loueth hee the Darknes And That is the Mans n Iohn â— â— Condemnation / when hee loueth the Darknes / more then the Light It is very â–ª true The XI Chapiter A cleere Demonstration / that the Seruice of the Lawe after the Letter / and the Seruice of Christ after the Fleash / haue both one 〈◊〉 Ministration to the Death of y â— Sinne and that then the new Birth in Iesu Christ after the Spirit / springeth therout IF anye Ministers of the holye Woorde should saye Wee publish the Lawe / and minister and teach thesame / to a Mortifying of the Sinne / and to a Death and Burying of thesame / seeing that thesame Seruice / is the right Priestes-office of the Lawe Or-els if they should saye Wee publish Christ after the Fleash / vnto the Beleeuers of Christ / to an Entraunce â with Christ into a Rom. 6. the lyke Death of his Crosse to-wit / into the Obedience of the Beleef of Christ and to mortifie and burie the Sinne / So is-it both right / and well saide / if the Lawe of the Lorde and his Christ haue a Shape in thesame Minister and it is both one-maner of Seruice / vnto the Beleeuers of y e Woord to a Righteousnes of Life 2. For / to administer Christ after the Fleash / is a Seruice / which also â life-as the Seruice of the Lawe reacheth to b Rom. â— b. the Death of the Sinne and so then fourth / to the Making-aliue of y â— Inward-man of God / in Iesus Christ after the Spirit 3. Therfore saith Peter thus Christ hath suffered for vs / and c 1. Pet. 2. c. left vs such an Example / to th end that wee should followe his Foote-steppes 4. Christ himself saith also Whosoeuer will be my Disciple / let him d Math. 10. 16 Mark. â— Luk. â— 14. forsake himself / and take-vpp his Crosse on him / and followe after mee And That is the right Imitacion of Christ that wee should followe-after him â in the Doctrine of his Requiring obedientlie / euen vnto his e Rom. 6. Death and Burying / and vnto his Resurrection from the Death And This is the Inheriting of the eternall Life / in the heauenlie Beeing / wherin Christ after the Spirit / liueth and triumpheth â with his Father and all his Sainctes perpetuallie 5. Therfore / to th ende that hys Disciples / mought inherit the eternall Life with Him / they must first followe-after Him â in the Fore-going of his Doctrine and Requiring obedientlie / till into his lyke Death / and then euenso out of thesame Death / obtaine the new Birth in Iesu Christ after the Spirit / and inherit the eternall Life 6. For-that-cause / men ought to consider rightlie / on both these Sayinges / of the Lawe and of Christ after the Fleash For in themselues they haue both / one Minde or Sence and leade both to one Entraunce of the Mortifying and Depriuation of all vngodlie Beeing For all that which goeth-before out of God / before the new Birth in Iesu Christ after the Spirit / and hath his Ministration to the true Righteousnes / doth point or direct the Man to the Death and Laying-away of the Sinne in the Fleash And That is it wherof Paule speaketh / saying The Letter f 2. Cor. 3. â— slayeth namelie / the Ministration of the Lawe after the Letter / or the Ministration of Christ after the Fleash And That is nothing-els / but that the Letter / according to the Requiring of the Lawe / and according to the Requiring of Christ / pointeth and leadeth vs g Rom. 6. to the Death of the Sinne / and withdraweth euenso our Mindes and Thoughtes / from all that which is vngodlie· and vayne and consumeable on the Earth / for that wee mought euenso attaine to the euerlasting Vnconsumeablenes / in the eternall Life / wherin all Vnderstandinges of pure Heartes do liue and dwell 7. BEholde / in such-sort and to such a Fulfilling of the Lawe and the Propheates / is the Seruice of the holie Woorde / in the Letter / with the Letter / and through the Letter For the Ministration of those-same soundeth euenso / and requireth thesame For when-as wee perceaue anything in vs / that tendeth to the Lust of the Sinne / ther-against doth the seruiceable Woord teach vs / to mortifie and burie thatsame for-as-much as the same is his Requiring 8. And when-as wee then do humble ourselues obedientlie / vnder the Lawe or vnder the seruiceable Woord / for to accomplish thesame in his Requiring and to becom euenso â with the Lawe / or with Christ after the Fleash / and with his Faith to Iustification k Rom. 6. implanted into Christ with lyke Death· baptised in his Death· and washed with his Bloud / So cometh-ther then vnto vs / the Spirit of the Lawe / or the Rom. â— b. Making-aliue in Iesuâ— Christ after the Spirit It is very-true The XII Chapiter A cleere Demonstration / that the Man hath not any-Good of himself but receaueth it all of the Lorde and his Grace O Yee goodwilling Heartes to the Seruice of the Loue / suffer-pacientlie and beare-with a Rom. 15. a. Gal. 6. a. 1. Tess. 5. b. each-other in your Weatnes and infourme each-other with the Coadiuuation or Hand-reaching of the seruiceable Woord of the holie Spirit of Loue. And if any-man chaunce to fall / so help-vpp then each-other againe and hee that bydeth standing / let him laude the Lord / for his Strength For y â— Strength â or the Power so much as thesame remayneth with vs / to the Good / is onlie the Lordes / out of his Grace and not out of our-selues 2. For-that-cause / think or haue alwayes before your Eyes / in your Fourth-going to y â— good Beeing of God / that yee haue receaued all your Lust / Loue / and Stabilitie or Faithfulnes â which yee shewe to the Lorde and his Woord of the Lorde and his Grace 3. For what haue yee â I pray you to serue the Lorde with all / but that yee haue b 1. Par. 19. c. 1. Cor. 4. b. Iam. 1. a. receaued it of the Lorde or the Lorde must first bring thesame vnto you / by his Grace and Mightynes both all that wherwith yee serue your-selues another also 4. Therfore ought the Man alwayes to holde himself â in the Obedience of the seruiceable Woord humble or lowlie of Heart / and also to feare the Lorde continuallie and euenso â in the Feare of the Lorde alwayes to thinke O Lorde How should I out of myself / haue perceaued or knowen my Sinnes / Except that they had ben made-knowen vnto mee / through thy seruiceable Woord / and that it were graunted mee to perceaue them by thy Grace and that thou euenso â through thy Power or Mightynes releasedst mee therfrom For if I â O Lorde haue any Loue to thee
