and everlasting Covenant Matt. 26. 28. Heb. 10. 29. 13. 20. 9. 15 16. Those great and precious promises appertaining to Life and godliness yea to this life and that to come are not only assured by the word of God and confirmed by his Oath which yet are two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye and therefore might quicken and encourage lukewarm ones to flee for refuge to lay hold on that hope set before them but actually made firme by the blood of the Testatour who is also in the virtue thereof raised and as the forerunner entred into Heaven and is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament they which are called may receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance He Mediateth and maketh Intercession for the taking away the iniquities of those that come to God by him and that the contents of that Covenant may be dispensed to them according to their needs and capacities God hath promised and Christ hath actually said and is the Amen to them Rev. 1. 18. Heb. 8. 6. and 9. 15. It may seem in that Jesus Christ doth first describe himself by this title of the Amen that these likewarme ones did not keep in believing remembrance the promises and the firmeness and immutability of them and certainty of their performance according to the tenour of them being ratified by such precious blood and ascertained by such a faithful and true witness and therefore they grew sluggish remiss and indifferent and there was a great abatement of their former fervency either fearing they should be left in sufferings or not provided for or dispensed unto according to their wants and therefore to recover them he telleth them his name is the Amen The consideration hereof is powerful to stirr up to diligence and to recover us from our decays to cause us that we shall not be slothful but followers diligent followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 10 20. To strengthen us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and to consider one another to provoke to love and good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together Heb. 10. 22 25. To ingage us to come out from amongst men and to be separate and not touch the unclean thing but to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 7. 1. if these exceeding great and precious promises given to the Apostles to minister and ministred by them in and with the glorious Gospel be in us received and entertained by us and abound if they be suffered to dwell richly in us and to have their perfect work so as we limit them not nor hold them in unrighteousness they make us that we shall not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ They will provoke us to flee from and escape the corruption that is in the world thorow lust and besides giving all diligence thereto they will inable and stir us up to add to our faith virtue courage zeal resolution of spirit magnanimity to be as bold as lions and to virtue knowledg that we may use our fervour and zeal aright and that not about meat and drink and days and places and gestures in which the kingdome of God consisteth not but in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints and to knowledg temperance to have sober thoughts of our selves of our knowledg vertue parts gifts attainments and to be temperate in our use of and exercise about the things of this world in which there may be excess and in our joys and griefs thereabout and to temperance patience patiently continuing in well doing in faith in virtue in knowledg in temperance c. Patiently induring whatever reproches and persecutions we may meet with in walking in Christ and in the exercise of those efficacies of his grace and resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for him and to patience godliness worshipping him in the spirit and rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh and imitating and following him as dear children according to the light and instructions of his grace and to godliness brotherly kindness loving the brethren with delightful and peculiar manner of love not pretending we are right worshippers of God while we are without brotherly kindness to those borne of him For every one that loveth him that begat loveth them also that are begotten of him For if a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen and to brotherly kindness charity that free manner of love which is exercised towards others not because of somewhat lovely and amiable in them but from an higher reason and motive even from the constraining operation of the love of God in Christ and thence to have fervent charity among our selves and to love all men To these things will these precious promises confirmed by such precious blood enliven and quicken us if they be suffered to dwell richly in us for hereby we shall be made partakers of the Divine nature in union and fellowship with it interest in it usefulness of it and conformity to it 2 Pet. 1. 4 9. Oh exercise we our selves to godliness to Christ who is the root and fundation of godliness for it is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. with chapt 3. 16. Oh! how effectual were the promises with the Patriarchs in former times when they were not so confirmed as now to make them forsake their Countrey Kindred and Fathers house To confess themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth c. These believed caused Abraham the Father of the faithful not to consider his own body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to performe and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who hath performed the promise made to the fathers in raising Christ from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Gen. 12. 1 3. Heb. 11. 13 16. Rom. 4. 16 25. with Act. 13. 32 33. Heb. 11. 17 19. The Apostle Paul to recover the Galatians from their wandrings setteth before them that Christ is the Amen to him the promises are made and in him confirmed and with him assured to those that receive him so as in being Christ's they are Abraham's seed and Heits according
