heaven and those Ordinances are but as dishes in which that food is presented or the way in which we are to seek and look for it for men to live upon their acts about and attendence to them then is to idolize them or lift them into an higher place then God hath appointed them and to make a Christ of them neglecting and missing Christ himself the life and fulness of them And such an abuse of them or of our selves in them is as far from pleasing God as the setting up devices of our own as is to be seen Iai. 66.3,4 from resting in the form of godliness without or with denial of the power of it men are to be taken and did these men say no more they were to be commended therein but when they take advantage from this truth under pretence of taking men off from resting in Forms to withdraw them from the Ordinances themselves as if they are to look after a power without a form therein they do foolishly being deceived and deceiving therein they set themselves against the Lord Jesus who commanded them yea exalt themselves above him and above God in him Even as they that throw by the Acts and Ordinances of Parliament though never so lawfully convened and pretend themselves to be above them do therein throw by their Authority and set themselves above it and sure they that do so with Christ do deny the Lord that bought them and exalt themselves with the man of Sin above all that 's called God or that is worshipped as if God and Christ had no authority or power to bind them Perhaps they will tell thee that as some persons may not be concerned in some Acts of Parliament and so they may be above it because it doth not reach them and all Laws or Acts though of that authority yet when repealed men are not under them and yet no lifting up mens selves against or above the power that made them so there are some persons who are above those Ordinances of Christ because he did not intend them for them or to be of any binding force to them or that though they have been in force yet now their date is expited he hath disannulled them To the former part of this objection agree those sayings of some that they are under a higher administration time was when they were under them and found use of them but now they are so no longer they are useful for Novices but when Christ hath given his Spirit unto men and so they have him they have no more need or use of them To the former agrees that conceit that as the Laws of Moses were in force some time till the coming of Christ in the flesh but after that gave place to him and God then changed his administration so the Ordinances of Christ were in force so long as Christ was in the flesh but when the Spirit of Christ was given or Christ laid aside his flesh and came in Spirit then no more use or need of them The latter of which contains notable deceits and falsehoods for neither did the Law of Moses cease to be of force when Christ came in the flesh but was in force till after his Resurrection untill the pouring out of the Spirit or his coming in Spirit as they call it though the Ordinances of Christ were instituted before that time also nor did Christ put off or lay away his flesh but raised it again that the word of Prophesie might be fulfilled that said Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption which the Apostle Petrr tells us was fulfilled in that That the flesh of Christ saw no corruption Acts 2.31 Though he laid aside his weakness and form of a servant yet not the substance of his body which he shewed to his Disciples to have flesh and bones in it after his Resurrection and in which he ascended filling it with the glory of God as before it had the experience of mans low condition Besides Christ poured out his Spirit upon his Disciples to that end that they might teach and subject the Nations to his Institutions and they were so far from expiring then that then was the beginning of their impouring Plain it is that our Saviours Commission in which he injoyns and authorises his Disciples to disciple the Gentiles or Nations Baptising them and teaching them to observe all things that he had commanded them Matth. 28.19 did both begin then to take place when the flesh or body of Christ being taking up from them the Spirit was poured out upon them for till then they were to and did tarry at Jerusalem in expectation of the promise of the Spirit to fit them for the works of their Commission Acts 1.4 and the Ordinances therein spoken of were ordered to be in force to the worlds end for so long as he expresly tels them they should have his assistance and spiritual presence in the work of their Commission And so I am with you saith he to the end of the world And the Supper of the Lord is said to be for shewing forth of the Lords Death till be come 1 Cor. 11.29 for which coming the Church prayeth and therefore surely is so to pray till â—e come But here some have another glorious but deceitful evasion for granting that they are of force till the end of the world till the coming of Christ they reply To us he is come and with us the world is at an end we are already in possession of him raised judged and in heaven And here seems to be the heighth and strength of delusion and this is that with which they strengthen the former part of the above-mentioned objection namely That they are attained to a heigher administration then to be under them To discover their delusion in which let this first be premised