the conquering Saints 181 182 In whose power is it to remove false Teachers 196 VVhether the power of the Keys be singly in the Officers and Presbytery or joyntly in the Officers and Brethren together 198 How will it stand with the Justice of God to cut off innocent Infants with their Parents in his wrath and judgements that have never done good or evil 204 How comes Infants dying Infants to be saved that have not faith And whether the Parents faith is the condition of their salvation 205 c. Whether we may merit by our works 208 237. How are the Saints Co-partners with Christ in his Imperial Reign and Kingdom 212 Is it not in the power of Saints to recover themselves out of sin without going to Christ by faith 223 Whether true Saints may finally fall away from grace 223 241. Whether perfection may be had in this life 225 Whether Christ creates war and sends the sword into the world 233 Whether the Saints of God for their iniquities may be blotted out of the Book of Life 241 VVhether it be lawful to pray that God would blot out any name or person out of his Book of Life 242 Whether the Civil Magistrate hath authority over the Church 250 251 Whether Magistrates may not suppress errors being well advised by a Learned Assembly of Divines 851 Whether the Magistrate be not subordinate unto Christ as Mediator to make Laws for him to rule next and immediately under him in his Church 252 VVhen shall the Jews and Gentiles be gloriously united into one Church 261 VVhether Saints may be said to be saved in the hour of Temptation and yet suffer in it 262 VVhether the tryumphant State of the Church shall be here on earth or in the supernal Heavens 276 313 VVhether the Imperial Reigne of the Saints shall be after the general Resurrection or before 277 VVhether Christians may not be over-hot and Zealous in matters of Religion And whether a moderate temper would not be more advantagious therein then an over-furious one 285 VVhether we are to buy of Christ his Graces by way of contract or not 295 How is Christ said to love those whom he bitterly chastiseth 302 VVhether does Christ always use a spiritual force for the reclaiming of his back slidden people 304 VVhether Christs Kingdom and the Fathers be all one 310 Whether the Saints as Saints may justly expect by vertue of promise in the Word the Rule and Dominion under Christ on Earth at this present time 335 Whether the Saints in order to the obtaining of the Rule and Dominion may oppose the Supreme Magistracy they live under 335 337 VVhether Heathenish or Antichristian Magistrates may be opposed 338 339 VVhether the Saints Imperial Reign be far off or near at hâ—nd 341 342 VVhether it be not lawful for Saints to put to a helping hand in pulling down the Powers of the world that uphold Babylon and the VVhore thereof 346 347 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or PRAECOGNITA THE REVELATION OF Iohn the Divine CHAP. I. VER I. The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John THis Book hath for Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Revelation of John the Divine And here in the Entrance I shall take leave to insert some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preliminary discourses and questions which are necessary to be discussed before I enter upon the Exposition of the Body of this Book Quest 1. Whether this Book of the Revelation of John be of Divine Authority 2. Whether John who in the Title of this Book is named John the Divine the Author thereof be the same with John the Apostle and Evangelist the beloved Disciple of Christ or some other person 3. In the last place I shall give a compendious view and taste of the scope and designe of the whole Book 1. Concerning the Divine Authority of this Book I should say very little or nothing unto it well knowing how dangerous it is to move Foundation stones or to question the Authority of any of the Books of God received reverently in the Churches of Christ from age to age as the Canon and Rule of their Faith and Manners If it were not that the Adversary of old took advantage by this artifice to hinder the growth and cast prejudice on many of the Truths of God and to weaken the comforts of his Saints mainly cherished and supported by the Prophesies in this Book The occasion of the first doubting of the Divine Authority of this Book Hence rose in that it favoured the pretended Heresie of the Chyliasts or Millenaries and their adversaries endeavoured to father it rather on Cerinthus the Heretick then the Apostle John thereby if possibly they might not only enervate its Testimony but quite shut it out for ever out of the number of the Canonical Books of God that it might never do the Chyliasts any service more Vpon this ground Hyrome was the first that did most publiquely call its authority into question about the year of Christ 400. and that in pure opposition unto the Millenaries the followers of Justin Martyr Tertullian Ireneus Lactantius and others of good credit and authority in the Church of Christ in that judgement Secondly it became suspected as Erasmus witnesseth who in this particular and concerning other Divine Books also was very unstable in his own Judgment in that some of the ancient Greek primitive Christians did not receive the Revelations as of Divine Authority and this Hierome himself also testifies But on what slender grounds this came to pass I shall presently consider And though it is granted that some ancient Greek Christians did not receive