their idols and were washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus c. 1 Thes 1. 5-9 and 2 13. 1 Cor. 6. 9-11 and 12. 2. with Chap. 15. 1 2 3 4. The seeing our sins and idols in this testimony will make us willing to sell them and part with them that we may have and enjoy this Gold and White Raiment In like manner the beholding and seeing in and with this Eye-salve what a sad condition we are in without Christ and without this durable riches and righteousness here presented to us this is a powerful argument to engage and move us to seek the Lord while he may be found that we may win him and be found in him and be made partakers of him in whom there is blessing prepared for all the kindreds of the earth Acts 3. 25. The seeing and considering that without him we are wretched and miserable and poor and naked and undone creatures and that abig ding such we shall be spued out of his mouth and become miserable for ever for nothing besides him will secure from evil and satisfie us with good This is a forcible motive and argument to move us to be hot and fervent in Spirit that we may buy of him those inestimable Treasures here counselled unto which only will render us blessed and happy in the enjoyment of them As it appeareth here in this place the scope of it being considered by us Rev. 3. 15-19 20. Acts 2. 37. 2. It is also needful for us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may see because not onely are there such powerful arguments proposed to and set before us in this testimony of Christ to move us and make us willing to buy But also there is a mighty and supernatural power put forth in and with these arguments in this Gospel to convert us and to turn us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God and so from our sins and idols unto the living and true God Acts 26. 18-23 The Gospel of Christ is the power of God his arm and power is put forth therein to effect in us what he requireth of us Rom. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 18-23 24. His hand and mighty power is stretched forth herein all the day long to enable us to turn to him in and at his reproofs and to cast away our sins and abominations out of his sight Prov. 1. 20-24 Isa 65. 1-3 Rom. 10. 21. God hereby worketh in us both to will and to do of good pleasure Phil. 2. 12-15 Not onely is the Gospel the instrument he maketh use of to glorâ—â—â—e his Son in and by and to shew us the vileness and vanity of all other things but it is that also which he accompanieth with the power and presence of his Spirit So that he that rejecteth rejecteth not man simply but God who giveth of his Spirit in and with his word 1 Thes 4. 3 -8. And hence these weapons the arguments of the Gospel are mighty mighty through God to the pulling down strong holds c. For God is in them of a truth 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. In looking unto Christ beholding and minding what he hath done for us and is become and what is treasured up for us in him and therein seeing our sins and idols and in how sad a condition we are without him God is saving us from our iniquities and vanities and enabling us to run from them to Christ To this end his grace bringeth salvation in due time to all men saving strength and power Tit. 2. 11. Hence he saith Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved Not Save your selves But Be ye saved As intimating in our looking unto him to enable us whereto also he is preventing us with power God is saving us that we might be saved Isa 45. 22. To the same purpose also the Apostle saith We all not some of us onely but we all with openâ—face as in a glass beholding the glory of the Lord are changed not change our selves but we are transformed changed out of one form into another from the love and service of our sins and vanities and out of our miserable condition into his image even as by the Spirit of the Lord who is in and with this object as declared and discovered to us in this Glass 2 Cor. 3. 18. God in and by his Spirit is so present in and with this Gospel of Christ that he that receiveth that receiveth Christ and him who sent him Matth. 10. 40. And he that despiseth and resisteth that despiseth and resisteth God Christ and his Holy Spirit Luke 10. 16. Acts. 7. 51. The hand of the Lord is put forth in and present with the arguments of the glorious Gospel to convert and turn us from our evils and vanities unto Christ and to make us willing who naturally are without an heart and unwilling to gain and buy Christ and the unsearchable riches of him Acts 11. 20 21. 3. 13-19 It therefore evidently appeareth that it is very needful for us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may see 3. And on the other hand it is needful for us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may in seeing see the excellency of Christ and vileness and unprofitableness of all other things to the end we may part with them for him or otherwise we shall be and abide under the power of Satan as hath been also before said He hath his power in darkness and while men remain blind he can deceive them and lead them captive at his pleasure Col. 1. 13. Acts 26. 18. Hence it is said those evil principalities and powers are the rulers of the darkness of this world he ruleth and prevaileth over them who remain in blindness and darkness and serveth himself of them making them do his lusts and requirings Ephes 6. 12. He so blindeth the minds of them that believe not that anoint not their eyes with this Eye-salve that the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God may not shine unto them that they may not perceive his excellency and comeliness And together herewith also he commendeth and rendreth excellent needful and pleasurable the things which indeed are vile evil and abominable For he is the God of this world of such as are and remain in ignorance 2 Cor. 4. 4. 1 John 5. 19. He prevailingly perswadeth them that the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are most desireable and worthy to be earnestly sought after and affectionately embraced by us and that no fruit is so good and pleasant and worthy to be sed on by us as that which is forbidden us of God For as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty at first so he is also endeavouring to deceive us and to corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 11. 1-3
NEEDFUL COUNSEL FOR Lukewarm Christians BEING A CONSIDERATION OF Some part of the Message sent to the ANGEL OF THE CHURCH in LAODICEA By CHARLES PHELPES a Servant of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of the Grace of God to Mankind PROV 19. 20 21. Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou maiest be wise in thy latter end There are many devices in a mans heart nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand LONDON Printed for Benjamin Southwood at the Starr next to Sergeants-Inn in Chancery Lane 1672. TO THE READER THough this Epistle a part whereof is spoken to in the ensuing Treatise was directly and expresly sent to the Angel and Church in Laodicea yet it also as well as the rest of the Messages or Epistles was spoken by the holy Spirit unto the Churches in general and therefore every one that hath an ear is exhorted and called upon to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 22. And it is therefore of concernment for others for all that have received the Word of the beginning of Christ to mind and consider what is reproved and faulted in this Angel and Church what is threatned to them and the counsel given by the Amen to cure their distemper and prevent the judgement It is possible that other Angels and Churches and particular persons who have formerly been called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and who have received the word of God as it is in truth the word of God may also suffer a decay of those things that have been wrought in them by the glorious Gospel and grow remiss heartless and indifferent as it fared with this Angel and Church and as our Saviour hath premonished that because iniquity should abound the love of many would wax cold Matt. 24. 12. And especially toward the time of the end he hath foretold us there would be a generall security in such as are of his Churches and people in such as profess to wait for and attend his coming as he signifieth in that parable of his mentioned Matt. 25. 1-5 In which he saith not as in many other Parables The kingdom of Heaven is like c. But Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened by those therein unto Ten Virgins which went forth to meet the Bridegroom And while the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept They did not with zeal and fervency hear Christ watching daily at at his Gates waiting at the posts of his doors that they might find him as his grace instructeth and is operating in those that have it and yield up themselves to it Prov. 8. 34. 35. But in too great a measure were grown slothful heartless and secure And surely this is written and recorded for our admonition and warning upon whom the ends of the world are come to the intent we might give such earnest and diligent heed to the things we have heard the word of Christ which is as a fire that our hearts might burn within us and be inflamed with love to him and filled with such an high prizing of him and the unsearchable riches of him as to sell and forgo all we have for the excellency of him and them that we may gain him and be found in him Luk. 24. 26 27 32. Jer. 23. 29. Seeing then that it is possible and may so come to pass that others yea any who have received the grace of God may become Lukewarm and neither hot nor cold and may go backward and not forward Jer. 7. 24. If they abid not in Christ Jesus as they have received him it is good and needful for us all to examine our selves in the light of the Lord and search our hearts and ways that we may see and discern what manner of persons we are and what discovery the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ maketh of us Let us not rest contented in any good thoughts we may have of our selves For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Nor let us conclude that we are in a good condition because others may think well and speak highly of us that are our brethren and companions for a man may have a name among the Churches that he liveth and yet be dead Rev. â— â— But let every man prove and approve his own work and then shall he have his rejoycing in himself alone and not in another not in another's good thought or opinion of him Gal. 6. 4. We may have run well in former times we may have run from all our own things unto Christ and followed him through good report and bad report and yet now be letted and hindered from that fervent demeanour and exercise our selves Gal. 5. 7 8. We may have been called unto Christ and called according to purpose and yet again be removed from him that called us into the grace of Christ Gal. 1. 6. We may have gone after him in the Wilderness as it were and yet now go far from him and walk after vanity and become vain and so grieve him and his good spirit by whom we have been called to the knowledge of the truth Jer. 2. 2-5 Let us not then be high minded but fear Let us noâ— say inâ—â—ur hearts our mountain is so setled that we can never be moved our hearts have been and are so upright with him and close cleaving to him that we cannot depart from him But let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. And come we to the light that our selves and deeds may be made manifest and discovered Joh. 3. 20 21. That if this loathsome iniquity of Lukewarmness be with us we may cleanse our selves there-from lest we provoke him who is slow to anger to abhor us and to sp 〈…〉 out of his mouth And be we well assured of this that if once we entertain and retain such high and unsober thoughts of our selves and of our attainments and injoyments as to say We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and so shut the door upon and against Christ Jesus and suffer him to stand and knock thereas we shall but deceive our selves if we imagine we are free from this nauseous distemper we may then be confident that blindness hath happened to us in some yea in a great measure and may upon sure grounds judge and conclude our selves to be like to this Angel and Church and fear he will deal with us as he threatneth to do to these if we continue and persist in our high thoughts of our selves For Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty Spirit before a fall Prov. 16. 18. He will save the afflicted humbled people those who are poor in spirit who have nothing to glory in before God but the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified But his eyes are upon the haughty that he may bring them down 2 Som. 22. 28. 1 Cor. 1. 29-31 Oh! Let
from an high estimate of Christ and causeth them to wander from him and not to hold the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Compare 1 Cor. 8. 1. with Chap. 13. 4. and Col. 2. 18 19. It is much to be feared that we have also too high conceits of our selves and therefore though we are not quite Cold yet such thoughts make us Lukewarm we are too apt to think we know all already we have attained to excellent Ornaments and are pure in our own eyes Oh that we may come to the light of the Lord and therein see and examine our selves and if this iniquity be found with us put it far away for this thinking of our selves more highly then we ought is that which is the cause of our loathsom temper or 2. This Verse is a reason of Christs threatning and of that wo and judgment threatned Ver. 16. I will spue thee out of my mouth because thou saist I am rich c. Oh! what a provocation to Christ is it what a loathsom thing in his sight that such babes as we are should boast as if we were come to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we should imagine and say we have need of nothing when so little a portion is known of him by us that we should think and say we are whole what need then have we of a Physician What need of a Mediator to intercede for us We do by â—â—â—h like thoughts and sayings make the Cross of Christ and Preaching of it foolishness to our selves and render it a needless and undesirable thing and they do lead us to set light by and undervalue Christ and to give our hearts unto and take up our contentment in our attainments and receits which are indeed broken Cisterns which can hold no water and which we make as Idols to our selves and incense him against us who will not give honour to another nor his praise to graven Images his name is jealous and he cannot he will not indure it that we should give our loves to and take up our rest in any thing besides himself who was crucified for us and in whom only there is rest for our weary Spirios His jealousy when his love is abused or slighted is cruel as the Grave the Coals thereof are Coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. He cannot bear it that those that are espoused to him should treacherously and adulterously depart from him and cast their eyes upon and give entertainment to other lovers and therefore when any do so that have been called to the fellowship of himself the fire of his jealousy is kindled against them and he as here threatneth to cast them off Wo saith our Saviour to you that are rich for ye have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Luke 6. 24 25. Manifold afflictions shall come upon them and they shall weep and howl for those miseries that shall come upon them James 5. 1. He that filleth the hungry with good things doth send the rich empty away Luke 1. 53. Such he will abhor and vomit them out of his mouth as most loathsom persons to him Oh! how sad and calamitous is their condition who boast and witness of themselves that they are pure sinless perfect as to attainment there is a Generation who are pure in their own Eyes though yet they are not washed from their filthiness and oh how lofty are their Eyes and their Eye-lids lifted up they can witness their enjoyment of all that is to be enjoyed now in this day that they have no sin in them and that they are perfect in themselves Woe unto them they have their happiness now their portion in this life and those that are in any measure like to them are loathsom to Christ and the more loathsom and abominable the more they are like to them It was displeasing to the Lord that Job had such an overweening conceit of himself of his knowledge purity innocency though he was destitute of such light and advantages as are afforded to us and it brought forth evil fruit in him even to condemn him that was most just and that good man when convinced of his evil was ashamed of himself and confesseth that he was vile and professeth he would lay his hand upon his mouth Once saith he have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further and when his eye saw God he did abhor himself and repented in dust and ashes Job 40. 3 5. 42. 4 6. This is a becoming thing for us to be low in our own eyes to take notice and be sensible of our vileness bruitishness shortness in every matter and to acknowledge that when we have done all that is commanded us yet we are unprofitable servants to confess with him That we are more bruitish then man and have not the understanding of a man that we have neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Prov. 30. 2 3. That we have yet much wanting and lacking in our faith in him love to him and conformity to his Image To this man will he look that instead of boasting what he is and hath done and proclaiming his own goodness is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his word that hath nothing to glory in but the Lord Who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption Isa 66. 1 2. 1 Cor. 1. 29 31. But the proud the rich the full he knoweth a far off The foolish such as are vain-glorious boasters who lift up the Horn on high and speak with a stiff neck who commend themselves and their own mouths praise themselves such shall not stand in his sight Psal 5. 5. with Psal 75. 4 5. His eyes are upon the haughty that he may bring them down 2 Sam. 22. 28. And their conceitedness is so unpleasing and distastful to him that he cannot away with them but if they repent not he will at last spue them out of his mouth he will not plead for them as his Church but cast them forth as an abominable branch and then how will they be exposed to all miseries afflictions and judgments whatsoever Oh! consider we this that pride may be hidden from us and that we may not be wise in our own eyes but viewing our selves in the Glass of the Lord's body may take shame to our selves For pride goeth before destruction and an haughty Spirit before a fall Prov. 16. 18. 18. 12. 29. 23. Were we but comparing our selves with that object that is proposed to us and set before us in the glorious Gospel and viewing what is the breadth and length and depth and height thereof and considering that love of Christ which passeth knowledge that Peace of God which
