As every descendant, however, of Adam has this seed within him, which, amidst the numerous temptations that beset him, he allows some time or other to germinate, so he stands in need of a Redeemer; that is, of some power that shall be able to procure pardon for past offences, and of some power that shall be able to preserve him in the way of holiness for the future. To expiate, himself, in a manner satisfactory to the Almighty for so foul a stain upon his nature as that of sin, is utterly beyond his abilities; for no good action that he can perform, can do away that which has been once done. And to preserve himself in a state of virtue for the future is equally out of his own power, because this cannot be done by any effort of his reason, but only by the conversion of his heart. It has therefore pleased the Almighty to find a remedy for him in each of these cases. Jesus Christ, by the sacrifice of himself, expiates for sins that are past*; and the Spirit of God, which has been afforded to him as a spiritual teacher, has the power of cleansing and purifying the heart so tho

* Barclay considers this sacrifice to extend to infants on account of the seed or principle of sin in them.

roughly,

roughly, that he may be preserved from sinning for the future.

That forgiveness of past sins is procured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is obvious from various passages in the Holy Scriptures. Thus the apostle Paul says that "Jesus Christ was set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God*." And in his Epistle to the Colossians he says, " in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins t." This may be called the external part of redemption; because it has been effected by outward means, or by the outward sufferings of Jesus Christ, and it is considered as putting men, in consequence of this forgiveness, into the capacity of salvation. The Quakers, however, attribute this part of redemption wholly to the love of God.

The other part of redemption, on the other hand, is called inward, because it is considered by them to be an inward redemption from the power of sin, or a cleansing of the heart from the pollutions

* Rom. iii. 25.

+ Coloss. i. 14.

of

of the world. This inward redemption is produced by the Spirit of God, as before stated, operating on the hearts of men, and so cleansing and purifying them as to produce a new birth in the inward man; so that the same Spirit of God, which has been given to men in various degrees since the fall of Adam, as a teacher in their spiritual concerns, which hath visited every man in his day, and which hath exhorted and reproved him for his spiritual welfare*, has the power of preserving him from future sin, and of leading him to salvation.

66

That this inward work of redemption is performed by the Spirit of God, they show from various passages in the Sacred Writings. Thus St. Paul says, According to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost t." The same apostle says, again, "It is the law of the Spirit that maketh free from the law of sin and death."

*The Quakers believe, however, that this Spirit was more plentifully diffused, and that greater gifts were given to men, after Jesus was glorified, than before. Eph.iv. 8. + Titus iii. 5. Rom. viii. 2.

And

And again, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God *,"

The Quakers say, That this inward redemption or salvation is effected by the Spirit, is obvious also from the experience of all good men, or from the manner, in which many have experienced a total conversion or change of heart. For though there are undoubtedly some, who have gone on so gradually in their reformation from vice to virtue, that it may have been considered to be the effect of reason, which has previously determined on the necessity of a holy life; yet the change from vice to holiness has often been so rapid and decisive, as to leave no doubt whatever that it could not have been produced by any effort of reason, but solely by some Divine operation, which could only have been that of the Spirit of God.

Of these two parts of redemption, the outward and the inward, of which the latter will be the subject of our consideration, it may be observed that they go hand in hand together. St. Paul has coupled them toge

Rom. viii. 14.

ther

ther in these words: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life*;" that is, by the life of his Spirit working inwardly in us. And as they go together in the mind of the apostle, so they go together as to the benefit of their effects. For, in the first place, the outward part of redemption takes place when the inward has begun; and, secondly, the outward part of redemption, or the sufferings of Jesus Christ, which redeem from past sins, cannot have any efficacy till the inward has begun, or while men remain in their sins; or, in other words, no man can be entitled to the forgiveness of sins that have been committed, till there has been a change in the inward man; for St. John intimates that the blood of Christ does not cleanse from sin except men walk in the light †, or, to use an expression synonymous with the Quakers, except men walk in the Spirit.

* Romans v. 10.

↑ John i. 6, 7.

SECTION