shall be false Teachers among you So that the Prophetick word is that which came peculiarly to Prophets whether St. Peter mean that which God had revealed to themselves the Apostles and other Prophets of Christ or that which he had revealed to the old Prophets and they had published or whether both which they spake and wrot for the use of others and as thus published that which others that had it not in themselves were to take heed unto and they that did so did well that which was to be Interpreted and which every one was to have a care how he Interpreted an inspired Word inspired Scripture Prophecy Prophecy of Scripture All this the Words shew And therefore the prophetick word is not as you say Christ in the Heart in his first appearance a seed of Light there sown but not come forth to the perfect day For have all a prophetick word that have Christ and the Light within Are all such Prophets Are they moved by the holy Ghost to give forth Prophecy like those Holy Men that gave forth the Scriptures Is their Light within to be interpreted by themselves and others or is their word to be interpreted like as the Scripture and prophetick word is Further you make the Apostle say thus You do well to take heed to the seed of Light in you not yet come to the perfect day which is a more sure word knowing that no Prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation The congruity of which you are to shew But further St. Peter having immediatly before spoken of the power and coming the powerful coming or coming in power of the Lord Jesus Christ as you have seen and how that they the Apostles had not followed devised Fables when they made known to the Christians this coming but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty when they were with him in the Holy Mount and upon this saying And we have a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed this word may mean more distinctly that which concerned this coming which both the Prophets of old had spoken of and the Apostles themselves also For speaking again Chap. 3. of this coming of the Lord and giving them warning of Scoffers which should arise saying where is the promise of his coming he desires them to be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets and of the Commandment of themselves the Apostles As then that Scripture of joel The day of the Lord cometh a day of Darkness c. And that word of Malachy Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven c. And those words which the Apostles so often spake and wrot The Lord cometh The coming of the Lord draweth nigh He cometh with Clouds and every Eye shall see him and they which peirced him The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night And that Prophecy of Enoch The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all As this I say is not Christ in the Heart or the Light within so neither in the prophetick word it being the same with this a Prophecy namely of Christ's coming G. K. Looking Glass p. 28. The Heathen once had the Spirit This is our Faith who say the true light which is the Spirit doth enlighten every man sufficiently unto Salvation and that a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Barcly Theses Theolog. p. 9. Some in those parts of the Word where the knowledg of the History of the Gospel is wanting may be made partakers of the divine Mystery if they resist not that grace a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. The Apostle doth not say it is given to every man but to every man to profit withal Which doth not signifie that every man hath it any more than when I say Tongues and Miracles Riches and Dominion are given to every man to profit withal doth signifie that every man hath Tongues and Miracles Riches and Dominion which we know is not true there being many that have none of them but that what gift so ever of the Spirit any man hath it is for good so designed by God which gives it and so ought to be used Nor doth hk speak of Heathens but of Christians only As appears by what next follows For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledg to another Faith to another Gifts of Healing c. For to whom were these gifts given but to the Christians And vers 28 where the same is spoken again God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of Healing c. And you might have observed that the manifestation of the Spirit meaneth not the common light and grace in every one as you interpret but some eminent Gift whereby the Spirit manifestly appeareth and for which the Man is known to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritual As appears from the whole discourse and particularly from vers 1. Now concerning the Spiritual whether that mean Men or Gifts as again it is said Chap. 14. 1. Desire Spiritual Gifts Vers. 37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual And from the enumeration of the particulars which follow as instances hereof The word of Wisdom the word of knowledg Faith Gifts of Healing working of Miracles c. It can only be doubted of Faith and the word of Wisdom and the word of Knowledg But that these are extraordinary as the whole discourse shews and the company they are joyned with so we may also learn from Chap. 13. 2. where Faith is such as works Miracles and the Wisdom and Knowledg are of Mysteries and in that our Text asserts they are variously distributed to one this to another that whereas the ordinary Faith Wisdom and Knowledg every true Christian hath You then in saying every man hath the manifestation of the Spirit affirm every man hath some or other extraordinary Gift and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spiritual Which is so far from being true of Heathens that it is not true of Christians there being many and good Christians too which are not the Spiritual endued with some eminent Gift either this knowledg of Mysteries or Faith to remove Mountains or to do somewhat the like or Tongues or Healing it being enough to make a good Christian that he hath Charity which is the fulfilling of the Law As speaks the Apostle in the close of this discourse Vers. 31. Covet earnestly the best Gifts yet shew I you a more excellent way And that is Charity as we see Chap 13. And this shews that he spake before when he discoursed of the manifestation of the Spirit of Gifts and eminent ones too and not of Graces or Vertues and those that are also the most common as you make him speak For
