himselfe into other shapes if ten horns be too heavy to be born he will be content to wear but two like a Lamb rather then none at all Qu. Why is Satan called a Serpent Answ Because in his first prevailing with that woman he did either make use of the Serpent Gen. 3.1 who was a Subtill creature and so comes in the Serpent unto the woman or else secondly transformes himselfe in the shape and forme of the Serpent and so represents himselfe unto the woman and so from hence received the denomination of a Serpent Rev. 12.9 In the first then learne that Satan usually makes use of the wisest and subtilest creatures to bring to passe his will in or by them if the second learn that Satan can transforme himselfe into any shape or forme to delude and deceive soules A third cause of mans fall was disobedient acting contrary to the mind of God In the day thou Eatest ihereof thou shalt dye saith the Lord Adam eateth thereof and dieth disobedience was the cause of mans fall Rom. 5.18.19 Qu. What was Adams disobedience An. Eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 2.15 Qu. What was this fruit Ans The fruit of a Tree in the Garden or Paradise of God Gen. 2 9.16 called the Tree of knowledge of good and evill good if a man did not eate of it evill if he did eat of it A Tree who so eateth the fruit thereof shall know the difference between good and evill so he indeed knew good by the want of it and evill by the sence enjoyment of it What mystery might be presented by this pleasant fruit I shall not at present dispute because it is something dark unto me whether sin which seems very pleasant unto a carnal eye or the world which much prevailes upon a carnall mind or honour or both All these temptations Satan made use of unto Christ himselfe and represented them to his eye as a deceiveable fruit if possible he might deceive him And the Tree of Life representing Christ that whosoever eateth drinketh of him might live for ever Io. 4 14. Rev. 22.2 SECTION 6. Mans misery by reason of his fall MAns misery by the sinne of Adam was death In dying thou shalt dy or thou shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 Now under the name of Death the Scriptures comprehend divers things A spirituall death in sin so are all naturall men dead in trespasses and sinnes subject to externall miseries and deadly plagues Exod. 10 17. Externall afflictions upon the body so Paul 2 Cor. 1.5.6 the dissolution of mans externall and naturall ltfe Gen. 35.18 Psal 146.4 The perdition of body and soule for ever All which miseries come in by the sin of Adam As the second Adam was the way letting in all good to mankind so was the first Adam the way or floud-gate letting in all miseries upon foule and body Object Some will object and say But how could Adam lose a spirituall life and so come under a spirituall death seeing he never had a spirituall life in God how could he lose that which he never had Answ Although Adam had never a spirituall life in God yet he had a spirituall subsisting given him of God free from sin and so capable of defilement For the truth is it is the internall part of man that sins the forme or body of man is acted by the guiding of the internall part so that Adam now dyes in his spirit he hath neither power wisdome nor will to do that which is well-pleasing to the Lord he hath not only lost that wisdome will and power of acting in the first Adam but likewise of believing and so of applying that salvation tendered in the second Adam untill he spiritually and powerfully draw up the soule unto himselfe John 6.44 and so makes him not onely partaker of all that compleat righteousnesse wrought for him but likewise sulfils all righteousnesse in him Rom. 8.4 Or else mans misery may be considered under these three heads 1. A condition of death as you have heard In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death that is death internall and death externall and death eternall without a meanes or a remedy preventing it 2. A condition of enmity I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed and her seed all unbelievers which so live and remaine are in a state of enmity God hath not declared himselfe any other unto them and their nature is still at enmity with God 3. A condition of insufficiency to help themselves Adam was not able to help himselfe and all he could doe was to hide himselfe he could not deliver himselfe out of this condition neither are all the sons and daughters of Adam able to help one soule our of this condition if God help not Therefore this should teach soules made alive by Christ to admire mercy and to cry Grace Grace un to the whole work of God both in them and for them SECT IV. What is the meanes God hath appointed for the recovery of man out of this condition THe meanes God hath appointed to deliver Man out of this condition is Jesus Christ and therefore promiseth Christ immediatly upon the Fall Gen. 3.15 Herein is Gods love manifested that he leaves not man in his lost estate but gives forth his Son out of his bosome that he might seek and save that which was lost and so deliver us from wrath to come Rom. 5.9 1 Thes 1.10 He is Jesus the Saviour and the alone Saviour of his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 