of such a Ministry with the answer that Christ gave to one of his Disciples and the answer is this Let the dead bury their dead Mat. 8.22 That is let a dead living Ministry preach to a living dead Auditory for these be strangers to Christ and that is the reason there is so much barrenness in the most part of this Kingdom Now the sheep of Christ wil not follow strangers but flee from them for they know not the voyce of strangers but they know the voyce of Christ only and he calleth them by name and leadeth them out into green pastures and by stil waters read Joh. 10.3 4 5. Psa 23.1 2 3. Sect. 5 The Elders that are old in Christ and come from Christ they are right Elders NOw such Elders are able for to feed the flock of God 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. And they are gentle among them even as a good nurse to her children which out of her affection feeds them with good milk 1 Thes 2.7 8. Even the sincere milk of the living Word which is truth and the taste of the grace of the Lord Christ and he is preious in their esteem 1 Pet. 2.2 3 7. And they suck and are satisfied with his brests of consolation and grow up into abundance of his glory and he like unto a mother is always comforting them read Isa 66.11 12 13. Now such Elders as these are like unto a good nurse Simile whose brest is ful of good milk and she is pained until the child hath received it instance in David My heart saith he is inditing of Christ and my heart boyleth within me or as water bubbleth up I am pained until I have declared Jesus Christ Psa 45.1 Therefore saith he come thou poor soul and I wil declare unto thee what Christ hath done for my soul and we wil praise him both together Psa 66.16 17. Now there is this difference between a good Elder and an Elder that is an hireling or an Elder that doth pretend for to be one Now a hireling is a servant to men for mens sakes and for mens wages but a good Elder is a servant to men for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 But he that is an hireling seeth the wolf coming which is fin and Antichrist now this hireling loves not the sheep therefore he leaveth the sheep to these wolves because he is one with these wolves and is not in relation to the sheep and hath no wil nor skil to help them Ioh. 10.12 Acts 20.28 29 30. Now the good Elder is in relation to Jesus Christ and so to the sheep of Christ and hath both wil and skil to lead the sheep apart from the wolves and as they receive freely so they give freely Mat. 10.8 Out of their store-house of love and good affection as Paul said not only the Gospel of God but our own souls for ye are dear unto us 1 Thes 2.8 Now on the other side the hireling loveth not the sheep but to feed him and cloath him read Ezek. 34.2 3. And so if he see a fatter benefice or a better abroad he wil leave the sheep for others that can feed them better though he cannot feed them at all but with husks in stead of fine wheat for he can neither pray nor preach but only say over a prayer and read over a Sermon Now the reason of all that hath been said is this these be hirelings of men and not sent out from Jesus Christ as Christ himself speaketh The â—ircling fleeth because he is an hireling and he careth not for the sheep read Ioh. 10.12 13. Now on the other side the good Elders whether they be Lay Elders or preaching Elders they wil very gladly spend and be spent for the good of one anothers souls as Paul said of himself for they have the same spirit that Paul had to make him a Minister read 2 Cor. 12.14 15. 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7. Now the reason and the ground why the good Elders are so able it is this Jesus Christ hath made them able Ministers to speak of the New Testament not of the letter only but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 And again they are raised from the dead with Jesus Christ for to bring forth fruit unto God But not in the oldness of the letter but to serve him in newness of spirit Rom. 7.4 6. Now these being married unto Jesus Christ are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh read Rom. 7.4 Phil. 3.3 Here you may see the Lay Elder as wel as the Learned Elder is in some measure able to feed the flock of God For the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall and God worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.6 7. Now you wil object and say Object That I am all Spirit or all for the Spirit and nothing is to be done but by the Spirit I answer Ans As the body is dead without a soul so is the soul dead without the last Adams quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Though the soul may seem to live a natural and fieshly life yet it is as though it were dead if the life of the Spirit of Christ be not communicated into it It is the Spirit that quickeneth saith Christ your living soul and natural fleshly life wil profit nothing The words that I speak unto you or in you they are Spirit and they are life saith Christ Ioh. 6.63 CHAP. VIII The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. Phil. 2.1 2 3 4 5. Gal. 6.2 Rom. 14.5 23. Mat. 7.12 Iohn 13.35 Rom. 14.17 18 19. Col. 3.12 Ioh. 12.26 Isa 14.12 13 14. Rev. 9.11 18 19 20 21. Revel 12.10 11 12 13. 