Apostle further adds as useful for our direction herein in that sixth of the Ephesians viz. 6. Take unto you also the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God To the Law and to the Testament that that speaks not according to that word hath no morning light in it Isai 8.20 there 's no divine Truth in it That will discover and drive back all assailants The VVord of God that 's the immortal seed that the Believer is born of and this is he still to covet after that he may grow by it This David his in his heart that he might not sin against God and indeed that 's the best preservative from sin and direction in Righteousness when it s so hidden This is the Truth and discovers the true Righteousness of God is preached in and declares the Gospel is the Mother and Nurse of right Faith the word of Faith and of Salvation yea this is a Lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our paths In this the Spirit worketh and in the belief thereof preserveth the soul unto eternal life yea this is Spirit and Life as its full of divine and living operations unto Faith But what is this VVord of God I Answer in one sense Christ himself is the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word or Reason that was in the beginning with God and by which all things were made of God the essential Word or Word of power and Wisdom of God which also was made flesh and dwelt amongst us And it s no doubt but with this Word the Spirit fights as he doth glorifie and lift him up but that 's not done but by the Word in another sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's the Word there in Ephes 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word spoken the declaration of the Mind and Truth of God that which God hath uttered by the mouth of Christ and of All his holy Prophets and Apostles this Word as it was originally from and by the Spirit so is that the Sword that he leads his to make use of and by which he driveth back the subtile and violent adversaries of our souls and defends us that believe and believingly make use of it in the Spirit Take to you selves then this Word of God this Sword of the Spirit believe it mind it meditate on it cleave to it bring all Motions Doctrines and Practises to the Light of it let it dwell richly in you in all wisdom it will teach and admonish you it will shew you the right way and how to behave your selves in every condition it will admonish you of the danger that is in by-wayes and in temptations so that it be I say hid in your hearts and dwell there so as that you know love believe understand and mind it in what it speaketh as it was in the heart of the Lord Jesus being so kept it will keep you instruct teach and guide you aright for his words do good to the upright-hearted Mic. 2.7 that believe and obey them in sincerity And indeed this as Cha. 3. Sect. 6. was before hinted is worthy to be minded that that 's the acceptable and right believing which purely and singly closeth with God and Christ not for or according to our sensible experiments and feelings so much as for and according to the Soveraign authority of God and his infallible and most pure sayings that believes the Word though it see not any probability as to Sense or Reason of the things there declared That Faith that 's built upon Sense as we have shewed alters and varies often according to the alterations in sense as we shewed in the Israelites who so long as some great work was in their eye and some satisfaction apprehended in their sense believed the VVord and sang his Praise but when those great things were withdrawn and danger and death surrounded them they distrusted murmured and rebelled the Word of God was of no account or force with them because it was not the bottom of their faith nor abode in them So fares it now also with many souls that receive the Word as the stony ground doth the Seed with joy for a time so long as there is no trial but all seems to go along with and demonstrate the thing that is spoken to and believed by them but when such sensible feelings or satisfactions to Reason fail and trials come then in a day of temptation they fall away they wither in a year of drought as it were not having moisture enough from the Word within to cause them to abide in a patient waiting upon God for his gratious returns to them the Gospel of Peace hath not prepared them for a long travel or trial because not heartily and throughly received and cleaved to by them in the love of it nor well digested in them therefore they have no patience but fall to murmuring repining and inordinate lusting after sensible feelings of comfort and God deferring them they either run back to the world again resolving to have its consolations rather then none or else if any Doctrine or Spirit under pretence of Gods come unto them and promise them feedom from such sad conditions and long waitings though it be from Satan and lead them quite from the faith of Jesus to some strong delusion they embrace and run after it to their own destruction preferring sensible feelings and flashes of joy and comfort and raptures c. though from false and failing delusions of Satan withdrawing them from the VVord before a patient hoping in a dark exercised condition in the VVord for its unspeakable and eternal consolations Surely from this sometimes souls are misled and given over to believe or rejoyce in a lye as if they were now at prefect freedom and as fully possessed of heaven as ever any shall be had attained the Resurrection already as much as any shall or can attain to yea were Godhead with God and made parts of his indivisible Essence Satan mounting them up aloft and causing them to speak great swelling words of vanity and shine as Comets to the admiration of others he transforming himself into an Angel of light and perswading them it is the true Light that they see and glory in though in the issue they go out in darkness and have the blackness of it reserved for them whereas on the other side where the Word of God is in the heart and the meditation thereon day and night and the hope in the Lord Jehovah there-through and according thereto it will preserve and perfect that man to the inheritance being the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes Acts 20.32 a pure infallible and sure Word that will not fail or deceive any Happy is he that though he see not or prove little or nothing in his own sense yet believeth according to what is said in that that will give comfort strength greenness growth fruitfulness and preserve the
which do but manifest that while men have copied out these sacred writings they have sometimes either through heedlesness or through difficulty of right discerning or reading some word overslipt or altered some particles or words sometimes setting down some other of a like or neer signification agreeable to the sense and scope of the Text and sometimes perhaps something being noted in the margin by way of conference of like places in the several Evangelists some word or saying hath thence been afterward looked upon as pertaining to the Text and hath been by others inserted thereinto for so sometimes some word or sentence in some copies inserted in some History in Matthew or Mark more then other copies have is found in the same History in Luke or John by consent of all copies And this is clear that there is nothing of faith about which there are diversities of readings but what other places in which all copies agree will guide us to discern what is consonant to truth of them and which of them is corrupted and doth disagree nor any passage of weight in our received copies out of which our Bibles are translated which other places in which all copies agree will not confirm as in that most weighty place about which there are divers readings 1 Joh. 5.7 there are three that bear record in Heaven c. which some copies have not but most have the Scripture else where attests it to be according to truth for we have the same there in Joh. 1.1.33 clearly spoken of and all agreeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one as some read it and again in Mat. 29.19 with divers other places which there is no difference or variety of reading in Nay we find the Holy Ghost sometimes varying a word in the Scripture and while the same truth is held forth though with some variety of expression it s still divine truth and not for that variety in expression to be rejected as where Moses said Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and shalt serve him our Saviour repeats it against Satan thus thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve which being both the sense of that place and the scope of divers other Scriptures it was no untruth to say it was so written this objection then is only a frivolous rub put in the way not to be regarded these varieties of readings being found either in matters not essentiall to the faith or if in such yet then they are either so small that they no way alter the truth propounded or are in other places cleared and the right reading attested I know some object against the translating of them that we have them not in their proper language and there is great difference in translations and one Minister corrects one place and another another c. A sorry objection too for 1. we have them in their Originall languages though all understand them not there 2. That languages or words are signarerum the expressions of things and not the things themselves expressed and that the alteration of the sound or name of a thing in severall languages alters not the thing so differently named is clear and that interpretation is needfull in languages not understood to make them understandible is as evident and that there are certain Idioms and properties of speech in every language which are scarce