retain still their corrupted Hearts and so follow the Wolf the Lyon the Bear the Fox and such devouring creatures or the Dog or Sow those dirty creatures their forsakeing this or that form or way of worship will not profite them They are followers of the innocent harmless Lamb not of Beasts of prey or ravenous hurtfull creatures They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes which seems to imply various removes in the Lambs leading of them or going before them As there was various removes or journings in the Wilderness out of Egypt literal towards the Earthly Canaan so may there be out of Egypt Spiritual to the Heavenly Canaan for things under the Law were Typical shaddowing out something Spiritual Now under that word Lamb is pointed out to us the guide in those journings even the Lamb and his nature as the Pillar of Fire and Cloud was the guide in the Wilderness Therefore i'ts safe keeping to the unhurtfull Lamb and to go where his Nature accompanies That 's the Standart to which his Travelling following Subjects do resort And though some that set forward out of Egypt spiritual turn back in their hearts or murmor and through unbelief faint and fall in the way yet the Lamb holds on his way and followers he hath that go throw with him whithersoever he goes Whether it be out of the Egyptian Societies or into a Wilderness throw the red Sea or to warr against the uncircumcised Philistins who provoke the Lord by their Idolatry and wickedness But not with carnal Weapons but with Spiritual The followers of the Lamb have piercing Weapons and yet not carnal and so hath their Captain of whom it is said Ride on prosperously because of Truth meekness and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things terrible things in meekness thine Arrows shall be sharp in the Heart of the Kings Enemies Michael and his Angels and followers finde opposition from the Dragon and his Angels and followers and they both feight The Dragon and his followers with carnal Weapons to stop the way of the Lamb and his followers lest they should invade his Kingdome of darkness and destruction And on the other hand the Lamb and his followers they feight with other Weapons even with meekness and the word of Truth to make good their way that they may hold on to follow the Lamb. Thus the Lamb leads on his Army forward out of the World that is out of the Worlds evil wayes and corrupted worships But whether or no he lead into that which is outwardly to be set up as yet I leave to further discovery I mean whether that which is to continue is as yet to be set up that I leave But that there may be pitching of Tents for a Season even in a Journey that 's manifest from the Journeys of the Israelites in the Wilderness who pitched their Tents till the cloud went forward and then there was danger in remaining behinde in their pitched Tents There is a Seed will understand what I say There is one thing yet behinde to be spoken to which tends greatly to the keeping of our mindes and affections alive and in pursuite of an everlasting inheritance and that is Hope Faith believes the love of God And from hence Hope waites for good things not yet seen For we are saved by Hope saith the Apostle but Hope that is seen is not Hope For what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Rom. 8.24 25. Hope you see is one ingredient tending to eternal life and a principal piece of Spiritual Armor bearing up the head in pursuite of the Kingdom of God against all the Opposition met with in the World Therefore i'ts called the Helmet of Salvation Eph. 6.17 There be divers things to be considered concerning this Hope and the ground of it whereupon our hope is placed that so it may be as an Anchor sure and stedfast to keep us safe in the waves and billowes of the tribulations of this World 1. The first thing is this That there shall be a Resurrection of all for if there be no Resurrection our hope is vain and hath no ground to stand upon and we are of all men most miserable if in this life only we have hope in Christ as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.19 Therefore for the confirmation of this ground for the sure Anchor of hope and for reviving of your remembrance thereof let us call to minde some passages of the Scripture and the Testimony of Christ and his Holy Apostles concerning this thing And first of all consider the Resurrection of Christ who is said to be the first Fruits in the Harvest 1 Cor. 15.23 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead ver 12. His resurrection necessarily proves our resurrection for he needed not for himself to have taken our nature upon him and to be made like us in all things except sin but it was for our sakes that he took to himself our nature that he might prepare it and bring it back again and that with advantage into the happy union and fellowship of our Maker out of all that death hath involved us in both out of sin and out of the Graves And therefore according to these two deaths there is a twofold resurrection spoken of by Christ Joh. 5. That there is a death in sin is manifest Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Now of a resurrection out of this death Christ speaks Joh. 5.25 Verely verely I say unto you the hour is comming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live And this is that resurrection that Paul speaks of Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above and in some other places this is called a resurrection But then besides this resurrection out of sin there is a resurrection also out of the Graves when the Sea shall give up its dead that are in it and Death and Hell shall deliver up the dead that are in them and all graves shall be opened and shall render up their dead And of such a resurrection also Christ speaks in the forenamed place Joh. 5.28 29. Marvel not at this saith he that is that men shall â—ow hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for the hour is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation The first of these resurrections namely out of the death of sin is a marvellous work of God wrought by the voyce of the Son of God in the Heart But Christ Jesus
