Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A29281
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The mysterie of the true ministry unvailed as it was to be before, under, and shall be after Antichrists time, and the unlawfulness of the call of the now ministry. By a witness of the gospel, John Brayne.
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Brayne, John.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B4329; ESTC R224004
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12,193
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21
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Children shee then should have are even more then the married Wife 2. On this God promiseth the Church great encrease to betide her under that estate ver 2. where her Seed shall inherit the Gentiles and shall make the desolate Cities be inhabited Desolation being the estate God cals the world by when without Communion with the Lord Jesus in the fellowship of the Gospel Hence Antichrist for destroying the Gospel-Church Constitution is called the abomination that maketh desolate shee having made the world desolate as it was before Christ Ver. 4. The holy Spirit tels her of her youth which time followed shortly on her Conversion when she apostatized and fell from her first Love adulterating the wayes of God and in the end fell to Idolatry by which the marriage Bond came to be broken Object The time of her youth was before Conversion a time which precedes Marriage Resp The Time before Conversion was a desolate Time and she desolate in that time which is not accounted of with God at all and ver 6. plainly proves this time of youth was time of marriage for she is there plainly called a wife of youth The 3. estate is an estate of Widowhood ver 4. 1. Which proves her once to have been the wife of Christ before or how could she be said to be now a Widow 2. This Widow-hood is expresly set down how it came to be brought upon her and that is she was a forsaken woman her Husband had left her And now desiring to be again admitted to be the Lords Spouse she is rejected and refused as not meet as in ver 6. 3. This estate is that estate that we have been in since the fall of the Gospel-Church 4. Ver. 7. Proves it where the Lord is brought in saying for a little moment have I forsaken thee 1260 years in Eternity are lost as a moment is in the worlds thousands of years or as drop of water is lost that fals into the great Seas The fourth Estate is her second Restauration in which Christ takes the Gentile Church again to himself which is that we look for and is now immediately to come 1. As in Verse 5. in which Christ again puts the Church upon the looking on him as her Husband 2. Verse 6. holds out the means how he assumes her to himself again and that is giving her Call Rev. 18.4 3. Her condition at this time of Calling is excellently set forth she is then grieved in spirit for lack of her Husband and for her former dishonoring of him yea she is in a forsaken Estate having a multitude of enemies and no friends Rev. 16.14 and so knoweth not what to do for lack of Christ 4. The way God hath to bring her to be his Wife after Calling is set out by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by gathering Members into a Church-Society which work God is said to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words are both in the plural as that the greatness of all mercies is included in the Lords taking of the Church to himself again and proves the Church shall yet have abundance of sweet experience of Jesus Christs Love unto her above all other days or times past 5. Observe the order things are set down in by God as first Calling upon which followeth gathering and the mercies mentioned Hosea 2.19 20 21 22. are thereupon made good 6. Vers 9. God gives the promise Gen. 9.11 to the Church for assurance his wrath should no more rest on her to which water God alludes Rev. 21.1 saying There shall be no more Sea which proves Isaiah to mind the fame things time and people with John 7. This Scripture agreeth with Johns in many things to be fulfilled now among the Gentiles as the departure of the hills and the removing of the mountains spoken of Rev. 6.14 16.14 in which worldly greatness that our impediments to this great work are so removed as never was to be in any age as now v. 10. 8. In this Vers 10. after these are removed and not before the means by which the Gospel Call may be effectual to us is set down and that is by binding Christ to us and us to Christ by a Covenant which is the marriage knot 9. Vers 11. sets out the estate of the Gentiles with all exactness before this Marriage time they are afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted as our estate at this day doth abundantly witness when God begins to comfort her in her Church estate to be he being now about to build the Gospel Temple according to that of John Rev. 11.1 In which consider 1. He speaks of laying the very foundations which he would not do if any foundations that is if any true Church were now in being Vers 11. 2. God faith he will make her Windows that is her Ministers of Agates which God by an extraordinary way comes to make again as in Vers 12. 3. He will make her gates of Carbuncles which shews that God would again now come to restore the way of Church-admission to its Membership which Antichrist like another Sampson had carryed away as he the gates of Gaza Applic. That none of the stones mentioned but the Saphir stones which are the foundation stones which signifie the Apostles are not of those in Rev. 21. or in Aarons brest which shew this was the Gentile Church and not the Jews in this place 2. In that he saith he would lay the foundations make gates and windows he sheweth the desolation of the Church to be otherways then is now thought on Vers 13. he saith All her children shall be taught of God In my Treatise of the Resurrection of fallen Churches see my Exposition of Heb 8.10 11. which accords with the Gospel estate only Vers 13.14 He comforts her in the peace she should enjoy after her Churches Constitution and none before in that Magistrates were wise and would be warned of God herein Vers 14. In Righteousness she shall be established to which 2 Pet. 3.13 alludes in his new heaven and new earth Vers 15.16 17. God tells her what would come on her before these things were fulfilled as that the enemies would gather together Rev. 16.14 not by God but the frogs who should fall for her sake Rev. 3.9 12.8 9. and then with what they should come against her with the Smiths instruments of War and with false accusations from their deceitful tongue calling the Saints Schismaticks Hereticks Deceivers c. It remains I should prove this against the common received Expositions but think it needless only thus generally men understand here by the Jewish Church only not the Gentiles which the word Married wife set down in the beginning by way of opposition to the desolate Church is a sufficient conviction of it self to prove the contrary and that the Scripture as before applyed concerns us our peace and way to true happiness if the Lord give us grace to embrace it which only can secure us from the desolation and misery so eagerly pursues us which the Lord in this sweet and saving way of mercy deliver us from for his Glory and his Names sake Amen FINIS
