receiue the end of thy Faith which is the saluation of thy soule Thus must thou assure thy selfe that thou art not a reprobate 1. Cor. 1◠5. 6. But where is this Malignant Church to be found Surely reprobate Cam suckes of the same breasts with chosen Abel both Shem and Cham are nourished in the same Familie and preserued in the same Arke The Lord is the Sauiour of all men but especially of those that doe beleeue 1. Tim. 4. The malignant Church is sorted euen with the Elect and chosen Generation The hypocrite and true beleeuer make one Militant Church The Tares must grow vp with the wheat vntill the time of haruest least in plucking vp the tares we plucke vp the wheat also and there must be deceiuers to try and purge the Elect Yea to assure the Saints that the house doth of right appertaine to them when those that are in the Church shall willingly goe out thereof howsoeuer for a time they haue roosted therein that it may appeare they were neuer truely of vs. Shall not the hypocrite hereby be made inexcusable Must he not be beat with many stripes because he knowes his masters wil doth it not Doth not the admirable power wisdom of God appeare in ordering these two contraries in the same fold that ech may further other to their contary end Shall not the iustice of God be made glorious in seuering the Sheep frō the Goats at that great day That vnto the Lord alone may be ascribed the glory of all his works And therefore as this serueth to reprooue such as dreame of such a Church in this life which may be free from this mixture because it is onely proper to the Church tryumphant to haue all her vessels holy vnto the Lord to haue euery member truely sanctified So it also condemneth those which shroude themselues vnder pretence of this mixture assuming therefore their state to be good because they are onely members of the visible Church They are Professors They will come to the Church They are Christians they heare the Word partake of the Sacraments c. Haue not those which haue boasted of greater matters bene truly interressed in more glorious outward priuiledges yet not withstanding heard that fearefull voyce I know you not depart from mee ye workers of iniquitie Hath not the court which is without the Temple bene cast out and giuen to the Gentiles Haue they not troden vnder-foot the holy Citie Haue sinners in Sion liued afraid Hath not shame come vpon the Hypocrites could they bee able to dwell with the deuouring fire could they indure the euerlasting burning because the common priuiledges be abused Surely as we may not leaue a Church because of this mixture lest we also depriue our selues of the true speciall priuiledges thereof So we must not content our selues onely with the outward euidence lest in the day of reckning we be foūd too light And therefore labour wee so in the Church that we may bee also true and liuing starres euen liuely members and true branches of the Vine CHRIST IESVS And that we shall doe if not despising and reiecting the outward meanes as the word Sacraments because the hypocrite abuseth them vpon pretence of reuelation or a more Spirituall worship Wee doe not yet rest and content our selues heerewith but rather try all things by the blessed Spirit praying in the Spirit and vnderstanding by the Spirit what the Letter deliuereth and by the grace of the Spirit abiding in the Spirit and not onely in the outward man still hungring in the spirit after the best graces and walking by Faith and not by sinne ayming aboue all at the glory of our GOD and endeuouring that our whole spirits and soules bodyes may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of out Lord IESVS Thus may wee approue our selues to haue chosen the better part Thus may wee discerne our selues to be chosen to the better part not to loue the world though wee must needs be in it Not to be of the hypocrites though in the same Church wee are conuersant with them Comforting our selues that as there is a time that the sonne of the bondwoman shall be cast out so while yet it is our Lot to abide in the flocke to be troubled and tryed with this viperous generation Yet shall Canaan be but a seruant to Iapheth The Hypocrite so long as he abides in the Church is subiect to the true Beleeuer All his gifts shall serue onely for the good of the Elect though for his owne further condemnation Though hee should heape vp siluer as the dust and prepare Rayment as the clay He may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Hath he knowledge for any other end but to confound others though himselfe be a cast away Doe his gifts abused serue to any other end then for a touch-stone whereby to trie and compare the gifts of the elect that they may not rest in any outward gifts but onely vpon IESVS CHRIST Is he not the purse-bearer for the good of the Church doing good for vaine-glorie or by respects that so hauing his reward already he may be excluded the reward to come Is he any other