amongst the Jews did falsly accuse Christ with being a vicious person the men of that generation those who were the men of the times then they said of the Son of Man Behold a gluttonous person and a wine bibber a friend of Publicanes and sinners But saith he Wisdom is justified of all her Children All the Children of Christ and the Gospel know that this is but a slander Luk. 7. 31-35 Matt. 11. 16-19 There is no other Doctrine besides that so sheweth the vileness of sin and necessity of our being washed therefrom in the blood of Christ as doth this Doctrine of the Gospel For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Titus 2. 11-14 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Rom. 5. 18. with chap. 6. 1-3 But this slander of theirs is the issue of their ignorance and prejudice and what better fruit can be expected from such evil and bitter roots 3. This instruction may also shew unto us the great evil of those that deny that Christ hath died for all and by the grace of God tasted death for every man for these render it impossible for the greatest part of men to be made partakers of that darable riches and righteousness in Christ The Doctrine of the Gospel maketh the gate unto life strait enough and yet no straiter then is needful But these shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men and neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that are entring to enter The little finger of this Doctrine is heavier then the loyns of the Gospel to the greatest part of man kind Nay indeed as with respect to one part of men there is no straitness in the gate at all and with reference to the other and greatest part there is no gate open for them at all were their doctrines as true as they are counted by many But these herein are false witnesses of God and like the evil spies that brought an evil report upon the Land of Canaan and thereby discouraged the hearts of many of their brethren Take we heed and beware of those evil and pernicious doctrines that cause to err from the words of knowledg and way of truth 4. Seeing we cannot have these heavenly commodities without buying in selling all that we have let us so seriously consider the excellency of them that we may be made willing to let go all things as loâ—s and dung 〈◊〉 for the excellency of the knowledg of them that we may be made partakers of them For the great and eternal worth and excellency of these considered will make this yoke easy ano this burden light And this leadeth us to the last instruction propounded to be considered by us viz. 4. That to the end the wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked may buy this gold tried in the fire and this white raiment here commended to us it is good and neeful for them that they anoint their eyes with eye salve that they may see This though the last mentioned and counselled unto is surely needful to the former for without knowledg the soul cannot be good Prov. 19. 2. How should any man so highly prize any commodity as to part with all his substance for it that seeth no worth or excellency in it And how should Christ's Angels and Churches part with all they have for those heavenly treasures if they see no beauty in them why they should desire them There is no earnest desire after or high prizing of that which we are ignorant of and see no worthiness in Now then in this Instruction here propounded we shall speak unto these three things contained therein which may be usefully and profitably considered by us As to say 1. That Christ's Angels and Churches may be blind and ignorant of the excellency of Christ and those treasures in him 2. That there is eye-salve prepared for such blind ones also wherewith anointing their eyes they may see 3. That to the end they buy Christ and that in him it is neeful they anoint their eyes herewith that they may see 1. That Christ's Angels and Churches may so depart from him as to become blind and ignorant of the excellency of Christ and of those treasures hid in him Thus it appeareth here in this place in which our Lord saith to the Angel Thou art blind and counselleth every one that hath an ear to hear what the spirit saith to the Churches as intimating this was spoken to them all for their admonition and that it might so befall them also if they did not look diligently lest they failed of or fell from the grace of God God's people may become foolish and not know him they may be sottish children and have no understanding Jer. 4. 22. Yea the Pastours may become brutish and not seek the Lord. Jer. 10. 19-21 The blindness here spoken of is not the being destitute of natural or artificial wisdom the wisdom of this world for this men may have and yet be sufficiently blind in this consideration we have to speal of for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 3. 19. and chap. 1. 18-21 But the blindness here spoken of is a being without the wisdom that is from above a being destitute of spiritual understanding And so this Angel was blind if not wholly yet in a great measure and in so great a measure as that our Saviour the wisdom of God signifieth that he was blind Those that are watchmen amongst God's people and who have high conceits of themselves for knowledg and piety may yet have their eyes blinded with darkness His watchmen saith the Lord are blind they are all ignorant there may be blind guides blind leaders of the blind and how sad is it when it is thus Then surely their leaders cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Isa 56. 10. 3. 12. 9. 16. Matt. 15. 14. 23. 24. Jer. 2. 8. This Angel and Church might be in such a condition as the Apostle Peter speaketh of when he saith He that lacketh these things to wit these great and precious promises ministred in and with the Gospel he in whom these are not and abound not dwell not richly so as he addeth not to his faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity such an one is blind and cannot see afarr off he is poreblind He may see some things near hand but he is so blind he cannot see these things afarr off he cannot see within the vail he cannot see into Heaven where Christ is nor those things above where he sitteth Deut. 30. 11 12.