that these expressions are capable of a double understanding the one more inward and spiritual and as a first fruits of or earnest of the other a coming of Christ in the power of the Spirit to the soul raising it up in the knowledge of himself and God in him from its spiritual death in sin to a spiritual life the life of God justifying of it and giving it an escape from condemnation taking it out of the state of the world and deading it in its principles and affections to the world and the world to it And here Christ is to and in the soul its life and hope of glory and sets it in heavenly state with himself in regard of hope and some experience of the powers of heaven And this is a thing that comes now to one soul now to another as men are brought in to depend on him But now there is another sense of those phrases and that most usual in Scripture namely to denote the great Day of the Lord the coming of Christ in glory and power bringing all his Saints with him executing vengeance upon all that have done ungodlily and fully
up his sanctified ones unto perfection but that however he and the Doctrine of him are meet to bring in souls to God at the first yet after men are once brought in they must look after some other more excellent thing even as the Israelites dusted in the Wilderness for flesh to bring them to perfection Thence the spirit of Anti-Christ which is the very spirit and inspiration of Satan is Charactarized and described by his denying Jesus to be the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 and 4.2,3 makeing but a Type or Figure or Fancy of him or not by confessing him come in the flesh that is he magnifieth not or commendeth not to men but as much as in him lieth suppresseth slighteth speaks overly and makes nothing of the Abasement Humiliation Death Sufferings and Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and so the whole business of his coming in the flesh either more directly and openly or else more closely and by consequence whereas God and his Spirit takes the things of Christ and shews them to men leading them there to have their constant and continual feeeding incouragement to Hope and matter of Consolation And indeed did not Satan some way or other prevail with men either to keep them from Christ or to withdraw them when they have begun to look towards him he should nothing avail in all his attempts against them seeing life is so intailed upon him and put into him that he cannot miss it possibly that misses not of him But alas his design is accomplished in too many men though all are not in the same way deceived by him Some he so hoodwinks and keeps in darkness that they not seeing Christ the Righteousness of God freely given to them go about to establish to themselves a righteousness of their own and submit not to him trust not in his Grace but in their own works thinking that for the goodness thereof or as it were thereby Christ will save them Others he perswads to rest in a Notion and profession of the truths of Christ though they discern not nor imbrace not Christ himself and his Sacrifice in their hearts nor the love of God commended therein to them Others he more subtly snares with a conceit of faith the rise and spring whereof is not Jesus Christ and his Sacrifice and the love of God therein manifested to them while sinners ungodly and nothing better then others but some disposition frame work or some Word or Promise applyed to them by their own reasonings or brought to their minds in which yet the Lord Jesus was not discovered to or set before them But yet more subtly and speciously he plays the Serpent indeed when by pretending to bring them to a better condition then what they have by the faith of Jesus he secretly undermines them and draws them from him of which I desire we may especially beware because he often comes with great artifice and cunning He can suck poyson out of Hony and usher in some way of darkness with words of light as we have already seen wrest some Scripture-saying to turn the eye and heart from Jesus whom they all speak on He will come and tell men that the Death and Resurrection of Christ and so his Sacrifice and Mediation are things without men and what good will they do to the soul if lived and fed on Men must have Christ in them the hope of glory and so doth some times subtly draw men from what he propounds from the Scripture to them For that Christ must be in men the hope of glory is a very pretious truth the thing that above all other I would prefer thee to and wish thee to take heed of being beguiled of but Satan means not so less when he brings that saying For whereas Christ is indeed in the Believer that is in his heart knowledge confidence consideration affection c. for after that manner objects are said to be in the hearts of men as he was made flesh * See the truth of this in Rom. 8.32,33,34 and 1 Pet. 1.3 and offered up himself in Sacrifice for us and is in the vertues thereof at the right hand of God mediating in our behalf and authorized to save us c. the hope not the present possession or enjoymeâ—… of glory as this view consideration knowledâ—… and judgement of him is spirituous powerfâ—… beget and nourish in the soul a lively hope 〈◊〉 expectation of the glory possessed by him for and in him set before us Satan in his tempâ—…ons sometimes takes hold of that and such 〈◊〉 sayings to another purpose for makeing use mens unlearnedness