the Glory of God in that it did so much Eclipse his Justice and Mercy in making of him so partial a Judg and also hurls the Soul into a sleeping Lethargy of security whilst they fancy themselves thus Elected and makes them unmindful of the knowledg of the coming of the Lord although he has told us if he comes upon us in an hour that we are not aware of he will give us our Portion with Hypocrites and Unbelievers Now having all along shewed you what was the Election or Calling of the first Christian Churches the which was after they were ingrafted in Christ they were to fight to keep their ground Heb. 6.4,5 so as to make their calling and Election sure for else as I have proved the very Sealings of the Spirit might be cancelled to them And although the Names of the Children of the Church are written in Heaven yet they may be blotted out thence For God said to Moses Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book And after God had espoused Israel he is said to give her a Bill of Divorce Isa 50.1,2 And the Lord to the Church of Philadelphia saith hold fast that thou hast that no man take they Crown And Christ also saith Rev. 22.19 If any man take away from the words of the Book of this Prophesy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things that are written in this Book We see that this was spoken to them that had a share in the Book of Life to let them know that if they did wickedly their part therein would be lost that is taken from them Of the Election of Children NOW as to the Election of the Children of the Church the which every sincere Hearted Christian is a Member If any of their Children dye in their Infancy before they have been guilty of actual Sin they are taken into Mercy as being in Covenant Acts 2.29 For the promise is unto you and to your Children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call And also the Covenant was made with their little ones Deut. 29.11 And St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving Husband is Sanctified by the Wife and the unbelieving Wife is Sanctified by the Husband Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy Then if they are Holy they are fit for Heaven if taken away before they commit sin And the Lord saith in Esdras 2.29 My hands shall cover thee so that thy Children shall not see Hell By what is here said it is certain that all the Children of true Believers that are begotten after their Parents are Regenerated are holy and if they die in their Infancy will be blessed Now the Children of Believing Parents being from their Birth in Covenant with God they are by their Parents to be brought up in the strict ways of Holiness that they may grow in Knowledg and the fear of the Lord and not look in for a New Call but to walk with all diligence in the ways of God that they may be made partakers of Eternal Life which God hath promised to them that obey him for God requireth fruit of us as he did of Israel we being the Children of the Visible Church which if he finds not we shall likewise also be cut off And God wonderfully commendeth Abraham where he saith Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him But we have not followed the Example of Abraham But O that we would consider our ways to be Wise and cry out mightily to him that is able to save us for he hath said They that seek me shall find me if they search for me with the whole heart So if we are not wanting to our selves God will be found of us But gray Hares are upon us altho we know it not O that we were well awakend out of this sleeping Lethargy of sloth and security so as to take hold of the Covenant of God and Mercy as it is offered by Christ and to give our selves wholly up to him beging strength of him that we may be inabled to live unto him and perform the Conditions that â—e requireth of us Now as to the special Elect. The which the Lord terms the very Elect where he saith Mat. 24.24 If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. And also of whom the Angel makes mention of where he saith in Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell on the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the Foundation of the World The which Foundation is as I have already proved to you which Foundation of the World was laid in Israel when the Lord fixt them in the Land of Canaan For Israel was chosen to be the Foundation of the World of people which is now to come And at which Foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And the Lord foreseeing the miscarriage of Israel it doth appear that God would have a certain number so secured as they should not fall away but to remain as standing witnesses through the World Whilst the rest were but put in a Capacity of obedience Now at the destruction of the old World it is said Gen. 6.8 Noah found grace in the Eyes of the Lord. And it is said in the 9. v. Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God That is had walked in obedience to God and had improved the Talent which God had given him Whilst the other had wholly corrupted their ways As in the 12. v. And God looked upon the Earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth But God finding Noah in the Capacity that he had put him in that he had not corrupted his way but had improved the Talent which he had given him therefore was blessed of him By which we may plainly see that there was no absolute election through the first World And it doth appear when God had again renewed the World in Noah As in Gen. 9.1 And God blessed Noah and his Sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth and upon every Fowl of the Air upon all that moveth upon the Earth and upon all the Fish of the Sea into your hand are they delivered Now although after the floud God had restored to man his power again and put them all into a fresh Capacity of obedience yet notwithstanding they did almost all backslide again Then God chose Abraham and blessed him As in Gen. 12.1 And afterward he proved him Gen. 2. And
their Father In this portion hath the Disciples their part and when the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 Then it is that the Kingdom of this World is become the Kingdom of their Father into which they shall thus gloriously shine forth and this is that the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 2.9 likewise Isa 64.4 and Ephes 2.6,7 and then they shall have their reigning-power on the Earth Rev. 5.10 next under Christ their Supreme Head Now the Lord all along whilst he was upon the Earth spake but in Parables as to his second coming and Kingdom Matth. 13.34 by reason Israel being sinful for which it was determined of God they should be left to blindness and that Christ should suffer by them for tho' in other things they sinned wilfully yet they ignorantly crucified the Lord of Life Acts 3.17 And the Lord again speaking of his second coming and of gathering the Nations and by the Parable of setting the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left He saith to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Now from the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth there was no other Kingdom prepared but this World which will be again restored But the Law and Gospel speaking but to those that are under it Rom. 3.19 and chap. 2.12,14 The Lord might therefore have his reference to the foundation of the World that was laid in Israel for the World to come at which foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb And then was the Kingdom of Canaan prepared for Israel by their Enemies destruction And the Gentiles that Christ shall find in obedience amongst the Christian Nations at his coming will then be made the Inheritors with Israel of this Kingdom For they were not only to be Heirs with Israel of the promised Everlasting Covenant whereby Eternal Life is secured to the Soul but they were also to have a share with them in their Inheritance For of Japhet it was prophesied that he should dwell in the Tents of Shem and therefore this Kingdom may likewise be said to be prepared for them And also at the restoration of all things it is that Israel will be restored to their own Land Joel 3.16 And then will God make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord Isa 51.3 And then it is Christ will have his peaceable Kingdom Isa 11.9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 65.23,24,25 And in that day God will make a Covenant for them with the Beast of the Field and with the Fowls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and he will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them lie down safely Hosea 2.18,19 And then will God betroth them unto him for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies v. 19. And then this is the Peace the Lord hath declared shall be in the time of his Kingdom But when Christ first came he said he came not to send Peace on Earth but a Sword Matth. 