the glory of God in this his mercy and the deeper is his humility and lowlines of minde Minde but the writings of the Holy Apostles of Christ Jesus and you will finde it so that still they are harping upon this string sounding forth the mercies of the Lord in Christ Jesus and his love in revealing his Son to them Yea observe but that high state of the Elders spoken of in the Book of the Revelations who were set upon seats round about the Throne and cloathed in white Raiment and Crowned The substance of their song was this Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof Now mark why For thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Mark Not a word of their own righteousness not a word of their works how good soever they were which doubtles were excellent but yet not a word thereof the riches of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus puts all that out of sight and layes them low at his Footstool for they are said to fall down before the Lamb and sing this Song Now what are these Elders but representatives of all the Elect seed of God from all parts of the Earth Seeing it is contained in their Song that they were redeemed by his Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Now there be many more kinreds and Tongues and Nations then four and twenty but all represented by these four and twenty Well then you see their faith in Christ is not like the Faith of the Pharisees in which they stand justifying themselves in their own works and exalting themselves thereby over poor Publicans But all their admiration and glorying is in the mercy of God And so we finde the Apostles sounding forth the same things in their Epistles Eph. 2.4 5 6 7 8 9. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus For by grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast Thus all boasting is excluded by true Faith And as I have shewed before the right Faith works by love and that love is not of an exalting nature But as the Apostle saith it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 Thus the true and right Faith shuts out boasting and cuts down vainglory and makes humble Therefore saith our Lord Jesus Christ Verely I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 4. Fifthly To proceed this true Faith is accompanyed with an Vnction or an Anointing from the holy one John writing to those he calls little Children whose sins are forgiven for his names sake saith thus But ye have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 All things that is that appertained to life and godliness Why For this Unction or Anointing taught them all things that appertained thereto that so walking according to the teaching thereof they might abide in Christ Now this Unction is the Spirit which gives a sense and feeling of the will of God what he would have us to doe and what he would have us to forbear And we need not that any maâ— should teach us beyond the teachingâ— of that to amuse us with high notions and mysteries which the Unction gives us no openings of Anâ— so keeping to that keept us wiâ— to sobriety minding to doe thâ— will of God which the Unction inclines our Hearts to rather theâ— to fill the brain with knowledge 〈◊〉 things which add not to our comfort and profiting and grouth iâ— Christ Now that this Unction 〈◊〉 the Spirit appears by compearinâ— this Scripture with another Thaâ— is compare this 1 Joh. 2.20 2â— with Ioh. 14.16 17. Where it 〈◊〉 expressed by the name of the Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This is that abideing Unction which abides with the Faithfull for ever The Unction is a constant abiding thing and so is the Spirit abiding for ever Thus the Lord fulfills his promise of old Isa 44.3 and chap. 59.21 I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground Thirsty and dry these are such as hunger and thirst and fit to receive the Heavenly rain but he expresses â—t more plainly in the following words thus I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon â—hine Off-spring Then in ch 59.21 â—he promises the constancy of this Spirit with the seed of Christ in â—hese words As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord. My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever So that this is a promise to all the Seed and that for ever which promise is fulfilled to all faithfull believers in Christ Jesus Therefore saith the Apostle if any maâ— have not the Spirit of Christ he iâ— none of his Rom. 8.9 And herein thâ— Son-ship is established even in thiâ— Spirit or abiding Unction oâ— Anointing As the Apostle witnesseth ver 14. For as many as are leâ— by the Spirit of God they are the Sonâ— of God Thus the Anointing witâ— the Spirit typifyed by the precious Ointment that was poureâ— upon Aarons head and ran dowâ— to the Skirts of his Garment thiâ— Anointing with the Spirit runâ— down from our High-Priest to thâ— lowest of his Servants He waâ— anointed with the Oyl of gladness above his fellows but we all of his fullness receive every one a measure of his Spirit and so are hereby stated by this Spirit of Adoption into Sonship and Heir-ship with him If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ c. Rom. 8.17 And this state or Spiritual condition carryes its own evidence in it self for the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God ver 16. And as this Spirit or Unction is a guide to the Children of light leading them into all Truth and as it is a witness to