receiving and having him is profitable unto all things having the promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. with Chap. 3. 16. And this is great incouragement to seek him that we may be partakers of him For they that seek him shall not want any good thing Psal 84. 8 10. And this affordeth good cause to have our conversation without covetousness in him and in having him we have all things may do all things bear suffer indure part with all things as the Apostle saith I can do all things in Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. 13. Oh! he is Gold indeed that answereth all things and therefore he may be first commended and commend himself to us under this expression of Gold in this place and elsewhere to instruct us that in having and buying this Gold we shall together herewith have all other things White raiment Eye-salve c. Job 28. 12-20 Prov. 3. 31-15 8. 10 11. 16. 16. Col. 2. 3. Mat. 13. 44-46 Length of days is in Wisdoms right hand which is so inriching and in her left hand riches and honour her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace she is a Tree of Life to all that lay hold on her and happy is every one that retaineth her Prov. 3. 15 18. She leadeth in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment that she may cause those that love her to inherit substance and she will fill all their Treasures Prov. 8. 18-19 21. 4. He is called and compared to Gold because as Gold especially when tried is very delightful and desirable to the natural eye the eye of the body and that with which the heart is affected even so Jesus Christ is amiable to the inlightned eye of the understanding as he is displayed before us in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit the riches of this world and so Gold which is the most excellent part of it taketh the eye and delighteth the heart hence it is called The lust of the eye 1 John 2. 16. And the eye is said to flee upon this even as the Eagle or Hawk fleeth upon the prey as if the life did consist in the having and enjoying it though indeed it doth not Luke 12. 15. Prov. 23. 4 5. Thus Achan confesseth That when he saw two hundred shekels of Silver and a Wedge of Gold then be coveted them Josh 7. 21. It drew his affection to and desire after them Gold and the riches of this world are pleasing to the eye and affect hearts of men and cause them to love them trust in and glory in the enjoyment of them hence because of the vanity emptiness and uncertainty of them the Holy Ghost giveth such frequent admonitions Not to set the Eye upon them not to set the Heart upon them not to trust or glory in them c. Prov. 23 5. Psal 62. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Jet 9. 23. And Holy men of God have prayed him to turn away their eyes from beholding this Object of covetousness Psal 119. 36 37. Which intimateth to us how desirable this is in itself and to us all naturally but behold a more excellent and pleasant Object We may say in this respect Jesus Christ may be called Gold because he is eminently and most fully desirable and taking to the Soul as he hath been tried in the first he is compleatly delightful and there is in him that which is powerful to draw the eye and attract the heart unto him and cause men to lust after him hence he is called The desire of all Nations because he is wholy and altogether desirable and is and hath in him eminently that which all Nations do desire and cover after viz. That which may give rest and satisfying to them though through their foolishness they are seeking it in wrong Objects even in that which is not Hag. 2. 7. Thus when the Spouse is describing the amiableness of her beloved the first account she giveth of him particularly is That his head is as the most sine Gold Cant. 5. 11. To intimate that in this respect he is very taking with and delightful to the Heart He is a wonderful enamouring Object as he is lifted up by the Spirit in the Testimony and which is very powerful to cause men to run unto him because of the Lord his God and for the Holy one of Israel for he hath glorified him hence we are so oftentimes called upon to be hold him So the father saith Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth Isa 42. 1-7 And Christ himself saith Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Isa 45. 22. And again he saith Behold me behold me to a Nation that was not called by his name Isa 65. 1. And the Work of the Spirit is to glorifie Christ and to lift him up as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness that men might look to him And that whosoever looketh to him and believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 16. 14. 3. 14. 15 And the work of the Spouse of all chaste ones is to discover his love and loveliness that men might come to Christ Thus when the Daughters of Jerusalem inquire of her What is thy beloved more then beloved O thou fairest among Women What is thy beloved more then beloved that thou dost so charge us She with much pleasure and contentment answereth My beloved is White and Ruddy the chiefest often thousands He is excellent as the Ceders his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend O ye daughters of Jerusalem And this discovery of him was so taking with them that they also inquire whither he was gone that they might seek him with her her work and business is not to direct to her self and mainly to insist upon the commendation of her self as doth Mystery Babylon both Mother and Daughters who spend a great deal of time and use many Arguments to commend themselves and to prove themselves to be the true Catholick Church and that there is none like to them Oh what contentions are there amongst them on this account How greatly do they strive which shall be accounted the truest and chiefest Yea she is so far from this that she saith to the Daughters of Jerusalem Look not upon me but as she delighteth to behold and look upon her beloved so also to praise and commend him and make mention of his desirableness and praise-worthiness to others that they may enquire after and direct their Eyes unto this alluring Object and she is greatly pleased and in her Element as it were when she is speaking of and shewing forth his praises to others yea this is the end why they that believe are brought into and made of his Church and so greatly piviledged not that they might proclaim their
and everlasting Covenant Matt. 26. 28. Heb. 10. 29. 13. 20. 9. 15 16. Those great and precious promises appertaining to Life and godliness yea to this life and that to come are not only assured by the word of God and confirmed by his Oath which yet are two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye and therefore might quicken and encourage lukewarm ones to flee for refuge to lay hold on that hope set before them but actually made firme by the blood of the Testatour who is also in the virtue thereof raised and as the forerunner entred into Heaven and is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament they which are called may receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance He Mediateth and maketh Intercession for the taking away the iniquities of those that come to God by him and that the contents of that Covenant may be dispensed to them according to their needs and capacities God hath promised and Christ hath actually said and is the Amen to them Rev. 1. 18. Heb. 8. 6. and 9. 15. It may seem in that Jesus Christ doth first describe himself by this title of the Amen that these likewarme ones did not keep in believing remembrance the promises and the firmeness and immutability of them and certainty of their performance according to the tenour of them being ratified by such precious blood and ascertained by such a faithful and true witness and therefore they grew sluggish remiss and indifferent and there was a great abatement of their former fervency either fearing they should be left in sufferings or not provided for or dispensed unto according to their wants and therefore to recover them he telleth them his name is the Amen The consideration hereof is powerful to stirr up to diligence and to recover us from our decays to cause us that we shall not be slothful but followers diligent followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 10 20. To strengthen us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and to consider one another to provoke to love and good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together Heb. 10. 22 25. To ingage us to come out from amongst men and to be separate and not touch the unclean thing but to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 7. 1. if these exceeding great and precious promises given to the Apostles to minister and ministred by them in and with the glorious Gospel be in us received and entertained by us and abound if they be suffered to dwell richly in us and to have their perfect work so as we limit them not nor hold them in unrighteousness they make us that we shall not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ They will provoke us to flee from and escape the corruption that is in the world thorow lust and besides giving all diligence thereto they will inable and stir us up to add to our faith virtue courage zeal resolution of spirit magnanimity to be as bold as lions and to virtue knowledg that we may use our fervour and zeal aright and that not about meat and drink and days and places and gestures in which the kingdome of God consisteth not but in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints and to knowledg temperance to have sober thoughts of our selves of our knowledg vertue parts gifts attainments and to be temperate in our use of and exercise about the things of this world in which there may be excess and in our joys and griefs thereabout and to temperance patience patiently continuing in well doing in faith in virtue in knowledg in temperance c. Patiently induring whatever reproches and persecutions we may meet with in walking in Christ and in the exercise of those efficacies of his grace and resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for him and to patience godliness worshipping him in the spirit and rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh and imitating and following him as dear children according to the light and instructions of his grace and to godliness brotherly kindness loving the brethren with delightful and peculiar manner of love not pretending we are right worshippers of God while we are without brotherly kindness to those borne of him For every one that loveth him that begat loveth them also that are begotten of him For if a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen and to brotherly kindness charity that free manner of love which is exercised towards others not because of somewhat lovely and amiable in them but from an higher reason and motive even from the constraining operation of the love of God in Christ and thence to have fervent charity among our selves and to love all men To these things will these precious promises confirmed by such precious blood enliven and quicken us if they be suffered to dwell richly in us for hereby we shall be made partakers of the Divine nature in union and fellowship with it interest in it usefulness of it and conformity to it 2 Pet. 1. 4 9. Oh exercise we our selves to godliness to Christ who is the root and fundation of godliness for it is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. with chapt 3. 16. Oh! how effectual were the promises with the Patriarchs in former times when they were not so confirmed as now to make them forsake their Countrey Kindred and Fathers house To confess themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth c. These believed caused Abraham the Father of the faithful not to consider his own body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to performe and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who hath performed the promise made to the fathers in raising Christ from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Gen. 12. 1 3. Heb. 11. 13 16. Rom. 4. 16 25. with Act. 13. 32 33. Heb. 11. 17 19. The Apostle Paul to recover the Galatians from their wandrings setteth before them that Christ is the Amen to him the promises are made and in him confirmed and with him assured to those that receive him so as in being Christ's they are Abraham's seed and Heits according
Idols and to fulfill in them the whole good pleasure of God's goodness and the work of faith with power And were the faith the word of faith believed with the heart it would work by love as from God's love as the motive of it so in the exercise of love toward Christ and God in him so as to part with all as loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that they might win him and be found in him and towards men and brethren Galat. 5. 6. And truly he is one who knoweth mens works and without respect of persons judgeth according thereto 1 Pet. 1. 17. Men may appear to be somewhat when they are nothing and profess themselves to believe on the name of the onely begotten Son of God whise notwithstanding they love darkness their sins and vanities rather then light Joh. 3. 18 19. They may have a great many leaves upon them and make a fair face in the flesh while yet thier works may not be upright before him But these he taketh notice off as here he saith I know thy works But what did he observe in his taking notice of their works and pondering them Surely he saw that their works were not perfect before him and thence saith and observeth That thou art neither cold nor hot Not cold there was still some profession of the faith with them some seeking God waiting upon him and approching to him they had not wholly lest off all professed worshipping shipping of him and calling upon his name but still reckoned themselves Christians they might still read and hear and pray and speak one to another and have some use of the ordinances of Christ among them and have a form of godliness they had not wholly and professedly left off the thing that was good but there was some warmth with them still and they might and did surely assemble themselves together for they were yet reckoned by Christ a Church of his a Golden-candlestick that did in some measure receive and bear forth the light yea there might appear with them a great deal of fervency in their outward professions and behaviours of themselves They were not cold Nor hot Not zealous vers 19. Not fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Rom. 12. 11. Their hearts did not burn within them Luk. 24. 32. They were not inflamed with love to him and the things of his kingdome Or as considering the scope of the place they were not hot that is they did not so value Christ and the things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the things most excellent that durable riches and righteousness in Christ as to buy them with a relinquishing and selling all that they had they did not so highly value Jesus Christ that pearl of great price as to part with their sins and idols and to go on to count all but loss and dung that they might be made partakers of him to hate Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters yea and their own lives also for the sake of Christ Jesus and to take up their cross and follow him That this is here meant by hot appeareth by the counsel he giveth them I counsel thee to buy of me Gold c. And by the reason and end of his rebuking and chastening them that they might be zealous and that their zeal might be exercised and evidenced in receiving and obeying that counsel and so in buying vers 19. And by his call to them and desire of their attention behold I stand at the door and knock vers 20. He was not readily received it seemeth but the door was shut against him and somewhat else entertained in his room and stead and he was fain to knock for admission and entrance and to stand there till his head was filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night as Cant. 5. 2. While they gave their love to others and took in others instead of their husband and imbraced the bosome of a Stranger This was the heat they were destitute of and in this sense they were not hot they did not forsake all things for Christ Jesus they were as silly doves without heart professedly waiting upon God but yet retaining sin in their hands or double mindedness in their hearts Hos 7. 11. Or they were seeking their own things their praise honour glory name or to establish a righteousness to themselves and though they might appear to be and might be zealous yet not in a good matter Gal. 4. 18. They were like to a man that hearing of an excellent commodity at such a Mart or Market goeth thereto he is not so cold as to stay at home but taketh so much pains as to go to the place where it may be had and looketh upon it and liketh it and heareth delightfully what is spoken in commendation of it and taketh delight in approching to it but yet he is not so hot as to come up to the price of it though he may bid somewhat and be willing to part with something yet he hath not such an high estimate of and affection to it as to preferr it before all other things and to purchase it how dear soever it be Truly such an one though he be not cold yet he is not hot such a man is hot that is resolved to have such a commodity whatever it cost him that spareth no pains or cost In such a sense they were not hot they were not so cold as wholly to desist from a professed waiting at Wisdom's postes but they might come and sit before God as his people and hear his words and it might be as a lovely and pleasant song to hear what was spoken in the praise and commendation of that Gold tried in the fire c. But still their hearts went after their covetousness or their pride and high thoughts of themselves they conceited themselves to be rich and encreased with goods and therefore did not forsake all that they had for Christ they did not so highly prize him nor so ardently affect him as to count and go on to count all other things as dung and dogs meat in comparison of him Ezek. 33. 31 32. Oh let us search and try our hearts in the light of God's testimony and see if we also be not such manner of persons such Lukewarm ones as these were to whom this counsel was given the testimony of Christ the perfect law of liberty is a faithful glass that giveth a true and impartial discovery of all things and persons it pierceth even to the dividing asunder of Soâ—l and Spirit and Joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. Therein let us examine our selves and not trust to our own hearts or lean to our own understandings for the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things and he that trusteth therein is a fool Our wisdom and understanding will pervert us and make
