jer, xxxi. 32. * Heb. ix. ,9 10. 
 
 the 
 
 is] 
 
 the inward and efFeftual baptizer, fl>ould 
 apply to him for his outward baptifm, 
 faying, ' ^' I have need to be bapti- 
 ** tized of thee, and comeft thou to me?" 
 but upon our Lord's anfwering, '' Suffer 
 ^' it to be fo now'' (which intimated his 
 own fpiritual baptifm was not yet to com- 
 mence, fo as to put a final period to that 
 of John) he admitted it ; and foon after 
 dirededhis hearers to him, faying, ** ** Be- 
 '' hold the Lamb of God, which ta/^tA 
 '' away the fin of the world:' 
 
 For this gracious end, the Son of God 
 refigned himfelf up to become * a ran- 
 fom for all mankind, to be tefiified, or 
 outwardly verified, in due time, by which 
 he fliewed the love of God to fallen man, 
 and his willingnefs to pardon finners upo^ 
 their repentance; in order to which, he 
 ' received gifts for men ; yea for the re- 
 bellious alfo, that the Lord God might 
 dwell among them." Hence ^ ** the ma- 
 nifeftation of the fpirit is gwtn to every 
 man, to profit withal;" that on their 
 embracing it, in faith and obedience, they 
 might, by its baptizing power and virtue, 
 be delivered from the condemnation due 
 
 ? Mat. iii. 14, 15. d John i. 29. e I Tim. ii. 6. 
 ' Pfalm Ixviii. 18. 11 Cor. xii. 7, 
 
 
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 for fins committed, and be cleanfed from 
 all unrighteoufnefs. 
 
 To this import, are the following ex- 
 preffions of John ^ '' I indeed baptize you 
 with water unto repentance ; but he 
 that cometh after me (or whofe mini- 
 ftration Ihall fucceed mine) is mightier 
 than I, whofe fhoes I am not worthy 
 to bear, he fliall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghoft, and with fire ; whofe fan 
 is in his hand, and he will thoroughly 
 purge his floor, and gather his wheat 
 into his garner; but he will burn up 
 the chaff with unquenchable fire/' John 
 here fhews the true diftindlion betwixt his 
 own baptifm, and that of our Saviour : 
 the firft with water ; the laft with the Holy 
 Ghoft ; and alfo metaphorically inculcates, 
 that the baptifm of Chrift fliould winnow 
 the foul of its chaffy, or finful nature, and 
 operate as fire, to the perfe(a confumption 
 of all its defilement. 
 
 ' ** He muft increafe, faid John, but I 
 ** muft decreafe." This indicates, that as 
 the fpiritual miniftration of Chrift fliould 
 advance, John's watery one fhould recede ; 
 not be joined with it. Neither was the re- 
 generating baptifm of the fpirit confequent 
 upon it when adminiftered ; for the ^ Sa- 
 
 * Mat. iii. li, 12. * John iii. 30. ^ Ads viii. 
 
 maritans 
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 maritans received the Holy Ghoft fome 
 time after their water baptifm ; ^ Cornelius 
 and his friends received it before ; and ™ Si- 
 mon the forcerer received it not at all, 
 though he was baptized with water. 
 
 Spirit-baptifm, therefore, is not con- 
 nefted with water-baptifm, nor at all de- 
 pendant upon it. The baptifm of the Sa- 
 viour is complete in itfelf, without exte- 
 rior form and fliadow. By its renewed 
 jmpreflions on the believing and attentive 
 foul, the new-birth of the fpirit is brought 
 forth therein, and in proportion to its 
 growth and increafe, the old man, with 
 his corrupt deeds, becomes crucified, and 
 the foul delivered, and raifed up into new- 
 nefs of life. 
 
 This is the baptifm which is effential to 
 falvation, as our Lord gave Nicodemus to 
 underftand, when he faid, ° ** Except a 
 ♦* man be born again, he cannot fee the 
 kingdom of God." And again, '' Ex- 
 cept a man be born of water and of 
 the fpirit, he cannot enter into the 
 kingdom of God." The word water 
 here, like that oifre. Mat. iii. 12. is ufed 
 to fignify the purifying virtue of the fpi- 
 rit in the regeneration of the foul. 
 
 it 
 
 €1 
 
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 Aftsx.47. "A£!:sviii. » John iii. 
 
 A4 
 
 Bifliop 
 
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 [ 8 ] 
 
 • Bifliop Taylor faith, * The water and 
 ^ the fpirit in this place fignify the fame 
 ^ thing ; and by water is meant the effect 
 ^ of the fpirit cleanfing and purifying the 
 ^ foul, as appears in its parallel of Chrift 
 * baptizing with the fpirit and fire.' 
 
 That our Lord meant it of the fpirit 
 only, fufficiently appears from his own 
 explanatory expreffion, verfe 6. " That 
 •* which is born of the flefh, is flefh ; 
 ** and that which is born of the fpirit, 
 *' is fpirit." 
 
 Thofe who advocate the continuance of 
 water-baptifm, plead our Saviour's com- 
 miffion. Mat. xxviii. 19. but he there 
 makes no mention of water, nor do his 
 words imply it; for his expreffions are 
 fuch as fuit only with his own fpiritual 
 baptifm. Neither did his difciples from 
 thence begin the pradice of water-bap- 
 tifm. They had taken it up fome time 
 before, moft probably from John's exam- 
 ple, whom they juftly venerated as a mg f-, 
 fenger fent from God, and in great eftima- 
 tion with their Lord and mafler; for they 
 adminiftered it after the fame manner he 
 did, and fo continued to do, when they ufe4 
 it after our Lord's afcenfion, as well as be- 
 fore. Whereas, if they had underftood his; 
 
 ** Liberty of Prophefying, page 231. 
 
 command 
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 command to intend water-baptifm, they 
 would certainly have altered their terms, 
 and have adminiftered it in the very words 
 of his commiflion, which we do not find 
 in holy writ they ever did. It was there- 
 fore ftill John's baptifm in nature, and far 
 helow the efFed:ual baptifm of the great 
 Meffiah; who, notwithftanding he bore 
 fuch honourable teftimony concerning John, 
 as a burning and fhining light, and one of 
 the greateft prophets born of women, as 
 being his immediate forerunner, yet, at 
 the fame time he faid, ^ *' He that is leaft 
 ** in the kingdom of God, is greater than 
 ^' he." This implies that the loweft at- 
 tainment in the fpiritual difpenfation of 
 Chrift, is fuperior in nature to the higheft 
 in John's miniftration : this being but the 
 temporary fign, and that the fubftantial and 
 permanent reality fignified by it. 
 
 Let us now confider what the commif- 
 fion was, and to whom it was given. It 
 appears to have been merely verbal ; for 
 we find it was not immediately attended 
 with the authority requifite to its execu- 
 tion. The qualification ftill neceflary was 
 the inl|)iration of the Holy Ghoft, which 
 the difciples were to receive afterwards; 
 without which they were not to enter up- 
 
 P Luke vii. 28. 
 
 on 
 
[ 
 
 10 
 
 ] 
 
 II 
 
 .1 
 
 on the work of the miniflry, hut to wait 
 in patience for its illuminating and power- 
 ful virtue, to put them forth, and to abi- 
 litate them for the fervice. ** ** Behold,** 
 faid the great Miiiifter of the fanftuary, 
 I fend the prcmifc of my Father upon 
 you ; but tarry ye in the city of Jeru- 
 falem, until ye he endued with power 
 from on high.** ' " John truly baptized 
 with watery but ye fliall be baptized 
 with the Holy Ghoft not many days 
 *^ hence/* — ' ** Ye fhall receive power af-^. 
 ter that the Holy Ghoft is come upon 
 you, and ye fhall be witneffes unto me, 
 both in Jerufalem and in all Judea, and 
 in Samaria, and unto the uttermoft part 
 of the earth.** 
 Thus was the fpiritual baptifm of Chrift, 
 which had been predifted by John, to 
 commence, firft upon the miniftry, and 
 through them to be communicated to the 
 people 'y for they were to teach baptizing 
 into the fame fpirit themfelves were bap- 
 tized with. Unlefs the minifters were 
 baptized with the fpirit, they could not 
 baptize their believing hearers with it ; nor 
 could their hearers without faith receive it. 
 This appears to be the baptifm intend- 
 ed in the commiflion ; for it relates not to 
 
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 the baptifm of John, but to that of Chrift, 
 and holds forth the preaching of the gofpel 
 in the fpirit and power of God. Therefore 
 the commiffion was given to thofe in the 
 primitive age, who were divinely infpired 
 for that purpofe, and it unqueftionably 
 reaches to their fucceflbrs in the same 
 SPIRIT, and to fuch only, to the end of 
 
 the world. 
 
 The words of the commiffion are, ' " Go 
 ye, and teach all nations, baptizing 
 them, c/f TO m^iA into the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghoft." The word name here is not 
 to be underftood literally, but of that di- 
 vine power, virtue, and heavenly influence, 
 which emphatically denotes and characterizes 
 the Godhead above all other beings ; which 
 our Lord often exprefled by the fame word. 
 John xvii. 6. '' I have manifefted thy name 
 ^^ unto the men thougaveft me;*' ver. 12. 
 *^ I kept them in thy Jiame-y' and, ver. 11. 
 he prayed, '' Holy Father, keep through 
 '* thinp own name^ thofe thou haft given 
 " me r* In this name is ftrength and fal- 
 vation, " '* The name of the Lord is a 
 ftrong tower, the righteous runneth into 
 it, and is fafe.** The knowledge of it 
 gives faith, "^ '' They that know thy name 
 *^ will put their truft in thee.** It is the 
 
 • Mat. xxviii. 19* " Prov. xviii. 10. '^ Pralm ix. 10. 
 
 confolating 
 
 (< 
 
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i| 1 
 
 iil| ' 
 
 !'l 
 
 i 
 
 12 
 
 ] 
 
 confolating unftion from the Holy One, 
 Thy name is as ointment poured forth • 
 ♦' therefore do the virgins (the charte in 
 *\ heart) love thee." Into the internal 
 Virtue and mfluence of this facred and all- 
 fufficient name, or fpirit, are all the truly 
 regenerate meafurably baptized ; for, >'" If 
 " any man have not the fpirit of Chrift 
 " he is none of his." . * 
 
 _ The apoftles, with many of the primi- 
 tive brethren, received this i>aptiym into the 
 name, or fpirit, of the Godhead to a high 
 degree, which enabled them to teach, bap^ ■ 
 ttztng with fuch efficacy, that multitudes 
 "were pricked in their heart, '^ «•' and with 
 " great power gave the apoftles wltnefs of 
 " the refurre^rion of the Lord Jefus," fq 
 that even * their enemies were not able to 
 refill the wifdom and the fpirit by which 
 they fpake. / • * 
 
 Peter relating the refult of his vifit to 
 Cornelius and his company, about eight 
 years after the great efFufion of the Holy 
 Ghoft at the time of Pentecoft, thus 
 teftifies to its baptizing power in the true 
 miniftry of the word : ' " As I began to 
 ^'1 fpeak, the Holy Ghoft fell on them, as 
 " on us in the beginning. Then reme'm- 
 
 ' Cant. i. 3. 
 » Aas iv. 33. 
 
 y Rom. viii. 9, » AAs ii. 37. 
 " Ibid. vi. 10. « Ibid. xi. 15, 16. 
 
 ♦* bered 
 
 t 13 ] 
 
 ^' l3ered I the word of the Lord, how that 
 *^ he faid, John indeed baptized with 
 ** water; but ye fliall be baptized with 
 *' the Holy Ghoft." This plainly fhews 
 that the fpiritual baptifm of Chrift accom- 
 panied their preaching, and therefore was 
 the baptifm intended in his commiffion. 
 The fame apoftle alfo witnefles more gene- 
 rally,'^ that the gofpel was preached nvith 
 the Holy Ghoji fent down from heaven. 
 
 Some objed:, that it is not in the power 
 of men, but of God only, to baptize with 
 the Holy Ghoft. But let fuch confider, 
 that he is pleafed to work inftrumentally, 
 as well as immediately ; and though, in a 
 common way of expreflion, we may fay, 
 the minifters of Chrift baptize with the 
 fpirit of Chrift ; it is np more meant that 
 they can do it in their own wills, or by 
 their own powers, than it was fo intended 
 of the primitive minifters, who are faid to 
 work miracles. To the Lord alone is the 
 power and glory of all to be attributed. 
 He is the fole effedtor of all good, and the 
 beft of men are but his inftruments when 
 he is pleafed to make ufe of them ; yet by 
 a metonymy of the inftrument for the power 
 that ufeth it, it is ufual to fay, fuch a 
 perfon inftantly made the cripple to walk. 
 
 ' I Peter i. 12. 
 
 healed 
 
[ 14 ] 
 
 healed the difeafed, or conferred the Holy 
 Ghoft, without any intention to attribute 
 that to man which is only due to God. 
 
 * ** Without me/' faid our Lord to his 
 difciples, ** ye can do nothing." But when 
 he had endued them with the fpirit/ they 
 minijiered the fpirit ^ as well as the doftrines 
 of Chriftianity -, for true gofpel miniftry is 
 not that of words only, but of words with 
 power. Therefore the true minifter of the 
 gofpel always baptizeth, more or lefs, in 
 his miniftry, according to the meafure of 
 divine influence upon him ; who without 
 it would be only as fait without favour^ 
 however he might be furnifhed with fcho- 
 laftic argument and human eloquence. 
 Thefe may entertain the head, and move 
 the paffions, which is not the bufinefs of 
 an infpired minifter; but to fubjedt tjiem, 
 and to inftruft, and quicken the foul into 
 an inward fenfe of the eflfedtive power and 
 virtue of the divine life. ^ ** My fpeech, 
 ** and my preaching," faid Paul, though a 
 learned perfon, ** was not with enticing 
 ** words of man's wifdom, but in demon^ 
 ^^ Jlration of the fpirit y and of power -^ that 
 ** your faith fhould not ftand in the wif- 
 *^ dom of men, but in the power of God'* > 
 
 • John XV. 5. ^ Gal. iii. 5. « i Cor. ii. 4, 5. 
 
