hath its seat or where sin is to be found and that God sees this or that sin A true beleeving man doth consist of two parts A strong man to sin and a strong man to cast out sin Matth. 12.28 29. Sin is a filthiness that doth rest both in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 Mark this you that are self-righteous Luke 18.9 For the seat of sin is in the flesh saith the Apostle Rom. 7.18 But the death of sin is upon the Cross of Christ Col. 2.14 Gal. 6.14 Christ in you the hope of your glory is the strong man in you that doth cast out sin and satan and he doth bring sin every moment to his Cross and there he is nailing it to his Cross and crucifying sin and self upon his Cross or by the power of his Cross Col. 1.27 29. Gal. 6.14 The best of men have sin in their flesh and they hate it Rom. 7.15 But in their spirit they observe no sin to obey it but serve the Law of God and love it Rom. 7.25 Now God sees sin as the great false Prophet that hath deceived the false Prophets that were and the false Teachers or the false Prophets that now are amongst us which run before they be sent of the Lord and they steal my Word every one from his neighbor saith the Lord And they say I said when I have not spoken to them and yet they prophesie saith the Lord though it be but a dream and it may be cal themselves Ministers of the Gospel Now none more likely then such men who privily shal saith the Apostle Great learned men are as ignorant of Christ as unlearned men instance in Nicodemus and Saul bring in all manner of heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And yet for all this these men may be great learned men but the God of this world that is the Devil hath blinded their minds and yet they may remain Prophets and Teachers though they do but teach the ayr of their own brain according to the Prince of the ayr who exalteth himself in the Temple of God and is like unto a Lamb in sheeps clothing beware of these saith our Saviour and so saith the Apostle Let none of these men deceive you by any means saith the Apostle though they make a fair shew in the flesh shewing themselves that they are for God and so compel you and if you oppose them you shall finde them inwardly ravening Wolves or openly like Lyons for to tear you Now to make it appear to you Sect. 11 that there have been false Prophets formerly read Jere. 23.21 to the end and so likewise read 1 King 22.11 12. And so likewise to make it appear to you that there are false Prophets and false Teachers even now amongst us read 2 Pet. 2.1 Matth. 24.24 25. Now I would not be mistaken here in what I have said concerning false Teachers for I do not mean mechanick men nor illiterate men though there may be some things amiss amongst them yet they can speak the true thetorick of the Heaven of God which is very sweet unto them for their conversation is in God and with God read Phil. 3.20 Now these mechanick men which I mean are such as are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and Christ himself is the chief corner stone Ephes 2.20 21. And they are acquainted as Christ is with the mansions in God Iohn 14.2 And they see the land that is afar off read Isai 33.17 Want of humane learning is no let in revealing Christ Now I had rather hear such mechanick men one hour then some great learned men twenty four hours though they should come from Oxford or Cambridg In case they should be but only learned in the brain and so learned in the theorick that is to speak of an outside and no more Now I will give you a reason of what I have said A learned man having the School-Arts may by the help of a Globe or a Map discourse much of the Countrey of Spain or Italy or Constantinople though he himself were never there And so by the letter of the Scripture and the help of a Library he may talk much of Heaven and God and yet know but very little concerning that which they talk so much of Therefore I said I had rather hear some mechanick men because their conversation is in heaven as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3.20 Now such men can speak the truest of that place where they are most conversant though it may be not so Schollar-like yet they can and do inwardly walk with God as Enoch did and they please God Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 And they know his name and therefore they trust in his name and speak good of it Psal 9.10 Therefore it is more profitable to hear such mechanick men or such illiterate men though it may be they are jeered with the spirit and what they do say some they do it by the spirit and this is spoken by way of a jeer But I will tell you what I think That God doth see this as great a sin in England as any one sin And this is that spirit