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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59955	The true Christian's faith and experience briefly declared, concerning God, Christ, the Spirit, the Holy Scriptures, the Gospel, and the doctrines thereof also, the titular Christian's faith and profession try'd, examin'd, and judg'd : written for the confirmation, and consolation of the one, and for the information in order to the restoration and salvation of the other : also, a few words to such who are newly turned in their minds to the light within, & are believers in it / by William Shewen.	Shewen, William, 1631?-1695.	1675 (1675)	Wing S3424; ESTC R24530	87,397	208

Day and his Wrath Enmity and Work is the same in the Hearts and Hands of all Mankind in whom this Seed of the old Serpent hath taken Root and grows up Psal 37.28 Isa 14.20 this is the Seed of the Wicked that shall be cut off and of Evil Doers that shall never be renowned ☞ and all that are joyned to it and become Children of it are Reprobate to every good Word and Work and go upon their Bellies and Dust is their Meat and they dwell upon the Earth where the Wo is and where the Devil is come down among them and they walk upon that Ground that is Cursed and inhabit the dark Corners thereof and they hate the Light and are Reprobate from the Prefence of God and from the Glory of his Power Children of Disobedience and Wrath in whom the old Serpent rules and holds them in sore Captivity and as in this State of Reprobation they abide they are Children of the Devil and his Lust they do Marks ●f Reprobation his Servants and Slaves they are and cannot cease from Sin nor enjoy the many glorious Promises made to the Seed of the Woman nor know the Serpents Head in them bruised by it nor the great red Dragon chained being Reprobate from that Faith which gives Victory over him But out of this Estate of Reprobation and deep Pit of Misery wherein a great Part of Mankind is held A Possibility that the Reprobate may become Elect. the Testimony of the True Christian is that God hath appointed a Means of Deliverance Salvation and Redemption ☞ there is a Possibility of being born again of the other Seed the incorruptible Seed wherein the Election stands Children of Disobedience and Wrath may become Children of God and partake of his Grace and Mercy and witness Redemption from the Earth and the Cursed Ground with its cursed Fruit burned up by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning and the Seed of the Serpent may be rooted out of the Heart of Man though it hath grown there long and filled it with its Fruit and the good Seed of the Kingdom may spring and grow there and every Thorn Bryar Thistle and Plant which hindereth its Growth may be pulled up which the Heavenly Father hath not planted and they that have born the Earthly Image may bear the Heavenly and those that have yielded their Members Servants to Unrighteousness may yield them Servants to Righteousness and those that are foolish may become Wise those that are disobedient and deceived may become obedient and undeceived those that serve divers Lusts and Pleasures Tit. 3.3 4. and live in Malice and Envy hateful and hating one another may come to witness Victory over ☞ and Redemption from all these Things and this True Christian's Testimony is plentifully born witness to in the Holy Scriptures as Paul wrote to Titus saying We our selves were sometimes foolish diso edient deceived serving divers Lusts and Pleasures living in Malice and Envy hateful and hating one another these were all the Fruit and Effect of the Evil Seed these were all Fruits of the Ground that is Cursed and in this Estate they were reprobate concerning the Faith and Children of Wrath as well as others But saith he After the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour c. So in the Kindness Love and free Mercy of God by the washing of Regeneration or New Birth they become transplanted out of the Old into the New out of the Seed of the Serpent into the Seed of the Woman out of the Reprobate State into the Chosen and Elected State taken out of the Wild Olive and planted or grafted into the True Vine that brings forth Fruit which glads the Heart of God and Man and he is ready to do the same in this Age for all that love his Appearance ☞ and hearken to his Voice and obey it and shut their Ears against the Voice of the Serpent which is possible to be done they shall enjoy God's Salvation and partake of his Love and Kindness which the Saints enjoyed in former Ages and do in this Age and is freely tendered to all for their Everlasting Good For God hath not as some Titular Christians affirm predestinated or fore-ordain'd the greatest Part of Mankind or any Part to Everlasting Perdition nor made any fixed Decree that so many and no more shall be saved and all the rest damned and that this Decree was established before Mankind was brought