baptism, whatsoever the law may say or my heart may feel. And if I can but keep that principal part, my faith, pure, and this bulwark in safety, then will I do externally, not internally, whatever burthen of works shall be laid upon me.'

Behold; he that could hold fast this skill would be a right and perfect man, as Christ was; and would be so far exalted above all laws, that he might boldly call Peter Satan, and the pharisees fools and blind leaders of the blind; he might impose silence on Moses himself, and might thus live entirely without any law; and yet, in the mean time, be fulfilling all laws. Moreover, he might be obstinate and pertinacious against every thing that should attempt to tie and bind him, and yet, spontaneously accommodate himself, and be obedient to all. But our whole deficiency lies here.-We never attain to this skill fully and perfectly, and the devil ever opposes our endeavours, and brings us into that state that we act with a perverted order of things;-we are always over obedient and submissively attentive to hear all things that the law may say unto us; by the threats of which, we are thrown into total confusion; whereas, it would have been better not to listen to it at all. On the other hand, in external things, we take too great an advantage of our liberty; when our body ought to be restrained and kept in subjection by works, in order that it might be compelled to bear whatever it is averse to; seeing that, it still sinneth more or less; but yet so that the sin remaineth without, when it ought to remain, and have its Moses, who may continually present to it his requirements. But internally, no sin or law ought to rule or reign, but Christ himself should hold his empire of free grace, joy, and consolation. Thus, all things would be in their right places, and the man would be ready and prepared to every good work both to do and to suffer; and that, with a glad and willing heart, by faith, not feigned, in the grace of God through Christ.-Wherefore, let the conscience rule over all laws, and the flesh be subject to all laws.

And now, let him that is acquainted with this skill

give thanks unto God, and see that he be not too wise in the same, and fall not into a false persuasion of knowledge. For I, and such as I am, are not yet acquainted with it as we ought to be acquainted, although we have had very great experience of, and very long exercise in it. For this skill is, as I have said, of that nature, that none can know it but those who are Christians; and they in order to attain unto it, must be learners all their lives. For as to those secure spirits, they alone pretend to know all things, and yet know nothing at all; for by this these false persuasions, they are removed the farthest of all men from the whole of the Gospel. And there can be no one thing a greater pest to, or a greater stumbling-block in the way of, Christianity, than these ape-teachers and masters, who, in their own eyes, appear to know something. For these fill every corner of the world with sects and divisions; being such characters of men, who serve neither God nor man, and hear neither the law nor the Gospel rightly; but securely contemn the former, and hear the latter with disgust; and are ever hunting, in the mean time, after some new doctrine. But however, we teach nothing here on their account, for they are not worthy of our doctrine; and they have this punishment from God;--that they never can learn this same doctrine, nor derive any advantage from it, although they hear it. Therefore, let us hold it among ourselves. They can take nothing of it from us, excepting that they may hear a certain external sound and echo of it.

This then is the FIRST PART of this Sermon which Christ here teaches us by his own example.-In what manner each one is to hold his conscience free from all disputation with the law, and from all the terror of the wrath of God and of sin.

AND NOW, my design is to enter into this beautiful and sweet sermon of Christ; where he begins and says, "What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find it?" Christ is not only of a pertinacious mind in

his refusing to follow their sayings and control, but also adduces probable causes for his pertinacity; thus, with great skill confuting their objections, and stopping their mouths, so that they have not a word to answer him. Nay, he convicts and circumvents them by their own example and proceeding, that he might fill them with deserved shame for daring to attack and reprove him for doing that in a matter of the utmost moment, which they themselves do upon an occasion the most trifling.

In what way could he more promptly and more effectually answer them, than by saying, Do you want, O ye excellent and very wise teachers, to teach and command me to do this:-to drive and thrust from me those who desire me, and who come unto me to hear my words? when you yourselves, having lost one sheep, leave nothing undone, leaving the ninety and nine in the wilderness, (that is, in the plain within the fold,) and running here and there to seek that which is lost, never ceasing from your search until ye have found it and brought it back into the fold? This your proceeding you consider meritorious and laudable, and if any one should blame you for it, you would doubtless call him a fool and a madman. And should not I the Saviour of souls do the same unto men, as you do unto a lost sheep? especially, when one soul is, beyond all comparison, of more value than all the other creatures that live and breathe upon the earth put together? Why therefore are ye not utterly ashamed of yourselves, for daring to reprove me for that act which you yourselves praise, and are compelled to praise? Wherefore, if you would reprove me, you must first reprove and condemn yourselves.

