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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62877	True old light exalted above pretended new light, or, Treatise of Jesus Christ as He is the light which enlightens every one that comes into the world : against the sense both of the Quakers, Arminians, and other assertors of universal grace, whose light is proved to be darkness / delivered in nine sermons, by John Tombes, B.D., and commended to publick view by Mr. Richard Baxter.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing T1824; ESTC R21431	110,239	95

import and consequence from God And the Greeks which sought after wisdome yet by wisdome knew not God 1 Cor. 1. 21 22. Therefore there is not assured that which is of saving import to the well using natural abilities 2. If God use a clean contrary way to lay his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left on Manasseh I mean to bless with saving grace the worst of the Gentiles and to reject Jews most zealous of the law then he gives not assurance of their receiving that which is of saving import and consequence who faithfully and carefully use their natural abilities But the antecedent is true as Eph 2. 1 2 5. Col 2. 13. Rom. 9. 30 31. Rom. 10. 2. Tit. 3. 3 4. appears Therefore also the consequent 3. If the Scripture do exclude works of righteousness which men do from being the reason of giving saving grace and ascribe it entirely to Gods will as the adequate reason then he doth not assure that which is of saving import and consequence to them that use natural abilities faithfully and carefully But the former is true Tit. 3. 4 5. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 9. 16. Mat. 11. 25 26 Therefore also is the later true 4. If God were engaged to give to him that well useth natural abilities that which is of saving consequence then he is so engaged by the worth of the work or by some promise he hath made thereto But neither of these is true not the former because no works done by a man in the flesh please God Rom. 8. 8. Without faith it is not possible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Not the later if there be any such promise let it be shewed I know it is usually urged that Christ faith Mat. 25. 29. To every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance which is used by many to prove that God hath promised to give supernatural grace to him that well useth natural light I will not enter into an accurate discussion of the meaning of this Text nor ser down the various limitations with which it must be circumscribed that it may be found true Dr Robert Abbot in a particular Lecture Dr William Twisse Vindic. grat l. 3. Errat 2. Digr 1. Sect. 6. have done much to clear it It is enough for the present purpose 1. That the talents cannot be meant of natural abilities 1. Because both the parables Mat. 25 1. 4. do express the occurrences pertaining to the kingdome of heaven Therefore the use of the talents is the use of something pertaining to it not of what is common to all humane kinde 2. The talents are said to be given to servants Vers. 14. Luk. 19. 13. Therefore the talents are not natural abilities which every man hath 2. The speech must be meant of the Gospel the hearing understanding and receiving of it 1. Because the parable expresseth the occurrences belonging to the kingdome of heaven 2. Because Mat. 13. 11 12. it is made the reason why it was given to the disciples of Christ to know the mysteries of the kingdome but to others it was not given 3. Because Luk. 8. 18. it is made the reason why they should take heed how they hear which had not been pertinent if the promise of giving more were not to them that rightly hear and receive the word 4. It is more fully cleared by Mar. 4. 23 24 25. where Christ having said If any man have ears to hear let him hear it is added And he said unto them Take heed what you hear with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given For he that hath to him shall be given and he that hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath Luk. 8. 18. it is even that which he seemeth to have 3. The having doth hence also appear to be meant of hearing with a hearing ear and of obeying the Gospel it cannot be meant of bare possession but of right using because he that had but one talent had possession yet is said not to have because he did not well imploy it The sense then is To him that hears the Gospel with an hearing ear and an obedient heart more knowledge comfort spiritual abilities and happiness shall be given but an unfruitfull disobedient hearer shall lose all the comfort and happiness he seemed to have All spiritual saving Light is from Christ. SERM. VIII Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Sect. 1. All spiritual saving light of knowledge peace joy hope life and glory is from Christ. IT remains that I consider the senses in which Christ as the great Officer of his Father or Mediatour between God and man enlightens with spiritual light every man that cometh into the world I said that the Text may be understood of this light two wayes 1. That all who are enlightened with spiritual light to salvation have it from Christ. 