it yet it was by others of the same age and of the far abler parts judgement and integrity numbred amongst the Books of God and acknowledged to have the publique stamp of his Spirit on it There was one Caius or Gaius as Eusebius witnesseth in the fourth book of his History who saith That this Book was written of one Cerinthus an Heretique who held among many other errors That after the resurrection of Christ his Kingdom should become earthly and sensual wherein the flesh should be satisfied again in all manner of concupiscences for the term of a compleat millenary of years Dionisius of Alexandria takes up this report from this Caius an obscure person and as is thought was one of the heretical Alogi who denied as Epiphanius testifies the Word of God and on the false report of this Caius Dionisius doubts of the Divine Authority of this Book But Hierome takes up the same slender ground from Dionisius and doth object it strongly But I answer it seems Hierome would admit of any slender testimony to the invalidating of the Authority of this Book because this book was the great Fortress of his adversaries the Chiliasts yet however though Hierome
called christians were truly and worthily abominable This artifice and method Satan keeps still afoot to this day to vilifie Christ's Truth 's and his followers by terming their doctrines Novel and new Lights though of above 1600 years standing and of Apostolical Institution and if they prove faithful Assertors of it are presently termed factious or Schismatical for it being as they say Disturbers of the National Peace perverters of Customs Laws and Governments and forthwith branded with Anti-magistratical and Anti-Ministerial Titles as if they were against Magistracy when they say in the first place Fear God in the next Honour the King Or if they were against all Ministers because they are against the formal lazie and belly-god Priests whose very forms as carnal ordinances are perished with using and in the room thereof desires a Ministery sound able godly efficacious spiritual and more edifying in the assemblies and churches of Christ In the next place if any defection happens in the churches of Christ as if some among them turn loose Nicolaitans or the like there will not be wanting the Nominal Jews formal christians to blaspheme them as if they were all of that feather The Papists as soon as they heard of some heresies broken forth among the Protestants presently cry out and blaspheme the whole name of Protestants as if they were all of that heresie Among the old Episcopal men of our Nation it was a common saying That a Geneva Presbytery made a fair gap and was a downright way to Brownism and Anabaptism as M. Hooker's Preface to his Ecclesiastical Policy manifests And if any Non-conformist turned Anabaptist or Brownist presently they would say the Presbyters were all such And again if any Independent or Baptist now a days became a Familistical Quaker or Antiscripturist presently the Presbyters lay the same harsh judgement and contumely upon the whole churches of the same profession to render them abominable in the eyes of all as if the eleven Apostles were all Judasses because one in twelve was a Judas This Satanical method should be quite laid by by such as have truly learned Christ This was the old Jewish trick and stratagem against the primitive precious Asiatique churches of Christ who were not all Nicholaitans because some Nicolaitans were crept in among them but precious in the eye of God both for their graces and sufferings for the testimony of Jesus But for such as will blaspheme the true doctrines of Christ and the Professors thereof by means of the evil among them and to cast a reproach tribulation and affliction thereby upon them all let them too withal not be discontented to read their judgement in this verse Whiles they say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Observ 4. The last Note from these words shall be That a mis-led zeal is both dangerous and pernicious Little did the Jews think that they were fighting against the God of heaven when they were persecuting and blaspheming the Professors of Christ Nay they do it and think as Paul in his ignorance that they do God good service in it If our zeal be not commixt with sound knowledge instead of promoting the glory of God we may do the downright work of Satan These poor Jews had an indubitable aim and zeal to glorifie God for so Paul bears testimony of them Rom. 10.2 but it was exercised amiss in that it was not according unto knowledge if their judgement had been rightly informed or bore the least proportion with their zeal they would not persecute the disciples of Christ from city to city and from Town to Town much less put the Lord of life to death amongst them But the Scriptures must be fulfilled Use Christians now adays should look to it lest they go about to do the work of Satan when they blaspheme and persecute all others that are differently minded from them in some particulars They may call themselves christians but are not for it savours not of a christian spirit which is ready to cover and heal the infirmity of his christian brother not to revile or cast a rancour on it to Gangrene it which is the work of Satan Though I am not for the least toleration of evil or heresie in the church of Christ yet I would have all to take heed how they blaspheme persecute or speak evil of that way or practise which has the visible stamp of Christ upon it though at present by