concerning hell as it is a prison for sin and sinners and so ariseth a false fear or a slavish fear and so no true knowledg of God nor of Jesus Christ who is the Law of God and he makes sin to become exceeding sinful Romans 7. verses 12 13 14 22. None but Christ can forgive sin nor none but the Spirit of Christ can convince of sin John 16.7 8 9. Our learned make large confessions of sin and so almost all other men do or may do for to make a confession of sin by roat and in a customary way and so to think by confession of sin they have done enough to get the pardon of sin and this the Papists do but this will not profit neither them nor us And do not the most of men do this Mistake me not I speak not against confession of sin to God for a right confession of sin to God turns to the praise of his free-grace who hath forgiven our sins before we confess them and hath blotted out our sins for ever from before his face and will not bear them in his minde any more Read that remarkable story of David Psalm 103. read the whole Psalm and so Rom. 5.8 Isai 43.25 The end of my speech is against the formality that is in the confession of sin by the most of our learned and others and how few there be that make a right confession of sin as from the cross of Jesus Christ believing the blotting out of their sin and Christ taking it out of the way and nailing it to his cross Colos 2.13 14 15. The unbelieving men Ministers as well as others may make a very specious confession of sin for matter of form and yet have neither faith in God nor love to God nor joy in the holy Ghost But the believing men Ministers as well as others they are the most able men for to make confession of sin because they have faith towards God and love to God and joy in the holy Ghost As for instance Though I have lien among the pots saith the believing man yet I shall be as white as snow in Salmon I beleeve this therefore have I spoken Psalm 68.13 14. 2 Cor. 4.13 I am black saith the believing man or woman but yet comely through that comeliness which Christ hath put upon me therefore my soul is in love with Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 5. Ezek. 16.14 So likewise the true believing Christian can make a confession of sin rejoycingly and with great joy seeing the victory and the spoiling of the powres of sin and darkness by the divine nature of Jesus Christ read 2 Peter 1.3 4. Which threw down the humane nature of Christ and bruised it nay it pleased the Lord and he put it to greif and pain and made it an offering for sin that he might see his seed by the travel of his soul and he is fully satisfied and the pleasure of the Lord is in him and upon all those which are his seed and grow up in him read Isai 53.6 10 11. And this Christ as God did and does crucifie sin and the old man every day triumphing over them is it or in himself Colos 2.15 And is not this matter of great joy to a pooâ— soul that carries about in his body every day the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 O thou poor soul thou must lose thy self and be taken up by the power of God and thou shal be found in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. Ephes 1.18 19 20 21. Be of gooâ— cheer O thou poor soul for if thou be dead with Christ thou shalt live in eternal glory with Christ and if thou suffer persecution either from the tongue or from the hand with Christ or for Christ thou shalt reign with Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. O thou poor soul if Christ hath inabled thee for to make such a confession of sin in faith thou hast cause to walk rejoycingly Now here will arise two objections The first is this Sect. 8 You will object and say Object there needs no confession of sin now by your discourse and so we shall forget that we are sinners and continue in our sins and live as we list for there is one that hath done all for us we need to do nothing I answer Sol. It is not a vain repeating of sin as the Pharisee and the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 and as most people do but it is a forsaking of sin as the man in Christ does 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not a bare confession of sin in words but it is a turning from sin to God and this is the work of Christ onely and none of thine O man Turn me O Lord saith Ephraim for I cannot turn my self Jere. 31.18 We that are dead to sin saith the Apostle and risen again with Christ we cannot live any longer therein because grace doth abound Rom. 6.1 2. Now you will ask in the next place Object what those must do that are said to make a confession of sin with great joy nay rejoycingly which is a thing that you seldom hear of in our days for we are taught to mourn and to shed tears as it were to wash away our sin that is in part Romans 9.32 I shall answer your question Sol. and tell you what those do that make a confession of sin rejoycingly they fight against sin and they fight against Antichrist which is very much amongst us and they fight against the world and I will tell you with what weapons they fight with all the first weapon is the sheild of Faith by which they are able for to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and wicked men the second weapon is the helmet of salvation which shall cover men in the day of battel the third weapon is