World and all things therein than God's saying Let it be so which is his Word and it was so As the Word of God did create us at first in a litteral and material sense so the same Word is to make us New Creatures to create us again in a spiritual sense to make us live unto God for ever and ever And in order to that it knows all men and knows what is in man and needs not that any one should testify of him for it knows enough of it self The Commandments Rules and Directions are given in that wise according as Man is Prone Subject and Inclinable unto There are more then a Thousand Instances of this throughout the Book of the Lord. But I will recite one or two Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently least thou forget the things which thine Eyes have seen Take heed unto your selves least ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God Deut. 4. 9 23. The Holy Ghost by giving this double caution in this Chapter doth denote and shew forth what Men are apt and subject unto even to the forgetfulness of the Works of God and of the words of his Law for themselves to live according unto and to obey it and therefore he warns them against it Now the several Acts and Parts of Worship are in a manner Visible and also they put in continual mind both of the works of God and of the words of God And for this reason besides his own Command of Enjoyning them they are to be retained and resorted unto all the days of our Life whilst we are here in the Body O Ephraim What shall I do unto thee O Judah What shall I do unto thee For thy Goodness is as the morning Cloud and as the Earthly Dew it goeth away Hos 6. 4. As it is written Jesus Christ spake thus unto Philip Proving him for he himself knew what he would do John 6. 6. Even so God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth here ask the same Question doubly over proving his People or putting them to it for he himself knoweth what he hath to do and would do herein How that when their Goodness is as the morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away He hath provided that it should be renewed and come and succeed again even by the Ordinances of Religion which himself hath ordained and instituted I have several times thought how that in the long days in the hot and sultry weather when is the scorching Sun How the wisdom of God doth then provide for the Earth For whereas at this time of the Year there is little or no Rain for several weeks together If it were not for that Dew which God doth then send every Night and Early in the Morning what would the Earth come unto The most fruitful Ground would become like the Barren Mountains and the Waste howling Wilderness The Heaven that is over our head would be Brass and the Earth that is under us would be Iron Deut. 28. 23. There would be little or no Grass to be seen But the Sun in its full might and strength would scorch and burn it up But now blessed and ever blessed be our God for it by means of the Dew which commonly tarries on the Earth until the Ninth or Tenth hour in the morning It is refreshed instead of Rain and thus it comes to pass that it is neither barren nor unfruitful The observation is common that in Cloudy weather or when it will Rain that day there is usually less or no foregoing Dew The Knowledge and Wisdom of God seeing that there will not be altogether so much need of it then and accordingly he doth so proportion it out who doth all things in Number Weight and Measure O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all And so even now Thou who upholdest all things by the Word of thy Power In wisdom dost thou govern and dispose of all things throughout the whole World O that when People walk out early in the morning and see the Dew lie as the Small Rain upon the tender Herb and as Showers upon the Grass Every little drop whereof doth more Good and therein is more valuable then so many Pearls would eye and see the Lord therein and Praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wonders unto the Children of Men. That they would further make known a Spiritual use and improvement hereof as the whole Face of the Earth unless for this Dew would be like unto a Path or Road which Man or Beast continually goes on or at least it would be barren and unfruitful Even so in like manner Mine own heart and the other hearts of the reasonable Inhabitants of this Earth unless it were for the Dew of the Word and of Prayer would become barren and unfruitful in the work of the Lord and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But on the other and better hand the constant Dew of the Word and of Prayer if we do not put them from us but have recourse thereunto for the Lord doth hold them forth and Command the Inhabitants of the Earth to use them and receive the benefit of them If these be sought and had daily If this Knowledge and Godliness which last includes both the Word and Prayer and these things be in you and abound there is Great Emphasis in that Word full measure and running over which teaches us that we should do it still more and more Every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more Fruit John 15. 2. They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 8. Who saith Herein is my Father Glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples John 15. 