or accept them in their Worshiping of him A guilty Conscience and an unsanctified Heart is always hypocritical and playeth false and loose in worshiping God hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water and the heart must first be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and body washed with pure water by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ before any Man can worship God in Spirit and in Truth and I do and dare too affirm it from the Word of God that there is not a true and spiritual Worshipper of God in all the World but such as are so inwardly sprinkled and washed with the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ all others do worship God carnally and hypocritically not in Spirit and in Truth not sincerely and inwardly Oh therefore you that are in Christ see look to it that you worship God in the Spirit and in Truth for else there is none in all the World to do it 3. To worship God in the Spirit is to worship him in and according to his own holy Institutions Ordinances and Appointments and not according to Humane Inventions not according to Mens Traditions there is neither Spirit nor Truth in that Worship that hath not the stamp of Divine Authority upon it Voluntary Humility and Will-worship and all things of mans devising in the Worship of God and that hold not the Head Christ Jesus can minister no grace or spiritual nourishment to the Members and Joynts of the Body Eph. 4.16 compared with Col. 2.18 19 20 21 22 23. A little Leaven will leaven the whole lump and a little Superstition and Will-worship after thâ— Doctrines and Commandments of Men 〈◊〉 render the whole Worship vain and fruitleâ—â— to your selves as well as displeasing provokeâ—ing and unacceptable to God and so wheâ—â— all the ends of Worship are lost it becomâ— altogether vain as Mat. 15.9 But in vaâ—â— they do worship me teaching for Doctrine tâ—â— Commandments of men and who hath â—â—â—quired these things at your hands will 〈◊〉 day dash in pieces the confidence of all sucâ— Worshippers and evidence the vanity as weâ—â— as the impiety of all such Worship Humanâ— Traditions and Impositions of Men undeâ— what name or pretence soever whether of Eâ—â—clesiastical or of holy learned and judicioâ— persons or the Authority of the Civil Magistrate are not sufficient to warrant us iâ— our worshiping of God No no we muâ—â— to the Law and to the Testimony and iâ— they speak not according to this Word therâ— is no light or morning in them And wheâ—â— men have once rejected the Word of thâ— Lord what Wisdom is in them yea whaâ— Holiness is in them what Learning is in them yea professing themselves to be wise they are become fools and why then should you that are in Christ follow them or be led by them wherein they do not follow Christ or are led by his Word and Spirit 'T is time for us to leave them who have left the Head Jesus Christ and have gone a whoring from under their Gods What though all the World wander after and worship the Beast yet those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life must not comply with them Rev. 13.7 8. Ye that are in Christ are the Temple of the Living God for God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. And again Rev. 18 4. And having therefore dearly Beloved these promises viz. of God's receiving us and of being a Father to us and our being his Sons and his Daughters as before Let us cleanse our selvet from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And let it be considered by you that if you be rejected of the World for not worshiping with them after their Rudiments ye shall be received of God in Christ as the true Worshippers that worship him in spirit and truth i. e. that worship him in Christ sincerely and according to his own Institution and whether it is better to please God or Men to be rejected of Men and to be received of God or to be received of Men and rejected of God judge ye for to be jâ—stified by Works and our own Righteousness and to worship God by Humane Inventions are equally hateful and abominable with God tho' highly esteemed amongst Men Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate And Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst Men is abomination in the sight of God And for us to think within our selves that we can be justified in the sight of God by our own Works or Righteousness or that we can worship God by Humane Inventions or Mens Traditions is to think that God is altogether such an one as our selves for which certainly he will reprove us Psal. 50.21 22. And there is a secret yet strong connexion betwixt these two grand Errours viz. to be justified by Works and to worship God by and after our own Inventions for they commonly go together and stand and fall together And those that are corrupt or loose in the Doctrine of Justification are accordingly as corrupt and loose in Worship And therefore when a Professing People grow loose in the Worship of God 't is an ill Omen and just ground of godly jealousie and fear that such are unsound and loose in the Point of Justification Hence Gal. 4.8 9 10 11. And that they are not fast knit by a sincere Faith unto Christ the Head Col. 2.19 20 21 22. Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the Spirit then and not till then are we the tâ—ue Circumcision then and not till then do we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him And the God of Peace shalâ— be with you Amen The Second Part of the True Light Shining in Darkness To give to us the knowledge of Salvation to guide our feet into the way of Peace OR The Righteousness of God Manifested opened and declared as the True and only Matter of our Justification before GOD through Faith in Jesus Christ. Being one Sermon or Doctrine of five more remaining upon Rom. 3.21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Preached first in and about the City
Rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh these two must go together in the heart and walking of a Christian You cannot rejoyce in Christ Jesus if you have or put any confidence in the flesh and ye cannot have confidence in the flesh if ye do aright rejoyce in Christ Jesus To have confidence in the flesh is to have trust and confidence in the Law and in the Deeds and Works of the Law done by you either before or after your laying hold upon Christ as your Refuge the internal Deeds of the Law which are the qualifications virtues and graces of the mind and the external Deeds of the Law which are the external actions of thy Life and Conversation both with respect to God and Man done and wrought in conformity to the holy Law of God so far as thou art able to reach it The Duties of the first Table and of the second those which respect Religion towardâ— God and those which respect Righteousnesâ— towards Man as they are or can be performed by thee these all are comprehended in the word flesh as appeareth plainly by the Apostle Phil. 3.4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh I more And then he addeth all his Legal qualifications priviledges and performances before his Conversion v. 5 6. Circumcised the eight day c. and then he adds all his own Righteousness of the Law in the internal and external Deeds of it after his Conversion and Faith in Christ v. 9. And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So that all his own Righteousness both before and after Conversion he sets in opposition to the Righteousness of God by Faith in Christ and this all this that is a mans own Righteousness he calleth flesh and forbids and denies any confidence or trust to be put in it either by himself or by any other man so as that he or any other person should think or judge or reckon himself righteous and justified in Gods sight by his own Righteousness either of inherent qualifications or external obedience no no this is abominable this the Apostle abhors in himself and deters all others from But on the other hand to trust alone unto Christ and rely and depend upon the perfect Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of God and is made ours by Faith and not by Works this is to rejoyce in Christ Jesus but to have confidence in our own Righteousness this is to have confidence in the flesh And there are two reasons why all a mans own Righteousness is called flesh 1. Because it is weak and unable to bear the weight of mans hope and confidence as touching his being righteous thereby or justified before God and thus the Horses of the Egyptians are said to be flesh not spirit because of their weakness and inability to answer the sinful trust and confidence which the Jews had in them Isa. 31. v. 3. And 2. Because it is polluted sinful and unclean by the infirmity and imperfection of grace in the best and by the mixtures of sin and corruption that attend us in our best Duties as Isa. 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags and therefore not to be trusted in and relied upon when we come before and have to do with God Now therefore ye that are in Christ and desire to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have see that ye have no confidence in the flesh covet earnestly the best gifts strive after the highest attainments of inherent grace and holiness but trust not to put no confidence in your own Works and Righteousness for by the Works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight 3. And last of all See that ye worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.2 For we are the true Circumcision which worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh So that to your rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh you must add this also To worship God in the spirit Now to worship God in the spirit implieth these three things namely 1. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship God in Christ those of the Concision spoken of in the beginning of Phil. 3. Who trusted to Circumcision and the Works of the Law or their own Righteousness Worshipped God in the Deeds and Works of the Law which the Apostle here calls Flesh and so they Worshipped God not in the Spirit but in the Flesh They rested in their own Deeds and Works and looked not to Christ Jesus who was the End Perfection and Substance of the Ceremonial Law And so indeed their Worship terminated in their own Righteousness and they did not by Faith go out of themselves unto Christ and his Righteousness and so they did not Worship God in the Spirit i. e. Evangelically and by Faith in Christ but legally and presuming upon their own Merit and Worthiness without Christ and so all their Worshipping was Carnal and in the Flesh after the Old Covenant and Works but not Spiritual and Evangelical i. e. after the New Covenant and Grace To Worship God therefore in Christ and by Faith in him as your only Righteousness and always to come unto the Father by the Son this is indeed to Worship him in the Spirit relying upon his Mediation Merit Blood and Righteousness as the Mediator of the New Covenant and not upon the Old Covenant and Works 2. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him sincerely and with a true heart and thus to Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him in truth Joh. 4 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth These Concisionisâ— did Worship God not in Truth but iâ— outward Shew and Hyporisie for they Worshiped him in the outward Circumcision oâ— the Flesh but the inward Circumcision of the Heart which is in the Spirit and Soul and Mind that was wanting that they looked not after Thus whilst they doted upon and boasted of the external Sign they lost they minded not the thing signified i. e. the internal Grace and Spirit and there was not that in the Heart and Spirit within that might accord and stand with and answer to Circumcision without i. e. the Answer of a good Conscience no the Conscience was neither sprinkled with the Blood of Christ nor sanctified by his Spirit and hence they did not they could not draw near to God with a true heart nor in that full assurance of Faith that God would either hear
