Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had
inconsistent with the Justice of God Isa 53.5 6 10. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin But this of our Saviour Christ's giving his flesh to eat and his blood to drink must be understood Symbolically and Sacramentally by Faith it is the sign of Christ's 〈…〉 had not Christ taken humane flesh upon him and died for sinners the whole species of the humane race had perished and been lost as all the fallen Angels were and not one soul had ever been saved and so his flesh and blood became meat and drink unto us to live upon him by faith alone who do share in all these benefits and blessings which came by Christ's taking flesh and blood upon him and is not such a wonderful great mercy as this is worthy of a holy thankful remembrance which is the principal end and design of Christ in his Instituting of this Ordinance and ought to be ours in partaking of it for if our Saviour Christ had given us his material flesh to eat and his real blood to drink it would have availed us nothing And thus are the words of our Saviour to be understood in that 6. Joh. in retort to the carnal conception of the unbelieving Jews as well as to his unbelieving Disciples which dreamed even as you do of the Roman Catholick faith that Christ spake of giving them his real substantial body to eat and his real blood to drink said the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat and said the Disciples This is an hard saying who can bear it But mind narrowly our Saviour's own words viz. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life It is the Spirit that begetteth faith in every true Believer and that quickeneth the new Creature or Babe of Grace after it is begotten and born of God in its first quicknings or formation and in its after-quicknings for it is of the seed Royal of Heaven Psal 89.29 and it is conveyed unto us through Jesus Christ by his holy Spirit and so we come to be made alive to God and are Children of the most High for God is the Father of Spirits and the only Spiritual Father of all that believe in Jesus Christ his only Son from all Eternity by Generation for all the rest of Gods Sons of humane race are his Sons by Adoption and Regeneration and all this is effected and brought about through the agency and aid of the Holy and ever Blessed and Eternal Spirit and therefore that which is thus begotten and born of God must be Spiritual for as Adam begot a Son in his own likeness who was himself of the Earth and Earthly so God begets all his Children in his own likeness who are all Spiritual and Heavenly Children they have all of them the Image of their Father stamped upon them which is Grace and Holiness the more holy the more like unto God they are who is Essentially holy and theefore the food which this spiritual man liveth upon must be Spiritual Heavenly food he lives upon God in Christ and feeds upon God in Christ by faith for all our springs are in him Now for any persons to imagin that a spiritual being can live and subsist upon carnal material food is but a vain imagination 〈…〉 less flesh and his blood without the least tincture of sin yet notwithstanding all that it is food beneath the new Creature to live upon for by Christ's taking flesh upon him he made himself lower than the Angels as he was man Heb. 2.7 Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels thou crownedst him with Glory and Honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands But as Christ was God so he is higher than the Heavens yea the Heavens are unclean in his sight and all the food which the new creature doth live upon is all treasured up in Christ he is the great Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth hâ—â— is the Dispencer of all Grace for it hath pleased the Father that in him all fullness shall dwell And in him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Grace there it is placed by God the Father there it is laid up for all his children for them to come and fetch by faith and prayer all whatsoever they stand in need of and we all receive from Christ's fulness and grace for grace Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord wiâ—â— give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that live uprightly There it is Treasurer up in Christ who is the only Infallible head of thâ— true Ancient Catholick Apostolical Church to distribute and give forth unto all his members as â—â— seeth to be needful and necessary for them both Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and Mercies Alas how can a Spiritual being subsist upon carnal substantial food it is utterly incoherent and inconsistent as our Saviour Christ said in another case 〈◊〉 cure Thomas a Didimus's unbelief viz. A spirit has 〈◊〉 flesh and bones as ye see me have Now if your Transubstantiated Christ could convince us after thâ— manner as our Saviour convinced Thomas a Didimâ—â— your Doctrine might obtain some credit amoâ—â— those sort of people that are not debarred of the 〈◊〉 of their sense and reason as yours are But Believe have not a carnal body to be fed in this sense 〈◊〉 that is fed with the meat that perisheth but thâ— fed with that meat which endureth to everlast life A Cow may as well and better live uponâ— bare Sea-Rocks and feed upon Oysters or Cockles a Fish live out of the water upon the dry land 〈◊〉 feed upon hay or straw as for the new Creature Spiritual man to live upon material substantial 〈◊〉 and blood And our Saviour Christ himself has us consequentially in effect that his flesh would fit us nothing if he should give it unto us to eaâ—â— Again in the next place this eating of Châ—â—â— flesh and drinking his blood is no more to bâ—â—â— derstood literally and properly than the Doctrine Regeneration was which our Saviour Christ 〈◊〉 red unto old Nicodemus and if you observe it gently you will find that our Saviour Christ 〈◊〉 pounded it much after the same manner as 〈◊〉 done this of eating his flesh 〈…〉 blood and gives the like check to the understanding of the one carnally and literally as he does to the other And pray take notice that our Saviour Christ is the only infallible Judg and Interpreter of the holy Scriptures
