garment and so making the rent worse Mat. 9.16 though it be done never so curiously with never so much Art and drawn in as if it were of the same peices whosoever he be that brings in any thing of man as having a power or being a cause of any good in man that makes any thing wise but Christ any thing faire but him any thing beautiful but him the same is no other but a Thiefe and a Robber John 10.1 A wizzard and a Southsayer and inticeth to Idolatry and saith Let us go serve other gods Deu. 13.6 even the gods of the Nations that are round about us for this is held forth by those Scriptures when we withdraw our hearts from the Lord and set up any thing in his stead we go a whoring and serve other gods Hos 1.2 although we have never so faire and fine pretences and excuses For when we exalt any thing in man or give any thing to man we at the same time pull down something in Jesus Christ and take away something which is due to him and there is alwayes a magnifying thereof and a resting in it and trusting to it whatever men say to the contrary But Oh blessed is that soul that puts his trust onely in the Lord if any think he has any power or that Christ hath given any sufficiency to man out of himself and he having grace given him he is to work and doth not see that he lives and depends solely on him and that he thinks he can be upheld one moment without the fountain or without drawing and sucking sap from the root they are meerly deluded and live out of the Vine and are cut off from the root that should feed and nourish them Rom. 11.17 and every such branch is dead and fit for nothing but wrath and fire Oh 't is a sad case for men to think to live upon their own stock thinking thus Christ he is in heaven and I have cast Anchor there and he hath given me a stock and a Talent and now I must bestir me and shew my selfe a good husband and a wise man I must now improve these graces and these habits and get something together that I may live and depend upon hereafter and if I do so I shall grow a rich and thriving Christian and finde rest for my soul I confesse most men are led out this way and they are hard at work for they are working for life and to prevent death but the sadnesse and the blindnesse and the blacknesse of these mens condition is exceedingly to be lamented For herein they shall never finde nor enter into the Lords Rest And so for many others they take much delight in reasoning and talking and discoursing about Religion and may be heap together many fine high and curious notions and hence they suck sap and life for a time but alasse this fruit it all withers and comes to nothing For there was never any rest peace or satisfaction in any thing below Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.18 Mat. 19.14 And therefore there is no way for these men but to lose all and sell all and to become poore And for these wise men to become fooles and to become as Innocents and children and little in their own sight and to lose their very lives for Christ which all their life time they have been a providing for scraping and patching and piecing up together something to live upon another day Oh! how hardly do such men lose all sell all for in their own esteem they are very rich and must needs go away heavy and sorrowful Beloved this selling all and esteeming and making Jesus Christ the onely riches Mat. 13.46 the onely Pearle is such a thing as man cannot abide to heare it named to lose all the opinion of their own goodnesse to think basely of themselves to be content to let others who had them in high esteem think so of them And to come to rejoyce in this to be nothing for Christ And in him to lose his Religion his wisdome his righteousnesse Jud. 16.7 and to become as weak as another man and to be glad that Christ hath done this for him this is to make Christ All in All. And this is to rejoyce in his infirmities and in distresses for Christs sake though Christ never called thee to outward afflictions for when thou art weakest then art thou strongest And his strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 10. But when men think that holinesse consists in their own working and doing and observing rules and comming under outward fellowships and in dipping in a little cold water or breaking and eating a little bit of bread and herein think they have done some great matter alasse what poor empty dry Christians for the most part are these keeping such a stir about exactnesse to the shaddow and patterne and never once know the truth never yet tasted how sweet Christ is nor eaten of the HIDDEN Manna or the bread of God or of the living water eate or drank of Christs Body and Blood John 6.51 being meat indeed and drink indeed which was given for the life of the world And yet these men think they have done so well and they have brought forth much fruit and think to receive a great reward and mean to knock boldly at Heaven Gate and who must enter and enjoy the Kingdom but they Now for these men to be deluded and to be served as the five foolish virgins were Mat. 25.12 and to have the Gate shut before they come thinking they had oyle when they had none and good works and good fruit and then it shall be said unto them Luke 13.27 Depart from me I know you not ye are workers of iniquity Truly this will be a sad sentence what will become then of all their confidence of all their Religion Oh happy had it been for them had they hearkned sooner and sold all sooner But no man could ever make them believe but they had true holinesse and true wisdom and now it is laid open in the sight of Men and Angels And they can receive no other for they have kindled a fire and compassed themselves about with sparks and have walked in the light of their fire and in the sparks that they have kindled Esay 50.11 yet t is but their own sparks and the fire of their own kindling and therefore This ye shall receive at my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Then thou wilt wish thou hadst given eare to the counsell of the Lord and to have learned what this meant Their strength is to fit still but this they could not endure to heare of Ibid. 30.7 15. and he was a false and a lying Prophet that told them so no they would up and be doing and they would seek out and stir up their strength and goe out valiantly and goe down to Egypt to seek help and
dare not stand in his Own condemnation he dare not let this light shine on his works because They know they are evil Therefore they hate it preach against it cry out upon it as damnable doctrine and call the Professors thereof Seducers Familists Quakers Jesuits any thing to make them the most odious to the sonnes of men and they themselves resolve to smother it in themselves and will not be guided or directed by it they are resolved not to be weake not to be poore not to be fools not to be vile but make the world still think that they are wise strong holy sober grave regular in all they do and obedient to the very smallest and strictest rules of Christ and he that shall tax them or conceive or declare otherwise of them is to them a Fiend a Serpent a Divel Lastly from this ONENESS of the Deliverer we may conclude As there is but One Deliverer so there is but one way of Deliverance though there may be in the world thousands of inventions of men some worshipping this way and some that some after one form and some after another yet this is certain there is but one Deliverer and one way of Deliverance Eph. 4.5 As the Apostle saith Ephes 4.5 There is a unity in the spirit which is the bond of peace There is one body and one spirit One Lord that is One Deliverer one Faith one Baptism that is one way of deliverance One God and father of all who is above all and through all and in all One Saviour and One way of salvation and there is no more And this way is Christ in man bringing forth the light of God to empty kill and destroy the glory and wisdom of man to make a man as poore as Job having lost all and lying upon the dunghill full of boiles scabs and sores from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet and as miserable as Lazarus with his sores which the dogs came and Licked and to make them lie begging for he smallest crums to relieve them Whosoever thou art if thy deliverance be not wrought this way let me tell thee freely thou wert never yet dilivered however thou flatterest thy selfe to the contrary You may talk of forms and disciplines and dippings and of eating and drinking with Christ and breaking of bread and of Baptismes and all other externall things But this alone is the true Baptisme and the true eating of Christ his body and the drinking his blood This is the One way wrought by this One deliverer and whoever he be that lives in multiplicity of forms and diversity of worships or holds these things forth as Christs way without this Baptism of the spirit he holds forth a lye and a delusion and misery and wrath and desolation of spirit will come in the end for this is that one and only way which Jesus Christ hath used in all the Saints from the beginning of the world and will doe to the end to bring man low in himselfe that he alone may be exalted As there is but One God and Father of all but one Husband who is rich unto all so there is but one Church but one Spouse but one body and this one Spouse body or Church they are all joyned married or brought home to Christ but in this one way And there is but one power but one wisdom but one strength whereby all the people of God were and ever shall be delivered Beloved what a stir does all the world make about setting up a world of severall inventions with variety of washings rules dippings forms and every individuall fellowship say we are in the right way our way is the best and we are neerest the rule and the Primitive practise and our way is the way of peace and rest such and such they miss the rule of the word in this and in that but our way is the most exact and most perfect of all All which is no other but that which Christ foretels shall come when they say Loe here is Christ or Loe he is there but Christs command is Goe not after them for the Kingdom of God comes not with observation Luke 17.20 nor consists not in outward observations nor in eating or drinking nor in dipping in water Col. 22.21 22. nor in meats and drinks nor in obeying the commands and rules of