 Our 
 
 [ ^5 i 
 
 Our Lord conftantly gave his followers 
 an example of this baptifmal teaching in 
 his own practice; which induced his hear- 
 ers to confefs, that he taught ^ with autho^ 
 ritVy and not as the fcribes. They were 
 aftoniflied at his dodtrine; for 'his word 
 was with power. The fcribes had human 
 authoritv, but his was divine ; which fo 
 ftruck even the officers fent by the chief 
 pricfts and pharifees to take him, that they 
 excufed themfelves by faying, ^ '' Never 
 *' man fpake like this man." This was 
 unqtieftionably true; for if any other 
 fpokc the fame words, none could en- 
 force them with the fame fulnefs of di- 
 vine power and authority. Thus he led 
 the way to what he afterwards commiflion- 
 ed and empowered his difciples to do, in 
 the meafure he refpedively afforded them. 
 
 The apoftle Paul undoubtedly had an 
 equal fhare in the gofpel commifTion with 
 any other infpired minifter, and was equally 
 bound to baptize in the (tnk intended 
 therein ; but, with water, he declared * he 
 was not fent to baptize : confequently water 
 baptifm was not the baptifm enjoined in 
 the commiffion. But, he aflerts, he was 
 fent to preach the gofpel^ which is the fpe- 
 
 * Mat. vii. 29. * Luke iv. 32. ^ John vii. 46, 
 
 1 I. Cor. i. 17. 
 
 cial 
 
t i6 ] 
 
 cial matter of that commiflion ; that is, to 
 tecchy baptizing into the life and power of 
 the Holy Spirit that qualified him for it. 
 Accordingly he reminds the believers," 
 *' Our gofpel came not unto you in word 
 ** ®nly, but alfo in power y and in the Holy 
 ^ Ghojiy and in much aiTurance/' He alfo 
 fhews the cfFedt it had on them," " When 
 ** ye received the word of God which ye 
 *^ heard of us, ye received it not as the 
 ** word of men ; but, as it is in truth, 
 ** the word of God, which cffeftually 
 ** worketh alfo in you that believe " Hence 
 we may obferve this diftinftion, that 
 the preaching of the gofpel by immediate 
 infpiration, is to be received as the word 
 of God ; but preaching concerning it with- 
 out infpiration, is only to be efteemed as 
 the word of man. 
 
 Many have been trained up to believe, 
 that our Saviour made water- bar) tifm the 
 condition of our admittance into his king- 
 dom. Were it fo, the falvation of all man- 
 kind depends upon it ; and if the fprink- 
 line or dipping of infants be, either the 
 favmg baptifm, or the fole means through 
 which it is to be received, the falvation of 
 the child who dies before it attains to 
 years of underftanding, or power of choice. 
 
 « I Thef, i. 5. • Ibid, ii, 1 3. 
 
 C »7 J 
 
 depends upon the precarious conduft of 
 its parents, or that of others, without any 
 will, knowledge, or default of its own. 
 
 But what rational and confiderate perfon 
 can believe, that the juft Creator, and kind 
 Saviour of mankind, is fo void of equity 
 and commiferation, as to fuffer thofe in- 
 nocents who die in their infancy, to fall 
 into everlafting mifery, for the want of a 
 ceremonial, which, if it be a duty, can- 
 hot be theirs, but that of their parents, 
 or of thofe who have the care of their 
 concerns upon them, and whofe omiffion 
 muft be their fault, if it be any, and not 
 that of the children, who can be no way 
 chargeable with it ? The folemn denun- 
 ciation of the great God, who affords of 
 his "" faving grace unto ailment is, ' *' The 
 foul that Jinnethy it (hall die." The 
 fon fhall not bear the iniquity of the 
 father ; neither (hall the father bear the 
 iniquity of the fon. The righteoufnefs 
 of the righteous fhall be upon him, 
 and the wickednefs of the wicked fhall 
 be upon him." 
 The tender infant hath neither ability 
 to receive a law, nor to tranfgrefs it, there- 
 fore it cannot be guilty of the commiflion 
 of fin ; and to hold it guilty, becaufe its 
 
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 depends 
 
 ' Tit.ii. II. 
 
 p Ezek. xviii. 20. 
 
 B 
 
 primo- 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 primogenitors tranfgrefled long before itex- 
 ifted, and that it is juftly punifhable merely 
 for defcending from them in the ftate of 
 their fallen nature,\vhich it could not avoid, 
 is too barbarous for truth and righteouf- 
 nefs to warrant. Yet this cruel notion, 
 the produftion of error and bigotry, hath 
 been zealoufly efpoufed and propagated. 
 
 Fidus, an African bifhop in the third 
 century, advifed the baptifm of infants for 
 the purgation of original fin, alledging that 
 the Jews circumcifed theirs. This at firft 
 feemed new and ftrange to Cyprian ; but 
 he afterwards fell in with a colleftion of 
 66 bilhops and preibyters, who enjoined 
 it. The praftice became preached up af- 
 terwards by divers as necejfary > and the 
 the Milevitan and Carthaginian councils, 
 in the fore part of the fifth century, went 
 fo far as to fix an anathema upon all who 
 held that young children might be faved 
 without watcr-baptifm ^ which was rati- 
 fied by feveral fucceeding popes, Auguf- 
 tine carried the matter ftill further, teach- 
 ing that even embryos, if they had been 
 ijuickened in the mother's womb, and 
 there died unbaptized, were damned, as 
 guilty of original fin. This put the wif^ 
 dom of the priefl:hood upon contriving a 
 remedy : fome they took up out of their 
 graves, and chrijiened, as they fuperftitioufly 
 
 called 
 
 f 
 
 19 ] 
 
 Called it, the dead body : others they 
 baptized by proxy, in imitation of. thofc 
 early mifled profeflbrs among the Corin- 
 thians, who alfo doubted of the refurrec- 
 tion ; in proof of which, the apoftle 
 doubly argued with themj Firft, from their 
 own praiftice, who, from a notion of the 
 heceffity of water-baptifm unto falvation, 
 took upon them to be baptized for thofe 
 who died without it : « " What fhall they 
 " do," faid he, «♦ who are baptized for 
 " the dead, if the dead rife not at all ? 
 " Why are they then baptized for the dead ? 
 The manner of this baptifm was thus ; one 
 of them placed himfelf under the bed of 
 the deceafed, who being aflced if he would 
 be baptized; the party under his bed 
 anlwered for him in the affirmative, and 
 then was baptized in his ftead ; which 
 Godwin, properly enough, compares to th* 
 aifting of a play upon the ftage. 
 
 Secondly, The apoftle reafons from his 
 own exercife, and that of his concerned 
 brethren j " Why ftand we in jeopardy 
 '* every hour ?" The import of which 
 feems to be, why are we continually bap- 
 tized in afflidtion, fufFering, and danger, 
 for the fake of thofe who are dead in tref- 
 pafles and fms, that th&y may be quickened 
 by the fpirit of life in Chrift Jefus, if 
 
 ^ I Cor. XV. 29, 30. 
 
 B 2 
 
 none 
 
[ 20 ] 
 
 none are to be fo quickened, and if there 
 {hall be no rcfurreaion hereafter ? 
 
 As the followers of Jacobus Syrus took 
 the word water, John iii. 5. in the literal 
 fenfe, fo they did the viotAJire, Mat 111. 
 ,1. and thence branded their children, 
 either in the face, or upon the arm, with 
 a heated iron in the form of a crofs. But 
 this having fomething of cruelty, as well 
 as abfurdity in it, did not fo generally 
 obtain as water-fprinkling ; in the mini- 
 ftration of which, the Romifh church 
 teemed abundantly with modes and fancies 
 of imaginary fignificance. 
 
 The felf-flattering notion, that the new- 
 birth of the fpirit is either concurrent 
 with, or confequent upon, the miniftration 
 of water-baptilm, is neither fupported by 
 fcripture nor experience. If it infenfibly 
 accompany it, how do we know it ? It it 
 immediately follow, how do its fruits ap- 
 pear more in thofe who have received 
 water-baptifm, than in thofe who have 
 not ? ' " The fruit of the fpint, laith 
 the apoftle, " is love, joy, peace, long- 
 ♦' fuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs, faith, 
 " meeknefs, temperance."—' " The fruit 
 " of the fpirit is in all goodnefs, and right- 
 « eoufnefs, and truth." Are thefe fruits 
 
 » Gal. V. 22, 23. 
 
 Eph. V. 9, 
 
 more 
 
 [ 
 
 21 
 
 ] 
 
 more confpicuous in the baptized, than in 
 the unbaptized ? If thofe who are baptized 
 with water are born of the fpirit, and 
 made heirs of the kingdom of heaven, 
 how comes it that fuch as have received 
 it, either in adult age or infancy, and 
 become afterwards awakened to a fenfe of 
 their condition, are ftill confcious of a 
 body of fin remaining within them, and 
 are made to cry out in anxiety of foul, A 
 Saviour, or I die ! A Redeemer, or I perifh 
 for ever ! Are not fuch painfully fenfible, 
 that they ftill want remiflion and rege- 
 neration, notwithftanding their water-bap- 
 tifm ? 
 
 If any fay. This may arife from fins 
 committed after their baptifm. I anfwer, 
 the apoftle John faith, ' '' Whofoever is 
 ^* born of God, doth not commit fin ; for 
 ** his feed remaineth in him, and he can- 
 " not Jin y becaufe he is born of God." 
 But it is evident in faft, that he who is 
 baptized only with water, can Jin as freely 
 and fully as he who is not ^ therefore he 
 who is baptized with water, is not in con- 
 fequence born of God. 
 
 It is pleaded, that Peter commanded wa- 
 ter-baptifniy Afts x. 48. which he certainly 
 would not have done^ had he not held the 
 
 * I John iii. 9. 
 
 praBice 
 
( 2i ] 
 
 praBtce necejary. On the fame foundation 
 It may be argued, that he would not have 
 " compelled the believing Gentiles to live 
 after the manner of the Jewiih law, had 
 he not held it neceffary j yet we find Paul 
 openly reproved him for it. This (hews, 
 that Peter, though one of the moft emi- 
 nent apoftles, in the early time of the 
 gofpel, fomctimes went ^ little too far, 
 in compliance with the prejudices of his 
 Jewifh brethren, divers of whom were 
 prefent when he commanded thofe Gentile 
 converts to be baptized. But in this par- 
 ticular inftance at the houfe of Cornelius, 
 Peter might not be blamable j for we 
 have reafon to believe, that fuch a pru- 
 dential tendernefs both towards Jews and 
 Gentiles, was permitted for a feafon, as 
 to allow the pra<ftice of divers rituals, tiU 
 their attachment to them (hould become 
 leffened, by the prevalence of the J^oly 
 Spirit in their hearts. 
 
 Upon this ground he probably exhorted 
 the people, A<as ii. 38, 39. '* Repent, 
 and be baptized every one of you in the 
 name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiflion 
 ^' of your fins, and ye (hall receive the gift 
 of the Holy Ghoft. For the promife 
 is unto you, and to your children, imd 
 ^^ to all that afar off." 
 
 n 
 
 €€ 
 
 €i 
 
 €€ 
 
 ' Gal. ii. 14. 
 
 This 
 
 (< 
 
 < < 
 
 €C 
 
 €( 
 
 
 €( 
 
 tc 
 
 I 23 ] 
 
 This general promife he had thus cited 
 from Joel in the beginning of his dif- 
 courfe : * ** It ftiall come to pafs in the 
 laft days, faith God, I will pour out of 
 my fpirit upon all flefli, and your fons 
 and your daughters (hall prophefy, and 
 your young men Ihall fee vifions, and 
 your old men fliall dream dreams : and 
 on my fervants, and on my handmaid- 
 ens, I will pour out in thofe days of 
 my fpirit, and they (hall prophefy." 
 This difpenfation of the fpirit to both 
 fexes, then eminently took place, and 
 the apoftle, undoubtedly, exprefled him- 
 felf in the words before-cited, with allu- 
 fion to the fpiritual baptifm of Chrift, 
 which operates to true repentance, and 
 brings to experience that converfion of 
 heart, which is followed by the remif- 
 fion of fins, and the reception of the 
 Holy Ghoft. This he plainly taught in 
 a parallel paflage of the following chapter : 
 ^ *' Repent ye therefore, and be converted^ 
 ^* that your fins may be blotted out, when 
 ^* the times of refreftiing fhall come from 
 <* the prefence of the Lord." 
 
 Thefe renovating and confolatory effedts 
 follow not in confequence of the mini- 
 ilration of water- baptifm ; for if they did. 
 
 « Afts ii. 17. 
 
 T Ibid. iii. 19. 
 
 B 4 
 
 Simon 
 
Simon the forcerer, and all the wicked 
 amongft men that ever received it, would 
 have had remiflion, and the gift of the 
 Holy Ghoft. 
 
 We find the apoftle Paul alfo conformed 
 at times in this, and divers other ceremo- 
 nials ; but when he afterwards perceived 
 hurt already had, and was likely ftill to enfue 
 from fuch conformity, he forbore it ; and 
 * thanked God that he had only baptized 
 Cri/pus, GaiuSy and the houfhold of Ste- 
 phanas ; declaring that Chrift fent him not 
 to baptixcy (that is, with water) but to 
 preach the Go/pel. 
 
 Peter himfelf alfo afterwards, probably 
 obferving a danger of water-baptifm being 
 received and efpoufed as the real baptifm 
 of the Gofpel, guards the believers againft 
 fuch a dangerous miftake, ■ by fhewing 
 what the true Chriftian baptifm is ^ to wit, 
 that it is not that which puts away the 
 filth of the flefti, but that which pro- 
 duceth the anfwer of a good confcience 
 towards God. Thus it is not the figura- 
 tive, but the eflTedtive baptifm pointed to 
 by the figure, the refining baptifm of the 
 Holy Ghoft that faveth. 
 
 It is well known by the experience of 
 many, that this baptifm is gradually cf- 
 
 • I Cor. i. 14, &c. 
 
