that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but much more in my absence work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And verily he shall appear to be something at the great day when he shall come to judge the World and before him shall be gathered all Nations as Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats And he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the World And thou thy self also must appear before his judgment seat 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whither it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences And Rev. 6.15 16 17. And the Kings of the Earth and the Great men and the Rich men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty men and every Bond-man and every Free-man hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the Mountains And said to the Mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And Rev. 20.12 13 14 15. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them And they were judged every man according to their works And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire This is the second Death And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire And this day will come as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also with the works that are therein shall be burnt up And Rev. 22.11 12. He that is unjust let him be unjust still And he which is filthy let him be filthy still And he that is righteous let him be righteous still And he that is holy let him be be holy still And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be Well then Reader whoever thou art know that the word Kingdom is good Seed and the Sower is the Son of man Matth. 13.37 He answered and said unto them He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man We are but his under Servants to minister from him this good seed and our great Lord is able to bless the seed sown though we be nothing as 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7 8. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted Apollos watered but God gave the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth But God that giveth the increase Now he that planteth and he that watereth are onâ— And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour With 2 Cor. 9.10 Now he that ministreth seed to the sower doth minister bread for your food and multiply the seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness And the ground into which we must sow this seed is the heart tho' thro' the ear Matth. 13.9 Who hath ears to hear let him hear The good ground is the good and honest Heart The Lord make thine such and then there will be good fruit brought forth with patience and to perfections though in different measures and degrees as Matth. 13.23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred-fold some fifty some thirty Luke 8.15 But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience To thy salvation and God's glory which the Lord grant unto thee And pray for us his poor Ministers and Servants and particularly for the meanest and most unworthy of them all thy Servant for Christs sake in the Work of the Gospel Tho. Taylor To my many Worthy and Beloved Friends of divers Congregations in and about the City of London the Town of Hackney and other Towns within and without the Lines of Communication where I have occasionally Preached this Gospel Grace and Peace MOST Dear and Pretious Friends Pretious I say for the late Pretious Faith obtained by you with us 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like pretious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ By which Faith the very Faith of Gods Elect Christ is pretious indeed to you 1 Pet 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is pretious But unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner when to others a stumbling stone even to them that stumble at the word being disobedient Your Names are too many to be prefixed to this short Epistle and besides in the matter of truth I like not to go to the Poll as if truth needed a Muster-roll of names to carry the voice against such as are the opposers of it It is enough that Christ hath a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their Garments and which shall walk with him in white for they are worthy It matters not how many the names of others in Sardis were Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy It is enough that wisdom is justified of her Children When true Wisdom neither in John Baptist the forerunner who was greater than all the Prophets nor in Christ the Head and Lord of them all could have a testimony from an evil and adulterous Generation Or if they had