obedientlie thervnto / haue their communion with Christ after the Fleash 5. For euenso / among the Beleeuers of the Woorde / the Woorde became Fleash / and h Iohn 1. b. dwelled among them and Iesus Christ was also in such-sort borne vnto them of the Virgin Marie / out of the i Rom. 1. â— 2. Tim. 2. b. Seede of Dauid after the Fleash that is / of the pure Doctrine / out of the Seede of the Loue. which beareth euenso without woo or greef And whosoeuer then receaueth or feedeth-of the outflowen Woord and his Life â beleeuinglie in his Soule / Hee k Iohn 6. eateth trulie the Fleash of Christ drinketh his Bloud and is raysed-vp by Christ / in the last Day / to the eternall Life and becometh euenso in his new Birth / consubstanciated with Christ after the Spirit And Those that l Iohn 3. c. 6. f beleeue euen-so in Christ / haue the eternall Life 6. IF wee now â with whole Heart beleeue thus in Christ and becom m Rom. 6. implanted into Him / so feele wee then also most-trulie / that ChristØ›the Woorde of Life n 1. Pet. 2. d. beareth in vs our Sinnes / and suffereth for our Sinnes cause wherthrough wee also are inclyned for to suffer with Him / and â to the o Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. Burying of our Sinnes to follow-after Him / euen vnto his Buryall and so wee becom Part-takers of the Passion of Christ as also after thesame / of his p Phil. 3. b. Resurrection euerlasting Life 7. In such-sort verelie / wee knowe or vnderstand in the Beleef and Obedience of the Woord / how that the Woord or Christ / q Iohn 1. c. beareth our Sinnes / together with all our Frailtie and Ignoraunce and how that likewise for that cause / the Elders in thesame Woord / take-vpp in Grace or Mercie / all the Sinnes / Weaknes / and Ignoraunce of the Beleeuers of the Woord / and couer thesame with their Loue / vnder the Obedience of the same Woorde and his Doctrine For in such-sort do the Elders and Ministers of the Woord â in their Seruice prepare and kindle the trespas r Ier. 33. â— Offeriâ—g of the Beleeuers of the Woorde / on the Altar in the Holie of Christ â ether Beleef of the Woord to a Burnt-offering of a sweete Sauour / before the Lorde 8. And the Accomplishing of thesame Offering / is the Puriâ—ying of our Heartes / from all sinfull Beeing And thatsame is the true Gods-seruice in the Spirit / wherin wee s 1. Pet. 2. 4. â— followe-after Christ in the like Passion t Rom. 6. a. or Death of his Crosse that is / in his like Contempt or Dispising the which is the true Furnace of Humiliation / wherthrough our Sinnes are consumed-to-nothing 9. When now the Seruice of the Woord and the Obedience of thesame / hath had in such-sort â in the Beleef Crosse of Christ his full Course with vs / so departeth then the v 2. Cor. 3. d. Heb. 10. d. Vayle â which is the Fleash of Christ from our Heartes and Christ after the Spirit / cometh vnto vs in Glorie And Hee is â euen as the right High-priest a x Heb. 3. 4. 7. Minister of the spirituall and heauenlie Goods / in vs and wee inherit euenso all thosesame / through Iesus Christ after the Spirit 10. But till vnto thesame Tyme of the Coming of Christ after the Spirit / in his Glorie / so is vnto vs Christ after the Fleash / a Minister of the Circumcision â that is / in the Laying-away of the Synne for Gods Trueth-his cause / and for to establish y Rom. 15. b. the Promises made to the Fathers / and so to procreate in vs â out of the Beleef the euerlasâ—ing and true Heyre / in the Establishing of the Promises of God the Father and also-for that the Seruantship of the Lawe / should be no a Gal. 3. c. Heyre with the Beleeuers 11. And That was the Complaint of Abraham which hee â ereuer hee had a Sonne or an Heyre complayned before the Lorde / that hee had obtayned no b Gen. 15. a. Seede out of the Beleef / and supposed euenso / that his Seruant that is / the Seruantship out of the Lawe should be his Heyre But the Lorde said vnto him Not so / thy Seruant shall not be thyne Heyre but the Sonne which shall be borne out of thee That is / out of the Faith of Abraham 12. But so-long as the Heyre is yeat c â—al 4. a. younge / or first new borne by the Beleeuers of the Woord / and that also the Beleeuers are yeat younge or small in the heauenlie Vnderstanding / by Him and euenso â as goodwilling Seruantes to the Obedience of their Lorde haue a Lust â according to the Requiring of the seruiceable Woord to doo the Will of the Lorde / So is-ther not any difference made / betwixt the Heyre and the Seruant but they stand both-alike vnder the Seruices of the gratious Woorde of y â— Lorde â as vnder Tutours till vnto the d Gal. 4. â— appointed Time of the Father In such like-sort is it also with all them / which beleeue the gratious Woord in his Seruice of Loue / and haue a Lust â according to the Requiring of the seruiceable Woord to doo