importance of The Judge standeth before the Door as also to deliver comfort and reward the Righteous you read in many places of Scripture As Rev. 22. 12. I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be Heb. 9. 36. 37. Ye have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God ye might receive the promise For yet a little while and he that cometh shall come and will not tarry Luk. 21. 26. Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Men. Vers. 20. When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with Armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh Vers. 25 c. Upon the Earth shall be distress of Nations with perplexity Mens Hearts failing them for fear and for looking aster those things which are coming on the Earth for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a Cloud in Power and in great Glory And when these things begin to come to pass then lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh I. Parots Wren p. 5. Christ shall come the second time without Sin unto Salvation Thus unto you he is come in whom his coming is compleatly perfected Forster's Guide p. 39. His second appearance is in Spirit which no Fleshly Eye can behold and Live and Blessed are all they who wait for his second coming to wit without Sin unto Salvation For his second coming is to put an end to Sin P. 50. Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye here gazing The same Jesus which hath been taken up from you into Heaven shall in like manner come again to wit in a Cloud for so he went up This is a mystery to the Wise of this World that the Light of the World and Life of Men should come in a Cloud But so it is to the Children of Light it is revealed by the Spirit They can tell you that as Christ's first appearance was in the Flesh and the Fleshly Eye saw him so his second appearance is in Spirit and no Fleshly Eye can behold him he being now a Spirit W. Nature of Christianity P. 29. Is his appearing the second time without Sin unto Salvation in this Life or hereafter Thou sayst after the Bodily Death you shall be raised out of the Grave and made partakers of that Salvation P. 24. Thou puttest Salvation at a great Distance As for the Text Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them which look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation You falsely Interpret these latter words of Christ's appearing in the Heart to destroy Sin and free from its power For 1 Whereas to appear without Sin is as the opposite doth shew without being offered to bear Sin or as it is vers 26. without putting away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself can any one imagine that the Apostle would go about to inform us of that which could not be and which none could ever Imagine viz. that Christ shall not Die again and make atonement by way of Sacrifice for Sin in his appearance in our Hearts And that this is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Sin as you have seen the opposite doth manifest so you may the rather be convinced when you have observed that Sin doth sometimes in Scripture signifie the offering for Sin and that as applied to Christ in his first appearance Chap. 10. 6. In burnt offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Sin i. e. in Sacrifice for Sin thou hast had no Pleasure So vers 8. And Rom. 8. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of Sinful Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Sin i. e. a Sacrifice for Sin Or if you read and for Sin Condemned it is the same i. e. by a sacrifice for Sin condemned Condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit 2 Cor. 5. 21. He made him Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us that we might be made the Righteonsness of God in him Isa. 53. 10. When thou shalt make his Soul Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an Offering for Sin he shall see his seed And thus the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is answerable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as it signifies Sin so is used in the Old Testament for the sacrifice and offering for Sin Lev. 4. 25. 29. Psal. 40. 7. Ezek. 44. 27. 29. and 45. 19. Our Text then lieth plainly thus Christ came into the World to Die for Sin and whereas he is gone out of the World vers 24. he shall come again into it but not to Die but to give that Salvation which by his Death he Purchased for us He who was made Sin for us shall appear the second time without being made Sin He was once offered here he shall appear again here but shall not then be offered again 2 The Apostle had said just before that Christ entred into Heaven the true Holy of Holies vers 24. He speaking then of a second appearance must needs mean his Coming out of this place and that after the same manner that he went in viz. by local motion he Ascended and he shall so Descend Just as the High-Priest entred into the Holy of Holies of the earthly Tabernacle and came out again only with this difference that whereas the High-priest entred into that Earthly Holiest and came out of it once every year so often sacrificing and making atonement for Sin Christ entred into Heaven and cometh out thence but once and that in the end of the World and not then to offer another Sacrifice and make a new atonement for that he did sufficione for all viz. at his entrance there but to judge the World and to give Salvation to them that diligently wait for him Thus the Apostle here writes Vers 12. By his own Blood he entred in once into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Vers. 24. c He is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High-priest entreth into the Holy Place every year with Blood of others But he was once offered to bear the Sins of many and to them that look for him he shall appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation Chap. 10. 11. 12. 13. Every Priest standeth daily Ministring and Offering oftentimes the same Sacrifices which can never take away Sins But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the Right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foot-stool And
