Lord is my Helper Now Moses rehearsed the Covenant of the Lord to Israel before his Death Where he saith in Deut. 30.10 If thou shalt hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy God to keep his Commandments and his Statutes which are written in the Book of the Law and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul V. 11. For this Commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off V. 12. It is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go up for us into Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it V. 13. Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it V. 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and thy Heart that thou maist do it This you see was spoken to the Church that was Elected Called and Chosen out of the whole World and so far Renewed and Inlightned as to be put into a Capacity of Obedience so as they might have done it as Moses saith If they had used their Diligence therein and with Prayer sought to God for his Assistance then the Lord according to his Promise would not have fail'd them nor forsake them Now the Heathen had neither the word in their Mouth nor in their Heart and some of them must have crossed the Seas if they would have had it Now Moses saith in the 15th v. See I have set before thee this day Life and Good Death and Evil. V. 16. In that I command thee this Day to Love the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Statutes and his Judgments that thou mayest live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whether thou goest to possess it V. 17. But if thine Heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear but shalt be drawn away and Worship other Gods and serve them V. 18. I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the Land whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it V. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you Life and Death a blessing and a Cursing therefore choose Life that both thou and thy Seed may live Now this was said to the whole Jewish Church that God had brought out of Darkness and given them the knowledg of himself and his Law Upon which Moses absolutely saith that he hath set Life and Death before them which he could not have said had their Destruction been absolutely decreed before the foundation of the Material World was I do not deny a fore-knowledg in God that Man mightmiscarry but I absolutely deny that God made a Decree for Mans Damnation before ever man was Created or the World in which they Transgressed but that the Decree was passed according to the saying of the Angel after Man had offended Neither do I deny but that some particular persons are so chosen or their Election to be such so as they shall not be cast off But that which I deny is That the Jewish Church was not so chosen or Elected but that by their sinning they might be cast off For it was but a conditional Covenant that then God made with them But as to that New Covenant the which God hath promised to make with them to give them a New Heart and a New Spirit that they should not sin against him and that they should be all taught of God from the least of them to the greatest of them and that he would never leave them nor forsake them nor leave them so as to forsake him but then he will rain down Righteousness and shower down blessings upon them Hos 10.12 Isa 65.22 Ezek. 24.34 Jer. 31.33,34 Jer. 32.40,41 Isa 60.21 But this Promised Covenant still remains to be made with them which God has Promised by his Oath shall be made with them and confirm'd unto them the which Promise will be made good to them at the Restitution of all things which will not be till Christ again comes to which St. Paul's Epistles do most of them drive at wherein he speaks of Election And as to that of Esau and Jacob whom God hath set as the Figure of both Worlds Esau being the Figure of this World and Jacob of that which is to come therefore it is said I have loved Jacob and hated Esau because the Glory was intended for the other World which is Jacob and that they of this World that are of Esau will part with their Birth-right rather than withstand a Temptation or wrestle with Affliction in the day of Tryal which Birth-right is the Promise of Salvation if they hold out to the end for which we must all Pray Wrestle and Run or else we shall not receive the Prize For now the Body of the Christian Church stands on no other Conditions than Israel then did as to their Calling and Election That is they are so far renewed as to be brought into the knowledge of God and put into a capacity of Obedience in which as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.10,11 We are to use all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And St. Paul to the Philippians saith Phil. 2.12,13,15,16 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And in the next Verse it is said For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure That is it is so far the good will and pleasure of God as to call us renew us and enlighten us in the knowledg of himself whereby he hath put us into a capacity of working out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling And he saith in the 15th Verse That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in she midst of a crocked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the world Verse 16. Holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the Day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain Now he knew there was a possibility of their miscarriage by the Admonition that he gave them which if they did it would take away his rejoycing in the Day of Christ in that he had laboured for them in vain And the same Apostle to the Hebrews saith Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and your bodies washed with pure water And here the Apostle tells us what is required of us if we are made partakers of
