our Soules c. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death let us fear no evill concluding thence with the Psalmist that surely goodnesse and mercy Psal 21 shall follow us all our daies and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever 4. And to conclude what is reckoned by God as a more hainous aggravation of the sin of unbleife or mistrust of providence then this means and help of experience for which to passe by many let us fix our serious eye and thought upon that notable Testimony recorded by David against the People of Israell with whom because they beleeved not in God nor trusted in his salvation though he had commanded the Clouds from Heaven above and given them of the Corn of heaven c. Therfore Psa 78. 21 22. 23. 24. the Lord was wroth and a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israell Which is aptly appliable to us in the daies of the Gospell For if we sleight the Experiences of mercy and deliverance hardning our hearts after Heb. 3. 4. Ca. this sinfull similitude according to the judgment of the Author to the Hebrews we shall also fall after the same example of unbeleife chap. 4. 11. CHAP. XVIII Of the spirit of Christ as the Soules immediate Rest and Evidence WE have at length dispatched this Errour on the absolute consideration of it Wherin as you have if very busy to oppose the spirit to its effects cause word Ministry and witnesse so you have us as carefull to make and keep an answerable Peace and Concord betwixt them We are now ascended to the Bench that having called this exorbitant spirit to its last triall we might answerably passe a sinall judgment and sentence upon it But as before we have found it erroneous and and guilty in an absolute capacity so the triall of it here is as it is respective unto its speciall end as a Rest and Evidence The end and conclusion of this Way and Errour is that since all the fore-handled The Errour particulers are but false and unwarrantable means and helps c. The spirit immediate and as alone is the only all-sufficient means to the Soul for all ends and purposes whatsoever but especially fort its Rest and Evidence The specialty subjoyned as being neerer to the shadow of scripture and reason and more dearly imbraced commended by my Antagonists then any and all other of the uses of their spirit I shall cheifely and only question here viz. Whether the spirit be alone and immediately the only all-sufficient evidence of it self or Gods favour to us Though the vanity hereof hath been discovered all along while the right way of means hath been cleered and confirmed in every particuler of it yet my present undertaking shall more directly demonstrate the same and condemn it first even out of the mouth of that very Medium and argument as Umpire betwixt us that this way it self hath chosen and every False rest Pag. 90. 30. and many other places where appealed to against us viz. that is not to be rested upon as an infallible Evidence that may be either true or false Which Medium we grant could the false and erroneous assumption viz. that the truth of our Evidence is not knowable have been made good would have undeniably concluded against us that the best of our Evidence is but fallible and in their sense a false Rest. But as we have fully vindicated the truth of our against the spite and power of this by them abused argument so we shall by the light of the same reflected upon them plainly manifest the fallibility and weakness of this their Evidence The Argument may be thus framed That which for ought we can possibly 1. Argument against the spirits immediate witnesse gather may be true or false cannot be an infallible and undoubted Evidence But the spirit as alone and without the use of any means and considered abstractedly from its effects for ought we can possibly know may be true or false Therefore the spirit as alone without use of any means c. Cannot be infallible and undoubted Evidence There is nothing here questionable but the second proposition viz. that the spirit as alone without use of any means abstracted from all its effects may for ought we can possibly know be true or false which is also cleer from scripture and reason according to scripture 1. First These direct and most visible inferences from 1. John 4. 1. c. Might wholy satisfie as 1. There are false as wel as true spirits 2. The false as well as the as good and true spirit hath access to knock at the hearts of Saints 3. The Saints may be apt to beleeve both the false as well as the true spirit 4. The Saints are forbidden to beleeve every spirit 5. The Saints and such as have the spirit of God cannot discern spirit from spirit but by Triall 6. Therefore it is not commended only but commanded as we see even upon such to try the spirits Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God for there are many false Prophets gone out into the World The Gleaning after the full Harvest we formerly have reaped from this Text may be gathered thus Our Hearts lying open to the various suggestions both of the good and evill spirit the great question is how we shall know which is the good and which is the evill that we put not evill for good and good for evill how we should discern which is the comming of the spirit of God to make it to us an infallible Evidence Moreover my great Antagonist himself acknowledging that indeed there is no form though never so glorious but Satan will transform himself into it there is no working of the spirit 〈◊〉 God Pag. 127. within man but he will resemble it So that none shall be able to know whether it be true or false untill Christ come in c. how then shall we know in the light of Christ this we grant But how doth Christ enlighten immediately without the use of meanes then I should demand why should not Christ evidence the truth of his word as well as the truth of his spirit immediately to us 2. Again why doth not the spirit while it evidenceth it self discover also every false and erroneous spirit immediately to us as he saith the true rest sheweth us the vanity of every false Pag. 34. lin 18. 3. And then why doth the spirit command us here not to beleeve every spirit much more what need of triall of the spirits or any marks or outward rules Ver. 1. 2. 3. 6. whereby we might know the spirit of truth and the spirit of Errour The Text is thus far most cleer to all that the spirit that dictates to or dweleth in us may be true or false for ought we know until we try and examine it by outward
his Earnest Is the Redemption of the Soul that is precious or that his Name his mercifull gracious Name that is exalted above all his Word so sleight or worthlesse in Divine thought Gratia semel recepta non potest am tti respectu Patris Jo. 10. 29. Filii 1 Cor. 6. 7. Spiritus Sancti Ephes 1. 13. Weams that God will or can suffer the one or the other to fail or miscarry Yea He delighteth in mercy and his mercy endureth for ever and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints see here the heights and depths c. of Divine love and tendernesse to his for our Comfort and Joy with these Obligations God hath tied his own hands he can onely give not take away his Grace given he can blesse and onely blesse and not curse us so that it is but right and equity on his behalf not to deprive us of that Grace and Holinesse he hath once given us Now certainly if God cannot lawfully he cannot at all take away Grace 1 Joh. 1. 9. if he cannot De Jure he will not De Facto who is Just and Faithfull Just with relation to our Saviours Purchase Heb. 10. 23. and Faithfull that hath Promised To conclude then Grace is no fallible Evidence upon this account it is neither changeable in it self nor yet with respect to Gods disposall But were it so that our Grace were at the owners disposall what advantage yet is gained to this way of the Spirit by such a grant Is not Gods Spirit as much Gods own as our Grace We read of our Light our Grace but seldome of any such or so clear an interest we have in the Spirit is Grace Gods right and not much rather the Spirit Is Grace in Gods Power Will Disposal and the Spirit wholly in ours cannot God suck in his own Breath as easily as to blot or put out our Life hath not God the same if not more immediate Power over the Cause as effect Yet this is the way wherein we must walke to meet and close with the Spirits comming Object But it might be further added that though Grace cannot totally yet may it Not quoad habitum yet quoad gradum surely so far perish as not to be decernable and so not evidentiall Answ Suppose we grant yet what weight will it add to the scale in hand The question is not whether there may not be some Cases experienced wherein Grace cannot evidence but whether Grace is not able and apt in it selfe to Evidence or whether it be not lawfull to reflect upon our Grace to clear our Evidence for Heaven 2. For further satisfaction let us a little weigh this case in the ballance of Experience and we shall finde that as there is a two-fold desertion namely of Grace and Comfort so these seldome or never fall in together to the same person for where we finde an Ebb of Grace we usually find a Flood of Confidence and we many times see Streams of Grace flowing from the wounded bleeding Conscience The Spirit is called Fire and it doth many times give much heat and little light when it hath denied to bring with it the Light of Gods Countenance yet it hath been as a Refiners fire to purge the Soul to burn up its lust and to take away drosse and Tinn So that very many even while they do miserably labour under such sad desertions of Comfort they are zealously affected to the glory of God the benefits of Christ the comforts of the Spirit and doe even hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse But to apply If the desertion be of Comfort as is most agreeable to the Case in hand I conclude that all sincerity and fear of God is never so farre gone even under the greatest desertion of Comfort as not to be discernable even by the Soul it self that suffers if Enlightned assisted by the Spirit the Comforter doe not all the expressions of Spirits so laboring experience so much and testifie for them to all the hearers their fear to offend their prizing of Christ c But admit the desertion be of Grace as it is sad to think how far even those that are truely in Christ may fall so is it as hard to imagine how a person while under the state of Apostacy should ever have so serious a self-reflection as to have any occasion to make use of his Evidences t is all one to him while he lies in this state whether they be clear or blur'd Object But suppose him new enlightned newly convicted then he will have need of Evidences and finde none Answ As such light brings Conviction with it so such Conviction brings light with it I mean matter of Evidence and comfort For if a man be so far humbled as to question his condition and to bring himself to Triall and so to Conviction this is undoubtedly a good visible decernable mark in the light of the Spirit even of the true enjoyment of God So that we see it nothing avails either to our Case or indeed to any purpose to Object that Grace may not be visible and so not Evidentiall But let us observe two things by the by 1. That the Change with respect to Comfort is not in our Grace but in the Spirits presence or absence 2. The Spirit it selfe we finde thus far changeable My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Then what advantage hath this way of the Spirit against Qualifications by this discourse The second Argument The second Argument against Qualifications is found in page 23. line 26. It is an abuse of the Gift Viz. Qualifications and an affront put upon the Giver Viz. God to make the Gift and Evidence of the true enjoyment of God This Argument is so absurd and senseless that I shall onely call Earth Earth Sense and Nature to beare witnesse against it Such an instinct we finde in all tameable beasts even by the Gift to acknowledge the grace and favour of the Giver Doth not Nature teach you c. That herein hath God commended his love that while yet sinners Christ died for us Must not we now observe and acknowledge his love herein If we endeavour thereby to know the Love of God that passeth knowledge is this an abuse of the Gift an affront put upon the Giver to conclude acknowledge blesse and admire his Grace and Favour for Gifts and Mercies Earthy yea Heavenly the Graces of his Spirit the Image of his Sonne the Earnest and Seal of our owne Inheritance the proper End yea and appointed End of all Gods Mercies Especiall Spirituall and to his Saints That we might be to the prais of the Glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. The third Argument Object The third and most frequent Argument against the Evidence of Qualification is That nothing can be a sure Evidence that may be true or false but our Qualifications may be true or false Answ The second Proposition we deny Qualifications