the sword of the spirit and that is Jesus Christ the living Word of God which will subdue all things unto himself And is not this matter of great joy Read those two remarkable Scriptures Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. But you will object and say Object that I exclude all outward sorrow for sin But I say no by no means Sol. if it be godly sorrow for godly sorrow proceedeth from a right apprehension of the love of God in slaying of sin with the sword of his mouth and this sword is Jesus Christ the living Word of God Read Revel 19.13 14 15 16 20 21. Heb. 4.12 13. The goodness of God leadeth men to repentance and makes a man flie from sin How shall I saith Joseph do this sin against my good God Rom. 2.4 Gen. 39.8 9. Now this is the root that godly sorrow grows upon and is not to be repented of but fleshly and carnal sorrow causeth or worketh death but godly sorrow causeth hatred against sin and love to God and is not this a great cause for to walk rejoycingly Read that remarkable Scripture 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. One word more and so conclude It is
What is an hours discourse though never so learned if God do not teach the Minister to speak spiritually God is come into the hearts of men with large and spiritual appearances I hope neither the learned nor the unlearned wil jeer me for using these expressions For by the light of these appearances God wil dis-throne Antichrist which is very much amongst us and this light wil expel all that which seems to be light and is but darkness and God wil set up his own true Christ which is himself and God alone wil be the light of men The Lord is my light saith David Psa 27.1 Sect. 7 Now the worldly wise men are much displeased with these spiritual appearances for it throws down their wisdom because it is fleshly and carnal The wisdom of the flesh charges the wisdom of God with folly and madness and saith it doth infect the world and therefore they take no delight in it they see no beauty in it why they should desire it But when the Spirit comes into the heart of a man and maketh his appearances then this sweet Spirit which is God who is Alpha and Omega and comes and doth the office of the third person and so he is the first and the last and so the poor soul is even at rest in the bosom of God Rev. 1.10 11 12. And there it is taught all truths by the Spirit who is God and the Spirit shews the soul glorious things to come and the Spirit makes Jesus Christ very glorious in the eyes of the soul and here the soul sees Christ and the Spirit and God the Father One and all that the Father hath is Christs and all that Christ hath is a Christians and Christ and a Christian are Gods Iohn 16.13 14 15. 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Now when God doth make these glorious appearances in our flesh then he doth teach us to justifie him in his spiritual appearances and to see him as wel as the Angels for we see by Faith the mystery of Christ and his Church which things the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.11 12 13. And we speak of this mystery unto men and it is beleeved by some men in the world and as Christ is received up into glory so he wil bring down his glorious wisdom and holiness into the hearts of his people And as Christ is wisdom even so he makes his children wise that they may justifie him who is wisdom it self for wisdom is justified of her children 1 Tim. 3.16 Luke 7.34 35. Now it is plain to prove that there is but one God and Father of all in all his appearances and through all the appearances which have been spoken of as Jesus Christ our Lord therefore we shal be inabled to keep the unity of the Spirit and to be at peace with God for there is but one body and one Spirit one Lord Iesus Christ who is the one God and he is first and last the beginning and the ending of all things saith the Lord Which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Rev. 1.7 8. And there is but one true Faith which is in him and by him and from him which is the blessed God Acts 26.18 And there is but one true Baptism which is from him and by him and of him who is the only wise God and our good God Now this one Baptism made Iohn rejoyce and his joy was exceeding ful because of Christ which is the souls bridegroom Luke 3.16 17. Iohn 3.29 30. Sect. 8 Now this one sweet and blessed God is the Father of all and every thing that is good doth proceed and come out from him He is the original of all good He is the first cause of all good to the creature He is all in himself and to himself He is all to the soul and he is all in the poor soul He is all in all his appearances He is the Father of all and above all and through all and in you all read Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Now it is as plain to prove that this one God did and doth come under all these appearances To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the government shal be upon his shoulders and his name shal be called wonderful counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace God wil renew the heart of a man or woman make it as a chaste Virgin to bear Christ in the spirit as wel as the Virgin Mary did bear Christ in the flesh Now here is one and all and all and yet but one read Isa 9.6 And so likewise Behold a Virgin shal be