or want of stability in tâ—… Apostles Doctrine he uncloths Christ of 〈◊〉 those considerations of his Death and Sacrifâ—… c. yea makes it his business to withdraw tâ—… soul from him as such a one and so indeed froâ— the true Christ to look for another thing a lighâ— frame power or operation in them not of Chriâ—… as crucified for them and fed on by them though as so considered and fed on he is in thâ— Believer the hope of glory according to thâ— Apostles aim and intention as is said before anâ— not as divested and unclothed of that consideration Nay which is worse Satan sometime prevails so far with men that having stolen thâ— true form of Christ from men and having perswaded them to let go him and their confidence in him as a fleshly Christ and fleshly confidence which they must sacrifice as once Abraham did his Isaac though not with his success for they scarce ever receive him again they part so fully from him and perswading them that Christ is nothing but a certain force power light or operation in the heart he himself cloths himself with the Name of Christ transforms himself into â—n Angel of light and insinuates himself with all the strength and efficacie of delusion into their hearts as the true Christ and his strong deceits and operations as the very inspirations and operations of God and Christ of far more excellency then what the Gospel holds forth as recorded in the Scriptures and so leads them on headlong to their ruine for then no marvel if they run into strange and monstrous conceptions and practises deny the Scriptures make themselves God or a part of him say they have no sin in them that there is no such thing as sin or devil or heaven or hell at least more then is now in men cast off all religious exercises and live like Heathens perswading others to the same things also with them If Satan once have got such credit with men as to be intertained for their Teacher in stead of Christ his Spirit into what principles or practises may not he lead them though it stand not with his policy to lead all that entertain him into such gross ways but to act some as if they were Angels or Messengers of Christ that so others might be the better drawn away after them and so thâ—y be but
of following after Christ remember Gods salvation look to Christ himself the Author and finisher of your faith appointed of the Father to be his salvation to the ends of the earth He himself is complete armour girdle brest-plate shoes shield helmet c. Truth Righteousness Peace Salvation Heart peece and Head-peece too fit to guard the mind as well as the conscience Remember his love and what therein he hath done for you what contradictions of sinners what fights and temptations what tryals and agonies he passed through before he entred into his glory all which he endured for us that overcoming the world sin Death Devil and hell he might give us the victory over them and we might be encouraged to lean upon him remembring that he was raised again the thirâ— day from the dead 2 Tim. 2.8 for full and glorious deliverance from them Let the Salvation wrought by him for us both in his Death and Resurrection and in Gods gracious calling us out of Egyptian darkness delivering us from our fears and bondage into his light and conduct be minded by us so shall our faith be strengthened and our hearts quickned up to a more lively hope of his further saving us both by way of preservation here from the evil of temptations and full and finall freedom from them hereafter to the full possession of eternall happiness Consider what a great salvation what an exceeding g glorious reward is promised to us in Christ as the upshot of our conquest what joy what satisfaction what conformity to Christ in soul and body what an infinite portion and inheritance when we have finished our course and fought the good fight of faith the righteous Judge will give unto us in the day of his appearance to be like him to see as we are seen to reign upon the earth to be with him on his throne in his glory joy and felicity a glory that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive yea though we have the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the first fruits given us so are helped in some measure to apprehend the riches of that glory yet it appears not what we shal be nor can it be fully here comprehended by us The lively hope of this if it abide remain in us will be as an helmet and defence unto us it wil make us lift up our heads with boldness and not fear to pass through sufferings and difficulties it will preserve us also from the temptations to worldliness and to the worshipping of Satan in the Beast and from those too that lead to distrust and desperatness If by any means we should be corrupted from this hope and be drawn to think there is no other life but this present no greater happiness and perfection then is here attained no other heaven but our present injoyment that when this life is done all is done with us or all shall be alike to all the Spirit shall return to God as every other mans and the body to the dust there to be consumed and from thence never more to be raised we must needs then stagger and be dazzeled yea quite knockt off from our cleaving unto Christ such are in the snare of Satan already and will be overthrown by it If the hope of the resurrection and following glory be let go a man will be unstable and not regard the work of the