Jer. 6. 21. For answer unto which let me acquaint the reader that I have had a little experience of these blocks in the way of a sinner to its Saviour The first stumbling block that lyeth in the way is this saith one I am sometimes unsatisfied and remain staggering and doubting whether the Scriptures called the Old and New Testament be the Word God yea or no. Answ If the Scriptures be not the Word of God then there is no rule to walk by but that every man may walk according to his own heart and as it seems good in his own eyes and this is a most pleasing bait whereby our Rantors and new upstart wantons are insnared and become the tribe of disobedience begotten by the seed of the Serpent and travelling towards the land of confusion and they will shortly arrive at the anger of God and be cast into the pit of his eternall displeasure But that the Scriptures are the Word of God it will clearly appear if we consider 1. By the powerfull effects that the Word hath and doth work upon the consciences of men as to avoid the evill and to chuse the good besides many wonderfull effects that have been wrought thereby in all ages 2. It doth appear that the Bible is the Word of God because it holds out holinesse more then any book in the world and they hold forth a self-denying spirit more then any book besides in the world by all which it doth appear that it is the Word of God 3. It doth further appear to be the Word of God because we finde many of the same things written in our hearts by the Finger of God his Spirit bearing witnesse with ours that we are his and both bearing witnesse that this is his Word 4. In respect of the matter of the Scripture it doth appear to be the Word of God for there cannot be more glorious matter for the creature to be centred upon so also for the sweet dependency of the creatures one upon another beasts nourish men and grasse them 5. The Scripture doth appear to be the Word of God because those things that have been promised the rein have in the appointed time come to passe in all ages so that things have fallen out in every age according to their severall prophesies and all this being so doth make it plainly appear to be the Word of God Now when a poor sinner converted hath gotten over this stumbling block and is in some measure satisfied that this is the Word of God so that the subtle Devill and his own deceitfull heart cannot cheat him here then he casts in a second stumbling block II. It is true it cannot be denyed but this is the Word of God and were it truly translated as it was left by the Prophets and Apostles in Hebrew and in Greek it were something but alas the Scripture is corrupted by a spirit of ignorance or a spirit of self-ends in our translations Answ It is possible here and there a word is not so clearly translated but what is that to thee seeing thou art not to build thy faith and adventure thy soul upon God as held forth in any single text but according to the harmony of Scriptures or generall scope and so they be truly translated as to instance in the Scriptures of the Old Testament Christ exhorted them to read the Scriptures and it cannot appear that the Bible should be corrupted since for besides the Apostles there were many thousands of learned Jewes that came to professe the Gospell Act. 21. 20. Jam. 1. 1. And the truth being so gloriously planted it doth appear it could not be corrupted the generality of Scriptures are truly clearly and faithfully translated so that whosoever readeth and understandeth affecteth beleeveth and applyeth and practiseth what is there held forth it is able to make him wise throughly furnished unto every good work c. and so we come to the third stumbling block III. I cannot but grant saith the doubting sinner but that the Scriptures are the Word of God as hath been proved and that they are not so much corrupted by the Translators but in the main and generall bulk are pure and clear but what is all this to me saith the poor soul If God had spoken particularly to me by his Prophets and Apostles as he did to the Jewes and Gentiles then it it were something but alas these promises were made to the people then as being and what is that to me unlesse God had spoken to me as he did to them Answ The promises do belong unto us now in being as well as unto them as doth clearly appear by these and the like Scriptures Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever was written afore-time was written for our learning Joh. 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeve in me through their word 1 Cor. 9. 10. Saith he it altogether for their sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written Rom. 4. 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone but for us also 1 Cor. 10. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Peter tels us from the Lord 2 Pet. 1. 20. that we must not make the Scripture speak in a private sense that is wee must not analyse or interpret them so as if the Prophesies thereof did relate only to the particular times places and persons in by and to whom they were at first uttered c. IV. After the sinner is got over the three former stumbling blocks he begins to run the waies of Gods Commandements and in his way he meets with a fourth block It is true saith he the Scriptures are the Word of God and in the main truly translated and they speak to me upon whom the ends of the world is come as well as unto the people in former ages But how shall I know what they mean The Scripture is to be understood in a spirituall sense the Book is sealed to me I cannot open the seal I want the Key of the Bible the Spirit of the Lord Isa 29. 11. Answ It is true the word is a spirituall word for holy men of old spake as the Spirit gave them utterance and the Apostles spake as the Spirit gave them utterance Act. 2. 4. So that neither the learned man nor the unlearned man can understand this Book till the Spirit of God doth open this unto them see Isa 29. 11 12. And the Apostles themselves although they had been a long time with Christ and heard his woâ—ds and seen his miracles yet Christ after his resurrection must come and open their understandings before they could understand the Scriptures Luk. 24. 45. Again the Scriptures are sometimes to be understood in a literall sense sometimes in a spirituall sense and sometimes in both sometimes as they are exprest sometimes as included sometimes as
power of the spirit and so are become new creatures partakers of Christ a chosen Generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation Kings and Priests unto God Members of Christ anoynted with the same holy Unction and to the same glory and dignity only in subordination to him as the Members to the head the yonger brethren to the first-born for in all things Christ hath the preheminence and yet they are all one in him according to the spirit however different according to the flesh one from nother according to the spirit they are Sion the beloved City the Kingdome and temple of God and he and his glory appertaineth to them and is their portion glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of god the most high in the midst of thee he shall exalt thee and delight in thee This is Sion that no man regardeth the place and habitation that God hath chosen in which he will dwell and rest for ever because he hath loved and desired it yea God the Father disdains not to count them his Sons and Daughters the Son is not ashamed to call them Brethren the Holy Ghost is pleased to make them his Temples they are called effectually justified freely sanctified graciously and shall be glorified eternally they are servants of God not only servants but friends not only friends but Sons not only Sons but Heires to inherit his Kingdome not only Heirs but co-heirs with Christ no condemnation shall befall them nothing in the world shall separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ all things in the world shall work together for their good all the surest promises are theirs all the richest graces are theirs all the sweetest comforts are theirs all the highest priviledges are theirs all the noblest hopes are theirs what shall we say theirs is Christ and in Christ all things O happy happy is that Assembly of Saints that thus have the Lord to be their God Obj. But I cannot see nor heare of any such pure Church upon earth as you have hinted at and with whom to joyn I know not therefore let me intreat you to lend me your advice in giving me some clear characters of a visible Church that are pure in doctrine and holy Life and Conversation that I may sit down there Answ The Church of God in Scripture is resembled to a naturall body wherein are many Members united each to other and to one head and by one spirit growing up in unity Now as in the naturall body there may be many infirmities and many things are lyable to offend and hurt it so also it is in this mysticall sometimes it may be subject to distempers by undigested humors the want of through closing with and drinking in Divine truths or the receiving untruths may occasion a surfet sometimes windy humours of pride high-mindednesse and lying spirits getting into some of its Members may distemper it Sometimes Feaverish heats of violent headinesse in stead of well-tempered zeale for God and godlinesse may inflame it and sometimes the cold anguish or Palsy-humours of deadnesse in and benumednesse to spirituall motions in its tendency to its spirituall and supream end may so sease upon him as much to impaire its strength and to outward appearance bring it nigh unto death but God whose temple it is commande thee not to judge according to outward appearance but to judge righteous judgement Because he whose Temple it is hath provided for it against such distempers both Meat and Medicine to feed and cure it so is every one that through grace is brought to beleeve in Christ and gathered up in the fellowship with those that have fellowship with the Father and the Son in one spirit 1 Joh. 1. 3. Now this body may have many weaknesses within and enemies without indangering it yea that many parts of it may be sorely laid open to infections from divers that seem to be of it or at least converse with it and so to poyson it by the insnarement of false Prophets holding forth false Christs these deseivers in stead of hastening mens growth up in Christ which they pretend doe secretly and subtilely corrupt men from the simplicity that is in Christ These are those hirelings that Christ speaks of that come to us in sheeps clothing but let us beware of them and hold fast the head ftom whence we receive the right and true Spirit that we may grow up together by that which every joynt supplyeth so shall our feet abide within the gates of new Jerusalem and the Lord himselfe shall dwell amongst us judge rule and teach us and in his teachings we shall not be vainly pust up with a Carnall minde Now if thou wouldst finde out an Assembly of Saints living stones not only hewn and squared but built up together a Spirituall house Eph. 2. 20 21. and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner-stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom the true Church of Christ is built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit this holy City this Spouse this Kings Daughter Wise of the Lambe this Virgin this garden inclosed may be known 1. By her keeping up the garment of Christs righteousnesse within viz. pure distinct in the doctrinall part Secondly by her keeping up or putting on the garment of Christs holinesse without viz. holy in life and conversation and so I shall proceed to lay down some characters of both by which this true Church may be discerned 1. That Church that is pure in doctrine doth hold the Scriptures known by the names of the Old and new Testament are the holy Word of God and the rule of knowing and living unto God whosoever betakes himselfe to any other way cannot be saved see and well consider these Scriptures 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. and 2 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. and 2 Cor. 1. 13. Act. 26. 22. and John 5. 39. John 4. 22. and 2 Pet. 2. 1. and 2 Pet. 3. 12. A true Church holdeth that all men by nature are dead in Trespasses and sins nay that all persons by nature are children of wrath being guilty of Adams sinne and sinfull in their owne nature deserving thereby eternall damnation from which no person no not by the death of Christ who is not regenerated and borne againe or made a new creature is freed from Acts 17. 30 31. and Acts 26. 17 18 19 20. and Luke 24. 47. and Acts 20. 20 21. and John 5. 24 25. 3. A true Church holdeth that there is an Almighty God filling Heaven and Earth with his presence who is the Creatour and Governour and Judge of the world Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 1. 19 20 21. and 1 Cor. 1. 21. and 2 Thes 1. 8. Rom. 1. 18. 25. and 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. and that this God is one Lord and yet there is a Trinity in Vnity and a Vnity in Trinity viz.
