and the Seruices of the holy Woord and to shewe Obedience therin â wherwith the Man is assisted to the godly Knowledg are as though they had no Signifycation which thing I commend not 17. For my Heart hath much-more Affection to those that with Ignorance / do seeke God and his Righteousnes and that shewe Obedience therin / then to those that with Vnderstanding / do estrainge them from God and his Seruice and are strainge and disobedient vnto all Righteousnes / according to the Requyring of the holy Woord of the holy Spirit and Seruice of Loue and so do liue after ther owne Mynde l Ier 7. c. 23. b. 18. b and Good-thinking The XVI Chap. FOr this cause / my Beloued â as is before sayde and for that I do now fynde Many / which â according to their owne Good-thinking do liue in all Disobedience / against the Requyring of the holy Woord and which bost them falsly of the Vnderstanding of the spirituall and heauenly Things and so â â—leaueing-vnto or loueing the Worlde and the corruptible Things· or the Following of the false Libertynes desyre to conuersate or to haue fellowshipp with mee and for more such-like things cause and for that I do neither seeke nor desyre any such matter / I haue indeuoured myself to be conuersant with certen zealous Hearts To th end that I in my Zeale / mought not haue my Course with the Vnwillingones â which take-on a false Freedom / to seperate themselues from the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue and cleaue to the earthly corruptible Things but with the Good-willingones to the Righteousnes and that the Vnderstanding of the godly Trueth and of the peaceable Loue / mought â by that Meanes beare-swaye among the Louers of the vpright Vnderstanding / which do loue the Treasures of Wisdom and the Obedience to the Requyring of the Seruice of Loue / aboue Golde and Siluer a Pâ—o. 8. â— Sap. 7 a. and aboue all what is in the Worlde 2. For whosoeuer loueth the Wisdom or the holy Vnderstanding and the Obedience to the Requyring of her Seruice of Loue / aboue all earthly Things / and doth not contemne enuye nor blaspheame anyone / that also laboureth ther-after with Ignorance / To him b Pro. 8 â— Sap. 6 b. 7. â— Math. 7. â— wil likewyse the Wisdom or holy Vnderstanding / appeere But whosâ— loueth anything aboue the Wisdom / or whoso contemneth and blaspheameth anyman / in his Zeale to the Righteousnes and seperateth himself from him / is not wyse neither shall hee also fynde vnderstande nor inherite the Wisdom For the Wisdom is much-to-noble to-honorable of Lynage c Pro. 8. a. b. Sap 7 a. b. Ecclâ— 24. b. and to-precious / for to ioyne or shewe herself vnto those / y t do not loue her with all their Hearts / aboue all Things 3. Oh â alas I fynde too-feawe of those which loue the Wisdom aboue all things But let it go how it will / with the Wysdom and the vpright Righteousnes the Man doth in-any-case take good heede to the earthly Things / which doutles are nomore to be esteemed then as d Phil. 3. b. Dirt / in comparyson to the Preciousnes or Worthynes of the Wisdom and Righteousnes of God 4. Vnderstande now â thou Beloued wherfore I haue indeuoured myself to haue my Conuersation in Freedom / with those whom thou wel knowest and also with others more namely for the Wisdom and the Righteousnes sake as is before rehearsed and as I wil yet partly rehearse vnto thee / because that thy Heart shoulde in-nowyse doubt that I haue sought or liked anything-els / but the Vertues of the vpright and true inuisible Beeing 5. For in all Things and Dealings that I haue has with them / this hath bin all my Grounde and Intent / for to heare-ouer their Vnderstanding and Wisdom / vnder the Obedience of the Loue· to question with them· and to answere agayne / To th end that we mought therby becom agreeable or concordable e 1 â—or 1. a Phil. 2. a. mynded / in the Loue and in the Vnderstanding and to the vpright Righteousnes / and that we shoulde not take or construe anything of each-other / to the worst but I haue not yet vsed thesame Course among them nor-yet the Speeche that tendeth therunto 6. I haue not yet lykewyse bin in any Communialtee among them / wherby to deale boldly with them But the Lorde do with vs according to his Will and thatt which serueth most vnto Peace and to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 7. O Thou Beloued / Although I haue â out of Loue submitted myself heerunto among Somme wherby to informe the Louers of the Trueth / to all Vnitee in the Loue and so haue not contemned nor blaspheamed the Outward / Yet am I not therfore outwardly mynded but this do I veryly acknowledg that it is much-more Pleasure vnto mee / to deale with the Loue of the Wisdom and