ALL THE CHIEF POINTS Contained in the CHRISTIAN Religion And those GREAT TRUTHS in the word which we have not had a Right Apprehension of for almost Thirteen Hundred Years never since the Rise of the Beast Are now discovered by the FINGER of GOD. The whole here Collected into Short Heads that thereby they might the better sink down into the Understanding and be Registred in our Memories which Truths are now proved and Published By M. M. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by J. Clark at the Bible in the Old Change at the upper end of Cheapside E. Whitlock in Stationers-Court in Amen-Corner and W. Reddish ni Griffiths Buildings near the Royal Cock-pit Westminster 1697. The Scriptures being now Rightly Understood are made to agree in a Holy Harmony so as Justice Mercy and Truth go hand in hand together which before we came to have a right Underderstanding in the Word we made to contradict it self which has caus'd so much Dissention amongst us Some there are that term the word a dead letter but all them that believe the scriptures to be the word of God and take to the way directed therein such the scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3.15,16 18 for by them we come to have faith in Christ Jesus as to believe that he will perform his promise according to the condition he hath made in the word Mat. 11.29 And therefore Christ is said to be the Author and Finisher of Faith because he will give the hoped for promised Reward to them that are found in their Obedience for the word our is not in the Hebrew Tongue And in the Scriptures is the Wisdom of God and the power of God and such as walk according to that Holy rule blessed are they Gal. 6.10 2. Cor. 4.4 And the word being Rightly understood God doth not swear and declare to do one thing and absolutely decree to do quite the contrary for all the scriptures agree in one the same thing And they that speak not according to the Laâ— and to the Testimony it is because there is no Ligbt in them Isa 8.20 Isa 62 8. Ezek. 33.11 And if we take to the way therein directed God hath promised his assistance and by so doing we shall be brought off from the World and so born again by having a complying frame of Spirit to the will of God if we are to the utmost of our power sincere in our endeavour GREAT TRUTHS in the Word are now Discovered by the Finger of GOD c. THE Mighty God according to his Promise that at Evening time it should be Light Zech. 14.7 hath now at the appointed time discovered the true meaning of his word the which we lost the right apprehension of by our Predecessors who were involv'd in darkness of Popery whereby we are now in great mistakes The Truths which have not been rightly understood are these that follow I. That the Eternal Purpose only reacheth forward to the Eternity that lies before us as is proved like as Christ in time became the Author of Eternal Salvation and as God in time promised Eternal Life II. That after Adam fell the decree was made for the entrance into Life to be made strait and how that straitness doth consist is proved III. That being of old ordained to this condemnation hath another meaning than what we have hitherto apprehended IV. In Scripture there is mention made of Three Worlds and therefore Three Foundations whereby it is clearly proved there was none chosen before or at the Foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth and that these Three Worlds spoken of in Scripture are Three Worlds of People First That which sprang from Adam Secondly That whichsprang from the seed of Noah Thirdly That the foundation of the World to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Egypt and laid them for the foundation of the World to come and all that comes in heirs to that World comes in as the seed of Abraham and from the foundation of that World Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from the foundation of that World was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they through their unbelief refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And then after this their miscarriage God Elected and Secured a certain Remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come V. It is likewise proved That there was no Election thorough the old World nor till the then time and for Israels sinfulness God did Elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches and God chose them before the body of Israel but not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and likeing in God rather to choose them that had ignorantly offended him then them that had willfully disobeyed him as is proved and therefore they are said to be chosen before the Foundation which Foundation was Israel VI. It was the Remnant chosen from among Israel and the first Gentile Churches that had the peculiar calling for from among the Gentiles did God then Choose a People to the praise of his Name which were chosen according to the counsel of the will of God for the purpose he had determined which was to receive the Holy Ghost to beartheir testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And also that in them in time to come he might shew forth the Exceeding Riches of his Grace These were those that first received the word from the mouth of the Disciples and so believed in Christ thorough their word And it was by the Example of the Elect that all they of Macedonia Achaia believed 1 Thes 1.4,5,6,7,8 These were those for whom Christ in a peculiar manner prayed for as he did not for the World these were those that were Glorified by their Receiving of the Holy Ghost John 14.17 for the Holy Spirit which was before but with the Disciples or Church was afterward given â—o be in the first Churches these were those of whom St. Paul spake of that were Fore-known Called Justified and Glorified by their Receiving the Holy Ghost to be in them and these were those that were ordained to Eternal Life being thus chosen to it who were first to receive the Gospel and who were as a candle lighted up by the Lord to enlighten the World who lay in wickedness and darkness and by the mighty Signs and Wonders Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost part of the World imbraced the Faith in the Apostles time and the Word brought forth fruit in them as it did in the Elect Colos 1.6 Joh. 12.32 1 Tim. 3.16 VII Whereas it is said God daily added to the Church such as should be saved that was spoken to Israel as is proved for of them there was some excluded the then offered Mercy but by the evident witness of the Spirit that was given to the Elect was the
to come as is proved and they of this World generally sell their Birth-right for a mess of Pottage rather then they will wrestle with an Affliction or withstand a Temptation they will part with the hope for promised Reward which is the Crown of Life and therefore God said Jacob have I Loved and Esau have I Hated for all are in this time to wrestle with the Lord for the Blessing as Jacob did For tho the Election was not attained by their Willing and Running yet the promised reward is to be attain'd by them that so doth whether Elect or not Elect for all that are found in their Obedience in this time comes in as heirs to the Promises But before Esau or Jacob had done Good or Evil God only said The Elder should serve the Younger And this was so ordered by the determinate Counsel of God that the Elder should serve the Younger That is all that does not come in as the seed of Jacob to be heirs to the World to come the rest that are then spared of this Elder World or Esau Generation are then given as Daughters and Servants to Israel and servants of them that are so as is proved Thus God as the Potter has power over his Clay to make one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour but not that God did make any Vessel to do Evil that thereby they might become a Vessel to Dishonour XV. And though God said That he will shew Mercy on whom he will shew Mercy and whom he will he hardneth yet his Will is guided as he is the fountain of all Reason with greater Reason than we can imagin For after God had chosen Abraham it was then according to his obedient walking that he became heir to the Promises for which Promise sake God did at the appointed time appear to deliver Israel and so he will again at the appointed time but then for Pharoah's Cruelty and inhumane slavery to Israel God did then for his Sin harden him in unbelief so as he should not believe the Miracles done by Moses that thereby he might shew his power on him by destroying him and his Army in the Red Sea and therefore as in the margent of the Bible it is said God made him stand That is Stand in the place of power that he was in till he himself came in the Clouds to destroy him in the Sea So likewise tho God Elected some of Israel and left a door of Mercy open to others and left others of them to Blindness yet it was those that were left to Blindness that was most wicked among them and such as had the greater power to promote the knowledge of the fear of the Lord but none of them that were found in obedient walking were left of him to Blindness for unto them was the word of this Salvation sent Acts 13.26 and it is those that refuse Obedience to the same that falls under the Eternal Judgment whilst others that does but ignorantly offend will be beaten with fewer stripes Luke 12.48 And there is a Redemption in the VVorld to come for some and none shall be punished in that body in which they never took pleasure to commit Iniquity Now whereas the Apostle saith God worketh all things the word all in Scripture doth not include the whole as I have els-where proved XVI And God is not the author of the evil of Sin although he is the author of the evil of Punishment but upon mans repenting and returning God hath often repented him of the Evil he thought to do unto them as by the word is proved Jer. 18.7,8,9,10 Joel 2.13,14 Jonah 3.9,10 Gen. 6.6,7 Ezek. 18.20,21,22,23,24 Ezek. 33.18,19 Jer. 15.6 I am weary with Repenting Whereas God saith Mal 3.6 I am the Lord I Change not This God spake as to his Attributes as his Justice Mercy and Truth in which he is an Unchangable Being and therefore for his promise sake it is that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed for in time to come they are to inherit the Land But when God promiseth a Blessing without condition then he Repenteth not For God is not a man that he should Lye neither the Son of Man that be should Repent Hath be said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good for God hath promised to Bless Israel and they shall be Blessed and then will he behold no Iniquity in Jacob when be hath purged all Iniquity from them For both in the Old and New Testament those things which are to come are mentioned as though they were already past or present so accordingly St. Paul in the Hebrews Expostulating about the Covenant sometimes expresseth himself as though it were already done that is Establisht but by the whole scope of his words he doth fully declare to the contrary but that they were then given the Holy Ghost which did bear witness with their Spirit they they were chosen to be heirs of that promised Covenant but if they did again willfully Sin and so do despite to the Spirit of Grace then there remained for them no more sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation for if they sinned wilfully under the greater Light they fell under the greater Condemnation for although among the Hebrews were the Remnant that was secured by a promise from Christ that none should pluck them out of his hand but they stood not by the establishing of the Everlasting Covenant but by a promise from Christ that they should not only be heirs to it but inheritors of it and when the Everlasting Corenant is Established then by that Covenant Blessedness is secured as well to the Body as the Soul for then the Souls of the Raised Saints will be again United to their Bodies and blessed in them and so Israel and the True Believers will not only then by that Covenant have an Inherent Perfect Righteousuess but they will then be freed from Sickness Sorrow Want and the troubles that are now in this Life and in the time to come in which God will manifest his power he will then also make his People Israel a willing People then it is he will establish his Everlasting Covenant with them for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.39 For this promised Covenant was to be established with Abraham and his seed together in their Generation Gen. 17.7,8 And when the Lord again comes to Restore all things he will then make Mount Sion an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of many Generations Isa 60.15 And then not only the Remnant but likewise the body of the Natural Seed of Jacob will then be the Lords Elect which he will gather from the four winds into which he hath driven them XVII The Christians of the Gentile Race that comes in by Christ to be of the seed of Abraham were all termed heathen in the Old Testament as is proved so as the most severe