Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	4,018	5	9.9916	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96143	The judgement set, and the bookes opened. Religion tried whether it be of God or of men. The Lord cometh to visit his own, for the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God. To separate the sheep from the goats. and the precious from the vile. And to discover the blasphemy of those that say, they are apostles, teachers, alive, rich, Jewes, but are found lyars. Deceivers. Dead. Poore, blind, naked. The synagogue of Satan. In severall sermons at Alhallows Lumbard-street, by John Webster, a servant of Christ and his church.	Webster, John, 1610-1682.	1654 (1654)	Wing W1210; Thomason E805_13; ESTC R207390	257,953	337

not the patterns For saith the Apostle when that which is perfect is come then that that is imperfect shall be done away and again the same Apostle when I was a Child I did as a Child 1 Cor. 13.11 2 Cor. 5.16 I spake as a Child I understood as a Child but when I came to be a man I put away childish things and hence forth saith he know we Christ after the flesh no more Alas the Apostle had as well as other men known Christ by the way of the flesh and in outward conformity and observations and in a low carnal apprehension of him but when Christ was come into him in the Spirit Rev. 21.5 then ALL THINGS were become New Then he would not have a Christian to be judged in respect of a Holy-day New Moons or of keeping Sabbath days and the like Col. 2.16.17 which are but shadows of things to come for the body is Christ But there was a time when they were under the type of breaking of bread which was onely to shew the Lords death till he came 1 Cor. 11.29 but when Christ was come then he rebukes the Corinthians for using that ceremony of of breaking bread and said they did not discern the Lords Body For the eating his Body and drinking his Blood was a thing of a far higher nature And from hence will follow the great miserie of the sons of men seeking rest and life in the patterns and types and not in Heavenly things themselves For if a man have the exactest patterns or pictures of any meat that ever could be drawn in the world or of wine and drink would either of these feed or refresh him when he was hungry or satisfie him when he was thirsty you will say they could not and how then can the patterns of Heavenly things feed any more then they So also it is the true Manna that feeds the soul it is not that Manna that fell in the Wildernesse your Fathers they eat of it and are dead saith our Saviour No Joh. 6.49 50. it is the spiritual Manna whereof if a man eat he shall live for ever Then it must needs be a deceit of the Devil and a woful and sad delusion on the spirits of men and yet notwithstanding this is that great delusion wherewith Satan is gone forth to feed men as the Prodigal was with the husks and shells of Divine things He desired the husks and no man gave unto him But when the poor man had wasted that portion he had from his Father when that divine portion was gone and he had wasted it among Whores and Harlots that is after his own inventions thinking they should nourish him he saith he could eat Husks But he found they would not satisfie I he should sterve for hunger yet many thousands think and accordingly do could I go into such a Church-fellowship and walk as they walk I should be as well as they and yet for all that there is no man can give unto them had he them to the utmost alas they would not satisfie and fill him But he cannot have that others have he would have their Holinesse and be able to pray hear and speak and have as much freedome and power against sin and the like but it is not given unto him but if he have all these external things yet alas they are but husks and cannot satisfie So that then there is a plain and absolute necessity falls on him and he sees there is no way but to goe home to his Father else he starves and dyes Luk. 15.18 and now he sees his own weakness and poverty then he begins to come to himself and saith I will return to my Father So when the Soul is brought into this condition then it sees that it is not he that hath brought things into any good frame by his good husbandry or by a providential care now nothing will serve his turn no I must to my Father and I will goe to my Father This shews the misery of the spirits of those men that would fain feed upon husks And from hence it comes to pass that they run here and run there from one to another even as a poor creature when it is thirsty and drye and sees many Wells or Vessels thinking there is water He runs to one to see if there be any and then to another but they are all empty So alas a poor hungry soul here it picks and there it feeds and as long as it can find a crum it will never go to God it had rather go to any MOUNTEBANK then come to Jesus Christ the true Physitian One day it will be of this Church another day of the other membership to see if these things will feed them But they whom God intends to bring home finde no satisfaction herein but are ready to starve and the true Reason is because they live by the patterns pictures and resemblances of food Obj. I know thou wilt object Obj. though we are to live by the Heavenly things themselves yet we are to make use of patterns Answ I confesse carnal reason will say so Answ though to me it is not so else those Scriptures must be a lye for saith he 1 Cor. 13 10. when that which is perfect is come then that that is imperfect shall be done away and when the Apostle saith stand fast in