incongruity I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven If any Man eat this Bread he shall Live for ever And the Bread which I will give is this my Flesh which your Eyes behold which I will give for the Life of the World or say we And the Bread which I will give is my Life which I will give for the Life of the World for that that is the meaning of giving his Flesh for the Life of the World shall be shewed anon And that he gave his Bodily Life that which he took of the B. Virgin for the Life of the World I hope you will not deny But the words being thus put there is no incongruity but it is the very same in sense with the Text and therefore the visible Flesh of Christ is here meant So that the whole is this Christ who now was Man having said that he is the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven shews in one eminent particular wherein he is so viz in Dying for us he being likewise the Bread of Life in other respects namely as to his Doctrine and Spirit and raising unto eternal Life at the last day Which Death is our eternal Life as Bread is our Temporal 2 From these last words I will give my Flesh for the Life of the World I prove that the Flesh and Blood here spoken of are not a spiritual invisible substance which you Imagine Christ always dwelt in and brought from Heaven with him but that visible which he took of the Virgin For to give his Flesh for the Life of the World signifies to offer up himself a Sacrifice for Sin by Death upon the Cross thereby obtaining Life for the World Pardon and Redemption As is manifest from the like expressions which frequently occur Mat. 20. 28. The Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many Eph. 5. 2. Christ hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God Heb. 9. 28. He was once offered to bear the Sins of many Chap. 3. 14. As the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he himself likewise took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death the Devil And it being altogether thus spoken of his visible Flesh it is sure enough that this place speaketh of the same For shew another Text if you can that speaketh thus of a spiritual Flesh of his But then the importance of the Phrase being such as you have heard you must affirm that the spiritual Flesh was offered and Died and so obtained Redemption for us Which is altogether a stranger to the Scripture Whether you will affirm this I cannot tell But this we all see that you Interpret the Life which is by Christ's Flesh viz. The spiritual which you phansie of his quickening of our Souls by his Life and Spirit which dwelleth in us Which is quite another thing than to give it for the Life of the World that importing Dying as a sacrifice and atoning for Sin 3 The Flesh and Blood here are two distinct things vers 53. Whereas the spiritual substance which you imagine can have but one part And moreover the Flesh forasmuch as the giving of it as hath been proved signifies Christ's Death must needs be that which was Broken and the Blood that which was shed And accordingly the Bread and Wine which our Lord Ordeined in remembrance of his same Death are symbols of this same Flesh and Blood and of no other 1 Cor. 11. Mat. 26. This is my Body which is Broken for you This is my Blood which is shed for you But spiritual Flesh cannot be broken nor spiritual Blood shed and indeed there are not these two distinct parts in a spiritual substance nor are the Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper symbols of such and therefore we must conclude that such are not here meant Im. Revel p. 55. Scripture is frequent in its testimonies concerning the appearance of Jesus Christ in his Saints Can any thing which is without Man speak so immediatly to the Soul as Christ who made it and is in it and comes in for that end to reveal himself and his Father therein and so to fulfil that Prayer of his Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me But this Text speaks not of the Saints being with Christ and beholding his Glory whilst they are upon Earth by his operation in their Hearts but of their real presence with him in Heaven after this Life and then and as so present beholding his Glory For as he departed out of this World to be in the place where he is and to receive the Glory there which he hath vers 1. The hour is come Glorifie thy Son Vers. 5. Glorifie thou me with thine own self Ver. 11. I am no more in the World I come to thee Chap. 7. 39. Jesus was not yet Glorified Chap. 20. 17. I am not Yet ascended to my Father Eph. 1. 20. God raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places 1 Tim. 3. 16. Received up into Glory vide Joh. 6. 