Son Jesus Christ Acts 14.15 as the fountain of and the proper way to that life and salvation See the sum of it in 1 Tim. 2.5,6 That there is one God and one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Who hath given himself a ransome for All as an evidence of Gods good will to All that he would have all men to be saved and to come to know the truth This ye are to hold forth unto men that there is a God to be adored worshipped submitted tâ— trusted in and served the author of our life and breath and all things the fountain of bliss and happiness and that this God is one in Essence mind purpose faithfulness and so that All other powers that the Heathens have fancied and adored are Idols vanities and confusion all things empty and too weak to save or satisfie besides him that eternal life and happiness consists in the true knowledge and enjoyment of him And yet this unity of the Godhead is so to be held forth that the Trinity therein also may be acknowledged otherwise men shall not rightly apprehend or worship him according to the Christian Faith and Doctrine Concerning which let me a little declare my mind to you though it may seem a Digression because mens errour hereabout I find to be often an inlet to many other evil false conceptions I know some make that Trinity or threefoldness in the Divine being but only a threefold denomination of the same personal subsistence and that there is no other distinction between Father Word and Spirit but only in that diversity of denomination which appears to be an evident falshood in this that by the same rule that God the Father Word and Spirit is called three because they are three denominations He might be called seven or ten or more there being many other denominations in the Scripture given to him as Jehovah Lord of Hosts Jah Elohim Ehjeh Eloah Adonaâ— the Almighty and divers others but yet he is not said to be so many as he hath denominations given him in any part of Scripture Besides different denominations of the same person or personal subsistence may be convertibly predicated of one another as where the same man is Father and Son Husband and Master and Magistrate in divers respects there it may be said the Master is the Father and the Father is Governour c. but so it cannot be said of these three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Scripture never says the Father is the Son or the Father is the holy Ghost or the holy Ghost is the Father or the Word or Son is the Father though God is a Spirit and Christ an everlasting Father in regard of us yet not the Father of the only begotten Son nor is the Father the Spirit sent by the Father and yet these three are but one and the same God A great mysterie it is I confess and such as passes expression fully to declare and open yet a truth it is that the Scriptures many ways attest both in the Prophetical and Apostolical writings Moses hints it in speaking of God plurally and yet joyning that plural word with a singular verb as when he says Elohim Bara the Gods or the Mighties he created Heaven and Earth c. And again Nahashu let us make man in our Image plurally and yet by and by he changes the phrase and speaks in the singular number God or the Mighties made man in his Image with which agrees divers other phrases as that in Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Israel rejoyce in his makers and that in Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth and the like in Job 35.10 and yet more fully in 2 Sam. 7.23 what one people in the earth is like to thy people Israel whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim The Gods went to redeem to himself The words that we translate God and went being both of the plural number and yet the prâ—noun relative that is added is singular to himself not to themselves The two former words plainly intimating the plurality in way of subsistence and the singular pronoun the unity in Essence which also is held forth in Gods appearing unto Abraham in which he appeared as three men and Abraham sometimes speaks to him as one and sometime in the plural number as to more Gen. 18. Whence some Hebrew Doctors have also written thus upon the word Elohim which is usually translated God See Ainsw in Gen. 1. Come and see the mysterie of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by it self alone and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another These places with divers others as to instance one more that in Deut. 6.5 Hear O Israel the Lord thy Almighties is one Lord intimate a plurality in unity but other places express that plurality to be a Trinity or threefoldness in unity as that in Psalm 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth or by the Spirit of his mouth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both So that there we have mentioned the Lord Jehovah his Word and Spirit as the like we may see also in Isa 42.1,2 Behold my servant whom I uphold which is spoken of the word made Flesh Jesus Christ Mat. 12. who though he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with him yet emptyed himself and came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.6,7 c. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have pat my spirit upon him c. there is the Father held forth under that word I my he whose servant Christ became and whose elected and delightful Son he is and there 's the Son as before was noted and the Spirit of the Father put upon him The like expressions of the Trinity sce again Isa 11.1,2 and 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me there is the Lord Jehovah the Father and Me that is the Word as incarnate and made flesh and the Spirit or holy Ghost put upon Christ which things are yet more clearly opened in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as is to be seen in Mat. 3.17 where we have this Trinity distinctly named Christ baptized the holy Ghost descending upon him visibly in the appearance of a Dove and the Father speaking out of heaven and owning him for his beloved Son Here was more then a threefold denomination of one personal subsistence the Father and Son here are plainly distinguished for he says not of himself I am the beloved Son but of Christ this is my beloved Son c. In 2 John 3. he is distinguished plainly from him Grace and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father c. See the like in Col.