men As touch not taste not handle not which all perish in the using for All things of that nature are far below those spirituall things in which consists the Kingdom of God which is righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 and in being Baptized with the spirit and with fire There is but one eating of Christs body and drinking his blood and this is no other but what is given by Jesus Christ himselfe 1 Cor. 11.24 and whoever eats not nor drinks not of this He it is that eats damnation not discerning the Lords body And though men eate and drink and break bread together never so often and be never so constant and observant therein yet the Apostle says plainly This is not to eat the Lords body but t is onely the eating the Hidden Manna that can nourish to everlasting life Rev. 2.7 T is onely the eating of the Tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God that can make us live for ever And of this bread all the Saints doe eat And what one Saint is fed with the same are all Saints and what a Sint lives by he eates daily and this is his food and nourishment the bread that feeds them is not eating for an houre or the like but for ever t is his daily food by which he is nourished and fed to the Kingdom of God He does not one day feed like a Saint and another day like a divel He does not onely examine himselfe to eate a little bit of bread and drink a sup of wine but he daily examines himselfe and he daily and continually eats of this bread 1 Cor. 10.17 and drinks of this cup for they being many are one bread and one body for they are all partakers of that one bread and what ever they doe and when ever they eate Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 they doe it in remembrance of him They live upon Christ in all things they see Him to be their life their motion their rule and ruler their righteousnesse wisdom redemption They see there is not one creature acts or moves nor is there one change of providence but they see Christ do it more truly then they see the creature doth it They see him the Soveraign Lord and Commander ruling and doing all things as in themselves so in the whole creation of Heaven and earth and this is that they live by and feed upon They have such meat to eat Joh. 4.32 which none knows the vertue of but only they who eat it such meat it is the world knows
but the Apostle tels us of another Ruler and Teacher As many as are Christs are led by the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.14 Acts 17.7 And in the Acts it is said the Apostles would have gone into Bithynia After they were come to Missia they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not for they found trouble and opposition there was the Lord leading of them and guiding of them otherwise they did not set a foot forward their eye was still upon the Lord so till the cloud be removed from over the Tabernacle the soule will finde nothing but trouble and destruction if it goe onward and the Lord hath not discovered the light of the Tabernacle and himselfe goe before it Then in the first place this discovers to us that there are usually two things in the way of Christ which oftentimes in the world are mistaken and taken one for another there are I say the heavenly things themselves and there are the Patterns of them now the Pattern is not set forth for it selfe but in reference and Relation unto the thing of which it is a pattern And a copy or exemplar it is not for it selfe but in relation to what we should act imitate or doe by it so there are the heavenly things themselves and the patterns or types or similitudes of them Take speciall notice of these two things Now we shall finde it apparent if we consider it that the world hath alwayes been quick-eyed to see the one but not at all to discern the other The world and especially the great professours of Religion have been quick-sighted to discern the form pattern and similitudes of Heavenly things and there they have been satisfied But I say to find feel and enjoy and to live in the Heavenly things themselves Heb. 9.23 Col. 1.26 1 Joh. 7.6 this is that Mystery that hath been hid from ages and Generations your time that is the time of the flesh is always But My time that is the time of Christ is not always as to man though always as to God I say the world in all Ages could never be found to be without living upon and in the patterns forms and shapes of Heavenly things according as they fancied but to find the sons of men living in under and by the power of Heavenly things themselves that is the Mystery that hath I say been hidden from ages and generations as Paul saith We all find the Jews in the time of Moses they all lived under the Law in that form they all saw the outward form of the Tabernacle had a reverent esteem of that and there rested And so how many are there now who rest on the outward forms of washing and dipping these I take to be the Familists the world so much hates and talks of for they are all of this Family and Society and herein lies so far as I can see their Church-membership which they so much Idolize And for all this how few are there of them that are of the inward assembly of the Saints that are come to the general assembly of the Church of the first born which are written in Heaven they are come and are brought but only to the mount that may not be touched and that burneth with fire Heb. 12.18 22. and unto blackness and darkness and tempest How many of them I say are these that are brought to Forms Fellowships and Washings which as they are used produce nothing but blackness and darkness and fire and Tempest not into the Unity of that one Spirit But Onely to be baptized with Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10.1 c. Ps 95.11 Heb. 3 17.18.19 for with many of them saith the Apostle God was not well pleased whose Carkasses fell in the Wilderness And the Text saith they entred not into his Rest but were overthrown in the Wilderness because of unbelief Now we shall finde no age in the world where the people have wanted their forms of things in one kind or other but ye shall hardly find any age wherein people have lived under and upon the Heavenly things themselves How many patterns and similitudes have the Papists in their Church the Pope himself in imitation of Christ can wash the feet of twelve Pilgrims once in the year and fares it any better with those that call themselves members of other Churches to be only Apostles in imitation some have one pattern some another one thinks he hath the true Baptisme because he hath the similitude and pattern of spiritual Baptism which was then by some used by way of dipping in water Another hath the pattern and similitude of eating Christs Body and drinking his Blood in their breaking of Bread which was but the type of the Heavenly bread that was the Body of Christ But Christ saith Joh. 6.53 except a man eat his flesh and drink his blood he hath no life in him How many Churches partake of the patterns and shadows and whatever they say they conclude from thence they are the Church of God because say they we have the right use of the Sacraments which is a sign of a true Church because they have the patterns types and shadows observing onely outward rules forms and carnal ordinances which all perish with the using wherefore Col 2.20 if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances yet impudently and blasphemously wil they dare to say they are not Church of Man but of God when they know not the mystery nor live according to the power of the Heavenly things themselves and therefore herein that Scripture comes to be fulfilled that men shall have a form of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 but deny the power of it for the one may be where the other is not and the Apostle tells us That he is not a Jew that is one outwardly but he is a Jew that is one inwardly Rom. 2.28 29. whose circumcision is of the heart and spirit whose praise is not of men but of God So from hence it is clear many Churches and many hundred thousands of souls may have an exact pattern and yet want the Heavenly things themselves they may have the pattern as the Jews had that were sanctified and washed only with the Blood of Bulls and Goats but to have the Heavenly things themselves viz. that Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of life and to have the Purifications and Sanctifications that are onely by his blood this they are strangers to This is the spiritual and living fire and where ever it is in the soul of man it cannot but break forth to the destroying of all things of man and flesh and magnifying and exalting all things of the Spirit of God So that hence it is clear that it would be the wisdome of the sons of men to see whether they have the heavenly things themselves and