THE True Light Shining in Darkness And dispelling the Mists of Errour arising from the Darkness of Man's heart c. promoted by the Prince of Darkness against the Truth of God in the matter of our JUSTIFICATION Shewing That by the deeds of the Law or Man 's own Righteousâ—ess no flesh can or shall be justified in the sight of God The First Part. By THO. TAYLOR the meanest and unworthiest of the Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ and now Pastor to a small Congregational Church in Cambridge Rom. 1.21 22. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that Readest this small Treatise upon so great a Subject as the matter of mans Justification before God know that thou art concerned to consider seriously and weigh well in thy mind what is here written without prejudice forasmuch as thou art the man to whom this word is sent either for the informing and undeceiving thee in this matter if thou be'st deceived Or for the confirming thee in the truth and strengthning thy Faith in Christ. If thou be'st already by the teachings of Gods holy Spirit one that knowest him that is true and arâ— in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal Life And it is immediately added Little Children keep your selves from Idols And though there be many Idols in mans heart yet this is one of the greatest and most dangerous and hardest to be departed from a mans own righteousness if it be but as it were by the works of the Law And as we know that an Idol is nothing but the Image and Likeness of that which it is not So verily this mans own righteousness is nothing a meer Imagination of Mans own heart exalted against God which is not nor cannot be in Gods sight and so it should be in thine Abominable to thee and abhorred by thee as it is to him Job 15.14 15 16. What is man that he should be clean And he which is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteh no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water And 9.30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me And Luke 16.15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongsâ— men is abomination in the sight of God Read therefore this small Treatise pray tâ— God that thou mayest read it without prejuâ—dice To help thee so to do as much as in me lieth I declare unto thee three things namely 1. That I am not ingaged in Spirit worldly interest or design with any party now engaged disputing and contending one against other about these matters further than for the truths sake and so far as the truth of the Gospel obligeth me to defend and bear witness to the same as it may be found to lodge and dwell on the one side or on the other in any part of it And perhaps it will sufficiently appear that I am not of that party that may boast much of this Doctrine which is most true in it self and yet did not give proof and assurance of hope that themselves are sincere and sound in the Faith of Christ. The Doctrine may be true in its self and yet their Faith in the receiving of it be but a dead and a vain Faith which will never save them as James 2.17 18 19 20. Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone Yea a man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well The Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead And ungodly men still though boasting of the Grace of God in works yet denying indeed the only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ by turning the grace of God into lasciviousness Jud. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And too many such Professors we have now who in Spirit and Practice Course of Life and Conversation practically deny what they verbally profess as they had there Tit. 1.15 16. Unto the pure all things are pure But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and Consciâ—nce is defiled They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate But let not this offend thee for truth is truth still and will be for ever Hebrews 13.7 8. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Phil. 3.17 18 19 20 21. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly And whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashon'd like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself 2. Here thou wilt find no carnal weapons as Oratory enticing words of mans wisdom excellency of speech fierie if not perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth No reasonings after the Flesh and the Wisdom of the World which cometh to naught But evidence and demonstration of the Spirit with power 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. For though we walk in the Flesh i. e. in the body we do not war after the Flesh i. e. after the carnal mind which is corrupt and weak For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