this White raiment here commended to us Possibly this might cause Laodicea to be so Lukewarm and so much to shut the door against Christ and deny or refuse entertainment to him though he had stood at the door and still did knock vers 20. and however certain it is that not only our righteousness and our works shall not profit us Isa 57. 12. But it is hurtful also and hindereth from coming unto Christ being confided in it filleth men so with pride and boasting Rom. 3. 27. as that it leadeth men not only to despise and undervalue others and to say to them stand by thy self come not near unto me for I am holier then thou Luk. 18. 9-11 Isa 65. 5. but also to reject or not to accept of God's righteousness which is prepared in Christ for all and manifested so to be in the doctrine of Christ Rom. 3. 20-22 So much the Apostle giveth us to understand when he saith the Jews who had a Zeal of God yet seeking to establish a righteousness to themselves they submitted not humbled not themselves to the righteousness of God Rom. 9. 30-33 10. 2 3. with Jam. 4. 6 7. 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. This was that which was an impediment to the Pharisees and hindered them from coming to Christ they thought and conceited themselves to be whole and then they needed not a Physician Mark 2. 17. they had a righteousness and appeared righteous before men and knowing themselves hereby they were letted from coming to Christ Yea the Publicans and Harlots entred into the Kingdom â—f Heaven before them Nay they were the greatest enemies and most fierce opposers of Christ and his Gospel of any persons whatsoever and shut up the Kingdom of God against others neither entring in themselves nor suffering others that were entring to enter Matt. 5. 20. 21. 33 34. â—3 27 28. with vers 13. What a great enemy was Saul who had his life in his own works of righteousness to Christ and his Gospel He verily thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and was exceedingly mad against the Gospel and its declarers He was concerning zeal persecuting the Church and concerning the righteousness of the Law blameless But after the kindness and love of God to man ward appeared to him he did count all but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus his Lord that he might gain him and be found in him not having his own righteousness which was of the Law but the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousness of God by faith We must suffer the circumcising efficacy of the grace of God to cut off this foreskin of the heart or otherwise we shall not be of the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. 1-4-7-9 10. Matt. 13. 44. Gal. 2. 16. 3. 10-12 1 Cor. 1. 29 31. We must also abstain from and mortify our desires of the praise honour and glory of this World and of their favour friendship and approbation for this is a very great hinderance from coming unto and following after Jesus Christ from heartily believing in and confessing him How can ye believe saith our Saviour which receive honour or glory one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5. 40-44 While men are set for the praise and reputation of men and of them who have a form of godliness denying the power thereof they dare not they cannot singly cleave to the Lord lest they should displease and lose their favour This friendship of the World is spiritual uncleanness and enmity with God as the Apostle signifieth when he saith Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world of the prophane ones or of the Saints thereof is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World he is the enemy of God Jam. 4. 4 5. Truly if a man will be a Disciple and follower of Jesus Christ He shall be hated of all men and have his name cast out as evil for the son of man's sake And that not only by profane ones but by many that appear righteous towards men yea by such as have a zeal of God but not according to knowledg Therefore that a man may come after Jesus Christ needful it is that he go out of the Camp bearing his reproch and be willing to be made the filth and off-scouring of all things Luk. 6. 22 23-26 Rom. 8. 28 29. with Isa 52. 13. 1 Cor. 4. 9-13 Heb. 11. 24-26 13. 12. This desire of vain glory is inconsistent with walking in the Spirit Hence the Apostle saith If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit let us not be desirous of vain glory Gal. 5. 24-26 And this will hinder from confessing Christ as it did the rulers who believed on Christ but did not confess him for they loved the praise and glory of men rather then the praise of God Joh. 12. 42 43. The grace of God must be therefore so received as to cut off this lust and desire that we may cleave to the Lord with full purpose and follow him in the regeneration He is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. 29. We must also part with abstain from and mortify our covetousness our love of money and the riches of this World for this is a very hurtful and pernicious affection and lust of the flesh and is therefore to be mortified by us that we may seek Christ and those things that are above where he sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. 1-5 It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle then for a man that loveth and trusteth in his riches to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mark 10. 21-24 25. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15-17 Money is also one of the great Idols of the World and the loving and lusting after that is the worshipping of an Idol Covetousness is idolatry and the covetous man is an Idolater Ephes 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. Yea this love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 9-11 Matt. 6. 24. Needful therefore it is to be fled from us that we may be made partakers of Christ and that rich and inriching provision that is prepared of God for us in him Luk. 12. 15. Psal 119. 36 37. Yea we must mortify and abstain from our inordinate affection to our nearest and dearest relations and to our natural lives also that we may rightly come unto and be made partakers of and follow