not the patterns For saith the Apostle when that which is perfect is come then that that is imperfect shall be done away and again the same Apostle when I was a Child I did as a Child 1 Cor. 13.11 2 Cor. 5.16 I spake as a Child I understood as a Child but when I came to be a man I put away childish things and hence forth saith he know we Christ after the flesh no more Alas the Apostle had as well as other men known Christ by the way of the flesh and in outward conformity and observations and in a low carnal apprehension of him but when Christ was come into him in the Spirit Rev. 21.5 then ALL THINGS were become New Then he would not have a Christian to be judged in respect of a Holy-day New Moons or of keeping Sabbath days and the like Col. 2.16.17 which are but shadows of things to come for the body is Christ But there was a time when they were under the type of breaking of bread which was onely to shew the Lords death till he came 1 Cor. 11.29 but when Christ was come then he rebukes the Corinthians for using that ceremony of of breaking bread and said they did not discern the Lords Body For the eating his Body and drinking his Blood was a thing of a far higher nature And from hence will follow the great miserie of the sons of men seeking rest and life in the patterns and types and not in Heavenly things themselves For if a man have the exactest patterns or pictures of any meat that ever could be drawn in the world or of wine and drink would either of these feed or refresh him when he was hungry or satisfie him when he was thirsty you will say they could not and how then can the patterns of Heavenly things feed any more then they So also it is the true Manna that feeds the soul it is not that Manna that fell in the Wildernesse your Fathers they eat of it and are dead saith our Saviour No Joh. 6.49 50. it is the spiritual Manna whereof if a man eat he shall live for ever Then it must needs be a deceit of the Devil and a woful and sad delusion on the spirits of men and yet notwithstanding this is that great delusion wherewith Satan is gone forth to feed men as the Prodigal was with the husks and shells of Divine things He desired the husks and no man gave unto him But when the poor man had wasted that portion he had from his Father when that divine portion was gone and he had wasted it among Whores and Harlots that is after his own inventions thinking they should nourish him he saith he could eat Husks But he found they would not satisfie I he should sterve for hunger yet many thousands think and accordingly do could I go into such a Church-fellowship and walk as they walk I should be as well as they and yet for all that there is no man can give unto them had he them to the utmost alas they would not satisfie and fill him But he cannot have that others have he would have their Holinesse and be able to pray hear and speak and have as much freedome and power against sin and the like but it is not given unto him but if he have all these external things yet alas they are but husks and cannot satisfie So that then there is a plain and absolute necessity falls on him and he sees there is no way but to goe home to his Father else he starves and dyes Luk. 15.18 and now he sees his own weakness and poverty then he begins to come to himself and saith I will return to my Father So when the Soul is brought into this condition then it sees that it is not he that hath brought things into any good frame by his good husbandry or by a providential care now nothing will serve his turn no I must to my Father and I will goe to my Father This shews the misery of the spirits of those men that would fain feed upon husks And from hence it comes to pass that they run here and run there from one to another even as a poor creature when it is thirsty and drye and sees many Wells or Vessels thinking there is water He runs to one to see if there be any and then to another but they are all empty So alas a poor hungry soul here it picks and there it feeds and as long as it can find a crum it will never go to God it had rather go to any MOUNTEBANK then come to Jesus Christ the true Physitian One day it will be of this Church another day of the other membership to see if these things will feed them But they whom God intends to bring home finde no satisfaction herein but are ready to starve and the true Reason is because they live by the patterns pictures and resemblances of food Obj. I know thou wilt object Obj. though we are to live by the Heavenly things themselves yet we are to make use of patterns Answ I confesse carnal reason will say so Answ though to me it is not so else those Scriptures must be a lye for saith he 1 Cor. 13 10. when that which is perfect is come then that that is imperfect shall be done away and when the Apostle saith stand fast in that liberty wherein Christ hath made you free and be not entagled again with the yoak of bondage and bids them they should not turn again to the beggerly rudiments of the world Gal. 5.1 and again saith the shadows and patterns of Heavenly things consisted in washing and rudiments and was never able to make the doers thereof and commers thereunto perfect Admit Heb. 9.9 I say that breaking of bread as it is in the External use of it and admit that using of water-Baptism were used by Christ which is hard to prove they were never or could be any thing else but the pattern of the Heavenly things and of the spiritual baptisme else that Text also tells us a lye that saith there was never any but one baptism which is that of the Spirit Now the Letter tells us of divers as the Baptisme of the Children of Israel in the Red Sea and of the Baptisme of John and the Baptisme whereby an unbeliever was baptized and yet the Text saith there was but one Baptisme for these are but the shadows of the spiritual Baptisme Eph. 4.5 and when that that is perfect is come then that which is imperfect is done away 1 Cor. 13.10 If thou didst really find thus thou wouldest not then need to make so much of Outward washing and breaking of bread for to the pure all things are pure but to the unclean all things are unclean and to the impure all things are impure and even their very hearts and consciences are defiled And from hence this shews that thy soul
23.7 c. who love to be called RABBI or by that Blasphemous Title of DIVINE and they must be honoured above other Saints of God and they are The Clergie and others they are but the Layitie of a meaner rank then we say they And how doe they love to have greetings in the market and the uppermost rooms at Feasts and the like well let them look to it God will judge them one day for all their Sorceries and inchantments and for standing up between him and his glory To whom alone all praise is due but to every man misery shame confusion of face blacknesse of darknesse hell and condemnation But hence we may see that it is no new thing to be bewitched by the Sorcerers and Inchanters and Magicians of the World The Galathians themselves were so for there are many Antichrists in the world there are legions gone out from the Prince of darknesse to deceive the whole Earth And if any from Christ speak but the truth he by his cunning devices will disguise it under the shape of Heresie Schisme Familisme or some odious nickname or other that so the truth may not be owned nor known That so men may stop their eares against the Heavenly voyce of Christ which brings down all things adored or loved in or from man and sets up nothing else but the power wisdom goodnesse holiness and Alsufficiency of the Lord alone He cries Mans heart and all the imaginations thereof are onely evill continually and that there is none that doth good Psal 14.3 Rom. 3 10. no not one They are all gone out of the way and every one is become abominable there is none that understands or seeks GOD. And that there is nothing in man of good but all is evill sin death darkness abomination a lye and utter desolation But Satan cries in the mouthes of his Ministers Let man doe something he can pray he can heare and let him follow those rules that we prescribe and they shall bring peace and rest to his soule But if man were but content to heare the voice of Christ and to stand in the light of God he should be convinced that he had no power no goodnesse and that nothing but onely the power of God could carry him out and that he is dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 and that the voice of Christ alone can raise them from their graves and that no lesse power can quicken or raise but the eternall Almighty power which raised Iesus Christ himselfe from the dead Rom. 8.11 It is not as men say If you will come to us and joyn and walk with us and be dipt with us or break bread with us will give any life any peace to the soule but the standing in the light of God that so man may take to himselfe death and darknesse misery and wrath and here to stand and dwell and that in him is no good thing then this light would also shew him that in Christ is all life liberty fulnesse satisfaction peace and rest and nowhere else If men did but abide in this light it would debase and keep low the lofty thoughts and those great expectations of and from man it would also give Jesus Christ his due it would not suffer him in the least to act against the glory of Christ but man would be dead and buried and Christ would onely ascend and sit upon his Throne There would nothing be esteemed in Heaven or Earth Mat. 19.21 but Christ and he would be content to sell and lose all for him This light would curb every wicked act every desire of the flesh this alone is the means to crucifie and kill thy vile nature and not any outward externall thing by washing or dipping in water or eating such a poore empty carnall thing as a bit of bread or drinking a sup of wine this thing never did nor never will doe it but to eate and drink that which Christ gave which was not a little bread and wine onely but HIMSELFE Joh. 6.56 1 Cor. 11.29 Ibid. v. 20 ch 10.16 and by feeding on him eating his body and drinking his blood this will nourish to eternall life When ye are met together into one place this is not to eate the Lords body For the bread which we break is the Communion of the body of Christ and he that eateth and drinketh unworthily discerneth not the Lords body Object But may I not use these things Object Ans Yea Answ so you think your selves never the better for using them for t is not they can feed or comfort thee nor t is not going on in thy own power nor thy using of means for Christ alone is the way and the means As if you come to a Feast you are not invited to eate the platters or earthern dishes which bring the meat but you are invited to the meat they doe but bring the meat and if thou eate not the meat thou mayst starve and die if thou follow the dreams of thy own heart and thinkest thou eatest and dost not what a horrible delusion and inchantment is this But of these things we may have an opportunity to speak more fully hereafter Thus you see what are those things which the Lord will cut off in that day when he shall come Thy Horses and thy Chariots thy Cities and thy strong holds Thy witchcraft and thy Southsayers Thy graven Images and thy standing Images out of the midst of thee THE SECRET SOUTHSAYER OR Hidden SORCERER discovered By Mr. Jo. WEBSTER SERMON II. Preached at Alhallows Lumbard-street MICAH 5.10 11 12 13. And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord That I will cut off thy Horses out of the midst of thee and I will destroy thy Chariots And I will cut off the Cities of thy Land and throw down all thy strong holds I will cut off Witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more Southsayers Thy graven Images also will I cut off and thy standing Images out of the midst of thee and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands I Have beloved according to the appearance of God in me shewed the meaning of these words according to the Spirit and the Mysterie declaring that great work which is brought to passe by Jesus Christ when he appeares gloriously in the world in the soules of men and is exalted as Lord and King and then it is when Jesus Christ is exalted in the earth and not when men are exalted or when there is peace and plenty of outward things But all the speakings of the Prophets and of Christ himselfe tend to set out that Kingdome and PERSONALL REIGNE which generally all men know little of and neither wil nor can own for a glorious state because not accommodated with outward power riches and eternall glory But in that day when Jesus Christ will come and arise in power spiritually in the soules of men then is that
