Heavens and Earth that appeare to us from whence came he but from Heaven and where was he but in a place of glory before these visible Heavens and Earth were made which shewes he was somewhere before in a place of glory that cannot be beheld with mortall eyes and which cannot be comprehended by a finall Creature and therefore it doth appear that there is a Heaven 3. Reason Is because we enjoy but the back parts of God for we can hardly behold his back-parts and how then should we behold his fore-parts how then should we behold him in his glory Again when Israel beheld the back-parts of God in the Mount his glory made them and Moses tremble and if his back-parts made them tremble how then should they behold his fore-parts and where do you think the face and presence of God is with that innumerable Company of Angels and heavenly Host would not the presence of one Angel make you tremble what then would his Host and what would God himself do for no man shall see his face and live Where is his presence his face and fore-parts and that Company of Angels that are allwayes in his presence but in Heaven a place of glory which shewes there is a Heaven 4 Reason When God hath appeared at any time to his People his appearance hath been more glorious then all the glory in the earth they have bin ashamed confounded in themselves as not being able to behold the glory of their maker either in himself or in his Angels whose appearance would darken all the glory of the Earth whereby it doth appear that the presence of God and his Angells must be somewhere the Earth not being able to bear their glory and where should they be but in Heaven a place of glory 5. Reason When the Lord hath spoken at any time to the People his word hath come down from Heaven as when he spake with Noah and with Abraham Isaac and Jacob he spake from Heaven and when he spake with Moses in the 3. of Exod. he spake from Heaven and when the Law was given in the Mount he came from Heaven as also when he spake unto the Prophets he spake from Heaven and also at the Birth of Christ from whence came that glorious Company of Angels but from Heaven and when there came a voice from Heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne and when the Heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles as also in the vision of Paul a light and a voice came from Heaven and much more might be spoken on at large if time would permit to shew that there is a Heaven where God is more glorious then he is in Earth 6. Reason That there is a Heaven doth appear from the desire of the people of God who looked upon all things below as nothing with their desires to seek after Heaven and desiring to leave this World and confessed that here they were strangers and had no abiding place but sought for a place in another World with desires to be desolved and to be absent from the body desiring to be clothed upon with their House which is from Heaven with their weariness of this World and desiring to leave it for a better doth make it appear that there is a Heaven 7. Reas The prayers of the Saints doth make it appear that there is a Heaven as in their prayers lifting up their thoughts their eyes and hands and all to Heaven from whence they look for comfort and might I not be very large in this in the practice of all the Saints but a word to the wise is enough 8. Reason The holy walkings of the Saints doth declare there is a Heaven by framing all their thoughts words and deedes in such a heavenly way that so they might be fitting themselves for such a Kingdom 9. Reason The Prophets do declare there is a Heaven in all their writings of which I shall speak a word or two of some as Deut. 3. 24. where Moses saith that there is no God in Heaven or Earth can do such glorious works as the God of Heaven and Solomon saith Lord heare in Heaven thy dwelling-place 2 Kings 8. 31. 34. and thy People pray and supplicate unto thee Lord heare in Heaven thy dwelling-place 2 Chron. 6. 30. and David saith The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of men Psal 13. 2. and the Lord looketh down from Heaven and beholdeth all the Sonnes of men Psal 33. 13. and thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens Psalm 36. 5. and God looked down from Heaven Psal 53. 2. but our God is in the Heavens Psal 115. 3. and his glory is above the Heavens Psal 113. 4. Thus saith the Lord the Heaven is my Throne Isaiah 65. 2. and thus saith the Lord can Heaven above be measured Jer. 31. 34. and there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets Dan. 2. 28. and he it is that buildeth his ascensions in the Heavens Amos 9. 6. for behold the Lord cometh down out of his place Mich. 1. 3. and thus you see the testimony of the Prophets that there is a Heaven 10. Reason Christ and his Apostles do declare that there is a Heaven when Christ taught them to say Our Father which art in Heaven Mat. 6. 9. and that you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5. 45. and how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give them that aske him Mat. 7. 11. and flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you but my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 16. 17. for the Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 18. 10. And thus you see the Son doth affirm that there is a Heaven in these and many places more that might be brought And now I shall go to the Apostles in saying your Master also is in heaven Ephes 6. 1. and the Throne of Majesty in the heavens Heb. 1. i. and the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven â— Pet. 11. 12. and the voices that came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount 2 Pet. 1. 18. And thus you see the truth of this that there is a Heaven â—â— Reason Christs Ascension doth make it appear that there is a Heaven for where is Christ gone but into Heaven to rest in glory with the Father when he saith I go to my Father and I go to prepare a place for you John 14. 2. 12 and he ascended up into heaven Acts 1. 10. in the appearance of the Beholders whom the heavens must contain Acts 3. 21. being ascended farre above all heavens Ephes 4. 10. and so we look for the Son of God from heaven 1 Thes 1. 10. which at last shall shew himself from heaven 2 Thes 1. 7. even that Jesus that is passed into heaven Heb. 4. 14. and is such a high Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne
mouth speaketh for thou shewest by thy words what is within for as thy heart is so are thy words but it is a signe there is no worship in thy heart because there is none in thy words or else thou dost dissemble with thy selfe Why ought we not as well to serve God in our Bodies as in our Soules Will the worship of God hinder us and why cannot we know as much in a visible way as thou dost out Dost thou thinke that the Worship of the Gospell and the Lawes and Ordinances thereof doth hinder us from knowing the minde of God sure this is but the doctrine of the Serpent for our obedience to the Commands of Jesus Christ doth not hinder us but further us to know his minde For the humble he will teach and he rejecteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Our living in the Commands of Christ will not hinder us but helpe us to know the minde of God for the Promise is to such as walke in his way and that he that doth his Will shall know his minde and therefore it doth appeare that the Commands of Christ doth not hinder us from knowing the Mysteries of God thou wouldest take us off of our obedience from serving of God to serve the Devill for the Devill hath deceived thee and thou wouldest deceive as thou wouldest bring us out of order into confusion to walke in confusion like thy selfe thou art of no Religion and yet thou canst be of any and thy Religion changes as oft as thy thoughts thou art restlesse in thy thoughts and restlesse in thy life and also as restlesse in thy comforts for thou art in Babilon and the height of confusion for thou livest a confused life thou lyest in confusion and there thou livest how long wilt thou walke in confusion wilt thou not returne into order lest thou dye in confusion and fall into the wrath and anger of Jehovah FINIS A Postscript to a Party called Seekers or those that call themselves Mad-men which deny the Bible to be Scripture or the Word of GOD. THE Devill hath alwayes in all Ages sought to blinde the eyes of the people for he can fit himselfe for all Ages and he is more subtill in this Age then in other Ages and the reason I conceive is this because people are come to see further then they have done in former times into the word of God and his worship and therefore it is the subtilty of Sathan in these dayes to seeke to take us off all worship and to deny the Bible to be the word of God and so teaches men to deny that there is any rule to walke by but that every man may walke according to the dictates of his owne heart and as it seemeth good in his owne eyes and this is a pleasing bait to take the world with and here the old Serpent doth prevaile and snares the sonnes of men for this is the day he lookes for if he can take men off the word that thereby they may deny all Scriptures and all Visible Worship then they will be his owne children of the tribe of disobedience begotten by the seed of the Serpent and travelling towards the land of confusion that they may arrive at the anger of God and because the word is made so contemptible in these dayes I shall endeavour for the strengthning of some and the confirming of others to give you some reasons wherefore the things contained in the Bible are the word of God And first by the workes of Creation it doth appear that this is a truth for if the Lord hath taken so much care of the workes of Creation to preserve them doe you think that his care will bee lesse to preserve his Word Doth not hee magnifie his Name and his word above all things Psal 138. 