holds Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 1 Cor. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. And I brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mens wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power That your Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this World or of the Princes of this World that come to nought 3. That the great truth herein declared opened demonstrated and applyed is not mine nor of mine own but is the truth of God in Christ Jesus ministred by the Spirit to the holy Prophets of old and witnessed by them who spake not of themselves but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 For the Prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And declared in the fulness of time by the Son of God who came from the bosom of the Father John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him And John 3.31 32 33 34. He that cometh from above is above all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the Earth he that cometh from Heaven is above all And what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and no man receiveth his testimony He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him And also witnessed by the Holy Apostles chosen of God to that end Upon which testimony of the holy Prophets and Apostles as the Foundation Christ himself being the Chief or Head-corner stone the whole Church of God is built Ephes. 2.20 And are built upon the foudation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself be-the chief Corner-stone so that he that refuseth despiseth and rejecteth this truth in the ministry of us poor weak earthen vessels despiseth not man but God as Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And 1 Thes. 4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit Therefore thou art obliged to pay all honour reverence obedience and subjection to truth because it is Gods truth and not mans and to receive the word because it is Gods word and not ours And to receive the Word as it is indeed the word of God and not as the word of Man is the mystery of effectual or saving Faith Whereby the Faith of Gods Elect is distinguished from the common and temporary Faith of Hypocrites and temporary professors 1 Thes. 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Therefore whatever infirmities thou seest or may see in us and whatever temptations in our flesâ— weaknesses wants necessities emptineâ—s nothingness let not the the word of God be refused or despised But receive it as if Christ himself was present on Earth in human shape to speak to thee with his own mouth Gal. 4.13 14 15 16. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first And my temptation which was in my Flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Where is then the blessedness you speak of for I bear you record that if it had been possible ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Therefore ask thy heart this question is this the truth of God or no If thy heart answereth No I do not like it nor the persons that preach it Then to the Law and to the testimony to the holy Prophets and Apostles and to Christ himself Whose testimonies are all distinctly recorded and then ask thy heart this question again Darest thou with a stiff neck and uncircumcised heart always resist the Holy Ghost as thy Fathers did so dost thou dare to do Acts 7.51 Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye If thou shouldest dare to refuse all the Prophets and Apostles who spake on earth yet there is one more who speaketh from Heaven even the Son of God himself and darest thou refuse him also Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Consider therefore in thy heart that whatever we are or may be esteemed to be who are the poor Ministers of Christ yet though we be nothing let the Holy Prophets and Apostles be esteemed as something for they shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And the true Church of the living Ged which is cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet doth wear them as a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head And wilt thou trample them under thy feet Rev. 12.1 And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven a Woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars But however though we be nothing yet let the Son of God Jesus Christ himself be something For verily God the Father thinks him to be something When he hath given him a name that is above every name that is in Heaven and that is on the Earth That every Knee shall bowe and every Tongue confess to him as Phil. 2.9 10 11 12. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Jesus every Knee shall bowe of things in Heaven or things in Earth and things under the Earth And that every Tongue shall confess
any thing like it for a time they quickly recanted and recalled it Mat. 11.16 19. But whereunto shall I liken this Generation It is like unto Children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners But wisdom is justified of her Children And John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light And ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light I have been greatly refreshed and comforted in you all by the grace of God bringing Salvation to you and which ye have not received in vain But as ye have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Jesus Christ this grace hath taught you effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works And am still comforted in the remembrance thereof And that these poor labours of mine in the Ministry of this Gospel hath had any effect upon your Souls either in drawing you to Christ or confirming or comforting you in Christ at any time is and will be my rejoycing above all the esteem I have in your hearts and all the help I have received from your hands by your Free Kind Liberal ministring to my necessities from time to time and that my temptation which was in the Flesh through these necessities and wants and reproaches for Christs