any thing like it for a time they quickly recanted and recalled it Mat. 11.16 19. But whereunto shall I liken this Generation It is like unto Children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners But wisdom is justified of her Children And John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light And ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light I have been greatly refreshed and comforted in you all by the grace of God bringing Salvation to you and which ye have not received in vain But as ye have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Jesus Christ this grace hath taught you effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works And am still comforted in the remembrance thereof And that these poor labours of mine in the Ministry of this Gospel hath had any effect upon your Souls either in drawing you to Christ or confirming or comforting you in Christ at any time is and will be my rejoycing above all the esteem I have in your hearts and all the help I have received from your hands by your Free Kind Liberal ministring to my necessities from time to time and that my temptation which was in the Flesh through these necessities and wants and reproaches for Christs sake ye despised not but received me and embraced me I will not say as an Angel of God or even as Christ Jesus But one far greater than I can own my self to be I can truly say I have rejoyced much more because of the Grace of God given to you than in all the gifts to me though I had need of them all and do acknowledge them to be more and greater than I am worthy of But Christ is worthy for whose sake only ye have counted me so Mar. 9.4 And whosoever will offend one of those little ones that believe in me It is better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the Sea And though I put not your names to this my Book for reasons above mentioned yet I hope they are all of them in the Book of Life And this small Treatise which is but a taste of some more that may follow in due time if the Lord please I do more especially Devote and Dedicate to the Use and Service of you all and yours not doubting that whither I live or die you will find out it or it will find out you by some providence or other I say I Dedicate it to you not for Patronage or Protection but for Debt for it is much due to you who have been my fellow helpers in the Gospel some of you for mâ—ny years And two things I have to say to you all and leave here upon record as the greatest testimony of my thankfulness love and care to and for you in the Lord. Namely First That you beware and take heed of of a loose conversation and that ye use not your liberty at any time or in any thing for an occasion to the Flesh or to the World For we are not debtors to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.12 13. And Jam. 4.4 Ye Adulterours and Adulteresses Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity against God Whosoever therefore will be the friend of the World is the enemy of God 1 John 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World 17. And the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof But he that doth the will of God abideth tfor ever The power of Christ's Death is within you therefore let your Old Man be crucified with Christ That henceforth ye may not serve Sin and let the World be crucified to you and you unto it otherwise you cannot glory truly in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature You cannot be alive with Christ through Union with him but you must be dead and die continually both to Sin and to the World Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Secondly That you shine as lights in the World and be as the Sons and Daughters of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Phil. 2.14 15 16. Do all things without murmurings and disputings That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the World Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain And our Lord hath said Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven If the time will come when ye shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of your Father Math 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Surely ye should shine as lights more in this State of imperfection and whilst you are in this World and thereby show you are not of it Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life and to enter in through the Gates of the the City 15. For without ar Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie To the Church or Congregation which is at Cambridge unto which I stand as a Pastor or Overseer in the Faith Fellowship and Order of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And to many others my Constant or Occasional hearers of whom I am perswaded such things as do accompany Salvation Blessed be God Dearly Beloved I Do greatly rejoyce in
were blnded 2ly That so he might make way for the coming of his Son Jesus Christ into the World for his coming forth into and in the Human Nature and being made and manifested in Flesh both to Angels and Men This Mystery of Godliness as the Apostle hath it 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the Flesh had never been exhibited in the sight of Angels and Men had not the transgression of the law and the utter inability in the law to give Man life and righteousness in Gods sight first prepared and opened a way for it had there been no Sin there had needed no Sacrifice no need of God manifested in Flesh could righteousness have been by the works of the law there had been no need of a Christ to take away Sin to make an end of Sins and to bring in everlasting righteousness as Dan. 9 24. Rom. 8.3 And as the Apostle hath it Gala. 2 21. If righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain Christ coming in the Flesh his being made of a Woman made under the law his being made a curse for us yea all that he did suffered for us in his life death yea his resurrection from the dead his Ascension into Heaven and his intercession for us there hath been altogether in vain if Sin could be expiated and righteousness obtained by the deeds or works of the law But Christ is not dead in vain his coming into the World is not in vain Now consider