us and other we expect and waite not for come come and let go that your fleshly knowledge of and faith and hope in that Jesus Christ the man that was born without you according to the letter and you shall enter into the love with us and shall find all these things that ye there read of done within you you are now exposed to tryals and walk sometime sadly and you are tyed to this and that ordinance but we are past all those things and quite beyond them and we are come to inform you of this our perfect condition in which there is nothing that God reckoneth sin to us nor are we in any bondage but peace and liberty is all our portion You are in hell in darkness but we in heaven in light into which we are come to draw you these and such like are the hony combs that drop from their lips the flatteries with which they entice and lay in wait to deceive the yong and unstable ones boasting of their own peace liberty and high attainments of infallibility and promises of the like betterness to others that will follow them with an undervaluing of others attainments and simplicity of faith that they have in Christ Jesus till they corrupt them from it And indeed whom would not such fair speeches catch and carry away Who would not long to lick at such hony drops and kisse the lips that are so delicious who would not beleeve such fair flourishes when they tell them also they are their experiences especially when they that hear are unsetled and impatient to follow their Jesus through tryals and wait upon him for his glorious happinesse many strong men have fallen by her saith Wisdom and few or none that turn in to her are able to get out again but are so in wrapped in her snares and find so much pleasantness in her deceits have such strong fancies and delusions of joy peace liberty heaven happiness here already God giving them up thereto with such a free run to serve the flesh too that they follow on still as an oxe to the slaughter and as a fool to the stocks till a dart strike through their liver for though this strange womans guests are in the depths of hell yet they are not sensible of it they know it not till Christ by the brightness of his coming and breath of his mouth shall awake them and fill their souls with horror This is the way by which they beguile the simple and unstable souls colouring over their words with here and there a snatch from the Scriptures as Satan also did in his temptations and confessed Christ for his own ends and purposes though in their hearts they slight the Scriptures in generall picking out here and there a line which they wrest and pervert to their own destruction as they will alledge that there is no new thing under the Sun to prove that Christ shall never come otherwise then as he doth come daily and was never otherwise 〈◊〉 childe and weak but as he is at present they will tell you that Paul saith henceforth know we Christ no more after the flesh to prove that the beleeving on Christ as he was made flesh dyed rose and ascended c. is but a fleshly faith and knowledge of him and to justifie themselves for their not so beleeving they will alledge that Flesh and blood shall not inherite the Kingdom of God to prove that Christs body was not taken up into heaven that body which he bade his disciples handle and see that he had flesh and bone in and to prove that our bodies shall not rise again and be made glorious and immortall as also to the same purpose they alledge that the body returns again to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it they will bring that Christ in you the hope of glory not as the Apostle preacht it but to prove that there is no being of Christ without and distinct from men and that Christ is nothing else then some spirituall frame within and many such like abuses of the Scripture they do make to perswade to the belief of their assertions such as yet bear some reverence to the authority of Scripture and indeed some of them in their Writings and discourses begin with very taking considerations and some true speeches arguing that they have met with spiritual light but have been led away from or perverted in it through Satans subtilty they will speak against a notional Faith and against idle speculations of Christ without power and urge that Christ must be in men and they conformed to Christ and partake of the holy Unction c. and all this way fair and good but then with them or at the close of them they usher in these perverted strains of slighting Scriptures Ordinances Faith in Christ crucified c. yet with such subtilty that there needs a good measure of spiritual understanding and good vigilancy to descry them for by reason of those preceding Truths they begin withall many are unaware caught and taken yea they would deceive if possible the very Elect. Such is the way of the whorish woman such her Panders the messengers of Satan transforming themselves into Minsters of Righteousness to pervert the Passengers towards Wisdoms House into their deceptions but now what is the danger of being snared by them and of falling in to this temptation is nextly to be spoken Sect. 7. Of the danger that attends mens falling into this Temptation THe danger that attends the being taken iâ— these snares or rather the end and issue 〈◊〉 such men as are overcome thereby is altogetheâ— inexpressible but those expressions of it that thâ— holy Ghost hath left us upon Record are such aâ— may well affright us from once listening theretoâ— and fill the hearts spirits of with those inuttâ—rable horror that are guilty thereof The rewarâ— or Wages of sin in general is death Rom. 6.23 and the ruine of all that know not God and thaâ— disobey the Gospel is exceeding horrible viz. to be punished with everlasting destruction from thâ— presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 to be debarred for ever from the enjoyment of the presence of God in which is fulness of joy and where are rivers of pleasure for evermore Psal 16,11 and to be shut up in perpetual misery and darkness but yet the expressions of their ruine and misery that run into these snares of Satan are such as evidently assign to them a first portion the holy Ghost being very full and frequent in setting forth the nature and consequents of these kinde of sinnings with answerable aggravations of their punishments for he tells us that these persons that run into these snares do not onely neglect a greater salvation then any formerly in the Law propounded Heb. 6.2,3 but also they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.5,6 He was once crucified for