forth without having Respect to either Good or Evil that they should do This is a Doctrine that 's accursed and contrary to the Gospel or glad-Tidings of Peace and Reconciliation ☞ and Inconsistent with all the Dispensations of God's Love towards lost Man ever since he obeyed the Voice of the Serpent and his Seed grew up in him and ever since the Devil got his Seat and Dominion in Man all which have been in order to break his Power and to dispossess him cast him forth and spoil his Goods and to sweep and garnish the House and furnish it again with Heavenly Goods as it was before the Devil and his Goods entered and as it was before the Evil Seed was sown in Man's Heart and before he entered into Temptation or eat of the forbidden Fruit this hath been the End of the Lord in all his Promises Appearances and Dispensations before the Law and under the Law and in the Dayes of the Evangelical Prophets who saw and prophesied of glorious Things which God would bring to pass for the Universal Good of Mankind for Isaiah saw that Day in which the Lord with his sore great and strong Sword should punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan that crooked Serpent and slay the Dragon that is in the Sea † In Scripture Phrase People are compared to the Sea and he saw that the Abundance of the Sea should be converted and the Forces of the Gentiles should come unto him Isa 27.1.60.5 whom God hath appointed to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and he spake of a Time wherein the Lord would gather all Nations and Tongues to come and see his Glory which he had given for a Light to the Gentiles and for the Glory of his People Israel to finish Transgression and make an End of Sin and bring in Everlasting Righteousness to destroy the Devil and his Works to repair the Breach and restore Paths to dwell in even Paths of Holiness wherein the wayfaring man though a Fool cannot err ☞ this is the End or Substance of all the Dispensations of God and many have been and are living Witnesses of the same and no Man is exempted by any Decree of God from the Enjoyment of these

Things And all those Babel Builders blind Guides which set up minister this kind of Doctrine that God hath pre-ordained how many Persons shall be saved and how many damned if People were not as ignorant and as blind as themselves their Trade would quickly be spoiled and come to an End and no Body would imploy them for if there be a fixed Decree from all Eternity how many shall be saved and how many damned which neither the one nor the other by all the Good Evil they can do are able to alter this determinate Counsel then altogether in vain is it for People to hire such Builders who say before hand their Tower will never convey any to Heaven who are not designed to go there without it or to maintain such unprofitable Talkers and vain Bablers when they can neither make them better nor worse nor bring one Soul to Salvation that is not determined and decreed already to be saved nor direct one Soul how he may escape Hell that shall not escape it without their Directions these are unprofitable and vain Talkers indeed and Messengers of miserable Tidings that preach this Doctrine of Devils in the World the Fruit and Effect of which runs many a poor Soul upon one of these desperate Rocks disfolute Despair or implicite Imaginary Security Again this Doctrine of God's absolutely decreeing the greater Part of Mankind to Damnation makes void Christ's coming a Light into the World and his Suffering Dying and R●sing again his sending his Apostles and Ministers out into the World to perswade Men to be reconciled to God and to receive his free Love and Grace that 's tendered in Christ Jesus to all † The Doctrine of a setled Decree concerning Election and Reprobation as to Persons layes wast all the general Means of Salvation and excludes God's Vniversal Love and makes him a Rospecter of Persons and if all stand under such a unrevokeable Decree which all that the Sons of Men can do or say is not able to alter or to make them one Jot the better or worse as to the End nor any Means contrarvwise take Effect to gain Heaven nor prevent going to Hell I say if these Things were so then in vain are all conditional Preachings Woings and Beseechings in an universal Way in vain is the Gospel preached in every Creature in vain hath and doth the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation appear unto all Men in vain are all enlightened in vain is a Manifestation of the Spirit given to every Man to profit withal in vain are his good Gifts given to the Rebellious and the Testimonies of God's Universal Love to all Mankind plentifully declared of in the Holy Scriptures are all in vain and this Doctrine gives them all the Lye Much might be said to shew the Grossness and Absurdness of this kind of Doctrine but intending Brevity and a Hint at Things and hoping the Light of the glorious