62. So must we likewise depart hence that we may be in the same place with him and behold as there present his Glory For thus it is said 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord Phil. 1. 23. I have a desire to depart and be with Christ 1 Joh. 4. 2. When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And plain enough is it that our Saviour speaks not of our Beholding his Glory whilst we are absent from him but when we are in the same place with him I will that they be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory And that really and personally there by a proper local removal hence as himself went thither For thus says he vers 11. I am no more in the World I come to thee Whereas then he prays that they that are his may be with him it is manifest he means that they might come to the Father as he did be removed from Earth into Heaven for the same says he of those that lay down their Lives for him Which must therefore needs mean their being with him in the other World so as to be glorified and receive eternal Life Chap. 12. 25. 26. He that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Life eternal If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be So says he to the Jews Chap. 7. 33. 34. Yet a little while I am with you and then I go unto him that sent me Ye shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot come i. e. Ye cannot come unto God in Heaven
p. 8. And 1 why not as well All that are in people are in confusion The palpable grosness of the absurdity would not permit this And yet it might as well have been so said as the other people signifying in the Text the same as Tongues Kindreds and Nations and Languáges do 2 Who told you Latin is the Original You might with as much Truth have told the world the Teachers say the Scriptures were first written in English or Dutch Write next time Chaldee Hebrew and Greek 3 The Great Whore sits upon Tongues say you Upon Hebrew Greek and Latin you mean And I ask what this meaneth Alas that you cannot discern what Tongues here signifies when so many words are used to make you understand Nations Peoples Kindreds Multitudes and all that dwell upon the Earth Rev. 17. 15 13. 7. 8. 4 What Scripture saith Hebrew and Greek are not the Original Don't answer Christ is the Original lest I bid you prove it from the Scripture and you being not able to do it become ashamed for I have not read in all that Holy Book that that Divine Person is Hebrew and Greek Which yet unless you take to prove you will be shamed by your quibbles and impertinences G. F. Catech. p. 10. As in the first Adam all Died so in the second Adam are we all made alive I Cor. 15. 22. How Died all in the first Adam and how are we made alive in the second he transgressed so is in Sin out of life in the Death Who be in the first Adam they be out of the light Now Christ is he which quickens from the Trespasses The whole Chapter is of the Resurrection of the Body and not of the Soul of rising and being made alive after this life in the last day and not of Regeneration before our Death And that the present words spake of this last Resurrection the context abundantly shews Vers. 16. c. If the Dead Rise not then is not Christ Risen and if Christ be not Raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your Sins Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are Perished If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all-men most miserable But now is Christ Risen from the Dead and is become the first Fruits of them that Slept For since by Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead Now follows our Text For as in Adam all Die so in Christ shall all be made alive But every man in his own order Christ the first-fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death Now note these things The quickening by Christ or rising by him is of them that are fallen asleep in him and is such as himself did partake of and such as by which he became the first-fruits and such as they that are his shall receive at his coming even in the end of all things when the last enemy Death shall be destroy'd But now they that are Christ's are already quickned and raised from Sin and such of them as are fallen asleep and are dead shall not receive this quickening at his coming in the end of all things and Christ himself was never so quickened as being never so Dead nor therefore became the First-fruits by this Resurrection and finally notwithstanding this Resurrection Death still remains So manifestly have you erred in Interpreting these words mystically As in Adam all Die so in Christ shall all be made Alive Dear Souls ask your selves whence it is that you make such mistakes Is it dulness of understanding is it carelesness or pride or perversness of mind Do not conceit vainly that every thing that is mystically spoken is excellently spoken Let the Scriptures stand as they do having been so ordered by a wiser than your selves For you can not put upon them greater purity and spirituallity than they have though you should Interpret all mystically which they spake literally And take heed of making void by such Interpretations those Texts which in their literal Sense contein the Chief Articles of our Religion lest others learn of you to do the same and so the whole Gospel be turned into mystery and we have no foundation for our belief of a future Resurrection a Judgment-day Christ's coming from Heaven to judge the World our ascension thither and entrance into that blessed place the Kingdom of God the wicked's departure into Hell and endless Torments good Angels and evil the Crucifixion of Christ c. Ibid. p. 45. What is the higher power to which the Soul must be subjected Is there a power which must not be subjected to What is that power That is the power which did not abide in the Truth which must not be subjected to but that is the higher power which must be subjected to which is above that So this power is above that which did go out of the Truth which spake of himself the Devil spake of himself Rom. 13. 1. Joh. 8. 44. Ibid. p. 119. What is the higher Power to which the Soul must be subject to The higher power is ordained of God and is that which goeth over all Transgressors upon the Earth and over the Devil The power which is immortal that which answers the principle of God in every man G. F. Gospel-Liberty p. 20. Every Soul must be subject to the higher power Mark The Soul is immortal and the power is so When Magistrates acted contrary to the power ordained of God he sent his Prophets to cry against their corruptions Barely to cite the Text is enough to convince others I dare not say you of your error viz. that the higher power there spoken of is not the immortal which goeth over all Transgressors and is above the Devil but the supream Magistrate Rulers Men in Authority Rom. 13. 1. c. Let every Soul be subject to the higher powers you should have kept to the letter which you despise and not have written power for powers For there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Rulers are not a terror to good Works but to evil Wilt thou not then be afraid of the powers They are God's Ministers Render tribute to whom tribute is due Thus again speaks St. Peter 1 Epist. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as to them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Certainly if you speak so as you make Scripture speak there is no understanding of you that is if you mean another thing than your plain words signifie For nothing can be spoken plainer than what the Apostle hath written here of the higher Powers which yet you understand not of Rulers but of the
may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Tim. 4. 11. These things command and teach Vers. 13. 15. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all Chap. 3. 14 15. These things write I unto thee that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the house of God 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things which thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to Teach others also Vide etiam Tit. 1. 9. and 2. 15. Here then are Ministers of the Doctrine which they had learned and had been taught of men and of things committed to them by others and studying Ministers If they had received the word by Revelation like St. Paul what need he teach and direct them Did he teach and direct the other Apostles thus Was the word committed to them by men Had they learned it of others Were they who were sent forth immediatly by Christ and the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost chosen of men as being judged Faithful 3 But now let us view the Text from whence you have taken occasion to speak as you do a little consideration of which would have delivered you from your errors viz. 2 Cor. 3. 5. c. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficience is of God Thus having told them from whence they had their ability he next tells them what a word it is which they Preached Vers 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit For the letter Killeth but the Spirit giveth Life And so goes on in commendation of the same Doctrine comparing it with the Law that the glory of it might appear to exceed the Glory of the Law saying The Law is the Ministration of Death and Condemnation but this the Ministration of Life and Righteousness And Moses put a Veil upon his Face and until this day remaineth the same Veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament but this Veil is done away in Christ and we use plainness of Speech and with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image Vid. vers 7. to 12. as by the Spirit of the Lord. Wherefore he concludes Chap. 4. 1. Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received mercy we faint not So that the Letter is such a word as is external obscure dead and lifeless which is without the Spirit and which Concondemns And therefore by no means can be the Doctrine of the Gospel which on the contrary is of an internal nature perspicuous quick and powerful which is accompanied with the Spirit and which holds forth justification And that it is the Law is manifest in that as the Letter Killeth so he tells us of the Ministration of Death which you your selves will acknowledge to be the Law and this Ministration which is the Law so exactly answers the Letter that it is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Letters and as the Letter signifies that which is external Rom. 2. 28 29. so this Ministration is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Engraven in Stones vers 7. In this sense we find him using the same terms Rom. 7. 6. We are delivered from the Law that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in oldness of the Letter And as for the killing of the Letter we read it thus v. 11. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and slew me Again c. 8. 2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death But I have an argument which I dare say you will not deny viz. G. Fox says the Letter here is the Law Treatise of Swearing p. 52. And so the Apostles were made able Ministers of Christ and of the New-Testament and not of the letter of the Prophets and of the law in the Old Testament in which there was Swearing for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Why the Apostle calleth the law the letter in opposition to the Spirit belongs not to our present business to explain I only therefore refer the Reader for satisfaction to vers 7. 8 17 18. Heb. 8. 10. 10. 1. 9. 10. Gal. 3. 2 24. 4. 3 9. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. Tit. 3. 6. Joh. 7. 39. Rom. 5. 5. And how it Kills and is the ministration of Death and Condemnation he may learn from Rom. 7. 5 8 11. with Mat. 6. 17. 27 28 31 32 33 34 38 39 43 44. Rom. 8. 3. Heb. 9. 9. 10. 4 10. Gal. 3. 10 21. 2. 16. Act. 13. 39. G. F. Christian Liberty p. 9. It was matter of Conscience towards God that Mordecay did not bow to Haman Esther 3. 2. Clarks Wise pag. 59. If they had put off their hats before you Judges respecting your persons then they had transgressed the Law Jam. 2. 9. Christ respected no mans person and God saith ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honour the person of the mighty Lev. 19. 5. Mordecay would not bow to Haman nor do him reverence according to the King's command which was contrary to God's command And yet I say God commands to honour all men Which is not to rise up and bow down to them and to stand bare-headed before them but to do good to all men and to love them Parker's Discovery p. 30. Doffing the Hat is honour below which men seek and give one to another respecting persons bowing to the Rich giving them titles of Lords Masters Sirs but do not so to the poor who are in vile rayment Ibid. p. 65. Christ respected not the persons of men as his Enemies did confess Luk. 15. 21 22. 1 If Mordecay refused to bow to Haman and shew him reverence out of Conscience I wonder his Conscience permitted him to receive greater honour himself in riding cloathed with the Royal Apparel and upon the King's Horse through the City with Proclamation made before him of the King's favour Est. 6. If the King had commanded him to see this honour performed towards Haman I believe he would have refused as well as he did to bow and that he would likewise have refused to run before him or to wait upon him at his Table if he could have done it with equal safety For that his refusal was not out of Conscience we have this evidence Many of as good Conscience as he both gave and received this reverence you take for granted that no other bowing and reverencing is meant than what is ordinary among us at this day and they gave and received also titles of Honour 1 Kings 1. 23. Nathan the Prophet bowed himself before the King with his face to the ground and said My
according to you the manifestation of the Spirit doth signifie as to some men Heathens namely and the darkest and wickedest the least measure of light and the smallest spiritual operation and motion in the Heart you understanding that it is given to every man And this so ill agreeing with the Apostles discourse it was necessary that you should take away the emphasis as you have done saying a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man But what reason and authority you have for so doing I know not the Greek having its Article which commonly enough is emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but especially there being the greatest emphasis in the thing it self the manifestation of the Spirit the Apostle expressing it by many eminent Gifts such as Tongues Miracles c. and not saying one ordinary thing of it such namely as is the light in every man Heathens as well as Christians G. K. Help p. 2. Eating and drinking Damnation spoken of 1 Cor. 11. is where this discerning of the Lord's Body is not rightly made the Dead and Crucified Body from the Living Body the living Soul as it is first from the quickning Spirit which follows after Surely men may say any thing when they assume the liberty of proving nothing The Text is this He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body Not discerning it in what I demand In eating and drinking you must say if you will speak according to the Apostle I demand further in eating and drinking what This Bread and Wine you must answer which the Lord ordeined in remembrance of his Death if you will again speak as the Apostle doth Friend Dost thou eat and drink this I neither do nor will must thou reply according to thy opinion and practice I tell thee then that thou discernest not the Lord's Body according to the mind of the Apostle in this place And it is no wonder that thou hast invented a strange interpretation hereof so long as thou wilt have nothing to do with the Institution Do this in remembrance of me But since the Apostle speaks of the Lord's Supper shew that he means here that another body is to be discerned than that which is to be remembred as Crucified whereof the Bread and Wine are Symbols Shew a syllable here that intimates a spiritual body I will shew thee and I wish thou would'st learn thy duty what it is according to the Apostles mind to discern the Lords Body viz. to come to the Supper of the Lord not as to a common Feast but with heavenly affection and all due preparation of Soul minding his Death the death of so great an one as the Son of God the Lord of Glory and not of