that liberty wherein Christ hath made you free and be not entagled again with the yoak of bondage and bids them they should not turn again to the beggerly rudiments of the world Gal. 5.1 and again saith the shadows and patterns of Heavenly things consisted in washing and rudiments and was never able to make the doers thereof and commers thereunto perfect Admit Heb. 9.9 I say that breaking of bread as it is in the External use of it and admit that using of water-Baptism were used by Christ which is hard to prove they were never or could be any thing else but the pattern of the Heavenly things and of the spiritual baptisme else that Text also tells us a lye that saith there was never any but one baptism which is that of the Spirit Now the Letter tells us of divers as the Baptisme of the Children of Israel in the Red Sea and of the Baptisme of John and the Baptisme whereby an unbeliever was baptized and yet the Text saith there was but one Baptisme for these are but the shadows of the spiritual Baptisme Eph. 4.5 and when that that is perfect is come then that which is imperfect is done away 1 Cor. 13.10 If thou didst really find thus thou wouldest not then need to make so much of Outward washing and breaking of bread for to the pure all things are pure but to the unclean all things are unclean and to the impure all things are impure and even their very hearts and consciences are defiled And from hence this shews that thy soul

he may be delivered from death and wrath Ezek. 20.43 1 Cor. 5.5 and that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord and that he may bring him to rest peace wisdom righteousness and glory in that alone and A●sufficient Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ in whom alone are all these but in the creature nothing but trouble confusion death sinne hell and condemnation in which All the sonnes of men are concluded and all their best workes and Christ alone is ordained of the Father to be our strength wisdom righteousness redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and salvation Him alone hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Him alone I say being made unto us wisedome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.29 That so no flesh should glory in his presence but according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord and in the Lord alone THE Power of Divine Attraction or the Fathers great Love in drawing poor sinners unto his Sonne Delivered at Whitehall on the Sixth of John verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day BEloved when the power of God from Eternity which was himself was made out in the appearance of flesh at Jerusalem when this eternal word I say was in that Vaile which was the making out of the true body of Christ when the Saviour of the world appeared in the flesh to make out himselfe to the Sonnes of men in all his actings and speakings we finde nothing else sought acted or spoken by him but the fulfilling and accomplishing of the work and will of the Father about which he was sent Joh. 6.38 and therefore whatsoever he did or said was onely that he might finish and accomplish that great work about which the Father had sent him therefore in that regard he said he had meat to eat that man knew not of John 4.32 understood not did not see And as he came to fulfil the work of the Father not onely in the flesh in those manifold and unparalleled sufferings he underwent but also in the power of that spirit that he might convey life and salvation to the soules of men this was his meat and drink so that this is it that in all his speakings he chiefly holds out so here he having declared that he was that bread that came down from Heaven that only true and spi●itual Manna which cometh down from Heaven Joh. 6 33. that nourisheth the soules of men and besides which there is none other Hereupon he holding forth this so boldly and so clearly the Jewes the scribes and Pharisees those Religious and learned men of the times not knowing the mystery of this bread became extreamly offended and despised and derided him saying Vers 41 Hew can this man give us his flesh to eat Truly Beloved that which is held out to us by this is That the Jew is in every man by nature and is discontented at the speaking out of the spiritual things of Jesus Christ When it is holden out that there is no other Wisdome Strength Righteousness and Holiness but that which is onely in and from the Son of God and that this is the only meat and drink of the soule And that there is not any one of the sonnes of men that hath either wisdom or holinesse or power or any good thing of his owne this is a hard saying to flesh and blood 1 Cor. 2.14 for the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God neither indeed can he for they are spiritually discerned The Words now read are the answer of our Saviour to the murmuring objection of the carnall minded man or Jew saying how can this man be bread unto us or Manna or meat and drink Joh. 6.42 Is not this the Son of Joseph and the reason is because they saw onely the Vail but not the Godhead the eternity or everliving WORD that was under that Vail viz. his flesh or his external appearance Now he therefore gives an answer to this their murmuring and shews the reason and ground why it could not be otherwise with them that their carnal minds could do no other but murmur at these spiritual makings out of the minde of God Because no man could know him love him and believe in him but those that were given him of the Father those that were drawn by the spirit