Lord forasmuch as he will judge it in vain and profitless yea if the hope of Salvation be neglected and parted with by us any other way that we walk not in it or that it be as a thing disregarded by us if we fear that God will not assist and help us in what he leads us to meet with nor save us by his power from the evils set before us our hands wil hang down and our heads also and our hearts will fail us and we shall rather as the Israelites of old talk of going back again to the world or sit us down in a sullen desperate neglect of our selves and of God then hold on our resolution to go forward in the call of God and in the way in which he would lead us Hold fast then your hope in God that good hope begot in you through the knowledge of his grace both of preservation here and full deliverance in Gods season and it will be to you a Helmet of salvation Sect. 3. Of the Word of God BUt to all this it might be demanded ay but where is that truth to be met with with which we are to be girt and where shall we be instructed into that righteousness that will afford such comfort to us and be as a brestplate on our hearts to keep us what or where is that Gospel of peace in which such furniture and firmness is to be had as will prepare us for these spirituall incounters what is the rule of our faith and according to what should our hope be acted that they may be a shield and Helmet to us Every man will tell us that what he says to us is the truth to be beleeved by us that in cleaving to it we shall do righteousness they that slight the doctrines of the death and Resurrection of Christ as but low and carnall instructions will also tell us that they have the everlasting Gospel to Preach to us which indeed will satisfie us and giâ—… us peace and so will best of all shoo and prepare us for our walkings they will say that 's Faith to believe what they tell us and some that Faith is but a low thing and we must be beyond it yea they that tell us thus give us hopes of greater things here then you propound to us to be here as perfect as ever and to have our full happiness how shall we then discern our way in these matters Answ To this seeing I speak to Saints the Answer is not difficult for they that are such indeed do in some measure know the Truth and are born of it do know the Righteousness of God and have believed in it have been begotten by the Gospel of Peace and quickned by it have faith in God and Christ and the hope of salvation through it And the Exhortation is to hold fast and put on what they have already known and met with that Truth that hath begun to free them that Righteousness of God in which he hath justified them that Gospel that hath begotten them that Faith there through wrought in them that hope of salvation that is therein set before them only because they that are weak in a day of temptation are oftentimes through the cunning and policy of Satan to be misled that they call in question what they have known and met with and that 's one main work of Satan to lead to question them either by presenting other things as more specious or the same but corrupted therefore it s needful that we mind what the
freeing not onely the spirits of the Saints from thraldome in a first fruits but their bodies also from death and corruption which is called the redemption of our bodies Rom 8.23 When every eye shall see him c. Rev. 1.7 When all that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life others to the resurrection of condemnation c. Joh. 5.29 When all the Saints together shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever with him 1 Thes 4.16,17 Now as these men deny this his glorious personal coming turning all so well as their wits will serve them and their Father help them into an Allegory so in these two things they grossly err 1. In thinking that persons to whom Christ hath come by his Spirit and whom he hath raised and quickned up to a lively hope as in the first sense are thereby above Ordinances and not bound to attend them for indeed then are they fittest to use them and will be most profitable or profited in attending on God in them Besides we finde the Apostles and other Primitive Believers of another way and judgement when the Spirit was poured upon Cornelins and his houshold that exempted them not from the outward Baptism Acts 10.48 nor were the Apostles themselves exempted from solemn prayers and fasting breaking of bread Preaching the VVord c. even after the holy Ghost was poured upon them and Christ by his Spirit dwelt with them as is plain in Acts 4.24,31 and 6.4,6 and 13.1,3 and 14.23 yea Wo to me saith Paul even after the holy Ghost was shed abundantly upon him Tit. 3 6. if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Bread saith he that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the Cup that we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 yea in 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized saith he by or in one spirit into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit and Chap. 6.11 they were washed justified sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God but what were they all above Ordinances therefore no matter for observing them No such matter but they are yet ordered about their eating the Lords Supper yea and such as whose election in the sanctification of the Spirit is affirmed are exhorted by the Apostles to Prayer to attend on