Gospel that now shines and is broaken forth in the Hearts of Thousands and Ten Thousands will disperse this gross Darkness and cause this destructive pernicious Doctrine to vanish away especially in this Nation of England before this Age is worn out I say for these two Reasons I forbear to enlarge with a Breathing to the Lord that People may come to know the fallow Ground plowed up and the hard Clods broaken and their Hearts made tender and honest that the good Seed of the Kingdom wherein the Election stands may spring and grow up and bear Fruit in them to Everlasting Life and the Seed of the Serpent rooted out and he and all his Works destroyed this is the glorious Liberty which the whole Creation groans for and some already enjoy it Praises to God forever whose Love extends to all whose Arm is stretched out to help all whose Scepter of Salvation is held forth to all whose Desire is that all may come to the Knowledge of his Truth and be saved This is the Testimony of God and of those Righteous Men that knew him in former Ages who were born of the Incorruptible Seed and is the Testimony of the Righteous in this Age ☞ and the contrary is the Testimony of the Enemy of God and Man that old Serpent and his Children who are born of the Seed of it and their Fruit is the Off-spring of the Adulterer and the Whore whom God will judge This is the Word of Truth to all whom it may concern XII The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning Temptation IAMES saith Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Let no man say when he is tempted he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed James 1.12 13 14. Now the True Christian is a Witness of this Saying of James having found the Blessedness that follows the enduring Temptation received the Earnest of the Crown of Life And he truly and experimentally knoweth That God cannot be tempted with Evil because that Heavenly Light and Grace and Manifestation of the Holy Spirit which he is Partaker of and endued withal and is of God cannot be tempted with Evil nor be prevailed upon to consent or take Pleasure in any Unrighteousness and this good and perfect Gift of God which cannot be tempted with Evil nor tempteth no man received believed in and entertained in the Heart is that which enabled the Righteous in all Ages to endure Temptation and doth enable them in this Age ☞ And all those that know not receive not believe not in this Good and Perfect * Which is the Light and Grace or Holy Spirit Within Gift of God given and sent into the World to Sinners as well as Saints they cannot nor are not able to endure Temptation but are led away of their Lusts and enticed and fall into Temptation for want of Faith in the Gift and Power of God which is as near them as the Temptation and able and ready to deliver them if they would regard it and obey it Now the Ground of all Temptations are within the Lusts that lead away are within the Light which discovers them and the Grace which is sufficient and the Spirit which mortifies the Lusts ☞ must be also known within where the Temptations rise and attend Mankind even the Righteous for a time and divers outward Objects also may present in order to draw out and alure the Mind to joyn with them and to entertain them ¶ The Devil hath Power to Tempt but not to Force But neither the Temptations Within nor Without can prevail until the Light is disregarded the Appearance of Grace sleighted and the Spirit of God despised and the Mind joyned to the Tempter and Temptation Now it s no Sin to be tempted but to

Devil and Anti-christ rules there teacheth there thou art a poor Captive and Bondslave thereof profess what thou wilt and if the Power of God thou knowest not working within thy self and operating in thy Heart not only to shake pull down and remove that which can be shaken and removed but also to bring in that which cannot be shaken nor removed viz. Everlasting Righteousness I say if this thou knowest not the Power of the Enemy of God and thy Soul worketh in thee and prevaileth over thee by working in thy Imaginations Will and Affections Mind and Members that which is Evil either in self-Sinning or self Righteousness which are both Abomination to the Lord So if thou knowest not the Word of God within thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart with the Virtues and Properties thereof as a Hammer as a Fire quick and powerful sharper then a two-edged Sword and hearest and obeyest the Voice thereof I say if this Word thou knowest not within thou art not made clean nor sanctified by it but those Things stand in thee against which it is as a Hammer Fire Sword sharp and powerful and the Word and Commands of the old Serpent that Betrayer sounds lo●d in thy Ears and pierceth deep into thy Heart and thou art carryed away with the Wind thereof and enterest into his Temptations daily and knowest not Power against them so thou canst not