and love of the Father onely would understand love and beleeve and know him but otherwise all others they would nor could do no other but murmur and repine for all others in seeing they did see and not understand for their foolish heart was blinded and darkened with impenitency of heart therefore saith he no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him First here is discovered by way of Negation and Exclusion the impossibility of man as man to come to Christ no man c. Secondly here is laid down the power way and means by which man comes on to Christ and that is in and by the drawing of the Father when the FATHER draws man cannot but come and when the Father draws not man cannot come unto Christ No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day as if he should say if he be not drawn and raised up by me he can never come and I never raise nor draw till the last day till mans day mans power wisdom strength holiness all that is in or of man is at an end and that he is lost distressed and undone Then at that last day I will raise him up I will come in and stay no longer for while mans day that is mans life wisdom and strength lasts there is nothing but resistance blindnesse fightings and oppositions First no man can come that is In his natural blind dead and lost condition wherein he is as a dead bone Ezek. 37. there is no life at all in him wherein he is stark blinde and sees not the things that concern his peace therefore he hath no will nor power nor mind to come unto me UNTO ME Luk. 19.42 who am the Saviour of the world the truth righteousnesse and Sactification it selfe to come unto me that is to ME indeed for men had power enough to come to Christs bodily appearance while he was on the earth but this is not the comming to him to come in conceit notion opinion or in a verbal or litteral way according to the History and relation of him But to come to Christ is to come in the life of Christ in the power of God to come unto him in the eternall power that HE may onely teach them lead them and guide them and be their onely Master that they may

otherwise whatever man may call them they are none of his Ordinances but they most prophanly put their empty cold dull blind and lame sacrifices upon him And hereupon thus thinkst and concludest that He hath been thy Deliverer I say whoever thou art that makest thy duties and thy conformity and indeed thy Ordinances for they are none of his thy support thy comfort thy rest in the least herein thou hast turned from the true deliverer Heb. 10.29 the true Saviour and hast trod him under foot and crucified him and hast made thy self thy God thy Deliverer thy Redeemer thy Saviour And the day of the Lord is comming when these things will be made to appear to thee and wrath will come upon thee unexpectedly even then when thou thinkest thy selfe secure and safe and all is well and when thou thinkest that thy peace is made and wrath is removed and there is no more frowns and storms from the Almighty when indeed thou hast all this while but made a covenant with death and hell Esa 33.8 1 Thes 5.2 and then the day of the Lord shall come upon thee as a thief in the night when thou thinkest all is well and thou mayst sleep securely then will Christ summon thee to Judgment 1 Cor. 15.52 Luk. 18.8 Rev 1.7 Mat. 24.41 and the Trumpet shall sound in thy own breast And when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth No but then all the Tribes of the earth shall wait and lament because of him Even so AMEN Then two shall be grinding at the Mill and two in one Bed the one taken and the other left then he that is on the house top shall not come down to take any thing out of his house for the day of the Lord shall surprize them on a suddain and as a thief cometh when no man expects him and as our Saviour saith of his doctrine so do I of these things he that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath eyes to see let him see and he that hath an heart let him read and understand Mark 4.9 I know Beloved men talk much of what they should doe as if they were so willing to do any thing Christ commanded but really and in truth what do all these men that seem to be so much for doing I say what do they doe doe they not in all these doe quite contrary to what they should doe If Christ hath smitten them then He alone can heal them and yet they will be healing themselves and delivering themselves when they should be seeking to Jesus Christ and looking to him and waiting upon him for deliverance And the way to be delivered is not to run to this man and tother Minister and hang upon this mans preaching and tother mans counsel no but thou wouldest see that all mans preaching and teaching and counsel is in vaine and that there is no other way nor no other Deliverer but only Jesus Christ thou wouldest not be tyed to this man or the other but thou wouldest say of all even of the wisest the gravest the soberest miserable comforters are ye all But thy trouble and thy guilt and thy sting within thee would make thee hearken when Iesus Christ would qualifie thy conscience and draw forth thy sting and quench the burning of Hell fire within thee so thou mightest but hear the voice of Christ If thou beest wounded for any tydings of Christ Amos 8.11 12. thou wouldest run from country to country from land to land and from sea to sea to hear the word of the Lord for thou wouldest see that in all men there is a famine Amos 8.11 12. not of bread but of the word of the Lord for Christ only gives forth his word he is the bread of life Joh. 6.51 the