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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78217	Ichnographia. Or A model of the primitive congregational way: wherein satisfaction is offered, by unfolding (according to the Scriptures) what the right order of the Gospel, and way of the saints in the visible worshipping of God is, in the dayes of the New Testament. And how the saints in these dayes may walk up to it, notwithstanding their present hindrances. Together with the maine points in controversie, touching the right visible church-state Christ hath instituted under the Gospel, with the extent of church-officers, and power of particular visible churches, and continuance of divine ordinances and institutions under the defection and apostasie of Antichrist. By W. Bartlet, Minister of the Gospel, at Wapping.	Bartlet, William, 1609 or 10-1682.	1647 (1647)	Wing B986; Thomason E381_17; ESTC R201418	140,788	175

have in a little roome given you an Epitome or compendium of the substantiall parts of the Congregationall way according as it is held forth to us in the Scripture especially that which hath been most of all controverted and called into question and so have endeavoured to answer the desire of those that would have us to prove our first Argument The Lord adde his blessing CHAP. VIII This Chapter containes a short exhortation to three sorts of persons 1. Such as are truly godly but are yet strangers to this order of the Gospell 2. Such as are open enemies to this way of the Lord. 3. Such as God hath shewed mercy unto in bringing them to Sion and put their soules in possession of this heavenly priviledge 1. TO such as are godly but yet remaine in their old confusion and are strangers to the right order of the Gospel and instituted way of worshipping God My request is that they would not slight what hath been laid before them and brought unto them but as they tender the honour of Jesus Christ and the comfortable condition of their own soules with all readinesse of mind to receive and entertain what they shall find upon due tryall and examination to be the truth more Arguments then I have formerly given need not to be prest upon you only this I shall make bold to adde and leave upon your soules whether it be not fully declared from Heaven by signes and wonders that God is greatly displeased with your hitherto-neglect of building his house and contenting your selves with any formes of worship and traditions of men so you may enjoy your outward and temporall accommodations as if the enjoyment of communion and fellowship with God the Father and his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the right and pure wayes of his worship were not infinitely to be preferred before all these sublunary and earthly things and if so why then should you not hasten your repentance and reformation to the purpose in this busines I say to the purpose because halfe worke cannot will not please the Lord Joel 2.12 13. 't was the commendation of Caleb and Joshuah that they followed the Lord fully and wholly in all that the Lord commanded them and made knowne to them to be his will Num. 14.24 and they found the benefit of it for they entered into that good Land whereas the rest that failed of their duty herein even a Moses an Aaron came short so I say it wil be your commendation and shall be your righteousnesse before the Lord if you halt no longer between God and Baal and love no longer to abide in the Tents of the Edomites but make haste to Sion to Ierusalem to build the house of the Lord otherwise if you continue as before loving the flesh-pots of Egypt and the waters of Abanah and parphar rivers of Damascus before and beyond the milke and honey of this Land of Canaan and those Wells of salvation that are to be found in Syon it may be a just and righteous thing with the Lord that you should never live to see better dayes You know what Jesus Christ said to the Cripple that he had shewed mercy to go thy wayes and sinne no more Joh. 5.1 lest a worse thing happen unto thee so give me leave to say to you go your wayes and sinne no more after the old way of dishonouring God and Iesus Christ by worshipping him after the inventions and traditions of men You know he is a jealous God and will not give his glory to any other be he never so great mighty or learned in the World you know he hath borne long with you and winked at your former ignorance Act. 17.2 30. but now he c●ls upon you to repent even of this sinne of false worship he might have cut you off and swept you away in the common deluge of the Sword that was lately on the Land but he hath dealt more kindly and favourably with you wherefore be not as the Israelites of old after such great mercies received to fall upon new provocations lest a worse evill befall you then any yet If our deliverances worke us not up to those holy ends for which they are given us certainly our latter end will be worse then the beginning Yet God waites to see what his People will do in this worke of his pure worship in the building of his house in the honouring of his Son in the setting him up above all in hi● Kingly and Propheticall as well as in his Priestly office which hitherto even the Saints themselves most unkindly have neglected in a great measure Why should you not therefore Velis et Remis with all possible might hasten to answer the Lords expectation Oh trust not your own hearts any longer Oh hearken not to the Syren-like songs and enchantments of the world Oh build not upon the precepts and examples of men no not the wisest greatest learnedest whatsoever but on