8. But as without the Dew or Rain there would be no Fruit or Grass so without hearing or reading the Word and Prayer there would be no Fruit brought forth unto God And if God is Glorified when his reasonable Creatures bring forth Fruit then by the Rule of Contraries he is dishonoured when they bring forth no Fruit or when he fails and is disappointed in his Expectation When I looked that it should bring forth Grapes and it brought forth Wild Grapes And what is the consequent of all Poor Creatures the greatest loss will redound to themselves at the last altho' now they do not throughly consider thereof And now go to I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard it shall be trodden down it shall not be Pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thorns I will also command the Clouds that they Rain no Rain upon it For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is
words the meaning seems to be to this purpose and effect that is there is nothing or no great matter whither the foreskin of ones flesh is cut off or not There is no great Good or Evil in the thing abstractedly whither it be done or not done So it would have been if God had given no Commandment at all concerning it But God having Superadded and Annexed a Commandment concerning it The Soul that is not Circumcised shall be cut off from his People Here it ought to be observed and done by the Jews as long as that Dispensation did remain among them Not so much for the thing it self but to fulfill all Righteousness and therein to keep the Commandment of God which same Commandment is now done away and abolished in Christ And therefore it was become indifferent under the Gospel as appears by the foregoing verse and from the Practise of Paul who altho' he was not for bringing them back again to Bondage and to Jewish Observances yet to please the Jews as also to bring over more Jewish Converts who did retain a Tincture of and Zeal for the Mosaical Institutions did Circumcise Timothy but would not do so as to the Gentiles which should receive the Faith Now the reason is alike and eternally the same as to those two Ordinances of Christ Baptism and the Lords Supper As to sprinkling or dipping in water and in Eating and Drinking a little Bread and Wine there is nothing or no great matter in them taken abstractedly The Reason of Man is apt to despise them because it presently sees no Intrinsick Goodness in using them and no Evil in letting them alone And so far it would have been true if Christ had given no Commandment concerning them But Christ and his Apostles having given Commandment for the once observance of the one and the often observance of the other they ought accordingly to be so observed by his Disciples and Followers to fulfill all Gospel Righteousness and out of obedience unto and for keeping the Commandments of Christ Moses therefore gave unto you Circumcision not because it is of Moses but of the Fathers and ye on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a Man that the Law of Moses shall not be broken John 7. 22 23. This is plain and obvious enough and accordinly they have been retained all along down in the Christian yea and the Reformed Churches Tho' we cannot here presently assign how Baptism and the Lords Supper are means of Grace as Preaching the Word and Prayer manifestly and sensibly are For we know feelingly and experimentally that Preaching the Word and Prayer are as two Conduit Pipes through which Good and Perfect Gifts do come down from above from the Father of Lights into our Souls And we very well conceive how these help to make a People prepared for the Lord. But we cannot altogether give so clear an Account concerning Baptism and the Lords Supper how they do this altho' here we can somewhat apprehend as to the things signified by them which hath been afore-mentioned Nevertheless because Christ hath Commanded and Instituted them in his Gospel it is not only the safer way to use them but I will go on to add there can be no sasety in neglecting them or in the omission of them because of what himself saith Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so He shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 19. Which there signifies the Dispensation of his Gospel For we are not sure that such will ever be admitted into his Kingdom above at the end of time Having afore-mentioned what Grounds we have for the same in the Scriptures of Truth and therefore these things keep still unto the Ordinances of Religion We teach and affirm constantly We read in Isa 58. 2. Of the Ordinances of Justice but in our present and intended Discourse we wave and let alone all that it being not altogether so pertinent to the matter in Hand which is the keeping constantly unto the Ordinances of Worship For it is a great Gospel Command Worship God Rev. 22. 9. And to allude unto Heb. 9. 1. This Second Covenant hath Ordinances of Divine Service and a Spiritual or Heavenly Sanctuary Which may be performed in a true and right manner So that it is meet requisite and necessary That the Children of thy Servants should continue therein Psal 102. 28. Or otherwise they are no longer Servants of God For his Servants shall serve him Rev. 22. 