the Lord-his Will For as long as the Beleeuers of the Woord / are yeat younge or childish in the Procreation of the Seede of the Promise / that becometh borne in them / out of the Beleef of the Woorde and are not yeat growen-vpp to the e Ephe. 4. b. â—lderdom of the perfect Beeing of the Woord which is the appointed f Gal. 4. a. Time of the Father / ouer all Beleeuers of the Woord so stand they yeat although they beleeue vnder the Ordinaunce of the Lorde or his Woord Not therfore that they should alwayes remaine / as subiect thervnder but vnto the appointed Time / to-wit / til-vnto the manlie Olde-aige in the godlie Vnderstanding of y â— holie Woord / as ther is said That is / till that the Sinnes be subdued and that they euenso â through the Lawe be g Rom. 7. â— Gal. 2. d. dead vnto the Lawe· and taught to the Kingdom of Heauen / and haue attayned â in the Life of the Woord to the appointed Time of the h Ephâ— 4. b. manlie Olde-aige 13. And euenso on the Promise of y â— euerlasting Life â out of the Ministration of the holie gratious Woord vnder the Obedience of the Loue may well all the Beleeuers of y â— Woord â with Ioye / in the Hope of the euerlasting Life geeue-ouer themselues whollie in the i Rom. â— Death of Christ and so let themselues be baptised or wasshed â with the out-flowing safe-making Waters of Christ in the Death of Christ For euenso â in thesame Death
mutual-fellowship / in all vpright Righteousnes and Holynes 4. For the Loue to thesame should be so great / and the Value therof / should be so worthy in the Mans estimation / that hee should c Phil. 3. a. recon or thinke all other outward Thinges â in comparison therof to be but Durt For in itself it is so great· and his Bewties / Riches / and Life / are so many d Rom. 11. d. Ephe. 3. b. and infinite / that it cannot be writen nor spoken-fourth 5. Behold / Heer-to namelie / to this heauenlie Beeing and his vpright Righteousnes / and to the Conformable-vnyting of all his Bewtifulnes and Riches yee are all presentlie â through the seruiceable Woorde of the holie Spirit of Loue called and courteouslie-bidden 6. THerfore / looke now all well to it / that yee account not this proffered Grace / e 2. Cor. 6. a. Heb. 11. b. to be small but heartelie-imbrace thesame that is heald-fourth before you and offered vnto you / and â out of all your Soules and Power indeuour you alwayes ther-after / in all Humilitie and Lowlynes For thesame that is presentlie heald-fourth and offered vnto you / chaunceth to you all out of Grace / through the Mercies of God extended on you For which Grace and Mercies cause so extended on you / it behoueth you all likewise very-well namelie / eueryone to whom these heauenlie Goods / and this euerlasting Life â through the seruiceable Woord of Grace is administred / and that is bidden thervnto alwayes to shewfourth Lowlynes of Heart· and all Thankfulnes to the God of Life and thinke 7. O God / I Vnworthyone / had no-doubt bidden full in all my Corrupt-estate Estraunging from thee / and perseuered in all myne Iniquitie and in the Errour of thesame / if that thou â O Lord haddest not â through the gracious Seruice of thy Loue called Mee therout 8. Therfore must I â O God thanke thee alwayes and for euer / for that thou â through the seruiceable Woorde of thy Grace dost so graciouslie leade mee Vnworthyone ther-out / eauen to the Throne of thy heauenlie Maiestie 9. O God / of all This / the Honour and Praise redoundeth onlie vnto thee For who am I â O Lord that thou electest mee â which surelie am not better then all other Sinners thervnto / and vouchsafest to account mee worthy / to knowe all thissame / and leadest mee thervnto and that ther are yeat so many thowsand Men / vnto whom thou hast not made thissame knowen But â O God this is thy intire f Act. 10. â— Ephe. 3. b. Grace and mercifull Loue / ouer mee poore Synner Therfore â O God haue mercie also â I beseech thee on all Men-synners and Women-synners / which seeke thee with-out thy gracious Woord and Seruice of Loue / and so g Luk. 23. c. Act. 7. f. ignorantlie do erre 10. SEe / in such-amaner shall euery Man â which is stirred-vpp by the Grace of God / to the gracious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / and that submitteth himself ther-vnder be alwayes humble of Heart and thankfull / before his God / and h Act. 7. f. pray for all Synners / which erre ignorantlie and recon this i Phil. 1. c. for his Sayne / namelie / that hee may passe into the Death / with the Woord of the good Beeing of God / to the Purging of his Sinnes For so shall hee â with the Woord of the good Beeing of God rise-vpp againe from the Death / to the eternall Life The IX Chapiter Of the right Accusation or Chastisement / which cometh vnto the Man / out of the Woord and his Seruice / to Repentaunce for his Sinnes / and to the Amendement of his Life EVeryone ought to take very good-heed / that hee be not slack or sluggish / in the Requiring of the holie Woord and Seruice of Loue / nether-yet holde himself ydle / before that the Light of Life â euen-as thesame is administred with the seruiceable Woord of the holie Spirit of Loue a Gal. 4. c. haue a liuing Shape in him And till thesame Time / let him holde whollie all his Loue turned onlie thervnto 2. For / to loue anywhat besides the Light of Life and the godlie Vertue / is nothing-els but an vnknoweÌ„ erring Darknes / and a bewitched Sinne the which b Gen. 3 a. b. 2. Tess. 2. a. is an apostated Beeing / and a Seducing from the liuing God and his Righteousnes / wherin all Men c Rom. 7. â— haue ben captiued Of which bewitched Sinne / the gracious Woord doth also accuse or blame eueryone / and calleth them to Repentaunce / to th ende that eueryone should euenso â in his Repentaunce looke vpon his owne Sinnes· and not blame one-another / but exhort each-other to the Good and so inset or consider / that none of all the Children of Men / haue ben lose or free from the Sinne. 