knowledge is to know we know nothing For if any Man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Oh! How many wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Sinners are there in these Kingdoms that think that they have need of nothing especially the Rich that increase in Goods and others zealous of and with Spiritual Gifts but not according to knowledge â—now ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Unapproved or Reprobates who think of themselves more highly than they ought to think and that they are sufficient of themselves to think any thing as of themselves being ignorant of this that our sufficiency for good thoughts words and â—ctions is only from Gods allsufficiency who is the Author of every good gift and every perfect gâ—ft These are Sinners spiritually dead in St. Pauls Judgment Awake to Righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame and yet pretend and boast of the Spirit but not the true Spirit the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive Indeed they have the Spirit of the World visible by their love to the World and the things that are in the World but this Spirit of truth the World cannot receive All the Workers of Iniquity have no knowledge of God the World by wisdom knew not God nor Christ or Christians though they are the Sons of God therefore the World knoweth them not because it knew him not for if they had known him and them they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory and persecuted and put to death so many Sons Saints and Christians 15 John 20.16 33. Nor the Spirit because it seeth him not neither knoweth him nor his word but err not knowing the Scriptures Err in their Judgments call evil good and good evil put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter yet are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Nor his Wayes They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one and the reason is there is none that understandeth The Holy Ghost saith they do alway err in their heart and they have not known my wayes nor works either of Creation or Providence They regard not the Work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands because they have no knowledge But they who have received the Spirit which is of God know him and the things that are freely given to them of God they know that the Son of God is come and hath given them an understanding that they may know him that is true This is Life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent By the Spirit of truth they know the Spirit of Truth and Error and therefore do not believe every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God they know the Truth and the Truth hath made them free They also know Christ the Truth if the Son shall make you free then shall you be free indeed which he doth by his Spirit When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth by the Word of Truth Sanctify them through thy truth thy Word is truth the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus hath made them free from the Law of sin free from committing of it for he that committeth sin is of the Devil and whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether â—f sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God â—ollow not that then which is evil but that which is good he that doth good is of God but he that doth evil hath not seen â—od nor his Son Jesus for we know he was manifested to take away our sins whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him by his Word we come to the knowledge of God The entrance of thy Word giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple by the Ministers of Christ for the Priests lips should keep Knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Thy Teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it When ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left they are sent to open Mens eyes and to turn them from darkness unto light The Work of the Ministry is for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children in understanding tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but in understanding being Men speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ This knowledge of God which is the first and chief part of the Image of God is a principal part of the Kingdom of God by which we are delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son Repentance towards God is also from Christ him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince for to give Repentaâ—ce to Israel which is not only our entrance into but part of this Kingdom of Grace even such a part as that without it the Kiâ—gâ—om of â—od cannot enter into us nor be carryed on to purpose with power to the Kingdom of Glory This Repentance is a turning from sin to God till we come to God it is a Confessing and forsaking of it till we sin no more that we may find mercy with God It is a Godly Sorrow for sin as sin for the evil that is in it against God as well as the evil that is by it against us it is a hating sin for it self especiâ—lly for that it is enmity to God and neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God for it is a transgressâ—on of the Law of God It is an abhorring of our selves for our sins through the knowledge of God and his mercy in Christ and a true sight of sin with full purpose of heart to sin no more but to live in obedience to all his Holy Just and Good Laws all our dayes I have heard of thee saith Job by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in
peculiar bosome beloved sins search out your own sin keep your self from your iniquity if you would have good success in seeking first the Kingdom of God II. Let us put off and put away far from us these and all other sins in the fear of God or all our seeking the Kingdom of God will be but labour in vain Sinners God calls Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that he sets before you Life and Good Death and Evil Blessing and Cursing and desires you to choose Life even eternal Life O choose not Sin and Death before it Let my counsel be acceptable unto you break off your sins by righteousness and the iniquity of your covetousness by shewing mercy to the Poor lest God be wroth smite you and hide himself from you but rather seek good and not evil that ye may live be not faithless but believe God upon his Word Seek ye me saith God and ye shall live Their heart shall live that seek God his Kingdom and Righteousness in the use of all his holy means which I need but almost to name they are so often insisted upon but too seldom duely practised as namely 1. Hearing the Word preached in season and out of season instantly as Ministers are to preach it with solemn Preparation Intention Retention and a loving Affection in the hearing of it turning every Truth and Duty you hear into practice without delay for not the hearers of the Law but the doers are justified and blessed in their doing 2. Frequent Fasting frequent Praying and Watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all men that they may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth which is our striving to enter in at the strait Gate Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it even of them who seek to enter in and are not able because not willing to be at the pains and patience which is necessary to the finding the narrow Way and walking in it till they be meet and worthy to enter in at the strait Gate there is no pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations or Reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God or bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and the Laws of his Kingdom but by this good old way of Fasting Praying and watching to purpose every man that striveth for the mastery especially of spiritual enemies is to be temperate in all things some do it to obtain a corruptible Crown we an incorruptible If we would so run as to obtain so fight as to overcome we must keep under our body and bring it into subjection that our Old Man being crucified the body of sin may be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin lest that by any means when we have done all save this which is the main we our selves should be everlasting Cast-awayes better the body of the flesh and the body of sin be destroyed in the severest way of duty than the soul be for ever lost in a way of sin how pleasing soever to the flesh Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into Life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire by Fasting Praying and watching Heaven suffereth violence and onely the violent take it by force Holy Fasting especially alone and by our selves Prayer without ceasing keeping our Hearts Lips and Lives with all diligence by circumspect watchfulness from sin and all occasion and temptations thereunto are Gods gracious means appointed us for the obtaining of Grace and Glory 3. Reading searching and meditating of the Holy Scriptures day and night that the Word of Christ may dwell richly in us in all Wisdom with fervent and faithful Prayer before and after the duty for the Spirit of Truth to sanctifie us through the Truth duties much neglected both in Families and in our private communion with the Lord and I fear by too many of us slightly indifferently and indiligently done Were the Word of God read searched and meditated daily by us as it ought to be it would make us wiser for our selves in all respects than we are it is able to make even Children that exercise themselves therein wise unto salvation It is very great pity and a very great sin it is that every one that cannot doth not learn to read and every one that can doth not walk in Wisdom redeeming his time to search these Sacred Records day and night in which he thinks he hath eternal life I make no doubt but our most Gracious Sovereign the King and Governors will out of their Christian Wisdom Care Zeal and Charity which in many things they have manifested take order also that all who are capable both young and old in these Kingdoms may be diligently taught to read the Holy Scriptures that they perish not for want of knowledge that so the good Word of God may be daily read publickly in all Faimilies with Prayer and Praise to the Praise and Glory of God the Increase and Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and their own immortal Honour Which I daily pray may come to pass and am in a longing expectation of as knowing there is Wisdom Wealth and Willingness Power and Prudence every way Ability and Opportunity in you our Governors and Counsellors for the accomplishing and effecting so great and good and necessary and pious a Work besides the many Thousands that wait for your Call Command Counsel Countenance and Encouragement to assist herein which labour of Love to so many perishing Souls will never be forgotten by the Lord and the administration of this Service will not only supply the want of Saints but will be abundant also by many Thanksgivings unto God Now the Lord make all Publick Persons in Church and State Publick spirited herein that the fruit of Righteousness may be sown in Peace by them that make Peace to the Glory of God and the Publick Good Were the Law and Gospel which is not to depart out of our mouth read and meditated therein day and night by us all high and low rich and poor c. that we might observe to do according to all that is written therein this would make our way prosperous then we should do wisely and have good success especially in seeking the Kingdom of Grace and Glory which is our best Wisdom to do every one for himself and each for other till we find it and attain it Whosoever delights in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doth shall prosper the universal faithful practice of these duties would through the blessing of
Work and Labour of Love which God will not be unrighteous to forget shewed unto his name in Ministring unto the Saints which every one is to do and shew with the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end But whoso hath this Worlds Good and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him How dwelleth the love of God in him The love of God dwelleth not in him at all for this is the Commandment that he who loveth God love his Brother also and he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen How can he love God whom he hath not seen What is the reason and cause of Wars and rumors of Wars Nation rising against Nation and Kingdom agâ—inst Kingdom Of Mens delivering up one another to be afflicted of hating betraying biting devouring and killing one another and of the abounding of Iniquity but because the love of many shall wax cold Iniquity with the effects would soon be at an end were all our heads and hearts at work in promoting this duty and grace of Charity I verily hope still to see His Majesties Kingdoms flourish and abound in this grace of graces namely Charity I have Charity for all that they will be in Charity each with other save the proud and covetous The proud which are cursed will err from Gods Commandments especiaâ—ly from things of Châ—rity while proud I have no hope of such pride is for contention and division only by pride cometh contention Charity is for peace and unity against both The covetous whom the Lord abhorreth count their gain to be Godliness an heart they have exercised with covetous practises cursed children which have forsaken the right way and go astray because they love the wayes of unrighteousness these are for Use upon Use to swallow up the poor alive From these Persons and Practises the Good Lord deliver the King and his Kingdoms O my Soul come not thou into their secret unto the Assembly of Men proud and covetous mine honour be not thou united But Charity is humble and the humble are Charitable Charity is not puffed up with pride or knowledge not cruel but liberal and deviseth liberal things and by liberal things it shall stand It is manifest that these two cruel evils had a great hand in our late mutual devourings and except God by his wonderful Power and Providence interpose we are still in Eminent and Imminent danger of them The fear of God is another principal part of this Kingdom of God Indeed if we take it in the comprehensive sense it is the sum of Religion but take it as a Grace and the fear of God is to hate evil and depart from it the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death it is the way of life and this way of life is above to the Wise that he may depart from Hell