him the corruption and rudiments of men their rules and their formes and their precepts these and these things they must do if they will be perfect and so joyne man with Christ and so make Christ and his Crosse of no effect Nay the Apostle he did so magnifie and set up and adore Jesus Christ and esteemed him so full so rich so large so all in all that he not only abhorred the rudiments and the inventions of men but the Ordinances and the very law of God as kept by men to come in competition with Jesus Christ for never any man observed the the law in the least tittle It was only Jesuch Christ and them in whom he is conceived and borne and in whom he workes For verily the law was not given to tell man what he should do to get peace and life but to condemne him to disable him to slay him to convince him that he is miserable and weak and cursed And therefore in vaine did those false Apostles or any other in any generation put men upon doing this or that by way of condition to enable man to act or do any thing on his part by his own power to please God But every true believer is a man lost and destroyed in himselfe and he is borne anew of this Divine seed and he is setled not on himselfe by his own doings 1 Sam. 2.2 but on the Rock of Ages And he harknes to this spiritual counsell given here by the Apostle To stand fast in this liberty whatever men say And will not suffer himselfe to be bewitched by the plausible techings of men tickling the flesh with acting and doing that by themselves which shall bring peace but which tends to no other end but to keep men in bondage and to hold them under the old Jerusalem because that 's very pleasing to man for there are many glorious forms and worships and man shewing out himselfe to be something which things please the outward man and the flesh and this is that man esteemes highly of and much prides himselfe in And indeed all this is nothing but to seek life in death and for the living to seek to the dead Esa 8.19 as the Prophet speakes all tends to death to bondage and to remaine under the Curse But that which the Apostle here holds forth is the truth the the power the life the inheritance the resurrection the glory and shewes that there is no other power life glory inheritance peace rest but only here there is no other spirit no other Baptisme no other breaking of bread he alone is The true bread which came downe from heaven John 6 51 and he alone can give it And he alone is the meanes the only Ordinance by which we receive it he is the way and he is the doâ—re this bread is given down from heaven as Christ shewes at large in John 6.31 c. He gave them bread from Heaven to eate Moses himselfe could not give them that bread Your Fathers have eaten Manna and are dead Vers 49. That bread which Moses gave could not keep them from death but for all they eate of that bread which came down from the elementary Heaven yet they are dead But my Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven for the bread of God is he which commeth downe from Heaven and giveth life unto the world I 'am the bread of life V. 57 58. and he that commeth unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst So that you see The Apostle here sets the opposition between the intanglements of men and the yoake of Bondage against the pure free and full liberty by Jesus Christ whatever it be but this liberty given us by Jesus Christ that gives the least joy the least peace the least rest to the soul of man but purely Jesus Christ he is intangled in the yoak of bondage for the liberty of Christ consists not in any thing below himself in any Ordinances as men call them in any duty in any form in any mode whatsoever but only in himself all things else are too low too poor too meane too base to stand in the room of Christ they cannot give the true bread but only Jesus himself who is The Bread There are but two principles from which all men work either from Christ or Antichrist either from the bondwoman or the free woman Jam. 3.15 either from the wisdom that is above which is pure peaceable gentle easie te be intreated full of mercy and good works without partiality without hypocrisie Or else t is from the wisdome which is from beneath which is earthly sensual and divelish which is full of envying strife and confusion and every evil work And though this wisdom of the world will undertake to shew us Christ and the true bread and they cry Loe here and loe there he is in our way sayeth every several separation But if they say he is in the wilderness or he is in the secret chambers goe not after them Mat. 24.26 for the Kingdom of Christ commeth not with observation who ever shall say he is in this outward form or in that way of washing or breaking bread believe them not goe not after them for know Luk. 17.20 The Kingdom of God is within you All men that think to be helped by cleaving to this Church or that Fellowship and are still going out of themselves to finde Christ they are deceived but if any man direct you to finde Christ anywhere but within in his own heart he is deceived all these waies are ensnarements and delusions if men think to be helped by any thing in heaven or earth but only by the pure perfect and alsufficient righteousnesse of Jesus Christ which is onely manifested in thy heart by his own spirit for if thou thinkest that Jesus Christ Externall in the flesh as dying at Ierusalem will help thee thou art utterly deceived t is Christ Onely who is begotten within thee all other waies of mens devising are meer lyes delusions and ensnarements In the words for order sake onely take notice of these foure things 1. That the state of a believing soule is a state of liberty 2. That believers are onely made partakers of this liberty by Jesus Christ 3. That the safety of standing is only in abiding in this liberty and freedom 4. That when any man goes out from this liberty and freedom by Jesus Christ to any thing else whatsoever he goes out to be ensnared and entangled and it cannot be otherwise For the two first t is cleare that there is a state of freedom and liberty belonging to the people of God and that Christ only is their deliverer He who is delivered by Jesus Christ he onely hath true freedom and he is the true free man all other however they talk of freedom and boast of freedom if Christ doe not set them free they are still bondmen they
Christ no hand can help him but only the infinit bottomlesse mercy of the Son of God He sees now nothing in Heaven or earth no righteousnesse of men or Angels could suffice for his ransom but Jesus Christ alone the Son of God himself must lay down his life to redeem him out of the nethermost hell Now Christ revealing this to him he hereby ascends up into this mountain and there he feasts and there he hath all his wisdom all his power all his life all his meat Jer. 17.13 all his living waters here he now hath all his teachings he now sees Christs mountain exalted upon the top of all mountains above the top of all mans mountains of wisdom power holinesse c. though they have been raised in mans esteem never so high and esteemed as the mountains of the Lord he sees his knowledge now meer folly his wisdom darkness his righteousness sin his power weaknes his glory shame his Heaven Hell this he sees in himself and he can see nothing else but this misery and this blindness upon the face of the whole earth every man is under this darknes is under this Covering the face of the Covering of all Nations Christ went up to the mountain and taught the people Mal. 2.2 The truth is this is that mountain where Christ alone teacheth all other teachings are folly and ignorance till we hear the word at his mouth Here in this mountain the soule beholds visions and receives the manifestations of Christ and the mysteries of the kingdome hereit sees from the bottom to the top of Jacob Ladder Mat. 24.15 here he sees the Abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet that had it not been for the love of Christ the meer power and hand of Christ he had been gon for ever lost for ever swallowed up in a mystery of iniquity but when Christ brings him into this mount then he sees himselfe escaped then he sees Sodom and Gomorah all on a flame all self flesh and al mans wisdom and righteousnes burnt up and the smoak thereof ascend as the smoak of a furnace and then he can say experimentally Jehovah-jireh Gen. 22.14 In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Saints can testifie of these things because they have seen and felt them done in themselves and t is that which their hands have handled of the word of life 1 Joh. 1.1 they can give testimony to the wisedome of Christ to the power of Christ to the righteousnesse of Christ to the evrlasting and unexpressible goodnesse of Christ as it is expressed and put forth in their hearts they can give no testimony of man of any goodness wisdome power c. in themselves but they know Christ to be all in all he see man and himselfe and all things of man to be nothing but a pit of darknesse a lump of sin a gulf of misery without the least wisdome goodnesse or power but whatever is good or strong or holy in him t is not himself t is not of man but of an from Christ alone he sees experimentally that he hath as of himselfe no power no strength to resist sin no repentance no minde to hate or resist the least sin but the contrary He findes a cursed hellish demned unbeleeving heart full of evil and that continually Gen. 6.5 a heart instead of loving God it fights against God in stead of doing good to his Neighbour really he