from him all his Armour wherein he trusted and spoils his Goods c. Is not Christ stronger than the Devil that hath kept the House of the hearts of People And doth not he disarm him and spoil his Goods And is not Christs Weapon Spiritual And the Lord saith to Zachariah Not by might nor by power to wit of men but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 4. The Lord saith Comfort ye my People spake ye comfortably to Jerusalem and Cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her Iniquity is pardoned c. Is not this Jerusalem Gods People whose Iniquity Christ pardons and warfare is accomplished Isa 40. And again Isaiah saith Isa 2. and Micah 4. spaking of Christ He shall judge amongst the Nations and shall rebuke many People and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more but they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-Tree and none shall make them affraid for the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spaken it Is not this Vine Christ And are not these the days of his Gospel of Peace And David saith Come behold the Works of the Lord what desolation he makes in the Earth he makes Wars to cease unto the ends of the Earth he breaks the Bow and cuts the Spear in sunder he burns the Chariots in fire Psal 46. The Lord rebukes the company of Spear-men the Multitude of the Bulls with the Calves of the People till every one submit himself to wit to the Lord who scatters the People that delight in War And are not these the days of Christ in the New Testament who ascended on high and led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Psal 68. and Ephes 4.8 where the Apostles shews the fulfilling of it and the Apostle James saith in his general Epistle to the Church of Christ From whence comes Wars and Fightings amongst you Come they not even of your Lusts that war in your Members Mark in your Members James 4. So here is a War in your Members the ground of it is from your Lusts before the Wars and Fightings were outwardly amongst People which Wars and Fightings without comes from the Lusts of the Members within And the Apostle saith to the Hebrews in the 11th chapter who by Faith subdued Kingdoms stopt the Mouthes of Lyons quencht the Violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword this was the Sheild of Faith a stronger weapon than outward Swords and is a stronger Weapon than Fire and can quench the Violence of it that stopt the Mouthes of Lyons this is beyond Carnal Weapons which Fire and Lyons may overcome And the Apostle exhorts Timothy 2 Tim. 2. Thou therefore my Son be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus and endure hardship as a good souldier of Jesus Christ But Timothy did not War with Flesh and Blood with Carnal Weapons as he was as a souldier of Christ but with Christs heavenly Arms and Armour for as the Apostle Peter saith in his general Epistle to the Church For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind to wit of Christ for he that hath suffered in the Flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of men but to the Will of God for the time past of our Life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles or Nations And the Apostle saith to the Romans chap. 6. Yeild not your Members as Instruments of Vnrighteousness unto Sin but yield your Members unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God So its clear they that yeild their Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto sin are not alive unto God and the two Witnesses that had power to smite the Earth as often as they would do you think that they did it with carnal Weapons And there was War in Heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought against his Angels and the Dragon prevailed not neither was there any more place found in Heaven for him but he and his Angels were cast out into the Earth Rev. 12. Now the holy Angels of God are Spirits so then they had Spiritual Weapons and not carral Swords Muskets Pikes and Pistols c. to sight with the Dragon And John said I saw Heaven open and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called Faithful and true and in Righteousness he doth Judge and make War c. and he was clothed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name was called the Word of God and the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon White Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his Mouth goes a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall Rule them with a Rod of Iron c. And the Beast and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gathered together to make War against him that sate on the Horse and his Army who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords but the Beast was taken and the false Prophet c. and them that had received the Mark of the Beast and had worshipped his Image these both were cast alive into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone and the Remnant were slain with the Sword of him that sate upon the White Horse which Sword proceeded out of his Mouth Rev. 19. And were these think you carnal Weapons that Christ and his Followers made War with against the Beast and the false Prophet and they that worshipped the Beast and his Image and received his Mark and took them and overcame them and cast the Beast and the false Prophet in the Lake that burns with Brimstone And was that an outward carnal Sword that went out of his Mouth by which he slew the Beasts worshippers that had his Marks and Image Do you think that Christ or his Army that sate on White Horses and followed him which were in Heaven that they had outward Swords and Pistels and Pikes and Muskets and Guns and Cannons by which they overcome the Beast and the false Prophet No it is said that Christs Army was cloathed with fine Linnen and Christs Vesture was dipt in Blood which Army followed him in Heaven Nebuchadnezar lift up his Eyes to Heaven and blest the most High and said all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and the Lord doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven and amongst the Inhabitants of Earth and none can stay his hand nor say unto him What dost thou Here you may see Nebuchadnezar was made to confess the great God who saw his Armies in Heaven who abased his Pride