then a stoole to dresse foode for the children well may hee licke his Fingers hee may haue a taste and glimpse thereof but his Stomacke is ouer-cloyed with the loue of the worlde It is enough to taste and it will be too much that hee hath tasted And is hee not in the day of trouble a seruant to the Elect Doth hee not prooue a ransome for the iust Is hee not for his prosperitie and vaine-glorie the obiect of the enemies malice Him they enuie for the pride of his holie Mountaine Him they thirst after for his pompe and riches And while they are rifling him doe not the righteous escape Is not that desire of the wicked satisfied Is not Gods purpose accomplished for the purging of his Church for the preseruation of his chosen Lo thus Canaan is a seruant vnto Iapheth And therefore 1. let this serue to humble the Hypocrite in his greatest pompe hee is no better then a slaue for the Churches good So that the more hee enioyeth the greater shall be his condemnation And let this comfort the Elect in theyr greatest abasing their greatest Enemies shall serue theyr turne And can the LORD then faile them or forsake them Onely be wee wise not to loose our right let vs not despise the Hypocrites gifts because hee abuseth them Neither let vs cloase with him in his shewes and yeelde our selues to be measured by his line least now hee insult and reioyce in our flesh and so bring vs into bondage But in the Name of GOD stand wee fast ' in the libertie which CHRIST hath purchased for vs and bee wee not Seruants vnto men but to winne them to Christ So shall Canaan still bee a
seeing the Lord giues the blessing but rather giue the glorie vnto God and for his sake honouring the instrument Comforting our selues that hell shall not preuaile seeing God is the stronger Math 16. Luke 11. 22. 23. And no lesse then Heauen is the reward seeing God is Recompencer Thus is God the Authour of our conuersion But by what meanes doth he occomplish the same Doth he vse miracles to amaze or tortures to compell Doth hee vse Euthasiasmes to inspire or Dreames to reueale a worke vnto vs Surely no The holie Ghost saith God perswade Iapheth That is God incline the heart allure the minde of the Gentiles by convincing their conscieÌ„ces with the power of the truth framing their will and affections to embrace the same subduing their whole man to the obedieÌ„ce thereof As if the spirit of God had plainely taught vs That The Conuersion of a sinner is a perswasion of the minde to beleeue and inclining of the will affections to embrace the Lord IESVS And this shall appeare vnto vs by these circumstances 1. First by the Subiect of Conuersion Man 2. By the Matter and meanes of Conuersion Namely the word of GOD applyed and made essectuall by the operation of the spirit of God 3. By the Manner and order of a true Conuersion 4. And lastly by the Substance and Markes of true Conuersion Concerning the Subiect of conuersion Man and woman these consist of two parts 1. Of a corruptible bodie 2. Of a reasonable and immortall soule Of which Two the Bodie serues onely as an instrument to conuey the meanes of conuersion to the soule and to execute outwardly the effects of true conuersion and therefore is not properly the subiect of conuersion As being a spirituall work effected by a spirituall meanes and therefore fastning and working on a spirituall substance And this is the soule of Man which being Spirituall and eternall is therefore capable of this worke of the spirite and meanes of happie eternitie Notwithstanding because the bodie shall bee partaker with the soule of the fruite of Conuersion Namely conformitie and subiection to the spirite and eternall glorie Therefore as it cannot be separated from the soule in the worke of conuersion So it must be ordered by such meanes as it is subiect vnto thereby to further our conuersion And so to be as an instrument in the worke of Sanctification So also a partaker of the benefite thereof Hence is it that howsoeuer the minde cannot neyther ought to be forced by man as being beyond his reach and power yet the bodie being therefore subiected to the power of Man that by man it may further the conuersion of the soule is thereby also subiect to some compulsion from man Who in Gods stead is both to tender the meanes of Conuersion by the care vnto the Heart by the bodie vnto the minde which is the dutie of the Minister as also if neede require when the refractorie minde will detaine the body from the vse of the meanes is further euen to force the bodie by bringing it euen against the mindes will to heare the Word That so by the power therof eyther the rebellious minde may be reclaimed or at leastwise made inexcusable especially that in performing this dutie he may be free from the blood of his people or rather become a true nursing Father vnto them And this is properly the office of the Magistrate who though hee haue power euer life in the case of refractorie obstinate blaspheming of