Iesus Christ as he hath revealed and made himselfe known to us in his Word honour him according to his excellent greatnes and love him according to his excellent goodnes then you shall be honoured loved of him his father more then ever you have yet been Oh wherefore hath God called you out of the world Why hath Christ dyed for you by his blessed Spirit marryed you to himselfe made you partakers of the divine nature if it be not to honour and serve him as he hath required you in his wor● When the Death-bed comes then it will be too late to say would God I had followed the Lord fully and honoured him in lifting up of his Son Jesus Christ in al the wayes of the Gospel though it had cost me the losse of all my outward enjoyments Wherefore that as your lives so your deaths may be sweet and comfortable to you resolve upon this work kiss● the Son bow to his Scepter helpe build up the wall of Sion and throw downe Babylon that you may be found in the number of those that follow the Lambe who are called and chosen and faithfull Rev. 17.24 2. For you that are open enemies to this holy way of the Lord and desperately set your selves by your Pennes and tongues to hinder the progresse and prosperity of it let me tell you from the Lord that of all other men that shall drinke of the cup of the Wine of Gods indignation you are like to have the bottome for if they shall be cursed that come not forth to helpe the Lord what then shall become of those that come forth in all the strength of their rage and malice against the Lord If Jesus Christ will be angry with those that refuse to yeeld him Osculum subjectionis the kisse of subjection and will have those brought forth before him and slain 〈◊〉 27. that will not have him to raign over them what will he do th●n with those that lay their hands upon

willingly to submit and subject themselves p. 1. Chap. II. That this visible Church-state is a free society of visible Saints embodyed or knit together by a voluntary consent in holy fellowship to worship God according to his word consisting of one ordinary congregation with power of government in it selfe p. 30 Chap. 3. That the severall Administrations of this Church-state especially for seales and censures are now since the Apostles decease limited to and bounded within every particular Church p. 62 Chap. IV. That this Church state is of perpetuall use to the comming againe of Jesus Christ the Author and institutor of it without either alteration or cessation p. 78 Chap. V. That the godly are bound everywhere to gather themselves into such a Church-state if they are of a competent number or to joyn themselves to such Churches as are already gathered p. 88 Chap. VI. How and in what manner the godly are to embody in the places where they live and what concernes them to know and practice after embodying p. 101 Chap. VII All the chiefe impediments lets and hindrances of the Saints that lay in their way to the effecting of this so blesse and happy a worke are removed and all the main and chiefe objections brought against it answered p. 112 Chap. VIII Lastly a briefe Exhortation to three sorts of persons 1. To the godly out of the way 2. To opposers of the way 3. To the Saints already in the way p. 140 Courteous Reader thou art intreated to correct such or the like faults that have escaped the Presse as Page 4 〈◊〉 ●s read could bring it to passe p 6. l. ul● r. simply p. 10. l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. l. 24. r. will p. 14. l. 21. r. strong holds pag 16. l. 20. r. what and l 21. r. as p. 32. l. 29 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 38. l. 26. dele selves p. 43. l penult r. contingen●èr p 44. l. 1. r contingentèr p. 63. l. 8 r. relative p. 72. l. 22. r. it s to believing p. 85. l. 34. r. an age p. 122. l. 19. marg note r. constitution A Modell of the Congregationall way OR Satisfaction offered and endeavoured by unfolding what the right order of the Gospell and way of the Saints in the visible worshipping of God after the CONGREGATIONALL manner and way so much opposed is CHAP. I. That there is under the New Testament a sacred visible Church-state order or politie instituted and appointed by Jesus Christ and him only to the observation of which believers are every where bound willingly to submit and subject themselves THis Proposition and the next that followes in the second Chapter are as the two great Pillars or ground-worke and basis upon which the weight of the whole discourse in this small Treatise lyes And therefore I shall study to be the more punctuall in clearing of them up and giving satisfaction to those that enquire concerning the truth of them As for the first of these Propositions viz. that I have now in the first place laid down I shall do these foure things 1. Shew that there is such a sacred visible Church-state order and politie under the New Testament 2. That this is instituted and ordained by Jesus Christ and him only 3. That Believers every where are bound willingly to submit and subject themselves thereunto 4. Take occasion to discover and confute the errours of those tha● are contrary minded Touching the first of these particulars That there is such a sacred visible Church-state c. b●fore I come to the evincing the truth of it I shall crave leave to premise thus much 1. That I do not lay this down by way of opposition to but only in distinction from that which is internall and invisible 2. Neither as the chiefest most excellent and glorious but only as that which I find in the number of those Credenda facienda i. e. those truths of Christ which by his Word and