ssed violence. Now this should make Christians often to
reflect upon another principle of their life than themselves, that by
looking on him, who is "the resurrection and the life," who is "the true
vine," and abiding in him by faith, their life may be continued and
increased. It is certainly much reflection on Him who is all in all, and
less upon ourselves that maintains this life, and, therefore, the most
part of men being wholly strangers to this, whether in their purposes or
practices, or judgings of both, unacquainted with any higher look in
religion than they use in their natural and civil actings, it doth give
ground to assure us that they are strangers,--alienated from the life of
God,--without God, and without Christ in the world.

But then the spiritual subject of Christianity is here, Christ in you not
Christ without you, in ordinances, in profession, in some civil carriage
but Christ within the heart of a man,--that is a Christian. It is the
receiving of Christ into the soul, and putting him on upon the inner man,
and renewing it, that makes a Christian, not being externally clothed with
him, or compassed about with him, in the administration of the ordinances.
It fears me, most part of us who bear the name of Christianity, have no
character of it within if we were looked and searched. Many are like the
sepulchres Christ speaks of,--without, painted and fair,--within, no thing
but rottenness and dead bones. What have many of you more of Christ than
what a blind man hath of light? It is round about him, but not within him.
The light hath sinned in darkness but your darkness cannot comprehend it.
You are environed with the outward appearances of Christ in his word and
ordinances, and that is all, but neither within you, nor upon many of you,
is there any thing either of his light or life. Not so much as any outward
profession or behaviour, suitable to the revelation of Christ, about you.
As if you were ashamed to be Christians, you maintain gross ignorance, and
practise manifest rebellion against his known will in the very light of
the gospel. How few have so much tincture of Christ, so much as to colour
the external man, or to clothe it with any blamelessness of walking or
form of religion! How few are so much as Christians in the letter! For you
are not acquainted either with letter or spirit,--either with knowledge or
affection or practice. But suppose that some have put on Christ on their
outward man and col