your former faith ye have some kind of love gentleness and meekness yea but it is but a thing formed by the fleshly wisdome and reasoning but not natural from the living spring not such as ye once felt c. for the true and living eye being shut that which is then best or afterwards attained is held but in the dead part and serves but to feed death 4. The great work and design of the enemy of your Souls is not to steal away the bulk of your knowledg or to draw you from ordinances or duties but to steal the life out of your Spirits This I have experimented from my child-hood I might still have knowledg enough of any kind but that which I wanted was life and I was still sick under all the sorts of knowledge that ever I met with and under all ordinances and duties for want of life The Lord had given my soul a taste of true life whereby I became unsatisfied without it and no manner of knowledge or enjoyment could take me up by the way yea when through extremity I seemed willing to be content with any thing yet still my heart was sick after that one thing which alone could truly ease and satisfie it Now if the enemy can but prevail herein to blind the inward eye and steal away the life within he hath enough Then abound as much as thou wilt in knowledg in zeal in duties in ordinances in reading Scriptures praying meditating c. thou art the surer his hereby and so much the better servant to him for how much the richer thou art in knowledge experiences hopes and assurance without the life and power so much the more acceptable and honourable and useful art thou in his kingdome Therefore see where ye are Is the inward eye open in you do ye know the light within surely he that sees by a light within can hardly speak evil of it or hath the enemy by some of his artifices drawn a vail over that eye wherewith ye once saw in some measure O be not slight in a matter of so great weight O please not your selves with the eye of the perishing wisdome with deaths eye and with deaths knowledge of Scriptures and of the Son of God which speaks great words of the fame of true wisdome but is a stranger and enemy to the thing O life is pretious eternal life is pretious To have the word of God abiding in the heart and to feel the true light giving the true life who can set a value on this Ah do not loose your Souls for a trifle for a little such knowledge of Scriptures as the earthly part can gather This I cannot but exceedingly despise although the Scriptures I truly honour for their testimony of that whereby I live if ye see not the way of life by the inward light which alone can shew it ye loose your Souls If the God of the World hath blinded that eye in you what are all your treasures of wisdome and knowledg What are all your hopes and what will become of you All these sparks of your own kindling from Scripture will not secure you from the bed of sorrow O several sorts of professors why will ye dye with the uncircumcised why will ye go down into the pit among them that know not the Lord But what shall I say to this generation The spiritually-wise foreseeth the storm and hideth himself but the spiritually-foollish run on headily and are punished The cloudes have long been gathering but the sick eye cannot discern the signs and seasons of the times and so because judgment comes not as men expected they grow hard and wear off the the sense wherewith they were somewhat affected at the first threatning of it But assuredly both judgment and mercy hasten and they will come and will not tarry For the same Lord God Almighty which confounded the heathens Babel when their sins and vain confidence was ripe which they built to prevent any future floud For though they once had the true knowledg of God from an inward light Rom. 1.21 yet they soon left that not liking to retain God in their knowledge vers. 28. but running out into imaginations and so building a Babel whereby their foolish hearts became darkned to the light which God had made to shine in them which shewed what might be known of God unto them vers. 19. Yea the Lord God which overthrew the Jews Babel which they had built from their knowledg of the Laws and ordinances of Moses and the Scriptures written to them they running out into imaginations also whereby they likewise thought to prevent the overflowing scourge from coming near them Isa. 28.15 The same God will overthrow the Christians Babel which they have built from the Prophets and Apostles words by their own imaginations and conceivings in the high mindedness out of the fear whereby they think to escape the deluge of eternal wrath for their City also shall be thrown down with violence and shall be found no more at all Revel. 18.21 And the great work oâ— this day is to discover the rottenness of their wall and the untemperedness of the morter wherewith they have dawbed it He that readeth let him understand but the uncircumcised in heart and ears cannot THE END