Spirit he hath given out to us to be believed and practised and which I have conceived to be at this time more especially seasonable and usefull to the Saints in a way of honouring of Christ and advantaging their own soules Now this being briefly premised I come to the proofe of the first branch of the former Proposition and this I shall do these three wayes 1. From Scripture 2. From Examples 3. From Reasons and Arguments For the first of these The Scriptures that make out this truth are partly from the old Testament and partly from the New 1. The places from the * In spe●it movendem hic iterum est de N. Test actis cultu in Ecclesia Christi Deo prestando non raro allusiones fieri allegoricas ad ea qu●e Veteri Testam propria sunt ab his illorum descriptiones sumi Glass Philo. Sac. Vol. 3 p. 496. old Testament may be referred to promises and prophesies of this sacred visible Church-state under the Gospell now among others for the old Testament is rich and plentifull this way take these few 1. That of Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy power in the * In o●natibus sanctitatis as Avenar renders the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ornavit and so Buxto ph Pagaine and others also because as I conceive the visible worship ordinances of God are to his Church as the hangings to the house the beauty and ornament of the house not the house it selfe and so the holy Ordinances of Worship in the Church are not the Church but a part of the beauty and glory of the Church as Christ by his Spirit shines forth in them where they are purely administred beauties of holines now these beauties of holines can be understood of no other then that visible worship or holy ordinances wherein the Saints have communion and fellowship with Christ in his Church according to Esay 33.17 Hence it is that we find this title given to the Church Psal 29.2 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holines because the beauty and glory of the Lord shines forth most splendently in the Churches and Congregations of the Saints where this worship is visibly performed As Psal 27.4 Psal 63.2 as it is noted in the margent 2. That of the Prophet Esay chap. 2.2 3. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hils Meaning the visible Kingdome and Church of Christ which should be enlarged by the Preaching of the Gospel to which the Nations should * Mo●e fluminis Oecolampad flow and they shall say Come let us go up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob alluding to mount Sion where the visible Church then was as Psal 48.1.2 3. That of Esay 4.5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Sion

But in Christ there are none for in him there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all fulnes and in him are hid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all treasures of wisdome Col. 2.3 which cannot be said of the creature what they have is but a drop to his Ocean and that little they have is from him also 7. Lastly in r●spect of the duration and perpetuity of it All other power is perishable uncertaine and fading The Monarchs of the world cannot say of their power and authority that it is everlast●ng as Jesus Ch●ist can 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.34 35. and Esay 9 6 7. Of the encrease of his government there is no end Now if Christ be so ●●inently qualifyed for this worke no wonder if it be put altogether into his hands 3. F●om Christ u●dertaking and perfo●ming it as in Mat. 16. and ●8 17 18. Mat. 28 19 20. Ioh. 20.21 Ephes 4.10 1● 12. 1 Cor. 11.23 and 12.28 In wh●c● plac●s we find a Church state appointed by Christ with offices officers gifts ordinances and government correspondent 4. From the Apostles their disclayming this power and authority professing their work was meerely a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministery not a Lordship Act. 17. and that they were the servants not only of Christ but of the Churches also 2 Cor. 4 5. Rom. 15.31 and that they had no power or dominion over the faith or consciences of the people but helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1. ult 5. From the insufficiency of all humane abilities to accomplish this worke which I shall make out three wayes 1. From want of wit and skill to do it 2. From want of a mind and will to do it 3. From want of power nd strength to do it 1. Men have no wit nor skill for this worke all the abilities of the creature are too low to reach such Mysteries as these what could Moses or David or Solomon do towards the building the visible Tabernacle and Temple of old with the ordinances of worship thereunto appertaining if God had not first made them acquainted with it by his Spirit So what could the Prophets and Apostles have done towards the building the living Temple of Chr●sts Church under the New Testament if Jesus Christ had not acquainted them with the order and manner of it from his owne mouth Who hath known the mind of the Lord 1 Cor. 2. ult Doubtlesse if Christ had left this work to the wit and discretion of men we should have had sorry Church worke Whence is it that there are so many divisions and differences amongst men in the world in the matters of Gods house and worship but this that men are darke and ignorant and not acquainted with the mind of Christ revealed in the word 2. As men have no wit nor skill for this busines so neither have they a mind and will to do it Looke we narrowly into the dispositions of men and we shall find how backward they are this w●y As the Apostle spake in his Epistle to the Church at Philippi Phil. 