to bring the price of the sale to the distribution of the whole body and he lye against the holy spirit wherein he promised and detained a part and yet say that there is all this is a sin a great breach of the love and truth of Christ as Act. 4.32.36 37. with 5.2 3.8 9. or if one have much good and yet detaine it from one Member that wanteth this his hardnes doth discover to all the brethren that such a churlâ— hath a dead faith and no love of God and to be such an one as is unprofitable to the body of Christ in any kind and therefore such are known by the word of Christ to deny Jesus and the Communion of his Body and so being divided from the naturall and true love of the Body that suffereth they will be scone of the Brethren to fall away of themselves as leaves from a tree The 5. day of the Week I Consider the estate of the Church of Christ in unity universality and free consent that Jesus Christ is the head thereof and is gone before as a husband goeth before his wife by sufferings the place whither he goeth is the Kingdom of Heaven which cannot be entered into but by the death of the flesh 1 Cor. 15.49 50. the doore whereby we follow him is death and hell whereof Christ hath the keyes Rev. 1.18 the power and authority of these keyes is given to every one by mane through Jesus Christ who in love to his Father having power to lay down his life had in himselfe also power or authority to take it again and this Commandement he received of his Father Iohn 10.17 18. Therefore having in himselfe the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven as being Christ the Sonne of the living God he gave them to Peter to whom the Father of Christ gave to know and acknowledge Jesus to be his sonne as Mat. 16.16 to 19. The authority of these keyes is proper to every one that hath the testimony of Jesus by vertue whereof he openeth a doore through death to follow his Mister Jesus into the Kingdom of his Father this doore every one that is constant to death doth open in the eyes of all that see his constancy according as Stephen the first Martyr doth declare even before his death that others might offer violence to enter into it Act 7.55 56. And seeing these keyes are so effectuall towards God in the love of Jesus Christ Therefore Peter by name and so whose-ever is sealed by the same holy spirit of promise hath by vertue of these keyes in Christ authority also towards men before their sufferings that whatsoever he or any one that is apt and able to hold the confession of Jesus to be Christ by authority of the keyes hath also authority to bind or loose according to the Word so as whatsoever such do bind or loose must needes be confirmed in heaven where Christ that giveth the keyes is with his Father Mat. 16.16.10 19. Iohn 20.21 22 23. 1. Men now boast against the Jew that the Law is not of faith and that faith is now come and therefore say they we are no more under the Law but under grace as Gal. 3.12.23.25 with Rom. 6.13 This boasting against the Jew is not carnall but spirituall against God who gave them the Law and this turneth to the shame of all such as so boast and yet do worse things then they did as appeareth by the word faith for the Law while it is holden under the authority of men in the glory of a present and mortall state is of sight which feareth men and not of faith which only feareth and apprehendeth the authority and power of the invisible God by the spirit of Christ so as all that are holden under the feare and authority of men are of faith no more then the Jewes yea it may be under the Law more worse then they as being without the knowledge of the true God and so of necessity without any faith of God for whosoever hath faith believeth that God is present with him and seeth his thoughts and actions and therefore will not dishonour his presence in which hee liveth by counting sin against him though no man seeth whereas the infidell that walketh by sight under the law hath only respect to the feare authority and judgement of Magistrates and therefore when they can sin in secret or without feare of bodily payne or worldly shame they do sin without and feare of God or Conscience of the judgement to come whereby appeareth that all that live by the Law of faith do feare to offend without the feare of men and that are of faith they will in meeknesse and feare shew to infidells what the life of faith is both by word and example that they also may know God The 6. day of the week 1. IT is a misery to have ones body at liberty by the procurement of men and ones minde and conscience in perpetuall prison by ones own Act 2. There is a twofold justification arising from the Law the one of workes under the Leviticall Priesthood the other of faith under the Priesthood of Christ Jesus The former justification is only if sight and by report of men and it was effectuall to justifie the slosh before the King and the authority of the Kingdom according to this justification was Zachary and his wife righteous before God in this life Luke 1.5.6 but this Law made none perfect and pure in Conscience before the spirit of God Heb. 9 8. to 14. Therefore of necessity upon the defect of this first justification ariseth a perfect justification which is of the Kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 This justification is of faith in spirit and truth according to the spirituall Priesthood of Jesus Christ which is effectuall to justifie the heart and spirit of a man so that in conscience of the worke of the spirit whereby the justifications of the Law is fulfilled in us Rom. 8.3.4 we have boldnesse to come to the Throane of