Woord and of his Seruice of Loue â if one warned them not of their Destruction â—ide alwayes â with their Darknes or b â— Cor. 3. d. Couering of the olde Man vtterlie couered or seperated / from the Face of the liuing God of Heauen and of his Christ which is presentlie in the last time â through God-his Grace appeered vnto vs in naked vncouered Cleernes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Iesu Christ· and declared with the Fulnes of his Grace and Mercie and which also / all Disciples of the Woorde â in the c Ephe. 4. c. Laying-away of the Coueringes of the olde Man shall in like-maner beholde naked and vncouered / as d 1. Cor. 13. c. 2. Cor. 3. b. from Face to Face / in the essentiall Cleernes of God and Christ. 4. Secondlie / they should through their herited Birth of the olde Man and of his corrupted Vnderstanding if that they be not borne first / out of the e Iohn 3. â— Water or Doctrine of the gracious Woorde and of his Seruice of Loue / euen vntill the f Rom. 6. b. c. Death and Buryall of Iesu Christ to the Slaying and Burying of the olde Man / and of his corrupted Vnderstanding / Lust / and Desyres and that they be not euenso then borne againe / out of the Spirit of the gracious Woord / euen vnto y â— vpright Beeing of Iesu Christ fall into manifolde Errours and Seducinges / and vtterlie perrish therin 5. Thirdlie / they should also â if they be not whollie withdrawen froÌ„ the Woorkes and Lustes of g Ephe. 4. b. â— the olde Man· and euenso taught prepared to the New Birth in Iesu Christ bide alwayes Members of the Deuell and his vngodlie Beeing â–ª and minded to all Destruction and Errour / and obtaine no h Iohn 13. a. Part nor Inheritaunce in the holie Bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ nor in the Kingdom i Math. 13. â— of Heauen nor yet likewise in any Treasures of the spirituall and heauenlie Goods 6. Fourthlie / they should if they be not â to the Mortifying and Burying of all vngodlie Beeing implanted k Rom. 6. into the gracious Woord or Bodie of Iesu Christ bide euermore in Errour / with-out the gracious Woorde or Bodie of Iesu Christ and not be driuen or directed any otherwise / then by the Spirites of Errours· and taught by the many-maner l 3. Reg. 22. c. Spirites of Lyes whether it were then to false Spiritualnes / Doctrine / or Religion or-els to the Disorderlynes or Iniquitie of the Worlde and should likewise also for-that-cause-sake / not be able to vnderstand knowe nor obtayne or receaue / the holie Spirit of God and of the Trueth or Christ nor-yet feele or perceaue anythinge-at-all therof nether-yet of the Grace of the Lorde / how large thesame reacheth ouer the Children of Men / or how neere-by it is vnto them 7. Verelie / all these Straungers vnto the Familie and Seruice of the Loue / or Such as go-fourth according to their Good-thinking / stand comprehended or are bewrapped in a great Destruction and whoso maketh thesame knowen vnto them / and so warneth them therof / er-euer y e great Destruction take them cleene awaye and destroye them / in their Errour and Estraunging / hee doth very-well / and sheweth a great Good-deede of Loue and Mercie towardes his Neighbour And if they then conuert them to the gracious Woord of the Lorde / and to the Doctrine of his Seruice make Confession of their Sinnes and m Luk. 13. b. shewe-fourth Repentaunce / So shall then their Soules be wonne to the eternall Life· and to the euerlasting Preseruation in the Godlynes 8. BVt the Destruction / wherof the Disciples of the gracious Woord / and the Brothers and Sisters in the Familie of the Loue of Iesu Christ / shall warne one-an-other / is this â–ª 9. If it chaunce that any of the Disciples of the Woord / or of the Bretheren or Sisters in the Familie of the Loue of Iesu Christ / should â without the Doctrine or Requiring of the Woord and his Seruice fall into any Good-thinking / or into any-sort of Dealing / contrary to the Doctrine or Requiring of the Woorde and his Seruice whether it were then out of himself / or-els through any Straungers or Offallenons or that they should be assaulted / for to turne them away from the n 2. Cor. 11. â— Singlemindednes of Life which wee haue in the gracious Woord wherin yee are also taught and exercised aright to thesame Singlemindednes so shal-men then warne those of the Destruction / which is witnessed heere-following And if they then take not to heart the Warning for y â— auoyding of their Destruction but turne-away themselues from the Woorde and from the Doctrine of his Seruice / through the Assaulting or Temptation which meeteth them to that effect / and marre or depraue themselues againe in any Good-thinking and Self-wisdom· or in any brutish or worldlie Beeing / and euenso estraunge them from the good Doctrine of the Woord / so should then thesame verelie chaunce vnto them / to a damaigefull Destruction 10. For first / ther should â by that occasion a Couering of the Wrath of God / enter-in betwixt them and God / and the Doctrine of his gracious Woord in such-sort / that they should not be able to heare nor vnderstand / o Esa. 6. c. Math. 13. b. Act. 28. c. what God requireth through his gracious Woord Seruice of Loue. Of this Destruction heer mentioned / shall the Disciples of the Word warne one-an-other to thend that the-lâ—ke com not vpoÌ„ them 11. Secondlie / their Good-thinking or their Pleasure in the Fleash or in the carthlie Thinges / should also estraunge them from the pure Bewtie of the heauenlie Beeing / and so bring them into greater Errour of Destruction / then that wherin they walked