follow after if that they may apprehend that for which also they are apprehended of Christ Jesus They count not themselves to have apprehended c. Phil. 3. 11-16 Yea the nearer the light they come the more they see their vileness readiness to halt insufficiency to any thing that is good uncleanness and pollution so that they even abhorr themselves in dust and ashes and cry out as persons undone because of their great uncleanness and manifold defilements Their comeliness is even turned into corruption and they retain no strength at all 2 Cor. 3. 5. Psal 38. 17-19 Job 40. 4 5. 42. 5 6. Isa 6. 3-5 Dan. 10. 8-16 17. Rev. 1. 17. As persons made sensible of their shortness of the knowledge of him and conformity unto him they cry out Open our eyes give us understanding teach us thy law graciously unite our hearts to fear thy name Wash us throughly from all our iniquities c. Psal 119. 18-20 33. 34-37 129 130. 130. 7 8. 86. 7. It is therefore an evidence without controversy of mens great blindness and ignorance when they have such an overweening conceit of themselves and of their knowledge fulness and sufficiency of their goodness and uprightness as had this Angel and Church Such persons are like to the Pharisees of old who were very pure in their own eyes and had some kind of righteousness and appeared righteous before men They had very high thoughts of themselves as if they where whole and knowing persons and needed nothing hence some of them say are we blind also As if it were an hainous thing to suppose so of them Job 9. 40. And one of them in speaking to Christ saith Master thus saying thou reprochest us also As if it were a reproch to them to be suspected as or reproved for being guilty of such evils as were justly charged upon them Luk. 11. 44 45. Thus also it is with many persons that have had some understanding of the grace of God in Christ to mankind as they begin to lessen and abate in their love to and esteem of Christ so together here-with they think unsoberly of themselves and are puffed up with conceits of their knowledge integrity and upright-heartedness when as indeed this is nothing else then the fruit and evidence of their blindness and ignorance Nay generally such as deserve most to be reproved and blamed and who give too frequently occasion to the adversary to speak reprochfully of that worthy name called upon them they are the forwardest in proclaiming their own goodness and most tender of their reputation and most incensed against such as are seeking and pursuing their good As if the God of this world had blinded their minds that they might the more securely go on to their own destruction And surely as hath been said such like goodly thoughts of themselves as were found with this Angel and Church are an evident demonstration that they are blind and professing themselves to be full and wise they become still more foolish and brutish And expose themselves to that great judgment of being spued out of the mouth of Christ And this consideration that Christ's Angels and Churches may after they have been inlightned into the knowledge of the truth become blind again as it sared with this Angel and Church may be of usefulness to us all 1. To admonish us not therefore to follow any as our guides because they are of the Church of Christ yea though they are Angels therein for it is possible though their eyes have been opened yet by letting slip what they have heard they may become blind again And if the blind lead the blind both will fall into the ditch Matt. 15. 14. Nay it is certain they are blind if they be grown lukewarm and remiss and sit loose from Christ or shut him out and together herewith are lifted up with pride and high thoughts of their knowledge fullness attainments Concerning such it may be said hearken not to the words of these Prophets they make you vain they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Jer. 23. 15 16. When once the vision of all is unto them as the words of a book that is sealed and they have no knowledge of or delight in it When Christ who is therein witnessed of and lifted up is disallowed and sleighted by them and they conceit themselves well enough without him it is a certain evidence and sign that they are blind their eyes are covered and closed and how should we then safely follow them Isa 28. 12-16 29. 9-11 Let us remember them who have spoken unto us the word of the Lord and follow their faith unto whom Christ is precious and consider them the end of whose conversation in all they are exercised unto is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and for ever Heb. 13. 7-9 2. Seeing they may become blind who have been inlightened into the knowledge of the truth let us examine our selves and search and try our hearts and ways whither it be not so with us These things are written for our instruction and learning upon whom the ends of the world are come Let us not think we have ever the more a good understanding because we think and say we are rich but rather suspect our selves if such a vain thought lodge within us For if any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know But if any man love God in Christ if his heart cleave unto him with full purpose the same is known and owned of him 1 Cor. 8. 1-3 There is indeed a great boast of knowledge in the world in these last days and men have high conceits of themselves and of their riches and fullness but Oh that notwithstanding their crying up of their knowledge and the goodness of their condition it appear not at last that they are blind and foolish and destitute of love to Christ and that gold and white raiment which he hath to sell Yea let us all be jealous of our selves and let us not be high-minded but fear Doubtless if once we think we are Lords and come not continually unto Christ we are not such persons as we conceive our selves to be but darkness hath blinded our eyes And if we be convinced it be thus with us and to the end we may know what condition we are in 3. Be we all exhorted to listen to the counsel here given unto us by this wise and gracious counsellour to wit let us anoint our eyes with Eye-salve that we may see And that we may so do is to be seen in the next place viz. 2. That there is Eye-salve also prepared for them that are blind wherewith anointing their eyes they may see We have seen before that there is gold tried in the fire for those that are wretched and miserable and poor And white raiment for naked ones wherewith they may be clothed so as