the Truth and desperate continuance in Atheisme and Heresie and therefore ought not to suffer cyther Idolater or Blasphemer either Atheist or damnable seducer of the people to a false worship any longer to breathe to the infection of others yet in the case of conuersion and bringing men to God hee is no â—â—rther to force â—â—e bodie then that still it may be seruiceable to the soule Leâ—iâ—g conuerted and also further the minde to be subdued by these spirituall weayons By which the Reason beeing captiuated and conscience perswaded and convinced and so the â—ill enclined and allured to embrace the Truth when once the hâ—â—rt shall endite a good matter and 〈…〉 with the loue of God then shall the tongue become the pen of a ready writer the outward man shall put cheerfully in execution what the â—â—ward man desireth and purposeth That so glorifying our GOD â—n bodie and soule which hee hath thus renued in this reasonable Sacrifice of the New-byrth we may in due season be crowned both bodies and Soules with that glorie in the newe Ierusalem which is aboue And therfore as this condemneth all Antichristian Tyrannie whereby all hope of sound Conuersion is vtterly cut off whilest by extremitie of torture the bodily life is depriued so also the negligence of the Christian Magistrate is iustly reproued in leauing the papist to his libertie or winking at him shewing extreame crueltie to his soule while hee pretends clemencie to his bodie And if the refractorie must bee compelled from a false worship to the meanes of a true Oh then faire be it froÌ„ the heart of the godly Magistrate to tolerate a false religion Is not this the way to prouoke the wrath of God that so hee may diuide vs in Iacob and so destroy vs in Israel And seeing the iust man must be a lawe to himselfe If then the bodie must be the meanes to conuey grace to the soule If it may further our entertainment of true conuersion Oh then let vs learne to subdue this enemie and beat downe this corruption 1. Let vs humble it by fasting 2. And not aduise with it in spirituall worship 3. Feare we the complement thereof 4. and rest wee at no hand in any ceremoniall deuotion of the same 5. Take we no care for the Flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof Rom. 18. And auoyde we all affectation in gesture c. with an intent to be obserued of men so shall we offer holie violence to the bodie in preuenting it ministerie to satisfie the lusts of the minde and thereby make it seruiceable to the soule as furthering the same in the worke of holines And thus is the outward man subiect to a kinde of violence not onely from others but euen from our selues Perswaded it cannot bee and therefore it must be forced Now for the soule of man The case hereof is otherwise Spirituall it is and therefore not subiect to outward violence And reasonable therefore only lyable to such a violence which rather ouercoms by perswasion theÌ„ forceth by persecution as rectifying the reasonable part not destroying the nature thereof as delighting the vnderstanding with the light that ouershadoweth it So convincing the conscience that it giues peace vnto it So reclayming the will and captiuating the Affections that it restores them to a most gracious libertie to performe a reasonable seruice vnto God This shall further appeare most euidently vnto vs
all things work together for the good of the elect shall their sin then otherwise prouoke God against them as to iudge them in this life that they may not bee condemned in the life to come so to chastise them with the roddes of men that his mercy bee not taken from them A way then with that hellish doctrine that robbes God of the glory of his faithfulnesse and power and man of the sound comfort of his saluation by evacuating Christs death and auouching the vncertaintie and inconstancie of saluation And auoyd we presumption to fall though we shall rise againe seeing God will not be mercifull to presumptious sinners and the least fall of the Saints though it cannot finally exclude from saluation yet may it grieuoufly deface the beauty of sanctification and so make this present life very bitter and vncomfortable vnto vs howsoeuer it cannot vtterly depriue vs of the comfort of the life to come Rather learne wee in Gods feare To keepe our selues from falling by 1. Fearing our selues 2. and walking alwayes in Gods presence 3. rest we wholly on the word 4. and renounce carnall wisdom 5. auoyding all occasion appearance of euill 6. learne we to vse aright our Christian libertie 7. and commune we dayly with our hearts to preuent securitie 8. Walke we in our calling to preuent idlenesse curiositie 9. and call we earnestly on our God that hee suffer vs not to bee led into tentation 10. Keepe thy iudgement sound that we cannot bee too holy 11. and conscience tender by racking it dayly by the Law 12. reprooue wee sinne boldly in others to keepe vs from the like 13. Meditate we on the punishments of