whether Christ be in them is by a self-searching examination not by a waiting for the immediate invisible shining of the Spirit for its own discovery and evidence Arg. 3 A reflecting upon and reasoning from Grace for Evidence of our true enjoyment of God is but a judgeing of Gods presence by his working what absurdity or but a knowing of the Cause by the Effect and is this a strange thing I would fain know what hinders but that the Spirit may give us to see himself in his own work when as we behold the Creation and Providence of God this is that that may be known of God So the new Creation and Government within us is that that may be known of the Spirit Arg. 4 Since God is too wise a Work-man to make more work then needs why may not he make use of the Reason of man so easie and open and ready a way in this particular Case of Evidence as well as in those particulars following wherein I shall argue The Holy Ghost doth exercise the reason of man to evidence to him this state of Nature then why may he not by the same faculty Evidence to man his state of Grace These are in themselves proper contraries and both equally Relative unto man the one the depravation the other the recovery and reparation of his Nature yet we finde the first foot-steps of God for the Evidence of sinne in our first Parents trod in such a path God comes towards them to finde out and convince them of their sinne and Rebellion in eating c. How By a reasonable expostulation And hath the Spirit of Christ any other way then this according to the Gospell The Truth is my witnesse the Spirit at his comming this glorious dispensation of the Spirit shall convince the World of sinne John 16. 8. the Spirit may discover sinne long enough and I never see it unlesse it be with the eye of Reason and shew me Grace long enough and I never be comforted unlesse I see it with the same eye He shewes us the things of Christ but must not we see them too John 16. 14. else how shall we glorifie him God may accuse but he cannot convince us of sin without the enlightning of our own Reason and therefore that his ancient People might be convinced of their sinne and that he did not accuse them without a cause Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Isa 1. 18. Therefore to conclude as the Reprobate shall not be cast into Hell untill they be fully convinced of their sin by most cleare and invincible Evidence having all their Objections answered their mouths quite stopped when they have read their Debts in the Book that are in their own judgement sufficient to cast them into the Eternall Dungeon Matth. 25. 45. c. So if any of the Saints want the knowledge of the ground of Assurance while they are in the World they shall it seems with their reason enlightned by Christ at that day know it before they enter into his Kingdome Matth. 25. 37. to 40. The Holy Ghost maketh use of the reason of Man for his Conversion then why not also for his Consolation Is it not the same Object that doth convert Man to and comfort him in God On the one hand Hell and on the other hand Heaven and is it not the same Light that doth discover the same Object though for these divers Ends doth it not then require the same Organ the same Faculty Reason enlightned is the eye whereby we apprehend the terrour of Hell Law Justice c. with the glory of Heaven Grace and Happinesse and are changed in our thoughts and wayes and surely also whereby we apprehend the same Objects and our selves as freed from the one kind and interessed in the other and are ravished with joy unspeakable and glorious God is the Primum movens and he must first move our Primum mobile before the inferiour Orbes will turn towards him the will having its immediate Light and Evidence not from the Spirit of God but the mind the Candle of the Lord if the understanding be darkned it walks in darkness and seeth no light the heart is blinded but if this Candle be inlightned by the Spirit of God it is subservient not onely to the will but consequently to the whole Man in its turning from Sin and Nature to God and Grace Now the same light that doth convert the minde by Reflection doth comfort and refresh the heart The Holy Ghost doth work by our reason in the Creation of Faith then why not also for Hope and Assurance God hath provided a Saviour for Sinners the way of their Salvatian by him is beleiving in him Now that God might work up the Souls of sinners to beleive and be saved he hath ordained a Ministery hath put into its hand a word of Reconciliation to shew them the necessity and worth of a Saviour by convincing them of Sin and Righteousnesse offering them a Saviour and Life and Heaven with him will they but beleive beseeching in Christs stead that through him they would be reconciled to God and saved and all this is that he might not force but win Men to the Faith that Faith might come by Reason and in the day of Gods Power his Psal 110. People might be a willing People as we will not beleive so we cannot be assured but by Reason they are both Acts of the same Faith And now what should priviledge the reflex Act of Faith more then its direct from being beholding to Reason I know not The Scriptures say He that believeth shall be saved my reason being inlightned inabled to see the truth and stableness of the Proposition is effectually perswaded to close with this offer and to beleive But now I beleive cannot the same faculty of reason inlightned and assisted by the same Spirit reflect Consolation herefrom He that beleives shall be saved but I believe therefore I am sure I shall be saved this is the Joy of my Salvation What hinders but that the same reason that upon the perswasion of the truth of the Gospell caused me to beleive may upon the assurance of the truth of my Faith together with the veiw of the Glory of Salvation cause me to rejoyce because I did not doubt But he that beleiveth shall be saved therefore I beleived so for that I am assured I beleive I am assured of salvation and therefore am at rest What more neede of the immediate shining of the Spirit in us for Faith of Evidence then for Faith of Adherence as I reason about misery for the work of the first so I reason about happiness for the Act of the second that is the greatest difference Yea insomuch as we having assurance in Adam and not Faith Faith is the more difficult work Secondly insomuch as it being more difficult to attain to any habit then to Act from that habite when attained to act Faith of Evidence is far
pray always for you even you that yet oppose your 2 Thess 1. 11 12. selves that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may yet be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. CHAP. VI. Of the Allegorical sense of Scripture WE have hitherto been imployed in the reconciliation of the Spirit to his Effects and Cause but now how great occasion of Endeavour have we put into our hands of making peace betwixt the Spirit and his Word Their unchangeable Spirit doth deny his own word and opposeth the Scriptures As Absolute and that both in the whole As Respective to our use and that both in in many parts First then we finde that this Error doth gainsay the Word of God in an absolute acception in these two particulars 1. That visible Scripture or the Bible is but a bare Allegory Page 64. Page 65 ult 2. We are bound to beleive no more of Gods Word then the Spirit doth perswade and clear up to us How much of Popery Familisme and Anti-scripturisme are couched under these two Propositions we may in a measure guess by the first hearing and may further understand by the following Discourse hereof But of them in order For the first of these that that lifteth an high hand to pull down the plain express and visible meaning of Scripture to exalt an allegorical sense I know no other seeming ground whereon it sets footing to do this feat but one and that is borrowed from the Scripture it selfe that it might be an Engine for its own subversion and is the word Mystery Arg. Because we reade many times of the Mystery of the Gospel Mystery of the Kingdom Mystery of Faith Mystery of Godliness c. They gather that in all that is written or spoken there is hidden Manna a hidden Mystery That the outward visible sense is not to be regarded but their inward sense alone their allegorical interpretation is the Word of God the Scripture Answ This Argument is very much ingaged to the so frequently mentioned Author who makes so very much of that little nothing in it But I answer hereunto First because we reade much of Mysteries in the Word is therefore the Word all allegorical Why then do you not take the word Mystery also in a mistical sense and look for a mystery in the word Mystery But let us more plainly seek a Revelation of the word Mystery Now we as readily grant as you can demand that the whole Fabrick and Frame of the Gospel is very mysterious deep and unsearchable yet not allegorical But that that makes the difference betwixt us is the Papistical Equivocation of the word Mystery this word is first made pregnant and then is delivered of a double sense though the Mystery that is in the literal meaning be onely lawfully begotten and that that is in the Allegorical be Illegitimate But since we are forced to be Midwife for want of one of more skill in this present exigency we deliver into the World this Distinction There is a Mystery of the Sense Allegorical Real Subject The first may be when we dis-regarding the plain and open meaning of the words seek and pick out a further mysterious interpretation of them The later namely the Mystery of the Subject the real Mystery is when in the very opening of the plain intention and sense of the words there is found contained some wonderfull rare deep and mysterious matter in the same And now how easily is it determined that the Mysteries so frequently mentioned in the Gospel are such as respect the Subject-matter of the Gospel and not at all the visible and outward sense and phrase thereof let any man that hath but the Spirit of the Gospel yea but the use of his Reason judge The Gospel is a Relation or Report of the most strong deep and unsearchable Truths of Heaven concerning the recovery Acts 26. 21. of miserable man out of the Kingdom of Darkness into marvellous light and from the power of Satan unto God by Jesus Christ. Now when you have found this out once assure your selves you have the Truth look for no higher vain imagination no other Mystery then this which is the Mystery of the Gospel O take heed as you prize your Souls and Heaven of catching at any seeming though seeming never so glorious a Shadow of the Gospel least you with the Dog in the Fable let slip away from you and lose irrecoverably the substance thereof When we reade of the Mystery of the Kingdome therefore let us take heed of mistaking it for the Mystery of the Sense but of the Subject the Mystery i. of the Kingdome i. the mysterious way of the Reign of the Gospel Mysterious because the Kingdom of Christ cometh conquereth ruleth and governeth so secretly strangely mysteriously The Kingdom Luke 17. 20. of God cometh not with observation i. with outward pomp and victory which makes it so worthily called the Mystery of the Kingdome Secondly when we reade of the Mystery of Godliness we must not understand it as if we were to look for an allegorical sense and meaning of Godliness how weak and ridiculous is such a construction and yet there is a Mystery and Great is the Mystery of Godliness notwithstanding Now what is this Mystery Must we allegorize God manifested in the flesh into Christ in the Spirit to make this Mystery of Godliness Yea God in the Spirit is no Mystery at all at least in comparison of the Mystery of God in flesh this is a Mystery though it be revealed in the plainest and easiest words and phrase a Mystery still and such a Mystery as is incomprehensible by the largest and deepest capacity of Reason for without all controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleived on in the World received up into Glory 1 Tim. 3. 16. So to conclude the Mystery of Faith is also to be revealed understood in like manner Faith is mysterious two ways Objectivè as Christ the former Mystery is the Object or Medium of Faith Secondly Effectivè its Effects are mysterious deep and unsearchable by humane Reason as it unites with Christ justifies adopteth regenerateth * 1 Tim. 3. 8 9. sanctifieth saveth Thus plainly there is a mystery in Faith And that far greater then ever can be found in any other allegoricall faith imaginable But what color or gloss can they possibly have for their allegorically interpreted resurrection day of judgment matters of such high import concernment I say no more but I will avouch and testifie they had as good in plaine English to deny them both What hindereth yet poor Soules but you may if God suffer you see your fallacy surely you
if Prayer or Petition fall short of this Honour and preferment it is because it wants only proper occasions a fit and hard season in Heaven It is dead in its use and matter only things externall to it being as truly alive and eternall in its root and nature as thanksgiving Imagine we but an occasion of prayer in Heaven it self viz. Never so short a winter of want or misery there and prayer behold it hears the voice of cries and tears and will not dy but live and put up it self with strength of importunity while praise is silent We have an instance of this in our blessed Saviour who his Heaven of glory and happiness being seemingly ecclipsed in the daies of his flesh with strong cries and tears petitioned heavily My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Prayer it is an immortall spirit most like unto fire not in the Embers but in the flint where it lives for ever in vertue and power and any hard dealing will strike it forth into art and use imagine it in Heaven or any where else Prayer is no more dead in Heaven then it is betwixt its set houres or upon a thanksgiving day in the World Prayer I mean the Petitionary part of Prayer is eternall after the same manner with the heads of Logick the principles and conclusions of reason all naturall and morall truths which are produced into use and art but by occasion only Petition or the craving of things which we want it is the natural effect of a cause viz. sense of want The proper and rationall means of an end The obtaining our desires both witnessed in their observed rise in children and their generall use and practise among all People and Nations and in both these respects eternall Yea so far as is discovered any occasion thereof in Heaven experience testestifieth Prayer lives and breaths there also 1. Our Saviour is there and there lives ever lives to make intercession or to pray Heb. 7. 25. for us 2. And John saw the soules of them that Rev. 6. 