seeks not his good but his own ends in all he doth that he doth nothing at all for God but himselfe is his supreame and ultimate end so that his highest and best actions are loathsome defiled abominable Now the soule seeing these things to be really thus Then all his strong high towering conceits fall down before the light wisedome power and excellency of Christ and he sees that there is none of all these through all the whol earth but in Christ alone no wisdom at all but his no power at all but his no righteousnes at al but his and no creature to receive any glory but hm alone then he falls down and cryes out O'wretched man that I'am who shal deliver me from that body of death Rom. 7.24 who shal deliver me from this bottomless gulf who shal deliver me from this monsterous fiend my own self Rom. 9.3 he now sees the Locusts of the bottomles pit covering the face of the whole earth every one running after his own ways and following his own laws every man setting up new Gods every man setting up the Image of his Imagery and the abomination of desolation in himself every man making himself his own god and seeking to be somthing and making the eternal glorious God to be an Idol and nothing He sees himself with the whole earth besides saying with the builders of Babel Gen. 11.4 go to let us build us a Tower and a City whose top may reach up to Heaven that we may not be seattered and destroyed they will save and deliver themselves from hell wrath and destruction by their own power by their own wisedome by their own inventions by the brick slime and morter that they have made Now the Lord looking down from Heaven to see what the Children of men are doing and he in himselfe sees how God hath said Let us go down and confound their language God in them hath discovered the evilnesse of their wayes the evil of self-seeking self-glory of their selfe-wisdome selfe-power self-righteousnesse and they in whom or to whom the Lord discovers these things all this contrivance and all this work n them is made BABEL Confusion a heap of Lyes t is all deceit destruction and misery but in Jesus Christ he hath righteousnesse indeed life indeed power indeed heaven indeed And then he can adde and say with the Apostle Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15 54.55 Oh grave where is thy victory then hath this corruptible in him put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality and then is brought to passe in him the saying as it is written death is swallowed up in victory Herein the Saints finde Jesus Christ to be their joy to be their feast to be their mountain to be their glory to be their All. In this mountain they finde and receive all these good things and are fully satisfied and that they are to be had nowhere else If they look anywhere else they know there is nothing but sin corruption death hell mortality and the grave And they having found this mountain they finde themselves escaped delivered from all those things And now they sit down with Abraham Isaac Mat. 8.11 and Jacob in the kingdome of Heaven They have found Abrahams bosome they have found the tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God they have found the Hidden Manna Rev. 3. they have received the
he may be delivered from death and wrath Ezek. 20.43 1 Cor. 5.5 and that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord and that he may bring him to rest peace wisdom righteousness and glory in that alone and Aâ—sufficient Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ in whom alone are all these but in the creature nothing but trouble confusion death sinne hell and condemnation in which All the sonnes of men are concluded and all their best workes and Christ alone is ordained of the Father to be our strength wisdom righteousness redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and salvation Him alone hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Him alone I say being made unto us wisedome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.29 That so no flesh should glory in his presence but according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord and in the Lord alone THE Power of Divine Attraction or the Fathers great Love in drawing poor sinners unto his Sonne Delivered at Whitehall on the Sixth of John verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day BEloved when the power of God from Eternity which was himself was made out in the appearance of flesh at Jerusalem when this eternal word I say was in that Vaile which was the making out of the true body of Christ when the Saviour of the world appeared in the flesh to make out himselfe to the Sonnes of men in all his actings and speakings we finde nothing else sought acted or spoken by him but the fulfilling and accomplishing of the work and will of the Father about which he was sent Joh. 6.38 and therefore whatsoever he did or said was onely that he might finish and accomplish that great work about which the Father had sent him therefore in that regard he said he had meat to eat that man knew not of John 4.32 understood not did not see And as he came to fulfil the work of the Father not onely in the flesh in those manifold and unparalleled sufferings he underwent but also in the power of that spirit that he might convey life and salvation to the soules of men this was his meat and drink so that this is it that in all his speakings he chiefly holds out so here he having declared that he was that bread that came down from Heaven that only true and spiâ—itual Manna which cometh down from Heaven Joh. 6 33. that nourisheth the soules of men and besides which there is none other Hereupon he holding forth this so boldly and so clearly the Jewes the scribes and Pharisees those Religious and learned men of the times not knowing the mystery of this bread became extreamly offended and despised and derided him saying Vers 41 Hew can this man give us his flesh to eat Truly Beloved that which is held out to us by this is That the Jew is in every man by nature and is discontented at the speaking out of the spiritual things of Jesus Christ When it is holden out that there is no other Wisdome Strength Righteousness and Holiness but that which is onely in and from the Son of God and that this is the only meat and drink of the soule And that there is not any one of the sonnes of men that hath either wisdom or holinesse or power or any good thing of his owne this is a hard saying to flesh and blood 1 Cor. 2.14 for the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God neither indeed can he for they are spiritually discerned The Words now read are the answer of our Saviour to the murmuring objection of the carnall minded man or Jew saying how can this man be bread unto us or Manna or meat and drink Joh. 6.42 Is not this the Son of Joseph and the reason is because they saw onely the Vail but not the Godhead the eternity or everliving WORD that was under that Vail viz. his flesh or his external appearance Now he therefore gives an answer to this their murmuring and shews the reason and ground why it could not be otherwise with them that their carnal minds could do no other but murmur at these spiritual makings out of the minde of God Because no man could know him love him and believe in him but those that were given him of the Father those that were drawn by the spirit and love of the Father onely would understand love and beleeve and know him but otherwise all others they would nor could do no other but murmur and repine for all others in seeing they did see and not understand for their foolish heart was blinded and darkened with impenitency of heart therefore saith he no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him First here is discovered by way of Negation and Exclusion the impossibility of man as man to come to Christ no man c. Secondly here is laid down the power way and means by which man comes on to Christ and that is in and by the drawing of the Father when the FATHER draws man cannot but come and when the Father draws not man cannot come unto Christ No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day as if he should say if he be not drawn and raised up by me he can never come and I never raise nor draw till the last day till mans day mans power wisdom strength holiness all that is in or of man is at an end and that he is lost distressed and undone Then at that last day I will raise him up I will come in and stay no longer for while mans day that is mans life wisdom and strength lasts there is nothing but resistance blindnesse fightings and oppositions First no man can come that is In his natural blind dead and lost condition wherein he is as a dead bone Ezek. 37. there is no life at all in him wherein he is stark blinde and sees not the things that concern his peace therefore he hath no will nor power nor mind to come unto me UNTO ME Luk. 19.42 who am the Saviour of the world the truth righteousnesse and Sactification it selfe to come unto me that is to ME indeed for men had power enough to come to Christs bodily appearance while he was on the earth but this is not the comming to him to come in conceit notion opinion or in a verbal or litteral way according to the History and relation of him But to come to Christ is to come in the life of Christ in the power of God to come unto him in the eternall power that HE may onely teach them lead them and guide them and be their onely Master that they may
