be feared is too much like the case of the Pharisees in Mark 7.5 VVho were offended at the Disciples of Christ for eating of meat with unwasnen hands for which Christ sharply reproves them in the 6 verse not but that it was lawful to wash before they eat But this was their evill in that they went about to limit and bind the Disciples by a tradition of men which God never bound them to VVhy so I could wish that it could not be truly said of some in these dayes in another case As namely those that by no means wil admit of any persons into communion fellowship with them though never so holy and precious before they are baptized not but that it is lawfull for persons to be baptized before But to limit and bind up persons though never so gracious from communion till they are baptized is a tradition of men So that as the Pharisees would bind the Disciples from eating till they had baptized their hands So those persons in like manner doe bind up or keep off many of the Disciples of Christ from walking in those Ordinances of Christ * viz with them which they are inlightned in untill they are baptized But saith Christ full well ye reject the command of God that yee may keep your owne tradition I could heartily wish it could not truly be said of some in those dayes that they reject the command of God namely in refusing to own and receive precious soules upon the manifestation of faith that they may keep their own tradition that is to limit persons that they must of necessity be baptized before they are owned and received into fellowship and communion VVhich limitation I find no where in all the whole Scripture But it may be objected and said Ob. that baptisme is the first Ordinance to be practised next after faith and therefore the Scripture saith beleeve and be baptized To this I answer in the first place 1 Ans It is true the Scripture saith beleeve and be baptized but the Scripture doth not say that a person that beleeveth must not practise any Ordinance between faith and baptisme for if it should be so understood then a person must not pray nor heare nor read after beleeving till he be baptized But secondly I answer that in my understanding 2 Ans that is the first Ordinance to me which I know first and whatsoever Ordinance the Lord is pleased by his spirit to inlighten a soule first in why in the practice of that Ordinance that soule ought to walk according to what he hath received and not to neglect his duty in what he doth know and is perswaded of because he doth not know all for in my understanding it is a very dangerous principle that because a soule doth not know every thing he must therefore practice nothing But for further answering of objections of this kind I shall refer the Reader to the Storehouse published by Mr Iesse as aforesaid Thus having finished the 3 Use which was by way of reproofe I shall in the 4 place add a few words by way of comfort and consolation and shall draw to a conclusion Vse If this be so that true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is an infallible character of the new birth and of son-ship and also if that those that are sons are heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ as hath been made appeare although it may be that many are not enlightned in some particular Ordinances yet to every such beleeving soule this Doctrine speaks comfort that although it may be many of the children of your father will not owne you to be their brethren yet God doth own you to be his children and will give you an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified * Acts 20.32 26.18 And now I shall lay down a word of caution because I would not be mistaken in what I have written and shall for this present conclude And the caution is this That as I desire to love and owne all those that feare the Lord and beleeve on his name although they may not be enlightned in every duty they ought to performe yet that they would take heed that they neglect no duty that they are enlightned in for as it is a sin of hypocrisie in any person to practise that outwardly as a duty to Christ which he is not perswaded of in his heart to be his duty So it is a great sin of slighting the Lord and his commands when a person shall neglect the practise of any duty that the Lord hath enlightned him in Therefore walke according to what yee have attained and in Gods due time he will reveal more A briefe description of Antichrist HAving shewed you the new birth and the marks and characters thereof I shall now lay downe a brief description of Antichrist which is much cryed downe in pretence by many in our dayes and for the better laying of him open to publick view I shall give you some hints of the signification of his name And for so doing I shall take the word in pieces and shew you what it properly imports First I shall shew what the preposition anti signifieth And secondly what Christ signifieth 1. The preposition anti it signifieth for or in stead of as in Mat. 2.22 and secondly it signifieth contrary to or an adversary against 2. Christ signifieth anointed and answered to the Hebrew word (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messiah as John 1.41 So that the word being put together and taken according to the first interpretation of the preposition anti it signifieth for or in the room and stead of Christ and according to this signification Antichrist is that which is set up in the room and stead of Christ and upon this account he is called the man of sinne who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God 2 Thes 2.3 4. So that whatsoever is set up in the room or in stead of Jesus Christ whether it be within us or without us whether it be that which is good in it self or whether it be that which is bad in it selfe if set up in the room of Christ it is Antichrist 1. If it be that which is bad in it selfe set up in the room or stead of Christ it is without dispute Antichrist 2. But secondly if it be that which is lawfull and good in it selfe set up in the room of Christ it is also Antichrist We have a cleare emblem of this in the Brasen Serpent which was crected and made by Moses Num. 21.8 9. And was broken to pieces by Hezekiah as in 2 Kin. 18.4 Now concerning this Brasen Serpent there is observable these particulars 1. That it was ordained and appointed by God to be set up 2. It was of singular use to heale and save alive those that were bitten by
of Iohn 58. before Abram was I am And this is that every one that commeth to God must beleeve according to that in the 11 to the Hebrews and 6 verse He that commeth to God must beleeve that he is 2. VVhat it is to beleeve on his name is to make all Jesus Christ the only object of our faith Now I shall shew what the word beleeve doth signifie and import and then shall come to the uses that the Doctrine holds forth The word doth properly signifie when it is spoken in relatiō to Christ a faithfull beleeving of him a putting our trust and confidence in him and to commit all to him So now I have done with the doctrinall part and shall proceed by way of use And the first is this If this be so that true faith and beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ be an infallible character and marke of the new Birth and of the sons and children of God as hath been plainly proved 1 Vse A use of information VVhy then it may informe all true beleevers that they are brethren And this doth clearly appeare from the Doctrine as it hath been opened that all true beleevers are those that are born of God and all that are born of God are the sons of God All the sons of God are brethren and all that are sons of God must needs be brethren for this is the true and proper ground of brother-hood the being children of one father and upon this account the ten sonns of Iacob did declare to Ioseph that they were brethren by being the sons of one man Gen. 42.13 Now forasmuch as true faith is a character of the new Birth and of son-ship and son-ship the true ground of brother-hood it will undeniably follow that where true faith is manifested they are sons of God and upon that account we ought that are believers to owne them to be our brethren Quest But then the question will be how is true faith manifested 1. I answer in two things Faith manifested in two particulars first by confession with the mouth as in the 10 Rom. 10. With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 2. Faith is declared by good works as in the 2 of James 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works But what are the good works that the Apostle doth here mind to manifest faith why they are implyed in the 15 16 verses That if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of of dayly food to feed them and to cloth them and not only to say be filled and be warmed and not to give them that which is needfull for the body And comparing this with the 27 verse of the 1 Chapter We shall find That pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdow in their affliction and to keep himselfe unspotted from the world And thus I have shewed you how true faith is manifested namely by confession and good works and where faith is thus manifested in or by any persons it is a visible mark of their son-ship and therefore ought visibly to be owned as brethren and I shall say to every beleeving soule as Peter did in another case concerning the beleeving Gentiles in the 10 of the Acts 47. Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized that have received the Holy Ghost as well as we So say I can any forbid that those should not be owned our brethren that are the sons of God as well as we But it may be objected by some 1 Ob. that the Scripture tels us that those that beleeved were baptized and the Scripture putteth faith and baptisme together and we cannot judge persons visibly to be our brethren untill they have submitted to Christ by baptisme To this I answer An. that although baptisme be commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ for every beleever to practise after faith received and not to be neglected when the Lord giveth them light to see it to be their duty according to that in the 22 of Acts 16. Arise why tariest thou Yet I never read in Scripture that the Lord Jesus did ever declare baptisme