an ordinary man and that ignominious and painful the death of the Cross his Love herein and the Love of his Father and our inestimable benefit eternal Redemption so as to be sutably wrought upon by all Thus much you might have learned from the Apostle if you had observed his words who tells us that as for eating and drinking that is after the common manner we have houses to do that in but this bread is Christ's Body broken for us and this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood and we are to examin our selves and to receive these in remembrance of him shewing forth his Death herein And I pray you what is here unworthy of a Christian and unfit for you to do what that is meau and elementary and not divine enough for the best But as for your discerning of the Lord's Body his dead Body from his living Body the living Soul from the quickning Spirit as you intend it not of his Supper so hath it nothing to do with the Text. J. N. Love to the Lost p. 54. c. This was Instituted by Christ as they sate at Meat and did eat and so often as they did eat and drink thereof they were to do it in remembrance of him shewing his Death till he came And this was that the Apostles received of the Lord and was practised in the purity of the Church which breaking Bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart And this was to be done at all seasons when they eat and drank in their eating and drinking they were to do it to the Lord and herein to have communion with his Body and Blood Yea when they were to have communion with the Gentiles they were to partake of the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. Many excess having overtaken them for want of eating always in his fear and in remembrance of his coming have put his coming afar off into another world and are become reprobate in the Faith as to his appearance and to avoid this it was that the Lord Jesus commanded his Disciples in eating and drinking to shew forth his death till he came It must needs be that they return into the pleasures of the flesh that discern not his Body in their eatings who is the Body of all creatures And this is known from the Lord in the Eternal to be the true end of the Supper of the Lord instituted and appointed that in remembrance of his death they might be kept from all excess It is easie to say This is from the Lord but nothing is more dreadful than to lay Errour upon the Holy Ghost notwithstanding the people out of reverence to that holy one believe it and reverence the Assertor Shew a syllable that intimates that our Lord instituted his Supper for a remembrance of his Death in our ordinary daily eating and drinking or that the reason he took Bread and Wine when he did eat the Passeover with his Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood This do in remembrance of me was to shew us that whenever we take our common meals we should feed our selves in his fear as the remembrance of his Death requires Nothing is more clear than that he meaneth a peculiar eating and drinking For says he This is my Body This is my Blood Is all Bread and Wine his Body and Blood or do they so signify Nay though there be on our Tables neither of these creatures but only Butter and Cheese and Eggs Beer and Water and Milk Again the Apostle doth not say as oft as ye eat and drink but as oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shew the Lord's death 1 Cor. 11. manifestly distinguishing this Bread and Wine from Cabbage and Ale and whatsoever else is our common food And again 1 Cor. 10. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ Is every Cup this And chap. 11. Let a man examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. I pray you must we examine and fit our selves whenever we
things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 2. 38. Repent and be Baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of Sins They laboured in the Word and Doctrine and exhorted the Believers that the word of Christ should dwell in them richly By all this you may understand what is the word of Reconciliation committed to the Apostles the word of Christ the word which he spake through which his Disciples were made clean and may learn to distinguish it from himself Farnsw Priest's Ignorance p. 4. 5. The Teachers of the world say that the Spirit is the Letter and they are inseparable when the Spirit saith The Letter killeth and is Death And thou who wouldest raise the Spirit out of the dead Letter art a Conjurer They say that Salvation is in the Scripture and that the Power goeth along with the Letter which is Death Burroughs Trumpet p. 20. You say Christ commands it when the Letter doth but declare it and say in such a Verse of such a Chapter such a command is not having received the command by the same Spirit You are in Witchcraft who observe commands without from the Letter thereby drawing from the teachings within by the Spirit They that obeyed Christ were led by the Spirit and not by the Letter for they were not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Return to Priests about Beverly p. 10. You put the Books Matthew Mark Luke John for the Gospel which are the carnal Letter G. K. Help p. 27. The finest truest words out of a bad mans mouth can never reach the seed of God either to the raising it up or refreshing it but kills and burdens it as said the Apostle of the false Apostles who had the Letter and were Ministers of it out of the Spirit and