with Child and shal bring forth a Son Now it is meant thy heart O man or woman shal be a Virgin to bear this Child as wel as the Virgin Mary And when God doth appear as the holy Child Iesus in a man then man doth begin to be happy and the name of this Child shal be called Emmanuel which being spiritually interpreted is God with us or God in us Mat. 1.20 21 22 23. Isa 7.14 Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth God comes down into every low condition to comfort a poor soul in high places and in low places Our God comes down into every low condition Is not this a great comfort for the poor souls of men He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil This is the good wil of our good God He leaves no contemptible place unsought to find out his people though it be in a dunghil He was with Iob upon the dunghil that he might set him and all his poor despised people as Princes even with the Princes of his people Psa 113.5 6 7 8. O the wonderful greatness of our God that hath made his Christ and given him to be the head over all things to the Church O the wonderful wisdom and endless mercy of our God who hath fited his Church to be his own body in Christ Christ being the head O what a sweet harmony and agreement there is between the head Christ and his members O poor drouping soul Sect. 9 lift up thine eyes A note of great comfort to a poor soul and behold thy God who is thy head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Col. 2.19 And now poor soul thou art so fitly framed together and so compleat in Christ that thou art become an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.21 22. Col. 2.9 10. Now when God doth teach a poor soul to live upon this it wil be as the lifting up the head above all waters above all temptations above all reproaches of men and above all
actions 352. The City Remonstrance the cause of much evil 353. A sweet saving word to these troubles of the Land 354. That a man may be very zealous yet have neither faith nor love 355. How men are mistaken touching Church-fellowship 355. A word to the plunderers of Christians in these times P. 355. § 8. A word to the sottish and ignorant people of these times 356. Nothing but the grace of Jesus Christ can heal the Land 356. That our Phisitians King Parliament and Army have let the Kingdom blood but none but Christ can heal it 357. What will do the King good and in him the Land ibid. That the grace of God will do more then a Covenant of our own making 358. A word to the Parliament that they as Solomon give the living child to the right mother ibid. § 9. 'T is necessary that something be done with speed for the settling of the people 359. One right Fasting day would set all right ibid. Who are the obstructers of peace and truth in the Land ib. Vpon what account the Author upbrayds the ignorant and sottish Clergie for speaking lyes 360. Who hath made merchandize of the people Page 361. § 10. As there were in times past so there are now false teachers among our chief rabbies many ibid. VVhat is the learning the most of the Prelatical many of the Presbyterian and some of the Independent men lean on 362. Of the people devoted to the Common Prayer ibid. A miserable thing to be learned in the Letter only 363 That Jesus Christ is now come in the Spirit 364. That there is no other interpreter of the Scriptures but the holy Spirit 364. CHAP. XII THe Scriptures opened set down 365. § 1. There be three sorts of Ministers VVho preach for applause 367. Of Ministers that cannot expound the Scriptures Page 368. The Scriptures are a box of precious ointment but the most want a key to open it 369. § 2. Who be the true Ministers of Jesus Christ 370. Imitating Ministers who they be 371. How the people are deceived by their pretended Ministers 372. That the most Ministers feed themselves and not the flock 373. § 3. A word to the Common Prayer-book Ministers ibid. A Note agreeable to these times 374 Who they are to whom the Book of God is sealed 375. Whence ignorance and enmity doth arise 376. § 4. Of the common sort of hearers ibid. Of the nature and mystery of prayer 377. A spiritual Ministry the people are much offended with 378. § 5. Of the Ministers that have the mystery of God manifest in them 379. What alone will be able to make the heart of the King willing to yeeld to the Parliament 380. What will do the Parliament good 381. What is the glory of the King and Parliament 382 What alone is able to settle the three Kingdoms England Ireland and Scotland 382. § 6. A word to and of the Army 383 The Christian trusts God with his liberty 384. § 7. The strife betwixt Martha and Mary well opened and applied 385 386. The carnal Christian as Martha and Mary knows Christ as after off but the spiritual sees him nigh at hand 388 389. A note of great concernment 388. § 9. How the Almighty God vails himself that he may manifest himself to and in men 390. Christ is the living Word of God ibid. How God humbleth himself to do good to men 391. Whether Christ suffered in his divine nature an excellent similitude to open it 391. How God went in Christ before the chief Priest and Pontius Pilate yea into the grave with him 392. Sect. 10. The fellowship of Christs sufferings sweetly opened 393. How Christ is crucified in man and who have a hand in it 394. CHAP. XIII THe