persecuted in the foregoing age and under the profession of those words and practises have hid their spirit of persecution There is a remnant only among Professors to be saved the generallity of them have still been persecuters creeping into the form getting that for a cover upon their backs and then fighting against the life and power O wait on the Lord in his fear that ye may be found worthy to know the persecuted truth on the one hand and the persecuting spirit on the other hand in this day of large profession and also of bitter persecution Now what might be the cause or how could it come to pass that the zealous Worshippers of that age should thus err in their zeal and be thus heady and rash against him whom they looked for to be their Saviour How came they thus to err in vision and stumble in judgment in so weighty a matter Shew unto us the cause that we may see whether the same cause be not in us for undoubtedly if it be it will produce the same effect and so we may ignorantly draw upon our heads the same heavy wrath in our day that they did in their day Answ. The causes were very many I may mention some few of the principal ones which if they be seen into and removed by that power which is able to do it such as are of a more inferiour influence will not be able to stand 1. One cause of their blind zeal and bitterness against Christ was Their ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God If they had known the Scriptures in the true light they could not but have known Christ from whom the Scriptures were given forth And if they had known the power of God they could not but have known him who came in the power yea who was the power They had knowledge enough of both these one way that is in the Letter They knew the words of Scripture they could make large expositions of them they knew what was said in Scripture concerning the power of God but they knew not the thing it self and so turned against it and made use of the words which came from it and testified of it against it 2. A second cause of this their sad miscarriage in their zeal was Their putting the Law and Ordinancee and Writings of the Prophets out of their proper place They exceedingly magnified and cryed them up in that carnal way wherein they apprehended and practised them but understood not the right end and use of them And by these means practising the shadows in the carnal mind they lost the substance which the proper use of the shadows was to have pointed them unto 3. Their high conceits of the goodness of their state in relation to God and of the certainty of their knowledge of the truths of God from Moses and the Prophets They were confident that they knew God aright and that he was their father and that they were his children and people And so Christ appearing in a seeming contrariety to these notwithstanding all his powerful preaching and miracles they made no question but they might boldly conclude him not to be of God 4. Christs coming in a way that they looked not for him They had concluded from the Scriptures how Christ must appear and he coming in a far different manner they could not own him but looked upon him as a Deceiver one that pretended to be Christ but was not like to what the Scripture said of Christ So what the Scripture saith of Christs second coming is hid as much from the carnal eye of professors in this age as what was said concerning his first coming was hid from them in their age and he will steal upon them as a Thief at a time and in a way and after a manner that they expect not 5. Which is the main one and the cause of all the former Because they were from the light within from the true light in their own hearts and consciences The light within is the great Ordinance of God and the proper means to give the knowledge of him 2. Cor. 4.6 without which it was never received under any dispensation for the light that shines abroad or from without can alone be known and received by the light that shines within Christ himself opens this in a Parable The light of the body saith he is the eye if therefore thine eye be single clear without beams or moats thy whole body shall be full of light Mat. 6.22 But if that be evil if that be dark if that be closed by the God of the world all Moses words all the Prophets words yea all Christs and his Apostles words cannot give thee light Can I see the light of the Sun Moon or Stars or of any fire or candle if I have not a natural eye and if that natural eye be not open So neither can I see the light of any dispensation of life if I have not an eye within me open wherewith to see it So that that which gives me the sight of the things of God is the eye which God hath given me By that may be read the eternal power and God-head in the creatures in the Books of Moses and the Prophets in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as the spirit leads and opens Yea the same spirit that opened to these without Books may again open to any of us without Books at his pleasure and will not be limited to Books and we then may read also as they did even within in the spirit and in the immediate life but without this can none of the things of God be read aright Now the God of this world had blinded this eye in the Jews yea they themselves had stopped their ears and closed their eyes c. they would not see this way they would not be converted and healed this way They would keep up the knowledge which they had gathered from Moses and the Prophets without this eye and with that they would see or not at all Thus being from the light within they could not see the place of life within where life is to be received they could not see the wombe of wisdom which is within and so could not enter into it and be born again And being not born of the wisdome how could they justifie the wisdome being not born of the light how could they know or own Christ whose coming and appearance was in the light For that appearance of Christ the life in that body of flesh could not be discerned by all mens wisdome in the letter the Disciples themselves came not so to know it but my Father which is in Heaven hath revealed it to you And mark it the Disciples who were illiterate and not so knowing of the Scriptures that were written of Christ yet they knew Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees which were very skilful in the letter could not know him What was the reason The reason lay in the difference