2. And hath he not more care of his word with the letters and sillables thereof then of the Starres of heaven for if his care bee so great to preserve the workes of Creation how much more shall his care be to preserve his Word whereby his Name and Power might be known to all Nations 2 If the Letter and Word of the Old Testament were not true then what priviledge had the Jews which the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 3. 1. 2. That unto them were committed the Oracles of God now what praise is to the Jewes if their Oracles were not true then they had little priviledge above the Gentiles which is so much spoken of for if the Letter and Word be corrupted then what was their priviledge above other Nations 3 These sixteene hundred yeares and more since the Jewes have beene cast off from being the Church of God and have been scattered for their sinnes upon the face of the whole earth and have been the greatest enemies to the Gospell of any people and yet for all this it cannot be proved that they have corrupted the Scripture but that the Hebrew Text remaineth as it was in the Apostles dayes and shall wee thinke that they were lesse carefull in former times when they were the Church of God for they have been these many yeares so carefull that if any fault escaped the Scribe that Book was not allowed to bee read in their Synagogue untill it were corrected for they have these rules that if the Booke of the Law want but a letter or if the forme of any letter be not perfect it was for children and not for Church Maim in Sepher Torah C. 10. 4 What is 70 yeares to corrupt all Copies when as a Copy written on Parchment as their manner was will indure many 70 years intire Jeremiah with some Jews remained a while in the Land and Ezekiel Daniel with many godly men that were in Babylon with Ezra that learned Priest and Scribe came with the people out of Babylon and they had also other Prophets amongst them as Haggai Zachariah and Malachi and how doe you thinke that the Word should be corrupted having such a glorious company both of Prophets Scribes and wise men whereby it doth appeare that the Scripture is not corrupted but doth remaine the Word of God 5 Doth not Christ reprove the Priests and Scribes with the Pharisees for corrupting the Law by wrong interpretation as you may see Matth. 5. 15. and 23 Now it doth appeare if they had violated and falsified the Scriptures that Christ would have reproved them for it would not Christ have told them saying you have falsified the Scripture but he doth not and therefore it doth appeare that the Scriptures are true 6 If the Scriptures of the Old Testament had been false would Christ have exhorted them to have read the Scriptures Luke 16 Iohn 5. 2 Pet. 1 If they had beene wrong would not Christ and his Apostles have left a perfect Canon of the word to the Church and to all the world but we see that Christ doth confirme the Law in every point Mat. 5. 18. And therefore it doth appeare that
deceived with the false miracles of Mahâ—â—â—â— wherein he hath deluded them to this present day through the devill and his instruments together with their false miracles wherein they are kept in blindnesse as also the Pope with the Latin Church deceiving the world and themselves with their false miracles which they much boast of whereby they judge their way to be right because the Devill and the Pope work miracles to confirme their way which indeed the Scriptures did foretel that the Latin Beast would deceive the world with his false miracles Revel 13. 13 14. But these spirits are the spirits of devils deceiving the Kings of the earth and the whole world Revel 16. 14. But the Lord will take that beastly worship of the Beast together with the Beast and the false Prophet with his lying spirit that wrought miracles to deceive the people and will cast them into the lake of his wraâ—h forever and ever Revel 19. â— Now there is some objections to be answered as Joel 2. where the Lord doth foretell that young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and that that prophesie is in part to be fulfilled To the which I do reply with the words of Peter who had a more spirituall discerning then any in these dayes to discerne the truth of prophesies that that prophesie was fulfilled upon them when the visions of the Lord did appear unto them in Acts 2 1 2 3. who were the Lords young men who were to declare the minde of God to the whole earth and that being such a publick prophesie it was publickly fulfilled to perfect a publick work to the admiration of the beholders who were very desirous to know what was the meaning of those strange works and the Apostle flies to the prophesie of Joel for their refuge and tels them it was no more then what was prophesied of them and that they might now see that prophesie fulfilled Acts 2. 16. 17 18. and that those were the dayes that were spoken of before being glorious Gospel-times in which the Lord was to accomplish his promise that there might be nothing wanting to ratifie confirm the truth of the Gospell so that this prophesie being extraordinary 〈◊〉 doth appeare by the Apostlâ—â— words if any do pretend in these dayes the like revelations they must also shew the like effects which I think they cannot 10. I shall speake a word or two of Gospell-visions whereby it will appear that that there are no such visions in these dayes and first those visions did appeare in aâ—visible manner to the sight of the beholders Luke 3. and Acts 2. and then secondly they were able to confirme what was revealed in the vision to them by a visible signe or wonder and thirdly they were able to speak in an extraordinary manner to convince the gain-sayers and fourthly those visions were for the truth and not against it so that from hence I conclude that the cause is taken away because the effect ceaseth for if they prove the like visions they must also prove the like visible manifestations or else they are false visions And as for the dreamers there spoken of you may see that was fully fulfilled in those dayes in the Scribes and Pharisees those old and ancient Doctours of those times who stood dreaming as men amazed when they beheld the Lord Christ and his Apostles the mirrour of the world to preach such glorious doctrine accompanied with such glorious miracles and their doctrine being so strange and rare and so unanswerable preaching with such authority and so mightily convincing the gain-sayers the Doctors also themselves being so wonderfully confuted that we may truly say That they were in a dream or trance whereby the prophesie was truly fulfilled 2. Object is in Marke 16. These signes shall follow those that do believe So that hence they do inferre That there is no true Gospel-Preachers but such as work miracles which if this be true then there is no faith in England because no true Ministry for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. even by hearing the word preached and how shall he preach except he be sent so that if there be no Preachers there is no faith then there is no salvatioÌ„ for if the Ministry of faith cease then faith must cease which if so then to what purpose do your Ministers teach seeing they work no miracles so that by this Tenent both you and your Ministers are in a false way And further if our salvation depend upon miracles would God have been wanting think you ever since the Apostles time to have sent them into the world to have perfected their salvation to the full for certainly if we could not have been saved without them God would never have been wanting to have sent them But God had so fully before