to talke therof / among those that loue the Loue and the Wisdom / because that the Righteousnes appeereth vnto Such then to inherit all the Ritches and Pleasures of this Worlde or to deale among those which loue the earthly Things or their owne Good-thinking / aboue the Wisdom and aboue the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue / and so to dissemble with Men / as though all were inward and heauenly Things that they loue / wher-with they deceaue both themselues and other moe / which heare them and do seduce them from the true Seruices that leade to the Lyfe 8. And like-as thou wrytest / that it is vnpossible for thee to cause thyne Eyes and thy Heart to hope / as to waight for Deliuerance through any outward Things euenso is thesame likewyse vnpossible for mee Yea although it were so that I woulde do it / yet coulde I not For the Light of the heauenly Trueth â wherwith God hath illuminated f 1. Cor. 4 a. my Heart / out of his holy Heauen is an Against-shyning vnto mee / against thesame But the Ministration of the Good / by the godded Men or Olde-fathers in the Famyly of Loue / is awayes very profitable and a good Preparation to the Deliuering of the Man from his g Rom. 7. c Bandes of the Sinne. and that men haue familyer brotherly Conuersation together to that ende / is also very louely and likewyse greatly edyfying to the Vnitee of Heart in the Loue. 9. Beholde â thou Beloued like-as I haue heere written vnto thee in naked and bare maner / Euenso standeth my Mynde and I hope not to forsake thesame / till I haue founde or gotten all what I seek-for and desyre among the Louers of the Trueth The Lorde graunt me Mercy and doowith mee / according to his Will Amen Fare-well and behaue thyself vprightly Heere-with I do thee heartly greete In the Lyfe of the Loue most-sweete The Ende of the Sixt Epistle Our Heart / is the
that thou moughtest haue a much-more regard vnto the Power of God and vnto the vpright Righteousnes that God worketh through the Ministration of his gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue / in y e Spirit of the inward Man / to th end for to liue vprightly therin / with a meeke-mynded Spirit For a meekemynded h Psal. â— b Esa. 57. b 61. a. 66. a Spirit â which hath his Proceeding obediently / according to the Requyring of the Lords Woord is very precious and acceptable before God 6. And although that we do â in thesame Spirit go-on in Scilence / as touching the outward Maner and are poore of Spirit in Tongues or Languages / Yet is not for-al-that / the Ritchnes of the spirituall and heauenly Knowledg of God â–ª euer-the-lesse among Vs. but rather the greater And thesame and all Thatt which is of God and Christ / do we esteeme very i Iob. 28. b. Psal. 19 b. Pro. 3 b 8 b Sap. 7. b. precious / Yea much worthyer then all the Ritches or costly Treasures of this Worlde for thatsame â of worthynes-part excelleth it all For which Occasion / we let our Woordes be feawe / because that thesame which we speake / may not proceede out of the Knowledg but out of the k 1. Cor 2. a. b Power of God and out of the Trueth of Iesu Christ. 7. And in thesame Speech of y e godly Things / we do also take-heede with Foresightfulnes â so much as we may therin of the Looseones of Heart / to th end that ther be not one godly Saying of the precious secret Wisdom / spoken-out in Vayne O / how l Eccli 14.25 Ieam 5 a happy is hee / that falleth not in his Tongue and whose Woordes m Col. 4. a. are tempered with Salt 8. NOw this being omitted I reioyce me doutles / of the and of the Communialte that is with thee and I hope to reioyce me yet more with the / with greater Ioye by meanes of the Answere vnto mee / that I haue hearde from thee / As that yee altogether / are wel-mynded to Thatt which is the Beeing itself / wherof the Scripture witnesseth â as personally of God of Christ and of the holy Gost. Which Beeing â for those that be partakers therof are the secret Treasures and n Math. 13 c heauenly Ritches of God / wherof the Worlde· the ritch Scriptur-learnedones· nor the Good-thinking-wyse â with all their deep-groundly Knowledg do neither knowe nor vnderstand o Math. 11 c 1. Cor. 2. a. anything-at-al 9. It is true they haue the Scripture of the godly Witnesses wher-through they suppose to be wyse and vnderstanding But seing they giue not their Vnderstanding captiue vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Iesu Christ and com p Iohn 5. not euenso to the Beeing / wherof the Scripture speaketh nor-yet beleeue theron / q Iohn 7. d as the Scripture sayth / So is-ther likewyse no Light nor Trueth nor-yet Spirit nor Beeing of God / among them / and they also do neither knowe nor r