of the world their bread shall be plentious and their waters sure Cloath and adorn them with the robe of his own righteousness in which he will make them acceptable before God and fill them with the fruits of it to manward which shall appear to praise at the day of Christ when he will beautifie the meek with salvation Guide them with his counsels and lead them into all truth and shew them things to come and direct their way and work in truth yea he will dwell in them and walk in them and have such spiritual fellowship with them as shall make them fruitful to the increase of the body and to the edifying it self in love and will own their children as his and be the God of them and their Seed and they shall be his sons and daughters And as a faithful Apostle and High Priest of their profession will manage them in it and be with them where-ever he lead them to uphold and strengthen them deliver them from all evil make all things work together for good to them plead their cause fight their battels perfect what concerns them and make their spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God before whom he will also confess their names and in due time receive them to glory 2. The subjection faithfulness and chastity of the Church to Christ unto which she is infinitely obliged by all this grace holiness and faithfulness of her Lord and husband is such as is resembled by that of the wife to her husband And surely it is such as in which she be holy as he is holy chastly devoted and set apart to him and for him as he for her sake hath sanctified himself that she might be sanctified through his truth and so partaker of his holiness that she be onely for him and for no other thing or person in his place that forgetting her own kindred and Fathers house she reverence and worship him as her onely Lord and husband and be subject to him in all things 1. Owning and acknowledging with thankfulness his name as put upon her and counting it her glory and honour to be known and called by it and bear the reproach of it and therefore confessing and not being ashamed of it before men yea commending it as the onely worthy name and not mentioning her own name or suffering her self to be known or called by that or by the name of any other person ordinance work or thing 2. Sitting down under his shaddow to rest satisfied with his fruit to rejoyce in him rest and stay upon him and that grace in him as a sufficient signe and witness of Gods love ground and foundation of faith and hope in God fountain of wisdom righteousness strength and of all things pertaining to life and goldliness for us and so as a sufficient and good rest and refreshing for us considering and feeding upon his flesh which he gave for the life of the world and drinking down his blood that was shed for the remission of our sins and for obtaining all fulness of Spirit and of grace and truth into him for us that so of his fulness we may receive and in such believing view and mindfulness of him and as his words are found discovering him in these things of him eating them and keeping them in our hearts so staying upon him and seeking rest and refreshing to our souls relinquishing for it all other signes witnesses or ways of seeking rest and so all confidence and rejoycing in the flesh and not following any desire of meat for our lust And so putting on and wearing his garments in seeking so to know him that through the knowledge of him we may be found in him our hearts and mindes stayed there and we cloathed with his righteousness before God to give us boldness and render us acceptable in his presence relinquishing for it that of our own and filled with the fruits of it to manward that may be to his praise and the adorning his Name and Doctrine and putting off for it the fruits and works of our own wisdom and desires the deeds of the old man 3. With purpose of heart cleaving and adhering to him as the onely Father of our spirits Lord and Master of our faith fear and worship towards God chief Bishop and Shepherd of our souls our Judge our Law-giver and our King to save us who onely is able to save and to destroy and having our eyes and hearts to him in his Testimony for all wisdom understanding counsel and strength and for all commandments and directions for walking before him and in his house and resting on his Name and the authority of his Testimonies for all O Lord other lords have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy Name and so being subject to him in all things 4. To acquaint ourselves with him seeking and entertaining fellowship with him by an exercise of faith in his Testimony of what he hath done is doing and will do that thence we may prove the effectual working of it in our own spirits reconciling and conforming to him according to the greatness of his power which worketh in them that believe that therein also it may be fitted to our lips and we constrained and directed by him to such an holding it forth in word and conversation as in which we may have his presence and fellowship of his Spirit making us fruitful even in the bringing forth children by him and for him 5. To give him our loves not onely in the yeelding up souls and bodies by his mercies as a living sacrifice to be employed by him and at his dispose whose we are and not our own being double bought or bought in a double or twofold sense yea twice bought with one price his precious bloud and so the sacrifice of