reason of some clouds of ignorance over them they cannot plainly discern the truth of it In this case the counsel of Gamaliel Acts 5. is very seasonable Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone for if their work be of men it will surely come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it lest ye be found even fighters against God Verse 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Divel shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life I know says Christ the tribulation and affliction that will overtake thee O church of Smyrna yet fear none of those things which shall come upon thee Neither art thou to suffer only the reproach and blasphemy of the tongue but also the divel shall so far prevail against you as by his instigation that the Tyrants of the world and your malicious enemies shall so far persecute you and cast some of you into prison but comfort ye it is not for your destruction but only for the tryal of your faith and constancy to your christian profession and your tribulation is not for a little space but to continue ten days that is ten years that answers ten prophetical days or rather I understand it ten days of tribulation shall pass over you to wit the ten great primitive persecutions the first whereof began against the christians under Nero and the tenth under Dioclesian yet however this long and tedious persecution reach thee yet leave not thy constancy but be thou faithful unto thy Lord and Saviour though their persecution be so high and fiery as to make thee to taste the tortures of death for thy faith yet be thou a faithful witness to me in that death and thou shalt be crowned as a reward of thy faithfulness with the glory of eternal life Observ 1. From the words is God never lets the divel loose to raise tribulation or persecution against his churches but he gives them first a cordial a preparative and strength from himself that they may not sink under ut though they may suffer by it Before the ten great days of persecution fell on the primitive Asian churches Christ tells them Fear not those things which ye shall suffer though imprisonments and death it self attend you for it is only for your tryal and that your faith may be more apparent by your constant Martyrdom in the face
of life which is prepared for the faithful conquerour in Christ's name for the confirmation of their eternal happiness But it may be queried what is meant by this Tree of life I answer Some of the Ancients as Augustine and others makes it to be Christ whose leaves that is say they his merits is for the healing of the Nations But saving due reverence to antiquity I rather adhere to those that understand it a true and real Tree of life as that in the garden of Eden was for these reasons For Christ being personally in this heavenly city or new Jerusalem for where should he be but with his Spouse the Bride the Lamb's wife at that great and solemn day of tryumph And it is said That the Lamb is the Temple and the light of this City cap. 21 22 23. and therefore evidently convincing that he is not personally absent from her and being with her and present I cannot see how congruous to reason it is to say or assert that the glorified Saints shall eat of that Tree of Christ Sacramentally For when we have the enjoyment of vision faith ceaseth nor is then any need of signs figures or Sacraments the only way that we can eat Christ spiritually and mystically in this heavenly Paradice for being himself then and there present with his Saints that Scripture will be fulfilled whose authority is yet of force and not at all as yet elapsed as some would have it to wit Matth. 28. And lo I am with you unto the end of the world or of this generation that is Christ promises his presence of grace efficacy comfort and support unto the faithful dispensing of his Ordinances of the Word and Sacraments unto the end of this world which consisteth in several series or courses of generations that shall succeed one the other until the day Star shall arise and radiate with a more incomparable glory and set a period to all those present Ordinances we now enjoy which are fitted to our present weakness and capacities and restore us into the liberty of the Sons of God and give us Ordinances of a more spiritual and higher key fit for that new and glorious City the Bride the Lamb's wife that comes down from heaven And why may I not think that in this heavenly Paradice this Eden of God and Christ this New Jerusalem or New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness according to 2 Pet. 3.13 shall have the Tree of life placed by God in the midst thereof whose fruits shall shine as Sacraments of confirmation unto the blessed Saints of the continuation of their glorious state and blessedness for ever so that whether Christ be taken to be this Tree of life or whether God shall set up in his celestial Paradice a real Tree of life as formerly he did to Adam in Eden yet both and either do evince this Observ That God hath secured the everlasting blessed estate of the faithful by most evident Sacraments and clear signs of his presence Sin cannot then hurt them the divel is chained up in the bottomless pit their adversaries have their portion also with him so that there is none found to hurt in all the holy mountain What greater security when all fear of miscarriage is quite done away No enemies appear from within nor any from without all are vanquished and brought under the footstool of