lead him and bring him unto salvation but this is the condemnation Joh. 3.19 that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil I make no question but are all here pretend at least to be seekers of God Now enter into thy owne heart and tell me what is the end of all thy Religious actions are they not done for this purpose that thereby thou mayest gain and get a good opinion to and of thy self that thou hast served God in a way he commands and when thou hast done thinkest thou now art accepted is this thinkest thou the free-will offering that is in Jesus Christ wherein we serve him not as Slaves or as Servants but as Sons Sons that are begotten out of love and out of love serve him without fear all the dayes of our life Now I say Luk. 1.74 when thy Religious actions are onely made use of to hide over thy sin and to get a good opinion of thy selfe this is not the work of the spirit of God this is not a drawing to God but from God this is a drawing into thy selfe to depend on flesh and to feed on the dead ashes of thy own heart Esa 44.20 and not to know that there is a lye in thy right hand But now if thou didst but see thy owne sinne and thy owne evil heart thou wouldest not dare to speak of God but with much trembling but know if thou speak of him or of Divine things thou speakest as vainely and as dissemblingly as wickedly and hast nothing of Divine nature more then another then the world of men for all thy many words and large professions thou wilt not say We see for then thy sin remaineth But if thou goest out mourning and weeping over thine owne misery and over thy cursed heart to thee I say the Lord will draw thee and lead thee in the everlasting power so that thy own carnal heart and all the power of hell shall not be able to keep thee from Christ but thou shalt understand and find that it is the power of the Father onely that draws every man unto Christ And he will cause thy captivity to return as the streams in the South Psal 126.4.6 and thou shalt find that he that goeth forth weeping shall doubtlesse come againe with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him that so thou mayest rejoyce and magnifie him alone utterly renouncing thy selfe and all the power of man as having no hand in His Almighty work THE CLOUD taken off the TABERNACLE that the ISRAEL of God might journey Preached at Alhallows Lumbard-street EXOD. 40.36 37 38. And when the Cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle then the Children of Israel went onward in all their journeys But if the Cloud were not taken up then they journeyed not until the day it was taken up For the Cloud of the Lord was upon the Tabernacle by day and the fire was on it by night in the sight of all the House of Israel throughout all their journeyes THis Book out of which we have taken these words is called EXODUS that is the Book of the goâ—ng out or the Book of the goings forth for it shews the manner of the going forth of the children of Israel out of Egypt being brought out thence by a strong and mighty hand But Beloved if we look on the things contained in this Book of the goings forth or going out onely as an History of the Jewes going out of that Land of Egypt wherein they were inslaved in their cruel bondage we fall farre short of what the Holy Ghost intends For their going out is the type and representation of all the people of God in all generations and of their going forth from under the bondage of spiritual Pharach and out of the Kingdome of Darknesse When Moses as you may see had obeyed the command of God he shewing him the form of the Tabernacle and Moses setting up all things therein according to the pattern then 't is said Heb. 8.5 Ver. 34.35 in the preceding verses when Moses had finished the work then a cloud covered the Tent of the Congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle so that Moses was not able to enter in for the glory thereof Which Tabernacle was alwayes to be carried before the children of Israel and if the cloud was not taken up from off the Tabernacle then they journeyed not but sate still but if it was taken up then they were to arise and goe on upon their journey this rule they must observe and this was to be their Leader and their Guide in all their journyings Thus it is in the History and this is the Letter now if there were no more in it then so what advantage is it to us but onely to deduct and raise some moral observations and directions which every carnal man may do and be never the nearer the meaning of the Scriptures or to eat of the tree of life and of the Hidden Manna or knowing the mind of God and having no more we have but the Letter that kills Gen. 3.3 and is no other but the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil whereof God hath commanded ADAM that is whole ADAM all Mankind not to eat thereof For to think that that eternal infinite and most spiritual and divine wisdom should have no greater depth nor no farther wisdom to imploy it self in then in relating Histories of an outward Tabernacle and of silken blew and purple curtains and of the Pot of Manna and of outward sacrifices and washings what depth of wisdom answerable to that infinite wisdom in the Almighty Jehovah were this in him To tell of Solomons State 2 Chro. 9. and his Throne and his Majesty of his Gold and Silver and of the magnificent stately Temple that he builded of the workmanship and great cost and the like what were all this if there were not more in it then the Letter and what every man by his study and reason and learning can finde out but without all question there is that Mystery and depth of wisdom and knowledge hid and covered in all these things which none can find or know with all their utmost endeavours unlesse we be anoynted with that holy anoynting which teacheth all things 1 Joh. 2.27 Mat. 19.11 neither can we ever know them except they be given us from above that so these things may be spoken out onely by that divine teaching in us And for that History for which this Book is called Exodus that we are now upon the Book of the goings forth without all question and to be briefe Satan in us is that true Pharaoh which keeps the true Israel in bondage which is here held forth by that external Pharaoh for what is that Pharaoh to us except we find in our selves all those things acted and done And Egypt there to us is no other thing
thou hast murthered him And that thou hast chosen Barabbas a murtherer rather then this innocent one And in that thou hast followed thy own waies and thy own wisdom and bin thy own Guide and by this hast crucified and murthered the Honour and glory of thy glorious Saviour And all this was because he would have condemned his and thy adversaries because he would have destroyed thy Hellish and divellish spirit Mat. 27.66 therefore thou hast laboured to destroy and crucifie him and hast buried him and rolled a stone upon him so that thou thoughtest he should never rise again But t is not all the powers of Darknesse can keep him under for after three daies he will rise again and triumph over his enemies and appeare in glory and Majesty Then it will be discovered who are those deluders that cried Loe here and loe there and said he is the chambers or he is the wildernesse or he is the secret places Then he will speak that word in thy soule Goe not after them joyn not with them for they lead thee from thy beloved then thou shalt see Luk. 17.23 that He whom thou calledst a seducer a divel a blasphemer shall now be thy Judge and those thou runnedst after and thoughtedst thy friends will be found lyers deceivers and blasphemers Now this day of the Lord man would fain put off with all his wit wisdome and inventions and this day of the Lord cannot be meant of a litterall day or a naturall day for that cannot be for who is able to put off one day And as man cannot put off a naturall day nor the rising and setting of the Sunne nor day nor night so cannot he put off this day of the Lord but when it will come it shall come and he cannot put it off with all the art wisdome power and all the inventions and subtilties he can devise but Christ shall be born in BETHLEM Micah 5.2 as it is prophecied of him In Bethlem that is in the house of Bread for he is the true bread and the bread of life man never had true satisfaction or any true bread till He was born in him Joh. 6.55 for his body is bread indeed and his blood is drink indeed Then all mans wisdome and power and all his Fortifications and Strong holds shall be blown down Jos 6.20 then shall the walls of Iericho fall at the sounding of these Rams-horns And then when Christ is once born Herod and all Ierusalem shall be troubled Mat. 23.18 then is the day when Rachel shall mourn for her children and will not be comforted yea all those children which the children of men have begotten and thought they would be a comfort and rejoycing to them and a support to them they in this day shall all be slain with the sword And that light of God that is in every man shall tell them that all their wisdome and endeavours that all their righteousnesse and conformity is nothing worth and that when they have done the utmost that they can Luk. 17.10 they are but unprofitable servants and the best of their strictnesse is not worth one bit of bread Ibid. 13.27 and that God is not bound to them in the least when they have done never so much but Hell is their due Luk 13.27 and their portion for all this therefore depart from me ye workers of iniquity And this day of the Lord will come on a sudden when neither men nor all their Magicians nor Southsayers nor their Sorcerers nor all their Witchcrafts that delude the eyes of the understanding shall be able with all their wisdome and cunning to put it off but they themselves shall be cut off and destroyed though they have used their utmost devices to delude the soule and carry it captive and won them to a liking of their wayes and though Satan hath so deluded people that he appears not a Devil and seducer as he is 2 Cor. 11.14 15. but hath transformed himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of righteousnesse And for proofe of this consider but of two or three places of Scripture and you shall see it clear As First 2 Thes 2.9 10. the Apostle in 2 Thes 2.9 10. speaking of Antichrist and his workings in man saith he shall be revealed and made known and consumed with the spirit of the Lord and with the brightness of his coming even He whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse Though they seem Saints and to be endewed with power yet they are but lying wonders and though they seem to have righteousnesse yet it is deceivable righteousnesse righteousnesse wrought by the power of Inchanters and Sorcerers and Magicians to deceive and blind the understanding for there is no such thing but the contrary for t is no other but the power of Satan and the working of Satan and they are his signs and lying wonders And in that day of the Lord all these things shall be discovered and made naked Nay farther that Satan may hide himselfe and not be known to be Satan he hath this farther policy and inchantment he can cry down an Inchantment in one form that he may be more secure in another and yet be Satan still and all to conceale himself from being known for if he be discovered and the day of the Lord reveal him then ye shall see him fall down from Heaven like Lightning Luk. 10.18 therefore Satan will change his shape and cast out himselfe and in this case Belzebub will cast out Belzebub the greater Devil will cast out the less that so he may take fuller possession And all this is done by no other art but by Magick Inchantments and Sorcery Nay often times the Devil will call that Inchantment which is farthest from it even the wisdome power and righteousness of Christ Because he knows that if he can but make men so apprehend of it they will fly from it for he knows himself hated And except he be disguised he can do nothing yet many men will cry out against Sorcery and Inchantment and Heresie and Errours and Delusions when they know not what they are nay when they themselves are most deluded and surprized by Inchantment So that Satan he is furnished with his subtile devices and yet keeps men ignorant of his devices and they shall not know they are inchanted but cry out upon others to be so They cry out such are Hereticks and Ranters Seducers and Jesuites and see not the real Divination in themselves So that by this you may see when God or the Scriptures speak of Sorcerers Magicians Charmers Inchanters Southsayers Diviners Necromancers Peepers a Woman with a familiar Spirit or the like they not onely mean that External way of Magick though some things in that case may be lawful which may through ingorance be railed against but