Math. 22 c. 1. Tim 1. a vnderstande Thatt which they themselues speake therof 10. But the God of Lyfe â s Ephe. 2 a who is ritch of Mercie hath â out of his harty Loue t Ephe. 1. a 2. a 3. a. Col. 1. d. reuealed the Beeing of his Glory vnto vs· renewed our ignorant Vnderstanding â vnder the Obedience of his Loue to a spirituall Mynde of the vpright Righteousnes· and â when we were full of Infirmitees v Rom. 5. a. b. Ephe. 2. a. Col. 1. c. 2. b and deadd / for the Sinnes cause begotten vs agayne / out of his Loue / x Tit. 1. a. 5. a â–ª to a sure Hope of his Lyfe 11. Seing then that y Heb. 12. â— such a Clowde of holy Deawe / is â by Gods Grace appeered in our Sight / according to the Spirit· and com from Gods Right-hande / as an heauenly Blessing / and wherout also the right Beeing of God â wherof we speake a 2. Cor. 4. â— aryseth vnto vs / as a Light and Cleernes Therfore haue wee â although the Scripture witnesseth theron and that we do heare many speake therof more regarde vnto Thatt which is the vpright Beeing itself â wherin our Ioye standeth then vnto Thatt which witnesseth theron 12. For thesame Light that shyneth now vnto Vs / out of the heauenly Trueth / b 1. Iohâ— 1. a. is the euerlasting Lyfe which was with the Father / in the Begining and it is c Psal. 45. a Heb. 1. a. the Mercie-seate of the godly Maiestee which continueth from euerlasting to euerlasting Euen-as I likewyse haue talked with thee of thesame / when I was last with thee The II. Chap FOrasmuch then as thy Request was vnto me at that tyme / to wryte thee an Instruction of the Mediation of Iesu Christ after the Spirit and how thesame cometh-to-pas in vs / a Rom. 3. â— 2. Cor. 5. b. Ephe. 2. b. 1. Iohn 2.4 â— for a Reconciliation betwixt God and vs and how Christ is b Heb. 1. a an Heire of all Things and how c 1. Cor. 15. c God is all in all / Therfore wil I open a little of thesame vnto thee and I hope also to satisfy the well with this Instruction 2. Inasmuch then as I haue partly marked thyne Inclynation to the holy and spirituall Vnderstanding of the vpright Righteousnes / therfore can I not of Natures-part omitt / but must witnes vnto the of thatt which thou desyrest at my handes / also reueale the d Ephe 3. a Mistery of Christ / and make-knowen vnto thee / thatt which is hidden c Rom. 15. c Ephe. 1 a 3 a Col. 1. c. before the Worlde and all her Wyseones / and discribe it vnto thee in wryting / accordingly as the Lorde illuminateth myne Vnderstanding therto and as it may be profitable for thee to Edifycation 3. THer is testifyed in the Scripture â the which according to the Spirit / is also verytrue that God is f Iohn 4. c. 2 Cor. 3. b. a Spirit â–ª and a g 1 Iohn 1. a verytrue Light / with whom no Darknesses or Sinnes are mingled But seeing that the Man is falne h Gen. 3. a Esa. 59. b. into a strainge Contrary-beeing vnto God and goeth-on and liueth therin / So is he likewyse i Ephe. 4 b. Col. 1. c estrainged from God and from his Light and walketh according to the Flesh or Outward and according to the Requyring and Desyres of the Foreskinne of his vncircumcised Heart / and not according to the Spirit or according to the Requyring of the godly Beeing and so He k Psal. 82. a Ephe. 5. a walketh in the vngodly Beeing of the Darknesses and thatsame vngodly Beeing of the Darknesses l Rom. 1. c. Ephe 4. b. hath blynded his Heart And thatt veryly is the Sinne m Esa.
christian Ceremonyes out of their owne Opinion and b Ier. 23. b. Good-thinking and therfore is also their Office against Gods Commaundement For they are vnmeete to the Seruice of the Lorde / which God esteemeth-of for they knowe not his c Psal. 95. a Sap. 5 a â—eb 3. b. Wayes neither do they knowe the Waye of d Psal. 14. a Psa 59 b Rom. 3. b Peace but they are blynde dumme and deafe / thouching the Lyfe that proceedeth out of God and so in their Seruices / are e Math. 15. b â–ª 23 b Luk â— d Blyndeguydes and do likewyse leade the People into Captiuitee / with the Bandes of their Blyndnes 2. They breake not the f Iohn 6. c. Bread of Lyfe vnto the People they baptise not also in the g Math. 28. b Name of the Father â who is the liueing God nor in the Name of the Sonne of God â who is the true Light and Lyfe of his Father nor-yet in the Name of the holy Gost who is the heritable h Ephe. 1 b Paune of the Godlynes 3. Forasmuch now veryly / as these holy spirituall Ritches are not among them / therfore do they not likewyse keepe i 1. Cor. 11. c the Supper of Christ / according to the Trueth For the Bread k Iohn 6. d from Heauen / is not with them for-that-For-that-cause also / they knowe not the Woord of Lyfe nor the Spirit of Agednes l Ephe 4. c. or of the Man Christ nor they