that were with him when the Hoâ—â— Ghost fell on all them that heard â—â—e word ver 44. Now where â—hrist and his Spirit is received it â—â—rnes the Heart from sin and turns 〈◊〉 to righteousness And this turâ—ing of the minde and Heart from â—n to righteousness is repentance 〈◊〉 is not a little remorse or sorrow â—or sins past only and yet contiâ—uing therein but turning from â—t toward righteousness that 's reâ—entance So all these things acâ—ompany the ministery of the Gosâ—el or the true preaching of Christ â—nd receiving of him it opens the â—yes to see the love of God and â—is mercyfull kindness in Christ Jeâ—us and this turns them from darkâ—ess to light and so from the power of Satan unto God this is true repenâ—ance that so they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among â—hem which are sanctifyed by faith in Christ Jesus Act. 26.18 The Spirit of Christ entring into the Heart by faith or in believing turns it or converts it from sin to God by renewing of it and so washes 〈◊〉 from its filthines by the blood 〈◊〉 Christ and Sanctifyes it Therefore said Christ except I wash theâ— thou hast no part in mee Here 's thâ— washing and sprinkling by thâ— blood here 's the being born agaiâ— of Water and of the Spirit withoâ—â— which one cannot enter into thâ— Kingdome of God here 's the worâ— of regeneration without whicâ— one cannot see the Kingdom 〈◊〉 God Joh. 3. So now all things aâ—â— become new and the Stream turneâ— The Stream of that mans Heart 〈◊〉 which was downward towards thâ— Earth and towards evil is noâ— turned upwards towards God anâ— towards things that are good Longing after a participation of Goâ— Heavenly nature and Holyness which it hath received a taste 〈◊〉 and as a new born Babe he now desires and longs after the sinceâ— Milk of the word that he maâ— grow thereby and feel more anâ— more fellowship with the Heavenâ—â— nature Flourishes of wit and eloquence which please the itching Ear will not satisfy this hungring Babe but the sincere uncorrupted Milk of the word which adds strength and growth Thus I say God lets in something of himself and Heavenly nature by faith into the Hearts of the Sons of men that they tasting of that Heavenly nature may presse after a further enjoyment thereof and to be more and more filled therewith And thus faith is an inward work wrought by the power of God opening the Heart to receive the love of God whereby a new work is wrought in the Heart renewing it or regenerating it again to God and forming a new Creation in the Heart which makes a man a new Creature And there is a going on in this work from faith to faith and so a following on in the regeneration And this is the great available thing with the Lord as the Apostle testifyed saying neither circumcision availeth any thing witâ— the Lord nor uncircumcision but 〈◊〉 new creature or new creation Galâ— 6.15 which he otherwise expresses thus chap. 5.6 Neither circumcision availeth any thing with thâ— Lord nor uncircumcision but faitâ— which worketh by love No outwarâ— thing no outward profession iâ— the available thing but faith whicâ— worketh by love and which renewes the creature or makes 〈◊〉 man a new creature This is thaâ— which the Lord accepts because now a man begins to live to God and to be a Vessel sanctifyed for thâ— Masters use This work raises him up and sets him upon his feet aâ— a man raised up from the dead and now it is the delight of thiâ— new man to doe the will of God and to be found in his work Anâ— now he begins to warr and sighâ— the good fight of faith striving against sin that he may keep hiâ— conscience pure and clear beforâ— the Lord. For the mystery of faitâ— is thereby preserved The mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 Faithfulness to God preserves and nourishes faith That is Faithfulness to what the conscience knows to be the will of God this preserves peace and faith in God But in case of being overcome by the Enemy the Lord calls for repentance that is turning from the evil with all our Hearts and turning again to him and looking to his mercy and forgiveness with a stedfast purpose to cleave to him in fear and trembling considering our own weakness and so waiting upon him for help to overcome and in his due time he purges the conscience again from the evil and purifies it by the blood of sprinkling even by the blood of Christ and thus our Lord Jesus Christ washes us in his own blood by the Spirit renewing his love in the Heart and remitting the transgression And so faith is restored in a true Heart though it hath been overtaked by the subtilty of the Enemy For indeed the failings of the true Seed or truely converted are not from a life had in the evil buâ— rather from being surprised and overtaken therefore it causes grieâ— and anguish and a crying unto the Lord for deliverance Whereas he that hath a life in the Evil he rests in it While the strong man keeps the House all things are at quiet But when a stronger then he is come he disturbes that quietness in the evil ther 's no rest there For what fellowship can the true seed have with falsehood What Communion can Christ the true Spirit have with the works of the evil Spirit in us Therefore he casts out the deceiver and his works Therefore that Faith that is under the blessing must needs warr against the deceiver to cast him out otherwise it is not right For Faith in Truth begets an honest and true Heart which works against deceit and the deceiver True Faith first begets an honest and true Heart and then is therein retained as in a fit Vessel And the departing from Truth and honesty and uprightness makes Shipwrack of Faith To open this mystery of Faith more plainly whereby the Truth thereof may be known and it may be discerned in some measure from all false appearances thereof I shall come to some particulars that we may know it by the Fruits of it as Christ our Lord hath taught us to know Prophets of what sort they are Yee shall know them by their Fruits First This Faith purifyes the Heart Act. 15.9 That so that which flowes out of the Heart may be pure Out of the Heart unsanctifyed proceeds evil thoughts Murthers Adulteries Thefts Blasphemies or speaking evil of Holyness and of Holy men as well as of God envy malice revenge pride scornfulness ambition coveteousness and such like which keep a man from entring into the Kingdom of God For such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God It s the Apostles Testimony 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Therefore faith is like a Refiners fire to these things to consume and burn them up and to purifie the Heart from such filth Purifying their Hearts by faith saith
