the religion of nature, and the power of the people, first gained admission into lecture-books; they are now too firmly established to be shaken. by such a hand as mine. Our teachers, reputed by some to be most wise and learned, and our reforming writers, who mean well to their country, and think they see all the dangers of the time, leave both these errors in full possession of the schools. What shall I say? where shall I find such words as will be heard? For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye, runneth down with water*. I would call for some to join me in the alarm, but who will answer? If the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? If the teachers want to be taught, wherewith shall we teach them? O learned Andrews; O blessed Kenn; O holy Beveridge; O wise and sagacious Leslie; your ́ days are past! If I had cried unto you, ye would have listened to me; ye would not have disdained to enquire whether these things are So. God might be gracious, and preserve our candlestick in its place, for the sake of that light which he gave to it: but can it be expected, that he will preserve this false light of deism,

* Lam. i. 16.

deism, (for the religion of nature certainly is no better) which the enemy, in an evil hour, hath established in the place of it; while the watchmen were asleep, and knew not whence he acted, nor what he was doing? Every real Christian should understand, and confess, that we are dependent upon God for all we know of religion; and never admit any thing for a principle but what is certainly and clearly taught in holy scripture.

SPIRIT.

Man being composed of soul and body, all true religion has a part for both; a fign visible, and spiritual grace invisible. Baptism, which is a washing with water, is effectual to wash away sin, only as it is a washing with the spirit. In the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, Bread is the sign; but it is the Bread of Life only, as it is the Body of Christ, who gave it to us with this intention, that it should be spirit and life to us. If it have nothing nutritive, why should it be expressed by food? But there are too many amongst us, who, professing themselves to be wise, and to see farther than others, take away from us all the inward and vital part, and leave us nothing but the husks of religion. All the rest, they say, is a deception, of which rational

men

men see nothing. But I say, that if our religion be any thing, it is a communication, restored and kept up between the spirit of God. and the spirit of men. If the gospel be true in its promises, something is now done, whereby man becomes possessed of that eternal life which he shall never lose: but the new scheme of formality takes all this away, and renders it impossible. To talk of life and spirit to such men, is, in their estimation, to cant; but in ours, it is to cast pearls before swine, who trample them under their feet. Spiritual things are real, though invisible. God is not seen; the soul of man is not seen; what acts upon it. is not seen; therefore it is truly said of us, that we walk by faith, and not by sight; so that without faith we see nothing; we know nothing; we receive nothing; we are nothing; and the whole gospel is no better than a dream. But this is learning; this is reason; which wisely admitting but what it sees, loses all the benefits of Christianity. When we affirm that spiritual things are real, it may be added, that nothing else is so; the whole world, and all things therein, are but shadows of things eternal; and like a shadow shall pass away when they have answered a temporary purpose.

OLD

OLD TESTAMENT.

Too many many mistakes are current amongst us in regard to the Old Testament; without which, the New never was and never will be understood. From the beginning of the world, life was revealed to man through Jesus Christ, the promised seed. The religion which God gave, was a religion of expectation; always proposing something not yet to be seen, but to be believed; and why? because without Faith it is impossible to please him. All religion without this is vain; and, as the Apostle assures us in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, ever was. For this, our father Abraham lived as a stranger opon earth, looking for a better state, and a better life. On this account only, God is called his God now he is dead, and though dead he still liveth. The law, which came after, was added to this faith, not to destroy it, but to preserve it; by severing, securing, and as it were shutting up, the people of God from the company of idolaters. It is therefore false and dangerous to teach, that the Old Testament had not the promise of life, because the law had it not. The law could not have it; for the promise being already given to faith, the

law

law could neither give it nor take it away. Yet the law answered a great purpose; its passovers, and sacrifices, and baptisms, had so near a relation to the gospel in sign and figure, that it was a schoolmaster unto Christ; and its elements were so plain, that children might understand the design of them, when it was shown how Christ at his coming had fulfilled them. Faith has been the religion of man, and the trial of man, ever since the fall of Adam, and will be to the end. For the want of it, the Jews fell into a blindness of heart, which the conceit of worldly wisdom and the lust after worldly power never fail to produce. But this is no proof that they had not the example of their father Abraham constantly before their eyes; which, as Jews, they were called to understand and follow.

IDOLATRY.

The design of the law, as I said before, and as divines well know, was to keep the people of God separate from heathen idolaters. The reason of this is manifest, and the rules for keeping up the separation were so strict, that they operate on the Jews to this very day; who still hold all the wisdom of idolatry in abomination. But that has not been the case with us Christians; we have not been

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