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A30208 Some gospel-truths opened according to the Scriptures, or, The divine and humane nature of Christ Jesus, his coming into the world, his righteousness, death, resurrection, ascension, intercession, and second comming to judgment, plainly demonstrated and proved and also answers to severall questions, with profitable directions to stand fast in the doctrine of Jesus the son of Mary, against those blustring storms of the Devils temptations, which do at this day, like so many scorpions, break loose from the bottomless pit, to bite and torment those that have not tasted the vertue of Jesus by the revelation of the spirit of God / published for the good of Gods chosen ones by that unworthy servant of Christ John Bunnyan ... Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. 1656 (1656) Wing B5598; ESTC R34771 92,539 312

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bones as ye see me have And when he had spoken these things he shewed them his hand● and his feet As if he had said Come my Disciples take special notice of me do not be daunted nor affrighted but consider that it is I my selfe Well they could n●t beli●ve as yet but wondered that such a thing as this should be And while they were thus wondering he did give them another infallible proof And he said unto them have you here any meat v 41. As if the Lord had said Come my Disciples I see that you are very full of unbelief if you have here any meat you shall see me eat before you all And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and of an honey combe and he did eat before them Againe v. 42. the Lord strives with another infallible proofe against their doubting saying My Disciples doe you not remember what discourse you and I had before I was crucified how that I told you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets concerning me Another infallible proof was that appearance of his at the Sea of Tiberias where he came to them on the shore and called them and provided for them a dinner and wrought a notable miracle while he was there with them at that time Namely the catching of 153. great fishes and yet their net brake not Which as it was a great miracle so it did also shew his power and authority over his creatures Besides his eating and drinking with his Disciples after his resurrection And also his preaching to them Acts 1. 3. This is not the lead viz. that he was with his Disciples on earth 40 daies which was almost six weeks speaking to them the things concerning his kingdome which was a mighty confirmation of their faith in his resurrection I shall now briefly touch two or three Scriptures which hold forth the Disciples testimony of his resurrection And the first is in Acts 10. 40 41. In which place the Apostle speaking of the Lord Jesus saith ●im 〈◊〉 raised ●y the third day and shewed him openly yet not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before of God even to us saith the Apostle who did eat and drink w●●h him after he was risen from the dead Again Acts 4. 10. And Acts 13. 29. 30 31. The words run thus the Apostle speaking of Jesus saith And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him they took him 〈…〉 the tree and laid him in a Sepulchre But God raised him from the dead and he was seen many d●yes of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem who are his witnesses unto the people And thus far to●ching his resurrection from the dead In the next place I am to prove that this very man Christ Jesus the Son of the Virgin in his very body the same body that was crucified is above the clouds and the heavens And though this is made light of by those men called Quakers and other in●idels of this generation Yet I am sure that it will prove true to their cost who re●ect it as erroneous and vain But to prove it First I shall prove that he is ascended Secondly that he is ascended above the clo●ds and the heaven For the first that he is as●e●d●d see Ephes. 4. 8. 9 10. Whereore saith the Apostle when he ascended up on high he led captivitie captive and gaue g●fts unto men Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same that also ascended againe up far above all heavens Againe read Joh. 20. 17. where Christ after his resurrection from the dead saith to Mary Magdalene Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father That is I have not yet ascended with this my body wherewith I was crucified on the cross But go to my brethren and ●ell them meaning his Disciples that I doe asc●nd to my father and your father to my God and your God Object But in that place may some say Ephes. 4. 10. he that descended is said to be the same that ascended Now there was no humane nature with God in heaven before the world was Therefore if he be but the same that was with the father from all eternity then the humanity of the Son of Mary is not ascended into heaven Answ. First for answer It is cleer from Joh. 1. 1. that the word or Son of God as he was a Spirit was with the Father before the world was But now in the fulness of time that is when that time that the Father and he had concluded on was come God sent forth his sonne which was with him before the world was Joh. 7. 5. made of a woman that is born of a woman And he took on him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Phil. 2. 