that he which is born of the Spirit, but that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit; nor does Christ say it is of a spiritual nature; the words express a stronger sense: "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And, if this be true of every soul renewed, it is no less true in Adam, while he stood in the image of God.

Furthermore. We are not to understand, by the image of God in man, any external form or shape; for, "To whom will ye liken God; or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" Isa. xl. 18. Adam, like the King's daughter, was all glorious within. God's image consisted of the endowments of the mind; the divine adornings and embellishments of his soul. There was in him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. A divine radiance shone through him. Hence man is called the image and glory of God, 1 Cor. xi. 7. He was created in righteousness, and true holiness, Col. iii. 10. The great commandment, in the law of creation, is love to God with all the soul. This law was his rule of righteousness, and it was spiritual; it reached to his soul, and threatened both body and soul with temporal and eternal death; it was holy, it was just, and it was good. Adam's righteousness, therefore, must stand on an equal footing with this law. He therefore must love God with all his soul; he must be inspired, he must be holy, he must be just, and he must be good; and God said he was very good, otherwise he could not be strictly righteous in the eye of this law. Divest him of any one of these, even of in

spiration only, and where is the image of God? God is a Spirit; and where is Adam's righteousness?"The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin," says Paul. Adam lost inspiration when he sold himself and us under sin; nor can we ever stand before that law till inspiration be restored again. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and nothing else, can make us free from either the law of sin, which is in our members, or from the law of death, engraven on tables of stone. Adam was created in true holiness; and that which made him so was the divine influence of the Holy Ghost, which was divinely spread throughout all his soul; and that which made the temple holy was the same; and it is the same now which makes the church a holy temple; and therefore it is called, "An habitation of God through the Spirit."

15. But it may be objected, from the following passage, "The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly; and as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," 1 Cor. xv. 45-49. There is not one word in all this quotation that affords any support to my opponents. Neither Paul, nor any other inspired penman, ever

called Adam, in his state of innocency, a natural man, according to the present acceptation of that term, nor in any other sense. Nor was the whole and every part of Adam of the earth, or earthy; his soul was not of the earth, nor earthy; and much less the image of God in him. What the apostle is there proving is the resurrection, and nothing else; and we know that there is nothing raised at the resurrection but the body; and so says Paul, "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body," 1 Cor. xv. 44. And this he proves by the two heads, Adam and Christ. Adam's body was a natural one, supported by natural food, and capable of suffering; and so was Christ's body a natural one; he took part of the children's flesh and blood, and in all things, sin excepted, was made like unto his brethren, and lived upon natural food, and was capable of hunger, thirst, sorrow, and suffering. But, after his resurrection, ascension, and glorification, Christ's body is a spiritual, a heavenly, and a glorious body. And then the apostle affirms that all who die in the Lord, though their bodies be sown natural bodies, yet they shall be raised spiritual bodies; and, though they have borne the image of fallen Adam's body in frailty, mortality, and death, being subjected to this vanity, which came upon us all through Adam's sin, yet are we subjected in hope: for at the resurrection these bodies will bear the image of Christ's heavenly body; for, "Every one that is perfect shall be as his master." We

shall see him as he is; our bodies shall awake in the likeness of his body: yea, we shall be changed. "He shall change our vile bodies, and fashion them like unto his glorious body." So that this frail part of the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, Rom. viii 21.

I shall now attempt to make some excuses for my other offence, which is that of telling sensible sinners, struggling under the workings of unbelief, to ask faith of God. I believe I have had more success in my labours, by encouraging awakened sinners to be importunate with God in calling upon him, than ever Mr. Britton has had, or ever will have, unless God should make him acquainted with that invaluable blessing so essential to the ministry; I mean an unctuous experience of the power of godliness. But you have got a curious proverb among you, namely, that souls must be born again before they can cry. "Let God be true, but every man a liar;" and this proverb is a lie, both in nature and in grace. For Christ says, when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice." The cause of the woman's crying, in the book of the Revelation, is not because she is delivered, but because

“A woman,

she was in labour.

"And she, being with child' cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered," Rev. xii. 2. They that cry and complain of travail and sorrow after they are delivered, and when nothing ails them, must be the worst of hypocrites. God's elect cry day and night unto him; and their bitterest cries are when guilt stings them, when shame and confusion cover them, when the curse of the law and the wrath of God enter into them, when the fear of death and the dread of damnation overwhelm them; these want God to avenge them. God himself, speaking of Christ under the name of his type, Cyrus, says,

They shall come after thee in chains; they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee; they shall make supplication unto thee." With weeping and supplications doth the Lord lead such. But surely these chains and tears of grief cannot be the fruits and effects of our first love, when perfect love casts out fear and torment; for then our spiritual birth is made clear: at such times God brings out them that are bound with chains, while the rebellious dwell in a dry land. And, although there is a most sweet and heavenly crying at times, yet it is not the voice of them that cry for being overcome, nor the voice of them in chains; but the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shout for the victory.

If no souls are to cry or pray to God until they are born again, I know not where they would vent