acts 4.12 that is he is the alone way through which the Father brings downe salvation to sinners and through which he drawes up soules to himselfe there is no other way of God down to the soule nor of the soule up to God but through Jesus Iohn 14.6 Quest What must Christ Iesus undertake and performe before the breach is made up and faln man recovered Answ 1. He must take the sinne and fault upon himselfe Isai 53.6 1 Pet. 2.24 He that knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Admirable mercy that when man had sinned and lost himselfe Jesus Christ who never knew sin either in act or thought must now take upon him the sinners sin and so be made as it were a lump of sin and this he did willingly of himselfe he bare out sins on his owne body on the Crosse Christ took the whole sinne of Adam and the whole world upon himselfe when Adam had sinned and all mankind in him Adam and all must have died Christ takes the sinne upon himselfe and so taking the sinne upon himselfe he withall takes the curse and so undergoes the sentence of death The curse was In the day thou Eat est theroof thou shalt dye the death Christ he dies the death that so he might free man from death and so Christ in bearing the sinne and the
condemnation recovers man out of this lost and undone condition Two objections here need to be cleared Object 1. Whether Christ Jesus the Second Adam bare the sins and so the condemnation of all men Answ First it is without question that he took the sinne and fault of the first Adam upon him and so the sinne of the world whose nature was in him and so taking the sin so the condemnation of the whole upon him else he could not have effected that work for which he came Object If Christ beare the sin and condemnation of all why then are not all saved Answ 1. All are in one sense saved that is with an externall salvation from the present curse and death pronounced and so the whole world have a being by Christ and a redemption a salvation a peace which it enjoyes by him a mercy that they are not sensible of Col. 1.20 having made peace by the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things to himselfe whether things in heaven or things on earth c. Note all things are reconciled What things The same that were made by him verse 16. All things partake of this reconciliation and peace Secondly all are not saved with an eternall salvation because all do not believe It is true that there was a salvation purchased from the externall part of the present curse for that present sin yet Adams posterity acting other sinnes draw on other externall judgements but there was likewise by the taking away of the present judgement or death threatned a prevention of the present execution of that eternall death included and so a spirituall and an eternall life by Christ obtained yet so as that none partake of it but believers so that although there be a salvation purchased by Christ tendered unto all yet none are made partakers of this salvation but believers and none can believe savingly but those who are drawne up to the Father through the Sonne by a power above themselves who were known and beloved of God from everlasting the Father giving forth his Son as a publick person making satisfaction to the law of transgression that all mankind might be brought under the tender of the Gospell that so upon believing they might be delivered from both the first Covenant and transgression no man being indeed delivered from either but by believing all men remaining in the first Adam and so under the Law of transgression in the spririt unlesse believers Christ having purchased an eternall salvation but keeps it in his owne hand and dispenseth it in the spirit to those to whom God gives hearts to receive both him and it so now nothing hinders the salvation of any man with relation to Christ a Saviour or Deliverer from the transgression and sinne of the first Adam on Gods part externally all partake of it internally onely believers He is the Saviour of all but espeacially of them that believe And nothing on Gods part hinders the eternall salvation of all with relation to the purchase or price paid but only on Gods part his eternall purpose to draw up some into union with himselfe in his Sonne and leaving others to believe if they would or could And from hence on the creatures part being thus left only a Christ tendered able to save them if they believe they being left of God having neither will skill nor power to believe perish everlastingly under the rejecting of the Gospell Object It seemes to be injustice in God to condemne the sin of all upon Christ and yet to condemne it upon the sinner too Answ 1. It was as easie for Christ being thereunto appointed of the Father to make satisfaction to the Law of Transgression for the sins of all as one Such was his excellent worth Secondly the spirituall and eternall part of it remaines still with God in Christ and is handed forth to none but believers and of it remaines that there is no injustice in God to put such a worth in the sufferings of his Sonne that it is able to satisfie the Law of transgression for all and able to save all that come to God by him and yet to condemne sinne even the sinne of the first as well as the rejecting of the second Adam in all those that refuse him seeing his eternal purpose in all was the setting forth of his Son as a maker that so there might be a visible ground upon which the beloved of God might accept of peace and so come to enjoy that invisible union with the Father in the spirit which he from eternity intended and likewise that there might be a visible rule of rejecting all who wilfully contemne their owne peace and so judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Quest Did Christ purchase life and love from the hand of the Father Answ Nay he did not purchase life and love from the hand of the Father but was a gift flowing forth from the fathers love the death of Christ was not the cause efficient either of life or love but love in God was the efficient cause of the comming forth and suffering of Christ Ioh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his son Qu. In what sense then may Christ be said to deliver from wrath 1 Thes 1.10 And to purchase his Church with his bloud acts 20.28 Answ 1. He delivers from wrath in a twofold consideration First from that wrath and Justice of God gone forth in a righteous Law it being broken wrath is gone forth upon all because God is truth and so in the Letter wrath is gone forth upon all through Adams transgression and so all unbelievers in that sense are under wrath and there remaine eternally if not delivered Iohn the 3.2 They are delivered from wrath with relation to their apprehension never any soule comes savingly to Christ but the first makes him sensible of an estate of Wrath and so every believer may truly say They were once Children of wrath that is in an estate of wrath under the Law of Transgression and so are delivered from wrath to come because if God had not from everlasting received them into the number of those written in Heaven they must likewise have endured wrath to come Secondly he purchased his Church with his blood and so salvation for them under two considerations 1. He purchased his Church from the law of transgression God having said in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Man eats and so should have dyed eternally had not God provided such a remedy therefore he gives his son to purchase Man from that condition 2. He purchaseth His with his blood from wrath and condemnation in their own apprehensions man being sensible of his lost condition must have something to satisfie his conscience therefore likewise the Father gives Christ and in both these not as the first and moving cause of any thing in God but God out of his love gives forth his Son to effect that work As if a man indebted for
shalt die the death Man having yet the principles of that law remaining in him God having by the promised Messiah given a farther being to mankind in the world he gives forth the righteous Law more at large in the letter that so his creatures might have a rule in the Letter to walke by and likewise might be the more sensible of the losse of both that principle and power they had once in Adam given unto them and likewise with it given though not the same power yet the same promise of externall life in the Land God gives them 2. The Law was that by which sin came that is by which sin became sinfull For it is true had not God given a Law yet man would have been acting contrary to the pure mind of God therefore he give a Law that sin might become out of measure sinfull and it was added because of transgression for where no Law is there is no transgression For by the Law was the knowledge of sin and so it was an administration of death both in the hands of Adam as well Moses 1. Cor. 3.6.7 3. The Law in the letter was an Image or Character of that spirituall righteousness God intended to bring in by Jesus Christ as Adam was an Image of that spirituall perfection God intended to make his partakers of in the spirit by Christ So this Law in the letter was a rule answerable to that morall principle of righteousnesse in Adam a Character likewise of that spiritual righteousnes that every believer attains in Christ the righteousnes of the law in the letter was not that believers injoy in Christ but that righteousnesse Adam injoyed in his state of innocency It was not the righteousnes of God but a Character of that righteousnes holyness and purity that all believers are made partakers of in the spirit It was not that righteousness by which God intended to give life and glory eternally but such a righteousness which had externall promises annexed unto it For if there had been a Law given that could have given life then righteousness had been by the Law Wherefore I conclude that the Law in the letter was but a Character of the spirituall righteousness of God which is the life of the Saints and that by which God never intended to justifie any to eternity for the law in the letter killeth not justifieth but the spirit giveth life 2. Cor. 3.6 The law was given to Adam in the letter and Moses was the Minister of the law in the letter but Christ is the Minister of the law in the spirit Therefore Moses saith himselfe A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you heare in all things Acts 3.22 23 Deyt 