of the eye or light wherewith they looked the one looked with an outward eye the other with an inward eye And a little inward light wil do that which a great deal of outward light will not do And this I can certainly affirm that all the light that men can gather from the Scriptures cannot give them the knowledge of Christ as he hath appeared in this age nay nor as he hath appeared in any age since the daies of the Apostles but a little true inward light will give the knowledge of this thing and open those Scriptures infallibly in its season which all the Generations of wise and learned men have been controverting and disputing about in that wisdome and searching spirit which is never to understand them This then is the main and full reason of this deep error of the Jews and their desperate splitting upon the rock which would have saved them They were begotten of the Letter which was given forth in former ages but not of the life which was raised up in their age and so they knew not how to turn to the light within which alone was able to give them the true and certain knowledge of the things of God Now consider these things well O ye Professors of this age and take heed that ye do not fall after the same example of unbeleif Be not high minded but fear Be not so confident of what you have gathered by your wisdom for truth from the Scriptures after the manner that they were of what they had gathered by their wisdome but fear lest ye should be mistaken as they were and wait for the opening of that eye in you which was shut in them even the true eye in the true Light by the holy anointing where there never was nor can be any mistake The Jews fell by unbeleif unbeleif of what They beleeved the Scriptures they beleeved according to that knowledg they had gathered from the Scriptures but they did not beleeve in the living word They had a knowledge abiding in them which they had gathered from the Scriptures but they had not the living word abiding in them and so their faith was but unbeleif for the living faith stands in beleif of the living word in the heart which the Scriptures direct to without the knowledge of which all knowledge of words is vain and without faith in which all faith is vain also Now saith the Apostle to the Gentile-Christians Thou standest by faith Rom. 11.20 by what Faith By Faith in that word in the heart which they neglected and turned from Rom. 10.8 for Moses had taught them after the Laws and Ordinances about worship and sacrifices that the word that they were to obey and do the word that could give them life and make them obedient to all the commandements without was in their heart and mouth Deut. 30.14 and so the Prophet Micah when they proposed sacrifices and Oil to please God with he brings them to this which was given to them in common with mankind Mich. 6.8 for all Ordinances and Laws and observations and practises without are but to bring to the life within which is to be found again there where it was lost and still lies slain and hid even in the feild or house where it was lost And he that seeks abroad never finds it but when the candle is lighted in his own house and he searches narrowly in the feild in his own heart and the eternal eye begins to open in him then he cries out God was in this place and I was not aware of it Ah how the enemy bewiched me to run from mountain to mountain and from hill to hill and hath hereby covered my eye from beholding the mountain of the Lords house and from feeling the spring of my life which I further and further ran from all the while I was seeking abroad Therefore O ye Professors be not so conceited like the Jews and running after them into their desolation and misery but learn wisdome by their fall Do not you set up your Ordinances and Scriptures after the manner that they set up theirs for this is your Danger for this I clearly in the Light of the Lord testifie to you that if ye gather a knowledge and wisdom from the letter of the Scriptures after the manner that they did without knowledge of the word within and without a light within from that word ye lose the living faith ye are but dead branches and all your knowledge of Scriptures and practises and Faith and Duties c. that ye here hold and observe are but for the fire and the flames of eternal wrath shall kindle more fiercely upon you because of them then upon the Jews for ye stumble at the same stumbling stone at which they stumbled and fell and it will fall upon you also And as you have more Scriptures then they had and the experience of their fall to warn you so your destruction will be exceeding dreadful if ye neglect so great salvation where of at this day there are so many living powerful witnesses as they are known and owned to be in the light of the Lord though despised in your exalted and conceited wisdom Now to help any honest and single hearts among you over this great stumbling block of a light within consider these few things 1. That all the knowledge all the true knowledge that