10.34 For in this time them that are the true Followers of Christ the Devil will be still raising them up Enemies And Christ saith to his Disciples That in him they might have peace but in the World they should have tribulation John 16.33 And likewise St. Paul saith That after his departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among them not sparing the Flock And also of their own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.29,30 which accordingly followed Now whereas it is said Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him This King Solomon spake of the natural Seed of Israel which had they continued in the fear of the Lord they had then been the Emblem of that peaceable Kingdom that is now to come And they in this time should have been the Head and not the Tail and above only Deut. 28.13 But there never was any such promise made to the true Churches of Christ in this time but on the contrary they were foretold they should be afflicted persecuted and meet with fiery Tryals neither were they to adorn themselves 1 Pet. 3.3 Chap. XV. The Elect Church discovered And why God suffered the Beast to arise to deceive the Nations Also a twofold being in the Book of Life NOW Christ by his Word declareth that he would have an Elect Church or People throughout this World that should never be deceived by the Beast or false Prophet And that it was to his Disciples which came of the remnant of Israel unto whom Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Matth. 38.20 And that none should pluck them out of his hand And tho' the first Gentile Churches that received the Word from the mouth of the Disciples were likewise also Elected and fore-chosen of God and made partakers of the Holy Ghost yet their succeeding Generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And God foreseeing that the Gentile Nations that embraced the Gospel would afterward fall away by having no love to the Truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness as Israel and the People of Old had done Rom. 1.21,22 therefore it was determined of God they should be left to strong delusions to believe a Lye Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 For which cause it was the determination of God that all that dwell upon the Earth should worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.7,8 That is all the Kindreds and Tongues and Nations that dwell upon all the Earth that the Beast had dominion over should worship him except those whose Names were written in the Book of Life for the Word speaks to them that received it and it was those fell into the snare that had not a love to it but took pleasure in unrighteousness And Luther says that the Beast and false Prophet are generally comprehended under one head And the Lord saith Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell upon the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast Now I have already proved by the Word in a Treatise concerning Election that there was no Election through the first World of People nor till after the miscarriage of Israel in the Wilderness Then did the Lord secure a certain remnant of them to himself at which time Israel was laid for the
in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats That the Sheep went into everlasting Life That is that none of them which the Lord then will receive into Mercy shall ever see Hell but have Everlasting Life although they may afterward taste of a Temporal Death According to which the Lord saith in John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see Death Now it is very clear that the Lord did not mean that they should not die a Temporal Death because vve see that all die So the Lord said of all the Sheep that they went into Everlasting Life because they were all of them then secured from Hell And St. John saith to them to whom he wrote wherein he includes himself John 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the brethren And the Lord saith John 6.50 This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die We see when the Lord hath taken away the sting of Death from his people he afterwards counts their departure hence not a dying So the Lord after this way of speaking said of his Sheep in the Parable that they vvent into Life Eternal Now if we will ever understand the Scriptures we must understand the Scripture way of speaking and when the Lord comes at which time his Sheep will be gaihered then will Christs Sheep be brought into One Fold and then shall we be all taught of God Then it is there will be One Fold and One Shepherd And then also shall Japhet dwell in ths Tents of Shem. And now as the very Elect follows the Lord through all Persecutions and Afflictions so Israel shall obey him in the fullness of all things Now the Lord when he was upon the Earth spake to the Jews in dark Sentences and Parables because they seeing might not see and hearing they might not understand The which makes the sayings of Christ more dark to us Now that the Waldenses and Albigenses are the very Elect spoken of by Christ it does certainly appear because they have ever remained undeceived by the Beast and False Prophets when all the rest of the World was fallen off according to the Declaration of the Angel in Rev. 17.8 The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless Pit and go into Perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of Life from the foundation of the Wâ—…ld Now these Waldenses and Albigenses continuing stedfast and being never drawn off by the beast it doth certainly appear they are the very Elect spoken of by Christ Matt. 24.24 Now the Lord said to his Disciples Luk. 10.20 Rev. 21.27 Your Names are witten in Heaven But he did not say to them that their Names were written in Heaven from the foundation of the World and altho it doth appear that the Names of the Children of the Church are written in Heaven by what God said to Moses in Exod. 32.33 And the Lord said to Moses whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my book And by what David saith of the Enemies of Christ as in Psal 69.28 Let them be blotted out of the Book of the Living and not be written with the Righteous By which it doth appear that the Children of the Church as they come into the World that their Names are written in Heaven till by their Sin their Names are blotted out thence for the Covenant being made with them and their Children the which shews that the Childrens Names must be written in the Book of Life till such time that by their wilful sinning they Exclude themselves from the Mercy promised by that Covenant and then are their Names blotted out of the Book of Life Now whereas St. Paul in Ephesians saith That they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World So here in the Revelations those that should remain a standing Witness are said to be Written in the book of Life from the foundation of the World the which fully declares there is a two fold meaning in it The which is as I have already proved to you Now it being impossible to deceive the very Elect it does thereby appear to be the Jews because there was a certain select number chosen of the Jews the which was according to the Election of Grace the which the words of St. Paul makes appear and the words of Christ doth seem to signify as much where he speaks of the Sheep which his Father had given him as in John 10.27,28,29 Now the Christian Jews were said to be all warned to go out of Jerusalem before the Destruction thereof but where they went we know not And they being Christians and living amongst the Christians it might be those that retained their Religion when all the rest fell away And so these Waldenses and Albigenses do therefore appear to be these Christian Jews because there is said there is a certain number of the sews that does follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also it is said when the Servants of God were to be Sealed there was a certain number of every Tribe Sealed excepting Dan Rev. 7.3,4 The Angel saying hurt not the Earth neither the Sea nor the Trees till we have sealed the Servants of â—od in their foreheads And I heard the number of them that were Sealed And there were Sealed an hundred forty and four thousand of all the Tribes of the Children of the Israel In the first place he saith he heard the number of them that were sealed but he does not tell us what that number was but leaving that he goes on and tells us how many were Sealed of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel And in the following verse he saith of every Tribe there was Sealed twelve Thousand And having spoken of the Sealing he saith in Rev. 