glory, was kept out of the church for many years also; and the excuse was as weighty as some in our days make against mine, that it was written in a bad spirit, and that he had quoted an unscriptural expression; namely, that of the devil contending for the body of Moses; which, in my opinion, seems scriptural enough to any discerning Christian; for, if the body of Moses be the offspring of Hagar, and figuratively the children of Jerusalem, which are in bondage; and Jerusalem the desolate, without God, and without an husband, and her children without a father; these children are bond-children under the law, and, being under the law, are consequently under the curse. No wonder then, if the officer, the devil, accuseth them to Justice, and contends for this mystical body of Moses, when Moses himself accuses them even before God. I hope these divines will shew me some lenity, although I may be of a bad spirit, because I have not gone quite so far in the trial of Universal Charity as to execute him. Neither have I cut Agag in pieces, nor slain any of the prophets of Baal, as some have done at the command of God, and under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost. But, although I had, it would have been no crime, seeing God himself is a swift witness against sorcerers.

My first pamphlet being condemned as nonsense, and the second as the product of a bad spirit, so this will possibly be condemned as savouring too much of self; more especially as I

ours; as ye mete, so shall it be measured to you again, Mark iv. 24. This is God's balance. And the wise man's appeal to conscience is, “Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee; for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others."

The first little treatise which I wrote was condemned by many, who at the same time never understood it; but God blessed it to several souls, to their happy deliverance; and if God sets his seal to it, we have no cause to look to the approbation of any other. When the Skeleton first appeared, the complaint was, that it was written in a bad spirit; the divinity was tolerable, but the spirit was bad. Sound divinity and zeal for God, flowing from a bad spirit, is like the old contradiction we read of, How can Satan cast out Satan? However, although there were many who condemned it in private, yet I rejoice; because several of them plundered the very bowels of it to preach in public. I should like to see a treatise upon the operations of the Holy Ghost, written by some of those who are infallible; and then I should know, according to their views, how far that blessed Spirit ought to go in his operations, and where he ought to stop, according to their decree. If Elijah was on earth, I believe he would be loaded with as many reproaches of uncharitableness as I have been. But why should I wonder at this, when Christ himself was accused by the doctors

of old of preaching and working under the influence of a bad spirit! They said that he cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils. I would caution these infallible gentlemen, however, not to be too hasty in ascribing a work which God owns and blesses to the dictates of an evil spirit, lest haply they be found even to fight against God the Holy Ghost. I much question if they are very well acquainted with that blessed Spirit's tuition; for, if they were, they would not talk at that rate. Natural affections are often mistaken for the operations of the Spirit of God: but Christ sharply rebuked Peter for savouring the things of men more than the things of God. And I know that all the affections of nature are contra-distinguished from the influences or fruits of the Spirit, by one who is an infallible Judge. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." The new man must come forth, and the old man must be crucified throughout.

I own that natural affections are some of the best rags of fallen nature; but, as they are natural, they must not be mistaken for, nor coupled with, the Holy Ghost. All mortality shall be swallowed up of life, when he who only hath immortality shall appear. Therefore make not that your celestial covering which is to be no more than your grave clothes. All these cloths and napkins must be wrapt together by themselves when Christ

mystical shall awake and sing; for we hope to be delivered from the whole body of sin and death; because it is under this we groan, being burthened. Some, indeed, have no brighter views of heaven than Mahomet in his alcoran. I speak this to their shame; for some professors are ready to repeat the old inquiry, How are the dead raised up? and with what crop of natural affections do they come? To whom I answer, The old, the natural, grain must entirely die, that the new and spiritual harvest may take place. "And that [the seed,] which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain.'

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However, God hath blessed the Skeleton to many souls, which satisfies me. And, whether men approve or disapprove of the work, it matters not: for I find by history that the book of the Revelations, written by John the Divine, though it contains a certain and full prediction of all future events both in churches and states, and a concise recapitulation of all past occurrences, was almost universally rejected by infallible prelates in the primitive church of Christ, though Christ sent his angels to testify it to them, they being wise. above what was written, though perhaps too ignorant to understand the writing; therefore it was kept out of the church as uncanonical. St. Jude's epistle too, appearing such a foe to universal charity, as well as to spots in their feasts of charity, and other counterfeit errors, and being expressive of so much zeal and warmth for God's

glory, was kept out of the church for many years also; and the excuse was as weighty as some in our days make against mine, that it was written in a bad spirit, and that he had quoted an unscriptural expression; namely, that of the devil contending for the body of Moses; which, in my opinion, seems scriptural enough to any discerning Christian; for, if the body of Moses be the offspring of Hagar, and figuratively the children of Jerusalem, which are in bondage; and Jerusalem the desolate, without God, and without an husband, and her children without a father; these children are bond-children under the law, and, being under the law, are consequently under the curse. No wonder then, if the officer, the devil, accuseth them to Justice, and contends for this mystical body of Moses, when Moses himself accuses them even before God. I hope these divines will shew me some lenity, although I may be of a bad spirit, because I have not gone quite so far in the trial of Universal Charity as to execute him. Neither have I cut Agag in pieces, nor slain any of the prophets of Baal, as some have done at the command of God, and under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost. But, although I had, it would have been no crime, seeing God himself is a swift witness against sorcerers.

My first pamphlet being condemned as nonsense, and the second as the product of a bad spirit, so this will possibly be condemned as savouring too much of self; more especially as I