 • I Pet. iii. 21. 
 
 feae4 
 
 [ ^5 ] 
 
 fefted by fpiritual immerfions of the foulj 
 according to the meafure of corruption it 
 hath imbibed, and to the ftriftnefs or 
 laxity of its attention to the great Baptizer, 
 A fenfe of its finful condition, with the 
 diftance it ftands at from the God of per- 
 feft purity, is firft given it, whereby it is 
 brought into felf-abafement, contrition, 
 and, at length, into humble refignation 
 of all to him. Thus it becomes baptized 
 into the fimilitude of the death of Chrift, 
 which is a death unto all that is of a car- 
 nal and fenfual nature. Through baptifm 
 it alfo rifeth with him into newnefs of life, 
 which enableth it to bring forth the 
 fruits of the fpirit to his praife. To thofc 
 who had thus followed Chrift in the re- 
 generation, the apoftle faid, ** '* Ye arc 
 ** complete in him, who is the head of 
 ^« all principality and power. In whom 
 alfo ye are circumcifed with the circum- 
 cifion made without hands, in putting 
 oflf the body of the fins of the flefli, 
 by the circumcifion of Chrift ; buried 
 V with him in baptifm y wherein ye are alfo 
 ** rifen with him^ through the faith of the 
 ^* operation of God.'* 
 
 True Chriftian baptifm is a great and 
 important work ; the work of Chrift him- 
 
 <( 
 
 <( 
 
 <c 
 
 €t 
 
 * CoJ. ii. 10, &c. 
 
 felf, 
 
t »<i ] 
 
 fclf, whereby the foul is meafurably bap- 
 ti;scd into his fpirit, and endowed with its 
 virtues. This is quite another thing than 
 a ceremonious formalization under his 
 name. The latter is eafy to the flefh, but 
 the former crucifies it. ' ** They that are 
 " Chrift's, have crucified the flefh, with 
 ^' the afFeftions and luft^." — ' '' As many 
 ^* of you," faid Paul, ** as have been bap- 
 ^* tized into Chrift, have pia on Chriji:'' 
 To take the name Chriftian upon us, and 
 to be joined to the promifcuous body of 
 a profefling church, is only to put on a 
 profeffion of Chrift j; but to have really 
 put him oriy is to be endued in degree with 
 his Holy Spirit and nature ; which thofe, 
 who have been baptized into him^ certainly 
 are. For, ' ** if any man be in Chriji^ 
 be is a new creature : old things are 
 pafled away, behold all things are be- 
 come new, and all things are of God." 
 Such are become inwardly united to Chrift, 
 grafted as branches in him the living vine, 
 daily partaking of his life and virtue, 
 which renders them fruitful according to 
 their mcafure ; to thefe he preffingly 
 fhews the neceflity of care and watchful- 
 ncfs, that they may abide in him : ^ ** As 
 ** the branch,'' faid he, ♦* cannot bear 
 
 « Gal. V. 24. ^ Ibid. iii. 27. • 2 Cor. v. 17, 18. 
 ' John XV. 4, 5, 6. 
 
 ^* frui^ 
 
 <( 
 
 €1 
 
 tfC 
 
 r ^7 1 
 
 fruit of itfelf, (or) except it abide in 
 the vine ; no more can ye, except ye 
 abide in me. I am the vine, ye are 
 the branches. He that abideth in me, 
 and / in bimy the fame bringeth forth 
 much fruit ; for without me ye can do 
 nothing. If a man abide not in me, he 
 is caft forth as a branch, and is wither- 
 ed." This manifefts that maxim, once 
 in grace^ and always in grace, to be no 
 better than a broken reed, and dangerous 
 for any who have been fenfible of divine 
 vifitation to reft their falvation upon. 
 
 It is improper to imagine, that the fign 
 of circumcifion, given to Abraham and 
 his defcendants, was a type of water-bap- 
 tifm, which was only an outward and 
 typical fign itfelf. Ceremony and fub- 
 ftance are type and antitype ; not ceremony 
 and ceremony. What the circumcifion of 
 the forelkin pointed to, was the inward 
 circumcifion of the fleftily heart, called 
 for by Mofes, Deut. x. 16. and promifed, 
 chap. XXX. 6. Water -baptifm in like 
 manner typified ^ the wajhing of regenera^ 
 tion ; which is effeded by the renewing of 
 the Holy Ghoji. 
 
 Marie xvi. 16. ** He that believeth, and 
 f* is baptised, ftiall be faved.'* This muft 
 
 t Tit. iii. $1 
 
 be 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 be underftood of ih^t faving faith ^ wliich 
 workcth by love, to the purification of 
 the heart, and of x}[i2X Javing baptifniy which 
 operates to the anfwer of a good confci- 
 ence. If we do not believe unto obedi- 
 ence, if we have not that faith which 
 overcomes the world in our hearts, we 
 (hall not be found in the faith once deli- 
 vered to the faints ; and, if we are not 
 *" waftied by the Lord himfelf, whoever 
 elfe may baptize us, we have no part in 
 him. Simon Magus believedy and was bap^ 
 tized with watery yet remained fo far from 
 a ftate of falvation, that when he offered 
 money for the Holy Ghoft, the infpired 
 apoftle fharply anfwered him, * ** Thou 
 haft neither part nor lot in this matter, 
 for thy heart is not right in the fight 
 of God — I perceive thou art in the gall 
 of bitternefs, and in the bond of ini- 
 quity.'* What therefore had his bare 
 believing and water-baptifni done for him I 
 Mifapprehenfion at firft, and tradition 
 afterwards, having inculcated water-bap- 
 tifm as a permanent inftitution of our 
 Lord's, and an indifpenfable part of the 
 gofpel-miniftration, fome of its advocates 
 have weakly argued for it as fuch, from 
 his waftiing ^ the feet of his difciples, and 
 
 ^ Johnxiii.8. * A£ts viii. 13, 2i,j23. ^ Johnxiii. 
 
 directing 
 
 [ 29 1 
 
 diftfting it as their duty to do the like to 
 each other. But this inftance had no re- 
 lation to that ceremony, for our Lord was 
 not then inftruding his followers how o 
 initiate new converts, but figuratively 
 (hewing them what their own condudt 
 Sd%e amongft themfelves, by fettmg 
 them a pattern of humility, condefcenfion, 
 and brotherly kindnefs one to another 
 This undoubtedly was his intent ; not the 
 cftabliftiment of the exterior ad of pedal 
 
 ^^ Water-baptifm being an effential part 
 of John's commiffion, he properly admit- 
 ted his difciples by it ; which the great 
 Adminiftrator of fpiritual baptifm did not. 
 When he called to any. Follow »/^ thole, 
 who obeyed his call, immediately became 
 his difciples, without any ceremonial. We 
 find he accepted Peter, Andrew John. 
 James, Levi, Philip, Nathaniel, and Zac- 
 iheus, without either baptizing them, or 
 direaing them to be baptized with water. 
 As it was then, fo it remains to be ; thofe 
 who are obedient to his call are his fol- 
 lowers, whether they are water-baptized, 
 or not. On the contrary, thofe who obey 
 not the internal manifeftations of his Ipi^ 
 rit, are none of his. whoever baptizeth 
 them with water. Formality may render 
 any man a nominal Chriftian -, but the 
 
efTeduai baptifm of the fpirit only cad 
 make a real one. 
 
 The prafticc of fprinkling infants undei* 
 the name of baptifm, hath neither pre^ 
 cept nor precedent in the New Teftament. 
 For want of real inftances^ mere fuppofit ions 
 are offered in fupport of it. Becaufe it is 
 faid in the cafe of Lyclia\ ^ that (he was 
 baptized, and her houjhold \ and by the 
 apoftle, '' I baptized alfo the houOiold of 
 Stephanas-;' it is fuppofed, there might be 
 infants, or little children, in thofe houfe- 
 holds ; from whence it is inferred fuch 
 were baptized. But could fuch impro- 
 babilities be ever fo well afcertaiiied, they 
 would fall very fhort of proving the prac- 
 tice ^ divine and perpetual injlitution. 
 
 The words of our Saviour, * ** Suffer 
 ** the little children to come unto me,^ 
 afford no ground for infant* baptifm. He 
 made no mention of it, much lefs did he 
 recommend it as requifite to prepare them 
 for his kingdom ; for he declared their 
 fitnefs already : *' Forbid them not," faid 
 he, " for of fuch is the kingdom of hea- 
 " vcn.'* Who are they that pre fume to 
 forbid fuch as unqualified to enter it, un- 
 lefs they are fprinkled by their hands ? 
 The intention of our Lord in admitting 
 
 ^ A(2s xvi. 15, 
 
 Mark X, 13. 
 
 the 
 
 t 31 ) 
 
 the children to him, appears to have beert> 
 that he might exhibit them as examples 
 of innocence and fitnefs to thofe actual 
 fmners about him ; to whom he faid, 
 ^^ Verily I fay unto you, whofoever fhall 
 '* not receive the kingdom of God as a 
 ^* little child, he flrall not enter therein.'* 
 Had he meant to adopt and eftablifh paedo- 
 baptifm as a {landing ordinance, a fairer 
 opportunity could hardly offer, either to 
 baptize the children himfelf, or command 
 his difciples to do it ; neither of which 
 he did ; but gracioully fliewed his accept- 
 ance of them without it, for *' he took 
 «* them up in his arms, put his hands 
 «' upon them, and blefled them/' 
 
 We never find either the Lord Jefus, 
 or his apoflles, preaching up water-bap* 
 tifm as his, nor telling the people they 
 cannot be his followers without it. His 
 conditions of difciplefhip are not fo eafy 
 to the carnal mind. " " If any man will 
 *« come after me," faid he, ** let him 
 deny himfelf, and take up his crofs 
 daily, and follow me"— ** ** Whofoever 
 doth not bear his crofs, and come after 
 me, cannot be my difcipk;' Hence it is 
 clear, that it Is not watcr-baptifm, nor any 
 kind of rituals whatfoever, which renders 
 
 (< 
 
 (( 
 
 <f 
 
 «( 
 
 n Luke ix. 27. 
 
 Ibid. xiv. 27. 
 
 any 
 
t 5* ] 
 
 any man a Chriftian in our SavIour*s ac-* 
 count ; but obedience to the operation of 
 his Holy Spirit, which humbleth the 
 heart, purifieth the foul, and baptizeth it 
 meafurably into the divine nature. But 
 mortification of fclf being irkfome, and 
 highy difagreeable to the flefh, too many 
 are rather willing to content themfelves 
 with afluming the name Chriftian un- 
 der the outward fign, than to endure 
 the pain of crofting their carnal propen- 
 fities, in order to put on Chrijij and be- 
 come Chriftians indeed. But let fuch 
 attentively conftder this falutary admoni- 
 tion of the apoftle. ^ ** Be not deceived; 
 ** God is not mocked ; for whatfoever a 
 ** man foweth, that fliall he alfo reap. 
 " For he that foweth to his flefli, fliall of 
 ** the flefli reap corruption ; but he that 
 *• foweth to the fpirit, fliall of the fpirit 
 ** reap life everlafting." 
 
 The command, ** Go teach all nations, 
 ^* baptizing," &c. fliews that the baptifm 
 therein meant, fliould be as general as the 
 preaching there intended, both among 
 Jews and Gentiles ; which water-baptifm 
 evidently was not. For Paul, who was 
 fent chiefly to the Gentiles, was very 
 fparing in the ufe of it, and thanked God 
 
 f Gal. vi. 7, 8. 
 
 that 
 
 [ 33 ] 
 
 that he had baptized but two or three 
 families with it, declaring that was not 
 bis commijjion'y yet he planted many church- 
 es, which contained numbers who received 
 the fpirit, and walked in the faith and 
 fellowfliip of the gofpel, and who were 
 as real Chrijiians without water-baptifm, 
 as others were with it. This fliews, that 
 it was neither made an eftential, nor an 
 integral part of Chriftianity ; and confe- 
 quently, that the continuance of it was 
 but an occafional condefcenfion ; for it 
 having been an ancient cuftom, both among 
 Jews and Gentiles, to initiate their pro- 
 felytes by it, and alfo adminiftered by John 
 under divine authority, and taken up from 
 him by the difciples of our Lord, it was 
 become a ceremony of confiderable ac- 
 count with the generality, who faw not 
 fufficiently into the purity and fimplicity 
 of the Gofpel : therefore it could not, 
 even after the baptifm of Chrift by the 
 Holy Ghoft appeared, be every where laid 
 afide fuddenly ; neither was it required 
 fo to be, but, as John intimated, to decreafe, 
 or fall into difufe by degrees. In like 
 manner, the apoftles alfo occafionally com- 
 plied with the rites of the Mofaic law in 
 various particulars ^ as circumcifion, vows, 
 fliavings, exterior purifications, facrifices, 
 anointings, &c : all which were permit- 
 
 C ted 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 ted for a feafon ; yet, had the profeflbrs 
 of Chriftianity abode in the fpirit of it, 
 and fincerely fought a growth therein, 
 ceremonials of all kinds would foon have 
 been extindt in the church. But, inftead 
 of growing in grace, and in the faving 
 knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift, a 
 falling away began early to take place, and 
 in proportion as the life of religion dwin- 
 dled, forms and fhadows were more and 
 more faftened upon, and gradually in- 
 creafed upon the declining ftate of the 
 church, as the fpirit of antichrift gained 
 ground. But to return. 
 
 We read, Eph. v. 25, 26. '' Chrift 
 ** alfo loved the church, and gave him- 
 ** felf for it, that Ae might fanftify and 
 *' cleanfe it with the waftiing of water by 
 ** the word ; that he might prefent it to 
 *' himftlf a glorious c&urc A, not having Jpot 
 ** or wrinkle y or any fuch thing ; but that 
 ** it fliould be holy and without blemiJhJ* 
 . This is the work of Chrift himfelf, and 
 therefore is done by his own fpiritual bap- 
 tifm. The water of the word fignifies its 
 cleanling power, as ** the milk of the word 
 denotes its nutrimental virtue ; and this 
 fanftifying word is the ifTuing forth of the 
 fpirit of Chrift for great and gracious 
 
 f 35 i 
 
 jMlrpofes, who is himfelf the emphatical 
 and all powerful Wordy through whom the 
 Father effeds his will, and communicates 
 all things to his people. By him alone 
 the church can be rendered holy^ and pre-^ 
 fented without blemijh. 
 
 -According to apoftolic dodrine, there 
 is but one baptifm now remaining in force : 
 ' ** One Lord, one faith, one baptifm." 
 And as the Chriftian difpenfation is that 
 of Chrift, the one baptifm muft be the 
 baptifm of Chrift ^ which is not by water, 
 but the Holy Ghoft : ' '' For," faith 
 Paul, '' by one fpirit are we all baptized 
 •' into one body." By receiving the fame 
 fpirit, we become of the fame fpiritual 
 body. The outward and vifible fign mav 
 introduce us into memberfliip with fuch 
 an outward and vifible church as holds 
 with the retention of the fign ; but it is 
 the eflfedual operation of the fpirit of 
 Chrift in us, that renders us members of 
 his body, or true fpiritual church. 
 
 The diftincaion betwixt our Saviour's 
 baptifm, and that of John, lies not in 
 fame elementary miniftration after a dif- 
 ferent mode, or under another form of 
 words. ' '* I, faith John, *' indeed have 
 *^ baptized you with water j but he ftiall 
 
 ^ I Pet. ii. 2, 
 
 purpofes. 
 
