men shut not there eyes upon it.-(2.) That a measure of this light is given to all, Christ tells us expressly in the parable of the sower. (Matt. xiii.) He says that the seed sown in those several sorts of ground is the word of the kingdom, which the apostle calls the engrafted (implanted) word, which is able to save the soul. The words themselves declare that it is that which is saving in the nature of it; for in the good ground it fructified abundantly. It was the same seed that was sown in the good ground which was also sown in the stony and thorny ground, and by the way-side; where it did not profit from the fear of persecution and the deceit fulness of riches, and not from any insufficiency in its own nature: so that though all are not saved by it, yet the seed of salvation is sown in the hearts of all by God, which would grow up and redeem the soul, if it were not choaked and hindered. 8. On perfection and perseverance. They say that as many as do not resist this light, become holy and spiritual; bringing forth all those blessed fruits which are acceptable to God: and by this holy birth, to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working in us, the body of death and sin is crucified and re moved, and our hearts subjected to the truth, so as not to obey any of the suggestions and temptations of the evil one; but are freed from actually transgressing the law of God. For they entertain worthier notions both of the power and goodness of God, than to limit the operations of his grace to a partial cleansing of the soul from sin, even in this life. They believe that God doth vouchsafe to .assist the obedient to experience a total surrender of the natural will to the guidance of his pure, unerring Spirit, through whose renewed assistance they are enabled to bring forth fruit unto holiness, and stand perfect in their present rank. (Matt. v. 48. 1 John ii. 14. iii. 3.) Yet this perfection still admits of a growth; and there remains always a possibility of sinning, where the mind does not most diligently and watchfully attend to the Lord. Moreover, they in whose hearts this inward grace has wrought in part, to purify and sanctify them, in order to their further perfection, may by their disobedience fall from it; turn it to wantonness. (Jude 4.) Make shipwreck of faith. (1 Tim. i. 19.) And after having tusted of the heavenly gift, the good word of God, the powers of the world to come, &c., again fall away. (Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6.) Yet such an increase and stability in the truth may, in this life, be attained, from which there can be no total apostasy. 9. Concerning worship.-Being persuaded that man, without the Spirit of Christ, inwardly revealed, can do nothing to the glory of God, or towards his own salvation, they think this influence especially necessary to the performance of the highest act of which the human mind is capable; even the worship of the Father of lights and spirits. Therefore they consider as obstructions to pure worship, all forms which divert the attention of the mind from the secret influence of this unction from the Holy One, Yet, although true worship is not confined to time and place, they think it incumbent on christians to meet often together, in testimony of their dependence on their heavenly Father, and for a renewal of their spiritual strength. When thus met, they believe it to be their duty to maintain the watch, by endeavouring to preserve the attention from being carried away by thoughts originating in the will of man; and patiently to wait for the arising of that life which, by subduing those thoughts, produces an inward silence, and therein affords a true sense of The be their condition; believing even a single sigh, arising from such a sense of our infirmities, and of the need we have of divine help, to be more acceptable to God than any performance, however specious, originating in the will of man. nefit resulting from public worship they illustrate as follows: That as many candles lighted and put in one place, do greatly augment the light, and make it more to shine forth; so when many are gathered together into the same life and power, there is more of the glory of God, and his power appears to the refreshment of each individual; for he partakes not only of the light and life raised in himself, but that of all the rest and therefore Christ has promised a blessing to such as assemble in his name, seeing he will be in the midst of them. (Matt. xviii. 20.) Yea, though there be not a word spoken, yet is the true spiritual worship performed, and the body of Christ edified. This is indeed strange and incredible to the mere natural and carnally-minded man, who will be apt to judge all time lost where there is not something spoken that is obvious to the outward senses; but let it be considered that prayer is two-fold, inward and outward inward prayer is that secret turning of the mind : towards God, whereby, being secretly touched and awakened by the light of Christ in the conscience, and so bowed down under the sense of its iniquities, unworthiness, and misery, it looks up to God, and joining with the secret shinings of the seed of God, it is constantly breathing forth some secret desires and aspirations towards him. It is in this sense that we are so frequently in scripture commanded to pray continually; because it were impossible that men should be always on their knees, expressing words of prayer. Outward prayer is: whereas the Spirit being thus in the exercise of inward retirement, and feeling the breathing of the Spirit of God to arise powerfully in the soul, receives strength and ability, by a superadded motion and influence of the Spirit, to bring forth audible words; and that either in public assemblies, or in private, or at meat, &c. But because this outward prayer depends upon the inward, and cannot be acceptably performed but as attended with a superadded motion and influence of the Spirit, therefore they cannot prefix set times to pray out wardly, so as to lay a sity to speak words at such and such times, whether they feel this heavenly influence neces and assistance or not; for that (they judge) were tempting God, and coming before him without due preparation. They think it fit for them to present themselves before God by this inward retirement of the mind, and so to proceed further only as his Spirit shall help them and draw them thereto.