of God came again into man, into the centre of his soul." (p. 60.) I cannot find in the Bible when that was; when God spoke Christ into Adam.

.. We come now to the proofs of these strong assertions.

And, 1. "No faith could ever begin, unless every man had Christ in him." (Spirit of Love, part II. p. 34.) This proposition needs just as much proof itself, as that which it is brought to prove.

2. "Unless the remains of the perfect love of God were in every man, it would be impossible he should ever love God at all." (p. 38.) Why so? Cannot God give his love this moment to one who never loved him before?

3. "Unless Christ was hidden in the soul, there could not be the least beginning of man's salvation. For what could begin to desire heaven, unless something of heaven were hid in the soul?" What could? Why any soul, which had nothing but hell in it before the moment grace was infused from above..

4. The ten commandments lay hid in men's souls," (how?) "till called into sensibility by writing them on stone. Just so Christ lies in the soul, till awakened by the mediatorial office of the Holy Jesus." (p. 35.) This is only assertion still, not proof. But what do you mean by the mediatorial office of Christ? And how is "Christ awakened by the mediatorial office of the Holy Jesus?"

I have

5. "The sea cannot be moved by any other wind than that which had its birth from the sea itself." (p. 40.) I think, it can. seen it "moved by a wind, which had its birth from the land."

6. The musician cannot make his instrument give any other melody than that which lies hid in it, as its own inward state." (p. 42.) Did the tune then lie hid in the trumpet, before the trumpeter blew? And was this tune, or another, or all that ever were and will be played on it, the inward state of the trumpet?

"No more can the mind have any grief or joy, but that which is from itself." (p. 43.) An unhappy comparison! For the instrument can have no melody or sound at all from itself: and most unhappily applied to the operations of God upon the souls of men. For has God no more power over my soul, than I have over a musical instrument?

These are your arguments to prove that Christ is in every man ; a blessing which St. Paul thought was peculiar to believers. He said, Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates, (unbelievers.) You say, Christ is in you, whether ye be reprobates or not. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,' saith the Apostle. Yea, but "every man," saith Mr. Law, "hath the Spirit of God. The Spirit of Christ is in every soul." (Spirit of Prayer, P. I. p. 63.) 'He that hath not the Son of God hath not life,' saith St. John. But Mr. Law saith, "Every man hath the Son of God." Sleep on then, ye Sons of Belial, and take your rest: ye are all safe for he that hath the Son hath life.'

There can hardly be any doctrine under heaven more agreeable to flesh and blood: nor any which more directly tends, to prevent

the very dawn of conviction, or at least to hinder its deepening in the soul, and coming to a sound issue. None more naturally tends to keep men asleep in sin, and to lull asleep those who begin to be awakened. Only persuade one of this, "Christ is already in thy heart; thou hast now the inspiration of his Spirit: all the peace and joy of God are within thee, yea, all the holy nature, tempers, and Spirit of Christ" and you need do no more: the syren song quiets all his sorrow and fear. As soon as you have sewed this pillow to his soul, he sinks back into the sleep of death.

VI. But you have made an ample amends for this, by providing so short and easy a way to heaven; not a long, narrow, troublesome, round-about path, like that described in the Bible: but one that will as compendiously save the soul, as Dr. Ward's pill and drop heal the body: a way so plain, that they who follow it need no Bible, no human teaching, no outward means whatever; being every one able to stand alone every one sufficient for himself!

"The first step is, To turn wholly from yourself, and to give up yourself wholly unto God." (P. II. p. 22.) If it be, no flesh living shall be saved. How grievously do we stumble at the threshold? Do you seriously call this, The first step? "To turn wholly from myself, and give up myself wholly unto God?" Am I then to step first on the highest round of the ladder? Not unless you turn it upside down. The way to heaven would be short indeed, if the first and the last step were all one: if we were to step as far the moment we set out, as we can do till we enter into glory.

But what do you mean by giving up myself to God? You answer, "Every sincere wish and desire after Christian virtues, is giving up yourself to him, and the very perfection of faith." Spirit of Love, P. II. p. 217.