stumbling and a Rock of Offence who stumbles at the Word the Stone which the Builders disallowed viz. the outward professors the same is made the Head of the Corner of Gods House whose House Gods People are and this Sion the chief Corner Stone which is laid in Sion was not laid in the Hill called Sion in outward Jerusalem for Christ the chief Corner Stone was born in Bethlem as is said before And the Apostle writes to the Church in his Epistle to the Hebâ—ew and said They were not come to the Mount Sinai where they received the Law but ye are come to Mount-Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Compâ—ny of Angels and they were come to the general Assembly the Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling c. See that ye refuse not him that speaks from Heaven if we turn away from him that speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes not the Earth only but the Heavens also but if ye here the Voice of Christ and follow him ye will receive his Kingdom that cannot be moved nor shaken And Now all ye Christions that profess Christianity are ye come to Mount-Sion or are ye under the Law which came from Mount-Sinai not Mount-Sion which Law commanded Tythes Offerings Sacrifice Oaths and Swearing with outward Tabernacle Sanctuary and Temple and Priests Lips to preserve Peoples Knowledge commanded by the Law in the Old Testament and if ye be come to Mount-Sion and heavenly Jerusalem the City of the Living God then you see the innumerable Company of Angels and the Spirits of Just men made perfect and they that are come here their Names are written in Heaven and such are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant who speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes the Heavens and the Earth that are to be shaken that those things that cannot be shaken may remain Heb. 12. And John said Rev. 14. He saw a Lamb stood on Mount-Zion and with him a hundred forty four thousand having their Fathers Name written in their foreheads which were redeemed out of the Earth and from amongst men and they followed the Lamb and in their mouthes were found no Guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God and they sung a new Song before the Throne and no man could learn that Song but the hundred forty four thousand which were redeemed c. Then surely this was spiritual and surely this was heavenly-Sion and not Earthy which the hundred and forty four thousand stood upon which were redeemed from the Earth and so from Earthly Sion and Earthly Jerusalem and all those Earthly things that followed Christ the Lamb and was with him after he was risen before the Throne of God Gouses in Essex 13th day of the 2d Moneth 1683. G. F. A Distinction betwixt the Wars and the Weapons and the Arms and the Armour in the Old Testament and the New for in the Old Testament they were Carnal and in the New Testament Spiritual THe Apostle bids the Church of Christ Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual Wickedness in High-places So this Wrestling was with Spiritual Weapons Spiritual Men for Carnal Men Wrestle with Flesh and Blood and with Carnal Weapons and mens Armour and not the Armour of God And again the Apostle saith Take unto you the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand in the Evil day having done and having overcome all to stand having your Loyns girt with Truth So this is a heavenly Girdle not natural and having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness this is a Spiritual Breast-plate not Natural having your Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace which is the Power of God over the Devil and before he was to be shod thus is not with outward shoes but with that which will never wax old nor wear out and above all take the shield of Faith that Faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked this Shield of Faith is Holy Divine and Precious and is the Victory which Spiritual Faith God and Christ is the Author of and not Men And take unto you the Holmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Phil. 6. This Helmet of Salvation is Spiritual and the Sword is Spiritual so not a natural Sword or a natural Helmet and the Word of God is called a Hammer a Fire and a Sword to hammer down and cut down and burn up that which hath made a Separation betwixt man and God and it is called the Word of Reconciliation that reconciles to God So the true Church and Ministers of Christ are to prove themselves by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right hand and on the Left 2 Cor. 6. For though the Church of Christ do walk in the Flesh yet the Apostle saith We do not War after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the plucking down of strong-Holds to wit of Satan casting down Imaginations and every High thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chirst having in readiness to revenge all Disobedience This is with Spiritual Weapons not Carnal 2 Cor. 10. And the Apostle saith to the Romans The night is far spent and the day is at hand let us cast off therefore the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light This Armour of Light is not Natural but Divine and Spiritual to all the Children of the Light and of the day this Armour of Light is afore Darkness was and the Devil the Power of it and he the Power of Darkness cannot pearce thorow this Armour of Light and this Armour of Light is above all natural and carnal Armour and all the Children of the Light that walk in this Light and this Armour they walk honestly and decently as in the day for they that walk in Rioting Drunhenness Chambering and Wantonness make provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof such are naked concerning this Armour of Light and though they may make profession of Christ they do not put him on as in Rom. 13. And Christ saith When a strong man armed keeps his House his Goods are at peace but when a stronger then he shall come upon him and overcome him he takes