Prophesying to stand fast hold the traditionâ— such as the Supper of the Lord is called 1 Cor. 11.25 received from them either by word or writing 2 Thes 2.13,14,15 Many other like passages thou mayst finde in the Apostles Writings which they writ to preserve the Churches from sin and error which may discover the falseness of that conception Yet 2. They err much worse in that confounding the coming of Christ in Spirit to the spirits 〈◊〉 men in particular with the great Day of the Lord when he shall come to the destruction of ungodly men and the utmost salvation of all that have believed on him the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men in this Day of which Christ spake to the Pharisees Luke 17.20,21 that it comes not with observation and that it is in men yea in the Pharisees working and tendring it self to their hearts though rejected by them but filling those that receive it with righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost with the glorious Kingdom of Christ which he â—s gone to receive and which shall be set up or made manifest in the world at his great coming when he shall judge the quick and dead 2 Tim. â— 1 of which he spake to his Disciples Luke 17.21,22,23 they apply to themselves as already â—…ne in and upon them those things that are proper to that great Day of his destroying the â—…eat hope and expectation of the Saints which 〈◊〉 that great and glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 denying and mocking at that his visible and glorious coming yea and where their principle 〈◊〉 somewhat throughly improved denying the Resurrection or Redemption of the body and â—…ying the Resurrection all thats to be hoped â—or or met with is here accomplished which we â—…all speak more fully to in the proper place and â—…casion Onely now I would have thee minde that they are strongly deluded herein and that they are of those that our Saviour there doth warn us of that say Lo here lo there see here in us and to us Christ is come and the day of the Lord is revealed with us or with such and such persons the Judgement is over the mystery is fulfilled the world is at an end and we are iâ— possession of our glory though others yet are not Believe them not saith our Saviour neither go after them for that coming of the Soâ— of man shall be as visible and evident in a moment as the lightning that shines from one enâ— of the heavens unto the other end thereof iâ— shall be open and manifest to all Luke 17.22 23. Every eye shall see him even those that havâ— pierced him and all the families of the eartâ— shall wail over him Rev. 1.7 As the bringing in and alteration of former dispensations or administrations of his Kingdom have been witnessed and evidenced by notorious Demonstrations oâ— Gods Authority and presence so shal this last alâ— teration be more visible and notorious then thâ— rest When God gave the Law of Moses he did iâ— in a solemn manner with the voyces of thunderings and lightnings the shaking of the earth c. by which he owned and confirmed it as of him and when he took away that administration and brought in his onely Son and the Ordinance of the Kingdom in its present external administration he owned and attested his altering the former and bringing this in by the gift of tongues and by many wonders and signs and divers powerful works and distributions of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 And when the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of his Prophets shall come and when he shall send his Son Jesus Christ again Acts 7.21,22 whom the heavens till then must contain to take an account of all men how they have submitted to him in the former administrations of his Truth and Grace amongst them and to render to every man according to his works shall that be hidden and done now to this man and then to that no man sees how without any poblike evidence to the world No no that shall be most powerfully and to the world with greatest solemnity declared so as none shall be thereof ignorant but all flesh shall see his salvation unto is people together and those that have rebelled shall be with wondrous terror delivered over to their eternal destruction The heavens shall be on a flame or the elements melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.7,10,12 even these heavens and elements and the host of them that
sufficient to contain all those bodies in These are the shallow objections of vain brains that think God can do nothing that they cannot reach to in their reasonings against which for your defence against them let me say but with Paul Why should it seem a thing incredible to you that God should raise the dead Acts 26.8 Another way in which they lift up their understandings to deny this truth is by inventing and devising how to turn all the Scriptures that speak of the Resurrection to a more spiritual sense namely to speak of the Resurrection of the Spirit with Christ or as they understand from some sad or corrupt frames to Joy and Love and Light and I know not what they please to talk of whence many of them say they have here attained the Resurrection it s now made in his life and they have experimented it all that is to be injoyed But this error as it cannot consist with many places treating of the Resurrection as when it s said There shall be a Resurrection both of just and unjust Acts 24.15 and those who are affirmed to be risen with