the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne Then it may be said O death Where is thy stirg O grave Where is thy victory And as if the treading under all enemies were not enough to secure this blessed estate and make it compleatly happy there is added the Tree of life to eat thereof not as if there were fear of death but symbolically sacramentally hieroglyphically or emblematically to manifest and confirm the perpetuity and continuation of that most glorious and blessed state for ever But it may be objected Is not Paradice taken in Scripture for the supernal heaven and is it here to be taken thus That he that overcometh shall eat of the Tree of life in the midst of the Paradice of God that is shall be translated to the heavenly mansions above where the Angels and souls of the blessed remain in glory and tâ—ere shall eat of the Tree of life that is shall participate of Christ in his glory and eternal life in the supernal heavens I answer first Negatively This Paradice that is given to the christian conquerors cannot be in this place nor that of cap. 22. v. 28. whereunto this hath relation and correspond both in sense and reason be understood of the supernal heavens for many reasons First Because in this Paradice it is said There is the Tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations Now in the heavens above there is no healing or conversion that must be done here beneath or not at all Secondly In the supernal heavens there are neither Streets nor Rivers Gates nor Foundations as this Paradice is circumstantially described in chap. 21 and 22. Thirdly This Paradice is measured to a certain proportion cap. 21. 15 16 17 c. And how short that measure being according to the cubits of a man is to spanior fathom the supernal heavens let him that hath the least grain of reason judge Fourthly It cannot be intended of the highest heavens because this Paradice or New Jerusalem is said to descend or come down out of heaven from God and that the Tabernacle of God is with men and that he will dwell with them and they shall be his people Now how improper and dissonant from right reason is it to say that the supernal heavens do descend and come down unto the children of men And how needless is it for God to promise that he will be the God of his people in the highest heavens and that he will dwell with them there All know it is the place of his habitation where his glorious presence is most eminent and resplendent Lastly I answer positively That this Paradice which is here promised to the faithful conquerors in Christ is a Terrestrial Paradice It is a heaven on earth though not an earthly one It is a holy City a New Jerusalem a New Heaven and a New Earth that comes down from God cap. 21. 1 2 c. And if it be not on earth what need is there of the mention of a New Earth In the supernal heavens there is no place for the performance of such a promise 2 Pet. 3. which place hath relation to that of Isa 65.17 where God promiseth the Jews New Heavens and a New Earth and withal there mentions the enjoyment of Houses and Vineyards and how these things can be attributed or consist in the supernal heaven or how things there may be said to be meliorated made new or better then they are passeth my reason to comprehend Though withal I grant That the supernal heaven may be represented by Paradice as in that of Luke 23.43 But more
properly The first Paradice may serve to typifie or represent the second Paradice or new Church-state or heaven which Christ will restore unto his faithful ones before the ultimate day and end of all See more on the 21 and 22 chapters Verse 8. And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna Write these things saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive Verse 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Christ having finished his charge to the church of Ephesus goes on on the same account with the church of Smyrna and commands the Angel or chief Pastor or Minister of the said church who as Ireneus testifies was Policarpus scholar unto S. John to write those things for them to take notice of which he was about to discover to them The person that gave out these discoveries and charges to the churches is here plainly manifested to be Christ who was dead and is alive as in v. 18. of the precedent chapter more fully The matter of the discovery is wholly of encouragement and approbation I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich that is I know thy works thou church of Smyrna and the trouble affliction and tribulation that thou endurest by reason of the opprobrious scandalous and reviling speeches which those cast out against thee which call themselves Jews and are not And I know thy poverty and scantiness in worldly riches but I add withal thou art rich in spiritual graces and though thou art accounted poor in this world yet thou hast treasures abiding for thee in heaven And withal I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan As if he had said I also know and take notice of the reviling speeches that those which call themselves Jews and so perhaps were so by blood and yet are not true Jews true spiritual Israelites but rather by reason of their unbelief and malicious practises and persecution of the truth and the professors thereof are the very divel 's disciples and of the Synagogue of Satan Here is a two-fold knowledge or several acts of one and the same knowledge and far different the one from the other The one is a knowledge