his own body made perfect through it with that in presenting and offering it to God the Father in heaven he redeemed and bought us of him from under the curse of the Law to be at his dispose and so he hath bought even them that deny him having given himself a ransom for all And with the same price in his presenting it spiritually by the Gospel to our hearts he hath redeemed or bought us off ourselves and out of or from this present world and our vain conversation therein unto himself that we should be a peculiar people to him c. Therefore we are not our own but by these mercies infinitely obliged to yeeld up to his use and dispose both souls and bodies which are his And not onely so to give him our loves but in the return of all again to him that we have received from him both in the praise and glory of it Not unto us not unto us but to thy Name and to thy grace in Christ for of thy goodness and bounty and of the sufficiencie of that grace have we all our sufficiencie and also in the improvement of it using it to him employing it
such as are resembled 1. By the nature of the Marriage covenant 2. By its being honourable in all 3. By the comely and honourable behaviour in it or in the things pertaining to it as to say 1. In seeking or wooing a wife and in the womans listning to or accepting an husband 2. In betrothing and marrying in righteousness 3. In the demeanour of the married persons towards each other 1. Those I shall mention as resembled by the nature of the Marriage-covenant are 1. That as in the earthly marriage there is a mutual consent and agreement and solemn covenant made by both parties without which they are not joyned together according to Gods ordinance so in the spiritual marriage there is a mutual consent and agreement between Christ and the Church and so on the part of every member in particular without which they are not so joyned to the Lord as to be made of his Spouse his Body his true Sanctuary So much is signified in our types the whole house of Israel when he sware unto them and entred into covenant with them and they became his in the day that he brought them out of the land of Egypt their time was the time of love And he remembred the kindness of their youth the love of their espousals in which they went after him in the wilderness c. They had avouched him that day to be their God and he had avouched them to be his people See Ezek. 16. 8. with Jer. 2. 2. and Deut. 26. 17 18. So likewise those that are of the true Sanctuary of the Spouse and Church of Christ the peculiarly beloved of the Lord they are those that have made a covenant with him by sacrifice Psal 50. 5. even by the sacrifice which he hath first prepared for them and given to them for a witness of his love and for a covenant to the people and so they are said to be reconciled to God by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 5. 18. with Isai 55. 3 4 5 6. Not onely his Word hath come unto them in power c. for so it doth to them that reject it and will none of him in the plain and faithful ministration of it he therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given of his spirit to accompany such faithful ministration of his Word but they also were willing and obedient in the day of his power as he was working in them to will and to do they received his Word as the Word of God which effectually worketh in them that so receive it to the uniting an joyning them to the Lord so that they turned from idols to God to serve him and to wait for his Son from heaven See 1 Thess 1. 4 5 6 10. and 2. 13. True it is he is the first seeker and wooer of men to be reconciled to God and without his gracious and spiritual calling and drawing no man can come to him and therefore he prevents every man in due time with that yet though he do so and declare his readiness to accept yea and desire that they should come in his drawings and be reconciled and married to him in his Son except they come to him as to a living stone in the powerful drawing influences of him to them they are not as lively stones built up a spiritual house c. Ho every one therefore that thirsteth come to the waters come in the power of the call even to day while he is calling and stretching out his hand if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Encline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you c. He will not force thee against thy will nor own accept or chuse thee into peculiar favour and fellowship without thy will it is thy heart he desires My son give me thy heart for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness And because he knows thou hast neither heart nor power to will or chuse him nor light in thy understanding to perceive his preciousness that might draw thy soul after him therefore in and for that love of pitie and compassion he had to thee and desire after thee even when thou wast altogether dead in sins and trespasses in which love he gave himself a ransome for thee he becomes himself also a testimony in due time to thee and makes the testimony of himself powerful to open thine eyes so to turn thee from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that in turning at the light and power of his gracious drawings and reproofs thou mayst receive the forgiveness of sins and inheritance through the word of his grace with his Saints Onely then rebel not thou against the Lord for consider how great things he hath done for thee but cease