sake ye despised not but received me and embraced me I will not say as an Angel of God or even as Christ Jesus But one far greater than I can own my self to be I can truly say I have rejoyced much more because of the Grace of God given to you than in all the gifts to me though I had need of them all and do acknowledge them to be more and greater than I am worthy of But Christ is worthy for whose sake only ye have counted me so Mar. 9.4 And whosoever will offend one of those little ones that believe in me It is better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the Sea And though I put not your names to this my Book for reasons above mentioned yet I hope they are all of them in the Book of Life And this small Treatise which is but a taste of some more that may follow in due time if the Lord please I do more especially Devote and Dedicate to the Use and Service of you all and yours not doubting that whither I live or die you will find out it or it will find out you by some providence or other I say I Dedicate it to you not for Patronage or Protection but for Debt for it is much due to you who have been my fellow helpers in the Gospel some of you for mâ—ny years And two things I have to say to you all and leave here upon record as the greatest testimony of my thankfulness love and care to and for you in the Lord. Namely First That you beware and take heed of of a loose conversation and that ye use not your liberty at any time or in any thing for an occasion to the Flesh or to the World For we are not debtors to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.12 13. And Jam. 4.4 Ye Adulterours and Adulteresses Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity against God Whosoever therefore will be the friend of the World is the enemy of God 1 John 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World 17. And the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof But he that doth the will of God abideth tfor ever The power of Christ's Death is within you therefore let your Old Man be crucified with Christ That henceforth ye may not serve Sin and let the World be crucified to you and you unto it otherwise you cannot glory truly in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature You cannot be alive with Christ through Union with him but you must be dead and die continually both to Sin and to the World Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Secondly That you shine as lights in the World and be as the Sons and Daughters of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Phil. 2.14 15 16. Do all things without murmurings and disputings That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the World Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain And our Lord hath said Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven If the time will come when ye shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of your Father Math 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Surely ye should shine as lights more in this State of imperfection and whilst you are in this World and thereby show you are not of it Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life and to enter in through the Gates of the the City 15. For without ar Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie To the Church or Congregation which is at Cambridge unto which I stand as a Pastor or Overseer in the Faith Fellowship and Order of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And to many others my Constant or Occasional hearers of whom I am perswaded such things as do accompany Salvation Blessed be God Dearly Beloved I Do greatly rejoyce in
no cessation but a continued service day anâ— night from one years end to another anâ— this for the space of 2000 years and upoâ— this account as they did so they suffered mucâ— from the Nations round about both near anâ— far off and that with much constancy noâ— shrinking nor turning away from the servicâ— of their God in times of greatest danger anâ— tribulation as the Histories of Ezra Nehemiah Daniel and the 11th of the Hebrewâ— do abundantly declare And yet they attained not to the Law of Righteousnss wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as were by the Works of the Law those words as it were are of great significancy shewing that in the nature and scope of their Sacrifices they were directed unto Christ and to seek Righteousness not by their own Works and in themselves but by Faith in Christ and this was their common Profession and Prophecies they had and promises of Salvation by the Messiah whom had they looked unto by Faith and sought Righteousness by Faith in him they had been safe But they sought it i. e. Righteousness not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the â—aw so that whilst they professed Christ â—nd Faith in him for Righteousness they closely and under-hand pursued their own Righteousness and rested in the Law and â—he Works thereof and so miscarried and this was their stumbling-stone under so bright a Profession as they made to the contrary Note That these things are mentioned and quoted out of Heb. 11.32 37. not to impeach or once to question the right Faith of those Worthies there mentioned or as if they obtained not the Righteousness of God for 't is said verse 39. These all obtained a good report through Faith but to shew what things were done and suffered by the body of that People for many hundred years and yet resting upon and trusting to their own Works and Righteousness by the Law they attained not unto the Righteousness of God i. e. the generality of them most of them through all those Generations as is expresly declared Rom. 9.31 32. For a Person or People may do much and