3. And as anothers abuse of a thing should not take away my Good and Right use thereof So here again it is the Controversies and Questions which are among the Servants of God concerning the manner or Circumstantials of his Worship or of those positive Ordinances as whither Baptism should be observed in Infancy or Riper Years with dipping or sprinkling with the sign of the Cross or without it and of the Lords Supper whither it should be received sitting standing or kneeling or whither in the Morning or Afternoon altho' these are somewhat apt to perplex and trouble the Minds of Christians and are the occasion of different and distinct Congregations Yet we should in no wise so far stumble as to surcease the use of them at all God forbid By the way tho' we ought to assert the Truth and Confute Errour yet it is no Christianity to Reproach or Malign any Sect or Party For the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men in Meekness Instructing those that oppose themselves if Peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth The much greater Part of those Churches which are reformed from the Idolatry and Superstition of Rome both in these and also in Forreign Countries do all unanimously agree that these Ordinances ought by all means to be retained and that the neglect or omission of them is Sin Certain it is that the best and wisest way for every one is To keep unto and observe them as near according to the Rule and Direction of Scripture as ever they can and abstracted from all will Worship and Institution or Precept of Man I am now going to speak after my Judgment and by Permission and not of Commandment And therefore ye may weigh in your Minds but not rely on this Affirmation or rather Opinion Viz. That as the Early Dew which goeth away is better then no Dew at all So the observance of the ordinances any of the ways afore-mentioned seems according to my sentiment of things to be better and safer then the not observance of them at all Because there is a Commandment of God and of Christ for the actual observance of them Tho' here I charge ye all in the Name of God and of Christ and here ye are to take notice of it that I speak again by Commandment seeing that these positive ordinances serve also unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things see well to it
in your Eating and Drinking for too much Eating makes People sluggish and sleepy Thus People might redeem time for hearing his word on a Week Day and yet they would not diminish ought from their accustomed Work and Labour in their wordly calling Sirs ye know not what it is to lose opportunities in Spiritual and Eternal concerns For these opportunities can never be retrieved again As Nebuchadnezzar said concerning his Dream The thing is gone from me Dan. 2. 5. So these opportunities of hearing his word are gone from them for all Eternity There is no recalling of it back again I have Preached Ten Sermons to the Inhabitants of a certain Town and Neighbourhood But if those People who refused or neglected to hear the same would now give Ten Thousand Pounds and if there were Ten Divine Truths in them they would not be thus over-rated for each Divine Truth is of more worth then a World for to have heard them on those Ten past Lords Days this can no more be then any of them can make the Sun stand still or go back ten degrees in the Dial of Ahaz It passes over into a thing to be Judged off at the Judgment of the Great Day As God commanded Moses to make a return how he had discharged his message and Moses did accordingly return back the Word of the People unto the Lord. So when his Ministers come to give in an Account of their Ministry it will be a sad reckoning to the People They are turned back to the iniquity of their Forefathers which refused to hear my Words Jer. 11. 11. Loe these ten opportunities together such and such People hereabouts have refused to hear thy Words O God and if I should live or stay among them so long I do really believe that some of my Countrymen and Neighbours will for seventy times seven opportunities more refuse to hear thy Words O Lord according as I have received the same from the lively Oracles the Book of the Lord and what he makes known to my heart by his Spirit As Herod made a sudden Oath for the sake of which he cut off John Baprists Head And as the Jews bound themselves with a Curse not to Eat or Drink until they had killed Paul So I believe that some have made such an hasty Vow and Resolution which is the usual forerunner of foolish and sinful doings that they will never go to hear such an one In speaking after that manner they take the wrong end of the Staff by the hand which kind of speaking is one method or devise whereby Satan upholds his Kingdom by fixing on Persons and not on things for 't is not so much the Person of this or that Man we being Creatures of alike Flesh and Blood and of the same Passions For they should speak more properly and understandingly they vow and resolve never to hear the Word of the Lord which comes out of such an ones Mouth for by the way if a Great Truth of God could and did come out of Caiaphas his Mouth as it did in John 11. 