the promises The which is if we find that our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water the Water of Baptism Then it is he saith in Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised V. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and good Works For if we do not these things the profession of our Faith will little avail us For he saith in the 26th verse If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins V. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and â—…ery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries V. 28. He that despised Moses's Law dyed without mercy under two or three Witnesses V. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace V. 30 For we know him that saith Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judg his People Now whereas he saith If we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Here by these words you see he includes himself and the then gathered Church that he wrote unto That if he or any of them should sin wilfully after they have received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment Now these were the Called the Elected and the Chosen to whom he gives all this warning to let them understand there was a possibility of their falling off and to let them understand that their Calling and Election was such as brought them into the knowledg of Christ and themselves so far Renewed and Enlightned as to put them into a Capacity of obedience in which capacity they must use their utmost indeavour to make their Calling and Election sure For after God has Illuminated us that is enlightned us then he tries us to prove ouâ— obedience either by Prosperity or Adversity or whatever other Affliction he shall see meet to lay upon us even to the withdrawing of his comfortable Presence from us to see whether our belief in him is such as to take to the Rules that he hath set before us as to be found doing our utmost endeavour in maintaining a warfare and making a continual Resistance for the doing of which we must still seek to God by Prayer for his Assistance then with confidence we may rely on his Promise who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And S. James saith in c. 4.7,8 Submit your selves therefore to God resist the Devil and he will flee from you Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you And St. Paul still incouraging them to hold out bids them v. 33. Call to remembrance the formsr days in which after they were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Affliction But when God in the Wilderness did prove Israel they did not stand in the day of Tryal For which all that was numbred of them from 20 years old and upwards that came out of Egypt died in the Wilderness save Caleb and Joshua Num. 23.21 Now whereas Balaam saith God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversness in Israel In which words he had reference to the time to come and so speaks in the Scripture way of speaking and not that those words did appertain to them at that time but in the time to come when God shall take away their sins For he is of purer Eyes than to behold inipuity and let it go unpunished But it is then he sees no iniquity in Jacob when he hath removed all iniquity from them which the Lord hath promised to do at the time when he again comes For at that time when they were in the Wilderness all those heavy Judgments came upon them because of their Iniquity And also it is further Evident that he intended not those words to them that were then left of Israel For afterward in Numb 25.3,9 they again sinned in committing Whoredom and Idolatry with Moab as in the 3d. v. And Israel joyned himself to Baal Peor and the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel so as there dyed for that Transgression 24 thousand as it is said in the 9th verse Now it is farther evident when Balaam was at that time with Balak he speake to him of the second coming of Christ for in Numb 24.17,18 He saith of Christ I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the Children of Seth. Which in antient Writings is said to be the Children of ease and quiet and without doubt meant of her that saith I sit as a Queen and am no Widow nor shall see no sorrow but her destruction at the coming of the Lord shall be at an instant suddenly as here it is said when the Septer shall rise out of Jacob and destroy all the Children of Seth. And in Numb 23.23 It is also said Sureâ—y there is no enchantment against Jacob neither any Divination against Israel according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought That was then there could be no Enchantment against Jacob nor any Divination against Israel when they were not committing Sin But by woful experience we know that when Israel had transgressed by sinning then God suffered the Enchantments of the King of Babylon to be successful for to accomplish his threatned Judgments against Israel as it is said in Ezek. 21.21 For the King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to use Divination He made his Arrows bright he consulted with images he looked in the liver v. 22. At his Right-hand was the Divination for Jerusalem by which we see this Prophesy of Balaam doth particularly appertain to the time to come and then there shall be no Inchantment against Jacob nor Divination against Israel for evermore And the latter part of this Verse doth make it farther appear his meaning was for the time to come wherein he saith according to this time which Argues that there should be another time according to what was then in which it should be said what hath God wrought And also the last Testimony of Ruben gives us an Account of the great Afflictions and Repentance that he had for that sin of his when weeping he said Hearken ye my Brethren and you my Children give Ear to the words of your Father Râ—ber mark what I give in charge behold I command you this day before the God of Heaten
