high-way and the wayfaring-men that go in this way shall have an unerring Spirit to guide them in it for the wayfaring men though Fools shall not err therein Isa 54.11 12. They shall be a holy flock Ezek. 36. ult I will lay thy stones with fair colours and thy foundations with saphires I will make thy windows of agates and thy gates of carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones What doth this signifie but that there shall be a Church at last exceeding pure which shall be called the beauties of holiness Isa 60.2 The Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee The Light of the Glory of the Lord shall shine to the Saints and shall shine from them both for the glorious Works of God wrought for them and upon them and in the Works wrought by the Saints in which the Image and Glory of God shall be seen upon them Rev. 22.4 They shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads Their Professions their Lives their Actings and Conversations shall be a discovery of God Vpon the bells of the horses shall be holiness to the Lord much more upon the foreheads of his people 3. In the time of the New Heavens and New Earth the Sons of God shall have Glorious Liberty And this brings me back again to Rom. 8.21 The Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Now for this we may consider that there is Gracious Liberty and Glorious Liberty there is a Liberty wherewith Christ hath made the Saints free as Gal. 5.1 and a Liberty wherewith he will make them free as in this place which is also called the redemption of the body There is a redemption of the Soul from sin and of the Body from sufferings It hath been for the most part with the Saints as Christ said to Peter Another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not But in the time of Glorious Liberty it shall not be so Gracious Liberty is a Liberty from Evil and a Liberty in relation to that which is good Liberty from Evil is from the evil of sin and of punishment Liberty from the Evil of Sin is when a man is made free from the Reigning power of sin as in regard of the Outward committing so from the inward love of it Rom. 6.18 Being made free from sin ye became servants of righteousness There is a Liberty also from the Evil of Punishment Rom. 8. 1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus There is now correction to them and therein God dealeth with them as with sons but no condemnation to them they meet with crosses but have escaped the curse die they must but the sting of death is taken away As they look not for life from the Law so they need not fear death by the Law There is a liberty also in relation to that which is good Saints have liberty to go where they are sure to receive that good which they want they may go and that boldly to the Throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need They can go to Christ to receive of his fullness grace for grace Jam. 1.17 Every good and perfect gift is from above some gifts are good but not perfect others are good and perfect and able to make those perfect who have them Creatures are a good gift for every Creature of God is good but Christ is a good and perfect gift Knowledge is a good gift but the Spirit of wisdome and grace of love and fear of supplication and adoption is a perfect gift Earth is a good gift Heaven is a good and perfect gift Now what a precious liberty is this to have free access to him who gives liberally good and perfect gifts to those that ask them and upraideth not There is a liberty also to the doing of good though there is not free will and power in Nature to do that good which is acceptable to God yet there is by grace when any are made free from sin thereby those that are partakers of the Divine Nature and have the seed of God in them will be free ready and willing to do good I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my Heart Jam. 25. the Law is called the Law of liberty to men in the flesh 't is a Law of bondage to men in the Spirit 't is a Law of liberty The Law in the Head only may be but a Law of bondage so the Law in the Lips but the Law in the Heart which hath the Law of the Spirit with it is a Law of liberty I go bound in the Spirit said Paul 'T is gracious liberty to go bound in the Spirit both to the doing and suffering the will of God and to be constrained by the love of Christ to live to him Thus much of Gracious Liberty for some introduction to what is to be said of Glorious Liberty And as for Glorious Liberty that the spirits of just men have in Heaven going to God the judge of all to Jesus the Mediator to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born But the glorious liberty mentioned by Paul is that which the Saints shall have in the New Heavens and the New Earth For 't is that which the Creatures long for and look to have some benefit by and therefore is not meant of the State of Glory in Heaven Now that some discovery may be made of this let some few particulars be observed 1. To be free from War and the evils and mischief that attend it is a Glorious Liberty And this shall be the Saints happiness at last when all things shall be made New Isa 40.1 Comfort ye Comfort ye my people speak comfortably to Jerusalem tell her that her Warfare is accomplished In the times of restitution after the destruction of the Man of Sin and the calling of the Jews there shall be no learning of War any more Isa 2.4 but swords shall be beaten into plow-shares and spears into pruning-hooks Now there is War Nation against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom And Saints are called to sight the good fight of faith But when the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken God will make all Wars to cease to the ends of the earth 2. Glorious Liberty will consist in being free from temptations Adam was at first free from sin but not from temptations There shall be at last a better Paradise for the Saints than that in which Adam was placed in which there shall be no Serpent to tempt Satan is now following the Saints with his temptations and he hath his Messengers to buffet them but in the time of Glorious Liberty he shall be bound and cast into Prison and never suffered to tempt one Saint any more for when he shall be loosed out of his Prison he shall deceive the Nations Gog and