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne clothed with white Robes and Palms in their Hands 10. v. And cried with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which siteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. This appears to be spoken of the raised Saints and the Glorious Tabernacle where the Throne of God will be And whereas he saith in the 11. v. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts and fell before the Throne on their Faces and worshiped God Now these four Beasts doth seem to be the People of the Nations that are saved alive to live upon the Earth after the Glory of the Lord is manifest that then they will be gathered to Canaan to Worship where the Throne of God will be in the glorious Tabernacle Now in Rev. 4. There is no mention made of the multitude of People of all Nations that
The First Book A Clear and Brief Explanation upon the Chief Points of the New Testament The Second Book Proving the near Approach of Christ's Kingdom with the Signs of the Times The Third Book A Rehearsal of the Covenant of Moses with his then Prophecying of the Firing the Mountains Also proving the Root of Gall and Wormwood and the Root of Bitterness to be one and the same The Fourth Book The Figurative Speeches by which God hath veiled the Secrets contained in his Word until the Time of the End which is the Time determined by the Lord they should be revealed Dan. 12.4.7 Zech. 14.7 The Fifth Book The Christian Belief Shewing what a Christian ought to believe and how it is that Christ must be ours if we are his The Sixth Book Proving Three Worlds and Three Foundations The Sin against the Holy Ghost The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Battel of Gog and Magog The Seventh Book A short Collection of all the Heads of the Chief Points and Mistaken Places contained in the Scriptures that the Truth may the better be retained in our Memories By M. MARSIN LONDON Printed and Sold by Edward Pool at the Sign of the Half Moon under the Royal-Exchange Cornhill John Gwillim in Bishopigate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion VVestminster-hall By Abel Roper at Black Boy over against St. Dunstan's-Church in Fleet-street 1698. Price Three Shillings NOw God of his mercy according to his promise hath made plain his Word let us take heed that we are not found like those that say to God We desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 But let all take to the Lord's direction in the search of the Scriptures For he saith It is they that testifie of him John 5.39 Therefore we should not lean to Man nor our own received Opinion but see if those Truths which are here discovered are not made plain by the Word For the Scriptures as they declare the Lord's first comming so they do much more declare his second coming to Judge and Reign as by all the Prophets is foretold and likewise by the Apostles confirmed Acts 3.21 Now Christs first coming was but darkly set down so as not only the Jews but the Devils themselves were deceived thereby and therefore said Why art thou come to torment us before the time as knowing that Christ had a time in which he should Reign And as Christ first comming was fulfilled in the Letter of the Word so also will Christ's second coming be fulfilled in the Letter of the Word And it was because of Israels sinfulness that Christ was laid in Sion as a stumbling-stone so as they knew not the day of their Visitation and how can we clear our selves of the like guiltiness as not to fear that that day should overtake us as a snare seeing also it was for sin that the Gentile Churches were left to delusion because they tooke pleasure in Iniquity but the first Churches were not in darkness for that day to overtake them at unawares How comes it then that we are so much in the dark as to this matter Is it not because of Sin that we have lost the knowledge of it and therefore also have no desiâ—e to know it But the Lord according to his promise has now brought the true meaning of his Word to light that thereby knowledge might be increased and that the wise in heart may consider it and that by their example others by them may be brought to the knowledge of the Truth But whoever had rather the Glory of God and the good of Souls lie at stake then themselves found in a mistake let such consider how they will answer it at the great day And the Lord said My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And not because God had rebrobated them nor because they were not his People A CLEAR and BRIEF EXPLANATION Upon the Chief Points In the New-Testament Where by laying Scripture to Scripture It is fully proved What is the Faith that Justifies And what it is to be a Believer Also the Faith of Abraham clearly explained and all other Controversal Points relating to Faith plainly Stated and Answered With the Remnant and first Churches peculiar Call Also the more General Callings Likewise proving that the Law and Gospel speaks only to those that are under them The whole laid down in a plain and easie Method fitted to the understanding of the meanest Reader By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Gwillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-Hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. The TABLE THE Faith of Abraham clearly explained Chap. 2. p. 7 The Election of the Remnant and first Churches C. 3. p. 18 A Believer justified by Christ which they could not be by the Law of Moses explained Ch. 4. p. 31 Such as have believed may afterward fall away Chap 5. p. 35 The Conversion of the Jaylor explained Chap. 6. p. 37 The abolishing the Ceremonial Law Chap. 7. p. 39 Of things Strangled and Blood Chap. 8. p. 41 What is required of a Christian Chap. 9. p. 42 What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear C. 9. p. 47 Christ being the Author of Faith explained Chap. 10. p. 49 What it is to be born of God Chap. 11. p. 50 How it is that he that is born of God Sinneth not Chap. 12. p. 52 The meaning of being born again explained Chap. 13. p. 54 The Wind blowing where it listeth explained p. 55 Of being in the Faith or turning Reprobate expl Chap. 14. p. 56 The everlasting Life that is now given the believer explained Chap. 15. p. 58 A Believer not coming into Condemnation exp Chap. 16. p. 60 A belief in Christ further explained Chap. 16. p. 65 Shewing who are they that are Condemned already Chap. 17. p. 72 The eternal purpose explained Chap. 18. p. 76 God Worlding all after the Councel of his own Will explained Chap. 19. p. 77 Chosen from the Foundation and before the Foundation Explained Chap 20. p. 80 The Call to the Eternal inheritance explained Chap. 21. p. 82 The Gifts and Callings of God explained Chap. 22. p. 84 Adding to the Church and ordaining to Eternal Life and Christ dying for the World explained Chap. 23. p. 85 Whereas Christ saith in believing that he is the Son of God is the Rock of which he built his Church and his Church is not only his Eact but likewise all them that they him against whom the gates of hel shall not prevail For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 For the Faith that God requireth of us is to believe that be is and that he is a