hath been the same is now and what shall be now hath been and God will require that which is driven away Their mistake and abuse of which is easily discerned if we hold fast to the testimony of the holy Ghost in other places which contradict their inferences from it and if we also minde the scope of the Preacher whereabout he speaketh viz. that his speech is about the vanity and vexation of spirit that is in accrues to men from worldly natural things and actions things sub sole under the Sun or under the Government of it and then his meaning is plain that there is a constant tenor in the nature of natural things at all times the same species and properties in those species not the same individuals except they will affirm that they themselves have been men and women born nursed up and lived in the world in times past even in Solomons time or in the beginning of the world as well as now and if so I would they would call to mind what they saw done then and help to perfect the History of the world but that 's evidently false David and Solomon are not now living under the Sun but the same kinds of things there are men now as then and sin and vanity in them now as then trees and plants c. and the same common affections of creatures now as then the same weakness vanity wickedness and vexatiousness now as before and in that regard there is nothing new no alteration of the nature of things under the Sun in their natural actions and conditions But this is horribly besides the business of Solomons discourse to say the earth upon which the trees and plants now grow is as well void and without form now as it was in the first day of its creation and yet more to say Christ hath come no otherwise in the flesh then he did in Solomons time nor suffered otherwise then there he had done or that there shall be no other rising from the dead then was then or visible coming of Christ in Glory and to Judgement and indeed these are things super solem above the ordering of the Sun Beside neither says he there shall be no new thing but he speaks in the present time in which he lived there is no new thing The Prophet Jeremy that lived after him says The Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man Jer. 31.22 and sure that was in its time a new thing that a Virgin conceived and brought forth without knowledge of any man yea God hath said that He will make all things new and therefore its evident that their enlarging of the Scripture beyond its scope and expression is very false and gross yea that they are of the number of those men that Peter speaks of The mockers that should say Where is the promise of his coming that is in effect He shall never come again for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue in like state Yea yet further we may retort this Scripture upon themselves as to their denial of the glorious coming of Christ and his raising up the dead bodies of men departed that being rather here affirmed for if that that is shall be and God requires that that is past or driven away then that body of theirs that is shall be and that Christ that was on the earth shall be again and though their bodies that are dead and are as it were driven away yet God will require them again and judge them for what is past and what men have violently thrust or driven away But this is a safe Rule for thee to go by that no Scripture is rightly interpreted when it s interpreted point blank contradictory to the sayings of other Scriptures about those things whereunto they are interpreted Like to their abuses of these and other places is that that they quote Col. 2.20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ to the rudiments of the world why then as living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances to shew that they are above the Ordinances of God and need not regard them whereas the Apostle after explains himself to speak of the Ordinances or Documents of the world for he adds according to the Commandments and Documents of men and that they have a shew of wisdom in wil-worship and not of the Ordinances of God which who so is not subject to is not subject unto God by whom and whose authority they are appointed yea the Apostle himself commends that very people for their Order as well as for their stedfastness in faith ver 5. and exhorts them to admonish one another and that in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and to continue in prayer and thanksgiving Chap. 3.16 and 4.2 c. which are Ordinances of God and therefore sure he cannot rightly be understood in the other place to tax them for being subject to them nay if that was a fault in them then should they not be subject to the Apostles teaching and admonition they being also Ordinances of Gods appointing 1 Tim. 2.7 And to give but one instance more They in like manner some of them abuse that saying in Col. 1.28 Christ in you the hope of glory the meaning whereof is this that Christ as he was made of a woman and made under the Law and as he died rose ascended is glorified and appears in the presence of God for us eyed minded believed on and understood is that that springs up in the believing soul hope of future glory whereas other men either have no hope of glory or have their hope in other things the believers hope is in and from Christ as he hath done such great things for him and is made of God such a Saviour to him that I say as it s known believed and minded begets and maintains that hope in him In which regard also viz. as he is in his Knowledge Faith Love c. he is said to be in him as also in regard of his Spirit or Divine Vertue and Power in and through that knowledge and faith working in him But this I say some abuse to this end to perswade men that Christ is no otherwise existent but in the hearts of men hath no real spiritual glorified body in the heavens which is a meer strained and erroneous collection for if that were so he should be rather the fruition of glory in them then the hope of it onely for the fruition of glory is in the believers having Christ really and personally existent with him 1 Thes 4.17 And surely when Christ shall descend from heaven and take up the dead Saints being first raised to be ever with him he shall not descend or come out of his peoples hearts and leave them in regard of his nhabitation of them nor needed Stephen so stedfastly to have looked up into heaven to have seen him in his heart Acts 7.55 nor would there have been any such