9 10. were slaine c. And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them which dwell on the Earth Arg. 2 Secondly For the strength and application of what hath been said for the proof of the warrant of Praier to all of this world we shall argue now from the subject of prayer Man And as Prayer is of an eternall nature and power and is only suspended till occasion acts it So every man alive a Tenant of this World hath continuall matter and occasion thereof and therefore every man alive have their warrant most ready for the practise of Prayer Now that every man alive hath occasion and matter of prayer will appear in the truth of these two propositions 1. That want or misery of any kind whatsoever is the proper and naturall occasion and season of Prayer 2. That the best and most perfect of men in this life are the Subjects of want or misery of one kinde or other while they live in the World 1. Now for the first of these because the want of spirituall Heavenly things as it is an occasion of Prayer is as lesse doubted so lesse sensible also we shall therefore demonstrate that even earthly and temporall wants are a fit and seasonable occasion of prayer 1. Even temporall blessings are promised and therefore may and must be praied for Godlinesse having a Promise of and therefore a Prayer for this life also I will saith God multiply the fruit of the Eze. 36 30. 37. Tree the increase of the Feild c. Yet for this will I be inquired of by the house of Israell to do it for them saith the Lord. 2. And therefore our Saviour that was free from sin the most perfect of men he prayeth notwithstanding if it be possible let this Cup passe 2. And as any misery is the occasion of prayer so the best and perfectest of men alive are subjects of misery in one kinde or other and least men should boast of perfection of Grace though such boasting is vain yet we may infallibly convince them of outward sufferings as liable to them as to any others and therefore affording to them an equall occasion and season of Prayer with others They will not deny that man that is born of a woman let him be who he will our Saviour God himself hath but a short time to live and is full of misery Yea and a man that is born of the spirit much more For those that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and here no argument will heal and help the men of this errour in this fruit their rience visible all the world over discovers and proclaims their vanity and sufferings they being subject to greifs sicknesses wants death as well as other men Now unlesse they will maintain their Resurrection is past before their death one of their Paradoxes how can they escape the dint of this argument how can they put of the impetious motion of their wants and miseries in their Freinds themselves their Soules Bodyes Estates Names c. And still resist and quench the spirit of Prayer 3. Thirdly We argue the warrant of this practise by all from the principle of it the Efficiens adjuvans the assisting helping cause of prayer the Spirit of God For that prayer dependeth upon its occasion and season and man in this life hath continuall occasion and season thereof and man is foolish and weak and not able or wise of himself to improve this occasion for this end and purpose Gods Grace hath provided him the Help and assistance of his own spirit to teach him Rom. 8. how to pray But to make it as cleer as the Sun that the coming of the spirit doth not put to silence but rather raise and elevate the voice of prayer we consider him 1. In his promise 2. in his Office 1. In his promise and we read many pregnant promises of the spirit and of its abundant powrings forth especially at the famous conversion of the Jews towards the later ages of the World The great question is what will be the manner and effects of his coming from some generall discriptions thereof some men as our Antagonists imagine that such shall be the powring forth of the spirit then as that he shall drown and wash off from the earth all former Ordinances of the Church and this of praier among the rest but as we defended the rest in their place so here we shall read upon that promise in Zach. 12. 10. Which declareth after this manner the spirit shall come in the Zach. 12. 10. plentifullest powrings forth thereof even at his most glorious coming upon the new Jerusalem With relation to the duty in hand Prayer Let us read to be satisfied I will power upon the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of Grace
means Is it answered that thus it is knowable so is the work thereof in our hearts are they not known to be true or false but by the light of the spirit through our examining no more is the spirit himself Which it acknowledged to be knowable to us in the use of means by his own light we are agreed But this you may not allow that deny and oppose by the same pretended spirit all means of tryall your errour and misery 2. Secondly And doth not right reason also set to its Seal that this is true for thus I argue 1. Where the truth of the effect can-cannot be discerned without light from the cause how shal the truth of the cause be discerned without help from the effect now as to the case in hand it is received by all hands that the truth of the effect to wit Grace cannot be known but by the light of the cause viz. the spirit And the consequence is cleer from this common truth the effect is more knowable then the cause The reason thereof is for that the effect is more obvious to sense then the cause and things are conveyed by sense into the understanding for look how much the more any thing hath de ratione objecti viz. of sense it is so much the more easily discerned again that that is farther off from our knowledg is usually argued by that that is neerer and more known to us as we usually gain acquaintance with strangers by the means of our knowledge and acquaintance before Now according to these rules since the effects of the spirit are neerer to our knowledge then the spirit it self and yet we are not able to discern the true effects of the spirit without the spirits assistance how can we then be possibly at least probably able to make the truth of the spirit indubitable to us without regard to its Effects without use of means Secondly It seems to appeare that the The second way of arguing spirit as alone without the use of any means and considered abstractedly from its effects cannot be known to be true or false from the consideration of the nature of spirits in generall Spirits are knowable to men in their Essence residence and quality With respect indeed to the first of these we may know them both that they are and what they are as by way of Negation so by way of eminence but with respect to their place of residence and qualities where they are and what ones they are whether true or false good or bad we can know them only by way of causality or by their operations symptomes effects c. Secondly for in order hereunto we can only judg of them by sense or reason the only principles competent to man of knowledge and discerning Now therefore let us examine whether spirits either in their where or kind are to be known by sense or reason immediately without some signe effect or other 2. For there where or place of abode this certainly cannot be discerned immediately by sense Spirits being no sensible Objects imagine what kinde of spirit you will whether it be Angelicall rationall animall much more divine and though things of a grosser substance viz. Bodies may yet the spirit cannot Propter ejus excessum or by reason of its excelling purity be thus discovered We may take up a little of the knowledg of spirits for our present purpose from the purest of Bodies viz. Fire though Fire as corrupted may and is yet fire in its Element cannot be seen and as some affirm nor felt c. Therefore our daily experience sheweth us that the fire with us so soon as ever it hath conquered and overcome its matter gotten out of the cage the flame that thickned it it is immediatly invisible if not insensible and though it passeth upward towards its center and Element before our eyes yet who can perceive it now spirits the grossest of spirits are superiour to fire not only in degree but kinde also and that that elevateth the purest fire to exceed our senses viz. its purity is far more eminently contained in spirits and is the very thing that gives spirits their name and the very name that puts a distinction betwixt them and bodies the purest of Bodies fire it self It is a thing most apparant to experience that we cannot know whence any spirit is immediately by sense for wherein can they be sensible They have no colour therefore invisible They are not Bodies therefore not audible They have no sensible qualities not cold hot dry moist c. Therefore they cannot be smelt felt or tasted Therefore we read that when Angells were sent to accompany men they still assumed bodies according to scripture Secondly now since the presence of spirits is not knowable discernable by sense there is no other way left for the knowledge thereof but by reason Angells indeed see and know intuitive but this way of knowledge doth not Competere with us men We are reasonable creatures and know and judge of things not obvious to sense by our reasons only But let us be our selves and seriously consider and how is it possible that we that are reasonable Creatures should judge of the presence of any thing not obvious to our senses without an exercise of reason about some effects signes c. 2. Moreover if we cannot discern the presence of spirits either by our sense or reason how much lesse shal we ever be able to judge aright of their nature kinde or qualities without regard to their Effects without use and help of some signe mean Companion or other thereof As for example how shall I know whether the spirit in thee be rationall or animall onely But because it acteth a humane form or figure of Body in generall Because it discovereth it self by rationall discourse more speciall Giving some signe or Effect or other what spirit it is Further how shall I know whether the spirit in any be weak simple or of ripe understanding but by some outward operations and fruits thereof How do we try a mans Person whether good or bad but by his Actions The Tree as our Sahath taught us being known by his fruit by their fruit ye shall know them Yea neerer yet a man may most easily mistake through self-conceit and flattery in the knowledg and Judgment of his own spirit imagining himself to be informed acted and guided by a discreet wise and upright spirit when indeed there is no such matter unlesse he be so wise as to take a true measure for his knowledge of himself by comparing himself with such rules and patterns as are fit and known for a Foole may be wise in his own conceit But to apply if it be a thing so difficult to know our own so impossible to know anothers spirit how improbable it is then that we should be able to discern betwixt the spirit of God and the spirit of Satan without the help of some Effect or sign or other
be occasioned by that Godly Jealousy wherewith you are jealous over your flock Ever since I left you I have travelled for you yet not for you but yours or if for you in yours that I might bring forth this word of warning for them Whreunto I have labored till now as the other my manifold occasions left me opportunity and according to his working that worketh in me Sir My Request to you is only this that this poor Issue of my faithfull labours might have the honour and advantage of being delivered by your hand For as that will be an honorable so a certain convey and gain it imbracement with better welcome at least if not effect This done worthy Sir I must take my leave of you and turn to your people And I have but a few things for you deer Christians which if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any Pil. 2. 1. fellowship of the spirit if any bowells and mercies receive and fulfill ye my joy therein The great and main word of warning which I think may most seasonably be commended to you I finde in Coll. 2. 18. 19. Take heed of being so vainly puft up in your fleshly minde as not to hold the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Robur strength t is not only barely to hold but Firmiter teneo hold fast hold hard with all your might and strength as if Satan and his Instruments were plucking and tugging at you to wrest you away from your head So we finde it construed in Apo. 3. 11. Hold fast what you have hold your hold in Christ Secondly Hold the head hold Christ as a head in subordination and union i. Not as the Pope and too too many among us also that set up themselves Check by Jole with Christ their head yea and exalt themselves above him If the Body be not under and subordinate to the head how can it receive influence from it when the Body suffers not the head to be the head for eminence it rejects the same as a head for influence Secondly Hold Christ as your head i. be united keep neer and close to Christ least his influences should loose their heat or abate of their strength before they reach you Take heed of not holding the head in these respects if we once cut our selves off from Christ we cut our selvs off from al growth Col. 1. 18 19. Eph. 3. 19. and nourishment It pleased the Father that in him alone should all fulnesse dwell and he is the head of the body the Church Do you ever think to be filled with all the fulnesse of God and not through Christ to increase with the increase of God and not by keeping your selves subordinately united to Christ be not deceived Col. 2. 9 10. deer Christians for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head Bodily and ye alone can be compleat in him 2. Take heed of such a corrupt minde as 2 Tim. 3. 18. to be reprobate concerning the Faith or as in the Margin of your Bibles of no Judgment concerning the Faith of no judgment i. indifferently inexpert unsetled ignorant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Experience Hetrodox in judgment concerning the Faith If you take Faith here in a strict and speciall sense as one of those bands betwixt Christ and the Soul the Instrument of its union with its head surely not so light slight or indifferent a thing as that we may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning it as our redemption Psa 49. 8. 1 Pet 2. 7. 2 Pet. 1. 1. is precious our Christ is precious so is Faith precious also herby we hold the head by holding the head we have nourishment ministred to make us increase with the increasing of God Therefore the Holy Ghost hath so honored Faith by ascribing unto it mighty acheivements we are justified by Ro. 3. 28. faith faith purifies the heart yea by Grace we are saved through faith Secondly Take Ephes 2. 