Christian, knows that this revelation of Christ is in his own experience: and he who has not this experience is no Christian. For he that is a Christian, enters into communion with Christ and all his benefits. And hence, as Christ is holy, so he must be holy; or else, he must deny that Christ is holy. For if thou art baptized, thou hast put on the garment of holiness-which is, Christ: as Paul testifies.

This term "holy," [saint,] signifies that which is made the peculiar property of God, and which belongs to him alone which we commonly term, consecrated. Therefore, Peter here says, Ye have consecrated yourselves unto God, therefore, take heed that ye suffer not yourselves to be led away again into the lusts of the world; but yield yourselves unto God, that he may reign, live, and work in you; then shall ye be holy, even as he is holy !

Thus, hitherto, the Apostle has described and taught that grace which is offered unto us by the Gospel, and the preaching of Christ. And now, what does he teach us in consequence of this grace ;-that we firmly persevere in a pure and sincere mind of faith; assured, that no work whatever that we can either do or think, can be of any avail unto our salvation. But when these things are preached, immediately this reasoning begins, and this conclusion is drawn:-Well! if this be the case, then there is no need for me to do any good at all! Thus, those thick-headed ones run away into such an opinion; (or shall I rather call it madness?) and, of the Christian life, make a state of carnal licentiousness; imagining, that they may do just what they list. These the Apostle Peter here opposes, and anticipates their foolish reasoning; teaching, that the Christian liberty and freedom from all works is to be used with respect to God only; for with respect to, and before him, I am to use faith only, without any works; that I may ascribe unto him the honour due unto his name, and may acknowledge him to be my God who is just, true, and merciful! It is this faith that sets us free from sin and all evils. But when I have rendered these things unto God, then, whatever portion of life I live afterwards, I

live to my neighbour, that I may serve him and do him good. The chiefest of all works that proceed from faith, is, that I confess Christ with my mouth, and bear a testimony for him with my blood; being ready to lay down my life for him, when it should be required of me. But still, God has no need even of this work: wherefore, we are to do this, only, that our faith may be proved and manifested, and may win others unto the faith. And moreover, other works follow; all of which must be directed to this end,--that by them I may serve my neighbour; all which works, nevertheless, God must work in us. Therefore nothing is our own-we can arrogate nothing unto ourselves.

SAVING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND HIS CRY OF ABBA FATHER IN THE HEART. -A DESCRIPTION OF TRUE PRAYER. GALATIANS iv. 6.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts.

The Holy Ghost is sent two manner of ways. In the primitive church, he was sent in a manifest and visible appearance. So he came upon Christ at Jordan in the likeness of a dove; (Matt. iii. 16,) and in the likeness of fire upon the apostles and other believers, (Acts ii. 3.) And this was the first sending of the Holy Ghost; which was necessary in the primitive church, for it was expedient that it should be established by many miracles because of the unbelievers; as Paul witnesseth-"Strange tongues, (saith he,) be for a sign and a token; not to them that believe, but to them that believe not," (1 Cor. xiv. 22.) But after that the church was gathered together and confirmed with those miracles, it was not necessary that this visible sending of the Holy Ghost should continue any longer.

Secondly, the Holy Ghost is sent by the word into the hearts of the believers; as here it is said, "God sent the Spirit of his Son," &c. This sending is without any visible appearance; to wit, when by the hearing of

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the external word, we receive an inward fervency and light, whereby we are changed and become new creatures; whereby also, we receive a new judgment, a new feeling, and a new moving. This change, and this new judgment, is no work of reason or of the power of man, but is the gift and operation of the Holy Ghost, which cometh with the word preached, which purifieth our hearts by faith, and bringeth forth in us spiritual motions. Therefore, there is a great difference betwixt us and those, which, with force and subtilty, persecute the doctrine of the Gospel. For we, by the grace of God, can certainly judge by the word of the will of God towards us, also of all laws and doctrines, and of our own life and of the life of others. Contrariwise, the Papists and Sectaries cannot certainly judge of any thing. For they corrupt, they persecute, and blaspheme the Word. Now, without the Word, a man can give no certain judgment of any thing.