ever ye had of God was from a light within I do not deny that ye might receive your knowledge through the Scriptures and some warmth formerly in those things which ye call Ordinances and duties but that whereby ye received the knowledge was the light within the eye that God secretly opened in your spirits This was the way ye then came by it though ye perhaps might feel the thing but not know how ye came by it even as a Babe may see truly but doth not understand its own eye or knows how it sees 2. While this eye was kept open in you your knowledge was true in its measure and serviceable to you and did draw you neerer to God making ye truly tender meek sweet humble patient loving gentle and full of pretious breathings towards God and after righteousness O how lovely were you to God in this state when Israel was a child I loved him God remembreth at this day the kindness of your youth and is seeking after you O why do ye so harden your hearts against him 3. That wherever this eye is shut the vertue of the true knowledg is lost and the sweet fruits thereof wither The outward part of the knowledg may be retained yea perhaps much increased but the life is gone and the pure sweet Savouriness to God vanished And if this eye were but a little opened again in you your death and unsavouriness might be soon seen and felt by you in all your knowledge duties ordinances yea in your very graces and experiences You have a faith still yea but it wants the savour of
Letter of the Scriptures to which his manner of appearance his conversation and his Doctrine did not suit in their judgment and so after many Disputes and Debates they at length deliver him up to death as a Blasphemer a deceiver a seducer of the People Many Exceptions and Arguments they had against him against his Descent his Doctrine his Practises his Miracles his Followers c. which I shall refer to Heads to make them more obvious 1. They excepted at his descent and kindred Is not this the Carpenters Son Is not his Mother called Mary and his Brethren James and Joses and Simon and Judas And his Sisters are they not all with us Matt. 13.55 56. What this the glorious Messiah the great King of Glory of whom all the Prophets have prophesied and spoke such great things surely it cannot be And they were offended in him vers. 57. It was this made them they could not receive that heavenly Doctrine of his which otherwise might have been life to them when he taught them that he was the bread of Life that came down from heaven but they murmured because of it and said Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know 〈◊〉 How is it then that he saith I came down from heaven John 6 â—1 42. So again John 7.27 We know this man whence he is but when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is This was a close Argument and was raised up to eat out a deep impression of his being the Christ as may appear from the foregoing verse He speaketh indeed boldly and deep things c. as if he were the Christ but how can he be he seeing it is known from whence he comes 2. At his Country or place of his Education and residence which was Nazareth of Galilee Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth John 1.46 Shall Christ come out of Galilee John 7.41 Search and look for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet verse 52. 3. At the time and season of his Coming He came as to their sense before Elias With this Argument they pinched the Disciples as is signified in that Query of theirs to Christ Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come Matt. 17.10 This could not but be a sore Argument in the mouth of the Scribes who might reason with the Disciples on this wise What poor ignorant sottish deluded People are you to own this man for your Master and take him for the Messiah Elias must first come and restore all things If this man preached never so heavenly Doctrine and did never so many Miracles yet if he pretend to be the Messiah he can be but a Deceiver for the true Messiah comes not before Elias and every one knows that Elias is not yet come nor his work of restoring all things so much as begun 4. His Doctrine administred abundance of offence to them and they were continually stumbling at it That heavenly doctrine mentioned a little before that he was the bread of life they murmured at it John 6.41 When he did but say God was his father they presently flew out upon him and said he made himself equal with God John 5.18 When he said Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up they misunderstood him and brought it forth as an argument against him at the time of his suffering Mat. 26.61 And cast it as a jear in his teeth Mat. 27.40 When he did but say to the man sick of the palsie Son thy sins are forgiven thee the Scribes and Pharisees presently exclaimed against him who is this which speaketh blasphemies who can forgive sins but God alone Luke 5.21 and chap. 7.49 When he preached very powerfully against covetousness the Pharisees derided him Luke 16.14 Yea when he did but preach a Parable or two about the Widdow of Sarepta and Naaman the Syrian it coming a little close to their State all they in the Synagogue were so filled with wrath that they rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the brow of the hill to cast him down headlong Luke 4.28 29. At his saying that Abraham rejoyced to see his day and he saw it and was glad the Jews replyed Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham John 8.57 How absurd and impossible was this to them that a man of not fifty years should say that Abraham who lived so many ages before saw his day And instead of giving them an argument to demonstrate it to them he only returns them a more confident affirmation Verily Verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am vers. 58. which so enraged them that they took up stones to cast at him vers. 59. Now mark the life speaks what it sees and knows and so it gives forth its Testimony the wise professor not being in the life he cannot know or receive the testimony but calls for arguments and damonstrations to his wise eye the life refuseth to answer him but instead thereof only affirmeth the thing more strongly confidently this being so far from that which he looks for and requires to satisfie him kindles disdain and rage in him and he looks upon the life for this way of proceeding as worthy to be stoned What when they should lay before Christ a fair argument whereby they might plainly convince him by evident reason that he could not see Abrahams day and he instead of answering it should only bring forth a more confident affirmation Would not mens wisdome in this age even hiss at such a thing yet this was the way of the life then in that day and the life may at his pleasure take the same way again now to offend the wise and knowing When he spake of his being the good Shepheard and of his laying down his life for the Sheep and of the Hirelings fleeing in time of danger to save himself John 10 vers. 11.12 c. many of the Jews said he hath a Devil and is mad why hear ye him vers. 20. Many of them that were then the people of God the separated people for the Jews were a people seperated from the World and studied the Law and observed the Ordinances of Moses looked upon Christ as a man not fit to be heard speak but as a mad man as one that had a Devil as one that might have great power of deceit from the Devil to bewitch men from truth why hear ye him what good can ye expect from him He hath a Devil and is mad O how desperately will bold flesh venture to judge of the life and power of God when it hath got a little knowledge from the Scriptures and a way of worship duties and ordinances When he said I and my Father are one John 10.30 they took up stones again to stone him vers. 31. and made no question but they did well in doing of it as appears by their answer to his demand for which of his
Jewish Church against sanctifying of the Lords Sabbath justifying his disciples in plucking ears of corn thereon whereas their fore-fathers the Jews were not so much as to gather Manna on that day against fasting and prayer for he justified his disciples in that they did not fast and pray as John did saying how could they while the bride-groom was with them Mat. 9.15 and consider which way the Jews in the state they stood could understand such an answer as this to rest sastified therewith 6. They excepted against his Miracles partly because he did them on the Sabbath day John 9.16 whereupon they concluded he could not be of God for if he had been of God he would have observed the day which God commanded if he wrought them not by the power of God by whose power then must he work them So they concluded He casteth out Devils through the Prince of Devils Mat. 9.34 he hath Belzebub and by the Prince of Devils casteth he out Devils Mark 3.32 and having thus concluded in themselves there was no ear open in them to hear any thing that might be said to the contrary And again partly because he did not answer their wils in giving them such a sign as they required for this was still their tone Master we would see a sign from thee Mat. 12.38 what sign shewest thou unto us seeing that thou dost these things John 2.18 and they more particularly express what sign they would have they would have a sign from heaven Luke 11.18 What sign shewest thou that we may see and beleeve thee John 6.30 We are ready to be convinced we are ready to beleeve If thou would give us sufficient ground of beleiving in thee As for all thy healing people and casting out Devils Belzebub the Prince of Devils may furnish thee with power therewith to deceive and bewitch us from the Law and Ordinances of Moses which we are sure are of God but shew us a sign from heaven or else blame us not for not leaving Moses to run after thee 7. They excepted at the Testimony which the Spirit of God in him gave concerning him When he spake the inward Testimony which the spirit of God gave from within saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life John 8.13 they presently cried out thou bearest record of thy self thy record is not true verse 14. mark his answer It is written in your law that the Testimony of two men is true I am one that bear witness of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me verse 17.18 How would such an answer pass now in these dayes though the same life should speak it would not the wise professors of this age even hoot at it yet the thing is known at this day even the life which the Father begets and the Fathers testifying of it and with it and thou that readest this mightest know it couldest thou wait in the loss of thine own life wisdome and knowledg for it 8. They excepted against his disciples and followers which were women Publicans and sinners the common people yea the meanest the poorest and most Ignorant in their account who were fittest to be