sinne to keepe vs from presumption 14. and remember we how the dearest Saints haue smarted to preuent singularitie 15. Especially looke we vp vnto Iesus and what he hath done for vs that the consideration of his infinite loue may keepe vs from dishonouring him that the meditation of his intollerable plagues may preserue vs frō crucisying him againe 16. Consider wee the difficultie of being saued and therefore let vs doe our best and lastly remember we our end and reckoning wee must giue vp the one so vncertaine the other so sure and vnauoydable that so at no time we be found vnready Thns may we be kept from falling into sinne And thus also may wee learne to arise out of the same As by meditation of Gods commandement to haue vs returne and pondring of his promises that he will heale and renue vs. To this end looke we vp vnto IESVS that triumphes ouer sinne and makes dayly intercession for pardon thereof and see wee our inquitie through the glasse of his mercy that so dispaire being preuented we may finde our sinne pardonable Then presse we to the Throne of grace with a broken and humble spirt and testifie wee our iust hatred and indignation against our sinne by iustifying our God and imposing some Spirtuall humiliation on our selues Oh let our soules refuse all other comfort till the conscience bee quieted in the blood of the Lambe and giue wee the Lord no rest till hee returne to his rest and restore vnto vs the ioy of his saluation Nowe let sinne bee confessed in particular the more to breake the heart and that against our selues to the iustifying of our GOD. Nowe let Vowes bee renued not onely to auoyde the like sinne but to bee more wary of all occasions and appearance of euill Redeeme wee the time more conscionably and watch we more narrowly ouer our own hearts outward man withdrawing them from the loue of the world arresting them in the presence of God perswading our selues that wee are not throughly returned till at least wee haue had some glimpse of Gods fauour renued in IESVS CHRIST though not discerned in that glorious obiect which dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto yet apprehended by the beames thereof reflected on our hearts by our peace with God contentment in his wil who though he happily restore vs not presently to that full measure of feeling and ioy we heretofore enioyed yet remember we that we liue by Faith and not by sence and that our whole life is no other then renued repentance And therefore comfort we our selues that what we feele not we must and shal beleeue as by Faith seeing a farre off so contenting our selues with what is presently restored to be sufficient as that still wee liue by faith hungring after the best graces not onely the restitution of such measure which heretofore we enioyed but euen the inioying of that fulnesse of ioy and pleasures which is at the right hand of GOD for euermore Wisely discerning the prouidence of our God in not resting so much on feeling as heretofore we haue had Not onely for the tryall of our Faith if now we can rest on our God without feeling but also for the preuenting and subduing of spiritual pride to which seeing extraordinary feeling of Gods fauor is a great occasion through the malice of Satan raising hence singularity so security and remissenes in wel doing if not robbing God of his glory Therefore it pleaseth our good God though he restore peace vnto vs yet to with-hold from vs wisely such draughts of ioy that so we might forget what is behind hasten to that which is before as both taking lesse delight in any worldly contentment which before was sweetned vnto vs by that ouerflowing of Spirituall ioy and fainting the more earnestly after that full and constant measure thereof in heauen that so our ioy may no more be taken from vs. And therefore striuing more diligently to make vs meet partakers of that glorious inheritance that so in due time as a ricke of corne we may be caryed into the barne and receiued into our Fathers eternall ioy Thus may we recouer out of our most desperate falles thus may we be comforted in the measure of our recouery as being that which is fittest to hasten vs to glory And thus shall Iapheth be brought againe to the Tents of Shem the Gentiles shall be restored to the true worship of God as a true and liuely figure vnto vs of the constancie of Gods loue in restoring his childrē recouering them out of theyr greatest falls And these are the lessons wee may learne from this that Iapheth shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. And is it a small thing that the Gentiles which were originally without God yea who had forsaken God shall once be restored againe to the knowledge and worship of Iehouah Surely meruellous things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Wonderfull are the mercies that hereby the Gentiles haue bene inuested with Shall wee wade a little further into the particular consideration of them Follow wee then the spirite of God in the vnfoulding of them What is the generall summe of the Blessings that Iapheth shall enioy It followeth That Iapheth