2.21 All seeke their owne but few the things of Iesus Christ men are so taken up with the building their owne houses that they care not what becomes of Gods house as those in the Prophet Haggai●s Hag. ● 2 dayes every man said The time is not yet come to build the house of the Lord. And doubtlesse if Jesus Christ did not carry on the building of his temple further then men are disposed thereunto he might stay long enough for it We are all of us even the best of the Saints of Cranzius disp●sition and temper who answered Luther it were to be wish●d that such a work were done he spake to him about We could wish that Antichrist were down and J●sus Christ exalted on his throne but where is the man that is of Luthers spirit in the things of God Christ and his Cause may sink for ought that men doe to put themselves forward in preserving and forwarding of it And if at any time men doe begin to set upon this worke doe we not see how soone they are discouraged and draw back and are ready to cease and give over as it was with those Jewes that God brought out of Babylon to Jerusalem after they had begun to build how long was it before they finished neere as many yeeres by computation in building the Temple as they had been in Babylon from the Temple There was little heart little stomach in them to this worke Yea though many of them were good men as well as great men every small threat of their adversaries was enough to make them cease building so that the Lord was faine to send Prophet after Prophet to them to spurre and excite them forward to their worke they were called unto And is it not so now in these dayes how long have we beene building Gods house what murmuring what repining what objections what excuses what carnall reasonings Every man is ready to say The time is not yet come and so sad consequences come of it and sadder yet are like to come I feare and all this I say for want of a will of a heart in Gods owne people to this worke And therefore without controversie this is a truth that further then Jesus Christ acts in us by his Spirit men have no mind to the work 3. From want of power and strength to doe it If men had skill and wit for the work yet so long as they want power how should they bring it to passe Now that men want power and strength for this worke is evident from hence 1. In that there are many and mighty enemies to be throwne downe when this Church-state is to be set up great and high Mountaines that must be made Plaines What a great mountaine was there of a Samaritan faction joyned with the power of the Persian Monarchy before Zerubbabel when he c●me in the name of the Lord to build his house that had been laid waste And what a great mountaine is the Romane Empire and that Antichristian State which now opposeth and who shall be able to dry up th great river Euphrates Rev. 16.12 that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared By which River some understand the Monarchy on which it borders which is the Turkish Empire Now this men cannot doe the stilling the rage of adversaries is beyond the power of men He that shakes the Nations when he comes to this worke Hag. 2.7 he onely can build this house amidst all those commotions and tumults that are made in the world against it This work is the work of a God and not a poore silly worme as Man is And therefore saith the Lord to Zerubbabel Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my spirit And againe in Psal 2 6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion It is the work therefore of God and not of men If the Lord should leave this wo●k to the

17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. If any man defile the Temple of God and that of 2 Cor. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For ye are the Temple of the living God In all which places with diverse other that word Temple is used for the visible Church because the Apostle there speakes to and of the whole Church of Corinth conjunctim Ye are the Temple of God c. So that by Temple here where Antichrist sits is to be understood the Church of God Obj. You will say by Temple is meant the consciences of Gods people in that place of the Thessalonians Ans 1. Grant it yet that doth not make void the other but rather confirmes it 2. We never read in all the Scriptures that the conscience is so called but the church of Christ is frequently so styled as wee have shewed before and therefore either its the Church of God Antichrist sits in or it is not if not then that Scripture is not true but if true as cannot be denyed then there is a church-state remaining under Antichrist Obj. But how can this church-state remaine where there is such a generall defection as there is under Antichrist Rev. 13. Ans We must distinguish between the corruption of things and the things themselves between the essentials of a church-state and the accidentals now it cannot be denyed but in respect of the accidentalls of a church-state so all is lost under this defection of Antichrist that is in respect of the right order and administration of Ministery Ordinances and government but not the essentials of these and so long as these remaine the Church-state is not lost for we cannot reason from the corruption of a thing to the nullity and non-being of it as for example the children of Israel and vessels of Gods House that were carried captive into Babylon and prophaned by their being there yet so long as they were not destroyed and broken in pieces they were brought back again to Jerusalem and sanctifyed from their pollution and set againe in the Temple as before and the