51 52. Who had given wicked Counsel so may some Truths of God proceed through him who is harmless and inoffensive in his Conversation and whom neither his adversaries can charge with nor yet himself is conscious of any known and allowed sin But here the children of God should separate the Precious from the Vile I would ask such who think that they must keep to their Vows Suppose that a man should Vow that he would never worship God such an Unlawful Vow or Promise is better broken than kept and so it is near the same not to go to hear the Word for thou shouldest here Repent of making such a Vow or Resolution the Observance whereof being unlawful serves only a design of the Devil to keep thee in the breach and neglect of a Commandment of God to hear his Word as also it hinders thy Soul from good things If any should stay at home to Read the Sctiptures or for Family Prayer or to catechise and instruct their Children this they might do at other times and they might bring their Children here to sit down and hear Words Preached according to their Capacities which perhaps by Reason of their fresh Memories and tender Years they would retain longer than their Parents It may be asked them another day Why abodest thou among thy Family or in thy house when thou mightest have gone out to Hear the word of the Lord Hearken unto me ye that know Righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the Reproach of Men neither be ye afraid of their Revilings Isa 51. 7. Ye may all know and be assured that the works of God are never in vain I have several times thought as to my outward Lameness tho I do halt like unto the Patriarch Jacob nevertheless this hinders not from my running the way of Gods Commandments And so where God hath furnished any man with Knowledge Ability Inward Indowments and Qualifications and hath put good words and true words into his heart all this and such like must be for some end even for him to speak out and make known the same and for others to hear and receive them The Lord will rehearse all this and much more in the day when he writeth up his people How every least and most contemptible Creature did serve the Great Ends of his Glory But much more the Ministers of the Word do so in their several Generations Countries and Places It is indeed matter of Anguish and Vexation to us because we see the Devils working and Delusion herein and we can not help it so throughly and universally as we would It is a day of trouble the Children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth Altho' there are too many Loyterers in the Ministry yet there are not Labourers enough in the Harvest and they also are not knowing or not laborious enough But yet however people carry it towards us yet that place of Ezck. 2. 5 7. will take hold of them And they whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are a rebellious House yet shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them And thou shalt speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are most Rebellious And so accordingly as long as I have health and opportunity I will speak the word of God unto the people of my Generation and Nation whether they will hear or whether they will forbear if no more than two or three only did come to this particular place where it is declared But to Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. Now Israel were the outward worshippers but the same holds true also as to the sinners and ungodly But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things which
On the one hand he is wanting in no means to set us forward and then again he is not wanting in any thing to keep us on continually a-going Yea he hath ordained further that we should here on Earth live the life of Heaven before we come to Heaven Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Psal 84. 4. And he hath ordered things in that manner that we may be always a doing the work of God And whereas here some would be apt to think that this would breed Tiresomness he hath again so ordered the matter by those Ordinances of Religion and Worship which he hath instituted that they who herein wait on the Lord should renew their strength they shall mount with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40. 31. For whereas a scoffing Ishmael and the men of this world do imagine or say We do not like this kind of work which is never done but our God through his most gracious and bountiful Nature and Doings hath so provided that his Servants shall not be weary in his Work and have a good will therein signified by that Phrase of Running And if at any time there should be any weariness because they are here in the Body and in this Flesh then they shall renew their strength for He giveth Power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength As he doth that so where he sees any thing is wanting or necessary he makes it up and supplies it So it is in the â—forecited place of Hosea where he sees before-hand their failing and Declination that their Goodness is as the Morning Cloud and as as the Early Dew it passeth away How is this to be remedied O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee Here God asks Questions of his Creatures as if Himself were at a Loss or a stand God here speaks after the manner of men It is much Lord that thou shouldest ask such a Question for thou thy self knowest better than Ephraim or Judah or all the Reasonable Inhabitants of the Earth what thou shalt do unto them and what is proper unto them in such a case or condition Seeing that their Goodness is as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away God hath provided an help meet and Remedy for that for a Repair of that Breach even the Preaching and Hearing of his Word which is one Principal Ordinance of Religion Hereby intimating that if that will will not do nothing will do but it will do And that this was in the mind of God and that it was the very thing which he would do unto them and he thought of when he asked the foregoing Question is manifest by the words immediately following Therefore here comes the Reason and Cause for it have I hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and thy Judgments are as the Light that goeth forth Hos 6. 