he fitted himself for a vessel of wrath, or prepared the way for his own destruction.  You know at length that God’s judgments, but not till after much long suffering, came upon him, so that the power of God became thus manifested to many.  But if you know all these things, and continue in unrighteousness and unbelief, which were the crimes of Pharaoh also, why do you imagine that your hearts will not become hardened like the heart of Pharaoh; or that if you are guilty of Pharaoh’s crimes, you are not deserving of Pharaoh’s punishment?”

CHAP.  IX.

Recapitulation of all the doctrines hitherto laid down with respect to the influence of the Spirit—­Objection to this, that the Quakers make every thing of this spirit, and but little of Jesus Christ—­Objection only noticed to show, that Christians have not always a right apprehension of Scriptural terms, and therefore often quarrel with one another about trifles—­Or that there is, in this particular case, no difference between the doctrine of the Quakers and that of the objectors on this subject.

I shall now recapitulate in few words, or in one general proposition, all the doctrines which have been advanced relative to the power of the spirit, and shall just notice an argument, which will probably arise on such a recapitulation, before I proceed to a new subject.

The Quakers then believe that the spirit of God formed or created the world.  They believe that it was given to men, after the formation of it, as a guide to them in their spiritual concerns.  They believe that it was continued to them after the deluge, in the same manner, and for the same purposes, to the time of Christ.  It was given, however, in this interval, to different persons in different degrees.  Thus the prophets received a greater portion of it than ordinary persons in their own times.  Thus Moses was more illuminated by it than his contemporaries, for it became through him the author of the law.  In the time of Christ it continued the same office, but it was then given more diffusively than before, and also more diffusively to some than to others.  Thus the Evangelists and Apostles received it in an extraordinary degree, and it became, through them and Jesus Christ their head, the author of the Gospel.  But, besides its office of a spiritual light and guide to men in their spiritual concerns, during all the period now assigned, it became to them, as they attended to its influence, an inward redeemer, producing in them a new birth, and leading them to perfection.  And as it was thus both a guide and an inward redeemer, so it has continued these offices to the present day.

From hence it will be apparent that the acknowledgment of God’s Holy Spirit, in its various operations, as given in different portions before and after the sacrifice of Christ, is the acknowledgment of a principle, which is the great corner stone of the religion of the Quakers.  Without this there can be no knowledge, in their opinion, of spiritual things.  Without this there can be no spiritual interpretation of the scriptures themselves.  Without this there can be no redemption by inward, though there may be redemption by outward means.  Without this there can be no enjoyment of the knowledge of divine things.