our comfort or hope should be taken from us For comfort and hope they are in two respects First what cause of comfort is there when all our experiences are the same that have been of old declared in Scripture And if Satan in the time of Gods withdrawing should go about to perswade us that our experiences were false and we would say they were revealed from God and the same that were written in the Scriptures of truth Dan. 10.21 What a comfort would that be to us Note here in this place of Daniel when the Angel would comfort him he doth it not onely by touching his lips by lifting him up by speaking to him but also that he might seal up all his experiences he saith I will shew thee what is written in the Scriptures of a truth there is none that holdeth with us but Michael your Prince The second respect wherein we are comforted by Scripture is in respect of our exspectation when we hope for nothing but what God hath in Scripture promised this makes us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Dan. 6. I Daniel understand by Books c. and I set my face to seek the Lord by prayers and supplications c. and when things come to pass that God hath promised it fils the heart with praises and will make all that have Davids spirit to say In God will I praise thy Word But now lest some should say that I make the Scriptures the sole cause of knowledg which the Saints are to look unto for Life and Salvation I answer No I minde them to be but the testimonie of Christ but yet such a testimonie as is able in the hand of the eternal Teacher to make the man of God wise to Salvation yet if we come not to Christ by the drawing of the Father we can have no saving life nor light although we have the whole outward knowledg of them in the written letter John 5.39 Sure it is they that were instructed by Moses had the outward teachings of the now written letter and so still for the organ of the ear or eye letteth into the understanding whilest God applieth it to the heart and by this means the Saints in the hand of God are humbled at his feet to receive of his Word as in Deut. 33.3 Though Moses spake these words of Christian experience yet they administred to the ear that sweet dropping oration in Deut. 32.33 which by the Spirit of God applying is made powerfull in operation and is now left also upon record for our instruction according to that of Christ who saith They have Moses and the Prophets when they had but the words which Moses writ The Scriptures prove the work of the new birth counsels us to buy of God milk and wine and teacheth us to bear the hand of the Lord patiently till he bring us forth to the light and shew us his righteousness Micah 7. from the 7. to the 9. v. It teacheth us perseverance to the end and he that heareth and knoweth this except he do it it availeth nothing in Ezek. 33.31 32. And divers sweet directions and promises together with records of Saints former experiences all which applied by Gods spirit to the believers heart is able to make the man of God wise to Salvation And now I come to the second of their mistakes that is A speaking to a thing within thee I would fain know what can be meant by the thing within men for there is nothing in man to be spoken to but man if it be Light it hath enlightned man and then man is to be accounted and spoken to as enlightned so then they cannot speak to his Light as distinct but to man enlightned for Christ and his Apostles always spoke to man It 's true Satan that hath sent forth his Angels transforming himself into Angels of Light to publish his delusions and deceits may and it 's likely hath therewithall sent forth a spirit in men to perswade the receiving that his dark and delusive Light and hereupon the Angels of Satan without may speak to the spirit of Satan within under the notion of Light but unless they speak unto Satan or some of his Legion in man I know not how they can speak unto any Light in man distinct from him It may be his language but it is none of Gods for it 's no form of sound words which we are commanded to hold fast 2 Tim. 1.13 And now I come to the third of their mistakes that is The denying the use of reason or consideration in the matters of God calling it Serpentine and many other terms of contempt and upon this ground they will not do as the Apostles of Christ and Christ himself who did dispute or reason with the gain-sayers of the truth Christ disputed with the Jews 6 8. chap. of John and Stephen Acts 6.9 10. There arose certain of the Synagogue called Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of Cilicia and Asia and disputed with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake And why was it but because of the strength of demonstration that was in it The Spirit of God makes use of reason or wisdom and tongue in man and all the faculties of bodie and soul in a godly man to honor himself and to resist unto bloud striving against sin and to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints So that ye see how far different these men are from the words and practice of Christ and his ministrie As for reason carnally implied we justifie it not which hath this character it is pitying it self and therein Satan is conversant for when Peter said to Christ Master pitie thy self none of these things shall befall thee c. for this Reason where it rules will not let any follow God or Christ further than they can carrie their own things viz. their own honors pleasures ease worldly beloveds that their worldly lusts may have life and delight and so throw by the things of Christ his Cross his afflictions c. and consequently his Crown too this made the Apostle complain All men seek their own things and none the things of Christ. We allow and honor reason in considering the works of God Eccles 7.13 As thus in so much that God hath made one creature I mean the Air that is present in all places at once and without it no creature that hath life can live And another creature to give light to the whole frame of nature I mean the Sun How easie a thing then is it by reason to conclude this God to be in all places at once viewing wickedness and creating new hearts and giving light to all though they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Like to this David reasons Psalm 94 9 10 11. 2. In so much that God is the Author of all memorie and wisdom whereby all things in the earth may be remembred some things by