deluded and led away Are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeved on him but this people who knoweth not the law are cursed John 7.47 48 49. the common people the ignorant people the unsetled people such as know not the law such as understand not the Scriptures they run after him and cry him up but which of the Setled ones which of the truly Zealous ones which of the Wise men in the knowledge of the Law and Prophets which of the orthodox Scribes and Pharisees who keep close to Moses which of these beleeve in him whom of them can he deceive As for the heady people who for want of knowledge of the Scriptures are ready to run after every new fangle they are not worth the minding they are accursed and therefore no marvel though God give them up to follow this deceiver to cry up his new Light and forsake the good old Light of Moses the Prophets 9. They excepted against him that he did not rebuke his disciples and the multitude spreading their garments cutting down branches from the trees and strowing them in the way with the children that cried Hosanna to him as he rode on the Asse Colt to Jerusalem but he rather justified them Luke 19.31 and Mat 21.15 16. what a ridiculous and vainglorious peice of pageantry would this seem to the fleshly wise eye 10. That he did not shew sufficient authority for what he did By what authority dost thou these things and who gave thee this authority c. Mark 11.28 Thou takest upon thee great authority over the people of God over their Teachers yea over Gods Temple Sabbath and Ordinances but where 's thy authority so to do Shew us that c. 11. They excepted when he spoke of his sufferings and death We have heard in our Law that Christ abideth for ever and how saist thou the Son of Man must be lift up Who is the son of man John 12.34 Sure he that is to be lift up cannot be the Christ which is to abide for ever and not to die So that here in one breath thou hast overthrown all that thou hast been setting up by thy Preaching and Miracles Now which way could they understand this thing Nay the very Disciples themselves could not swallow it but were startled at it and Christ was fain to hide it a long time from them And yet if there be any thing held forth now in these dayes by the same spirit as concerning light and perfection or other truths which are seen in the spirit because men cannot apprehend them with their carnal understanding and make them agree with their carnal knowledge of the Scriptures what liberty do they take to themselves to speak both against the truth it self and also against them who have seen these things in the spirit and speak them from the spirit Now whosoever becomes a Disciple must wait in the obedience to know the doctrine and not think to enter with that wisdome and carnal reasoning from Scriptures which the Scribes and Pharisees and Professors of that age were shut out with There were many other things which they could not but except against as at his answers to their questions to which sometimes he was silent and gave no answer at all At other times he answered not directly but in Parables and how offensive is this to mans wisdome who requires a positive and direct answer And sometimes his answers might seem quite from the thing as John 12.34 35. His not giving respect to persons for it was a known thing of him that he regarded not mens persons Mat. 22.16 could not be very pleasing to them who loved greetings and sought honor one of
another He shewed not respect to Herod the King but spake contemptuously of him as men would account it Go saith he and tell that Fox He did not shew respect to the reverend and grave Doctors of the Law nay nor to the High Priest himself Nay he did not shew respect to his own Disciples but said to Peter when he mildly and affectionately desired his death might be avoided Get thee behind me Satan How harsh and rough a reply might this seem If Peter had erred through his affection and tenderness to his Master a meek spirit would gently have informed him but to call him Devil and say get thee behind me what kind of spirit doth this favour of would that professing Jew say who knoweth not the true meekness but seeks after a fleshly meekness which is a servant to the fleshly wisdome and prudence but not true born Nay he did not speak respectively to his own Mother as mans spirit by its rule of respect would judge and condemn him but said Woman what have I to do with thee John 2.4 and in a manner denied all his relations Mat. 12.48 Lastly to instance no more at his harsh censures of all the Professors of that age which observed the Law of Moses and Israels Statutes with all their laborious and godly Teachers justifying none but himself and what he taught and a few of his followers He told them that they had not the love of God in them John 5.42 Did not this think ye seem to them a very harsh charge And why not the love of God because they did not follow him and his new Doctrine yea would they be ready to say they did love God and kept his Commandements Sabbaths and Ordinances which he transgressed He laid this also to their charge that they did not believe Moses John 5.46 What an unjust charge might this seem when they were so zealous for Moses and their very dislike of him and controversie against him was for the sake of the Law and Ordinances of Moses Another charge he laid to them was that they were not the children of Abraham or of God but of the Devil John 8. ver. 