But is it not as easy to see, that the whole Christian church are in a fallen state, and for the same reason, because they are turned away from that holy Spirit who was given to be the _only_ life, and fulfilling of all that, which was _outwardly_ taught by the gospel. For the holy Spirit to come, was the same FULFILLING of the whole gospel, as a Christ to come, was the _fulfilling_ of the law.――The Jew therefore with his Old Testament, not owning Christ to be the truth and life, and fulfiller of their law, is in that same apostasy as the Christian with his New Testament, not owning the holy Spirit, to be his only light, guide, and governor.――For as all types in the law, were but empty shadows without Christ’s being the life and power of them, so all that is written in the gospel is but dead letter, unless the holy Spirit be, the living rememberer, and the doer of them. Therefore where the holy Spirit is not thus received, as the _whole power_, and life of the gospel-state, it is no marvel, that Christians have no more of gospel virtues, than the Jews have of patriarchal holiness, or that the same vices which prosper amongst Jews, should break forth with as much strength in fallen Christendom. For the New Testament not ending in the coming of the holy Spirit, with fulness of power over sin and hell, and the devil, is no better a help to _heaven_, than the Old Testament without the coming of a Messiah. But here lies the great mistake, or rather idolatrous abuse of all God’s outward dispensations.――They are taken for the thing itself, for the truth and essence of religion. That which the learned Jews did with the outward letter of their law, the learned Christians do with the outward letter of their gospel.――Why did the Jewish church so furiously cry out against Christ, Let him be crucified? It was because their letter-learned ears, their worldly Spirit, and temple orthodoxy, would not bear to hear of an inward Saviour, of being born again of his Spirit, of his dwelling in them, and they in him.――To have their law of ordinances, their temple-pomp _sunk_ into such a _fulfilling_ Saviour as this, was such enthusiastic jargon to their ears, as forced their sober, rational theology, to call Christ, Beelzebub, and his doctrine blasphemy. Our blessed Lord in a parable sets forth the blind Jews, as saying of himself, _We will not have this man to reign OVER us_.――The sober minded Christian scholar has none of this Jewish blindness, he only saith of Christ, we will not have this man to REIGN IN US, and so keeps clear of such absurdity, as St. _Paul_ fell into, when he enthusiastically said, _Yet not I, but Christ that liveth in me_. Christian doctors reproach the old learned rabbies, for their vain faith, and carnal desire of a _glorious outward_ Christ, who should set up their temple-worship all over the world.――Vanity indeed, and blindness enough!