and sole dependance upon, the continual operation of the Holy Ghost, or Christ come again in the Spirit, to be our never-ceasing light, teacher, and guide into all those ways of virtue in which he himself walked in the flesh. All besides this, call it by what name you will, is but dead work, a vain labour of the old man to new-create himself. And here let it be well observed, that in these two points consists the whole of that mystic divinity, to which a Jewish orthodoxy at this day is so great an ene my. For nothing else is meant or taught by it, but a total dying to self, (called the process or cross of Christ) that a new creature (called Christ in us, or Christ come in the Spirit) may be begotten in the purity and perfection of the first man's union with God. Now, let the Christian world forget or depart from this one mystic way of salvation; let any thing else be thought of or trusted to, but the cross of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ, and then, though churches, and preachers, and prayers, and sacraments, are everywhere in plenty, yet nothing better can come of it than a Christian kingdom of Pagan vices, along with a mouth-belief of an holy Catholic church, and communion of saints. To this melancholy truth, all Christendom, both at home and abroad, bears full witness. Who need be told that there is not a corruption or depravity of human nature? no kinds of pride, wrath, envy, malice, and self-love? no sorts

of hypocrisy, falseness, cursing, swearing, perjury, and cheating? no wantonness of lust in every kind of debauchery, but are as common all over Christendom, as towns and villages? But to pass these by, I shall only instance in two or three particulars, which though little observed, and less condemned, yet fully shew that the beast, the whore, and the fiery dragon, are in possession of Protestant as well as Popish churches.

And first, can it be said that Mammon is less' served by Christians, than by Jews and infidels? Or can there be a fuller proof that Christians, Jews, and Infidels, are equally fallen from God, and all divine worship, since truth itself has told us, that we cannot serve God and Mammon? Is not this as unalterable a truth, and of as great moment, as if it had been said, "Ye cannot serve God and Baal?” Or, can it with any truth or sense be affirmed, that the Mammonist has more of Christ in him than the Baalist, or is more or less an idolater, for being called a Christian, a Jew, or an Infidel? Look now at all those particulars which Christ charged upon the Jewish Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, and you will see them all acted over again in the fallen state of Christendom. And if God's prophets were again in the world, they would have just the same complaints against the fallen Christian church, as they had against the old, carnal, stiff-necked Jews; namely,

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that of their silver and gold, they had made themselves idols," Hos. viii. 4. For though figured idol-gods of gold are not now worshipped either by Jews or Christians, yet silver and gold, with that which belongs to them, is the mammon-god that sits and reigns in their hearts. How else could there be that universal strife through all Christendom, who should stand in the richest and highest place, to preach up the humility of Christ, and offer spiritual sacrifices unto God? What god but Mammon, could put into the hearts of Christ's ambassadors, to make, or want to make, a gain of that gospel, which from the beginning to the end, means nothing else but death to self, and separation from every view, temper, and affection, that has any connection with the lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Our blessed Lord said a word to the Jews, that might well have made their ears to tingle, when he told them that they had made his Father's house a den of thieves; because sheep and oxen were sold, and moneychangers sitting in the outer court of the temple Now if you will say that Mammon has brought forth no profanation like this in our Christian church, your best proof must be this, because our church-sale is not oxen and sheep, but holy things, cures of souls, parsonages, vicarages, &c. and our money-changers, our buyers and sellers, are chiefly consecrated persons.

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Look at things spiritual, and things temporal, and say, if you can, that the same arts, the same passions, and worldly wisdom, are not as visibly active in the one, as in the other. For if Christ, at leaving the world, had said to his disciples, “labour to be rich; make full provision for the flesh; be conformed to the world; court the favour and interest of great men; clothe yourselves with all the worldly honours, distinctions, and powers you can get;" I appeal to every man, whether Popish and Protestant churches need do any thing else than that which they now do, and have done for ages, to prove their faithfulness to such a master, and their full obedience to his precepts. And now, what is all this in truth and reality, but the same whore riding upon the same beast, not here or there, but through all fallen Christendom, where God has only, in every age, people, and language, his seven thousands, who have not bowed the knee to Mammon?

Again, Secondly, "Ye have heard," says our Lord," that it hath been said by them of old, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths." The Jews practised promissary oaths, and thought all was well when there was a performance of them. But this, with numbers of other Jewish practices, was not to be allowed in this kingdom of God that was then come into the world. Christ totally rejects, and

absolutely forbids it, saying, "I say unto you, swear not at all." But instead of it, he appoints, and absolutely demands, a most perfect simplicity of language, to support and adorn the mutual communication of those whom he had created again unto righteousness, and given power to become sons of God, saying, "Let your communi cation be YEA, YEA, and NAY, NAY, for (N. B.); whatsoever is more than this, cometh of evil." What more could have been done by Christ, to prevent the use, or hinder the entrance, of an oath into his church? What, then, shall we say of the present universal Christendom? For if Christ had commanded the direct contrary; had he said, "behold, I give you this new commandment, let not a simple YEA and NAY be of any avail in all your communication; but let oaths be required of all that bear my name, as a proof that they belong to me, and act in all their dealings, as become saints; for whatsoever is less than this, cometh of evil." Had this been Christ's new commandment, all the churches of Christendom, as well Popish as Protestant, and these reformed kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, might have much to boast of their obedience to it. For through town and country, in all ignorant villages, in learned colleges, in all courts spiritual and temporal, what with law-oaths, corporation-oaths, office-oaths, trade-oaths, qualification-oaths, simony-oaths, bri