And Jesus said unto Pilate My Kingdom is not of this World if my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence that is of this World John 18.36 Here you may see a distinction betwixt the New Covenant and the Old and the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdoms of this World and their Arms and Armour G. F. THe Apostle exhorts the Ephesians My Brethren said he be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities Powers and Rulers of Darkness of this World and against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand in the Evil day and having done all or overcome all to stand Therefore having your Loyns girded about with Truth and having on the Breast-Plate of Righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace above all taking the Sheild of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the siery Darts of the wicked and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Mark in the spirit they are to pray watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the Saints Is not this generally to be practised now by all true Christians as it was in the Apostles dayes And the Apostle saith to the Romans The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light So Light you see is your Armour which will defend you against Darkness and the Prince of the Power of it and their Weapons and all such that hate the Light of Christ and are against it are naked and are without the Light which is the true Armour and you may see what the Saints did do and what Victory they had with the sheild of Faith in Heb. 11. And the Apostle said He was set for the defence of the Gospel which is the Power of God and that was in the Sheild of Faith And David said Thou O Lord art a sheild for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my Head So he is now to all his People And further Thou hast given me the sheild of thy salvation and thy Right Hand hath holden me up and thy gentleness hath made me great All must feel this Sheild of Salvation from God and if they be held up it must be by his Right Hand And again David saith The Lord is my strength and my Shield my Heart trusteth in him and I am helped therefore my hreat greatly rejoyceth and with my Tongue will I praise him This was not an outward Shield but the Lord was his strength and his Shield So God is to all his People in all their Troubles And David said The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Delivâ—â—eâ— â—y God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my Salvation my High Tower Mark a Rock Fortress Deliverer Strength Horn of Salvation High Tower the Lord God was so to David and is so to all his People God's Way is perfect the Word of the Lord is tryed and endures forever and God is a Buckler to all those that trust in him And again saith David The Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him c. to deliver their Souls from Death and to keep them alive from Famine And David said plead my Cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me take hold of Shield and Buckler and stand up for my help c. and stop the way against them that persecute me and say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Here David lookt unto the Lord his Shield and Buckler and his help to plead his Cause against them that strove and fought against him and so should all Gods People And David saith I will Sing of thy Power yea I will Sing a loud of thy Mercy for thou hast been my Defence and Refuge in the day of my Trouble And therefore let all Gods People now know the Lord to be their Defence and Refuge in time of Trouble And David said The Lord is only my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence I shall not be greatly moved so he is to all his People David saith Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee they grow from strength every one of them in Sion appear before God Behold O God our Sheild look upon the Face of thine anointed for the Lord God is a Son and a Sheild and the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly he shall cover thee with his Feathers thou shalt not be affraid of the Terrour by night nor for the Pestilence that walketh in Darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at the noon day and under the Lords Wings thou shalt trust his Truth shall be thy Sheild and Buckler so no outward Sheild or Buckler but the Lord is my Defence and the Rock of my refuge So he is of all Gods People O! Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help c. their Sheild that trust in him for thou art my hiding-place and my Sheild my hope is in thy Word depart from me ye Evil Doers for I will keep the Commands of my God Here is the bold confidence and steadfastness of all Gods People Blessed be the Lord my Strength my Goodness my Fortress my High-Tower and my Deliverer and my Shield and he in whom I trust c. Here you may see the Lord was all to David who said I know the Lord will maintain the cause of the Afflicted and the Right of the Poor c. Therefore as the Apostle saith to the Thessalonians let us who are of the day be sober putting on the Brest-plate of Faith and Love and for a Helmet the Hope of Salvation This was the Children of Lights heavenly Armour and Defence which they had from God and Christ and not out of Smiths shops for such will not defend them from the Devil G. F. Concerning Cain ANd the Lord God said unto Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sin lies at thy Door and unto thee shall be his desire c. So here you may see it is not only saying or talking well but acting and doing well if they be accepted with the Lord God for if ye talk and say never so well and if ye do not do well but evil sin lies at the Door of your Hearts and gets into your Hearts if ye do evil