5. Where by the way Judgments may be understood for his Commandments according as David doth so call them in the 119th Psalm or rather for his Temporal Judgments on the Earth and then the sense is to this purpose That to help remedy and provide against their Goodness being as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it passeth away God hath adapted the Preaching of his Word signified by his hewing them by his Prophets who were the Persons and Instruments employed therein and also his Judgments abroad in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof may learn Righteousness For God would have and so would do any thing that the Goodness of his people might continue and not pass away Though here again that Goodness which is as the Morning Cloud and as the Early Dew it goeth away is better than no Goodness at all as some Dew is better than none for this Dew if it is repeated and succeeds daily will do good Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth Here observe the manner of the Holy Ghost expressing it God hath made a thorough Work of it I have hewed I have slain For there is a manifest Diversity between that Authoritative and Powerful Preaching of those Prophets and the flat and insipid Discourses of our modern Scribes and Declaimers or of Ignorant and Unfaithful Teachers Christ taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes As to this the Rule is certain That amongst all that great deal of Preaching which is now abroad in this Nation that is the best Preaching and most from God which hath in it most Authority Power and Liveliness for his Word is a Lively Word and so it will approve it self to the Consciences of the Hearers where it is understood and managed aright In the work of Man's Conversion and Salvation the Word and the Preaching thereof are before Prayer For how shall they Pray for what they have not known or for what they have not heard Now in order to bring God and the things pertaining to his Kingdom to their Knowledge as to which hearing or reading is an outward Gate letting in thereto both the Word and the Preaching or speaking thereof is not only requisite but absolutely and simply necessary And therefore by the way it would be a good method in the Education of Children to instruct them with some Principles of the Knowledge of God and of the Doctrine of Christ and of the things contained in the Scripture according as their tender Years will bear as the small Rain upon the tender Grass Before they are taught to say Prayers meerly by rote or at least to ingraft into them some inward sense and understanding of their own what they say therein In those of Riper Years Knowledge and Understanding should go before Action or otherwise it will be blind and signify nothing or not much Some having constanly used a Course of Devotion confine themselves barely to that as such is all the Religion or more properly superstition of the Papists as also of many Formalists of the National Church Which Devotion or Prayer is but a means to somewhat more even for Grace and Strength to the keeping the Commandments of God and to confirm all the words of his Law to do them as to which Preaching doth instruct and exhort unto which they should still press forward But in no wise as the manner of them is to neglect the needful thing and principal End of that only for adhering to a parcel of outward and customary Prayers for so I phrase it not to vilify or contemn the Ordinance of Prayer in no wise far be it from me But only to express it according as it is by them used and made As also to let ye see on one hand how the Wisdom of God hath appointed these two Ordinances of Preaching and Prayer towards the help and
accompany Salvation tho we thus speak For some of ye will hear and will not be disobedient nor yet gain saying And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the end Seeing that our selves are determined by his Grace the longest day we have to live here on the Earth to give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word See ye to it also that ye give your selues continually to Prayer likewise and to attend upon this Ministry of the Word As Agrippa and Bernice did come with great Pomp to the place of hearing so do ye lose no opportunity to come with great Reverence Attention and a Spirit of Discerning unto the place of hearing wherever it is faithfully and skiilfully Preached forth and handled They came with great Pomp. But do not Refuse to come to any place for the seeming outward meanness and contemptibleness thereof for as it is the same Sun which shines upon a Dunghill as upon a Beautiful Palace as Christ according to the flesh was laid in the Manger of a Stable so the word of God and the words of Eternal Life may be and are often more purely and simply declared in ordinary Rooms than in finer Buildings Let it meet with Reception in your hearts Remember the word which I have inculcated over and over unto ye which doing altho some may think superfluous yet to ye it is safe For the Lords sake and for your own Souls sake if ye would indeed make a continuing and persevering work of it keep still and constantly unto the Ordinances of Religion But above all and especially give your selves continually unto Prayer and to attend upon the Ministry of the word that ye lose no opportunity for hearing the same He that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully Jer. 23. 