This is answering rightly, and stopping their barking mouths with honor; abundant causes being produced, why he wanted not in any respect their control, nor could by any means endure it. And they, as became them, retreat with merited disgrace, and gain nothing by their attempted mastery, but the deepest shame and ignominy. For it is a disgrace to all masters, and therefore the greatest of all abominations, when they do not

blush at arrogating so much to themselves, as to attempt to teach and admonish him of his duty, who is appointed of God master over all.

But the matter ought to end as I have said.-That he who will presume to rule and mock a Christian with his attempted mastery, and to draw him away from baptism and the doctrine concerning Christ, in order to govern him by his wisdom or laws, shall not only be made a fool, but be considered the author of the greatest abomination, yea, of murder. For such an one pollutes the holy temple of God, and, with a devilish temerity, invades his kingdom, where he alone ought to reign, together with the Holy Ghost. Wherefore, he highly deserves to be covered, as his reward, with shame and ignominy before the whole world, who assumes to himself the mastery there, where Christ only ought to be master; and thus wantonly, and to his own destruction, "kicks against the pricks.

Wherefore, it is by no means safe to run against Christians, for they are living stones and saints. And he who is wise, will have nothing to say against that man whose name is Christ; for he will get no good by it, he being most impatient of any kind of mastery or controlling doctrine. So also, a Christian is by no means to suffer the same; for if he do suffer it, and yield to suggestions of this kind, Thou oughtest to have done this thing or that: or, Thou oughtest to do it now: then it is all over with him; he has fallen from Christ! Wherefore, we must ply all our care to hold him fast; not at all regarding if the whole world teach us otherwise. For if we remain cleaving close unto him, and hold fast the true understanding of the doctrine concerning Christ, we shall easily overcome all masters and teachers of this kind. For this Christ will be entirely free from all correction and control, and will shew himself to be the controller and corrector of all men;-that, they shall either, under grace, worship him as a Lord and Master, and shall be brought to acknowledge themselves fools; or, they shall, under his fury and indignation, be exposed to shame before all men, and perish utterly!

BUT, as I have said above, the present Sermon, on account of the great goodness, sweetness, and consolation, which it contains, is not to be prostituted to the ignorant, carnal, unhumbled multitude: (for whom I am setting forth none of these things, so that they may know my mind plainly :) but to be opened up unto those who are conflicting with distress and trouble of conscience, or who are exercised under the perils and certainty of death, and disputing with the devil about their sins committed, whereby he is trying to drive them to desperation. Before such, this lovely representation is to be exhibited, that they may receive from it consolation and gladness of spirit. But as to the rest, who live in security of mind, and know nothing about what spiritual anxiety and sorrow is, they are to be led unto the tormentor Moses, and after that, unto the very devil. For the representation which we have here, is beyond measure most sweet and amiable, and painted forth more beautifully than any Apelles could delineate it with his pencil. Nor has any one a power of language capable of setting it forth by expression: and therefore, it can only be apprehended by the faith of the heart, as far as we may be allowed to enter into it. And yet, we must say something about it, that we may open a door and a way for others to enter into it more deeply.

I, saith the Saviour, have also an hundred sheep; that is, that little simple flock of all Christians, from the number of which, one is lost and is fallen out from the communion of Christians. Wilt thou then know the love of my heart? Then thou art to use all thy ability to set forth as affectingly, and as descriptively as thou canst, a SHEPHERD and a LOST SHEEP. For the shepherd that is only man, who takes care of his flock that is created only to be killed, has yet a most affectionate inclination of mind towards his sheep, and is in no little anxiety about the way in which he shall find, and bring it back, when lost; nor has the sheep a less desire to find its shepherd; for the moment it perceives the person to be its shepherd, (for it knows him by instinctive nature,) it is not afraid