sake and that blessednes cometh on vs which is written Blessed ar they whose iniquities ar forgiven and whose syns ar covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not syn Yea God â—as he imputeth not but pardoneth syn so doth he impute justice or righteousnes to vs without works of ours because Christ fulfilled al righteousnes for vs that beleev and we shal be found in him not having our owne justice which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ even the justice which is of God through Faith To teach vs this the first man whom Moses mentioneth to have beleeved the Lord he presently adorneth with this grace that God imputed that to him for iustice And he being made the Father of al beleevers that is written for vs also vnto whom Beleef shal be imputed for Iustice in like weise Thus are we justified by Faith without the works of the Law yea Faith is come in place of al good works as Christ hath sayd This is the work of God that ye beleev in him whom he hath sent this also is his commandement that we beleev in the name of his Son Iesus Christ whom he that hath hath Life he that hath not the son of God hath not Life but who so trusteth to his own righteousnes and committeth iniquity shal surely die as sayth the prophet Thus live we by faith in Christ and that heavenly oracle is fulfilled The iust shallive by his faith 12. This Life and grace is one condition of that everlasting covenant which our God hath made with vs and sayd I wil be merciful to their vnrighteousnes and wil remember their syns and their iniquities no more And being thus justified by faith we have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ whom he hath given to be our covenant and our light he hideth his face from our syns and wipeth away al our iniquities and sayth deliver them that they goe not down into the pit for I have found a ransom Yea now he seeth no iniquitie in Iaakob nor transgressioÌ„ in Israel the Lord his God is with him and the joyful showt of a king is among them though the syns of Iudah be sought for they shal be no more found for the Lord is merciful to them whom he reserveth he hath washed the filthines of the daughters of Sion their transgressions are put away as aclowd and like a mist their syns ar al cast into the bottom of the sea For this the Saincts doe triumph and say who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that justifieth who shal condemn we wil goe forward in the streÌ„gth of the Lord God we wil make mention of thy Iustice even of thyne onely And thus is fulfilled the saying of the prophet The whole seed of Israel shal be Iustified and glory in the Lord. 13. Yet is their also further grace perteyning to life and godlines given vs of God even our Sanctification whervnto he hath caled vs and which we attayn vnto by fayth in Christ. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation vnto al men and hath appeared doth teach vs that we should deny vngodlynes worldly lusts and that we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world and not continew still in syn that grace may abound VVe are the people of Gods holynes and he wil be halowed among vs he the Lord doth sanctify vs he powreth clean water vpon vs that we may be clean sprinkled in our harts from an evil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water he taketh away the stony hart out of our body and giveth vs an hart of flesh he putteth his spirit within vs and causeth vs to walk in his statutes to keep his judgements and doe them that we be polluted no more with our abominations nor any of our transgressions and saith vnto vs ye shal be holy for I the Lord your God am holy And this is an other condition of his gracious covenant with vs as it is written I wil put my lawes in their minde and in their hart I wil write them I wil be their God and they shal be my peaple 14. Of this Sanctification ther be two parts which they that long after Life and to see good dayes must seek 1 to eschew evil 2 to doe good The way to attayn these is by the death burial of the old man the corruption of nature and the resurrection of the new that so being dead vnto syn we may be alive vnto God in Iesus Christ our Lord. The old man or body of syn is the whole man sowl and body as he is born by nature even al flesh al the grace and glory therof which the Spirit of the Lord must blow vpon and cause to fade as the flower of grasse that the man may be born again and made a new creature even born of God To work this wondrous change in vs the Lord giveth two special graces the 1 Fear 2 Love of his name by the one to restreyn vs from evil and by the other to allure vs vnto good 15. The Fear of the Lord as it is the beginning of wisdom so did Davids for fear of the Lord and we being afrayd of his judgements His mercies also are shewed vs to this end as it is written Mercy is with thee that thou mayst be feared This grace God giveth to his Saincts to humble them that they be not high-minded but may walk in reverence before him and their harts be in his fear continually that it may go wel with them and with their children for ever for he that feareth the commandement shal be rewarded By this grace hav his people commuinon with him and feel his goodnes for the eye of the Lord is vpon them that fear him trust in his mercy he delighteth in them he wil fulfil the desire of them and nothing shal be wanting vnto them as he hath promised by his prophet their sowles shal dwel in good their seed shal inherit the land and the secret of the Lord and his covenant shal be revealed vnto them Wherfore vnto man he sayth Behold the Fear of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evil is vnderstanding the reward of humility and the fear of God is riches and glory Life Vnto this therfore let vs take heed for in it is an assured strength by it we shal come out of al extremities that are either too much or too litle and to fear God and keep his commandements is the whole man this leadeth him vnto Life and being filled therwith he shal continew and not be visited with