so fully to be expressed in other languages as in their own is confest too by all that understand languages besides that there is variety of signification of some words in most especially the Hebrew and Greek languages which sometimes render sentences somewhat dubious as well in the Original as to the translators and sometime one translator takes a word in one signification sometimes in another which are not cases often obvious but that the scope of the place matter evidence what the use of the word there is though sometimes it doth not so clearly but that there may be diversity of conceptions about it yet this being usually in things less essential to the faith no divine truth essentiall to our beleeving in God and walking aright with him is thereby left uncertain only some instruction or relation of things for our learning and further helpfulness or consolation in the things otherwhere many times more clearly and without all doubt asserted is not so fully made out in some translations as in others which doth but shew an usefulness in giving diligence to understand and make out the properties of the Originall languages by men of learning not at all that we are to slight the divine truths made out to us by the good hand of God upon those who have done their endeavours herein by translating them for us especially seeing we have almost generally left to us in the margin of some editions the diversity of the significations in which such dubious places may be taken that we might consider them both and take either of them as God shall present instructions to us from them and yet the rather too seeing the great mysteries of God and Jesus Christ are in clear and undoubted expressions in all translations amongst us so unanimously represented as that nothing but sloth or unbelief or wickedness can be the hinderance of our attaining to so much of them as may lead us to and preserve us in the way of salvation But yet neither is this all there is yet another wile of Satan that prevails much with many viz. that the Scriptures have another meaning then what the words import a spirituall mystical or Allegorical sense which is the true sense and therefore they are not indeed to be rejected but studied yet not to stick to the literal expression but to find out the spiritual that is the allegorical sense and this comes most up to the old Serpent who did not at the first say God never said ye shall not eat but hath God indeed said or in saying said ye shall not eat c. as if he should say though them words ye heard yet do you think that was the meaning of them there was some other thing in that saying then you think of and not that which the words seem to import this is a very specious temptation and takes with many and the other forementioned are often made of use to usher in this In answering which this I shall say that 1. All Scripture in one sense hath a spirituall sense as by spirituall sense we mean the sense of the Spirit or that the Spirit holds forth but then that is most usually no other but what the words hold forth and express as there is one god one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all the sense of the Spirit in that is as is exprest in th◠words and so usually in other places 2. Many Scriptures are indeed parabolically and figuratively exprest and there the Spirit had a further aime then at what the letter of
attain them He hath promised tâ— give his Angels charge over me and they shaâ—… keep me that I get no harm therefore I wiâ—… not be tyed up any longer to such and such means to use them though God afford them let other cry I am of Paul and I am of Apollo I wiâ—… neither regard one nor the other I will onâ—… immediately betake my self to Christ Scriptures exhortations prayer ordinances are fit for novices and such as have not so greâ—… attainments as I have I have no need of theâ— nor of any Brethren in such wayes I wiâ—… hear whom I please let them be what they wiâ—… and say what they will they cannot harm me for â—o I am a child of God and God is ingageâ— to preserved me thus this subtile serpent buzzâ—… into the members as well as he did into thâ— head hurtfull conceptions which many drinâ— down the more fearlesly because they sâ—em to bâ— the workings of faith and confidence in them and think fear too low a thing for them noâ— considering what the Holy Ghost hath said thaâ— the wise man feareth and departeth from evil bâ—… the fool is confident and rageth Prov. 14.16 〈◊〉 passeth on those that think themselves to stanâ— and to be of the stronger part and to have reached to high attainments are oftentimes here snared And what 's the issue of these but neglecting yea contemning Gods appointed way of preservation some venture upon evil Companies and fall into horrid wickedness and scandalous courses some sleight the Scriptures despise their brethren follow their fancies for having turned the back upon Gods way Satan as an Angel of Light meets with them and perswades them he is the Angel of God sent to bear them up from falling and having gotten the credit of a good Teacher leads many of them to think the Gospel of Christ an empty low Doctrine Christ a fleshly Christ the Doctrine of the Resurrection and of his personal appearance meet deceits yea rushes them into all the heighth and strength of delusion that whereas they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved they might be overwhelmed in unrighteous delusions till they be damned 2 Thes 2.10.11 being cheated with tempting God in stead of trusting him and separating the Promises of God from the way of God being herein also strengthened through some mistakes of some men that preach the absoluteness of Gods Covenant and the inâ—allibility of salvation and mind not rightly to whom such doctrines appertain viz. to those that with honest hearts believe and have the Word of God so mixed with faith in them that they are thereby kept from such presumption in 〈◊〉 awful fear of trusting themselves or departing from Gods way thence also the subtile dâ—vil lef out that word in all thy wayes the wâ—… that he suggested being none of the wayes thâ—… God prescribed to him Saints whoever you are take heed of this deceit separate not Gods Promises from his wayeâ— and prescriptions The Jews had a promise 〈◊〉 entring into Canaan but they understood nâ—… Gods Language but erred in their hearts anâ— therefore they not walking in his way of faith they entred not into his rest Believe not ever spirit no though it come with pretence 〈◊〉 Scripture and lead to confidence and bold feaâ— lesness and to a certain floating joy as assureâ— of your happiness if it lead to neglect Godâ— wayes and draw from his Commandment know there is something of Satan in it thougâ— the thing held forth may happily be true yâ—… then there is as so used a perverting Truth to 〈◊〉 wrong end Marke that of David Psal 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Separate not thoâ— two in the way of the Lord is strength and in hâ—… fear is sure confidence but though God shoulâ— say unto thee thou shalt surely live yet if thoâ— beest drawn to trust in thine own righteousnesâ— and commit iniquity all thy righteousness shall not be remembred but in the iniquity that thoâ— committest thou shalt die for the mouth of thâ— Lord hath spoken it Ezeck 33.13 He only is in a sure standing that hath the Word of God so abiding in him that it keeps him from presuming to depart from him Take heed of Satan in this temptation As the common people use to say He may alwayes be discerned when he appears in a humane shape by his cloven foot so it s true in this matter in the foot the issue and tendency of his temptation he may ever be discerned if thou hast the Word and Spirit of Wisdom to guide thee in it he ever comes to divide from God even while he tempts to lean upon him his temptation tends to separation from him to leave his way and yet expect his Promise made to those that walk in his way so he prevailed with the ancient Jews Mica 3.10.11 When they built up Sion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity yet they would lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evil can come upon us Take heed yet again I say of this spiritual wickedness in heavenly things If a Spirit should come with a great deal of light and force whisper to thee that thou must cease from man and in this perswade thee not only not to build thy faith upon the parts wisdom holiness of this or that or any man but also not to attend to the Gospel ministred by men because they that minister it are men but neglecting such Ministration to waite only upon Christ immediatly or to put no difference between men preaching the Truth or Error much more to take thee off thy confidence from the man Christ who is appointed to be the hiding place for men know its a delusion the Word oâ— God in the mouth of Satan because in these endâ— and intimations its contrary to the Word oâ— God for God hath both appointed the Maâ— Christ Jesus to be our Mediator and to be ouâ— way unto the Father and men also to be instruments of proclaiming his Truth and as member of Christ and partakers of his spiritual riches tâ— help forward the growth of one another anâ— so they are to be owned and acknowledged iâ— love as helpers of our joy though not as masteâ— of our faith and God is to be attended upon iâ— the ministration of their gifts And so if thâ—… come to thee Ye need not that any teach you 〈◊〉 as that Vnction teacheth you with this intimaâ—…on in the foot of it that ye need not any furthâ—… exhortation or watching over by any brethreâ— or you need no information out of the Scriptures because that Unction ye have receiveâ— shall teach you all things without those mediumâ— and so that come to divide you from Brethrâ—… and Fellowship in the Gospel and its Ordinancâ— in which ye have met with him Know its stâ—… the tempter bidding thee throw thy self dowâ—