if we consider in the second place the meanes of true Connersion Namely the Word of God assisted by the blessed Spirit which in that it consists of two partes to wit the Lawe and the Gospell Howsoeuer by the Law we are brought to a sight of sinne and so thereby prepared to Conuersion and as it were entred therein as beeing cast out of our selues and cast vpon IESVS CHRIST yet by the sweete promises of the Gospell wee are allured and perswaded to beleeue in the Lord IESVS which is the very worke and perfection of our true Conuersion So are our hearts more and more suppled and broken through the loue of CHRIST shead abroad in our hearts So are we bound vnto our GOD with the cords of loue as that we attaine a most glorious libertie of the sonnes of God So are wee led captiue vnder sinne that in the inward man we delight in the law of God So are we subiect to Afflictions as that wee are more then Conquerours ouer them So is Death the end of our sinne and entrance to our glorious libertie Thus doth the Word discouer the estate of our conuersion thus doth it allure and satisfie vs in the whole processe and consummation thereof And doth not the manner of our Conuersion auouch as much that it is by perswading and mollifying of our hearts Doth not the Lorde himselfe allure and inuite vs to embrace these meanes proffering vs wares with money wooing of vs to open vnto him by testimonie of his patience and pledges of his loue stretching out his hands vnto vs all the day long And those not emptie but dropping downe myrthe and tendering most invaluable riches the rather to allure vnto him Doth not wisedome invite vs to a Feast and allure vs with her delicates Doth not the Lord preuent vs with his grace that we may be plentifull in good works Doth he not allure vs to holinesse when he imputes the righteousnesse of his Sonne vnto vs and not onely accounts that ours which hee freely giues but accepts that to be his which by our corruption is defiled Doth not the Lord offer parley Come let vs reason together Hath hee bene a wildernes vnto vs Nay what could hee haue done vnto vs which he hath not done Thus doth the Lord perswade and allure our Conuersion And are not his Ministers led by the same spirit Doe they come vnto vs with a rod or not rather with the spirite of meekenes Are they not his Embassadors to treat with vs Nay his Orators to beseech vs to be reconciled vnto God Are they not ready so to wooe vs that they not only are contented to deliuer the Gospell vnto vs but euen theyr owne soules so deare are we vnto them so little deare is their life vnto them in regarde of preaching the Gospell that we may be saued Are they not our fathers to beget vs in all loue and compassion to be the children of God Are they not our Noursing-mothers to dandle and suckle vs as new-borne babes with the milke of the Gospell that wee may growe vp thereby Are they not our shepheards to leade vs into the greene pastures to dresse and tenderly looke to vs as the tender lambes of Iesus Christ Are they not Gods fisher men to allure vs as with a bayte thereby not to constraine vs by force but to catch vs with a wile And doe they not in all this perswade vs reasonable men by most reasonable and tractable meanes to a matter most reasonable euen to returne vnto God For to proceede now to the substance of our conuersion and thence to proue this manner of our Calling by Alluring as also the equitie thereof Is our Conuersion any other then a restoring vs to that estate which heretofore we enioyed in Adam and lost by the malice of Sathan And ought there to bee any thing more acceptable vnto vs then to come foorth of Darknes into a maruellous light to be deliuered from bondage yea from bondage of Sathan vnto the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God to be pluckt out of the horrible pit and aduanced to the highest Heauens to be made Lords of all who before were vassalls vnto all To be at peace with all who before had all against vs. Such is our conuersion Is there any thing more reasonable Is it not most reasonable and equall that God should haue his will who hath decreed our conuersion that he should enioy the seruice of his creature which is obtained by conuersion that he should be loued of his children that are so made by conuersion Is it not meet conuenient that we should be holie as our God is holie that to eternall happines wee should be made meete by perfect holines Ought not members of the body to haue the like 〈◊〉 Ought not citizens of the same heauenly Ierusalem to be of one minde Nay ought not fellow-heirs of the same kingdom be of the same nature of the like beautie and glorie Such are we with Iesus Christ and such are wee made by conuersion And is it not most equall that the Lord Iesus should haue what hee hath purchased at so deere a rate 1. Pet 1. 