let mercy be shewed them yet wil they not learn righteousnes in the land of equities they wil do wickedly and wil not behold the majestie of the Lord. 18. And of these ther ar two sorts some that are called to the knowledge of the truth hav received it with joy yet having no roots beleiv but for a while and in time of tentatiō go away Yea of these ther are that have been once lightened and hav tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the holy Ghost hav tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come and yet not with standing fall away and crucify againe to them selves the son of God and make a mock of him and tread him vnder foot and count the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith they were sanctified and doe despite the spirit of grace Such it is impossible they should be renewed again vnto repentance neyther remayneth any more sacrifice for their syns but a fearful looking for of judgement and violent fyre which shal devour them And such howsoever they were among the Saints yet wer they not of them for then they would hav continewed with them neyther wer they of Christs sheep for then he would hav given them eternall life and they should never hav perished neyther should any hav plucked them out of his hand he would hav put his fear in their harts that they should not hav departed from him though they had fallen they should not hav been cast off for the Lord would hav put vnder his hand 19. Othersome ther are not caled to the faith but strangers from the covenants of promise whom God suffereth to walk in their owne wayes not shewing thē his word nor his statutes and judgements Or if he cause his gospel to come vnto them yet wil not they come vnto him that they might hav life they hear not his words because they are not of God neyther beleev because they are not Christs sheep al the day long he stretcheth forth his hand to an vnperswadeable and gainsaying people Yea beleeve they cannot because hee hath blynded their eyes and hardned their hart that they should not see with eyes nor vnderstand with hart and be converted and he to heal them the Lord hath covered them with the spirit of slomber 20. And these are for the most part the wise and learned of the world from whom God hideth the secret of his Gospel and worketh a marveilous work in this people even a marveilous work a wonder as sayth the Prophet that the wisedome of the wise men perish for the Lord knoweth that their thoughts be vayn Therefore he maketh their wisdom to perish and casteth away the vnderstanding of the prudent he powreth contempt vpon princes and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way and maketh the strength of the mighty weak he scattereth the proud in the imagination of their harts and putteth down the mighty frō the thrones the wisedom of this world maketh he foolishnes and by the foolishnes of preaching saveth them that beleeve which also are the foolish weak vile and despised thinges of the world even things that are not which yet he hath chosen to bring to naugh◠the thinges that are that no flesh should reioyce in his presence but as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. 21. Thus Christ crucified is to the Iewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnes and onely to them which are called both of Iewes Greeks he is the power of God the wisedom of God in whom they triumph say Loe this is our God we wayted for him and he wil save vs this is the Lord whom we waited for we wil ioy and be glad in his salvation 22. And thus is there a distinction made of the sonnes of Adam some left to perish in their syns the children of wrath as they were by nature who because they are not borne again they cannot see the kingdom of God othersome are bought from the earth and born a new of immortall seed and are not of this world but have their conversation in heaven power given them of Christ to be the sons of God which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God 23. Between these two sorts of men is great difference both in the affections of God who loveth the one and hateth the other and of Christ who prayeth for one not for another and in their affections againe towards God one towards another For the Saincts love the Lord and have mutuall love among themselves but the wickeds sowl abhorreth him and they hate such as he hath chosen out of the world and are hated again of them with perfect hatred Thus is there warr enmitie betwixt the iust and the wicked the one of them being an abhomination to the other 24. Hence is it that the scripture speaketh so much of the fellowship and communion of the Saincts with God and among themselves and of their separation from the Divil and from his children the wicked men evē in this life whiles yet they live together with them in civil societie breath one commune aier exspecting with patience the full and finall separation which Christ and his Angels will make at the last and great day of doom Of this holy communion here on earth I purpose to intreat as God hath given me to discern by his word His gracious spirit breath vpon my sowl and guyd my pen to set down his truth CHAPT IIII. VVho be the Saints of this Communion THat we may the better discern the Com̄uniō of Saints wherof we treat let vs first consider who the persons be that hav fellowship togither The Head highest in this holy societie is the Lord our God who is not onely Most holy in himself but cōmunicateth his holynes w th vs his creatures doth vouchsafe to hav fellowship with vs even in this life world as it is written If we say that we have communion with him walk in darknes we lye do not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we hav cōmunion one with an other that is God with vs and we with him and the blood of Iesus Christ his son clenseth vs from all syn For this cause he is often called in the scripture the Sainct or Holy-one of Israel and the King of the Saincts This is to be vnderstood of al three persons in the vnitie of the Godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit of whom it is writtē He is holy Gods accordingly his