of Antichrist which denies Christ come in the flesh or in our flesh as you may read 1 Iohn 4.1 2 3. The Papists confess Christ come in the flesh but they must not confess him to be come into their flesh for to guide and to lead them and teach them but they must be taught by their great Doctors and Rabbies of their Church and they must be led which way they will and is it not even so amongst us at this day As for instance in our Clergy men of England they are divided into two parts The one part for the King and the other part for the Parliament Now I ask is Christ divided how are the people like to be taught The one party for the King strives for that easie Common Service Book or Common Prayer Book and their own Will-worship with their old ceremonies which are as a shadow or a vail before their eyes so that they cannot see the Substance of Religion but dote after the shadow And the other party which is for the Parliament they strive for a Directory after the best Reformed Churches and the neerest to the Word of God as they say but they themselves will be the Judges over other mens Consciences and what they say other men must do if they had but power in their hands And thus while these two sorts of Clergy men are striving for shadows and the most people stand amazed to see them and the people can say there is but one God one Christ and one holy Spirit And if these great learned men could but speak experimentally of God the Father who is first and Christ coming out of the Father who is second and the Holy Ghost proceeding forth from them both and is the third and yet these three are but one Now if our learned men could
is the Lord our God he alone shall be exalted singly in that day and then we shall cease from man Isa 2.17 22. Psa 131.1 2 3. Now you that stand so much upon your scholarship and rest upon that consider what I have said and the Lord teach you to know the plainness of Truth in singlenes of heart and to own the Truth for its own sake and own naked Christ which is the joy of the Lord and your strength though he be not dressed with humane Eloquence Nehem. 8.10 Yours in the Lord RO. PRIER A WORD Touching the Author and Nature Of this TREATISE I Shall not add much to the bulk of this book though there 's occasion administred unto me so to do only three or four things by way of preface I judg meet thou shouldst be put in mind of whoever thou art that seekest after God in reading it viz. the Author Nature End and opportuness of it coming forth As touching the Author a thousand to one if thou knewest his person thou wouldst have him in very great contempt not for the evilness of his conversation for were his adversaries his judges they would not be able scarce to charge him with those infirmities that are common to man such is his known innocency sweetness meekness faith sincerity love God having very plentifully showred down of his grace upon him But that which would be a stumbling block unto thee is the meaness lowness obscureness of his Condition in respect of writing books according as man judgeth who being neither a Prophet nor a Prophets son as 't is said of Amos should thus boldly and groundedly stand up to the reproof of the Prophets and Seers of this Age and Nation making it to appear that the most of them speak out of the vision of their own hearts and say the Lord the Lord when they have seen nothing Will they not say he takes too much upon him But their predecessors said so of Christ and have charged the same offence upon his in all ages especially if they have as he publikely appeared to discover the blindness of the leaders and teachers of the people 2. As concerning the Nature of this book I find three things excelling in it plainness homeness and the heavenly favor of it First the plainness of it is such that I may say to the readers of all sorts that he of them that runs may read it the vision of God in it is made so evident and written as the Lord bid the Prophet Isaiah stilo humano with a mans pen so that in it as some say of the Scriptures for the lowness of it the Lamb may wade and for its depth and glory the Elephant may swim or to make use of the Scripture simile there 's found in it milk for babes and stronger meat for them of riper age in Christ In the second place the homeness of it is no less to be observed for we shall find scarce any man of any opinion whatsoever in these times that is not touched to the quick I mean justly judged and taxed in it for one miscarriage or another tending to the scandal and reproach of pure Christianity which is scarce thought on in these times So that in it as in a glass a clear and cristal one the Christians whether Popish or Prelatical Presbyterian or Independent as we now