suffer much and yet all in vain when by a fleshly mind resting upon these things as their own Righteousness they submit not themselves to the Righteousness of God which is the same that the Apostle taketh for granted 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. and which he also plainly declareth Gal. 5.2 3 4. and herein appealeth to themselves to be their own Judges Gal. 3.3 4. And God grant that it be not our stumbling-stone also under so great a Doctrinalâ— Faith and Profession of Justification by Faith and not by the Works of the Law that we may not secretly and under-hand closely pursue and go about to establish our own Righâ—teousness if not directly yet as it were by the Works of the Law And it is that whicâ— the Nature of Man is very prone and strongly inclined unto and therefore hath great need of caution and warning in this matter for God who is jealous of his Glory will search out this close Hypocrisie and punish this dissimulation in us as well as he did in them And this new and late covering which some have found out to hide their nakedness will not be sufficient for what doth it avail them to say that we are justified by Evangelical Righteousness when this Evangelical Righteousness as they call it is not Christ's but our own Righteousness our sincere but imperfect Obedience this is to blind our selves and mock God whilst we look one way and row another this is as it were by the Works of the Law to seek Righteousness and not by Faith And it were to be wished that these men who make their boast and talk so much of sincere Obedience under the notion of Evangelical Righteousness and thereby darken counsel by words without knowledge and confound the Doctrine of Justification with that of Inherent Grace and Sanctification would first shew sincerity in submitting themselves to the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Christ and as sincerely deny their own Righteousness in point of Justification And this would be a better evidence of their sincere Obedience to the Gospel of â—â—sus Christ than any they give without it â—e not deceived God is not mocked He that made the Eye shall not he see and he that made the Ear shall not he hear and he that formed the spirit of man within him shall not he understand and search out this Idol hid amongst the stuft as it were by the Works of the Law Turpe est Doctori quem culpa redarguit ipsum Now to back this caution and if it may be to fix it upon your spirits with the greater force I shall add three Arguments against this attempting or going about to establish your own Righteousness namely 1. This is certainly a vain and foolish attempt we may allude to Psal. 2.1 2. Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel togetheâ— against the Lord and against his Christ. There have been those who from the beâ—ginning of the World and in all Ages anâ— Generations thereof as they have had advantages have attempted by all Humane Forcâ— and Policy against the Lord and against hiâ— Christ to oppress and exclude his Gospel and Spiritual Kingdom among men in thiâ— World but they have not succeeded they have been still frustrated and disappointed therein For yet Christ sits as King upon his holy Hill of Zion and there he shall sit and Reign by his Word and Spirit maugre all opposition of Hell and Earth So that they have imagined a vain thing which they were never yet able to accomplish nor ever shall be So let me tell you from the sure Word of God that all such as have gone and do go about to establish their own Righteousness and not submit themselves to the Righteousness of God have imagined and do imagine but a vain thing which they shall never obtain For God hath said and will not repent that by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified And God is not as man that he should lye nor as the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not bring it to pass Numb 23.10 There have been those under the Old Testament that tried this attempt to the utmost but were miserably disappointed in the Issue Rom. 9.31 They attained not to the Law of Righteousness and shall any think to succeed better under the New Testament where the Light is more clear and the utter impossibility of this attempt so plainly declared that he that runs may read And what a foolish and absurd thing is it to attempt that which a man knoweth or may know before-hand he shall never be able to accomplish 2. This is also a sinful as well as a vain
〈◊〉 a second Adam of a more glorious Persoâ— to be brought forth in the Humane Naturâ— and of the Seed of the Woman or that thâ—â— could possibly ever be that a clean thing should be brought forth out of an unclean But behold here the Wisdom of God defeating the subtilty and the power of God defeating the malice and power of the Devil who had now got the Power of Death in his Hand as Heb. 2.14 had got the Keys of Hell and Death and had as he thought loâ—â— up Adam and all Mankind with him so fast â—ithin these Gates that none could come to â—eliver him but behold the second Adam Christ Jesus by the Power of God of the â—eed of the Woman holy harmless and â—eparate from sinners being conceived in the Womb of the Virgin and born of her withâ—ut sin according to the Promise made to Adam and now declared immediately after his fall Gen. 3.15 The Seed of the Woman shall bruise thy i. e. The Serpents Head And here as the Serpent had deceived the Woman and brought her first into the transgression so this old Serpent the Devil was deceived by the Woman of whose Seed by the Power of the highest is brought forth this second Adam this man Christ Jesus who is made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 to quicken or make alive that which