them and bought them and that he willingly condescended to out of his love to them but now these crucifie him again to themselves and put him to more grief as it were by their wicked and wilful departings from him and so in the most hainous sort ill requite and deny him Nay they are said to trample him under foot and count the pretious bloud of the Covenant by which they Were sanctified a common thing and to do despite to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.2.9 That bloud that was the bloud of God pretious bloud not to be reckoned amongst corruptible things as silver and gold Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 1.18,19 that they account as prophane or common ordinary blood nothing better then the bloud and sufferings of an ordinary man and whatever the Spirit speaks therethrough they despightfully and reproachfully blaspheam so great is their sin and he tells us their punishment is like to equalize it for they in so sinning put themselves besides the benefit of Christs sacrifice there remains no longer any sacrifice for them that can make in their behalf any expiation Heb. 10.26 thy have neither Father nor Son to be their protection or to afford any safety to them 2 Joh 9. Whatever they may dream of taking Satan for their glorious God and King and his delusions for lighâ— and consolation and however they may boaâ—… of God yet God they have not he is no way ingaged by any Covenant or Promise now tâ— them they having trod Christ under foot anâ— wickedly departed from his bloud and from hiâ— Doctrine they bring upon themselves swift distraction 2 Pet. 2.1 and the very blackness of darkness is reserved for them for ever Jude 12. though now they talk of greater light and Satan make them as Wandring Comets Jude 13. having 〈◊〉 fixed abiding station in the Son of God nor filled with the divine beams of his Light yet they must go out in darkness yea into the blackness of it the most horrid darkness the worst and depth of misery must be their portion this is the end and will be the issue of their delusion thither tend the steps of this whorish woman or spirit of error her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead Pro. 2.20 Yea the dead are there and her guests are in the depth of hell Pre. 9.18 I will not here run into any curious search oâ— discourse about hell what it is it is sufficient to know that it is and will be a state of unspeakable horror torment misery and confusion in which men shall partake with the wicked one and his Angels in the weight heaviness and everlastingness of their destruction in the depth of which the Spirit of God â—ells us are the guests of the foolish woman the spirit of Error opposed to the Spirit of Truth called Wisdom I will not say nor do I think that all have been â—…ibling at these baits of Satan and parlying with him in these temptations nor that all that have through weakness been overtaken and catched in some degree of them are irrecoverably gone into this condition no some such may be pulled either by compassion or by fear and dread as brands out of the sire Jude 22,23 and God may be merciful unto them because they did it in weakness and through violence of temptation but all that willingly yield up themselves hereunto and persist therein till they be one with Satan and his Instruments are like to partake with them in the blackness of their portion and to have their latter end Worse then their beginning 2 Pet. 2.20,21 Sect. 8. Who are in danger to be snared herewith and by What steps THere are divers sorts of people in more speciall danger to be snared with these deceits and they that are snared are carried to the heigth of it by divers steps worthy our noting It s good indeed for every one to be cautelous and not secure yet there are some in greater danger then others and that are more usually taken in it In general all such as have not thâ— Word of God abiding in them or so rooted and deeply entred with understanding intâ— them as to dwell in and keep them through temptations as is noted Matth 13.19 such 〈◊〉 the Word had not root in fall away in a time 〈◊〉 temptation for indeed it s the power of Goâ— that keeps men and that keeps us by Faith aâ—… Faith is not but of the Word of God so thâ—… letting go the VVord is the departing frâ—… Faith and the departing from that is the beiâ—… loosed from that saving Power of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God Now all they in whose hearts the VVorâ— hath but a little superficial place their hearts being stony so as they give not through and intiâ—… credit to it are soon loosed from it and so 〈◊〉 great danger of falling and this Peter implieâ— 2 Pet. 3.16 when he saith They that are unlearned and unstable unlearned he means not 〈◊〉 Arts Sciences and Languages which suffice noâ— to this business but that are but smatterers dâ—… of hearing not of understanding in the Mysteriâ—… of God or in the Word of his Truth and whoâ—… hearts are unstable and unsetled not throughâ— perswaded but halting between two opinionâ— easily blown away and removed these wâ—… the Scriptures to their own destruction and fiâ— away into the error of the wicked and so inâ—… perdition More particularly 1. Such as are slothful in the VVord of Goâ— that cry not for wisdom that give not diligent â— eed to understanding that follow not after God with earnestness but neglect that great â—alvation set before them and of which they have â—ad some views and nigh drawings to them such â—s take not up well pleasedness in Jesus Christ â—hat way of Gods appointing nor have pleasure 〈◊〉 the Truth Knowledge is not sweet unto â—hem and so not heartily cleaved to by them â—or fruitful in them they receive the Grace of God in vain in that regard rest in the form â—nd in some illuminations and tasts but give not â—iligence to atrain the power of it they add â—ot in their Faith Vertue force or efficacy and 〈◊〉 that Knowledge or a further growing up into â—he Knowledge of Christ and his Truth and to â—hat Temperance and sobriety c. but abiding â—arren and unfruitful in that Knowledge and â—rofession of Christ that they have in a time of â—emptation they fall off and wither are lopt off from the Vine and men gather them into their â—ocieties and perverse wayes and doctrines strong delusions take with them that they might be damned that had pleasure in unrighteousness and not in the Truth the righteous Truth of God that they might be saved 2. Such as believe not upon the VVord and its faithfulness but upon their sensible feelings and visits whose faith is built upon sense more then upon the Authority and Power of Gods Word thus the Israelites of old who had maâ—… sensible experiences of Gods
beginning concerning your estate as in Christ and therein minde what incouragements there are prepared and given us to keep on still our way not letting our hands hang down or our hearts fail us It s true the warfare is sharp the enemies many cruell powerfull subtile and we in our selves but as grashoppers in compare of them yet Rebel not we against the Lord our God who hath out of Egypt the darkness of this world called us hath led us through a Sea of wrath and tryals and hitherto conducted us and given to some of us of the first fruits of the Land to taste on look unto Jesus the Author or leader in and finisher of our faith and then behold there are yet more with us in this our pilgrimage then there are aguinst us the shout of a King is amongst us and Greater is he that is in and among us then He that is in the world against us There we have the Lord God for a Sun and shield and He will give grace and favour to support strengthen and guide us and glory to reward and crown us and no good thing if we walk uprightly before him will he withhold from us Psal 84.11 He hath said He will stand by us and be shield and buckler to us he will watch his vineyard to defend and keep it by day and by night Isa 27.2,3 Therefore fear we not only follow after him and he will order all well for us and shew us his goodness and salvation Only Rebell not we against the Lord nor willingly withdraw our selves from him and he will secure us Be strong in his might and power which he gives unto us in Christ and we shall not need to fear what flesh can do unto us or what principallities and powers can do against us For if God be for us as he is who shall be against us Rom. 8.31 Provoke we not him against us by departing from him through an unbelieving heart and then his alone presence with us will drive out our adversaries before us and bring us to the possession of our heavenly inheritance even of all the blessing to which he hath called us we have in Christ as well provision for our way as possession at our journeys end It is God that justifies us in him and owns us as his Saints who is it then that shall lay any thing against us Rom. 8.33 Who is he that condemneth us in comparison of him that takes part with us to clear us what are our own corruptions within us and Satan and all the world against us to oppose us so long as God is on our side to uphold us There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and 7.20,21,23 Though Sin dwell in them and often carry them captive to what they would not and impede and hinder them in the good they would so long as they sow not to that Sin yield not up themselves to the flesh to walk after it but after the Spirit Christ that hath died and rose again is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for them for help and succour yea he is mediating the new Testament for them that they might not fail of the promised inheritance Heb. 9.15 In the strength of God then and of his Love in Christ Jesus already testified to us let