confirmed the Gospel with such Ministers and Miracles which is sufficient to confirm the truth in all Ages 3. Objection But we have been in a great confusion for many hundred of years together ard in a great confusion amongst us to know the truth and how shall we know without a miracle to confirm it to us To the which I reply and how shall we know the truth by a Miracle seeing a pretender may do the like and so you may take a false Miracle for a true or how will you prove that your Miracle to be true if not by the word or else it may be false for ought you know must not the word try your miracle whether it be true or false and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that they are in a false way Isaiah 8. for the word of the Lord is powerfull and sharper then a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. to pierce through all the false wayes of men and to cut in peeces all false worships whatsoever and it is a searcher of the heart and a tryer of the raines to search into all the hearts of men and their actions to judge them according to their works 2. Who must end all contentions must not the word which is able to satisfie all doubts and to direct us in all our wayes and what need we fear having so glorious a Guide as the Gospel is can you find a better Rule to walk by or a better Guide to lead you which is the Resolver of all doubts for if the word cannot satisfie you who can And now I shall speak a word or two for the word of my God for where will you find a Christ but in the word and where will you find the promises of Christ but in the Word doth not the Word hold forth Christ to you and holds forth the promise to you doth not the word shew you the way of life if you would know what Doctrine is right doth not the word shew you what Doctrine and what worship you ought to observe doth not the word hold forth unto you holiness and unholiness life and
death and shall not the word judge you at the last day for every idle word and is not this the word of Christ John 12. 48. Consider therefore all you that forget God will not his word find you one day and accuse you at the bar of justice for all your contempt and then what answer will you make will you say his word was false or true will you condemn your judge that shall judge you the Lord give to consider that you may prevent the judgements of this Judge CHAP. 2. The Reasons wherefore so few believe and imbrace the Gospel IN the next place I shall endeavour to shew you the Reason wherefore so few believe the â—ospel for Christ saith many are called and few are chosen Mat. 22. 14. And so there is no fault in Christ if he call them and they come not the fault is theirs and not his Christ tells us also That 〈◊〉 is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 few there are that find it Mat. 7. â—4 And 〈◊〉 sure Christ doth not hinder them from finding the way for if he did he would not condemn them for not finding it but sure he 〈◊〉 intend to give them life because he proâ—â—â—â— it to them or else he did dissemble with 〈◊〉 which I believe he did not Also the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as like 〈◊〉 a King that made â—â—â—â—riage for his 〈◊〉 Mat. 22. 2 3 4. Now this King is God who did intend to marry his Sonne to all that imbrace his grace and first he invited the Jewes as Christ himself saith I was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the House of Israel Mat. 10. 6. But the proud Scribes and Pharisees rejected the grace and mercy offered them and respected the pleasures of this world above the riches of Christ and he came unto his own but his own received him not John 1. 11. And therefore the Children of the Kingdom were cast out Mat. 8. 12. And therefore Paul saith it was necessary that the Gospel should be first preached to the Jewes but seeing you reject the Gospel loe we turn to the Gentiles Acts 13. 46. And thus you see they were called but they refused to come and therefore the fault was theirs and not his for Christ saith A sower went forth to sow and some seed fell upon good ground and some fell upon bad ground and some ground brought forth fruit and some brought forth none Now the sower is Christ and the seed is the word of grace and the ground is the World Now it doth appear that the fault was not in the sower for he sowed good seed as you may see Mat. 13. 34. And the same seed was sowen upon the bad ground as upon the good but you may say how came the ground to be bad I reply by the Devil and themselves for God made the ground good as you may see Gen. 2. and so saith the wise Solomon Eccles 7. 29. God made man good but they found out many inventions so that you may see the fault was in the ground and not in the sower nor the seed so that the fault is not in Christ because so few receive the Gospel but in the Creature who is condemned for rejecting the Gospel And now I shall come to Reasons to shew you wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel 1. Because the promises of the Gospel are spiritual and promises of another life and therefore so few receive it for if the Gospel promised to make men rich men and great men in the World then all would be Gospel-Professors because they would be rich and great men in the World and to be honoured of men and to injoy all the glory of the flesh for to have the prayse of men and to have the World on their side but because the Gospel holds forth no such thing but contrariwise those that imbrace the Gospel loose the savour and esteeme of the World and are hated of all men as contemptible men of another World as not worthy 〈◊〉 upon the face of the Earth and therefore there are so few that imbrace the Gospel the wayes of the Gospel being despised and contemptible in the eyes of the World Mat. 10. 22. And this is the Reason wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel of Christ as you may see John 15. 19. 2. Reason Is because the Gospel holds forth a self-denying Creature that a man must deny himself in the honours riches and pleasures of this life and love Christ above all for he that loves Father or Mother Wife and Children or Brother and Sister or any thing in the world more then Christ is not worthy of him and he that doth not denie himself and take up his Crosse and follow Christ cannot be his Disciple Mat. 10. 34. Luke 14. 26. For he that seekes to save his life in the riches honours of this life he shall loose the riches honours in Christ and he that is ashamed to professe the truth of Christ before men Christ will deny him the comforts of the Gospel before his Father which is in Heaven and therefore it is that so few do believe and obey the Gospel even because they love the honours riches and pleasures of this life more then they do Christ Nay rather then they will lose the honour of this world they will 〈◊〉 Christ like Judas for a peece of money 〈◊〉 deny their Master with Peter and forsake Christ with Demas to imbrace this present world so hard a thing is self-deniall to be brought off our own bottoms to imbrace the Gospell that I may say with the Prophet Esay 53. Lord who hath believed our report so many seek themselves and so few the things of Christ that rather then they will deny themselves they deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1 3 Reason Wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell is because men love the praise of men more then the praise of God for thus it was in the dayes of Christ there were many of the Rulers believed on him but they did not confesse his name and Gospell openly because of the Priests of those times who were enemies to Christ and his truth and for fear of the Priests of those times they â—urst not imbrace the Gospell lest they should lose their favour and be shut out of the synagogue John 12. 42 they will deny Christ for the Text saith That those chiefe Rulers loved the praise of men more then the praise of God ver 43. And thus it is now in our dayes there are many of the chiefe Rulers believe and are perswaded of the truth of Christ but they will not confesse him and 〈◊〉 truth openly because they will not displease the Priests and least they should out themselves out of the fleshly Church of England and that covetous fleshly Ministry and because they love the praise of men more then the praise of God the god of this world having blinded the eyes of the