because he is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe Mat. 18. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is acquainted with and is the faithful and true witness of the sincerity and ardency of the fathers love and compassion to all while it is called to day that he would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth for God sent him not into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved 1 Tim. 2. 4 6. with John 3. 17. God hath no pleasure none at all neither secret nor revealed in the death of the wicked but rather that they should turn and live Ezek. 11. 23 32. and he and Christ Jesus are one and therefore the Amen the faithful and true Witness is not indifferent whether his Churches and those in them be Cold or Hot but he is one that hath pleasure in uprightness and loveth that those in his Church should cleave to him with full purpose and give him their hearts and would that they should be wholly and altogether his to whose mind also the Apostle Paul was framed when Agrippa said almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian I would to God saith he that not only thou but all that hear me were both almost and altogether such as I am and not so indifferent as he was Acts 26. 29. And this the Apostle also desired with understanding as knowing Gods good will towards all men was that they should heartily receive the love of the truth had he been of the mind of some men that God hath a secret Will concurring with the destruction of the greatest part of Mankind in a personal consideration he could never in faith have poured out such a wish to God for all them that heard him but knowing God is love and that he hath manifested himself so to be in giving his Son by his Grace to taste death for every man from hence his hearts desire and prayer to God for them was That they might be saved from their iniquities and vanities as Rom. 10. 1. 3. And therefore thus Christ Jesus speaketh to shew 〈◊〉 how abominable their present temper was to him Question 2. Whether it be better for the Churches or those therein to be Cold then Lukewarm it is better without Controversy to be Hot and fervent in Spirit in seeking and serving the Lord and diligently pursuing the things of his Kingdom but whether it be better for Lukewarm ones to be Cold Answer Truly properly and fully it is not better to be Cold then Lukewarm for neither is good but it is worse to be Lukewarm in Gods Vineyard and more abominable to him and in his account who judgeth righteously then to be Cold and so to be Cold is not so bad in some respects as to be Lukewarm For 1. The iniquity of Lukewarmness in his Churches is more provoking in his sight because the Clouds do more abundantly Rain Rain upon them that come into and frequent the Assemblies of Gods people then upon those who are Cold and come not amongst them and they oft drink in the Rain that cometh upon them they have more advantages given to them then others and more opportunities to hear and be acquainted with the excellency of Christ and the inriching nature of that Gold tried in the fire and therein and therewith to see the vileness of their sins and vanity of their Idols wisdom works of Righteousness high thoughts and conceits of themselves that they might turn to God from all their Idols and have their Hearts drawn off from all other Objects and united to Christ Jesus hence those that are among his people do in their evils overpass the deeds of the wicked Jer. 5. 21 28. So it is said That Manasseh made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to do worse then the Heathen not simply as to matter of fact but worse because the Lord spake to them and his people by his Prophets but they would not hear 2 Chron. 33. 9 10. Hence oftentimes this is declared as an aggravation of the iniquity of God people that they sin under such advantages and in the enjoyment of such nighness means and opportunities therefore the Lord saith concerning the Priests and Prophets Yea in mine house have I found their wickedness c. Jer. 23. 11. and 11. 14 15. Isa 66. 4. and answerable to the greatness of their iniquity as being thus aggravated answerable will be their judgment so persisting yea and more swiftly will God proceed against them especially now when more clear light then formerly is vouchsafed he that was grieved fourty years with his people in former times was provoked after three years in latter because of the unfruitfulness of those in his Vineyard to say Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground So he here threatneth he will spue them out of his mouth and accordingly he may have so done with this Church long since Thou Capernaum saith our Saviour that aâ—t exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell for if the might Works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day but I say unto you it shall be more tollerable for the Land of Sodom at the day of Judgment then for you Mat. 11. 20 24. That Earth which drinketh in the Rain that oâ—t cometh upon it and yet beareth Briars and Thorns is rejected and nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. 2. It is worse to be Lukewarm in Gods Vineyard then Cold because those that are Cold may sooner be made sensible of their Condition and fall down under reproofs and be made to perceive the sadness of the state they abide in or have brought themselves into by their departure then Lukewarm ones When persons are Lukewarm they are ready to say Aha we are warm we have seen the fire blessed be the Lord for we are rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing they are highly conceited of their good Condition and think and say they are hot enough already they are in a good temperate Condition and need not to come nearer the fire Seest thou a man wise in his own Eyes there is more hope of a fool of a bruitish person that hath no understanding then of him Prov. 26. 12. Their good cannot so easily be sought and effected as the good of those may that are Cold and who have outwardly left off their former profession for the Lukewarm ones are ready to fill their mouths with Arguments and to plead their own Innocency and to stop their ears from hearing faithful reproof they have excuses at hand they can presently say Wherefore are ye jealous of us Or why find ye fault with us What would you have us to do We are not Cold we read hear pray in our families frequent Assemblies use the Ordinances of Christ and are called by his Name they are ready to thank God they are
Chron. 28. 9. Of a truth God is no respecter of persons he is not tied to any man's person but Christ is the Amen to him are the promises made and in him they are confirmed and sure to all the seed who are begotten and born of the spirit and led by the spirit for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God in him all the promises of God are yea and Amen and if we be Christ's then are we Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise But if a man that hath been ingraffed into him abide not in him he is cast forth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and burned Joh. 15. 1 6. In abiding in him is safety and security none can pluck them out of his hand or mouth that hear his voice and follow him as he is drawing them and working in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure But beware of him saith God and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him he will not forgive if we sin against him and serve other Gods and continue so to do but will spue such at last out of his mouth though he be long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and goodness He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith to the Churches For he can do the same to any particular person that hath an ear if he grow lukewarm and remiss which he can do and threatneth to do to such a Church Oh that every one of us may consider that our standing is by faith that so we may not be high minded but fear The Apostles had a good usefulness of considering the terrour of the Lord to quicken them to diligence in seeking and serving the Lord And the Apostle Paul including himself with the Holy Brethren saith if we sin wilfully after the knowledge of the truth received there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Oh consider this ye that forget God! Exod. 23. 20 24. Rev. 3. 16 22. Rom. 11. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 8 11. 1 Cor 9. 27. Heb. 10. 26 29. Ver. 17. Because thou sayst I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable or piteous and poor and blind and naked This Verse containeth in it either 1. An evidence and demonstration that they were Lukewarm and is a declaration of the cause and reason of their Lukewarmness their high thoughts and conceits of themselves made them so And so there was more hope of a fool of such as were Cold then of them Prov. 26. 12. When men are highly conceited of themselves and think that they are already rich this will make them grow indifferent and remiss and slothful and though they come daily and sit before God as his people and seem to take delight in approching to him and remain in the assemblies of his people yet it will make them do what they do out of Custom and for fashion-sake or in service to some Idol and it will cause them to be like a door that turneth upon his hinges it will keep them at a stand and though they go backward and forward like such a door yet they will at last be but where they were at first they will not grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it will hinder them from being hot from such a prizing of Christ as to hate all for his sake that they may win him and be found in him Prov. 26. 12 16. The full Soul loatheth the Honey-combe and that causeth a man also to wander from his place as a Bird from her nest Prov. 27. 7 8. Thus it was with Israel of old when they were low and mean and little in their own eyes and in the day of their espousals oh then what fervency and heat of Spirit and demeanour was found with them they followed the Lord out of the Land of Egypt and through the Wilderness through a Land of deserts and pits through a Land of drought and so the shadow of death through a Land that no man passed through and where no man dwelt but when they conceited themselves to be rich and said they were Lords free persons now no longer in bondage as when they were in Egypt they were now brought out of the house of Servants a type of the state of the world and were become owners grown rich and increased with goods now they were become possessors and had need of nothing then their former fervency was gone they would come no more to him but forsook him when he led them by the way and forgot him days without number and trimmed their way to seek love elsewhere and yet wiped their mouths and said they were innocent and therefore surely his anger should turn away from them and still flattered him with their lips and called him My father and the guide of my youth Jer. 2. 7 31 35. Oh! blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5. 6. But the full and rich he sendeth empty away Luke 1. 53. The Apostle Paul confesseth and acknowledgeth that he had not yet attained neither was already perfect and therefore forgetting the things behind and reaching forth to the things before he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus christ he run as for his life and did strive as for an incorruptible Crown he was fervent in Spirit and laboured and indeavored that whether present or absent he might be accepted of the Lord and he instructeth the believers who were perfect upright-hearted to be like-minded with him to reckon themselves to be imperfect as to attainment That so they also might run with patience the race set before them Phil. 3. 12 16. 1 Cor. 9. 24 26. Whereas on the other hand when men begin to take notice of themselves and to think more highly of themselves then is meet and of their knowledge and attainments this cutteth off the feet and maketh persons to be Lukewarm and when a price is put into their hand for getting wisdom they have no heart thereto this high thought of themselves maketh them sit loose from Christ and lightly to esteem the Rock of their Salvavation and though it blow up men like a Bladder yet it doth not build them up according to that we all know we have knowledge every one is too ready and forward to take notice of that knowledge even the knowing and taking notice of our knowledge puffeth up maketh men appear high and full but it is but with wind but it edifieth not as Charity doth which is not puffed up And when men are so puffed up by their fleshly mind it taketh them off
passeth all understanding and seeing what treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ oh what cause should we see to be abased and to bewail our dim-sightedness and shortness of understanding and comprehending these things and see cause to complain of and acknowledge our great incompleatness in our selves and in conformity unto him yea to cry out of our uncleanness unlovingness barrenness leanness and witheredness If the Apostle could confess of himself and his Brethren that they saw in part and knew in part and that their present knowledge was as far short of that attainable and hereafter to be enjoyed as a Child's knowledge of the understanding of a man what cause have we rather to humble our selves and hide us in the dust who are so far short of what they had attained to 1 Cor. 13 9 12. Surely his Grace is vouchsafed to us to lay us low and hide pride from us and break us off from our high thoughts of our selves and though the Spirit that dwelleth in us as of us lusteth to envy and leadeth us to lift up our selves yet he giveth more Grace Grace abounding and exceeding the corruption of our natural Spirit that our lofty looks may be humbled and our haughty hearts bowed down wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble Jam. 4. 5 6. Humble we our selves therefore under the mighty hand of God and suffer we those high thoughts of our selves to be purged out of us and mortified or otherwise we shall never be servent in Spirit in seeking the Lord and yielding up our selves unto him The Apostle saw it needful and profitable to give this admonition to every one of the believers that they should not think more highly of themselves or of their parts gifts and attainments then they ought to think but to think soberly and this he giveth unto them through the Grace given to him and to that end he giveth it That they might present their bodies as moved and strengthened by the Mercies of God a living Sacrifice to him c. And not be conformed to this world but be transformed according to the renewing of their mind c. Rom. 12. 1 3. Implying that if they had unsober thoughts of themselves and did think of themselves above what was meet this would hinder them from an hearty yielding up themselves to the Lord as those alive from the dead and their members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness they would otherwise be apt to think and say They had need of nothing and so expose themselves to wrath as here Because thou sayst I am rich rich in knowledge and utterance the unsober taking notice hereof is very hurtful and pernicious and puffeth up men bloweth them up like a Bladder 1 Cor. 8. 1. And maketh them grow careless and negligent when opportunities are afforded to them for buying that Gold tryed in the fire and to despise and set light by those helps afforded them of God And increased with goods they intimate that time was when they were poor and had nothing but now they are inlarged and grown rich and their substance is increased Time was when they were in bondage to the Law or rudiments of this world and were without Christ and God in the world but now they are the Temple of the Lord the Church of Christ they are not like others or like to what sometimes they themselves were they have now excellent ornaments they have a great gift of prayer and can inlarge themselves therein they can speak freely and fluently for the truth they can plead and contend earnestly for the faith of the common Salvation and have so much to say for it and such strong and weighty Arguments that they can silence opposers and so stop their mouths that they have nothing material to say they have much mortified their corruptions subdued their lusts cleansed their ways escaped the pollutions of the world and have put on bowels of mercy kindness meekness long-suffering temperance sobriety c. They were become like those that trusted in and whose heart was lifted up because of their beauty and who made to themselves Images of God's fair lewels of his Gold and Silver which he gave them Ezek. 16. 4. 19. 28. 17 And have need of rothing or of no Man need of no Instruments though they did not leave off the assemblings of themselves together but seemed to take delight in approching to God yet they knew all already that could be said to them they needed nothing to be perfected in them for they had nothing lacking nothing to be healed for there was nothing lame in them they needed no teaching they were such knowing persons and had such great understanding they had need of no edification they had attained already they needed no reproof they were clean in their own eyes and free from those evils that others might charge them with and fault them for they were even saying Blessed be the Lord for we are rich God we thank thee we are not like other men we have all we desire to have we have need of nothing this was not only their thought but their Language they so said concerning themselves But what account did the faithful and true witness who will not lye give of them For it is not be that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Did he confirm their saying and witness the same of them which they said of themselves No they were their own witnesses he giveth them to understand that they were greatly mistaken and deceived in that he saith and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked What a great mistake and error was here Do those that are so highly conceited of themselves think their case is so sad No these knew not their high and unsober thoughts of themselves blinded them and made them worse then fools Prov. 26. 12. And their blindness and ignorance was apparent and their shame and nakedness visible to such as had their eyes open they were blind and yet they thought and said they saw and truly ignorant persons usually are most highly conceited of themselves as the Apostle Paul signifieth when he saith I would not have you ignorant lest you be wise in your own conceits Rom. 11. 25. They thought themselves to be rich and full and see how empty and poor they were while they thought themselves to be something as men may do when they are nothing they deceived themselves Gal. 6. 3. And if any thinketh he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 3. The fool regeth and is confident thinketh himself to be in a good and happy condition that he hath need of nothing is so secure that he can never be moved but the wise man seareth he is not high-minded but feareth he is always jealous of himself and departeth from evil Prov. 14. 16. with Rom. 11.