true bread which commeth down from Heaven t is not Moses nor any man can give this bread but only Our heavenly Father And when thou hast done all that is commanded thee yet thou must not rest in thy doing nor in thy using means nor in thy praying but stil in all must count thy self but an unptofitable servant Luke 17.10 Thou must not sit down and say I have done my part I have prayd and heard and walkt strictly and joyn'd my selfe to the best reformed Church Alas if thou rest in these things and thinkst now I have done well and it shall be wel with me all this praying and doing Christ calls vain babbling Mat. 6.7 and vain repetitions which is but to doe like the Heathen who think to be heard for their many words and much babbling all this thy doing which thou keepest such a stir about Esay 5.20 is no other then calling darknesse light and evil good And when thou goest out to look for any Minister or servant of Jesus to heale thy wounds take heed of the Idol-shepheards Jer. 6.14 which wil prophesie peace when there is no peace to speak deliverance when Christ hath not bid them for none can heale thee but he that hath wounded thee Ezek. 13.11 And so for any other who prophesie lyes and dawb with untempered morter who say to thee goe thou and repent and believe on Jesus Christ and thy sins shal be forgiven thee know this is not the way neither are they true Prophets for repentance and faith is alone Gods gift and his work And if he be a true messenger of the Lords sending all he can say is I am but an instrument I cannot give nor help thee to repentance nor faith neither can I direct thee to get them but only by waiting on Jesus Christ who alone is the Giver I am but the forerunner to the Bridegroom I have nothing to give nor I cannot direct thee where to get that thou seekest before he comes or before his pleasure is to bestow it whoever he be that undertakes to be any other but a Messenger as John Baptist was crying I am not he but I am the voice of one crying Mark 1.7 8. Prepare ye the way of the Lord I baptize with water but he that commeth after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost He cries there is no Teacher but Jesus Christ no Prophet but he we have nothing to give there is no riches but His. Examine thy self how thou staiest thy heart what quiets thy conscience hast thou it from man or from Christ hast thou found that all thy runnings too and again from this man and to the other hath done thee any good but thou hast found that let man say what he could yet stil thy trouble continued and thou couldst rest in nothing below Christ I have known some that by running hither and thither they have for a time for a yeere or two or more somwhat allayed the rage of conscience being directed to outward conformity and getting of repentance and taking up constancy in this and

indifferent understanding may perceive and rectifie we have not set them down in an Errata But tender all as it is to the Experience Love and Acceptation of all to whom these things shall come Greeting If any thing be obscure to the Reader let him reflect into himself to see whether the cause be not want of experience in the Mysteries of Heaven before ever he adventure to Censure For till men are really judged in themselves they are not fit to judge But if thou canst Feed here fall too And Much good doe thee and if thou canst not censure not those that can Farewel THE Vaile of the Covering spread over All Nations What it is And how removed With a Discovery of that Mountain of Fat things full of Marrow And Wines on the Lees well refined Delivered on a publique day of Thanksgiving June 23. 1653. ESAI 25.6.7 c. In this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of Fat things full of Marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined And he will destroy in this Mountain the face of the Covering cast over all people and the Vaile that is spread over all Nations c. THE Prophet in the former part of the Chapter having seen and taken notice of those wonderfull works wrought by Jesus Christ both in his Judgements and Mercies he breaks out into wonderful praise rejoycing and admiration of his wonderful Works and of his Counsels of old O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy name V. 1. for thou hast done wonderful things thy Counsels of old are faithfulness and truth In which he gives thanks as in the person of Jesus Christ or as a member of him and expresseth the deep and wonderful things which have been wrought onely and alone by Him From whence we may take notice that the songs and praises of all Saints are only and alone to magnifie and lift up Jesus Christ Psal 29.9 In his Temple every one speaks of his glory they have nothing to say in praise of man of the power of man wisdom of man or the glory of man of the faithfulness of man of the counsels of man but of the Lord alone They are not telling forth what they have done to bring glory to themselves or to set up their wisdome or power or parts or any thing in them of their righteousnesse of their holiness of their love of their joy of their peace or any thing of this nature Luk 18.11 as the Scribes and Pharisees I am not so and so and I do thus and thus thereby to magnifie themselves or to make others think highly of them no but their songs and their praise is alone to exalt Jesus Christ and to tell of his doings of his counsels of his faithfulness and truth of his mercies and loving kindnesse of his righteousnesse and judgements this is their glory and this is their song In the Second verse you may see how he