hath given him Authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of God We see all along here that the Lord speaks of his power and judgment when he again comes And again he saith Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Here the Lord speaks in the Scripture way of speaking in that he so nearly joyns his coming to judge the World with that last judgment like that of his joyning the destruction of Jerusalem and of the World together according to which all the Scripture is so joyn'd Now these two judgments are clearly to distinct things for in the first it is said the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and it was those that did hear did live therefore this is at the first resurrection when the Lord again comes at which time all the promiss'd Elect shall be call'd in whom he hath promised mercy and with the dead Bodies of the Saints shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And the other is the eternal judgment which is spoken of in the Revelations where it is said the Sea and Death and Hell delivered up the dead As to what the Lord saith in John 5. from the 20. v. to the 29. v. The Lord there speaks of the two judgments as I have elsewhere proved to you and therefore what he saith in the 24. v. is concerning them that are believers at his coming that they have everlasting life and that they shall not come into condemnation but where the Lord saith John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life And the Apostle also saith 1 John 5.11,12,13 This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life That is God hath renewed us in Christ and given us eternal life by him if we are true Believers and what that belief is that is required of us I have elsewhere proved to you But the everlasting life that is given the Believer is as it was given Adam in Paradise the which was as long as he continued in his obedience And so it is with us the which the words of the Lord doth fully explain where he saith John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see death And Christ saith again John 15.9,10,11,12 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you By all this we plainly see that the eternal life given the Believer is theirs no longer than they persist in their obedience So Adam's eternal life that he had given him in Paradise was lost by his offending for had he persisted in his obedience he had never dyed And as I have already proved to you that if we are regenerated so as our wills are brought over into an intire resignation of our selves to God and Christ then we are accepted of him and then is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us but it is afterward there comes a day of trial either by temptation or affliction or a cloudy dark day may overtake us and therefore it is best for every true Christian to arm themselves for the worst that they may be able to stand in the evil day so whilst we continue in our obedience the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to us and then as the Apostle saith are we complete in him and afterward what sins are not willfully committed will not destroy us because Christ is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 but let him that standeth take heed lest he fall And St. John saith 1 John 3.6,7,8 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him That is they give themselves no liberty to sin and what is not willingly committed is not imputed Little Children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous That is if we continue in well-doing as I before shewed we have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us for it is said we are complete in him He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifest that be might destroy the works of the Devil That is he that willfully committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil committeth no sin but what he committeth willfully And the Apostle saith 1 John 1.6,7,8,9 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin This is that which makes us appear clean and white in the sight of God But he saith again If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us For we cannot live without sin as sins of infirmity and sins of ignorance and too often overtaken in the sins of Negligence and sometimes overtaken with the Sins of Surprisal Therefore he saith in the 9. v. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteouness That is all our unrighteousnesses upon our Conversion are forgiven if we seek to God by Confession and Contrition And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 5.46,47,48 For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same and if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect That is be you perfect or sincere in your Love to others as God was sincere or perfect in his Love to you in that he gave the Son of his Love for you according to his Promise And in Luke 17.5,6 And the Apostles said unto the Lord increase our Faith And the Lord said if ye had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed you might say to this Sycamine Tree be thou pluck up by the Root and be thou planted in the Sea and it should obey you
evidently manifest at the giving of the Law so the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit with signs and wonders was given for to confirm the Truth of the Gospel And as Israel and their Children were to retain the Laws of God which once they had received so the Gentiles and their Children were to retain the Doctrine of the Gospel that had been once so powerfully delivered which by the call of the Word and the good motions of the Spirit of God if they with diligence improved it would make them wise unto Salvation This Israel had and resisted for which they were condemned Acts 7.51 For as St. James saith c. 1. v. 25. Whosoever looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed And why is it called the perfect Law of Liberty Because it is an upright Rule in which is required Man's sincere obedience which when he sincerely yields himself to obey he is then by Christ's Righteousness set free from the condemning power of sin and death And whereas Christ saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him John 6.44 And this is the drawing of God his Word and his Spirit which we must be accountable for how we have improved our day and season of grace which so many thro' their sloth and negligence misimprove therefore 