to be the great character of the new Birth or being born of God Neither doe I find that the Lord doth limit persons that have received precious faith that because they are not enlightned in their duty to be baptized that they must not therefore practise that which they are enlightned in and perswaded of and that because some of the sons of God are babes and know but little it may be in some particular Ordinances of Christ that therefore they must not be owned to be brethren by those that know more And certeinly if the Lord doth not limit persons in this particular Men ought not to limit where God doth not men ought not But God doth rather command the contrary in the 14 Rom. 1. Him that is weake in the faith receive yee If they have faith though but weak they ought to be received and to walk so far as they have attained Phil. 3.16 But it may be further objected 2 Ob. that the persons before spoken of doe not only neglect a duty in that they submit not to Christ by baptisme but they uphold a tradition of man which is no where commanded in the word of God namely the sprinkling of Infants which is a relique of Antichrist and shall we owne such to be brethren To this I answer 1 An. that the upholding of one Antichristian point for want of light doth not disanull persons to be the sons of God and therefore not uncapable to be our brethren But we find in Scripture that there were some that did hold an Antichristian point for want of light which were commanded to be received and owned as brethren in the 14. Rom. 1. The Apostle commandeth that those that were weak in the faith should be received Now the question is wherein the weaknesse of their faith did consist why it doth appear in the following verses it was in this that they did observe dayes and meats which Ceremonies Christ had abolished and made void by his death Now to observe those things after the death of Christ which were abolished by the death of Christ such an act doth in the tendancy of it deny Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh and whosoever denyeth Christ to be come in the flesh is an Antichrist 1 Iohn 4.3 But this being for want of light the spirit of God would have the Saints to bear one with another 2. 2 An. I answer that those that beleeve in Jesus Christ and yet for want of light may hold some things which in the tendancy of them may be Antichristian This ought to be a motive to prevaile upon those that are strong to own and receive them that they may * 1 Thes 5.14 1 Cor. 15.1 1 2 3. Reader
for further satisfaction concerning this particular I shall refer thee to a little book called the Storehouse published by Mr Jesse in which I conceive all objections that may be thought on are made and answered from page 93. to 12◠support them that are weak and inform thē better in the things of God And thus much at present by way of information In the next place if this be so that true faith in the Lord Jesus be a true character of the sons of God why then in the second place it may serve for a use of exhortation to all true beleeving soules to owne and receive one another as brethren yea although many of you may come short for want of light both in the knowledge and practice of some things pertaining to outward forme and order and that for these reasons following 1. God hath received him Rom. 14.3 And he hath received Jesus Christ through beleeving John 1.12 Now I would desire every soule to consider this hath God received a soule to be his son and shall we deny him to be our brother And further I desire this may be seriously weighed in the fear of the Lord. If that God hath received every beleeving soule to be his fon why then this followeth that If sons then heires heires of God and joint-heires with Christ Rom. 8.17 1. The children of God are heires what heires heires of God this may be understood in a double sence 1. The sons of God are heires of God in a twofold respect They are heires of God in regard that they are begotten and born of him 2. They are heirs of God also upon this account in that they have right and title to all that God is and all that God hath and therefore saith David The Lord Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance Psal 16.5 And joynt-heirs with Christ that is whatsoever Jesus Christ hath right and title to every beleeving soule hath the same And we shall find that this is consented to and desired by Jesus Christ as I shall instance in a few particulars Wee shall find in the 17 of John 20 21. That this is the prayer of Christ for those that beleeve in him 1. That as the Father and Christ is one so they may be one in them 2. That the same Glory that the Father gave to Christ Christ hath given to them 3. That the same love that the Father loveth Christ withall he also loveth them 4. It is the will of Christ that where he is they may be also Now upon all these particulars let every every beleeving soule seriously consider 1. Note Is every true beleever one with the father and the son And shall not we own them to be one with us 2. Will Christ give them the same honour glory and esteem that his father gave him and shall we so