sowles so wondrously saved in the water as by a Baptisme the Serpent had his seed stil which in processe of time was discovered in the person of Cham his posteritie and by the Patriarch Noah was accursed Which wicked brood to get themselves a name went about to build a tower vp to heaven in the land of Shinar the place and habitation of Wickednes wher God confounded their lips scattred them from thence stayed their proud building and Babel or Confusion is their monument to this day And when not onely Chams cursed progeny but also the seed of blessed Sem even â—erah the father of Abram and Nachor fel to idolatrie and they served other Gods or rather in deed Divils as the scripture also nameth them then God caled Abram from his countrie kinred and fathers house to go into the land which he would shew him vnto which caling he by faith obeyed and departed not knowing wither he went 8. The Lord who was the caller and redemer of Abram gav him two gracious promises to confirm his faith as 1. that he should inherit the land of Canaan to which he brought him 2. that he should hav heyres of his own seed to inherit it after him even a great nation and one seed specially which was Christ in whom al families of the earth should be blessed With these promises and blessing and ronoume adioyned to them the Lord perswaded him to forsake his idolatrous countrie and communion with idols and to walk before him who was God the Alsufficient and to be vpright and gav him the covnant of circumcision the seal of the righteousnes of the faith which he had he gav him also two sons Ismael of Hagar a servant born after the flesh and Isaak of Sarah a free woman born by promise 9. But he that was born after the flesh fel to profanenes became a mocker and persecutor of the true and promised seed wherfore he was cast out of the church the howse of Abraham and lost the honor of being reputed his seed or heyr with Isaak the freeborne and child of promise 10. Againe vnto Isaak wer born Esau and Iakob but God loved Iakob and hated Esau and he also degenerated and became profane sold his birth-right and lost his blessing and was separated from his brother Iaakob vnto whom alone the blessing of Abraham was derived 11. Iaakob whose name was Israel being willed of God to build him an altar at Bethel before he would do it had a care to purge his howshold of the false Gods wherwith they wer defiled who giving him both their Idols idolatrous jewels he hid them vnder an oke at Sichem for he knew that the worship of God of Idols could not stand togither Afterwards he went with his family by the word of the Lord from Canaan into Aegypt was a sojourner in the land of Cham wher God multiplied his church exceedingly as he had promised to Abraham his freind There when the Israelites forgate the Lord their God and defiled themselves with the Idols of Aegypt he recaled them by his word from those abominations had almost destroyed them for their disobedience But respecting his own name and glory he ceased not to visit them first by his punishments then by his promises miracles til he had won them againe vnto his faith and service 12. Then bringing them forth from that both spiritual and corporal bondage executing judgments vpon the Aegyptians and vpon their Gods he certified Israel of his end and purpose herin which was to bring them to himself that they might hear his voyce and keep his covenant and be his chief treasure above al people though al the earth wer his Charging them not to do after the doings of the land of Aegipt wherin they dwelt neyther to do after the manner of the land of Canaan whither he would bring them nor walk in their ordinances but to do after his judgements and keep his ordinaÌ„ces to walk in them for he was the Lord their God and to this end had separated them from other people even from among al people of the earth did he separate them vnto himself for an inheritance Wherfore he commaunded them vtterly to destroy those cursed nations to make no covenant with them nor hav compassion on them nor make mariages with them for they would cause them to turne from him and serv other Gods which would be to their destruction willed to ‡ abolish al their idolatrie with the names monuments of the same for that they wer an holy people vnto him 13. Iosua treating with Israel of serving the Lord in vprightnes truth exhorted them to put away the Gods which their fathers had served in Mesopotamia and in Aegypt so to serv the Lord whoÌ„ he caleth holy and gealous that would not pardon their iniquity or their syns if they should forsake him serv strange Gods And when the people made choise of the Lord to serv him he required them agayn to put away the strange Gods that wer among them teaching them and vs therby that Gods true worship the service of Idoles cannot be joyned togither but the one wil expell the other Which law when they kept not but worshiped the Gods of the peoples round about them and so forsooke the Lord his wrath was hot against them and he delivered them into the hands of spoylers that spoiled them and they could no longer stand before their enimies yea the Lord would no more cast out before them any of the nations which Ioshua left when he died Againe when Samuel reconciled them vnto the Lord he in like manner first procured them to put away their false religion which was the cause of their calamitie and to direct their harts vnto the Lord and serve him onely 14. Neyther did this warning of idolatrie respect the idols of Canaan onely but the false religions of all other peoples neer or far off for any other God besides or with Iehovah they might not have or serve Therfore though they had no commission to root out any idols save those in Canaan because that should be their possession yet were they to avoyd communion with all other idolaters which when they did not but coupled themselves with Baalpeor the God of the Moabites and separated themselves vnto that Shame and did eat the sacrifices of the dead the plague of God brake out vpon them and there fell of the Israelites in one day four twentie thowsand even everie man that followed Baal-peor the Lord destroyed him from among his people 15. And in no better account were the idols and voluntarie services of the Israelites themselves for God by his