't is said Many are called but few chosen Mat. 20.16 But as to those of whom St. Paul speaks that were called Rom. 9.23,24 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles These were they that were called according to the fore-determined Counsel of God for the greater grace and sufferings here the greater glory hereafter for these that he here saith were called of the Jews he speaks of that remnant that were called according to the election of grace which was to remain a standing Witness through the World and them that are here said to be called of the Gentiles were those of them that first bore their Testimony to the Gospel which were the Churches that first trusted in Christ these being prepared unto the glory which afterwards should be revealed which preparation was for the receiving of the Holy Ghost These are those of whom St. Paul saith Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is in that God chose a remnant from among Israel to be his Witnesses through the World And also fore-appointed the first Churches according to the determined purpose of his own will that they should be made partakers of the Holy Ghost thereby to bear their Testimony for the confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel to the World and succeeding Generations So these being chosen according to the will of God for the greater grace and suffering here and the greater glory hereafter Ephes 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ And again he saith of the first Churches Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And St. Peter saith to the first Churches 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you Now tho' these were not afore chosen of God for their fore-seen willing and running yet when they were called in they were to will and run for the prize and so must all that will lay hold of the Crown of Life whether Elect or not Elect. For St. Paul saith So run that ye may obtain And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 For though the standing Witness or Remnant were so secured in Christ as none should pluck them out of his hand for they are those which are said to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 yet the other Elect did not so securely stand Therefore St. Paul warns all Heb. 6.4,5,6 Heb. 10.26,29 2 Pet. 2 20. So likewise Prov. 21.16 But the man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the dead That is as St. Paul saith such as have tasted the good Word of God and then wilfully depart from him shall remain in the Congregation of the dead But in that Solomon was forgiven it was for the Promise God made to David his Father concerning him which has now no reference to us as I have clearly proved in another Book where the standing Witness is treated of but hath another meaning than what hitherto we have apprehended of it St. Paul saith Acts 13.32,33 And we declare unto you glad tydings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same to us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That is if Christ had not again been raised from the dead the Promise could never have been fulfilled And whereas he saith in verse 34. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Here the Apostle only repeats the words of Isaiah in that he saith God will give them the sure mercies of David not that the sure mercies of David were then given to all that did embrace the Faith but it is according as they hold out to the end they shall be made partakers of those sure mercies But at the Death and Resurrection of Christ was the price of that Redemption paid which was before promised of which the first Churches had then a pledge or fore-tast as the earnest of their Inheritance in that they had the renewing of the Holy Ghost shed on them abundantly Titus 3.5,6 whereby they generally stood and in Scripture the major part is reckoned for the whole and also amongst these Hebrews was the standing Witness and the Spirit was thus wonderfully given for the more security of their standing thereby to confirm the Truth of the Gospel These were they that were in a more peculiar manner ordained to Eternal Life being chosen of God according to the purpose he had before determined for them therefore had a particular calling And as they had the more Talents given them so they had the greater work to do and the greater difficulties to encounter with which they likewise were to perform that were to bear their Testimony to the Truth against all the Power of the Enemy But when the Gospel was established those that followed after had the call of the Word with the good motions of
ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law That is not under the condemning power of the Law For such as be led by the Spirit yield their sincere obedience to the Moral Law Accordingly he saith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified And also 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commands of God And St. John saith chap. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And Christ saith Matth. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And also in John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments By all this we see we are as much obliged to keep the Moral Law as ever Israel was But whereas the Apostle saith By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin That is by the Law we are all sensible that we do not live up to it as thereby to become justified by it and therefore by it all have knowledge that they sin for hone can live up to that perfection as to become justified by it without the merits of Christ But when Israel did walk blamelesly in it according to the capacity in which God had put them the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for their Justification And of Zechariah and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of the Lord blameless So if we render our sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts we may then look to Christ with boldness for our Justification For tho' the Churches that first trusted in Christ were saved without the deeds of the Law or visible works of Righteousness yet not without an inward work which was in the change of their wills and affections as being the foundation to all good works which afterward they accordingly walked in all that remained stedfast in the Faith And also the Apostle Paul gives charge that they should be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18,19 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life By these words he fully declareth that good works are a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ for it is a conditional Covenant And also from these words of the Apostle we are to take notice there is another time to come before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed And he saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the Faith that stirs us up to all good works whereby we come in as Heirs to the promised mercy For Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or had 2 Cor. 5.10 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And God hath ingaged himself by his promise to be the rewarder of good works Prov. 19.17 Matth. 