YALE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

THE

5R0 KE N CISTERK)
AND THB
SPRINGING WELL:
"ft*
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HEAD NOTIONS, and HEART RELIGION*
¦ /,,;:y&E-Jk JANGLtNG, and SOUND DOCTRINE,
":'"•' .; 'jkt- iADDRESSED TO THE
*'
{Rev. JOHN .RYLAND, "Senior,.
AT ENFIELD,.
\_-_-  3  ^  ..
By WILLIAM JJUNTINGTON, S. S.
.^MINISTER OV THE, GOSPEL, AT PROVIDENCE CHAPEL ; AT MONK*
WELL STREET/MEETING; AND AT.HORSLE*;DOWN.
.fPOR ASlSNMJCH Ail YE ARE i MANIFESTLY DECJ.ARED To BE THE IPtSTlI
OF CHRIST, MMISTERBD fev'ui., WRITTEN NOT WITS INK, BUT WtTHt
- Tfc-tfE--8-FlR.IT OP-T-H-E LIVING tfob j N:OT 'OH TABLES OF BTtiN-E-, BUT IN
1 TH* FtKSHI.Y TABLES OF THE H E AR T.— OUR SUDFTC^N C Y fS OF GpPf
WHO HAT^H/VMADK US ABLE MINISTERS' OF THE NEW Tl*ST«MltNTi
5, T«OT OP TH^LETTER, BUT OF THE SPIRIT: FORtfHE LETTER KIL.
'JLE.TH, BWT THE SPIRIT Cl'XETHLIFE. „» CORi in. 3, 5, 6,
*::?! L O N D Q N-:
"J^itjted for G. TERte.af, N» 54, Paternoiter Row; J. DAVIDSON, N» 7,
' fdftern. Row," Tower Hill; J. Baker, N« 226, Oxford Street; and
Mr. James, $? 53, Tooley Street, Southward Sold, alio, at
"Iftq'vidence Chapel, Little Titchfield Street ; and at Morikwell Street
jfaringj; every Tuefday Evening.
.«, MDCCXCI,

PREFACE.

REVEREND SIR,
THE reafon of my addrelfing this to you, is
becaufe, fome time ago, you faid, (as I was
informed) in a barber's fhop, " That you had pre-
" pared a Pill for William Huntington-, and, if that
<c did not do, you would give him a Bolus."
Soon after which, your little Body of Divinity ap
peared, which I took to be the Pill j and, after that,
Antinomianifm Unmafked fell into my hands, which
I took to be the threatened Bolus. However, I could
not help fmiling, when I faw your Maid's name
affixed to it-r-I thought that that was done in order
to try my fagacity, or the ftrength of my eye-fight.
I perceived that there was a woman's name affixed
to it, and a man's voice fpeaking in it. I faid, " Come
" near to me, and let me handle thee, and fee whofe
."very child thou art; thou art called the handy-
" works of Efau, but the voice is the voice of Jacob,"
A a v However,

iv PREFACE.
However, the Maid affirms that, by a miraculous
conception, Ihe compaiTed this production without
the help of man; whereas, if family likeneffes ex
prefs or mean any thing, the firft nine or ten pages
will fpeak for themfelves. Many ofthe features of
this child are Mr. Ryland's own : he is known,
whether he appears in a Magazine or in this piece.
I think I may warrantably fay of thefe pages, as we
commonly fay of a long of feather-edge boards,
that it is the work of two; or of a pair df fawyers,
one on the top, and the other in the pit. The Maid,
by name, is the top woman ; but Mr. Ryland worked
under ground, There was a conjunction of heads
in the production of this pamphlet. This difcovers
itfelf in the feventh page, where the noun plural
appears — " We have taken a fhort but comprehen-
" five view of it, but who hath believed the report?"
It might have been rendered, our report. Now,
though I am no grammarian, yet I know that two
are more than one, and that We implies a plurality.
But it feems that Mr. Rybnd refufes to father this
little one, left it fhould be overlaid, or found dead:
but the Maid lays claim to the whole of it, having
no doubt that it is a living child. But I fay,
, " Divide

PREFACE. V
" Divide it, feeing the Girl has confefied to Mr.
" K — g, that it contains Mr. Ryland's fentiments."
You fhould be a little more private, reverend Sir,
in your matters, and not let your fecret things get
abroad, as they do. Your threatening me in the
barber's fhop; the former convention and council
againft me, when the ca — 's head fell in the afhess
the good works that appeared in your fervant, and.
another, when the Seventeenth S — b of Candour
went off in a fortnight at Iflington; your refilling
to fee any body but your Maid when this chick was
hatching from the egg; ,the printer's boy bringing
a proof to you at a friend's houfe, where you did
not expect him; your acknowledging to Mrs. Terry,
that you had a hand in the firft fquib that your Maid
difcharged at me, befides your own mode of writing
appearing in it — ferve to confirm me in my opinion
of it's having been a joint work.
The above hints I have dropped [a hint to the
wife is enough] only to let my friends know, that I
was privy to many of their fecret councils — Wift ye
not, that fuch a man as I can certainly divine?
I fuppofe your fervant thinks me not fo competent
a judge of phyfiognomy as herfelf, becaufe the an-
A 3 fwer

Vi f REP ACE.
fwer to the daughter's defence was addreffed to the
father ; but fhe feems to wonder that the anfwer to
the Maid's Majk fhould be addreffed to the Mafter.
However, this is agreeable to the only rule of life—
We are to do as we would be done by, for this is the
law and the prophets — and this method I have
adopted, and am determined to purfueit, until Mr.
Ryland's fervant can find fome other poft, or pillar,
(befides me) for the purpofe of beating her mats
and her dufier.
My doctrine, in this piece, is jumbled in as a
principal ingredient of a moft dreadful compofition;
and, like the poor man that fell among thieves, I am
ranked with a defperate gang. The c — 's h — d
that Maria tumbled into the afhes, did not cut a
worfe figure before Mr. Ryland, than I do in this
black company. However, I will pick my own
precious doctrine from this Bolus; and, as the good
Samaritan has fet me on his own beaft, I hope to
ride away from this gang. As to James Relly, I
know nothing of him; I never read any thing of
his. I got not my doctrine from man; it is not
after man. Nor will I defend any Antihomian
tenets but thofe that are found in the everlafting Gofpel j

PREFACE. Vii
Gofpel; nor vindicate any fort of Antinomians, but
thofe, and thofe only, who know the plague of their
own heart, and the healing balm of Chrift's blood;
who are born again of the Spirit of God, united to
Jefus, and who live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit,
and ferve God in the newnefs of the "Spirit, and not
in the oldnefs of the letter. This fort of Antinomi
ans I dearly love; and God loves them, becaufe they
love Jefus ; and it is in and by fuch that God ever
was, and ever will be, glorified.
I do believe in my heart, friend Ryland, that my
moft gracious God has given the Coalheaver a name
and a place among thefe bleffed ones : therefore do
not rank me among the chimney-fweepers; for I am
no friend to hypocrites, nor patron of the workers
of darknefs. As the doctrine that I preach is my
own, what God himfelf revealed to my heart at firft,
and which I have learnt fince out of no book but
the Bible ; I fhould like to difpute this point with
Mr. Ryland himfelf, and that by the Scriptures of
truth, and let the children of God at large judge of
our doctrine. I confider your age; andwili, God
enabling me, make ufe of all the Candour that I
am mafter of, fq as not to obfcure the rays, nor
A 4 blunt

Viii ' PREFACE.
blunt the force, of truth. I think I can do this witK
a good confcience, as it is in defence of my own
teftimony, and being commanded to contend ear-
neftly for the faith, and to preach the Gofpel ; while
your contention is for the Law.
In my anfwer to this, I fliall make my remarks
chiefly on thofe paffages that are levelled at me, and -
which contradict the doctrine that I have learntj
and fubmit them to your judgment, and expect your
reply. But, if you fet your Maid to work, you muft
expect, and fhall have, the anfwer addreffed to your
felf. God fays, The fpirit of the prophets is Jubje£I
to the prophets, but not to maid-fervants. My bufi
nefs is, and fhall be, with the Mafter, not with the
Maid. — If Mr. Lovegrove has nothing to do with
his money but to employ it in this way, he had
better diftribute it to the poor. A hint is enough.
I fliall add no more by way of preface, but conclude,
- Reverend Sir,
Your ready and willing Antagonift, > \
In Zion's Controverfy,
WILLIAM HUNTINGTON.

THE

BROKEN CISTERN,

AND THE

SPRINGING WELL.

Quotation.
"What think ye of Christ? Matt. xxii. 41.
«' /^V F all the queftions which it is poflible to propofe to
^— * " mankind, this is one of the moft important:
** upon the right knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
" depends the happinefs and f .lvation of men. This is Ufe
" eternal, to know Thee, the only true God; and Jefus Chrifl,
«' whom Thou hafl fent, John, xvii. 3. If our acquaintance
« with polite literature and the fciences is deficient, our lofs
' *« will be trivial. If we are miftaken, or even deceived, in
" fuch matters, the miftake or deception will not be attended
" with much danger or damage ; but a deficiency, a miftake,
K a deception, in the knowledge ofthe Lord Jesus Christ,
" cannot but be accompanied by the moft fatal confequen-
<c ces. Eternity hangs upon it."
Answ. Doft thou believe on the Son of God? —
is a greater queftion than that. For whatever
thoughts, knowledge, or notions, men may get in
their

12 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
the finner one plea to urge why it fhould ,not be
ipeedily executed : his mouth is flopped, and he is
become guilty before God. Such a finner fees and
feels that God is ftridtly juft: here all his former
notions, of a God all mercy, forfake him and flee.
The truth of God is no lefs terrible to the finner
than his juftice. He fees that God has fpoken and
revealed his wrath againft fin, and pronounced his
curfe upon every tranfgreffor ; and has declared,
that he will not clear the guilty. And true to his own
honour, and to the word that is gone out of his lips,
he muft be. Hence the poor finner fees no way of
efcape : he makes confeffion ; he cries for mercy ;
he makes ufe of every argument he is mafter of; he
turns his feet to the teftimony, and makes hafte, and
delays not, to keep the commandment ; he makes
v the Law Iris only rule of life, walk, and conduct;
and, in good earneft, fets about the performance of
every duty that appears right to him, in hope of
inclining his Maker to be propitious. But here the
immutability of God appears : he finds that " God is
" of one mind, and none can turn him; and what
" his foul defireth, that he doth." This deftroys
his former notion of God's being mutable, and alto
gether fuch an one as himfelf. He is obliged to
acknowledge, that " with God is terrible majefty;"
and, as touching the Almighty, and his ways,, he
cannot find him out. A finner

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. IJ
A finner thus arraigned, and impreffed with the
holinefs, juftice, truth, and immutability, of God,
is at his wit's end. " He is like a wild bull in a net,
" full of the fury and the rebukes of his Maker."
Every wound flightly healed is laid open; every
avenue, or falfe retreat, cut off; righteoufnefs and
holinefs, by the Law, are altogether defpaired of;
and the way to heaven by works, whether in whole
or in part, for ever clofed.
Thus far the finner learns, in the Law, to know
the only true God; and this leffon prepares him for
the new, living, and confecrated Way, through the
Vail. And thus to ufe the Law, is ufing it lawfully;
for it is not made for a righteous man, but for the
lawlefs and difobedient, for the ungodly, and for
finners: " For we know," fays Paul, " that what-
" foever the Law faith, it faith to them that are
" under the Law, that every mouth may be flopped,
{t and the whole world become guilty before God."
Pointing finners to a Phyfician, who never felt their
ficknefs, and efpqufing them to Chrift before their
firft hufband be dead, is leading chem into adultery.
A finner who thus learns of the Father cometh unto
Chrift, to whom none can come except the Father
draw them.
The finner's face is no fooner turned Zion-ward,
than the ftorm appears at his back ; which is fweetly
abated by a ftill voice behind him, which intimates,
that he is now in the way. Dying Love, by the
Spirit,

14 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Spirit, echoes from the cfofs to his confcience;
'which is anfwered again by the voice of Faith,
but fo unintelligibly, that the finner can hardly
underftand it, though the foul feels the effects of it.
At this the heart begins to lofe it's native hardnefs,
and gradually opens and enlarges; while: every fa
culty of the foul is upon the watch, and every
thought of the heart intent upon the ftrange emo
tion; until the bleffed Spirit of God conveys a
divine unction to the underftanding, and propofes
a crucified Saviour to the finner, as the only object
of hope, and teftifies of him as fuch. With a long
ing eye the poor finner looks, and with a trembling
heart, and a wavering faith, longs, and begs of God
to bring him near, and reveal his Chrift in him.
" As the eye of a man upon the hand of his mafter,
" and as the eye of a maid on the hand of her
" miftrefs, fo the finner's eye waits upon God until
" he hath mercy upon him."
His face being Zion-ward, Zion-ward he looks,-
for " out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God
" fhines :" and into the finner's heart he fhines,
to give him " the light of the knowledge of the
" glory of God in the face of Jefus Chrift." And
in this glorious ray the Saviour defcends to the
finner's heart, and God reveals his Son in him.
When the voice of atoning Blood at once, drowns all
the thundering fentences of Sinai, and filences every
accufation in that tremendous court of judgment, the

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 1$
the finner feels himfelf with Go4 at the Mercy-feat,
where the righteous [in Chrift] may difpute with him,
andfo be delivered for ever from their Judge, (Job,
xxiii. 6, 7.) unlefs he permits the bond-children to
bring him again into bondage.
The finner found the Righteoufnefs and Truth of
God in the Law, which opened his ear to difcipline;
and now, in Chrift, he finds Mercy and Peace in
harmony with Truth and Righteoufnefs; where
Mercy and Truth met, there God reconciled, and
the true penitent, meet; and where Righteoufnefs
and Peace kiffed each other, there the Father kiffes
the Prodigal, and the Prodigal kiffes the King of
Peace. This is the man that hath efcaped the mount that
might not be touched, and that burneth with fire,
and is gone from blacknefs, and darknefs, and tempefty
and from the found of a trumpet, and from the voice
ef words; and is come to Mount Zion, where the Sa
viour reigns — and unto the city of the living God,
which he has chofen, founded, and built, and where
he dwells; even to the heavenly Jerufalem, the mar
ried wife, the free woman, and the mother of every
free-born fon — and to an innumerable company of an
gels, who were elected by the Father, confirmed in
their Handing by the Saviour, and who are the re
tinue of the Lord, miniftering fpirits to the heirs of
promife, and the fellow-fervants of the faints — and
to the general affembly, both of Jews and Gentiles—
And to the church of the firfl-born, which the Elder
Brother

l6 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Brother bought with his blood, arrays in his righte
oufnefs, and fanctifies by his blood and Spirit; and
which confifts of firft-born fons,' heirs of promife,
and of the grace of life; whofe names are written in
heaven, in the Lamb's book of life, being ordained
to eternal life, or predeftinated both to grace and
glory — and to God, the Judge of all, as reconciled in
Chrift, and who is the juftifier of him that believeth
in Jefus' — and to the fpirits of juft men made p erf e Si t
under the influence of the fame Spirit of promife,
and in union with the fame Covenant Head; — and to
Jefus, the Mediator of the new covenant, who purges
the fins of his people, who hath made peace by thfe
blood of his crofs, and who proclaims it, and main
tains it in all his realrii; whofe kingdom is not of
this world — and to the blood of fprinkling-, that fpeaks
pardon, peace, reconciliation, friendfhip with God,
and accefs to him.  This-, this, is the man, that
fpiritually, unctiibufly, and experimentally, knows
the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath
fent, whom to know is eternal life. And fuch an
one has life hid with Chrift in God; he has life in
his Covenant Head; he has laid hold on eternal
life by faith ; he has life in the promife, and life and
immortality are brought to light in his foul ; he is
alive, and lives by the faith of the Son of God;
and has a lively hope, fure and ftedfaft, and which
anchors within the vail. A collection

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 17
A collection of notions in the head is like ji
broken ciftern that can hold no water; but fuch a
favoury .knowledge of Chrift, by the Spirit in the
heart, as this, is a fpringing well; and fuch an one
fhall grow in grace, and in knowledge too. This
fpring works up, and carries off the unfavoury lees
of the old cafk, and the lurking leaven of felf-
righteoufnefs, legal pride, and hypocrify; together
with the loathfome fediment of felf-confidence and
ielf-feeking; and as it purifies the heart, fo it puri
fies the fpeech. God turns to his people a pure lan
guage, that they may call upon his name, and ferve
him with one confent. Thus counfel in, the heart,
not in the head, is as deep waters, and the words
of wifdom as a flowing brook. This bleffed fpring
rifing up within purifies and renews the fpirit ofthe
mind, and carries it up to heavenly things, where it
enjoys both life and peace, and is entertained with
frefh difcoveries of covenant love, and folaced
with refrefhings from the prefence of the Lord.'
This is a knowledge, Sir, which no hypocrite could
ever attain, and which falfe apoftates never knew.
Head notions are like a Handing pool in the midft
of fummer, neither fweet nor clear-, and, therefore,
require a good deal of learning, floWery rhetoric,
empty oratory, pompous fpeech, fwelling words,
and cunning craftinefs, in order to decorate, garnifh,
' and fet them off: but thefe things do not feed the
poor hungry foul. This book having treated of
B the,

l8 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
the knowledge of Chrift, but not defcribed anf
part of it; it then proceeds to mention the doctrine
of the Trinity, and the characters, &c. of the Lord
Jefus, by collecting a number of Scripture texts,
which are better read in the Bible than in thi*
book, for here is nothing defcribed nor explained
in it.
All the head notions of the glorious Trinity that
men can attain to will never keep Satan out of the
heart, nor hold the foul in a ftorm. The real
Chriftian has got the work of a Trinity of Perfons
On his own foul. He that loves, dwells in God, and
God in him: fuch an one hath fellowfhip with the
Father; and he that enjoys pardon, reft, and fblid
peace, in his Saviour, by virtus of heart-felt union
with him, has fellowfhip with the Son, and has fel
lowfhip with the Spirit; who communicates know
ledge, comfort, and joy, to him; who maintains
his ftanding in faith, his foul in hope, and his hope
in expectation of future glory; who helps his in
firmities in prayer, ftrengthens him with might in
his weaknefs, bears teftimony to his adoption," feali
him with a comfortable affurance, and operates
upon him as an earneft of the future inheritance.
He is a witnefs and proof of his eternal election^
and a pledge of eternal glory : he reveals the fecret
of heaven to him, and leads him into a ftate of
friendfhip and familiarity with God ; he makes.
known to his foul the good-will of God in Chrft
Jefus,'

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 19
Jefus, and makes him obedient thereto by faith;
enables him to ftand faft therein, and that'with an
holy boldnefs, in unfeigned faith, in unprefuming
confidence, and in undiffembled love; which no
Arian, no Bond-child, no Socinian, no Sebellian,
no Antinomian, no Arminians nor any other fpecies
of hypocrites, ever experienced, felt, or enjoyed.
This doctrine, Sir, confounds the wife, and puz
zles the prudent: it makes devils, roar, and im
poftors rage •, it drives the Pharifee from his fandy
foundation, the hypocrite from his falfe hope, and
the veffel of wrath from his anchorage ; it difcovers
the rottennefs of hypocrites in Zion, and makes
diviners mad; it makes a novice in the pulpit look
like an actor on the ftage, and the writings of grace-
lefs fouls like old Mother Shipton's Prophecy.
Under this divine teaching, the productions of
carnal men are all thrown to the bats: a dry fyftem
in the brain appears a broken wheel at the ciftern,
a noify and empty profeffion, a rattle for prating
fool^: .and all the pleafures, honours, and riches, of
this world, like the drop of a bucket, or the duft
of a balance.
Quot. " The Scriptures teftify of the Lord Jefus that
" he is a Redeemer."
Answ. Notions of redemption in the head will
not do, reverend Sir; we muft enforce the. expe
rience of it. The elect finner is led to the Foun-
B 2 tain