of approbation love and complacency the other of hatred and abhorrency Christ knows the works of the church of Smyrna of her tribulation persecution and poverty and loves her and honours her for it Christ also knows the works of her adversaries of blasphemies reproaches and enticements to evil against the true Professors of godliness and not only hates them for it but sets a character of ignominy upon their head for ever for what may be more reproachful or stigmatizing then for those that think themselves somwhat in the church of God that call themselves Jews the keepers of the Oracles and mysteries of God yet indeed to be justly numbred among the disciples of the Synagogue of Satan that is of the divel 's church for the word Synagogue in the Greek signifies so much as Convention Meeting or Church which is commonly used now in the worser sense which was appropriated first chiefly to the Jewish Pharisaical and Priestly meetings and called the Jewish Synagogue but Christians having renounced the name and thing have appropriated to their meetings or conventions a more significant name to wit the Church Ecclesia and leaves the Synagogue to unbelieving Jews Antichrist and the Divel to nourish their Disciples in From Christ taking knowledge with approbation of the works and tribulations of the church of Smyrna see the Notes on v. 2. of this chapter to which I refer But from this verse explained one Note shall be Observ That a poor afflicted and persecuted church of Christ is more dear precious and rich in his eye then all other the potent rich and mighty Societies in the world Christ looks upon the latter but with an eye of common providence as the Sun shineth and shower falleth on the field of the righteous and unrighteous alike herein there is no distinction of love or mercy God equally dispenseth those common gifts equally alike unto all neither is any one to be accounted godly or ungodly elect or reprobate from the abounding or want thereof for some godly have abounded and others have wanted herein But the church of Christ they have distinguishing mercies their afflictions and tears are treasured up in a bottle of remembrance for a reward and crown unto them they are as the apple of his eye his jewels members of his mystical body and therefore must needs be dear unto him for no man ever hated his own flesh for them the world was made and is preserved and continued to this day for their sakes and I dare be bold to affirm if there were none of his elect members on earth the world would soon see its night and period and forthwith relapse to its primitive and everlasting chaos or at least pass away and perish that its place be no more found Christ is still walking amongst those golden Candlesticks viewing their order and takes his delight in those Gardens and Beds of Spices and so gets up early into these Vinyards to see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomgranates bud forth Cant. 7.12 his delight was ever to be with the children of men and takes much pleasure not only in seeing and smelling the savoury exercises and spiritual sacrifices of the more grown christians but also takes much complacency in viewing the growth production and fruitfulness of younger christians and leads them gently by the hand by his doctrine and discipline until at last they are brought unto the Wine-cellars of his love where he bids them to take their fill of love but by the way comforts them with apples and stays them with flaggons till at last he bring them home unto himself purified and cleansed by the purgatory of afflictions and tribulations as gold seven times tryed by the fire of the Chymister The genuine use of this is to demonstrate the danger of persecution of Christ's members or churches to all persons in the world They are his members and in as much as it is done to one of them it is done unto himself and better a milstone were hanged about the neck of such offenders and cast into the Sea then to offend one of his little ones The reasons that Christ's churches though afflicted scorned or persecuted are so dear and precious to him are First Because they are his Members and it is most natural to love ones self for he that loves not himself cannot love another and we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Secondly Because of their graces and unction we having received all of his fulness grace for grace and of the same anointing with himself though in an
God if we were not of his family he would leave us alone to run on in our own perverse ways until destruction and hell overwhelmed us Be zealous therefore and repent What zeal is see formerly on the fifteenth and sixteenth verses Christ in the former verse prescribed the remedy to the church of Laodicea for her disease and here he adviseth to the application of it Be zealous be fervent be hot cast away thy half mongrel Religion which is neither hot nor cold Purge out O England thy Romish leven that makes thee hang even half way between heaven and hell between Christ and Antichrist Be zealous and repent O Laodicea cast out O England thy pretended riches honours and preferments which works a conceit in thee that thou art rich whiles thou art but beggarly and naked and buy gold tryed of the fire of Christ and true honours from him and that white rayment of his righteousness and of his holy Spouse in her external offices and ordinances which will make thee truly honourable beautiful rich and comly Be zealous I say and fervent hot