10.39,40,41,42 Matth. 5.7 The merciful shall obtain mercy And the Lord saith Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Therefore upon the promise of God St. Paul saith God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 And whereas the Apostle saith If he had all Faith 1 Cor. 13.23 That is Faith in God and in the Righteousness of Christ with a belief also that good works are required and he knowing God And therefore if he did them not in love to God and love to his Neighbour it would profit him nothing for it is we have turned this Word into Charity which in the Original is Love But this he speaks to shew that God requires our Love in all our actions And accordingly he saith It is a faith that worketh by love which is required Gal. 5.6 And there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is concerned But as for them that know not God and therefore love him not they shall also be judged according to their works So the Believers will be judged according to their actions done with their affections For it is not only our believing in the Righteousness of Christ for our justification will stand us in stead but how we have believed in Christ as to obey the Doctrine of Christ which will make us blessed in that day Whereby we see that tho' the Gentiles were at first called in and justified by his grace yet afterwards all that were not immediately after their Conversion taken away by death were to be judged according to their deeds done in the body from the time of Conversion For Saint Peter saith to the Church If ye call ou the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 That is the Believers will be judged according to their deeds from the time they were brought into the true knowledge of God and others how they have improved their day and season of grace in refraining that which is evil and in ordering their conversation according to the Gospel So all will be judged according to their deeds done in their body whether they have been good or evil For though we can do nothing of our selves without God's assistance yet it is required of us to improve the advantages and seasons of grace which he giveth us and to take to the Way and Rule that he hath set before us in which way he hath promised his assistance and it is such will be blessed Chap. IX What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear Jude v. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding
God speaking of the Princes and people of Judah wherein he saith in v. 2. Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me Can we think that God here spoke to the material heavens and earth that has no ears or understanding No it was to the Princes of Judah and their people to let them understand why he was displeased with them And again God saith in Jer. 6.19 Hear O Earth behold I will bring evil upon this people even the fruit of their own thoughts because they have not hearkned unto thy words nor to my law but rejected it You see here that this Earth is the people of the world which God doth hear Alarm with his displeasure against Judah And God saith in Jer. 22.29 O Earth Earth Earth hear the word of the Lord. 30. Thus saith the Lord write ye this Man Childless a Man that shall not prosper in his days You see here in this place that the Earth was not only to hear the word of the Lord but to do some thing and what is it But to write this man which was the King of Judah Childless and that he should not prosper Now upon consideration none can be so stupid as to think that God call'd on the massy lump of Earth which we tread on to hear his word and to write this Man childless And the Lord speaking of the destruction of his people in Isa 5. by Nebuchadnezzer in which he declares how the enemies should come up against Israel saith in v. 30. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the Sea And if one look into the land behold darkness and sorrow and the light is darkned in the heavens thereof Whereas the Lord saith darkness in the land that is sorrow and darkness among the people of the land And whereas the Lord saith the light is darkness in the heavens thereof that is the heavens of that land which was the King Princes and Priests thereof And St. Peter saith 2 Pet. 3.8 Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day And in v. 10 he tells us That the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat The Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up Whereas he saith in the forementioned Verse But the Heavens and Earth which are now are reserved unto fire and in the 10th Verse he saith That the Heavens shall past away with a great noise That is That the wicked Powers will so pass away with terrible shriekings thorough the fiery Indignation of the Lord. And whereas he saith That the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the which Elements are the Elements that the body of Mankind is made up of For they are composed of the 4 Elements According to this it is said in Psal 37.20 The Enemies of the Lord shall be as the â—at of Lambs they shall consume into Smoke shall they consume away And whereas he saith That the Earth and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up That is with the forementioned Tempell spoken of in Ps 11.6 the which shall carry off all the wicked and then the Earth and Air will be purified by Fire as it was before by water at which time Israel with the rest of the Elect of God will be secure in the Holy Land between Mount Olivet underneath that glorious Tabernacle the which the Lord shall pitch and not Mâ—n the which I shall hereafter prove and then 't will be according to the saying of the Psalmist When the nicked are cut