276 The Saints perfect freedom, or the BRIDE, and allo this Soule ; for thefe words are true and faithful. Beloved, can yougive teflimony to this workofChrifl in ' you ? have youfeen it,felt it, believed it ? Oh ! know it is not much talk ofChrift, or much talkof fin, or talking of Deliverance, nor thy perfwafion, or the like ; but bath Chrift wrought it in thee by bimfelfalone,when no manflood by him? not thy felfe by thypower, wifdom, or endeavours, but he a- lone in them, was mighty tofave, and that their wifdomand theirfirength, and their help, and their doings, is all trodden down , and he alone is exalted ; Except thou canft give a clear teflimony to this , thou mayeflpretendwhat thou wilt,. and be asflritl and asformal as thouwilt ;. invain doef} thou Aas 8.23 I talk either of the Deliverer or the Delivered; for thou art í1i11 (for all thy Forms) in the gall of bitternefs, and in the bonds ofiniquity : Chrift neveryet get thee free, and thou haft as yet been but tby own Saviour, and thy own hand hath wrought all thy Deliverance thou yet haft , and thy own life Luk.I I:21 Ì is yet wkole in thee ; and thefirong man keepspofsefon, for all thy forms, duties, obediences, fafting,praying, ufing Ordinan- ces, or clofing with fellowships, or walking with this or that Church, or for any ofthy thoughts of Memberfhip, or the like,, all this is nothing, and all this may be, and Chrifl ne- ver yet thy Deliverer, nor thy Saviour. But becaufe ',would clear this point to you,that you may not be miftaken in it, take notice more diflin1ly of thefe two things. Firft, the Natureof this Freedom. Secondly, the Relat on ofit. that is, what it is in it fell,, whom it belongs. Firft,for the Nature of it, know, it is not any external nor outward Freedom, but it isfin-ritual and inward; it lets the foul free, anddelivers from all captivity and bonds, and task- maflers within ; it does not teach thee to deny to pay Tribute toCefar, and fubmiflìon to external laws; It promifes nothing ofexternal Kingdomes or Thrones, or that the Saints pail rule upon earth and the like, and that they fha11 fway Scepters, and:be railed up to worldly dignities or honours. No JNote two ,things. INFirít, the attire'. Mark. 12. I 7.
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