Power The Letter Kills I begin to believe that some of you understand by the Letter and the Scriptures the very Characters and the Books forasmuch as it is usual with them to call them Ink and Paper But others of you are more skilful calling them also words spoken By which yet I hope they do not mean the sounds only which are made by the mouth which if they do they mend not the matter at all the sounds being to the Ear no other than what the characters are to the Eye but I would believe they mean as they ought to do the sense and doctrine for Scripture is all one whether it be expressed by the Pen or spoken by the Mouth or only conceived in the mind that is to say the doctrine is Now we are to consider whether the Doctrine of the Scriptures be dead and liveless carnal and killing Here you differ again some saying it is so in it self alone without the Spirit or as it is Preached from the Scriptures without immediate revelation to the Preacher though that Preacher be neither wicked nor a seducer others saying it is so as Ministred by such vile persons We are again to consider of what Scriptures or Doctrine the Apostle speaks when he saith We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit And 1 can you in good conscience say the doctrine of the Gospel is a dead and carnal word Or which is all one that those Scriptures are which express that Doctrine and that after the most lively manner even according to the mind of God himself who so delivered them by his own Spirit Thus we read there and thus it is spoken to us from thence by our Preachers Sinners you must forsake your evil ways and become new creatures not only outwardly reform but be inwardly holy and changed in your natures must cleanse your selves from all filthiness not only of the flesh but of the Spirit also you must walk in the fear of God and observe diligently all his Commandments love them and delight in them or else you cannot be saved but must burn as God hath pronounced in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and suffer his wrath and indignation for ever His love is exceeding great to us who is not willing that any should perish but that all should have everlasting life and to that end hath given his only begotten Son to die an ignominious and painful death and to bear our sins on his own body on the Tree and to make atonement for us and hath set him upon the Throne with himself to rule over all things for our good and hath sent forth his mighty and gracious Spirit to enlighten convert strengthen and comfort us Courage poor Soul and look up Glory is provided for thee who hast offended greater than the most magnificent Prince on earth enjoys Harken to the holv Guide in thy Soul cease thy Rebellion and thou shalt inherit Heaven dwell with God in that supernal Palace beholding his Face in Peace and have fulness of joy all perfection and life for evermore Blessed art thou O man who hast subdued thy Lusts overcome the World and hast put on Jesus Christ for unto thee belongeth this blessedness Kingdom and Glory Though we Die we shall be made alive again and stand before the Judge which knoweth what we have done and what hath been in our hearts and who will accept no mans person but will render to all according to their deserts so that our portion in the end will be either that bliss or that misery and this is not our word but the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now call you this a carnal Letter a dead insipid spiritless thing Hath it no more power in it to move the Soul than characters of Ink drawn upon a Paper It pierces the Sinner like a Sword and comforts the humble Soul more than Wine The very contrivance of the Scriptures spits shame in the face of your bold assertion they being adorned with all perspicuity that we may understand the truth and with the strongest arguments to perswade us to our duty as the love of God the Death of his Son the assistance of his Spirit the filthiness and incommodities of Vice the purity and beauty and benefits of Vertue the Resurrection and the Judgment the Glory of Heaven and the Torments of Hell And so long as men have understanding fear hope and love of themselves this word can not be as a mere block and stone to them And you may hence discern that there is a force in the very things themselves in that the same person works more upon the auditors when he Preaches clearly pertinently and the weightiest matters than when he speaks of more extrinsick Points and Doctrines of the least moment and makes Childish descants and involves all he says in obscurity I demand if the Scriptures be such a dead letter and killing thing death it self why the Apostle wrot or why do you Did he contradict his Tongue with his own hand at the same moment Did he believe that he sent the Corinthians a word as dead as his Ink and a letter that
