tween the light and darkness in the little world, (viz. man) as he did in the great world. Until this is really experiecned, man is not in a condition to be placed upon the wheel, to be formed into a veffel of honour. But there must be a time for drying, and enduring the furnace.

Thefe wonderful operations, which I have, in an allegorical way, only just touched upon, must neceffarily make very deep and lasting impreffions upon all, who have been fo happy as fo far to experience the nature of that regeneration, without which none can fee the kingdom of God. When any are come thus far, there will be no occafion to make ufe of dreams and uncertain conjectures in forming a judgment concerning their adoption. That divine birth which is raifed in them, naturally cries, Abba, Father! leaving them no room to doubt, when he is pleafed to appear (which they are taught to wait in the patience for) of their having paffed from death unto life; or being tranflated from under the power of darkness into the kingdom of the Lord Jefus Chrift; which confifteth in righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The great danger of man's being deceived lies in the mysterious workings of Satan, who has a strong hold in those, who, upon their first awakening by the call of Chrift, have not fuffered his power fo far to prevail, as to make them willing to part with all for his fake. There is fomething exceedingly reluctant in the ftrong spirit and will

of man, to the falling into nothingness of felf,

and

In

and be wholly given up to be guided and upheld by another. This in part arises from the excellency of his frame, and nobility of his understanding, who finds himself in naturals capable of effecting great things, and knows not, till his eyes are opened and enlightened from above, but that he is equally capable of comprehending what relates to him concerning the world to come. ftead therefore of wholly ceafing from his own will, and relying altogether upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he is very apt to be active, and imagines God will be pleased with his diligence, in the performance of what he apprehends to be religious duties; fuch as praying, finging, preaching, or eagerly feeking to join others in those performances; often telling his experiences, and hearing those of others. Whereas it would be abundantly more pleafing to the Almighty, and profitable to himself, to lay his mouth in the duft, filently to commune with his own heart, and be ftill, until it fhall please the Lord to fend forth his light and his truth, that the poor helpless creature may move and act in a religious fenfe, with an understanding informed thereby : seeing every thing that is done in religion and worship, without the fenfible guidance of the Holy Spirit, is will-worship and idolatry: for if the Spirit of Christ doth not move and actuate us in religious performances, we are liable to the influences of the spirit of antichrift.

Yet fome perhaps, by way of excufe for their not being influenced by the Spirit of Truth in their religion,

E

religion, are ready to call it enthusiasm and prefumption in those who affert the neceffity thereof, seeming to imagine there is no fuch thing in our time to be relied upon; yet they will readily own it was fo in the apostles days. But they can give no good reason why the fame divine power and efficacy fhould forfake the true church; fince mankind have equal need thereof, and the nature of God's difpenfation is now the fame as it was then.

Common prudence teacheth us to examine strictly into the clearnefs and validity of our titles to earthly eftates, that we may be fully fatisfied we are not deceived or impofed upon by falfe. gloffes and fpecious pretences. Shall we be lefs folicitous about that which is of infinitely greater moment; viz. our title to an everlafting inheritance? Man fhould be very jealous over his own heart, which is apt to be partial towards itself, and, through the transformation of Satan, to footh and flatter him into an apprehenfion that he is in the way to everlasting happiness, when in reality it is quite otherwife. But, alas! his criterion to form a judgment of himself by may be the fame as that of the Pharifee, who went up to the temple to pray, or rather to recapitulate his own fuppofed excellencies. He perhaps measures himself by himfelf, or by comparing his principles and conduct in life with thofe of others; whereas nothing fhould be received as a ftandard in this very important cafe, but the ftamp of divine approbation upon the heart, agreeable to Rom. viii. 14, 15,

16.

16. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of "God, they are the fons of God. For ye have "not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the fpirit of adoption,

whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit it"felf beareth witnefs with our fpirit, that we are "the children of God."

Having offered a few hints by way of caution, in order that all into whofe hands this fhall come may examine themselves without partiality, left they fall inadvertently into an irretrievable mistake refpecting the eternal falvation of their own fouls, I fhall now endeavour to set forth, from mine own experience, a little of the nature of that new birth, without which none can fee the kingdom of God; confequently are no true members of his church, which is his kingdom, and frequently called heaven, and the kingdom of heaven, in the holy scriptures. It cannot therefore be supposed, that a person wholly unregenerate can be properly qualified for the performance of any religious duty, or even the least service in that kingdom, which he doth not fo much as fee.

I have, by experience from my childhood, found two fpirits or feeds striving in me for mastery or rule I have discovered them to be irreconcileable enemies one to the other; and that I could not ferve them both at the fame time. I had an understanding given me, whereby I knew one of those feeds was a measure of the All-powerful Inexhauftible Source of Goodnefs; and the other, which had indeed in a manner leavened the whole lump,

E 2

Acts ix. 6.

lump, was of a wicked and diabolical nature. By means of this corrupt leaven, I had a strong bias to evil of many kinds; nevertheless, I often found the good striking at the evil, as an ax laid to the root thereof, agreeable to Matth. iii. 10. in order to destroy that which deprived the Heir of all things of his inheritance. I was long in a kind of fufpence, unrefolved which to join with; yet faw all depended upon my determination, and that I had full power of choice. On the one hand, when the awakening visitations of God's Spirit were upon me, it appeared very dreadful to provoke an Omnipotent Being, of unmerited kindness and mercy, to caft my foul into everlafting perdition. On the other hand, especially when those bleffed impreffions were fomewhat worn off, it was next to death itself to yield up all my fenfual gratifications, and to expose myself to the fcorn and contempt of the world. However, in process of time, the Lord in gracious condefcenfion broke in upon my foul, by his judgments mixed with mercy, in fuch a powerful manner, as that I was made willing to yield up thereunto, come life or death. For indeed I looked for nothing else at that time, but really expected my frail body would fink down under the weight of that unspeakable diftrefs which was upon me, and that my finful foul must be centered in a state of everlasting mifery. Now the cry was with Saul, afterwards Paul, with trembling and aftonishment, "Lord! what wilt thou have me to do?" There was no holding back, or fecret referve then, but

whatever