before 12. Thirdlie / their Errour should â through their Pleasure in thesame incorporate them againe much faster and stronger â to pernitious Members of the Deuell into the Deuell and his vngodlie Beeing / then they to-fore were incorporated into him 13. One should in like-maner much lesse or worsser / be able to make them to knowe their Errour and Destruction / for to ridde them therout / then in times-past / when-as they yeat stoode in their first Blindnes or Errour 14. Fourthlie / they should also through the Incorporating-againe into the Deuell / and through their Addicting of them to the earthlie consumeable Thinges / be driuen by the wicked Spirit of the good-thinking earthlie fleashlie and deuelish Beeing / in greater Presumption with more Freenes / into the Falshod / against God and his holie Spirit and Seruice of Loue / then hee had driuen them in times-past And that altogether / to cause them to invay or be against the good Doctrine of the Woord and the Ministration of thesame yea /
and thy Woord / so haue I then receaued thesame / of thy Grace namelâ—â— / in the c Rom. 10. c. Hearing Crediting of the Ministration of thy Woord For in Mee â through my Consenting to the Sinne ther is nothing-els but all Inclination d Gen. 6. a. Rom. 7. b. to the Destruction And if I â O Lorde remaine standing â in any Righteousnes by thy Woord / so cometh thesame to mee from thy Grace / and from the Power that thou hast geeuen or brought vnto mee 5. For-that-cause trulie / wee must needes alwayes confesse / that wee cannot bring any Good vnto God / nor-yet serue him with anything / but with That which wee haue receaued of Him and his Grace 6. Thissame acknowledged likewise the kinglie Propheat Dauid and the holy Salomon when-as they presented or offered-vpp their Sâ—â—stes or Oblation / before the Lorde / and saide e â— Pâ—â— â—â— c. O Lorde / All thinges com of thee / and that which wee haue receaued at thyne Handes / that haue wee brought againe vnto thee 7. Euen-thus after thesame maner / must the Man also acknowledg / that all what-euer hee geeueth-ouer to the Lorde or bringeth vnto Him / and serueth him with-all / is the Lord-his Good and that hee bringeth againe vnto y e Lorde / that which hee hath receaued of Him 8. But if now the man thinke otherwise / or that hee account thesame / to be his-owne Woorke / so misseth hee the Right / and looketh vpon his owne Dooing â wherthrough hee seeketh Praise or Honour and not vpon the Lordes Grace / for to laude and thanke therin the Lorde / for his Guift 9. But a lowlie Man / which acknowledgeth that all that which is good / and don by Hym as good or wel-don / is the Lord-his Good and Weldooing / as the Guift of the Lorde f 1. Cor. 4. b. which hee hath receaued and euenso thanketh the Lorde / for that which is Hys / and â according to the Requiring of the seruiceable Woord of the Lorde bringeth-againe vnto the Lorde / that which is Hys / Hee knoweth then himself a-right / how g Apâ— 3. d. poore that hee is / as also of himself / the Most-feeble or Infirmest and that the Lorde onlie / is all in All. And acknowledgeth euenso â in the Beleef to haue receaued all Good and h 2. Cor. 4. b. Strength / at the Lordes Handes 10. And euenso in such a Confessing â that wee are altogether poore and infirme of our-selues will God be gracious vnto vs / and â with his Guiftes bring his Power vnto vs. And when wee then / coÌ„fesse it all to be the Lordes â to-wit / that wee haue receaued all that is good / of the Lord / so shall wee then also haue alwayes â vnder the Obedience of the Seruice of Loue compassion towardes another / which staggereth or falleth / or that is not yeat so altogether perfect and euenso i Rom. 15. d. Gal. 6. â— beare-with and suffer one-another / and help-vpp each-other from the Fall 11. When wee now in such-sort / shew-fourth the Loue one towardes another / so shall then also eueryone be moued to thinke in himself Oh â alas If ther were no Grace nor Loue shewed on mee· nether any Helpe chaunced vnto mee / by the Lord and his Ministers of the Woorde / so should I then doubtles myself / haue still remayned the greatest Sinner / and the Most-weake / among the Children of Men. 12. If wee now doo euen-thus / and deale or behaue ourselues so â in all Grace and Loue towardes each-other / so geeue wee then the Honour onlie vnto God / and not vnto our-selues And the Euell shall likewise euenso be washed-away· and all Offencifenes cleene rooted-out / from among vs and ther shall be nothing that can 1. Pet. â— b. hinder vs / for to haue our conuersation in all Loue and vpright Righteousnes / one with an-other The XIII Chapiter A groundlie Instruction / how wee should be faithfull / to the Lorde and his gracious Woord also geeue-ouer ourselues whollie therto and â with faithfull Heartes cleane vnto thesame A Man which loueth the vpright Righteousnes / cannot applye himself vprightlie thervnto / before that hee haue whollie geeuen-ouer himself / to the gracious Woord and his Seruice of Loue / for to be obedient vnto the Woord and is euenso admitte herto / by his Elder in the holie Vnderstanding and Minister of the gracious Woorde / for to becom taught therin 2. And although now all this com thus topasse / or when-as thesame hath in such-sort his Entraunce / so is not the Man then receaued or admitted vnder the gracious Woord of the Lorde / that hee should liue / besides the Doctrine of the Woord / vnto himself or his Goodthinking but that hee should a 2. Cor. 5. b. shewe all Obedience and Faithfulnes / to the Woord / and to the Seruice of his