say Tush we are Lords we will come no more at thee Jer. 2.31 we need not call upon God for any thing for all things are ours and what profit is it if we pray to him as wicked men are noted to say Job 21.15 seeing God is engaged to us by his Promise or we shall have what is appointed for us If I say we shall thus reason however we may as others guilty of the like pride before us Mal. 3.16 be called happy by others yet surely God will resist us and we are in danger to be given up to Satan and to our own hearts till they have brought us to confusion The Apostle James plainly tels some that they received not because they asked not or because they asked amiss to consume it on their own lusts James 4.3 And our Saviour hath as plainly on the other side bid us ask that we may receive and our joy shall be full Joh. 15. Restrain not your prayers therefore my brethren but pour out your hearts before the Lord not listning to vain Philosophy and Speculations about Gods Will and Way nor prying into his Essence and things not seen so as to contemn and slight his Counsels and then think to defend your selves by saying our prayers cannot alter his Will and Decrees we shall neither have the more for praying nor the less if we pray not for he cannot be wrought upon by any thing in us for this is contrary to all piety and godliness The Prophet Isaiah hath otherwise instructed us that God hath not said to the house of Jacob seek my face in vain Isai 45.19 Do not thou justifie the counsel of the wicked but pray with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit in every season or opportunity and watch thereunto in all perseverance or strength or fervency and pray for all Saints and for me c. as the Apostle exhorts Ephes 6.18,19 Pray with all prayer and supplication for every favor and against every evil acknowledging your follies beseeching for forgiveness intreating for help in all prayer in private and in publike by your selves and with others praying in the Spirit not with the lips onely but with the heart and spirit also according to that I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. It s not saying a prayer that will suffice or is regarded but the heart and spirit exercised in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and that in Gods Spirit too or in the holy Ghost as in Jude 20. in his leadings power wisdom teaching as he shews you your wants or the wants of others and the goodness of God for supply fills you with faith confidence boldness earnestness for prayer 〈◊〉 indeed essentially an exercise of the heart 〈◊〉 and by the Grace and Spirit of God breathing after God and desiring and craving help or favour of him and this may be either with vocal words or without and yet with words usually either in the heart onely the heart speaking to God when no sound is heard as Hannah did 1 Sam. 1. or with the mouth also as David and Christ and the Saints of God in their several ages used most commonly to do It s true that God looks at the heart more then at the words in prayer but yet he regards those petitions that are poured out in the Spirit and in the name of Christ in a single heart that are vocally exprest and they are not to be heard or regarded that contemn praying with words and make a tush thereof though in the mean time they pretend that they pray alwayes in that they are content with what God doth to them or now and then wish this or that to be done to themselves or others I fear such under pretence of praying alwayes pray not at all or very seldom and are rather of those despisers of Ordinances in Mal. 3.14 that say It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances c. surely Christ taught his Disciples to utter words though he told them too that he would not have them vain in thinking to be heard for their much speaking yea verily not onely David Solomon Moses Samuel Daniel and all the antient Worthies uttered words solemnly in prayer unto God but the Lord Jesus Christ also at several seasons surely he needed not to have separated himself into a solitary place apart to pray Matth. 14.23 if to pray had been no other business then many make of it or if he had thought it needless to pray When he was to leave his Disciples he prayed with his voyce too and uttered many sweet and pretious words which are recorded Joh. 17. And so the Disciples after the Ascension of Christ continued together in an upper Chamber in prayer Acts 1. And after the Holy Ghost was poured upon them they were not of this Opinion of these proud spirits that think they need pray no more they have all already but they continued in prayer still and uttered words too therein Acts 2.42 and 4.24 and 6.4 We will give our selves say they continually to prayer c. So when Peter was in prison they were met to pray Acts 12. they could not pass away their time so jovially as some that pretend to know Christ as well or better in laughing and sporting carding and gaming c. but they spent their time when they met in prayer and God heard them too Yea Peter himself one of the prime pillars amongst them when he wa◠at the house of Simon the Tanner went up int◠an upper Chamber to pray and Paul when b◠was to part with the Church of Ephesus kneeled down and prayed with them Acts 20.36 to which also sometimes they added Fasting Surely then they that despise this Ordinance or that think they do it sufficiently by now and then perhaps an ejaculation of a desire despising to pray together solemnly as occasion is offered are scarcely led by the same spirit that led the Apostles and ancient Saints of God and they neglect one part of the spiritual armor provided for them and in that plat lay themselves open to Satans temptations yea sure they that are above Ordinances are also above this spiritual armor at least in some parts of it and when Satan hath got them thither he hath advantage enough against them for now he finds them naked and can as he lists captivate and wound them To be sure they pray not with all prayer and supplication but by the Prophets verdict of such they are proud and high-conceited speaking great swelling words of vanity and because they are sensual they judge of Gods Word and Ordinances according to sense counting Gods Ordinances low and foolish things preferring their own wisdom and ways before them Mal. 3.15 I wish there be not too great an increase of this proud and sensual generation and that it were not too common for people to count such happy
