ture inward, and point out to it some more hidden mystery, that man's wandering from God had caused him to neglect; yet still was Christ, the Word-God, a saving light in that state. And the light of the law was as a school master, that led such as diligently obeyed it, to that more excellent discovery of the same light which is now called the gospel, or glad-tidings; as certainly it was, after so black and cold a season, as had long overcast the heavens, to have the glorious Sun of Righteousness appear in that blessed body, prepared and anointed for that purpose, in a manner transcendent to all former manifestations of himself.

Thus it was that such as had lived up most faithfully to the law of God, or light of that dispensation, gladly received Christ, believed in him, became his followers, and the companions of his cross and sufferings. So that he who was the light of the law, is also the light of the gospel, though not in one and the same manifestation or degree of discovery. As the light is not one in condemning and justifying, though it be one in itself;not the same in its lustre, in the degree and growth of little children, young men, and fathers, yet one pure, eternal, unalterable light of life and righteousness in itself. If therefore it doth the office of the law in any, to be sure such an one is yet under a state of condemnation for evil, and he is not yet come to know the fulfilling of the law, as becometh every follower of Christ, yea, every one that would come to Christ.

Christ indeed fulfils the law for us. But how? The light in us, as we are subject to it, and led by it, administers an holy power, by which we are enabled to do that which is good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord; and so obeying the light, we fulfil the law. Thus he works his works in us and for us. And so far was Christ from disengaging his followers from an indispensible necessity of keeping the law, as outwardly engraven on stones, that he set them a far harder task, by how much it is more easy to refrain ourselves from acting than thinking. "Thou shalt not commit adultery," saith the dispensation of Moses. "Whosoever looks on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart,” saith that more excellent dispensation of Christ. Certainly then those men, who fancy themselves upon easy terms of being excused from fulfilling the law, or performing good works, as a condition to justification, must basely abuse themselves, and dangerously hazard the well-being of their own souls. In short, he was the true Light, who said, "He that looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Mat. v. 27, 28.-But so was he also that said of old by Moses: Thou shalt not commit adultery." Should we therefore conclude two lights, and not rather two several mani

festations, or gradual discoveries of the self-same eternal light?

To conclude. The law, as I may say, is the gospel begun, and the gospel is the law finished. He that would be justified, must first be condemned, and they who would be healed, must first be wounded. The law is as the sword, the gospel as balm: the one duty, the other love. And that which alone is needful to attain to the highest discovery, is, to be humbly subject, and constantly obedient to the lowest appearance of it. The faithful servant becomes a son by adoption. Wouldst thou know the Word a reconciler, thou must first witness it an hammer, a sword, a fire, &c. The way to arrive at evangelical righteousness, is first to perform the righteousness of the law. By law I mean not that of politic shadows and ceremonies, or the external order or policy of the Jews; but that moral and eternal law, which is said to have come by Moses, (though but repeated and renewed by him,) and is accomplished by Christ. And there is great hopes, that they who conscientiously keep the beginning, will compass the end. Such as have conquered evil doing, if they be faithful to what they have received of God's light and spirit, it will enable them against bad saying, till at last they overcome evil thinking too; and witness that scripture fulfilled: "Judgment (the law) is brought forth into victory," (the gospel.) "He that follows me, (the light of the world, that enlightens all men coming into the world,) shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John viii. 12, i. 9. I make not this distinction of law and gospel, to distinguish in kind, but degree, and for the sake of the weak accustomed to it. And if the Son make you free, then are you free indeed." For as it is a condemner, it may be called the light that brings death, in that it slays, by the brightness of its coming into the conscience, the transgressing nature. Like that expression, "the day of the Lord is a day of darkness," because of the judgments and terrors of the Lord in the conscience for sin; but to the obedient, it is the light of life;" it brings peace and consolation.

Thus is Christ, as the WORD-GOD, and light of the world, through every dispensation, One in Himself, though to mankind he has variously appeared, not by different lights, but different manifestations only of one and the same eternal light of life. and righteousness.

CHAPTER XV.

The second part of the objection, that Christ was not anciently called the Light, answered. And the contrary proved from scripture and reason.

To the second part of the objection, "If the light in every man were Christ, how comes it that the Jews and Greeks never called it so ?" I answer, we do not say that the light, strictly, in every man is Christ, but of or from Christ. He is that fulness from whence all receive a measure of Divine light and knowledge. But not that every individual has the whole or complete Christ in him, so as to be no where else. Such an absurdity never fell from us, nor is it consequent of our doctrine, though the malice of our adversaries have charged it upon both. But as the external sun darts its light upon the organ of the eye of the body, by which it conveys true discerning to act about visible things, so doth the internal Sun of righteousness shine upon the eye of the soul, giving it the knowledge of those invisible things which properly relate to the nature of the soul. So that we are the less obliged to give a reason why others called not the manifestation of light in man, Christ, since we renounce all share in such belief ourselves, strictly speaking. Yet thus far I will say, that Christ was called Light, before ever he was in the world, though not before he was Christ. "I will give him for a light to lighten the Gentiles," &c. Now if any will say that this light was not Christ, let them tell us so in plain words. But if it will be allowed, they had best ask, why the prophet by the Holy Ghost should call Christ" Light," even as soon, if not before he was called "Christ ;" and why, in that very state in which he was called "Christ," he should also be called "Light." Certain it is then, that by Him, the Light, we are to understand Christ, which is one and the same thing, as if he had said, "I will give Christ for a light to enlighten the Gentiles;" or, "he who is the Christ, is the Light; or the Light is Christ." So that it will follow, the Gentiles were enlightened by Christ, which is the whole of what we understand by our assertion, as to the light in man.