Ce THE BROKEN CISTERN,
tain open ; his confcience is purged from guilt and
dead works by an application of the blood of fprink
ling; he is redeemed from the bondage of the law,
from a vain converfation, and from among men.
No man can fing of redemption without an appli
cation : No man could learn that fong but the hun
dred and forty and four thoufand, which were re
deemed from among men. " IPs," and " But's," and
" We truft," and " I think," will not anfwer the
purpofe here: head notions will not do to join in
this chorus; faith in the heart is required. cc He
" hath redeemed us out of every nation, tongue,
" and people; and. made us kings and priefts unto
" God ; , and zve fliall reign on the earth.'"
Quot. " The Sciiptures alfo fpeak of the Lord Jefus
'" under the dignified character of a King, &c."
Answ. When the Saviour comes to manifeft
himfelf to the hearts of his own elect, he comes in
his all-conquering chariot : he appears with his
fword upon his thigh, and no lefs than the Most
Mighty in his own glory and majefty. This the
finner is foon convinced of, when the point of his
fword reaches the caul of his heart, and the arrows
of his quiver ftick faft in his confcience, whereby
the people fall under him, and put their mouths in
the duft, to' obtain a hope in his mercy. A finner,
thus fubdued by Omnipotence, ftumbles not at the
Saviour's Godhead ; nor does he want any man to
teach

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 21
teach him that Jefus is a King. The King of Zion
makes a triumphant entrance imo the finner's heart,
binds the ftrong man, difarms the devil of his in
fernal panoply, and cafts him both from his fort-
royal and palace. The Spirit of faith operates and
gives the Saviour a dwelling within, while the
manifeftations of dying love raife him to fupre-
macy in the affections. When every thought is
brought into captivity to the obedience of Chrift,
his righteous fceptre is fwayed in the foul, and peace
is proclaimed in the principality of confcience'; when
the New Covenant, or the laws of faith, truth, and
the perfect law of liberty, are by God the Holy
Ghoft written on the flefhly tables of the heart.
This is the man that is a loyal fubject of Zion's
King: the kingdom of God is within him, he is
under the reign of Grace, and is well acquainted
with his rightful Sovereign. All fhort of this is
nothing but word: this ftands in power. The other
is head notions : this is heart religion, and can never
be rooted up or deftroyed.
Quot. " Procuring redemption and remiflion of fins
*' through the effufion of his blood, offering himfelf up a
" facrifice to God, to make reconciliation, and purchafe an
" atonement:" Answ. I believe the elect were redeemed by the
blood of Chrift; that an atonement was made by
his facrifice alone; that peace was made by the
B 3 blood

%% THE BROKEN CISTERN,
blood of his croft ; that we are pardoned, recon-t
ciled, and made nigh, by the fame; and that the
church was bought with that price: but as to a
purchafed atonement, the Bible , knows nothing
about. " Who this ftinking Antinomian is- — who needs
" no inward holinefs; not Chrift in his heart, the
" hope of glory; nor fruits of the Spirit; and whofe
" faith takes in all the world, and who denies that
" there is any elect at all;" — I know not. Thefe
wretches are no relations of mine: I will fcrape no
acquaintance, I will claim no kindred, with finners
and hypocrites in Zion ; nor with them that hold
the truth in unrigh teoufnefs, nor with them who
contend for the law as the only rule of life (which
reqnires love to God and the neighbour) and they
pretend to a great meafure of both, and appear in
friendfhip; give you the right-hand of fellowfhip,
blefs your labours, declare publicly their great love
and high opinion of you, as a lover of the Lord
Jefus; and, at the fame time, are working under
ground with all manner of guile, deceit, hypocrify,
and deceivablenefs of unrighteoufnefs, on purpofe
to blow up both your reputation and ufeful nefs.
Friend Cofcience, make thy application ! This is
no part of my religion : 1 am no friend to bufh-
fighting. or fhooting in fecret; I love plain dealing.
God dealt plainly with me; and in my office he
makes me deal plainly with others. Open rebuke is
better

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 1%
letter than fecret love: then how much better than
fecret guile, which is fo contemptible, that a perfon
accufed of it is rendered an unfit member of a
fociety of pick-pockets, and condemned as a traitor,
by a gang of thieves ! However wrong the Anti
nomian may be, this book is not likely to fet him
right. Quot. " He denies vital, experimental, perfonal union,
•' wrought in the foul by faith."
Answ. This any man may do, and be found in
the truth too. If faith can work a vital, experi
mental, perfonal union, in the foul, one would think
that faith itfelf muft be a divine perfon, becaufe it is
the efficient or working agent of vital union, which is
what none but God can work. The bond of union
is God's everlafting love to us in Chrift Jefus; and
it is the Giver of Chrift, and of faith too, and only
Him, that can work this union in us. As it is
written— And the Lord thy God will circumcife thine
heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that
then mayeft live, Deut. xxx. 6. At the time of this
circumcifion, the love of God is fhed abroad in the
heart by the Holy Ghoft, which is given to us; and
him that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and
God in him. This is bringing the finner fenfibly
into the bond of the Covenant; which bond is the
bond of eternal union with the Covenant-Head:
B 4 for ¦

24 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
for it is under the influence of Divine Love that the
believer is joined to the Lord, and made 'one Spirit
with him. The bond of all perfefinefs <is 'not our
faith in God, "but God's eterrtal love to us., The
former is not the efficient of the latter, but the
former is the effect of the latter. Love and faith
are both fruits of the Spirit ; but, as charity . is
greater than either faith or hope, it is not likely the
leffer fhould work the greater. Faith is the evi
dence of things not fee,,, and the fubftance of things
hoped for; but full poffeffion wants no ey'. dence,
and things feen and enjoyed need no hope, The
bond of union will be the fweeteft, and in full per
fection, when thefe ceafe: for faith, works by love,3
and the exercife of it works >or produces patience j .
but it never works union, Mr, Ryland muft know
better than this,
Quo't. " The Lord Jefus Chrift is made of God fan Hi-,
*' f.cation to his people, as he is their great Heaa of In-
"fluence; who imparts to 'every member of his myftical
" body, by virtue of his kingly office, his Holy Spirit, to
" fanctify and make them holy iri their own proper per-
'<¦ fons." Answ. Jefus Chrift is made fantJification to his
people in his prieftly office. He affumed our na
ture, he bore our names ; and, by his offering, made
an atonement for us as a Prieft. He bore our fins,
he removed our fins, he blotted out our fins, he
Purged

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 25
-purged our fins, and that in his prieftly office, to
-which the making atonement belonged. Chrift is
made fanStificatitm to us, by executing his Father's
will in the offering up of himfelf as a ficrifice: By
the which will we are sanctified through the offer
ing of the body of Jefus once for all. For by one
¦offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
fancJified. Wherefore Jefus, that he might fantlify
the' people with his own blood, fuffered without the
gate. If all this be true, then Chrift is, in his
prieftly office, by virtue of his one offering, the
fanclification of his people, and that by the will of
God : and if he hath, by one offering, perfy£ied for'
ever them that zxe fanclified ; it mult folio w/th.t, in
his prieftly office, he is the perfeel fan tltfi cation of his
people; and they were made nigh by the blood of
Chrift, before they were brought nigh by effectual
calling. This work was finifhed upon t, e crofs ;
and the believer is compleat in Him chat finifhed ir,
and without fault before the Throne; on which ac
count, he is faid to be fanffified' in Chrift Jefus,
.1 Cor. i. %.
Hence it appears, that if not by imputation he is
made fanSiificatibn, by the will and' purpofe of God
he is; who, in the bond of an everlafting Covenant,
united us together and made us one, as furety and
debtor are one. Chrift was made a curfe, but we
were bleffed in him; he was held by the hand, of
¦¦tjuftice, but we were let go free j the chaftifement fell

¦e5 THE broken cistern,
fell on him, and peace fell to us-, he was ftriped,
and we were healed; our old man was crucified
with him, and we were viewed new creatures in
him; he died, but we lived; he was the facrifice,
and the atonement was ours. Thus, by the will
and purpofe of God, he was made Sanctification;
and, by his one offering, he hath perfected for ever
them' that are fanctified. But, as to internal fancti-
fication, it is the work of the Third Perfon in the
Trinity: as it is written, Thy.t the offering up of the
Gentiles might be acceptable, being fanclified by the
Holy Ghoft, Rom. xv. 16, i
Quot. " By his juftifying righteoufnefs he faves them
" from the guilt and condemnation of fin — which are the
*' two firft propofitions I laid down—- and this relates to his
" prieftly office, and is that which gives them a title to
" heaven," Answ. Why is the juftifying robe of righteouf.
hefs, which the Saviour wrought out, confined to his
prieftly office? A Prieft under the Law was not
bound by his office to clothe the tribes of Ifrael,
nor to pay their debts: it was wrought out by
Chrift in his office, as Surety, who undertook to pay
the debt of perfect obedience to the Law; and the im
putation of it to the debtor is the fovereign work of
the Great Creditor, who took the Surety from pri-
fon and from judgment, when the total fum to pre
cept and penalty was paid. And to us it fhall be
imputed,

and the springing well. 47
imputed, if we believe on him who raifed up our Lord
Jefus Chrift from the dead. By which fovereign act
of Divine clemency, difplayed by imputation, the
debtor is not only difcharged; but, by virtue of this
Righteoufnefs on him, and the Spirit of Promife
given to him, the righteoufnefs of the Law is fulfilled
in him> while he walks not after fhe flefh, but after
the Spirit.
Qtjot. " She fhall not only be clear as the fun in her
,c juftification, but fhe fhall alfo be fair as the moon in her
"fandtification." Answ. The Church has been brought from
tinder the moon-light difpenfation ever fince the
Sun of Righteoufnefs rofe from the dead, and be
gan to fliine out of Zion, the Perfection of Beauty,
The Gofpel Church is reprefented as having the
Moon under her feet, which is a very improper place
for her fanctification ; for, furely, her inward glory
is not to be trampled upon.
Quot. " This faith unites the foul to the Lord Jefus
" Chrift ; and, the moment the believer is made partaker
*' of it, he becomes one Spirit with the Lord."
Answ. In a late Quotation, faith was faid to
work a vital union; but, in this place, faith has pro
duced itfelf to be the uniting bond — and a very
weak one at beft, and will laft no longer than death.
The

2§ THE BROKEN CISTERN,
The faints die in faith; but we hear nothing of this
worker of union, nor of this uniting bond, nor of any
ties, ox feats of faith, beyond the grave.
Qijot. " This faith makes Chrift precious; // purifies
" his heart, and conftrains him to hate fin, becaufe of it's
" deformity ; becaufe it is Chrift's enemy, and crucified
" him ; and becaufe Chrift abhors it, and a Triune God
" abhors it. It conftrains him to love holinefs for it's own
" beauty and excellent."
Answ. For my part, I believe that, and that
only, which conftrains aman to hate fin, is the love
of the Almighty to him; which, and only which,
can produce a godly forrow for fin, and a hatred to
it. — When I was on the brink of black defpair un
der the Law, I had a clear view and a ftrong faith
in the holinefs, juftice, and beauty, of God. The
excellence of thefe, however, did not attract my love,
but drove me to dt-fperation and madnefs. I pitied
myfelf, loved fin in my heart, and wifhed that there
were no God at all. Bur, when pardoning Love
operated upon my grief and forrow, and produced
repentance never to be repented of, then I loved
the Lord with all my heart and foul; not becaufe
he was hcly and beautiful, but becaufe. of his good
nefs, loving-kindnefs, tender mercy, pity, and com
panion, to fuch a curfed wretch as I was. The
Apoftles loved God, becaufe he firft loved them;
Mary loved much, becaufe fhe had much forgiven ;
a'nd

AND .THE SPRINGING WELL. Ir)
and the Pfalmift loved the Lord, becaufe he had
heard the voice of his weeping, and had forgiven
the iniquity of his fin. If perfons were to publifh a
thoufand volumes of fuch head notions as thefe,
heart religion would ever contradict them all. Ic
is not enough for authors to know the Scriptures,
they muft know the power of God alfo.
Quot. " Faith gives the foul viSlory over fin, and Satarj,
" and the world."
Answ. If Faith can do this, I fhould have no-
objection to fall down- and worfhip it. But I be
lieve that cc Chrift overcame the world, and bids
" me be of good cheer on that account;" and the
fame Conqueror muft " give me power to tread on
" ferpents, fcorpions, and all the power ,of the
*' enemy," or elfe they would foon be too much for
me. If ever I am made more than a conqueror, it
muft be through him that hath. loved me. My
'faith is fo far from giving me this vitlory, that I am
obliged to employ faith in every time of trouble;,
to go with meffages, with petition after petition,
till the Lord's ftrength, in anfwer to Faith's prayer,
be made perfect in my weaknefs. Inftead of Faith's
giving this victory, the believer is obliged to lay
hold of Chrift's ftrength, in order to keep his faith
from finking. I know the Apoftle fays, that this is
the vitlory that overcometh fhe world, even our Faith;
and that faith is a prevailing Grace. But the Cb- jecl

*|C) THE BROKEN CISTERN,
je5i of faith, and the ffttm of faith, are chiefly in
tended in that paffage — the Objecl of faith, becaufe
he has already obtained the victory, and led captivity
captive— the fyftem of faith, becaufe eternal victory
is promifed and given in that fyftem. They that
overcome, do it by the blood of the Lamb, and the
word of their teftimony. By the former, it is obtained
for us; in the latter, it is promifed to us.
QuoT. " In this way the Lord Jefus Chrift fanctifies
" his people, and actually faves them from the love and
*' power of fin."
Answ. I am glad to hear that there are profeffors
in the Church who have preffed forward, and are
got fo nigh to perfection ; and I believe it is true
with refpect to the inner man. But, for my own parr
I. will openly confefs, that although I can find in
myfelf a principle thatoppofes, refills, and, at times,
ftrongly and fenfibly detefts and hates all fin, and I
loathe myfelf on the account even of the workings
of it; yet I find that, with my flefh, I not only "love,
but in many things ferve the law of fin ; which the
contrary principle neither roots up, deftroys, nor
perfectly keeps under. I believe that fin fliall never
be my ruin; and that the fovereign fway, or rei~n-
'wg power of fin, is deftroyed in my foul; and that
the feed of God, or the new creature produced by a
fpiritual birth in me, will never love fin: yet thelife

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 3*
life and power that I feel in the perpetual ftrugglings
of fin, are fufiicient to lay all my honour in the duft;
and torfend me, with humble confeffion, confufion
of face, and contrition of heart, to God, in fecret
prayer, from year's end to, year's, end. And there
are many fins in the world, which in an unguarded
hour, and in an infenfible frame, are prefented to my
foolifh heart a fweet morfel — and, perhaps, if all was
known, the compilers of this book can defcribe no
more experience of the protecting power of God,
no more trophies of abftaining from fin, or victory
^ovfer it, nor any more ocular demonftrations of an
averfion to it, than William Huntington.
Quot. " Holinefs of heart and life is indifpenfably ne-
" ceffary to enable the believer to maintain communion and
« fellowfhip with God."
s<
AnSw. But the great queftion is, Where this
holinefs of heart and life is to be had, in order to
maintain this fellowfhip ? For my part, I find no
other way of obtaining holinefs, either in heart or
life, but by enjoying union and communion with
Chrift. So that holinefs is the effect of union,
according to my feelings; and which I find no other
way of keeping up, but by fervent prayer in private,
humble confeffion, reading, meditating, and dili
gence in the ufe of means. Pointing to holinefs in
heart and life, in order to maintain communion and
fellowfhip, is always the method of thofe who deal; in

3 2 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
in the letter; but thofe who are acquainted with
Jefus by the Spirit, and who know the Spirit's
work, have not fo learned Chrift — they tell the be
liever to hold faft the Head, and that he can do
nothing without him — and to abide in the Vine is
the dnly way to bring forth much fruit.
This book treats largely about the words Sancti
fication and Holinefs — but it is all forced : there is
no one part of it that flows from a favoury, unctuous
experience in the heart; nor yet from the power,
influence, or enjoyment, of the Spirit upon the foul.
The whole of it is extorted, preffed, and fqueezed,
from the letter of Scripture; moulded together by
the dint of human wifdom ; and unnaturally deco
rated with a little fulfome, flowery rhetorick, re
flected from the natural ingenuity of others. I am
not alone in my judgment; Confcience, when this
book was written, bore the fame honeft teftimony.
Counfel in the heart is as deep waters, and the words
of Wifdom a flowing brook — but this Treatife came
not from the Spring, but from the prefs.
QuoT. " Sanctification, then, it appears from the word
" of God, is a perfonal thing, wrought upon the foul by th?
" power ofthe Holy Ghoft."
Answ. That which made Canaan the Holy Land
Jerufalem the Holy City, the Temple the Holy
Place, and Tabor the Holy Mount, was the prefence and

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 23
and appearance of the Holy One there; and that
which makes a man an holy man, is the indwelling
and perpetual abiding of the Holy Ghoft in him.
He is the Spirit of Power in the will; the Spirit of
Love in the affections ; the Spirit of Revelation in
the mind ; the Spirit of Illumination in the under
ftanding; the Spirit of Faith in the heart; the Spirit
of Judgment to them that fit in judgment, and of
Strength to them that turn the battle to the gate;
and is an infallible witnefs in the confcience. He
creates the fruit of the lip, is a watch, before the
mouth, and gives motion to the tongue. He pro
duces a filial fear in the heart, and fets the Object
of fear before the eyes. He bars both heart and
ears againft the pretenflons of deceivers, and attends
the found with joy to the heart when a child of
Wifdom bears his teftimony. He gives both incli
nation and motion to the whole man; actuates the
hands to honeft labour, and fhakes them from difhoneft
gain. He teaches the eye to watch the goodnefs of
God that paffes before the faint, and fweetly con
ftrains him to purfue the leadings of Providence,
and the footfteps of Faith. He is a free Spirit
among the free-born fons of Zion, a Spirit of unity
to all that are within the bonds of the Covenant,
and makes the heart of a believer leap for joy at the
rapturous falutation of a heaven-born foul. The
elect, as confidered in Chrift, were fanctified from
eternity in the purpofe of God; and their fanctifica-
C tion

^4 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
tion was held forth in the promife of God; and irt
their Covenant Head they were fanctified, when he
offered up himfelf; and by the word of truth, when
applied to the heart, or they are clean through the '
word fpoken to them; and they are fanctified by the
indwelling pf the Holy Ghoft, as abovedefcribed.
But, as to Sanctification which is called a perfonal
thing, wrought upon the foul by the power of the
Holy Ghoft, I know nothing of, nor this Book-
neither — yet I declare before God, that notwith-;
ftanding all the calumny, reproach, hard names,
and bad fpirit, with which I am loaded and charged,:'
I would not exchange what Chrift has done for my
foul, and by his Spirit wrought in me, and done by
me, for all the fanctification of this book; nor for
all the perfonal holinefs, fruitfulnefs, and good
works,- of five hundred fuch Authors, put them alt
together. QyoT. " From thefe two jarring principles, ia oppofite
c^ to each other, proceeds a continual warfare. Sometimes i
" Divine Grace treads Indwelling Sin under it's feet, and
" then the Chriftian is holy, humble, and happy in his God-.
" At other times, Sin roufes up all it's powers, attempts to
" fhake off the yoke, and even prevails fo far as to take the
" new man captive ; and then the Chriftian groans, being >
" burdened." Page 31.
Answ. If this be true, the Chriftian may well groan.
And how can the believer himfelf be really delivered from

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. -J5
ffom the love and dominion of all fin, (according to
a former quotation) if the feed of God, the production
of the Holy Ghoft, the new man of grace, falls under
the prevailing power of fin, and is taken captive?
Sin is Satan's ally, but the new man is in clofe alli
ance with the Spirit; of God. The ftrong mart armed
muft, therefore, overcome Him that is ftronger than
he, and regain his loft poffeffion, before this new
man, this principle of grace, which is to reign through
righteoufnefs, can be conquered, by the prevailing
power of fin, fo as to be taken captive. The diftinc
tion here between the believer, and the feed of God in
him, is this : the believer is delivered from the power of
fin, but grace is taken captive by fin. To fpeak with
out irony, and without lightnefs, I do believe in my
confcience, that perfons who learn notions, and a
wild cant, from the letter of the Scriptures, and
from the people of God ; and who darken and con
found every thing they learn, being ignorant, and
deftitute of the power of God; and who get into
a profeffion of religion, and publifh fuch ftrange
gibberifh as this, and blend the facred names of
SanBification and the Holy Ghoft with their own fubtle
inventions — are guilty at fpiritual wickednefs ; and
their fin, in the great day^ will be found to be more
dreadful than that ofthe openly profane curfers and
fwearers, who never once troubled themfelves or in
terfered with religion. And fure I am, that the
aims and ends of fuch people can be nothing but
C 2 feeking