freeing not onely the spirits of the Saints from thraldome in a first fruits but their bodies also from death and corruption which is called the redemption of our bodies Rom 8.23 When every eye shall see him c. Rev. 1.7 When all that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life others to the resurrection of condemnation c. Joh. 5.29 When all the Saints together shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever with him 1 Thes 4.16,17 Now as these men deny this his glorious personal coming turning all so well as their wits will serve them and their Father help them into an Allegory so in these two things they grossly err 1. In thinking that persons to whom Christ hath come by his Spirit and whom he hath raised and quickned up to a lively hope as in the first sense are thereby above Ordinances and not bound to attend them for indeed then are they fittest to use them and will be most profitable or profited in attending on God in them Besides we finde the Apostles and other Primitive Believers of another way and judgement when the Spirit was poured upon Cornelins and his houshold that exempted them not from the outward Baptism Acts 10.48 nor were the Apostles themselves exempted from solemn prayers and fasting breaking of bread Preaching the VVord c. even after the holy Ghost was poured upon them and Christ by his Spirit dwelt with them as is plain in Acts 4.24,31 and 6.4,6 and 13.1,3 and 14.23 yea Wo to me saith Paul even after the holy Ghost was shed abundantly upon him Tit. 3 6. if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Bread saith he that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the Cup that we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 yea in 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized saith he by or in one spirit into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit and Chap. 6.11 they were washed justified sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God but what were they all above Ordinances therefore no matter for observing them No such matter but they are yet ordered about their eating the Lords Supper yea and such as whose election in the sanctification of the Spirit is affirmed are exhorted by the Apostles to Prayer to attend on Prophesying to stand fast hold the traditionâ— such as the Supper of the Lord is called 1 Cor. 11.25 received from them either by word or writing 2 Thes 2.13,14,15 Many other like passages thou mayst finde in the Apostles Writings which they writ to preserve the Churches from sin and error which may discover the falseness of that conception Yet 2. They err much worse in that confounding the coming of Christ in Spirit to the spirits 〈◊〉 men in particular with the great Day of the Lord when he shall come to the destruction of ungodly men and the utmost salvation of all that have believed on him the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men in this Day of which Christ spake to the Pharisees Luke 17.20,21 that it comes not with observation and that it is in men yea in the Pharisees working and tendring it self to their hearts though rejected by them but filling those that receive it with righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost with the glorious Kingdom of Christ which he â—s gone to receive and which shall be set up or made manifest in the world at his great coming when he shall judge the quick and dead 2 Tim. â— 1 of which he spake to his Disciples Luke 17.21,22,23 they apply to themselves as already â—…ne in and upon them those things that are proper to that great Day of his destroying the â—…eat hope and expectation of the Saints which 〈◊〉 that great and glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 denying and mocking at that his visible and glorious coming yea and where their principle 〈◊〉 somewhat throughly improved denying the Resurrection or Redemption of the body and â—…ying the Resurrection all thats to be hoped â—or or met with is here accomplished which we â—…all speak more fully to in the proper place and â—…casion Onely now I would have thee minde that they are strongly deluded herein and that they are of those that our Saviour there doth warn us of that say Lo here lo there see here in us and to us Christ is come and the day of the Lord is revealed with us or with such and such persons the Judgement is over the mystery is fulfilled the world is at an end and we are iâ— possession of our glory though others yet are not Believe them not saith our Saviour neither go after them for that coming of the Soâ— of man shall be as visible and evident in a moment as the lightning that shines from one enâ— of the heavens unto the other end thereof iâ— shall be open and manifest to all Luke 17.22 23. Every eye shall see him even those that havâ— pierced him and all the families of the eartâ— shall wail over him Rev. 1.7 As the bringing in and alteration of former dispensations or administrations of his Kingdom have been witnessed and evidenced by notorious Demonstrations oâ— Gods Authority and presence so shal this last alâ— teration be more visible and notorious then thâ— rest When God gave the Law of Moses he did iâ— in a solemn manner with the voyces of thunderings and lightnings the shaking of the earth c. by which he owned and confirmed it as of him and when he took away that administration and brought in his onely Son and the Ordinance of the Kingdom in its present external administration he owned and attested his altering the former and bringing this in by the gift of tongues and by many wonders and signs and divers powerful works and distributions of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 And when the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of his Prophets shall come and when he shall send his Son Jesus Christ again Acts 7.21,22 whom the heavens till then must contain to take an account of all men how they have submitted to him in the former administrations of his Truth and Grace amongst them and to render to every man according to his works shall that be hidden and done now to this man and then to that no man sees how without any poblike evidence to the world No no that shall be most powerfully and to the world with greatest solemnity declared so as none shall be thereof ignorant but all flesh shall see his salvation unto is people together and those that have rebelled shall be with wondrous terror delivered over to their eternal destruction The heavens shall be on a flame or the elements melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.7,10,12 even these heavens and elements and the host of them that
2.2 God the Father and Christ as also the distinct applications of those words Begetting and Begotten Sending and being Sent with divers others argue the sending forth of Christ as the begetting him is always attributed to the Father the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world and God have his only begotten Son it s never said nor were it proper to say the Father sent himself or the Son sent himself much less that God sent the Father or the like where there is distinction of sending and being sent begetting and being begotten there is more then difference in denomination for though the same may be denominated in divers respects Father and Son and Husband and Master as we said before yet it s improper to say that the Father begat the Son speaking but of the same in divers respects both Father and Son or that the Father sent the Master or Son when he that is all these in divers respects comes himself being sent of none other then himself Beside its never said the Father was made flesh or the Father suffered for our sins or delivered up himself for our offences but it s often said the Father made his Son an offering for our sins God delivered up Christ for our offences raised him exalted him c. which argues plainly that there is more then a nominal distinction between them as also that Christ is said not to have thought it robbery to be equal with God Now where there is equality there is distinction too for its improper to say of the same indistinct thing that its equal to its self yea Christ himself though he saith his Father and he are one John 10.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnum one Essence or thing not Vnus one personal subsistence or one in way of subsisting yet he speaks of himself and Father as of two witnesses I am one that bear witness of my self and my Father that sent me beareth witness of me John 8.18 And to say no more its evident in this that the word was made flesh and so is become man too There is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 And God will judge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Acts 17.31 But the Father is never affirmed to be man nor could Christ be Mediatour of God and man if not in something distinct from either as well as in something one with either And so for the Spirit it is clearly in that of Mat. 3. and the other places of Isaiah before mentioned distinguished from both Father and Son and is further proved to be so by that of our Saviour John 14.16,17 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter the Spirit of Truth where all the three are again mentioned and clear distinctions between each of them from other hinted I will pray the Father there 's Father and Son between whom were there no Distinction that phrase were very improper If the Son be the Father he should rather only have said I will send another Comforter then I will pray the Father and he shall send c. and there is the Spirit distinct from both both from him that said he would pray and him to whom he would pray from the Father for he is to send him and is prayed to for him from the Son who prays the Father to send him for he expresly cals him another Comforter that is another from or besides himself that was then with them The Spirit of Truth that is of the Son for the Son is the Truth and is to be glorified by him as in Chap. 16.13,14 When the Spirit is come he shall not speak of himself but he shall glorifie me How shall not he speak of himself it he be Christ of whom he should speak and whom he should glorifie where note by the way that the Spirit that speaks of himself and not of Christ leading the soul to understand the things of Christ and to glorifie him is not â—he true and right Spirit sent forth by Christ â—ut not to inlarge further in this matter what â—…ore plain then that commission â—o Disciple all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or all the Gentiles Baptizing them into the â—ame of the Father and of the Son â—all of the holy Ghost The Name not names â—nd denominations but one Name Power Auâ—ority and Jurisdiction of Father Son and Spiâ—it now what needs this Distinct repeating of â—ather Son and holy Ghost if no distinction â—nt in denomination be put between them â—how can it be said as in 1 John 5.7 that they â—re three witnesses There are three that bear â—itness in heaven the Father the Word and the â—oly Ghost and these three are one Where the â—ord again is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they were one in way â—f subsisting or personality as they use to â—eak but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hi tres â—mum sunt these three are one thing one being 〈◊〉 Essence one God but yet three in regard of â—ersonality so as the notes of persons I and â—hou and He may distinctly and frequently â—re in Scripture applyed to them I shall not â—ention that in Rev. 1.4,5 with divers other â—laces to this busines but shall a little further â—pen my conceptions about this so high a busiâ—…ess And so I understand that the Father is the fountain of the Deity as it is in the Son but is not the Son but hath begotten him and giveâ— to him to have life in himself and hath spoken by him and so the Godhead is in the Father aâ— the fountain of Divine power The Son is the Word the essential eternal Word of the Father and so God as flowing from and manifesting the Father who in himself and otherwise then by the Son or Word is not to be known oâ— seen into The divine out-streaming wisdome by whom the Father that fountain of Divine glory put forth his Divine vertue and Created all things and upholds them and hath revealed and declared himself to men who also in due time for the sake of man turned away and fallen from him was Incarnate by the power of God and incorporated in the seed of David according to the flesh and so became also a man and in the nature of man by the heavenly flowing forth of his Divine doctrine and by the things undergon by and accomplished in him he opened represented and declared to us the Father and so the Son is as the flowing or out speaking of the Father and the Spirit is the same divine being but as in both and proceeding from both the power vertue and force that is in and worketh or acteth forth it self from both from the fountain by the stream so as that the Father worketh all things through the Son by the Spirit We may somewhat illustrate it by this comparison as I humbly conâ—eive of it .. The Light that
God made to rule day is but one and its the Sun and yet that light is after one manner in the body of the Sun and after another in the glorious ray and beam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or shining forth of the Sun in another manner yet in the air illuminated by the beam from the body of the Sun and yet all these but one light not three lights yet that one light hath a threefold manner of subsisting the Sun is not one light and the ray or beam of the Sun another and the clearness or bright shining in the air illuminated through the beam a third but one day light or light of the Sun The Sun is the fountain and generateth or begetteth its â—ray or beam and worketh by it whatever it doth by way of illumination heating quickning c. yet is not the body of the Sun its ray or beam Again the ray is begotten and generated in a sort by the Sun and yet its cotemporary with it It evidences the Sun lives by its dependence on the Sun is in the Sun and the Sun in it after a sort so as that it doth nothing of it self without the Sun nor the Sun without it which comes down from the Sun and is not the body of the Sun nor subsists of it self without the Sun Again the clearness or light difâ—used into the air proceeds from the Sun the fountain of light by with in and through the ray or beam yet is it neither the body of the Sun nor its ray for it is and may be where the ray is not but is intercepted as to the proper substance of it as in a cloudy day or in a room where the Sun beam comes not and yet these cannot be divided one from the other for this clearness cannot be but from and by vertue of the ray and of the Sun So that if either of them were taken away and removed from the Horizon the luster or illumination in the air ceaseth and they cannot be but this is and follows too Here is an unity of light in a threefold way of subsistence by which we may darkly see into the glorious mysterie of Trinity in Unity which no similitude can fully illuminate the Father is as the fountain of the Deity and to the Son or Word as the body of the Sun to its beam not to be seperated from each other or divided so as the one can be without the other though the Father is first in order of nature he of whom are all things and doth all by and nothing without the Son or Word as the Sun doth nothing without its beam The Word or Son in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.2 The brightness or offâ— shining of the Fathers glory Lumen de lumine light shining for discovering and leading up to the fountain of light always with the Father and yet came down from the Father and doth all from him and yet is not the Father but the Son yea and forther as the beam of the Sun may be contracted and as it were so incorporated in a burning glass or the like so as the glass by vertue of the beam and the beam by the glass worketh otherwise then either glass or beam by themselves could have done and yet neither the light nor the body of the Sun is to be so contracted but only the beam so was it with the Son or Word he was imbodied or incarnate in the nature of man and the man Christ Jesus by vertue of the Word so contracted as it were or incorporated in him did such glorious things and got such a glorious conquest over sin death and hell as man of himself â—ould never otherwise have done or gotten nor was the Word in and by it self perfected for and yet neither the Father nor the holy Spirit was so incarnate or made man and yet further the Son had all his vertue in himself from the Father and in the Spirit without which he â—ould do nothing as the ray contracted derives all its vertue that it shews forth in and through the glass from the body of the Sun without which it could neither be nor do any thing The holy Spirit is the power vigor and divine verâ—…e proceeding from the Father that fountain of divine glory from and through the Word by which we have and enjoy the benefit of the Sun and its beam when both of them are otherwise interpreted and clouded out of our sight I mean the Father and the Son even in a day of temptation and spiritual hiding of himself in his more glorious shinings But these things I bring onely to shew that there may be such a thing evidenced even to reason and sense as a three-fold way of subsistence of the same created being that so we might not stumble at that which the Scripture hints to us so abundantly about the Trinity in the Unity of the divine Being Concerning which I needed not to have multiplyed so many words were it not that the old Serpent not abiding in the truth is so prevalent in blinding men and corrupting them from the unerring Oracles of Divine truth to listen rather to the shallowness of their own purblind reason For the Saints are not without experience in themselves did they well mind it of this distinction in the glorious workings and operations of God in and upon themselves in their believing they prove the Father calling them to himself by the Son in the power of his Spirit they have believed the love of the Father in sending forth his Son and in the word of his Gospel they have felt his power and Spirit drawing and inabling them to believe in Christ and to approach by and through him unto the Father according to that Eph. 2.18 We both that is Jew and Gentile have access through him to wit Christ by one Spirit unto the Father namely to call upon him trust in him and have fellowship with him Indeed they that depart from the Son they both lose the operations of his divine Spirit and fall from the right worship of the Father into Heathenism or such philosophical speculations of God and of his Being as were found with the ancient Heathens that had not the light of the Gospel to instruct them and no marvel then if they fall from or deny the mysterie of the Trinity as in the Apostolical doctrine is held forth with those divine operations that should evidence the truth thereof unto them But now to return again to the matter whereto I was exhorting viz. the doctrine of the Gospel to be held forth to men as it supposes the Being of God and he but one though thus distinguished so is it not only the bare affirming him to be but one or in that Unity so as before to be distinguished that 's to be delared but his Name according to that Unity and distinction the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost viz. how God hath manifested himself and is to be believed in in each of these as that this one God by his Word and Spirit having