the grace of God in the Heavens Heb. 4.14 15 16. which freedom no unclean person or secret sinner can have but only such as being condemned of men have good Consciences towards God so as they can willingly suffer in the mortall blood that so they may come to be present with the Lord for the justification of their spirit 1 Tim 3.15.16 3. In the power of Christianity there is a twofold knowledge at the gate the one of Christ Rev. 3.20 the other of the Christian Mat. 7.8 The gate standeth as an interstitium or interposition between immortality and mortality and it is called the gates of Hell and of death which are the many tribulations through which the Christians must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14.22 with Rev. 7.14 and they are the diverse torments Heb. 11.25 36.37 and whatsoever authority the Divill and his seed in mortall bodis have from the power of death to sever the mind and
mouth what he believeth in his heart for of the torments he goeth back from Christ but if any see the prize in immortality namely Jesus the Authoux and perfecter of that faith raised from the dead and believeth in his heart that if he suffer death with Christ God will also raise him by Christ to life this faith will encourage a Christian to enter the conflict in the love of Christ and without feare to confesse to his name If after they enter combate with the seede of the serpent are at length vanquished by intollerable payne and are not able to indure the agony and conflict of Martyrdom they loose the glory of their confession for they are to hold the confession of their faith constantly unto death without wavering But if they looke to the end of the conflict and set their eyes on the resurrection of Jesus they by the power of his love will hate their mortall life and think it long before they can come to knock at the gates of death whereof he hath the keyes to receive such into life Rev. 1.18 5. These sufferings of Christ are of absolute necessity to enter in life and immortality for by meanes of the Serpent we have put on the old and sinfull man which is mortall by reason of the lusts of deceit And therefore in Jesus Christ we must put off this body of sin by death that we may put on the new and spirituall man which is immortall by reason of this love in the truth 6. The necessity of chastisements in Christ are shewed by a Schoolmaster The Child naturally hates his book and would never learne it except the Master did by his presence and chastisements keepe him to learne The Child is the Christian the book is to learn Christ Ephes. 4.20 the rod are men in authority the Schoolmaster is the Law or the heavenly Father discovering our miserable and mortall estate by the Law of his presence And as a Child so a Christian if he should not learne obedience by what he suffers would soone grow wild and vain such as are worldly Christians that in time are grown so proud as to blot the book and teare it to despise and burne the rod and to correct controule contradict and defie the good Master The 4. day of the Week I Have observed the course of Religion in the world and I find that another word and authority doth alter the Religion As in Christian Religion the word or Law of the Church is Christ manifest in the Scriptures and Doctrine from the beginning The authority thereof is from Heaven manifested in power to hold the words against the authority of men The Sea or seate to governe according to this world and new Covenant is the Lord Jesus his 12. Apostles and all that are built upon them having the same word and spirit their conversation is love meeknesse and humility towards others so as he which is most poore and humble in the flesh is endued with most authority in the spirit of holinesse their faith is in immortality after this mortality according to the Communion in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the head of the whole Church of true Christians If now there stand up another man that taketh upon him the Christian Religion and the maine of Jesus Christ and the apostolick Sea if he bring in any other word he bringeth in another Christ he alâ—ereth the Religion if another authority of carnall force to impose his word upon the Consciences of men he opposeth Jesus in his spirituall authority which worketh in the heart invisibly if he under the name of Christ enforce other Christians by oppression to do contrary to any word or any jot or title of the Scriptures delivered by the foundation of the Christian Church he is an Antichrist he denyeth the Father by presuming to possesse the Conscience of man which he made with his word and he denyeth the Sonne in denying the word and the power thereof The Conversation of such is also contrary to the suffering Christians being putt up with mortall pride to exalt themselves one over another in the flesh and pride of life Their faith is also contrary in that it is fixed on mortality wherein they rejoyce and are confident of the durable estate in the pleasures of sin And thus the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ immortality is in all things perverted under the colour of his own name and of his own word and Ordinances to mortality and wickednesse greater then paganisme 2. It is observed that in processe of time after the much blood of the Christians had brought forth the world to bee Christian from that time the Church of Christ ceased to be visible of the world and the world blinded it self under the name of the Church of Christ which cannot so be for Ecclesia the Church of Christ consisteth of the people that in all times are called out of the world