which is that wherein the strength of their father's Dominion lieth and doth afford no manner of relief nor support to the Devils Kingdom nor no kind of countenance to his subjects or children But the whole bent and stream of the Scripture is against his Kingdom subjects and children therefore the Holy Scriptures could not be invented or made by any of them but it must be the infallible true word of the everlasting God who cannot lie nor deny himself and it was indicted by his Holy Spirit and written by holy men of God as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Eighthly and Lastly If it be not in the Power of a Good Man to give the Reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation which is the full Fruition and Enjoyment of God for ever in Glory which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it Nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures have denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it because it would be to promise that which he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and threaten that which he hath not a power to execute Then it could not be a good man that made or invented the Scriptures But it is not in the power of a good man to give the reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation Tit. 1.2 which is the full fruition and enjoyment of God for ever in Gloty which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures hath denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Because it would be to promise that which he knew in his own Conscience that he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and to threaten to inflict that punishment which was not in his power to execute and so he would have been a liar and an impostor which is quite contrary to the Principle of a good man and it is utterly inconsistent with his Goodness Therefore it could not be a good man that made or invented the Sacred Scriptures because this power is peculiar and wholly in the hands of God and therefore it must be the word of God. The Apostle St. Paul saith But I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Thus you see clearly proved That the Holy Scriptures were not made nor invented by either good men or bad men Therefore it must be undoubtedly the Infallible Word of the True and Ever-living God and not a humane Invention Now I shall close up this Discourse in drawing a Parallel between some part of the Holy Scriptures of Christ and the Scriptures of Antichrist which is that another Gospel as the Apostle called it in 2 Cor. 11.4 and Gal. 18.9 And I shall Answer another Objection with Three Arguments and so finish the whole 1. First the Gospel of Christ teacheth Love Peace Meekness Humility and lowliness of mind Col. 3.15 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men Hatred Variance Pride Malice and Haughtiness of Spirit 2. Secondly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do good for evil But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do evil for good for if they know that a man doth but endeavour to convince them of their Errors and Heresie which is the greatest and best good that any man can do for a Person they will Burn or Hang him or clap him up in the Inquisition for a Heretick if it lieth in their Power which is to do the greatest evil for the greatest good 3. Thirdly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do to others as they would be done by themselves Matth. 12. But the Scripture of Antichrist teacheth men to do by others as they would not be done by themselves 4. Fourthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to pray for their Enemies that persecute them Matth. 5.44 But the Gospel of Anrichrist teacheth them account them their Enemies that pray for them and 〈◊〉 persecute them 5. Fifthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 to love our neighbours as our selves But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth them 〈◊〉 betray and murder their neighbours for Hereticks if they be not of their Perswasion 6. Sixthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 Ministers of Jesus Christ to compel people to conâ—â—â— unto Christ and believe in him for Life and Salvation by peaceable suasive Arguments drawn and deduced from the Holy Scriptures But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth his Ministers to compel Persons to come unto him a 〈◊〉 embrace his Religion and Worship by the forcible Arguments of Dragoons and Inquisitions 7. Seventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 That God is a spirit and they that worship him 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth John 〈…〉 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth That God is an Old Man sitting in Heaven and must be worshipâ—ed carnally and falsely by Images c. 8. Eighthly The Gospel of God teacheth Men Wisdom and Understanding 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the â—imple But the Gospel of Antichrist maketh men of Understanding simple and teacheth that Ignorance â—s the mother of Devotion but I will assure you it â—s not fatherless for it has a Father too for if Ignorance be the Mother of it then the Devil must be the Father of it John 8.44 9. Ninthly the Gospel of Christ teacheth men and women to be better than their own natural Dispositions and corrupt Inclinations which is the great Doctrine of Christianity nameiy Self-denial which is the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all other pretended Religions in the world if performed in a right manner and to a right end it is this that maketh a man more excellent than his neighbour for it teacheth a man to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously 〈◊〉 teacheth a man to deny sinful-self and righteous-self too which is a higher Attainment than the denying of sinful-self for many Persons can â—eny sinful-self that cannot deny righteous-self for it is one of the hardest duties that is incumbent upon a Christian to deny righteous-self which is â—o do good works and discharge every Duty as carefully and as consciously as if he should be justified and saved by and for so doing and when he has done all to cast them behind his back as if he had done nothing