6 7 Now as he was borne of a woman as he was in the likeness of men ●o he ascended to the right hand of his Father in our nature And for this I pray turne to Act. 1. and there you shall find that he is the same that was born of the Virgin that very man that was crucified if you compare v. 3 with v. 9 10 11. you will find it so to be Now in the v. 9. after he had spoken many things while they beheld that is while his disciples looked on him he was taken up that is he was taken up from them into heaven as in v. 11. and a cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked up stedfastly towards heaven as he went up which heaven was not within them if it had they needed not to have looked toward the clouds and the heaven without them behold two men stood by them not in them in white apparrel which also said that is the two men or Angels which stood by them said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven Here again they did not look within them but stood gazing or looking after the Lord Jesus the son of Mary who was carried away from them in a cloud v. 9. But why say the Angels do you stand gazing so much into heaven your Master will come againe after a certain time For This same Jesus Namely which was crucified which rose again and ha●h been with you these 40 dayes which also you see go into heaven shall so come namely in a cloud as ye have seen him go into heaven But shall be not lose his body before he come again No say the Angels h● shall so come that is as ye have seen him go in like manner that is with the same body Or else I am sure he cannot come in the same manner if he lose his body before he comes again for he went thither with that body But th●t same Jesus that was crucified is he that
holiness purity of heart and life Acts 15. 9. purifying their hearts by faith and then the more thou hast of the right faith of Christ and of his things in thy heart the more strong and valiant wilt thou be in spirit to doe any worke private or publick for Jestis Christ like Stephen Acts 6 ver 8. who being full of faith and of the holy spirit was also full of power In this book thou hast also laid down from the Scriptures how Jesus Christ is without the Saints as man and yet dwelleth within them that is somthing of his divine nature or his blessed spirit dwels within them which spirit is somtime called the spirit of Christ. Rom. 8. 9. he that hath not the spirit of Christ c. and sometime called Christ Rom. 8. 10. if Christ be in you c. and also how we may know whether it be Christ and the spirit of Christ within or a false spirit calling it self Christ that is thus if it be indeed Christ within that is the spirit of Christ God-man why then it teaches that man or woman in whom it is to apply and trust in Christ without for Salvation Christ as born of the Virgin Mary as fulfilling the Law without them as dying without the gate of Jerusalem as a sacrifice for sin it teaches them to trust in the man Christ as rising againe out of the grave without them as ascending into and interceding in heaven without for them and as to come from that heaven againe in his flesh to judge the world Thus the man Christ himself saith Joh. 16. 13. When he the spirit of truth is come c. he shall glorifie me v. 14. he shall make you more to prize admire and glorifie me who am both God and man And who shal be absent from you touching my body Then followes For he shall take of mine of my glorious things and shew them to you He shall take my divine and humane Nature my birth my person and offices my obedience death satisfaction my resurrection ascension and intercession and of my second comming in the clouds with my mighty Angels to judgement and shall shew them or cleer them up to you He shall take of my salvation which I have wrought for you in my own person without you And he shall take of my glorie and exaltation in the heavens and shew to you Now to minde this one thing and to be set down in a right understanding of it by the Spirit from the Scriptures will be of great concernment to thee and me for for want of this many professors have split themselves some looking only on what Christ hath done suffered without them resting in an historical traditional and indeed a fancyed faith of it without looking for the Spirit of Jesus Christ to come with power into their hearts without which they cannot rightly know nor rightly believe in Christ the Son of God without them so as to have any share or interest in him Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Others have been depending too much upon somthing they call Christ and the righteousness of Christ within them in opposition to Christ and his righteousnesse without them from which all true saints have their justification and comfort it being received through the operation of the spirit which dwels in them and however these may talk much of Christ within them yet it is manifest that it is not the spirit of Christ but the spirit of the Divel in that it doth not glorifie but sleight and reject the man Christ and his righteousnesse which was wrought without them Reader in this book thou wilt not meet with high-flown aerie notions which some delight in counting them high mysteries but the sound plain common and yet spiritual and and mysterious truths of the Gospel and if thou art a believer thou must needs reckon them so and the more if thou hast not only the faith of them