speak may at once see their deformities together with the way and means as it were Bethesdas pool stirred to their hands by the descent of that high and holy Angel the Angel of the Covenant Jesus our Lord that they yea even King and Parliament and those of either party might step therein and be made every whit whole and in joynt again Lastly the savor of it is so sweet and heavenly That methinks I find it altogether such savory meat as the Author speaks of in the body of his book which Rebeccah the Churches type cook't and Jacob brought in Esaus a The man that makes so great ado in hunting up down to no purpose in all Ages absence to his father Isaac when he was old and not able to walk abroad which he relisht well for he tasted God in it by this Jacob a plain man without art and fraud got the blessing as this man will certainly do from his elder and churlish brother Esau a forward man that came forth first In one word it is of a most comforting quickning nature Aqua vitae to the drooping fainting soul not letters and sillables only or as the Apostle speaks a voyce of words and no more but as our Savior says Spirit and Life to them that have their senses exercised through the communication of the same spirit of truth to discern betwixt good and evil As for unspiritual men and women they are so vitiated by a customariness in feeding upon other things the cucumbers onyons and garlick the flesh-pots of Egypt I mean the traditions of men that are as themselves are Carnal that 't is no marvel they so distaste this Manna as the Israelites did the like upon the same account that they cry out in Town and Country O si O that they would give us flesh to eat for our soul is dryed up for there is nothing Numb 11. besides this Manna that which we know not what to make of before our eyes Yet let me tell thee Reader for therein I shall undertake to divine and prophesie wait but a while and there will be nothing left for to refresh the Nation but that which their soul abhors this Manna of which they say what is it though they have had flesh in such abundance as the Israelites had quails a bird of the earth that it comes out at their nostrils their shame and folly is even now so manifest unto all The third thing I propounded was to give a hint of the Authors end in framing this holy Conference within himself concerning all sorts and sects of men in these times and that I have learn't only by acquaintance with his person and perusal of his book by means of both I have collected and comforted my self with this that he had in his eye yea in his heart as Moses sometimes had in Egypt the falling out that was not only between the Egyptian and the Hebrew in the which quarrel Moses willingly engaged himself and was the death of the Egyptian as every true Israelite seeks to be for who was this Egyptian a figure of but the old man or the man of sin that transforms himself into all shapes and under various pretences disquiets both Church and State even till now Therefore Moses took care to bury him in the sand when no body was by into which Pharaoh with his mighty host sank afterwards being offended greatly as the world is now at the meekness of this meek man Moses by whom yet Egypt is overthrown and Israel set free But that which Moses was most offended with was to see two Hebrew brethren
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
1 Cor. 1.30 And Christ bids the soul be of good cheer for its sins are forgiven Matth. 9.2 and he hath overcome the world for it though it live amongst men that are slanderers and say it will have none of his Law to be its rule and call it Antinomian that will live as its own list For Christ hath done all for it and it needs to do nothing at all And this they say It will not pray for pardon of sin for God sees no sin in it and they say it takes liberty by Freegrace to sin and is infectious as the plague But mark how Christ speaks to the soul Be of good cheer poor soul for I know thy works and thy tribulation and patience and poverty and where thou dwellest even where Satans throne is Revel 2.9 10 11 13. But be of good cheer O poor soul though these men hate thee yet thou art blessed and when they shall separate thee from their company and shall reproach thee and cast out thy name as evil for my sake rejoyce thou in that day and be of good cheer for I have overcome this world of men Luke 6.22 23. John 16.32 33. Now mark how Jesus Christ doth vindicate these reproached ones I know saith Christ that you acknowledg that without me you can do nothing Joh. 15.5 When I have inlarged thine heart and put my self therein saith Christ then I will be thy law and thy rule and thy day and thy power and thou shalt be willing in me and I will