in whom the (e) fame Things are to be accomplished. They who pretend to take away the Veil from the Face of Mofes, think their Work done, if they can prove the Completion only in Chrift; while it is their Work to bring Chrift, and all his Ministration of Righteoufnefs, by Fire, and Blood and Water, into his Disciples, to purify them by an invifible Power, as the Pricfts under the Law, (f) ferving unto the Shadows of heavenly Things, did purge away Sins, and the Sin-offerings, by the typical Fire, by the Water of the Laver, and the Blood of the Lamb. And though they affect to honour and glorify Christ by telling people, that all Things are done by him, and they have no more to do, but to believe in his Atonement and Satisfaction, in his Merits and Righteoufnefs, they deceive Souls by fuch vain and lying Words: For where Chrift is not, there is no Life, no Salvation yet come to that House. And the Spirit of Chrift is no more divided from, or existing out of his Spiritual Body, diffufed

(e) II. Cor. i. 5, 6. Phil. iii. 10. I. Pet. iv. 31

fused through all the Creation, than the Spirit of Man is feparated, and at a Diftance from his natural Body. Human Spirits, fays the excellent (g) Whichcote, are always in fome Conjunction with higher Spirits. The lower Things in the Creation acknowledge fome Dependence on the higher: The higher are informative, directive, confervative, Motive of the lower. Once more let us hear him concerning Regeneration: (b) The Generation of a Man, is by fuperinducing the rational Soul upon the fenfitive; which makes him more than an Animal: The Regeneration of a Chriftian, is by fuperinducing the divine Spirit upon the rational; which makes him more than a Man.

Now the whole Import of the Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper (which is all that remains of the daily Service of the Law) is no Oblation, or Sacrifice presented to GOD, but a Memorial and Record of a Spiritual Meat and Drink, even the Flesh and Blood of Chrift to be received from him, as he fits on his (i) Throne of Light, piercing

(g) Whichcote's Aphorifms, 823. (b) Apho (i) Rev. xx. 11.

rifm 855.

piercing and pervading all Persons as a (k) two-edged Sword. Chriftians are his Sacrifices and Victims, whofe Flesh is to be cut off and deftroyed, becaufe this Generation of Flesh and Blood cannot (1) inherit the Kingdom of God. A Part was therefore cut off under the firft Covenant with (m) Abraham, as a Pledge and Promife of abolishing the whole Form, or Body. We are not to offer any Hoft or Sacrifice to God, but to prefent ourselves, our Spirits, Souls and Bodies as the living Sacrifices, to be cleanfed in the (n) Water and Blood of Chrift, and to be baptifed with that (0) blessed Fire, which our Lord fent down in full Manifeftation-at Pentecoft, as the Earneft and Example of that one Baptism, which alone can purify the Sinner, and take away the Wages of Adam's Sin, even (p) this Body of Death.

Then were the (g) new Heavens and new Earth brought to Light, each in three Powers, and in a triple Band of Lives and

Operations: Then were the (r) three * Witnesses in Heaven fhewn in Union with the three on Earth, the Spirit, Water and Blood, which agree in one, and spring out of one Root and Effence. This is the Caufe of the Apostle's Record and Wonder, how the fupreme Powers should descend through so many Gradations and Steps in Creation,

(r) I. John v. 7, 8. Matt. xxviii. 19.

as

*The Cabalifts speak often of three Fathers who make one Father, and of three Mothers who make one Bride, or Wife. The Writings of St. John abound in the pure Part of the ancient Cabala, as may be feen in a Differtation on this Subject. Vid. Jac. Rhenferdii Differt. de Stylo Apocalypfeos Cabalistico, and Schoettgenii Hor. Heb. and Talmud. Vol. I, 1073-1075. The Ternary is fometimes called three Spirits, three Numbers, three Minds, three Lights, and three Names, according to the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob By which the Jews confefs the Unity without Difpute; for they never learned this Truth from the Christian Revelation, because they have ever fince the Days of Chrift, violently oppofed this Doctrine, as contrary to the first Revelation by Mofes. Moft Writers apply the Water to Baptifm, and the Blood to the Sacrament; but the Apoftle understands them in their eternal Emanation from God, as the Caufe and Ground of Bodies, or Garments for Angels, and for Man, who is to be made equal to Angels.

as to apprehend the Flesh of Man, become by the Death of his first incorruptible 'Elements, like unto the Beafts of the Field, called the () Coat of Skins, wherewith he was clothed after eating of the Tree of Good and Evil.

It is the common Courfe of Expofitors, to explain one Figure by another; as they make the Water of Baptifm to be the real Water of Chrift, and his Blood to be the Wine in the Sacrament. Both are only Figures and Symbols; his Kingdom is not of this World, nor does it confist either of the Fire, Light and Air of our Heaven, nor of the Spirit, Water and Blood of our Earth: For Man cannot live by these, nay, he is born to be destroyed by them; and is under the fame Bondage to the (t) Elements, as the (u) Beafts of the Field. He enjoys not now the true Fire, Light and Spirit, which Adam enjoyed in the Paradife of God; nor has he a Body from that Spirit, Water and Blood, which form immortal Vehicles, Clouds and Garments for the Sons

Gen. iii. 21. (4) Pf. xlxix. 12.

(1) Gal. iv. 3. Col. ii. 20, Eccl. iii. 19.