we prove our Ministry from this Jezabel 2. Succession cannot be proved true from any other Church 1. If in all the world the Church were but hid three years and a half Succession could not be proved how then if it be hid 1260 years for how can it be said to be hid when Succession of Ministry can be proved for time place and persons 2. Against those that endeavor to prove their Call from a succession of Ministry set up in this Kingdom in Lucius time I have proved at large in my Treatise called The Resurrection of fallen Churches that there was never any true constituted Church in this Kingdom and then no true Ministry or Succession to be proved hence at all And were it granted a true Gospel Church was set up in the Land in Lucius time or before and that ever since there have been faithful Teachers in the Land 1. For many years they have been but of the two Witnesses whose Ordination of those that were ordained was as corrupt as the Popish Priests nor did they minister in a Church-way 2. Nor was Ordination exercised by them but the Popish Hierarchy who solely exercised the Authority of Church-administrations in publick 3. Nor were their Societies formally and publickly distinguished from the Popish Societies until Luthers time 4. Had they the power of Ordination it must be according to that power ordained them which was Antichristian Object We had Ordination from Luther one of the seven Angels who had his trump from God and was prophecyed of before and so had authority to restore the Ministry 1. We of this Kingdom cannot plead this 2. Could we Yet Luther not changing the Church to its right Constitution nor erecting the Gospel Ministry what ever his Call was the ordinary succession of such as succeeded him could not be Evangelical 3. Nor was the Restauration of the Churches fallen estate given to him to do it being not to be until the flesh of Antichrist be eat and her Antichristian policy burned 1 Cor. 3.15 and she made desolate that is her Ministry took from her Rev. 17.16 Now Luther came as it were at the beginning or in a visible manner seemed to begin these things the fulfilling whereof is reserved for him who as another Luther shall lighten the world but with a clearer and more exceeding glory and none else but he to whom it is given may do it at all Quest If a peoples electing a Minister be not authority sufficient to qualifie him for all ministerial duties Resp. 1. Election is the Peoples Interest 2. Ordination is properly the true Church Presbyteries Interest 3. These two are distinct things and proper to several persons one of which is not to destroy the other nor can one sufficiently qualifie a man without the other 4. Though God hath given the Church as a Church the power of Election yet a company of men in what other state soever have not this power belonging to or residing in them for if they had how is then God said to give it to the Church 5. Now as none have power to elect out of Church-society so Elders ordinarily have no power to ordain any that are not thus elected by a people of and in a Church constituted Estate Applic. To Ministers I beseech you in all humility for Gods Glory and your own Peace in the day of Accompt see if the Odinances of God may be administred without a Call if so what need a Call or Paul's so oft pleading for it and whether an Antichristian Call be not worse then none when we rule in Gods House by the authority of his Adversary how intolerable a thing were this to be admitted in our own houses Illustration As Nehem. 7.67 the Priests and Levites sought their Register amongst those that were recounted by Genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted put from the Priest-hood which if all Churches that cannot prove their true and lawful successions were so dealt withall where would there be a Church or Church-Minister And it is observable that the Lord having set apart a particular Tribe for the Ministry of the Levitical Priesthood succession served to continue them their Corruptions not destroying their ministry It is otherwaies now under the Gospel 2. If the Administrations in the corrupt Church of Corinth were but hay wood or stuble 1 Cor. 3.12 what are ours now administred but their like being as far below those administred in the true Church in a right way as stuble is to precious Stones and Pearls Object We had Ordination neither from Pope nor Bishops but from Presbitery Resp Presbitery is a stream from that Fountain which in no wise cannot be purer then the rest of that Hierarchy Appl. to the People Attend to what the Spirit saith unto you 1 Thess 5.12 that those ye are to obey ought to be over you in the Lord Acts 20.22 and the holy Spirit is to make them Overseers So that where these are not the bonds of Government and Authority in teaching are destroyed there being no Power or Authority to be acknowledged in the Church but what is of Jesus Christ Jer. 23.21 and 29.9 God doth condemn the false Prophets for going and he did not send them And in that 23. Jer. 21. God puts sending before speaking as distinct things in which they began to err Appl. To Magistrates Consider the time you are in even at the period of Antichrists allotted time and it will shew you clearly what God is doing and what you are to doe if yâ—â— goe against Gods will and work you will be broken to pieces as others have been before you you will no longer prosper then ye walk in his way and know Gods device is against Babel Jer. 51.11.29 which he will bring about to be done though against your wills yea against your selves The Lord in mercy be a light unto you and through your darkness guide you and preserve you to see the hoped for salvation of God in the Land Ruth 4.11 and the Lord make you doe worthily in Ephrata and famous in Bethlehem Now in that Christ saith Mat. 13.52 Every Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven bringeth forth of his Treasury new things and old I Commend to you for Confirmation of the aforesaid particulars the 54. Cap. of the Proph. Esa In which these severall estates of the Gentile Church are clearly held out with its estate before it was a Church 1. It s estate before it was a Church is set out in Ver. 1. by not bearing and not travailing with child called desolate which estate can no way be applyed to the Jewish Church 2. This farther cleared in that this estate of the Gentiles is opposed to the Jewes they being the married Wife signifying their Church estate as opposed to the Gentiles desolate Condition The 2. Estate of the Gentiels after calling is their married Estate under the Gospel in the Apostles time 1. From ver 1. where the multitude of