no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus and then there shall be no Correction to them And as all the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant to the Lord so all the Dispensations of God shall be pleasant to Judah and Jerusalem Thus much concerning the Sacrifices mentioned in this Prophecy both for the kinds of them and what they signifie Now for the farther clearing of the holiness of these Sacrifices consider two things 1. There will be an Altar sanctifying them For we read of an Altar Chap. 43.13 And a measured Altar being of God's appointment These are the Measures of the Altar Which was not meant of any material Altar set up after the Return from Babylon But as the Apostle speaks of the true Tabernacle so this here is the true Altar which God hath erected and not Man even that mentioned Heb. 13.10 We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Christ in respect of his Godhead is this Altar sanctifying the Gifts which are offered upon it 1. Christ gave himself and the Altar sanctified this Gift the Divine Nature being the Altar that sanctified the Humane Nature and made the Sacrifice to be of infinite value and worth and altogether sufficient to take away Sin As Man's sin had infinite evil in it so Christ's Obedience to Death and the Righteousness which he fulfilled brought infinite Glory to God he being an infinite Person who fulfilled the Righteousness and so the Offence is made void thereby 2. This Altar sanctifies Believers and their Gifts offered upon it Isa 56.7 Their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar Rev. 8.3 Christ adding Incense offers up the Prayers of Saints upon the Golden Altar Now this occasion being given for unfolding somewhat of the Mystery of the Altar three things more may be added for a farther discovery thereof 1. The Names given to the Altar are worthy of observation and here are two Names by which it is called in one Verse Chap. 43.15 The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mountain of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lion of God Certainly there is much of Mystery in these Names We do not find the Altar called by these Mames elsewhere in Scripture onely Isa 29.1 The City Jerusalem is called by this Name probably because of the Altar there I shall take notice of the latter Name in the first place The Lion of God so called because the Altar did devour the Beasts offered upon it as the Lion doth his Prey which may have some signification here For 1. The Sacrifices brought to this Altar will be slain and the Fire of it will devour Flesh in them and consume it But yet when Nature as corrupt shall be slain a Divine Nature shall live and so the Sacrifices will be living Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 And the reasonable Creature being renewed shall perform reasonable service Those that come to this Altar are crucified with Christ yet live as Paul said of himself Gal. 2.20 A Saint laid on this Altar is dead as carnal but lives by Christ living in him When Christ was offered as Man he died but the Altar the Divine Nature did live which as it did sanctifie so afterwards it did enliven the Sacrifice again Thus 't is with the Saints they are put to death in the flesh but live in the Spirit by this living Altar And thus the power of this Altar will more eminently appear in destroying Flesh and corrupt Nature in the Saints of that Glorious Church which is to be in the World 2. This Altar will be a Lion of God to its Enemies who shall be a Prey to it Enemies it hath Some deny its Being as the Divine Nature of Christ this the Arrians did of old the Socinians do it now And as these would make void this Altar in its Being so there are others who go about to make it void in its use that is as an Altar Thus the Papists who would find out other ways for acceptance with God as their own Merits and Saints Mediation Now this Lion of God will at last rise up to the Prey and devour all its Enemies True he couches now but these Enemies will not leave stirring and provoking till they rouze him up and then he shall destroy them at once Rev. 6.9 10. The Souls under the Altar cry how long O Lord dost thou not avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth And it was answered That they must rest till their Brethren which are to be killed as they should be fulfilled And then as Rev. 14.18 An Angel shall come out from the Altar having Power over Fire crying with a loud voice unto him that hath the sharp Sickle saying thrust in thy Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe Now when the Altar hath done its Work as the Lion of God what shall it be then and how shall it appear Then it shall be called by this name Harel the Mountain of God The Enemies of this Altar have endeavoured to obscure it and to hinder any from coming to it or looking towards it The Gentiles possessing the outward Court do hide this Altar so that 't is seen but by a few viz. The measured Worshippers in the Temple And these Gentiles set up other Altars as Jeroboam did to hinder Men from coming to this Yet this Altar remains and there are true Worshippers that come to it by Faith and offer their Gifts upon it Rev. 11.1 But when this Glorious Temple shall be built then this Altar shall appear For the Gentiles that hide it shall be driven out of the outward Court and Christ shall be then more clearly seen as Priest Sacrifice and Altar For when the Temple of God shall be opened as the Ark of his Testament so the Altar shall be seen and that as the Mountain of God before which all other Altars will be â—hrown down for ever Christ will be gloriously visible as God-Man as King Priest Prophet and Altar And when the Name of this Altar shall be the Mountain of God then the Souls under the Altar and hid with Christ in God shall stand before it and Christ appearing they shall appear with him in Glory 2. We read of the Settle of this Altar Chap. 45.19 The Blood was to be put upon the Settle of the Altar And Chap. 43.14 mention is made of the greater and the lesser Settle What may we conceive to be meant hereby Surely as the Divine Nature is the Altar so the Humane Nature is the Settle thereof For in the Humane Nature of Christ did the fulness of the Godhead settle and there it dwells Bodily And this is the greater Settle of the Altar And as the Apostle saith Hebrews 13.10 We have an Altar so those that have this Altar are the lesser Settle of it and in special as chiefly here meant that Glorious Church which shall be after the
Heads shall never happen to them And therefore 1. They shall not defile themselves after their Consecration They shall do their work and walk worthy of their Calling There shall not be a Mark among them declining the work of God nor a Demas carried away with the Love of the World And none shall defile themselves with any Antichristian Abominations We know there is a Popish Custom of shaving the Head and much of Religion is placed in it but none of that sort of men shall have a Being in this time of the Churches Purity and Glory But as Isa 7.20 The Lord shall shave with a Rasor the Head and Hair of the Feet even all that have the Mark of the Beast Rev. 19.20 The Beast and the false Prophet shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire and the Remnant shall be slain In the worst of times a remnant of Saints is left which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ But in that day no remnant of Babylon will be left but the remnant will be slain by the Sword of him that shall sit upon the white Horse 2. Their separation shall not be for Days but Eternity The Nazarites outward and in the flesh were separated but for a time But the Nazarites inwardly and in Spirit shall be for ever For though their Work as Gospel Ministers shall cease at last yet they shall be Priests to offer the Sacrifice of Praise continually The Royal Priesthood spoken of 1 Pet. 2.9 is a Priesthood for ever So then the Priests shall not shave their Heads that is the days of their separation shall not end 3. They shall not be proud or vain Chap. 44.20 They shall not suffer their Locks to grow long This sometimes discovers the pride and vanity of the Heart whence that may be truly said to some which Eliab spake uncharitably to David I know the pride and naughtiness of thy Heart Priestly Ornaments then will not be carnal but the Ornament of a meek humble and gracious Spirit 4. They shall not be prophane verse 21. Neither shall any Priest drink Wine They shall be far from Rioting Drunkenness and Chambering and Wantonness They shall not be filled with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit Now it may be said to many of those which stand in that Rank How long will ye be drunken Put away your Wine from you But at this time such shall not be found among the Priests of the Lord. 5. They shall be Pastors of pure Churches over whom the Line and Reed shall pass Chap. 44.22 The Priests shall not take for their Wives a Widow or her that is put away For the better understanding of this we may observe that Pastors of Churches are called Husbands there being a kind of Spiritual Marriage betwixt them and Churches Lev. 21.4 The Priest shall not defile himself being a chief Man among his People or being a Husband among them So that a Pastor is an Husband to his People Now at this time the Priest shall not take a Widow c. What is signified hereby All Antichristian Popish and pretended Churches will at this time be put away and thrust forth For though there will be a time of Babylon's boasting that she shall sit a Queen and not be a Widow nor see sorrow yet her Plagues shall come in one day and Babylon must know Widowhood and the loss of Children And when Antichristian Churches shall be Widows and thrust forth none of the Priests of the Lord shall marry them Now when any Popish Churches are Widows there are Priests ready to marry them but then they shall be left desolate And in this sense will that be fulfilled Rev. 18.23 The voice of the Bridegroom and the voice of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee No Priests of Babylon shall be left to marry them and none of the Priests of Sion shall then marry any Widow or Daughter of Babylon And observe what follows They shall take Maidens of the House of Israel Churches shall consist of chaste Virgins espoused to Christ and of such who are Israel after the Spirit Such shall the Priest take or a Widow that had a Priest before That is If any Churches shall be Widows by the translation of the Pastors into the New Jerusalem such a Widow a Priest may marry 6. They shall not err in Doctrine or Judgment No Tares of false Doctrine will then be sowen Chap. 44.23 They shall teach my People the difference betwixt the holy and prophane and cause men to discern betwixt the unclean and the clean They shall not justifie the Wicked nor condemn the Righteous neither call Evil good nor Good evil but shall faithfully shew unto Men what is good and what the Lord requireth of them Now many like Ahab's false Prophets utter smooth and pleasing things but then all shall be Micaiahs in speaking what the Lord shall declare to them verse 24. In Controversie they shall stand in Judgment and shall judge it according to my Judgments All Controversies about matters of Faith Worship and Government shall then be at end for the Priests shall judge them according to Gods Judgments 7. They shall not in a way of Church-Communion converse with such as are but dead of themselves to the committing of Sin or are under a force in the profession of Godliness This may be gathered from Chap. 44.31 The Priest shall not eat of any thing that is dead of it self or torn whether it be Fowl or Beast This was forbidden under the Law Exod. 22 31. That which died of it self and was not orderly slain was unclean and forbidden to Aaron and his Sons The Sacrifices must be orderly slain and so they might be eaten Now this in the spiritual signification of it forbids Communion with carnal persons who may seem mortified ones But their body of Sin not being truly slain by the Word and Spirit they shall not be judged fit for religious Communion For the better clearing of this let Acts 10.12 13. be considered Peter saw in a Vision a Sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed Beasts c. And there came a voice Rise Peter kill and eat And what was meant hereby may be gathered from v. 28. Ye know that it is unlawful for a Jew to keep company with one of another Nation but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean That is I must preach the Gospel to Gentiles as well as Jews and I must endeavour to kill the Old Man in them and this being done I may eat that is keep company with them and no longer judge them unclean This place of Ezek. then hints thus much That in the New Jerusalem-state all admitted to Church Communion shall be sound and sincere in the matter of Godliness and true Nathaniels Israelites indeed in whom will be no guile There are now three Ranks of Men professing Godliness 1.
these Cherubims are said to have two Faces Chap. 41.18 The Face of a Man and the Face of a Lion Though Saints then shall not have a Heart and a Heart yet they shall have a Face and a Face and these not contrary but well agreeing They shall have Prudence Humanity and Love signified by the Face of a Man and Fortitude signified by the Face of a Lion Saints shall be Lions without fear and Men without ferity Lions in courage and Men without brutish cruelty The Beast mentioned Rev. 13. which is the Antichrist is described as being wholly a Beast a Lion Leopard and Bear but hath neither the Heart nor the Face of a Man there is nothing of Humanity in him towards the faithful Witnesses but like the Devil seeks to devour Secondly there are Palm-trees shewing that Saints shall be upright and grown to an high stature and always flourishing their Leaves shall not fade And Palm-trees signifie Victory and Saints praising God for it Rev. 7.9 I saw a great multitude with palms in their hands saying Salvation to our God Salvation will come from God and that shall the Saints return to him in their praises 5. When this Temple shall be built there will be a pouring out of the Spirit in a plentiful and abundant measure I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Some taste thereof was in the Apostles days but at this time will be the full accomplishment This is set forth in the Vision of the Waters issuing from under the Threshold of the House chap. 47.1 Now as John 7.27 mention being made of living waters the interpretation is given this spake he of the Spirit So the Spirit is here meant the Spirit and Word of truth and the Spirit of Grace These waters have two excellent properties 1. They are healing chap. 47.8 These being brought forth into the Sea the waters are healed The Doctrine of the Gospel shall not onely drop as the Rain and distill as the Dew but shall be as a flowing River which shall heal even the Waters of the Sea By Waters sometimes Multitudes of people are meant Rev. 17.1 The whore sits upon many waters that is Multitudes of people Nations and Tongues verse 15. So then the Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel shall heal that is convert Multitudes of people even Nations and many Nations for by Conversion men are healed Matth. 13.15 Lest they should be converted and I should heal them Hereby the hurt done in the Natures of men by Adams sin is healed This shews that there will be great Conversion-work at this time And the healing will be of all diseased parts they are first to the Ancles so that their Feet and Ancle-bones shall receive strength and they shall walk and leap and praise God the lame man shall leap as an Hart their feet shall be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and they shall run in the ways of the Lord. Then they are to the Knees so that those that come to these Waters shall bow the Knee to Christ and yield obedience to him Next They are up to the Loins the Lusts of Concupiscence shall be wash'd away And lastly Waters to swim in Sanctification by them will be throughout These will be as the Pool of Bethesda those that shall step into them will be healed of their Infirmities and as the Waters of Jordan to Naaman which cured him of his Leprosie 2. They are Waters giving Life verse 4. Every thing that liveth whithersoever these waters come shall live Those that do live shall live those that did live but a Natural Life by these Waters coming to them shall live a Spiritual Life those that lived the Life of the first Adam shall live the Life of the second Adam those that did live but by a Soul living in them shall live by Christ living in them These will not be as the Waters of Noah none shall perish in them They are the proper Element of the new Creature which can't live out of them There are now Waters of Adversity going over the Saints which issue out of Babylon and from Antichrists Throne there but these shall be all dried up and there shall be no more Sea Rev. 21.1 That Sea which is the gathering of the Waters of Babylon shall be no more So that the Saints shall not sit down and hang up their Harps and weep by those Waters of Babylon but shall stand by these Waters of the Sanctuary having the Harps of God and shall sing the Songs of Sion in their own Land 6. In this Temple Christ is Prince Chap. 44.2 3. No man was to enter by the East Gate because the Lord God of Israel entered by it it is for the Prince This Prince is the Lord God of Israel Christ shall sit in it to eat Bread The Saints are to worship at the Door of this Gate before the Lord chap. 46.3 Ezek. 8.16 There were about five and twenty men with their Faces towards the East and Backs towards the Temple There are some like these that turn their backs upon Christ and faces to Antichrist their backs upon the true Temple and faces to the Synagogue of Satan but the true Worshippers turn their faces to Christ and worship him and these and their Services are as pleasant Bread to Christ He is the Bread of Life to them and they Bread of Delight to him 'T is Christ then who is the Prince he shall command in matters of Worship and be obeyed and shall govern the Saints in their whole Conversation Christ will be all in all in this house Prince Priest Sacrifice and Altar 'T is observed that the Altar was in the midst of the Building which if measured from the East North and South Gate there is the same distance and when 〈◊〉 came in at either Gate the Altar is directly before them and in their view All shall look to Christ and be saved Q. How can it be said that this Prince is Christ seeing the Prince is to prepare for himself and the People of the Land a Bullock for a Sin-offering A. This is the Legal Phrase which is here made use of concerning Christ The Priests under the Law were to offer for their own sins as well as the Peoples but being spoken of Christ it must be taken not in a Legal but Evangelical sense as thus 1. The People of the Land will be look'd on as Christs Body and so himself Eph. 1.22 He is head over all things to the Church which is his body And Eph. 5.30 We are members of his body And it being so when he offers for the People of the Land he offers for himself so then for himself and the People of the Land is in effect thus much for the People of the Land which he reckons to be part of himself even his Body 2. The sins of the People of the Land were Christs by imputation he was a common person and the Iniquities of
Woman of Samaria did the Samaritans Come see the man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ But they may then teach as Aquila and Priscilla did Apollo who instructed him in the way of God more perfectly This second Calling appears Zach. 13.9 Two parts shall be cut off and dye and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine and try them I will say it is my People they shall say the Lord is my God And we may conceive that this second Calling will be by means of the personal appearing of Christ Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn Rev. 1.7 Every eye shall see him they also which pierced him Not only Judah which pierced Christ but also the ten Tribes Thus as Paul was converted by seeing Christ so shall the Jews And after this Joseph and Judah shall become one and one King shall be to them all And then every Tribe shall be in its portion in the Land and the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all Saints coming with Christ shall stand in their Lot in the City 2. The Restitution of all things We read of a twofold Restitution of all things The first by Elias the second by Christ 1. By Elias Mat. 17.12 Elias shall first come and restore all things but I say Elias is come already The occasion of what was spoken of Elias was Christ's transfiguration which did prefigure his coming in glory And the Disciples from hence seem to conclude that Christ should then reign in glory But this lay in the way the Scribes say that Elias must first come To which Christ gives an answer in which two things are to be considered First Elias shall come and restore all things Here 's a plain assertion Elias shall come Which was spoken after John Baptist was come and gone And then this was a truth Elias shall come Secondly Christ answers Elias is come already So both are true Elias is come and Elias shall come As there is then a twofold coming of Christ so a twofold coming of Elias for an Elias is a forerunner of Christ at both his comings The first coming of Elias was foretold Isa 40.3 The voice of one crying in the Wilderness Mat. 3.1.3 this was fulfilled in John Baptist This is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet And Mat. 17.12 Christ said that John was the Elias which was to precede his first coming The second coming of Elias is foretold Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple c. Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven v. 5. Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet Though these Prophecies had some degree of accomplishment in John Baptist yet certainly the full accomplishment is yet to come For an Elias shall be 〈◊〉 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Now this dreadful day must certainly be chiefly meant of the day of his second coming For first all here foretold cannot be said to be fulfilled at his first coming For did this day burn as an Oven so that all the proud and such as did wickedly were burnt up and had not root or branch left them This threat had not its accomplishment at the destruction of Jerusalem for this happened several years after the first coming of Christ 't is promised that at that time those that fear the name of God should go forth that is out of their bondage and afflicted state and should tread down the wicked so as that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet But no such thing was done then the Saints did not tread down the wicked Jerusalem was trodden down by the Romans This Prediction doth well agree with other Prophecies of the great destruction of Christ's and the Churches Enemies and very much with Peter's Prophecy of the world's perishing by fire The time of Christ's first coming is called The acceptable year of the Lord and of proclaiming liberty to sinners to get forth from their spiritual Captivity So 't is expounded by Christ This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luk. 4.21 Now how can that so sweet a day spoken of by Esaias be the dreadful day spoken of by Malachi In this dreadful day the Sons of Levi shall be purified and the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant as in the days of old This was not fulfilled at Christ's first coming for then the Sons of Levi were the great Enemies of Christ and had the chief hand in crucifying him And then Judah and Jerusalem killed the Prince of Life so far were their Offerings from being pleasant as in the days of old By this it appears that an Elias is yet to come who shall restore all things and that to the Church in general and to the Jews in particular First To the Church in general The Apostles first preached the Gospel and were Witnesses to Christ they laid the Foundation which is Crist and built upon that Foundation Gold Silver and precious Stones Their Doctrine was pure and the Truths they preached very precious They laid no Commands upon the Disciples but what they received from the Lord They planted and watered and God gave an Increase Doctrine was found and saving Discipline was good Ordinances were rightly administred and they were the true Worshippers who worshipped the Father in Spirit and in Truth They had the guidance of an infallible Spirit in what they did as Apostles and Ministers of Christ But false Teachers quickly arose the Evil One sowed Tares the Mystery of Iniquity began to work and there were those who did build Wood Hay and Stubble Damnable Heresies were brought in and at last the Man of Sin was revealed with whom came in Idolatry Superstition and all kind of Abominations But in the time of this departure from the Faith Christ hath his faithful Witnesses bearing a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus They prophesie when the Beast reigns but in Sackcloth and at last the Beast slays them But after three days and half the Spirit of Life enters into them and they stand upon their Feet and as they were sown in weakness so shall they be raised in power and be the Angel flying in the midst of Heaven with the everlasting Gospel Now these raised Witnesses and this revived Ministry will come in the spirit and power of Elias And by the spirit of Christ's Mouth will the Man of Sin now be consuming And as Elijah did by Fire from Heaven convince the People that the Lord was God and Baal was no God and by this occasioned the destruction of the Priests of Baal Even so shall the Elias which is to come preach the everlasting Gospel and by him Apostolical Doctrine Ordinances and Discipline shall be restored And this Day shall declare Men's Works
Moon and for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting Hills and for the precious things of the Earth and the fulness thereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Josephs Blessing did then consist in precious things and that which made all these precious things more exceeding precious was the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and when Joseph shall be called and United to Judah under one King then shall he have the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush and a Blessing of precious things added thereto Certainly we may well conclude that as the Tribes of Israel had these their Blessings in some Degree when Canaan was Conquered and divided amongst them so when the Jews shall be called then shall they have these Blessings wherewith Moses the Man of God blessed them in the fulness of them but that the great change which shall be in the Natural state of things may be more fully set forth I shall with such largeness as the Matter doth require whilst upon that eminent place Rom. 8.19 c. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God c. The Apostle had said v. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Saints after a long time of Suffering must have a time of Glory As there is to be Eternity of Glory in Heaven so a set time also for the Church to have great Glory upon Earth This is proved from the earnest expectation of the Creature and from the Saints groaning within themselves and waiting for the Adoption even the redemption of their bodies The whole creation groaneth and Saints groan What doth this import but that the World is weary of its present state of bondage and longs for the time when it shall pass away in respect of its present corrupt and slavish estate and be in its refined restored and free state of which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets The Heavens would be New Heavens the Earth would be a New Earth they look with outstretched Neck for that happy time when it shall be said The Lord bless thee O Habitation of justice and Mountain of holiness and when the Sons of God that have lyen among the Pots shall come forth and be as the wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold and so have their glorious Liberty and Manifestation By Creature here is meant the World which is now subject to Vanity and in bondage to corruption It s condition is much worse now by Mans sin than it was at first This condition is contrary to its Nature It would be restored to its Primitive State and is not at rest till it be so Here are three things to be considered First What the Primitive State of the Creature was Secondly What its present bondage is Thirdly What the Liberty is which it longs for What the Primitive State of the Creature was these Particulars shew 1. The Creature was very good there was no evil in the Creation Gen. 1.31 God saw every thing which he had made and behold it was very good Full of vertue and Vigor of beauty and comliness Gen. 2.27 As Trees so other things were beautifull to the Eye there was nothing hurtfull and grieving No Thorns or Thistles for these were a part of the Curse Salomon complains all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit 'T was the Evil and bitter thing Sin which was the cause of it 2. There was Peace in the Creation a due subordination and subjection and Concord and agreement nothing of Rebellion nothing of enmity no wasting or destruction in any part of the Creation as a Fruit of enmity 3. The Creature was made that it might serve for the Honour of the Creator God made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 All his works were to praise him 4. Man was Lord of the Creation Rule thou over the Fowl of the Air the Fish of the Sea c. Gen. 1.28 And the Creatures did own Mans Dominion over them and became willingly subject to him the Beasts and Fowls came to Adam as it were to do him Homage and he gave them Names 2. What the Creatures bondage is This consists 1. In the loss of very much of its Primitive vertue and beauty Sin hath much defaced and enfeebled the Creation Meat hath not that strength to nourish which first it had Isa 3.1 we read of the Stay and Staff of the Stay of Bread and the Staff of Water If Adam had not Sined this Stay and Staff would have been a sufficient support of Mans life when it s going away 2. In that enmity which is now amongst Creatures There is a war in the Creation Creature against Creature In the Sea the greater Fishes devour the less the dry Land and Air are full of Beasts and Birds of prey 3. In the sinful abuse of Creatures they are in bondage to the lusts of Men and are many times provision For the Flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof We may observe that the First Sin was the abuse of a Creature God had forbidden to Men the eating of the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden when Man did eat the Creatures bondage began This sinful a buse was its bondage And this one Creature being thus abused and brought into bondage God did in a way of judgment as a just recompence of Man's Sin leave the rest to be subject to Vanity and less helpful to Man Adam delighted in the forbidden Fruit more then in pleasing God and therefore was left to love and serve the Creature more than the Creator We may take Notice how this bondage is set forth in Scripture 1. Joh. 2.16 All that is in the World the lust of the Flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World There are these several Lusts in the World and the World affords them their several Objects carnal Delight are the Objects of the lust of the Flesh worldly riches and Propfits are the lusts of the Eye And do please the Eye Eccles 5.11 When goods increase what good is there to the owners saving the beholding them with their Eyes and when these worldly things are enjoyed and Men prosper and grow great thereby then Pride usually compasseth them about as with a Chain and so they become the Pride of Life Now this is the bondage of the Creatures to feed the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life We may observe that all these lusts did meet in and made up the first sin the Forbidden Fruit was fair to the eye there was the lust of the Eye there was a lust to eat of it and an eating to satisfy that lust so there appeared the lust
is the contrary to being accepted now the meaning of sins lying at the door is that sin is not pardoned but the guilt of it remains sin that is the punishment of sin is at the door ready to come upon thee and therefore thou art not justified so this doing well and not doing well is spoken with respect to the offerings then made and to the end which they aimed at in their offerings which was that they might be accepted and justified Abel did well he took the right course to be justified but Cain did not well Abel did well in seeking his justification and acceptance by an imputed righteousness and thus his sin was carried from his door never to come near it again but Cain did not well in seeking his justification and acceptance by his personal righteousness and by a work which he did For notwithstanding this Sin lay at his door So Abel was justified and became righteous Abel as he is called Mat. 23.25 But Cain went away not justified for which he was very wroth and slew his brother Abel who was the first Martyr and he suffered upon the account of this great fundamental truth of justification by an imputed righteousness Sealing it with his blood If you would then be found in peace being found in a justified estate see that you be not found in this way of Cain but in the way of Blessed Abel who by Faith offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain c. See Heb. 4.11 4. Be without the spots of the Not-Children of God and of such as are in an unregenerate state Deut. 32.5 Their spot is not the spot of his Children There is a great deal of difference betwixt the spots of the Not-Children of God and of the Children of God for these have their spots There are spots in dead Carcases and spots sometimes in living bodies so there are the spots of men dead in Sins and of those that are alive to God Sin reigning Sin loved Sin committed without repentance Godly sorrow and reformation is the spot of men dead in sin and of the Not-Children of God Sin hated sin loathed resisted over which there is mourning after a godly sort is the spot of those that are quickened and made alive to God Let 's take Notice more particularly of some spots of unregeneracy which you must have purged away if you look to reign with Christ 1. That spot of looking on the forbidden fruit as the fairest and best this is a spot of unregeneracy There began the first sin and this is the issue and product of it in corrupt Nature a lusting after the forbidden fruit as the fairest this is the very image of the Earthly Adam When Men can take and eat freely of the forbidden fruit as more sweet and pleasant because forbidden this is a manifest spot of the Not-Children of God Such there are to whom stolen waters are most sweet and Bread of secrecies is pleasant but the dead are there and being there are in the depths of Hell 2. To love worship and serve the Creature more than the Creature to have more care of the body than of the Soul more regard to things temporal then eternal to things earthly than to things Heavenly this is a spot of unregeneracy and forbidds such to look for any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God 3. To love darkness and hate the light to love sin and hate holiness to love the wicked and hate the godly is a spot of the Not-Children of God 4. Delight in lying is a spot of the Not-Children of God Isa 63.8 He said surely they are my people Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour But of such as will ly such as delight in it and make a practice of it what doth the Lord say of such surely they are Children that will ly and therefore are not my people and to them I will be no Saviour 5. The mark of the Beast