be thy law in which thou shalt delight and it shall not be grievous but thy joy Psa 119.32 110.3 Rom. 7.22 Psal 1.2 1 John 5.3 Secondly Thou canst not live as thy own list O thou poor soul saith Christ for thou art not thy own I have bought thee with a price and thou art joyned unto me in and by the Spirit and thou shalt live as I will have thee saith Christ for I will give thee both to will and to do of my good pleasure and thou shalt not be barren nor unfruitful 1 Cor. 6.17 19 20. Phil. 2.13 2 Pet. 1.8 Thirdly Jesus Christ did not suffer and die for himself but he tells thee O poor soul that he died for thee to bring thee as a son unto glory and bids thee be of good cheer for he hath finished the work which God gave him to do for thee O poor soul and thou needest not for to do any thing at all for life or for to get Christ who is thy life Mistake me not here Sect. 4 for most people do mistake this point Christ tells thee O poor soul again That he hath finished all for thee upon the Crose and thou needest not to work for life neither needest thou to work for to get Christ for Christ is a free gift of God and not for us to get of God Now as Christ hath done all for the soul so Christ tells the poor soul he will do all in it for he is the vine and the soul is a branch in him and it shall work from a principle of life which is in him which is its original and he will pour into it spiritual influence and nourishment and it shall bring forth much fruit because of him read Heb. 2.9 10 11. John 17.4 5 6. 19.30 4.10 15.5 Fourthly Jesus Christ tells the poor soul that it needs not doubt of the pardon of sin for he hath put an end to its sins and brought in everlasting righteousness unto it for to cover it and he will open its eyes and awaken it that it may run and read its pardon and be satisfied with beholding his face in righteousness which will transform it into his likeness and cause it for to sing the song of the Lamb and to have the high praises of God in its mouth Dan. 9.24 Psal 17.15 Revel 14.1 2 3 4 5. Psal 149.4 5 6. Fifthly Christ tells the soul that God sees no sin in his that is in the new man that is the heavenly man which is that holy thing which shall be born in thee O thou poor soul and this holy thing shall be formed in thee O thou poor soul and this is the seed of God which shall be born in thy heart and it cannot sin because he is born of God And this is the good part or the better part which Christ speaks of to Martha Now this good thing or this better part is even God himself Now we are to consider betwixt the spirit and the flesh Now in the Spirit which is of God there is no evil or sin but in the flesh there is not this good neither can flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God for in my flesh saith Paul I know there dwelleth no good thing Now a true Christian in this life doth consist of good and evill Now the good part in a true believing man or woman brings the bad part every moment unto the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ to be crucified as Paul speaks By which Cross saith he I am crucified to the world the flesh and sin and the world the flesh and sin are crucified unto me upon this Cross And I thank God through Christ my Lord which hath freed me from the body of this death So that with the minde I my self saith the Apostle serve the Law of God but in my flesh there is a law of sin which is nailing to the Cross of Christ every day 1 Cor. 15.47 48 49. Luke 1.35 Gal. 4.19 Psal 27.4 1 Iohn 3.9 Luke 10.41 42. 18.19 These Scriptures shew where God sees no sin And these Scriptures which I shall now name shew how and where God doth see sin that is in the flesh and upon the Cross of Christ 1 Corinth 15.50 Rom. 7.18 Gal. 5.17 6.14 Rom. 7.21 22 23 24 25. Col. 2.13 14 15. Heb. 2.14 15. Sixthly Free-grace doth not open a door to let in sin into the soul but the soul as a chaste Virgin married unto Christ the Fountain of Free-grace by which grace the soul is strong to shut the door against sin Romans chap. verse 4. Titus 2. verses 11 12. Seventhly Those that speak so much of Free-grace are not infectious as a plague as some call them and say they are corrupt in the brain and so they are dangerous Now such men do labor to bring an evil report upon these men for Free-grace sake Now by this means there is a disaffecting and a great neglecting of the speaking of Free-grace and rather a teaching of men for to do some good thing of their own as it were and so to get our selves qualifications as it were for to fit us for Christ Good master what shall I do saith the young man that I may inherit eternal life Mark 10.17 And so saith the Pharisee I have fasted and prayed and done many things therefore I am not as other men are Luke 18.11 12. Now is it not apparent that most people and