8 Faith in a larger sense for the beleefe or profession of the Gospell and Faith as it beleeves the word receives the truth as taken in the place now quoted surely Faith is no indifferent but a most necessary thing Take heed of holding the beleef of the Scriptures a thing indifferent as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so this also resists the truth this is the fruit of the corruption of our Minde cheifly and is of most dangerous consequence If we hold Christ we must hold his Word also we beleeve in Christ alone as in his word we are knit to Christ the head by this Band his Word alone Therefore Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word the Joh. 1. 1. World hath in it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that may be known of God but the word alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that may be knowne of Christ Therefore saith our Saviour Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me yea they are they which testifie of me As if nothing else but the Scriptures did witnesse to Christ But the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. through Faith which is in Christ Jesus 3. Despise not prophesyings This is another Thes 5. 20 speciall Band whereby we receive nourishment and growth from Christ by his spirit Therefore it is immediately prefixed quench not the spirit i. by dispising prophesyings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despise comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil it is the vanity and folly of our age Pro nihilo Habere to account the Ministry as nothing worth a needless fruitless thing But the able Ministers of the new Testament are the Ministration of the spirit and in Effect the Ministration of Righteousnesse and life Now doth not this exceed in Glory this 2 Cor 3. 6. 6. and 9. and 11 is the Ministry that remaineth and shall remaine for the word of the Ministry the edifying of the Body of Christ untill the top stone of this building is laid without the help of these Builders according to the revealed will we shall never be built up to perfection Therefore they must work in this house till we all come not a few but till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man Ephes 4. 12 13. Therefore let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Misteries of God to dispence the misteries and fulnesse of Christ to all his Members But though it be a very small matter to be judged of you or mans judgment 1 Cor. 4. 1 3 5. yet judge nothing of the Ministry much lesse condemn it before the time untill the Lord come and the
more easy for beleivers then for such as doe not yet beleive to act Faith of Adherence It seems most strange that the Spirit should choose to work a Miracle where is least need and work no Miracle where most should make use of means or instruments for the creating of Faith and yet afterwards work comfort in the same soul immediately miraculously Faith of Adherence is a Creation and giving life Faith of Evidence is onely the motion of that life given For the first the Spirit must enlighten for the last he need onely snuff this Candle of the Lord in Man The worke of assurance is halfe wrought by and in the Faith of Adherence the Soul hath received the prime efficient of it Viz. The Spirit Secondly the Principle or second efficient Faith together thirdly with the matter of comfort Viz. Justification and a right to Heaven There wants nothing for the Soul to be assured of this but the work of his Faith through reason of his Qualification shewed to the Soul in the light of the Spirit Now how fitly doth enlightned Reason and this habit of Faith offer themselves for this blessed work Assurance God hath put an inclination in Reason and Faith towards this work and shall Potentiality never come to act Shall a Miracle be rather wrought to act their proper work without them No assuredly God will not spend his own Omnipotency in such Cases as this who as he maketh nothing in vain so he doth not delight to work a Miracle for that that is more easily Weames done in an ordinary way The Holy Ghost doth make an Exercise of our Reason about our Qualifications in the humbling of our Souls with Godly sorrow then why not also for heavenly Joy Why may not the Spirit as the Spirit of Adoption as well as a Spirit of Bondage work mediately through Qualifications There can be no Godly sorrow but it aims at Sinne is conversant about sin and can there be any Godly solace that springs not from Grace As reason exercised about sin causeth sorrow doth not Reason exercised about Grace work out comfort Let the rule of Contraries judge betwixt us It is the same that ascends and the same that descends the same Spirit that humbles and exalts the change is not in the efficient but the matter or object Sin and Grace But is there not the same reason for our exaltation and comfort from gracious as for our dejection from sinnefull Qualities Have I not as much cause to rejoyce at my recovery as to sorrow and greive at my decay or delay in sickness Why should not the Spirit discover our Grace for matter of rejoycing that discovers our sinne for cause of sorrow But all Reason and Scripture will affirm that that is no godly sorrow Evangelicall repentance that is not the fruit of conviction of sin That sorrow is again 2 Cor. 7. 8. with 13. to be sorrowed for and that repentance to be repented of that with its watery eyes lookes not at sinne whose tears fall not down on sinne For for what must I greive surely for something and for what must I greive with Gospel-sorrow surely for sin so consequently Is not Joy infidelious and also ridiculous that comes not from Reason and as exercised on Grace laughter is the immediate Affection of the reasonable Soul The Holy Ghost doth exercise our Reason about our Qualifications in our Petition then why not in our prayse and rejoycing also they are both parts of the same duty and both affect the same matter I pray for that for which when obtained I am bound to give prayse and I prayse and give thankes for that which is unto me the return of Prayer Now most Evident it is that Col. 1. 9 10 11. Heb. 4. 16. I must pray for Grace and that under the sense of the want of Grace I must addresse my selfe unto the Throne of Grace to finde Grace to help in time of need Therefore I may and must rejoyce in God as I reveiw that Grace the return of my Prayer derived into me from my Head Christ as the Spirit of Prayer doth make use of my reason to see and express my want of Grace and so teach me to pray so the Spirit of Prayse doth make use of my reason to reflect from Grace obtained my thanks unto and my Joy in God and so is my Comforter Lastly the Holy Ghost by reasoning from our Qualifications doth Evidence to us our right and interest in the Supper of the Lord then why not also by the same means our right and interest in Heaven and Happiness If hereby we come to know our propriety and interest in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ Sacramentall why not hereby also our right and benefit in the flesh and blood of Christ reall and consequently in the fovour of Heaven The consequence is clear for we must put on the wedding Garment we must know our selves to be the freinds of the Master of the Feast before we may enter and venter to his Feast Now what is the matter of our Spirituall Joy yea what the Hellen we so much strive for but even this The Knowledge or Evidence of these conditions Viz. our Union with Christ our interest in Heaven c. So that we must know our interest in Heaven in order to the knowledge of our interest in the Sacrament or in our preparing for it But the Argument is proved from 1 Cor. 11. 28 29. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat c. Wherefore examine That he may eat c. of what examine Whether he be worthy i. e. fitly qualified for this Supper i. e. whether he have an interest in the Master of the Feast but whereby must he know this By searching trying and examining himselfe by exerciseing his reason about his Qualifications Viz. Whether hee can come in Faith Love c. But can this Examination prove a means effectuall for this end Yes verily ordained of God for that very purpose Let a man examine himselfe and by the Holy Ghost supposed effectuall and so let him eate having found himself worthily qualified for it by a sober due and rationall examination of himself so let him eate Then examin your selves in the like manner Whether you be in the Faith or no and if by the Evidence of your own Examination of your selves impartially exercised by your reason enlightned by the Spirit of God you can truely conclude you beleive Fear not but rejoyce in the light of this Evidence with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory in beleiving giving thankes unto the Father that hath made you meete not onely to be partakers of the Supper of the Lord Col. 1. 12 13. but of the inheritance of the Saints in Light Thus we have at length ended as we hope this Controversie for the fruit of Righteousnesse is Peace and the effect thereof assurance for ever Isa 32. 17. 18. Cautions about Qualifications But
have most plainly made it appear out of the Scripture I suppose Christs Will and Way is to make use of his effects in giving us assurance of his favour or presence we must as well acknowledge Christ to be our Lord as challenge him to be our Husband as his way is best in it selfe so let it seem to us For who art thou that repliest against God what is this lesse then a resistance of the Spirit with Carnall reason and our vain imagination while we pretend and plead for him Yet further consider and whether of the two gives most satisfaction to the Wife or best assurance of her Husbands love the expression thereof by mouth and words or its signall Testimony by life and actions Judge ye Moreover we ought to observe that our Saviour is not so properly our Husband here while we are but espoused or betrothed to him there is a day appointed which is not yet come for the Marriage of the Lambe and if we may speak Humano more or after the manner and custome and practice of Men for a Lover to assure his Beloved of his heart affection by the Speciall motions and effects thereof is not more strange then common especially if we commend this course and practice by these three considerable ingredients 1. Our beloved is at a distance of place and absent from us Secondly there are others plead interest in him and such as are inconsistent with ours Lastly we are too apt to delude our selves and to be deluded in this Case Affection is blinde and our hearts are deceitfull and that above measure But lastly were it acknowledged by al to be the most reasonable way among creatures of one nature and language to make their love known by word of mouth whil this bears Analogy to Christ the soul there is I conceive much difference for as a man and one that knows but in part according to my measure I must thus yet humbly Judge that Christ I mean not with regard to his power as absolute but as limited by his revealed Will in condescention to our reason and shallow capacity Christ cannot acquaint himself to the soul of man in such an immediate way and manner as is now discoursed and first not in his Person by reason of distance of place Secondly not in his spirit because of distance in natures to me and yet I humbly submit to higher apprehensions yet to me this seemes defended by the hand of sound and upright reason the presence of Christ in his Spirit is of too subtil and spiritual a nature to fal under or any way to bediscerned by such gross This is largly discussed in Chap. 18. and carnall Creatures as the Sons of men but by and through a medium I mean its effects is any thing that comes under the name of Spirit immediatly or in it self decernable to us Let us bethink our selves with what Eye do we see Spirits Is it not the Eye of Reason which alwayes Judgeth of their presence by Effects Can the wisest man tell me What Man or Beast or Tree is alive hath its formall Spirit in it but by the effects or motions of it Now the Spirit of the Lord is that pure Spirit infinitely far more pure Spirit the very name of spirit being grosse and carnall with respect thereto how shall we then judge of that immediately A man need not indeed to argue his life to himselfe by its motion c. For he knoweth he is alive by the first light and instinct of nature in himself So would we conceive that the Spirit of Christ did properly inform us and was part of our Essence we might know it to be in us in a way more immediate but this is the grossest absurdity imaginable Till then let us follow the Dictate of reformed Reason and hear our Saviour speaking his love by his Actions and revealing his Presence by his Effects whose spirit is therefore compared to Winde by his Word that blowes where it listeth and no man knoweth whence it comes nor whither it goes whose presence is knowable onely by its Effects upon us even so is every one that is borne of the Spirit which is onely perceivable by us as it makes a disturbance in the Naturall Man as it breathes into us Spirituall Life as it sweetly blowes upon the Spices Graces of our Souls and moves us dayly forward towards the blessed Haven Heaven Such gracious Effects and Operations in us The Truth Confirmed But so much may serve for the weakning of the Errour now a few things may be added for the further clearing of the Contrary Truth namely that though the spirit doth onely yet doth it not alone at least ordinarily much lesse of necessitie Evidence it selfe or testifie our true enjoyment of God For there are three that beare witnesse on Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood 1 Joh. 5. 8. and these three agree in one i. e. in one end the enjoyment of God Vers 10. With our right and interest in eternall Life Vers 11. And as they agree in their end so in themselves as the means or testimony the Spirit doth witnesse to the purenesse of the Water the truth of our Sanctification and in the Water we see the efficacy of the blood for our Regeneration Generatio fit per Sanguinem per aquam ablutio Indeed the Spirit doth witnesse eminently Zanch. and efficiently but Water and Blood materially and our Spirit and Reason instrumentally So the Spirit witnesseth with our spirits through or by our graces and qualifications that we are the Children of God Rom. 8. 16. As the spirit of God is derived into us through the sacred Ordinances so is it discovered in us by its holy effects therefore is it thus plainely sayd to witnesse with our spirits c. in this 8. of the Romans which Chapter read with impartiall and due observation it is so abundantly full for the present purpose is doubtlesse sufficient to end the controversie betwixt us The case resolved there seemes very neer the case in hand Viz. How wee shall know whether we be in a state of life or death Vers 13. The Efficient is Gods spirit the Instrument ours Vers 16. and the Medium or matter of the argument Viz. The rules layd downe for the tryall of the case such as follow if yee live after the flesh yee shall dye well but if yee through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live Vers 9 10. The second Argument in order hereunto is Our having the spirit of Christ from the effect to the cause if we doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh it is through the spirit we have the Spirit and if we have the spirit we live therefore the spirit is a spirit of life and as it makes us free from the Law of sin and consequently death v. 2. This Argument is expresly contained v. 9. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he