us go on in his way putting his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his whole Armor upon us so shall we be able to stand against the brunt of these temptations and get victory over all that do encounter us God hath not called us to this warfare at our own charges he will maintain us nor sends he us naked against so potent powers or leaves us to our weakness to provide our selves weapons to defend us His Name shall be Protection to us In Christ he hath therein also compleated us only put we on what he hath prepared for us and in his preparation we shall find sure strength and victory and none shall harm us It was a great evil in Ephraim that being harnassed they turned their backs in the day of battel Psal 78. having Gods Promises to them and Presence with them for their safety yet not to cloath themselves with such salvation not to go on in so good harness to the portion given them O let it not be any of our follies as it would be so much the greater in us by how much we are the better accomplished after the same example to be foyled and baffled out from the promised Rest which yet remains for us and by believing shall be possessed by us Sect. 2. Of the Spiritual Armour Ephes 6. THat we might be induced not to desist but go on vigorously against our spiritual enemies I shall briefly propound the consideration of the Armor of Light and Righteousness that God hath made ready for us in Christ in putting on and resisting in which no evil shall reach us the Apostle hath laid down the several peices of it to our hands with an exhortation to make use of them Ephes 6.13 Put on therefore the whole armor of God the girdle of Truth thâ— Breast-plate of Righteousness c. 1. The girdle of Truth Let the Truth of God cleave close unto us as girdle about our loynâ— let not it or what it brings unto us to gird up the loyns of our minds and to make our hearâ— true sincere and upright be neglected by us Drink we in the love of it that we may delighâ— in it and it may strengthen and preserve us where the Truth of God is slighted and noâ— prized men will easily part with it and imbraâ—… error though they perish for it yea God aâ— hath been noted often punisheth the not receiveing in the lone of the Truth so as to be saved by is with giving them up to strong delusions that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.10,11 The Hypocritâ— in heart will surely be snared that very secreâ— evil that makes him not down-right for thâ— Truth will betray him to Satan and delusioâ— when he presents baits suitable to it Buy thâ— Truth therefore and sell it not Prov. 23.23 whâ—… we see once to be truth that keep fast and it will keep us Let it be in our inward parts and it will preserve us The Spirit of truth will insinuate it self into us and lead us into all Truth and Error and Delusion shall have no power over us He will present that in the truth even in Christ truly declared to us that will tie and binde us up unto God and set us free from the power of Satan and his seducements and that 's freedom indeed put we away guil and hypocrisy then that we may the more earnestly covet after and drink in the Word of Truth the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow therein The promise of defence is to the upright-hearted that inwardly and sincerely love the Truth yea the Truth it self shall be their defence we cannot defend
of following after Christ remember Gods salvation look to Christ himself the Author and finisher of your faith appointed of the Father to be his salvation to the ends of the earth He himself is complete armour girdle brest-plate shoes shield helmet c. Truth Righteousness Peace Salvation Heart peece and Head-peece too fit to guard the mind as well as the conscience Remember his love and what therein he hath done for you what contradictions of sinners what fights and temptations what tryals and agonies he passed through before he entred into his glory all which he endured for us that overcoming the world sin Death Devil and hell he might give us the victory over them and we might be encouraged to lean upon him remembring that he was raised again the thirâ— day from the dead 2 Tim. 2.8 for full and glorious deliverance from them Let the Salvation wrought by him for us both in his Death and Resurrection and in Gods gracious calling us out of Egyptian darkness delivering us from our fears and bondage into his light and conduct be minded by us so shall our faith be strengthened and our hearts quickned up to a more lively hope of his further saving us both by way of preservation here from the evil of temptations and full and finall freedom from them hereafter to the full possession of eternall happiness Consider what a great salvation what an exceeding g glorious reward is promised to us in Christ as the upshot of our conquest what joy what satisfaction what conformity to Christ in soul and body what an infinite portion and inheritance when we have finished our course and fought the good fight of faith the righteous Judge will give unto us in the day of his appearance to be like him to see as we are seen to reign upon the earth to be with him on his throne in his glory joy and felicity a glory that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive yea though we have the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the first fruits given us so are helped in some measure to apprehend the riches of that glory yet it appears not what we shal be nor can it be fully here comprehended by us The lively hope of this if it abide remain in us will be as an helmet and defence unto us it wil make us lift up our heads with boldness and not fear to pass through sufferings and difficulties it will preserve us also from the temptations to worldliness and to the worshipping of Satan in the Beast and from those too that lead to distrust and desperatness If by any means we should be corrupted from this hope and be drawn to think there is no other life but this present no greater happiness and perfection then is here attained no other heaven but our present injoyment that when this life is done all is done with us or all shall be alike to all the Spirit shall return to God as every other mans and the body to the dust there to be consumed and from thence never more to be raised we must needs then stagger and be dazzeled yea quite knockt off from our cleaving unto Christ such are in the snare of Satan already and will be overthrown by it If the hope of the resurrection and following glory be let go a man will be unstable and not regard the work of the Lord forasmuch as he will judge it in vain and profitless yea if the hope of Salvation be neglected and parted with by us any other way that we walk not in it or that it be as a thing disregarded by us if we fear that God will not assist and help us in what he leads us to meet with nor save us by his power from the evils set before us our hands wil hang down and our heads also and our hearts will fail us and we shall rather as the Israelites of old talk of going back again to the world or sit us down in a sullen desperate neglect of our selves and of God then hold on our resolution to go forward in the call of God and in the way in which he would lead us Hold fast then your hope in God that good hope begot in you through the knowledge of his grace both of preservation here and full deliverance in Gods season and it will be to you a Helmet of salvation Sect. 3. Of the Word of God BUt to all this it might be demanded ay but where is that truth to be met with with which we are to be girt and where shall we be instructed into that righteousness that will afford such comfort to us and be as a brestplate on our hearts to keep us what or where is that Gospel of peace in which such furniture and firmness is to be had as will prepare us for these spirituall incounters what is the rule of our faith and according to what should our hope be acted that they may be a shield and Helmet to us Every man will tell us that what he says to us is the truth to be beleeved by us that in cleaving to it we shall do righteousness they that slight the doctrines of the death and Resurrection of Christ as but low and carnall instructions will also tell us that they have the everlasting Gospel to Preach to us which indeed will satisfie us and giâ—… us peace and so will best of all shoo and prepare us for our walkings they will say that 's Faith to believe what they tell us and some that Faith is but a low thing and we must be beyond it yea they that tell us thus give us hopes of greater things here then you propound to us to be here as perfect as ever and to have our full happiness how shall we then discern our way in these matters Answ To this seeing I speak to Saints the Answer is not difficult for they that are such indeed do in some measure know the Truth and are born of it do know the Righteousness of God and have believed in it have been begotten by the Gospel of Peace and quickned by it have faith in God and Christ and the hope of salvation through it And the Exhortation is to hold fast and put on what they have already known and met with that Truth that hath begun to free them that Righteousness of God in which he hath justified them that Gospel that hath begotten them that Faith there through wrought in them that hope of salvation that is therein set before them only because they that are weak in a day of temptation are oftentimes through the cunning and policy of Satan to be misled that they call in question what they have known and met with and that 's one main work of Satan to lead to question them either by presenting other things as more specious or the same but corrupted therefore it s needful that we mind what the