m Esa 40. b Sap. 9 b Rom. â—â— â— 1. Cor 2. b vnderstand not his Death n Rom. 6. a Phil. 3. b. nor his Resurrection nor the Counsayle of God nor-yet the Wisdom nor the Christianitee 4. Seing then that they haue not receaued the Bread of Lyfe froâ— Heauen neither are o Ier. 14.23 c sent by God nor by Christ and are Straingers from the secret Counsayle of God and vnderstande p Sap. 9. b 1. Cor â— b. nothing-at-all of the godly Things / How shoulde they then be able rightly to minister the Beginings q Heb. 6. a of the christian Doctrine or the Christian-ceremonyes / wherwith the vpright Righteousnes is requyred 5. Veryly they haue not the louely Feete of the r Esa. 25. b. Nahu 1. b. Rom 10. b Messengers / which com from the Hill of the Lorde they bring also no good Message they publish not the Peace neither do they likewyse make-manifest the Saluation that auayleth before God but they are quyte darkened in their Vnderstanding / through s Rom. 1. c. Ephe. 4. c. the Blyndnes of their Hearts and through the Vnbeleefe that is in them Therfore are they all likewyse / Ianglers Stryuers and Contenders against one-another / for the Ceremonyes and for the litterall Scriptures cause and do make among each other / Disturbance and captiued Consciences chooseing priuate t Rom. 10. a Col. 2. c. Righteousnesses vnto themselues / according to the Good-thinking of their owne Hearts The III. Chap. FOrasmuch then / as that the Kingdom of Peace / is â out of Grace a Math. 11. c 13. c. 1. Cor. 2. b. Ephe. 1. b. Col. 1. c. reuealed and geeuen Vs to see-into in the Woord of Lyfe / through the Loue of God the Father / Therfore is not the Counsayle of God vnto vs now / to take-in-hand nor to vse anything of thatt which is past / according to Mens Imagination 2. Yet do we well perceaue this / that the former Seruices â at that tyme when they were ministred through the Woord of Lyfe and vsed out of the Trueth were profitable nodout / vnto Saluation and serued for an Hand-reaching b Gal 3. c. Heb. 6. a. 7. b or Gyding-in of the Little or Youngones of Vnderstanding / to the Woord of Lyfe Howbeit / now it is also well knowen vnto vs / that many Scriptur-learnedones do now striue and conteÌ„de their-about / in their good-thingking Knowledg / and vse much Disputing and Arguing about them And thatt woulde not God haue c 1. Cor. 7. b. For we are called vnto Peace 3. If wee then shoulde likewyse bring-in and vse the former Seruices â which are passed-thorow according to the Order and Opinion of the contentious Setters-foorth of Ceremonyes or Scriptur-learnedones and shoulde not declare the Requyring of the right Seruices and Ceremonyes / So shoulde wee haue then to stryue to contende and to dispute with Them 4. But no thatt is not our Seruice Wee haue all our Regard / to note what a louely Beeing in the Peace / the Word of Lyfe holdeth before vs / as a Light and do follow his Commaundement d Iohn 6. d. 1. Tess 4. a and Will and do labour after the attayning to thatt which the Ceremonyes do requyre or thatt wherunto they were ministred in tymes-past / To th end that our Seruice wherunto God hath called vs in these last Dayes / through the e 2. Timo. 1. b Tit. 1. a. Reuealing of the Coming of the Lorde Iesu Christ shoulde not be darkened f 2. Cor. 6. â— with any Intanglement 5. For God woulde not y t anyman shoulde stryue or contende for Seruices nor-yet for Ceremonyes but that eueryone shoulde bow g 1. Pet. 5. a. and submitt himself vnder the Obedience of the Loue / our mostholy God-seruice and shoulde receaue the Administration of the Counsayle of God / for a Lyfe of Saluation follow-after h Pro 4. b. 5 a 2 Timo. 3. b. thesame Counsayle and so shoulde â out of the Beginings of his simple Chyldhod increase in the christian Doctrine or Ministration of the Loue â–ª or grow-vp therin i Ephe. 4. c. to the Age of the Mâ—n Christ that is till that the Loue haue a liueing Foorme in him not looking-about after thatt which is past but haueing regard k Phil. 3. b. vnto thatt which is to com that is to the Inheritance of the Peace / to the Saluation of the Soule 6. But if anyman be mynded heer-against or resteth self-wyse and wil alledg much out of the Scripture / with his darke Vnderstanding / hee shall burthen his owne Conscience intangle his Senses and Thoughts and not fynde the Refreshing of his Mynde nor the l Act. 3. â— Comfort of his Soule The IIII. Chap. FArdermore thou testifyest / that thou vnderstandest not certen Sentences which are rehearsed in the Testimony of the Mediation of Christ and seemest to affirme ther-out / that thatt which the Prophet Esaias a Esa. 7â— 11 hath spoken of Christ / shoulde be only of Christ / that was to com b Math. 1. â— Rom. 1. a. 1. Tim. 2. â— in the Flesh. 2. Thatt is suerly very-right But not as thy Mynd conceaueth it Therfore consider of the Meaning and vnderstand what I wryt vnto thee For this do I testifye vnto thee as a Secret of God that the Woord of Esai / is a liueing Woord
