fpiritual man's judgment, both in preaching and converfing; nor can they ever touch upon, or run parallel with, the tender feelings, or keen fenfations, of a quickened and new-born foul. I have given you a defcription of the meeknefs of the Lord's fervant, and how he came by it, together with the manner how he receives the law, and the gospel alfo. This man knows by experience, the righteous attributes of God; he knows the righteousness of the law, and the blessednefs of an imputed one; and to fuch fouls as thefe God fpeaks, and for their attention he calls. Hearken unto me, my PEOPLE, and give ear unto me, O my NATION; for a LAW shall proceed from ME (not from old women) and I will make my judgment to reft for a LIGHT of the people. My RIGHTEOUSNESS is near, my SALVATION is gone forth, and MINE ARM fhall judge the people; and the ifles fhall wait upon me, and on mine arm fhall they trust. Hearken unto me ye that KNOW RIGHTEOUSNESS; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings; for the moth fhall eat them like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteoufnefs fhall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation, Ifai. li. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Reader, whenever thou heareft a man talk about the law being the only rule of a believer's life, afk him, how he came by the law, and whether it proceeded from God to him? How it operated on his heart? What it discovered within

and without him? What his fenfations were, under the operation? What occafion or advantage fin took by its rigorous demands? What it wrought in him, love or hatred? Whether it did bring him as a Schoolmaster to Chrift, or whether it drove him from him, revealing forbidding wrath, instead of attracting love and mercy? and whether he did not fly before it in his foul, as far as the very gates of hell would let him go, inftead of coming by it to Chrift? or to speak in fcripture language, whether he did not find an batred to the light, and fculk from it rather than approach it, feeing it reproved him for his finful deeds; and try all that he fays, not only by thy judgment, but by the powerful and lively oracles of thine own confcience; for the believer has both law and gofpel there, and if he cannot touch thy feelings have nothing to do with him; he has not got the law, 'tis not written on his heart, he knows nothing of righteoufnefs, he has not paffed under the rod, nor is he brought into the bond of the covenant. Pay no regard to the Speech of them that are puffed up, but inquire and feel after the power; the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Saints are to speak of the glory of God's kingdom, and to talk of the power; they are to make known to the fons of men the mighty acts (that have paffed on their fouls) and the glorious majesty of the kingdom, when Chrift fets it up in their hearts. If they are ftrangers to these things, they are the subjects of Satan; he reigns under

their veil, never was discovered by the light of God, nor caft out by his power; under a mask of religion, under the veil of ignorance, and in the centre of an impenitent heart, the prince of darknefs reigns, rules, and triumphs. Is my reader a believer in Chrift? if he is, I tell him the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Was it words of candour that laid affliction on thy loins at first, and kept thee impending on the brink of hell, or was it power? Was it the cant of hypocrites that brought thee up out of the horrible pit, or was it power? Was it empty words that wrought faith in thee, or was it the arm of God revealed, that worked in thee the good pleasure of bis will, and the work of faith with power? How haft thou been delivered in fix troubles, and efcaped the feventh? Was it the empty found of carnal profeffors, or was it the right band of God's power, that upheld thee and brought thee through? Has it not been the mighty power of God that has given thee fpiritual might in the inner man? that has appeared the moft confpicuous in thy weakness, and that has often appeared when a temptation has difcovered itself, and thy deceitful heart has already given in to it, and the death brought forth by fin conceiving has been felt in thy confcience. I afk, if it was the doctrines of the law that appeared and kept thee, and delivered thee, or the power of God? and whether by word thou art kept through faith to falvation, or by the power of God? and lastly,

whether

whether the word candour will prop thee up in a dying hour, or God who is the ftrength of his people's heart and their portion for ever? If thou fayeft all this is right, then I afk, Art thou now ftaggering between the omnipotent arm of the Saviour and the cant of old women, who walk in craftiness, and by idleness deny the faith, and are worse than infidels; and all for the fake of a few pence, or a morfel of bread. Thou art not to receive the law from old women; they are to teach younger women to be fober, to guide the boufe, love their bufbands and their children; this is their sphere; out of this, they are out of character, and put the sburch of God to fhame; it is a shame for women to Speak in the church; came the word of God to them, or came it out from them only, I Cor. xiv. 35, 36. God tells thee, that a law fall proceed from him; Receive the law, I pray thee from God's mouth, and lay his words in thine heart, Job xxii. 22. thy faith is not to stand in old wives fables, nor in human wifdom, but in the power of God. It was Mr. Worldlywife-man that fent Chriftian to Mr. Legality to get rid of his burden, till Sinai was ready to fall on his head; and others who have been directed by Evangelift, have forfook his council, and gone to Sinai for rules, till they have brought a fresh burden on their fouls, and an old yoke on their necks, conceived fresh enmity in their minds, and have not spared to fpit their venom at the grace of God; this fhews what wrath the law works, and what bondage it genders; fuch preachers

preachers can only prejudice, plunder, infnare, and strip thee; when God will ufe others, to settle, comfort, fupport, and fuccour thee; these latter are they that he makes manifeft in thy conscience, whether thou knoweft it or not, 2 Cor. v. 11. and fuch, agreeable to thine own heart's experience, thou wilt be glad to live and die with. This divine manifeftation brings about the divine cement or bond of union which the carnal profeffor cannot get at, for favoury fouls will smell them out, though they labour hard to deceive them. I come with one more appeal to confcience, which is, whether this doctrine of the law being the only and all-fufficient rule of life, was the doctrine in whole or in part that God applied to thee, when thou efcaped the damnation of hell at first; or whether it was any thing like it; if you fay, No, nothing bore me up, nor brought me out of the regions of the fhadow of death, but that experimental preaching that fet forth Chrift as all in all; very well, the kingdom ftands in the fame power ftill, and on that fame shoulder whereon, as a loft sheep, thou waft laid at first, and brought into the fold; as you received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him. He has appeared the

carrier on, and hope

author, believe in him as the in him as the finisher of faith; and thou fhalt have kope in thy death, nor fhall thine expectations be cut off. Let others contend for legal rules, run thou the race fet before thee, looking to Jefus; walk in him, and in union with him; he has promifed to

keep