-In speaking of silent worship, they do not wish to be understood as having bound themselves by any law to exclude preaching or praying: for as their worship consists not in words, neither does it in silence as silence; but in a holy dependence of the mind on God. This dependence necessarily produces silence, till the Spirit of God bring forth words to the edi fication of the church. Neither do they believe that either preaching or outward prayer is a necessary consequence of a silent dependence on God. They doubt not, but assuredly know, that the meeting may be good and refreshing, though from the sitting down to the rising up thereof there hath not been a word outwardly spoken; for nevertheless life may have been known to abound in each particular, and an inward growing up therein experienced thereby. 10. On the ministry.-As by the light, or gift of God, all true knowledge in things spiritual is received and revealed; in due season, and testify for God from a certain experience, as did the blessed apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; who testified of what they had seen, heard, felt, and handled of the word of life. (1 Johni. 1.) That this special grace and gift of God is a necessary qualification to a minister, they say is clear from 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another. as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be so by the same, as it is manifested and received in the heart, every true minister of the gospel is ordained and prepared for the work of the ministry; and by the leading, moving, and drawing thereof, ought every evangelist, and christian pastor, to be led and ordered in his labour and work of the gospel, both as to the place where, the persons to whom, and the time in which he is to minister. Moreover, they who have this authority, may and ought to preach the gospel, though without human commission or literature. But though they do not make human learning necessary, yet they are far from excluding true learning; glorified through Jesus Christ. to wit, that learning which From which it appears that proceeds from the inward those who minister must do teachings and instructions of so according to the gift and the Spirit, whereby the soul grace received; but they who lays up heavenly and divine have not such a gift, cannot lessons in the good treasure of minister according thereunto. the heart; and out of this trea--(2.) As good stewards of sure, as the good scribe, brings the manifold grace of God: forth things new and old, ac- But how can a man be a cording as the Spirit moves good steward of that which he and gives true liberty, and as hath not? Can ungodly men, the glory of God requires; for who are not gracious themwhose glory the soul, which is selves, be good stewards of the the temple of God, learneth manifold grace of God? And to do all things. This is the therefore in the following verse good learning which they he makes an exclusive limithink necessary to a true mi- tation of such as are not thus nister, by and through which furnished; saying, If any man learning a man can well in- speak, let him speak as the orastruct, teach and admonish, cles of God; and if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability that God giveth; which is as much as if he had said, They who cannot thus speak, and thus minister, ought not to do it. Now, what this ability is, is manifest by the former words; to wit, the gift received, and the grace whereof they are stewards, as by the immediate context doth appear. It cannot be understood of natural ability, because man in this condition is said not to know the things of God, and so cannot minister them to others. The words that immediately follow shew this also; viz. that God in all things may be glorified. But surely God is not glorified, but dishonoured, when natural men meddle in spiritual things which they do not understand. And they believe that as they who have received this holy and unspotted gift, have received it freely, so are they freely to give it, without hire, far less to use it as a trade to get money by: yet if God call any from their employment, or trade, by which they acquire their livelihood, it may be lawful for such, according to the liberty which they feel given them in the Lord, to receive such temporals (to wit, what may be needful for them for meat and clothing) as are given them freely and cordially by those to whom they have communicated their spirituals. And as they dare not encourage any ministry but that which they believe to spring from the influence of the holy Spirit, so neither dare they attempt to restrain this infiuence to the male sex alone, or to persons of any condition in life; but whether male or female, whether bond or free, as they are all one in Christ, they equally allow such of them as they believe to be endued with a right qualification for the ministry, to exercise their gifts for the general edification of the church; and this liberty they esteem a peculiar mark of the gospel dispensation as foretold by the prophet Joel, and noticed by the apostle Peter. (Barclay.) 11. On baptism and the supper.-They believe that as there is one Lord and one faith, so there is one baptism; which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience before God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this baptism is a pure and spiritual thing; to wit, the baptism of the Spirit and fire, by which we are buried with him, that being washed and purged from our sins, we may walk in newness of life; of which the baptism of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, |