39 42 44. What a rash censorious man might they account him thus to speak of them who were the human seed of Abraham who were such strict observers of Gods Laws and Ordinances which is the property of his children and such enemies to the Devil that they would not be drawn from the truths and way of worship taught by Moses and the Prophets no not by all the Miracles he could work He called them a faithless and perverse Generation Ma 1 t. 17.17 He told them that they did not know God though they said with confidence that he was their God John 12.54 55. How could they bear this They had been studying the law and Prophets and had a great stock of knowledge from thence and were strict and exact in worship some of them as well as Paul might be according to the Law blameless and now to be told they did not know God Nay he that aboundeth in knowledge devotion and worship yet being not in the life and pure Power of the Spirit hath not one dram of the true knowledge He told them that they should dye in their sins John 8.21 O hard word and severe judgement And yet he had told them a little before that he judged no man ver. 15. yea they did think themselves exceedingly wronged by him and thought that no man that had any thing of God in him could speak such things but only one that was an enemy to the people of God and led by the spirit of Satan To this effect they expresse themselves verse 48. of that Chap. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hath a Devil Yea when Christ charged them with going about to kill him they seemed to themselves so clear in their own consciences that they answered thou hast a Devil who goes about to kill thee John 7.29 how easily might they closeup the controversie and by this very thing conclude him to be a false Prophet He sayes we went about to till him when God knows there was not such a thing in our hearts Can this man be a true Prophet yet Christ knew the prefessing Jews to be the Murtherer and in and for his Religion sake still seeking to slay him And there is no such murtherer of Christ the life upon the earth as the zealous Professor and worshipper out of the life He that is in the life cannot persecute any man he that is out of the life cannot but persecute him that is in the life Hereby the true and false christian may be discrened by the weakest simple and single eye And then for their teachers and expounders of the law how exceeding bitter did be seem against them and how heavy things was he continually laying to their charge He called them blind Guids Hypocrites painted Sepulchres Graves which appears not and pronounced woe upon woe against them Read that one place Mat. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell What speak thus of our zealous Teachers who study the Law are strict in practising of the Ordinances and take such pains to ininstruct us in the mind of God from Moses and the Prophets was such a man as this fit to live Nay and he does not shew a Gospel spirit mark how sharp and bitter his words came from him for indeed a sharper speech with greater vehemency and indignation of spirit can hardly be spoken and they might seem to aggravate this sharp condemnation of his from his own confession he himself had confessed that they sate in Moses chair now he might have shewn some honour to Moses chair and to their office which was of God and doubtless good and not have gone about to make them thus odious in the eyes of the people Nay he himself had bid men do as they said but in ver. 3. of that Chap. Now was it likely that ever men should mind what they said or observe their doctrine when he had thus represented them as oppressors of the conscience ver. 4. as devourers of widdows houses and making long prayers in Hypocrisie ver. 15. as making their proselytes more the children of hell then themselves ver. 15. as neglecters of the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith ver. 2.3 as appearing righteous to men but full of Hypocrisie and iniquity ver. 28. as of the same generation that killed the Prophets ver. 31.32 as dâ—ceivers as such as led into the ditch and bid men beware of their leaven were not these good kind of incouragements for People to hear them Yea he charged them with shutting up the Kingdome of heaven against men and not going in themselves nor suffering men to enter that were going in ver. 13. How could they observe what they taught without hearing them and would Christ wish any to hear such men as
these Yet for all this without doubt they were not without their justifications against Christ in these respects and also had their charges on the other hand ready against him Now how did they shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against men Did not they teach the Law and direct men to the Ordinances of God and open the Prophets words to them was this shutting up the Kindome of heaven And would not they suffer men to enter Why their work was to win people to their profession they would compass Sea and Land to make a proselyte How stifly might the Jews have pleaded against Christ that he did slander their godly Ministers who were very painful and zealous in opening the Scriptures and teaching the way of God nay he himself could not deny but they taught well for he himself saith whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Mat. 23.3 But mark now that ye may understand the thing it is thus Any teaching or expounding of Scriptures out of the life