cups out of which you drink on the bed-steeds where you lye on the wals of the house where you dwell on the garments which you wear and on the foreheads of all them whom ye meet and on your own selves in every member of your body and faculty of the soul Psal 39. 5. Every man at his best estate is vanity Where is the glory of Solomon the sumptuous buildings of Nebuchadnezzar the nine hundred Chariots of Sicera the power of Alexander the authority of Augustus that commanded the whole world to be taxed all these at their best estates weâ—e but vanity nay take Solomon for beauty Samson for strength Achitophell for policy Haman for favour Ahasael for swiftnesse Alexander for great conquests and yet all these at their best estate are altogether vanity Wherefore centre not in any creature comfort take not up thy rest in any thing be this side God the God of rest and peace for all is mutable that hath the name of creature upon it only the Creator is immutable and unchangeable in all that he saith or doth if he be once a Father he will be ever a Father if once a Friend he will be ever a Friend if he once love thee he will never hate thee and for this ground it is we are commanded to love him with a supreme love if we love father mother wife or children more then he we be not worthy of him nay we cannot be his disciples unlesse we in a sense hate all theâ—e for his sake Luk. 14. 26. Moses desired to see the Lord that he might know him more perfectly and the Lord told him Exod. 33. 20. Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live and Paul renders the reason of this 1 Tim. 6. 16. who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see in a word man is so vailed and clouded and narrow spirited that at the highest degree he can know God but only in his attributes and that but in part neither for he is wonderfull in every attribute and as the Prophet saith such knowledge is too wonderfull for me wherefore to winde up all and for the removing of this stumbling block endevour to beleeve in one God Father of all and in one Lord Jesus Christ redeemer of all and in one sanctifying Spirit of grace it is the office of the Father to Elect the office of thâ— Sonne to Redeem and the office of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifâ—e those and only those whom the Father hath elected and the Sonne redeemed Endevour in the Name of the Lord to see the Father love thee freely and the Sonne manifesting that unto thee and the Spirit beginning to evidence it in thee further endevour to see that the Father loves thee as redeemed by the Sonne the Sonne looks upon thee and loves thee as being given by the Father for him to redeem and the Holy Ghost seeing the love of the Father in choosing thee and the love of the Sonne in redeeming thee he also sets his love upon thee and will shortly manifest it unto thee and evidence it in thee this is that intenall eternall Word by which all things were made supported ruled quickned enlightned and judged this glorious infinite wisdome was vailed in flesh and so God manifest in the flesh was the mirror of Angels the terrour of Devils the expectation of the new creation in a word it is as easie to compasse the heaven with a span and to contain the sea in a nut-shell as to apprehend or comprehend this internall eternall being in the fulnesse thereof we may as soon fill a bag with wisdome and a chest with virtue and a circle with a triangle as the heart of man with the knowledge of God man may have some glimerings and know him in part and this is life eternall but dark man is so narrow spirited that in all things God is above him he saith of himself to man My waies are not your waies nor my thoughts your thoughts for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my thoughts above your thoâ—ghts and my waies above your waies Isai 55. 9. as if the Lord had said there is as vast a difference between my knowledge of you and your knowledge of me as there is distance between the heaven and the earth my dispositions and dealings both for mercy and goodnesse and for firmnesse and faithfulnesse are as farre above your understanding as the highest heavens are above the very centre of the earth and farre higher for the one is unmeasurable yet finite whereas the other because infinite is for greatnesse and amplitude and immensity inconceivable The best of men that have bowels of compassion some tender heartednesse some ingenuity and readinesse to remit a wrong or some firmnesse or faithfulnesse in making good what they promise what is all this to that which is in God for so much as God is above man in point of Majesty so he is above man in mercy he is a guide to lead you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you a plaister to heal you he will stand you in stead when friends forsake you he is as swift to shew mercy as he is slow to anger he will carry you through the hardest services with the greatest swiftnesse if he give us more knowledge of him we shall live more upon him and delight more in him and be more conformable unto him true happinesse lies only in our injoyment of a sutable good a pure good a totall good an eternall good and God is only such a good the treasure of the Saints is the knowledge of God the presence of God the favour of God union and communion with God the pardon of sin the joy of the Spirit and peace of conscience all which câ—mes into the soule by the knowledge of Christ and is clouded again in the absence of Christ a man wiâ—hout this knowledge of Christ and God is as a workman without hands a painter without eyes a traveller without legs a ship without sails or a bird without wings or as a body without a soul all our discouragements doe flow from our ignorance and want of faith in this Almighty God viz. it springs from our ignorance of the riches freenesse fulnesse and everlastingnesse of Gods love or from our ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and of the sufferings of Christ Jesus our Lord or from our ignorance of the worth glory fulnesse and compleatnesse of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ or from our ignorance of that reall close spirituall glorious and inseparable union that there is between Christ and our precious souls To drive further into this mystery time would fail me strength fail me light would fail me I doe rather lispe then speak in the things of God and therefore must I needs stammer in so mysterious a point as this
power but of God 2. In a sense warily understood there is a power in every creature 1. There is no power but of God essentially originally or habitually 2. There is a power in every creature distributively and virtually by way of participation Now there is no power in any beneath God himself essentially and originally in this sense all creatures are powerlesse and strengthlesse but then in the second place as God in whom all power is hath impowered man so farre man hath a power and although this talent or talents was given him by the Lord and was the Lords yet it being given man it becomes his and is called mans and God at the last commends or condemns the party for improving or not improving this power bestowed on him to speak after the manner of men let us then consider the most inconsiderable creatures as the Swallow the Pismire the Crane and the Sparrow all these have received a power from God and hath God given no power to man whom he hath made Lord of all these creatures Man hath a great power over the beasts for man is a superiour but the beasts themselves have a great deal of power over the grasse and hearbs for the beast is the superiour In a word if the Scriptures shall be our rule and the Spirit our guide and the glory of God our aime then the Scripture holds forth a twofold power that is distributed or given forth to the creature the first is common to all the second is proper only to some The first is naturall the second is spirituall The naturall power is given forth universally to every mothers sonne and daughter of us as one talent which we ought not to hide in a napkin so Pilat had received power as Christ tels him Joh. 19. 10 11. Again have any of us done so much good or refrained so much evill as we might have done See Heb. 5. 12. see Jer. 35. 6. 18 19. Yea the worst of all created creatures the Devill himself hath a power First he hath the power of conquest for in Adams fall Satan conquered the whole world all mankinde they were the Devils conquest upon the fall so that when a man is converted then he is said to come out of the Kingdome of Satan but since this head doth begin to be bruised he cannot doe all things without leave There was a speciall temptation upon the countrey in his running their heard of swine into the sea and he had leave for that before he did it there was a speciall temptation upon Ahab in the lying spirit of the Prophets and he had a speciall leave and permission from God there was a speciall temptation coming down upon the Disciples and he would have had leave for that Simon Simon Satan hath desired you he was fain to aske leave before he can execute his power he is called in Scripture The Prince of the power of the aire the same words that are given unto God for good in Scripture are given also unto Satan for evill the Holy Ghost is said to enlighten a man Satan is said for to blinde him The god of this world hath blinded their eyes saith the Apostle the Spirit is said to rule in us Satan is said to rule in the children of disobedience the Holy Ghost is said to work in us mightily the same word is used for him also the Holy Ghost is said to fill the hearts of beleevers they were filled with the Holy Ghost so are mens hearts said to be filled with Satan Sayes Peter to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart Now doth God impower Fowls and Fishes and Beasts of the earth and every one to act in his kinde and is man left powerlesse Nay hath the Devill himself a power and man none this is the errour of men not the language of the Scripture for the Lord is so just and his waies so equall that he never requires impossible things of his creatures Only take notice of this by the way although I doe affirme that all men have a naturall power yet I doe not say that every man naturally hath it in the same measure neither doe I say or affirme that naturall power can act in supernaturall things no more then a bird can live in the sea or a fish in the air See Rom. 1. 19 20. 2. There is a spirituall power and this is not given forth to all universally as the other is but only to those that are new born by this power according to the measure of the gift of Christ they can pray in the Spirit rejoyce in the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit by this power they pull down strong houses and cast down imaginations by this power they can keep down their corruptible body as Paul 2 Cor. 9. 27. Now if any body should say that a new creature hath no spirituall power I will aske him to what end is there so many precepts exhortations and perswasions to these people If no power in these men cease to teach man as good goe teach the Sunne Moon and Stars which way they shall goe the winde to blow or the sea to ebbe and flow goe teach the fish to swim the bird to flie for they have power but by their opinion man hath none and indeed if man spiritually should have no power to act goe and rase out these and the like ensuing Scriptures as requiring that of man which he hath no power to doe Luk. 13. 24. Rom. 15. 30. Heb. 12. 4. Heb. 12. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 12. Jer. 4. 14. Mat. 11. 28. Jer. 3. 13. Let no man therefore say that he hath no power in any sense lest he make God the author of all his omissions which should be charged upon the creature not upon the Creator for he gives to every man some talent or talents as to some worldly and naturall talents as wisdome wealth and art c. and to others spirituall talents or gifts as to prophesie interpret work miracles c. Questionlesse there is no man that improves his talent so well as he ought and might improve it and God may upon the non-improvement of what we have deny us more and where he finds us faithlesse in a little it 's but meet that he should deny us much also God may very justly damn men for not improving what he gives them and call them to an account as a Lord doth his faithlesse and unprofitable servant and steward therefore the very Heathens that had but the very light of nature will be inexcusable at the day of Judgement for not walking and acting according to that light and instinct in them though they never heard Scripture Law nor Gospell So that to sinne against the law of nature onely is enough to damn men if the improving of the law of nature is not sufficient to save men for there is a knowledge of Christ faith in him obedience to him
