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A44247 The doctrine of life, or, Of mans redemption, by the seed of Eve, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, &c. as it was taught in severall periods of time, from Gen. 3. 15. till Christ came in the flesh, to fulfill all typicall prefigurations of him by his death : wherein also sundry other fundamentall points are discussed and cleared from some common mistakes : as Daniels chronologie of seventy sevens, which is cleared from the uncertainty which too many expositors have unadvisedly cast upon it : and about the Jewes calling, that it must not be understand of any return to Canaan, or of their restauration to a perspicuous common wealth any more, but of the calling of a remnant of them to the faith, in the countries where they live dispersed : and with the true nature of our Lords sufferings, with sundry other such like points, as may be seen in the table : propounded by way of question and answer, with annotations thereunto annexed : divided into three parts / by Edward Holyoke of New-England. Holyoke, Edward, d. 1660. 1658 (1658) Wing H2534; ESTC R22353 401,616 468

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their properties Joh 1.14 Joh. 15.26 the Father from all eternity begetteth the Person of the Son the Son from all eternity is begotten of the Father the holy Spirit from all eternity proceedeth from them both These are incommunicable properties in the Persons the Fathers relative property is to beget and not to be begotten and therefore he is the first person in order so for our better conceiving we may say a Person in the God-head is a subsistence or a being considered in his relative property A 3. By their works to the Father is ascribed creation election predestination and adoption to the Son redemption to the holy Ghost sanctification Again the beginning of every action is given to the Father the dispensation to the Son the perfection and consummation to the holy Ghost these in some respects may be said to be communicable properties in the persons The reverend Mr. Richardson Mr. Yates and Mr. Antony Wotton c. Also it must be considered that every title attribute or property that in generall is spoken of the Deity is spoken of and attributed to each person as the Father is Jehovah so is the Son so is the holy Ghost Joh. 12.41 Act. 28.25 conferred with Esai 6.3 to 10. The Father the Son the holy Spirit be one co-essentiall and co-eternall infinite and unchangable c. And so in the attributes just holy good mercifull c. each person is so infinitely and unchangably c. Also in respect of the Creatures the attributes are communicable to each Person as the Son is called Father Esai 9. So it may be said of the holy Spirit who begetteth and reneweth us by the word of truth the Father is our teacher and so the Son and so the holy Spirit the Father sanctifieth the son sanctifieth the holy spirit sanctifieth Therefore it is very usefull to observe two things in the persons their co-operation and distinct manner of working the one is necessary in regard of this that they have the same essence and therefore cannot but co-worke in every thing the other is likewise as necessary because each person hath his distinct manner of subsisting All operation flowes from their essence co-operation from their unity in it and distinct manner from the distinct manner of their subsisting One essence one operation and Three being One must needes work inseparably and one being Three must needs worke in a distinct manner 6 Through faith we understand that the worlds were builded by the word of God that the things which are seen are not made of things which had appearance Ebr. 11. 6 It is the thrice holy Jehovah the Father the Son and their spirit all Three one infinite nature that hath created the heavens and the Earth and Seas and all things in them whether visible or invisible in a sweet dependency of order And He the Eternall Being gave them all their being with perfection of qualities that B was fit for each creature in its order and kinde 7 It is the same everlasting God that in his providence from the beginning to the ending doth in a most holy just wise and mercifull order preserve and govern all things with all their circumstances in the heavens earth seas C Therefore called an everlasting King But this King and D Kingdome is more specially to be understood of the son of God as Mediatour to whom the Father hath committed all authority and power Vt infra 8. The true God being thus glorious and a spirit infinite is therefore impossible to be perceived by our senses or comprehended in the short span of our understanding for hee is like to nothing in heaven earth or seas neither can all the wisest men of the world make any thing like to him but if any think so to do they dote and are follish and vain as Isui 40. and many more Chapters do speake and their images are no Gods E nor resemblances of him but works of errours and lyes They can do neither good nor evill those that make them are like unto them and so are all that put their trust in them And all that worship God by them are F haters of the eternall God and are hated and accursed of him 9 Here it is shewed that Gods worship is cheifly spiritual G and all outward worship otherwise then hee hath appointed is hatefull and abominable and uncomfortable as here and in other scriptures ceremonious and superstitious vanities and makers of images are reproved as bruitish senselesse and hopelesse 10 God being One and none other beside him the supream Governour whose is the Kingdome and power over all things he is only to be feared loved trusted in prayed unto and obeyed therefore he hath given us ten commandements with this entrance That he is Iehovah our H Elohim the Eternall the Mighty God our creator and Redeemer and he hath taught us to pray to him who is the everlasting father from whom all helpe comfort and defence cometh and is to be praysed and glorified in all his workes of goodnesse mercy wisdome justice c. 11 God being a most simple spiritual eternall and infinite Nature It followeth that he seeth at one instant and togegether past present and to come all things in heaven earth and seas There is nothing so invisible to our eyes in any place or so spirituall to our understanding but he seeth every particular Nothing is so secret as the imaginations of our thoughts yet God seeth them Many uses hence an understanding and beleeving heart will make for spirituall obedience and carefull watchfullnesse over his whole man Psal 139. all of it and 119 168. Job 31.4 1 Chron. 28.9 Men not understanding or not beleeving say in heart there is no God or like the wicked in Job chap. 22 and Psal 94. Who say Jehovah shall not see the God of Jacob will not regard But God doth both as the Psalme is notable Secondly Hence a world of outward Christians do shew themselves but Atheists Yea thirdly The godly not seriously and constantly considering this fail much in their sincerity for holy and just obedience 12. Another singular use is for afflictions When wee have any cause of fear wee may be preserved that this passion do not too much assaile us by meditating often wee may be throughly acquainted with I our God his titles properties and attributes both incommunicable and communicable Also of his works of creation redemption and Government in any evill felt or feared we may quickly turn and seek to god and so may not fear above measure as David saith K They that know thy name will trust in thee Psal 9.10 Againe When I was afraid I trusted in thee Psal 56.3 Remarkable also is this in Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 Also transcendent in those three noble confessors and Martyrs Dan 3.16.17.18 So in all temptations yea in death it selfe These things when they are well graffed and as nailes fastned in our soules will prepare us to contentednesse in all
unstable Soules are ever ready for the wolfs mouth a fit prey for the smooth subtil Serpent and his seed People must be constantly admonished weaken Popery weaken all this the Layalans know well enough Turcisme is no mysterie and all the unclean spirits of errour is no mysterie Therefore in few words O ye godly Families study the holy Scriptures they are the Inheritance of all the Israel of God And verily the most faithfull Witnesse hath said and then he spake of the old Testament Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Misbelievers know not God Wherefore if ye cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding Prov. ● if ye seek wisdome as Silver and search for understanding as for hid Treasures then certainly you shall understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God for the Lord giveth wisdome and out of his Mouth in his holy Scriptures cometh knowledge and understanding And this also will follow That no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that riseth in Judgement against you you shall condemn this is the * This is a rich and great heritage Heritage of the servants of Jehovah and their Rghteousnesse is of me saith JEHOVAH Isaiah 54.17 To conclude it is said he that asketh receiveth he that seeketh findeth Mat. 7. and to him that knocketh it shall be opened The secret of Jehovah that is the Misterie of Christ is with them that sear him and his Covenant to make them know it He will cause the meek to go according to right and teach the humble his way Psalm 25. Two or three Directions concerning the reading of the following Dialogue First read the Text of it often to see how things in the course of the Bible follow one another then the margins at your leasure for explication 2. Let none be discouraged at the largenesse of this Dialogue for it is not intended that children or any should learn it without book but the substance of it they will have in their minds before they be aware For 1. Hereby a faithfull mind that hath his wits exercised in the word of righteousnesse will often in a day runne over all the Bible in sundry varieties if he mark the Chronologie and the chief persons in the Genealogie for by marking the times and the persons that lived in those times he will remember their stories as it is common to do in worldly affairs 2. I have not cited every verse to the chapter I mention because I would have the Reader to mark the coherence of things the better and though the verse be not named yet some part of the chapter is expressed and you are to remember that the holy Apostles when they cite a Text they name onely the Prophet or more generally the Scripture not naming the Prophet Rom. 9.13.15 17.25 1 Pet. 2.6 c. c And observe that Speech John 15.25 The Psalms are called their Law that term hath deep Meditation for the term Law comprehends all the Scriptures and the Doctrine of salvation by Christ and that saying of James 4.5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy but there is no one particular Text in all the Bible that hath those words and yet the whole Book of God and I think every particular Prophet doth shew this corruption of our nature that the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy And where the verse is cited you may misse of that edification which you may attain unlesse you mark the scope for the holy Spirit doth in divers verses drive to one chief Conclusion therefore you must consider many verses and it may be the whole chapter before you find the true sense of a verse I will not excuse my want herein in not citing every verse But beloved all my labour is to gain this of you to delight in all the Blessed Book of God And if this effect be attained I shall think my labour well bestowed and out of this desire I hope it may come to passe I may be encouraged to do you further service E.H. CHAP. I. OF the UNITY of the GOD-HEAD AND TRINITY of PERSONS Also of their Properties and Workes QVestion I. What Scriptures do shew the Vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of Persons with their properties and workes Answ very many of which I will propound only some to consideration Deut. 6.4 Heare O Israel the Eternall our God the Eternall is One. Gen. 1.1.2 In the beginning * If the knowledge of God in Trinity had not been the ground of life God would never have declared himselfe to us in the plurall number for his eternall wisdome fore-saw what warrs would come for that betwixt Jewes Turks and Arrians and his true faithfull ones and God the God of peace would never have placed a name plu●all in his first Scripture but for peace to life to the fallen Sons of Adam Elohim God 's he created the Heavens and the Earth And the Earth was without forme and void and darknesse was upon the face of the * The Spirit of Elohim is sometimes called the Spirit of God the Father 1. Joh. 4.13 Apoc. 11.11 and sometimes the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.9.1 Pet. 1.11 because it proceeds as well from the Son as from the Father Joh 14.16.26 compared with Joh. 16.26 deep and the Spirit of Elohim Gods moved upon the face of the waters In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God the same was in the beginning with God All things were made † A●● things were created by him and for him Col. 1.16 consider that Gen 1. 2. shewes that and all the rest of the Bible shews this by him and without him was made nothing that was made In him was life and the life was the light of men Joh. 1.1.2 And Elohim said Let US make man according to OUR Image Gen. 1.26 And Jehovah said The man is become as one of US Gen. 3.22 And Jehovah came downe to see the City and Tower and Jehovah said let US go downe Gen. 11.7 And it came to passe when they Gods Elohim caused me to wander Gen. 20.13 He built an Altar there and called the place El-Bethel because there they Gods appeared unto him Gen. 35. 7. But none say where is the Puissant my Makers Job 35. see Braughton on Job Let Israel rejoyce in his Makers Psal 149.2 Thy Maker is thy Husbands Esa 54.5 Remember thy Creatours Eccl. 12.1 By the WORD of Jehovah were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the SPIRIT of his mouth Psal 33.6 I am with you saith Jehovah of Hosts with the WORD by whom I made a covenant with you when yee departed out of Egypt and my SPIRIT remaining among you that yee should not feare Hag. 2.5 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the
name of the Fether of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 For there are Three which beare record in Heaven the Father the WORD and the holy Ghost and these three are one 1. Joh. ● 7 Yee worship yee know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jewes but the houre cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shal worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Joh. 4.22.23.24 Jer. 10.1 Heare yee the word which Jehovah speaketh unto you O house of Israel 2. Thus saith Jehovah learne not the way of the Heathen and be not dismayed at the signes of the Heavens for the Heathens are dismayed at them 3. For the customes of the people are vaine for one cutteth a Tree out of the Forrest the worke of the hands of the workman with the ax 4. They deck it with Silver and Gold they fasten it with Nayles and with Hammers that it move not 5. They are upright as the Palm Tree but speak not they must needs be borne because they cannot go be not affraid of them for they cannot do evill neither is it in them to doe good 6. For as much as there is none like unto thee O Jehovah thou art great and thy name is great in power 7. Who would not feare thee O King of Nations for to thee doth it appertaine for as much as among all the wise men of the Nations and in all their Kingdomes there is none like unto thee .. 8. But they are altogether bruitish and foolish the stock is a Doctrine of vanities 9. Silver spread into Plates is brought from Tharshish and Gold from Vphaz the work of the Workman and the hands of the Founder blew and purple is their cloathing they are all the works of cunning men 10. But Jehovah is the true God he is the the living God and an everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation 11. Thus shall yee say unto them the Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens God gives raine and he witholds raine Deut. 11.14 Amos. 4.7 Psal 147. Sing unto Jehovah who covereth the Heavens with clouds read Job 36. 37. 12. HE hath made the Earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched out the Heavens by his discretion 13. When he uttereth his voice there is a multitude of waters in the Heavens and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnings with raine and bringeth the wind out of his Treasures 14. Every man is bruitish in his owne † Vaine man would be wise though man be borne a wild asse colt Job 11.12 knowledge every founder is confounded by the graven Image for his molten Image is but false-hood and there is no breath in them 15. They are Unity and the work of errours in the time of their visitation they shall perish 16. * The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. how gracious is this reciprocation See the uses that the Saints should and have made of it Psal 73.16 119.57 Lam. 3. Christ is the portion of the faithfull and they are his portion The portion of Jacob is not like them he is the former of all things and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance Jehovah of Hosts is his name Jer. 23.23 Am I a God at hand saith Jehovah and not a God afarr off can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shal not see him saith Jehovah do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith Jehovah Psal 135.6 Whatsoever pleaseth Jehovah he doth in the Heavens and in the Earth in the Seas and in all deep places vid Dan. 4.34.35 Ephe. 1 11. QVestion 2. What may be learned from these Texts Answ These Scriptures teach us to know the most glorious God in his nature and properties in his works of Creation and providence Also the Unity of his essence and that there is a distinction in the unity of essence by which description wemay plainely see that he cannot be likened to any thing nor any thing made like to him Therefore all Idolls and Images of him are vanity and wicked and are to be abhorred and that he only is to be feared beleeved in worshipped c. And all this will more cleerely appeare by certain positions which may be gathered out of these Texts QVest 3. Which be they Answ 1. These Scriptures teach us that God is a Spirit most perfect and infinite and therefore impossible to be conceived of us as he is in himselfe and therefore we must content our selves with such a knowledge as he hath in his word revealed to us according to our capacity in his names and properties 1. His names are * It is good to observe how the attributes and titles are taken one for the other as Deut. 18.13 Mat. 5 48. So that Elohim Jehovah and Father are all one and so we shall finde in other Scriptures These names titles and properties do expound the proeme of the decalogue and the first commandement and the Proeme of the Lords prayer and the first petition Elohim Jehovah Adonaj Shaddaj Jah Tzur c. which signifie the Mighties the eternall being of himselfe and the giver of being to all things else the Stay of the World the All-sufficient the giver of life and breath the Rock c. these and others are abridgments of the Bible and the Bible a commentary on them 2. His properties some of them are incommunicable and some communicable the incommunicable are simplenesse or unmixednesse infinitenesse eternitie omnipotency unchangeablenesse immeasurablenesse c. no creature hath these 3. The properties communicable are being life goodnesse power wisdome justice holinesse truth mercy c. These he communicateth to his creatures yet they are but in a measure in them as qualities but in God essential in the creatures weak and imperfect but in him each of them is infinite in all perfection and by these things in the creatures which we see and perceive the invisible things of God are understood Some call these names and properties titles and attributes 4. These Scriptures affirme that there is one God and but one for there can be but one infinite and eternall being Creatour and Governour 5. The distinct persons in the God-head are from these Scriptures to be learned the Father the WORD and the holy Spirit Other Scriptures do further direct us how they are distinguished by their order properties an works 1. By their order the Father is the first person of himselfe the Son is the second person only of the Father he holy Ghost is the third person from them both 2. By