2. That he doth enlighten all sorts and nations of men with spiritual light I shall consider both 1. That all who are enlightened with spiritual light to salvation have it from Christ is the same with that which Christ saith Joh. 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me And it is proved in the several sorts of spiritual and saving light that all who have them have them from Christ. 1. There is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as the expression is 2 Cor. 4. 6. and that is in the face of Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 6. 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father save he which is of God he hath seen the Father Joh. 14. 7. If ye had known me ye should have known the Father also Vers. 9. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works Mat. 11. 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him From whence it is apparent that the light of the knowledge of God and his grace which bringeth salvation is all from Christ. It was the Spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets which testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 11. 2. There is the light of peace with God which is derived from Christ and no other 2 Cor. 5. 18. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. Vers. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto

the Quakers Church if they have any is but about ten or twelve years old at utmost unless the Weigelians Paracelsians Behmenists and the rest of the Fanaticks in Germany or the Familists in England and New-England may be accounted their progenitors And yet their Church will not be found to be of two hundred years continuance Indeed Stubbe Sir H. Vane's egregious Vindicator had neither wit nor modesty nor fear enough to restrain him from telling the world in his malice pag. 36. that it was ignorantly said of me that The Quakers had no being in the world till a few years ago and the Gnostick adds that as to the generality of their opinions and deportment he doth AVOW it out of as sure and good records as any can be produced that they can plead more for themselves from the first two hundred seventy years then Mr. Baxter for the present orthodox Religion laid down in the Saints Everlasting Rest or the Confession of the Assembly But when will the undertaker produce these Records Such a heart and face might have served him to avow that the holy Apostles were railing lying Quakers or whatever filthiness had come into his thoughts Some of their abominable opinions and practices have troubled the world since the Romish iniquity did abound but no times were freer from them then the first and none more unlike to them then Christ and his Apostles however Satan would gain credit to his impieties or discredit to the Gospel by his apish imitations The witness of their late Leader James Nailor is regardable who in his Recantation saith that they are Unclean Spirits gene out from the unity of the truth and light by which we have been called and gathered into one Christ Jesus the Head over all his blessed for ever whose name hath been greatly dishonoured by many wilde actings and his innocent Spirit grieved and many simple souls deceived and that the work of the murderer and devourer is therein against the life of God in his Temple which though they seek entrance under pretence of humility promising some great things and more holiness in that way to steal into simple minds yet being got in exalts himself above the seed of God and tramples the meek spirit under foot And by this saith he you shall all perceive that Spirit whatever it pretends it will secretly withdraw your entire love from the flock of God already gathered and cool your affections and zeal towards their present meetings and if you judge it not there it will grow on with an evil eye to spie out for their failings and to delight to hear of them with an hidden joy whispering them to others and adding thereunto with a desire to see them broken and their nakedness laid open if anything be amiss And thus it hath wrought in a mystery of wickedness in some unjudged untill it be seated in the throne of open enmity and strife against the Lambs of Light preferring the society ef the prophane before them and taking part therewith against them joyning to any who seek to scatter them And whatever pretence this Spirit covers it sellf with this I declare against it having been kept by the good hand of God to see it revealed in its ground and end that it is the old Spirit of the Ranters which now in a new way makes head against the Light of Christ and life of the Cross which is the only thing that stands in its way by condemning its filthiness in every conscience Thus speaks James Nailor after his lamentable experience and the Papers he hath written against me and others for their way And yet his followers will not be undeceived nor follow him in his Recantation Had they their will against the Ministry in this Land would it promote the Gospel and the salvation of the people Who would instruct them publikely and privately As constantly and diligently and soundly as now they are instructed If there were joyin Hell what joyfull tidings would it be to the infernal Spirits to hear of the accomplishment of the desires of the Quakers and their partakers The accusations against us which the grand accuser of the Brethren hath put into