that the Foode or the Bread of Lyfe shal be f Math. 24. d ministred and heald-foorth open-ly in Cleernes / vnto eueryone that beleeueth the Woord of the Seruice of Loue and that sheweth faythfull Obedience therunto To the Young Children / g 1. Cor. 3. c. 1 Pet. 2 c. a according to their Youngnes / to the Weake / h Rom. 14.15 a. Gal 5. a. according to thier Weaknes / to the Strong-youngmen / i Heb. 5. b. according to their Abillitee or Strength / and to the Elders / according to their Auncientee or Oldenes 5. Euenthus shall now in thissame Daye of Loue / the right Foode Ø› k Iohn 6. f. the Woord of Lyfe be ministred l Math. 24. c. 2. Timo. 2. b. in the right tyme· also prepared for eueryone / according to his Stomack· and distributed for a Nourishment of his Soule And thissame Bread or Woord of Lyfe that is com-downe out of Heauen / vnto vs Littleones and Elected of God â for a Foode of Lyfe m Exo. 16. a. Psal. 78. b. Sap. 16. c. Iohn 6. f. shall likewyse be for a Taste of Foode vnto eueryone / according as he would willingly eate 6. Happy are those which now in thissame Daye / haue sounde and strong Stomacks â–ª and can beare the Foode howsoeuer it be prepared or in what maner it is ministred / out of the Woord of Lyfe and can receaue or eate thesame to a Nourishment of their Soules and so can indeuour them n 1. Cor. 14. a. Col. 5. b. to the Loue. 7. Yea thosame â if they growe vp o Ephe. 4 b. therin obediently / till vnto the Age of the holy and godly Vnderstanding shal be founde the auncient Elders and Fathers in the Family of Loue who also shall vnderstande p Math. 11. c. 13. b. Ephe. 3. a. Col. 1. c. the Secretnes of the Woord· and minister q Math. 24 â–ª b or bring the woord of Lyfe â out of the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of Loue vnto the Disciples of the Woord / in the right or conuenient tyme / according to eueryones Nature or Estate namely to the Youngones or to the New-borne Babes / r 1. Cor. 3. a. the Milke of the woord / to the Sick or Weakeones / s Rom. 14. a. the Medecinable-broth of the Woord / and to the Youngmen or Strong-ones / t Heb. 5 b. the Bread and strong Foode of the Woord And that altogether / to a Growing-vp v 1. Cor. 13. b. Ephe. 4. b. into the manly Age of Christ. 8 O Ye Beloued according to this Pattern euen-as I do Heere prescribe thesame vnto you in Wryting / see that you indeuour yourselues among each-other in the Loue and haue a good regard vnto thatt which is heald-foorth before you / to a Consolation of your Soules 9. Turne your Hearing therunto and comprehend or coÌ„ceaue thesame in your Thoughts and so out of the goodwilling Obedience to the Requyring of the Woord and his Seruice of Loue / learne to knowe in the Spirit of your Inwardnes / the right Oldestone the right Father and the true Sheapherd x 1. Pet. 2. c. or Bisshopp of your Soules / which is the y Iohn 17. b. spirituall Woord of the heauenly Trueth the holy Spirit of Loue the Light or the Daye of Loue z Iohn 14. a. and the euerlasting Lyfe itself / wheron we do witnes and poynt 10. For wee are nomore but a Iohn 1. a. witnesses of the true Beeing of the Loue / which we minister vnto you / and b 1. Cor. 4. â— 2. Cor. 6. a. Ministers of the holy and gracious Woord / for to declare â vnder the Obedience of the Loue the godly Cleernes and heauenly Ritches of God the Father â which out of Grace / are appeered and brought vnto vs out of Heauen / by the Father of Light among the Children c Ephe. 3. a. of Men. 11 Which Grace Light or Cleernes â–ª and thosame heauenly Goodes / all they d Ephe. 3. a. 2. Pet. â— a. likewyse do enioye and be Co-partakers therof / which submitt them with vs vnder the Obedience of the Loue and haue their Fellowshipp with our Fellowshipp / in all Loue. The V. Chap. MY intyrely beloued Freendes and Bretheren in the Loue of Iesu Christ Vouchsafe for this tyme / to be content with this my harty Exhortation and small Seruice and ensue or performe first-of-al / thatt which is heald-foorth before you a Math â— a. Luk. 3 13. a A â–ª 2 â— c for a Begining of the christian Lyfe and so then growe-vp ther-out / b Ephe. 4. b. to the Perfection of the christian Lyfe and to the Oldnes of the holâ— and godly Vnderstanding and minister you dayly the Woord of Trueth vnto eachother euen-as thesame like-as it is also before sayd is ministred vnto you through the holy Spirit of Loue and as it is yet dayly