^6 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
feeking honour from the blind and ignorant, and a
livelihood in idlenefs ; to perplex and puzzle feeking
finners, and to oppofe and blacken thofe whom God
has fent to lead them. i
Quot. " The next thing I mean to confider, is that
" grand Antinomian tenet, that the Moral Law has ceafed
" to be the rule of a believer's conduct, as rnuch as it has
" ceafed to pe a covenant of works."
Answ. My reader will obferve here,, that the only
rule of life is now termed the rule of conduil. Pray,
does the Author, or do the Authors of this book,
make the Moral Law the rale of their conducl? Do
they labour fix days, and do all they have to do?
Do they keep holy every Saturday, not doing their
own works, nor finding their own pleafure, nosr
fpeaking their own words, on that day? Do they
teach them diligently ? Do they talk about this law
when they fit in their houfe, when they walk by the
way, when they fit down, and when they rife up?
Do they bind them for a fign upon their hands, and
wear them as frontlets between their eyes? Do they
Write them upon the pofts of their houfe, and upon
their gates? Deut. vi. Do you love God whom you?
have not feen, when you knowingly endeavour to
injure his children (in his own work) whom you
have feen ? Or, is loving in word, inftead of deed,
the love that the Law requires ? Do you not take
the name of God in vain, when you pretend to the
operations-

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 21
operations of the Holy Ghoft, and tell us, that a
" partaker of grace is delivered from the power of
" fin, but that the grace of God is prevailed over and
iC taken captive by fin?" Do you not kill, when you
bear enmity againft the juft without caufe, and be
gin and practife hypocrify againft thofe that never
meddled with you; and fhoot in fecret at thofe
whom God has called, commiffioned, owned., and
bleffed; and whofe life and conduct exceed that of
your own, Confcience and yourfelves being judges?
And if yourfelves are fo holy, fo filled with over
coming faith, fo infallible in judgment, and fo fanc
tified in life ; how is it that you do no good in your
day and generation ? What fruits, or effects, appear
by ocular demonftration, either in yourfelves or your
pupils ? Do you ever return in the power of the
Spirit? or, is the fame of you ever fpread abroad in
.any other way but by the found of your own trumpet?
Do you not commit adultery, while you pretend to
an union with the Bridegroom of the Church, when
you can giye no account. of the death of your firft
hufband? Do you not fteal away the name of a
¦minifter of the Spirit, in whom the righteoufnefs of
the Law is fulfilled, and palm him with the name
of Antinomian, becaufe he does not fay what the
wprd of God never declared to be any one part of
the confeffion of his faith? Do you not bear a falfe
witnefs, when you artfully reprefenrthofe as minifters
of fin whom God has made minifters of righteouf-
C 3 nefs?

2% THE BROKEN CISTERN,
nefs ? Do you ftand clear in any of thefe things — ¦
Do you love your neighbour as yourfelf, when you
fpeak fair to his face; wifh him fuccefs ; exprefs
your love to him, and readinefs to affift him; and,
at the fame time, are working under ground, to blow
up all his ufefulnefs!
Quot. " That, to the believer in the Lord Jefus Chrift,
" the Moral Law has ceafed to exift as a covenant of works,
" is a grand and glorious truth; and is granted on both
" fides of the queftion."
Answ. Has the Law ceafed to exift as a covenant
of works ? Pray, when did it expire ? When was it,
with refpect to it's binding and killing power, re
pealed, or diverted of it's divine fanction ? If it has
loft it's commanding power to do for life, and it's
power to condemn to death in cafe of difobedience,
it has loft all the power it has; for this is all the power
that it ever had. And if the Saviour came to de
prive the Law of this power, he came to deftroy it;
for what is a law without commanding and con
demning power ? This is making void the Law
through faith; for diverting the Law of it's autho
rity can never be called eftablifhing of it. The
Galatians found it no lefs than a' yoke of bondage,
when they turned their back on the grace of God,
in order to make the Law the perfecting end of
Chrift for fanctification. Which is all that this book
aims at. And, for my own part, I ftill find, that if
I lofe

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. ' 29
I lofe fight of Jefus, and begin to live and conduct
myfelf by that letter, inftead of walking by faith,
it foon becomes a yoke of bondage to me. And
although (as fome fay) the Law is in the hand of
Chrift ; yet, as many as are of the works of it are
ftill under the curfe of it ; and as many as will be
found under it, even in the great day, will be judged
by it; and receive the dreadful fentence of it, even
from the mouth of him who magnified it, and made
it honourable. It will be a fiery law in the hand of
Jefus, as well as in the hand of Mofes ; and the fire
of wrath that is kindled in it will burn to the loweft
hell !
QyoT. " Becaufe the Lord Jefus is become the end of
« the Law, both Moral and Ceremonial, for righteoufnefs,
*' to every one that believeth."
Answ. If Chrift is the end of the Law for righte
oufnefs, he is not the deftroying end, but the ful
filling end. The Law is ftill a yoke for the fervant,
and a trap for the hypocrite : that which fhould have
been for his welfare, by driving him to Chrift, be
comes a trap, by his trufting in it ; and the way that
feems fo right to a man, is, in the end, the way of
death, becaufe life is fought by the miniftration of
death. QyoT. " I fhall not, therefore, take up any time, or em-
*' ploy any pains, to prove that here, becaufe we are already
" agreed upon that fubjecl. But, that the Moral Law ought
C 4 « ftill

aq THE BROKEN CISTERN,
« ftill to be confidered as the rule of a believer's conduit, is
" as great a truth. It is the eternal rule of righteoufnefs,
" and is incapable of any variations."
Answ. I believe the Law to be the only rule of
righteoufnefs, and life too, to every one that is un
der it. And as fuch Chrift always ufed it — " What
" fhall I do to inherit eternal life? — What is written
" in the Law? how readeft thou? — This do, and
" thou fhalt live. — If thou wilt enter into life, keep
tc the commandments." The Law is your rule of
life — do that, and 4hou fhalt live. But the foul that
hungered and thirfted after righteoufnefs, He always
called to himfelf, and told him to abide in Him,
and then he fhould bring forth much fruit; but, if
he did not abide in him, he would be caft forth as
a withered branch, and be fit for nothing but the
fire. If the Law be " incapable of any variations,"
pray, when was it that it varied from it's ufual
exiftence as a covenant of works? — for we are not
agreed upon that palpable contradiction.
Quot. " Amongft men, the idea of a king and people
" fuppofes alfo a law fubfifting between the parties; agree-
« able to which, the king is to govern, and the people to
K frame their actions. "

1

Answ. But this law is not the Moral Law ; for,
f Chrift rules his fubjedts by that, according to the
actions that they frame, he muft deftroy them aU
together

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 41
together as rebels, for they all offend. But He
receives gracious gifts for the rebellious, (not killing
precepts) that the Lord God may dwell among
them. It is the Law of Faith that goes forth out
of Zion, and the Word of Life that goes from Je
rufalem. The Lord Jhall fend the Rod of thy ftrength
out of Zion : rule thou in the midft of thine enemies3
Pfalm ex. 2. But the Moral Law is not the Rod of
his ftrength ; that is weak through thefleftj. " Bind
" the teftimony, feal the law among my difciples,"
Ifa. viii. 16. <The teftimony of the Gofpel is re
ceived in the bond of love, and the Law of Faith
is attended with the feal of the Spirit: The day you
believed, ye werefealed with the holy Spirit of promife.
But God does not fet this feal to the preaching of
the Moral Law : He, therefore, that miniftereth the
Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by
the works oftheLaw? (Gal. iii. 5.) No, he doth not-.
Minifters of the letter are not fiealed themfelves.
Nor does God attend their miniftry with his feal :
for they are fervants of corruption ; they know not
what they fay, nor whereof they affirm; and there
fore can confirm nothing but their own ignorance,
and the bondage of their audience. And this is evi
dent: for fome who contend for the Law are obliged
to write and read their fermons ; which proves that
they ferve in the oldnefs of the letter, and not in the
newnfs of the Spirit. Take them, reader, to the Law,
and to the teftimony — that is, to the lav/ of Faith, and to

<2 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
to the teftimony ofthe Gofpel; and, if they fpeak
not according to this word of life, it is becaufe
there is no light in them. Life and immortality are
not brought to light in their fouls by the Gofpel;
they are under the yoke of the Moral Law; and the
old vail is ftill upon their heart in reading the Old
Teftament; which vail is done away in Chrift, and
an eafier yoke given. The Law of Faith is fo corn-
pleat, that whatfoever is not done in obedience
thereto, and from faith therein, is no better than
rebellion and wickednefs: Whatfoever is not of faith,.
is fin. Stand faft, reader, in the liberty wherewith Chrift
has made you free, and be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage. The Law has lately obtained
a great many new names, which it never bore be
fore, and which the bond-children in the prefent
age have given it.
One divine calls it the evangelized Law, which ,
implies, that the covenant of Works is now turned
into the covenant of Grace; that the minifter of the
Letter, by this turn, is now the minifter of the Spirit;
and that he who works, his work is reckoned to be
' of grace ; and he that worketh not, but believeth,
he is an Antinomian, and the reward is reckoned
to him of debt. This is turning things upfide down,
which is to be efteemed as potters clay. Ifa. xxix. 16.
Another divine differs from the laft; and fays,,
" The Moral Law is the legal Covenant of Grace."
Which,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 4$
Which, by the bye, is a contradiction in terms :
and is, in effect, to fay, that the miniftry of death
is now the grace of life; the miniftration of con
demnation is now the miniftration of righteoufnefs ;
the law that worked wrath, now works love ; the
enmity is now reconciliation; the yoke of bondage1
is now the evangelical yoke of Gofpel obedience ;
•and that which was engraven on tables of ffone, is
now written on the fiefhly tables of the heart; and
the killing letter is now the quickening Spirit.
Others differ from the latter, and tell us, "That
" Chrift came to bring us to the Law, and to enable
" us to keep it." Hence the Law is not a fchool-
mafter to bring us to Chrift, but Chrift is the fchool-
mafter to bring us to the Law: that to fly from
wrath, is to fly from Jefus ; and to fly for refuge, is
to go to the Law for holinefs. According to which
fenfe, Mofes, the fervant, has more honour than the
Mafter; and the houfe has more honour than him
that built it.
Others differ from thefe; and tell us, that the
Law is the only rule of a believer's life ; by which
he is to walk, and not by faith; by which he is to
live, and not by faith ; by which he is to work, and
not by faith. Thefe make void the promife of God,
and make faith of none effect.
Others tell us, that Chrift came to enable believers
to keep the Law; which entirely contradicts the
complaint of Zion, who declares, that all her righte-
oufneffes

44 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
oufneffes are as filthy rags. And which fbews that
the old man, in our days, is dead -, that there is no
law in the members that wars againft the law of the
mind now; no flefh inthe believer that loves the law
of fin: and though the Apoftles in many things all of
them offended, yet believers, in this period, never
offend at all; which makes their obedience perfect,
and the Saviour's of lefs worth.
But the Authors of this book differ from all the.
above. For we are informed, (Page 42d) that the
*' Moral Law has ceafed to exift as a covenant of
" works." And, in the fame page, the Law is de
clared to be " The Eternal Rule of Righteoufnefs,
cs and is incapable of any Variations." If it has
eeafed to exift what it once was, it muft have varied
fome way or other. And we are likewife informed,
that the believer is delivered from the power of fin; ,
but that the new man of Grace is overcome, and
held captive, by Sin. This is turning things upfide
down. However, all thefe various changes, altera
tions, fluxes and refluxes, which men have made
in the eternal Rule of Righteoufnefs, and unalterable
Law of Works, not ajott or tittle of which fliall
ever fail -or pafs away, even though heaven and
earth do pafs away — only ferve to fhew us 'the truth
of the Holy Ghoft's affertion, that " thofe who turn
" afide to ,vain jangling, and who defire to be
" teachers of the Law, know not what they fay,
*' or whereof they affirm." Our

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 45
Our fworn enemy to the Antinomian now goes on
to defcribe the bands and cords that hold the King
of Zion and his loyal fubjects together.

sc

Quot. " As to his fubjedts, they are under a threefold
obligation to pay the moft ready, chearful, and prompt
"" obedience, to whatever commands he is pleafed to give
" them. In the firft place, a natural obligation ; as they are
" not only his fubjects, but the creatures which his hands
" formed out of the duft."

Answ. -And he gives them grace for obedience
to the faith; and works in them, both to will and
to do, of his own good pleafure: and this obedience
is acceptable to him ; but all that is extorted by the
Law, or that fprings from any other principle but
that of his own implanted grace, is rejected, as fer
vice in the oldnefs of the letter, or as the eye-fervice
of a hypocrite, or the drudgery of a flave. Chrift
will not be ferved in the chains of a galley, but with
the wings of a dove.
QyoT. " What can be more evident, than that every
" creature is under a natural obligation to obey the com-
« mands of it's Creator?"
Answ. But it fliould be confidered, that Nature
has loft the ufe of her limbs; is wholly corrupt j
and, the more fhe ftirs, the more mifchief fhe does.
Hence a Divine Nature is given to keep her in fub-
jection-: felf muft be denied, flefh and blood are not to

ifo THE BROKEN CISTERN,
to be conferred with, and natural reafon is Often
oppofite to faith.
Quot. "Secondly, A moral obligation; as they are not
" only creatures, but creatures poflefled with rationality,,
" grand, reafoning, thinking faculties."
Answ. But the carnal mind is enmity, and the
Law worketh wrath: fo that no bufinefs can go on
to purpofe while thefe two are contending; until
fovereign Grace fubdues the latter, and delivers us
from the former, in order that we may ferve God in
the newnefs of the Spirit, and not in the oldnefs of the
letter; and worfhip God in the beauty of holinefs,
and not with an hypocritical worfliip, enforced by
legal threatening, or extorted by fervile fear. As
for depraved Rationality, fhe very often lofes herfelf
in divine myfteries. She muft lock before fhe leaps,
and comprehend the end before fhe begins the work.
A divine warrant is not fufficient for her. I have
read, in Dr. Prieftley's works, of his propagating a
Rational Chriftianity ; but it is vifible that incom
prehenfible myfteries, which are the heights of hea
ven, and deeper than hell, (Col. ii. i. Job, xi. 8.)
have quite drowned the doctor and all his ratio
nality together. Strong reafons are often brought
forth againft the King of Jacob, Ifa. xii. 11. Faith
muft reafon, if any good be done by reafoning.
Faith, like a go -d fervant, goes when fhe is bid,
and comes when fhe is called. By Faith, Abraham '
obeyed,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 47
ebeyed, and went out, not knowing whither he went —
which to depraved Rationality is a wild-goofe chace,
and to Carnal Reafon foolifhnefs. All our thoughts
muft be brought into captivity to the obedience of
Chrift, or elfe we fhall never think foberly, as we
ought to think. " Rationality, with her grand rea-
<c fonings and thinkings," muft be kept within
bounds, like a reftive horfe ; and that not by a moral
precept, but by reftraining grace, if ever the finner
is admitted to fellowfhip with Chrift. v The Gofpel
is calculated and publifhed to flain the pride of all
glory, to take the wife in their1 own craftinefs, to
bring into contempt all the honourable of the earthy
and to puzzle the wife and prudent; and, though
it is the wifdom of God in a myftery, yet it is to
them that perifh foolifhnefs. This wifdom is to dif
play the riches of divine grace, to the glory of
God, and the humiliation of the finner; and not to
" aggrandize Rationality, with her > train of vain
" reafonings and free-thinking;" but to put her at
thefootftool, as altogether incapable of the chair in
thefe matters : If any man will be wife, let him be
come a fool, that he may be wife — which to the carnal
reafoner and free-thinker is a contradiction in terms,
and an irrational fpeech. My Reader muft take
thefe treble obligations together, and then he will
fee what the Wife Man's threefold cord, which is not
quickly broken, means; which in this book is called
the bands and cords of Zioti's King, which the Pha
rifees

48 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
rifees broke afunder, and caft from them, Pfal. ii. 2, J.
But furely, if it had been the threefold cord of the
Wife Man, they would not have broke it fo eafily.
Fallen Nature, however, furnifhes out the main
band; the broken Law the nexf ; and, as for Grace,
that only brings up the rear. Fallen Nature, in her
low eftate, contributes her cord towards the fupport
of this kingdom, which is not of this world. The
Law, which is weak through the flefh, affords great
affiftance to the kingdom of Grace, which is not of
"works, either in whole or in part; nor in word,
much lefs in a killing letter. And, though the fpi
ritual obligation is brought in laft, yet the dominion
of Grace is not of this world, nor is the firft obli
gation from men. Nor is the Moral Law any band
of it, for the kingdom is fpiritual, not legal: it is
not in word, but in power; in righteoufnefs, peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghoft; neither of which is from
flelh and blood, nor from Sinai, but from fovereign
grace in Chrift.
Quot. " And, thirdly, a fpiritual obligation."
Answ. The firft, the grand, and the moft noble
tie of the kingdom of grace, is here reprefented to
be " A Natural Obligation — our being creatures
" formed out of the duft." This is the law of
Heathens ; who are a law to themfelves, and who
fin without the Moral Law, and fliall perifh without law:

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 40
law : and thofe Heathens who cleaved to this law
were the greateft enemies to the Gofpel. The fecond
is the Law of Mofes, which the bond woman and
her children are under, and who fin in the Law,
and ihall be judged by the Law. The Pharifees,
who cleaved to this obligation, were the people that
imagined a vain thing, who broke Zion's bands afun-
der, and caft her cords from them. The third is a
Spiritual Obligation. This is of Grace and Truth,
which came by Jefus Chrift. And I believe that
the bond of the covenant of grace, and perfect li
berty by the law of truth, will produce more good
fruits, in one faint, to the glory of God, than ten
thoufand volumes of fuch doctrines as thefe will ever
produce. The covenant of grace makes a minifter
fruitful in good works, and fruitful in fpiritual con
verts; as is declared by the teftimony of God— »
** My covenant of life and peace was with Levi; and.
" / gave, them to him, for the fear wherewith he
" feared me, and was afraid before my name. 1*he.
*' law. of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was
" not found in his lips. He walked with me in
*{ peace and equity, and did turn many away from
** iniquity." Mai. ii. 5, 6. Hence it appears, that
the Covenant of Life and Peace, and the Law of
Truth, did not lead him to licentioufnefs, but made
him a gpod and ufeful man. Neither the Law of
Heathens, nor the Law of Mofes, is the rod of
Chrift's ftrength, which was fent out of Zion, and by
D which