living Waters but such as are insensible also such as are poor miserable wretched blind naked and know it not and this is generally true as with respect to Gods preventing men with his Grace that bringeth Salvation to all men when he first calleth to and counselleth men in and with his glorifying his Son unto them they are dead in trespasses and sins they are deaf and wretched and blind they know not the sadness of their condition hence he calleth to such Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see Isa 42. 18. They are at first dead to whom the Son of God sendeth forth his voice destitute of all Spiritual liâ—e and light they are ignorant and out of capacity by and wisdom or light of theirs to know what their condition is John 5. 25. And hence men generally have such a good esteem of themselves and of their condition and ways and think highly of themselves as the Jews who though they did search the Scriptures yet would not come to Christ that they might have life and therefore had not the love of God in them yet they thought themselves to be in a good Case and that Eternal life did appertain to them John 5. 39 40. And those that made mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousness For they were obstinate and their neck as an Iron Sinew and their brow Brass yet they called themselves of the holy City and stayed themselves upon the God of Israel Isa 48. 1 4. Yet to such as these he calleth and giveth good Counsel to simple ones who know nothing yea who love and that for a long time their simplicity and to fools who hate knowledge Prov. 1. 20 23. He counselleth foolish ones who know not him and therefore know not themselves for he is the light of the world yea indeed all the Sons of Man are foolish and ignorant until or further then they are inlightned by him Hence that cry and call Unto you O men I call and my voice is to the Sons of Man Oh ye simple understand wisdom and ye fools be ye of an understanding heart to signifie to us that the Children of men are simple and fools and yet are called upon and invited to come to Christ Prov. 8. 4 6. This may give us somewhat to answer those that abuse the Scriptures and pervert them to the hurt of themselves and others when the Holy-Ghost inviteth every thirster to come to the waters to buy and eat this is onely meant say they of such as are sensible of their sad condition and such as are gracious thirsters which hunger and thirst after righteousness when as indeed it appeareth most directly to be spoken to such as thirsted out of necessity only and who were seeking rest and satisfying in vain things that could not profit them and therefore were reproved for so doing and this I am sure is no gracious frame or qualification for it is added Why do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread and your labour or that which satisfieth not Isa 55. 1 2. So when our Saviour saith Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden this is spoken say they of such as laboured for Christ and were weary of and willing to part with their sins when as such are hereby invited who did seek rest where it was not to be had such as sought to know the father by the wisdom of this world and so failed of their expectation Hence our Saviour calleth them all of them to him who knoweth the father and none but he and him to whomsoever he will reveal him and in coming to him he would give them rest from their burdening and unprofitable labour Mat. 11. 25 29. And this is sutable to what we have noted in this place we see here such are called upon and incouraged to buy and purchase and good counsel is given to them whose case and condition was very bad and lamentable and yet they knew it not they were insensible 〈◊〉 of it and thought otherwise and better of themselves then was meet 4. In that he giveth such Councel to these that were ignorant of their state he signifieth to us that the way to make men sensible of their condition when their case is wretched and miserable and they know it not is to commend to them and lift up before them Christ and those treasures in him and to direct them thereunto and not at first to preach the Law or otherwise to use it then according to the glorious Gospel The Gospel of Christ is the Arm of the Lord in which his power is put forth and Spirit given to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death so Christ sath The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor and therewith to preach recovery of sight to the blind to preach their eyes open in preaching the Gospel Luke 4. 18. So our Savionr saith The Holy Ghost shall reprove and convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment in and with glorifying Christ this way he should shew unto them and open their eyes to behold the sinfulness of their sin in not believing on Christ and the vanity and unprofitableness of their Idols of their works of righteousness judgment c. John 16. 8 14. In like manner also the Apostle Paul was sent with this Gospel to open the eyes of Jews and Gentiles and so to shew them what a sad condition they were in how well thoughted soever they were of themselves Acts 26. 18 23. Prov. 8. 4 6. Hence also the Gospel is called The Word of Life Phil. 2. 16. The Words of Christ are Spirit and life to them that believe not John 6. 63. The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple that know nothing Psal 19. 7. 119. 130. The Gospel is light the Medium for discovering all things in their right and proper Colours and for giving sight to us also 2 Cor. 4. 4. Surely the lifting up Christ is the way to make men run unto him that were formerly insensible of their sad condition without him because they were ignorant of and unacquainted with his excellency Isa 5â— 5. Cant. 5. 8 16. with Chap. 6. 1. In lifting him up thereby the Spirit of God sheweth unto us and convinceth us of our deadness as the Apostle hereby judged and reasoned and herein shewed all were dead condemned to dye and helpless in their misery and insensible of their condition in that One dyed for all and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 14 5. Particularly from the Counsel it self we may note these instructions 1. That there is a rich treasury and full and compleat provision answering to the needs of those that are poor c. and know it not 2. That this provision may be had by such as are poor c. 3. That to the end they
own goodness but that they should make mention of his righteousness and shew forth his praises who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God Cant. 5. 9-16 6. 1. with Chap. 1. 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. And his desirableness and loveliness to the eye is signified in several descriptions and declarations given of him in which he is like to though infinitely exceeding Gold even pleasant to behold So he is said to be beautiful beauty and fairness are very delightful and desirable the eye is affected therewith and apt to lust thereafter hence it is said The Sons of God saw the Daughters of men that they were fair and they took them to Wife Gen. 6. 2. Upon this account because beauty is so pleasing to the eye even Holy men for saving themselves have polluted themselves As Abraham and Isaac because their Wives were fair and beautiful Gen. 12. 11-15 26. 27. Esther 1. 11. And the Holy-Ghost warneth us Not to lust after the beauty of the Whorish Woman to intimate to us that beauty is very taking with us Prov. 6. 25. 2 Sam. 11. 2. But oh how great is his beauty He is beautiful even to admiration Zech. 9. 17. Hence the Spouse saith Behold thou art fair my beloved yea pleasant Cant 1. 16. Hence also when the Spouse declareth his amiableness she saith first in general My beloved is white and Ruddy that is to say he is Immanuel God with us in our Nature and for us he was over all God blessed for ever and yet he took part with us of flesh and blood and bare our sins in that his own body which the father prepared for him and died our death and is acquitted from our sins and death for us and is in our Nature become fairer then the Children of Men. Cant. 5. 10. Psal 45. 2. Beautiful and comely with the beauty of holiness Again he is called the Light and compared to the Sun John 1. 9. Mal. 4. 2. Psal 84. 11. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Eccles 11. 7. Oh! he inlightneth the eye cheareth the Heart comforteth the Soul reviveth the drooping and broken Spirit and manifesteth all things to us in their right and proper Colours He is the light of the World the great manifestation of God and of all things to us John 8 12. This man is more precious and delightful to behold and look upon then fine refined Gold Isa 13. 12. And who so looketh into the perfect Law of liberty in which his beauty is evidently set forth before our eyes Whoso pryeth into this peepeth wistly and consideringly and stoopeth down here to behold it and continueth it will cause him to desire after and delight in Christ and or ever he is aware it will make his Soul and his soul will make him like the Chariots of Aminadab Jam. 1 25. It will make him sick of love unsatisfied restless and diseased till he more know him yea till he fully and compleatly injoy and he made partaker of him he being the Object in whom is the light and health of his countenance Cant. 2. 3 5. 5. 8. Psal 42. 5 11. 43. 5. Oh that we did more know the loveliness of this pleasant Object this would make us desire this one thing of the Lord and seek after it that we might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire into his holy Temple Psal 27. 4 5. Joh. 4. 10. In such like respects he is compared to Gold 2. We have in the next place to inquire and consider what is meant by this expression tried in the fire therein is signified 1. The wonderful afflictions and sorrows which Christ indured and underwent for us and for our sakes herein he was like gold thrown into the fire as that signifieth great and grievous pains and sufferings He was tormented as in the fire for our transgressions bruised for our iniquity the chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief even made up as it were of sorrows and therefore he is eminently and emphatically called the afflicted one Psal 22. 24. There was no sorrow like unto that sorrow done unto him wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger Herein he was like gold ried he was cast into the fire indeed and it 's but the shadow of it as it were wo pass through All Gods waves and billows went over him his wrath lay hard upon him and he afflicted him with all his waves Psal 88. 3 16. hence he cried out my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death before men laid hold on him Maâ—t 26. 37. 38. Mark 14. 33 34. Joh. 12. 27. The father left him to feel the weight of our sins and the fierceness of that fire we had kindled against our selves and this made him cry out and roar by reason of that horrour that overwhelmed him So hot and great was the fire of God's wrath into which he was throne that his heart was like wax before the fire it was melted in the midst of his bowels and his strength dried up like a potsherd and God brought him into the dust of death Psal 22. 1 2 -14 15. It plesed the Lord to bruise him he put him to grief he made his soul an offering for our sins he spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Isa 53. 10. Rom. 8. 32. And he indured great things from the hands of men he was a reproch of men and despised of the people reproch did break his heart and he was full of heaviness wherewith his soul was even melâ—ed Psal 69. 20. with Psal 119. 28. They did despitefully use him mock deride and scourge him and with wicked hands did crucify and slay him The heathen did rage and the people imagined a vain thing the King 's of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against him Many Bulls compassed him strong ones of Bashan beset him round they gaped upon him as a roaring and a ravening Lion Yea dogs compassed him the Assembly of the wicked inclosed him and his own people were the betrayers and murderers of him Psal 2. 1. 22. 6 7 12 13-16 Acts 7. 52. And now also was the power of darkness the Prince of this World came with the fiery darts and he who had the power of death did torment him Luk. 22. 53. Joh. 14. 30. with Ephes 6. 16. Christ was in an horrible pit in a pit of noise the noise whereof caused horrour and in the miry clay his soul was in hell and his body or flesh in the grave he tasted death by the grace of God for every man even that very death which every man should have
reputation and became obedient to death the death of the Cross not for himself but for us and for our sakes surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows the chastisement of our peace was upon him it was our good he designed and not his own and rather then we should suffer the curse we had deserved he indured the Cross and suffered the curse he bare our sins in his own body on the Tree How might this move and prevail with us to bear one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. Herein perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren even in the room and stead of them and for their good But who so hath the worlds good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth his bowels from him how dwelleth the love of God in him My Brethren let us not love in word neither in Tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3. 16 17 18. 4. In that he here commendeth himself to us under the name of Gold and proposeth such an end to us to move and perswade us to buy it that we may be rich herein is intimated and signified to us his willingness and cordial desire that we should listen to him receive and obey his gracious counsel imbrace and close with him and part with and suffer the loss of all things for the excellency of him therefore doth he so aptly and enamouringly present himself to us and make use of such ingaging alluring Arguments and Motives he knoweth we all naturally love riches our hearts are taken with Gold and our eyes set upon that as a most desirable and delightful and desirable thing and which is very pleasant to behold he knoweth we would fain be rich and our wisdom moveth and leadeth us to desire so to be and to labour to that end Prov. 23. 4 Now then he thus in the first place describeth himself and calleth himself and commendeth himself to us under the name of Gold tried in the fire and counselleth us to buy it that we may be truly and indeed inriched that we might be assured of his good will to us and earnest desire that we should listen to him and that he may out-bid all other persons and things that we might be taken with and enamoured on and give our hearts and affections unto him he thus representeth himself to us as such a delightful and desirable Object that we might receive his heavenly and advantagious counsel and open unto and give entertainment unto him so when the Spirit of errour and delusion useth many alluring Arguments to perswade men to listen unto and imbrace her that she may seduce and destroy them that she hath deckt her bed with coverings of Tapistry with carved works with fine linnen of Egypt that she hath perfumed her self with Myrrhe Aloes and Cynamon and thence inviteth Come let us take our fill of love until the morning let us solace our selves with loves To the end none might listen thereto and be inticed and deceived by her the Wisdom of God calleth also and glorifieth her self by her Spirit unto the Sons of men Doth not wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice she standeth in the top of high places that her voice may be heard far and near by the way in the places of the paths unto you O men I call and my voice is to the Sons of man hear for I will speak of excellent things such things as excel what the whorish woman proposeth and presenteth and the opening of my lips shall be right things receive my instruction and not Silver and Knowledge rather then choise Gold though those seducers and deceivers should set before you and promise to you Gold and Silver to corrupt you yet my instruction is better for Wisdom is better then Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it yea and also Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches My fruit is better then Gold yea then fine Gold and those that love me shall inherit substance c. Prov. 7. 10-27 8 1-21 So when sinners such as miss their way and mark are inticeing and saying Come with us let us lay Wait for Blood We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil cast in thy lot amongst us that we might not consent or imbrace their evil counsel though they set motives of profit before us Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets she cryeth in the chief places of concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City she uttereth her words in which she sheweth how precious and inriching she is and how happy they are that listen to her that whoso findeth her findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord and saith Turn at my reproofs Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you which are pure words as Gold tried in a Furnace of Earth purified seven times To the end we might hear and receive his counsel that we might be wise for our selves and inriched by him Prov. 1. 10-22 Psal 12. 6. His willingness that we should be made partakers of himself and his readiness to communicate and impart this Gold is signified to us in his thus commending it and using such Motives and Arguments as are most taking with and pleasing to and desirable of us all which might provoke and perswade us to buy this Gold But we shall adde no more to this first branch of the counsel In the the next place we come to the second branch viz. And White raiment that thou mayst be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear This is a further branch of the good and wholsom counsel given by the Amen the Faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God who is the Counsellor of Peace that giveth this good counsel In which consider we 1. The thing further counselled unto by this excellent one and that is White raiment 2. The end why this Angel and Church is counselled to buy this White raiment That thou mayst be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear 1. The thing which this Counsellor further counselleth this Angel and Church to buy and that is White raiment or Whâ—te Garments They were not only wretched miserable poor but naked also and there is that provided which answereth to that part of their need namely a cloathing for their nakedness a covering for their shame that it might not appear That we may have some understanding and usefulness of this branch of the counsel let us God assisting inquire into and consider 1. What is this White raiment here counselled unto 2. Why this Raiment is said to be White and what is imported therein 1. What is this White raiment here counselled unto In general we may