heald-foorth vnto you 2 Add not any Prudence of Natural-reason therto Defend nor couer not likewyse c Gen. 3. â— Math. 25 â–ª c y e Craftynes of the Flesh / with the Natural-reason as that ye shoulde â with the Industry of your Good-thinking drawe-awaye d Deut 4.12 d or take-out anything or any Sentence therfrom / tending to anâ— Pleasure vnto the Desyres of your Flesh but receaue or accept it all e Ephe 6 a Col 5. c. wiâ—h simple Hearts / to your Edifying and to the f Ier 7. a. 25. a 35. b. Amendment of your Lyfe and Beeing and remember vs alwayes to the Good Wee wil not also forgett the Ministring of the Woord / vnto you all 3. But although ye coulde quyte forgett Vs / yet cannot wee forgett You. For we haue borne you in our Hearts and ye haue druncke g Cant. â— â— Esa. 66. b. of the Milke of our Breasts and eaten of one Bread with vs. 4. Therfore are wee likewyse dayly carefull ouer you like vnto a naturall Moother that alwayes beareth a Care ouer her Children / for to prouide thatt with Dilligence / which is needfull for them 5. If now the naturall Moothers haue such a Care ouer their naturall Children / shall not then the spirituall Moothers / now in these perillous Tymes / beare much-more a godly Care dayly ouer their spirituall Children of Sion / h Esa. 66. a. which they beare to the God of Lyfe / for to bring-them-up in all Health and Godlynes / to their full Age / vnhindered Yes nodout For veryly / the spirituall Procreation and the spirituall or inward Mootherly-loue / doth farr exceede the naturall It is verytrue 6. for-that-For-that-cause â ye Beloued inclyne not to the earthly and i Rom. 6.12 â— corruptible Beeing but suffer yourselues to be nourished and taught by the Seruice of Loue â–ª and through thesame / drawe-away k Rom. 13. b Gal. 5. b. 1. Pet. 2. b. your Myndes
holy Vnderstanding is the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine / in the Famyly of Loue / wherin / all good-willing Hearts to the Righteousnes and all vpright Beleeuers of the holy and gracious Woord / do shewe by the Deede / that they do i Math 22. c Iohn 24. loue the Lorde Iesus Christ with all their Hearts / and haue a good Will Lust or Desyre / to k Math 16. c Luâ— 9.14 â— follow-after Him with faythfull Hearts and for-that-cause / haue a Lust â with good-willing Hearts to fulfill or to accomplish y e Requyring of the Obedience of the first or fore-going Schoole-rule of the christian Doctrine in the Seruice and Famyly of Loue / wherby to l Ephe. 4. c growe-vp out of the nethermost Place â or out of the Turning-about to be like obedient m Math 18 a 19. b. Mar. 9.10 Children to becom right Elders in the godly Vnderstanding 12. BEholde â ye Deerly-beloued if now ye wil n Math 16 c follow-after the Lorde Iesu Christ duly and rightly / with perfect whole Hearts and o Col. 1 a 1 Pet 2. a. growe-vp in the godly Vnderstanding / according to the Trueth / then submitt yourselues obediently vnder the holy Woord of Grace and so then p Math. 16. â— Mat. 8. d. Luk. 9 14. c follow-after Iesus Christ / according to the Counsayle and Doctrine of his holy Spirit of Loue. 13. And if ye woulde gladly be delyuered q Math. 6. b. Luk. 12. g. from the Euell· incorporated to the Lorde Iesu Christ or one-substance r 2. Pet. 1. a. with Him· and so partakers with Christ â in the Kingdom of the God of Heauens of the spirituall Vnderstanding s Eâ—a 45. a. Matth. 11 d and heauenly Goodes â for to minister them rightly / and inherit y e euerlasting Lyfe / Then take this my good Doctrine t Pro. 1.2 3. Math. 19. â— Maâ— 10 c. Luk. 8. c. and godly Counsayle of the Wisdom / to heart and apply yourselues at the first therunto / in all Obedience and Faythfulnes The V. Chap. NOw when ye haue applyed yourselues heerunto· geeuen all a 1 Pâ—r. 29. c Psal 24.88 a thatt ouer â in the Seruice of Loue vnto the Lorde and his holy Woord Ø› Iesu Christ which belongeth vnto Him â to a Preseruacion in Righteousnes or sett it submitted ther-vnder and vowed and promysed your Fayth and Loue / vnto Iesu Christ / b 2. Cor. 11. a your right Lorde or Husbande / So think then also vpon nothing-els / but c Deut 6.10 a with all your Hearts / to loue your Lorde or Husbande to whom ye haue geuen-ouer your Fayth and whole Heart / for to loue Him only and bounde or marryed yourselues vnto Him / in all Faythfulnes and to shewe all Faythfulnes and d 1. Reg. 15. c. Obedience towards Him in such-sort / that it may be a e Psal. 40 a. Rom. 12. a. 1. Pâ—t 2. Delyte vnto you with all your Hearts / to doo all his Will and to follow-after Him in his Wayes 2. But first-of-al / in the f Ier. â—â— Circumcision of your Hearts â through the g Eccli 1. â— â— 19 â— Feare of God to the h