contrary Gen. 6.5,6 Jer. 18.8,9,10 Ezek. 18.22,23,24,25 And whereas St Paul saith Titus 1.2 In hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began His meaning here was no other than that God promised eternal life before the world began in which they were to receive it Which world is the world to come in which all they that obey him are promised eternal life I have also fully proved by the word in another Treatise that is to come forth that it was after the fall of Adam that the decree was made that the entrance into life should be made strait and how that straitness doth consist Chap. XX Chosen from the foundation and before the foundation explained I Have in the fore-mentioned Book by the word fully proved what is meant by being Chosen from the foundation of the world And also proved that in the word there is mention made of three evers three times three generations three worlds and that there was none chosen before the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth That these three worlds spoken of in Scripture are three worlds of people First that which sprang from Adam Secondly that which sprang from the Seed of Noah And thirdly That the foundation of the world to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Aegypt and laid them for the foundation of the world to come For all that comes in Heirs to that world comes in as the Seed of Abraham from the foundation of which world was Christ figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And from that foundation of the world was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they thro' their unbelief refused to go to fight for the land of Canaan therefore were condemned to die in the wilderness from 20 years old and upward save Caleb and Joshua And then after this miscarriage God elected and secured a remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come But for Israel's miscarriage God did likewise elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches to partake of the Holy Ghost and God chose them before the body of Israel which were the foundation of the world to come And therefore the Apostle Paul saith They were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world That is before the body of Israel who were the foundation of the World to come And this not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to appoint and make choice of them that ignorantly offend him to call them in by a particular calling and give to them with the remnant the Holy Ghost that they thereby might bear their testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel rather than those of Israel that did wilfully rebel and would not be a light to the world All these things are fully and clearly proved in the other Treatise with the hardning of Pharaoh's heart And what it was God hardned him in Shewing that it was not in sin and cruelty but for his sin and cruelty God hardened him in unbelief so as he should not believe the miracles done by Moses to come from God And therefore he followed them into the Red Sea where he and his Army were destroyed And therein also is shewed what is the meaning of being before of old ordained to this condemnation Now there was none of the Apostles that were Scholars but St. Paul And to understand some part of his Epistles has been more difficult than all the writings of the rest of the Apostles And according to the saying of St. Peter many poor Souls have wrested them to their own Destruction Chap. XXI The Call to the Eternal Inheritance explained ST Paul saith Heb. 9.15,16 That they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance This he does not only speak of them that had the peculiar calling as the remnant chosen from among Israel and of the first Gentile Churches which were likewise chosen to bear their Testimony to the truth But these words had also a reference to all Israel who were all called and unto whom the promises belong'd and to their Children So the promises belonged to them that were called of the Gentile Churches and their Children And unto all to whom the word of God shall come accompanied with the good motions of the Spirit of God to them likewise does the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong if they according to the condition as it is tendred will lay hold of it And whosoever continues faithful shall at the end have the fruition of the eternal inheritance that was promised upon those conditions Acts 10.35 For in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him And it was the Gentile Nations that Abraham had the promise from God to be Father to Rom. 4.17 And when the Gentile Nations were called in it was then God made good his word to Abraham and then did the promise belong to them and their Children as it did to Israel and their Children So as they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance upon the conditions offered Now the first Gentile Churches were not only called that they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance but they had also the Holy Ghost given to them as the earnest of that Inheritance which afterwards they should receive if they did not disinherit themselves And to their Children that followed after them did the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong But at the time that any Nation or people have not the Gospel at that time they have not the call At which time the promise of Eternal Inheritance belongs not to them Yet they are not excluded all mercy But where the word of God is as the call thereof is rightly understood there it is where the eternal Life may be laid hold on But such as by often sinning have caused God to withdraw the good motions of his Spirit from them they are thereby left to blindness of mind And as God was with the natural Seed of Abraham till they by often sinning caused him to withdraw from them So God was with the Nations of the adopted Seed of Abraham till such time as by often sinning they caused God to with-draw from them and leave them to strong delusions to believe lies 2 Thess 2.10,11,12 Chap. XXII The Gifts and Callings of God explained ST Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance That is according to the conditions upon which God calls them they are without Repentance from him But by the disobedience of many that have been called the call has proved uneffectual to them to the saving of their Souls Therefore St. Paul saith He kept under his body lest that by any means when he had preached to others he himself should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And he never declared himself to be sure
foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which are said to be chosen before the foundation of the World which foundation was Israel the which choice was not before them as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to make choice of them that should ignorantly offend him than them that had wilfully disobeyed him And I also have proved that the Eternal Purpose has only a relation to the Eternity that lies before us that the being chosen from the beginning was no other than from the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel And I have also proved that the Decree was made that the Entrances into Life should be made strait after Adam fell and how that straitness doth consist And what is meant by being of old ordained to this condemnation And also I have proved in the Book in which the Faith of Abraham is explained that them of the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time and brought forth fruit as it did in the Elect Churches All these things I have made clear which hitherto we have not rightly understood which makes me the oftener recite them These things being proved it makes it evident that there was none Elected from the foundation but the remnant And also the first Gentile Churches that were afterward Elected were long departed this life before the Beast arose so as there was none of them then to be deceived by him Now there is also a twofold way of being in the Book of Life First They that have their names there Secondly Those that have a part therein and it is those that have their names there that are Elected and fore-chosen And after the first Gentile Churches were called in their Children were taken into Covenant and a Door of Mercy set open to all such as would take hold of the offer of Life according as it is tendered by Christ Now if these have not their names put into the Book of Life when they are taken into Covenant yet they have their part in the Book of Life in performing the conditions upon which Life is offered by Christ for those he will justifie by his Righteousness Heb. 5.9 The which name or part in the Book of Life may not only be lost through negligence and prophaneness but by adding or diminishing from the