things is God And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a Servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3. 1. to the 8. And make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fail for so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 9 10. Thus saith the Scriptures I say where there is no calling and what that calling is I have signified it is unto Holiness there is no justification and where there is no justification there is no glorification and this is in Christ Jesus And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Therefore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together Rom. 8. 10. to the 18. And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you who by him do believe in God who raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Seeing that you have purified your souls in the obeying of the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently being borne again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For all flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof fadeth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the Word which by the Gospel is Preached unto you 1 Pet. 1. 17. to the end So this is the calling and this is the word and this is the hope and this is the Predestination and this is the fore-knowledge and this is the Justification and this is the Glorification viz. Christ Jesus and as men are for him and are found in him not having their own Righteousness which is through the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. And where men are not here they are mistaken to talk of these things or to think them theirs They appertain to another state then Transgression which delivers out of it and maketh men indeed the Sons of God and so are Heirs of the Blessing that came on Abraham who believed and it was counted to him for Righteousness of whom God saith I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the Way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Gen. 18. 19. And who raised up the Righteous man from the East called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him rule over Kings He gave them as dust to his sword and as driven stubble to his bow Isa 41. 2. And art not thou our God who didst drive out the Inhabitants of this Land before thy People Israel and gavest it to the Seed of Abraham thy friend for ever 2 Chron. 20. 7. And if ye were Abrahams Children ye would do the Works of Abraham but now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told ye the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham you do the deeds of your Father Then said they to him we be not born of Fornication we have one Father even God Jesus said unto them if God were your Father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me Why do ye not understand my speech Even because ye cannot hear my Word Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it John 8. 39. to the 45. v. So here 's an end to all this matter Those that the Father hath chosen unto himself it is unto good works which he hath before ordained that they should walk in them We are his work manship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them saith the Apostle Ephes 2. 10. And shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Faith without works is dead Jam. 2. 18. 20. And the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2. 11. to the end And those that are not redeemed from all Iniquity he hath not given himself to save And those that are not zealous of good Works he hath not purified unto himself a peculiar people And those that deny not Vngodliness and Worldly lusts and live not soberly and righteously and godly in this present World are not such as look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And those that have not works their faith is dead and they that walk not
you And lastly Neither hath he redeemed all since the fall that were to give the lie to what Christ saith Strive to enter into the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction and many there be that go in thereat because strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Luke 13. 14. And fear not little Flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. And they are not all Israel which are of Israel Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children for in Isaac shall thy Seed be called That is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are accounted for the seed For this is the word of Promise At this time will I come and Sara shall have a Son and not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one even our Father Isaac for the children being not yet born neither having yet done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Eâ—au have I hated Rom. 9. 6. to the 14. And though thy people Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a Remnant of them shall return Isa 10. 22. And when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left Mat. 25. 21 22 23. And without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whore-mongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie Rev. 22. 15. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs book of Life Rev. 21. last And come hither and I will shew unto thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth on many waters with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication Rev. 17. 12. And the beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless Pit and go into Perdition And they that dwell on the Earth shall wonder whose Names are not written in the book of life from the Foundation of the World when they behold the beast which was and is not and yet is v. 8. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. And who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law for not the hearers of the Law shall be justified before God but the doers of the Law but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2. 6. to the 14. And to you who are troubled rest with us 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 the glory of his Power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and be admired in all them that believe because our Testimony among you was received in that day Wherefore also we pray alwayes for you that our God will count you worthy of this calling and fulfil 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 ye in him to the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1. 