shake off the dust of your feet Verely I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that City Matth. 10.14 15. The like expression he uttered concerning Chorazin and Bethsaida in the next Chap. viz. Chap. 11.21 22. Because they repented not when they saw the mighty works which he had done in them It shall be more tolerable saith he for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you Hence its plain that there 's a day of judgment yet to come for those Cities that have been so long since destroyed And that it shall be more tolerable for them at that day then for those that have had more means of knowledge and true understanding afforded them and yet cast it behinde their backs and remain impenitent This being rightly considered may make the stoutest Heart to tremble who goes on in the paths of wickedness as it did Felix Act. 24.25 As Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled or was made fearfull struck with fear For he that is to judge is no respecter of Persons and hath all power given him in Heaven and in Earth and from him can none flee for shelter Therefore to the unrighteous and ungodly that day is terrible But to the upright in Heart who in sincerity and Truth desire to please the Lord in walking obediently before him in a good conversation and innocent in the World to them the day of judgment is a ground of Hope Why Because they shall receive good at the hands of the Lord He will appear to their comfort Judge you how comfortable a thing it shall be at the last day to the righteous and mercifull when Christ shall say to them come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25. But because that portion of Scripture doth so eminently set forth the day of judgment with some remarkable circumstances thereof let us view it a little more fully in the preparation to it and also in the matter of fact upon which judgment is to passe and the Sentence of judgment it self The preparation is this The Son of man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him and shall sit upon the Throne of his glory ver 31. there 's the preparation of the judge And before him shall be gathered all Nations ver 32. there 's the preparation of the People to be judged And he shall separate them one from another as a Sheepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Here now is his secret judgment of them in himself who knowes the wayes and thoughts and Hearts and lives of all men Then follows his open expressed sentence of judgment upon them First to those on his right hand this comfortable sentence come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World ver 34. And then he gives the reason of this his righteous judgments For saith he I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the righteous answer Lord when saw we thee so and so or did so unto thee Take notice Their sentence or judgment of matter of fact runs wholy upon Acts of mercy which by them were not had in remembrance or at least little set by for they had herein minded the Counsel of Christ in not letting their left hand know what the right hand had done But though they minded not what they had done yet the righteous judge of all the World recorded what they had done and brings up again their mercy into remembrance to their joy and comfort Yea a Cup of cold Water given to one of his little ones in love to them because they belong to him shall not be forgotten Then on the other hand he shall say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And then he gives the reason of their sentence which is only a defect in mercy For saith he I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Then these shall plead for themselves as the others did against themselves saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not Minister unto thee Then shall he answer them saying Verely I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Here you see this Scripture doth not only hold forth a day of general judgment but upon what grounds also the sentence of judgment shall passe And its worth your observation to take notice that the sentences run wholy upon Acts of mercy and the want of mercy It runs not upon this or that profession or united Society of men It runs not thus come ye blessed of my Father for ye are Catholiques or Papists and have been absolved by your Priest or ye are Protestants reformed in part from the superstition and Idolatry of the Papists or ye are of the Episcopal or Presbyterian or Independent or Anabaptist or fifth Monarchy or Quakers Society But ye have been mercifull ye have shown forth the nature of your Heavenly Father who is love and mercy and therefore now mercy is extended to you For seeing God is love surely he must needs have most respect to his own nature where it is found As on the other hand he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Oh therefore list up your heads you tender hearted humble mercifull men in hope of a righteous day of judgment to come and faint not in doing good or in your patient waiting for the comming of the Lord though you be under affliction and tribulation in the World For the day will come that will make amends for all and satisfy you to the full So that your labour of love in what kinde soever shall not be in vain or forgotten of the Lord. Divers other Scriptures do confirm the general resurrection of the dead and Eternal judgment which were principles in the Doctrine of Christ and not to be confounded with the first Spiritual resurrection out of the Grave of sin or with the particular secret judgment of God inwardly in a mans Spirit For these are before death natural the other come after These first are