his benefits who hath forgiven thee all thy sins whodoth forgive thee al thy sins he doth continually declare unto thee the forgiveness of all thine iniquities that thou mightest rejoyce before him in the forgiveness of all thy sins for he hath healed all thy diseases and he doth heal all thy diseases and he wil continually heal all thy diseases Therefore thou mayst be of good cheer O my soul for thou mayst and dost swim in rivers of pleasures for evermore Now this river is loving kindness and tender mercies whereof the soul doth drink and is abundantly satisfied and it lives in this river and shal never more thirst after sin read Psa 103.1 read the whole Psalm Now this river is God himself in which the soul doth live and refresh it self as in a fountain of life and it never needs to fear drowning read Rev. 22.1 2 3 4 5. Psa 36.7 8 9. Secondly This Fountain of Israel which is the sweet God himself is the ayr in which the soul doth live and in which the soul doth move and act and hath its being Acts 17.28 And so likewise the soul as a bird doth fly up and down in this ayr admiring of God and praising of God and chirping forth praise unto God in the midst of this heaven and thus the soul doth fly in the midst of the Heaven of God delighting it self in God where it shal abide for evermore read Rev. 14.4 5 6. Now the soul doth wind up its conclusion in giving all honor unto its original All my springs saith the soul are in thee who art the fountain of Israel which is God blessed for evermore read Psa 87.6 7. Psa 68.26 And so much with submission to better judgment about praying for a pardon for sin nay rather a praying for the manifestations of the Spirit and the evidences of the Spirit to be in my heart of that pardon which God hath had ever ready from the foundations of the world and holds it forth unto all men But I Quest saith some poor soul want the Spirits application of this pardon and if he would but keep it close unto my soul or in my soul then it would cause me to rejoyce both in life and at death But the Spirit is free to work where he wil and in whom he wil and to pass by whom he wil and who shal say Why dost thou so unto him Fifthly You are accused of saying That God sees no sin or no sin in you But how is it then that God suffers sin to come into his Creation as an accident he not creating of sin Answ Because he wil bring forth his own defign in manifesting of the glory of his free grace and making out of Christ Secondly There is no equality between Christ and sin or Christ and siners neither hath Christ any accord with sin And what agreement hath Christ the Temple of God with idols which is sin None at all 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. God sees sin contrary unto himself therefore he appears as a consuming fire unto sin and not unto sin only but unto all created forms and beings Heb. 12.18 21 27 29. Heb. 1.10 11 12. 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13. And so likewise to siners that is sinful men and women in whom sin hath taken possession and is their present king Now such in their capacity look upon God as a dreadful Judg because they look out of the prison house of sin and think they most dwel with devouring fire and with everlasting burnings And thus God appears unto all that look upon him out of Christ Isai 33.14 But now on the other side Sect. 8 Those that are Baptized with the fire of the Holy Ghest this is their proper heavenly element that they live in and they are like the bush that was all on a flame of fire and was not consumed Exod. 3.2 3 4. Now this fire wil burn stubble and all maner of sinful works of men 1 Cor. 2 11 12 13. But this heavenly fire is nourishment unto that which is of it self 1 Pet. 1.5 7 8. Now these seeing God in Christ see him unchangeably good and the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 Now God is not as sinful dark men judg him to be that is to be made up of love and hatred Fury is not in God Isa 27 4. and wrath and fury and so they stand a far off from him and say that he is an hard Master Now what a mistake is here for God is the only true Good he is loving merciful and just and sin shal not stand neer him but sin shal be bowed down and the siner whose heart is a throne for sin to be his king he shal not stand upright in the judgment of God in Christ Psa 1.4 5. Now sin doth delude a man to think that God is like unto himself read Psa 50.19 20 21. But God is of purer eyes then to behold such evil and to look on iniquity and sin and not to destroy death with his sting Habak 1.13 Heb. 2.14 15. Now I shal speak a word by way of comparison of sin coming in