Far, very far from it; I know from the experience of a thousand persons, as well as from Scripture, and the very reason of the thing, that a man may have sincere desires after all these, long before he attains them. He may sincerely wish, to give himself up to God, long before he is able so to do. He may desire this, not only before he has the perfection, but before he has any degree of saving faith.

More marvellous still is that which follows, "You may easily and immediately, by the mere turning of your mind, have all these virtues, patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God." (p. 212.) Who may? Not I. Not you. Not any that is born of a woman: as is proved by the daily experience of all, that know what patience, meekness, or resignation means.

But how shall I know whether I have faith or not? "I will give you an infallible touchstone. Retire from all conversation only for a month. Neither write, nor read, nor debate any thing with yourself. Stop all the former workings of your heart and mind, and stand all this month in prayer to God. If your heart cannot give itself up in this manner to prayer, be fully assured you are an Infidel. Spirit of Prayer, P. II. p. 163.

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If this be so, the Infidels are a goodly company! If every man be of that number, who cannot "stop all the former workings of his heart and mind, and stand thus in prayer to God for a month together."

But I would gladly know, by what authority you give us this touchstone? And how you prove it to be infallible? I read nothing like it in the oracles of God. I cannot find one word there of "refraining from all conversation, from writing and reading for a month.” (I fear, you make no exception, in favour of public worship, or reading the word of God.) Where does the Bible speak of this? Of stopping for a month, or a day, all the former workings of my heart and mind?" Of refraining from all converse with the children of God, and from reading his word? It would be no wonder should any man make this unscriptural (if not anti-scriptural) experiment, if Satan were permitted to work in him a strong delusion,' so that he should believe a lie.'

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Nearly related to this touchstone is the direction which you give elsewhere. "Stop all self-activity; be retired, silent, passive, and humbly attentive to the inward light." P. I. p. 77. 82.

But beware the light which is in thee be not darkness;' as it surely is, if it agree not with the law and the testimony.' "Open thy heart to all its impressions,"-If they agree with that truly infallible touchstone. Otherwise regard no impression of any kind, at the peril of thy soul-" wholly stopping the workings of thy own reason and judgment." I find no such advice in the word of God. And I fear they who stop the workings of their reason, lie the more open to the workings of their imagination.

There is abundantly greater danger of this when we fancy we have no longer need to "be taught of man." To this your late writings directly lead. One who admires them will be very apt to cry out, "I have found all that I need know of God, of Christ, of myself, of heaven, of sin, of grace, and of salvation." (P. II. p. 4.) And the rather, because you yourself affirm roundly, "when once we apprehend the all of God, and our own nothingness," (which a man may persuade himself he does, in less than four and twenty hours,) "it brings a kind of infallibility into the soul in which it dwells: all that is vain, and false, and deceitful, is forced to vanish and flee before it." (P. I. p. 95.) Agreeably to which you tell your convert, "You have no questions to ask of any body." (Sp. of Love, P. II. p. 218.) "And if, notwithstanding this, he will ask, "But how am I to keep up the flame of love?" You answer, "I wonder you should want to know this. Does a blind, or sick, or lame man want to know, how he should desire sight, health, or limbs ?" (Spirit of Prayer, p. 165.) No; but he wants to know, how he should attain, and how he should keep them. And he who has attained the love of God, may still want to know how he shall keep it. And he may still inquire, "May I not take my own passions, or the suggestions of evil spirits for the workings of the Spirit of God?" (p. 198.) To this you answer, "Every man knows, when he is governed by the

spirit of wrath, envy, or covetousness, as easily and as certainly as he knows when he is hungry." (ibid.) Indeed he does not; neither as easily nor as certainly. Without great care, he may take wrath to be pious zeal, envy to be virtuous emulation; and covetousness to be Christian prudence, or laudable frugality. "Now the knowledge of the Spirit of God in yourself is as perceptible as covetousness. Perhaps so; for this is as difficultly perceptible as any temper of the human soul." And liable to no more delusion." Indeed it need not; for this is liable to ten thousand delusions.

You add, "His Spirit is more distinguishable from all other spirits, than any of your natural affections are from one another." (p. 199.) Suppose joy and grief. Is it more distinguishable from all other spirits, than these are from one another? Did any man ever mistake grief for joy? No, not from the beginning of the world. But did none ever mistake nature for grace? Who will be so hardy as to affirm this?