Doctrine or Requiring 3. For when-as the Man is receaued by the gracious Woord / in his Seruice of Loue / for to stand obedient and that hee hath consented thervnto / so hath hee then geeuen-ouer himself and his Fidelitie / to the gracious Woord and to the Seruice of his Requiring / for to doo â through thesame Woorde and his Seruice the Will of the Lorde 4. For euenso in the Coniunction of the Man to the gracious Woord of the Lorde / and to his Seruice of Loue / the Man entreth into the Testament of the Promises of God the Father and so voweth or promiseth himself / before God and his Holyons / that hee will cleaue onlie to the Woord and his Requiring· shewe faithfull Obedience / out of his whole Heart and Minde· and not seperate himself therfrom for-euer nether-yet also to turne his Heart and Minde â at any tyme to anything that the Woorde itself is not or requireth / or that is not one with the Woord but to loue thesame with all his Heart like as a faithfull Espowsed-wife promiseth her Husband / not to loue nor addict herself to any other / nor-yet to depart from him / for any maner of cause 5. Verelie / euen so whollie and altogether ought wee also to cleaue vnto the Woord and to the Seruice of his Requiring in such-sort / that y â— Woord and his Requiring / should be y â— Deerlyest-beloued in our Heartes For at that time â when wee haue turned our Loue so whollie to the Woord and his Requiring ther can no Assaulting indamaige or hinder vs Yea / although ther came an hundred thowsand For wee are so fast-knitt and established with the Loue of our Heart / on the Woord and his Requiring / that they all / are not able to pluck vs from the Woord / nor to make vs consent to any Euell or Vanitie For the Lord the strong God is than our Helper / and b Math. 6. b. Luk. 11.
Glasse in the seruiceable q 1. Cor. 13. b. 2. Cor. 3. b. Iam. 1. c. Woorde of the holie Spirit of Loue. But in the Appeering of his Coming / in godlye Cleernes / it becometh seene of Those to whom thesame appeereth â in his godlye Cleernes from r 1. Cor. 13. b. Face to Face That is / out of our codeified Minde / into the Minde of the liuing Godhead And That is the true Perfection / which becometh seene and knowen in the Perfection of our inward Manhod / and wherthrough the Loue is made-manifest / and also liued among Men. The Second Chapiter Ther is demaunded / How the Children of Loue or of Godâ— do behaue themselues / and what-maner of Disposition and Nature then are of And thervnto is answered by HN / this Resolution heere-following AS touching this Matier / ther is much found witnessed in the holie a Leuit. 1â— Deut. 6. Mark 12. Luk. 10. Rom. 13. Scripture / and it is also cleerlie testified / in the seruiceable Woorde b 4. Spe. â—2 of the holie Spirit of Loue / that the true Children of God / haue a good Disposition and Nature and that they keepe themselues alwayes therin / vprightlie graciouslie and peaceablie / both before God and Man and that they also are altogether inclyned â before God / and towardes Men for to walke in all Loue / and to shewfourth all Seruiceablenes / vnder the Obedience of the Loue and euenso to couer with the Loue / the c Iam. 5. c. 1. Pet. 4. a. Sinnes of their Neighbour / and to inlardge the Loue â to all Edifying and Peace in her Seruice For they are / euen from the Youth vpp of their new Birth / exercised in all Weldooing and Loue. for that cause also / they cannot bring-fourth any-thing-els / but all Good and Loue. 2. For the true holie Spirit of Loue â wherwithall they are sealed leadeth them into all d Iohn 13. 14. 16. 1. Iohn 3. Trueth of the vpright Life and manifesteth euenso in them / the vpright Wooâ—â—es of Loue. And they e 2. Cor. 4. b. beare thesame cosilie Treasure in earthen Vessels / to the Lande and Honour of the almightie God and are euenso of-one-minde with the three godlie Witnesses / that beare-witnes in Heauen 3. Of which three godlie f Iohn 4. Witnesses / the one is the Loue / which is God the Father himself The second Witnes / is the g Iohn 14. 17. Trueth / which is the Woord of God the Father / and IESVS CHRIST himself And the third Witnes / is the holie Spirit of Loue or of God / and of the Trueth of Iesu Christ which is the euerlasting Life / and the Inheritaunce of all spirituall and heauenlie Goods 4. And thatsame euerlasting Life / together with the spirituall and heauenlie Goods / and euerlasting Ioye / becometh reuealed and brought vnto Them that are borne out of God / in the heauenlie Beeing and therthrough / they haue their fellowship with God / the Father / with his Sonne / the Lorde Iesus Christ and with the Holie-gost of Loue / wherout they witnes and declare / the great h Act. 2. Actes of God / and the Saluation of all Men. 5. Those now that knowe thissame / and receaue it in the heauenlie Beeing / their Testimonies are true For they witnes That / which they haue seene in the Godhead / and i 1. Iohn 1. heard in the Heauen And That is the holie Spirit which witnesseth with them for the perfect Godhead / liueth and dwelleth in them 6. For-that-cause also / the Children of Loue or of God / are the true k 1. Cor. 3. b. 2. Cor. 6. c. Heb. 3. a. Temple of the liuing God / wherin God with his Christ and holie Spirit / dwelleth and wherthrough they expresse their good Nature and Beeing / among all Men / euen as ther is saide And in such-sort / the liuing God is their God / and They his l Apo. 21. a. elected People in whose Temple / ther is no Idoll / but alone the liuing God of Israel nether is-ther also any Idolatry-seruice ministred theare but alone