from thy own works to believe on him that justifies the ungodly as he is by his preventing grace working in thee the whole good pleasure of his goodness and the work of Faith with power and this shall be imputed to thee for righteousness accepted as thy act and making a Covenant with him by his own Sacrifice which he hath prepared and given for a covenant on both parts there is all his great and pretious promises confirmed and made sure for thee in and by that sacrifice of himself and with him given to thee and therein is thy faith and troth plighted to him in laying hold of his Covenant and drawing neer in the sweet allurements and incouragements thereof he will gratiously accept thee and make thee partaker of himself by his own Covenant and by vertue of his own Sacrifice by which he hath obliged and incouraged thee to give thy self to him 2. As in the earthly marriage he that is joyned to a woman is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh So he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit he is therein baptized and made to drink into that one Spirit of Jesus the Lord by which he was raised from the dead and which immeasurably dwells in him for the fulness of the God-head dwells in him bodily and which comes forth from him in the name of the Father and testifies of him manifesting the glory of God in his face who is the image of God and being made to drink into this Spirit they are of the same minde with Christ and so reconciled in the spirit of their minde unto God for they have the minde of Christ having received his Word they have known surely and believed that he came forth from God and is a true and faithful witness of God and have so received him and are made partakers of him spiritually for through this knowledge of him that is true they are united and made one in and with him that is true even with his Son Jesus Christ and so with the Father in him 1 Cor. 6. 16 17. with chap. 2. 16. 12. 13. 1 John 5. 20. with
chap. 1. 3-7 John 17. 8. As a little further to explain even as the man and wife in marriage are become one in the flâ—sh and in things pertaining to the flesh and outward man So Christ and the soul in this marriage is become one in the Spirit and in things pertaining to the spirit and inward man even in all things pertaining to life and godliness His sufferings his resurrection and glory his Father Spirit Angels children servants all become theirs by Faith not onely prepared given and treasured up in him as in a surety and treasury for them so they were before and are for others that are not joyned to the Lord for by the grace of God he tasted death for every man and gave himself a ransome for all yea he dyed for their sins and rose for their justification according to the Scriptures and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and by means thereof hath received gifts in the man for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them God hath prepared eternal life in Christ for all and with him in giving him a testimony to men gives eternal life in the gratious discoveries and tenders of it to them in due time but onely he that hath the Son hath life and he hath it in having him with whom God gives all things pertaining to life and godliness and they are received in receiving him even now spiritually and by Faith as he is received They are by the same spirit of Faith by which they are baptized into Christ baptized into his death even into union and fellowship with him in his personal sufferings and resurrection so that by Faith they dyed and were buried with him and are risen with him through the same faith of the operation of God who bath raised him from the dead and are therein taught and strengthned to reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin to its charges and condemning power by the Law in that he dyed to sin once and alive unto God made capable of receiving mercy from him and of being admitted into fellowship with him through the Mediator by his resurrection from the dead by which they are quickned to a lively hope and have consolation and rejoycing in his sufferings and glory as their own it being theirs by Faith And so his Father Spirit promises all theirs by Faith in him yea his Angels servants creatures even Paul Apollo Cephas the world life and death saith the Apostle all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 John 5. 11 12. Rom. 6. 3-9 c. Col. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 21-23 And on the other hand their weaknesses pollutions wants and imperfections are become his in some answerable sence as the wives are the husbands not now to bear in his own personal body as once he did the imputation of our sins the sence and feeling of all our sicknesses and infirmities so knows how to succour us in ours that still remain upon us But he being raised from the dead dyeth no more nor hath death any more dominion over him nor is sin any more imputed to him But he makes intercession for transgressors and hath compassion even on the ignorant and them that are out of the way and so he is the Saviour of all men the upholder of all that fall that they might know him and believe in him but especially the Saviour of them that believe they being joyned to the Lord their weaknesses and wants are his to heal cleanse and make up for he gave himself for his Church that he might wash and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word and sanctifie it to and for himself and so their works that are theirs as his Spouse are his to perfect what concerns them their sufferings for him his by interpretation and he ingaged on their side as the Apostle and high priest of their profession their special surety or advocate for good to manage their matters for them in heaven and earth to work their works in them and for them to plead their cause and fight their battels and they are taught and strengthned by faith to cast their care on him and wait through the spirit for the hope of his righteousness by faith in perfecting what concerns them Psal 103. 