to the unity of spirit now the world cannot be called out of it self Therefore the true and spirituall Christians are hidden to the world under the feighned and carnall Christians yet the Church is as visible in it selfe now as it was viz. when Christians suffer joyfully under worldly Christians for the same cause of the Word Commandement and Faith of immortality as they did in the beginning 3. Men deny the Catholike Faith when they labour to comprehend it under their carnall authority For the Catholike Faith must needs be granted from the name of it to be both universall and spirituall If then it is such a Faith as is to extend to all the ends of the earth such as withstand it or hinder the spreading thereof by their wisdome and power do deny that the Faith should be universally obeyed and so Catholick Again sâ—eing Faith is the onely work of the spirit of truth which spiritually worketh in all men alike If anyby carnall authority doe hinder the spirituall work of Christ they fight against the spirit and Faith of Christ to bee preached to all nations for the finishing of the Body and Church of Christ And thus some that professe themselves to be of the Catholicke Faith of the Church may deny it yea fight against both the faith and the universality thereof 4. If prayers and tears are the weapons defence and authority of the true Church of Christ as all grant then fire and sword must needs bee the weapons and offensive authority whereby the kingdom of Antichrist is discovered in all places 5. It is a horrible thing to behold the Creator without Christ the Word For he teacheth with terror of death for transgression of the Law but he that seeing his estate to bee thus before God and goeth to Christ and learneth obedience in the word and in the death of Jesus Christ shall in him have boldnesse to stand before the throne of his gracein immortality 6. A truth may be preached and yet made utterly void by worldly practize as the popish
applying the salvation in Christ 1 Cor. 15.54 to 57. with Hos. 33.9 14. setteth downe five degrees as those which can read the originall text may see 1. This Keteb bitter destruction hee calleth the victory of hell 2. The Pestilence is called the sting of death 3. The cause of this plague he affirmeth to be sinne 4. The power of sin to be the Law 5. The victory which the Christians have received over all these evils is of God through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.54 c. Hos. 13. From hence we come to apply this preservasative against the plague and destruction Who is the man whom the Lord will deliver him that God hath separated as Israel Exod. namely him that knoweth in his conscience the onely true God from all other Gods and that he himselfe dwelleth under his protection delighteth under his shadow Psal. 91.1 14. Ioh. 17.3 This knowledge of God is discerned from all false knowledge by that he which hath it keepeth the the Commandements of God 1 Ioh. 2.4 So as he which knoweth the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is united to the body and Church of Christ and knowes him in spirit from all false Christs or devils as a woman knowes her husband from all other men and therefore of all that doe thus discerne and know God in Christ he is the Saviour of their bodies Ephes. 5.23 This man shall be kept in all his waies Psal. 91.11 For seeing it is the truth in Christ that all that are borne of God doe keepe themselves so as the evill one toucheth them not with any just accusation of sinne as 1 Ioh. 5.18 with 3.9 It must needs follow that God their Father will deliver them also from any deadly disease which is executed for sinne This temporary salvation is applyed onely by Christ and his Christians not against carnall wickednesses but against spirituall evils namely that these plagues shall not come without cause unto them Psal. 91.9 For seeing Christ was baptized to suffer death by the seed of the world and seeing his Christians are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ to shew his death in resisting sinne till he come to judgement iâ— must be granted as a truth and applyed for the glory of God in Christ that no accidentall death from him shall prevent any faithfull Christian that hee should not live to glorifie God in the martyrdome of Jesus but this is the man thaâ— shall be preserved to see a thousand fall on oâ—â— side by the plague of death and ten thousand 〈◊〉 the other side yet it shall not come neere him only hee shall behold it as the reward of God 〈◊〉 wicked men Psal. 91.7.8 Psalm 15. This is the preservation of every perfect man whose faith overcommeth the evill of the world whose hope is God the Creator and whose habitation is the most high Psal. 91.9 and not of him onely but of all whose love is able to cover their sins so as he require of the Lord life for any weake one that hath sinned and the sinne is not a sin unto death 1 Ioh. 5.19.20 For thus is his boldnesse for his friends also by warrant from the Law which saith unto him and the plague shall not come neare in thy tabernacle Psalm 91.10 which is not understood of any worldly dwelling as under the Law but of the severall persons who with him doe beare the reproach of Christ in some kind in enmity that doe come out of the sinnes of the City by not partaking with her sinnes these also may have faith that they shall not partake of the plagues of the City Rev. 18.4 Neither can any conclude from the Law that all which live in and under the Law dye of the plague doe dye to the second death for the plague of it selfe is onely a bodily execution from God to the first death For