But now hath obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises For if that first covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second Heb. 7.19 I do believe the Apostle Paul in Heb. 8.4 spake Ironically of those Priests that were so ignorant then Ay and that do now offer up material Sacrifices both of Jews and Gentiles in Gospel times for it does signify that Christ is not come in the flesh but that he is yet to come and die which is a down-right denying that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in Works For says the Apostle if he were on earth he should not be a priest seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law If he that is Christ the only high Priest were on Earth he should not be a Priest because these Priests that offer Sacrifice under the Gospel are all Invaders and Usurpers of Christ's Priestly 〈…〉 under the Mosaical Law were all but Types and Shadows of Christ of his Coming and Dying for Christ is the High Priest and Priest of the most High God Heb. 7.15 16 17 23 24 25 26 27. For this Melchisedec King of Salem Priest of the most High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life for he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec and they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them for such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did Once when he offered up himself Here you see is the durable Priesthood Rev. 8.3 4. there Christ is the Golden Altar on which all our Gospel-sacrifices of Prayers and Thanksgiving must be offered up to God or else neither the person nor the offering will ever be accepted by the Lord. And look into 1 Cor. 5.7 and there you have the Sacrifice Thus you see clearly made out unto you that Christ is the only Priest Altar and Sacrifice of which all these Priests and Altars and Sacrifices and the Passover under the Law were Types and Figures and therefore the Apostle did as it were expose and ridicule or even laugh to see the ignorance of those Priests that do offer Sacrifices under the Gospel-Dispensation for a remembrance of Christ's yet coming to die for sin for that is the signification of all those material Sacrifices when as Christ was then come and had suffered and was gone to Glory this is more tolerable in the Jews who do not believe that Christ the Messiah is come than it is for any that profess themselves Christians and believe that Christ is already come for the Jews do not believe that the Messiah is come and therefore they keep up their Sacrifices and Offerings thâ— they have lost the very sense and meaning of them and the End and Design of God in his first ordaining and appointing of them but for any that pretend to be Christians and yet to offer up these kinâ— of material Sacrifices and yet do own that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh why I do say that thâ— they do confess in words that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh yet in these Sacrifices they do plainâ—â— deny it for it is a turning back again to the Jewiâ—â— Law for these Sacrifices say plainly that Jesus Christ is not yet come in the flesh because his 〈◊〉 in the flesh put an end to that Ordinance as well as to the Passover and all other carnal Ordinances and Ceremonial Rites when he had finished the work which God the Father gave him to do Again another Scripture for Illumination is that in Heb. 9.8 9 12. The Holy Ghost there signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle was yet standing for that first Tabernacle was the Ceremonial Law of Types and Shadows and material Sacrifices for Christ is the way into the holiest of all who was not then come nor manifested in the flesh when these Sacrifices were in force 1 Joh. 1.1 2. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and manifested unto us What was this manifestation why it was Christ when he came in the flesh as you may see 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory Christ was justified by God the Father and acquitted from all the sins of his people when he had suffered and died and rose again But Christ was not so manifested then under the Law when this Covenant was standing which was not faultless and all these Sacrifices in force and being which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to Conscience Heb. 7.19 for â—he Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did c. Here you see all these Sacrifices and Services under the Law were all imperfect they could not â—each the Conscience to purge and sanctifie that neither could they purifie nor cleanse the heart â—hey were all but Figures and Types of that which â—as to come which was of the Lord Jesus Christ â—he great and only Sacrifice who was to come and â—e offered up who is said to be our Passover and is â—â—crificed for us And it is moreover said Neither by â—he blood of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling â—â—e unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh No â—othing but the Blood of Christ the Lamb of God â—â—n cleanse a soul from the guilt and pollution of 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming â—â—to him and saith Behold the Lamb of God which â—â—keth away the sin of the world Again Fourthly and lastly one Scripture more â—â—t the utter overthrowing of all pretended material â—â—crifices short of Christ and