is none of his But this seems to infer another Argument as subordinate to the main Conclusion taken from the spirit not onely as a Cause but as a necessary effect consequent signe adjunct or companion of Christs interest in us or relation to us he that hath not the spirit is none of Christs but he that hath it then is his his Disciple his member his Brother c. Now how shall we know that we have the spirit By sanctification for if the spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies c. vers 9. 11. And how shall we know that Christ hath relation or interest in us by that inseparable consequent or adjunct of the spirit for if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Lastly and that that brings the Conclusion Argument together is an Argument drawn from the highest and choisest effect of the Fathers love and our Saviours Office the principal causes of our salvation viz. our sonship vers 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God Or we may interpose between the terms of this truth Christs interest in us then thus those that are led by the spirit of Christ are his and those that are Christs i. his Members Brethren are by adoption the sons of God and then it is most clear that if sons then heirs co-heirs with Christ vers 17. and are for resolution of the case propounded in a state of life These and such like are the Rules by which a mans spirit according to Gods Word examining his condition doth either acquit or condemn if this speak peace viz. that he is a childe of God and an heir of Heaven this is the testimony and answer of a mans own spirit but to make this our testimony clear and demonstrative sure and infallible the spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit c. not onely together with as two diverse Witnesses of the same truth but with i. nor yet onely with the qualification of our spirit the matter of evidence Water and Blood but lastly and especially with i. with our spirit as subordinate in the work through by so with making use of the testimony of our spirit sealing and clearing our rational evidence with the truth and light of his that we are the children of God Nothing can indeed perswade us of our sonship to God but the Spirit of Adoption yet the spirit perswadeth us as rational Creatures viz. as we have heard by inabling us to reason our relation to God by Christs relation and interest in us and that by the having of his spirit and that by its holy effects of mortification of sin and spiritual life which gives occasion to close as we began that If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the spirit ye shall live therefore Examine your selves know ye 2 Cor. 13. 5. not even your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates and the Lord give you the comfort of the witness in your selves with the contest of the spirit to be an infallible assurance of your adoption to God Col. 1. 9. and of the truth of this point and for this cause also godly Reader since the day you heard of me do not I beseech thee cease to pray that with respect both to one and the other I may fight a good fight and finish my course that henceforth I may be comfortably assured with holy Paul that there is laid 2 Tim. 4. 8. up for me a Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day c. CHAP. V. Of the knowledge of Christ after the Flesh or in his Mediatorship BEfore we have reconciled the Spirit and its effects our gracious qualities infused by it But this following Chapter will ingage us to atone the same spirit on its Causes behalf the Person of Christ which I may call without offence the cause of the spirit both with regard to its Person and Office First the Person of Christ is the cause of the person of the Spirit by derivation the Spirit being the joynt breath and issue both of the Father and Son Secondly the Person of Christ is the cause of the Office of the Spirit first by merit 1 Pet. 1. 2. Secondly by mission Joh. 14 15 16. cap. Therefore is the holy Ghost in the Gospel so peculiarly stiled the Spirit of Christ Yet this their spirit and the Spirit of God by them so called how ungratefully wicked doth even stab at Christ himself with these two erroneous Points namely 1. That the Person of Christ is but a form type or shadow onely or a bare representation of the Spirit at his coming as the types and shadows of the Law were before of the coming of Christ See false rests in pag. 103 104. 2. That Christ is not to be the object or Medium of Faith i. We are not to believe on Christ as our Mediator and Saviour See the fifteenth false rest The first of these the Seekers own but the last is the very dregs of Socinianisme which affirms that Christ came not among men to procure satisfaction to God but to be an Object of imitation to men No wonder we have had boisterous Times of late while such Devils such Errours as these have been conjuring up Yet how great a wonder it is that such grosness of darkness should call it self light and that to the face of the Sun it self in this our day of Gospel when knowledge abounds amongst us But I shall not so far question my salvation as to receive my Saviour into doubtfull disputings yea doubtless the mention of such Errours as these is sufficient confutation and confusion of them also in all humble ears and godly judgements Yet though there be not the least shadow of Reason that will entertain either the one or the other there is one notable Scripture that seems to some eyes to cast a very favourable glance and countenance to the first of these Errours viz. That the Person of Christ is but a type of the spirit a dispensation Errour and form that is ruined or dissolved by the coming of the spirit The Scripture Scripture countenancing it is the 1 Cor. 5. 16. Yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more To make this Scripture pass for them the Abbettors of this Errour have stamped upon it this Interpretation viz. That the knowledge of Christ after the flesh was the dispensation of his Person a fleshly dispensation which Paul had formerly been under but since the dispensation of the spirit the dispensation of Christs Person it chiefly meant the Office of his Preisthood is dissolved is dissolved to Paul though I have known Christ after the flesh and
Christ who then shall be saved But Moses it seems must not enter Canaan nay nor * i. Jesus Joshua neither this new Jerusalem Dear Christians Let him that loves not the Lord Jesus be Anathema Maranatha How venomous is the Breath that blasts the mouth from whence it issues How ungratefull the effect that denies its Cause Can that be the ingenuous self-denying Humble Spirit of Christ that defames his Person and nullifies his Office A bad Servant surely that seeks to eclypse the glory of its Master and he that denies the Son is Antichrist O how needfull and seasonable a Caution is that for us viz. Try the spirits But that we may wipe off let us a little The Argument for this Errour examine the usuall gloss and colour which paints and sets off this Errours ugly and deformed face viz. That every new dispensation dissolves the former the spiritual dispensation must therefore put an end to the carnal or fleshly dispensation of Christ the coming of the Spirit which now is must drive away and banish the Person or the use of the Office of the Person of Christ Answ This is the aliquid nihil that would fain be something to mischief our Saviour but how vainly and idlely for 1. Though the dispensation of the means may in part be dissolved as the Figures and Types of the Law were by the coming of a better and higher dispensation of means viz. the Gospel Yet the last end is still aimed at and endeavoured by all viz. the knowledge and honour of the glorious Trinity among the sons of men Matth. 28. 19. 2. There is not any really distinct dispensation of the coming of the Son and holy Ghost into the World no more then betwixt the coming of the knowledge of the Father and Son into the World the Father was though darkly known unto his Children as appears in Malachy If Mal. 1. 6. I am your Father where is my honor Before the coming of Christ into the World But this knowledge I suppose of God as a Father in those days was only by vertue of the promise of the Son For how know we how have we God as our Father but by Adoption And how have we this viz. Adoption but through the Son So in like manner before the great and markable descention of the Spirit by our Saviours ascention there was some knowledge and faith of the Son of God which came from the more ordinary presence of the Spirit among us For flesh and blood did not reveal him to us And as we Matth. 11. 27. see not know not the Father aright but in the light and by the help of the Son None knowing the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son shall reveal him So the coming of the Spirit doth more clearly and excellently reveal them both for thus we receive the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Rom. 8. Iohn 16. Father which Spirit also takes off the things of Christ shewing them to us and for this very purpose That we might glorifie him as our Saviour can affirm Father I have glorified thy Name So the glory of the Son is not as the glory of Moses that must be done away by any future glory that excelleth the three Persons of the Godhead are not like the strong man and the stronger as if the Spirit at his entrance as the stronger man should binde both the Father and Son hand and foot and cast them out a doors Though indeed they come gradually into the World yet not successively when the second comes the first with-draws not and with the last they all appear that God may be all even all in all as Father Saviour Sanctifier for acceptance satisfaction and application in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost They are co-equal and co-honorable one in essence will power and in glory also not like to such Lights as eclypse and darken each other but rather as Beams of the same Sun or Lamps of an equal glory and lustre whose Lights do sweetly interweave incorporate and every one gains by other And to say no more in this case the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ are like the natural moisture and heat in man both mutual preservers of each other and both most necessary for our Salvation and the heat that eats out and consumes tht natural moisture that spirit that dries up the Blood i. mediation of Christ is false preternatural and Antichristian But to come a little closer Is Truth a Type Christ is Truth and that in distinction 3. Joh. 14. 6. with 16. 17. to the Spirit I am the Truth and I will send the Comforter my Spirit the Spirit of Truth c. Now nihil vero verius nothing is truer then Truth and as Christ therefore cannot be a Type so we may beleive the Truth The dispensation of the Son if so called must last and continue even while the last days iast Heb. 1. 1 2. And glory shall be to God by the Church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations Ephes 3. ult And God shall continue to tender salvation and happiness in Christ unto the World even after their new Jerusalem is built untill the last coming of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit himself For the Spirit and the Bride say Come Rev. 22. 17. and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely And he that testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen So come Lord Jesus Rev. 22. 17. 20. Further though Christ must give up his Ministerial Kingdom to his Father yet he shall most certainly retain the glory of a Saviour in his Mediatorship to the days of Eternity We that are Christs Sheep shall be set indeed at the right hand of God but our Fore-runner is there before us who therfore shall be still nearer to God then we and if we shal be at yet he is upon Gods right hand and to which of us yea To which of his Angels shall he say at any time Sit on my right hand c. Heb. 1. 13. Now doth not he sit betwixt us and God to the end that what we receive from God we might receive through him He is our Head and shall be our Head for ever And the glory of Heaven must first have its influence and pass first from God upon our Head and thence flow down upon us Even to the skirts of his Garments And we shall most undoubtedly continue in the presence and favour of God in Heaven untill the day we are able to pay our own Debts to the utmost farthing which will be even for ever and a day in the vertue of the Merits and Mediation of him that is the Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus For * Psal 75. 3. He that bears up the Pillars of the Earth is the Rev. 2. 10.