when both King and people doe in the feare of the true God confesse and forsake their sinne which is the cause thereof from the anger of God and in obedience doe give themselves to fall into his hands and rely upon his great mercies in this case all that dye of the plague wee leave them to the mercy of the Lord by whose death the King and all that remaine may more earnestly beseech the Lord to remit his hand 2 Sam. 24. Wherefore every one that can truly apply the God of Israel to be his shadow Christ his Law and truth to be his shield and buckler and hath in himselfe the baptisme of Christ by vertue whereof he hath alwayes within him the request of a good conscience calling unto God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 this man hath the faith of God in him and therefore doth not fear any evill of the day or night Psal. 125. neither doth he flee as those that are conscious of their sins against God but remaineth as sure as Ierusalem which is above and is the mother of all the true Children of God For the rod of wickednesse shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous This is the work of faith whereby they pray in faith to be delivered from the evill one and are delivered Mat. 6.13 whereas the faith of all that serve Idoll Gods is a deceit and the prayer of the sinner is abomination and will work infidelity and terrours from God as their consciences do testifie that they may repent of their sins and be reconciled unto the true God in truth 2. This assurance is to all Jsrael in the Law under the signe of the blood of the passeover sprinckled out on their upper doore posts whereby they were assured that the destroyer should not or could not hurt the poore persecuted and oppressed for their desire of liberty and freedom of body and mind to serve the living God as Exod. 12. Heb. 11.28 which was true in this thing to save the persecuted Isreal from the mortality of persecuting Egypt and is but a figure or shaddow of that faith which the spirituall Isralites have that know in themselves that Christ their pass over is killed for them 1 Cor. 5.7 for these desiring also to serve that one only true God are also persecuted wherein being chastized of the Lord in the communion of the sufferings of Christ they do shew and declare this death before the Lord and one with another which who so do it in love cannot but know that the condemnation of the world is nothing to them as to condemn them for the sins of the world which are pardoned to them in the death of Christ from the time of their baptisme of repentance for the forgivnesse of sins if they walk worthy of this calling and continue constant and faithfull in this Communion unto death 1 Cor. 11.25 to 32. Mark 1.4 with Heb. 9.14 Rev. 2.10 The third day of the Week 1. I Vnderstand that I put on Christ when being baptized into his death I put on his death upon
come thither they spend every day without any other then mortall profit so they passe away the year and it goes into darknesse without comfort at length they have consumed the length of their Age and then they go into darknesse without so much as worldly good These are shut up in darknesse kept unto the Judgement of the Lord who shall render to them according to their unprofitable and evill workes The Children of light are they which exercise themselves in the Law and light that shineth to mortality eschewing evill and doing good as if they were alwayes with the Father of lights and enlightened to treasure to themselves for the time to come Those go into light continually every day addeth unto their strength and they profit in the true riches which preserve the man of God to an immortall life the day and the year they spend in the light going to immortality and the time filleth up to their comfort and consumeth their evill sorrow and sufferings for the light sake in this world when they have spent their time all their labours go with them they go out of this world as a good Servant to be refreshed and rewarded for his good service their immortall soule is gathered into Paradice and joy way ting yet for the day of Judgement and Redemption of the body when according to their good workes they shall be crowned with unutterable and immortall glory Thus the Children of light do so number their dayes and spend their time as that they may apply their hearts unto wisdom and to receive the honour and glory thereof whereas the Children of this world as a bird that rejoyceth in the bait before the snare turne over and take it so these rejoyce in their temporary pleasures and mortall joyes untill the Judgement of the Lord overtake them in their rioting as a snare out of which they shall not nor cannot escape Luke 21.28.35 2. It is appointed from the beginning as the onely way to immortality from mortality that righteousnesse here should suffer in inseculer conflicts which conflicts whosoever refuse thereby to save their mortall life do loose the immortall life and that justly because they feare man more then the maker of man Mat. 10.28 to 39. 