and our Children and thus the learned Doctors slew the Lord of life rejoycing at his death with mocks and scornes like hellish Doctors and thus you see the Lord himself was dealt with for preaching the Gospel and therefore Christ doth tell his Apostles that they should be hated of all men for his names sake Mat. 10. 22. and now you shall see how his Apostles were persecuted for preaching the Gospel not to speak of their troubles before Christ was put to death but also after as before his death how many times were they in trouble with their Master both by Sea and by Land what straits were they put unto at his death when they were all forced to flie and leave their Master in the mouth of hell who can express their grief in that condition as also after his ascension how were they persecuted when Peter and John were put in prison Acts 4. 3. for preaching the Gospel being scourged and beaten Acts 5. 40. and commanded to preach no more in the name of Iesus and also the killing of Steven stoneing him with stones Acts 7. Together with the killing of Iames with the Sword as Acts 12. and putting Peter in prison and what shall I say of Paul who was persecuted on every side being stoned whipped and imprisoned with the report of the Apostle himself saying they were led as sheepe to the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. and were troubled perplexed persecuted and cast down and bearing in their bodies the sufferings of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 8. 9. 10. The Apostle himself being in the depth of troubles as you may see 2 Cor. 11. where he doth relate that he was in labour more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft five times of the Jewes receiving 40. stripes save one thrice beaten with rods once stoned thrice suffering Shipwrack and a night and a day in the deep and many suffering more which are related as you may see 2 Cor. â—â— 16. 17. and all this he suffered for Christ and his Gospel to shew to all the World that the Ministers of the Gospel have been a persecuted Company in all ages and who were the greatest persecutors in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles was it not you hellish Doctors and Rabbies with the rabble of Priests and high Priest were not you the chief to condemne Christ his Apostles of false Doctrine and chiefest in Councel to act against them that you might fill up the measure of your sinnes and so fall into the anger of the Almighty by doing what you could to hinder the passage of the Gospel and shall not the Gospel condemn you for this at the last day and doth not this resemble our times for who are the greatest persecutors of Christ and his Gospel in these dayes are not you Priests learned Rabbies and do not you follow the steps of your Forefathers to fill up the nature of your sinnes iâ— persecuting the Gospel and the true wayes thereof by your councel and acting what you can against the truth so that you have been a cause wherefore so few have believed and obeyed the Gospel by seeking all meanes you can to persecute all such aâ— would imbrace the truth of Jesus Christ so that most men are afraid to profess the Gospel because it is a persecuted way 8. Reason Wherefore so few imbraced and obeyed the Gospel is this even because the wayes of the Gospel are counted heresie and such as profess the Gospel are counted Hereticks and thus it was in former times even against Christ and his Apostles Oh how did the High Priest Scribes and Pharisees bestir them will the learned Doctors bestir them Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and ye said he had a Devill the Lord Christ came eating and drinking and ye said behold a gluttonous man a friend of publicans and sinners and thus you railed against the Person and Doctrine of Christ accusing him of heresie and saying he was a blasphemer and had a Devill and cast out Devills by the name of Beelzebub and were not these your words against the Lord Oh you learned Rabbies accusing the Apostles also that they were ignorant fellowes Acts 4. and forbidding them to preach any more in the name of Christ and seeking all meanes to destroy them by your hellish Councel in saying their Doctrine and Teaching was false and that they did but delude the People how did you Scribes and Pharisees raile against the famous Apostle Paul that glorious Preacher of the Gospel did you not say he was a deluder and turned the World upside-down that his Doctrine was false that he was a Heretick and preached Heresie though his Doctrine were a glorious truth even the Gospel of Christ as you may see in his answer to that hellish crew saying that way that you call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers Acts 24. 14. Oh you High Priest and you Eldeâ—s were you not ashamed to accuse Christ and his Apostles of false Doctrine how will you answer it in the day of Gods anger and thou Orator named Tertullus how bravely didst thou act the Devils part in accusing of Paul and his Doctrine calling him pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition throughout the World and a Ringleader of Sects and Heresie shall not that Gospel that Paul taught judge you at the last day how willy on plead then at the Bar of justice when the Gospel shall be your judge And thus you see the reason wherefore so few imbraced the Gospel in those times because the way of the Gospel was counted Heresie and doth not this resemble our times are not Gospel-wayes called Heresie and such as profess the Gospel Hereâ—â—â—â— and all the nick names the Devil can invent to make the way of the Gospel 〈◊〉 in the eyes of the People and who are the chief actors in this thing but the learned of our times who perswade the people as the Scribes and Pharices did that the way of the Gospel is Heresie railing in their Pulpits like furies to put the people in fear least they should obey the truth and stirring up the great ones also to fright the people with their Bulls and therefore it is that so few believe and obey the Gospel 9. Reason is Because the Gospel holds forth separation that Gods people ought to be a separated people in respect of worship from all the people in the Earth which is a way that most men abhorre and therefore it is that so few obey the Truth becaâ—se separation is a hainous thing in the Worlds Eye though it be a Gospel-truth as doth appear 2 Cor. 6. 14. where we are commanded by the Lord to separate and the Reasons given First that we be not unequally yoaked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath the righteous way of the Gospel with an unrighteous way and what concord hath the Gospel of light with the way of darknesse or the way of Câ—rist with the way
a typicall Covenant 7. It was a Covenant of bondage and therefore it was typicall for they were bound to observe a multitude of Lawes and Ordinances under that Covenant besides the offering Sacrifices which was a great bondage and therefore it was a typicall Covenant as you may see Gal. 4. 24. 30. 8. It made nothing perfect and therefore it was typicall for the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did in the which hope we draw nigh unto God and so it is disanulled as you may see Heb. 7. 18. 19. and therefore it was a typicall Covenant 9. The first Covenant consisted of Types and shadowes for the Law had a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of things Heb. 10. 2. and therefore it was a Typicall Covenant 10. The first waketh old and is ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 1. 3 and therefore it was a typicall Covenant 11. There 's a better Covenant comes in place established upon better promises Hebrewes 8. 6. 7. 8. and therefore it was a typicall Covenant 12. The worship was typicall and therfore it was a typicall Covenant for there being a change of the Priesthood there must also be a change of the Law as you may see Hebr. 7. 12. for the first worship was but on foot till a better worship came and then it was to be done away as the tenne words were but a typicall Worship for Thou shalt have none other Gods but me And Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and that is this thou shalt worship me according to my Covenant and according to the Lawes of that Covenant for if thou dost not worship me according to my Covenant and according to the Lawes thereof thou worshipest another God and dost not worship the Lord thy God for if thou chusest another way of worship then I have prescribed and change thy worship thou also changest thy God and this is the full intent and meaning of the first Covenant an outward acknowledgement of God to all the world in obeying those Lawes and Ordinances prescribed and set forth by him whereby they did acknowledge him to be their God which worship God did accept of till a better came until the time of Reformation as you may see Heb. 9. 10. and then the Father would send the Son the great Minister of God who did administer a better Covenant and better ordinances to the world and when that way was come they were to live no longer to Moses and his teaching but were to live under the teaching of Christ which the Father did confirme when he said This is my beloved Son hear him Mat. 17. 