CQ THE BROKEN CISTERN,
which he rules in the midft of Jerufalem. Neither
of thefe obligations make his fubjects " a willing.
" people," {Pflal. ex. 2, 3.) but the power of Grace
difplayed. Quot. " As for me," fays Paul, " I am determined
" to know nothing but Jefus Chrift. God forbid that I
" fhould glory, fave in the crofs of my Lord Jefus Chrift."
" But he alfo adds — " / am not without law to God, but under
" the law to Chrift."
Answ. But what Law was that which Paul had
to God? Was it the Law of Works?, " No," faith'
Paul; " we are delivered from the Law; we are not
" under the Law, but under Grace." As faith the
Apoftle's quotation — " I will put my laws into their
" hearts, and in tkeir minds will I write them ; and
" their fins and iniquities will I remember no more."
Heb. x. 16, 17. And what Laws are thefe? Are
they the Law of Mofes or the Law of Heathens?
" Nay," faith Paul; " neither of them. For God,'
" finding fault with them, faith — " Behold, the'
" days come, when I will make a new covenant with'
" the houfe of Ifrael, and with the houfe of Judah:'
" not according to the covenant that I made with their
" fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand,'
" lo lead them out of the land of Egypt; becaufe they
" continued not in my covenant, and I regarded
*• them not, faith the Lord." Here is a new cove
nant — and in that hefaithy a New Covenant, he hath'
made,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL* §t
'Made the firft old, Heb. ix. 8, 9, 10, 13. The Law
and the Prophets were until' John, (faith Chrift:)
fince that time, tbe kingdom of God is preached, and
etvery man preffeth into it, Luke, xvi. 16. And it is
thofe, and only thofe, who feel the terrors of the
Moral Law, and the accufations of the Law of
Nature, that prefs into this kingdom.
Quot. " I am under the Law to Chrift,'' faith Paul."
Answ. But what Law was that, in Chrift, that
Paul was under? He is of age; he fhall fpeak for
himfelf: " For the Law of the Spirit of Life, in
" Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of
" fin and death.'* Rom. viii. 2. Here Paul tells us,
that the Holy Spirit hath a Law, as the Gofpel is
called the Miniftry of the Spirit; and that this Law
ofthe Spirit is in Chrift Jefus ; and that the opera
tion of it on Paul's heart made him free from the
deftroying power of the Law of Sin, and from the
binding and damning power of the Law of Death,
engraven on tables of ftone : or, in other words, this
Law ofthe Spirit made Paul free "¦ from what you
" call Natural and Moral Obligations;" which
are the miniftration of death.
Quot. " For I delight in the Law after the inner man."
Answ. Paul was renewed in the fpirit of his mind.
The New Covenant (not the Old) was put in Paul's-
' D 2 heart,

£2 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
heart, and in his mind had the Lord wrote it: and;
with his renewed mind he ferved this Law of God ;
for Paul ferved in the newnefs of the Spirit, and not
in the oldnefs ofthe Letter. Being made free from,
the Miniftration of Death engraven on ftone, {Rom..
viii. 2.) which, he fays, worketh wrath, {Rom. iv.
15.) he was enabled to perform fpiritual fervice..
And as the Law of the Spirit, in Chrift, revealed to
Paul an imputed righteoufnefs adequate to the Law,
and produced true holinefs in Paul, which the Law
requires; and the love of God fhed abroad in his
heart, which the Law calls for; Paul knew by thefe
things that the righteoufnefs of the Law was fulfilled
in him, though not by him — therefore he could do
no lefs than love this Law of the Spirit after the
inner man.
' Quot. " What Law ? The Moral Law. Some fay,
" the Law of Love. And I grant it ; for the Moral Law
" and the Law of Love are fynonimous terms, and' mean
" one and^he felf-fame thing."
Answ. If the Moral Law, engraven on tables of
ftone, is the Law of Love, then no great thanks can
be due to Him who redeemed them that were under.
this Law ; nor are we much indebted to free Grace,
which delivered us from it. For what yoke can be
fo eafy as this Law of Love? Not the Saviour's
yoke, for that is attended with a daily crofs, and
many fips of the bitter cup which this Moral Law of

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 53
of Love doth not enjoin. I never knew till now
that the Moral Law was ever called the Law of Love.
God calls it a fiery Law — that the fire of it was
kindled in his anger — that it worketh wrath, and is
the miniftration of death and condemnation — that
thofe who are ofthe works of it, are under the curfe
of it; for, to him that worketh, the reward is
reckoned of debt, which he can never pay; and
which Law is the ftrength of fin, and will imprifon
every fuch debtor till the utmoft' mite is paid: for
heaven and earth fhall pafs away, before one jot or
tittle of the Law fhall fail ; fail of it's power, of
it's unlimited demands, or of the execution of it's
dreadful curfes. Vain jangling, indeed ! The love
of God, in Chrift Jefus ; the bond of the everlafting
•Covenant; the firft fruit of the Holy Ghoft; the
-conftraining power of the Law ofthe i^pirit, is here
palmed upon Mofes's Law. Grace and Truth, the
^effects of fovereign love, came by Mofes; but An
tinomianifm and Licentioufnefs, according to this
book, came by Jefus Chrift. Such publications as
thefe may ferve to eafe the minds of authors who
-envy the happinefs and fuccefs of God's fervants.
They may ferve to blacken their characters, to
harden carnal profeffors againft the grace of Chrift,
to ftagger the minds of the fimple, and to keep up
the popularity of thofe whofe emptinefs God is
pleafed to difcover to his own children — but, 1 be
lieve, fuch writers will find the latter end to be
bitternefs. v
D 3 If

54 THE BROKEN CISTERN",
If a man, who had tranfgreffed the laws of his
country, and who was tried and condemned to death
by the fame, and who fhould receive a free pardon
from the fovereign clemency of his king at the place
of execution— fhould fuch an one afcribe his pardon
to the love of the law, inftead ofthe undeferved love
of his king; and attribute his falvation from death
to the law that dealt the fentence of death to him;
he would not only fhew the greateft ingratitude to
the grace of his fovereign, but give fufficient proof
that he was touched with infanity. The cafe is the
fame here. " The Law was added becaufe of tranf-
" greffion, that fin, by it, might appear fin j that
"• the offence might abound ; yea, that fin might'
" become exceeding finful ; that every mouth might
" be flopped by it, and the whole world become
(C guilty before God; and that judgment might
" come upoii all men unto condemnation." Here
they all lay under the fentence of death, and are
children of wrath when Grace finds them. And they
are pardoned ; but pardon is of the new Covenant,
not of the old. And they are juftified; but not
through the Law, but through the righteoufnefs of
Faith. And they are fanctified; but not thrbuo-h
nor by the Law, for God doth not minifter the Spirit
by the works of the Law, but by the preaching of
Faith. And they are faved ; but falvation is not of
works, for by Grace are we faved, through Faith,,
and that not of ourfelves. And we are glorified; but

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 55
but if they that are of the Law be heirs of glory,
faith is made void, and the promife made of none
effect. Salvation and Glorification are of fovereign
Love. And, according to this book, the grand
fource of all is to be found in the Law, for that is
the Law of Love ; confequently, thofe which be of
the Law, muft be heirs : the Law muft have the
praife, and Man's boafling muft be eftablifhed.
QyoT. K Neither Paul nor James had any idea that the
-* Moral Law was abolifhed and done away."
Answ. Nor did any real faint ever dream of the
Moral Law being abolifhed, until this book ap
peared ; which tells us, that " the Moral Law has
•" ceafed to exift as a covenant of works:" — which
is abolifhing it's commanding and condemning
power; and is, in effect, making it void, and doing
it away, I fay, that we are redeemed from the con
demning power of the Law by the blood of Chrift;
and delivered from it's commanding power (which
is, ," Do, and live,") by the Grace of God, and the
Gift of Righteoufnefs. The Blood of the Covenant
gives' a fatisfactory anfwer to the fentence of the
Law, by declaring me redeemed from death ; and
Imputed Righteoufnefs gives an anfwer to the Pre
cept of the Law, by declaring, " the juft fhall live
" by faith." And he that denies this, denies the
Satisfaction of Chrift, either by his active or paffive
obedience.. Nor does preaching this Faith make
D 4 void

jet THE BROKEN CISTERN, '
void the Law, but eftablifh it. Redeeming my foul
from death, and juftifying of me by faith, doth not
abolifh the Law from it's feat, but deliver my foul
from it's yoke, that I might ferve God in truth,
not with, eye-fervice ; from a principle of love to
him, not from fear of damnation from him ; in the
newnefs of the Spirit, not in the oldnefs of the letter;
from a fenfe of pardon, not from fear of punifhment;
in the ties of gratitude, not in the fhackles of tor
ment; as a dutiful fon, not as a partial hireling.
" Is the Law againft the promifes of God ? God
"forbid!" Our prefent fovereign pardons many condemned
criminals, but he doth not abolifh his laws by the
acts Of his grace ; but thofe who defpife the acts of
his clemency, and cleave to" the law that condemned
them, muft die, for the law can fhew them no fa
vour. So thofe that turn their back upon the Law
of Faith, and go to the Law of Works, fall from
Grace, and Chrift fhall profit them nothing. If the
righteoufnefs of the, Law is fulfilled in the man that
walks in the Spirit, how can the miniftry of the
Spirit make void the Law ? If a woman capable
of a numerous progeny marries, and lives ten years
with aman, and all that time continues barren;
flie contributes nothing, during all that period, to
wards populating the nation to which fhe belongs ;
and Wifdom fays, In the want of people is the de-
ftruclion of the prince. But, if fuch a woman's hufband

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. $7
hufband dies, and (he marries again, and, by the
fecond hufband, bears ten or twenty children, that
are ufeful in the army, navy, or to fociety ; does fhe
any injury, either to the government or laws of her
country, by her fruitfulnefs ? Is fuch an one entitled
to the name of an Outlaw, or an Antinomian, for
this? I fuppofe not. The parallel holds good —
For, when we were in the flefh, the motions of fins,
ivhich were by the Law, -did work in our members to
bring forth fruit unto death, Rom. vii. 5. Here is
fruit brought forth unto death, but no fruit to the
living God. The firft hufband, by his killing Ope
rations, and by his gendering to bondage, which con
tracts the womb' of the foul, inftead of enlarging it,
•becomes a killing letter; and the barren foul be
comes dead to that deadly miniftration, or to that
• hufband, and may be married to another. Where-
t fore, my brethren, ye alfo are become dead to the Law
by the body of Chrift ; that you fhould' be married -t$ '
another, even to him who is raifed from the dead, that
•we fhould bring forth fruit unto God, (Rom. vii. 4.)
Some an hundred fold, fome fixty fold, fome thirty
fold, Matt. xiii. 8.
The bond woman (with refpect to God) is faid
to be barren, becaufe fhe brings not forth the fruits
of the Spirit; nor does flie bring forth fpiritual
children to God, becaufe fhe is not married unto'
him. With refpect to a divine hufband, fhe is
defohte; and, with refpect to God, fhe is barren. Yet

58 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Yet fhe brings forth fruit unto death, in a twofold
fenfe. Firft, Dead works. Secondly, Dead children.
" More are the children of the defolate than the
" children of the married wife, faith the Lord."
But then, thefe children are in bondage to the mini
ftration of death, under the fentence of death, and
bound down to the fear of death. And a minifter
of the letter is a dead man, and the letter that he is
the minifter of killeth; and his profelytes are (as
Chrift fays) the children of hell, baftards, bafe-
born, children of the flefh : Thefe are not the children
cf God, but the children of the promife are counted for
the feed — for in Adam all die. " The decree of
*l Heaven has not brought fuch a minifter forth,"
(Zeph. ii. 2.) The fecret of Election is not with him.
Hence the Divine prohibition — He that hath bis
Jlcnes broken, fhall not be a prieft, Levit. xxi. 20, _i.
They that are broken off through unbelief, and are
deftitute of the fecret myftery of Faith, are dead
men, minifters of the killing letter; and, though
they and, their profelytes may have a name to live,
yet the Saviour fays they are dead.
Quot. " Some fay, the Law cannot be a perfedT. rule
" of condudl, becaufe it fays nothing upon fome fubjedts
" which are noted in the precepts ofthe New Teftament."
Answ. The Moral Law mentions nothing of
repentance toward God, nor does it accept it. The
Law is not of Faith, nor is Faith of the Law : it
neither

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 59
neither defcribes it, promifes it, nor gives any in^
formation concerning it. But the good-will of
God, in Chrift Jefus, does all this, and gives a man
grace to perform what God requires. And it is a
pity that a difpenfation that brings glory to God in
the higheft, on earth peace, ,and good-will towards
men, fhoxild have no better name than that of Anti
nomianifm. I believe the Law to be more than a
rule of conduct to them that are under it: for Paul
fays, that whatfoever the- Law faith, it faith to them
that are under the Law. It is to the bond-children
a rule of work : What is written in the Law? — This
do — Keep the commandments. It is the rule of con-
verfation : Thou fhalt talk of this Law as thou Heft
down, and rifeft up ; as thou goeft out, and comefi in.
It is the rule of life : This do, and thou fhalt live.
It is the rule, of righteoufnefs: This fhall be our
righteoufnefs, if we obferve to do all thefe command
ments, Deut. vi. 25. It is their perfect rule of con-
duet : If a man keep the whole Law, and offend in one
point, he is guilty of all: yea, curfed is he that con-
tinueth not in all things written in the book of
the Law, to do them. It is a rule for the fervant
from firft to laft, and a rule to be continued in ; and
hythis rule fhall all the bond-children be judged at
the great day. He that finneth in the Law, fhall be
judged by the Law.
But the myftery of Faith, the Law of the Spirit,
or the Good-will of God in Chrift Jefus, (which is one
and.

6c> THE BROKEN CISTERN,
and the fame thing) is the fon's rule of 'Life. " It is
" the Will of the Father, that every one that feeth
" the Son, and believeth on him, fhould have ever-
" laft ing life," The juft fhall live by Faith; and by
Faith he is to abide in Chrift, -that he m , be fruitful
and by Faith to receive from Chrift's fulnefs grace
and ftrength to perform every good work. It is the
fon's ml" of Walk : " I will lead them in a ftraigbt
" path, wherein they fhall not ftumble. — We watk -
« by Faith, not by fight." It is the fon's rule of
Work: '"I will direct their Work in truth;"
which are the Works of Faith, Labours of Love, and
Patience of Hope, in our Lord Jefus Chrift, i Thejf.
I. 2- The Law is the rule of the fervant's Life,
Walk, and Conduct; and, if the believer is under it
as fuch a rule, the fervant and the fon are both on
a level, for the Law is no more than a rule of life
to the fervant. Nor is this Vain Jangling, or en
forcing the Law as the Believer's only Rule of Life,
intended to promote holinefs and good works ; nor
do the maintainers of this doctrine exceed, or even
come near, the ftature of thofe they oppofe, in good
"worls. It is ignorance, or rather envy at the liberty
and the happinefs of the experimental Chriftian, and
at the minifters of the Spirit, that provokes them to
it; or, as Paul fays, '*' they creep in to fpy out our
" liberty that we have in Chrift, that they may
" bring us into bondage." If the believer takes
Mofes's Law upon him, will it change or renew his
foul f

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 6 1
foul? " Nay," fays Paul: "while we look ta
" Jefus, as through a glafs darkly, we are changed
" into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by
" the Spirit of the Lord. — But, when Mofes is
" read, the veil is ftill upon the heart." Will taking
the Law on the believer, ferve to mortify the deeds
ofthe body? No : " If ye, through the Spirit,, do
" mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live."
Will taking this yoke increafe the Spirit of Holinefs
in the believer? No : " He that miniftereth the
" Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth
" he it by the works of the Law ? Nay, but by the
'* preaching of Faith." Will this ydke keep the
believer from, or affift the believer againft, fulfilling
the lulls of the flefh"? No: ' " Walk in the Spirit,
" and ye fhall not fulfil the lulls of the flefh."
Will this yoke of the Law fubdue fin ? No : " Sin
" fhall not have dominion over you." Why n(.t?
" Becaufe you are not under the Law, but under
" Grace." Will this yoke of the Law make the
believer's fervice more acceptable to God? No:
' " We are delivered from the Law, that being dead
" wherein we were held; that we fhould ferve in
" the newnefs of the Spirit, and not in the oldnefs
" of the; letter." Will this yoke ofthe Law pro
duce love and gratitude to God ? No: " The Law
" worketh wrath — For where there is no Law, there
*' is no tranfgreffion— It is the iove of Chrift that
" conftrains us." Will this yoke of the Law furnifh v the

6i The broken cistern,
the believer .with love to his neighbour? or, will it
promote brotherly love ? No : it will rather lead
them to feek pre-eminence. It does not exclude
boafting. " We are taught of God to love one an-
" other — and it is the love of God in Chrift, fhed
" abroad in the heart by the Spirit, that is the bond
" of all perf eel nefs among brethren." But, does this
love come from the Law ? or, does it come by the
Law? Neither of them. God's love to us is the
bond of the Covenant of Grace; and, when fhed
abroad in our heart, it is our bond of union to the
Lord. This love is the firft fruit of the Spirit; and
is the main branch of " the Law of the Spirit which
" is in Chrift Jefus, which makes us free from the
" Law of fin and death." Will the believer's tak
ing this voke upon him, increafe his good works?
No: " He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
"fame bringeth forth much fruit." But, will this
yoke ftrengthen the believer's union with the Lord ?
No : " They that begin in the Spirit, and then go
" to the Law, to be made perfect by the flefh, fall
" from Grace; Chrift fhall profit them nothing."
But, will the Law help the believer, if we confider
the Law as a joint worker with Chrift? No:
" Abide in me, and I in, you ; for, without me, you -
" can do nothing." Will this Law enlaro-e the
believer's heart? No: it genders to bondage; be
gets fervile fear, accompanied with a train of tor
ments, which nothing but Covenant Love can caft
out.

AND TH"E SPRINGING WELL. 6$
out. " Fear hath torment. He that feareth, is not
" made perfect in love: perfect love cafteth out
" fear." Will this yoke make the believer abound
in good works? No; *' I laboured more abundantly
" than they all; yet, not I, but the Grace of God,
" that was with me." Will this yoke produce
felf-abhorrence? No: when God makes, or rather
reveals, the New Covenant to the finner; pardons
him; gives him anew heart, and a new fpirit; and,
by grace, appears pacified toward him ;- then he re
members his own evil way, which was not goodj
and loaths himfelf in his own fight for his iniquities.
The Law will never reconcile a man to the juftice
of God, but pardoning Mercy does. The terrors
of the Law ftir up enmity, but Grace flays it.
" The motions pf fin, which are by the Law, work
" in the members to bring forth fruit unto death."
But Faith purifies the heart. The Law fixes the
veil upon the finner's mind ; but the Gofpel brings
life and immortality to light. The Law does not
exclude boafting ; Grace produces humility. The
Law ftirs up enmity againft God ; Grace fills a man
with enmity againft fin. The terrors of the Law will
make Cain cry out againft his punifhment; but
Grace makes a man cry out againft himfelf and his
wickednefs. Legal convictions by the Law often
Work felf-pity; but Grace works pity and com-
paffion to the Saviour. Under the terrors of the
Law, a man will juftify himfelf, and cenfure his
Maker ;

64 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Maker; but by Grace, through Chrift, a man is led
to condemn himfelf, and juftify God : " God ap-
" pears juft, and the juftifier of him that believeth,
" in Jefus." They that die under the Law will
plead their own merit at the bar of God : " When
" faw we thee an hungred, and did not give thee meat?
" or thirfty, and did not give thee drink?" But
the faints difclaim the fruits of their faith, even
though the Judge proclaims and approves them.
I know that the Law calls for Righteoufnefs, Holi
nefs, and Love; but it is out ofthe fulnefs of Chrift
all thefe muft be received; and he that is united to
Chrift, and walks in union with him, walks in all
thefe; for the Moral Law is fwallowed up in the
Everlafting Gofpel. The Merits of our Covenant
Head anfwer every demand of the Law for us ; while
the Teftimony of Faith, and the Fruits of the Spirit,
give an anfwer to every demand of the Law in us.
" The righteoufnefs of the Law is fulfilled in them,
" who walk not after the flefh, but after the Spirit."
If this doctrine here advanced be Antinomianifm,
then let our opponents fhew us what is Gofpel.
And, if this doctrine makes void the Law, let them,
fhew us what doctrine that is that eftablifhes it.
And, if leading the believer from union with the
Saviour to the yoke of the Law, and making that,
his only Rule of Life, Walk, and Conduct, efta- '
blifhes the Law;, let them fhew us in what.fenfeit
does it. The faints fruits of faith, and labours of
love,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 65
love, are acceptable to God through Jefus Chrift:
but, fo far are they from being a perfect righteoufnefs,
according to the tenour of the old covenant, that
even the righteoufnefs of Zion is but filthy rags, and
the righteoufnefs of the apoftle Paul but dung and
'drofs; and this righteoufnefs will never eftablifh the
Law. We eftablifh the Law in the hand of Juftice
againft every infidel; and as magnified in the heart of
Chrift to every believer, and by imputed righteouf
nefs, and the love of the Spirit, in every child of
God ; and with all it's requirements, and in full
force, againft every finner out of Chrift; and in the
fouls of all the damned in hell. And, if thefe are
not it's proper bafis, let our opponents fhew us any
other. But as for making the Law the believer's
only rule of life, eftablifhes it nowhere, nor in any
fenfe. Love is called the fulfilling of the Law, and
by imputed Righteoufnefs and the Spirit of Love it
is fulfilled in the faint. But, if walking in the Spirit
will not anfwer the demands of the Law, it can
hardly be thought, that bringing our necks under
the yoke ofthe Letter can anfwer the requirements
of the Gofpel, which calls for a fervice in the new
nefs of the Spirit, and not in the oldnefs of the
Letter. God has made ample provifion, in the
Covenant of Grace, both for Holinefs, Happinefs,
and good Works ; and furnilhes us with the former,
to make us fruitful in the latter. For by Grace are
ye faved, through Faith ; end that not of yourfelves,
E it