adverse things But let a man be carefull allwaies to keep a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man then hee shall not need to fear for any sudden fear for the Eternall Being will be for his assurance But an unfaithfull heart of unbeleif cannot tell whither to turn him in affliction and distresse this is manifest in Kain Saul Ishcariot and Achitophel 13. The mighty Elohim the eternall Being hath created and disposed all things in Christ for the good of his Elect. Therefore the Prophets shew that Gods Jesurun portion and inheritance should not be as the Idolatrous heathens and such like blind ignorant sots L They must not learn their Abominations nor to be afraid of any of the signs of the heavens the constellations eclipses or strangnesse of any of the fiery ayery watery or earthly Meteors God hath ever used them as all are his servants for the good of his church and the world and for the destruction of the wicked as in the Flood Sodom Aegypt c. so it is sayd the Heavens fought and the Stars in their course fought against M Sisera Jud. 5. The stars by their influence in their Constellations raised stormes winde raine hail inundations c. Compare with this Job 38.22.23 and Jos 10.11 also Exod. 5. and the troubles of Pharaohs pursute of Israel in the Red sea Exod. 14.24.25 Psal 77.16.17.18.19 meditate on Psal 18. and 28.3 c. and Psal 104. and 148. and 1 Sam. 7.10 and 12.17 and 14.15 and much of Jobs booke ANNOTATIONS upon Chapter 1. In Q. 3. N. 5. The same order of the persons in existence is the same in operation both in the creation and in the new creation or regeneration For the spirit of Elohim first of the Father and Secondly of the son moved hovered or as one may say sate a Metaphor from birds that fit on their eggs on the face of the waters to hatch or bring forth out of that created Chaos all the visible and sensible creatures as it followes in the sixth dayes work As for the other the Love of the Father draws on the sons redemption and their spirit works it up by sanctification c. This is an irrefragable bond of working which the creature cannot frustrate and Jehovah changeth not Eph. 1.2 to 16. 1 Cor. 8.6 2 Cor. 4.4 2 Cor. 13.13 Joh. 5.19 and 14.26 and 15.26 and 16.7 In N. 6. That was fit for each cretaure though the creatures do now groan under corruption yet it is a miracle of beauty that things are placed to be so excellently subservient to each other The baser and inferiour serve the next above them the livelesse serve the Vegetives the Vegitive the sensitive the sensitive the Rationall the Rationall are to serve the eternall Lord God In N. 7. Therefore who is he that sayth that any thing falleth out which Jehovah commanded not From the mouth of the highest proceedeth not the evill and the good Lam. 3 27.38 Broughton reads it Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the Ground without the Father Matth. 10. Is there evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 Let us be humbled for our Atheisme that looke so much to second causes God alters times and seasons and over-rules his means as in the plague in 1636. it being most in winterly season And as for fretting and tormenting our selves about events every event is an Oracle of God then no disputing Yea be the instruments what can be it is just wise or a mercifull event and all to his glory Why doth living man murmur a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. Therefore David was in a sweet temper when he sayd I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal 39. 2 Sam. 16.10 So then what ever be the second causes yet the most high God ruleth all in all things in Heaven earth sea and in all deep places Psal 135. His providence reacheth as far as his creation We say it raines it snowes it freezeth ir misteth it thundereth it bloweth and that the stormy windes do raise the waves c. We may so speak impersonally for the holy scripture alloweth the Phrase But yet wee must looke and our children must be taught to looke to Jehovah the Eternall Being He sayth to the snow be thou upon the Earth and likewise to the small raine and the great raine of his strength he thundereth he raiseth the stormy winde c. Job 17.38 and Psal 104. and 107. These things should be in us from our infancy that our Faith Fear Love Joy Hope Patience should abound towards him who doth all things by his wise Counsells and for the good of his chosen In N 7. Kingdome Although the Kingdome of God be much spoken of in the holy scriptures yet it hath a more retyred and speciall sence then is commonly thought upon this Kigdome is that mediatoriall Kingdome of Christ and therefore all power in Heaven and Earth was not first given to him in Matth. 28.18 For God hath governed the world by his son ever since Adam lost the government by his fall Gen. 3.15 And therefore it is sayd Jehovah from Jehovah rained fire and brimstone up Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19.24 In N. 8. Nor resemblances We ought to be very carefull in prayer c. That we fashion not God in our conceptions to any shape We ought not to thinke of the God-head like sottish heathens or superstitious Papists Acts 17. Esa 40 Rom. 1. Therefore let us helpe our children from the breasts with true knowledge In N. 8. Haters For God saith I will visit the iniquity of Fathers upon the third and fourth Generation of them that Hate mee as in Exod. chap. 20. In N. 9. And all outward worship Selfe-will worshippers are bruitish wights they worship they know not what for all their babling and prating Act. 17. Joh. 4.22 Jeroboam and his Preists thought and taught that they worshiped the true God in his calves but God hath told us that hee worshiped Devils A Papist thinks hee worships Christ when hee kneeles before a golden silvery woodden stony or painted Crucifix But the spirit saith It is the worship of Devills 2 Chron. 11.25 Apoc. 9 20. In N. 10. Our Elohim Meditare ever more of Gods Attributes and properties as a helpe in Prayer and as a meanes to preserve faith and obedience and to prop us against all temptations to sin and when through Weaknesse overtaken by sin meditate on the same This will be a meanes to make us that we shall not conceale or hide our sins For by concealing we disgrace Gods Attributes and properties but by confession we give Glory to Jehovah the God of Israel that he sees us knows us that he is just if he judge and condemn us that he is holy and cannot abide iniquity that he is mighty and able to plague save and deliver And this is a gracious way to
thing indifferent with us because the excellency of this knowledge tendeth to the enjoyment of life everlasting 2 Tim. 3.15 16. CHAP. II. Hath divers Questions and Answers with Annotations from Gen. 3.15 to the Flood of Noah In which space of time the Doctrine of Redemption by the promised seed of the woman is Explained QVest 1. What is the first promise concerning the sending of JESVS CHRIST for our Redemption Answ Gen 3.15 I will put Enmity between AA thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed HEE shall breake thy head and thou shalt break his heel QVest 2. What do you observe out of this Text Ans That the Son of God who was before the begining and with the Father in the beginning is here first promised to be manifested a second Adam to dissolve the works of the Devill for mans Redemption QVest 3. Open the Text more largely Ans In this Text the Person office of Christ is taught his person that he is as all other men sin only excepted the seed of the a woman That is the Son of God is made man and as it is here prophesied so it is also historyed from what persons concerning the Flesh he came and how the Son of God took mans nature in Luke 3.23 he was as men supposed the son of Joseph but properly the son of the blessed and beloved * Mary the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord is in namelest out of Luc. 3. but in matter certained for the term son through all these hath relation to our Lord Jesus The spirits intent is to shew not Josephs but Christs naturall line Virgin Mary of † Eli is not Josephs Father for Matthew saith Iacob begat Joseph but thus it is a married man hath two Fathers his own proper Father and the Father of his wife as David had Jesse and Saul Eli of Matthae of Levi of Melchi of Janna of Joseph of Mattathas of Amos of Naum of Esli of Nagge of Maath of Mattathias of Simei of Joseph of Judah of Joanna of Rhesa of Zorobabel Of Salathiel of Neri of Melchi of Addi of Cosom of Elmodam of Er of Jose of Eliezer of Jorim of Matthat of Levi of Symeon of Judah of Joseph of Jonan of Eliakim of Melea of Mainan of Mattatha of Nathan of DAVID Of Jessai of Obed of Boaz of Salomon of Naasson of Amminadab of Aram of Esr●m of Pharez of Judah of Jacob of Isaac of Abraham Of Thara of Nahor of Saruch of Regu of Phaleg of Eber of Salah of Cainan of Arphaxad of SHEM Of Noah of Lamech of Methuselah of Enoch of Jared of Malaleel of Cainan of Enos of Seth of Adam d of GOD. QVest What understand you by his Office Ans The first Adam not keeping for one day the government committed to him the Son eternall would take mans nature that he might e governe he was made f Heir of all far above all principality and power might and Dominion and every name that is named not in this world only but also in that to come And all things in Heaven and Earth and Seas were subjected to him the second Adam as indeed all things were created by HIM and FOR HIM And he is before all things and by him all things consist And in him all the elect both them which are in Heaven and them which are in Earth are reconciled and gathered as under one head He was consecrated by God the Father from the day of g mans fall to be Mediator and head over all things to the Church which office he did execute as he is a Prophet Preist and King in the time of the Old Testament in his Types both * Kings Preists Prophets fi●st borne c. persons and things And when the fullnesse of time was come for the making of the New Testament be himselfe tooke unto him our Nature to do the Will of the Father Quest 5. What are the benefits that come to us from the person and ●ffie of Christ Answ They are unsearchable but I will name some principall 1. Satan h brought man to offence and so out of the favour of God and to shame of face and to the fear of Bondage i Christ the second Adam procured Reconciliation Justification and k Adoption 2. Satan brought mans soule to darknesse sinfullnesse or to death in sin l Christ the second Adam gives it knowledge righteousnesse and m the life of holinesse 3. Satan brought mans body to miseries death and corruption n Christ the second Adam sustaineth it in this its pilgrimage and perfectly restoreth it to life and incorruption in the Resurrection 4. Satan caused the first Adam to be expelled from the Tree of life and the Paradise terrestiall and brought all this world o under curse and so subject to vanity and p corruption Christ the second Adam restoreth to the faithfull a comfortable and sanctified use and service of the r creatures and will make a new world for his and their glory to dwell still with God and to feed upon the Tree of life in the Paradise celestiall and command Satan with his seed into eternall flames Add also unto this that Christ the second Adam the head of all principality and power restoreth to them that are in him adopted the attendance of the † Read Psal 34. and 91 Ebr 1. Col. 1.16.2 Rom. 6.17 Esa 37.36 Abrams Lots and Jacobs stories and Daniells booke Ebr. 13.2 holy Angells Quest What other observations out of this Text● Answ 1. God hath decreed what shall be the estate of the corrupted masse * Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same lump one V●ssell to honor and another to dishonor who art thou O man that disputest Rom. 9. For the manifsstation of Justice and mercy there are elect and reject in all ages of man-kinde that some shall be the seed of Satan t and the children of perdition and that some shall be elected predestinated and adopted Sons of God by Faith in Christ u and heirs of salvation II. God out of his free love and mercy made this promise to our first Parents of giving his only begotten Son when they neither desired it much lesse deserved it nay this mistery of his will and this way of salvation could not y enter into their heart till God in whole eternall councill and decree it was hid did reveale it And this is the State of all mankind from the first Adam till the Spirit of Christ by cherishing the waters of the LAW beget in us to a new light and life even a new creation 2 Cor. 4.6 III. The Son of God being promised that he should destroy in mans nature as a second Adam the a works of the Divill the holy Spirit taught the Saints in all ages that they should not allow or practise the dead works of darknesse or of the corrupt b nature of the old Adam but labour for a new life by faith and regeneration
Floud Gen. 26.5 Answ Sem Arphaxad Selah Heber Peleg and the rest of the godly Fathers and their faithfull posterity to the dayes of Terah and Abraham QUest 5. Was there any that contemned and apostated from the God of Shem and his true religion Answ Yea Cham and Chanaan and Nimrod the grandchild of Cham drew away many of the sons of the open or visible Church to despise Christ in Shem sirnamed Melchisedeck who was ordained over them King and Preist who governed in Justice and peace so that there was a great apostacie of Sems own families Japheths and Chams QUest 6. Shew further how this apostacy went on Answ The outward glory of the false church was so great that some of the Fathers of the holy line as Terah and Abraham fell to the idolatry of Nimrods Kingdome Jos 24. But they being called repented Gen. 11. QUest 7. How did Christ break and bruise the seed of the serpent for their enmity and wickednesse that would not bave him to reigne over them Answ I. With his unspeakable severe judgements for even those families for despising the faith were excommunicated and cut off both Father and child from being of the houshold of God by the confusion * So Judah for despising the faith were plagued by a Nation of a strange tongue Deut. 28 49. so the world by the man of sin 1 Cor. 14. mind seriously Jer 44 26. of tongues and so were No-people and foolish Nations by being estranged from the life justice and peace of God in Christ that they did not hear nor see the light of his truth for two thousand years but followed Divells the Prince of the darkness of this world in endlesse and lawlesse Idolatries and of all the miseries that befell them they in speciall lost the Sabbath which would have kept them in the faith of the creation and redemption And let this sinke into the hearts of all men that all men ever were and will be Atheists or Idolaters that Christ speaks not to in their owne language by his holy law and to this answer ever seriously minde 2 Joh v 9. II. From these dayes the wrath of God was revealed from Heaven against them for their ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse by wars and commotions and suffered them to walke in their own wayes by giving them up to a regardlesse mind and to the power of grosse darknesse and wilfull ignorance and to their hearts lusts and vile affections c. c. QUest 8. What benefit had the godly in Sems Tents and house by cleaving to the faith of Gods Elect Answ Through faith they obtained good report with God and confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers in this cursed world wherefore God was not ashamed of them to be called their God and accounted that the world was not worthy of them And as he promised builded and prepared so they hoped for an heavenly City and Country And Sems Tents had this glory that all the while that those families were cut off the hidden mystery of godlinesse was carefully kept in his Tents and house and the Hebrew Tongue also as all the old Testament doth witnesse QUest 9. Then the Prerogative of Sems Tents did not alwaies continue Answ No When the God of Shem tooke mans nature of the seed of the woman and gave his life a Ransome not for the Hebrewes or Jewes only but for the Heathens also Then that he might raigne and judge the world in righteousnesse he turned the curse of tongues to preach to and perswade all those families to obey the same faith from which their forefathers had apostated even to the Religion of Shems Tents QUest 10. How and to whom was the Revelation of the mystery of Christ continued to be revealed after the blessing to Sem Answ In the promise to Abraham that Christ should come of him according to the flesh QUest 11. How many yeares are from the floud to the promise made to Abraham Answ Foure hundred twenty seven yeares and so from the promise to our first Parents whom the Serpent murdered unto the promise to Abram given presently upon the death of Terah whose faith the Serpent corrupted to flames of Idolatry are years two thousand eighty three QUest 12. How many Chapters of Genesis are contained in those 2083. yeares Answ The eleven first chapters and also part of the first chapter of 1 Chronicles and also Luke part of chap. 3. Note that all the rest of the holy scriptures doth not containe so many yeares for the writing of them A breife summe of the former Questions and Answers JEhovah our God Jehovah is one the Father the Son and the holy spirit be one coeternall and co-essentiall The Son is called the word by the word the Father made the world and by the spirit beautified the heavens And because the word would become flesh the world was made to serve once Adam the first The Angells that grudged at that fell for ever and deceived Adam and made him dead in sin and brought him to be dayly turning to dust untill hee dyed And for him the whole frame of the creation was pronounced corrupt but after divine Revelation he beleeved that Christ made of a woman made under the Law God being in him to reconcile the world unto himself should give him free forgiveness for justification by faith and renew the inner man in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse and raise up his body and make a new world by his power Whereby he can subdue all things to himselfe All faithfull travailed in soule to have Christ brought forth to the knowledge of their posterity that all might know that all this world was made obedient to a man at the first which man fell from God his first day and then God opened his counsell that the Son eternall would be made man of a woman to destroy the works of the Angells that fell who all are collectively Satan Satan brought Adam to loose the life of his soule and his body to death and dust and all this world to corruption Christ kindled light in Adams soule and after 930 years heavinesse for sin took it to his joy and will raise up his body and make a new world that all men who will receive the abundance of Grace of free forgivenesse for justification may reigne by Christ and all who will not regard this mercy so clear as the sun they all by Adams fall dead in sin shall be damned for ever with the Devills This is the travell of the christian minde speech of this full of joy is in all the books of the old and new Testament Or thus The summ of the Bible is short how of Gods eternall counsell the world was made for man because the son of God by whom he made the world would be a man to give life to them that rested in this wisdome *** All this dialogue will evidence this or doth desire so to do * The faith of Gods elect in
only but of the Gentiles also for he that justifies the circumcision will justifie the uncircumcision And God is a husband to the once barren and desolate woman but fruitful in children as the former married wife Israel Doth not the promise save infants as well as grown men and doth not our heavenly father declare his counsels that his will is to save infants as well as grown men that he enjoyns the seal to infants and saith that he will be their God and the Lord saith not he will be the Father of grown men rather than of infants And a godly parent hath as great hope of his dying infants as any Anabaptist can have of their grown men Ibid. of Quest 4. Of adoption This adoption of Israel hath a double consideration general and speciall visible and invisible visible in covenant in respect of the Apostate families that were cut off Gen. 10. 11. invisible the faithful in Israel All did profess the faith except in their apostasies to the false faiths and religions of Earl-Peor and Moloch and Chemosh c So they were not all faithful no not in outward profession They were Christs own afore he came to his own all Exod. c. his own by visible priviledges yet many a time they grieved him and his holy Spirit Psalm 78 106. so many of them slighted this adoption by joyning themselves to Peor as the sons of the open Church followed Kains wayes Gen. 6. even so it is now some in the Church born after the flesh and some born after the Spirit yet both make a visible Church of Christ it cannot be it must not be denyed It is not sound reasoning from a visible Church estate to the doctrine of election If any be further contentious beware of them Rom. 16.17 18. Quest 4. N. 11. Putting of the sinful body It shewed how distastefull man is to God in his sinful estate of the first Adam and no communion with God but by regeneration in the second Adam 1 Joh. 1. Therefore observe what Esaias Ezekiel John Baptist and our Lord and Stephen said to carnal Israel boasting to be Abrahams seed Esay 57.3 Ezek. 16.3 Ioh. 8.44 Acts 7 51. Matth. 3.9 That they were neither Gods children nor Abrahams seed not treading in the steps of the faith and works of Abraham ibid. N. II. The putting on the new man An Israelite being circumcised yet the old Adam was not so put off nor the new Adam so put on but that birth sin did remain yea so remained that through the Bias of lusts and sinful appetites and by temptation and not taking heed to themselves and keeping their souls diligently omissions of duty and many actuall sins did bud forth For although by faith in Christ the saints were justified or freed from the guilt and punishment of sin inheriting the justification that is by faith yet there was corruption in them issuing from that original or birth-sin that we still are yoked with all we are in Christ Jesus justified from the reign of this sin but not from the being of it in us Gods counsel is such to make us humble This the saints of old felt and acknowledged and bewayled and prayer for further mortification Psalm 51. And those Scriptures from two Apostles that were both circumcised and baptized shew the truth of this Rom. 7.1 John 1.8 Phil. 3.12 13. Therefore every godly soul must observe three things 1. That we slight not any sin in thought word or deed Rom. 6. 7. And 2. to be careful that we content not our selves with bodily exerccise Phil. 3.1 2 3 c. And 3. not to be discontent that Gods counsel is such that perfection is not attaineable in this life that was the sin of our first parents they were Seekers to be in a better estate then they were stated in they were discontent and hearkned to Satan While we are in this vale of tears this must ever be in our hearts 1 Ioh. 1. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and truth is not in us but if we acknowledge our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness and minde that of the Apostle Phil. 3.7 8 9 10 11 12 c. Satan and his instruments will by all means corrupt our hearts in these three things Ibidem N. II. Drew them to the spirituall meaning The faithful worshipped Gop in Spirit and rejoyced in Christ Iesus Ier. 4.4 Phil. 3.3 but a circumcised carnal Israelite thought opus operatum enough as a Law of works and so in all their ceremonies And note this as the doctrine of the covenant is reciprocal so of the Seal as they did teach and seal all comforts from God so they did binde them closer to God in Christ by faith and filial obedience N. III. of the 4 Quest their infant-children Let us consider two or three words more of that which is said touching the infants of Israel that departed this life It is Gods promise and covenant that are workfull and his Spirit did blesse circumcision for the joy and comfort of parents for their infants reconciliation justification sanctification and adoption and hope of immortal glory The same covenant and promise doth belong to the Parents of the Churches of the Gentiles for their infants in the seal of Baptism Is the Father Son and Holy Ghost the holy Trinity the God of the Jewes onely and not of the Gentiles also yea of the Gentiles also Thy Makers are thy Husbands Esay 54. faithful is he that hath promised and he will do it Therefore he is reconciled to our infants and will justifie and sanctifie and adopt them and bring them to immortal glory They by circumcision were circumcised into one body as is evident in all the Church politic of Moses And so by baptism we are all baptized into one body whether Iews or Greeks The promise and covenant is ours as well as theirs as the Epistle to the Galatians upon Gen. 12.2 3. sheweth and baptism sealeth the same and the Covenant and seal is in extent excepting the obligation of Ceremonies and some judicials as large for application to all converted Gentiles to them and to their seed as of old to Israel and their seed The false teachers of these dayes say the Covenant with the people of Israel was carnal and fleshly c. but this is not so not so in Gods intent when he gave those promises and made that covenant and ordeined that seal of his covenant not so in the judgement of the faithful and in their whole conversation which was heavenly as all Heb. 11. Luke 1.55 72 73 74. Again not so for after they came to Canaan they did not reject Canaan nor city nor Temple but in apostasie nor sacrifices nor washings c. as Psalm 50. Esay 1. Ier. 7. yet God plagued them which was for despising Christ in those ordinances so their table was made a