shuts up the Kingdome for the Life is the Kingdome and words from the life yeild the savour of the Kingdome but words out of it though never so good and true reach not to the life in another but only build up a knowledge in the contrary wisdome and teach to hold the truth in the unrighteousness where Satans Kingdome stands and where he hath the dominion over all that is brought thither And so this kind of teaching and knowledg shuts up the door and way of life and must be lost before the Kingdome can be found They shut up the true Kingdome but they opened another Kingdome they opened the Kingdome another way which was in truth shutting of it and they had Disciples and Children of the Kingdome whom they tickled with the hope of life and fed with promises and comforts but these the Lord would shut out Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darkness Mat. 8.11 12. This is as true at this day in this present dispensation as it was then in that dispensation though men make it a great accusation against us charging us that we say none are the people of God but our selves and as if all were damned but we These are mens harsh and unsavory expressions we use not to speak after this manner but soberly open the state of the thing as it stands in the truth and as it hath been revealed unto us by him who is true and cannot lie which is thus That through which men are saved is the dispensation of truth in their age The measure of light which God gives forth in every age that is the means and proper way of Salvation in that age and what ever men get or profess of the knowledg of truth declared in former ages yet making use of that to withstand the present dispensation of truth in their age they cannot thereby be saved but may thereby be hardened against that which should save them And this we are assured of from the Lord that as the Jews could not be saved by the Law of Moses making use of it in opposition to the shining of the light of God in the Prophets in their present ages nor afterwards could be saved by magnifiing and observing both the words of Moses and the Prophets and their belief from thence of a Messiah to come making use of these things to oppose that appearance of Christ in the flesh which was the dispensation of their day then No more can any Professors be saved now by belief of a Christ come or any thing which they can learn or practise from the Scriptures making use thereof to oppose the dispensation of this day which dispensation is the immediate and powerful breaking forth of the light of the Spitit in the hearts of Gods people who have earnestly sought and in much sorrow and perplexity of Spirit longed and waited for him after this long dark night of the Antichristian apostacy There remain yet some other exceptions against him about the time of his suffering death with his hard usage which would not wholly be passed over As first his disrespective or irreverend answering of the high Priest as it seemed to them when he asked him of his Doctrine John 18. vers. 19. His answer was that he spake openly in the World not in secret why askest thou me ask them that heard me whereupon one of the Officers struck him saying Answerest thou the high Priest so vers. 22. The plainness and simplicity of the life which bows to God and cannot regard man in the transgression seems rude and unmannerly to the lofty Spirit of the world 2. His silence at the Testimonies brought against him and to the high Priest when he questioned him Mark 14.60 61. Indeed either the speaking or silence in the life is offensive to the carnal professor who knoweth not the Law of the life in this particular but can either speak or be silent according to his own will This is the difference between the true and the false Christian The false Christian his knowledg and Religion stands in his own will in his own understanding he speaks in his own time both which are crucified in him that is born of the Spirit 3. When he did speak the truth of himself the high Priest rent his cloaths and charged him with blasphemy Mat. 26.64 And those that were by fell in with the high Priest and said he was guilty of death vers. 66. Then they spet on his face and buffetted him and smote him and mocked him and blindfolded him and struck him on the face bidding him prophesie who smote him Mat. 26.67 68. and Luke 22.63 64. When they brought him to Pilate they would have Pilate take it for granted that he was an evil doer and worthy of death for when Pilate asked for their accusation against him they answer if he were not a Malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee John 18.29 30. Pilate refusing so to proceed in judgment vers. 31. they begin to bring in their charges we found this fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ a King Luke 23.2 Pilate examines him herein but professes he can find no fault in him at all John 18.38 Then the chief Priests accused him of many other things Mark 15.3 and were more fierce saying he stirreth up the people teaching throughout all Jury beginning from Galilee to this place This indeed was his great offence he taught with the authority of the Spirit and not as the Scribes Then Pilate sent him to Herod where the chief Priests and Scribes stood vehemently accusing him who questioned him much but he answered him nothing And Herod with his men of War set him at naught and mocked him and arayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent