which is God to lift up his head that he may look into heaven and see the glory of God and Jesus Christ the right hand of God opening himself to receive his poor weary soul O what a refreshing comfort is this unto a dying man to see the heavens of God in Christ opening A beleeving soul sees it self happy and compleat in God through Iesus Christ and the Son of man God-man standing with the souls of men which he hath made just and perfect and they standing as the right hand of God in Christ as a Queen in gold of Ophir All this you may have an instance of in Steven if you do but read Acts 7.55 56. And so likewise in the whole Church of Christ if you do but read Heb. 12.22 23 24. Psal 45.9 And thus a poor soul is received from misery unto glory even into Abrahams bosom that is into the bosom of Jesus Christ where it takes up its rest as Steven did but while the poor soul doth live in this world it shal find trouble For all that do live the life of God in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution in this world 2 Tim. 3.12 All relations under the Sun variable as the relation to a wife to a family in Church fellowship in professed friends in parents and in children in riches and in outward contentments but in Christ all these are constant and dureable For a mans enemies shal be they of his own houshold Mat. 10.36 Nay in Church fellowship which is like an houshold if they differ in judgment read 1 Pet. 4.16 to 19. If it be so in a mans houshold and in Church fellowship as there is experience between the Presbyterian and the Independent I shal conclude and say as David said It is good for me to draw neer to God and to desire him to plant my confidence and my joy in him alone for in every external condition in this world I shal find trouble But my fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ and spiritually there I shal find good cheer read these Scriptures Psal 73.25 26 28. 1 Iohn 1.3 4. Iohn 16.32 33. Sect. 4 I shal speak now of a precious balsam and a sweet cordial that wil heal all our diseases in this Kingdom that is if the Lord would be pleased to raise a flood of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and cause it to run with a mighty stream into the hearts of the King and the Parliament this would enable them to bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ that is to restore the poor groaning subjects in the spirit of meekness that they may rejoyce once again Gal. 6.1 2. Now he that ruleth over men must be just mark this ruling in the fear of God read 2 Sam. 23.3 Now my hope is and my desire shal be that God would be pleased through Christ his strong arm to make good that Prophesie in our days which is spoken of in the Prophet Isaiah That Kings may be nursing Fathers and Queens may be nursing mothers in these our days O that we might truly say once out of experience that we are beholding to them as nourishers or for their good nursing Isai 49.23 For this end God did set up Kings at the first as David and Solomon who were types of the spiritual King Jesus and fed their people with wholsom and sweet food that is with a peaceable life as good Magistrates and preserved them in all godliness against those that would harm them and disquiet them Psa 78.70 71 72. But of this we have had but little these many years instance in those domineering Bishops and the high Commission Court which was of long standing and persecuted godliness under the name of Puritans or some other names but I hope it will not be so now therefore let us follow the Apostles Exhortation That prayer be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for he or they that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God 1 Tim. 2.1 2. and 2 Sam. 23.3 Courteous Reader Sect. 5 I shal speak a word or two in my own defence and so conclude Now my first word is When I first set my pen to paper it was not with any sinister respect or by-end but it was for the glory of God Neither was it for profit nor the applause of men for that to me is as a vain thing I speak the words of truth and soberness But seeing the customary and the outside Pharisaicalness which most men and women of all sorts use in matters of Religion Ministers as wel as others this I saw and was at a loss within my self but the Lord did teach me to consider of it and then I went to glean as Ruth did into the field of Boaz read Ruth 2.7 8 9. But the field that mine eyes was upon to glean in it was not the field of external Art nor the field of a great Library for that is to learn to speak other mens words which I disclaim But mine eyes were upon that only one field where I gleaned among the sheaves and that field is the Scriptures the only one Book which I had and no more and that is the Bible which is the Word of God Now courteous Reader I have gleaned and am satisfied and I commend that unto you which I have reserved and as Naomi did make use of the barley which Ruth did glean as you may read Ruth 2.18 so I desire that you may be wise to make use of what hath been said for your own good and I shal be glad Sect. 6 Now my second and last word is to the Christ-baptized man or woman for I speak unto thee O man or woman who art inwardly taught by the sweet Spirit of God hast that unction from the holy One which wil teach thee to know all things for that anointing abideth in thee anâ— teacheth thee all truths and thou shalt abide in him or it 1 Iohn 2.20 27. Therefore I speak to thee O man or woman who art baptized with the Spirit of Christ because thou art the best able to discern between wheat and chaff True Christian Reader when I first set pen to paper my heart was inabled to indite of matter concerning the Lord of Lords and I spake of things touching Christ the King and my heart was stirred within me as the water is when it bubbleth up or the water which the fire boyleth And I was made able by the sweet Spirit of God who did blow sweet gales of wind spiritually into my heart Ioh. 3.8 And I was so refreshed by them for they so comforted my heart that my tongue became as the pen of a ready writer The knowledg of the mystery of God in the flesh of Christ the Saints and the givings forth of the Spirit are not got by
concerning hell as it is a prison for sin and sinners and so ariseth a false fear or a slavish fear and so no true knowledg of God nor of Jesus Christ who is the Law of God and he makes sin to become exceeding sinful Romans 7. verses 12 13 14 22. None but Christ can forgive sin nor none but the Spirit of Christ can convince of sin John 16.7 8 9. Our learned make large confessions of sin and so almost all other men do or may do for to make a confession of sin by roat and in a customary way and so to think by confession of sin they have done enough to get the pardon of sin and this the Papists do but this will not profit neither them nor us And do not the most of men do this Mistake me not I speak not against confession of sin to God for a right confession of sin to God turns to the praise of his free-grace who hath forgiven our sins before we confess them and hath blotted out our sins for ever from before his face and will not bear them in his minde any more Read that remarkable story of David Psalm 103. read the whole Psalm and so Rom. 5.8 Isai 43.25 The end of my speech is against the formality that is in the confession of sin by the most of our learned and others and how few there be that make a right confession of sin as from the cross of Jesus Christ believing the blotting out of their sin and Christ taking it out of the way and nailing it to his cross Colos 2.13 14 15. The unbelieving men Ministers as well as others may make a very specious confession of sin for matter of form and yet have neither faith in God nor love to God nor joy in the holy Ghost But the believing men Ministers as well as others they are the most able men for to make confession of sin because they have faith towards God and love to God and joy in the holy Ghost As for instance Though I have lien among the pots saith the believing man yet I shall be as white as snow in Salmon I beleeve this therefore have I spoken Psalm 68.13 14. 2 Cor. 4.13 I am black saith the believing man or woman but yet comely through that comeliness which Christ hath put upon me therefore my soul is in love with Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 5. Ezek. 16.14 So likewise the true believing Christian can make a confession of sin rejoycingly and with great joy seeing the victory and the spoiling of the powres of sin and darkness by the divine nature of Jesus Christ read 2 Peter 1.3 4. Which threw down the humane nature of Christ and bruised it nay it pleased the Lord and he put it to greif and pain and made it an offering for sin that he might see his seed by the travel of his soul and he is fully satisfied and the pleasure of the Lord is in him and upon all those which are his seed and grow up in him read Isai 53.6 10 11. And this Christ as God did and does crucifie sin and the old man every day triumphing over them is it or in himself Colos 2.15 And is not this matter of great joy to a pooâ— soul that carries about in his body every day the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 O thou poor soul thou must lose thy self and be taken up by the power of God and thou shal be found in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. Ephes 1.18 19 20 21. Be of gooâ— cheer O thou poor soul for if thou be dead with Christ thou shalt live in eternal glory with Christ and if thou suffer persecution either from the tongue or from the hand with Christ or for Christ thou shalt reign with Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. O thou poor soul if Christ hath inabled thee for to make such a confession of sin in faith thou hast cause to walk rejoycingly Now here will arise two objections The first is this Sect. 8 You will object and say Object there needs no confession of sin now by your discourse and so we shall forget that we are sinners and continue in our sins and live as we list for there is one that hath done all for us we need to do nothing I answer Sol. It is not a vain repeating of sin as the Pharisee and the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 and as most people do but it is a forsaking of sin as the man in Christ does 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not a bare confession of sin in words but it is a turning from sin to God and this is the work of Christ onely and none of thine O man Turn me O Lord saith Ephraim for I cannot turn my self Jere. 31.18 We that are dead to sin saith the Apostle and risen again with Christ we cannot live any longer therein because grace doth abound Rom. 6.1 2. Now you will ask in the next place Object what those must do that are said to make a confession of sin with great joy nay rejoycingly which is a thing that you seldom hear of in our days for we are taught to mourn and to shed tears as it were to wash away our sin that is in part Romans 9.32 I shall answer your question Sol. and tell you what those do that make a confession of sin rejoycingly they fight against sin and they fight against Antichrist which is very much amongst us and they fight against the world and I will tell you with what weapons they fight with all the first weapon is the sheild of Faith by which they are able for to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and wicked men the second weapon is the helmet of salvation which shall cover men in the day of battel the third weapon is the sword of the spirit and that is Jesus Christ the living Word of God which will subdue all things unto himself And is not this matter of great joy Read those two remarkable Scriptures Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. But you will object and say Object that I exclude all outward sorrow for sin But I say no by no means Sol. if it be godly sorrow for godly sorrow proceedeth from a right apprehension of the love of God in slaying of sin with the sword of his mouth and this sword is Jesus Christ the living Word of God Read Revel 19.13 14 15 16 20 21. Heb. 4.12 13. The goodness of God leadeth men to repentance and makes a man flie from sin How shall I saith Joseph do this sin against my good God Rom. 2.4 Gen. 39.8 9. Now this is the root that godly sorrow grows upon and is not to be repented of but fleshly and carnal sorrow causeth or worketh death but godly sorrow causeth hatred against sin and love to God and is not this a great cause for to walk rejoycingly Read that remarkable Scripture 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. One word more and so conclude It is