keep the Gospel from being preached if he cannot do that he will labour to poyson the doctrine if he cannot do that he will endeavour to keep the people from hearing if he cannot prevaile in that he will endeavour to have them hear negligently if he cannot do that he will endevour to hinder them in receiving those things that doe most concern them if he cannot do that then he will do what he can to hinder them in the practise of what they have heard learned received and treasured up and if so no mervail that there is so much preaching and hearing and so little good done that we might even say the converting power of the Ordinances are gone we see not God in them it is even dark and professors themselves walk in the dark and are so beset with temptations that they have much adoe to hold up Surely there is a way if we could light on it there is a spirituall skill if we could attain it if we could find it we should take a Bible and read and understand what we read and effect it believe it and apply it and enjoy it O Lord poure out thy spirit and open those Seals wherewith our Bible is sealed the Key of Logick cannot open the Seales the Key of Rhetorick and Phylosophy cannot open it it is that golden Key the spirit of the Lord that can do it that spirit will shew us how much of the Scripture is already fulfilled what is now fulfilling and what is yet to be fulfilled yea this is the way to know what Scriptures are to be understood litterally and what spiritually this will help us how to know when Christ speaks Mysterially and when he speaks Regally when he speaks to us as a Priest or as a Pprophet c. Now is not this blessed Key of the Bible the Spirit of the Lord worth an asking Luke 11. 13. If ye then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Oh let us ask then that we may receive that our joy may be full it is no â—esse then the mighty work of God to give us understanding in his Word Luke 24. 25. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures by his holy spirit giving them understanding it is true the Word of God shineth as a true light yet as the cloudy pillar was darkness to the Egyptians so are the Scripures to carnall and corrupt mindes because it is spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. untill the Holy Ghost open the understanding it cannot apprehend there is no worse cloud to obscure the light of the spirit then confidence in our own wisdome 2 Cor. 2. 3 4. Psal 119. 18. 1 Cor. 3. 7. So that where God who hath the key of David opens not there the Gospel though never so powerfully preached is hid and nothing affecteth the stupid the drowsie hearer See 2 Cor. 2. 4. Therefore let every Christian have a recourse to those promises in Scripture wherein he hath promised to open our blinde eyes and soften our hard hearts and fill us with the knowledge of his will and write his Law in our hearts and manifest himself to our soules our heavenly Father hath made his will and given us great wealth rich possessions and large legacies so that all his children are great heires wherefore we ought to come to him with an unshaken expectation and a frequent suing for all that is promised and not to suffer our heavenly Father to purse or keepe one penny that is due to us by promise but he shall be sure to heare of it and if he do not presently give in according to his covenant then let us draw a Petition and prefer it in the Court of Heaven where we have an Advocate pregared Jesus Christ the righteous to plead our case without a fee 1 Joh. 2. 1. Now this spirituall skill before spoken of which here I do endeavor to point at doth lye much in these three things 1. Consider whose Word it is and by whom it was spoken 2. Consider what he is that hath thus spoken to us by the Prophets 3. Consider what are the particular things or promises in it 1. Consider whose and by whom it was spoken and how it hath relation to us of these things or at least of some of them I have spoken somthing to in another Treatise but for two reasons I do write them here First because they are suitable and will fall in in order to what I have been writing in this Book Secondly because the Lord hath enlarged them upon my own heart well to return to the businesle in hand whose Word it is My friends that book which we call the Bible is the Word of God as we have proved at large in removing the first stumbling block the Prophets and Apostles were the mouth of God to the people as doth appeare in and by these Scriptures which I shall onely quote and leave the Reader to consider them Acts 3. 21. Heb. 1. 1. Acts 2. 4. Luke 10. 16. Mat. 10. 20. Now if these be the sayings of God they shall be undoubtedly made good so that every tittle of them shall be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. Luke 16. 17. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 10. 23. Obj. I grant this that it is the saying of God but what is that to me saith a misgiving heart Alas these precious promises that you lay before me are not mine they were made to the people then in being Answ They do belong to us as well as unto them and were written for our learning as well as theirs as doth appeare by these John 17. 20. Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 10. Rom. 4. 23 24. 1 Cor. 10. 11. By all which it doth fully appear that the promises and threatnings doe reach and relate to us as well as the people then in being to whom it was spoken 2 Pet. 1. 20. for no prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation that is we must not analise or interpret them so as if the Prophesies thereof did relate only to the particular Times Places and Persons in by and to whom they were at first uttered c. 2. Let us consider what he is that hath thus spoken to us in the Old and New Testament by the Prophets and Apostles for it is of exceeding great advantage to us to know him They that know thee will put their trust in thee And the reason wherefore we have so little faith in him is because we have so little knowledge of him c. 1. He is one that waiteth to shew mercy and doth not afflict willingly Mch. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity because thou dost delight in mercy therefore verse 19. he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquity and cast all our sinnes in the deepe of the Sea 2. He is one that hath
rich and miserable with Dives Oh! I see I see that one storm at Sea one coale of Fire one false Friend one unadvised word one false Witness may make a rich man a Beggar and a Prisoner altogether Surely if this had been considered some things had been reformed that were not Did you never read Psal 12. 5. Now for the oppression of the needy and for the sighs of the poore I will up saith the Lord and will set at liberty c. And in Psalm 146. 9. The Lord keepeth the Stranger he relieveth the Fatherlesse and Widow c. Did you not know that the oppression of the poor which was so great in the midst of us would pull down the judgement of God upon the heads of those that had power to relieve them and would not May not many of you hereafter say as Philip the third of Spain whose life was free from gross evils being in the Agony of death fear struck into him and these words burst from him Oh would to God I had never reigned Oh that I had lived a solitary life with God and not opprest the people What doth all my honour profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death My day of account is very neere and all men shall know and feel that the sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflowing of sin and the overflowing of oppression causeth the overflowing of vengeance Abused oportunity will most certainly turn into fury for Gods long forbearance is no acquittance the day is at hand when he will pay negligent men and women for mispending precious time and for the abuse of new and old mercies in the day of account Mens actions are all in print and they shall be read aloud in the eares of all the world that all the righteous Nation that shall enter in may say Amen to that righteous Sentence that Christ shall pass upon all those that had a prize put into their hands to mind his glory and to unload his people of their heavy burthens that the oppressed might go free but they had no heart to it as in the Proverbs But instead thereof sought great things for themselves as in Jer. 45. 5. Nay though Moses and Aaron two choice Christians and Champions did lead and govern Israel for a long time notwithstanding many dangers and difficulties yet they were at last shut out of Canaan because they did not sanctifie the Lord God at the water of Meribah Deut. 32. 15. and Numb 27. 14 15. For ye were disobedient unto my Word in the strife of the Assembly c. A word of Advice to the present Supream Authority of ENGLAND c. Most noble and honoured Sirs WHom God even the God of the spirits of all flesh hath at present intrusted with the highest places not only in the Field but also in the seat of Justice My prayers to God for you are that the Lord would make you rather gracious and inwardly holy then outwardly happy and give you a spirit of divine wisdome and valour suitable to the work that lyeth before you that ye may improve the present oportunity that is put into your hands for the glory of God that gave it you Consider the presence of the Lord is in the midst of you the prayers of his Saints and Servants are continually poured out for you the eyes of the people are upon you all expecting some great things to be done by you yea and the other parts of the world look upon you if ye go on in a way of righteousness they will follow you It will be a glory for the English Nation to give a blessed example to all the people of the earth to free themselves from tyranny and slavery If a worm might be thought worthy to advise you then give me leave to tell you there is but one thing in the main that God and his people doe expect from you viz. That ye would eye the Lord Jesus in all your actings and advance his Kingdome as much as in you lyeth and if this be uppermost in your hearts first in your thoughts and most constant in your purposes so that ye do in your judgements prefer and in your wills deliberately mind the glory of God the advancement of the Kingdome of his dear Son by the assistance of his holy Spirit then shall the work of the Lord prosper in your hands and the day shall be light before you and his footsteps that are not yet known shall be discovered to you and ye shall see your work before you Christ was once humbled that we might be exalted let him now be exalted that we might willingly be humbled by him although he be willing to give you grace yet his glory he will not give to any other Let it be a comfort for you that he hath exalted you in the hearts of his people although you are a table-talk and a by-word and a scorn in the hearts and by the tongues of his enemies Well would you stand your selves now others are fallen and not only keep but also add to the honour which God hath given you Then make it your business to exalt the Kingdome of Christ not only in your selves but also in this and the neighbouring Nations and remember that the rock of ages pulleth down some to the end that others might not exalt themselves when they are in power for the Lord hath decreed to stain the pride of all earthly honour and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth that so all flesh might be humbled and the Lord alone exalted therefore seek not ye great things for your selves as many of those that went before you lest ye be laid aside and no eye pitty you Provide nothing more for your selves then ye have I beseech you but to seek for the honour of Christ and the freedome of the Saints and these Nations wherein your owne freedomes and safeties are involved Consider that the Lord hath hitherto made some of you friends to his people and a terrour to their and his enemies and our prayer to the Lord is that he would teach you as once he did good Nehemiah to do many years hard service freely because the payments were heavy upon their fellow creatures as you may see in Neh. 5. 14. 18. That ye may say as that servant of Christ did to the glory of God and the shame of the former self-seeking powers ver 15. But the former Governours that had been before me were chargable unto the people and had taken of them their Bread and Wine besides fourty shekels of Silver but so did not I said this good man because of the feare of the Lord. I have but a few things more to begg of you as upon my bended knees and with weeping eyes which if ye will but hear and grant it may make much for the glory of God the honour of the three Nations and the Comfort of your owne Souls The first thing is that
the Scripture saith that he shall perish eternally if he be not new born and taken out of the first Adam and graffed in the second But some will object or demand Whether a soul thus convinced doth beleeve first or repent before it doth beleeve But for answer hereunto consider that there are three acts of faith viz. 1. The assenting act 2. The relying act or Faith of relyance 3. The Faith of evidence or perswasion Now the assenting act of faith is repentance and so godly sorrow is an effect of it so that this assenting act of faith leads a soul to an ordinance in Gods hand as to the first part of repentance consisting in conviction contrition and humiliation now the habit of faith and repentance are both together in the soul we only question which God doth give the soule power to act first and for the further clearing hereof consider That a soul cannot come to Christ till it goes out of its selfe now a soul will not goe out of its self till it doth see the danger of continuing in its self this danger workes fear this fear workes sorrow and this sorrow is humiliation and this cannot be without the first act of faith seeing we cannot dive into the dispensations of God by a bucket of reason It is true that the troop of Converts Act. 2. 37. they were pricked at their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do and in Act. 16. 29. the Jaylor came trembling and fell at their feet and said Sirs what must I do to be saved So that repentance is the effect of faith and the cause must needs go before the effect only minde that repentance hath three parts to wit conviction contrition and humiliation or the turning of the soul from sin and the conversion of the soul to God and this cannot be done in Gods ordinary way before the habit of faith be wrought in the soul so that we may judge of the habit of faith by the acts of humiliation that it doth work in the soul The next thing to be considered is What is that conversion of a sinner so much spoken unto in the Scriptures For answer unto which it is most clear by Scripture and experience that the conversion of a man is as hard a thing as to turn the course of nature rewards and punishments proposed may turn mens actions but to turn the inclination of the heart is proper to the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. By the Spirit of the Lord we are changed into the Image of God and this Spirit will shew you the corruption of your understanding memory conscience will and affâ—ctions with thoughts words and deeds and actions omissions commissions and by a mighty power change all these into the Image of God There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead and that made the world that can turn the heart of a sinner we are as well able to turn a flint into flesh as to turn our own hearts to the Lord to raise the dead and to make a world as to repent Repentance is a flower that grows not in natures garden Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may they also that are accustomed to do evill do good Jer. 13. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above men are not born with repentance in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouths the same power that formes the child in the naturall wombe for the child doth not forme its selfe and its father and mother are but the meanes I say the same power that gives it the first birth must give it the second birth or else it will not be borne again and if not it can never enter into the Kingdome of heaven Joh. 3. 3. No power but the power of the Almighty can convert a sinner or recover a backslider Turn thou me and I shall be turned saith Ephraim After that I was turned I repented saith he For as Mr. Thomas Brooks well observes repentance hath in it these three things 1. The act to turne from darknesse to light 2. The subject changed that is the whole man both the sinners heart and life first his heart then his life first his person then his practise it is a through change both of the mind and man 3. The termes of his change and conversion from what and to what the whole heart and life must be changed and that is from all sin to good repentance is not only a turning from all sin but also a turning to all good at least to love all good to a prizing of all good and to a following after all good Ezek. 18. 21. c. it is not enough that the tree beares not bad or ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut down and cast into the fire true repentance strips a man starke naked of all the garment of the old Adam and leaves not so much as a skirt behind in this rotten building It makes a man poor hungry empty naked lost and blind c. these are those to whom the promises be made and these are those that Christ came to seek and save heal and pardon Object But say many sinners If this worke be such a mighty worke that none can doe it but the almighty power of God to what end shall I look or dive into my selfe and my lost condilion seeing I cannot recover my selfe out Answ It is the Pool of Bethesda appointed by God for a sinner to wait at and the way of God that he will be found in and the place in which he hath abundantly promised in his Word that he will manifest himselfe to us in he never said to any soul that doth wait upon him in the way of his ordinances seek ye me in vain but he saith seek ye me in this way and you shall finde me aske hear and you shall have for these ordinances are my Pipes of conveyance Object But why doth God promise eternall life onely to those that beleeve and threaten death to those that do not beleeve seeing it is not in a mans power by nature to beleeve Answ 1. That the Lord might by means of these promises and threats work us unto that which by nature we are averse unto 2 Cor. 11. 20 21. 2. That the grace of God might as well appear in giving power to beleeve as in giving Christ and in him forgiveness of sins to be beleeved Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy so again Rom. 11. 5 6 7. 3. That all men might appeare more and more inexcusable when neither promises nor threats will move them to embrace free mercy Acts 13. 46. Seeing you put the word from you loe we turne to the Gentiles and in the 51. verse so they shooke the
so the Will of man is wholly depraved it is contrary to God in all things it will not depend nor wait on God it is unconstant in good resolutions the Memory also is full of corruption being apt to forget the things we are commanded to remember and to remember the things we are commanded to forget Jam. 1. 25. So likewise the Conscience is corrupted it abuseth and perverteth the light it hath to make sinnes small where it should accuse it great and sometimes to make sinnes so great as to say there is no mercy for them whereas it should rather excuse and comfort And so for our Affections how are they corrupted being misplaced and ready to run over either to over-love over-grieve over-joy or to hate what it should love and to love what it should hate as our lusts why else do we lodge them and turn enemies to those that reprove us Behold here is a taste of mans corrupt nature and the Apostle saith if a man live and die in this condition he cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. the whole sense is no man can know the mysteries of the Kingdome of grace without a regenerate minde and therefore no man can be saved by adoption without regeneration and renovation of the whole man for as hath been proved we are born aliens from the kingdome of God Ephes 2. 1 12 13. and meer enemies Rom. 5. 10. untill we are born again of water and of the Holy Ghost hence it is that the Apostle requireth a new creature a new man 1 Cor. 5. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. The unregenerate man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he because they be spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Wherefore wait at the pools of Bethesda at the ordinances of God being the pipes of conveyance for the finishing of this great work in thy soul I say wait upon God in hearing reading conversing and inquiring and that diligently and constantly this work deserred will be still greater the time to doe it in will be shorter the strength to doe it will be lesse therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice Heb. 3. 15. 13. to day lest any of you be â—ardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Now thou being throughly and powerfully convinced of sinne which is the stumbling blocke that seems to lie in thy way consider that this conviction is the first step towards heaven Joh. 16. 8. 1. Then consider that these sinnes of thine were laid on the Lord Jeâ—us Christ Isa 53. 6. God laid on him the iniquities of us all and he hath suffered the judgements due to them Iâ—a 53. 7 8 9. And the Lord saw the travell of his soul and was satisfied 2. Consider that God hath promised to pardon them and those promises are of two sorts some conditionall and some free without conditions first some conditionall Matth. 11. 28. Prov. 28. 13. If we confesse and forsake our sinnes we shall finde mercy Then secondly there be some promises without conditions Isa 43. 25 26. Heb. 8. 12. I will doe it for my owne names sake freely 3. Consider that this God is mindfull of his promise Psal 111. 5. He will ever be mindefull of his covenant that is he looks nâ—t at their sinnes but at his own promise Iâ—a 49. 15 16. Can a Woman fâ—rget her suckâ—ng châ—â—de that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee for I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands c. 4. Consider he is able and willing to make good what he hath promised Rom. 4. 20 21. He staggered not at the promises of God 21. For he was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe Again he is willing he doth not afflict willingly Mica 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercy 5. Consider he is faithfull he cannot lie Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 24. 2 Thes 3. 3. In a word he is so faithfull that he cannot but make good every title promised Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised the best of men may promise and lie but it is God that cannot lie that hath promised us life 6. Consider that he hath entred into covenant to us to make it good Now a Covenant giveth strength to the truth of any ingagement when we have but a promise we use to say we have nothing but a bare promise for such and such things now God hath made many promises all sealed and made sure to us by an unchangeable Covenant see 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. Psal 89. 28 to the 37. compared with Heb. 8 9 10. 7. Consider that he hath sworne to us that he will make good his Covenant to us because he delights not in the destruction of us Ezek. 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the the wicked Heb. 6. 17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things we might have a strong consolation 8. He hath sealed his Promise Oath and Covenant c. with the bloud of his Sonne Rom. 5. 6. Heb. 9. 23. Revel 1. 5. In a word to winde up all the Lord hath taken away all the stumbling blocks that lay in our way either from the truth of him that maketh the promise or from his ability to make good his word or of his sincerity to intend really what he speaketh or of his constant memory of taking the opportunity of doing the thing promised or of his stablenesse to be still of the same minde XVII The seventeenth stumbling block that doth many times lie in a Christians way may be this about the Trinity I having received satisfaction in all the former things thought all was well with me saith another Christian but behold I see a greater mountain lying in my way then any of the former and I have no hope either to get over it or to have it removed and that is I doe not know God and He will come in flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that doe not know him 1 Thess 2. 8. Nay it seems to be a paradox to me that there should be three Gods and yet but one God nay some of our Ministers do say that there are three persons and if so there must be there distinct beings others say again that there is but one God and the Scripture saith O Israel the Loâ—d thy God is one Lorâ— and whom to beleive
I have been speaking to XVIII The next stumbling block is or may be this I fear saith another poor stammering soul that I shall never be saved for Christ tels me plainly Mat. 5. 20. that except my righteousnesse doe exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees I shall not be saved and I have examined my self and doe finde that my righteousnesse is so farre from exceeding theirs that theirs doe much exceed mine Answ The Scribes and Pharisees sought righteousnesse only by the works of the Law which made none perfect in that the Scriptures saith it was weak through the flesh Rom. 8. 3. none were able to fulfill it therefore Israel attained not to the Law of righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9. 31. our righteousnesse must exceed this as doth the righteousnesse which is of faith in Jesus who perfectly fulfilled the Law for us or you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven For by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified Rom. 3. 20. and we are justified by faith only without the works of the Law Now if by righteousnesse was meant works of mens own acting as temperance obedience mercy and justice and upright dealing then we finde in Scripture that Heathens have outstript many if not most of us 1. For temperance King Ahasuerus Hester 1. 8. a Heathen King made a law that no man should be compelled to drink and yet many that call themselves Christians can hardly lay aside their drinking of healths 2. For Obedience when King Abimelech took Abrahams Wife no sooner did the Lord command him to deliver her to Abraham again but he obeyed the command of the Lord. Jonah preached at Niniveh to the Heathen and no sooner did they hear him but they did beleeve and repent 3. For Mercy when Paul and the rest of the company suffered ship-wrack the Heathen came and did receive them See Act. 28. 1 2 3. 4. For Justice and upright dealing the King of Sodome a Heathen when Abraham had overcome the four Kings and brought home the Sodomites the King of Sodome said unto him Give me the men and take thee the goods for thy pains Belshazzaâ— see how he kept promise with Daniel for when he saw the hand writing on the wall he said unto Daniel If thou wilt interpâ—et it for me I will make thee the third ruler in my kingdome Daniel told him that it tended to the ruining of him and all his house and notwithstanding this Heathen King kept promise with him and made him the third ruler in the land Dan. the 5. from the 16. to the 29. vers Again consider well this Scripture Ezek. 5. from the 6. verse to the end of that chapter the Lord doth send heavie judgements upon his people for being out stript by Heathens Vers 6. Shee hath changed my judgements into wickednesse more thâ—n the Nations and my Statutes more then the Countries round about therefore Vers 7. Thus saith the Lord God because ye multiplyed more then the Nations that are round about you and have not walked in my Statutes neither have kept my Judgemenâ—s Vers 8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I am against thee and will execute Judgements in the midst of thee in the sight of the Nations and I will doe in thee that which I have not done and whereunto I will not doe any more the like because of all thy abominations Vers 12. Therefore a third part of thee shall die with the pestilence and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee and I will scatter a third part into all the world and I will draw out a sword after them Verâ— 13. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal when I have accomplished my fury in them c. From all which we may clearly learn that God will not spare a sinfull people but let out his fury to the full to the highest degree stirre up all his wrath pour out his full vials upon a disobedient people although they were known by the name of the Lords owne inheritance if their righteousnesse doth not exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees But on the contrary if their wickednesse doe exceed the wickednesse of the Heathen then there is no escaping from Gods judgements one or other will overtake them 1 King 19. 15. The Lord will scatter them into Babylon Moab Ammon Egypt Psal 44. 12. So that if we look only upon the externall performance and judge according to the outward appearance you shall finde many civilized men and women out-strip some of the Saints but yet for all that we are exhorted by Christ in some cases not to judge according to the outward appearance but to judge righteous judgement Joh. 7. 24. Now the righteousnesse of a Christian doth exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and all Heathens in the world in these two things 1. By faith in Christ whereby all the righteousnesse of Christ is made his 2. In works done in faith which the other cannot doe one thing done in faith is better then a thousand in unbelief Rom. 14. 23. 1. Every Christians righteousnesse doth exceed that of the Pharisees by saith in Christ whereby the righteousnesse of Christ is made his by faith the poor creature seeth all his sinnes which the Spirit of God had convinced him of laid upon Christ Isai 53. 6. Again by faith he cometh to see Christ made unto him wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. And so by faith in him he can say the Lord our righteousnesse and hear the Lord say unto him in me is thy fruit found So the soul looking upon Christ in whom he is accepted Ephes 2. 13. and so he seeth all is of grace nothing of debt election is the election of grace vocation is according to the good pleasure of his will 2 Tim. 1. 9. regeneration was of Gods own will Jam. 1. 18. Faith the gift of God Phil. 1. 29. Justification is freely by grace Rom. 3. 24. and a free gift Rom. 5. 15 18. and forgivenesse of our sins according to the riches of his grace Ephes 1. 7. Eternall life the freest gift of God Rom. 6. 23. Act. 15. 11. even the life of glory is the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. Christ himself was a token of free love from the Father to mankinde and as his whole work was to love so his whole love was free and as we said before there is not one soul that ever be loved but it was poor and empty sick and impotent unamiable and filthy regardlesse of him and opposite to him The language of the Law is Doe this and live if not die no work no
wages but in the Gospell the yoke of personall obedience is translated from beleevers to their surety there is nothing for them to pay all that they are to doe is to hunger and feed their happinesse is free to themselves though costly to Christ who purchased for them whatsoever they would obtaine and by his Spirit freely worketh in them whatsoever he requires of them and this the Lord doth freely First that none might boast but only glory in the Lord. Secondly that none might challenge it as due but receive it as free grace Next that it might be sure to all the seed whereas by the Law and the fulfilling thereof none can be saved because we fail in our obedience either in the principle from which we act or else in the matter acted or in the manner of our acting or in the ends we have in so doing but the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. our husband Isai 45. 5. our King Priest and Prophet Mat. 21. 11. our new and living way the true only way the safe and sure way the peaceable and pleasant way Act. 4. 12. Prov. 3. 17. Now whosoever hath faith in Christ doth look upon himself according to the measure of that faith as he is and stands before God the Father in and upon the account of an others not his owne obedience or righteousnesse and so judges of himself according to the measure of righteousnesse that is made over to him in his head Christ and so although he finde nothing but sinne in himself from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Isai 1. 6. Yet as he is in Christ by faith he seeth himself cloathed with the robe of Christs righteousnesse so he looks upon himself to be compleat in him Col. 2. 10. that is wanting nothing because all things is made over by covenant by God his Father through his Sonne and the great mystery of the Gospell lyeth much in this point as appears by the testimony of Paul Col. 1. 22. to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight now no man can be thus presented holy unblamable and unreprovable before God the Father but he only that is cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ for so the 28. verse doth expound this that we may present every man perfect in Christ Peter beareth witnesse to the truth hereof 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found in him without spot and blamelesse Ephes 5. 27. that he might present it holy a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish so Jude 24. Again 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin unto Christ not having spot or wrinkle Ephes 5. 27. By spots we may understand greater sinnes which defile the conscience and stain the reputation by wrinkle lesser sinnes those of infirmity which are some blemishes to our spirituall beauty and this is that righteousnesse that doth exceed the Scribes and Pharisees spoken unto by Christ Mat. 5. 20. from which this question was raised Now we are further to consider that all our own righteousnesse as the Prophet Isay saith Isai 64. 6. Is as filthy rags and we all doe fade as a leaf and our iniquity like the winde have taken us away Jer. 2. 22. For though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much soap yet thine iniquity is marked Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self with snow water yet mine owne cloathes shall abhorre me Isai 28. 20. The bed of mans owne righteousnesse is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Isai 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sorrow Phil. 3. 8 9. Paul saith Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse and dung that I may winne Christ Vers 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of god by faith and yet this Paul had as many fleshly priviledges as any man for he saith Phil. 3. 4. If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eight day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law and profited in the Jewish Religion above many my equals and for my conversaâ—ion as touching the righteousnesse of the Law I was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. But all this is but dung Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord and doe account them but dung that I may winne Christ and be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse of God by faith Phil. 3. 10. That so I may live out of my self in the Spirit upon Christ unto God above the world under ordinances looking to election behind and perfection before 2. The righteousnesse of a Christian doth exceed the righteousnesse of a Heathen yea and the Scribes and Pharisees also in this he endeavours to walke more by rule then by example whereas the Scribes walke more by example then by rule again a true Christian is willing to be searched in all things the other is not again he is not only willing to do but to suffer for the name of Christ so is not the other again he mournes in secret when God is dishonoured the other mournes when selfe is dishonoured lastly an upright heart doth all things to the glory of God when he hath done any good thing if he doth not apprehend God glorifyed by it he is not satisfyed 1 Cor. 10. 31. So then a Christians righteousnesse doth exceede that of the Scribes and Pharisees in these foure ensuing things 1. In the matter 2. In the ground 3. In the forme 4 In the erd he propoundeth to himselfe in the performance of every duty 1. For matter that may be sometimes good when the manner and circumstances are naught but nothing can be good if the matter be naught such as are mens principles within such are their practises without Matth. 12. 33 34. Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for a tree is known by his fruit Jehu did for matter that which God required but not from a right principle 2 Kings 10. 30 31. 2. Now the right ground and principle from which all holy and righteous acts should flow is threefold 1. A pure heart purifyed by the bloud of Christ by the way of justification Zech.