the Ministration of Iesu Christ / with the spirituall heauenlie Goods of his holie Spirit of Loue. The Thirde Chapiter A distinct Declaration / how that Hee which beleeueth in Christ / hath the euerlasting life THer is noman that beleeueth rightlie in Christ but Such with whom Christ is remayning or present / or which assemble them to Him and his Doctrine / in his Name / and so becom his Disciples Therfore is all the Faith / that Men â without the Assembling vnto Iesus Christ and his Doctrine assume or take-on of Christ â whether it be then out of the Imagination of the Knowledge· out of the Good-thinking of the Heart· or out of the Text or Letter no Faith in Iesu Christ / that extendeth to the Inheritaunce of Christ / in the eternall Life Nether-yet is-ther also anyman / that preacheth or teacheth the Woord or the Doctrine of Christ but Such as haue first ben obedient Disciples of the Woord and of the Doctrine of Iesu Christ. and euenso â vnder the Obedience of the Loue of Christ are a Math. 13. g. taught to the Kingdom of Heauen and in whom Christ b Gal. 4. c. hath then likewise his Shape 2. For that cause / they all which haue not rightlie beleeued in Iesu Christ / haue missed the eternall Life / as also the liuing Waters / wherof the Scripture maketh-mention / touching the Beleeuers in Christ like-as ther standeth writen Whoso c Iohn 7. c. beleeueth in Mee saith CHRIST as the Scripture saith / from his Bodie shall flowe Riuers of liuing Water Which liuing Waters / serue to the Purging d Ezec. 36. c. of y â— Heart or inward Minde / the which the vnilluminated Scripture-learned and vnsent Preachers / haue neuer out of the Letter â albeit that they testified thesame / and administred it / according to their Goodthinking obtayned or could attaine vnto For inasmuch as they turned them not about to the e Math. 18. childish Simplicitie / so hath also the f 4. Esdr. 1. c. wicked Nature Ø›that Contrary-minde to God remained euer with them 3. But the Woord of the vpright Doctrine of Iesu Christ / that seruiceablie is administred â speakablie or in Letters out of the Loue / and out of the Light of Life / is trulie the vpright and safe-making Water or Doctrine / to the Purging of the beleeuing and obedient Heartes of thesame Woord For Christ the Sauiour / is present in thesame Seruice 4. For-that-cause thesame seruiceable Woord â which is administred speakablie or in Letters / out of the Loue and out of y â— true Light and euerlasting Life is also g 2. Cor. 5. d. Christ after y â— Fleash and so Many as beleeue thesame Woord / and assemble them
obedientlie thervnto / haue their communion with Christ after the Fleash 5. For euenso / among the Beleeuers of the Woorde / the Woorde became Fleash / and h Iohn 1. b. dwelled among them and Iesus Christ was also in such-sort borne vnto them of the Virgin Marie / out of the i Rom. 1. â— 2. Tim. 2. b. Seede of Dauid after the Fleash that is / of the pure Doctrine / out of the Seede of the Loue. which beareth euenso without woo or greef And whosoeuer then receaueth or feedeth-of the outflowen Woord and his Life â beleeuinglie in his Soule / Hee k Iohn 6. eateth trulie the Fleash of Christ drinketh his Bloud and is raysed-vp by Christ / in the last Day / to the eternall Life and becometh euenso in his new Birth / consubstanciated with Christ after the Spirit And Those that l Iohn 3. c. 6. f beleeue euen-so in Christ / haue the eternall Life 6. IF wee now â with whole Heart beleeue thus in Christ and becom m Rom. 6. implanted into Him / so feele wee then also most-trulie / that ChristØ›the Woorde of Life n 1. Pet. 2. d. beareth in vs our Sinnes / and suffereth for our Sinnes cause wherthrough wee also are inclyned for to suffer with Him / and â to the o Rom. 6. a. Col. 2. b. Burying of our Sinnes to follow-after Him / euen vnto his Buryall and so wee becom Part-takers of the Passion of Christ as also after thesame / of his p Phil. 3. b. Resurrection euerlasting Life 7. In such-sort verelie / wee knowe or vnderstand in the Beleef and Obedience of the Woord / how that the Woord or Christ / q Iohn 1. c. beareth our Sinnes / together with all our Frailtie and Ignoraunce and how that likewise for that cause / the Elders in thesame Woord / take-vpp in Grace or Mercie / all the Sinnes / Weaknes / and Ignoraunce of the Beleeuers of the Woord / and couer thesame with their Loue / vnder the Obedience of the same Woorde and his Doctrine For in such-sort do the Elders and Ministers of the Woord â in their Seruice prepare and kindle the trespas r Ier. 33. â— Offeriâ—g of the Beleeuers of the Woorde / on the Altar in the Holie of Christ â ether Beleef of the Woord to a Burnt-offering of a sweete Sauour / before the Lorde 8. And the Accomplishing of thesame Offering / is the Puriâ—ying of our Heartes / from all sinfull Beeing And thatsame is the true Gods-seruice in the Spirit / wherin wee s 1. Pet. 2. 4. â— followe-after Christ in the like Passion t Rom. 6. a. or Death of his Crosse that is / in his like Contempt or Dispising the which is the true Furnace of Humiliation / wherthrough our Sinnes are consumed-to-nothing 9. When now the Seruice of the Woord and the Obedience of thesame / hath had in such-sort â in the Beleef Crosse of Christ his full Course with vs / so departeth then the v 2. Cor. 3. d. Heb. 10. d. Vayle â which is the Fleash of Christ from our Heartes and Christ after the Spirit / cometh vnto vs in Glorie And Hee is â euen as the right High-priest a x Heb. 3. 4. 