1. Cor 6. Lastly what true marke is there of our cōuersion which doth not owne this truth that we were not compelled but perswaded allured therunto Haue wee peace of conscience and so are at peace with God who could haue procured this vnles God had giuē it how could wee haue receiued this vnlesse the minde had bene allured and nourished with the loue of God no entertainment of Gods loue but by ouercomming the heart with loue No true euidence of Gods loue vnto vs but by out loue vnto him againe No sound euidence of our loue vnto our God but by our readinesse to forsake all for his sake but by our delight in the excellent inlarged heart towards them not by constraint but of a ready minde 1 Pet 5. 3. 4. So much we loue our God as we desire his continuall presence and perpetuall fruition of his blessed society By this do we know that we are of God that we come boldly to begge or rather chalenge his promise that we will not be saide nay but are answered in our chiefe desires Thus God freely promiseth and offereth meanes to vs not deseruing it that so we may not be discouraged but rather inuited to embrace the same And because Gods loue is free therefore it preuailes vpon the most vnlikely deliuering the captiue giuing sight to the blinde swallowing vp dispaire in mercie and crowning corruption in glorie And because he maketh vs partakers of y e diuine nature therfore also he enables vs freely to loue him and cheerfully to obey him to runne the way of his Commandements after hee hath set our hearts at libertie yea he maketh our feet like Harts feet so that by the helpe of our God we leape ouer a wall yea hee giueth
vs wings as to auoyd vnnecessary and desperate extremities so to flie speedily in the execution of the will of God That by this willing minde we might not onely be comforted in respect of our outward failing seeing the Lord hath promised Not to quench the smoaking Flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but encouraged also and enabled to constancie and perseuerance that so continuing to the ende the Crowne may not be taken from vs. Thus by the marks of conuersion is the manner thereof confirmed vnto vs Thus by this manner thereof are we assured of the continuance of the same And is our Conuersion then a worke of grace and free compassion from the Lorde Is it accomplished by the word of peace and sweet promises of the Gospell applyed to the fainting soule by the Spirite of grace and Compassion Is it conueyed vnto vs by vessels of Infirmitie which might better haue compassion on vs and allure vs to mercie as being subiect to it and therefore hauing experience of our miserie Is it effected by melting the heart with the apprehension of the loue of God Is is perfited by enlarging the heart to the obedience of our God Well then may fire and fagot confound both bodie and soule well may Antichrist enlarge an earthly monarchy with sword and outward violence but the milde voyce of the Gospell must conuert the soule The meanes to fill Heauen must be the alluring of the spirit Oh why dispaire we to conuert though now miracles are ceased seeing by the power of the Word the secrets of the heart are made so manifest that God wil be acknowledged to be in vs that so we may conuert vnto God If they will not belieue Moses and the prophets neither will they belieue though one come from the dead and yet to coÌ„uert a sinner is more wonderfull theÌ„ to raise froÌ„ the death How vainely do they bragge of a Church that exclude the word of God how can we hope for the continuaÌ„ce of a Church where the sound therof doth not coÌ„tinne what hope is there of coÌ„uersion where doctrine is not deliuered by which the mind is perswaded what feare of further peruersion where lawes are not executed to coÌ„pell men to perswasion where deceiuers are permitted to poyson with corrupt perswasion Who so is wise let him consider this Let him see the plague and hide himselfe Let him trie his conuersion by the perswasion of his Iudgement that he is rooted in knowledge not wauering in opinion Let him examine his effectuall calling by the readinesse of his minde and cheerfulnes in obedience euen to all the will of God not a part thereof that constantly and continually not being weary of well-doing being more ready to doe well then for the present he is able and so enabled to well doing that at length he may attaine his desire as of perfect obedience which he shall attaine so of perfect happinesse the recompence of his labours full contentment of his vtmost desires And therfore let him pray for the continuance of the gospell to quickeÌ„ his desires Let him earnestly desire the confusion of Antichrist that sonne of darknes enemy to this glorious light Let him be wise to discerne betweene the chaffe the wheate to trie the Spirits and hold what is good Let him especially make much of the Annoynting and hearken to the voyce behinde him not grieuing the Spirit nor