Lord owned and accepted them notwithstanding their being in Babylon so here the Saints and ordinances the Ministery Seales and Censures of this instituted Church of Christ though they have been under Antichrist yet so long as the essence of them remaines they may be brought back from Rome and reduced to their former purity and first order of the Gospell not that they have a new being but rather they are brought to their wonted wel-being and primitive institution Obj. But doth not this then make the Church of Rome a true Church having the essentials of a true Church-state in it Ans No not a jot no more then a Theeves having the goods of an honest man in his house which he hath stollen makes him to be true he is a thiefe still So here Rome is still Rome the mother of Harlots stil notwithstanding her possessing of the essentials of Christs holy things we may see it clearely in Babylon of old the type of Rome when the Jewes were carried away captive with the holy vessels of the Temple t was not the being of these in Babylon that made her the church of God but she was Babylon still full of abominations there was Bel and Merodach her great Idols and Images still worshiped Ier. 50.2 and as God once overthrew the Type as he overthrew Sodome and Gomorah so that not so much as a son of man should dwell there ver 40. So shall be it with the Antitype Rome the mother of fornications the habitation of devils and the hold of every foule spirit Rev. 18.22 23. and the good Lord for his Son and Syons sake hasten it 4. If Church-state and Ministery and Ordinances be all lost under the defection of Antichrist then the Scriptures also are lost which are the churches treasure and as a Depositum were once delivered to the church to keepe Iud. 3. but we find that the Scriptures are not lost but by the power of Christ they have been preserved yea recovered out of Babylon and freed from those horrible corruptions they were exposed unto while they were in the hands of Antichrist and why may not the Ordinances as well as the Scriptures the church as well as her treasure 5. If this Church-state and Ordinances should not continue but were all lost and ceased then it would follow that there were no meanes left ordinarily for the conversion and salvation of poore lost soules but the contrary to this appeares as wee find by experience for 1. We have the word of life in the sacred Scriptures to be our Cynosura or rule and guide to direct us in the way to life 2. We have the holy Ghost accompanying the Ministery and preaching of this word in an effectuall manner to the calling and conversion of multitudes and bringing those that are called out of their Antichristian-church-state to Sion and to worship God according to his own revealed will 3. We have Pastors and teachers lawfully called and set apart to the worke of the Ministery and faithfull dispensing of this word of life and other ordinances that concern a true visible Church-state according to the practise of the Primitive Churches as we before shewed now where there are the same word and ordinances the same Officers for kind with those in the Apostles dayes to dispense and administer them and the precious presence of Christ in his Spirit accompanying them to make them effectuall though perhaps not in such an ample large measure as in those Primitive times there we may conclude the ordinary meanes for salvation are not lost but still remaine and continue Ob. But it is objected that those that are called now in these dayes to administer the holy things of Gods house are not so qualified as these were in the Primitive times they have not those extraordinary gifts of working miracles as they had Ans 1. I would faine know whether all those that were in office in the churches of Christ in those times had those extraordinary gifts as the Officers of the Church of Ephesus 1 Cor. 12.29.30 Philippi Corinth c. doth not the Scripture shew the contrary 2. I would faine know whether the gifts of working Miracles be so essentiall to the Ministery as that there can be no true Ministery where these are wanting If so then many in the Primitive times were not true Ministers of Christ as Iohn the Baptist Apollos and those Pastors and Teachers that were in the severall Churches of the Saints mentioned in the Scripture For we cannot find in the least of their working miracles and yet they had a true Ministerie If not why then do men refuse the Ministery that hath no miracles 3. I desire to know where it appeares or how it can be made out that the Primitive Saints Ministers or People were given to succeeding ages as patternes for extraordinary gifts of Miracles that they were left as patternes of

his Throne and openly proclaime before heaven and earth that they will not give rest to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-lids till they have brought him low Ah poore wretches what shall I say to you or do for you would God my soule could weepe for yee in secret and mourne over your sad condition Give me leave to administer one word of counsel to you if it be not too late Lay downe your Armes and come in and submit your selves to him that hath the Keyes of hell and death in his hands Rev. 1.18 and the sooner the better the easier it will be for you why will you provoke the Lord to jealousie are you stronger then he 1 Cor. 10.22 was there ever any that hardned himselfe against the Lord and prospered Job 9.4 Jesus Christ hath rececived gifts for the very rebellious Psal 68.18 Gifts of grace gifts of love and mercy he will forgive your past and present rebellion against him and remember them