This must be the case of all fallen Christendom, as well Popish as Protestant, till single men, and churches, know, confess, and firmly adhere to this truth, _viz._ _That our salvation is in the life of Jesus Christ in us_. Every thing besides this, or that is not leading to it, is but mere Babel in all sects, and divisions of Christians, living to themselves, under a seeming holiness of Christian strife, and contention about scripture words. But this truth of truths, fully possessed, brings God and man together, puts an end to every _Lo here_, and _Lo there_, and turns the whole faith of man to a Christ, that can no where be a Saviour to him, but in his inmost soul, nor there, by any other means, but the _immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit_. To this man, all scripture gives daily edification; the words of Christ and his apostles fall like a fire into him. And what is it, that they kindle there? Not notions, not itching ears, not rambling desires after new and new expounders of them, but a holy flame of love, to be always attending to Christ, and his Holy Spirit within him, who alone can make him to be, and do all that which the words of Christ, and his apostles have taught. For there is no possibility of being _like-minded_ with Christ, but by the nature and Spirit of Christ, living in us. Read all our Saviour’s sermon on the mount, consent to every part of it, yet the time of practising it, will never come, till you have a new nature from Christ, and are as vitally in him, and he in you, as the vine in the branch, and the branch in the vine. For no blessedness can be found either in men or angels, but where the Spirit, and life of God are within them. And all _men_, all _churches_, not placing all in the life, light, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, but pretending to act for the glory of God, from _opinions_ which their logic and learning have collected from scripture words, or from what a _Calvin_, an _Arminus_, or some smaller name, has told them, are but where the apostles were, when _there was a strife amongst them, who should be the greatest_. And how much soever they may say of their zeal for truth, and the glory of God, yet their behaviour towards one another, is proof enough, that the great strife among them is, which shall have the greatest number of followers. Whereas not numbers of men, or kingdoms professing Christianity, but numbers, redeemed from the death of _Adam_, to the life of Christ, are the glory of the Christian church. And in whatever _national_ Christianity, any thing else is sought after, by the profession of the gospel, but a _new heavenly life_, through the eternal Son of God, wrought in the fallen soul; there, the spirit of _satanic_ and _worldly_ subtlety, will be church, and priest, and supreme power, in all that is called religion.
But to return to the doctrine of continual inspiration. The _natural_ man, educated in _Pagan_ learning, and _scholastic_ theology, seeing the strength of his genius in the search after knowledge, how easy and learnedly he can talk, and write, criticise and determine upon all scripture words and facts, looks at all this, as a full proof of his own religious wisdom, and calls immediate inspiration, enthusiasm; not considering, that _all the woes_ denounced by Christ against Scribes, Pharisees, and Hypocrites, are so many woes, denounced against every appearance and shew of religion, that the natural man can practise.
And what is well to be noted, every one, however high in human literature, is but this very natural man, and can only have the goodness of a _carnal_ religion, till as empty of all, as a new-born child, the Spirit of God becomes the _inspirer_ and _doer_ of all that he wills, does, and aims at, in his whole course of religion.
*But to all this, it must be added, that a _religion_ of worldly glory and prosperity carried on, under the gospel-state, has more of a diabolical nature, than that of the Jewish Pharisees. It is the _highest_, and _last_ working of the mystery of iniquity, because it lives to Satan and the world, in and by a daily profession of being crucified with Christ, of being led by his Spirit, of being risen from the world, and set with him in heavenly places.