quenching the motions thereof that still there may be light in the Land of Goshen in the dayes of Famine hee may haue enough Exod 8. Iob 5. Comforting himselfe that seeing his conuersion is from Gods alluring of free loue and perswading by a power vnresistable not desired by him therefore being conuerted he shall surely hold when Heauen and earth shall passe though thousands fall daylie at his right hand and ten thousands at his left hand yet shall not this plague of Apostasie seaze on him who is kept by the mightie power of God vnto that great day that hee may be presented blamelesse vnto the Lorde Iesus And therefore not being discouraged for theyr going out from vs that were neuer truely of vs but rather enlarged with continuall praise vnto his God that leaues not him also to himselfe to fall away with this present euill worlde but still humbles his flesh to keepe life in his soule and counts him worthie to suffer with his Christ that so the life of Christ might daily appeare for his approching to glory Thus doth God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Thus is a Christian conuerted by perswasion And thus doth God giue him a Dowrie with his marriage Iapheth being perswaded is also enlaged The kingdome of heauen being bestowed interesses also the Faithfull in the possessions of the earth The true belieuer alone is the right owner of all Gods blessings He that first seekes the kingdom of heaueÌ„ shall haue these things also cast vpon him Matth 16. 33. So profitable is godlines aswell for this life as that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. 9. So Christ being ours who is Lord of all in heauen earth Math 28. all with him is ours both in heauen and earth 1. Cor. 3. Rom 8. So haue wee onely grace to vse those well and therefore are only fit for them So are those onely fit for vs as being sanctified by vs vnto vs. Oh how vaine then is theyr boasting and labour that toyle for these things without grace how fearfull is their account that possesse them without Christ What comfort haue we in the least seeing it is vnto vs as all what hope of that which shal be sufficieÌ„t for vs What wisedome ought wee to vse to make first sure of the best what conscience in approuing our right by our holy vsing of these things What Faith in a better right by renouncing Confidence in these by our williingnes vpon iust occasion to part with them either to the good of our brother though we cast our bread vppon the waters or to the glorie of God though wee euen cast our liues after them Shall not hee which thus leaueth House or lands haue recompence an hundred-folde shall not hee finde his life that thus is willing to loose it Oh how can we better shewe our free power ouer these things theÌ„ by keeping them short that they may haue no power ouer vs neither ouer our hearts by Couetousnes which is Idolatrie nor ouer our bodies by pinching and niggardlines nor ouer our Coâ—sâ—â—â—nce by making difference where God hath made all good nor ouer our libertie by abiectnes and scrupulositie Oh that we would learne to renew and increase our soueraigntie ouer the Creature by our daily subiection vnto God in acknowledgment of our unworthines of the least in crauing his blessing euen vpon the greatest As by the sense of our vnworthines renuing our right in Christ
purpose in this refining and purging of him not iustifying his friends who charged him wrongfully to be onely plagued for his sinnes Yet iustifying his God who not onely might thus deale with him as being his creature but ought so to deale with him in mercie to make him more conformable to his Creator And had not the Lord his end herein Did not iust Iob come forth of the furnace more purely and gloriously shalt not thou also being purged be graciously deliuered And shall not thy greatest falles further thee thereunto as making thee more humble more hunger after Christ And what then can separate thee sroÌ„ the loue of God in IESVS CHRSIT Who is more ready to receiue thee then thou to run vnto him who inuites thee to him who will keepe thee in him that so thy falles shall make thee more wise not to relie on thy selfe nor any other broken reed but to roote thy selfe more firmely on the Rocke and so grow more constantly in grace that still walking in feare of thy selfe thon mayst walke in the faith of thy Sauiour and so trusting in the Lord thou shalt neuer be remooued And that thou mayst haue an vndoubted euidence hereof Behold what followeth Iapheth shall dwellin the Tents of Shem. Though Shem for a time be reiected that Iapheth may be gathered in though the Iewes be cast off that the Gentiles may come in yet when the fulnes of the Gentiles shal be accomplished then shall Shem returne againe to the true worship of God and howsoeuer the Iew hath stumbled a long time at the Crosse of Christ yet shall hee at length so embrace the Lord IESVS that the glory and zeale of his profession shall allure and receiue