7. to the end And receiving the end of your Faith is even the salvation of your Souls 1 Pet. 1 7. And it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. And work out your Salvation with fear and trembling v. 12. And unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities Acts 3. last And the Lord is my Portion saith my soul Lam. 3. 25. And upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest this shall be the portiou of their cup Psal 11. 6. And these shall go into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Mat. 25. 46. And the grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present world Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a Peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 11 12 13. And ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness to his marlous light which in times past were not a people but are now the People of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained Mercy Dearly beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly luâ—â—s which war against the Soul having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good woorks which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of Visitation 1 Pet. 2. 9 10 11 12. And their Consciences also bearing witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 15 16. And because he
witness These things saith the Amen the faithful and true Witness writes John to the Laodeceans who were grown neither hot nor cold and therefore he would spue them out of his mouth I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot neither quite dead nor quite alive neither being without sence nor having much I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth Rev. 3. 15 16. A sore word to be cast out as salt that hath lost its savour and is good for nothing but to be cast to the Dunghil If the salt hath lost its savour where with shall it be salted It is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot of men saith Christ Mat. 5. 13. And shameful spueing shall be on thy Glory Hab. 2. 16. And Moab also shall wallow in his Vomit Jer. 48. 16. And it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. This is the condition of all that are in this state whom the Lord spues out I say He that beleiveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3. 36. And here 's the state of all men by nature the nature that is in the fall in the Transgression they are without God the sence of God the life of God the Son of God without God in the World without Christ the Son of God Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Strangers from the covenants of Promise having no hope as aforesaid and the reason is because they believe not on the Son on that which witnesses to God in them Which Judges and reproves them when they do evil and shews them what they should do Is not this the Christ John 4. 21. That which tells them all that ever they have done that searcheth their hearts and trieth their Reigns and knoweth the compass and end of all their Actions and sitteth down with them and risieth up with them and follows them wheresoever they go They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. Which speaks to them in secret and convinceth them of evil which they know they should not go against which is the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation that hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World of which the Apostle speaketh Tit. 2. 11 12. The Comforter which reproves rhe World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement of Sin because they believe not in me saith Christ John 1. 6. 8 9. of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more Of Judgment because the Prince of this World is judged vers 10 11. So that which reproves and judges is the Spirit the Spirit of the Son the Comforter that which reproves gives comfort and hope to Godward that he will shew mercy It is his Arm that opens to gather It is his Crook by which he brings back O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathers her chicken under her wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 27. Now that which gathers is that which brings together that which is astray that is out of its place out of its way and that which so gathers corrects or it is a correction or a reproof to that which is astray and the voice of that which gathers is a reproof to that which is astray the very calling to come together reproves that which was not so Now this comforts this is the Comforter that calls to man who is out of the way to turn him to bring him out of the wrong to the right way and that which tells a man that he is in the wrong way judges the wrong way reproves it And that which reproves the wrong gives comfort to a man as he receives it and lets it judge the wrong in him that he is regarded and shall be brought into the right And so thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me Psal 23. 3. It gives a man to see that its like to be well with him As a man that is travelling hard and he hath a long way to go and night will come and he fears least having mist his way he shall come short of home and then great perils will attend him and he happily may miscarry and be undone for ever If any man meet him and tell him how he is out of his way and that the other is his way and if he will go with him he will bring him in safety to his journeys end and deliver him from all his enemies and the sad event of a miscarriage this will revive the heart of the man that is in sence of his condition and instead of repining at or resisting or slighting his friend or persisting in the wrong way in which he was or rising against his friend and his admonition and reproof he will gladly go with him and accept the offer and he will say pray let me go with thee and I am glad I have met with thee and what a thing is it that I have met with thee that I should meet with thee and what a providence was it and his heart will be light and rejoyce that he hath met with the right and be comforted that now he shall come home and miss his dangers and be out of fear of miscarriage So his trouble is gone and all the way along he will be talking to his friend and telling him what a thing it was that he met with him Even so it is as to that which is Eternal man that is out of his way and comes to be in sence by that which calls upon him and tells him he is out of the way lying is out of the way swearing is out of the way deceit is out of the way the form of godliness without the Power is out of the way Profession without the prossession of that which is profest a Name that one lives and yet is dead as to the life of God a circumcision without when there is no circumcision within a walking as to the Law blameless and yet without law to Christ a Jew without and no Jew within a cover of Righteousness without and yet within a rotten Sepulcher full of dead mens bones an open Sepulcher a man that comes to be in the sence of this through that which calls upon him and thereby to be awakned to see the danger in which he was and so to be apprehensive of his deliverance will rejoyce at this and be comforted in this that so reprov'd
