the hidden Man of the Heart, there doing the Office of a Refiner's Fire and of Fullers Soap, by cleanfing us from inward Pollution, and purifying us unto Himfelf as a peculiar People zealous of good Works, and making us Partakers of his own Divine Na

ture.

Here we take a double View of Gospel Salvation, viz. as it ftands both in the Hiftory and in the Mystery. In the former is fully exhibited to us Christ the Lamb of God flain and offered up a Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World, and raised again for our Juftification: Herein is characterised that just one who fulfilled all Righteousness and fatisfied all Juftice for Man by his active and paffive Obedience; the Prince of Peace reconciling God unto the World by the Blood of the Crofs; the perfect Pattern of immaculate Purity and Holiness setting us an Example that we should follow his Steps: In a word, the miniftring, fuffering, dying, and yet triumphant Saviour of the World. In the latter, viz. the Mystery of the Gofpel, we fee how Things inward anfwer to Things outward as Face to Face in a Glafs, by a correfponding Work of the Spirit of God in our Souls. Thus we are baptized

baptized into hisSufferings and made conformable to his Death by the Energy of divine Grace, flaying in us the Body of Sin, and crucifying the World unto us and us unto the World: Purfuant to this we are rifen again with Chrift unto Newness of Life by the quickning Power of his Refurrection, for being planted together in the Likeness of his Death, we fhall be alfo in that of his Refurrection. In like manner as Christ was in his outward Office the Minifter of Reconciliation betwixt God and us, fo is he ftyled the fame by his fpiritually dwelling in us: "If being "Enemies we were reconciled by his Death, "how much more fhall we be faved by his

Life," i. e. by the Life of Chrift manifef ted in us, which the Apoftle calls "the "Riches of the Glory, (or exceeding rich Glory) of the Mystery of the Gofpel, viz.

Chrift in us the Hope of Glory." And as our Peace is afcribed to the Blood of the Crofs, fo is Peace of Confcience to the cleanfing Blood of fprinkling: Thus all Righteoufnefs and Peace are fulfilled both externally and internally, and Chrift is made unto ús compleat Redemption.

Were it not that we are in general fo much accustomed to hear and read and think

of

of Religion only as fomething without us, or as fomething to be done by us, we fhould readily fubfcribe to the following Truths delivered by the moft Rev. Jahn Arndt, in his Book of True Chriftianity, Ch. VI. "Foraf "much as the Subftance of the Christian Re"ligion confifts in our Regeneration, or the "fpiritual Renovation of the Mind, it was "the Will of God, that thofe things which "fhould be tranfacted in Man fpiritually "and by Faith, should be also outwardly "fet forth in Writing, and in the Words of Scripture: For fince the Word is the Seed "of God in us, it is neceffary that it should "fpring up and bring forth fpiritual Fruit "in us: By Faith muft that be effected "within us which the Scripture declares in "the Letter without us: If this Effect doth "not follow, then 'tis plain that the "Word is ftill unto me a dead Seed, and an "Embrio deftitute of Life and Motion: "Hence in Faith and in Spirit I ought to taste "and to fee the Truth of the Scriptures; "for when God manifefted his Will therein, "He did not defign that it fhould be buri"ed in Paper and Ink, but that in Faith "and Spirit it should spring and grow up in us to another Man, even a new and in"ward

σε

"ward Man: The Reafon is, because all "is to be fulfilled and performed in Faith "and Spirit whatfoever the Scriptures do "outwardly teach." He then goes on to exemplify this Truth in many Particulars, and concludes as follows: "The Sum of "all is: The Holy Scripture doth outward"ly bear Witness to all those things which "by Faith ought to be fulfilled in Man:

They defcribe that Kingdom of God in "the Letter which muft receive its Accom plishment in the Spirit; it defcribes Chrift "from without who must live within me by "Faith; it defcribes Adam in his Fall and "Restoration, which I muft find in my

felf; it defcribes the new Jerufalem, "the new Birth, the new Creature, all " which I muft have fome Experience of, "or else the Scriptures will profit me no"thing: Now this is all of Faith, it is the "Work of God, and the Kingdom of God "in our Hearts." Chriflianity, thus confidered in a spiritual View, and confequently in its true Relation and Benefit to the Soul of Man, comes reprefented in a way fuitable to its Dignity and Usefulness, and is proper ly distinguished from that ideal or external thing which fo commonly ufurps its Name;

making known to all Men, that the Perfection of that Religion which bringeth Salvation confifteth not in Notion and Speculation, but in Spirit and in Truth; not in Form but in Power; not in Opinion called Orthodoxy, or in bodily Exercise, but in Experience and Change of Nature; and that no Creeds nor Syftems of Divinity, no particular Schemes or Modes of Worship have any other Excellency or Help in them forous, than as they are proper Means to produce or cherish the Life of God in the Soul of Man. pel f

bThe Reverend Mr. William Law, in fome of his excellent Treatifes, has explieated the Doctrine of the new Birth with uncommon Penetration, and fhewed with great Solidity, that the Whole of our Salvation is grounded in it and rifes from it: He has with a convincing Sagacity rescued this moft important Mystery of our Redemption from the Errors of particular Systems, and the learned Ignorance of verbal Critics; opened the Nature of original Sin thro' the Fall in fo rational and fatisfying a manner as fully juftifies this Doctrine of

See his Appeal to Deifts, &c. Treatife on Regeneration, and Spirit of Prayer.

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Scripture