by way of accident and Gods design in suffering of it Now the comparison wil fal infinitly too short But suppose a curious Artificer makes a Watch very curiously but something fals out in a very short time and puts the Watch out of order and this we cal an accident and use to say there is such an accident faln out and hath put the Watch out of order and it doth nothing now but jar and it never goes right until it be taken in pieces and a second Art applied unto it and so new made up again but now if this Artificer could have prevented this accident he would not have suffered this accident to have faln out upon his Watch and spoiled it But it is not so with God for accidents are not against God Nothing done without Gods providence but for God and permited by God to be or not to be and are suffered by God and ordered by him to bring his own designs about Now an accident is in relation to men as not knowing God and so they use that word accident or luck or chance or as some grosly cal it fortune not knowing that God is neer unto that which they cal accident or luck and doth dispose of it and them as shal make most for his own glory As for instance The lying spirit was admited to go into the mouth of the Prophets of Ahab and so Ahab was deluded And so likewise the arrow was ordered that was drawn out of a bow at a venture and was directed to the joynts of the harness of the King of Israel and so he was wounded And so likewise David hasted and ran to meet the Army and put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone and slung it Now David being a type of Christ Revel 22.16 as it is writen
shall answer you as Christ answered the Jews If God were your father saith Christ then ye would love your Brethren Joh. 8.38 c. Now mark this all you that verbally say You beleeve in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and yet you hate your Brethren as Cain that wicked one did who slew his brother see the reason of it and judg of it among your selves read 1 Iohn 3.12 Now Sect. 3 as Christ was said to be the Mother and proved so Christ may be said to be the childe the spiritual childe that is born Christ must be born in our hearts and then we shall grow or is to be born in men and women that come to be true Christians as the Apostle makes it plain My little children saith he of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you or born in you Gal. 4.11 19. Mark this all you that minde the shadow more then growing up into the Substance for this spiritual Childe Jesus must be born in thy heart O man or woman as well as in the womb of the Virgin Mary and then this Childe will grow up in thee and wax strong in thy spirit as he did in the days of his flesh and then thy heart shall be filled with wisdom and the grace of God through Jesus Christ will be upon thee or in thee And this Childe Jesus will increase in wisdom and thou O man or woman in whose heart this Childe is born thou shalt be in favor with God and man But I do not mean fleshly man for thou art out of favor with him for he jeers and scoffs at thee like Ishmael for Christs sake as we almost all do at this day though we talk so much of Reformation But thou O man in whose heart this Childe Jesus is born shalt be in favor with God and with the Man Christ and in this favor there is life for evermore Luke 2.40 52. Now I shall confirm what hath been said of the Childe Jesus being born in the heart of a man with Christ in the Spirit now dwelling in the hearts of some men Know ye not saith the Apostle that the spirit of God dwelleth in you and ye are the temple of God and so examine your selves Know ye not how that Iesus Christ is in you 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 13.5 Now Jesus Christ living in the heart is the ground and the hope of a Christians glory Colos 1.27 Now Christ in God and God in Christ taking up the form of this Childe Jesus and every true believing man and woman and that freely of Free-grace and all this by way of union freely read Phil. 2.6 7 8. Now God in Christ making in himself of two one new man and this by way of union with himself and the Cross of Christ as you may read Ephes 2.15 16. Colos 1.19 20. Sect. 4 Now by way of union with God in two natures every man that hath this Childe Jesus born in his heart and that by vertue of a promise such a man is the new man that the Apostle speaks of Ephes 2.15 Which comes to be made partaker of the divine nature as you may read 2 Pet. 1.3 4. Now if one should say The Childe Jesus is the second wonder in Heaven which the devil in men doth seek for to persecute That the most men in our age nay almost all men doth persecute this Childe Jesus as soon as he begins to be born but in a quite contrary