3. As treasure is distributed to the poore by the hands of men so the treasure of the spirit of Christ is communicated to the poore which live in the world by the distribution of the poore to whom it is committed The 3. day of the week I Have seen how the Children of this world study Athisme or to live without God in that whereas the Godly study to retoine God in all their knowledge by doing the worke of the word in all obedience to it as to God Rom 1.28 Jam. 1.22.25 with Iohn 1.1 These of the world on the other side will not have God in all their thoughts but as ungodly do make voide all ungodlinesse and conscience of God above and mind only the feare of men and the love of this present world so as they keepe their Conscience sanctified towards men to shine forth onely from themselves to others though in words they professe to know God and Christ yet all their thoughts and practices do manifestly shew that they do deny to know God as he is in spirit and truth to live in all good Conscience to him as all do that hold the power of the word is it is from the authority of the living God and not from men as it requireth obedience of all without respect of Pope Prelate Emperour King Prince Noble Ignoble Jew Gentile Bond or Free Male or Female 2. The tryall of Christians by torments to death is to discover the man of God that is the hidden man of the heart which in Christ is renewed againe in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse which as the power and spirit of Christ the word doth shew it solfe more lively in the sufferings of the mortall body for whereas the persecutors are deluded to think that there is no immortall soule in man but that their soules and bodies shall dye together these Christians by their faith in the estate of immortality â—o put a wonderfull difference in that there is in them a mind and spirit to overcome all the paines and torments of their body and to tryumph over all the power and authority of men and mortality which doth evidently shew that in such men the divine nature of Christ in immortality is distinct from the humane nature of mortality as death is distinct from life which spirit and divinity of Christ as it doth sustaine them to suffer death so it shall raise from death every body that is sanctified by its abiding within it 3. The sufferings of Christ do also put difference between those which worship and serve God in spirit and truth and those which worship him in word or outward forme for whereas all men in the world have God without them and the power of God without them yea and the heathen to shew the mouth of mans heart do make Gods to looke upon without thom and do within themselves retaine the wisdom power and authority of their Gods and that without or against the true God and his Law or authority on the other side the Christians only have the living God his word power and authority within them and wheresoever or in what estate soever they be they carry their God within them and their heart is to him as the Arke to hold his Law and their body to containe his glorious essence so far as every one is capable of it and this part or distribution of the spirit of God to every body doth witnesse and testifie to the Conscience together with the invisible and inconceaveable Majesty of the spirit of God above that they are of the seede and Children of the living God in immortality whereby also they may serve God in truth without any legall forme or visible worship in place or company The manifestation of this is first within every one to do according to the diverse effects the reoâ— in so much as if it be so that many do meete together which have the gift of the same spirit the more there are the greater is the presence and power of God that even the place doth shake as the glory of the one invisible Majesty of God inspiring and expiring the severall effects of the essence of Gods spirit 4. I have understanding of the power of God in the word which saith that if thou shalt confesse with thy month the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart it is believed unto righteousnes and with the mouth it is confessed unto salvation Rom. 10.9.10 And thus I propose it There are all manner of Torments proposed and threatned to be inflicted upon whomsoever shall confesse the Lord Jesus to be Christ the Judge of all if none dare to confesse with his
Christians holds That whatsoever the law saith the Gospel confirmeth and whatsoever the Gospell saith the same is agreeable to the law That as Moses was the giver of the old law Christ is the giver of new and a more perfect law They devide the whole law into three parts 1. the law of Nature the law of Moses and the law of Christ and that the Gospell is revealed for no other cause but to shew to the world more perfect counsells and precepts then were in the old law and a more perfect justification by doing them pag. 27.2 out of Fox Châ—on That inward concupiscence and vicious affections not breaking out in us with consent of will are no mortall nor dammable sin but onely fomes peccati And that this concupiscentia in us is no depravation of the higher but of the lower parts of man c. pag. 26. b. These things may have a good construction simply from the word and spirituall authority but as it is of them the truth there of is not only made void but used for a pretence of mischeivous madnes For it is certain that Christ came to confirm all things written in the Law and the Prophets and by his Priest-hood to bring in that perfection which was before wanting in the law Heb. 7.11.18 19. And it is true that in the Christians after baptisme the flâ—sh lusteth against the spirit as Gal. 5. 