3. Therfore shall not the Accusation or d Math. 23. Chastisement / that cometh out of the gracious Woord or Seruice of Loue / be â at anytime cast-back for thesame is vpright But verelie / it is far different from the Accusation or Reproof that proceedeth from the goodthinking Man / or out of anymans corrupt Conscience / through the Knowledg and wherwith also the one Man accuseth or reprehendeth the-other / and exhorteth him not to Repentaunce 4. Verelie / when wee now perceaue in ourselues / that wee haue not rightlie applyed vs / according to the Requiring of the Woord and that wee therfore â through the Woord and his Seruice are chastened or accused / in our Minde / and that our Sinnes or Errours are euenso made-knowen ther-through vnto vs / So shall wee then insee and knowe / how altogether vnlyke of Nature / Beeing / or Disposition / wee yeat are / to the Woord and his Requiring and shall then geeue God thankes / for that ther is graunted vs to see and knowe â thorough the Woord or through the Ministers therof our Vnrighteousnes and Errour 5. And when wee then euenso â through the Woord or the Ministers therof do perceaue or vnderstand our Vnrighteousnes or Errour / so shall wee then â without delay e Math. â— Luk. 3. Act. 2. shewe Repentaunce for thesame / and applye vs â with all Humilitie to the Requiring of the Woord / and say or confesse before God / in our Heartes 6. O God â full of Grace and Trueth How louelie is thy Beeing / and into what a forren Beeing am I yeat incorporated I must euermore thanke thee â O God for that ther is made-knwen vnto mee â with thy Woorde and through thy Woorde and Seruice of Loue all what-euer is contrarie to thy Beeing 7. Oh â alas I was almost becom of-one-mind with the Iniquitie· and seduced â with her Errour from Thee and thy Will But through thy Woord â in his Seruice of Loue
the Sinne ceasseth and to becom borne-anew therout / all vpright Beleeuers receaue â in the Faith of Christ the euerlasting Life It is very-true The IIII. Chapiter In this Chapiter â which dependeth on the former doth HN testifie / that euery Beleeuer of the Woorde / shall shewe-fourth the Loue towardes his Neighbour / when hee transgresseth or ouerreacheth himself in any-thing / wherthorough he staggereth and falleth and that they shall not wax-offended one at another / nether â—et haue any euel Conceauing towardes each-other OH / That â—ee all beleeued aright on the gratious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / and through the Ministration of the gratious Woord / sawe rightlie into the a Math. 7. b. small Waye / wher-thorowe yee ought to goe vnto the Life / or are deptours for to passe-thorowe thesame / So could yee not then verelie but be moued with great compassion towardes your Neighbour / which falleth into any Sinne / and not â in anye-case wax-offended at his Fall / nor at his Frailtie but b Rom. 15. a. Gal. 6. a. 1. Tess. 5. b. beare and haue-sufferaunce with him / and infourme him with all Loue Discreetnes like-as if yee sawe any-man fall into the Water / and had such Compassion and Loue towardes him / that yee would rather fall therin with him eauen vp to the Throte â for to helpe him therout then that yee should let him perrish For euenso â to the Preseruation of your Neighbour ought also all your Loue / to be towardes your Neighbour and so to infourme each-other / with Discreetnes / and not to take-â—ffence one at an-other of you / much-lesse to blame one-another / or yet to beare Hate or Enuie / or any Euel-conceauing towardes anyman / ether yet to vpbraide him with his Sinnes / or to construe them to the worst / ether to speake of them behinde him but to lay it all downe vnder the Loue / and to couer it with y â— Loue For the Loue â doubtles c Pro. 10. b. 1. Pet. 4. b. Iam. 5. c. couereth the Multitude of Sinnes 2. Beholde / with such Grace and Discreet-dealing / or with such a beneuolent Heart of Loue â to your Preseruation / in the Beleef of the Woorde / and to the Couering of your Sinnes are yee all presentlie â with the gracious Testimonies of the holie Spirit of Loue infourmed by the Lorde / and by the Ministers of his Woord / and also loued to the Righteousnes of the Life 3. Seeing then that yee are loued and infourmed in such-sort / by the Lorde / and by the Ministers of his Woord / to the good Life of the vpright Righteousnes and that y â— Seruice of Loue / doth also require the-like of you all / So ought yee not therfore to imagen or conceaue any Euell â in This or in That ouer your Neighbour / nor to vpbraide him with any Euell / to d Rom. 2. a. blame nor to slaunder him / nor yet to spread-fourth his Sinnes among each-other / much-les then among y â— Straungers but to couer alwayes y â— Faultes and Weaknes of your Neighbour / so much as yee are able Yet notwithstanding / let eueryone e Pro. 28. b. Eccli 4. 