was dead as ver 22. who also was not as the first Adam of the earth earthy and therefore easily overcome as he was but the Lord from Heaven as ver 47. and therefore able to raise up all his after his own Image to bear the Image of the Heavenly as ver 49. and to triumph over Death and Hell as ver 55 56 57. Oh Death where is thy Sting And thus the admirable Power of God was manifest in bringing forth such a person as Jesus Christ in the Humane Nature Jesus Christ the Righteous and the propitiation for our sins and our Advocate with the Father whose office and work it was to bring down this Righteousness of God from Heaven to us 2. Instance The Infinite and Eternal Power of God was also as much seen and manifested in Christ bearing our sins in this Humane Nature in his own Body on the Tree and first let us consider what a burden what a weight sin and the guilt of sin is when it is charged and laid upon the Conscience by the Power of God and this may be considered in the Angels that sinned Angels are greater in power than we as 2 Pet. 2.11 Angels that excel in strength or Psal. 103.20 Angels who are Spirits i. e. not flesh and blood as we are weak and feeble Angels that are not hay and stubble as we are but a flaming Fire Psalm 104 4 yet these high and mighty Angel these strong and powerful Angels that were naturally the first-born of Gods first or old Creation and the excellency of Creature strength when they had once sinned and God comes to charge them with Folly and lay the guilt and punishment of sin upon them how doth it sink and break all the Powers and Spirits of the Angelical Nature and casteth them down into the deepest darkness and despair and that from the highest light glory and confidence of their First and Heavenly state and presently cast them down from Heaven to Hell 2 Pet. 2.4 so unable were they each of them to bear the burden i. e. the guilt and punishment of their own Sin And 2. Let us consider sin in man and how unable man is to stand when God shall mark Iniquity as Psal. 130. 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand i. e. none shall or can stand no Nation or Kingdom no House or Family no Person under Heaven no not the Church or People of God can stand if God should mark Iniquity and punish Sin but with his Temporal Wrath and Judgments in this World there is none could possibly stand for who can stand when God is Angry And who knoweth the power of his Wrath The Sinners of the old World did know something of it but they could not stand before it it swept them all away with the Waters of a Flood And whither did it sweep them It swept them down to Hell 1 Pet. 3.19 The Spirits now in Prison and that Prison is the Prison of Hell Luke 16.23 And in Hell c. The Sinners also of Sodom and Gomorrah did know somewhat of this Wrath but they could not stand before it They could no longer as stout and hard hearted as they were bear up under this burden and weight of their own Sin for it brought a dreadful shower of Divine Vengeance upon them a Shower of Fire and Brimstone from the Lord out of Heaven by which they all perished as Gen. 19.24 25. Francis Spira also knew somewhat of this Wrath and Burden of his own Sin when God laid it upon his Conscience in the guilt and punishment due to it but he could not stand but went despairing out of this World and without any hope or comfort as to the next as to what did appear And it may be some of you here present and if you have not I am sure others have known something of this matter when God hath been angry but for a moment and hath laid sin in the guilt of it upon Conscience It made them sink immediately under utmost despair and bereaved them of all hope comfort and patience that had not Infinite Mercy stept in to their relief they had gone despairing down to Hell The damned Spirits in Hell know more of the Power of Gods anger and the weight and burden of Sin laid upon their awakened and terrified Consciences than any in this World have done or can do and their Torments are intollerable Luke 16.24 There the Worm dieth not and the Fire is not quenched They are for their sin a Sacrifice to Divine Wrath and they are salted with Fire and salted with Salt and so are eternally Roasting in the Fire of Hell Mar. 9.48 49. and yet they do not know all the Power of Gods Wrath nor feel all the tormenting Power of the Fire of Hell they feel much and fear more They suffer that which is intollerable and yet they fear what they have not yet felt but must further feel and suffer to all Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity Oh the Wrath of God that is not only eternal but infinite They know not the utmost they know not the end of it nor can know For that which is Infinite hath no bounds or limits and that which is Eternal hath no end Therefore last of all Now consider this second Adam the Man Christ Jesus who though he had no sin of his own to answer to God for for he did no sin nor was guile found in his Mouth Isa. 53.9 He knew no sin as 2 Cor. 5.21 yet he had the sin of the World i. e. Jew and Gentile laid upon him and did bear it in his