after those precious jewels and spiritual riches and repent of thy former follies and vain conceits and then thou wilt be wise to purpose and become as a Lilly among the Thorns and the fairest of all thy Sisters Vers 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Christ adds here another motive to the poor blinde Laodiceans to come unto him for gold for white rayment for eye-salve to supply all their wants which is drawn from his willingness and readiness to come in and converse with all such that are but willing to receive him and to close with him and therefore he tells them Behold I stand at the door and knock Christ comes as one desiring to have entrance he knocks first that they may know to whom it is that they must open Christ coming in his first grace is irresistable and as the strong man dispossesses Satan and takes possession of the house the soul by a spiritual force and over-powering hand But if the soul after faith received by its own sloth remisness or backsliding shall shut the door or entrance thereof against the kindly operations of Christ and his Spirit Christ is not obliged to break up the door of that heart again by violence as at his first coming in unto it but will come and call and knock for entrance that is will wait with mercies with providences with precepts commands with exhortations and reproofs that if possible to melt the straying and erring soul into compunction and to open again unto him that the King of glory may enter in From which posture of Christ Observe Observ That Christ uses all possible means for the reclaiming and regaining erring souls into the ways of life He comes as it were a supplicant at their doors and desires them to give entrance to him He stands and knocks he waits and waits long and calls and calls again by divers and various ways of mercies and grace he puts them in minde of his former loving kindnesses and how ready he is to help them if they will but open to him and follow his direction and hearken to his voice Somtimes he shakes his rod over them to bring them to repentance and tells them as many as he loves he rebukes and chastens somtimes he invites them by mercies and gracious considerations to return unto him then again he takes the terrors of the Law to make them see their danger if they continue obstinate unto his calls and lastly he sends his Ambassadours with precept upon precept and line upon line beseeching in Christ's name the straying souls to return unto him Christ will never be wanting to them unless they be wanting unto themselves Quest But why does not Christ himself use his force and open the door himself by his Spirits power to these poor Laodiceans Is not he the great Key-bearer of David who openeth and no man shutteth and if he would but speak the word he need not stand knocking at their doors they would fly open to him that he might enter in I answer 1. 'T is true At Christ's first entring into the soul our base natures are so resistable and abhorrent to the work of grace that he must come by force by a spiritual force with his Key of David to unlock the doors of our hearts if he will have an entrance thereinto But secondly Having first shed abroad his first grace into our hearts then he commands us to work in the power of that grace to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Having received the promises saith the Apostle clense your selves from all filthiness 2 Cor. 7.1 and Christ puts us then upon doing that we may stir up our graces improve our talents and become active growing and fruitful christians and on this account Christ here knocks at the door of the hearts of the church of Laodicea and bids her to hearken to his voice and ro open to him She had received the first grace of faith from Christ or else she could not be numbred among the seven golden candlesticks though she was a sad disorderly and rusty one yet she was a church of Christ still and therefore might very well be commanded to set her power and grace a working to open unto Christ the operations of whose Spirit she had shut out and quenched by her uneven carriage and luke-warm temper Thirdly and in the last place Know that Laodicea had not quite shut the door to Christ as unto the operation of his graces she was a church of Christ though a luke-warm one but she had shut the door and denied him passage in some of his Ordinances by which Christ usually and ordinarily enters she had shut the door unto a true spiritual Ministery Discipline orderly calls and regular dispensing of his Ordinances and instead thereof entertains a formal lazy indifferent luke-warm Ministery State-discipline Officers and calls and so all Ordinances are brought to the scantling of the will of man not of God or of Christ and so makes up a mongrel Hermaphroditical worship part of God's and part of man's which indeed is purely neither God's nor man's and therefore an abomination both to God and man She had shut this door and way of entrance against Christ as some of our churches has done this day and therefore Christ comes and knocks and how By the Ministery of his Word and faithful Witnesses And as John was sent with an Epistle in his hand to Laodicea and the rest of the delinquent Asian churches so Christ sends his faithful Teachers and Prophets with a burden in their mouths against all such false worship and doctrine to unshut the doors if it may be that the King of glory may enter in Use From the discoursed premisses it plainly appears That this Scripture