Christ in their spirits are yet minded of a further Resurrection yea even those who are now dead while they were putting to death by their cruel persecutors and refused deliverance in expectation of a better Resurrection Heb. 11.45 so the Apostle Paul hath directly noted in Hymeneus and Philetus as an error destructive to the Faith of many 2 Tim. 2.17,18 So that we cannot without open and manifest discarding and revolting from the Doctrine of Christ delivered to us by him intertain or imbrace such an evil conception Press on therefore my Brethren in minding the Love of God in delivering of his Son to Death for our offences and raising him again for our Justification so to experiment his Divine Power and Spirit quickning up your spirits to him to hope in and depend on him and to live to him as that you may therein prove a conformity to him in Resurrection in Spirit here and be filled with a lively hope of the Redemption of your bodies too from the bondage of corruption in the Resurrection of them hereafter and let not the faith thereof go for then you wil also â—…corrupted from the hope of the reward that 's â—omised and is then to be received the time of â—…unerating the services of our faith and love â—…e towards God and his Name being at the â—…e of the justs Resurrection Luke 14.14 and 〈◊〉 ye be corrupted there you will also grow â—…less and negligent in those services yea and â—…ll into all licentiousness Know that what ever evil and mischief may â—…e befall you in your bodies for the Name of Christ and however you may and must yield up â—bodily death yet he that raised up Jesus our â—…nd will also raise us up and bring us with him 〈◊〉 Cor. 4.14 If we abide in the Faith of him â—oted and stablished and be not perverted â—…om the Gospel and the hope of it that hath â—een preached therein to us and if this Knowâ—dge abide in you and the hope thereof be â—inded by you it will make you that you shall â—ot be barren and unfruitful but to be stedfast â—nd to abound in the Work of the Lord knowâ—ng that your labour shall not be in vain in the â—ord Sect. 5. Of Heaven and Glory BUt now to say what that great Reward and Glory is and shall be is above my ability is not yet manifest what we shall be but a great reward in heaven it is an heavenly not 〈◊〉 earthly reward a reward of and from God noâ— of and by men not worldly The new Jerusalem or the glory of God coming down from heaven upon men and taking men up into heaven where now also they that are Saints indeed and walk as such have their conversation What heaven is I shall not curiously inquire Its that place and state where Christ in his Humanity is for as its the subject of bodies I caâ—… and account it a place though as of the Spirit more properly its a State as when it s said Thâ— Christ is gone into heaven it s therein signified both that his body or humanity was taken up from the earth above the visible heavens where also he is contained and from whence also he shall again descend and be met by the Saints in the air as also that he is there in a glorious state of Soveraignty Power Majesty Fulness far above all creature earthy glories yea and faâ— above all heavenly creatures glory out of which glory he shall not descend at his coming for he shall come in it but from that place of his body he shall I know Mr. Collier makes heaven to be God onely and Glory but as in some other things so in that he slipt not a little into errors for in God he was while he was on the earth Knowest thou not that the Father is in me and I am in the Fatheâ—r saith he to Philip Joh. 14. while he was not yet ascended Neither had there needed any visible translocation or change of place for going up into heaven if it had been â—…ely to be in God nor doth that phrase far above all heavens signifie far above all gods but far above all these aery starry visible heavens To say nothing that Mr. Collier handsomly slips â—ver the speaking to the heaven that Christ aâ—…ended to and which is to contain him and â—…ys not one word to that Text in his Answer 〈◊〉 if he knew not how to elude it But to pass from that I grant that heaven doth not onely signifie place but also a state of glory or of diâ—…e spiritual influence operation government and advancement and this we are specially to â—…nd in it and look after and not spend our thoughts vainly or curiously about inquiring of 〈◊〉 as a place meerly as I might also say of hell â—…ough the bodies and substances of men condemned shall be in place yet the condition of â—o and torment is in that word rather pointed 〈◊〉 in which such shall be and as in a taste or first fruits as it were may now be But to return to what I was saying about heaven and the glory thereof while we are withdrawn in our hearts from base and earthy walkings designs affections c. and are in our hearts aâ—…ed by the Word that was revealed by and comes unto us from God and by the Spirit of God and of Christ the heavenly one and are minding and looking after the priviledges and excellencies thereby witnessed and led to we are said to converse in heaven and so we read of an army warring in heaven Rev. 19. which is nothing else but the Saints of God in the heavenly and divine Power and Spirit in which spiritually they live and breath making opposition against Satan and his instruments and so in like manner the high surpassing pure spiritual consolations streamings forth and abiding rivers of