made and created all things for man and man in his own Image deserved and required to be obeyed and honoured by man but man sinning and therefore falling under his displeasure and making himself thereby unable to please him and unfit for fellowship with him by reason of that unspeakable pollution that hath overspread him God was yet pleased in the greatness of his mercy and freeness of his love to find out a way to recover us again and a way by which we might return back again unto him So as that both his justice and displeasure against sin might clearly be demonstrated and yet his goodness and love too toward sinful mankind be magnified which was by appointing and sending forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law so being found in shape as a man a reall man to bear in his body the punishment of our sin the sin of the world and so to give himself a ransome for all That this his Son the Word made flesh as was long before even from the beginning of the world fore-prophecied of him is now come already and hath taken upon him in the body that was prepared for him the burthen and cause of man and as a publike man given himself a ransome for All induring the Death and undergoing that sentence of curse and condemnation that by the offence of one came upon All men and that for All and hath in grapling with that death and sin overcome them so that God hath raised and justified him in the behalf of all so as he may also see the justificatian of all that do and shall believe on him To which purpose also viz. that men might in believing on him have him for their justification the Father hath glorified him in the nature and behalf of mankind making him Lord of all and his salvation to the end of the earth giving him all fulness of Authority and Power and filling him with all the fulness of the Godhead bodily even the fulness of Divine Spirit Power and Vertue yea also appointing and ordaining him as Mediator to stand in the Vertue of his Death and Sacrifice between God and men as the propitiation for them even for our sins that believe and not ours onely but also of the whole world 1 John 2.1,2 So as that with respect to him and what he hath done and suffered for sin he is good and patient and bountiful to the whole world not withstanding they sin yea and hath sent out his Gospel to be published to them all without limitation or restriction viz. that though this his Son there is forgiveness for them and he would have them saved and to that purpose come to the acknowledgement of the truth yea He to wit Christ is He in whom all the world or any of them may find favor and come into favor with God again so as to be at one with him namely by acknowledging his Truth and believing on him who also is appointed by his teaching them as a Prophet by his ruling them in righteousness and writing his Law in them and subduing their enemies as a King and Lawgiver and Judge over them and by mediating the new Covenant or Advocating and making intercession as the great High-Priest to the utmost to save all them of the sons of men that see and believe on him and so judge his and their enemies that that hate his Light and reject his â—endred mercy to condemnation to which end he shall at the time appointed of the Father come again and raise and judge both the one and the other as they have here behaved themselves towards him That as the Father hath put his Spirit upon Christ so they are to submit unto Christ in his Word and Ordinances and look unto and wait therein for this his Spirit upon him as he that is Power of God that is to bring down or effect in man that salvation that is in Christ Jesus set forth to them the Renewer Sanctifier Teacher Comforter and therefore to be heard sought after received and obeyed by men in the power of which they are to worship the Father through the Son and in the receit and indwelling of whom they shall finde and experiment the streams of that Fountain of Life that flows from the Father or rather that the Father is in and through the Son yea God himself by his Spirit to dwell in them and to set up his Kingdom in them in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost to the full possession and revelation of which in and upon them this Divine Spirit in such their listning to following after and obeying him will not fail to bring them Sect. 7. A Caveat against some mens preposterous mistakes about the Doctrines of Election and Reprobation THis then is the brief summ of the Doctrine to be held forth to the world in which we may hopefully expect and look for the assistance and operation of the Spirit to convince them of the good will of God toward them and therein of their sin for not believing on him Joh. 6.11 that hath done so much for them and is so appointed and fitted of God for saving them And of Righteousness both that all the righteousness they have of their own is empty and will not avail them otherwise no need for Christ to have died for them and also that in him is everlasting righteousness worthy to be looked after and certain in that their looking to him for it to be met with by them And of Judgement that their own self-justifications will not serve them nor their own self-condemnations so valid as remedilesly to cast them but to his doom they must stand by whom the Prince of the world is judged and they must receive their final sentence from him who is able in case of their believing on him to absolve them from all self-condemnings and in case of their disobedience against him and the Will of his Father to destroy them however their own thoughts and other men have hitherto justified them Yea in this Doctrine we may hopefully expect the holy Spirit to draw in and allure the convinced to hope in him and believe on him and therefore this hold ye forth to them and to the furtherance of this let all your conversations and walkings be directed as becoms the children of such a Father the members of such a Head as the Lord Jesus and as the Temples of the holy Ghost that they that are apt to slight the Word may yet be woon to glorifie it by the goodness of your conversation And beware I pray of that preposterous way that some run into who through mistake or unbelief of the Gospel delivered to us by the holy Apostles according to the commandment of the everlasting God and through the exercise of their own reason with the mistaking of some