required as absolutely necessary to salvation Joh. 17. 3. Joh. 3. 36. 8. 24. Psal 2. 12. Luk. 19. 27. So that election and reprobation are not in any sense causes of salvation and damnation but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation and sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation so that election and reprobation they are but precedent acts or decrees and the causes of salvation and damnation they come in between the decrees and the execution thereof So then if we consider men in themselves and without Christ they are dead in their sins without any spirituall strength and having neither will nor spirituall power neither in themselves nor of themselves either to beleeve or to doe any good work from any true principle or for any good end therefore Gods grace prepareth us before we can be able and worketh in us that we may be able nay the Lord doth work all our works in or for us as well after beleeving as before beleeving Take a man that is quickned inlightned converted and impowered by the Spirit of God in the inward man this man hath need of a continuall supply Phil. 1. 19. of the Spirit of God of renewed strength for we read of Peter that he rested upon some old received strength and so fals before a new temptation So again Paul I can doe all things through Christ enabling me he knew he must not rest upon what he was inabled to doe but expect a continuall enabling by the same Spirit that at first enabled him Eph. 6. 10. Be strong in the Lord that is be ye strengthned daily more and more by the power of the Lord that is be ye encouraged to doe the thing required of the Lord by that union ye have with him by faith drawing from him all the strength ye stand in need of 1. Consider thou hast a power already given thee by which thou art able to doe the thing required 2. Or else with the command the Lord conveyes a power to inable thee to do the thing commanded Thirdly when thou lookest upon the command on thy left hand then look upon the promises on thy right hand wherein the Lord God hath promised to inable thee and not not not faile thee nor nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. It is observed that there are five Negatives in these words although our Translation doth expresse but one but for more carefull practising doing and observing all the commands of our God consider these few things as incouragements 1. He requires no more of us then he hath inabled us to doe or at least promised to inable us to doe 2. For our encouragement he hath promised to reward us for doing our duty so that to every precept there are two Promises the one to reward us the other to inable us and both to encourage us And in case of slothfulnesse and negligence in leaving undone what we ought and might have done First he complains on us Secondly he exhorts us Thirdly he threatens us Fourthly he tells us that he did put a prize into our hands but we like fools had no heart to it and so our cloudings eclipsings mis-givings and doubtings are but the effects of our negligence See Isa 59. 2. Isa 1. 15. Jer. 5. 25. Psal 107. 17. 34. The Lord doth protest we are not straitned in him he is not wanting to us what could I saith the Lord have done more for my Vineyard Isa 5. 4. And when I looked for Grapes it brought forth wilde Grapes wherefore judge are not my wayes equall and yours unequall Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth be astonished I have furnished a people with strength to obey me and they have rebelled against me What will no man believe me did I ever say seeke mee in vaine did not your Fathers trust in me and were saved are not my wayes equall and yours unequall do I reap where I have not sown do I require much where I have given little is not my promise before you and my presence with you is not my blessing upon you and my Angels guarding you dost thou want strength ask of me dost thou want wisdome ask of me Have not I said in my Word that I do give liberally and upbraide not have I not said I will withhold no good thing from thee and have I not promised to work faith in thee and protested I will never faile nor forsake thee Why dost thou not take hold of my Covenant and assure thy self I will never faile thee The soul having all its stumbling-blocks removed it begins to clear up and solace it self in the apprehension of Christ and application of his promises and so breaks forth into these or the like words Ever blessed be the name of God that hath removed these terrible stumbling-blocks that lay in my way now I see that I never saw now I know that I never knew he hath anoynted mine eyes he hath scattered all my doubts he is my God and I will prepare him a habitation in my soule and the chiefest roome in my heart God told Moses he could not see his face and live If I cannot see his face and live then let me dye that I may behold him as he is and have full injoyment of him O I am sick for the love of him that dyed for the love of me I was ignorant as a beast before him but now I know him and have experience of him he hath avouched himselfe to be mine and I have avouched my selfe to be his Jacobs life was bound up in Benjamins but my soule is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord my God so that for me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine he hath overcome me with his love he hath made knowne his minde to me in removing these stumbling-blocks from me I am overcome with admiration and replenished with exceeding consolation 21. The last stumbling-block that I shall name is this And saith many a poor soul with-within it self I know not with what Society or Assembly to joyne with there are so many opinions viz. Presbytery Independency Anabaptist Arminians Antinomians Ranters Quakers Seekers I know not with whom to sit downe O tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest thy flock that so I may be able to discerne betweene him that serveth God in pretence or in truth Ans My advise is That thou wouldst own all men and women let them go under what name soever if thou seest any thing of the appearance of Christ in them and know no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 16. that is do not so much take notice of mens outward appearances viz. kindred quality honour wisdome or eloquency but meerly know them after the spirit that is according to the spirituall power vertue and grace that is in them the true Church then are a people created in Christ Jesus or begotten and born to God in the faith and knowledge of his Son by the
Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost 1 John 5. 5 6 7 8 9. 18 19 21. Mat. 28. 19. Ephes 4. 4 5 6. and 1 John 2. 22 23. and 2 John 9. 10. and 1 Tim. 2. 4 5 6. and 2 Tim. 3. 15. 1 John 2. 22. Acts 4. 10. 12. and 1 Cor. 3. 10 11. Isaiah 45. 21 22 23. 4. A true Church may be known by this also I say a true Church that is perfectly joyned together for of such a Church I am now speaking 1 Cor. 1. 10. I say that this Church doth hold that Jesus Christ is very God and very Man of the very Substance of the Virgin Mary begotten by the spirit of God 1 Joh. 4. 23. 2 Joh. 7. and 1 John 4. 3. That Jesus Christ is God and Man doth further appeare in these Scriptures Mat. 16. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Isaiah 53. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 24 25. 1 Corinth 15. 2 3. 2 Timoth. 2. 4 5 6. 5. That the same Lord Jesus Christ dyed for the sinnes of the people being crucified at Jerusalem and rose againe and ascended into Heaven whereby there is a way opened for all sinners whom God shall draw and make willing freely to come to God and their duty so to doe and whosoever doth come and none else he doth wash away their sinnes in his owne bloud and present them to his Father pure in his owne purity John 8. 24. Acts 4. 10 11 12. Acts 10. 38 39 40 41 42 43. and 1 Cor. 15. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Act. 22. 8. Acts 2. 36 37 38. Rev. 22. 17. Isa 55. 1 2. Col. 1. 22. 28. Ephes 5. 27. 2 Peter 3. 14. Colos 2. 10. 6. A true Church sound in the Faith and holy in Conversation doth hold that this same Jesus Christ being the onely God and Man in one person remaines for ever a distinct Being from the Saints and Angels notwithstanding their Vnion and Communion with him Col. 2. 8 9. 19. and 1 Tim. 3. 16. 7. A true Church doth hold that precious faith or comming to God is a spirituall and peculiar gift of God and that there is no freenesse or willingnesse in any naturall man to that which is spiritually good but an absolute enmity thereto so that no naturall man can by any thing that he can doe bring himselfe into a state of grace or holinesse or sit himselfe thereto 8. A true Church sound in the Faith doth hold that we are justified and saved by grace and saith in Christ and not by workes Rom. 1. 16 17. 31. Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 9. 31 32 33. and 10. 3 4. Act. 15. 24. Gal. 1. 6 7 8 9. Gal. 5. 2. 4 5. Ephes 2. 8 9 10. and 1 John 1. 6. 8. 1 John 3. 3 4 5 6 7 8. and 2 Pet. 2. 19 20. 9. A true Church doth hold that God meerly of his good pleasure without the fore-sight of any good in the creature elected a certaine number by name unto eternall salvation and hath decreed also to effect all the wayes for them and in them to bring them thereto Ephes 1. 4. Mat. 24. 22. 24. 31. Rom. 8. 33. and 9. 11. and 1 Tim. 5. 21. and 2. 2. 10. and 1 Pet. 1. 2. and 2 Pet. 1. 10. and 2 Thes 2. 13. 10. A true Church holds that no person that is so elected and regenerated shall fall away out of that state and be damned but shall be undoubtedly kept by the power of God in that state of regeneration unto salvation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Titus 1. 2. and Mat. 24. 24. Phil. 1. 6. 1 Per. 1. 5. Rom. 8. 1. and 6. 22. and 8. 30. Ephes 4. 30. and 5. 27. Heb. 12. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Prov. 24. 1◠1 John 3. 9. Jude 24. Mat. 7. 24 25. Besides the Lord hath engaged by way of promise that none of his shall fall finally John 10. 27 28 29. and 4. 14. and 3. 36. and 5. 24. and 6. 40. 47. 54. and 14. 16. and 1 Cor. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 6. and 2. 1. 10. 1 Sam. 12. 22. Psal 94. 14. Prov. 10. 30. A true Church doth hold that God is to be worshipped according to his owne will but those that slight his Ordinances and despise the duties of his worship doe manifestly declare that they are none of those that shall be saved Jer. 10. 15. Psal 14. 4. Jude 18 19 20 21. 12. That Church that is perfectly joyned one to another in one spirit doth hold that the dead shall rise and that there is a day of Judgement Acts 17. 30 31. 1 Cor. 15. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Heb. 9. 27. 1 Pet. 4. 17. Jude 6. Rev. 20. 12 13. Rom. 2. 16. In a word to say no more a true Communion of Saints according to a Gospel-institution is a Communion of Saints arising from a clear apprehension of their Union with Saints 1 Cor. 12. 13 14. for by one spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 〈◊〉 have been all made to drink into one spirit for the body is not one member but many ver 20. for now are they many members but one body Now when a Saint comes to see that every one in whom the Lord Jesus appeareth is a member together with him in the same body whereof Christ is the head then his heart longeth to joyne himselfe in fellowship with such who have fellowship with the Father and the Son 1 John 1. 3. Obj. But I am a little unsatisfied in this saith some soule I heare that those Churches that walk nearest to those Rules before laid downe doe suffer some to speake and teach amongst them that are not Ministers but private Members pray Sir how is that exercise proved Answ Their exercising their gifts may be proved by these four demonstrations 1. By examples in the Jewish Church where men though in no Office either in Temple or Synagogue had liberty publiquely to use their gifts as doth clearly appeare by these Scriptures Luke 2. 42. 46 47. Luke 4. 16 17 18. Acts 8. 4. and 11. 19 20 21. and Chapt. 13 14 15 16. chap. 18. 24 25 26. 2. By the Commandement of Christ and his Apostles Luke 9 10. chap. 10. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 1 Cor. 14. 1. 5. 30 31. 3. It will appeare plainly by the prohibiting of women to teach in the Church hereby liberty being given unto men their husbands or others 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. 4. This will yet more fully appeare by those most excellent ends which by this meanes are to be obtained As 1. The glory of God in the manifestation of his manifold graces See 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 2. That the gifts of the Spirit in men be not quenched 1 Thes 5. 19 20. Quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying that is Stop not the motion of the Spirit in your selves nor restraine the gift thereof in others Despise not prophesying that is Contemne not the Word