2 Thes 2.7 8 9. Gen. 3.4 5 6 7 8. Gen. 4.3 4 5. Acts 26.9 Acts 22.3 Rom. 9.31 32. Zech. 7.10 Psa 15.2 3. John 8.44 Gen. 4.8 Acts 9.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psa 119.11 Psalm 119.105 John 14.6 Gen. 4.8 Ioh. 12.10 11. 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. Mat. 6.11 Psa 150.5 6 7 8. Hosea 13.9 Hosea 14.4 Isa 43.25 Ier. 31.33 34. 2.5.19 Micah 7.18 19. Exo. 34.6 7. Isa 38.17 1 Iohn 3.1 1 Tim. 2.5 Lev. 16.21 22. Iob 33.23 24. Isa 61.1 Luk. 4.18 Iere. 50.20 Isa 53.6 7. Col. 2.13 14 15. Rom. 8.33 34. Iohn 13.10 1 Iohn 3.23 24. Iohn 1.1 2 3 4 5. Prov. 8.22 23. 1 Thes 2.19 20. Mark 8.24 Acts 17.18 19 20. Iohn 18.19 20 21. Mark 8.25 Exo. 4.10 12. 4.14 15 16. c. 7.1 2. Rom. 2.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Iames 2.8 1 Iohn 3.23 Iames 4.11 1 Cor. 13.4 5. Phil. 3.15 Ez. 13.22 Iohn 21.15 Psa 64.3 Rev. 12.10 Prov. 6.16 17 18 19. Ier. 23.6 7 8. Eph. 1.4 5. Gal. 4.19 Isa 66.12 13. Isa 49.22 23. Psa 39.8 Prov. 6.22 23. 1 Ioh. 5.3 4 9 10. Rom. 5.8 1 Ioh. 1.7.2.1 2. Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 Eph. 4.20 21. Iohn 14.6 7. Isa 9.6 Psa 90.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.5
one God Eph. 4.6 cometh down from heaven into Christ not by measure but in the fulness of God to dwel in the body of the tree of life which tree is Jesus Christ John 1.32 33 34. Joh. 3.34 Col. 2 9. 1.19 Now the sweet Spirit of God is the head and life of this tree and this tree is the head and life of the branches which are surely graffed into this tree Now God is the head of Christ and his life and Christ is the head of the Church and their life Col. 3. â— 4. Now Jesus Christ being man united unto God and God dwelling in this man Christ now Christ being man and so weak saith this of himself I saith he can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judg and I seek not mine own wil but the honor of the Father which hath sent me John 5.30 And thus Christ reasons with Philip that he might lead Philip through himself unto the Father that he might give God the Father the honor of his love for Christ thus Christ seeks the honor of his Father Now Christ being the spiritual tree of life and Philip a branch of this tree the spirit of life runs through this tree into all the branches and causeth the branches to bring forth the fruit of praise to God And thus Christ and his members do seek to advance the glory of the Spirit of life which is God as you may see by these words Have I been so long with you saith Christ to Philip and yet hast thou not not known me He that hath seen me hath seen the Father And how sayst thou then Shew us the Father Beleevest not thou that I am in the Father and the Father in me The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self Mark this But the Father that dwelleth in me he speaketh the words and he doth the works Beleeve me Philip saith Christ that I am in the Father and the Father in me Joh. 14.8 9 10 11. And thus Christ the tree of life bears and brings forth honor to his Father and thus the branches of this tree bring forth fruit and give the honor of it wholly unto God instance in Paul The life saith he that now I live it is not I but it is God in Christ that lives in me Gal. 2.20 And thus the sweet Spirit of God cometh down into the head of the body which head is Christ and so down into the branches which are the body of Christ and the Church of Christ which Church is created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 God is a Spirit John 4.24 If I be lifted up from the earth saith Christ I wil draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 that is Christ who is God in the Spirit shal draw men with the Spirit up into Christ and they shal be all taught of God the Father who is a Spirit and learn of him spiritually to come to Christ John 6.44 45 46. And thus you may see that a Christian in deed and in truth is not in Jesus Christ or for Jesus Christ after a carnal manner or after the rudiments of the world or after the laws of mens making Col. 2.8 18 19 20. But as the Apostle Paul saith We saith he worship God in the spirit and we rejoyce with the spirit in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh or fleshly ordinances Phil. 