5. but they rejected the teaching of the Son and did not look to the end of that worship which was abolished by Christ as you may see 2 Cor. 3. 13. and so their minds are blinded unto this day living in the shadow when they might have embraced the substance and therefore they missed salvation because they sought it by the first Covenant and not by the second though they were very zealous to worship God according to the first Covenant as you may see Rom. 9. 31. 32. and so they stumbled and fell as you may see ver 33. And thus you see that the worship of the first Covenant was but to coutinue till a better came in place for when Christ came there was a change as you may see in all his teachings and in his declaring that neither at Jerusalem nor in the Mountaine should they worship God that being but an administration of the letter as you may see 2 Cor. 3. 6. but they should worship in the way of the Gospel which is an administration of the Spirit as you may see 2 Corinthians 3. 8. which is a better worship then the former was being a better Covenant established upon better promises And thus I have given you some Reasons wherefore the first Covenant was a typicall Covenant and now I shall shew you how Christ is said to take away a typicall Covenant and that is in these three respects 1. He pacifies the Fathers wrath for the transgressions of the first Covenant And secondly He doth the worke of the first Coenant And thirdly He takes away the first by establishing the second and so I shall begin with the first And first He pacifies the Fathers wrath for the first Covenant was a Covenant of terrour as you may see Exod. 19. For the Law was added because of transgression till the seed should come Gal. 3. 19. and so terrible was the sight thereof that it made Moses quake and tremble to shew that wrath was gone out against sinne Heb. 12. 20. 21. being a Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. 2. Now Christ comes and takes away the enmity and was made a curse for us being the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the World John 1. 29. and so we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held Rom. 7. 6. and hath redeemed us from the curse Gal. 3. 13. and hath broken downe the middle-wall of partition and hath abolished and taken away the Law of enmity Eph. 2. 15. 16. by blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances and all the Jewish worship which was against us and hath spoiled or killed that enmity that was between God and as by reason of sinne and hath made a free passage between God and our souls having conquered all oppositions Col. 2. 15. 16. that thereby we might come with all boldnesse to the throne of grace Heb. 4. 16. and therefore it is that Christ hath taken away the first Covenant because it was a Covenant of bondage and the Ordinances thereof and so he gives us right and freedom to imbrace a Covenant of love and mercy that is more easie and comfortable to us Secondly He hath taken away the first Covenant in doing the work of the first Covenant for the first Covenant did require a perfect work of a perfect man but there was â—one that was able to do a perfect work for the Apostle saith they were all gone astray and were all gone out of the way so that there was none that did good no not one as Rom. 3. 12. So that none were able to do the work of the first Covenant and therefore Christ was to come to do the worke of the first Covenant being a perfect man without spot or blemish and so he was able to do a perfect worke to fulfill the righteousnesse of the first Covenant For the first Covenant exacted a worke of righteousnesse and holinesse which none were able to perform till Christ came who when he came did all that the first Covenant did exact in doing such works as never man did and so fulfilled the whole Law and all the righteousnesse and holinesse thereof and so he is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. And therefore he
take these words to be without any condition to the which I reply that the words shall and will are both in the future tence and are both conditionall words as the Lord said to Israel thou shalt have no other Gods but me and thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve now if this word had bin without any condition then they should never have chosen other Gods nor have fallen from the worship of God but you see they worshipped other Gods therefore it doth appear that the word shall is a conditional word Again the Lord said to Israel ye shall keep my Sabboths now if this word shall were without any conditioÌ„ then they should never have broken the Sabboth but they broke the Sabboth therefore it doth appear that the word shall is not without any condition and then the Lord said unto Israel you shall walk in all the wayes that I have commanded as you may see Deut. 15. 33. Now if this word shall had been without any condition then they should never have disobeyed the Commands but we see they did and therefore the word shall is a conditional word and so they shal be my people is but a conditional word that is this if they imbrace my grace mercy they shall be my people and if not they shall not be my people and for the other word I will be their God and also the word will is a conditionall word as doth appear for as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner now if there were no condition in this word will then all men should be saved and Christ saith when I am ascended I will draw all men now if there be no condition in the word will then all men shall be drawn and he will that all men should be saved and he will not that any man should perish 1 Tim. 2. 2 Pet. 3. now if the word will be without any condition then all men shall be saved and no man should perish but all that disobey the Gospel shall perish 2 Thes 1. therefore you see that the words shall will are conditional therefore the covenant of grace is a conditional Covenant for as I have shewed Repentance and Faith are the conditions of the Covenant without the which none shall be saved and therein the first and second Covenant agree and now I shall shew in a word or two wherein they differ The first Covenant is old and the second Covenant is new and therein they differ the first the Law of the letter the second the Law of the spirit the first was written and ingraven in Tables of stone the second is written and ingraved in the fleshly Tables of the heart the first a Law of death the second a Law of life the first a Law of bondage the second a Law of liberty the first a wounding Law the second a healing Law the first a naturall Law the second a spirituall Law the first a Law of types the second a Law of substance the first was to be done away the second is to continue the first a Law of earthly blessings the second a Law of spiritual blessings the first is to a natural death and the second to a spirituall death the first was to stand for a time and the second is to stand for ever And thus I have spoken a word or two of both the Covenants so far as time would give me leave and the Lord give the Reader understanding and moderation CHAP. IIII. of the Father and the Sonne ANd in the next place I shall speak of the Father and the Sonne and I shall begin with the words of the Son wherein he doth exalt the Father and desires him to glorifie his Sonne that the Sonne also glorfie thee John 17. 1. and so the Son exalts the Father and tells that this is life eternall to know the Father to be the onely true God and the Sonne whom he hath sent verse 2. and from these words I shall indeavour to speak a word or two of the Father the Son first I shall speak of the Father that from these words To know thee the onely true God from these wordes you have the onenesse of God set forth to be the onely God of all Being from whom proceedeth all things as the Son doth acknowledge in this verse for the Father is the God of all Gods and therefore he is the true God and is the first God and shall be the last God and therefore I shall endeavour to speak of the Father who is the escence or being of all things and so to know him is eternall life and therefore I shall speak a word or two how to know the Father and that in these three wayes First To know him in his Titles as there are many Titles whereby he is known he is called Elohim the Almighties or Almighty power and he is called Elohim somtimes Eloah the Almighty and in short Ell mighty and Eloah hath affinity with Alah he adjured but we are to know that Jehovah Elohim was the Creator onely Gen. 2. 4. Isa 44. 