soul in patience to everlasting happiness and the fruits that spring up in the soul from that are very good and acceptable Thus Abraham believed and saw not and his faith grounded on the Word was stedfast the sensible deadness of his own body and decay of natural strength nor the known and proved barrenness of Sarahs womb caused him not to stagger but the Word wrought effectually in him to keep him in a patient waiting upon God for the accomplishment of the thing that was spoken and accordingly when he had patiently waited he received the Promise Heb 6.15 the first fruits or some particulars in it for he died in Faith not having received much of it Heb. 11.13 in a better way then Sarahs hasty counsel of turning in to Hagar could have brought about The Word of God the Gospel of the Kingdom being received in a good single honest heart brings forth fruit with patience perswades the heart to waite upon God in his way keeps it from carefulness in a year of drought when sense is not satisfied by more flowing feelings of consolation from the pourings out of Spirit but as faith comforteth in looking to the Word and yet it leads the heart to long and thirst after those flowing consolations promised in the Word in the way of the VVord the desires after which and rejoycing in the injoyments of which I would not be mistook as if I dasht against them or at all faulted It were better for me that my right hand should be withered then write a word to take the heart off from pressing after them in the way of believing but onely from the botoming our faith upon the sensible feelings of them and not upon the VVord that leads to wait for them in Gods way and firms the soul against hast-making and against the ready listening to other doctrines promising greater liberty and freedom or otherwise then the VVord of God declares to us or can there be found for our instruction Take you therefore heed beloved to the VVord of God to believe what he hath said by the mouth of all his holy Apostles and Prophets meditate ye in his Law night and day and try the doctrines yea and the Spirits too that come unto you by their consonancy with those divine sayings and count accursed what swerveth or leadeth you therefrom from or besides the Gospel Gal. 1.8.9 I mean as declared therein so shall you be able to quit your selves as men defending your selves against and driving back from you Satan and his instruments in their Temptations Sect. 4. Of the Scriptures I Know some will grant all this and yet undermine all again by this saying Ay but what is this VVord of God and where to be found Is not Christ the VVord and what he says in and by his and so he being in us speakes to us and what we say he says by us and it s his Word and to be heeded by men And thus even those that come to deceive will put that title upon their own conceptions and sayings and so catch and cheat men For avoiding which snare we are to Know further That as Christ is the VVord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so of him properly and as in his own person merely considered the Apostle here speaks not but of that that declares and unfolds him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indeed that that God hath spoken by the mouth of his Servants which that none might cheat us he hath ordered and caused to be also written and recorded so much as his wisdom hath seen meet and sufficient for our helpfulness in the holy Scriptures which ceaseth not to be his VVord because written down but becomes of greater usefulness to us for whose sakes they were so written though the letters and syllables as written are but humane instruments of makeing over what was by God spoken yet those divine verities the Oracles of God by and in those mediums made over and recorded are in themselves spiritual and full of divine operations abstractedly taken from the visible Characters or outward sound which are only mediums of conveying them unto men By these then heeded and minded shall you see what is Truth viz. that that agreeth with and is contained in these divine Revelations as also what is the righteousness to be put on and walked in what the Gospel of Peace and its preparation for that Gospel is there recorded as in 1 Cor. 15.3 That Christ died for our sins was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and the publishing of repentance and remission of sins in his Name amongst all Nations c. Luke 24.47 that also is the right and lasting faith that is grounded upon Christ and God in him according to the Scripture declaration of him to that the Promise is made as in Joh. 7.37,38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters as also therein witness is born to the salvation to be hoped for By this VVord of God so written and recorded did Jesus Christ himself in the days of his flesh and of his temptations beat back Satan saying It is written thus and thus shewing us that while we cleave in faith and obedience to that that 's written in the Scriptures of Truth we shall not be overcome of Satan Beware ye then of those that impugn the authority of them and by crafty jugling insinuations indeavour to draw you to a slight esteem of them and to take you off from giving heed to them and so to God and his VVord in them Know that they are the Scriptures of Truth a sure VVord yea more sure and safe for you to look to then any dreams visions or sights be they what they will that any shall suggest to you The Apostle Peter preferred them before his own Vision of the glory of Christ and his hearing of the lively Voyce that came from God to Christ for others faith in him 2 Pet. 1.16,19 And our Saviour instructs us that God would have us mind them and not wander in our desires after other things to bottom our faith on as miracles c. and tells us that they that will not believe them will not believe though one should arise from the dead and declare Doctrines to them Luke 16.31 They are the inspirations of God into his servants the Prophets Apostles whom for this cause Christ being ascended gave unto his Church with Evangelists Pastors and Teachers that we might not be as children tossed to and fro with every winde of Doctrine Ephes 4.11,12,13 but taking heed to their words the words of the Prophets and commandements of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. 3.2 we might be preserved from Satan and his Instruments that shall mock at the coming of Christ and other sound doctrines according to godliness and that we might grow up in the unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son
of God unto a perfect man Know that the Scriptures came not by the wlll of man nor did the Penmen of them write as they pleased as their own fancies led them but as the holy Gost inspired and acted them 2 Pet. 1.20,21 and the things therein written were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and in believing might through patience and the comfort of them have hope yea and life in his Name Joh. 20.31 In them is laid down a form of wholsom words which we are to take diligent heed unto and not to depart therefrom because they are profitable as says the Apostle to instruct correct reprove c. yea to maâ—e us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ 2 Tim. 3.15,16 both to discern truth from error light from darkness yea when it glisters like light and to lead to avoid the darkness and walk in the light yea in a word they are sufficient to perfect a man of God to every good work of the ministry or service required of him Let that Word then and the Gospel there recorded be held fast by you and the Doctrine that according thereto ye have heard from the beginning even the first principles and foundation the Death and Resurrection of Christ as therein declared that beleeve and depart not from it nor from viewing and beholding the grace and love of God and all those glorious and mysterious depths contained therein nor from the secret voices and speakings thereof to you in its teaching you that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts ye should live soberly righteously and godly yea give diligence in Reading Hearing and minding the Scriptures in every truth exercising faith in Christ so will he by his Spirit mind you so of his truths and put such Scriptum est's such sayings of divine Record into your memories and mouths as shall discover the subtilest workings of Satan and his instuments and lead you to avoid them yea to oppose and baffle them Sect. 5. Some objectiont against the Scriptures Answered LEt not vain spirits who make it their business to deceive withdraw you from cleaving to them as the true and faithful record of the Truth of God I know their wiles and what pretences they come withall to withdraw you from them some that they have got from their Father who made it his way to overthrow us at the first to withdraw us from the VVord of God See his first coming to Eve Gen. 3.1 He doth not at the first deny the saying of God but only puts a question Hath God indeed said or hath he in saying said ye shall not eat Gen. 3.1,2 Just like a generation now that knowing they shall not lead men into their errors unless they be first poysoned in their judgements about the Scriptures and withdrawn from credit giving to them first amuse people and try them with this not in a sober but a captious way How do you know that the Scriptures are the VVord of God and that they are true what have you more to say for them then the Turk for his Alcoran the Papists for their golden Legend c To whom I could wish people to give them this Answer that as by faith they understand that the world was made by the Word of God so by faith they know the Scriptures to be of God and of the inspiration of his Spirit and that they will hold to and not listen to any vain reasonings to the contrary but I hope you have a proof of God speaking in them you behold there such impressions