c. Atlas that upholds our Heaven also But I am so well perswaded of the love of all Christians both to their Saviour and themselves that I am perswaded I need not say more in the be half of this Truth or against its Enemies Will not every stone in the spiritual Temple threaten that hand that endeavours to remove the Corner-stone And every one that bears the name of a Christian abhor and detest that wicked Engine that seeks to subvert the very foundation of Christianity O let us fear and tremble to think of laying other foundation then what is laid by the wise Master Builder Jesus Christ that Rock of Ages I apply it not but should an Angel from Heaven preach another Gospel then that which consists Gal. 1. 8. with Acts 20. 21. in repentance towards God and faith towords our Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed rather then believed But let us sit down and consider a little and we shall hear the most absolutely necessary and immediate consequences and inferences of it discover and cry aloud against the wickedness and danger of this way and Errour which I tremble to mention for 1. It denies Christs Priestly Office for 2. It denieth Christs satisfaction to Divine Justice therefore 3. It denieth our Adoption 4. It denieth our imputative Righteousness 5. It thus puts the soul upon immediate communion with God 6. It confoundeth faith and holiness justification and sanctification All these are not onely immediately necessary inferences from the former principles in themselves but are all of them clearly hinted by the maintainers thereof as he that runs may reade Now as these race out every Letter of our Gospel so of our Names in the Book of Life also for how shall we pay our Debts without a Surety or appear before God without a Propitiation or have communion with him without a Mediator For can dry stubble embrace a consuming fire and Who can dwell with everlasting burning Are not those that walk in the way we are discovering even of all kinde of Professors the most miserable The Turk hath his Mahomet and the Jew beleives in his Messias to come but this strange Generation have cast off all notion of a Mediator as if their hinderance a moat in their eye accounting it their perfection to stand alone their onely full happiness to be taken up into the immediate enjoyment of God O how doth this way smell of Antichrist Popery gross Socinianisme yea it hath set one foot already upon the bank of Heathenisme and I fear it will not rest till it centre in Atheisme These men are gone beyond the Christian Turk or Jew they are about to shake hands with Socrates and Plato and it is much very much to be feared that their end will be to be drowned * The Ranters with some of their fore-runners in Aristotles sea and utterly lost in his * Ens entium universal being O my most dear Saviour who can choose but be zealously affected for him When I seriously think upon that heavenly glory that he was freely pleased to put off for us and in my sad Meditations become a Spectator to that matchless horrible and most inhumane Tragedy that naked Innocence acted or suffered rather upon the Stage of the World for our sakes and sins What contradiction of sinners for sinners he indured What cursings buffettings shames pains and death even from a combination of sin the World Hell and Heaven he received underwent and for no other end in the world but that he must be a Sacrifice Attonement Mediator Advocate and Saviour for us And with an eye of faith behold him maugre all to have spoiled Principalities and Powers and counting it his glory to make a shew of them openly triumphing over them as the Lord of Life and the Captain of our Salvation being made perfectly so by his Sufferings even the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him Moreover when as I consider all this as the Result Issue Act and Decree of eternal Counsel the most markable pregnant testimony and token of the Fathers everlasting love to the World most remarkable surely that God should give his Son most pregnant also in that with him he should give us all things else as the great Promise of the Law blessed Gift of the Gospel the whole sum and substance of divine Oracles Gods whole and onely revealed will and to conclude for the Application and efficacy whereof the holy Ghost himself hath his onely business and that special Embassie and Errand from the Almighty God and the Father and Christ to the sons of men When I reade with wondering eyes this sacred Story and hear with trembling and amazed ears the Tale this Error tels us viz. That Christ is notwithstanding all this but a Type a Shadow that we must not beleive in him that there is no trusting to him depending upon him for eternal happiness that they have found out a nearer way and cut to Heaven then by him that is the Way a Truth for the Truth opposing to Christ the immediate enjoyment of God in the Spirit without him I am and I judge deservedly at a stand what to think of the Abbettors thereof For ah what a rude Affront and Contradiction is this to divine Wisdome Counsel Will and Word at once What an horrid contempt and insufferable slighting of the Fathers everlasting Grace and Love so highly commended in him Yea what an ingratefull indignity undervaluing trampling under foot the Son of God together with a most desperately wicked despite of the Spirit of Grace And to conclude by a direct refusing our own mercies thereby a most bloody and cruell destroying and ruining miraculous Grace preventing us not of our most precious and immortal Souls for ever For of how much soever punishment shall he be thought worthy that hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And to add a word more the punishment of such as it will be thus heavy and sore so sure and swift also sure and inevitable for how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. Swift and unexpected for such as shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them bring 2 Pet. 2. 1. upon themselves swift destruction But let this be my trust support and comfort together with all those that wait for his appearing that he that is the Lord Jesus Christ which shall be revealed from 2 Thess 1. 8 9 10. Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that obey not his Gospel shall be glorified in his Saints and admired by all us that beleive appearing able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he Heb. 7. 25. ever loveth to make intercession for us Wherefore also we
need not go beyond the materiall reall Gospel of Christ for one allegorical if this be all you seek to wit a mystery What part of the Gospell of Christ is not deep and mysticall which the Prophets of old counted worthy their inquiry and diligent search and which the intelligent Angells themselves desire to looke into 1. Pet 1. 10 11 12. But in setting my self for the defence or the Gospell that is so mightily struck at by this particular I shall bring some few Arguments for the subversion of this allegoricall way of interpreting the same First Then since that the immediate end and undertaking of the Gospell is for the advancement of Christ both in his Flesh and Spirit together for both our Justification and Sanctification and comfort I desire to be informed whether this way will lead us to an allegory in the former onely or in the later also If in onely one I desire to know the reason of the others exemption But if in the Spirit and Sanctification and comfort as well as in the flesh of Christ and our Justification then my request is what may be the allegory of Sanctification and comfort what is the Spirit of the Spirit But we may be wholly drawn out of this way by the strength of those following Arguments The first is taken from the Author the first and great Preacher of the Gospell to the Sons of men Now we read Heb. 2. 3. that it was at first preached by the Lord himself Moses indeed may be the Minister of types and shadowes but when Moses Antitype the Prophets which the Lord shall raise up Acts 3. like unto Moses he shall doubtlesse bring into the World the truth and substance with him The Son himself shall whatever the servant hath done declare his Fathers minde cleerely and plainly according as our Saviour himself assureth Yee are my freinds for all things that I have heard of my Father I Jo. 15. 15. have made known unto you to which we may heare his Disciples and Freinds ecchoing back an answer Loe now speakest Jo. 16. 27. thou plainly and no parable i. no allegory for though the Law was given by Moses yet Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh 1. 17. The second Argument against this Allegoricall way of expounding the Gospell is taken from the matter thereof The mediate sense and substance of the Gospell Viz. The way and meanes of fallen mans recovery This was first revealed in the first promise as man received it in the serpents curse the seed of the Woman shall breake the serpents head So much of this as was preached before was Gospell this is the Epitomy of that Gospell that is now more fully and clearely revealed to the World which is truly the truth and not an allegory But how is Christ to break the serpents head onely in the spirit surely as the seed of the Woman also who is as distinguished from the spirit the way the truth and the life as Joh. 14. Preist Prophet and King plainly and really so He that came to seek and to save that which was lost is the onely saviour but Christ in his person as well as in his spirit came to seek and to save that which was lost therefore he is as in both the onely saviour whose spirit as it is a spirit of Life so his flesh Joh. 6. 55. is meate indeed and his Blood drinke indeed i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly and really not allegorically The last is taken from the manner of the delivering of the Gospell to us 1. by our Saviour himself the truth who cannot ly he that eats my Flesh and Joh. 6. 40. 54. drinkes my blood not he that seeks for an allegoricall but metaphoricall meaning in this he that seeth the son and beleeveth on him hath everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day And secondly by Paul c. 1 Cor. 15. at the beginning which may serve for all Brethren saith he I declare unto you the Gospell which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein you stand by which also you are saved Well now what is this Gospell to end all controversie verse 3. I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that he was buried and rose again according to the scriptures c. Thus we preached you beleived were saved and the truth beleived is no more an allegory then the end therof salvation but all in plainness of speech not in mysteriousness in the simplicity of the truth not with double meaning and in the demonstration of the spirit notallegorically But I am jealous over you with a godly Jealousy fearing lest by any meanes as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. But Caveat Emptor for who ever deals with this opinion is miserably deceived She windes up all Religion to the airy Pinacle of towering speculation and there fairely promiseth the discovery of the glory of Heaven the new Jerusalem but in the end this is all it receives at her hand even to be cast down thence into a troublesome sea of uncertainties fallibilities absurdities and what not this spirit of theirs blowes up a specious amiable bubble but if you once but close with it it immediately desolves and vanishes into a meere and empty nothing lay but once a side the literall sense of the Word of God and let the allegorical passe for Authentical there must needs be admitted and that unavoidably as severall mindes of God as there are various Phansies and different apprehensions of men in the world every ones spirit will coin a new mystery Divinity Quot homines tot sententiae what divisions distractions confusions will follow hereupon we can hardly agree about the literall O how shall we then differ about this mysterious Allegoricall Truth and Gospell Methinks and truly I averr it with a minde unprejudiced there glides a perceivable though silent stream through every channel of this Error into the sea of Rome And especially in the case in hand It will have the Scriptures universally allegoricall so will the Papists and as the Papists descend below Scripture to unwritten traditions so this way ascends above the Scriptures into unwritten mysteries The worst of the Papists have said the Gospell was written not to rule our faith but to be ruled by it calling it a nose of wax a dumbe judge c. And doth not this way of allegorizing Scripture speake aloud all this And blush not to say that the Scripture is fitted to the time and variably understood the sense thereof being one while this and another while that according as it pleaseth the spirit to change its dictates as the Papist according as the Church is pleased to change her judgment that is all the difference and