17. confesse his Sinnes â wherin hee falleth before his Elder in the holie Vnderstanding / and make-manifest before him / all his Dealing and Conuersation and also that the-one do exhort the-other thervnto 4. If yee now see or perceaue / that your Neighbour hath f Gal. 6. a. don-amisse in any-maner of thing or that hee is heerin or therin â touching that which concerneth the outward or inward Righteousnes weake or infirme / and so sinneth against any Righteousnes and that thesame mought be to his Destruction / or to an Estraunging from the Seruice of Loue his Concorde / So shall yee then warne him therof in stilnes / and with the g Leui. 19. b. Eccli 19. b. Math. 18. b. 1. Pet. 4. b. Loue â wherwith the Lorde and his Ministers loue you couer his Sinnes / and h Ephe. 4. b. shewe Mercie towardes him and that altogether / to Concorde and Loue among each-other 5. And euen-thus after such a Patron or Example / shall yee haue your conuersation in y e Loue / with each-other / vnto Godlynes and all the Loue and Goodnes which yee wolde should i Leuit. 19. Rom. 13. chaunce / or be shewed vnto you by your Neighbour / that shall yee likewise shewe alwayes towardes your Neighbour 6. BEholde / Such is the Seruice of Loue / which the right Children and Disciples of the Loue of Iesu Christ / vse among each-other For the k 2. Pet. 1. a. Loue dealeth in such-sort with them and euenso deale also the Elders in their Seruice / with the Communialtie of the Famelie of the Loue of Iesu Christ. For if the Elders in the Seruice of the Loue of Iesu Christ / chaunce to perceaue by anyone of the Communialtie / that hee enterprised any-thing / wherby hee mought be in daunger of his Destruction / or which mought happelie cause him to be estraunged from the Way to the good Life / so are they then very sorrowfull for such-aone / and seeke or vse â through the Testimonies of the holie Spirit of Loue all-maner of Meanes / wherwith they mought so preuent and infourme him / that hee may be preserued from his Destruction and they admonish him so louelie and discreetlie as they are able / or so much as is necessarie for him ther-vnto 7. For they see and perceaue / that if they should let him runne-fourth therin without any warning / and not assist him with reached fourth-hand / that great Infelicitie and Miserie mought then light-vpon him· and the terrible condemnable Beeing catch or fall-ouer him 8. BEholde / eauen-thus with such a Loue / ought wee also to deale and behaue ourselues one towardes another / if wee desire to be right Disciples of the Woorde / and to accomplish the Requiring of the Seruice of Loue. But â oh alas wee perceaue presentlie / among the most part of People / that this Loue for that the Iniquitie hath euery-wheare gotten the Dominion is by Many / vtterlie l Math. 24. a. waxen-colde For if anyman now see or perceaue anything in his Brother / that hee liueth not â in all perfectlie / according to his outwarde Eye / so hath hee then a Lothsonnes in him / and taking-offence at him / hee blaspheameth and accuseth him / and maketh his Sinnes or Transgressing manifest / among other-moe / or-els hee seperateth himself from hym 9. But yee â yee Deerlie-beloued shall not so doo / in the Seruice of the Loue but shall stand redie to helpe your Brother / with all Loue and Resonablenes / and exhort him to Amendment / and take the Burden of his Sinnes vpon you / as your owne Fault or Sinnes and euenso â for to ridde him out
owne Mindes and bydeth neuerthelesse in Captiuitie or Bondship 12. When-as wee now see-into all this / according to the Trueth / so ought wee onlie to seeke after the vpright n Iohn â— c. Freedom of the Children of God / which is required out of the Woord of the Lorde And when wee then â at any time perceaue / that wee are not â according to the Requiring of the Lord-his Woord rightlie made-free / but rest yeat bound or owned / on our Mindes or Opinions / So shall wee not then seeke any other thing ther-against / but to becom Seruantes or Ministers of the Lorde / for to serue the Lorde / and to be altogether obedient / to the Requiring of his gracious Woorde and Seruice of Loue. 13. If wee then becom in such-sort o Rom. 6. b. Seruantes or Ministers of the Lorde / so shall the Lorde likewise â in the p Iohn 8. d. Obedience of the Requiring of his Woord bring vnto vs the vpright Freedom of the Children of God Therfore ought wee not to hunt-after any Freedom / according to our owne Mindes but first to applie vs dilligentli â / to the Woorke of the Lorde / and to shewe Obedience vnto the Requiring of his Woord / for to becom euenso Seruantes of the Lorde and not to seeke els-what in the Seruice of his Woord / but to humble vs with whole Heart / vnder the Requiring of his Woorde 14. When wee then are thus the Lord-his Seruantes / so shall the Lorde also â in thesame good-willing Obedience to the Doctrine of his Woord reueale or declare the Trueth of his Christ vnto vs and thesame q Iohn â— Trueth shall make vs rightlie free / and release vs out of all Bondshipping In such-sort / that wee shall then sett ourselues / with all That which is the Lordes â as submitted vnder the Lorde· and vnder the Seruice of his holie Woorde of the godlie Loue / for to liue euenso with all the Children of God and Christ / in the vpright godlie Freedom / and to serue onlie the liuing God / in r Luk. 1. â— vpright Righteousnes and Holynes The VI. Chapiter A cleere Distinction / betweene the Heauenlie and the Earthlie and how that the Immortall / is becom mortall and how it shall putt-on the Immortalitie againe NOman ascendeth vnto Heauen / but hee which a Iohn â— b. Ephe. 4. a. cometh or descendeth from Heauen The which figureth-fourth vnto vs in Cleernes / that the earthlie Fleash and Bloud / cannot ascend to Heauen / in-as-much as it is not of the Heauen / but of the Earth But the holie Beeing of God / which God the Father â out of his holie Heauen hath grounded or setâ— â from the Begining in the Manhod / and is in vs