But you set your pupil as much above the being taught by books, as the being taught by men. "Seek, say you, for help no other way, neither from men, nor books, but wholly leave yourself to God." Sp. of Love, P. II. p. 225.

But how can a man "leave himself wholly to God," in the total neglect of his ordinances? The old Bible way is, to "leave ourselves wholly to God," in the constant use of all the means he hath ordained. And I cannot yet think the new is better, though you are fully persuaded it is. "There are two ways, you say, of attaining goodness and virtue; the one by books or the ministry of men, the other by an inward bioth. The former is only in order to the latter." This is most true, that all the externals of religion, are in order to the renewal of our souls in righteousness and true holiness. But it is not true, that the external way is one, and the internal way another. There is but one scriptural way, wherein we receive inward grace, through the outward means which God hath appointed.

Some might think that when you advised, "Not to seek help from books," you did not include the Bible. But you clear up this, where you answer the objection, of your not esteeming the Bible enough. You say, "How could you more magnify John the Baptist, than by going from his teaching, to be taught by that Christ, to whom he directed you? Now the Bible can have no other office or power, than to direct you to Christ. How then can you more magnify the Bible than by going from its teaching, to be taught by Christ ?" So you set Christ and the Bible in flat opposition to each other! And is this the way we are to learn of him? Nay, but we are taught of him, not by going from the Bible, but by keeping close to it. Both by the Bible and by experience we know, that his word and his Spirit act in connexion with each other. And thus it is, that by Christ continually teaching and strengthening him through the Scripture, The man of God is made perfect, and thoroughly furnished for every good word and work.'

According to your veneration for the Bible, is your regard for pub

lic worship and for the Lord's Supper, Christ, you say, is the church or temple of God within thee. There the Supper of the Lamb is kept. When thou art well grounded in this inward worship, thou wilt have learned to live unto God above time and place. For every day will be Sunday to thee; and wherever thou goest, thou wilt have a priest, a church, and an altar along with thee." Spirit of Prayer, P. I. p. 73.

The plain inference is, thou wilt not need to make any difference between Sunday and other days. Thou wilt need no other church than that which thou hast always along with thee; no other Supper, worship, priest, or altar. Be well grounded in this inward worship, and it supersedes all the rest. This is right pleasing to flesh and blood, and I could most easily believe it, if I did not believe the Bible. But that teaches me inwardly to worship God, as at all times, and in all places, so particularly on his own day, in the congregation of his people, at his altar, and by the ministry of those his servants whom he hath given for this very thing, for the perfecting of the saints,' and with whom he will be to the end of the world.'

Extremely dangerous therefore is this other gospel, which leads quite wide of the gospel of Christ. And what must the consequence be, if we thus break, yea, and teach men so, not one only, neither the least of his commandments? Even that we shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.? God grant this may not fall on you or me!

7. However, whether we have a place in heaven or not, you are very sure we shall have none in hell. For there is no hell in rerum natura; no such place in the universe. You declare this over and over again, in a great variety of expressions. It may suffice to mention two or three. "Hell is no penalty prepared or inflicted by God. (Spirit of Prayer, P. II. p. 33.) Damnation is only that which springs up within you. (Spirit of Love, P. II. p. 47.) Hell and damnation are nothing but the various operations of self." (Sp. of Prayer, P. I. p. 79.)

I rather incline to the account published a few years ago, by a wise and pious man, (the late bishop of Cork,) where he is speaking of the improvement of human knowledge by revelation. Some of his words are, Concerning future punishments, we learn from revelation only, 1. That they are both for soul and body, which are distinguished in Scripture by the worm that dieth not, and the fire which never shall be quenched:' and accordingly we are bid to 'fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.' (Procedure, &c. of Human Understanding.) Upon which I shall only remark, that whereas we find by experience, the body and soul in this life are not capable of suffering the extremity of pain and anguish at the same time, insomuch that the greatest anguish of mind is lost and diverted by acute and pungent pain of body: yet we learn from Scripture, that in hell the wicked will be subject to extreme torments of both together.' (p. 150.)

2. That the chief cause of their eternal misery will be, an