way to that of the Jews and the zealous Pharisees for they persecuted this Childe Jesus from the first unto the last because he came in the form of an unlearned and weak man and he became as a servant and humbled himself for to work out a redemption for his creation Phi 2.7 8 Psal 40.6 7 8. No sufferings like unto Christs suffrings yet these blinde learned Jews and Pharisees persecuted this Jesus in the days of his flesh from the very first unto the last and said he had a devil and came to break the Law and that he was a loose fellow and a gluttonous man and a wine bibber and a friend of leud persons and they laughed him to scorn an spit in his face and struck him upon the face and scourged him and then put a gorgeous robe upon him and jeered at him but not being content with this they platted a crown of thorns and put it on his sacred head from which the precious oyntment runs down upon our souls and when they had crowned him with prickling thorns upon his tender head then they jeered him and said Hail king of the Jews and they put a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him as to a King And thus the learned Jews and the precise Pharisees together with the sotish chief Priests and the rude multitude made a mocking stock of this Childe Jesus For at the first they had no room for him in the Inne but he was fain to be laid in a horse manger and there they sought to destroy him And as soon as he was grown a little in age they thrust him out of their City and led him unto the brow of an hill to cast him down headlong to break his neck thus they made him a man of sorrow and grief all along to the very last after they had made him a King they took off the purple robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him and as they went they spit upon him took the reed out of his right hand and smote him on the head and said he was a Malefactor and so to the Cross he must go and there to be hanged that is he had his arms stretched out his merciful hands were both nailed to the Cross both his feet in a cruel manner and there his natural life did languish upon the Cross for som certainhours together and in all this misery these hard hearts mocked at him and gave him vineger to drink mingled with gall and they that passed by railed on him in this distress when he hung by the hands and feet fast nailed to the Cross then they wagging their heads at him and bid him save himself and come down from the Cross Now here is one thing of note the chief Priests with the Scribes among themselves were mocking of Christ Let Christ the King of Israel A ministry or people being ignorant of Christ are the most forward to do all maner of cruelty even unto death that saved others descend from the Cross that we may see and beleeve Mark 15.29 30 31.32 Now Jesus being long upon the Cross for the sin of man at length he gave up the ghost But yet their malice did not rest here though he was dead for they came to break his legs but being prevented of that one of them took a spear and pierced his side or thrust it into his
the life of the Word Page 44. How the Jesuites Popes and Friers are Ministers of Christ P. 44. ◠7. The shepherds of these times would rule Christs sheep with an iron mace P. 45. Some named that were reproached in Mr Edwards book P. 46. Mr Edwards ten heads in his book like the ten horns Rev. Zech. P. 47 What it is that frays these horns viz. the Spirit of our Lord Jesus P. 48 49 S. 8. That Saul was a Minister upon the same account that many are at this day P. 50 51. A Minister sent out from men is a Minister of terror not of tenderness P. 51. How the false Prophets are mingled among true as heretofore so even now P. 51 52 53. The Confidence of most Preachers in these times is their library and books P. 53. Vpon what account there is much preaching to little purpose in these times P. 54. CHAP. IV. THe Scriptures insisted on set down P. 55 S. 1. None but beleevers able to prove approve of and reprove Ministers P. 57 58. S. 2. There is no cure for the world but free grace P. 59. Jesus Christ is a Saints spiritual magazine P. 60. S. 3. That in these days God begins to pour out of his Spirit upon all flesh P. 61. That upon this account beleevers speak more profitably then their teachers P. 62. That beleevers have a divine right and authority to try the doctrines of men P. 63 A Caution given beleevers not to be despoiled of their liberties in Christ P. 63 64. Many pretend falsly to a divine right in these times P. 64. S. 5. How the people have been and yet are abused by Clergy men 65 66 What divine right is and to whom it doth belong P. 66 67. The honorable Commissioners why not approved of by the Ministers P. 67 The ignorance of the people taxed