that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have our conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1. 12. must be a dream David Job Moses Samuel the Prophets and Apostles their joying in a good conscience arise from doubtfull and conjecturall evidences yea no man can say in any assurance I beleeve in Christ in the inner man I delight in the Law of the Lord I am crucified to the world my conversation is in Heaven for all these are inherent qualifications in the childe of God but they are doubtfull and uncertain How then hath God promised to love the righteous to reward beleeving with life eternall to give the prize to him that runneth c. 2. The testimony of the Spirit bearing witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. is in this sence an immediate act of the Spirit because reflex acts of the soul are performed without any other medium or means but that whereby the direct acts are performed I know that I know I know that I beleeve my sence by that same immediate operation of the Spirit by the which I know God without any other light teacheth me to know that I know God even as by light I see colours but my common sense needeth not another Sun or another light to make me know that I see colours The Lambe when it seeth a Wolfe though it never did see a Wolfe before knoweth it to be an enemy and fleeth but to make it know that it knoweth the Wolfe there is nothing required but the internall and common instinct of nature So when I beleeve in Christ that habituall instinct of the grace of God actuated and stirred up by the Spirit of God maketh me know that I know God and that I beleeve and so that I am in Christ to my own certain feeling and apprehension but this doth not hinder but the assurance of my interest in Christ is made evident to me by other inferiour evidences 1 Joh. 2. 3 And hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements By the keeping of Gods Commandements we doe not know simply that we know God by certainty of faith But wee know that we know God these two wayes 1. We know the instinct of the new man being stirred up to action by that winde which bloweth when and where it listeth our knowing of God to bee sound saving and true Wee doe not so much know our knowing of God by this supernaturall sense as we know the supernaturall qualification and sincerity of our knowing of God So that we rather know the qualification of the act that the worke is done according to God then the act according to its substance though wee doe also know it in this relation 1 Ioh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren that is our love to the brethren doth evidence to us both that wee are translated to the Kingdome of grace and also it doth evidence that that translation is reall true sincere sound and effectuall by love and all the fruits of the Spirit 2. By these works of sanctification we have evidence that we have interest in Christ not as by former light suggesting to us that the immediate impression of this great and broad Seale of the King of glory and his personall and particular testimony is true for Gods Spirit needeth not another witnesse to adde authority to what hee saith but because this conclusion Thou Iohn Anna hast interest to Christ to thy owne feeling must be proved by Scripture except with Enthusiasts and fanatick Spiritualists wee separate the Word and the Spirit therefore these workes of sanctification prove the conclusion consequenter by Scripture and sence and so lead us to the word of promise thus to prove this conclusion I Iohn Peter Anna have interest in Christ to my owne reflect and private assurance the major proposition is made good by Scripture the Assumption by sense and the conclusion leadeth us to the certainty of faith in the promises as He that beleeveth and maketh sure his beliefe by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit hath a cleare evidence to his owne feeling that he hath interest in Christ But I Iohn Peter Anna doe believe and doe make sure my beliefe by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit Therefore I Iohn Peter Anna have a cleare evidence to my owne feeling that I have interest in Christ The proposition is Scripture Iohn 3. 36. Ioh. 5. 24. Ioh. 11. 25 26. Rom. 8. 1 2. 1 Ioh. 1. 4. 1 Ioh. 2. 3. The Assumption is made sure by sense not at all times but when the wind is fair and the Spirit is breathing upon the soul for though I do believe and walk after the Spirit yet to my owne feeling I have onely evidence of my interest â—n Christ when the Spirit stirreth up my sense to compare my saith and walking with the promises of God in Christ But saith the Antinomians Alas all the certainty then and the whole personal evidence that I have to know that I have interest in Christ is ultimately and principally resolved on this weak rotten foundation to wit On my own good works which being examined by the law of God will be found so sinful as they shal involve me under the curse of God so the debate of conscience shal stand in ful vigor I shal never be satisfactorily resolved of my interest in Christ for you lead me from the impression of the immediate seal of the spirit to my good works this is to drive me