no more if you will submit unto him and why should you despise his Love Is it not better to fall down before him and accept of the golden Scepter of his grace and mercy that he freely holds forth to you then to stand out in a wilful obstinate way of opposition against him ere long be made feele the unsupportable weight of the iron Scepter of his wrath Oh be wise betime certainly Jesus Christ will be too strong for all the powers of darknes prevaile he will over all the opposition of men devils of hell and Rome and the Kingdomes of the world that rise up against him he will build his Temple and his Father will set him upon his holy Hill of Syon do you and all the powers of darknes your worst God doth but laugh you to scorne in all you do Psal 2.4.5 6. Antichrist must downe the Jewes shall be called and the fulnes of the Gentiles brought in then the Kingdomes of the earth shall become the Lords and his Christs and he shall raign forever Rev. 11.15 And what will you do then then you will crye to the mountaines and hils to fall upon you and hide you from the wrath of the Lambe because the great day of his wrath is come but all in vaine for who can stand Rev 6. ult then Mountains hils themselves shal be made plain before him they shall be so farre from succouring others that they shall not be able to succour themselves Now happy is the man that believes and repents and comes in to Christ before that day appeares 3. Lastly I have one word to all such as God hath honoured in bringing to Syon and whose feet have begunne to walke in those pathes of Paradise which I shall as the close of all referre to 3. Heads 1. To Peace 2. To purity 3. To Perseverance 1. Labour after peace Though others make war against you yet doe you study to be quiet Commit your Name and Cause to him who is your King and Husband and hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him to defend you and offend and subdue those that rise up against you Beleeve it there is not a weapon that is formed against you shall prosper nor a word that is spoken in judgement against you but you shall condemne Wherefore goe on in the work you are called to Esay 54 and feare not them whose breath is in their nostrils those that onely can kil the body Mat. 10. but fear him that hath power to destroy both body and soul in hell fire Wher-fore if they curse you blesse them and if they persecute you pray for them and then happy shall you be and great will be your reward in heaven Mat. 5.44 Rom. 12.17 18. 2. Strive after purity Heb. 1● T is not enough for you to follow peace with all men but holinesse also You are called unto holinesse unto sanctification this is the beauty of Sion the honour of Religion 1 Thes the excellency of the Gospel This commends the wayes of Sion to those that passe by and invites them to come walk in them Yea it stops the mouthes of those that beare evill will to Sion and set themselves against her Oh that the Churches of the Saints were more holy that they were more like to their Head and Husband the Lord Jesus Christ that they could live more in the Spirit and after the Spirit and that they might not give occasion to the adversary to blaspheme What makes many not onely to speak evill of but to avoid and stand off from the waies of Sion but only the scandalous walking of many that have submitted themselves outwardly to the order of the Gospell And therefore let me be the Lords Remembrancer to all such that they follow after holinesse and labour to adorne the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by walking up to the light of that truth he hath made known to them and convinced them of and in so doing how shall they glorifie God and win or at least leave without excuse such that oppose themselves 3. Lastly persevere and hold fast to the end in the practice of what Christ hath made known to you to be his very minde and will in the right way of his worship take heed of drawing backe Heb. 10.38 39. remember that counsell of the Apostle to the Church of the Colos Col. 2.6 7 8. As yee have therefore received Jesus Christ the Lord so walke in him roo●ed and built up in him and established in the faith as you have beene taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Beware lest any man spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceite after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ As we have been espoused to Christ as chaste virgins and not defiled with the pollutions of Antichrist so let us take heed we be not as Evah beguiled by the subtilty of the serpent and corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 〈◊〉 11.23 The promise is to those that overcome and are faithfull to the death 〈◊〉 2.10 Persecutions should not discourage but rather encourage us in reg●rd that our sufferings for Christ shall turne to us for a testimony as Christ himselfe saith Luk. 21.13 Our Lord and Master himselfe is gone before us and given us an example to follow and he hath promised that if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him 2 Tim 2.12 but if we deny him he will deny us and what are all our sorrowes and sufferings to that Crowne of glory he hath purchased and is gone before to prepare for us especially considering that there are no sufferings we are called unto for his sake but we shall have strength from him to go through them 〈◊〉 8.37 and to be more then conquerours in and over them all I end with that of the Apostle Heb. 13.20.21 Now the God of Peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good worke to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever Amen FINIS