7. Minister of the spirituall and heauenlie Goods / in vs and wee inherit euenso all thosesame / through Iesus Christ after the Spirit 10. But till vnto thesame Tyme of the Coming of Christ after the Spirit / in his Glorie / so is vnto vs Christ after the Fleash / a Minister of the Circumcision â that is / in the Laying-away of the Synne for Gods Trueth-his cause / and for to establish y Rom. 15. b. the Promises made to the Fathers / and so to procreate in vs â out of the Beleef the euerlasâ—ing and true Heyre / in the Establishing of the Promises of God the Father and also-for that the Seruantship of the Lawe / should be no a Gal. 3. c. Heyre with the Beleeuers 11. And That was the Complaint of Abraham which hee â ereuer hee had a Sonne or an Heyre complayned before the Lorde / that hee had obtayned no b Gen. 15. a. Seede out of the Beleef / and supposed euenso / that his Seruant that is / the Seruantship out of the Lawe should be his Heyre But the Lorde said vnto him Not so / thy Seruant shall not be thyne Heyre but the Sonne which shall be borne out of thee That is / out of the Faith of Abraham 12. But so-long as the Heyre is yeat c â—al 4. a. younge / or first new borne by the Beleeuers of the Woord / and that also the Beleeuers are yeat younge or small in the heauenlie Vnderstanding / by Him and euenso â as goodwilling Seruantes to the Obedience of their Lorde haue a Lust â according to the Requiring of the seruiceable Woord to doo the Will of the Lorde / So is-ther not any difference made / betwixt the Heyre and the Seruant but they stand both-alike vnder the Seruices of the gratious Woorde of y â— Lorde â as vnder Tutours till vnto the d Gal. 4. â— appointed Time of the Father In such like-sort is it also with all them / which beleeue the gratious Woord in his Seruice of Loue / and haue a Lust â according to the Requiring of the seruiceable Woord to doo the Lord-his Will For as long as the Beleeuers of the Woord / are yeat younge or childish in the Procreation of the Seede of the Promise / that becometh borne in them / out of the Beleef of the Woorde and are not yeat growen-vpp to the e Ephe. 4. b. â—lderdom of the perfect Beeing of the Woord which is the appointed f Gal. 4. a. Time of the Father / ouer all Beleeuers of the Woord so stand they yeat although they beleeue vnder the Ordinaunce of the Lorde or his Woord Not therfore that they should alwayes remaine / as subiect thervnder but vnto the appointed Time / to-wit / til-vnto the manlie Olde-aige in the godlie Vnderstanding of y â— holie Woord / as ther is said That is / till that the Sinnes be subdued and that they euenso â through the Lawe be g Rom. 7. â— Gal. 2. d. dead vnto the Lawe· and taught to the Kingdom of Heauen / and haue attayned â in the Life of the Woord to the appointed Time of the h Ephâ— 4. b. manlie Olde-aige 13. And euenso on the Promise of y â— euerlasting Life â out of the Ministration of the holie gratious Woord vnder the Obedience of the Loue may well all the Beleeuers of y â— Woord â with Ioye / in the Hope of the euerlasting Life geeue-ouer themselues whollie in the i Rom. â— Death of Christ and so let themselues be baptised or wasshed â with the out-flowing safe-making Waters of Christ in the Death of Christ For euenso â in thesame Death
owne Mindes and bydeth neuerthelesse in Captiuitie or Bondship 12. When-as wee now see-into all this / according to the Trueth / so ought wee onlie to seeke after the vpright n Iohn â— c. Freedom of the Children of God / which is required out of the Woord of the Lorde And when wee then â at any time perceaue / that wee are not â according to the Requiring of the Lord-his Woord rightlie made-free / but rest yeat bound or owned / on our Mindes or Opinions / So shall wee not then seeke any other thing ther-against / but to becom Seruantes or Ministers of the Lorde / for to serue the Lorde / and to be altogether obedient / to the Requiring of his gracious Woorde and Seruice of Loue. 13. If wee then becom in such-sort o Rom. 6. b. Seruantes or Ministers of the Lorde / so shall the Lorde likewise â in the p Iohn 8. d. Obedience of the Requiring of his Woord bring vnto vs the vpright Freedom of the Children of God Therfore ought wee not to hunt-after any Freedom / according to our owne Mindes but first to applie vs dilligentli â / to the Woorke of the Lorde / and to shewe Obedience vnto the Requiring of his Woord / for to becom euenso Seruantes of the Lorde and not to seeke els-what in the Seruice of his Woord / but to humble vs with whole Heart / vnder the Requiring of his Woorde 14. When wee then are thus the Lord-his Seruantes / so shall the Lorde also â in thesame good-willing Obedience to the Doctrine of his Woord reueale or declare the Trueth of his Christ vnto vs and thesame q Iohn â— Trueth shall make vs rightlie free / and release vs out of all Bondshipping In such-sort / that wee shall then sett ourselues / with all That which is the Lordes â as submitted vnder the Lorde· and vnder the Seruice of his holie Woorde of the godlie Loue / for to liue euenso with all the Children of God and Christ / in the vpright godlie Freedom / and to serue onlie the liuing God / in r Luk. 1. â— vpright Righteousnes and Holynes The VI. Chapiter A cleere Distinction / betweene the Heauenlie and the Earthlie and how that the Immortall / is becom mortall and how it shall putt-on the Immortalitie againe NOman ascendeth vnto Heauen / but hee which a Iohn â— b. Ephe. 4. a. cometh or descendeth from Heauen The which figureth-fourth vnto vs in Cleernes / that the earthlie Fleash and Bloud / cannot ascend to Heauen / in-as-much as it is not of the Heauen / but of