in not being able to try their Ministers P. 68. Who they be that creep into houses and lead captive silly women P. 68. That discord among brethren ariseth from the Ministers of this age 69. § 6. Who they be that bind heavy burthens and lay them on mens shoulders P. 69 70. Dr Gouge his complying formerly with the Archbishop reprehended Page 70. To rule with force and violence doth ill become Ministers P. 71 72. § 7. A word to Ministers and people to unite them into one band of love by the Spirit p. 72 73. The story of Abraham and Lot of Jacob Joseph and his Brethren excellently opened and applied to these times p. 73 74 75 76 77. What men pretend that mind persecution p. 77. § 8. A sweet prayer to God for Vnity p. 80. § 9. Arguments to perswade to Vnity p. 82 83. § 10. Where and what is the power of the Church p. 84 85. Who are Evangelical Preachers and that none profit the people but they p. 87 88. § 11. That most Ministers seem to read Christs advice Mat. 6.31 backwards p. 89 90. Who are Elders according to God page 90. Three sorts of corrupt men in a parish page 91 94. That Jesus Christ is the mind of God page 94. That most of our Protestants are fit matter to make Papists p. 95. CHAP. V. THe Scriptures insisted on set down p. 100 101. § 1. A most excellent and spiritual instruction given to the Eldership in the Church of God p. 101 108. The Church is a school and Christ the alone teacher in it p. 104. The Church in the Apostles time had many young men in it that were full of the Holy Spirit p. 105. Many hungry people in the Church whom nothing can satisfie but Jesus Christ p. 106. Great use of Elders if right in the Church of God P. 106. Religion without love is Pharisaism Page 107. How the Religion of the most is Popish P. 108. That there hath been much hypocritical fasting in these times P. 109 § 2. A true fast to the Lord is a feast to men P. 110. The most content themselves with the shel but neglect the kernel of Religion P. 112 113. The holy Spirit is the love-token of Christ in the hearts of the faithful P. 115. § 3. What food the Saints live upon Page 116. § 4. Too much confidence placed now adays in Church-fellowship Page 117. A just reproof of such P. ibid. What is the Churches foundation 118 Vpon what the Christians lean 118 The commonly called Anabaptists reprehended and that justly 119 120. They justifie the parishes they seem to condemn Why the Anabaptist and Presbyterians disagree P. 121. That Anabaptists are mistaken in the foundation of Church-fellowship 122 An excellent reason against rebaptizing P. 123 124. § 5. A modest debate with a moderate Anabaptist P. 124. That the soul enjoys all things in Christ P. 125. Vpon what account the beleever is conversant in external observations P. 125. § 6. Of the baptism of infants and that they have faith and may be admitted as well as others thereto P. 126 127. A whisper in the ear of an Anabaptist and Presbyterian P. 128 The same Lord is now a Cloud to the Egyptian world but a pillar of light and fire to the spiritual Israel 129. § 7. The plea of an unbeleever 131. Of the confession of sin and how few confess sin aright P. 132 133. The beleever hath joy from the Cross of Christ in the confession of sin 134 The death of Christ most divinely opened P. 134. Several Objections answered made against confession of sin with joy p. 135 136 137. CHAP. VI. THe Scriptures insisted on set down page 138 139. § 1. What the most of our Elders and Pastors are and what they are able to do p. 140. Who seek the good of King and Kingdom p. 144. § 2. That there is no steers-man in the Church on the heart of a true Christian but Jesus Christ. p. 145. Christ the guide of a Christian in his active and passive obedience to Magistrates p. 146 147. A wise caution given to Magistrates and why page ibid. § 3. Several objections answered touching the discerning of true teachers and false by their fruits p. 147 148. That the unlearned beleever doth and knows more then the learned that beleeves not p. 149. Those that have been with Jesus and in whom Jesus is alone understand the Scriptures p. 149 Christ the Covenant of God p. 150. What learned men they be that are unfit for the ministry p. 151. Christ is the day of Gods rest p. 152. That many talk of Reformation that are ignorant of the pure Religion page ibid. § 3. What the pure Religion is 152. The most of the learned in Christendom do agree in pleasure ease and profit p. 153. Many zealous for Presbyterian Government care not for coming to the Elders and why p. 156. That one place for worship is not to be preferred before another ibid. Whether it be decent for Ministers to go all in black p. 157. Of humane learning of what use and profit it is p. 158. A word of