open their eyes that they may see and be saved and come unto the Knowledge of the Truth For the Lord hath not pleasure in their death but would have them turn and live For which cause I have written because the time is nere wherein the Door will be shut and then it will be too late and the place of Repentance will not be found When Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels shall be said to the Goats on the left hand by the King when he shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him and shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and all Nations shall be gathered before him and he shall divide between them as a Shepherd doth his Sheep And so I have done with this Particular and am clear of their blood in this day of the Lord wherein he is coming to render unto every man according to his deeds But to proceed Neither hath the Lord so chosen man since the fall as that he can never be removed from the state unto which he is chosen That were to render the Blood of Christ of none effect and to make void the Everlasting Covenant the Law writ in the heart and the fear put in the inward parts the Word of Life the Power of God by which we are kept Who are kept said Peter writing to the Saints by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. And this is the Doctrine of them who hold Free Grace or that are called by the name of Antinomians that is to say those who hold that he that is once chosen cannot fall from that state Having loved his own which were in the World he loved them to the end John 13. 1. Say they and though they are sinners yet they are justified by Christ and have Redemption by his Blood even the Remission of sins and this is imputed to them though not inherent in them as they speak and they hope to be saved by him because they are sinners and yet are justified by him though they are sinners And with such thin Garments as these they seek to cover themselves and to rest satisfied whilst they are ignorant of and know not him who saveth from their sins all they who put their trust in him Who having loved his own but they are his own which he loved and none else he loved them to the end he went thorough the work which was appointed him for them to do and flinched not which was to lay down his life for them For this was spoken of his suffering John 13. 1. As the Scriptures testifie and that of John in Particular and the Scripture cannot be broken which thus speaks Now before the feast of the Passeover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this World unto the Father Having loved his own said John which were in the World he loved them unto the end And supper being ended the Devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simons son to betray him Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God He riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself after that he poureth Water into a Bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the Towel with which he was girded Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Simon saith unto him Lord doest thou wash my feet Jesus answered and said unto him what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt hereafter Peter answereth and saith unto him Thou shalt never wash my feet Jesus answered if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me v. 2. to the 9. Simon Peter saith unto him not my feet only but my hands and my head Jesus saith unto him he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all for he knew who should betray him Therefore said he ye are not all clean v. 9 10 11. This said Christ Jesus So it is his own that he having once loved he loved them to the end And they were such whom he washed If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me So not to be washed is to have no part with Christ and this was said to Peter a Disciple And said he unto the Disciples them whom he had chosen ye are clean but not all for he knew who should betray him and yet he was chosen Have not I chosen you Twelve and yet one of you is a Devil John 6. 70. The plain English or summe of the Matter is this Men must be born again of Water and of the Spirit or they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God as he said to Nicodemus Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 5. They must be regenerated Old things must passe away all things must become New if they are in Christ Jesus the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness and they that are not so in vain do they talk of Christ they have no part with him for he is Holy and every one that is in him is as he is As he is so are we in this world 1 John 4. 17. And be ye holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. And Holiness becomes thy House for ever Psal 93. 5. And an high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not passe over it Isa 35. 8. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh Abomination or maketh a lie but they that are written in the Lambs book of Life Rev. 21. last Otherwise to say is to dishoner Christ and to blasphem him to make him such a one as such are as live in Transgression and sin who came to redeem from sin and to deliver from Iniquity and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works that we might be to his Praise and Honour Now sin is a reproach to any people Righteousness it is that exalteth a Nation Prov. 14. 34. And for any to say they are in him and yet are found sinners they reproach and blasphem him as if he were so that Iniquity had fellowship with him or that Iniquity would be in him or have part with him Can the Throne of Iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a Law Psal 49. 20. Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evil and canst not look on Iniquity Hab. 1. 13. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee Psal 5. 4. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