 ^ Eph. iv. 5. 
 
 » I Cor. xii. 13. ^ Mvki. 8, 
 
 C 2 *' bap- 
 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 ** baptize you with the Holy Ghoft/' 
 This plainly fhews, that the baptifm of 
 Chrift, and that of John, were two fepa- 
 rate baptifms, and that they are perfedly 
 diflind:, and different from each other, as 
 type and antitype. 
 
 Some have argued, that as the foul is not 
 properly a man without the body^ nor the 
 body without the foul y but both in conjunBion 
 make the man ; fo water- baptifm and fpi- 
 rit-bapti/m are both requifite to make up 
 the one Chrijiian baptifm. But though foul 
 and body be the two conftituent parts of 
 a man, the two baptifms have no fuch 
 conftitutional connexion. That of the 
 fpirit, being the effedtive reality, is com- 
 plete in itfelf ; but that of water was only 
 a temporary figure, and no more a part of 
 the baptifm of Chrift, than the circum- 
 cifion of the forefkin was a part of the 
 circumcifion of the heart. 
 
 The tranfa<ftion of Philip with the Ethi- 
 opian eunuch, Afts viii. hath been treated 
 as if meant to give a miraculous fanftion 
 to water-baptifm. But it is evident, this 
 great and well-difpofed man had been at Je- 
 rufalem with a pious intention to Worfhip 
 the true God, who, knowing the fincerity 
 of his heart, fent Philip to inftrudl him, and 
 to preach his Son Jefus to him, as the Sa- 
 viour of mankind. After he had fo done, 
 
 as 
 
 [ 37 ] 
 
 as they paffed near a certain water, the 
 eunuch judging, according to the cuftom 
 of both Jews and Gentiles, that he muft 
 be entered as a profelyte by the ufual ce- 
 remony, made a motion to Philip that 
 he might be there baptized. And, as the 
 apoftles, in this early time of the gofpel, 
 faw fit occasionally to condefcend to this 
 and various other rituals, Philip went into 
 the water with him, and baptized him. 
 But, if any miracle was wrought, the text 
 affords no teftimony that it was done to 
 give a fandlion to water-baptifm, nor that 
 it is a perpetual inftitution of our Lord. 
 It doth not appear in the New Teftament, 
 that he ever inftituted, adopted, or once 
 adminiftered water-baptifm himfelf. The 
 evangelift declares, that "" ** Jefus himfelf 
 " baptized not :" that is, not with water ; 
 and undoubtedly for this reafon, becaufe 
 it was not his baptifm^ but John's, who 
 was the only perfon we find divinely com- 
 miffioned for it. Our Lord's fubmitting 
 himfelf to it, under John's miniftration, 
 was upon the fame foot that he fubmitted 
 to the Jewifli ceremonials. They had all 
 been divinely commanded, and in acknow- 
 ledgment of them as fuch, he counte- 
 nanced the practice of them, till the pe- 
 
 " John iv. 2. 
 
 riod 
 
[ 38 ] 
 
 riOd of their obligation ftiould arrive, by 
 the eftablifhment of his own fpiritual dif- 
 penfation. 
 
 No one outwardly-conneded body upon 
 
 earth, hath a right to engrofs to itfelf the 
 
 title of the true churchy and thence to aflert, 
 
 there is no falvation but within its own 
 
 peculiar pale ; for all profefling churches 
 
 are compofed, more or lefs, of a promif- 
 
 cuous number of thofe who love and fear 
 
 God, and of thofe who regard him not 
 
 with that reverence and fubjedlion all ought 
 
 to do. Thofe who walk moft in the fpirit, 
 
 will undoubtedly be moft in his favour ; 
 
 but without obedience thereunto, none 
 
 can be fo ; "" ** For, as many as are led by 
 
 the fpirit of God, they are the fons of 
 
 God :'* and, */* If any man have not 
 
 the fpirit of Chrift (as his leader) he 
 
 *' is none of his." Whatever doftrines he 
 
 may profefs, and whatever forms he may 
 
 pradiife, he is no true follower of Chrift, 
 
 ^ The Jheep of Chriji hear his voice ; they 
 
 carefully regard the leadings of his fpirit, 
 
 wherein he he gives unto them eternal life^ 
 
 and none can pluck them out of his hand. 
 
 Here is the pale of true falvation ; for 
 
 ^ there is but one fold under one Jhepherd. 
 
 w Rom. viii. 14. » Ibid. 9, ^ John x. 27, 28. 
 » lb, 16. 
 
 Of 
 
 <( 
 
 <( 
 
 €< 
 
 €€ 
 
 €€ 
 
 [ 39 ] 
 
 Of this fold are the righteous under all 
 denominations ; for * '' God is no refpcdler 
 «' of perfons ; but in every nation, he 
 " that feareth him, and worketh righte- 
 ** oufnefs, is accepted with him." 
 
 Our Lord declared himfelf to be the 
 door of entrance into this fold. ' '* Verily, 
 
 verily, I am the door of the (heep — 
 
 I am the door, by me if any man enter, 
 ** he fhall be faved." No ceremonial can 
 open this door, much lefs can it he the 
 door. By the communication of faith to 
 the returning finner, Chrift opens the way 
 for him to be purified in heart, and fitted 
 for admiffion into his church militant 
 here, and the church triumphant hereafter : 
 " «* For by grace are ye faved, through 
 ♦' faith, and that not of yourfelves ; it is 
 ^< the gift of God." 
 
 He is alfo the means of grace : ^ " For 
 *« the law was given by Mofes ; but grace 
 '' and truth came by Jefus' Chrift.'' And 
 it always comes by him; for faith his 
 apoftle, ' '' Unto every one of us is given 
 <^ grace, according to the meafure of the 
 *• gift of Chrift.'* 
 
 The feal or pkdge of the kingdom of 
 heaven, is what entitles to, or infures it. 
 
 » Aas X. 34, 35. ^ John x. 7, 9. ^ Eph. ii. 8. 
 John i. 17. * Eph. iv. 7. 
 
 C 4 This 
 
[ 40 ] - 
 
 This is the oil of divine grace, kept burn-i 
 ing and fhining in the lamp of the wife 
 yirgin-foul, or, in other words, the earneft 
 of the fpirit in the renewed heart. ' " He 
 " who eftablifheth us with you in Chrift," 
 faith Paul, " is God, who huh fea/ed us. 
 *' and given the earneft of the fpirit in 
 " our hearts"— s « In whom alfo after 
 " that ye believed, ye were fea/eJ •with 
 " ^"^f holy fpirit of promife"—'' " Grieve 
 "not the holy fpirit of God, whereby ye 
 *'arefeakd unto the day of redemption." 
 The Chriftian feal, therefore, is the facred 
 imprefs of the holy fpirit. 
 
 The mark or badge of true Chriftian 
 fellowfhip is love: ' " By this fliall all 
 ** men know that ye are my difciples, if 
 *' ye have love one to another." This is 
 not to be underftood of a bare natural 
 afFeaion, or the attachment of party j but 
 of that uniting Ipve which is fhed abroad 
 in the hearts of the regenerate by the Holy 
 Gboftj to which the apoftle John thus 
 exhorts, " " Let us love one another ; 
 " for love is of God, and every one that 
 " loveth is born of God, and knoweth 
 ♦* God," 
 
 [ 41 ] 
 
 Typical forms may be made as doors of 
 entrance into outward and vifible churches, 
 and as marks and pledges of fellowfhip 
 amongft men ; but they are not fuch to 
 the fpiritual community of the invifible 
 church of Chrift* the members whereof, 
 ' '* as lively ftones, are built up a fpiritua,! 
 '* houfe, an holy priefthood, to offer up 
 ** fpiritual facrificcs, acceptable to God 
 ^* by Jefus Chrift." 
 
 * I Pet. ii. 5. 
 
 ' 2 Cor. i. 22. 
 * John xiii, 35. 
 
 8 Eph. i. 13. h Ibid. iv. 30. 
 ' I John iv. 7. 
 
 Typical 
 
 CHAP- 
 
[ 42 ] 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 On Christian Communion. 
 
 AS the baptifm of Chrift is purely fpi- 
 -'^ ritual, fo h that communion which 
 is truly t&e Lord's /upper. • *« For," faith 
 holy writ, " by one fpirit are we all bap- 
 •* tized into one body, whether we be 
 ^^ Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or 
 *^ free, and have been all made to drink 
 *' into onejpirit:* This indicates, that the 
 communion of real inward Chriftians, 
 whereby they partake of divine ftrength 
 and confolation, is in the one fpirit they 
 are all baptized by. 
 
 Undoubtedly, the fign hath been pioufly 
 ufed by many, and ftill may be fo by thofe 
 to whom the termination of it doth not 
 yet appear ; but feeing it is not in itfelf 
 of the fpiritual nature of the gofpel-dif- 
 penfation, the neceflary queftion now is. 
 Whether our Lord injiituted it with a de- 
 dared intention, that the obfervance of it 
 fhould be an univerfal ejiablijjjment throughout 
 the Chrijlian churches to the end of time ? 
 If this be not afcertained in the affirma- 
 
 * I Cor. xii. 13, 
 
 tivCj 
 
 [ 43 ] 
 
 €t 
 
 €i 
 
 <( 
 
 €t 
 
 tive, It cannot, with propriety, be infifted 
 on as an ordinance obligatory upon us at 
 this day. Dean Stillingjieet hath juftly 
 obferved, '* Whatfoever is binding upon 
 *< Chriftians, and fo becomes an article 
 either of faith or praftice, as an mi- 
 verfal jianding law, mufi be clearly re- 
 «^ <vealed as fuch, and laid down in fcrip- 
 ** ture infuch evident terms, as that all who 
 ** have their fenfes exercifed therein, may 
 •* difcern it to have been the will of 
 Chrift, that it {hould perpetually oblige 
 all believers to the end of the world." 
 Let us a little enquire, whether fuch clear 
 evidence of the perpetual obligation of this 
 ceremonial appears in the texts that moft 
 immediately relate to the fubjeft. 
 
 Our Saviour and his difciples being en- 
 gaged in the celebration of the Jewifli 
 paffover, the fame night he was betrayed, 
 we read, ^ ** As they were eating, Jefus 
 <* took bread, and bleffed it, and brake it, 
 and gave it to his difciples, and faid. 
 Take, eat j this is my body. And he 
 took the cup, and gave thanks, and 
 gave it to them, faying, X^nn)^ ye all 
 of it ; for this is my blood of the Nevir 
 Teftament, which is fhed for many for 
 the remiflion of fins. But I fay unto 
 
 \ Matt. xxvi. 26 — 30. 
 
 %i 
 
 you, 
 
r 44 ] 
 
 " you, I will not drink henceforth of this 
 «* fruit of the vine, until that day when 
 *' I drink it new with you in my Father's 
 ** kingdom." Luke adds the following 
 cxpreffion, *" '* This do in remembrance 
 ^* of me." But the apoftle Paul delivers 
 it in a fuller and more explanatory man- 
 ner. ^ ** This do ye, as oft as ye drink 
 ** it, in remembrance of me." Adding, 
 ** For as often as ye eat this bread, and 
 ** drink this cup, ye do Ihew the Lord's 
 *' death till he come." 
 
 There is nothing in thefe texts that en- 
 joins the perpetuity of the fymbols. The 
 words, ti// he come^ {hews the obfervance 
 of them to be no longer of obligation thaa 
 //// his fecond coming. We do not readj^ 
 You fliall thus participate of the figns 
 through all future generations ; nor have 
 we any fpecific direftion how often they 
 fliould be ufed in the interval, which indi- 
 cates a liberty in that refpeft -, but no 
 authority for their extenfion beyond the 
 time of the Lord's coming. When they 
 were received, it was to be in remembrance 
 of himy which muft be during his abfence 
 from them ; for when prefent, he muft be 
 an objeft of fenfe^ not of remembrance ; 
 therefore the time intended for the recep- 
 
 [ 45 ] 
 
 tion of thofe tokens of memorial, could 
 only be till he fhould come again, and afrefh 
 communicate a fenfe of his divine prefence 
 
 to them. 
 
 This fecond coming of our Lord he had 
 repeatedly given them fufficient ground to 
 cxpedt fhould be after a fpiritual manner. 
 • << Ye have heard," faid he, ** how I faid 
 ** unto you, I go away, and come again to 
 ** you.'' He had affured them of this, 
 where he told them, ' '' I will pray the 
 *' Father, and he fhall give you another 
 ** Comforter, that he may abide with you 
 *^ for ever : even the fpirit of truth, whom 
 ** the world cannot receive, becaufe it 
 ** feeth him not, neither knoweth him ; 
 " but ye know him, for he dwelleth with 
 *' you, ^ndijhallbe in you. I will not leave 
 ** you comfortlefs : / will come to yotiy 
 Here he firft fpeaks of himfelf in the third 
 perfon under the name of the Comforter, 
 the fpirit of truth ; and then afluming the 
 firft, inculcates, that he who was then a 
 ftrength and comfort to them, without 
 them, by his bodily prefence, fhould, after 
 his corporeal departure, come again in fpirit , 
 to be the ftrength and comfort of his fol- 
 lowers within them, and to abide with 
 them for ever. He alfo fhewed, that his 
 
 c Luke xxii. 19. 
 
 * I Cor. xi. 25, 26. 
 
 * John xiv. 28. 
 
 tlOI^ 
 
 ' Ibid. xiv. 16, 17, i^. 
 
 fpiritual 
 
4€ 
 
 €€ 
 
 f 46 ] 
 
 fpiritual advent, and indwelling, was Hot 
 to be confined to his prefent difciples ; but 
 fliould alfo be manifefted to all that love 
 him, and keep his commandments. ^ ** If 
 ** any man love me, he will keep my 
 «* words, and my Father will love him, 
 •* 2Lndwe will come unto him^ and make out 
 •* abode with him'' 
 
 The apoftle Paul like wife concurrently 
 teftified, ^ ** Chrift was offered to bear the 
 
 fins of many, and unto them that look 
 
 for himy fliall he appear the fecond time 
 •* without fin unto falvation." To thofe 
 who then looked for him in fpirit he cer- 
 tainly did come, according to that tefti- 
 mony of John, ^ ** We know that the Son 
 ** of God is come, and hath given us an 
 " under/landing, that we may know him 
 *' that is true ; and we are in him that is 
 " true; even in his Son Jefus Chrift.'* 
 This coming of Chrift, by which they 
 received an underftanding that they were 
 in him, muft be after a fpiritual manner, 
 agreeable to his promife, John xiv. 20. 
 ** At that day ye Jhall know, that I am in 
 " my Father, ^mdi you in me, and I in you.'* 
 
 Thus they experienced the knowledge 
 of that great gofpel-myftery, which had 
 been hid from ages and generations in 
 
 « John V. 23* fc Heb. ix. 28. ^ j Jdin v. 20. 
 
 forms 
 
 €t 
 
 €t 
 
 €€ 
 
 t 47 ] 
 
 forms and fhadows : ^ '* But now" faith 
 the apoftle, *' is made manifeft to his 
 •' faints, to whom God would make 
 '* known what is the riches of the glory 
 
 of this myftery among the Gentiles ; 
 
 which is Chriji in you, the hope of 
 
 glory." 
 