Again, John expressly calls that light with which every man is enlightened, "the Word," and the Word is said to have taken flesh. If then he that took flesh was Christ, and consequently that Body, Christ's Body only, as none, I think, will dare deny, but Muggleton and his credulous followers, it will follow that Christ, who took or appeared in that prepared body, is the light with which every man is lighted.

Further, Christ himself says, "I am the light of the world :" which is as much as if he had said, I have lighted, or shined

forth to the world. Therefore the light which shines in the hearts of mankind, is Christ, though we do not say that every particular illumination is the entire Christ, for so there would be as many Christs as there are men, which were absurd and blasphemous.

But lastly, the apostle himself calls him Christ, before his coming in the flesh; so that Christ was Christ before his appearance in that holy body at Jerusalem, which clears that point in controversy. For the stress of the objection, as to this particular, lies here: "Christ, as Christ, was not before he took flesh; therefore though it should be granted, that as the WordGod are all enlightened by him, yet not as he is Christ, before that visible appearance." But if Christ was not before, then the manhood that was taken in time, must only be the Christ. But I would fain know such people's reason for it. The dilemma in short is this, that such as deny Christ to have been Christ before that coming, thwart as plain a text as the scriptures have, and if they should allow it, their opposition to our assertion must appear unsound and reprovable. Howbeit, since Christ, as the Word-God, hath lighted all men antecedent to his coming in the flesh, as most of our objectors confess, and that the apostle says, that the Word was Christ, or that Christ was before he came in the flesh, in that Christ was in the wilderness, a rock to Israel, (1 Cor. x. 3, 4.) unless Christ and the Word are two distinct beings, or that there be two distinct Christs, Christ was that light which lighted mankind, and that very Light with which mankind was lighted, was the very Christ of God, and consequently the Light has been called, both expressly and implicitly, Christ, before that visible appearance at Jerusalem.

Nor is the allegation of that scripture against us, pertinent to the matter in hand, viz. "which none of the princes of this world knew," &c. for that was spoken in reference to the wisdom which had been hid, and not to the mere manhood of Christ. But suppose his holy manhood concerned in it, we have this to say, that such as rejected him, and much more those that crucified him in his outward appearance, had first despised and slain him within. They were of those, as Job said, "who rebelled against the light and loved not the ways thereof." And I affirm, against all opposers, that it was by the sight this Divine light within gave to Simeon, Peter, Nathaniel, and all others who believed in him, that they truly came to confess him, and suffer for him. Yea, such as had not out sinned their day, and finally hardened their hearts, as others by wicked works had done, but through the light of the Lord, had in good measure kept their consciences void of offence, they received and embraced him. The Light knew its own. The lesser led to the greater, and the greater light as naturally attracted the lesser, as we may see fire does every day.

To conclude this particular, let me add, that they were not the princes of this world that put him outwardly to death; for it came by the envious and wicked accusations of the Jews, (a broken conquered people,) to Pilate, governor of a province only. Therefore, since I believe what the apostle saith to be true, I have rather reason to infer, that it was meant of Christ mystically, than of that visible body. However it be, that part of our adversaries' objection about the light's not being called Christ, antecedent to his coming in the flesh, can be of no weight to the matter under debate, since we have so evidently made the contrary appear.

CHAPTER XVI.

The third part of the objection: If Christ was enjoyed under the law, as he was, if the light be Christ, why was he typified? is proved of no force. The type and anti-type, in some respects, may be at one and the same time. This is proved by plenty of scripture. Our adversaries' opposition and cavil weak and unsuccessful.

The third part of the objection, and what seems at first sight to carry something of moment against us, is this: "If the light within be Christ, and the Jews and Gentiles had it from the beginning of the world, how can Christ be said to be typified out, as not come, and prophesied of to come, when by your own principle he hath been always come?" I answer, this part of the objection is in some respect built upon the same mistake as was the second, namely, that the illumination within is entirely Christ; concerning which, I have plainly and truly expressed myself before. I will therefore faithfully state the question for them thus: "Well, but still you say, Christ lighted Jews and Gentiles before that visible coming; if so, then was he come, by your own principle, whilst his coming was typified out, and prophesied of. Doth not this seem a contradiction?" But to this I say, that the supposed contradiction arises from the mistake of the dispensations, for it takes for granted that there was no difference in the degree of illumination before, and at the coming of Christ in that visible manner into the world, which all must needs confess. For as I would be understood, when I call the light before and after Christ's coming in the flesh, "light," to mean but one and the self same light in nature; so let none apprehend, as if we made no difference, by the acknowledgment of a more eminent manifestation of the same light. What follows then? Why thus much most clearly, that