stand for the King I have spoke of three sorts of Ministers yet there is but one Truth Now this one Truth not being rightly known by these three sorts of Ministers hence it comes to pass That they preach Christ saith the Apostle out of envy and strife one against another Phil. 1.15 16 17. He that stands for the Truth as it is in Jesus and so preacheth it he only stands for the good of the King and Kingdom All of you say that you stand for the truth and preach the truth so there were some in the Church of Ephesus that seemed to be great and said they were Apostles but they were found lyers Revel 2.2 There is an old proverb Like Priests Sect. 2 like people and so on the other side as a State changes or alters in matters of Religion so the people will change and alter in matters of Religion but a State or a Councel of those men that are called Divines are not to fit at the stern as the steer-man doth for to compel by force or to force men in matters of Religion contrary to that which he knows himself and so doubtingly a man doth that out of fear which afterwards becomes sin For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 Therefore we ought to wait till God doth perswade the heart of a man for a man ought to be perswaded in his own minde that he may do nothing against the truth but for the truth Rom. 14.5 So in the next place let us look to him whose place it is to sit at the stern and that is Jesus Christ Now there is none that will presume to sit in that place with Jesus Christ but onely one and that is Antichrist and he with his do exalt themselves above Christ who is God as you may plainly see 2 Thes 2.4 7 8 9 10. And this mystery of iniquity is discovered in these latter times by the Spirit of Christs mouth and with the brightness of his coming Now Christ in the heart of a man is the onely and the alone steers-man he guides the soul in matters of Religion he teaches the soul the pure Religion which is to have faith in God and to fear and to love God and to have hope and confidence in God and he teaches the soul to know that he hath presented it to God without sin or spot of sin or wrinkle or any such thing and that it shall stand without blame forever before him in love and Christ in the soul doth help the soul in this present wicked world for to fly from sin as from a serpent and Christ by his Spirit doth lead forth the soul for to rejoyce in God and to see God rejoycing over it for to do it good Iere. 32.40 41. Eph. 5.27 And so likewise Christ leads forth the soul actively to be subject to the Magistrate in all lawful demands Rom. 13.1 5. And so likewise Christ doth help the soul passively to be subject to the Magistrate in all unlawful demands that is to suffer if you cannot do that which they command you as for instance Be it known unto thee O King say those three Worthies we wil not serve thy gods though thou cast us into the burning fiery furnace Dan. 3.18 19 20. And those that Christ doth thus inable can pray and do pray for the Magistrate therefore let them live peaceably by you in your Cities and Parishes and do not disdain them and force them to say as Paul said in another case and now we shal have no more place in these parts hardly to live in 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Rom. 15.23 There have been false Prophets Sect. 3 and false Teachers amongst the Churches in all ages of the world down to this very day 2 Pet. 2.1 Therefore saith our Savior Beware of false Prophets and false Teachers Mat. 7.15 Quest Object But how shal one know the true Teachers from the false Ans By their fruits saith Christ Sol. ye shal know them Mat. 7.16 Q. What is meant by Fruits Object Humane Learning or an outside shew of holiness for this the chief Priests and Pharisees had Ans Sol. Humane Learning and an outside shew of holiness are necessary but they are fruits that wil wither as the chief Priests and Pharisees did 1 Cor. 1.19 20 28 29. Mat. 23.28 Q. Object But how shal one know the fruits of the true Teachers of Christ and a true Beleever in Christ A. Sol. He that hath heard Christ and hath been taught by Christ is one in Truth and one with Truth and is puting off the old man and is puting on the new man and they are renewed in the spirit of their minds and are ordained of God in Christ to walk in good works before God and towards men Eph. 4.21 22 23 24. 2.10 Ioh. 15.4 5. Q. Quest But you wil say who must judg of these things A. Answ Not the Learned of the world nor the Elders that are in years but he that is an Elder in Christ for these things are foolishness to the natural learned men and the Elders only in years cannot perceive them how then can they judg But the spiritual man is able to judg of all things because he knows the mind of Jesus Christ who only knows the mind of God and reveals it to them by his Spirit who searcheth the deep things of God 1 Cor. 1.18 19. 1 Cor. 2.9 10 14 15 16. Q. Now you wil ask what can these men do more then other men Quest that you have spoke so much of A. Answ They can do more then the learned men of the world can do for they can read the Scriptures and speak the mind of Christ to the people distinctly and give a right sense of the Word because they have been with Jesus and Jesus hath been in them and hath given them an understanding for to know him to be the only Truth The chief Priests and Pharisees being grieved at Peter and Iohn took notice of them that they had been with Jesus and the chief Priests and the Elders put them into prison and threatned them as we do the poor Independents read Acts 4.2 3 13 21.23 and so 1 Ioh. 5.20 Q. But you wil say Quest Can you give an instance of such abilities in learned men and unlearned men and are there any such now in our days A. Ans Yes Ezra the Priest did read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading Neh. 8.2 3 5 8. And so likewise Peter and Iohn the Disciples of Christ they were unlearned men and yet they could not but speak the things which they had heard and seen Acts 4.13 20. And so likewise it was the practise of Christ himself begining at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures things concerning himself Luke 24.27 The letter of the Scriptures is as a parable to the learned of the world and to