to himself Herein is not comprehended how God doth deal with some particular persons but to the general carrying on of the Church in the World Now whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 3,9 For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin 10. v. As it is written there is none Righteous no not one And he faith in Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the Children of wrath even as others Tho through sin both Jews and Gentiles are all of them fallen under the Curse and so the wrath of God yet our natures are not alike estrang'd from God Now in Acts 18.9,10 Spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a Vision be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace 10. v. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City That is People or much ground capable to receive Seed so as to bring forth Fruit. And as there is several sorts of ground so the Lord tells us there is two sorts of Seed But not that God did Reprobate Man before the Foundation of the material heavens and Earth to Damnation but that the Devil hath since so twisted himself into the Nature of great part of Mankind that he is as it were become one with them Therefore the Lord put forth Matt. 13.24 Another Parable unto them saying the Kingdom of Heaven is likned unto a Man which sowed good Seed in his Field 25. v. But while men slept his Enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way 26. v. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the Tares also 27. v. So the Servants of the Housholder came and said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy Field from whence then hath it Tares 28. v. He said unto them an enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up 29. v. But he said nay lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them 30. v. Let both grow together until the Harvest and in time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them into bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn Here is a clear demonstration that the Tares are a false Seed of the Devils sowing And the Lord speaks of them in Isa 57.3 But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorcerers the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore 4. v. Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not Children of Transgression a seed of Falshood Here we see that a false Seed comes in much this way and what is here spoken of by the Lord has a more particular reference to the Christians who are guilty of these things and in especial manner to the Romans by whom all those abominable wickednesses are allowed and that this was spoken to the Christians it doth appear in the foregoing Chapter Isa 56. from the 7. v. to the end by reason God speaketh of the gathering of the out cast of Israel and that he then will gather others with them and it is evident Israel hath never since been gathered And at that time it is said That all the Beasts of the Field and Forrest should come to devour And that could not be to Devour Israel for it is said they are then to be restored and it is made farther evident in that it is said The Watchmen are all blind and so treating of the same effect in the next Chapter as I have set down in the 3. and 4. v. Now as to what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it That is the good ground before it receiveth Seed will bring forth Weeds as the other doth Thorns but when the good ground does receive Seed there is presently a difference in the growth of the Fruit in that of the good ground from that of the Thorny yet nothing to be boasted of because all that is good in them came from that hand that gave the Seed or else they might for ever have remained the Children of wrath as well as others Therefore the lower we set in our own Estimation the higher we rise in God's Now whereas Christ saith in John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him That is at first God must draw the Heart to Christ that the Soul might be convinc'd that he was the Christ And in the Apostles time there was given the Holy Ghost to bear witness to the World the truth thereof Neither can any now come to Christ except the Father draw him And in the visible Church of Christ there is a three-fold drawing of God First By the Invitation of his word and by way of Reproof Instruction and Exhortation Secondly There is the reproof of the Spirit of God which we commonly call the checks of Conscience Thirdly There is the good Motions of the Spirit of God all these being the drawings of God to bring us home to him through Christ to Repentance This being the ordinary way of God's Working in his Church And Israel having these drawings of God therefore he calls out to them by his Prophets for to come to Repentance because â—e had put them in a capacity so to do giving them power to do that part for themselves but when through their continual resisting the good Spirit of God and in refusing to be obedient to his word And then it is God leaves them And therefore St. Stephen said to them Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye And then it is as it is said they that are accustomed to do evil cannot learn to do well That is when through their own resisting they weary out the good Spirit of God so as he leaves them to themselves But whilst God calls Israel to come to Repentance there was a door of Mercy open to them Therefore God saith in Ezekiel 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Here it is evident by the Word of God that when he thus invited them there was a door of Mercy open to them but when God would not shew Mercy to his people Israel then doth God neither call on them to Repentance
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS