ordinary as why the fire should burn rather then the water They say it is its proper nature so to doe But where it had this nature or how it came by it they are forced to be silent or to acknowledge it from GOD himself Surely if we cannot comprehend the least things as a flie or the grasse of the field muchlesse the infinite one They tell us Rubarb purges Choler c. from a hidden quality which hidden quality indeed is nothing else then the very instinct of the Creator in it But some that would be thought very wise cunning and spirituall say Object Though man that is to say the naturall man cannot comprehend God yet a Saint may Alas vain man thou sayest thou knowest not what if a Saint can comprehend God it must be in his Spirit or understanding Answ for a Saint is a naturall man consisting of body or spirit sanctified or made holy Now that he may see his errour let him turne into his owne minde can he comprehend that He knowes he hath a soule by its motions but what his soule is those motions cannot tell him yea this soule and understanding of thine is but the worke of God Now the worke cannot comprehend the workman so that if thou canst comprehend him thou must be God for thou hast no light but what thou hast of God and that light discovers onely the workes of his hands But if thou shalt say thou art God as some blasphemously affirme let me aske thee whether thy soule or body is God If thou sayest thy body then how comes it to passe thou canst not be in all places at one time How comes it to passe thou art subject to death and corruption If thou sayest thy soule is God how comes it to passe thou art so ignorant of what thy soule is God must needs know himselfe and all other things knowst thou what shall befall thee How thou wast made when this soule was given thee why dost thou so often complaine Why art thou subject to changes God is unchangable But if thou shalt say God in thee is God that knoweth all things I answer thee then it is not thy selfe that comprehendeth him God in thee is not thee no more then God in the earth or beasts of the field is the earth or the beasts thereof Therefore poore silly wretch leave off to talke so dotingly of comprehending him when thou knowest not how to comprehend thy selfe Some are ready to say this is carnall reason because we make use of earthly Object things to speake of God by Vaine man God made the earth to preach forth himselfe and Answ thy folly to thy selfe Therefore saith the Psalmist The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth his handy workes And againe saith our Apostle The invisible things of him are seene by the things that are made They all preach thy folly madnesse and vanity and be-speak thee to be but an Atheist for all thou boastest to be a Saint 5. The Creation lively points out to us the wisedome of God If The Creation shewes Gods wisedome thou seest the picture of a man thou presently askest who made it and admirest his skill and cunning if thou casteth but a glimpse of thy eyes on the world and askest who made it thou wilt see it is God and wilt admire his wisedome Gods wisedome appeares in that glorious and harmonious order that is in the world that unity should be produced from contrariety Oh what a wonder is it I have told thee before fire and water be contrary so drinesse and moisture yet thy one body cannot live without them all being composed of them all nay let me tell thee it is God keepes them from encroaching one upon the other there is not one thing in the Creation but be-speakes God to be a wise God Thou knowest of beasts some are for thy food and some againe would devoure thee those that are for thy use God hath placed nigh thee in flocks and herds those that would devoure thee live in desert places in the wildernesse in caves and dens From whence came this disposall of them did thy own wisedome procure it No certainly t is no other thing then the wisedome of God 6. The love and relation God hath to the Sons of men appears The Creation shewes the love of God in the Creation It may be thou art a Father of Children thou providest for them food and raiment and why Because thou lovest them God created all for man God first made the World and brought man into it as into a large Pallace ready furnished with all things fit for delight pleasure and food that man became Lord of the Creatures all things were made for man and man for God in whom he took delight As for man he created him in his own Image wherein appears his great love to be created in his Image was to be made such a Creature that in an especiall manner did most resemble What 't is to be created in Gods Image his Maker in a created pure natural light and understanding power and authority whereby he was the Image or likenes of God I might further shew that the Creation holds forth the immutability of God for he that made all changes must needs be unchangable and the Soveraignity of GOD for he that made all must needs be Lord of all and the Eternity of GOD for he that made time must needs be before time and the life of God for he that made all creatures live must needs live himselfe the justice of God that ordaines it to be observed in his creatures must needs be just in himselfe yea of the invisibility of God for if thou canst not see into the substances of things made by him thou canst not see him that made them I might shew you that God is all in all in the creation that is to say there is nothing without him and all things that it is it is by him but because I shal further have occasion to hold forth the excellency of the Lord to the Creature in the second particular viz as he appeares in the Lord Jesus I passe from the first Creation the habitation of the first man the first Adam and his posterity which is earthly unto the last Adam the second man the Lord from heaven and his generation the children of the second and new Creation concluding this Chapter with this that what I have already said of God is not to define what he is but to tell us what he is not that we may not deceive our selves by our proud and vaine apprehensions in forming a God to our selves either with the ignorant thinking him to be a huge body or massy substance or with other that seeme to be wise dreame of comprehending him but rather say at first he is that he is but what I know not but with the Psalmist desire to learne in silence and rejoyce in those appearances of himselfe
dispensation of God was righteous and yet to give place to the last ministration by Christ from heaven Is not the Law a rule of life to us how then can it be done away Object Sol. If you consider what I have said you may easily be satisfied If you meane by the Law the substance commanded in the Law I say t is and alwaies was for the substantiall matter in the Law written in the heart in the Creation in Tables of stone to the Jewes and in the heart by the spirit in the Gospell which is Love God and thy Neighbour is one and the same But if you meane the Law as given to Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant to which appertained the wordly Sanctuary c. it neither is nor never was to the Gentiles How can it he said Wee be free from the Curse of the Law where we are Object yet subject to sorrow labour sicknesse and death which are Curses of the Law I answer That Saints are subject to death and sicknesse c. T is Sol. true but not upon the same account as others is as true The nature of all these things are changed the sicknesse of the body redounds to the soules health The labour of the body serves to minde us that our rest is not here Death in the flesh serves to passe us to our rest and blessednesse for Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they shall rest from all their labours and their workes follow them Hence Paul wisely Desired to be dissolved that he might be with Christ Hence he glories in tribulation which if curses to him he could not have done True it is these are curses and poyson to the world but to a Saint they are blessings and medicines well prepared by the skilfull art of our great and charitable Physitian the Lord Jesus But God punishes his people for sinne how then can they say Curses are all Object done away If by punishment you meane an execution of justice upon an offender Sol. in satisfaction of a Law which is properly only and truly punishment I say God punishes not believers at all there is no curse in their habitation no poison in their cup their portion is grace mercy pardon healing and salvation But some say God himselfe saith You of all Nations have I knowne Object therefore will I punish you for your iniquities To that I answer That is a threatning sutable to the dispensation Sol. of the Covenant of workes to that state the Jewes were trained up in but now in the Gospell the language is altered for God now appeares to be love Now if we sinne it is said We have an Advocate But God in the Gospell saith Whom I love I rebuke and chasten Object therefore he punishes his beloved for their sinnes I answer to this First Affirmatively That God doth afflict his Sol. people for sin yea his beloved But Secondly I say Afflictions are to them no curse at all but a loving correction of a loving Father not to satisfy his wrath for he hath seen the travell of his Son and is already satisfied but to manifest his mercy it being for his childrens healing safety and prosperity they rather publish his love then his wrath For whom he loveth he chasteneth and whom be receiveth he scourgeth Therefore saith the spirit to the Saints If you endure chastening you are dealt withall as Sonnes If you are not chastised you are bastards and not sonnes Affliction is for their profit as necessary for them as their meate and drink Before we be afflicted we goe astray Afflictions are a fruit of the Fathers love in Christs death therefore called the dyings or markes of Christ Jesus they are sent to crucify the sinnes in us that crucified him they are as fire to purify not destroy the gold they yeild the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse though for the present they are not joyous to them that are exercised therein If wee suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him And yet we must note that afflictions though many times they be yet are not alwaies sent as a chastisement for some particular sinne but for the shewing forth the power of God as Christ speakes in the case of the blinde man To conclude this of the Law I say we are freed from it as it was a Covenant of works which was a dispensation of God to the Creature by which he never intended life to the Creature but to advance the glory of his his Sonne in shewing them their weaknesse and sinfulnesse But as for the substance of the matter contained in the commands it is I say againe a standing rule to all generations and he or they that walke not according to it it is because they have no light in them To love God and our Neighbour the substance of the Law is our duty as well as any others Chap. XIV Sheweth some other effects of the virtue of Christs death 7. BY the death of Christ the wall of partition betweene Jewes The partition wall is broken downe by the death of Christ and Gentiles is broken downe and all the writings of Ordinances taken out of the way Before it was said In Jerusalem shall they worship but now Neither in this Mountaine nor in Jerusalem That is to say the Father makes no more difference of places there is now neither Jew nor Gentile Barbarian nor Scythian bond nor free Master nor Servant but all are one in Christ Jesus Now neither Circumcision nor Un-Circumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature 8. All types shadowes and figures are now fulfilled Here I Types and shadowes fulfilled by Christs death might be large but I shall onely name some few particulars As First Circumcision held forth Christ to come in the flesh of Abraham of the seed of Israel and obliged to the keeping of the Law now is Christ come and the Circumcision is of the heart Christ hath fulfilled the Law Secondly All sacrifices peace offerings sin offerings trespasse offerings are all ended in the body of Christ He is the Altar The propitiation The true living Temple The habitation of God and the Saints He is the true Manna The true Joshua or Jesus that conducts us into the true Land of Canaan He is the Sampson that by his death destroyes his enemies He is the true David that sits on the Throne for ever He is the true Arke of our salvation He is the true Lamb The Stape Goat The First borne The true Priest Prophet and King He is the the true Rocke out of whcih flow living waters He is the true rest He is the Deliverer of his people He is the true Joseph that was sold into a strange land to provide for us against a day of spirituall famine He is the true watchman and shepheard of his people But of these I must say with our Apostle I cannot now stand to speake particularly 9. He hath by this death purchased for us
all the happinesse we Christ by death hath purchased all our happines are spiritually borne to As First Our union with GOD But more of this in the Kingly office Secondly He hath purchased for us the redemption of our bodies from the grave But more of this in the Kingly office Lastly He hath purchased for us life eternall even perfection Of which more particularly in his Kingly office 10. By his death he hath conquered all our enemies Of which likewise in his Kingly office Chap. XV. Sheweth the dignity Christ hath attained through his death and that in foure particulars THAT we may see the excellency of the death of Christ let us consider it under these considerations 1. That by death he hath conquered death and the devill for By death Christ hath conqueted death and the Devill it was impossible that he should be held of death Therefore is it said He should see Corruption The gallant Conquerors of the Kingdomes of the world when they dye they cease to conquer any more but our Jesus in dying slew death and him that had the power of death that is to say the Devill 2. He by death rose from the dead For he the selfe-same that By death he rose from the dead ascended first descended into the lowest part of the earth for he rose from the dead Which resurrection of his hath many glorious effects I shall onely instance in two First It was the manifestation that he was none other but the The virtue of Christs resurrection the true Messiah the Son of God This made the Rulers acknowledge of a truth that he was the Son of God Secondly It was the assurance to the Saints that he had finished his worke and therefore is it said He was raised justification Had he died and not risen from the dead our faith preaching writing and the like all had beene in vaine had he not rose from the dead death had conquerd him Now the true ground of our believing is his death that could not be held of death by his rising he evidently declared himselfe to be the Lords Christ Even the same body that died rose from the dead who said Behold my hands and my feet 3. By death he ascended into heaven For he descended that he Christs ascension into heaven and the virtue thereof might ascend He ascended from the state of infamy shame and contempt farre above all heavens into the state of glory of the highest glory of God The fruits of whose ascension are First The leading Captivity Captive the triumphing over all our enemies Even as a Generall that hath conquered his enemies should carry them openly at his Chariot wheeles so doth our Jesus carry all his and our enemies in open triumph Secondly When he ascended up on high He gave gifts unto men that he might fill all things that is to say that all his might be filled with himselfe with the new Wine of his spirit Time would faile me to enlarge my selfe herein 4. By death he sits at the right hand of God By the right hand Christ sits at the right hand of God and the benefit we enjoy thereby of God we are not to understand as the ignorant sort doe that God hath a right and left hand as we have but by his right hand is meant Gods greatest glory power and dignity Sit thou on my right hand saith the Lord till I make thine enemies thy footstoole The effects of which are First The ruling over the world and all in it of which in his Kingly office Secondly The rest of himselfe having done his worke for he having finished his worke is entred into his rest Thirdly The assurance that we shall enter into ours for as he hath conquered and is set downe so shall we be 5. Lastly By death he makes intercession for us The intercession of Christ is his pleading or continually for us to his Father which pleading we may not by any meanes Christ makes intercession for us what is the virtue thereof dreame is a speaking vocally as we doe one to another but a voice in his bloud For his bloud speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel Now the bloud of Abel we know cryed to heaven for vengeance But that we may briefly see the excellency of Christs intercession let us minde First That his bloud is alwaies present before the Lord speaking for us as Gods remembrancer it is our Advocate that is alwayes pleading our cause Secondly It pleades satisfaction to be given to the Judge of all by which we live in continuall security So that the summe of the dignity Christ in dying arises to is his Propheticall and Kingly office which he executes with much love and fidelity That he hath obtained all this by death I will onely give you this demonstration of it That all this is but the perfection of our Jesus Now he was made perfect through sufferings for the suffering of death he was crowned with glory Heb. 2. Phil. 2. and honour And because he humbled himselfe therefore hath God exalted him and given him a name above every name that at or in his name or power every knce should bow Chap. XVI Sheweth what the Propheticall Office of Christ is and the excellency thereof HAving thus finished through divine assistance the first part of the three-fold office of Christ viz his Priestly office I am now come to speake of his Propheticall office which I shall finish with much brevity There being two things for the explication of this office to be minded 1. The Prophet himselfe 2. The office or worke of this Prophet First Concerning the Prophet It is the Lord Jesus that was anointed to become the Teacher of his people The Prophets under the Law were anointed with oile Our great Prophet the Lord Jesus with the Spirit he was made full of grace and truth and God the Father raised him up as it was foretold by Moses and furnished him with sufficient abilities to discharge his trust For the fulnesse of wisedome was in him therefore is he called the Councellor the same man that was anointed to be a Priest was anointed to be a Prophet who was a Priestly Prophet and a Propheticall Priest Secondly The office of the Prophet is next to be spoken to which is an office given to him of the Father for the revelation or discovering of the great mysteries of the Fathers Kingdome in which office there are five things to be knowne 1. The matter discovered 2. The light discovering 3. The rule of discovery 4. The manner of discovery or teaching 5. The persons taught The matter discovered by this Prophet in generall is this Whatever The matter discovered is may be knowne or enjoyed of God by the Creature and whatever the Creature is and shall be in relation unto God Christ by his sacrifice hath obtained for us all that is to be desired and as a Prophet he comes to tell us
worketh and rewardeth the worke Now besides the sweet sanctification constant supplyes abundant experience and great joyes they are refreshed withall while they follow Christ being made faithfull to the death there are two things as just rewards conferred upon them As First The resurrection of the body This is a great priviledge to the Saints it is the way to life eternall Be thou faithfull unto the death saith the Lord Jesus and I will give thee a crowne of life He that loses his life for Christs sake shall finde it He that believeth on mee saith Christ I will raise up at the last day Now the body that shall be raised up is the same numericall or organicall body that suffers with Christ or which men have power to kill when the spirit or soule cannot be killed because it is immortall shall be raised up againe But may some say how can this be that the same body should be raised againe Object which is laid in the dust resolved into the foure Elements eaten by wormes of the earth or fishes of the sea which fishes againe are eaten by men and become nourishment to them and so the body suffer severall mutations and alterations Why wondrest thou how that can be more then thou wondrest Sol. that thou art alive and hast a being the Alchymist he glories in his separations of severall things mixed or confused together and thinkest thou it impossible for God to raise up thy body by the power of himselfe The Apostle as if he had heard of such an objection answers it in the Philippians saying The Lord Christ shall Phil. 3. last change our vile bodies according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe Though we can see no reason looking upon it with a naturall eye yet if we consider that it shall be effected by the same word that said at first Let there be light and there was light Even by the same word that said Let us create man in our owne image and did thereby create him there is no ground at all to question but the very same word or mighty power is able to raise up thy dead body He hath said He will raise up thy body at the last day And who therefore shall dare to say it it neither will nor can be But some are ready to object That the Resurrection the Scriptures Object speake of is spirituall accomplished at Christs coming into the soule but as for the resurrection of the body that is a carnall thing That Christ Jesus at his appearing raises the spirit from death Sol. to life is true and that he raiseth the naturall body from death to life is as true the Scriptures speak of a first resurrection which implyes another resurrection for indeed as soone as a soul is translated from death to life he is risen with risen with Christ and so is planted into the similitude of his resurrection But to such who were thus risen with Christ the Apostles preach another resurrection viz. the resurrection of the body as it is said in the Philippians Who shall change our vile bodies into the fashion of his owne glorious body the same body that dyes is raised up againe The same Jesus saith the Apostle Whom yee crucified hath God raised up It was the humane body of Christ that was crucified or nailed to the Crosse and the same body that was raised who said unto Thomas not believing that Christ was risen Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but believing But the Scripture saith It is sowne a naturall body but shall be raised a spirituall Object body therefore t is not the same body I answer It is very true t is raised a spirituall body but marke Sol. what it is that is raised a spirituall body t is the same body that was sowne a naturall body So that in the resurrection the naturall sinfull lumpish earthly body becomes spirituall that is to say free from that wearinesse trouble sinne corruption and misery that it is now subject to it shall be then made able to meet the Lord in the Aire that which now moves not but with heavinesse and dulnesse shall be so lively beautifull and glorious that it transcends the tongue or pen of Angels to expresse it But say some It is said As dyes the beast so dyes the man how then say you man shall rise againe except the beast may likewise rise againe Object The Wise man speakes not there his owne but the language of Sol. such worldlings as thou art that denyes the resurrection therefore saith he in the end of his Booke speaking his own judgment We shall all come to judgement which we know is onely true after the resurrection of the body But may some say Are there any so brutish as to deny the resurrection of Object the body Yea certainly and let us not wonder at it there were as there Sol. is now two sorts of these people that deny the resurrection of the body in the dayes of the Apostles As First the Sadduces that utterly deny it and truly we have many Sadduces in our daies who say there is neither resurrection Angell nor Spirit Secondly Such who said the resurrection is past already which Doctrine the Apostle saith Is an erring concerning the faith To both which sort I shall onely aske them if they be risen againe how comes it to passe there is marrying and giving in marriage seeing Christ saith to the Pharisees In the resurrection there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage and shall say to such that deny the resurrection with Christ They erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God The excellency of the bodies resurrection will appeare more plainly if we consider that 2. The Lord Jesus crownes all his souldiers being raised from Perfection is the priviledge and portion of those that are raised from the dead the dead with perfection with a crowne of life of glory setting them downe in his Throne giving them an everlasting Kingdome where neither feares teares nor any manner of sorrowes are able to molest them Now the excellency of this condition we have not attained nor are we able to tell what it shall be Therefore John sayes Beloved now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Wee shall then be fully glorious within and without glorious our soules shall be filled with God Our vile corruptible bodies shall be then immortall incorruptible spirituall and glorious The Scriptures say Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded And Object againe Be yee perfect as your Father is perfect which is a perfection in this life how say you then perfection is not to be attained till the resurrection of the body Perfection according to
the Scripture is taken either Sol. Comparatively and so many are called perfect in comparison of that wickednesse in the world Thus Noah was a perfect man Yea in this sense one Saint is said to be to know more perfectly then another Therefore saith Paul We speake wisedome to them that are perfect He meanes them that were attained to a good degree of knowledge or to them that were justified and so perfection in the Scripture is taken for a perfection or excellency in some particular above that which is to be found in others perfection sometimes signifies uprightnesse or sincerity of heart and so David hath it Psal 37. 37. Marke the perfect man and behold the upright And when God saith Be thou perfect as I am perfect It is as if he had said presse forward towards perfection But further A Saint may be said to be perfect in some particular respect as thus he is perfectly freed from wrath and condemnation and thus in justification is his spirit made perfect and thus are we compleate in him who is our fulnesse Now in these senses Saints are perfect in this world but if by perfection you understand the most absolute full and most glorious condition that is the portion of every believer to attaine to which admits not of any trouble or infirmity neither of any increase or want being uncloathed of all corruption and cloathed with incorruption immortality I say This is not the portion of any man in this life that is to say while our naturall bodies and soules dwell together for we must first dye or be changed which is equivalent to a naturall death before this state of perfection And thus reasons Paul saying Not as though I were already perfect or had attained unto the resurrection of the dead as some men in our daies vainly affirme themselves to have but I presse forward Therefore saith he Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Behold here perfect men not already perfect but presse forward towards perfection This seemes to be a contradiction but there is no such matter in it for those that were in a sense perfect perfect in comparison of the world upright and sincere of heart having attained to a good degree of knowledge being freely justified perfectly united in one with the Father and the Sonne in a way of relation doe presse forward towards perfection that is to say that full compleate incorruptible state of soule and body which they shall be invested withall in the resurrection Now if any man or Saint shall yet say he is universally perfect I shall demand of him what is it that is so perfect Whether doe you meane your soule or body or both or neither but God in both If you onely meane your spirit then doe I demand whether that be universally perfect If any say it is I ask from whence come your passions pride boasting unnaturall affections unclean thoughts or the like But it may be some may say We are troubled with no such things Well suppose you say true which I cannot believe this is but a perfection of part of the man for body and spirit make up but one man what the spirit doth it doth in the body being united to the body and so t is not a full or universall perfection If thou sayst thy body is perfect how comes it then to passe that it is subject to death which naturall death though some have said should not come nigh them yet have they beene deceived and are now in the dust But if you say soule and body the whole man is perrect how comes it then to passe that such imperfect actions are committed by them Can a pure sweet spring send forth bitter streames If you be so universally perfect what need you to eate and drink and to complain of hunger cold or sicknesse Such things as these with compleate perfection cannot stand together But if thou sayst thou dost not meane that thy externall body or humane soule are absolutely and compleatly perfected but t is God in thee which is perfect as some say then tell me whether God in thee is thy selfe and seeing that thou confessest that thou wast once unperfect who now art perfect then tell me whether God was ever unperfect for if God was not unperfect then say I t is not God in thee but thy selfe who art capable from an unperfect creature to be made perfect I might be large here in shewing the vanity of these conceptions and mans folly in pretending the enjoyment of perfection while all men cannot but see imperfect actions flowing from him And how many soules are deceived in this vaine opinion because not able rightly to distinguish or divide the word of truth but I must passe forward I am now come to the last thing considerable in Christs Kingly Christs iudgement office which is his Judgments wherein briefly observe First The Judge himselfe T is that man Christ whom the naturall Jewes crucified Joh. 5. 29. Who is the Son of man who is both Who is the Judge Judge of quicke and dead Secondly The law by which he will judge men that is a law of righteousnesse the word of the Gospell Jesus was in the The law by which Christ judges world preached to the Gentiles to be the Christ the onely Saviour God the Father gave this record of him that eternall life was in him and whoever believed on him should be saved The world would not believe it and therefore dyed in their sinnes in unbeliefe in that estate of wrath and therefore this Lord the Judge of all men condemnes him for rejecting of him and continuing in his sinnes For know this if a man doth believe in Christ none of his sinnes can condemne him the rule by which his word judges is according to the deeds done in the flesh whether good or evill Thirdly The persons judged and they are good and bad just and The persons who are judged unjust quicke and dead small and great and these persons are not as some conceive onely sinne and righteousnesse as they are both in a Saint but they are those men in whom righteousnesse is revealed which makes these men to be Saints or these in whom the God of this world hath sole dominion which are ungodly T is the bodies and spirits both together t is all nations sheepe and goats therefore is it said He will render to every man t is not to every evill or sinne in man but to the man in whom evill is according to his deeds Fourthly The sentence pronounced and that is two-fold The sentence either First Of joy to the godly for to them it is occasion of lifting up their heads for joy a time of refreshing a time of restitution of all Math. 25. ult things a time of redemption for their bodies t is life eternall Therefore saith Christ The righteous shall goe into life eternall which is the estate of perfection I have before
pointed at Secondly Of Terrour to the wicked and to them it is a sentence of eternall punishment Depart from mee yee cursed t is the terrour of the Lord to them perdition and destruction yea eternall fire t is hell kindled by the wrath of God If any one aske me what hell is I answer t is the eternall wrath What hell is of God kindled in body and soule an absence of all good a presence of all misery t is a fire that never goeth out t is a stringing worme that never dyeth t is a consuming consumption a dying death a consumption alwaies consuming and yet never ceases to consume a continuall dying that never dies t is the second death that endures for ever Lastly The time when this judgement shall be In this I shall propose these two things First That of that day and houre if Christ be worthy of beliefe The time when the judgment day is knowes no man no not the Angels in heaven no not the Son of man himselfe as he was the Son of man it comes as a theefe in the night unawares to the world Secondly T is not till the resurrection of the body therefore is it called The last day the dispensation of Christ untill the resurrection is called The last daies but the last day in respect of Christs judgement is onely appropriated to that judgement t is not till the time of sentence that shall be pronounced upon all men good and bad But say so me The day of judgement is come already for Christ judges Object now in the hearts of the Saints which is the true day of judgement To this I answer That the word Judgement admits of a various Sol. consideration it is taken either for discerning or pronouncing sentence or condemning and to speake plainly t is true Jesus Christ doth judge that is to say declare against sinne and pronounce condemnation as belonging to sinners which is while we are in the flesh but this is no where called the judgement of the last day but this judgement that I speake of is the execution of sentence of the righteous Judge for the absolving and rewarding his Saints and condemning and punishing the world Now this is not in this life in the naturall body Let me freely ask thee whether now the wicked be punished Whether they be condemned now Surely thou wilt not say they are in eternall fire and have all the torment they shall have now is the time of their jollity mirth and merriment the Saints are now in trouble and the wicked rejoyce but hearken man what the Lord saith He knoweth how to deliver the righteous to reserve the unjust to the day of condemnation They are now reserved till then the righteous who are the children of the resurrection are kept in their graves as in a sweet and quiet sleepe till the resurrection and then saith Christ to them Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world though not enjoyed till now but the wicked that sport out the time of this life must die for it is appointed for all men once to dye and they in death are kept in their graves as in a prison and are raised up not as a priviledge to them as some conceive for better were it for them never to rise againe to condemnation for after death comes judgement To whom Christ saith Goe yee cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels who are likewise kept in chaines to the destruction of that day wherein all secrets of all hearts are judged which I am sure is not in this life Thus have I finished according to the grace given me of God the three-fold office of Christ who is a Kingly Priest and a Priestly King who is a Propheticall and Kingly Priest and a Priestly and Propheticall King as I may so say What may be attributed to any one office of Christ all concurre in it for in every worke of Christ all his offices have a joint operation Now in Christ is God seene in the most lively appearances of himselfe to the Saints Gods mercy and justice both reconciled in Christ his wisedome and power dwell in him his brightnesse and glory live in him In a word whatever the Lord is to a soule he is it Christ and it is richly fully and compleatly in him who of God is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Chap. XVIII Sheweth wherein the Worship of God consists with the true power and manner of divine Worship as it consists onely in the Inward man HAving through the goodnesse of God finished my discourse The worship of God as in the inward man consists of the true knowledge of God without which nothing is performed well unto God I am now come to shew wherein the worship of that God consists which is in the subjection of the spirit unto God to the will of the Lord which consists in five particulars As 1. Faith By believing in God is God glorified therefore is it In Faith and what true faith is Rom. 4. 20. said We give glory to God in believing which faith is either a relying or dependance upon the Lord Jesus for salvation according to the will of God or a giving credit to the words of God So is faith the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for that is to say it layes hold on the substance hoped for and brings it nigh to the soule The effects of which faith are peace with God victory over the world and life eternall The duration of the life of faith glorifying God is till Christ come the second time without sin to salvation for he that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by faith Now that is till Christ comes 2. In Prayer This is a part of spirituall worship which prayer In Prayer what true prayer is is a powring out the soule to God in the name and power of the Lord Jesus by the spirit for the supplying of our wants which prayers acknowledge our relation to God and Gods soveraignty over us The true prayer of the spirit is not a composed forme of mans invention but the breathing of the soule by the spirit after the good things of God this is to worship God when we seeke to him 3. In feare reverence and honour If I be Master saith God where In feare and reverence and what it is is my feare If I be a Father where is my honour Therefore must we serve the Lord with feare and rejoice before him with trembling The true fear of God is the reverent high and honourable thoughts and apprehensions a soule hath of God as his Lord Father and Creator wrought in him by the spirit Therefore we are commanded to Feare the Lord and his goodnesse Which feare is no slavish posture but a Son-like temper whereby
takes her off from Jerusalem that Mountaine wherein they worshipped confining themselves to places therefore saith he Neither at Jerusalem nor at this Mountaine Now Christ doth not simply deny the worshipping of God at Jerusalem for we know the Churches worshipped God in their spirits at Jerusalem after Christs death but prophecyes of the abolishing of that legall and ceremoniall worship of the Jewes which was tyed to one place above another and indeed the worship of God under the Old Testament was in comparison of the worship of the Gospell fleshly or carnall not sinfull whereby they were tyed to many sacrifices and weary journies in going up to Jerusalem to worship But now there is great liberty and freedome wherein they professe God in ipirit So that to worship God in spirit and truth is to worship him after a spirituall manner from a spirituall principle in opposition to that legall state wherefore Paul cals himselfe a minister of the spirit and not of the letter Neither doth that place at all deny outward Baptisme for Christ saith The houre is already come when those that worship God worship him in spirit and truth When you will not deny Baptisme of water to be in use neither can a man truly worship God in any ordinance without he worship God in the spirit But Baptisme of water is a fleshly thing an outward thing which cannot be Object 3 admitted into the Kingdome of heaven for the Apostle saith the Kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Consider I pray thee the Apostle there meddles not with Baptisme Sol. but disswading them from offending one another in meate and drinke for some would eate flesh and some could not He tels them The Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke For those things were not commanded to be eaten or forbidded so that we should sinne if we doe or doe not eate But righteousnesse c. Now righteousnesse is the performance of all the commands of God to which Baptisme of water is a part as Christ saith Suffer me for thus it becometh me to fulfill all righteousnesse Christ did all things commanded and that as one of the commands of God So that this is no Argument at all except you can prove Baptisme of water to be the meate and drinke he there speakes of which can never be made manifest so that for thee to call Baptisme of water a fleshly thing it argues a carnall understanding of the commands of God But Paul cals it a fleshly thing for he saith We are the Circumcision Object which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh So that Paul relinquishes all outward things as Baptism and the like as fleshly worshipping God in the spirit Philip. 3. 3. This Objection is like the first where Paul points not at all at Sol. Baptisme but at his Jewish priviledges which he enumerates verse 5 and 6. Which very things he tels us be they which he meanes by flesh and hath not confidence in them Surely were we able to see how that we are commanded to glorifie God in soule body and spirit we should leave such carnall reasoning and not take Paulâ— arguing against Jewish outward Ceremonies abolished by Christs death as a ground against Baptisme of water which is grounded upon his death But water Baptisme ceased when spirit Baptisme came in and was not to Object continue after that for fire Baptisme devoures water Baptisme Behold into how great mistakes men run when they endeavour Sol. to vanquish the truth it selfe The Scripture expresly tels us Acts 10. That the Apostle Peter seeing Cornelius and those that were with him baptized with the Holy Ghost for the Holy Ghost fell on them as on the Apostles Acts 11. makes use of this as a ground to prove nothing could hinder him from being baptized with water Oh the subtilty of Antichrist who makes wise men even as it were mad to forge their owne reasons endeavouring to make that a ground of destroying water Baptisme which the Apostle used as an argument for the establishment of it But some say The Baptisme of water was onely used in the minority or infancy of the Church therefore when the Church grew higher in the knowledge of God they laid aside these things Therefore is it said in the Hebrewes We must leave the principles of the doctrines of Christ and go on unto perfection of which principles Baptisme is one which we ought now to leave Hebr. 6. 1. c. Whoever thou art that thus arguest against Baptisme by the same Sol. argument thou mayst leave faith toward Christ and the resurrection of the dead That I may clearly shew thee thy mistake of the Scripture consider the Apostle speaks to those who did owne those principles and reproved them not for owning them for Ch. 5. he tels them They had need to have them taught againe But for not encreasing in the knowledge of God Therefore he tels them For their time they had need to have beene teachers of others And so from these principles he drawes their thoughts higher into the mysteries of Christ So that the Apostle saith Leaving them we presse forward that is to say leaving now or at present to speake of them which yee know and owne already we will goe forward to speake of higher things which higher things destroy not the other which is evident if you consider the other to be the principles or beginnings of the doctrine of Christ Now the building destroyes not the foundation these beginnings and the other more perfect things are at perfect unity I but say some The Apostle saith He forgets those things that are behind Object and reached forth to those things that are before So that we must not onely leave them but forget them Phil. 3. 13. To which I answer The word forgetting is not to be taken Sol. for an absolute forgetfulnesse of all things he had before done for this Paul did not but in reference to the glory of perfection hee had in his eye he did as a man in a race running towards the prize he doth as it were forget all things behind him in respect of his continuall motion So in the things of God we ought day by day to presse forward till we come to the marke to the enjoyment of perfection So that there is no good ground for such an Objection for the Apostle James Commends them that are not forgetfull hearers but doers of the word But notwithstanding surely to be baptized is to know Christ after the Object flesh therefore saith Paul Though we have knowne Christ himselfe after the flesh yet henceforth know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 16. That we know not Christ after the flesh is true and yet it is as Sol. true that to be baptized is not to know Christ after the flesh this
2. That it consists of people called or separated from the world by the Gospell 3. They are a company of believers 4. They are believers baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus 5. That they are united together by consent in the fellowship of the Gospell all which I shall handle briefly First That Christs Church are onely people I minde this in That Christs Church are only people a way of opposition to that carnall apprehension of ignorant soules who esteeme Houses of stone or timber to be the Churches of Christ not considering that That the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Acts 17. 24. But in the contrite and broken heart Though Heaven and Earth cannot containe him yet he dwels in men Which blind conceite hath begotten such superstition in their hearts that they esteeme such Houses to be Holy and so making an Idol of them they fall downe before them that is to say attribute that to them which is peculiar to the Saints Secondly The church of Christ consists of people called out of Christs Church is a people called out of the world the World wherein you may observe that the very same men and women who were in the world are the subjects of Christs Kingdome 't is not something added to man which is saved in man but the same man is the subject of salvation who before was in the the state or wrath 't is not something besides mens naturall soules and bodies which are the subjects of Christs church but their bodies and soules which before were in an old state of sin and death therefore called old men but now in a new state therefore called new creatures they are Christs members these I say are called or separated from the world the word Church in the Greeke signifies called out the church is called out or separate from the Kingdome of Sathan therefore saith Peter who hath called you out of darknesse 1 Peter 2. 9. and again Coloss 1. 13. Saints are said to be delivered from the power of darknesse and translated into another Kingdome Saints were once as others are but now are they separated from the world in a twofold consideration First From the wicked conversation of the world therefore are the Saints said to be redeemed from the vaine conversation of the They are separated from the vain conversation of the world world received by tradition from their fathers 1. Peter 1. 18. Therefore Paul saith we had our conversation amongst children of disobedience in times past in the lusts of our flesh but God who had mercy on us hath quickened us when we were dead in sins Eph. 2. 2. 3. 4. 5. they are to be separated from all the abominations thereof for the church of Christ is or ought to be a pure Kingdome into which nothing that desilâ—th should enter they are called from the works of the flesh as lying stealing covetousnesse drunkennesse swearing blaspheming railing adulteries and the lusts of the flesh wherein formerly they were conversant as is evident 1 Cor. 6. 4. 10. no such persons that are known to be such are to be admitted into the Church which is the Kingdome of heaven upon earth 2. They are separated from the worship of the World now by the They are separated from the worship of the world worship of the World I meane that seeming worship which men performe to the Lord without a lawfull warrant from the Lord even all the commands of man in the things of God The world through the mighty operation of the man of sin who works in the children of disobedience hath set up a worship among men that hath the name of the service of God when indeed God never commanded them any such thing We are commanded to come forth of Babylon out of confusion and to touch no unclean thing therfore saith the Lord What an agreement hath the temple of the Lord with idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. We are to separate from all assemblyes who say they are Churches and yet are not built upon the Rock Christ and the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the corner stone There is much adoe made about churches this day but there is but one true way of entring into a true Church fellowship therefore are we to separate from all those seeming Churches who never were admitted into the Church through the preaching of the Word and beleeving the doctrine of Christ being baptized into his name but were naturally borne into it as all those are who stand in a any Church by right of infant membership or infant Baptism Christs Church consists of a people visibly professing faith all in Christs Kingdome must be able to declare whose they are whom they professe whose subjects they be and to whose laws they conforme therefore we shall finde the Eunuch not to be admitted to baptisme Except he believed with all his heart But may some say many may professe faith and yet not be beleevers so that if Obj. faith be absolutely necessary for the fitting of a man to be a member of a church you will be able to prove few churches to be true because many may be hypocrites What I said before I say now again that visible appearances are Sol. Christs Church consists of people professing faith the true ground of visible administrations with the heart man beleeveth but with the mouth he confesseth unto salvation Had election or a reall interest in the love of Christ beene the only ground of receiving members into fellowship or of baptizing them as some may suppose the Apostles did very evill in baptizing Simon who was in the gall of bitternesse yea if that should be true Christ did very ill in suffering Judas to goe in and out so long with his disciples undiscovered when he knew he was a wicked man but yet Simon professing he beleeved ought not to be denied baptisme so that I say who ever shall say that he beleeveth in the Lord Iesus that is to say professe that he depends upon Christ for salvation and upon him alone and desires to be baptized in the name of Christ professing he beleeves it to be his duty except we know that he hath only a forme of Godlinesse and denyes the power thereof he ought to be baptized and be received a member with the Church I confesse there is a doctrine spread abroad that we must know mens hearts before we can walke visibly with them which truly never was nor shall be the ground of a visible fellowship neither ought we to examine mens spirits or principles so much as their doctrines The church of Christ consists of beleevers baptized in the name The members of Christs Church are baptized beleevers of the Lord Jesus therefore it is said They that gladly received the word were baptized and the same day there
must speak orderly one after another for God is not the author of confusion but of peace in all the Churches of Christ Thirdly Fasting now true fasting flowes from the apprehension Fasting of some great want whereby the soul is ingaged to give up himself to seek the Lord separating himselfe from his outward imployments from meat and drink so farre as nature will permit that he may wholly without distraction be earnest with the Lord by prayer for the obtaining of his request the true nature of this will appear evident if you consider Acts 13. 2 3. 14. 23. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Fourthly Charity which is more acceptable then hope or faith Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. this is that virtue without which al other gifts are nothing it is a grace which is rooted in the heart and is a true spirituall love and endeared affection towards his Lord Jesus and all his Saints poor and rich which composeth the Spirit in a right temper subduing covetousnesse trampling under foot vauntings loving another as himself the prayse of which read 1 Cor. 13. 3 4 5 6 7 8. verses It suffereth long is kinde envieth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinks no evill rejoyceth not in iniquity but in the truth beareth all things c. but I shall only mind it here as it That the outward necessities of the Saints must be relieved shewes it selfe forth in the relief of the Saints outward necessities It is an Ordinance of God to relieve the poor Saints It is the duty of the Church to see that no member in it do want or lack any thing necessary 't is not enought to say be warmed but they must administer to the supply of their wants according to the ability God hath given them 1 Cor. 16. 2. But all Saints are to have all things common so that there must be no difference Object between them as it was in the dayes of the Apostles Mistake not the Scriptures it is no where commanded it is true Sol. there was a time when all things were common yet so that every man had but accoridng to his need Act. 2. 45. 4. 34. 35. And wheras they sold their possessions they then testified their great charity and thus far it is a president for Saints to imitate that if they have possessions and their brethren be in want and they cannot to be relieved without selling their possessions they ought to sell them yet not so as to destroy their naturall relations for he that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell But this was not their constant practise for afterward they had gatherings as God prospered them 1 Cor. 16. 2. and indeed had that been always commanded to be therepractise wherin could there have been a ground to presse to charity and to reprove for covetousnesse there alwayes hath been and yet wil be a difference among men in this world there was an elect Lady one of reputation though few noble are called who lived accordingly abounding in hospitality yet we are alwayes to mind this that we ought not to have the faith in respect of persons Lastly Breaking of bread now I wil shew you very briefly four Breaking of bread or the Lords supper Christ the author of it things considerable in this First who was the author of it that is the Lord Jesus that said to his disciples doe this in remembrance of me What doth that speech concerne us being spoken only to his disciples before his death It was not a command only to them but to others also therefore saith Paul that which I have received of the Lord Jesus I deliver to you doe you eat thereof 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. Secondly The persons for whom he ordained it and they are Church members the subjects of it The nature of this Ordinance visible beleevers in Church fellowship such as could examine themselves such as could discern the Lords body Thirdly The true nature of this Ordinance which is spirituall holding forth Christs death unto one another for it is not an Ordinance for the world but the Church and likewise it holds forth our union with Christ for the bread we break is the Body of Christ and the Cup is his blood the blood of the Covenant and it manifests our union one with another for we being many are one bread it is a visible seal to us of our interest in the Lord Jesus which is to be performed in knowledge faith discerning Christs Body that is to say seeing Christ to be the true bread and only food of a Saint he that performs it not so doth it not truly some say we are not to doe it till we see our selves above it and live in the cleere apprehensions of light and life being onely to hold forth Christs death to others and not an ordinance wherein we feed on Christ but to me its cleer we are to doe it when we see our selves most barren and empty for then are Ordinances fittest for us so that we by faith see Christ to have all fulnesse in him and by faith meet him in that Ordinance in a way of subjection for it is an Ordinance appointed for our souls refreshing as well as the holding forth his death one to another Lastly The duration or continuance of this Ordinance which The continuance of this Ordinance is till Christ comes doe this in remembrance of me and as often as you doe this saith Paul you shew forth the Lords death till he come But say some we are only to use that till Christ come in the Spirit so that Obj. he being already come in the Spirit we are not any longer to use it The Apostles meaning is not till Christ come in the Spirit but till Christs second comming without sin to salvation when he shall reward both Sol. good and bad for if you observe it Christ was come to Panl and to the Corinths in the Spirit yet they used it and he that truly conformes to that Ordinance must have the Spirit for he must discerne the Lords body that is to say the fulnesse love excellency and virtue of Christ which he cannot do without the Spirit so that for any to say Christs comming in the Spirit puts an end to it he saith more then Christ or the Apostles ever said And if what such men say should be true then this would unavoydably follow that that dispensation which only gives a true being to an Ordinance and without which an Ordinance cannot be rightly imbraced must be that which puts an end to it which is contrary to religion and right reason For I say again the dispensation of Christ in the Spirit is that which only gives a true right to it and inables spiritually to conform to it and receive virtue from Christ in it As for those objections against this which plead it to be a knowing Christ
owne bloud which is called the bloud of sprinkling which Christ poured forth when he suffered without the gate even his owne precious bloud which is the bloud of God This is he that came by water and bloud even Jesus Christ This was part of that new Song the 24 Elders sang when they fell downe before the Lambe saying Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us by thy bloud even his bloud whose vesture was dipt in bloud Therefore Christs bloud is called the bloud of the Covenant of the everlasting Covenant But peradventure some will be ready to say who seeme to be very Object spirituall That that bloud that washes us is not the bloud poured forth upon the Crosse for that was spilt upon the ground but it is a spirituall bloud and therefore saith Christ He that eateth my body and drinketh my bloud shall never dye which seemes to imply some other bloud To which I answer 1. By the bloud of Christ we are to understand not onely the Sol. bloud sned forth from his side as a naturall eye might see it but the same bloud in the virtue of it which bloud is the sacrifice So he that drinketh Christs bloud partakes of the excellent benefit that redounds through Christs bloud which in due time I shall shew you more fully 2. By this word Bloud we must know the death of Christ to be concluded and his body included All Christs suffering center in one word namely his Bloud which holds forth all his sufferings upon the Crosse And therefore in the next place the Scripture declares this sacrifice 3. To be the offering up of his body Christ gave up his body to death to suffer all the wrath of man and to become an offering for sinne therefore It is his body Heb. 10. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Col. 1. 22. Isa 33. 10. John 10. 15. Acts 8. 53. 1 John 13. 16. Matth. 20. 28. it is called the offering of the body of Christ. So saith Peter he bare our sinnes in his owne body even in the body of his flesh By which body we are to understand himselfe his bloud for every one of these words are wound interchangably each in other Thus Christ gives his body to be eaten that is to say the fruit of the offering up his body he gives his body for us that the fruit of that body might redound to us 4. It is said He made his soule an offering for sinne The Lord Christ It is his soule offered up offered up the whole man body and spirit he loved not his life but poured forth his soule and underwent the whole curse wrath and vengeance of the most High in body and spirit 5. Christ sayes he layes downe his life for us yea he gave his life a It is the laying downe his life Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 22. Heb. 2. 9. 14. Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 13. 18. 18. ransome for many In this word all the other are contained Therefore it is so often said in the Scriptures we are saved by his death and by his sufferings So that all these tearmes of Christ giving himselfe pouring forth his bloud giving his owne body making his soule an offering for sin laying downe his life dying and suffering for us are all one sacrifice one is diffused into all and all center in every one Chap. VIII Sheweth how often this Sacrifice was offered the place where and the time when it was offered THUS through the power and virtue of this sacrifice having declared what it is we come now to consider 1. How often this sacrifice was offered The Priests under the Law How often this Sacrifice was offered Heb. 9. 26. 28. Heb. 10. 10. 12. 14. 18. went into the holy place every year they offered sacrifice continually But our Jesus by one sacrifice hath done away sinne The multiplicity of the legall sacrifices argued their imperfection for those Priests daily ministring offered sometimes the same sacrifice which could never take away sinne but this Man saith the Spirit after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God holding forth the worke was done that Christ might sit still needing no more offering And whereas it is said He sat down on Gods right hand it declares he had done his worke and the Father accepted it or else he should never have beene placed in the throne of victory at his Fathers right hand Christ was once and but once offered to beare the sinnes of many Many talke of Christs dying still in us and the like but indeed instead of exalting Christ as they pretend to do they ranke him onely in the Leviticall Priesthood and instead of holding forth his perfection they render him imperfect and quite contradict the aforenamed Scriptures 3. The place where Christ was offered deserves our consideration for it is not said in vaine that he suffered without the gate upon the The place where this sacrifice was offered Heb. 13. 12. Crosse and that betweene two theeves it shewes the descension of our Saviour into the lowest vilest contemptiblest estate and condition that could be Christ died at Jerusalem a City not in the heart but in Judea in the world I mind this the rather because some think the death of Christ at Jerusalem not at all to concerne them but they look for Christs death within them whereas in the Scriptures nothing is more cleare then this that Christs death at Jerusalem is the offering for sin not Christs death in any ones heart The Scriptures warrant no such kinde of language I confesse I know thus much that though Christ died at Jerusalem if the power virtue and efficacy of this death be not seated revealed and enjoyed in the heart a poore soule can take no comfort in it notwithstanding this is as certaine he that enjoyes not Christ in him as a fruit of that one offering at Ierusalem enjoyes him not at all The Scriptures often speake of our being dead with Christ that is to say being implanted into the likenesse of his death by being dead to sinne and to iniquity but no where speake of Christ being dead in us as the sacrifice by which we are saved If Christ be in us the body is dead not Christ because of sin and the spirit is alive because of righteousnesse Christs death hath a virtue in us namely destroying sinne and becoming a quickning spirit 4. Concerning the time of this sacrifice being offered In the fulnesse of time saith the Lord God sent forth his Son it was in the last The time when this sacrifice was offered dayes so called in respect of dispensation for now all under Moses and the Prophets vanished that Christ might come in and continue God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son who once in the end of the world appeared to put away sin
by the Sacrifice of himself that is to say in these last daies Christ appeared and offered up himselfe to put an end to all other offerings and to put away sin This Christ did in the daies of Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas the High-priest which was many yeares since But I know some are ready to object and say How can this be For Object he was a Lambe slaine before the foundation of the World which if true how is it that he was slain in time at Jerusalem except he was often slaine I Answer It is very true that Christ was slain but once according Sol. to the Scriptures and that in time in the end of the world and yet as true if truely understood that hee was slaine before the foundation of the World Which I shall demonstrate clearly from the Scriptures To see the truth clearly Wee must consider Christ Jesus in his 1 Pet. 1 20. death 1. In the decree of God and so he was fore-ordained before the Christ slain by the decree of God foundation of the World And all things were present before the Lord before they had being in reference to us they were in the decree councel and purpose of the Lord so was the Lord Christ in Gods decree and councel before the World He calleth things that are not as though they were What are only actually alone with us in time were truely present with him before all time who is not included in any time 2. In the vertue of his death and so he was slain before the foundation The vertue of Christs death was before the foundation of the World of the world Christs death had an influence into the times past as well as times to come therefore called The blood of the Covenant Now we must know that there was a Covenant made between God and Christ wherein it was agreed that Christ should die in time and the vertue of that death which was from eternity in the Eye of the Father should speak for all his generation in all ages therefore the Fathers of old believed not in a Christ already then come but to come even in the flesh and therefore God led them by the hand to look to a Christ to come through many Types and Sacrifices which when Christ came all ceased Christs death was that price that was laid down for all his generation in all ages and this is Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever 3. We are to consider Christs actuall death which was accomplisht Christ actually died in time by the Jewes therefore saith the Apostle The same Jesus whom ye have crucified hath GOD Raised up and thus was Christ manifest in the last times Jerusalem was not actually alwaies Pilate not alwaies for we know that State City and those persons had a begining and ending no more did Christ die actually before the World was that he might dye hee took upon him flesh and was made like to us which is only done in time for we first are in the Wombe then brought forth encrease and dye so did he yet notwithstanding the vertue of Christs death through the will of God is as great as if hee had actually suffered before the World was which he did not but only once in the end of the World And yet is Christ a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Christ died once and dyed no more yet the benefit remaines for ever So that as the Sacrifice is fully accepted by the Father who views it since it was offered so it was accepted by him that saw it before it was offered for all things that God doth before us in time which time the Scriptures tels abondantly himselfe hath made ordered and disposed which time is that space wherein things are done successively hee saw liked ordered and decreed should be before time was Chap. IX Wherein is shewne how Christ offered up himself and the true nature of that Offering 5 I am now to proceed and shew you how Christ offered up himselfe How Christ offered up himself unto GOD which I shall demonstrate these two waies First By the power of the eternall Spirit This Sacrifice was no Christ offered up himself by the Spirit ordinary one it was his owne body therefore the power must be sutable which was the Spirit of God that did sustaine him enable him to dye and raised him from the dead therefore saith Christ I 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 18. lay down my life and I have power to take it up againe therefore is he said to be justified in the Spirit and quickned by the spirit That Eternall Spirit that dwelt in him suffered him not to lye in the grave For it was impossible he should bee held of death that was filled with the fulnesse of GOD in whom the Eternall Spirit was Secondly Christ died in the body of his flesh It was impossible the Christ died in simple Word of God die therefore the word was made flesh For as the body of his flesh much as the Children were pertakers of flesh and blood Christ himselfe tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death so he in the flesh abolished the enmity therefore it is said God was manifest in the flesh in reference to his death and justified in the Spirit in reference to his resurrection Therefore saith Peter Christ Eph. 2. 16. Col. 1. 22. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 4. 1. suffered for sins the just for the unjust being put to death in the flesh A fleshly body was prepared by God for Christ to suffer in and so he gives them his flesh a sacrifice for sin 6. Thus through the guidance of God I am now come to speak of the nature of this Sacrifice which I have discovered to be the Lord Jesus his flesh body and blood offered upon the Crosse at Jerusalem in the end of the world by the eternall Spirit for sin The excellency of its nature by a six fold demonstration First From the purity of it Under the Law their offerings A pure Sacrifice Levit. 1. 3. 10. Mal. 1. 7 8 9. must be without blemish therefore the Lord reproves the People for that they brought that which was torne and the lame and the sick saying thus Ye brought an offering should I accept this of your hands saith the Lord which is as much as if he should have said I the Lord delight not in but abhorre lame blinde imperfect offerings I must have one without blemish But now seeing all these unblemishable Lambs c. under the Law could not take away sin either a Sacrifice without spot and blemish must be found who is sufficient to take 10. Joh. 1. 29. 36. Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. away sin or else sin must remain therefore the Lord Christ steps in Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offerings
thou wouldest not Then said I Lo I come to doe thy Will O GOD. Christ is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World Who offered up Heb. 7. 28. 11. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 22. himself to God without spot for he is that true Lambe without blemish and without spot Herein our Jesus was a Priest transcending the Priests under the Law which had infirmity and the Sacrifices under the Law that were imperfect For the Lord Jesus was pure and spot-lesse yea perfectly pure in whose mouth was found no guile who knew no sinne There was a great necessity he should be such an offering without spot because God was and is a God of pure Eyes that cannot behold Iniquity that is to say tolerate it suffer it to go unpunished Now had Christ been a sinner he could not have taken away sinne This was the reason of the imperfection of the Priests of old which had they been perfect we had had no need of another Priest after the order of Melchisedeck Secondly It is a free Sacrifice Free-will offerings under the Christs death a free sacrifice Law were very acceptable with God Our Jesus offered up his owne body freely no man saith he takes my life from me I lay it down Lo I Heb. 10. 9. come to do thy will O God Thirdly It was as pure and free so a Perfect Sacrifice The Sacrifices Christs death A perfect Sacrifice under the Law were without blemish but not perfect therfore Jesus puts an end to them and offers up himself The offerings in the Law were to be perfect without blemish as touching their bodies they must not be blinde broken nor maimed or the like but this was a perfection shaddowing out the true perfection of the Lord Jesus who wanted nothing who had nothing superfluous but was a perfect Sacrifice there needed no other to compleat it Fourthly It was an Eternall Sacrifice It was offered in time Christs death an eternall Sacrifice but ordain'd before time and the influences of it reached Eternity a vertue sprang from it to al his generation that fell asleep before it was actually offered and now being offered it remaines in as full vertue as ever for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And so he was a Lambe slaine before the foundation of the Heb. 10. 14. World being the same yesterday and to day and for ever even the same Jesus the same Saviour and deliverer the same High-priest that saved Paul saved Abraham and shall save all that shall be saved Fiftly It was a spiritual Sacrifice In the time of the Law the Christs death a spirituall Sacrifice Priests went alwaies into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God but into the second the High-priest only once every year not without blood which he offered for his errors and the sins of the people Which Tabernacle was a figure in that time Now the Sacrifices and Gifts that were offered in that Tabernacle stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation Heb. 9. 10. but our High-priest enters into the holyest of holies and there accomplisheth the service of God not with Meats and Drinks and carnall Ordinances or Jewish observations but with his blood offering a spirituall Sacrifice Christ came with reformation doing away that which was carnall that is to say of a fleshly legall not sinfull administration by his spirituall Sacrifice Even the offering up of himselfe in body and spirit The Just for the Vnjust Sixtly and lastly let us view its nature with its accepataion The Christs death an acceptable Sacrifice Sacrifice was offered up to a just and righteous God for an unjust and unrighteous people and the Lord accepted it so that the shadow is of the heavenly thing Even the burnt offerings under the Law was a sweet favour unto God holding forth the excellency of the savour that our better Sacrifice our substantiall offering was to God therefore it 's said Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour He is that sweet perfume that ascends up to GOD in whom the Father is only wel-pleased who hath Isa 53. 11. seen the travell of his Sonnes soul and is satisfied This is a most acceptable sacrifice Chap. X. Manifesteth the true subjects for whom this Sacrifice was offered 7. HAving thus in mercy made manifest the nature of this Sacrifice and for as much as every sacrifice that is offered is for some body let us now enquire of the Persons who are the subjects of this Sacrifice which Christ declares to be his sheep I lay down my life for my Sheep Those Sheep are the Elect of God whom the Lord Joh. 10. 15. hath appointed a place for at his Right hand in the last day therefore saith Christ Other Sheep have I which are not of this fold them also I Ver. 16. must bring in and they shall hear my voice Again saith he I know my Sheep Christ makes it his work to Redeem a company of poor silly sheep from the wooles These sheep are those who are given by God to Christ Thine they were saith Christ that is to say thine by thy choce knowledge decree and purpose Thou gavest them me that is they being in the World a company of poor despised sinfull creatures thou committed'st John 17. 6. them to my charge to rescue them from the paw of the Lion and mouth of the Beare and to keep them in thy name that they may never depart from thee These are they Christ prayed for these only and not for the World that is to say those that were not given to him to bring over by the power of his own Septer to the obedience of the Gospel to the salvation of their souls and therefore you shall finde Christs prayer is not limited to the small number of his faithfull Apostles but hee likewise prayes for all that should believe in him for their sakes he sanctified himself that is to say he set himselfe apart and made it his worke to offer sacrifice and become a Redeemer So much the word sanctify clearly imports These were a certaine number that Christ knew and the Father loved as he loved Christ which in another place are called children as testifies the Spirit saying Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he likewise tooke part of the same that he might deliver his children Which children are those that are his peculiar Heb. 2. 14. generation Behold saith Christ I and the children which thou hast given me which children he cals his brethren saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren For this cause is the Lord Jesus called The Captaine of the salvation of many sonnes Because he sanctifieth-himselfe for them for he is a perfect Captaine
was given to him the Devil taking advantage of the Creatures mutability for God did not neither was he bound to make the creature immutable spake to the woman by a Serpent even a natural Beast of the earth that eats dust and creeps on her belly Eve would be wise beleeved the Devil ate of the Tree brake the Law and so came to know good and evil shee knew not good and evil before but now she felt the evil and died that is the evil of fear and shame the fruit of sin seized upon them This Tree was a Tree of triall to them of their obedience now sin came and death by sinne Adam was turned out of the Garden sorrow encompassed them the Tree of life a visible Tree pointing out Christ denied them because God would shew the riches of his grace and the glory of his justice had Adam eaten of that Tree of life he and all his posterity had lived for ever but God would not suffer it but would advance justice in the condemnation of some and so keeps him out with a staming Sword that is to say his Law or mighty power Thus do we continually the thing forbidden to us we are not contented with our sphere surely this consideration renders God just in our ruine and 't is only mercy that saves any of us Thus man was plunged in this darknes yet Christ came as a light shining in darknes but the darknes the dark sinfull heart of man comprehended it not but opposed it Christ saith he is the true light the Messia the Son of God that life eternal is in him the Jewes neglected rejected scorned and abused him so do many now by which they adde iniquity to iniquity and are justly Condemned for their sinnes But that I may the more clearly demonstrate the falsity of this assertion consider these following Arguments Those that Christ died for hee offered a Sacrifice for for his death was a Sacrifice for sinne as I have at large proved before Arg. to prove Christ died nor for all men Argument 2 But Christ offered not a sacrifice for all men therefore he died not for all This second proposition is clearly proved if you consider this That all those for whom this Sacrifice was offered are sanctified and perfected by it having through it Remission of sinnes which is evident for by one Offering hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified and again We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all he bore the sinnes of many and by that Sacrifice he carried them away that God remembers them in a way of judgement no more This will be more manifested if you consider what I shall say in the vertue of Christs death But there are a people that shall never be made perfect nor have sinnes done away this is so evident by it self that it needs no demonstration consult with the 25. Mat. and you may there if you doubt sinde a resolution Having thus handled the Subjects for whom this Sacrifice was To whom this sacrifice was offered offered I am now come to shew you to whom it was offered namely to GOD to an offended displeased and angry Majesty That could not endure Sinne and which threatened death to Sinners GOD saith Fury is not in me How then say you GOD is an angry God Object The same GOD that saith fury is not in me saith also They are Sol. full of the fury of the Lord. So that we must know fury wrath anger is in God by a Law which is the righteous dispensatinn of justice and judgement by his owne Law against the breakers of it And yet fury is not in God that is God in Christ hath so taken away the Cup of trembling and the dregs of his fury that fury is not in him to his Children for GOD in Christ is love full of love GOD in the Law is a recompencer of tribulation and anguish to all that obey not the Gospel of Christ Chap. XI Sheweth the excellent vertue of this Sacrifice appearing by its sweet and comfortable effects and that in four considerations THis Sacrifice is better then all other sacrifices transcends all under the Law comprehends all manner of excellency in it self and the vertue whereof appeares First In that the Lord Jesus by this one Sacrifice interposed between Christ inter-1 posed between God and man God and poor silly sorry man between Gods wrath vengeance and fury and sinfull rebellious man Gods hand of justice was up mans neck upon the block ready for his fatall and finall destruction Even as Abrahams hand was up ready to slay his Sonne But as then the Angel stept in and laid his hand on Abrahams Sword so the Angel of our new Govenant immediately interposed himself and became that Ram in the bush that was ready to dye in our stead and be offered for us that we might be spared so Christ held Gods hand and staved off his wrath as I may so say and now sets forward not onely to respite mans misery for a short time But Secondly He mediates betweene God and man for a reconciliation Christ mediates between God and man man was the offender sentence was given against him to condemnation nothing was wanting to compleate his misery but a full execution and eternity to locke him up fast in wrath and torment Now the Lord Jesus interposes himselfe to make up the breach and therefore is he called The Mediator betweene God and Man the Man Christ Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant He it is not duties not prayers not fasts not the performances of the Creature that makes reconciliation and attonement for the sins of the people Thirdly By this sacrifice he hath given full satisfaction to God Christ hath given satisfaction to God the Father the Father for whatever he could lay to our charge Man as I said before was condemned to dye wrath was threatned he became a debtor to the Law Now the Lord Christ undertakes the payment of his debt he would answer the Law and pay whatever the Law could demand even to the utmost farthing he became the end of the Law for righteousnesse sake he died and became a curse for it is written Cursed be every one that hangeth on a tree that we might be blessed and live for ever Yea further The Lord Jesus that he might be a perfect Saviour bore our sinnes in his owne body on the Crosse and the Father laid on him The iniquities of us all and he was numbred among and judged as the transgressors Which holds forth to me the Father Isaiah 53. 12. speaking if I may so say after this manner to his Son Son wilt thou undertake for this man this sinfull man his sinnes are as searlet his offence is great the punishment is as great thou must take all his sinnes and faults upon thy selfe and stand in his stead and suffer whatever I have threatned upon him thou must
not yet subdued to him Hast thou never an evill thought in thee no sinne at all If thou shalt say thou hast not thou deceivest thy selfe but yet if it should be true Hast thou no imperfection left Is thy body dead and raised from the dead Surely no But was it true that Christ hath never an enemy left in thee hath he none no where else What meaneth the opposition of the world to the Saints What meaneth all sicknesses and sorrowes teares and troubles Now these enemies must first subdued Christ resignes not up his Kingdome bypeice-meals but when all his work is done then cometh the end Secondly Spirituall Officers as there is a Civill Kingdon e in which are Civill Officers so hath Christ a Spirituall Kingdome which is his Church in which are Spirituall Officers of which in the second part of this Discourse 5. We are in the next place to consider Christs enemies which hold Christs enemies forth a necessity for Christ to reigne and they are severall yet all conspire in one the ruine of the Lord Christ which enemies heads I shall reduce to these 1. Satan the grand enemy of the Lord Jesus there is a seed of enmity sowne betweene Christ and his generation Michael and Sathan Luke 8. 30. his Angels and the Devill and his Angels This is that wicked one whose name is Legion because there are many Devils that assaulted Christ in the earth and all that are Christs while on the earth this is he that compasseth all the world to dethrone Christ from his dignity who is against Christ 2. Sinne If it were not for sinne Satan could doe us no harm Sinne. sinne is that which causes man to mourne all the day long which sinne is either open or secret errours in doctrine or practise 3. Wicked men the wicked Kings and Rulers of the earth Wicked men the men of this world whose eyes are blinded and such are wee by nature being dead in sinnes and trespasses We in our owne minds are enemies to him Herod and Pilate though at difference could agree together to crucify Jesus Yea whatever stands in opposition to Christ is his enemy which leades us to consider 6. His Victories these I say proclaime him King he hath Christs victories overcome all his enemies his Victories may admit of a threefold consideration First as they are atcheived against the enemies of his owne person and so hath he conquered the Devill for he destroyed Satan and sinne For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for us and carried our sinnes away in his owne body and overcame death for he could not be held of death but ascended from the dead Yea he conquered all his enemies it was a crucified Jesus that pricked the Jewes to the heart Secondly as they are performed in Saints which likewise admits Christ enlightens the understanding of a threefold consideration 1. Over their understandings We are all naturally in the dark ignorant of God yea We sit in darknesse yea The God of the world hath blinded our eyes but now comes Christ and bindes this strong man and opens our understanding whereby we come to know the Mysteries which were before hid in God therefore is it said of him He shall give light to them that sit in darknesse 2. Over their wils if Christ should never so open their understandings Rescues our wils and not conquer and rescue their wils he would be a Saviour but of some part of the man and so would be an imperfect Saviour Our wils are fattered and chained they seeke nothing but vanity all the day long but now comes the Lord Jesus as a mighty Conquerour and powerfully rescues our will from the hard bondage wherein it was made to serve by Satan and sinne and so causes the soule to will the things of God Therefore is it said T is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure We naturally will nothing but vanity but through his good pleasure we are made able to will the glory of God and life eternall But methinks I heare some demanding Have not all men free will to be saved Qu. Sol. To which I thus answer If by free will you understand a voluntary desire or choice of the will from the true understanding of salvation I say no man as a meere man in the world hath any such will for our will is enslaved We are the servants of sinne by nature and t is the alone worke of the spirit to renew this will to rescue it from the tyranny of Satan but yet may some question Whether every man that wils salvation may have it Qu. Sol. To which I answer If you meane by willing salvation a desire of salvation from a true understanding of God in Christ which is the hungring after Christ I say whoever wils salvation or the Lord Jesus let such a soule feare not but boldly goe to or believe on or rest upon and be confident in Christ For all that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shall be filled But the power thus to will or desire is onely of the Lord Who onely worketh to will and doe of his good pleasure Our King Jesus in the salvation of any soule first discovers his owne excellency then causes mans will before averse to chuse it which he doth through the mighty power of his Kingly dignity 3. The Lord our King workes upon the affections We that before Christ overcomes our affections had all our joy in the earth love in to and upon the world whose feares were of a carnall nature are now made able to love Christ delight in Christ rejoice in him feare him and obey him and that is performed by him as a mighty King That rules in the midst of his enemies whose power is irresistible For whom the Father foreknew he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son T is not said whom he foreknew would believe and be conformable them he glorified but whom he fore-knew he did predestinate or fore-appoint or ordaine should believe and be conformable to the image of his Sonne And whom he did predestinate he called and whom he called he justified and whom he justified he glorified We love him because he first loved us And therefori is it said We are translated from the Kingdome of Satan unto the Kingdome of his deare Son Thirdly We may consider his victories as atcheived against all our enemies as within us so without us as Satan Death and Hell and the like but I shall here onely minde the world the wicked and ungodly thereof those that were fore-ordained of old to condemnation the world is an open enemy to Jesus which appears by the words of God saying That enmity was put betweene the Serpents and the Womans seed Now t is the Lord Christ that Strikes through Kings in the day of his wrath and wounds the heads over many Continents If the world