lifting up himself by his Spirit and rendring himself more precious then all the things of this world then all our injoyments relations attainments lives c. that so we might run with the feet of our Souls even with hot and fervent affections unto him from all other things Because of the Lord his God and for the holy one of Israel who hath glorified him Isa 55. 5. And that we might follow him whithersoever he goeth And laying aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us run with patience in induring afflictions and in a patient continuance in well-doing and patiently waiting for the Lord the race set before us looking off from all other things unto Jesus Heb. 12. 1 2 3. This is a needfull and usefull garment to be put on by us in and with Humility in putting on the new man and in being clad wherewith we shall be Instruments of good to others and provoke very many to seek and follow the Lord with us 2 Cor. 9. 2. and especially needfull for the Angels of the Churches that they may be ensamples to the flock and fervently seek their good Colos 4. 12 13. And abundant need and great cause have we now to buy this of Christ in these last and lukewarme times in which iniquity doth abound and the love of many wax Cold As was also soretold by our Saviour Math. 24. 12. And to that end that this Angel and Church might be zealous and repent change and forsake their evil and high thoughts of themselves therefore out of love and faithfulness the faithful and true witness did rebuke and chasten them Rev. 3. 19. Bowels of mercy kindness c. Are also to be put on by his Angels and Churches not only outward acts of mercy but bowels of mercy having an inward affection to men pitying and compassionating the ignorant and those that are out of the way and being kind also in heartily desiring the good of them that they may be saved Col. 3. 12. And these garments aptly follow and are joyned with zeal for when the love and loveliness of Christ is so known believed and considered by us as to inflame our hearts with love to him together herewith also his love is so infused and diffused into the heart by the holy Spirit as to fill us with love to all and so with bowels of mercy pity and compassion and with an hearty kindness to them and earnest desire and indeavour of their good This filleth with bowels towards all yearning toward them and breathing for their good that their eyes might be opened and that they might be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God the love of Christ known and believed frameth and constraineth hereto And so it frameth us to be like-minded unto Christ and God in him to be merciful as our father which is in Heaven is merciful Luk. 6. 36. And especially his grace teacheth and strengthneth the believers in putting on the new man to put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindness c. one to another exercised in a desire and indeavour of their good especially avoiding what is contrary to bowels of mercy and kindness as judging one another condemning one another and in doing what springeth therefrom as forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any have a complaint against any even as Christ freely forgave them that they should do likewise Col. 3. 12 13. with Luk. 6. 36 37. And as we have opportunity doing good to all men especially to those that are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. 1 Joh. 3. 16 17 18. Meekness is also to be put on by them as a garment Col. 3. 12. To this the believing women are instructed whose adorning saith the Apostle Peter Let it not be that outward But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which though it be despised and laught at by men yea by many that profess godliness yet is in the sight of God of great price for after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves c. 1 Pet. 3. 1-5 And this is joyned with and put as the consequent of lowliness Ephes 4. 2. And of humbleness of mind Col. 3. 12. And meekness and lowliness of heart were conjoyned in our Saviour Matt. 11. 29. And unless we so receive the grace of Christ as to be clothed with humbleness of mind we cannot adorne our selves with this garment of a meek and quiet spirit for pride and high thoughts of our selves will cause us to be soon angry and fill us with contention strife envying confusion and every evil work Prov. 13. 10. Isa 16. 6. And this is to be exercised in subjection unto those that God hath set over us 1 Pet. 3. 3-5 And in quiet bearing injuries afflictions reproches and persecutions for the Gospel's sake and not indeavouring to resist the evil or leave our place of subjection Psal 37 7-11 In seeking the restoring of those that are overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. In instructing those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. In giving a reason of the hope to him that asketh us 1 Pet. 3. 15. And in all our receiving the ingrafted word with the instructions thereof and the reproofes of its instruction which are the way of life Jam. 1. 21. And this is also a fruit of the spirit which he is effecting in those that believe in glorifying Christ and discovering his excellency and that excellent example he hath lest us that we should follow his steps It is the fruit of that wisdom that is from above even of Christ and is therefore called meekness of Wisdom Jam. 3. 13-17 Gal. 5. 22. And is with the former to be put on by us especially in those last days in which evil men and seducers are grown worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and especially the Angels are to be clothed herewith The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing them that oppose themselves c. 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. Charity also is to be put on Above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness Col. 3. 14. Above all things have fervent charity among your selves 1 Pet. 4. 8. Let all your things be done with charity 1 Cor. 16. 14. Charity is distinguished from brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1. 7. Brotherly kindness hath for its motive and object somewhat lovely and amiable in the party loved but Charity is a free manner of love fastening on and flowing forth toward the party loved not because of any worth or worthiness in him yea notwithstanding great unworthiness and manisold evils be found in him Thus it is in God God so infinitely loved pityed and compassionated the world that he
of the Law Heb. 7. 12. We have an High priest after a more excellent order then was Aaron's even after the order of Melchisedech and he is King of righteousness who hath brought in an everlasting righteousness and who is clothed therewith as with a robe Isa 61. 10. And hath it to confer upon and cloth with all that are born of him Heb. 7. 1 2. 1 John 2. 29. 3. 7. This was he whom Daniel in vision saw That certain or one man clohed in linen in White raiment whose Loyns were girded with fine Gold of Uphaz Dan. 10. 5. with Rev. 1. 13. And the same he speaketh off again Clothed in linen which was upon the Waters of the River c. Dan. 12. 6 7. with Rev. 10. 6 7. And he is girt about the Paps with a Golden girdle Righteousness is the Girdle of his Loyns and Faithfulness the Girdle of his Reins Rev. 1. 13. with Isa 11. 5. He is a more excellent High-priest then any of the former and answerably his raiment is more excellent then theirs Aaron had on when he ministred the Linen Coat Linen Breeches Linen Girdle and Linen Mitre outward Material white Raiment but he hath put on righteousness as his Garment Girdle Breast-Plate c. And all those that are born of and come unto him are made Priests be they Jew or Gentile wise or unwise male or female bond or free They are a Spiritual Priest-hood to minister unto him as all the males that were born of Aaron in former times were Priests so now Christ is actually in our nature glorified and become the father and begetter of Priests by a birth from above and no difference here between male and female for they are all one in Christ Gal. 3. 27. This priviledge of being Priests is not confined or limited to a mid-order of outward Officers between and distinct from Bishops or Elders and Deacons for there is no such order mentioned in the writings of the Apostles nor is it limited to any outward Church-chosen Officers whatsoever Nay men are so far from being the only Priests because chosen by the professed Church that they are not therefore Priests at all But all those that are born of Christ the Everlasting father and begetter of Priests whether in 〈◊〉 or out of outward Office in the Church are an Holy Nation and Gods Heritage or Clergy 1 Pet. 5. 3. Yea though those that were in former times born of Aaron and were of the Tribe of Levi were outward and bodily Priests to offer bodily Sacrifices in which they were Types of Christ and their Sacrifices of his Yet all Israel might then in obeying his voice have been Spiritual Priests according to that Exod. 19. 3-6 The Lord said to Moses Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel and not of Levi and Aaron only You have seen what I did to the Egyptians c. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar Treasure unto me above all people for all the Earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an Holy Nation These are the Words which thou shalt speak unto unto the Children of Israel And now all that come unto Christ the living Stone disallowed indeed of men yea of the builders also but chosen of God and precious they also as lively Stones are built up a Spiritual house an Holy Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. And there are none else that are Priests of Gods owning and approbation though there are many others that are called so but all these whether male or female in the flesh that so hear and learn of the father as to come unto Christ are joyned unto the Lord and so are Spiritual Levites and made one Spirit with him and partake of his Spiritual Blessings by faith and in a first-fruits of the Spirit according to their needs and capacities and they are Priests And that they may minister unto him and before men he washeth them in his own Blood Thus in our Types that the Priests might minister unto the Lord they were to be washed Exod. 29. 4. And when they came into the Tabernable or unto the Altar they were always to wash Exod 30. 17-22 And therefore the Laver was set between the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar that they might wash before they came to the Altar Exod. 40. 6 7. 29-32 So Christ who is the Laver and Fountain of living Waters through his Blood washeth those that come to and believe on him continually even the weakest as well as the strongest He forgiveth their iniquities even of the little Children also and they receive the remission of them through the opening of his name 1 Joh. 2. 12. Acts 10. 43. He sprinkleth their Hearts from an evil Conscience and their Consciences from dead works and their Bodies with pure Water He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Ephes 5. 25 26. Heb. 10. 22. And as in our Types of old the Priests had peculiar Vestments white Garments prepapared for them and put on to minister in Exod. 29. 5 6. 40. 13 14. So Christ clotheth his Priests also with more excellent Raiment He clotheth them with a robe of righteousness Isa 61. 10. Psal 132. 9. He is made of God to them righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. And with the fruits of his righteousness as before Ephes 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10-14 And he anointeth them not with Materal Oyntment as the Priests in former times were Exod. 29. 6. 30. 23-30 40. 9-13-15 But with the Spirit and with some useful gifts 2 Cor. 1. 21. And so they are prepared to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ as their High-Priest and Altar 1 Pet. 2. 5. Rev 1. 5 6. And the Sacrifices they offer are broken and contrite hearts broken off from all rejoycing in themselves or confidence in the flesh and filled with abhorrency of and sorrow for their sins Isa 66. 1-3 Psal 51. 17. And Prayers unto God in the name of Christ Psal 62. 8. 50. 14 15. 141. 2. And the Sacrifices of Praise continually that is the fruit of their lips confessing to his name and holding forth the Word of life Heb. 13. 15. Also to offer up their bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable as moved and strengthened by the mercies of God Rom. 12. 1. And to do good and communicate For with all such Sacrifices God is well pleased being offered by Christ as the Altar Heb. 13. 15 16. Or as this counsel is given directly and expresly to the Angel that he should buy White raiment so there may be reference had to the Raiment the Angels those glorious Spirits were wont to appear in as it is said of that Angel that rolled back the stone from the door of the Sepulchre wherein
were not ashamed Gen. 2. 25. But Adam in listening to the temptation and lye of the Serpent was by him deceived first in the female and then in the male and eating of the forbidden fruit and therein seeking out many inventions to better his condition and to be as Gods to attain to an higher state and to have a self-sufficiency in himself sinned against God And by this one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death pâ—ssed upon all men in whom all have sinned Rom 5 12. So he brought shame upon himself and all his posterity and now he was ashamed and afraid because naked Gen. 3. 10 11. There is now a nakedness upon mankind naturally they are without and destitute of that original clothing that was upon them that righteousness and uprightness All have sinned and come short of the glory of God in which and unto which they were Created Rom. 3. 23. They are destitute of the understanding of a man as at first Created by God Every man is bruitish by his Knowledge and void of sound Wisdom Job 11. 12. Prov. 8 4 5. 30. 2 3. There is none that understandeth Jer. 10. 14. They are destitute of the righteousness in which they were Created of that love to God and one another They have lost the Image of God in which they were Created Rom 3. 9 10 11 12. Yea and they have sinned and are sinners and as they come into the World they are polluted and defiled They are conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity Psal 51. 5. Who can being a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14 4. 15. 14 25. 4. And so they are naturally inclined to all that is evil Every imagination of the thought of mans heart being only evil and that continually Out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries blasphemies an evil eye covetousness pride foolishness and these things desile the man Yea he is very abominable drinking in iniquity like water even as a thirsty man drinketh in water to cool his thirst and refresh him so man drinketh in iniquity or as a Fish continually drinketh in water Job 15. 16. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. Mat. 15. 19 20. Mark 7. 20-23 And when they come to act they do abominable works such as are shameful and of which they are ashamed when the eyes of their understandings are opened and they see things in their right and proper colours Psal 14. 1 2. Rom. 6. 21. Aswell as also there is the guilt of sin upon them and they are by nature obnoxious to the wrath of God and lyable to his judgment Rom. 3. 19. Ephes 2. 3 And the fruits of sin in weakness shame death c. A shameful nakedness is upon them in Soul and body from the Crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing upon them but filthiness and uncleanness sinfulness and misery And this might hide pride from us and take us off from boasting in our birth and parentage or in any work of ours or in any thing natural to us and help us to cease from man for whereof is he to be accounted for we are all as an unclean thing sinful shameful Creatures And it may also cause us to admire at the riches of Gods Grace towards us who prepared for us such excellent raiment for the covering us when we were in our blood and so polluted a 〈…〉 defiled at so dear a rate and cost as by the abasement of his onely begotten Son who therefore was cut off that he might obtain justification and forgiveness and bring in everlasting righteousness Yea and they remain and continue naked and destiture of all that is good and lye open to the storms of God's anger and their nakedness is more shameful who after means is vouchsased and light extended love darknessrather then light and believe not on the name of the only begotten Son of God on such the wrath of God abideth be they never to wise rich and honourable in this world and they shall 〈◊〉 see life Joh. 3. 18 36. The Lord after he had affo 〈…〉 means to lead men to repentance looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are together become filthy stinking and shameful there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14. 2 3. Rom. 3. 1 2 9-11 Their iniquity is greater then formerly it was and their shame more shameful in that there is lewdness found with such in their filthiness and they refuse to be washed and cleansed when God is purging them and causing the scum to swim aloft Ezek. 24. 13. Rom. 2. 4 5. Hos 11. 3-5 And this exposeth men to the wrath of God upon a new account though yet while it is called to day Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation and covering for such like shameful evils even for the sins of the whole world so taking away the sin of the world that judgment may not be speedily executed but that he may procure and exercise further patience and extend further means to open their eyes and to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God 1 Joh. 2. 2. Joh. â— 29. Act. 26. 18. Yea those Angels and Churches who after the tastes of the graciousness 〈◊〉 the Lord depart from him have a shameful nakedness upon them for in departing from him they depart from their raiment which will only cover the shame of their nakedness and cloth them as afterwards Hence the Apostle severely reproveth the Galatians and sheweth the greatness of their iniquity in that after they had known God or rather were known of God and were by him called into the grace of Christ for all forgiveness and righteousness That yet they should listen to those witches that came amongst them and by them be perverted to seek to be justified by the law and to perfect by the flesh what was begun in the spirit Gal. 1. 6-8 3. 1-4 4. 8. 5. 1-8 Thus also his Church in former times did shamefully herein and laid themselves naked and open to God's displeasure on this account Hence the Lord by way of complaint thus expostulateth with them O Generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel A land of darkness Wherefore say my people we are Lords we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing We will come no more unto thee Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire Yet my people have forgotten me who was their clothing and ornament days without number Jer. 2. 31 32. with Isa 6â— 10. Hos 2. 2-7 Jer. 3. 20-25 Thus it was with this Angel and Church of Laodicea who treacherously departed from the Lord as a Wife from her Husband and entertained other lovers besides him and though he had stood
they confess not their proper iniquity for which God is rebuking them or they extenuate and excuse it Job 20. 12 13. Sometimes they seek to cover one sin with another and add sin to sin that they may cover their shame As sometimes men seek to cover their adultery or uncleanness with murder or with some other sin 2 Sam. 11. 4-8-13-15 12. 12. Or to hide their theft by lying or by swearing and forswearing thinking this way to clear themselves Lev. 6. 2 3. 19. 11 12. Prov. 30. 9. Yea this way of lying is a general covering men have wherewith they think to cover their other evils not from men onely but from God also to which Satan is tempting men powerfully and in and walking in which they are very like to Satan for he useth lying in all his sinning at first and always from the beginning When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it Jer. 2. 23 35. Joh. 8. 44. And great need have we every one of us to pray with David remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously Psal 119. 29. Sometimes men think to cover their evils by committing them in secret and in the dark The murderer in the night is as a Thief The eye also of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight saying none eye shall see me and disguiseth his face In the dark they dig through houses they know not the light for the morning is to them even as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death Job 24. 14-17 22. 12-17 Isa 29. 15 16. So those that persecute and murder the innocent many times do it in the dark or in secret pretending that they are enemies to them not because they worship God but because they are deceivers and malefactours Ezek. 9. 9. Joh. 18. 30. 19. 12. So those that walk in abominable idolatry act it in the dark many times Ezek. 8. 7-12 And generally those gross lusts and evils are therefore called works of darkness because men commit and serve them in the dark Rom. 13. 12 13. 1 Thes 5. 7. And hereby the workers of iniquity think to hide themselves though they are greatly mistaken and deceived For there is no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34. 21 22. Sometimes men think to cover their other evils with hypocrisie feigning and pretending themselves to be worshippers of God and religious persons that they may continue in their sins unsuspected Mal. 2. 13. Matt. 23. 14 15. So those that came to intangle our Saviour in his talk that they might deliver him to the power and authority of the governour feigned themselves just men Luk. 20. 20-23 And of Israel generally it is said every one is an hypocrite and an evil deer they thought to cover their evil doings with their hypocrifie Isa 9. 17. Sometimes and too frequently men think to hide their sin and shame by charging God foolishly therewith Thus Adam sought to hide his iniquity by laying it secretly upon God himself as if he were the cause of it Gen. 3. 12. And men bely the holy one and think this way to cover their transgressions either 1. By saying he is the author of their sin and moveth them to what is evil as too too many do who say all is of God and therefore there is no sin or that God perswadeth and inclineth them to evil Nay the holy Ghost seeth it needful to give this warning to the believers themselves Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man Jam. 1. 13. Oh what wickedness is in our hearts Rather then we will take shame to our selves and acknowledge our evils we are naturally ready to condemn him who is most just and to impute evil to him who is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness yea who is of purer eyes then to behold evil Psal 5. 5 6. Hab. 1. 13. Rather then cry guilty we would make him who is holy and none is holy as he like the Devil himself who is called and is the tempter and wicked one emphatically Or 2. Men would excuse themselves and lay the fault upon God by saying God doth not seasonably give them grace and if God would have given them grace they would have done better like that wicked and slothful servant who said he was an austere master reaping where he had not sown and gathering where he had not strown Matt. 25. 24-26 So men would wipe their own mouthes and secretly signify they could not abstain from such or such evils they had no power in themselves and God withheld from them his grace Whereas indeed the grace of God in due time bringeth salvation to all men in the receiving whereof they might be kept from their iniquities See what the holy Ghost saith to such an intimately evil charge Mica 2. 7. O thou who art named the house of Jacob is the spirit of the Lord straitned Are these thy evils and iniquities his doings as intimating they are none of his doings because his spirit is not straitned but he is graciously and seasonably calling unto them O do not this abominable thing which I hate And while he calleth he stretcheth forth his hand that men might lay hold on his strength and be preserved from that which causeth shame The spirit indeed which dwelleth in us lusteth to envy and to all that is evil but he giveth more grace grace abounding our natural corruption while he calleth to us wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud that receive not or receive not to purpose his grace but giveth grace continually and more abundantly to the humble that turn at his reproofs and in the light and strength of his grace Jam. 4. 5 6. Many such like coverings our wisdom leadeth us to make use of to hide the shame of our nakedness withall in which we do but add sin to sin and think to hide our shame with what is shameful but alass none of these will avail us for Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts and ways of the children of men Job 26. 6. Prov. 15. 11. Job 34. 21. 28. 11. Dan. 2. 22. Jer. 16. 17. And he will hereafter bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. Job 20. 12 13. Yea now while it is called to day and for our good while we make it our work thus to cover our shame and sin he will make it his work to discover and reveal it Psal 32. 2-5 2 Sam. 12. 12. Nor can any cover the shame of their nakedness or wash away their filth by any washings sanctifyings and purifyings of their own But