satanical and Julian fancies that would not have Schools of Prophets Christ will curse such and their posterities Quest 7 and Answ blessed protection Upon their glorious faith was a defence and the last speech of Moses was made good through all their State while they hold their glory Deut. 33 26 c. That Scripture is full of heavenly joy to all Christian States that hold the faith of Christ sincere Esay 4. Where this glory is seated there shall be a defense Blessed hast thou been O England who is like unto thee O people saved by Jehovah from the ●eed of the Serpent sundry times but especially in eighty eight and in the Gan-powder plot and in 164● c. Ibid. Written word The sweet blessed Scriptures are to make Kings and Common Weals wise and learned that the wrath of Christ burn not up their States and in special the books of Kings and Chronicles with the prophets of their times are for instruction to Christian Kings and polities in many things of State but chiefly to take heed how the true Church doth tamper with the false and apostate in treaties and affinitie Psalm 2. 2 King 22. 2 Chron. 34. 35. c. The holy Scriptures will yield more fundamental conclusions and sure rules for government then all the Machiavels in the world Quest 8. and Answ Aholah for their apostasie Our blessed gracious and merciful Lord God doth never cast off his people till they have first cast off and contemned his word for then idolatry will begin and all ungodliness and unrighteousness like a torrent will follow Then will God hisse for a flie and a Bee What Prince is able to keep a flie or a Bee from comming near his Court yea or into his Chambers and Excheq●ers God is as able to bring an enemie even of their lovers to enjoy and possesse them See the stories of R●choboam Ioram Ioash Amaziah c. 2 Chr. 12. 21. and 24. 25 And Pharoah with all his wisdome and multitude Ezek. 29. and 30. and 31 c 32 could not prevent Nebuchadnezzar from his spreading his royal Pavilion near his Court Gate Jer. 43.9 10. and who caused that the Babylonian Princes sate in the Gate of Ierusalem but the Lord Iehovah the God of recompenses Jer. 39. Esai 42.24 Esay 5.26 7.18 Pro. 13.13 Jer. 6. 7. 2 Kings 22.13 Ibid. N. 1. and gave them over to the lying Spirits Wo to them saith God when I depart from them then followed a secret dedication of them to devils transferring his right of them to idols Ephraim is joined to idols Let him alone Hos 4.17 Acts 7.47 1 King 22.23 Psal 81. Ezek 14.9 and so 2 Thess 2. Apoc. 16.13 1 Tim. 4. Ibid. N. 1. To walk in their own Counsels Ezek. 20.25 Psal 81. 2 Kings 17.8 Hos 10.6 13.1 Observe Mich. 6. ult Salomon fitted many Proverbs and told them the words of the wise do bear grace and that the words of the fools of the ten tribes and of Judah also would be foolishness and wicked madness to swallow them up Eccles 10. Behold still how Christ the Corners stone was rejected and became a stone of offence to both the houses of Israel as Esaias and David had told them Psalm 69.22 Esay 8.14 and 28.16 and so is ever to all that will not receive him in the way of his own ordinances and mark how these texts are pressed by our Lord and his Apostles in the Acts Evangelists and in the Epistle to Rome and 1 Pet. 2. and this is written for us Rom. 15. confer Esai 6.9 10. with John 12.40 Acts 28.26.27 c c. Ibid. N. 1. Could not live the life of a State c. Observe how the Holy Spirit compares the dead State of the ten tribes being in Apostasie with the apostasie of the families 2 Chron. 15.3 with Ephes 2.1 to 12. Dead from a Church life Hos 13.1 false worship breeds atheism and corruption in manners heresie frets like a gangreane and such Authours and fautours wax worse and worse The ten tribes were without the true God by their apostasie and so the heathens were atheoi atheists without God in the world and note that speech of Asa King of Judah was spoken of Israel before the idol Ba●l was brought into Israel 2 Chron. 15.3 Ibid. 8. Quest and Answ N. 2. He did pour out his fury God was angry for the provocation of his sons and of his Daughters Deut. 32. Gods four sore judgements followed Aholah and Aholibah for their backslidings Ezek. 14. and the Earthquake in Amos 1. had in Israel its events Jeroboam the second his son was two and twenty years in getting his Fathers Throne such trouble in State all plagues and curses Levit. 26. Deut. 28. came on them not for breaking a Covenant of Works but for accounting Christ and his Kingdome Anathema They did as all apostates do loath his word they abhorred his Statutes they obeyed not the Son of God the Angel of Gods presence as Mediatour and so had not life John 3.35 36. they served not God in their spirits in the Gospel of his Son He that hath not the Son of God hath not the Father 1 John 5.12 2 John 9. and so come all plagues and curses on men Let the wilde Olive branches fear Ibid. Vpon them famine pestilence Famine and Pestilence are chiefly the Plagues of the meaner sort and the sword is the plague of the rich Ezek. 21.14 when the heavens dealt with the subjects Levit. 26. the Governours felt the other The spirit of Christ hath long and wonderful patience afore the sword cometh Lev. 16 23 24 25. then the sword doth avenge the quarrel of Gods covenant not a covenant of works but for despising the covenant in his Son against the godliness of high place who were and are the hinderers of all good and the promoters of all evil as it is said A great man grieveth all and he hireth the fool he hireth also the transgressors Prov. 26.10 Ibid. By secret corroding mischiefs Christ was as a Lion to tear in pieces by their domestick dissentions as in the overthrow of the houses of Jeroboam Baasa Omri Iehu c. and by forrein enemies and also he was as a Moth insensibly eating and consuming their riches honour and people by one ill project or other And for this read Hosea 5.12 Ibid. House of Assur They made Israel Iez●eel Loruchamah and Lo-ammi till the latter daies as Hebr. 1.1 But then they were gathered in Christ and pittied and again made Gods people The Apostles of the circumcision preached to them that were dispersed in Asia Galatia Pontus Bythinia Cappadocia and Chaldea c. 1 Per. 1.1 and chap. 2. all tribes then are called Iews Ephraim mixed himself with the heathens Religion therefore God mixed them among the heathen Ibid. Out of their own Land There nettles and thornes grew in their pleasant palaces then the thorne and thistle grew on their
8.44 Mat. 3. Christ saith to the unbelievers and hypocrites Ye are of your father the devil Men that hate Christ and his word and his servants their genealogie is from Satan and Cain 1 Iohn 3.12 and the faithfull theirs is from Abraham yea from God and Christ Gal. 3. 7.29 and chapter 4.31 Iohn 1.13 Let all Phil 3. be considered with this note Quest 10. and Answ N. 1. And tormenting sorrows Note some special God gave over into the hands of one another and into the hands of their Kings the Herods and the Cesa●s Ioseph Liber 13. chap. 19. c. Then Christ brake both his staves by which they were strengthened he brake the staffe of beauty bereaving them of the duty of his Ordinances and brake also the brother-hood of Judah and Ephraim And much of this came to passe when the tribe of Levi cared not for the sacrifice-hood and would be Kings contrary to Jacobs and Moses will Gen. 49. Deut. 33. Then they and others became Sadduces and killed 50000 Pharisees This is the fruit of hereticall Doctrine and mens Traditions The poore of the flock that waited on Christ and valued him above all observed these things Zac. 11. Ibid. For as they abhorred Christ As their fore-fathers moved Christ to jealousie by revolting to idols so they did by mens traditions and false Doctrine which is as bad as idolatry yea it is idolatry and vanity Deut. 32.21 compare with Rom. 10.19.1 John 5.21 Observe how the Apostle Paul citeth that Text of Moses They despised the eternall Son and his righteousnesse the new and living way Bodily exercise was not the living way and so they despised God the Father 2 John 9 but that brought upon them the day of violent fire and wrath to the utmost as it is said despisers wonder and perish Acts 31.41 Heb. 10.27 1 Thes 2.19 False Teachers and their deceived never prized nor admired Christ and his word read Phil. 3. Quest ibid. N. 2. with utter and finall desolations Your house that is the Temple shall be dosolate while the world standeth Mat. 23. Luc 13. And this came to passe about 40 years after our Lords ascension Not such a desolation and trans●●gration as was at Shiloh or at Jerusalem by Babel or as that three years half by Antiochus with restauration but utter desolations as experience for 1500 years The affliction from Egypt had a fore-told limitation so had Babels so that of Antiochus and Israels proper glory was limited Dan. 9.24 But how carnal Israels affliction is not limited and earthly Canaan and Jerusalem shall never have proper and peculiar glory Quest 11. and Answer They shall never be restored Let Ezk. 16.43 to the end of the chapter be well considered both for the captivity to Babel and the utter desolations by Rome as Ezekiel compares Iudahs state with Sodoms unrecoverable so our Lord both to Sodom and to Noahs flood Mat. 24. mark well Num. 33. ult Again note where the Apostle saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not have c. by a cosequent he meant Neither would he Temple City and Kingdome which were all figures till the time of setling Christ should be and was the building in which God would delight and therefore these shadows shall never be restored unlesse we say Sacrifice and offering shall Why do we not as Mr. Finch and Mr. Brightman c. make the Jews expect things seen and temporall No no they will rejoice to be of the holy City from heaevn and will never care to make a corporation in the Low● Jerusalem Ibid. Then any countrey or Citie in the World Then they will believe the doctrine of their apostle Peter the Apostle of the circumcision as their Godly forefathers dispersed in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinis and Chaldea and mind the heavenly inheritance that is uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not and the spiritual Temple 1 Peter 1. 2. and 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. How sweetly doth the Apostle draw them from their carnal sense of Ezekiels prophesie under the terms of Canaan Citie and Temple So the apostle to the Hebrews draws them to the heavenly Government of Christ in the Jerusalem Celestial And that the Low Jerusalem all that hold of the policy of it now ended by the Son eternal were briars and thornes and near rejection cursing and the destruction of violent fire and wrath to the utmost compare 2 Sam 23.1 to 7. with Hebrews ch 6. 10. As their fore-fathers did so the children as Stephen laies that heavy crimination on them Ibid. The Lamb is the Temple Seeing the Lamb is the Temple and that he destroyed the material Temple and all the politie of it for if the Priest-hood be changed there must be of necessity a change of the Law old things are all passed Then surely it is abominable to have Priests Altars Sacrifices Candles Incense Copes Linnen Ephods Musick Distinction as of Mosaical daies and times as Rests Jubilees new Moones distinction of meats annointings c. in our Ecclesiasticall administrations yea or an Ecclesiastical politie answerable to Levi of a subservient Clergy under one universal high Priest on earth Christ our Statute-Maker hath forbidden all Levitical ceremonial worship Iohn 4. There is no Typical ceremonie left unto us in his New Testament but the two Seals of the covenant of the New Testament and Gods Worshipe●s must worship him in Spirit and truth Spirit is opposed to bodily exercise of our carnal hearts Truth is opposed to the shadows rites types and ceremonies by which Christ saith The hour was coming that the Father would refuse to be worshipped And the Son by whom the Father spake taught none such to be repeated much less others by man to be invenced They are tyrannical ecclesiasticks that force ceremonies Col. 2. Before Christs coming the Wisdom of God as the old covenant needed instituted many types and ceremonies but the fulness of time being come two signs seals and memorials Baptism and the Lords Supper were ordained Seeing the Lord God of hosts even the Lamb is the Temple and we all with open face see the shining of the Sun of righteousness all Moses Ceremonies and others of mans invention should be left It is else as if we were still under pupillage and now it is bondage from which Christ hath justified us that is made us free The servants of Christ in these things must not be the servants of men but still contend and fight the good fight for the utter abolishing what he hath abolished and what in his last Will and Testament he never bequeathed nor commanded Gal. 4. Greek Fathers began the Name Priest and high Priest to be fitted to their doctors But in the end the gangrene crept to ha●m unspeakable that Satan by Turk and Pope ruled the world For the god-Pope the high Priest of the Papacy he made a Mosaical subservient Clergy He made another peculiar holy Citie● He made Priests and annointed them
Christ giving the world over to slavery and befottednesse in former times Rejoice over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged ye on her read attentively Psal 81. and in all this book of the Apocalips compare old things with new Quest 6. And chiefty through this Abaddon States miss much the mark that think to overthrow the Kingdome of Abaddon if liberties and not the quarrell of the Gospel be not syncerely intended Let the King of Swedens doings advise them And consider Zac. 4.6 chiefly so must the Temple be built and Fathers and Councels Doctors and School men are not the sword of Christs mouth much lesse a dumb base idle and proud ministery those and these humane helps we have used long enough Ibid. Shall be perishing to the end As those four beasts Da●●y perished by the time of our Lords first coming so the Romane Beast made of those four shall by his second A greater curse cannot be to terrisie us in partaking with them For what State will seek to uphold the Kingdome of the Beast King Abaddon must sink with it as a great milstone that Christ casteth into the sea and let each State whose Kingdome is the Lords and his Christs take heed how they tamper in leagues and Treaties with any of the horns that yet uphold and give their power to the Beast and mark events Christ hath and will preserve his Common-Weals that rule for him that in truth defend his faith as D. Cariton in his thankfull remembrance hath evidenced to our ingratefull and forgetfull Nation Will we not yet mind that theam of theirs nulla fides observanda baereticis yea it is more than a theam it is one of their Papall Laws a Canon in the Couneel of Constance Sess 19. Will not we believe a man to be bald till we see his brains vide Cade Justif lib. 2. 80 81. c. and the apdendix Ques salvos suscita● ques destruit dementet Just with God that they that will not know his holy faith should not know reason The children of Noph and Tahpanbes have broken thine head contrary to Gen. 3.15 Jer. 2. Isa 9.13 and 30.4 The harlot Aholibah doted on the Egyptian and Babylonian worships which were her ruine they sent for the brave Gallants of Babel clothed inred attire a type of Scarlet Cardinals of mysticall Babylon Ezek. 23 14 15. Hos 9.2 and 10.6 c. c. Dear Queen Elizabeth would not suffer Jerolamus Martinengo to come over into England for any Treaty Hist Council of Trent 440. but now Treaties and Locusts are either sent for or suffered to swarm Alasse what means it that an ambas●adour should be sent to the seven Mountain City of mysticall Babylon What have we to do to drink the waters of Tyber Jer. 2.18 1636 Ezek. 23.16 in King Edwards dayes the State sent for P. Martyr and Martin Bu●er and for many years countenanced men of their Spirit but now c. The syncerity of the Gospel is the sure Basis of all prosperity to a State and notwithstanding all this Elias and Elisha and Sam●el c. will be the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof False Religion and oppression is the earthquake of a State as Mr. Cade most affectionately sheweth in the Appendix Quest 7. and Answ That gave their power to the beast The Kings that did traffick with the Pope continually for his confirmation they felt Christs anger for it for he would have them know that by him Kings reign that all power in heaven and earth is his that the most high ruleth over the Kingdomes of men as the proud King of old Babel who was made a beast did confesse to warn the Beast of mysticall Babylon of his blasphemous arrogancy Prev 8. Mat 28.18 Dan. 4. Rom. 1● 1 i.e. Kingdomes that will not stick to Gods covenant shall find this Scripture made good on them 2 Chron. 12.8 Ibid. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Lamb shall overcome and revenge the blood of his servants Apoc. 19. Five beads were fallen for Gods peoples sake when John wrote and the sixth head was wounded to death for persecuting the faith so shall the seventh Head feel the curse of the living God Ibid. That will judge the great Whore God shall judge them and his Prophets and their enemies shall judge them and the righteous men shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses and blood is in their hands Ezek. 16.38 and 23.45 Ibid. That hold of every foul spirit Whom do these foul spirits conscience-cauterised hypocrites seduce on whom do these Vultures kites and ravens seise on surely on none but those men and women that have sore and itching ears and cannot abide sound Teaching and have no love to the truth and laden with sins and led away with divers lusts lusts of the eyes of flesh and pride of life 1 Tim 6.10 2 Tim. 3 6 7. and 4. and 3 4.1 John 2.16 Apoc. 18.2 This verse of Apoc. 18.2 may be an allusion to Isa 13.21.22 as old Babylon was troubled Zim Jim and Ohim so mysticall Babylonians in our Land in these dayes of darknesse have been troubled with spirits and hobgoblins and night-terrours c. But blessed be the father of mercies the God of all consolation for the Gospel of his Son which hath scattered these evils from us Ibid. For he sitteth as on a white cloud with a sicle in his hand and on a white ho●se Let the Saints remember with joy how Christ the King rode on a cloud in bringing Israel out of old Egypt so now in bringing us his Isael out of Rome Egy●t Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Psal 45. in Apoc. 6.2 Christ rode as on a white horse in his instruments the angels invisibly men visibly against the Casars till he had wounded to death that head of the Romane State so now against the reviver of the wounded head he rode on a white horse Apocal. 19.11 as against old Egypt Hab 3.8 Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever Moses and all faithfull so sing Exod. 15. Apoc. 15. At the figure of the † The holy spirit alludeth to the stories of the old enemies Apocalyps 18. c. sheweth the great fall of mysticall Babylon from old stories Oh that our brethren would be conversant in the holy Scriptures the Romane polity killing men for the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine is as guilty as if it had killed them and all holy in the same faith All the righteous blood shed from Habel the righteous to this day shall be required of them and it should admonish our Nobles Gentry ministery and Commonalty to take heed how they comply with that bloody whorish Church lest they acquire the guiltinesse of its massacres treasons Gun-powder plot c. consider Job 9.4 to help the Reader to compare the Ap●calyps with old stories somewhat I will mention for these present expressions The old world Gen. 6.11 12 13.