much dishonour them as not to owne them to be our brethren But what was the glory that the father gave to Christ why it was a great waight of glory for the word in the Hebrew (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth from a root that signifieth a heavy weight and therefore the Apostle Paul in the 2 Cor. 4.17 calleth it an eternall weight of glory that is the father gave Christ abundance of glory honour and esteem Why so Christ will give to every beleeving soule abundance of glory and honour even as much as they are able to beare Therefore we ought not to slight those that Christ so highly esteemeth 3. Hath the father loved them as he hath loved Christ and shall not we love them certainly we ought for Christ commandeth beleevers to love one another John 13.34 4. Is it the will of Christ that they shall be where he is and shall we thinke much to let them be where we are Will Christ let them be with him to all eternity and must we if ever we enter into the joy of the Lord be with them also and dare we not owne them while they are here But againe Christ saith he will that they be where he is Why we professe Christ to be with us and if we deny any true beleeving soules to be owned and received by us doe not we as much as in us lieth contrary to the will of Christ deny them to be where Christ is And now O believing soules doth God and Christ so dearly love and esteem you O then consider what is your duty and mind what the spirit of God saith unto you in the 1 John 4.11 If God so loved you yee ought also to love one another And that I may prevaile upon beleeving soules if the will of the Lord be to performe this duty I shall offer to their consideration these particulars 1. John 13.35 That by loving one another you declare your selves to be the true Disciples of Christ. 2. 1 JOhn 5.1 By loving one another you clearly manisest that you love God 3. By loving one another Rom. 13.8.10 you pay the debt that is due to each other by the Law of God and if it be not paid you will one day be arrested for it 4. 1 John 4.20 If yee doe not love one another you will appeare to be lyers if you say yee love God 5. 1 John 3.15 Those that hate their brethren are accounted no lesse then murtherers by the spirit of God And further let me offer to your consideration Gal. 4.29 That there is enough of them that are borne after the flesh to persecute them that are born after the spirit There was an * Gen. 27.41 21.9 Esau to hate Iacob and there was an * Gen. 27.41 21.9 Ishmaell to mock Isaac and there was a * 4.8 Kaine to slay Abell And therefore the Children of God have small reason to persecute one another and to disowne and cast off each other But I shall conclude this particular with the words of the Apostle Gal. 5.15 If yee bite and devour one another take beed yee be not consumed one of another And thus I have laid downe divers considerations and motives to perswade true beleevers to love own receive one another and now I shal proceed to a third use from the doctrine which is as followeth Vse A third use from this Doctrine may be to reprove sharply all those that doe deny those persons to be their brethren that doe visibly manifest true faith in them and doe keep at a distance from many precious soules because they are not enlightned in every particular with them in outward form and order and also it may justly reprove those that doe rather make an outward conformity to some particular Ordinances of Christ to wit Baptisme or laying on of hands which many thousands of gracious hearts are not yet perswaded of a greater character of a Child of God then true and spirituall grace manifested But such mistaken grounds as these is to
the fiery Serpents 3. It was an eminent type of Christ Iohn 3.14 15. But notwithstanding when the people set this appointment of God which was so usefull and good for the people in the room of God and when they set that which was but a type of Christ in the room or in stead of Christ you see it was broken to pieces by Hezekiah and the spirit of God doth justifie him therein and saith he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord because it was in the room or stead of God Why so any ordinance or appointment of Christ whether it be baptisme or Church-fellowship or breaking of bread or whether it be our duties and performances set up in the room of Christ is Antichrist But it is further to be observed that when Hezekiah had broken the Brasen Serpent he called it (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nehushtan that is a piece of Brasse by which name he sheweth that in it selfe it was but a piece of brass and had no deitie in it and therefore not to be adored and worshipped Why so the holy and good ordinances of God through which in the right use of them the Lord doth manifest himselfe yet if set up in the room of Christ and made the great characters of a soules happinesse which at the last to such as so set them up they will prove to be meer Nehushtans as sounding brasse and a tinckling cymball Thus having spoke briefly to the first particular I come to the second In which is to be remembred first