off Christ and put me back again to my old Jaylor and my old keeper the law But I answer this consequence is just nothing for if my good works of sanctification were causes of my peace of conscience this connexion had some colour of truth but though those works be sinfull by concomitance because sin cleaveth to them yet because my supernaturall sense of the Spirit suggesteth that these works are the fruits of faith and are done in some measure of sincerity and flow not from the spirit of the Law but from the Spirit of the Gospel therefore they lead me to Christ and drive me upon a cleare Evangelick promise That 1. the adhering sinfulnesse of my workes are purged in Christs bloud 2. That this promise is a shoare before mine eyes He that fighteth the good fight of faith a Crown of righteousnesse is laid up for him 2 Tim. 4 7 8. He that runneth shall obtain 1 Cor. 9. 24. And here is an Evangelick word Revel. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates to the City So that the right of your peace and clear evidence in assurance of your right to the Tree of life is not laid upon your works but upon the promises of the
offered lay hold on Christ aye while he put thee away from him and if there be any question concerning Gods intention of saving thee let Christ first move the doubt but doe not thou be the first mover 3. Assertion It is true your Christian name John Peter Anne Mary are not in the New Testament but here is as good and better and a more individuall designation then your Christian name if thou bring sinne with thee to Christ and there be no man but hee hath this name bring a lost soule with thee Luke 19. 10. The sonne of man came to seeke and to save that which was lost Matthew 9. 13. Christ saith I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Then if it be said What is thy name who layest hold on Christ there is an answer My name is a sinner 2. Leave behinde thee righteousnesse when thou commest to Christ thou mayest easily leave true righteousnesse behinde thee and come without it because true righteousnesse of thy owne is a non-ens and just nothing and nothing is the proper heritage of the poore bring want and povertie with thee and there is another name say Lord Jesus my name is not in the royall promise of grace made to Traitours and Rebels against the Crowne of Heaven but my name is povertie they call me want and necessitie and all men hitherto hath these two names sinners poore and unrighteous but three bring some feeling and sense come wearied and laden and then thou hast a third name This is harder yet it is amongst the most easie things required of thee the Law which worketh if it were felt and heard will worke this in thee and though then thou want it thou hast that which is nearest to it even sinne for these two be of one bloud almost to wit want of cloathing and nakednesse a heavie load and a wearied body and nakednesse is a neare friend to shame and cold and povertie is very neare of kindred to hunger hunger is come of that same stocke and house and if thou canst say O Physician Iesus my right name is sicknesse O rich Iesus they call me want O bread of life they call me hunger it is enough Object 1. But it is not faith but presumption for mee without a warrant and without law or right to beleeve in a God who was indeed Daniels God but not mine Answ. 1. Presumption is a sister to Pride if thou be wearied and laden thou cannot readily be proud 2. Thou askest a warrant of Law to beleeve in Christ I answer by another question What Law or Warrant have countrey beggers to cry for Almes at the hands of the rich often Acts of Parliament and Lawes are against begging What Warrant or Law have they to begge Let the begger answer it himselfe I have no Law hee can answer but I am poore I have nothing and I cannot steale I cannot starve so by the Law of want thou restest upon Jesus Christ I want all things Christ hath all things and wanteth nothing and this is as good as any act of Parliament in the world Object 2. Daniel was one of the righteous men on earth Noah Iob and Daniel were none-suches Ezek. 14. 14. Answ. The Cart wheele moveth because it is round not that it may bee round but the sinner doth not beleeve because he is righteous but that hee may bee righteous it were a wicked faith and it were to beleeve treacherously to beleeve because you are holy or as holy as Daniel faiths bottome is want sinne damnation and the Kingdome of beleevers is but as we say a nest of beggers Object 3. But if I were worthy to believe and rely upon Christ I should then come to him with some boldnesse Answ. This is the Papists merit of congruitie that wee will not come to Christ while wee have an hire and it is seeming humilitie but reall pride I will not come to Christs Market without money you will not come to the fountaine while your thirst bee quenched nor to him who can give you fine gold and fine linnin while first you bee rich and well cloathed and that is cursed righteousnesse and unholy holinesse that any soule getteth out of another then Jesus Christ Object 4. But if I cannot come to Christ without sense of sinne and povertie then is my coming and my act of beleeving founded and bottomed upon something