is an Ordinance of the New Testament of the Lord Jesus it is a part of Gospell spirituall and heavenly obedience whose use and end is First For the visible holding forth the death and resurrection It holds forth Christs death and resurrectiou of the Lord Jesus That Law-giver who hath given us tongues to speake of this mystery hath given us bodies to expresse it for what is our being overwhelmed with water but a lively representation of Christs being in the grave and our ascending out of the water what is it but a fit publication of Christs being raised from the dead Secondly It serves for the exercise of our obedience unto the â— exercises our obedience Lord Jesus If I be a King where is my honour saith Christ Arise why tarryest thou and be baptized is the Law gone forth from our High Priests lips to be faithfully observed of all believers Had we no ground but Gods command it is enough for us hereby may we manifest our obedience God hath not made our bodies in vaine but will be glorified in them For our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly It serves for the exercise of our faith in the death of It exercises our faith Christ where we by faith see our selves dipped in the glorious mystery of his death Therefore are we said To be buried with him in Baptisme Some conceive that is onely meant spiritually but I say he speakes of the being baptized into his death by faith even in the visible Ordinance for in that may we by faith see Christ dead and our life hid in his death by faith in his death we see our selves dead to sinne it holds forth our justification by Christ the washing away of our sinnes in his death in his bloud So likewise it serves for the exercise of our faith in the resurrection of Christ for as we have beene baptized in his death so likewise by faith wee see the glory of Christs resurrection for as Christ died and rose from the dead so we who are buried visibly with him in Baptisme shall be raised by him even as certainly as we arise out of the water unto life eternall Fourthly We are likewise by Baptisme planted into the similitude We are planted by it into the likenesse of Christs death and resurrection of his death and resurrection for as Christ died and was surrounded with miseries so in this Ordinance by faith wee see our sufferings to be the dyings of Christ in us and as we suffer with him so are we planted into the likenesse of his resurrection Wee now by this see our selves planted into the similitude of his death whereby we dye to the world to sinne and vanity and likewise see our selves risen with Christ by faith unto the glory of God seeking the things that are above where Christ now fitteth at the right hand of God in the glory of the majesty on high We doe not onely by this hold forth Christs death and resurrection by acting faith in it that we shall receive virtue by it but see our selvs also planted into the same similitude of Christs sufferings and exaltations Fiftly It is a sweet and comfortable assurance of the resurrection It serves for the assurance of the resurrection of the body of our bodies from the grave We are buried with him and shall be raised from the grave by him as sure as our bodies are raised from the water shall our bodies be raised from the grave Sixtly By this they visibly demonstrate themselves to have put By this we visibly put on Christ on Christ Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ This putting on Christ is by faith by which we are the children of God but the visible demonstration of it is in Baptisme of water and by faith in this outward ordinance have we communion and fellowship with Christ having put him on as a garment to cover our nakednesse as an ornament to adorne our persons as a shield and buckler to secure us we are in this ordinance baptized into Christ under a two-fold consideration 1. In that we are baptized into the love life joy peace mystery and righteousnesse of Christ we by faith in that ordinance may see our selves encompassed about with a love and united to Christ For by one spirit are wee all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. We visibly demonstrate our selves by Baptisme to be of Christs sheepe as invisibly by the spirit we are dipped plunged or interested into that spirituall body whereof Christ is the head 2. In that by baptisme we visibly give up our names to Christ acknowledging him to be our Lord his will to be our law his law our life by this we acknowledge his soveraignty his excellency by this we resigne up our selves to him wearing his livery whereby he distinguishes his people in a speciall manner from the world Therefore saith Christ Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in or into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost That is to say by Baptisme we are consecrated or set apart unto the Father Son and Spirit and are visibly baptized into the profession of Jesus of the mystery and spirit of Jesus This Paul explaines where hee saith He thankes God he baptized no more of the Corinths lest they should say he baptized them into his name that is lest they should have Idolized him attributed that to him which is proper to God lest they should say they were his Disciples or his members or call themselves by his name Lastly the end of this as all other Ordinances is to glorifie By this wee glorifie God God God will be glorified by thy hands in ministring to thy owne or the Saints necessities by thy foot in carrying thee forth to preach For how beautifull are the feet of him that bringeth glad tydings by thy spirit in believing by thy soule and body in being baptized for we are not our owne but are bought with a price that wee should glorifie God in soule body and spirit Chap. IV. Discourseth of the Administrator and proper subjects of Baptisme IF you call to minde what I have already declared concerning Who are the true administrators of the Ordinance of Baptisme the ministry to the world you will see who are true Administrators but to speake a little more fully of this they are twofold First Such who are immediately stirred up by God to preach the Gospell of Christ those having a power to baptize into or in the name of Christ of this sort were the eleven Disciples Marke ult Philip who preached and baptized Ananias who preached to Paul and baptized him Peter who preached to the Gentiles and baptized them Paul himselfe who preached and baptized divers Acts 16. Secondly Such as are sent forth by the Church of Christ they may preach the Gospell and administer this Ordinance thus was Barnabas sent from Jerusalem
from Christ or a command for it and yet doth it as an ordinance of Christ his worship is will-worship his service is not regarded by the Lord. Lastly As he must have a principle of knowledge faith and life so must he performe it in love to Christ he that receiveth truth and not in the love of truth will soone fall from the truth which truly I conceive to be the ground why so many Professors deny it it is because they were byassed with some carnall principle and were not in love with the truth from the true understanding of the truth Having briefly spoken to the principle I shall now handle the The true power of Conformity to this Ordinance power whereby we are to conforme to it which is a spirituall divine supernaturall power whereby the soule is enabled to perform the commands of God therefore saith Christ without me you can doe nothing and again saith Paul I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me All Power saith Christ is given to me therefore goe yee The power that is in Christs hand is communicated unto poor creaures whereby they become conformable unto himself i confesse may a man say 't is the power of Christ that neables us to do of his Quest good pleasure but I desire to know whether every Saint at all times hath not a power to doe every thing commanded by God That I may as cleerly as possibly I can present the truth of this to Sol. thee as it is presented to my understanding I desire thou wouldest mind that power is twofold either essentiall to the first Adam and his generation or to the second Adam the Lord from heaven and his generation now power in the first Adam or indeed in the whole creation is that faculty whereby every thing is enabled to perform its severall office or worke so that there is a naturall power in the Sun to move and to shine and in the fire to burne so in man there is a naturall power to move or sit or eat or drink or fast and the like which power in the first man admits also of a double consideration either as in innocency or since his fall while he lies in sin in his first created state he had a pure naturall power given him of doing what he would so that mans will missed his power for power is guided naturally by will in man but this power enabled him to serve God in the first creation which power was the power of God in him But man notwithstanding this power was through the subtilty of the deceiver beguiled therefore it is said the Devil beguiled Eve so that he fell and his power was now lost to any thing which was good and confined to things naturall where in its force is much abated and its vigour eclipsed but now is a man dead by nature or corruption to the things of God thus much of power in the first man Now power in the second man is that ability where by we are able to serve God fear him rejoyce in or conforme to him now this power is so essentiall to a Saint that take it away you destroy his being a man is not a man any longer then he hath the power of a man so a Saint is not a Saint without this power a Saint is an old man renewed in power life light and spirit though let me tell you this worke is but in part here so that I say a Saint as a Saint hath power it is his life his portion whose power is the very power of the Almighty for what the Father hath is given to Christ and what Christ hath is given to a Saint If this be true how comes it to passe that so many Saints complaine for Object want of power to doe the things that are good as Paul saith to will is present with me but how to performe I know not and againe the good that I would doe that I doe not and the evill that I would not doe that doe I That the first is true notwithstanding this to me is apparent Sol. and the reason of mans complaining thus I say is not so much for want of power in him as a Saint as for the strength of corruption that encounters him which I shall set forth plainly by this similitude A man while he is well is able to eate and drink and sleepe and walke and speake but being set upon with some violent distemper suppose a feaver the stone or the gout now the man cryes out for sleep but his pains are so great he cannot sleep or fain would walke but the gout prevents him now I say the proper reason why he cannot walke is not because he hath not as a man a power to walke but because his naturall power is obstructed through the violency of his disease yet thus far 't is true that a man hath not a power as considered diseased but this disease is preternaturall or contrary to nature so I say it fares with a Saint as a Saint in his right temper he can move and run the wayes of Gods commands but meeting with the opposition of a body of sin or death he cryes out with Paul who shall deliver me Through the violence of temptation a Saint may slip or fal he may be for a time led captive but this is not properly for want of power as a Saint but because of his temptations or enemies which makes them complain of the strength of the wicked one But further I say the reason of Saints complaining or being sometimes overcome for a time is not for want of power for all the power that Christ hath is theirs but for want of faith in that power for by faith we lay hold on that power by which we overcome the world our strength is to lay hold on the Lord did we know our strength it would appeare to be no other but the strength of Christ when Paul had beene in a long conflict Rom. 7. with the flesh he cryed out till he lookt to Christ then sayes he thanks be to God who hath delivered me To this I have already said I shall adde this that though power is essentiall to the being of a man or any creature or a Saint yet without a constant supply of power or influence or virtue from the Lord it soone Loseth or forgoeth its course the Sun though naturally it is in continuall motion yet at Gods command it stands still without a continual supply from Christ we can doe nothing if God doe not vouchsafe a continuall influence of his presence and his power to the naturall man he dies so if God withdrawes the sweet influence of his power upon us or in us how soone doe we fall a Saint hath power but knowes not how to exercise it he hath power as he is a new creature but somtimes cannot exercise it through a distemper But doe you judge that the reason why men in our dayes doe not