that the Greek preposition anti signifieth against or an adversary to And secondly that Christ signifieth anointed to shew unto us that Jesus Christ is Gods anointed and not only so but all that are Christs every true beleeving soule is the Lord 's annointed 1 Iohn 2.20 27. only here is all the difference Christ is anointed above his fellowes Psal 45.7 So that according to this interpretation the word doth signifie that whatsoever is contrary to or an adversary against the Lord's anointed to wit Christ and those that are Christs is Antichrist whether it be any thing against Christ within us or whether it be any thing against Christ without us whether it be that which is against Christ at Rome or against Christ in England whether it be any thing against Christ in a Nation or against Christ in a Congregation Antichrist is Antichrist wheresoever it be Thus having given a briefe description of Antichrist and the signification of his name I shall endeavour to make a little improvement thereof by way of use And seeing we live in the last times in which are many Antichrists I conceive it may not be amisse to exhort all persons in generall and in particular seriously to examine whether there be not more or lesse of Antichrist in them or set up by them And the reason why I presse this duty is this Because that I doe heartily wish and desire that persons would not only labour to throw down Antichrist without them but also to be as zealous and willing to throw down Antichrist within them For when persons doe labour to throw down Antichrist at Rome and to throw downe Antichrist in England to throw downe Antichristian powers and Antichristian Ministery and Antichristian maintenance and many other particulars that might be named and yet all this while have a spirit of Antichrist within them and by the power thereof to throw downe Antichrist without them it is no more then for Satan to cast out Satan But it may be most persons to whom these presents shall come will be apt to justifie themselves and say we have not an Antichristian spirit and therefore this doth not concern us Well if it be so I shall rejoyce but yet notwithstanding because it is the property of Antichrist to pretend that he is for Christ and although he be a minister of Satan yet he doth transforme himselfe into an Angell of light I shall therefore propound some particular which through the blessing of God may helpe those whom it may concerne to know whether Antichrist be in them or no And first it is to be remembred that whatsoever is set up in the room or instead of Jesus Christ is Antichrist and that being remembred I would begin first with a covetous worldly minded man which hunteth for the world as a ravening woolfe for his prey and the world he must have though with never so great oppression of the poor and yet it may be pretend for Christ too Now let such an earthly minded man examine in truth whether his covetousnesse doth not raigne and rule over him in stead of Christ and whether he doth not set the Idols of his covetousnesse in his heart instead of Christ and * John 12.5 6. Judas-like had rather have the bag in his hand then Christ in his heart and yet pretend for the poor The like might be said of pride where that raignes and passion where that raignes and voluptuousnesse where that raignes instead of Christ all which is Antichrist and upon this account we may conclude with the Apostle Iohn that even now there are many * 1 Iohn 2.18 Antichrists who Dives-like are clothed in * Luke 16 49 20. purple and fine linnen and fare deliciously every day when poor Lazarus lieth starving at their doors I shall come in the next place to examine the legall professor who it may be can say I thank God I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers proud and passionate but on the contrary I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possesse and pray oft and give almes to the poor and many other things But will you say this is Antichrist too I answer that those duties in themselves are not Antichrist but when they are put in the room of Christ and set up as a mans righteousness and to make them his saviours this is Antichrist for Christ is the only saviour of them that beleeve and not mens duties and performances I have only one particular more concerning this first branch of Antichrist which I could heartily wish if it were the will of the Lord that there might be no cause to mention it but so it is that when the sons of God are met together this Antichrist also commeth amongst them and sitteth in the Temple of God and by his power even in the children of God themselves causeth them to exercise dominion over each others faith and causeth as it were Ephraim to envy Iudah and Iudah to vex Ephraim But God hath promised that the envy of Ephraim shall depart and then they shall not vex one another any more And thus I have done with the application of the first branch of Antichrist And now I come to make some application upon the second branch which is this That whatsoever is contrary to or an adversary against the Lord's anointed to wit Christ and all that are Christs is