say as David once did Psal 119.11 I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I might not sin against thee neither hast thou received with Meekness the Ingrafted Word which is able to save but art of those whom Christ spoak to Ye have not his Word speaking of his Father abiding in yo● John 5.38 And if thou knowest not the Law of the Spirit of Life within thee written in thy Inward Parts thou art a Stranger to the New-Covenant Jer. 31.33 the Law of Sin Death hath Power over thee the Law that is in thy Members leads thee Captive thereto and the Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God and cannot be subject to his Law reigns in thee though thou professest the Law of God with thy Tongue thou dost not love it nor delight in it in thy Hearr neither is it better in thy Esteem then Thousands of Gold and Silver So in short If thou art not Partaker Possessor of the Heavenly Treasures in thy Earthen Vessel thou art fraighted with Earthly Treasures Vanities if thou knowest not thy Body the Temple of the Living God and thy Heart his Throne then is it as a Cage for Unclean Birds and as a Habitation for Wild Beasts and as a Nest for Venemous Creeping Things and the Prince of Darkness sits upon the Throne of thy Heart and rules there let thy Opinion and Talk of Religion be what it will Now be thou warned and advised to watch against that Spirit in thy self which moveth thee to sleight deride and mock at the Appearance and Manifestation of the Light Crace Spirit Power Word and Law of God within And learn to cease also from those Teachers without which have caused thee to err who hate the Light within and despise the Shining of it and give it despicable Names as Ignis Fatuus 〈◊〉 certain or Falce Fire Natural Light and the Checks and Reproofs of it but the Checks of a Natural Conscience and despise the Grace that appears to all men and call it Common and not Saving Crace and sleight and reject the Power and Spirit of God within which moves and works against all Evil and to all Good not allowing it to be the principal Rule and Guide of a Christian and also endeavour to demolish race out the Word and Law of God within under Pretence of directing thee to a more sure Word and Law without viz. the Holy Scriptures which contain divers Words Precepts and Commandments c. spoaken by holy men to whom the Word of the Lord came which was before the Words were and by this Word and Spirit that came to them and was in them were they moved to speak them and that is greater then the Words and till thou knowest a Measure of the same Word and Spirit within thy self thou canst neither truly understand nor obey the Words and holy Precepts and Exhortations that proceeded from it that indeed being the Original Cause Root and Ground from whence all the Good Words and Good Works that ever sprang up in the Heart of Mankind proceeded Such Teachers have ran ●ut God hath not sent them so People are not profitted but spoiled by them they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men they neither enter themselves nor suffer those that would and under the Name of Ministers of Christ are direct Ministers of Antichrist from such turn thou away learn of the Grace of God which Teacheth to deny Ungodliness c. and love the Light and bring thy Deeds to it John 3.21 and walk in it so shalt thou become a Child of it and have Right to inherit the precious Promises and possess and enjoy the Glorious Priviledges which thou hast hitherto only profess'd heard and read of in the holy Scriptures so wilt thou come to inherit Substance and soon be wiser then thy former Teachers and of a Titular Christian thou wilt become a Christian indeed an Israelite indeed a Jew inward indeed whose Praise is of God and not of Men. W. S. THE True Christian's FAITH AND EXPERIENCE DECLARED Concerning God Christ the Spirit c. First Concerning God THE True Christian believes there is One God who is a Spirit pure in Essence God is infinite and incomprehensible in himself and all the Words of Men and Angels cannot define him as he is being in all through all and above all And the various Names given him throughout the holy Scriptures were according to the Manifestation or Appearance and Operation of his Spirit in their Hearts that wrote them and according to the State it found them in when it appeared to them hence he was call'd a Consuming Fire Our God is a Consuming Fire and his Word as a Hammer and as a Fire and a Jealous and Angry God who as a Devouring Fire goes through the Bryars and Thorns and consumes them and the Day of his Appearance among these Bryars and Thorns Thi●les and Stubble is compared to the burning of Fire in an Oven in which the Wicked cannot dwell And others could call him by quite contrary Names even according to the Operation of his Spirit in them by the same could say that God is Love and his Word was as Milk and sweeter then Hony or the Hony-Comb and that the Light of his Countenance was better then the Encrease of Corn Wine and Oyl and that he was a Shield and a Shaddow of a Rock in a Weary Land his Name as a strong Tower and safe-dwelling-Place and as precious Oyntment pour'd forth and his Face or Presence