3.3 Carnal reason and fleshly wisdom may and do handle those things which we cal the ordinances of God and it may be very learnedly and with a seeming shew of zeal and piety and yet for all this be but carnal and fleshly and like the grave where Mary stood weeping An allusion because she could not find her Lord Christ there now Christ was risen and gone and she sought the living among the dead John 20.11 12 13. Luk. 24.5 And so a poor soul stands by the ordinances that most men handle Observe weeping because it finds them dul and cold and dark And if one ask the poor soul why it weeps it answers as Mary did I weep because I cannot find my Christ here These men cannot tel me of my beloved Lord whom my soul loveth Let me advise thee a little An Advice O thou poor soul thou must go a little beyond these dark and dul watchmen I was saith the Church but a little passed from these watchmen but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go such is the love of the soul unto Jesus Christ that it cannot be satisfied without Christ read Cant. 3.3 4. Such a man is the only man for a sick soul that beleeves what he speaks A true preacher and speaks what he hath seen and learned of Christ read 2 Cor. 4.13 Eph. 4.21 Now the man in Christ Sect. 9 with the spirit of Christ speaks spiritually of God in Christ and the Spirit of Christ is the Saints rest or resting place for unto that the Saints flee as a cloud and as the doves to their windows for shelter and for food Isa 60.8 The Spirit of God is the original good The Spirit of God and the only sweet good unto the spirits of men The Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle be with thy spirit 2 Tim. 4.22 Thus the sweet Spirit of God comes down into the tree of life which is Christ and so into the branches that grow in this tree of life Christ is the tree out of which these branches grow and come forth Iames 1.17 18. The Saints life Every true beleeving man and woman is a branch in Christ the tree of life and the sweet Spirit of God is their life that they live by and move by and act by Acts 17.28 And it pleaseth the sweet Spirit of God to give this title to the branches in Christ That they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord by the rivers of his sweet Spirit that he may bring forth fruit in his season read and compare Isa 61.3 9 10 11. and Psa 1.3 together And thus the sweet Spirit of God works all the Saints works in them and for them Isa 26.12 13 19 20. And thus the holy Spirit of God doth write his Law in their hearts even the Law of Faith and Love which they account of great use Secondly They live not as they list but as the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus doth constrain them and so in its love it doth direct them read Isa 30.21 Thirdly We are to do nothing for Christ as the most people in the world do to this day for this were to go down to Egypt the flesh for strength to get Christ but this wil be to no purpose or vain labor Now in this case Our strength is to sit stil saith the Prophet read Isa 30.7 Christ is a gift of God John 4.10 and not for us to get of God or from God We are not to work for
and the light of the Law which is in no wise grievous read Prov. 6.23 1 Ioh. 5.3 And Christ is the love-token of his Father read Rom. 5.8 And thus those that are counted loathsom Antinomians do imbrace him as the effect of his Fathers love which is the efficient cause of taking away sin from men read 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. And so they account the blood of Jesus Christ God-man to be the meritorious cause that hath and doth cleanse us from all sin past present and to come 1 Iohn 1.7 2.1 2. And so likewise Christ is the rule of a Christian and the Law of God which a Christian doth walk by And so likewise Christ is a Christian School-master for to bring him to God Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 Eph. 4.20 21. Iohn 14.6 O sweet God Sect. 7 and everlasting Father Isa 9.6 A Prayer from the Scripture to the Father Son holy Spirit opening that Mystery Thou art a sure foundation and a sure dwelling place Psa 90.1 2. O sweet Jesus thou that art built in and upon this foundation 1 Pet. 2.5 6. 