how meane soever the speakers gifts seeme unto thee Set not lightly by the declarations and applications of the Scriptures either by such as have the extraordinary gifts of prophesying see 1 Cor. 14. 15. or by the ordinary gifts 3. For the fitting and tryall of men for the Ministery 4. For the preserving pure the doctrine of the Church which is more indangered if some one or two alone may onely be heard and speak Act. 2. 42. 5. For the debating and satisfying of doubts if any doe arise Act. 13. 15. 6. For the edifying of the Church and conversion of others alwayes provided that he have the gift of the Spirit to speak unto edification exhortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14. 3. Now to say no more in order to the removing of this last stumbling block let me exhort thee in the name and fear of the Lord to inquire and make diligent search amongst all sorts of Assemblyes prophesying and pretending to Christ for such a Congregation that of lively stones have built up a spirituall house and set down therewith many at the feet of Christ hear his words and endeavour to be serviceable to his Lambs thy fellow Members so shalt thou dwell in his house and behold his glory and inquire in his Temple Psal 27. 4. and thou being thus planted in his house shall flourish in his Courts Psal 29. And this is all I shall lay before thee or commend unto thee as touching the removing those stumbling-blocks that lye in a Christians way to Heaven and the maine end next to the glory of God that put me upon removing these stumbling blocks is that we might keep up faith in our soules which will be of singular use unto us viz. 1. It will purifie the heart Acts 15. 9. 2. It will enable us to heare the word with profit Heb. 4. 2. 3. It will inable us to overcome the world 1 John 5. 4. 4. It will inable us to overcome the Devill Ephes 6. 16. 5. It will make mercies present that are absent Heb. 11. 1. 13. 6. It will fill the Soule with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1. 8. 7. It will multiply peace in the Soule Rom. 5. 1 2. 8. It will assure a Soule that God will answer his prayers James 1. 5 6. 9. It will inable us to be fruitfull in well-doing even to shew forth our faith by our workes James 2. 18. it will inable us not only to do the thing commanded but as it is commanded Rom. 14. 23. 10. It will not only give us the title of honour of being called the children of Abraham but it will furnish us with a heart and principle to walke in the steps of our Father Abraham to come forth of our own Countrey as he did if God call us and to trust upon God although he had but a bare word for it and to give God as he did his own time to make God his owne promise and to part with the nearest and dearest thing for God at first word and to look through all difficulties and impossibilities unto the fulnesse of God and so to believe in hope against hope and so to wait upon God as not to neglect the meanes Faith Prayer Hope c. for the accomplishment of the mercy promised yea this faith will help the soule to act in Spirituall duties from Spirituall ends as from the sence of Divine love that doth as it were constraine the soule to waite upon God and to waite upon God and to act for God in love to God the choice and pretious discoveries that the soul hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God whilst it hath been in the service of God the blessed love-letters the glorious kisses and the sweet imbraces that a believing soul hath had from Christ in his service this doth provoke and move the soule to wait upon him in the way of his Ordinances but an unbeliever doth put himselfe upon religious duties only from externall motives as the Eare of the creature the Eye of the creature the reward of the creature and the keeping up of a name amongst the creatures and a thousand such lâ—ke considerations and as we may see in Jehu Saul Judas Demas and the Scribes and Pharisees c. It would much heighten our Faith if we did seriously consider the sweet condescentions of our tender Lord God to all staggering misgiving weak Christians viz. Luke 9. 56. but The Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them 1 Tim. 2. 5. I am saith Christ willing that all should be saved and come to knowledge of the truth Mat. 9. 13. I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Heb. 2. 15. I am saith Christ to deliver those that were all their life time subject to bondage Jer. 3. 12. Heb. 8. 12. I am very mercifull and will be mercifull and will pardon thy Sins Isa 43. 25. Though thou deservest nothing of me yet I will pardon thy Sins for my owne name sake and though it doth seeme impossible to thee that I should be so mercifull Mark 9. 23. Consider all things are possible to him that believeth Obj. O but I am the child of wicked Parents and the Lord hath said he will visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation Answ If a wicked Father and Mother beget a Son that seeth all his Parents sinnes and considereth and doth not such like that Sonne shall not bear the iniquity of his Father Ezek. 18. 14. 20. Ezek. 16. 3. to the 13. besides we finde in Scripture that wicked Parents had good Children 2 Kings 16. 20. wicked Ahab had good Hezekiah Idolatrous Ammon zealous Josiah 2 Kings 22. 2. see 2 Kings 21. 21 22. and ungodly Saul had a godly Jonathan nay if thou be a Bastard the child of a Whore that doth not hinder thee neither to be saved for Gods servant Jeptha was a Bastard so was his servant Phares who is reckoned in Christs owne Genealogie compare Judges 11. 1. with Heb. 11. 32. compare Gen. 38. 18. and 29. and Ruth 4. 12. with Mat. 1. 3. in a word he that is borne a Bastard if he be borne againe of the Spirit he is reckoned among the Sonns of God Obj. But I am an old Sinner and have one foot already in the grave saith another trembling Soule Answ Christ doth call some at the ninth houre yea some at the eleventh houre and saith Jer. 3. 5. returne unto me and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon thee I will multiply pardons for thee Isa 55. 7. Nay if thou hast been an Idolater an Adulterer a Thief a Drunkard yet we finde in Scripture such were many of the Lords deare ones that are now in Heaven 1 Cor. 9. 6. 9 10 11. Tit. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. What shall we say Christ left his own glory and came into the world to save Sinners Joh. 17. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 15. though he
made many promises unto us viz. that he will withhold no good thing from us that he will never faile us nor forsake us yea we may find in the Old and New Testament whole cloudes of promises suitable to every condition that a man or woman is subject to be in 3. He is one that is alwayes mindfull of his promise Psalm 111. 5. Isaiah 49. 15 16. 4. He is able and willing to make good his promises Rom. 4. 20 21. See Micha 7. 18 19. 5. He is so faithfull he cannot lye Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised 1 Cor. 1. 9. and 2 Thes 5. 24. and 2 Thes 3. 7. Tit. 1. 2. 6. Consider that he is one hath entred into covenant to make good every tittle promised Isa 54. 10. The mountaines shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed Jer. 33. 20. If you can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night that there shall not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken it is true we may fall and lose degrees of Faith and recover them againe we may fall off and be restored and backslide and be recovered but God hath said Jer. 32. 40. I will write my Lawes in their hearts and they shall not depart from me 7. He is one that hath sworne to us that he will make good his Covenant with us Heb. 6. 17 18. Ezek. 33. 11. 8. He hath sealed his Promise Oath and Covenant with the blood of his Son Heb. 9. 23. and Revel 1. 5. by all which we may see he is immutable unchangeable the same yesterday to day and for ever and whosoever doth thus know his name cannot but trust in him c. 3. Consider what are the particular promises in it we have spoaken already to the two first namely First whose word it is Secondly what he is that spake it now the next thing to be considered is what are the particular promises in it to which I answer as before there are promises of all sorts viz. there are promises Absolute or Conditionall Evangelicall or Legall Generall or Particular Common or Speciall Direct or by Consequence Spirituall Temporall or Eternall or promises for the life that now is or that which is to come there are informing and assuring promises promises to one sensible of Sin promises to a Child newly begotten to the Faith promises for the young man promises for an old man in a word I know no State Nation or People but in one sence or other have promises relating to them unlesse those people that have sinned against the Holy Ghost and the nature of that sinne is discovered in removing the 15. stumbling block Now me thinks a Spirituall soule should stand upon his guard and when Satan comes with his temptations he should resist him with the promises as our Saviour did Mat. 4. 4. 7. 10. the only way to conquer is still to plead t is written therefore when a soule is tempted to uncleannesse plead 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. It is written be ye holy as I am holy and let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of the Lord as in 2 Cor. 7. 1 2. and when he tempts us to distrust Gods providence and Fatherly care of us let us plead it is written they that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 34. 9. Againe Psal 84. it is written the Lord will give us grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke uprightly If we feare we shall faint on our way then plead it is written Job 17. 9. the righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall waxe stronger and stronger Jer. 32. 40. It is written I will make an everlasting Covenant with them I will not turne away from them to doe them good I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Isa 40. 31. It is written they that wait upon the Lord they shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not be faint It is written Micha 7. 19. He will turne againe he will have compassion upon us and cast all our sinns into the depths of the Sea Isa 54. 7. T is written For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee ver 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer verse 10. T is written the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isay 49. 15 16. It is written Can a woman forget her child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee for I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are ever in my sight Obj. Now who is this that hath made these and a thousand such like promises Answ We have proved before that it was God Those holy men spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God To whom he did make these pretious promises that we have also answered before that these were made to us now in being as well as to those then in being as we have fully proved Quest But what is this God that hath thus covenanted with us Answ 1. He is one that delighteth in mercy 2. He is one that is mindfull of his promises 3. He is one that is able to make good what he hath promised 4. He is faithfull he cannot lye 5. He hath sworne that he will make good every tittle by him promised 6. He is one that sealeth all with the Blood of his Son and giveth us the reason of all this Heb. 6. 18. That we might have strong consolation which have our refuge to lay hold upon that hope that is set before us This also made our Father Abraham to live in hope against hope The stability of a Promise Covenant or Oath standeth much upon the qualifications of the promiser as to instance if a man make me a promise to do such and such things for me and yet I question whether he will make it good it must be from a doubt of the want of one of these ensuing things in him that maketh the promise as Master Owen in his book called The stedfastnesse of promises very well observeth Our staggering or doubting then doth arise 1. Either from the truth of him that maketh the promise 2. Or from his ability to make good his word 3.