While we behold this Gold this enriching Gold and see and consider how it hath been tried in the fire and how proper it is to make us truly rich and how certainly and infallibly it enricheth them that have it this is apt and powerful to draw the love and heart thereto and to cause us to covet after it As it is a powerful Cord to us naturally to draw our hearts to the riches of this world to behold and see them with our eyes As he confessed who said When I saw two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold then I coveted them and took them Josh 7. 21. 1 John 2. 15 16. So when we see in this Glass this excellent Gold the price whereof is above Rubies yea above all the riches of this world it is a forceable motive to engage our hearts to seek to be made partakers hereof If thou knewest the gift of God saith our Saviour and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst ask c. John 4. 10. How did the knowledge and consideration of this better and enduring substance in Heaven make the Hebrews willing in the days of their first Illumination to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods and to endure reproch and shame and to be companions of them that were shamefully intreated Heb. 10. 32-34 What blessedness did the Galatians speak of And how did they turn from idols to God And how ready would they have been if it had been possible to have plucked out their eyes and given them unto them that were instruments of preaching Christ unto them when he was evidently set forth before their eyes in the testimony of Jesus They were willing then to part with all for his sake Gal. 3. 1. 4. 13-15 And was it not the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that made the Apostle willing to suffer the loss of all things even of those things also that formerly were gainful to him and to count them but dung that he might gain him and be found in him Phil. 3. 7-9 And to this very end That a nation he knew not and nations that knew not him might run unto him he saith Behold me behold me As intimating That the seeing and beholding him is very powerful and prevalent to overcome and perswade us to close with and embrace him Isa 55. 5. 65. 1. And so the beholding and seeing this White Raiment and the excellent and useful nature and property thereof is proper and powerful to incline us to seek that we may have it that we may be clothed therewith that so the shame of our nakedness may not appear Josh 7. 21. Phil. 3. 4-9 Doubtless the beholding with the eyes of the understanding that plenteousness of Redemption in him even the forgiveness of our sins those Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge hid in him that everlasting Righteousness brought in by and treasured in him that eternal Redemption obtained by his Bloud that fulness of Grace Truth Spirit and all things pertaining to life and godliness prepared in him that Eternal Life given us in him As these things are discovered to us in the testimony and his compleat and unparallell d comeliness and amiableness by means hereof it would enamour our hearts on him and inflame us with love to him and even make us sick of Love and unsatisfied in our desires till we more know him win him and be found in him yea till we see as we are seen and know as we are known and be ever with him Cant. 5. 10-16 2. 3 5. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun Eccles 11. 7. But how much more pleasant and alluring is it to behold this Pearl of great price this Sun of Righteousness this Robe of Salvation this excellent one who is fairer then the children of men yea who is the true God and eternal life And how powerful is the sight of him to keep us from our sins and idols 1 John 5. 20 21 So also the seeing our sins and idols as discovered in his Cross and Testimony is very powerful to move us to cast them away and part with them as hath been also in part signified before There sin is rendred most abundantly sinful and our idols most evidently unprofitable and vain Hence the Apostle saith Whosoever abideth in Christ in the sight and knowledge of him as appeareth by the opposition sinneth not Though sin be in him and moving for service yet he doth not commit it He doth not willingly yield up his mind or members to the service thereof And on the other hand Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him He hath not anointed his eyes with this Eye-salve that he might see nor seen with his eyes as thus anointed He that doth evil hath not seen God 1 John 3. 6 8. 3 John 11. He that seeth and abideth in the sight of the end wherefore he was manifested to wit to take away our sins and of his faithfulness therein for in him is no sin he that beholdeth and considereth the bitter Cup Christ drank off and the shameful cruel accursed death he died for our sins who was the Son of God to the end he might redeem us from all iniquity and what a Fountain he is become in whom is all forgiveness righteousness rest refreshing washing and cleansing eternal life c. Such an one is preserved from sowing to and siding with that sin that dwelleth in him he getteth an escape and fleeth from the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2. 