be waited for till the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven but even now those that with the heart believe in him They are made by faith the righteousness of God in Christ Christ is made of God to them righteousness their sins are forgiven them for his name sake he loveth them and washeth them therefrom in his own Blood and they are made accepted in the beloved And he in the body of his flesh through death doth and will present them holy unblameable and unrebukeable in his sight they continuing in the faith grounded and setled and not being moved from the hope of the Gospel Col. 1. 22 23. Oh infinite Grace of God in Christ to sinners Oh blessed and everlasting righteousness How might this move his Angels and Churches to buy this White raiment this blessed covering here commended to us and set before us Isa 61. 10. And the fruits of this righteousness believed do cover the shame of our nakedness from men Hence that Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Rev. 16. 15. 2. This White raiment is that also wherewith we may be clothed that is to say covered from the Rain and Storm of Gods wrath and from the evil of all adversities and afflictions This is one use of raiment as to cover our nakedness so also to be a covering from the Storms and Cold that otherwise would annoy and hurt us so it is here Jesus Christ who of God is made to the believers righteousness and who is become White raiment doth hide and secure them from the evil of all judgments wrath and afflictions c. So when the Psalmist had been saying Thou hast covered all the sins of thy people he addeth Thou hast taken away all thy wrath Psal 85. 2 3. Riches profit not in a day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness Prov. 10. 2. 11. 4-6-8 The Branch of the Lord and the fruit of the Earth is a place of refuge and a Covert from Storm and from Rain Isa 4. 2-5 This man is an hiding place from the wind and a Covert from the Storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a Storm against the Wall and shall appear gloriously so to be when he shall reign in righteousness Isa 25. 1-4 32. 1 2. Being justified by Faith we have by faith Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ even deliverance from his wrath and from the fears and terrours thereof Rom. 5. 2. 15. 13. Oh blessed priviledge the wrath of God abideth not on him who with the heart believeth unto righteousness so as to harm or hurt him but this White raiment covereth and clotheth him so that when Gods judgments are poured forth and they occasion trembling to the outward man Yet he can by Faith and in Spirit rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation Habak 3. 16-18 And whatever fatherly chastisements God be ordering to such an one yet it is in love and faithfulness and to a gracious end even for his profit that he may be made more a partaker of his holiness Heb. 12. 6-11 And such also shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from the fear of all evil Prov. 1. 33. Psal 91. So as when in the World they have tribulation yet in Christ who hath overcome the World they shall have peace Joh. 16. 33. Philip. 4. 7. On this account Salvation and Righteousness may be so often put together as Psal 98. 2. Isa 45. 8. 46. 13. 51. 5-8 56. 1. 62. 1 c. Yea and Salvation and righteousness are put one for another as whereas in 2 Chron. 6. 41. It is thus voted and desired Let thy Priests be clothed with Salvation it is thus rendred Psal 132. 8 9. Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousness And again in answer to that Prayer and desire it is said I will cloth her Priests with Salvation Ver. 16. I say on this account Righteousness and Salvation may be so oft put together and one put for another to signifie that this Raiment will save and secure us as from our sins so from all storms tempests rain judgments afflictions c. I mean from the evil of them now and hereafter fully and gloriously from them all Upon the wicked God shall rain snares fire and brimstane and an horrible tempest this the portion of their Cup but it shall not be the portion of them that are clothed with this Raiment of righteousness For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11. 6 7. This is armour on the right hand and on the left to defend them from evil that put it on 2 Cor. 6. 7. And such are instructed and strengthened not to fear the reproch of men nor be afraid of their revilings because they shall perish But this righteousness shall be for ever and this Salvation from generation to generation And the work of this righteousess â—â—all be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isa â—1 6 7 8. 32 17. Yea and this White raiment is not only proper and effectual to save and secure from Storms and Cold but also to warm and make not lukewarm ones to make them fervent in Spirit in seeking and serving the Lord and to cause them forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth to the things that are before to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Philip. 3. 6-9 14 15. 3. With this White raiment also his Angels and Churches may be clothed that is to say Adorned So Garments are used amongst men for Ornament and it is fully true of this White raiment it is an excellent Ornament and it doth greatly adorn and beautify those that put it on those Garments are wonderfully beautiful in themselves and give an Ornament of Grace to the head of those that buy them Prov. 1. 9. 4. 9. Isa 52. 1. This is that which doth beautify them in the eyes of God so as they are accepted of him and delighted in by him So the Church acknowledgeth That the Lord God had covered her with righteousness as a Bridegroom deâ—â—â—eth himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels Isa 61. 10. As intimating this is an excellent Ornament and Jewel So the Prophet saith The Lord himself shall be to them that come to Christ as the rest and foundation a Diadem of beauty and as a comely Ornament and adorning attire Isa 28. 5-12-16 Jer. 2. 31 32. This is that which maketh his Church all glorious within Psal 45. 13. This inward adorning is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 3. Yea this is a Kingly and Priestly Ornament and therefore it is called a Robe 't
might not overtake their lovers but might be awakened to consider their ways and turn from their evils unto him their former Husband that he may forgive them which he will not do while they abide and go on in crooked paths in which whoso walketh shall know no peace Hos 2. 5-7 Jer. 36. 3. Isa 59. 8. Nay though such have spoken and done evil things as they could and have been insatiable committing adultery with many lovers and have long continued therein even forgotten their glory and ornament days without number yet still while called to day there is forgiveness and healing with him for such and on their returning to him in the encouragement of his grace he will take away all iniquity and receive them graciously Jer. 3. 1-5-15 with chap. 2. 32. Because he is an infinite fountain of living waters and ready to pardon Jer. 2. 13. Neh. 9. 17. Nay though for their Adulteries and neighings he hath put them away yet still there is mercy with him for such as these and Christ Jesus hath power to redeem and deliver them from their sins and from the wrath thereby procured Isa 50. 1 2-4 Oh! What incouragement is this for us all not to continue in sin because grace hath abounded Psal 130. 4. But to return to him against whom we have sinned and from whom we have revolted that he may wash us heal our backslidings inrich cover cloth and adorn us with himself and that inriching treasure and comely garment which is with him for us 3. This excellent provision in Christ may be had by men because he is discovering it to all in due time and inviting and strengthening them to come and partake of it Christ is a Testimony and doth testifie to all in due season what he hath done for them and is become and hath obtained into himself according to the means vouchsafed he glorifieth himself by his Spirit to them that they might seek the Lord the Lord himself to be their Gold and Raiment their riches and righteousness he maketh proclamation that there is with him by means of his death waters wine and milk bread good farness all that men need and which may render them truly happy and is calling them that they might run unto him because of the Lord his God and for the holy one of Israel who hath glorified him Isa 55. 1-5 6 7. He the mighty God the Lord is calling from the rising of the Sun to the going down there â—f even the simple ones that love their simplicity and scorners that delight in scorning and fools that hate Knowledge and all thaâ— labour and are heavy laden that tire themselves with their Idols and seek rest where it is not to be found to turn at his reproofs and come unto him Psal 50. 1. Prov. 1. 20-23 24. 8. 1-11 Mat. 11. 27 28. And greater means and advantage for hearing and knowing his voice he affordeth us that have the Scriptures in the Records of them vouchsafed to and continued amongst us and more plainly he calleth and inviteth us and more powerfully stretcheth forth his hand to us and useth most forcible Motives and Arguments to us that he might perswade and prevail with us to come to himself this full and blessed Treasury Rom. 3. 1 2. Psal 19. 7. 147. 19 20. He that gave instruction to men that when they make a feast they should call and invite the poor the maimed the lame the blind hath himself gone before them herein and set them an example that they should follow his steps As he hath prepared a rich provision and satisfying feast for all people So in due time he calleth them also and inviteth them to it even such as are poor and maimed and halt and blind Luke 14. 12-21 Yea and he calleth to his Angels and Churches to remember from whence they are fallen and to do their first works again to return to him from whom they have wandered and departed with intimations that in so doing he will still continue them as his Churches and will blot out their transgressions and forgive them and cover their shameful nakedness Rev. 2. 5-16 3. 3. He proclaimeth his goodness and readiness to pardon to such as have backslidden from him as a backsliding Heifer and inviteth them therefore to return to him Jer. 3. 12 13 14-22 4. 1. As he preventeth men at first with the discovery of his goodness and manifesteth himself to them that asked not after him Isa 65. 1. So also when men after they have been brought nigh unto him and inriched by him have played the prodigal and run away from and forsaken him yet he still remembreth for them his mercy and remembreth the kindness of their youth and love of their espousals and seeketh out his flock when they are scattered and have scattered their ways to strangers He is such a gracious Shepherd that he seeketh that which was lost c. Jer. 2. 2-4 Ezek. 34. 12-16 He is graciously calling unto and inviting and alluring such to return unto him in returning unto whom he will give himself unto them and with himself all things He who is the God of mercy doth prevent them and remember them still when they have forgotten him and proclaimeth his goodness to them and therewith inviteth them to return He is the Lord he changeth not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed but though they have gone away from his Ordinances and have not kept them yet he saith Return unto me and I will return unto you c Jer. 31. 18-20 Ezek. 18. 30-32 Mal. 3. 6. 7. And this sheweth unto us the infinite graciousness of Christ Jesus and of the father in him and his loathness that men should still continue in their wandrings from him Luk. 15. 1-11 And it is therefore powerful to purge out of us those evil and unbelieving thoughts that are in us We are apt and ready to say When we have sinned there is no hope he will be no more gracious to us Jer. 2. 25. The consideration hereof that he calleth us might purge them out and help us to be of good courage and come unto him seeing he inviteth us to partake of his fullness Even as when they said to the blind man be of good comfort rise he the Saviour calleth thee he presently casting away his garments rose and came to Jesus So also it might prevail with us that seeing this gracious one calleth us and standeth at the door and knocketh to open and come unto him and part withall for the excellency of him That we may win him and be made partakers of him Mark 10. 49 50. Jer. 3. 22 23 24. 1 Sam. 12. 20. 4. This provision in Christ may be had and enjoyed by us because we may have it freely without any real worth or worthiness and otherwise we could not have it Alass these to whom this most gracious counsellor here speaketh were wretched and miserable and poor and naked they
possessed of That which is said of Wisdom may be said of this also it is more precious then Rubies and all the things we can desire are not to be compared herewith Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living It cannot be gotten for Gold neither shall Silver be weighed for the price thereof it cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphire c. Prov. 3. 13-15 8. 10 11. 16. 16. Joh. 3. 31. Jam. 3. 17. It is even the Lord himself and what is treasured up in him and all nations are before him as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity To whom then shall we liken him or what likeness shall we compare unto him Isa 40. 15-18-25 46. 5 6. The world and all the things thereof and all we injoy and are possessed of are not to be compared to this unsearchably rich treasure which we are here counselled to buy Cant 8. 7. 2. And it also appeareth that by buying is not meant parting with any thing as a valuable consideration if we consider what manner of persons they are that are counselled to buy to wit such as had no worth or worthiness in them such as were indigent worthless creatures such as were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and therefore such as could give nothing in exchange for this excellent commodity that might in the least be valuable therewith or comparable thereto And elsewhere such are invited to buy that have no money nor price Isa 55. 1 2. Luke 14. 21. 3. And it further appeareth that this is not meant by buying because it is highly provoking to God to think that we can purchase the gift of God with any thing we have as a valuable consideration This was the great and hainous iniquity of Simon Magus to think that the gift of God might be purchased with money And therefore Peter said unto him Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Act. 8. 18-23 2. But this is called and compared to buying 1. Because we must part with somewhat that we may be made partakers of Christ As in in buying any commodity a man must part with one thing for another so here We must part with what we have even all that we have of our own We must be like the wise Merchant who when he had found one Pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it Matt. 13. 44-46 So must we do we must part with and forsake all we have that we may have this Gold and white raiment As to say We must at first and always let go our Pride and high thoughts and conceits of our selves and of our being in a good condition already and without Christ This was the great and fundamental evil found with these as is before noted they said they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing and hereby they grew remiss and lukewarm and therefore unless this evil and high conceit of themselves were abstained from and parted with by them how could they with fervency seek the Lord Hence this faithful and gracious counsellour instructeth and admonisheth them Vers 19. Be zealous and repent and the latter is needful to the former And so it is as if he should say that you may with earnestness and intention of spirit seek to know and be made partakers of Christ and those durable riches in him needful it is that you repent change your minds let go your proud and lofty thoughts and conceits of your selves and of the goodness of your present condition that you may seek the Lord the Lord himself and that substantial preparation in him Forsake your unrighteous thoughts without which you cannot return to the Lord with whom is plenteous redemption Isa 55. 1-6 7. Wash your hearts from wickedness how long shall vain thoughts lodge within you Jer. 4. 14. This haughty concert of the goodness of their present condition was that which hindered the leaders of the people in â—orâ—eâ— times from coming to Christ as the rest and refreshing and directing others thereto because they thou â—â—t the evil should not overtake nor prevent them They had made a covenant with Death and with Hell were they at agreement they were not afraid of death or hell they were in an happy estâ—te already Isa 28. 12-15 and this hindred the Jews from entertaining Christ and his Gospel they thought they were whole already and that eternal life appertained to them they had it in the Scriptures assured to them and they knew all already and took it hainously that they should be reproved or faulted for any thing or that the goodness of their condition should be suspected hence they came not to Christ that they might have light life and righteousness Matt. 9. 10-12 Joh. 5. 39 40. 9. 40 41. Luke 11. 45. God doth in due time give grace to us that we might have our high thoughts of our selves subdued and that we might hate them Oh! that it may be received by us to such end and purpose Jam. 4. 5 6 7. 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. So also we must let go and forsake our double mindedness and halting between two opinions This Angel and Church were somewhat polluted herewith they were lukewarm and neither cold nor hot they were not so cold as to leave off all professed waiting upon Christ and use and observance of his ordinances nor so hot as to be chastly and singly for him to be for him and for him only which is a very sad and nauseous distemper and very loathsome and provoking to Christ Jesus and therefore needful it is that we cleanse our selves in the light and strength of God's grace here-from And indeed this is the consequent of pride and high conceits of our selves and of the goodness of our conditions and of our attainments and injoyments as hath been foreshewn and as also appeareth in Jam. 4. 5 6-8 The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men cometh first to save us from our pride and high thoughts of our selves and then and therewith instruction is given to cleanse the heart from couâ—le-mindeâ—ness This double-mindedness as it is very 〈◊〉 and dangerous so also it is very frequent and ordinary amongst many professours who have a great form of godlineâ—s upon them They have some appearance of love for the grace of God in Christ to man-ward and they will come to hear the Gospel in and amongst the Societies of God's people and seem to take delight therein And yet also they have love to and an heart for those differing and contrary doctrines which deny the grace of God to mankind or confess it not speak it not out openly and all are honest and godly men with them both those that declare and contend for the faith of the common salvation