119. 121 122. 138. 8. 145. 18 19. Gal. 5. 5. Heb. 3. 1. 10. 19-23 3. As in the earthly marriage or in the union of it there is but one man and one woman as before is shewed and the woman is originally of the nam yet so as both of God and the man the head of the woman So here 1. The Spouse and Church of Christ is but one the onely one of her mother Cant. 6. 9. Begotten and made by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with or through the word of truth the Gospel of Christ Jam. 1. 18. And so Jerusalem that is above whence that glorious Gospel is come forth unto us is said to be the mother of all the members here on earth speaking of those under the plain Revelation of the mystery and now since God hath spoken to us in these last days by his Son they all as Isaac are the children of promise and such onely are counted for the Seed even they that are of faith in all ages the children of the Bondwoman have no part here See Gal. 3. with chap. 4. 21-31 Rom. 4. 9. 8. They are such as are made out of Christ's personal body spiritually and so of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5. 30. as was resembled by the woman's being made at first of the man in which she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Now the Apostle saith not that we are flesh of his flesh c. But with allusion to that resemblance we are of his flesh and of his bones or members of his body even of his personal body that is to say what we are spiritually as the Spouse and Church of Christ and members thereof in particular we are of and by the vertues of his personal body that was broken for us and in which being raised from the dead he liveth and continueth ever and through the discoveries thereof and therein of the pretiousness of his blood unto us and likewise we are therein united to and made members of that his body as the woman in marriage is of her husband so that his things become ours and our weaknesses and wants his to supply and what concerns us his to perfect as before is shewed They are all by one Spirit baptized into one body c. 1 Cor. 12. 13. And what forms of godliness soever any have if they be not born of that Spirit that testifies of Jesus and commends God's love in him they are not of the beloved not of the chosen Generation There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines many daughters of the Whore or Synagogue of Satan yea
for the promoting the things of his kingdom and not for our own ends and pleasure aiming at him as the great end of all our conversation that he may be known and glorified in us and by us in that which he hath done and is become for men in himself and in that which he is doing and will do and also in the returning or bringing and offering to him all the fruit we have brought forth by him and for him even the children or seed after the Spirit for they are his I have espoused you says the Apostle to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ My joy therefore says John the Baptist is fulfilled when the Bridegroom hath the Bride this is that elsewhere called the offering up of the Gentiles and so seeking to build nourish and bring them up into him in all things and for him and so also our children after the flesh And truely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband so do such as have been espoused to this one husband treacherously depart and go a whoring from him when 1. They either are ashamed of his name or count it not glory enough to be known and called by it but seek to magnifie or to be known and distinguished by their own name or the name of some other person or thing besides or together with his name or do receive and are marked with some other name either in the hand as actors in it maintainers and defenders of it or in the fore-head to confess and shew it forth before men Or 2. When though in some sence they would be called by his name to take away their reproach yet they will ear their own bread and wear their own apparel rest not satisfied in his being sent into the world dying for our sins and rising for our justification according to the Scriptures as a sufficient signe witness and revelation of himself what he is for us and to us and so of the Father but seek after some other signe as those Matth. 12. 38 39. 1 Cor. 1. 