 The inward and true Chriftian thus 
 knows him to be come, by the illumi- 
 nating and quickening life he receives from 
 him ; which all ought inwardly to feek 
 after, and not ftick in the outward and 
 vifible fign, with an expeftation to find 
 him in that from whence he is rifen. This 
 is the way thofe look for him, who in 
 truth fee him not. * " Yet a little while," 
 faid he, *' and the world feeth me no 
 ** more ; but ye fee me, becaufe I live, 
 '* ye ftiall live alfo." The unregeherate 
 world could difcern no more of him than 
 his corporeal appearance, and when that 
 was removed, they faw him no more; but 
 thofe who have been baptized into him, as 
 a vital principle of divine life, ftill fpiri- 
 tually fee him, and becaufe he lives in 
 them, they live alfo, and by the influence 
 of his Holy Spirit are moft effeftually kept 
 in mind of the ftiedding of his precious 
 blood without the gates of Jerufalem, "" as 
 
 ^ Col. i. 26, 27. * John xiv. 29. * i John ii. 2. 
 
 a pro^ 
 
I 
 
 ' 1 
 
 I 
 
 [ 45 ] 
 
 a propitiation for their JinSy and not for 
 theirs only^ but for the fns of the whole 
 world. Thefe ftand not in need of figns 
 and fymbols to remind them of him. 
 They cannot be forgetful of that inex- 
 preflible love and mercy, wherein he gave 
 up his prepared tody to die, that they 
 might live ^ but are gracioufly preferved 
 in humble thankfulnefs, and deep admi- 
 ration, that he fhould fo condefcend to 
 fuffer for them, v^ho mull ever acknow- 
 ledge themfelves moft unworthy of fuch 
 aftonifhing goodnefs. 
 
 The outward and vilible fign appears to 
 have been recommended by our Lord, only 
 for the interval between his perfonal de- 
 parture and his fpiritual return, the ufe of 
 it being to commemorate his death till he 
 came ; confequently, when he was come^ 
 the obfervance of it was no longer obli- 
 gatory, but occafionally permitted, like 
 the wafhing of one another's feet, or the 
 anointing of the fick with oil, till they 
 Ihould gradually drop away, as the reality 
 wherein they terminated ftiould advance in 
 the hearts of the believers. But the pro- 
 grefs of thefe in fpirituality being early 
 obftrudled, by the difinclination of many 
 towards the crofs ; their love to truth, and 
 zeal for it waxed cold, and a difpolition 
 prevailed to reft in fymbolical religion, 
 
 which 
 
 C( 
 
 <c 
 
 C 49 1 
 
 which they could eafily praftife, without 
 parting with their inward corruptions, and 
 walking in that felf-denial the gofpel re- 
 quires. This became an exercife to the 
 apoftles, and occafioned Paul to query, 
 ** ** How turn ye again to the weak and 
 beggarly elements, whereunto ye defire 
 again to be in bondage ? — Are ye fo 
 ** foolifli ? Having begun in the fpirit, 
 ** are ye now made perfeft by the flefli ?" 
 
 • '* Behold," faith Chrift, *' I ftand at 
 '* the door and knock ^ if any man hear 
 •* my voice, and open the door, I will 
 •* come in to him, and Wi\\ fup with him, 
 " and he with me.*' This is the true fup- 
 ^er of the Lord, which ftands not in par- 
 taking of the outward elements one with 
 another, but in the participation of his 
 divine life, the true bread from heaven, 
 and the new wine of the kingdom. This 
 is alfo communicated in religious congre- 
 gations, to thofe of ^ *^ the circumcifion 
 ** which worfhip God in the fpirit, and 
 ** rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no 
 " confidence in the flefti.*' When fuch 
 draw near to him, he draws near to them. 
 ^ •' Where two or three," faid he, ** are 
 ** gathered together into my name, there 
 
 ■ Gal. IV. 9. — iii. j. • Rev. iii. 20 p Phil. iii. 3. 
 4 Mat. xviii. 20. 
 
 D 
 
 « 
 
 am 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 *' am /in the midft of them." Our com- 
 mon tranflation has it in my name ; but in 
 the original it is s/j to iixh ovofjut, into my 
 name ; which namCy as obferved in the 
 preceding chapter, is the power and virtue 
 of his fpirit, wherein alone true Chriftian 
 communion is enjoyed. 
 
 The fpiritually-minded under former 
 difpenfations were not excluded from this 
 communion. The apoftle (hews, that the 
 fathers of Ifrael ' ** did all eat of the fame 
 ** fpiritual meat, and did all drink the 
 ** fame fpiritual drink ; for tbey drank of 
 ** that fpiritual rock that followed them^ 
 ** and that rock was Chrijl.'' He alfo in- 
 timates, that himfelf and his brethren 
 then partook in the fame fpiritual com- 
 munion, under the metaphorical terms of 
 the body and blood of Cbrtji. * '* The cup 
 ** of bleffing which we blefs, is it not 
 ^* the communion of the blood of Chrift ? 
 ** The bread which we break, is it not 
 *^ the communion of the body of Chrift ?" 
 As if he had faid. Is it but the outward 
 fhadow, and not the inward and fpiritual 
 reality ? Certainly it is, for *' we being 
 ** many are one bread, and one body ; for 
 *' wc are all partakers of that one bread.'* 
 This implies, that by the participation of 
 
 » I Cor, X. 4. 
 
 • Ibid. vcr. 16, 17. 
 
 the 
 
 €€ 
 
 it 
 
 €€ 
 
 €€ 
 
 r 5» J 
 
 the one fpirit of life in Chrift Jefus, they 
 were, in their feveral meafures, made par- 
 takers of the divine nature, and, through 
 its cementing virtue, were inwardly united 
 one unto another, as members of the fame 
 fpiritual body, and all unto Chrift the 
 head ; ' ** from which," faith the apoftle^ 
 all the body, by joints and bands having 
 nourifhment miniftrcd, and knit toge- 
 ther, increafeth with the increafe of 
 God." 
 
 Having fpoken to fuch as had expe- 
 rienced a degree of inward fanftification, 
 the apoftle turns to thofc intemperate car- 
 nal profeiTors, who had fallen into a fhame- 
 ful abufe of the outward lign. " Thefe 
 he fharply reproved, and intimated to 
 them, that as often as tbey partook of the 
 exterior elements, it ought to have been 
 in a reverent remembrance of him who 
 fuffered for them. For whilft they had 
 no difcerning, or inward fenfc, of his fpi- 
 ritual body, and perfifted in fuch abufe of 
 the form, he let them know they ate and 
 drank to their own condemnation ; for 
 fuch as partake but of the fign, under a 
 pretence of divine communion, and do it 
 fo unworthily, are, in the judgment of 
 the apoftle, guilty of vilifying the body 
 
 ' Coh ii. 19. 
 
 " I Cor. xi. 20, 27, &c. 
 D 2 and 
 
i 5* ] 
 
 and blood of the Lord; becaufe, whilft 
 they profefs to honour him, they, by their 
 evil condudt, may be faid, in fome refped:, 
 ^ to crucify to them/elves the Son of God afrejlo^ 
 and put him to an openjhame. 
 
 Though our Saviour was feen of his 
 difciples at times forty days after his refur- 
 redlion, he partook not with them of any 
 outward fpecies in the form of commu- 
 nion, as may be concluded from his own 
 words, ** I will not drink henceforth of 
 '* this fruit of the vine, until that day 
 *• when I drink it new with you in my 
 *' Father's kingdom." He knew, though 
 it was ftill hid from them, that by the 
 regenerating baptifm of the Holy Ghoft, 
 they fhould be made new creatures^ and 
 inwardly tranflated into that fpiritual king- 
 dom, wherein he would give them to par- 
 take with him of the new wine thereof. 
 For "" the coming of this kingdom he had 
 before taught them to pray, and alfo told 
 them, ^ " There be fome of them that 
 *' ftand here, who (hall not tafte of death 
 ** till they have feen the kingdom of God 
 ** come with power." He had alfo in- 
 formed them, that this kingdom * cometb 
 not with obfervation^ or outward Jhew -, for, 
 faid he, the kingdom of God is within you. 
 
 ^ Heb. vi. 6. « Mat. vi. lO. f Mark ix. i. 
 * Luke xvii. 20, 21. 
 
 If 
 
 [ 53 ] 
 
 If this kingdom cometh not with out- 
 ward obfervation, it is in vain to feek it 
 by outward obfervations, and to pretend 
 to fupport ilt by them. If it be within us, 
 it muft be an inward and fpiritual king- 
 dom, and it cannot come to us, but by 
 the fpirit. And if, as the apoftle declares, 
 * ** the kingdom of God is not meat and 
 •* drink ; but righteoufnefs, peace, and 
 *^ joy in the Holy Ghoft," it is not bread 
 and wine ; which are meat and drink. As 
 the kingdom is fpiritual, its communion 
 is fpiritual, and its receivers are fpiritually 
 fuch. Well therefore might the apoftle 
 fay, ** ** He is not a Jew who is one out- 
 " wardly, neither is that circumcifion 
 " which is outward in the flefti -, but he 
 «* is a Jew who is one inwardly, and cir- 
 *« cumcifion is that of the heart, in the 
 ^^ fpirit, and not in the letter." Thus 
 it is with the Chriftian. He is not a real 
 Chriftian, who is only one by profeffion 
 and form ; neither is that the baptifm, nor 
 the communion of the gofpel, which is 
 outward and ceremonial ; but he is a 
 Chriftian who is one inwardly, and that is 
 the true baptifm, and the true comniu- 
 nion, which is of the heart, in the fpirit, 
 and not ia the letter, or outward fornu 
 
 » Rom. xiv. 17. "• Ibid. ii. :^8> 29% 
 
 P 3 With 
 
 ' 
 
[ 54 ] 
 
 With what found reafon then can any infift 
 on the pradice of outward and vifible 
 figns, as if the very exiftence of Chrifti- 
 anity depended upon them, and that per- 
 fons of the greateft faith, piety, and pro- 
 bity, could have no claim to the name of 
 Chriftians without them ? 
 
 Had the moft eminent of the evange- 
 lifts, John, erteemed the continuance of 
 theyjrg/? to have been of eflential moment, 
 or lafting obligation, he would hardly 
 have failed to mention it as fuch. He 
 is particularly expreffive of the circum- 
 ftance of our Saviour's wa(hing his dif* 
 eiples feet, fliewing that he both enjoined 
 it with great precifion, and recommended 
 it by his example ; yet it is generally 
 agreed to have been only figurative and 
 temporary, and therefore difufed by Pro- 
 teftants, and very little pradlifed by the 
 Romanifts ; but John, in his relation of 
 the tranfaftions of that important evening, 
 paffeth the outward fupper wholly without 
 notice. His total omiffion of it may rea- 
 fonably intimate, that when he wrote his 
 hiftory, which was long - after the reft of 
 the evangelifts, the feafon for it was fully 
 paft, and that the ufe of it had been only 
 meant to prefigure the reality to weak con* 
 verts for a time, and then to drop away, 
 and give place to it. 
 
 Yet, 
 
 C ss ] 
 
 Yet, notwithftanding this apoftolic hif- 
 torian hath omitted the ceremonial, he 
 hath given a large account of our Lord s 
 difcourfc concerning the fubftance in chap. 
 6. wherein, amongft many other fimilar 
 expreffions, he faith, ' " My Father giveth 
 « you the true bread from heaven— 1 am 
 «* the living bread which came down froni 
 «« heaven— Whofo eateth my Aefh, and 
 *' drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. 
 This intimates, that thofe who fpiritually 
 partake of the divine life in htm, which is 
 of an eternal nature, receive the living 
 bread, and the flejh and blood he here in- 
 tended. Such feed not of that body which 
 fuifered on the crofs, but of his fpiritual 
 body, which is a myftery to the carnal 
 
 jnind. , , i j 
 
 Knowing in himfelf, that by apprehend-. 
 ing his metaphorical expreffions in a literal 
 fenfe, many of his difciples, as well as 
 the Jews, took offence, he, for explana- 
 tion, direaiy told them, verfe 63, " It 1^ 
 <* the fpirit that quickeneth j the flelh 
 «' profiteth nothing." From whence it 
 appears, that could we eat the very flefh, 
 and drink the blood of the outward body 
 of Chrift, it would not profit us. How 
 vain and ufelefs therefore, as well as con- 
 
 « John vi. 32, 51, 54. 
 
 P4 
 
 trary 
 
i 56 ] 
 
 trary to fenfe and reafon, is the Romifh 
 notion, that the bread confccrated by a 
 S?flV' tranfubftautiated into that body 
 of flefh and blood, which, if adually re- 
 ceived, would profit nothing to the foul ! 
 
 It IS both carnal and abfurd to infer, 
 that upon our Saviour's blefling the bread, 
 
 brake it, handed it to the difciples, and 
 cteof //with them. But, thaj a new- 
 made wafer, or a piece of bread of yefter- 
 day (hould, upon the prieft's imitative 
 performance of a mere ceremony, be in- 
 
 wS "^"a^?*^ '^^' ^"'3^ ^°dy of Chrift 
 which exifted many hundred years before 
 
 In/"ir ^\^' " *' *° ^^ worfliipped as God; 
 and alfo that every one of the many thou- 
 fands of thefe confecrated wafers is the 
 
 ^vm 1 *^'' ^''"^ ^""^y •' ^"d all this, 
 whUft they remain as utterly unchanged, 
 
 to every evidence of fenfe and reafon! as 
 
 When they came out of the hands of the 
 
 baker J that any people fliould fufFer thefe 
 
 manifeft impoffibilities to be impofed upon 
 
 them as myfterious truths, is a flagrant 
 
 the boldnefs of his inftruments, and thj 
 credulity of mankind. 
 
 l,,!^" -r ''"S'°"'^ ^"*^ idolatrous abufe 
 
 ^viin^c ^'°"? ^^^ *"^'"S expreffions, 
 evidently figurative, in a literal fenfe. 
 