in thy heart but art daily living in the spiritual sence and feeling of them and of thy interest in them Neither doth this Treatise offer to the doubtful controversial things or matters of opinion as some Books chiefly doe which when insisted upon more the weightier things of the gospell have alwayes done more hurt then good but here thou hast things certain and necessary to be believed which thou canst not too much study Therefore pray that thou maiest receive this word which is according to the Scriptures in faith and love not as the word of man but as the word of God without respect of persons and be not offended because Christ holds forth the glorious treasure of the gospel to thee in a poor earthen vessell by one who hath neither the greatness nor the wisdome of this world to commend him to thee for as the Scripture saith Christ who was low and contemptible in the world himself ordinarily chuseth such for himself and for the doing of his work 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 28. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world c. this man is not chosen out of an earthly but out of the heavenly University the Church of Christ which Church as furnished with the spirit gifts and graces of Christ was in the beginning and still 〈…〉 will be to the end 〈◊〉 the world that out o● which the word of the Lord and 〈…〉 gospel Ministers 〈◊〉 proceed whether 〈◊〉 or unlearned as to humane learning 1 Cor. 12. 2● 28. And though this man hath not the learning or wisdome of man yet through grace he hath received the teaching of God and the learning of the spirit of Christ which is the thing that makes a man both a Christian and a Minister of the Gospell as Isa. 50. 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned c. compared with Luke 2. 18. where Christ as man saith the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor c. He hath through grace taken these three heavenly degrees to wit union with Christ the anointing of the spirit and experience of the temptations of Satan which doe more fit a man for that weighty work of preaching the Gospell then all Vniversity Learning and degrees that can be had My end in writing these few lines is not to set up man but having had experience with many other saints of this mans soundnesse in the faith of his godly conversation and his ability to preach the gospel not by humane art but by the spirit of Christ and that with much success in the conversion of sinners when there are so many carnal empty preachers both learned and unlearned I say having had experience of this and judging this Booke may be very profitable to many others as well as to my selfe I thought it my duty upon
the body are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6. but now if the man Christ were ascended into that heaven within them he would neither be absent from them nor they from him but in that he is absent from them touching his bodily presence and they from him touching the same it is evident that that heaven into which he is ascended must needs be without above the clouds 4 Consider that that heaven into which the man Christ is ascended must contain him till the time of restitution of All things as in Acts 3. 21. into which heaven he hath been ascended above sixteen hundred years by computation And I am sure there is not a Saint that doth live in this world half so long before he fall asleep and be gathered to his fathers so that that heaven into which he is scended is not within but must needs be that above the clouds But 5. Consider that he that ascended from his Disciples was a man with flesh and bones not a spirit only for handle me and s●e saith he for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Luke 24. 39 50 51. verses Now let the Adversaries shew by the Scriptures that there is any place in them called heaven that is able to contain a man of some four or five foot long the space of fifteen or sixteen hundred years besides that therefore it must needs be that heaven without which is above the clouds and Stars 6. Consider That heaven into which the Lord Jesus that man is ascended must not contain him alwa●es for saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel So that there is another descending from that heaven into which he is ascended and his descending from that heaven is to this end namely to take his people to himself as it is v. 17. so that it is clear that it is not any heaven within thee into which the Man Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary is ascended but it must needs be that heaven without which is above the clouds 1. If thou consider that the place into which he is ascended even the heaven into which he is entred is the same place where all the the deceased Saints are in their Spirits Therefore saith Paul I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is better Now Paul did not in this place P●il 1. 23. mean the enjoying of Christ only in the spirit for that he enjoyed in a great measure when he spake these words but he speaks of a dying and a being with Christ after this life is ended as is clear if you compare the 20 21 22 23 24. 25 and 26 verse together being absent from him while he was here in the b●dy 2 Cor. 5. 6. for whilst at hom● in the body we are absent from the Lord. So that that heaven into which the Man Christ is ascended is not into his Church on earth but into heaven without above the clouds and the Stars And this David doth prophe●ie of Psal. 47. 