cause by its effects judge ye Then this is the result and resolution of the case by making the word the triall of the spirits we do no more abase or abuse the Holy spirit of God then we make the cause to stoop as inferiour to the effect by cleering or proving it by the same or then a righteous man is inslaved by the Law when as he is acquitted to liberty by it But somthing it behoveth us to speak in defence of the affirmative part namely That the Word of God and holy The affirmative truth Scriptures is the only Judg and triall of spirits that is to say To end all controversies cleere the truth discover Errour and every false way Which I argue 1. From the matter thus that which contains the Will of God must needs be the judge of the triall of truth and the decider of all Controversie But the Holy Scriptures confessedly contain the Will of God Therefore the holy Scriptures must needs be the Judge of spirits the triall of truth c. The second of these must needs be granted even upon most immediate reason God that is every way truth that cannot ly and speak any thing that is not in his thought or Heart his word must needs containe his mind and will Now for the Consequence in the first proposition viz. That which containes the Will of God must needs be the judg of spirits triall of truth Decider of all Controversies you have most easily the reason of it by considering what it is that the whol world of men do so much argue for what that is that is called and honored with the name of truth by every mouth that speaketh Is it not that very thing which we call the Will and sense of God in other words what is our truth the Helen for which the whole World is at debate and varience but the way the will the virgin truth of Heaven would we know who is true and who a lyar let God be true and every man and spirit else a liar his Word is truth and the measure therefore of it Would we know whether the first in Rectum norma sui obliqui our Land be strait or not the most ready way is by an even comparing it with that that is undoubtedly so So we doubt which way and spirit is of God of truth and which of Satan a liar from the beginning take the fruits thereof the practise and opinions and look into the word for the warrant of them The doubt is whether they be according to Gods Minde his Word revealeth his Minde look there and search the Scriptures The word of God is the Revelation of his Minde whither shall we go for truth or to know what is truth the word is truth Arg. 2 We must either deny the Bible to have the minde and to be the Word of God or else subscribe to this undoubted truth That the word of scripture is the Judge and Triall of truth and spirits From the Charge and Cammand of God concerning the Scriptures the end of Gods intention in giving our use and duty in having them being to try and judge of the spirits by them Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no Light in them This Text though dis-regarded hath certainly very much in it for the defence and cleering of the truth in hand the whole drift thereof and not only the face of the words directly looking with great respect to our present purpose for here is a cleere command a strait charge we see To the Law and to the Testimony c. the Word of God may be called a Law it containing those rules according to which we must be obedient a Testimony as a standing and visible witnesse and evidence of the Minde and Will of God concerning the World about which we may observe for the better application of the same to our purpose somthing precedent in the verse immediately standing before and somthing consequent in the following words of this same verse The part of the context preceding and observeable is the occasion whereupon this charge is brought in the part of the context subsequent is the reason therof First for the occasion thereof ver 19. It should seem that the People in those daies of old had some wise men among them men wise above what is written who boasting of the spirit a spirit of divination promised an answer and undoubted resolution of all their doubts and inquiries Obj. But what saith the spirit of God as touching these when they shall say unto you inquire at them that have a spirit of Divination c. answer them thus should not a people inquire at their God But it may be demanded now how shall a people inquire at their God Answ Read on and read an answer sufficiently satisfactory To the Law and to the Testimony there and there alone you may know your Gods Minde and finde to your selves satisfaction and quietnesse which is further pressed by the reason and motive already hinted following viz. If they if any man the best Southsayer diviner of them all if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Now did not God know very well that these men were acted by a lying spirit Yes verily but this is spoken for our sakes doubtless that we might have a way to know them also and Southsayers may murmure what their hellish spirit dictates endeavoring to answer by inquiry but rest not here venter not the least weight of credit or faith thereupon untill thou have tried this their spirit by my revealed will written Word For if they speak not according not only not against but if not according to this word it is because there is no true spirit nor light in them All light proceeding from the Father of lights by the beam of his spirit through the Window of his Word both for satisfaction to thy self to the Law and to the Testimony inquire at thy God and for the triall of their spirits to the Law and to the Testimony for if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Whence we may conclude and conclude with these foure things 1 That spirit that speakes not according to the Word hath no light in it 2 The only Judge and trial of spirits is the written word 3 Upon every doubt and suspition of spirits we are commanded and charged to the Law and to the Testimony 4 So much of Gods will as hath been already revealed hath been alwaies sufficient for his People in generall In Moses his time we read that secret Deut. 29. 29. things belong to God and things revealed to us and not to us alone but to all that shall come after us and to our Children Therefore not only so in Moses time but in these daies of the Prophets to the
all that they themselves are suspitious that either the spirit of God doth not immediately teach and lead us into truth or that what they vent and publish is not the truth But we know that the Judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things For thou that Rom. 2. 2. 22 3. preachest a man should not preach dost thou preach thou that abhorrest Idolls dost thou commit sacraledge thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape c. 2. Let us search the Scriptures and in the primitive times we shall finde a semblance at least of this glorious day of the Spirits coming Let us observe what an aspect that casts upon preaching there and we may thence partly judge whether it will be so malevolent or not at its fuller appearance Act. 2. We finde an abundant performance of the promise of the Spirit upon the Apostles assembled together And what did it now silence them all and forbid them to preach any more did this coming of Christ in the spirit disanull and dissolve this ordinance of preaching committed unto them by the Person of Mat. 28. ult Christ No certainly it came not to abolish but to fulfill the same Therefore it falls down upon them in no other figure and shape but of tongues and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak Act. 2. 3. 4. 11. immediately began to speak the wonderfull things of God as the spirit gave them utterance now let not any think that the spirit of the unchangeable God is fickle as themselves ever to despise that way and ministry that he hath so highly before promoted and honored 3. Paul we know was immediately called to his great Appostleship by the voice of the spirit he was a Minister of the spirit and not of the Letter Let us 2. Cor 3. make Paul Umpire then in the case But we finde Paul preacheth and preacheth this Doctrine that Faith commeth by hearing And how shall we heare without a Rom. 10. Preacher Obj. But doth not the Scripture directly tell us that we shall all be taught of God and we shall not need every one to teach his Neighbour Answ This is the strong hold whereby the teaching of the ordinary Ministery is oppugned Can we but preserve and deliver it from hence it hath undoubtedly both safely and fully escaped the snare of the Enemy Now for this end we shall attempt at least these two things 1. To take of the dint of this Argument that flourisheth it self and threatneth so much in this Scripture And secondly to shew the proper and naturall drift thereof 1. And first This Scripture cannot possibly make void the preaching of the Word if we consider this following gradation 1. That it is a branch of the Covenant of Grace 2. Christ is the Mediatour and Performer of it for us 3. Christ promised the spirit for the same purpose even to lead us into all truth 4. That the same Christ when he ascended Ephes 4. gave Ministers also for this same purpose 5. At the same time when as he ascended to give these gifts he sent his spirit upon the same errand And therefore not likely to beat his fellow Servant to jossle the Minister out of the World 2. Now for the meaning of this place In a word it is either to be taken hyperbolically or comparatively but mediately stil or with Calvin restraining the accent to these later words saying know the Lord the meaning then being no more then this As the effect of the powring forth of the spirit there shal be a general profession of the name of God abroad knowledge covering the earth as water doth the Seas in a generall sense of knowing the Lord. Therefore they shall not need every one to teach his Neighbour saying Know the Lord after this manner saying Know the Lord for all shall know me c. And therefore to conclude the Text fore-mentioned speaks not the ministry null but effectuall God will not take away meanes but make meanes more prosperous by a more especiall presence and help of his spirit God will teach us by his Son Christ will instruct us by his Spirit And the spirit shall lead us into all Universale accommodum truth by the faithfull ministry of the word And observe this Covenant was in force as well then as now Then why Note 1. should it null the preaching of the Word more now than then 2. The Ministry therefore was a Co-worker with God in that age and why not now also Obj. 2 Others say we should approve of preaching better if ministers would deal plainly with us and tell us that what they preach is their own opinion and judgment and preach unto us in their own names But they presume to bring us the word of God and that in the name of God also and this offends and troubles us Answ Alas how apt are men to stumble at a straw yea and to make Christ himself in his own Ordinance a stumbling stone and a Rock of offence to themselves we must look upon the Ministry either as of Christ or not of Christ If we receive it not as the Ministry of Christ that we have partly already and shal more fully presently when we prove the succession thereof make cleer to you if you grant it to be the ministry of Christ then are they not Stewards and what Stewards do is it not in the name of their Master again are they not Embassadors and do not Embassadors declare the word of their Master the word of Reconciliation is committed to them and they treat with man yet in the name and with the Word of God Obj. But then what means this expounding raising Doctrines giving reasons and making uses of the word is all this the word of God Answ There is a book abroad and but lately started that upon this very ground doth tax all the Churches of Christ since the daies of the Apostles with granâ— Apostasy indeavoring withall to destroy the preaching of the word and to bring us upon the other extream from living immediately upon the spirit to a bare reading of the word But let the Reader beware and consider its falacy indeed we grant that preaching expounding c. Is but the secundary not the primary truth and word of God Therefore our Sermons as they are to be deduced from so they are to be reduced to and examined by the rule the word of God Yet the word of God is either that that is expressed or implyed or that that is deducible from the holy Scriptures And that that is naturally drawn therefrom is as truly and properly the truth and minde of God as the Scripture it self Upon the very same tearmes Divines observe that though the Septuagint sometimes differs from the Text both in sense and words yet those very places are quoted by Christ himself for