what a glorious work the work of redemption is above all the works of Gods Creation and above all the other works of his mighty wise and holy providence and be filled with admiration and wonder at the infinite wisdom power and Grace of God in Christ who hath thus over-ruled so great an evil as Sin is and the frustration of the hope of righteousness by the law for the manifestation of the riches of his glory and Grace in his Son Christ Jesus and the greater advancement and good of his own Elect who are no losers by their disappointment and loss of the hope of righteousness by the deeds of the law having now obtained a better hope of a better and greater righteousness by Faith in Christ than could have been obtained by the law if they had never Sinned and if they had fulfilled the righteousness of the law in themselves Glory be to the triumphant Grace of God in Christ. 3. That so also just occasion might be offered for the promulgation and making known amongst Men the everlasting Covenant of Grace Now consider what a great blessing the Covenant of Grace is above the Law and Covenant of works which the Apostle saith Had no glory in comparison of the new Covenant of Grace which so far excelled 2 Cor. 3.7 8 9 10 11. verses And consider how the manifestation and revelation of this better Covenant hath filled Heaven and Earth with a greater light and manifestation of the Divine glory than any the World knew before or could ever have known without it and you will fall Down and worship before the throne of God and of the Lamb saying Blessing Glory and Praise be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath thus blessed us with the blessings of such a Covenant all Spiritual blessings all Heavenly blessings all Spiritual blessinngs in heavenly places in Christ Ephes. 1.3 This Covenant of Grace is called the New Covenant but only with respect to the promulgation of it forasmuch as it was not promulgated till after the fall of Man and the frustration and making void the law or old Covenant as a Covenant of works and utter incapacity of that Covenant to give Man righteousness and life by the deeds or works of it as the Apostle argueth Heb. 8. v. 7 8 11 13. But the Covenant of Grace is also called the everlasting Covenant with respect to the institution and establishment of it betwixt the Father and the Son not only because it is to everlasting and endureth for ever but also because it is from everlasting and before all time and is therefore said to be given us in Christ before the World was Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began that this is the Covenant of Grace is plain because it is that upon which the hope of eternal life is builded and it is called the promise as it is often called in Scripture as Gala. 4.28 Now we Brethren as Isaac was are the children of the promise i. e. of the new Covenant for this is the new Covenant which is compared to that Jerusalem which is above and is the Mother of all the children of God as Gala. 4.22 23 24 25 26. Upon this account they are called heirs of the promise i. e. of the new Covenant or Covenant of Grace and not of the old Covenat or Covenant of Works as Gala. 4.31 So then brethren we are not children of the Bond-woman but of the Free i. e. not of the old Covenant but of the new Now of this promise viz. this promise of God that cannot lie it is said to have been before the world began i. e. given us in Christ the Mediator of this Covenant and unto whom this promise was given for us before all time before the World began i. e. from Eternity And if any shall enquire why then was the law or Covenant of works at all added and promulgated The Answer is ready as the Apostle Gala. 3.19 It was added because of transgression i. e. that by the occasion of Sin and transgression of that Covenant Men might be prepared to entertain and embrace the Promise and Covenant of Grace and so look unto the free Promise and Covenant of Grace in Christ for Life and Salvation and so Rom. 5.20 21. The law entred that sin might abound c. Now as it was for the further manifestion of Gods greater glory and for Mans greater good that this new Covenant or Covenant of Grace should be declared so it was necessary that Sin should first enter in the transgression and frustration of the law as a Covenant of works that a fit occasion and season might be offered for the declaring and making known this blessed Covenant this new and everlasting Covenant of Grace And thus by the disannulling and making void the old or first Covenant as a Covenant of works which could not have bin without the entrance of Sin is way made for bringing in the Covenant of Grace 4ly That God might cut off all occasion of boasting from Man and that no flesh might glory in his sight had Man been justified by the works of the law and his own righteousness he should have had whereof to boast as the Apostle Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to Glory but not before God Now therefore God in his infinite wisdom hath ordered and over-ruled things unto this issue that by the workâ—