Scriptures spoken to set down 395. Sect. 1. How many men are zealous for God and yet have Christ in contempt 397. That many think they do God service in killing those in whom Christ appears 398. Sect. 2. That Christ hath as many enemies now as he had when he dyed at Golgotha 399. When Christ is born in the heart of men there is a Councel called there against him P. 400 Who be those that sit in councel in the heart of a man against Christ 402. That every man hath a Judas in his heart to betray Christ 403. Who it is that gives sentence against Christ in the heart of man ibid. § 4. How the Cross of Christ is in the heart of man and what is crucified thereon 404 405. The spiritual and first Resurrection opened 405. The vertue and power of Christs Cross in the heart of man 406. How Christ takes the soul into the grave with him ibid. § 5. What a blessed thing it is to be conformable to Christs death 407. A word to him that is arrived at the haven of life which is God himself 408. Here the Author takes his leave of the Reader 408. § 6. That the whole Church together are a Temple for God and the Lamb to dwell in ib. The true Christian enjoys God every where 409. Of the Gospelized man ibid. Of the various appearances of God to man P. 410. Of carnal Ordinances which profit not without Christ 411. That neither the learned nor unlearned will have cause to jeer at these expressions because after this manner Antichrist is disthroned 412. How God is Father Son and holy Spirit first and last 410 412. § 7. That the Christians see Christ as the Angels do 413. How the unity of the Spirit is kept in the Church through the knowledg of God 414 S. 8. How all good is from God 415 God wil renew the heart and make it as a chast virgin to bear Christ in the Spirit as well as the virgin Mary did bear Christ in the flesh 415 God comes down into every low condition to comfort a poor soul 416 S. 9. A note of great comfort to a poor soul 417 Ecclesiastes the first and the seventh sweetly applyed 418 The Authors Testimony concerning himself P. 418. S. 10. What the names of Errour and Heresie is a vail unto 419 Whence it is that many feed on hay and stubble in stead of Manna 420 Whence Errors and false christs arise 421. That Christ and his Ministry are still found together ib. That a Minister not rooted in Christ shall be rooted up 422. CHAP. XIV THe Scriptures opened set down 423. Christ is the best thing in the worst times ib. What 't is neither King or Parliament Army Synod or City can neither give nor take away 424. The vanity of mens strivings in these times about matters external and circumstantial in Religion 425. Presbyterians and Independents like unto the four beasts Revel 4.6 7 8. ib. Two sorts of Presbyterians The first like a Lion The second like a Calf 426. Two sorts of Independents the one like a man the other like an Eagle 426. The Lion-like the Calf-like and he that had the face like a man are offended at the Eagle-like Christian ib. The strife betwixt Presbyters Independents and Prelatical men 428. How they have not all the same food 429 Who they are that feed on Angels food ib. What gives fulness of comfort when a man lies on his death-bed 431. How all relations fail but that of a man to God in Christ ib. That a flood of the grace of our Lord Jesus running into the hearts of King and Parliament wil only heal the Land 432. § 4. The blessing of a right Magistracy 433 Sect. 5. What moved the Author to undertake this work 434. Boaz field in the which the Author as Ruth gleaned 435. Sect. 6. Of what sort of readers 't is the Author looks for acceptance 436. Of the sweet refreshing the Author had in writing this book ibid. That the writing of this book cost the Author no labor or study 437. The Author gives the glory of all to God 438. How God dealt with the Author as Boaz dealt with Ruth 438. That God opens the mouth of the soul and fills it as the mother deals with her child The Conclusion of all is Christ the fulness of all ERRATA PAg. 66. read sold their pot to pay their tythes P. 138. l. 5. r. thy P. 156. l. 10. supply not P. 182. l. 12. r. margent of the Bible P. 303. l. 5. supply have P. 328. l. 20. supply put P. 329. l. 1. r. unto P. 374. l. 27. r. as Possibly some other faults and false pointings have escaped which the Reader is desired to correct as he shall find them FINIS
becomes strong to shut the door against sin p. ibid. A defence of the doctrine of free grace p. 268. Who the most of men and women fall in with in these times p. 268. § 5. Whence 't is that many learned men are meer fumblers in speaking of free grace p. 269. What 's the cloud that lies upon the doctrine of free grace p. 270. § 6. What is the banqueting house into which a Christian is brought p. 271. How a Christian opens himself in his longings to Christ p. 272. Of the work of the third person in the blessed Trinity p. 273. § 7. The ayr in which a Christian lives is God himself p. 275. What is the appearance of God to sinners § 8. To whom the appearance of God is pleasant p. 277. The multitudes mistake of God 278. Whether sin came into the world by accident p. 279. That accidents are not against but for God ibid. Not chance but providence doth all p. 280. Sect. 9. Of the author use and end of the first Creation p. 281. Sin is none of Gods Creation but a vail over