their mouthes are partly from our hearts unknown to them and partly from our duties imputed to us for our crimes and partly from our afflictions in which they should rather compassionate us then reproach us Yesterday in the Congregation and the streets a stranger that never saw my face before cryed out The judgement of the Lord is gone out against thee thou hypocrite thou painted Sepulcher that hast an outside of humility but an inside of pride an outside of godliness but within is envy wrath malice and all wickedness in the day of thy misery thou shalt remember me When I heard the man I blessed God that had caused me to be contented with his own approbation and given me the testimony of my conscience that my soul and life and all that I have is devoted to him and that I have a most just heart-searching Judge that yet hath the compassions of a Father And I wondered that sin should ever prevail so far with men as to harden them to so open and impudent an usurpation of the prerogative of God while they pretend to know the hearts of men as soon as they see their faces And I thought with compassion on the state of weak unsetled consciences that are like young Horses among Drums and Guns that are frightened meerly by a noise As if any man that could but repeat a Scripture-threatning and speak terribly and counterfeit himself a Prophet should frighten us from our peace and faith And it is our very preaching and labours for our peoples souls that is the principal thing they hate us for And the more laborious and faithfull any man is the more maliciously do they oppose him being incomparably more patient with a Whoremonger or Drunkard or prophane Worldling then with such So that our diligence so strictly commanded us by God is with them our crime That we do not as the old worldly Readers did follow the Plow and Cart and labour about earthly business when we should be doing the spiritual work that we are engaged in and that our peoples souls require though we are commanded to meditate upon these things and give our selves wholly to them 1 Tim. 4. 15. A good Minister of Jesus Christ being one that is nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereto they do attain vers 6. The great word by which they think to make us odious to the people working on their carnal minds and interests is that we are Hirelings because forsooth we bargain for so much or else we will not preach But Satan is a liar By Gods assistance we will preach while we have life and strength and liberty though instead of maintaining us they spit in our faces But we dare not encourage our people to be ungratefull Monsters nor sacrilegious

Father he hath declared God and his will without obseurity He was full of grace and truth then which nothing is more lovely and therefore the more the averseness is from the Gospel of Christ the more estrangedness there is from the life of God and the more the light of Christ is entertained the more of the love of God dwels in that person 7. That a man have light from Christ it is needfull he should awake out of sleep Eph. 5. 14. A careless soul that 's heedless of what truth is held forth that snorts securely and dreams sweetly of peace when there is no peace is no more capable of benefit by the light of Christ then a man that 's of a drousie sleepy head that folds his hands and mindes nothing but his bed and pillow Of using bodily light not only sore eyes but also drousie heads are offended with light Watching is necessary to the use of Christian light which being neglected the Prince of darkness easily bindes the hands and shaves the hair as Dalilah did Sampsons which makes his strength depart from him To keep our soules safe it is needfull we keep our eyes waking and to pray with the Psalmist Lighten mine eyes that I sleep not the sleep of death Ps. 13. 3. 8. To this must be joyned standing up from the dead Eph. 5. 14. Graves and Vaults for dead bodies are not fit receptacles of light To be among men who have no spirituall life in their soules to be associated with meer carnall worldlings voluptuous Epicures proud selfish men is as inconsistent with the injoyment of the light of Christ as for a seeing man to lye among the dead which are cut off from Gods hand A child of light will have little but darkness from such unholy soules as are full of darkness yea doubtless such company will by their own reasonings and Satans sophistry blow out the light of Christ that it shine not where they are Hence it is that among such persons all discoveries of sin or duty Gods counsell or Covenant Christ and his Church Heaven and Hell are tedious No talk or action among such is more acceptable then that which proceeds from an earthly spirit Scripture truth holy Sermons spirituall experiences are unsuitable to that mirth they delight in those contents that please them those ends they aim at Whence it is that they put out that light which crosseth their designes and wish that neither God did see them nor Christ judg them nor Preachers teach them nor any Saint converse with them Doubtless then a soul that affects these cannot long endure such quench-coales nor joyn with such extinguishers but as he is made a child of light so chooseth to be with them in whom is light 9. It will concerne those who own Christ as their light to judg themselves and their wayes by his light It is the great benefit of light that it doth not make manifest Eph. 5. 