calling c. Ephes 1. 3. this is a mercy past evpression that God should make a covenant with such as we are this is the radix of all and therefore it is said 1. That they were his peculiar treasure 2. A Kingdome of Priests 3. And holy Nation 4. God placed his Tabernacle among them and 5. called them the Kingdome of God and the joyfull shout of so just good and mercifull a King was among them Who can but shout with all exultation if we did but understand our own comfort These things and other Scriptures shew they were under a covenant of grace if we be they were for their spirituall priviledges and promises are now conferred on us 2 Cor. 6.16 Apot. 21.3 Ephes 2. and 3.1 Pet. 2. conferred with Exod. 29.45 Levi● 25 23. and 26.12 D●ut 7.6 7 8. now as Israel was Gods peculiar treasure so the Gentiles called to the faith are T it 2.14 this well considered will make the Doctrine of Anabaptistrie to be abhorred of us touching our infants 6. If reformed churches can make it good that they are under a corenant of grace and we may truly say it blessed be the name of the Lord then they were and we could not be so but because their priviledges are transacted to the wild olives and we are graffed into their olive tree we received from them all our glory all our spirituall things for Christ our salvation and all his holy Doctrine is of and from them I will collect some brief heads of Doctrine which were taught believed and professed in the common Weal of Israel 1. They had the Doctrine of the Trinity and Unity Deut. 6.4 2. They had the Doctrine of election and rejection Psalm 65. Exod. 9.16 and 33.19 3. They had the Doctrine of the great mysterie of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh to be a second Adam and to be a sin-offering and to rise from death the third day Gen. 3.15 and 12 3. Gen. 49. and they went three times a year according to the Testimony to Israel to testifie their faith in this this was the main 4. They were taught that the Father the Word and the Spirit one infinite nature created the world Psalm 33.6 Prov●● 5. They were taught that the Father had committed all power to the Son for governing the church and the world Psal 2. and 8. and 110. Gen. 19.24 Exod 23.20 21 22. all expound Gen 3.15 6. They were taught justification by faith in Christ Gen 4 and 15 Heb. 11. 7. They were taught Sanctification Be ye holy for I am holy Levit. 19 2. 8. Under Moses Polity they had hope and rest in Christ Psal 130. Ephes 2. Jer. 6.16 and 50.7 Mat. 11.29 Christ complained they had forgotten him their resting place he was the rest of the Saints evermore Jer. 50 6 7. the Apostle saith the Gentiles were without hope but Israel had hope in Christ both for remission of sinnes and eternall glory Eph. 2.12 Ezra 10.2 9. The spirituall graces of Circumcision and the Passeover were required and so practised Deut. 10.16 and 30.6 Exod. 12. Heb. 11.28 1 Sam. 1.7.36 10. The heavenly inheritance was taught them Levit 25.23 11. They were taught to account themselves strangers and sojourners in this cursed world Levit. 25 23. and so David taught his generation 1 Chron. 29 and so believed himself Psal 39. 12. They had hope in the Resurrection Job 19. Psal 49. Exod. 3.6 Mat. 22 32. 13. They had the holy Spirit to lead them in all holy wayes 2 Cor 4. to write the Law in their hearts to seal to them all holy Doctrine of the word whether promises threatnings commandements all good examples c. One may make a large volume of this Subject I think this question may be asked what one new doctrine is taught in the new Testament that the Saints of the old Testament knew not when grievous crimination of heresie by the Councel were laid to the Apostles charge he protesteth he taught no new principles Acts 14.15 16 17. and 26.7 now if the common-Wealth of Israel had all this holy doctrine they must needs be under a covenant of grace CHAP. XXXI A Prosopopeia on Solomomons fall by the Temptations of his idolatrous wives to the ruine of his Kingdome and posterity in granting them the liberty of conscience for the practice of their idolatrous Rites framed by way of Dialogue between King Solomon and Tirzana the Queen TI●zana being a Princesse of the house of Moab and being called for did enter into the presence of King Solomon and after some dalliance with her and after she had fitted his humour by giving him all the best content she could she took the opportunity and said my Lord King Solomon I have an humble Request to make unto your gracious Majesty I pray you say me not nay K. What is that my sweet Ti●zana Q. My most gracious Lord and Soveraign I have been some years with you though you have often spoken to me to be a Proselite to the Religion of Israels common-weal yet I cannot bring my heart unto it you well know that my education was not in the way manner of Israel and my affection is not toward it it is not so pleasing to me for I cannot forget my fathers house nor forsake his Religion In this case I shall blemish my father and my mother brethren and sisters and people in case I should apostatise from our ancient Religion and in my opinion far the better we have more zeal in ours and many moe pleasures to give man and woman content than is in your profession your Religion is very crosse to mans nature and is urged with great terrour and strictnesse your Religion reproves thoughts words and most mens actions no Religion under heaven doth so as yours and that makes so few to embrace it Yea many of Israel have formerly been more addicted unto ours and the worships of neighbours Nations than to this of Israel and they will not follow it but by compulsion of Governors whereas religious worships should be freely exercised according to every mans conscience when if your subjects should be left unto you well know which way the ride will run it is a pitifull thing that man of a noble and free spirit should be so tyred with hard injunctions and heavy burdens as with bands cords and fetters and it may be that reformation that your noble Father indeavoured and your selfe have prosecuted would not and will not be so convenient as due liberty which would be a more noble design than rigid reformation And if Antiquity make things reverend then our Religion is more ancient or if not more yet as equall for Antiquity for ought I can learne I am but a poor Historian being a woman but I am able to prove the Religion of our God Chemosh to be above four hundred and fifty years old This I can attest and prove by your own Records and you had yours
for they were bound to observe the whole Law that is all that the Priesthood of Levi taught them and so Christ is of no effect for if they thought by the Law ceremoniall or morall ex opere operato to be justified Christ would be of no comfort to them by this Tenent they denied the grace of free justification by Christ mind also Gal. 4 9 10. 5. Let it be considered from this time forward concerning this point of justification whether it be not better to use the terms and phrases setteth free freeth and freedome for seeing our godly learned do so translate in some places we may have Christian liberty so to render and interpret the Noun and the Verb of the Greek in other places if it may be done with rationall understanding according to the analogie of faith 6. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them The Apostle saith to Philemon If Onesimus oweth thee ought compute count or reckon it to mine account The word I suppose is the same a meraphor from debts in books therefore may it not better be said for clearing doctrine not counting not computing not reckoning their trespasses unto them in the words impute compute count or reckon is not much difference so the point be cleared to our understanding 7. Our sins are called debts which we cannot justifie or free our selves from nor pay or satisfie for by all the means that we can use as from our selves and we are naturally so vile that we care not to be reconciled and therefore naturally we care not for the word of reconciliation but are enemies to God and have a very ill opinion of God because of love to our sinfull appetites and because of the soulnesse of offenses which the conscience doth accuse us of 8. But our mercifull God heavenly Father determined a way from all eternity to reconcile us to himself by sending his dear son a second Adam to take humanity and in humanity to give himself to death for us a sacrifice offering of a sweet smelling savour and for this sacrifice of his beloved son he doth not count he doth not reckon our debts and trespasses to us but doth pardon them doth forgive them doth justifie us that is doth free us from the guilt and * In all these speeches it is not to be understood temporally although by the blood of the Covenant we are comforted in all conditions Zach 9.11 but chiefly stil to be under stood of eternal freedome redemption and salvation Dan. 9.24 Adoption is the fruit of redemption Gal. 4. punishment of them and this he doth to all that by the word of reconciliation are by the mighty work of the Spirit perlwaded to embrace by faith Christ Jesus the Mediatour sent down from heaven from the Father to be our Prophet Priest and King and they that so receive Christ and believe in him shall have this dignity to be called Gods adopted children in Christ and by this most glorious Grace of adoption in the Sonne of God beleevers are stated into a most joyfull capacity of being heirs to the inheritance of the Saints in light for that the spirit of God doth by the same word of reconciliation regenerate them or cause them to be borne again not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God to serve God in their spirits in the Gospel of his Son and so to be meet persons for that inheritance This was the sum of the Apostles message in his ambassage to the Gentiles 9. God the Father doth justifie for Christs sake as the first person for he is the first cause in order of the persons the father is the first efficient 2. The Lord Jesus Christ doth justifie us as the meritorious cause and so he is the second efficient this maketh the Apostle often to say Grace be with you and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the son of the Father 2 John 3. and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the son doth regenerate us and qualifie us with the grace of faith as the condition of applying the said justification and doth seal to our hearts God the Fathers justification from the sons redemption 10. Dicaiosune is the effect of dicaiontai Acts 13.39 justification or setteth free and freedome differ as the form and applying of the form to the subject Dicaioumenoi c. is the act of God the Father upon or to a believing soul freeing him from the guilt and punishment of sin for the merit of Christs sacrifice also dicaiosune is that freedome that God the Father bestowed upon the repenting and believing Apostle Paul Phil. 3. So dicaiosune is the effect of dicaioumenoi and diacontai the freedome that a godly soul finds in himself from God that justifieth or setteth free and the holy Ghost by the word of * The holy spirit dothregenerate by the word John 3. Ephes 5. Tit. 3. and by this new birth saith and all other graces are manifested reconciliation doth work faith which doth ovidence that soul to be the subject of that freedome as Gal. 2. and although every godly man hath not as himself apprehends that Plerosoria yet he knows his heart is reconciled to God to love the Lord and his wayes and doth rest on the Promises of God in Christ for salvation and onely by him 11. This I suppose may be thus illustrated a Kings son that is obedient to all his fathers commands hath a promise that for such and such performances he shall obtain his favour for any Traytor that he shall please to intercede for thereupon he doth by the vertue of his Fathers promise and his performance intercede the Kings dicaiosis justification of the said Traitor and the King doth justifie that is doth pardon setteth him free from the guilt of his sin and punishment provided he will repent and accept the said pardon and therefore that he may be the subject of the said pardon he doth repent believe it and accept it and so comes out of prison and when he hath this pardon and freedome under seal granted him he may truly say here is my dicaiosune Justification freedome and pardon from my guiltinesses and punishment due for them he will not say nor cannot say the personall righteousnesse honesty and obedience of the Kings sonne is reckoned to him for his righteousnesse but this is all his righteousnesse and it is enough even pardon and freedome from his offence and the desert of it and received into favour this it a compleat attonement and reconciliation through the Kings sons intercession the offender is not onely pardoned but also is restored to his former yea to a greater honour and favour with the King and what can he desire more for the comfort of a subject From all which the Delinquent if he have any ingenuity will shew much love both to the King and his son
28 saith Andrew to his brother Simon We have found that Messias which is by intepretation the Christ and Phili●i finds Nathanael and said unto him we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write All the Prophets did write of Christ but none named him Messias the attribute of a proper name but Daniel from the Angels message and the same Angel was sent to Mary to name him Jesus so both those names were given to the SON of GOD not by man but from heaven so in their blessed and heavenly society these speeches were uttered and confessed Christ to be the Son of God to be the Son of man to be the King of Israel and the Messias the Holy of Holinesse and the Ladder of all comfort 4. And Martha's conference with our Lord is most comfortable and full of faith shewing what they all expected and believed I believe thou art the Christ the Son of God that should come into the world to be our life and Resurrection John 5. 5. Pilates speech to the Jews is of great force What shall I do then with JESVS which is called MESSIAS Christ They all said Let him be c●ucified This looks to Dan. 9. Psal 22. where it is said Messias shal● suffer Mat. 27. 6. The questions that were in agitation among the Jews at this time will brighten this matter the signes of the times as our Lord speaketh gave them occasion of moving many questions when John Elies came teaching and baptizing the Jews sent Priests and Levites to ask him Who art thou and he conf●ssed and denied not and plainly confessed I am not the Messias the Christ Yea the Jews did so expect the Messias that all men mused that John was the Messias they were hardly driven off from the conceit they were to taken with him Luke 3.15 Iohn 1. Therefore this is a strong argument that Dan. 9.24 c. must of absolute necessity be believed to be a proper speech and definitive for the time MESSIAS coming to satisfie the consciences of the faithfull And for that also our Lord foretold of false Christs that would arise as immediately they did and deceived many as our Lord said unto them I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own name him ye will receive John 5. Therefore he said Search the Scriptures c. and very likely Mr. P. if he had then lived would have been a deceiver and deceived and a false Prophet or a false Christ if he had not believed Daniels Prophesie to be a most clear exact and definitive time from Daniels prayer to the death of MESSIAS So Iohn-Elias sent his disciples to Christ to stablish them in that which he their Master had acknowledged When Iohn being in prison heard of the works of Messias i. e. Christ he sent two of his disciples and said unto him Art thou he that should come or shall we look for another The times did call for all these questions being but a little before the ending of the seventy sevens 7. The adjuration of the Priest to the Lord is very considerable Mr. P. If he had been of the Councel he xitld have objected to him that the seventy sevens were ended long before he was b●●n The high Priest and the whole Synedrion could not nor did challenge the Lord for the time of 70. sevens so where no doubt or question was ●●va answer needed but the high Priest and most of the Jews thought him too base for such a Messias as they expected and so adjured him to answer to this I adjure thee by the living God to tell us if thou be the Messias the son of the blessed God and Christ answered affirmatively 8. Many weighty arguments depend on these things of Dan. 9.24 as 1 Iohn 4. Every spirit which confesseth Iesus to be the Messias the Holy of Holy is come in the flesh to be a son of man Dan. 7. is of God and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus to be the Messias the Christ is come in the flesh to be a son of man is not of God 1 Iohn 5.1 whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Messias is born of God not simply or barely a confession of the attribute Messias i. e. Christ but a right apprehension of his person and offices Rom 10. his person that he is the son of man Dan. 7. and the holy of holy as touching the spirit of holinesse that raised him from the dead God dwelt in the Messias who is God blessed for ever nor onely to confesse this of his person a Locust from the bottomlesse pit as Satan will chirp out this but to confesse Iesus to be Messias experimentally in our minds and hearts in his offices as he is Prophet Priest and King All the three Offices of Christ as he is Prophet Priest and King are in Dan. 9.24 c. to be Messias Nagid Christ the King that all power is his by donation from the Father to command and rule the Church to restrain apostasie and all adverse power and that he suffered not for himself but for us who by his precious death hath abolished our sinnes and wrought reconciliation for iniquity and hath brought everlasting justification by his once offering up of himself and that he hath sealed vision and Prophesie that we need not expect new revelations that he made himself manifest to be the holy One of God by his Resurrection Ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Power in the higstest heavens and from thence sent gifts to furnish his Church with Offices and officers to teach and gather the elect out of the world to open their eyes to turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritancce among them which are sanctified by the faith which is in him Christ hath confirmed in his Testament all this holy doctrine for the many Jew and Gentile and the Jews for despising the blood of the Covenant have felt to this day the heavy burthen of their own imprecation Matth. 27 25. as their Fathers Num. 14.2 c. All this the holy Apostle Iohn meant and much more unutterable that the Lord Jesus Messias became such a person to be such a mediatour and that testimonie in due time according to the prophesie 1 Tim. 2.6 And the spirit is peremptory and saith whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in this doctrine of Messias which is called Christ hath not God he that continueth in this doctrine of Christ he hath the Father and the Son 2 Iohn 9. 9 It will not be uselesse altogether to observe what Taci●us Suctonius Iosephus speak that in all the Romane Empire it was divulged in Augustus caesars dayes that a King should arise in Iudea that should rule all the world This is evident by the Persique Magi. They having discerned an unusall Comet in the air which did
death a most acceptable Sacrifice of Reconciliation 4. Christ is called the Prince of life in relation to his Office of Mediatorship 1. Peter tells the multitude of the Jewes in Act. 3.14 15. Yee killed the Prince of life why else is he called the Prince of life but because he brake Satans head-plot by his combate of suffering and by his sacrifice of obedience even through all the said sufferings and by that means he redeemed the Elect from the death of sin which Satan by his cunning head-plot had brought upon them all and so in this respect he is called the Prince of life alluding to that Combate and Victory over Satan in Gen. 3.15 and to that in Psal 2.2 The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Princes do plot together against Jehovah and against his Christ and the fulfilling of this combate is thus expressed in Act. 4.27 28. Of a truth Lord against thy holy child Jesus whom thou annointedst gathered were both Herod and Pontius Pilate to do whatsoever thy hand and thy Council had determined before to be done according as he had declared it in Gen. 3.15 namely That the seed of the Woman should combate with his proclaimed Enemy Satan and his seed and that by his obedience to the Lawes of the combate he should break the Devils head plot for the redemption of the Elect from the death of sin to the life of grace and so at last to the life of glory and in this respect lie hath merited the Title Prince of life and to this effect did Peter speak to the Council of the high San●d●im in Act 5.31 Him God made high with his right hand a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins and in this respect Christ is also stiled the King of Justice and the King of Peace Esay 7 2. And the Prince of Peace in Esay 9.6 and in Ezek 34 23 24. God calls him One Shepheard And his Servant David And a Prince among them and so in Ezek. 37.25 5. Christ is called the King of Israel 1. Nathaniel makes this confession of his Faith to Christ in John 1. 49. Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel In this speech Nathaniel had respect to Dan. 9.25 where he is called Messiah the Prince or King as Broughton in his last Edition reads it 6. He is called the Messias In Dan. 9.25 26. He is twice called the Messias which in Greek is Christ that is Annointed and so in John 1.41 Andrew found his Brother Simon and said unto him We have sound the Messias and in verse 45. Philip found Nathaniel and said unto him We have sound him of whom Moses did write in the Law Deut. 18.18 and in the Prophets Esa 4.2 and in John 4.25 The woman of Samaria said unto him I know that Messias cometh w●ich is called christ or the Annointed and this Title was given him in relation to his Victory in breaking Satans head-plot for our redemption as it was first implied in Gods Declaration of the Combate and Victory in Genes 3.15 7. He is also called the Apostle and high Sacrasicer of our profession in Heb. 31. And the Shepheard and Bishop of our Soules in 1 Pet. 2.25 and our Advocate in 1 Iohn 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the just who is the reconciliation for our sins 8. Christ hath many Titles given him in relation to his Office of Mediatorship from Metaphors and Similitudes 1. My Husband Hos 2.7 2. The morning Star in the Title of Psal 22. and in Rev. 2.28 and Rev. 22.16 3. A Nazaren Math. 2 23. He was not a Nazarite according to Num. 6. as some through heedlesnesse do take it for he both drank Wine and was polluted by the dead Luke 7.33.34 Luke 8.49.54 Mat 9.25 Luke 7.14 which a Nazarite might not be but he was a Nazaren of the Town of Nazareth which Towns name is derived from Nazar the Branch out of the root of Jesse in Esa 11.1 And saith Bro. Nazar in the Thalmud is the Messias from Esa 11.1 and saith he in his Consent 2830. Nazar is a Spring or Branch Esa 11.1 and saith he the Town Nazareth alludeth unto that in Mat. 2.23 4. He is called the brightnesse from on high hath visited us Luke 1.78 5. He is called the Bud of the Lord in Esa 4.2 Zach. 3.8 Zach. 6.12 6. The Son of Righteousnesse Mat. 4.2 7. A Son and Shield Psal ●4 12. 8. The way the truth and the life John 14.6 9. The Door Job 10.7 10. The bread of life that came down from Heaven John 6.35.48.51 11. The true Vine John 15.1.5 12. The Lamb of God John 1.29 13. The chief corner stone Eph. 2.10 1 Pet. 2.6 14. The head of the body of the Church Eph. 1.22 Col. 1.18 15. The head of all principality and power Col. 2.10 16. The first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20.23 17. The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah Rev. 5.5 18. The horn of salvation Luke 1.69 These and such like Attributes do shew the effects and the operations of Christs Mediatorship sundry waies both for the comfort of the godly and also for the terrour of the wicked enemies of his Church and people CHAP. LVI Of the Attributes of the holy Spirit HE is called the Holy Ghost Act. 28.25 Paul said to his offended Hearers at their departure Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esay as the Prophet unto our Fathers c. But in Esay he is called Iehovah Esay 6.8 9 10. so also the Title holy Ghost in Heb. 10.15 is taken from Ier 31.33 and there he is called Iehovah which is an incommunicable Attribute to any Creature and hence it is evident that Iehovah the Father Iehovah the Son and Iehovah the holy Ghost in the unity of the Godhead and in the Trinity of persons did make the new Covenant for all the Elect and therefore they will certainly give the gift of faith to all the Elect that so they may be partakers of all the blessings that are therein contained 2. The said Holy Ghost is called the Spirit Iohn 1.32 33. Mar. 1.10 3. The Spirit of Aelohim Gen 1.1 2. 4. The spirit of God Mat 3.16 Act 5.3 4. 5. The holy Spirit Psal 51.11 Esa 63.10 Luke 11.13 6. The holy Spirit of God Eph 4.30 7. The holy Spirit of promise Eph 1.13 8. The Spirit of the Father in Iohn 14.16 17. I will pray the Father saith Christ and he will give you another Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name and so consequently the Spirit proceeds from the Father as in Iohn 15.25 9. The Spirit of the Son Gal 4.6 and therefore he proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father If I depart said Christ to his Disciples that were so full of sorrow for his departure I will send the Comforter to you Iohn 16.7 and in
Iohn 15.26 I will send the Comforter to you from the Father for our Covenant and Contract was so from eternity that in case I did perform the conditions of the Mediators Office I should have a joynt hand with my Father in the sending of the holy Spirit 10. He is called the Spirit of his mouth namely the Spirit of Iehovah Father and Son Psa● 33 6. 11. He is called the Finger of God in Luke 11.20 by which the humane nature of Christ did his Miracles 12. He is called the power of God Luke 1.35 The Angel said unto Mary The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall over-shadow thee namely as it did over-shadow the confused Chaos in the Creation as Mr. ●rap speaketh 13. Peter calls the Holy Ghost God in Act. 53 4. These and such like blessed Attributes of the third person in Trinity are sufficient to convince any Iew Turk or Arrian that the holy Spirit is true God except such as God hath given up to the Spirit of slumber and to the hardnesse of their own hearts to perish in their own impenitency CHAP. LVII Of the Attributes of the Holy Ghost in relation to its opperations and effects in the various manner of his working 1. AS the Spirit of Aelohim in the beginning did move upon the face of the waters to the producing of the visible Creation Gen 1.1 so it moved also upon the water of Gods word to Adam and so to all the elect for the producing of the spirituall Creation For except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.5 And there are three that beare witnesse in the earth the spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree in one 1 Iohn 5.8 And so Moses Doctrine is compared to raine in Deut. 32.1 and so Tit. 3 5. 2. Saith God in Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man for that he is but flesh Hence take notice of the Spirits working or striving with men that are given to the flesh it doth often strive along time with such but if after some time they will not hearken then God saith it shall not alwaies strive but it shall at last give them up to their own hearts lusts to perish in their sins Noah ●a a preacher of righteousnesse to the old world for a hundred and twenty yeares and this long time the Apostle calls the long suffering of God 1 Pet. 3.19.20 2 Pet. 2.5 3. It is said in 1 Pet. 3.18 That Christ was quickned by the Spirit by which he went and preached to the Spirits that now are in prison that were disobedient in the daies of Noe hence two things are observable 1. That Christ was called Iehovah in Gen 6 3. 2. That the Sp●rit by which Naah preached to the disobedient world is here called by Peter The Spirit of Christ 4. In Esa 6.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit which did strive with them for their conversion by the preaching of his Prophets Therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he fought against them as he threatned to do if they did not obey his voice Exod. 23.21 and he did also fulfill it in Psal 78.40 c. and 1 Thes 5.19 5. God saith thus to his Elect I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and yee shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 This is the operation of Gods Spirit in the Elect at one time or other while they attend upon him in his Ordinances for the walking in his Statutes and the keeping or doing of his Judgments doth imply the obedience of faith to all his statutes in their spirituall sense and meaning as in Ezek. 11.19 20. and Ezek. 36.27 and in Rom 2.26 Yea the Spirit doth by its operations work upon baptized Infants that belong to Gods Election by vertue of the Covenant which is the word of promise for their Regeneration and knitting to Christ if they dye before they come to knowledge by the outward hearing of the word as Esa 59 21. 6. It is said in Esa 11.2 That the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon the root that shall proceed out of the stem of Jesse and the Prophet doth repeat some heads of those endowments of the Spirit whereby the humane nature of the Messias should be furnished But the said heads are expressed in such large and copious words that it implies he should be furnished with the whole Spirit and with all the gifts and graces of that Spirit and from thence it is said in Reve 1.4 that he hath the seven Spirits of God that is to say the whole Spirit and all the graces of the Spirit and this Endowment of his is often repeated as in Revel 3 1. Revel 4.5 and Revel 5 6. 7. It is said in 1 Cor. 1● 4 That there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit And in verse 8. to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit And in verse 13. by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body 8. It is said because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts which hath this operation it inables you to cry Abba father Gal. 4.6 and in this Text the holy Trinity is also expressed 9. Sundry operations are ascribed to the Spirit in Rom. 8. 1. in verse 5. They that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit 2. In verse 6. The wisdome of the spirit is life and peace 3. In verse 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you c. he shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit 4. In verse 13. If ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit ye shall live 5. In verse 14. As many as are led by the spirit are the s●ns of God 6. In verse 15. Ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father 7. In verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God 8. In verse 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it self maketh request for us with fight and groans that cannot be expressed 9. In verse 27. The spirit maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God These sundry operations of the Spirit are expressed in this eigth chapter 10. Sundry operations of the spirit are in Gal. 5. 1. In verse 16. Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the fl●sh 2. In verse 17. For the Spirit lusteth against the flesh 3. In verse 18. If ye be led by the spirit ye are not under the law 4. In verse 12. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse saith meeknesse
temperance against such there is no law 5. In verse 25. If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit 11. It is said in Ephes 6.17 The sword of the spirit is the word of God and in verse 18. Pray in the spirit 12. Quench not the spirit 1 Thes 5.19 13. The holy Ghost doth renovate our corrupt natures as in Tit. 3.5 Of his mercy he saved us and by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost 14. The spirit and the Bride say come Rev. 22.17 15. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost he with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.14 Sundry other Attributes are ascribed to the holy Ghost in relation to its operations and effects from metaphors and similitudes as by fire water seed an earnest and to the oyl of gladnesse c. All which with many more will be of heavenly use to every godly Christian that will take delight to meditate in Gods book as David did both night and day Psalm I therefore say as David said O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day Psal 119.97 FINIS A Table of Chief Heads Chap. 1. OF the Vnity of the Godhead and Trinity of Persons also of their properties and works page 1. If the knowledge of God in Trinity had not been the ground of life God would never have given himself names in the Plural number p. 1. The Spirit of Elohim is sometimes called the Spirit of the Father and sometimes the Spirit of the Son p. 2 It is good to mark how the Attributes and Titles of God are often interchangeably used the one for the other p. 5 Chap. 2. How Redemption was taught from Gen. 3.15 to the Flood of Noah p. 14 Gods purpose was not declared to bring fallen man for life by theremains of any naturall abilities p 23 The place of holy Convocations was wont to be called the presence of God p 36. 298. Chap. 3. How Redemption was taught from the Flood till the promises to Abraham also the seed of Sem is explained p 40 The subduing of ours and of Gods enemies is a benefit that God hath tied to our constancy in Religion p 42 Chapter 4. How Redemption was taught from the Promise made to Abraham till the Law of the Passeover and the coming of Israel out of Egypt p 52 We may not pray for nor expect any blessing either temporal spirituall or eternall but according to the promise and Covenant of grace in Christ p 61 Covenants go before Seals p 66 The Covenant of grace was not made onely to believing Parents but also their Infant children p 70 Chap. 5. and Chap 6. How Redemption was taught from the time of the Passeover till the building of the Temple p 74 How Christ was the end of all Moses Law p 75 76 77 82 83 85 86 It is a point of rare faith to believe that Christ gave the Law p. 84 n. 3 Chap. 6. How Redemption was taught unto David and others p 92 How they of the old Testament understood the Doctrine of Justification p 95 n. 5 and p 100 n. 5 p 356 Chap. 7. How Redemption was taught from the foundation of the Temple to the burning of it p 102 Chap. 8. But it is misprintd How the Covenant of grace was taught and opposed in this time namely from the burning of the Temple to the end of the Babylonian captivity p 117 Chap. 9 How Redemption and the Covenant of grace was taught and opposed in the time of the Seventy Sevens as it is expressed in Dan 9.24 p 137 The endevour of some Schollers is by necessary consequence very prophane by teaching us to confute Daniels propriety of the seventy sevens by the building of Rome and by the Mayors of Athens and by the Satanicall chronicles of the Olympick games p 160 and see more towards the end of the book Chap. 10. How God by his wise providence did order the severall captivities of his people to build Synagogues for the planting of Religion among the heathen nations as a preparation to the speedy preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles and Disciples that were dispersed into those Countries at the death of Stephen p 162 Chap. 11. Giving divers reasons why there were no more Prophets after Malachi or after Ezra for he is holden to be Malachi to our Lords Incarnation p 170 The 49000 that returned from Babel were godly and l●ft a godly seed after them p 173 174 175 Many of Judah and Israel did continually return after the 49000 were returned p 178 271 Daniel foretold of the falling away of many of the Jews from the faith p 176 The Saints the Jews in the time of the 70 sevens had sundry enemies before after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes p 179 but Christ did strengthen the godly Jews against the tyranny of Javan p 179 The Kings of the North were Gog and Magog in Ezek. 38. and Ezek. 39. p 179 129 The Hebrew tongue after the return from Babel ceased from common use p 180 The Rulers and people of the Jews did not know the meaning of their own Prophets after that the Prophets and Vrim and Thummim did cease Acts 13.27 p 181 Chap. 12. Being an answer to the complaint of the Jews for the losse of five things under the second Temple which they injoyed under Solomons Temple p 183 Fire from heaven to burn their sacrifices was a testimony of Gods gracious acceptance of the types of Christs death p 183 If they had had the fire from heaven after the captivity they should after some time have been deprived of it by Antiochus Epiphanes when he took away the daily sacrifice for three years and a half p 184 Vrim and Thummim they needed not when John Elias came p 182 184 Though after the captivity they wanted the Ark of the Covenant yet Christ told them they should have godly Teachers in the place of it Jer. 3.15 16. p 184 Chap. 13. How the new Covenant and the way of Redemption was taughe and opposed under the first preaching of the Gospel p 187 How the heavenly Jerusalem began first to be builded in the earthly Jerusalem p 198 Chap. 14. Shewing who they are that have the spirituall blessings of the Covenant of grace and who the curses 201 The Jews and Romames for their despising of the Kingdome and sacrifio●hood of Christ were greatly plagued p 202 Chap. 15. Proving that Rome in Gods just judgement is the place that Christ hath given to the power of Sathan for the setting up of the mystery of iniquity p 215 Chap. 16. Proving that the mysterie of iniquity began to get head from Constantines time p 229 Chap. 17. Of the two Witnesses and of the mark of the Beast and of the decay of the mysterie of iniquity p 235 Chap. 18. Of the seven Trumpets in Apoc. 8 9.10 and 11 chapters in which the
in the second Adam in whom we are c compleat And hitherto pertaine many of the Lords † Read Ezek 16. 36 Jer. 31. 32. 33. Esai 42.1 to 17. c. gracious promises and all the commandements exhortations motives examples prayers vowes covenant to be heavenly † Read Deut. 30.6 Jer. 32.38.39 to love the Lord and the word of his truth to walk before him in godly feare in all well pleasing and so all the Saints ever did as Adam Habel Henoch Noe c. also hitherto pertaine the * Reduce al dehortations as love not the World nor the things of the world 1. Joh. 2. set not your affections on the Earth Col. 3. and on the contrary ●educe the exhortations as seek the things above Eccl. 11. 12. dehortations threatnings curses and examples of sin and punishment in walking contrary IV. From this first preaching of the Gospell we must attentively minde this that Jehovah who was who is who will be still the same d doth rule all ages to one sum of salvation in Christ And to this faith he ever calleth his elect e by his word and Spirit from the communion of Devills and the wicked world to have communion with him and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord by way of Ordinances The reason that God hateth the wicked is God teaching this continually from the beginning yet the wicked rebell and joyne with Sa●an 2 Cor. 4.4 V. * In all ages for teaching ●ead Psal 44. 79.1 Thes 3.2 Col. 1.24 c. for his S. observation beleiving and professing this glorious Doctrine of Christ f great disputations contentions sorrows tentations persecutions in body goods name and life come unto Michael Christ Jesus and his g Angells by Satan and his Angells yet Christ went through all conquering and so faith in him and in his word doth make us conquerors Many sweet promises belong to this head VI. The duty of all Christian beleivers is to be unfained in brotherly love h holding one another with a dear pure heart fervently and to resist the Divill and his members i and to have no fellowship with the workers nor with the works of wickednesse Behold severity through all generations when the Church walked contrary VII Because this Text of Gen. 3.15 is a promise of Christ that he should take humanity destroy Satans works therefore in it implicitely are the petitions of the Saints for all good concerning soule and body Intercessions as respecting the communion of Saints deprecations to be delivered and protected from all evill and holy imprecations against the seed of the Serpent Also hence issue the k praises and thanksgivings for receiving good for our selves or others both in respect of spirituall blessings and in that all l creatures of each days creation whether visible or invisible in Christ are servants and freinds to the elect Hence also proceede praises and thanksgivings for m deliverance and protection from Satan his seed and works QUest 7. Did God ordaine any publick worship to his name presently after the fall of our first Parents and after the promise Answ As God n taught our first Parents the Doctrine of faith so he taught them prayer and sacrificing and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it for a day of rest for study how God rested from Creation in the Redemption by Christ he being promised to be Heire of all o Sacrifice was used from the day of Adams Apostasie teaching of life coming by death Adam taught his Sons and his Sons Sons to the eighth successive Childe and those that offered in faith discerning the bloud of the covenant did please God had peace and reconciliation with God and were made heires of the righteousnesse that is by faith the Church in Adams family with Gods † The Ordinances were the preaching of the word of faith 2 Prayer 3. the Seale of the promise Ordinances is called p the presence of God The * Mr. Ainsworth on Gen. 4.14.16 Presence of God in holy Ordinances is most glorious and comfortable to which the faithfull in all ages of the Church resorted with holy feare exceeding joy praise and thanksgiving Psal 42. 43. 84. 100. c. QUest 8. Who beleived this report concerning the second Adam and to whom was the arme of the Lord revealed Answ Adam and his Sons * Habel Seth Enos and the rest of the godly Fathers and their godly posterity to the Flood QUest 9. Who hated this Doctrine and persecuted this way of life in Christ Answ Kain was the first that began the † War of the Serpent against the q holy seed And this persecution by men that followed Kains wayes goes on to the end of the World QUest 10. Was there any apostasie from this faith and way of salvation afore the Flood Answ Christ the Light and Life shined in darknesse but he was not comprehended of the Sons of darknesse for beside the Doctrine and practise of bodily exercise in Kain there was r a great apostasie and that quickly of the Sons of the open Church who having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof despised the Doctrine of regeneration greived the holy Spirit and corrupted the calling on the name of the Eternall And the cheife occasion of all this was by s ungodly marriages with Kains t worldly glorious house from all which issued u a confluence of all iniquity setting Light by Gods long suffering while the Ark was making committing all ungodly deeds and uttering hard and bitter speaches against the Heavens And so it is in all apostasies † Remember still that in all apostasies of the Church the faithfull cannot be visibly glorious QUest 11. What came to the faithfull that did first cleave to the faith which was once delivered to the Saints and that walked with God Answ Through x faith they obtained good † report with God God was not ashamed to be called their God and their Father they his Sons he accounted that the world was not worthy of them and therefore he prepared for them an Heavenly y City and Countrey for they had gracious promises of Gods favour through his covenant in Christ the true Noah who doth comfort us concerning our workes and concerning the sorrowes of our hands and concerning the earth which God hath cursed † wherefore they had preservation and deliverance from the severe destruction of the World by Waters Thus God was a rewarder of them that by faith did diligently seek him This doth teach us how precious faith is in the Son of God that should come into the World QUest 12. What came on the z co ̄upters of the Faith the despisers and wantons and feasters and mockers and murderers the seed of the serpent that walked after their owne lusts Answ Kaine was cursed a and excommunicate and Christ did execute Judgement and bruised his posterity and the Apostates in his fearfull severity in the Flood washing their bodyes away
and cast their spirits into eternall prison for their unbeleeving disobedient striving against the b Spirit of Christ in his Prophets preaching the Gospel So dangerous it is when people will not be wise * Consider Psal 2. through the whole volume how Christ breaketh the plots counsells c. of the serpents seed and kisse the Sonne The next generall judgment of the world and of wicked and ungodly men shall be by fire God hates c the wicked unbeleevers and hyppocrites in all ages like Devills according to that most constant doctrinall position 2 Joh. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son QUest 13. How long was it from the first pronouncing of the curse upon the Earth to the open manifection of it by the Floud of waters Answ It was sixteen hundred fifty and six years Some Annotations upon this second Chapter with References to the number of the Questions and Letters of A B C c. In Answer to the first question in expounding Gen. 3.15 This scripture is the Basis of all the Doctrine of Gods Counsell concerning Redemption by Christ this scripture declares the decree of Gods eternall counsell and covenant as it was concluded and agreed on by the holy Trinity for mans Redemption from Satans head-plot Satans plot and purpose was to spoyl man and so consequently to have spoyled and undone the whole work of God in the Creation But this that sets forth an heavy threatning against Satan and the serpent his instrument that one from the seed of the woman should break his headplot and heal that misery which he brought on man and because that should be done a new heaven and a new earth should be made to the praise of Gods counsells which over raught the plot and project of Satan So this scripture containes in it a threatning to the serpent and his seed and a promise to Eve to all her beleeving seed of Christ Beloved Reader concerning this Text and the threatning in it to the terror of the serpent and his seed be pleased to read Mr. Pynchons booke of the meritorious price of mans redemption printed 1655. there you will have plentifull satisfaction but for this little worke I purpose cheifly to enlarge my selfe not as it is a threatning but as it is a promise concerning Christ The refore I will further observe from Gen. 3.15 I. That in this Text The eternall Gospell hid in God before the foundation of the world was now in Paradise manifested even the hid wisdome II. To this first and precious promise the Apostle hath respect when he saith He was made an Apostle of the faith and truth that is for the hope of eternall life which God that cannot lye promised before the times of the world but made his word of promise manifest in due time by the sending of Iesus Christ Tit. 1.1 2 3.2 Tim. 1.9.2 Pet. 1.4 The times of the world are counted by the birth of the first ten Fathers to the flood Thence by ten holy Fathers to the promise to Abraham Thence to the coming from AEgypt Thence to the building of the Temple Thence to the burning of it by Babels King Thence to the end of the captivity in Babel Thence by seventy sevens of yeares to the death of Christ or to the glorious redemption of man by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ III. This comprehendeth the Faith of Gods elect which was once delivered that is first and once for all delivered to the Saints and never after to be changed All other promises of Christ are but commorations and expositions of this The Doctrine of Faith can be but one because there is but one God and one Mediator Eph. 4. Note this phrase againe once delivered but still expounded This is Genus generalissimum And for this faith the Saints of all ages have contended to keep and uphold it against the serpent and his seed as all the Epistle of Iudas Thaddaeus is upon this argument All sins and punishments come on the world for despising this faith and comforts for imbracing 2 Thes 1.8 IV. From this first preaching of Christ till the mystery of God which he hath spoken by his holy Prophets and Apostles be finished wee must mind this constantly that Gods purpose was not to bring man fallen to life by the remains of any naturall abilities there was a Bar that wee should not think of any hope in that Gen. 3. ult But by a new and living way in the second Adam This is a Covenant of Grace not to him that worketh but to him that beleeveth and receiveth the Son of God as Mediator him hath God exalted in holy doctrine from the begining with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give change of mind and forgivenesse of sins to all the Israel of God Acts 3.21 5. 31. Now this new way is very foolishnesse to us naturally therefore wee dream of great excellencies in our corrupt dead stinking graves But we must hear the voice of the Son of God in his owne ordinances Iohn 5. and he must say to us live afore we can have the first Resurrection as we cannot have the second without his powerfull voice Ioh. 5. Isa 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. V. If the first Adam or any of him could helpe themselves what need the Son of God to be promised from the beginning to be a second Adam and to appear to destroy the works of the Devill 1 Joh. 1. and 3. he only knew how and was only able to mannage the whole offic● of mediation and to performe all righteousnesse according to covenant in his own person without pressing and by his glorious Ordinances effectually to call and unquestionably to justifie and to prepare for glory all them of his mysticall body which the Father gave him Neither Adam nor any of his posterity had such abilities and for any thing they could do they should have born their own iniquities which was such a yoke that neither Patriarch nor Apostle were able to bear change of mind and forgivenesse of sins was ever preached to be by the second Adam Luke 24.47 Be it knowne therefore to all men saith this first promise that through this blessed seed the son of God made man is preached to us the forgivenesse of sins and by him all that beleeve are justified that is made free from the guilt of sin and punishment from which we could not be justified or made free by the Law of Moses Acts 13. The world was 3960 yeares from the Apostasie of the first Adam to the Redemption by the second Adam and who in all that time saved himselfe from death Death reigned over all old and young it is the second Adam that conquered death the reward of originall sin and hee rose againe for the justification or freedome of all Gods Children from sin