of holiness purity truth goodness Majesty and see such a light in them as evidences them to be of him yea and you see their truth both in some experiences of them in your hearts and by the fulfilling of many prophesies in them as they spake long ago of the calling of the Gentiles when they lay all in Egyptian and gross darkness and we see it after so many hundreds of generations fulfilled they speak of the ruine of many then famous places which now answerably are ruined they foretell of such perverse Spirits and Doctrines of Devils in which men would deny the Lord that bought them and mock at saying where is the promise of his coming and bring in heresies of destruction as we may see accomplished even in many of them that make this questioning and therefore we need not go far for arguments to enduce us to beleeve the truth of the Scriptures which is questioned by them they suggest the Differences of some Greek copies of the new Testament and variety of readings which as it cannot be denyed so is it not of any materiall weight for what they subtilty use it those varieties being generally except in two or three places in things of lesser moment and such as either reading in the most Authentick Copies is no whit dangerous or destructive to the faith of Jesus yea usually the different readings do sound so much to the same purpose as they scarce deserve the name of differences as that in Mat. 1.22 we read This is that that that was said of the Lord by the Prophet saying c Others adde the name of the Prophet by the Prophet Isaiah saying So Mat. 2.11 When they came into the house and saw the child some and found the child so others So Chap. 3.9 Bring forth therefore fruit or fruits meet for repentance and vers 12. He shall gather the wheat into his garner or his wheat into the garner and in vers 11. He shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire some omit the word fire there is no danger in either reading but ours is confirmed and that defect in the other of the word fire is made up in Luke 3 16. Where all copies agree that the word fire is added and yet the other reading is in a manner repeated and so owned by our Saviour in applying that saying to his Apostles in Acts 1.5 Many of those readings stand but in a diversity of word to the same sense and differ no more then God wils and God willeth or God commandeth and God requireth as in Mat. 2.13 some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differ no more then these two English words kill and slay so in vers 6. some read Bethlehem of Judah others Bethlehem in the Land of Judah so in Chap. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others differ no more then walking about and going or travailing about and such are those in the 19. and 23. verses some read I will make you fishers of men others I will make you to be fishers of men He healed them so we vers 22. He healed them all say others so in Chap. 5.11 some read for my sake some for righteousness sake either of them right and both come to one and the same thing many such like differences I might instance
stories as that a cock scratching up a dunghill found a Jewel and finding it wisht rather that he had found a kernel of Barley in which he intended not to tell a real story of any Dunghill Cock but under that devised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fable to set forth the folly of vain men who if they light of some pretious Truth or meanes of understanding prize it not but prefer some small worldly commodities or pleasures before it as better suiting their principles and dispositions and so under a Tale of a Frog and a Mouse fighting till the Kite catch them both up and devoured them he sets forth the way and issue of civil dissentions in which while both parties fight against each other they both become a prey to some third common and more potent enemy And under the Tale of a Dog passing over the water with a piece of meat in his mouth catching at the shadow of it and loosing the substance he declares how foolish vain men having some substantial Truth and catching at some vain shadow of Truth as if it were another or a more substantial truth loose and fall from that substantial Truth that before they were possest of Such is the nature of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devised Fable Now the Apostle Peter tells us that they did not so declare the coming of Christ as if what they declared of Christ as born of a Virgin the Word made flesh and as opposed by Herod and other enemies working Miracles dying rising and ascending was but a witty representation of something done within them as of Truth born in an honest and innocent heart and there opposed by Corruption and Lust yet after some strength attained teaching many good Lessons to the soul and doing great works in it curing its blindness healing its lameness inlivening it from its deadness sometimes again stifled as it were by corruption and darkness but yet after a while getting the upper hand again and obtaining a more glorious conquest ravishing the soul and carrying it up into heavenly joyes and consolations Verily if this had been the thing the Apostles meant in speaking of Christ his Incarnation Sufferings Teachings c. and all the History of Christ but deviled to set this forth they have declared as plain and manifest and yet as wisely a devised Fable as ever Aesop devised to represent his moral instructions But the Apostle tells us lest we should be beguiled and led into such a fancy that they did not follow any such thing when they preached Christ but told us a true History and that that was the true Grace into which they have instructed us 1 Pet. 5.12 .. It s a truth indeed and that plainly asserted too in the Scriptures that while w◠behold the glory of the Lord with open face as in a Glass we are transformed into the same image c. that there is a great resemblance between the word of essence or Word that is God made flesh in the person of Christ and the Word or revelation of the grace of God in Christ united to our hearts by faith this conforms us unto Christ in Death and Resurrection It is opposed by corruption and growing up getting roote or dwelling richly in us teaches and admonishes us and keeps us safe in the midst of corruption from being overcome of it yea inasmuch as the Spirit of Christ is in it it gives the soul understanding and fills it with life power and salvation or rather Christ doth all this by it through his Spirit 's working effectually in it possibly to corruption at some time may cloud and dead its operations in some hour of temptation and day of desertion and it may break forth again and shine more gloriously in the soul after such a condition by the power of the Spirit quickning it in us and it may then raise us up in our spirits more gloriously and lead us up to heavenly consolations and all these things may be found attested in the Scriptures but yet this is not that coming of Christ in the flesh the Death and Resurrection of him declared in the Gospel but in some things the fruit of our sinnings against God or of his hiding his face by way of trial of our faith and in other things the fruit and operation of the Spirit of God sent unto us in Christ Name who suffered and rose for us We are to distinguish between the sufferings of the Humanity in the person of Jesus of Nazareth with its Resurrection and Glory his being made Lord and Christ c. and the conformity of the Humanity to him in his members by the working of his divine Spirit in them through the faith of him and not make the things affirmed of the head meet devised things to set forth Truth in the members nay deny the head and make him but a fained type of the members as they that hold not the head Col. 2.19 or ascribe not to the Humanity that suffered rose and ascended or to Christ as in it the true nature of a head I am the larger in this because it having a shew of wisdom beguiles many from the head of all principality and power the Lord Jesus Col. 2.8.10 and as was foretold by the Apostle causes them to turn asideto Fables or rather to turn the Gospel into a Fable This turning all into an Allegory is as notable a baite as any Satan can fish with for if a man be once brought to that that he thinks the Scriptures hold not forth the mind of the Spirit in and according to its expressions but speak of other things then it will follow that the literal expressions will not be much heeded but some spiritual pretended mystery looked for to resemble the things spoken of and then Satan himself transforming himself into an Angel of light may pretend to declare or suggest that true spiritual meaning and the soul hath nothing in the Word left certain by taking heed to which it may dicover him the Scriptures being now made to it like to the Philosophers first matter Omnium formarum capax fit to be interpreted by any new devise or figment that hath a shew of wit and subtilty in it as the spiritual sense of it yea the devil will lead men inevitably by this to deny the plainest affirmations of God in the Scripture as he was bold to tell Eve that in dying she should not dye the dying spoke of was not what she thought of it should be but a dying to her present dark state of faith and she should be as God and live a more divine life of Knowledge and sense so will he nay he doth lead men upon this principle to deny Christ the Lord that bought them suggesting to them that though the Scripture speak of one Jesus born of a woman at Bethlehem and dying neer Jerusalem for our sins and that we ought to believe in him yet the truth is that is but a Fable a