the Earth But the holie Beeing of God / which God the Father â out of his holie Heauen hath grounded or setâ— â from the Begining in the Manhod / and is in vs â for our Sinnes cause becom mortall / hath the sure Promises / to risevpp againe in immortall Glorie and that thesame shall reach / from the Man on the Earth / eauen vnto God / in the Heauen / for to make-knowen â out of the Heauen vnto the Man / on the Earth / the heauenlie Goods / and to bring thesame vnto him / out of the Heauen / and therto / the eternall Life 2. And That is it wherof Paule hath also witnessed in tymes-past / wher hee sayth b 1. Cor. 15. f. When the Mortall hath putt-on the Immortalitie / then shall the Death be destroyed in Victorie 3. Verelie / the Mortall â wherof Paule witnesseth is not any Creature of the earthlie Fleash and Bloud but it is the liuing Woord or Beeing of God / which in c Gen. 1. the Begining / was immortall in the Manhod / and is in vs â for our Sinnes cause becom mortall For thatsame â so-long as the Sinne hath the Victorie in vs is in vs / as One dead And although it beareth our Sinnes / and purgeth or maketh vs safe from the Sinne / yet haue wee not so d Esa. 53. b. Act. 8. c. esteemed it but accounted it as if it were nothing The which wee may also right easelie perceaue euenso in vs / so longe as we rest subiect to the Sinne. For if yee seeke in your inward sinfull Manhod / the good and heauenlie Beeing of God / and y e vpright Vertue and Righteousnes / so finde yee not thesame e Rom. 7. c. liuing in you but rather f Gen. 6. c. all Iniquitie / and all wicked Inclinations 4. When wee then see-into thissame / so must wee needes acknowledg / that the heauenlie Beeing of God· and God-his vpright Righteousnes / is becom mortall in vs but yet not for-euer / but for a certen season / till that the Man shew-fourth vpright Frutes g Math. â— Luk. â— of Repentaunce / against his Sinnes and sinfull Lustes / and that God euenso raise-vpp his godlie Beeing / in the Man / and that his Glorie becom great eauen vnto the Heauen 5. Yea / euen than at thesame tyme / shall the Mortall putt-on againe the Immortalitie / and the Death h Esa. 25. b. 1. Cor. 15. c. shall be swallowed-vpp / in Victorie And thatsame heauenlie Beeing of God / shall ascend vnto Heauen / and yet notwithstanding remaine still conformeablie-vnyted with the Man / euenlike as it came from Heauen and the Man shall then likewise bide euerlastinglie / one Soule and one Bodie with thesame / and be alwayes with his Spirit / wher God and his Christ is It is very-true 6. OH / That the Man vnderstoode the vpright Glorie / whervnto hee is i Gen. 1. c. Sap. 1. 2. c. Eccli 17. a. created by God / and also called through Christ so should then all earthlie Thinges be esteemed of him for no worthyer / then if they were Durt Yea / although the whole Earth â eauen vnto the Heauen were couered with Golde / yet were it all no-more / to be compared to the godlie Beeing and his vpright Righteousnes / then an Handfull of Chaffe / to a great Heape of good Wheate 7. Beholde / this costlie heauenlie k 1. Cor. 4. a. Treasure / is hid in the Man / and becometh presentlie raysed-vpp in the Man / in the Obedience of the Seruice of Loue. Thesame becometh now likewise â out of the Seruice of Loue distinctlie declared and expressed among Many and yet how Fewe are-ther that rightlie meditate or seeke-after thesame 8. OH â alas How exceedinglie doth the Man oftentymes afflict himself with sorrowe / for a little Losse of the earthlie thinges / and lameÌ„teth thesame Damaige al-to-much which notwithstanding is no-more worthye / to be compared to the Damaige of the vpright Righteousnes and heauenlie Goods / then the Losse of an Handfull of Chaffe / to the Losse of an hundred Quarters of Wheate But for the most-great Losse â as that hee misseth / and findeth not in him / the vpright Righteousnes· the liuing Woorde of God the Father· and the Mercifulnes of the
shall wee alwayes indeuour vs heervnto / namelie / to shewe-fourth Pacience in all thinges / and euenso â in maner-of-suffering to waite for the l Act. 1. â— gracious Promises of God the Father 11. If wee now vnder y e Obedience of y e Woord and his Seruice of Loue / haue rightlie perpended or considered the lyke Pacience of Christ so shall wee then likewise let the Woord of the Lorde / in his Seruice of Loue / and in all his Counsell and Doctrine and to shew-fourth therby the goodwilling Obedience / haue the Fore-going with vs. 12. BVt â oh alas ther are so Fewe / which do thus rightlie vnderstand thesame / and yet many fewer / that indeuour themselues in such-sort ther-vnto For / for the most part / the Man is very negligent toward the Counsell and Doctrine of the Woorde / for to shewe Obedience to the Requiring of thesame but hee himself taketh-on much rather the Fore-going vnto him with his owne Will m Col. 2. b. and Election and euenso followeth-after nothing-els but his owne Goodthinking or Opinion 13. But if now wee desire to applye ourselues vprightlie / to the Woord of the Lorde / and to his Seruice of Loue / so shall wee not then deale in such-sort but wee shall first â in the Seruice of the Woord shewe faithfull Obedience Not â verelie after our owne Counsell and Will / nor yet n Deut. 12. b. 29. c. as wee thinke-good â–ª but euen as thesame is set-fourth vnto vs / by the Elders / and Ministers of the Woord And if ther then com vnto vs / in the Obedience of the Woord â according to the Doctrine and Requiring of the Woord any Ioy and Life of Righteousnes and that likewise the Woord / be planted