10. they denie the Being of it And also they denie the Lord that bought them in the fifth mistake of theirs wherein they denie all Forms or Ordinances There is nothing that Christ commanded as Lord over his inheritance that is to say the Rules of Government that he appointed to govern his chosen generation his peculiar people his royal Priesthood with but they denie it and therefore these are they that stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2.8 9. Also they denie the love tokens that he left the one that follows repentance from dead works and faith towards God as the first act of faith building upon the foundation I mean Baptism The other the token of his death to be a remembrance of him untill he come I mean the Lords Supper And now let these that are Christs Enemies that denie both Bodie and Rule of Christ hear one loving reproof out of It is written which their Predecessors I mean the Papists would have taken from us in the English Tongue and these men would take from us the virtue of it that is to say the sharpness and sweetness of it by working upon us a dislike of it I say a reproof in love that if it be possible they may be healed the Scripture I reprove them by is Luke 19.27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them Bring hither and slay them before me O that they would consider the written Word that they despise and examine themselves whither they were not once Citizens Luke 19 14. that is whither they were not under the Government of the Citie that had for its Charter the written Word of God when his Word and his Spirit that writ it had command of their souls It is written is enough to humble a poor soul to reprove a tender conscience to be a light to our paths and a Lantern to our feet to make known sin and to command the Devils absence and hath it no power over you Have you a spirit to guide you without a written Word It is out of Gods government then if it cannot be brought to the Law and the testimonies to see whither it speak according to that Word or no Isai 8.20 Ye may be familiar spirits for ought I know Do ye not weep and mutter as Isai 8 19. What muttering and uncouth howling is ammong ye which we cannot but impute to a spirit contrary to the Word if ye will not come to the Word to be tried we are commanded to trie the spirits whither they be of good or no and alas how shall we do it if ye denie both the written Word that is our Rule and Reason too for you appeal from both Alas alas what shall we do for you we fear you will perish eternally And now that he is ascended and gone into a far countrey Do you not send messages after him and say Ye will not have this man rule over ye for indeed ye denie both his Person and Word that is to say the written Word that was from God by Moses and the Prophets even the written Word which is the Rule of Life and Love sealed and approved of by Christ as also the Commandments of Christ that he and his Apostles ordained I mean Baptism to accompanie conversion and the whole order of communion in the Gospel of God to follow I mean those Commandments that were not before Christs time and given out by none but himself and his Apostles spoken of in John 15.10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love Now I demand what distinction could Christ make here betwixt his and his Fathers Commandments but that his were the Ordinances and Laws to govern his Church by and in John 14.21 See what sweet promises follows the obedience to Christs commands And if they will cavil at them still because they are written as if it were but the Letter that which is written in 1 Cor. 14.37 If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledg that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. By which Word in the Name of God I proclame that those men that disown the written Word are not spiritual men I mean have not the Spirit of Christ they may have the bewitching spirit of Antichrist that may make them denie the use of their own Reason because they have not faith in the Root as in 2 Thess 2.3 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith where the Apostle braves those men that have not the use of Reason to be wicked and void of faith Who but the spirit of Antichrist durst not onely set their posts by Christs posts but also countermand the Commandments of our Law-giver the Lord Jesus Christ There were never any men appeared in the world so like those that Peter speaketh of in his second Epistle ch 2.17 to the end of the Chapter I pray you reade those Verses considerately in v. 17. he saith They are Clouds carried with a Tempest What greater Tempest than so much spiritual violence as to carrie all down afore them without consideration either of the written Word or the use of Reason In v. 18. he chargeth them with speaking great swelling words of vanity he chargeth them also to allure through the lusts of the flesh The Flesh lusteth or desireth against the Spirit These desire to overthrow the Writngs of the Spirit of God he chargeth them likewise with much wantonness What more wantonness than to shake off all Rules that their own imaginations may have the full sway and if Mr. Pope doth not belie them they use unseeemly kissing in heir open and publique Assemblies at Glasstiers Hall and Peter in the same Verse makes the case dangerous to live in error that is for want of knowledg of the Scriptures as aforesaid although men have clean escaped the pollutions of the world through lusts In v. 19. he saith While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption None ever promised to themselves so much libertie as these and the Ranters in being freed from the power and trial of the Word And how greatly do they serve corruption in this their libertie when they disclame the written Word which is the check and bridle of corruption being overcome by libertie and brought in bondage to that wicked libertie In v. 20. The later end is worse with them than the beginning because now they do that upon a religious account that before they did upon an ungodly account The Lord bless every one of his from the condition of Chandler who formerly was the Head of a Companie of Shakers whose condition I dread to speak of it is known to almost all persons hereabouts And in v. 21. the same Apostle chargeth them with falling from the way of righteousness and a holy Commandment given