5. where he saith God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Now Christ as God meerly could not go up being no lesse in one place then in another but as God man or in his humane nature he went up as will clearly appear Epes 4 8 9 10. where he speaketh of his trium●h over all the enemies of his people at his resurrection and ascension into heaven above the clouds 8. When Christ doth descend from that heaven into which he is now ascended his Saints and he will meet one another just in the air according to the Scripture 1 Thes. 4. 16 17. for saith he the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first that is they shall come out of their graves and then we which shall be saved alive at that day and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Pray mark here a little and see what heaven the man Christ is ascended into and see if it be not the heaven without above the Sun Moon and Stars When Christ and his Saints do meet the second time together the one ascends and the other descends the one is caught up in the clouds towards heaven the other descends from heaven towards the earth and they must needs meet one another just in the air that is between the heaven and the earth So then the one coming from heaven and the other from the earth and their meeting being in the air which is between heaven and earth is an undeniable demonstration that that heaven into which the man Christ is ascended must needs be that heaven without above the Sun Moon and Stars And thus much touching the Son of Mary his ascending up into the heaven without above the clouds Acts 1. 9 10 11. Acts 3. 21 1 Pet. 3 22 In the next place Now I shall prove the intercession of the man Christ Jesus to be in the heaven that I have been speaking of though some have mocked at it and others have called it jugling whose names here I shall not m●ntion only I shall admonish them that they doe not blaspheme the truth and Sonne of God in his intercession I shall quote some of the Scriptures that hold out this truth and so passe on And first of all see Psal. 16. 4. where David prophesying of the intercession of Christ saith their sorrowes shall be multiplyed that husten after another God speaking of the wicked their drink offerings of blood will I not offer nor take up their names into my lips Now compare this with Heb. 8. 4. where he saith If he were on earth he should not be a Priest And Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands meaning the temple which Solomon built which are figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appear in the presence of God for us Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25 But you will say is there a man made mention of here Yes for the Scripture saith Ther is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the Man Christ Jesus And in that 8. to the Heb. made mention of before where the Apostle is speaking of Christs priestly office as he is in the heavens compared with other Priests that are on earth he saith v. 3. for every high Priest is ordained to offer gifts and Sacrifices wherefore speaking of Christ it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer For if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seeing there
are Priests that offer according to the Law which law was the law of Moses Chap. 9. from 19. to 23. where also he is speaking of the Priesthood of the Priests under the law and their offering of the blood of Bulls and ●oats verse 12. compared with verse 19 20 21. And of the Lord Jesus the high Priest of Saints and of his blood verse 14. compared with verse 24. Now as men under the Law did offer up the blood of B●lls and Goats so the man Christ Jesus did offer up his own blood to his father and this you may clearly see if you compare Heb. 9. 14. where he saith How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God with Heb 10. 12. where he s●i●h But 〈◊〉 man meaning the s●n of the Virgin Cha● 2. 14. compared with Mat. 1. 21. a●ter he had offered one sacrifice f●r s●ns for ever sate down at the right hard of God Again Heb. 7 the 〈◊〉 I mentioned before you shall find his intercession plainly held forth if you read verse 22. and so on where the Scripture saith By so much was Jesus made the surety of a better testament And truly they were many Priests meaning the Priests under the Law because they were not 〈◊〉 to continue by reas●n of death That is the high Priests under the Law could not live ever in this world because it was appointed to all men once to die But when he speaks of Christ Jesus he saith on this wise But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he this man is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him seeing he this man ever liveth to make intercession for them And thus in brief have I proved through the assistance of the Lord the intercession of the son of Mary which is also the son of God And this concerning Christs Priestly office might serve also for a proof of his being in the heaven without above the Stars But all men may see unlesse they be blind that these are the truths of our Lord Jesus Christ and of God his father and that those men that oppose them as the Quakers do are very violently possessed of the Divel and beside themselves and have neither the truth of God non his spirit in them 2 Joh. vers 9 10 Joh. 5. 38. 42. And now through the assistance of the Lord I shall come to the last that I promised and that is to prove That this very man Christ will come to judge the quick and the dead And first I shall prove the truth it self viz. that that man shall come again to judge the world quick and dead Secondly I shal shew you that his coming will be very shortly Thirdly What shall be done a● his coming Fourthly Who shall stand when he shall come and who not For the first That that man that was ●orn of the Virgin Mary shall come again to judge the quick and the dead read 2 Tim. 4. 1. l saith Paul charge thee therefore before God speaking to him even to Timothy and so to all believers and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and Kingdom Now if you would know who this Lord Jesus is look into Acts 10. 38. and you shall see it was Jesus of Nazareth would you know who that was read Mat. 2 toward the end and you shall see it was the son of Mary the Virgin who was espoused to Joseph the Carpenter But read Acts 10. v. 38 39 40. 41 42. you shall find these words God annointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Divel for God was with him And we are witnesses of all things that he did both in Jerusalem and in the land of the Jews whom they sl●w and hanged on a tree even Jesus of Nazareth him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not to all the people but unto witnesses chosen before of God even to us who did 〈◊〉 and drink with him after he rose from the dead And he commanded us to preach unto the people that is God commanded us and to testifie that is to be bold in our preaching that it is he namely Jesus of Nazareth whom the Jews did thus crucifie which was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead This is he also that is spoken of in Acts 17. 30 31. The times of this ignorance God winked at meaning mens being without the Gospel but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day which day is the day of judgement Mat. 12. 36. in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man namely Jesus of Nazareth whom he hath ordained compare this with that in Acts 10. 38 39 40 41 42. whereof he hath given assurance to all men that is hath given a sure sign unto all men in that he hath raised him that is in that he hath raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead This also is Christs own meaning Mat. 24. where speaking of his second coming he styleth himself the son of man saying And then shall appear the sign of the son of man and so shall the coming of the son of man be v. 27. So shall also the coming of the son of man be v. 37. So shall also the coming of the son of man be v. 39. Where by the way it is observable to see how the Lord of life and glory doth in this Chapter where he speaketh of his second coming for the most part style himself the son of man Surely he doth it to this end because he would not have his humanity and the doctrine thereof to be rased out from under heaven For he knew that in the last daies there would come mockers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3. 3. I could multiply Scriptures to prove this doctrine of his second coming as Heb. 9. v. last 2 Pet. 3. 2 Thes. 1. 6 7 8. Luke 21. Mat. 24. Mat. 25. Rev. 22. 7 12. and the last 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 14. 10. Acts 24. 25. But Secondly I will shew you that his coming will be shortly It is true no man can tel neither the day nor the hour yet so far as the Scriptures will give us light into the neernest of his coming so far we may go And therefore I shall shew that his coming draws nigh by those signs that he himself said should be forerunners of his coming And if you read Mat. 24. you shall see many signs of his coming spoken of First there is a falling away from the faith spoken of And that hath been fulfilled and is fulfilling every day 2. Wars and rumors of wars ●s another
is come the second time they that are in their graves shall arise and come forth of their graves as I said before in which they have laine according to that in Job 5. 28. Where Christ saith Marvell not at this for the houre is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall heare his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the resurrection of damnation You will say Are these graves spoken of here the graves that are made in the earth yea that they are and for a further proof of the same look into Dan. 12. 2 Daniel there speaking of the same thing saith And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise or awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt or damnation I shall not stand here to dispute any distinctions of the resurrections only prove that the dead shall arise and that is a clear truth from the Scriptures Acts 10. 42. Rev. 20 11 12 13 14. and 1 Thes. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 52. the dead shall be raised 2. He shall call all men and women to an account for all their close sinful thoughts words and actions then will the secrets of all hearts be made manifest Then shall all thy adulterous and theevish and covetous idolatrous and blasphemous thoughts be laid open according to that saying Their consciences also bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean time or while accusing or else excusing one another Rom. 2. 