â—eâ— â—2 â— Laying-away of the Sinne in the Flesh â–ª or of all i 1 Pet â— 2 vngodly Beeing and of the heathenâ—â— Misâ—urtour 3. Secondly â through y e Fayth of Iesu Christ â–ª in his Death of the Crosse or Suffering / to the Killing k Rom 〈…〉 b. Col 2. b. and Burying of the Sinne or of all vngodly Beeing 4. Thirdly â through the Loue of the holy Spirit of Iesu Christ in the second l Iohn â—â— Rom. â—â— b T it b Birth from the Death or the Resurrection of Iesu Christ / m Rom â—â—â— to the Righteousnes of Lyfe and n Rom â—â— 1 Ephâ— â— c. Renewing of your Spirits and Myndes 5. And so foorth-on vnto o Act â— a. â— the heauenly Beeing / at the Right-hande of God his heauenly Father from whence He doth now â in this Daye of his righteous Iudgment ouer p Math 1â—â— 2 â— g â—â— d. Act. 1â— f Iude â—â— Quick and Deadd appeere q â— Tess 4 d. and com vnto vs / in Power and Glory / with the many Thowsandes of his Saincts and with the aboundant Treasures r Col 2 a. or Ritches of his spirituall and heauenly Goodes / for to s Matth. 24 â— 25. d. assemble vs â–ª as Fellow-members of his Body vnto Him and his Saints / in the euerlasting Lyfe to the Inheriting of his holy t Heb. 4. c Rest and of all his spirituall and heauenly Goodes 6. for-that-FOr-that-cause â my beloued Heartes follow-after v Math 16. c 1. Pet. 2. c our Lorde Iesus Christ in such-a-maner euen like as I do heere figure-foorth thesame before you and apply you euenso at the first / to the first Schoole-rule or x Heb. 5. c. Begining of the christian Doctrine and of the godly Lyfe / in the Famyly of Loue. 7. Exercise yourselues first-of-al / thorowly and faythfully therin And so in the Following of Iesu Christ â in the Takeing-vp y Math. 16. c Mar 8. d. Luk 9. d. or Beareing of your Crosse / against all the Enemyes of the vpright Lyfe of Christ z 2 Pet. 2 c. Heb. 10. c. and Blaspheamers of the holy Spirit of Loue growe you vpp out of thesame / to the perfect a Ephe. 4. c. Age of the manly Beeing of Iesu Christ / and of his holy spirituall and heauenly Vnderstanding That is till that Iesus ChristØ›the true High-preeste / b psal 110. Heb 5 b. after the order of Melchisedech com vnto you from the c Heb. 1. b. Right-hande of God his Father and hath â with his holy Spirit of Loue and heauenly Goodes gotten d 2. Cor. 4. b. Gal. 2. d. 4. c. a liueing Shape in you· and herited you in his spirituall and heauenly e Col 2. a. Goodes and that likewyse thosame heauenly Goodes / do flowe agayne from your Bodyes / like f Iohn â— 7 d Floods of liueing Waters to the Refreshing of all thirsty Soules after the Righteousnes And so becom vpright Elders in the holy and godly Vnderstanding and Ministers of the holy Woord The VI. Chap. TAke it effectually to heart / which I wryte vnto you and thatt wherunto a Pro 1.2.4 â— I do exhorte you For it is the Lordes Woord and his Will / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes 2. Also refuse not to assemble you with vs to the Famyly of Loue wher-vnto ye be called / by Gods Grace / to your Preseruacion in the Godlynes· and requyred on the Lordes-behalf / for to fulfill b Math. 5. c all Righteousnes 3. For I saye vnto you veryly / that all those which refuse c Math. 22. â— thesame·
growe-offended against it· inclyn-vnto or mayntayne the Euell· and so do seperate themselues from vs Little and Electedones of God and from the Famyly of Loue / shall neuer vnderstande nor inherit the true d 1. Iohn 1. a. Light or Beeing of God nor the spirituall Vnderstanding of the heauenly Goodes of Iesu Christ nor the e Math 13. d. 1. Cor. 2. b Col. 1. c. Secretnes of the heauenly Kingdom of God nor the Fullfilling f Ephe. 1. b. c Col. 1. c. 2. b. of the Righteousnes in Iesu Christ nor-yet the vpright g Iohn 8 d Heb. 4. e Freedom or Rest of the Children of God but shall dye in their Sinnes and be h Esa. 66. d. Math. 25. f. Apo. 21. c. condemned in the hellish Fyre 4. In which hellish Fyre of perpetuall Condemnacion / their i Apo. 16.20 â— 22. c. Heritage shal be the false Light or Beeing of the Deuill and all Bitternes or Maliciousnes of Heart together with all Blyndnes of the false and erring Spirits wherin they shall beholde and inherit nothing-els but all k Esa. 47. â— Wo Calamitee and Misery / as likewyse the euerlasting l Ier. 30. a. 2. Tess. 2. b Death â which they themselues haue procured and the perpetuall Bannishment m Math. 7. d. 25. f. Apo. 6. b. from the louely Beeing of God 5. From which Abhominations and euell Things / all beleeueing Hearts of the holy Woord of the Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ â which do submitt them n Esa 6â— b. obediently ther-vnder· dye in Christ their Sauiour· and in Patience / hope