13. And thus by the light of Christ the evill of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved we know the righteousness of God and our unrighteousness Now this is no small benefit to have light to discerne our own errors which without light from Christ we should never have unstood It is our advantage that God covers our sins and we discover them He that is ignorant of them cannot correct them but walks on in them without shame or sorrow as a man that walks in the night neither sees how foul his cloathes are nor knowes how to make them clean Hence it comes to pass that for want of light the carriage of most is so unhandsome and unlike the Gospell that they not only shame themselves but also cause others to stumble A wise Christian therefore will be often judging himself by the light of law discovering his transgressions and the light of the Gospel shewing his estate in Christ. 10. It will be needfull not only to use the light of Christ to judg our selves by but also to order our actions by I am the light of the world saith Christ John 8. 12. be that followeth me shall not walk in darkness There cannot be unsafe walking by Christs light there is no danger when Christ our light goes before Walk in the light saith Christ while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you John 12. 35. How many millions are there of soules perplexed and tortured all their life with feares and doubts for want of walking by the light of Christ in Scripture and chosing rather to walk by a light and sparkes of their own kindling which in the end either goes quite out or burnes so dimme as to leave them in darkness of spirit and horrour of conscience And no marvell sith it is Gods just judgment that such as neglect the light Preached should follow the mares of humane reason the examples customes dictates of men and in conclusion lye down in sorrow Isai. 50. 11. such foolish fires will lead to nothing but bogs and praecipices But Christ the true light when his Gospell is followed guides the feet of men into the way of peace Luke 1. 79. Oh that then all that talke of the light within them would follow the light about them even the light of Christs Gospel and example whereby the greatest security is obtained and the surest advancement with God sith he that followes Christ his light shall be where he is Then would men walk honestly or decently in good fashion not in banquetings and drunkennesses not in chamberings and wantonnesses not in strife and envying if they would put on the Lord Jesus Christ and not make provision of the flesh unto lusts Rom. 13. 13 14. 11. The light of Christ is to be used as our weapons or tooles to defend our selves or to work with The night is over the day hath approached let us therefore put off the workes of darkness and put on the armour of light Rom. 13. 12. The truth is light is the chiefest instrument for safety and work If a man be without light he can neither defend himself nor offend an enemy If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world But if a man walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him saith christ John 11. 9 10. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work John 9. 4. As the bodily light is given us by God to fight and work so spirituall light is given us by Christ to fight the good fight of Christ and to do the workes of God He then that would make use of Christs light must be armed with his Doctrine that he may be able to repel Satans fiery darts and expel him as Christ did by the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6. 17. And he that would improve the light must be doing that business which the word of Christ directs him to and to that end it must dwell richly in him in all wisedome Col. 3. 16. Their own light in men makes them rather wranglers with others sometimes the best as is seen in Quakers then contenders against their own lusts and moves them to disturb others in their work and to be busie bishops in anothers diocese rather then to lookinto their own charge but the light of Christ directs us to steddy to be quiet and do our own business 1 Thess. 4. 11. 12. And Lastly Make use of the light of Christ for thy comfort and rejoycing The light of the eyes rejoyceth the heart Prov. 15. 30. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is to behold the Sun Eecl 11. 7. But the light of Christ his Gospel doth far more rejoyce the heart and is much more delightfull to the soul then bodily light can be to the eyes It is it which removes doubts griefs fears despair in life and at death Oh how sweetly might men live how comfortably might they dye if they did make use of it Light within you whatever Quakers tell you will leave you in perplexity when you shall have most need of comfort But if you believe in the light of Christ as it is held out to you in the Gospel you shall see the light of life Be perswaded to disclaime the pretended new light within you as your sufficient guide to God and choose the light of Christ from Heaven in his Gospel to walk by and it will guide and comfort you surely and sweetly to eternal life FINIS 2 Pet. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 2.