it p. 282. That Christ was slain by Adam and Eve ibid. How Sin and the Devil broke in upon man ibid. How the whole Creation greans till Christ appear p. 283. What is the heaven of God ibid. God permits of many things for his own glory p. 284. § 10. The Godhead is the womb out of which-every good and perfect gift doth proceed p. 285. God sees no sin in the new Creature because it is his seed p. 286. What is that ayr of which Satan is the Prince p 287. Sect. 11. That there were and yet are false Prophets many p. 288. Want of humane learning is no let in revealing Christ p 289. Why unlearned men that beleeve speak more truly of heaven then others p. 290. What is the great sin of England ibid. How our English Clergie are divided p. 291. Few of our learned men can speak experimentally of Father Son and holy Spirit p. 291 292. Sect. 12. That God hath made use of illiterate men for the propagating of the truth in these times 293. What are the foolish things the world despise 294. Sect. 13. What the Apostle Paul would say if he were now living in England 296. Whence Wars arise 296 297. The child Jesus is the first wonder in heaven 298. CHAP. X. THe Scriptures opened and applied set down P. 299. Sect. 1. The womb in the which the Children of God are conceived 302. What a one a lame Minister is ibid. § 2. What are the brests the New Creature is nourished by 303. Christs tenderness a president to the Ministers of this age That many call God Father who hate his children 305. § 3. How Christ is said to be both mother and child P. 305. That the holy child Jesus must be born in the heart of man ibid. How Christ is the ground and hope of a Christians glory 306. How a Christian comes to partake of of the divine nature 307. § 4. How the Jews dealt with Christ in his low estate 307. Christ overcame the malice of the world with love 308 309. § 5. How a man comes to look within the vail 312. That a Christian is Gospelized by Christ 313. The heart of man is the pulpit in the which the spirit of grace preacheth 314. § 6. That Christ is but one illustrated by a simile taken from the Sun ibid. A true beleeving man is a shining star and a royal diadem in the hand of Christ 317. § 7. What is the light of that world to come in the which the beleever walks 317. Christ is the King of that City to which the Saints fly for rest 318. Christ is the life of the oppressed soul 319. That a poor soul hath the substance of faith within it self 320. Sect. 8. The soul is weak in faith when it saith Christ is far from it 321. The soft hand of the Gospel moveth the heart of a man to a godly sorrow 322 The rough hand of the law unskilfully handled hardens the heart of men 322 323. What Cains enmity of Abel was a type of 323. Sect. 9. The rough handlers of the Law set forth by Esau 324. What was Jacobs savory meat ibid. Many handle the law as the Pharisees quite out of Christ 325. The Law in the hands of Christ turns to be Gospel 325. Pauls conversion well opened 325 326 Sect. 10. The madness of those in the Guildhal-yard taxed 326. That the Law is planted by Christ in the heart of him that beleeves 327. The fruit of rigid Presbyterianism 328. Sect. 11. A sad complaint of a troubled soul P. 330. Sect. 12. To which is a spiritual reply for consolation 332 333. CHAP. XI THe Scriptures insisted on set down P. 334. Sect. 1. Christ is the seed of God growing up through the earthiness of mens hearts 337. How Christ the seed of God lyes hid in the earth of the first Adams heart 336. Christ is the day of God in the which the loftiness of man is layd low 337. That a Christian in trouble is as a woman in travel till he bring forth Christ in the knowledg of him in his heart Rev. 12. 337. What is the grave-clothes many a man is buried in 338. Sect. 2. A word of consolation to one troubled every day ibid. VVhat are those treasures that are hid in Christ for a Christian 339. What it is for a Christian to look into the Ark of Gods strength P. 339. That a Christian in his trouble hath an Angel from heaven to comfort him as Christ had 340. How God remembers the sin of his people no more ibid. Why chastisements from the Lord are upon the Christian 341. Sect. 3. That God doth not punish a Christian for sin ibid. Christ is as a privy Chamber for the soul to retire into to refresh it self 342 343. Tryals are given and taken away again according as God pleaseth 344. Sect. 4. The commodities of Christ are his graces and they run forth freely to sinners 344. Most men complement and dissemble with Jesus Christ 345. Who were the Citizens that hated Christ ibid. Of the trouble raised at Guildhal of late by some Citizens 346. Sect. 5. What kind of bargain Christ makes with a beleeving sinner 347. A man that hath been in the Mount with Christ gives an excellent report of him P. 347. Christ the power of God is a Christians might 348. Grace discovers sin ibid. Those that strike at a Christian hit Christ first 349. S. 6. The greatest sinner Christ calls to himself to do cure on him 350. A whisper in the ear of the young men of the City that made that ado at the Parliament door Guidhal and elsewhere 350 351 That they did as Paul did whiles he was Saul ibid. That Christ is calling and alluring them to himself 351. A word to the old men that had their hand in the same thing ibid. That good men may do bad