have fellowship with the Lord in spirit who having thus decked vs with the garments of bewtie and glorie with mercy and salvation through faith in his name doth then seal vs with that holy spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntil the redemption of the possession purchased the ful redemption of al Saincts vnto the prayse of his glory For as he hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love so having effectually caled justified and sanctified vs of his vnspeakable grace he giveth vs also certainty and assurance of our election that we shal never fal from nor be forsaken of him For the seed wherwith we are born anew is an immortal seed which can never die this seed remayneth in vs to keep vs from syn and if we syn we have an advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the just who maketh intercession and prayeth for vs that our faith fail not he also giveth vs repentance vnto Life and worketh in vs godly sorow for our misdeeds so we ar renewed by repentance dayly and revived by faith knowing that God hath stablished to himself his people Israel to be his people for ever he is their God his gifts and caling are without repentance he that hath begun his good work in vs wil perform it vnto the day of Iesus Christ for he hath made an everlasting covenant with vs that he wil never turn away from vs to doe vs good and hath put his fear in our harts that we shal never depart from him and hath sayd concerning vs by his prophet My people shal never be ashamed Thus the hope of salvation is for an helmet vpon our heads for that God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obteyn salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ and we rejoyce with joy vnspeakable glorious being perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things presēt nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs fiō the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 23. Our God it is which thus stablisheth vs in Christ hath anoynted vs and also sealed vs and given vs the earnest of his spirit in our hartes even the spirit of adoption whereby we crie vnto him Abba Father and of vs he sayth This people have I formed for my self they shal shew forth my prayse And being thus furnished with his graces we find feel the sweetnes of that fellowship and communion that we hav with him in Christ Iesus and by his Spirit 24. This communion the scripture setteth down by similitude of walking and dwelling together For God hath promised I will walk among you and I wil be your God ye shal be my people and for his habitation although he filleth heavens and earth the heavens of heavens ar not able to cōteyn him being cōsidered in his infinite majestye yet abaseth he himself to converse with vs that dwel in houses of clay as he sayth by the Prophet I dwel in the high holy place with him also that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite hart Which grace that all the Saincts might take knowledge of the voice is written which was heard out of heaven to say Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them and they shal be his people and God himself will bee their God with them This Tabernacle is the bodies and sowles of the Saincts as the Apostle sayth Ye are the Temple of the Living God even as God hath sayd I will dwell in thē walk with them your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost On the other side wee are sayd to walk with God as did Enoch Noah and as the Lord requireth of every man that he humble himself to walk with his God we dwel in his tabernacle for ever our trust is vnder the covering of his wings as the Apostle Iohn sayth He that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him 25. This grace is so heavenly and supernatural as it cannot be comprehended by the carnal man nor embraced walked in with comfort by synners hypocrites The naturall man thinketh the dwelling of God is not with flesh the vnbeleeving among the Saincts in day of their distresse do say Is the Lord among vs or no The synners and hypocrites 〈…〉 Sion are afrayd saying who among vs shal dwel with the devouring syre who amōg us shal dwel with the everlasting burnings And indeed the throne of iniquitie hath no fellowship with him but the pure of hart edure as seing him who is invisible they sing The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iaakob is our refuge they serve him and see his face his name is on their foreheads they say It is good for vs to draw neer vnto God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. 26 This conversing of the Saints with God is spiritual and mystical we walk by faith and not by sight faith which is the evidence of things not seen He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit sayth the Apostle Again Gods walking with vs is strange and vncouth to the world for he bringeth vs into many tribulations his way is in the sea his paths in the great waters and his footsteps ar not knowen he leadeth vs through the wildernes through a desert and wast land and by the shadow of death where fyry serpents are and scorpions and drought without water to humble vs and to prove vs to know what is in our hart that he may doe vs good in the latter end he bringeth vs through the fyre and fineth vs as the silver is fined and trieth vs as gold is tried yet he sayth It is my people we do say The Lord is our God 27. And hence ariseth the comfort of our harts that alwayes we behold God with vs yea feel him within vs and answer Amen by faith to al his promises He sayth Fear not for I am with thee be not afrayd for I am thy God we say again Though I should walk through the vally of the shadow of death I will fear no evill because thou art with me He sayth of every of his Saincts I wil be with him in trouble I wil deliver him and glorify him they testify say I beheld the Lord alwayes before me for he is at my right hand that I should not be shaken gather together on heaps ô ye people and ye