one and as thus furnished is giving himself to us in his Gospel and with himself all things that we might for the excellency of the knowledg of him suffer the loss of all things and count them but dung and dogs-meat that we might win him and be sound in him Now then doth not this render a man unworthy of him that shall preferr his own wisdom which is brutish his righteousness which is filthy his works which are empty and unprofitable his glory which is vain his Mammon which is false and uncertain and his pleasures which are 〈◊〉 and but for a little time to be injoyed before him who is altogether lovely only satisfying and inriching and who rendereth and maketh them eternally happy and blessed that receive and retain him Do not such men by observing lying vanities sorsake and deprive themselves of their own mercy Jona 2. 8. Are they not unworthy of him and worthy of the severest punishment that trample under foot the Son of God and count the blood of the covenant a common and profane thing Heb. 10. 29. Is not their sin herein like unto and yet much greater then was the sin of Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthwright Heb. 12. 16 17. Is not this justly the condemnation the cause of mens condemnation that Christ the true light hath come and men loved darkness rather then light to wit preferred their sins and idols before Christ in whom God hath taken up all his well pleasedness and whom he hath to loved that he hath given all things into his hand Ioh. 3. 19 35 36. Is not men's iniquity herein like that of the Iows who would not have this man to reign over them but rejected Christ and preserred a murderer before the Prince of life Acts 3. 14 15. And are not they unmeet for and unworthy of him who when called to the waters wine milk bread that which is good fatness to a feast of fat things refuse this because it must be bought though without money and price and yet willingly spend and weigh money for that which is not bread and labour for that which satisfieth not Isa 55. 1 2 3. Surely this is great unworthiness and unthankfulness a most foolish and unkind requital of his goodness who in his love and pity hath redeemed us and is now calling us to the injoyment of himself by his grace and it must needs provoke the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to anger that men so lightly esteem the Son of his love as to prefer lies before him who is the truth and empty appearances before the substance Yea they shall all be damned persisting herein who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2. 10-12 How shall they escape who neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. Them that honour him who give unto him the precedency and preeminence in all things to whom the Father hath given it he will honour But those that despise him who preser Wives or Children or their own wisdom or righteousness or lives before him shall be lightly esteemed Mark 10. 29 30. 1 Sam. 2. 30. O Lord the hope of Israel saith the Prophet all that for sake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the Earth not in Heaven because they have for saken the Lord the fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 10-13 17. 13. 18. 14 15. Oh! That this may be so considered by us that we may not render our selves so foolish and demean our selves so unworthily as to love other things rather then him which is hatred of him Joh. 3. 19 20. But that we may so consider his infinite and incomparable worthiness that we may hate all for his sake that we may gain him and be made partakers of him and may abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 3. Yea it is needful this Gold and White raiment be bought in the present time and opportunity therefore this gracious and faithful counsellour instructeth us to do it in the present time I Counsel thee to buy c. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Now is the Mart as it were in which these inriching commodities are set to sale and may be had and bought by us And if the present opportunity be neglected and let slip by us we may deprive our selves hereof and be guilty of the greatest folly and madness imaginable They were truly called foolish Virgins and were so with a witness who slumbred and slept when there was an opportune season for buying and afterwards while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and those that had formerly bought and were ready went in with him and the door was shut and these foolish ones were excluded Matt. 25. 6-12 What cause have we therefore to watch and redeem the time for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh Matt. 25. 13. Certainly our life-time is the only time allotted us for buying In the grave whither we are going there is no work nor device nor wisdom nor knowledg Eccles 9. 10. The night is then come when no man can work and our times are in the hand of the Lord and not in our own There is no man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit and there is no discharge in that war but when he pleaseth he can take away our breath and then we return to our dust and in that day all our thoughts perish Oh! that we may therefore seek the Lord and this gold and white raiment while he and it may be found and whatever our hand findeth to do let us do it with our might Isa 55. 6. Eccles 9. 10. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Strive now to enter in at the straight gate for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Go to then ye that say to morrow we will buy we will seek after those heavenly treasures when we have more convenient season Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life It is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away but now hear counsel this gracious and needful counsel and be wise and refuse it not And do like that wise man spoken of Matt. 13. 44. The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that be hath and presently buyeth that field So let us do Walk we circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the opportunity because the days are evil Ephes 5. 15 16. Let us in the present season and perpetually while we are here in this world buy the truth even Christ and those unsearchable riches
Col. 3. 1. Nor that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And the reason of that blindness the Apostle speaketh of and of this our Saviour chargeth this Angel and Church with and reproveth them for may be one to wit the forgetting that they were purged from their old sins letting slip what they heard from the beginning to wit that Christ died for the sins of Jews and Gentiles and so of all men according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Whereby Christ purged our old sins our first sin and sinfulness and through the knowledge whereof he washed our hearts from an evil conscience and spake peace to us and made us free Had they kept this in an hearty believing remembrance they had been saved and preserved from this blindness and they should have continued in the Son and in the Father But receiving and entertaining a forgetfulness of this purgation and of the means whereby it was effected this contracted blindness to them 2 Pet. 1. 3 4-8 9. 1 Cor. 1â— 1-4 1 Joh. 2. 24-27 2 Joh. 6. And this blindness of theirs appeared and was evident in two things and wherever these things are found doubtless they are in some measure blind and so in the condition of this Angel and Church That is to say 1. They were grown lukewarm as hath been said and did not so perceive the preciousness of Christ as to be zealous and servent in seeking after him that they might win him and be found in him In letting slip the word of the beginning of Christ the vision of all the God of this world had blinded their minds that they did not so discern the beauty and comeliness of Christ as to cry after the knowledge and injoyment of him and those spiritual and eternal blessing in him but they were grown remiss and indifferent Those that in seeing see and keep in their view the excellency of Christ are far from this distemper To them that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 6. As new born babes desire the breast so they earnestly desire after more acquaintance with injoyment of and conformity unto him 1 Pet 2. 2-4 And they are even sick of love and restless in their spirits after him As the hart panteth after the water brooks so their souls pant after him they are even consumed with desire and nothing will satisfy them but him Whom have they in Heaven but he and there is none on earth they desire besides him Psal 42. 1 2. 84. 1 2. 63. 1 2. 73. 25. Cant. 2. 3-5 Their soul followeth hard after him and their zeal even consumeth them and leadeth them to long and inwardly breath after and earnestly lust for him who is the chiefest among Ten thousands Psal 63. 3-8 With their soul they desire him in the night yea with their spirits within them they seek him early Isa 26. 7-9 But contrarily it is a certain evidence of blindness when persons are grown so heartless and indifferent that they content themselves without him and deny or delay to give entertainment to him when he standeth at the door and knocketh for admission as it was with these Rev. 3. 20. When men by observing lying vanities forsake him and will none of him when they prefer their works riches righteousness lusts and vanities before him and those excellent treasures in him which only will truly inrich clothe satisfy and adorn them it appeareth evidently to him who knoweth all things and to those who have their understandings opened that ignorance and darkness hath blinded their eyes Isa 52. 13 14 15. So much the Apostle saith concerning the Galatians O foolish Galations saith he who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth c. Gal. 3. 1. It was evident that they were become foolish and blind and that some person or persons had cast a mist before their eyes in that they were removed from Christ and that grace in him and did seek righteousness and sanctification elsewhere and indeavoured to perfect by the flesh that which was begun by the spirit When Christ was first displayed before them he was then so excellent in their eyes that they turned unto him from their sins and idols they did run well for they did run unto him for all wisdom righteousness and strength because of the Lord his God and for the Holy one of Israel who had glorified him Oh then what blessedness did they meet with and speak of in Christ But afterwards letting slip the preaching of the Cross they turned again to weak and beggerly elements And on this account the Apostle calleth them foolish ones blind ones and bewitched persons it appeared evidently their eyes were blinded or otherwise they would have kept their first esteem and high prizing of Christ Gal. 3. 1-5 4. 8 9 13-15 5. 7. with Isa 55. 1-5 So also it was too much with this Angel and Church they were blind and it appeared that they were so in that they shut out Christ when he knocked for entrance and undervalued him And we may safely conclude as with respect to our selves and others that blindness hath happened to us in a great measure when our love to and zeal for Christ is gone and we are grown luke-warm 2. It appeared also and was evident that they were blind because together with their low esteem of Christ they had high thoughts and conceits of themselves and of the goodness of their condition without him and of their knowledge parts gifts righteousness and integrity They said they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing when as in truth it was far otherwise with them for they were wretched and miserable c. They conceited they knew and were ready to say they were wise and the Law of the Lord was with them when as indeed they were brutish and foolish Jer. 8. 7 8. This was an undoubted evidence of their blindness and is so of any man's when he beginneth to be so well thoughted and highly conceited of himself Truly those that walk in the light as God is in the light they are helped to see and bewail their shortness in every thing and while they hear songs even glory to the righteous they are ready to cry out our leanness our leanness woe unto us the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously with us yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously Isa 24. 16. They are ready with shame to complain that they are more brutish then man and that they have not the understanding of a man that they have neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge of the holy Prov. 32 2 3. Job 26. 14. 1 Cor. 13. 19-12 They are ready to consess and acknowledge that they have not yet attained neither are already perfect as to attainment but they
faithful and true Witness This also is to be understood in a spiritual consideration and hereby is not meant the Wisdom of this world or of the Princes of this world for this will not open the eyes of the blind into the knowledge of the Cross of Christ and the ends and virtues thereof nor into the preaching thereof But these things are foolishness to them that seek after this wisdom 1 Cor. 1. 18-23 The natural and animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. And hence the Holy Ghost hath instructed those that are wise with this seeming wisdom to become fools that they might be wise as before 1 Cor. 3. 18-20 and admonished the believers to beware of Philsophy Col. 2. 8 9. And the Apostle avoided 〈◊〉 use of it in declaring the testimony of God 1 Cor. 1. 17. and Chapter 2. 1-5 But by this Eye-salve is meant the Word of Truth the Gospel of our Salvation especially the first branch of it in which is declared to us the sufferings of Christ and what he hath thereby effected for us in himself and obtained into himself and is become And that this is meant by the Eye-salve here commended to us may appear 1. By the name put upon it and that by this same Apostle to whom this book of the Revelation was sent and signified it is by him called an action and the anointing So the Apostle saith to the believers Ye have received an unction from the Holy one and ye know all things That is they had received the truth the word of truth which appeareth to be the thing meant by that expression That which they had heard from the beginning to wit that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 1 John 2. 20-24 with 1 Cor. 15. 1 4. And so it is called the anointing which is the very same thing when he saith The anointing ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye c. 1 John 2. 27. And in this testimony of Jesus the Holy Spirit which is the Oyl wherewith Christ was anointed above his fellows is always present in the faithful declaration of it Isa 61. 1. Heb. 1. 9. Acts 10. 38. Yea because this Gospel was given forth by the Spirit and because the Spirit is always present with it therefore it is especially as now revealed both called the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6 8. John 6. 63. Ephes 6. 17. John 7. 38 39. 3. 6. Acts 7. 11. 2. It appeareth also that by this Eye-salve is meant the Gospel of Christ or testimony of the Lord because this is that which openeth the eyes of the understanding that men may see for which purpose and to which end this Angel and Church is counselled to use this Eye-salve So it is said The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple to wit opening their eyes and revealing to them that object in knowing which they may be made wise And the commandment of the Lord the old and new Commandment the Gospel of Christ is pure enlightening the eyes Psal 19. 7 8. So much the Prophet elsewhere also signifieth when he saith The entrance of thy words namely the word of the beginning of Christ giveth light to discover all things and it giveth understanding to wit capacity for seeing unto the simple It giveth both light and sight without both which a man cannot see though a mans eyes be never so good yet he cannot see in the dark But this testimony of the Lord is the medium for discovering all things and this giveth capacity for discerning the things discovered also So wonderful are the testimonies of the Lord especially in the first and fundamental things of them Psal 119. 129 130. So also the Apostle signifieth that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation is given in the knowledge or doctrine of Christ both for opening the eyes of the understanding and for discovering and revealing Christ and all things in him Ephes 1. 17 18. Certainly as the power of the Lord was present with Christ to heal bodily diseases and infirmities to cure the deaf and blind while he was here in his personal Ministration Luke 5. 17. So also the hand and power of the Lord yea his arm is put forth in and with this word so as the preaching of the Cross is the power of God for healing the diseases of the Soul for giving sight to the blind minds of men Psal 107. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 17 18 23 24. Hence it is said That the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ because the Lord anointed him to preach the Gospel to the poor and therewith to preach recovering of sight to the blind Luke 4. 18. He is become a good Physician and he giveth sight to the blind by anointing them with that oyl that is in the name of the Lord. And the Apostle when he was sent to the people and to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light c. was sent with this Eye-salve to preach the first and great things of Gods Law to them and so much he giveth us to understand I continue saith he to this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other thing then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come to pass That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles Acts 26 17 18-23 To the same purpose also he speaketh to the Ephesians Chapter 3. 8 9. Unto me is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see to wit in thus preaching Thereby he made them see that they might see This was the Eye-salve which is here commended unto us Ignorant are they of the wonderfulness of the testimony of the Lord and of its excellent usefulness for converting and restoring the Soul That call it the letter and a dead letter as if it were meet for nothing When as indeed it is the power of God for saving men from their blindness and ignorance and from all their iniquities and idols and they prove and experiment it so to be that with the heart believe it Hence it is called not onely the Gospel of our salvation but the salvation of God also Ephes 1. 13. Acts 28. 28. And as Christ is called the Light both because he discovereth all things to us faithfully and openeth the eyes of the blind So also the commandment is said to be a lamp and the law light because hereby all things are manifested and
to see and behold as declared to us in his testimonies and especially in the testimony of his mouth The Father calleth upon us to behold his Servant and Son Behold saith he my Servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul is well pleased I have put my spirit upon him Isa 42. 1. Matt. 12. 18. And Behold the man whose name is the Branch Zech. 6. 12. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people c. Isa 55. 1-4 5. Jesus Christ calleth upon us also to behold himself Look unto me saith he all the ends of the Earth and be ye saved Isa 45. 22 23. with Rom. 14. 9-11 12. And saith Behold me Behold me unto a nation that was not called by his name Isa 65. 1. 55. 5. It is also the work of the holy Spirit to lift up the Son of Man as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness as a compleat object in whom is prepared all helpfulness and healing for every stung creature that men might look unto and believe in him Joh. 3. 5 9-9-14-16 It is his work and office to bear witness of his blood and the love of God as therein commended everlastingly and to glorify Christ and take of his things and shew unto us of his sufferings and the glory which there-through he hath received 1 Joh. 5. 6. Joh. 16. 13 14. 1 Pet. 1. 11. Yea as the father word and holy Ghost are one one in essence and being so one also in their testimony and this is the record that God hath given unto us mankind eternal life and this life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. 7 11. Yea he is the sum and subject matter of the testimony of all those holy men by whom God hath spoken unto us from the beginning of the world to the end we might see and behold him To him give all the Prophets witness Act. 10. 43. Of this horn of salvation God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that have been since the world began Luk. 1. 69 70. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. Acts 3. 22-25 26. 23. Joh. 5. 39. The Baptist was a man sent from God to bear witness of him as the light the fountain in whom is all the fulness of grace and truth and he saith Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Joh. 1. 6 7-15 16. 29 33-36 The Apostles also were witnesses of him Joh. 15. 27. Yea the fullest and clearest witnesses of him they saw and did testify that the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the World 1 Joh. 4. 14. They preached not themselves but Jesus Christ and him crucified and therewith Jesus the Lord. 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 4. 5. To them was this grace given and Apostleship fo obedience to the faith among all nations Rom. 1. 5. 16. 25 26. To them was this grace given to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see c. Ephes 3. 8 9. It evidently appeareth therefore that it was needful they should anoint their eyes with this eye-salve that they might see this blessed object that hath been and is so constantly and unanimonsly witnessed of and directed unto by God and all those that have been taught and led of him All agree in one concerning him to the end we might see and believe in him who hath so testified his love towards us as to lay down his life for us that he might become our Saviour and who is through and by means of his blood exalted and glorified and become the habitation of all the fulness of the God head the fountain of life the fountain of living waters the Sun of righteousness the treasury of wisdom and knowledge Yea all that the Father hath is his Col. 2. 3. 9. Psal 36. 8 9. Mal 4. 2. Joh. 16. 14 15. And that this is the object which they are called upon and counselled to see and behold and to that end to anoint their eyes with this eye-salve appeareth from the scope of the place we are speaking unto For here the faithful counsellor had been commending unto them and counselling them to buy gold tried in the fire that they might be rich and white raiment that they might be clothed and that the shame of their nakedness might not appear And now he addeth anoint that thou maist see to wit this gold and how it hath been tried and the excellency of it and this white raiment c. And this is a glass which discovereth all things to us Here we may look upon those things which cannot be seen with the bodily eye 2 Cor. 4. 18. As Moses by faith saw him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. And in some sense as Abraham saw the day of Christ and was glad Joh. 8. 56. So may we behold and see in this word of faith which is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. the preciousness of the blood of Jesus Christ and his excellency and fitness for us and for our helpfulness by means thereof 2. To the end we may buy this gold and white raiment and thereto sell all that we have needful it is to anoint our eyes with this eye-salve that we may see namely that we may see the vileness and odiousness of our sins which are to be abhorred by us And the emptiness and unprofitableness of our idols which we are to abstain from that we may have these excellent and durable commodities here commended to us for while we are ignorant hereof we shall be ready to think that we part with is better then that which is commended to and set before us While we remain in our blindness we are ready and apt to mistake and to call evil good and good evil and to set our hearts upon that which will not profit yea to cleave unto that which will destroy us in conclusion if it be not parted with and fled from While persons are in darkness they are under the power of Satan and led captive by him at his pleasure Acts 26. 18. Ephes 5. 5-8 So much the Apostle signifieth concerning the Gentiles that remained in darkness when he saith they have their understandings darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness as if nothing were pleasurable unto them but what is abominable Ephes 4. 17-19 So the Apostle speaking of the believing Gentiles saith that in times past namely when they were darkness they walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh rulingly and prevailingly in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 1 2. with chap. 5. 8. But to this we may add more afterwards Now therefore it is needful that we see our sins and vanities that we may be willing to part