 Talse 
 
 [ 57 1 
 
 Take the conneaing verb is, in the phrafes, 
 «' This is my body, this is my blood," m 
 like manner with many parallel expreflions 
 in fcripture, and the myaery is eafily 
 folved, without putting any unnatural force 
 upon the text, or any impofition upon the 
 fenfes, underftandings, or confciences of 
 mankind. We read, " '* The feven good 
 '« kine are feven years, and the feven good 
 «' ears are feven years—' This Agar is 
 " mount Sinai in Arabia-- ' The feven 
 ♦* heads are feven mountains — The ten 
 ♦' horns thou faweft are ten kings." Thefe 
 are univerfally allowed to have been only 
 reprefentativefignso£ whzt they are literally 
 faid to he. In like manner, thofe expref- 
 fions of our Lord, " This is my body, 
 " This is my blood," figuratively fignified, 
 the bread and wine were exterior figns, re- 
 prefenting, that as they imparted ftrength 
 and refrefhment to the body, the com- 
 munication of his fpiritual body fhould 
 afford ftrength and refreihment to the 
 
 Whatever any thing feeds upon muft be 
 of a nature fuitable to its own. The foul, 
 being of a fpiritual nature, is not to be 
 fed with material flefli and blood $ the 
 body prepared for Chrift to appear in upon 
 
 * Gen. xli. 26. ' Gal. iv. 5. ' Rev. xvii. 9, 12. 
 
 earth 
 
[ 58 J 
 earth was fuch; therefore it was not that 
 
 " TIa.^^ / ri- '""* ^""^^*h '"y blood, 
 ^^/^ ^/.r«^/ /^,, and I will raife him 
 
 " He th^^ . i;^ ^^°°f '' ^""^ ^"deed. 
 
 my blood, dwelleth in me, and I i„ 
 
 - me'-and^^ r' living Father hath fei" 
 me and I hve by the Father ; Co he 
 
 me. This flefli and blood is, there- 
 
 terial one, wherein he then appeared to 
 the world. It is a fpiritual bodyf fuitab e 
 and alimentary to the foul , the^ true life 
 of which IS fpiritual, and /ts feedin. fpi 
 
 both quickened and fupported by that fni 
 tr'S;'"-^'"^ (nSeUoric'^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 Ifrael t!^ ?.°r ^^t'"^ "^^ ^^'^^'^ of 
 ilrael fed long before he took the outward 
 
 body upon him, and upon which the ori 
 
 "Xfuc?"^T /^'^'^"^ ^" -^° -e 
 truly fuch now feed, and, like them be 
 
 come nounfhed up unto eternal life ' 
 
 The rituals of the Mofaic law were once 
 of divine inftitution, but being only ' Zl 
 do'ws of good things to come in the fp^iriCa] 
 
 • John vi. 54 to 58. »,Cbr.x. » Heb. x. ,. 
 
 difpen- 
 
 [ 59 1 
 
 difpenfation of the gofpel, the good things 
 themfelves being come, their fliadows 
 appear to us no longer obligatory j fo the 
 exterior forms of water-baptifm and the 
 fupper, being fhadows of the good things 
 already come under the fpiritual miniftra- 
 tion of the Saviour, are fuperfeded there- 
 by, and become of no more force than 
 the paft rudiments of the law. Never- 
 thelefs, we condemn not thofe who are 
 confcientious in the ufe of them. *' Let 
 ** every man be fully perfuaded in his own 
 
 ♦* mind." 
 
 The profane as well as the pious may 
 partake of the outward elements. Judas 
 partook of thefe, even when Satan had 
 entered him, and he had covenanted to 
 betray his Lord ; but he could not in that 
 ftate participate of the true communion 
 with him j therefore the outward fupper 
 is not the true communion. 
 
 The communion of the church trium- 
 phant in heaven, and that of the church 
 militant upon earth, is in the fame fpirit. 
 It is the communion of the Holy Ghoft 
 in both ; but the latter being in a ftate of 
 travail and probation, amidft the tempta- 
 tions and trials of the world, doth not 
 enjoy it in that uninterrupted brightnefs 
 and fulnefs, which the former doth in the 
 ftate of perfeift purity and immutable glory. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
[ 6o ] 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 On Waiting upon God, &c. 
 
 THE apoftle Paul fhewed, that * ** there 
 *' is one God, and one Mediator be- 
 '* tween God and men, the man Chrift 
 ** Jefus ; ^ through whom we have accefs 
 ** Sy one fpirit unto the Father, * and in 
 ** whom alone we are accepted." We have 
 no power to draw near unto God but by 
 him. •* I am the way," faid he, ** and 
 ** the truth, and the life ; no man com-^ 
 ** cth unto the Father but by me." In 
 order to worfhip aright, therefore, we 
 muft firft wait for him, that we may feel 
 the power of his fpirit in our hearts, to 
 illuminate, quicken, and enable us, in- 
 wardly to approach the throne of divine 
 grace, in faith and refignation ; that our 
 offerings may come up with acceptance on 
 his holy altar. 
 
 The communication of his fpirit being 
 of his own free grace, it is not in the 
 power of man to obtain it when he pleaf- 
 eth ; therefore, it muft be waited for. 
 Aftivity, in exterior ordinances, is an em- 
 
 ^ I Tim. ii. 5. * Eph. ii. i8- * Ibid. i. 6, 
 ' John xiv. 6. 
 
 ployment 
 
 I 61 ) 
 
 ployment very different from true waiting ; 
 which confifts in a folemn and fteady in- 
 ward retirement of foul to him, in humi- 
 lity, faith, and patience, that he may 
 condefcend to renew its ftrength in him, 
 and enable it to worfhip him in fpirit and 
 in truth, according to his will. 
 
 In this praiflice, the people of God, in 
 all generations, fenfibly experienced the 
 times of refrefhing from his prefence, and 
 ability to withftand temptation, to hold 
 on their way amidft the various afTaults of 
 the powers of evil, and occafionally to 
 ftand firm in fuffering for his glorious 
 caufe. Hence we find them, in holy writ, 
 frequent in exprefling the benefit of wait- 
 ing upon God, and earneft in their exhor- 
 tations to it. Let us attend to a few in- 
 fiances. 
 
 Pfal. xxvii. 14. ** Wait on the Lord. 
 '* Be of good courage, and he fhall ftreng- 
 ** then thine heart. Wait, I fay, on the 
 ** Lord." This contains encouragement, 
 and repeated exhortation to waiting. 
 • Hofea xii. 6. ** Turn thou to thy God 5 
 ** keep mercy and judgment, and wait on 
 *^ thy God continually." This intimates 
 the neceflity of perfeverance in waiting, 
 as well as in the pradice of uprightnefs 
 and charity, 
 
 Pfal. 
 
€i 
 
 4€ 
 
 tc 
 
 €€ 
 
 I 6z ] 
 
 Pfal. xxxiii. 2a. " Our foul loaitethfor 
 ** the Lord; he is our help, and our (hicld/* 
 This fhcws, their waiting upon him was 
 in expeftation of his divine afliftance. 
 
 Ifa. xl. 31. " They that wait upon the 
 ** Lord (hall renew their ftrength. They 
 
 fhall mount up with wings as eagles ; 
 
 they fhall run, and not be weary ; they 
 *^ {hall walk, and not faint." Herein are 
 held forth gracious afTurances of quicken- 
 ing ftrength in the pradice of waiting. 
 
 Micah vii. 7. ** I will look unto the 
 
 Lord ; I will wait for the God of my 
 
 falvation. My God will hear me." 
 This indicates the holy refolution of the 
 prophet, and his confidence in waiting, v 
 
 Habak. ii. i. ** I will ftand upon my 
 ** watch, and fet me upon the tower, and 
 ** will watch to fee what he will fay unto 
 ** me, or in hie^ and what I fhall anfwer 
 ** when I am reproved." Watching here 
 is fynonymous with waiting, and this paf- 
 fage denotes the dependance of the pro- 
 phet, in this inward and mental exercife, 
 to have been upon the Lord for inftruc- 
 tion. 
 
 Pfal xl. I, 2. " I waited patiently 
 *' for the Lord, and he inclined unto 
 ** me, and heard my cry. He brought 
 *' me up alfo out of an horrible pit, 
 
 out of the miry clay, and fet my feet 
 
 upon 
 
 it 
 
 €€ 
 
 €( 
 
 I 63 ] 
 
 «* upon a rock, and eftablifhed my go- 
 " ings." This evinces the propriety of 
 a continuance in waiting, and the happy 
 fuccefs attending it. 
 
 That this waiting was not only the 
 pradice of particulars, but alfo of the 
 congregated bodies of God's people, ap- 
 pears from that reprehenfion of the fpirit 
 of prophecy in Ezekiel, againft the infin- 
 cere amongft the Ifraelites : '' * They come 
 " unto thee ^j the people cometh, and they 
 " ft before thee as my people^ and they hear 
 
 thy words ; but they will not do them." 
 
 We alfo find, that whilft the elders of 
 Judah fate before the prophet, he was led 
 through fuch a variety of divine vifions 
 concerning the ftate of that people, as take 
 up from chap. viii. i. to chap. xi. 4. to 
 relate. During the time he was thus in- 
 wardly engaged, the elders undoubtedly 
 fate in f knee y as well as himfelf; for in 
 conclufion, he faith, " The fpirit of the 
 " Lord fell upon me, and faid unto me, 
 " Speak," &c. 
 
 Pfal. xxxvii. 7. and Ixii. i. fhew the 
 waiting of the Lord's fervants began, and 
 continued for fome time in flence ; for, 
 according to the Hebrew, thefe texts are, 
 ** Be f lent to the Lord, and wait patiently 
 
 £zek. 
 
 xxxiii. 31, 
 
 << 
 
 €t 
 
 for 
 
 1 1 
 
 'I 
 
t 64 1 
 
 •' for him'* — " Truly my foul is Jilerit 
 •* upon God (or filcnt in attention upon 
 •• him) from him cometh my falvation." 
 
 Lam, iii. 25, 28. " The Lord is good 
 «* unto them that wait for him^ to the foul 
 •* that feeketh him. It is good that a man 
 *' fhould both hope, and quietly wait for 
 «* the falvation of the Lord. It is good 
 «* for a man that he bear the yoke in his 
 «« youth. He fitteth alone, and keepeth 
 ** Jilence^ becaufe he hath borne it upon 
 •* him." Here is great encouragement to 
 the fubmiflive filent waiter. 
 
 The evangelical prophet is ftill more 
 cxpreflive. 
 
 Ifa. Ixiv. 4. *' Since the beginning of 
 ** the world, men have not heard, nor 
 ** perceived by the ear, neither hath the 
 
 eye feen, O God, befides thee, what he 
 
 hath prepared for him that waiteth upon 
 ** him." This evidenceth, there is fome- 
 thing more excellent than is poflible to be 
 conceived by the natural, or unregenerate, 
 man, to be enjoyed in devout and patient 
 waiting. Hence arifeth the fervency of 
 zeal for thus waiting, and the great ear- 
 neftnefs therein of thofe who experienced 
 the benefit of it ; which we find empha^ 
 tically expreffed in the following texts. 
 
 Pfal. cxxx. 6. '• My foul waiteth for 
 ** the Lord more than they that watch for 
 
 " the 
 
 t 65 ] 
 
 
 U 
 
 €€ 
 
 €i 
 
 t€ 
 
 ii 
 
 i€ 
 
 t€ 
 
 *i 
 
 the morning : I fay, more than they 
 that watch for the morning." 
 Ifa. xxvi. 9. '* With my foul have I 
 defired thee in the night ; yea, with my 
 fpirit within me will I feek thee early." 
 Pfal. xlii. I, 2. *' As the hart panteth 
 after the water-trooks, fo panteth my 
 foul after thee, O God ! My foul th'rji^ 
 eth for God, for the living God. When 
 fhall I come and appear before God ?" 
 As the fpiritually-minded, under paft 
 difpenfations, were fenfible of their ina- 
 bility properly to difcharge their refpec- 
 tive duties, without the renewed afliftance 
 of God's Holy Spirit, and therefore often 
 waited upon him to receive it ; fo under 
 this gofpel-difpcnfation, which efTentially 
 is the pure miniftration of the Spirit, it 
 muft neceflarily be waited for. Our Lord 
 therefore diredled this difpenfation to com- 
 mence in folemn waiting. For, being af- 
 fembled together with his difciples, ^ he 
 commanded them that they fhould not 
 depart from Jerufalem, but wait for the 
 promife of the Father :" the enduement 
 of power from on high. Accordingly, whilft 
 the difciples were congregated and fitting 
 together with one accord ^ ^ ** they were 
 " all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and 
 
 €i 
 
 €€ 
 
 €( 
 
 ^ A6I1 1. 4. 
 
 < Ibid. ii. 4. 
 
 E 
 
 ** iegan 
 
II 
 
 I 
 
 €€ 
 
 €€ 
 
 €C 
 
 €i 
 
 [ 66 ] 
 
 *' iegan to /peak with other tongues, as 
 " the Spirit gave them utterance. 
 
 Thus led into folemn waiting by their 
 Lord and Mafter, and divinely favoured 
 therein, the primitive Chriftians had fuf- 
 ficient ground to continue the pradlice ; 
 which it appears they did from the follow- 
 ing texts : 
 
 I Cor. i. 6, 7, 8. '' The teftimony of 
 Chrift was confirmed in you ; fo that 
 ye come behind in no gift, waiting for 
 the coming y or revelation, of our Lord 
 Jefus Chriji, who (hall confirm you 
 *' unto the end." This Ihews they re- 
 ceived the gifts of the Spirit, and the 
 confirmation of it, through waiting. 
 I Thef. i. 9, 10. *« Ye turned to God 
 from idols, to ferve the living and true 
 God, and to wait for his Son from hea- 
 ven:' And, 2 Thef. iii. 5. the apoftle 
 prays, ** The Lord dired: your hearts into 
 " the love of God, and into the patient 
 ** waiting for Chrijir This patient wait- 
 ing for the revelation of Chrift from hea- 
 ven, muft have an immediate refpefl: to 
 their worftiip, as well as to their qualifi- 
 cation for fervice, and is to be underftood 
 of his inward and fpiritual appearance ; 
 which the apoftle gives comfortable af- 
 furance of, Heb. ix. 28. ** Chrift was 
 ^* once offered to bear the fins of many, 
 
 •' and 
 
 (( 
 
 «c 
 
 <r 
 
 ^' and unto them that look for him fhall he 
 '' appear the fecond time^ without fn unto 
 *^ fahation." By this we underftand, that 
 as he once appeared after an outward and 
 corporeal manner, and gave up the body 
 prepared for him, as an expiation for the 
 fins of all who £hould come to repentance ; 
 fo to thofe who ihould look internally for 
 him in faith, he fhall again appear by the 
 revelation of his fpirit in their hearts, to 
 effeca the work of regeneration in them, 
 in order to their eternal falvation. For, 
 this fecond appearance of Chrift to thofe 
 v/ho pioufy look, ^nd patiently wait, for him, 
 cannot intend his lajl advent at the general 
 judgment; for then he ihall alfo appear 
 to thofe that look not for him with defire, 
 to their final condemnation. 
 