17. and it is autophoron indifferent and as naturall as to eat which concupiscence remain for an occasion of watchfulnesse in the spirit to subdue it and to check it that it never be approved of in heart as to prevaile so far as to beg a desire in the heart contrary to the law which saith thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife or his goods c. but the spirit keepeth the flesh under in such sort as that it cannot prevaile to do sin or consent to sin Joh. 3.9 Gal. 5.24 7. A true doctrine may be made void and confused in respect of time with aforegoing doctrine as the Protestant Christians hold That as all men coming by Adam are condemned originally before they grow up to commit any sin against the law So all men be saved originally being regenerate by faith in Christ before they do any good worke of charity or any other gooddeed Fox p. 26. b. This may have a favourable construction if time be put between the mortall generation and the immortall so as the naturall man come to know his condemnation in mortality and prepare his heart to receive the immortall seed whereby to be regenerate from above which from that time begetteth and enlightneth the minde unto a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead a 1 Pet. 1.3 23. with Joh. 3. But whereas these two contrary generations are confounded in one name in the baptism of Infanâ—s the doctrine of regeneration is quite extinct and abolished under a forme of words Fox 24. b. thus as say they sin and death came originally by the disobedience of one to all men of his generation by nature So righteousnesse and life come originally by the obedience of one to all men regenerated of him by faith and baptisme Rom. 5. Here is a deceit of salvation from a childe For sinne and righteousnesse have their contrary operation as Rom. 5.21 with 6.13.20 And so have death and life Now if sin and death come originally from the generation of man and the childe is made capable onely of this first originall estate in sin and death then how can an Infant that hath but one originall estate in the condemnation to sin and death have also another estate in the regeneration to immortality before he hath so much understanding to know his naturall estate in sin death and mortality or before he be able to sin or to do any evill in act This is confusion of two Doctrines in one whereby sin is put for righteousnesse death for life Generation for regeneration and condemnation for salvation and by this meanes men have only a naturall estate in effect and a spirituall estate in conceit of vanity whereas by Christ we discerne the time of a mans life in his originall sin the fruits thereof the the time of a mans life after Baptisme into the death of Christ of his righteousnes good fruites which arise from the regeneration 8. A Doctrine may be well distinguished in word and yet confounded in the worke of the power of the spirit made voide and deficient in any work thus distinction is made between the mortall part and the immortall part in man A regenerate man consisteth of two men as a man may say of the old man and of the new man the nature of the old man is cleane contrary to the nature of the new man as being earthly and corrupt with Satans seed the nature of the new man being heavenly and blessed with the celestiall seed of God in what he is an old man he is a sinner and an enemy to God in what he is regenerate he is righteous and holy and a friend to God the seede of God preserving him from sin so that he cannot sin as the seede of the Serpent One man therefore which is regenerate well may be called alwayes just and alwayes sinfull just in respect of Gods seede and his regeneration sinfull in respect of Sathans seede and his first generation betwixt these two men therefore there is continuall conflict and warre most deadly Thus saith Mr. Bradford in Fox P. 1655. This Doctrine it may be truly applyed but with it is mixed contrarities which confound this and make it of no force for there he bringeth in the comparison of Goliah and such David the old man is perfect in his birth an one as was Goliah the new man is like a little Child such an one as was like little David for his birth is not perfect untill the day of his generall resurrection The old man therefore is more strong lusty and stirring then the new man because the birth of the new man is but now begun and the old man is perfectly borne The flesh and old man by reason of his birth that is perfect doth often for a time prevaile against the new man being but a child in comparison and that in such sort as not only others but even the Children of God themselves think that they be nothing else but old and that the spirit of God is lost and gone away as the Sun hidden by the Cloudes yet after appeareth againe c. such are the deceits of Antichristian Doctrines that none should discerne the Children of the Devill that count sin from the children of God that cannot count sin and therefore we have an expresse word to try and discerne them by their spirits 1 Ioh. 3. 4.1 c. Diverse reasons may be shewed from this confusion of a true Doctrine to confirme the truth and confute the falshood by it selfe As first If there
and Gospel of immortality for he that receiveth the word of truth withall his heart and full resolution to suffer with Christ the saver thereof this man can never fayle In persecution of the word he hath prepared his heart to suffer and so he continuath constant unto death and he winneth by holding the word the Crown of an immortal life In all other temptations which are in himselfe together with the world he denyeth himself after the honour of this world he hateth his own soule to satisfie it with the lusts thereof he suffereth in the flesh and so ceaseth from sin 1 Pet. 4.1 c. patience maketh his heart soft to give rooting to the word the harder the persecution of men the softer the heart is to nourish the immortall seed and to bring forth the fruit thereof in the perishing and death of the mortall flesh chusing rather to lose his life then lose the word of God patience maketh his heart heard to resist the Devill and all his