own Body on the Tree John 1.29 The Lamb of God which taketh away or beareth the sin of the World For he did take away sin by his bearing of it i. e. both the guilt of it and the punishment due to it for thus was the Iniquity and Sin of all God's Elect laid upon him Isa. 53.6 And Jehovah hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all Now therefore the Sin of the World being laid upon him to bear what an infinite burden and weight was it and how impossible for created strength whether Angelical or Humane to bear as hath been shewed And yet that this one man this second Adam should bear such an infinite weight as Sin and the Wrath of God due to sin is what a wonder of Divine Power was manifested therein The strength of Angels could not the strength of Man could not bear such a Burthen and Weight as ye have heard yet they had but their own sin charged upon them but here is a Man the Son of Man the Man Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that beareth and taketh away by bearing the Sin of the World oh admirable and wonderful Power of the God-head by which this man was inabled to bear such an infinite and eternal weight as Sin and the Wrath of God due to Sin is And therefore 't is said of him that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself to God for us Heb. 9.14 for nothing less than the Power of the Godhead it self could have enabled the humane nature to bear such an infinite Weight and Burthen as Sin is even the Sin of the whole World and the whole and compleat Wrath of God due unto it The Flesh or Humane Nature was but a Vail to his Godhead as Heb. 10.20 but the Eternal Power and Godhead within this Vail was that which enabled this second Adam this man to bear the Sin of many oh therefore behold with wonder and admiration the working of Divine Power in bringing forth such a Man into the World and also in strengthening this Flesh and Humane Nature to bear that which no Creature in Heaven or Earth could neither Angels nor Men. 3. Inst. But then again thirdly Consider the Infinite Power of God and the Energy or working of it in the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead And this also was necessary in order to and for the manifestation and declaring this Righteousness of God for our Justification which Righteousness though it was wrought by what this Man thâ—â— Jesus Christ had done and suffered in his Life and Death in obedience to the Law under which he was made yet this compleat perfect and everlasting Righteousness of his as our Head and Surety did not fully appear nor was manifested until his Resurrection from the Dead when he was visibly discharg'd out of the Prison of the Grave and could no longer be holden of Death having satisfied Divine Justice to the utmost demand upon him for our sins and having paid the full Price of our Redemption and therefore now by his Resurrection from the Dead he is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness or by the power of the Holy Spirit which raised him from the Dead as Rom. 1.4 and Rom. 8. v. 11. By this Resurrection of his from the Dead he was justified as our Head 1 Tim. 3. v. 16. justified in the Spirit i. e. in or by the power of the Spirit or Godhead dwelling in the Humane Nature and by his Resurrection from the Dead we i. e. all that believe and are in him by Faith were vertually justified in him and together with him as our spiritual Head so that all Gods Elect were vertually justified by his Resurrection and therefore Rom. 4 ult he is said to be delivered i. e. by Death for our Offences and to be raised again for our Justification Now consider what a manifestation there was of the mighty Power of God in the raising of this Man from the Dead unto which he was delivered for our Offences See how the Apostle doth set it out Ephes. 1.19 20. According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought iâ— Christ when he raised him from the dead Here is Power his Power his mighty Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the energy or working of this his mighty Power so that the mighty Power of God did work and shew it self at a wonderful rate when he raised him i. e. Christ from the Dead And indeed the Power of God was more seen in the raising of Christ from the Dead than in raising all the Men in the World besides for no Man ever had the sin of the World in the guilt and punishment of it laid upon him but this Man Christ Jesus And by vertue of this Resurrection of his all the Elect the general Assembly and Church of the first-born shall also be raised unto the Resurrection of Life at the great day as 1 Cor. 15.22 23. Therefore the Power of God and the energy or working of it is greater and more glorious in Christs Resurrection than in raising all the Men in the World besides 4 Inst. But then 4thly What a working of the mighty Power of God was manifested in Christs Exaltation and the setting of this second Adam this Man down at the right hand of God in the heavenly places And this also was necessary as a Reward of hiâ— Death and Sufferings of that Obediencâ— which he performed to the Law for us and that Righteousness which he brought in to us as Phil. 2.9 having before spoken of his Humiliation and Obedience v. 6 7 8. Who being in the form of God c. Addeth v. 9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth things under the Earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father Now this Exaltation of Christ was the Reward of his Righteousness even his with which the Father was so well pleased as Isa. 42.21 And thereby is this Righteousness visibly declared and manifested in the sight of Angels and Men being crowned and in the most solemn manner declared at his inauguration or being received up into glory which was the ultimate and finishing Testimony and Witness from the Father that he is righteous and as such and upon that account he sits in Heaven as 1 Joh. 2.1 We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and Joh. 16.10 Of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more So that Christs going to the Father and sitting down in the heavenly places so as to abide there in a perpetual Advocateship and as Intercessor for us with the Father is the highest evidence and demonstration of this Righteousness beyond all contradiction and therefore upon this Argument 't is said the Holy Ghost