18.15 Obj. It is said Rom. 15.8 that Jesus Christ was the Minister of Circumcision Answ True he was the minister of it for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto Abraham he was a Minister of it so as to fulfill the truth held forth in it So the word Minister Diaconos signifies God having promised Christ to come of the seed of Abraham he gives forth circumcision and divers other Ordinances as Types representing him and he is the Minister of all to act and fulfill all and to be the substance of all those Types for the truth of God else God had not been true in his promises neither had salvation been obtained either by the Fathers to whom the promises were made or the Gentiles who were a farr off and likewise included in the promises Therefore he was the Minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises unto the Fathers and likewise that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy Not so much a Minister in the giving forth of it but in the fulfilling of it which gives occasion to the Gentiles to rejoyce and praise the Lord. Obj. Paul applyeth the words of Moses in the Law Deut. 30.12 13 14. Rom. 10 6 7 8. to be the righteousnesse of faith the righteousnesse of faith speaketh on this wise Answ It is true that Christ and the righteousness of the Gospel was included in the Law There was a literall or externall righteousnesse expressed in the letter to which were externall pall promises annexed but there was a spirituall and internall righteousnesse included which only beleevers were made partakers of which was a righteousnesse brought in by Christ and obtained by faith which is the law in the spirit or that spiritual righteousnesse of God that beleevers are made partakers of which is the second thing propounded what the law in the spirit is Secondly the law in the spirit or the spirituall righteousnesse contained in the law as you have already heard is the righteousnesse of God which every believer is made partaker of Note these two words for the more full clearing of it First that there wasa spirituall righteousnesse included mystically in the letter of the Law which none ever saw into but those spiritually enlightned Paul had experience of it Rom. 7.14 For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall The Law in the letter was not spirituall For the same Apostle could say that he walked concerning the righteousnesse of the Law in the letter blamelesse Phil. 3. yet he calls it a fleshly walking If any man had cause of glorifying in the flesh I much more And he saith he was alive ones without the Law but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 alive without the law in the letter by that it was he judged himselfe to be alive he walked concerning that blamelesse but when the Commandment came that is when the spiritual righteousnesse of the Law was unfolded which was no lesse then the righteousnesse of God then he saw how short he came of that righteousnesse he was yet but in the letter in the flesh and not in the spirit Then sin revived I died Secondly that this Law in the spirit is that spirituall righteousnesse of God that believers are made partakers of 1 Cor. 3.6 The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life The letter killeth the letter requireth an exact and perfect obedience which none was able to performe and so the very letter of the law did kill So at first it killed Adam and all his posterity and so it killed the Jewes being given forth in a more large way for it was the administration of death but the spirit giveth life viz. the Lord Jesus the spirit and substance of the law both morall and ceremoniall for the first man was made a living soule to answer a morall righteousnesse the second was made a quickning spirit to give life to those dead in the first Adam And as the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given to the Son to have life in himselfe and he quickneth whom he will John 5. The Law in the letter killeth the Law in the spirit quickneth Therefore Christ saith I came not
Answ 1. By the same power by which Jesus Christ was raised which was by the power spirit of God he was declared to be the son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 Secondly by the same power and spirit the Saints are inlightned selfe which is the same power by which the body of Christ was raised so that when we say we are raised by the resurrection of Christ in the spirit that is by the same power by which Christ was raised therefore the Apostle desireth to know the power of the death resurrection of Christ Phil. 3.10 by the same power and spirit shall our bodies be raised at the last day Rom. 8.11 1 Cor. 15.13 14 15 16. this being a truth that they shall be raised by the same power it may some what direct us to the forme in which they shall be raised which is the second particular that is in a spirituall forme not in a fleshly for as the spirit of Christ raiseth us up in the spirit while we are here so shall it raise up our bodies in the spirit at the last day it is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body our vile bodies shall be changed and made like his glorieus body he tooke upon him our form that so we might be brought into