20. So much the Apostle James also signifieth when he saith Whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth he being not a forgetful hearer of the word but a doer of the works this man shall be blessed in his deed The man that continueth looking in this Glass this Testimony of Jesus is a doer he layeth apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness as it is discovered and made to swim aloft Jam. 1. 21-25 This truth known maketh him free from the bondage and slavery of his sins John 8. 31-33 And he is made willing by these arguments contained in the Gospel to sell and part with his iniquities and abominations Rom. 6. 1-3 And so also in beholding Christ crucified and looking upon the Cross of Christ which he hath endured and overcome and the glory which there-thorow he hath received a man may be broken off from his idols The world the wisdom righteousness riches honour glory pomp and splendour favour and friendship customs and fashions of the world is crucified unto such an one as is thus exercised through the Cross of Christ Gal. 6. 14. So as he keepeth himself from those idols 1 John 5. 20 21. Thus when the Apostles preached Christ to men and he was received and beheld in his Gospel by them they then turned to God from
And what may he not perswade those that are in ignorance to do And whither may he not lead them Through ignorance he prevailed with the Jews to prefer a murderer before the Prince of life and at last to kill him with wicked hands Acts 3. 14 15 17. 1 Cor. 2. 8. Through ignorance Saul was a Persecutour blasphemer and injurious and verily thought he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus Acts 26. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Through ignorance men worship stocks and stones and prefer vain things before Christ and those durable and most excellent treasures hid in him and are enemies unto and haters of him and of those that call upon his name Isa 44. 17-20 45. 20-22 John 15. 18-22 16. 1-3 Through ignorance men are establishing a righteousness to themselves Rom. 10. 2 3. Yea not to inlarge hereto while men are blind they are in a condition to sleight Christ and to follow all that is evil according to their proper inclination and to prefer their sins and idols before him When the Apostle giveth us an account of the sadness of the condition of himself and others before the Grace of God was received by them he first telleth us they were foolish Tit. 3. 3. As intimating to us that that leadeth to all that is evil This was doubtless a great cause of the evil found with this Angel and Church of undervaluing Christ and preferring other things before him to wit their blindness they had in a great measure lost or let go the knowledge and sight of Christ and of all other things as discovered in him which sometimes they had had All which shew unto us in some measure why it is needful for us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may see And this instruction as thus spoken to may be usefully considered by us 1. To shew unto us the great evil and sad judgment of them who endeavour to bring men into and keep them in blindness and ignorance these are not like-minded after the example of our Lord Jesus who instructeth the blind to anoint their eyes that they may see nor like the Apostles who instructed the Believers to adde to their faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 6 3. 18. and endeavoured their helpfulness hereto But they are rather like to those thieves spoken of against whom the Lord was and is who did steal away his word every one from his neighbour Jer. 23. 29 30. Or like unto them unto whom our Saviour saith Wo unto you Lawyers For ye have taken away the key of knowledge Ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in Ye hindred Luke 11. 52. They serve Satan's design and do his lusts 2. It sheweth unto us the wickedness and abominableness of that saying That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion It may be indeed the Mother of that which they call Devotion to wit of their Idolatry and Superstition But of that which is true Devotion and Religion it is not but an enemy thereto and that which keepeth men there-from When the Believers to whom the Apostle Peter writeth were in darkness they then walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquetings and abominable idolatries 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. with Chapter 4. 3 4. 3. And let it exhort us all to cry after knowledge and to lift up our voice for understanding and to apply our eyes to Gods testimony and not let that depart from them that we may look to Christ that we may be enlightened and our faces may not be ashamed Prov. 2. 1-6 4. 1-8 8. 10 11. 16. 16. I shall adde no more to this but to pray God to give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ to open the eyes of our understanding and to reveal Christ to us and there-through to make us willing for the excellency of the knowledge of him to suffer the loss of all things and to count them but dung that we may win him and be found in him and abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Even so Amen Amen December 19. 1670. The End