Glory and Power which is Terrible to the Worker of Iniquity is pleasant and desirable by those that witness Sion's Redemption by the Spirit of Judgment and Burning from Iniquity these things are known now as in former Ages The same Ark whose Presence troubled and plagued the Philistians was the Glory of Israel the same Hand and Power that smites and destroyeth the Egyptian saves and delivers the Israelite the same Spirit of Truth that reproveth the World of Sin is the Comforter of those that are made free by it from Sin the same Breath that breathed Life in the beginning before Sin entred kind'eth the Fire that tormenteth the Wicked He that can understand let him ●mnipresent in Be●●g incomprehensi●●e and Almighty in Power And he demonstrateth his Faith and Experience after this manner He has received a Manifestation of him in his own Heart Mind and Spirit and so is come to know him pore Omni-present by his Work and Operation therein he can say that God is pure of a Truth because he findeth his Appearance so pure and holy in his Heart that it will not allow nor suffer so much as a vain Thought to lodge there nor no unclean thing to be touched And this True Christian is a true witness of the Truth of those Scriptures Hab. 1.13 Jer. 17.10 15.19 which saith that God is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity and that He searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and divideth betwixt the Precious and the Vile betwixt Thought Thought Word and Word Work and Work And further He is a True Witness that God is Almighty in Power because he hath by his mighty Power broaken down those Strong Holds formerly builded in his Heart by the Enemy of his Soul Cast down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalted 〈◊〉 self against the Knowledge of God ●inging into Captivity very Thought into the ●bedience of Christ And he knoweth the ●rk Mountains at ●●ich his Feet stumbled removed the Rocks rended the Raging Waves stilled and that Tongue and Nature bridled which no Man could tame But before this be witnessed he hath known him to sit as a Refiners Fire Mal. 3.3 and as Fullers Sope and as a Spirit of Judgment and Burning and so became a living Witness of what he hath seen felt heard understood by the mighty Working of his Holy Spirit in his Mortal Body The Titular Christian he saith he believeth in one God who is pure omnipresent and Almighty take his Word and there is no Difference But how doth he demonstrate his Faith that to him there is but one God why he hath heard a Relation of him his Oneness his Purity and Almightiness in the Holy Scriptures and he hath been educated and trained up in the Traditions of his Fore-fathers and so his Knowledge of God he professeth is acquired therefrom he hath read in some Book or some Body hath told him that God is One Pure Omnipresent and Almighty and he grounds his Faith and Knowledge upon this Tradition and History and sorofesseth God and his Attributes in Words but is not a living Witness of the same within himself And so notwithstanding he professeth one God he liveth in the World which hath many Gods and worships and falls down before them every beloved Lust obeyed is a God Let the Titular Christian profess what he will he that committeth Sin is the Servant of it and therein is no Believer Worshipper nor Knower of the True God his Purity nor Almightiness because his Heart remaineth Corrupt and Rocky and the Mountains of Darkness Ignorance remain unremoved and the strong Holds of Satan unbroaken down his Thoughts and Imaginations unsubjected to the Obedience of Christ his Will Tongue and Nature unbridled the Dross Tin and Rubbage remains and is as a Grave to the pure Mettal this Titular Christian contents himself to hear or read of God as a Refiner's Fire and as Fuller's Sope and as a Spirit of Judgment and Burning and of his cleansing and purifying some in former Generations but loves not nor cares not to know him so in himself but rather despiseth and hateth his pure Appearance in him whose first Work is to convince him of Sin Righteousnes Judgment which is compared to a little Silver amongst much Dross a little Seed amongst many great ones to a little Leaven hid in three Measures of Meal which Silver can't be parted separated enjoy'd but by the Appearance of God within as a Refiners Fire to purge away the Dross take away the Tin also which is somewhat like the Silver whereby indeed the Titular Christian is deceived neither can the little Seed grow up till the Rubbish be taken away and the Ground that is Cursed removed and the Heart made honest which is the good Ground wherein the Seed of the Kingdom grows to