Word Rev. 22.19 Deut. 4.2 And there are others also that have a part in the Book of Life which will find Redemption in the World to come for they were such as received not the Truth in the love of it but took pleasure in unrighteousness that the Apostle saith should be damned 2 Thes 2.12 And they were such as heard the Truth and would not believe to obey it that the Lord gave Sentence against But those that have had a longing desire after the Truth and such as have not taken pleasure in unrighteousness such will find Redemption in the World to come And no young Children can take pleasure in iniquity Therefore when all come to be judged according to their works such will be cleared Rom. 2.14,15 Rev. 20.12 But I shall not here insist upon this Subject because I intend hereafter fully to prove it But by what the Lord saith it is of dangerous consequence to take from the Word as well as to add unto it Now the Gentile Christians when they came to have no love to the Truth whereby they might be saved but on the contrary took pleasure in iniquity God gave them up to worship the Beast for when they would not be bound with the Cords of his Laws and follow him in Love Patience and Humility in expectation of the reward of the Crown of Life when the Lord again shall come then it was God permitted the Prince of Darkness to set up his pretended Kingdom by which delusion they also lost the apprehension of the glorious Kingdom of Christ which is now to come and is very nigh at hand which Kingdom has been foretold by all the Prophets sworn to by God himself Psal 89.2 declared by the Apostles And because the Lord Christ spake but in dark Sentences and Parables when he was upon the Earth because that Israel being sinful thereby might be blinded Therefore he declared in Vision to St. John how he would come and of the glory of the New Jerusalem that should come down from Heaven and of his reigning Power here upon the Earth Also annexing those great threatnings mentioned Rev. 22.18,19 to any that should add or diminish to the words of this Prophecy Now all the Gentile Christians thus falling into delusion so as when any of them come out of that darkness by the knowledge of the Word it was evident to them they could not be of that remnant that should never be deceived by reason themselves knew that they or their Predecessors had been deceived by the Beast but as to that Remnant Church or People that the Word does thus bear witness to I shall not here speak further of but hereafter by God's assistance I shall declare who the Two Witnesses are and then I shall make appear who this Church and People and Remnant are to whom the Word doth thus bear witness to and they to the Word Whilst on the contrary the Apostate Church or great Harlot bear not witness to the Word nor the Word to her any otherwise than to her condemnation And our Predecessors being all involved in that darkness whereby we have lost the true sentiments of the Word and so mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and to Israel at the restitution of all things as tho' they now belonged to us the which is of dangerous consequence and whereby many like Ephraim have a care they fall not into the snare as Israel did for when the Lord first came he coming not of a Person of Dignity but of one of no Estate in this World This proved a snare to Israel Let us take warning by them and not neglect the owning of the truth for if we do we shall be taken in the snare as they were for the day of the Lord will come as a snare upon all them that will not prepare for him and take the warning given by him by the signs and the opening of the word as he hath declared and now made them manifest to the world Chap. XVI The difference between the State of the Elect in this time and of that which is to come NOW when God does Elect or fore-chuse any Person or persons
ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's Seed and heirs according to the Promise Now by all this we see that every true Christian comes into the Covenant to be of the Seed of Abraham by Christ Now we know that both the Seeds of Abraham which came of Isaac were both Circumcised the which was â—he Seal or Sign of the Covenant So the Roâ—ans receive the Sign of Baptism as well as the â—rue Christians who take the word of God for â—he Rule of their Lives to which Christians is 〈◊〉 Promise made That unto all them that obey him â—hrist is become the Author of Eternal Salvaâ—on Now the Romans though they have the sign of Baptism yet wholly renounce Obedience to the will of God in his word the which he hath given both to Jew and Gentile as a rule to walk by Now Moses knowing by the Spirit of Prophesy that there would come in strangers to be joyned in Covenant with Israel in and through Christ and so become the Seed of Abraham of whom also there would be a Seed the which should prove an Esau Generation who would fall off from the true ways of Godliness and fall into Wickedness Pride and Cruelty and therefore when he speaks of the Jews miscarriage he hath joyned the miscarriage of these with them that is these degenerated Christians the which time and the event hath made clearly evident by the Destruction that he pronounced against their Land the which was never threatned against the Land of Canaan that that should become Brimstone Salt and Burning Neither hath any such thing ever falleâ— upon any part of the aforesaid Land But now God has made it plainly appear to whom these Prophesies did relate since in Sicily and Naples the threatned Judgments are evidently broken forth among them And Moses in Deut. 29.16,17,18 saith For ye know how we have dwelâ— in the land of Egypt and how we came through thâ— Nations which ye passed by And ye have seen their abominations and their idols wood and stone silvâ— and gold which are among them Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe whose Heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the Gods of these Nations lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood By which we see that this has not its reference to the Body of Israel in that he mentions Man or Woman or Family or Tribe by which words the Body of Israel cannot be comprehended And whereas he saith lest there should be among you a root that beareth Gall and Wormwood Now a root doth signify one of the Tribes or the major part of a tribe for in the Scripture the greater number is taken for the whole and a Man or Woman or single family is but a bough or branch of a root Now a root hath its springing increasing and continuance and we know that the Tribes when spoken of singly are termed as one Man as Judah and Benjamin Manasses and Ephraim the which each of them signifies a Tribe Now those that are brought in to be of the Seed of Abraham by Christ come in as of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah from which Tribe there was a root of Gall and Wormwood to spring forth of which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.3 Except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of Perdition Ye see also that the Apostle here terms the Beast to be a Man And he also forewarneth the Hebrews of him c. 12.15 Bidding them looâ— diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 16. Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright By these words we find also that out of this root of Bitterness would spring up trouble and thereby many should be defiled which by sad experience has been made evident And the Apostle also here compares him to Esau whose representative he is or Figure of him altho many degrees worse therefore for him is reserv'd the worser Punishment who as Esau parted with his Birthright so this Man here spoken of parted with the promised Blessing which was for Eternity for this World's morsel Now Moses in the forementioned verse at which I left off wherein he speaks of the root that beareth Gall and Wormwood of which he saith Deut. 29.19 And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this Curse and he blesseth himself in his Heart saying I shall have peace tho I walk in the imagination of mine Heart to add drunkenness to thirst 20. The Lord will not sparâ— him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to aâ—… the Curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law 22. So that the generation tâ— come of your Children that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a far Land shall say when they see the Plagues of that Land and the sickness which the Lord hath laid upon it 23. And that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning that it is not sown nor beareth nor any grass groweth therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his anger and in his wrath Now we are to take notice what are the sins against whom God did by Moses pronounce these Ireful Judgments as in Deut. 29.18,19 Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace tho I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst Now we are to consider what the Scripture calls Dunkenness besides that excess of drinking good Liquor In the first place God mentions another sort of Drunkenness by Moses Deut. 32.42 I will make mine Arrows drunk with Blood And this Drunkenness which Moses speaks of is mentioned by St. John Rev. 17.6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the Martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration Now this Woman that was thus Drunken is mystical Babylon as in the 5. v. of this chapter and in the 3. v. she is termed Babylon the great the mother of harlots and the abomination of the earth The Beast that beareth her that is beareth her up in her Grandeur and Greatness is the Pope which sets himself up as a God And this is the man that addeth Drunkenness to his thirst for he first thirsteth
after the Blood of the Saints of which he hath taken so much with her that they are become Drunken with it And in Rev. 16.6 It is said They have shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy And whereas Moses saith God would blot out that Mans Name from under Heaven So it is said in Rev. 19.20,22 That he was cast alive into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone And as to what Moses saith in the 22. v. we are in especial manner to take notice of in that he saith The Generation to come of your Children in that he doth not here in the plural number say Generations but Generation Speaking after the manner of our Lord Christ David and others in that they mention this Wicked World as one Generation And the Elect with their Generations in the Glorious time another Generation And whereas he saith the stranger that shall come from a far Land up to Jerusalem he saith When they see the Plagues of that Land and the Sickness which the Lord hath laid upon it Here we see Moses does not term it Israel's Land or the Land they were going to possess or Canaan but that Land whereby it is plain it was not meant their Land Now after the Lord again comes and the Judgment of this World is past 't is said Zach. 14.16 Every one shall go up from year to year to Worship the King the Lord of Hosts And then it is those strangers that in their journey pass by that Land up to Jerusalem and see that the whole Land thereof is become Brimstone and Salt and Burning nor any Grass groweth therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his Anger and in his Wrath Deut. 29.24 Even all the Nations shall say wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of his great Anger 25. Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt Now as I before shewed you the Covenant included strangers that were to be brought in for time to come which by Christ should become the Seed of Abraham And so also the Covenant was made with our Fathers when they came out of the Land of Egypt But you may say that Christ came out of one Tribe and therefore the Covenant not made with our Fathers which words include more than one Father To which I Answer That whilst Judah was in Egypt from him sprang many Fathers of Families But peradventure you may say that Christ could not come of all the Families of Judah To which I Answer That by the Father and Mother's side of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came there was then when this Covenant was made many of our Fathers also considering that then they lived to see the fourth Generation of their Children Now in the 26. v. forward Moses seems also to intermix Israel vvith this Degenerate Root for in the 26. v. he saith They went and served other Gods and Worshipped them Gods whom they knew not and whom he had not given unto them 27. v. And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against this Land to bring upon it all the Curses that are written in this Book That is This Land which he before had been speaking of on vvhich shall be made out all the severer Curses that are Written in this Book of the Lavv. And as many of the Curses as have not been inflicted on Israel and their Land will be inflicted on that Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood and their Land to whom the severest of them doth particularly belong as I before shewed you And Moses saith in the 28. v. The Lord rooted them out of their Land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day 29. v. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong unto us and our Children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law Now whereas Moses saith in the 28. verse That the Lord rooted them out of their Land in anger in wrath and in great indignation The which words also have a reference to Israel because God for their Sins did cast out the Seed of Jacob out of their Land But whereas he saith The Lord cast them into an other Land as it is this Day But now when this question is said should be asked and this Answer return'd it was after the time of Restitution and to them of that Generation that are partakers of that blessedness which then will be revealed And whereas he saith cast them into another Land which was quite different from Judah's Curse for they were to be scattered into the Four Winds and from one end of the Earth to the other Therefore I fear the Land here spoken of that these are to be cast into will be that which is mentioned Job 10.22 A Land of Darkness as Darkness it self For the time when these words were spoken would not admit him more clearly to mention them Now Moses in Deut. 29.29 to let them understand that there was something here interwoven or that his words had a Two-fold meaning that Israel might not be too much discouraged and that also the true Christians might thereby be enlightned as concerning this Root of Bitterness when God shall open their Eyes to see it in that he saith to them Deut. 29.29 That secret things belong to God but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our Children Now there are a great many secret things in the Book of God which this Word may have some Reference to but to assure us here was a Secret and therefore to this place is this Word Secret linked only So in the following Chapter Deut. 30. he treats of Israel's repenting and returning and in the 6. v. he saith God will circumcise their heart and the heart of their Seed to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul that they may live And he saith in the 7. v. The Lord thy God will put all these Curses upon thine Enemies and on them that hate thee which persecuted thee 8. v. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments which I command thee this day 9. v. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattle and in the fruit of thy land for good for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good as he rejoyced over thy Fathers Now from the 10. v downward Moses speaks of the then time how they should walk with God For in the 11. v. he saith This commandment which I command thee this day