NEEDFUL COUNSEL FOR Lukewarm Christians BEING A CONSIDERATION OF Some part of the Message sent to the ANGEL OF THE CHURCH in LAODICEA By CHARLES PHELPES a Servant of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of the Grace of God to Mankind PROV 19. 20 21. Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou maiest be wise in thy latter end There are many devices in a mans heart nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand LONDON Printed for Benjamin Southwood at the Starr next to Sergeants-Inn in Chancery Lane 1672. TO THE READER THough this Epistle a part whereof is spoken to in the ensuing Treatise was directly and expresly sent to the Angel and Church in Laodicea yet it also as well as the rest of the Messages or Epistles was spoken by the holy Spirit unto the Churches in general and therefore every one that hath an ear is exhorted and called upon to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 22. And it is therefore of concernment for others for all that have received the Word of the beginning of Christ to mind and consider what is reproved and faulted in this Angel and Church what is threatned to them and the counsel given by the Amen to cure their distemper and prevent the judgement It is possible that other Angels and Churches and particular persons who have formerly been called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and who have received the word of God as it is in truth the word of God may also suffer a decay of those things that have been wrought in them by the glorious Gospel and grow remiss heartless and indifferent as it fared with this Angel and Church and as our Saviour hath premonished that because iniquity should abound the love of many would wax cold Matt. 24. 12. And especially toward the time of the end he hath foretold us there would be a generall security in such as are of his Churches and people in such as profess to wait for and attend his coming as he signifieth in that parable of his mentioned Matt. 25. 1-5 In which he saith not as in many other Parables The kingdom of Heaven is like c. But Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened by those therein unto Ten Virgins which went forth to meet the Bridegroom And while the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept They did not with zeal and fervency hear Christ watching daily at at his Gates waiting at the posts of his doors that they might find him as his grace instructeth and is operating in those that have it and yield up themselves to it Prov. 8. 34. 35. But in too great a measure were grown slothful heartless and secure And surely this is written and recorded for our admonition and warning upon whom the ends of the world are come to the intent we might give such earnest and diligent heed to the things we have heard the word of Christ which is as a fire that our hearts might burn within us and be inflamed with love to him and filled with such an high prizing of him and the unsearchable riches of him as to sell and forgo all we have for the excellency of him and them that we may gain him and be found in him Luk. 24. 26 27 32. Jer. 23. 29. Seeing then that it is possible and may so come to pass that others yea any who have received the grace of God may become Lukewarm and neither hot nor cold and may go backward and not forward Jer. 7. 24. If they abid not in Christ Jesus as they have received him it is good and needful for us all to examine our selves in the light of the Lord and search our hearts and ways that we may see and discern what manner of persons we are and what discovery the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ maketh of us Let us not rest contented in any good thoughts we may have of our selves For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Nor let us conclude that we are in a good condition because others may think well and speak highly of us that are our brethren and companions for a man may have a name among the Churches that he liveth and yet be dead Rev. â— â— But let every man prove and approve his own work and then shall he have his rejoycing in himself alone and not in another not in another's good thought or opinion of him Gal. 6. 4. We may have run well in former times we may have run from all our own things unto Christ and followed him through good report and bad report and yet now be letted and hindered from that fervent demeanour and exercise our selves Gal. 5. 7 8. We may have been called unto Christ and called according to purpose and yet again be removed from him that called us into the grace of Christ Gal. 1. 6. We may have gone after him in the Wilderness as it were and yet now go far from him and walk after vanity and become vain and so grieve him and his good spirit by whom we have been called to the knowledge of the truth Jer. 2. 2-5 Let us not then be high minded but fear Let us noâ— say inâ—â—ur hearts our mountain is so setled that we can never be moved our hearts have been and are so upright with him and close cleaving to him that we cannot depart from him But let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. And come we to the light that our selves and deeds may be made manifest and discovered Joh. 3. 20 21. That if this loathsome iniquity of Lukewarmness be with us we may cleanse our selves there-from lest we provoke him who is slow to anger to abhor us and to sp 〈…〉 out of his mouth And be we well assured of this that if once we entertain and retain such high and unsober thoughts of our selves and of our attainments and injoyments as to say We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and so shut the door upon and against Christ Jesus and suffer him to stand and knock thereas we shall but deceive our selves if we imagine we are free from this nauseous distemper we may then be confident that blindness hath happened to us in some yea in a great measure and may upon sure grounds judge and conclude our selves to be like to this Angel and Church and fear he will deal with us as he threatneth to do to these if we continue and persist in our high thoughts of our selves For Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty Spirit before a fall Prov. 16. 18. He will save the afflicted humbled people those who are poor in spirit who have nothing to glory in before God but the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified But his eyes are upon the haughty that he may bring them down 2 Som. 22. 28. 1 Cor. 1. 29-31 Oh! Let