24 and he is also called Jehovah this is his proper name He that is that was and that will be it cometh of Havah he was He is also called Adâ—â—â— which is Gods name of sustentation and Dominâ—â—â—â— and El Elion the mighty the high he is also called Shaddai Almighty or Alsufficient he is called Ehejich aâ—her Ehejeh I am that I am or I will be that I will be And thus to know him in his Titles is life eternall and many Titles more he hath which I have 〈◊〉 time to name Secondly To know the Father as he is one God is life eternall and that he is the alone God the Scriptures do abundantly declare that he is the God of the spirits of all flesh as Numb 27. 16. for he is the Father of spirits Heb. 12. 9. for he is the first God and there is none besides him Deut. 4. 35. for the Father is the God of Gods and the Lord of Lords and a great God that is no respecter of persons Deut. 16. 17. and there is no God with him Deut. 32. 39. for among the Gods there is no God like the Father for he is God alone Psa 86. 8. 10 and therefore he is above all Gods Psa 95. 3. for he is called the God of Gods Psa 136. 2. and he is the first God and the last God Isa 44. 6. For thus saith the Lord Is there any God besides me No I know not any verse 8. And therefore the Father saith I am the Lord and there is none else and there is no God besides not Isaiah 45. 5. And therefore he saith 〈◊〉 member the dayes of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me Isa 46. 9. And thus you see the Father is before all Gods and God alone in respect of
and the glory that should follow 2 Pet. 10. 11. and thus Christ was promised of long before he came unto Adam and Noah as also to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to Moses unto whoÌ„ the Father revealed the Son saying I will raise them a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my word into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18. 18. Acts 3. and as he was promised to Moses so also to the Prophets and thus to know him in the promise is life eternall 2. To know him as he was begotteÌ„ by the promise is life eternal for thus saith the Lord thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee for the Son was not born after the flesh but after the promise and mind of God and so the seed of grace was springing from the time of Adam till it came forth being begotten by the word of promise 3. To know him in his conception is life eternall being begotten by the immortall word all the promises compassing the Virgine about and the power of the most high overshadowing her Luke 1. 32. and so begat a holy seed Mal. 2. 15. So that that which was begot was a holy man Luke 1. 15. conceiv'd in the matrix or wombe of God being begot by the word of promise and born of the pure Virgin being conceived of the pure nature of God not borne after the flesh but after the Spirit or promise of God for the first man was of the earth earthly his Kingdom and power earthly and therefore his thoughts and mind earthly but the second is a heavenly man whose thoughts are heavenly being without spot or blemish or any worldly care but all for Heaven both in his thoughts words and deeds and therefore he was called the Lord from Heaven being able to conquer all the fleshly lusts and temptations of the world and therefore might rightly be called a Heavenly man and therein did exceed the first Adam And then again the first Adam was called the Image of God but the second Adam is called the expresse Image of the Fathers person whereby it doth appear that the second Adam is of a more glorious nature the first Adam being of a earthly nature the second Adam being of a spirituall nature the first Adam being set about earthly things and the second Adam being set about spirituall things And thus you see that Christ was begotten a pure man fit for all heavenly employment being of so glorious and pure a nature that he was able to aspire or ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being every way heavenly and no way earthly in his nature and therefore he was able to walke upon the Sea and not be drowned as you may see Mat. 14. 15. and was able to passe thorow dores and stone Walls being so pure a man that there was nothing could hinder him from going into any place And thus it is life eternall to know the man Christ in his pure conception as he was a pure nature 4. To know him as he ascended into Heaven is life eternall for being a pure heavenly man he was able to ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being a pure nature being a heavenly nature it was more naturall to be in Heaven then to be in earth for it is nothing but this sinfull nature that hinders us from Heaven but Christ having no sinne in his nature there was nothing could hinder him from ascending into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven doth appear for saith he No man hath ascended up to Heaven at any time but he that came down from Heaven which is the Sonne of man that was in Heaven and so Christ shows you that never any man did ascend to Heaven but himself but the man Christ went up into Heaven for he saith it and I dare not but believe it for his words are Spirit and Truth no man at any time but the man Christ John 3. 13. And I I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me John 6. 38. For the Father takes him up into Heaven and revealed his mind and his will to him what he would have him to declare to the world and to manifest the Fathers love to all men if they did imbrace his doctrine and so the Father sent him into the world that he that believed in him should not perish And thâ—â— much doth the Sonne confesse when he saith Lâ—â— I came to do thy will O God And I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me And thus to know Christ is life eternall 5. To know him in his life is life eternall what he came to do and what he did First what he came to do and that was to do the will of the Father For thus it is written in the volume of thy book of me to do thy will O God Heb. 10. For the words that I speak are not mine but the words of him that sent me And thus you see the end of Christs comeing to declare the mind of the Father to the world which was a pure heavenly Doctrin all tending to grace and glory his Doctrine being all spirituall and to know him in his life as he was a pure spirituall man for all his thoughts were heavenly and his words and Doctrine heavenly and all his actions heavenly So that it might truly be said he came from Heaven being a man for Heaven and not for earth all his actions tending Heaven-ward being indeed a man for another world Heaven being ready to receive him and the world being weary of him and thus to know Christ iâ— eternall life 6. To know him in his death is eternall life all his life being a life of heavenly trouble 〈◊〉 of heavenly afflictions being in his life a patterne of all heavenly living So that the World had nothing against his person but against his doctrine for their envy against him was not in respect of his person but of his Doctrine for his person might have been free but for his Doctrine for his accuseâ—â— said he is a blasphemer and is worthy to die for he hath said he came from God and that he came from Heaven and that he was the Sonne of God and hath spoke against our Lawes and against Moses and hath said he is greater then Abraham and the Prophets and hath preached blasphemy and therefore he ought and is worthy to die and is not worthy to live and by our Law he ought to be put to death And for these Reasons they sought to destroy him and were never satisfied till they had got him into their hands and so to be revenged on him by smiting of him with their hands and scourging him with whips and rods with their mockings of him and spitting in his face and