sets out the spoiles and the ruins that Jesus Christ hath made Great and glorious Cities made heaps of a defensed City a ruine That strong city Babel built up by the power and wisdom of man Gen. 11. for his protection and defence which he would raise up to Heaven to prevent destruction hereafter that the deluge of wrath may not swallow him up The soule having seen the Almighty power of Jesus Christ ruining and bringing down this Tower and this BABEL in himself and making all this work power wisdom providence of man of self and flesh to be made Bable Confusion here now the Saints give all the glory to Jesus Christ alone Man finds that he was raising a Temple setting up a Worship of his own devising for what end that he may secure himself provide for himself deliver himselfe from wrath from hell from the overflowing scourge from the devouring flood he thought himselfe to be wonderfull in working and glorying in his own devices Esa 28.15 in his own religion in his own forms and thereby thought this Tower would secure him no deluge could reach him he was above all danger as Paul he was marching on confidently and boldly in his own uprightnesse and thought he acted all things according to the rule Acts 9. ch 26.9 Psal 49.11 Dan. 4.30 Now in the height of all his pride and confidence Jesus Christ brings him down smites him from his horse he had built a city as it were and called it by his own name mangified his own strictnesse his own holinesse and said as Nebuchadnezzer Is not this great Babel that I have builded Now the soule seeing all this to be a lye to be confusion and a deceit and a delusion and all turned by Jesus Christ into ruine and confusion in his own soule and not a stone left upon a stone which is not thrown down Matth. 24.2 this the soule comes to see is alone the work of Christ that he hath made of a glorious city an heap Esai 25.2 and of a defenced City a ruinous place of strangers and this to be no City and shall never be built againe when once Jesus Christ pulls down Babel in us it shall never be built againe He hath laid it all flat to the ground All of mans setting up must be utterly ruined no part of that building set up upon the ruins of mans power wisdome strength parts will Christ make any use of for his kingdome but all must be ruined Luke 21.6 Ezek. 21.27 laid flat to the ground and he will not leave a stone upon a stone The work of Christ is an overthrowing overturning overturning work the work of Christ is to slay strip and undo men to strip them of all conceit of themselves to lay them flat to the earth to equal and level them with the worst of men The work of the Devil is to build up man in his own wisdom in his own strength to make him something to cry peace peace to him when there is no peace Jer. 6.14 to put wrath far away and to tell him he is thus and thus he hath such love and charity and meeknesse and conformity to the will of Christ and therefore fear not Matth. 16.22 none of all those things shall happen to thee When indeed this is nothing but the work and wisedome of the Devil in man Esai 28.15 to make him secure and put the evil day far from him and thereby hath made a covenant with death and hell and of all men he shall be preserved from ruin why he is a holy man he hath submitted to ordinances he is under the purest forms most agreeable to the wil and mind of Christ Whenas all this may be nothing but the work of the divel in man meerly to delude him and to keep away guilt that he may not see the bottomless gulph of sin and delusion that is in

be nothing but A sink of sin A body of death A bottomlesse pit of abominations Mark 4.21 Rom. 7.24 Rev. 9 2. that I was a fool and madness was in my heart in all I did And that he alone was goodness mercy power wisdom eternity salvation and Alsufficiency this he freely and with all readinesse acknowledgeth and this he is not ashamed to declare as those are that would be esteemed holy Ones but to tell it to all the world though all the wise and holy men of the world esteem him a foole and a madman yet this is his glory to take shame to himselfe But all your wise and righteous men all their contriving is to hide all their shame and they would be thought to be holy men and strict men and that they walk exactly and according to the rule of the word and this is their glory that others have this esteem of them they would not for a world be thought as vile and finful as others they hate that Jesus Christ should so far lay them open to the world and themselves Psal 56.8 Ezek. 8.11 What are they to come before the Lord and have no Goodnesse no Endeavours no Watchfulnesse no Bottles of Prayers to offer no sweet incense to offer no Duties thereby to think well of themselves this would be Death and Destruction and Desolation to them When God knows when once he will arise in them Psal 50 21. and set their sins in order then all their delusions and coverings will be removed and they made naked Then all their fine and neat contrivances to disguise themselves before God and men shall be rent and destroyed Joh. 9.39 when the Lord will arise and come to Judgment in their hearts then all their inward parts shall be laid open and what they have d●ne in secret shall be proclaimed upon the house top Mat. 24.15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy place whoso readeth let him understand then shall there be in those dayes great tribulation in them Luk. 8.17 Mat. 24.21 Mark 13.14 Luk. 21.25 and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Then he that is on the house top shall not come down to take any ting out of his house he shall not go down to fetch any of his Riches or Gold or Silver none of his fine utensils for worship none of his fine and workmanlike duties none of his strictnesses none of his holy walkings he is stript of all left naked and how are their houses left unto them desolate in one moment Babylon in them is fallen is fallen and shee that said in her heart I shall sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come upon her in one day Rev. 18.2 c. death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Then is the houre of Judgment come and the Lord will arise and nothing can hinder or stand before him This will be a miserable day to these men a day of blackness and gloominess and thick Clouds the Sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood A deluge of wrath is now irresistibly comming upon them and then the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and the earth shall melt with fervent heat and all their works burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 Then from hence we may conclude that at that day all men even the wisest men of the world will be at their wits end to cover and hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb and from him that sits on the Throne Rev. 6.16 Then all those Merchants of Babylon shall lament for her That their Whore their Strumpet with whom they have all their dayes committed fornication is made desolate c. their trade of Religion is quite overturned Mich. 3.11 those that made Merchandise of the Word and Preacht for money and for hire and to get bread or to make themselves great and to that end got into forms and duties and fellowships that men might have high thoughts of them and made long prayers under pretence and to grow rich by devouring widows houses Mat. 23.14 and yet these things these pretences these prayers and duties they heap to themselves thinking they may please God with them and these things as foule and abominable as they be they think to be a goodly sacrifice But when this day comes that the Lord will arise and plead his own cause all these things will stand in no stead all their works must be burnt up then he will remember how these foolish men blasphème his name Psal 74.22 23. Psal 74.22 23. And if they should bethink themselve wherewithal to come before the Lord and to offer thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyle nay if they give the fruit of the Body for the sin of their Soul Micah 6.7 all were to to no purpose For the Father the Eternal Majesty of Heaven can be pleased with nothing but that One Eternal and Alsufficient sacrifice the blood of his own dear Son For men to call themselves Christians and Saints and for others to esteem them so is a poor covering now in this day it will not cover their nakednesse The bed is too short to stretch themselves on it and the covering is too narrow they cannot cover nor wrap themselves in it Esa 28.20 T is not all their fellowships and Congregatings nor washings nor External eatings and sitting down with Christ at his Table nor their Perswasions that they do the mind of God and conform exactly to the rule and letter of the word All things of this nature is but of man Phil. 3.19 and they glory in their own shame Thou dishonourest thy head Christ to pray or prophesie and thy head not BARE if thy self be not stript naked t is a dishonour to Christ who is the head of the Church for all honor all praise all wisdom all goodness all righteousnesse is Christ's crown and no creature is to wear that Crown but himself alone If thou takest these or any part of these which are due alone to him thou makest Christ ashamed he is dishonoured for there is no Goodnesse no Love no Beauty no Life but onely in the Son of God and whatever is in him is his for the Church not that they enjoy it in themselves but in him all glory be to him and all shame and confusion upon themselves and hereby is their head magnified Christ alone is their Covering their Righteousnesse their Wisedome their Redemption their Saviour their Beauty they have no shelter no hiding place but in him Those that are ashamed thus to acknowledge and confess him before men Mat. 10.32 he will be ashamed to confess them

are still in snares and lockt fast in their fetters for who else can deliver and set free the soule of man but he that is Lord of all Rev. 1.18 and is subject to none He alone hath the keyes of Hell and death he alone is the soules Captaine and deliverer This is that which all the Saints have experience of when they finde themselves delivered from the bondage of flesh of selfe of the world if they feel this work done within them they know experimentally t is the very finger and power of Christ and that he is only Christs free man that none hath brought it to pass to set them at liberty to knock off their chains and lead them out of prison and set their feet upon a rock but only the Almighty power and meer mercy of the Lord Jesus they know that it hath been he that hath opened their eyes and their eares Psal 40.2 that hath raised them from death and given them feet to walk and there is none know this truly but only those that feele it done in themselves And for proofe of this point though I might prove it by Scripture very pleatifully to shew how many yea all the Saints there spoken of have found it in their own experience that they were delivered from death and from prison by the power of God and by the hand of Jesus Christ yet what is this to thee except thou sinde their experience true in thy selfe else their experience is but notions and riddles to thee and such things whereof thou hast no knowledge except thou see and know thy selfe to be under deth and kept fast in prison and except thou hast found Jesus Christ restoring recovering delivering and redeeming thee from this death And that thou findest that he hath said to thy soule Arise and stand up on the feet Acts 14.10 and hath given thee strength and life to what end is it to bring all the examples in Scripture and in the world if this death and life be no experimented in us Insomuch that thou canst say This word is true to me because done in me as the Apostle saith in Heb. 1.1 2. Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers and by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things Those truths which he spake before by the Prophets he hath now spoken in us by his Son so that we now know them to be the word and speakings of God But as our Saviour saith Mat. 12.39 40. An evil and an Adulterous Generation seeketh after a sign They expect every speaking should be made good by an external word and ye must go no farther so that the truth is never witnessed to in their hearts but as he sayes there There shall no sign be given them but the sign of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly even so shal the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth Except you find the same things done in you the same miracles the same death the same lying in the grave three days and three nights except you find Jesus Christ taking thee by the hand and restoring thee to life thou art of an evil and adulterous Generation seeking after an external sign and thou art a meer stranger to these things But I shall for their sakes who feel the work of Christ within them give you two or three places of Scripture being the experience of the Saints of old that you may see how the Saints bear witnesse to each other in experience First Scripture Esa 61.1 2 3. Esa 61.1 2 3. speaking there of Christ being the only deliverer saith The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath anoynted me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give them beauty for ashes and the oyl of joy for mourning and the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse c. Christ only is the breaker open of the soules prison doors he alone gives deliverance to the Captives and he alone brings them forth from prison and sets them free and this he is to his people in all ages for he is yesterday and to day Heb. 13.8 and the same for ever and when the same word appeared in flesh he testifies the same of himself Luke 4.18 Luk. 4.18 21. where he rehearseth the same words and applyes them to himself vers 21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And this was that which he still held forth in all his teachings that there is no other Saviour nor Deliverer but himself never was nor is nor ever shall be to the end of the world Moses was only an outward and external Captain or Deliverer but His leadings and deliverings are spiritual and there is none can be delivered but by him Heb. 12.24 as he is a better Mediator then Moses so he is a better deliverer t is he alone that frees the soul from the pit from death and hell his Kingdom is within us The Jewes and Pharisees they still excepted an outward deliverer and could not own Him as a Prince and Saviour but were blind and saw not what he still held forth in all his teachings They could not see the truth that they were blind and miserable and full of Hypocrisie and were no other but painted Sepulchres glorious outwardly but within were full of rottennesse stench and dead mens bones They could not endure to stand in the light of this truth Mat. 23.27 but hated it and persecuted him to the death for holding it forth What are we blind also what we the learned the wisest the holiest what we that are strict our selves and call upon others to be so this was death to them But now had they but seen this and owned it he would have been their righteousness their deliverer their redeemer to have set them free but because they said we see therefore their sin remained and their fetters and bondage was not taken off And again Christ tells them Iohn 8.31 32. If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Now these things they could not see nor understand that they were in bondage but answered to him we are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou ye shall be made free then Jesus answered them Verily verily I say unto you He that committeth sin is the servant of sin the servant abideth not in the House for ever but the son abideth for ever And if the son shall make you

power wisdom or endeavours but he alone in them was mighty to save and that their wisdom and their strength and their help and their doings is all trodden down and he alone is exalted Except thou canst give a clear testimony to this thou mayest pretend what thou wilt and be as strict and as formal as thou wilt in vain doest thou talk either of the Deliverer or the Delivered Acts 8.23 for thou art still for all thy Forms in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity Christ never yet set thee free and thou hast as yet been but thy own Saviour and thy own hand hath wrought all thy Deliverance thou yet hast and thy own life is yet whole in thee Luk. 11.21 and the strong man keeps possession for all thy forms duties obediences fasting praying using Ordinances or closing with fellowships or walking with this or that Church or for any of thy thoughts of Membership or the like all this is nothing and all this