the scatterings of the Gentiles who after the fulnesse is come in shall either remaine to bee called or being called and yet dispoyled of the outward beautie of their profession shall now take holde of the skirt of him that is a Iew and bee prouoked by his zeale to ioyne with him in the power of Religion that so there may be one shepheard and one sheepfold prepared to meet the Bridegroome when he shall appeare in glory So then If Iapheth shall dwell in the Tents of Shem the Iewes shall then haue a full and glorious conuersion before the second comming of the Lord IESVS And why not principally at Ierusalem the old place of their worship though not in the pride of the holy mountaine which is destroyed yet in the power of the Spirit raigning in the midst of his enemies and in that pure language seruing the Lord with one consent Shall not the Lord be as able to plant in the Iew againe as he was able in his roome to plant in the Gentile for a time Must not the Iewe bee prouoked by the Gentile to embrace the Messiah euen as the Gentile was prouoked by the falling of the Iew. And haue wee not dayly experience of the Iewes comming in againe Doth not the Lord euery day giue pledges hereby of a fuller haruest Are not these Haruengers and Fore-runners of the great Armies of the Lord And can the day of the Lord IESVS be accomplished till this Word bee fulfilled Doe not all the Prophets beare witnesse hereunto Shall not the Lord be glorified in the saluation of the first borne must not Iew and Gentile make vp one bodie of CHRIST and worshippe the Lord IESVS in one Spirit Shall not the restoring of the Iewes prepare the Gentiles to meete the Lord IESVS in the cloudes Is not this that new Ierusalem that holy Citie which comes downe from God out of Heauen prepared as a Bride trimmed for her Husband Which though for a time in regard of her present state of Apostasie sâ—e turne an enemie for the Gentiles sake to occasion their calling yet sâ—eing shee is eternally beloued for the Father sake Can her imquitie make the election and Faith of God of none effect Nay rather shal it not make for the further reuelation of Gods free loue towards his children in receiuing them againe into mercie euen as the prodigall sonne when in regard of their present state they appear most vnworthy therof And is this obstinacie any other but in part till the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in so that the remnant of the election shall certainely be gathered in Shall not this restoring of the Gentiles be the reuiuing of the world restoring newe glory and beautie vnto the the same when as the Iew and Gentile shall ioyne together in the pure worship of God Thus shall the Redeemer come vnto Sion and vnto them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith the Lord. Esay 59. 20. Thus Iacob shall hereafter take roote and Israel shall florish and grow and the world shal be filled with fruit Esay 27. 6. In those dayes will the Lord make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iuda he wil put his law into their inward parts write it in their hearts and he will be their God and they shal be his people Yea he will forgiue that iniquitie and remember their sins no more Though he haue forsaken them for a season yet in euerlasting compassions will hee gather them againe Esay 54. 8. Doth not the Lord gloriously figure out their returne by their deliuerance out af Egipt and returne out of the captiuiof Babylon So that though Israel shall remaine many dayes without a King and without a Prince and without an offering and without an Image and without an Ephod and without a Seraphin Yet afterward shall the children of Israel come out and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes Hosea 3. 4. 5. Loe this hath the Lord promised and shall he not make it good shall not this receiuing of the Iewes confirme and forerunne the most comfortable doctrine of the resurrection As being shadowed out most liuely hereby Reuel 21. 2. Ezech 37. Esay 29. 18. 19. Which as it iustly condemneth our base and odious account of that holy Nation and also reprooueth our cruell dealing towards them so it teacheth vs to pray heartily for their Conuersion and to vse all holy meanes for the effecting thereof praysing God for the labours of our holy Countreymen and others to this end and reioycing in those gracious pledges of this vndoubted blessing Tremellius and many others Comforting our selues that our posteritie shall enioy more glorious times of the Gospel when Iew and Gentile shall ioyne together and worship the Lord with one shoulder assuring our selues that this great comming in of the Iew cannot bee farre off seeing the fulnesse of the Gentiles is well-neere come in And preparing our selues in this fulnesse of the Gentiles to greater troubles which doeth and will certainely arise by this Apostasie of the Gentile And yet in patience possessing our soules seeing the end wil not yet be