in vs with 〈…〉 Humilitie / so receaueth then the Woord â with his Doctrine / and with our Obedience the Fore-going to the Life / in vs. For in so dooing / and â ther-to geeuing-care vnto the Elders of the holy Vnderstanding / wee do not assume or take-on thesame vnto vs but wee thanke the Lorde for his Grace / and thinke 14. O God / this Ioye / is thy Ioye and thou lettest thesame com vnto Mee / from thy Grace And if thou let thesame remaine with mee â O Lorde so thanke I thee for thesame and if thou take thesame againe from mee / so will I yet neuerthelesse geeue thee thankes Thy p Math. 6. b. 26. c. Luk. 22. c. Will. be don / and not myne For to thy Will â O Lorde I haue a Lust. 15. HOwbeit / if the Sinne oppresse or torment vs or if wee feele in our Inward-parted / any harde Buffettes / or great Sorrowe / yet shall wee not then seeke out of ourselues / to doo thus or so / for to becom released â without the Requiring of the Woorde / or Counsell of the Elders from thesame like as the Man in his taken-on Zeale / oftentimes doth but wee shall sett it all / in the Pacience / and com-thorowe thesame / according to the Counsell of the Elders For / how-much the-more y â— Man seeketh with his owne Counsell / to doo thus or so / or to be released heerthrough or therthrough / so-much the-faster becometh hee bound on his vaine Beeing and Purpose 16. For when-as the Man bindeth himself on his owne Purpose / so bindeth hee himself so-much the-stronger on the Imagination of his Knowledg and laboureth euenso therwith / for to becom free The which cannot com so to-passe but very-well / in the Pacience / and in the Obedience of y â— Woord / euen as ther iâ— saide 17. BVt â oh alas now hath the Man al-to-little mind to this Pacience and Obedience but hee insueth so gladly the Imagination of his Knowledg / which driueth him much-more to doo or-els to resist som-thing / according to his owne Will / for to be there-in dilligent seeing thaâ— the Mindes of his goodthinking Knowledg â without the Requiring of the Woorde are inclyned ther-vnto then to seeke-after the vpright q Ephe. 4. â— Righteousnes and Holynes of the inward Man / which God regardeth / and wherthrough Men mought liue and r Rom. 12. â— Ephe. 4. â— deale-together among each-other vprightlie and peaceablie / in all Concorde and Loue. 18. And heere-through it chaunceth oftentimes / that the Imagination of the Knowledg for that-men therthrough / are driuen to somwhat that hath a 2. Tim. â— â— Shew of Righteousnes is looked-on and beleeued / for an Inspiration or Inspeaking of God and that the Man is driuen to doo thus or so / or-els to resist this or that Wherthrough then also / the Mans Goodthinking and his Câ—l 2. b. Election wherwith the Man seduceth himself / and other-moe which credit him getteth the Foregoing by the Man· and not / the Obedience of the Woord And therfore is the Imagination of his Knowledg / a great Hinderaunce or Lett vnto him / for to com to the vpright Beeing 19. For ther shall noman attaine to the vpright Beeing / but through the Obedience of the Woord / in the Beleef of Iesu Christ and so to v 〈◊〉 5. b. shew-fourth Pacience therin And although that the Man feeleth / that the Sinne oppresseth him â or that the Dryuing of his Minde / tormenteth him / or that hee feele an euell Minde against his good Minde yet shall hee neuerthelesse holde himself on the Pacience / in all Humilitie and Lowlynes of his Heart and Minde / and thinke in his Heart 20. O God! Forasmuch then as it is thy Will and Ordinaunce / that I must be thus purged in the Abaseing· and in the Obedience vnto thy gracious Woord and the Ministers of thesame / so will I therfore â O God geeue-ouer my-self goodwillinglie ther-to Thy Will be don For to doo thy x Psal. 40. b. Heb. 10. b. Will / therto â O God haue I a Lust. 21. When now the Man / standeth so minded to the Lordes Will / and to his Righteousnes and sheweth-fourth Pacience / in Prisonment / in Vexation / in Ioy / in Sorrowe / and in all whatsoeuer chaunceth to meete him / in the Obedience of the Woord and his Seruice of Loue and euenso perseuereth therin stedfastly / So shall hee then well obtaine the vpright Righteousnes / and y 2. Coâ— â— d. liue vprightlie in thesame / both before God and Men. 22. For when-as the Man hath thus â thorough Faith in the lyke Obedience and Pacience of our Lord Iesu Christ / vanquished all his Enemies of the Life then shall likewise verely z Iam. â— b. the Crowne of the eternall Life be brought vnto him / by the Lorde Iesus Christ. 23. Therfore shall wee also daylie â in the Obedience of the Woorde / and in the Following of his Requiring Math. 1â— Luk. 9. take-vpp our Crosse against y â— Euell / vntill such time as the Sinne
be subdued and vtterlie-destroyed / That wee may then euenso bring vnto the Lorde / a Ioyful-offering· and liue with the Lorde euerlastinglie The XV. Chapiter â—her is demaunded / Who be the right Disciples of the Wâ—ord / and after what sort then stand also at what time / that anyone is a right Disciple of the Woord And thervnto is answered by HN and certen Instructions are declared theron / liâ—e as heer-after followeth VErelie / ther are very Fewe / that are right Disciples of the Woord For I say vnto you trulie / that they are not all Disciples of the Woord / which heare the Testimonies of the Woord / nor which reade thesame / and speake therof Nether-yet also com they all into the Schoole of the Loue of Iesu Christ wherin they ought whollie to geeue-ouer themselues / vnto the Woord and his Seruice of Loue for to be instructed by their