that I have before I come to Christ Answ. This is the question betwixt us and Antinomians like the very question betwixt us and Papists concerning the authority of the Scripture but I say as the Churches authoritie is not the formall reason why I believe Scripture to bee the Word of God yet the Churches authority is not excluded from being a meane and motive for Romanes Chapter 10. verse 17. Faith commeth by hearing so Christ himselfe is the formall reason of my Faith I rest on Christ because hee is Christ sense of poverty is a strong motive for except I bee driven and compelled to come to Christ I shall never come sense of povertie is not the foundation of the wall yet it may bee a pinning in the wall Antinomians teach that inherent qualifications and all workes of sanctification are but doubtfull evidences to us of our interest in Christ or that wee are in the state of grace What then maketh mee Iohn Anne by name sure in my conscience that I am in Christ even to the full removall of all heart-questions That which revealeth say they my evidence of assurance that I am my well-beloveds and that he is mine is the Spirit speaking personally and particularly to my heart with a voyce Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiven thee and this is that broad Seale of the Spirit making an immediate impression on my heart without any begged testimony of workes of sanctification which is the revealing evidence of my interest in Christ and the receiving evidence is Faith believing this testimony of the Spirit onely because Gods Spirit saith so not because I have evidences by particular works of sanctification such as are universall obedience sinceritie of heart and love of the brethren But to speake a little of this for the times The Papist is the blacke Devill taking away all certainty of assurance that wee are in Christ or that any man can know this The Antinomian is the Golden white Devill a spirit of Hell cloathed with all Heaven and the notions of Free Grace and first the Well-head of all is Free Grace in us is a dreame Sanctification inherent is a fiction Christ is all there is no Grace existent in the crearure Grace is all in Christ and nothing but imputed righteousnesse for if works of sanctification be not marks intelligible or which can come in under the capacity of received light to be known with any certainty or assurance 1. The joy and rejoycing that wee have in the the testimony of a good conscience
Gospel onely your inherent qualification leadeth you as a morall motive to looke to the promises of God which is the bottome and the foundation of your peace even as my walking eating drinking may assure me I am a living man and from the knowledge that I live I come to know what I stand in relation to the King as a sonne and an heire of a Crowne yet my right to the Crowne suppose I were the eldest sonne of a King standeth not on this pillar that I eat and drink and live but upon my birth and my relation to such a father All my inherent qualifications doe well prove that the tree and stock they grow on is faith but is it hence proved that the Tree is bottomed upon the branches nay but by the contrary the branches are stocked upon the Tree 3. If workes of sanctification be no sure markes of my interest in Christ because sinne adhereth to them and the sinne adhering to them involveth me in condemnation then neither can faith in Christ be a sure marke of my interest in Christ because faith is alwayes mixed with sinfull doubting for I do not thinke that Antinomians do beleeve with all their heart and sinne of unbeleefe adhering to our faith no lesse involveth the sinner in a curse being commited against the Gospel then sinnes against the Law And therefore as faith justifieth not because great and perfect but because lively true as the palsie hand of a man may receive a summe of gold no lesse then a strong and healthy arme so also doe our inherent workes of sanctification give us evidences that we are in Christ and so lead us to the promises of the Gospel as signes not causes of our interest in Christ and that under this notion because they are sincerely performed not because they are perfect and without all contagion of sin cleaving to them 4. In exalting Christs righteousnesse one way by making Christ all they make Christ nothing another way by vilifying the glory of sanctifying grace for we are not by good workes to make our calling and election sure to our selves and in the evidence of our owne consciences if our good workes be no signes of our interest in Christ 5. The spirit which these men make the onely witnesse must be knowne to us by Scripture not to be a deluding spirit for if this spirit cannot be knowne by these things which are called Galat. 5. 