his form for when he shall appear we shall be made like unto him the substance of our naturall body raised in spirit Of judgement it is appointed to all men once to dye but after this the judgement when all men shall be called to an account before him to wit the Lord Jesus there to give an account for all things done in their bodies whether good or bad Mat. 25. and so God in this way will acquit his Saints and clear them before the world although this is not their life neither that in which they appear Mat. 25.36 to 40. Fourthly of the estate of the Saints after Judgement it is first ever to be with the Lord beholding his glory l Thes 4.17 Iohn 17.24 and in his presence will be fullnesse of joy and 2. at his right hand everlastingly to be compleated in the same glory Col. 3.3 when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory all flesh shall be swallowed up in spirit and our bodyes shall be changed and made like his glorious body all things that offend shall be done away and we shall be made eternally one in the Father and in the Sonne and in the Spirit one in eternity one in injoyment and one in glory this for the Saints is enough to know besides what shall be we do not know it is an height and debth a length and breadth unsearchable Oh the unsearchable riches of Christ what the Saints do injoy what they shall injoy swallowes up the spirituall Christian in the beholding of it hence let us continue searching after an higher measure of the height depth bredth and length of his love which passeth knowledge and there shal we be able to see and say that his wisdome is unsearch able and his wayes past finding on t FINIS A briefe discovery of Antichrist both in the Mystery and in the History By THOMAS COLLIER 1647. For my more cleare proceeding in the discovery of the Man of Sinne five things are considerable 1 What Antichrist or the man of Sin is 2 What his Reigne 3 What shall be his discovery 4 What his ruine 5 When his ruine shall be SECTION 1. What Antichrist or the Man of sin is ANtichrist or the Man of fin is to be considered either in the spirit or in the Letter 1. in the Spirit Antichrist signifies one seemingly for Christ yet indeed is against him and so is but a man of sin a Son of perdition and this he will appear to be both in the Mystery and in the History 1. In the mysterie or spirit and in this he hath taken hold of every man especially in these latter dayes yet t is true much time hath been spent by many to find out this man of sin who he is and for the most part ascribe it to some particular man never looking at the mystery or root of iniquity which is not in the first place a man but a wicked thing in man and this for want of a spirit of discerning we have not seen Antichrist in our selves but have cast him upon others and so misse of the thing or at least most strike at the top boughes and are ignorant of the root Now Antichrist in the mystery or spirituall and internall part It is a confederacie between Sathan and the deceitfull heart of man transforming himselfe into an Angell of light nay into the Sonne of Light and while nothing lesse then Christ and Christian wil satisfie he will be the Christ or at least the Antichrist in stead of Christ to deceive soules For this was and is the last the greatest and most deceiving stratagem that ever Satan made use of to ruin soules that where he cannot content soules but they must be Christians he can be content with that so he may be the Christ hence he is called the man of sin the Son of perdition that wicked deceiver 2 Thes 2. It is not Satan acting in a carnall and filthy form of flesh but in the most refined part of the first Adam so he keeps the creature in the first Adam still he cares not 1. There must be a reformation that it shall injoy provided it be legally in the Letter it must believe or else it cannot be satisfied and believe it doth but the ground must be built upon that first reformation qualification c. wisdom is required to walk in Gods wayes and to the knowledge of the mind of God wisdom must and may be obtained provided it be humane the wisdom of the first Adam that is enough power of acting must likewise of necessity be obtained a power shall be obtained but it must be a creature-power and a creature-acting under the name and notion of the power of God that is indeed and in truth condemned though in name owned there must now sometimes be a spirituall mind and that injoyes likewise in its own apprehension although hardly obtained and indeed the highest pitch of spirituallnesse is but carnall to the spirituall mans injoyment this is a high pitch of spirituall mindednesse where Satan dwells to have selfe thoughts of reformation thoughts to pray more to walke more exactly and to please God better never thoughts of living out of its selfe more and of living in the injoyment of God in the spirit more and spirituall joy it must haue sometimes too why that it shall have likewise but it must arise from inlargement in duties humiliations selfe-actings reformation and all from selfe and thus Satan and the deceitfull heart joynes together to the delusion of many a soule and this is Antichristian in the mysterie the man of sinne spoken of in Scripture that