and ORDAINE Ministers and they speak of giving the Holy Ghost but alasse I say all these are but resemblances and shadows they are not the true Ordinances of Christ and notwithstanding mens using of these things with so much appearance of strictnesse and exactuesse yet they have them not For they are in bondage still they were never yet delivered set free indeed nor never Baptized with the Baptisme of Christ never yet fetcht off their own bottoms never taken into Vnion with Christ who will undertake to give the Spirit and the Holy Ghost and yet never had it themselves and therefore all those things that these men use are nothing but shadows Outsides Shels and Carkasses of the true Ordinances of Christ You know many came to Johns Baptisme even of the Pharisees and yet they wre but a Generation of Vipers their consciences told them that John was a true Prophet Mat. 3.7 and they began to smite them and they thought it was a duty they were bound to that thereby they should prevent the wrath to come and they presently take it up as having power of their own to do any thing in Religion and here they thought themselves secure and that they had really prevented the wrath to come But the true Baptisme and the true Ordinanes and the true Worship are things of a farre higher nature There is a HEAVENLY Baptisme and a Heavenly Worship and an Heavenly Ord inance I saith John Baptize with Water but there is one that commeth after me Ver. 11 12. who is preferred before me He shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire I must decrease but HE must increase My Baptisme is nothing I must stand by when he comes I baptize but unto repentance but He gives repentance and the Holy Spirit The Heavenly things are of a far higher nature These are but the pictures and the shadows the shells and the outsides the other the Life and the Power the Holy Ghost and the Fire it self Now they that receive these things are indeed the Children of the Free-Woman and are the true seed of Abraham All other are the Children of the Bond-Woman and are HAGAR who is in bondage with her Children to this very day For as it was with Hagar so is it now and hath been alwayes in all ages and generations The children of the Bond-woman do alwayes exalt themselves and are very sawcy and peremptory toward the children of the Free-woman why because they are Circumcised and submit to Ordinances and think themselves of the seed of Abraham therefore they grow proud lofty and censorious and usurp too much over the Children of the Free-woman even as their mother before the Hagar she despised her Mistress and lifted up her selfe more then was fit for her Therefore this is determined concerning her Cast out the Bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the Bond-woman shall not be heir with the Son of the Free-woman Gal. 4.25 When once the Handmaid who is in the house but by sufferance will exalt her selfe above THE MISTRESSE and her SON born after the flesh begin to persecute him that is born after the spirit then away with her cast out both her and her Sons too And farther know this that when the appearance of the power of Christ comes into the soul that is when the Bond-woman and her son is cast out then the soul doth not as some imagine and teach work out its own liberty nor is it made free by its own power Ibid 5.1 but Christ brings in this liberty with him and from this liberty the soule acts and works The children of the Free-woman do not work to be set free but because they are set free therefore they work freely and cannot but so work And herein lies a broad difference between the children of the Bond-woman and the children of the Free-woman When the sons of the Bondwoman hear of any thing that man is required to do presently they think to work themselves to it by their care watchfulnesse resolution c. But now it is quite contrary with the sons of the Free-woman they having a Principle of Freedom act and work from this the one worships God from an internal Principle in the power of the spirit the other from an outward compulsory cause and not from the power of love So likewise the one doth all his actions out of love to men doing good to all men in the world being willing to serve all out of love Pittying all Counselling all willing to help all so far as lies in them Imitating their Heavenly Father who doth good to all to the good and evil just and unjust Mat. 5.45 and meerly from a Heavenly Principle of mercy pitty and loving kindnesse and bowels of mercy But the other His Religion consists in outward forms in washings and dippings and conformity to Fellowships and whatever they do it is not from the power of love or from the nature of their heavenly fater in them but from some external cause from something without them from fear or hope either to prevent some danger or to procure something which they conceive in a general notion to be good for them to make them happy and the like because Hell they hear is a terrible place and full of Horrour and Destruction and Heaven is a place of peace joy and rest and there they shall live for ever in pleasure which shall never end upon these two grounds most men act and take up the strictest forms of Worship and hereupon they may be very constant and very zealous and sincere as they conceive when alas all these things are nothing at all so nor so for the truth is Hell they love and live in and yet know not that they are in it and that which is true heaven to the soule they hate and run away from as being the place of misery death and torments to them Therefore ye may see what a miserable delusion and cursed vaile is generally upon the Hearts of most men which call themselves Men fearing God and that which they call the Worship of God is no other but inventions of their own as they practice them and WILL-WORSHIP And though they keep a great deal of stirre about Ordinances and breaking of bread yet alas how far they are from the Ordinances of Christ let the effects of their practice and lives declare how little do they feed on Christ as they pretend to do He that feeds on Christ partakes of his nature and Christ in them turns the stock into his own Nature as Peter speaks Luk. 11.28 Ibid. 22.19 and they hear the word and keep it and these truly feed on Christ and do it in remembrance of him But these pretenders to Ordinances and outward duties they in stead of feeding on Christ or being fed by him they are fed indeed but by whom even by Satan himselfe for he makes them live and rest upon these shadows and
eat or receive me but he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed and no man can give or take of this bread but my Heavenly Father only giveth you of that Heavenly Bread Ioh. 6. Ibid. 6. T is not the outward flesh of Christ or his external body was the life of the world But that same spirit and nature that was in Christ is to be in as many as do receive him this and no other is the life of the World viz. Christ his comming into the souls of men discovering them to be of the seed of that evil one and to be deceived to be lost to be in darkness and discovering the works of Darkness making manifest the works of the Devil and that he dwels in the soul under a disguise pretending himself to Christ when he is a Devil and Antichrist and is no other but the father of lyes Now Christ without us never does this but when he does it in us then is fulfilled that of the Apostle to the Galathians Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth Crucified among you or in you Gal. 3.1 The seeing of him then or now crucified outwardly was nothing that was but the shadow of the life and substance but really to see themselves to be the crucifiers of Christ this was the lively crucifying set out before them Then Beloved from hence t is clear against all gainsayers that it is the incomming of the Power of God in our spirits by which alone our Freedom Deliverance and Salvation is wrought T is not all the bolding forth of a Christ crucified the Letter can do it though all those things done in the Letter were true yet they are nothing to us if we be not saved delivered redeemed from our bondage and captivity therfore t is that we see many thousands in the world that can professe Christ and tell large stories of his external life and sufferings and yet never felt the power of his death or life in themselves for they can follow their own wills and they can love the world and extol and magnifie themselves and are as great in their own eyes as any other who professe him not Therefore Christ is not Salvation nor Deliverance to them Master we have eaten and drank in thy presence we have preacht and cast out Devils in thy Name Luk. 13.26 we have cast away Swearing and Lying and Whoring and Drunkenness and we have taken up this duty and