a common stock even for the body he is a second Adam to us that his life might be made manifest in our mortall flesh Ioh 7.20 Ps 30.2 Cor. 4.8 Jehovah i.e. Christ is thy life through Israel Deut. 30.20 not Moah nor Ammon nor Edom. In Q 5. N. 4 under curse All afflictions are comprehended in this and the like sayings First cursed is the earth for thy sake for in sorrow thou shalt eat of it Gen. 3 17. Secondly I will greatly multiply thy sorrow Gen. 3.16 Thirdly I will put enmity between the Serpent and the woman and thou Sathan sh●lt bruise his foot-stoole Gen. 3.15 For the two former see how Christ doth for his chosens sake destroy Sathans workes in Ps 8. Ps 107. Ps 128. Ioh 5.23 Hos 2.18 1 Tim. 4. Tit. 1.15 1 Tim 2.14.15 The creatures are joyfull to be imployed for the churches uses Ps 65. Ps 67. Es 44.23 Hos 2.21.22 They are purified from the usurpation of the curse made usefull serviceable and sanctified by the Covenant and by the word of promise and by holy and humble prayer Ez●k 36.37 But many cases of conscience do often arise for these things in our hearts If Christ destroy Sathans workes how is it that there be so many afflictions restraints crosses c. in our persons labours and estates whereas in the meane time the wicked do commonly prosper All is answered in Iohs booke and in Ps 73. Ps 30 Ps 37. All the affliction of the godly is either for the tryall of Graces or for the purging of vices by Christ the curse is removed and afflictions are sanctified and by his discipline made wholesome medicines the counsells of God are unsearchable but what he doth is in wisdome love and righteousnesse and in that respect hee makes all to worke together for good to them that love God why then should wee dispute murmur distrust or judge hardly of our selves or of others that fear God or have an ill opinion of the Lord God every event is an Oracle Be dumbe therefore before the shearer the more we strugle the lesse we prevaile no wise Father doth greive his child willingly so God doth not afflict willingly Lam 3.31 but when need is 1 Pet. 1. Lay therefore thy face to the ground in a holy submission that so there may be hope Lam. 3.27 Esa 28 23. And as for that third saying That Sathan shall be at enmity with the woman and shall bruise consider Psal 129. Rom. 8.28.2 Thes 1. c. all these sums of afflictions must call to remembrance the sin of our first Parents in whom all have sinned Rom 5.12 In Q. 5. N. 4 Vanity and corruption All Ecclesiasts must here be considered which sheweth from a plentifull induction the variety of Gods Providences to finde the instability and passing away of all under the Sun that so we might be diligent all our life long to see how the soul may stand in judgement for the hope of eternall comfort Gods aim is to bring us to this saying nothing but Christ Ps 73. and to this not to love the world nor the things that are in the world 1 Ioh. 2.15 1 Cor. 7. 31. In Q. 5. N. 4 Service of the creatures The very creatures do joy both in the temporall and spirituall good of the Church as hath been touched above Luke 15.10 Ps 65. Ps 67. Es 43.23 Apoc. 5.11.12.13 Ps 24 Ps 91. The Angells the Stars the Heavens the Rivers the Seas the Earth with windes stormes tempests haile c. Ps 18. Iud. 5. Ps 11 All these are ordered for the good of Christ and his Church Ps 96. Psal 98. And Christs intercession doth mitigate the curse Gen. 8.21 Psal 128. I will once more breifly summe up these four heads The first old Adam was a figure but in a contrary way of the second Adam that was to come The first Adam by his sin was the corrupter of all things the second Adam the restorer of all things by his obedience procuring our Regeneration Justification the godly are a new creation old things are passed away all things through Christ are become new to them and hence that speech is glorious All things are yours whe●her the world life or death whether things present or things to come all condi●●ons all events are yours all the Ordinances all the Officers both of Church and Common-weale are yours all the Angells are yours all the promises and precepts are yours Christ is yours God is yours yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. In Q. 6. N 1 The seed of Sathan This is the malignant Church But observe through all the holy story how the Son of God the second Adam hath whet his sword bent his bow and prepared his arrowes against them he hath both promised and sworne to the Church that hee will have war with him from generation to generation even untill Sathans head-plot is wholy broken Ps 7. both by giving them over to spirituall judgements and to outward plagues Thou hast troden all them that erre from thy statutes for their deceit is falshood thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like drosse Therefore I love thy testimonies Ps 119.116 Jer. 6.30 And in the promise to Abraham God doth curse them Gen. 12. and Lev. 26. The holy spirit doth also in detestation describe them by many infamous titles and comparisons Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 Mal. 3. Angels of the Devill Sons of Belial c. these are the multitude that go the broad way to destruction as may be seene in the Apostacy of the old world and in the Apostacy of Nimrod and in the Apostacy of the ten Tribes by the perswasion of Jeroboam and of the two Tribes not long after so liwkeise it fell out in the Kingdome of the King of Locusts In Q. 6. Adopted Sons of God These are the Church militant yet great is their glory in the Covenant and in the promises that are made to them in Christ they have glorious Titles They are called the Sons of God the Angells of Christ the truest of the living God his spouse his portion which God hath created for his promise Es 43. This is that Kingdome of Christ that endureth to the end and that consumeth all other kingdoms that oppose the little flock that go the narrow way that leadeth unto life In Q. 6. N. 11. God made this promise God was the first teacher of the glad tidings of the Doctrine of faith to open the blind eyes and to turne men from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God When Adam was become poor blind miserable and naked God was pleased to give his collyrion eye salve from the promise of Christ for that declaration of Redemption by the seed of the woman was denounced as a threatning to the Serpent but as it was spoken in the hearing of Adam and Eve it implyed a promise of Redemption to them from Sathans head-plot so the promise was
stamps of the later Hench prophesied of the destruction of the Apostates of the old world saying Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his holy ones to give Iudgement upon all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him Iudas Thaddaeus v. 14.15 St. Peter shews they were mockers 2 Pet. 3. and Job 21. and 22. sheweth how they despised the Gospell Thaddaeus and Peter by allusion shew the end of all false Teachers and their deceived that follow their pernicious wayes So when the state of Iudah became mockers judgement was at hand 2 Chron. 36. read Matth. 24. Luke 17. for the sins of the old world the fooles make a mock of sin Prov. 14.9 Be not mockers least your bonds encrease Scoffers shall eat the fruit of their owne wayes Esa 3. Prov. 3. Scoffers made a wonder of the Prophets and perished 2 Pet. 3.4 and so in after times Habbak 1.5 Act. 13.41 1 Pet 4.4.4 Esa 8.18 In Q. 11. Excommunicate He that hath the Censures of the church deservedly executed on him is in dreadfull condition little better then a fugitive or a vagabond but it was the great Anathema maranatha that was given Kain and his posterity as Henoch told them He commeth Kain did not love the Lord Jesus Christ and his holy doctrine Kain hated Habel because his own works were evill and his brothers good Such Kains were in after-times Es 38.20 and the Pharisees were such and so now all those are such that follow their doctrines of mens traditions and bodily exerecise c. Woe be to them that follow the wayes of Kain Thad 11. Woe be to the wicked it shall be ill with him c. Esa 3.11 Job 11.20 Pro. 14.32 In Q. 12. The Spirit of Christ Whereas Moses saith The spirit of Iehovah Gen. 6. Peter citing that story saith The spirit of Christ Gen 6. 1 Pet. 3.18.19 so for Jehovah in Exod. Levit. Numb Deut. Saint Paul saith Christ 1 Cor. 10. VVe must marke diligently such expositions of the scripture even from Christ himself Luke 24.45 This made the Apostle to say The holy scriptures will make us wise to salvation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3. CHAP. III. Hath diverse Questions and Answers with Annotations How Redemption was taught from the Flood till the Promise to ABRAHAM And the Seed of SHEM is explained QUest 1. How and to whom was the Councill of God in Christ revealed after the Flood Answ The old Testament writes Shem the new Testament writes Sem Luke 3.36 To Shem the Son of Noah QUest 2 What is the Scripture Answ Gen. 9.26 Blessed be Jehovah the † God was not ashamed to be called the God of Shem for he had prepared him a Son after the flesh who after the spirit of holinesse is the son of God and God blessed for ever Rom. 1. 9. God of Sem and Chanaan shall be his Servant God perswade Japheth to dwell in the Tents of Sem and Chanaan shall be his servant QUest 3 What observe you out of this Text Answ I. He that was called the seed of the woman is now called the God of Sem. Christ Jesus our Lord came of Sem according to the flesh Luc. 3. II. That Jehovah Sems God was the only blessed and true God none like him nor any beside him Therefore the Religion of the God of Sem was A the true religion and for this cause in Israel Sems faithfull posterity it was graciously exclaimed that blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah Psal 33. and Psal 144. III. That unto this blessing in Sems tents Sems own families Japhets and Chams were to have regard IV. It is prophesied that when the Prerogative of Sems tents was out the other families of the sons of Noah should be perswaded to imbrace the faith and so be brought into equall covenant as it is sayd B That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and joynt partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel Eph. 3.6 V It is the mighty work of the spirit to make a man know c to perswade the heart by beleeving to obey the mystery of Christ All the wisdome of the wise and prudent of this world is not sufficient till God draw teach and perswade us to the Kingdome of his son VI. Parents should in all fervency pray unto God for their posterity that they may be wrought upon and perswaded to obey the gospel and such faithfull prayers shall not be lost VII In Noahs story we may see the example of godly children that honour their Parents though they are old Prov. 10.12.23 14.9 11.12 13. 12.16 17.6 18.3 22.10 23.22 with all tendernesse caring for covering and pittying their infirmities and weaknesses Love covers a multitude of sins therefore Sem and Japheth had a most joyfull blessing pronounced on them the fruit of which themselves and their posterity did finde VIII That scorners of Gods truth and his servants though they have infirmities are cursed being the seed of the Serpent and hence also note wicked men procure much evill to their posterity both in their example and for Gods judgements IX As long as Sems godly house * Consider what God did for Salem and Sion while they knew him and advanced his name and religion in his Tabernacle Psal 76.1 2 3 4. held the faith of Christ sincere then Chams and Chanaans posterities were servants but when they walked contrary to Christ he in fury walked contrary to them So if wee hold Sems God to be our God and be constant in the faith of Sems Tents to which we were allured and perswaded by the Apostles and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ the God and Son of Sem God will assuredly make that servant of servants and all that cursed policy of that mysticall Nimrod to be a † This is a point as evident as the clearest sun at noone that the subduing of ours and gods enemies is a benefit tyed to our constancy in true religion see the thankfull remembrance of D. Carlton p. 236. servant of servants * Marke this question the corruption of mans nature was so great after the apostacy of our first parents that they were under the power of satans darknesse unrecoverable in respect of man But presently the Lord God taught them the way of life to bring them back again to him their soveraigne good Gen. 3.15 and by holy prophets continued the same doctrine both before and after the Floud Gen. 26.5 18.19 the revelation of the second Adam is mans only comfort and all that receive him and beleeve in his name shall live John 1.12 Act. 26.18 QUest 4. Who kept the way and charge of Christ-Jehovah in his Commandements Statutes and Lawes the religion of Sems Tents after the
the incarnation and resurrection how it hath been followed or contemned from the beginning with plaine and civill carriage in Gods wayes and satanean in the contrary and how * the goodnesse and severity of God hath beene answerable This containeth * the summe And the story of four thousand years to Jerusalems fall by Rome hath no more And all should gladly hear of this all their life and see Christs bright face still to this summe The book of God is open and easie to be understood Prov. 8.9 Annotations upon the Questions and Answers of CHAPTER 3. Quest 3. N. 2. The true Religion If any should question what Religion Sem was of the Answer may be that he was Preist to Jehovah the most high God the maker and possessor of Heaven and Earth as also that it was the same to which the Sons of Japhet were perswaded by the blessing of tongues and by the ministry of the Sons of Sem Gen. 14. Act. 2. Apoc. 14.7 1 Thess 1.9 10. And so Sems blessing did containe the same faith that the blessing did which God gave to Abraham Gen. 12. Marke well the Doctrine to the seven Churches of Japhets house in all the Apocalyps and so in all the Epistles of the Apostle of the Gentiles and in the Epistles of the Apostles of the circumcision Again he was of the same Religion and holy faith of his Father Noah who inherited the righteousnesse that is by faith and who pronounced this ●lessing on Sem. Heb. 11. Quest 3. N. 4. That the Gentiles The greatest favour that God bestoweth on men in this world is to make them of his family true members of his Church Ezekiel remembreth this to the Apostate Prince of Ty●us chap. 28.13 14. The godly Jewes foreseeing the calling of the Gentiles by the promises and prophesies of Gen. 9. and 12. rejoyced in spirit that Christ should raigne over them Psal 67. and 97. 1 Rom. 15.12 Zach. 8. and 14.9 And the Gentiles seeing the performance were glad Act. 13.46 But for two thousand years Satan the strong man kept a large and great possession by metamorphosed Fables and Idolatries In Quest 3. N. 5. And to perswade Universall and free will to good in the state of unregeneracy is vain and vain glorious Doctrin Noah was not of this faith and the calling of the Families to the faith by the preaching of the Apostles argueth the falshood of such Tenents Observe the speech of Christ to the Apostle concerning his Ambassage Act. 26.18 not only illumination but a turning from the power of Satan in the will and affections is all done by the mighty worke of Christ in his own Ordinances The fashioning of the spirit is his prerogative Esa 11. Eph 1.19 20 21 2.1 2 3. c. and by his strengthning and preventing we stand to our dying day 1 Pet. 1.5 The spirit convinceth false opinions and teacheth the true doctrine Eph. 6.10.11 Rom. 7.8 Ezek 11.19 and 36.26 Phil. ● 13 That all iniquity may stop her mouth Thus it is sayd of all that have the Prerogative of Sons which are born not of blouds nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1.12 13. The house of Japheth needed much perswasion and beseeching to imbrace the word of reconciliation They had excellent naturall parts as their writings shew which made them despise the gospell The Grecians sought after wisdome 1 Cor. 1. Therefore God gave them a son of Sem an Apostle of exquisite parts and learning that he demonstrated all their wisdome to be foolishnesse and cast downe their high imaginations by the invincible weapons of the spirituall warfare N. 8. Q. 3. That scorners Let inferiours beware of Satans deceits in causing them to slight yea in heart their superiours though for their sins and infirmities And let Superiours give no occasion but be sober grave temperate sound in the faith in charity in patience c. Tit. 2. But it is not for infirmities that the children of the wicked one hate the godly but for the image of Christ that shines in them for they can bear with the same sins in their own yet the wicked are glad and insult to see the holy image of Christ stained by any blot of the Saints and this by Gods just judgment is a stumbling block to the wicked to harden them in their sinfull courses N. 8. Procure much evill Cham is cursed to his youngest Son Chanaan Gen. 9. Exod. 20 5. Also it is observable how the wrath of Christ hath followed Chams posterity that the Negroes are slaves in diverse countries to this day even servants of servants Quest 5. And Nimrod King Abaddon may fi●ly be compared to Nimrod both infamous cut-throat hunters both intruders into other mens possessions both abhorred Christs Kingdome of Justice and Peace Gen. 10.9 11 12. 2 Thes 2. My Son fear the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their destruction shall rise suddenly Prov. 24. This is also notable as in Nimrod so in Korah in Absolom in Sheba Ben-Bichrio in the unlawfull Kingdome of Ephraim and in the whole policy of the man of Sinne See in all the transgression and the punishment and beware what did it prove madnesse of counsell in them to change Melchisedecks Kingdome for Nimrods Kingdome so it is to change the true Melchisedeck for King Abaddon so they abhorred Christ the Lord of glory for the unclean infidells the Caesars John 19.15 N. 8 Over them King One ornament of Kings may here be remembred which Sems story doth show which is the antiquity of a kingdome and the fatherly government thereof that before Tyranny sprang in was Mr. Bro Treatise of Melchiz N. 8. Justice and Peace A worthy example for Princes so to rule by just Lawes uncontrolable then they shall rule men willingly subject for they have from Christ honour and authority above their Brethren so to governe But none can well rule that cannot well obey the sceptor of Christs Kingdom Psal 45. It is hard when he that cannot order his own life shall be made the Judge of anothers for the Kingdome of Christ is in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost The apostate families felt none of this Princes and subjects that seek not so to order and to be ordered in their policies shall finde the power of Christ crossing their purposes and plaguing their dominions N 8. Of Sems owne The Church is not visibly glorious at all times of sixty seven families there was but one family that held the faith and the Hebrew tongue and that was the line of Christ of Sems house so Israel in Egypt revolted often in the book of Iudges and under Jeroboams kingdome after in Iudah and after the returne from captivity and under the Papacy and now after reformation will not Apostacy be againe when that the Son of man shall scant finde faith on the earth at his second coming
snare to them and Christ was a stumbling Stone to them as he was to Kain That which was ordained for their welfare they made their ruin And so if we do no more but outward exercises in a shew of godliness and deny the power thereof and live wickedly as they did Psalm 50. Esay 1. Ieremy 7. The Angel of Gods presence our glorious Lord Iesus Christ will not spare our misdeeds 1 Thess 4 6. c. These false teachers abuse the holy Scriptures as in that of Heb. 8. It is said better promises c. but they must be asked what better promises than Genesis 3 15. Genesis 12.3 Let such know there are not better promis●s in old or new Testament and indeed those two promises contain all the doctrine of the Gospel as in part before is shewed They must excogitate the true interpretation by seeking how our Lord and his Apostles convinced the false glosses the Conc●sion made of Moses Politie for we all must know theirs and ours is the same Covenant as often said onely new for Administration in fulfilling all promises and prophecies Let us confer Exod. 19. 29.45 Lev. 26.15 with Apoc. 21.3.2 Cor. 6.16 Gen. 3.15 with 1 John 1.2 3. and chap. 3. Jos 1. with Heb. 13.5 Rom. 4. with Gen. 15. 17 c. This must be often spoken and meditated for we are dull of hearing Again better promises hath respect to Deut. 30. Psalm 40 and 95. in Deut. 30. Christ promiseth that he will circumcise their heart and the heart of their seed to love him Jehovah their God and to keep his commandments c. This Christ spake to them that they might not be deceived to think that their salvation stood in outward observances as in circumcision c. but in serving God in their spirits in the Gospel of his Son And so this to be understood in all Moses ceremonies The bloud of Oxen and Goats and Rams did not could not purge their conscience from dead works but their conscience would still be to them for all their bodily exercise an ill accusing and condemning conscience Their salvation was established upon better promises and a better hope That Christ by his own most perfect sacrifice and bloud-shedding should be a sweet smelling savour to God for us and procure eternal redemption And while we as strangers converse in this world he would be mortification and sanctification by his word and spirit Mic. 7. John 3. Yet let the godly take heed they neglect not ordinances and outward observances of Christs institution though they be as the bark and shell yet they are such a bark and shell that a Christian cannot have life kept within him without them as a tree will not live without his bark nor the kernel prosper without his shell Publique administrations and family ordinances and secret duties are of that consequence that he that carelessly neglecteth them is in danger of gangrenating errours both in doctrine and manners N. VI. Not of the Jews only but of many Nations Gen. 17.5 It is promised by the Lord Iehovah the performer of his promises For a Father of many nations have I made thee This speech was spoken at that time when God renewed his promise and covenant in Christ with Abraham and added the seal to that covenant teaching thereby that he would not be the God of Israel only but in due time the God of the Gentiles also therefore the Covenant is to the infants of the Gentiles as of the Iewes and all faithful are Abrahams seed and the Israel of God Gal. 3 6.16 and if the covenant be to the infants then the seal none dare deny it but those that care not for the education of their children in godliness and honesty for the hope of the resurrection unto eternal life Abraham durst not deny the seal but with all joy went about it Again consider Mat. 19.13 Mark 10.13 little children are comprehended in the Covenant For of such is the Kingdome of heaven Yea observe further Of such is the Kingdome of God that is of the Church of God as Matth. 21.43 The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that shall bring forth the fruits thereof So then Israels infants were of the kingdome of God and so are the Gentiles infants Did the Kingdom of God consist of the parents and infants of Israel in the old Testament surely then godly parents and their infants of the Gentiles are in equal honor He that shall hill an infant shall be put to death as justly as if he had killed a parent So the murderous accursed doctrine of Anabaptists that would murder children is as wicked as to kill a godly parent For the Lord God doth justifie and wash infants from their sins in his Covenant and bring them to glory as well as their godly parents And again seriously minde The covenant of God in Christ by circumcision was in full force to the death of our Lord and Saviour Luke 1.59 and Circumcision was a seal of the covenant of grace to the infants of the faithful and infants were in covenant as is evident and now after our Lords death were they not in covenant Did our Lords death disannul the Covenant of his grace in respect of them absit absit It was about six or seven weeks from our Lords death to Peters sermon Acts 2. And the holy Apostle in the conclusion of his Sermon doth exhort his auditors to receive the ordinance of Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins and to shew he spake by the same Spirit of God that gave the promises doth affirm that the promise and covenant is as firm to infants as ever it was and therefore saith The promise is made unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shal call Acts 2.39 In chap. 3.25 2● It is said the Jewes were the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying to Abraham Even in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed First unto you hath God raised up his son Jesus c. so the Jewes had the first prerogative of the blessing in their kinreds and of the resurrection of Christ and then secondly the Gentiles have the like portion in the blessing and in our Lords resurrection Rom. 2.10 consider for these things Rom. 4.16 17 18 c. to the end of the chapter Quest 5. Answ on Gen. 49.10 And to Him shall the gathering of the people be O give thanks unto Jehovah for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever And say ye Save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliv●r us from the heathen that we may give thanks to thy holy Name and glory in thy praise Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel for ever and ever and all the people said Amen 1 Chron. 16. Psal