may be and Christ never yet thy Deliverer nor thy Saviour But because I would clear this point to you that you may not be mistaken in it Note two things take notice more distinctly of these two things First the Nature of this Freedom Secondly the Relation of it that is what it is in it self whom it belongs First First the Nature for the Nature of it know it is not any external nor outward Freedom but it is spiritual and inward it sets the soul free Mark 12.17 and delivers from all captivity and bonds and task-masters within it does not teach thee to deny to pay Tribute to Cesar and submission to externall laws It promises nothing of external Kingdomes or Thrones or that the Saints shall rule upon earth and the like and that they shall sway Scepters and be raised up to worldly dignities or honours No nothing of this Nature for Christ saith plainly My Kingdom is not of this world for then would my servants fight John 18.36 These are not those things which they are to contend for but for righteousness for peace for joy in the Holy Ghost to be delivered from themselves and from the Powers of Darkness Rom. 14.17 Eph. 6.12 to be freed from the Oppressour WITHIN this is the Freedom of Saints Many men keep a great deal of stir in preaching and offering to the world large Treatises promising great matters about external freedom and of the Saints having the ruling of the world and of having all things in subjection to them but alas alas the Nature of Christs Kingdom is otherwise it lies in being denied to all things in the world to have no expectations of great things therein to esteem it an excellency to be content to be nothing Indeed I deny not but what the Lord in his providence is pleased to order and confer upon Nations or upon this or the others Saint Externally or give deliverance from outward oppressours and in restraining wicked ones and great men in their wrath and curelty they may and ought to receive them thankfully and to use them for the Glory of God and the good of themselves and others otherwise they are not well used if they be not faithful Stewards of them and they are to enjoy them moderately and with self-denial and with weaned affections as seeing them but temporary and to be parted with they know not how soon Therefore whatever men talk or can say or write of such things certainly this is not the business this is not the deliverance here meant nor the Freedome of Saints but true freedome is inward and spiritual Again neither doth it stand in any outward observantions in meats or drinks or observing of Sabbaths or days or this or that external worship nor in their actings or workings but in the power of Christ delivering the soul from death and spiritual wickednesses in high places The worship and service of Saints doth not confist in VARIETY one acting this way another after another manner but the true Service of Saints is one and the same One faith and one Baptism Eph. 6.12 And All eat of one bread Ibid. 4.4 5. 1 Cor. 10.3 4. Ch. 12. v. 12 and all drink of the same cup and all drink of the same spiritual rock outward eating and drinking and praying and fasting is not the worship of Christ but if Christ be thy Deliverer if he hath set thee free by his own hand thou bearest out thy witness and wilt not endure to hear of any thing set up equal with Christ for whoever doth so doth but seek to reconcile and make a communion between Christ and Belial and to make a fellowship between the Temple of God and the Temple of Idols 2 Cor. 6.14 If men talk of Freedom although with much confidence if the power of sin be still in them pride and glorying in themselves and love of the world and malice and envy and the like in vain doe men talk of deliverance for all their forms and outward Holinesse Rev. 21.27 There cannot enter into the Kingdom of God any thing that defileth the fearful or the unbeleeving or murtherers or Sorcerers or Idolaters or Layars shall have no part there For be sure of this nothing goes into the Kingdom of Christ but that which comes out from Christ only that wich is of a heavenly and spiritual nature Nothing of man is to enter therein all in and of him is under condemnation onely the work of Christ shall stand and remaine all things else must be trodden down and annihilated and destroyed Farther know the that the liberty of a Christian is in his own breast within if it were outward men might hinder it or take it away but this liberty cannot be stolen from them but they enjoy it in despight of all the powers of the world t is not subject to decayes and changes as outward liberty is which outward liberty men not knowing nor having no experience of this spiritual inward liberty wrought by Jesus Christ which is constant and durable this makes them keep a great deal a doo about external freedom whereas if they knew it they would know this were far beyhond all that which is but external outward and carnal And t is call'd carnal and fleshly because it is so subject to alteration and change it never continues in one state and know that men may be of very great abilities for external wisdom or learning they may be Able States-men Great Scholars Masters in the Liberal Sciences Learned Preachers and yet never have any experience of this true Liberty nor never yet know what it was to be in Christ though they may talk largly in the words of it for this freedom is infinitely above all things of this nature it exceeds whatever is in man as Wisdom Reason Wit Art for no power or wisdom of man can teach or procure man this true liberty No Vniversity nor no Academies