is a spot of unregeneracy and of the Not-children of God this is either in the forehead so as openly to own the power of the Beast and to profess to be his Worshippers or in the right hand to do the work of the Beast and to give up their power to him this is a spot of the Not-children of God for of such 't is said Rev. 14.9 If any Man Worship the Beast and receive his Mark the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God they that believe as the Pope will have them believe and Worship according to his ordinances and Commands have his marks upon them and are not owned by the Lord as his neither may expect any inheritance in his Kingdom 6. Strive to be more and more cleansed from those spots which the Children of God in a regenerate state are too often defiled with Thus 1. Take heed of the spot of Pride This is a hateful spot which many times defiles even the Children of God Knowledge too oft puffeth up gifts many times puff up the People of God should esteem others better than themselves but too apt they are to esteem themselves better than others God would not have his Children defiled with this spot To prevent this in Paul there was given him a Thorn in the flesh that he might not be lifted up in his Spirit through the abundance of Revelations 2. Take heed of the spot of covetousness too much love to the World is many times the spot of the Children of God We read in Scripture of the idolatry of covetousness and of the iniquity of covetousness There is the idolatry of covetousness I mean that degree of it which is a serving of Mammon and is inconsistent with the serving of God of which Christ said ye cannot serve God and Mammon This is that which excludes from the Kingdom of God and makes men uncapable of an inheritance there Ephes 5.5 Now this degree of covetousness shall not be found in the Children of God But there is besides this mention of the Iniquity of covetousness which though it come not up to that degree of idolatry before spoken of yet 't is iniquity and the least degree of covetousness is iniquity and the iniquity of covetousness when 't is in the people of God begets fatherly displeasure in God Isa 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him But this smiting is in order to the healing of this distemper I have seen his ways and will heal him Take heed therefore as of that Idolatry of covetousness which is the spot of the Not-children of God so also of all Iniquity of covetousness 3. Take heed of the spot of carnal security and of negligence and remissness in duties carnal security slumbering and sleeping was the spot even of the wise Virgins they neglect their watch the Bridegroom comes and finds them sleeping The thoughts of our going hence and Christ's coming should dwell upon our hearts What I say unto
you I say unto all Watch and be not cold and lukewarm but be zealous and repent be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Like Elias Jam. 5.17 He prayed earnestly or he prayed in prayer so pray in prayer hear in hearing do in doing 4. Take heed of Babylonish spots come out of her my people that ye partake not in her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues superstition will-worship to be of a persecuting Spirit to beat fellow-servants these are sins of Babylon and the People of God are sometimes in some degrees defiled with these which if they hearken not to the call partake not in her sins may bring some of the temporal Plagues of Babylon upon them 3. The last branch of the Exhortation is be deligent that ye may be found of him blameless for this consider He that hath the righteousness of Faith is blameless so far as to be without guilt for he that believes is justified from all things Acts 13.39 No sin is charged upon him to his condemnation He is the Blessed Man to whom the Lord doth not impute Sin For he hath an absolutely blameless righteousness imputed to him and received by Faith which renders him blameless in respect of guilt Again he that hates the evil that he doth and complains of his body of sin O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death is so far blameless that the evil he doth is charged not upon him but sin that dwelleth in him 't is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Lastly he that hath sincerity of grace is blameless in a Scripture-account and in a gracious esteem of God A Noah who was righteouss in his generations upright and sincere towards God is perfect and blameless A David a Man after God's Heart doing all his wills is blameless A Job who is an upright Man fearing God and eschewing evil is blameless and a perfect Man such as Zachary and Elizabeth who walk in all the Ordinances and Commands of God are blameless Such as these are blameless in God's Gracious account though not in their own They see much in themselves to bewail much to be humbled for much to repent of much that they blame themselves for when God is yet pleased to call them blameless Now be diligent that you may have that simplicity and godly sincerity which may incourage you to hope that God will out of his abundant grace and great love toward you account you blameless Avoid as much as possible every thing blame worthy and do what is commanded and after all pray That you may be accounted worthy to escape the Judgments which shall come upon the World of the Ungodly and to obtain that World which is to come and to stand before the Son of Man FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Benjamin Harris at the Stationers Arms at the East-End of the Royal-Exchange in Cornhil THE Accomplisht Ladies Delight in Preserving Physick Beautifying and Cookery The Second Edition with Large Additions Price 2 s. 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