deceits and temptations he is open hearted faithfull and perfect in love to the Lord by whose word he holdeth the assurance of immortality with him but he is close shut to obey the worldly vanities he hateth to think of their wicked courses in mortality This is the estate of those which are able to endure the try all and to walls perfectly in the love of Christ the more their oppression is from without the greater is their obedience from the heart the more their temptations are the greater is the tryall of their faith which worketh the more patience The more patience they possesse their soules with the more perfect the work of wisdom is untill they be perfect and entire defective in nothing Iam 1.2.3 4 5. Of all sorts of Christians that have heard the word of Christ these only that suffer as Christians in patience of the good word are able to bring forth the fruit thereof unto perfection 2. This is the miserable estate of the men of this age that while they think to fly from death they fall into it for flying from the patience of the word of life they run after their own thoughts to save their life in mortality when they in so doing lay themselves open to all miseries in this world and do even feele the terrours of the second and immortall death while they are yet living and yet are forced to run into it The fifth day of the Week THere is great opposition of Christians in this world all which in may dream I divided into 2. sorts the one terrence humain and baptised under the authority of men to live according to their severall Lawes and Corporations after the power of a mortall life The other Christians are coelestical divine and baptized under the annointing and authority of the only true God to live according to his holy law in their mind looking through the resurrection of Jesus unto that glorious life in immortality 2. Having observed how such as professe themselves preachers of light are darkened in the world by leaving the expresse word and wisdom of Christ to follow mortall vanities I am drawn to discover their folly that they can no more helpe a man to go the way of immortality then a natural blind man can direct a man in the way of a mortall life And therefore being in themselves so blinded with the God of this world it is mischievous madnesse for them to presume to speak what they know not thereby to deceive others or else by their authority of blindnesse to hinder them which being ignorant of their blindnesse do enquire of them the good old way but it is safe for blind men to confesle they are blind that all that erre and have eyes may enquire of others that do see It yet thay will make themselves Preachers of light and immortality they must be discouraged to the false Preachers that instead thereof do indeed preach darknesse and mortality as to deceive others of the wayes of life 3. I understand that the Christians are not Ministers of the letter as 2 Cor. 3.6 because that were to take upon them the carnall authority of the Scribes and Pharisees who are charged with that Mat. 23.2.23 yet to deliver the spirit and truth contained therein The sixth day of the VVeeke I Had a sight of the love of God in man and the sencible understanding thereof was wonderfull In mine eyes Man being by sinne deprived the glory of God wherein Adam wa created is now by the evill spirit become subject to the bodie of the sinnes of the flesh to sow to the flesh and of the flesh to reape mortality And to restraine man from sinne God gave his Law and gave power to condemne accordingly to the chastisement of the flesh and to death Yet the heart of man is naturally so evill that this authority in evill minded mens hands cannot reforme the minde that so man should yet please God in mortality Therefore lest mankind should bee swallowed up in death for the sinnes of the flesh the Sonne of God by whom the world and man was made became flesh that in the love of God he might teach us in the flesh by the mediation and direction of his spirit manifested in the flesh the truth of salvation in suffering death in the resurrection of the flesh and in the full restoring to glory yet flesh and blood is weake and cannot follow him in this hard and strait way Wherefore the Lord of glory condescending to mans weaknesse hath given his holy spirit into the world which being Gods spirit might redeeme men from the earth in the death of Christ who being departed in sight hath sent his owne spirit to teach men and to guid them into all truth how they should learne obedience in the sinnefull flesh how to put off the carnall man of mortality and to put on the spirituall man of immortality how to mortifie the carnall actions of the body to the holy spirit of Christ for to perfect the mystery of suffering in the flesh this word and spirit of Christ Jesus doth give his Christian menwisdom how to suffer under the evill authorities of the world to death and so to passe on in the way of Christ to immortall life And as in the course of nature our minde was catyed wholly to live after the lusts of uncleannessse so being converted to God by the power of this spirit which worketh in our hearts mightily our minde is caryed wholly to live after the will of that holy spirit so that in this way we have no more to doe but to discharge our selves of cares and pleasures of this world and to be delivered from the body of death which is after the old man that we may be presented in the new man to him that is now invisible and that onely hath immortality 2. The word of the holy Scriptures is more perfect then the inspiration without a plaine word therefore who so resisteth the