c. QUest 3. What do you in general observe out of these portions of Scripture Answ These Scriptures are a confession of faith proceeding from the holy Spirits illumination and experience in the inner man agreeing with the doctrine of the promises wherein the faithful soul applyeth the doctrine of the corruption of nature and of justification and the fruits thereof unto special uses of information confession prayer and praise containing two parts what we are without Christ and what we are by Christ for he is the Mercy-seat Quest 4. What more specially may and is to be minded Answ I. It is necessary that each one Job 11.12 14.4 15.14.16 Gen. 6.5 8.21 Gen. 1.27 compared with 5.3 Psal 51.5 58.3 Esa 48.8 and circumcision enjoined in infancy sheweth the corruption of nature though in a visible Church-estate know and be perswaded of the truth of the doctrine of the uncleanness and filthiness of the corruption of nature taken from parents derived from the first Adam and that all actual sin proceedeth from this birth-sin as from a fountain 2. That the Son of God became a Second Adam to be to all that receive him and believe in him a fountain for sin and for uncleanness and to renew and create in us his glorious Image and to repair the lapses and decayes of the same The graces of which are from his fulness as a well of water springing up unto eternal life 3. The regenerate upon conscience of guiltiness can never be in quiet till with godly sorrow he do freely and ingenuously confess his sin which being done by the convincing power of the Spirit of Christ the soul which groans and sighs from the same Spirit earnestly longeth and prayeth for reconciliation and restoring to former favour peace and joy with God which is more sweet and satisfactory then all contentments in this World and on the contrary the withdrawing or withholding from the conscience his gracious Divine aspect nothing more dejecteth 4. No man can stand before God to be justified if God should judge him according to the Law 5. Here is shewed the blessedness of the saints touching justification and how them of the old Testament understood the doctrine that it consisted in transgression forgiven in sin covered iniquity not imputed speeches importing one and the same thing which grace is only procured by Christs redemption and satisfaction figured in the Gospel-Law And when the Lord God preaching his free promise of grace and peace in Christ Jesus by the words of reconciliation doth by his spirit unite a man to Christ then at that instant he receiveth and believeth in Christ as Mediator of his attonement justification and salvation and by this faith in Christ the saints in all ages had good report Heb. 11. 6. No man can fear God that is to say serve God as his Child unlesse he be set free that is justified from sin by faith and forgiveness Faith resting upon Christ and apprehending at least a possibility of forgiveness worketh love obedience reverence and godly fear Luke 7.47 (a) Ro. 5.1 Esa 26.3 4. Heb. 4 5-56 1.0.16 to 23. Psa 130. 62. S. Rom. 10.14 Also hope joy patience perfect or continual peace quiet waiting upon God and stirreth up to prayer with boldness and confidence 7. In coming unto God we must do it with an humble heart from an inner feeling of our sins and corruptions and a true desire to be eased or justified from thern not only for remission of guilt and punishment but mortification and sanctification For no man that stands upon his own righteousness or alloweth or is indulgent to himself in any sin secret or open of omi●sion or commission can be an humble and upright supplicant and petitioner to God nor can look for audience 8. The saints go only to Jehovah in prayer and onely to him for forgiveness and all kindes of mercies who hath set up his throne of grace onely in Christ Our Lord in his doctrine of prayer teaching us to pray confirmeth this Matthew chap. 6. Here is to be noted the glorious use of faith not onely for justification but how necessary it is for us in this our pilgrimage in all estates conditions and varieties of life that it settleth the heart and banisheth from the inner man heart-rending thoughtfulness that the minde will and affections are conserved from heaven in a flourishing green temperature the word of promise and the blessed Spirit that sealeth the promises do so water nourish and restore the soul that it is carryed above all wants and difficulties c. 10. Before we can have any comfort to be delivered from any danger by the seed of the Serpent or from any other affliction or for assistance consolation or direction in any thing for our selves or for the Church we must go to God by faith in Christ for forgiveness of sin 11. The inner feeling and apprehension of Justification Psal 103.1 2 3. Psal 32.1 2 3 c. Mortification and Sanctification doth greatly affect an holy soul with thankfulnesle and prayse and denyal of self-sufficiency c. deeply admiring the blessed Jehovah in those and in all other fruits comforts and effects of his favour c. c. Quest Go on to shew to what other famous Pillar the Spirit of endless wisdom hath fastened the holy and pleasant Chain of times which direct and draw unto Christ Answ To the building of Salomons Temple a figure of Christ the true Temple Quest How many years are from the Lamb of the Passover or since the comming from Egypt to the Temples foundation Answ Four hundred and fourscore years Quest What Scriptures are contained in those four hundred and eighty years Answ Exodus 12. to the end of that book Leviticus Numbers Deuterenomy Josua Judges Ruth two Books of Samuel the first of Kings to the 6. chap. and most of the first of Chronicles and the two first chapters of the second of Chronicles and very much of the book of Psalmes Annotations upon the Questions and Answers of the sixth CHAPTER Qvest Answ David the sweet Psalmist David sung most sweetly of Christ and his Kingdome of his Person both of his divine and humane nature and offices and the benefits thereby He spake of Christs humiliation and exaltation This Patriark and prophet in holy Psalmes speaking by the Spirit of God 2 Sam. 23. Mat. 18. calleth Christ his Lord Psalm 110. the Son in whom they that trust are happy Psalm 2. Also after God had promised him Christ he called him David beloved Psalm 130.10 Mat. 3.17 c. Quest 2. and Answ Psalm 51 7. Purgeme with hyssop The High Sacrificer purged the unclean with hyssop he was to do the outward action and could do no more David did not believe the doctrine of bodily exercise So John Baptist saith I baptiz●lyou with water but the Messias with the Holy Ghost So Daniel goeth to God in Christ who is the true
Altars weeds of the curse Gen. 3. And then they cried to the mountains to fall on them and to the hills to conver them Let England look to their backsliding to Altars Hosea 10. To thrust away the Gospel by mans inventions is to make our houses as well as Gods house desolate and so our Lord tells the Jewes Mat. 23.38 Judah and Israel dashed themselves against the Corner stone and were broken 9. Quest and Answ For her revoltings Idolatry is a State-ruining sin Psalm 106.36 the prayers of the Saints could not prevail for their reigning idolatry and false worship Jer. 15. 16. Ezek. 14. King Moses by his most fervent intercession and abolishing idolatry procured pardon but note in that false worship there was no innocent bloudshed Idolatry divides the heart from Christ and subjects it willingly to follow the commandements of men and of the man of sin Je●oboam should see such events of apostasie that they should fret and and curse their King and their Gods that is the false religion they so pressed and see neither help from heaven nor earth but all full of anguish and darkness Esa 8.21 22. Hos 9.6 10.8 Deut. 28.34 65 66 67. Their State-politicians could not prevent nor their State Surgeons heal the wounds that God made in their State The wisdome and turning of devices of the wise and prudent Counsellors of State was booteless all was but the weaving of the Spiders Webb Esay 29.15 59 5. Jer. 30.12 Hoses 5. all of it They sinned against Jehovah the hope of their Fathers Ier. 50.7 Iob 12.17 18 19 20. To backsliding and adulterous Israel Christ her Lord gave a Bill of divorce and put her away yet Iudah her sister being also treacherous feared not but went and plaid the harlot also Ier. 3.7 8. The mindes of these two sisters were alienated from Christ and so his minde at last was alienated from them read Ezek. 23. Ibid. And affinity with the Harlot Aholah Mark State affairs in Iudah They saw Om●i was a mighty Prince overcoming Zimri and Tibni who stood in competition with him for the Kingdome of Israel and that Achab possessed all in peace that his Father Omri had settled Iehosophat thought it good state-policie to make affinitie with him although he followed Ieroboam-man of sin his Religion but it was the ruin and almost the rooting out of his house c. for mark first Iehosaphat being in his visits with Achab was solicited for association in a league for War to which with reluctation he yielded For he might not in Court courtesie shew himself so weak and discrepant to think that four hundred prophets were so to be slighted as to follow the humour of one singular self-willed refractorious fellow Michaiah So he went with his Brothet Achab to battel to Ramoth Gilead but there he was in danger of his life Jehosophat although a goodman yet in that no good Statesman to weaken Iudah to help these with men and all ammunition although circumcised Israelites that hated the Gospel He was reproved and wrath was upon him a Chron. 19 2. He joyned with Achaziah of Achab in a Navy to go to sea for gold but Christ was displeased with it and plagued Jehoshaphat in that the ships were broken so that project took not 2 Chron. 20. Psal 8. ult 3. Joram Jehosaphats son who married Achabs daughter after his fathers death forsook the Gospel and followed Jeroboams Religion the two Devils of Dan and Beth●l and caused Jerusalem and compelled Iudah to commit fornication to worship Devils 2 Chron. 21. 2 Kings 8.18 All worship what Christ hath not commanded is the worship of Devils Levit. 10. and 17.7 Psal 106.39 1 Cor. 10. All their projects of State must justifie that affinity els all the provisions in Law against Ieroboams revolt had been a reprof to Achabs daughter so her faction prevailed for the corrupting the calling on the name of Jehovah as of old Satans project was Gen 4.26 conferred with chap. 6. and this seed of false worship sowed in Iudah did g●ow to an evil harvest Hos 6.11 And did stick so fast that it could not be weeded out for 180 years till the dayes of Hezekiah King of Iudah for the businesses of their State were agitated according to the modells and plots of Omri that maintained the faction of Ieroboam man of sin his Religion as Micah challenged the State in Achaz his days that the Statutes of Omri were kept and their way and their counsells Behold the working of that affinity But Hezekiah that good King made reformation according to the primitive institution 2 Chron. 28.2 2 Kin. 16.3 and 17.19 yet Manasse fell again to Achabs idolatry so fast false worship cleaves to our nature 4. This Joram after his fathers death as Turks now do killed his six brethren and many Princes very like his brethren and the Princes did dislike and protest against his courses about idolatry and tyranny and had no heart to the faction of Ieroboam man of sin his Religion therefore the Queen and her Counsellors might say to the King An 't like your Majesty you can never be in safety and rule as King while your brethren have fenced Cities and while the Princes do not approve your proceedings frame mischief by a Law and off with their heads 2 Chron. 21. Psal 94.20 Now Davids house are Belial and thorns 2 Sam 23. Mark here false worship inttroduced then the liberties and priviledges of the subjects are invaded That Subjects might not so much mind Apostacy in their Princes means were excogitated to busie them by rumours of this and that project and also for their particular estates till false Religion had gotten footing this is the very heart and counsell of apostate and idolatrous Princes 5. Ioram lost the regency and principality of Edom 2 Chron. 21. 6. Libnah one of the prime Cities of Judah rebelled because he forsook the Religion of Jehovah that is in very deed the Gospel of the Son of God the God of his fathers 2 Chron. 21. when the Magistrate thrusts out the Gospel then Christ divides the hearts of the people Apostacie in the Prince breeds Apostacie in the subjects Christ pours contempt upon Princes Ps 107.40 7. The Lord Jehovah stirred up the spirit of the Philistims Arabians and Cu●him who invaded Judah and took much spoil even out of the Kings house and captived his wives and all his sons save one 2 Chr. 21. Deut. 28.30 31 41. oppressions filled their Exchequers but the enemies emptied them he poureth contempt upon Princes Job 12 21. 8. He died of a rotting disease in his bowels that they fell out because he slew his own bowels worse befell not that persecutor Antiochus 2 Mic. 9. Riches avail not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death the like plague came on that bloody tyrant Herod Acts 12.23 9. He was not esteemed worthy of honourable buriall as his noble predecessors the land being
therein And the names of the Lambs twelve Aposties upon the twelve precious Jewels the same as the High sacrificer ware on his Brest the twelve foundations of the Wall teacheth and convinceth that all must be builded on their most holy doctrine that will be within the corporation of the Holy City The Annotations upon the Questions and Answers of the thirteenth CHAPTER THe first Quest and Answ This is he that was promised Christ the hope of the promise made unto the Fathers Acts 26.6 Heb. 11. all Christ the hope of all the Israel of God Acts 28.20.1 Tim. 1.1 Observe the gloriousness of Christ in all the old revelation of him yet in manner of doctrine they had not perfection to see and feel the word of life 1 John 1. But we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us a minde to know him which is true and we are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ This same is very God and eternal life Babes keep your selves from Idols that is from all false doctrine 1 Joh. 5.20 21. Quest 2. N. 9. The Father doth love and honour the Son and hath committed all power into his hand as Gen. 3.15 for humbling himself and laying down his life for his sheep so do the Angels so do all the Saints John 10. Phil. 2. Apoc. 5. Christ is a great King and witnessed concerning it a good confession before Pontius Pilate John 18.37 He is Fore-leader and Commander over the House of Jacob even over all the Israel of God Iew and Gentile Luke 1.32 3● Gal. 3.7 6.16 Esay 55 Christ will be received as King Prophet and Sacrificer in Sion the heavenly or he will fill all places with dead bodies Psa 2.8.9 110. Deu● 18.18 Heb. 3.1 Ephes 1.21 23. Mat. 28. Hebr. 〈◊〉 1. If Angels and Moses must be heard and disobedience was justly recompensed much more the Son eternal must be heard to whom Mase● was but a servant Heb. 2.1 2 3. N. 11. This word Him is spoken exclusively ●y divine dispensation he alone passeth all acts from God to man and from man to God 1 〈◊〉 3.23 5.11 12 13 he is the One Mediatour between God and man Hebr. 2.17 18. 1 Tim. 2.5 Observe ev●lusive speeches although the terms onely and alone be not alwaies expressed for in divine revelation there is not from Gen. 3.15 to the end of the Apocalips the least hint of any other Name under heaven he is the Alpha and the Omega of all the holy and blessed Scriptures so the promise to Abraham is exclusive no blessedness but in Christ the holy seed of all holinesse and so expounded by two Apostles Paul and Peter to the Jewes and Galatians Acts 3. 25. Gal. 3. Ibid. Is no other Head of the Church Christs Supremacy he is Lord of our faith and binder of conscience by his Laws To the Church he is Prophet Sacrificer and King and the same to every particular person for his particular comfort and calling as his person is not divided so neither his offices he is not a sacrificer for any but also he is a prophet to teach and a King to govern he is a Prince and a Saviour to all the Israel of God If Christ is not thus received his Father is not honoured in Kingdomes families and persons For this eleventh observation ponder these Scriptures Ephes 1.22 Jam. 〈◊〉 1● Ephes 4. 8 11 12 13. Mat. 23.8 Acts 2.36 5.31 Quest 3. What Seals hath Iehovah commonly to call them Seals is the best and aptest term and suiteth even to the capacity of the meanest to be soonest conceived Because in this as the Jewes proverbially say well of the holy Spirits familiarizing with us God speaks according to the language and dealings of the Sons of Adams it is used Rom. 4. as also the true sign or token Gen. 17. Ibid. the Lord of the house None may ordain a Seal but he that hath ordained the writings of the Covenant God only inspired the holy writings and he only can add seals to his covenant in them As none can make a true deed or lease and seal it but the true Landlord in whom the Propriety is Therefore all Popery is to be a●●ursed that addeth writings and Seals The Apostle glorieth only in this What I received of the Lord that have I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. Thus he as Moses faithfull in the house of God Heb. 3. Quest 4. and Answ They are reciprocal Ever since the Gospel was taught Gen. 3.15 God made a covenant with the faithfull and their seed as with Adam and Habel understood it thus he walked in good works 1 Iohn 3.12 God renewed the covenant to Noah before and after the Floud and he was godly But the Terms of the covenant in open record is more fully declared in after ages Genesis 17. and there it is shewed there is a restipulation on our part concerning Gods promises commandments threatnings curses admonitions counsels good examples c. we ingage our selves in all when we apply the Seals Our Lord saith Go teach and baptiz● and teach them to observe all things Mat. 28. So the Tenant binds himself when he subscribes or puts to his seal Quest 5. and answ Baptismis for to teach and seal Baptism is a Seal of ending circumcision and all Abra●ams and Moses ceremonies the same may be said of the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 supra much more it bindeth to abhor humane religious traditions and precepts And we should not care to be judged as culpable for the not observing of them Col. 2. A circumcised Israelite was bound to keep the whole Law● and our baptism bindeth us to look only to Gods commandements what he hath commanded us Mat. 28.20 Quest 6. and Answ N. 2. without mixture The Wine not to be mixed with Drakes bloud nor water nor Bread or Wine to be mixed with poyson as the Papal Hostia was when they gave it to the Emperour Henry the seventh next Albertus A fine device of the seed of the Serpent to kill Princes and Nobles that stand in their way Any action feazible and consequent for the Throne of King Abaddon is and must be a Declamation on that Theame of theirs sides non observanda cum ●aereticis O ye Princes and Nobles beware of such Scorpions trust none of them that hate the sincerity of the Gospel lest you finde their doctrine of Transubstantiation too true when they are such cursed Sorcerers that can turn bread into poison pretending to give Christ our life they give death and sacrifice your precious lives upon their Altars They can and will give you a secret sting for they are Scorpions and Sorcerers Also the Bread and Wine neither to be adored nor conjured with crossings or any other fantastical Popish Devilish humane device● but in all plainess the holy seal of the Covenant to be administred in both kindes according to the primitive institution As King Josias said Keep the