â for our Sinnes cause becom mortall / hath the sure Promises / to risevpp againe in immortall Glorie and that thesame shall reach / from the Man on the Earth / eauen vnto God / in the Heauen / for to make-knowen â out of the Heauen vnto the Man / on the Earth / the heauenlie Goods / and to bring thesame vnto him / out of the Heauen / and therto / the eternall Life 2. And That is it wherof Paule hath also witnessed in tymes-past / wher hee sayth b 1. Cor. 15. f. When the Mortall hath putt-on the Immortalitie / then shall the Death be destroyed in Victorie 3. Verelie / the Mortall â wherof Paule witnesseth is not any Creature of the earthlie Fleash and Bloud but it is the liuing Woord or Beeing of God / which in c Gen. 1. the Begining / was immortall in the Manhod / and is in vs â for our Sinnes cause becom mortall For thatsame â so-long as the Sinne hath the Victorie in vs is in vs / as One dead And although it beareth our Sinnes / and purgeth or maketh vs safe from the Sinne / yet haue wee not so d Esa. 53. b. Act. 8. c. esteemed it but accounted it as if it were nothing The which wee may also right easelie perceaue euenso in vs / so longe as we rest subiect to the Sinne. For if yee seeke in your inward sinfull Manhod / the good and heauenlie Beeing of God / and y e vpright Vertue and Righteousnes / so finde yee not thesame e Rom. 7. c. liuing in you but rather f Gen. 6. c. all Iniquitie / and all wicked Inclinations 4. When wee then see-into thissame / so must wee needes acknowledg / that the heauenlie Beeing of God· and God-his vpright Righteousnes / is becom mortall in vs but yet not for-euer / but for a certen season / till that the Man shew-fourth vpright Frutes g Math. â— Luk. â— of Repentaunce / against his Sinnes and sinfull Lustes / and that God euenso raise-vpp his godlie Beeing / in the Man / and that his Glorie becom great eauen vnto the Heauen 5. Yea / euen than at thesame tyme / shall the Mortall putt-on againe the Immortalitie / and the Death h Esa. 25. b. 1. Cor. 15. c. shall be swallowed-vpp / in Victorie And thatsame heauenlie Beeing of God / shall ascend vnto Heauen / and yet notwithstanding remaine still conformeablie-vnyted with the Man / euenlike as it came from Heauen and the Man shall then likewise bide euerlastinglie / one Soule and one Bodie with thesame / and be alwayes with his Spirit / wher God and his Christ is It is very-true 6. OH / That the Man vnderstoode the vpright Glorie / whervnto hee is i Gen. 1. c. Sap. 1. 2. c. Eccli 17. a. created by God / and also called through Christ so should then all earthlie Thinges be esteemed of him for no worthyer / then if they were Durt Yea / although the whole Earth â eauen vnto the Heauen were couered with Golde / yet were it all no-more / to be compared to the godlie Beeing and his vpright Righteousnes / then an Handfull of Chaffe / to a great Heape of good Wheate 7. Beholde / this costlie heauenlie k 1. Cor. 4. a. Treasure / is hid in the Man / and becometh presentlie raysed-vpp in the Man / in the Obedience of the Seruice of Loue. Thesame becometh now likewise â out of the Seruice of Loue distinctlie declared and expressed among Many and yet how Fewe are-ther that rightlie meditate or seeke-after thesame 8. OH â alas How exceedinglie doth the Man oftentymes afflict himself with sorrowe / for a little Losse of the earthlie thinges / and lameÌ„teth thesame Damaige al-to-much which notwithstanding is no-more worthye / to be compared to the Damaige of the vpright Righteousnes and heauenlie Goods / then the Losse of an Handfull of Chaffe / to the Losse of an hundred Quarters of Wheate But for the most-great Losse â as that hee misseth / and findeth not in him / the vpright Righteousnes· the liuing Woorde of God the Father· and the Mercifulnes of the
Victorie with Thee and thy Woord / to the Implâ—â—â—ting of mee in thy Righteousnes 17. BEholde / euen-thus ought the Man alwayes to continew in Prayer / to the Lorde / and alwayes to shewfourth Pacience / and to keepe a sharpe watch / against all his Enemies of the vpright Life / and m Ephe. 6. b. 1. Pet. 5. b. against all the Perswasions of the Iniquitie wherwith-all hee is assaulted 18. Therfore â my Beloued take this Matâ—er well to heart For I declare thissame vnto you / in most-groundlie wise / for that yee should not faile to vnderstand it aright / and n 1. Iohn 2. â— not commit any sinne And if it chaunce that anyman â through Weaknes do sinne / yet let him not couer his Sinnes but let him confesse them before his Elder in the holie Vnderstanding / and o Math. 3. a. Act. 3. c. repent him / so shall then the Lorde be gracious vnto him / and forgeeue him his Sinnes For whosoeuer beareth-sorrowe for his Transgressing / and so p Pro. 28. b. Eccli 4. 17. confesseth his Sinnes / and leaueth them / shall obtaine Mercie / also be holpen-vpp out of y â— Fall of Sinne· and purged from his Sinnes But whosoeuer couereth his Sinnes or Transgression / and liueth therin / and keepeth them to himself / is a Deceauer / and hath no good in his minde It is very-true The XIIII Chapiter Of the vpright Patience / vnder the holie Woorde and his Seruice of Loue. THe Man which turneth himself to the gracious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / or geeueth-ouer himself for to be obedient / and that is admitted by the Elders and Ministers of thesame Woord and Seruice / for to stand obedient / shall not enterprise or take-on anye-thing / besides the Woord and his Seruice / nor besides the Obedience of his Requiring but all what seemeth good vnto him besides y â—same / or that chaunceth