Or of his sincerity to intend me really what he speaketh 4. Or of his constant memory of taking the opportunity of doing the thing promised or intended 5. Or of his stableness to be still of the same mind Now if there be no want of any of these in him whose promise we speak of there is then certainly no ground of doubting or staggering or misgiving but rather a firm ground of confidence and assurance The serious consideration of this will skrew up a Christian to a holy boldnesse and spirituall confidence where is that boldness as there was in David I will not said he fear though ten thousand should hem me in if warre should rise against me in this will I be confident Psal 27. 1 2 3. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid ver 2. When the wicked even mine enemies and foes come upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell c. Where is such boldnesse and strength as was in Jacob when he wrestled with the Angel and prevailed with God to put him in mind of his promise made to him Where is such a spirit of prevailing with God as there was in Moses when the Lord said Let me alone Moses c. Where is such joy in suffrings as there was in Paul and the rest of the Saints Rom. 5. 3. We rejoice in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope Where are those noble overcomming Saints that would not be afraid of a man that should dye What have we the same Father and so unlike our Brethren do we not disparage our Fathers house by looking so like Pharaoh's lean Kine and in stead of holy boldnesse and spirituall confidence one is whining another piping some sighing and all doubting and complaining Surely this fearfulnesse and timerousnesse doth arise from weakness and feebleness and weakness and feebleness doth arise from imbecillity or incredulity In a word it springeth from our ignorance of the riches freeness fulness and everlastingness of Gods love and from our ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ and from our ignorance of the worth glory fulness largeness and compleatness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and from our ignorance of that reall close spirituall glorious and inseparable union that there is between Christ and our pretious soules here lyeth the defect and how shall this be removed and the soule revived and the heart cheared and the whole man quickned but by the spirit of God in the applying of these promises Oh then oh then consider there are many promises and they do belong to us and he that made them is the mighty God he is able to make them good he is faithfull and willing to accomplish them he is unchangeable in his love to us and alwayes mindfull of us and waiting to be gracious unto us Oh! How earnestly doth he knock how powerfully doth he strive how long doth he wait upon us to make known himself unto us Our Fathers trusted in him and were saved Surely the Lord is never worse but many times better then his promise He promised the children of Israel only the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two other Kingdomes which he never promised and to Zacharias he promised to give him his Speech at the Birth of the Child but besides that he gave him the gift of prophesie And hence it is that the Apostle in Ephes 3. 20. saith That God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can either aske or thinke In the Name of the Lord then let us arise and take the Bible and read and understand and effect and believe and apply that so the word of God may dwell plentifully in us so shall the Word be our rule the Spirit our guide and the Glory of God our ayme so shall an entrance be administred unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the Rock of Ages the light of the World and King of Saints to whom be Glory for ever Amen But now if after all these earnest knocking 's long waitings and powerfull strivings if after all these invitations removing stumbling-blocks answering objections callings waitings beseechings and intreatings after this day of grace is over then to those souls that come not in Christ doth change his voyce doth protest that none of those souls thus invited shall ever tast of his Supper Luk. 14. 24. Nay he saith Though they call he will not answer Prov. 1. 28. And if they seek him they shall not finde him ver 26. He will laugh at their calamity and mock when their feare commeth Mat. 23. 37. I would have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate And then if ye would he will not c. Jer. 7. 16. Pray not for this people for I will not heare saith the Lord Isa 65. 12. Therefore will I number you to the sword and ye shall bow downe to the slaughter because when I called yee did not answer when I spake ye would not hear but yee did chuse that wherein I delighted not Isa 66. 4. Therefore will I chuse out their delusions and I will bring their feare upon them because I called and none would answer I spake and they would not heare Jer. 7. 13 14 15 16. Now therefore because ye have done all these evill things saith the Lord and I rose up early and spake unto you but yee would not hear me neither when I called would ye answer Therefore c. I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your brethren Therefore pray not for this people I will not answer c. Obj. But if any may then say Why Lord wilt thou not heare us thou hast manifested thy selfe that thou art mercifull Answ I will not heare you the Lord may then justly say because the day of Grace for you is past the Sun is set your Glass is runne out the Golden Scepter is taken in and Repentance is a work that must be timely done or whoever men or women that have been called and neglected their time be utterly undone Ye did not obey my voyce spoken to you by my Servant Isaiah in Isa 55. 6. Ye did not seek me while I was to be found ye did not call upon me while I was near whereas every one whose heart was upright with me did come to me in a time when I was to be found Psal 32. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto him in a tinse when he is to be found But ye did not come to me will the Lord justly say c. 1. Untill the terme of time allotted for repentance was past See Heb.
3. 15. and 13. compared together 2. Neither did ye enquire after me till the Decree came forth Zeph. 2. 1 2 3. Now my fierce anger is comming upon you c. 3. It shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah then for you Mat. 10. 15. and Mat. 11. 24. Good had it been for you if ye had never been born or at least if ye had not been invited or waited upon by me 4. Ye sought not unto me untill ye had abused my patience so as to weary me so as that I could bear no longer Jer. 15. 6. Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord and gone backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee for I am weary with repenting Jer. 44. 22. So that the Lord could no longer beare because of the evill of their doings 5. They did never heartily seek to me untill I had said none of those which were bidden should tast of my Supper Luke 14. 24. and sworn surely they shall not enter into my rest Psal 95. 11. and therefore Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. Do ye think ô ye rebellious souls that I would have cast the Angels out of Heaven for one sin and spare you who are guilty of so many millions of sins did not one sin make Saul lose his Kingdome and Esau his Birth-right And how can ye escape seeing ye have judging your selves unworthy of eternall life in neglecting so great salvation I am sure I have waited upon some of you ten twenty thirty fourty fifty years or upwards ô ye stout-hearted sinners that are far from righteousness O ye damned souls I will set your sins in order before your sight with the number nature aggravations and circumstances that ye may be your own Judges and so despaire with Cain and hang your selves with your Cousin Judas Are ye come now it is too late to my Supper without a Wedding Garment Go mine Angels binde them in chains and cast them into utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 12. 17. For they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and have digged themselves pits even broken pits that can hold no water Jer. 2. 13. If ye would then if ye could give all the world to recall one day againe that ye have mispent ye cannot have it your sins against mercy will bring the greatest misery ye have spun fair threads in going on from folly to folly untill ye are ripe for eternall misery from which there is no redemption for sin and punishment are linked together Ye have been wicked and ye must be tormented Oh condemned souls Did ye never read that in all ages I have severely punished sin in mine own people in Covenant with me and as dear to me as the apple of mine eye and yet think ye that I would spare you did ye never read Mat. 12. 36. That For every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account at the day of Judgement And do ye think to be freed who are guilty of the breach of every command 1. Consider to your torment That whereas I have promised to pardon the sins of my people so I have pronounced that your sinnes shall not be pardoned Isaiah 22. 14. Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till ye dye saith the Lord God of Hosts Ezek. 24. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee See Heb. 10. 29. and Numb 15. 31. 2. Whereas the Lord is able to bring in the mercy promised to his people as we have held forth at large so he is able to bring all the plagues threatned upon all unbelievers Mat. 10. 28. to destroy soule and body 3. And whereas the Lord is mindfull of the mercies promised to his people so he is as mindfull of the judgements threatned against his enemyes See Eccles 8. 12 13. 4. Whereas he is faithfull to do all that he hath said for his people so he is as just in pouring out the vialls of his wrath upon obstinate stout-hearted sinners 1 Sam. 3. 14. 5. Whereas the Lord hath covenanted to and with his people to assure them that he will not faile them so also hath he entred into Covenant with all unrighteous people that he will ease himselfe of them his adversaries and avenge himselfe on his enemyes Isaiah 1. 24. and bring upon them all the curses of the Covenant as in Deut. 29. 21. 6. Whereas the Almighty God hath sworn that he will make good all things to his people in Covenant with him and withhold no good thing from them So he hath sworne that the iniquity of those wilfull opposers and neglecters of him shall never be purged with Sacrifice nor Offerings for ever 1 Sam. 3. 14. Yea The Lord hath sworne in his wrath that they shall never enter into his rest Psal 95. 11. Behold here is the portion of all filthy dreamers Jude ver 8. Loe here is the reward of all Raging waves of the Sea foming out their owne shame wandring Starrs to whom is reserved the mist of darknesse for ever Jude 12 13. Loe these are those naturall bruite-beasts made to be taken and destroyed Speaking evill of the things that they understand not and so shall utterly perish in their own corruptions These are those wells without water clouds that are carryed with every tempest to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever 2 Pet. 2. 12. 17. c. Ye Serpents saith Christ how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Mat. 23. 33. The Lord in Scripture giveth a man a name suitable to his nature The Scripture calleth them Lyons for their fiercenesse and Bears for their cruelty and Dragons for their hideousnesse and Doggs for their filthinesse and Wolves for their subtilenesse In a word the Spirit of God styleth them Scorpions Vipers Thornes Bryars Thistles Brambles Stubble Dust Chaffe Dirt Drosse Smoak Scumme Loe here are your titles of honour O ye great ones that stand so much upon your gentility and look so big to jet up and down the Streets Isa 23. 9. The Lord of Hosts hath purposed to stayne the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Oh ye that fare deliciously every day ye must goe to Hell with your Brother Dives Oh ye that adorne a stinking carcase with the best aray and Lord it over your brethren ye are most of you the poorest men in the world for all that ye thinke your selves rich A wicked man though a Gentleman is the poorest needyest man in the world for he wanteth trust in God Christ the Spirit the Promises the Covenant of grace he wanteth peace of Conscience and peace with God he wanteth acceptation and reconciliation with God he wanteth righteousnesse justification adoption