host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole and all their host shall fall downe as a leafe falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig. tree Esa 34. 4. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoake and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye in like manner Esa 51. 6. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in minde Esa 65. 17. And by all this it doth appeare that there shall be new heavens and a new earth for this Prophesie must be fulfilled before the comming of Christ whom the heavens must contain untill the restoring of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 3. which the words of Christ seem to clear in Mat. 24. where he saith The Sunne shall be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Stars shal fal from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken And all this before the comming of Christ whereby it doth appeare that the Resurrection will not be untill there is a new heaven and a new earth For the Apostle saith The heavens and the earth which now are by the word of the Lord are kept in store and are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement in which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works thereof shall be burnt up And seeing all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat as you may see 2 Pet. 3. 7. 10. 12. And by all this it doth appear that there shall be a wonderfull change before the comming of Christ an alteration in the heaven and in the earth and a purging of all things by fire and the old heaven and earth dissolved as not being fit to entertaine such a glorious judge and such a heavenly host because the heaven and earth are both polluted with sinne and therefore they must be burnt up and all the noysome scents and stinkes and evill vapours of corruption and all noysome scents and all things that are corrupted with sinne shall be dissolved and burnt up as not fit to entertaine such a glorious Judge and therefore there must be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse the first heaven and earth being not able to stand before his presence and therefore there will be a new heaven and a new earth as you may see Revel 21. 1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea And all this is a preparation for the great Judge 4. When all these things are come to passe then this shall be the signe of the comming of the Sonne of man which will be apparent to all the world for then will the Lord Jesus Christ appeare from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess 1. 7 8. For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth even to the West even so shall the comming of the Son of man be Mat. 24. 27. And all the wicked families that are upon the earth at that time shall mourne when they shall see the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then shall the Lord Christ send his Angels with the sound of a great Trumpet to awaken all the Saints who shall be raised from their sleep by the sound of the great Trumpet and the Angels shall gather together all the Saints from the foure winds from one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 31. For those that have dyed in the faith of Christ shall rise first being awakened out of sleep with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trump of God and shall all be gathered together in a moment to meet the great Judge and to rejoyce in his glory and in their glorious deliverance being now to injoy his presence forever with all his glorious Angels and shall now come to be Judges of their enemies and sit down with the great Judge to judge all their enemies and therefore it is that the Saints shall rise first that they may lay open their grievances before the great Judge of all their great wrongs and bring in their evidences against the wicked for all their hard usage and cruel persecution of their enemies and the Saints shall be gloriously honoured at that day having the Judge on their side to their great joy and comfort and to the terror of their enemies 5. The Resurrection of the Saints shall be glorious in being raised out of the new earth and all the corruption burnt up and so are raised out of pure matter For it was sowne a corruptible body but it shall be raised an incorruptible body for as we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall also beare the image of the heavenly for it is sowne a naturall body and it is raised a spirituall body and this in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48. 52. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality and when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality then shall be brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory and thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord as you may see 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. And then shall we be cloathed with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. And then shall our vile bodies be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body and we shall be like him as be is And thus we shall be raised in a glorious estate whereby we may be fitted for so glorious a Kingdom and such a glorious company as we shall injoy 6. We shall be raised in our likenesse for though our nature shall be more pure and glorious yet the purenesse of our nature will not take away the being of it as the purenesse of the Man Christ doth not take away his being to be a man nor the glory of his substance make his substance cease to be for the glory of the substance doth not take from but adds to the substance and so the glory of the man adds to the man but doth not take away his being to be a man And so though we shall be raised more glorious men yet we shall be
acting good he tels thee there is no sin yet he knows he is the father of lies he tels thee that the Scripture is but a low and carnall way but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that the Scriptures cannot save thee but he knows the Scriptures can damne thee he tels thee that the Scriptures cannot bring life but he knows the Scriptures can bring death he tels thee that the Scriptures are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tels thee that the Scriptures are not the minde of God but he knows thou art a liar And thus the Devill deludeth and man acteth his delusions how apt is the Devill to deceive and how apt is man to be deceived how cunning is the Devill to delude and how foolish is the creature to be deluded how wise is the Devill to keep thee from heaven and how foolish art thou to lose it his intent is to damne thee and thy intent is to damne thy self And this is the grand design of the Devil too he makes thee beleeve thou art high when he knows thou art but low he makes thee beleeve thou art in light when he knows thou art in darknesse how oft hath the Devill deceived thee and how oft hast thou been deceived the Devill bids thee to deny the word and thou art ready to forsweare it the Devil bids thee to mocke the Scripture and thou art ready to trample it under thy feet and what is this but a Bird worse then himself he hatches the Egge and the man begets the Serpent he sows the seed and man reaps it But some may think I speak a mystery if so then know I speak to a people in the mystery of darknesse whose thoughts are high but their words are low whose words are high but their actions are but low who talk of love but their deeds are hatred they will not beleeve a visible worship in Scripture and therefore we must prove it to our comfort and their shame But we must not prove it by Scripture for if we doe they will not beleeve it Now you may see the Serpent stir in the Egge and therefore we must prove it by reason the Lord said to Saul Thy sinne is as the sinne of witchcraft to reject the word which if so then there are many such like witches And because thou hast rejected my word I have also rejected thee which if so how many such like witches will God reject There was such under the Law that said It was in vaine to serve God and thou art following thy fore-fathers steps thou wilt not be behinde them thou wilt rather runne before them so ready art thou to obey thy disobedient master the Devill he fell from his first place and so wilt thou for thou art a servant to that god that thou obeyest but thou shewest that thou art not for God but for Belial thou wilt not manifest a visible obedience but thou wilt manifest a visible disobedience thou wilt not worship God but thou wilt worship Belial thou wilt not worship God visibly but thou wilt worship Beliall visibly and now I shall give thee some Reasons for a visible worship but it may be thou wilt say it is not reason then I shall say thou art no man 1. The principles of Nature wil tell thee that there is a visible worship for before there was any prescript worship set forth yet there was an inward principle that told them there was a visible worship and thereby they did worship God visibly and did manifest to all the world that they stood for a visible worship and did offer Sacrifices and the like to manifest a visible worship to their God and did worship God in the principles of Nature as faithfully as if they had had a visible prescript whereby they were justified before God and wilt thou derogate from Nature then it seemes thou hast a principle worse then Nature for Nature is for a visible worship when they had no visible worship set forth yet Nature taught them there was one but thou hast a worse principle then Nature that teacheth thee there is none 2. Thy Conscience will tell thee there is a visible worship and wil testifie against thee one day for thy visible disobedience and wil accuse thee at the Barre of Justice what wilt thou say then wilt thou say there was no visible worship wil not conscience tell thee of thy wickednesse and lay before thee what an agent of