Perfection neither can the little Leaven work through and leaven the three Measures of Meal till that be taken away which lets and hinders viz. Unbelief and Hardness of Heart Now this Day of small Things this Day of Jacob's Troubles wherein he goes through the Refiners Fire this little Seed this little Leaven is overlook'd despised and flighted by the Titular Christian who in his own Conceit is exalted and puffed up above the pure Appearance of God in his Heart which to know and obey is the Gate of all true Wisdom and Knowledge and is grown so tall great and Wise in his own Thoughts and Imaginations that he cannot walk in the straight Way nor go in at the Door of the Sheepfold but would climb up some other Way and so contents himself with a Traditional Historical Profession of God in Words and deny him in Works And all the Knowledge and Experience he hath of God his Purity Oneness and Almightiness is but as some Body hath told him or as he hath in an Unsanctified and Unprepared Heart read in the Holy Scriptures which Knowledge avails nothing except accompanied with a living Expe●ience of the same Power working after the same Manner as it did in others in Times past who have left their Testimonies thereof upon Record II. The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Lord Jesus Christ THE True Christian believes in one Lord Jesus Christ who came from the Bosom of the Father who is the Son of the true God by whom he made the World and that this Lord Jesus Christ is his Saviour Redeemer Sanctifier and Cleanser by his precious Blood and is to him as a King Priest and Prophet c. And he demonstrateth his Faith in this Manner in being Obedient to him as he is Lord in being saved by him from Sin as he is Jesus and by his learning of him and being taught by him as he is Christ or the Anointing So he can call him Lord Jesus Christ in Truth and Righteousness having truly learned his Name and Nature through Obedience to his Cross and a Cleansing by his

short Time and that his Dispossession grows nigh and the spoiling of his Goods are at Hand Except he could by any Means prevent it but all his Endeavours were and are in va●n against this true Repentant who trusting in the Goodness of the Lord which at first led him to Repentance and relying upon the Arm of his Power which had opened the Eye that was blind and unstopped the Ear that was deaf and enlightned the Understanding that was darkened he in the same is made able to stand and to resist him in all his Assaults and to escape all his Baits and Snares and to quench all his fiery Darts and to overcome him in all his Temptations and to go right on his Way pressing forward towards the Mark of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 where all the Treasures of Wisdom of Knowledge and of Glory are hid Col. 2.3 and laid up for these that love his Appearance and obey his low Calling which is to Repentance and none other are in the Way to know what the High-Calling of God in Christ Jesus is let their Notions Professions and Confessions be never so high The Titular Christian he professeth he believeth the Doctrine and Teachings of Christ and his Apostles and first this of Repentance but how doth he demonstrate his Faith Is his Mind turned from the Darkness and the Way of it to the Light and the Way of it from the Power of Satan and the Works of it to the Power of God and the Works of it Is he quickned and made alive by the hearing of the Voice of the Son of God Is he come forth of the Grave of Sin and Sea of Corruption Doth he feel the Weight and Burthen of it Is Sin become exceeding sinful unto him Is a Cry raised in his Soul unto the Lord for a full Deliverance and Redemption from the Servitude of Sin and Satan Hath he a true Sence and Sight of the Nature and Tendency of Sin Is his Mind truly turned to the Appearance of God in Christ within which is to destroy and make an End of Sin and finish Transgression and the Authors of it and bring in Everlasting Righteousness instead thereof Doth he bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance And doth he shew by them that he is turned from the Service of Sin and Satan into the Service of God and Righteousness Is he turned out of the broad Way Doth he walk in the straight and narrow and make strait Steps to his Feet and are they pulled out of the Mire and Clay and are they set upon the Rock and are all his Goings guided by the Line of Righteousness is he enabled by the powerful Voice Arm of the Son of God to stand upright on his Feet in the midst of all his Enemies and by the same to travail on in the Way of Holiness towards the Holy City and Heavenly Jerusalem the City of the Saints Solemnity These Things accompany True Repentance therefore let the Titular Christian turn the Eye of his Mind Inward and commune with his own Heart and be still and consult with God's Witness therein and examine and answer these Things and