the other and we have held forth thy Name to the World and we have been Sober Grave and Austere in our conversation but for all this Christ will profess I never knew you for ye are workers of iniquity For Satan had his full possession still and ye are no other but painted Sepulchres fair and glorious without but full of all rottennesse stench lothsomnesse and dead mens bones Then which nothing can stink more Therefore t is not holding forth the highest profession or Christ in the Letter or externally that sets us free except Christ come into the heart and makes us free indeed else t is not freedom indeed t is but the profession and the shew but it must be even the same Almighty power that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead we having the same spirit of faith as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.13 14. knowing that he that raised the Lord Iesus shall raise us up 2 Cor. 4.13 14. Rom. 8.11 by Iesus And again in Rom. 8.11 But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit which dwelleth in you And therfore how wofully hath the professing World been mistaken still in all ages about Christ without them and of Christ according to the Letter For if they do but assent to that and say Christ suffered for them and they must apply him by an external beleeving and so he is made their Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption and though they sin and fall if they can but cast their eyes upon Christ suffering upon the Cross Joh. 3.14 as the Israelites by looking up upon the brazen Serpent they shall be healed and pardoned and saved and yet we know withall that all those things were done and were necessary for the accomplishing of the Fathers purpose and the mind of God but in all those things it was not FINISHED and yet here the world sticks and builds their Religion and this they think is as much as is required and he that shall speak against it and say they fall short of Jesus Christ they cry out upon him for a Seducer and an Heretick and they are as mad against him as they were against Paul when he preacht that they were no gods which were made by men And are ready to burst out upon them as full of wrath and madnesse as the Jewes upon Steven when he ript them up and spoke home to them Acts. 7.54 Acts 7.54 c. And when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth Yet for all that know that all this believing wil not serve thy turn but it must be Christ manifested in thee seeing him crucified and rising again and sitting in Heavenly places in thy heart else whatever thou talkest of Christ and of his miracles if thou hast no witness no evidence of the truth of them in thy own heart what is all that ever He did and what 's all that ever He suffered to thee It may be thou mayest have a notion and an opinion of the things of God and thou hast them by History and by Relation or Education or Example or Custom or by Tradition or because generally all or most men have received them for truths but if thou hast no evidence of his mighty miracles and God-like power in thine own soul how or which way canst thou be a witness that they are the things thou hast heard and seen for all those outward things are but Representations Figures and Patterns of the Heavenly things themselves Thou mayest have a strong opinion but yet no experience of them that Jesus Christ hath freed and delivered thy soul Again take notice hence That as Christ delivers not but as he comes Himselfe into the soules of men and is born in them so it is not opinions nor notions nor forms nor washings nor disciplines nor any external rules or conformities that can work deliverance for the soule but it must be God in us operating by his own Almighty power every man is spiritually in Sodom and in Egypt Rev. 11.8 where our Lord is Spiritually and most truly crucified And as the world is deceived in their Forms and their Notions thinking they shall help and save them So likewise they take a great deal of satisfaction to themselves in making of Books and
otherwise whatever man may call them they are none of his Ordinances but they most prophanly put their empty cold dull blind and lame sacrifices upon him And hereupon thus thinkst and concludest that He hath been thy Deliverer I say whoever thou art that makest thy duties and thy conformity and indeed thy Ordinances for they are none of his thy support thy comfort thy rest in the least herein thou hast turned from the true deliverer Heb. 10.29 the true Saviour and hast trod him under foot and crucified him and hast made thy self thy God thy Deliverer thy Redeemer thy Saviour And the day of the Lord is comming when these things will be made to appear to thee and wrath will come upon thee unexpectedly even then when thou thinkest thy selfe secure and safe and all is well and when thou thinkest that thy peace is made and wrath is removed and there is no more frowns and storms from the Almighty when indeed thou hast all this while but made a covenant with death and hell Esa 33.8 1 Thes 5.2 and then the day of the Lord shall come upon thee as a thief in the night when thou thinkest all is well and thou mayst sleep securely then will Christ summon thee to Judgment 1 Cor. 15.52 Luk. 18.8 Rev 1.7 Mat. 24.41 and the Trumpet shall sound in thy own breast And when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth No but then all the Tribes of the earth shall wait and lament because of him Even so AMEN Then two shall be grinding at the Mill and two in one Bed the one taken and the other left then he that is on the house top shall not come down to take any thing out of his house for the day of the Lord shall surprize them on a suddain and as a thief cometh when no man expects him and as our Saviour saith of his doctrine so do I of these things he that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath eyes to see let him see and he that hath an heart let him read and understand Mark 4.9 I know Beloved men talk much of what they should doe as if they were so willing to do any thing Christ commanded but really and in truth what do all these men that seem to be so much for doing I say what do they doe doe they not in all these doe quite contrary to what they should doe If Christ hath smitten them then He alone can heal them and yet they will be healing themselves and delivering themselves when they should be seeking to Jesus Christ and looking to him and waiting upon him for deliverance And the way to be delivered is not to run to this man and tother Minister and hang upon this mans preaching and tother mans counsel no but thou wouldest see that all mans preaching and teaching and counsel is in vaine and that there is no other way nor no other Deliverer but only Jesus Christ thou wouldest not be tyed to this man or the other but thou wouldest say of all even of the wisest the gravest the soberest miserable comforters are ye all But thy trouble and thy guilt and thy sting within thee would make thee hearken when Iesus Christ would qualifie thy conscience and draw forth thy sting and quench the burning of Hell fire within thee so thou mightest but hear the voice of Christ If thou beest wounded for any tydings of Christ Amos 8.11 12. thou wouldest run from country to country from land to land and from sea to sea to hear the word of the Lord for thou wouldest see that in all men there is a famine Amos 8.11 12. not of bread but of the word of the Lord for Christ only gives forth his word he is the bread of life Joh. 6.51 the true bread which commeth down from Heaven t is not Moses nor any man can give this bread but only Our heavenly Father And when thou hast done all that is commanded thee yet thou must not rest in thy doing nor in thy using means nor in thy praying but stil in all must count thy self but an unptofitable servant Luke 17.10 Thou must not sit down and say I have done my part I have prayd and heard and walkt strictly and joyn'd my selfe to the best reformed Church Alas if thou rest in these things and thinkst now I have done well and it shall be wel with me all this praying and doing Christ calls vain babbling Mat. 6.7 and vain repetitions which is but to doe like the Heathen who think to be heard for their many words and much babbling all this thy doing which thou keepest such a stir about Esay 5.20 is no other then calling darknesse light and evil good And when thou goest out to look for any Minister or servant of Jesus to heale thy wounds take heed of the Idol-shepheards Jer. 6.14 which wil prophesie peace when there is no peace to speak deliverance when Christ hath not bid them for none can heale thee but he that hath wounded thee Ezek. 13.11 And so for any other who prophesie lyes and dawb with untempered morter who say to thee goe thou and repent and believe on Jesus Christ and thy sins shal be forgiven thee know this is not the way neither are they true Prophets for repentance and faith is alone Gods gift and his work And if he be a true messenger of the Lords sending all he can say is I am but an instrument I cannot give nor help thee to repentance nor faith neither can I direct thee to get them but only by waiting on Jesus Christ who alone is the Giver I am but the forerunner to the Bridegroom I have nothing to give nor I cannot direct thee where to get that thou seekest before he comes or before his pleasure is to bestow it whoever he be that undertakes to be any other but a Messenger as John Baptist was crying I am not he but I am the voice of one crying Mark 1.7 8. Prepare ye the way of the Lord I baptize with water but he that commeth after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost He cries there is no Teacher but Jesus Christ no Prophet but he we have nothing to give there is no riches but His. Examine thy self how thou staiest thy heart what quiets thy conscience hast thou it from man or from Christ hast thou found that all thy runnings too and again from this man and to the other hath done thee any good but thou hast found that let man say what he could yet stil thy trouble continued and thou couldst rest in nothing below Christ I have known some that by running hither and thither they have for a time for a yeere or two or more somwhat allayed the rage of conscience being directed to outward conformity and getting of repentance and taking up constancy in this and