15. But when why in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ ver 16. see also 1 Cor. 4. 5. Therefore judge nothing before the time what time is that why when the Lord comes what will he do He will bring to light the hidden things of darknes●● that is all those cunning close hidden wickednesses that thou in thy life time hast committed yea he will make manifest the counsels of the heart that is the most hidden and secret things that are contrived and plotted by the sons of men Then shal all the midnight whoremongers be laid open with all their sins Then thou it may be who hast committed such sins as thou wouldst not have thy Neighbour thy father thy wife thy husband or any one else know of for thousands then thou shalt have them all laid open even upon the house tops Luke 12. 1 2 3. Then thou that hatest Gods children his waies his word his spirit then thou that makest a mock at Jesus of Nazareth his second coming then thou that livest in open prophaness or secret hypocrisie then I say will be such a time of reckoning for you as never was since the world began then you that shall die in your si●s will cry to the mountains fall on us and cover us from the face of him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb which Lamb is the man Christ Jesus Joh. 1. 19. And ah my friends if the very looks of God be so terrible what will his blows be think you Then if all thy idle words shall be accounted for as it is written But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement Mat. 12. 36. and also all thy filthy actions shall be then regarded in such sort as thou shalt receive a just recompence for them And know saith the Scripture that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Eccles. 11. 9. Then Thou that are an unbeliever shalt be sure to fall under the judgement for all thy sins first thou must give account Secondly thou must fall in the judgement Oh my friends there are hot daies acoming for all those that are found out of the Lord Jesus Behold saith Malachi the daies come that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hoasts and it shall leave them neither root nor branch The day of judgement will burn like an oven and all that have not the righteousness of Christ upon them shall be as stubble Ah friends put a red hot oven and stubble together and what work will the●e be even the one will burn and destroy the other 3. When Christ doth come the second time another end of his coming will be to purge out all things that offend in his Kingdom Mat. 13. 41 42. Then shall the son of man send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that doe iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth There are many things that doe offend in his Kingdom now namely the lukewarm professor he doth offend first the Lord secondly his people But then thou lukewarm offending professor shalt offend the Church of God no more Secondly the loose professors do also offend God Christ and his Church First he scandals the Gospel by his loose walking and naughty carriages Secondly he doth make the world blaspheme the name of God by the same Thirdly he grieves the hearts of Gods people Phil. 3. 18. But know that thou also shalt be taken away from offending any more God Christ and his Saints and thou shalt have weeping and gnashing of teeth for thy thus offending Mat. 18. 6. 7. 4 Another end of Christs second coming is to cut of all the ignorant persons that are in the world There is a generation of poor souls that do think to be excused for their ignorance Alas saith one I am a poor ignorant man or woman and therefore I hope that the Lord will have mercy upon me We cannot say others do as such and such and will the Lord condemn us And thus poor souls as they are in the broad way to destruction least they should misse of the way to hell do swallow down by clusters that which will poyson them body and soul for ever and ever But you will say What will not the Lord have mercy on ignorant soules Ans. Not on those who live and die in their ignorance He himselfe hath said Esay 27. 11. Because it is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Again Paul also in that 2 Thes. 1. 8. saith that when Jesus Christ shall come to judge the world he doth come to take vengeance on all them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ. But ye will say who are those ignorant persons that shall find no favour at that day or how doth the ignorance discover it selfe I shall only mention three or four sorts of men and leave thee to the Scriptures which if thou read them diligently will
