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SERA.
11.
INWARD WITNESS
TO
CHBISTIANIT.
on
it,
are
the
three
witnesses on
earth
which
the apostle
designs;
nor can
I
absolutely determine which
is the.
right.
Before
I
conclude,
I
would lay down
one
caution
and
one
reflection.
The caution
is
this
:
That
though
I
exclude
all
humans
religions from
the honour, power, and glorious
effects
of
christianity,
as
being
utterly uncapáble of
them,
yet
the Jewish religion, and
that
of
the ancient
patriarchs,
which were divine,
are not
hereby
totally excluded
front
this
honour, and these characters,
but
only
in
part:
For
there were
many souls
in whom
these beginnings
of
eter
nal
life
were wrought
under those dispensations;
but
not
with
that
glory and evidence
as
under
the christian.
And indeed
Judaism
was
but
a sort of
infant christianity,
a
veiled
gospel,
The christian
religion
is
Judaism
ful-
filled,
or the
gospel
standing
in
open
light. All
that
ho-
liness
and
happiness
which
was
found among the
Jews
or patriarchs,
is
entirely owing
to
Christ and
his
gospel,
to the
sacrifice,
and
the spirit,
and grace
of
Jesus, which
were typified
by
the legal atonements,
and
blood,
sprink-
lings and
washings;
and
which
wrought
powerfully this
divine
life in
their
souls,
through
all
those
types,
but..
with
feebler conviction,
and
in
a
fainter
light.
Besides,
it
should
be observed here
also,
that
since
the christian
religion
has
received
its full
authority
and
divine establishment, the Jewish dispensation
ceases,
and
is
no
longer
owned,.
or
aided
by
the Spirit
of
God,
to produce thesewonderful
effects.
The
types
and sha-
dows
of that
state
have
now no
power
to speak
peace
and pardon
to the guilty soul, or
to purify our sinful
natures, and
begin
eternal
life in
them. These are
abo-
lished
by
divine
appointment, and God
will
hear
witness
to them no more. They who confess
not that Jesus
Christ
is
come in
the
flesh,
are
deceivers,
2
John
7.
He
that
bath
not
the
Son
of
God,
bath
not
lift,
f
John
v.
12.
So
that
the
doctrine
of Christ
is
the only
religion
which
We
know
of,
that
is
practised'in
the world,
that
has had
the
stamp
of
divine
authority
above
sixteen
hundred years; and
as
there
have been
multitudes
of
witnesses to the
truth of
it,
multitudes of
souls
in
the
first,
and
all
the succeeding
ages,
who have felt
eternal