be God or not Answ I answer that if the truth of the deliverance being spirituall be known this cannot be doubted For if I am truly delivered from the dominion of any sin this cannot be from Satan who wants both will and power to such a holy work If it be of my self it can onely be by Christ his assistance sevened from whom we can do nothing so that we John 15. must of necessity conclude that in the strength of the Lord we have done valiantly the Lord is our strength and our redeemer Especially being inlightned with the knowledge of the premises and assisted to lay down the conclusion by the spirit of Christ that is as fire that hath not only heat to consume our corruption but light to manifest the World to be done and by whom it is done likewise And did not the Prophets of old without doubt beleeve that their Dreams and Visions were from God did not Paul know that his calling and Apostleship was of the Lord and the primitive Christians were they not assured that they received the Holy Ghost even so we the Redeemed of the Lord may infallibly know that the Lord is our Rock and our Deliverer And though the whole World lieth in wickednesse yet we are of God And that the things we have received are freely given to us of God And therefore this renewing of this Argument here hath but offered an occasion of discovering its rottennesse more and more and not in the least darkned the evidence of our experiences Argument for the affirmative But let us examine what may positively be said for the farther cleering thereof And first of all it is worth our remembrance that the own experience of those men hath usually been their strongest argument in other points though here they dispute against experience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Yet what more cleerer and convincing way of arguing then from experience it is therfore called the Mistres of fools it makes them understand and be wise It is not a naturall Dictate Maxime viz. Experientia docet yet Christians may not observe or gather any thing from their experiences How unnaturall unreasonable is their Religion Do we not yea according to the Law of reason must we not judge of men as we finde them we will first try and then trust and is God more variable and man more constant dare we venter our credit upon the experience of men and yet not of God O let God be true and every man a Liar Let man be changeable but God be God that changeth not even the same yesterday to day and for ever O let the Method and order of Gods Creation and Government the cours of his daily providence speak and intreat for him And perswade us to beleeve that he is faithfull to his own Rules and to his servants trust that he is constant the same with whom is no variablenes nor shadow of turning that what you found him hitherto either to his Freinds or enemies even such you will finde him still the Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy works but those experiences that come in the Fathers name that they may fare no better then the Son you will not beleeve but Joh. 5. ult others that come in their own name them ye will beleeve Do we not argue the love and good will of men by their gifts especially in want from their help an assistance espeally in straits yet though God hath been a present help in time of trouble to us though he hath in the midst of extreamest want most constantly and seasonably still supplied us though he satisfied and conquered all our doubts and dangers for us Yet we may not we must not beleeve that he did those things out of any love he bore to us we may not for future put any trust and confidence in him upon this incouragement Nor looke upon our selves to be safe under that protection that hath hitherto been as Wals and Bulwarks to us Most strange and ureasonable Doctrine most wickedly ungratefull practise is his hand shortned that it cannot save stil or his ear that was open heavy that it cannot heare 3. And as the way of this errour thwarts reason and experience so it doth flatly contradict the authority of scripture in this particuler which speaketh it expresly that experience worketh Hope Ro. 5. 4. 5. Experience and hope are mutually a morall cause and effect it being the proper nature thereof to produce and to be produced He adds that Hope maketh not ashamed i. giveth great boldnesse because thereby the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Thus we see then that the holy Ghost or the comming of the Spirit doth not make null the use of experience but rather makes use thereof for the working of hope that by hope he might shed the love of God abroad in our hearts and give us great boldnesse against future sufferings In this very place we may read the use of Experience now pleaded for to be the truth of scripture seconded by reason strengthned by the spirit and all set down as the Saints experience also 2. Moreover no argument in scripture is more frequent and potent for the raiseing up of the hopes and the hearts of Gods Children then this of experience we have the strength of Davids Lion and bear yea and of Pharoah and all his hoast over and over and over for it it is no easy thing to reckon up how many severall times David makes mention of the wonderfull deliverance of the People of Israell out of Egypt besides the honour the frequent mention of our scriptures give it for the comfort of the Church in the time of persecution and are not we now in the Wildernesse your most frequent Allegory then why may not we also remember the Fatherly Pity of God towards us when we groaned under the Egyptian Bondage and rejoyce in that goodnesse and mercy that hath so graciously delivered us out of the powers of darknesse comforting our selves with this hope and confidence that he that hath brought us out of Egipt will lead us into Canaan that though we are opposed with spirituall wickednesses yet we shall be more then Conquerours over them and though through much tribulation yet we shall enter into the Kingdome of God and see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living 3. May not we say with one breath that he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith that he that hath begun a good work in us will also finish it to the day of Christ that he that hath given us his only Son to dye for us so loved us yea since he hath delivered and doth deliver we may surely gather conclude and trust that he wil stil deliver 2. Cor. 1. 10. us And because he hath lead us as our most careful Shepheard into green Pastures and by the still waters restoring
part and this his knowledge here is by reflection in a glasse darkly though he promiseth to himself to see more immediately face to face hereafter Therefore I conclude Si aliquis videns Deum intellexit quod vidit non ipsum vidit sed aliquid corumquae sunt eius Dioni in Episto 1. Adcapiam Monacham and end this Argument with that saying of Dionis If any man whoever have a sight of God and understandeth what he seeth let him know that he seeth not God himselfe but only some effect or symptome of him We might further proceed were it not too injurious to our designe of hast to discover the vanity of this delusion to wit that we may discern the truth or falshood of spirits immediately without regard to their Effects in the light of these and such like Maximes Arg. 2 for the negative Nothing can act beyond its one kind and nature Now it is infinitely beyond the nature of our reason the bounds of Nihil agit extra genus suum our intellect to discern of spirits and not by their Effects To know whether or no they be true or fals immediately i without the use of means about the Effects or signes thereof The Office and naturall work of reason as over and again we have shewed is to judg of spirits by their works and symptomes and no otherwise for men do not gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles Secondly Phylosophers affirm that Deus ipse non potest supplere vicim causae formalis even God himselfe cannot supply the place of a formall cause i cannot make on the one side spirits to be Bodies and things intelligible to become visible nor on the other side make us to see without eyes to understand without understanding or to know but by our reason All which God must do before we can be able and yet be men to discern of spirits immediately or to know whether they be true or false good or bad without respect had unto their signes or effects But many men are deceived with their Eccle ca. 3. 24 25. own vain opinion and an evill suspition viz. Of Qualifications hath overthrown their judgments yet without eyes thou shalt want light profess not the knowledge therefore that thou hast not Obj. 3 But men of much wisdome and piety great Divines affirm that the spirit Dr. Sibs doth sometimes immediately comfort us then surely the knowledge of the truth of the spirit may be immediate also which is the ground of comfort Answ I answer and grant that some learned and pious Divines have said it yet questionless not intending in the least to lay a foundation thereby for such a rejection of Marks and the means of triall as we have in dispute and therefore they immediately Dr. Sibbs in sealing of the spirit subjoyning this question but how shall we know the perswasion of the spirit of God from a delusion they set down such rules of discerning as may help us to know the spirit of truth and the spirit of Errour intimating to us that upon the least suspition or occasions of suspition of spirits we should have ready and speedy recourse to the Tryall thereof thereby But secondly there is to be observed a considerable difference betwixt the comforts the spirit giveth us and the assurance we give or gain to our selves of the truth of the spirit is the spirits ability the measure of ours yea is it not far more difficult to work assurance out of doubting then comfort from assurance Moreover doth it follow that because the spirit can and sometimes doth comfort us immediately that therefore we must not use means for assurance for no man may imagine that we can as easily work upon the spirit for assurance as the spirit upon us for comfort 3. Yet farther for my part though I reverence the judgment of those Godly I must conclude with Scotus in another case Me magis propter autoritatatesquam propter rationes putare posse men yet I cannot well see how the spirit doth comfort us immediately either the comforts of the spirit are most sollid and consequently most rationall if rationall not immediate because then they are convaid into the heart upon reasonable grounds Now the spirit cannot supply the stead of our reason and therefore doth not give in comfort immediately The spirit cannot inlighten our hearts but by our reason though he be a light he can not be an eye or faculty to us And therefore cannot immediately comfort us If we take suggestions upon trust how shall our reason be sanctified and if our reason be not our conscience can never be satisfied and then how weak how superficiall our comfort and how unworthy to be owned by the spirit of God our comforter or to be called that Peace of God which keeps Phil. 4 our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus 4. We are apt to imagine and mistake a flash of our own spirits which may be occasioned by many unknown secret ways to be the unspeakable ravishing comforts of the spirit of God sensitive joy to be spirituall comfort but the difference is as wide as Heaven and Hell And we may be assured fully that what revishments of spirit we know no account of as they are not reasonable so not spirituall the comforts of the spirit whose office it is as comforter to shew us the things of Christ and to give us to know the things that are freely given us of God being ever built upon grounds most rationall and such as are known to us Obj. But I have heard men of parts and piety both to set forth this mediate comforting of the spirit by the comfort we have from the presence of a 20. Sibs Freind Answ To which I answer that if in this act of our comfort the spirit be taken materially and not Essentially I undestand it well as the Apostle affirms hereby we know Joh. 3. ult that he abideth in us by the spirit that he hath given us But secondly Let us consider how the presence of our Freind doth comfort us Either because he is present or because he is our Freind both how do we know he is present but by the means of seeing him and how do we know that he is our freind but because of our experience in the Effects of his freindship and comforts immediate after this manner we grant are attainable by the presence of our freind the spirit viz. By assurance of its freindship by true experience of as also of its presence by due reasoning about the Effects thereof 3. But now unless thou try for ought either I or thy self can know thy spirit may be false as well as true thy joy counterfeit as well as reall Thy spirit may be of the Devill and thy comfort no other then a flash of Hel Yea thou maist be acted by no other then thine own deceitfull and melencholly spirit and thy joy be but sparks of