did of whom it is here spoken For thus are the Words I fell at his Feet to worship and he said unto me see thou do it not I am they Fellow-Servant and of thy Brethren which have the Testimony of Jesus worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Which is to say I am but as thy self thou hast the Spirit of Prophecy as well as I I am but a Prophet testifying of Jesus like thy self As Chap. 22. 9. I am thy Fellow-Servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets So that when Isaiah faith to all to the Testimony exhorting them to keep close to that word and to enquire there whether that which any man shall spake be Truth he cannot mean the Spirit of Prophecy because all have it not in themselves nor is it the Will of God they should for he dispences the gifts of the Spirit severally to one Wisdom to another Miracles to another Prophecy 1 Cor. 12. Let me hear you say all men Heathens as well as Christians have the Spirit of Prophecy in their Hearts which testifies of Jesus and Prophesies of him speaks of things to come of his Name his Servants his worship his Enemies his Kingdom and Church as it spake testified and prophesied in the Angel and the Apostle as appears by the whole Book G. F. Truth and Deceit p. 10. To all as stumble at the silent waiting upon the Lord. Hear what Isaiah faith Sit thou in silence get thou in darkness O Daughter of the Caldeans thou shalt no more be called Lady of Kingdoms Isa. You must witness silence before you come to speak For when the Devil was cast forth the Dumb spake Let the Lips be put to silence that spake grieveus and proud things contemptuously against the Righteous All you lying Lips that speak contemptuous things against the Righteous you are to be put to silence before you speak Ps. 31. 18. Kir of Moab was brought to silence because he was in the Night Isa. 15. 1. In all these places Destruction and Miserv that which is to be dreaded is meant by silence and not waiting upon the Lord which is desireable and which we are exhorted unto In Isa. 47. 5. it is manifest from the latter words Sit thou in silence get thee in darkness thou shalt no more be called Lady of Kingdoms And from vers 1. Come down and Sit in the Dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon sit on the Ground there is no Throne O Daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate In the other of Isaiah it is likewise manifest from the Text it self which if you had cited it fully would have discovered your abuse Chap. 15. 1. The Burden of Moab because in the Night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence As clear is it in that of the Psalmist Let the Wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the Grave Let the lying Lips be put to silence which speak grievous things and contemptuously against the Righteous Ps. 31. 17 18. Doth this signifie they must wait on the Lord in the silence of their Souls before they speak Or doth it not signifie they shall be punished As Ps. 12. 3. The Lord shall cut off all Flattering Lips and the Tongue that speaketh proud things Vers. 5. For the oppression of the Poor now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him And Ps. 52. 4. 5. Thou lovest all devouring words O thou deceitful Tongue God shall likewise destroy thee for ever He shall destroy thee for ever He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living Such is the silence before spoken of as when the Psalmist saith Unless the Lord had been my help my Soul had almost dwelt in silence Psal. 94. 17. G. F. General Epistle p. 10. The Apostle saith Tongues must cease Then that which makes as you say Orthodox Divines must cease And in the same place he saith Prophecies shall fail and knowledge shall vanish away 1 Cor. 13. 8. And then that which you say makes Orthodox men and Divines must cease So that the Apostle speaks no more against Tongues than against Prophecy and knowledge Ibid. p. 10. 11. The word which was in the beginning is called the word of Reconciliation by this word are men sanctified and made clean which is Christ whose name is called The Word of God True his Name is the Word of God but his name is not the Word of Christ and yet something is so called Say Christ is the Word of Christ and prove there is no incongruity in that saving Christ is manifestly distinguished from his word as every man is from what he speaks and teaches as the Philosopher is from his institutes For it is called his Word his Doctrine his sayings that which he spake with his lips and the people heard with their ears Ioh. 15. 20. 14. 23 24. 7. 16. 8. 31. And the same is the Word through which the Text says men were made clean it being in the very terms clearly distinguished from himself Ioh. 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Which is no more Himself than Blessed are the Merciful the poor in Spirit the pure in Heart Love your Enemies ask and you shall receive believe on me and whatsoever else he taught is himself For thus you read again Ioh. 4. 41. 42. Many more believed because of his own word and said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves c. 8. 30. As he spake these words many believed on him Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of Truth Such also is the word of Reconciliation committed unto the Apostles viz. The doctrine of the Gospel which they had heard and learned of Christ and had also received by the inspiration of his Spirit and Preached unto the world as is likewise manifest from the Text 2 Cor. 5. 18. God hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation Which is the same as He hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation And what that is you may understand by this which follows We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Go said he Preach the Gospel to all Nations teach them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you He that Believeth and is Baptised shall be Saved And told them that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name Accordingly they Preached Act. 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you that through this man is Preached to you the forgiveness of Sins and by him all that believe are justified from all