from Sems Tents and by the Doctrine of Sems sons the Prophets and apostles all Doctrine is to be tried and not by the best Orthodox Churches Ibid. N. 2. The twelve foundations of the Wall The apostle Paul was graven on the Jasper first foundation so he should be the head of the Church not Peter The twelve Jewels had the names of the twelve apostles then where is Peter above the rest his Epistles are pearls and so are Pauls and the other apostles the Spirit of God spake in them and no one could be above another but each stood a foundation on the Rock Christ the eternall Son of God Ephes 2.20 There are stronger proofs or moe arguments to make St. Paul or Saint John head of the Church than any Papalyn can bring for Saint Peter vide Mr. Henry Ainsworth and Mr. Bernard Mr. Ainsworth against Locust Ainsworth Mr. Bernard Khemos against Rome page 130. CHAP. XIV With Questions Answers and Annotations shewing who have the Spirituall blessings of the Covenant and who the Curses QVest 1. and Answ Who were enemies that did rage and imagine vain things against the Christ of God the Rock upon whom the Church is builded despising the Counsel of God against themselves Answ The high Sacrificers the Pharisees Sadduces and Scribes Herod Pontius Pilate and the loathsome Romane infidels the Caesars and their people persecuting this faith first in crucifying the Lord of glory and after persecuting the Church for 300 years and it is remarkable as it is said in the Alpha of the word that the seed of the Serpent should persecute the seed of the woman so it is said in the Omega of the same that the Dragon the old Serpent the Devil and Satan doth persecute the seed of the woman that is Them that keep the Commandements of God and have the testimonie of Jesus Christ QUest 2. How doth the goodnesse of God reward the faith of the Saints in the holy and constant profession of his name Ans By faith they obtained good report with God and God is not ashamed of them to be called their God whence proceedeth sweet peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost who stirs them to and helps them in that most heavenly exercise of prayer whereby they have unspeakable consolation in all their tribulatin for that the Spirit of Christ doth inable them by patience to possesse their souls and work in them and seal unto their hearts an assured and lively hope of things not seen of eternall rest and a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord will give unto them at that day and to all those that love his bright appearing QUest 3. What severity was executed on those that set themselves and took counsell together against the Lord his anointed the King of Mount Sion Answ The thrice holy the Lord God omnipotent which was which is and which will be sitting as a King on a Throne in the heaven of the Church and administring the government thereof to the end of the world by the Mediation of the Son eternall who being the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (a) The Jews and Romanes despising Christs Kingdome and sacrifice-hood were plagued greatly as Psal 2. 1 10. The seven Seals and four horses did plague the Empire did tear in pieces the Jews his own people spoken of afore and the Romane Empire for he riding as on a white horse of Justice and Power plagued the world by the horses and Arrows of his vengeance (b) Red horse bloudy Warre (c) Black horse Famine * Pale horse Pestilence and through the cry of the innocent blood of Martyrs a grave of destruction following the unclean infidels the Emperours and their people to the ruine of the Empire that all men cryed to the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them and in the world to come endlesse misery and vengeance in the Lake of flaming fire QUest 4. Had the Church rest after 300 years Answ Yea for God raised up Constantinus a good Christian Emperour so that the Church had rest and did wonderfully increase but this peace was quickly interrupted by the tares of ambition schisme and heresies of Ecclesiastical Teachers QUest 5. Did Constantinus continue the Romane Empire Answ No he removed the Seat of his Empire to Constantinople so that Rome in Italy was little set by for many years and often burned by the Goths and Vandals and at last by them brought to an extream ruine Then the sixth head or polity of Rome was made dead QUest 6. Was there not an Apostasie from the faith of the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine after the Empire of Rome was made dead Answer 1. Yea for the Spirit spake evidently that there would be an apostasie or falling away The misterie of iniquity was working in the apostles dayes and quickned secretly still by divers means Doctrines of Devils and worship of Devils with sundry corruptions superstitions and heretical Doctrines were continually springing The Churches left their first love zeal watchfullnesse and diligence and when the Empire the with-holder was dead presently after multitudes of hereticks arose 2 Thes 2.6 which with covetousnesse and ambition of Bishops exceedingy furthered the appearance of King Abaddon and his Locusts out of their bottomlesse Pit 2. For the first second and third Centuries this was generally received of the faithfull Jew and Gentile that God was One in holy Trinity Apot. 7.9 10. and Vnity and salvation was ascribed to God and the Lamb Christs sole mediation And in the Confession of this faith all the Saints the Elders and people cast down their Crowns before Gods Throne and fell down before God and the Lamb with all joyfull acclamations of praise blessing honour glory and power for the mighty Creation and gracious Redemption 3. But after those three Centuries hereticks and false Teachers more corrupted the Doctrine of God and Christ and Saints and angels were glorified as Mediatours and prayed unto c. But the Lord God takes care as Apoc. 7. for his elect both of Jews and Gentiles that they might be kept safe the foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his Therefore he takes order for their sealing to be kept from the deceit of the perillous times that hastened and those that are sealed make a most holy solemn and glorious confession of the faith according to the Prophets and apostles Doctrine and by this Confession the sealed servants of God are known in all ages The rest of the seventh Chapter shews the gracious priviledges of the Saints 4. And Christ forewarned the backsliding of the Churches by the seven Trumpets and shewed much mercy for the fourth fifth and sixth Centuries by stirring up the Spirit of some Christian Emperours for summoning Bishops to Councels to represse their ambition contention schisme and heresies of the which the first four generall Councels were the most orthodox 5. Also in those Centuries
that sheweth the Pontificality revived the wounded head of the Caesarian Pontifex Quest 13 and Answer what is meant by the ten horns of the spotted beast Ten Tribes followed Ieroboam the Man of Sin Ten Kingdomes followed King Abaddon the Man of Sinne Ten Tribes rebelled against the Kingdome of David and the Religion of the Temple Ten Kingdomes under the Papacy despised the Kingdome of the Son of David and the holy Temple in the heavenly Jerusalem Steuchus a mysticall Babylonian recordeth the Kingdomes of Europe that gave their power to the Beast 1. Spain and Portugall 2. Hungaria 3. Great Brittany 4. Denmark 5. R●ssia 6. Croatia and Dalmatia 7. Arragon 8 ●ohenna 9. Suevia and Nornegia 10. Dacia These paid Tribute to the Pope Quest 14. and answ By mystiall allusions to Countries and Cities to Sodome for filthinesse no sin so vile but it reigns in an Apostate Church so it reigns in Abolah and Aholibab Ezek. 23. are said to do worse than the heathens before them to transcend in excesse of impieties Sodom and Gomorrba The apostate State of King Abaddon became the mother of Harlots and all abominations of the earth Christ his holy Gospel is cords and bands post and rail to mans corrupt nature but that taken away men do degenerate into all profanesse Ibid. That our Lord was crucified As long as we protest in the Symbolon of our faith that the eternal Son the Lord of glory was crucified by Pontius Pilate Rome must be held accursed● The Pontificality doth not take away the curse but continues it because it revived the wounded head and doth as it did persecuring Christ in his witnesses Them that keep the Commandements of God and the faith of JESUS CHRIST Ibid. called Sodome and Egypt The former be stamps of the latter it is said I am Iehovah thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage This is a Preface to all the Commandements so the same must be a reason to all the Israel of God to walk with God for bringing us out of Rome-Egypt out of that house of cruell bondage Look what cause Lot had to be thankfull for saving him from Sodoms destruction such cause have we for being delivered from Rome-Sodome and what cause of thankfulinesse and praise Israel had for deliverance from Egypt and Babylon such have we for that great and marvellous deliverance from Rome-Egypt and Rome Babilon All those Psalms of praise wherein deliverance from Egypt is mentioned must be sang of us for Rome-Egypt and the holy Spirit teacheth us so to do Apoc 15.3 19.1 All the faithfull under the new Testament are the Israel of God Gal. 6 Note this by the way if we under the new Testament are under a Covenant of grace then was Israel of old under a Covenant of grace for we fing their songs Observe the note in chap. and page infra Again consider is Rome called Egypt What shame should cover those apostate mouths and faces that say there is little or no difference and an easie reconciliation may be made between the faith of the Church of England and the Romane What an apostaticall slander is that to our Vine and vine-dressers that our God brought forth of mysticall Egypt yea to our Princes and Parliament in all their Statutes that they made against the people of that cursed religion when as manifest a difference God hath made as of old he did between old Egypt and Israel Exod. 8.22 23. and 10 23. c. as the RR FF D.D. D. Jewel D. Abbot D. Fulk D. Carlton D. Reynolds D. ●●hitakers Mr. Perkins and all our worthies have demonstrated See also Mr. white way to the true Church who wrote most whitely the Epistle dedicatory and the Epistle to the Render But very like none of all these neither Princes nor Parliaments Books of Controversies Teachers and Laws understood what is Popery properly so called as Bishop Lawa saith in a book of his But for all their plotting the old enmity shall never be reconciled while light and darknesse continue God hath put the enmity Gen. 3.15 What will ye reconcile the Kingdome of Christ and the Kingdome of Abaddon of Satans darknesse goodly dayes men thou thinkest saith God that I am like to thee Psal 50. These umpires forsooth will make Christ yeeld something yea any thing on his part and the false Lamb must yeeld something on his part and so our Atheisticall hearts think a good end is made There was a time when our Laud said No peace with Rome What a spirit of slumber and giddinesse hath covered our Seers Christ was angry of old for these sins of his sons and of his daughters halting between two opinions And thirdly is Rome called Egypt then the Magistrate must not bring the people of Israel back to Egypt nor go to Egypt for horses or any help Deut. 17. Accursed be their project that by fair speeches and plausible pretenses but indeed speaking lies through hypocrisie do insinuare to corrupt the breasts of Princes to reduce their people into Rome-Egypts bondage Judah is blamed for these projects Isa 30. 31. Most of the stories of old Egypt and Babylon must mind us of their allusions Note two things 1. Israel doted on the Egyptians and Babylonians their lovers traversing projects with them Jer. 2. Ezeck 16. But Christ befooled their doings that these nations were their plague and ruine 2. A deal of profanenesse oppression and much wickednesse they brought from Babel as Ezra Nehemiah and Zachary do shew Let all true English hearts that love Christ and his Gospel and their native Countrey greatly humble their souls and pray that the Ephah of wickednesse Zac. 5.6 may be carried unto its own place into the Land of mysticall Babylon O heavens be astonied at our 2 evils Ah Lord God what iniquity do we find in thee what iniquity is in thy ordinances thy commandements thy Gospel thy true Christian servants all which now are reputed vile mean and as anathema but thou hast not been to us in these a wildernesse or a Land of darknesse but a God of glory riches honour plenty victory and protection from those accursed of that cursed Religion of the breaden God O unthankfull Nation Let our souls weep in secret Quest 15. N. 1. Antichrist And what if the title Antichrist ●e not totidem literis attributed to the Pontificality yet if the other titles are to be applied to it then this is truly predicated of that Corporation must not he be the Antichrist can we think a worse to come for persecuting them that held the testimony of JESUS and for cleaving to the word of God Apocalips chap. 13.12 Ibid. N. 2. I am a God on earth Like the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28 2. But that Tyrian God was not a God but a man in the hand of him that killed him The holy Spirit hath phrases from Tyrus its destruction to shew how the Lord
afterward found great severity of thundring wrath and terrour of most bitter plagues as if their filthy flesh rotted from their bones and their idolatrous and adulterous eyes did consume in their holes and their blasphemous tongues in their mouths 9. And the Lord MESSIAS to whom the Father of Heaven had committed all authority and power raised tumults among them first on the Iewes then on the Caesars Augusti and their people in most fearfull manner That the Caesars and their Assassines had death and a gulph and grave of destruction by intestine garboiles in their Armies destroying one another for three hundred years the six seals do also shew this in Ap. 90 Ap. 6. 10. Zach. 14.16 When the Heavenly Ierusalem was builded on twelve precious Foundations all of precious Iewels the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine b These are the same waters Ezekiel speaks of that came from the Temple Ezek. 47. and Christ JeAsue expounds Zac. and Ezek. in Apoc. 21. 22. then those holy waters as is noted of healing Doctrine issued and had free course into all quarters under Heaven East West North and South and every quarter had three Gates into the City And the godly in all times of the New Testament did flee like Doves to nestle in this City they came to it b Constantly continually from mouth to mouth c. Esai 66.23 these are allegoricall expressions anniversarily to keep the Feast of Tabernacles And the Apoc. 7. is an Historicall prophesie that 144000. of Israel the twelve Tribes that held the faith and an innumerable company of all Nations come to this City to blesse and praise * All Nations did blesse him as they were in him Psal 72.17 Gen. 12.1 2 3. the Eternall Son of God who did Tabernacle or Temple in our nature for 〈◊〉 ●edemption and when they came they brought Palme-Branches in their hands crying Hosanna Salvation to our God that s●●teth on the Thorne and to the LAMBE for evermore 11. And they that will not come to the Feast of Tabernacles to serve Christ Iesus the true Tabernacle or Temple in his holy Assemblies in this his Ierusalem they shall have no Raine to moisten their dry and barren hearts They shall not know what meanes the Dewes that fall on Mount Hermon and the sweet small Raine that distilleth on the Holy Mount aine of Sion Apoc. 14.1 All the Gentiles that will not yeild obedience to the faith of the Gospell Christ will bring upon them positive and privative plagues as the stories of the Church shew this in all the Centuries in all Countries 12. And because Christ Iesus our Lord hath made us Kings and Sacrificers to God his Father Holinesse to Jehovah which was graven on the front place of the high Sacrificer shall be written on the Horse Bridles and on every Pot in the Heavenly Ierusalem thus Zachariah as Dan. 9. Esai 66. sheweth an utter abrogation of the Ceremonies of Moses Chanaan City Temple and worships 13. And let this be noted that the holy Apostles expounding the Prophets never taught the Saints that ever they should expect any outward glory to returne to Chanaan City Temple or Kingdome but taught them of the Heavenly I●●usalem and therein the Lord God of Hosts the Lambe to be the Temple and the holy worship to be che●fly spirituall prayer to be every where in lifting up pure hands and hearts in all godly qualifications as our Lord Messia● told the woman of Sama●ia Ioh. 4. 14. And therefore the Apostle Peter the Apostle of the circumcision taught the scattered Tribes of Israel in Pontus Asia Galatia Bithinia Capadocia and Chaldea of the Heavenly inheritance that fadeth not as Canaan and that themselves were lively Stones in the spirituall building to be an holy Preist-hood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ the true Temple And that they that were and had been for many dayes Lo-ammi and Lo ●uchamah Hos 1. 3. were now by the glorious Gospell made Gods people and had obtained mercy and pity and warnes them that they be not as their Fathers to stumble at Christ and his Doctrine And further instructs them that the Prophesi●s which they so looked to be fulfilled in an outward manner were not to be taken properly and literally as Ezikiels Land City and Temple is taken to this day of the Jewes in propriety of sp●ach that Peter blameth And the teaching otherwise was damnable heresie and a denying of Christ Jesus as the Apostle said of Circumcision Gal. 5.2 3 4 as experience also tels us these fifteen hundred years And therefore let Teachers beware how they harden Jewes in their idol● and vanity Solomons Kingdome was shaken but we receive a Kingdome that cannot be shaken the Low Jerusalem was destroyed but the Heavenly City cannot The Preist hood of Levi is passed away but Christs Preist-hood abideth for ever c. and we crosse all the Doctrine of Christs new Testament to plead any more for Terrestials Chap. XXIII Expounding Zach. 12 10 11 12 13 14. Zach. 14.10 11 c. SECT I. It is obj●cted that Zac. 12.10 11 12 13 14. is not fulfilled AND I will poure upon the House of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pe●rced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only Son c. and the Family of the House of David and Nathan shall mourne and the House of Levi and the Family of Sbimei shall mourne 1. I think Act. 1.14 is an History to the prophesie for Davids House † The Apostles argument is strong that although must did not mourne yet the saith ●ulnesse of God is not without effect and God had not cast off all the Apostle reasons from himselfe as if there should not have been no more then himselfe Rom. 3. 11.1 2 3. but in the Acts there were five thousand and more and in ●erusalem su●●ly the faithfull are but a little stock these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the Mother of IESUS and with his Brethren In this company was some of the House of David and some of the Family of Nathan and some of the House of Levi for it is said a great company of the Preists were subject to the faith Act. 6. and Ba●nabas a Levite became a gracious Son of consolation to the Church And that the Lord powred on the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of his grace and supplications is historied in Acts ch 2.37 and many more afterwards ch 4. and in after times of every Tribe twelve thousand Apoc. 7. 2. I doubt not but when the Iewes be hereafter called according to Rom. 11. they will mourn for their own sins and for the sins of their fore Fathers but we must stick to propriety unlesse it opposeth the analogic of faith in other Scriptures that so we may
and maketh the shadows flee away and with commandement of shewing the Kingdome of heaven to all Nations c. c. Thus the SUNS labours have glorious stories through all ages till Christ shewed a new world and a new Ierusalem from heaven by the preaching of the holy disciples who went forth by the Lords Comandement and turned the familes of Noe from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by the faith which is in Christ Jesus From these various expressions of the holy Chronologic we may see the marks which the holy Spirit aims at in the ages and generations of the Bible These are the joints to which the holy Chronicle is fastened fit for Christians to know concerning the Son of God that was to come into the world to be a Second Adam That by these as a part of the holy revelation of the Spirit of God we might be made wise unto salvation through the faith which in is Christ Iesus For the Testimony of IESUS is the Spirit of Prophecy It would be wished that people were somewhat educated in that course of study of a book called the Consent of Scripture That study I suppose would more stablish us in sound principles of Christian Doctrine against light and vain errours and bad opinions then many books of sa● greater volumes much more might be said the Lord blesse endeavours and make our hearts upright with him THE books of Chronicles reach from Adams to Babels captivity and to Cyrus first thence Daniel reacheth to our Lords death and the fall of Ierusalem thence the Apocalyps holdeth on to the fall of the world the confusion of this narration is a cursed piece of work Seven times Daniel speaketh of the Chaldeans seven times of the Medo-Persians seven times of Javan whole seven times of Iavan parted Daniel comforteth the holy Iews and no other Nation afflicted for Religion by the Kings of the East and before the incarnation shewing that as every one of his predictions shall fall out in their times and they of Antiochus in exact foretold number of dayes so the exact number of dayes should be most surely kept for our Redemption and the three years and half for our Lords preaching when he must begin even when he began to be thirty and at the first of those 30. open records of Kittim Italies power Numb 24. should shew that the image Dan. 2. was broken in pieces Now the Holy Ghost in the New Testament keepeth Daniel clear that the captivity to Babel began with his captivity that Saint Matthew sheweth that Iechonias was begotten a little before the captivity to Babel at the second captivity he was 18. years old So where the image is made chaffe and the tree cut but not at the root and the Beasts cast into the fire Iohn Baptist from matters past doth teach the Iews how they rejecting MESSIAS Christ shall be used the ax shall be put to the root of the tree and the chaffe shall be burnt in fire unquenched Upon stories past this standeth plain if Daniels stories had been yet to come the grace of the speech had been lost but Iohn speaking of punishments foretold and felt pierceth more the wise hearer that the Iews shall feel what he foretold So where after the four Beasts are consumed One like unto the SON of Man cometh into the world and again ascendeth our great God and Saviour naming himself the SON of Man and Rock Deut. 32. upon which the Iews stood in the boisterous sea whence the four beasts came forth teacheth us that those four Beasts were consumed speaking to the whole consent of the Jews So Saint Stephens pleading upon the Angel Gabriels words and having the Angels face sheweth that the whole Nation agreed in time from the return from captivity or beginning of the Seventy Sevens as they could not choose And whereas the acts of Antiochus the vile are much in Daniel chap. 7. and 8. and 12. and concluded in chap. 11. with mention of resurrection to glory for his afflicted the Macchabees company and of resurrection to shame for Gods enemies as the Iews in the third of Macchabees and in Josephus note well and as Chrysostome noted from them so Saint Paul before all noted the same speaking of tormented in Antiochus manner that they would not be delivered because they looked for the better resurrection Heb. 11. Moreover while the affliction of the Iews were in visions that described not their Nation plainly that they were the tendered of God and so they were without danger they were penned in Chaldee spread over the East out when the speeches plainly name the afflicters and the Iews the afflicted then they are written in Adams tongue lost but in Schools and not spoken in the world And this sheweth that the Iews are the onely afflicted in Daniel and that he hath not one syllable of the Romanes afflicting the Iews before the Birth of our Lord nor one word to bring them within his pictures But the Apocalyps plainly distinguisheth them from Daniels Kingdomes a Woman that is a State settled and a Beast coming out of the Sea made of all the four that are in Daniel Thus Daniel is a Bridge from the Chronicles to the Apocalyps and the breaker of this bridge cuteth off all passage from the old Testament to the new and worketh a Babylonian confusion missing in the Nations Countries or Times Daniel pictureth East Kingdomes onely he maketh stories agree to the proportion of a mans image head arms and breast belly and sides and two legs our notes would make but one leg and six times longer than the proportion of a mans body would suffer Daniel bringeth an Angel to comment upon his Visions applying them to stories which Greeks explain But none can apply our notes to fit stories CHAP. XLV An Advertisement to the Reader to take heed of embracing the evil tenents of two men especially that have lately put forth irreligious opinions about the Chronology of the Book of God namely Mr. Sarson and Mr. Parker they deny the certainty of Chronologie from the first promise to the death of Christ 1. AS for Mr. Sarson let him take heed he be not degenerated into a Sarrason by bringing upon the holy Bible a Leprosie of Chronologic that it should be of no greater authority than Machomer's Alcoran 2. Mr. Parker saith there is not truth nor certainty in the holy Angel Gabriels Seventy Sevens when they should begin or end his words in his book of the Visions and Prophesies of Daniel page 51 are these Mr. Broughton and his followers denying the truth of heathen Chronologie constitute the years without ground D.R. on the other side and that worthily allowing and maintaing the heathen Chronologie and finding no way how to accommodate those years untoi● affirmeth that no certain time is meant but an uncertain and undetermined duration in