are those in our du●es who reject this doctrine that you lay down concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as you lay it down and they are for a Christ within for a cross within for a resurrection and intercession within and they do not hold as you do a Christ without and a resurrection of Christ without and intercession of Christ with u● I and they have very much Scripture for that which they say too And therefore what should such as we do that stand tottering and shaking in these distracted and dangerous times for our poor souls are in very much doubt what way to take Ans. Therefore I will speak a few words to you by way of discovery of the falsity of such opinions and a word of direction how you should understand the truth First therefore he that cries up a Christ within in opposition to a Christ without that man instead of having the spirit of Christ in him is possessed with a spirit of delusion for where the spirit of Christ is in truth that spirit causeth the soul to look to the Christ that was born of the Virgin for all justification as it is written Howbeit when he the spirit of truth is come he shall lead you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but what soever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come mark the next verse he saith the son of the Virgin shall take of mine and shall shew unto you Joh. 16. 13 14. he shall take of mine what is that why surely it is he shall take of my Godhead my humanity my birth my righteousness my blood my death my resurrection my ascen●ion and intercession my Kingly Priestly and prophetical offices and shall shew you the life merit and value of them And this was it which was revealed to Paul by the holy spirit here spoken of 1 Cor. 15. 1 2. to the 8. Moreover brethren saith he I declare unto you the Gospel which I●p eached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unlesse ye have believed in vain But what is this doctrine why I delivered to you first of all that which I also receive ● What was that why How that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures there is his death and resurrection preached And that he was seen of Cephas then of the twelve after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once of whom the greatest part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep After that he was seen of James then of all the Apostle And last of all he was seen of me saith Paul as of one born out of due time This is it I say that the spirit of truth doth hold forth to poor sinners a Christ crucified without the gates of Jerusalem Luke 23. 32 33. buried in Joseph● se●ulcher v. 53. risen again the third day Luke 24 6. ascended away from his Disciples in a cloud into heaven as in Act. 1. 9 10 11. And there ever liveth that very man with that very body to make intercession for all that receive him Heb. 7. 24 25. This is I say the doctrine of the spirit of truth whatsoever is the spirit of errour Q. But do not the Scriptures make mention of a Christ within 2 Cor. 13 5. A. Yes And he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8. 9. But he that hath it is led out of himself by it and as I said before it shews the soul what the blessed son of the Virgin Mary hath done and suffered and is a doing for it Therefore hereby know we the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour Every spirit that doth confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God That is that spirit that doth confess that Jesus Christ took flesh upon him and in that flesh did bear our sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. Col. 1. 20 21 22. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Pet. 4. 1. and after he was taken down from the cross and laid in a sepulcher rose again from the dead that very man with that very body wherewith he was crucified That spirit that doth believe and confess this is of God and is the blessed spirit of Christ whereof h● spake when he was yet with his Disciples touching his bodily presence for he saith the Son of Mary shall glorifie me for he shall take of Mine and shew it to you Joh. 16. 13 14. I have answered this already in my Epistle to the first treatise Therefore believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God for many false spirits and prophets are gone out into the world therefore have a care how thou receivest the voice that speaks to thee but try whether they are according to the truth of Gods word as it is written To the law and to the testimony if it be not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. Therefore try a little Doe they flight Gods Christ which is the Son of the virgin that spirit is of the Devil 1 Cor. 12. 3. 2. Doe they say that that blood of his which was shed without the gates of Jerusalem doth not wash away sin yea all sin from him that believes that is a spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 1. 7. 3. Doe they say that that man that was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem is not risen again with that verybody wherwith he was crucified out of the Sepulchre Luk. 24. 38 39. That is a Spirit of Antichrist 4. Do they say that that very man that was crucified with that very body is not now in the presence of his father absent from his people touching his bodily presence though present in spirit I say who ever they be that say he is not there they are of the Divel for the proof of this see Acts 5. 30. and 31. and compare it with Heb. 7. 24. 25. The God of our fathers saith the Apostle raised up Jesus But what Jesus Whom ye slew saith he to the Jews Him the very same whom ye slew hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins And indeed here is my life namely the birth of this man the righteousnesse of this man the blood of this man the death and resurrection of this man the ascension intercession of this man for me and the second comming of this man to judge the world in righteousness Acts 17. 31. I say here is my life if I see this by faith without me through the operation of the spirit within me I am safe I am at peace I am comforted I am encouraged and I know that my comfort peace and encouragement