perception of Christ. The Evangelist proceeds: "And John bare record saying: I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not; but HE that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me: Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is HE which baptizeth with the HOLY GHOST."

This testimony be it observed by which the Baptist bare witness, that the baptism of Jesus was with the Holy Ghost; was a second occasion of thus testifying concerning Christ; with which the whole scope of the narrative from verse twenty-nine fully accords; and as a second testimony it is. arranged in the Harmonies both of Newcombe and Greswell.

With such full, clear, and decided testimonies as the first five verses of John's Gospel, bear to "the Life" of Christ, being "in the beginning, the Light of men;" and supported as these testimonies are, by the further declarations of this Evangelist; upon what principle either of reason or of revelation, are we to construe" The true Light which lighteth every man coming into the world," as referring to the outward "manifestation of the Word made flesh;" and not, as the context clearly shows, to "the True Light" being universally the Light of men now, as it was "in the beginning.”

Let us, for a moment, look at the outward revelation of Christ, or the relation of this wonderful manifestation, as if substituted for the Inward Life and Light of his Godhead; 'in order, with a feeling of awful reverence, to elicit the utter incompatibility that must unavoidably attend such a construction of John i. 1-5; which would then read thus; "In the beginning was the outward manifestation of Christ, or the written narrative of it; and this written word or outward manifestation was with God, and was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through this written word, or this outward manifestation; and without

this written word or outward manifestation, was not anything made that was made. In this outward revelation of Christ or written word was Life; and the Life was the Light of men." And all this many ages before a word was written of the Sacred volume, and thousands of years before Christ was outwardly revealed!

What then are we to understand was "in the beginning" "the Life which was the Light of men?" What could be their Light, but the Divine Power and Influence of the Redeemer and Saviour, by and through his inward and spiritual revelation in their hearts? How else are we to understand respecting the antediluvian world: "My SPIRIT shall not always strive with man?" How else did all Israel drink of that spiritual drink, from Christ the spiritual Rock? How else was "the Law written in the heart of Gentiles who knew not the Law?" How else in this day-this Gospel day, is "the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, to REPROVE the WORLD of SIN!"

Unless the Scriptures and their testimonies are to be denied, have we not indubitable evidence that by "Inward Light," mankind were enlightened and instructed" in the beginning"-under the Law-in the Gentile world-and are so now under the Gospel? Can, therefore, the denial or rejection of the “Inward Light of Christ," be any portion of that faith which justifies?

Surely then we may adopt the language of the apostle: God hath shined IN our hearts, to give the LIGHT of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ:and we have this TREASURE IN earthen vessels, that the excellency of the POWER may be of GOD and not of us." Hence, surely, no part of "the natural man"-NOT innate;— but Divine-a SUPERADDED GIFT from God!

In addition to what has been quoted on previous occasions, to show the accordance of these sentiments with those of the early Friends, the following from R. Barclay may suffice. viz.

P. 145—7. “We do further rightly distinguish this ["spiritual Divine Light"] from man's natural conscience; for conscience being that in man, which ariseth from the natural faculties of man's soul, may be defiled and corrupted. It is said expressly of the impure, Titus, i. 15. ‘That even their mind and conscience is defiled.' But THIS LIGHT can never be corrupted nor defiled; neither did it ever consent to evil or wickedness in any; for it is said expressly, that it makes all things manifest that are reprovable. Eph. v. 13."

"Lastly. This Light, Seed, &c., appears to be no power or natural faculty of man's mind; because a man that's in his health, can, when he pleases, stir up, move, and exercise the faculties of his soul; he is absolute master of them; and, except there be some natural cause or impediment in the way, he can use them at his pleasure. But this Light and SEED OF GOD in man, he cannot move and stir up when he pleaseth; but it moves, blows, and strives with man, as the LORD Seeth meet."-§ xvii. p. 148. "We DIFFER VASTLY from ALL THOSE, that exalt a natural power or Light in man.”

The following passage just now unexpectedly falls in my way; it is the testimony of three of the early Friends, in the year 1699, viz. Richard Ashby, John Fiddeman, and John

Cade, who, in a work entitled, "The True LIGHT Owned and Vindicated," &c., thus write, in Defence of the Society, viz.

"We do solemnly and in good conscience testify and declare, in BEHALF of the people called Quakers, that they profess and teach NO OTHER LIGHT WITHIN, for man to be led and guided by, than what the Holy Scriptures hold forth and declare of very plainly, concerning the ETERNAL GOD, and JESUS CHRIST the ETERNAL SON OF GOD, and the ETERNAL SPIRIT proceeding from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son is ONE GOD blessed for ever." P. 7. Can we be justified by any faith in the dear Son of God, which excludes Him from His inward manifestation

in the heart of man-shuts Him out of His own Temple? "Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God; and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

In what time and manner did the outward demonstrations of the inward Power of God, fail in his visible church? Look at the latter ages of the Jewish Church; and consider the early ages of that church which continued to profess to be Christian, but which at length as a body, cast off almost the semblance of pure Christianity. In the ratio in which the Church of Christ left her first love and declined in purity, we may see that Divine Wisdom saw meet to dispense with a sparing hand, those extraordinary gifts which signalized the days of the apostles, till we may almost fix the era of their decline, as that of the church commencing her flight into the wilderness. And as this flight was not completed or accomplished all at once, so whilst we may hope she has, in some measure, commenced her return; yet, whether we judge from the course of providential dealings with mankind, or from the page of prophecy, many must be the "earthquakes," -the turnings and overturnings still to be endured, ere her return from the wilderness will be completed by her restoration to pristine purity.

In the accomplishment of this, though it should please Divine Providence to work by the agency of cooperating means, rather than by curative external miracles; yet I can entertain no doubt but the wonderful display of omnipotence, will be ultimately exhibited in preparing the hearts of men to receive His law, by the immediate operation of his own inward and eternal Power; and that this power may be revealed as fully as ever it was obvious in apostolic times, and far more universally, ere the long predicted plenitude of the Saviour's dominion shall arrive:

"I shall give Thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession."

The Second Character.

"If accepted, and its monitions and discoveries obeyed, and its influence so admitted into the heart as there to perform its own office, this 'DIVine Inward Light' is saving in its effects.”

Before any definition is entered upon of what this Divine Influence is, or effects; it may be useful further to demonstrate what it is not.

When we consider how diametrically opposite to the "Principles of Quakerism," are the sentiments which J. W. ascribes to the "early Friends," we cannot be surprised that he should so mistake the appearance of a dense cloud of obscurity, which he and others are endeavouring to spread over the spiritual horizon, as to recommend that cloud to the notice of the Society for "a flood of Light."

Whilst disposed to cherish every feeling of charity towards those who are imbibing the same mistaken views, it can scarcely be unperceived that, in pursuing their present course, they are making progress in a way, which may lead them. retrograde, if it do not unconsciously bring them into bondage, to what the apostle styles, "weak and beggarly elements." In accordance with J. W.'s representation of a flood of Light," is his charge against Friends, p. 446, that “The Sun of Righteousness is blotted out of the firmament; and the uninformed, evil, and corrupt heart, dark as the pit, deceitful as sin, and destructive as death, is made the Fountain of Light, the repository of Truth, and the treasury of Salvation. Oh for miracles of Grace! that the breath of life may come from the four winds, and breathe upon these slain that they may live."

Was ever any doctrine more distorted than the "Inward Light of Christ" as professed by Friends, is by this most gross misrepresentation. Is there no distinction between "the