off thou shalt see it and then 't is as in Psalm 91.4 He shall cover thee with his Feathers under his wings shalt thou trust And it is said in the 8th Verse Onely with thine Eyes shalt thou behold and see the Reward of the wicked that which this whole Psalm treats of is the security of his people at the time of the wickeds Overthrow Whereas he tells us That One Day is with the Lord as a Thousand Years and a Thousand Years as One Day After which he tells us the Day of the Lord will come which is not the Natural Day nor the Artificial Day the Old World was not destroyed in such a Day Neither did the Ram's Horns blow down Jericho in such a Day But it is that Day which is spoken of in Acts 17.31 where it is said That God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead But you may say Where will the Thousand Years Reign be when the Heavens and Earth are burnt up as St. Peter saith in the 7th Verse of the forementioned Chapter Pray forget not the Apostles saying wherein he tells us The Heavens and Earth which are now God hath reserved unto fire For those that were in the Old World those shall continue as then so now the being of Heaven and Earth at the Restitution or in the world to come or New Jerusalem-state only they will appear more illustrious when the darksome Clouds are dispersed and then the Earth will be renewed to that Perfection as it was in the first Creation But as to the Heavens which are now whereof St Peter speaketh his meaning is the Principalities and Powers which are carrying on the Rule of the darkness of this World and by the Earth the meaner sort which are filling up their measure of Iniquity the which the Old World did admit of no such dstinction in it And also by the Heavens is comprehended the Teachers and those that should have been the Teachers of the Word for if they are called Gods to whom the Word of God came as in John 10.35 why not those called Heavens to whom the Word of God was entrusted to enlighten the World withal And as our Lord saith to his Disciples in Mat. 5.14 Ye are the Light of the world And in the book called The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs which they spake to their Children before their Death wherein Levi in his last Charge to his Sons tells them They be the Light of the Heavens as the Sun and the Moon And he said unto them What shall all the Heathen do if you be over darkned with wickedness and bring Cursedness upon your Countryfolk for whose sake the Light of the world is put into you to enlighten all men withal This Light of the world shall you most willfully steal and teach Commandments contrary to the Righteousness of God Here by all this you see that those to whom the word of God is committed are term'd the Light of the World and the
a Month according to the Egyptian Account it doth just amount to one thousand two hundred and sixty days of years at which time the Lord will come and then the Beast shall be taken and cast alive into a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone and the Devil bound up and then will be the first Resurrection of which St. John speaks in Rev. 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they that sat upon them and judgment was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshiped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished this is the first Resurrection V. 6. Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years It is said in Isa 1.26 where God telleth them I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness the Faithful City Pray mark the Words Here the Lord doth not tell them that they should have such Judges as they had at the first and such Counsellors as they had at the beginning but that the Lord would restore them Judges that they had at the first and those Counsellors which were at the beginning Therefore the Lord said unto Daniel in Chap. 12.13 But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy Lot at the end of the days Now the Lord in the fore part of the Chapter tells him of the end of the world and what shall then happen and also tells him that he shall rest and stand in his Lot at the End of the Days Here the Lord doth not tell him that he shall stand in his Lot at the End of his Days but at the End of the Days after he has rested which is at the Resurrection By this of Daniel it doth further clear to us the first Resurrection on whom the second Death shall have no Power but that they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reign with him a thousand years And Isaiah saith Chap. 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously Not that Christ and his Saints shall reign no longer than the Thousand Years but that the Visible Glory may not so eminently appear among them after Satan is loosed that thereby he may accomplish his final Overthrow when he has deceived his Gog and Magog of which I shall speak more to in another place Whereas the Angel saith Rev. 10.6 That there should be time no longer That is no longer time for this wicked World to have Power and time of Repentance for their time should be no longer But there will be a glorious Time for the People of God in the renewed Heavens and Earrh when the Lord reigneth And as there will be another World so another Generation and another Time Of which times the Lord saith in Esdras 9.6 The Times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonders and powerful workings and endings in Effects and Signs The Lord grant that we may be awakened by the Signs of the End which End is now approaching And in John Martha said to the Lord concerning her brother chap. 11.24 Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day The which last Day is the last day of this wicked World and when this World shall be judged For the Saints are raised before the Wicked are condemned Therefore by this last day must be meant the last day of their Time For to take it otherwise it cannot be for it is said when this World is past that Day and Night lasteth for ever and for ever as in Revelations where the Devil receives his Last Judgment he is there said to be cast into Hell to be tormented day and night for ever and for ever The same is said of God That he liveth for ever and for ever Rev. 4.9 And as to what St. Paul saith in 1 Thess 1.5 VVhich is a manifest Token of the Righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 8. In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 9. VVho shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power 10. VVhen he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now whereas he saith counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they did also suffer In answer to which it is said in Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Verse 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Verse 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the Earth Now it is at this time when the Lord cometh that the Kingdoms of this World will become the Kingdoms of God and Christ And it is then God will give Rewards to his Servants at which time the wicked Worldlings that are dead in sin will be judged and then shall they be destroyed which destroyed the Earth which Earth is their fellow brethren upon the Earth And also by the words of St. Paul before mentioned it is when the Lord shall be revealed that then to the wicked will be recompensed Tribulation and to the Saints Rest and Consolation And when God and Christ have taken possession of the Kingdom then shall the Saints reign on the Earth as in Rev. 5.10 And hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth And according to this it is said in Ephes 2.7 And also in 1 Pet. 2.9 Where he mentions those things which are to come as if they were present which way of speaking is often used in
Lord is my Helper Now Moses rehearsed the Covenant of the Lord to Israel before his Death Where he saith in Deut. 30.10 If thou shalt hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy God to keep his Commandments and his Statutes which are written in the Book of the Law and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul V. 11. For this Commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off V. 12. It is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go up for us into Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it V. 13. Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it V. 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and thy Heart that thou maist do it This you see was spoken to the Church that was Elected Called and Chosen out of the whole World and so far Renewed and Inlightned as to be put into a Capacity of Obedience so as they might have done it as Moses saith If they had used their Diligence therein and with Prayer sought to God for his Assistance then the Lord according to his Promise would not have fail'd them nor forsake them Now the Heathen had neither the word in their Mouth nor in their Heart and some of them must have crossed the Seas if they would have had it Now Moses saith in the 15th v. See I have set before thee this day Life and Good Death and Evil. V. 16. In that I command thee this Day to Love the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Statutes and his Judgments that thou mayest live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whether thou goest to possess it V. 17. But if thine Heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear but shalt be drawn away and Worship other Gods and serve them V. 18. I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the Land whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it V. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you Life and Death a blessing and a Cursing therefore choose Life that both thou and thy Seed may live Now this was said to the whole Jewish Church that God had brought out of Darkness and given them the knowledg of himself and his Law Upon which Moses absolutely saith that he hath set Life and Death before them which he could not have said had their Destruction been absolutely decreed before the foundation of the Material World was I do not deny a fore-knowledg in God that Man mightmiscarry but I absolutely deny that God made a Decree for Mans Damnation before ever man was Created or the World in which they Transgressed but that the Decree was passed according to the saying of the Angel after Man had offended Neither do I deny but that some particular persons are so chosen or their Election to be such so as they shall not be cast off But that which I deny is That the Jewish Church was not so chosen or Elected but that by their sinning they might be cast off For it was but a conditional Covenant that then God made with them But as to that New Covenant the which God hath promised to make with them to give them a New Heart and a New Spirit that they should not sin against him and that they should be all taught of God from the least of them to the greatest of them and that he would never leave them nor forsake them nor leave them so as to forsake him but then he will rain down Righteousness and shower down blessings upon them Hos 10.12 Isa 65.22 Ezek. 24.34 Jer. 31.33,34 Jer. 32.40,41 Isa 60.21 But this Promised Covenant still remains to be made with them which God has Promised by his Oath shall be made with them and confirm'd unto them the which Promise will be made good to them at the Restitution of all things which will not be till Christ again comes to which St. Paul's Epistles do most of them drive at wherein he speaks of Election And as to that of Esau and Jacob whom God hath set as the Figure of both Worlds Esau being the Figure of this World and Jacob of that which is to come therefore it is said I have loved Jacob and hated Esau because the Glory was intended for the other World which is Jacob and that they of this World that are of Esau will part with their Birth-right rather than withstand a Temptation or wrestle with Affliction in the day of Tryal which Birth-right is the Promise of Salvation if they hold out to the end for which we must all Pray Wrestle and Run or else we shall not receive the Prize For now the Body of the Christian Church stands on no other Conditions than Israel then did as to their Calling and Election That is they are so far renewed as to be brought into the knowledge of God and put into a capacity of Obedience in which as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.10,11 We are to use all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And St. Paul to the Philippians saith Phil. 2.12,13,15,16 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And in the next Verse it is said For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure That is it is so far the good will and pleasure of God as to call us renew us and enlighten us in the knowledg of himself whereby he hath put us into a capacity of working out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling And he saith in the 15th Verse That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in she midst of a crocked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the world Verse 16. Holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the Day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain Now he knew there was a possibility of their miscarriage by the Admonition that he gave them which if they did it would take away his rejoycing in the Day of Christ in that he had laboured for them in vain And the same Apostle to the Hebrews saith Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and your bodies washed with pure water And here the Apostle tells us what is required of us if we are made partakers of
to himself Herein is not comprehended how God doth deal with some particular persons but to the general carrying on of the Church in the World Now whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 3,9 For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin 10. v. As it is written there is none Righteous no not one And he faith in Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the Children of wrath even as others Tho through sin both Jews and Gentiles are all of them fallen under the Curse and so the wrath of God yet our natures are not alike estrang'd from God Now in Acts 18.9,10 Spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a Vision be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace 10. v. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City That is People or much ground capable to receive Seed so as to bring forth Fruit. And as there is several sorts of ground so the Lord tells us there is two sorts of Seed But not that God did Reprobate Man before the Foundation of the material heavens and Earth to Damnation but that the Devil hath since so twisted himself into the Nature of great part of Mankind that he is as it were become one with them Therefore the Lord put forth Matt. 13.24 Another Parable unto them saying the Kingdom of Heaven is likned unto a Man which sowed good Seed in his Field 25. v. But while men slept his Enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way 26. v. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the Tares also 27. v. So the Servants of the Housholder came and said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy Field from whence then hath it Tares 28. v. He said unto them an enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up 29. v. But he said nay lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them 30. v. Let both grow together until the Harvest and in time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them into bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn Here is a clear demonstration that the Tares are a false Seed of the Devils sowing And the Lord speaks of them in Isa 57.3 But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorcerers the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore 4. v. Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not Children of Transgression a seed of Falshood Here we see that a false Seed comes in much this way and what is here spoken of by the Lord has a more particular reference to the Christians who are guilty of these things and in especial manner to the Romans by whom all those abominable wickednesses are allowed and that this was spoken to the Christians it doth appear in the foregoing Chapter Isa 56. from the 7. v. to the end by reason God speaketh of the gathering of the out cast of Israel and that he then will gather others with them and it is evident Israel hath never since been gathered And at that time it is said That all the Beasts of the Field and Forrest should come to devour And that could not be to Devour Israel for it is said they are then to be restored and it is made farther evident in that it is said The Watchmen are all blind and so treating of the same effect in the next Chapter as I have set down in the 3. and 4. v. Now as to what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it That is the good ground before it receiveth Seed will bring forth Weeds as the other doth Thorns but when the good ground does receive Seed there is presently a difference in the growth of the Fruit in that of the good ground from that of the Thorny yet nothing to be boasted of because all that is good in them came from that hand that gave the Seed or else they might for ever have remained the Children of wrath as well as others Therefore the lower we set in our own Estimation the higher we rise in God's Now whereas Christ saith in John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him That is at first God must draw the Heart to Christ that the Soul might be convinc'd that he was the Christ And in the Apostles time there was given the Holy Ghost to bear witness to the World the truth thereof Neither can any now come to Christ except the Father draw him And in the visible Church of Christ there is a three-fold drawing of God First By the Invitation of his word and by way of Reproof Instruction and Exhortation Secondly There is the reproof of the Spirit of God which we commonly call the checks of Conscience Thirdly There is the good Motions of the Spirit of God all these being the drawings of God to bring us home to him through Christ to Repentance This being the ordinary way of God's Working in his Church And Israel having these drawings of God therefore he calls out to them by his Prophets for to come to Repentance because â—e had put them in a capacity so to do giving them power to do that part for themselves but when through their continual resisting the good Spirit of God and in refusing to be obedient to his word And then it is God leaves them And therefore St. Stephen said to them Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye And then it is as it is said they that are accustomed to do evil cannot learn to do well That is when through their own resisting they weary out the good Spirit of God so as he leaves them to themselves But whilst God calls Israel to come to Repentance there was a door of Mercy open to them Therefore God saith in Ezekiel 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Here it is evident by the Word of God that when he thus invited them there was a door of Mercy open to them but when God would not shew Mercy to his people Israel then doth God neither call on them to Repentance