am righteous without any corruption I keep the Commandments fulfil the Law answer every demand of Justice without any sin and failing The motions of the flesh do sometimes stir and tempt me to commit sin but they do not at any time prevail so that I commit it I do not any of those things which I ought not to do But if thus thou darest not say of thy self and yet so interpretest St. John's words then must thou likewise conclude from him that thou art not born of God but art of the Devil And if thou wilt say thus of thy self but wilt not affirm the same of every Child of God the newly regenerate and the weakest and the ignorantest then must thou confess that St. John is not so strictly to be understood for he speaks without limitation Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin 1 Joh. 3. 9. And that indeed he is not so to be understood is evident from many places of Scripture which affirm that the regenerate have weakness imperfection corruption and fall into sin and do things which they ought not to do Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth which doth good and sinneth not Mat. 15. 16. Are ye also yet without understanding c. 17. 17. O faithless and perverse generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you Why could not we cast him out And Jesus said unto them Because of your unbelief Mar. 4. 40. Why are ye so fearful How is it that you have no faith c. 8. 33. He rebuked Peter saying Get thee behind me Satan for thou favourest not the things of God but the things that be of men Luk. 9. 55. He rebuked the Disciples and said ye know not what manner of Spirit you are of c. 22. 24. There was a strife among them which of them should be greatest Ye shall not be so Jam. 3. 2. In many things we offend all 1 Cor. 3. 15. If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by Fire Heb. 5. 12. when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God St. John spake his mind plain enough to deliver you from mistake if you would consider his letter and not speak all without Book chap. 2. 29. Every one that doth righteousness is born of him But is every one that doth any one righteous act so born No but as he saith c. 1. 6. If we walk in the light c. Again you may perceive his mind by what he saith a little before the Text in debate v. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purisieth himself And ver 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil or which is the same He is a Child of the Devil ver 10. Is every one so that committeth one act of the least sin No but Scripture teacheth us thus They are of their Father the Devil that will do his lusts joh 8. that walk according to that Prince according to the course of this world Eph. 2. that are servants of sin Rom. 6. Again says he after the Text v. 10. Whosoever doth not rightcousness is not of God And c. 5. 19. We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness So that St. John by committing sin meaneth such sinning as not to do righteousness not to walk in the light not to purify our selves but to lie in wickedness And as in this aggravated sense we in common speech use the same expression so doth the Scripture most frequently As Heb. 3. 17. VVith whom was he grieved forty years was it not with them that sinned whose carkasses fell in the wilderness You know it means a stubborn people that hardened their hearts for whose great provocations God swore in his wrath that they should not enter into hir rest v. 8. 10 11. I thought every one had known the difference betwixt sinning and sinning sinner and sinner Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil v. 12. As many as have sinned without Law shall perish without Law Must all be damned that have an evil thought or word or deed No we read what he meaneth when it is thus written immediately before v. 4. 5 8. Despisest thoss the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance but after thine hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath To them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Thus again we read Ezek. 18. 20. The Soul that sinneth shall die That is as it follows The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth he shall die in his trespass and sin Since no man knoweth how oft he offendeth Psal. 19. Since if we know nothing by our selves yet hereby we are justified but he that justifieth is the Lord 1 Cor. 4. Since he is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 3. I advise you to pray always Our Father which art in Heaven forgive us our Trespasses And as the Psalmist Lord cleanse us from our secret faults And since our Saviour hath said Ask and ye shall receive And St. John If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins forbear not asking pardon lest you receive it not confess your sins lest God should not forgive them remembring St. James's word Ye have not because ye ask not And what Solomon says He that covereth his sins shall not prosper And know ye that it is better that men reckon us like others to have failings and not to live altogether so exactly as we ought so that we have pardon than that they look upon us as absolutely pure and perfect and we be thrust away from God without it like proud Pharisees W. M. Lament over England p. 17. We freely give Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Rom. 13. 7. Now all this doth not belong to Caesar for Fear belongs to God and therefore we cannot give all to Caesar. Tribute and Custome we give and in that with obedience to all his just commands we honour him But it is written Fear God Yes and so it is written Honour the Lord and yet it is written too Honour the King and you acknowledge Honour due to him and give it him So though it be written Fear God yes and more than that I add Fear not Man yet it is written also Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father Lev. 19. 3. And Let the VVife see that she reverence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear her Husband Eph. 5. 33. 1