the rest therefore he cries out of the Wonderful things that is contained in his Law Novv were these Judgments that are here set down pronounced against the Land of the thirsty Drunkard with good Liquor I doubt there would not be much Land left either in Canaan or Christendom free from these Plagues here specified as well as Sicily and Naples for we need not doubt but most of the foresaid Land at one time or other hath had such owners But altho the Drunkard that Loves good Liquor is threatned with the wrath of God and Hell yet there is not this remarkable Curse threatn'd to their Land And there is nothing in the Word of God that is insignificant but hath its time to be made Evident And now is the near Approach of Israel's restoration it being now the time that the Whirlwinds are gone forth as in Jer. 30.22 Behold the whirl-wind of the Lord goeih forth with fury a continual whirl-wind which shall fall with pain upon the Head of the wicked The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath done it until he hath performed the intents of his heart In the latter days ye shall consider it BLessed News unto the Jews And to them that are Circumcis'd in Heart and Ear And unto them that will amend Blessedness doth them attend But unto them that will not hear Grief and Horror will be their share THE Figurative SPEECHES BY WHICH God has Veiled his Secrets Contained in His WORD Until the end of the Time which is the time determined by Him that they should be revealed And now by the Assistance of GOD The Scriptures being Opened by the Key of the Word the Secrets therein contained are made as plain to the understanding as a Riddle when unfolded By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Guillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. Christian Reader THis Book being done in hast is not so well done as it ought to have been yet therein is made manifest both the Wisdom of God and the Power of God And when I Writ this Book there was a dread stood over me as a Caution that I should not do the Work of the Lord negligently And there is but two or three things in it wherein I did lean to my own understanding or received Opinion without seeking to God concerning it And since in those things God by his Word hath made it plain to me that I was mistaken in them for I then thought that all that laid hold of the offered Mercy according as it is tendred in the Gospel was also termed the Elect as well as those that were fore-chosen and so then not reckoned with the World But afterwards I found by the Word that such were but in Covenant Neither did I then understand that the Christians when spoken of in the Old Testament in which they are often mentioned were all there termed Heathen both good and bad which since by the Word I have fully proved in another Treatise And likewise then I did not so well understand that the Lord by the Law and Gospel speaks but in a peculiar manner to them that are under it For the Heathen fall not under the same severe Condemnation as the wicked Christians will when the Lord again comes And therefore no such necessity to warn them for the Coming of the Lord whom they now know not but they may find Mercy according to the Word And it is the promise of God that Israel shall be restored when the Lord again comes as is fully proved in the following Treatise from the Prophets and Apostles As for such as find fault with my quoting of Esdras saying that he was not mentioned either by Christ or any of the Apostles To which I answer Neither were several other of the Prophets that are spoken of in the Old Testament But if any say he is not mentioned there they assert that which is false For Ezra in the Old Testament is the same Person which in the Apocrypha is called Esdras For in Ezra Chap. 10. the 9 16 17. Verses is exactly the same with that in 1 Esdras 9. Chap. 5 6 17. Verses And also as in Nehemian 2.4 the like is again said in the 1 Esdras 9.40,42 By which places it is fully made appear That it was one and the same man who after the Captivity caused Israel to put away their strange Wives being met together at Jerusalem on the Twelfth day of the Ninth Month at which time was the great Showre of Rain And also he stood upon a Pulpit of Wood and Read the Law to all the People on the First day of the Seventh Month. As to the difference of the Name the one was taken out of the Hebrew the other out of the Caldean Tongue But as for our Ancient Expositors who placed not his Prophesies among the Prophets it was because themselves erred from the Truth For they newly coming from under the darkness of Popery and so did not rightly understand the Scriptures for they apprehended that none but the Elect could be saved But now it is fully proved by the Word that all that are found in obedience are Heirs to the promise whether Elect or not Elect. They likewise have denied the Restitution of all things which God by the mouth of all his holy Prophets hath declared Acts 3.21 and so likewise by Esdras After I Writ this Book I found there was several other places in Scripture in controversie which was not in this Treatise answered which made me defer the finishing of it till such time as God had innabled me to make plain those other places which were in dispute which by Gods assistance I have accomplished Oh! that we would improve the knowledge of the Truth to our Souls Eternal Advantage is the Prayer of your Friend and Servant in Christ M. M. ERRATA PAg. 3 l. 5. from the bottom in Revelations blot s. p. 6 l. 2. r. Hosts p. 41. l. 8. f. 4. r. 14. l. 9. f. 1. r. 2. p. 55. l. 17. f. is r. are p. 66. l. 24. f. beast r. beasts p. 69. l. 16. f. doth r. do p. 97. l. 13. blot by p. 104. l. 24. r. book p. 108. l. 9. r. written p. 116. l. last r. be p. 117. l. 1. blot saith p. 119. l. 24. r. Hannah p. 131. l. 14. r. meant l. 16. r. for the that p. 133. l. 20. r. Vesuvius p. 134 l. 3. r. Tanrmins p. 135. l. 25. r. rest p. 137 l. 28. r. speaking p. 141. l. last r. kingdom p. 155. l. 5. r. exterminated p. 169. l. 8. r. accepted l. 16. blot of The TABLE OF the World that Perished p. â— Figurative Heavens and Earth p. â— Elements p. â— Rise of the Beast p. 12
the Blood agree in one for at our first beginning after God had Created Man God breathed into him the Breath of Life and thereby man became a Living Soul God did not first give him a Natural Life and then breath into him the Breath of Life so as he became a Living Soul but it was that Living Soul that quickned his Natural Body and did intermix it self with the Water and the Blood as to agree in one and so it runneth through the whole Body of Man not the least Finger nor the most remote part of man but the blood hath therein its Circulation And the Spirit being intermixt with the Water and Blood whereby we may suppose that the Soul of Man vvhen distinct from the Body may bear the figure of a Man for vvhich Opinion our Lord did no vvay reprove his Disciples for thinking he had been a Spirit vvhen he appeared to them in his own likeness after he arose but said Handle me and see for a spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have as in Luke 24.39 This I speak not as an Article of Faith but being not reproved by the Lord therefore 't is most likely THIS TREATISE Proving Three WORLDS FOUDATIONS Mentioned in Scripture Whereby it is clearly made apparent that none were Elected before the Foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth And likewise that the Eternal Purpose only reacheth forward to the Eternity that is before us That the Decree for entring into Life was made strait after Adam fell Two sorts of Elections proved by the Word with the Day of Grace or an Offer of Mercy to all that will upon the Conditions take hold of it which all Israel had till they forfeited it by their not yielding Obedience There are also several Controversal places answered The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge explained LONDON Printed for M. M. and to be sold by Tho. Fabian the lower End of Cheapside in Mercers Chapel And Henry Nelme at the Leg and Star in Cornhill And divers other Booksellers about London 1696. THE CONTENTS THE several sorts of Election As The Election of the first Churches and their Children being in Covenant page 303 The meaning of being Chosen in him before the Foundation of the world p. 305 The Decree was made after the fall of Adam p. 316 Israel was put into a capacity of obedience p. 320 That the Christians were put into the like capacity p. 323 When it is God beholdeth not iniquity in Jacob. p. 326 327 The meaning of Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated p. 337 What God hardened Pharaoh in it being neither in sin nor cruelty p. 343 The root of bitterness which is the Beast p. 347 God shewing mercy to whom he will have mercy p. 349 God gave a day of Grace or an offer of mercy to Babylon p. 351 That we may withstand our mercies p. 362 A three-fold hardness of heart p. 363 Of old ordained to condemnation explained p. 368 The meaning of chosen from the beginning p. 375 The meaning of the eternal purpose p. 380 Who they are that are chosen to the praise of his glory with the general offer of mercy p. 382 What were the worlds that were made p. 394 Concerning the Illegitimate p. 399 How there came to be several Seeds in the world p. 400 Concerning the