the Children of God witnessing with their Spirits and administring comfort and Heavenly food to the Soul So also he administers words and matter to Christs little ones when they are called before Rulers and Magistrates for his names sake And Christ Jesus our Lord taught his to depend hereupon and not to perplex themselves with thinking before hand what to say to them Matt. 10.19 20. But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Hence it is that sometimes Women and unletter'd Persons have been enabled to confound great learned men for the Lord by his Spirit gives a mouth and wisdome which their Adversaries ar◠not able to gainsay nor to resist This is that Spirit which begetteth earnings and longings in our Hearts after the Lord and which helpeth our infirmities when we know not how to utter our minds to the Lord for then he maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and these groanings being according to the will of God he hears them for he knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit Rom. 8.26 27. There be many Spirits gone forth into the World which are not this Unction but work contrary to it and lead out from Christ into the World therefore the Apostle bids us try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.2 Well but how shall we try them He tells us how to know them in the next verses following Hereby know ye the Spirit of God Every Spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in the Flesh is of God And every Spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ come in the Flesh is not of God For so the words run more truely according to the Greek then to render them thus Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh c. For this confession is such a confession as owns an interest in him or professes a relation to him by Faith in him and by love and obedience to him The evil Spirits did verbally confesse him Mar. 1.24 and so evil men may verbally confesse him tho they neither truely believe in him nor love nor obey him But this true confession of him hath these things necessarily conjoyned therewith 1. Faith Iohn 3.18 36. For that Spirit that wants that is under condemnation and wrath as this Scripture testifyes 2. Love 1 Cor. 16.24 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha 3. Obedience to him And therefore saith John he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the Truth is not in him So then every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ that suffered for our sins i◠Faith and in Love and Obedience to him that Spirit is of God But otherwise evil Spirits may confesse him and Children of the evil one may confesse him Also the Apostle draweth this down to himself and others who were in the pure and living faith and innocent life in whom Christ appeared ver 6. o◠the same Chapter We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us 〈◊〉 that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of error So here you see he places the mark to know Spirits by upon their owning or not owning of Christ himself come in Flesh and of him appearing in others For they that know him not in his Children where he appears but deny his appearance there they are not of his Spirit themselves But then how shall we know his Children from the Children of the Devil The Apostle tells us this is manifest by their works 1 Joh. 3.10 He doth not say its manifest by any particular forme but by their works In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother So then let men pretend what they will if their works be evil they are not of God So that by their works false Spirits and false Prophets are known and by them they shall be judged at the last day Though they shall say we have Prophecyed in thy name yet it shall be said to them Depart from me I know you not ye workers of Iniquity Now these must needs own his comming that Prophecy in his name And that they may doe and yet not own hi◠where he is come and appears i◠Flesh And so they may confesse hi◠comming and yet not confesse himself where he is come As the Iew owned Moses and the Prophets wh◠were come and gone but yet persecuted them that came in their Spirit they owned and confessed Abraham but owned not nor confessed the true seed of Abraham and so were not of Abraham thoug◠they confessed him In like manne◠many now confesse that Christ cam◠in the Flesh but persecute the◠that come in his Spirit that is persecute him in them for so he wil◠charge it upon them Because what done to his little ones is done upo◠this account that he is in them who hath no fellowship with th◠unfruitfull works of darkness in which they are who persecute them For if he were not in them who hath not fellowship with unfruitfull works of darkness they would not hate them but would love them The World loves its own and those of its own Spirit If you were of the World the World would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you Joh. 15.19 A little further still for the manifestation of this true Unction or Anointing to distinguish it from other Spirits not only from evil Spirits but even from some operations of the true Spirit Consider that this Holy Unction is an abiding thing keeping the Heart in the fear and love of God making that