beneath which can never be but by first departing from sin upon Earth Unto Man God saith Behold the fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil is Understanding This fear of God is bred in the heart by the love of God Ye that love the Lord hate evil perfect love casteth out the fear of bondage and lets in the fear of reverence for this we have Gods Promise The Children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes they honour the King best who fear God most Nothing like goodness to beget the fear of God and due and true honor to the King Love the Brotherhod fear God honor the King are linked together The fear of God is a fear to sin out of love and reverence to the Majesty of God he who truly fears God fears nothing but sin and none but G d and for God How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God saith he who is tempted to sin while he doth good he is not afraid of the Power because he is the Minister of God for good to him but when he doth evil he is afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil otherwise he is not afraid of him that can kill the Body and after that hath no more that he can do because he fears him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell This God he fears to sin against and therefore fears not to be cast by him into Hell While it is his care to cleanse himself from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and to perfect holiness in his fear and to work out his salvation with fear and trembling This fear is Filial and Reverential a Child-like fear afraid to dishonor God If I be a Father saith God Where is my honor An earthly Father expects and deserves honor from his child so doth our heavenly Father from his children The honor of reverence in carefulness to please him and fearfulness to offend him This is the fear of the Lord which tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil in this fear of the Lord is strong confidence The love and fear of God together breeds the best obedience which is the best Sacrifice the fear of God restrains from siâ— which is a transgression of the Law of God and the love of God constrains yea helps to the fulfilling of it Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandment to break it shall be rewarded shall be in peace in keeping of them there is great reward Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 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 buâ— gâ—ory honour and Peace to every Man that worketh good even to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honor and Immortality Eternal Life This is the Love of God thâ—t we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous This is love that we walk after his Commandments The obedience which is of and pertains unto the Kingdom of God is universal and constant Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect unto all thy Commandments I have inclined mine heart to perform thy Statutes alway even unto the end The Principles of new and true obedience are Faith and Love or Faith working by Love called in Scripture the obedience of Faith neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love The love of Christ constraineth us to live not unto our selves but unto him who for us died and rose again The obedience we owe to God in this Kingdom of Grace is Active and Passive Active not doing what
up one Mystical Christ a Mystery great beyond the capacity of Angels to conceive which things they desire to prye or look into and is the subject of their continual and just admiration The full Vision and Fruition whereof will administer also to every glorified Saint matter of the highest Adoration and everlasting Consolation Were this one Promise of one heart and one way in the fear and worship of God accomplished in the midst of us that we might be his People and he our God to rejoyce over us to do us all the good he hath promised us What greater or better thing could we desire on this side Heaven why in the Kingdom of God there will be one heart and one way and one work for ever There will be no need of beseeching Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus to speak the same thing that there be no divisions among them that they be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment God and all the Godly will there be so well known to each other through the Light of the Sun of Righteousness that there will not be the least shadow of division or fear of any separation This happy perfect and perpetual Union is the foundation of that Communion and Fellowship between God Angels and Just Men made perfect which is unspeakable and full of glory What Fellowship there is between the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost is a Secret to us if not to Angels and Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but a mutual glorifying each other there was is and will be from everlasting to everlasting and how far the glorified Saints and Servants of the Lord shall be made happy in the Enjoyment and Knowledge hereof in heavenly Glory is so much above the reach of our meditation that it ought to be pâ—ssed over with silent Adoration but verily and â—ruly our Fellowship will be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ through the Spirit and with all the blessed Angels in such a manner and measure as no Tongue can utter or Mind conceive For Saints to draw nigh to God and for God to draw nigh to them in Mercy even here How good is it It is good for me to draw near to God Draw me we will run after thee is the Language and Prayer of every one that is Godly but when by drawing near to God we are come to God and are not only nigh him but with him How comfortable will that Communion be It will be a Communion in the highest honors the sweetest pleasures and the truest riches Them that honor me saith the Lord I will honor It will be our heavenly happiness to receive honor from God and to give honor to God this honor have all his Saints Honor is such an excellency that is naturally desired of every one sinners and unbelievers who seek not the honor that cometh from God only which is the only true honor rather than live without it will receive honor one of another though thereby they are hindred from the honor of believing in God and in his Son Jesus Christ which is to give all hon r to him to whom honor belongs and to receive all honor from him who is the only Author of every good and perfect gift The making Man a little while inferior to or lower than the Angels and crowning him with glory and honor in a state of innocency made David fall into admiration Lord What is Man that thou art mindful or takest knowledge of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest or makest account of him What admiration will it occasion to the glorified to be made like to or equal with the Angels in Heaven and then and there to wear Crowns of Glory Honour Righteousness and Life which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto all them that are faithful unto death and love and long for his appearing When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory not only like unto Angels but unto Jesus Christ the Lord of glory It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him in our bodies We look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile Bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body which is uncorruptible and immortal This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Our Bodies were fearfully and wonderfully made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth The works of God are all wonderful sought out of all them that have pleasure therein This curious Piece of Mans Body is so full of wonderful mysterious works in every part and member thereof that all the Anatomists in the World could never find out or describe perfectly its excellency It is quite beyond the reach of the understandings of all Souls to comprehend the height length depth and breadth of those excellencies that are contained in the Body of Man Indeed sin hath depraved it and deprived it of much of its glory yet remains there that majesty upon it that commands reverence from all other capable creatures There are Bodies Terrestrial and Celestial each of which have their glory the one before the other after the Resurrection But some Men will say How are the Dead raised up and With what Body do they come God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory a glorious Body Like unto the Body of Christ perfectly free from all sin from Natural and Moral infirmities no more pains or sickness for ever Perfect and perpetual health and holiness will diffuse it self into every member The united understandings of Men from the beginning to the end of the World cannot conceive nor tongues express or set forth the Glory whâ—rewith the Body of the meanest Saint and Servant of the Lord shall be clothed in the Kingdom of God and Glory the Body hath many Members and those Members of the Body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow or put on more abundant honor and our uncomely parts have more abundant comliness for our comely parts have no need but God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked so that when one member is honored all the members rejoyce with it If such abundant honor and more abundant comeliness be put upon the Body in the state of imperfection and corruption What honor and comeliness will God bestow upon the Body in the state of glorious perfection when this corruptible must put on uncorruption and this mortal must put on immortality then will the head wear a Crown of an eternal weight of Glory The eyes will be fully satisfied
of our love It is that to the Soul which the pulse is to the Body a Symptome of Life Gods love is our life our love to God is our great evidence that he loveth us I love them that love me This is the Souls pulse which beats continually What is Spiritual life but Spiritual love to God as God and as our chief good Can we say that Gods beloved which is Christ is our only chief beloved If I can say I am my Beloveds I may be sure that my Beloved is mine Nothing makes persons so perfectly one as perfect love which is not love in Word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth A love to the Person beloved above the Portion enjoyed a love to every one and every thing the party beloved hath a kindness for and a hatred of aversion displicency and abhorrence of that which is contrary to love and the person beloved By this also we may know that we love God and the children of God when we keep his Commandments for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous and hereby we do know that we know him believe in him and love him if we keep his Commandments he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the truth is not in him but whoso keepeth his Word in him verily is the word of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him as our love to God is a sign of his love to us so the keeping of his Commandments is an evidence of the truth of our love to him according to our Lord Jesus his Question to Peter three times Lovest thou me more than these Lovest thou me Lovest thou me Thou knowest that I love thee saith he How Feed my Lambs feed my Sheep Do you think Christ would have believed Peter or Peter believed himself touching his love if he had disobeyed this Commandment Christ saith to all If ye love me keep my Commandments and he that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Now the Commandments of God are both Moral and Evangelical Moral contained in Moses his Ten Words called the Decalogue or Ten Commandments Evangelical called the Law or Doctrine of Faith concerning the Salvation of Mankind by our Lord Jesus Christ come already in the flesh to be believed by all that will be saved neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved And therefore when any one doth Oh! that every one would ask this serious question seriously What must I do to be saved the only answer to it is Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved This is his Commandment That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment There is a Law of Love as well as of Faith Love is the sum of the Law and hath the Power and force of a Law in it All the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Love To God above all Love thy Neighbor as thy self If there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Love to God and our Neighbor Love worketh none ill to his Neighbor therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law As love is the Fulfilling of the Law so sin is the Transgression of the Law of God The Moral and the Evangelical Law is against sin Sin not stand in awe and sin not is one great Command from God which we must live in continual obedience unto Our great fear desire care and endeavour must run out this way that we sin not Sin is the chiefest evil as it opposeth God the chiefest good therefore we are commanded to abhor that which is evil and abstain from all appearance of evil If we will enter into life we must keep this Commandment no entering into Heaven with Sin There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye For God hath no pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him Sin and Sinners must be turned into Hell for ever The wages of sin is death we must be saved from sin before we can be saved from Hell Let us try what Conscience we make of this Command Do we fear to sin Can we say we fear none but God and nothing but Sin he that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded Do we live in no known sin either of Heart or Life of Omission or Commission When we are overtaken with sin are we sorry for it after a godly sort until by an humble confessing and an hearty forsaking it we are reconciled to God If we be unreconciled to sin in our hearts and to a way and course of sin in our life we may be sure God and we are reconciled When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Our Eternal State may be known by our dispositions and conversations towards sin as the very bent and by-ass of our hearts and lives are for or against sin habitually and practically so will God determine our Eternal condition for Heaven or Hell In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil Whosoever abideth in Christ sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin and he cannot sin because he is born of God Yet is there a truth in this if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us if we say we have not sinned we make God a liar and his Word is not in us but he that committeth sin is of the Devil and whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother which is a Damnable sin for he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death and not to love and to hate in Scripture is of the same signification Whosoever hateth his brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him He that loveth not his Brother hath neither Spiritual Light Life or Love in him He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes This sin of not loving or hating a Brother is darkness that so blindeth the eyes that whosoever is guilty of it is under this Judgment he knoweth not whither he goeth I doubt not but everyone that loveth not his Brother thinks he doth love him because he loves him in Word and in Tongue and thinks he shall go to Heaven Alass What doth it profit if a brother or sister be naked or in prison and destitute of daily food and one say unto