22. the fruits of the spirit to wit by love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance as the fruits are evidences of the life of the tree men are to labour for faith and the raptures impressions and immediate and personall influence of a Spirit from Heaven without any conscience of holy living and this is the path-way for men void of all sanctification and inherent qualifications to beleeve they are in Christ So the Divell putteth upon holinesse inherent and constant walking with God the foule scandall of faire white civility and market morality that so men may walk after the flesh and beleeve the testimony of the broad Seale of an immediate working Spirit Object 5. But what be these which goe before faith in Christ Answ. 1. Sense of sinne 2. Halfe an hope c. What if I venture out upon Jesus Christ for my life he is called a Saviour a Prince of much tendernesse of grace 3. The soule is first put to What shall I doe Luke 16. 3. 4. It is put to an halfe prising of Christ and to some raw wishes to have Jesus Christ but otherwise no man can prize Christ but he who hath him already However we have in all this an advantage of our adversaries the Papists now in Armes they call faith and resting on God as our God Pride as if it were pride for the drowned man to flee to the rocke and pride for the Physician to cry O my Physician help Yet doe Papists really cry O my Idol awake O my god of bread heare O my intercessour Mary answer me But be not afraid of their gods Nor are we to feare their prayers to Saints or the Cavailiers Fridayes fasting But we are to learne how in time of need to make use of faith and let Israel trust in the Lord he is an hiding place and a covering in the ill day and let the weake soule that findeth nothing but darknesse wants feares from that flee to Christ bleeding of wounds is here preparatory to beleeving Want is beginning of motion let it be made a motive of beleeving the lesse evidence let adherence be the stronger The God of Daniel The History maketh it most evident that Daniels God and his Honour and Court both were aimed at to be laid on the dust by his enemies Here Daniels name goeth through verse 25. all people nations languages that dwell on all the earth and the God of Daniel is exalted Hence observe first how God blesseth right precisenesse and strictnesse in his way Moses standeth by this not an hoofe and he obtaineth his end God bringeth him and Israel out of Egypt Mordecai not halfe a legge to Haman and hee is promoted to great honour What lost they ever who stood upon the latitude of an haire for Christ either they gained both life and Gods Cause as Daniel did here and Jesus Christ who died but put his life in pawne three dayes and tooke it up againe and gained the Cause or if they lost their lives they gained the Cause as the Martyrs of Christ and therefore let not the Saints beare the name of Precisians except in an heavenly sense because they walke precisely Ephes. 5. 15. These be the right Precisians who contend for substance for God for Heaven for the purity of the Gospel And certainly God is not a thing indifferent and excellent Jesus Christ is no circumstance but those be damnable Precisians who contend for feathers and things indifferent Now Court-favour of Princes this clay-world honour ease are really in their nature things indifferent and being compared with Christ and Christ is no trifle but all substance are lesse then things indifferent even toyes shadows losse dung therefore the Malignants who make this choice are the Precisians 2. Obser. How God disappointeth all the purposes of his enemies and honoureth those who feare him and maketh Daniel evidently known to be the true Royalist and observe how the enemies must be disappointed how can it be otherwayes for first they take two crosse wayes to compasse their end First sinfull meanes there is no way for the Princes of Zoan to come by their ends but idolatry surely they are fooles and drunken men staggering in their vomit Isa. 19. 11 14. and the adversaries now finde no better means to set up their Idol-god in Brittaine and their abominable Masse then after they have made the Prince glad with their lies to kill and destroy the innocent and devour and eat up the Lords people as bread Secondly they set the policie of hell
God that the flying roll and book of vengeance twentie cubits long and ten cubits broad shall enter into such a mans house and remain in the midst thereof and shall consume it both timber stones Zac. 5. 4. When God declareth himself angry mountains and hils do tremble Psal. 114. 3. The sea saw it and fled Jordan was driven back 4. The mountaines skipped like Rammes and the little hils like Lambs 5. What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest thou Jordan that thou wast driven back ver. 7. Tremble thou earth at tho presence of the Lord Hab. 3. 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled That God is now angry it may appeare 1. Because your adversaries never prospered in any warres before and now the Lord hath girded them with strength 2. The godly man is taken away it is cleare then there is evill comming Esay 57. 1. Mich. 7 1. When an old sheep fleeth into an hedge it is like a storme is comming 3. There be more bloud shed then would have recovered the Palatinate 6. We are to tremble when the Lord is like to depart and that Christ and the Gospel shall depart from this Kingdome is intended by Papists and Prelates for the extirpation of Protestants and Protestant Religion is the designe of Babylon and of those in whom is any of her spirit and consider what this is Hos. 9. 