see and try whether he hath not deceived himself with a false Profession and a feigned Repentance wherein he confesseth daily but doth not forsake and so finds not Mercy deceiving his own Soul by daily sinning and an Imaginary Repentance being subject to call and account a changing and turning from one Sort of the Devil's Service to another from Self-Sinning and Debauchery to Self-Righteousness from one Opinion to another and from one Sort and Fashion of invented Worship to another a Repentance though in all the old Man with his Deeds appears prevalent and the Earthly Image is born and the Nature and Ground of Sin and Transgression remains unshaken by the Voice and Power of the Son of God which calls and leads all that hear and obey it to true Repentance And till this Voice be heard and this Power felt and witnessed to work and operate in the inward Man the Beast receives no deadly Wound nor the Strength of Sin is not abated and the strong Holds of Imagination continues unbroaken down and so Repentance in this State is only talked of in vain by all the Nominal Christians upon the Face of the Eatth who experience not these Things wrought and effected in them and for them and are wholely ignorant of that Repentance which is never to be repented of and of that Joy that is in Heaven over one Sinner that Repenteth more then over ninety nine Just Perfons who need no Repentance VI. The True Christian 's Faith Experience concerning Mortification Warfare Self-denyal and a Dying daily THe True Christian next unto Repentance believes the Doctrine of Mortification Warfare Self-Denyal and a Dying daily and he sheweth forth his Faith by his Works having heard obey'd the Call of God being thereby turn'd or repented he comes to receive the Spirit of Adoption where by he can call God Father and so comes to receive Power against the World the Flesh and the Devil which though he hath turned his back upon them and set his Face Sion-wards yet they will follow him and pursue him and attend him with divers Allurements and Temptations in order to turn him back again and thus will continue laying Baits and Snares in Hopes to prevail until a Death be witnessed to the Carnal Mind and Transgressing Nature which is prone to receive the Temptation therefore the True Christian being come to a true Sight and Sense of the Strength and Subtility of the Enemy watches and wars in the Spirit against him and obeyes the Apostle's Exhortation Mortifie therefore your Members Col. 3.5 Rom. 8.13 which are upon the Earth c. And if ye through the Spirit mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live So he witnesseth a Dying or Mortifying daily of that Nature and Mind which has had a Life in Sin until it be mortified or Killed and till he cometh to witness that Saying fulfilled Death is Swallowed up in Victory the Strength of it being taken away till which is effected he remaineth in the Warfare like a good Souldier sollowing his Captain conquering and to conquer until a perfect Victory be obtain'd And that he may not fail nor come short in this Warfare and Work of Mortification he keeps his Eye alwayes upon his Captain and his Ears open to that Voice that at first quickened him and called him to Repentance and his Mind stay'd upon that Holy Spirit of Grace that hath wrought hitherto for him which makes Self of no Reputation and which burieth self in all his Acquirements and Perfection in the Death of the Cross as not being fit nor worthy to be concerned in the Work of Regeneration And the True Christian well knows that there is no Possibility to be a Disciple and Follower of Christ further then the daily Cross to Self

Enemy having drawn out his Mind to look after it he turns his Back upon the other then his Eye is blinded and his Ear stopped then he cannot see the Glory of God to surpass the Beauty and Glory of all things visible and in visible nor delight in the hearing of his Voice and obeying it but his stoln Water is sweet and the Forbidden Fruit is pleasant to Man in this Blind Deaf and Dead Estate wherein he walks in the Broad Way and falls into every Temptation Bait and Snare of the Enemy that old Serpent who having drawn him thus far takes him captive at his Pleasure ☞ Thus entered Sin in the Beginning and thus it encreaseth and thus the Enemy ●revaileth Now no man in this Estate can open that Eye which was blinded through Transgression nor unstop that Ear nor save and deliver himself out of the Hand of his Enemy which holds him in sore Captivity Therefore herein is the Universal Love of God manifest that he hath laid Help upon one that 's Mighty that 's able to save to the uttermost that he hath appointed and prepared a Seed that 's able to bruise the Serpent's Head and that he hath sown this Good and Powerful Seed in the Hearts of all men ☞ in the Bad Ground as well as in the Good and that he hath caused his Light to shine in the Hearts of all though