22-24 An evil and adulterous geneneration saith our Saviour seeketh after a signe and there shall no signe be given unto it but the signe of the Prophet Jonas for as Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth nor are contented to be found in and cloathed with his righteousness onely but seek after some other righteousness or work to commend them to God and to rejoyce in before him and so go about to perfect by the flesh that rejoycing consolation and confidence that holiness and those works that were begun by the Spirit in the preaching of the Cross of Christ as the Galatians see the whole Epistle to them and of the Corinths the Apostle had jealousie left they should be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ in like manner 3. When they own and acknowledge any other Lord or Master of their faith Father of their spirits chief Bishop and Shepherd of their souls and desire to come into bondage in their mindes and consciences to any other name power or ordinance of man and have their fear toward God taught or determined by the doctrines and precepts of men See Isai 29. 13. with Matth. 15. 2-9 23. 8-10 with 2 Cor. 1. 24. 1 Pet. 5. 3. And whoever of them following such a lust or desire of preheminence as was sometime found in the Disciples Matth. 18. 1. with Mark 9. 34. Matth. 20. 21 c. and approved and followed by Diotrephes 3 John 9. do assume any such Lordship over Gods Heritage as having dominion over their faith or power to binde and loose the conscience or sit as Lord and Judge there by vertue of whatever work place or office in the Church they assume it to themselves they therein commit such treachery and spiritual fornication as is resembled by a mans having his fathers wife which the Apostle mentions as such abominable fornication as was not so much as named among the Gentiles 4. When they go in unto and seek fellowship with other lovers whether things or persons to make them fruitful or that their fruit may be the more fair and beautiful in appearance or be the end or pretence what it will as to say when they acquaint themselves and have fellowship with Philosophy the wisdom from beneath or love of being wise in a mans self and vain deceit that artificial science knowledge or way of knowing demonstrating and expressing things which in respect of these things is falsly so called when I say they seek to and have fellowship with these for understanding finding out and demonstrating the great things of God in Christ Jesus which belong to their own and others peace as not satisfied with the simplicity of Christ in his Testimony or with that plain preaching of the cross which is foolishness with men or not there singly to stay and wait for the evidence and demonstration of his Spirit for opening our understandings and leading us into all truth and there to wait for the hope of his righteousness by faith in the perfecting what concerns us and making us fruitful but lusting after and doting on some other wisdom and strength with it which in stead of rendring us more excellent and fruitful indeed and in truth makes the preaching of the cross by us without effect and onely tends to espouse to ourselves or beget a faith resting on the wisdom and power of man See 1 Cor. 1. 17 18 c. 2. 1 5 c. with Col. 2. 8. 1 Tim. 6. 20. Or when they go out from him to other Societies where he seeds not nor makes his flock to rest at noon as seeking to gather grapes of thorns or figgs of thistles or as wondring after something of the Kingdom and glory of the beast or of his whore there and seeking to learn how to adde something like it unto what is of the Spirit in and among those that call on his name in truth that they may have something also to glory of in appearance and grow more comely glorious and fruitful that way But indeed it defiles and makes barren and desolate of true glory and fruit See Cant. 1. 7. Matth. 7. 15 16. Revel 3. 2 4. with chap. 14. 4. 5. When they give their loves to another as in those things peculiarly pertaining to their onely Lord and Husband as to say when they yeild up their mindes and members to the service of sin in any of the unclean and filthy lusts of the flesh or in covetousness which is idolatry they herein defile his Temple which he hath double bought with such a price as aforesaid and so there is treachery and spiritual fornication against the Lord even in this uncleanness and filthiness of the flesh See Rom. 6. tot with chap. 7 4 5 6. 8. 9-12 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. with
1 Joh. 3. 6 8. Tit. 2. 11 12. And the heynousness and sinfulness of this kind of sin or sinning is evidenced and aggravated by the grace of God in and through Christ against which it is committed Yea III. That this sin and so all sins of this nature are still retained in heaven against men and they reputed as guilty before God whether they go on in the course of acting or serving them still or no while yet they are not washed in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God this likewise is to be seen and understood in the light of Gods testimony concerning Jesus Christ which declares it to be his peculiar work and office in the name of the Father and by the power of the eternal Spirit by and with the vertues of what he hath done and is become in himself for us to save and wash us from our sins It is to him that all the Prophets bear witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Act. 10. 43. 1. 3. 39. Neither is there any other name given under Heaven whereby we may be saved but the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth He hath deputed no man or Church as his Vicar or substitute to do this but himfelf by and through the knowledge of himself is the justifier and cleanser from all unrighteousness Isai 53. 11. 1 Joh. 1. 