12. Though Ephraim bring np children yet wil I bereave her of them that not a man shall be left that is a sad condition but this is a sadder case comming also wo be to them when I depart from them Zach. 11. 9. Then said I I wil feed you no more Nay but say some we are not to tremble at that if the Gospel be removed and Popery come in we shall have the good old world and plenty of all things Take heed of that good old world in these same words I will feed you no more that which perisheth let it perish and that which is cut off let it be cut off and let the rest eate the flesh one of another woe woe to the Land if the Lord depart from us and remove his Kingdome this is worse then the Sword therefore let Christ have welcome in the land and his Throne be exalted and his Temple builded that hee may delight to come and fill the Temple with the Cloud of his Glory That they tremble and feare Darius requireth outward subjection to the God of Daniel even trembling and inward subjection feare and both being put together he then would teach that the true God should have the highest bensill and outmost pitch of the strength of the affections of feare desire joy love c. Hence it may bee questioned whether or no affections in their highest pitch are conducible in Gods Service I answer in these Assertions 1. Assertion Those affections which goe before the deliberate acts of understanding doe overcloud and mist reason and marre the acts of beleeving in God and serving and obeying God Luke 24. 41. The disciples beleeved not for joy and wondered So hungring for Christs presence doth sometime hinder faith and this is seene here tam misere cupio ut vix credam I so eagerly long for Christ that I beleeve never to enjoy him 2. Assertion The more grace the lesse passion I meane the lesse inordinate affection this is cleare in Christ Jesus in whom was the fulnesse of grace and therefore affections in him were rather actions then passions Iohn 11. 3. Jesus groaned in spirit and was troubled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he troubled himselfe Christ did call upon sorrow to rise and sorrow in him did not arise uncalled affections in Christ were servants in us they are masters There is mud in our bottome even when our affections are liquid and cleare in the brimme especially the sensitive part is clayie and drimmely water 2. Grace is a good stirseman and overmastereth passion and reason in the renewed man is made a masse of Grace and the most mortified have most reason and strongest light Romans 8. 7. The carnall minde that is the unmortified minde is enmitie with God Philippians 3. 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things losse for the super-excellent knowledge of God in Christ Iesus my Lord Then he was dead to all his priviledges that hee might excell in the knowledge of Christ and where there is little or no mortification there is little or no heavenly light therefore 2 Pet. 3. 5. walkers after their lusts and mockers and scoffers at the day of Christs second comming are willingly ignorant and brutish in that which they should know and so there is as much Clay in the Fountaine as Water 3. Assertion The more faith the lesse passion for as some say of the Sunne that light is not an accident of the Sun but the essence thereof so as the Sunne is but a masse and body of pure light so is faith a Globe of heavenly light of reason The beleever is the most reasonable man in the world hee who doth all by faith doth all by the light of sound reason and Paul 2 Thess. 3. prayeth to be delivered from unreasonable men but how unreasonable because verse 2. they have no faith faith is a beame of Heavens light Idolaters are farre from faith and so they are cruell and superlative in passions of anger hatred envie for this cause Babylon is fat with drinking much blood When mortification is commanded Rom. 12. 1. it hath the name to be called reasonable service to God 4. Assertion If the action bee done in faith the more affection in the action the better But if it bee not done in the light of faith the action is the worse Jehu casteth downe Altars from anger and fury not from faith Hezekiah casteth Altars from the light of faith and zeale If a strong ship bee faire before the winde if all other things bee right the more winde the better so two principles of grace in Hezekiah are better then one carnall principle in Iehu In reformers of the Lords house and in those who purge the Temple and cast out the buyers and the sellers there should bee strong affections of love anger zeale but all these are bad principles if there bee not much light of sound faith in reformers yet a caution is here needfull In actions of the second table where our selfe or our neighbour and not God or Religion hath place the higher bent the affection bee the action is the worse duties to Prince parents husband wife children Parliament require not all the love all the feare all the joy halfe love is best here and it is good that love feare joy desire anger goe by ounce weights but Reformation God Religion calleth for all the heart all the soule all the strength Psalme 42. 2. Davids soule and his flesh are allowed in seeking after the living God to long to faint to cry out with a shout for the living God so