us not lift up our selves in our doings knowledge attainments for we have cause sufficient to take shame to our selves that we are so barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Nor let us think our selves or others to be any whit the better because of our thinking or speaking highly of our selves but rather suspect our selves and know that this is an evidence and cause of our Lukewarmness We may say the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we and yet steal from and defraud others and commit adultery c. Jer. 7. 4-10 We may boast that our hearts are right and cry come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts and depart from and destroy inferiour Idols and yet serve Golden ones 2 Kings 10. 15 16 25. 29. We may speak one to another and say come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth out of the mouth of the Lord and may come unto his Servants and Prophets as the people cometh and sit before them as God's people and hear his words and the word of his servants may be unto us as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument and yet we may not do what we hear but our hearts may go after our covetousness Ezek. 33. 30-32 We may come into God's presence and stand and pray with our selves as being so holy that others may not come near us God We thank thee we are not like other men and yet those we separate from may be justified rather then we Luk. 18. 11-14 We may know we have knowledge and yet know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 1-3 We may boast that we are rich and full and yet be so carnal that God's servants cannot speak to us as unto spiritual ones 1 Cor. 4. 8. with chap. 3. 1-5 We may bestow all our goods to feed the poor and give our bodies to be burned and yet not have charity and so it may profit us nothing 1 Cor. 13. 3. We may plead that we have prophesied in Christ's name and in his name have cost out Devils and in his name done many wonderful works and yet not be built upon the rock which is Christ and so be rejected in conclusion Matt. 7. 22-27 We may glory in our building of Temples for God and yet forget our maker and count the great things of his Law strange things to us Isa 66. 1 2 3. Hos 8. 12-14 Oh! take we heed of seeking our own glory or boasting of our selves or of any of our own things before him though we may be in any measure perfect or so graciously reputed yet let us not know our own souls thereby Job 9. 20 21. Though we be righteous yet let us not lift up our heads Job 10. 15. Though we know nothing by our selves yet know we we are not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4. 4. And be we well assured that when we cry we are full and come not continually unto Christ as the onely foundation of faith fountain of grace and truth bread of life god tried in the fire robe of righteousness great and fundamental â—itness and evidence of God's love we are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot and deserve to be spued out of his mouth And though in a right examining our selves in the glass of the perfect law of liberty we perceive it to be thus with us and that we deserve to be abhorred of him and to be put away as dross and he is rebuking and chastening us yet notwithstanding consider we as many as he loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth that we may not be discouraged or faiâ—t in our sighing but rather let us anoint our eyes with eye-salve that we may see the excellency of Jesus of his Cross and of what he hath thereby effected and obtained into himself and is become and the vanity and unprofitableness of all other things in comparison of him that we may be zealous and hâ—t in spirit and demeanour and so sake all we have that we may win him and be made partakers of him and of those unsearchable and durable riches and that everlasting righteousness in him for that is his end in all his counsels calls and admonitions yea and in all his rebukes and chastisements while it is the day of his grace and patience It is in love to our souls that he doth rebuke us and order afflictions to us not for his pleasure but for 〈◊〉 that we might be partake s of his holiness Heb. 12. 9-11 Joh. 5. 42-45 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make strait paths for our feet and he will forgive our sins and turn again and have compassion on us for he is gracious and ready to repent him of the evil threatned by him and deserved by us Heb. 12. 10. 13. Joel 2. 1 -12 13. I shall adde no more here having spoken so largely in the following Treatise but to desire thee to consider what is said and what agreeth with the Testimony of Christ receive and hold fast and what swerveth there-from refuse and reject And the Lord give us an understanding in all things and help us so heartily to embrace and retain the word of truth that though now we see not Christ we may love him above all and believing in him may rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls so he desireth who is thy Servant in and for the Lord Charles Phelpes Lyn. Sep. 15. 1671. Needful Counsel c. Rev. 3. 18. I Counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be Rich and white raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see THE Words we see are a gracious needful and instructive Counsel given to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea In which let us consider 1. The Person that counselleth 1 2. The Person or Persons counselled thee 3. The counsel it self I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire c. 1. The person counselling 1 Who is that He is described to us vers 14. and giveth such a descritpion of himself as in which he giveth us to understand that he is excellent and comely for the escape of such as have fallen away by their iniquities and thereby brought themselves into a loathsome condition and deserve and are threatned to be cast forth as abominable branches persisting therein though such have destroyed themselves yet in him is help salvation and recovery for them Vers 14. These things saith the Amen to wit he in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ratified Confirmed Sealed and so made sure even by his precious blood which is the blood of the New Testament