his Righteousness and 〈◊〉 to expunge and expiate sin and guilt and sanctifie the soul and present it unto the Father without spot or wrinkle like himself fully justified and acquitted from all the demands of Justice and wholly discharged from the Law for Christ's being justified was his peoples Justification which the Law could not do in that it was weak for all the Sacrifices under the Law when they were in force could not take away sin and Sacrifices under the Gospel cannot do it for these material Sacrifices of yours themselves are an abomination in the sight of God and are as smoke in his nose Isa 65. For there never was but one real Propitiatory and sufficient Sacrifice for all the sins of Gods people both under the Law and under the Gospel and that was Christ who was offered up a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God and that but once as I have already proved from the holy Scripture Heb. 10.1 3 4 5 6 11. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect But in these Sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sin but our Saviour Christ the great Sacrifice perfects for ever them which are sanctified there cometh all the Believers perfection in at that door and no where else For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins In Burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure O no for in these material Ceremonial Sacrifices there was much sin and imperfection and therefore God could take no pleasure in them And every priest standeth dayly ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool So that here you see again That these Sacrifices and Offerings before Christ came in the flesh were but for a Remembrance of Sin and of Christ's coming in the flesh and dying in the flesh and rising again to redeem fallen lost sinners For whilst we were sinners Christ died for the ungodly And the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper after Christ's coming in the flesh and dying in the flesh and rising again from the dead for our justification is for a Remembrance that Christ is come in the flesh and has suffered and died in the room and place of fallen sinners to expiate the guilt and to wash away the filth and pollution of sin and to atone us to God who was the Just and the Holy One. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God through him Christ is come and has died in the flesh and is justified in the spirit by which justification of his all true Believers come to be justified freely and pardoned fully Rom. 33.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of demneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us This word also signifieth that there is some other Intercessor Why look into v. 26. and there you will see that the Holy Ghost maketh intercession for the Believer and in the Believer the spirit indicts all our Prayers in us if we pray in a right manner Rev. 1.5 And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth Ay and that Antichrist shall know in a little time It draws on a-pace towards a period of his Reign Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood This is the only Purgatory for sinners there is no Purge to be had for Sin any where else and all that ever were purged and saved from the days of Adam until Christ came in the flesh were saved upon the account of Christ's coming and dying in the flesh to make satisfaction to the Justice of God for their sins as he was their surety of that better Covenant or Days-man to fulfil all Righteousness for them that believe With Holy Reverence be it spoken it is thus All they that were saved before Christ came in the flesh and died in his estate of humiliation were saved upon Christ's Word and Credit upon the account of that Confederal Covenant that was made in order to Man's Redemption between God the Father and God the Son from all Eternity That Christ in due time would come into the World and take up humane nature and stand in the room of poor sinners and lay down his Life for poor lapsed undone Man and to purchase Grace and Holiness for us here and Eternal Life and Salvation for us hereafter with himself in Glory It is Comparatively as if there should be a Covenant made between two persons for such and such parcels of Merchandize or for such a parcel of Land and the purchaser doth bargain and agree for the said Merchandize or Land wholly upon Credit and enters into Covenant or Bonds according to their agreement to pay him that he purchased the said Premises of so much Monies at such a time as they do agree upon punctually Now upon this Consideration and Contract he giveth the Purchaser as ample and peaceable possession and quiet enjoyment of it as if he had paid him every peny of the Money down upon the Nail And he reaps all the benefit of it until the time does come in the which he doth actually and punctually pay him his Money according to Contract Why even so it was with a respect to Christ in that Confederal Covenant between himself and God the Father in relation to every Believer that was saved before Christ came in the flesh and actually laid down his life for them 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you 2. And secondly All those that should be saved after Christ came in the flesh and actually paid the price of Redemption by laying down his Life by which he purchased all them that ever should be saved for time then to come to the end of the World. Now this is like a Man that purchases all the Wine that such a Vineyard shall produce for so long time or like a Crop of Corn that a Man purchaseth as soon as the Seed is sown and payeth down every Farthing of his Money long before ever he receives any of the Wine or Corn Every true Believer throughout all