2 Pet. 1.3 4. And thy sons and thy daughters being in thee thou proceedest forth and comest forth from God and bringest thy sons and thy daughters along with thee Eph. 1.3 4 5. Iohn 8.42 Isa 8.18 O sweet and holy and blessed Spirit of God which cometh from the Father Iohn 15.26 and from the Son and is sent by the Son into the hearts of his sons and daughters for to make Christ who is God-man glorious in their eyes Iohn 16.13 14 15. Isa 32.15 O sweet and blessed Spirit which art one of three and yet undividable thou art but one God blessed for evermore and not three Gods read 1 Cor. 8.5 6. But out of thy love and wisdom O sweet God thou hast made a distinction of thy self in the first Creation when thou saidst Let us make man in our image after our likeness Gen. 1.26 And thou hast made it good again in the second Creation when thou saidst Go and make new Schollars or new Disciples Then thy power O blessed Father Son and holy Spirit goes along and makes a new Creature in Christ or for Christ Old things are past away behold all things are become new read Matth. 28.18 19. 2 Cor. 5.17 A natural Tree growing up out of the earth An excellent Si mile having his roots therein and by the mighty power of God in his Creation there goes effectual power from the earth into the roots and so up into the body of the Tree and so up into every branch and causeth leaves and Fruit for the use of man which Tree hath its Seed in its self Gen. 1.11 12 29. Heb. 1.2 3. Now our Friend Jesus Christ is the Spiritual Tree of Life which grows in the midst of the paradise of God Revel 2.7 Gen. 2.9 Now God the Father is the paradise and the onely sweet Divine Garden Revel 2.7 And Christ his Son is the only sweet Flower in the Garden and he is daily his Fathers delight and in him onely God takes his pleasure read these two Scriptures Prov. 8.22 30. Matth. 17.5 Now the fulness of the Godhead is the infinite Fountain of Divinty in which Christ is a root or rooted and so grows up in that and so Christ cometh out of God and from God Col. 2.9 Psa 68.26 Isa 11.1 10. John 14.10 11. 17.8 21. 1.18 And so Christ is Gods King upon his holy Hill of Sion and God hath given him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his Body now the true Church of God is the fulness of Christ and the true Church is most compleat in Jesus Christ Psal 2.6 Ephes 1.22 23. Colos 2.10 Psal 45.13 Now this is matter of great comfort unto a perticular poor soul for to have the blessed and infinite God anointing Jesus Christ our Head with his fulness that we might receive of his fulness even grace for grace in Christ Jesus Heb. 1.9 John 1.16 And so likewise it is an inlivening comfort to a poor fainting panting and thirsty soul for God to pour out his precious ointment upon the Head of thy Aaron that is Jesus Christ And so from him as thy Head this ointment runs down upon thy Beard nay it runs into thy heart into every corner of thy heart and it runs down to the skirts of his garments that is to every poor member of his and he fills and refreshes them with his Grace which is as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord gives a blessing even life for evermore read Psa 133.2 3. Now this is the River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Now the heart of a right Christian and a true believing man or woman is the City of God and the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High and the infinite Divine Consolations of the Spirit which is God blessed for evermore runs thorow this City and maketh it glad when the world is turned upside down read Psa 46.4 5 6. Now you that stand for Fruits Sect. 8 and for Notes and Signes consider well what Tree they grow upon for a natural tree may bring forth excellent Fruit to the natural sight and if you take this natural Fruit for to be Notes and Signes spiritual you will deceive your selves as the most of the world do to this day because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them and if he hear of them by the hearing of the ear he makes a jest of them for they are foolishness unto him 1 Cor. 2.14 But if you grow in the Tree of Life as the Branch doth in the Vine which Tree and Branch Zech. 6.12 is Jesus Christ then you shall live and receive of his life and bring forth fruit by his strength for in him and with him and by him you shal be able to do all things and without him you can do nothing to please God John 15.4 5. Phil. 4.13 Heb. 11.6 O sweet and blessed Spirit of God which workest all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 And as a natural tree whose seed is in it self and having its roots in the earth and so receiving nourishment in at the roots without which it could not live But that nourishment which the roots do receive in runs up the body of the tree into every branch of the tree and causeth a fruitful flourishing of green leaves and fruit for the use of men and this turns to the praise of God and the good of men and all this is the work of the sweet Spirit of God through the whole course of nature But in a supernatural way of grace it is unspeakable and ful of glory Christ is the spiritual tree of life which is rooted in God Isa 11.1 10. John 1.18 John 17.23 24. Now the sweet Spirit of God which is only