glorious appearance of him unto Paul as caused a bright shining visible to the standers by if he had had no other being or existence then in the hearts of men Acts 9.7 and 22.9 Such inferences then are meer abuses of Scripture not asserted in but contradictory to the Scriptures by keeping close to which as was before noted thou maist descry them to be vain as Christ holding close to the Scriptures detected Satans abuse of Scripture to him Beware I say then of their false Collections and strained inferences against the stream of the Scriptures and contrary to their plain sayings and their errings from the faith once delivered to the Saints as they are by the Scriptures made evident to be errings therefrom contend against but yet this their practise notwithstanding or their allegation of Hereticks in general abusing and diversly wresting them do not thou slight them but the more to minde them they being as the Apostle tells us sufficient to make the man of God perfect even fully able also to detect and reprove such abusive perversions of them yea and in and through faith in Christ to guide and keep thee and make thee useful to others also for salvation Sect. 7. Of Prayer ANd yet because they are the Sword of the Spirit a sword that cannot be weilded by every arm or to purpose by any but by and in the hand of the Spirit thou wilt need skill and strength from God rightly to use and weild them for though they are the glorious things of God and Christ uttered by the mouth of his servants the Apostles and Prophets that are contained therein yet as they are written so that writing is but a medium to make over those divine revelations by and the writing it self is not the thing that hath life in it but the things witnessed to and spoken of in them which things are not the object of the natural eye that looks upon the outward writing nor is the glory and certainty of those things discernable to the natural understanding unless the Understanding be opened though Truth in true expressions be presented to it yet it will not see them in the lustre beauty certainty glory heavenliness of them nor will it minde the love grace wisdom and glory of God therein shining and so the heart will not be rightly affected to them nor able to hold them fast so as nothing separate or withdraw it from them nor can or shal we so make use of them as not to be over-reached by Satan or have them in readiness when we should have most use of them uness they be put into us by the finger of God ingraven in our hearts and dwell in us being understood believed loved delighted in by us though the word therein declared be a spiritual Sword fit to fight the Lords battel with yet we have need of God to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight with and to make it powerful and effectual against our spiritual enemies against whom we draw it Now the Lord hath promised to send his Spirit to the end to bring his Words to our remembrance to teach us lead us into all truth help our infimities c. And he is a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding a Spirit of Might and Power and of the fear of the Lord a spirit of Truth and Consolation in whose might and wisdom and not in our own if we encounter Satan and his messengers we shall overcome them but as he is in the hand of the Lord to send forth yea is his hand so hath he told us that he would be sought to by us to perform for us the things that he promiseth us and so for this his Spirit to give wisdom and understanding to us Thence we are to look to him also in prayer and supplications with thansgivings for what he gives us according to that Phil. 4.6,7 In nothing be careful or thoughtful as to say and reason with our selves how shall we finde out truth how shall we escape the wiles of Satan but in all things or cases make known your requests unto God by supplications and prayers with thanks givings and then the peace of God that passeth understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in safe custody 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the knowledge of Christ as if he should say if you thanking him for what he hath done for you call upon him for further grace and mercy then shall he give down or so mind you of the knowledge of his Son as shall safeguard the heart in peace and quietness and this too agrees with that in Prov. 2.3 If thou callest for wisdom and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God for the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth proceeds knowledge and understanding which ver 10 11. if it enter into the heart and become pleasant to the soul will preserve thee from the evil man that speaks perverse things and from the woman or spirit of error that flatters with her lips Seeing this so pretious wisdom comes from God it is but meet and requisite that we go for it to God that we desire and pray to him for it and that without ceasing our desire and suit till he do give it to us yea and hath brought us by it to the haven of rest and set us past all further difficulties trials and temptations in which we cannot but need wisdom to direct and guide us which saith the Apostle James also Chap. 1.5 if any man want let him ask it of God who giveth liberally to all and upbraideth not that 's far the better course then to lean to our own understanding and take the thoughts and dictates of our own hearts for sure guides in which Satan oftentimes may come in and deceive us It is true that God doth often prevent us with his goodness and is found of them that seek him not yea that also is necessary to our seeking him for if he did not first give to us a knowledge of our wants and of his goodness how should we call upon him but it s as true that he having so prevented us and freely made known himself to us he expects this fruit again from us that we be thankful to him and follow on to know him seeking for further help and mercy of him So he could have given us blessing spirit knowledge c. immediatly into our selves but having found us unfaithful in Adam and to have plaid the Prodigals he hath in his wisdom chosen rather to depositate them in Jesus Christ willing us to repair to him to God by him for them to be given us out according to our needs which he also hath promised we shall receive so coming to him but if we turn our backs upon him and shall stoutly and proudly lift up our selves and
therefore of this and of that other branch of insobriety that usually accompanies it viz. curiosity in our searchings and inquisitions after knowledge an over-reaching of our selves to see into secrets a peeping into the Ark a prying into things not seen being vainly puft up with a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 a thing that hath ever proved very dangerous and hurtful to them that have been addicted thereto what caught Eve at the first but a desire to be as God knowing good and evil and what makes men more to turn out from Christ then a not being content with his simplicity but affecting vain Philosophy or a desire to know and by reason to dive into things that are above our comprehensions whence else proceed those questions about the secret purposes thoughts and hidden counsels of God the curious inquisitions into his Essence and about heaven hell the state of souls departed and many other curiosities beyond what the VVord declareth of them questions which we may comprehend under those that the Apostle says tend not to profit but to pervert men and undo them he that walketh humbly as knowing nothing but infirmity and evil in himself and contents himself with things revealed receiving such Truths so as to walk in them and keep close unto them avoiding nice and hidden speculations he walks surely and shall be preserved from falling when others that climb aloft tumble down again Take we therefore the counsel of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant for your adversary the devil goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking daily Whom to devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Keep close to the Faith and so to the Word of God the proper object of mans Faith but take heed of an insober prying into things besides it Be not drunk as not with pleasures cares fears sorrows from things below so neither with conceits of our selves desires of God-likeness beyond what is held forth in the faith nor with desires to know things that God hath reserved to himself neither yet be secure and careless through conceit of thine own strength and standing nor rash in closing with every hint doctrine or spirit that is presented to thee but be sober and vigilant sober in not out-running Gods VVord and Spirit vigilant in watching and examining every doctrine and spirit by comparing it with the holy Spirit and his Testimony and Law in his written VVord and the holy Unction already through the Gospel of Christ received lest Satan over-reach thee and finding thee out of the bounds of Gods way in which he hath ingaged his protection devour thee Verily in these last times its sad to see how men stagger to and fro and reel up and down wavering between this and that opinion like drunken men their hearts being surfeited and their heads made giddy with conceits of their own excellencies and abilities so that they think themselves able to swallow up all the most secret knowledge of God himself into their fancies but alas with the Dog in the Fable while they catch at shadows under desire of having all knowledge in stead of attaining their desires they let go and lose all that hath substance in it not comprehending things they deny them not comprehending heaven and hell the glory of Christs Humanity c. they grow into Antichristianism and Atheism and lose themselves in vanity Of these things therefore be thou warned to avoid them that they snare thee not and thou perish in them Take heed also of slothfulness in seeking after and unto God formality in contenting thy self with speculations of Truth without the power of it