Vol 01 - TO THE QUEEN

TO THE QUEEN
MADAM, FALSE Christianity has so much over-run the Christian world, that it is hard to find true Christianity in the midst of so many counterfeits. If Christianity be traced to its first original source, and considered in its primitive splendor and beauty, without any alloy of human inventions or additions, it must needs appear in a Divine lustre, in a celestial majesty, in an unmixed innocency, in an undefiled integrity, in an unspotted brightness.
For true Christianity is of a Divine pedigree, and of a truly high descent. All the charms and beauties whereby it has in all ages attracted the eyes of some men, are derived from no less an author than GOD himself; and all the graces, wherewith it is adorned, are the effects of his Spirit. Thus is Christianity, (as it relateth to men,) the Divine nature communicated to them. It is the image of GOD stamped upon the mind, and shining through all the actions of life. It is the righteousness and holiness of truth. It is the life of GOD within us. As many men as there are, so many living images of GOD there would be, had religion but continued in that heaven-born state wherein it was established at first. But, alas! what a sad inundation of evil has followed, after so noble and heavenly an establishment! That sweet confederacy of all the powers of our souls with Cod, their first Original, is entirely broke, and an open enmity has succeeded in its place!
Religion is now like a stream, which, by a. continual remove from the Fountain-head, and by passing through so many channels by the way, (I mean the unhallowed hands and hearts of the managers thereof',) has contracted such a deal of filth on the one hand, and lost so much of its original soundness on the other, that it is hard to discover but a few rays of its first light, in the midst of so many clouds that hang about it. True Christianity, according to its intrinsic constitution, is art active, lively, strong, vigorous principle, seated in the inmost soul, and swaying by its dictates, all the actions proceeding from thence. But the Christianity now in vogue hardly touches the heart at all; and the sacrifices the Christians now offer up, are generally without heart; a thing the heathens themselves counted prodigious in their victims.
It is easily content, if the Christian, such as he is, does but tolerably keep up to an external decorum, and then sits down quietly with the thoughts of having done his duty. But if sin be an inward evil, (as most certainly it is,) Christianity must needs be an inward grace, in order to conquer and subdue it. True Christianity refines the inward faculties of the soul, (such as reason, will, and understanding,) from the pollutions which adhere to them, and then reinstates them in their former places and offices. True Christianity is a creation of GOD: but the advocates of false Christianity do not rise above themselves; but spin all their religious duties, as it were, out of their own bowels.
There is nothing of heaven in it; nothing of grace; nothing of the Divine nature. Every duty they seemingly perform is a mere human creation. True Christianity requires that the word of the gospel, as the ordinary means of man's recovery, should become an ingrafted word; a word mixed with faith in the hearer; that so it may be able to save the soul: but the false Christian is apt to lean on an outward compliance with some set duties and modes of worship. True Christianity is an evangelical principle, a vital heat, an inward flame.
Hence the works proceeding from it, areas so many free, ready, loving, steady, uniform, and unconstrained emanations: but the false Christian valueth himself upon some frothy moralities, legal performances, slavish observances, and a set of such duties as are off' and on, according as either the terror of the law works within, or the approach of some great judgment haunteth the mind from without. All which will never nourish and sweeten, but cloy and sour the soul with troubles and discontent.
Another character of true Christianity is, to be principally concerned with the essentials and substantials of religion; such as is the great work of faith and of the new birth, with the rest of the Christian virtues freely accompanying it, as resignation, mortification, imitation of CHRIST, self-abnegation, contrition, and others relating to the inward principle of grace, and its various motions and operations: but false Christianity is chiefly, if not only, busy about the ceremonial part, and some accessory and circumstantial points.
It brings forth every age new schemes, new’ models, new projects-of religion. And hence it is, that what religion produces now, is often contrary to what it is designed to produce, and to what it brought forth actually, when it first came to be known among men. When Christianity made its first appearance in the world, it had then, as it were, its credentials in its hands, whereby it was abundantly made out, that it was of a Divine progeny, and sent on no other errand, but to make fallen men partakers of the Divine nature. Love was then the true characteristic and peculiar badge of Christianity. Hereby' it distinguished itself from all the rest of religions in the world. Hereby it left the divinest convictions of its pre-eminence upon the most obstinate heathens, among whom it even passed at last into a proverb, "
See how the Christians love one another!" And in this it came up very close to its author and original, who is Love. It laid then a holy violence on many of the most profligate sinners, and such as were most opposite to it; nothing being stronger than love, and nothing more effectual to reform wicked men into a liking of religion, than love; especially if this appear in its unmixed purity, and be fixed on its genuine object, whereon it ought to dwell. And this spirit of love, as it is one of the noblest and first products, or fruits of Christianity, so it is never without a train of other graces inseparably attending it.
Wherever this love resideth it swayeth all the faculties of the' soul, and actions of the body, with a heavenly rectitude. For love is a royal law, and wherever it getteth the leading hand, there it getteth most sovereign commands; and where it is fixed, there it will fix also all that is in the soul. As Israel of old would leave not one hoof in Egypt, so this love makes all the faculties, thoughts, desire, and inclinations of the mind, a sacrifice unto the Lord, without reserving any thing to the abuse of a profane and degenerate world.
One reason why the state of Christianity is degenerated so much from what is once was, and why it has lost in a manner its intrinsic power and beauty, is plainly this: people have long misplaced the name of Christianity. They have bestowed it on things which are none of its essential ingredients. What we now commonly call religion, Christianity, church, faith, worship, prayer, duties, are generally things that do not answer at all the nature and constitution, the power and energy, of the religion introduced by CHRIST. The hearing of sermons, the saying of prayers, the reading of books, (by which too many do now measure their religion,) even when they are duly performed, are not properly the Divine worship itself, as it is required by the gospel, but a mcans.only to come at it: and yet how apt is the vulgar sort of our Christians to give it this name A thing which both good and bad are able to perform!
The stress we lay upon those external performances- is too great, and the use we make of them too little. Thus has the common deceiver of souls all along endeavored to cast a mist, (if not before the celestial brightness of the gospel itself, yet) before people's eyes; thereby to involve and obscure the plainest religion in various errors and prejudices. Arid whereas we ought long ago to have rectified them by the original pattern left us by the Author of Christianity, and, at any price, purchased again a pure and undefiled religion,, we are with the tract of times but still farther removed from this blessed original; and instead of curing our mistakes, have multiplied them And this is the reason that generally the transcripts, which the differing denominations of Christendom make of this original in these days, prove so very lame, mean, and imperfect.
Yet there will be a time, when the church of CHRIST will come up from the wilderness," of various sects, parties, nations, languages, forms, and ways of worship, nay, of crosses and afflictions, " leaning upon her Beloved," and, in his power, bidding defiance to all her enemies. Then shall that church, which now does but look forth as the morning in its first dawn, after a continual growth in strength and beauty, appear a terrible as an army with banners;" but terrible to those only that despised her whilst she was in her minority, and would not have her Beloved to reign over them. May the Lord enable your Majesty to do more and more what is acceptable to him, and continue, as he has been hitherto, your Shield and Protector!
May he lead you, in whatever you undertake, soberly! (which was part of Solomon's prayer.) And, since the devices of men, even of the wisest of men, are but uncertain, send his wisdom from above, that you may know his counsel; and, by the constant influence of his Spirit, be faithful in the administration of that great trust which is reposed in you! This heartily wishes, Madam, Your Majesty's most faithful, Humble, and obedient Servant,