 From what hath been faid, it may fuf- 
 ficiently appear, that waiting upon God 
 in filence, faith, and patience, is not a 
 modern peculiarity originated among the 
 people called Quakers, nor the fruit of a 
 defpicable enthufiafm j but a necefTary 
 praftice of ancient date and long conti- 
 nuance amongft the Lord's people, as pre- 
 paratory and requifite to the reception df 
 divine ability to "" pray with the fpirit, and 
 with a right underjianding alfo. " ' Watch 
 
 I Cor. xiv. 15. 
 
 E 2 
 
 * I Pet. iv. 7. 
 
 ** unto 
 
I 
 1 
 
 [ 68 ] 
 
 '* unto prayer," faid Peter. Paul likewife 
 exhorts to the duty of ** ^ praying always 
 ** with all prayer and fupplication in the 
 ** fpirity and watching thereunto with all 
 ** perfeverance." 
 
 Having experimentally received an in- 
 ward fenfc of the divine goodnefs in thus 
 waiting, the living amongft the people 
 above-mentioned are engaged to fit down 
 in a watchful ftillnefs, both in their pub- 
 lick meetings and private retirements, 
 before Him who made heaven and earth, 
 the feas, and the fountains of waters ; and 
 whoever have any clear fenfe of the fpirit, 
 know it draws their minds into this ftill 
 waiting for it, fo pathetically recommend- 
 ed in holy writ, and fo beneficially prac- 
 tifed by thofe who have devoted their fouls 
 to the God of their life, and their never- 
 failing helper in time of need. Let none, 
 therefore, lofe the precious opportunity 
 now aflforded them, in rejeding and de- 
 riding what they have not experienced, 
 but addrefs themfelves earneftly to ' feek 
 the Lord while be may be found, and call 
 upon him while he is near, that happily, in 
 ^feeling after him they may find him, who 
 u not far from every one of us. 
 
 ^ Eph. vi. i8. « Ifa. Iv. 6. 
 
 ^ Afts xvii. 27. 
 
 If 
 
 i 69 J 
 
 If we fufFer the low concerns of this 
 mutable world, its earthly profits, or de- 
 ceitful pleafures, its friendfhips, fafhions, 
 or any other of its corruptions to attach 
 our minds, and divert them from attend- 
 ing to the motions of the fpirit of God 
 in our hearts, till we fill up fuch a mea- 
 fure of iniquity as fhall occafion him to 
 forfake us, we may feek him afterwards, 
 as Efau did the blefling, in vain. For, 
 he faith, " ** My fpirit fhall not always 
 ^* ftrive with man." Time fuflicietit for 
 repentance is afforded to all, and the will 
 of God is our fandtification. Why then, 
 fome may query, are we not fandtified ? 
 Is Satan too flrong for Almighty power ? 
 By no means. Such queflions are flarted 
 from improper grounds. As the Lord, in 
 wifdom, hath made man a reafonable crea- 
 ture, he deals with him according to rea- 
 fon, and not by abfolute force. He fhews 
 him good and evil, with their oppofite 
 Gonfequences, perfuades, intreats, and pref- 
 feth him to refufe the evil, and chufe the 
 good, that he may reap the fruit of it ; 
 even eternal life. If the will of man be 
 fo perverfe, as to prefer a continuance in 
 the gratifications of fin, he fows to the 
 ilefh, and of the flefh mufl reap corrup- 
 
 Gen. vi. j.^ 
 
 E ft 
 
 tion. 
 
[ 7° ] 
 
 tion. If he wilfully rejcd: the kind 
 reproofs of the fpirit in his own confcience, 
 to the full extent of divine fufferance, as 
 revolting Jerufalem did, he fins out the 
 day of his merciful vifitation, grace is 
 withdrawn from him, his opportunity is 
 loft, and the way of peace is hid from his 
 eyes. Knowing this, the good apoftle thus 
 carneftly addrefled the believers : "^ *^ We 
 ** then, as workers together with Him, 
 ** befeech you alfo, that ye receive not 
 ^* the grace of God in vain," For, though 
 the grace of God that brings falvation hath 
 appeared to all men, its appearance is ren- 
 dered in vain to fuch as by their difobe- 
 dience to it, and rejedtion of it, fruftratc 
 the accomplifhment of its gracious end 
 and purpofe towards them. 
 
 It is a weak argument, that we have 
 now a complete canon of the fcriptures, 
 and therefore have lefs need of the fpirit 
 than the primitives ; as if the letter could 
 fupply the place, and do the work, of the 
 fpirit. As all men by a natural and cor- 
 poreal birth enter into the kingdom of this 
 world ; fo our Saviour himfelf ihewed the 
 Jewifti ruler ^ that unlefs we experience 
 a fpiritual and fupernatural birth, we can- 
 not enter into the kingdom of God. Thq 
 
 • 2 Cor. vi. I. 
 
 ' John iii. 
 
 holy 
 
 [ 71 J 
 
 holy fcriptures, which fo ftrongly recom- 
 mend us to be led by the fpirit, to live in 
 the fpirit, and to walk in the fpirit, could 
 not be intended to fuperfede and fet afide 
 the fpirit, and to render its internal ope- 
 ration unnecefTary. 
 
 The apoftle Paul, who had a fhare of 
 both divine and human knowledge, teaches 
 that '^ the natural or unregenerate man 
 (notwithftanding his arts, languages, and 
 philofophy) receiveth not the things of the 
 fpirit of Gody for they are foolijhnefs unto 
 him ; neither can he know them (by his 
 learned refearches) becaufe they are fpiritu^ 
 ally difcerned. That is, they are only to 
 be underftood by the light of the fpirit ; 
 and therefore to be received by its own 
 illumination. We may gather up theo- 
 retic notions concerning them from the 
 declarations of thofe who did receive them; 
 but this will not convey the realities they 
 exprefs to us. It will center far fhort of 
 creating us anew in Chrift Jefus, without 
 which w^e may profefs ourfelves Chriftians j 
 but ^* ' they that are Chrift's, have cru- 
 ** cified the fiefh, with the afFedions and 
 •^ lufts." 
 
 But fbme, who allow that the affiftancc 
 of the Holy Spirit is ftill afforded to man- 
 
 ^ I Cor, ii. 14. ' Gal. v. 24. 
 
 E 4 
 
 kindj 
 
[ 70 
 
 kind, deny that any man now hath an in- 
 ternal fenfe of it, fo as to diftinguifli its 
 motions in them from thofe of their own 
 minds. But, certainly, whoever feels any 
 inward conviftions for fin conceived or 
 committed, not under the cognizance of 
 law, nor open to other mens knowledge, 
 may eafily diftinguifli the motions of the 
 reproved which leads into fin, from thofe 
 of the reprover who fmites for it, to lead 
 out of it ; and if any ever become infen- 
 fible of it, it is for want of obeying it. 
 Such as continue to reject: it, may occafion 
 it to become filent in them for a feafon ; 
 but it always remains prefent with them^, 
 though they feel it not, and will revive 
 upon them with inexpreffible terror, at a 
 time when they fhall find no way to 
 cfcape. 
 
 I John iii. 24. and iv. 13. we read, 
 *' Hereby we know that he abideth in us, 
 *' by the fpirit which he hath given us — • 
 ^' Hereby know we that we dwell in him, 
 ^* and he in us, becaufe he hath given us 
 •* of his fpirit." This inculcates that the 
 Holy Spirit, like the fun in the firmament, 
 manifefts itfelf to the mind by its own 
 evidence. Yet, notwithftanding ♦ <^ the 
 ^* true light which lighteth every man 
 
 ■ John i. 5, Q. 
 
 ^^ that 
 
 [ 73 I 
 
 ^^ that cometh into the world," (hincth in 
 the dark hearts of men ; if they wilfully 
 retain their darknefs, they comprehend 
 not the light. * ** Thofe that rebel againft 
 '* the light, they know not the ways 
 *^ thereof." Abiding under the beclouding 
 influence of prejudice, unbelief, or felf- 
 confidence, they fhut themfelves up againft 
 the light, and often decry and ridicule it ; 
 but thofe who embrace it as from God, 
 come to experience the new-birth of the 
 fpirit, and in the new»-birth receive a new 
 life, and in the new life a new fenfe. The 
 life and fenfe of the firft birth are carnal ; 
 the life and fenfe of the fecond are fpiri- 
 tual, which nothing but the fpirit can 
 communicate. 
 
 Peter told the regenerate formerly, "" '* Ye 
 ^* have purified your fouls in obeying the 
 ^' truth through the fpirit." They had 
 joined the truth, that is, the fpirit of 
 truth, in its operation to the purification 
 of their fouls, and certainly, not without 
 a fenfe of it. This fpirit of truth is the 
 fpirit of Chrift, which he promifed (hould 
 come to ^ reprove y or ^onvince^ the world of 
 Jirif of righteoufnefsy and of judgment^ and 
 to guide into all truth. 
 
 ^ Job xxiv. 13. » I Pet. i. 22. 
 
 "^ John xvi. 8, 13. 
 
 Hence 
 
[ 74 I 
 
 Hence we fee, the fpirit cometh not 
 only to rebuke, convince, and difquiet 
 mankind in evil to lead them out of it, 
 but alfo to accompany them in faithful- 
 nefs, and guide them into all truth. For 
 when they are brought to receive it, be- 
 lieve in it, and cleave to it, they become 
 the Iheep of Chrift ; they "^ hear a?id/ollow 
 hitriy for they know his voice -y that is, they 
 ^re enabled to diftinguifh the motions of 
 his fpirit from thofe of the Jlranger^ which 
 they will not follow, but jiee from. 
 
 There is as much difference betwixt the 
 internal voice of Chrift, and other voices, 
 as there is between light and darknefs. 
 ^ *' He that followeth me," faid he, '' fliall 
 ** not walk in darknefs ; but (hall have 
 •' the light of life/* He that walks in 
 the light, muft necefTarily fee by it, and 
 have a i^ni^ of it. 
 
 * ** He that loveth me fhall be loved of 
 ^' my Father, and I will love him, and 
 *' manifefi my/elf to him.'" This manifefta- 
 lion of himfelf to thofe who love him is 
 by his fpirit, and the manifeftation of his 
 fpirit muft be the difcovery of it to the 
 foul of him to whom it is manifefted. 
 There can be no manifeftation to any but 
 
 « John X. 3, 4, 14, 27. y Ibid. viii. 12. 
 
 * Ibid. xiv. 12. 
 
 thofe 
 
 [ 1^ 1 
 
 thofe who receive a fenfe of it j for that 
 cannot be manifefted to me, which I have 
 no diftin<3: perception of. Infenfible ma- 
 nifeftation is a felf-con tradition. 
 
 Eph. ii. !• ** You hath he quickened, 
 '* who were dead in trefpafles and fins." 
 Who hath not been, more or lefs, in the 
 death of trefpafles and fins ? And who ever 
 experienced a rcfurredion from this death, 
 unto life in Chrift, by the quickening 
 power of his fpirit, without a living fenfe 
 of it ? Infenfibility is not a property of 
 life, but of death ; therefore the living 
 members of the body or church of Chrift, 
 cannot be infenfible of the life of Chrift, 
 by which their fouls are quickened, or 
 made alive in him. 
 
 The miniftration of the fpirit hath ever 
 been the life of true religion. The faireft 
 form, and moft plaufible profeflion, are 
 no more than a lifelefs letter without it. 
 * '* The letter kUleth, but the fpirit giveth 
 ** life;" and whofoever receiveth the fpi- 
 rit, receiveth life, and thofe who receive 
 life, receive a fenfe of that life j for life 
 is not without fenfe in proportion to its 
 degree, and the higher degree of life any 
 receive, the more fenfible they are of its 
 quickening virtue. 
 
 * 2 Cor. iii. 6. 
 
 The 
 
r 76 } 
 
 The cxprcfs terms of the new covenant, 
 cited from the prophet, Heb. viii. 10, 11. 
 are, ** This is the covenant that I will 
 ** make with the houfe of Ifrael after 
 *' thofe days, faith the Lord ; I will put 
 ** my laws into their mind, and write 
 '* them in their hearts, and I will be to 
 •' them a God, and they fhall be to me 
 <^ a people. And they fhall not" (of ab- 
 folute neceffity) " teach every man his 
 ** neighbour, and every man his brother, 
 •' faying, know the Lord, for all fhall 
 ♦* know me from the leafl to the greatefl." 
 
 This plainly fhews, that under the gof- 
 pel-cflablifhment, the Lord him/elf is the 
 teacher of his people, and that individually ; 
 that he openeth his law in their hearts fo 
 clearly and indubitably, that none who 
 duly attend to his immediate inflrudions, 
 in their confciences, need to remain under 
 a necefSty of being taught their duty to 
 him by their brethren, or their neigh- 
 bours. 
 
 From the gracious illumination of this 
 Divine Teacher, arifeth the flrongefl in- 
 ternal evidence of the truth of Chriflianity 
 to thofe who become fubjed to his in- 
 ftruftion. Many, under various denomi- 
 nations, have acknowledged, that the truth 
 and excellence of the Chriflian difpenfa- 
 tion hath been rendered more clear and 
 
 certain 
 
 i 77 ] 
 
 certain to them by this inward principle, 
 than by all other kinds of evidence what- 
 foever; and it is a great proof of the good- 
 will of God to mankind, that he hath laid 
 open to all, whether learned, or void of 
 literature, this fhortefl and fureft way to 
 that evidence, which brings with it the 
 mofl clear and cogent degree of convince- 
 ment. 
 