7 9. And so it is attributed to the Apostles and to them that believe through their word and have that word of reconciliation to minister I say it is attributed to them in their faithful ministration of that Word because of the promise of his spiritual presence with them therein alway to the end of the world that whose sins they remit namely in that ministration and by the power of their word they are remitted in heaven c. For it is Jesus Christ that makes them free through the knowledge of that word of truth it is Christ spiritually ministring and ministred by them he sent his word and healed them Joh. 20. 21 23. with Mark 16. 15 16. and Matth. 28. 19 20. Joh. 8. 32 36. Psal 107. 20. And truely if he wash them not men can have no part with him nor are they washed from their filthiness how clean or pure soever in their own or others eyes Whence it is said of the Corinthians Such were some of you namely fornicators covetous c. But ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God he saith not in the name of the Church or of some High Priest or Bishop on earth no not in the name of Paul or Peter Was Paul crucified for you says he to them 1 Cor. 1. 13. or were ye baptized into the name of Paul But in the name of the Lord Jesus c. 1 Cor. 6. 9 11. Implying that untill they were washed in that name they were not washed nor free indeed nor was their name changed with God but they are still reputed as such with him whatever other washings and cleansings they have had and in what other name soever But being washed in his name in that washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which is poured forth abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour they are no longer reputed by the Almighty as Whoremongers and Adulterers but are by him graciously owned and called by a new name Sons of God heirs with Christ elect beloved of the chosen generation Behold what manner of love is this that even such may have their sins so blotted out in heaven as to be called The sons of God who would not make haste to this fountain while it is yet held open for the washing us from our sin and uncleanness We knowing the terrour of the Lord against them that will not be made clean whose sins are still retained in heaven against them cannot but perswade men though they count us fools and mad-men for our pains for see the sentence and decree of the holy One Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge which leads us to the last consideration here propounded namely 3. How in what sence and after what manner God will judge them The opposition of Gods judging them in this saying But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge I say the opposition of it unto what is before affirmed of the honourableness of Marriage shews it to be such a correction punishment or judgement for it as is fitly opposed to the honourableness of Marriage and the bed undefiled that is he will put them to shame and wound them with reproach and dishonour And though this may be and is in the beginnings of it in mercy and for their healing and therefore with much mixture of mercy yet still persisting such he will more severely judge them as those that break Wedlock and shed blood are judged a wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away and in the issue they still going on in their trespasses or not being washed in the blood of Christ he will judge them to everlasting shame and confusion as he will do all makers and worshippers of Idols who are spiritual adulterers and fornicators and all that are incensed against him See this distinctly in three branches or steps of Gods proceeding in his judging them according to a threefold sense of Gods judging spoken of in the Scripture Gods judging is sometimes taken for the judgements of his mouth as Psal 105. 5. and of them oft-times more particularly for his passing sentence for or against a man his approving or disapproving his justifying or condemning in respect of which it is said that that he judgeth even now in this present day without respect of persons according to every mans work 1 Pet. 1. 17. and 2. 23. with Joh. 8. 16 26 50. 12. 48. 5. 30. Yet because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil Likewise more oft and frequently his judgements are taken for the judgements of his hand his executing judgement according to the righteous sentence of his mouth and so sometimes for his judging in this life and world Gen. 15. 14. That nation whom they shall serve will I judge 1 Sam. 3. 13. God would judge the house of Eli for ever Ezek. 7. 3 27. He would judge them according to their ways and deserts Chap. 16. 38. I will judge thee as women that break wedlock and shed bloud And sometimes for his eternal judgement in the world to come After death the judgement Heb. 9. 27. God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto
remaining upon him and that his opening them himself until God had washed and purged him and delivered him from the guilt of them would not tend to the praise of God Psal 51. 12 13 14 15. 2. They defile others not onely each of them the other with whom they joyn in it nor is this all further that if there be an husband or a wife against whom the adulteress or adulterer deals treacherously in committing fornication defilement occasionally happens to them yea it may be to body and soul more or less besides the fraud and wrong therein done to them but also they defile others more generally and the more abundantly by how much the more they were in union and fellowship with them that call on the Name of the Lord in truth encouraging some by their evil example to follow it against the reproofs of Gods instruction in that or other lusts and so also unfitting them to admonish or reprove others for so doing and offending others that are weak yea occaâ—â—oning them to stumble at the truth and at the way of it as if Christ were the minister of sin or the liberty to which we are called by the Gospel were liberty to the flesh and provoking others to wrath of pride strifes debates and many other evils whence the Apostle admonishing to look diligently lest any root of bitterness be suffered to spring up and not curbed or pluckt up at first rising and thereby many be defiled he addes this warning against fornication and profaness as eminent defilements and defilers lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright Heb. 12. 15 16. Yea such the stain and blemish brought upon the whole societies of believers among whom such are that while they are with and among them they are outwardly defiled and besmeared with reproach amongst men of the world that are ready presently to judge them as allowing such evils and uncleanness among themselves and thereby rendered unmeet to bear the vessels of the Lord and minister about holy things among them and the more unsuccessful therein And therefore they are admonished to put away from among themselves such wicked persons as being called brethren yet are fornicators idolaters railers drunkards covetous extortioners with such to have no company or intimate fellowship that they may be ashamed c. See 1 Cor. 5. And that the truth of God and the way of it may not be evil spoken of as a nursery of such nor suffer damage by them in any thing but that they may cut off occasion from them that seek it For there are many wicked and malicious adversaries that watch for their halting and seek occasions and advantages that they may speak reproachfully of and blaspheme that worthy name by which they are called and great occasion is given them by such fleshly lusts served among such which also more highly provokes the Almighty and renders such works of darkness and iniquity so vile in his sight that he will not let them go without some correction left upon them for a remembrance of their ways and to warn and humble them even such as yet in turning to him are forgiven and healed For so he saith to David after his humbling himself and confessing his fins although thereupon he saith by the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sin yet he addes Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely die that is besides the forementioned corrections which likewise should come and remain upon him as that the sword should not depart from his house c. Because saith he thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Vriah c. See 2 Sam. 12. 9-14 Seeing then this lust of uncleanness and other such fleshly lusts not being abstained from by those that have known and believed the truth are so out of measure sinful and defiling to themselves and others suffer this word of exhortation by the Apostle Peter Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works in putting off these deeds and fruits of the flesh and in putting on the new man with his deeds which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. Yea the rather accept it and give earnest heed to the things we have heard in Gods speaking to us by his Son to strengthen us against such defiling evils because especially now that the darkness is past and the true light hath shined making manifest all things that are reproved such defiling of the temple of God procures such sorer punishment and destruction to the defilers from the Almighty for Whhremongers and Adulterers God will judge And look what sentence is here denonnced and lies for ever against Whoremongers and Adulterers unto whom the holy Ghost had here particular occasion to apply it in this opposition of his sentence unto his asserting the honourableness of Marriage and the bed undefiled we may by the same word of the Lord apply unto all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men For now especially since the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to save that men might be justified by faith and that the just by faith may live and walk by faith and so in the spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh compare Rom. 1. 16 17. with chap. 3. 21-27 Gal. 3. 23 24. 5. 16. The wrath of God is also thereby more clearly revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold hold back detain or smother the truth of God that comes to save them from it all in unrighteousness for the judgement of God is according to truth yea according to the Gospel of truth that royal-law of liberty that proclaims redemption from the curse and liberty from the bondage of the Law that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them that believe I say according to this Gospel of Salvation by him that was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him the judgement of God is according to truth against all them that commit such things as in which his holy law is transgressed and without respect of persons he judgeth according to every mans work for he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law and so we may say if thou steal or if thou bear false witness or if thou do any thing contrary to sound Doctrine and shalt be judged for it by the law of liberty and according to its rule of judgement which hath