and Moses not Christ they thrust from them And whether you mean the Fathers or Christ as the one you must mean received the Oracles the Text tells you likewise it was Moses For thus it runs This is that Moses which said unto the Children of Israel a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shal ye hear This is he that was in the Church in the Wilderness with the Angel that spake to him in Mount Sina and with our Fathers who received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lively Oracles to give unto us To whom our Fathers would not obey but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt saying unto Aaron make us Gods to go before us for as for this Moses we wot not what is become of him Gibson's Everlasting Rule p. 45. Christ said Think ye that I came to send peace upon Earth I tell you nay but a Sword Mat. 10. 34. Now you carnal-weaponed men this Sword was not like your Carnal Sword which Kills the Creatures in their Sins but was a Spiritual Sword which did enter into the Hearts of the Wicked and cut down the Sin But say I the Sword which the Text produced speaks of is the Carnal which Kills the Creatures and not the Spiritual which cuts down Sin that which Kills the Body the Bodies of Christ's Disciples and not that which enters the Hearts of the Wicked that which the Wicked use against the Righteous and not that which Christ useth against the Wicked Or which is all one it is Persecution Hatred Reproach Variance and as the Sword strictly taken doth signifie it is Death it self the Killing of the Body For It follows For I am come to set a man at Variance against his Father and the Daughter against her Mother and a mans foes shall be they of his own house And such foes they are that Kill the Body as we find a little after this in these Words He that loseth his Life for my sake shall find it And as appears by those a little before our Text vers 28. Fear not them that Kill the Body And vers 21. Brother shall deliver up Brother to Death The whole discourse is of Perfecutions which should arise by reason of the word of Christ which is Disciples were to Preach and profess openly of evil which they should suffer upon the account of their Religion Wherefore when our Saviour says he sends this Sword he only means that it will come upon his account And whereas he expected tranquillity and great earthly prosperity from him he being the King that was to Rule whose Kingdom also they thought should be like other Princes with external pomp and dominion Chap 18. 1. Act. 1. 6. he faithfully tells them afore hand the contrary that they shall meet with many troubles to the end they might be armed against them And for the Exposition of his sending a Sword I give his own words vers 12. Ye shall be hated of all men for my sake Joh. 16. 33. In the World ye shall have Tribulation Mat. 13. 21. Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word Reb. Trevers Testimony p. 21. Had I not come into the World ye had had no Sin But now your Sin remains because ye believe not on him whom God hath sent for I am come a light into the World This his coming thou wouldest have only at that time at Jerusalem as if he had not come before nor since I would enquire of thee was there no Sin till Christ was manifest at Jerusalem The cause of all Sin was and is the not coming to him which saves from Sin who was and is and is to come and so he that was the Light says I am come a Light into the World Yes this his coming this spoken of in the Text was only at Jerusalem that in his Body among the Jews As will appear from the words Joh. 15. 22. 24. if I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had Sin but now have they no Cloak for their Sin If I had not done among them the works which uone other man did they had not had Sin For when did Christ speak unto those Jews then Living and do those works among them but since his Birth of the Virgin Mary Means he not by that which he spake unto them that which he spake with his Carnal Mouth and they heard with their Carnal Ears his Preaching in their Cities Synagogues and Temple Means he not by his Works those that he did in Corazin Bethsaida Capernaum which they saw with their Carnal Eyes as the healing of Diseases the expulsion of Devils c and for the contempt of which he pronounced woes against them so sure is it that his coming here spoken of is only that at Jerusalem in his Flesh. And how is it possible to understand any other coming than this by those other words which you cite God hath sent me I am come a Light into the World As well may you understand these words also of God's sending him and his coming into the world before his incarnation God sent his Son in the likeness of Sinful Flesh. In the fulness of time God sent forth his Son made of a Woman I am come forth from the Father and am come into the World To this end was I Born and for this end came I into the World For thus lie the words speaking plainly of a sending and coming lately into the World and such a sending and coming as that he had a Mouth to speak with to Mens Ears Joh. 12. 44. He that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness And if any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World And when was this The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day For I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say 2 This coming of Christ at Jerusalem being only spoken of in respect of this alone must he therefore be understood when he saith in the same place If I had not come they had had no Sin And to your enquiry was there no Sin before I answer there was But if you put the question as you ought to do had not these Jews had Sin if Christ had not come in his Body and so spoken unto them and done his works among them the Text would have answered you they had not Which is not to be taken absolutly as you take it saying if Christ had not come a Light into the World before in the hearts of men then indeed there had been no Sin at all Which is another false interpretation of yours but comparatively They those Jews