 ^ ** We are not under the law ; but 
 '* under grace,'* faith the apoflle. Great 
 grace indeed ! That the God of infinite 
 wifdon>, and immutable excellence, fhould 
 condefcend to be our immediate teacher ! 
 With what cordiality, humility, and thank- 
 fulnefs ought we to accept of and embrace 
 it; ever remembering that awful warning, 
 * '* See thatye refufe nothim that fpeaketh ; 
 '* for if they efcaped not who refufed him 
 ** that fpake on earth, much more fhall 
 ** not we efcape, if we turn away from 
 ** him that fpeaketh from heaven." 
 
 * Rom. vi. 15. 
 
 * Heb. xii. 25. 
 
 A few 
 
C 78 j 
 
 A few Refledions, occafioned by the in« 
 jurious Treatment of the People called 
 QUAKERS, on Account of their con- 
 fcientious Nonconformity to publick 
 Fasts and Festivals, and the Re- 
 joicings of Political Parties. 
 
 A S true religion deprives us not of, but 
 -'^ regulates and fets due bounds to, na- 
 tural aifeftion ; fo it allows of all juft and 
 reafonable preferences of one perfon, or 
 one people, to another, according as we 
 fland more nearly, or more diftantly, re- 
 lated to them. Hence, as natives, fellow-, 
 proteflants, and fubjeds of the fame civil 
 powers, we feel a nearer regard for our 
 King and government, and our fellow- 
 fubjefts, than for thofe of other domi- 
 nions 5 yet we have Chriftian charity for, 
 and good-will towards, the whole fpecies. 
 We alfo, agreeable to the declared intent 
 of the a(5l of toleration, have been more 
 nearly united to our fellow-fubjedls, in 
 afFedtion and intereft, fince the revolution^ 
 by a reftoration to divers of thofe general 
 rights which were formerly denied us 
 both by regal and republican rulers. But 
 notwithftanding we naturally have a more 
 
 favourable 
 
 [ 79 ] 
 
 favourable bias towards our own country 
 than to others, and in all its engagements 
 and contefts with foreign powers, are 
 thankful when it is favoured with the 
 advantage rather than its adverfaries ; yet, 
 as by our Chriftian principles we are with- 
 held from fighting, fo we are alfo reftrain- 
 ed from exhibiting popular figns of re- 
 joicing and triumph, on account of vifto- 
 ries, or advantages obtained through the 
 damage or deftrudion of any, whether 
 friends or enemies. 
 
 Well aflured, that a difpofition to true 
 thankfulnefs for mercies and benefits re- 
 ceived, or dangers efcaped, arifeth from 
 a humble fenfe of gratitude in the heart; 
 and that it leads to compaflionate the fuf- 
 ferings, even of thofe through whofe 
 wounds we are favoured with prefent fafe- 
 ty, we cannot rejoice at the deftrudlion, 
 or triumph over the diftrefs, of our fellow- 
 creatures, though appearing as adverfaries 
 to us. Holy writ likewife gives us to 
 underftand, there is danger in it; for it 
 faith, ' " He that is glad at calamities, 
 '' fhall not pafs unpunifhed." And by 
 that expreflion of the upright and forely 
 tried Job, ^ << If I rejoice J at the deftrudlion 
 '* of him that hated me, or hft up my/elf 
 
 Prov. 
 
 xvu. 5, 
 
 * Job xxxi. 29. 
 
 '' when 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 ** when evil found him :" he intimates his 
 abhorrence of it, as a thing difagreeable 
 and odious in the fight of God. 
 
 It ought likewife to be ferioufly con- 
 fidered, that though it be the part of our 
 adverfaries now to fuffer, it may be ours 
 by and by ; for can the confiderate fay, 
 we have not deferved it as well as they, 
 and flatter themfelves, they {hall be always 
 exempted from the righteous judgment of 
 the offended Majefly on high ? 
 
 The punifhment of fome fhould not be 
 received as a matter of rejoicing, but of 
 warning, to others. The fcourge that be- 
 gins with our enemies may terminate with 
 ourfelves. A temporary refpite is no par- 
 don, nor a fufficient ground for exujtation. 
 We ought to efleem it as a time of mercy, 
 and a fpace for repentance ; not a licence 
 for merriment and madnefs, for thereby 
 we can only increafe our offences, and 
 haften the rod upon our own backs with 
 accumulated vengeance. 
 
 Such confiderations, added to our con- 
 fcientious feelings, together with the irre- 
 ligious levity, mifchievous folly, and ex- 
 cefs of riot, which generally attend thofc 
 publick rejoicings, are the true reafons 
 why we can neither conform, nor make 
 a (hew of conformity, by illuminating the 
 fronts of our houfes on fuch occaiions ; 
 
 well 
 
 t 81 ] 
 
 well knowing, that no occurrences what- 
 ever can warrant us to adt, or by our ex- 
 ample encourage others to aft, inconfifl- 
 ently with that fobriety and awful fear, 
 which ought to be continually upon the 
 minds of thofe who profefs the facred 
 name of Chrifl, to be ruled by him as 
 their head, and formed in life and con- 
 verfation, as much as may be, after his 
 moft pcrfed: example. 
 
 Publick feafls and fafls alfo appear to 
 us not of the nature of the gofpel, but of 
 that of the Jewifh law ; and we believe, 
 no tradition of men, or impofition of 
 human authority, can juflify us in mixing 
 the formalities of that difannuUed inilitu- 
 tion with the ftanding realities of the gof- 
 pel. When the difciples of John the Bap- 
 tifl applied to our Saviour after this man- 
 ner, ^ " Why do we, and the Pharifees 
 " fafloft, but thy difciples fajt notV He 
 anfwered, by firfl alluding to a cuflom of 
 their own in the cafe of marriages, where- 
 in the guefls were indulged with feflive 
 rejoicing in the prefence of the bride- 
 groom ; and then he fubjoins, V No man 
 ** putteth a piece of new cloth into an 
 ** old garment, for that which is put in to 
 ** fill it up taketh from the garment, and 
 
 f Mat. ix. 14, &ۥ 
 
 F 
 
 ** the 
 
[ 82 ] 
 
 " the rent is made worfe. Neither do 
 " men put new wine into old bottles ; elfe 
 " the bottles break, and the wine runneth 
 '' out, and the bottles perifh." Here he 
 teaches, that legal rites and ceremonials are 
 not to be incorporated with the fpiritual 
 and vital religion of Chriftianity ; becaufe 
 they can no more confift together than new 
 cloth can be worn with that which is old 
 and in decay, without enlarging the rent ; 
 or than new wine could be held with 
 fafety in thofe bottles then in ufe, which 
 through age were become unfit and infuf- 
 ficient to bear its fermentation. 
 
 The only diredlion given by our Lord 
 about failing, is, tAaf it be in private, and 
 that we appear not unto men to faji, as the 
 hypocrites do ^. Neverthelefs, if thofe who 
 fee not beyond thefe forms of devotion are 
 fincere in the practice of them, we do not 
 conclude they are wholly unaccepted there^ 
 in, provided their lives correfpond with 
 their penitential profeffions; for we are 
 fenfible, the Lord is merciful, and graci- 
 ous in condefcenfion to human weaknefs. 
 But whilft any go on finning againft him 
 till he appear to (hake his rod, and then 
 think to commute by a day's fafting, a 
 tranfient confeflion, or a fhort-lived re- 
 
 « Mat.vi. 1 6, &c. 
 
 •I 
 
 pentancCj 
 
 [ 83 ] 
 
 pentance, we muft conclude with the pro- 
 phet, ^ ** This is not the faft the Lord hath 
 ** chofen/' The faft he calls for, is not a 
 temporary but a continual abftinence from 
 fin; it is not the keeping one day holy, 
 but, through his afliftance, keeping our^ 
 f elves holy every day. 
 
 Humility, faith, and obedience are al- 
 ways required. The practice of them at 
 particular times, and on particular occa- 
 fions, will not atone for the want of them 
 at all other times. * Bowing the head like a 
 bulrujhfor a day, is rejefted with contempt 
 by the Almighty. The wicked may, from 
 fear or policy, join in the obfervation of a 
 day, and be as devoutly exercifed, in ap- 
 pearance, as any, yet retain their vices; 
 but true and acceptable repentance inWudes 
 amendment, and a conftant walking be- 
 fore God in humble refignation and faith- 
 ful fubjediion to him. 
 
 The fupreme Lord of the whole crea- 
 tion, by his prophet, faith, *" " I will punifli 
 *^ the world for their evil, and the wicked 
 *' for their iniquity." Therefore every 
 publick diftrefs by which he fhews his dif- 
 pleafure, is an awful call to us, to remove 
 the caufe of his affliding vifitations. Dif- 
 trefs and pain came into the world through. 
 
 V Ifo. Iv. 
 
 * Ifa. Iviit. 
 F2 
 
 ^ Ifa. xiii. II. 
 
,«■ 
 
 [ 84 ] 
 
 fin, as a chaftifement for it, and that it 
 might lead men to repentance. No de- 
 votional obfervances whatever will excul- 
 pate the unrepenting finner; for while fm 
 remains, condemnation remains. The for- 
 faking of our iniquities, by turning to 
 God, and abiding in obedience to his holy 
 Spirit, is the only true proof of our effec- 
 tual humiliation, and the only courfe 
 wherein we are warranted to hope for re- 
 miffion. 
 
 Yet, though we concur not with the 
 generality in the exterior obfervation of 
 days and times merely of human appoint- 
 ment, we are fincerely concerned to de- 
 precate the divine judgments, and implore 
 mercy for all others as well as ourfelves. 
 Should we go further, and feem in outward 
 appearance formally to comply againft our 
 confciences, what would our hypocrify 
 avail ? It is npt our pleafing men, but 
 God, that can have any good effedl. 
 
 Let fuch as think well of it, keep a day 
 if they pleafe, but let them not feek, by 
 ill ufage, to enforce it upon thofe who be- 
 lieve every day ought equally to be fpent in 
 the fear of God. ' '' Haft thou faith", faith 
 theapoftle, ** have it to thyfelf beforeGod.*^ 
 Dq not ftrive to impofe thy belief upjon 
 
 [ 85 ] 
 
 others. " ** Let every man be fully per-. 
 ** fuaded in his own mind." Let each ad: 
 uprightly to his own confcience. " *« To 
 ** his own mafter he ftandeth or falleth." 
 Not to thee, who art but his fellow-crea- 
 ture, and equally accountable to God with 
 himfelf. 
 
 If the military forces of the government 
 ©btain a prefent advantage aver their ad- 
 verfaries, hadft not thou better be humbly 
 thankful, than madly rejoice and triumph? 
 If their enemies fucceed againft them, canft 
 not thou faft and pray, without letting 
 loofe an ignorant and furious zeal againft 
 thy peaceable neighbours, who are con- 
 fcientioufly reftrained from joining thee in 
 thy mode of devotional exercife ? 
 
 To oblige any to a conformity againft 
 confcience, is to force them to be infincerc 
 and hypocritical ; which is odious to God, 
 hurtful to the parties themfelves, and may 
 prove of evil confequence to the commu- 
 nity : for in whomfoever the barrier of a 
 good confcience is once broken down, 
 truth in proportion is laid wafte, and they 
 are in the way to become worfe fubjefts, 
 worfe neighbours, and worfe in all refpecls 
 than they might otherwife have been. For 
 fuch as have been brought to fupprefs or 
 
 * Rom. xiv. 22. 
 
 « Rom. xiv. 5. 
 
 • Ver. 4. 
 
 dthers. 
 
 ftiflc 
 
'I 
 
 t' ' 
 
 '•r 
 
 [ 86 ] 
 
 ilifle their Inward convidlions, have de- 
 llroyed the beft tie and ftrongeft obligation 
 to faithfulnefs, and are not fafely to be 
 trufted any farther than the compulfion 
 of power, and the penalties of law, can 
 reftrain them. Thole therefore who feek 
 to compel any againft confcience, aft in 
 oppofition to God's law, and are neither 
 real friends to true religion, to prince nor 
 people. 
 
 We are well apprized, that it is both 
 the principle and pradlice of the beft and 
 wifeft of thofe in authority under the pre- 
 fent eftablifhment, to a<fl with moderation 
 and clemency towards thofe who diflent 
 from them ; which is a Chriftian part, 
 and is gratefully accepted and acknow-% 
 Icdged by us. We therefore cannot attri- 
 bute the incivilities which, in divers places, 
 we have been treated with on account of 
 our confcientious noncompliance with 
 publick fafts and rejoicings, to the prin- 
 ciples of the national church, or to the 
 intention of the government ; but to fuch 
 heady and inconfiderate people as compofe 
 mobs, or encourage mobbing, either from 
 a malevolent^ or an idle fportive difpofi- 
 tion. 
 
 As the receiver is one with the thief, fo 
 is the abettor to be clafTed with the rioters, 
 and muft fliare with them in the guilt and 
 
 fcandal 
 
 [ 87 ] 
 
 fcandal of their unmanly abufes ; which 
 have generally appeared in driving ftones 
 through the windows, breaking doors, 
 Ihutters, and window frames, damaging 
 goods, terrifying families, and endanger- 
 ing the lives of breeding women, and fick 
 perfons, befides the difturbance given to 
 neighbourhoods, and the rifk of firing 
 
 them. 
 
 To cover the madnefs of thefe rude, il- 
 legal, and unchriftian infults, we have 
 been aiked, * If mifchief is committed in 
 
 * confequence of your nonconformity, is 
 
 * it not to be laid at your own doors ?' 
 One would have thought, a moment's re- 
 fledlion might have convinced the querifts, 
 that riot and outrage are no more the 
 fruits of our peaceable nonconformity, 
 than the mobbing that enfued upon the 
 preaching of the apoftles at Jerufalem, 
 Ephefus, Theflalonica, and other places, 
 was the genuine confequence of that re- 
 ligion they propagated and praftifed. Such 
 evil effefts are not to be attributed to 
 the occajions unjujily taken^ but to the true 
 caufe ofthem-y that undiftinguiftiing, wan- 
 ton, mifchievous fpirit of prejudice af- 
 cendant in thofe who would not permit 
 their fellow-fubjefts of a different fenti- 
 ment, the enjoyment of their religious 
 liberty. A fpirit that falls fo far fhort of 
 
 charity. 
 
 

 i 88 ] 
 
 charity, humanity, and decency, evidently 
 demonftrates its repugnance to tAe wifdom 
 that is from above ; which is Jirjl pure^ then 
 peaceabUy gentle, and eafy to be intreated^ 
 full of mercy and good fruits y without par^ 
 tiality, and without hypocrijy. Jam. iii. 17. 
 
 ''.•iiv 
 
 n 
 
 N 
 
 S.