vpon the Godlynes be o Apo â— 18.20.21 deliuered and kept from all Destruction 6 THerfore take-heede to yourselues / to your Obedience and Godlynes / in the Loue of our God and Father / lest that yee â remayning without the Body of Christ or Famyly of Loue fall into the foresayde p Esa. 65. b. c. Abhomynations For doutles I haue warned you all sufficiently / of all Abhomynacions Destruction and Condemnacion and cleerly and euidently enough figured-forth before you / y e Preseruacion of you all and wheare thesame is to be obtayned 7. I therfore q Deut. 30. d. Act. 20. f excuse my self this daye before you all â which heare this my Testimony and refuse to assemble you to the Famyly of Loue or which turne yourselues ther-from of the Condemnacion of you all in thissame Daye of the r Soph. 1. c. â— Tess. 5. 2. Pet. 3. c. righteous IudgmeÌ„t of God / which passeth-out now swiftly â in this Daye of the Loue ouer the wicked Worlde / to her Condemnacion and in like-maner s Soph. 1 c. d. ouer all those that s Mâ—â—h 22. â— refuse the Obedience to the gracious Woord· and to the Requyring of the Testimonyes of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ also are Enemyes to thesame· and mayntayne the wicked Worlde 8. For now in thissame Daye / shall the perpetuall Condemnacion / t Soph. 1 â— 2. Tess. 5. a Apo. 3. fall vnwares vppon all those that remayne without y e Howse of the Lorde and without the Obedience to his Seruice of Loue euen lyke as it came-to-pas with the Vnwillingones to the Trueth of God / in the v Gen. 7. a 19 c. Math. 24. Luk. 17. f Dayes of Noe and of Loth. 9. WHo soeuer now therfore / is â with a goodwilling Heart adioyned to the Famyly of Loue and which loueth Gods Righteousnes in thissame Daye / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and which desyreth to be kept from the Destruction· and preserued in the Godlynes / Let him x Eccli 18. c Luk 18.21 a 1 Tess. 5 c watch and praye now Night and Daye let him think vpon the â—iâ—rible y Esa 47 65. c Ier. 30 a Abhomynation that shall fall vppon the Resisters of the Obedience of y e Loue and of her godly Seruice and so let him take-heede z Heb. 2. â— to the godly spirituall and heauenly Goodes / which com vnto the Beleeuers of the holy Woord of the Spirit of y e Loue of Iesu Christ / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and let him a Eccli 6.32 a. Act. 14. c. 1 Cor 3 4 â— esteeme nomore of himself / then he is neither-yet let him seeke any Laude Prayse nor Honour / to b Psal. 14 b. Iohn 7. c. 8. f 1. Cor. 10. â— himself / in all his Wel-dooing / but only to the Lorde and to shewe all Obedience to the Lordes Woord and Will 10 For all the Good that cometh to the Man / c Math. 25. b. Luk. 19. b. from the Lorde â for to shewe all Good· or alwayes to doo well therthrough therof ther belongeth d 1. Cor 4. b 15. b. 2. Cor. 3. b. 1 Pet. 4. c no Glory Thanks nor Prayse / vnto the Man â although he dooeth or sheweth thesame Good but only to y e Lorde / of whom he receaueth the Good 11 For what Good or Weldooing can the Man doo I pray you / wherby any Glory Thankes or Prayse / belongeth vnto him / seing that he must receaue all the Good / of the e 1. Cor. 4. b. 15. b. 2. Cor. 3. b Iam. 1. a. Lorde and of his Grace 12 Doth it belong to the Man / to seeke or desyre Thankes and Prayse / because that he receaueth of God â f 1. Cor. 15. b. through his Fauour and Grace g Ephe. 1. b Wealth / for his Pouertee all Good / for his Euell h Ephe. 1. y e euerlasting Lyfe and Saluacion / for his Deserte of euerlasting Death and Condemnacion and the i 2. Cor. 5. a Spirituall and Heauenly· and the euerlasting Vncorruptiblenes / for the Earthly and Corruptible I think veryly / No. but k 1. Cor. 15. b highworthyly to laude and thanke the God of Lyfe / for his graces-Graces-cause and in no-wyse / to boste or to glory of himself The VII Chap. THerfore looke wel to it / that ye drawe not vnto yourselues / a Esa. 42 b 48. b Ier. 13. c. d Eccli 7.13 b thatt which belongeth to the Lorde But submitt you obediently vnder his holy Woord and Seruice of Loue And so in the Accounting-nothing or Debaseing of yourselues / b Tob. 4. a Psal. 33. a 102.103 a 144. a alwayes laude and prayse the Lorde with Thankesgiueing / for the Grace of his Mercy towards you and for all his Goodnes shewed on you and endure ouercom or suffer-out â for the Loue of Iesu Christes sake c Eccli 2. a. 1. Cor. 4. c. 1. Pet. 2. c all the Temptacions / wherwith ye be tempted out of the Sinne and out of your owne vncleane or defyled Knowledg and by all the Ministers of Sinne / against d Eccli 2. a Heb. 12. a your Passage towards the good Lyfe of Iesu Christ. 2 For at what tyme soeuer ye