God by his Grace hath made Good. 1. First it could not be a Moral Honest Good Man that made and invented the Scriptures who counts himself so for he will tell you That he shall go to Heaven and be saved because he deals uprightly and justly with all men and payeth every one their own and does wrong to no man and I do as I would be done by which is all very good in its place and let me tell you that it is so good that there is no going to Heaven without it but yet let me tell thee also Tho thou dost give Man his due yet if thou dost not give God his due it will all avail thee nothing in Point of Justification and Salvation But what is it to give God his due Why the sole Conduct and Government of thy Soul all thou art and all thou hast must be resigned up to God from whence thou didst receive it thou must forsake all whenever God in his Providence calls thee to it and deny thy self and follow Christ the Lamb of God whithersoever he goeth Will you see a full Scripture for proof of this Why you shall Matth. 19.18 19 20 21. Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness honour thy father and thy mother and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The young man saith unto him All these things have I kept from my youth up What lack I yet Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Moral Honesty will not do unless we follow Christ by Faith and in Love. Therefore it could not be a Moral Honest Man that made or invented the Scriptures because they are quite against him and surely if the Moral Good Man had made them he would have made his way wide enough for himself to go to Heaven and be saved by his Morality 2. Secondly There is another sort of Persons that count themselves so good that they think there is none like them but that they are the only good men in the world Isa 65. Rev. 3.9 And these are a whipping sort of Good Men the Pharisaical self-righteous Men that are so zealous in their way to make up a Righteousness of their own to be justified and saved by that they will whip themselves 〈…〉 and hang and burn their neighbours for God's sake and this sort of men in all Ages have justified themselves and condemned all others Pray hear what our Saviour Christ saith of these Luke 18.10 11 12 13 14. Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are Our Saviour Christ has told us that Publicans and Harlots shall go to Heaven before a self-righteous Man shall And in Prov. 30.12 13. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness There is a generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up Thus you see that it could not be a Self-righteous Man which counts himself a good Man that made and invented the Scripture that makes up a righteousness of his own part of works of Mercy and part of works of Cruelty who are for Meritorious works and works of Supererogation that think to climb up to Heaven by that Rope of Sand for if such a Man had made the Scriptures he would never have written such bitter things against himself and left himself in the hopelessest condition of all sorts of men in the whole World of ever being saved without a change of that principle 3. But Thirdly and Lastly Might it not be a good Man that had the Grace of God in his heart and the fear of God before his eyes that might invent and compose the Scriptures To this I answer in the negative No it is impossible that it could be Tho it is true there is nothing in the Holy Scriptures that is against him for his goodness as there is nothing in them that doth indulge a wicked Man in his wickedness And therefore you will say that a good Man was the likeliest of all men to have made and invented the Scriptures But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that a good Man could not nor dare not invent the holy Scriptures for it is utterly inconsistent with his goodness for can he be a good Man and yet at the same time be a deceitful Man For he would be the inventer of an evil thing if it were invented by Man for it would be a Lie because instead of being the Word of God it would be the word of Man But you see this cannot possibly be for it would be to do evil that good might come of it which the Scriptures does down-rightly forbid But you will say If neither bad men nor good men made and invented the Scriptures Then pray who were they made and invented by To this I answer the Word of God telleth us all plainly in these following Scriptures who it was that made the Holy Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Knowing this first that no prophesie is of any private interpretation 〈…〉 man that is Man did not invent them but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3.16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness Rev. 1.1 The Revelations of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John. And in Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets Hath in these last days spoken to us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom he also made the worlds John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth Christ is the essential Word of God and all godly men have the Spirit of Christ dwelling and abiding in them and that is the reason that good men in all Ages have put such a value upon the Holy Scriptures and would suffer any thing rather than part with the Holy Scriptures David prized them above his appointed food and the Martyrs prized them above their Lives which made them go joyfully to Prisons to the Gibbet to the Flames and this made them rejoyce at the place of Execution and clap their hands in the Flames which struck terror to their Adversaries And what made them do this Why next unto the holy Ghost it was because they knew