unto them which way of righteousness standing by a command of Christ must needs be the order of the Gospel of God Their spirit will perswade them that they are not fallen from righteousness and therefore would justifie them But he cannot justifie them in denying the way of righteousness that was commanded by Christ and his Apostles And it is apparant before God and Angels to all knowing men in Religion but themselves they or some of them are fallen from that But I shall write no more at this time about the denial of Ordinances being I have writ more largely before in a little Treatise called Disobedience detected And now we come to the sixth of their mistakes which at the outward or overly looking upon it one would think it were a small slight thing but when we come to weigh it with It is written it is an heavie and sad offence I mean the not giving honor to men which is contrary to the examples of good men and command of Scripture First for the example of good men Sara called Abraham Lord. The Angel of God which would not from God mistake his message counselled Hagar to submit her self to her Mistris Gen. 16.9 Abrahams servant when he prayed to God and was heard called Abraham his Master Gen. 24.11 And when his soul was in a spiritual frame and his heart filled with praises to the living God called him Master v. 27. And to man also when he was declaring his message he called Abraham Master v. 34.35 Jacob when he had been newly wrestling with God for a blessing bowed himself seven times to Esau Gen. 33.4 and all his familie did obeysance Iosephs brethren by revelation of his Dream and that from God which after came to pass did obeysance to him Gen. 44.14 15 16. David a man after Gods own heart that had the Kingdom given him but not yet in possession called Saul My Lord the King 1 Sam. 26.17 So that if these men should tell us honoring one another will vanish away in the restoration of all things I let these men with David tarrie their time that is till they be in possession of the restoration and this did Christ though he prophesied of the downfall of Iewish Ceremonies and was that Christ that fulfilled them yet he worshipped in the Temple whilest they received Paul after him And by the way here is one note for the non-churches though it be true that Forms and Ordinances shall cease yet let them tarrie their time and worship in them till Christ become David calleth himself Sauls servant 1 Sam. 17.23 and Davids wife by the counsel of the Prophet Nathan 1 Kings 1.15 called My Lord the King And Nathan the Prophet speaking to David called him My Lord the King in v. 24. And Daniel the Prophet of the Lord speaking to a Heathen saith O King So did the three Children at a time when Nebuchadnezzar was in the height of his wickedness Dan. 3.17 18. And Daniel at a time when he had received the greatest mercie from God of salvation from the Lions said O King live for ever Dan. 6.21 And Paul called Agrippa O King Acts 26.13 19. and called Festus Most noble Festus So that we may see what was the practice of holie men Angels and Prophets and Apostles and that upon remarkable times upon serious occasions How far are these men from following the examples of holie Writ Surely as they denie the virtue of It is written so they are very careless in reading and observing what is written And they that are their Proselytes will be less knowing being that their converters or rather perverters cast an odium upon what is written But now to come to the commands that they disobey in this their practice First the Law that Gods finger writ Exod. 20. Honor thy Father and Mother Lev. 19.31 32. we finde these words Regard not them that have familiar spirits neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old man and fear thy God I am the Lord. Now the speaking against familiar spirits c. immediatly before the giving honor to men may intimate that wizards and such as have familiar spirits use not to honor men but I am sure these two are linked together being both sins alike for the command of honoring and fear thy God are joyned together in a sentence and these men by this Scripture denying to honor men in their several relations do also therein denie to fear God And you cannot say this command was abolished since Christs time for the Apostle still approves of it Ephes 6 2. And Peter whose spirit of Prophesie was much opposit to these kinde of men in 1 Pet. 2.16 17. hath these words As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God Honor all men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honor the King Which may prove that the malitious Libertine feareth not God nor careth for man I could here bring a cloud of witnesses but let this suffice as Iude speaking of persons I hope more filthie than these Iude 8. v. addeth this to fill up their Ephah of wickedness They speak evil of Dignities and despise Dominion Also Paul saith Give honor to whom honor belongeth And in giving honor Go one before another But you see there is enough in It is written to reprove those that care not for It is written if they be not uncapable of reproof And now I come to the last of their mistakes in admitting of none but perfect men into conjunction In the first place we are sure that Iohn writes to children young men and fathers and mindes degrees of attainment 2 Iohn 12.13 but these at one time wrought upon say that they are perfect not minding such a perfection as is spoken of in Phil. 3.12 where a gradual attainment is spoken of not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ where he seemeth to state the matter thus 't is true I am confident of Gods mercies the act of Christ is done for me he hath apprehended me but I am not perfect but I am a follower after perfection and desire and labor earnestly to apprehend him And in v. 13 14. he saith Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. In which Verses for fear any should think he spoke in the person of another in the way of teaching in v. 12. he avers it solemnly of it self In v. 12. as if he should say The price is great of that Calling of God in which onely is perfection the Calling he had