the maine care of him in whom it is to keep in obedience to the will of God and so in fellowship with God for that 's the Kingdom into which we are translated and whatsoever interposeth between us and that fellowship with God who i◠love that wounds and slayes And we are then like one banished hi◠native Kingdom and like an Exile until we be established in it again and then there 's rest and care and fear lest we grief the Spirit again And thus the promise to the true seed is fulfilled which saith I wil◠put my fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 Now other Spirits which give no◠this fellowship in the love of God may doe great things whereby the person may be admired but they doe not keep the heart low watching to doe the will of God Balaam had an eminent Prophecy given him by the Spirit of the Lord which also strove with him to keep
tremble at his word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorifyed but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed This is encouragement to those humble ones whose Hearts stand in awe before the Lord not willing to be lead of any against the leadings of the Lord or to subject themselves to that which is contrary to the teachings of the Lord in them though they be therefore despised and cast out by their Brethren And it may also be a caution unto others to teach them to take heed how they hate and cast out of their esteem the poor and humble in Spirit upon the account of any outward formality For what hast thou to doe to judge thy Brother or to set at nought thy Brother for any outward observation or formality Whereas thou canst not tell whether Christ our Lord doth lay it upon him or not Behold we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ One man keeps a day to the Lord another keeps not a day two contrary things Canst thou believe that these two contrary things may both be done in obedience to the Lord at his requirings Surely they may or else I judge that Paul would noâ— have defended them both against eacâ— other and have judged nothing but their judging of one another in such case Therefore Men and Brethren whosoever loveth our Lord Jesus Christ and his Government lay aside all emulation and wrath and disesteem of one another for such things and learn to love one another though you be not of the same stature one with another even as Christ hath loved us and doth love us and feed us in several pastures And learn what this means in my Fathers House are many mansions or dwellings that so you may not despise one another An Appendix concerning Faith BEcause Faith is so Essential to a Christian and comprehends as I may say the very substance of the Gospel in so much that all Christianity is sometimes expressed under that very word of Faith as Gal. 1.23 Rom. 1.5 c. Therefore it is here a little further insisted upon partly by way of recapitulation holding forth 1. The foundation of Faith layd out of us in the love and mercy and Truth of God and in the sufferings and resurrection of Christ 2. The Work and Fruits of it in us by the Spirit First The foundation and ground of Faith that must of necessity be something not out of us which is to be believed Therefore that thing is the material thing to be published or preached among men for the begetting of Faith For the understanding must be opened to understand it before one can believe it Therefore Philip opened the understanding of the Eunuch in the Scriptures concerning Christ and then he believed And Christ he opened the understandings of the two Disciples that were going to Emaus when their Faith was shaken concerning him that they might understand the Scriptures And so the Apostles when they preached the Gospel of Salvation still they opened the things to be believed by the Scriptures that so those whose Heart God was pleased to open might see what a sure ground there was layd in God and in Christ for men to believe on him For our Salvation or our life is hide with Christ in God The foundation of all is in God in his kindness in his love in his mercy And therefore all glory redounding from thence ascends unto God This is that which makes us truely to glorify God in our Hearts and Spirits when we see him the foundation of all the beginner and finisher of all That takes a man off his Pharisaical exaltation in himself arising from his own righteousness Oh how humbly did the Apostles of our Lord give all glory and honour unto the kindness and mercies and love of God manifested to us in Christ Jesus In all their Epistles to the Saints raising up their mindes to the great love of God in christ Jesus For he was the Vessel filled with the love of God to convey it to us And this was the glory which his Disciples beheld in him We beheld his glory full of grace and truth Joh. 1. Grace is good will kindness love mercy this is Gospel this is the glad tydings which came by Jesus Christ The Law came by Moses but grace and Truth by Jesus Christ This love of God revealed in us by his Spirit is the Rock of ages and while we live and walk in that we live in God for God is love This was Israels Rock while they continued in his love and he lead him and instructed him and kept him as the Apple of his Eye until he waxed fat and kicked and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation as Moses sets forth in his Song Deut. 32. And Hannah in her Song 1 Sam. 2. And David in his Song 2 Sam. 2. likewise Psal 62. saith he truely my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my Salvation He only is my Rock and my Salvation several times doth he repeat those words in that short Psalm and then saith ver 8. Trust in him at all times ye People pour out your Heart before him God is a refuge for us Selah Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye so neither of them are to be trusted to though a man be exalted as high as Heaven above all called Gods or above all Earthly powers yet he is but a lye and not to be trusted to Therefore to be built upon a man is but to be built upon a lye But to be built upon the Revelation of the love of God in Christ Jesus there 's the Rock That was the Rock that Christ would build his Church upon Vpon this Rock will I build my Church saith he to Peter What was that upon Peter No he was Petrus so named from the Fathers revealing of his Son to him which was Petra the Rock upon which Peter himself was built and the Church in all ages Matt. 16.16 17 18 19. And in that Revelation of the Son of God by the Father and in his power and presence there stands the power of binding and loosing which also was given to any two or three of the Church as well as to Peter Mat. 18.18 19 20. by vertue of the presence of him with them who is truth and is no lye For that 's given as the reason both of that power of binding and loosing transgressions and also of that power and prevalency of the prayers of two or three concurring with one accord to ask any thing of God Why For saith he where two or three are gathered together eis to onoma emon into my name there am I in the midst of them ver 20. Here is the infallible Rock and foundation not Peter as a man and therefore lest any should take him to be the infallible foundation the Lord suffered him to slide sometimes
of men but God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Aâ— the Sun in the Firmament shineâ— upon all good and bad and as thâ— raine falls upon all both just and unjust so the love of God reaches tâ— all in sending his Son Thereforâ— the Angel that brought the glad tydings of the birth of Christ to thâ— Sheepherds said to them Feaâ— not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to aâ— People Luk. 2.10 And likewise thaâ— multitude of the Heavenly Host which appeared suddenly with thâ— Angel praised God saying Glorâ— to God in the highest and on Earâ— peace good will towards men ver 1 〈◊〉 towards men or towards maâ— kinde in the general and not onlâ— towards this Sect or that Sect oâ— this form or that form but towardâ— all men namely that creaturâ— which was made in his own imagâ— to bear a representation of him iâ— the Creation To this creature 〈◊〉 the love of God thus signified foâ— his restoration to that purity Majesty and dignity in which he was created and to an eternal felicity in that station with God So then This is the condemnation that light is come into the World and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evill Joh. 3.19 What light is this that 's come into the World that was not in the World before Verely the light of the love of God or of Salvation freely by grace which hath a glory in it that discovers and destroyes evill works and therefore where men love their evil works they love to cleave to the darkness in which they may enjoy their evil deeds and continue therein This is the condemnation not because they have done evil but because they chuse to continue therein For the love of God hath manifested it self unto all in sending his Son as a Sacrifice for all a Lamb without blemish to take away the Sin of the World Joh. 1. ver 29. 2. As the Father hath manifested his love to man so the Son likewise who is the only begotten Son of God the first born of every creature and the expresse image of the Father he hath shined forth in the glory of the same love We beheld his glory saith the Apostle wherein Even in this that he was full of grace and full of truth Grace is free gift bounty good will and this is glorious this we beheld in the Son of God saith the Apostle What love like this Or what favour like this To lay down ones life for another This our Lord hath done for us 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself 〈◊〉 ransome for all saith the Apostle and this is to be a Testimony iâ— due time for so the words signify 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He offered up himself a Sacrifice for us according to the will of God that hâ— might put away our sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 and thaâ— was the will of God who layed oâ— him the iniquity of us all And this hâ— willingly underwent for us foâ— when burnt offerings and Sacrifices of the Law for sin could not purge the conscience so as to make the commers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience and therefore God took no pleasure in them then said the Son Loe I come to doe thy will O God Heb. 10. That so a way might be made for reconciling our Hearts to God by laying a ground for faith in us He bare our sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Here 's the ground for faith and a foundation layd for mans returning towards the Lord in Love for we cannot love him till we be made sensible of his love to us and understand that he loveth us And when this understanding and beliefe arises in our Hearts it drawes our Hearts to him in love again We love him because he first loved us saith the beloved Disciple 1 Joh. 4.19 He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 His love goes before our washing He loved us and washed us I said unto the when thou wast in thy blood live Ezek. 16.6 He that hath his Heart openeâ— to believe this Testimony of thâ— Love of God in Christ Jesus ouâ— Lord he shall finde the incomes oâ— the Spirit of Christ in some measure as they did who believeâ— these joyfull tydings at the foundinâ— forth of our Salvation by the blooâ— of Christ in the primitive time when the Gospel was first preached to them And this now is faith even to receive the Testimony of the Soâ— of God concerning the love of God and to believe in him for Salvation Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Isa 45.22 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so the Son of man was lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.14 15 16. The words are doubled to confirm the certainty thereof And therefore seeing we have Salvation in him and by him and by no other he is called The Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 For he is made of God unto us Wisdome and Righteousness and Sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.30 31. Let him glory in the Lord not in his own works for all glorying therein is cast out Therefore shall men say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 He that believeth this love of God in Christ therewith receiveth Christ and with him power to become a Son of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name To believe on his name is to receive him and to receive him is to believe on his name So that by faiâ—â— Christ is received And by faith aâ— the Spirit of Christ is received Gal. â— 2 and 5. This only would I learn 〈◊〉 you received ye the Spirit by tâ— works of the Law or by the hearing 〈◊〉 faith that is of Salvation by faitâ— ver 5. He therefore that ministreâ— to you the Spirit doth he it the works of the Law or by the heariâ— of faith The Scripture many timâ— layes that down by way of questioâ— which is undenyable as it doâ— here as much as to say I'ts by faiâ— that the Spirit is received for heâ— by the hearing of faith we muâ— understand such a hearing as is a râ—ceiving or obeying the Gospel aâ—â— in this the Spirit is received And so by faith also we receive râ—mission of sins To him give all the Prâ—phets witnesse that through his namâ— whosoever believeth in him shall receiâ—â— remission of sinns Act. 10.43 Aâ—â— this was the Doctrine that Peter wâ—â— preaching to Cornelius and the
the glory of God in this his mercy and the deeper is his humility and lowlines of minde Minde but the writings of the Holy Apostles of Christ Jesus and you will finde it so that still they are harping upon this string sounding forth the mercies of the Lord in Christ Jesus and his love in revealing his Son to them Yea observe but that high state of the Elders spoken of in the Book of the Revelations who were set upon seats round about the Throne and cloathed in white Raiment and Crowned The substance of their song was this Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof Now mark why For thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Mark Not a word of their own righteousness not a word of their works how good soever they were which doubtles were excellent but yet not a word thereof the riches of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus puts all that out of sight and layes them low at his Footstool for they are said to fall down before the Lamb and sing this Song Now what are these Elders but representatives of all the Elect seed of God from all parts of the Earth Seeing it is contained in their Song that they were redeemed by his Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Now there be many more kinreds and Tongues and Nations then four and twenty but all represented by these four and twenty Well then you see their faith in Christ is not like the Faith of the Pharisees in which they stand justifying themselves in their own works and exalting themselves thereby over poor Publicans But all their admiration and glorying is in the mercy of God And so we finde the Apostles sounding forth the same things in their Epistles Eph. 2.4 5 6 7 8 9. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus For by grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast Thus all boasting is excluded by true Faith And as I have shewed before the right Faith works by love and that love is not of an exalting nature But as the Apostle saith it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 Thus the true and right Faith shuts out boasting and cuts down vainglory and makes humble Therefore saith our Lord Jesus Christ Verely I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 4. Fifthly To proceed this true Faith is accompanyed with an Vnction or an Anointing from the holy one John writing to those he calls little Children whose sins are forgiven for his names sake saith thus But ye have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 All things that is that appertained to life and godliness Why For this Unction or Anointing taught them all things that appertained thereto that so walking according to the teaching thereof they might abide in Christ Now this Unction is the Spirit which gives a sense and feeling of the will of God what he would have us to doe and what he would have us to forbear And we need not that any maâ— should teach us beyond the teachingâ— of that to amuse us with high notions and mysteries which the Unction gives us no openings of Anâ— so keeping to that keept us wiâ— to sobriety minding to doe thâ— will of God which the Unction inclines our Hearts to rather theâ— to fill the brain with knowledge 〈◊〉 things which add not to our comfort and profiting and grouth iâ— Christ Now that this Unction 〈◊〉 the Spirit appears by compearinâ— this Scripture with another Thaâ— is compare this 1 Joh. 2.20 2â— with Ioh. 14.16 17. Where it 〈◊〉 expressed by the name of the Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This is that abideing Unction which abides with the Faithfull for ever The Unction is a constant abiding thing and so is the Spirit abiding for ever Thus the Lord fulfills his promise of old Isa 44.3 and chap. 59.21 I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground Thirsty and dry these are such as hunger and thirst and fit to receive the Heavenly rain but he expresses â—t more plainly in the following words thus I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon â—hine Off-spring Then in ch 59.21 â—he promises the constancy of this Spirit with the seed of Christ in â—hese words As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord. My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever So that this is a promise to all the Seed and that for ever which promise is fulfilled to all faithfull believers in Christ Jesus Therefore saith the Apostle if any maâ— have not the Spirit of Christ he iâ— none of his Rom. 8.9 And herein thâ— Son-ship is established even in thiâ— Spirit or abiding Unction oâ— Anointing As the Apostle witnesseth ver 14. For as many as are leâ— by the Spirit of God they are the Sonâ— of God Thus the Anointing witâ— the Spirit typifyed by the precious Ointment that was poureâ— upon Aarons head and ran dowâ— to the Skirts of his Garment thiâ— Anointing with the Spirit runâ— down from our High-Priest to thâ— lowest of his Servants He waâ— anointed with the Oyl of gladness above his fellows but we all of his fullness receive every one a measure of his Spirit and so are hereby stated by this Spirit of Adoption into Sonship and Heir-ship with him If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ c. Rom. 8.17 And this state or Spiritual condition carryes its own evidence in it self for the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God ver 16. And as this Spirit or Unction is a guide to the Children of light leading them into all Truth and as it is a witness to
him back from the error of his wayes but he had not this Holy abideing Unction And so may others have the gift of Prophecy and understand many mysteries c. and yet be destitute of this Anointing as its plain from the Scriptures Psal 68.18 Mat. 7.22 1 Cor. 13. But I am sparing of speaking of these things because the same gifts may accompany the true Anointing and these gifts are serviceable for the edifying of the Babes of Christ Therefore let none think that I would undervalue such precious gifts or teach others to despise Prophecying that is not my purpose but only to give the right understanding of that which is essential to Christianity and a Heavenly life in which true believers walk with God Who doe not alwayes bear the greatest show in their profession by such gifts nor bear forth themselves the highest among their Brethren but yet their lives are most innocent in the World I have seen in several professions of Religion this humble seed this plain hearted this true hearted Jacob bowing under his rough Brother Esau and like a little shrub under tall Cedars which flourish and spread forth themselves over his head for their inclination is to exalt themselves his care to keep out of vain-glory and to walk humbly with his God Thus in some measure the Children of light who are the first Fruits unto God are distinguished from the Children of darkness who are of the World and therefore love the World and the things that are of the World namely the lusts of the Flesh the lust of the Eyes and the pride of life I doe not mean that hereby they are made so distinct one from another that they may certainly and fully be known in the World but my endeavour is so to discover the essential life of Christianity to themselves that they may not rest in a formal and circumstantial profession of Christianity without the true life and power thereof wherein true peace and fellowship with God is enjoyed and lived in which indeed is the Kingdom of God Which at first may be but like a grain of Mustardseed but it is of a growing nature Therefore many may for a time in an outward profession outshine those that are entring yea and entred into the Kingdom But these last will become first and those first will become last For the seed of the free Woman or new Covenant born by promise and begot by Faith will become Heir when the seed of the bond Woman borne after the Flesh must be cast forth These things here written are no new things but according to the current of the Doctrine of Christ and his Holy Apostles left upon Record But it may be some Objections may be made against them by some For Truth doth usually meete with Opposition Obj. Perhaps some will say these things speak of the Kingdom of God here in this life but we look for the Kingdom of God after this life Answ True the Kingdom of God is here spoken of to be entred into in this life but not in opposition to the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven hereafter but as an entrance into the everlasting Kingdome which shall have no end For the Kingdom of Heaven is begun here and entred into by faith which works by love and purifyes the Heart And therefore when Christ Jesus our Lord sent forth his Disciples to preach and to heal the sick he bid them preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And he told the Jews that the Kingdom of God commeth not with outward observation but that the Kingdom of God was within And the Apostle tells us wherein it doth consist namely in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit For the Spirit that comforter administers that joy And this is the earnest of the everlasting inheritance and it is the beginning of his Kingdome into which the Saints witnessed an entrance formerly Col. 1.13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Son And the Apostle Peter tells us how an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. A place of Scripture worthy to be Printed in every ones Heart seeing it teaches an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God In which things there written the Saints then living were found walking and yet being of so great importance the Apostles care was to put them still in minde of them that after his decease they might alwayes have them in remembrance I shall give you some of the words and leave you to read the rest in your Books Peter writing to those believers who had obtained like precious Faith with him and other Apostles through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ note not through their own rightousness but through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ he exhorts them to give all diligence to add to this Faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness love For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall not be barren argues slothfull nor unfruitfull to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blinde and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye doe these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Now take notice that it is not the knowing of these things but the walking in them that gives an abundant entrance into the Kingdom If ye doe these things saith the Apostle Obj. Doubtles It is a happy thing to walk and live in these Admonitions of the Apostle may some say But who is there that do so We know but few if any that do so then how few enter into the Kingdom if so great and high things are to be lived in Answ For answer hereunto consider these things following 1. That there be various stations in Religion and so some are nearer and some further off from the Kingdom of God Some are seeking it with their faces thitherward as it s said of Sion some are weeping and mourning and hungring and thirsting after Gods Righteousness These if they hold on are under a blessing and promise to be answered and filled and though they be poor in Spirit yet theirs is the Kingdome and in due time they shall possesse it and enter into it Some are near the Kingdom as that young man was who had keept the precepts of the Law from his youth which Christ looked upon and loved though he was not yet able to enter into the Kingdom because of his riches
may be refreshing helps to those who in sincerity of Heart and simplicity of conscience do walk therein There is a Baptism indeed and a Supper which are essential to the Kingdom of Christ but those are couched under other things before spoken yet for more plainess I shall here expresse them more particularly Peter tells us of a Baptism that saves us and that must needs be essential 1 Pet. 3.21 The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This indeed is essential namely the answer of a good conscience towards God which is a Baptism indeed and which is a Fruit of righteousness For they that by an ungodly and wicked life make Shipwrack of Faith they thereby beget in themselves an evil and accusing conscience although they be outwardly Baptized and so it s not that that saves but the answer of a good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ So there is a Supper also which is essential to the Kingdom of Christ which our Lord himself speaks of Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand aâ— the Door and knock if any man hear my voyce and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me This is a Supper that is essential Here 's joy and consolation in this Supper and sweet communion with the Lord. This was writ to a Church who were Baptized with outward Baptism and had the outward Supper and other Ordinances as we may well presume they had as well as other Churches and especially because they thought themselves rich in such things and increased with goods having need of nothing which blinded their Eyes so that they knew not that they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked And so the rest of the Churches of Asia they were all in Church fellowship enjoying the outward Ordinances but that was not enough For they were gathered in thither as into a nursery or Garden to the end they should grow up in grace and bring forth good Fruit unto God So there is a prayer that is essential and hath communion with God viz. When in the Spirit we worship God and when the Spirit maketh intercession in us according to the will of God There is also Preaching or a holding forth of Truth which is essential when the Lord requires it whether it be by a righteous life or by bearing Testimony to the Truth But these things I leave out which the Worldly Spirit may cloath it self with all and under that Cloak live wickedly yea and hate the life and power of Christianity as may be done under a verbal profession of the new Covenant as well as under the Old when the false Prophets and such as adhered to them persecuted the true Prophets And yet though they were Persecutors of the true they brought Oblatious to God and burnt incense to him and kept solemn meetings and fasts and came as a People that delighted to draw near unto the Lord and made many Prayers to him and their Hearts in all this far from him and so may it be now and therefore such things I omit and point at such things as wherein a Soul drawes near to God and is approved of God and in which he comes to some enjoyment of Spiritual blessings and by degrees comes into possession of the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus The things wherein a man walks with God and follows the Lamb whether into external observances or out of them those I would here comprehend For there may be a following of him out of some things that the evil Spirit may take up as well as into them The Scripture leaves us not without examples and ground hereof The Brâ—â—en Serpent set up by Gods own institution and which was an eminent Type of Christ yet after the use of it was over and the People maâ—e an Idol of it and so went a whoring after the shaddow and forgot the substance and their Hearts were removed far from the Lord that good King Hezechiah who walk't before the Lord with a perfect Heart he caused it to be broken to pieces and put an end to it 2 King 18.4 The Lord did also command circumcision very stricktly so that the Seed of Abraham must needs be circumcised and this called an Ordinance for ever Yet when the fulness of time was come that the substance of all the shaddowes took place in their stead then sayes one Apostle behold I say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing Gal. 5.2 This was a hard lesson to some and especially to such who were zealous of Gods ordinances yea even to many who believed in Christ Now the Scripture tells us of a falling away from God unto all wickedness and of retaining a form of Godliness still to cover all that and of a mystery of iniquity to be revealed and yet he that shall heed that mystery shall have his seat in the Temple of God that is were Gods Ordinances have their place by right but iniquity working under this profession of these things makes that a mystery which otherwise is open-fast wickedness only it hides it self under a profession and destructive zeal against neglecters of its form Now in this case I say there may be a following of the Lamb even out of those observances of his which once were commanded But I do not urge this except he lead And if he lead and go before them then shall his followers have peace and a secret witness in themselves although they meet with opposition from others Which they are likely to doe in following the Lamb for its him that the evil Spirit persecutes by his Servants in whom he rules And this is a great Testimony that its one great ordinance of Christ for his People to come out of false and corrupted worships after the mystery of iniquity hath abused them because the persecution lyes most thereupon if not altogether The Papists they persecute because People relinquish their form the Episcopal the Presbyterian c. they all do the like Though a man be just and upright in his conversation yet if he draw from their form they hate they revile they persecute at least with the Tongue And why is this But because they follow the Lamb who saith in their Spirits Come out of her my People I'ts he that goes before his true followers and leads them out gently and therefore saith come out And this comming out I say is a great ordinance of Christ in the discovery and dissolution of all corrupted worships And the followers of Christ herein are dignifyed with this Honour that it s said of them these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes But note they are such as truely follow the Lamb in whose mouth is found no guile If they shall turn from corrupted worships and