in Darkness and his Rain to Fall upon all Just and Unjust and to call upon all men every where and to follow Ma●kind who is run from him by Transgression hid himself among the Trees and covered himself with the Fig-Tree Leaves and to meet with him in the Cool of the Day and to Reason with him Reprove Correct and Chastise him in order to do him Good if he will hearken to his Voice and turn at his † Correction is Gracious to him that forsakes the Way and he that hateth Reproof shall dye Prov. 15.10 Reproof and be gathered by his Arm which is stretched out to save him which if he doth he shall not miss of Salvation But if he stops his Ear hardens his Heart and continues in Rebellion and refuseth to be reconciled his Destruction is of himself and God will be just when he judgeth XI The True Christian 's Faith and Experience concerning the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation ELection and Reprobation stands in the two Seeds called The Seed of the Woman and The Seed of the Serpent and all Mankind are Partakers of the one or of the other as either of these two Seeds grows up in them ☞ and as they grow up in the one or in the other or joyn to the one or to the other and are born of the one which is Incorruptible or of the other which is Corruptible And this Seed which is incorruptible and hath remained pure throughout all Generations is that in which all Nations are blessed Acts 3.25 as they come to be born of it ☞ And this is it unto which all the Promises of God are Yea Amen which was not made unto Seeds as of many as Paul saith speaking of the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3.16 29. but of one Seed which is Christ and they that are Christ's are Abraham 's Seed and Heirs by Promise And the Election or Choice of God stands in this Seed and all the Heavenly Blessings and Evangelical Promises come to be enjoyed and inherited by Mankind through Faith in this Seed through the Growing up of this Seed in them and through the knowing this Seed to remain in them and become the greatest of all Seeds stopping the Growth of the Seed of the Serpent bruising his Head and causing his whole Body to languish and dye And through the knowing this Seed become so Powerful in them as to possess the Gates of its Enemies ☞ with this Seed and with all that are born of it God's Election stands sure and his Covenant is kept with it forever whom he loves here he loves to the End and all that love this Seed he will be their God and they shall be his People and those are the Elect which can never be deceived nor the Gates of Hell prevail against And the True Christian who is born of this Incorruptible Seed 2 Pet. 1. obeyes Peter's Exhortation Giving Diligence to make his Calling and Election sure adding to his Faith ☞ Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity c. and as he doth these things he shall never fall but have an Enterance ministred abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of his Lord and Saviour Jesus-Christ And he layes aside all Malice and all Guile Oh! that Christendom would obey this and Hypocrisies and Envies and all Evil-Speakings and becomes as a New-born Babe desiring the Sincere Milk of the Word that he may grow more and more and encrease with the Encrease of God thereby until he grows up in the Promised Seed in which his Calling and Election stands unto the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ growing up in him in all things which is the Head ☞ even Christ This is the Mark of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus and these are the Marks Tokens and Signs Fruits and Effects which attend and accompany all those that are born of this Incorruptible Seed in which their Election stands in through and by which their Calling and Election is made sure And the True Christian who is thus elected and born of this Seed hath not only the Witness in himself and the Spirit of God bearing witness and sealing to his Spirit ☞ that he is a Child of it but the Fruit of this Seed also shews it self forth and appears that men may see and behold it and glorifie his Father which is in Heaven Now the Reprobation stands in the Seed of the Serpent and all that are born of it are born of Flesh and Blood and of the Will of Man and not of the Will of God nor by Promise and in whomsoever this Seed grows up ☞ Enmity encreaseth in them against the Seed of the Woman against the promised Seed and all the Children of i● hence arose Cain's Envy Ishmael's Mocking and Esau's Rage and is continued in that Generation or Birth down to this Age This is that Birth that is born after the Flesh which alwayes did and doth to this Day persecute him that is born after the Spirit this is he that was grown a great Dragon in John's Day which persecuted the Woman that brought forth the Seed the Man Child and that went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus And he is the same at this