overcometh that shall not be hurt of the second Death and he that is faithful unto death who will wear the Crown of Life to him that overcometh God will give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whore-mongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death If the first Death the Separation only of Body and Soul be the King of Terrors What a King of Terrors and Horrors will the Second Death be which is an Eternal Separation both of the Body and the Soul from the Presence of God and his Glory and the enduring the Wrath of God in Body and Soul in Hell-fire through all Eternity Wherefore let us gird up the Loyns of our Minds and be sober and hope to the end for the Grace and Glory that is brought unto us at the Revelation of Jesus Christ Life and Death Eternal are set before us let us choose Life and cleave to him in our Wills who is our Life Let our Affections be set on things above Let our Conversation be in Heaven that our Commoration and Everlasting abode may be there also This is to seek the Kingdom of God with all our heart and with all our might It must be sought also with understanding the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Grace and of the Kingdom of Glory must be known It is our Heavenly Fathers good pleasure to give a Kingdom unto them and them only unto whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to others in Parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand The Kingdom of God which is a Kingdom of Grace and Glory is such a Mystery that none can heartily desire and endeavor after it but such as are acquainted with it Oh! were the Eternal worth and weight of Grace and Glory known to us would the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory give unto us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation for the enlightening the eyes of our understanding that we might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the Glory of his inheritance in the Saints we could not chuse but be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labor in seeking first the Kingdom of God would not be in vain in the Lord. Verily this Kingdom is not sought as it ought to be because 't is not known as it should be seek therefore to understand it that you may seek it with understanding Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in the Mysteries of his Kingdom which must be sought also in a way of believing I Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Life everlasting is the sum of our Christian Creed or Belief which whosoever confesseth with his mouth and believeth in his heart shall be saved for with the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation for the Scripture saith whosoever believeth on the Lord Jesus shall not be ashamed or confounded Now Faith is the substance ground or confidence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God through Fâ—ith we understand or believe an unseen World where such things are prepared for them that love God that a Natural and Carnal eye hath not seen or can see nor ear heard or perceived neither ever entered into the heart of Man but God hath revealed them to and for Believers by his Spirit who look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal this is the victory that overcometh the World even our Faith it overcometh the good things of the World and the evil things of the World through Faith the reproach of or for Christ is esteemed greater riches than the Treasures of the World and the Honors thereof by Faith Moses refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter for it hath respect unto the recompence of the reward by Faith it is that true Christians chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season as knowing their light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for them a far more exceâ—ding and eternal weight of glory Through Faith we resâ—st our adversary the Devil who as a roaring Lioâ— walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resisâ— stedfast in the Faith and he will flee from you for the Captain of your Salvation the Lord Jesus was made partaker of Flesh and Blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage for this purpose also the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy not only the Devil but the works of the Devil in us purifying our hearts from all sin by Faith Without this Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of all them that diligently seek him his Kingdom and his Righteousness take we heed therefore lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God to provoke him to swear in his wrath we shall not enter into his rest for To whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not for they could not enter in because of unbelief This is the Sin that shutteth so many out of Heaven and shutteth up as many into Hell he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God True believers are the only true seekers of the Kingdom of God and will be the only enjoyers of it Oh were our Faith as reall as this Kingdom is substantial What manner of seekers would all of us be It is not heartily believed and therefore not heartily sought after were it sought believingly it would be sought faithfully Faith breeds faithfulness they are neer a kin What is Faithfulness but a fullness of Faith a stirring up the work of Faith with power to receive out of the fullness which is in Christ grace for grace grace to exercise grace so to walk even as he walked in faithfulness both to God and Man especially in transacting and negotiating the great Work of his Mediatory-Office in our Redemption and Reconciliation Jesus Christ the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession was faithful unto him that appointed him Such are all true Christians or Saints called faithful in
the unity of this faith and knowledge and the neglecting of this is the frustrating of the whole work of the Ministery for let us preach never so many Sermons to the People our labour is but lost as long as the foundation is uâ—laid and the first principles untaught upon which all other Doctrine must be builded Thus far the worthy Bishop in his Sermon before King James at Wansted 7. Often remembring and real renewing our Covenant with God whenever the Holy Sacraments are administred Baptism is but to be administred once but we are solemnly and frequently to remember and make use of our Baptismal Covenant upon all occasions especially in avoiding all occasions and temptations and motions to sin within or without in time of tribulation and desertion and at the point of death we are buried with Christ in Baptism wherein also we are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God that so many of us as are bâ—ptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death therefore are we buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life By Baptism we are planted together in the likeness of his Death and also in the likeness of his Resurrection that our old man might be crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Covenant making and Covenant keeping is the sum of our Religion We are sworn in our Baptism to believe all the Articles of our Christian Creed and to live by faith to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless to pray according to the Lords Prayer without ceasing for Grace that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we may live soberly righteously and godly in this present World that so with comfort we may look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and as we have sworn so we are to perform it even in keeping all the righteous Judgments of the Lord so also the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which if there be opportunity should often be received by us wherein we shew forth the death of Christ till he come is another excellent means appointed by God both to convey and assure to us the Kingdom of God as also to strengthen and confirm us in the Grace we have received that we draw not back to perdition but going from faith to faith from one degree of Grace unto another we may receive the end of our faith the salvation of our Souls Let us shew the Lords death till he come by often eating this Bread and drinking this Cup but let us examine our selves lest eating and drinking unworthily we be found guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so eat and drink damnation to our selves III. All the Graces of the Holy Spirit must be had and exercised we must go to the God of all Grace for every Grace he will give Grace and Glory first Grace then Glory It is through Grace we have good hope the Grace of Regeneration according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he sheds on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of eternal life there is no hope of eternal life without Grace It cannot be expected I should discourse of all the Graces these may suffice 1. The first Grace we are to labour for is Humility by which we come to know our vileness and unworthiness that we are no better than wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and have need of every thing and yet deserve nothing that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God The way to be rich in Grace is to be poor in Spirit God will give Grace to the humble the more humble the more holy Saint Paul the chiefest of sinners less than the least of all Saints in his own account yet not a whit behind the very chiefest of the Apostles in Grace and Gifts labouring more abundantly than they all yet not I saith he but the Grace of God which was with me Be cloathed with humility walk humbly with God humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time God will save the humble person 2. Acquaint your selves with God know the God of your Fathers This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the principal part of the image of God is the knowledge of him If you would have his mercy and his favor you must have understanding for to a people of no understanding he that made them will not save them and he that formed them will shew them no favor they who like not to retain God in their knowledge are not like to go to Heaven that the Soul be without knowledge it is not good the Soul cannot be good without knowledge it is the image of God which makes the Soul good The new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness is renewed in knowledge we escape the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Grace also and Peace are multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord yea all things that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue Therefore if you determine to go to Heaven determine not to know any thing so much as Jesus Christ and him Crucified Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy getting get Understanding get Wisdom get Understanding â—orget it not embrace her and she shall bring thee to Honour and Heaven She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her 3. Repent and believe the Gospel I put them together for brevity sake as I find them Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus are our very entrance into the Kingdom of God True Repentance which elsewhere I have described at large le ts the Kingdom of Sin and Satan out of the heart that Faith unfeigned may receive Christ and his Kingdom into it Repentance is a turning from Sin and Satan and the World and Faith is a coming to God by Christ a choosing and closing with him as our Lord and Saviour a receiving of his Fulness and Grace for Grace that we may glorifie God and be glorified with him in our Bodies Souls and Spirits which are Gods Seek first the Kingdom of God in a way of repenting and believing and you are sure to find it 4. The fear of God especially for
THE Kingdom OF GOD Opened and Proved To be a Kingdom of Grace and Glory the one Thing necessary for all and the Saints everlasting Happiness A Discovery of the Subjects of it by their Qualification and Conversation Scriptural Evidences for every one to try his Eternal state by with Motives and Means for getting and keeping a comfortable assurance of this heavenly Kingdom By Tobias Ellys Minister of the Gospel Imprimatur Gulielmus Sill Aug. 11. 1677. Printed by T. N. for H. Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard and at the White Hart in Westminster-Hall 1678. To His Most Excellent and Sacred Majesty Charles II. BY THE Gracious Providence of GOD King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Grace and Glory Great Sir THE Kingdom of God the Subject of these ensuing Meditations I humbly crave leave to present to Your Majesties Acceptance Perusal and Consideration as containing matter of the greatest weight and worth to Your Self and to Your Three Kingdoms my unfeigned hearty desire confidence and comfort concerning You is that You will pursue to Your utmost Power this great Command Counsel and Proclamation of Your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness And that by Your Example Command Counsel and Proclamation 〈…〉 also endeavor that all under Your Care and Charge may do in like manner it being the great end of our coming into the World living in it and dying out of it next to the Glory of God to enjoy a better namely this Kingdom of God For which end and purpose our Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks are made to Almighty God for You and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth which if You and those in eminent place under You may be instrumental of how greatly will it add to Your Crown and Joy For what is Your Hope or Joy or Crown of Glorying and Rejoycing are not even we Your Subjects in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because that Your Command Counsel Proclamation Example and Charge to every one of us as a Father to his Children to walk worthy of God who hath called us to this Kingdom and Glory was believed obeyed and followed in that day Wherefore also we pray alwayes for You and for all that are in Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil that God would count and vouchsafe both You and us worthy of this Calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his Goodness and the work of Faith with power that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in You and we in Him according to the Grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ in whom I am and ever shall be Your most Humble and Loyal Subject and Servant In all Faithfulness TOBIAS ELLYS Kensinton Nov. 21. 1677. S. Matth. vj. xxxiij But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you SO fearful and fatal was the first sin of our first Parents to themselves and their Posterity who sinned in them that we are all come short thereby of the glory of God and our estate is now both sinful and miserable the knowledge and consideration whereof should incite every one to the most serious and vigorous desires care and endeavors how he may speedily extricate himself out of so deplorable a condition By our wilful sin we are fallen from God grace and glory unto the Creature under sin and Satan's power and being the children of disobedience we are also the children of the devil and the children of wrath But God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He hath also raised up his Son Jesus and sent him to bless us in turning away ever one of us from our iniquities by giving himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world He also himself took flesh and bloud that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come Because he would have all men saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth And therefore in pursuance of his gracious design of saving Mankind he hath here in my Text issued out his Royal Counsel Command and Proclamation But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you In which words there are two general Parts 1 A Precept in these words But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness 2 A Promise in those and all these things shall be added unto you In the Precept consider the word of Opposition But the Act seek the Persons ye the Objects with their emphaticâ—l Adjuncts and Particles the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness In the Promise we have the Copulative and the matter of the Promise all things the manner of Conveyance with its certainty shall be added the Persons to whom the Promise is made to you For Explication seek i. e. with desire accordinâ—ly do with your might This word implies necessiâ—y misery mercy duty dignity diligence delight difficulty possiblity probability care fear fidelity fervency constancy which were easie to demonstrate had I time Ye not onely of little faith ver 30. especially but this great multitude c. and who ever else will c. First above before all other things chiefly early earnesty The Kingdom a word of large extent and signification which here at large I may not open By Kingdom is meant both Grace Rom. 14.17 the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And glory 1 Thess 2 12. That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and glory Of God as the Author Giver Conserver and Confirmer of it And his Righteousness By Righteousness is meant Christ himself This is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Righteousness especially for our Justification Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness So he is by virtue of the personal perfect and perpetual holiness of his Nature together with his active and passive Obedience the matter and merit of our Justification through faith reckoned and imputed And Sanctification passive and active Whereby by the Divine power we are made partakers of the Divine Nature and thereby enabled to die unto sin and
Word are his Laws Angels all Kings and Kingdoms are his Subjects All power is given unto this King in heaven and in earth he hath a Kingdom in every true Believer where he dwells and reigns as King The Sacred Scriptures are his Laws written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of their hearts their bâ—dies souls spirits every member faculty power quality and all that is within them mind memory will conscience affections thoughts intents desires c. words actions and all their enemies sin Satan and the world the honours pleasures treasures thereof are his Subjects This King of Saints is personally in heaven but dwells and reigns mystically in true Believers by his Spirit by his Word by his Grace Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Now the Office of the holy Spirit is by Regeneration to wash and cleanse our bodies souls and spirits from all filthiness that by his divine power we may be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth And by applying also the blood of Christ If the blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works Ye know ye were not redeemed from your vain conversation with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ The holy Ghost is given to purifie our hearts by the grace of faith This King by his Spirit Word Bloud and Grace creates in us clean hearts and renews right spirits within us and thereby also prepares our bodies souls and spirits to be temples and habitations meet for his Majesty to inhabit and dwell in As our bodies are filled with our souls and spirits so would our gracious King have us filled in our bodies souls and spirits with all the fulness of God Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit Such is the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man that according to his mercy he saves us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he sheds upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour He would have his word dwell in us richly in all wisdom for reaching and admonishing one another By his blood he dwelleth in us How free was he of it during the time of his pâ—ssive obedience in his estate of humiliation He poured out his soul unto death Being in an agony his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud falling down to the ground He offered his side to be broached that he might shed his hearts blood for our redemption the remission of our sins reconciliation our sanctification and salvation In whom we have redemption through his blood Without shedding of bloud there is no remission He hath made peace through the blood of his cross Reconciling all things unto himself whether they be things in earth or things in heaven The blood of Christ through the eternal Spirit purgeth our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him In his estate of Exaltation how free is he also of his blood by the virtue of it he makes continual intercession for us In the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper we have his blood given to drink which he tells us is drink indeed and calls upon us to drink yea to drink abundantly He dwelleth in us by his grace It pleâ—sed the Father that in him should all fulness dwell a fulness of grace and truth The fulness of him that fi leth all in all That of his fulness we all might receive grace for grace Through him great grace was upon all the Apostles and many of the Primitive Christians He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers with gifts and graces for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That we henceforth be no more children tâ—ssed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love The Universal Church is the body of Christ his Spirit the virtue of his Bloud his Word Graces and Comforts are the life welfare and soul of it Christ our King dwells in this his body and every member of it which is his Kingdom by righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost He covers his body with the robe of his righteousness for their Justification which is their upper garment And to the Church the Lamb's Wife is granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen her under garment which is righteousness for Sanctification and purity both in body soul spirit and conversation The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus This Church or Body of Christ looking for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness is diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And knowing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for the sake of his Body which is the Church he became poor that through his poverty it might be made rich through him have an access by one Spirit unto the Father of lights from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift whether of Nature of Grace or of Glory For the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with hold from them that walk uprightly The spirit of power of love and of a sound mind are his gift which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created the new man to be renewed in the spirit of his mind For that the soul be without knowledge is not good especially the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and him crucified all other knowledge shall vanish away but this is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ
dust and ashes It is a bemoaning of our selves that we have been unaccustomed to the yoke of obedience both active and pâ—ssive a following hard after an Incensed God by our Transgressions with strong cries sighs groans a smiting upon the thigh being ashamed yea even confounded that we have sinned an accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and weeping between the Porch and the Altar an attentive and intentive hearkning to the Call of God O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast faln by thine iniquity with an eccho Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned for thou art the Lord our God spare thy people take away our Iniquity receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips This is after a godly manner to sorrow unto Repentance for godly sorrow worketh Repentance to â—alvation not to be repented of This sorrowing after a godly sort worketh Carefulness in us yea clearing of our selves indignation fear vehement desire zeal revenge in all things to approve our selves to be clear in the matter of sin that we sin no more lest a worse thing come unto us The times of former Ignoraâ—ce God wiâ—ked at but now Commandeth all Men every where to repent The Kingdom of Grace is at hand repent to get into it repent to keep in it repent to get out of it into a Kingdom of Glory repent or perish repent and be saved repent and believe the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned There is no entering into or abiding in this Kingdom of God but by a Living Faith in God and in his Son Jesus Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me As Christ is the Author of our â—alvation so he is also the Author and Finisher of our Faith No entring into the Kingdom of glory without it for we are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation As many as are ordained to eternal life are ordained to believe God hath from the beginning chosen us to Salvation through belief of the truth that so Christ might dwell in our hearts by Faith which is the Bond of our Union with him Christ Prayes for them which shall believe on him that all may be one in us by vertue of this Union through Faith are we born from above Whosoever Believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God as many as received him even to them that believe on his name were born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God We are Justified and Reconciled to God by Faith being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and trusting or believing in Christ we are made accepted in the Beloved in whom we have Redemption through Faith in his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins Adoption into the number and priviledge of God's children As many as received him to them gave he power right or priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name We are also sanctified by Faith that is in Christ God now puts no difference between Jew and Gentile purifying their hearts by Faith God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now this saving Grace of Faith is the Almighty Work of the Spirit of God whereby with the heart we believe all that God hath spoken because he hath spoken it It is a believing this faithful saying and accounting of it worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners It is a believing the record that God gave of his Son and this is the record That God hath given to us Eternal Life and this life is in his Son This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by Water only but Water and Blood and the rather are we to believe for there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one if we receive the witness of Men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son I say it is a believing that all things are or must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms and in the Gospel concerning Christ and his Kingdom not because of Mens saying or Testimony only but purely upon the bare Word of God and his Son and his Spirit for in the mouth of these three Witnesses every Word of God in the Holy Scriptures is establisht It is a confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing with the heart that God hath raised him from the Dead It is an humble and thankful hearty receiving or accepting of Christ for Lord and Saviour and trusting in his Allsufficiency as our one and only Mediatour through the vertue value and power of his Prophetical Sacerdotal and Regal Offices to bring us through all hazards and difficulties in a way of Grace to Glory in season and safely He that thus believeth and continueth to live by Faith hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life This Faith by the Holy Ghost which is given to believers worketh Love and worketh by Love The Love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of true Believers by the Holy Spirit by knowing and believing the Love that God hath to us we come to love God Who can know and believe heartily that God is Love and not love him God is Love in this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins we love him because he first thus loved us All God's graces together constitute this Kingdom of grace but Love is the life and soul of it even Gods love to us and our love to him and our love to each other he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is a threefold love between God and the godly a love of Union a love of Communion and Complacency and a love of Benevolence or Communication 1. Like as was between David and Jonathan the Soul of Jonathan was knit with the Soul of David Jonathan loved him as his own Soul Jonathan delighted much in David then Jonathan and David made a Covenant because he loved him as his own Soul and Jonathan stript
The pain of sense will easilier be born than the pain of loss The Vision of God is the Heaven of the Godly O it is a blessed sight to see God and to be seen of him If a glympse here of his glorious Majesty be so joyous How glorious will a full and fixed sight of him be in Heavenly Glory May I be blind to all the glory in this World so I may live in a believing foresight and lively hope of beholding that inaccessible Light which is too glorious for Angels to behold without covering their faces This Light is Life it self the original of life to all whether of Nature Grace or Glory God in Scripture is said to be the true and Living God in opposition to false and dead Idols Life is his being he is because he Lives and our Life is hid with Christ in God even that of Nature of Grace and of Glory in him we Live and Move and have our Being Life in it self is a happiness O how precious a thing is Life Skin for skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life The Life of a Fly hath been thought to be more worth than the World The Life of a Man doubtless is more worth than many Worlds which are without Life but it is the Life of Grace which makes the Life of Man his comfort and the Life of sin to be a Living Death to him But the Life of Glory which is ever to be glorifying and enjoying God is the glory of Life To live with Life it self and for Life it self to live in us How infinitely satisfying will it be to them who are glorified That we shall be ever with this Lord of Life and Glory is the most comfortable word in all the Scriptures If any Man serve me saith Christ where I am there shall also my servant be Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The presence of Christ makes Heaven It is our Life eternal to live with him who is Life eternal and to live to him for none of us in Heaven liveth to himself we live there wholly unto the Lord. His Glory there is as truly our end as it is here he will give to every one glory enough but he will not give his glory to another None must glorifie himsâ—lf there God All-sufficient will glorifie every one sufficiently I will glorifie the House of my glory saith the Lord. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory will be the Heavenly Ditty and Duty Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created The main end of our Election or Predestination Redemption Justification Adoption Regeneration Sanctification Preservation and Glorification is to glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are Gods Our vile Bodies are fashioned like unto Christs glorious Body so are our Souls transformed renewed sanctified and cleansed with the washing of Water by the Word that they might be presented to God himself glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that they should be holy and without blame before him in love to the Praise of the glory of his Grace God is Love as well as Life the Life which he lives is a life also of Love What lovely living will it be in Heaven to live with love it self To love and be beloved by God who is Love will be the Saints everlasting happiness God will for ever be in love with all the Glorified Angels and Saints and they again will for ever be in love with him I Love them that Love me saith God not only God Essentially but God Personally is Love The Father is love the Son is love the Holy Ghost is love The knowledge we shall have of the Trinity loving each other with the love of Unity in an infinite manner and measure will very much contribute to our heavenly happiness If the Union Communion and Communication of Love between Husband and Wife be so great a Mystery How much greater a Mystery is that which is between Christ and the Church But O how mysterious a secret are the Transactions of mutuâ—l love between Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity If God so loved the World in this was manifested â—he Love of God because he sent his only begotten Son iâ—to the World that we might live through him herein is love that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins I say if God so loved the World What manner of Love hath he bestowed upon his only begotten Son The Father loveth the Son and the Son loveth the Father and the Holy Spirit loveth both the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost is loved of the Father and the Son and in their mutual loving and glorifying each other as they were happy infinitely from Everlasting so they would have been to everlasting though all persons and things had never been created Gods essential glory is neither capable of addition or diminution by reason of its infinite perfection God is not the happier for Angels or Men he needs neither their love or service but there is no being happy for any Creature save in the full enjoyment of God and his loving favour through all Eternity his loving kindness is life eternal We love him because he first loved us he loved us from all Eternity So God loved the World and by so doing hath engaged himself to love us to eternity whom he loves he loves to the end That which makes his love altogether lovely is That he set his love upon us because he loved us no Merit or Motive in us why he should love us there were Motives and Merits indeed why he should not love us when by wilful sin we had cast away the Mercies of our Creation he might have cast us off and cast us out to the loathing of our persons In the day we were born and lay polluted in our blood then he looked upon us and behold this time was the time of love he then said unto us when we were in our Blood Live His Love was our Life If God loved us so when we were sinful What manner of Love will he bestow upon us when sinless Our sin Original and Actual incapacitates us to receive the Mercies and enjoy the Love the Lord would willingly vouchsafe us But in Heaven we shall be able and perfectly capable and God infinitely willing to load us with all his Benefits God will never be weary of giving out his Loves nor we unwilling or weary in a Joyful and Thankful receiving of them and returning the same to our best Beloved It will be love of the nearest union the highest and holiest Communion and the freest and fullest
be and to do what God would have us to do upon which our endless state depends and therefore to be really Religious which is a living to God is no indifferent thing because the invisible things of eternity which Religion is concerned â—bout are the greatest realities and of the greatest moment to every Immortal Soul which is capable of being unspeakably happy or miserable in Heaven or Hell through all Eternity God and Christ and Grace and Glory must be had there is no living or dying in Peace without them Behold now is the accepted time to accept them and to be accepted Behold now is the day of Salvation which if it be neglected an eternal night of Damnation followeth There is also an excellency in Religion which appears in being conversant about matters of such transcendent worth and weight as namely the glorifying of God in wayes of Grace and Glory upon this account therefore it is the Righteous is more excellent then his Neighbor Religion is for Godliness which is profitable to all persons and things having promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come Happy is the Man that in the way of Religion getteth Godliness for the Merchandise of it is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold she is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Length of dayes is in her Right hand and in her Left hand Riches and Honor her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace 2. This Doctrine of the Kingdom of Grace and Glory speaks doleful and dreadful Tidings to the wicked and ungodly The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God No Whoremonger nor Unclean Person nor Covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Let no Man therefore deceive himself with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience the loss of this Kingdom will be more intollerable to the Wicked than the enduring of the eternal torments of Hell because the loss is infinite God is lost and the Eternal weight of Glory is lost The pains of Hell are after a sort finite though infinite in duration and between finite misery and infinite glory there is an infinite inequality 3. If there be a Kingdom of Grace and Glory Are not they then besides themselves that think and say That a holy diligence and strictness in Religion and the Duties thereof in order to its attainment is more ado then needs that practically say It is vain to serve God and What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and Behold What a weariness c. When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the holy Angels with him and shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and shall gather before him all Nations and shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the â—oats and shall set the Sheep on his Right hand but the Goats in the Left when the King shall say unto them on his Right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World When he shall say also unto them on his Left hand Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe when Christ shall reckon with his Servants about the improvement of their time and talents 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 bad and shall say Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord and when he shall say to him that received one Talent and hid it in the earth Take the Talent from him and cast ye that wicked slothful and unprofitable Servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth then will the holy diligence of the Saints and Servants of the Lord be justified and the minds of them that judged diligent Godliness to be more ado than needed will be otherwise minded and wish too late they had been wise and faithful that by their Lord at his coming they might have been found so doing as those that were faithful unto death and receive the Crown of Life 4. That there is a Kingdom of Grace and Glory speaks the dignity and happiness of the Saints Let their condition in this World as to the things of the World be never so bad be they poor and persecuted having nothing they possess all things things Temporal Spiritual and Eternal are their right all things are yours saith the Apostle Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and the reason is because Christ is yours he that hath Christ hath all things He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all things They who have a true interest in God and Christ and Grace and Glory cannot want for real Treasures Honors and Pleasures either in this or the better World 5. That there is a Kingdom of Grace and Glory speaks also the great love of God wherewith he hath loved us and the exceeding riches of his Grace That God of his free Mercy towards us in Christ Jesus should take any of us out of the state of Nature Sin and Misery to reinstate us into his Grace and Favour That from the presence of his Grace he might translate us into the presence and Kingdom of his Glory What manner of love hath God the Father bestowed upon us God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son into iâ— that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life this is love passing knowledge 2. The second Use is for trial and examination of our selves as to our right and title to glory The last Article in our Christian belief is the Life everlasting which every one will say he believes That there is a Kingdom of Glory is without controversie The great Question is To whom this Kingdom of Glory belongs I have before proved by Scripture That there is a purposed prepared purchased promised and preserved Kingdom of Glory and that there are certain persons
possessing it will more than recompence for all the pains and sufferings the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us and therefore this Kingdom of Grace and Glory is to be sought constantly that is without ceasing day and night or very frequently constantly that is perseveringly for God will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honor and Immortality Eternal Life Be thou faithful herein O Christian unto Death and Christ will give unto thee in the Kingdom of God a Crown of Life for only he that shall thus endure seeking unto the end the same shall be saved Even he that doth seek this kingdom of God which is a kingdom of Grace and Glory with his whole heart understandingly believingly faithfully diligently fervently violently valiantly vigilantly early delightfully and constantly which is no more than God requires and the unconceivable excellencies of this kingdom deserves Is not the kingdom of Grace it self nay one Grace of this kingdom more worth than all the Glory of all the kingdoms of this World The very trial of our faith and so of every other Grace is more precious than Gold that perisheth How precious is Faith it self Who that hath the Faith of Gods elect in the least degree in his heart would part with it at any rate nothing in this World better than life skin for skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his life But How many have lost their lives to save their faith that they might believe to the saving of their Souls they have died for the Faith that they might die in Faith And as for Hope which is a patient waiting and looking for that blessed Hope and the Glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus when we shall appear with him in Glory at death but more Gloriously at the day of Judgment when he shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels to be Glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe who hath this good hope through Grace that would part with it for more than all this World were it Ten thousand times ten thousand better than it is Alass if in this life only we have hope we are of all Men most miserâ—ble but since we can and do rejoycâ— in hope of the G orâ— of God we are happy enough in our hope which 〈◊〉 laid up for us in Heaven Now abideth Faith Hopâ— Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Faith and Hope we shall leave behind us having no need of them in Heaven When we are at the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Souls there is an end of our Faith but Charity which is the bond of our perfection in Heaven never ceaseth What is our Eternal Life in Heaven but an Eternal Life of Love our dwelling in and with God will be a dwelling in Love and God who is Love dwelling in us There will be fervent Charity indeed between God Angels and Men here because Iniquity doth abound the love of many doth wax cold there will be neither Sin Satan or Sinners to quench the flames of Mutual Love and Charity if Charity have so many Gracious and wonderful effects and fruits here What glorious effects will it produce in Glory Thou hast ravished my heart thou hast ravished my heart sâ—ith Christ with one of thine eyes with one Chain of thy Neck a Chain of Mercy and Truth Doth Mercy and Truth and other Graces in his Spouse ravish the heart of Christ What ravishing Joy will there be when Mercy and Truth meet together in Heaven and Righteousness and Peace kiss each other when Grace shall be turned into Glory when Charity a Grace a Duty now shall be Charity a Duty also but our Glory and Reward Will not Christ say of his Spouse then How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights If the Created Glory of a Christian be so Glorious in the eyes of Christ How Glorious will the Increated Glory of God in Christ be to the beholders of it to all Eternity Let us therefore stick at no care and pains to make sure of a kingdom which God hath made so sure to us in his Everlasting purpose and preparation and is purchased for us at so dear a rate as the precious Blood of Christ and promised and preserved to us in his Everlasting Covenant Here have we no continuing City let us seek one to come with the heirs of Promise who look for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It is the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem where God himself an Innumerable company of Angels the General Assembly and Church of the First-born and Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament and God the Holy Ghost the Comforter dwell all together Glorifying one another in an unspeakable manner for ever and Should not the Glory of this Kingdom of Glory and the Heavenly Society therein invite and constrain us all in these Kingdoms to look after such a state and place Is not every one infinitely obliged to seek this Kingdom not only for himself but for the Community if it were possible every moment Is there a Kingdom of Grace which may be had here in this World and a Kingdom of Glory hereafter in another World Is this a faithful saying and Is it not worth every ones acceptation Is not the Grace of God in truth and power the one thing needful here and Is not Glory in the Kingdom of God the one thing needful there Why are we then careful and troubled about many things when one thing is needful Why do we not all as one Man choose that good part which shall not be taken away from us There is nothing else in this World but either it will be taken from us or we from it Should we not labor to know in our selves that we have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us where we should lay up for our selves Treasures Honors and Pleasures that Moth and Rust do not corrupt and where Pride and Covetousness two notorious Theeves do not dare not cannot break through and steal that where our Treasure is there our hearts and hopes may be also But let us lay up for our selves Treasures upon Earth never so safely the Moth and Rust do and will corrupt them and these two Theeves will break through and steal the care of getting and keeping these Earthly Treasures and the fear of losing them put too many besides themselves and their duty in seeking those things which are above The only way is to be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving to make our request known unto God and the Kingdom of God which is not meat and drink but
Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost which passeth all understanding will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus that our conversation wiâ—l be without Pride in minding high things seeking great things for our selves or covetousness being content with such things as we have because God hath said He will never leave us nor forsake us and we are therefore to take heed and beware of covetousness for a Mans Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth having food and raiment we are therewith to be content for we brought nothing into this World and it is certain we can carry nothing out God his Kingdom of Grace and Glory with content is great gain What will it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose God his Kingdom and his Soul Men of corrupt Minds and destitute of the truth suppose that Gain is Godliness but the God of this World hath blinded the minds of these Men which believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them yet if God who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness would shine into their hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and the Excellencies of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus and the Righteousness which is of God by Faith those things which were gain to them they would count loss for Christ yea doubtless they would count all things but loss for the excellencies they see in God Christ Grace and Glory â—nd would willingly suffer the loss of all things and count them buâ— dâ—ng if by any means they might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead for the price of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus who hath called them out of Darkness into his Marvellous Light of Grace which hath made them meet to be Partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in the light of Glory against they be translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son where they shall be ever with him to behold his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person for we shall see him as he is not through a Glass darkly but then face to face with open face beholding the Glory of the Lord we shall be changed into the same Image of Glory the Lord Jesus Christ shall change our vile Bodie that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory and we shall be like him in our Souls for if we hâ—ve been planted together in the likeness of his death we shâ—ll be also in the likeness of his Resurrection which God the Father according to the working of his mighty Power wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own righ hâ—nd in the Heavenly places and hath raised us up together and mâ—de us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus and according to his abundant Mercy begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to an Inheritance Incorruptible and Undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them who are kept by the Power of God to rejoyce indeed with Christ in joy unspeakable and full of Glory which all they who first seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness may assure themselves of But such as invert the Order of Christ that first seek the things of the World and the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness on the by that take Earthly things for their Home Heaven Portion and the Heavenly Glory for a Reserve they forfeit and will come short of this Glory which will be their greatest misery remaining the Children of the Devil they shall be like him in Deformity and Damnation Christ shall say to them on the left hand at the Great Day Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels they who refused to be as happy as God would have had them shall be as miserable as he can make them the pain of loss and the pain of sense both which the Godly escape the Ungodly shall feell in Hell Eternally Who can imagine what a loss God and the Kingdom of Glory will be and Who can endure almost to hear of dwelling in Everlasting burnings they that are Enemies to the Cross of Christ whereby the World should he Crucified to them and they to the World whose God is their belly whose Glory is their shame who mind Earthly things their end is to be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power for the suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire How much better is it for every one of us in the fear of God to be obedient to this Heavenly Call Counsel Command and Proclamation of our dear Redeemer the Lord Jesus seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man in his Glory otherwise How shall we escape the Damnation of Hell if we neglect so great Salvation See that we refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Christ speaketh yet in his Word and by his Ministers who are his spokesmen he that heareth them heareth him and he that despiseth them despiseth him that sent them and they that despise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be lightly esteemed Be it far from us to put Christ upon complaining of us as against his Israel of old All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain-saying People least we hear him say because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no Mâ—n regarded but ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Commands I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall ye call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me my Kingdom of Grace and Glory but they shall not find me nor it they shall ask but they shall not have they shall knock but it shall not be opened unto them for that they would none of my Counsel they shall have none of me or my Kingdom but whoso hearkneth diligently unto this Word of Christ Seek ye first the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Grace shall dwell in them and they shall dwell in the Kingdom of Glory where they shall be for ever quiet from
that our profiting may appear to all taking heed unto our selves and unto our doctrine continuing in them for in doing this we shall both save our selves and them that hear us If the Glory of God indeed the Salvation of our own Souls and all theirs committed to our charge be our very end in our patient continuance in well-doing and suffering for Conscience and Righteousness sake we are made manifest unto God and may trust also to be made manifest in due time in the Consciences of all having our selves a good Conscience that whereas we are spoken evil of as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse our good Conversation in Christ for our rejoycing should be the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world and more abundantly to them-ward who are our care and charge in the Lord. Therefore my beloved Brethren of the Ministry let us be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord and though Israel be not gathered and we may seem to have laboured in vain and spent our strength for nought and in vain yet surely our judgment is with the Lord and our work with our God he shall be our strength and we shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. If necessity be laid upon Ministers with a woe unto them whatever they suffer that preach not the Gospel and eight woes to them who are Hypocrites that say but do not Matth. 23. What necessity is there also that Christians do take heed whom they hear what they hear that they hear and how they hear that they may not be hearers only but doers of the work that they may be blessed in their deed The Apostle exhorts comforts and chargeth every one as a Father doth his children that they would walk worthy of God who hath called them unto his Kingdom and Glory which is no more than that their Conversation be only as becometh the Gospel of Christ putting off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts that their Conversation be without covetousness and so of all other worldly and fleshly lusts The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life with all ungodliness is to be denied we are not only to abstain but to flee from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul not fashioning our selves according to our former lusts when we were dead in Trespasses and Sins wâ—lking according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom we all had our Conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind walking after the flesh for they that are after the flesh are carnally minded do mind the things of the flesh so then they that are in the flesh and live after the flesh cannot please God cannot walk worthy of God unto all-pleasing no man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other We cannot serve God and Mammon their Commands are so contrary the one to the other and therefore to walk worthy of God is not to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof it is to wa k honestly or decently as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying not in the lusts of concupiscence not in the vanity of our mind in fleshly wisdom not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of scorners or to walk in any way that is not good but to abhor and eschew that which is evil that they may walk with God to walk with God in the name of the Lord our God is to walk worthy of God to walk before him as alwayes in his sight with a perfect and upright heart not allowing in our selves or indulging the least sin but abstainiâ—g from all appearance of evil as that which is only displeasing to God and because it is so â—nd hating it upon that account that we may walk in Christ Jesus as we have received him to be the Lord our righteousness trusting only therein for justification and salvation and for our onely perfect pattern for he that saith he abideth in him ought him self also so to walk even as he walked who alwayes did those things that pleased his heavenly Father herein leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth he was so holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners as the Father gave him Commandment even so did he In the Volume of the Book of God it is written of me saith Christ I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart How willingly and patiently did he suffer for from sinners O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Christ came from Heaven on purpose to suffer in our stead and for our sakes according to the Will of God he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Lord laid on him the Iniquities of us all he was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth he was cut off out of the Land of the Living It pleased the Lord to bruise him to put him to Grief to make his Soul an offering for sin that he might pour out his Soul unto death he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Christ also suffered for us who his own self bare our sins in his own body leaving us an example that we should follow his steps for it is the Will of God that we suffer for well-doing for if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified together Christ his active and passive obedience for us and our active and passive obedience for him and for his Glory is our way to Glory How patiently did our Lord Jesus suffer from then when he suffered for sinners when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself and his Cause to him that judgeth righteously If when we do well and suffer for it and for Conscience toward God endure Grief suffering wrongfully take it patiently this is thank-worthy this is acceptable with God Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his Glory If we suffer we shall also reign with him for we are called according to purpose through the foreknowledge of God and predestinate to be conformed to the Image of
his Son in sufferings and that we also as he must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh let us arm our selves likewise with the same mind by putting off the old man and putting on the new man he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God let us be followers of that which is good who is he then that will harm us but and if we suffer for Righteousness sake let us not be afraid of their terror neither be troubled Let them as Christ Jesus did that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator which is to walk worthy of God who hath called us unto his Kingdom and Glory and if we be faithful herein unto death will not be long ere he call us into his Kingdom of Glory where we shall receive the Crown of Life but then we must walk in the Spirit and the Spirit will walk in us which he promiseth to do if we keep our selves from Idols come out from among them and be separated and touch not the unclean thing if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit we cannot walk worthy of God his Kingdom of Grace and Glory without walking in the Spirit It is the Spirit and walking in the Spirit thâ—t makes us worthy or meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light it is only through the Spirit we do mortifie the deeds of the body that we may live a life of Grace and Peace and Joy we are carnally minded by nature and the carnal mind is enmity against God not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be which is death nor can we be spiritually minded which is Life and Peace if so be that the Spirit of God dwell not in us for as the body without the Spirit is dead so the Soul without the Spirit of Christ is dead also and they who are naturally or spiritually dead cannot walk we must be quickned and sanctified by the Spirit before we can live or walk in the Spirit To walk in the Spirit is to be spiritually minded or of the mind of the Spirit for as many as are led by the Spirit or they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit now the things of the Spirit are either spiritual or eternal Grace or Glory or what relates to it which the minds of spiritual persons are taken up with such are all holy duties commanded by the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit which is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. which constitute the divine nature in us whereby we lead the divine life which is our walking with God in the Spirit or glorifying God in our Body and in our Spirit which are Gods walk we then in the Spirit and we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes nor walk in pride To walk worthy of God his Kingdom and Glory is to walk in wisdom toward our selves if thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self and towards them that are without and to walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming our time as we have opportunity to do good unto all men especially labouring to be so wise as to win Souls for they that be wise Teachers turn many to righteousness and shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever the wise shall inherit Glory To walk in Wisdom is to understand what the Will of the Lord is and to do thereafter for a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments it is to understand the way wherein we ought to walk and to walk therein The Wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way which is Gods way this was Davids prayer Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain â—ath cause me to know the way wherein I should walk lead me in the way everlasting and Gods promise I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye and his performance he led his people forth by the right way that they might go to a City of habitation Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory saith David his practical resolution I have chosen the way of Truth I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart It is to behave our selves wisely in a perfect way and to walk within our house with a perfect heart To understand also the Work of God his Work of Creation Redemption Providence and Grace and to do with all our might maugre all opposition whatsoever our hand findeth to do whatsoever Gods Providence layeth before us to go through with it considering there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledge nor Wisdom in the Grave whither we are all going That we may be alwayes so doing we had need to pray mightily to God so to teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom The Works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein they are honourable and glorious he hath made his wonderful Works to be remembred known taken notice of admired and praised God hath also ordained or prepared that we should walk in good Works then walk we in Wisdom indeed when we are prepared and ready unto and zealous to maintain every good Work To walk worthy of God is to walk in Faith we walk by Faith not by sight Faith is our sight the evidence of things not seen without which it is impossible to please God To walk in Faith is to live by the Faith of the Son of God the life which we now live in the flesh It is a continual coming to God in the Name of Jesus Christ till we come to God a believing that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him It is also a daily receiving the Lord Jesus and of his fulness receiving and Grace for Grace that we should shew forth the praises or virtues of him who hath called us unto his Kingdom and Glory To walk worthy of God is to walk in love as Christ hath also loved us to love God and one another as Christ hath set us an example and given us a Commandment This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son and love one another as he gave us Commandment Our walking in Faith is that we might walk in Love Faith worketh by Love Faith unfeigned worketh Love without dissimulation Let us not love in word neither in tongue but
being poor in Spirit that you may be rich in Faith and Heirs of a Kingdom the comfort and content of a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth The Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Let your Conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have that your Conversation may be in Heaven Heavenly-mindedness is your duty let it be your delight to seek those thingâ— which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore for all thosâ— and onely those that have and exercise the Graces of the Spirit in truth and uprightness Labour therefore in the last place for the Grace of Sincerity which is not so much a Grace as that which makes Grace to be â—race If I may sâ—y so what is Faith but Fancy if it be not unfeigned Or Love but Lust except it be without dissimulation What is Obedience good for if it be not universal and constant Our hearts and lives are not sound if we have not respect unto all Gods Commandments to perform them alwayes unto the end Suppose our Gracious Majesty the King command nothing but what is holy just and good for His own Honour and Interest and the good of His Subjects will he judge those persons sincere to him that lives in open disobedience to any of his righteous Laws God and man would and should be served in sincerity and truth God is to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth he is rich in mercy but to whom to them that call upon him in Truth The good and the right way is only fear the Lord and serve him in Truth with all your heart God is for the heart and the whole heart man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart the heart and the sincerity of it is all in all with God Grace and Mercy is with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity with incorruption Sincerity is the Salt thâ—t keeps our Love and other Graces from corrupting and perishing it is the root of the matter which makes the hâ—art good and honest in bringing forth the fruit of rightâ—â—usness with patience unto perfection Whereas the seed sown in the heart where there is no root â—iâ—hers away the Word of the Truth of the Gospel bringeth forth fruit in them that hear it who knâ—w the Grace of God in Truth Do not my words saith God do good to him that walketh upright God is good to those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts which David intimates in his Prayer None are good indeed but the upright and sincere their hearts are good their lives are good they are like Saul and Jonathan lovely and pleasant in their lives and their death is precious in the sight of the Lord. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is Peace He shall enter into Peace that walketh before God in Truth and with a perfect heart doing that which is good in his sight uprightness integrity and sincerity in heart speech and behaviour is very pleasing to God Behold thou delightest in or desirest Truth in the inward parts They onely are the Sons of God who are blameless harmless or sincere speaking the Truth in love as being sincere which is all one speaking the Truth from the heart is a character of a Citizen of Zion and the property and duty of the true Ministers of the Gospel who are not as many which deal deceitfully with or corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak they in Christ his Doctrine shewing uncorruptness sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned ordering also their Conversations in the World by the grace of God in simplicity and godly sincerity that they may approve things that are excellent that they may be sincere and without offence toward God and toward man till the day of Christ They who are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel are even so to speak and live not as pleasing men but God which tryeth their hearts not at any time using flattering words for a cloak of covetousness whom St. Paul would have the Brethren to mark And I most humbly beseech His most peaceable Majesty for His own and His Kingdoms sake and safety He would also mark them who cause Divisions and Offences upon what pretences soever either in the State or Church or Families contrary to the Doctrine of Christ for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple walking in craftiness doing the work of the Lord deceitfully But such as would first seek the Kingdom of God with comfort must labour to be Israelites indeed in whom is no guile that they may grow in grace in every grace going from grace to grace from strength to strength for the pure in heart and he that hath clean hands and is sincere perfect and undefiled in the way shall be stronger and stronger till he be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus being strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man to exercise himself in all holy conversation and godliness in every condition in every relation for the truth and strength of grace lies much in relative religiousness None are really holy that are not relatively holy they who are not good loyal and sincere loving Subjects to His most Excellent Majesty the King are far from the true power of godliness and so in all other Relations which I leave to a fitter opportunity to handle What more plain in all the Word of God than that every Soul is to be subject unto the higher Powers How apt are men to forget it Put them in mind therefore saith St. Paul to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates What follows To be ready to every good Work Why for Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the evil He is a Minister of God to every one for good both to the good and to the evil to make evil men good and good men better The Supreme Power which is the Ordinance of God is not to be resisted upon pain of damnation but all Dues Duties Tribute Custom Fear Honour the rather to be rendered with all chearfulness and humble thankfulness for Magistrates are Gods Ministers attending continually on this very thing wherefore let every one of us as it is our bounden duty shew the truth and power of our godliness herein for we must needs be Subjects not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake to our Superiours in the Lord And that they may rule for God and for good let Supplications Prayers Intercessions and
giving of Thanks be made by us all for the KING and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men first to seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and come unto the knowledge and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after godliness that they may be saved for which end the Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature and the divine life The last direction for getting and growing in grace is to get well acquainted with every promise of grace and every promise unto grace to mâ—ke a believing lively application of them to your selves Turn these Promises into Prayers and God will turn them into Performances He hath purposely made them known unto you that he might make them over to you for all the Promises of God in Christ Jesus are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God and your salvation if having these Promises we cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flâ—sh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God The promises of God are the breasts of Consolation from whence new born Babes desire or suck sincere milk that they may grow thereby in grace unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature or age of the fulness of Christ till they become such as have no need of milk for every one that useth milk is unsk lful hath no experience in the word of righteousness for he is a Babe but of strong meat which belongeth to them that are of full age of perfect even those who by reason of use habit or perfection have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil For Consolation to all the Sons and Saints and Servants of the Lord that hearken unto the counsel command and proclamation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness as you have heard that have this Kingdom and righteousness in you Look unto Jesus lift up your heads and hearts for your redemption draweth nigh when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Let us comfort one another with these words God and Christ and Grace and Glory are ours we are sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory all things are ours for we are Christs Paul Apollos Cephas the world life death things present things to come all are ours in possession and reversion This All should comfort us it is worth being a Son a Saint a Servant of God to be as rich as Heaven and Earth yea richer in having God for our portion Let not the Consolations of God seem small to us the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come are all ours here are the unsearchable riches of Christ treasured up for the heirs of promise wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto them the immutability of his counsel confirmed them by an oath that by two immutable things in which it were impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which is Christ in us the hope of glory for we look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and they in him It s worth going through the Kingdom of grace all the way which many poor Christians are fain to do in a way of persecution and tribulation to the Kingdom of glory where they shall ever be with the Lord whose presence will make amends for all There God and Christ will be all and in all here Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith hope and love but when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in glory then shall we be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is then shall we be filled with all the fulness of God that will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that now we ask or think unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good hope through grace comfort our hearts and establish us in every good Work to keep us from falling till we be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the onely wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever AMEN FINIS
himself of the Robe that was upon him and gave it to David and his Garments even to his Sword and to his Bow and to his Girdle and said moreover to David whatsoever thy Soul desireth I will even do it for thee There is between God and the goldly a love of Union My Beloved is mine and I am his The Bond on Gods part is his Spirit hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit The Bond on our part is Faith working by Love Christ dwelleth in the heart by Faith he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God This is the most intimate Union as near as Head and Members Root and Branch Man and Wife Corner-stone and the Building which may be severed cut off separated and disunited But this Vnion between God in Christ and Spiritual Believers is inseparable because wrought preserved and maintained by the Holy Ghost who is God 2. From whence followeth a near Communion Truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ Can two walk together except they be agreed There is an Agreement between God and all True Believers by Covenant the Covenant and Agreement that was once betwixt Them and Sin Satan and Hell and Death is disannulled and a Covenant made with God by Sacrifice by all the Saints and by means and vertue of this Holy Agreement it is that God and his People walk together in every Holy Duty and Ordnance there is a Holy Communion between them a Fellowship in Desires and Loves I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early He brought me into his Banquetting House and his Banner over me was Love Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair saith Christ to his Beloved Spouse Tell me oh thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest saith the Spouse to Christ Here is a Love-Communion nothing but expressions of Love between them and mutual Joy also Draw me We will run after thee The King hath brought me into his Chambers We will be glad and rejoyce over thee with Joy he will rest in his Love he will Joy over thee with Singing in our Prayers and Praises we hold up our Communion with him Oh my Dove that art in the cleft of the Rock in the secret place of the Stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely and doubtless he that calls upon us to Pray will vouchsafe his ear to hear and a heart to answer Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Pray and granteth our Request so he heareth our Praises and Thanksgivings for the Mercies obtained by Prayer we are to offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the Calves of our Lips giving Thanks or Confessing his Name This is to Glorifie God he that offereth Praise Glorifieth me There is an Active and Passive Praising of God an Actâ—ve when in heart tongue and life we shew forth his Glory Thus David Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name bless the Lord O my Soul And St. Paul Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ Our Tongue is called in Scripture our glory in nothing more than in Glorifying or Praising God therewith bless we God I will Sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will Sing Praise unto my God while I have my being is the purpose and practise of every faithful Christian Our Lives should praise the Lord then we praise God indeed when our Conversations are only as becometh the Gospel of Christ There is also a Pâ—ssive Praising of God All the Works of God Praise him his Saints only bless him our Bodies Souls and Spirits declare with all the rest of Gods Works his glory but when they are by Gods Spirit changed into the Im ge of God from glory to glory and the faculties of the one and the members of the others are Instruments in tune exercising Righteousness and true Holiness then they much more speak the Praise of God 3. There is also a Love of Communication and Benevolence which is Mutual between God and the Godly God is a Communicative Good he is never weary of giving We are too often weary of asking and receiving God is good and doth good He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things he that will give grace and glory will withhold nothing that is good If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him We have nothing to give to God but what we have from him the best thing we have to give him is our heart My Son give me thy heart Our whole Man and our whole duty is intirely to be presented to God as a living reasonable service and yet when we have done all we are but unprofitable servants Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself Good Lives is profitable to all things and persons but not unto God we cannot add any thing to God's Essential Perfections God is so good that a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose its reward Our Love of Benevolence to God is by his gracious power a willing what God wills and a nilling what he nills a doing what he commands us as he commandeth us and a not doing what he forbids us because he forbids us when we are good our selves and good to our selves and do good to others when we forget not to do good and to Communicate as we have opportunity but do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith and remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being our selves also in the Body then are we if I may say good to God though our goodness extendeth not to him but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the excellent in whom we are to delight There is also a Real Union Communion and Communication between Christians in Love Every Saint loves all Saints By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another and by this we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the
Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Spiritual Love amongst Brethren is an evidence of Spiritual Life as soon as we begin to Love we then begin to Live Such a love as was between David and Jonathan which was a Love of Union Complacency and Benevolence must be between all true Christians So it was in the Primitive times notwithstanding their diversities of Judgments in smaller matters the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common in Charity neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were Possessors of Lands or Houses sold them and brought the Prises of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need Were all our Doubtful Disputations laid aside and nothing but Faith and Faithfulness the Truth without Controversie Love without Dissimulation and Righteousness professed and practised amongst us nay were but this one grace and duty of Charity without which we are nothing truly Known Believed and fervently Exercised in the midst of us How soon might we all meet together in the Primitive Pattern and Practise if most of our Praying Preaching and Practising were of â—ods Charity towards the World and our Charity each to other the Love of God would be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that as touching Brotherly Love we our selves should be taught of God to love one another God who is love and the Love of God towards us well known would certainly beget Christian Love and Chaâ—ity These words of God deserve to be written in Characters of gold upon the posts of our Houses and on our Gates Oh that they were written upon the Tables of our hearts Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another No man hath seen God at any time if we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us Behold here the great Argument breeding and augmenting love in and among Christians by profession God is love known to be so in giving and sending his only begotten Son into the World This Charity of God to us is the Soul of our Souls Charity is the Soul of our Religion not Bodily only for though we bestow all our goods to feed the Poor and give our Bodies to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth nothing The true Charity the Chariâ—y that suffereth long and is kind that envieth not that vaunteth not it self or is not rash that is not puffed up that behaveth not it self unseemly that seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh not evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things that never faileth this Charity not in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth for the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power would make these Kingdoms holy and happy Every grace of God is good great lovely and precious of infinite necessity As Faith Hope Meekness Temperance Patience c. but the greatest of these is Charity in sincerity Above all things we should have fervent Charity among our selves for Charity covereth a multitude of Sins and Love covereth all Sins saith Solomon All dilâ—gence must be given to add to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity Charity is the Bond of Perfectness We are bid above all things by St. Paul and St. Peter to put on Charity to follow Charity to be found in Charity to have fervent Charity to be examples in Charity Charity is the fulfilling of the Law both Moral and Evangelical it is the end of the Commandment yea of the whole Word of God Threatning Promising and Commanding all is but to bring back our Hearts and Lives to the Love of God and one another Oh if the Charity of every one of us all towards each other abounded but exceedingly What cause of Thanksgivings to God would this occasion to the Godly or Charitable There could not possibly be any want in these Kingdoms if there were no want of Charity Charity is all for doing good both to all Souls and Bodies of what quality rank and degree soever to high and low rich and poor together Charity is full of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks for all men for Kings and for all that are in Authority or eminent place that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth By Charity God will every body should have food and raiment and every Soul its portion in due season Charity would have every Bishop and Minister as it were another Christ for going about doing good and Preaching this Kingdom of God and his Righteousness or another Paul who counted not his life dear unto himself so that he might finish his course with Joy and the Ministry which he received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Preaching the Kingdom of God not shunning to declare unto them all the counsel of God that he might be pure from the blood of all men charging also other Gospel Ministers to take heed unto themselves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers to feed the Church of God which he purchased with his own Blood setting them in himself an Example of unwearied diligence in Watching Fasting Praying Preaching not ceasing to warn every one night and day with Tears Serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations not keeping back any thing that was profitable unto them but shewed and taught them publickly and from house to house besides ministring unto his own necessities with his own hands and to them that were with him If a Brother or Sister be naked and destitute of daily Food Charity saith not Depart in peace be you warmed and filled but giveth them those things which are needful to the Body What is Charity but a