or accept them in their Worshiping of him A guilty Conscience and an unsanctified Heart is always hypocritical and playeth false and loose in worshiping God hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water and the heart must first be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and body washed with pure water by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ before any Man can worship God in Spirit and in Truth and I do and dare too affirm it from the Word of God that there is not a true and spiritual Worshipper of God in all the World but such as are so inwardly sprinkled and washed with the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ all others do worship God carnally and hypocritically not in Spirit and in Truth not sincerely and inwardly Oh therefore you that are in Christ see look to it that you worship God in the Spirit and in Truth for else there is none in all the World to do it 3. To worship God in the Spirit is to worship him in and according to his own holy Institutions Ordinances and Appointments and not according to Humane Inventions not according to Mens Traditions there is neither Spirit nor Truth in that Worship that hath not the stamp of Divine Authority upon it Voluntary Humility and Will-worship and all things of mans devising in the Worship of God and that hold not the Head Christ Jesus can minister no grace or spiritual nourishment to the Members and Joynts of the Body Eph. 4.16 compared with Col. 2.18 19 20 21 22 23. A little Leaven will leaven the whole lump and a little Superstition and Will-worship after thâ— Doctrines and Commandments of Men 〈◊〉 render the whole Worship vain and fruitleâ—â— to your selves as well as displeasing provokeâ—ing and unacceptable to God and so wheâ—â— all the ends of Worship are lost it becomâ— altogether vain as Mat. 15.9 But in vaâ—â— they do worship me teaching for Doctrine tâ—â— Commandments of men and who hath â—â—â—quired these things at your hands will 〈◊〉 day dash in pieces the confidence of all sucâ— Worshippers and evidence the vanity as weâ—â— as the impiety of all such Worship Humanâ— Traditions and Impositions of Men undeâ— what name or pretence soever whether of Eâ—â—clesiastical or of holy learned and judicioâ— persons or the Authority of the Civil Magistrate are not sufficient to warrant us iâ— our worshiping of God No no we muâ—â— to the Law and to the Testimony and iâ— they speak not according to this Word therâ— is no light or morning in them And wheâ—â— men have once rejected the Word of thâ— Lord what Wisdom is in them yea whaâ— Holiness is in them what Learning is in them yea professing themselves to be wise they are become fools and why then should you that are in Christ follow them or be led by them wherein they do not follow Christ or are led by his Word and Spirit 'T is time for us to leave them who have left the Head Jesus Christ and have gone a whoring from under their Gods What though all the World wander after and worship the Beast yet those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life must not comply with them Rev. 13.7 8. Ye that are in Christ are the Temple of the Living God for God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. And again Rev. 18 4. And having therefore dearly Beloved these promises viz. of God's receiving us and of being a Father to us and our being his Sons and his Daughters as before Let us cleanse our selvet from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And let it be considered by you that if you be rejected of the World for not worshiping with them after their Rudiments ye shall be received of God in Christ as the true Worshippers that worship him in spirit and truth i. e. that worship him in Christ sincerely and according to his own Institution and whether it is better to please God or Men to be rejected of Men and to be received of God or to be received of Men and rejected of God judge ye for to be jâ—stified by Works and our own Righteousness and to worship God by Humane Inventions are equally hateful and abominable with God tho' highly esteemed amongst Men Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate And Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst Men is abomination in the sight of God And for us to think within our selves that we can be justified in the sight of God by our own Works or Righteousness or that we can worship God by Humane Inventions or Mens Traditions is to think that God is altogether such an one as our selves for which certainly he will reprove us Psal. 50.21 22. And there is a secret yet strong connexion betwixt these two grand Errours viz. to be justified by Works and to worship God by and after our own Inventions for they commonly go together and stand and fall together And those that are corrupt or loose in the Doctrine of Justification are accordingly as corrupt and loose in Worship And therefore when a Professing People grow loose in the Worship of God 't is an ill Omen and just ground of godly jealousie and fear that such are unsound and loose in the Point of Justification Hence Gal. 4.8 9 10 11. And that they are not fast knit by a sincere Faith unto Christ the Head Col. 2.19 20 21 22. Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the Spirit then and not till then are we the tâ—ue Circumcision then and not till then do we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him And the God of Peace shalâ— be with you Amen The Second Part of the True Light Shining in Darkness To give to us the knowledge of Salvation to guide our feet into the way of Peace OR The Righteousness of God Manifested opened and declared as the True and only Matter of our Justification before GOD through Faith in Jesus Christ. Being one Sermon or Doctrine of five more remaining upon Rom. 3.21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Preached first in and about the City