to meete / â—â—m-vnto / or assault him for to take-on thesame / thatsame shall hee sett in the Pacience Yea / if it were so that any Ioy came vnto the Man / so shall hee neuerthelesse sett thesame in the a Eccli 2. â— Pacience / and beare thesame also himself / in maner-of-suffering and so take good-heede / that hee adde not his owne Ioy therto 2. For ther cometh often-times / a certen Ioy vnto the Man / which-proceedeth not out of the vpright Beeing of God / nether-yet bideth thesame as a stedfast Beeing / with the Man and for-that-cause it is not the euerlasting Ioy / which the gracious Woord requireth or promiseth And therfore shall the Man alwayes place or sett his Ioy / in the Pacience If then the Beeing of his Ioy / be out of Gods Beeing / so shall thesame Ioye / well remayne stedfast in the Pacience But if it be not / so shall it then sodenly vanish-away 3. In like-maner also shall the Man / when any Sorrowe or Distresse cometh vnto him / not adde any Sorrowe therto although notwithstanding it chaunceth so often-times and should not be / if that the Man applyed himself rightlie to the Requiring of the gracious Woorde For when-as the Man hath or receaueth somtimes and Ioye / which hee conceaueth to be a permanent Ioy of God wherin hee delighteth and reioyceth him verymuch and thinketh also in his Heart O God / it is presentlie so well and good with mee I stand now so free and loose from all Captiuitie or Ownednes / and my Heart is now so well at-peace and if hee now passe-on-fourth so light-heartedlie therwith / and setteth not thesame in the Pacience / So shall then verelie thesame Ioye / Freedom / and Appeasement / faile or perrish againe by him 4. And when hee then becometh quitt againe of thesame / together with all the sweete Tast and Zeale which hee hath had therin / or when-as thesame vanisheth by him / so is that then oftentimes a great Greef vnto him And when hee then findeth himself againe in such Heauynes / so doth hee then offende also therin / like-as in the Ioy and setteth not his Sorrowe / in the Pacience but hee addeth more Sorrowe / of his owne Sorrowe / therto and getteth euenso somtimes / an b 1. Reg. 16. â— 18. c. 19. b. vnquiet Spirit / which vexeth him wherthrough hee then also thinketh â other-whyles with himself 5. Oh / I had such a Ioye and Quickning Oh / that I had kept thesame Oh / it must be myne owne Fault / in that I am quit therof or / I must haue neglected thesame And more such like / thinketh the Man then With the which hee oftentimes accuseth and vexeth himself / the which the Woord requireth not And thinketh al-to-little on the vpright Righteousnes / which is required by the Woorde / wherout the vpright Ioye proceedeth 6. THerfore / let vs sett Al-thinges c Heb. 1â— â— in the Pacience / be it then Ioye or Sorrowe / or els-what that cleaueth on vs and euenso endure it all / in the lyke Suffering of Christ and passe-thorowe thesame obedientlie / So shall then also verelie â in maner-of-suffering the vpright Ioye â out of the d Iohn 15. b. Obedience of the Woord com vnto vs / and remayne with vs euerlastinglie 7. For although it were so that any consumeable Ioye / should fayle or fal-away from vs / yet let vs not be sorrowfull for thesame but stay vs alwayes obedientlie / on the Woord and his Requiring / and euenso receaue or take-vp it all in the Pacience Yea / although wee should be assaulted with any Sinnes or vnquiet Spirites / yet let vs alwayes e Iam. 5. b. perseuer firme in the Pacience / and consent at no time / to the Desires of the Sinne and chuse euenso to dye rather on the Pacience / with Christ then to sinne with any Ioye or worldlie Sorrowe / or to liue in the Sinne. 8. Beholde / euen-thus as is saide shall wee let ourselues be fastened â with the Obedience of the gracious Woord on the Pacience of Christ till that wee are â in the Death f Rom. 6. of the Pacience of Iesu Christ passed-thorowe our Death of the Pacience· and so iustified from the Sinne. 9. And when wee then â in such-sort haue perseuered firme / in the Beleef of Iesu Christ and in the Obedience of the Requiring of the gracious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / till into g Rom. 6. â— b. the Death / the lyke Pacience of Iesu Christ So are wee then also assured to inherit the h Phil. 3. b. Resurrection in Iesu Christ and the euerlasting Life 10. For ther is none other i 4. Esd. 7. â— Math. 7. b. Luk. 1â— c. Waye to the euerlasting Life / but the k Rom. 6. lyke Pacience of Christ and to becom implanted with thesame obedientlie / into Christ and into the Woord of his holie Spirit of Loue. Therfore
Woord and of his Seruice of Loue â if one warned them not of their Destruction â—ide alwayes â with their Darknes or b â— Cor. 3. d. Couering of the olde Man vtterlie couered or seperated / from the Face of the liuing God of Heauen and of his Christ which is presentlie in the last time â through God-his Grace appeered vnto vs in naked vncouered Cleernes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Iesu Christ· and declared with the Fulnes of his Grace and Mercie and which also / all Disciples of the Woorde â in the c Ephe. 4. c. Laying-away of the Coueringes of the olde Man shall in like-maner beholde naked and vncouered / as d 1. Cor. 13. c. 2. Cor. 3. b. from Face to Face / in the essentiall Cleernes of God and Christ. 