£6 ' THE BROKEN CISTERN, ,
//• is . the gift of God. Not of Works, left any man
fhould boaft : for we are his workman/hip, created in
Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained [prepared] that we fhould walk., in them,
Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. >Formy own part, I have watched
many who traduce the grace of God, as tending to
lieentioufnefs, and the preachers of it as Antinomi
ans; and who' extol themfelves, and their own
righteoufnefs and good works, very highly, and
who make great pretenflons to the Law; whofe lives
are no example to good men — far from it. Nor do
- they always conceal their inward enmity even againft
the fovereignty of God himfelf, "but often arraign it,
and his juftice too, at the bar of Reafon. They think
the Almightyjuft fuch an one as themfelves; they hate
his decrees; are envious at the objects of his choice;
and fpy oUt^ in order to ridicule and bring into con~
tempt, their liberty which they have in Chrift Jefus:
and by which they plainly fhew that they have no
real love to God, nor to the real children of God;
and therefore their works are little worth, neither
fpringing from a good root, nor directed to a -good
end. There is nothing but natural, corrupt, or vile
affections, in bond-children. They are ftrangers to
the fpirituality of the Law, .. ftrangers to the yoke
of it, and to the bondage that it genders ; and arc
haters of the power of godlinefs — who mifreprefent
others as erroneous who preach the truth, while
themfelves

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 6"}
themfelves publifh nothing but fclf-contradidtions
and lyes. ..** That the Moral Law has ceafed to
" exift as a Covenant of Works," is a damnable
falfhood. No hint of it is given in all die Bible.
This is the worft branch of Antinomianifm that ever
was publifhed. " Chrift is the end ofthe Law for
" righteoufnefs." Not only the fulfilling End, but
the grand End of the Law, is anfwered in and by
him. And the fame end is anfwered and fulfilled by
a work of grace in us. We are redeemed from under
the Law, are delivered from the Law, and are under
Grace, and not under the Law. But the Law is
ftill what it ever was — an everlafting, unalterable,
unrepealable Law : and a Covenant of Works in
every fenfe; and to him that works under it, the
reward is ftill reckoned of debt. But thefe bafe Anti
nomians, who have bereaved the Law of all it's
power, and fo have deftroyed it, cry out — " The
" believer is under the Law to Chrift." Then I
afk, wherein the child of God differs from the baftard?
Is not every Pharifee in the nation under the Law to
Chrift? Is not the Saviour the King of Nations, and
TGod ofthe whole earth ? Has he not power over all
flefh, that he may give eternal life to as many as the
Father hath given him ? Is not all judgment com
mitted to him? . Is he not the Judge of quick and
dead? Are not all men accountable to Him ? Is
he not the Mafter of the Servant, as well as Father
pf the Children ? Do not kings reign, and princes
E 2 decree

68 THE BROKEN CISTERtf,
decree juftice by Him ? He is the Mafter of Judas',
as well as Lord of the Houfhold. He will open
the book of the Law, the book of Confcience, and
the book of Life. He is a juft God and a Saviour;
and will blefs the children of the free woman, and
curfe the bond woman and her children.' One is
under the bleffing of Zion, and the other is under
the curfe of Sinai. Thefe are Ebal and Gerizzim,.
which bear the bleffing and curfe ; and by the book
ofthe Law will one be judged, and by the book of
Life will the other be judged. Thus all the non-
elect are Under the Law to Chrift. But the believer
is under Grace to Chrift : it is the Law of the Spirit
of Life in Chrift that makes the believer free from
the Law of Death engraven on tables of ftone.
There is a Law of Life in Chrift's heart to the be- .
liever; and the Law of Mofes is in the Saviour's
hand to the infidel. And it is a Covenant of Works
ftill — it works bondage in the believer who looks
to it, and it works wrath and death in the finner
that is under it. And of this working power it never
was divefted ; of this power it never fhall be divefted.
The rod of Chrift's ftrength, by which he rules his
faints, or his powerful rod, is the Gofpel. You may
call it the -Good- will of God in Chrift Jefus, which
is the faint's rule. Or you may call it the Law of the
Spirit in Chrft, Under which (Paul fays) the believet
is. Or you may call it the New Covenant, written
in the mind, and put in the heart, of the faint,
which

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 69
which is (as Paul fays) the believer's Law to God:
which Law, or Covenant, is faid to be new, and not
according to the old ; and is the Covenant of Grace,
not Works ; and under Grace the believer is, and not
under the Law. Or you may call it the Law of
Faith, which excludes boafting. Or you may call
it " The perfect Law of Liberty; and he that looks
" and continues therein, fhall be bleffed in his deed,"
This Law brings *¦' glory to God in the higheft,
" on earth peace, and good-will towards men."
This is found doctrine, this is pure Gofpel, this is
doing the work of an Evangelift. But as for this
Treatife of Vain Jangling, what does it confute?
what does it eftablifh ? — Nothing but the ignorance
and foolifhnefs of the Authors.
Firft, They tell us that " Chrift is made Sanclifi-
" nation to his people, in his kingly office, by the
" gift of the Spirit." Which is Sanctification by
the Holy Ghoft, inftead of Sanctification by the
Blood of Chrift. Here they fet afide perfect Sancti
fication by his grand Sacrifice as a Prieft.
Secondly, They tell us, '« That perfonal Union is
" wrought in the foul by Faith." Which is putting
that upon a grace of the Spirit, which is done by
God the Father only.
Thirdly, We are told, "That the Righteoufnefs
** of Chrift coines from his prieftly Office." Which
Righteoufnefs Was wrought out, or was performed,
fa his life, by his active Obedience as a fervant and
E 3 furety;

7© THE BROKEN CISTERN,
furety; and which Work theSaviour faid was finifhed
before he offered himfelf as a Prieft. John, xvii. 4.
Fourthly, We are told, " That the believer is
" delivered from the love and power of all fin — but
" that the new man is taken captive by fin."
Fifthly, " That the Law has Ceafed to exift as a
" Covenant of Works." This is called — "A grand
"Truth." Which, by the bye, is an abominable
Lye. Sixthly, This grand truth of the Law ceafing to
exift as a Covenant of Works, is denied, by affert-
ing, " That the Law is without any Variation."
Seventhly, " That the Moral Law, and the Law
" of Love, are fynonymous terms, and mean one
" and the fame thing." That is, That the Bond of.
the Covenant of Grace, which came by Jefus Chrift,
is the main Branch of the Law of Death engraven
on tables of ftone, which was given by Mofes.
This is robbing the Mafter, to enrich the Servant ;
leffening Grace, to the honour of Works. No
wonder the Pfalmift called the Law a trap ; which
muft needs be true with a witnefs, when hypocrites
bait it with the firft bleffing ofthe everlafting Gofpel,
on purpofe to entangle the faint in the yoke of
bondage. Thou haft a full view here, Reader, of real ortho
dox doctrines, by which the Antinomians are un~-
mafked. This is the Vain Jangling that confutes
error, undeceives the deceived, and eftablifhes the.
Law,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. *] I
Law. They tell you, that the Law is the Believer's
only Rule of Life, Walk, and Conduct ; but only
with the allowance of this ct grand and glorious
" Truth," namely, " that it has ceafed to exift as
" a Covenant of Works-," and, therefore, has no
power to command works to be done, nor any
power to condemn the flothful, who does nothing.
The Law has ceafed to exift with refpect to Works,
that it may be fubftituted as the Bond of the Cove
nant of Grace. This is deftroying the Law for ever,
and eftablifhing the Gofpel upon the deftruction of
it. Now our Authors are going on to palm the
commands of Chrift, or laws of Zion, upon the Law
of Mofes, and the Mount Sinai, without any regard
to the terms of the new Covenant, new Ordinances,
or new Services. So that you may take Circum
cifion, inftead of Baptifm ; and the Paffover, inftead
of the Lord's Supper ; and Service in the Oldnefs of
the Letter, inftead of the Newnefs of the Spirit; and
the Works of the Law, inftead ofthe Work of Faith,
Labour of Love, and Patience of Hope!
Quot. *' The Church owns Chrift for her King, as well
" as her Prieft; her Mafter, as well as her Saviour. She
" takes his yoke upon her ; and feels herfelf under the ftricteft
" obligations of duty, love, and gratitude, to yield the moft
"filial, evangelical obedience, to his commands, as well as
**¦ to believe and rejoice, in his gracious promifes."
E 4 Answ,, '

72 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Answ. All this is true; though the Authors, by
experience, know neither what they fay, nor what
they mean. " The Church owns Chrift as a King,"
becaufe the dominion of Grace is fet up in her heart;
and fhe is not under the Law, but under Grace.
She can do no lefs than " own him as her Prieft,"
becaufe he has redeemed her from under the Law,
and from the curfe of it ; fo that flie is neither under
it's commanding power nor dreadful fentence.
" She owns him for her Lord," becaufe he has de
livered her from the lordly power of the Law; the
accufations of Mofes, Satan, and Sin ; faying —
" O Lord, our God, other lords, befides thee, have
" had dominion over us; but by thee only will we
" make mention of thy name," Ifa. xxvi. 13.
She loves him as a Hufband, becaufe fhe is not
under Mofes, who allowed of putting away, but
under a covenant of eternal wedlock, by which fhe
is betrothed in righteoufnefs, loving-kindnefs, faith
fulnefs, tender mercies, and for ever. She loves
him as a Brother, becaufe fhe is in the brotherly
covenant: that he is her Brother, who has fucked
the breafts of her Mother, which is Zion — notHagar,
nor yet Jerufalem in bondage — where he was born
as well as fhe. She loves him as a Friend, becaufe
fhe is reconciled, and the myfteries of the kingdom
are revealed to her — but, as to bond-fervants under
the Law, they know not what their Lord doth.
" She loves him as her Mafter," becaufe fhe is par-
. taker

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 73
taker of the fruits of the Spirit before fhe labours;
and ferves him in the newnefs of the Spirit, and not
in the oldnefs of the letter. She takes his yoke
upon her indeed, which fhe finds to be light; and
ftands in her liberty, unlefs falfe brethren bewitch
her, as they did the Galatians, who were entangled
by them, and brought again into bondage : her
adherence to which is both her folly and her lofs.
" If fhe feels herfelf under the ftricteft obligations
" of duty, love, and gratitude, to yield the moft
" filial, evangelical, obedience to his commands;"
how can fhe be juftly charged with Antinomianifm,
or licentioufnefs, for this her obedience to the faith;
this fervice in the newnefs of the Spirit; or for thefe
works of faith, labours of love, and patience of
hope ?
"Quot. " If ye keep my commandments, ye fhall abide in
" my love, even as 1 have kept my Father's commandments,
" and abide in his love."
Answ. This proves, that there is a manifeft di-
ftindtiop between the commandments of a killing
letter and the commandment which is eternal life.
The one is the Father's commandment, which was
given by Mofes : the other is the life-giving com
mand, which is of Grace, and which came by Jefus
Chrift. The one is a command given to us to work
for life; the other is a command given to Chrift,
to give us that life, which man could never earn, and

74 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
and which the L.aw could never give. Upon Mount
Zion hath God commanded the Blessing, even
Life for evermore, 'Pfalm cxxxiii. 3 Here is a
bleffing commanded to be given to Zion, the elect of
God; and this bleffing is life for evermore. But
then, to whom was this command given ? I anfwer,
To Jefus, the great King, whom God fet upon his
holy hill. This bleffing, and this life for evermore,
were given to him. . God fent his Son, Jifus Chrift,
to blefs us, by turning us from our evil way. " Yea,"
faith Chrift, " He gave me a commandment what I
" fhould fay, and what I fhould flpeak^ ; and 1 know
" that his commandment is I'fe everlafting," or, as the
Pfalmift fays, " life for. evermore." But then, wfl^
is it called a commandment ? Becaufe the Saviour, in
obedience to his Father's will, by his own powerful
voice, fpeaks life to the dead finner's foul ; at
which voice the fting of death, and fentence of
death, both depart, and life and immortality are
brought to light through the Gofpel. Such fouls
hear the voice of the bon of God, and live; yea,
they pafs from death to life, and fhall never come
into condemnation. " Lazarus, come forth I" fays
the Saviour. Here is a life-giving command, and
a refurrection immediately enfues. " And when I
" paffed by thee, and faw thee polluted in thine own
" blood, I faid unto thee, " Live!" Tea, I faid
*' unto thee, when thou waft in thy blood, " Live!"'
Ezek. xvi. 6. It is one thing for Chrift to fay to a
dead

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. *} §
dead foul, "Live !" and it is another thing for the
Father to fay, " This do, and thou fhalt live!"
Befides, the Law never held forth eternal life: for,
had there been a Law given that could have given
life, verily righteoufnefs fhould have come by the Law.
Life in Eden was all that was intimated to Adam
before the fall 5 with the lofs of which he was
threatened, in cafe of difobedience. Length of
days, in the land of Canaan, was all that the Moral
Law held forth to Ifrael. Life eternal was to come
by that Prophet which Mofes foretold; and nothing
lefs than deftruction was threatened to them who
fhould refufe to obey the voice of that Prophet.
Before people fit down to unmafk what they call
Antinomianifm, it is neceffary that they fhould
have fome infight into the Scriptures of truth ; and
not deftroy the Law as a covenant of works ; and
then build the law of love, and the life-giving
commapdment of the Gofpel, upon it's deftruction.
The Commandment of Zion, and the Command
ment of Sinai, are two diftinct things. The Scrip
tures reveal two diftinct mothers, and their children
compofe two diftindt families. God is a Father to
the one, and a Mafter to the other. He has com
manded the' bleffing of life for evermore upon Mount
Zion. And to the children of Zion Wifdom fpeaks
thus: My fon, keep thy Father's commandment, and
forfake not the law of ihy Mother. Bind them con
tinually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
When

•jS THE BROKEN CISTERN,
When thougoeft, it fhall lead thee; when thoufleepeft,
it Jhall keep thee; and, when thou awakeft, it fhall
talk with thee, Prov. vi. 20, 21, 22. This proverb
fpeaks to us, as to children : it fpeaks to the chil
dren of God, not to the bond children, for Chrift
palmed them upon another father. And we are
exhorted to keep our Father's commandment — com
mandment, in the Angular number; which com
mandment is not the Moral Law, for then it would
have been in the plural, for they are ten. This
commandment of the Father is called the Law of
our Mother; but neither Hagar, Sinai, nor Jerufa
lem in bondage, are our mother. We muft not look
to either of them. We muft look unto Abraham, our
father ; and to Sarah, that bare us — for God called
him alone, and bleffed him, and increafed s him.
And it is clear that the bleffing of eternal life was
given, by God our Father, to Abraham and Sarah,
who are the father and mother of us all. This law
of our mother Sarah was not graven on tables of
ftone, but on the flefhly tables of her heart. This
Law (Wifdom fays ) is to be bound upon the heart.
It is a girdle of truth, that keeps the mind and
heart from departing from God. It is to be tied
about' the neck. It keeps the foul in union with the
Covenant Head : " If ye abide in me, and my words
" abide in you, ye fhall afk what ye wilh, and it
" fhall be done unto you." John, xv. 17. When thoH

AND THfi SPRINGING WELL. 77
thou goeft, it fhall lead thee. The Moral Law, in
the hand of Juftice, is a driver ; but the Law of the
Spirit of Life, or the Law of Faith in the hand of
the Spirit of Promife, is a leader. The Spirit leads
us into all truth ; and Truth leads us into' liberty,
and to free accefs to God. When thou fleepeft, it
Jhall' keep thee. The Law of Faith, in the hand of
the Spirit, is a keeper. Truth is the faint's fhield
and buckler. Protection is promifed in this Law;
and we are kept by the power of God, through it :
through faith are we kept to falvation. And when
thou awakeft, it fhall talk with thee. \ This life-
giving commandment has a voice of power, and
differs much from a voice of words. The Spirit
fpeaks, in this Law, to the heart. The word dwells
richly in the believer; infomuch, that his heart
teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
In fhorty it is the word of reconciliation, by which
we are brought to have fellowfhip with the Father,
and with the Son, Chrift Jefus.: while thofe who are
under the Law find a barrier upon their heart,
which keeps them at their proper diftance; and a
boundary placed round the mount, that they may
not attempt to gaze, left the Lord break through
upon them.
Quot. " Hereby we do know that we know him, if we
•' keep his commandments. He that faith, " I know him,"
" and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the
H truth is not in him. ButN whofo keepeth his word, m
" him verily is the love of God perfected."
Answ.

78 THE BROKEN CISTERN, ,
Answ. If this quotation be true, my doctrine
muft be right. The Saviour's commandments, or
fayings, are here called his word; and he that keep
eth it, the love of God is verily perfected in him;
or, as Chrift fays, " He that hath my word, and
" keepeth it, he it is that loveth me, and he fhall
" be loved of my Father." Then, according to
this quotation, the penitent finner, who receives
the word in the light of it, in the faith of it, and in
the love of it; and ftands faft in it, abides by it,
and holds it faft; is the man in whom the love of
God is verily perfected. This is the life and foul
of my doctrine, and it is true. But then, thefe
commandments, which are here called the Word,
are not the Moral Law, not a Voice of Words, nor
the killing Letter, but the Word of Life. For the
Law is fo far from perfecting the love of God in a
man, that it works wrath in him; or as Milton fays,
" It ftirs up Sin, againft Law to fight;"
and, therefore, perfects nothing. The Law made
nothing per feci ; but the bringing in of a better Hope
did, [do it] by the which we draw nigh unto God.
I do not fay, that the Law is not the only Rule of
Life to the Authors of this book; for, by their op
pofition to the Gofpel, I think it is. But then, they
ought not to fet this Rule of the fervant before the
children of God ; for, if they are to ferve God in the
newnefs

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 79
newnefs ofthe Spirit, and not in the oldnefs of the
letter, one would think that the new Covenant muft
furnifh the new-born foul with a new Rule of this
new fervice. And it is clear that we are delivered
from the old yoke, that we might take the Saviour's
yoke upon us; yea, we are delivered from the works
of the Law, that we might receive grace for obedi
ence to the faith, (Rom. i. 5.) according to the com
mandment of the everlafting God, made known among
all nations far the obedience of faith, Rom. xvi. 26,
And, if obedience to the faith is required, faith
muft be the rule of obedience. And, if men are to
be punifhed with everlafting deftruction from the
prefence of God, and from the glory of his power,,
for not obeying the Gofpel of our Lord jefus Chrift,
it muft be a Rule rejected by fuch vain Janglers,
Otherwife it would not be juft* in God to punifh fa
feverely for difobeying a Law that is no rule of obe-»
'dience. Every child of God who has felt the force
of the Law, and his own weaknefs and vilenefs,
and who has received the grace of God in truth^
will fee through the deception of thefe Antinomian
correctors : for God permits moft of his children,
fome time or other, to fuffer by hypocrites fmiting
them, and bringing them into bondage; and, after a,
little fuffering in this way, their own teftimony will
repel and fhuc out ofthe heart all fuch vain jangling
as this: for it is a doctrine that, as Milton fays— * Forces

8o THE BROKEN CISTERN,
" Forces the Spirit of Grace himfelf,
" And binds his confort, Liberty."
And he adds —
" What will they, but unbuild
" His living Temples, built by Faith to ftand?
" Their own Faith, not another's."
Quot. " For who againft Faith and Confcience can be
"heard? [as infallible Unmafkers of Antinomianifm:]
" Yet many will prefume."
Answ. The true difciple of Jefus will fhew his
faith by his works, but not by the works of the
Law, for they are excluded. But he will fhew,
his faith by the works of Faith, and his love by
the labours of Love ; and he will give you a reafort
of his hope, by his experience, that worketh hope',
and he will fhew you his good hope through
grace, 'by the patience of Hope. I believe fuch
productions as thofe which I am oppofing, are ufe
ful in one fenfe ; that is, to difcover thofe profeffors
who are of the contrary part ; and to harden fuch
againft the grace of God, who are confcious to
themfelves that they have no oil in their veffcls.
Thofe believers, as they are called, who were all
zealous of the Law of Mofes, were the perfons that
attempted the life of Paul, and fet Jerufalem all in
an uproar. And thofe of the fame ftamp are the
greateft enemies to the power of godlinefs in our
days. I can mention an inftance or two. A profeffor

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 8 1
, A profeffor in this metropolis, who flood in a
profeffion for a number of years; and who wrote a
cruel letter to me fourteen years ago, when I was in
the midft of many troubles; became a moft bitter
enemy to me, without any juft caufe, except on
account of my doctrine; and made it his bufinefs to
ridiculeme, andprejudice the minds of people againft
.me. When Maria took up her broom and mop
againft me, he had a feaft indeed: he was as much
comforted as Efau at the thought of flaying his
brother Jacob, becaufe God had willed him the
bleffing. He went to Mr. Brayne,' potter, at Lam
beth, and to his wife, wonderfully enraptured.
Maria had fully eftabliflied him, that Faith is no
Rule of obedience, and that the Law is the only
Rule of life. This is a doctrine that muft fuit thofe
who are deftitute ofthe faith of God's elect. In this
he was built up and eftablifhed; and faid I had met
with my match, and what would I do now? He
expected tliat my mouth would foon have been
flopped, and all my doctrines fall to the ground.
However, as the Wife Man faith, the joy of the
hypocrite is- but for a moment — for, foon after this,
God fent the Law home to his confcience; and
made his countenance proclaim, that he was in all
the blacknefs, -darknefs, and tempefts, of Sinai.
He funk into defperation : he fled to the fait water,
which could by no means extinguifh the divine
flame, nor afford ftrength to fupport his body
F under

82 THE BROKEN CISTSRN,
under it; for, foon after, he hanged himfelf, as Judas
did. I fhall not mention names ; this thing was not
done in a corner. However, fo ended a many years
profeffion, during which he had deceived thoufands;
but his end ferved to undeceive thofe who believe
the Bible, which faith, Ye know that no murderer
hath eternal life abiding in him, i John, iii. 15.
So true is the proverb, that the light of the righteous
rejoiceth, when the lamp of the wicked is put out ;
they end in the darknefs of Sinai, while the Sun of
Righteoufnefs affords everlafting day to the upright
in heart.
Another man, "at Hertford, of the fame profeffion
as the former, received great eftablifhrnent by the
doctrines of the Law; and his zeal was fo fired by
the fame, that he traduced rrie and my publications
in a moft dreadful manner, as if I lived in, and was
an encourager of, all manner of vice and wicked
nefs : and not one that God had made my writings
ufeful to, but what fuffered under the fcourge of
this man's tongue, And God permitted him to go
on for a confiderable time. But, a few weeks ago,
He difcovered him, in a more defpicable, and more
ignominious way, than the former. It is hard
work, reader, to kick, to be offended, and to
ftumble at Chrift. In this way thefe doctrines of
the Law are made ufeful ; but their authors will
reap no comfort from them in a dying hour, nor
yet at the bar of God, — r— Now we go on again.

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. $3
Quot. " As though the Apoftle had faid, "I lay down
*< no new Rule, for you, as believers, to form your life and
" converfation by. I refer you to the old Commandment,.
lt the fame that was given you at the beginning."
Answ. It is ftrange, then, that we are made new
creatures; are to ferve in the newnefs ofthe Spirit;
and yet no new Rule to be obedient to, or to work
by ! And yet we are to be obedient to the faith, to
walk by faith, and to work by faith ; and, by abid
ing faithful unto death, we are to receive the crown
of life! This doctrine makes faith void, and the
promife of God of none effect refpedting life and
converfation; though, by the Rule of Faith, God
works in us both to will and to do. " But, what is
" this old Commandment that was given at the Be-
" ginning?" And what Beginning was that, when
this old Commandment was given ? Was it the
Law given to Adam at the beginning ofthe world,
or at the Creation ? If fo, the life-giving Com
mandment was given long before that, and is a much
older Commandment, for it is from everlafting.
By your Rule, Adam was prohibited touching the
Tree of Life ; but, by the Rule that I contend for,
we are commanded to eat and drink abundantly; that
is, if we are friends to Chrift, and are delivered
from the Law that worketh wrath. Or, was this
old Commandment that you fpeak of given at the
beginning of Chrift's miniftry ? I trow not. When
F 2 he

84 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
he opened his commiffion, he told the Jews that he
was anointed, and fent to proclaim liberty to thofe
that were bound and bruifed by the Law and Sin.
Or, does John tell thofe he wrote to, that this old
Commandment is the Moral Law ? Could he, with
any propriety, tell them of that generation, that they
heard the Law from the beginning? Were any of
them at Sinai when the Law was given ? If fo,
they muft have been far above fifty years old, for
they muft have feen Mofes. How do thefe novices
plunder the facred Scriptures, and make the infpired
penmen fpeak nonfenfe! Let John give us his own
explanation: "Brethren, I write no new Command-
*c ment unto you, but an old Commandment, which
" ye had from the beginning. The old Command-
*e ment is the WORD which ye have heard from
" the beginning." John, ii. 7. This Word is the
Word of Life, which the Apoftles held forth, as good
ftewards of the manifold grace of God. This is the
Word which God commanded to a thoufand genera
tions. God the Saviour gave the Word, and great
was the company that publifhed it; and John was
one of that company. John was a minifter of the
Spirit, not of the Letter ; a minifter of the Word
of Life, not of the killing Letter; an Evangelift,
not a Legalift;; a good Steward of grace, not a
fruftrater of the grace of God. He ftood and
preached in the kingdom and : patience of Chrift :
not telling the believers to be circumcifed, and keep the

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 85
the Law of Mofes ; fubverting their fouls, and
bringing the old yoke on the difciples neck, which
neither they nor their fathers were able to bear.
[Reader, chap. 15.] If John had told the be
lievers to whom he wrote, that the Law of Mofes
was the only Rule of their life and converfation, he
muft have wrote a new commandment unto them,
inftead of an old one, and a commandment purely
his own; for thofe who preached, " Te muft be cir-
" cumcifed, and keep the Law of Mofes" had no fuch
commandment given to them, neither by Chrift,
by the Spirit, nor by the whole affembly of Apo
ftles, (Acls, xv. 1,28,29.) but were declared to be
fubverters of the faints. In this laft quotation,
the Word of Life, which God fent, preaching peace by
Jefus Chrift; the old Commandment, which Chrift
received in eternity, by which God commanded the
bleffing of life upon Zion for evermore; is here efta
blifhed at Sinai. So that they which be of the Law
are under the bleffing. The fubftance of the New
Covenant, which the Spirit writes on the flefhly
tables of the heart, is afrefh engraven upon tables
of ftone. And, in order to make this glaring de
ception go down, they will, in the next place, offer
violence to the Law : for thus it follows —
Quot. " I refer you to the old Commandment, the
" fame that was given you at the beginning. It is done
w away, indeed, as a. Covenant of Works."
F 3 Answ,

y

%G THE BROKEN CISTERN",
Answ. I read, that the " old veil of ignorance is
" done away in Chrift;" but I never read that the
Law was ever done away. Chrift came to fulfil it;.
the Apoftles preached, to eftablifh it. Chrift is a
juft God and a Saviour; and all Adam's race
faints and finners, muft and fhall appear before the
judgment-feat of Chrift. And he will appear as a
juft God with the book of the Law, and pronounce
the curfe from thence upon the bond-fervant, for it
is a covenant of Works to him. And he will appear
with the book of Life,, as a Saviour, and pronounce
the bleffing of life from that, as a covenant of Grace.
Thus the Pharifee and the Believer will both be
judged according to their works. He that is of the
works of the Law, will be tried by the book of the
Law; and he that is of the works of Faith, will be
tried by the Law of Faith, and be proclaimed a
good and faithful fervant. But as for the hypocrite
in Zion, who has finned againft the miniftration of
death, and likewife made the miniftry of the Spirit
a favour of death unto death, " the Word that Chrift
" hath fpoken fhall judge him." And, though he
fays the Law of Faith is no Rule, yet by that Rule
fliall he be judged; and by that Rule fhall he be
condemned, as an hypocrite, and an unbeliever; and
be caft into outer darknefs, being found a hypocrite
by the Law of Truth, and an unbeliever by the Law
of Faith. The Law is not done away, as a covenant
of works i it will entangle a foolifh Galatian ftill: and

And the springing Well. 87
and the weak believer, when deceived by thefe Vain
Janglers, finds, to his forrow, that the Law is a
Covenant of Works ftill; and genders to bondage
ftill, for it binds him hand and foot, asfure as ever
he goes to work by that Rule, unlefs he perform A
perfect tafk, which he never can ; for, while he feeks
to the Law, to be made perfect by the flefh, Chrift
profits him nothing ; and without Chrift he can do '
nothing* In this Quotation j the " Law is indeed
" done away, as a Covenant of Works." The next
Quotation brings it back, and fets it iii full force
again. So true are St. P: ul s words, that " the
" teachers of the Law know not what they fay, nor
*' whereof they affirm." For thus it follows-*-
Quot. " If the Law is fo done away, as that the be-
*' liever, do what he will, cannot fin, becaufe there' is no
" Law to forbid, and, by forbidding, render the action cri-
" minal ; why did the Holy Spirit dictate, under the Gofpel
" difpenfation, this Scripture—" Whofoever committeth
" fin, tranfgrefleth alfo the Law, for fin is the tranfgreffion
« ofthe Law?"
Answ. I never heard that the Law was done
away, till I read this iniquitous Publication; in,
which the apoftle John is made to fay* " The Law
" is, indeed, done away, ' as a Covenant of Works."
Which John neyer meant, and which I abfolutely
deny. This vile Book is intended to debafe the
Gofpel, as no Law. of right and wrong. Butj if
F 4 Faith

88 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Faith be no Law, then Unbelief can be no tranf-
greffion. The unpardonable fin, doing defpite to
the Spirit of Grace, trampling under foot the §on
of God, can be no tranfgreffion; for where there is
no Law, there is no tranfgreffion. But by the Law
of Faith fhall all thefe be found guilty, and fhall be
judged, and damned, without the Moral Law.
I never heard, till I read this vile Book, that the be
liever, do what he will, cannot fin; nor did I ever
hear, till this abominable piece appeared, that the
Gofpel was no Rule of obedience, and that it was
no rule or ftandard to try an hypocrite or an infidel
by. It is a perfect Rule for the faint to work and
live by; a Rule to try and judge a hypocrite by;
and it has got the heaviefl fentence annexed to it
that ever dropped from the mouth of God. But if,
as this Book afferts, the Law has ceafed to exift as
a Covenant of Works, it's commanding and con
demning power is gone: and it can make no action
criminal; for, where there is no law, there is no
tranfgreffion. This is your own dodtrine; and you
have tacked about, and deftroyed it, and fo made
yourfelves tranfgreffors. I never heard, in all my
life, that believers could not fin : I believe, in many
things, they offend all. And, when they do, God
proceeds againft them by the Laws of Zion, and
corrects them in a fatherly way. And he that is'
under the Law, tranfgreiTeth the Law, and is pro
ceeded againft in a judicial way. And the hypo crite,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 8j
crite, by the Law of Faith, is dealt worfe with than
the Pharifee. The reprobate, that " defpifed
" Mofes's Law, died without mercy. Of how
" much forer punifhment, fuppofe ye, fhall he be
" thought worthy, who hath trampled under foot
">the blood of the Son of God!" When God
makes inquifition for blood, he will not forget the
hypocrite. The drift of this Book is to render the
Law of B'aith as no Rule. Hence it is hinted, that
it is infuificient to difcover fin,' and infufficient to
punifh fin, without the Law — whereas the Law of
Faith has got it's fentence, as well as the Law of
Works. He that continues not in all things written"
in the book of the Law, is curfed by that; and the
hypocrite in Zion, who believes not, fhall be damned
for his infidelity. Which fentence comes not from
the Moral Law, for that is not of Faith, but of
Works. Ntfr does it condemn for not believing,''
but for not doing. Paul fays, the latter is worthy
of the forer punifhment. Hence it appears, that the
hypocrite tranfgreffeth fome Law, by the judgment
of which a forer punifhment fhall be inflicted. Yea,
it had been better (faith Peter) if fuch had never
known the right way; better they had continued
under the old Vail, than, after they have known,
to turn from the holyComrn'mdment delivered to them;
for fuch fhall be beaten with many ftripes. But,
as to making the Apoftle fay that " the Moral Law
" is the old Commandment, which h» calls the Word
" which

~#-

GO The broken cisTERtf*
*» which was preached from the beginning;'' arid
that the Apoftle laid down no other Rule but the
Law for the believer to live and converfe by; is, 1
fay, a palpable lye, and a contradiction to every"
chapter in the New Teftament, let our opponents
pick out what chapter they pleafe. Jfohn tells us,
that the Law Was given by Mofes, but Grace and
Truth came by Jefus Chrift, The Word of Life,
and the killing Letter, are two things. If there be
no Rule but the Moral Law, the hypocrite will fare
very wellj for that condemns no man for difbeliev-
ing, but for not doing. However, he Will find
damnation by another Rule> and from another Law :
Chrift's Word, and not Mofes 's Writings^ fhall con
demn him.
Was I td extract one half of this Piece, and put
the other half againft it, there is not one affertion
but what itfelf contradicts. Who would ever have
thought, that a Man of Senfe, a Scholar a Divine,
a Tutor, a Mafter or Miftrefs of Arts, could ever
publifh fuch inconfiftencies, fuch lyes, fuch non-
fenfe, as this — and then call it a Confutation of
Errors, to deceive the fimple, harden the bafe, and
injure them that dearly love the Lord Jefus I
Quot. " Whofoever"— What can be a ftronger ex-
" preffion ? It takes in both ihe believer and unbeliever—
" committetb fin— it is in the prefent tenfe—" tranfgreffeth
" alfo the Law. Confequently, the Law ftill exifts, or elfe
" the Apoftle wrote nonfenfe ; which none but an Antino-
*' mian can fuppofe."
Answ.

and The springing Well. $1
Atfsw. In two former Quotations it is afferted,,
that cc the Law has ceafed to exift as a Covenant of
" Works;" and, "as a Covenant of Works, it is,
" indeed, done away." But, in this laft Quotation,
the Law ftill exifts, or elfe the Apoftle wrote non-
fenfe; and then the Antinomian is reprefented as
fuppofing what thefe blind Authors have afferted.
If Paul had not given a defcription of a Vain Jangler,
one never could have imagined that any perfons,
fober, and in their rationality, could ever have pub
lifhed fuch felf-contradidtions.
John, in this laft Quotation, is made to fpeak
what he never meant. In i John, chap. ii. the Evan- ,
gelift is writing about two forts of people. Some
were Antichrifts, and went out of the church, and
from the Apoftles,, becaufe they were not of them,
Ver. 1 8, 19. Others had an unction that abode in
them, and they needed not' thefe falfe teachers to
inftrudt them> Ver. 27. In Chap. iii. Ver. 1, 2, 3,
he writes to believers as the fons of God ; and fays,
" Every one that hath this hope of fonfhip and heir-
" fhip in him, purifieth himfelf, even as he is pure."
Then, in Ver. 4. he breaks off to the other clafs — •
" Whofoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth alfo the
" Law, for fin is a tranfgreffion of the Law." And
by the word alfo, he makes fuch hypocrites tranf-
greffors of fome other Law, as well as theLawMoral.
" Whofo finneth, hath not feen Chrift, neither known
"him. He that committeth fin, is of the devil." Ver.

Q2 the broken cistern,
Ver. 6, 8. John makes the hypocrite a tranfgreffor
in a twofold fenfe: " Whofo tranfgreffeth, [by .apo-
" ftacy] and abideth not in the dodtrine of Chrift,
" hath not God." Such an one is a * tranfgreffor
againft the Gofpel of Chrift, and he tranfgreffeth
alfo the Law.' The Law is the miniftration of death
to him, and the Gofpel is a favour of death unto
death to him : he is curfed by the former, and
damned by the latter. He that is under the Law,
and does it not, is curfed; and he that hears the
Gofpel, and believes not, fhall be damned.
Quot. " This was written to believers; and it is a
" ftrong atteftation, that the Law is not abrogated, but ftill
" remaining in full force, as the Rule of Righteoufnefs."
Answ. If the Law has ceafed to exift, and is
done away, as a Covenant of Works, as you affert,
you have abrogated it — for to command to do for
life, and to condemn for not doing, is all the power
it ever had : and, if it hath ceafed to exift as a Co
venant of Works, it hath no power to command to
work, nor to condemn for not working, according
to your doctrine. This is vile and damnable Anti
nomianifm ; and is making void the Law in every
fenfe, and eftablifhes it in no fenfe whatever. The
Word of God declares, that the Law is not made
for a righteous man. It is not made to rule, govern,
or condemn, a man juftified by Faith; for he is"
ruled and governed by the Grace of Chrift. He is
not

and the- springing well. 93
not under the Law, bur under Grace. The Law is^
made for the lawlefs and difobedient ; and we know,
that whatfoever the Law faith, it faith to them that
are under the Law. Here are the perfons defcribed
for whom this Law is made; and they are not the
righteous, but the lawlefs and difobedient: and the
whole contents of the Law are diredted to them that
are under it ; but the righteous are not under the
Law, but under Grace. But, if the Moral Law be
the only Rule of the Saint's Work, he muft ferve in
the oldnefs of the Letter. The Works of the Law,
and not the Works of Faith, are what the believer
muft' perform : and by the Law muft he ftand or fall,
and by it muft his weakneffes be tried, and punifhed;
and then woe to him, for Zion's own righteoufneffes
are but as filthy rags, which can never ftand the teft
of the Law. Nor can the Law put up with one
imperfedt adtion, nor fhew mercy to any that are in
the leaft imperfect. Faith and repentance pafs for
nothing here. Perfection it will have, as itfelf is
perfect. It can fhew no mercy; it knows of none.
It held Chrift himfelf, as a bond fervant, all his days:
I fay, as a bond fervant. (Read and compare Exod.
xxi. 32. Pfal. xxii. 20, 21. Zech. ix. 12.) The
Precept held him faft till he came to his trial, and
the Sentence held him faft till he gave up the ghoft.
When he rofe from the dead, he cried, "All hail!"
And he that, by faith, finds reft in his infinite Satif-
faction, ceafes from his works, as God did from his: he

Q4 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
he ceafes from the works of the Law, as God did
from the works of Creation.
Quot. " Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit
" fin ; for his feed remaineth in him, and he cannot fin."
Answ. ^This is a contradiction of what you afferted
before. You fay, the believer is delivered from fin,
but the neiv man is taken captive by fin. If the faint
is free from fin, and the new man is a captive to fin,'
this feed can be of no ufe to the believer, but rather
the believer fhould help this captive. I would to
God, that fuch ignorant, unenlightened perfons,
would never meddle with fuchfublime matters, and
handle them in fo vile a way. Talk about the feed of
God; and then about the new creature, created in
righteoufnefs and true holinefs, falling a captive to
the devil ! O, what judicial blindnefs, confufion,
and bardnefs of heart, is this ! What enmity againft
the Gofpel, and the preachers of it, muft rage in
the breads of fuch perfons, to drive them over all
bounds, into fuch a defperate frenzy, as to plunder,
pervert, mifconftrue, and proftitute, the Divine
Oracles of God to fuch bafe purpofes, as to deceive
the fimple, and injure (in the Lord's work) the
faithful labourers of the Vineyard! However, as
you have got a bridle in your jaws, caufing you to
err; go on, and, by God's help, I will follow you,
as long as I can hold a pen. You are got into worfe
than Egyptian darknefs now, and the veil will gather fafter

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 95
fader and fader on your heels. But I find the path
of the juft fhines more and more, unto the perfect
day. Let me contend for the Faith once delivered
to the faints, and do you contend for the Law; and
our readers will foon fee which is the burning and
the fhining light; for, by your darknefs paffing be
fore, the true light will fhine after it.
Quot. « In Zacharias and Elizabeth, the father and
(i mother of John the Baptift, we have a beautiful example
" of what the Chriftian is, or, at leaft, ought to be. It is
tl faid of them, " They were both righteous before God ;
w walking in all the commandments of the Lord, blame-
» lefs." Luke, i. 6.
Answ. The Authors of this book can charge
William Huntington with no more ungodlinefs, or
finful walking, fince his converfion, than they can
charge the above-mentioned perfons; and yet their
whole drift is to reprefent me a Magus in doctrine,
and a devil in 4ife : however, they can never over
throw the doctrines that I hold. This laft Quota
tion juftifies my doctrine: for, if they were both
righteous, they were juftified by an imputed righte
oufnefs. And it is clear that the Grace of God did
not lead them into licentiaufnefs : for, as they walked
in the Spirit, they did not fulfil the lufts ofthe flefh j
for they walked in all the ordinances and command
ments of the Lord, blamelefs ; fo that the righteouf
nefs of the Law was fulfilled in them, and Grace
taught

©6 -J.' THE BROKEN CISTEJUSP,
taught them to deny ungodlinefs and worldly lufts.
And this is what I affert. But, after all, thi's paf
fage of Scripture ferves my purpofe much better
than- the purpofe of my opponents.- For, though the
Law of Works had no charge againft Zacharias, be
caufe he was under Grace ; yet the Law of Faith had.
Which fhews that Faith is a Rule of obedience;
and his tranfgreffing that Rule brought a fore and a
public judgment upon him: "Behold, thou fhalt'be :
" dumb, and not able to fpeak, until the day that
'* thefe things fliall be performed; becaufe thou
" believest not my words, which fliall be fulfilled
" in their feafon." Luke, i. 20. Is it not ftrange,
that a good man, a faint of God, fhould be rebuked
by an angel from heaven ; ftruck dumb for nine
months, for his unbelief, or for tranfgreffing the Law
of Faith; and yet the Law of Faith, (as this Book
fuggefts) is no Rule of obedience; is no Law to
difcover and forbid fin ,- no Law to arraign the
tranfgreffor of it; nor yet a Law: furnifhed with a
fentence to punifh the difobedient thereto ! How
ever, though the Law of Works brought'riothing
againft Zacharias's walk, the Law of Faith brought
a heavy charge againft his unbelieving heart. "If
ec this word, fpoken by an angel, was ftedfaft, and
" Zacharias's tranfgreffion and difobedience thereto '
" received a juft recompence^of reward; how will
" thofe efcape who obfcure and traduce the Law of
" Faith, (which at firft began to be fpoken by the
" Lord)

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 97
" Lord) as no rule "of right and wrong ; and fo
" make the Kingdom of God, which ftands not in
" Word, nor in Letter, but in power, in righteouf-
" nefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, a mere
" fancy!" Let thefe enemies to Antinomianifm
look to it; left, after all their contention for the
Letter, they are found' doing Despite to the Spirit
ef Grace. For, although they think the Law of Faith,
in the hand of the Spirit, is no Rule; yet finning
_ againft it is the great Transgression, Pfal. xix.
13. yea, it is the unpardonable fin. Which fhews,
that the Spirit's Law, or Law of the Spirit, is the
grandest Rule, and the greatest of all Laws :
¦ for all other fins are pardonable but this — this is
the fin unto death.
If my Reader thinks that I bear too hard upon
them, in faying, they think the Law of Faith to be
no Rule of obedience ; confequently, no Law to
punifh the tranfgreffors of it — let him well weigh the
next Quotation, and thofe parts which I have put
in Italicks, where the Moral Law is brought in, as
the only Rule of right and wrong; for nothing but
tranfgreffing thofe precepts is fin, and without that,
no procefs againft a finner can be drawn; and it is
only by that Rule that a punifhment can be inflicted:
fo that the hypocrite in Zion, the infidel in profeffion,
and the unpardonable finner, have nothing to fear;
for the Decalogue fays nothing about them; but,
by Chrifl' s Word fhall thofe be judged; and the
G Twelve

58 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
Twelve Apoftles, in their teftimony, fhall be wit
neffes againft them. *
Quot. " If there is no Law, and, confequently, no fin, ,
" to a believer, why was David's cmducl with refpect to
" Bathfheba, and Uriah the Hittite, fo peculiarly marked,
" fo dnQiyftigmatized, fofeverely punijhed? His conduct
'" in this affair, in the very nature of things, muft be either
" right or wrong ; and none will dare to fay it was right,
" becaufe it was followed by the moft evident and unequi-
" vocal proofs of Divine difpleafure : but, if it was wrong,
" ivhat was it conftituted it fo ? It muft be a deviation from
" the rule of right ; and, what can be that Rule, but the
" Moral Law, which fays — " Thou fhalt not kill, Thou,
" fhalt not commit adultery ?"
Answ. The Law of Faith goes clofer than—
*c Thou fhalt not kill, Thou fhak not commit
" adultery:" for it declares, that hatred to a brother
(fuch as thefe Authors bear to me) is murder ; and
that a lafcivious eye is adultery; and that fuch as
Maria, who will not work, fhall not eat; yea, that
fuch as take no care for themfelves, and their own
houfe, have denied the faith, and are worfe than an
infidel.  But now to the Quotation. It is well
known that David lived under the old difpenfation.
The day had not broke, the fhadows did not flee
away, in his days. He was obliged to attend the
mountains of myrrh and hills of frankincenfe. The
children under that difpenfation were like children
in nonage. " They differed little from fervants*
" though,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 99
** though lords of all; but were under tutors and
" governors, until the time appointed of the Father.
" Even fo we, when we were children, were in bon-
" dage under the elements of the world. Bur,
" when the fulnefs of time Was come, God fent
" forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
c* the Law, to redeem them that were under the
tf Law, that we might receive the adoption of fons.
" And, becaufe ye are fons, God hath fent forth the
" Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
<f Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a fervant,
" but a fon — no more a fervant under the ruling
" power of the Law, but a fon, by the Spirit of
" adoption, and under the reign of adopting
" Grace." Gal. iv. i, 2, 3, 4, &c. David did not
live to fee thefe jubilee days ; he lived under the
old difpenfation. The Law and the Prophets were
¦until John ; but David was dead before John came.
Neverthelefs, we will confider David's crimes, and
God's proceeding againft him ; whether it was by
the Rule of Works, or by the. Rule of Faith; whe
ther In the court of Judicature, or in the court of
Chancery; whether at the bar of the Law, or at the
Mercy-feat. For, if God dealt with him according
to the Rule of the Moral Law, as an adulterer, he
muft be ftoned; and, as a murderer, he muft be killed.
" He that does violence to the blood of any perfon,
" let him flee to the pit; let no man ftay him."
Shimei curfed David, and ftoned him, which is go
ing by your Rule; for this, he knew, hedeferved by
G 2 fhe

IOO
the Law; and he expected that God, in juft judg
ment, "was going to meafure the fame to him as he
had meafured to others: " The Lord hath re-
" turned upon thee all the blood of the houfe of
", Saul, in whofe ftead thou haft reigned; and the
" Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand
" of Abfalom. And, behold, thou art taken in thy
" mifchief, becaufe thou art a bloody man!"
The unalterable and eternal Law was. point blank
againft David, both for adultery and murder; and
floning to death was the unrepealable fentence an
nexed to that Law. And, furelv, God. will be, true
to his precept, and to his threatening: "for he is
" not man, that he fhould lye ; nor the fon of man,
" that he fhould- repent. — -He is without variable-
" nefs, or fhadow of turning." And, according to
this vile Book that I am oppofing, the Moral Law
was David's only Rule of life, andjGod's only Rule
of judgment. And yet Abfalom dies; and not one
ftone hits David, not a drop of his blood is fhed:
repentance is granted him; he is reftored to the fa
vour of God, to the joys of his falvation, to his
throne and dignity, and excellent majefty is added'
to hirii. Now, let our opponents tell us, by the
Ten Commandments, how God could appear juft in
all this, by that only Rule which they contend for;
and whether they do not, by that only Rule, of God
and man, reprefent the Moft High in an awful point
of light, in his proceedings with David ? But, if
.they

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 101
they fay that Jefus, David's Surety, took his crimes
upon himfelf; and was ftoned, and died, in David's
room; then my anfwer is, that God muft proceed
againft David by fome other Rule, if he appears juft
in the matter, and yet juftifies fallen David from all
his ungodlinefs. David knew the Moral Rule,
and trembled at it as much as ever I did, and knew
he t could never ftand by that Rule of judgment.
Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, O Lord;
for, in thy fight, Jhall no man living be juftified.
He knew God never could juftify him, but muft
condemn him, or appear unjuft by that Rule.
Hence his pitiful plea, Be furety for thy fervant for
good. But the Ten Commandments fay nothing of
furetyfhip ; they will have good hearts, and good
works : no evil deeds can be done away by that
Rule-, no evil works can ever ftand by that Rule.
To the Surety of the better Teftament David fled ;
in a covenant relation to God he flood; and of the
covenant of Grace he reminded his Maker — Have
refpetl to the Covenant. He confidered himfelf as a
new creature, and begs God to refpetl the work of
his own hands. To the Mercy-feat he fled for re
fuse ; and pleaded the worlhinefs of the Man of
\ God's right-hand; the Son of Man, made ftrong for
himfelf; who was to bear thofe heavy crimes of
David, which, he fays, was afore burden, too heavy
for him to bear. The Ceremonial Law was David's
Gofpel, and through that he looked to Jefus—
G 3 . Purge

102 THE! BROKEN CISTERN,
Purge me with hyffop, and I fhall be deem; mafh mt,
and I fhall be whiter thanfnow : under the Saviour's,
wings, at the Mercy- feat, David found his refuge
from the wrath of the law, till all his calamities
were overpaffed; and the application that Nathan
made to David, Thou fhalt not die, for God hath put
away thy fin! never came from your Rule; for, by
that, the foul that fins fhall die. God will not,
cannot, clear the guilty, by that Rule. This I in*
fill upon, that if the Moral Law was David's only
Rule of life, (and, if ever it was, it was in David's,
days, for Chrid, the end of it, was not then come)
and, if the Moral Law was the only Rule by which
God proceeded againd David, all the world could
never have faved the life, nor the foul, of the fweet
Pfalmift of Ifrael, from that dreadful curfe. Nor
did Nathan preach the parable of the Ewe-Lamb
from the Law; but fixed David's crime upon his
confcience, by enforcing the goodnefs of God to
him, and his ungrateful returns. " Thus faith the
*' Lord God of Ifrael, I anointed thee king over
" Ifrael ; and I delivered thee out of the hands of
" Saul; and I gave thee thy mafter's houfe, and thy
" mafter's wives, into thy bofom; and gave thee
" the houfe of Ifrael and Judah : and, if that had:
" been too little, I would, moreover, have given
" thee fuch and fuch things. Wherefore haft thou
" defpifed the commandment of the Lord, to do evil
<£ in his fight?" David finned againft both Law
arid Gofpel: he did not keep that commandment which

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 103
Which Paul gave to Timothy, without fpot. He
finned not only againft the Moral Law, but he finned
againft the commandment of life for evermore;
which, he fays, is the bleffing which God commanded
on Mount Zion-, and which commandment, David
knew, was given to Chrift touching h\m—Thou haft
given a commandment to fave me. And he knew that
h was a life-giving word — This is my comfort in my
affliclion, thy word hath quickened me. And in this
word he believed, or he had perifhed for ever — Ihad
fainted, unlefs I had believed: but / believed, and
therefore have I fpoken.
QyoT. " We find, in David, a moft ftriking example
" of evangelical repentance, and godly forrow, upon the
" account of fin. He was a finner, but he was no Anti-
" nomian." Answ. I will not fay that the Authors of this
Book are Antinomians ; but this I will fay, that the
Book contains the worft Antinomianifm that I ever
read; and is a vile and damnable harangue, both
againft the Law, the Gofpel, and the Grace of God.
Againft the Law, becaufe it declares, " The Law
" has ceafed to exift, and is done awav, as a Cove-
" nant of Works." Againft the Gofpel, becaufe
" it is no Rule of right and wrong." And againft
the Grace of God, by declaring, " that the new man
" is taken captive by fin." And, as for their men
tioning evangelical repentance and godly forrow,
they never experienced any thing of it; nor does
G 4 this

104 THE BROKEN CISTERN, \ '
this Book give any better, defcription of it than old
Mother Shipton would have done. Befides, what
fignifies talking.of David's repentance, godly forrow,
and pardon of fin? Minifters of the Law fhould
leave thefe things to the minifters of the Spirit.
Your Rule, engraven on tables of ftone, accepts no
repentance, nor godly forrow: hor will it ever fhew
mercy, nor pardon iniquity; it neither mentions it,
accepts it, nor gives any information about it. Any
fimple perfon, who fhould read this Treatife, who
has not eyes to fee through this irmfk of hypocrify,
and who fhould be informed, that this Pill, or Bolus,
was prepared for me; muft conclude that, of all the
wretched beings out of hell, William Huntington;
muft be the vileft finner, the worft liver, and the
moft dangerous preacher. What fimple foul could.'
imagine, that fuch a fpurious harangue could be
levelled at the tverlafting Gofpel; and to blacken '
the character of a monument of Mercy, and a fub
jedt of fpecial Grace, whofe life and walk are con
fiftent with the meafure of grace> received ; and
whofe miniftry is attended with, the power of God to
hundreds, if not to thoufands? And muft not the
fame fimple foul think, by the fame rule, that the
Authors of fuch a book muft.exceed all the world
in purity of heart, and holinefs of life? None
could ever think, that fuch a teftimony as they have'
borne againft me, could ever be falfe. Yet, as the
Lord liveth, I am willing to be weighed in an even
balapce

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. IO^
balance with any of them, with refpect to heart-
" holinefs or good works. And, as to envying them
their happinefs, I would not exchange my ftate for
theirs ; no, not for a million worlds, though I am
taiCK-named an Antinomian !
Quot. " Faith is the grand bond of union between
" Chrift and the fouls of his people ; and, therefore, we are
" faid to be juftified by Faith, and fandified by Faith.,
¦Answ. This is falfe. Faith is not the grand
bond of union : nor is it ever fo called; for it is
God's everlafting love to his elect that is the bond of
the covenant, and the bond of union; and this union
took place not only in the purpofe of God, but in
Chrift Jefus, before ever Faith was found upon
earth. " I have loved thee with an everlafting love."
And this love made us one with Chrift from eternity;
it was the felf-moving caufe in God to give us life in
him before the world began, and we were preferved
in him ; and, at laft, by the fame love, drawn fen
fibly to him, and by the fame love fpiritually and
fenfibly united to him. It is the love of Father,
Son, and Spirit, that is the threefold cord that, can
not be broken. Faith is the effect of this bond,
but this bond is not Faith. Faith in us, that puri
fies the heart, is one thing ; but God's eternal and
immutable love to us, is another. I wifh this foolifh
girl would take in a little needle-work to do; and
not meddle with, and muddle, the myfteries of reli-
o-ion, for the fake of a morfel of bread.
a ' Quot.

IC*6 THE BROKEN CISTERN!, '
QubT. " Becaufe Faith, as a hand, receives Chrift as
" the juftifying righteoufnefs of the foul.; and actually re-
" ceivesj out of his infinite fulnefs, all thofe communications
" of divine grace, &c."
Answ. Suppofe Faith, as a hand, does this, the
bond oi God's covenant, and Maria's hand, widely
differ. God's love runs through the whole famib/
of heaven and earth ; and holds all the ftakes to the
main ftandard of the tabernacle. But, what do
Maria's hands hold? Neither the fpindle, nor the diftaff,
Prov. xxxi 19.
QyoT. " So that, thofe who live and die without being
" made partakers of vital faith, it is evident, never were
" united to Chrift any other way."
Answ. " And though I have the gift of prophecy,
" and underftand all myfteries, and all knowledge ;
" and, though I have ail faith, fo that I could remove
" mountains, andhave no charity, I am nothing. "So
that, perfons never were united to Chrift this way;
for men may have all faith, and yet not- enjoy cha
rity, or feel the bond of union.
Quot. " For all thofe whom he has taken into union
M with himfelf, in a fcederal relation and union, by an act
" of divine fovereignty, in the fulnefs of time he unites to
" himfelf, by implanting in their hearts vital faith, as a di-
" vine, abiding, holy principle, by which they are cut off
" from, their old -flock, and are ingrafted into the new, the
*' living Vine,"
Answ.

AND THE 5PRINCNG WELL.' 10?
Answ. Maria abounds in myfteries: flie fpeaks
wifdom to them that are perfedt. We were in
formed before, that vital faith was the bond of unionj
this was proved by it's being a hand to receive,
righteoufnefs to juftify, and grace to fandtify: but
now Maria goes back again, and turns this bond$
and this receiving hand, into a fword. For it is by
-vital faith, by this divine, this holy principle, that
believers are cut off from the old flock, and ingrafted
into the Vine. Maria is no gardener, nor botanift.
We read of grafting olive-trees in Scripture, but the
Holy Ghoft never mentions grafting vines.
Quot. " And on this grand union withthe Lord Chrift,
" does all fandtification, and communion, and walking with
" God, depend."
Answ. All fandtification, which is God's fetr
ting his Elect apart in eternity; and Chrift's offer
ing up himfelf upon the Crofs, by which offering
he for ever perfected them that are fanctified — all
depends upon Maria's band, band, and fword, if we
can but believe. For my part, I know it is a damnable
}ye. But we muft go on.
Quot. <c It is God, the Holy Ghoft, who alone can
w create, this Faith in the foul of a finner."
Answ. Maria's bond, hand, and fword, is at laft
turned into a creature. None but the Spirit can
treate this faith; fo that, it is not the finner that is
created

IO& THE BROKEN CISTERN, %
>
created anew, but Faith is created in him ; and then
it turns to a fword, and then to a hand, and at laft
to a bond. Reader, have a little patience with me,
-while I purfue thefe orthodox divines, and difcover
their folly, left thou be milled by them. Wifdom
tells thee, that fome fort of women have' ways that
•are moveable, fo that thou canft not know them: \
am fure I don't, but yet I know that this woman is
not right.

at>'

Quot. " For, as it is impoffible -for a dead man to
tt give himfelf natural life; fo it is equally impoffible for a
" dead finner, that is, a man dead in fin, to give himfelf
" fpiritual life ; that is, divine faith."
Answ. Maria's bond, hand, fword, and creature,,
is now -termed fpiritual life, for '^fpiritual life is, di-
" vine faith;" fo that this created faith is Divinity it
felf. We do not live by faith on Chrift, who is our
life; nor does Chrift live in us_ according to this,'
but " created Faith is fpiritual life in us." Now,
Reader, we fhall differ from all that we have faid be
fore. Quot. " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the.
" Word." , •
Answ. In the above quotation, Faith was creat-
ed'in us, but, now it is created out of .us, and comes
into us by hearing the word. Now, Reader,
we muft take another turn ; and where you may find us

AND THE SPRIN«ING WELL. IO9
us next, I know not; but you may depend uponit„
that we fliall be fomewhere Humbling upon the dark
mountains. Quot. " Page 59. The word of God is the fword of
" the Spirit ; and when the Holy Ghoft takes this noble
" fword into his mighty hand, he makes it quick and power-
" ful, cutting, down all oppofition, and fully efficacious to
" the conviction, ' converfion, fandtification, and confok-
*' tion, of his people."
AnsW. Now we" fee that Maria's 'bond, hand,
creature, and fpiritual life, has nothing to do with.
cutting the finner off from his oidftock; for it is ail
done by the Word of God, and not by Faith created
in us by the Spirit. In this laft quotation, Maria's
hand has nothing to do, for thus run the words:
,c The Spirit makes this fword quick and powerful,
" cuttingdown aU oppofition, and fully efficacious." '
That is, thefwafd is fully efficacious to the convic
tion, converfion, fandtification, and confolation, of his
people. The fword that wounds^ heals : , convictions,
fanctificatiqhs, ancrconfolations, all come from the
fame fword. The Holy Spirit handles the fword,
but holinefs and confolation come by the fword.
Faith makes no application in this bufinefs.
Quot. " The fword of Scanderbeg the Great did
" wonders ; but it was only when it was exercifed by the
" mighty arm of Scanderbeg."
Answ.

116 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
AttsW. The fword that this book talks about,.
does greater works than that of Scanderbeg; his
fword was ufed to kill, but this fword brings flanc-
tification and confolation. How does the Almighty
blind, confound, confufe, and difcover thefe empty
novices, by letting them expofe their confufion to'
the Church and world ; and yet hold them in fuch
blindnefs, as to permit them to call their felf-con-
tradidlions, and palpable lyes, " A confutation of
*' Error, and'unmafkingof Antinomianifm!"
As for me, I don't know that any body can
juftly charge me with preaching to encourage Sin, 6r
fay I have lived as an example of licentioufnefs,
or been in any fenfe behind-hand in promoting, and
in fhewing a pattern of good works; if I have, let
them teftify againft me.
QyoT. " They that are overwhelmed with diflrefs, and
*' fometimes concludethat they have no right to rejoice in the
« liberty of the Gofpel, that they are not the Lord's free-
" men,hvx ilillftaves to Sin and Satan, ftill under the reign-
u ing power of Sin; and, confequently, not partakers of
" Chrift's falvation. Now, left any of thefe, whofe hearts
11 the Lord would not have made fad."
Answ. If they are overwhelmed with diflrefs,
and " flaves to fin and Satan," and "under thereign-
ing power of fin," they have no more right to re
joice in the liberty ofthe Gofpel than Satan has, who
is referved in chains of darknefs. The finner here
defcribed, is overcome by Satan; and of whom a
man

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. It I
man is overcome, of the fame is he brought into bon
dage; if he is, and binds himfelf to be a flave to fin
and Satan, he is free from righteoufnefs. His
members are not yielded as inftruments of righte
oufnefs, nor is he, nor can he be^ a fervant of
righteoufnefs ; he is holden with the cords bf his fin,
and Satan has the maftery over him. In this quo
tation, a flave to fin and Satan is allowed to " have
" a right to rejoice in the liberty ofthe Gofpel;"
a " finner overwhelmed with diflrefs," and " un-
" der the dominion of fin, yet the Lord would not
" have his heart made fad." This is, I think,
rank Antinomianifm ; for it is encouraging rafh
prefumption, encouraging a flave to the devil to
rejoice in the liberty of the Gofpel.
Quot. " Now, left any oft thefe fhould be made fad,
" by any thing contained in this treatife."
Answ. There is no fear of any re&fadnefs of
heart enfuing, upon the perufal of this treatife; for
there is no more force, power, or edge, to this fword,
than there is to an eider-down quilt ; it is calculated
for nothing elfe but to bolder up, and to harden
hypocrites in their hypocrify. As to God's people,
no foul that ever was enlightened and quickened
by the Lord, would ever give it a fecond reading,
nor even houfe-room, unlefs it be admitted into-the
water-clofet. Qyor; " I would wifh to obferve, that wherever fin is
" hated,

112 THE BRO.KEN CISTERN, , ^
" hated, npt only in it's confequences and punifhment, but
" in it's nature and practice ; where' it is flruggled with,
«' fought, againft, prayed againft, watched againft, aadgrodn-
u ed underwit hath no dominion."
Answ. Is a finner's hating, ftruggling, fighting,
watching, and groaning,.of any avail in fubduingthe
power of fin ? Do the Scriptures ever mufter fuch
a band of pif mires a% thefe, to deftroy the works of^
the devil ? Here is no blood of atonement, no fh ield of
Faith, ho fin-fubduing, and fuper-abounding grace.
Sin has no dominion, faith this book, becaufe it is,
fought againft, watched againft, prayed againft, and;
groaned under : if groaned under, it muft lie heavy
upon the finner"; and will, till God's ftrength be
made perfect in his weaknefs, and all-fufficient grace _
be communicated to him. Satan reaps no fmall
advantage from fuch books as thefe; he that efteems '
iron as ftraw, and brafs as rotten wood, who drove •
the mad Gadarene from his chains, will never re
fufe the challenge of. this fighting finner, nor ftart
at his groans. If my Reader will now obferve, we
fliall .find that this precious foul, whom " the Lord
" would npt have made fad," who has " a right" to
" rejoice in the liberty of the Gofpel," is in want-
of but one thing, and, that is, power.
Quot. " Thefe things are quite Incompatible with the
" reigning love and power of fin. K. It may, fight hard; it may;
¦" rage defperately; it may, for a time, play, the tyrant ;
" but, during this time, the foul,' though a captive, is. not a
. " flave.

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. II j
" flavu The tyrant is detefted: and the foul wah/j ««-
ct thing but power- to throw off the iron yoke "
Answ. If this fancied faint has no power, he has
no faith; if deftitute , of power, the kingdom of
God is not fet up in his heart, for that ftands not in
word, but in power; and, if he is a captive to Satan,
he can have no right to rejoice in the liberty of the
Gofpel. Captivity is as oppofite to liberty as fla
ttery j nor will any child of God be brought to be
lieve, that Satan will fhew fuch lenity to his captives,
as to let them ftand all the day idle. He that is a
captive to the devil, is a flave; he that is under the
jurifdidlion of that father, will do the lufts of that
father. This fancied faint is next fet down with
Paul and Job ; and the promife ofthe Gofpel is ap
plied to him, though God has not made bare his
arm. QyoT. <c It is evident, fuch an one has been taught bf
a Chrift, the great Prophet, a good degree of felf- knowledge:
" the underftanding is enlightened to fee the exceedingftnfulnefi
" of fin, and the fpirituality of the law of God; and therefore
" the man cries out, with Paul — " I am carnal, fold under
"fin." And with Job, " I am vile!" It is alfo evident,
w his will is renewed, and his affeSlions in part fanElified,
" for the evil he does, he allows not, Ibid. Nay, he hates it."
Answ. Here is a man renewed in his will, and
his affetlions \mpart fan^ified; and he is alfo taught
of Chrift, whofe word to the heart is always attend-
H ed

114 TJfE BROKEN CISTERN1,
ed with power, to make the dead live, and the pri
foner go free. And yet this man has no power, for
he cannot throw off the iron yoke.
Quot. " And could he be delivered from the very
w being of fin, and from the poffibility of finning, it would
be the triumph of his heart, and the joy of his foul."

Cf I

Answ. Thoufapds in defpair, and on the verge
of hell, would be glad of this, who never knew the
grace of God, and who never will be faved. For
if a man be delivered from the being of fin, he can
have no inducement, or motion to it; and if from
the poffibility of it, he is in no danger, confequently
in no fear. The faint's obedience is the reverfe of
all this ; he ©beys God againft the inclinations of
felf, and the enticements of fin.
Quot. " If this is the habitual frame of thy mind^.
" gentle reader; thou art one of thofe happy ones to>
" whom the promife declares, " Sin fhall not have domi-
" nion over you, for you are not under the Law, but under
" Grace." Answ. There is one great difficulty, which
muft devolve upon thefe Authors ; and that is, to
make this gentle reader,- who is a captive to fire
and Satan, though not a flave; who, though renew
ed and fan tlified, is yet deftitute of power to throw
off the iron yoke — I fay, it is a difficulty to make
fuch a prifoner believe that he is one of thofe happy
ones*

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 115
tines, (upon a level with Paul and Job) to whom the
promife declares, that fin fhall not have dominion
over him, becaufe he is not under the Law, but
under Grace — I fay, to make a man believe that
he has a " right to rejoice in Gofpel liberty," when
holden in the cords of his fins; and that " fin has no
" dominion over him while a captive to it;" and
that he is " not under the Law," though he has " no
" power to throw off the iron yoke" and that he is
under grace, though no falvation from fin has ever
been applied to him : this, I fay, muft be difficult
work for Faith. Maria told Mr. George King,
that this Book does contain Mr. Ryland's fenti
ments ; and if fo, I will be bold to affirm, that fuch
a faith never was hatched any where, either in hea
ven or earth, but at Enfield.
Quot. " Thou art not under the Law, for Chrift hath
" redeemed thee from it : it is dead to thee as a covenant of
" works; and thou art dead to it, that thou mayeft be mar-
li ried to another hufband."
Answ. The Antinomianifm which this Book
has all along reprobated ; yea, the very doctrine
that I hold, and for the preaching of which, I
am reprefented in this book as black as Satan him
felf; yea, the whole of it, is advanced in this laft
quotation, only we differ with refpect to application.
Maria applies it to them only to vihomfahation
from fin has never been given; who are deftitute of
H 2 power,

Il6 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
power, under the iron yoke, and in a ftate of capti
vity to fin. Whereas, I apply it to none but thofe
who are born again of the Spirit; who are purged
from guilt and dead works, delivered from the reign
of fin, and made free by the Spirit •, who are no
more fervants, but fons; and not fons ofthe bond
woman, but of the free. Thus we agree in doc
trine, and only differ in application. This captive,
in his iron yoke, is farther comforted by many ap
plications. Quot. " And. he is the God of Grace : he giveth grace
" and glory. The Father hath bleffed thee with all fpiritual
« bleffings in Chrifl."
Answ. This is another difficult branch of Faith;
that is, for this gentle Reader to believe that he is
bleffed with all fpiritual bleffings, while he is cursed
with the iron yoke of bondage, in captivity to fin,
and deftitute of the power of divine grace. For my
parr, I fhould not wonder if God fhould give
fuch Authors up to the buffetings of Satan -, to be
ftripped, even of their rationality, for fuch igno
rant meddling, bafe handling, and falfely applying,
the Gofpel, and the promifes of it.
Quot. " Nothing is fo great an enemy to beart-holi-
" nefs as Unbelief."
Answ. The greateft enemy to holinefs through
out this Book, has all along been the Antinomian, for

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. 117
for not bringing the believer under the Law, as his
only Rule of Life. He that holds not this point,
is, according to this Book, the vileft finner, and
even a child of the devil. And this Antinomian, af
ter all, is Unbelief. He is the adverfary, and the
greateft enemy to "heart holinefs;" and, I think, as
our opponents have caught Unbelief, they ought to
let Huntington go his way. If they charge Unbe
lief with all the crimes, then are the children free.
QyoT. " Nothing is fo great an enemy to heart-holi-
" nefs as unbelief: Satan hates it, but he cannot rob us of
" it; but unbelief robs us of it, or rather, prevents our re-
" ceiving it. Faith works it in the soul."
Answ. The heart-holinefs of a faint confifts in
his foul being the feat, and his body the temple, of
the Holv Ghost; as God hath faid — " I will dwell
" in them, and walk in them." Unbelief, we are
informed, can " rob us of this; unbelief can pfe-
" vent our receiving this: but Faith works it in
" the foul." Unbelief, therefore, muft be more
than almighty; and Faith, inftead of being a work,
a fruit, or a grace, of the Spirit, He is the worker
of the Spirit in us, " for he works holinefs in the
foul." Bleffed be Almighty God, who hath
opened my blind eyes to fee, and breathed eternal
life into my fenfelefs foul, to feel the operations of
his Spirit, and the dominion of his grace ; and to
fee through the dark and iniquitous defigns of fuch
Authors,

8l8 T«E BROKEN- CISTERN,,
Authors,, and foch arch deceptions as thefe. To
/peak without lightnefs, and • withouf. prej,udicea I
have read this Book till my hair has moved upon my
head, a,nd my flefh upon my bones — to fee perfons,
fp deftitute pf the common ideas of a workpf grape^
paake fuch bavock with facred matters, and publifh
fuch confufipn to the Church and world!
Quot. " This is the win of God, even your fanctifi-
*' cation. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear muph,
" fruit." Answ. But how can a man be holy Who is a
captive to fin, and deftitute df power ? And how
can he be fruitful, who never was madepartaker of
the fruits? All the applications in this 64th page
are made tothe gentle Reader, who is under the iron
yoke pf bondage, and has no power to'thfow it off.
Quot. "Should thefe Pages fall into the hands of a
" Profeffor of religion, who can hear of Chrift, and talk
" much about Chrift, and the riches of his grace, and the
" wonders of his falvation ; and yet is carelefs • and indiffe-
'.' rent whether he, as an individual, is madeJpartaker ofthe
V riches of that grace, and the wonders of that falvation, h-y
tf the power of the Spirit of God, &c..^c, ,
Answ. If thefe Pages fhould fall into the hands
of fuch a Profeffor, he will not condemn this Book',
nor will this Book condemn him ; for there is np
more "rich grace," and " wondrous falvation,"
: l in

AND THE SPRINGING WELL. I ftj
in this Book, nor defcribed by the Authors of it,
than fuch a Profeffor has got in him. The one is
a drum, the other a tinkling cymbal, and nothing but
emptinefs in either. Befides, Where is the difference
between the gracelefs Profeffor laft defcribed, and
the gentle Reader to whom the bleffings were ap
plied ? The former is a captive to fin, the latter de
ftitute of grace ; the former, no power to caft off the
iron yoke; the latter, without the wonders of falva
tion. Here is no more difference between the for
mer faint, and the latter hypocrite, than between my
two eyes : they are both under the power of the
devil; only one is finking like Judas, and the other
comforting himfelf like Efau.

t>

Quot. " Who can live loofely, and allow himfelf in
" finful difpofitions, and finful practices, under the idea
" that there is no Law, and confequently, no fin to a be-
" liever." Answ. It were well if all Authors had difpofii
tions and practices agreeable to their -beft words*
How well Maria lives up to this, I fhall leave to
God and her own confcience, who know what fhe is
in works, from what fhe feems by words; nor fhall
I ever wifh to copy after her— for then, indeed, I
fliould be an Antinomian both in heart and practice.
But this I infift on, that if the Law is the believer's
Rule of life, by which he is to live and conduct
himfelf; and that he is under the precept of it, to
obey

160 THE BROKEN CISTERN, .,
obey it ; and that all that is amifs in him, orjr|p^,*
amifs by him, is to be laid to that Rule, as the
only Rule of right and wrong, or the only Rule to
fhew what is fin ; and by that Rule he is to be
punifhed for fin, fin being the tranfgreffion of no
other Law but that, according to this Book — then,
I fay, that Chrift profits nothing; that the aclive
and paffive obedience of the Saviour is a mere
phantom ; the former not delivering the faint from
the yoke of the precept, nor the latter from the
fentence. '
And that the believer differs nothing frpm a finner
who is dead in fin : for the Law is no more than
fuch a Rule to him ; it has no more than a precept,
and a fentence, for him ; it is no more than a Rule
of life, or a Rule of conduct, (which you pleafe)
to him.
But, if our opponents reply — " The believer is
" under the Law to Chrift;" I anfwer — So are all
finners; all in the flefh are under the Law. But,
if you fay — " Not under the Law to Chrift;" I
anfwer, They are all under the Law, and all are
accountable to Chrift. We muft all ftand before the
judgment-feat of Chrift. I know of no other judge :
the bleffing and the curfe will be pronounced by
Chrift, as the only judge of quick and dead.
And, if the Law be all this, let our opponents
fhew us how the Law has " ceafed to exift as a
•' Covenant of Works," in any fenfe; or, whether it

', Axp The springing well, tat
it ever can differ from a Covenant of Works, feeing
God doth not, will not, minifter the Spirit by it,
or by the works of it. , ;; •-"''
For, if it yifi. not a Covenant of Works, how can
the reward be reckoned of debt to him that works ?
Andj if it be not a Covenant of Works, but a
" Law of Love," to the believer; then I afk* how a
faint can go from the enjoyment of his liberty, from
the profits of Chrift, and be entangled with it as a
yoke of bondage, only by feeking perfection by it?
And, if the Law has ceafed to exift as a Covenant
of Works, how it Pan be called a Law? and
Whence it's authority to govern, convince, and
puniih the believer, can be derived? For, if it has
ceafed to exift, who ftood by at it's Exit, and faved
the life of it's authority ?
And, if the fyftem of Faith be not a Rule of right
and wrong, according to this Book, how it can be
called a Law? And how a believer can be faid to
receive grace for obedience thereto? And how a man
that hears it can be damned for his- infidelity, or dif
obedience to the Gofpel ?
And, if it be no Rule to convince, and to inflict
chaftifements on a believer ; how God, as a gracious
Father, not as an angry Judge, in covenant love,
not in the wrath of the Law, can vifit the fins of
his children with a rod, and their iniquities with
fcourges, for tranfgreffing this life-giving com
mandment ; and yet not take the promifed life of
I this

122 THE BROKEN CISTERN,
this comrhandment, nor loving-kindnefs, the bond
of this covenant, from them?
Or, if he proceeds againft them according tQ your
Rule, and the believer be under that Rule; which
way God can appear juft, the Law be the only in
variable Rule, and they efcape eternal fire ? The
Decalogue fays nothing about falvation by grace.
And, if heart-holinefs, in reality, is the thing you
enforce and contend for, how you come to be fo
ignorant of it's nature and operation, as not to be
able to give a defcription of one branch of it, con
fiftent either with Scripture or experience?
Do not you fay, Faith is created in us ; and then
affert, that this creature works heart-holinefs in us,
which is the Holy Ghoft?
Does the Spirit create Faith ? If fo, is not Faith
a creature ? And does this creature, then, work the
Spirit of Holinefs in the finner's heart?
Can any wife, or fober man, ever think that any
thing like Holinefs had ever operated on a perfon
that gives fuch a fcandalous defcription of it?
And, if you are for good works indeed and in
truth, how come you to traduce thofe who are fruit
ful, and walk in them ; when yourfelves, by ocular
demonftration, are altogether barren in this refpect ?
And, if you can juftly charge the Antinomian you
traduce with as many evils in ten years, as your own
confcience can lay to your charge in ten weeks, why
do you not publifh his evil deeds to the world? And,

AND THE SPRINGING WELL; 12*
And, if there be any one doctrine advanced in all
this Piece, that is not plainly contradicted in another
part; let the Authors fhew me what that doctrine is,
and where it ftands, and I will (if God permit) prove
that it is fo.
And, if this is not Vain Jangling, let them fend me
word what the Apoftle means by thofe words.
Quot. « Verily, verily," fays the Son of God himfelf,
" I fay unto you, whofoever committeth fin, (that is, habi-
" tually continues in the love and practice of it) is the fer-
" vantoffin." Answ. But Chrift makes his elect free from that
fervice, and fuch are free indeed. But, if the Authors
of this Book have no more experience than their
gentle Reader, who is a captive to Sin ; no more
power than their bleffed Difciple, who cannot throw
off the iron yoke; no more holinefs than what their
created Faith has worked in them; no other bond of
union, no other fword to cut them off from the old
flock, than this new-made Faith ; they are on the old
flock, and under a terrible mafter, to this day — for
thefe are not the things that accompany falvation,
nor any thing like them. Thefe are nothing but
chimeras of a difordered brain; there is nothing of
this to be found in the Bible, nor in the experience
of God's children.
Reader, when our opponents have given me an
other jobb of this kind, I will, if time permit, deli-
' „ neats

%-i$ #HI' broken: CISTfc&N, &<?*
neate this Treatife, .a IkiigfcfpSrG ; and fet their felf*
porttradidtions againftieach other* page againfl: page,
that thou mayeft have a fhort and concife ,fiew of
the productions of Vain Janglers* and of the judg-
ment; that appears in their goings. And of thi%
Reader, be affured, that if any good treafure ever
flows into thee, or frontvthee; if any real' good works
are eyej performed by thee;, if ever the#l aft at, a
certainty with thy, ftate, an,d at a poirit in thy dqSlrine.i
.thou muft have a ftrohger.,b$ndaof union thao thefe.
Authors hold forth; a better faith than they teach >
a better hope than they , exhibit; more grace in
heart than they in fhew; better fiollnefs than they
can feign;1 be more mighty iri deeds than they in
words ; have a better Spirit than they can counterfeit;
and be a better faint than they Pan defcribe — or thou
wilt be empty in heart, ^nd barren in life, to the day
of thy death! So I conclude,; and To thou mayeft
affirm.

t I N I §,