Elder and Minister of the Woord / to the Requiring and Accomplishing of the Woord· and taught to the Kingdom of Heauen / which speake much good of the Woord As that the Woord and his Doctrine / is right / and that-men are directed and infourmed by thesame / to the Life of Righteousnes But Those which through the Ministration of the Woorde and his Seruice of Loue / are touched â by y â— Lordes Grace in their Inwardnes and to whom it is likewise graunted to see-into or to knowe their Sinnes and their Estraunging from God and his Christ and which also then a Math. 3. Luk. 3. beare-sorrowe for their Sinnes / confesse thesame before their Elder in the holye Vnderstanding / and whollie geeue-ouer themselues â for to be obedient vnto the Doctrine of the Woord and Seruice of Loue and euenso vtterly b 2. Cor. 6. c. depart out of all that which they â in their olde and corrupted Vnderstanding haue liued-in / and seperate themselues therfrom / for c 1. Cor. 4. d. Phil. 3. c. to insue â with all their Heart and Minde the Doctrine of the Woord / and the Ministers of thesame / obedientlie / and that they mought be d Iam. 1. c. Fulfillers of the Woord / and not Hearers alone and so then to perseuer firme therin / till vnto the new e Iohn 3. a. Birth in Iesu Christ which is in vs the Fulfilling of the Woorde· and the vpright Life itself 2. BEholde / Those or Such â which so geeue-ouer themselues whollie / to the Requiring of the gracious Woord / and are admitted thervnto / by their Elder in y â— holie Vnderstanding / and Minister of the gracious Woorde / and perseuer firmlie therin are verely the right Disciples of the Woord and looke-into the Woord a-right / according to his Excellencie And therfore seeing that y â— gracious Woord of the Lorde / is the most-best and worthyest Good they loue thesame aboue all what is on the Earth / or that cleaueth vnto them 3. For verelie / thesame Woorde / which is This-daye administred â through the holie Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ vnto vs / and set-fourth out of the Seruice of Loue / is well worthy to be loued / aboue all what is vpon the Earth / as also for the loues-cause therof / to f Luk. 14. d. forsake all that is vpon the Earth For it is the true Christ which was preached in times-past vnto the World / to Repentaunce / and to a Safe-making of them from their Sinnes / as also to a tocoming righteous Iudge and which is also presentlie com vnto vs â to a Fulfilling of the former Preaching out of Heauen / from y â— Right-hand of God his Father / for to iudg g Act. 10. c. 2. Tim. 4. â— 1. Pet. 4. b. ouer Liuing and Dead / and h Act. 3. to restore it all / what God hath spoken â through the Mouth of his holie Propheates from the Begining of the World hetherto / euen-as ther is writen therof 4. Where now this Woord hath his Incorporating / and floweth-fourth againe seruiceablie from thesame / therin hath Christ his i Gal. 4. c. Shape / liuinglie and the perfect Godhead / in thesame Christ. Out of whom / the Ministration of the Woord cometh vprightlie to passe and they witnes in their Ministration / the appeered Grace that cometh vnto all repentant Sinners / in the Obedience of the Woord / together with the Declaring of the spirituall and heauenlie Goods / which they inherit in the euerlasting Life And That is the Daye which God k Act. 17. â— hath appointed / for to iudg in thesame / the Compasse of the Earth with Righteousnes / through his Woord / in whom / Hee hath concluded his Iudgment 5. So many now as ther are / which heare the Testimonies of the Woord / and to whom ther is graunted through the Ministration of those-same / to see-into their Estraunging from Christ and whose Sinnes are made-knowen vnto them / Among those verely / the l Tiâ— 2. b. Grace of the Lorde is appeered and they are euenso stirred-vp through the Woord / to m Act. 2. f. adioyne themselues to the Minister of the Woord / for to be instructed â by him out of the Woord / through the Woord / and in the Woord / to the vpright Frutes of n Math. 3. Luk. â— Repentaunce· taught to the Kingdom of the God of Heauen· and made Heyres in the spirituall and heauenlie Goods 6. But Those to whom the Grace of the Lorde / is in such-sort as ther is saide appeered / and yet will not make-manifest themselues before their Elder in the holie Vnderstanding / and Minister of the gracious Woord / nor shewe any Sorrowe before him / for their Sinnes nor-yet make any Confession therof / for to becom instructed â as Disciples of the Woorde to the right Frutes of Repentaunce but chuse or take-on a Life vnto themselues / according to the Goodthinking of their Knowledg and so knowe then â out of their Knowledg how to prate much of the Woord and Life Verelie / Those that so followe their Goodthinking / are no Disciples of the Woord / nether-yet do they followe the Doctrine of the Ministers of the Woord But they themselues take-on the Foregoing / with their Knowledg and Goodthinking / before the Woord / and wrest and interpret the Woord / according to their Heartes o Deu. 12. â— Goodthinking / and not according to the Requiring of thesame 7. For in dooing so / they followe not the Requiring of the Woord / nor the Doctrine of the Eldest in the Seruice of the Woord and of his Loue but they exalt themselues aboue the Woord and his Seruice and euenso presume to set-vp themselues / to Iudges of the Woord / and to Aduersaries or Invayers against the Ministers of thesame And lay or shutt-vp the Grace of the Lorde â which is appeered vnto them to Repentaunce in their Prison or Subiection / and kill