4. Secondlie / they should through their herited Birth of the olde Man and of his corrupted Vnderstanding if that they be not borne first / out of the e Iohn 3. â— Water or Doctrine of the gracious Woorde and of his Seruice of Loue / euen vntill the f Rom. 6. b. c. Death and Buryall of Iesu Christ to the Slaying and Burying of the olde Man / and of his corrupted Vnderstanding / Lust / and Desyres and that they be not euenso then borne againe / out of the Spirit of the gracious Woord / euen vnto y â— vpright Beeing of Iesu Christ fall into manifolde Errours and Seducinges / and vtterlie perrish therin 5. Thirdlie / they should also â if they be not whollie withdrawen froÌ„ the Woorkes and Lustes of g Ephe. 4. b. â— the olde Man· and euenso taught prepared to the New Birth in Iesu Christ bide alwayes Members of the Deuell and his vngodlie Beeing â–ª and minded to all Destruction and Errour / and obtaine no h Iohn 13. a. Part nor Inheritaunce in the holie Bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ nor in the Kingdom i Math. 13. â— of Heauen nor yet likewise in any Treasures of the spirituall and heauenlie Goods 6. Fourthlie / they should if they be not â to the Mortifying and Burying of all vngodlie Beeing implanted k Rom. 6. into the gracious Woord or Bodie of Iesu Christ bide euermore in Errour / with-out the gracious Woorde or Bodie of Iesu Christ and not be driuen or directed any otherwise / then by the Spirites of Errours· and taught by the many-maner l 3. Reg. 22. c. Spirites of Lyes whether it were then to false Spiritualnes / Doctrine / or Religion or-els to the Disorderlynes or Iniquitie of the Worlde and should likewise also for-that-cause-sake / not be able to vnderstand knowe nor obtayne or receaue / the holie Spirit of God and of the Trueth or Christ nor-yet feele or perceaue anythinge-at-all therof nether-yet of the Grace of the Lorde / how large thesame reacheth ouer the Children of Men / or how neere-by it is vnto them 7. Verelie / all these Straungers vnto the Familie and Seruice of the Loue / or Such as go-fourth according to their Good-thinking / stand comprehended or are bewrapped in a great Destruction and whoso maketh thesame knowen vnto them / and so warneth them therof / er-euer y e great Destruction take them cleene awaye and destroye them / in their Errour and Estraunging / hee doth very-well / and sheweth a great Good-deede of Loue and Mercie towardes his Neighbour And if they then conuert them to the gracious Woord of the Lorde / and to the Doctrine of his Seruice make Confession of their Sinnes and m Luk. 13. b. shewe-fourth Repentaunce / So shall then their Soules be wonne to the eternall Life· and to the euerlasting Preseruation in the Godlynes 8. BVt the Destruction / wherof the Disciples of the gracious Woord / and the Brothers and Sisters in the Familie of the Loue of Iesu Christ / shall warne one-an-other / is this â–ª 9. If it chaunce that any of the Disciples of the Woord / or of the Bretheren or Sisters in the Familie of the Loue of Iesu Christ / should â without the Doctrine or Requiring of the Woord and his Seruice fall into any Good-thinking / or into any-sort of Dealing / contrary to the Doctrine or Requiring of the Woorde and his Seruice whether it were then out of himself / or-els through any Straungers or Offallenons or that they should be assaulted / for to turne them away from the n 2. Cor. 11. â— Singlemindednes of Life which wee haue in the gracious Woord wherin yee are also taught and exercised aright to thesame Singlemindednes so shal-men then warne those of the Destruction / which is witnessed heere-following And if they then take not to heart the Warning for y â— auoyding of their Destruction but turne-away themselues from the Woorde and from the Doctrine of his Seruice / through the Assaulting or Temptation which meeteth them to that effect / and marre or depraue themselues againe in any Good-thinking and Self-wisdom· or in any brutish or worldlie Beeing / and euenso estraunge them from the good Doctrine of the Woord / so should then thesame verelie chaunce vnto them / to a damaigefull Destruction 10. For first / ther should â by that occasion a Couering of the Wrath of God / enter-in betwixt them and God / and the Doctrine of his gracious Woord in such-sort / that they should not be able to heare nor vnderstand / o Esa. 6. c. Math. 13. b. Act. 28. c. what God requireth through his gracious Woord Seruice of Loue. Of this Destruction heer mentioned / shall the Disciples of the Word warne one-an-other to thend that the-lâ—ke com not vpoÌ„ them 11. Secondlie / their Good-thinking or their Pleasure in the Fleash or in the carthlie Thinges / should also estraunge them from the pure Bewtie of the heauenlie Beeing / and so bring them into greater Errour of Destruction / then that wherin they walked before 12. Thirdlie / their Errour should â through their Pleasure in thesame incorporate them againe much faster and stronger â to pernitious Members of the Deuell into the Deuell and his vngodlie Beeing / then they to-fore were incorporated into him 13. One should in like-maner much lesse or worsser / be able to make them to knowe their Errour and Destruction / for to ridde them therout / then in times-past / when-as they yeat stoode in their first Blindnes or Errour 14. Fourthlie / they should also through the Incorporating-againe into the Deuell / and through their Addicting of them to the earthlie consumeable Thinges / be driuen by the wicked Spirit of the good-thinking earthlie fleashlie and deuelish Beeing / in greater Presumption with more Freenes / into the Falshod / against God and his holie Spirit and Seruice of Loue / then hee had driuen them in times-past And that altogether / to cause them to invay or be against the good Doctrine of the Woord and the Ministration of thesame yea /