And although it appear not before the world that we be renewed in spirit, and have the Holy Ghost, yet notwithstanding, our judgment, our speech, and our confession, do declare sufficiently, that the Holy Ghost with his gifts is in us. For before, we could judge rightly of nothing we spake not as now we do: we confessed not that all our works were sin and damnable: that Christ was our only merit both before grace and after, as now we do in the true knowledge and light of the gospel. Wherefore, let this trouble us nothing at all that the world (whose works we testify to be evil) judgeth us to be most pernicious heretics and seditious persons, destroyers of religion and troublers of the common peace, possessed of the devil speaking in and governing all our actions. Against this perverse and wicked judgment of the world, let this testimony of our conscience be suffi cient; whereby we assuredly know, that it is the gift of God that we do not only believe in Jesus Christ, but that we also preach and confess him before the world. As we believe with our heart, so do we speak with our mouth, according to that saying of the Psalmist, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken," (Psal. cxvi. 10.)

Moreover, we exercise ourselves in the fear of God, and avoid sin as much as we may. If we sin, we sin not of purpose but of ignorance, and we are sorry for it. We may slip, for the devil lieth in wait for us both day and night. Also, the remnants of sin cleave yet fast in our flesh. Therefore, as touching the flesh, we are sinners, yea, after that we have received the Holy Ghost. And there is no great difference betwixt a Christian and a civil honest man. For the works of a Christian, in outward shew, are but base and simple. He doth his duty according to his vocation, he guideth his family, he tilleth the ground, he giveth counsel, he aideth and succoureth his neighbour. These works the carnal man doth not much esteem, but thinketh them to be common to all men, and such as the heathen may also do. For the world understandeth not the things which are of the Spirit of God, and therefore, it judgeth perversely of the works of the godly. But the monstrous superstition of the hypocrites and their will works, they have in great admiration. They count them holy works, and spare no charges in maintaining the same. Contrariwise, the

works of the faithful, (which although in outward appearance they seem to be but vile and nothing worth,) yet, are they good works indeed and accepted of God, because, they are done in faith with a cheerful heart, and with obedience and thankfulness towards God,) these works, I say, they do not only, not acknowledge to be good works, but also they despise as most wicked and abominable. The world, therefore, believeth nothing less than that we have the Holy Ghost. Notwithstanding, in the time of tribulation, or of the cross and of the confession of our faith, (which is the proper and principal work of those that believe) when we must either forsake wife, children, goods, and life, or else deny Christ, then it appeareth that we make confession of our faith, and that we confess Christ and his word by the power of the Holy Ghost.

We ought not, therefore, to doubt whether the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us or not, but to be assuredly persuaded that we "are the temple of the Holy Ghost,"

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as Paul saith (1 Cor. iii. 16.) For if any man feel in himself a love towards the word of God, and willingly heareth, writeth, and thinketh of Christ; let that man know, that this is not the work of man's will or reason, but the gift of the Holy Ghost; for it is impossible that these things should be done without the Holy Ghost. Contrariwise, where hatred and contempt of the word is, there the devil the god of this world reigneth, blinding men's hearts, and holding them captive that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should not shine upon them," (1 Cor. iv. 4.) Which thing we see at this day in most part of the common people, which have no love to the word, but contemn it as though it pertained nothing at all unto them. But whosoever do feel any love or desire to the word, let them acknowledge with thankfulness, that this affection is poured into them by the Holy Ghost. For we bring not this affection and desire with us, neither can we be taught by any laws how we may obtain it, but this change is plainly and simply the work of the right hand of the Most High. Therefore, when we willingly and gladly hear the word preached concerning Christ the Son of God, who for us was made man and became subject to the law, to deliver us from the malediction of the law, hell, death and damnation, then let us assure ourselves that God, by and with this preaching, sendeth the Holy Ghost into our hearts. Wherefore, it is very expedient for the godly to know that they have the Holy Ghost.

This I say to confute that pernicious doctrine of the Papists, which taught, that no man certainly knows, (although his life be never so upright and blameless,) whether he be in the favor of God or no. And this sentence commonly received, was a special principle and article of faith in the whole papacy; whereby, they utterly defaced the doctrine of faith, tormented men's consciences, banished Christ quite out of the church, darkened and denied all the benefits of the Holy Ghost, abolished the whole worship of God, and set up idolatry, contempt of God, and blasphemy against God, in men's hearts.