28. And in whatever place it is faithfully spoken and faithfully preached even unto his Habitation shalt thou seek and thither shalt thou come Deut. 12. 5. FINIS Another Admonition to the People commonly call'd QUAKERS THere are some in these days who think and say that all Sermons and Exhortations to abstain from sin whither secret or open is but a low degree of the Ministration of the Gospel and they are apt to Boast that they do Press further and arrive at higher attainments I wish they did all speak Truth herein for there are sundry other sins besides Drunkenness Adultery and the Manifest Works of the Flesh and it were well if themselves were purified from all them also especially from hatred variance emulations strife heresies envyings and also from all the Perversities and Evils of the Spirit This I confess as well as they that to go on to sin and to confess confess and sin and so to return again to Folly I will hear what God the Lord will say for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Psal 85. 8. This will never do as to the saving of the Soul and that it may be received up into Glory But this is the manner of such Wordly outward Worshippers who are Foolish Disobedient and Deceived serving Divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3. 3. And so where any Preachers or Ministers do lead or allow People in sin but they do not shew the way how they may be led out of sin there they do not profit the People at all For that is the saving and effectual Ministry which actually turns People from Darkness unto Light from the Power of Satan unto God Nevertheless where this is done it is necessary to make mention of Sin Evil Iniquity and Transgression to warn and arm the Minds of People against the same also Accordingly Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and all the Holy Men of God who were moved by the Holy Ghost whose Words and Writings are upon record in the Book of the Lord did speak of and testify against sin But some in these days who think of themselves more highly then they ought to think Rom. 12. 3. Be not wise in your own Conceits ver 16. Do imagine that themselves are more Pure and Spiritual minded and have attained further then to make mention of Sin and Transgression within their Lips And tho' David Ezra Nehemiah Job Daniel and Isaiah in those Prayers of their own which are left upon record in the lively Oracles and had as much yea more of the Spirit of the Lord then any in these days do all make Confession of and ask Pardon for their Sin and of the other Servants of God It is both a Pattern and also a standing positive and express Commandment which our Lord Jesus Christ even under the Gospel dispensation hath given unto all his Disciples and Followers When ye pray say and forgive us our sins Luk. 11. 2 4. And it is again affirmed in the same Gospel If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us But if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all umighteousness 1 John 1. 8 9. But I have went several times to the Congregations of those aforenamed and beheld their Devotions Acts 17. 23. And observed them and I never therein heard the least Confession of sin to Almighty God nor yet asking any forgiveness of him for the same Whereupon I can assuredly gather and conclude That they do deceive themselves and the Truth is not in them as to that matter And by my Publishing these things to the People of this my Generation and Countrey I would hereby warn and desire them to take heed least what God said to the two Friends of Job come upon them also Viz. Least he deal with them after their Folly Job 42. 8. In that whereas he had commanded and directed all that worship him to confess and be sorry for and forsake their sin He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy and also to offer up for themselves a Prayer unto God for forgiveness of the same But they did not nor would not whither it was out of Spiritual Pride or the Errour of their own heart God knows and so their sin is not forgiven nor blotted out and then the Lord doth not accept them And if so then the Religion of that People is vain and it signifieth and availeth not to find acceptance or receive any thing from the Lord. Indeed herein they have spoken the thing that is right It availeth not to Worship God and at the same time to continue in Sin and Transgression or to confess Sin and not forsake it For this will no more bring to Heaven than only to set ones Foot only on the Threshold and no further is Actual Entring into the House In no wise But they and they only are Blesled that do his Commandments that they may have Right unto the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Rev. 22. 14. Such do not always stand at or in the Gates Which Doing of his Commandments speaks and requires on this wise Put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well Isaiah 1. 16 17. FINIS