with and relinquish them and with this eye-salve in the testimony of Christ we may see Therein all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light the light doth faithfully discover them in their right and proper colours to the end we might stand up from them and might flee from our iniquities and idols Ephes 5. 11-14 And indeed the holy Spirit that breatheth in this testimony doth in and with glorifying Christ and discovering the transcendent excellency of him shew unto us also the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of all those objects in which naturally we are seeking rest and on which we are placing our affections that we might turn from our vanities unto him who is worthy to be cleaved unto by us So when the Lord by the Prophet saith Behold they are all vanity their works are nothing their molten images are wind and confusion He then addeth Behold my Servant whom I uphold c. Isa 41. 27-29 42. 1. The holy Spirit in glorifying Christ and taking of his things and shewing unto us doth therein and therewith convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment and teacheth the believers all things and leadeth them into all truth Joh. 16. 8-14 In bearing witness of Christ and in his testimony the holy Spirit sheweth unto us the odiousness of our sins that we might see and behold it that we might abhort and abominate them in that God hath taken such vengeance on them in the person of his son who knew no sin Though God testified of him that he was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased yet when but the guilt of our sin was imputed to him he spared him not but condemned our sin in his flesh It pleased the Lord to bruife him He did put him to grief Isa 61. 2. Rom. 8. 3-32 Isa 53. 10. This seen and beheld by us would help us to abhorr it and say How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1-3 And here may we also see the necessity of our being washed here-from in that he is become such a fountain through his blood for cleansing us Zech. 3. 1. And it was his very end in being manifest that he might take away our sins 1 Joh. 3. 5. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree not that we might live any longer thereto but that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. and chap. 2. 24. And in his cross and testimony we may also see the vanity of our idols and our vileness in serving them that we might turn there-from to God to serve the living and true God 1 Thes 1. 9 10. Here we may see the brutishness of our wisdome Now is the Judgment of this world saith our Saviour Here you may take a view and have a discovery of it in that those that were Princes of the World for wisdom crucified the Lord of glory and were also before his hour was come the greatest enemies to him and thought that their taking him out of the way and killing him would much have tended to their security when as on the contrary it brought and hastened destruction upon them Joh. 12. 31. 1 Cor. 2. 8. Joh. 11. 47 48. With Matt. 21. 39-41 Joh. 7. 45-49 Here may we see the unprofitableness of our works of righteousness in that he only could and hath brought in by his death and resurrection everlasting righteousness and there was no other way for the compleating it for us for if righteousness could have come by the law or by any other way whatsoever then Christ hath died in vain Gal. 2. 21. The Holy Ghost saith our Saviour shall convince the world of righteousness namely he shall shew and evidence the unprofitableness of all our works of righteousness and of all righteousness according to the law and that righteousness could not come by the works or sacrifices thereof in that he is gone to the Father and we see him no more He cometh no more down to suffer or offer sacrifice but his sacrifice is accepted of God so as he hath set him down on his own right hand Iohn 16. 10. with Hebr. 10. 1. 2. 11. 12. and he hath prepared righteousness for all men without the law as hath been said Rom. 3. 20-22 here we may also see the vanity and helplesness of the riches of this world in that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold They that trust in their riches and boast themselves in the multitude of their wealth none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransome for his own soul 1 Pet. 1. 19. Psal 49. 6 7. Here also we may see the emptiness and worthlesness of all the glory and honour of this world in that our Lord Jesus neither had nor would accept of it But he was rejected and despised of men a worm and no man a reproch of men and despised of the people All they that saw him laught him to scorn they did shoot out the lip they did shake the head Joh. 6. 15. Isa 53. 2-4 Psal 22. 6 7 8. Nor had he nor did he seek for the favour and friendship of this world but the world hated him because he testified of it that the works thereof were evil Joh. 7. 7. 15. 18-20 Yea in and by this one thing by this unction we may know all things that are needful to be known by us and see them in their right colours Hence the Apostle determined to know nothing in and unto all things but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. And it is needful we should know the vileness of our sins and the vanity and unprofitableness of all those objects on which naturally we are placeing our affections and in which we have been seeking rest and satisfaction to our spirits 3. It was needful for them to see themselves and to see what manner of condition they were in and what manner of persons they were And to this end that they might see this needful it was they should anoint their eyes with this Eye-salve that they might behold themselves and know what state they were in They were at present very much mistaken they thought their condition was very good and that they were so happy that they needed nothing but this was the fruit of their blindness and ignorance for had they viewed themselves in the Testimony of Jesus they might have perceived it was far otherwise with them And indeed this is generally the fruit of mens blindness they are many times pure in their own eyes who are not washed from their filthiness Prov. 30. 12 13. Such fools are men that all their own ways are clean in their own eyes Prov. 16. 2. And they who have not the love of God in them yet think that eternal life appertaineth to them Joh. 5. 39-42 It is therefore a very ignorant and false saying
the body of our Lord was laid That his Raiment was white as Snow Mat. 28. 2 3. Mark 16. 5 The like also is said of the Angels that spake to Christs Disciples when he was taken up into Heaven Acts 1. 9 10. And of that which appeared to Cornelius Acts 10. 3-30 See also Rev. 15. 6. And it is needful that the Angels of the Churches especially should be arayed with White raiment and not with works of darkness and in putting on Christ as their righteousness and the fruits of righteousness they have those Garments as is before shewn and are therein in some measure like to Angels meetly apparalled to carry the glad tidings of the Gospel and to be Instruments of of good to others in word and conversation Tit. 2. 2-8 Isa 52. 7-11 1 Tim. 3. 1-7 4. 12. Tit. 1. 6-9 2. More particularly this Raiment is said to be White to note the purity of it So those White Garments of the Priests in former times are said to be holy Thus is it is said Aaron shall put on the holy linen Coat and he shall have the linen Breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linen Girdle c. These are the holy Garments Lev. 16. 4-32 Ezek. 44. 16-19 So Clean and White and Pure and VVhite are put together to signifie that whiteness and cleanness or purity do meet together here Rev. 19. 8. 15. 6. And so this VVhite Raiment is holy the Priests in former times were so legally and typically but this is so in truth they were clothed in white linen but Christs Angels and Priests that minister unto him are cloathed with righteousness Holiness becometh his house for ever Psal 93. 5. The righteousness of Christ or Jehovah our righteousness is holy Christ is the holy one 1 Joh. 2. 20. VVithout spot and blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19. There is no pollution in this righteousness of his 't is called the righteousness of God without the Law which he hath prepared and accepted and it must therefore necessarily be pure and spotless For he is a God of purer eyes then to behold evil Habak 1. 13. And the fruits of this righteousness as produced by Christ are holy and pure and though as put on and worn by us there are mixtures cleaving to them yet Christ is daily cleansing them and making them acceptable and welpleasing to God 1 Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 13. 15 16. And the believers are instructed daily to cleanse themselves 2 Cor. 7. 1. And when one of the Elders demandeth what are these that are arayed in white robes Himself answereth These be they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them White in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7. 9-13 14. And indeed this is white raiment the purity and whiteness whereof is inward as well as outward it is white throughly as in white linen it is sincerely pure and this is compleatly true of the righteousness of God without the Law which Christ hath brought in for us without us and imputeth to him that believeth in him and in a measure true of the fruits of righteousness those Garments are entirely pure and white and not like those things which are so outwardly only but inwardly are black and uncomely yea loathsom and abominable some of them The Apostle calleth Ananias the High-priest whited VVall he sAt to judge him according to the Law and appeared righteous when as he was indeed and truly inwardly unrighteous Acts 23. 1 3. Our Saviour saith of the Scribes and Pharisees that they were like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness even so they also appeared righteous unto men but within they were full of hypocrisie and iniquity Mat. 23. 25 28 But whatever cloathing they had and how white soever it appeared to man on the outside they had not on this VVhite Raiment here commended for this is throughly and entirely VVhite not like a whited Wall or Sepulchre but white as Snow Mat. 28. 3. or Wooll Rev. 1. 14. 3. This Raiment is white as the light Mat. 17. 2. Shining and glistering Mark 9. 3. Luke 9. 29. Such as being bought by his Angels and Churches and put on and found in is powerful to give light to such as have their understandings darkened and to discover and Cure their errours and mistakes and so tendeth to the profit and benefit of those that are without to open their eyes and Cure their ignorant thoughts and imaginations concerning the disciples of Christ and the Gospel professed by them While men see them cloathed with and appear before God onely in the righteousness of another even of Christ who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification it preserveth them from having idolatrous esteems of them and worshipping them for herein they may see that they are sinners in themselves and men of like passions with others and that they could not work righteousness for themselves nor have they any other righteousness to be cloathed with and rejoyce before God in then that which is manifested by the faith of Christ to be for all poor sinners aswell as themselves Act. 14 15. Rom. 3. 22. and hereby men may be convinced that the true and unfeigned beelivers have nothing in themselves to glory in but in their gloryings they glory in the Lord where others may glory with them and be also incouraged to come unto Christ Jesus for forgiveness and righteousness And while they put on and are cloathed with the fruits of his righteousness and shew by a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdom it tendeth to stop the mouths of such as are ready to say that Christ is the minister of sin and his Gospel a 〈…〉 Doctrine and ministry of unrighteousness and giveth men incouragement to be licentious for when they see that the Grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men is so heartily received by them as that thereby they deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and put on bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering c. and walk soberly righteously and godly in this present world this cutteth off occasion from them that desire occasion and maketh them ashamed that falsly accuse the Gospel and hearty belivers and is a powerful means for the winning them into Christ who will not be won by the word Whereas on the contrary when those that profess to be Christ's disciples receive his grace in vain and walk dishonestly they give occasion to the adversaries of the truth to blaspheme the name of God and his Doctrine Hence the Apostle Paul exhorteth the believers to do all things which God in the Gospel is working in them both to do and to will of good pleasure without murmuring and disputing that they might â—e blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among
though they wash them with Nitre and take to them much Sope yet their iniquity is marked before the Lord. Jer. 2. 20-22 Isa 66. 17. Though they should wash themselves with Snow water and make themselves never so clean yet God will plunge them into the ditch again their own clothes will make them to be abhorred Their coverings will but make them more shameful Job 9. 30 31. He hath declared that our works and our righteousness shall not profit us our Webs shall not become Garments nor shall we be able to cover our selves with our own works Isa 57. 12. 59. 6. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God Rom. 3. 19 20. This covering will appear too narrow to wrap our selves in when the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim Isa 28. 13-15 20 21. We cannot make our Peace with God by any Sacrifices or works of our own nor establish to our selves such a righteousness as will render us acceptable before God but those that sought after righteousness as it were by the works of the Law they attained not righteousness they obtained not what they sought after Rom. 9. 31-33 10. 2 3. 11. 7. Hence saith the Apostle We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles not so notoriously wicked as they knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ the word of faith heartily believed even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and noâ— by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2. 15 16. If righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. Nor can any hide their sin and shame by any outward professions and practices by their being hearers only of the word of truth and making a trade of hearing by their prophecyings in Christs name oâ— casting out Devils or doing many wonderful works in his name or by their eating and drinking in his presence and using and observing his ordinances Those that would cover themselves with those things will appear to be workers of iniquity notwithstanding such like clothings of themselves for they cover themselves with a covering but not of Gods Spirit and so even add sin to sin Mat. 7. 22-24 Luke 13. 24-27 Isa 30. 1. Oh! that we may all so consider the unprofitableness and insufficiency of all our own works of righteousness and of our coverings of our selves that we may cease from confiding and trusting in them and may seek the Lord and in him seek righteousness in whom God hath prepared it for us and for all And this leadeth us to the next thing viz. 3. This white raiment that is to be bought of this gracious and faithful Counsellor is that wherewith we may be clothed so as the shame of our nakedness may not appear We cannot cloth our selves nor cover the shame of our own nakedness as is before said But there is excellent raiment prepared for all men by him who gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for a sweet smelling Savour to God And so much might be typically signified by Gods covering and clothing our first parents when they had sinned and thought to have hid their shame with fig-leaves like whereto are all our coverings and hidings of our shameful nakedness Gen. 3. 7. The Lord God after he in denouncing the curse on the Serpent had promised That the seed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent And after Adam in closing therewith and belief thereof called his wives name Evah clothed the man and the woman with Coats of Skins probably with the Skins of the beasts that were offered by faith in Sacrifice to type out and point forth that our clothing and covering must be prepared and made by the Lamb of God which he prepared himself for a Burnt-Offering and by his Sacrifice who is sacrificed for us and thereby indeed is white raiment prepared for us and for all as is before shewn Gen. 3. 15-21 22. Now then in this instruction contained in the end proposed to move us to buy this White raiment viz. that thou mayst be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear is further signified unto us 1. That this raiment is proper and sufficient to cover the shame of our nakedness so as it appear not namely the righteousness which Christ hath brought in and compleated through his personal abasement and sufferings who in the virtue thereof is raised again and which he himself is become and it doth cover their shame that have it and put it on even from the face of the Lord viz. there is contained herein the forgiveness of our sins and blotting them out so as they shall no longer be remembred or retained in Heaven and giving unto and making them partakers of forgiveness by faith that believe on Christ for this is the blessedness the believers on his name do receive To Christ give all the Prophets witness as the sum and end of their Testimony that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of their sins Acts. 10. 43. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 39. If we in belief of his goodness and of the truth of his Testimony in reproving and discovering our vileness and sinfulness confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 7-9 And this forgiveness of sins as it is an imputing righteousness without works so it is expressed by covering sin even as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Rom. 4. 6 7 8. with Psal 32. 1 2-5 To the same purpose also the Psalmist speaketh when he acknowledgeth to the praise of Gods Grace and as a ground of incouragement to desire his further mercy Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sins Psal 25. 2. And indeed the righteousness of Christ which he hath brought in and is become is to this end a compleat clothing and covering for all our shame inasmuch as there is contained therein both an acquittance and justification from the guilt of our first sin and sinfulness aswell as also plenteous redemption even the forgiveness of mens following and personal sins in which they sin after the likeness and similitude of Adams transgression yea and in him there is perfect innocency integrity immortality and eternal life which the believer is now receiving by faith and in some first-fruits of the Spirit but the adoption the redemption of the body and the Harvest of the Spirit is to