Righteous and the VVicked p. 407 The foreknowledge of God p. 411 All shall be judged according to their deeds p. 422 The Children of Believers dying in their infancy are in Covenant p. 424 The very Elect or standing witness p. 426 The promise made to David Solomon and Christ p. 444 The Battle of Gog and Magog p. 448 The Sinagainst the Holy Ghost p. 453 The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. p. 456 Of Perfection p. 458 TO THE READER Christian Reader IN this Treatise is discovered those great Truths which we have not understood The which hath much occasioned those great and dangerous mistakes that we are in at this day But God having compassion on them that are unwillingly out of the way therefore hath accordingly now brought the true meaning of the word to light that his justice might be magnified and also that man might not bottom on a wrong Foundation so as to think that God from all eternity elected some to everlasting Life and left all the rest under a necessity of Damnation For now the places of Scripture that have caused our mistakes as to these things are by the word clearly proved to have no such meaning as we have hitherto apprehended But this Book being done in hast both by the Author and Printer for which cause it was not so well done by either as it should have been For my intentions were to have had it published the latter end of the last year But I afterward finding there were several other things in dispute in the New Testament which I did not then so clearly understand made me deferr it till such time as by prayer and further search into the word God might enable me to answer them The which accordingly by Gods assistance I have now perform'd in a small Treatise or two Wherein also the Election of the first Churches is more clearly explained Likewise shewing that their Children were taken into Covenant and those difficult places mentioned in the Table of this Book are here by the word made plain And Oh! that we would improve the Knowledge of these things And since God hath not excluded any from his mercy that are willing to accept it upon the conditions as it is tendred let us not by sin exclude our selves that we may not exclude our selves is the earnest prayer of your Servant well-wisher in Christ M.M. Advertisement This being the part of a book which containeth three several Subjects which I thought good to divide that the price being small it might the easier be attained by all As touching the several sorts of Election and the several ways whereby Christ bringeth his Elect or Sheep into his Fold is here set down FOR although there is but one way of coming to God and that one way is only 〈◊〉 and through Christ for our Lord saith John 14.6 I am the way the truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me And he farther saith John 10.1 Verily verily I say unto you he that entreth not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber And the Lord also tells them that he is the Door wherein he saith V. 9 I am the Door By me if any man enter in he shall be saved And it is said Act. 4.12 â—either is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved By these Scriptures is fully manifested there is no way for the elect to come unto God but in and through Christ
saith That they were then made the ofi-scouring of all things Now from among the scattered Church was God's special Elect which were so secured in Christ that they could not fall away and therefore in time to come will be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation who were at that time but a scattered People Now whereas St. Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11,12 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him if we deny him he also will deny us That is Dead to all the â—inful pleasures and injoyments of this World In the 15. v. of the same Chapter he saith Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Here the Apostle lets us understand the word is so joyn'd as there must be skill in the Dividing of it And the Apostle speaking of Hymeneus and Philetus saith in the 2. chap. and the 18. v. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrew the Faith of some 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Now in the 18. v. he saith That the Faith of some was overtheown and that by the false Brethren But in this verse he saith The foundation of God standeth sure The which foundation is those which are so absolutely given to Christ as they should not fall away Whilst the other Elect were but called renewed and put into a capacity of Obedience Now whereas he saith in the 20 verse But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work That is the Gold and Silver are those that are more absolutely chosen of God but the wood and stone if they improve the benefits that God gives them and purge themselves from an evil Conversation they shall become meet for the Master's use shewing that there is a power in our selves to reform and amend till such time that by often resisting they exclude themselves from his mercy And by the words of Christ we may receive certain Confirmation of this by what he saith to the Church of Ephesus in Rev. 2.3,4,5 And hast born and hast patience and for my sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent This shews that their Candlestick was in the right place but if they did not Repent and do their first works then Christ said he would remove their Candlestick out of his place And also the Lord saith to the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1,2,3 I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Now this doth shew that one part of the Church was become dead through sin and so become forsaken of God and therefore left off to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind but to the other part that was ready to die the Lord calls to them to come to Repentance whereby we may know that when we have had the knowledg of God and his ways and he hath not withdrawn the good motions of his Spirit from us There is a Power in us to come to Repentance and amendment of Life For God calls not the People to come to Repentance after they have no Power in their Hand to do it but then he saith let them alone Hos 4.17 When he will no farther shew mercy to them Now in this Church there was three sorts one part Dead another part ready to die and another part alive and well as it is said Rev. 3.4,5 Thou hast a few Names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels From which words it remains certain that some names are blotted out of the Book of Life And St. James saith James 4.8,9,10 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your Hands ye sinners and purify your Hearts ye double minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy into Heaviness Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up And St. John saith Matt. 3.8 Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for repentance For we shall all be judged according to our works and God doth not require of us that which he hath not put us in a Capacity to do Rom. 2.12 And the Heathen that have not the Law shall not be judged by the Law As to what Moses saith in his Song That their Feet shall slide in due time hath a quite contrary meaning to what we have apprehended it the which is fully explained where I speak of the Covenant and Song As for the Promise made to David mentioned in Psal 99. is Answered where the special Election is Treated of Now all these Controversal Points being fully opened to the bottom whereby we may plainly see that the words of the Apostles had no such meaning as hitherto we have apprehended them to have and having the Oath and Word of God again and again to assure us the contrary And also Christ hath told us that whosoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out so that we need not fear to be forsaken of God if we do not forsake him and that God does not withdraw from the Soul on purpose to leave them to fall into Sin that he might Damn them but God does try all his to see if they will follow him and if they so do he is their exceeding great Reward Now if any would have greater assurance than the Words and Oath of God and the Word of Christ must look to have it in their last Punishment I bless the Eternal God by his opening his Word unto me he hath brought me out of that dangerous mistake the which did so take off from