renewing the heart and so of presumpcion earthly-mindedness and the rest of the evils hinted at before that lay men open to temptations cleave thou close to God and to the VVord and Spirit of Grace and fight the good fight of Faith quitting thy self with courage in all encounters and thou shalt prove it a good fight indeed both for that its lawful honest and warranted by God and also for that thou shalt therein finde help from God to inable thee to it and carry thee through it yea and lastly thou shalt in striving lawfully be crowned after thou hast overcome thou shalt receive a large reward even a Crown of Righteousness concerning which promised reward and Gods faithfulness to give it in his season I shall nextly hint something to thee for thy further encouragement Chap. 5. Of the Reward of the Saints overcoming Sect. 1. That there is a Reward promised AS the faith of the Saints leans upon the VVord of God in general and so upon God himself as the original of that VVord and the things declared therein so their hope leans on and hath for its object the promises of God which hold forth the marrow and fatness of the feast of good things made in Christ and the consideration of them is very requisite for their patient encountering with temptations and enduring to the issue they being partly the things fought for and partly helps in fighting for they are of two sorts things to be given to and enjoyed by us in the combate and things to be met with in the issue of it according to that Fear not Abraham I will be thy shield to protect and defend thee in the way and thy exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 when thou hast overcome Under the first head are comprehended the promises of this life in the outward man and for the life of the Spirit in the inner man the promises of provision and maintenance such as this Fear the Lord ye Saints or holy ones for they that fear the Lord shall want no good thing Psal 34.9 And that Seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 Whence that Let your conversation be without covetousness Heb. 13,5,6 Be not reaching in your desires after the world either in provision for sustenance or safety as if you were left to shift for your selves therein or as if your happiness consisted partly in having much thereof or as if God would not provide for necessaries or conveniences herein for your warfare here but be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may be bold and say the Lord is on my side I will not fear what flesh can do unto me Heb. 13.5,6 And for protection from enemies so as that they shall not harm or devour us such as that All the hairs of your head are numbred and the Lord will save them from the wicked and he will help them because they trust in him Matth. 10. Psal 37.41 the promises for their helpfulness in Spirit are such as these That he will sanctifie and cleanse them 1 Thes 5.23,24 VVrite his Laws and put his fear in them Ezek. 36.25,26 Fer. 31.32 c. that he will send the Spirit of Truth and put it into them as a Comforter
enduring substance it wâ—… teach you also to walk towards others with 〈◊〉 righteousness equity in your several places aâ—… and relations if men in authority then to execuâ—… Justice and Judgement to shew mercy to the â—…flâ— cted oppressed to govern them under youâ— the fear of the Lord and according to the good laudible and just Statutes and Laws agreed upâ—… in the Land hating covetousness extortion 〈◊〉 pression and bribery not respecting person 〈◊〉 taking rewards nor lifting up your selves â—…oudly above your brethren despising and seeking to enslave them but exercising the power 〈◊〉 have for the good of all men and special protection and encouragement of those that are â—…ceable and righteous amongst them If ye be â—…rsons under Authority then be ye subject to â—…se set over you for the Lords sake whether worthy or unworthy good or froward looking â—… on them as ordered by the just hand of the â—…rd to those places above you either for your â—…rtties or chastisement and trial Thus the Apostle exhorteth to be subject to the higher â—…ers paying tribute to them and custom to â—…m custom honor to whom honor is due c. â—…m 13.1,2.7 Due that is by their places â—…ugh they themselves may be unworthy perâ—…s as those Roman Magistrates many of them â—…re at that time when those things were writâ—… by the Apostle not stirring up disobedience 〈◊〉 rebellion against them but leave them to â—…d in case of oppression and injustice to order them knowing he can alter them either by â—…al wayes of superior or coordinate powers â—…sed up by him to that purpose or by making 〈◊〉 of wicked men to pleasure his Church by inâ—…ding judgement from God upon them according to that saying Wickedness proceedeth â—…m the Wicked but my hand shall not be upon 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 24.14 And if Authorities clash one against another or one part of it with another keep thee to the utmost of thy endeavour to peace and righteousness and look to the hand of God in determining their controversies and be subject to them whom God impowreth looking at that during his impowring it as God Ordinance for the powers that are are of God Rom. 13.1 And so if thou beest a servant obey thy Masters in the flesh 1 Tim. 6.1,2 and bear the yoke patiently and serve them faith fully whether they be good or frowarâ— that God hath set over thee doing what 〈◊〉 good and lawful in the Lord at their commandment and for what is otherwise patiently induring their wrath and punishment 〈◊〉 they will injustly inflict it for so is the wâ—… of God to put to silence the ignorance of thâ— follish 1 Pet. 2.15 walking as Christ hath give example when he was wrongfully judged anâ— punished though he could have raised legions 〈◊〉 Angels for his rescuing If married walking 〈◊〉 that relation with love and chastity accordinâ— to the Apostles Doctrine yea to all men walâ— in all gentleness meekness love forbearancâ— apt to put up injuries So much as in you lieâ— have peace with all men Rom. 12.18 and as aâ— are in need of help counsel succour or supporâ— be ready to help counsel and relieve them to thâ— ability in all these things looking after anâ— walking in holiness without which no man can sâ— or injoy fellowship with God Heb. 12.14 Seek not peace with them then by denying thy God and Saviour thy Faith and the Doctrine of the Gospel or by consenting to them and approving them and much less walking with them in their unjust unmerciful wanton coverous riotous and licentious practises in things indifferent become all things to all to win them but be not so indifferent in thy walking with God as to become sinful also with them and to conform thy self in their vanities excesses delights fashions to them He that sells peace with God to buy peace with men makes an exceeding silly bargain Have no fellowship then with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 To sin with men is the way to strengthen them in sin and not to save them Take heed then of those loose principles and practises that some monsters of men under pretence of higher knowledge of God have run into as to deny all difference of good and evil in actions to make a sport of sin and to account it nothing but a vain opinion endeavouring to destroy the habits of Vertue with the contrary vitious habits yea accounting it the top of perfection to be shameless in sinning and to blot out of themselves all sense or conscience of sin tunning headlong into all lasciviousness and filthiness with greediness Ephes 4.19 to whom it is hapned according to the true Proverb The Dog is returned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to Wallow in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 Such persons with their gross and wicked opinions and all tendencies thereto as liberty taking to carding dicing drinking riotousness ranting c. instead of fasting praying confering and reading of the Scriptures avoid and flee from that ye crucifie not the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame making Him and the Worship and Name of God to be despised amongst men for indeed that as was said before is one main end that ye are to aim at in all your walking viz. that ye might glorifie God unto the world and make his name honorable amongst them that they might be convinced of the truth and goodness of your faith professed by you according to that in our Lords Prayer that the World may know that thou hast sent me as that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Joh. 17.21,23 Therefore also the Word of God is to be held forth to the world together with your just and good conversation that they may see what principles it springs from that ye walk so well and honestly amongst them that so also they may thereby be woon in to the same In both which respects of doctrine professed and conversation becoming it Believers are termed the salt of the earth and the light of the world a light to be set up in a Candlestick that it may not be hid Matth. 5.13,14 Sect. 6. The Doctrine to be held forth to the world and therein of the Trinity by way of Digression BUt now what that Doctrine is that believers are to hold forth to the world would require more words to declare fully then this inrended Treatise will afford room for yet something I shall with Gods assistance hint about it It s in a word the Gospel or word of God in which he hath declared his mind will to men according to that Phil. 2.16 holding forth the word of life and that Mark 16.15 Go Preach the Gospel to every creature Which is such a setting forth of the way of life to men as in which they are called upon to turn from all other things as vain and dumb Idols and to turn to the living and true God by his
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.