Hel thou hast bin oft thou hast belied thy conscience and stifled the motions thereof and how oft thou hast pleaded against thy conscience and that thou hast made the Word of the Lord contemptible and hast villyfied it before all the people how thou hast slighted the Commands of the Lord and hast set thy selfe to worke wickednesse and hast sold thy selfe to plead for disobedience that thou hast stood for Baal and not for God in that thou hast acted the Devils part to make the wayes of God contemptible now how wil thy traiterous heart excuse thee for all these things wilt thou plead against Conscience then at the bar of Justice no Traitor thy Conscience wil then be thy Judge and set thy sins in order before thee and then thou shalt be paid according to thy deserts and thy punishment shal be as great as thy sinne when thou shalt fall into the wrath of the Almighty 3. If thou art not for a visible obedience then thou art for a visible disobedience and then his servant thou art to whom thou obeyest but thou art not for visible obedience but for disobedience and by that I shal know who is thy Father even the Devil who is the father of Lyes and of disobedience for he kept not his first place nor abode in the truth and thou followest the steps of thy father the Devil for thou art his owne childe we may know thee by following thy fathers steps that thou commest out of his bosome for he hath begat thee to be a sonne of his Lyes for how dost thou set up a visible disobedience to all the world thou art busie about thy Fathers worke God tels men they should obey and teacheth the Creature visible obedience and thou sayest he should not obey and teachest the Creature visible disobedience and is not this a setting up thy selfe against God the Lord strives to make men good and thou strivest to make men wicked wouldest thou make all the world disobedient that thou mightest rejoyce at their disobedience as the Devil rejoyceth at thee thou art for disobedience thou shewest whose sonne thou art and there I leave thee 4. Thy striving so against a visible worship doth make it appeare that there is one by thy striving against it for if there were not a visible worship what dost thou strive against if there were none thou hadst no need to strive for nothing for thy strife were at an end but sure thou art aware there is a visible worship
and if that they did not imbrace life they have no cause to complaine For as much as Christ taught them they shall not say at the last day that Christ did not teach them the way to heaven when he shall say unto them I have called and you have refused Prov. 1. 24. And thus I have spoken a word or two of the parties covenanting to wit the Father and the Son and now I shall speak a word or two of the extent of the Covenant Now it doth appeare the covenant doth extend unto all men as in the prophesie of Esay 2. 6. chap. 49. 6. where the covenant was promised to all both to Jews and Gentiles and in the words of the covenant it selfe it seems to be clear as in Jer. 31. 34. where the words are these And they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them and they shall be all taught of God John 6. 45. and I will powre out of my spirit upon all flesh as Joel 2. which are new Covenant words and all flesh shall see the salvation of God Luke 3. 6. wherewith it doth appear that it doth extend to all men for as the wound came upon all men under the first Covenant so the healing must extend to all under the second Covenant or else the plaister is not so great as the sore Rom. 5. 18. and now I shall shew you some Reasons wherefore the Covenant doth extend to all 1. Because Christ doth mediate for whole man as it doth appear in the 1 Tim. 2. 5. for there is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and therefore the Covenant must extend to all men because he mediates for whole man even for all that were lost in the first Adam 2. The Covenant doth extend to all men because Christ is a propitiation or Sacrifice for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for and of the whole World 1 Iohn 2. 2. whereby it doth appear that the Covenant doth extend to all men 3. Because the promises of the Covenant do extend to all men and therefore all men are commanded to repent and believe because mercy is promised to all men as Christ saith I came not to call the righteous but sinners â—â— repentance Mat. 9. 13. and willeth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to the knowledg of the truth so that no man is denied the promises of mercy but such as will fully reject the Gospel as you may see Prov. 1. 20. to the end Rom. 8. 11. 2 Act. 13. 46. 47. 4. Because the Covenant extends as far as the blood for the blood is the blood of the Covenant Heb. 9. 14. ch 10. 29. Now the blood of Christ doth extend to all men as doth appear in that he died for the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. and came to justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. in dying for them as you may see Rom. 5. 6. and so God commendeth his grace towards us that while we were sinners Christ died for us verse 8. who died for his enemies verse 10. and tasted death for all men Heb. 2. 9. and therefore it doth appear that the Covenant doth extend to all men because the Covenant extends as far as the blood 5. It doth appear that the Covenant doth extend to all men because such as shall be condemned shall be condemned for rejecting the Gospel as the Apostle doth declare when he saith that God shall judge the secrets of men according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. And God shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to those that know not God and obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. and this is the condemnation of the World that light is come and they love darkness rather then light John 3. 19. Now if the Covenant extend so far as to judge all men then it doth appear that it doth extend to all men 6. The Covenant of grace is a Covenant of love and the love of God doth extend as far as his anger for he is the God of love and therefore his mercies are over all his works and the enmity is swallowed up of love his love being a free love and his Covenant a free Covenant and therefore it doth appear that his Gospel doth extend to all because his love doth much more appear when it is extended to all then when it is extended to some those that deny the truth of this deny the free love of God thus I have shewed you the extent of the Covenant and now I shall shew you wherein the two Covenants do agree Now the Covenants agree in these respects 1. The Doctrine and practise of the first Covenant was one for they taught one Doctrine and practised one way both they and their Generations and so were to do and not to turn to the right hand or to the left but just according to the Command Deut. 4. 1. 2. and so under the Gospel there is one Doctrine and one practice as you may see in all the Gospel for the Apostles of Christ all taught one Doctrine and practised one thing as you may see in all their Doctrine and practice and this the Apostle Paul exhorteth Tymothy saying hold fast that forme of sound words which you have been taught 2 Tim. 1. 13. so that therein the first and second Covenant agree 2. Those that kept the first Covenant had right unto the promises and blessings and had right unto all the Ordinances thereof but those that broke that Law were cursed and had no right unto any promise therein and so those that keep and obey the Gospel are blessed but those that reject and contemn the Gospel are cursed 1 Pet. 2. 7. 8. 3. All the Lawes and Ordinances of the first Covenant were in force while the Covenant was on foot for he that did but neglect circumcision was to be cut off from the Israel of God Gen. 17. 14. and so also all the Laws and Ordinances of the second Covenant are on foot while the Covenant stands for take away the Ordinances and take away the covenant also and therefore he that denies any Ordinances under the Gospel rejects the councel of God to his own destruction Luke 7. 3. and therein the first and second covenant agree 4. The first covenant was a conditionall covenant as you may see by the words of Moses Levit. 26. 46. and so also is the second a conditional covenant for Repentance and Faith are the conditions of the covenant without the which none shall be saved for except you repent you shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 5. and he that doth not believe shall be condemned John 3. now I am not ignorant that most men conceive the Covenant to be without any condition at all but absolute and the strength of their Argument lies in the words shall and will as I will be their God and they shall be my people and so they